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Stimulus size modulation of neuronal firing activity is a fundamental property of the primary visual cortex. Numerous biological experiments have shown that stimulus size modulation is affected by multiple factors at different spatiotemporal scales, but the exact pathways and mechanisms remain incompletely understood. In this paper, we establish a large‐scale neuronal network model of primary visual cortex with layer 2/3 to study how gamma oscillation properties are modulated by stimulus size and especially how long‐range connections affect the modulation as realistic neuronal properties and spatial distributions of synaptic connections are considered. It is shown that long‐range horizontal synaptic connections are sufficient to produce dimensional modulation of firing rates and gamma oscillations. In particular, with increasing grating stimulus size, the firing rate increases and then decreases, the peak frequency of gamma oscillations decreases and the spectral power increases. These are consistent with biological experimental observations. Furthermore, we explain in detail how the number and spatial distribution of long‐range connections affect the size modulation of gamma oscillations by using the analysis of neuronal firing activity and synaptic current fluctuations. Our results provide a mechanism explanation for size modulation of gamma oscillations in the primary visual cortex and reveal the important and unique role played by long‐range connections, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the cognitive function of gamma oscillations in visual cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the forests on Mount Taishan are predominantly man-made, there is a notable vertical variation in vegetation. This study employs the method of cloud model, quantifying uncertainty (fuzziness and randomness) of things. Utilizing digital elevation model (DEM) and vegetation distribution data, we constructed elevation cloud models for Mount Taishan’s deciduous broad-leaved, temperate coniferous, and mixed coniferous-broadleaved forests. Using three numerical features of the cloud model—Expectation (EX), Entropy (EN), and Hyper-entropy (HE)—we quantitatively analyzed the macro regularity and local heterogeneity of Mount Taishan’s forests vertical distribution from the perspective of uncertainty theory. The results indicate: (1) The EX of the core zone elevation of deciduous broad-leaved forest is 716.65 m, temperate coniferous forest is 1053.51 m, and mixed coniferous-broadleaved forest is 1384.09 m. The variation range of the core zone distribution height is smaller in the mixed coniferous-broadleaved forest (EN: 53.74 m) compared to deciduous broad-leaved forest (EN: 99.63 m) and temperate coniferous forest (EN: 121.70 m). (2) The fuzziness and randomness of the distribution height of the lower extension zones of deciduous broad-leaved forest and temperate coniferous forest (EN: 75.15 m, 184.56 m; HE: 24.09 m, 63.54 m) are greater than those of the upper extension zones (EN: 44.75 m, 42.49 m; HE: 14.48 m, 13.23 m). (3) The distribution fuzziness and randomness within temperate coniferous forests exceed those of deciduous broad-leaved forests. Within the core zones, the uncertainty regarding the vertical distribution of vegetation across different aspects remains consistent, which retains the characteristic of man-made forests. However, in transition areas, there is significant disparity, reflecting the adaptive relationship between vegetation and its environment to some extent. In the upper and lower extension zones of deciduous broad-leaved forests, the EX values for the vertical distribution height of mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests differ significantly from those of deciduous broad-leaved forests (the difference is 22.82–39.15 m), yet closely resemble those of temperate coniferous forests (the difference is 4.79–7.94 m). This suggests a trend wherein deciduous broad-leaved tree species exhibit a proclivity to encroach upon coniferous forest habitats. The elevation cloud model of vertical vegetation zones provides a novel perspective and method for the detailed analysis of Mount Taishan’s vegetation vertical differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La-doped SrTiO 3 (La x Sr 1−x TiO 3 , LST), as the promising ceramic-based interconnect material, usually needs to be sintered in reductive atmosphere at a temperature ≥ 1450 °C, such sintering condition is not friendly to cell fabrication and application. To reduce the sintering temperature of air-sintered LST, seven sintering additives, Bi 2 O 3 , Fe 2 O 3 , Li 2 O, MnO 2 , NiO, V 2 O 5 , and Co 3 O 4 , are added to the LST in this work. The results show that only Co 3 O 4 is conductive to remarkable sintering at the temperatures of 1250 °C. The relative density of LST-3%Co 3 O 4 reaches 92%, while that of the pure LST is only 48%. Moreover, the conductivity of LST-3%Co 3 O 4 achieves 8.2 S/cm at 800 °C in humidified hydrogen, which exceed 5.5 times that of the pure LST. Interestingly, LST-3%Co 3 O 4 exhibits an average TEC of 11.5 × 10−6 K−1 between 400 and 900 °C, which is very close to that of other components of SOCs. • Co 3 O 4 addition promotes the remarkable sintering of LST at a low temperature of 1250 °C. • The relative density of LST-3%Co 3 O 4 sintered at 1250 °C achieves 94.3%. • The conductivity of air-sintered LST-3%Co 3 O 4 in wet H 2 environment at 800 °C reaches 8.2 S/cm. • LST-3%Co 3 O 4 shows a matched TEC of ∼11.5 × 10−6 K−1 at 400-900 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the critical need for regional tourism integration and sustainable development by identifying cooperation opportunities among tourist attractions within a region. We introduce a novel methodology that combines association rule mining with complex network analysis and utilizes search index data as a dynamic and contemporary data source to reveal cooperative patterns among tourist attractions. Our approach delineates a potential cooperative network within the destination ecosystem, categorizing tourist attractions into three distinct communities: core, intermediary, and periphery. These communities correspond to high, medium, and low tourist demand scales, respectively. The study uncovers a self-organizing network structure, driven by congruences in internal tourist demand and variances in external tourist experiences. Functionally, there is a directed continuum of cooperation prospects among these communities. The core community, characterized by significant tourist demand, acts as a catalyst, boosting demand for other attractions. The intermediary community, central in the network, links the core and periphery, enhancing cooperative ties and influence. Peripheral attractions, representing latent growth areas within the destination matrix, benefit from associations with the core and intermediary communities. Our findings provide vital insights into the dynamics, systemic characteristics, and fundamental mechanisms of potential cooperation networks among tourist attractions. They enable tourism management organizations to employ our analytical framework for real-time monitoring of tourism demand and flow trends. Additionally, the study guides the macro-control of tourism flows based on the tourism network, thereby improving the tourist experience and promoting coordinated development among inter-regional tourist attractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: We constructed a high-quality genome assembly of Eupleurogrammus muticus at the chromosomal level using PacBio SMRT, Illumina Nova-Seq, and Hi-C technologies. By combining genomic annotation, comparative genomic analyses, and species attribute information, we identified many candidate genes related to the whip-like tail, innate immunity, and DNA repair of E. muticus, and determined the evolutionary relationship and divergence time between E. muticus and related species. These findings provide important genomic resources for exploring the genetic mechanisms underlying the unique characteristics of E. muticus and fishery resource conservation. Smallhead hairtail (Eupleurogrammus muticus) is an important marine economic fish distributed along the northern Indian Ocean and the northwest Pacific coast; however, little is known about the mechanism of its genetic evolution. This study generated the first genome assembly of E. muticus at the chromosomal level using a combination of PacBio SMRT, Illumina Nova-Seq, and Hi-C technologies. The final assembled genome size was 709.27 Mb, with a contig N50 of 25.07 Mb, GC content of 40.81%, heterozygosity rate of 1.18%, and repetitive sequence rate of 35.43%. E. muticus genome contained 21,949 protein-coding genes (97.92% of the genes were functionally annotated) and 24 chromosomes. There were 143 expansion gene families, 708 contraction gene families, and 4888 positively selected genes in the genome. Based on the comparative genomic analyses, we screened several candidate genes and pathways related to whip-like tail formation, innate immunity, and DNA repair in E. muticus. These findings preliminarily reveal some molecular evolutionary mechanisms of E. muticus at the genomic level and provide important reference genomic data for the genetic studies of other trichiurids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central nervous system (CNS) maintains homeostasis with its surrounding environment by restricting the ingress of large hydrophilic molecules, immune cells, pathogens, and other external harmful substances to the brain. This function relies heavily on the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (B-CSF) and blood-brain barrier (BBB). Although considerable research has examined the structure and function of the BBB, the B-CSF barrier has received little attention. Therapies for disorders associated with the central nervous system have the potential to benefit from targeting the B-CSF barrier to enhance medication penetration into the brain. In this study, we synthesized a nanoprobe ANG-PEG-UCNP capable of crossing the B-CSF barrier with high targeting specificity using a hydrocephalus model for noninvasive magnetic resonance ventriculography to understand the mechanism by which the CSF barrier may be crossed and identify therapeutic targets of CNS diseases. This magnetic resonance nanoprobe ANG-PEG-UCNP holds promising potential as a safe and effective means for accurately defining the ventricular anatomy and correctly locating sites of CSF obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid industrialization, increasing fossil fuel consumption, and growing environmental concerns, accelerating the energy transition has become an inescapable option. Fuel cells have attracted considerable attention from researchers due to their pollution-free and highly efficient properties. However, a systematic research gap still exists regarding the technological trajectory of this domain, which is crucial for comprehending the knowledge structure of fuel cells technologies. To address this gap, the current study utilizes patent data and employs a hierarchical knowledge persistence-based main path analysis to achieve three primary objectives: (1) tracing the technological development trends of fuel cell technologies in the whole domain and its three automatically subdivided sub-domains; (2) identifying key research areas, major contributors, and key dominant technologies within each sub-domain; (3) detecting promising technologies within each sub-domain through an analysis of changing trends in knowledge persistence observed in recent patents. The findings of this study may aid in identifying technical prospects within the fuel cell domain, providing decision-makers with valuable references for developing strategic plans to drive future technological growth. • This study explores current and future fuel cell trends using a knowledge persistence (KP) based patent analysis. • Three auto-identified sub-domains are: general structure, power generation systems, and electrode technology. • Key technologies in focus include the high porosity structure of cathodes and the utilization of wasted fuel or heat. • Promising technologies identified include integrated heat exchanger networks and pressure control methods. • SOFC and PEMFC show great potential, with key contributions from entities in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Japan, and Korea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of hexadentate imidazole-derived diamine-bisphenolate ligands to construct structurally well-defined bimetallic nickel catalysts that enable the mediation of the copolymerization of carbon dioxide with alicyclic epoxides was reported for the first time. A series of dinickel carboxylate/nitrophenolate complexes were facilely prepared through a one-pot procedure and their structures were fully determined by single crystal X-ray structural analysis. Dinickel complexes 1–10 were used as single-component catalysts, and were evaluated for the copolymerization of CO2 and cyclohexene oxide (CHO), for which acetato-incorporated complex 1 was proved to exhibit the best activity. Not only has the controllability of binickel catalyst 1 for CO2/CHO copolymerization been demonstrated, but also an "immortal" character for the same polymerization has been realized. Furthermore, detailed kinetic studies of polymerization catalysis of this type were undertaken, and the kinetics results revealed a first-order dependence on both Ni complex 1 and CHO concentrations. This is a successful example of the introduction of the easily accessible nitrogen-heterocycle group, the imidazole moiety, into phenolate ligands for the development of high-performance homogeneous catalysts towards the bimetallic complex-catalyzed copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As very fragile natural ecological areas, the spatiotemporal ecological environment (EE) analysis of World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs) is particularly important for their conservation and sustainable development. Timely, objective and quantitative evaluation of the spatiotemporal EE change characteristics of WNHSs is of great significance for ecological, environmental protection and government policy formulation. This study quantitatively evaluates the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of the EE of the Kalajun–Kuerdening WNHS by selecting the Remote Sensing Ecological Environment Index (RSEI) for 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021. We studied the spatiotemporal differences of the EE in buffer zones and nominated sites in the heritage sites and their change patterns and trends. The EE changes and land use changes from 2006–2011, 2011–2016 and 2016–2021 were overlaid and analyzed to explore the relationship between EE evolution and land use changes in the heritage site. The results show that (1) the heritage site was in a state of ecological change equilibrium from 2006 to 2011, and a form of slight decline in EE quality from 2011 to 2016 under the influence of natural factors, but it maintained a stable state with a small degree of fluctuation, and a state of ecological change recovery from 2016 to 2021. The areas with better EE grades were located in the northwest region (Kalajun) and northeast region (Kuerdening) of the heritage site. (2) The EE grade change in the heritage site shows the characteristics of neighborhood change without a large number of leap changes. (3) From 2006 to 2021, the EE quality in the nominated site was better than that of the buffer zone, but from 2016 onward, the difference between the two gradually decreased until 2021. The average EE quality was basically the same until 2021, but, spatially, the EE quality of most areas in the buffer zone was better than that in the nominated area. (4) The types of land use transformation that caused EE enhancement in the heritage sites were barren–grassland, snow/ice–barren and barren–snow/ice, while the types of land use transformation that caused EE quality reduction were grassland–barren and barren–snow/ice. The results of this study help improve the knowledge of the EE background of the WNHS and its evolutionary process and provide scientific guidance for ecologically related decision making and management of global natural heritage sites. The change in snow and ice cover is an essential factor in the shift of the EE of the Kalajun–Kuerdening World Natural Heritage Site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sr(Ti 1-x Fe x)O 3−δ (STF) perovskite has been developed as one of the alternatives to Nickel-base fuel electrodes for solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs) that can provide good tolerance to redox cycling and fuel impurities. Recent results on STF fuel electrodes present excellent electrochemical performance and outstand stability both under H 2 fuel cell mode and H 2 O electrolysis mode, however, the electrochemical characteristics in other fuel gases, such as CO, CO–H 2 mixture, CH 4 , and CO–CO 2 mixture have not been investigated. Herein, we report the electrochemical performance of Sr(Ti 0.3 Fe 0.7)O 3−δ fuel electrode on La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3−δ -Zr 0.92 Y 0.16 O 2−δ (LSM-YSZ) oxygen electrode supported SOCs with thin YSZ electrolyte using different fuel gases. At 800 °C, the peak power density slightly decreased from 0.9 W/cm2 in wet H 2 to 0.68 W/cm2 in wet CO under fuel cell mode. However, the cell only showed a peak power density of 0.27 W/cm2 at 800 °C in wet CH 4 , reaching 0.75 W/cm2 at 850 °C, when the open-circuit voltage increased from 0.9 V to 1.02 V. STF fuel electrode exhibited much worse CO 2 electrolysis performance than steam electrolysis, especially in high CO 2 concentration due to the increased ohmic resistance and electrode polarization resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inspired by the commonly used creams in dermatology, the present study introduced a simple method to prepare a granular hydrogel that could be applied to the whole wound area via spread to promote wound healing. Gelatin microspheres were fabricated and densely stacked, followed by adsorbing dopamine and Zn2+ solution. Dopamine polymerised in-situ to form gelatin/polydopamine (PDA)/Zn2+ composite microspheres, which were self-assembled to form a granular hydrogel. Zn2+ accelerated dopamine polymerization. PDA formed Schiff base and hydrogen bond with gelatin, realizing the assembly among the composite microspheres. The granular hydrogel exhibited bulk feature, shear-thinning and self-healing properties, which was injectable and spreadable like creams. Zn2+ in hydrogel showed sustained and stable release within 7 d. The granular hydrogel was applied to wound and significantly promoted wound healing, shortening the healing time within 10 days. The present injectable granular hydrogel thus showed convenient and advanced features towards surgical wound treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compared with typical visceral fat deposits in obesity and metabolic syndrome, perirenal adipose tissue (PRAT) dysfunction is more closely linked to obesity-related chronic kidney disease (OB-CKD). The myokine irisin reportedly promotes positive outcomes in metabolic disease. This study investigated whether irisin could reduce urinary albumin excretion and demonstrate renoprotective effects through the regulation of PRAT function in obese mice. Methods: C57BL/6 J mice received a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without concurrent administration of irisin. Glucose tolerance, plasma levels of free fatty acids, and urinary albumin excretion were assessed, along with renal morphology. The vascular endothelial growth factor and nitric oxide in glomeruli were also analyzed, in addition to PRAT function-associated proteins. Results: Irisin administration significantly reduced the final body weight, fat mass, and free fatty acids, without reducing PRAT mass, in HFD mice. Furthermore, irisin decreased urinary albumin excretion and attenuated both renal fibrosis and lipid accumulation. Irisin administration led to increases in PRAT function-associated proteins, including sirtuin1, uncoupling protein-1, and heme-oxygenase-1. Ex vivo treatment of PRAT and glomeruli with irisin also restored PRAT function. Finally, irisin treatment restored the vascular endothelial growth factor–nitric oxide axis. Conclusions: Irisin attenuated metabolic disorders and protected against OB-CKD by normalizing the PRAT–kidney axis. These results suggest that agents targeting PRAT activation might be useful for treatment of OB-CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exact free-stream preservation is an important property for finite-difference schemes designed on curvilinear grids. Geometrically induced errors from a non-preserved free-stream will cause severe computational instability and numerical inaccuracy. We improve a general numerical strategy to eliminate the geometrically induced errors of finite-difference schemes on both stationary and dynamic curvilinear grids. The main idea is that, instead of using the standard Euler equations in the generalized coordinate system as the governing equations, we solve full forms of the transformed equations and modify the flux functions to share the Jacobian and metrics on the grid point where the flux derivative is located. The metrics and Jacobian are grid-related geometric parameters that appear in the transformed equations as derivatives. Properly handling these is critical for free-stream preservation. The results of our numerical tests show the excellent free-stream and vortex preservation properties and robust shock-capturing properties of the new strategy compared with those of the standard method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose was to assess the profile of subconjunctival oblique limbus incision (SCOLI) design by using anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and try to emphasize the proper technique of wound construction. The structural dimensions and integrity of the wound were acquired from the patients, who had undergone manual small-incision cataract surgery with SCOLI techniques, using a Canon OCT anterior-segment imaging system on the first postoperative day. The use of AS-OCT allowed for an in vivo evaluation of SCOLI in high definition. The radial OCT scan image showed three staggered incisions, including conjunctiva incision, scleral entrance, and inner corneal lip. A tangential scan demonstrated that the internal lip is parallel to the curvature of the peripheral cornea. The en face image showed an asymmetric 4 arc-shaped configuration rather than a symmetrical one. In conclusion, AS-OCT could be used to analyze SCOLI to determine optimal wound construction and geometry. The results of this study indicated that an asymmetric 4 arc-shaped limbus tunnel incision was superior to the conventional linear equivalent in stability and nucleus delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Photocatalytic aerobic oxidation of aromatic alcohols to corresponding aldehydes coupled with producing hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2) represents one of the most efficient strategies for converting solar energy into chemical energy. In this work, a magnetically recoverable photocatalyst of Fe 3 O 4 @CdS@CQDs ternary core–shell heterostructures is elaborately fabricated through the hydrothermal growth of CdS on Fe 3 O 4 nanospheres with in-situ incorporation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) and used for selective alcohol oxidation coupled with H 2 O 2 production. The Fe 3 O 4 @CdS@CQDs photocatalyst possess distinct advantages of full solar spectral absorption, efficient charge separation, and high stability. The Fe 3 O 4 -nanosphere cores not only endow photocatalyst with the characteristics of magnetic recovery but also form Fe 3 O 4 @CdS Z-scheme heterojunction to prevent CdS from photocorrosion. The in-situ modified CQDs act as charge mediators to accelerate the photogenerated electron-hole separation and afford active sites to facilitate H 2 O 2 production. As a result, the Fe 3 O 4 @CdS@CQDs photocatalyst exhibits excellent performance in selectively converting benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde accompanied with H 2 O 2 production. The generation rates of benzaldehyde and H 2 O 2 reach up to 57.22 and 27.06 mmol·g CdS −1·h−1, respectively. This work highlights a rational construction of magnetic heterostructure photocatalyst and its application in the photo-redox coupling reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, SrTi 0.3 Fe 0.7 O 3−δ (STF) has been investigated as a highly stable oxygen electrode material for solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs) with a sufficiently low resistance for cell operation at temperatures of > 700 °C. However, in general, the STF electrode performance is limited at temperatures of ≤ 700 °C due to the low oxygen surface exchange coefficient, which is mainly caused by high Sr surface segregation. To improve the electrode performance, Sr 0.9 (Ti 0.3 Fe 0.7)O 3−δ (A-STF) with an A-site-deficient design is developed to reduce the Sr content and thus reduce the Sr surface segregation, thereby providing a unique combination of excellent oxygen electrode performance and long-term stability. The A-site deficiency reduces the electrode polarization resistance by > 3 times at 600 °C and clearly improves the oxygen diffusion and surface exchange coefficients due to the decrease of Sr surface segregation. The A-STF electrode exhibits stable performance in the fuel cell and electrolysis modes at 1 A cm−2 > 1200 h. The stability of STF-based oxygen electrodes in a CO 2 -enriched atmosphere is investigated, and the results indicate that A-STF exhibits excellent CO 2 tolerance. • A-STF is successfully applied as high-performance oxygen electrode for SOCs. • A factor of > 3 reduction in polarization resistance by A-site deficient design. • A factor of > 2 improvement in single cell performance by using A-STF electrode. • No measurable degradation observed during 1200-h life tests for A-STF. • Excellent CO 2 tolerance with no variation in R p with time even in 10% CO 2 -air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to develop a primary motor cortex (M1)-basal ganglia–thalamus model capable of reproducing the physiological phenomenon of exaggerated phase–amplitude coupling (PAC) in Parkinson's disease and exploring the potential sources of PAC anomalies in M1. The subthalamic nucleus (STN) phase-STN amplitude coupling, STN phase–M1 amplitude coupling, and M1 phase–M1 amplitude coupling are reproduced, where the phase frequencies are distributed in the beta band and the amplitude frequencies are distributed in the broad gamma band. We mainly study the impacts of thalamus → M1 connections and STN ↔ M1 bidirectional synaptic connections. Abnormal beta oscillations generated within the basal ganglia are found to be transmitted to M1 through the STN or thalamus and could be one of the potential sources of PAC-related beta oscillations in M1, thereby interfering with high-frequency signals in the motor cortex. Furthermore, the weakening of M1 → STN leads to a shift of the oscillations of the STN from the high beta band to the low beta band, which is more consistent with pathological experiments, thus supporting the experimental results that the hyper-direct path from M1 to STN drives the beta oscillations of STN. Finally, the suppression effect of STN deep brain stimulation on PAC is investigated. As the stimulation frequency increases, the PAC modulation index within different regions gradually decreases, in general agreement with the trend of synchronization level and beta oscillation energy, indirectly indicating that PAC can be used as a feedback indicator of parkinsonian state. • We proposed the M1–basal ganglia–thalamus model to reproduce the PAC phenomenon in PD. • Beta oscillations can be transmitted to M1 and interferes with high frequency signals. • Weakening of M1 → STN makes the PAC of STN to move from high beta-band to low beta-band. • As the frequency of STN-DBS increases, the PAC modulation index gradually decreases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disruption of normal brain development is implicated in numerous psychiatric disorders with neurodevelopmental origins, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Widespread abnormalities in brain structure and functions caused by dysregulations of neurodevelopmental processes has been recently shown to exert adverse effects across generations. An imbalance between excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) transmission is the putative hypothesis of ASD pathogenesis, supporting by the specific implications of inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system in autistic individuals and animal models of ASD. However, the contribution of GABAergic system in the neuropathophysiology across generations of ASD is still unknown. Here, we uncover profound alterations in the expression and function of GABAA receptors (GABAARs) in the amygdala across generations of the VPA-induced animal model of ASD. Methods: The F2 generation was produced by mating an F1 VPA-induced male offspring with naïve females after a single injection of VPA on embryonic day (E12.5) in F0. Autism-like behaviors were assessed by animal behavior tests. Expression and functional properties of GABAARs and related proteins were examined by using western blotting and electrophysiological techniques. Results: Social deficit, repetitive behavior, and emotional comorbidities were demonstrated across two generations of the VPA-induced offspring. Decreased synaptic GABAAR and gephyrin levels, and inhibitory transmission were found in the amygdala from two generations of the VPA-induced offspring with greater reductions in the F2 generation. Weaker association of gephyrin with GABAAR was shown in the F2 generation than the F1 generation. Moreover, dysregulated NMDA-induced enhancements of gephyrin and GABAAR at the synapse in the VPA-induced offspring was worsened in the F2 generation than the F1 generation. Elevated glutamatergic modifications were additionally shown across generations of the VPA-induced offspring without generation difference. Conclusions: Taken together, these findings revealed the E/I synaptic abnormalities in the amygdala from two generations of the VPA-induced offspring with GABAergic deteriorations in the F2 generation, suggesting a potential therapeutic role of the GABAergic system to generational pathophysiology of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The classification and part segmentation of point cloud models are the basic tasks of 3D point cloud data processing, and the core is to obtain point cloud features that can effectively represent 3D models. This paper proposes a 3D point cloud feature learning network that introduces attention mechanisms. The network adopts a hierarchical point cloud feature extraction method. In the process of hierarchical feature extraction, the feature channel attention mechanism is adopted to obtain the correlation among channels, and the key channel information is enhanced. The spatial position attention mechanism is adopted to obtain the attention weight of each point based on the spatial information of the points. The enhanced point cloud feature is obtained by combining two or more attention mechanisms. Based on this feature, multi-level feature extraction is performed to obtain the final point cloud features for downstream tasks. Shape classification and part segmentation experiments are performed on Model- Net40 and ShapeNet datasets, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve high-precision and robust 3D point cloud shape classification and segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron plays a key role in the regulation of hepatic stellate cell activation during the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. Prevention of hepatic stellate cell activation and promotion by activating hepatic stellate cells to death is a good strategy for resolution of liver fibrosis. Ferroptosis is an iron dependent cell death, which is characterized by accumulation of lipid peroxides. We have shown in our earlier studies that chrysophanol (isolated from Rheum palmatum rhizomes) promotes (hepatitis B virus X protein)-activated hepatic stellate cells to ferroptosis; however, the effect of desferal in our cell model is still unclear. In this study, we have shown that desferal reversed chrysophanol-induced lipid reactive oxygen species overproduction and cell death in (hepatitis B virus X protein)-activated T6 cells. Furthermore, desferal also alleviated and chrysophanol downregulated the expressions of α-smooth muscle actin, connective tissue growth fac, glutathione peroxidase 4, and solute carrier family 7-member 11 protein in hepatitis B virus X protein-activated T6 cells. In conclusion, desferal regulates ferroptosis induced by chrysophanol in hepatitis B virus X protein-activated hepatic stellate cell activation and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pinus tabuliformis adapts to cold climate with dry winter in northern China, serving as important commercial tree species. The TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, and PROLIFERATING CELL FACTOR family(TCP)transcription factors were found to play a role in the circadian clock system in Arabidopsis. However, the role of TCP transcription factors in P. tabuliformis remains little understood. Results: In the present study, 43 TCP genes were identified from P. tabuliformis genome database. Based on the phylogeny tree and sequence similarity, the 43 TCP genes were classified into four groups. The motif results showed that different subfamilies indeed contained different motifs. Clade II genes contain motif 1, clade I genes contain motif 1, 8, 10 and clade III and IV contain more motifs, which is consistent with our grouping results. The structural analysis of PtTCP genes showed that most PtTCPs lacked introns. The distribution of clade I and clade II on the chromosome is relatively scattered, while clade III and clade IV is relatively concentrated. Co-expression network indicated that PtTCP2, PtTCP12, PtTCP36, PtTCP37, PtTCP38, PtTCP41 and PtTCP43 were co-expressed with clock genes in annual cycle and their annual cycle expression profiles both showed obvious seasonal oscillations. PtTCP2, PtTCP12, PtTCP37, PtTCP38, PtTCP40, PtTCP41, PtTCP42 and PtTCP43 were co-expressed with clock genes in diurnal cycle. Only the expression of PtTCP42 showed diurnal oscillation. Conclusions: The TCP gene family, especially clade II, may play an important role in the regulation of the season and circadian rhythm of P. tabuliformis. In addition, the low temperature in winter may affect the diurnal oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many critical policy decisions, from strategic investments to the allocation of humanitarian aid, rely on data about the geographic distribution of wealth and poverty. Yet many poverty maps are out of date or exist only at very coarse levels of granularity. Here we develop microestimates of the relative wealth and poverty of the populated surface of all 135 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) at 2.4 km resolution. The estimates are built by applying machine-learning algorithms to vast and heterogeneous data from satellites, mobile phone networks, and topographic maps, as well as aggregated and deidentified connectivity data from Facebook. We train and calibrate the estimates using nationally representative household survey data from 56 LMICs and then validate their accuracy using four independent sources of household survey data from 18 countries. We also provide confidence intervals for each microestimate to facilitate responsible downstream use. These estimates are provided free for public use in the hope that they enable targeted policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic, provide the foundation for insights into the causes and consequences of economic development and growth, and promote responsible policymaking in support of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work focuses on the existence of chimera states in two-layer networks of locally, nonlocally, and globally coupled Hindmarsh–Rose neurons. We show that chimera states occur in all three coupled neuronal networks by changing synaptic coupling strength and the number of coupled neighbors, and traveling chimera state exists in networks by using local and nonlocal couplings. Particularly, we find that in the nonlocally coupled network, there exist regions of coherent state, which can produce a wave such that the period becomes longer with the increase of the number of coupled neighbors. Interestingly, we observe a new chimera state with the coexistence of interlayer synchronous and asynchronous chimera states, which we named as the interlayer semi-synchronous chimera state. In addition, the results indicate that the interaction between layers in neuronal networks can induce different types of chimera states and firing patterns, which could be useful to control neural firing patterns and deepen the understanding of neuronal evolution where coherent and incoherent dynamics coexist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we report a method for preparing high quality FeSe $_{1-x}$ Te $_x$ targets with tunable density using a high-pressure sintering process. The phase formation of the target is checked by X-ray diffraction. The targets show a single phase and can be indexed to a tetragonal structure with the space group of P4/nmm. Compared with the target prepared by the normally used solid-state reaction method, the density has been dramatically increased to 92.10% of the theoretical density. We also developed a more effective method of adjusting the density of the FeSe $_{1-x}$ Te $_x$ targets by changing the sintering temperature at a constant pressure. The preparation method of our FeSe $_{1-x}$ Te $_x$ target promises to provide an opportunity for the preparation of long coated conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-protein (LP) diets extend lifespan through a comprehensive improvement in metabolic health across multiple tissues and organs. Many of these metabolic responses to protein restriction are secondary to transcriptional activation and release of FGF21 from the liver. However, the effects of an LP diet on the kidney in the context of aging has not been examined. Therefore, the goal of the current study was to investigate the impact of chronic consumption of an LP diet on the kidney in aging mice lacking FGF21. Wild-type (WT; C57BL/6J) and FGF21 knockout (KO) mice were fed a normal protein diet (20% casein) or an LP (5% casein) diet ad libitum from 3 to 22 mo of age. The LP diet led to a decrease in kidney weight and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio in both WT and FGF21 KO mice. Although the LP diet produced only mild fibrosis and infiltration of leukocytes in WT kidneys, the effects were significantly exacerbated by the absence of FGF21. Accordingly, transcriptomic analysis showed that inflammation-related pathways were significantly enriched and upregulated in response to LP diet in FGF21 KO mice but not WT mice. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the LP diet negatively affected the kidney during aging, but in the absence of FGF21, the LP diet-induced renal damage and inflammation were significantly worse, indicating a protective role of FGF21 in the kidney. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies large scatter matrix estimation for heavy tailed distributions. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we propose and advocate to use a new distribution family, the pair-elliptical, for modeling the high dimensional data. The pair-elliptical is more flexible and easier to check the goodness of fit compared to the elliptical. Secondly, built on the pair-elliptical family, we advocate using quantile-based statistics for estimating the scatter matrix. For this, we provide a family of quantile-based statistics. They outperform the existing ones for better balancing the efficiency and robustness. In particular, we show that the propose estimators have comparable performance to the moment-based counterparts under the Gaussian assumption. The method is also tuning-free compared to Catoni’s M-estimator for covariance matrix estimation. We further apply the method to conduct a variety of statistical methods. The corresponding theoretical properties as well as numerical performances are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted an online survey of 249 Australian women who currently or previously experienced severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP) or hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) and examined their experiences in being denied medications during pregnancy. One in four women reported being denied medications for NVP/HG, which most commonly involved doxylamine and encounters with community pharmacists. Women's experiences reflected that lack of awareness of guidelines and unfavourable risk‐benefit assessments appeared to be key barriers to facilitating medication access. Approaches towards identifying and effectively addressing barriers to the provision of effective treatments for severe NVP and HG are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies reported that ferroptosis-related genes can regulate the process of tumor cell changes by regulating iron metabolism. However, the prognostic value of ferroptosis-related genes in LC remains to be further elucidated. Methods: Ferroptosis-related gene expression profiles of coexisting ferroptosis-related genes were extracted from both cohorts (TCGA and GSE27020) for eligible analysis. LASSO Cox regression was utilized to build an optimum ferroptosis-related prognostic model. Kaplan–Meier curve was performed by log‐rank test, and time‐dependent ROC curve was constructed to evaluate the predictive power of this signature in both cohorts. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis was used to investigate the potential mechanism of differential enrichment signal pathways. Results: 112 LC patients from the TCGA cohort and 108 LC patients with clinical information from the GEO cohorts were eventually included in the study. Three ferroptosis-related genes were identified as an independent risk factor to establish the prognostic risk score. Kaplan–Meier curve represented that patients with high-risk group favors with worse OS than their low-risk group (P = 0.04). The good performance of the gene signature for predicting OS was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC) of time-dependent ROC curves achieved 0.74 at 3 years, and 0.70 at 5 years. Similar performance has been proved in the external validation cohort. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis have been performed to explore the signaling pathways and underlying mechanisms were significantly active in LC patients. Conclusion: In summary, our study developed a ferroptosis-related model that could be an effective biomarker to predict the prognosis of laryngeal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor of the digestive system, and its early asymptomatic characteristic increases the difficulty of diagnosis and treatment. This study is aimed at obtaining some novel biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic meaning and may find out potential therapeutic targets for HCC. We screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the HCC gene expression profile GSE14520 using GEO2R. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were conducted by using the clusterProfiler software while a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was performed based on the STRING database. Then, prognosis analysis of hub genes was conducted using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to further verify the expression of hub genes and explore the correlation between gene expression and clinicopathological parameters. A total of 1053 DEGs were captured, containing 497 upregulated genes and 556 downregulated genes. GO and KEGG analysis indicated that the downregulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the fatty acid catabolic process while upregulated DEGs were primarily enriched in the cell cycle. Simultaneously, ten hub genes (CYP3A4, UGT1A6, AOX1, UGT1A4, UGT2B15, CDK1, CCNB1, MAD2L1, CCNB2, and CDC20) were identified by the PPI network. Five prognosis-related hub genes (CYP3A4, CDK1, CCNB1, MAD2L1, and CDC20) were uncovered by the survival analysis based on TCGA database. The ten hub genes were further validated by qRT-PCR using samples obtained from our hospital. The prognosis-related hub genes such as CYP3A4, CDK1, CCNB1, MAD2L1, and CDC20 could be considered potential diagnosis biomarkers and prognosis targets for HCC. We also use Oncomine for further verification, and we found CCNB1, CCNB2, CDK1, and CYP3A4 which were highly expressed in HCC. Meanwhile, CCNB1, CCNB2, and CDK1 are highly expressed in almost all cancer types, which may play an important role in cancer. Still, further functional study should be conducted to explore the underlying mechanism and biological effect in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localized interaction solutions of the (2+1)-dimensional Ito equation with free parameters are obtained by using a Hirota bilinear transformation. Various plots with particular choices of the involved parameters are made to show energy distributions and dynamical properties of the special exact solutions. This phenomenon may provide us with interesting information on dynamics in the higher-dimensional nonlinear world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the rapid growth in sleep medicine's professional content, several countries have recognized sleep medicine as an independent specialty. The practice of sleep medicine and the demand for this service in Asian countries are expanding. At this point of growth, the accreditation of sleep medicine specialists is paramount to patient care and the training of physicians and technologists. The Asian Society of Sleep Medicine (ASSM) mandated a taskforce committee for the accreditation of sleep medicine practice. This taskforce developed Asian accreditation practice guidelines for sleep medicine physicians and technologists. This paper presents the newly approved Asian accreditation practice guidelines for sleep medicine physicians and technologists by the ASSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide. PDZ‐binding kinase (PBK) is proven to promote the malignant behaviors of various carcinomas. However, its functional roles and oncogenic mechanisms in cervical cancer are poorly understood. In this study, we reported that PBK was highly expressed in cervical cancer tissues. PBK promoted the proliferation, metastasis, and cisplatin resistance of cervical cancer cells. OTS514, a specific PBK inhibitor, could significantly suppress proliferation and metastasis of cervical cancer cells in vitro and in a xenograft model. Besides, OTS514 could enhance cisplatin‐based chemosensitivity in cervical cancer cells. Mechanistically, PBK promoted the expression and stabilization of c‐Myc through phosphorylating ERK1/2. OTS514 suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the transcriptional activity of c‐Myc. Furthermore, inhibition of the ERK signal pathway by U0126 reversed the increased proliferation and metastasis induced by overexpression of PBK. Exogenous expression of c‐Myc counteracted the decreased proliferation and metastasis evoked by knockdown of PBK. In conclusion, PBK promoted the malignant progression of cervical cancer through ERK/c‐Myc signal pathway. PBK might be a promising molecular target for cervical cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal keratitis (FK) is a serious, potentially sight-threatening corneal infection, which is associated with poor prognosis. A20, also called TNFAIP3, plays significant roles in the negative regulation of inflammation and immunity. However, the function of A20 in Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) keratitis remains obscure. Herein, we found that the level of A20 is increased in human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) and in mouse corneas with A. fumigatus infection, and that nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling is required for A20 upregulation. A20 overexpression inhibits A. fumigatus -mediated inflammatory responses, while A20 knockdown results in opposite effect. Mechanically, we showed that A20 inhibits NF-κB signaling and activates autophagy in infected HCECs. We also showed that inhibition of NF-κB signaling reverses the increased inflammatory responses in infected HCECs with A20 knockdown. Furthermore, autophagy blockage impedes the anti-inflammatory effect of A20 in A. fumigatus infected HCECs. Moreover, A20 ameliorates the corneal damage and inflammation in A. fumigatus infected mouse corneas. In conclusion, this study reveals that A20 alleviates A. fumigatus keratitis by activating autophagy and inhibiting NF-κB signaling. This suggests that exogenous use of A20 protein may be a potentially promising therapeutic strategy for FK treatment. • A20 expression is increased upon A. fumigatus infection. • A20 inhibits A. fumigatus -mediated inflammatory responses. • A20 inhibits NF-κB signaling and activates autophagy in A. fumigatus -infected HCECs. • A20 alleviates A. fumigatus keratitis by activating autophagy and inhibiting NF-κB signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve a coating density meeting the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolyte requirements of high gas tightness and ionic conductivity, in this study, a new interface healing densification process based on a liquid-phase sintering induction mechanism was conducted on plasma-sprayed 8 mol% Y 2 O 3 -stabilized ZrO 2 (8YSZ) coatings. Using Fe 2 O 3 and Bi 2 O 3 as healing additives, metallurgical healing of unbound interfaces was achieved by impregnating the additives into the gap interfaces, followed by liquid-phase sintering at 1200 and 1050 °C. After healing, the YSZ coating exhibited a dense bulk-like microstructure with a significant reduction in the gas leakage rate by two orders of magnitude, and the oxygen ion conductivity of the coating was significantly increased. The YSZ coating healed with the Fe 2 O 3 additive showed an oxygen ionic conductivity nearly one order of magnitude higher than that of the as-sprayed coating, reaching more than 80% of the value of the high-temperature-sintered YSZ bulk. • A new interface healing process based on liquid-phase sintering was conducted on APS YSZ coatings. • The interface-healed YSZ coating exhibited a dense bulk-like microstructure. • The gas leakage rate of the interface-healed YSZ coating decreased by two orders of magnitude. • Ionic conductivity of the interface-healed YSZ coating reached > 80% of the sintered bulk. • The cell assembled with interface-healed YSZ-Fe 2 O 3 electrolyte achieved MPD of 1.04 W/cm2 at 800 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we use regular wavelets to investigate the harmonic extension of a class of Q K -type spaces Q K , γ (R). For a locally integrable function f, we apply regular wavelets to decompose and estimate the Poisson integral of f. Then, by the aid of a reproducing formula, we characterize the harmonic extension of Q K , γ (R). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-frequency synchronization has been found in many real neural systems and is confirmed by excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) network models. However, the functional role played by it remains elusive. In this paper, it is found that high-frequency synchronization in E/I neuronal networks could improve the firing rate contrast of the whole network, no matter if the network is fully connected or randomly connected, with noise or without noise. It is also found that the global firing rate contrast enhancement can prevent the number of spikes of the neurons measured within the limited time window from being confused by noise, thereby enhancing the information encoding efficiency (quantified by entropy theory here) of the neuronal system. The mechanism of firing rate contrast enhancement is also investigated. Our work implies a possible functional role in information transmission of high-frequency synchronization in neuronal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this short letter to the editor, we have introduced and summarized the role of anti-angiogenesis, microRNA, and exosomes in cancer treatment strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microblade technology occupies an important position for understanding the process of peopling of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; however, the region’s specific technological behaviour has been unclear due to a lack of research. Here, we introduce the newly excavated site of Tshem gzhung kha thog (TGKT, in Chinese is Canxionggashuo), located at 4016 m above sea level on the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, with a focus on its lithic assemblage. Following the approach of chaîne opératoire, we reconstruct the reduction sequence, and, from the perspective of the organization of technology, we explore the technology’s implications for hunter-gatherer mobility in this area. Combining the lithic assemblage and the chronological sequence, we hypothesize that TGKT was a workshop occupied by logistically organized hunter-gatherers who used high-quality siliceous rocks found near the site to produce microblades, primarily, to adapt to a limited stay in this high-elevation area. The gradual climatic warming during the Holocene provided better conditions for peopling the high-elevation area; however, considering the distance between the higher and lower elevation areas, we hypothesize that TGKT was not used logistically by lower-elevation foragers but by foragers whose residential base was located elsewhere in the region near the TGKT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solubility data were determined using a laboratory scale reaction kettle for dilute SO2 in 2-Butoxy ethanol (BOE) (1) + water (H2O) (2) binary system at a temperature range of 298.15–308.15 K under 123.15 kPa. Based on solubility data, the linear slope of the solubility was fitted with Henry's law, and the SO2 solubility in BOE (1) + H2O (2) binary system showed a minimum at 40 wt%. The regeneration results showed that the SO2 absorption process was reversible in the binary system, and the system could be reused and almost no solvent loss after five cycles. Additionally, the spectral data indicated that the hydrogen bonds among BOE, H2O, and molecular SO2 contribute to the solubility of SO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have favorable cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes. However, whether SGLT2i can improve obesity-related cardiac dysfunction is unknown. Sestrin2 is a novel stress-inducible protein that regulates AMPK-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and suppresses oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to determine whether empagliflozin (EMPA) improves obesity-related cardiac dysfunction via regulating Sestrin2-mediated pathways in diet-induced obesity. C57BL/6J mice and Sestrin2 knockout mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks and then treated with or without EMPA (10 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. Treating HFD-fed C57BL/6J mice with EMPA reduced body weight and whole-body fat and improved metabolic disorders. Furthermore, EMPA improved myocardial hypertrophy/fibrosis and cardiac function and reduced cardiac fat accumulation and mitochondrial injury. Additionally, EMPA significantly augmented Sestrin2 levels and increased AMPK and endothelial nitric oxide synthase phosphorylation, but inhibited Akt and mTOR phosphorylation. These beneficial effects were partially attenuated in HFD-fed Sestrin2 knockout mice. Intriguingly, EMPA treatment enhanced the Nrf2/HO-1-mediated oxidative stress response, suggesting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Thus, EMPA improved obesity-related cardiac dysfunction via regulating Sestrin2-mediated AMPK-mTOR signaling and maintaining redox homeostasis. These findings provide a novel mechanism for the cardiovascular protection of SGLT2i in obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a long‐lasting mental disorder and accompanied by worse fear extinction. Enhanced fear memory or poor fear extinction are typical features of PTSD. Dysfunction of the serotonergic neurotransmitter system is involved in numerous mental and behavioral disorders. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is important in the metabolism of serotonin and play an important role in behavious. The aim of this study was to explore the change of MAOA and effect of MAOA on fear memory in PTSD. We used single prolonged stress (SPS) to create animal model of PTSD. A startle/fear box and elevated plus maze were used to observe fear memory and anxiety level, respectively. We examined the expression of MAOA and synaptic marker protein, as well as the immunological activity of MAOA in the infralimbic cortex (IL) area, which is a critical brain region involved in emotions, especially fear regulation. We found increased anxiety‐like behavior, dysfunction in fear extinction, and increased MAOA in SPS rats. After treatment with moclobemide (a selective inhibitor of MAOA), SPS rats showed significantly improved fear memory and decreased anxiety‐like behavior, which indicated that moclobemide could reverse fear extinction deficit and attenuate abnormally increased levels of anxiety caused by SPS in short term. On the contrary, decreased PSD‐95 and SYN1 expression in the IL region were also reversed by moclobemide. These results suggest that increased MAOA play a negative role in fear extinction and levels of anxiety in PTSD, which may be involved in change in PSD‐95 and SYN1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SPS causes spatial memory deficits and dysregulation of appetite. • SPS induces upregulation of OX1R and OX2R in the hippocampus and of OX1R in the hypothalamus. • Changes in behavior and OX1R/OX2R expression induced by SPS were partly reversed by orexin-A administration. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients exhibit abnormal learning and memory. Axons from orexin neurons in the lateral hypothalamus innervate the hippocampus, modulating learning and memory via the orexin 1 and 2 receptors (OX1R and OX2R). However, the role of the orexin system in the learning and memory dysfunction observed in PTSD is unknown. This was investigated in the present study using PTSD animal model-single prolonged stress (SPS) rats. Spatial learning and memory in the rats were evaluated with the Morris water maze (MWM) test; changes in body weight and food intake were recorded to assess changes in appetite; and the expression of orexin-A and its receptors in the hypothalamus and hippocampus was examined and quantified by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and real-time PCR. The results showed that spatial memory was impaired and food intake was decreased in SPS rats; this was accompanied by downregulation of orexin-A in the hypothalamus and upregulation of OX1R and OX2R in the hippocampus and of OX1R in the hypothalamus. Intracerebroventricular administration of orexin-A improved spatial memory and enhanced appetite in SPS rats and partly reversed the increases in OX1R and OX2R levels in the hippocampus and hypothalamus. These results suggest that the orexin system plays a critical role in the memory and appetite dysfunction observed in PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Previous studies have provided equivocal evidence of antidepressant use on subsequent cognitive impairment; this could be due to inconsistent modeling approaches. Our goals are methodological and clinical. We evaluate the impact of statistical modeling approaches on the associations between antidepressant use and risk of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in older adults with depression. Methods: 716 participants were enrolled. Our primary analysis employed a time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. We also implemented two fixed-covariate proportional hazards models—one based on having ever used antidepressants during follow-up, and the other restricted to baseline use only. Results: Treating antidepressant use as a time-varying covariate, we found no significant association with incident MCI (HR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.70, 1.20). In contrast, when antidepressant use was treated as a fixed covariate, we observed a significant association between having ever used antidepressants and lower risk of MCI (HR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.28, 0.56). However, in the baseline-use only model, the association was non-significant (HR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.60, 1.17). Discussion: Our results were dependent upon statistical models and suggest that antidepressant use should be modeled as a time-varying covariate. Using a robust time-dependent analysis, antidepressant use was not significantly associated with incident MCI among cognitively normal persons with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The narcolepsy severity scale (NSS) was developed to measure the severity and consequences of symptoms in patients with narcolepsy. The scale has been validated in France, though no other studies have further validated this instrument. The current study aimed to present psychometric properties and describe the score distribution of the Chinese-NSS.Methods: One hundred twenty-two patients with narcolepsy (41 females and 81 males; mean age 26.14 ± 15.40 years) participated in the study. All patients completed the Chinese-NSS. Cronbach's α, item-total score correlations, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and correlations between NSS total scores and clinical or sleep parameters were then calculated.Results: EFA yielded a three-factor model. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach'sα = 0.799). The NSS total score had significant correlations with the Epworth sleepiness score (0.447), pediatric daytime sleepiness scale (0.318), the insomnia severity index (0.592), Beck depression inventory (0.593), EurQol five dimensions-utility (0.457), EurQol five dimensions -VAS (- 0.323), the sleep disturbance scale for children (0.440), the children depression inventory (0.553), and the pediatric quality of life inventory (0.555) total scores, demonstrating acceptable convergence as predicted.Conclusions: The current study is the first validation study of the narcolepsy severity scale in an Asian population. The findings validated the Chinese-narcolepsy severity scale in a Chinese population with acceptable psychometric properties. There are minor differences between our results and those of the original study due to cultural differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of CO2 capture and utilization, the physical and transport properties of the binary systems are significant, because these can affect the gas absorption and desorption processes. Thus, we report the densities and viscosities of two binary systems: 2-ethoxyethanol (ECS) + water (H2O) and ECS + dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), with various compositions at temperatures from (298.15 to 318.15) K. On the basis of these data, excess molar volumes ( V m E ) and viscosity deviations (Δη) were calculated. The V m E values of the two binary mixtures are negative and decrease with increasing temperatures; Δη values are positive at all compositions and decrease with increasing temperatures. The V m E and Δη values were fitted with the Redlich–Kister equation. The physico-chemical properties of the two binary systems, including activation enthalpy and entropy, were calculated from the kinematic viscosity. In addition, various spectral results offer evidence for the formation of weak interactions between ECS and DMSO or H2O. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rho family GTPase Rac1 acts as a molecular switch for signal transduction to regulate various cellular functions. Here, a Rac1 homolog (LcRac1) was identified in large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea), one of the most economically important marine fishes. The LcRac1 protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. Subsequently the specific antibody was raised using the purified fusion protein (GST-LcRac1). LcRac1 was ubiquitously expressed in all 12 tissues we examined, with the highest expression in heart and blood and the weakest expression in head-kidney and spleen. Moreover, time course analysis revealed that LcRac1 expression was obviously up-regulated in liver, spleen and head-kidney after immunization with Poly I:C, LPS and Vibrio parahemolyticus. On the other hand, on the basis of protein interaction, it was found that the LcRac1 interacted with Tropomyosin, a crucial protein in the process of phagocytosis. Furthermore, RNAi assays indicated that the phagocytic percentage and phagocytic index were significantly decreased when the LcRac1 gene was silenced by sequence-specific siRNA. Fluorescence microscopy assays revealed FITC-labeled V. parahemolyticus were remarkably decreased after LcRac1 was silenced by sequence-specific siRNA at 24 h. These findings implicate the vital role of LcRac1 in innate immunity in the large yellow croaker. • A Rho family GTPase Rac1 (LcRac1) was cloned from large yellow croaker and the protein was expressed in E. coli and purified. • LcRac1 mRNA and protein were significantly up-regulated following Poly I:C, LPS and Vibrio parahemolyticus stimulation. • It was found that the LcRac1 interacted with tropomyosin, a crucial protein in the process of phagocytosis. • The phagocytic percentage and phagocytic index were significantly decreased when the LcRac1 gene was silenced by siRNA. • Rac1 GTPase might be involved in the phagocytotic pathway through the interaction with tropomyosin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N -glycosylation has been revealed to be tightly associated with cancer metastasis. As a key transferase that catalyzes the formation of β1,4 N -acetylglucosamine (β1,4GlcNAc) branches on the mannose core of N -glycans, N -acetylglucosaminyltransferase IVa (GnT-IVa) has been reported to be involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis by forming N -glycans; however, the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In the current study, we found that GnT-IVa was upregulated in HCC tissues and positively correlated with worse outcomes in HCC patients. We found that GnT-IVa could promote tumor growth in mice; notably, this effect was attenuated after mutating the enzymatic site (D445A) of GnT-IVa, suggesting that GnT-IVa regulated HCC progression by forming β1,4GlcNAc branches. To mechanistically investigate the role of GnT-IVa in HCC, we conducted GSEA and GO functional analysis as well as in vitro experiments. The results showed that GnT-IVa could enhance HCC cell migration, invasion and adhesion ability and increase β1,4GlcNAc branch glycans on integrin β1 (ITGB1), a tumor-associated glycoprotein that is closely involved in cell motility by interacting with vimentin. Interruption of β1,4GlcNAc branch glycan modification on ITGB1 could suppress the interaction of ITGB1 with vimentin and inhibit cell motility. These results revealed that GnT-IVa could promote HCC cell motility by affecting the biological functions of ITGB1 through N -glycosylation. In summary, our results revealed that GnT-IVa is highly expressed in HCC and can form β1,4GlcNAc branches on ITGB1, which are essential for interactions with vimentin to promote HCC cell motility. These findings not only proposed a novel mechanism for GnT-IVa in HCC progression but also revealed the significance of N -glycosylation on ITGB1 during the process, which may provide a novel target for future HCC therapy. • GnT-IVa enhances cell motility and correlates with poor outcomes of HCC. • GnT-IVa increases β1,4GlcNAc branches on ITGB1 to promote cell motility of HCC. • β1,4GlcNAc branches on ITGB1 affect interactions with vimentin in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A model first proposed to explain the relationship between obsession and compulsion, considering multiple neurological levels. • Exploring the spread mechanisms under distinct phenotypes of obsessive–compulsive disorder. • Emphasizing that learning bridges the gap between the limbic and motor systems, and that network effects can facilitate the disease process. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized symptomatically by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors to separate its behavioral features. Despite extensive research efforts into the pathogenesis and neural substrates in OCD, the interactions and causal associations between the two behaviors remain unclear. To theoretically fill this gap in mechanisms, we combine a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamic model of motor loops and a limbic system model based on classical reward prediction errors to model the complex dynamics between different loops in OCD. Based on the widely accepted hypothesis that dopamine bursts and reinforcement learning influence synaptic plasticity, we explore the mechanisms behind the progression of OCD related to stress triggers, overtraining, and striatal lesions, in terms of behavioral flexibility as a measurement. The obtained results indicate that reinforcement learning affects synaptic gain, which in turn influences loop stability and contributes to imbalance between loops. At the same time, it pulls the network into an over-stable state, similar to compulsive actions. Learning serves as the bridge between the limbic system (obsession) and the motor system (compulsion). Both systems work synergistically to facilitate the etiological transmission and progression of OCD. Our model provides plausible theoretical explanations for the behavioral features of OCD and may offer new approaches for its treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

6-MSITC (Methylsulfinyl hexyl isothiocyanate) is a bioactive compound found in wasabi that contains anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, and antioxidative properties. In this article, we summarize and discuss the current studies on the role of 6-MSITC on inflammatory diseases and carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]