[Design Concept of CT Plate Detector and CT Machine].

Because the mobility ratio of thin film transistors is too low, it is recognized that flat detector can not be used in CT machine.The current research direction is to find the detector material with higher mobility ratio, but with little success. This study puts forward a new scheme to solve the core problem that limits the application of CT, which is the mobility of thin film transistors:by moving various TFT functions in the thin film transistor to the peripheral circuit, the restriction of the mobility of thin film transistor on the CT machine is completely overcome, and the reading speed of the flat panel detector becomes very fast, which can perfectly meet the requirements of the scanning speed of the CT machine.This will provide new research ideas for the application of flat panel detector in CT machine.

Removable appliances to correct anterior crossbites in the mixed dentition: a systematic review.

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of an upper removable appliance in the treatment of an anterior crossbite in term of quality of life, effectiveness, treatment time, long term stability and cost minimization.Design: Systematic reviewData source: A search strategy was implemented using both manual hand search and electronic databases, including Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Ebsco.Study eligibility criteria: Randomized controlled clinical trialsParticipants: Children in the early or late mixed dentition with an anterior crossbite affecting one or more incisors, and no underlying skeletal class III pattern.Interventions: Upper removable appliance compared with other orthodontic appliances.Study appraisal and synthesis: All potential articles were checked against the inclusion criteria independently, and in duplicate by two investigators. Risk of bias of eligible studies to be included in the final analysis was assessed independently by two authors using Cochrane risk of bias tool.Results: A total of 524 articles were identified in both manual and electronic searches as well as by checking the reference lists of the final articles to be included in the study. Only 7 reports of 3 RCTs met the inclusion criteria and thus were included in the final analysis. All but one of the 3 RCTs were judged to be of very low quality. No statistical methods were employed to combine the studies due to the heterogeneity of the studies.Conclusion: A fixed appliance was more cost-effective than a removable appliance in the correction of an anterior crossbite with a functional shift. There was no significant difference in terms of quality of life, pain intensity or long-term stability between the two appliances. On the other hand, both a removable appliance and cemented bite-pads were equally effective in the correction of an anterior dental crossbite without having any side effect.

Elucidating the functional evolution of heat sensors among Xenopus species adapted to different thermal niches by ancestral sequence reconstruction.

Ambient temperature fluctuations are detected via the thermosensory system which allows animals to seek preferable thermal conditions or escape from harmful temperatures. Evolutionary changes in thermal perception have thus potentially played crucial roles in niche selection. The genus Xenopus (clawed frog) is suitable for investigating the relationship between thermal perception and niche selection due to their diverse latitudinal and altitudinal distributions. Here we performed comparative analyses of the neuronal heat sensors TRPV1 and TRPA1 among closely related Xenopus species (X. borealis, X. muelleri, X. laevis, and X. tropicalis) to elucidate their functional evolution and to assess whether their functional differences correlate with thermal niche selection among the species. Comparison of TRPV1 among four extant Xenopus species and reconstruction of the ancestral TRPV1 revealed that TRPV1 responses to repeated heat stimulation were specifically altered in the lineage leading to X. tropicalis which inhabits warmer niches. Moreover, the thermal sensitivity of TRPA1 was lower in X. tropicalis than the other species, although the thermal sensitivity of TRPV1 and TRPA1 was not always lower in species that inhabit warmer niches than the species inhabit cooler niches. However, a clear correlation was found in species differences in TRPA1 activity. Heat-evoked activity of TRPA1 in X. borealis and X. laevis, which are adapted to cooler niches, was significantly higher than in X. tropicalis and X. muelleri which are adapted to warmer niches. These findings suggest that the functional properties of heat sensors changed during Xenopus evolution, potentially altering the preferred temperature ranges among species.

From ornament to armament or loss of function? Breeding plumage acquisition in a genetically monogamous bird.

The evolution of conspicuous male traits is thought to be driven by female mate choice or male-male competition. These two mechanisms are often viewed as distinct processes, with most studies focusing on female choice. However, both mechanisms of sexual selection can act simultaneously on the same trait (i.e., dual function) and/or interact in a synergistic or conflicting way. Dual-function traits are commonly assumed to originate through male-male competition before being used in female choice; yet, most studies focusing on such traits could not determine the direction of change, lacking phylogenetic information. We investigated the role of conspicuous male seasonal plumage in male-male competitive interactions in the purple-crowned fairy-wren Malurus coronatus, a cooperatively breeding bird. Male breeding plumage in most Malurus species is selected by female choice through extra-pair mate choice, but unlike its congeners, M. coronatus is genetically monogamous, and females do not seem to choose males based on breeding plumage acquisition. Our study shows that, within groups, subordinate males that were older, and therefore higher-ranked in the queue for breeder position inheritance, produced a more complete breeding plumage. In line with this, subordinate males that were older and/or displayed a more complete breeding plumage were more successful in competitively acquiring a breeder position. A role as a signal of competitive ability was experimentally confirmed by presenting models of males: in breeding colours, these received more aggression from resident breeder males than in nonbreeding colours, but elicited limited response from females, consistent with competitors in breeding plumage being perceived as a bigger threat to the breeder male. The role of the conspicuous breeding plumage in mediating male-male interactions might account for its presence in this genetically monogamous species. As phylogenetic reconstructions suggest a past female choice function in M. coronatus, this could represent a sexual trait that shifted functions, or a dual-function trait that lost one function. These evolutionary scenarios imply that intra- and intersexual functions of ornaments may be gained or lost independently and offer new perspectives in understanding the complex dynamics of sexual selection.

Surface layer proteins from virulent Clostridium difficile ribotypes exhibit signatures of positive selection with consequences for innate immune response.

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a nosocomial pathogen prevalent in hospitals worldwide and increasingly common in the community. Sequence differences have been shown to be present in the Surface Layer Proteins (SLPs) from different C. difficile ribotypes (RT) however whether these differences influence severity of infection is still not clear. RESULTS: We used a molecular evolutionary approach to analyse SLPs from twenty-six C. difficile RTs representing different slpA sequences. We demonstrate that SLPs from RT 027 and 078 exhibit evidence of positive selection (PS). We compared the effect of these SLPs to those purified from RT 001 and 014, which did not exhibit PS, and demonstrate that the presence of sites under positive selection correlates with ability to activate macrophages. SLPs from RTs 027 and 078 induced a more potent response in macrophages, with increased levels of IL-6, IL-12p40, IL-10, MIP-1α, MIP-2 production relative to RT 001 and 014. Furthermore, RTs 027 and 078 induced higher expression of CD40, CD80 and MHC II on macrophages with decreased ability to phagocytose relative to LPS. CONCLUSIONS: These results tightly link sequence differences in C. difficile SLPs to disease susceptibility and severity, and suggest that positively selected sites in the SLPs may play a role in driving the emergence of hyper-virulent strains.

Adaptive Evolution as a Predictor of Species-Specific Innate Immune Response.

It has been proposed that positive selection may be associated with protein functional change. For example, human and macaque have different outcomes to HIV infection and it has been shown that residues under positive selection in the macaque TRIM5α receptor locate to the region known to influence species-specific response to HIV. In general, however, the relationship between sequence and function has proven difficult to fully elucidate, and it is the role of large-scale studies to help bridge this gap in our understanding by revealing major patterns in the data that correlate genotype with function or phenotype. In this study, we investigate the level of species-specific positive selection in innate immune genes from human and mouse. In total, we analyzed 456 innate immune genes using codon-based models of evolution, comparing human, mouse, and 19 other vertebrate species to identify putative species-specific positive selection. Then we used population genomic data from the recently completed Neanderthal genome project, the 1000 human genomes project, and the 17 laboratory mouse genomes project to determine whether the residues that were putatively positively selected are fixed or variable in these populations. We find evidence of species-specific positive selection on both the human and the mouse branches and we show that the classes of genes under positive selection cluster by function and by interaction. Data from this study provide us with targets to test the relationship between positive selection and protein function and ultimately to test the relationship between positive selection and discordant phenotypes.

Processing of Shakespearean functional shift as a semantic anomaly in L2 English: Evidence from an ERP study.

Functional shift, a productive word formation in English, converts the functional status of a word without changing its form. A previous event-related potential study reported that functional shift elicited left anterior negativity (LAN) and P600 effects in first language processing, suggesting that shifted words triggered syntactic processes in native English speakers. Using the same materials and experimental methods, this study investigated the processing of functional shift in English as a second language, asking Korean learners of English to make acceptability judgments of sentences containing a functional shift, a semantic incongruity, a double violation, or no violation. The results revealed that functional shift elicited significant N400 effects, indicating that Korean participants processed functionally shifted words as semantic anomalies. Our finding points to the possibility that the mental representation of functional shift differs in L1 and L2.

The effectiveness of the early orthodontic correction of functional unilateral posterior crossbite in the mixed dentition period: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to critically appraise the available evidence of the effectiveness of early intervention of functional unilateral posterior crossbites (FPXB) between the ages of 6 and 12 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Electronic search in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) was performed between 1st January 1990 and 31st October 2021. Methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) for CCTs and Cochrane's risk of bias tool for RCTs were applied. The certainty of the evidence was evaluated according to the grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach. RESULTS: Nine studies (6 RCTs and 3 CCTs) were included in this review, and six of them were appropriate for quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis revealed that the quad-helix (QH) was more effective than expansion plates (EP) in increasing the intermolar width (WMD = 1.25; 95% CI 0.75, 1.75; P < 0.001), and decreasing treatment time (WMD = - 3.36; 95% CI - 4.97, - 1.75; P < 0.001). The relapse rate at 5.6 years post-treatment was greater in the QH group than in the EP group (RR = 3.00); however, the difference was statistically insignificant. There was no significant difference between the QH and the EP in other outcome measures. When assessing the rapid maxillary expansion (RME), only one RCT compared the RME with an untreated control group and reported a significant increase in the maxillary intermolar and intercanine width (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, respectively) and a significant decrease in lower midline deviation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: There is weak to moderate evidence that the treatment of functional posterior crossbite (FPXB) by the QH increased the maxillary intermolar width and the success rate and decreased the treatment duration compared to the EP. The relapse percentage was greater in the QH group. There is very weak evidence that the mandibular midline correction rate did not differ significantly between the QH and the EP modalities. The RME using the Hyrax appliance corrected the FPXB successfully; however, the strength of evidence in this regard is very low. As the quality of evidence ranged from very low to moderate in this review, we confirm the need for more RCTs with different expansion appliances in the early treatment of FPXB.

Experimental functional shift-induced osteoarthritis-like changes at the TMJ and altered integrin expression in a rat model.

Mandibular deviation affects the biomechanical environment of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and causes thinning of cartilage on the deviated side. We aimed to evaluate, using a rat model, the effect of mandibular functional deviation on the TMJ in relation to the functional roles of integrin ß family members. The effects of experimental functional deviation on the TMJ of 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley female rats, randomly assigned to control (n = 42) and experimental groups (n = 42), were evaluated at 3 days and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks by histological staining, immunofluorescence, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and micro-computed tomography. The results showed that the experimental functional shift changed the shape of condyles, thinned the cartilage, and increased the proportion of the hypertrophic layer on the deviated sides of condyles. In addition, the extracellular matrix of the condyle cartilage exhibited degradation at 1 week and subchondral trabecular bone was lost at 4 and 8 weeks. Osteoarthritis (OA)-like changes occurred in the left and right condyles of rats in the experimental group and were aggravated over time. Integrin ß family expression, especially integrin ß2 , was altered from week 1, possibly related to the OA-like changes. These data may provide insight into the onset of TMJ OA.

Intensive land uses modify assembly process and potential metabolic function of edaphic bacterial communities in the Yellow River Delta, China.

Coastal reclamation is a global threat to natural ecosystems, disturbing biological community structure, diversity and ecological function through habitat conversion. We have limited insights into the changes brought about by coastal reclamation for different land-use types. We used the Yellow River Delta (YRD) as a model because it is a region with intensive land reclamation, and we investigated the structural and functional variations of bacterial communities and their relations to edaphic properties under different land-use types. Our results showed that the high soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrate concentrations and salinity were found in oil field, aquaculture pond and salt pan, respectively, and low values in natural wetland. Land use was found to have significant influence on bacterial community diversity. To investigate the phylogenetic conservation of specific traits, we analyzed the relationship between soil bacterial assembly processes and edaphic properties. Bacterial traits phylogenetically conserved, and differs in depth. Our findings suggest that SOC served as a deep trait due to it negative correlation with deeper branches of phylogenetic clustering, while nitrate functioned as a shallow trait due to its positive correlation with phylogenetic clustering at finer branches. Soil salinity acted as a complex trait effected on both finer and deeper branches. Further potential functional gene co-occurrence network analysis revealed that land reclamation induced shifts of metabolic function by altering the functional gene connectivity. We found that the photosynthesis pathway was enriched in hub modules related to oil field (OF), while methane metabolism was enriched in hub modules linked to sea cucumber pond (CP1). In addition, two-component systems (TCS) were enriched with nitrate, ammonia, SOC and salinity-related modules. Therefore, our study highlights the importance of integrating multi-function and multi-process identification and prediction of coastal diverse reclamation impacts on coastal ecosystems.