Deep learning for full-field ultrasonic characterization

This study takes advantage of recent advances in machine learning to establish a physics-based data analytic platform for distributed reconstruction of mechanical properties in layered components from full waveform data. In this vein, two logics, namely the direct inversion and physics-informed neural networks (PINNs), are explored. The direct inversion entails three steps: (i) spectral denoising and differentiation of the full-field data, (ii) building appropriate neural maps to approximate the profile of unknown physical and regularization parameters on their respective domains, and (iii) simultaneous training of the neural networks by minimizing the Tikhonov-regularized PDE loss using data from (i). PINNs furnish efficient surrogate models of complex systems with predictive capabilities via multitask learning where the field variables are modeled by neural maps endowed with (scaler or distributed) auxiliary parameters such as physical unknowns and loss function weights. PINNs are then trained by minimizing a measure of data misfit subject to the underlying physical laws as constraints. In this study, to facilitate learning from ultrasonic data, the PINNs loss adopts (a) wavenumber-dependent Sobolev norms to compute the data misfit, and (b) non-adaptive weights in a specific scaling framework to naturally balance the loss objectives by leveraging the form of PDEs germane to elastic-wave propagation. Both paradigms are examined via synthetic and laboratory test data. In the latter case, the reconstructions are performed at multiple frequencies and the results are verified by a set of complementary experiments highlighting the importance of verification and validation in data-driven modeling

Cloning and characterization of maize ZmSPK1, a homologue to nonfermenting1-related protein kinase2

SnRK2s play important roles in plant stresses responses. One full-length cDNA encoding a SnRK2b homologue was isolated from maize by RT-PCR and named as ZmSPK1 (for stress-induced protein kinase). The ZmSPK1 protein has 364 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 41.8 KD and an isoelectric point of 5.8. The deduced protein sequence has the closest identities to the members of SnRK2b group. RT-PCR analysis showed that the ZmSPK1 expression was induced by mannitol, salt and abscisic acid (ABA). Furthermore, in different tissues the ZmSPK1 showed different expression patterns and was most abundant in reproductive organs. These results suggested that ZmSPK1 might play multiple roles in abiotic stress resistance pathways, as well as in plant reproductive development.Key words: Zea mays L., SnRK2b, expression pattern, abiotic stres

Over expression of Zmda1-1 gene increases seed mass of corn

Genetic engineering of seed size and increasing biomass in crop plants has an important significant contribution to the world. Arabidopsis DA1 is one of the key factors that negatively control seed and organ size by restricting the period of cell proliferation, and the mutant of Arabidopsis DA1, da1-1 (DA1R358K) can dramatically increase the size of seed. However, it is not clear whether overexpression of Zmda1-1, the mutant of ZmDA1 which is homology of DA1 in Arabidopsis, has the same biological effect as da1-1 in Arabidopsis. Therefore, in this study, the plant expression vector harboring both Zmda1-1 driven by the corn ubiquitin promoter and a PAT selectable marker gene driven by 35S CAMV promoter was constructed and introduced into maize inbred line ‘ji444’ using pollen-tube-pathway method. Screened with herbicide phosphinothricin (PPT), 22 seedlings of 2563 transformed samples survived, and 21 independence lines of which were positive in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, and the transformation rate of T0 generation was about 0.82%. Further PCR-southern blotting results proved that the Zmda1-1 had integrated into maize genome, and the Zmda1-1 had expression in low level by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The seed mass of transgenic maize increased at an average of 33.6% of empty vector control lines, and the harvest yield was increased by 23.6 to 114.1% in different lines than empty vector control lines. The result suggests that Zmda1-1 can be used to engineer higher harvest yield in crops plant, thus providing the first successful example of increasing the harvest yield of maize by transgenic technology.Key words: Transgenic maize, pollen-tube pathway, Zmda1-1, seed mass

Relação entre a Razão Nitrogênio Ureico/Creatinina e Prognóstico de Insuficiência Cardíaca em Todo o Espectro da Fração de Ejeção

Resumo Fundamento Em pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca (IC), devido à relativa deficiência do volume sanguíneo, a ativação do sistema neuro-hormonal leva à vasoconstrição renal, que afeta o teor de nitrogênio ureico (NU) e creatinina (C) no organismo, sendo que NU e C são facilmente afetados por outros fatores. Portanto, a razão NU/C pode ser utilizada como mais um marcador para o prognóstico da IC. Objetivo Explorar o prognóstico do desfecho adverso da IC no grupo NU/C alta em comparação com o grupo NU/C baixa em todo o espectro da fração de ejeção. Métodos De 2014 a 2016, pacientes sintomáticos hospitalizados com IC foram recrutados e acompanhados para observar desfechos cardiovasculares adversos. Foram realizadas análise logística e a análise COX para determinar a significância. Valores de p<0,05 foram considerados estatisticamente significativos. Resultados Na análise de regressão logística univariada, o grupo NU/C alta apresentou maior risco de desfecho adverso na insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção reduzida (ICFEr) e insuficiência cardíaca com fração de ejeção preservada (ICFEp). A análise de regressão logística multivariada mostrou que o risco de morte cardíaca no grupo ICFEr foi maior do que no grupo NU/C baixa, enquanto o risco de morte por todas as causas foi significativo apenas em 3 meses (p<0,05) (Ilustração Central). O risco de morte por todas as causas no grupo NU/C alta no grupo ICFEP foi significativamente maior do que no grupo NU/C baixa em dois anos. Conclusão O grupo NU/C alta está relacionado ao risco de mau prognóstico da ICFEP, não sendo inferior ao valor preditivo da fração de ejeção do ventrículo esquerdo (FEVE)

Health care reform and stroke prognosis in low-income Chinese populations from 1992 to 2018

Background Improving maternal and newborn health remains one of the most critical public health challenges, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income countries. To overcome this challenge, interventions to improve the continuum of care based on real-world settings need to be provided. The Ghana Ensure Mothers and Babies Regular Access to Care (Embrace) Implementation Research Team conducted a unique intervention program involving over 21 000 women to improve the continuum of care, thereby demonstrating an intervention program’s effectiveness in a real-world setting. This study evaluates the implementation process of the Embrace intervention program based on the RE-AIM framework. Methods A cluster-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 32 sub-district-based clusters in Ghana. Interventions comprised of four components, and to evaluate the implementation process, we conducted baseline and endline questionnaire surveys for women who gave birth and lived in the study site. The key informant interviews of health workers and intervention monitoring were conducted at the health facilities in the intervention area. The data were analyzed using 34 components of the RE-AIM framework and classified under five general criteria (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Results In total, 1480 and 1490 women participated in the baseline and endline questionnaire survey, respectively. In the intervention area, 83.8% of women participated (reach). The completion rate of the continuum of care increased from 7.5% to 47.1%. Newborns who had danger signs immediately after birth decreased after the intervention (relative risk = 0.82, 95% confidence interval = 0.68-0.99) (effectiveness). In the intervention area, 94% of all health facilities participated. Mothers willing to use their continuum of care cards in future pregnancies reached 87% (adoption). Supervision and manual use resolved the logistical and human resource challenges identified initially (implementation). The government included the continuum of care measures in their routine program and developed a new Maternal and Child Health Record Book, which was successfully disseminated nationwide (maintenance). Conclusions Following the RE-AIM framework evaluation, the Embrace intervention program was considered effective and as having great potential for scaling across in real-world settings, especially where the continuum of care needs to be improved

Cathepsin G activity lowers plasma LDL and reduces atherosclerosis

AbstractCathepsin G (CatG), a serine protease present in mast cells and neutrophils, can produce angiotensin-II (Ang-II) and degrade elastin. Here we demonstrate increased CatG expression in smooth muscle cells (SMCs), endothelial cells (ECs), macrophages, and T cells from human atherosclerotic lesions. In low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-deficient (Ldlr–/–) mice, the absence of CatG reduces arterial wall elastin degradation and attenuates early atherosclerosis when mice consume a Western diet for 3months. When mice consume this diet for 6months, however, CatG deficiency exacerbates atherosclerosis in aortic arch without affecting lesion inflammatory cell content or extracellular matrix accumulation, but raises plasma total cholesterol and LDL levels without affecting high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or triglyceride levels. Patients with atherosclerosis also have significantly reduced plasma CatG levels that correlate inversely with total cholesterol (r=–0.535, P<0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (r=–0.559, P<0.0001), but not with HDL cholesterol (P=0.901) or triglycerides (P=0.186). Such inverse correlations with total cholesterol (r=–0.504, P<0.0001) and LDL cholesterol (r=–0.502, P<0.0001) remain significant after adjusting for lipid lowering treatments among this patient population. Human CatG degrades purified human LDL, but not HDL. This study suggests that CatG promotes early atherogenesis through its elastinolytic activity, but suppresses late progression of atherosclerosis by degrading LDL without affecting HDL or triglycerides

Cold tolerance identification of nine Rosa L. materials and expression patterns of genes related to cold tolerance in Rosa hybrida

Members of the Rosa genus have a high ornamental value, but their cultivation area is limited by their sensitivity to cold temperatures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cold tolerance of a range of Rosa materials, and then determine which genes were related to cold tolerance. Nine Rosa materials were subjected to a cold treatment. To identify genes related to cold tolerance, R. hybrida was treated at −15°C for 10 min, and leaves collected before and after this treatment were collected for RNA-Seq analyses. The transcript profiles of four DEGs (POD17, NDUFA9, PMA1, and b-Amy1) in R. hybrida were determined by qRT-PCR at 0 h, 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h at −15°C. Nine Rosa materials were subjected to a cold treatment, and the most cold-tolerant materials were identified as those that showed the lowest levels of electrolyte leakage and the best recovery after 30 d of growth. The most cold-tolerant materials were Rosa hybrida, Rosa rugosa ‘Pingyin 12’, and Rosa rugosa. In total, 204 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, of which 88 were significantly up-regulated and 116 were significantly down-regulated under cold conditions. Gene Ontology classification and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses showed that the DEGs were enriched in 57 pathways, especially starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropane biosynthesis, MAPK signaling, fructose and mannose metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation. By transcriptional analysis, PMA1, which was related to H+ ATPase activity, was continuously up-regulated, but the transcript levels of POD17, NDUFA9, and β-Amy1 fluctuated during the freezing treatment. This research uncovered scarce cold-resistant materials and layed the foundation for further research on the cold tolerance mechanism of Rosa plants and the breeding of cold-tolerant varieties

Association of Blood Pressure With Stroke Risk, Stratified by Age and Stroke Type, in a Low-Income Population in China: A 27-Year Prospective Cohort Study

Association of stroke risk with new blood pressure criterion 2017 is unknown in China. We assessed the association between blood pressure (BP) values and stroke risk in a low-income population in Tianjin, China. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values were categorized into five strata and strokes were recorded as stroke, ischemic stroke, and hemorrhagic stroke. Stroke risk was analyzed according to blood pressure stratum using Cox regression analysis. Overall, 4,017 residents (age, ≥18 years) were included in this prospective cohort study. Over a 27-year follow-up period (total, 86,515.78 person-years), 638 participants experienced first-ever strokes. The stroke risk was higher among individuals with SBPs ≥140 mmHg or DBPs ≥90 mmHg than among those with SBPs &lt; 130 mmHg or DBPs &lt; 80 mmHg (reference group), after adjusting for covariates. However, hemorrhagic stroke risk increased only in participants with SBPs ≥160 mmHg. The stroke risk increased for individuals &lt; 65-years-old having BP values ≥130/80 mmHg and for individuals ≥65-years-old with BP values ≥160/90 mmHg. To reduce the stroke burden in China, target BP goals must be established for adults, with different targets for the middle-aged and the elderly segments of the population. These results are very important for guiding clinical practice and may be generalized to other developing countries experiencing rapid economic development and where transitions in the spectrum of prevalent diseases have occurred

Interleukin 18 function in atherosclerosis is mediated by the interleukin 18 receptor and the Na-Cl co-transporter

Interleukin-18 (IL18) participates in atherogenesis through several putative mechanisms1, 2. Interruption of IL18 action reduces atherosclerosis in mice3, 4. Here, we show that absence of the IL18 receptor (IL18r) does not affect atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient (Apoe−/−) mice, nor does it affect IL18 cell surface binding to or signaling in endothelial cells. As identified initially by co-immunoprecipitation with IL18, we found that IL18 interacts with the Na-Cl co-transporter (NCC; also known as SLC12A3), a 12-transmembrane-domain ion transporter protein preferentially expressed in the kidney5. NCC is expressed in atherosclerotic lesions, where it colocalizes with IL18r. In Apoe−/− mice, combined deficiency of IL18r and NCC, but not single deficiency of either protein, protects mice from atherosclerosis. Peritoneal macrophages from Apoe−/− mice or from Apoe−/− mice lacking IL18r or NCC show IL18 binding and induction of cell signaling and cytokine and chemokine expression, but macrophages from Apoe−/− mice with combined deficiency of IL18r and NCC have a blunted response. An interaction between NCC and IL18r on macrophages was detected by co-immunoprecipitation. IL18 binds to the cell surface of NCC-transfected COS-7 cells, which do not express IL18r, and induces cell signaling and cytokine expression. This study identifies NCC as an IL18-binding protein that collaborates with IL18r in cell signaling, inflammatory molecule expression, and experimental atherogenesis