Evolution of cooperation on reinforcement-learning driven-adaptive networks.

Complex networks are widespread in real-world environments across diverse domains. Real-world networks tend to form spontaneously through interactions between individual agents. Inspired by this, we design an evolutionary game model in which agents participate in a prisoner's dilemma game (PDG) with their neighboring agents. Agents can autonomously modify their connections with neighbors using reinforcement learning to avoid unfavorable environments. Interestingly, our findings reveal some remarkable results. Exploiting reinforcement learning-based adaptive networks improves cooperation when juxtaposed with existing PDGs performed on homogeneous networks. At the same time, the network's topology evolves from homogeneous to heterogeneous states. This change occurs as players gain experience from past games and become more astute in deciding whether to join PDGs with their current neighbors or disconnect from the least profitable neighbors. Instead, they seek out more favorable environments by establishing connections with second-order neighbors with higher rewards. By calculating the degree distribution and modularity of the adaptive network in a steady state, we confirm that the adaptive network follows a power law and has a clear community structure, indicating that the adaptive network is similar to networks in the real world. Our study reports a new phenomenon in evolutionary game theory on networks. It proposes a new perspective to generate scale-free networks, which is generating scale-free networks by the evolution of homogeneous networks rather than typical ways of network growth and preferential connection. Our results provide new aspects to understanding the network structure, the emergence of cooperation, and the behavior of actors in nature and society.

Combined toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics and 3,6-dibromocarbazole on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.

Microplastics (MPs) and polyhalogenated carbazoles (PHCZs) are widely detected in the aquatic environment, and their ecological risks have become a research focus. Although there is an extensive co-distribution of MPs and PHCZs, their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms is still unclear. This study investigated the toxic effects of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) and 3,6-dibromocarbazole (3,6-DBCZ) on zebrafish embryos by individual/combined exposure. This study showed that individual or combined exposure of PS-MPs (10 mg/L) and 3,6-DBCZ (0.5 mg/L) could significantly increase the rate of zebrafish embryo deformity, whereas no significant effect was observed on mortality and hatching rate. Furthermore, exposure to 3,6-DBCZ or PS-MPs increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in zebrafish embryos, and the resulting oxidative stress induced apoptosis. Comparably, the levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis in zebrafish embryos were significantly reduced with the combined exposure of 3,6-DBCZ and PS-MPs. These observations suggest that the combined exposure of 3,6-DBCZ and PS-MPs has an antagonistic effect on oxidative stress and apoptosis. Fluorescence PS-MPs tracing and 3,6-DBCZ enrichment analysis showed that, with the protection of chorion, the entry of PS-MPs (5 and 50 µm) into the embryonic stage (55 hpf) of zebrafish was prevented. Moreover, after exposure for 96-144 hpf, PS-MPs served as a carrier to promote the 3,6-DBCZ accumulation and its dioxin-like toxicity in zebrafish larvae through ingestion. Compared with 5-µm PS-MPs, 50-µm PS-MPs promoted higher accumulation and dioxin-like toxicity of 3,6-DBCZ in zebrafish larvae. These findings provide that MPs can be used as an important carrier of PHCZs, influencing their toxicity and bioaccumulation in the organisms.

Screening and Bioinformatics Analysis of Differential Genes in Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on GEO Database.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children has been increasing year by year, which has seriously affected the quality of life of children. There are many theories about the cause of ASDs, with some studies suggesting that it may be related to gene expression levels or inflammation and immune system dysfunction. But the exact mechanism is not fully understood. METHODS: profile of gene expression The protein interaction network (PPI) of differentially expressed genes was created using the STRING web tool and GSE77103, which was chosen from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) database. Using the CytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape program, the hub genes were examined. The hub gene regulatory network for miRNA-mRNA was then built. RESULTS: We identified 551 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) in 8 children with ASD and normal children. In addition, we screened out 10 hub genes (MX1, ISG15, IRF7, DDX58, IFIT1, BCL2L1, HPGDS, CTSD, PTGS2 and CD68) that were most associated with the development of ASDs. Then, microRNAs (miRNAs) closely related to hub genes (such as has-miR-27a-5p) were screened, and the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed. CONCLUSION: In this study, a total of 10 hub genes were identified, including MX1, ISG15, IRF7, DDX58, IFIT1, BCL2L1, HPGDS, CTSD, PTGS2 and CD68, which are closely related to ASD. These genes may play a key role in the occurrence and progression of ASD. In addition, we also revealed some miRNAs that regulate the hub genes of ASD. These results may deepen our understanding of ASD and provide potential biomarkers and targets for future treatment of patients with ASD.

Lab-on-fiber: laser-induced micro-cavity for a relative humidity measurement.

The lab-on-fiber design philosophy is the foundation for creating high-performance integrated fiber sensors. Hence, this Letter proposes an ultra-compact Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) based on a laser-induced micro-cavity (LIMC-FPI) on a fiber end for measuring relative humidity. To our knowledge, this novel approach, named the fiber-end photopolymerization (FEP) technique, is applied to create a micro-cavity. Specifically, a pair of humidity-sensitive polymer pillars and a resin end cap obtained by FEP are integrated to generate the cavity. As the ambient humidity changes, the pillars lengthen or shorten, resulting in the spectral evolution of the LIMC-FPI. A typical humidity sensitivity of 0.18 nm/%RH is obtained experimentally. For monitoring the human breathing process, the LIMC-FPI is responsive in the breathing frequency range of 0.2 to 0.5 Hz, allowing a response and recovery time of less than 0.388 s and 1.171 s, respectively. This work introduces a fresh and cost-effective approach for developing lab-on-fiber concept-based sensors.

Highly-sensitive temperature sensor based on photopolymerized-waveguide embedded Mach-Zehnder interferometer.

Biology, medicine, and chemistry all rely heavily on highly sensitive optical fiber temperature sensors. To the best of our knowledge, this research introduces a unique design framework for high-performance fiber temperature sensors that helps eliminate the all-fiber interferometers' sensitivity bottleneck. A section of photopolymerized waveguide is embedded in a typical Mach-Zehnder interferomenter framework with multimode fiber-single mode fiber-multimode fiber (MSM) structure. The thermal-optical coefficient (TOC) of the photopolymerized waveguide core, which is created via the fiber-end lithography technique, differs dramatically from that of the resin cladding. Due to the considerable TOC difference, the phase difference between the interfering beams significantly increases as the temperature changes. The fundamental variables affecting temperature sensitivity are conceptually explored and experimentally verified. The suggested device achieves a typical temperature sensitivity of 1.15 nm/ ∘C in the range of 30-100 ∘C, which is about 10 times as high as that of the all-fiber MSM sensors. The suggested designing framework offers a fresh thought for creating high-performing fiber optic temperature sensors.

Identification of target hub genes and construction of a novel miRNA regulatory network in autism spectrum disorder by integrated analysis.

The incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing year by year in children. The aim of the study was to find possible biomarkers for ASD diagnosis as well as examine MicroRNA (miRNA) signatures and crucial pathways. We conducted a two-stage study to explore potential target genes and functional miRNAs. Peripheral blood samples of children with ASD were enrolled and performed RNA sequencing analysis. The overlapped candidate genes were further screened in combination with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of GSE77103 datasets. STRING established a protein-protein interaction network comprising DEGs. The hub genes were filtered out using the CytoHubba. Then, we set up a miRNA-mRNA regulatory network. Correlational analyses between hub genes and immune cells associated with ASD were carried out using the CIBERSORT software to assess the diversity of immune cell types in ASD. RNA-sequencing analysis was used to confirm the differential expression of 3 hub genes. Briefly, after blood samples were sequenced interrogating 867 differential genes in our internal screening dataset. After screening GEO databases, 551 DEGs obtained from GSE77103. Fourteen common genes were overlapped through DEGs of GEO datasets and internal screening dataset. Among protein-protein interaction network, 10 hub genes with high degree algorithm were screened out and 3 hub genes of them - ADIPOR1, LGALS3, and GZMB - that were thought to be most associated with the emergence of ASD. Then, we developed a network of miRNA-mRNA regulatory interactions by screening miRNAs (such as hsa-miR-20b-5p, hsa-miR-17-5p, and hsa-miR-216b-5p) that were closely associated to 3 hub genes. Additionally, we discovered 18 different immune cell types associated with ASD using the CIBERSORT algorithm, and we discovered that mononuclear macrophages differed considerably between the 2 groups. Overall, 3 hub genes (ADIPOR1, LGALS3, and GZMB) and 15 candidates miRNAs-target 3 genes regulatory pathways representing potentially novel biomarkers of ASD diseases were revealed. These findings could enhance our knowledge of ASD and offer possible therapeutic targets of ASD patients in the future.

Exploring the molecular mechanism of comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder and inflammatory bowel disease by combining multiple data sets.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is difficult to diagnose. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common chronic digestive disease. Previous studies have shown a potential correlation between ASD and IBD, but the pathophysiological mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this research was to examine the biological mechanisms underlying the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of ASD and IBD using bioinformatics tools. METHODS: Limma software was used to evaluate the DEGs between ASD and IBD. The GSE3365, GSE18123, and GSE150115 microarray data sets were acquired from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We then performed 6 analyses, namely, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional annotation; weighted gene coexpression network analysis; correlation analysis of hub genes with autophagy, ferroptosis and immunity; transcriptional regulation analysis of hub genes; single-cell sequencing analysis; and potential therapeutic drug prediction. RESULTS: A total of 505 DEGs associated with ASD and 616 DEGs associated with IBD were identified, and 7 genes overlapped between these sets. GO and KEGG analyses revealed several pathways enriched in both diseases. A total of 98 common genes related to ASD and IBD were identified by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and 4 hub genes were obtained by intersection with the 7 intersecting DEGs, which were PDGFC, CA2, GUCY1B3 and SDPR. We also found that 4 hub genes in the two diseases were related to autophagy, ferroptosis or immune factors. In addition, motif-TF annotation analysis showed that cisbp__M0080 was the most relevant motif. We also used the Connectivity Map (CMap) database to identify 4 potential therapeutic agents. CONCLUSION: This research reveals the shared pathogenesis of ASD and IBD. In the future, these common hub genes may provide new targets for further mechanistic research as well as new therapies for patients with ASD and IBD.

Too-much-of-a-good-thing? The curvilinear associations among Chinese adolescents' perceived parental career expectation, internalizing problems, and career development: A three-wave longitudinal study.

Based on three-annual-wave data from 3,196 Chinese adolescents across the high school years (Mage = 15.55 years old, SD = .44; 52.8% girls at Wave 1, 10th grade), this study examined the curvilinear associations between adolescents' perceived parental career expectation and their career adaptability and ambivalence and also tested the potential mediating role of adolescents' internalizing problems in such associations. Results showed that, after controlling for a set of critical covariates and the baseline levels of outcome variables, there was an inverted U-shaped curvilinear association between adolescents' perceived parental career expectation at Wave 1 and their career adaptability at Wave 3 via adolescent internalizing problems at Wave 2. Similarly, a U-shaped curvilinear association also was identified between adolescents' perceived parental career expectation at Wave 1 and their career ambivalence at Wave 3 via their internalizing problems at Wave 2. These findings suggest that adolescents' perceived parental career expectation may have "too-much-of-a-good-thing" effects on their career development. Implications for future research and practice were discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Combining spectral and texture feature of UAV image with plant height to improve LAI estimation of winter wheat at jointing stage.

Introduction: Leaf area index (LAI) is a critical physiological and biochemical parameter that profoundly affects vegetation growth. Accurately estimating the LAI for winter wheat during jointing stage is particularly important for monitoring wheat growth status and optimizing variable fertilization decisions. Recently, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data and machine/depth learning methods are widely used in crop growth parameter estimation. In traditional methods, vegetation indices (VI) and texture are usually to estimate LAI. Plant Height (PH) unlike them, contains information about the vertical structure of plants, which should be consider. Methods: Taking Xixingdian Township, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, China as the research area in this paper, and four machine learning algorithms, namely, support vector machine(SVM), back propagation neural network (BPNN), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and two deep learning algorithms, namely, convolutional neural network (CNN) and long short-term memory neural network (LSTM), were applied to estimate LAI of winter wheat at jointing stage by integrating the spectral and texture features as well as the plant height information from UAV multispectral images. Initially, Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Orthophoto Map (DOM) were generated. Subsequently, the PH, VI and texture features were extracted, and the texture indices (TI) was further constructed. The measured LAI on the ground were collected for the same period and calculated its Pearson correlation coefficient with PH, VI and TI to pick the feature variables with high correlation. The VI, TI, PH and fusion were considered as the independent features, and the sample set partitioning based on joint x-y distance (SPXY) method was used to divide the calibration set and validation set of samples. Results: The ability of different inputs and algorithms to estimate winter wheat LAI were evaluated. The results showed that (1) The addition of PH as a feature variable significantly improved the accuracy of the LAI estimation, indicating that wheat plant height played a vital role as a supplementary parameter for LAI inversion modeling based on traditional indices; (2) The combination of texture features, including normalized difference texture indices (NDTI), difference texture indices (DTI), and ratio texture indices (RTI), substantially improved the correlation between texture features and LAI; Furthermore, multi-feature combinations of VI, TI, and PH exhibited superior capability in estimating LAI for winter wheat; (3) Six regression algorithms have achieved high accuracy in estimating LAI, among which the XGBoost algorithm estimated winter wheat LAI with the highest overall accuracy and best results, achieving the highest R2 (R2 = 0.88), the lowest RMSE (RMSE=0.69), and an RPD greater than 2 (RPD=2.54). Discussion: This study provided compelling evidence that utilizing XGBoost and integrating spectral, texture, and plant height information extracted from UAV data can accurately monitor LAI during the jointing stage of winter wheat. The research results will provide a new perspective for accurate monitoring of crop parameters through remote sensing.

Insecticide resistance monitoring in field populations of Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from central China.

Chilo suppressalis Walker (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a devastating rice crop pest in China. Chemical insecticides have been used to effectively managing C. suppressalis field populations in most of China's agricultural regions. However, due to the intensive and extensive application of these insecticides, C. suppressalis has developed widespread resistance to many active ingredients. Thus, insecticide resistance development is a genuine concern for all crop specialists and growers. In this study, using the topical application method, we assessed the susceptibility of forty-six field populations of C. suppressalis to three insecticides in three Central Chinese provinces from 2010 to 2021. Our findings revealed that field populations of C. suppressalis built moderate to high levels of resistance to triazophos (Resistance Ratio (RR) = 41.9-250.0 folds), low to moderate levels of resistance to chlorpyrifos (RR = 9.5-95.2 folds), with the exception of the Zhijiang population in 2013 and the Xinyang population in 2015 at 4.8 folds and 3.4 folds resistance rates, respectively, despite showing susceptibility, and low and moderate levels of resistance to abamectin (RR = 4.1-53.5 folds). There were significant correlations between the activity of the detoxification enzymes (CarE) and the log LD50 values of triazophos. These results should help effective insecticide resistance management strategies reduce the risk of rapid build-ups of resistance to insecticides and slow down the process of selection for insecticide resistance.

Diversity and functional profile of gut symbiotic bacteria between Lysinibacillus sphaericus C3-41 susceptible and resistant Culex quinquefasciatus Say as revealed by 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing.

Previous studies have demonstrated that symbiotic gut bacteria in insects are involved in the development of insecticide resistance, but the relationship between the symbiotic gut bacteria and resistance to Lysinibacillus sphaericus C3-41 in Culex pipiens quinquefasciatus remains unclear. In this study, the abundance and diversity of gut symbionts of Cx. quinquefasciatus that were resistant (RLCql) or susceptible (SLCql) to L. sphaericus C3-41 were analyzed by high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. The main phyla among the symbiotic gut bacterial communities of Cx. quinquefasciatus were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes. However, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and unidentified Bacteria in the gut of the resistant strain of Cx. quequinfasciatus (RLCql colony) was higher compared to the susceptible strain (SLCql colony). The NMDS (Non-Metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling) and unweighted unifrac PCoA analyses also revealed significant differences between the symbiotic gut bacterial communities from the resistant and susceptible strains, suggesting that bacterial insecticides can alter bacterial composition. Ultimately, the changes in the bacterial community likely occurred after the development of resistance to L. sphaericus C3-41. These results provide guidance for further research into the mechanisms of gut symbionts involved in resistance against L. sphaericus C3-41 in Cx. quinquefasciatus.

Childhood emotional maltreatment and subsequent affective symptoms among chinese male drug users: The roles of impulsivity and psychological resilience.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) has been widely linked to later affective symptoms. What still remains inadequately understood are the potential nuanced differences in the consequences of childhood emotional abuse (CEM-A) versus childhood emotional neglect (CEM-N) and the implicated mechanisms. Research with non-Western, clinical samples also remains scarce. Thus, we examined the associations of CEM-A and CEM-N with later affective symptoms among Chinese male drug users and tested impulsivity and psychological resilience as potential mediators and moderators. METHOD: Structural equation modeling analyses were conducted with survey data obtained from 239 Chinese male adult drug users who were in a rehabilitation center. RESULTS: The mediating rather than the moderating hypotheses were supported. CEM-A was found to be positively associated with subsequent depressive and anxious symptoms through a positive association with impulsivity. In contrast, CEM-N was positively associated only with subsequent depressive symptoms via a negative association with psychological resilience. In addition, CEM-A was also found to be directly associated with later depressive and anxious symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: CEM may pose a threat to later affective well-being partly through contributing to intrapersonal vulnerabilities as well as compromising intrapersonal strengths. Differentiating CEM-A and CEM-N appears to be critical for revealing the understudied specificity and nuance that may be inherently within such effects. Drug use treatment services should sensitively attend to the affective sequelae of CEM. Interventions targeted at the modification of impulsivity and the facilitation of psychological resilience may be effective in diminishing the affective consequences of CEM among drug users. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Smartphone use motivation and problematic smartphone use in a national representative sample of Chinese adolescents: The mediating roles of smartphone use time for various activities.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Previous studies on smartphone use motivation (SUM) and problematic smartphone use (PSU) have been limited in the utilization of regional samples of emerging adults (e.g., college students) and also in the foci on the direct association between SUM and PSU. To address such gaps, using data from a large, national representative sample of Chinese young adolescents and their parents this study examined the associations between adolescents' various types of SUM and their PSU, and also tested the potential mediating roles of smartphone use time (SUT) that adolescents spent on various activities in such associations. METHODS: A nationwide representative sample of 8,261 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.86 years old, SD = 1.76; 42.6% females) and their parents (49% mothers) participated in this survey study. RESULTS: Instrumental SUM (i.e., to expand knowledge or acquire information) was associated negatively with PSU via longer SUT spent on learning and shorter SUT spent on entertainment and communication. Self-expression SUM (i.e., to gain acceptance and recognition of others by maintaining or improving self-images) was associated with longer SUT spent on both learning and entertainment, which, in turn, predicted lower and higher levels of PSU, respectively. Last, hedonic SUM (i.e., to gain pleasure) was associated positively with PSU via longer SUT spent on entertainment and communication. DISCUSSION: These findings contribute to the literature by adding greater specificity in our understanding of the implications of SUM and SUT in the etiology of PSU during the critical life stage of adolescence in a Chinese cultural context.

A four-wave, cross-lagged model of problematic internet use and mental health among Chinese college students: Disaggregation of within-person and between-person effects.

Based on 4 annual waves of data from a large sample of Chinese college students (N = 2,329, Mage = 18.40 years old, SD = .85; 63.10% females), this study examines the within-person and between-person effects in the association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and mental health issues. Results of analyses using the developmental equilibrium model (i.e., an autoregressive, cross-lagged panel model) demonstrate a reciprocal positive association between PIU and mental health issues consistently across waves. In contrast, results of analyses utilizing the random intercept, cross-lagged panel model (i.e., a model that can disaggregate within-person and between-person effects) indicate a unidirectional positive within-person effect from PIU to mental health issues (rather than the reverse) consistently over time, while controlling for the between-person effects that exist when comparing different individuals. Such findings highlight the importance of disaggregating within-person and between-person effects in understanding the nature of the temporal dynamics of the association between PIU and mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Optimal energy-splitting method for an open-loop liquid crystal adaptive optics system.

A waveband-splitting method is proposed for open-loop liquid crystal adaptive optics systems (LC AOSs). The proposed method extends the working waveband, splits energy flexibly, and improves detection capability. Simulated analysis is performed for a waveband in the range of 350 nm to 950 nm. The results show that the optimal energy split is 7:3 for the wavefront sensor (WFS) and for the imaging camera with the waveband split into 350 nm to 700 nm and 700 nm to 950 nm, respectively. A validation experiment is conducted by measuring the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the WFS and the imaging camera. The results indicate that for the waveband-splitting method, the SNR of WFS is approximately equal to that of the imaging camera with a variation in the intensity. On the other hand, the SNR of the WFS is significantly different from that of the imaging camera for the polarized beam splitter energy splitting scheme. Therefore, the waveband-splitting method is more suitable for an open-loop LC AOS. An adaptive correction experiment is also performed on a 1.2-meter telescope. A star with a visual magnitude of 4.45 is observed and corrected and an angular resolution ability of 0.31″ is achieved. A double star with a combined visual magnitude of 4.3 is observed as well, and its two components are resolved after correction. The results indicate that the proposed method can significantly improve the detection capability of an open-loop LC AOS.

A three-dimensional point spread function for phase retrieval and deconvolution.

We present a formulation of optical point spread function based on a scaled three-dimensional Fourier transform expression of focal field distribution and the expansion of generalized aperture function. It provides an equivalent but more flexible representation compared with the analytic expression of the extended Nijboer-Zernike approach. A phase diversity algorithm combined with an appropriate regularization strategy is derived and analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented formulation for phase retrieval and deconvolution. Experimental results validate the performance of presented algorithm.