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Second near-infrared window (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging has shown great promise in cancer imaging. Among the numerous NIR-II fluorescence probes, cyanine dyes have shown potential in clinical translation and attracted more and more attention. However, most commercially available NIR-II fluorescent cyanine dyes are not suitable for cancer imaging due to their low tumor targeting capability. Herein, we report an arginylglycylaspartic acid (RGD)-conjugated cyanine dye (IR806-RGD) for NIR-II fluorescence imaging of tumors. IR806-RGD is synthesized via conjugation of RGD onto the commercially available cyanine dye IR806 with three steps. Compared with IR806, IR806-RGD has a longer emission wavelength, higher NIR-II fluorescence intensity and better tumor targeting capability. In vivo tumor imaging study demonstrates that IR806-RGD can be applied for both NIR-II fluorescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging and has a better imaging efficacy than IR806. Our work provides an approach for modification of cyanine dyes to simultaneously improve their NIR-II fluorescence signal and tumor targeting capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of periodically intermittent stabilization of a class of uncertain time‐delay systems is investigated. Two cases of time‐varying delays are considered: the fast‐varying delays and the slowly‐varying delays. For the former case, a piecewise exponential‐type Lyapunov function combined with a novel Razumikhin‐type technique is proposed to analyze the stability of the periodically intermittently controlled systems. For the latter case, the stability analysis is performed by employing a piecewise time‐dependent exponential‐type Lyapunov functional. The exponential‐type Lyapunov functions/functionals are able to capture more information on switching modes than the conventional Lyapunov functions/functionals, and thus lead to less conservative stability criteria. Next, based on the newly established stability criteria, novel sufficient conditions on the existence of periodically intermittent feedback controllers are presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Finally, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing from Earth‐observing satellites is now providing valuable information about ocean phytoplankton distributions. This paper presents the new ocean subsurface optical properties obtained from two space‐based lidars: the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) aboard the Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations satellite and the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) aboard the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite‐2 satellite. Obtaining reliable estimates of subsurface biomass necessitates removing instrument artifacts peculiar to each sensor, that is, polarization crosstalk artifacts in the CALIOP signals and after pulsing effects arising from the ATLAS photodetectors. We validate the optical properties derived from the corrected lidar backscatter signals using MODerate‐resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer ocean color measurements and autonomous biogeochemical Argo float profiles. Our results support the continued use of present and future spaceborne lidars to study the global plankton system and characterize its vertical structures in the upper ocean. Key Points: Global ocean subsurface properties are retrieved from Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP)The CALIOP crosstalk artifact and Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) after pulsing effects are removedHigh vertical resolution of ocean subsurface profiles can be obtained from ATLAS/Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite‐2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the special electrical phenomena in a graphene/ferroelectric field-effect transistor, we perform density-functional first-principles calculations on a graphene/LiNbO3 (0001) hybrid structure, and then study the effects of a Au counter electrode and water adsorption. Graphene is p-type and n-type doped by a LiNbO3 positive and negative surface, respectively, and the conductivity increases while the Dirac cone persists. The Au counter electrode introduces an additional charge injection relative to the surface polarity and weakens the electrostatic doping effect. With the help of the electrons from the Au counter electrode, water adsorption could switch the conductive type of graphene. We also find an interesting phenomenon whereby the coupling of graphene with a negative surface is significantly stronger than that with a positive surface, possibly related to the different polar terminals (LiO3/Nb). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) aboard the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite‐2 (ICESat‐2) has been making very high resolution measurements of the Earth's surface elevation since October 2018. ATLAS uses photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as detectors in photon counting mode, so that a single photon reflected back to the receiver triggers a detection within the ICESat‐2 data acquisition system. However, one characteristic of ICESat‐2 detected photons is the possible presence of afterpulses, defined as small amplitude pulses occurring after the primary signal pulse due to photon arrival. The disadvantage of these afterpulses is that they often confound the accurate measurements of low level signals following a large amplitude of signal and can degrade energy resolution and cause errors in pulse counting applications. This paper discusses and summarizes the after‐pulsing effects exhibited by the ATLAS PMTs based on on‐orbit measurements over different seasons and geographic regions. The potential impacts of these after‐pulsing effects on altimetry and ocean subsurface retrievals are discussed. Plain Language Summary: After‐pulsing effects occurring in the ICESat‐2 Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) are characterized from the on‐orbit measurements acquired over different surface types. Multiple echoes due to after‐pulsing effects in the ATLAS photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are clearly seen below the Earth's surface where the signal should be totally attenuated. The afterpulses captured from on‐orbit measurements are caused by three different reasons: (1) the effects of the dead‐time circuit (∼3 ns) due to PMT saturation; (2) the effects of optical reflections within the ATLAS receiver optical components; (3) PMT afterpulses. The echoes separated by ∼0.45 m are attributed to the effect of the dead‐time circuit (∼3 ns) due to PMT saturation. The echoes at ∼2.3 and ∼4.2 m below the primary surface returns are caused by the optical reflections within the ATLAS receiver optical components, while the echoes from ∼10 to ∼45 m away from the primary surface signal are due to the PMT afterpulses with a longer time delay. The ICESat‐2 ATLAS instrument response is derived from both a measurement of the transmitted laser pulse shape and measured photon events arising from land surfaces with different surface albedos. The ICESat‐2 on‐orbit measurements demonstrate that the ATLAS impulse response during different months and over different surface types is essentially identical. Key Points: The effects of after‐pulsing by the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) aboard the ICESat‐2 satellite are describedThe transient response of the ATLAS receiver is characterized over different measurement regimesThe potential impacts of these detector artifacts on ICESat‐2 science studies are discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study indicated that hypoxic preconditioning reduced receptor interacting protein (RIP) 3-mediated necroptotic neuronal death in hippocampal CA1 of adult rats after transient global cerebral ischemia (tGCI). Although mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) has emerged as a crucial molecule for necroptosis induction downstream of RIP3, how MLKL executes necroptosis is not yet well understood. In this study, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying hypoxic preconditioning that inactivates MLKL-dependent neuronal necroptosis after tGCI.Methods: Transient global cerebral ischemia was induced by the four-vessel occlusion method. Twenty-four hours before ischemia, rats were exposed to systemic hypoxia with 8% O2 for 30 min. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of MLKL and interleukin-1 type 1 receptor (IL-1R1) in CA1. Immunoprecipitation was used to assess the interactions among IL-1R1, RIP3, and phosphorylated MLKL (p-MLKL). The concentration of intracellular free calcium ion (Ca2+) was measured using Fluo-4 AM. Silencing and overexpression studies were used to study the role of p-MLKL in tGCI-induced neuronal death.Results: Hypoxic preconditioning decreased the phosphorylation of MLKL both in neurons and microglia of CA1 after tGCI. The knockdown of MLKL with siRNA decreased the expression of p-MLKL and exerted neuroprotective effects after tGCI, whereas treatment with lentiviral delivery of MLKL showed opposite results. Mechanistically, hypoxic preconditioning or MLKL siRNA attenuated the RIP3-p-MLKL interaction, reduced the plasma membrane translocation of p-MLKL, and blocked Ca2+ influx after tGCI. Furthermore, hypoxic preconditioning downregulated the expression of IL-1R1 in CA1 after tGCI. Additionally, neutralizing IL-1R1 with its antagonist disrupted the interaction between IL-1R1 and the necrosome, attenuated the expression and the plasma membrane translocation of p-MLKL, thus alleviating neuronal death after tGCI.Conclusions: These data support that the inhibition of MLKL-dependent neuronal necroptosis through downregulating IL-1R1 contributes to neuroprotection of hypoxic preconditioning against tGCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Neuroligin-1 (NLGN1) is a cell adhesion protein located on the excitatory postsynaptic membrane. β-Amyloid (Aβ)-induced neuroinflammation decreases NLGN1 expression through epigenetic mechanisms. Triptolide (T10) and tripchlorolide (T4) exert protective effects on synapses in Alzheimer's disease (AD) mice, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Objective: The effects of T10 and T4 on hippocampal NLGN1 expression in AD mice and the epigenetic mechanisms were assessed using chromatin immunoprecipitation and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation. Materials and methods: Sixty APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into an AD model group, a T10-treated group and a T4-treated group (n = 20); 20 wild-type littermates served as the control group. APP/PS1 transgenic mice were intraperitoneally injected with T10 (0.1 mg/kg) and T4 (25 μg/kg) once per day for 60 days. NLGN1 expression was examined using western blotting and quantitative PCR. Results: T10 and T4 increased the levels of the NLGN1 protein and mRNA in hippocampus of AD mice. T10 and T4 inhibited the binding of HDAC2 (p< 0.01) and MeCP2 (p< 0.01 and p< 0.05, respectively) to the NLGN1 promoter, and cytosine methylation (1.2305 ± 0.1482/1.2554 ± 0.3570 vs. 1.6578 ± 0.1818, p< 0.01) at the NLGN1 promoter in the hippocampus of AD mice. T10 and T4 increased the level of acetylated histone H3 (0.7733 ± 0.1611/0.8241 ± 0.0964 vs. 0.5587 ± 0.0925, p< 0.01) at the NLGN1 promoter in the hippocampus of AD mice. Conclusions: T10 and T4 may increase hippocampal NLGN1 expression in AD mice through epigenetic mechanisms, providing a new explanation for the mechanism underlying the protective effects of T10 and T4 on synapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the novel thin film with multiferroicity at room temperature, the bismuth-layer-structured Bi5Fe0.5Co0.5Ti3O15 (BFCT) thin films were prepared using chemical solution deposition technique. The microstructure, electric, and magnetic properties were investigated in BFCT film. A defined hysteresis loop of the BFCT film was obtained with the remnant polarization (2Pr) ∼ 31.7 μC/cm2 at 1 kHz under the electric field 300 kV/cm. To exclude contribution of the leakage current to polarization, we studied the dependence of hysteresis loops on the measuring frequency in the range from 100 Hz to 2 kHz and made the positive-up-negative-down (PUND) measurements in BFCT thin film. Both the results indicate the intrinsic ferroelectric property, and the leakage current does not play a big role in BFCT film. Meanwhile, the &eh;-V curve can also support the natural ferroelectricity in the BFCT film. We also found that the BFCT film shows weak ferromagnetism with the saturated magnetization (Ms) ∼2.6 emu/cm3. Furthermore, the magneto-dielectric effect was observed with MDC ∼ 0.39% at the frequency 100 kHz. The origin of weak ferromagnetism and the magneto-dielectric effect was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yb3Fe5O12 ceramics with garnet structure were prepared employing the solid-state reaction method. The results reveal that the emergence of Fe2+ ions greatly affects dielectric relaxation, magnetic relaxation, saturation magnetization, and magnetoelectric coupling, which was further confirmed by oxygen treatment. More interestingly, the magnetoelectric coefficient (α) reaches 28 ps m-1 at room temperature, which is among the largest values for present single-phase magnetoelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to match the high-density requirement of ferroelectric memories, ferroelectric Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 nanotubes with outer diameter of about 100 nm and wall thickness of about 30 nm were synthesized using a sol-gel method. Transmission electron microscope images and Raman spectra revealed the Bi-layered perovskite structure of these nanotubes. Their dielectric constant and remnant polarization were comparable with those of thin film form. Piezoelectric hysteresis loops of individual nanotube measured by piezoresponse force microscope indicate their asymmetry, and the switched nanotubes show long term retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SrZrO3 (SZO) thin films were deposited on (111) Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via metal organic decomposition method at different temperatures in flowing oxygen or nitrogen atmospheres. The microstructures of the films were characterized by x-ray diffraction. The dielectric properties and the leakage characteristics were investigated as well. The results showed that nitrogen ambient was helpful for the SZO films to crystallize into perovskite phase with polycrystalline structure. Meanwhile, the electric properties varying with annealing conditions were discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), vascular calcification (VC) is common and is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. Shh, one ligand for Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, participates in osteogenesis and several cardiovascular diseases. However, it remains unclear whether Shh is implicated in the development of VC. Methods Inorganic phosphorus 2.6 mM was used to induce vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) calcification. Mice were fed with adenine diet supplement with 1.2% phosphorus to induce VC. Results Shh was decreased in VSMCs exposed to inorganic phosphorus, calcified arteries in mice fed with an adenine diet, as well as radial arteries from patients with CKD presenting VC. Overexpression of Shh inhibited VSMCs ostosteoblastic differentiation and calcification, whereas its silencing accelerated these processes. Likewise, mice treated with smoothened agonist (SAG; Hh signaling agonist) showed alleviated VC, and mice treated with cyclopamine (CPN; Hh signaling antagonist) exhibited severe VC. Additionally, overexpression of Gli2 significantly reversed the pro-calcification effect of Shh silencing on VSMCs, suggesting that Shh inhibited VC via Gli2. Mechanistically, Gli2 interacted with Runx2 and promoted its ubiquitin proteasomal degradation, therefore protecting against VC. Of interest, the pro-degradation effect of Gli2 on Runx2 was independent of Smurf1 and Cullin4B. Conclusions Our study provided deeper insight to the pathogenesis of VC, and Shh might be a novel potential target for VC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The problem of impulsive stabilization of linear neutral delay systems is investigated by using the impulse‐time‐dependent Lyapunov functions. The construction of impulse‐time‐dependent Lyapunov functions is based on the singular system representation of the impulsively controlled neutral delay system. In order to overcome the difficulty arising from time‐varying state delays, a Razumikhin‐type analysis method is developed and the key technique is to establish the relation between the slow and fast state variables by using a difference inequality. The derived stability criterion weakens the restriction condition on the impulse operators found in the previous result. For constant delay case, an improved stability criterion is derived by applying an impulse‐time‐dependent Lyapunov functional. Next, based on the newly established stability criteria, novel sufficient conditions on the existence of impulsive controllers with range dwell‐time constraint are presented. Finally, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents improved criteria for global exponential stability of reaction–diffusion neural networks with time-varying delays. A novel diffusion-dependent Lyapunov functional, which is directly linked to the diffusion terms, is suggested to analyze the role of diffusivity of each neuron on the model dynamics. In the case of Dirichlet boundary conditions, the extended Wirtinger’s inequality is employed to exploit the stabilizing effect of reaction–diffusion terms. In the framework of descriptor system approach, the augmented Lyapunov functional technique is utilized to reduce the conservatism in the values of the time delay bounds. As a result, the derived global stability criteria are more effective than the existing ones. Three numerical examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline (K 0.48 Na 0.52 ) 0.95 Li 0.05 (Nb 0.95 Sb 0.05 ) 1- x Fe x O 3 (0 ≤  x  ≤ 0.030) ceramics are synthesized by the conventional solid state reaction method. The samples with 0.010 ≤  x ≤  0.030 are found to possess good ferroelectricity, weak ferromagnetism and large magnetodielectric effect simultaneously at room temperature. Temperature dependence of magnetization and dielectric properties show that there are both magnetic and magnetodielectric anomalies in the vicinity of the ferroelectric rhombohedral-orthorhombic ( T R-O ) and orthorhombic-tetragonal ( T O-T ) phase transition temperatures. Furthermore, magnetodielectric effect as large as 16% is observed at 0.9 T near T R-O when x =  0.030. According to these results, a strong spin-lattice coupling is considered to exist in these samples. In the structure transition process, the spin interactions between Fe ions will alter for the severe distortion of the FeO 6 octahedron. Moreover, since there are more possible polarization vectors due to polymorphic phase transition (PPT), the local polarization of FeO 6 will also be greatly affected when the external magnetic field changes the spin interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal catalysts are commonly used for chemical reactions, especially for transfer hydrogenation reactions. From the viewpoints of green and sustainable chemistry, it is highly demanded to develop metal-free catalytic systems. Herein, oxygen-containing groups modified nitrogen-doped carbon catalysts were discovered to be robust for the transfer hydrogenation reaction between nitroarenes and saturated N-heterocyclic compounds, achieving high yields of anilines and unsaturated N-heterocyclic. Control experiments and characterization results indicate that pyridinic N and carbonyl groups are the active sites. Furthermore, DFT calculation indicate that pyridinic N serves the role in the capture of the H atom from the N−H site in N-heterocycles and carbonyl group assists to capture the H atom from the adjacent carbon site. The as-formed H• species are then transferred to nitro groups in nitroarenes to generate anilines. This amalgamation of multiple active sites reveals opportunities for developing modified metal-free carbon catalysts for extensive applications. [Display omitted] • Transfer hydrogenation reaction between nitroarenes and N-heterocycles compounds. • Oxygen-containing groups modified nitrogen-doped carbon as catalysts. • Wide substrate scope and application to gram-scale reactions. • Environmentally friendly and high catalytic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domain engineering is an active field of research that aims to enhance the functional properties of ferroelectric materials for various applications. This work presents a voltage-free method for fabricating topological superdomain arrays in 0.72Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.28PbTiO3 (PMN-28PT) crystals. During the cooling process from high-temperature paraelectric phase to room temperature ferroelectric phase, the out-of-plane polarization of PMN-28PT crystals in contact with aluminum can be fully regulated downward, attributed to the difference in the work function of aluminum and PMN-28PT. In conjunction further with photolithography and ultraviolet light illumination, it is easy to obtain periodic strip domain structures with alternating up and down polarization. Moreover, this method can also control in-plane polarization, resulting in a large-scale central divergent/convergent topological superdomain array. These findings provide insights into ferroelectric domain engineering and have implications for the development of electromechanical, piezoelectronic, and photonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an innovative retrieval method that translates the CALIOP land surface laser pulse returns into the surface bidirectional reflectance. To better analyze the surface returns, the CALIOP receiver impulse response and the downlinked samples' distribution at 30m vertical resolution are discussed. The saturated laser pulse magnitudes from snow and ice surfaces are recovered based on information extracted from the tail end of the surface signal. The retrieved snow surface bidirectional reflectance is compared with reflectance from both CALIOP cloud-covered regions and MODIS BRDF--albedo model parameters. In addition to the surface bidirectional reflectance, the column top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectances are calculated from the CALIOP lidar background data and compared with the bidirectional reflectances derived from WFC radiance measurements. The retrieved CALIOP surface bidirectional reflectance and column top-of-atmosphere bidirectional reflectance results provide unique information to complement existing MODIS standard data products and are expected to have valuable applications for modelers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many mechanical systems can be modelled by vector second‐order differential equations. In this study, the observation problem of a class of vector second‐order Lipschitz non‐linear systems with discrete measurements is addressed. Under the premise that the discrete measurements of position and velocity vectors are available, an impulsive observer in the second‐order framework is designed. The proposed observation scheme ensures that the second‐order structure of the observed system can be retained, and allows the sampling on the system output to be aperiodic. The stability analysis of the observation error system is performed by employing an impulse‐time‐dependent discretised Lyapunov function based method. The novelty of the introduced Lyapunov function is that its structure relies on the partition on the impulse intervals. With the increase of the partition number, the existence condition of impulsive natural observers can be relaxed. Finally, a numerical example is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed design method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a typical doped quantum dots, Mn doped ZnSe quantum dots (Mn:ZnSe QDs) is widely used for bio-imaging applications due to its excellent optical properties and low toxicity. However, it is difficult to dissolve and easy to oxidize selenium powder. In order to solve this problem, a heterogeneous Se powder instead of homogeneous Se solution was used here as anionic precursor for synthesis of Mn doped ZnSe QDs based on “nucleation-doping” method. Selenium powder was directly injected into manganese precursors under high temperature, then selenium powder slowly but constantly dissolved and promoted the formation of MnSe nanocrystals with the balance of chemical reaction, which would quickly generate Mn-doped ZnSe QDs with the addition of zinc ion precursor. Compared with homogeneous Se for synthesis of Mn doped ZnSe QDs, this method can achieve fast synthesis of high quality QDs that can also be water-soluble through ligand change with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The obtained product was carefully charaterized, and trace impurities was analytically determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We aimed to investigate the genetic causes of hearing loss in a Chinese proband with autosomal recessive congenital deafness. Methods The targeted capture of 159 known deafness genes and next-generation sequencing were performed to study the genetic causes of hearing loss in the Chinese family. Sanger sequencing was employed to verify the variant mutations in members of this family. Results The proband harbored two mutations in the MYO7A gene in the form of compound heterozygosity. She was found to be heterozygous for a novel insertion mutation c.3847_3848 ins TCTG (p.N1285LfsX24) in exon 30 and for the known mutation c.2239_2240delAG (p.R747S fsX16)in exon 19. The novel mutation was absent in the 1000 Genomes Project. These variants were carried in the heterozygous state by the parents and were therefore co-segregated with the genetic disease. Clinical re-assessment, including detailed audiologic and ocular examinations, revealed congenital deafness and retinitis pigmentosa in the proband. Collectively, the combination of audiometric, ophthalmologic and genetic examinations successfully confirmed the phenotype of Usher syndrome type 1 (USH1). Conclusion This study demonstrates that the novel mutation c.3847_3848insTCTG (p. N1285LfsX24) in compound heterozygosity with c.2239_2240delAG in the MYO7A gene is the main cause of USH1 in the proband. Our study expands the mutational spectrum of MYO7A and provides a foundation for further investigations elucidating the MYO7A -related mechanisms of USH1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development and validation of a method to accurately identify snow/ice cover, surface melting, land surface and open water in polar regions using polar-orbiting Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) lidar measurements from the Cloud and Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Observation (CALIPSO) mission. The technique is based on the relationship between integrated attenuated backscatter color ratio and integrated depolarization ratio, and is proven to efficiently separate snow/ice cover and surface melting from open water and land surfaces. The method has been applied to 10 years (2006–2016) of CALIOP data to study the seasonal and inter-annual variability of Arctic sea ice cover and its declining trend. Results show that the area fraction of snow cover over land at latitudes > 60°N varied between 0.9 during winter and 0.1 in summer. The CALIOP observations of Arctic sea ice cover exhibit a strong seasonal cycle and significant inter-annual variability, which are consistent with the passive microwave-based sea ice results. The > 10 years of CALIOP continuous observations of the snow/ice cover will benefit the communities modeling snow/ice melting and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing evidence that the human lissencephaly-1 gene, LIS1 , plays an important role in carcinogenesis of several malignancies including leukemia. However, little is known about the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in LIS1 and the susceptibility to myeloid leukemia. In the present study, we systematically screened 5 potentially functional polymorphisms in LIS1 , and conducted a case-control study including 660 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and 1034 cancer-free controls in a Chinese population, to assess the association between these SNPs and AML risk. We found that the variant alleles of rs4790348, rs4790353, and rs7209748 could significantly increase the AML risk (rs4790348: adjusted OR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.13–1.53 in additive model; rs4790353: adjusted OR = 4.97, 95%CI = 1.59–15.50 in recessive model; rs7209748: adjusted OR = 2.34, 95%CI = 1.11–4.94 in recessive model). These findings indicated that genetic variants in LIS1 may contribute to AML risk in Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, perovskite La0.64(Ba1−xCax)0.36FeO3−δ (0≤x≤0.4$0 \leq x \leq 0.4$) samples are synthesized and investigated by X‐ray diffraction and mechanical spectroscopy. The room‐temperature structure of La0.64Ba0.36FeO3−δ is a mixture of orthorhombic and cubic phases. The structures of calcium‐doped La0.64(Ba1−xCax)0.36FeO3−δ are orthorhombic at room temperature. A modulus dip is observed above room temperature in La0.64(Ba1−xCax)0.36FeO3−δ (0≤x≤0.4$0 \leq x \leq 0.4$) samples. This corresponds to a phase transition from orthorhombic to rhombohedral structure with increasing temperature. The effect of oxygen nonstoichiometry on the room‐temperature structure and phase transition is observed by mechanical spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNAinterference is supposed to be one of the most powerful technologiesfor suppression of genes and treatment of diverse human diseases whilethe safe delivery and visualization of siRNA were still challenging.In this text, a novel type of monodispersed conjugated polymer nanoparticlesPFNBr with brush-like molecular structure was introduced into siRNAdelivery system. The nanoparticles exhibited dual functions convenientlyin the delivery system which can not only carry high amount of siRNAto penetrate intracellularly for knocking down targeted mRNA but alsoact as signal agents for siRNA tracking and cellular imaging. Dueto the high density side chains with positive charges and more extendedconformation of the spatial structure, PFNBr nanoparticles as nanocarrierfor siRNA provided outstanding capture ability (1 mol polymer to morethan 32.5 mol siRNA) and enhanced protection capability of siRNA moleculesfrom degradation. Here, it should be noted that the concentrationof carrier in the working platform was lowered from the level of μmol/Lto nmol/L compared with other conjugated polymer delivery systemsdue to the outstanding carrying capacity of PFNBr. And meanwhile,this system acquired high gene silence efficiency and good biocompatibility.The proposed complex nanoparticles efficiently transfected siPlk1into PANC-1 cells and induced high knockdown efficiency for targetedPlk1 mRNA to 23.9% and no significant cytotoxicity of the PFNBr/siRNAcomplexes was shown. Therefore, this working platform provides a solutionto most of the common problems associated with the siRNA delivery,visualization, and therapeutic applications, and keeps a bright outlookfor the development of new nucleic acid-based therapeutics and simultaneouslyfor fluorescent bioimaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, a delamination/reassembling method for the facile fabrication of ibuprofen (IBU), a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, intercalated layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanohybrid was presented. In this method, LDH particles were first delaminated to well dispersed 2D nanosheets in formamide, and then the LDH nanosheets and IBU molecules coassembled into the IBU–LDH nanohybrid. The characteristics of the so-synthesized nanohybrid were the same as that of the IBU–LDH nanohybrids synthesized by the conventional methods including ion exchange, co-precipitation, reconstruction and hydrothermal methods. However, the delamination/reassembling method displayed various remarkable advantages, such as simple procedure, short reaction time, mild condition and high drug loading, compared with the conventional methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a multiethnic inherited disease with a particularly high prevalence in tropical and subtropical regions including southern China. A convenient and reliable method is required to detect common G6PD mutations in the Chinese population. Methods: We developed a reverse dot blot (RDB) assay for the expanded screening of eleven mutations (c.95A>G, c.392G>T, c.871G>A, c.1004C>T, c.1004C>A, c.1024C>T, c.1360C>T, c.1376G>T, c.1381G>A, c.1387C>T, c.1388G>A). The method consists of a single-tube multiplex PCR amplification of four fragments in the G6PD target sequence of wild-type and mutant genomic DNA samples followed by hybridization to a test strip containing allele-specific oligonucleotide probes. We applied our method to a group of 213 unrelated Chinese patients. Results: The test had a detection rate of 95.8%, validated by direct sequencing in a blind study with 100% concordance. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that our reverse dot blot assay is an easy, reliable, high-yield and cost-effective method for genetic screening to identify G6PD patients and carriers among the Chinese population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, we demonstrate that water-soluble grafted polymer polyfluorene-grafted-poly(sulfobetainemetahcrylate) (PF-g-PSBMA) allows chemically reduced GO sheets dispersed in aqueous solution due to its ability to stably disperse hydrophobic rGO sheets. Based on the stable rGO/PF-g-PSBMA dispersion, macroporous graphene foam can be simply obtained by lyophilization process (freeze-drying). The resulting composite foam exhibits three-dimensional macroporous structure with high specific surface area and can easily re-dissolve into water. Also, the stable rGO/PF-g-PSBMA dispersion allows solution-based fabrication of thin-film graphene devices. Moreover, PF-g-PSBMA can be removed from rGO foam or film by thermal annealing, and the conductivity of rGO film can be greatly enhanced likely due to its annealing ability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Co and Nd co-substituted Bi5Ti3FeO15 thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates via metal organic decomposition method. The structural and multiferroic properties of the films were investigated. It was found that Co ions enter into the lattice and occupy the Fe site. The Bi4.15Nd0.85Ti3Fe0.5Co0.5O15 films simultaneously exhibit ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties at room temperature, and its 2P r and 2M r are 38μC/cm2 and 3kA/m, respectively. Moreover, substitutions create local ferromagnetic order and antiferromagnetic order depending on whether the local bonding is Feh name="sbnd" />Co or Feh name="sbnd" />Fe/Coh name="sbnd" />Co, respectively. The competing interaction of the ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases results in an interesting magnetic behavior of the films. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An integral sliding mode control scheme based on impulse-dependent sliding functions is proposed. • The sliding mode dynamics is stabilized by a delayed state-feedback control law with switching gains. • The proposed sliding mode control scheme is successfully applied to stabilization of liquid mono-propellant rocket motors. This paper devotes to the problem of sliding mode control (SMC) for linear uncertain impulsive systems with time delays and matched disturbances. An SMC scheme based on a novel integral-type sliding function with an impulse regulation term is proposed. The sliding function is designed so that the finite-time reachability of the sliding surface can be guaranteed for any given impulses. A linear delayed state feedback control law with switching gains is introduced to stabilize the resulting sliding mode dynamics, which is able to improve robust performance against parameter uncertainty. The existence conditions of the delayed state feedback control laws are derived by employing a piecewise discontinuous Lyapunov functional. It is shown that the desired switching gains can be obtained by solving a set of LMIs through a convex optimization procedure. Finally, the correctness and validity of the theoretical results are fully verified in a practical application with several different types of impulse inputs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoltaic devices based on ferroelectric materials have broad application prospects; however, there are also problems of narrow bandwidth and low sensitivity. In this paper, polycrystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) films are prepared directly on n‐Si (100) substrates to form ferroelectric/semiconductor heterostructures, the electrical response of which under weak light intensity (0.8 W m−2) is systematically investigated. Accompanied by the dielectric relaxation originated from photocarriers, the polarization of BFO increases while the coercive voltage decreases. Especially, current–voltage (I–V) curve under negative bias voltage changes obviously with illumination, and cyclically switchable photocurrent is detected at 0 V bias, with the on‐off ratio increasing for lower temperature. Although the photoresponse is detectable in the broad wavelength range of 275–1100 nm, it is more pronounced for visible light. It is considered that the built‐in electric field of the PN junction at the BFO/n‐Si interface drives the separation and migration of photocarriers, which in turn affects the interface barrier and the distribution of monovalent oxygen vacancies (VO•$V_{\rm{O}}^ \bullet $) in BFO while producing the photovoltaic effect. This work provides an effective route for developing photodetectors with high sensitivity and broadband detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manipulation of ferroelectric domains is a bridge connecting the basic research and the applications of ferroelectric materials. Here, after cooling across the Curie temperature under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination, out‐of‐plane (OP) polarization of a whole 0.72Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3‐0.28PbTiO3 (PMN‐28PT) crystal is poled in one direction. With the help of light‐dependent temporal Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), the unified upward OP polarization is attributed to the negative charge accumulation at the surface upon exposure to UV light, which is also effective in the control of in‐plane (IP) polarization. Especially, a center‐convergent topological domain structure is formed in a PMN‐28PT crystal lamella via an optical method, which is easily engineered to fabricate large‐scale periodic arrays. This method is expected for high efficiency, low energy consumption, and large‐scale domain manipulation in ferroelectric materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline PbZrO3 films with a preferred orientation were fabricated via the metal-organic decomposition method. For heat-treated PbZrO3 films, the P-E hysteresis loops, dielectric spectra, and I-V curves show interesting changes with time, which strongly suggest the coexistence of antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases at room temperature. Based on the easy transition between these two phases, the electric properties of the films become tunable. A dielectric tunability of about 50.2% below 8.2 V makes it a promising low working-voltage dielectric tunable material, and the significant current change of four orders of magnitude indicates potential application as a voltage-controlled rheostat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

0.7Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3-0.3Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 (abbreviated as PZT-PNN) ceramics were prepared using the solid-state reaction method. The results reveal that ferroelectric and anti-ferromagnetic orderings coexist (multiferroicity) in PZT-PNN ceramics. Furthermore, the abnormal behavior of dielectric constant and loss observed at Néel temperature gives an evidence of the coupling between the ferroelectric and anti-ferromagnetic orderings (magnetoelectric coupling). The ferroelectric loops become slimmer with increasing temperature and the remnant polarization persists up to above the temperature of dielectric maximum (Tm), indicates a lead-induced ferroelectric behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ho3Fe5O12 ceramics with garnet structure were prepared by the solid-state reaction method. The results revealed the existence of Fe2+ ions have intensive influence on dielectric and magnetic properties of Ho3Fe5O12 ceramics, which could be further confirmed by oxygen treatment. With a magnetic field lower than 10kOe, the ME coefficient reaches 33psm−1 at room temperature. And the ME coupling was further verified by dielectric anomaly near Néel temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper focuses on the problem of exponential stability analysis of delayed cellular neural networks (DCNNs) with impulsive effects. The time delay is allowed to be time varying. By utilizing the piecewise linear property of the activation function of DCNNs and applying Razumikhin-type analysis techniques, two different types of delay-independent criteria for exponential stability of DCNNs with impulsive effects are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. The first of the two criteria can be used to design a reduced-order impulsive control law for unstable DCNNs. The other criterion shows that local stability of the equilibriums of the original DCNNs can still be retained under certain impulsive perturbation. Two numerical examples illustrated the efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: The effect of nitrogen doping on optical properties and electronic structures of SrZrO3 (SZO) films was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. A shift of the absorption edge to the longer wavelength, i.e., the narrowing of the band gap caused by nitrogen doping was observed. The first-principles calculations revealed that the band gap reduced in nitrogen-doped SZO because of the localized N 2p states above O 2p states and the bottom of conduction band of Zr 4d shifting to a lower energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A modified two-wavelength lidar inversion algorithm is proposed to aid in the retrieval of aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratios (lidar ratio) as well as backscatter coefficients and extinction color ratios from simultaneous two-wavelength elastic backscatter lidar measurements. To demonstrate the feasibility of the algorithm, both the Raman method and the two-wavelength method have been applied to the ground-based measurements at 355 and 532nm; moreover, it has been applied to the data acquired by the Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) lidar, and to the simultaneous ground-based lidar measurements carried out at Napoli (southern Italy, 40.838°N, 14.183°E, 118m above sea level). Three cases of Saharan dust transport towards Europe have been considered. From the comparison, it can be found that the values of lidar ratio and backscatter coefficient retrieved by the modified two-wavelength algorithm are in good agreement with those obtained by the Raman method. Moreover the retrieved mean values of the lidar ratios and color ratios are in agreement with those reported by other authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Strontium titanate films with high -axis orientation and random orientation were deposited on (111) Pt/Ti/ SiO2/Si substrates by a concentration controlling of the precursor solution during the metal organic deposition process. Topography of samples was investigated by atomic force microscopy after annealing at 800 °C. X-ray diffraction found that the degree of -axis orientation increased with increasing annealing temperature. The leakage current and the dielectric property were strongly dependent on the film orientation, and the possible causes of orientation dependence were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aurivillius-structured Bi4.15Nd0.85Ti3FeO15 multiferroic thin films with four perovskite slabs were deposited on Pt/Ti/ SiO2/Si substrates by the metal–organic decomposition method. The structural, dielectric and multiferroic properties of the films were investigated. Good ferroelectric behavior along with large dielectric constant and small loss factor were observed at room temperature. A weak ferromagnetic rather than an antiferromagnetic property was observed at room temperature by magnetic measurement. Moreover, the ferromagnetic property was enhanced when the temperature was below 13 K and a large saturation magnetization of about 5.4 emu/cm3 was obtained at 4 K. Possible reasons are put forward to discuss the complicated magnetic property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sr1−x Pr x TiO3 films were prepared by metal organic deposition method on (111) Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. Pr-doping greatly improves the dc leakage behavior of the films. The samples with show excellent electric field frequency and temperature stability of dielectric properties, while the samples indicate an obvious dielectric relaxation behavior and better polarization versus applied electric field (–) hysteresis loops. These peculiar electrical properties can be explained mainly by the Pr-doping-induced changes in the free charge carriers, the lattice distortion, the charge transfer process and polar nanoregions. In addition, the variable valence of Pr ions may also have significant impacts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dense and flat SrZrO3 films in an orthorhombic (Pbnm) perovskite phase are fabricated on fused quartz substrates via the metal organic decomposition method. Optical measurements show that the average transmittance of the films is about 90% for light with a wavelength longer than 240 nm, and the absorption edge of the films shifts to longer wavelengths with an increase of annealing temperature and film thickness. Meanwhile, first-principles calculations are performed by using an accurate Vienna ab initio simulation package to explore the electronic band structure of orthorhombic SrZrO3. The observed shift of the absorption edge could be well explained by the size effect on the band structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this Letter, the problem of impulsive synchronization of two identical Lur''e systems via partial states is studied. The problem arises in the situation when only partial states of the driven systems are available. By using the method of the variation of parameters for linear impulsive systems and some analysis technique, a sufficient condition for the existence of the impulsive control law for synchronization via partial states is derived. The sufficient condition is given in terms of linear matrix inequalities concerning the interconnection matrices. By using this result, we propose a new impulsive synchronization scheme for a class of Lur''e systems. The new impulsive synchronization scheme only exerts the impulsive input on partial states of the driven system and is characterized by a set of conditions related to the impulsive interval bound, the impulsive magnitude and a coupling condition between them. The proposed impulsive synchronization method is illustrated through Chua''s circuit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This Letter concerns with the mean square exponential stability of uncertain stochastic delayed neural networks. By applying Lyapunov functional method, new delay-dependent/independent mean square exponential stability criteria are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Two examples are presented which show our result are less conservative than the existing stability criteria. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This Letter provides new exponential stability criteria for discrete-time neural networks with variable delays. The main technique is to reduce exponential convergence estimation of the neural network solution to that of one component of the corresponding solution by constructing Lyapunov function based on M-matrix. By introducing the tuning parameter diagonal matrix, the delay-independent and delay-dependent exponential stability conditions have been unified in the same mathematical formula. The effectiveness of the new results are illustrated by three examples. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We investigated capture and activation of flowing human neutrophils through their Fc-receptors, FcRγIIIB (CD16) and FcRγIIA (CD32). Immobilised platelets bearing murine monoclonal antibody against glycoprotein IIbIIIA were able to capture and activate flowing neutrophils. The activation response was inhibited by antibody blockade of neutrophil CD32. However, capture only occurred efficiently at wall shear stress below 0.1Pa if platelet P-selectin was blocked. If neutrophils were perfused over immobilised human IgG, many adhered at 0.025 or 0.05Pa, but not at 0.1Pa. Adhesion was reduced by blockade of CD16 or CD32, but blockade of CD16 had the greater effect. When neutrophils were perfused over a combination of purified P-selectin and IgG, blockade of CD16 and CD32 inhibited activation of captured cells. Immunoglobulin deposited in tissue could capture and activate slow-flowing neutrophils. It might also potentiate inflammatory responses at higher stress if presented along with selectins. The dominant FcR for capture of neutrophils was CD16, but with murine antibody, CD32 played a greater role. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This Letter provides new exponential stability criteria for neural networks with variable delays. By applying the properties of M-matrix properties and inequality techniques, simple and improved delay-dependent exponential stability criteria are derived. These criteria extend and improve the existing ones, which is important in the design of neural networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We attempt to modify the magnetoelectric properties of antiferromagnetic Bi2Fe4O9 nanograins by substituting multivalent Mn ions at Fe sites. The doped Bi2Fe4O9 nanograins are synthesized by a hydrothermal method with a different Mn content x (x is the mole ratio of Mn to Mn plus Fe; x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.10). Among them, the x = 0.04 sample shows the anomalous decrease of lattice parameters a and b, the lowest antiferromagnetic transition temperature, and the largest saturated magnetization. Besides, the magneto-dielectric effect (Δɛ/ɛ ∼ −4.9%) and the magneto-striction constant (λ ∼ −1.1 × 10−4) of the x = 0.04 sample are also the largest compared with others (220 K and 0.6 T). Combined with Raman scattering and x-ray photoelectron measurement, it is considered that the substitution site of Mn ions varies with an increase of doping amount x, which also leads to the change of valence state of Mn ions and the lattice structure, and further affects the strength of magnetic interaction and spin-lattice coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]