Supergravity inflation on a brane

We discuss supergravity inflation in braneworld cosmology for the class of potentials $V(\phi)=\alpha \phi^n\rm{exp}(-\beta^m \phi^m)$ with $m=1,~2$. These minimal SUGRA models evade the $\eta$ problem due to a broken shift symmetry and can easily accommodate the observational constraints. Models with smaller $n$ are preferred while models with larger $n$ are out of the $2\sigma$ region. Remarkably, the field excursions required for $60$ $e$-foldings stay sub-planckian $\Delta\phi <1$.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Phase Control on Surface for the Stabilization of High Energy Cathode Materials of Lithium Ion Batteries.

The development of high energy electrode materials for lithium ion batteries is challenged by their inherent instabilities, which become more aggravated as the energy densities continue to climb, accordingly causing increasing concerns on battery safety and reliability. Here, taking the high voltage cathode of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 as an example, we demonstrate a protocol to stabilize this cathode through a systematic phase modulating on its particle surface. We are able to transfer the spinel surface into a 30 nm shell composed of two functional phases including a rock-salt one and a layered one. The former is electrochemically inert for surface stabilization while the latter is designated to provide necessary electrochemical activity. The precise synthesis control enables us to tune the ratio of these two phases, and achieve an optimized balance between improved stability against structural degradation without sacrificing its capacity. This study highlights the critical importance of well-tailored surface phase property for the cathode stabilization of high energy lithium ion batteries

Dietary Bile Salt Types Influence the Composition of Biliary Bile Acids and Gut Microbiota in Grass Carp

Lipid metabolism can influence host’s health. There is increasing evidence for interplay between two key regulating factors in lipid metabolism: bile acids (BAs) and gut microbiota. However, very little is known about how types of different diet-supplemented bile salts (BS) influence this interaction in vivo. We sought to explore these relationships using grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), which often suffers functional disorder of liver and gallbladder. We studied fluctuations of BAs in the gall and changes of microbial communities in the gut in response to seven different diets: five different BS, chelating BS agent, and control. The BS comprised two primary BS [sodium taurochololate (TCAS) and sodium taurochenodeoxycholate (TCDCAS)], sodium tauroursodeoxycholate (TUDCAS), and two secondary BS [sodium taurodeoxycholate (TDCAS) and sodium taurolithocholate (TLCAS)]. Supplementation of primary BS caused a more significant fluctuation of biliary BAs than secondary BS, and TCAS caused a more prominent increase than TCDCAS and TUDCAS. For the gut microbiota, primary BS tended to increase their diversity and induce community succession, secondary BS resulted in a higher firmicutes/bacteroidetes ratio, while TUDCAS had no significant effects. Changes of the gut microbiota triggered by different types of BS caused alteration in BAs biotransformation. Two-obesity-associated families, Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae were positively correlated with biliary cholic acid (CA), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA), and deoxycholic acid (DCA). As both primary and secondary BS resulted in increased synthesis of toxic secondary Bas by the gut microbiota, future studies should pay closer attention to gut microbiota when considering BA treatment

Molecular characteristics of Camallanus spp. (Spirurida : Camallanidae) in fishes from China based on its rDNA sequences

In the,paper, we explored the intra- and interspecific evolutionary variation among species of Camallanus collected from different fish species in various regions of China. We determined the internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) sequences of these nematodes. The divergence (uncorrected p-distance) of ITS 1, ITS2, and ITS rDNA data sets confirmed 2 valid species of Camallanus in China, i.e., C. cotti and C. hypophthalmichthys. The 2 species were distinguished not only by their different morphologies and host ranges but also by a letranucleotide microsatellite (TTGC)n present in the ITS I region of C cotti. Phylogenetic analyses of the nematodes disclosed 2 main clades, corresponding to different individuals of C cotti and C. hypophthalmichthys from different fish species in various geographical locations, although the interior nodes of each clade received poor support.In the,paper, we explored the intra- and interspecific evolutionary variation among species of Camallanus collected from different fish species in various regions of China. We determined the internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) sequences of these nematodes. The divergence (uncorrected p-distance) of ITS 1, ITS2, and ITS rDNA data sets confirmed 2 valid species of Camallanus in China, i.e., C. cotti and C. hypophthalmichthys. The 2 species were distinguished not only by their different morphologies and host ranges but also by a letranucleotide microsatellite (TTGC)n present in the ITS I region of C cotti. Phylogenetic analyses of the nematodes disclosed 2 main clades, corresponding to different individuals of C cotti and C. hypophthalmichthys from different fish species in various geographical locations, although the interior nodes of each clade received poor support

Suppression of renal cell carcinoma growth in vivo by forced expression of vascular endothelial growth inhibitor

Vascular endothelial growth inhibitor (VEGI) has been associated with tumor-related vasculature in certain malignancies. However, its implication in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), an angiogenesis-dependent tumor, remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the role played by VEGI in RCC. The expression of VEGI was examined in human renal tissue and RCC cell lines using immunohistochemical staining and RT-PCR, respectively. The biological impact of modifying the expression of VEGI in RCC cells was evaluated using in vitro and in vivo models. We show that VEGI mRNA is expressed in a wide variety of human RCC cell lines, all of normal renal and most of RCC tissue specimens. VEGI protein expression was observed in normal renal tubular epithelial cells, but was decreased or absent in RCC specimens, particularly in tumors with high grade. Moreover, forced expression of VEGI led to an inhibition of vascular endothelial tube formation, decrease in the motility and adhesion of RCC cells in vitro. Interestingly, forced expression of VEGI had no bearing on growth, apoptosis and invasive capacity of RCC cells. However, tumor growth was reduced in xenograft models. Immunohistochemical staining showed that microvessel density decreased in VEGI forced expression xenograft tumor samples. Taken together, our findings showed that the expression of VEGI is decreased in RCC, particularly in tumors with higher grade. Together with its inhibitory effect on cellular motility, adhesion, vascular endothelial tube formation and tumor growth in vivo, this suggests that VEGI functions mainly through inhibition of angiogenesis and is a negative regulator of aggressiveness during the development and progression of RCC

AI of Brain and Cognitive Sciences: From the Perspective of First Principles

Nowadays, we have witnessed the great success of AI in various applications, including image classification, game playing, protein structure analysis, language translation, and content generation. Despite these powerful applications, there are still many tasks in our daily life that are rather simple to humans but pose great challenges to AI. These include image and language understanding, few-shot learning, abstract concepts, and low-energy cost computing. Thus, learning from the brain is still a promising way that can shed light on the development of next-generation AI. The brain is arguably the only known intelligent machine in the universe, which is the product of evolution for animals surviving in the natural environment. At the behavior level, psychology and cognitive sciences have demonstrated that human and animal brains can execute very intelligent high-level cognitive functions. At the structure level, cognitive and computational neurosciences have unveiled that the brain has extremely complicated but elegant network forms to support its functions. Over years, people are gathering knowledge about the structure and functions of the brain, and this process is accelerating recently along with the initiation of giant brain projects worldwide. Here, we argue that the general principles of brain functions are the most valuable things to inspire the development of AI. These general principles are the standard rules of the brain extracting, representing, manipulating, and retrieving information, and here we call them the first principles of the brain. This paper collects six such first principles. They are attractor network, criticality, random network, sparse coding, relational memory, and perceptual learning. On each topic, we review its biological background, fundamental property, potential application to AI, and future development.Comment: 59 pages, 5 figures, review articl

AVNP2 protects against cognitive impairments induced by C6 glioma by suppressing tumour associated inflammation in rats

© 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/BY-NC-ND/4.0/).Glioblastoma is a kind of malignant tumour and originates from the central nervous system. In the last century, some researchers and clinician have noticed that the psychosocial and neurocognitive functioning of patients with malignant gliomas can be impaired. Many clinical studies have demonstrated that part of patients, adults or children, diagnosed with glioblastoma will suffer from cognitive deficiency during their clinical course, especially in long-term survivors. Many nanoparticles (NPs) can inhibit the biological functions of tumours by modulating tumour-associated inflammation, which provokes angiogenesis and tumour growth. As one of the best antiviral nanoparticles (AVNPs), AVNP2 is the 2nd generation of AVNP2 that have been conjugated to graphite-graphene for improving physiochemical performance and reducing toxicity. AVNP2 inactivates viruses, such as the H1N1 and H5N1influenza viruses and even the SARS coronavirus, while it inhibits bacteria, such as MRSA and E. coli. As antimicrobials, nanoparticles are considered to be one of the vectors for the administration of therapeutic compounds. Yet, little is known about their potential functionalities and toxicities to the neurotoxic effects of cancer. Herein, we explored the functionality of AVNP2 on inhibiting C6 in glioma-bearing rats. The novel object-recognition test and open-field test showed that AVNP2 significantly improved the neuro-behaviour affected by C6 glioma. AVNP2 also alleviated the decline of long-term potentiation (LTP) and the decreased density of dendritic spines in the CA1 region induced by C6. Western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining showed that the expressions of synaptic-related proteins (PSD-95 and SYP) were increased, and these findings were in accordance with the results mentioned above. It revealed that the sizes of tumours in C6 glioma-bearing rats were smaller after treatment with AVNP2. The decreased expression of inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) by Western blotting assay and ELISA, angiogenesis protein (VEGF) by Western blotting assay and other related proteins (BDNF, NF-ĸB, iNOS and COX-2) by Western blotting assay in peri-tumour tissue indicated that AVNP2 could control tumour-associated inflammation, thus efficiently ameliorating the local inflammatory condition and, to some extent, inhibiting angiogenesis in C6-bearing rats. In conclusion, our results suggested that AVNP2 could have an effect on the peri-tumor environment, obviously restraining the growth progress of gliomas, and eventually improving cognitive levels in C6-bearing rats.Peer reviewedProo