Synchronization and firing mode transition of two neurons in a bilateral auditory system driven by a high–low frequency signal

The FitzHugh–Nagumo neuron circuit integrates a piezoelectric ceramic to form a piezoelectric sensing neuron,which can capture external sound signals and simulate the auditory neuron system.Two piezoelectric sensing neurons are coupled by a parallel circuit consisting of a Josephson junction and a linear resistor,and a binaural auditory system is established.Considering the non-singleness of external sound sources,the high–low frequency signal is used as the input signal to study the firing mode transition and synchronization of this system.It is found that the angular frequency of the high–low frequency signal is a key factor in determining whether the dynamic behaviors of two coupled neurons are synchronous.When they are in synchronization at a specific angular frequency,the changes in physical parameters of the input signal and the coupling strength between them will not destroy their synchronization.In addition,the firing mode of two coupled auditory neurons in synchronization is affected by the characteristic parameters of the high–low frequency signal rather than the coupling strength.The asynchronous dynamic behavior and variations in firing modes will harm the auditory system.These findings could help determine the causes of hearing loss and devise functional assistive devices for patients.

Influence of Different Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Agonist Administration Methods on Pregnancy Outcomes of Patients Undergoing In-vitro Fertilization-embryo Transfer

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) administration methods on pregnancy outcomes of patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Clinical data of 5217 patients who underwent IVF-ET were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the long-acting GnRH-a group (n=1330) and the short-acting GnRH-a group (w=3887) based on their various treatment plans. The clinical and laboratory embryo data and clinical pregnancy outcomes were compared between the two groups. The results showed that there were no significant differences in the age, infertility, primary/secondary infertility rate, IVF rate, body mass index (BMI), antral follicle counting (AFC), folliclestimulating hormone (FSH) level, and the number of transplanted embryos between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no significant differences in the oocyte numbers, M II rate, fertilization rate, cleavage rate and blastocyst formation rate (P>0.05) between the two groups. The gonadotropin (Gn) using days, Gn dose and endometrial thickness were significantly greater in the long-acting GnRH-a group than those in the short-acting GnRH-a group (P<0.01). Additionally, the estradiol (E2) levels, blastocyst freezing rate, embryo utilization rate, transplant cancellation rate and abortion rate were significantly lower in the long-acting GnRH-a group than those in the shortacting GnRH-a group (P<0.01). The clinical pregnancy rate and embryo implantation rate were significantly higher in the long-acting GnRH-a group than in the short-acting GnRH-a group (P<O.Ol). It was concluded that use of long-acting GnRH-a can effectively reduce the transplant cancellation rate and improve the clinical pregnancy rate of the fresh cycle.

Potential of Arbidol for Post-exposure Prophylaxis of COVID-19 Transmission:A Preliminary Report of a Retrospective Cohort Study

The efficient transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2)from patients to health care workers or family members has been a worrisome and prominent feature of the ongoing outbreak.On the basis of clinical practice and in-vitro studies,we postulated that post-exposure prophylaxis(PEP)using Arbidol is associated with decreased infection among individuals exposed to confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection.We conducted a retrospective cohort study on family members and health care workers who were exposed to patients confirmed to have SARS-CoV-2 infection by real-time RT-PCR and chest computed tomography(CT)from January 1 to January 16,2020.The last follow-up date was Feb.26,2020.The emergence of fever and/or respiratory symptoms after exposure to the primary case was collected.The correlations between post-exposure prophylaxis and infection in household contacts and health care workers were respectively analyzed.A total of 66 members in 27 families and 124 health care workers had evidence of close exposure to patients with confirmed COVID-19.The Cox regression based on the data of the family members and health care workers with Arbidol or not showed that Arbidol PEP was a protective factor against the development of COVID-19(HR 0.025,95%CI 0.003-0.209,P=0.0006 for family members and HR 0.056,95%CI 0.005-0.662,P=0.0221 for health care workers).Our findings suggest Arbidol could reduce the infection risk of the novel coronavirus in hospital and family settings.This treatment should be promoted for PEP use and should be the subject of further investigation.

Role of the IL-33/ST2/p38 signaling pathway in the immune response of corneal epithelial cells to Aspergillus fumigatus infection

AIM: To investigate the expression of interleukin(IL)-33 in the cornea and human corneal epithelial cells(HCECs) exposed to Aspergillus fumigatus(A. fumigatus), and to determine the function of IL-33/ST2/p38 signaling pathway in the immune response of corneal epithelial cells to A. fumigatus infection.METHODS: The mRNA and protein expression of IL-33 in HCECs and mice corneas were examined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(q RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis, respectively. IL-33 expression was also detected in cornea samples from healthy donors and patients with fungal keratitis with immunohistochemistry. The cultured HCECs were treated with inactive A. fumigatus hyphae at various concentrations with or without recombinant human IL-33 protein, soluble recombinant ST2 protein, specific ST2 neutralizing antibody, or the mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) p38 inhibitor SB203580 for evaluation of the expression and activation of IL-33/ST2/p38 signaling in the regulation of proinflammatory cytokines. The production levels of IL-6 and IL-1β were determined by qR T-PCR and enzymelinked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The proliferation of HCECs was determined by a Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK8) assay and cell count.RESULTS: IL-33 expression levels increased in the corneal tissues of patients with fungal keratitis and in mice corneas of experimental A. fumigatus infection,as well as in HCECs with infection of A. fumigatus. A. fumigatus strongly stimulated HCECs-generated proinflammatory cytokine(IL-6 and IL-1β) production at both the mRNA and protein levels. This production of proinflammatory mediators stimulated by A. fumigatus was further stimulated by IL-33 and was prevented by soluble ST2 protein or ST2 neutralizing antibody. Moreover, IL-33 naturally promoted the p38 phosphorylation induced by A. fumigatus, which was suppressed by soluble ST2 protein. The MAPK p38 inhibitor SB203580 also inhibited the A. fumigatus-induced proinflammatory cytokine production. IL-33 administration for 48 h and 72 h promoted the proliferation of HCECs, which was attenuated by treatment with soluble recombinant human ST2 protein.CONCLUSION: A. fumigatus elevates IL-33 expression in human and mice corneas and HCECs. Thus, IL-33/ST2/p38 signaling may play an important role in amplifying the immune response of corneal epithelial cells to A. fumigatus infection. Besides, IL-33 promotes the cell proliferation of HCECs via its receptor ST2. These findings suggest a novel autocrine mechanism of amplification of the fungalinduced inflammatory response in the corneal epithelium, highlighting a potential therapeutic target for fungal keratitis.

Identification of a Homozygous Missense Mutation in the TYR Gene in a Chinese Family with OCA1

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA)is an autosomal recessive pigmentation abnormality,characterized by variable hair,skin,and ocular hypopigmentation.OCA1 is the most frequent subtype of OCA,caused by mutations in the tyrosinase gene (TYR). In this study,we investigated the genetic mutation of a Chinese family with a female OCA patient who came for genetic counseling before pregnancy.Complete physical examination was performed,and DNA from blood samples was collected from the family members.Mutations of TYR,OCA2,and SLC45A2 genes were examined in the proband, and verified in her parents by Sanger sequencing.Large deletion or duplication of TYR and OCA2 genes was detected by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA).A homozygous TYR c.307T>C (p.Cys103Arg)missense mutation was identified in the proband,and both parents were heterozygous carriers.No large deletion or duplication was found in the proband.This mutation was absent in 1000G,ExAC,or HGMD database,and multiple lines of in silico tools supported a deleterious effect.These results suggest that TYR c.307T>C mutation might be responsible for OCA1,and our study further expands the mutation spectrum of OCA1 in the Chinese population.

Changes in corneal innervation and pain responses in fungal keratitis

AIM: To characterize changes in the cornea nerve and pain responses in fungal keratitis(FK).METHODS: A retrospective analysis of in vivo confocal microscopy images of 11 FK corneas was performed, and the results were compared with those for 11 normal corneas. Subbasal corneal nerves were analyzed for total nerve number, main nerve trunk number, branching patterns and tortuosity. C57 BL/6 mice were infected with Aspergillus fumigatus. Disease severity was determined through clinical scoring and slit lamp photography. Corneas were harvested at 1, 3, 5, and 7 d post infection(p.i.) and assessed for β III tubulin. Corneal mechanical sensitivity thresholds were detected by von Frey test. β-endorphin(β-EP) and μ receptor protein expression was detected through Western blotting.RESULTS: Total nerve number, main nerve trunk number, and nerve branching were significantly lower in FK patients than in controls, but tortuosity was not significantly different. In infected mice, subbasal nerve density decreased from 1 d p.i., reaching a minimum at 5 d p.i. Clinical scores rose at 1 d p.i., peaked at 3 d p.i., and decreased at 5 d p.i. Mechanical sensitivity thresholds showed the same trends. β-EP and μ receptor protein expression increased after infection.CONCLUSION: Corneal nerve density is lower in FK patients and Aspergillus fumigatus-infected mice than in controls. Pain sensitivity decreases with postinfection corneal ulcer aggravation. β-EP and μ receptor proteins are both upregulated in infected mouse corneas.

PVDF-HFP binder for advanced zinc−manganese batteries

In order to optimize and select the appropriate binder to improve the electrochemical performance of aqueous zinc-manganese batteries,the influences of water-soluble binders and oil-based binders on the zinc storage performance of manganese-based cathode materials were systematically investigated.The results show that the water-soluble binders with large numbers of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups are easily soluble in aqueous electrolytes,leading to poor electrochemical performance.Fortunately,the cathodes with polyvinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene(PVDF-HFP)binder display high specific capacity of 264.9 mA·h/g and good capacity retention of 92%after 90 cycles at 100 mA/g.Meanwhile,PVDF-HFP binder with plenty of hydrophobic groups presents excellent ability in inhibiting cracks on the surface of electrode,reducing voltage polarization and charge transfer resistance,as well as maintaining electrode integrity.

Magnetocaloric properties of phenolic resin bonded La(Fe,Si)13-based plates and its use in a hybrid magnetic refrigerator

We present a simple hot press-based method for processing La(Fe,Si)13-based compounds consisting of La–Fe–Co–Si–C particles and phenolic resin. The magnetic entropy change △S per unit mass for the La Fe_(10.87)Co_(0.63)Si_(1.5)C_(0.2)/phenolic resin compounds have nearly the same magnitude with the base materials. With the content of phenolic resin of 5.0 wt%, the compound conductivity is 3.13 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1). In order to measure the cooling performance of La(Fe,Si)13-based compounds,the La(Fe_(11.6-x)Co_(x))Si_(1.4)C_(0.15)(x =0.60, 0.65, 0.75, 0.80, 0.85)/phenolic resin compounds were pressed into thin plates and tested in a hybrid refrigerator that combines the active magnetic refrigeration effect with the Stirling cycle refrigeration effect. The test results showed that a maximum cooling power of 41 W was achieved over a temperature span of 30 K.

电化学门控调节具有平行路径的单分子电路中电子传输

电化学门控已成为一种可行且高效调节单分子电导的方法。在本研究中,我们证实了具有两个平行苯环的单分子电路中电子传输可以通过电化学门控控制。首先,我们利用STM-BJ技术以金为电极构筑了具有两条平行路径的单分子结。与单条路径的单分子结相比,两条路径的分子结由于具有增强性量子干涉效应,具有2.82倍的电导值。进一步地,我们利用电化学门控对具有两个平行苯环的单分结的电导进行调控,获得了333%·V^(-1)调节比。结合DFT计算,发现在E=E_F附近的V形透射系数谱图导致了实验观测的电导门控行为。本研究揭示了具有平行路径的单分子电路的电化学门控行为,并为设计高性能分子器件的分子材料提供了新的途径。

Noise-resilient quantum power flow

Quantum power flow(QPF)offers an inspiring direction for overcoming the computation challenge of power flow through quantum computing.However,the practical implementation of existing QPF algorithms in today’s noisy-intermediate-scale quantum(NISQ)era remains limited because of their sensitivity to noise.This paper establishes an NISQ-QPF algorithm that enables power flow computation on noisy quantum devices.The main contributions include:(1)a variational quantum circuit(VQC)-based alternating current(AC)power flow formulation,which enables QPF using short-depth quantum circuits;(2)NISQ-compatible QPF solvers based on the variational quantum linear solver(VQLS)and modified fast decoupled power flow;and(3)an error-resilient QPF scheme to relieve the QPF iteration deviations caused by noise;(3)a practical NISQ-QPF framework for implementable and reliable power flow analysis on noisy quantum machines.Extensive simulation tests validate the accuracy and generality of NISQ-QPF for solving practical power flow on IBM’s real,noisy quantum computers.

Biodegradation,hemocompatibility and covalent bonding mechanism of electrografting polyethylacrylate coating on Mg alloy for cardiovascular stent

Organic coatings are the most widely employed approach for the promotion of corrosion resistance of magnesium(Mg)alloys.Unfortunately,traditional organic coatings are weakly bonded to Mg substrates due to physical adsorption.Herein,a polyethylacrylate(PEA)coating was fabricated on Mg-Zn-YNd alloy via electro-grafting.The surface structure and chemical composition were characterized by means of scanning electron microscope(SEM),energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS),atomic force microscope(AFM)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)as well as time of flight-secondary ion mass spectrometer(To F-SIMS).The results showed that the surface roughness of PEA coating was dominated by scan rate;while the coverage and integrity of PEA coating were mainly affected by the monomer concentration and sweep circles.To F-SIMS results indicated that PEA coating was wholly covered on Mg alloy,and the presence of C2H3Mg-fragment confirmed the covalent bond between PEA coating and Mg alloy.In addition,DFT calculation results of the adsorption of EA molecules with Mg substrate agree well with the experimental phenomena and observation,suggesting that the electrons in 3s orbit of Mg atoms and 2pz orbit of C1 atom participated in the formation of covalent bond between PEA coating and Mg substrate.Potentiodynamic polarization curves and immersion test demonstrated that the PEA coatings could effectively enhance the corrosion resistance of Mg alloy.The platelet adhesion results designated that platelets were barely visible on PEA coating,which implied that PEA coating could effectively prevent the thrombosis and coagulation of platelets.PEA coating might be a promising candidate coating of Mg alloy for cardiovascular stent.

Interleukin-37 promotes colitis-associated carcinogenesis via SIGIRR-mediated cytotoxic T cells dysfunction

Interleukin-37b(hereafter called IL-37)was identified as fundamental inhibitor of natural and acquired immunity.The molecular mechanism and function of IL-37 in colorectal cancer(CRC)has been elusive.Here,we found that IL-37 transgenic(IL-37tg)mice were highly susceptible to colitis-associated colorectal cancer(CAC)and suffered from dramatically increased tumor burdens in colon.Nevertheless,IL-37 is dispensable for intestinal mutagenesis,and CRC cell proliferation,apoptosis,and migration.Notably,IL-37 dampened protective cytotoxic T cell-mediated immunity in CAC and B16-OVA models.CD8^(+)T cell dysfunction is defined by reduced retention and activation as well as failure to proliferate and produce cytotoxic cytokines in IL-37tg mice,enabling tumor evasion of immune surveillance.The dysfunction led by IL-37 antagonizes IL-18–induced proliferation and effector function of CD8+T cells,which was dependent on SIGIRR(single immunoglobulin interleukin-1 receptor-related protein).Finally,we observed that IL-37 levels were significantly increased in CRC patients,and positively correlated with serum CRC biomarker CEA levels,but negatively correlated with the CD8+T cell infiltration in CRC patients.Our findings highlight the role of IL-37 in harnessing antitumor immunity by inactivation of cytotoxic T cells and establish a new defined inhibitory factor IL-37/SIGIRR in cancerimmunity cycle as therapeutic targets in CRC.