Multifunctional Nanomesh Enables Cellular-Resolution, Elastic Neuroelectronics.

Silicone-based devices have the potential to achieve an ideal interface with nervous tissue but suffer from scalability, primarily due to the mechanical mismatch between established electronic materials and soft elastomer substrates. This study presents a novel approach using conventional electrode materials through multifunctional nanomesh to achieve reliable elastic microelectrodes directly on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) silicone with an unprecedented cellular resolution. This engineered nanomesh features an in-plane nanoscale mesh pattern, physically embodied by a stack of three thin-film materials by design, namely Parylene-C for mechanical buffering, gold (Au) for electrical conduction, and Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) for improved electrochemical interfacing. Nanomesh elastic neuroelectronics are validated using single-unit recording from the small and curvilinear epidural surface of mouse dorsal root ganglia (DRG) with device self-conformed and superior recording quality compared to plastic control devices requiring manual pressing is demonstrated. Electrode scaling studies from in vivo epidural recording further revealed the need for cellular resolution for high-fidelity recording of single-unit activities and compound action potentials. In addition to creating a minimally invasive device to effectively interface with DRG sensory afferents at a single-cell resolution, this study establishes nanomeshing as a practical pathway to leverage traditional electrode materials for a new class of elastic neuroelectronics.

Array-wide uniform PEDOT:PSS electroplating from potentiostatic deposition.

Electroplating of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) is important in many neuroelectronic applications but is challenging to achieve uniformity on large-scale microelectrode arrays (MEA) using conventional galvanostatic methods. In this study, we address this challenge through a potentiostatic method and demonstrate highly uniform electroplating of PEDOT:PSS on MEA with more than one hundred electrodes, all at cellular sizes. The validation of this approach involves comparisons with galvanostatic deposition methods, showcasing unparalleled deposition yield and uniformity. Systematic electrochemical characterizations reveal similarities in structure and stability from potentiostatic deposited coatings. The advances developed here establish the potentiostatic method and detailed process to achieve a uniform coating of PEDOT:PSS on large-scale MEA, with broad utility in neuroelectronics.

Comparative study of percutaneous endoscopic lumbar decompression and traditional revision surgery in the treatment of symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the surgical outcomes and complications of Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression (PELD) and traditional revision surgery in treating symptomatic Adjacent Segment Degeneration (ASD). This comparison aims to delineate the advantages and disadvantages of these methods, assisting spine surgeons in making informed surgical decisions. METHODS: 66 patients with symptomatic ASD who failed conservative treatment for more than 1 month and received repeated lumbar surgery were retrospectively collected in the study from January 2015 to November 2018, with the average age of 65.86 ± 11.04 years old. According to the type of surgery they received, all the patients were divided in 2 groups, including 32 patients replaced the prior rod in Group A and 34 patients received PELD at the adjacent level in Group B. Patients were followed up routinely and received clinical and radiological evaluation at 3, 6, 12 months and yearly postoperatively. Complications and hospital costs were recorded through chart reviews. RESULTS: The majority of patients experienced positive surgical outcomes. However, three cases encountered complications. Notably, Group B patients demonstrated superior pain relief and improved postoperative functional scores throughout the follow-up period, alongside reduced hospital costs (P < 0.05). Additionally, significant reductions in average operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay were observed in Group B (P < 0.05). Notwithstanding these benefits, three patients in Group B experienced disc re-herniation and underwent subsequent revision surgeries. CONCLUSIONS: While PELD offers several advantages over traditional revision surgery, such as reduced operative time, blood loss, and hospital stay, it also presents a higher likelihood of requiring subsequent revision surgeries. Future studies involving a larger cohort and extended follow-up periods are essential to fully assess the relative benefits and drawbacks of these surgical approaches for ASD.

Biomechanical Effect of Different Posterior Fixation Techniques on Stability and Adjacent Segment Degeneration in Treating Thoracolumbar Burst Fracture With Osteoporosis: A Finite Element Analysis.

STUDY DESIGN: Finite element analysis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomechanical effect of four posterior fixation techniques on stability and adjacent segment degeneration in treating thoracolumbar burst fractures with osteoporosis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In terms of stability and adjacent segment degeneration, there remains no consensus or guidelines on the optimal technique for the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures in patients with osteoporosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Images of CT scans were imported into MIMICS and further processed by Geomagic to build three-dimensional models of the T10-L5 region. A v-shaped osteotomy was performed on the L1 vertebral body to simulate a burst fracture in the setting of osteoporosis. Subsequently, four fixation techniques were designed using SolidWorks software. Range of motion (ROM) of the global spine, ROM distribution, ROM of adjacent segment, Von Mises stress on adjacent intervertebral disks, and facet joints were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the four groups, the cortical bone screw fixation (CBT) showed the highest global ROM at 1.86°, while long-segmented pedicle screw fixation (LSPS) had the lowest global ROM at 1.25°. The LSPS had the smallest percentage of ROM of fractured vertebral body to fixed segment at 75.04%, suggesting the highest stability after fixation. The maximum ROM of the adjacent segment was observed in the CBT at 1.32°, while the LSPS exhibited the smallest at 0.89°. However, the LSPS group experienced larger maximum stress on the adjacent intervertebral disks (9.60 MPa) and facet joints (3.36 MPa), indicating an increasing risk of adjacent segment disease. CONCLUSION: LSPS provided the greatest stability, while CBT provided the smallest amount of stability. However, the elevated stress on adjacent intervertebral disks and facet joints after LSPS fixation increased the possibility of adjacent segment degeneration. Cement-augmented pedicle screw fixation (CAPS) and combined cortical bone screw and pedicle screw fixation (CBT-PS) demonstrated significant biomechanical advantages in providing moderate fixation strength while reducing stress on the intervertebral disks and facet joints.

Design and Simulation of a 19-Electrode MEMS Piezoelectric Thin-Film Micro-Deformable Mirror for Ophthalmology.

This study presents a numerical simulation-based investigation of a MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems)technology-based deformable mirror employing a piezoelectric film for fundus examination in adaptive optics. Compared to the classical equal-area electrode arrangement model, we optimize the electrode array for higher-order aberrations. The optimized model centralizes electrodes around the mirror center, which realizes low-voltage driving with high-accuracy correction. The optimized models exhibited commendable correction abilities, achieving a unidirectional displacement of 5.74 µm with a driven voltage of 15 V. The voltage-displacement relationship demonstrated high linearity at 0.99. Furthermore, the deformable mirror's influence matrix was computed, aligning with the Zernike standard surface shape of the order 1-3. To quantify aberration correction capabilities, fitting residuals for both models were calculated. The results indicate an average removal of 96.8% of aberrations to the human eye. This underscores that the optimized model outperforms the classical model in correcting high-order aberrations.

The association between brominated flame retardants exposure with bone mineral density in US adults: A cross-sectional study of the national health and nutrition examination survey (NHANES) 2005-2014.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Exposure to brominated flame retardants (BFRs) has been widely confirmed to impair the normal functioning of the human body system. However, there is a paucity of study on the effects of serum BFRs on bone mineral density (BMD). This study aims to investigate the relationship between exposure to BFRs and BMD in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. METHODS: 3079 participants aged between 20 and 80 years with complete data were included in the study. Serum levels of BFRs were measured using automated liquid-liquid extraction and subsequent sample clean-up. The BMD of all participants were assessed by DXA examinations. Generalize linear model, Restricted cubic spline (RCS), subgroup, weighted quantile sum (WQS) and bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to estimate the association between serum BFRs and BMD. RESULTS: Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that, after adjusting for covariates, PBB153 was significantly associated with TF-BMD (ß = 0.0177, 95%CI: 0.0103-0.0252), FN-BMD (ß = 0.009, 95%CI: 0.0036-0.0145), TS-BMD (ß = 0.0081, 95%CI: 0.0013-0.015) and L1-BMD (ß = 0.0144, 95%CI: 0.0075-0.0213). However, the associations lose their statistical significance after further adjustment for sex. BFRs exhibited S-shaped or line-plateau dose-response curves with BMD. In subgroup analyses, BFRs were significantly associated with BMD in participants who were younger than 55 years, female, overweight (BMI >25 kg/m2), and less alcohol consumption. In WQS and BKMR analyses, the effects of BFRs mixtures on BMD differed by sex, and PBDE153, PBDE209 and PBB153 had the highest weights in the WQS regression model. CONCLUSION: This study showed that serum BFRs negatively predicted BMD in men, but not in women or the general population. PBDE153, PBDE209, and PBB153 were significant BMD factors, especially in younger, overweight, and less alcohol consumption individuals.

Development of a fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode sensing platform for acid phosphatase assay based on Fe3+ functionalized CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots.

BACKGROUND: The spectral dual-mode response towards analyte has been attracted much attention, benefiting from the higher detection accuracy of such strategy in comparison to single signal readout. However, the currently reported dual-mode sensors for acid phosphatase (ACP) activity are still limited, and most of them more or less exist some deficiencies, such as complicated construction procedure, high-cost, poor biocompatibility, aggregation-caused quenching and limited emission capacity. RESULTS: Herein, we employed Fe3+ functionalized CuInS2/ZnS quantum dots (CIS/ZnS QDs) as nanosensor to develop a novel fluorometric and colorimetric dual-mode assay for ACP activity, combing with ACP-triggered hydrolysis of ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (AAP) into ascorbic acid (AA). The Fe3+ binding to CIS/ZnS QDs can be reduced into Fe2+ during the determination, resulting in the dramatically weakened photoinduced electron transfer (PET) effect and the disappearance of competition absorption. Thus, a highly sensitive ACP assay in the range of 0.22-12.5 U L-1 through fluorescence "turn-on" mode has been achieved with a detection of limit (LOD) of 0.064 U L-1. Meanwhile, the ACP activity can also be quantified by spectrophotometry based on the chromogenic reaction of the formed Fe2+ with 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen). Moreover, the designed nanosensor with good biocompatibility was successfully applied to image and monitor the ACP levels in living cells. SIGNIFICANCE: We believe that the proposed method has remarkable advantages and potential application for ACP assay in terms of the high accuracy, simplicity, low cost, as well as its adequate sensitivity.

Digitalization, new business Startups, information and Communication Technologies and product innovation: Evidence From China in the lens of sustainability.

The global economies and international organizations are inclined towards sustainable growth, technological advancements and product innovations. China is the leading economy in information and communication technologies and among the major industrially expanded economies covering a substantial share of the global market in exports. The prime objective of this study is to explore the role of digitalization and Information and communication technologies (ICT) for product innovation (PIN). In doing so, the study also attempts to draw some novel implications regarding business, entrepreneurship, and product innovation in the lens of sustainability. This current study use the annual data of China from 1990-2020. The empirical analysis was conducted using the stationarity testing and the Johansen cointegration test. In addition, due to the data's asymmetrical distribution, the non-parametric "quantile regression" is used. For robustness, this study employs the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square, Canonical Cointegration, and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square methods. The empirical results reveal that economic progress and financial development are substantial factors of product innovation. The robust analysis reveals that medium and high-tech industries and information and communication technology adversely affect product innovation. Further, the presence of financial development transforms the negative influence of information and communication technology into a positive. The current study concludes more investments in the technological industry are required to encourage product innovation in China. The study discusses some policy-related implications in the context of business sustainability and product innovation.

Fu's subcutaneous needling as an adjunctive therapy for diaphragmatic dysfunction in a critically ill patient with severe neurologic disability: A case report.

RATIONALE: Diaphragmatic dysfunction is prevalent among intensive care unit patients. The use of Fu's subcutaneous needling (FSN) for respiratory problems is a new issue and few study has been conducted so far. PATIENT CONCERNS: Despite conventional treatments, the patient continued using noninvasive ventilation after discharge from the intensive care unit due to diaphragmatic dysfunction. DIAGNOSIS: Diaphragmatic dysfunction. INTERVENTIONS: After the myofascial trigger points were confirmed in the neck, chest, and abdomen area, FSN therapy was performed using disposable FSN needles. FSN needles were penetrated into the subcutaneous layer. OUTCOMES: The patient dyspnea and tachypnea improved, and noninvasive ventilation time dropped significantly. The patient was successfully weaned from the ventilator after 3 sessions of FSN therapy, and there was an increase in diaphragmatic excursion and tidal fraction of the diaphragm via the ultrasound imaging. We found no evidence of relapse 12 months after treatment. LESSONS: FSN therapy has potential as an alternative strategy for patients with diaphragmatic dysfunction and severe neurologic disabilities who do not respond well to conventional therapies, but further research is still required to establish the effects of FSN on diaphragmatic function.

Dendroclimatic response of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. along an altitudinal gradient in the warm temperate region of China.

Introduction: Global climate change can affect the sensitivity of tree radial growth to climate factors, but the specific responses of tree radial growth to microclimate along the altitudinal gradient in the long term are still unclear. Methods: In this study, the tree-ring width chronologies of Pinus tabuliformis Carr. in Shanxi Province of China were studied at three altitude gradients (1200-1300 m (low altitude), 1300-1400 m (medium altitude) and 1400-1500 m (high altitude)) during 1958-2017. Results: The results showed that (1) the climate background could be divided into two periods based on the Mann-Kendall test analysis: 1958-1996 was a stable period (mean annual temperature (MAT)=10.25°C, mean annual precipitation (MAP)=614.39 mm), and 1997-2017 was a rapid change period (MAT=10.91°C, MAP=564.70 mm), indicating a warming and drying trend in the study region. (2) The radial growth of P. tabuliformis at different altitudes showed inconsistent variation patterns. The tree radial growth at low and medium altitudes (CV=27.01% for low altitude and CV=24.69% for medium altitude) showed larger variation amplitudes during the rapid change period than that in the stable period (CV=12.40% for low altitude and CV=18.42% for medium altitude). In contrast to the increasing trend, the tree radial growth rates at the high altitude showed a decreasing trend across years. (3) In the stable period, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis at the low altitude showed a significantly negative response to temperature and a positive response to precipitation in May and June. The tree radial growth at the medium altitude was positively related to precipitation in June and minimum temperature in February. The tree growth at the high altitude was mainly positively correlated with the temperature in May and August. In the rapid change period, the radial growth of P. tabuliformis at the low altitude was affected by more meteorological factors than that in the stable period. Medium-altitude trees were positively influenced by precipitation in June and minimum temperature in January, whereas high-altitude trees responded positively to wind speed in February. (4) Along altitudinal gradients, tree radial growth was more related to temperature than precipitation in the stable period. The tree radial growth at the high altitude during the rapid change period was only affected by wind speed in February, whereas the tree radial growth at low and medium altitudes was mainly affected by temperature to a similar extent during the two periods. Discussion: The study indicated that tree growth-climate response models could help deeply understand the impact of climate change on tree growth adaptation and would be beneficial for developing sustainable management policies for forest ecosystems in the transition zone from warm-temperate to subtropical climates.

[Progress in application of adult endogenous neurogenesis in brain injury repair].

Persistent neurogenesis exists in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus in the adult mammalian brain. Adult endogenous neurogenesis not only plays an important role in the normal brain function, but also has important significance in the repair and treatment of brain injury or brain diseases. This article reviews the process of adult endogenous neurogenesis and its application in the repair of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or ischemic stroke, and discusses the strategies of activating adult endogenous neurogenesis to repair brain injury and its practical significance in promoting functional recovery after brain injury.

Neuronal differentiation and functional maturation of neurons from neural stem cells induced by bFGF-chitosan controlled release system.

Available methods for differentiating stem cells into neurons require a large number of cytokines and neurotrophic factors, with complex steps and slow processes, and are inefficient to produce functional neurons and form synaptic contacts, which is expensive and impractical in clinical application. Here, we demonstrated a bioactive material, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-chitosan controlled release system, for facilitating neuronal differentiation from NSCs and the functional maturation of the induced neurons with high efficiency. We illustrated by immunostaining that the neurons derived from NSCs expressed mature immunomarkers of interneurons and excitatory neurons. And we found by patch-clamp that the induced neurons exhibited diverse electrophysiological properties as well as formed functional synapses. In vivo, we implanted bFGF-chitosan into lesion area in traumatic brain injury (TBI) mice and similarly observed abundance of neuroblasts in SVZ and the presence of newborn functional neurons in injury area, which integrated into synaptic networks. Taken together, our efficient and rapid tissue engineering approach may be a potential method for the generation of functional neuronal lineage cells from stem cells and a therapy of brain injury and disease.

Luminescent AgGaSe2/ZnSe nanocrystals: rapid synthesis, color tunability, aqueous phase transfer, and bio-labeling application.

The unique optoelectronic properties of I-III-VI2 nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted extensive attention. Herein, element Se in oleylamine reduced by alkythiol, which has been demonstrated to generate highly reactive alkylammonium selenide, was selected as the Se precursor by us to successfully synthesize high-quality tetragonal AgGaSe2 NCs via a facile colloidal method in just 2 minutes. Further, the photoluminescence (PL) properties of the as-synthesized AgGaSe2 NCs were systematically optimized through utilizing one Zn precursor to integrate shell coating and anionic/cationic alloying strategies into our reactive system, resulting in not only the obvious improvement of PL intensity but also tunable PL color from blue to red. Furthermore, the ligand exchange approach was adopted for the aqueous phase transfer of the oleophilic AgGaSe2/ZnSe NCs. Our data suggest that either metalated mercaptopropionic acid (Zn-MPA) short- or 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid long-chain ligand exchanged NCs all could maintain the original high crystallinity, present good water solubility, and retain up to nearly 95% and 70% of the initial PL intensity, respectively. Benefiting from the low cytotoxicity, the water-soluble AgGaSe2/ZnSe NCs can be applied as a fluorescent probe in cell imaging and signal labels for the fluoroimmunoassay of prostate-specific antigen, implying their potential in biological application.

Amygdala Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 Influences Synaptic Transmission to Participate in Fentanyl-Induced Hyperalgesia in Rats.

The underlying mechanisms of opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH) remain unclear. Herein, we found that the protein expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) was significantly increased in the right but not in the left laterocapsular division of central nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC) in OIH rats. In CeLC neurons, the frequency and the amplitude of mini-excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) were significantly increased in fentanyl group which were decreased by acute application of a mGluR1 antagonist, A841720. Finally, the behavioral hypersensitivity could be reversed by A841720 microinjection into the right CeLC. These results show that the right CeLC mGluR1 is an important factor associated with OIH that enhances synaptic transmission and could be a potential drug target to alleviate fentanyl-induced hyperalgesia.

Prediction of boridenes as high-performance anodes for alkaline metal and alkaline Earth metal ion batteries.

We conducted a comprehensive density functional theory investigation using the r2SCAN-rVV10 functional on the structural stability and electrochemical properties of boridenes for their use as anode materials in rechargeable alkaline (earth) metal-ion batteries (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+). According to first-principles molecular dynamics simulations and reaction thermodynamic calculations, Mo4/3B2(OH)2 and Mo4/3B2F2 are unstable in the presence of alkaline (earth) metal ions due to the surface-conversion reactions between the surface terminations and adsorbates. Meanwhile, the bare Mo4/3B2 and Mo4/3B2O2 monolayers not only can accommodate alkaline (earth) metal ions, but also form stable multi-layer adsorption structures for most of the studied metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+). The predicted gravimetric capacities of the bare Mo4/3B2 monolayer (Mo4/3B2O2) are 625.9 mA h g-1 (357.3 mA h g-1), 247.20 mA h g-1 (392.1 mA h g-1), 101.8 mA h g-1 (206.4 mA h g-1), 667.0 mA h g-1, and 413.0 mA h g-1 (485.4 mA h g-1) for Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions, respectively. The bare Mo4/3B2 exhibits lower onset charging open circuit voltages for alkaline (earth) metal ions than that of Mo4/3B2O2. The diffusivities of the metal ions were revealed to be high on the boridene monolayer especially for the outer fully stable adsorption layers, where the migration energy barriers were found to be less than 0.10 eV. Similar to that of MXenes, the negative electron cloud (NEC) also plays a vital role in stabilizing the observed multi-layer adsorption structures for various metal ions on either the bare Mo4/3B2 or Mo4/3B2O2 monolayer.

Health-zkIDM: A Healthcare Identity System Based on Fabric Blockchain and Zero-Knowledge Proof.

The issue of identity authentication for online medical services has been one of the key focuses of the healthcare industry in recent years. Most healthcare organizations use centralized identity management systems (IDMs), which not only limit the interoperability of patient identities between institutions of healthcare, but also create isolation between data islands. The more important matter is that centralized IDMs may lead to privacy disclosure. Therefore, we propose Health-zkIDM, a decentralized identity authentication system based on zero-knowledge proof and blockchain technology, which allows patients to identify and verify their identities transparently and safely in different health fields and promotes the interaction between IDM providers and patients. The users in Health-zkIDM are uniquely identified by one ID registered. The zero-knowledge proof technology is deployed on the client, which provides the user with a proof of identity information and automatically verifies the user's identity after registration. We implemented chaincodes on the Fabric, including the upload of proof of identity information, identification, and verification functions. The experiences show that the performance of the Health-zkIDM system can achieve throughputs higher than 400 TPS in Caliper.

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Electroacupuncture Stimulating Uterine Acupoints.

OBJECTIVE: Based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), to observe the changes of brain function of bilateral uterine points stimulated by electroacupuncture, so as to provide imaging basis for acupuncture in the treatment of gynecological and reproductive diseases. METHODS: 20 healthy female subjects were selected to stimulate bilateral uterine points (EX-CA1) by electroacupuncture. FMRI data before and after acupuncture were collected. The ReHo values before and after acupuncture were compared by using the analysis method of regional homogeneity (ReHo) of the whole brain, so as to explore the regulatory effect of acupuncture intervention on brain functional activities of healthy subjects. RESULTS: Compared with before acupuncture, the ReHo values of the left precuneus lobe, left central posterior gyrus, calcarine, left lingual gyrus, and cerebellum decreased significantly after acupuncture. CONCLUSION: Electroacupuncture at bilateral uterine points can induce functional activities in brain areas such as the precuneus, cerebellum, posterior central gyrus, talform sulcus, and lingual gyrus. The neural activities in these brain areas may be related to reproductive hormone level, emotional changes, somatic sensation, and visual information. It can clarify the neural mechanism of acupuncture at uterine points in the treatment of reproductive and gynecological diseases to a certain extent.

[Changes in electrophysiological properties of pyramidal neuron in motor cortex during the postnatal early development of mice].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the electrophysiological properties of pyramidal neurons in mouse motor cortex during the early postnatal development. METHODS: Thirty-six mice were randomly divided into postnatal 1-, 2-, 3-Week and 1-, 2-,3-Month groups (n=6). Membrane properties, action potentials (AP) and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) of motor cortex pyramidal neurons were recorded to evaluate the changes in the intrinsic electrophysilogical characteristics by using whole cell patch clamp. Pyramidal neurons and interneurons were distinguished according to the AP firing patterns. RESULTS: Comparing with interneurons, pyramidal neurons exhibited regular spiking (RS) with smaller frequency. During the period of postnatal 1 Week-3 Months, some of the intrinsic membrane properties of motor cortex pyramidal neurons changed. Compared to the 1-Week mice, the resting membrane potential (RMP) of 2-Week decreased significantly (P＜0.01), and the membrane input resistance (Rin) of 1-Month got a hyperpolarization (P＜0.01), and they showed no significant change in the next period, while the membrane capacitance (Cm) showed no significant changes during the whole postnatal development. The AP dynamic properties changed significantly during this period. Compared to the 1-Week mice, the absolute value of the AP threshold and the AP amplitude of the 3-Week increased significantly (P＜0.01), while the spike half width of the 2-Week decreased substantially (P＜0.05), and they showed no significant change in the next period. The sEPSCs frequency and amplitude of 1- Month increased significantly compared to the 1-Week mice(P＜0.01), while during the period of next 1 Month-3 Months, the amplitude and frequency showed no significant change. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the motor cortex pyramidal neurons have time-specific eletrophysilogical properties during the postnatal development. The electrophysiological properties can be used as a functional index to detect the degree of neurons maturity, and as a marker to distinguish the pyramidal neurons and interneurons.

Structural Diversity of Photosystem I and Its Light-Harvesting System in Eukaryotic Algae and Plants.

Photosystem I (PSI) is one of the most efficient photoelectric apparatus in nature, converting solar energy into condensed chemical energy with almost 100% quantum efficiency. The ability of PSI to attain such high conversion efficiency depends on the precise spatial arrangement of its protein subunits and binding cofactors. The PSI structures of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms, namely cyanobacteria, eukaryotic algae, and plants, have undergone great variation during their evolution, especially in eukaryotic algae and vascular plants for which light-harvesting complexes (LHCI) developed that surround the PSI core complex. A detailed understanding of the functional and structural properties of this PSI-LHCI is not only an important foundation for understanding the evolution of photosynthetic organisms but is also useful for designing future artificial photochemical devices. Recently, the structures of such PSI-LHCI supercomplexes from red alga, green alga, diatoms, and plants were determined by X-ray crystallography and single-particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). These findings provide new insights into the various structural adjustments of PSI, especially with respect to the diversity of peripheral antenna systems arising via evolutionary processes. Here, we review the structural details of the PSI tetramer in cyanobacteria and the PSI-LHCI and PSI-LHCI-LHCII supercomplexes from different algae and plants, and then discuss the diversity of PSI-LHCI in oxygenic photosynthesis organisms.

Bayesian approaches to benefit-risk assessment for diagnostic tests.

Benefit-risk assessment plays an important role in the evaluation of medical devices. Unlike the therapeutic devices, the diagnostic tests usually affect patient life indirectly since subsequent therapeutic treatment interventions (such as proper treatment in time, further examination or test, no action, etc.) will depend on correct diagnosis and monitoring of the disease status. A benefit-risk score using statistical models by integrating the information from benefit (true positive and true negative) and risk (false positive and false negative) for diagnostic tests with binary outcomes (i.e., positive and negative) will help evaluation of the utility and the uncertainty of a particular diagnostic device. In this paper, we develop two types of Bayesian models with conjugate priors for constructing the benefit-risk (BR) measures with corresponding credible intervals, one based on a Multinomial model with Dirichlet prior, and the other based on independent Binomial models with independent Beta priors. We then propose a Bayesian power prior model to incorporate the historical data or the real-world data (RWD). Both the fixed and random power prior parameters are considered for Bayesian borrowing. We evaluate the performance of the methods by simulations and illustrate their implementation using a real example.