Vertical tearing of subducting plates controlled by geometry and rheology of oceanic plates.

Lateral non-uniform subduction is impacted by continuous plate segmentation owing to vertical tearing of the subducting plate. However, the dynamics and physical controls of vertical tearing remain controversial. Here, we employed 3D numerical models to investigate the effects of trench geometry (offset by a transform boundary) and plate rheology (plate age and the magnitude of brittle/plastic strain weakening) on the evolution of shear stress-controlled vertical tearing within a homogenous subducting oceanic plate. Numerical results suggest that the trench offset geometry could result in self-sustained vertical tearing as a narrow shear zone within the intact subducting oceanic plate, and that this process of tearing could operate throughout the entire subduction process. Further, the critical trench offset length for the maturation of vertical tearing is impacted by plate rheology. Comparison between numerical modelling results and natural observations suggests that vertical tearing attributed to trench offset geometry is broadly developed in modern subduction and collision systems worldwide.

Associations between internet addiction and psychological problems among adolescents: description and possible explanations.

Introduction: Internet addiction (IA) is becoming a significant public health issue that requires urgent attention, especially for adolescents. Previous studies mainly focused on the risk factors of Internet addiction and drawn some conclusions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the Internet addiction status and concurrent psychological problems in adolescent groups, and explore the differences in the relationship between IA and psychological problems in adolescents from gender and grade. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of junior and senior high school in 21 prefecture-level cities of Guangdong Province. The Young Diagnostic Questionnaire (YDQ) and the validated Chinese version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were used to assess participants' Internet addiction and psychological status. Two-way ANOVA was used to verify the interaction between gender and Internet addiction, grade and Internet addiction on psychological problems. When the interaction was statistically significant, simple effect analysis was further carried out. Results: The prevalence of problematic Internet use (PIU), depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among adolescents were 16.32%, 30.16%, 35.97% and 18.80% respectively. Although the prevalence of PIU among boys (17.89%) was higher than that of girls (14.86%), girls in PIU group had the highest scores of depression, anxiety and stress. Similarly, the interaction between grade and Internet addiction was also significant (p < 0.05). Although the prevalence of PIU was the highest in grade 9 (17.29%), the adverse effects of Internet addiction on psychological problems were different in different grades. Discussion: Internet addiction was prevalent among adolescents in Guangdong province, and psychological problems also cannot be ignored. Thus, this study suggests that long-term follow-ups should be included in mental health programs of adolescents to monitor the development of Internet addiction and psychological problems.

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Self-reported Psychological Distress Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic in China.

Importance: Schools have been suspended nationwide in 188 countries, and classes have shifted to home-based distance learning models to control the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Additional information is needed to determine mental health status among school-aged children and adolescents during this public health crisis and the risk factors associated with psychological distress during the pandemic. Objective: To assess self-reported psychological distress among school-aged children and adolescents associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cross-sectional study using data from a survey on the mental health of school-aged children and adolescents in Guangdong province, China, conducted by using a stratified cluster random sampling method between March 8 to 30, 2020. To estimate outcomes associated with location of districts, only data from students with internet protocol addresses and current addresses in Guangdong were included. Data were analyzed from April 5 to July 20, 2020. Exposure: Home-based distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Main Outcome and Measures: The main outcome was self-reported psychological distress, measured using the total score on the 12-item General Health Questionnaire of 3 or greater. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors associated with mental health status. Odds ratios (ORs) were used to analyze the associations of factors with psychological distress. Results: Among 1 310 600 students who completed the survey, 1 199 320 students (mean [SD] age, 12.04 [3.01] years; 619 144 [51.6%] boys) were included in the final analysis. A total of 126 355 students (10.5%) self-reported psychological distress. Compared with students in primary school, high school students had increased risk of psychological distress (OR, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.15-1.23]). Compared with students who wore a face mask frequently, students who never wore a face mask had increased risk of psychological distress (OR, 2.59 [95% CI, 2.41-2.79]). Additionally, students who spent less than 0.5 hours exercising had increased odds of self-reported psychological distress compared with students who spent more than 1 hour exercising (OR, 1.64 [95% CI, 1.61-1.67]). Conclusions and Relevance: These findings suggest that the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress among students during the COVID-19 pandemic was relatively high. Frequency of wearing a face mask and time spent exercising were factors associated with mental health. Therefore, it may be necessary for governments, schools, and families to pay attention to the mental health of school-aged children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and take corresponding countermeasures to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' mental health.

QIMCMDA: MiRNA-Disease Association Prediction by q-Kernel Information and Matrix Completion.

Studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely associated with many human diseases, but we have not yet fully understand the role and potential molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in the process of disease development. However, ordinary biological experiments often require higher costs, and computational methods can be used to quickly and effectively predict the potential miRNA-disease association effect at a lower cost, and can be used as a useful reference for experimental methods. For miRNA-disease association prediction, we have proposed a new method called Matrix completion algorithm based on q-kernel information (QIMCMDA). We use fivefold cross-validation and leave-one-out cross-validation to prove the effectiveness of QIMCMDA. LOOCV shows that AUC can reach 0.9235, and its performance is significantly better than other commonly used technologies. In addition, we applied QIMCMDA to case studies of three human diseases, and the results show that our method performs well in inferring potential interaction between miRNAs and diseases. It is expected that QIMCMDA will become an excellent supplement in the field of biomedical research in the future.

RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED Genes Specifically Control Inner Floral Organ Morphogenesis and Pollen Development in Rice.

RETINOBLASTOMA-RELATED (RBR) is an essential gene in plants, but its molecular function outside of its role in cell cycle entry remains poorly understood. We characterized the functions of OsRBR1 and OsRBR2 in plant growth and development in rice using both forward- and reverse-genetics methods. The two genes were coexpressed and performed redundant roles in vegetative organs but exhibited separate functions in flowers. OsRBR1 was highly expressed in the floral meristem and regulated the expression of floral homeotic genes to ensure floral organ formation. Mutation of OsRBR1 caused loss of floral meristem identity, resulting in the replacement of lodicules, stamens, and the pistil with either a panicle-like structure or whorls of lemma-like organs. OsRBR2 was preferentially expressed in stamens and promoted pollen formation. Mutation of OsRBR2 led to deformed anthers without pollen. Similar to the protein interaction between AtRBR and AtMSI1 that is essential for floral development in Arabidopsis, OsMSI1 was identified as an interaction partner of OsRBR1 and OsRBR2. OsMSI1 was ubiquitously expressed and appears to be essential for development in rice (Oryza sativa), as the mutation of OsMSI1 was lethal. These results suggest that OsRBR1 and OsRBR2 function with OsMSI1 in reproductive development in rice. This work characterizes further functions of RBRs and improves current understanding of specific regulatory pathways of floral specification and pollen formation in rice.

Selective Conversion of Hemicellulose in Macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera to Rhamnose.

Direct hydrothermal conversion (HC) of macroalgae Enteromorpha prolifera was conducted over the temperature range of 140-240 °C. At 160 °C, monosaccharides and small molecular acids began to generate. A high yield (18.8%) of monosaccharides was obtained at 180 °C, whereas 29.6% of small molecular organic acids was attained at 200 °C. Formic acid (FA) was then employed as a catalyst, which could selectively catalyze the conversion of hemicellulose at low temperature (94.1%, 140 °C). Rhamnose (45.2%) based on the mass of carbohydrates in E. prolifera was produced by the catalysis of 0.7 mL of FA (160 °C, 60 min, 1 g of biomass loading). A low ratio of biomass amount to water was beneficial to the solution of water-soluble components of hemicellulose in E. prolifera to get high yields to monosaccharides. HC showed promise to be an applicable and efficient method in the treatment of E. prolifera with high conversion of carbohydrates.

Synthesis and Antibacterial Activity of Polyoxometalates with Different Structures.

A new inorganic-organic hybrid compound, [{Cu(phen)2}2(H4W12O40)], was synthesized, and its crystal structure was determined. The Keggin anion H4W12O40 4- was grafted with two coordination units {Cu(phen)2}, forming an electrically neutral molecule. The antibacterial activity of several polyoxometalate compounds with different anionic structures including the new compound was studied. The results show that the compound 1 can inhibit the growth of Enterococcus faecalis FA2 strains and that antibacterial activity of the polyoxometalate compounds is dependent with component elements of POM but is less relative with the anion structures.

A Novel Application of Ti-Substituted Polyoxometalates: Anti-Inflammatory Activity in OVA-Induced Asthma Murine Model.

Objective. Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Despite extensive researches into the treatment and management of it, current treatments and management strategies are still limited. The search for a novel approach to its treatments is urgently needed. Researches on the potential medical use of polyoxometalates (POMs) have already shown it has antiviral and antitumor bioactivities. But the effects of POM in immune systems are still largely unknown. Methods. In order to investigate the role of POM in the asthmatic disease, we used OVA-induced asthma murine model and observed the pathological changes between mice that received three different Ti-substituted POMs (0.3 µg per mouse per dose) when challenged with OVA. We also measured the type 2 cytokine expressions to reveal the potential mechanism. Results and Conclusions. Our results showed that two Ti-substituted POMs, K5H2[FeW11TiO40]·17H2O and K5H[H2ZnW11TiO40]·35H2O, could reduce OVA-induced lung inflammation, serum IgE level (around 2000 ng/mL to less than 1000 ng/mL), leukocytes infiltration in the lung, and cytokines levels (including IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and TNF-α) but Ti-centered POM K4[TiW12O40]·10H2O did not. Thus, Ti-substituted POMs may have pharmaceutical values especially in treatments for asthmatic diseases.

Two Compounds Constructed from Bimolybdenum-Capped Sandwich-Type Tetra-Ni-molybdogermanate and N-Donor Multidentate Ligand.

Two organic-inorganic hybrid bimolybdenum-capped tetra-Ni(II) sandwich-type molybdogermanates, namely, (H2L)4[Ni4(H2O)2{B-α-GeMo9O34 (MoO2)}2]·6H2O (1), [Ni2(HL)4(H2O)2][Ni4(H2O)2{B-α-GeMo9O34(MoO2)}2]·12H2O (2), L = 2,4,5-tri(4-pyridyl)imidazole, were prepared with hydrothermal synthesis method and characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Their magnetic properties and electrochemical properties were investigated. The results show that compounds 1 and 2 contain a new bimolybdenum-capped sandwich-type heteropolymolybdate anion, [Ni4(H2O)2{B-α-GeMo9O34(MoO2)}2](8-). The compound 1 is a zero-dimensional supramolecular compound, and the supramolecular architecture of compound 2 is constructed from covalent layers through hydrogen bonds and π-π interaction. The two compounds both present electrocatalytic activities for the reduction of nitrite.

A two-stage association study suggests BRAP as a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which altered immune function typically plays an important role in mediating the effect of environmental insults and regulation of inflammation. The breast cancer suppressor protein associated protein (BRAP) is suggested to exert vital effects in neurodevelopment by modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade and inflammation signaling. To explore the possible role of BRAP in SZ, we conducted a two-stage study to examine the association of BRAP polymorphisms with SZ in the Han Chinese population. In stage one, we screened SNPs in BRAP from our GWAS data, which detected three associated SNPs, with rs3782886 being the most significant one (P  =  2.31E-6, OR  =  0.67). In stage two, we validated these three SNPs in an independently collected population including 1957 patients and 1509 controls, supporting the association of rs3782886 with SZ (P  =  1.43E-6, OR  =  0.73). Furthermore, cis-eQTL analysis indicates that rs3782886 genotypes are associated with mRNA levels of aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 family (ALDH2) (P  =  0.0039) and myosin regulatory light chain 2 (MYL2) (P < 1.0E-4). Our data suggest that the BRAP gene may confer vulnerability for SZ in Han Chinese population, adding further evidence for the involvement of developmental and/or neuroinflammatory cascades in the illness.

Functionalized pentamolybdodiphosphate-based inorganic-organic hybrids: synthesis, structure, and properties.

Three inorganic-organic hybrid compounds based on functionalized pentamolybdodiphosphonopropionate anion [(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15](4-), [Co3(bipy)4(H2O)6{(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15}2]·(H2bipy)2·18H2O (1), [Fe3(bipy)4(H2O)6{(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15}2]·(H2bipy)2·18H2O (2), and [Cu(bipy)(H2O)2{(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15}]·(H2bipy)·4H2O (3), where bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine, have been successfully synthesized at different pH values in aqueous solutions. In compound 1, [(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15](4-) acts as a tridentate ligand and coordinates to the Co(2+) ions of trimeric complex cations [Co3(bipy)4(H2O)6](6+) forming a layer. In 3 [(HO2CC2H4PO3)2Mo5O15](4-) acts as a bidentate ligand and coordinates to the Cu(2+) ions of complex chains [Cu(bipy)(H2O)2]n(2n+), forming a different layer from that in 1. The three compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, and TGA. In addition, their fluorescent properties and magnetic properties have also been investigated.

Myosin Vb gene is associated with schizophrenia in Chinese Han population.

Myosin Vb (MYO5B) has recently been implicated in the etiology of bipolar disorder in a genome-wide association study (GWAS). This gene is involved in amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit glutamate receptor 1 (GluR1) recycling and plays an important role in the primary excitatory neurotransmission. Dysfunction of the brain glutamate system has been postulated to be involved in the pathophysiology in schizophrenia. To further investigate the association between MYO5B polymorphisms and schizophrenia, we genotyped nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in an independent sample of 1463 individuals with schizophrenia and 1563 healthy control subjects, and detected three SNPs and two haplotype blocks which displayed significant association with schizophrenia. This association was further strengthened by the results of meta-analysis. Our data strongly supported that the MYO5B gene might be associated with schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population and they have implications for understanding the glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia.

No association of catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphisms with schizophrenia in the Han Chinese population.

AIMS: Genetics play a major role in the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ). Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) is one of the promising candidate genes for SZ. A nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs4680, causing a Valine (Val) to Methionine (Met) substitution, has been widely studied in relation to psychiatric phenotypes, including SZ, but with conflicting results. We conducted a two-stage study to examine the association of COMT polymorphisms with SZ in the Han Chinese population. RESULTS: Association analysis of nine SNPs in 768 patients and 1348 controls failed to detect any positive markers or haplotypes. Then, we tested rs4680 in a validation sample of 963 patients and 992 controls, and no significant association was observed, but the cases significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (p=5.7e-4). There was no association of rs4680 with SZ in the combined sample (n=4071, p=0.110, odds ratio=1.08). CONCLUSIONS: Our results do not support the association of COMT with SZ in the Han Chinese population.

A feasible route to approach 3D POM-based hybrids: utilizing substituted or reduced Keggin anions with high charge density.

Five new hybrid compounds based on Keggin polyanions, Ag(+)/Cu(+) ions and 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propane (btp) molecules have been hydrothermally synthesized. In [Ag(5)(btp)(4)(H(2)O)(2)][PCuW(11)O(39)]·2H(2)O (1), [Ag(4.33)Na(0.67)(btp)(4)(H(2)O)(2)][PMnMo(11)O(39)]·H(2)O (2) and [Cu(4)(btp)(4)Na(H(2)O)(2)][PMnMo(11)O(39)]·2H(2)O (3), the neighboring mono-substituted Keggin clusters are alternately connected via sharing oxygen atoms to form an unusual Keggin-based transition-metal monosubstituted chain, in which the Keggin cluster serves as a decadentate ligand and grafts ten metal atoms representing the highest connected number for Keggin cluster and forming a 3D framework. In [Ag(5)(btp)(4)][PW(VI)(10)W(V)(2)O(40)] (4) and [Ag(5)(btp)(4)][PMo(VI)(10)Mo(V)(2)O(40)] (5), two-electron reduced Keggin clusters as hexadentate linkages are inserted in the rhomboid-like tunnels of the Ag-btp framework and connect with the framework via six Ag-O bonds to achieve 3D motifs, which are new and rare examples of heteropoly blue based hybrid compounds. The successful synthesis of the five high-dimensional structures may provide a feasible route for us to approach 3D polyoxometalate-based hybrids by using substituted Keggin anions and heteropoly blues with high charge density. Furthermore, photocatalytic experiments indicate that both 1 and 4 have good activities for photocatalytic degradation of RhB under UV irradiation. The luminescent properties of compounds 1-5 in the solid state were also investigated.

Systematic association analysis of microRNA machinery genes with schizophrenia informs further study.

microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in development via the post-transcriptional regulation of most genes. Variation in the miRNA machinery pathway proteins which mediate the biogenesis, maturation, transportation, and functioning of miRNAs might be relevant to human traits. In this work, we explored the role of 59 miRNA machinery genes in schizophrenia (SZ). Association analysis of 967 single nucleotide polymorphisms within these genes detected that an intronic polymorphism of EIF4ENIF1, rs7289941, was significantly associated with SZ (P=4.10E-5). We failed to replicate this result in a validation sample comprising 1027 healthy controls and 1012 SZ cases, and the combined data yielded nominal significance (P=0.013). We conducted a gene-based association analysis using VEGAS and SKAT, and found seven associated genes in total, including EIF4ENIF1, PIWIL2, and DGCR8, but none survived correction for multiple testing. Taken together, our data do not provide strong support for the association of common variants within miRNA machinery genes with SZ in the Han Chinese population, but implicate several promising candidate genes for further research.

Polynuclear complexes of main group and transition metals with polyaminopolycarboxylate and polyoxometalate.

Six supramolecular compounds constructed by main group and transition metals, polyoxotungstates (SiW(12)O(40)(4-)) and trans-N,N,N',N'-1,2-cyclohexanediaminotetraacetic acid (H(4)CyDTA), (NH(4))(3)[Ni(4)Na(H(2)O)(10)(CyDTA)(2)][SiW(12)O(40)]·10H(2)O (1) (NH(4))(2)[Cu(3)Na(2)(HCyDTA)(2)(H(2)O)(13)][SiW(12)O(40)]·5H(2)O (2), (NH(4))(2)[Zn(5)(CyDTA)(2)(H(2)O)(16)][SiW(12)O(40)]·8H(2)O (3), (NH(4))(4)[Cd(4)(CyDTA)(2)(H(2)O)(8)][SiW(12)O(40)]·6H(2)O (4), (NH(4))(4)[Sr(3)(HCyDTA)(2)(H(2)O)(14)][SiW(12)O(40)]·2H(2)O (5) and [Ca(4)(H(2)CyDTA)(2)(H(2)O)(22)][SiW(12)O(40)]·8H(2)O (6), were synthesized in aqueous solution and characterized by IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Single-crystal structure analyses indicate they are constructed by the complexes with different nuclearity and polyoxometalates. In the sequence of Ni, Cu, Zn the nuclearity of the homometallic complex units increases from 2 to 5. Cadmium ions gives a tetranuclear complex with a compact structure. In 5 and 6 the main group metal ions and CyDTA form polymeric chains. CyDTA exhibits rather different coordination patterns to main group metal ions and transition metal ions due to their ionic radii and electronic configuration. The complex units and polyoxometalates arrange in different patterns due to the different shapes of the complex units. The compounds exhibit different thermal decomposition processes and the formation of compounds 3 and 4 quenches ligand-centered emissions and gives a ligand-to-metal emission. The study on various temperature susceptibilities of 1 and 2 shows that there is an antiferromagnetic coupling in the two compounds but coupling patterns are different.

A sodalite-type porous metal-organic framework with polyoxometalate templates: adsorption and decomposition of dimethyl methylphosphonate.

A sodalite-type porous metal-organic framework with polyoxometalate templates, H(3)[(Cu(4)Cl)(3)(BTC)(8)](2)[PW(12)O(40)]·(C(4)H(12)N)(6)·3H(2)O (NENU-11; BTC = 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate), was obtained by a hydrothermal reaction. As a reasonable candidate for eliminating nerve gas, NENU-11 displays good adsorption behavior for dimethyl methylphosphonate (15.5 molecules per formula unit). In virtue of the catalytic activity of polyoxometalate guests, this nerve gas mimic could be facilely decomposed by a hydrolysis reaction.

Tailoring microstructures of isopolymolybdates: regular tuning of the ligand spacer length and metal coordination preferences.

Four new isopolymolybdate compounds based on two kinds of isomers, [Cu(I)(2)bte][a-Mo(3)O(10)] (1), [Cu(I)(2)btp][b-Mo(3)O(10)].H(2)O (2), [Cu(II)(bte)(1.5)(H(2)O)][gamma-Mo(8)O(26)](0.5) (3) and [Cu(II)(btp)(2)(H(2)O)][beta-Mo(8)O(26)](0.5).2H(2)O (4) [bte = 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)ethane, btp = 1,3-bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propane], were obtained under hydrothermal conditions, indicating that isopolymolybdate clusters can be tailored by regular tuning of the spacer length of the flexible ligands and the metal coordination preferences. In compound 1, wave-like a-[Mo(3)O(10)](2-) chains intersect with [Cu(I)(2)bte](2+) chains by sharing Cu(I) cations, forming a 3D framework. Compound 2, with a similar 3D structure but different ligand (btp) to 1, is based on linear b-[Mo(3)O(10)](2-) chains. In compound 3, gamma-[Mo(8)O(26)](4-) chains insert into the rectangular windows of parallel [Cu(II)(2)bte](4+) sheets and connect them via four Cu(II)-O bonds, leading to a 3D framework. Compound 4 is an unusual 2D-->3D polycatenated array of a [Cu(II)(btp)(2)(H(2)O)][beta-Mo(8)O(26)] pillar-layered framework. The thermal stability and luminescent properties of compounds 1-4 were investigated in the solid state.

[Experimental study on glucose solution by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy].

The glucose solution was broken down by focusing the 1.064 microm beam of a Nd : YAG laser, and the plasma was produced. The spectral signals were detected by an experimental setup including spectrograph and ICCD. The spectral line at 247.86 nm was identified as the characteristic of glucose by contrasting the spectra of glucose solution and pure water. Comparing the spectral intensities of three kinds of glucose solution with different concentrations (3%, 6% and 9%), the experimental result showed that the bigger the concentration, the stronger the spectral intensity,and the characteristic spectral intensities with the three concentrations present the trend of logarithm increase. At the same concentration, the time evolution curve of the characteristic spectra was obtained by changing the delay time of ICCD. It is concluded that the intensity of the characteristic spectra first increases and then decreases with the delay time. With the glucose solution concentration altering, the decay time of the characteristic spectra is nearly fixed, meaning that the decay time is independent of the concentration. The decay time of the characteristic spectra is about 300 ns. Furthermore, it was found that the characteristic spectral intensities of glucose solution with different concentrations reach the maximum at the same delay time.