Voxel-based density registration of trabecular bone: a longitudinal HR-pQCT study of postmenopausal women

Bone mineral density (BMD) is one of the important parameters used to characterise bone quality. Clinically, the only recommended method - dual X-ray absorptiometry - can only evaluate a two-dimensional areal BMD. Currently, three-dimensional localised BMD information is absent. HR-pQCT enables the assessments of 3D microstructure down to trabecular bone. Therefore, in this study, a voxel-based density registration (VDR) method is proposed to analyse the longitudinal changes of trabecular-bone density distribution. The VDR techniques were evaluated based on a six-month longitudinal study of five postmenopausal women. The time effect on localised changes of trabecular-bone mineral density was visualized and variations between different anatomical regions were quantified for the first time. Different distributions between anatomical regions were found in bone mineral density of trabecular bone (vBMDtrab), with a change of vBMDtrab at medial region (-0.56%) significantly higher than anterior (-1.58%) (p = 0.032). This study indicates that localised density changes might be used as a prior indicator for the effect of aging or other interventions.</p

Thermo-migration behavior of SAC305 lead-free solder reinforced with fullerene nanoparticles

In this work, SAC305 lead-free solder reinforced with 0.1 wt. % fullerene nanoparticles was prepared using a powder metallurgy method. A lab-made setup and a corresponding Cu/solder/Cu sample for thermo-migration (TM) test were designed and implemented. The feasibility of this setup for TM stressing was further verified with experimental and simulation methods; a temperature gradient in a solder seam was calculated as 1070 K/cm. Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of both plain and composite solder alloys were then studied under the condition of TM stressing. It was shown that compared to unreinforced SAC305 solder, the process of diffusion of Cu atoms in the composite solder seam was remarkably suppressed. After the TM test for 600 h, Cu/solder interfaces in the composite solder seam were more stable and the inner structure remained more intact. Moreover, the addition of fullerene reinforcement can considerably affect a distribution of Cu6Sn5 formed as a result of dissolution of Cu atoms during the TM test. Hardness data across the solder seam were also found notably different because of the elemental redistribution caused by TM

Phosphomolybdic acid-responsive Pickering emulsions stabilized by ionic liquid functionalized Janus nanosheets

<p><b>A</b> Representative photomicrographs of Caspase-3 immunofluorescence staining (400×). <b>B</b> Quantification of Caspase-3 fluorescence intensity in different groups. <b>C</b> Representative Western blot band of Caspase-3 activation in the ischemic cortex at 24 h after reperfusion. <b>D</b> Effect of LBP (40 mg/kg) on the Caspase-3 activation in MCAO mice cortex at 24 h after reperfusion. Data are expressed as mean±SEM (n = 6). ^##P<0.01 vs. sham-operated group; **P<0.01 vs. vehicle group.</p

sj-docx-1-cpp-10.1177_15396754221083127 – Supplemental material for Research on women in public administration: A systematic review of Chinese top journal publications (1987–2019)

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-cpp-10.1177_15396754221083127 for Research on women in public administration: A systematic review of Chinese top journal publications (1987–2019) by Juan Du in Chinese Public Administration Review</p

Regulatory transparency and citizen support for government decisions: evidence from nuclear power acceptance in China

This study examines the effect of transparency as a governance mechanism on citizen support for controversial governmental decisions to public facilities. Building on the government transparency literature, this article argues that regulatory transparency has a double-sided meaning of regulatory enforcement and rule violations. Due to the ambiguity inherent in regulatory performance information, citizens may interpret disclosed information as a reflection of prevalent rule violations and thereby reduce support for relevant public facilities. Furthermore, the negative association between regulatory transparency and citizen support is contingent on citizens’ use of social media. We test these arguments in the nuclear energy regulatory domain using original, nationally representative survey data and an independent environmental regulation transparency index in China. Findings reveal that regulatory transparency reduces citizen support for proposed nuclear power programs. We also find that regulatory transparency is particularly influential for respondents with relatively higher levels of social media usage. These findings highlight the dilemma that governments face when they seek to enhance policy support through transparency in the digital age.</p

Adolescents’ peer friendship and anxiety and depression among first-generation immigrant BAME families in the UK

There is equivocal evidence on how being a child in an BAME immigrant family affects internalizing symptoms such as anxiety. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships between peer friendships and anxiety/depression symptoms in BAME immigrant adolescents (IA) and white native adolescents (WNA). Method: Sixty-two adolescents from the UK (IA = 26, WNA = 36, mean age = 14 years) were assessed on close friendship, social competence, social anxiety, and depression. Immigrant family parents (n = 23) were also assessed on cultural orientation. There were no significant differences in anxiety and depression between groups. Bayes factors supported the conclusion that the groups did not differ. However, IA and WNA groups had different patterns of associations between close friendship/social competence and anxiety and depression symptoms. Close friendships were more strongly associated with lower anxiety/depression in IAs than WNAs, and social competence was more strongly associated with lower anxiety/depression in WNAs than IAs. Moderation analyses indicated that the relationship between close friendship and social and separation anxiety was significantly moderated by ethnic group, as was the relationship between social competence and generalized anxiety. The findings suggest that social and separation anxiety are more strongly associated with close friendships for BAME immigrant children than for non-immigrant adolescents. As such, activities that help BAME immigrant children to foster close relationships may have positive effects for their well-being

Downregulated Reprimo by LINC00467 participates in the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) as an aggressive malignancy still causes a global health problem. It has been documented that long noncoding RNAs are involved in GC development. Therefore, this research was designed to explore the role of LINC00467 in the growth and metastasis of GC. The expression of LINC00467 and Reprimo in GC tissues and cells was detected. The binding relationship among LINC00467, DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and Reprimo was assessed following. Reprimo promoter methylation was detected by methylation sequencing. GC cell lines overexpressing or knock downing LINC00467 were constructed for pinpointing the effect of LINC00467 on cell functions as well as growth and metastasis of GC cells in vivo. LINC00467 was highly expressed, whereas Reprimo was poorly expressed in GC tissues and cells. Mechanically, LINC00467 promoted the methylation and decreased the expression of Reprimo promoter by recruiting DNMT1 in GC cells. Knockdown of LINC00467 diminished the malignant properties of GC cells. Knockdown of LINC00467 reduced tumorigenesis and metastasis of GC cells in vivo. LINC00467 might exert oncogenic effects in GC via Reprimo downregulation by recruiting DNMT1.</p

Remodelling of trabecular bone in human distal tibia: A model based on an in-vivo HR-pQCT study

An abnormal remodelling process of bones can lead to various bone disorders, such as osteoporosis, making them prone to fracture. Simulations of load-induced remodelling of trabecular bone were used to investigate its response to mechanical signal. However, the role of mechanostat in trabecular-bone remodelling has not yet been investigated in simulations underpinned by a longitudinal in-vivo study in humans. In this work, a finite-element model based on a 6-month longitudinal in-vivo HR-pQCT study was developed and validated to investigate the effect of mechanical stimuli on bone remodelling. The simulated changes in microstructural parameters and density of trabecular bone were compared with respective experimental results. A maximum principal strain (MPS) and a maximum principal strain gradient (∇MPS) were used as mechanical signals to drive a five-stage mechanostat remodelling model, including additional over-strain and damage stages. It was found that the density distribution varied with the studied mechanical signals, along with decreasing with time levels of bone volume fraction BV/TV, trabecular thickness Tb.Th and bone surface area Tb.BS as well as increased trabecular separation Tb.Sp. Among these parameters, BV/TV and Tb.Th together with the bone remodelling parameters from the MPS model demonstrated a significant correlation with the experimental data. The developed model provides a good foundation for further development and investigation of the relationships between mechanical loading and human bone microarchitecture

Image_1_The Binding Mechanism Between Inositol Phosphate (InsP) and the Jasmonate Receptor Complex: A Computational Study.TIF

<p>Jasmonates are critical plant hormones, mediating stress response in plants and regulating plant growth and development. The jasmonate receptor is a multi-component complex, composed of Arabidopsis SKP-LIKE PROTEIN1 (ASK1), CORONATINE INSENSITIVE 1 (COI1), inositol phosphate (InsP), and jasmonate ZIM-domain protein (JAZ). COI1 acts as multi-component signaling hub that binds with each component. InsP is suggested to play important roles in the hormone perception. How InsP binds with COI1 and the structural changes in COI1 upon binding with InsP, JA-Ile, and JAZ are not well understood. In this study, we integrated multiple computational methods, such as molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations, residue interaction network analysis and binding free energy calculation, to explore the effect of InsP on the dynamic behavior of COI1 and the recognition mechanism of each component of the jasmonate receptor complex. We found that upon binding with InsP, JA-Ile, and JAZ1, the structure of COI1 becomes more compact. The binding of InsP with COI1 stabilizes the conformation of COI1 and promotes the binding between JA-Ile or JAZ1 and COI1. Analysis of the network parameters led to the identification of some hub nodes in this network, including Met88, His118, Arg120, Arg121, Arg346, Tyr382, Arg409, Trp467, and Lys492. The structural and dynamic details will be helpful for understanding the recognition mechanism of each component and the discovery and design of novel jasmonate signaling pathway modulators.</p

A Covariate-Regulated Sparse Subspace Learning Model and Its Application to Process Monitoring and Fault Isolation

Multivariate functional data are increasingly common in various applications. The cross-correlation of different process variables is typically complex in that a variable might be weakly correlated or not correlated with most of the other variables, and the cross-correlation is time-varying and might be regulated by some exogenous covariates. To address these two challenges, we propose a covariate-regulated sparse subspace learning (CSSL) model. We consider the scenario that these process variables lie in multiple subspaces, and only process variables from the same subspace are cross-correlated with each other. To take into account the effect of the exogenous covariates on the subspace structure, we partition the domain of the covariates into a number of regions. In each region, the subspace structure is treated as constant and can be learned independently. An efficient decision-tree-based algorithm is then proposed to obtain the solution. The proposed method can be further applied to process monitoring and fault isolation for multivariate processes. The efficacy of this method is demonstrated by comprehensive simulations and a case study on a dataset from the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system of the wind turbine.</p