Complex-valued neural networks have many advantages over their real-valued counterparts. Conventional digital electronic computing platforms are incapable of executing truly complex-valued ...representations and operations. In contrast, optical computing platforms that encode information in both phase and magnitude can execute complex arithmetic by optical interference, offering significantly enhanced computational speed and energy efficiency. However, to date, most demonstrations of optical neural networks still only utilize conventional real-valued frameworks that are designed for digital computers, forfeiting many of the advantages of optical computing such as efficient complex-valued operations. In this article, we highlight an optical neural chip (ONC) that implements truly complex-valued neural networks. We benchmark the performance of our complex-valued ONC in four settings: simple Boolean tasks, species classification of an Iris dataset, classifying nonlinear datasets (Circle and Spiral), and handwriting recognition. Strong learning capabilities (i.e., high accuracy, fast convergence and the capability to construct nonlinear decision boundaries) are achieved by our complex-valued ONC compared to its real-valued counterpart.
Vps34, a class III PtdIns3 lipid kinase involved in the control of both autophagic and endocytic systems, has been studied extensively in numerous fundamental cellular processes. Accumulating ...evidence indicates that Vps34 may also contribute to the development and progression of human cancers. However, the mechanism of Vps34 in tumorigenesis remains elusive. Here, we report an unanticipated role of Vps34 in the activation of p62 for cancer development. We identified that Vps34 is a transcriptional activator of p62 through competition of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) for Keap1 binding. Vps34 augments the association of PKC-δ with p62 for its phosphorylation at Serine 349, which leads to positive feedback on the Nrf2-dependent transcription of oncogenes. Additionally, we found that the expression of Vps34 is correlated with the tumorigenic activity of human breast cancer cells. Normally inactive in breast cancer, caspase 8 can cleave Vps34 at residue D285, which directly abolished its lipid kinase activity and dramatically altered cell invasion potential, colony formation, as well as tumorigenesis in orthotopic engraftments in mice. The cleavage at D285 blocks expression of LC3-II, Nrf2 and subsequently, p62, in addition to blocking tumor growth, indicating that the intact structure of Vps34 is essential for its activity. Moreover, either knockout of PKC-δ or knockdown of p62 by small interfering RNA in MCF-7 cells abrogates Vps34-dependent tumor growth. Data presented here suggested that Vps34 stimulates tumor development mainly through PKC-δ- activation of p62.
The increasing need for materials with tightly controlled structures will continue to fuel the induction of synthetic organic concepts into materials science. One powerful example is the embracement ...of “click chemistry” by the materials science community. Because of their high selectivity, near‐perfect reliability, high yields, and exceptional tolerance towards a wide range of functional groups and reaction conditions click reactions have recently attracted increased attention, specifically for use in polymer synthesis as well as for the modification of surfaces and nanometer‐ and mesoscale structures. As outlined in this Review article, click chemistry, such as the CuI‐catalyzed Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition and the Diels–Alder reaction, presents a synthetic concept that lends itself superbly to the controlled preparation of multifunctional materials.
Click chemistry has converged into an important tool set for materials scientists with applications related to nanomaterials, biointerfaces, and polymers. This Review describes the advances in the use of cycloadditions in materials science. Such reactions are versatile, have high yields, and tolerant of many functional groups. The figure shows a protein pattern made by spatially controlled 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of a model azide‐linker onto an alkyne‐functionalized polymer coating.
MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that have been implicated to mediate gene regulation in virtually all important biological processes. Recently there is accumulating evidence showing ...that miR-150 has essential regulatory roles in both normal and malignant hematopoiesis and holds great potential as a therapeutic target in treating various types of hematopoietic malignancies. The purpose of this review is to summarize our current knowledge about the expression patterns, biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of miR-150 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis, and to highlight the important questions to be answered in this burgeoning field.
We introduce and study in two dimensions a new class of dry, aligning active matter that exhibits a direct transition to orientational order, without the phase-separation phenomenology usually ...observed in this context. Characterized by self-propelled particles with velocity reversals and a ferromagnetic alignment of polarities, systems in this class display quasi-long-range polar order with continuously varying scaling exponents, yet a numerical study of the transition leads to conclude that it does not belong to the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless universality class but is best described as a standard critical point with an algebraic divergence of correlations. We rationalize these findings by showing that the interplay between order and density changes the role of defects.
Connexins, a family of transmembrane proteins, are components of both gap junction channels and hemichannels, which mediate the exchange of ions and small molecules between adjacent cells, and ...between the inside and outside of the cell, respectively. Substantial advancements have been made in the comprehension of the role of gap junctions and hemichannels in coordinating cellular events. In recent years, a plethora of studies demonstrate a role of connexin proteins in the regulation of tissue homeostasis that occurs independently of their channel activities. This is shown in the context of cell growth, adhesion, migration, apoptosis, and signaling. The major mechanisms of these channel-independent activities still remain to be discovered. In this review, we provide an updated overview on the current knowledge of gap junction- and hemichannel-independent functions of connexins, in particular, their effects on tumorigenesis, neurogenesis and disease development.
Abstract Background and aims We conducted a dose-response meta-analysis to summarize the evidence from prospective cohort studies regarding the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with ...risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods and results Pertinent studies were identified by searching Embase and PubMed through June 2014. Study-specific results were pooled using a random-effect model. The dose-response relationship was assessed by the restricted cubic spline model and the multivariate random-effect meta-regression. We standardized all data using a standard portion size of 106 g. The Relative Risk (95% confidence interval) RR (95% CI) of T2DM was 0.99 (0.98–1.00) for every 1 serving/day increment in fruit and vegetable (FV) ( P = 0.18), 0.98 (0.95–1.01) for vegetable ( P = 0.12), and 0.99 (0.97–1.00) for fruit ( P = 0.05). The RR (95%CI) of T2DM was 0.99 (0.97–1.01), 0.98 (0.96–1.01), 0.97 (0.93–1.01), 0.96 (0.92–1.01), 0.96 (0.91–1.01) and 0.96 (0.91–1.01) for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 servings/day of FV ( Pfor non-linearity = 0.44). The T2DM risk was 0.96 (0.95–0.99), 0.94 (0.90–0.98), 0.94 (0.89–0.98), 0.96 (0.91–1.01), 0.98 (0.92–1.05) and 1.00 (0.93–1.08) for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 servings/day of vegetable ( Pfor non-linearity < 0.01). The T2DM risk was 0.95 (0.93–0.97), 0.91 (0.89–0.94), 0.88 (0.85–0.92), 0.92 (0.88–0.96) and 0.96 (0.92–1.01) for 0.5, 1, 2, 3 and 4 servings/day of fruit ( Pfor non-linearity < 0.01). Conclusions Two-three servings/day of vegetable and 2 servings/day of fruit conferred a lower risk of T2DM than other levels of vegetable and fruit consumption, respectively.
With the aim of gathering temporal trends on bacterial epidemiology and resistance from multiple laboratories in China, the CHINET surveillance system was organized in 2005. Antimicrobial ...susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using the Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems. Results were analyzed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2014 definitions. Between 2005 and 2014, the number of bacterial isolates ranged between 22 774 and 84 572 annually. Rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase production among Escherichia coli isolates were stable, between 51.7 and 55.8%. Resistance of E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin/tazobactam and cefoperazone/sulbactam decreased with time. Carbapenem resistance among K. pneumoniae isolates increased from 2.4 to 13.4%. Resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains against all of antimicrobial agents tested including imipenem and meropenem decreased with time. On the contrary, resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 31 to 66.7%. A marked decrease of methicillin resistance from 69% in 2005 to 44.6% in 2014 was observed for Staphylococcus aureus. Carbapenem resistance rates in K. pneumoniae and A. baumannii in China are high. Our results indicate the importance of bacterial surveillance studies.
•Cellulose nanocrystals were grafted with polystyrene via SI-ATRP.•The functionalization of the CNC surface favored its dispersion in the PMMA matrix.•The thermal and mechanical properties of PMMA ...were improved with reinforcement of CNC.•The transparency of nanocomposites was particularly presented.
Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) is a promising strengthener but is used limitedly since its poor compatibility with organic materials. The graft polymerization of styrene via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of cellulose nanocrystal is adopted to modify its thermo-stability and compatibility. The modified crystals have been dosed into polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanocomposites by the solution casting. The polymeric layer on the surface of CNCs should improve the thermal stability of CNCs, and provide significant dispersibility and compatibilization for the nanocomposites. Thermogravimetry analysis proved that the initial degrade temperature of CNC was increased 50°C with the modification. The scanning electronic microscope showed that the modified CNCs homogeneously dispersed in PMMA matrix. Breaking strength and elongation at break of the composites were improved, which was attributed to the reinforcement of CNCs modified with styrene. Transmittance of nanocomposite films measurement showed that the transmittance of PMMA/1%CNC was almost close to that of pure PMMA.
We report a study of the processes of e^{+}e^{-}→K^{+}D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and K^{+}D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} based on e^{+}e^{-} annihilation samples collected with the BESIII detector operating at BEPCII at five ...center-of-mass energies ranging from 4.628 to 4.698 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 3.7 fb^{-1}. An excess of events over the known contributions of the conventional charmed mesons is observed near the D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0} mass thresholds in the K^{+} recoil-mass spectrum for events collected at sqrts=4.681 GeV. The structure matches a mass-dependent-width Breit-Wigner line shape, whose pole mass and width are determined as (3982.5_{-2.6}^{+1.8}±2.1) MeV/c^{2} and (12.8_{-4.4}^{+5.3}±3.0) MeV, respectively. The first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. The significance of the resonance hypothesis is estimated to be 5.3 σ over the contributions only from the conventional charmed mesons. This is the first candidate for a charged hidden-charm tetraquark with strangeness, decaying into D_{s}^{-}D^{*0} and D_{s}^{*-}D^{0}. However, the properties of the excess need further exploration with more statistics.
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