Surface plasmon polaritons assisted diffraction in periodic subwavelength holes of metal films with reduced interplane coupling

Metal films grown on Si wafer perforated with a periodic array of subwavelength holes have been fabricated and anomalous enhanced transmission in the mid-infrared regime has been observed. High order transmission peaks up to Si(2,2) are clearly revealed due to the large dielectric constant contrast of the dielectrics at the opposite interfaces. Si(1,1) peak splits at oblique incidence both in TE and TM polarization, which confirms that anomalous enhanced transmission is a surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) assisted diffraction phenomenon. Theoretical transmission spectra agree excellently with the experimental results and confirm the role of SPPs diffraction by the lattice.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, 26 reference

The transcriptional coactivator TAZ regulates reciprocal differentiation of T(h)17 cells and T(reg) cells

自身免疫性疾病是一类机体对自身抗原发生免疫反应而导致自身多器官、组织受累的慢性炎症性疾病。目前大量研究表明机体内促炎症的TH17细胞和抑制炎症Treg细胞在类群数量和活化状态的失衡是造成自身免疫疾病的主要致病因素。陈兰芬教授和周大旺教授团队的前期研究发现小鼠中Hippo信号通路中激酶Mst1/2缺失导致免疫缺陷，机体易受病原体感染并伴随着严重自身免疫疾病。该研究揭示了Hippo 信号通路转录共激活因子TAZ在决定CD4+初始T细胞分化为促进炎症的TH17效应细胞和抑制免疫反应的Treg调节性细胞过程中发挥着关键作用，拓展了当前对于Hippo信号通路的相关研究内容。 陈兰芬，博士，厦门大学生命科学学院教授。【Abstraact】An imbalance in the lineages of immunosuppressive regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and the inflammatory TH17 subset of helper T cells leads to the development of autoimmune and/or inflammatory disease. Here we found that TAZ, a coactivator of TEAD transcription factors of Hippo signaling, was expressed under T H17 cell–inducing conditions and was required for TH17 differentiation and TH17 cell–mediated inflammatory diseases. TAZ was a critical co-activator of the TH17-defining transcription factor RORγt. In addition, TAZ attenuated Treg cell development by decreasing acetylation of the Treg cell master regulator Foxp3 mediated by the histone acetyltransferase Tip60, which targeted Foxp3 for proteasomal degradation. In contrast, under T regcell–skewing conditions, TEAD1 expression and sequestration of TAZ from the transcription factors RORγt and Foxp3 promoted Treg cell differentiation. Furthermore, deficiency in TAZ or overexpression of TEAD1 induced Treg cell differentiation, whereas expression of a transgene encoding TAZ or activation of TAZ directed TH17 cell differentiation. Our results demonstrate a pivotal role for TAZ in regulating the differentiation of Treg cells and TH17 cells.J. Avruch for comments on the manuscript.Supported by the National Basic Research Program (973) of China (2015CB910502 to L.C.), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81422018 to L.C.; 31625010 and U1505224 to D.Z.; U1405225 and 81372617 to L.C.; J1310027 to D.Z.; 81472229 to L.H.; and 31600698 to J. Geng), the 111 Projects (B12001 and B06016), China's 1000 Young Talents Program (D.Z., and L.C.), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China-Xiamen University (20720160071 to D.Z. and 20720160054 to L.H.) and Major disease research projects of Xiamen (3502Z20149029 to L.C.)

Clinical and Biological Implications of Mutational Spectrum in Acute Myeloid Leukemia of FAB Subtypes M0 and M1

Background/Aims: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) of French-American-British (FAB) subtypes M0 and M1 are both poorly differentiated AML, but their mutational spectrum and molecular characteristics remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the mutational spectrum and prognostic factors of AML-M0 and M1. Methods: Sixty-five AML patients derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were enrolled in this study. Whole-genome sequencing was performed to depict the mutational spectrum of each patient. Clinical characteristics at diagnosis, including peripheral blood (PB) white blood cell counts (WBC), blast percentages in PB and bone marrow (BM), FAB subtypes and the frequencies of known recurrent genetic mutations were described. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier methods and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were constructed procedure. Results: Forty-six patients had more than five recurrent genetic mutations. FLT3 had the highest mutation frequency (n=20, 31%), followed by NPM1 (n=18, 28%), DNMT3A (n=16, 25%), IDH1 (n=14, 22%), IDH2 (n=12, 18%), RUNX1 (n=11, 17%) and TET2 (n=7, 11%). Univariate analysis showed that age >= 60 years and TP53 mutations had adverse effect on EFS (P=0.015, P=0.036, respectively) and OS (P=0.003, P=0.004, respectively), WBC count >= 50x10(9)/L and FLT3-ITD negatively affected EFS (P=0.003, P=0.034, respectively), whereas NPM1 mutations had favorable effect on OS (P=0.035) and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) on EFS and OS (all P= 50x10(9)/L was an independent risk factor for EFS (P=0.002) and TP53 mutations for OS (P=0.043). Conclusions: Our study provided new insights into the mutational spectrum and molecular signatures of AML-M0 and M1. We proposed that FLT3-ITD, NPM1 and TP53 be identified as markers for risk stratification of AML-M0 and M1. Patients with AML-M0 and M1 would likely benefit from allo-HSCT. (C) 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Base

Metaphorical conceptualizations of generative artificial intelligence use by Chinese university EFL learners

The unveiling of ChatGPT 4o by OpenAI, a multimodal large language model powered by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), has injected interest and incited debate throughout the echelon of education institutions regarding its prospective benefits and drawbacks. Nonetheless, investigations into the learners’ perceptions of GenAI use in learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL) remain markedly insufficient. The study adopts an explorative stance and aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of Chinese EFL learners toward GenAI use in language learning through the application of metaphor analysis. Data were collected from 281 EFL students of varying majors in four key universities across China by completing a sentence using metaphors to elicit their attitudes and perceptions toward GenAI use in language learning. Through qualitative analysis of metaphorical constructs, including HUMANS, TOOL/MACHINE, BRAIN, RESOURCES, FOOD/DRINK, and MEDICINE metaphors, the study unveils a spectrum of attitudes toward GenAI. While some language learners perceived GenAI as supportive, helpful, and intelligent, others expressed concerns about over-reliance and potential loss of critical thinking skills. The findings underscore the importance of considering learners’ diverse attitudes and beliefs toward GenAI use and application in language learning pedagogy. The implications of these findings for the future integration of GenAI in language education are discussed, complemented by recommendations for further research and pedagogical practice

Cognition investigation and analysis of hand hygiene of nursing staff in pension institutions

Objective: We investigate and analyze the cognition of hand hygiene of nursing staff in nursing institutions. This method provides reference for improving the hand hygiene condition of nursing staff in nursing homes, and we put forward the feasible solution to this situation. Methods: 100 nurses from five nursing institutions in Changchun were investigated using a self-designed questionnaire, and the results were analyzed. Results: due to the most old-age care institutions personnel are less educated, rapid flow of talents, and the health care training from endowment organization are low frequency or not organized, so most of nursing staff think hand hygiene has nothing to do with the health of the elderly. They grasp the knowledge of some common hand washing, and hand washing before and after the elderly care is not ideal. The effects of hand washing have a number of factors, the main factor is that the pension institutions hand washing facilities incomplete, and in fact the nursing staff work very busy. Discussion: from the government to pension institutions should strengthen and pay more attention to the training of pension agency front-line care staff hand hygiene knowledge, increase the training of professional nursing practitioners, focus on bringing in Colleges and universities social science or medical science related, similar professional personnel and institutional strengthening management of washing hands, according to the actual conditions to improve the hand washing facilities, adhere to wash their hands properly, so as to avoid occurrence of handling of disease spread

Brain structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a graph analysis from the ENIGMA Consortium.

Brain structural covariance networks reflect covariation in morphology of different brain areas and are thought to reflect common trajectories in brain development and maturation. Large-scale investigation of structural covariance networks in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may provide clues to the pathophysiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder. Using T1-weighted MRI scans acquired from 1616 individuals with OCD and 1463 healthy controls across 37 datasets participating in the ENIGMA-OCD Working Group, we calculated intra-individual brain structural covariance networks (using the bilaterally-averaged values of 33 cortical surface areas, 33 cortical thickness values, and six subcortical volumes), in which edge weights were proportional to the similarity between two brain morphological features in terms of deviation from healthy controls (i.e. z-score transformed). Global networks were characterized using measures of network segregation (clustering and modularity), network integration (global efficiency), and their balance (small-worldness), and their community membership was assessed. Hub profiling of regional networks was undertaken using measures of betweenness, closeness, and eigenvector centrality. Individually calculated network measures were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. These network measures were summated across the network density range of K = 0.10-0.25 per participant, and were integrated across the 37 datasets using a meta-analytical approach. Compared with healthy controls, at a global level, the structural covariance networks of OCD showed lower clustering (P < 0.0001), lower modularity (P < 0.0001), and lower small-worldness (P = 0.017). Detection of community membership emphasized lower network segregation in OCD compared to healthy controls. At the regional level, there were lower (rank-transformed) centrality values in OCD for volume of caudate nucleus and thalamus, and surface area of paracentral cortex, indicative of altered distribution of brain hubs. Centrality of cingulate and orbito-frontal as well as other brain areas was associated with OCD illness duration, suggesting greater involvement of these brain areas with illness chronicity. In summary, the findings of this study, the largest brain structural covariance study of OCD to date, point to a less segregated organization of structural covariance networks in OCD, and reorganization of brain hubs. The segregation findings suggest a possible signature of altered brain morphometry in OCD, while the hub findings point to OCD-related alterations in trajectories of brain development and maturation, particularly in cingulate and orbitofrontal regions

Human subcortical brain asymmetries in 15,847 people worldwide reveal effects of age and sex

The two hemispheres of the human brain differ functionally and structurally. Despite over a century of research, the extent to which brain asymmetry is influenced by sex, handedness, age, and genetic factors is still controversial. Here we present the largest ever analysis of subcortical brain asymmetries, in a harmonized multi-site study using meta-analysis methods. Volumetric asymmetry of seven subcortical structures was assessed in 15,847 MRI scans from 52 datasets worldwide. There were sex differences in the asymmetry of the globus pallidus and putamen. Heritability estimates, derived from 1170 subjects belonging to 71 extended pedigrees, revealed that additive genetic factors influenced the asymmetry of these two structures and that of the hippocampus and thalamus. Handedness had no detectable effect on subcortical asymmetries, even in this unprecedented sample size, but the asymmetry of the putamen varied with age. Genetic drivers of asymmetry in the hippocampus, thalamus and basal ganglia may affect variability in human cognition, including susceptibility to psychiatric disorders

KNN-Based Approximate Outlier Detection Algorithm Over IoT Streaming Data

KNN-Based outlier detection over IoT streaming data is a fundamental problem, which has many applications. However, due to its computational complexity, existing efforts cannot efficiently work in the IoT streaming data. In this paper, we propose a novel framework named GAAOD(Grid-based Approximate Average Outlier Detection) to support KNN-Based outlier detection over IoT streaming data. Firstly, GAAOD introduces a grid-based index to manage summary information of streaming data. It can self-adaptively adjust the resolution of cells, and achieve the goal of efficiently filtering objects that almost cannot become outliers. Secondly, GAAOD uses a min-heap-based algorithm to compute the distance upper-/lower-bound between objects and their k-th nearest neighbors respectively. Thirdly, GAAOD utilizes a k-skyband based algorithm to maintain outliers and candidate outliers. Theoretical analysis and experimental results verify the efficiency and accuracy of GAAOD. INDEX TERMS IoT streaming data, KNN-based outliers, indexes, error guarantee