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Abstract Background Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most malignant tumors that lacks effective treatment options. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), an important component of the tumor microenvironment, associated with tumor progression, prognosis, and treatment response. This work aimed to explore the novel CAFs-associated target to improve treatment strategies in PDAC. Methods The PDAC single-cell sequencing data (CRA001160, n = 35) were downloaded and integrated based on GSA databases to classify fibroblasts into fine subtypes. Functional enrichment analysis and coexpression regulatory network analysis were used to identify the functional phenotypes and biological properties of the different fibroblast subtypes. Fibroblast differentiation trajectories were constructed using pseudochronological analysis to identify initial and terminally differentiated subtypes of fibroblasts. The changes in the proportions of different fibroblast subtypes before and after PDAC immunotherapy were compared in responsive and nonresponding patients, and the relationships between fibroblast subtypes and PDAC immunotherapy responsiveness were determined based on GSA and GEO database. Using molecular biology methods to confirm the effects of BNIP3 on hypoxia and inflammation in CAFs. CAFs were co cultured with pancreatic cancer cells to detect their effects on migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer. Results Single-cell data analysis divided fibroblasts into six subtypes. The differentiation trajectory suggested that BNIP3+ Fibro subtype exhibited terminal differentiation, and the expression of genes related to hypoxia and the inflammatory response increased gradually with differentiation time. The specific overexpressed genes in the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype were significantly associated with overall and disease progression-free survival in the patients with PDAC. Interestingly, the greater the proportion of the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype was, the worse the response of PDAC patients to immunotherapy, and the CRTL treatment regimen effectively reduced the proportion of the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype. After knocking out BNIP3, the hypoxia markers and inflammatory factors of CAFs were inhibited. Co-culture of CAFs with pancreatic cancer cells can increase the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer, but this could be reversed by knocking out BNIP3. Conclusions This study revealed the BNIP3+ Fibro subtype associated with hypoxia and inflammatory responses, which was closely related to the poor prognosis of patients with PDAC, and identified signature genes that predict the immunotherapy response in PDAC.

Abstract The clinical efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy is significantly compromised in the metabolically disordered tumor microenvironment (TME), posing a formidable challenge that cannot be ignored in current antitumor strategies. In this study, TME‐responsive nanoparticles (HMP1G NPs) loaded with 1‐methyltryptophan (1‐MT; an indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 1 [IDO1] inhibitor,) and S‐nitrosoglutathione (GSNO; a nitric oxide donor) is developed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of 1‐MT‐mediated ICB. The HMP1G NPs responded to H+ and glutathione in the TME, releasing Mn2+, GSNO, and 1‐MT. The released Mn2+ catalyzed the production of abundant reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide from hydrogen peroxide and GSNO, and the generated nitric oxide, synergistically with 1‐MT, inhibited the accumulation of kynurenine mediated by IDO1 in the tumor. Mechanistically, HMP1G NPs downregulated tumor cell‐derived IDO1 via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3/interleukin signaling axis to improve kynurenine/tryptophan metabolism and immunosuppression. In a murine breast cancer model, treatment with HMP1G NPs elicited effective antitumor immunity and enhanced survival outcomes. This study highlights a novel nano‐platform that simultaneously improves metabolism and enhances ICB efficacy to achieve a new and efficient antitumor strategy.

Extramural venous invasion (EMVI) detected by computed tomography has been identified as an independent risk factor for distant metastasis in patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC). Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are critical for remodeling the tumor microenvironment in GCs. Here, we report that MFAP5+ CAFs promote the formation of EMVI imaging in GC. We detected gene expression in pathological samples from 13 advanced GC patients with EMVI. Radiogenomics results showed the degree of CAFs infiltration was directly proportional to the EMVI score and EMT pathway in GC patients. Single-cell sequencing data analysis results showed that MFAP5+CAFs subtypes in GC were negatively correlated with patient prognosis and were enriched in tumor lactylation modification and EMT pathways. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the expression of MFAP5, L-lactyl and EMT markers in GC tissues was proportional to the EMVI score. CAF from gastric cancer tissue was extracted using collagenase method and co-cultured with GC cell line in vitro. After lentivirus knockdown of MFAP5 in CAFs, the levels of L-lactoyl and histone lactylation modifications were significantly reduced, and the sphere-forming and vascularization abilities of CAFs were significantly inhibited. Cell function experiments showed that MFAP5+ CAFs can affect the EMT, metastasis and invasion capabilities of GC cells. In vivo experimental results of the nude mouse in situ EMVI model suggest that MFAP5+ CAF may promote the formation of EMVI imaging features in GC by regulating lactylation modification. This innovative work may provide important new references for the diagnosis and treatment of GC.

This paper is concerned with the [Formula: see text] control problem for singular systems over finite frequency ranges. The disturbance is assumed to be within low-/middle-/high-frequency ranges. Both the state feedback and static output feedback controllers are designed. First, by combining the Lyapunov function method and the generalized Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov lemma, a new finite frequency bounded real lemma (BRL) is proposed, which ensures the resulting closed-loop system to be regular, impulse free and stable with given finite frequency [Formula: see text] performance bound. It is shown by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation that the proposed BRL has less conservatism than the existing ones in the literature. With the aid of the Finsler's Lemma, two improved finite frequency BRLs are further presented for the design of controllers. Then, by utilizing convexification techniques, sufficient conditions for solving the desired state feedback and static output feedback gains are presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities, respectively. Finally, the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed control methods are verified by a 6-bus power network system.

ABSTRACT Background Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a critical factor affecting the outcomes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and the main reason for treatment failure. This study was designed to examine the effects of the key genes involved in the LNM of HNSCC. Methods Tissue samples (HNSCC) were examined by transcriptome sequencing, and the core genes associated with LNM were detected via bioinformatics analysis. The functions of these core genes were then validated using the TCGA biological database and their effects on the propagation, invasion, and metastasis of HNSCC cells were evaluated through cell culture experiments. Moreover, the effect of core gene expression on the LNM capability of HNSCC was confirmed via a footpad xenograft mice model. Results In the findings, a key gene involved in the LNM of HNSCC was identified as SLC7A2. It was correlated with adverse clinical prognosis and expressed with low expression in HNSCC tissues. As shown in cell culture experiments, FaDu and SCC15 cell growth, invasion, and migration were inhibited when SLC7A2 was overexpressed. Further, cell apoptosis was stimulated, and lymphangiogenesis was suppressed through the downregulation of CPB2 expression. Animal studies demonstrated that the growth and LNM of HNSCC cells were inhibited by SLC7A2 overexpression. Conclusion It is concluded that SLC7A2 is involved in HNSCC lymphatic metastasis by controlling CPB2 function. The results are anticipated to offer new directions for the effective treatment of HNSCC.

Abstract Efficient operation of control systems in robotics or autonomous driving targeting real-world navigation scenarios requires perception methods that allow them to understand and adapt to unstructured environments with good accuracy, adaptation, and generality, similar to humans. To address this need, we present a memristor-based differential neuromorphic computing, perceptual signal processing, and online adaptation method providing neuromorphic style adaptation to external sensory stimuli. The adaptation ability and generality of this method are confirmed in two application scenarios: object grasping and autonomous driving. In the former, a robot hand realizes safe and stable grasping through fast ( ~ 1 ms) adaptation based on the tactile object features with a single memristor. In the latter, decision-making information of 10 unstructured environments in autonomous driving is extracted with an accuracy of 94% with a 40×25 memristor array. By mimicking human low-level perception mechanisms, the electronic neuromorphic circuit-based method achieves real-time adaptation and high-level reactions to unstructured environments.

Abstract Background Patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) have a poor prognosis mainly because of lymphatic metastasis. This research aimed to determine the PKM2 role in lymphatic metastasis in HPC and the underlying molecular mechanism contributing to this phenomenon. Methods PKM2 in HPC was studied for its expression and its likelihood of overall survival using TCGA dataset. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, and IHC were employed to confirm PKM2 expression. Methods including gain- and loss-of-function were used to examine the PKM2 role in HPC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. In vitro and in vivo studies also confirmed lymphatic metastasis’s mechanism. Results Prominent PKM2 overexpression was seen in patients with lymphatic metastasis of HPC, and there was an inherent relationship between a high PKM2 level and poor prognosis. In vitro research showed that knocking down PKM2 decreased tumor cell invasion, migration, and proliferation while promoting apoptosis and inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, but overexpressing PKM2 had the reverse effect. Animal studies suggested that PKM2 may facilitate tumor development and lymphatic metastasis. Conclusions Our findings suggest that PKM2 may be a tumor’s promoter gene of lymphatic metastasis, which may promote lymphatic metastasis of HPC by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. PKM2 may be a biomarker of metastatic potential, ultimately providing a basis for exploring new therapeutic targets.

Abstract Solution‐processed 2D materials hold promise for their scalable applications. However, the random, fragmented nature of the solution‐processed nanoflakes and the poor percolative conduction through their discrete networks limit the performance of the enabled devices. To overcome the problem, conduction modulation of the solution‐processed 2D materials is reported via Stark effect. Using liquid‐phase exfoliated molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as an example, nonlinear conduction switching with a ratio of >105 is demonstrated by the local fields from the interfacial ferroelectric P(VDF‐TrFE). Through density‐functional theory calculations and in situ Raman scattering and photoluminescence spectroscopic analysis, the modulation is understood to arise from a charge redistribution in the solution‐processed MoS2. Beyond MoS2, the modulation may be shown effective for the other solution‐processed 2D materials and low‐dimensional materials. The modulation can open their electronic device applications, for instance, thin‐film nonlinear electronics and non‐volatile memories.

A field-programmable photonic gate array is an integrated optical chip that combines electrical control and optical processing, enabling real-time reconfiguration of the optical path through software programming. While most current optical processors rely on Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI)-based architectures, those based on micro-disk resonators (MDRs) offer unique characteristics, including high integration and wavelength correlation, providing new ideas for programmable photonic chip architectures. In this paper, a scalable asymmetric MZI-assisted field-programmable micro-ring array (AMZI-FPRA) processor is proposed with a cell area of only 85 × 42 µm2. This design not only has high wavelength selectivity but also possesses dual adjustable wavelengths and coupling coefficients compared with traditional MDRs. By extending the cell into a 2 × 2 AMZI-FPRA using a two-dimensional square mesh approach, it is experimentally demonstrated that different optical path topologies can be realized with a compact footprint, including bandpass bandstop filtering, optical temporal differentiation, microwave delay, wavelength-division multiplexing/demultiplexing, and optical add-drop multiplexing. Increasing the array scale will enable more versatile and high-performance microwave photonic signal processing tasks. The scheme will be a promising candidate at the present time for reconfigurable programmable photonic signal processors due to its wide reconfigurability, on-chip integration, complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor-compatibility, and low power consumption.

Abstract Implementing and integrating spiking neurons for neuromorphic hardware realization conforming to spiking neural networks holds great promise in enabling efficient learning and decision‐making. The spiking neurons, however, may lack the spiking dynamics to encode the dynamical information in complex real‐world problems. Herein, using filamentary memristors from solution‐processed hexagonal boron nitride, this study assembles leaky integrate‐and‐fire spiking neurons and, particularly, harnesses the common switching stochasticity feature in the memristors to allow key neural dynamics, including Poisson‐like spiking and adaptation. The neurons, with the dynamics fitted via hardware‐algorithm codesign, suggest a potential in realizing spike‐based neuromorphic hardware capable of handling complex problems. Simulation of an autoencoder for anomaly detection of time‐series real analog and digital data from physical systems is demonstrated, underscoring its promising prospect in applications, especially, at the edges with limited computation resources, for instance, auto‐pilot, manufacturing, wearables, and Internet of things.

Abstract Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is highly aggressive with a significant tropism of lymph nodes, which restricts treatment options and negatively impacts patient outcomes. Although progress has been made in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lymphatic metastasis (LM), these mechanisms remain elusive. ANXA6 is a scaffold protein that participates in tumor pathogenesis and autophagy regulation; however, how ANXA6 affects autophagy and LM in HNSCC cells remains unknown. Methods RNA sequencing was performed on HNSCC clinical specimens with or without metastasis as well as on The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset to investigate ANXA6 expression and survival. Both in vitro and in vivo studies were performed to investigate the role of ANXA6 in the regulation of LM in HNSCC. The molecular mechanism by which ANXA6 interacts with TRPV2 was examined at the molecular level. Results ANXA6 expression was significantly upregulated in HNSCC patients with LM and higher expression was associated with poor prognosis. ANXA6 overexpression promoted the proliferation and mobility of FaDu and SCC15 cells in vitro; however, ANXA6 knockdown retarded LM in HNSCC in vivo. ANXA6 induced autophagy by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in HNSCC, thereby regulating the metastatic capability of the disease. Furthermore, ANXA6 expression positively correlated with TRPV2 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Lastly, TRPV2 inhibition reversed ANXA6-induced autophagy and LM. Conclusions These results indicate that the ANXA6/TRPV2 axis facilitates LM in HNSCC by stimulating autophagy. This study provides a theoretical basis for investigating the ANXA6/TRPV2 axis as a potential target for the treatment of HNSCC, as well as a biomarker for predicting LM.

Abstract Background An increasing number of circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in the tumorigenesis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and function of circ_0001667 and its potential molecular mechanisms in breast cancer. Methods The expression levels of circ_0001667, miR‐6838‐5p and CXC chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10) in breast cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real‐time PCR. Cell counting kit‐8 assay, EdU assay, flow cytometry, colony formation and tube formation assays were used to detect cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The binding relationship between miR‐6838‐5p and circ_0001667 or CXCL10 was predicted using the starBase3.0 database and verified by dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay, RIP and RNA pulldown. Animal experiments were performed to assess the function of circ_0001667 knockdown on breast cancer tumor growth. Results Circ_0001667 was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues and cells, and its knockdown inhibited proliferation and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. Circ_0001667 sponged miR‐6838‐5p, and inhibition of miR‐6838‐5p reversed the inhibitory effect of silencing circ_0001667 on proliferation and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells. MiR‐6838‐5p targeted CXCL10, and overexpression of CXCL10 reverses the effect of miR‐6838‐5p overexpression on breast cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis. In addition, circ_0001667 interference also reduced breast cancer tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion Circ_0001667 is involved in breast cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis through regulation of the miR‐6838‐5p/CXCL10 axis.

We propose a compact, broadband 2×2 3-dB adiabatic coupler using trapezoidal subwavelength gratings on silicon-on-insulator platform. The proposed device is constructed by two tapered waveguides, which are composed of trapezoidal subwavelength gratings. Broadband 3-dB optical power splitting with a coupling length of 24 μm is achieved by the adiabatic mode evolution of the two lowest order transverse electric modes. By using the finite time difference method, the power splitting ratio better than 3±0.21 dB and the insertion loss less than 0.19 dB are obtained in the wavelength range of 1450 nm to 1650 nm.

Endometriosis is a common disease in the field of gynaecology, exhibiting clinical manifestations such as dysmenorrhoea, pelvic masses, and infertility, affecting 2–10% of women of reproductive age worldwide. Currently, the acceptance rate of hormonal drugs in patients is low and certain side effects exist. In this study, based on network pharmacology, it was found that the Yushenhuoxue (YSHX) formula could potentially affect endometriosis through the TNF signalling pathway. Clinical studies indicated that YSHX demonstrated the ability to reduce the vas score of dysmenorrhoea, resulting in a significant down-regulation of serum ca125 and inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α). In vivo studies showed that stem cell mice in the YSHX group exhibited significantly reduced lesion volumes than those in the model group. Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly decreased. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65 and the expression of TNF-α protein were significantly decreased. In vitro studies have shown that YSHX inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and migration of endometriotic cells. This study partially verified that YSHX contributed to the treatment of endometriosis by regulating the TNF signalling pathway and improving the inflammatory state of endometriosis.

Abstract Background Lymphatic metastasis was an independent prognostic risk factor for hypopharyngeal carcinoma and was the main cause of treatment failure. The purpose of this study was to screen the differential genes and investigate the mechanism of lymphatic metastasis in hypopharyngeal carcinoma. Methods Transcriptome sequencing was performed on primary tumors of patients, and differential genes were screened by bioinformatics analysis. The expression of differential genes was verified by qRT-PCR, western-blotting and immunohistochemical, and prognostic value was analyzed by Kaplan–Meier and log-rank test and Cox’s test. Next, FADU and SCC15 cell lines were used to demonstrate the function of differential genes both in vitro by EdU, Flow cytometry, Wound Healing and Transwell assays and in vivo by a foot-pad xenograft mice model. Proteomic sequencing was performed to screen relevant targets. In addition, in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the mechanism of lymphatic metastasis. Results Results of transcriptome sequencing showed that RAF1 was a significantly differential gene in lymphatic metastasis and was an independent prognostic risk factor. In vitro experiments suggested that decreased expression of RAF1 could inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells and promote apoptosis. In vivo experiments indicated that RAF1 could promote tumor growth and lymphatic metastasis. Proteomic sequencing and subsequent experiments suggested that LAGE1 could promote development of tumor and lymphatic metastasis, and was regulated by RAF1. Conclusions It suggests that RAF1 can promote lymphatic metastasis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma by regulating LAGE1, and provide a basis for the exploring of novel therapeutic target and ultimately provide new guidance for the establishment of intelligent diagnosis and precise treatment of hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

Artificial nociceptors, mimicking human-like stimuli perception, are of significance for intelligent robotics to work in hazardous and dynamic scenarios. One of the most essential characteristics of the human nociceptor is its self-adjustable attribute, which indicates that the threshold of determination of a potentially hazardous stimulus relies on environmental knowledge. This critical attribute has been currently omitted, but it is highly desired for artificial nociceptors. Inspired by these shortcomings, this article presents, for the first time, a self-directed channel memristor-based self-reconfigurable nociceptor, capable of perceiving hazardous pressure stimuli under different temperatures and demonstrates key features of tactile nociceptors, including ‘threshold,’ ‘no-adaptation,’ and ‘sensitization.’ The maximum amplification of hazardous external stimuli is 1000%, and its response characteristics dynamically adapt to current temperature conditions by automatically altering the generated modulation schemes for the memristor. The maximum difference ratio of the response of memristors at different temperatures is 500%, and this adaptability closely mimics the functions of biological tactile nociceptors, resulting in accurate danger perception in various conditions. Beyond temperature adaptation, this memristor-based nociceptor has the potential to integrate different sensory modalities by applying various sensors, thereby achieving human-like perception capabilities in real-world environments.

Measurement(s) Land Use and Land Cover Change Technology Type(s) computational modeling technique Factor Type(s) Shared Socioeconomic Pathways scenarios • Representative Concentration Pathways scenarios • land use and land cover change Sample Characteristic - Environment Land Sample Characteristic - Location China

Abstract Background Lymph node metastasis is the main cause of poor prognosis of head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification is an emerging epigenetic regulatory mechanism for gene expression, and as a novel m6A reader protein, IGF2BP2 has been implicated in tumor progression and metastasis. However, not much is currently known about the functional roles of IGF2BP2 in HNSCC, and whether IGF2BP2 regulates lymphatic metastasis through m6A modification in HNSCC remains to be determined. Methods The expression and overall survival (OS) probability of m6A-related regulators in HNSCC were analyzed with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and GEPIA website tool, respectively. The expression levels of IGF2BP2 were measured in HNSCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues. To study the effects of IGF2BP2 on HNSCC cell metastasis in vitro and in vivo, gain- and loss- of function methods were employed. RIP, MeRIP, luciferase reporter and mRNA stability assays were performed to explore the epigenetic mechanism of IGF2BP2 in HNSCC. Results We investigated 20 m6A-related regulators in HNSCC and discovered that only the overexpression of IGF2BP2 was associated with a poor OS probability and an independent prognostic factor for HNSCC patients. Additionally, we demonstrated that IGF2BP2 was overexpressed in HNSCC tissues, and significantly correlated to lymphatic metastasis and poor prognosis. Functional studies have shown that IGF2BP2 promotes both HNSCC cell migration as well as invasion via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in vitro, and IGF2BP2 knockdown significantly inhibited lymphatic metastasis and lymphangiogenesis in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that Slug, a key EMT-related transcriptional factor, is the direct target of IGF2BP2, and essential for IGF2BP2-regulated EMT and metastasis in HNSCC. Furthermore, we demonstrated that IGF2BP2 recognizes and binds the m6A site in the coding sequence (CDS) region of Slug and promotes its mRNA stability. Conclusions Collectively, our study uncovers the oncogenic role and potential mechanism of IGF2BP2, which serves as a m6A reader, in controlling lymphatic metastasis and EMT in HNSCC, suggesting that IGF2BP2 may act as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for HNSCC patients with metastasis.

For the silicon photonics integrated circuits, the optical switch plays a vital role in many applications. Large scale integration requires low switching power and fast switching speed. However the switching time and switching power of silicon thermo-optic switch are typically limited to tens of micro-seconds and tens of milli-watts, respectively. In this paper, we designed and fabricated a silicon thermo-optic switch with spiral optical phase shifters, which can reduce the switching power from 21.5 mW to 8.73 mW compared to the optical switch with straight phase shifters. Furthermore, we optimized the pulse driving, we proposed the calculation formula of the pulse voltage, and the overall quantitative scheme of the pulse voltage and pulse width. By adopting the optimized pulse driving, the switching time is reduced from 27 μs to 4 μs. The proposed silicon thermo-optic switch unit with optimized pulse driving is very promising for the applications where large scale integration of optical switches is needed.

A TM-mode-pass polarization rotator and power divider with an arbitrary beam-splitting ratio constructed by an adiabatic taper, a spatial mode order convertor and a multi-mode interferometer (MMI) is proposed on the silicon-on insulator (SOI) platform. Both arbitrary power splitting and polarization selection-rotation can be realized in this single device. The measurements show that a continuously adjustable beam-splitting ratio from 1:99 to 99:1 within a 33.2 mW power consumption from 1520–1580 nm has been realized for the proposed device.

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a high-performance micro-ring resonator (MRR) with a large free-spectral range (FSR) on the lithium niobate-on-insulator (LNOI) platform. Mode crosstalk happens in LNOI waveguide bends because more than one mode is generated from the anisotropy of lithium niobate, which limits the minimum bending radius of MRRs. Mode properties of ridge waveguides on X-cut LNOI with different bend radii and wavelengths have been analyzed to remove the effect of mode hybridization and reduce the mode crosstalk. On this basis, a small radius MRR with large FSR and 3dB bandwidth is achieved. Further, to deal with the wavelength shift caused by fabrication error, a second-order micro-ring resonators (2nd-order MRRs) filter with a box-like response and a high out-of-band rejection ratio is realized. Besides, a multichannel demultiplexing filter is realized based on 2nd-order MRRs with low crosstalk (

The high fall rate of the elderly brings enormous challenges to families and the medical system; therefore, early risk assessment and intervention are quite necessary. Compared to other sensor-based technologies, in-shoe plantar pressure sensors, effectiveness and low obtrusiveness are widely used for long-term fall risk assessments because of their portability. While frequently-used bipedal center-of-pressure (COP) features are derived from a pressure sensing platform, they are not suitable for the shoe system or pressure insole owing to the lack of relative position information. Therefore, in this study, a definition of “weak foot” was proposed to solve the sensitivity problem of single foot features and facilitate the extraction of temporal consistency related features. Forty-four multi-dimensional weak foot features based on single foot COP were correspondingly extracted; notably, the relationship between the fall risk and temporal inconsistency in the weak foot were discussed in this study, and probability distribution method was used to analyze the symmetry and temporal consistency of gait lines. Though experiments, foot pressure data were collected from 48 subjects with 24 high risk (HR) and 24 low risk (LR) ones obtained by the smart footwear system. The final models with 87.5% accuracy and 100% sensitivity on test data outperformed the base line models using bipedal COP. The results and feature space shown the novel features of wearable plantar pressure could comprehensively evaluate the difference between HR and LR groups. Our fall risk assessment models based on these features had good generalization performance, and showed practicability and reliability in real-life monitoring situations.

Abstract The memristor is a resistive switch where its resistive state is programable based on the applied voltage or current. Memristive devices are thus capable of storing and computing information simultaneously, breaking the Von Neumann bottleneck. Since the first nanomemristor made by Hewlett‐Packard in 2008, advances so far have enabled nanostructured, low‐power, high‐durability devices that exhibit superior performance over conventional CMOS devices. Herein, the development of memristors based on different physical mechanisms is reviewed. In particular, device stability, integration density, power consumption, switching speed, retention, and endurance of memristors, that are crucial for neuromorphic computing, are discussed in detail. An overview of various neural networks with a focus on building a memristor‐based spike neural network neuromorphic computing system is then provided. Finally, the existing issues and challenges in implementing such neuromorphic computing systems are analyzed, and an outlook for brain‐like computing is proposed.

Abstract Humanoid robots, intelligent machines resembling the human body in shape and functions, cannot only replace humans to complete services and dangerous tasks but also deepen the own understanding of the human body in the mimicking process. Nowadays, attaching a large number of sensors to obtain more sensory information and efficient computation is the development trend for humanoid robots. Nevertheless, due to the constraints of von Neumann‐based structures, humanoid robots are facing multiple challenges, including tremendous energy consumption, latency bottlenecks, and the lack of bionic properties. Memristors, featured with high similarity to the biological elements, play an important role in mimicking the biological nervous system. The memristor‐based nervous system allows humanoid robots to obtain high energy efficiency and bionic sensing properties, which are similar properties to the biological nervous system. Herein, this article first reviews the biological nervous system and memristor‐based nervous system thoroughly, including the structures and also the functions. The applications of memristor‐based nervous systems are introduced, the difficulties that need to be overcome are put forward, and future development prospects are also discussed. This review can hopefully provide an evolutionary perspective on humanoid robots and memristor‐based nervous systems.

Summary: Various global land use/land cover (LULC) products have been developed to drive land-relevant climate and hydrological models for environmental assessments. However, systematic studies remain scarce that assess the uncertainties of using these products. By using a total of 16 commonly used global LULC products, we find a logarithm law of upscaling with the spatial resolution. The law reveals spatial details of urban features will be majorly distorted when using LULC products with coarser resolutions. A tipping point of the law around the 30-m resolution was identified by additional analysis of the 1-m and 10-m local land use dataset. Through the example of assessing crop production loss, we further find that most of these products will yield a significant underestimation of crop production losses, globally and locally. We conclude that the underestimated urban land rooted in most of these products would cause vital impacts on global change analyses and modeling.

BackgroundQuestionnaires have been used in the past 2 decades to predict the diagnosis of vertigo and assist clinical decision-making. A questionnaire-based machine learning model is expected to improve the efficiency of diagnosis of vestibular disorders. ObjectiveThis study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire-based machine learning model that predicts the diagnosis of vertigo. MethodsIn this multicenter prospective study, patients presenting with vertigo entered a consecutive cohort at their first visit to the ENT and vertigo clinics of 7 tertiary referral centers from August 2019 to March 2021, with a follow-up period of 2 months. All participants completed a diagnostic questionnaire after eligibility screening. Patients who received only 1 final diagnosis by their treating specialists for their primary complaint were included in model development and validation. The data of patients enrolled before February 1, 2021 were used for modeling and cross-validation, while patients enrolled afterward entered external validation. ResultsA total of 1693 patients were enrolled, with a response rate of 96.2% (1693/1760). The median age was 51 (IQR 38-61) years, with 991 (58.5%) females; 1041 (61.5%) patients received the final diagnosis during the study period. Among them, 928 (54.8%) patients were included in model development and validation, and 113 (6.7%) patients who enrolled later were used as a test set for external validation. They were classified into 5 diagnostic categories. We compared 9 candidate machine learning methods, and the recalibrated model of light gradient boosting machine achieved the best performance, with an area under the curve of 0.937 (95% CI 0.917-0.962) in cross-validation and 0.954 (95% CI 0.944-0.967) in external validation. ConclusionsThe questionnaire-based light gradient boosting machine was able to predict common vestibular disorders and assist decision-making in ENT and vertigo clinics. Further studies with a larger sample size and the participation of neurologists will help assess the generalization and robustness of this machine learning method.

Limited by large transmission loss, the development of transverse electric (TE) mode silicon-on-insulator (SOI) based on-chip long length chirped grating waveguide faces many difficulties now. To overcome this problem, multi-mode waveguide with a measured transmission loss of 0.7 dB/cm is applied in this paper, and a chirped spiral Bragg grating waveguide (SBGW) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The length of the chirped SBGW reaches 2.7 cm, which is the longest SOI based grating reported so far. The total group delay is measured to be 628 ps, with a structure size of only 0.3 mm2 due to the application of spiral configuration. The slope of the linear dispersion is -27.7 ps/nm. This integrated chirped SBGW shows great compatibility with frequently used TE mode SOI devices and has great potential for applications in microwave photonics requiring dispersion control.

Abstract Background Gastroesophageal variceal hemorrhage is the most severe complication of portal hypertension, with a high mortality rate. The current recommendations for gastroesophageal varices include pharmacological treatment, endoscopic treatment, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement, and splenectomy with devascularization surgery. Multidisciplinary team (MDT) comprises of a group of medical experts and specialists across a range of disciplines, providing personalized and targeted patient care tailored to each individual’s condition, circumstances, and expectations. Methods Patients referred to the MDT clinic since its establishment in September 2014 were prospectively enrolled and followed-up for at least 12 months. Patient baseline characteristics, treatment methods, outcome and survival were compared to non-MDT patients retrieved from a prospectively maintained database with propensity score matching. Results Propensity-score matching (PSM) was carried out to balance available covariates, resulting in 58 MDT patients vs. 111 non-MDT patients. Overall survival and variceal rebleed was compared between the two groups. The rate of variceal rebleed was significantly higher in the non-MDT group, while no difference in overall survival was observed. Conclusions This study is the first to investigate the role of a multidisciplinary team in the management of gastroesophageal varices secondary to portal hypertension. Patients treated based on MDT clinic recommendations had a significantly lower risk for variceal rebleed.

A microwave frequency measurement system based on a ring assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer (RAMZI) with a large measurement range and high accuracy is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By using single-sideband modulation, the microwave signal with unknown frequency is converted to an optical sideband signal, which is used to probe the two complementary output optical powers of the ring-assisted Mach-Zehnder interferometer, then a fixed frequency-to-power mapping is established by obtaining a highly linear amplitude comparison function (ACF). High-precision frequency measurement with a root mean square error (RMSE) of less than 30 MHz was achieved in a frequency range of 5.2 GHz, and relative low-precision frequency measurement with a RMSE of less than 102 MHz was achieved in a frequency range of 11 GHz. Besides, in order to break the trade-off between measurement range and measurement accuracy, a multi-band measurement method was implemented and frequency measurement range of 5~39 GHz with RMSE lower than 37 MHz was achieved.

Abstract Background A strong association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has been widely recognized in recent decades. The aim of the present study was to investigate latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) regulation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) CNE-2 cell growth and then examine the effects of LMP1-knockout with CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and CNE-2 cell growth. Methods Human NPC CNE-2 cells were infected with the recombinant LMP1- and LMP2A-carrying lentivirus, and then examined for cell growth with the colony forming assay as well as for the activation of transcription of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) with reverse-transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of LMP1 or LMP2A was performed with a single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting sequences within LMP1 or LMP2A. The knockout effect and the EBV proliferation were examined with RT-qPCR, western blot and cell growth assay. Results LMP1 overexpression promoted CNE-2 cell growth, compared to LMP2A overexpression. Loss-of-function experiments confirmed that eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) upregulation mediated this effect. LMP1 knockout significantly inhibited EBV proliferation in CNE-2 cells and markedly inhibited LMP1-mediated promotion of cell growth. The knockout of either LMP1 or LMP2A blocked the eIF4E activation, which is induced either by the EBV infection or by the overexpression of LMP1 or LMP2A. Conclusion We confirmed the LMP1-mediated promotion of NPC cell growth. Such promotion can be effectively blocked by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated LMP1 knockout. Precise LMP1 knockout might be a promising method for targeted inhibition of EBV infection and NPC cell growth.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of drug-eluting balloons for de novo and in-stent restenosis (ISR) for lesions of the femoropopliteal arteries during 12-month follow-up. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis of 66 patients was performed. These patients had lower extremity atherosclerosis obliterans and were treated with drug-eluting balloons from June 2016 to June 2017. All the lesions were femoropopliteal, including 47 de novo lesions and 19 ISR lesions. Clinical results were followed up at 6 months and 12 months postoperatively. The primary patency rate, target lesion revascularization, Rutherford classification, ankle-brachial index, amputation rate and mortality were compared between the two groups. Results: All the 66 patients underwent the treatment of femoropopliteal artery lesions with unilateral limbs. The surgical success rates were 100%. No adverse events such as acute ischemia or amputation occurred in the hospital. There was no difference between the two groups' Rutherford classification and the ankle-brachial index at the 6-month follow-up (p > 0.05). At the 12-month follow-up, the de novo group's Rutherford classification was lower than the ISR group (p = 0.026), and the ankle-brachial index of the ISR group was lower (0.66 ± 0.033 vs 0.52 ± 0.056, p = 0.036). There was no difference between the patency rate of the de novo group and the ISR group (93.6% vs 84.2%, p = 0.229) at the 6-month follow-up. However, the ISR group patency rate was lower at the 12-month follow-up (63.2% vs 85.1%, p = 0.048). As for revascularization there was no significant difference between the two groups at the 6-month follow-up (4.2% vs 10.5%, p = 0.334), but a higher rate occurred in the ISR group at the 12-month follow-up (26.3% vs 6.4%, p = 0.025). There were no significant differences in the mortality or amputation rate between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Drug-eluting balloons were effective in treating both de novo lesions and ISR lesions in the atherosclerotic femoropopliteal artery, but the 12-month follow-up results of ISR lesions were less favorable than the de novo lesions. Keywords: Lower extremity atherosclerosis obliterans, De novo lesions, In-stent restenosis, Drug-eluting balloon

Objective To analyze the etiologies, treatments, and outcomes of sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) during pregnancy. Study design Retrospective chart review of 25 pregnant patients treated for SSNHL between January 2012 and September 2019. Forty-nine age matched non-pregnant women with severe and profound hearing loss diagnosed with SSNHL during the same period served as controls. Data were recorded on age, symptoms, onset of hearing loss, audiometric results, treatments, and outcomes. Results The mean age was 29.6 years (range 23–38 years). Intratympanic steroids (ITS) were administered in 15 (60.0%) pregnant women with SSNHL. Three women were treated with postauricular steroids only, while another woman was treated with intravenous ginkgo leaf extract and dipyridamole. The remaining six women received no medications. More than half (8/15, 53.3%) of pregnant women with SSNHL receiving ITS experienced hearing improvement. Pregnant women with profound hearing loss who received no medication had no hearing improvement. Most pregnant women with SSNHL (12/15, 80.0%) had higher fibrinogen levels than controls (mean values 3.77±0.71 g/L and 2.54±0.48 g/L, respectively). Conclusion Fibrinogen could be a risk factor for SSNHL during pregnancy. ITS may benefit pregnant women with severe and profound SSNHL.

Objectives To detect the involvement of immune cells in the pathogenesis of endometriosis in patients with stable status or pelvic pain. Methods Blood was collected from patients with endometriosis with and without pelvic pain. Natural killer (NK) and Th17 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry, and secretion of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-7) was verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We isolated immune cells from blood by density-gradient centrifugation to investigate the expression of functional molecules including sterile alpha motif domain-containing protein 9 (SAMD9), Ral guanine nucleotide dissociation stimulator-like 2 (RGL2), early growth response protein 1, and Akirin2. We also searched the BIOGPS database for protein expression profiles. Results SAMD9 and RGL2 expression levels were significantly upregulated in patients with pelvic pain. Furthermore, lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 expression was higher in endometrial tissues from patients with pelvic pain, and was mainly localized in stromal and glandular epithelial cells in ectopic lesions. Conclusion NK cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis in patients with pelvic pain. Suppressing the cytotoxic activity of NK cells may thus help to reduce the progression of pelvic pain in patients with endometriosis.

Abstract Background Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a highly invasive tumor, exhibits a distinctive racial and geographic distribution. As options of agents for effective combination chemoradiotherapy for advanced NPC are limited, novel therapeutic approaches are desperately needed. Here the potential of silencing NFBD1 in combination with PARP inhibition as a novel therapeutic strategy for NPC was investigated. Methods To investigate the function of NFBD1, we created NFBD1-depleted NPC cell lines via lentivirus mediated shRNA, and the colony formation, MTS assay, comet assay and apoptosis analysis were used to evaluate the sensitivity of NFBD1 knockdown on PARP inhibition. The signaling change was assessed by western blot, Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Furthermore, Xenografts model was used to evaluate the role of silencing NFBD1 in combination with PARP inhibition. Results We find that silencing NFBD1 in combination with PARP inhibition significantly inhibits the cell proliferation and cell cycle checkpoint activity, and increases the apoptosis and DNA damage. Mechanistic studies reveal that NFBD1 loss blocks olaparib-induced homologous recombination repair by decreasing the formation of BRCA1, BRCA2 and RAD51 foci. Furthermore, the xenograft tumor model demonstrated significantly increases sensitivity towards PARP inhibition under NFBD1 deficiency. Conclusions We show that NFBD1 depletion may possess sensitizing effects of PARP inhibitor, and consequently offers novel therapeutic options for a significant subset of patients.

A continuously tunable optical delay line with low delay ripple based on four cascaded tunable silicon nitride microring resonators for Ka-band beamforming network is proposed. The delay responses of the tunable optical delay line were investigated theoretically and experimentally. And a maximum delay tuning range of 300.3 ps, 169.4 ps and 88.6 ps were achieved when the delay bandwidth is set as 2 GHz, 5 GHz and 10 GHz respectively. In addition, low delay ripple about 8.5 ps and low additional loss less than 3.6 dB were obtained. Moreover, the maximum delay tuning range was increased to about 395 ps by combining the off-resonance region of the cascaded MRRs.

A seven-bit optical true time delay unit with a delay tuning increment of 1.42 ps was designed and fabricated on silicon photonics platform, which can be utilized in Ka-band phased array antenna systems. The delay unit consists of eight thermo-optical switches and seven waveguide delay lines with different lengths. By manipulating the states of the thermo-optical switches, 128 stages of discrete time delays varying from 0 to 191.37 ps has been obtained with low average power consumption of 178.77 mW. Besides, the integrated delay unit was fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator chip that has a very compact footprint of 7.4 mm × 1.8 mm. In addition, as the waveguide delay dependence on the modulation frequency is very limited and can be neglected, the proposed delay unit should process a large bandwidth that allows it to be utilized in microwave applications with abundant bandwidth.

Microwave photonic technologies have been introduced for achieving broadband radio-frequency signal measurement. However, few of the proposed schemes mention the low-power radio-frequency signal detection, which stringently limits their practical applications in certain areas. In this paper, we designed and demonstrated a wideband low-power radio-frequency signal measurement system with optoelectronic oscillator. Here, the unknown radio-frequency signal matched the potential oscillation mode is allowable to be detected, amplified and estimated. The key component in the tunable optoelectronic oscillator is a silicon nitride micro-disk resonator with a very high Q-factor, which is utilized to achieve frequency selection as a microwave filter. A frequency measurement system range from 1 ~ 20 GHz with radio frequency power as low as -105 dBm, measurement errors of ±375 MHz and the maximum gain of 61.7 dB were realized experimentally.

A stopband and passband switchable microwave photonic filter based on the integrated tunable dual ring coupled Mach-Zehnder interferometer has been demonstrated. By using the optical single sideband modulation, the switchable stopband and passband optical responses of the optical filter are one-to-one mapping to the RF spectra. The center frequency and bandwidth of the switchable microwave photonic filter are both reconfigurable. A frequency tuning range of 4-25 GHz is obtained, and the bandwidth tuning ranges of the passband and stopband MPFs are 4.54-9.72 GHz and 3.65-6.35 GHz, respectively. In addition, a RF rejection ratio about 20 dB is achieved. Compared with the switchable MPFs implemented by nonintegrated devices, the proposed switchable MPF provides a simple and low cost method to process radiofrequency signals.

A tunable microwave photonic notch filter with ultrahigh radio frequency (RF) rejection ratio is achieved by using a dual-drive Mach-Zender modulator and a microring resonator. In addition, we dedicated to clarify the mechanisms of the microwave photonic notch filters based on a microring resonator under both overcoupled and undercoupled states and the performance differences between these two situations are investigated in detail. Furthermore, the experimental results show that the cancellation microwave photonic notch filter with ultrahigh RF rejection ratio can be achieved with both undercoupled and overcoupled microring resonators. Besides, an RF rejection ratio exceeding 50 dB was achieved for a microring resonator with an optical extinction ratio of only 4 dB, where a 46-dB enhancement from optical to RF response is obtained. Also, the bandwidth of the microwave photonic filter can tuned from 0.65 to 2.2 GHz by adjusting the coupling ratio of the ring resonator. Meanwhile, by tuning the wavelength of the optical carrier, the filtering frequency can be tuned and a tuning range of about 25 GHz was achieved. The implementation is much simpler and more economical compared with previous reports and has great potential in monolithic integration of microwave photonic filters on chip.

Controlling the composition and crystal phase of layered heterostructures is important. Here, the authors report the liquid-phase epitaxial growth of Sn0.5W0.5S2 nanosheets with 83% metallic phase on SnS2 nanoplates, which are used as 100 ppb level chemiresistive gas sensors at room temperature.

Effects of partial replacement of wheat flour with corn flour (2.93-17.07%) blended with xanthan gum (0.1172-0.6828%) on physical properties, textural and sensory characteristics of sponge cakes were evaluated by response surface methodology (RSM). The significant regression models (P ≤ 0.05) were established to explain the influence of corn flour and xanthan (Xan) on the dependent variables and optimize the formulation. Xanthan significantly increased moisture content, hardness and chewiness, but it decreased specific volume and springiness (P ≤ 0.001). Corn flour had significant positive effects on specific volume, hardness, springiness, colour and overall acceptability (P ≤ 0.05). Hence corn flour and xanthan significantly improved the baking quality of sponge cakes (P ≤ 0.05) and thereby augmented the potential for using wheat-corn blend flours in cake baking. Based on RSM optimisation, a balance between amounts of corn flour (12.7%) and xanthan (0.416%) led to products with desired physical properties and acceptable sensory quality.

To address future environmental change and consequent social vulnerability, a better understanding of future population (FPOP) dynamics is critical. In this regard, notable progress has been made in producing FPOP projections that are consistent with the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) at low resolutions for the globe and high resolutions for specific regions. Building on existing endeavors, here we contribute a new set of 1 km SSP-consistent global population projections (FPOP in short for the dataset) under a machine learning framework. Our approach incorporates a recently available SSP-consistent global built-up land dataset under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6, with the aim to address the misestimation of future built-up land dynamics underlying existing datasets of future global population projections. We show that the overall accuracy of our FPOP outperforms five existing datasets at multiple scales and especially in densely-populated areas (e.g. cities and towns). Followingly, FPOP-based assessments of future global population dynamics suggest a similar trend by population density and a spatial Matthew effect of regional population centralization. Furthermore, FPOP-based estimates of global heat exposure are around 300 billion person-days in 2020 under four SSP-Representative Concentration Pathway (RCPs), which by 2100 could increase to as low as 516 billion person-days under SSP5-RCP4.5 and as high as 1626 billion person-days under SSP3-RCP8.5—with Asia and Africa contributing 64%–68% and 21%–25%, respectively. While our results shed lights on proactive policy interventions for addressing future global heat hazard, FPOP will enable future-oriented assessments of a wide range of environmental hazards, e.g. hurricanes, droughts, and flooding.

Atomically thin black phosphorus shows promise for optoelectronics and photonics, yet its instability under environmental conditions and the lack of well-established large-area synthesis protocols hinder its applications. Here, the authors demonstrate a stable black phosphorus ink suitable for printed ultrafast lasers and photodetectors.

The large-scale grid connection of photovoltaic power generation results in the power system frequency fluctuation and frequency regulation capacity decline, which endangers the dynamic security of power grid frequency. In order to reduce the frequency deviation of power grid and tap the potential of photovoltaic power generation participating in frequency regulation, a control method of photovoltaic power participating in frequency regulation of power grid is proposed in this paper. The maximum allowable power of photovoltaic power is predicted through system identification, and the load shedding rate is determined based on this, and the output power is corrected according to the system frequency deviation to participate in frequency regulation of power grid. The model based on MATLAB Simulation results shows the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Understanding the relationship between exogenous melatonin and water deficit stress is crucial for achieving high yields and alleviating the effects of water deficit stress on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) plants in agriculture. This study investigated the effects of exogenous melatonin on soybean photosynthetic capacity under water deficit stress induced by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000. We conducted a potting experiment in 2018 using the soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) cultivar Suinong 26. We identified the impacts of a concentration of PEG 6000 simulating drought (15%, w/v) and an appropriate melatonin concentration (100 μmol/L) on the growth of soybean seedlings and flowering stages in a preliminary test. We applied exogenous melatonin by foliar spraying and root application to determine the effects on leaf photosynthesis during water deficit stress. Our results indicated that 15% PEG 6000 had an obvious inhibitory effect on the growth of soybean seedlings and flowering stages, causing oxidative stress and damage due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) (H2O2 and O2·-) accumulation and potentially reducing air exchange parameters and photosystem II (PSII) efficiency. The application of exogenous melatonin significantly relieved the inhibitory effects of PEG 6000 stress on seedlings and flowering growth, and gas exchange parameters, potentially improved PSII efficiency, improved the leaf area index (LAI) and the accumulation of dry matter, slowed down oxidative stress and damage to leaves by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT), reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and ultimately improved soybean yield. Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that application of exogenous melatonin at the seedlings and flowering stages of soybean is effective in alleviating plant damage caused by water deficit stress and improving the drought resistance of soybean plants. In addition, the results showed that application of exogenous melatonin by root is superior to foliar spraying.

A silicon-based n-p-n-type hybrid plasmonic modulator operating at telecom wavelength of 1550 nm is theoretically investigated in this paper. The proposed modulator is dependent on the integration of a 1-μm-long n-p-n-type Al/p-Si hybrid plasmonic waveguide with Si waveguides. It is demonstrated that when the p-type silicon is highly doped, it shows metal-like properties which can support the propagation of surface plasmon polariton waves. The simulation results show that the output power of TE (TM) mode decreases from -7.6 dB (-2.5 dB) to -31.5 dB (-7.5 dB) when the Al stack is 0.2 μm high and the carrier concentration in p-Si is set to be 1 x 1021 cm-3, which is achieved with a voltage increase from 0 to 1.2 V. Such a plasmonic modulator not only depends on the propagation loss due to electroabsorption effect but takes advantage of the coupling loss raised by modal mismatch as well, which leads to a high modulation efficiency.

Mapping Impervious Surface Area (ISA) at regional and global scales has attracted increasing interest. DMSP-OLS nighttime light (NTL) data have proven to be successful for mapping urban land in large areas. However, the well-documented issues of pixel blooming and saturation limit the ability of DMSP-OLS data to provide accurate urban information. In this paper, a multi-source composition index is proposed to overcome the limitations of extracting urban land using only the NTL data. We combined three data sources (i.e., DMSP-OLS, MODSI EVI and NDWI) to generate a new index called the Normalized Urban Areas Composite Index (NUACI). This index aims to quickly map impervious surface area at regional and global scales. Experimental results indicate that NUACI has the ability to reduce the pixel saturation of NTL and eliminate the blooming effect. With the reference data derived from Landsat TM/ETM+, regression models based on normalized DMSP-OLS, Human Settlement Index (HSI), vegetation adjusted NTL urban index (VANUI), and NUACI are then established to estimate ISA. Our assessments reveal that the NUACI-based regression model yields the highest performance. The NUACI-based regression models were then used to map ISA for China for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010 (Free download link for the ISA products can be found at the end of this paper).

Acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) is closely associated with airway inflammation including monocytes, lymphocytes, and neutrophils. Monocytes play an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To elucidate the association of circulating monocyte alteration with AECOPD, we analyzed monocyte subpopulation in the peripheral blood of 16 healthy volunteers and 22 AECOPD patients at the stages of admission and remission after clinical therapy. We found a dramatic increase of a previously unreported population of large size circulating atypical monocytes (A Mo) in AECOPD patients, characterized by higher forward scatter and lower side scatter values than the typical monocytes (T Mo) which were observed predominantly in healthy individuals. Further analysis showed that A Mo expressed higher levels of CD16, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and chemotactic protein-1 receptor-2 (CCR2) than T Mo. In contrast, the expression of class II antigen (HLA-DR) by A Mo was lower than T Mo. More importantly, we observed that the percentage of circulating A Mo among total monocytes correlated with the length of hospital stay (time to remission) and disease duration. The data suggest that circulating A Mo might have the potential to serve as a biomarker in the diagnosis and prognosis of AECOPD.

Rapid and sensitive detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. Tb) in cerebrospinal fluid is crucial in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM), but conventional diagnostic technologies have limited sensitivity and specificity or are time-consuming. In this work, a novel, highly sensitive molecular diagnostic method, one-tube nested PCR-lateral flow strip test (OTNPCR-LFST), was developed for detecting M. tuberculosis. This one-tube nested PCR maintains the sensitivity of conventional two-step nested PCR and reduces both the chance of cross-contamination and the time required for analysis. The PCR product was detected by a lateral flow strip assay, which provided a basis for migration of the test to a point-of-care (POC) microfluidic format. The developed assay had an improved sensitivity compared with traditional PCR, and the limit of detection was up to 1 fg DNA isolated from M. tuberculosis. The assay was also specific for M. tuberculosis, and no cross-reactions were found in other non-target bacteria. The application of this technique to clinical samples was successfully evaluated, and OTNPCR-LFST showed 89% overall sensitivity and 100% specificity for TBM patients. This one-tube nested PCR-lateral flow strip assay is useful for detecting M. tuberculosis in TBM due to its rapidity, high sensitivity and simple manipulation.