Unveiling facial kinship: The BioKinVis dataset for facial kinship verification and genetic association studies.

Facial image-based kinship verification represents a burgeoning frontier within the realms of computer vision and biomedicine. Recent genome-wide association studies have underscored the heritability of human facial morphology, revealing its predictability based on genetic information. These revelations form a robust foundation for advancing facial image-based kinship verification. Despite strides in computer vision, there remains a discernible gap between the biomedical and computer vision domains. Notably, the absence of family photo datasets established through biological paternity testing methods poses a significant challenge. This study addresses this gap by introducing the biological kinship visualization dataset, encompassing 5773 individuals from 2412 families with biologically confirmed kinship. Our analysis delves into the distribution and influencing factors of facial similarity among parent-child pairs, probing the potential association between forensic short tandem repeat polymorphisms and facial similarity. Additionally, we have developed a machine learning model for facial image-based kinship verification, achieving an accuracy of 0.80 in the dataset. To facilitate further exploration, we have established an online tool and database, accessible at http://120.55.161.230:88/.

Enhanced Surgical Outcomes of Popliteal Cyst Excision: A Retrospective Study Comparing Arthroscopic Debridement with and without Methylene Blue Injection.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study of 42 patients with popliteal cysts (or Baker cysts) aimed to compare the effects on duration and outcomes of arthroscopic surgical debridement with and without the use of cyst injection with methylene blue (MB). MATERIAL AND METHODS Medical records of patients who underwent conventional arthroscopic surgery (n=20) or arthroscopic surgery after MB injection (n=22) for popliteal cysts between 2018 and 2021 were reviewed. The MB group underwent arthroscopic popliteal cystectomy with MB as the marker, and the control group underwent conventional arthroscopic popliteal cystectomy. Surgical time of cyst resection, postoperative bruising extent, complication rate, and cyst recurrence rate of the 2 groups were compared. RESULTS The MB group had a faster surgical cyst removal time (16.5±1.5 min) than the control group (24.5±1.6 min; P<0.05). The MB group had less postoperative bruising (1 case, 4.5%) than the control group (5 cases, 25%; P<0.05). The surgical results were similar in both groups, with a Lysholm score of 87.23±1.80 in the MB group and 87.23±1.62 (P>0.05) in the control group. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that preoperative injection of MB for popliteal cysts before arthroscopic debridement improved cyst localization and ease and accuracy of surgery and reduced operative time, adjacent tissue damage, postoperative complications, and recurrence rate.

Recent Study Advances in Flexible Sensors Based on Polyimides.

With the demand for healthy life and the great advancement of flexible electronics, flexible sensors are playing an irreplaceably important role in healthcare monitoring, wearable devices, clinic treatment, and so on. In particular, the design and application of polyimide (PI)-based sensors are emerging swiftly. However, the tremendous potential of PI in sensors is not deeply understood. This review focuses on recent studies in advanced applications of PI in flexible sensors, including PI nanofibers prepared by electrospinning as flexible substrates, PI aerogels as friction layers in triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), PI films as sensitive layers based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) in relative humidity (RH) sensors, photosensitive PI (PSPI) as sacrificial layers, and more. The simple laser-induced graphene (LIG) technique is also introduced in the application of PI graphitization to graphene. Finally, the prospect of PIs in the field of electronics is proposed in the review.

Oxygen Self-Supply Engineering-Ferritin for the Relief of Hypoxia in Tumors and the Enhancement of Photodynamic Therapy Efficacy.

Hypoxia is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment (TME) that promotes tumor development and metastasis. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising strategy in the treatment of tumors, but it is limited by the lack of oxygen in TME. In this work, an O2 self-supply PDT system is constructed by co-encapsulation of chlorin e6 (Ce6) and a MnO2 core in an engineered ferritin (Ftn), generating a nanozyme promoted PDT nanoformula (Ce6/Ftn@MnO2 ) for tumor therapy. Ce6/Ftn@MnO2 exhibits a uniform small size (15.5 nm) and high stability due to the inherent structure of Ftn. The fluorescence imaging and immunofluorescence analysis demonstrate the pronounced accumulation of Ce6/Ftn@MnO2 in the tumors of mice, and the treatment significantly decreases the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α. The Ce6/Ftn@MnO2 nanoplatform exerts a more potent anti-tumor efficacy with negligible damage to normal tissues compared to the treatment with free Ce6. Moreover, the weak acidity and the presence of H2 O2 in TME significantly enhances the r1 relativity of Ce6/Ftn@MnO2 , resulting in a prominent enhancement of MRI imaging in the tumor. This bio-mimic Ftn strategy not only improves the in vivo distribution and retention of Ce6, but also enhances the effectiveness and precision of PDT by TME modulation.

Circ_0039960 regulates growth and Warburg effect of breast cancer cells via modulating miR-1178/PRMT7 axis.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is a serious threat to women's life and healthy. Increasing evidence indicated that blocking Warburg effect could attenuate the development of BC. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) has been found to be dysregulated in various carcinomas, including BC. Our study aims to illustrate the role and regulatory mechanism of circ_0039960 in BC development. METHODS: RT-qPCR and western blotting were utilized to evaluate the expression of circ_0039960 in tissues recruited from 32 cases of BC patients and also BC cell lines. Circ_0039960 shRNA was transfected into cells to explore its function on cell processes. CCK-8, flow cytometry and ELISA were used to measure cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis. Warburg effect was detected by using commercial kits. Besides, bioinformatic prediction, RIP and luciferase reporter assays were performed to validate the interactions between circ_0039960, miR-1178 and PRMT7. RESULTS: The results showed that circ_0039960 and PRMT7 were both up-regulated, while miR-1178 was down-regulated, in BC tissues and cells. Silencing circ_0039960 effectively inhibited cell viability and Warburg effect of BC cells, also, induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, we validated that circ_0039960 positively mediated PRMT7 expression via directly targeting to miR-1178. The inhibition of miR-1178 and overexpression of PRMT7 reversed the effect of circ_0039960 knockdown on BC cell growth and Warburg effect. CONCLUSION: In general, our research demonstrated that circ_0039960 regulates cell growth and Warburg effect in BC cells via miR-1178/PRMT7 axis. This may provide new evidence for the exploration of BC diagnostic and therapeutic targets.

Preliminary Expression Analysis of the OSCA Gene Family in Maize and Their Involvement in Temperature Stress.

Hyperosmolality-gated calcium-permeable channels (OSCA) are characterized as an osmosensor in plants; they are able to recognize and respond to exogenous and endogenous osmotic changes, and play a vital role in plant growth and adaptability to environmental stress. To explore the potential biological functions of OSCAs in maize, we performed a bioinformatics and expression analysis of the ZmOSCA gene family. Using bioinformatics methods, we identified twelve OSCA genes from the genome database of maize. According to their sequence composition and phylogenetic relationship, the maize OSCA family was classified into four groups (Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ). Multiple sequence alignment analysis revealed a conserved DUF221 domain in these members. We modeled the calcium binding sites of four OSCA families using the autodocking technique. The expression profiles of ZmOSCA genes were analyzed in different tissues and under diverse abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, high temperature, and chilling using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). We found that the expression of twelve ZmOSCA genes is variant in different tissues of maize. Furthermore, abiotic stresses such as drought, salt, high temperature, and chilling differentially induced the expression of twelve ZmOSCA genes. We chose ZmOSCA2.2 and ZmOSCA2.3, which responded most strongly to temperature stress, for prediction of protein interactions. We modeled the calcium binding sites of four OSCA families using autodocking tools, obtaining a number of new results. These results are helpful in understanding the function of the plant OSCA gene family for study of the molecular mechanism of plant osmotic stress and response, as well as exploration of the interaction between osmotic stress, high-temperature stress, and low-temperature stress signal transduction mechanisms. As such, they can provide a theoretical basis for crop breeding.

Comparative molecular profiling of distant metastatic and non-distant metastatic lung adenocarcinoma.

Most lung cancer deaths are caused by a distant disseminated disease rather than primary tumors. Understanding the biology behind distant metastasis (DM) is crucial for the effective prediction and reduction of recurrence rates. Genome-wide analysis of the tumor provides a new way to explore the pathogenesis and molecular diagnosis of metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. In our study, a total of 215 eligible lung adenocarcinoma patients were enrolled. The DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from the primary tumors of these patients. Comprehensive molecular profiling was performed using a panel covering the exome of lung cancer-associated driver genes based on targeted next-generation sequencing. Tumor gene alterations were analyzed to investigate the differences in molecular features between lung adenocarcinomas with or without DM. Patients with DM of lung adenocarcinoma had significantly more variations in overall copy number (defined as Copy Number Alteration (CNA) load and Copy Number Instability (CNI) score). Interestingly, the study of the relationship between copy number variation and other molecular features verified that the degree of copy number variation has a positive correlation with mutations of DNA damage repair pathway (DDR). Thus, the additional analysis further revealed that metastatic patients accumulated more mutations in the DDR pathway, suggesting that impaired function of the DDR pathway and copy number variations play important roles in the invasion process of cancer cells. A comprehensive genetic analysis of lung adenocarcinoma revealed significant genomic changes between DM and non-DM patients. This finding may shed new light on the elucidation of lung cancer invasion mechanisms, and provide potential predictors for metastatic lung cancer.

COVID-19 related pressure injuries in patients and personnel: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is causing a rapid and tragic health emergency worldwide. Because of the particularity of COVID-19, people are at a high risk of pressure injuries during the prevention and treatment process of COVID-19. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to summarize the pressure injuries caused by COVID-19 and the corresponding preventive measures and treatments. METHODS: This systematic review was according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. PubMed, Web of science and CNKI (Chinese) were searched for studies on pressure injuries caused by COVID-19 published up to August 4, 2020. The quality of included studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) and the CARE guidelines. RESULTS: The data were extracted from 16 studies involving 7,696 participants in 7 countries. All studies were published in 2020. There are two main types of pressure injuries caused by the COVID-19: 1) Pressure injuries that caused by protective equipment (masks, goggles and face shield, etc.) in the prevention process; 2) pressure injuries caused by prolonged prone position in the therapy process. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review, the included studies showed that wearing protective equipment for a long time and long-term prone positioning with mechanical ventilation will cause pressure injuries in the oppressed area. Foam dressing may need to be prioritized in the prevention of medical device related pressure injuries. The prevention of pressure injuries should be our particular attention in the course of clinical treatment and nursing.

Stimuli-Responsive Manganese Single-Atom Nanozyme for Tumor Therapy via Integrated Cascade Reactions.

The single-atom enzyme (SAE) is a novel type of nanozyme that exhibits extraordinary catalytic activity. Here, we constructed a PEGylated manganese-based SAE (Mn/PSAE) by coordination of single-atom manganese to nitrogen atoms in hollow zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. Mn/PSAE catalyzes the conversion of cellular H2 O2 to . OH through a Fenton-like reaction; it also promotes the decomposition of H2 O2 to O2 and continuously catalyzes the conversion of O2 to cytotoxic . O2- via oxidase-like activity. The catalytic activity of Mn/PSAE is more pronounced in the weak acidic tumor environment; therefore, these cascade reactions enable the sufficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and effectively kill tumor cells. The prominent photothermal conversion property of the amorphous carbon can be utilized for photothermal therapy. Hence, Mn/PSAE exhibits significant therapeutic efficacy through tumor microenvironment stimulated generation of multiple ROS and photothermal activity.

GhYGL1d, a pentatricopeptide repeat protein, is required for chloroplast development in cotton.

BACKGROUND: The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) gene family, which contains multiple 35-amino acid repeats, constitutes one of the largest gene families in plants. PPR proteins function in organelles to target specific transcripts and are involved in plant development and growth. However, the function of PPR proteins in cotton is still unknown. RESULTS: In this study, we characterized a PPR gene YELLOW-GREEN LEAF (GhYGL1d) that is required for cotton plastid development. The GhYGL1d gene has a DYW domain in C-terminal and is highly express in leaves, localized to the chloroplast fractions. GhYGL1d share high amino acid-sequence homology with AtECB2. In atecb2 mutant, overexpression of GhYGL1d rescued the seedling lethal phenotype and restored the editing of accD and ndhF transcripts. Silencing of GhYGL1d led to the reduction of chlorophyll and phenotypically yellow-green leaves in cotton. Compared with wild type, GhYGL1d-silenced cotton showed significant deformations of thylakoid structures. Furthermore, the transcription levels of plastid-encoded polymerase (PEP) and nuclear-encoded polymerase (NEP) dependent genes were decreased in GhYGL1d-silenced cotton. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate that GhYGL1d not only contributes to the editing of accD and ndhF genes, but also affects the expression of NEP- and PEP-dependent genes to regulate the development of thylakoids, and therefore regulates leaf variegation in cotton.

Comprehensive analysis of WOX genes uncovers that WOX13 is involved in phytohormone-mediated fiber development in cotton.

BACKGROUND: The WOX (WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX) gene family encodes a class of transcription factors that are unique to green plants, where they are involved in regulating the development of plant tissues and organs by determining cell fate. Although the importance of the WOX gene is well known, there are few studies describing their functions in cotton. RESULTS: In this study, 32 WOX genes were found in Gossypium hirsutum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that WOX proteins of cotton can be divided into three clades: the ancient, intermediate, and WUS clades. The number of WOX proteins in the WUS clade was greater than the sum of the proteins in the other two clades. Our analysis revealed that 20 GhWOX genes are distributed on 16 cotton chromosomes and that duplication events are likely to have contributed to the expansion of the GhWOX family. All GhWOX genes have introns, and each GhWOX protein contains multiple motifs. RNA-seq data and real-time PCR showed that GhWOX13 gene subfamily is specifically expressed at a high level in cotton fibers. We also identified putative GA, NAA, and BR response elements in the promoter regions of the GhWOX13 genes and GhWOX13 transcripts were significantly induced by GA, NAA, and BR. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provides a useful resource for future studies on the functional roles of cotton WOX genes and shows that the GhWOX13 genes may influence cotton fiber development. Our results also provide an approach for identifying and characterizing WOX protein genes in other species.

Comprehensive analyses of ZFP gene family and characterization of expression profiles during plant hormone response in cotton.

BACKGROUND: Zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) containing only a single zinc finger domain play important roles in the regulation of plant growth and development, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses. To date, the evolutionary history and functions of the ZFP gene family have not been identified in cotton. RESULTS: In this paper, we identified 29 ZFP genes in Gossypium hirsutum. This gene family was divided into seven subfamilies, 22 of which were distributed over 17 chromosomes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that 20 GhZFP genes originated from whole genome duplications and two originated from dispersed duplication events, indicating that whole genome duplication is the main force in the expansion of the GhZFP gene family. Most GhZFP8 subfamily genes, except for GhZFP8-3, were highly expressed during fiber cell growth, and were induced by brassinosteroids in vitro. Furthermore, we found that a large number of GhZFP genes contained gibberellic acid responsive elements, auxin responsive elements, and E-box elements in their promoter regions. Exogenous application of these hormones significantly stimulated the expression of these genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal that GhZFP8 genes are involved in cotton fiber development and widely induced by auxin, gibberellin and BR, which provides a foundation for the identification of more downstream genes with potential roles in phytohormone stimuli, and a basis for breeding better cotton varieties in the future.

Auxin-mediated statolith production for root gravitropism.

Root gravitropism is one of the most important processes allowing plant adaptation to the land environment. Auxin plays a central role in mediating root gravitropism, but how auxin contributes to gravitational perception and the subsequent response are still unclear. Here, we showed that the local auxin maximum/gradient within the root apex, which is generated by the PIN directional auxin transporters, regulates the expression of three key starch granule synthesis genes, SS4, PGM and ADG1, which in turn influence the accumulation of starch granules that serve as a statolith perceiving gravity. Moreover, using the cvxIAA-ccvTIR1 system, we also showed that TIR1-mediated auxin signaling is required for starch granule formation and gravitropic response within root tips. In addition, axr3 mutants showed reduced auxin-mediated starch granule accumulation and disruption of gravitropism within the root apex. Our results indicate that auxin-mediated statolith production relies on the TIR1/AFB-AXR3-mediated auxin signaling pathway. In summary, we propose a dual role for auxin in gravitropism: the regulation of both gravity perception and response.

Two pivotal RNA editing sites in the mitochondrial atp1mRNA are required for ATP synthase to produce sufficient ATP for cotton fiber cell elongation.

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional maturation process affecting organelle transcripts in land plants. However, the molecular functions and physiological roles of RNA editing are still poorly understood. Using high-throughput sequencing, we identified 692 RNA editing sites in the Gossypium hirsutum mitochondrial genome. A total of 422 editing sites were found in the coding regions and all the edits are cytidine (C) to uridine (U) conversions. Comparative analysis showed that two editing sites in Ghatp1, C1292 and C1415, had a prominent difference in editing efficiency between fiber and ovule. Biochemical and genetic analyses revealed that the two vital editing sites were important for the interaction between the α and ß subunits of ATP synthase, which resulted in ATP accumulation and promoted cell growth in yeast. Ectopic expression of C1292, C1415, or doubly edited Ghatp1 in Arabidopsis caused a significant increase in the number of trichomes in leaves and root length. Our results indicate that editing at C1292 and C1415 sites in Ghatp1 is crucial for ATP synthase to produce sufficient ATP for cotton fiber cell elongation. This work extends our understanding of RNA editing in atp1 and ATP synthesis, and provides insights into the function of mitochondrial edited Atp1 protein in higher plants.

Genome-wide identification of the GhARF gene family reveals that GhARF2 and GhARF18 are involved in cotton fibre cell initiation.

Auxin signalling plays an essential role in regulating plant development. Auxin response factors (ARFs), which are critical components of auxin signalling, modulate the expression of early auxin-responsive genes by binding to auxin response factor elements (AuxREs). However, there has been no comprehensive characterization of this gene family in cotton. Here, we identified 56 GhARF genes in the assembled Gossypium hirsutum genome. This gene family was divided into 17 subfamilies, and 44 members of them were distributed across 21 chromosomes. GhARF6 and GhARF11 subfamily genes were predominantly expressed in vegetative tissues, whereas GhARF2 and GhARF18 subfamily genes were highly expressed during seed fibre cell initiation. GhARF2-1 and GhARF18-1 were exclusively expressed in trichomes, organs similar to cotton seed fibre cells, and overexpression of these genes in Arabidopsis enhances trichome initiation. Comparative transcriptome analysis combined with AuxRE prediction revealed 11 transcription factors as potential target genes of GhARF2 and GhARF18. Six of these genes were significantly expressed during seed fibre cell initiation and were bound by GhARF2-1 and GhARF18-1 in yeast one-hybrid assays. Our results suggest that GhARF2 and GhARF18 genes may be key regulators of cotton seed fibre initiation by regulating the expression of several transcription factor genes. This study deepens our understanding of auxin-mediated initiation of cotton seed fibre cells and helps us in breeding better cotton varieties in the future.

Mechanisms underlying a thalamocortical transformation during active tactile sensation.

During active somatosensation, neural signals expected from movement of the sensors are suppressed in the cortex, whereas information related to touch is enhanced. This tactile suppression underlies low-noise encoding of relevant tactile features and the brain's ability to make fine tactile discriminations. Layer (L) 4 excitatory neurons in the barrel cortex, the major target of the somatosensory thalamus (VPM), respond to touch, but have low spike rates and low sensitivity to the movement of whiskers. Most neurons in VPM respond to touch and also show an increase in spike rate with whisker movement. Therefore, signals related to self-movement are suppressed in L4. Fast-spiking (FS) interneurons in L4 show similar dynamics to VPM neurons. Stimulation of halorhodopsin in FS interneurons causes a reduction in FS neuron activity and an increase in L4 excitatory neuron activity. This decrease of activity of L4 FS neurons contradicts the "paradoxical effect" predicted in networks stabilized by inhibition and in strongly-coupled networks. To explain these observations, we constructed a model of the L4 circuit, with connectivity constrained by in vitro measurements. The model explores the various synaptic conductance strengths for which L4 FS neurons actively suppress baseline and movement-related activity in layer 4 excitatory neurons. Feedforward inhibition, in concert with recurrent intracortical circuitry, produces tactile suppression. Synaptic delays in feedforward inhibition allow transmission of temporally brief volleys of activity associated with touch. Our model provides a mechanistic explanation of a behavior-related computation implemented by the thalamocortical circuit.

The PIN gene family in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum): genome-wide identification and gene expression analyses during root development and abiotic stress responses.

BACKGROUND: Cell elongation and expansion are significant contributors to plant growth and morphogenesis, and are often regulated by environmental cues and endogenous hormones. Auxin is one of the most important phytohormones involved in the regulation of plant growth and development and plays key roles in plant cell expansion and elongation. Cotton fiber cells are a model system for studying cell elongation due to their large size. Cotton is also the world's most utilized crop for the production of natural fibers for textile and garment industries, and targeted expression of the IAA biosynthetic gene iaaM increased cotton fiber initiation. Polar auxin transport, mediated by PIN and AUX/LAX proteins, plays a central role in the control of auxin distribution. However, very limited information about PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carriers in cotton is known. RESULTS: In this study, 17 PIN-FORMED (PIN) efflux carrier family members were identified in the Gossypium hirsutum (G. hirsutum) genome. We found that PIN1-3 and PIN2 genes originated from the At subgenome were highly expressed in roots. Additionally, evaluation of gene expression patterns indicated that PIN genes are differentially induced by various abiotic stresses. Furthermore, we found that the majority of cotton PIN genes contained auxin (AuxREs) and salicylic acid (SA) responsive elements in their promoter regions were significantly up-regulated by exogenous hormone treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide a comprehensive analysis of the PIN gene family in G. hirsutum, including phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal locations, and gene expression and gene duplication analyses. This study sheds light on the precise roles of PIN genes in cotton root development and in adaption to stress responses.

Abundant RNA editing sites of chloroplast protein-coding genes in Ginkgo biloba and an evolutionary pattern analysis.

BACKGROUND: RNA editing is a posttranscriptional modification process that alters the RNA sequence so that it deviates from the genomic DNA sequence. RNA editing mainly occurs in chloroplasts and mitochondrial genomes, and the number of editing sites varies in terrestrial plants. Why and how RNA editing systems evolved remains a mystery. Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest seed plants and has an important evolutionary position. Determining the patterns and distribution of RNA editing in the ancient plant provides insights into the evolutionary trend of RNA editing, and helping us to further understand their biological significance. RESULTS: In this paper, we investigated 82 protein-coding genes in the chloroplast genome of G. biloba and identified 255 editing sites, which is the highest number of RNA editing events reported in a gymnosperm. All of the editing sites were C-to-U conversions, which mainly occurred in the second codon position, biased towards to the U_A context, and caused an increase in hydrophobic amino acids. RNA editing could change the secondary structures of 82 proteins, and create or eliminate a transmembrane region in five proteins as determined in silico. Finally, the evolutionary tendencies of RNA editing in different gene groups were estimated using the nonsynonymous-synonymous substitution rate selection mode. CONCLUSIONS: The G. biloba chloroplast genome possesses the highest number of RNA editing events reported so far in a seed plant. Most of the RNA editing sites can restore amino acid conservation, increase hydrophobicity, and even influence protein structures. Similar purifying selections constitute the dominant evolutionary force at the editing sites of essential genes, such as the psa, some psb and pet groups, and a positive selection occurred in the editing sites of nonessential genes, such as most ndh and a few psb genes.

Functional coupling from simple to complex cells in the visually driven cortical circuit.

In the classic model of the primary visual cortex, upper-layer complex cells are driven by feedforward inputs from layer 4 simple cells. Based on spike cross-correlation, previous in vivo work has suggested that this connection is strong and dense, with a high probability of connection (50%) and significant strength in connected pairs. A much sparser projection has been found in brain slices, however, with the probability of layer 4 cells connecting to layer 2/3 cells being relatively low (10%). Here, we explore this connection in vivo in the cat primary visual cortex by recording simultaneously spikes of layer 4 simple cells and the membrane potential (V(m)) of layer 2/3 complex cells. By triggering the average of the complex cell's V(m) on the spikes of the simple cell (V(m)-STA), we found functional coupling to be very common during visual stimulation: the simple cell's spikes tended to occur near the troughs of the complex cell's V(m) fluctuations and were, on average, followed by a significant (~1 mV) fast-rising (10 ms) depolarization in the complex cell. In the absence of visual stimulation, however, when single simple cells were activated electrically through the recording electrode, no significant depolarization, or at most a very weak input (0.1-0.2 mV), was detected in the complex cell. We suggest that the functional coupling observed during visual stimulation arises from coordinated or nearly synchronous activity among a large population of simple cells, only a small fraction of which are presynaptic to the recorded complex cell.

The Use of Big Data Analysis in Digital Empowerment of Sustainable Technological Innovation Management of Ecological Enterprises.

With the social economy's rapid progress and the popularization of environmental awareness, ecological enterprises have gradually become a crucial trend in the development of modern enterprises. This work intends to promote the development of ecological enterprises to a higher level. This work first analyzes the management mode of ecological enterprises in the context of big data in China. Then, it establishes various indicators to analyze the role of sustainable technological innovation in enterprise development and the impact of digital empowerment on enterprise development. Finally, this work takes China's manufacturing industry and ecological enterprises in Hubei Province as examples to summarize the digital empowerment of sustainable technological innovation management of ecological enterprises under the background of big data. The final result indicates that sustainable technological innovation significantly reduces ecological enterprises' resource consumption and waste emissions. Additionally, it has a significant positive effect on improving enterprise output value and economic benefits. The digital empowerment of enterprises has a significant driving effect on sustainable technological innovation, with a digital driving coefficient of 26. This work provides a feasible scheme for the specific application of big data analysis in the technology innovation management of ecological enterprises, including market demand analysis, environmental monitoring and governance, technology assessment and risk management. This work expounds the role of big data analysis technology in improving decision-making efficiency, optimizing resource allocation and enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises in the digital empowerment of ecological enterprises.