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Many important biological facts have been found as single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology has advanced. With the use of this technology, it is now possible to investigate the connections among individual cells, genes, and illnesses. For the analysis of single-cell data, clustering is frequently used. Nevertheless, biological data usually contain a large amount of noise data, and traditional clustering methods are sensitive to noise. However, acquiring higher-order spatial information from the data alone is insufficient. As a result, getting trustworthy clustering findings is challenging. We propose the Cauchy hyper-graph Laplacian non-negative matrix factorization (CHLNMF) as a unique approach to address these issues. In CHLNMF, we replace the measurement based on Euclidean distance in the conventional non-negative matrix factorization (NMF), which can lessen the influence of noise, with the Cauchy loss function (CLF). The model also incorporates the hyper-graph constraint, which takes into account the high-order link among the samples. The CHLNMF model's best solution is then discovered using a half-quadratic optimization approach. Finally, using seven scRNA-seq datasets, we contrast the CHLNMF technique with the other nine top methods. The validity of our technique was established by analysis of the experimental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: [18 F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has the ability to detect local and/or regional recurrence as well as distant metastasis. We aimed to evaluate the prognosis value of PET/CT in locoregional recurrent nasopharyngeal (lrNPC). Methods: A total of 451 eligible patients diagnosed with recurrent I-IVA (rI-IVA) NPC between April 2009 and December 2015 were retrospectively included in this study. The differences in overall survival (OS) of lrNPC patients with and without PET/CT were compared in the I-II, III-IVA, r0-II, and rIII-IVA cohorts, which were grouped by initial staging and recurrent staging (according to MRI). Results: In the III-IVA and rIII-IVA NPC patients, with PET/CT exhibited significantly higher OS rates in the univariate analysis (P = 0.045; P = 0.009; respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that with PET/CT was an independent predictor of OS in the rIII-IVA cohort (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.476; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.267 to 0.847; P = 0.012). In the rIII-IVA NPC, patients receiving PET/CT sacns before salvage surgery had a better prognosis compared with MRI alone (P = 0.036). The recurrent stage (based on PET/CT) was an independent predictor of OS. (r0-II versus [vs]. rIII-IVA; HR = 0.376; 95% CI: 0.150 to 0.938; P = 0.036). Conclusion: The present study showed that with PET/CT could improve overall survival for rIII-IVA NPC patients. PET/CT appears to be an effective method for assessing rTNM staging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dinitrogen (N2) fixation chemistry, bimetallic end‐on bridging N2 complexes M(μ‐η1 : η1‐N2)M can split N2 into terminal nitrides and hence attract great attention. To date, only 4d and 5d transition complexes, but none of 3d counterparts, could realize such a transformation. Likewise, complexes {[Cp*Cr(dmpe)]2(μ‐N2)}0/1+/2+ (1–3) are incapable to cleave N2, in contrast to their Mo congeners. Remarkably, cross this series the N−N bond length of the N2 ligand and the N−N stretching frequency exhibit unprecedented nonmonotonic variations, and complexes 1 and 2 in both solid and solution states display rare thermally activated ligand‐mediated two‐center spin transitions, distinct from discrete dinuclear spin crossovers. In‐depth analyses using wave function based ab initio calculations reveal that the Cr‐N2‐Cr bonding in complexes 1–3 is distinguished by strong multireference character and cannot be described by solely one electron configuration or Lewis structure, and that all intriguing spectroscopic observations originate in their sophisticate multireference electronic structures. More critical is that such multireference bonding of complexes 1–3 is at least a key factor that contributes to their kinetic inertness toward N2 splitting. The mechanistic understanding is then used to rationalize the disparate reactivity of related 3d M(μ‐η1 : η1‐N2)M complexes compared to their 4d and 5d analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dinitrogen (N2) fixation chemistry, bimetallic end‐on bridging N2 complexes M(μ‐η1 : η1‐N2)M can split N2 into terminal nitrides and hence attract great attention. To date, only 4d and 5d transition complexes, but none of 3d counterparts, could realize such a transformation. Likewise, complexes {[Cp*Cr(dmpe)]2(μ‐N2)}0/1+/2+ (1–3) are incapable to cleave N2, in contrast to their Mo congeners. Remarkably, cross this series the N−N bond length of the N2 ligand and the N−N stretching frequency exhibit unprecedented nonmonotonic variations, and complexes 1 and 2 in both solid and solution states display rare thermally activated ligand‐mediated two‐center spin transitions, distinct from discrete dinuclear spin crossovers. In‐depth analyses using wave function based ab initio calculations reveal that the Cr‐N2‐Cr bonding in complexes 1–3 is distinguished by strong multireference character and cannot be described by solely one electron configuration or Lewis structure, and that all intriguing spectroscopic observations originate in their sophisticate multireference electronic structures. More critical is that such multireference bonding of complexes 1–3 is at least a key factor that contributes to their kinetic inertness toward N2 splitting. The mechanistic understanding is then used to rationalize the disparate reactivity of related 3d M(μ‐η1 : η1‐N2)M complexes compared to their 4d and 5d analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Exploring the correlation between bone turnover marks (BTMs) with lumbar BMD in middle-aged populations. Methods: The cross-sectional analysis fetched data came from NHANES. The level of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (sBAP) and urinary N-telopeptide (uNTx) were regarded as representative of bone turnover. Lumbar BMD was the outcome of the study. Multivariable linear regression models were utilized to detect the correlation of sBAP and uNTx with Lumbar BMD. Results: The level of sBAP and uNTx was negatively correlated with lumbar BMD in every multivariable linear regression. For sBAP, this inverse correlation was stable in both men and women (P < 0.01). uNTx indicated a negative association after all relevant covariables were adjusted (P < 0.01). The men group remained the negative correlation in gender subgroup analysis (P < 0.01). Conclusion: This study indicated that the increased level of sBAP and uNTx associated with lumbar BMD decreased among middle-aged adults. This correlation could prompt researchers to explore further the relationship between bone turnover rate and BMD, which may provide information for the early detection of BMD loss and provide a new strategy for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal/ligand in situ assembly is crucial for tailoring the reactivity & selectivity in transition metal catalysis. Cooperative catalysis via a single metal/two ligands is still underdeveloped, since it is rather challenging to harness the distinct reactivity profiles of the species generated by self‐assembly of a single metal precursor with a mixture of different ligands. Herein, we report a catalytic system composed of a single metal/two ligands for a three‐component reaction of polyfluoroarene, α‐diazo ester, and allylic electrophile, leading to highly efficient construction of densely functionalized quaternary carbon centers, that are otherwise hardly accessible. Mechanistic studies suggest this reaction follows a cooperative bimetallic pathway via two catalysts with distinct reactivity profiles, which are assembled in situ from a single metal precursor and two ligands and work in concert to escort the transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal/ligand in situ assembly is crucial for tailoring the reactivity & selectivity in transition metal catalysis. Cooperative catalysis via a single metal/two ligands is still underdeveloped, since it is rather challenging to harness the distinct reactivity profiles of the species generated by self‐assembly of a single metal precursor with a mixture of different ligands. Herein, we report a catalytic system composed of a single metal/two ligands for a three‐component reaction of polyfluoroarene, α‐diazo ester, and allylic electrophile, leading to highly efficient construction of densely functionalized quaternary carbon centers, that are otherwise hardly accessible. Mechanistic studies suggest this reaction follows a cooperative bimetallic pathway via two catalysts with distinct reactivity profiles, which are assembled in situ from a single metal precursor and two ligands and work in concert to escort the transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How biologically active matters survive adaptively in complex and changeable environments is a common concern of scientists. Genetics, evolution and natural selection are vital factors in the process of biological evolution and are also the key to survival in harsh environments. However, it is challenging to intuitively and accurately reproduce such long-term adaptive survival processes in the laboratory. Although simulation experiments are intuitive and efficient, they lack fidelity. Therefore, we propose to use swarm robots to study the adaptive process of active matter swarms in complex and changeable environments. Based on a self-built virtual environmental platform and a robot swarm that can interact with the environment, we introduce the concept of genes into the robot system, giving each robot unique digital genes, and design robot breeding methods and rules for gene mutations. Our previous work [ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 119 e2120019119 (2022)] has demonstrated the effectiveness of this system. In this work, by analyzing the relationship between the genetic traits of the population and the characteristics of environmental resources, and comparing different experimental conditions, we verified in both robot experiments and corresponding simulation experiments that agents with genetic inheritance can survive for a long time under the action of natural selection in periodically changing environments. We also confirmed that in the robot system, both breeding and mutation are essential factors. These findings can help answer the practical scientific question of how individuals and swarms can successfully adapt to complex, dynamic, and unpredictable actual environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To investigate the correlation between the fibrinogen combined with neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (F‐NLR) and the clinicopathologic features of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent radical resection. Methods: This study reviewed the medical records of 289 patients with NSCLC who underwent radical resection. The patients were stratified into three groups based on F‐NLR as follows: patients with low NLR and fibrinogen were group A, patients with high NLR or fibrinogen were group B, and patients with high NLR and fibrinogen were group C. Receiver operating characteristic curve and Youden index were used to determine the cutoff value of the NLR and fibrinogen. Survival curves were described by Kaplan–Meier method and compared by log‐rank test. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazard model to identify the prognostic factors. Results: A value of 3.19 was taken as the optimal cutoff value of NLR in this study. A value of 309 was used as the optimal cutoff value of fibrinogen. Cox multivariate analysis showed that tumor, nodes, metastasis (TNM) stage and F‐NLR were independent prognostic factors affecting the survival rate of patients. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group A were 99.2%, 96.6%, and 95.0%, respectively. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group B were 98.4%, 76.6%, and 63.2%, respectively. The first‐, third‐, and fifth‐year survival rates in group C were 91.3%, 41.1%, and 22.8%, respectively. F‐NLR was significantly correlated with overall survival in patients with NSCLC (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The F‐NLR level is markedly related to the prognosis of patients with NSCLC undergoing radical surgery. Therefore, closer attention should be given to patients with NSCLC with a high F‐NLR before surgery to provide postoperative adjuvant therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. There is a significant role for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the development of cancer. Nevertheless, the role of PPARs-related genes in ovarian cancer (OC) remains unclear. Methods. The open-accessed data used for analysis were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, which was analyzed using the R software. Results. In our study, we comprehensively investigated the PPAR target genes in OC, including their biological role. Meanwhile, a prognosis signature consisting of eight PPAR target genes was established, including apolipoprotein A-V, UDP glucuronosyltransferase 2 family, polypeptide B4, TSC22 domain family, member 1, growth hormone inducible transmembrane protein, renin, dedicator of cytokinesis 4, enoyl CoA hydratase 1, peroxisomal (ECH1), and angiopoietin-like 4, which showed a good prediction efficiency. A nomogram was constructed by combining the clinical feature and risk score. Immune infiltration and biological enrichment analysis were applied to investigate the difference between high- and low-risk patients. Immunotherapy analysis indicated that low-risk patients might respond better to immunotherapy. Drug sensitivity analysis indicated that high-risk patients might respond better to bleomycin, nilotinib, pazopanib, pyrimethamine, and vinorelbine, yet worse to cisplatin and gefitinib. Furthermore, the gene ECH1 was selected for further analysis. Conclusions. Our study identified a prognosis signature that could effectively indicates patients survival. Meanwhile, our study can provide the direction for future studies focused on the PPARs in OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic disorder is highly related to obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. The present study found that astragaloside IV (ASI) attenuated metabolic disorder related symptoms and modulated hepatic lipid metabolism associated gene mRNA expression in db/db mice. ASI inhibited rosiglitazone-induced adipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, and lipid accumulation in palmitic acid (PA)-induced HepG2 cells with down-regulated mRNA expression of lipogenesis-related genes. In addition, it was predicted to bind to the ligand binding domain (LBD) of PPARγ and inhibit its transactivity. Collectively, our study suggested that ASI improves lipid metabolism in obese mice probably through suppressing PPARγ activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately detect the temperature of molten aluminum and overcome the adverse influence of high temperature and corrosiveness on the sensing results, a temperature detection system based on a multi-node sapphire fiber sensor was proposed and developed. Through the structural parameter design of the fiber sensor, the scheme of utilizing the 0.7 mm diameter fiber and 0.5 mm groove was formulated. Simulation and analysis were carried out to determine the ultrasonic response distribution of the signal passing through the whole fiber sensor. The results indicate that the system is capable of distinguishing test signals from various positions and temperatures. Following the completion of the static calibration, the temperature of the molten aluminum was observed in real-time, and the data of the temperature measurements conducted at the two groove locations were compared. According to the obtained results, the test accuracy was greater than 1 degree Celsius and the temperature test stability was good, laying a solid foundation for the potential development of temperature measurement devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the first palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenolysis of readily available aryl triflates via desymmetrization and kinetic resolution for facile construction of axially chiral biaryl scaffolds with excellent enantioselectivities and s selectivity factors. The axially chiral monophosphine ligands could be prepared from these chiral biaryl compounds and were further applied to palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation with excellent ee values and high branched and linear ratio, which demonstrated the potential utility of this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report the first palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenolysis of readily available aryl triflates via desymmetrization and kinetic resolution for facile construction of axially chiral biaryl scaffolds with excellent enantioselectivities and s selectivity factors. The axially chiral monophosphine ligands could be prepared from these chiral biaryl compounds and were further applied to palladium‐catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation with excellent ee values and high branched and linear ratio, which demonstrated the potential utility of this methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have shown a correlation between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and bone mineral density (BMD) in adults, but their relationship is unclear in adolescents. This study aimed to explore whether a correlation existed between them among adolescents aged 12–19. Data analyzed in our study was fetched from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database 2011–2018. The relationship between HDL-C level and total BMD value was analyzed by multivariate logistic regression models, fitted smoothing curves, and generalized additive models. 3770 participants participated in this analysis. After adjusting for all relevant covariates involved in this study, we found a negative correlation between HDL-C levels and total bone density in male adolescents.Furthermore, the stratified analysis showed that all covariables-adjusted models retained the negative correlation excepting female, black, or Mexican American subgroups. An inverted U-shaped curve represented the correlation of HDL-C and total BMD among adolescents aged 16 to 19, and the turning point was 1.06 mmol/L. After adjusting for all relevant covariates involved in this study, the study found a negative correlation between HDL-C levels and total BMD in male adolescents aged 12 to 19, particularly among those of races other than Black and Mexican. There was a saturation effect between HDL-C level and total BMD in 16–19-year-old adolescents. The turning point was 1.06 mmol/L. Therefore, HDL-C might be a biomarker to detect bone health and further perform a more detailed examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel complexes, {[L1Ni(ipa)(H2O)]2(DMF)}n (1) and {[L1Zn(pa)]4(H2O)}n (2), (L1 = bis(4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2ipa = isophthalic acid, H2pa = phthalic acid) were obtained and structurally characterized. Treatment of M(OAc)2 (M = Ni, Zn) with a dicarboxylic acid and L1 under solvothermal conditions gave the title complexes in moderate yields. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 represents 1D chains along the b axis, and complex 2 shows 2D network with the point symbol {44⋅62}. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By applying the potassium salts of cyclopentadienyl‐phosphine ligands LK to CoCl2, the corresponding cobalt chlorides (1, LCoIICl) were prepared. By reducing complexes 1 with KHBEt3 under a N2 atmosphere, bridging end‐on complexes, LCoI−N2−CoIL (2 a and 2 b), were successfully obtained. 15N2‐labeled [15N2]‐2 a was prepared under 15N2/14N2 exchange in THF solution. LCoI−N2−CoIL complex 2 a could react with P4 molecules to release N2 and generate a Co−P4−Co moiety 4. Further reduction of complex 2 b led to cleavage of a P−C bond in the cyclopentadienyl‐phosphine ligand to provide novel μ‐PCy2‐bridged Co0−N2 complex 5. DFT calculations confirmed the experimental observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspended-core fibers (SCFs) are considered the best candidates for enhancing fiber nonlinearity in mid-infrared applications. Accurate modeling and optimization of its structure is a key part of the SCF structure design process. Due to the drawbacks of traditional numerical simulation methods, such as low speed and large errors, the deep learning-based inverse design of SCFs has become mainstream. However, the advantage of deep learning models over traditional optimization methods relies heavily on large-scale a priori datasets to train the models, a common bottleneck of data-driven methods. This paper presents a comprehensive deep learning model for the efficient inverse design of SCFs. A semi-supervised learning strategy is introduced to alleviate the burden of data acquisition. Taking SCF's three key optical properties (effective mode area, nonlinear coefficient, and dispersion) as examples, we demonstrate that satisfactory computational results can be obtained based on small-scale training data. The proposed scheme can provide a new and effective platform for data-limited physical computing tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two coordination polymers, [Zn2(bipmo)2(1,4-nda)2]n (1), {[Cd(bipmo)(1,4-nda)]·(H2O)}n (2), (bipmo = bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2(1,4-nda) = naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid), were synthesized under solvothermal conditions. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1 possesses 3D 2-fold interpenetrating nets with the Schläfli symbol {65·8}. Complex 2 consists a 3D net with the Schläfli symbol {44·610·8}. The luminescent properties of complexes 1 and 2 have been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheological behavior of fats or fat replacers is shaped by the interaction among colloidal assemblies giving rise to a specific structural network. We hypothesize that the capillary protein oleogels formation we proposed, in which colloidal protein particles are used as initial building blocks to form space-spanning networks, has linear and nonlinear rheological behaviors similar to fat crystal networks as represented in fractal rheo-mechanical models. Capillary protein oleogels and repulsive high internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) differing in microstructure categories were therefore assembled for a systematic comparison, as both serve as motivating exemplars for fat replacement. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were employed to distinguish the structural characteristics. By employing both small- (SAOS) and large-amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) rheology via Chebyshev polynomial analysis, we examined the linear and nonlinear responses of capillary oleogels and HIPEs under relevant deformations. Differing from the caging effects of droplets within HIPEs, the hierarchical networks with attractive protein particles of capillary oleogels are responsible for interpreting the rheological characteristic parameters in SAOS rheology, and for enhancing resistance to deformation in LAOS due to the coexistence of interparticle interactions and cluster characteristics. The capillary oleogels with attractive protein particles show a similar behavior to that of the fat self-assembled fractal flocs or aggregates in the fractal rheo-mechanical models. These results give us hope that by tailoring the nano- and mesoscale structural organization within a fat replacer in a specific way, there is potential for achieving proper functionality in food products, such as plastic flow behavior. [Display omitted] • Capillary attractive oleogels and repulsive HIPEs were assembled for a systematic comparison in rheology. • Capillary oleogels reveal a two-step yielding signature under deformation. • Intracycle strain stiffening in capillary oleogels results from the coexistence of interparticle interactions and cluster characteristics. • The capillary oleogels show a similar behavior to that of the fat in the fractal rheo-mechanical models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this research aimed to investigate the correlation involving serum albumin with diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: From 2011 to 2020, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) surveyed 45462 participants. We used the relevant data to conduct descriptive statistics, linear regression, and Logistic regression analysis. Results: After adjusting for age, sex, and race, as well as all other variables, serum albumin was significantly negatively related to DR (P<0.001). Furthermore, after controlling for confounding factors, the third quartile (Q3) and the fourth quartile (Q4) had quite a negative significant relationship with the incidence of DR (P<0.01). The second quartile had a significant positive correlation with DR, whereas the observed negative correlations were not statistically meaningful (P>0.05). Conclusion: Albumin levels in the serum have a quantitatively significant negative correlation with DR. Serum albumin levels in the blood can be used as a reference point for protracted follow-up of people with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports a theoretical examination of the structural, electronic, and mechanical properties of the tetragonal structure of Y7Ru4InGe12 by using the generalized gradient approximation of the density functional theory and the plane wave ab initio pseudopotential method. We have mainly studied the electronic properties of the compound. The calculated results of the band structure show that the addition of rare earth elements has a greater effect on Fermi levels. By studying density of states, it is found that Y, Ge, and Ru atoms contribute most to Fermi levels. At the same time, we also studied the partial density of states of Y and Ge atoms in different positions. By calculating the value of B (bulk modulus)/G (shear modulus), Poisson's ratio and Cauchy's pressure found that the compound exhibited ductility. Poisson's ratio can also be used to define the bonding properties of compounds. The results of the calculations show that the superconductivity of Y7Ru4InGe12 is due to significant metallic bonding. The calculated elastic constants show that the compound is mechanically stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edible protein-based oleogels have garnered extensive attention in food formulation, driven by the desire for enhanced nutritional profiles and improved texture perception. This is facilitated by the nutritional value of the starting ingredient proteins, coupled with high consumer acceptance. However, there exists limited knowledge regarding the connection between the microstructural properties of gels and their macroscopic rheological properties, especially concerning their potential as fat replacers in food products. The present study reveals a simple means of modulating the microstructural properties and macroscopic mechanical features of capillary whey protein oleogels, as well as their aesthetic properties. This is achieved by using whey protein variants with diverse morphologies, such as fibers, particles, and fractal clusters, or by varying the water fraction (s) and the protein concentration (φ) in the formula. Rheological scaling properties and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were employed to investigate the structural contribution of protein particles within the gel network. Furthermore, the study explores the practical applications of the derived oleogels, particularly in terms of spreadability or shortening as a potential alternative to margarine, within real food matrices. The spreadability of capillary oleogels with a protein concentration (φ) at 0.16 and 0.18 was comparable to that of commercial margarine. Meanwhile, the capillary oleogel-cake exhibited similarity to the margarine cake in textural parameters and sensory acceptability. This suggests that these capillary whey protein oleogels hold promise for applications in bakery products as margarine alternatives with low levels of saturated/ trans -fat content. [Display omitted] • Capillary oleogels can be formed by using whey protein variants with diverse morphologies. • Capillary oleogels fabricated with different particle shape have diverse mechanical features and aesthetic properties. • The microstructural of capillary oleogels can be tuned by adjusting the water fraction or the protein concentration. • Capillary whey protein oleogels hold promise for applications as margarine alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The AJCC/UICC TNM classification describes anatomic extent of tumor progression and guides treatment decisions. Our comprehensive analysis of 8,834 newly diagnosed patients with non-metastatic Epstein-Barr virus related nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from six Chinese centers indicates certain limitations in the current staging system. The 8th edition of the AJCC/UICC TNM classification inadequately differentiates patient outcomes, particularly between T2 and T3 categories and within the N classification. We propose reclassifying cases of T3 NPC with early skull-base invasion as T2, and elevating N1-N2 cases with grade 3 image-identified extranodal extension (ENE) to N3. Additionally, we suggest combining T2N0 with T1N0 into a single stage IA. For de novo metastatic (M1) NPC, we propose subdivisions of M1a, defined by 1–3 metastatic lesions without liver involvement, and M1b, characterized by >3 metastatic lesions or liver involvement. This proposal better reflects responses of NPC patients to the up-to-date treatments and their evolving risk profiles. [Display omitted] • T3 NPC with early skull invasion-only is reclassified as T2 • N1-N2 with grade 3 image-identified ENE is reclassified as N3 • T2N0 and T1N0 are merged to a single stage IA • M1 subdivides to M1a (1–3 lesions, none in liver) and M1b (>3 lesions or liver met) Du et al. develop a refinement for the current 8th editor of AJCC/UICC TNM staging system for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) related nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This proposal offers several advancements including improved hazard discrimination, enhanced hazard consistency, better sample size balance, and superior outcome prediction. Additionally, it is more in line with contemporary therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscapes play an important role in many areas of biology, in which biological lives are deeply entangled. Here we discuss a form of landscape in evolutionary biology which takes into account (1) initial growth rates, (2) mutation rates, (3) resource consumption by organisms, and (4) cyclic changes in the resources with time. The long-term equilibrium number of surviving organisms as a function of these four parameters forms what we call a success landscape, a landscape we would claim is qualitatively different from fitness landscapes which commonly do not include mutations or resource consumption/changes in mapping genomes to the final number of survivors. Although our analysis is purely theoretical, we believe the results have possibly strong connections to how we might treat diseases such as cancer in the future with a deeper understanding of the interplay between resource degradation, mutation, and uncontrolled cell growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective·To construct a prognosis-associated microRNA (miRNA) prediction model in gastric cancer patients based on bioinformatics analysis and evaluate its application value. Methods·The clinicopathological data of gastric cancer patients were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). There were 258 males and 139 females with a median age of 67 years. Three hundred and fifty-six of the 397 patients had complete clinicopathological data. The 397 patients were allocated into training cohort consisting of 278 patients and validation cohort consisting of 119 patients using the random sampling method, with a ratio of 7:3. A miRNA sequencing dataset GSE93415 containing 20 pairs of gastric cancer and corresponding adjacent normal tissue was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The candidate miRNAs were selected from differentially expressed miRNAs in gastric cancer and adjacent tissue. A prognosis associated miRNA prediction model was constructed upon survival-associated miRNAs which were selected from candidate miRNAs through LASSO-Cox regression analysis. The performance of prognosis-associated miRNA prediction model was validated in the training cohort and validation cohort. The reliability of the model was evaluated by using Log-Rank test, and the accuracy of the model was evaluated by using the area under curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves. Gene expression profiles and algorithms in the pRRophetic package were utilized to predict patients' sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs. Calibration curves were used to verify the accuracy of the nomogram. Consistency index (C-index) was used to check the consistency of the nomogram and other factors. Decision curve analysis (DCA) was employed to predict the contribution of candidate factors to clinical decision making. Results· 1 There was no significant difference in the baseline and overall survival between the training cohort and validation cohort (P>0.05). 2 There were 111 differentially expressed miRNAs calculated from GSE93415 dataset, of which 20 were up-regulated in tumor tissue while 91 were down-regulated. Fifty-nine miRNAs were selected as candidate miRNAs after filtration. 3 Among the 59 candidate miRNAs, 5 survival-associated miRNAs were selected, including let-7i-5p, let-7f-5p, miR-708-5p, miR-135b-5p and miR-100- 5p. The differential expression patterns of gastric cancer to adjacent tissue were all down-regulation, with the fold change of 2.55, 2.78, 2.17, 3.08 and 3.26. Risk score = ( -0.049xlet-7i-5p expression level -0.033 2xlet-7f-5p expression level +0.202 9xmiR-708-5p expression level -0.088 9xmiR-135b-5p expression level +0.016 3xmiR-100-5p expression level). 4 In the training cohort and the validation cohort, the overall survival rate of patients in the highrisk group was lower, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . The AUC of the prognosis-associated miRNA model for 1-, 3- and 5-year survival prediction was 0.640, 0.763 and 0.853, and was 0.631, 0.735 and 0.750 in validation cohort. 5 Results of univariate analysis showed that age, tumor pathological stage, T stage, N stage, M stage and prognosis-associated miRNA model score were related factors for prognosis of gastric cancer patients (HR=1.017, 1.633, 1.353, 1.346, 2.652, 15.874; 95%CI 1.002-1.033, 1.333-2.001, 1.109-1.650, 1.169-1.548, 1.553-4.529, 5.729-43.985; P< 0.05). Results of multivariate analysis showed that age, M stage and prognosis-associated miRNA model score were independent risk factors for prognosis of gastric cancer patients (HR=1.03, 2.27, 18.72; 95%CI 1.01-1.05, 1.09-4.70, 5.96-58.77; P<0.05). 6The AUC of the prognosis-associated miRNA model for 5-year survival prediction was 0.818 in 356 gastric cancer patients with complete clinicopathological data, higher than that of age, gender, tumor pathological stage, T stage, N stage, M stage and merged clinical factors. 7 The results of Calibration curves, C-index, and DCA all indicated that patients with gastric cancer may get more net benefits from the prognostic nomogram than age, gender and tumor pathological stage. Conclusion·A prognosisassociated miRNA prediction model that can be used to predict the survival of gastric cancer patients is constructed based on 5 miRNAs, which has a certain predictive ability to distinguish the survival status and prognosis of gastric cancer patients and can provide reference for clinical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective prediction of ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is very important for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning and other related applications. This paper proposes an ionospheric TEC prediction method using the nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) neural network, which uses previous TEC data and external time parameter inputs to establish a TEC prediction model. During the years of different solar activities, 12 datasets of 3 stations with different latitudes are used for experiments. Each dataset uses the first 120 days for training and the next 20 days for testing. For each test dataset, a sliding window strategy is adopted in the prediction process, wherein the TEC of future 2 days are predicted by the true TEC values of the previous 2 days. The results show that in the year with active solar activity (2011), the TEC prediction with the NARX network can improve the accuracy by 32.3% and 43.5%, compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model and the 2-day predicted TEC product, named C2PG. While in the year with calm solar activity (2017), the prediction accuracy can be improved by 20.7% and 22.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integral reinforcement learning (IRL)-based model-free optimal output-feedback (OPFB) control scheme is developed for linear continuous-time systems with input delay, where the input and past output data are employed rather than the system dynamic model. First, the equivalence between the delayed optimal control and delay-free case is analyzed. Subsequently, the system state is constructed with output signal and the Bellman equation is written in the form of past outputs. Therefore, the IRL algorithm is developed to learn the OPFB control policy, where the iterative policy is evaluated and improved simultaneously. It is proved that the obtained optimal OPFB controller gives the same solution as the optimal state-feedback. Finally, the presented simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the developed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an integral reinforcement learning (IRL)-based model-free optimal output-feedback (OPFB) control scheme is developed for linear continuous-time systems with input delay, where the input and past output data are employed rather than the system dynamic model. First, the equivalence between the delayed optimal control and delay-free case is analyzed. Subsequently, the system state is constructed with output signal and the Bellman equation is written in the form of past outputs. Therefore, the IRL algorithm is developed to learn the OPFB control policy, where the iterative policy is evaluated and improved simultaneously. It is proved that the obtained optimal OPFB controller gives the same solution as the optimal state-feedback. Finally, the presented simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the developed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase of the number of the two-body recombination channels strongly challenges the numerical calculation of the accurate rates for the three-body recombination (TBR) process and its reverse process, collision-induced dissociation (CID), at ultracold temperatures. By taking the 4He–4He–20Ne collision system as an example, we have obtained the rates for its TBR and CID processes involving all four recombination channels, including the two-body states 4He2 (l = 0) and 4He20Ne (l = 0, 1, 2) with l the rotational quantum number. By using the adiabatic hyperspherical method, we have considered not only total angular momentum J = 0 but also J > 0 in the ultracold collision energies (E = 0.01 − 100 mK × kB). It is found that 4He2 (l = 0) is the major product after the TBR process in the ultracold limit (E ≤ 0.1 mK × kB). The TBR rate into 4He2 (l = 0) is nearly one order of magnitude larger than the sum of the other three products, 4He20Ne (l = 0, 1, 2). Moreover, the CID rates for the three 4He20Ne (l = 0, 1, 2) + 4He initial states are close to each other and are smaller than that for the 4He2 (l = 0) + 20Ne initial state. Additionally, we have, for the first time, performed the channel-resolved scattering calculation that can explain the above-mentioned findings quantitatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Detected EBV DNA during follow-up indicated high risk of recurrence in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. • However, observation alone was routinely recommended. • Additional oral chemotherapy significantly prolongs disease-free survival for these patients. Despite the high risk of tumor recurrence, patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with persistently (at least twice) detected circulating cell-free Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels during follow-up are routinely recommended to keep observation. For these patients, whether administering more aggressive treatment could improve survival outcomes remains unknown. We retrospectively included 431 patients with nonmetastatic NPC with persistently detected EBV DNA during follow-up, who do not have clinical or imaging evidence of recurrence. Among these patients, 79 were administered oral chemotherapy, and the remaining 352 underwent observation alone. Baseline characteristics were balanced with propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. The primary endpoint was modified disease-free survival (mDFS), defined as time from detectable EBV DNA result to tumor recurrence or death. The secondary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). One-to-three PSM resulted in 251 eligible patients (oral chemotherapy group, 73; observation group, 178). In the matched cohort, the oral chemotherapy group had higher median mDFS (12.9 months [95 % confidence interval [CI] 9.6–16.3] vs. 6.8 months [95 % CI 5.8–7.8], p = 0.009) and DFS (24.1 months [95 % CI 18.5–29.7] vs. 16.7 months [95 % CI 14.4–19.1], p = 0.035) than the observation group. The median OS was numerically higher in the oral chemotherapy group than in the observation group (57.9 months [95 % CI 42.5–73.3] vs. 50.8 months [95 % CI 39.7–61.9], p = 0.71). A consistent benefit favoring oral chemotherapy was observed for mDFS in all subgroups analyses for male, <45 years, stage III-IVa disease, pretreatment EBV DNA load ≥ 4,000 copies/mL, no induction chemotherapy, or a detectable EBV DNA load ≥ 1,200 copies/mL. After adjusting for other confounders in the multivariate analysis, oral chemotherapy remained a significantly favorable factor for both mDFS (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67, 95 % CI 0.50–0.89; p = 0.006) and DFS (HR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.51–0.91; p = 0.01), but not a significant factor for OS (HR 0.89, 95 % CI 0.62–1.27; p = 0.52). In patients with NPC having persistently detected EBV DNA levels but without clinical or imaging evidence of recurrence during follow-up, oral chemotherapy significantly prolongs mDFS and DFS. Employing oral chemotherapy as a more aggressive treatment option, as opposed to mere observation, could potentially benefit these patients, although further prospective validation is necessitated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a systematic experimental and theoretical study of half-metallic Heusler alloys Mn 2 V 1−x Co x Al (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1). In this study, using the arc-melting method and optimizing annealing temperatures, we succeed to synthesize Mn 2 V 1−x Co x Al (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) alloys with evident L2 1 (or XA) order. A near compensated ferrimagnetic moment of 0.02 μB/f.u. at 5 K is observed with the Co concentration of 0.5 which is consistent with the S-P rule. In addition, we systematacially investigate the effects of Co concentration on electronic structure of Heusler alloys Mn 2 V 1−x Co x Al (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) using first-principles calculations, and found that the half-metallic characteristic persists for all Co concentrations. In line with our experimental results, employing appropriate atomic site occupation, we obtained a full compensated ferrimagnetic moment of 0 μB/f.u. for stoichiometric Mn 2 V 0.5 Co 0.5 Al alloy. In addition, the robustness of half-metallic properties for compensated ferrimagnet Mn 2 V 0.5 Co 0.5 Al with the variation of atomic disorder are investigated and the results indicate that the Mn-Al swapping weakly destroys the half-metallic properties and the compensated ferrimagnet Mn 2 V 0.5 Co 0.5 Al alloy maintains the high spin polarization under the effect of B2 disorder. • Mn 2 V 1−x Co x Al (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) alloys with evident L2 1 (or XA) order are fabricated successfully. • Magnetic properties can be regulated by component ratio of Co and V. • A full compensated ferrimagnetic moment of 0 μB/f.u. for stoichiometric Mn 2 V 0.5 Co 0.5 Al alloy is obtained. • Half-metallic properties of Mn 2 V 0.5 Co 0.5 Al is robust against atomic disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inertial underdamped collisions preserve the memory of physical parameters that existed before the collision, leading to phenomena usually unseen in overdamped systems. Here we probe the less studied inertial chiral matter with spinners on an air table. We show here the emergence of high levels of spin for a minority of (+) handed spinners in the presence of a majority of (−) handed spinners (vice versa). This deep violation of equipartition occurs due to the inertial (memory preserving) nature of elastic collisions between underdamped translating and rotating objects. Underdamped spinners of the same spin sign annihilate their spins when they elastically collide, transferring their spin angular momentum into orbital angular momentum, while oppositely handed spinners tend to preserve their individual spin levels, leading to the pumping of minority spinners to high spin levels. Entropy production and the flow of entropy in this underdamped system are also counter-intuitive, showing dramatic oscillations in time. By studying inertial spinners on an air table with different ratios between counterclockwise and clockwise species, the authors found that underdamped chiral spinners display phenomena usually unseen in overdamped chiral spinners. These include higher energy pumped into the minority species and oscillatory entropy when one species dominates the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and bone mineral density (BMD) have shown a controversial link in some studies. This research aims to study their association in males over 50 and postmenopausal females using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. Postmenopausal females and males over 50 were included in the study. MetS was defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. BMD values were measured at the thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and pelvis as the primary outcome. Weighted multivariate general linear models have been employed to explore the status of BMD in patients with MetS. Additionally, interaction tests and subgroup analyses were conducted. Utilizing the NHANES database from 2003 to 2006 and 2011–2018, we included 1924 participants, with 1029 males and 895 females. In postmenopausal women, after adjusting for covariates, we found a positive correlation between MetS and pelvic (β: 0.030 [95%CI 0.003, 0.06]) and thoracic (β: 0.030 [95%CI 0.01, 0.06]) BMD, though not for lumbar spine BMD (β: 0.020 [95%CI − 0.01, 0.05]). In males over 50 years old, MetS was positively correlated with BMD in both Model 1 (without adjusting for covariates) and Model 2 (considering age and ethnicity). Specifically, Model 2 revealed a positive correlation between MetS and BMD at the pelvis (β: 0.046 [95%CI 0.02, 0.07]), thoracic spine (β: 0.047 [95%CI 0.02, 0.07]), and lumbar spine (β: 0.040 [95%CI 0.02, 0.06]). Subgroup analysis demonstrated that the relationship between MetS and BMD remained consistent in all strata, underscoring the stability of the findings. In postmenopausal women, after adjusting for all covariates, a significant positive correlation was observed between MetS and BMD in the pelvis and thoracic spine, whereas this correlation was not significant for lumbar spine BMD. Conversely, in males, positive correlations between MetS and BMD at the lumbar spine, thoracic spine, and pelvis were identified in Model 2, which adjusted for age and ethnicity; however, these correlations disappeared after fully adjusting for all covariates. These findings highlight the potential moderating role of gender in the impact of MetS on BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two coordination polymers (CPs), [Mn(bipmo)(pbtda)(H2O)]n (1), {[Cd(bipmo)(btda)]·2(H2O)]}n (2), (bipmo = bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2pbtda = 2-phenylbutanedioic acid, H2btda = butanedioic acid), were synthesized by solvothermal methods. The products have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The topological structure of 1 is based on 2-nodal nets with the Schläfli symbol {63}{69·8}, while that of 2 features a system with a sixfold penetration with the Schläfli symbol {66}. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the pressure dependence of the structural, mechanical, and electronic properties is investigated for Fe2Si, FeSi, Fe3Si, α‐FeSi2, β‐FeSi2, Fe5Si3, and Fe11Si5 in the pressure range of 0–100 GPa based on density functional theory. The calculated lattice constants are in good agreement with the experimental results. The order of the thermodynamic stability of the seven structures is FeSi > Fe5Si3 > Fe2Si > β‐FeSi2 > Fe11Si5 > α‐FeSi2 > Fe3Si. The electronic properties are analyzed including density of states and band structures. The mechanical properties of FeSi, Fe2Si, Fe5Si3, α‐FeSi2, and β‐FeSi2 are studied thoroughly: The elastic constants are obtained under different pressures; the mechanical stability under the considered pressures is evaluated by the stability criteria. The results show that FeSi, Fe5Si3, and β‐FeSi2 are mechanically stable at pressures from 0 to 100 GPa; Fe2Si is unstable under compression; and α‐FeSi2 is unstable in the range of 60–100 GPa. The values of B, G, and E are calculated, which indicate that the ability to resist deformation of the material increases with the increase in pressure. The B/G values are calculated, suggesting that both Fe5Si3 and Fe2Si are ductile materials; the brittle–tough transition is observed in FeSi, α‐FeSi2, and β‐FeSi2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional (3D) two-fold interpenetrated coordination polymer, {[Cd(bipmo)(bpda)]·1.25(H2O)}n (1), (bipmo = bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2bpda = 1,1ʹ-biphenyl-2,2ʹ-dicarboxylic acid), was synthesized by a solvothermal method. It has been characterized by elemental analyses, infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The topological structure of 1 consists of uninodal dia nets with two-fold penetration. The thermal stability and the luminescence properties of complex 1 were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aimed to investigate miR‐93‐5p expression in tumor tissue and its in vitro effects in colorectal cancer (CRC) by targeting programmed death ligand‐1 (PD‐L1). MiR‐93‐5p and PD‐L1 expression was detected in CRC and adjacent normal tissues by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between miR‐93‐5p and PD‐L1 was validated by a dual‐luciferase reporter assay. HCT116 and SW480 cells were divided into blank, miR‐NC, miR‐93‐5p mimics, miR‐93‐5p inhibitor, PD‐L1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and miR‐93‐5p inhibitor + PD‐L1 siRNA groups, and wound‐healing and transwell assays were performed to detect cell migration and invasion, respectively. Protein expression was measured by western blotting. The secretion of cytokines was detected in the CRC cell/T coculture models. MiR‐93‐5p was downregulated in CRC tissues with upregulated PD‐L1. In PD‐L1‐negative patients, miR‐93‐5p expression was increased compared with that in PD‐L1‐positive patients. MiR‐93‐5p and PD‐L1 expression levels were associated with the tumor differentiation, lymphatic metastasis, TNM, Duke's stage, and prognosis of CRC. PD‐L1 siRNA weakened the migration and invasion abilities via decreased expression of matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1), ‐2, and ‐9, and these effects were abolished by the miR‐93‐5p inhibitor. Additionally, anti‐PD‐L1 upregulated the expressions of interleukin‐2 (IL‐2), tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), and interferon γ (IFN‐γ) in the coculture of T cells with CRC cells, but downregulated the expressions of IL‐1β, IL‐10, and TGF‐β. However, these changes were partially reversed by miR‐93‐5p inhibition. miR‐93‐5p is expected to be a novel target for CRC treatment since it decreases the migration and invasion, as well as the immune evasion, of CRC cells via targeting PD‐L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ghost imaging is usually based on the optoelectronic process and electronic computing. A new ghost imaging approach is put forward in the paper that avoids any optoelectronic or electronic process. Instead, the proposed scheme exploits all-optical correlation and the vision persistence effect to generate images observed by naked eyes. To realize high contrast naked-eye ghost imaging, a special pattern-scanning architecture on a low-speed light-modulation disk is designed, which also enables high-resolution imaging with lower-order Hadamard vectors and boosts the imaging speed. With this approach, we realize high-contrast real-time naked-eye ghost imaging for moving colored objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Targeted delivery of virus-associated antigens to professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is considered as an efficient strategy to enhance the pyrophytic effect of vaccines against rhabdovirus disease. Materials and methods: In this study, we constructed a targeted carbon nanotubes-based vaccine deliver system (SWCNTs-MG) which can recognize the signature receptor (mannose) of APCs. An environmentally and economically important disease called spring viremia of carp (SVC) was studied as a model to evaluate the feasibility of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) conjugated with mannosylated antigen for rhabdovirus prevention. Results: Results showed that SWCNTs-MG could cross into fish body and present to internal immune-related tissues through gill, muscle and intestine within 6 h immersed vaccination. With further modification of mannose moiety, the obtained nanovaccine showed enhanced uptake by carp macrophages and immune-related tissues, which would then trigger strong immune responses against spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) infection. Moreover, the survival rate of fish vaccinated with SWCNTs-MG (30 mg/L) was 63.5% after SVCV infection, whereas it was 0% for the control group. Conclusion: This study not only provide a theoretical basis and research template for the application of targeted nanovaccine system in aquatic animals, but also play an important role in supporting development of healthy aquaculture and ensuring the safety of aquatic products and ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aluminum alloy spool valve body material is prone to severe wear on the wall under the condition of oil contamination. Aiming at this problem, combined with the theory of liquid-solid two-phase flow and erosion wear, the wear prediction model of aluminum alloy sliding valve wall is established based on computational fluid dynamics, and the effects of turbulence and wall materials, particle size distribution, and particle shape on particle motion are discussed. The calculation of the wear prediction model is done with Fluent software. This study predicts the wear of the wall under actual working conditions and calculates the influence of particle size, particle shape, and pressure difference on the wall wear of the aluminum alloy sliding valve. The research results have certain significance for the maintenance and upkeep of aluminum alloy sliding valve wall, improved design, and life prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish a theoretical model to analyze the photoassociative spectroscopy of 85Rb 133Cs molecules in the (3)3Σ+ state. The vibrational energy, spin–spin coupling constant, and hyperfine interaction constant of the (3)3Σ+ state are determined based on nine observed vibrational levels. Consequently, the Rydberg–Klein–Rees potential energy curve of the (3)3Σ+ state is obtained and compared with the ab initial potential energy curve. Our model can be adopted to analyze the photoassociative spectroscopy of other heteronuclear alkali-metal diatomic molecules in the (3)3Σ+ state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A target-guidance separation strategy composed of activity screening process with high-performance liquid chromatography and separating process with high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) has been developed and used to screen and separate radical scavengers from Lycium barbarum extract. Two compounds were found to be radical scavengers and dual-mode HSCCC was used to separate these two defined compounds due to the big gap in polarity between them. Rutin and quercetin were separated with purities of 96.5% and 95.0%. Their structures were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and both of them exhibit potent radical scavenging activity with the IC50 values being 20.07 ± 0.10 and 3.11 ± 0.03 μg/mL, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two coordination polymers, {[Co(bipmo)(tbip)]·3H2O}n (1) and {[Cd(bipmo)(tbip)]·3H2O}n (2) (bipmo=bis(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone, H2tbip=5-tert-butylisophthalic acid), were synthesized by solvothermal methods and structurally characterized by elemental analyses, infrared spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data indicate that the solid state structures of 1 and 2 consist of metal-aromatic carboxylate layers, which are pillared by weak interactions to generate a three-dimensional network. The topological structures of 1 and 2 are uninodal nets based on 3-connected nodes with the Schläfli symbol of {63}. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computationally intensive disciplines such as computational biology often require use of a variety of tools implemented in different scripting languages and analysis of large data sets using high-performance computing systems. Although scientific workflow systems can powerfully organize and execute large-scale data-analysis processes, creating and maintaining such workflows usually comes with nontrivial learning curves and engineering overhead, making them cumbersome to use for everyday data exploration and prototyping. To bridge the gap between interactive analysis and workflow systems, we developed Script of Scripts (SoS), an interactive data-analysis platform and workflow system with a strong emphasis on readability, practicality, and reproducibility in daily computational research. For exploratory analysis, SoS has a multilanguage scripting format that centralizes otherwise-scattered scripts and creates dynamic reports for publication and sharing. As a workflow engine, SoS provides an intuitive syntax for creating workflows in process-oriented, outcome-oriented, and mixed styles, as well as a unified interface for executing and managing tasks on a variety of computing platforms with automatic synchronization of files among isolated file systems. As illustrated herein by real-world examples, SoS is both an interactive analysis tool and pipeline platform suitable for different stages of method development and data-analysis projects. In particular, SoS can be easily adopted in existing data analysis routines to substantially improve organization, readability, and cross-platform computation management of research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A nickel coordination polymer with V-shaped ligands, {[(L1)2Ni(H2O)2] · 2(C8H5O4)}n, (L1 = 4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)methanone) has been synthesized under the solvothermal conditions. The structure has been determined by the single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and characterized by the infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The crystal is crystallized in the monoclinic sp. gr. P21/c with the unit cell parameters a = 15.6387(3) Å, b = 8.0526(2) Å, c = 24.4791(6) Å, and β = 129.2350(10)°, Z = 2. The adjacent [Ni(H2O)2] units are linked by two bridging L1 ligands to form 1D looped chains, which are extended by the hydrogen bonds to yield a 3D framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the ghost imaging quality and speed remains a challenging task. Here, we propose an optimization algorithm model to the ghost imaging by employing principal components analysis and companding technique. By choosing appropriate parameters of the principal components and the companding function, the ghost image quality is enhanced. A good agreement between the simulation and the experiment result is obtained. In addition, we demonstrate the method with a complicated sample compared with the other five existing algorithms, indicating its advantages for wide range of applications. At last, a criteria function is firstly proposed and built to optimize the parameters for better reconstruction result without the prior information of the object. This optimization model may offer a promising implementation of de-noising ghost imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), which belong to the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, have been implicated in various biological and physiological processes, especially in the gonad development. However, scarce studies were focused on the roles of BMPs in the reproductive system of crustaceans. In this study, the whole gene encoding BMP7 protein was cloned and characterized firstly in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis . The bioinformatics analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence showed that Es-BMP7 was composed of prodomain/latency-associated peptide and the TGF-β characteristic domain. The sequence conservation and phylogenetic analysis were also conducted. Quantitative real-time PCR was conducted indifferent tissues. The highest expression in testis indicated the potential role of BMP7 to male gonad development. Western blot results showed the different translational levels of BMP7 in different tissues. In-situ hybridization revealed that the expression of es-bmp7 signals presented in a bimodal manner: highest in spermatogonia, decreased in spermatocytes and stage I spermatids, disappeared in stage II spermatids, and showed up again in stage III spermatids and mature sperm. To further verify the potential roles during spermatogenesis, immunofluorescence was conducted and results showed the similar expression tendency with in situ hybridization. The protein signal was highest in the cytoplasm of spermatogonia, continued to decline in the cytoplasm of spermatocytes and the following stages, and weak signal was found in the mature sperm. Taken together, our results revealed that Es-BMP7 might play a part in testis development in Eriocheir sinensis , presumably by maintaining the self-renewal of spermatogonia and promoting the germ cell differentiation/meiotic mitosis, or facilitating the successful fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iridium-rhodium is generally applied as a thermocouple material, with max operating temperature about 2150 °C. In this study, a ultrasonic temperature measurement system was designed by using Iridium-rhodium (60%Ir–40%Rh) alloy as an acoustic waveguide sensor material, and the system was preliminarily tested in a high-temperature oxidation environment. The result of ultrasonic temperature measurement shows that this system can indeed work stably in high-temperature oxidation environments. The relationship between temperature and delay time of ultrasonic thermometry up to 2200 °C was illustrated. Iridium-rhodium materials were also investigated in order to fully elucidate the proposed waveguide sensor’s performance in a high-temperature oxidation environment. This system lays a foundation for further application of high-temperature measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]