A HYBRID SELF-ORGANIZING SCHEDULING METHOD FOR SHIPS IN RESTRICTED TWO-WAY WATERWAYS

Traffic conflicts between ships are one of the most important reasons causing delays in restricted waterways. Aiming to improve the traffic efficiency, a hybrid self-organizing scheduling (HSOS) method for restricted two-way waterways is proposed. Ship transportation system is treated as a distributive and self-organized system under uncertainties. Each ship makes the decision on when to enter the waterway and how to keep the safe distance between them, while the VTS center could manage the direction of traffic flow according to the navigation situations. In order to reduce the traffic conflict between the opposite directions, small ships are given higher priority than the large ships in the same direction. When the large ships are accumulating, they are given higher priority than small ships in the same direction. The large ships are delayed while small ships decrease the waiting time. The trade-off between small and large ships can enhance efficiency by accumulating the large ships. Comparing the results from HSOS with First Come First Served (FCFS), it can effectively reduce the average delays brought by large ships, especially at high arrival rates

Polymorphisms of XRCC4 are involved in reduced colorectal cancer risk in Chinese schizophrenia patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Genetic factors related to the regulation of apoptosis in schizophrenia patients may be involved in a reduced vulnerability to cancer. XRCC4 is one of the potential candidate genes associated with schizophrenia which might induce colorectal cancer resistance.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To examine the genetic association between colorectal cancer and schizophrenia, we analyzed five SNPs (rs6452526, rs2662238, rs963248, rs35268, rs2386275) covering ~205.7 kb in the region of XRCC4.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observed that two of the five genetic polymorphisms showed statistically significant differences between 312 colorectal cancer subjects without schizophrenia and 270 schizophrenia subjects (rs6452536, p = 0.004, OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.86; rs35268, p = 0.028, OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.05-2.26). Moreover, the haplotype which combined all five markers was the most significant, giving a global <it>p </it>= 0.0005.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our data firstly indicate that XRCC4 may be a potential protective gene towards schizophrenia, conferring reduced susceptibility to colorectal cancer in the Han Chinese population.</p

Genomic Analyses Reveal Mutational Signatures and Frequently Altered Genes in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and the fourth most lethal cancer in China. However, although genomic studies have identified some mutations associated with ESCC, we know little of the mutational processes responsible. To identify genome-wide mutational signatures, we performed either whole-genome sequencing (WGS) or whole-exome sequencing (WES) on 104 ESCC individuals and combined our data with those of 88 previously reported samples. An APOBEC-mediated mutational signature in 47% of 192 tumors suggests that APOBEC-catalyzed deamination provides a source of DNA damage in ESCC. Moreover, PIK3CA hotspot mutations (c.1624G>A [p.Glu542Lys] and c.1633G>A [p.Glu545Lys]) were enriched in APOBEC-signature tumors, and no smoking-associated signature was observed in ESCC. In the samples analyzed by WGS, we identified focal (<100 kb) amplifications of CBX4 and CBX8. In our combined cohort, we identified frequent inactivating mutations in AJUBA, ZNF750, and PTCH1 and the chromatin-remodeling genes CREBBP and BAP1, in addition to known mutations. Functional analyses suggest roles for several genes (CBX4, CBX8, AJUBA, and ZNF750) in ESCC. Notably, high activity of hedgehog signaling and the PI3K pathway in approximately 60% of 104 ESCC tumors indicates that therapies targeting these pathways might be particularly promising strategies for ESCC. Collectively, our data provide comprehensive insights into the mutational signatures of ESCC and identify markers for early diagnosis and potential therapeutic targets

Striking Denervation of Neuromuscular Junctions without Lumbar Motoneuron Loss in Geriatric Mouse Muscle

Reasons for the progressive age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, namely sarcopenia, are complex. Few studies describe sarcopenia in mice, although this species is the mammalian model of choice for genetic intervention and development of pharmaceutical interventions for muscle degeneration. One factor, important to sarcopenia-associated neuromuscular change, is myofibre denervation. Here we describe the morphology of the neuromuscular compartment in young (3 month) compared to geriatric (29 month) old female C57Bl/6J mice. There was no significant difference in the size or number of motoneuron cell bodies at the lumbar level (L1–L5) of the spinal cord at 3 and 29 months. However, in geriatric mice, there was a striking increase (by ∼2.5 fold) in the percentage of fully denervated neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) and associated deterioration of Schwann cells in fast extensor digitorum longus (EDL), but not in slow soleus muscles. There were also distinct changes in myofibre composition of lower limb muscles (tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus) with a shift at 29 months to a faster phenotype in fast TA muscle and to a slower phenotype in slow soleus muscle. Overall, we demonstrate complex changes at the NMJ and muscle levels in geriatric mice that occur despite the maintenance of motoneuron cell bodies in the spinal cord. The challenge is to identify which components of the neuromuscular system are primarily responsible for the marked changes within the NMJ and muscle, in order to selectively target future interventions to reduce sarcopenia

Prognostic impact of c-Rel nuclear expression and REL amplification and crosstalk between c-Rel and the p53 pathway in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Dysregulated NF-κB signaling is critical for lymphomagenesis. The regulation, function, and clinical relevance of c-Rel/NF-κB activation in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have not been well studied. In this study we analyzed the prognostic significance and gene-expression signature of c-Rel nuclear expression as surrogate of c-Rel activation in 460 patients with de novo DLBCL. Nuclear c-Rel expression, observed in 137 (26.3%) DLBCL patients frequently associated with extranoal origin, did not show significantly prognostic impact in the overall- or germinal center B-like-DLBCL cohort, likely due to decreased pAKT and Myc levels, up-regulation of FOXP3, FOXO3, MEG3 and other tumor suppressors coincided with c-Rel nuclear expression, as well as the complicated relationships between NF-κB members and their overlapping function. However, c-Rel nuclear expression correlated with significantly poorer survival in p63+ and BCL-2− activated B-cell-like-DLBCL, and in DLBCL patients with TP53 mutations. Multivariate analysis indicated that after adjusting clinical parameters, c-Rel positivity was a significantly adverse prognostic factor in DLBCL patients with wild type TP53. Gene expression profiling suggested dysregulations of cell cycle, metabolism, adhesion, and migration associated with c-Rel activation. In contrast, REL amplification did not correlate with c-Rel nuclear expression and patient survival, likely due to co-amplification of genes that negatively regulate NF-κB activation. These insights into the expression, prognostic impact, regulation and function of c-Rel as well as its crosstalk with the p53 pathway underscore the importance of c-Rel and have significant therapeutic implications

Matched Input hypothesis in Foreign Language Learning from the Perspective of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory: A Case Study of English Learning in a College Preparatory Class for Ethnic Minorities in East China

Based on one-year of research on a preparatory English class taken by minority students in one of East-China’s universities. Adopting the methods of questionnaire, interview and video recording in class, the study attempts to propose the matched-input hypothesis in foreign language learning from the perspective of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory. The hypothesis concerns teenage language learners in the EFL context, minority students in particular. The hypothesis holds that language study is fluctuating among repeller states. The hypothesis also maintains that teachers' bilingual language input in class aims to match student language proficiency, and that massive multi-mode audio input seeks to match Text input and that content input (meaning-oriented) and grammar input (form-oriented) is to match learners' cognition and mental development. The hypothesis further suggests that extracurricular text input is to be accompanied by audio input. This input aims to boost learners' intrinsic motivation and learning autonomy, thus improving their foreign language competence

PEG-mediated transduction of rAAV as a platform for spatially confined and efficient gene delivery

Abstract Background Recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV) are commonly used vectors for gene delivery in both basic neuroscience and clinical applications due to their nonpathogenic, minimally immunogenic, and sustained expression properties. However, several challenges remain for the wide-scale rAAV applications, including poor infection of many clinically important cell lines, insufficient expression at low titers, and diffusive transduction in vivo. Methods In this work, PEG, which is a safe and non-toxic polymer of ethylene oxide monomer, was applied as an auxiliary transduction agent to improve the expression of rAAV. In detail, a small dose of PEG was added into the rAAV solution for the transgene expression in cell lines in vitro, and in the central nervous system (CNS) in vivo. The biocompatibility of PEG enhancer was assessed by characterizing the immune responses, cell morphology, cell tropism of rAAV, neuronal apoptosis, as well as motor function of animals. Results The results show that small dose of PEG additive can effectively improve the gene expression characteristics of rAAV both in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, the PEG additive allows efficient transgene expression in cell lines that are difficult to be transfected with rAAV alone. In vivo studies show that the PEG additive can promote a spatially confined and efficient transgene expression of low-titer rAAV in the brain over long terms. In addition, no obvious side effects of PEG were observed on CNS in the biocompatibility studies. Conclusions This spatially confined and efficient transduction method can facilitate the applications of rAAV in fundamental research, especially in the precise dissection of neural circuits, and also improve the capabilities of rAAV in the treatment of neurological diseases which originate from the disorders of small nuclei in the brain

RNA sequencing on Amomum villosum Lour.-induced by MeJA identifies the genes of WRKY and terpene synthases involved in terpene biosynthesis

Amomum villosum Lour. is an important Chinese medicine that has diverse medicinal functions, and mainly contains volatile terpenes This study aimed to explore the WRKY transcription factors (TFs) and terpene synthases (TPS) unigenes, which might be involved in terpene biosynthesis in A. villosum for providing some new information on the regulation of terpenes in plants. RNA sequencing of A.villosum-induced by methyl jasmonate (MeJA) revealed WRKY family was the second biggest TF family in the transcriptome. Thirty-six complete WRKY domain sequences were in response to MeJA. Further, six WRKY unigenes were highly correlated with eight deduced TPS unigenes. Ultimately, we combined the terpene abundance with the expression of candidate WRKYs and TPS unigenes to presume a possible model wherein AvWRKY61, AvWRKY28 and AvWRKY40 might coordinately trans-activate the AvNeoD promoter. We propose an approach to mine TFs unigenes might be involved in terpenoid biosynthesis, and obtained four unigenes for further analyses.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Comparison of Two Types of Overoxidized PEDOT Films and Their Application in Sensor Fabrication

Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films were prepared by electro-oxidation on Au microelectrodes in an aqueous solution. Electrolyte solutions and polymerization parameters were optimized prior to overoxidation. The effect of overoxidation time has been optimized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which results in the film overoxidized for 45 s at 1.35 V presenting a strong adsorption. The other one-step overoxidation film prepared by direct CV ranging from −0.6 V to 1.35 V was polymerized for comparison. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used for monitoring morphological changes and the evolution of functional groups. Both of them indicate increased abundant oxygen functional groups and roughness, yet the products exhibit dendritic morphology and piles of spherical protrusions, respectively. Moreover, double-step overoxidized film showed better electrochemical performance toward lead ion sensing. These characterizations highlight some novel properties that may be beneficial for specific sensing applications

Interfacial Interaction in NiFe LDH/NiS₂/VS₂ for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

A bifunctional electrocatalyst with high efficiency and low costs for overall water splitting is critical to achieving a green hydrogen economy and coping with the energy crisis. However, developing robust electrocatalysts still faces huge challenges, owing to unsatisfactory electron transfer and inherent activity. Herein, NiFe LDH/NiS2/VS2 heterojunctions have been designed as freestanding bifunctional electrocatalysts to split water, exhibiting enhanced electron transfer and abundant catalytic sites. The optimum NiFe LDH/NiS2/VS2 electrocatalyst exhibits a small overpotential of 380 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for overall water splitting and superior electrocatalytic performance in both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER/OER). Specifically, the electrocatalyst requires overpotentials of 76 and 286 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER, respectively, in alkaline electrolytes, which originate from the synergistic interaction among the facilitated electron transfer and increasingly exposed active sites due to the modulation of interfaces and construction of heterojunctions