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Abstract Background Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder with a variety of clinical manifestations. It has been established that anti-NMDAR encephalitis may be related to ovarian teratoma in female patients. However, a considerable number of patients have no obvious evidence of ovarian teratoma during the onset of the disease. Case A 25-year-old previously-healthy female experienced a series of acute symptoms within two days, including confusion, disorientation, short-term memory loss, auditory hallucinations, abnormal behavior, refractory status epilepticus, etc. Her brain MRI and abdominal imaging showed no definite abnormality while her electroencephalogram exhibited the presence of low to moderate amplitude sharp, spike, and multi-spike waves. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid tests yielded positive results for anti-NMDAR antibodies. However, an ultrasound scan failed to identify an ovarian teratoma. Consequently, the diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis without teratoma was made after 4 days onset. After the plasma exchange and immunoglobulin therapy, her neurological symptoms improved and obtained a clinical cure. In the next eight months of follow-up, the patient accidentally touched a lump in the lower abdomen without any symptoms, and abdominal ultrasound and CT scan revealed a left ovarian tumor. Then she underwent left ovarian teratoma resection surgery and histopathology showed a mature cystic teratoma with neural components. The patient continued to receive five years of follow-up, and her condition remained stable without any recurrence, except that there had been a low titer of anti-NMDAR antibody in her serum. Conclusion Our case demonstrated the importance of long-term follow-up for female patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis, since anti-NMDAR encephalitis-associated ovarian teratomas may develop in a delayed manner, even without any symptoms.

PurposeStatins may have a protective effect against osteoarthritis (including knee osteoarthritis and hip osteoarthritis); however, the link between statins and osteoarthritis risk is incompletely established. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between statins and osteoarthritis risk through Mendelian randomization analysis using pooled information from a large population-wide genome-wide association study (GWAS).MethodsStatin-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained from FinnGen’s latest 9th edition database, and data on osteoarthritis, knee osteoarthritis, and hip osteoarthritis were acquired from the IEU OpenGWAS, the UK Biobank, and Arthritis Research UK Osteoarthritis Genetics (ArcOGEN) database, respectively. The inverse-variance weighting method is an important analysis method to estimate the causal effect. Weighted median method, simple median method, weighted median estimator method, and MR–Egger regression were employed to supplement the explanation. Odds ratio and 95%CI were used to evaluate the causal relationship among statins and the osteoarthritis risk, osteoarthritis in the knee, and osteoarthritis in the hip. Second, sensitivity analysis was carried out to validate the reliability of the results. Cochran’s Q test was employed to test heterogeneity, MR–Egger intercept was employed to test whether horizontal pleiotropy existed, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms with potential influence were determined by the one-method analysis.Results(1) The results of the inverse variance weighting method showed Gene prediction indicated that statins were associated with osteoarthritis (OR = 0.998, 95% CI: 0.996–0.999, P = 0.01) and knee osteoarthritis (OR = 0.964, 95% CI: knee (0.940–0.989, P = 0.005) and hip osteoarthritis risk were associated (OR = 0.928, 95% CI: 0.901–0.955, P = 4.28 × 10−7). (2) MR–Egger intercept analysis did not detect potential horizontal pleiotropy (osteoarthritis: P = 0.658; knee osteoarthritis: P = 0.600; and hip osteoarthritis: P = 0.141). (3) The findings provide evidence that statins reduce osteoarthritis risk, osteoarthritis in the knee, and osteoarthritis in the hip, as described in observational studies, and the specific mechanisms by which statins treat osteoarthritis require further investigation.ConclusionThe results of this study, at the genetic level, reveal a negative causal relationship between statins and osteoarthritis, and this causal relationship is also present in knee and hip osteoarthritis. This study provides evidence against the potential of statins in the treatment of osteoarthritis, prompting the clinical treatment of osteoarthritis to consider improving the start and compliance of statins in the future.

Abstract Background Exosomes play a crucial role in intercellular communication in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), while the long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in tumorigenesis and progression. Aims The purpose of this study is to construction a exosomes‐related lncRNA score and a ceRNA network to predict the response to immunotherapy and potential targeted drug in ccRCC. Methods Data of ccRCC patients were obtained from the TCGA database. Pearson correlation analysis was used to identify eExosomes‐related lncRNAs (ERLRs) from Top10 exosomes‐related genes that have been screened. The entire cohort was randomly divided into a training cohort and a validation cohort in equal scale. LASSO regression and multivariate cox regression was used to construct the ERLRs‐based score. Differences in clinicopathological characteristics, immune microenvironment, immune checkpoints, and drug susceptibility between the high‐ and low‐risk groups were also investigated. Finally, the relevant ceRNA network was constructed by machine learning to analyze their potential targets in immunotherapy and drug use of ccRCC patients. Results A score consisting of 4ERLRs was identified, and patients with higher ERLRs‐based score tended to have a worse prognosis than those with lower ERLRs‐based score. ROC curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the score could be considered as a risk factor for prognosis in both training and validation cohorts. Moreover, patients with high scores are predisposed to experience poor overall survival, a larger prevalence of advanced stage (III‐IV), a greater tumor mutational burden, a higher infiltration of immunosuppressive cells, and a greater likelihood of responding favorably to immunotherapy. The importance of EMX2OS was determined by mechanical learning, and the ceRNA network was constructed, and EMX2OS may be a potential therapeutic target, possibly exerting its function through the EMX2OS/hsa‐miR‐31‐5p/TLN2 axis. Conclusions Based on machine learning, a novel ERLRs‐based score was constructed for predicting the survival of ccRCC patients. The ERLRs‐based score is a promising potential independent prognostic factor that is closely correlated with the immune microenvironment and clinicopathological characteristics. Meanwhile, we screened out key lncRNAEMX2OS and identified the EMX2OS/hsa‐miR‐31‐5p/TLN2 axis, which may provide new clues for the targeted therapy of ccRCC.

Abstract Background/purpose This study compared the clinical efficacy and safety of laparoscopic versus open resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA) and analyzed potential prognostic factors. Methods The study included patients who underwent HCCA resection at our center from March 2012 to February 2022. Perioperative complications and postoperative prognosis were compared between the laparoscopic surgery (LS) and open surgery (OS) groups. Results After screening 313 HCCA patients, 68 patients were eligible for the study in the LS group (n = 40) and OS group (n = 28). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis revealed that overall survival > 2 years and 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) were more common in the LS than OS group, but the rate of 2-year DFS was lower in the LS group than OS group. Cox multivariate regression analysis revealed age (< 65 years), radical resection, and postoperative adjuvant therapy were associated with reduced risk of death (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.380, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.150–0.940, P = 0.036; HR = 0.080, 95% CI = 0.010–0.710, P = 0.024 and HR = 0.380, 95% CI = 0.150–0.960, P = 0.040), whereas preoperative biliary drainage was an independent factor associated with increased risk of death (HR = 2.810, 95% CI = 1.130–6.950, P = 0.026). Perineuronal invasion was identified as an independent risk factor affecting DFS (HR = 5.180, 95% CI = 1.170–22.960, P = 0.030). Conclusions Compared with OS, laparoscopic HCCA resection does not significantly differ in terms of clinical efficacy. Age (

This paper focuses on investigating fuzzy complex-valued neural networks with inertial item. By utilizing fixed-time stability theory and inequality techniques, we designed two types of feedback controllers and obtained some new criteria to ensure that the system achieves fixed-time complex projective lag synchronization(CPLS). Compared with previous works, we study the complex-value system as a whole, and compared to ordinary synchronization, CPLS has a broader range of applications. Finally, we provide numerical simulations to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical results.

Accelerating the green transformation of the power system is the inevitable path of the energy revolution; the increasing installed capacity of new energy and the penetration rate of electricity, uncertainty regarding new energy output, and the rising proportion of distributed power supply access have led to the threat against the safe and stable operation of the current power system. With the increasing uncertainty on both sides of power supply and demand, the microgrid (MG) is needed to effectually aggregate, coordinate, and optimize resources, such as adjustable resources, distributed power supply, and distributed energy storage in a certain area on the demand side. Therefore, in this paper, the uncertainty of wind power and PV is first dealt with by Latin hypercube sampling (LHS). Secondly, differentiated resources in the MG region can be divided into adjustable resources, distributed power supply, and energy storage. Adjustable resources are classified according to demand response characteristics. At the same time, the MG operating cost and carbon trading mechanism (CTM) are comprehensively considered. Finally, a low-carbon economy optimal scheduling strategy with the lowest total cost as the optimization goal is formed. Then, in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, three different scenarios are established for comparison. The total operating cost of the proposed algorithm is reduced by about 30%, and the total amount of carbon trading in 24 h can reach nearly 600 kg, bringing economic and social benefits to the MG.

Colleges and universities play a pivotal role in nurturing students' entrepreneurial aspirations, as evidenced by a significant increase in entrepreneurial education. Improving its quality and igniting students' motivation are crucial. This study, grounded in established theoretical frameworks, introduces variables such as entrepreneurial intention, attitude, and self-efficacy, forming a moderated mediation model. An analysis of 347 questionnaires using Mplus 8.0 reveals the following insights: (1) Collegiate-level entrepreneurship education is positively correlated with students' entrepreneurial intentions; (2) Entrepreneurial attitude and self-efficacy mediate the relationship between entrepreneurship education and students' entrepreneurial intentions; (3) Entrepreneurial social support moderates the link between entrepreneurship education and students' entrepreneurial intentions. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge in entrepreneurship education and provide valuable guidance for enhancing its effectiveness and fostering students’ entrepreneurial aspirations.

Abstract The issue of synchronizing delayed and complicated dynamical networks (CDNs) using sampling data is examined in this research. First, modified free-matrix-based integral inequalities (MFMBIIs), respectively, are generated from the current free-matrix-based integral inequalities (FMBIIs) [36] and [37] to optimize CDNs’ sampled-data synchronizing control’s efficiency. Following that, the intended data sampling controller is put forth to asymptotically and exponentially synchronize the CDNs by deploying the time-associated Lyapunov functional technique and convexity-based combining approach, which fully utilize the acceptable information with respect to the actual sampling interval. Finally, computational instances verify the validity of the present outcomes and especially show that a larger upper bound of the sampling interval can be obtained from our results.

It is critical to discover a clean energy source to replace fossil fuels such as coal to meet the targets of “emission peak” and “carbon neutrality” in 2030 and 2060, respectively. Biomass is a kind of renewable energy that is rich in reserves and can be directly converted into fuel. Pyrolysis is a common way to maximize the value of biomass, and the composition and distribution of products can be adjusted by the addition of catalysts. Carbon-based catalysts have the advantages of low preparation costs and easy treatment after catalysis. However, they have the disadvantages of easy carbon deposition inactivation and low product selectivity. The competitiveness of carbon-based catalysts can be improved when combined with the microwave effect. Herein, the research status of microwave-assisted carbon-based catalysts for the pyrolysis of biomass is reviewed. This study primarily introduces the microwave heating theory principle as well as the microwave absorber and catalyst effect mechanisms on the microwave for pyrolysis. The limitations of metal catalysts and molecular sieve catalysts are analyzed, and the unique advantages of modified carbon-based catalysts in the field of microwave pyrolysis are proposed. Microwave heating uses microwave radiation to create heat in the internal particles of biomass; therefore, microwave pyrolysis has the advantages of a high heating rate, uniform heating, low energy loss, a high energy conversion rate, and instantaneous adjustment. The effects of different modification methods (metal loading method, chemical method, sulfonation, etc.) on the pore structure, oxygen-containing functional groups, and acidic groups of carbon-based catalysts and the characteristics of catalytic products are analyzed. Among them, the preparation method’s precipitation method is difficult to manage, and the repeatability is low. The impregnation method has the advantages of being an easy preparation process, being inexpensive, and having a large production capacity. The chemical process will remarkably alter the oxygen-containing groups and acidity of the biochar. Too much acidity causes carbon deposition and catalyst deactivation, whereas too few acidic oxygen-containing groups induce pyrolysis rate decreasing. Therefore, the raw materials used in sulfonation are not environmentally friendly. The application progress of microwave-assisted modified carbon-based catalysts in tar reforming and improving the properties of biomass pyrolysis products is summarized. Carbon-based catalysts combined with microwave heating can increase the yield of phenols and syngas and improve the quality of pyrolysis products. Herein, some suggestions on the problems existing in this research direction are put forward and prospected, which provides some reference for the selection and modification of carbon-based catalysts and the high-value utilization of biomass based on microwave catalytic pyrolysis.

Collaborative robots are used in scenarios requiring interaction with humans. In order to improve the safety and adaptability of collaborative robots during human–robot interaction, this paper proposes a modular wire-actuated robotic arm with symmetric variable-stiffness units. The variable-stiffness unit is employed to extend the stiffness-adjustment range of the robotic arm. The variable-stiffness unit is designed based on flexure, featuring a compact and simple structure. The stiffness–force relationship of the variable-stiffness unit can be fitted by a quadratic function with an R-squared value of 0.99981, indicating weak nonlinearity. Based on the kinematics and stiffness analysis of the symmetric joint module of the robotic arm, the orientation of the joint module can be adjusted by regulating the length of the wires and the stiffness of the joint module can be adjusted by regulating the tension of the wires. Because of the actuation redundancy, the orientation and stiffness of the joint module can be adjusted synchronously. Furthermore, a direct method is proposed for the stiffness-oriented wire-tension-distribution problem of the 1-DOF joint module. A simulation is carried out to verify the proposed method. The simulation result shows that the deviation between the calculated stiffness and the desired stiffness was less than 0.005%.

Sound source localization has a wide range of application prospects in many fields, such as smart home and audio monitoring. Traditional methods are difficult to achieve accurate location in the face of multi-path reflection, reverberation, and ambient noise. In this paper, a complex mapping conversion method for sound source location is proposed. By using complex-valued convolutional neural networks to fuse the amplitude and phase information of the data, a more accurate and comprehensive analysis can be carried out to improve its robustness and realize the accurate location of the sound source. The sound source location method based on complex-valued convolutional neural networks is studied, and the complex mapping principle is analyzed. Simulation and experimental studies were carried out, and the results of simulation and experiment are basically consistent. In the experiment, the positioning accuracy of the complex mapping method is 9.49% higher than that of the absolute value method and 15.81% higher than that of the phase angle method. In addition, its localization success rate, respectively, increased by 4.9% and 8.6% compared to two other methods. This paper opens up a new way for the application of complex-valued convolutional neural networks in sound source localization.

Summary: Ruptured ectopic pregnancy (REP), a pregnancy complication caused by aberrant implantation, deep invasion, and overgrowth of embryos in fallopian tubes, could lead to rupture of fallopian tubes and accounts for 4%–10% of pregnancy-related deaths. The lack of ectopic pregnancy phenotypes in rodents hampers our understanding of its pathological mechanisms. Here, we employed cell culture and organoid models to investigate the crosstalk between human trophoblast development and intravillous vascularization in the REP condition. Compared with abortive ectopic pregnancy (AEP), the size of REP placental villi and the depth of trophoblast invasion are correlated with the extent of intravillous vascularization. We identified a key pro-angiogenic factor secreted by trophoblasts, WNT2B, that promotes villous vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and vascular network expansion in the REP condition. Our results reveal the important role of WNT-mediated angiogenesis and an organoid co-culture model for investigating intricate communications between trophoblasts and endothelial/endothelial progenitor cells.

In recent decades, differential evolution (DE) has been employed to address a diverse range of nonlinear, nondifferentiable, and nonconvex optimization problems. In this study, we introduce an enhanced adaptive differential evolution algorithm to address the inversion problem associated with magnetic data. The primary objective of the inversion process is to minimize the discrepancy between observed data and predicted data derived from the inverted model. So, the contributions of this paper include the following two points. First, a new mechanism for generating crossover rate (CR) is proposed, which tends to reduce the CR values corresponding to vectors with better objective function values. Second, a new mutation strategy with direction information is proposed to expedite convergence. Additionally, modifications were made to the adjustment of the regularization factor to prevent it from becoming too minimal, thereby preserving its efficacy. The proposed algorithm is validated through synthetic models and a field example. Results from synthetic models demonstrate that our method is superior to and competitive with the original adaptive DE in both solution quality and convergence velocity. For the field example, the Inverted models align closely with the drill-well information.

Summary: Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common diseases with the coexistence of reproductive malfunction and metabolic disorders. Previous studies have found increased branched chain amino acid (BCAA) levels in women with PCOS. However, it remains unclear whether BCAA metabolism is causally associated with the risk of PCOS. Methods: The changes of BCAA levels in the plasma and follicular fluids of PCOS women were detected. Mendelian randomization (MR) approaches were used to explore the potential causal association between BCAA levels and the risk of PCOS. The function of the gene coding the protein phosphatase Mg2+/Mn2+-dependent 1K (PPM1K) was further explored by using Ppm1k-deficient mouse model and PPM1K down-regulated human ovarian granulosa cells. Findings: BCAA levels were significantly elevated in both plasma and follicular fluids of PCOS women. Based on MR, a potential direct, causal role for BCAA metabolism was revealed in the pathogenesis of PCOS, and PPM1K was detected as a vital driver. Ppm1k-deficient female mice had increased BCAA levels and exhibited PCOS-like traits, including hyperandrogenemia and abnormal follicle development. A reduction in dietary BCAA intake significantly improved the endocrine and ovarian dysfunction of Ppm1k−/− female mice. Knockdown of PPM1K promoted the conversion of glycolysis to pentose phosphate pathway and inhibited mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in human granulosa cells. Interpretation: Ppm1k deficiency-impaired BCAA catabolism causes the occurrence and development of PCOS. PPM1K suppression disturbed energy metabolism homeostasis in the follicular microenvironment, which provided an underlying mechanism of abnormal follicle development. Funding: This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFC2700402, 2019YFA0802503), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81871139, 82001503, 92057107), the CAMS Innovation Fund for Medical Sciences (2019-I2M-5-001), Key Clinical Projects of Peking University Third Hospital (BYSY2022043), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021T140600), and the Collaborative Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (2020CXJQ01).

Ultrathin broadband absorbers with high efficiency, wide angular tolerance, and low fabrication cost are in demand for various applications. Here, we present an angle-insensitive ultrathin (

Background & Aims: The liver has complex interconnecting blood vessel and biliary networks; however, how the vascular and biliary network form and regulate each other and liver function are not well-understood. We aimed to examine the role of Heg in mammalian liver development and functional maintenance. Methods: Global (Heg-/-) or liver endothelial cell (EC)-specific deletion of Heg (Lyve1-Cre;Hegfl/fl ) mice were used to study the in vivo function of Heg in the liver. Carbon-ink anterograde and retrograde injection were used to visualize the 3-dimensional patterning of liver portal and biliary networks, respectively. RNA sequencing, histology, and molecular and biochemical assays were used to assess liver gene expression, protein distribution, liver injury response, and function. Results: Heg deficiency in liver ECs led to a sparse liver vascular and biliary network. This network paucity does not compromise liver function under baseline conditions but did alter liver zonation. Molecular analysis revealed that endothelial Heg deficiency decreased expression of Wnt ligands/agonists including Wnt2, Wnt9b, and Rspo3 in ECs, which limits Axin2 mediated canonical Wnt signaling and the expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes in hepatocytes. Under chemical-induced stressed conditions, Heg-deficiency in liver ECs protected mice from drug-induced liver injuries. Conclusion: Our study found that endothelial Heg is essential for the 3-D patterning of the liver vascular and indirectly regulates biliary networks and proper liver zonation via its regulation of Wnt ligand production in liver endothelial cells. The endothelial Heg-initiated changes of the liver metabolic zonation and metabolic enzyme expression in hepatocytes was functionally relevant to xenobiotic metabolism and drug induced liver toxicity.

Abstract Background Cardiomyocyte metabolism changes before cardiac remodeling, but its role in early cardiac hypertrophy detection remains unclear. This study investigated early changes in plasma metabolomics in a pressure-overload cardiac hypertrophy model induced by transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Methods The TAC model was constructed by partly ligating the aortic arch. Twelve Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into the TAC group (n = 6) and sham group (n = 6). Three weeks after surgery, cardiac echocardiography was performed to assess cardiac remodeling and function. Hematoxylin/eosin (HE), Masson, and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) stains were used to observe pathological changes. Plasma metabolites were detected by UPLC-QTOFMS and Q-TOFMS. Specific metabolites were screened by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Metabolic pathways were characterized by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and the predictive value of the screened metabolites was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results Three weeks after surgery, the TAC and sham groups had similar left heart function and interventricular septum and diastolic left ventricular posterior wall thicknesses. However, on pathological examination, the cross-sectional area of cardiomyocytes and myocardial fibrosis severity were significantly elevated in TAC rats. OPLS-DA showed different metabolic patterns between the TAC and sham groups. Based on the criteria VIP > 1 and P

Abstract Uric acid (UA) is the end metabolic product of purine metabolism. Early on, UA was considered to be a metabolite with a certain antioxidant capacity. As research has progressed, other properties of UA have been explored, and its association with many diseases has been found. The association between UA and kidney disease and cardiovascular disease is well established; however, there is still a paucity of reviews on the association between UA and the female reproductive system. An increasing number of epidemiological studies have shown elevated serum UA levels in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, etc. Additionally, serum UA can be used as a predictor of pregnancy complications and adverse foetal outcomes. An increasing number of animal experiments and clinical studies have revealed possible mechanisms related to the involvement of UA in certain female reproductive disorders: oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, etc. This article reviews the current mainstream mechanisms regarding the pathogenesis of UA and the role of UA in certain specific female reproductive disorders (direct involvement in the development of certain diseases or enhancement of other risk factors) in the hope of contributing to clinical prevention, diagnosis, treatment and improvement in prognosis.

Abstract In this paper, we establish a partially truncated Euler–Maruyama scheme for highly nonlinear and nonautonomous neutral stochastic differential delay equations with Markovian switching. We investigate the strong convergence rate and almost sure exponential stability of the numerical solutions under the generalized Khasminskii-type condition.

Abstract The Caratheodory approximation for a type of Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations is considered. As is well known, under the Lipschitz and linear growth conditions, the existence and uniqueness of solutions for some type of differential equations can be established. However, this approach does not give an explicit expression for solutions; it is not applicable in practice sometimes. Therefore, it is important to seek the approximate solution. As an extending work for stochastic differential equations, in this paper, we consider Caratheodory’s approximate solution for a type of Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations.

Background: The aging process and declining estradiol levels are two important factors that cause structural brain alterations. Many prior studies have investigated these two elements and revealed controversial results in menopausal women. Here, a cross-sectional study was designed to individually evaluate estradiol-related structural changes in the brain.Methods: A total of 45 early menopausal women and 54 age-matched premenopausal controls were enrolled and subjected to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, blood biochemistry tests, and neuropsychological tests. MRI structural images were analyzed using FreeSurfer to detect changes in subcortical and cortical volumes as well as cortical thickness. Finally, structural brain data as well as clinical and neuropsychological data were used for Pearson’s correlation analyses to individually determine estradiol-related structural and functional changes in the brains of early menopausal women.Results: Compared with the premenopausal controls, the early menopausal women showed significant subcortical volumetric loss in the left amygdala and right amygdala, higher serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, more recognizable climacteric and depressive symptoms, decreased quality of sleep, and decreased working memory and executive functions. Simultaneously, FSH levels were related to lower working memory accuracy and longer working memory reaction time. Decreased subcortical volume in the bilateral amygdala was also related to lower working memory accuracy and longer executive reaction time in early menopausal women.Conclusion: The data suggest that estradiol deficiency in early menopausal women can lead to subcortical volume and functional brain changes, which may contribute to further understanding the neurobiological role of declined estradiol levels in early menopausal women.

Summary: How cells adapt to oncogenic transformation-associated cellular stress and become fully transformed is still unknown. Here we identified a novel GGCT-regulated glutathione (GSH)-reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolic pathway in oncogenic stress alleviation. We identified GGCT as a target of oncogenic Ras and that it is required for oncogenic Ras-induced primary mouse cell proliferation and transformation and in vivo lung cancer formation in the LSL-Kras G12D mouse model. However, GGCT deficiency is compatible with normal mouse development, suggesting that GGCT can be a cancer-specific therapeutic target. Genetically amplified GGCT locus further supports the oncogenic driving function of GGCT. In summary, our study not only identifies an oncogenic function of GGCT but also identifies a novel regulator of GSH metabolism, with implications for further understanding of oncogenic stress and cancer treatment. : Biological Sciences; Cell Biology; Cancer Subject Areas: Biological Sciences, Cell Biology, Cancer

Beamforming and its applications in steered-response power (SRP) technology, such as steered-response power delay and sum (SRP-DAS) and steered-response power phase transform (SRP-PHAT), are widely used in sound source localization. However, their resolution and accuracy still need improvement. A novel beamforming method combining SRP and multi-channel cross-correlation coefficient (MCCC), SRP-MCCC, is proposed in this paper to improve the accuracy of direction of arrival (DOA). Directional weight (DW) is obtained by calculating the MCCC. Based on DW, suppressed the non-incoming wave direction and gained the incoming wave direction to improve the beamforming capabilities. Then, sound source localizations based on the dual linear array under different conditions were simulated. Compared with SRP-PHAT, SRP-MCCC has the advantages of high positioning accuracy, strong spatial directivity and robustness under the different signal–noise ratios (SNRs). When the SNR is −10 dB, the average positioning error of the single-frequency sound source at different coordinates decreases by 5.69%, and that of the mixed frequency sound sources at the same coordinate decreases by 5.77%. Finally, the experimental verification was carried out. The results show that the average error of SRP-MCCC has been reduced by 8.14% and the positioning accuracy has been significantly improved, which is consistent with the simulation results. This research provides a new idea for further engineering applications of sound source localization based on beamforming.

The existence of cavities behind the shield tunnel lining can cause cracking, broken pieces, water leakage, and other problems, which reduces the durability and safety of the shield tunnel segment structure. In order to clarify the mechanism of cavity damage, a more systematic study of the effects of cavities on the shield tunnel lining structure from the angle, depth, and the number of cavities is carried out using model tests and numerical simulations without considering the effects of the stiffness reduction effect at the tunnel segment joints and groundwater seepage in this paper. The findings show that the bending moment value and the cavity angle value are approximately linear with the increase of single cavity angle, and the bending moment at the vault arch is reversed when the angle of the cavity behind the arch is greater than 30°. With the increase of single cavity depth, the axial force and bending moment at the cavity increase, and the distribution of bending moment remains unchanged, and the bending moment tends to be stable and unchanged beyond a certain depth. With the increase of single cavity angle and depth, the structural safety coefficient of the segment decreases, and the degree of influence is angle value > depth value. The existence of multiple cavities intensifies the influence of each cavity on the segment, especially when there are cavities behind the top and bottom of the vault; the bending moment value of the top of the vault increases by 22.53% compared with that of the single cavity condition.

In this paper, we study a class of nonlinear and nonautonomous hybrid stochastic differential delay equations with Poisson jumps (HSDDEwPJs). The convergence rate of the truncated theta-EM numerical solutions to HSDDEwPJs is investigated under given conditions. An example is shown to support our theory.

In this paper, we want to establish an averaging principle for Mckean–Vlasov-type Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations with Brownian motion. Compared with the classic averaging condition for stochastic differential equation, we propose a new averaging condition and obtain the averaging convergence results for Mckean–Vlasov-type Caputo fractional stochastic differential equations.

BackgroundPrevious studies have found that women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have some degree of brain function change as well as cognitive function and emotions, such as poor executive functioning and memory, anxiety and depressive symptoms. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these alterations have not yet been clarified.MethodFasting serum hormone testing, neuropsychological testing and resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) were performed in 41 women with newly diagnosed PCOS and 41 healthy controls matched by age and education during their 2–5 days of menstrual period. Analysis of the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was used to calculate the seed points. Then, the functional connectivity (FC) values between these abnormal seed points and other voxels in the whole brain were calculated. Finally, the correlations among clinical indexes, neuropsychological evaluation scores, and neuroimaging data were analyzed.ResultsCompared with the control group, the PCOS group showed higher luteinizing hormone (LH) and serum insulin levels, worse sleep quality, increased depressive and anxiety state scores, and memory and executive function impairments. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed that the decreased ALFF value in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG.L), which is related to poor executive performance and depressive disorders, was negatively correlated with the plasma insulin level in subjects with insulin resistance. Furthermore, the increased FC strength between the MFG.L and left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG.L) was positively correlated with the serum testosterone level. The enhanced FC strength between the left posterior cingulate gyrus (PCG.L) and triangular part of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFGtriang.L) was negatively correlated with the plasma LH level. When use the right middle occipital gyrus (MOG.R) as the seed point, the FC strength with the right inferior occipital gyrus (IOG.R), which is associated with impaired memory, was decreased.ConclusionThe ALFF and FC results elucidated brain functional abnormalities at the regional and network levels in women with PCOS, while correlation analyses simultaneously demonstrated that these alterations were associated with serum hormones and cognitive function. These results may provide useful information regarding the potential mechanisms of cognitive impairment and emotional changes in this population.

Online shopping for customized garments has become the fastest-growing field of the Chinese eBusiness market. Most consumers not only limit themselves to buying standardized garments but also want to buy garments customized to their preferences. This phenomenon has pushed the fashion textile and apparel industry to change its supply chain operations to meet the customization demand. Besides, the fashion textile and apparel industry also want to study how different channel factors will affect consumers' perceived value and further influence consumers' purchasing decisions. We initiated this study and empirically tested more than 200 experienced consumers. This study collaborated with a fashion textile and apparel company that aims to implement customized product lines soon. Based on the perceived value theory and risk management theory, we investigated whether product involvement and channel identification on supply chain design will affects potential customized product consumers' purchasing decisions. The findings reveal that channel recognition affects consumer decisions by having a positive impact on their perceived value. The perceived risk and shopping channel involvement of consumers have a negative impact on their perceived values and channel selections. In addition, product involvement has a moderating effect on the relationship between channel's perceived risk, perceived values, and channel selections as well.

This paper focuses on a class of delayed fractional Cohen–Grossberg neural networks with the fractional order between 1 and 2. Two kinds of criteria are developed to guarantee the finite-time stability of networks based on some analytical techniques. This method is different from those in some earlier works. Moreover, the obtained criteria are expressed as some algebraic inequalities independent of the Mittag–Leffler functions, and thus, the calculation is relatively simple in both theoretical analysis and practical applications. Finally, the feasibility and validity of obtained results are supported by the analysis of numerical simulations.

The angiopoietins regulate vascular maturation, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis via their Tie receptors that were long believed to be endothelium-specific. Here the authors show that angiopoietins activate and control pericyte function through pericyte-expressed Tie2 triggering of Calpain, Akt and FOXO3A signalling cascades.

Background: Patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) usually display cognitive impairments, such as memory loss, attention deficits, and declining executive functions, particularly during the active stage of the disease. However, the potential neurological mechanisms of these symptoms remain unclear.Method: Forty-one patients with mildly to moderately active UC, as well as 42 matched healthy controls, were recruited for an examination using psychological scales, cognitive function tests and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Seed points were identified via analysis of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), and functional connectivity (FC) was calculated between these seed regions and other voxels in the whole brain. Correlation analyses were performed among clinical indexes, neuropsychological assessments and neuroimaging data.Result: Compared with the healthy controls, patients with UC exhibited lower ALFF values in the bilateral hippocampal/parahippocampal (HIPP/ParaHIPP) region and higher ALFF values in the left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC.L) and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG.L). With HIPP/ParaHIPP as the seed point, the strengths of the FC in the bilateral middle frontal gyri (MFG), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and left caudate nucleus (CAU.L) increased; using the PCC.L as the seed point, the strengths of the FC in the middle cingulate cortex (MCC) and the left angular gyrus (AUG.L) increased. These abnormal brain regions were mainly located in the limbic system. By analyzing the correlations between these brain regions and behavioral data, we observed a close correlation between decreased HIPP/ParaHIPP activity and memory loss; increased PCC activity and strength of FC with the AUG.L were related to dysfunction of executive function and attention network in patients with UC.Conclusion: Based on these results, the limbic lobe might be the core of the brain-gut axis (BGA) and play an important role in cognitive impairments, suggesting potential mechanisms for cognitive impairment in patients with UC in the active stage of the disease.

Background: Early postmenopausal women frequently suffer from cognitive impairments and emotional disorders, such as lack of attention, poor memory, deficits in executive function and depression. However, the underlying mechanisms of these impairments remain unclear.Method: Forty-three early postmenopausal women and forty-four age-matched premenopausal controls underwent serum sex hormone analysis, neuropsychological testing and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Degree centrality (DC) analysis was performed to confirm the peak points of the functionally abnormal brain areas as the centers of the seeds. Subsequently, the functional connectivity (FC) between these abnormal seeds and other voxels across the whole brain was calculated. Finally, the sex hormone levels, neuroimaging indices and neuropsychological data were combined to detect potential correlations.Results: Compared with the premenopausal controls, the early postmenopausal women exhibited significantly higher serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, more severe climacteric and depressive symptoms, worse sleep quality and more extensive cognitive impairments. Concurrently, the neuroimaging results showed elevated DC values in the left amygdala (AMYG.L), reduced DC values in the left middle occipital gyrus (MOG.L) and right middle occipital gyrus (MOG.R). When we used the AMYG.L as the seed point, FC with the left insula (INS.L), bilateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and right superior frontal gyrus (SFG.R) was increased; these regions are related to depressive states, poor sleep quality and decreased executive function. When bilateral MOG were used as the seed points, FC with left inferior parietal gyrus (IPG.L), this area closely associated with impaired memory, was decreased.Conclusion: These results illuminated the regional and network-level brain dysfunction in early postmenopausal women, which might provide information on the underlying mechanisms of the different cognitive impairments and emotional alterations observed in this group.

Tie1 is a mechanistically poorly characterized endothelial cell (EC)-specific orphan receptor. Yet, Tie1 deletion is embryonic lethal and Tie1 has been implicated in critical vascular pathologies, including atherosclerosis and tumor angiogenesis. Here, we show that Tie1 does not function independently but exerts context-dependent effects on the related receptor Tie2. Tie1 was identified as an EC activation marker that is expressed during angiogenesis by a subset of angiogenic tip and remodeling stalk cells and downregulated in the adult quiescent vasculature. Functionally, Tie1 expression by angiogenic EC contributes to shaping the tip cell phenotype by negatively regulating Tie2 surface presentation. In contrast, Tie1 acts in remodeling stalk cells cooperatively to sustain Tie2 signaling. Collectively, our data support an interactive model of Tie1 and Tie2 function, in which dynamically regulated Tie1 versus Tie2 expression determines the net positive or negative effect of Tie1 on Tie2 signaling.

Abstract Retinopathy of prematurity causes visual impairment due to destructive neoangiogenesis after degeneration of the retinal microvasculature. This study was aimed at analyzing whether local delivery of Semaphorin‐3C (Sema3C) suppresses pathological retinal angiogenesis. Sema3C exerted potent inhibiting effects in cellular models of angiogenesis. In an endothelial cell xenotransplantation assay, Sema3C acted primarily on immature microvessels by inducing endothelial cell apoptosis. Intravitreal administration of recombinant Sema3C disrupted endothelial tip cell formation and cell–cell contacts, which led to decreased vascular bed expansion and vessel branching in the growing retinal vasculature of newborn mice, while not affecting mature vessels in the adult retina. Sema3C administration strongly inhibited the formation of pathological pre‐retinal vascular tufts during oxygen‐induced retinopathy. Mechanistically, Sema3C signaled through the receptors Neuropilin‐1 and PlexinD1, which were strongly expressed on vascular tufts, induced VE‐cadherin internalization, and abrogated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)‐induced activation of the kinases AKT, FAK, and p38MAPK. This disrupted endothelial cell junctions, focal adhesions, and cytoskeleton assembly resulted in decreased cell migration and survival. Thus, this study identified Sema3C as a potent and selective inhibitor of pathological retinal angiogenesis.

Abstract Liver fibrosis is a reversible wound‐healing response to injury reflecting the critical balance between liver repair and scar formation. Chronic damage leads to progressive substitution of liver parenchyma by scar tissue and ultimately results in liver cirrhosis. Stromal cells (hepatic stellate cells [HSC] and endothelial cells) have been proposed to control the balance between liver fibrosis and regeneration. Here, we show that endosialin, a C‐type lectin, expressed in the liver exclusively by HSC and portal fibroblasts, is upregulated in liver fibrosis in mouse and man. Chronic chemically induced liver damage resulted in reduced fibrosis and enhanced hepatocyte proliferation in endosialin‐deficient (ENKO) mice. Correspondingly, acute‐liver‐damage‐induced hepatocyte proliferation (partial hepatectomy) was increased in ENKO mice. A candidate‐based screen of known regulators of hepatocyte proliferation identified insulin‐like growth factor 2 (IGF2) as selectively endosialin‐dependent hepatocyte mitogen. Collectively, the study establishes a critical role of HSC in the reciprocal regulation of fibrogenesis vs. hepatocyte proliferation and identifies endosialin as a therapeutic target in non‐neoplastic settings.

We analyze the robustness of global exponential stability of hybrid stochastic neural networks subject to neutral terms and time-varying delays simultaneously. Given globally exponentially stable hybrid stochastic neural networks, we characterize the upper bounds of contraction coefficients of neutral terms and time-varying delays by using the transcendental equation. Moreover, we prove theoretically that, for any globally exponentially stable hybrid stochastic neural networks, if additive neutral terms and time-varying delays are smaller than the upper bounds arrived, then the perturbed neural networks are guaranteed to also be globally exponentially stable. Finally, a numerical simulation example is given to illustrate the presented criteria.

We consider a class of stochastic delay recurrent neural networks with distributed parameters and Markovian jumping. It is assumed that the coefficients in these neural networks belong to the interval matrices. Several sufficient conditions ensuring robust exponential stabilization are derived by using periodically intermittent control and Lyapunov functional. The obtained results are very easy to verify and implement, and improve the existing results. Finally, an example with numerical simulations is given to illustrate the presented criteria.

We investigate the convergence rate of Euler-Maruyama method for a class of stochastic partial differential delay equations driven by both Brownian motion and Poisson point processes. We discretize in space by a Galerkin method and in time by using a stochastic exponential integrator. We generalize some results of Bao et al. (2011) and Jacob et al. (2009) in finite dimensions to a class of stochastic partial differential delay equations with jumps in infinite dimensions.

This paper introduces a new series of three-dimensional chaotic systems with cross-product nonlinearities. Based on some conditions, we analyze the globally exponentially or globally conditional exponentially attractive set and positive invariant set of these chaotic systems. Moreover, we give some known examples to show our results, and the exponential estimation is explicitly derived. Finally, we construct some three-dimensional chaotic systems with cross-product nonlinearities and study the switching system between them.

The sufficient conditions of existence and uniqueness of the solutions for nonlinear stochastic pantograph equations with Markovian switching and jumps are given. It is proved that Euler-Maruyama scheme for nonlinear stochastic pantograph equations with Markovian switching and Brownian motion is of convergence with strong order 1/2. For nonlinear stochastic pantograph equations with Markovian switching and pure jumps, it is best to use the mean-square convergence, and the order of mean-square convergence is close to 1/2.

This paper concerns Razumikhin-type theorems on exponential stability of stochastic differential delay equations with Markovian switching, where the modulating Markov chain involves small parameters. The smaller the parameter is, the rapider switching the system will experience. In order to reduce the complexity, we will “replace” the original systems by limit systems with a simple structure. Under Razumikhin-type conditions, we establish theorems that if the limit systems are th-moment exponentially stable; then, the original systems are th-moment exponentially stable in an appropriate sense.