Search

Abstract Typical weak signal search experiments rely on resonant effects, where the resonance frequency is scanned over a broad range, resulting in significant time consumption. In this study, we demonstrate an accelerated strategy that surpasses the typical resonance-bandwidth limited scan step without compromising sensitivity. We apply this method to an alkali-noble-gas spin system, achieving an approximately 30-fold increase in scanning step size. Additionally, we obtain an ultrahigh sensitivity of 1.29 fT ⋅ Hz−1/2 at around 5 Hz, corresponding to an energy resolution of approximately 1.8 × 10−23eV ⋅ Hz−1/2, which is among the highest quantum energy resolutions reported. Furthermore, we use this sensor to search for axion-like particles, setting stringent constraints on axion-like particles (ALPs) in the 4.5–15.5 Hz Compton-frequency range coupling to neutrons and protons, improving on previous limits by several-fold. This accelerated strategy has potential applications in other resonant search experiments.

Introduction Reducing neonatal deaths in premature infants in low- and middle-income countries is key to reducing global neonatal mortality. International neonatal networks, along with patient registries of premature infants, have contributed to improving the quality of neonatal care; however, the involvement of low-to-middle-income countries was limited. This project aims to form an international collaboration among neonatal networks in Asia (AsianNeo), including low-, middle- and high-income countries (or regions). Specifically, it aims to determine outcomes in sick newborn infants, especially very low birth weight (VLBW) infants or very preterm infants, with a view to improving the quality of care for such infants.Methods and analysis Currently, AsianNeo comprises nine neonatal networks from Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. AsianNeo will undertake the following four studies: (1) institutional questionnaire surveys investigating neonatal intensive care unit resources and the clinical management of sick newborn infants, with a focus on VLBW infants (nine countries/regions); (2) a retrospective cohort study to describe and compare the outcomes of VLBW infants among Asian countries and regions (four countries/regions); (3) a prospective cohort study to develop the AsianNeo registry of VLBW infants (six countries/regions); and (4) implementation and evaluation of educational and quality improvement projects in AsianNeo countries and regions (nine countries/regions).Ethics and dissemination The study protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board of the National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, Japan (reference number 2020–244, 2022–156). The study findings will be disseminated through educational programmes, quality improvement activities, conference presentations and medical journal publications.

Objectives There is no clear consensus so far on which fixation method is most favorable for the tibial tunnel in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the outcome of RigidFix cross pins fixation in the tibial tunnel and to explore the advantages of RigidFix applied both in the femoral and tibial tunnel with hamstring tendon graft in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Methods This retrospective study included 53 patients (male/female, 45/8) who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using autologous hamstring tendons between January 2013 and December 2017 at our institute. The participants in group A (n = 36) received anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with RigidFix cross pins fixation in both femoral and tibial tunnels, while those in group B (n = 17) with RigidFix cross pins fixation in the femoral tunnel and Interference screw fixation in the tibial tunnel. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective knee form 2000 (IKDC2000) score, Lysholm knee scoring scale, Tegner activity score and the side‐to‐side difference were compared at 2 and 5 years postoperatively. The graft diameter, number of strands in graft and the average diameter of each strand were also compared between the two groups. The categorical parameters were analyzed by chi‐square test and the continuous variables conforming to a normal distribution were analyzed by Student's t‐test. Results At 2 years postoperation, the VAS score (1.61 ± 0.55), side‐to‐side difference (1.50 ± 0.58) in group A were significantly lower than that in group B, and the IKDC2000 score (88.81 ± 3.88), Tegner activity score (6.14 ± 0.60) in group A were significantly higher than that in group B. At 5 years postoperation, the VAS score (1.64 ± 0.68), side‐to‐side difference (1.73 ± 0.63) in group A were significantly lower than that in group B, and the IKDC2000 score (89.09 ± 3.85), Tegner activity score (6.58 ± 0.94) in group A were slso significantly higher than that in group B. There was statistical difference in the change of the side‐to‐side difference between the two groups (group A vs. B, 0.22 ± 0.08 vs. 0.34 ± 0.11, p

The taxonomic status of Gloydius shedaoensis qianshanensis Li, 1999 has long been debated due to its narrow distribution range, low population, loss of type specimens, and lack of detailed descriptions. Neotypes were designated based on newly collected specimens in the Qianshan Mountain area, detailed comparisons between G. s. shedaoensis, and G. s. qianshanensis were recorded, while we redescribed G. s. qianshanensis. PCA results based on the external morphology of the two subspecies of G. shedaoensis demonstrate the inter-population distinction of G. s. shedaoensis and G. s. qianshanensis, including head length, and dorsoventral-postorbital stripe width. Additionally, the ecological data of G. s. qianshanensis were recorded as supplements while providing further conservation strategies.

Introduction: Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a clinical syndrome with high short-term mortality. ACLF has been increasingly studied in recent years; however, a bibliometric analysis of the entire ACLF field has not been conducted. This study assesses current global trends and hotspots in ACLF research. Materials and methods: The core Web of Science database was searched for all ACLF-related publications conducted during 2012–2022. The data included information on the author, country, author keywords, publication year, citation frequency, and references. Microsoft Excel was used to collate the data and calculate percentages. VOSviewer software was used for citation and density visualization analysis. Histogram rendering was performed using GraphPad Prism Version 8.0 and R software was used to supplement the analysis. Result: A total of 1609 ACLF-related articles from 67 different countries were identified. China contributed the most literature, followed by the United States. However, Chinese literature only had the 4th highest number of citations, indicating that cooperation with other countries needs to be strengthened. The Journal of Hepatology had the highest number of ACLF-related citations. Prognosis was one of the most common author keywords, which may highlight current research hotspots. Bacterial infection was a common keyword and was closely related to prognosis. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis suggests that future research hotspots will focus on the interplay among bacterial infection, organ failure, and prognosis.

Abstract The ultralight boson represents a promising dark matter candidate exhibiting unique wave-like behaviors. These properties could transfer to the dark mediator, such as the kinetic mixing dark photon, which can be a link between the dark and Standard Model sectors, resulting in periodic oscillations of its mass. We propose a method to detect ultralight dark matter using dark mediators in collider and beam dump experiments, distinguishing it from conventional atomic, molecular, and optical methods. The time-varying nature of dark mediator mass exhibits a double-peak spectrum, reducing traditional constraints by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude, due to decreased luminosity exposure in each resonant mass bin. To enhance sensitivity, we utilize event time-stamps in the CMS Open Data and demonstrate that this technique boosts sensitivity by approximately one order of magnitude compared to the time-blind method. Moreover, it proves effective in detecting the invisible decay of the dark mediator.

Food foraging behavior requires higher cognitive function like investing efforts in decision making. Hoarding food for the future consumption in adverse climatic conditions or to avoid predatory threats needs precise perception and potential of decision making to overcome challenges in the time of need. The brain areas and neural circuitry responsible for such cognitive skills are poorly understood. Previously available animal models are trained prior to test, which makes it difficult to understand the true nature of animals, and hoard the food from external source into the cage. The new food foraging behavior test, recently developed and evidenced by Li et al., relies on untrained rats and test the competitive ability and hoarding from source within the test box. It can be used to study decision making potentials and underlying neural bases in laboratory settings. Multiple aspects like food quality/flavor preference, competitive nature can be assessed within the test box and the paradigm is conveniently customizable according the hypothesis. However, a detailed protocol guide, to be followed in the laboratory setting, for food foraging behavior test is not available. Therefore, it is urged to produce an elaborated guide for scientists to conduct food foraging behavior test in convenient and precise manner.

Essential oils extracted from plant sources along with their biologically active components may have negative effects on insects. Diallyl trisulfide (DAT) is an active component of garlic essential oil, and it exhibits multi-targeted activity against many organisms. Previously we reported that DAT induces male infertility and leads to apyrene and eupyrene sperm dysfunction in Sitotroga cerealella. In this study, we conducted an analysis of testis-specific RNA-Seq data and identified 449 downregulated genes and 60 upregulated genes in the DAT group compared to the control group. The downregulated genes were significantly enriched in the ubiquitin–proteasome pathway. Furthermore, DAT caused a significant reduction in mRNA expression of proteasome regulatory subunit particles required for ATP-dependent degradation of ubiquitinated proteins as well as decreased the expression profile of proteasome core particles, including β1, β2, and β5. Sperm physiological analysis showed that DAT decreased the chymotrypsin-like activity of the 20S proteasome and formed aggresomes in spermatozoa. Overall, our findings suggest that DAT impairs the testis proteasome, ultimately causing male infertility characterized by oligoasthenoteratospermia due to disruption in sperm proteasome assembly in S. cerealella.

Abstract The coannihilation mechanism is a well-motivated alternative to the simple thermal freeze-out mechanism, where the dark matter relic density can be obtained through the coannihilation with a partner particle of similar mass with dark matter. When the partner particle is neutral, the inelastic nature of dark matter can help it to escape the direct detection limits. In this work, we focus on the coannihilation scenario in which the annihilation cross section is dominated by the partner-partner pair annihilation. We pay special interest on the parameter space where the coannihilation partner is long-lived, which leads to displaced signatures at the collider. In such case, it opens the heavy mass parameter space for the coannihilation dark matter, comparing with those dominated by the partner-dark matter annihilation. Specifically, we study an inelastic scalar dark matter model with a specific parameter space, which realizes the domination of partner-partner pair annihilation. Then, we study two different realizations of the coannihilation partner decay and the existing constraints from the relic abundance, direct and indirect dark matter detection and the collider searches. We focus on the channel that the long-lived coannihilation partner decays to dark matter plus leptons. The high-luminosity LHC can reach good sensitivities for such heavy dark matter and coannihilation partner around 100–700 GeV.

Abstract Background Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as the attractive candidates for cell therapy for cartilage repair in clinical therapy of osteoarthritis (OA). MiR-539-3p was reported to differentially express during chondrogenic differentiation of adipose stem cells (ASCs) by miRNA microarrays. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of miR-539-3p on chondrogenic differentiation of ASCs. Methods Human ASCs (hASCs) were obtained from liposuction and transfected with miR-539-3p mimic or inhibitor. Then, the cells were cultured in chondrogenic differentiation medium including transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Results Our results found that miR-539-3p was gradually down-regulated during chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs. MiR-539-3p overexpression inhibited TGF-β1-induced chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs, as supported by reducing the gene and protein expression of chondrogenic differentiation markers type II collagen alpha 1 (COL2A1), aggrecan (ACAN), and type II collagen. In contrast, miR-539-3p inhibitor significantly promoted the chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs. Dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that Sox9 was a direct target gene of miR-539-3p. The expression of SRY-box transcription factor 9 (Sox9) was up-regulated progressively over time during chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs. Additionally, Sox9 overexpression notably reversed chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs inhibited by miR-539-3p mimic, as demonstrated by the decreased expression of COL2A1, ACAN, and type II collagen. Conclusions Altogether, miR-539-3p inhibited chondrogenic differentiation of hASCs by targeting Sox9. MiR-539-3p may have significant clinical applications for use as a targeted therapy of OA.

Bradykinin (BK) is an active component of the kallikrein-kinin system that has been shown to have cardioprotective and neuroprotective effects. We previously showed that BK postconditioning strongly protects rat hippocampal neurons upon restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after cardiac arrest. However, the precise mechanism underlying this process remains poorly understood. In this study, we treated a rat model of ROSC after cardiac arrest (induced by asphyxiation) with 150 μg/kg BK via intraperitoneal injection 48 hours after ROSC following cardiac arrest. We found that BK postconditioning effectively promoted the recovery of rat neurological function after ROSC following cardiac arrest, increased the amount of autophagosomes in the hippocampal tissue, inhibited neuronal cell apoptosis, up-regulated the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3 and NBR1 and down-regulated p62, inhibited the expression of the brain injury marker S100β and apoptosis-related protein caspase-3, and affected the expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway-related proteins. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase inhibitor compound C clearly inhibited BK-mediated activation of autophagy in rats after ROSC following cardiac arrest, which aggravated the injury caused by ROSC. The mechanistic target of rapamycin inhibitor rapamycin enhanced the protective effects of BK by stimulating autophagy. Our findings suggest that BK postconditioning protects against injury caused by ROSC through activating the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase/mechanistic target of the rapamycin pathway.

Hepatolenticular degeneration, also known as Wilson’s disease (WD), is an autosomal recessive inheritance nervous disorder of copper metabolism. The treatment of hepatolenticular degeneration emphasizes the combination of medical therapy and dietary therapy, such as a high zinc, low copper and sulfhydryl rich diet. Food therapy of WD based on trace elements is presented in this paper.

Extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition and intraneuronal phosphorylated-tau (pTau) accumulation are the hallmark lesions of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Recently, “sorfra” plaques, named for the extracellular deposition of sortilin c-terminal fragments, are reported as a new AD-related proteopathy, which develop in the human cerebrum resembling the spatiotemporal trajectory of tauopathy. Here, we identified intraneuronal sortilin aggregation as a change related to the development of granulovacuolar degeneration (GVD), tauopathy, and sorfra plaques in the human hippocampal formation. Intraneuronal sortilin aggregation occurred as cytoplasmic inclusions among the pyramidal neurons, co-labeled by antibodies to the extracellular domain and intracellular C-terminal of sortilin. They existed infrequently in the brains of adults, while their density as quantified in the subiculum/CA1 areas increased in the brains from elderly lacking Aβ/pTau, with pTau (i.e., primary age-related tauopathy, PART cases), and with Aβ/pTau (probably/definitive AD, pAD/AD cases) pathologies. In PART and pAD/AD cases, the intraneuronal sortilin aggregates colocalized partially with various GVD markers including casein kinase 1 delta (Ck1δ) and charged multivesicular body protein 2B (CHMP2B). Single-cell densitometry established an inverse correlation between sortilin immunoreactivity and that of Ck1δ, CHMP2B, p62, and pTau among pyramidal neurons. In pAD/AD cases, the sortilin aggregates were reduced in density as moving from the subiculum to CA subregions, wherein sorfra plaques became fewer and absent. Taken together, we consider intraneuronal sortilin aggregation an aging/stress-related change implicating protein sorting deficit, which can activate protein clearance responses including via enhanced phosphorylation and hydrolysis, thereby promoting GVD, sorfra, and Tau pathogenesis, and ultimately, neuronal destruction and death.

Abstract We study the lepton portal dark matter (DM) model in which the relic abundance is determined by the portal coupling among the Majorana fermion DM candidate χ, the singlet charged scalar mediator S ± and the Standard Model (SM) right-handed lepton. The direct and indirect searches are not sensitive to this model. This article studies the lepton portal coupling as well as the scalar portal coupling (between S ± and SM Higgs boson), as the latter is generally allowed in the Lagrangian. The inclusion of scalar portal coupling not only significantly enhances the LHC reach via the gg → h * → S + S − process, but also provides a few novel signal channels, such as the exotic decays and coupling devi- ations of the Higgs boson, offering new opportunities to probe the model. In addition, we also study the Drell-Yan production of S + S − at future lepton colliders, and find out that the scenario where one S ± is off-shell can be used to measure the lepton portal coupling directly. In particular, we are interested in the possibility that the scalar potential triggers a first-order phase transition and hence provides the stochastic gravitational wave (GW) signals. In this case, the terrestrial collider experiments and space-based GW detectors serve as complementary approaches to probe the model.

Abstract We report on an interesting realization of the QCD axion, with mass in the range O $$ \mathcal{O} $$ (10) MeV. It has previously been shown that although this scenario is stringently constrained from multiple sources, the model remains viable for a range of parameters that leads to an explanation of the Atomki experiment anomaly. In this article we study in more detail the additional constraints proceeding from recent low energy experiments and study the compatibility of the allowed parameter space with the one leading to consistency of the most recent measurements of the electron anomalous magnetic moment and the fine structure constant. We further provide an ultraviolet completion of this axion variant and show the conditions under which it may lead to the observed quark masses and CKM mixing angles, and remain consistent with experimental constraints on the extended scalar sector appearing in this Standard Model extension. In particular, the decay of the Standard Model-like Higgs boson into two light axions may be relevant and leads to a novel Higgs boson signature that may be searched for at the LHC in the near future.

BackgroundHistopathological studies in Wilson's disease (WD) have revealed increased copper and iron concentrations in the deep gray matter nuclei. However, the commonly used mean bulk susceptibility only reflects the regional metal concentration rather than the total metal content, and regional atrophy may affect the assessment of mean bulk susceptibility. Our study aimed to quantitatively assess the changes of metal concentration and total metal content in deep gray matter nuclei by quantitative susceptibility mapping to distinguish patients with neurological and hepatic WD from healthy controls.MethodsQuantitative susceptibility maps were obtained from 20 patients with neurological WD, 10 patients with hepatic WD, and 25 healthy controls on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging system. Mean bulk susceptibility, volumes, and total susceptibility of deep gray matter nuclei in different groups were compared using a linear regression model. The area under the curve (AUC) was calculated by receiver characteristic curve to analyze the diagnostic capability of mean bulk susceptibility and total susceptibility.ResultsMean bulk susceptibility and total susceptibility of multiple deep gray matter nuclei in patients with WD were higher than those in healthy controls. Compared with patients with hepatic WD, patients with neurological WD had higher mean bulk susceptibility but similar total susceptibility in the head of the caudate nuclei, globus pallidus, and putamen. Mean bulk susceptibility of putamen demonstrated the best diagnostic capability for patients with neurological WD, the AUC was 1, and the sensitivity and specificity were all equal to 1. Total susceptibility of pontine tegmentum was most significant for the diagnosis of patients with hepatic WD, the AUC was 0.848, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.7 and 0.96, respectively.ConclusionBrain atrophy may affect the assessment of mean bulk susceptibility in the deep gray matter nuclei of patients with WD, and total susceptibility should be an additional metric for total metal content assessment. Mean bulk susceptibility and total susceptibility of deep gray matter nuclei may be helpful for the early diagnosis of WD.

The long interspersed nuclear elements 1 (LINE-1/L1s) are the only active autonomous retrotransposons found in humans which can integrate anywhere in the human genome. They can expand the genome and thus bring good or bad effects to the host cells which really depends on their integration site and associated polymorphism. LINE-1 retrotransposition has been found participating in various neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, major depression disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia. Despite the recent progress, the roles and pathological mechanism of LINE-1 retrotransposition in schizophrenia and its heritable risks, particularly, contribution to “missing heritability” are yet to be determined. Therefore, this review focuses on the potentially etiological roles of L1s in the development of schizophrenia, possible therapeutic choices and unaddressed questions in order to shed lights on the future research.

Diallyl trisulfide (DAT) is a biologically active component of garlic essential oil and exhibits multi-targeted activity against many organisms. The current study tested the capacity of DAT to decrease the male fertility of Sitotroga cerealella. The effects on testis morphology, sperm number, motility, and lipid homeostasis were observed in adult males fumigated with DAT at a dose of 0.01 μL/L in air. The results indicated that the DAT significantly decreased the dimorphic sperm number. Meanwhile, the ultrastructural analysis of the sperm showed that the DAT caused malformed and aberrant structures of mitochondrial derivatives of dimorphic sperm. Additionally, the lipid homeostasis and ATP contents in the male adults were significantly decreased after treatment. Moreover, the total sperm motility was reduced, while the wave-propagation velocity, amplitude, frequency, and wavelength were significantly decreased compared with the controls. Overall, this study reported, for the first time, that DAT impairs energy metabolism, inhibits dimorphic spermatogenesis, and decreases sperm motility, while these abnormalities in sperm lead to adult-male infertility.

Abstract Searches for weakly interacting particles is one of the main goals of the high luminosity LHC run. In this work we study the well motivated cases of electroweakinos with mostly Wino and Bino components. We show the relevance of squark induced t-channel production in defining the production cross section and hence the LHC reach. Moreover, a realistic evaluation of the decay branching ratios show a strong dependence on the sign of μ and, for negative values of μ, on the relative size of the ratio of μ to the gaugino masses compared with tan β. Overall, unless it is kinematically suppressed, or specific conditions are fulfilled, the Higgs decay channel is the most significant one, and the trilepton channel becomes subdominant with respect to final states including bottom quarks. Although the properties are different than in the Higgsino-Bino case, also in this case the discovery reach extends to mass values that are significantly larger than the ones probed at current luminosities, leading to a strong motivation for the search for electroweakinos in the high luminosity LHC run.

Abstract The search for long-lived particles (LLP) is an exciting physics opportunity in the upcoming runs of the Large Hadron Collider. In this paper, we focus on a new search strategy of using the High Granularity Calorimeter (HGCAL), part of the upgrade of the CMS detector, in such searches. In particular, we demonstrate that the high granularity of the calorimeter allows us to see “shower tracks” in the calorimeter, and can play a crucial role in identifying the signal and suppressing the background. We study the potential reach of the HGCAL using a signal model in which the Standard Model Higgs boson decays into a pair of LLPs, h → XX. After carefully estimating the Standard Model QCD and the misreconstructed fake-track backgrounds, we give the projected reach for both an existing vector boson fusion trigger and a novel displaced-track-based trigger. Our results show that the best reach for the Higgs decay branching ratio, BR(h → XX), in the vector boson fusion channel is about O $$ \mathcal{O} $$ (10 −4) with lifetime cτ X ∼ 0.1–1 meters, while for the gluon gluon fusion channel it is about O $$ \mathcal{O} $$ (10 −5–10 −6) for similar lifetimes. For longer lifetime cτ X ∼ 103 meters, our search could probe BR(h → XX) down to a few ×10 −4(10 −2) in the gluon gluon fusion (vector boson fusion) channels, respectively. In comparison with these previous searches, our new search shows enhanced sensitivity in complementary regions of the LLP parameter space. We also comment on many improvements can be implemented to further improve our proposed search.

Background and PurposeLittle is known about the nutritional status and clinical characteristics of patients with Parkinson's disease with freezing of gait (PDFOG). The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between nutritional status and characteristics of patients with PDFOG.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, 178 PDFOG patients were recruited and classified as nutritionally normal or at risk of malnutrition/already malnourished based on their Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scores. Each participant underwent a structured questionnaire, physical examination and routine serum biochemical tests.ResultsWe found that 44.4 and 37.1% of PDFOG patients were malnourished [mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score

Abstract We study the search for electroweakinos at the 13 TeV LHC in the case of heavy scalar superpartners. We consider both the direct production mode and the one associated with the decay of heavy Higgs bosons, and concentrate on the case of light Higgsinos and Binos. In this case, the direct production searches becomes more challenging than in the light Wino scenario. In the direct production mode, we use the current experimental searches to set the reach for these particles at larger luminosities, and we emphasize the relevance of considering both the neutral gauge boson and the neutral Higgs decay modes of the second and third lightest neutralino. We show the complementarity of these searches with the ones induced by the decay of the heavy Higgs bosons, which are dominated by the associated production of the lightest neutralino with the second and third lightest ones, with the latter decaying into gauge bosons. We show that, depending on the value of tan β, the Higgs boson decay channel remains competitive with the direct production channel up to heavy Higgs boson masses of about 1 TeV. Moreover, this search is not limited by the same kinematic considerations as the ones in the direct production mode and can cover masses up to the kinematic threshold for the decay of the heavier electroweakinos into the lightest neutralino. This decay mode provides also an alternative way of looking for heavy Higgs bosons in this range of masses and hence should be a high priority for future LHC analyses.

Abstract The KOTO experiment has recently performed a search for neutral Kaons decaying into neutral pions and a pair of neutrinos. Three events were observed in the KOTO signal region, with an expected background of about 0.05. Since no clear signal of systematic errors have been found, the excess of events in the decay K L → π 0 ν v ¯ $$ \overline{v} $$ is quite intriguing. One possibility to explain this anomaly would be the presence of a scalar 𝜙 with mass of the order of the pion mass and inducing decays K L → π 0 𝜙 which mimic the observed signal. A scalar with mass of the order of the pion mass and a coupling to muons of the order of the Standard Model Higgs coupling could also explain the muon anomalous magnetic moment anomaly (g − 2)μ. We built on these facts to show that a light singlet scalar with couplings to the leptons and quarks as the ones induced by mixing with Higgs states in two Higgs doublet models may lead to an explanation of both anomalies. More specifically, we show that this is the case in the so-called type-X models in which leptons and quarks couple to two different Higgs doublets, and for scalar masses that are in the range between 40 and 70 MeV. Due to the relatively large coupling to leptons required to fit (g − 2)μ, the scalar lifetime accidentally falls into the sub-nanosecond range which is essential to evade the severe proton beam dump experiments and astrophysical constraints, though it becomes sensitive to constraints from electron beam dump experiments. The additional phenomenological properties of this model are discussed.

Background: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder with unpleasant leg sensations and serious negative effects on mental and physical health. Many observational studies showed that people with RLS had a high risk of vascular diseases, including cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but the findings were conflicting. The Jidong RLS Cohort Study is a prospective cohort study designed to mainly examine whether or not RLS is associated with an increased risk of CVD.Methods and Design: The study recruited 8,867 healthy participants older than 18 years from October 2014 to December 2015. Participants received a physical examination in the Staff Hospital, Jidong Oilfield Branch, China National Petroleum Corporation. Baseline data and blood samples were collected. Restless legs syndrome was assessed using the international RLS diagnostic criteria. All of subjects would be followed up until December 2025. Major cardiovascular/cerebrovascular events including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, ischemic, and hemorrhagic stroke will be the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality, the decline in quality of life, cognitive impairment, and depression.Discussion: This study will contribute to the scientific evidence on the association between RLS and cardiovascular risks and also provide an unprecedented opportunity for early detection and prevention of CVD.

Sex pheromone-binding proteins (PBPs) play an important role in sex pheromone recognition in Lepidoptera. However, the mechanisms of chemical communication mediating the response to sex pheromones remain unclear in the diurnal moths of the superfamily Zygaenoidea. In this study, Phauda flammans (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea: Phaudidae) was used as a model insect to explore the molecular mechanism of sex pheromone perception in the superfamily Zygaenoidea. Two novel pheromone-binding proteins (PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2) from P. flammans were identified. The two pheromone-binding proteins were predominantly expressed in the antennae of P. flammans male and female moths, in which PflaPBP1 had stronger binding affinity to the female sex pheromones Z-9-hexadecenal and (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, PflaPBP2 had stronger binding affinity only for (Z, Z, Z)-9, 12, 15-octadecatrienal, and no apparent binding affinity to Z-9-hexadecenal. The molecular docking results indicated that Ile 170 and Leu 169 are predicted to be important in the binding of the sex pheromone to PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2. We concluded that PflaPBP1 and PflaPBP2 may be responsible for the recognition of two sex pheromone components and may function differently in female and male P. flammans. These results provide a foundation for the development of pest control by exploring sex pheromone blocking agents and the application of sex pheromones and their analogs for insect pests in the superfamily Zygaenoidea.

Effects of octenylsuccinate (OS) starch on body composition and intestinal environment in high-fat diet-fed mice were investigated. C57BL/6J mice were treated with a regular-fat (RF) diet, a high-fat (HF) diet, or a high-fat diet supplemented with OS starch (HFOSS). Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were quantified using gas chromatography, and the fecal microbiota profile was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. One-way ANOVA and metastats analysis were performed for statistical analysis. After 22 weeks of feeding, mice in the HFOSS group had significantly lower body weight, body fat, liver weight, and cumulative food intake than those in the HF group but higher than that of the RF group. Fecal total SCFA, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid concentrations were significantly higher in the HFOSS group than that in the HF and RF groups. OS starch intervention increased the relative abundance of Parabacteroides, Alistipes, and Ruminiclostridium_5 and decreased that of Tyzzerella, Oscillibacter, Desulfovibrio, and Anaerotruncus compared with the RF and HF groups. The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_UCG-006 in the HFOSS group was lower than that in the HF group but higher than that in the RF group. In conclusion, OS starch prevents fat accumulation in high-fat diet-fed mice and might provide potential health benefits due to its fermentability in the gut and its ability to regulate gut microbial community structure.

Despite strenuous studies since the last century, the precise cause and pathology of schizophrenia are still largely unclear and arguably controversial. Although many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the etiology of schizophrenia, the definitive genes or core pathological mechanism remains absent. Among these hypotheses, however, GABAergic dysfunction stands out as a common feature consistently reported in schizophrenia, albeit a satisfactory mechanism that could be exploited for therapeutic purpose has not been developed yet. This review is focusing on the progress made to date in the field in terms of understanding the mechanisms involving dysfunctional GABAergic system and loops identified in schizophrenia research.

IntroductionFreezing of gait (FOG) is one of the most common walking problems in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Impaired cognitive function is believed to play an important role in developing and aggravating FOG in PD. But some evidence suggests that motor function discrepancy may affect testing results. Therefore, we think it is necessary for PD-FOG(+) and PD-FOG(−) patients to complete neuropsychological tests under similar motor conditions.MethodsThis study recruited 44 idiopathic PD patients [PD-FOG(+) n = 22, PD-FOG(−) n = 22] and 20 age-matched healthy controls (HC). PD-FOG(+) and PD-FOG(−) patients were matched for age, year of education, and Hoehn and Yahr score (H&Y). All participants underwent a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological assessment, and demographical and clinical information was also collected.ResultsPD patients showed poorer cognitive function, higher risks of depression and anxiety, and more neuropsychiatric symptoms compared with HC. When controlling for age, years of education, and H&Y, there were no statistical differences in cognitive function between PD-FOG(+) and PD-FOG(−) patients. But PD-FOG(+) patients had worse motor and non-motor symptoms than PD-FOG(−) patients. PD patients whose motor symptoms initiated with rigidity and initiated unilaterally were more likely to experience FOG.ConclusionTraditional neuropsychological testing may not be sensitive enough to detect cognitive impairment in PD. Motor symptoms initiated with rigidity and initiated unilaterally might be an important predictor of FOG.

Abstract We study the signal of long-lived sterile neutrino at the LHC produced through the decay of the W boson. It decays into charged lepton and jets. The characteristic signature is a hard prompt lepton and a lepton from the displaced decay of the sterile neutrino, which leads to a bundle of displaced tracks with large transverse impact parameter. Different from other studies, we neither reconstruct the displaced vertex nor place requirement on its invariant mass to maintain sensitivity for low sterile neutrino masses. Instead, we focus on the displaced track from the lepton. A difficulty for low mass sterile neutrino study is that the displaced lepton is usually non-isolated. Therefore, leptons from heavy flavor quark is the major source of background. We closely follow a search for displaced electron plus muon search at CMS and study their control regions, which is related to our signal regions, in great detail to develop a robust estimation of the background for our signals. After further optimization on the signal limiting the number of jets, low H T and large lepton displacement d 0 to suppress SM background, we reach an exclusion sensitivity of about 10−8 (10−5) for the mixing angle square at 10 (2) GeV sterile neutrino mass respectively. The strategy we propose can cover the light sterile masses complimentary to beam dump and forward detector experiments.

Abstract The anomalous magnetic moments of the electron and the muon are interesting observables, since they can be measured with great precision and their values can be computed with excellent accuracy within the Standard Model (SM). The current experimental measurement of this quantities show a deviation of a few standard deviations with respect to the SM prediction, which may be a hint of new physics. The fact that the electron and the muon masses differ by two orders of magnitude and the deviations have opposite signs makes it difficult to find a common origin of these anomalies. In this work we introduce a complex singlet scalar charged under a Peccei-Quinn-like (PQ) global symmetry together with the electron transforming chirally under the same symmetry. In this realization, the CP-odd scalar couples to electron only, while the CP-even part can couple to muons and electrons simultaneously. In addition, the CP-odd scalar can naturally be much lighter than the CP-even scalar, as a pseudo-Goldstone boson of the PQ-like symmetry, leading to an explanation of the suppression of the electron anomalous magnetic moment with respect to the SM prediction due to the CP-odd Higgs effect dominance, as well as an enhancement of the muon one induced by the CP-even component.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, THSJTUi001-A, was generated from a 26-year-old Chinese male patient with Wilson's disease carrying a homozygous Arg778Leu mutation in ATP7B gene, using non-integrated episomal reprogramming vectors. This cell line had normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers and could differentiate into the three germ layers in vivo.

The research of phenotypic convergence is of increasing importance in adaptive evolution. Locomotory modes play important roles in the adaptive evolution of species in the Euarchontoglires, however, the investigation of convergent evolution of the locomotory modes across diverse Euarchontoglire orders is incomplete. We collected measurements of three phalangeal indices of manual digit III, including metacarpal of digit III (MC3), manus proximal phalanx of digit III (MPP3), and manus intermediate phalanx of digit III (MIP3), from 203 individuals of 122 Euarchontoglires species representing arboreal (orders Scandentia, Rodentia, and Primates), terrestrial (orders Scandentia and Rodentia), and gliding (orders Dermoptera and Rodentia) locomotory modes. This data can be separated into seven groups defined by order and locomotory mode. Based on combination of the three phalangeal indices, the Principle component analyses (PCA), phylomorphospace plot, and C-metrics analyses clustered the arboreal species of Scandentia, Rodentia, and Primates together and the terrestrial species of Scandentia and Rodentia together, showing the convergent signal in evolution of the arboreal (C1 = 0.424, P < 0.05) and terrestrial (C1 = 0.560, P < 0.05) locomotory modes in Euarchontoglires. Although the gliding species from Dermoptera and Rodentia did not cluster together, they also showed the convergent signal (C1 = 0.563, P < 0.05). Our work provides insight into the convergent evolution of locomotory modes in Euarchontoglires, and reveals that these three indices contribute valuable information to identify convergent evolution in Euarchontoglires.

BackgroundNeuropathological studies have revealed copper and iron accumulation in the deep gray matter (DGM) nuclei of patients with Wilson’s disease (WD). However, the association between metal accumulation and neurodegeneration in WD has not been well studied in vivo. The study was aimed to investigate whether metal accumulation in the DGM was associated with the structural and functional changes of DGM in neurological WD patients.MethodsSeventeen neurological WD patients and 20 healthy controls were recruited for the study. Mean bulk susceptibility values and volumes of DGM were obtained from quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). Regions of interest including the head of the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, substantia nigra, red nucleus, and dentate nucleus were manually segmented. The susceptibility values and volumes of DGM in different groups were compared using a linear regression model. Correlations between susceptibility values and volumes of DGM and Unified Wilson’s Disease Rating Scale (UWDRS) neurological subscores were investigated.ResultsThe susceptibility values of all examined DGM in WD patients were higher than those in healthy controls (P < 0.05). Volume reductions were observed in the head of the caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, and substantia nigra of WD patients (P < 0.001). Susceptibility values were negatively correlated with the volumes of the head of the caudate nucleus (rp = −0.657, P = 0.037), putamen (rp = −0.667, P = 0.037), and thalamus (rp = −0.613, P = 0.046) in WD patients. UWDRS neurological subscores were positively correlated with the susceptibility values of all examined DGM. The susceptibility values of putamen, head of the caudate nucleus, and dentate nucleus could well predict UWDRS neurological subscores.ConclusionOur study provided in vivo evidence that paramagnetic metal accumulation in the DGM was associated with DGM atrophy and neurological impairment. The susceptibility of DGM could be used as a biomarker to assess the severity of neurodegeneration in WD.

Background: The sequence effect (SE), referring to step-to-step reduction in amplitude, is considered to lead to freezing of gait (FOG) in Parkinson's disease (PD). Visual cues may alleviate SE and help reduce freezing episodes. FOG patients show significant SE prior to turning or toward a doorway, but the SE toward a destination has not been clearly studied.Objectives: To examine the SE when approaching a destination in PD patients with FOG, and to further explore the effects of different types of visual cues on destination SE.Methods: Thirty-five PD patients were divided into a freezing (PD+FOG, n = 15) group and a non-freezing (PD–FOG, n = 20) group. Walking trials were tested under three conditions, including without cues (no-cue condition), with wearable laser lights (laser condition), and with transverse strips placed on the floor (strip condition). Kinematic data was recorded by a portable Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) system. The destination SE and some key gait parameters were evaluated.Results: The PD+FOG group showed greater destination SE in the no-cue and laser conditions when compared to the PD–FOG group. There were no significant differences in the strip condition when comparing destination SE of the two groups. The destination SE was alleviated only by using the transverse strips on the floor. In contrast, transverse strips and wearable laser lights could increase the step length.Conclusions: The significant destination SE may explain why FOG patients are prone to freezing when heading toward their destination. Visual cues using transverse strips on the floor may be a more effective strategy for FOG rehabilitation in PD patients.

Danshen (salvia miltiorrhiza) and honghua(Carthamus tinctorius) were traditional herb pair with promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis actions, in China. Both were widely used to treat cardiovascular diseases (CVD) for hundreds years, especially shown definite advantage in the treatment of ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, the mechanism of danshen-honghua herb pair (DHHP) in the treatment of IHD was still unclear. This study was focused on examining the effects and possible mechanisms of DHHP in rats with acute myocardial ischemia induced by isoproterenol (ISO). The results suggested that DHHP significantly ameliorated the myocardial tissue abnormalities, notablely inhibited the elevation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinekinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) and cardiac troponin T (CTn-T) in plasma, obviously decreased the plasma levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNF-α), outstandingly inhibited the reduction of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) caused by ISO, significantly inhibited the high expression of Bcl-2 assaciated X protein (Bax) and nuclear transcriptionfactor-κBP65 (NF-κBP65) protein, significantly induced the low expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl–2) protein in acute myocardial ischemia rats. DHHP can obviously ameliorate hemodynamic parameters. In summary, DHHP can significantly improve myocardial ischemia in acute myocardial ischemia model rats caused by ISO. Anti-free radicals, anti-peroxidation, inhibition of cell apoptosis and anti– inflammation maybe are the potential mechanisms of DHHP anti-myocardial ischemia in acute myocardial ischemia rats in duced by ISO.

Abstract After the Higgs discovery, the LHC has been looking for new resonances, decaying into pairs of Standard Model (SM) particles. Recently, the CMS experimen observed an excess in the di-photon channel, with a di-photon invariant mass of about 96 GeV. This mass range is similar to the one of an excess observed in the search for the associated production of Higgs bosons with the Z neutral gauge boson at LEP, with the Higgs bosons decaying to bottom quark pairs. On the other hand, the LHCb experiment observed a discrepancy with respect to the SM expectations of the ratio of the decay of B-mesons to K-mesons and a pair of leptons, RK∗=BRB→K∗μ+μ−/BRB→K∗e+e− $$ {R}_{K^{\left(\ast \right)}}=BR\left(B\to {K}^{\left(\ast \right)}{\mu}^{+}{\mu}^{-}\right)/BR\left(B\to {K}^{\left(\ast \right)}{e}^{+}{e}^{-}\right) $$. This observation provides a hint of the violation of lepton-flavor universality in the charged lepton sector and may be explained by the existence of a vector boson originating form a U1Lμ−Lτ $$ U{(1)_{L_{\mu}}}_{-{L}_{{}_{\tau }}} $$ symmetry and heavy quarks that mix with the left-handed down quarks. Since the coupling to heavy quarks could lead to sizable Higgs di-photon rates in the gluon fusion channel, in this article we propose a common origin of these anomalies identifying a Higgs associated with the breakdown of the U1Lμ−Lτ $$ U{(1)_{L_{\mu}}}_{-{L}_{{}_{\tau }}} $$ symmetry and at the same time responsible to the quark mixing, with the one observed at the LHC. We also discuss the constraints on the identification of the same Higgs with the one associated with the bottom quark pair excess observed at LEP.

The complete molecular sequence of chloroplast genome of Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet was firstly assembled and characterized using Illumina sequencing technology. It is 151916 bp in length, with a GC content of 35.4%, and has a typical quadrant structure, including a large single-copy region (LSC), a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) and a small single-copy region (SSC), the sequence length is 81132, 53244, 17540 bp, respectively. There are 131 genes in the L. purpureus chloroplast genome, including 84 encoding protein genes, 8 rRNA genes, and 38 tRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that L. purpureus clustered into a large evolutionary clade with three Vigna species.

Abstract Background Collagen triple helix repeat containing-1 (CTHRC1), which was firstly identified overexpressed in the adventitia and neointima of injured rat arteries, could inhibit collagen expression and increase cell migration. It was then found to be ubiquitously expressed in numerous cell types such as fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells, and aberrantly up-regulated in several malignant tumors. However, the functional role of CTHRC1 and its related mechanism in breast cancer still remains unclear. Methods CTHRC1 expressions in breast cancer tissues and cells were assessed by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. The relative expression level of miR-134, miR-155, miR-30c and miR-630 in breast cancer cells respectively was detected by qRT-PCR. Wild type (Wt) and Mutant type (Mut) CTHRC1 3’UTR sequences were cloned into a psi-CHECK2 reporter vector, and the relative luciferase activity was detected by dual-luciferase reporter assay in indicated cells. The effect of ectopic expression of miR-30c or gain and loss of CTHRC1 on cell viability, cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis, cell invasion and migration was respectively detected by CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis, transwell invasion/migration assay. Protein levels of β-catenin, active β-catenin, normal and phosphorylated form of GSK-3β were detected by western blot in indicated cells. Immunofluorescence staining of β-catenin was performed to observe nuclear localization. Results We found CTHRC1 was frequently up-regulated in human breast cancer cells and tissues. Then our cohort study and further meta-analysis validated high expression of CTHRC1 was associated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor clinical outcome of breast cancer patients. In addition, CTHRC1 promoted cell proliferation, invasion and migration and suppressed cell apoptosis in breast cancer, which might be by activating GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling and inhibiting Bax/Caspase-9/Caspase-3 signaling respectively; and these biological functions of CTHRC1 could be directly negatively regulated by miR-30c. Conclusion Taken together, we identified the role of miR-30c/CTHRC1 axis in breast cancer progression and demonstrated CTHRC1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Abstract We investigate the prospects for producing new, light, hidden states at a future e + e − collider in a Higgsed dark U(1) D model, which we call the Double Dark Portal model. The simultaneous presence of both vector and scalar portal couplings immediately modifies the Standard Model Higgsstrahlung channel, e + e − → Zh, at leading order in each coupling. In addition, each portal leads to complementary signals which can be probed at direct and indirect detection dark matter experiments. After accounting for current constraints from LEP and LHC, we demonstrate that a future e + e − Higgs factory will have unique and leading sensitivity to the two portal couplings by studying a host of new production, decay, and radiative return processes. Besides the possibility of exotic Higgs decays, we highlight the importance of direct dark vector and dark scalar production at e + e − machines, whose invisible decays can be tagged from the recoil mass method.

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to elucidate how high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) exacerbates renal ischemic-reperfusion injury (IRI) by inflammatory and immune responses through the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway. Methods: A total of 30 wild-type (WT) mice and 30 TLR4 knockout (TLR4-/-) mice were selected and then randomly assigned to the Sham, I/R or HMGB1 groups. The serum and kidney tissues of all mice were collected 24 h after the perfusion. The fully automatic biochemical detector and ELISA were applied to determine the blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) levels, and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-10 levels, respectively. HE staining was used to evaluate kidney tissue damage, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemical staining were performed to observe CD68 and MPO cell infiltration, and flow cytometry was applied to detect immune cells. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect the expressions of TLR signaling pathway-related genes and proteins, respectively. Results: Compared with the Sham group, the levels of BUN, Scr, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IFN-γ and IL-10, kidney tissue damage score, CD68 and MPO cell infiltration, the numbers of immune cells, and the expressions of TLR signaling pathway-related genes and proteins in the I/R and HMGB1 groups were significantly up-regulated. In the I/R and HMGB1 groups, the levels of BUN and Scr, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IFN-γ, kidney tissue damage score, CD68 and MPO cell infiltration, immune cell numbers, and TLR signaling pathway-related gene and protein expressions in the WT mice were all higher than those in the TLR4-/- mice, but IL-10 level was significantly lower. Similarly, all aforementioned indexes but IL-10 level in the WT and TLR4-/- mice were higher in the HMGB1 group than in the I/R group. Conclusion: Our study indicated that the up-regulation of HMGB1 could exacerbate renal IRI by stimulating inflammatory and immune responses through the TLR4 signaling pathway.c

Abstract Little is known about the association between schizophrenia and violence in women in China. This study aimed to examine the association between schizophrenia and violence in Chinese female offenders. Fifty-two schizophrenia patients were identified from the female offenders who received forensic psychiatric assessments in 2011 in Hunan province, China. Using a propensity score matching method, 104 matched controls without psychiatric disorders were selected from female criminals in Hunan province. Violent offences and homicides were verified and recorded. The percentages of violent offences and homicides were significantly higher in female offenders with schizophrenia than in controls (78.8% vs. 30.8%, P

Forsythia mira M. C. Chang (Oleaceae) is an endemic medicinal shrub in China. In this study, we first characterized its whole plastid genome sequence using the Illumina sequencing platform. The plastid genome was 156,485 bp in length, comprising of a large single copy (LSC) region of 87,223 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,830 bp, and two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 51,432 each. The genome of F. mira contained 133 genes, including 86 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNAs (tRNA), and 8 ribosomal RNAs (rRNA). The phylogenetic analysis showed that F. mira was placed as a sister to the congeneric F. suspensa.

Background Previous studies reported that reduced gray matter volume (GMV) was associated with violent-related behaviors. However, the previous studies were conducted on adults and no study has studied the association between GMV and violent behaviors on adolescents. The purpose of the study was to investigate GMV’s effects in adolescent violent offenders based on a Chinese Han population, which can address the problem of possible confounding factors in adult studies. Methods We recruited 30 male adolescent violent offenders and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs). Differences in both whole-brain and GMV were evaluated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We assessed the accuracy of VBM using the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and discriminant analysis. Results Compared with HCs, the male adolescent offenders showed significantly reduced GMV in five cortical and subcortical brain regions, including the olfactory cortex, amygdala, middle temporal gyrus and inferior parietal lobe in the left hemisphere, as well as the right superior temporal gyrus. Both ROC curve and discriminate analyses showed that these regions had relatively high sensitivities (58.6%–89.7%) and specificities (58.1%–74.2%) with 76.7% classification accuracy. Conclusions Our results indicated that reduced volume in the frontal-temporal-parietal-subcortical circuit may be closely related to violent behaviors in male adolescents, which might be an important biomarker for detecting violent behaviors in male adolescents.

Objective: No study has comprehensively evaluated the effect of postweaning isolation on the social and sexual behaviors of a certain strain of rodents in ethology. The present study aims to explore how and to what extent isolation rearing after postweaning affects the social and sexual behaviors of male CD-1 mice in adulthood systematically.Methods: Male CD-1 mice were randomly assigned to two groups: isolation reared (IS, one mouse per cage, n = 30) and group housed (GH, five mice per cage, n = 15). The mice underwent isolation rearing from postnatal day 23 to day 93. Then, social affiliation, recognition and memory were measured through selection task experiments. Social interaction under a home cage and novel environment were measured via resident–intruder and social interaction test, respectively. Furthermore, sexual preference, homosexual and heterosexual behaviors were measured.Results: Our study found that postweaning isolation increased the social affiliation for conspecifics (p = 0.001), reduced social recognition (p = 0.042) and impaired social memory. As for social interaction, isolated mice showed a remarkably increased aggression toward the intruder male in a home cage or novelty environment. For instance, isolated mice presented a short attack latency (p < 0.001), high attack frequency (p < 0.001) and long attack duration (p < 0.001). In addition, isolated mice exhibited further social avoidance. Contrastingly, isolated mice displayed a reduced sexual preference for female (IS: 61.47 ± 13.80%, GH: 70.33 ± 10.06%, p = 0.038). As for heterosexual behavior, isolated mice have a short mating duration (p = 0.002), long mounting latency (p = 0.002), and long intromission latency (p = 0.015). However, no association was observed between postweaning isolation and homosexual behavior in male CD-1 mouse.Conclusion: Postweaning isolation increased the social affiliation, impaired the social cognition and considerably increased the aggression in social interaction of adult male CD-1 mice. Postweaning isolation induced a decreased sexual preference for female in adulthood. Postweaning isolation extended the latency to mate, thereby reducing mating behavior. No association was observed between isolation and homosexual behavior.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients have difficulty in switching between obsessive thought and compulsive behavior, which may be related to the dysfunction of the salience network (SN). However, little is known about the changes in intra- and inter- intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the SN in patients with OCD. In this study, we parceled the SN into 19 subregions and investigated iFC changes for each of these subregions in 40 drug-naïve patients with OCD and 40 healthy controls (HCs) using seed-based functional connectivity resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). We found that patients with OCD exhibited decreased iFC strength between subregions of the SN, as well as decreased inter-network connectivity between SN and DMN, and ECN. These findings highlight a specific alteration in iFC patterns associated with SN in patients with OCD and provide new insights into the dysfunctional brain organization of the SN in patients with OCD.

Objective To investigate the characteristics and potential mechanisms of sleep disorders in patients with hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD), also known as Wilson's disease (WD). Methods Twenty-six patients with HLD completed a questionnaire concerning Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale (PDSS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Results The sleep quality of patients with HLD was significantly worse than controls. Their overall PDSS score was lower than the controls (P = 0.000), including sub tests such as worse overall quality of sleep at night (P = 0.010), more difficulty falling asleep (P = 0.009), increased difficulty staying asleep (P = 0.013), increased tremor (P = 0.005), more tiredness and sleepiness after waking up in the morning (P = 0.042) and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS, P = 0.028). The mean ESS (P = 0.009) as well as PSQI (P = 0.005) scores of HLD patients was higher than those of the controls. Further analysis showed that total PDSS score of neurological HLD group was lower than hepatic HLD group and asymptomatic HLD group (P = 0.046), including sub tests such as worse overall quality of sleep at night (P = 0.021), increased difficulty falling asleep (P = 0.009) and more difficulty staying asleep (P = 0.002). Conclusions Patients with HLD often suffer from sleep disturbances, mainly including difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep at night and EDS. Besides, sleep quality was significantly worse in patients with neurological HLD than that of hepatic HLD and asymptomatic HLD. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.05.007

Riptortus pedestris (Heteroptera: Alydidae), an important crop pest, is capable of entering reproductive adult diapause under short-day photoperiods. Though the physiological aspects of adult diapause have been well studied in this species, little is known about its morphological development. In the present study, the adult females are discriminated as prediapause and prereproductive based on the absence and presence of mature oocytes in ovarioles, respectively. We also measured the morphological development of vitellarium and lateral oviduct in females, and the accessory gland, ejaculatory duct, and testes in males of both prereproductive and prediapause adults. Our results revealed that there is a clear significant difference in the reproductive development of prediapause and prereproductive insects. Moreover, the internal morphology of reproductive organs was suppressed in prediapausebugs compared to prereproductive bugs, and the insects developedthe reproductive parts as newly emerged adults. The above findings provide basic knowledge on the characterization of diapause and reproductive R. pedestris adults, which would be applicable to molecular investigations.