Bifurcation analysis of visual angle model with anticipated time and stabilizing driving behavior

In the light of the visual angle model (VAM), an improved car-following model considering driver's visual angle, anticipated time and stabilizing driving behavior is proposed so as to investigate how the driver's behavior factors affect the stability of the traffic flow. Based on the model, linear stability analysis is performed together with bifurcation analysis, whose corresponding stability condition is highly fit to the results of the linear analysis. Furthermore, the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equation and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation are derived by nonlinear analysis, and we obtain the relationship of the two equations through the comparison. Finally, parameter calibration and numerical simulation are conducted to verify the validity of the theoretical analysis, whose results are highly consistent with the theoretical analysis.     

Change in motor cortex activation for muscle release by motor learning

For central nervous system disorders'' rehabilitation, it is important to accurately understand motor control and implement an appropriate motor learning process to induce neuroplastic changes. The neurophysiological studies have revealed that neural control mechanisms are crucial during both the onset of muscular activities and muscle release after contraction. When performing various movements during daily activities, muscle relaxation control enables precise force output and timing control. Moreover, surround inhibition is a functional mechanism in the motor system. Surround inhibition of the motor system may be involved in the selective execution of desired movements. This review demonstrates cortical excitability resulting from motor learning, movement control mechanisms including muscle relaxation and the suppression of nontarget muscle groups, and the voluntary drive''s importance that is required for movement.     

[2]Pseudorotaxane-Based Supramolecular Optical Indicator for the Visual Detection of Cellular Cyanide Excretion

Cyanide is extremely hazardous to living organisms and the environment. Owing to its wide range of applications and high toxicity, the development of functional materials for cyanide detection and sensing is highly desirable. Host–guest complexation between bis(p-phenylene)-34-crown-10 H and N-methylacridinium salt G remarkably decreases the detection limit for cyanide anions compared with that of the guest itself. The [2]pseudorotaxane selectively recognizes the cyanide anion with high optical sensitivity as a result of the nucleophilic addition of the cyanide anion at the 9-position of G . The host–guest complexation is further incorporated into supramolecular materials for the visual detection of cyanide anions, especially the detection of cellular cyanide excretion with a detection limit of 0.6 μm . This supramolecular method provides an extremely distinct strategy for the visual detection of cyanide anions.     

Hydrogel Microchambers Integrated with Organic Electrodes for Efficient Electrical Stimulation of Human iPSC‐Derived Cardiomyocytes

A hydrogel‐based microchamber with organic electrodes for efficient electrical stimulations of human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC‐CMs) is described. The microchamber is made from molecularly permeable, optically transparent, and electrically conductive polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel and highly capacitive carbon electrode modified with poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). Spheroids of hiPSC‐CMs are cultured in microchambers, and electrically stimulated by the electrode for maturation. The large interfacial capacitance of the electrodes enables several days of electrical stimulation without generation of cytotoxic bubbles even when the electrodes are placed near the spheroids. The spheroids can be cultivated in the closed microchambers because of the permeated nutrients through the hydrogel, thus the spheroids are stably addressable and the culture medium around the sealed microchambers can be simply exchanged. Synchronized beating of the spheroids can be optically analyzed in situ, which makes it possible to selectively collect electrically responsive cells for further use. As the hydrogel is electrically conductive, the amount of electrical charge needed for maturing the spheroids can be reduced by configuring electrodes on the top and the bottom of the microchamber. The bioreactor will be useful for efficient production of matured hiPSC‐CMs for regenerative medicine and drug screening.     

Distinguishing and quantification of the human visual pathways using high-spatial-resolution diffusion tensor tractography

Quantification of the living human visual system using MRI methods has been challenging, but several applications demand a reliable and time-efficient data acquisition protocol. In this study, we demonstrate the utility of high-spatial-resolution diffusion tensor fiber tractography (DTT) in reconstructing and quantifying the human visual pathways. Five healthy males, age range 24–37 years, were studied after approval of the institutional review board (IRB) at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. We acquired diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data with 1-mm slice thickness on a 3.0-Tesla clinical MRI scanner and analyzed the data using DTT with the fiber assignment by continuous tractography (FACT) algorithm. By utilizing the high-spatial-resolution DTI protocol with FACT algorithm, we were able to reconstruct and quantify bilateral optic pathways including the optic chiasm, optic tract, optic radiations free of contamination from neighboring white matter tracts.     

A correlative classifiers approach based on particle filter and sample set for tracking occluded target

Target tracking is one of the most important issues in computer vision and has been applied in many fields of science, engineering and industry. Because of the occlusion during tracking, typical approaches with single classifier learn much of occluding background information which results in the decrease of tracking performance, and eventually lead to the failure of the tracking algorithm. This paper presents a new correlative classifiers approach to address the above problem. Our idea is to derive a group of correlative classifiers based on sample set method. Then we propose strategy to establish the classifiers and to query the suitable classifiers for the next frame tracking. In order to deal with nonlinear problem, particle filter is adopted and integrated with sample set method. For choosing the target from candidate particles, we define a similarity measurement between particles and sample set. The proposed sample set method includes the following steps. First, we cropped positive samples set around the target and negative samples set far away from the target. Second, we extracted average Haar-like feature from these samples and calculate their statistical characteristic which represents the target model. Third, we define the similarity measurement based on the statistical characteristic of these two sets to judge the similarity between candidate particles and target model. Finally, we choose the largest similarity score particle as the target in the new frame. A number of experiments show the robustness and efficiency of the proposed approach when compared with other state-of-the-art trackers.     

Electrical Stimulation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Conductive Substrates Promotes Neural Priming

Electrical stimulation (ES) within a conductive scaffold is potentially beneficial in encouraging the differentiation of stem cells toward a neuronal phenotype. To improve stem cell-based regenerative therapies, it is essential to use electroconductive scaffolds with appropriate stiffnesses to regulate the amount and location of ES delivery. Herein, biodegradable electroconductive substrates with different stiffnesses are fabricated from chitosan-grafted-polyaniline (CS-g-PANI) copolymers. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) cultured on soft conductive scaffolds show a morphological change with significant filopodial elongation after electrically stimulated culture along with upregulation of neuronal markers and downregulation of glial markers. Compared to stiff conductive scaffolds and non-conductive CS scaffolds, soft conductive CS-g-PANI scaffolds promote increased expression of microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and neurofilament heavy chain (NF-H) after application of ES. At the same time, there is a decrease in the expression of the glial markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin after ES. Furthermore, the elevation of intracellular calcium [Ca²⁺] during spontaneous, cell-generated Ca²⁺ transients further suggests that electric field stimulation of hMSCs cultured on conductive substrates can promote a neural-like phenotype. The findings suggest that the combination of the soft conductive CS-g-PANI substrate and ES is a promising new tool for enhancing neuronal tissue engineering outcomes.     

A novel lipid droplets-targeting fluorescent probe based on dicyanisophorone and carbazole for Cu2+ and its application

A novel fluorescent probe, LCH , based on dicyanisophorone and carbazole, was prepared for the visual detection of Cu²⁺. The probe LCH could recognize Cu²⁺ by fluorescence quenching in EtOH/H₂O (1/4, v/v) solution, which could be easily identified under the 365 nm UV lamp, and the detection limit was as low as 0.785 μM. The recognition mechanism of probe LCH with Cu²⁺ was determined by combining ¹H NMR titration, MS, and theoretical calculations. Practical application experiments showed that probe LCH could be used to detect Cu²⁺ in the test strip experiments. Cell imaging experiments showed that the probe LCH owned good cell permeability and could be applied to the imaging of Cu²⁺ in HepG2 cells. In addition, fluorescence colocalization experiments showed that LCH could target lipid droplets. These results indicate that the probe LCH will have a good application prospect in environmental detection and clinical medicine.     

爆炸物原料过氧化氢的比色和荧光可视化检测方法探讨

近年来,爆炸恐怖袭击严重威胁人民群众的生命和财产安全。通常,爆炸物分为制式爆炸物和非制式爆炸物两类。其中,过氧化物类爆炸物（PBEs）由于具有原料易得、容易合成且爆炸威力巨大等特点,成为恐怖分子的首选。由于H2O2不仅是制备PBEs的前驱体,而且还是PBEs的分解产物,目前常通过检测H2O2实现间接检测PBEs。此外,H2O2和燃料混合也是威力巨大的爆炸物。因此,爆炸物原料H2O2的检测对于国家安全和社会稳定具有十分重要的意义。与其它检测方法相比,比色和荧光检测方法因特异性好、灵敏度高、结果可视化、操作简单和便于现场检测等优点而受到广泛关注。该文主要综述了H2O2的比色和荧光可视化检测方法,并在此基础上,对这两种方法的发展趋势进行了展望,以期为相关领域研究人员提供理论支持和技术参考。     

刚棒线团分子的自组装研究进展

超分子化学领域的自组装研究是近年来研究的热点,对这种由一种或多种结构单元自发聚集而成具有一定尺寸和结构的过程研究已经取得了重大进展。以亲水基团和亲脂基团为主要构成单元的两亲性分子在自组装领域中的表现优异于其他分子,其亲水的刚性棒状基团和疏水的柔性线团基团通过不同方法共同构成了各种类型的刚柔两亲性分子,而在水溶液中自组装而成不同结构与性能的聚集体又与两亲性分子的结构密切相关。目前,已报道的调控超分子自组装的方法大致可以分为两类,即外部刺激法和自身修复法,本文亦从这两个方面总结了近年来刚棒-线团分子自组装的研究进展。