Optimal Systemic Risk Bailout: A PGO Approach Based on Neural Network

The bailout strategy is crucial to cushion the massive loss caused by systemic risk in the financial system. There is no closed-form formulation of the optimal bailout problem, making solving it difficult. In this paper, we regard the issue of the optimal bailout (capital injection) as a black-box optimization problem, where the black box is characterized as a fixed-point system that follows the E-N framework for measuring the systemic risk of the financial system. We propose the so-called ``Prediction-Gradient-Optimization'' (PGO) framework to solve it, where the ``Prediction'' means that the objective function without a closed-form is approximated and predicted by a neural network, the ``Gradient'' is calculated based on the former approximation, and the ``Optimization'' procedure is further implemented within a gradient projection algorithm to solve the problem. Comprehensive numerical simulations demonstrate that the proposed approach is promising for systemic risk management

Comparative study of the effects of artemether and artesunate on juvenile and adult Schistosoma mansoni in experimentally infected mice

Artemether and artesunate, derivatives of the antimalarial artemisinin, also exhibit antischistosomal properties. There is a need to assess comparatively the activity of both compounds against different developmental stages of schistosome parasites. Since artemisinin derivatives will be increasingly used to treat malaria, it is important to study the effects of 7-day monotherapy regimens on schistosome infections. We carried out experiments with mice, infected with juvenile or adult Schistosoma mansoni, and treated with artemether or artesunate at various doses and regimens including those currently used for monotherapy of malaria. Three doses of artemether, at concentrations of 150 or 300 mg/kg, administered to mice with juvenile S. mansoni resulted in worm reductions of 88-97%, which were significantly higher than the 67-77% obtained with artesunate (P < 0·05). Total concentrations of 600 or 800 mg/kg artemether, administered over 2 or 4 consecutive days to mice with adult S. mansoni, reduced the worm burden significantly by 46-51% (P < 0·05). The reduction of the worm burden observed with artesunate was considerably lower, 24-33%, and not significant when compared with untreated control mice. Seven-day monotherapy regimens of artemether or artesunate given at different concentrations to mice with adult S. mansoni showed total worm reductions of 53-61% or 34-49%, respectively. We conclude that artemether and artesunate are efficacious antischistosomal agents, with artemether displaying consistently higher activities. Our findings may contribute to the current strategic discussions on the effect and use of artemisinin derivatives against schistosomes when they are used in malaria chemotherapy in areas of co-endemicity of both parasite

Artemether administered together with haemin damages schistosomes in vitro

We conducted experiments in vitro to assess the effect of artemether in combination with haemin on adult Schistosoma japonicum, S. mansoni and S. haematobium. When schistosomes were maintained in a medium containing artemether at concentrations of 20 μg/mL or less for 72 h, no apparent effect on the schistosomes was seen. When the medium contained 50 or 100 μg/mL haemin as well as artemether, the schistosomes showed decreased motor activity 2-24 h after exposure, which was followed by the staining of the whole worm body a reddish-yellow colour, dilatation of the intestine, and extensive vesiculation of the tegument. Some of the schistosomes died 24 h after exposure, and almost all died within 48-72 h. When schistosomes were exposed to the same concentrations of haemin alone, they were stained a light yellow colour but there was no apparent effect on their survival. Our findings suggest that artemether interacts with haemin to exert a toxic effect on the worms, which might be of importance in the further elucidation of the mechanism of action of artemether on schistosome

Oxygen-Vacancy Abundant Ultrafine Co_3O_4/Graphene Composites for High-Rate Supercapacitor Electrodes

The metal oxides/graphene composites are one of the most promising supercapacitors (SCs) electrode materials. However, rational synthesis of such electrode materials with controllable conductivity and electrochemical activity is the topical challenge for high-performance SCs. Here, the Co_3O_4/graphene composite is taken as a typical example and develops a novel/universal one-step laser irradiation method that overcomes all these challenges and obtains the oxygen-vacancy abundant ultrafine Co_3O_4 nanoparticles/graphene (UCNG) composites with high SCs performance. First-principles calculations show that the surface oxygen vacancies can facilitate the electrochemical charge transfer by creating midgap electronic states. The specific capacitance of the UCNG electrode reaches 978.1 F g^(−1) (135.8 mA h g^(−1)) at the current densities of 1 A g^(−1) and retains a high capacitance retention of 916.5 F g^(−1) (127.3 mA h g^(−1)) even at current density up to 10 A g^(−1), showing remarkable rate capability (more than 93.7% capacitance retention). Additionally, 99.3% of the initial capacitance is maintained after consecutive 20 000 cycles, demonstrating enhanced cycling stability. Moreover, this proposed laser-assisted growth strategy is demonstrated to be universal for other metal oxide/graphene composites with tuned electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity

Oxygen-Vacancy Abundant Ultrafine Co_3O_4/Graphene Composites for High-Rate Supercapacitor Electrodes

The metal oxides/graphene composites are one of the most promising supercapacitors (SCs) electrode materials. However, rational synthesis of such electrode materials with controllable conductivity and electrochemical activity is the topical challenge for high-performance SCs. Here, the Co_3O_4/graphene composite is taken as a typical example and develops a novel/universal one-step laser irradiation method that overcomes all these challenges and obtains the oxygen-vacancy abundant ultrafine Co_3O_4 nanoparticles/graphene (UCNG) composites with high SCs performance. First-principles calculations show that the surface oxygen vacancies can facilitate the electrochemical charge transfer by creating midgap electronic states. The specific capacitance of the UCNG electrode reaches 978.1 F g^(−1) (135.8 mA h g^(−1)) at the current densities of 1 A g^(−1) and retains a high capacitance retention of 916.5 F g^(−1) (127.3 mA h g^(−1)) even at current density up to 10 A g^(−1), showing remarkable rate capability (more than 93.7% capacitance retention). Additionally, 99.3% of the initial capacitance is maintained after consecutive 20 000 cycles, demonstrating enhanced cycling stability. Moreover, this proposed laser-assisted growth strategy is demonstrated to be universal for other metal oxide/graphene composites with tuned electrical conductivity and electrochemical activity

MiR-708 promotes steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head, suppresses osteogenic differentiation by targeting SMAD3

Steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH) is a serious complication of glucocorticoid (GC) use. We investigated the differential expression of miRs in the mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of patients with ONFH, and aimed to explain the relationship between GC use and the development of MSC dysfunction in ONFH. Cells were collected from bone marrow of patients with ONFH. Samples were assigned to either GCs Group or Control Group at 1:1 matched with control. We then used miRNA microarray analysis and real-time PCR to identify the differentially expressed miRs. We also induced normal MSCs with GCs to verify the differential expression above. Subsequently, we selected some of the miRs for further studies, including miRNA target and pathway prediction, and functional analysis. We discovered that miR-708 was upregulated in ONFH patients and GC-treated MSCs. SMAD3 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-708, and functional analysis demonstrated that miR-708 could markedly suppress osteogenic differentiation and adipogenesis differentiation of MSCs. Inhibition of miR-708 rescued the suppressive effect of GC on osteonecrosis. Therefore, we determined that GC use resulted in overexpression of miR-708 in MSCs, and thus, targeting miR-708 may serve as a novel therapeutic biomarker for the prevention and treatment of ONFH

Water-saving irrigation is a ‘win-win’ management strategy in rice paddies – With both reduced greenhouse gas emissions and enhanced water use efficiency

Demand for rice will increase with growing global population. Globally, water management and nitrogen (N) application are two key factors influencing rice production and greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions. In China, one of the world’s largest rice-producing countries, scarcity of water also threatens rice production. Therefore, in order to meet these challenges, it is essential to find water-use efficient irrigation management that also mitigates GHGs emissions from rice paddies. This study was conducted with three N application rates (90, 180, 270 kg N ha−1) under two irrigation regimes: 1) the conventional flooding-midseason drainage-flooding irrigation (FDF), and 2) flooding-moist by alternating wetting and drying (AWD) as the water-saving irrigation. Results showed that AWD irrigation significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 38%, but increased N2O emissions by 34%. Although N2O and CH4 emissions showed a trade-off relationship, the global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) significantly decreased by 22% and 24%, respectively, under water-saving irrigation management. N fertilization significantly enhanced rice grain yield but had no effects on water use efficiency (WUE). Although AWD had no effects on rice grain yield, it significantly enhanced WUE by 40%. Considering the interactive effects of N fertilization and irrigation management, the highest grain yield (7808.38 kg ha−1) occurred in AWD with medium N application rate. Generally, AWD irrigation regime could be used as an effective management for simultaneously saving water and enhancing rice grain yield, while mitigating GHGs emissions from rice paddies

Progress in the development of a recombinant vaccine for human hookworm disease: The Human Hookworm Vaccine Initiative

Hookworm infection is one of the most important parasitic infections of humans, possibly outranked only by malaria as a cause of misery and suffering. An estimated 1.2 billion people are infected with hookworm in areas of rural poverty in the tropics and subtropics. Epidemiological data collected in China, Southeast Asia, and Brazil indicate that, unlike other soil-transmitted helminth infections, the highest hookworm burdens typically occur in adult populations, including the elderly. Emerging data on the host cellular immune responses of chronically infected populations suggest that hookworms induce a state of host anergy and immune hyporesponsiveness. These features account for the high rates of hookworm reinfection following treatment with anthelminthic drugs and therefore, the failure of anthelminthics to control hookworm. Despite the inability of the human host to develop naturally acquired immune responses to hookworm, there is evidence for the feasibility of developing a vaccine based on the successes of immunizing laboratory animals with either attenuated larval vaccines or antigens extracted from the alimentary canal of adult blood-feeding stages. The major antigens associated with each of these larval and adult hookworm vaccines have been cloned and expressed in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. However, only eukaryotic expression systems (e.g., yeast, baculovirus, and insect cells) produce recombinant proteins that immunologically resemble the corresponding native antigens. A challenge for vaccinologists is to formulate selected eukaryotic antigens with appropriate adjuvants in order to elicit high antibody titers. In some cases, antigen-specific IgE responses are required to mediate protection. Another challenge will be to produce anti-hookworm vaccine antigens at high yield low cost suitable for immunizing large impoverished populations living in the developing nations of the tropics

Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis of the Kynurenine Pathway in Mood Disorders: Focus on Gut Microbiota Research

Background: Emerging evidence implicates the dysregulated kynurenine pathway (KP), an immune-inflammatory pathway, in the pathophysiology of mood disorders (MD), including depression and bipolar disorder characterized by a low-grade chronic pro-inflammatory state. The metabolites of the KP, an important part of the microbiota-gut-brain axis, serve as immune system modulators linking the gut microbiota (GM) with the host central nervous system.Aim: This bibliometric analysis aimed to provide a first glimpse into the KP in MD, with a focus on GM research in this field, to guide future research and promote the development of this field.Methods: Publications relating to the KP in MD between the years 2000 and 2020 were retrieved from the Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), and analyzed in CiteSpace (5.7 R5W), biblioshiny (using R-Studio), and VOSviewer (1.6.16).Results: In total, 1,064 and 948 documents were extracted from the Scopus and WoSCC databases, respectively. The publications have shown rapid growth since 2006, partly owing to the largest research hotspot appearing since then, “quinolinic acid.” All the top five most relevant journals were in the neuropsychiatry field, such as Brain Behavior and Immunity. The United States and Innsbruck Medical University were the most influential country and institute, respectively. Journal co-citation analysis showed a strong tendency toward co-citation of research in the psychiatry field. Reference co-citation analysis revealed that the top four most important research focuses were “kynurenine pathway,” “psychoneuroimmunology,” “indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase,” and “proinflammatory cytokines,” and the most recent focus was “gut-brain axis,” thus indicating the role of the KP in bridging the GM and the host immune system, and together reflecting the field’s research foundations. Overlap analysis between the thematic map of keywords and the keyword burst analysis revealed that the topics “Alzheimer’s disease,” “prefrontal cortex,” and “acid,” were research frontiers.Conclusion: This comprehensive bibliometric study provides an updated perspective on research associated with the KP in MD, with a focus on the current status of GM research in this field. This perspective may benefit researchers in choosing suitable journals and collaborators, and aid in the further understanding of the field’s hotspots and frontiers, thus facilitating future research