Published in PloS one
The sine-cosine algorithm (SCA) is a new population-based meta-heuristic algorithm. In addition to exploiting sine and cosine functions to perform local and global searches (hence the name sine-cosine), the SCA introduces several random and adaptive parameters to facilitate the search process. Although it shows promising results, the search process...
Published in PloS one
Identifying the factors that determine academic performance is an essential part of educational research. Existing research indicates that class attendance is a useful predictor of subsequent course achievements. The majority of the literature is, however, based on surveys and self-reports, methods which have well-known systematic biases that lead ...
Published in PloS one
We study how double-stranded DNA translocates through graphene nanogaps. Nanogaps are fabricated with a novel capillary-force induced graphene nanogap formation technique. DNA translocation signatures for nanogaps are qualitatively different from those obtained with circular nanopores, owing to the distinct shape of the gaps discussed here. Translo...
Published in PloS one
To examine the 20-year trends in the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity among children aged 0-6 years between 1995 and 2015 in Harbin, China, we selected altogether 49,553 children aged 0-6 years old by using a multistage stratified cluster sampling methods in Harbin, one provincial capital city in northeast China in 1995, 2005 and 2015....
Published in PloS one
Historically, vaccine safety assessments have been conducted by animal testing (e.g., quality control tests and adjuvant development). However, classical evaluation methods do not provide sufficient information to make treatment decisions. We previously identified biomarker genes as novel safety markers. Here, we developed a practical safety assess...
Published in PloS one
Respondents agreed that if equine welfare improvements are to span generations of animals, interventions cannot rely on relatively simple, technical knowledge-transfer strategies and quick-wins alone. Programmes need to be more flexible and iterative and less risk-averse in their approaches to embedding good equine welfare practices in all relevant...
Published in PloS one
Epigenetic predisposition is thought to critically contribute to adult-onset disorders, such as retinal neurodegeneration. The histone methyltransferase, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2), is transiently expressed in the perinatal retina, particularly enriched in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). We previously showed that embryonic deletion of Ezh2 f...
Published in PloS one
Climate change research is advancing to more complex and more comprehensive studies that include long-term experiments, multiple life-history stages, multi-population, and multi-trait approaches. We used a population of the barnacle Balanus improvisus known to be sensitive to short-term acidification to determine its potential for long-term acclima...
Published in PloS one
This meta-analysis indicated that M-TXYF could be a promising Chinese herbal formula in treating IBS-D. However, considering the lack of higher quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), highly believable evidences should be required.
Published in PloS one
Despite improved retention and reduced complication rates paving the way for the current expansion of applications and surge in prevalence for the Boston type I Keratoprosthesis (KPro), the most frequent indication for its implantation today remains prior graft failure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of primary KPro...
