Unexpected Reconstruction of the alpha-Boron (111) Surface

We report on a novel reconstruction of the alpha-boron (111) surface, discovered using an ab initio evolution structure search, and reveal that it has an unexpected neat structure and much lower surface energy than the recently proposed (111)-I_R,(a) surface. For this reconstruction, every single interstitial boron atom forms bridges with the unique polar-covalent bonds between neighboring B_12 icosahedra, which perfectly meet the electron counting rule and are responsible for the reconstruction-induced metal-semiconductor transition. The peculiar charge transfer between the interstitial atoms and the icosahedra plays an important role in stabilizing the surface.Comment: [email protected];[email protected]

Construction and analysis of a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library of genic multiple-allele inherited male-sterility in Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. pekinensis)

Utilization of male sterility is a key method for producing crossbred Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis (Lour.) Olsson. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to construct sterility and fertility cDNA libraries, which included differentially, expressed clones between fertile and sterile buds of the A/B line ‘AB01’. The positive clones were randomly selected by polymerase chain reaction amplification (PCR) and 25 high quality sequences (22 from the fertile-tester library and three from the sterile-tester libraries) were generated. The fragment lengths varied from 77 to 469 bp. Differential expression patterns between fertile and sterile buds were selected and verified using five expressed sequence tags (ESTs). Results indicated that, three ESTs were expressed only in fertile buds and two ESTs were down-regulated in sterile buds. According to the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) screening and functional annotation, the 25 ESTs were homologous to known sequences deposited in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). These genes had homology to known proteins such as flowers/buds development proteins, metabolic-related proteins, cell structure proteins, cell growth/division proteins and secondary metabolic-related proteins. The results suggested that, these proteins played a critical role in nuclear male sterility progression of genic multiple-allele inherited male-sterility in Chinese cabbage.Key words: Chinese cabbage, male sterility, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH), expressed sequence tags (ESTs)

Research on Listed Companies Clarification Announcements’ Stock Prices Reaction and its Influencing Factors

Using text analysis, this paper analyzes the textual features of clarification announcements released in the stock market. According to behavioral finance, cognitive psychology, event study and multivariate statistical methods are used to depict the characteristics of texts such as readability, descriptive approach, and structure. From the perspective of the reaction of stock prices, this paper explores whether the listed companies’ clarification announcements are effective and what influences their effectiveness, using investor attention as a moderating factor

Associations of sarcopenia, sarcopenia parameters and motoric cognitive risk syndrome in Chinese older adults

BackgroundMotoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is a pre-dementia symptom strongly predicting cognitive decline and dementia. Although advancements in elucidating the epidemiology of MCR, the evidence about the association between sarcopenia, sarcopenia parameters, and MCR remains scarce.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine the associations between sarcopenia, sarcopenia parameters, and MCR among community-dwelling Chinese older adults.MethodsA total of 4,184 community-dwelling older adults from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in the 2011 waves were included. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria. Sarcopenia parameters included handgrip strength (HGS), height-adjusted appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM/Ht2), and five-times sit-to-stand test time (FTSSTT). MCR was defined as subjective cognitive complaints and slow gait speed without dementia or impaired mobility. The associations between sarcopenia, sarcopenia parameters, and MCR were conducted using the logistic regression model. The restricted cubic spline with four knots were performed to determine the nonlinear and linear relationships between HGS, ASM/Ht2, FTSSTT, and MCR.ResultsThe prevalence of MCR in wave 2011 of CHARLS was 11.2%. After adjustment for potential confounders, we found sarcopenia [odd ratio (OR) (95% CI): 1.70 (1.13 ~ 2.54), p = 0.011], lower HGS [0.97 (0.96 ~ 0.99), p = 0.001], and more FTSSTT [1.12 (1.10 ~ 1.15), p < 0.001] were significantly associated with a higher risk of MCR. There was an inverse linear dose–response between HGS and MCR (p for overall = 0.008, p for nonlinearity =0.776). The nonlinear relationship between FTSSTT and MCR was found (p for overall <0.001, p for nonlinearity = 0.025) with FTSSTT ≥29 s being associated with a higher risk of MCR. A dose–response relationship was not found between ASM/Ht2 and MCR (p for overall =0.589).ConclusionSarcopenia, lower HGS, and higher FTSSTT are associated with MCR among older adults in China, while the latter two exhibit a dose–response relationship with MCR. It is suggested that timely identification and management of sarcopenia and its parameters may help delay the progression of cognitive impairment and promote healthy aging