1-(4-Meth­oxy­phen­yl)-2-methyl-1H-indole-3-carbonitrile

In the title compound, C17H14N2O, the dihedral angle between the indole ring system and the benzene ring is 58.41 (4)°. The crystal packing features π–π stacking [shortest centroid–centroid separation = 3.8040 (9) Å] and C—H⋯π inter­actions

6-Meth­oxy-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-indole-3-carbonitrile

In the title compound, C17H14N2O, the dihedral angle between the indole ring system and the phenyl ring is 64.48 (7)°. The crystal packing features weak C—H⋯π inter­actions

2-Benzyl-6-chloro-1-(4-methyl­phen­yl)-1H-indole-3-carbonitrile

In the title compound, C23H17ClN2, the dihedral angle between the indole ring and the attached tolyl ring is 86.97 (8)°. Weak C—H⋯N(nitrile) hydrogen bonding, and C—H⋯π(aromatic) and short Cl⋯π(aromatic) [3.628 (1) Å] inter­actions consolidate the crystal packing

On the Global Stability of a Generalized Cholera Epidemiological Model

In this paper, we conduct a careful global stability analysis for a generalized cholera epidemiological model originally proposed in [J. Wang and S. Liao, A generalized cholera model and epidemic/endemic analysis, J. Biol. Dyn. 6 (2012), pp. 568-589]. Cholera is a water-and food-borne infectious disease whose dynamics are complicated by the multiple interactions between the human host, the pathogen, and the environment. Using the geometric approach, we rigorously prove the endemic global stability for the cholera model in three-dimensional (when the pathogen component is a scalar) and four-dimensional (when the pathogen component is a vector) systems. This work unifies the study of global dynamics for several existing deterministic cholera models. The analytical predictions are verified by numerical simulation results

Microbial signatures of neonatal bacterial meningitis from multiple body sites

As a common central nervous system infection in newborns, neonatal bacterial meningitis (NBM) can seriously affect their health and growth. However, although metagenomic approaches are being applied in clinical diagnostic practice, there are some limitations for whole metagenome sequencing and amplicon sequencing in handling low microbial biomass samples. Through a newly developed ultra-sensitive metagenomic sequencing method named 2bRAD-M, we investigated the microbial signatures of central nervous system infections in neonates admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. Particularly, we recruited a total of 23 neonates suspected of having NBM and collected their blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and skin samples for 2bRAD-M sequencing. Then we developed a novel decontamination method (Reads Level Decontamination, RLD) for 2bRAD-M by which we efficiently denoised the sequencing data and found some potential biomarkers that have significantly different relative abundance between 12 patients that were diagnosed as NBM and 11 Non-NBM based on their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination results. Specifically, we discovered 11 and 8 potential biomarkers for NBM in blood and CSF separately and further identified 16 and 35 microbial species that highly correlated with the physiological indicators in blood and CSF. Our study not only provide microbiological evidence to aid in the diagnosis of NBM but also demonstrated the application of an ultra-sensitive metagenomic sequencing method in pathogenesis study

On the global stability of seirs models in epidemiology

The global stability of SEIRS models with nonlinear incidence rates was conjectured in [W. M. Liu, H. W. Hethcote and S. A. Levin, J. Math. Biol. 25 (1987), 359-380.] and has been stated as an outstanding open question for classical bilinear models in [M. Y. Li, J. S. Muldowney and P. van den Driessche, Canad. Appl. Math. Q. 7 (1999), 409-425.]. By applying the Poincar e-Bendixson property of dynamic systems in space, the authors in [M. Y. Li and J. S. Muldowney, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 27 (1996), 1070-1083.] have proven the conjecture for the bilinear model with a su fficiently long average immunity period, and in [M. Y. Li, J. S. Muldowney and P. van den Driessche, Canad. Appl. Math. Q. 7 (1999), 409-425.] the authors have shown the case with a suffi ciently long average infection period. In this paper, we solve the open problem for the bilinear case completely, and furthermore have relaxed the constraint on the general nonlinear transmission function for global stability

On the global stability of a generalized cholera epidemiological model

In this paper, we conduct a careful global stability analysis for a generalized cholera epidemiologicalmodel originally proposed in [J. Wang and S. Liao, A generalized cholera model and epidemic/endemicanalysis, J. Biol. Dyn. 6 (2012), pp. 568–589]. Cholera is a water- and food-borne infectious diseasewhose dynamics are complicated by the multiple interactions between the human host, the pathogen, andthe environment. Using the geometric approach, we rigorously prove the endemic global stability for thecholera model in three-dimensional (when the pathogen component is a scalar) and four-dimensional (whenthe pathogen component is a vector) systems. This work unifies the study of global dynamics for severalexisting deterministic cholera models. The analytical predictions are verified by numerical simulationresults

Cotransport of the Heterodimeric Small Subunit of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ribonucleotide Reductase Between the Nucleus and the Cytoplasm

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) catalyzes the rate-liming step in de novo deoxyribonucleotide biosynthesis and is essential in DNA replication and repair. Cells have evolved complex mechanisms to modulate RNR activity during normal cell cycle progression and in response to genotoxic stress. A recently characterized mode of RNR regulation is DNA damage-induced RNR subunit redistribution. The RNR holoenzyme consists of a large subunit, R1, and a small subunit, R2. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae R2 is an Rnr2:Rnr4 heterodimer. Rnr2 generates a diferric–tyrosyl radical cofactor required for catalysis; Rnr4 facilitates cofactor assembly and stabilizes the resulting holo-heterodimer. Upon DNA damage, Rnr2 and Rnr4 undergo checkpoint-dependent, nucleus-to-cytoplasm redistribution, resulting in colocalization of R1 and R2. Here we present evidence that Rnr2 and Rnr4 are transported between the nucleus and the cytoplasm as one protein complex. Tagging either Rnr2 or Rnr4 with a nuclear export sequence causes cytoplasmic localization of both proteins. Moreover, mutations at the Rnr2:Rnr4 heterodimer interface can affect the localization of both proteins without disrupting the heterodimeric complex. Finally, the relocalization of Rnr4 appears to involve both active export and blockage of nuclear import. Our findings provide new insights into the mechanism of DNA damage-induced RNR subunit redistribution

A 1024-channel 6 mW/mm2 optical stimulator for in-vitro neuroscience experiments

10.1109/EMBC.2014.69450292014 36th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 20146133-613

Analysis on heat transfer and start-up performance of mercury heat pipe

Mercury heat pipe has the advantages of good thermal stability and low saturated vapor pressure, which is the best choice for the transition from water heat pipe to liquid metal heat pipe. The effects of heating power and heat pipe structure on start-up time and steady-state heat transfer performance of mercury heat pipe were studied by using transient thermal network model. The results showed that: 1) Increasing the length of condenser is beneficial to reducing the start-up time and thermal resistance; 2) Increasing the heating power or wall thickness will reduce the thermal resistance, but increase the start-up time, and increasing the porosity of wick is just the opposite; 3) Increasing the thickness of wick can increase both the start-up time and the thermal resistance