GWAS on retinal vasculometry phenotypes.

The eye is the window through which light is transmitted and visual sensory signalling originates. It is also a window through which elements of the cardiovascular and nervous systems can be directly inspected, using ophthalmoscopy or retinal imaging. Measurements of ocular parameters may therefore offer important information on the physiology and homeostasis of these two important systems. Here we report the results of a genetic characterisation of retinal vasculature. Four genome-wide association studies performed on different aspects of retinal vasculometry phenotypes, such as arteriolar and venular tortuosity and width, found significant similarities between retinal vascular characteristics and cardiometabolic health. Our analyses identified 119 different regions of association with traits of retinal vasculature, including 89 loci associated arteriolar tortuosity, the strongest of which was rs35131825 (p = 2.00×10-108), 2 loci with arteriolar width (rs12969347, p = 3.30×10-09 and rs5442, p = 1.9E-15), 17 other loci associated with venular tortuosity and 11 novel associations with venular width. Our causal inference analyses also found that factors linked to arteriolar tortuosity cause elevated diastolic blood pressure and not vice versa.

Electrical responses from human retinal cone pathways associate with a common genetic polymorphism implicated in myopia.

Myopia is the commonest visual impairment. Several genetic loci confer risk, but mechanisms by which they do this are unknown. Retinal signals drive eye growth, and myopia usually results from an excessively long eye. The common variant most strongly associated with myopia is near the GJD2 gene, encoding connexin-36, which forms retinal gap junctions. Light-evoked responses of retinal neurons can be recorded noninvasively as the electroretinogram (ERG). We analyzed these responses from 186 adult twin volunteers who had been genotyped at this locus. Participants underwent detailed ERG recordings incorporating international standard stimuli as well as experimental protocols aiming to separate dark-adapted rod- and cone-driven responses. A mixed linear model was used to explore association between allelic dosage at the locus and international standard ERG parameters after adjustment for age, sex, and family structure. Significant associations were found for parameters of light-adapted, but not dark-adapted, responses. Further investigation of isolated rod- and cone-driven ERGs confirmed associations with cone-driven, but not rod-driven, a-wave amplitudes. Comparison with responses to similar experimental stimuli from a patient with a prior central retinal artery occlusion, and from two patients with selective loss of ON-bipolar cell signals, was consistent with the associated parameters being derived from signals from cone-driven OFF-bipolar cells. Analysis of single-cell transcriptome data revealed strongest GJD2 expression in cone photoreceptors; bipolar cell expression appeared strongest in OFF-bipolar cells and weakest in rod-driven ON-bipolar cells. Our findings support a potential role for altered signaling in cone-driven OFF pathways in myopia development.

Cone-driven strong flash electroretinograms in healthy adults: Prevalence of negative waveforms.

PURPOSE: Both rod and cone-driven signals contribute to the electroretinogram (ERG) elicited by a standard strong flash in the dark. Negative ERGs usually reflect inner retinal dysfunction. However, in diseases where rod photoreceptor function is selectively lost, a negative waveform might represent the response of the dark-adapted cone system. To investigate the dark-adapted cone-driven waveform in healthy individuals, we delivered flashes on a dim blue background, designed to saturate the rods, but minimally adapt the cones. METHODS: ERGs were recorded, using conductive fibre electrodes, in adults from the TwinsUK cohort. Responses to 13 cd m-2 s white xenon flashes (similar to the standard DA 10 flash), delivered on a blue background, were analysed. Photopic and scotopic strengths of the background were 1.3 and 30 cd m-2, respectively; through a dilated pupil, this is expected to largely saturate the rods, but adapt the cones much less than the standard ISCEV background. RESULTS: Mean (SD) participant age was 62.5 (11.3) years (93% female). ERGs from 203 right and 204 left eyes were included, with mean (SD) b/a ratios of 1.22 (0.28) and 1.18 (0.28), respectively (medians, 1.19 and 1.17). Proportions with negative waveforms were 23 and 26%, respectively. Right and left eye b/a ratios were strongly correlated (correlation coefficient 0.74, p < 0.0001). We found no significant correlation of b/a ratio with age. CONCLUSIONS: Over 20% of eyes showed b/a ratios less than 1, consistent with the notion that dark-adapted cone-driven responses to standard bright flashes can have negative waveforms. The majority had ratios greater than 1. Thus, whilst selective loss of rod function can yield a negative waveform (with reduced a-wave) in some, our findings also suggest that loss of rod function can occur without necessarily yielding a negative ERG. One potential limitation is possible mild cone system adaptation by the background.

Bending, Twisting, and Propulsion of Photoreactive Crystals by Controlled Gas Release.

The rapid release of gas by a chemical reaction to generate momentum is one of the most fundamental ways to elicit motion that could be used to sustain and control the motility of objects. We report that hollow crystals of a three-dimensional supramolecular metal complex that releases gas by photolysis can propel themselves or other objects and advance in space when suspended in mother solution. In needle-like regular crystals, the reaction occurs mainly on the surface and results in the formation of cracks that evolve due to internal pressure; the expansion on the cracked surface of the crystal results in bending, twisting, or coiling of the crystal. In hollow crystals, gas accumulates inside their cavities and emanates preferentially from the recess at the crystal terminus, propelling the crystals to undergo directional photomechanical motion through the mother solution. The motility of the object which can be controlled externally to perform work delineates the concept of "crystal microbots", realized by photoreactive organic crystals capable of prolonged directional motion for actuation or delivery. Within the prospects, we envisage the development of a plethora of light-weight, efficient, autonomously operating robots based on organic crystals with high work capacity where motion over large distances can be attained due to the large volume of latent gas generated from a small volume of the crystalline solid.

Macrophage/Microglia Sirt3 Contributes to the Anti-inflammatory Effects of Resveratrol Against Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating stroke type with high mortality and disability. Inflammatory response induced by macrophages/microglia (M/Ms) activation is one of the leading causes of brain damage after ICH. The anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol (RSV) have already been evaluated in several models of central nervous system disease. Therefore, we designed the current study to assess the role of RSV in ICH and explore its downstream mechanism related to Sirt3. The autologous artery blood injection was administrated to create an ICH mouse model. M/Ms-specific Sirt3 knockout Sirt3f/f; CX3CR1-Cre (Sirt3 cKO) mouse was used to evaluate the role of Sirt3 on RSV treatment. Neuronal function and hematoma volume were assessed to indicate brain damage. The pro-inflammatory marker (CD16) and cytokine (TNF) were measured to evaluate the inflammatory effects. Our results showed that RSV treatment alleviates neurological deficits, reduces cell death, and increases hematoma clearance on day 7 after ICH. In addition, RSV effectively suppressed CD16+ M/Ms activation and decreased TNF release. In Sirt3 cKO mice, the protective effects of RSV were abolished, indicating the potential mechanism of RSV was partially due to Sirt3 signaling activation. Therefore, RSV could be a promising candidate and therapeutic agent for ICH and Sirt3 could be a potential target to inhibit inflammation.

Correlating Photophysical Properties with Stereochemical Expression of 6s2 Lone Pairs in Two-dimensional Lead Halide Perovskites.

Two-dimensional (2D) lead halide perovskites (LHPs) have shown great promises for light-emitting applications and excitonic devices. Fulfilling these promises demands an in-depth understanding on the relationships between the structural dynamics and exciton-phonon interactions that govern the optical properties. Here, we unveil the structural dynamics of 2D lead iodide perovskites with different spacer cations. Loose packing of an undersized spacer cation leads to out-of-plane octahedral tilting, whereas compact packing of an oversized spacer cation stretches Pb-I bond length, resulting in Pb2+ off-center displacement driven by stereochemical expression of the Pb2+ 6s2 lone pair electrons. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the Pb2+ cation is off-center displaced mainly along the direction where the octahedra are stretched the most by the spacer cation. We find dynamic structural distortions associated with either octahedral tilting or Pb2+ off-centering lead to a broad Raman central peak background and phonon softening, which increase the non-radiative recombination loss via exciton-phonon interactions and quench the photoluminescence intensity. The correlations between the structural, phonon, and optical properties are further confirmed by the pressure tuning of the 2D LHPs. Our results demonstrate that minimizing the dynamic structural distortions via a judicious selection of the spacer cations is essential to realize high luminescence properties in 2D LHPs.

Top-down stepwise refinement identifies coding and noncoding RNA-associated epigenetic regulatory maps in malignant glioma.

With the emergence of the molecular era and retreat of the histology epoch in malignant glioma, it is becoming increasingly necessary to research diagnostic/prognostic/therapeutic biomarkers and their related regulatory mechanisms. While accumulating studies have investigated coding gene-associated biomarkers in malignant glioma, research on comprehensive coding and noncoding RNA-associated biomarkers is lacking. Furthermore, few studies have illustrated the cross-talk signalling pathways among these biomarkers and mechanisms in detail. Here, we identified DEGs and ceRNA networks in malignant glioma and then constructed Cox/Lasso regression models to further identify the most valuable genes through stepwise refinement. Top-down comprehensive integrated analysis, including functional enrichment, SNV, immune infiltration, transcription factor binding site, and molecular docking analyses, further revealed the regulatory maps among these genes. The results revealed a novel and accurate model (AUC of 0.91 and C-index of 0.84 in the whole malignant gliomas, AUC of 0.90 and C-index of 0.86 in LGG, and AUC of 0.75 and C-index of 0.69 in GBM) that includes twelve ncRNAs, 1 miRNA and 6 coding genes. Stepwise logical reasoning based on top-down comprehensive integrated analysis and references revealed cross-talk signalling pathways among these genes that were correlated with the circadian rhythm, tumour immune microenvironment and cellular senescence pathways. In conclusion, our work reveals a novel model where the newly identified biomarkers may contribute to a precise diagnosis/prognosis and subclassification of malignant glioma, and the identified cross-talk signalling pathways would help to illustrate the noncoding RNA-associated epigenetic regulatory mechanisms of glioma tumorigenesis and aid in targeted therapy.

Human retinal dark adaptation tracked in vivo with the electroretinogram: insights into processes underlying recovery of cone- and rod-mediated vision.

The substantial time taken for regaining visual sensitivity (dark adaptation) following bleaching exposures has been investigated for over a century. Psychophysical studies yielded the classic biphasic curve representing recovery of cone-driven and rod-driven vision. The electroretinogram (ERG) permits direct assessment of recovery at the level of the retina (photoreceptors, bipolar cells), with the first report over 70 years ago. Over the last two decades, ERG studies of dark adaptation have generated insights into underlying physiological processes. After large bleaches, rod photoreceptor circulating current, estimated from the rod-isolated bright-flash ERG a-wave, takes 30 min to recover, indicating that products of bleaching, thought to be free opsin (unbound to 11-cis-retinal), continue to activate phototransduction, shutting off rod circulating current. In contrast, cone current, assessed with cone-driven bright-flash ERG a-waves, recovers within 100 ms following similar exposures, suggesting that free opsin is less able to shut off cone current. The cone-driven dim-flash a-wave can be used to track recovery of cone photopigment, showing regeneration is 'rate-limited' rather than first order. Recoveries of the dim-flash ERG b-wave are consistent also with rate-limited rod photopigment regeneration (where free opsin, desensitising the visual system as an 'equivalent background', is removed by rate-limited delivery of 11-cis-retinal). These findings agree with psychophysical and retinal densitometry studies, although there are unexplained points of divergence. Post-bleach ERG recovery has been explored in age-related macular degeneration and in trials of visual cycle inhibitors for retinal diseases. ERG tracking of dark adaptation may prove useful in future clinical contexts.

Targeting SOST using a small-molecule compound retards breast cancer bone metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer metastasis to the bone can be exacerbated by osteoporosis, is associated with poor long-term survival, and has limited therapeutic options. Sclerostin (SOST) is an endogenous inhibitor of bone formation, and an attractive target for treatment of osteoporosis. However, it is unclear whether SOST can be used as a therapeutic target for bone metastases of breast cancer, and whether small molecule compounds that target SOST in breast cancer cells can inhibit breast cancer bone metastasis. METHODS: SOST expression in 442 breast cancer tissues was characterized by immunohistochemistry and statistically analyzed for the association with breast cancer bone metastases. Bone metastatic breast cancer SCP2 cells were induced for SOST silencing or overexpression and their bone metastatic behaviors were tested in vitro and in vivo. To identify potential therapeutics, we screened inhibitors of the interaction of SOST with STAT3 from a small chemical molecule library and tested the inhibitory effects of one inhibitor on breast cancer growth and bone metastasis in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: We found that up-regulated SOST expression was associated with breast cancer bone metastases and worse survival of breast cancer patients. SOST silencing significantly reduced the bone metastatic capacity of SCP2 cells. SOST interacted with STAT3 to enhance the TGF-ß/KRAS signaling, increasing both tumor growth and bone metastasis. Treatment with one lead candidate, S6, significantly inhibited the growth of breast-cancer organoids and bone metastasis in mice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight a new class of potential therapeutics for treatment of bone metastasis in breast cancer.

Intermittent fasting reduces neuroinflammation in intracerebral hemorrhage through the Sirt3/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation contributes to the poor prognosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Intermittent fasting (IF) has been shown to be protective against inflammation in multiple pathogenic processes. In the present study, we aimed to investigated the beneficial effects of IF in attenuating neuroinflammation and neurological deficits in a mouse model of ICH and to investigate the underlying mechanism. METHODS: ICH was modeled by intrastriatal injection of autologous blood and IF was modeled by every-other-day feeding in male control mice (C57BL/6), mice with and microglia specific knockout Sirt3f/f;Cx3cr1-Cre (Sirt3 cKO), and Sirt3f/f (wild-type) mice. Brain tissues and arterial blood were harvested at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days after ICH for immunohistochemistry analysis of Iba-1, DARPP-32 and HO-1, morphological analysis by HE staining and inflammatory factor release tests by ELISA. Neurological functions were approached by corner test and cylinder test. Fluorescent double-labeled staining of Iba-1 with CD16, Arg1 or Sirt3 was used to provide direct image of co-expression of these molecules in microglia. TUNEL, cleaved caspase-3 and Nissl staining was performed to evaluate cellular injuries. RESULTS: IF alleviated neurological deficits in both acute and chronic phases after ICH. Morphologically, IF enhanced hematoma clearance, reduced brain edema in acute phase and attenuated striatum atrophy in chronic phase. In addition, IF decreased the numbers of TUNEL+ cells and increased Nissl+ neuron number at day 1, 3 and 7 after ICH. IF suppressed CD16+Iba-1+ microglia activation at day 3 after ICH and reduced inflammatory releases, such as IL-1ß and TNF-α. The above effects of IF were attenuated by microglia Sirt3 deletion partly because of an inhibition of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Interestingly, IF increased Iba-1+ microglia number at day 7 which mainly expressed Arg1 while decreased the proinflammatory factor levels. In mice with microglia-specific Sirt3 deletion, the effects of IF on Iba-1+ microglia activation and anti-inflammatory factor expressions were attenuated when compared with wild-type Sirt3f/f mice. CONCLUSIONS: IF protects against ICH by suppressing the inflammatory responses via the Sirt3/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.

Circ-EGFR Functions as an Inhibitory Factor in the Malignant Progression of Glioma by Regulating the miR-183-5p/TUSC2 Axis.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have pivotal functions in regulating diverse biological processes of human tumors, including glioma. Herein, a novel circRNA epidermal growth factor receptor (circ-EGFR, hsa_circ_0080223) was researched in glioma. The molecular expression levels were analyzed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays were conducted to assess cell proliferation. Apoptosis was analyzed using flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were examined via transwell assay. Interaction relations between targets were verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Tumor Suppressor Candidate 2 (TUSC2) protein expression was examined by Western blot. In vivo experiment was performed by establishing xenograft model in mice. The qRT-PCR showed the downregulation of circ-EGFR and TUSC2 but the upregulation of microRNA-183-5p (miR-183-5p) in glioma samples. In vitro assays revealed that circ-EGFR overexpression induced the repression of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion but the promotion of apoptosis. Circ-EGFR was identified as a sponge of miR-183-5p and circ-EGFR-mediated glioma progression inhibition was abolished by miR-183-5p downregulation. Additionally, miR-183-5p targeted TUSC2 and miR-183-5p inhibitor impeded the development of glioma by upregulating the expression of TUSC2. Furthermore, circ-EGFR could regulate the TUSC2 level by sponging miR-183-5p. Glioma growth in vivo was also reduced by circ-EGFR via targeting the miR-183-5p/TUSC2 axis. Altogether, our results suggested that circ-EGFR inhibited the malignant progression of glioma by regulating the levels of miR-183-5p and TUSC2. Circ-EGFR may be a useful therapeutic target to antagonize the glioma progression.

Dual-Ligand-Oriented Design of Noncentrosymmetric Complexes with Nonlinear-Optical Activity.

When the N- and O-donor ligands are combined as coligands, two noncentrosymmetric (NCS) complexes of [Ni(p-bdc)(tipa)(H2O)2]2·H2O (1) and Ni(npdc)(tipa)H2O (2) [tipa = tris[4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl]amine, p-H2bdc = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, and H2npdc = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid] were achieved under solvothermal conditions. For both structures, N-donor ligands are responsible for the generation of a layered structure, while the O-donor ligands are hung on the layers and are responsible for enhancing the polarity, giving rise to the NCS structures. Because of the different connection modes between the metal centers and different carboxylate ligands (p-bdc2- in 1 and npdc2- in 2), 1 and 2 show some structural differences. The p-bdc2- ligands in 1 are suspended on the upper and lower sides of the [Ni(tipa)]n layers, while all of the npdc2- ligands in 2 hang on one side of the [Ni(tipa)]n layers and point in the same direction, which makes the two NCS complexes show phase-matchable behavior with different second-harmonic-generation (SHG) responses of about 0.9 and 1.5 times that of KH2PO4 (KDP), respectively. Theoretical studies reveal that charge transfers between Ni2+ and carboxylate ligands make the dominant contribution to the optical properties. It is expected that a dual-ligand strategy may guide the design of novel superior-performing NCS complexes.

Preparation and Characterization of Degradable Cellulose-Based Paper with Superhydrophobic, Antibacterial, and Barrier Properties for Food Packaging.

A great paradigm for foremost food packaging is to use renewable and biodegradable lignocellulose-based materials instead of plastic. Novel packages were successfully prepared from the cellulose paper by coating a mixture of polylactic acid (PLA) with cinnamaldehyde (CIN) as a barrier screen and nano silica-modified stearic acid (SA/SiO2) as a superhydrophobic layer. As comprehensively investigated by various tests, results showed that the as-prepared packages possessed excellent thermal stability attributed to inorganic SiO2 incorporation. The excellent film-forming characteristics of PLA improved the tensile strength of the manufactured papers (104.3 MPa) as compared to the original cellulose papers (70.50 MPa), enhanced by 47.94%. Benefiting from the rough nanostructure which was surface-modified by low surface energy SA, the contact angle of the composite papers attained 156.3°, owning superhydrophobic performance for various liquids. Moreover, the composite papers showed excellent gas, moisture, and oil bacteria barrier property as a result of the reinforcement by the functional coatings. The Cobb300s and WVP of the composite papers were reduced by 100% and 88.56%, respectively, and their antibacterial efficiency was about 100%. As the novel composite papers have remarkable thermal stability, tensile strength, and barrier property, they can be exploited as a potential candidate for eco-friendly, renewable, and biodegradable cellulose paper-based composites for the substitute of petroleum-derived packages.

A Three-Dimensional Paper-Based Isoelectric Focusing Device for Direct Analysis of Proteins in Physiological Samples.

On-site protein analysis is crucial for disease diagnosis in community and family medicine in which microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs) have attracted growing attention. However, the practical applications of µPADs in protein analysis for physiological samples with high complexity is still limited. Herein, we developed a three-dimensional (3D) paper-based isoelectric focusing (IEF) platform, which is composed of power supply, reservoirs, and separation channel and made by the origami and stacking method, to simultaneously separate and enrich proteins in both low-salt and high-salt samples. Under the optimized experimental conditions, standard proteins (bovine hemoglobin (BHb) and phycocyanin (Phy)) were separated within 18 min under a 36 V power supply and obtained a 10-fold enrichment using the 3D paper-based IEF platform. Then, the capability of the 3D paper-based IEF platform for direct pretreatment of high-salt samples using a 12 V battery as power supply was measured through separating three standard proteins in saline (0.9% NaCl) with separation resolution (SR) > 1.29. Through further coupling with colorimetric and lateral flow strip measurements, the 3D paper-based IEF platform was applied to directly pretreat and quantitatively analyze microalbuminuria and C-reactive proteins in clinical urine and serum samples with analytical results with relative deviations of <8.4% and < 13.1%, respectively, to the clinical test results. This work proposes a new strategy to minimize the difficulty of directly processing high-salt samples with the traditional IEF system and provides a versatile, miniaturized, and low voltage demand analytical platform for on-site analysis of proteins in physiological samples.

The Tri(imidazole)-Derivative Moiety: A New Category of Electron Acceptors for the Design of Crystalline Hybrid Photochromic Materials.

The intermarriage of neutral and tripodal imidazole ligand, tris(4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenyl)amine (TIPA), with zinc phosphite yields two hybrid phosphites, [Zn2 (HPO3 )2 (TIPA)]⋅2 H2 O (1) and [Zn3 (HPO3 )3 (TIPA)]⋅6 H2 O (2). Compound 1 has a hybrid sheet with neutral zinc-phosphite chains as supramolecular building blocks (SBBs), whereas 2 exhibits a 3D hybrid architecture with other neutral zincophosphite chains as supramolecular building blocks. The structural discrepancy between 1 and 2 is mainly due to the distinct linkage modes between organic TIPA ligands and inorganic zincophosphite chains. Interestingly, compounds 1 and 2 feature fast photochromism in response to UV light irradiation under ambient conditions. The discrepancy of photochromic performance between 1 and 2 is mainly due to the different geometrical configuration of the TIPA ligand. Different to majority of reported hybrid photochromic compounds driven by photochromic active units, the photochromism in 1 and 2 is derived from the electron transfer (ET) between phosphite and non-photochromic triimidazole-derivative ligand TIPA. Compared with the widely explored nonphotochromic polypyridine-derivative as electron acceptors (EAs), our work provides a new EA model for the design of hybrid photochromic materials based on the ligand-to-ligand ET mechanism. A multiple anti-counterfeiting application based on 1 and 2 was investigated.

Conjugated-Polypyridine-Derivative-Derived Semiconductive Iodoplumbates with Tunable Architectures and Efficient Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Property.

By mediation of the pH values, three novel inorganic-organic iodoplumbate hybrids, [Me3TPT][Pb3I9] [1; Me3TPT = trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(4-pyridyl)-1,3,5-triazine], [Me3TPT]2[Pb9I24] (2), and [Me3TPT]2[Pb19I44] (3), have been achieved under solvothermal conditions. The large conjugated in situ N-alkylation polypyridine derivatives act as structure-directing agents and electron acceptors, making the materials feature adjustable structural variations with 0D, 1D, and 2D structures and a potential semiconductive performance with narrow energy gaps (1.72, 1.80, and 1.78 eV for 1-3, respectively), which result in their efficient photocatalytic activity under visible-light irradiation. Theoretical calculation reveals that the conjugated organic moieties greatly contribute to the conduction band, leading to narrow band gaps. It is expected that the work will contribute to the exploitation of novel semiconducting halometallates by employing conjugated organic species as structure-directing agents.

Intelligent Video Highlights Generation with Front-Camera Emotion Sensing.

In this paper, we present HOMER, a cloud-based system for video highlight generation which enables the automated, relevant, and flexible segmentation of videos. Our system outperforms state-of-the-art solutions by fusing internal video content-based features with the user's emotion data. While current research mainly focuses on creating video summaries without the use of affective data, our solution achieves the subjective task of detecting highlights by leveraging human emotions. In two separate experiments, including videos filmed with a dual camera setup, and home videos randomly picked from Microsoft's Video Titles in the Wild (VTW) dataset, HOMER demonstrates an improvement of up to 38% in F1-score from baseline, while not requiring any external hardware. We demonstrated both the portability and scalability of HOMER through the implementation of two smartphone applications.

Optimizing the Proton Conductivity of Fe-Diphosphonates by Increasing the Relative Number of Protons and Carrier Densities.

Proton conductive materials have attracted extensive interest in recent years due to their fascinating applications in sensors, batteries, and proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Herein, two Fe-diphosphonate chains (H4-BAPEN)0.5·[FeIII(H-HEDP)(HEDP)0.5(H2O)] (1) and (H4-TETA)2·[FeIII2FeII(H-HEDP)2(HEDP)2(OH)2]·2H2O (2) (HEDP = 1-hydroxyethylidenediphosphonate, BAPEN = 1,2-bis(3-aminopropylamino)ethane, and TETA = triethylenetetramine) with different templating agents were prepared by hydrothermal reactions. The valence states of the Fe centers were demonstrated by 57Fe Mössbauer spectra at 100 K, with a high-spin FeIII state for 1 and mixed high-spin FeIII/FeII states for 2. Their magnetic properties were determined, which featured strong antiferromagnetic couplings in the chain. Importantly, the proton conductivity of both compounds at 100% relative humidity was explored at different temperatures, with 2.79 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 80 °C for 1 and 7.55 × 10-4 S cm-1 at 45 °C for 2, respectively. This work provides an opportunity for improving proton conductive properties by increasing the relative number of protons and the carrier density using protonated flexible aliphatic amines.

Establishment and validation of a model for brain injury state evaluation and prognosis prediction.

PURPOSE: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability and death in modern times, whose evaluation and prognosis prediction have been one of the most critical issues in TBI management. However, the existed models for the abovementioned purposes were defective to varying degrees. This study aims to establish an ideal brain injury state clinical prediction model (BISCPM). METHODS: This study was a retrospective design. The six-month outcomes of patients were selected as the end point event. BISCPM was established by using the split-sample technology, and externally validated via different tests of comparison between the observed and predicted six-month mortality in validating group. TBI patients admitted from July 2006 to June 2012 were recruited and randomly divided into establishing model group and validating model group. Twenty-one scoring indicators were included in BISCPM and divided into three parts, A, B, and C. Part A included movement, pupillary reflex and diameter, CT parameters, and secondary brain insult factors, etc. Part B was age and part C was medical history of the patients. The total score of part A, B and C was final score of BISCPM. RESULTS: Altogether 1156 TBI patients were included with 578 cases in each group. The score of BISCPM from validating group ranged from 2.75 to 31.94, averaging 13.64 ± 5.59. There was not statistical difference between observed and predicted mortality for validating group. The discrimination validation showed that the BISCPM is superior to international mission for prognosis and analysis of clinical trials (IMPACT) lab model. CONCLUSION: BISCPM is an effective model for state evaluation and prognosis prediction of TBI patients. The use of BISCPM could be of great significance for decision-making in management of TBI.

Presetting conductive pathway induced the switching uniformity evolution of a-SiNx:H resistive switching memory.

Si-based resistive random access memory (RRAM) devices at the nanoscale with high uniformity have great potential applications in the future. We demonstrate that the uniformity evolution of the a-SiNx:H RRAM at the low resistance state (LRS) and the high resistance state (HRS) can be clearly monitored by presetting a Si dangling bond (Si-DB) conductive pathway through thermal energy. It is found that the increased magnitude of uniformity for the LRS and the HRS are determined by the number of preset Si-DBs, which can be controlled by tuning thermal energy. As for LRS, the Si-DBs produced under the electric field along with the preset Si-DB conductive pathways form the main conductive pathway. Theoretical calculation of current-voltage (I-V) curves indicates that the Si-DB conductive pathways obey the trap-assisted tunneling model. In the HRS, the preset Si-DBs induced by thermal energy are the unique source of the conductive pathway. The transmission mechanism involves a trap-to-trap process by the hopping of electrons under a low electric field, Poole-Frenkel emission in the main region under the medium electric field and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling under the high electric field. Our discovery of the uniformity evolution for a-SiNx:H RRAM device through presetting the Si-DB conductive pathway provides new insight into the resistive switching mechanism of next generation Si-based RRAM devices.