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China's aging population is becoming more and more serious, which has a farreaching influence on the state and society. As the more elderly population grows, it is necessary to strengthen a sound policy system to alleviate the burden on families and society. The importance of accurately predicting the elderly population is therefore highlighted. With the aim of exploring the future development trend of China's older population, in this paper, we establish a new fractional gray prediction model based on time power term to study China's elderly population. We used data from 2010 to 2019 to assess modeling accuracy, demonstrating that the model outperforms the other models. The final step is to use the model to forecast China's elderly population from 2020 to 2029. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-ring chemistry is a fascinating field in organic chemistry. gem-Difluorinated cyclopropanes, a unique class of cyclopropanes, have garnered significant interest due to their intrinsic high reactivity. In this context, gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes have been extensively investigated as fluoroallylic synthons in Pd-catalyzed ring-opening/cross-coupling reactions for the synthesis of monofluoroalkenes with linear or branched selectivity. In contrast, Rh-catalysis has revealed diverse selectivity in the reaction of gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes, such as regioselectivity, enantioselectivity, and chemoselectivity. This feature article aims to summarize our efforts towards developing Rh-catalyzed reactions of gem-difluorinated cyclopropanes, briefly discussing the design, selectivity, reaction mechanisms and future research prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of various factors on the level of non-performing loans (NPL) and, to determine the moderating role of efficiency on the relationship between different factors and NPL in China. The current study addressed four important factors to examine the role in relation to the NPL. These factors include; return on assets (ROA), return on equity (ROE), economic sustainability and political instability index. Furthermore, the moderating role of efficiency is addressed between these factors and NPL. Secondary data is used in this study to consider the empirical results. Secondary data related to ROA, ROE, economic sustainability and political instability index is collected from different sources. Consistent with the literature, we found significant effect of ROA, ROE, economic sustainability and political instability index on NPL. Banking sector of China is majorly influenced by these factors due to the effect on NPLs. Furthermore, the efficiency has contribution to the NPLs as moderating variable. Results of this study are helpful for the management of banking industry to resolve various issues related to NPLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The damage caused by the frost heaving pressure on the surrounding rocks and lining structure of cold-region tunnels is always common, which can seriously threaten the safety and stability for cold-region tunnels. Although many achievements of frost heave pressure model have been obtained, two factors have been often ignored, which are in-situ stress and freeze-thaw cycles. Therefore, the calculation mechanical model of cold-region tunnels is established and the expression of frost heaving pressure considering frost heaving effect and in-situ stress is derived based on the elastic theory. The relationship between the elastic modulus of surrounding rocks and the number of freeze-thaw cycles was fitted by experimental data and the calculation formula of frost heaving rate of rocks considering their porosity change caused by freeze-thaw cycles is derived. Based on that, the calculation method of frost heaving pressure considering in-situ stress and freeze-thaw cycles is proposed. The example analysis results show that frost heaving ratio and frost heaving pressure gradually increase with freeze-thaw cycles, which are eventually subjected to a steady value. Simultaneously, the frost heaving pressure acting on lining increases with in-situ stress for tunnels in cold regions and some effective insulation measures should be applied to prevent frost damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the extremal number for paths in r-uniform hypergraphs where two consecutive edges of the path intersect alternately in sets of sizes b and a with a+b = r and all other pairs of edges have empty intersection. Our main result, which is about hypergraphs that are blowups of trees, determines asymptotically the extremal number of these (a, b)-paths that have an odd number of edges or that have an even number of edges and a >b. This generalizes the Erd\H os--Gallai theorem for graphs, which is the case of a = b = 1. Our proof method involves a novel twist on Katona's permutation method, where we partition the underlying hypergraph into two parts, one of which is very small. We also find the asymptotics of the extremal number for the (1, 2)-path of length 4 using the different-systems method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional seismic wave forward simulation generally uses mathematical means to solve the macroscopic wave equation, and then obtains the corresponding seismic wavefield. Usually, when the subsurface structure is finely constructed and the continuity of media is poor, this strategy is difficult to meet the requirements of accurate wavefield calculation. This paper uses the multiple-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method (MRT-LBM) to conduct the seismic acoustic wavefield simulation and verify its computational accuracy. To cope with the problem of severe reflections at the truncated boundaries, we analogize the viscous absorbing boundary and perfectly matched layer (PML) absorbing boundary based on the single-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann (SRT-LB) equation to the MRT-LB equation, and further, propose a joint absorbing boundary through comparative analysis. We give the specific forms of the modified MRT-LB equation loaded with the joint absorbing boundary in the two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cases, respectively. Then, we verify the effects of this absorbing boundary scheme on a 2D homogeneous model, 2D modified British Petroleum (BP) gas-cloud model, and 3D homogeneous model, respectively. The results reveal that by comparing with the viscous absorbing boundary and PML absorbing boundary, the joint absorbing boundary has the best absorption performance, although it is a little bit complicated. Therefore, this joint absorbing boundary better solves the problem of truncated boundary reflections of MRT-LBM in simulating seismic acoustic wavefields, which is pivotal to its wide application in the field of exploration seismology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression, a prevalent mood disorder, has emerged as a significant health concern in society. While the exact cause of depression remains incompletely understood, there is substantial evidence linking the gastrointestinal microbiome and its metabolites to this condition. Through combined multi-omics analysis, it has been observed that the composition of the gastrointestinal microbiome, including Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, undergoes significant alterations in depressed individuals. Moreover, the production of short-chain fatty acids, tryptophan, and bile acids by these gut microbes is also found to be modified in depression. Furthermore, studies have demonstrated that antidepressant medications exert their therapeutic effects by interacting with the gastrointestinal microbiome and their metabolites. This review provides an overview of the association between the gastrointestinal microbiome, related metabolites, and depression. It highlights the potential of these factors to serve as mechanisms of action for antidepressant medications. Additionally, the review summarizes the commonly used technical tools in depression research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The celebrated dependent random choice lemma states that in a bipartite graph, an average vertex (weighted by its degree) has the property that almost all small subsets S in its neighborhood have a common neighborhood almost as large as in the random graph of the same edge-density. There are two well-known applications of this lemma. The first is a theorem of F\"uredi [Combinatorica, 11 (1991), pp. 75--79] and Alon, Krivelevich, and Sudakov [Combin. Probab. Comput., 12 (2003), pp. 477--494] showing that the maximum number of edges in an n-vertex graph not containing a fixed bipartite graph with maximum degree at most r on one side is O(n2-1/r). This was recently extended by Grzesik, Janzer, and Nagy [J. Combin. Theory Ser. B, 156 (2022), pp. 299--309] to the family of so-called (r, t)-blowups of a tree. A second application is a theorem of Conlon, Fox, and Sudakov [Geom. Funct. Anal., 20 (2010), pp. 1354--1366], confirming a special case of a conjecture of Erd\H os and Simonovits and of Sidorenko, showing that if H is a bipartite graph that contains a vertex that is completely joined to the other part and G is a graph, then the probability that the uniform random mapping from V (H) to V (G) is a homomorphism is at least.... In this paper, we introduce a nested variant of the dependent random choice lemma, which might be of independent interest. We then apply it to obtain a common extension of the theorem of Conlon, Fox, and Sudakov and the theorem of Grzesik, Janzer, and Nagy regarding Tur\'an and Sidorenko properties of so-called tree-degenerate graphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adding a reputation incentive system to peer-to-peer (P2P) energy transactions can encourage prosumers to regulate their trading behavior, which is important for ensuring the efficiency and reliability of P2P transactions. This study proposed a P2P transaction mechanism and game optimization model for prosumers involved in distributed energy sources considering reputation-value incentives. First, the deviation of P2P transactions and the non-consumption rate of distributed renewable energy in P2P transactions were established as indicators to quantify the influencing factors of the reputation value, and a reputation incentive model of P2P transactions for prosumers was constructed. Then, the penalty coefficient was applied to the cost function of the prosumers, and a non-cooperative game model of P2P transactions based on the complete information of multi-prosumers was established. Furthermore, the Nash equilibrium problem was transformed into a nonlinear optimization problem by constructing the modified optimal reaction function, and the Nash equilibrium solution of the game was obtained via a relaxation algorithm. Finally, the modified IEEE 33-node test system based on electricity market P2P and an IEEE 123-node test system were used to analyze and verify the cost and P2P participation of prosumers considering the reputation value. The results show that the addition of the reputation incentive system can encourage prosumers to standardize their interactive transaction behavior and actively participate in P2P transactions. It can also improve the operation efficiency of the power grid and promote the perfection of the P2P transaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the book "Origins of Moral-Political Philosophy in Early China," which explores the deliberations of normative values in Chinese philosophy during the classical period. It further discusses the challenge of negotiating relationships between personal, familial and political domains; the contestation between humaneness and justice as guiding norms; and the outlier status of Chinese Philosopher Zhuangzi and the Zhuangists advocating for personal freedom.

Introduction: Nerve block is widely used for pain management after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS). Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB), erector spinae plane block (ESPB), serratus anterior plane block (SAPB), and intercostal nerve block (ICNB) are alternative treatments. Material and methods: Network meta-analysis based on Bayesian analyses was performed to obtain results for direct comparison, indirect comparison, and network comparison, and to make rankings based on probabilities. Covariates were adjusted to determine the effect of the covariates on results of this study. Results: The study identified 61 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (4468 patients). There were results of probability ranking for the first ("best" treatment): 24 h morphine consumption, TPVB > ESPB > ICNB > SAPB. Covariate adjustment allowed the four treatments to change somewhat in the likelihood of the best choice. Conclusions: TPVB ranks best in our analysis. ESPB is a viable alternative. SAPB and ICNB seem to play a limited role in postoperative pain management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase wireless communications, many wireless devices and equipment have been invented for special applications, resulting in mutual interference that might destroy the systems or distort signal in-transmission. One of the effective methods to reduce or eliminate interference is to devise a shielding to block the unwanted interference in between the approaching systems, circuits, devices, etc. Thus, shielding and estimation of its effectiveness are very important in order to protect the information devices from potential interference and to improve the performance of information equipment. In this survey, we present the recent developments of the shielding and shielding effectiveness techniques and methods, and give a design for an electromagnetic shielding structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, in view of the uncertainty of geometric parameters of braided-shielded cable and structural parameters of the shield in practical problems, polynomial chaos expansions (PCE) is used to explore the uncertainty quantification of a crosstalk calculation model of braided-shielded cable. First, the model based on multi-conductor transmission line theory is expanded by PCE. Second, the truncation degrees of polynomials and sample size of PCE are determined by the leave-one-out method, and the statistical characteristic parameters of crosstalk are obtained by combining coefficients of polynomials. Compared with the calculation results of the Monte Carlo method, the mean value, standard deviation and probability density function obtained by the two methods are basically consistent, but the PCE method has obvious advantages in calculation efficiency. Finally, the influence of input variable parameters in the crosstalk calculation model of braided-shielded cable are calculated by combining the PCE and the Sobol's global sensitivity analysis method, which provides theoretical guidance for the electromagnetic compatibility design of electrical and electronic equipment using braided-shielded cable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing amount of space debris in recent years has greatly threatened space operation. In order to ensure the safety level of spacecraft, space debris perception via on-orbit visual sensors has become a promising solution. However, the perception capability of visual sensors largely depends on illumination, which tends to be insufficient in dark environments. Since the images captured by visible and infrared sensors are highly complementary in dark environments, a convolutional sparse representation-based visible and infrared image fusion algorithm is proposed in this paper to expand the applicability of visual sensors. In particular, the local contrast measure is applied to obtain the refined weight map for fusing the base layers, which is more robust in a dark space environment. The algorithm can settle two significant problems in space debris surveillance, namely, improving the signal-noise ratio in a noise space environment and preserving more detailed information in a dark space environment. A space debris dataset containing registered visible and infrared images has been purposely created and used for algorithm evaluation. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method in this paper is effective for enhancing image qualities and can achieve favorable effects compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ascl2 has been shown to be involved in tumorigenesis in colorectal cancer (CRC), although its epigenetic regulatory mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we found that methylation of the Ascl2 promoter (bp -1670 - -1139) was significantly increased compared to the other regions of the Ascl2 locus in CRC cells and was associated with elevated Ascl2 mRNA expression. Furthermore, we found that promoter methylation was predictive of CRC patient survival after analyzing DNA methylation data, RNA-Seq data, and clinical data of 410 CRC patient samples from the MethHC database, the MEXPRESS database, and the Cbioportal website. Using the established TET methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (TET2) knockdown and ectopic TET2 catalytic domain-expression cell models, we performed glucosylated hydroxymethyl-sensitive quatitative PCR (qPCR), real-time PCR, and Western blot assays to further confirm that hypermethylation of the Ascl2 promoter, and elevated Ascl2 expression in CRC cells was partly due to the decreased expression of TET2. Furthermore, BCLAF1 was identified as a TET2 interactor in CRC cells by LC-MS/MS, coimmunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence colocalization, and proximity ligation assays. Subsequently, we found the TET2-BCLAF1 complex bound to multiple elements around CCGG sites at the Ascl2 promoter and further restrained its hypermethylation by inducing its hydroxymethylation using chromatin immunoprecipitation-qPCR and glucosylated hydroxymethyl-qPCR assays. Finally, we demonstrate that TET2-modulated Ascl2-targeted stem gene expression in CRC cells was independent of Wnt signaling. Taken together, our data suggest an additional option for inhibiting Ascl2 expression in CRC cells through TET2-BCLAF1-mediated promoter methylation, Ascl2-dependent self-renewal of CRC progenitor cells, and TET2-BCLAF1-related CRC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel pneumatic recovery method was proposed to curb the problem of high losses caused by side-cutting in a rapeseed combine harvester header. The influence of recovery method and material status changes on the recovery effect was studied via the CFD-DEM (computational fluid dynamic- discrete element method) coupling simulation. The effect of airflow action on the recovery effect was compared and analyzed, and the composite pneumatic recovery method was determined. In addition, the influence of material status changes and material feeding rate on the recovery effect was explored, and the critical condition of material blockage in the recovery device was configured. As such, the relationship model between air velocity and recovery rate was constructed and the air distribution ratio of the flow field in the device under this condition was optimized, had verified the rationality of this pneumatic recovery method was verified by a series of field tests. The average rapeseed recovery rate of 92.95% was achieved with the application of the recovery device, and the total loss rate of the header reduced by 52.26%, which is of great significance in reducing the total loss rate of the combine harvesters and improving the operation performance of machinery. The research results can provide a reference for the design of the header structure of a rape combine harvester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti-extraction blast furnace slag (TEBFS) is an industrial solid waste, which is harmful to the environment and sustainable development of China's titanium industry. The efficient utilization of TEBFS is therefore urgently needed. In this study, calcium silicate boards were successfully prepared as partition materials. The effects of TEBFS content, cement content, calcium silicon mass (Ca/Si) ratio, and the Cl content of TEBFS on the material properties, pore structure, and phase composition of calcium silicate boards were explored. The results revealed that with an increase in TEBFS content, the average pore diameter of prepared samples gradually decreased. Furthermore, an excessive amount of cement and an excessively high Ca/Si ratio were not conducive to improving material properties. Optimum samples were prepared with 70 wt% TEBFS, 15 wt% Portland cement, and a Ca/Si ratio of 0.9. Under these conditions, the bulk density of the material was 1.64 g/cm³, the water absorption was 21.0%, and the flexural strength was 11.0 MPa. An identically prepared calcium silicate board using dechlorinated TEBFS had a flexural strength of 9.8 MPa, demonstrating the importance of chlorine in the calcium silicate formation process. This study provides an important reference for solving the waste management and recycling problems of TEBFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many strategies have been developed to overcome the stratum corneum (SC) barrier, including functionalized nanostructures. Chemical penetration enhancers (CPEs) and cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) were applied to decorate nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) for topical anesthetic and pain relief. A novel pyrenebutyrate (PB-PEG-DSPE) compound was synthesized by the amide action of the carboxylic acid group of PB with the amido groups of DSPE-PEG. PB-PEG-DSPE has a hydrophobic group, hydrophilic group, and lipid group. The lipid group can be inserted into NLC to form PB functional NLC. In order to improve the penetrability, TAT and PB multi-decorated NLC were designed for the delivery of lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) (TAT/PB LID NLC). The therapeutic effects of NLC in terms of in vitro skin penetration and in vivo in animal models were further studied. The size of TAT/PB LID NLC tested by DLS was 153.6 ± 4.3 nm. However, the size of undecorated LID NLC was 115.3 ± 3.6nm. The PDI values of NLC vary from 0.13 ± 0.01 to 0.16 ± 0.03. Zeta potentials of NLC were negative, between -20.7 and -29.3 mV. TAT/PB LID NLC (851.2 ± 25.3 mg/cm²) showed remarkably better percutaneous penetration ability than PB LID NLC (610.7 ± 22.1 mg/cm²), TAT LID NLC (551.9 ± 21.8 mg/cm²) (p<.05) and nonmodified LID NLC (428.2 ± 21.4 mg/cm²). TAT/PB LID NLC exhibited the most prominent anesthetic effect than single ligand decorated or undecorated LID NLC in vivo. The resulting TAT/PB LID NLC exhibited good skin penetration and anesthetic efficiency, which could be applied as a promising anesthesia system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex sedimentary processes from source to sink lead to a substantial fractionation of sediment size and composition. Relatively coarse-grained, continent-derived detritus is rarely transported and deposited in the deep ocean, and the terminus of this sediment routing system is poorly understood. Sandy turbidite deposits within the Upper Miocene--Pleistocene strata drilled in the deep central South China Sea during the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349 provide valuable samples for evaluating the evolution of sediment contributions from different Asian landmasses. This study reconstructs this ancient source-to-sink system based on an integration of heavy mineral and detrital zircon analyses (including U-Pb age, trace element, grain size and shape), obtained from IODP sites U1431 and U1432, as well as a zircon age-based mixture modeling of well-defined provenance end-members. The results show several provenance shifts that correspond to more complex and dynamic source-to-sink scenarios than previously envisaged. Certain source areas, like East Vietnam, present a different provenance signature than that of today. Multiple provenances have been mixed and diluted during sediment transport, exhibiting a large regional variability. We interpret that siliciclastic turbidite deposits in the central South China Sea were mainly derived from East Vietnam during the early Late Miocene and Pliocene, and the Pearl River Basin during the late Late Miocene and Pleistocene. Additional, but less significant, contributions from the Red and Mekong river basins and coastal Southeast China are also observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For linear frequency modulation (LFM) pulse radars, dense false targets generated by new system jamming seriously damage the performance of such radar systems. In order to avoid the influence of dense false target jamming, an anti-jamming strategy combining waveform design and sparse decomposition are proposed. Specifically, the radar system transmits a random pulse initial phase (RPIP) signal, and uses peak detection method to detect the deception jamming. The phase distribution of the RPIP signal is partially randomly perturbed for a jamming, and we use optimization algorithm to design a phase perturbed LFM (PPLFM) signal with good auto-correlation characteristics. Using the correlation function of the designed signal, the target sample set and the jamming sample set are constructed, and the target echo and the jamming signal are separated using designed dictionary learning method to achieve suppression of dense false target jamming and range side-lobes. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by numerical simulation, and the results proved that this proposed method maintains good anti-jamming performance under low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structures and machines require smoothening of raw materials. Self-organized smoothening guides cell and tissue morphogenesis and is relevant to advanced manufacturing. Across the syncytial Drosophila embryo surface, smooth interfaces form between expanding Arp2/3-based actin caps and surrounding actomyosin networks, demarcating the circumferences of nascent dome-like compartments used for pseudocleavage. We found that forming a smooth and circular boundary of the surrounding actomyosin domain requires Arp2/3 in vivo. To dissect the physical basis of this requirement, we reconstituted the interacting networks using node-based models. In simulations of actomyosin networks with local clearances in place of Arp2/3 domains, rough boundaries persisted when myosin contractility was low. With addition of expanding Arp2/3 network domains, myosin domain boundaries failed to smoothen, but accumulated myosin nodes and tension. After incorporating actomyosin mechanosensitivity, Arp2/3 network growth locally induced a surrounding contractile actomyosin ring that smoothened the interface between the cytoskeletal domains, an effect also evident in vivo. In this way, a smooth structure can emerge from the lateral interaction of irregular active materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age estimation plays an important role in many fields, such as forensic science and sports medicine. Compared with skeletal maturity, the development of teeth is less affected by the environment, and dental age is related to the development and mineralization of different growth stages. Therefore, the dental age is crucial for individual's age estimation. The paper reviews several methods of dental age estimation, such as those of morphology, biochemistry and radiology, as well as the application, and reviews scope and limitations of the methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains challenging due to frequent recurrence and the development of resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. The mechanism underlying NSCLC chemoresistance remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the mechanism of cisplatin resistance in NSCLC cells and it found that the expression of Bcl-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) was higher in the A549 cell line with cisplatin resistance (A549/DDP) by western blotting and reverse-transcription quantitative PCR, suggesting that elevated BCLAF1 expression is associated with acquired cisplatin resistance in A549 cells. BCLAF1 was found to promote DNA damage repair in A549/DDP cells by regulating H2A histone family member X foci formation by immunofluorescence and western blotting. BCLAF1 was also demonstrated to regulate ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 mRNA expression in A549/DDP cells, in addition to regulating G1 phase arrest by targeting p21 expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that BCLAF1 mediates cisplatin resistance by regulating the repair of DNA damage and p21-mediated G1 phase arrest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sum-of-norms clustering is a method for assigning n points in R d to K clusters, 1 ≤ K ≤ n, using convex optimization. Recently, Panahi et al. (2017) proved that sum-of-norms clustering is guaranteed to recover a mixture of Gaussians under the restriction that the number of samples is not too large. The purpose of this note is to lift this restriction, that is, show that sum-of-norms clustering can recover a mixture of Gaussians even as the number of samples tends to infinity. Our proof relies on an interesting characterization of clusters computed by sum-of-norms clustering that was developed inside a proof of the agglomeration conjecture by Chiquet et al. (2017). Because we believe this theorem has independent interest, we restate and reprove the Chiquet et al. (2017) result herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes-associated cognitive impairment (DACI) can increase the risk of major cardiovascular events and death. Neuronal functionality is highly dependent on mitochondria and emerging evidence has shown that mitochondrial transplantation is a potential and effective strategy that can reduce brain injury and associated disorders. Platelets are abundant in blood and can be considered a readily available source of small-size mitochondria. These cells can be easily acquired from the peripheral blood with minimal invasion via simple venipuncture. The present study aimed to investigate whether transplantation of platelet-derived mitochondria (Mito-Plt) could improve DACI. Cognitive behaviors were assessed using the Morris water maze test in db/db mice. The results demonstrated that Mito-Plt was internalized into hippocampal neurons 24 h following intracerebroventricular injection. Importantly, one month following Mito-Plt transplantation, DACI was alleviated in db/db mice and the effect was accompanied with increased mitochondrial number, restored mitochondrial function, attenuated oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis, as well as decreased accumulation of Aß and Tau in the hippocampus. Taken together, the data demonstrated that transplantation of Mito-Plt attenuated cognitive impairment and mitochondrial dysfunction in db/db mice. This method may be a potential therapeutic application for the treatment of DACI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fault accommodation zone is a type of structure that is defined as regulating displacement and strain between faults structure. Increasing numbers of fault accommodation zones are being identified in graben basins, indicating the potential exploration target and petroleum accumulation areas. This study aims to analyze the formation mechanism and development of fault accommodation zones under combined stress by a numerical simulation method considering geomechanical modeling. Using threedimensional (3-D) seismic interpretation and fractal dimension method, exampled with the Dongxin fault zone, the fault activity and fault combination pattern were conducted to quantitatively characterize the activity difference in fault accommodation zones. Combined with mechanical experiment test, a geomehcanical model was established for fault accommodation zones in a graben basin. Integrating the paleostress numerical simulations and structural physical simulation experiment, the developmental characteristics and genetic mechanism of fault accommodation zones were summarized. Influenced by multi movements and combined stresses, three significant tectonic evolution stages of the Dongxing Fault Zone (DXFZ) were distinguished: During the Es³ sedimentary period, the large difference in the stress, strain, and rupture distribution in various faults were significant, and this stage was the key generation period for the prototype of the DXFZ, including the FAZ between large-scale faults. During the Es² sedimentary period, the EW-trending symmetric with opposite dipping normal faults and the NE-SW trending faults with large scale were furtherly developed. The junction area of two secondary normal faults were prone to be ruptured, performing significant period for inheriting and developing characteristics of fault accommodation zones. During the Es¹ sedimentary period, the high-order faults in the DXFZ exhibited the obvious fault depressions and strike-slip activity, and the fault accommodation zones were furtherly inherited and developed. This stage was the molded and formative period of the FAZ, the low-order faults, and the depression in the DXFZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Nature has a significant impact on general well-being. However, till date, little psychophysiological evidence is available on the benefits of nature-based activities in adults. The primary goal of this study was to determine the physiological and psychological benefits of horticultural activity in adults. The participants were instructed to perform the making of a flower basket (horticultural activity) and a computer task (i.e., control activity) was compared. Methods. A total of 40 Chinese females (mean age 22.2 ± 0.9 years) participated in this experiment. The Blood pressure, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the electroencephalograms (EEGs) were used to measure the participants' psychophysiological responses. Results. Analysis of the STAI data showed a lower anxiety score after performing the horticultural activity than after performing the control activity. Furthermore, in the EEG evaluation, variations in the brainwaves were observed after both activities. Conclusions. The study results suggest that horticultural activity induced physiological and psychological relaxation in adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given a graph H, the Tur'an number ex(n,H) is the largest number of edges in an Hfree graph on n vertices. We make progress on a recent conjecture of Conlon, Janzer, and Lee [More on the Extremal Number of Subdivisions, arXiv:1903.10631v1, 2019] on the Tur'an numbers of bipartite graphs, which in turn yields further progress on a conjecture of Erdos and Simonovits [Combinatorica, 1 (1981), pp. 25-42]. Let s, t, k = 2 be integers. Let Kk s,t denote the graph obtained from the complete bipartite graph Ks,t by replacing each edge uv in it with a path of length k between u and v such that the st replacing paths are internally disjoint. It follows from a general theorem of Bukh and Conlon [J. Eur. Math. Soc. (JEMS), 20 (2018), pp. 1747-1757] that ex(n,Kk s,t) = O(n1+ 1k - 1 sk). Conlon, Janzer, and Lee recently conjectured that for any integers s, t, k = 2, ex(n,Kk s,t) = O(n1+ 1k - 1 sk). Among many other things, they settled the k = 2 case of their conjecture. As the main result of this paper, we prove their conjecture for k = 3, 4. Our main results also yield infinitely many new so-called Tur'an exponents: rationals r ? (1, 2) for which there exists a bipartite graph H with ex(n,H) = T(nr), adding to the lists recently obtained by Jiang, Ma, and Yepremyan [On Tur'an Exponents of Bipartite Graphs, arXiv:1806.02838, 2018], by Kang, Kim, and Liu [On the Rational Tur'an Exponent Conjecture, arXiv:1811.06916, 2018], and by Conlon, Janzer, and Lee. Our method builds on an extension of the Conlon-Janzer-Lee method. We also note that the extended method also gives a weaker version of the Conlon-Janzer-Lee conjecture for all k = 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance growth of terahertz quantum cascade lasers (THz QCLs) based on hybrid bound-to-continuum transition and resonant phonon extraction is presented by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. The corresponding accurate control of layer thickness and alloy composition during growth, with precise calibration of the growth rate of Ga and Al by reflection high energy electron diffractometry and high resolution XRD techniques are studied in detail. By utilizing surface plasmon ridge waveguide device structures, the THz QCLs lasing at 3.3 THz with maximum powers of 426 mW at 10 K and 213 mW at 80 K are realized in pulsed mode and the maximum lasing temperature achieves 110 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The human lipidomic profile reflects lipid metabolism, including the early phase of pathophysiological changes associated with diseases. An investigation of the association between the plasma lipidomic profile and adolescent obesity might provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of obesity. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of the plasma lipidome with obesity in Chinese adolescents using lipidomics. Methods. Using a combination of liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry, we quantified 328 lipid species from 24 lipid classes and subclasses in 100 male adolescents aged 14-16 years who were categorized into four groups: (1) normal weight with traditional normal clinical plasma lipid levels (NN); (2) normal weight with traditional abnormal clinical plasma lipid levels (NA); (3) obese with traditional normal clinical plasma lipid levels (ON); and (4) obese with traditional abnormal clinical plasma lipid levels (OA). The concentrations of all the lipid species were compared between obese and normal-weight adolescents at different traditional clinical plasma lipid levels using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test. A partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was applied to select lipids with a significant abilityto discriminate adolescent obesity. Results. The lipidomic profile distinguished obese adolescents from normal-weight subjects. Regardless of whether traditional clinical plasma lipid levels were normal or abnormal, we observed a significant reduction in the levels of five lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC) species (LPC18:2, LPC18:1, LPC20:2, LPC20:1, and LPC20:0) in the obese group compared with the normal-weight group (difference = -31.29% to -13.19%; P = 9.91 x 10 -5 to 2.28 x 10-2). The ability of these five LPC species to discriminate adolescent obesity was confirmed in the PLS- DA model. Conclusions. The findings provided evidence for the association of some LPC species with adolescent obesity. The discriminatory effects of five LPC species were identified between normal-weight and obese adolescents, independent of traditional clinical plasma lipid levels. These results will provide a basis for validation in subsequent studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell structure depends on the cortex, a thin network of actin polymers and additional proteins underlying the plasma membrane. The cell polarity kinase Par-1 is required for cells to form following syncytial Drosophila embryo development. This requirement stems from Par-1 promoting cortical actin caps that grow into dome-like metaphase compartments for dividing syncytial nuclei. We find the actin caps to be a composite material of Diaphanous (Dia)-based actin bundles interspersed with independently formed, Arp2/3-based actin puncta. Par-1 and Dia colocalize along extended regions of the bundles, and both are required for the bundles and for each other’s bundle-like localization, consistent with an actin-dependent self-reinforcement mechanism. Par-1 helps establish or maintain these bundles in a cortical domain with relatively low levels of the canonical form in activator Rho1-GTP. Arp2/3 is required for displacing the bundles away from each other and toward the cap circumference, suggesting interactions between these cytoskeletal components could contribute to the growth of the cap into a metaphase compartment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An X-band switched energy storage (SES) microwave pulse compression system is presented, and its theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental research are carried out. Detailed dimensions of the resonant cavity are theoretically calculated and numerically optimized by simulation. The operation mode of the resonant cavity is TE1,0,52 at the frequency of 9.3 GHz. The output power gain is theoretically calculated as 11.7. When the width of the rectangular coupling iris is 11 mm, the coupling coefficient is 1.05, which is beneficial for high energy storage efficiency. In the preliminary experiments, the output microwave with power of 350 kW and pulsewidth of 10 ns is produced by the SES pulse compression system under the input power of 54 kW, implying a pulse power gain of 6.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ANO1 (TMEM16A) is a Ca2+-activated Cl- channel that regulates diverse cellular functions including fluid secretion, neuronal excitability, and smooth muscle contraction. ANO1 is activated by elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ and modulated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2]. Here, we describe a closely concerted experimental and computational study, including electrophysiology, mutagenesis, functional assays, and extended sampling of lipid-protein interactions with molecular dynamics (MD) to characterize PI(4,5)P2 binding modes and sites on ANO1. ANO1 currents in excised inside-out patches activated by 270 nM Ca2+ at +100 mV are increased by exogenous PI(4,5)P2 with an EC50 = 1.24 µM. The effect of PI(4,5)P2 is dependent on membrane voltage and Ca2+ and is explained by a stabilization of the ANO1 Ca2-bound open state. Unbiased atomistic MD simulations with 1.4 mol% PI(4,5)P2 in a phosphatidylcholine bilayer identified 8 binding sites with significant probability of binding PI(4,5)P2. Three of these sites captured 85% of all ANO1-PI(4,5)P2 interactions. Mutagenesis of basic amino acids near the membrane-cytosol interface found 3 regions of ANO1 critical for PI(4,5)P2 regulation that correspond to the same 3 sites identified by MD. PI(4,5)P2 is stabilized by hydrogen bonding between amino acid side chains and phosphate/hydroxyl groups on PI(4,5)P2. Binding of PI(4,5)P2 alters the position of the cytoplasmic extension of TM6, which plays a crucial role in ANO1 channel gating, and increases the accessibility of the inner vestibule to Cl- ions. We propose a model consisting of a network of 3 PI(4,5)P2 binding sites at the cytoplasmic face of the membrane allosterically regulating ANO1 channel gating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrated that transmittance and field intensities of a thick metal sandwiched between two dielectric photonic crystals (PCs) can be enhanced by more than two orders of magnitude and by nearly 20 times, respectively, compared to a single metal layer with the same thickness. Under the tunneling mechanism, the light can enter the sandwiched structure without reflection and localizes at the two interfaces of the metal film and PCs. This configuration of fields facilitates the reduction of absorption in the metal. Experimental results are in good agreement with simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the swelling behavior and density distributions of polyion segments and multivalent counterions in polyelectrolyte brushes within a primitive model that represents both polyion segments and salt ions as charged spheres and the solvent as a continuous dielectric medium. The numerical performance of a previously proposed nonlocal density functional theory (NLDFT) was tested with Monte Carlo simulations for multivalent systems and compared with the Poisson–Boltzmann equation that ignores the ionic size and electrostatic correlations. The NLDFT predicts that in the limit of low salt concentration, trivalent counterions can self-organize into a one-dimensional wavelike structure within the oppositely charged polyelectrolyte brush. Multivalent counterions introduce electrostatic correlations responsible for the nonmonotonic swelling of the brush which is qualitatively different from that in a monovalent solution. While in a monovalent solution the brush thickness increases monotonically with the grafting density, in a trivalent solution the swelling behavior resembles that for a neutral brush in a poor solvent. The NLDFT was also used to investigate the effects of ionic size on the brush swelling and counterion organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a hybrid method to investigate the isotropic-nematic (I-N) transition in athermal solutions of rod-coil copolymers. This method incorporates the scaled-particle theory for semiflexible chains with two-chain Monte Carlo simulation for the osmotic second virial coefficient and for the angle-dependent excluded volume. We compare the theoretical prediction with Monte Carlo simulations for fused rod-coil copolymers and find good agreement for both the equation of state and the orientational order parameter. The theory is also used to examine the effects of the bond length, the chain length, and the chain composition on orientational ordering in athermal solutions of rod-coil block copolymers. It predicts I-N transition in rod-coil copolymers with fixed rod length but a variable flexible tail in good agreement with experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid method is proposed to investigate the microstructure of various polymeric fluids confined between two parallel surfaces. The hybrid method combines a single-chain Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for the ideal-gas part of the Helmholtz energy and a density functional theory (DFT) for the excess part that arises from nonbonded intersegment interactions. The latter consists of a modified fundamental measure theory for excluded-volume effect, the first-order thermodynamics perturbation theory for chain connectivity, and a mean-field approximation for the van der Waals attraction. In comparison with a conventional DFT, the hybrid method avoids calculation of the time-consuming recursive functions and is directly applicable to polymers with arbitrary molecular architecture. Its numerical performance has been validated by extensive comparisons with MC data for the density distributions of totally flexible, semiflexible, or rigid polymers and those with starlike architecture. Special attention is also given to the formation of a nematic monolayer by rigid molecules laying perpendicular to a planar surface. The hybrid method predicts the surface pressure versus surface coverage in good agreement with experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To report a patient with Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) using multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including conventional MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), arterial spin labeling (ASL), and proton MR spectroscopy (MRS). A 50-year-old woman of WE with a history of cholecystectomy and acute pancreatitis was given MRI scans including DWI, MRS, and ASL pre- and post-thiamine treatment. Two weeks after admission, the patient's condition rapidly improved. The typical MRI findings and lesions in the frontal cortex at baseline disappeared or resolved partially. The reduced apparent diffusion coefficient value in part of the thalamus lesion, the elevated cerebral blood flow in the frontal cortex, the lactate doublet peak in the right thalamus lesion, and in cerebral spinal fluid, all resolved after treatment. The combination of conventional MRI with DWI, proton MRS, and ASL, offers a powerful diagnostic tool and a better understanding of the pathophysiological and hemodynamic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An r -uniform hypergraph is a tight r-tree if its edges can be ordered so that every edge e contains a vertex v that does not belong to any preceding edge and the set e - v lies in some preceding edge. A conjecture of Kalai personal communication published in Frankl and Füredi, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A, 45 (1987), pp. 226--262, generalizing the Erdõs-Sós conjecture for trees, asserts that if T is a tight r -tree with t edge\bigr)s and G is an n-vertex r-uniform hypergraph containing no copy of T, then G has at most t--1/r(n r-i) edges. A trunk T' of a tight r-tree T is a tight subtree such that every edge of T - T' has r - 1 vertices in some edge of T' and a vertex outside T'. For r ≥ 3, the only nontrivial family of tight r-trees for which this conjecture has been proved is the family of r-trees with trunk size one in J. Combin. Theory Se r. A, 45 (1987), pp. 226--262. Our main result is an asymptotic version of Kalai's conjecture for all tight trees T of bounded trunk size. This follows from our upper bound on the size of a T-free r-uniform hypergraph G in terms of the size of its shadow. We also give a short proof of Kalai's conjecture for tight r-trees with at most four edges. In particular, for 3-uniform hypergraphs, our result on the tight path of length 4 implies the intersection shadow theorem of Katona Acta Math. Acad. Sci. Hungar., 15 (1964), pp. 329--337. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between elementary excitations, such as carriers, phonons, and plasmons, are critical for understanding the optical and electronic properties of materials. The significance of these interactions is more prominent in low-dimensional materials and can dominate their physical properties due to the enhanced interactions between these excitations. One-dimensional single-walled carbon nanotubes provide an ideal system for studying such interactions due to their perfect physical structures and rich electronic properties. Here we investigated G-mode phonon dynamics in individual suspended chirality-resolved single-walled carbon nanotubes by time-resolved anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy. The improved technique allowed us to probe the intrinsic phonon information on a single-tube level and exclude the influences of tube–tube and tube–substrate interactions. We found that the G-mode phonon lifetime ranges from 0.75–2.25 ps and critically depends on whether the tube is metallic or semiconducting. In comparison with the phonon lifetimes in graphene and graphite, we revealed structure-dependent carrier–phonon and phonon–phonon interactions in nanotubes. Our results provide new information for optimizing the design of nanotube electronic/optoelectronic devices by better understanding and utilizing their phonon decay channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The consumption of raw oyster has been linked to numerous foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks caused by norovirus (NoV) in different countries of the world, including in China. This study investigated the prevalence of NoV and contamination levels in retail oysters taken from markets in Beijing and Qingdao in China. The oysters were collected monthly from seafood markets between September 2015 and September 2016 (13 months) in both cities. The digestive glands of these oysters were dissected and NoV particles were extracted. Viral RNA was detected using a TaqMan-based real time one-step reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) protocol. Of total 672 oyster samples assessed, 652 were considered to be valid for inclusion in the study. The prevalence of NoV was 20.71% (135/652), and this included 21.48% (29/135) of the samples that were positive for the GI strain alone, 62.96% (85/135) contained the GII strain alone and 15.56% (21/135) were mixed with GI and GII, respectively. A total of 68 NoV-positive samples were quantified by qRT-PCR and values obtained ranged from 3.55 × 10 3 to 1.45 × 10 6 genomic copies per g digestive tissue. The NoV contamination in retail oysters fluctuated with the sampling month and peaks of contamination occurred in February (49.12%) and March (55.36%) 2016, respectively. Considering some of the oysters were consumed as raw or half-cooked in China, as a risk reduction measure these oysters should be well heated prior to consumption. Furthermore, successive and region-extended monitoring in retail oysters for NoV as well as risk communication is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-layered electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure is proposed and incorporated into a MIMO antenna to reduce unexpected mutual coupling between antenna elements. The proposed multi-layered EBG (ML-EBG) structure is comprised of an improved EBG and three loading patches with a same distance. The proposed ML-EBG structure is designed at 2.55 GHz and it is utilized in a MIMO antenna array with an edge-to-edge distance of 0.13λ to reduce the mutual couplings. The simulated and measured results have been put forward to prove that the mutual coupling has been reduced by 30 dB between the antenna elements compared to the MIMO antenna without the ML-EBG structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In Japan, “Shinrin-yoku” or forest bathing (spending time in forests) is a major practice used for relaxation. However, its effects on promoting human mental health are still under consideration. The objective of this study was to investigate the physiological and psychological relaxation effects of forest walking on adults. Sixty participants (50% males; 50% females) were trained to walk 15-minute predetermined courses in a bamboo forest and a city area (control). The length of the courses was the same to allow comparison of the effects of both environments. Blood pressure and EEG results were measured to assess the physiological responses and the semantic differential method (SDM) and STAI were used to study the psychological responses. Blood pressure was significantly decreased and variation in brain activity was observed in both environments. The results of the two questionnaires indicated that walking in the bamboo forest improves mood and reduces anxiety. Moreover, the mean meditation and attention scores were significantly increased after walking in a bamboo forest. The results of the physiological and psychological measurements indicate the relaxing effects of walking in a bamboo forest on adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) manufactured from immortalized mammalian cell lines are becoming increasingly important as therapies. Ensuring the quality of expressed proteins is critical when developing manufacturing processes. Protein sequence variants (PSVs) are a type of product-related variant in which errors in the protein sequence are present. Detecting PSVs and determining their origins, either by DNA mutation or mRNA mistranslation, is critical. Mutations cannot be remediated without developing new clones, which can be costly and time-consuming. In contrast, mistranslation can usually be mitigated by optimizing cell culture conditions. In this work, we first developed a new method to detect low-abundance PSVs with improved sensitivity. Then, a statistical metric was proposed to determine whether the observed PSVs originate from mutation or mistranslation by characterizing the distribution of PSVs. This method was applied to the evaluation of 50 clones from five mAbs programs, allowing for identification of five mutation and 139 mistranslation PSVs. The presence of even a few mutations demonstrates the necessity of clone screening during process development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed this retrospective study to investigate whether the KRAS mutation status and its subtypes could predict the effect of first‑line platinum‑based chemotherapy in Chinese patients with non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Patients received who had KRAS mutations were enrolled. Correlations between KRAS mutations, specific mutant subtypes and responses to chemotherapy were analyzed using Kaplan‑Meier and Cox proportional hazard methods. A total of 2,183 cases who received KRAS mutation detection were included. A total of 218 of these cases were indicated to have KRAS mutations. KRAS mutations were identified more commonly in males compared with females (P=0.035). The most common subtypes were G12C, G12D and G12V. Among 73 KRAS mutant patients and 100 EGFR/ALK/KRAS wild‑type patients with advanced NSCLC, KRAS‑mutant NSCLC patients had a significantly shorter progression‑free survival (P=0.007) compared with NSCLC patients with KRAS wild‑type. In addition, there was a shorter but marginally statistically significant progression‑free survival (PFS) in KRAS mutant patients with adenocarcinoma compared with those with non‑adenocarcinoma (P=0.051). In the KRAS mutant group, patients with the KRAS G12V mutation had the poorest PFS compared with non‑G12V mutant cases (P=0.045). In conclusion, KRAS mutation was a negative predictive factor of PFS in Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC who received first platinum‑based chemotherapy. Patients with KRAS G12V mutations exhibited the poorest PFS compared with those with other KRAS mutant types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Random invariant manifolds are geometric objects useful for understanding complex dynamics under stochastic influences. But these random objects are difficult to be visualized geometrically or computed numerically. The current work provides a perturbation approach to approximate these random invariant manifolds. We first discuss the existence of a random invariant manifold for a class of stochastic evolutionary equations. Then, we approximate the random invariant manifold by the invariant manifold of a new system with smooth colored noise (i.e., integrated Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes). The convergence in a pathwiseWong-Zakai sense is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the co-assembly of two different building units: collagen-mimetic peptides and DNA origami. Two peptides CP++ and sCP++ are designed with a sequence comprising a central block (Pro-Hyp-Gly) and two positively charged domains (Pro-Arg-Gly) at both N- and C-termini. Co-assembly of peptides and DNA origami two-layer (TL) nanosheets affords the formation of one-dimensional nanowires with repeating periodicity of ~10 nm. Structural analyses suggest a face-to-face stacking of DNA nanosheets with peptides aligned perpendicularly to the sheet surfaces. We demonstrate the potential of selective peptide-DNA association between face-to-face and edge-to-edge packing by tailoring the size of DNA nanostructures. This study presents an attractive strategy to create hybrid biomolecular assemblies from peptideand DNA-based building blocks that takes advantage of the intrinsic chemical and physical properties of the respective components to encode structural and, potentially, functional complexity within readily accessible biomimetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anesthetics are used extensively in surgeries and related procedures to prevent pain. However, there is some concern regarding neuronal degeneration and cognitive deficits arising from regular anesthetic exposure. Recent studies have indicated that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) are involved in learning and memory processes. Genistein, a plant-derived isoflavone, has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective effects. The present study was performed to examine the protective effect of genistein against isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity in rats. Neonatal rats were exposed to isoflurane (0.75%, 6 hours) on postnatal day 7 (P7). Separate groups of rat pups were orally administered genistein at doses of 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg body weight from P3 to P15 and then exposed to isoflurane anesthesia on P7. Neuronal apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay and FluoroJade B staining following isoflurane exposure. Genistein significantly reduced apoptosis in the hippocampus, reduced the expression of proapoptotic factors (Bad, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3), and increased the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. RT-PCR analysis revealed enhanced BDNF and TrkB mRNA levels. Genistein effectively upregulated cAMP levels and phosphorylation of CREB and TrkB, leading to activation of cAMP/CREB-BDNF-TrkB signaling. PI3K/Akt signaling was also significantly activated. Genistein administration improved general behavior and enhanced learning and memory in the rats. These observations suggest that genistein exerts neuroprotective effects by suppressing isoflurane-induced neuronal apoptosis and by activating cAMP/CREB-BDNF-TrkB-PI3/Akt signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]