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With the development of artificial intelligence, numerous researchers are attracted to study new heuristic algorithms and improve traditional algorithms. Artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm inspired by the foraging behavior of honeybees, which is one of the most widely applied methods to solve optimization problems. However, the traditional ABC has some shortcomings such as under-exploitation and slow convergence, etc. In this study, a novel variant of ABC named chaotic and neighborhood search-based ABC algorithm (CNSABC) is proposed. The CNSABC contains three improved mechanisms, including Bernoulli chaotic mapping with mutual exclusion mechanism, neighborhood search mechanism with compression factor, and sustained bees. In detail, Bernoulli chaotic mapping with mutual exclusion mechanism is introduced to enhance the diversity and the exploration ability. To enhance the convergence efficiency and exploitation capability of the algorithm, the neighborhood search mechanism with compression factor and sustained bees are presented. Subsequently, a series of experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the three presented mechanisms and the superiority of the proposed CNSABC, the results demonstrate that the proposed CNSABC has better convergence efficiency and search ability. Finally, the CNSABC is applied to solve two engineering optimization problems, experimental results show that CNSABC can produce satisfactory solutions., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: Due to inconsistency in neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) response in advanced gastric cancer (GC), the indications remain the source of controversy. This study focused on identifying factors related to NACT chemosensitivity and providing the best treatment for GC cases., Methods: Clinical data in 867 GC cases treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy were downloaded from two medical centers between January 2014 and December 2020, and analyzed by logistic regression and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) for identifying potential factors that predicted NACT response and might be incorporated in constructing the prediction nomogram., Results: After the inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, totally 460 cases were enrolled, among which, 307 were males (66.74%) whereas 153 were females (33.26%), with the age of 24-77 (average, 59.37 ± 10.60) years. Consistent with RECIST standard, 242 patients were classified into effective group (PR or CR) while 218 were into ineffective group (PD or SD), with the effective rate of 52.61%. In training set, LASSO and logistic regression analysis showed that five risk factors were significantly associated with NACT effectiveness, including tumor location, Smoking history, T and N stages, and differentiation. In terms of our prediction model, its C-index was 0.842. Moreover, calibration curve showed that the model-predicted results were in good consistence with actual results. Validation based on internal and external validation sets exhibited consistency between training set results and ours., Conclusions: This study identified five risk factors which were significantly associated with NACT response, including smoking history, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, tumor location and differentiation. The prediction model that exhibited satisfying ability to predict NACT effectiveness was constructed, which may be adopted for identifying the best therapeutic strategy for advanced GC by gastrointestinal surgeons., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Gastric cancer (GC) is still a vital malignant cancer across the world with unsatisfactory prognostic results. Matrilin-3 (MATN3) is a member of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein family. The present research intends to explore the expression level of MATN3 in patients with GC and to explore the prognosis significance of MATN3. In this study, we observed that the MATN3 expression was remarkably upregulated in GC samples in contrast to noncancer samples. Clinical analyses unveiled that high MATN3 expression was related to age, tumor status, and clinical stages. Survival analyses unveiled that patients with high MATN3 expression displayed a poorer overall survival and progression-free survival than those with low MATN3 expression. The AUC of the relevant ROC curve for 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years of survival is 0.571, 0.596, and 0.720, separately. Multivariate assays revealed that MATN3 expression and stage were independent predictors of poor prognosis of GC patients. A meta-analysis unveiled that high MATN3 expression was tightly associated with better overall survival. Overall, our data indicated that MATN3 may have a diagnostic and prognostic value for patients with advanced gastric cancer and assist to improve clinical outcomes for GC patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Pan Wang et al.)

This study examined the role of individual differences in horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism, trust and worries, and concerns about COVID-19 in predicting the attitudes toward compliance of health advice and psychological responses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese university students ( N =384, 324 female) completed measures of individualism and collectivism, trust, attitudes toward compliance, and psychological responses to the pandemic. Results showed that not only vertical collectivist orientation but also horizontal individualist orientation significantly predicted higher willingness to comply, whereas vertical individualist orientation significantly predicted lower willingness to comply. Vertical individualist and vertical collectivist orientations predicted higher psychological response in terms of distress, anxiety, and depression, while horizontal collectivistic orientation significantly predicted less psychological problems. Implications of the effect of individual-level cultural orientations on attitudes toward public health compliance and psychological well-being during global health crises are discussed., Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Xiao.)

Gastric cancer is a common malignancy worldwide. The prognosis of early stage gastric cancer patients has significantly improved in recent years. However, in progressive stage gastric cancer patients, the prognosis remains relatively poor due to tumor metastases. In our previous study, we showed that the expression of miR‑711 in gastric cancer tissues is low, and restoration of miR‑711 inhibited the invasion and migration and the occurrence of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) in gastric cancer cells. Yet, the mechanisms involved in these processes remain unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that miR‑711‑mediated downregulation of CD44 expression inhibited EMT of gastric cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by downregulating vimentin protein expression and upregulating E‑cadherin protein expression through transfection, qRT‑PCR and western blotting. Therefore, miR‑711 may provide a promising target for EMT‑related therapy for gastric cancer.

In order to investigate the characteristics and sources of elements in atmospheric aerosols (PM 10 ) measurements, samples were collected between April 2012 and February 2013 in Huangshi, a typical industrial city in the east of Hubei province, China. These samples were analyzed for seventeen elements using wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. In addition, the pollution characteristics of fourteen elements were analyzed by an enrichment factor (EF) method, and the sources of these elements were studied by a principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) method. The result from the EF indicated that the concentration of the seventeen elements in the PM 10 measurements varied from 0.01-9.83 μg·m -3 . The elemental concentration of S was the highest and Ni and V was the lowest during the monitoring period in Huangshi. Daily levels of Pb and Cd exceeded the annual reference values set by the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (GB3095-2012) by 36.4% and 89.1%, respectively. An analysis of EF showed that Ti, V, Mn, and Ni elements were mildly enriched, indicating they were affected by both natural and anthropogenic sources. Ca, Cr, and Ba elements were moderately enriched and Cu, Zn, Pb, Sn, Sb, and Fe were highly enriched or hyper accumulated, suggesting they are mainly sourced from human activities. There were four sources significantly contributing to the elements in the PM 10 measurement, which were determined using PCA and PMF analysis. These were soil and fugitive dust, coal combustion, industry exhausts, and motor vehicle emissions. The results of the two models supported each other and had good consistency.

The surface water and surface sediments were collected from Daye Lake in April 2014. The concentrations of heavy metals were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The pollution potential health risk and ecological risk of heavy metals in water and sediment were assessed by the health risk assessment model and the potential ecological risk index method. The results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals (Ni, Cd, Cu and Pb) was 49.27 μg·L -1 , 2.19 μg·L -1 , 12.18 μg·L -1 , 12.13 μg·L -1 (water) and 78.46 mg·kg -1 , 77.13 mg·kg -1 , 650.13 mg·kg -1 and 134.22 mg·kg -1 (sediment). Enrichment coefficient indicated that the enrichment of Cd, Cu and Pb was more serious, especially the accumulation of Cd was the most obvious. Compared to typical lakes in China, the contents of heavy metals in water and sediment were relatively high. The spatial pollutant distribution of the heavy metals in water and sediment all presented that the concentrations of the heavy metals were relatively higher in east and west of Daye Lake, relatively more uniform in the middle, and their origins were mainly from human activities. The results of environmental risk indicated that the carcinogens and chemical non-carcinogens health risk values of heavy metals by drinking water pathway were 9.77E-08~1.63E-05a -1 . Therefore, the pollution of Ni and Cd should be the primary control target for environmental health risk management. The descending order of pollution degree of four metals in sediment was Cd> Cu> Pb> Ni, and Cd was the main contributor of the potential ecological risk elements.

8 surface sediments and 8 water samples were collected from the Daye Lake in August 2015.The 16 kinds of EPA control polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were analyzed by GC-MS.The results showed that the PAHs concentrations of surface sediments and water ranged from 35.94 ng·g -1 to 2032.73 ng·g -1 and from 27.94 ng·L -1 to 242.95 ng·L -1 ,with average contents of 940.61 ng·g -1 and 107.77ng·L -1 ,respectively.The distribution of PAHs in surface sediments indicated that the contents in the center samples were higher than those in the bank samples,but the water showed nearly the opposite tendency.The 4-5 rings high molecular weight PAHs were the main components in the surface sediments,and the 2,4 and 5 rings PAHs were given priority in water.Compared with the other domestic and oversea lakes,the PAHs pollution of the Daye Lake was at a moderate level.Source apportionment showed that the PAHs in surface sediments and water from the Daye Lake came from the combustion source,HWM-PAHs were the dominant part of the PAHs in the sediment,reflecting the sediment PAHs pollution under the effects of mining and smelting over a long period;All monomer PAHs and total PAHs content in sediment did not exceed the ERM and FEL limiting values,showing that there was no particularly serious ecological risk caused by PAHs in the surface sediments from the Daye Lake;the incremental lifetime cancer risks assessment showed that the uptake risk of PAHs in Daye Lake water through the ingestion and dermal absorption were both in the acceptable range recommended by the USEPA,but all sites had higher risk than the acceptable risk level recommended by the Sweden environmental protection agency and Royal society.The pollution of seven carcinogenic PAHs needs prevention and control.

We examined the effect of visual experience on the magnitude of a novel eye-size illusion: when the size of a face's frame is increased or decreased but eye size is unchanged, observers judge the size of the eyes to be different from that in the original face frame. In the current study, we asked Chinese and Caucasian participants to judge eye size in different pairs of faces and measured the magnitude of the illusion when the faces were own- or other-age (adult vs. infant faces) and when the faces were own- or other-race (Chinese vs. Caucasian faces). We found an other-age effect and an other-race effect with the eye-size illusion: The illusion was more pronounced with own-race and own-age faces than with other-race and other-age faces. These findings taken together suggest that visual experience with faces influences the magnitude of this novel illusion. Extensive experience with certain face categories strengthens the illusion in the context of these categories, but lack of it reduces the magnitude of the illusion. Our results further imply that holistic processing may play an important role in engendering the eye-size illusion., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The present study examined whether perceptual individuation training with other-race faces could reduce preschool children's implicit racial bias. We used an 'angry = outgroup' paradigm to measure Chinese children's implicit racial bias against African individuals before and after training. In Experiment 1, children between 4 and 6 years were presented with angry or happy racially ambiguous faces that were morphed between Chinese and African faces. Initially, Chinese children demonstrated implicit racial bias: they categorized happy racially ambiguous faces as own-race (Chinese) and angry racially ambiguous faces as other-race (African). Then, the children participated in a training session where they learned to individuate African faces. Children's implicit racial bias was significantly reduced after training relative to that before training. Experiment 2 used the same procedure as Experiment 1, except that Chinese children were trained with own-race Chinese faces. These children did not display a significant reduction in implicit racial bias. Our results demonstrate that early implicit racial bias can be reduced by presenting children with other-race face individuation training, and support a linkage between perceptual and social representations of face information in children., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Previous research has shown that 3-month-olds prefer own- over other-race faces. The current study used eye-tracking methodology to examine how this visual preference develops with age beyond 3 months and how infants differentially scan between own- and other-race faces when presented simultaneously. We showed own- versus other-race face pairs to 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old Chinese infants. In contrast with 3-month-olds' visual preference for own-race faces, 9-month-olds preferentially looked more at other-race faces. Analyses of eye-tracking data revealed that Chinese infants processed own- and other-race faces differentially. These findings shed important light on the role of visual experience in the development of visual preference and its relation to perceptual narrowing., ((c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).)

Each 20 water samples and soil samples (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm) were collected from the riparian zone of Daye Lake in dry season during March 2013. Heavy metals (Cu, Ph, Cd, Zn) have been detected by flame atomic absorption spectrometric (FAAS). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn in the water were 7.14, 25.94, 15.72 and 37.58 microg x L(-1), respectively. The concentration of Cu was higher than the five degree of the surface water environment quality standard. The average concentrations of Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn in soil(0-10 cm) were 108.38, 53.92, 3.55, 139.26 mg x kg(-1) in soil (10-20 cm) were 93.00, 51.72, 2.08, 171.00 mg x kg(-1), respectively. The Cd concentrations were higher than the three grade value of the national soil environment quality standard. The transportation of Pb from soil to water was relatively stable, and Zn was greatly influenced by soil property and the surrounding environment from soil to water. The transformation of heavy metal in west riparian zone was higher than that of east riparian zone. The potential environmental risk was relatively high. Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn were dominated by residue fraction of the modified BCR sequential extraction method. The overall migration order of heavy metal element was: Pb > Cu > Cd > Zn. There were stronger transformation and higher environmental pollution risk of Cu, Pb. The index of assessment and potential ecological risk coefficient indicated that heavy metal pollution in soil (0-10 cm) was higher than the soil (10-20 cm), Cd was particularly serious.

Recent research indicates that moral judgment and 1st-order theory of mind abilities are related. What is not known, however, is how 2nd-order theory of mind is related to moral judgment. In the present study, we extended previous findings by administering a morally relevant theory of mind task (an accidental transgressor) to 4- to 7-year-old Chinese children (N = 79) and analyzing connections with 2nd-order theory of mind understanding. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we found that above and beyond age, children's 1st-order theory of mind and 2nd-order theory of mind each significantly and uniquely contributed to children's moral evaluations of the intention in the accidental transgression. These findings highlight the important roles that 1st- and 2nd-order theory of mind play in leading children to make appropriate moral judgments based on an actor's intention in a social situation., (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.)

The present study investigated how 6- and 9-month-old Caucasian infants scan Caucasian and Chinese dynamic faces using eye-tracking methodology. Analyses of looking times revealed that with increased age, infants decreased their looking time to other-race noses, while maintaining their looking time for own-race noses. From 6 to 9 months, infants increased their looking time for the eyes of both races of faces. Analyses of scan paths showed that infants were no more likely to shift their fixation between the eyes of own-race faces than other-race faces. Similarity between participants' scan paths suggested that facial information was collected more efficiently for own- versus other-race faces at 9 months of age. Combined with previous eye-tracking studies of infants' face scanning (Liu et al. [2011] Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 108, 180-189; Wheeler et al. [2011] PLoS ONE, 6, e18621. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018621; Xiao et al. [2013] International Journal of Behavioral Development, 37, 100-105), the findings are interpreted in the context of perceptual narrowing and suggest differential contributions of visual experience, facial physiognomy, and culture in accounting for similarity and difference in infants scanning of own- and other-race faces., (© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Rakover [(2011). In Y. H. Zhang (Ed.), Advances in face image analysis: Techniques and technologies (pp. 316-333). Hershey, PA: IGI Global] observed a novel eye-size illusion: when increasing the size of a face but keeping the size of its eyes unchanged, the eyes are perceived to be smaller than in the original face. Here, we systematically manipulated the face size and found that the magnitude of this illusion linearly changed as a function of the face frame size (experiment 1). Additionally, the same magnitude of an illusion was observed for the perception of the size of the mouth when we changed the face frame but kept the mouth size constant (experiment 2). Further, when the faces and eyes were presented upside down, the magnitude of the illusion was significantly reduced in both Chinese participants (experiment 3) and Caucasian participants (experiment 4). The results suggest that the perception of eye or mouth size occurs in the relational context of the whole face; and when the face is inverted, thereby disrupting holistic processing, the magnitude of the illusion is reduced. We therefore suggest that holistic processing is involved in producing the illusion.

The present study investigated whether infants visually scan own- and other-race faces differently as well as how these differences in face scanning develop with age. A multi-method approach was used to analyze the eye-tracking data of 6- and 9-month-old Caucasian infants scanning dynamically displayed own- and other-race faces. We found that 6-month-olds showed differential fixation, fixating significantly more on the left eye and mouth of own-race faces, but more on the nose of other-race faces. Infants at 9 months of age fixated more on the eyes of own-race faces, but more on the mouth of other-race faces. A scan path analysis revealed that infants shifted their attention between the eyes of the own-race faces significantly more frequently than for other-race faces. Overall, younger and older infants responded differentially to own- versus other-race faces not only in the absolute amount of time spent fixating specific features, but also on their fixation shifts between features.

Objective: To determine the long-term testicular effect after neonatal exposure to 2,2', 4,4',5,5'-hexa-chlorobiphenyl (PCB153)., Methods: On birth day (Postnatal day 0, PNDO), the Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were mixed together and divided into 12 pups/litter. At PND1, the rats were grouped randomly into control and treatment groups according to different litters, 24 pups/group. They were treated by oral gavage with PCB153 in corn oil at doses of 0, 0.025, 0.250 and 2.500 mg/kg BW-day from PNDI to PND7. The rats were sacrificed at PND8 and PND90 by anesthesia. The testes were collected and weighed for histological examination and daily sperm production at PND8 or/and PND90. The epididymidis and the epididymidis cauda also were collected and weighed for determination the sperm counts at PND90., Results: The body weight of 2.500 mg/kg dose group was decreased significantly from PND3 to PND8 compared with that of control (P < 0.05). At PND8, the loose structure in seminiferous cord and the spermatogonia with enlarged volume and detached from the cord were observed in 2.500 mg/kg dose group by light microscope and electronic microscopy. With the increase of exposure doses, the testicular daily sperm production (DSP) and the sperm counts of epididymidis cauda were decreased in dose-dependent manner at PND90. The DSP in 0.250 mg/kg [30 x 10(6)/testis(g)] and 2.500 mg/kg [18 x l0(6)/testis(g)] dose groups were significantly reduced compared with that of control [36 x 10(6)/testis(g)] (P < 0.05). And there was a significant reduction in the sperm counts of epididymidis cauda in 0.250 mg/kg [42 x 10(7)/epididymidis cauda (g)] and 2.500 mg/kg [18 x 10(7)/epididymidis cauda (g)] dose groups compared with that of control [51 x 10(7)/epididymidis cauda (g)] (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The spermatogenesis of adult testis is disturbed, which causes the decrease in the testicular DSP and the sperm counts of epididymidis cauda after neonatal exposure to PCB153. The long-term damage in male reproductive function is caused by neonatal exposure to chemicals.

Objective: To investigate the effects of neonatal exposure of DNA methylation inhibitor, Cadmium and PCB153 on DNA methylation, apoptosis and spermatogenesis in SD rats., Methods: Neonatal SD rats were randomly divided into 10 groups and received oral administrations of PCB153 (0.025, 0. 250, 2.500 mg/kg), or Cadmium (1, 2, 4 mg/kg), or positive control 5-Aza-CdR (0.025, 0.250 mg/kg), or vehicle control for five days from PND3. Half of the rats were killed 24 h after the last administration. The remains were fed until 12 weeks. Sperm numbers, apoptosis and DNA methylation levels in testis were investigated., Results: The daily sperm production was significantly decreased in each neonatal exposed group (P < 0.05). Neonatal rats exposed to 5-Aza-CdR and Cadmium reduced the global DNA methylation level, increased apoptosis, while PCB153 exposure did not significantly change DNA methylation and apoptosis., Conclusion: Neonatal rats exposed to chemicals could reduce spermatogenesis via multiple pathways. Lower DNA methylation and increased neonatal apoptosis were suggested as one of the causes.

The pressure-induced phase transition of rutile-structured TiO2 was investigated by in-situ Raman spectrum method in a laser-heated diamond anvil cell (DAC). The experiment was conducted at 35 GPa under quasihydrostatic conditions using argon as medium. At room temperature, the rutile-type TiO2 begins to transform to baddeleyite-type phase at 13.4 GPa and completes at 21 GPa, and this new high-pressure structure retains up to 35 GPa, the upmost pressure used in this study. At the pressure of 29.4 GPa the sample of baddeleyite-type TiO2 was heated by an YAG laser to about 1 000-1500 degrees C, and then the baddeleyite phase transformed to a Pbca phase. The Pbca phase was heated again at 35.0 GPa and it was still stable. The sample then began to be decompressed, and the Pbca phase of TiO2 transformed to baddeleyite structure at 26.3 GPa, which stayed stable to 11.4 GPa. The formation of Pbca phase from baddeleyite phase needs the condition of high temperature, it transforms back to badde-leyite structure completely at pressure of a little below that on its formation, which suggests the boundary of the two phases can be determined at about 28 GPa. At 7. 6 GPa, and the Raman spectrum shows the characteristics of the mixture of two phases of baddeleyite-type and alpha-PbO2-type, which indicates that the baddeleyite phase transforms to alpha-PbO2 phase at about 7 GPa. The alpha-PbO2-type TiO2 is metastable under ambient condition.

Changbaishan diatomite was treated under the conditions of temperature from 100 to 1330 degrees C, and examined by infrared spectroscopy applying the KBr-technique. In the range from 250 to 1500 cm(-1), the spectra of the samples at 100 to 1100 degrees C show the same three characteristic broad bands at 1100, 801 and 471 cm(-1), which are similar to amorphous silica. Besides the above three broad bands, the spectra of 1200 and 1330 degrees C treated samples exhibit three new bands at 618, 386 and 301 cm(-1), which indicate that the diatornite transforms into cristobalite. While all of the eleven samples show an asymmetric broad band at 3440 cm(-1) in the range from 3000 to 4000 cm(-1), the spectrum of 500 degrees C treated sample begins to exhibit a 3745 cm(-1) band assigning to isolated Si-OH group stretching vibration. The 3745 cm(-1) band shows the highest intensity at 900 degrees C, and disappears at 1200 degrees C. According to the absorbance of the 3745 cm(-1) band of different temperature treated samples, the H2O content in the form of Si-OH group was calculated semi-quantitatively, which indicates that the Si-OH group exists at the internal structure defects in addition to existing at the surface. The transform mechanism of diatomite into cristobalite was also discussed.