A Survey and New Results on the Decomposition of an NFSR into a Cascade Connection of Two Smaller NFSRs

Nonlinear feedback shift registers (NFSRs) are an important building block for stream ciphers. Given a cascade connection of two NFSRs, say NFSR$(f,g)$, it has been known for decades how to solve the characteristic function of the NFSR which is equivalent to NFSR$(f,g)$. However, the converse problem of decomposing an NFSR into a cascade connection of two smaller NFSRs is not completely solved, and only a special case has been studied recently. In this paper, a complete and feasible solution to the problem is given

Effects of amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation on ocular burns

AIM: To investigate the effects of amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation on ocular surface repair time, repair rate and complications in patients with ocular burns. METHODS: The clinical data of each 61 cases(61 eyes)of patients with ocular burns who were treated by limbal stem cell autograft transplantation(control group)or amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation(observation group)were retrospectively analyzed. The postoperative ocular surface repair rate, repair time, and visual acuity and complications(symblepharon, corneal neovascularization, and keratohelcosis)at 12wk after operation were recorded in the two groups, and the levels of cytokines \〖vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)\〗 were compared between the two groups before operation and at 2wk after operation. RESULTS: The postoperative ocular surface repair rate in observation group was higher than that in control group(PPPPPPCONCLUSION: Amniotic membrane transplantation combined with limbal stem cell autograft transplantation has significant treatment effects on patients with ocular burns, and it can promote ocular surface repair, improve postoperative visual acuity, and can also regulate corneal neovascularization, and it also has positive significance in reducing the risk of postoperative complications

Genomic Inference of the Metabolism and Evolution of the Archaeal Phylum Aigarchaeota

Microbes of the phylum Aigarchaeota are widely distributed in geothermal environments, but their physiological and ecological roles are poorly understood. Here we analyze six Aigarchaeota metagenomic bins from two circumneutral hot springs in Tengchong, China, to reveal that they are either strict or facultative anaerobes, and most are chemolithotrophs that can perform sulfide oxidation. Applying comparative genomics to the Thaumarchaeota and Aigarchaeota, we find that they both originated from thermal habitats, sharing 1154 genes with their common ancestor. Horizontal gene transfer played a crucial role in shaping genetic diversity of Aigarchaeota and led to functional partitioning and ecological divergence among sympatric microbes, as several key functional innovations were endowed by Bacteria, including dissimilatory sulfite reduction and possibly carbon monoxide oxidation. Our study expands our knowledge of the possible ecological roles of the Aigarchaeota and clarifies their evolutionary relationship to their sister lineage Thaumarchaeota

DNA origami-designed 3D phononic crystals

Moulding the flow of phononic waves in three-dimensional (3D) space plays a critical role in controlling the sound and thermal properties of matter. To this end, 3D phononic crystals (PnCs) have been considered the gold standard because their complete phononic bandgap (PnBG) enables omnidirectional inhibition of phononic wave propagation. Nevertheless, achieving a complete PnBG in the high-frequency regime is still challenging, as attaining the correspondingly demanded mesoscale 3D crystals consisting of continuous frame networks with conventional fabrications is difficult. Here, we report that a DNA origami-designed-3D crystal can serve as a hypersonic 3D PnC exhibiting the widest complete PnBG. DNA origami crystallization can unprecedentedly provide 3D crystals such that continuous frame 3D crystals at the mesoscale are realizable. Furthermore, their lattice symmetry can be molecularly programmed to be at the highest level in a hierarchy of symmetry groups and numbers, which can facilitate the widening of the PnBG. More importantly, conformal silicification can render DNA origami-3D crystals rigid. Overall, we predict that the widest hypersonic PnBG can be achieved with DNA origami-designed 3D crystals with optimal lattice geometry and silica fraction; our work can provide a blueprint for the design and fabrication of mesoscale 3D PnCs with a champion PnBG

Ellipticity-dependent sequential over-barrier ionization of cold rubidium

We perform high-resolution measurements of momentum distribution on Rb$^{n+}$ recoil ions up to charge state $n=4$, where laser-cooled rubidium atoms are ionized by femtosecond elliptically polarized lasers with the pulse duration of 35 fs and the intensity of 3.3$\times$10$^{15}$ W/cm$^2$ in the over-barrier ionization (OBI) regime. The momentum distributions of the recoil ions are found to exhibit multi-band structures as the ellipticity varies from the linear to circular polarizations. The origin of these band structures can be explained quantitatively by the classical OBI model and dedicated classical trajectory Monte Carlo simulations with Heisenberg potential. Specifically, with back analysis of the classical trajectories, we reveal the ionization time and the OBI geometry of the sequentially released electrons, disentangling the mechanisms behind the tilted angle of the band structures. These results indicate that the classical treatment can describe the strong-field multiple ionization processes of alkali atoms

Mechanical properties of trabeculae and osteocyte morphology change significantly in different areas of the necrotic femoral head

Background: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a complex hip ailment. The precise changes in bone tissue during the disease’s onset remain unclear. It is vital to assess both the quantity and quality of the trabecular state in a necrotic femoral head.Aim: This study aims to identify and compare the ultrastructural changes in osteocyte morphology and nanomechanical characteristics within various regions of necrotic femoral heads.Methods: Between December 2016 and May 2023, we gathered ten necrotic femoral heads from patients and five femoral heads from cadavers. The samples from the necrotic femoral heads were categorized into three areas: necrotic, sclerotic, and normal. Our assessment methods encompassed hematoxylin and eosin staining, sclerostin (SOST) immunohistochemistry, micro-computed tomography, nanoindentation, and acid-etched scanning electron microscopy. These techniques enabled us to examine the SOST expression, trabecular microstructure, micromechanical properties of trabeculae, and modifications in osteocyte morphology at the ultrastructural level.Results: The protein level of SOST was found to be lower in the sclerotic area. In the necrotic area, decreased values of bone volume fraction, trabecular thickness, and trabecular number and an increased value of trabecular separation were found. Conversely, in the sclerotic area, higher mean values of bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and trabecular thickness and lower trabecular separation indicated significant changes in the structural characteristics of trabeculae. Compared with the healthy area, the elastic modulus and hardness in the sclerotic area were significantly higher than those in the necrotic, normal, and control areas, while those in necrotic areas were significantly lower than those in the healthy area. The number of osteocytes tended to increase in the sclerotic area with more canalicular cells compared to the healthy area and control group.Conclusion: These results imply that the stress distribution within the sclerotic area could potentially lead to enhanced trabecular quality and quantity. This effect is also reflected in the increased count of osteocytes and their canaliculars. It is plausible that the sclerotic trabecular bone plays a pivotal role in the repair of necrotic femoral heads