Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms and can be transmitted between individuals and populations thus threatening the general public health and potentially the economy. ...Efficient diagnostic tools are needed to provide accurate and timely guidance for case identification, transmission disruption and appropriate treatment administration. Point of care (POC) tests provide actionable results near the patient and thereby serve as a personal “radar”. In this review, we review clinical needs for POC testing for several major pathogens, including malaria parasites, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), human papillomavirus (HPV), dengue, Ebola and Zika viruses and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). We compare different molecular approaches, including pathogen nucleic acid and protein, circulating microRNA and antibodies, used in the POC tests. Finally, we review recent advances in novel POC technologies focusing on microfluidic and plasmonic-based approaches.
•POCT plays critical roles in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases.•Simple, accurate, multiplex and widely accessible POC tests are needed for many major pathogens.•POCT technologies have advanced significantly in the past decade, including microfluidics and plasmonics.
•A new method is proposed for minimizing general objective functionals for image segmentation.•The method is based on the representation of segments via characteristic functions.•The method simply ...alternates two steps: convolution and thresholding.•The algorithm has the optimal complexity O(NlogN) per iteration and fast convergence.•The monotone decay of the objective functional is rigorously proved.
Variational methods, which have been tremendously successful in image segmentation, work by minimizing a given objective functional. The objective functional usually consists of a fidelity term and a regularization term. Because objective functionals may vary from different types of images, developing an efficient, simple, and general numerical method to minimize them has become increasingly vital. However, many existing methods are model-based, converge relatively slowly, or involve complicated techniques. In this paper, we develop a novel iterative convolution–thresholding method (ICTM) that is simple, efficient, and applicable to a wide range of variational models for image segmentation. In ICTM, the interface between two different segment domains is implicitly represented by the characteristic functions of domains. The fidelity term is usually written into a linear functional of the characteristic functions, and the regularization term is approximated by a functional of characteristic functions in terms of heat kernel convolution. This allows us to design an iterative convolution–thresholding method to minimize the approximate energy. The method has the energy-decaying property, and thus the unconditional stability is theoretically guaranteed. Numerical experiments show that the method is simple, easy to implement, robust, and applicable to various image segmentation models.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging data are commonly collected during the resting state. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs‐fMRI) is very practical and applicable for a wide ...range of study populations. Rs‐fMRI is usually collected in at least one of three different conditions/tasks, eyes closed (EC), eyes open (EO), or eyes fixated on an object (EO‐F). Several studies have shown that there are significant condition‐related differences in the acquired data. In this study, we compared the functional network connectivity (FNC) differences assessed via group independent component analysis on a large rs‐fMRI dataset collected in both EC and EO‐F conditions, and also investigated the effect of covariates (e.g., age, gender, and social status score). Our results indicated that task condition significantly affected a wide range of networks; connectivity of visual networks to themselves and other networks was increased during EO‐F, while EC was associated with increased connectivity of auditory and sensorimotor networks to other networks. In addition, the association of FNC with age, gender, and social status was observed to be significant only in the EO‐F condition (though limited as well). However, statistical analysis did not reveal any significant effect of interaction between eyes status and covariates. These results indicate that resting‐state condition is an important variable that may limit the generalizability of clinical findings using rs‐fMRI.
•To help develop an investment strategy that is both appropriate and successful for the intended audience, this paper proposes a Multimedia Analysis (MA) feature fusion method for comprehending the ...decision making strategies associated with accounting investments in the online retail environment.•The fundamental objective of this research is to demonstrate that integrating text pre-filtering with image sorting can improve multimedia information retrieval tasks.•For this analysis, we discussed the reliable China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR) Database.•The study information fusion technology to assess the target research topic, evaluate experiment results, and investigate issues related to the emotional influence of financial investment clients.•These experimental results showed that the proposed model has an accuracy of 97%.
Accounting investing analysis has been expanding at a steady clip, and some of the findings suggest that investors' restricted reasoning and self-psychological sentiments may not always lead them to make their negative emotions influence their financial decisions, leading to a loss. Digital multimedia fusion and display are made possible, and numerous terminals may now communicate with one another in a seamless, real-time manner thanks to the growth of e-commerce and multimedia. This paper proposes a Multimedia Analysis (MA) feature fusion method for understanding the psychological emotions associated with accounting investments in the online retail environment, which can then be used to guide the development of an investment strategy that is both appropriate and successful for the target demographic. The primary goal of this study is to show how multimedia information retrieval tasks may benefit from combining text pre-filtering with image sorting. For this investigation; they used information from the reliable China Stock Market and Accounting Research (CSMAR) Database. The information fusion technology that supports this paper's investigation is used to dissect experiment outcomes, examine issues with the emotional effect of financial investment clients, and assess the paper's intended study topic. In experiments, we found a 97% accuracy rate in terms of accuracy.
BES1 and BZR1 were originally identified as two key transcription factors specifically regulating brassinosteroid (BR)-mediated gene expression. They belong to a family consisting of six members, ...BES1, BZR1, BEH1, BEH2, BEH3, and BEH4. bes1 and bzr1 single mutants do not exhibit any characteristic BR phenotypes, suggesting functional redundancy of these proteins. Here, by generating higher order mutants, we show that a quintuple mutant is male sterile due to defects in tapetum and microsporocyte development in anthers. Our genetic and biochemical analyses demonstrate that BES1 family members also act as downstream transcription factors in the EMS1-TPD1-SERK1/2 pathway. Ectopic expression of both TPD1 and EMS1 in bri1-116, a BR receptor null mutant, leads to the accumulation of non-phosphorylated, active BES1, similar to activation of BES1 by BRI1-BR-BAK1 signaling. These data suggest that two distinctive receptor-like kinase-mediated signaling pathways share BES1 family members as downstream transcription factors to regulate different aspects of plant development.
Neuroprotective and neurorestorative therapy represent two major drug intervention strategies for ischemic stroke. Multiple factors such as excitotoxicity, inflammation, angiogenesis, and ...neurogenesis are the main pathological processes that underlie acute and chronic ischemic brain injury. Furthermore, their intimate interactions mediate blood-brain barrier permeability, increase neurovascular unit structural damage as well as a hemorrhagic transformation during ischemic stroke. We aimed to review the current understandings of the underlying mechanisms of neuroprotection and neurorestoration in ischemic stroke. Notably, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has notable advantages in the comprehensive treatment and overall regulation of multi-site and multi-target diseases. Therefore, we reviewed the recent advances in natural compounds from medicinal herbs that possess the bioactivities of simultaneously promoting neuroprotection (e.g., excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and autophagy) and neurorestoration (e.g., angiogenesis, neurogenesis, and axonal sprouting) following brain ischemia injury. These natural compounds were divided into glycosides (astragaloside IV, gastrodin, ginsenoside Rg1 and salidroside), flavonoids (baicalin, icariin, puerarin and breviscapine), phenols (resveratrol, curcumin and salvianolic acid B), and terpenes (ginkgolide B and catalpol). We found that all compounds exhibited anti-brain ischemia activities in vivo and in vitro experiments by promoting neuroprotection and, or neurorestoration. This review tracks and summarizes the progress of the past five years to explore the active compounds and the underlying molecular mechanisms of TCMs that produce pro-neuroprotection and pro-neurorestoration. Additionally, we provide another basis of reference supporting the advantages of TCMs, which could ultimately lead to the development of precise clinical medications for ischemic stroke treatment.
The positive effects of thirteen natural compounds on ischemic stroke. (1) Astragaloside IV; (2) Gastrodin; (3) Ginsenoside Rg1; (4) Salidroside; (5) Baicalin; (6) Icariin; (7) Puerarin; (8) Breviscapine; (9) Resveratrol; (10) Curcumin; (11) Salvianolic acid B; (12) Ginkgolide B; (13) Catalpol. Display omitted
•Underlying mechanisms of neuroprotection and neurorestoration in ischemic stroke were reviewed.•Recent advances in natural compounds for the treatment of ischemic stroke were reviewed.•Reasons for natural compounds that have not been developed for clinical application in stroke treatment have been proposed.
OpenMM is a molecular dynamics simulation toolkit with a unique focus on extensibility. It allows users to easily add new features, including forces with novel functional forms, new integration ...algorithms, and new simulation protocols. Those features automatically work on all supported hardware types (including both CPUs and GPUs) and perform well on all of them. In many cases they require minimal coding, just a mathematical description of the desired function. They also require no modification to OpenMM itself and can be distributed independently of OpenMM. This makes it an ideal tool for researchers developing new simulation methods, and also allows those new methods to be immediately available to the larger community.
Exploring effective electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a crucial requirement of many energy storage and conversion systems, involving fuel cells, water splitting, and metal–air ...batteries. Herein, a heterogeneity metal‐organic framework (MOF) is prepared by the assembling of metals, terephthalic (A) and 2‐aminoterephthalic ligands (B), defined as A2.7B‐MOF‐FeCo1.6. More importantly, A2.7B‐MOF‐FeCo1.6 exhibits excellent OER activity with an ultralow overpotential of 288 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 39 mV dec−1. The high electrocatalytic performance for OER is attributed to the optimized electronic structure of the intrinsic catalytic center in MOFs via the engineering of the metal node and linkers. The work offers not only a benchmark for pure MOFs in electrocatalysis but also a new efficient strategy to improve electrocatalytic performance by electronic structure engineering of catalytic active centers in MOFs.
A heterogeneity MOF A2.7B‐MOF‐FeCo1.6 is prepared by structurally tailoring metal nodes and organic linkers. It can serve as an efficient electrocatalyst with superior oxygen evolution reaction activity owing to modulations in the electronic structure of the catalytic center.
The preharvest drainage of rice paddy fields during the grain filling stage can result in a substantial mobilization of Cd in soil and, consequently, elevated grain Cd concentration. However, the ...processes controlling the mobilization of Cd remains poorly understood. Using 12 field-contaminated paddy soils, we investigated the factors controlling the temporal changes in Cd solubility in paddy soils that were incubated anaerobically for 40 d followed by a 20 d oxidation period. Soluble and extractable Cd concentrations decreased rapidly upon flooding but increased during the oxidation phase, with Cd solubility (aqueous Cd/soil Cd) largely depending upon porewater pH. Furthermore, inhibiting sulfate reduction or inhibiting oxidation dissolution of Cd-sulfides had little or no effect on the mobilization of Cd in the subsequent oxidation phase. Both sequential extraction and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) analyses revealed that changes in Cd solubility were largely dependent upon the transformation of Cd between the Fe–Mn (oxyhydro)oxide fraction and exchangeable fraction. Mobilization of Cd upon soil drainage was caused by a decrease in soil pH resulting in the release of Cd from Fe–Mn (oxyhydro)oxides. Taken together, Fe–Mn (oxyhydro)oxides play a critical (and prevalent) role in controlling the mobilization of Cd upon soil drainage in paddy systems.
Background and Aims
Wilson’s disease (WD) is a rare hereditary disorder due to ATP7B gene mutation, causing pathologic copper storage mainly in the liver and neurological systems. Hepatocyte ...transplantation showed therapeutic potential; however, this strategy is often hindered by a shortage of quality donor cells and by allogeneic immune rejection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the function and efficacy of autologous reprogrammed, ATP7B gene‐restored hepatocytes using a mouse model of WD.
Approach and Results
Sufficient liver progenitor cells (LPCs) were harvested by reprogramming hepatocytes from ATP7B−/− mice with small molecules, which exhibited strong proliferation and hepatic differentiation capacity in vitro. After lentivirus‐mediated mini ATP7B gene transfection and redifferentiation, functional LPC‐ATP7B‐derived hepatocytes (LPC‐ATP7B‐Heps) were developed. RNA sequencing data showed that, compared with LPC–green fluorescent protein–Heps (LPC‐GFP‐Heps) with enrichment of genes that were mainly in pathways of oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, in LPC‐ATP7B‐Heps under high copper stress, copper ion binding and cell proliferation pathways were enriched. LPC‐ATP7B‐Heps transplantation into ATP7B−/− mice alleviated deposition of excess liver copper with its associated inflammation and fibrosis, comparable with those observed using normal primary hepatocytes at 4 months after transplantation.
Conclusions
We established a system of autologous reprogrammed WD hepatocytes and achieved ATP7B gene therapy in vitro. LPC‐ATP7B‐Heps transplantation demonstrated therapeutic efficacy on copper homeostasis in a mouse model of WD.
ATP7B gene therapy of autologous reprogrammed hepatocytes relieved liver copper accumulation in WD mice.
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