Valence-programmable nanoparticle architectures.

Nanoparticle-based clusters permit the harvesting of collective and emergent properties, with applications ranging from optics and sensing to information processing and catalysis. However, existing approaches to create such architectures are typically system-specific, which limits designability and fabrication. Our work addresses this challenge by demonstrating that cluster architectures can be rationally formed using components with programmable valence. We realize cluster assemblies by employing a three-dimensional (3D) DNA meshframe with high spatial symmetry as a site-programmable scaffold, which can be prescribed with desired valence modes and affinity types. Thus, this meshframe serves as a versatile platform for coordination of nanoparticles into desired cluster architectures. Using the same underlying frame, we show the realization of a variety of preprogrammed designed valence modes, which allows for assembling 3D clusters with complex architectures. The structures of assembled 3D clusters are verified by electron microcopy imaging, cryo-EM tomography and in-situ X-ray scattering methods. We also find a close agreement between structural and optical properties of designed chiral architectures

Polysulfonic acid mucopolysaccharide exerts anti scarring effect in rats through modulation of TGF β 1/Smad signaling pathway

Purpose: To determine the anti-scarring effect of polysulfonic acid mucopolysaccharide (MSP), and the implication of TGF-β1/Smad signal transduction route.Methods: Sixty (60) male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were assigned to control, model and polysulfonic mucopolysaccharide groups, respectively, each with 20 rats. Serum inflammatory factors, scar area and scar thickness, histopathological changes and relative concentrations of TGF-β1 Smad4, collagen types I and III, and α-SMA were determined.Results: In the control group, collagen cells were closely distributed and the skin structure was intact without inflammatory infiltration. In contrast, there were numerous necrotic dermal cells on rat skin surface in model group, with obvious inflammatory infiltration and severely damaged hair follicles. In contrast, in polysulfonic mucopolysaccharide group, the thickness of skin tissue and dermis was significantly improved, with a clear layer and reduced degree of inflammatory infiltration. Types I and III collagen and α-SMA were significantly down-regulated in polysulfonic mucopolysaccharide-fed rats, relative to model rats.Conclusion: Polysulfonic acid mucopolysaccharide exerts anti-scarring effect by regulating TGFβ1/Smad signal pathway, thus has the potential for use in minimizing scarring of the skin in clinical practice

Finite element method for obtaining the regularized photon Green function in lossy material

Photon Green function (GF) is the vital and most decisive factor in the field of quantum light-matter interaction. It is divergent with two equal space arguments in arbitrary-shaped lossy structure and should be regularized. We introduce a finite element method for calculating the regularized GF. It is expressed by the averaged radiation electric field over the finite-size of the photon emitter. For emitter located in homogeneous lossy material, excellent agreement with the analytical results is found for both real cavity model and virtual cavity model. For emitter located in a metal nano-sphere, the regularized scattered GF, which is the difference between the regularized GF and the analytical regularized one in homogeneous space, agrees well with the analytical scattered GF

Assessing the Effects of the New Cooperative Medical Scheme on Alleviating the Health Payment-Induced Poverty in Shaanxi Province, China

Copyright: © 2016 Yang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.Background Disease has become one of the key causes of falling into poverty in rural China. The poor households are even more likely to suffer. The New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS) has been implemented to provide rural residents financial protection against health risks. This study aims to assess the effect of the NCMS on alleviating health payment-induced poverty in the Shaanxi Province of China. Methods The data was drawn from the 5th National Health Service Survey of Shaanxi Province, conducted in 2013. In total, 41,037 individuals covered by NCMS were selected. Poverty headcount ratio (HCR), poverty gap and mean positive poverty gap were used for measuring the incidence, depth and intensity of poverty, respectively. The differences on poverty measures pre- and post- insurance reimbursement indicate the effectiveness of alleviating health payment-induced poverty under NCMS. Results For the general insured, 5.81% of households fell below the national poverty line owing to the health payment; this HCR dropped to 4.84% after insurance reimbursement. The poverty HCRs for the insured that had hospitalization in the past year dropped from 7.50% to 2.09% after reimbursement. With the NCMS compensation, the poverty gap declined from 42.90 Yuan to 34.49 Yuan (19.60% decreased) for the general insured and from 57.48 Yuan to 10.01 Yuan (82.59% decreased) for the hospital admission insured. The mean positive poverty gap declined 3.56% and 37.40% for two samples, respectively. Conclusion The NCMS could alleviate the health payment-induced poverty. The effectiveness of alleviating health payment-induced poverty is greater for hospital admission insured than for general insured, mainly because NCMS compensates for serious diseases. Our study suggests that a more comprehensive insurance benefit package design could further improve the effectiveness of poverty alleviation

Probing Higgs CPCP properties at the CEPC

In the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC), a measurement of the Higgs $CP$ mixing through $e^{+} e^{-} \rightarrow Z H \rightarrow \mu^{+} \mu^{-} H(\rightarrow b \bar{b} / c \bar{c} / g g)$ process is presented, with $5.6\ \mbox{ab}^{-1}$$e^{+} e^{-}$collision data at the center-of-mass energy of$240\ \mathrm{GeV}$. In this study, the$CP$-violating parameter$\hat{\alpha}_{A \tilde{Z}}$is constrained between the region of$ -8.27\times 10^{-2}$and$8.09 \times 10^{-2}$and$\hat{\alpha}_{Z \tilde{Z}}$between$-2.15 \times 10^{-2}$and$2.02 \times 10^{-2}$at$95\%$confidence level. This study demonstrates the great potential of probing Higgs$CP$ properties at the CEPC