Cooperative three- and four- player quantum games

A cooperative multi-player quantum game played by 3 and 4 players has been studied. Quantum superposed operator is introduced in this work which solves the non-zero sum difficulty in previous treatment. The role of quantum entanglement of the initial state is discussed in details.Comment: 7 pages with 3 figures. To appear in Physics Letters

The relationship between marital adjustment and personality characteristics, medical coping style of infertile patients

目的  探讨不孕不育患者婚姻调适状况与人格特征和医学应对方式的关系，为临床开展心理健康干预提供依据。方法  选取2012年8月—2015年1月某三级甲等医院生殖医学中心治疗的156例已婚不孕不育症患者。采用艾森克人格问卷表（EPQ）、Locke-Wollance婚姻调适测定量表和医学应对问卷（MCMQ），对患者进行调查，分别测评患者婚姻调适状况、人格特征和医学应对方式及其相关性。结果  患者婚姻调适状况与EPQ的P、N及MCMQ屈服呈显著负相关，与EPQ 的E和MCMQ面对则呈显著正相关；EPQ的P、N与MCMQ面对呈负相关，与MCMQ的屈服呈正相关；EPQ的E则与MCMQ面对呈显著正相关。EPQ的P、E、N和MCMQ面对、屈服在婚姻调适状况高中低分组中的比较，差异均有统计学意义（均P＜0.01）。多元逐步回归分析：面对、回避，屈服及精神质（P）等4个因素共解释了不孕不育症患者婚姻调适总变异的26.4%。结论  人格特征、医学应对方式是影响不孕不育症患者婚姻调适的重要因素。Objective: To explore the relationship between marital adjustment and personality characteristics and coping styles of patients with infertility, and to provide evidence for clinical intervention. Methods: A total of 156 patients with infertility were selected from August 2012 to January 2015 in a grade a hospital of reproductive medicine center. This research is a cross - sectional survey. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Locke-Wollance marital adjustment test scale and Medical Coping Questionnaire (MCMQ), were investigated, respectively, to evaluate the patient status, marital adjustment and personality characteristics and coping style and their relationship. Results: Patients marital adjustment status and EPQ P, N and MCMQ yield was significantly negative correlated, and EPQ E and MCMQ was significantly positively related; EPQ P, N and MCMQ showed a negative correlation, and MCMQ yield positively correlated; EPQ E, and MCMQ face was significantly positively related, EPQ P, E, N and MCMQ, yield in the marital adjustment the conditions of grouping, the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Multiple stepwise regression analysis: 4 factors, such as confrontation, avoidance, yield and psychoticism (P), were used to explain the total variation of the adjustment of marriage in infertile patients (26.4%). Conclusion: Personality characteristics, medical coping styles are the important factors influencing the marital adjustment for infertility patients

1,1′-[1,4-Phenyl­enebis(methyl­ene)]bis­(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium) 2,4-dicarb­oxy­benzene-1,5-dicarboxyl­ate monohydrate

In the dication of the title compound, C16H20N4 2+·C10H4O8 2−·H2O, the dihedral angles formed by mean planes of the imidazolium rings and the benzene ring are 69.05 (18) and 89.1 (2)°. In the crystal, the components are linked into a three-dimensional network by inter­molecular N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

Hexa­kis­(1-benzyl-1H-imidazole-κN 3)manganese(II) bis­(perchlorate)

In the title compound, [Mn(C10H10N2)6](ClO4)2, the MnII ion, located on an inversion center, is coordinated by six N atoms from three pairs of symmetry-related 1-benzyl-1H-imidazole ligands in a distorted octa­hedral geometry. In the crystal, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the complex cations and perchlorate anions

Molecular examination of bone marrow stromal cells and chondroitinase ABC-assisted acellular nerve allograft for peripheral nerve regeneration

The present study aimed to evaluate the molecular mechanisms underlying combinatorial bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) transplantation and chondroitinase ABC (Ch-ABC) therapy in a model of acellular nerve allograft (ANA) repair of the sciatic nerve gap in rats. Sprague Dawley rats (n=24) were used as nerve donors and Wistar rats (n=48) were randomly divided into the following groups: Group I, Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) control group (ANA treated with DMEM only); Group II, Ch-ABC group (ANA treated with Ch-ABC only); Group III, BMSC group (ANA seeded with BMSCs only); Group IV, Ch-ABC + BMSCs group (Ch-ABC treated ANA then seeded with BMSCs). After 8 weeks, the expression of nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and vascular endothelial growth factor in the regenerated tissues were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Axonal regeneration, motor neuron protection and functional recovery were examined by immunohistochemistry, horseradish peroxidase retrograde neural tracing and electrophysiological and tibialis anterior muscle recovery analyses. It was observed that combination therapy enhances the growth response of the donor nerve locally as well as distally, at the level of the spinal cord motoneuron and the target muscle organ. This phenomenon is likely due to the propagation of retrograde and anterograde transport of growth signals sourced from the graft site. Collectively, growth improvement on the donor nerve, target muscle and motoneuron ultimately contribute to efficacious axonal regeneration and functional recovery. Thorough investigation of molecular peripheral nerve injury combinatorial strategies are required for the optimization of efficacious therapy and full functional recovery following ANA

Bis(2-propyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium) bis­(pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ato-κ3 O 2,N,O 6)cadmate(II)

The title salt, (C6H11N2)2[Cd(C7H3NO4)2], displays a discrete mononuclear structure, in which the central CdII atom is six-coordinated in a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry by two N and four O atoms from two different pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ate anions in an O 2,N,O 6-tridentate chelation mode. The crystal packing is stabilized by N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π–π inter­actions [centroid–centroid distance = 3.576 (5) Å]

1,4-Bis(1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)but-2-ene

In the pseudo-centrosymmetric mol­ecule of the title compound, C18H16N4, two benzimidazole fragments form the dihedral angles of 83.49 (7) and 79.37 (7)°, with the mean plane of the linking butene chain. No classical inter­molecular inter­actions are observed. The porous crystal packing exhibits voids of 85 Å3

[μ-1,4-Bis(1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmeth­yl)benzene]­bis­[aqua­(pyridine-2,6-dicarboxyl­ato)copper(II)] monohydrate

The title compound, [Cu2(C7H3NO4)2(C12H12N6)(H2O)2]·H2O, displays a discrete dinuclear structure, in which the central CuII atom is five-coordinated in a distorted square-based pyramidal coordination geometry and the flexible ligand 1,4-bis­(1,2,4-triazol-1-ylmeth­yl)benzene adopts a bis-monodentate bridging mode linking the CuII atoms. It is further assembled by O—H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter­actions involving both the coordinated and uncoordinated water molecules. The latter exhibits half-occupancy

Successful Arrest of Photoreceptor and Vision Loss Expands the Therapeutic Window of Retinal Gene Therapy to Later Stages of Disease

Inherited retinal degenerations cause progressive loss of photoreceptor neurons with eventual blindness. Corrective or neuroprotective gene therapies under development could be delivered at a predegeneration stage to prevent the onset of disease, as well as at intermediate-degeneration stages to slow the rate of progression. Most preclinical gene therapy successes to date have been as predegeneration interventions. In many animal models, as well as in human studies, to date, retinal gene therapy administered well after the onset of degeneration was not able to modify the rate of progression even when successfully reversing dysfunction. We evaluated consequences of gene therapy delivered at intermediate stages of disease in a canine model of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) caused by a mutation in the Retinitis Pigmentosa GTPase Regulator (RPGR) gene. Spatiotemporal natural history of disease was defined and therapeutic dose selected based on predegeneration results. Then interventions were timed at earlier and later phases of intermediate-stage disease, and photoreceptor degeneration monitored with noninvasive imaging, electrophysiological function, and visual behavior for more than 2 y. All parameters showed substantial and significant arrest of the progressive time course of disease with treatment, which resulted in long-term improved retinal function and visual behavior compared with control eyes. Histology confirmed that the human RPGR transgene was stably expressed in photoreceptors and associated with improved structural preservation of rods, cones, and ON bipolar cells together with correction of opsin mislocalization. These findings in a clinically relevant large animal model demonstrate the long-term efficacy of RPGR gene augmentation and substantially broaden the therapeutic window for intervention in patients with RPGR-XLRP