Feature variability determines specificity and transfer in multiorientation feature detection learning.

Historically, in many perceptual learning experiments, only a single stimulus is practiced, and learning is often specific to the trained feature. Our prior work has demonstrated that multi-stimulus learning (e.g., training-plus-exposure procedure) has the potential to achieve generalization. Here, we investigated two important characteristics of multi-stimulus learning, namely, roving and feature variability, and their impacts on multi-stimulus learning and generalization. We adopted a feature detection task in which an oddly oriented target bar differed by 16° from the background bars. The stimulus onset asynchrony threshold between the target and the mask was measured with a staircase procedure. Observers were trained with four target orientation search stimuli, either with a 5° deviation (30°-35°-40°-45°) or with a 45° deviation (30°-75°-120°-165°), and the four reference stimuli were presented in a roving manner. The transfer of learning to the swapped target-background orientations was evaluated after training. We found that multi-stimulus training with a 5° deviation resulted in significant learning improvement, but learning failed to transfer to the swapped target-background orientations. In contrast, training with a 45° deviation slowed learning but produced a significant generalization to swapped orientations. Furthermore, a modified training-plus-exposure procedure, in which observers were trained with four orientation search stimuli with a 5° deviation and simultaneously passively exposed to orientations with high feature variability (45° deviation), led to significant orientation learning generalization. Learning transfer also occurred when the four orientation search stimuli with a 5° deviation were presented in separate blocks. These results help us to specify the condition under which multistimuli learning produces generalization, which holds potential for real-world applications of perceptual learning, such as vision rehabilitation and expert training.

BAHD1 serves as a critical regulator of breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion.

Breast cancer patients with lymphatic metastasis suffer from poor prognoses. There is an urgent need for controlling lymph node metastasis, but it has proven challenging so far. Here, we implemented LASSO analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas database to identify genes related to lymph node metastasis and prognosis, and 15 genes were selected. We constructed a functional protein association network and univariate Cox regression to identify significant genes. The results showed that BAHD1 could be predictive of lymph node metastasis as well as prognosis. In vitro studies demonstrated that BAHD1 exerted appreciable effects on the proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, downregulation of BAHD1 induced cell cycle arrest in G1 phase. Additionally, the mRNA levels of CCND1, CDK1 and YWHAZ were decreased upon BAHD1 silencing. These findings indicate that the expression of BAHD1 is essential in the progression of breast cancer, which may provide novel therapeutic and diagnostic clues and insights into the prevention of lymph node metastasis in breast cancer.

A novel concept of Q-markers: Molecular connectivity index.

BACKGROUND: Drugs derived from botany have been playing essential role in both clinical treatment and pharmaceutical industry, unfortunately our worry is still that its quality and therapeutic efficacy are inconsistent. Recently many scientists launched a new project on quality (Q)-marker of medicinal herbs, this study was thus designed to generate a novel concept of quality (Q)-markers: molecular connectivity index (MCI), and to test and verify the new concept of molecular connectivity index (MCI). METHODS: The first-order term (1χ) was selected to calculate and study quality (Q)-marker for TCM. Houttuynia cordata Thunb. (HCT) was adopted as a model to verify the hypothesis. Volatile oils of HCT were determined using gas chromatography-mass (GC-MS). SIMCA 13.0 and SPSS 21.0 were used to deal with the data. RESULTS: The minimum of the MCI values was 1.273, belonging to the peak 15, but the maximum (12.822) belonged to the peak 34, and the average value of fifty volatile oils was 5.798. The results demonstrated that MCI was the principle component, and monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenoid were also the principle components in oils. Fig. 2a shows peak 5, 24, 34 were the significant ingredients, while Fig. 2b shows peak 2, 5, 24 were the significant components. CONCLUSION: The data demonstrated that MCI was associated with the structure of molecules and the therapeutic efficacy, MCI could directly exhibit the relationship between ingredients and effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). So MCI could be a potential and promising parameter for quality (Q)-marker. Therefore, MCI may be developed as a novel potential concept to control the quality of TCM.

[Characteristics of supramolecular imprinting template on liver meridian tropism of traditional Chinese medicine based on molecular connectivity index].

The molecular connectivity index was adopted to explore the characteristics of supramolecular imprinting template of herbs distributed to liver meridian, in order to provide scientific basis for traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs) distributed to liver meridian. In this paper, with "12th five-year plan" national planning textbooks Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Chemistry of Traditional Chinese Medicine as the blueprint, literatures and TCMSP sub-databases in TCM pharmacology of northwest science and technology university of agriculture and forestry were retrieved to collect and summarize active constituents of TCM distributed to liver meridian, and calculate the molecular connectivity index. The average molecular connectivity index of ingredients distributed to liver meridian was 9.47, which was close to flavonoid glycosides' (9.17±2.11) and terpenes (9.30±3.62). Therefore, it is inferred that template molecule of liver meridian is similar to physicochemical property of flavonoid glycosides and terpenes, which could be best matched with imprinting template of liver meridian.

Detection of enterovirus 71 using reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP).

Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), which is a visual assay for nucleic acids, is performed in a single step using one tube at 65 °C for 1.5 h. In this study, RT-LAMP was established as a method for the detection of enterovirus 71 (EV71). The detection limit of the assay was approximately 10 copies, and no cross-reactivity was noted with Coxsackievirus A16, echovirus, human rotavirus (HRV) or norovirus. This assay, which offers greater sensitivity at a lower cost compared with the conventional reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), was validated using 252 clinical specimens that had been confirmed by laboratory diagnosis using RT-PCR. Both methods produced the same results with 52 positive samples. The RT-LAMP-based assay does not require specialised equipment, and therefore, it can be performed conveniently during an outbreak or under field conditions. In brief, the RT-LAMP-based assay provided a simple, rapid and efficient method for the detection of EV71 nucleic acid under field conditions.

[Fingerprint analysis of Dipsacus asperoides by HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the HPLC fingerprints of Dipsacus asperoides for reflecting the internal information, evaluating its internal quality. METHODS: 20 batches of D. asperoides were collected from different place with the HPLC fingerprints method. Chromatographic column: Welchrom-C18 (250 mm x 4. 6 mm, 5 microm), mobile phase: acetonitrile and water (gradient elution), flow rate: 1.0 mL/min, detection wavelength: 212 nm, column temperature: 35 degrees C. RESULTS: The common mode of HPLC fingerprint was established and similar degrees to D. asperoides from different areas were compared. CONCLUSION: The method is stable, reliable, and with full information which can be used for quality evaluation, quality control item and crude drug identification of D. asperoides.

[Clinical observation on therapeutic effect of different acupuncture therapies on acute peripheral facial paralysis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the better therapeutic method for acute peripheral facial paralysis. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-seven cases of acute peripheral facial paralysis were randomly divided into an observation group (n=125) and a control group (n=72). The observation group was treated by injection at acupoint combined with warming needle therapy at Yifeng (TE 17), Wangu (GB 12), Xiaguan (ST 7), Qianzheng (EX), and Taiyang (EX-HN 5). The control group was treated with electroacupuncture at Yifeng (TE 17), Yangbai (GB 14), Xiaguan (ST 7), etc. Their therapeutic effects were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: After three therapeutic courses, the cured rate and the total effective rate in the observation group were 76.0%, 100.0%, and 48.6%, 86.1% in the control group, respectively, with significant defferences between the two groups (all P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Injection at acupoint combined with warming needle therapy could shorten the therapeutic cycle, improve the effectiveness, and decrease sequela in acute peripheral facial paralysis.

[Primary detection of pathogen from children with hand, foot, and mouth disease in Beijing, 2007].

We investigated the causative agents of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children in Beijing epidemic from April to June of 2007. Totally, 82 specimens (including throat swabs, rectal swabs and vesicular swabs) were collected from 51 patients with HFMD. All patients had typical skin lesions, but no neurological manifestations. These clinical specimens were directly tested by RT-PCR assay with three primer sets: universal enterovirus, CA16-specific and EV71-specific primers. Enterovirus, CA16 and EV71 were identified depending on the size of PCR products. The percentage of the specimens identified as positive for enterovirus was 70.6%. Of the 51 cases, 25 were positive for CA16, 4 were positive for EV71, and 7 were enterovirus positive of non-CA16 or EV71. The ratio among them was about 6:1:2. EV71 strains belonged to genotype C4 after sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.