Human speech production is strongly influenced by the auditory feedback it generates. Auditory feedback-what we hear when we speak-enables us to learn and maintain speaking skills and to rapidly ...correct errors in our speech. Over the last three decades, the real-time altered auditory feedback (AAF) paradigm has gained popularity as a tool to study auditory feedback control during speech production. This method involves changing a speaker's speech and feeding it back to them in near real time. More than 50% of the world's population speak tonal languages, in which the pitch or tone used to pronounce a word can change its meaning. This review article aims to offer an overview of the progression of AAF paradigm as a method to study pitch motor control among speakers of tonal languages. Eighteen studies were included in the current mini review and were compared based on their methodologies and results. Overall, findings from these studies provide evidence that tonal language speakers can compensate and adapt when receiving inconsistent and consistent pitch perturbations. Response magnitude and latency are influenced by a range of factors. Moreover, by combining AAF with brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques, the neural basis of pitch motor control in tonal language speakers has been investigated. To sum up, AAF has been demonstrated to be an emerging tool for studying pitch motor control in speakers of tonal languages.
Since December 2019, an epidemic caused by novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection has occurred unexpectedly in China. As of 8 pm, 31 January 2020, more than 20 pediatric cases have been reported in ...China. Of these cases, ten patients were identified in Zhejiang Province, with an age of onset ranging from 112 days to 17 years. Following the latest
National recommendations for diagnosis and treatment of pneumonia caused by 2019-nCoV
(the 4th edition) and current status of clinical practice in Zhejiang Province, recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection caused by 2019-nCoV for children were drafted by the National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, the National Children’s Regional Medical Center, Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine to further standardize the protocol for diagnosis and treatment of respiratory infection in children caused by 2019-nCoV.
This letter proposes a low-profile and highly efficient endfire radiating traveling-wave antenna based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) transmission line. The aperture is approximately ...<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">0.32\lambda _0\times 0.01\lambda _0</tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">\lambda _0</tex-math></inline-formula> is the space wavelength at the operational frequency 8 GHz. This antenna generates near-endfire radiation beams within 7.5-8.5 GHz. The maximum gain and total efficiency reach 9.2 dBi and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">96\%</tex-math> </inline-formula>, respectively. Measurement results are finally given to validate the proposed SSPPs antenna.
Neocortical sensory areas are thought to act as distribution hubs, transmitting information about the external environment to downstream areas. Within primary visual cortex, various populations of ...pyramidal neurons (PNs) send axonal projections to distinct targets, suggesting multiple cellular networks may be independently engaged during behavior. We investigated whether PN subpopulations differentially support visual detection by training mice on a novel eyeblink conditioning task. Applying 2-photon calcium imaging and optogenetic manipulation of anatomically defined PNs, we show that layer 5 corticopontine neurons strongly encode sensory and motor task information and are selectively necessary for performance. Our findings support a model in which target-specific cortical subnetworks form the basis for adaptive behavior by directing relevant information to distinct brain areas. Overall, this work highlights the potential for neurons to form physically interspersed but functionally segregated networks capable of parallel, independent control of perception and behavior.
•Visually cued eyeblink conditioning requires V1, and behavior is modified by arousal•Activity of corticopontine neurons accurately represents performance•Corticopontine, but not corticostriatal, output is necessary for performance
Tang and Higley show that corticopontine neurons in visual cortex encode sensory and motor information during a visually cued eyeblink conditioning task and are necessary for performance, highlighting the existence of physically interspersed but functionally segregated networks that control behavior.
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•Transplanting fecal microbiota rich in SCFAs was an effective means of treating cerebral ischemic stroke.•Gut microbiota and SCFAs were potential therapeutic targets for ischemic ...stroke.•Compared with other SCFAs, butyric acid showed the highest negative correlation with ischemic stroke.•Supplementing butyric acid in the gut treated cerebral ischemic stroke.
The gut microbiota and its short chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites have been established to play an important protective role against neurodegenerative diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that cerebral ischemic stroke triggers dysfunctional gut microbiota and increased intestinal permeability. In this study, we aimed to clarify the mechanism by which gut microbiota and SCFAs can treat cerebral ischemic stroke in rat middle cerebral artery occlusion models and use the information to develop new therapies. Our results show that oral administration of non-absorbable antibiotics reduced neurological impairment and the cerebral infarct volume, relieved cerebral edemas, and decreased blood lipid levels by altering the gut microbiota. We also found that ischemic stroke decreased intestinal levels of SCFAs. And that transplanting fecal microbiota rich in these metabolites was an effective means of treating the condition. Compared with other SCFAs, butyric acid showed the highest negative correlation with ischemic stroke. Supplementation with butyric acid treated models of ischemic stroke effectively by remodeling the gut microbiota, enriching the beneficial Lactobacillus, and repairing the leaky gut. In conclusion, interfering with the gut microbiota by transplanting fecal bacteria rich in SCFAs and supplementing with butyric acid were found to be effective treatments for cerebral ischemic stroke.
This paper is devoted to establishing global W^{2, p} estimate for strong solutions to the Dirichlet problem of uniformly elliptic equations in the non-divergence form where the domain is a Lipschitz ...polyhedra.
The effort to confine the electromagnetic field by silicon passive metadevices has made the design of an on-chip wideband sub-terahertz (sub-THz) I/O redriver feasible, paving a new way toward ...energy-efficient and crosstalk-immune ON-OFF keying (OOK) communications. Two metadevices, namely spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) metawaveguide and split-ring resonator (SRR), are exploited to build the sub-THz low-crosstalk silicon channel and high-ON-OFF-ratio modulator, respectively. A sub-THz signal source combining the merit of spoof SPPs and SRR is introduced. A 140-GHz dual-channel redriver composed of these metadevices is fully integrated in a 65-nm CMOS technology. The redriver realizes both 2 7 -1 and 2 31 -1 13.5 Gb/s/lane for dual-channel OOK modulation. The measured energy efficiency is 2.6 pJ/bit/lane and the bit error rate (BER) is ≤10 −12 , demonstrating a crosstalk-immune sub-THz I/O system. The power consumption is 35.1 mW/lane and the active area of the redriver is 0.23 mm 2 .
Background and Aim
Circular ubiquitin‐like, containing PHD and ring finger domains 1 (circUHRF1) is aberrantly upregulated in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues. However, the underlying ...molecular mechanisms remain obscure. The present study aimed at elucidating the interactive function of circUHRF1–G9a–ubiquitin‐like, containing PHD and ring finger domains 1 (UHRF1) mRNA–eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3)–PDZ and LIM domain 1 (PDLIM1) network in HCC.
Methods
Expression of circUHRF1, mRNAs of G9a, UHRF1, PDLIM1, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins, and Hippo–Yap pathway components was determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR), immunofluorescence, or Western blot analysis. Tumorigenic and metastatic capacities of HCC cells were examined by cellular assays including Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. Molecular interactions between EIF4A3 and UHRF1 mRNA were detected by RNA pull‐down experiment. Complex formation between UHRF1 and PDLIM1 promoter was detected by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Co‐immunoprecipitation was performed to examine the binding between UHRF1 and G9a.
Results
Circular ubiquitin‐like, containing PHD and ring finger domains 1, G9a, and UHRF1 were upregulated, while PDLIM1 was downregulated in HCC tissue samples and cell lines. Cellular silencing of circUHRF1 repressed HCC proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT. G9a formed a complex with UHRF1 and inhibited PDLIM1 transcription.
Conclusion
Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 regulated circUHRF1 expression by binding to UHRF1 mRNA promoter. circUHRF1 increased the stability of G9a and UHRF1 mRNAs through recruiting EIF4A3. Overexpression of circUHRF1 aggravated HCC progression through Hippo–Yap pathway and PDLIM1 inhibition. By elucidating the molecular function of circUHRF1–G9a–UHRF1 mRNA–EIF4A3–PDLIM1 network, our data shed light on the HCC pathogenesis and suggest a novel therapeutic strategy for future HCC treatment.
Goubau line is a single-conductor transmission line, featuring easy integration and low-loss transmission properties. Here, we propose a periodic leaky-wave antenna (LWA) based on planar Goubau ...transmission line on a thin dielectric substrate. The leaky-wave radiations are generated by introducing periodic modulations along the Goubau line. In this way, the surface wave, which is slow-wave mode supported by the Goubau line, achieves an additional momentum and hence enters the fast-wave region for radiations. By employing the periodic modulations, the proposed Goubau line LWAs are able to continuously steer the main beam from backward to forward within the operational frequency range. However, the LWAs usually suffer from a low radiation efficiency at the broadside direction. To overcome this drawback, we explore both transversally and longitudinally asymmetrical modulations to the Goubau line. Theoretical analysis, numerical simulations and experimental results are given in comparison with the symmetrical LWAs. It is demonstrated that the asymmetrical modulations significantly improve the radiation efficiency of LWAs at the broadside. Furthermore, the measurement results agree well with the numerical ones, which experimentally validates the proposed LWA structures. These novel Goubau line LWAs, experimentally demonstrated and validated at microwave frequencies, show also great potential for millimeter-wave and terahertz systems.
Hedyotis diffusa Willd (H. diffusa) is a well-known Chinese medicine with a variety of activities, especially its anti-cancer effect in the clinic. Up to now, 171 compounds have been reported from H. ...diffusa, including 32 iridoids, 26 flavonoids, 24 anthraquinones, 26 phenolics and their derivatives, 50 volatile oils and 13 miscellaneous compounds. In vitro and in vivo studies show these phytochemicals and plant extracts to exhibit a range of pharmacological activities of anti-cancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-fibroblast, immunomodulatory and neuroprotective effects. Although a series of methods have been established for the quality control of H. diffusa, a feasible and reliable approach is still needed in consideration of its botanical origin, collecting time and bioactive effects. Meanwhile, more pharmacokinetics researches are needed to illustrate the characteristics of H. diffusa in vivo. The present review aims to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, quality control and pharmacokinetic characteristics of H. diffusa for its clinical use and further development.
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