Time-domain response of nabla discrete fractional order systems

This paper investigates the time--domain response of nabla discrete fractional order systems by exploring several useful properties of the nabla discrete Laplace transform and the discrete Mittag--Leffler function. In particular, we establish two fundamental properties of a nabla discrete fractional order system with nonzero initial instant: i) the existence and uniqueness of the system time--domain response; and ii) the dynamic behavior of the zero input response. Finally, one numerical example is provided to show the validity of the theoretical results.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figure

Infinite series representation of fractional calculus: theory and applications

This paper focuses on the equivalent expression of fractional integrals/derivatives with an infinite series. A universal framework for fractional Taylor series is developed by expanding an analytic function at the initial instant or the current time. The framework takes into account of the Riemann-Liouville definition, the Caputo definition, the constant order and the variable order. On this basis, some properties of fractional calculus are confirmed conveniently. An intuitive numerical approximation scheme via truncation is proposed subsequently. Finally, several illustrative examples are presented to validate the effectiveness and practicability of the obtained results

Bis{μ-[4-(1,3-benzothia­zol-2-yl)phen­yl]methane­thiol­ato-κ4 S,S′:S,S′}bis­[tricarbonyl­iron(I)](Fe—Fe)

The title compound, [Fe2(C14H10NS2)2(CO)6], was synthesized as a structural and biochemical model for the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenase. The bond lengths (Fe—Fe, Fe—S and Fe—C) and angles (C—Fe—Fe and Fe—S—Fe) are within expected ranges. The S⋯S distance [2.9069 (12) Å] and the dihedral angle between two Fe—S—Fe planes [78.5 (3)°] of the butterfly-shaped Fe2S2 core are enlarged compared with related bridged dithiol­ate diiron analogues. The calculated 4-benzothia­zolebenzyl best planes are almost parallel [dihedral angle = 3.7 (7)°]

Altered Topological Properties of Gray Matter Structural Covariance Networks in Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy

Background and Aims: Liver cirrhosis commonly induces brain structural impairments that are associated with neurological complications (e.g., minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE)), but the topological characteristics of the brain structural network are still less well understood in cirrhotic patients with MHE. This study aimed to conduct the first investigation on the topological alterations of brain structural covariance networks in MHE.Methods: This study included 22 healthy controls (HCs) and 22 cirrhotic patients with MHE. We calculated the gray matter volume of 90 brain regions using an automated anatomical labeling (AAL) template, followed by construction of gray matter structural covariance networks by thresholding interregional structural correlation matrices as well as graph theoretical analysis.Results: MHE patients showed abnormal small-world properties of the brain structural covariance network, i.e., decreased clustering coefficient and characteristic path length and lower small-worldness parameters, which indicated a tendency toward more random architecture. In addition, MHE patients lost hubs in the prefrontal and parietal regions, although they had new hubs in the temporal and occipital regions. Compared to HC, MHE patients had decreased regional degree/betweenness involving several regions, primarily the prefrontal and parietal lobes, motor region, insula and thalamus. In addition, the MHE group also showed increased degree/betweenness in the occipital lobe and hippocampus.Conclusion: These results suggest that MHE leads to altered coordination patterns of gray matter morphology and provide structural evidence supporting the idea that MHE is a neurological complication related to disrupted neural networks

Probing nuclear symmetry energy at high densities using pion, kaon, eta and photon productions in heavy-ion collisions

The high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy is among the most uncertain properties of dense neutron-rich matter. Its accurate determination has significant ramifications in understanding not only the reaction dynamics of heavy-ion reactions especially those induced by radioactive beams but also many interesting phenomena in astrophysics, such as the explosion mechanism of supernova and the properties of neutron stars. The heavy-ion physics community has devoted much effort during the last few years to constrain the high-density symmetry using various probes. In particular, the pion-/pion+ ratio has been most extensively studied both theoretically and experimentally. All models have consistently predicted qualitatively that the pion-/pion+ ratio is a sensitive probe of the high-density symmetry energy especially with beam energies near the pion production threshold. However, the predicted values of the pion-/pion+ ratio are still quite model dependent mostly because of the complexity of modeling pion production and reabsorption dynamics in heavy-ion collisions, leading to currently still controversial conclusions regarding the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy from comparing various model calculations with available experimental data. As more pion-/pion+ data become available and a deeper understanding about the pion dynamics in heavy-ion reactions is obtained, more penetrating probes, such as the kaon+/kaon0 ratio, eta meson and high energy photons are also being investigated or planned at several facilities. Here, we review some of our recent contributions to the community effort of constraining the high-density behavior of nuclear symmetry energy in heavy-ion collisions. In addition, the status of some worldwide experiments for studying the high-density symmetry energy, including the HIRFL-CSR external target experiment (CEE) are briefly introduced.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, Contribution to the Topical Issue on Nuclear Symmetry Energy in EPJA Special Volum

Diffusion Tensor Imaging With Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Reveals White Matter Abnormalities in Patients With Vascular Cognitive Impairment

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate microstructural changes of major white matter (WM) tracts in patients with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI).Method: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were obtained from 24 subjects with subcortical ischemic vascular disease (SIVD), including 13 subjects with VCI-no dementia (VCIND) and 11 subjects with normal cognition (as a control group). A tract-based spatial statistics approach was performed to investigate WM microstructure in VCIND by integrating multiple indices including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), which are intra-voxel metrics, and local diffusion homogeneity (LDH), which is an inter-voxel metric.Results: The VCIND group had decreased FA and increased MD values throughout widespread WM areas predominately in the corpus callosum, bilateral internal capsule/corona radiata/posterior thalamic radiation/inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and right inferior/superior longitudinal fasciculus. There was a slight discrepancy between the distribution of areas with decreased FA and LDH. The FA, MD and LDH values were significantly correlated with cognitive test results. According to a WM tract atlas, 10 major tracts were identified as tracts of interest in which three diffusion metrics simultaneously differed between groups, including bilateral anterior thalamic radiation, forceps minor, right corticospinal tract, bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, left inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus, and bilateral uncinate fasciculus. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated the feasibility of using diffusion metrics along the forceps minor and left anterior thalamic radiation for separating two groups.Conclusion: The results suggest WM microstructural abnormalities contribute to cognitive impairments in SIVD patients. DTI parameters may be potential biomarkers for detecting VCIND from SIVD

Tetra­aqua­diazido­cobalt(II) 4,4′-dicarboxyl­ato-1,1′-ethyl­enedi­pyridinium dihydrate

In the title compound, [Co(N3)2(H2O)4]·C14H12N2O4·2H2O, the metal complex mol­ecule is centrosymmetric, the Co(II) ion being six-coordinated by two azide N atoms and four aqua O atoms with a trans-octa­hedral geometry. The zwitterionic organic mol­ecule is also centrosymmetric. In the crystal, the components are associated into a two-dimensional network through O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. Further O—H⋯O and O—H⋯N inter­actions give a three-dimensional structure. The free water molecule is disordered over two positions in a 0.787 (5):0.213 (5) ratio

NATsDB: Natural Antisense Transcripts DataBase

Natural antisense transcripts (NATs) are reverse complementary at least in part to the sequences of other endogenous sense transcripts. Most NATs are transcribed from opposite strands of their sense partners. They regulate sense genes at multiple levels and are implicated in various diseases. Using an improved whole-genome computational pipeline, we identified abundant cis-encoded exon-overlapping sense–antisense (SA) gene pairs in human (7356), mouse (6806), fly (1554), and eight other eukaryotic species (total 6534). We developed NATsDB (Natural Antisense Transcripts DataBase, ) to enable efficient browsing, searching and downloading of this currently most comprehensive collection of SA genes, grouped into six classes based on their overlapping patterns. NATsDB also includes non-exon-overlapping bidirectional (NOB) genes and non-bidirectional (NBD) genes. To facilitate the study of functions, regulations and possible pathological implications, NATsDB includes extensive information about gene structures, poly(A) signals and tails, phastCons conservation, homologues in other species, repeat elements, expressed sequence tag (EST) expression profiles and OMIM disease association. NATsDB supports interactive graphical display of the alignment of all supporting EST and mRNA transcripts of the SA and NOB genes to the genomic loci. It supports advanced search by species, gene name, sequence accession number, chromosome location, coding potential, OMIM association and sequence similarity