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With the development of blind bolts that can be installed from the outer side of a section, the application of steel pipe hollow sections in prefabricated structures has become possible. The novel one-side bolt with a flip-top collapsible washer (FTW-OSB) is proposed, which can fold the washer at the end of the bolt to achieve a simple and efficient installation. Firstly, the components and installation process of the FTW-OSB are introduced. Additionally, axial tensile tests were carried out on three types of new bolts, and the failure mode, load–displacement curve, and ultimate capacity were analyzed. Based on this, the finite element model was verified, and through a series of finite element parameter analyses, the influence of washer size and construction, the friction coefficient, and the contact surface size on the new bolt were analyzed and optimized. The results show that the L-shaped washer can prevent washer rotation and has better anchoring performance than the I-shaped washer. The washer thickness, height, and upper contact surface size are the key factors affecting the anchoring performance of the FTW-OSB bolt. Among these factors, when the washer thickness increases from 0.1 d0 to 0.3 d0, the ultimate capacity and initial stiffness of the FTW-OSB bolt increase by 136.5% and 100.3%, respectively. The lower contact surface size and friction coefficient can be ignored. The failure model of the FTW-OSB is mainly washer shear failure and bolt tension failure. By effectively adjusting the washer thickness, side wall height, and upper contact surface size, shear failure of the washer can be avoided and an anchoring performance can be achieved that is the same as that of the same type of 10.9-grade ordinary high-strength bolt.

Peripheral nerve injury could lead to chronic neuropathic pain. Understanding transcriptional changes induced by nerve injury could provide fundamental insights into the complex pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Gene expression profiles of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in neuropathic pain condition have been studied. However, little is known about transcriptomic changes in individual DRG neurons after peripheral nerve injury. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on dissociated mouse DRG cells after spared nerve injury (SNI). In addition to DRG neuron types that are found under physiological conditions, we identified three SNI-induced neuronal clusters (SNIICs) characterized by the expression of Atf3/Gfra3/Gal (SNIIC1), Atf3/Mrgprd (SNIIC2) and Atf3/S100b/Gal (SNIIC3). These SNIICs originated from Cldn9(+)/Gal(+), Mrgprd(+) and Trappc3l(+) DRG neurons, respectively. Interestingly, SNIIC2 switched to SNIIC1 by increasing Gal and reducing Mrgprd expression 2 days after nerve injury. Inferring the gene regulatory networks after nerve injury, we revealed that activated transcription factors Atf3 and Egr1 in SNIICs could enhance Gal expression while activated Cpeb1 in SNIIC2 might suppress Mrgprd expression within 2 days after SNI. Furthermore, we mined the transcriptomic changes in the development of neuropathic pain to identify potential analgesic targets. We revealed that cardiotrophin-like cytokine factor 1, which activates astrocytes in the dorsal horn of spinal cord, was upregulated in SNIIC1 neurons and contributed to SNI-induced mechanical allodynia. Therefore, our results provide a new landscape to understand the dynamic course of neuron type changes and their underlying molecular mechanisms during the development of neuropathic pain.

In recent years, the Universal Basic Income (UBI) has become a frequently discussed issue around the world. Recently, Spain may issue permanent basic income as a method to flight COVID-19. Italy's government proposed the introduction in 2018. Also, Swiss citizens voted on the introduction by referendum in June 2016. But, would such a referendum be possible in Taiwan and what would be the outcome in Taiwan? The amended Taiwanese Referendum Act passed by the Legislative Yuan and enacted by President Tsai in January 2018 facilitates the referendum process and lowered the preconditions for citizens to launch a proposal. Currently, only 1,879 supporters required it in the first phase, and around 280,000 signatures in the second phase are necessary to support such an initiative; the acceptance quorum was then lowered to only 4,890,000 required voters. This chapter focuses on the public and empirical discussion of UBI in Taiwan and UBI as a possible referendum with learnings from the Swiss UBI experience.

Objective: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) undergo the phenotypic changes from contractile to synthetic state during vascular remodeling after ischemia. SIRT1 protects against stress-induced vascular remodeling via maintaining VSMC differentiated phenotype. However, the effect of smooth muscle SIRT1 on the functions of endothelial cells (ECs) has not been well clarified. Here, we explored the role of smooth muscle SIRT1 in endothelial angiogenesis after ischemia and the underlying mechanisms. Methods: We performed a femoral artery ligation model using VSMC specific human SIRT1 transgenic (SIRT1-Tg) and knockout (KO) mice. Angiogenesis was assessed in in vivo by quantification of the total number of capillaries, wound healing and matrigel plug assays, and in vitro ECs by tube formation, proliferation and migration assays. The interaction of HIF1α with circRNA was examined by using RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down and in situ hybridization assays. Results: The blood flow recovery was significantly attenuated in SIRT1-Tg mice, and markedly improved in SIRT1-Tg mice treated with SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 and in SIRT1-KO mice. The density of capillaries significantly decreased in the ischemic gastrocnemius of SIRT1-Tg mice compared with SIRT1-KO and WT mice, with reduced expression of VEGFA, which resulted in decreased number of arterioles. We identified that the phenotypic switching of SIRT1-Tg VSMCs was attenuated in response to hypoxia, with high levels of contractile proteins and reduced expression of the synthetic markers and NG2, compared with SIRT1-KO and WT VSMCs. Mechanistically, SIRT1-Tg VSMCs inhibited endothelial angiogenic activity induced by hypoxia via the exosome cZFP609. The cZFP609 was delivered into ECs, and detained HIF1α in the cytoplasm via its interaction with HIF1α, thereby inhibiting VEGFA expression and endothelial angiogenic functions. Meantime, the high cZFP609 expression was observed in the plasma of the patients with atherosclerotic or diabetic lower extremity peripheral artery disease, associated with reduced ankle-brachial index. Knockdown of cZFP609 improved blood flow recovery after hindlimb ischemia in SIRT1-Tg mice. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that SIRT1 may impair the plasticity of VSMCs. cZFP609 mediates VSMCs to reprogram endothelial functions, and serves as a valuable indicator to assess the prognosis and clinical outcomes of ischemic diseases.

The congenital intellectual disability (ID)-causing gene mutations remain largely unclear, although many genetic variations might relate to ID. We screened gene mutations in Chinese Han children suffering from severe ID and found a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13) mRNA (NM_001139500.1:c.-32c>G) shared by three male children. In both HEK293 cells and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, this SNP reduced the translation of FGF13, which stabilizes microtubules in developing neurons. Mice carrying the homologous point mutation in 5′-UTR of Fgf13 showed delayed neuronal migration during cortical development, and weakened learning and memory. Furthermore, this SNP reduced the interaction between FGF13 5′-UTR and polypyrimidine-tract-binding protein 2 (PTBP2), which was required for FGF13 translation in cortical neurons. Thus, this 5′-UTR SNP of FGF13 interferes with the translational process of FGF13 and causes deficits in brain development and cognitive functions.

In order to clarify the relations between the different initial states and safety of pipeline shutdown during the forward and reverse transportation process. Analyze the flow state and innovatively divide forward and reverse transportation process into 4 phase: forward cold oil control phase, forward hot oil control phase, reverse cold oil control phase, reverse hot oil control phase. Then, based on the analysis of the characteristics of pipeline temperature drop in different above phase, the safety of different initial state of pipeline shutdown is qualitatively analyzed from the view of oil temperature changes. Finally, define a new parameter "Safe Shutdown Probability φ " to describe and quantitatively analyze the safety of different initial phase of pipeline shutdown during forward and reverse transportation. The analysis results show that the shutdown safety is lowest when φ = ± 0 and highest when φ = ± 1 .

The congenital intellectual disability (ID)-causing gene mutations remain largely unclear, although many genetic variations might relate to ID. We screened gene mutations in Chinese Han children suffering from severe ID and found a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 5′-untranslated region (5′-UTR) of fibroblast growth factor 13 (FGF13) mRNA (NM_001139500.1:c.-32c>G) shared by three male children. In both HEK293 cells and patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, this SNP reduced the translation of FGF13, which stabilizes microtubules in developing neurons. Mice carrying the homologous point mutation in 5′-UTR of Fgf13 showed delayed neuronal migration during cortical development, and weakened learning and memory. Furthermore, this SNP reduced the interaction between FGF13 5′-UTR and polypyrimidine-tract-binding protein 2 (PTBP2), which was required for FGF13 translation in cortical neurons. Thus, this 5′-UTR SNP of FGF13 interferes with the translational process of FGF13 and causes deficits in brain development and cognitive functions.

Different physical and chemical stimuli are detected by the peripheral sensory receptors of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, and the generated inputs are transmitted via afferent fibers into the central nervous system. The gene expression profiles of DRG neurons contribute to the generation, transmission, and regulation of various somatosensory signals. Recently, the single-cell transcriptomes, cell types, and functional annotations of somatosensory neurons have been studied. In this review, we introduce our classification of DRG neurons based on single-cell RNA-sequencing and functional analyses, and discuss the technical approaches. Moreover, studies on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying somatic sensations are discussed.

To address the performance bottleneck in metal-based interconnects, hybrid optical network-on-chip (HONoC) has emerged as a new alternative. However, as the size of the HONoC grows, insertion loss and crosstalk noise increase, leading to excessive laser source output power and performance degradation. Therefore, we propose a low-power scalable HONoC architecture by incorporating semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). An SOA placement algorithm is developed considering insertion loss and crosstalk noise. Furthermore, we establish a worst-case crosstalk noise model of SOA-enabled HONoC and induce optimized SOA gains with respect to power consumption and performance, respectively. Extensive simulations for worst-case signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and power consumption are conducted under various traffic patterns and different network sizes. Simulation results show that the proposed SOA-enabled HONoC architecture and the associated algorithm help sustain the performance as network size increases without additional laser source power.

The voltage-frequency island (VFI) design paradigm has strong potential for achieving high energy efficiency in communication centric manycore system-on-chip (SoC) design called network-on-chip (NoC). However, because of the diminished scaling of wire-dimension and supply voltage as well as threshold voltage in modern CMOS technology, the vulnerability to link failure in VFI NoC is becoming a crucial challenge. In this paper, we propose an energy-optimized topology generation technique for VFI NoC to cope with permanent link failures. Based on the energy consumption model, we exploit the on-chip communication traffic patterns and characteristics of link failures in the early design stage to accommodate diverse applications and architectures. Experimental results using a number of multimedia application benchmarks show the effectiveness of the proposed three-step custom topology generation method in terms of energy consumption and latency without any degradation in the fault coverage metric.

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of silibinin combined with 5-FU treatment on malignant biological behaviors of gastric cancer cell lines MGC803. Methods: Gastric cancer cell lines MGC803 were cultured, divided into NC group, 5-Fu group and SB+5-Fu group and treated with different conditions, and then the number of apoptotic cells, the number of invasive cells as well as the expression of proliferation and invasion-related genes were detected. Results: At 6 h, 12 h, 18 h and 24 h after treatment, the number of apoptotic cells of 5-Fu group and SB+5-Fu group was significantly more than that of NC group, the number of invasive cells was significantly less than that of NC group, the number of apoptotic cells of SB+5-Fu group was significantly more than that of 5-Fu group, and the number of invasive cells was significantly less than that of 5-Fu group; mRNA contents of Vav3, PTP1B, GOLPH3, RUNX3, Sipa1, UbcH10, NEDD9, Mig-7, CD157, AEP and Galectin-1 of 5-Fu group and SB+5-Fu group were lower than those of NC group; mRNA contents of Vav3, PTP1B, GOLPH3, UbcH10, NEDD9, Mig-7, CD157, AEP and Galectin-1 of SB+5-Fu group were lower than those of 5-Fu group, and mRNA contents of RUNX3 and Sipa1 were not different from those of 5-Fu group. Conclusion: Compared with single 5-FU treatment, silibinin combined with 5-FU treatment can more effectively promote gastric cancer cell apoptosis, inhibit gastric cancer cell invasion and regulate the expression of proliferation and invasion-related genes.

Airborne radar forward-looking imaging is of great significance in many remote sensing applications. However, the existing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Doppler beam sharpening (DBS) imaging techniques are incapable of forward-looking imaging. The real aperture radar (RAR) using a scanning antenna can provide forward-looking images, but suffers from coarse azimuth resolution. In this paper, we extend the iterative adaptive approach (IAA) to forward-looking super-resolution imaging. Different from the conventional forward-looking convolution model, both the Doppler phase and antenna convolution are considered in the new model, allowing for more accurate reconstruction of the forward-looking imaging scenario when applying the IAA. Simulation results demonstrate that the IAA-based super-resolution imaging can overcome the deficiencies of the SAR and DBS techniques in forward-looking imaging direction.

This paper presents an angular superresolution method based on maximum a posterior (MAP) criterion to improve the azimuthal resolution of forward-looking scanning radar in the background of sea clutter. Firstly, in consideration of the statistical property of sea clutter, the Rayleigh distribution is employed to express the likelihood function. And then, the generalized Gaussian constraint is used as prior information about targets for better property of noise suppression and positional accuracy. Finally, the iterative expression is derived to recover the scattering coefficient of original sea-surface targets. Compared to the conventional Bayesian approaches, The results of simulation experiment are given to verify the superior performance of proposed method.

Near-threshold computing (NTC) is now regarded as a promising candidate for innovative power reduction, which cannot be achieved with conventional super-threshold computing (STC). However, performance degradation and vulnerability to process variation in the NTC regime are the primary concerns. In this paper, we propose a voltage- and frequency-tuning methodology for mitigating the process-variation-induced problems in NTC-based manycore architectures. To implement the proposed methodology, we build up multiplevoltage multiple-frequency (MVMF) islands and apply a voltage-frequency tuning algorithm based on the critical-path monitoring technique to reduce the effects of process variation and maximize energy efficiency in the post-silicon stage. Experimental results show that the proposed methodology reduces overall power consumption by 8.2–20.0%, compared to existing methods in variation-sensitive NTC environments.

Additional file 6. Triple immunofluorescence staining in the L5 DRG; Triple immunofluorescence staining showing GlyRÎą3, Gephyrin and NeuN co-localization in the L5 DRG.

Electrolyte called blood of aluminum reduction cell, has great effect on cell performance and technology economic index. In recent years, lithium and potassium in alumina accumulated year by year in electrolyte of electrolysis cell, which directly affected production of aluminum electrolysis industry. Current efficiency is important technology economic index in the process of aluminum electrolysis. When electrolyte containing high concentration of Li and K was used, relationship between current efficiency and operating condition including electrolyte temperature, superheat, cell voltage, molecular ratio, electrolyte composition, thickness of side ledge, aluminum level was systematically studied, which provided theory basis for aluminum electrolysis smelters to obtain good benefit.

Additional file 5. Triple immunofluorescence staining in the L5 DRG (Control group); Triple immunofluorescence staining showing GlyRÎą3, Gephyrin and NeuN co-localization in the L5 DRG.

Systemic inflammatory response markers are associated with poor survival in many types of malignances. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We retrospectively evaluated 254 NSCLC patients who underwent radical surgery between January 2012 and April 2014 in the Sichuan Provincial Cancer Hospital. The cut-off values of NLR, PLR, LMR, and CRP were determined according to the receiver operating characteristic curve, and the correlation of NLR, PLR, LMR, and CRP with prognosis was analyzed based on the cut-off value. The cut-off value for NLR, PLR, LMR, and CRP were 3.18, 122, 4.04, and 8.8, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that age (P = .022), tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P

This paper discusses an optimal algorithm for distributing tyre force by an analytical multiplier penalty function method with which the maneuverability and stability of the four-wheel independent driving vehicles can be improved. Based on hierarchical method, the controller is divided into the upper level and lower level one. In the upper level controller, the yaw moment is calculated by sliding control to track the desired yaw rate. In the lower level controller, the analytical multiplier penalty method is utilized to distribute the yaw moment to tyre forces according with equality constraints of yaw and longitudinal acceleration. Simulation was conducted with Matlab/Simulink and Carsim. Simulation results show that the proposed method is effective.

The thrust foil bearing, as one of the key parts in high-speed rotating machineries, is used to sustain the axial force, and its load performance has a crucial relationship with the structural parameters and working condition. In this paper the top foil is modeled as a thin plate supported by the bumps underneath. The finite element method (FEM) is used to calculate the structural deformation coupled with the pressure distribution obtained through the solution of Reynolds equation by the finite difference method (FDM). The effects of structural and operating parameters, such as rotational speed, eccentricity ratio, top foil thickness and bump foil thickness on the load capacity and frictional torque are discussed in detail. The results show that the increase of rotational speed, eccentricity ratio and bump foil thickness is beneficial to increase the load capacity and frictional torque. The effect of variation of top foil thickness on load capacity is not obvious, which implies that the top foil plays a role in building the lubricant surface rather than providing supporting stiffness.

In order to integrate design resources of powertrain in wheeled combine harvester chassis, and improve its design quality, the process and methods of constructing a design platform for the powertrain in wheeled combine harvester chassis is presented in this paper. Based on the characteristics of the specific knowledge of powertrains design, this paper discourses methods of knowledge gathering, sorting, classification and presentation. Meanwhile, how to use Oracle database to store design knowledge also been discussed. According to the features of different parts, using method of parametric model constructing based on Pro/E, a set of parametric models of powertrain is built. After the forming of knowledge base, the reasoning mechanism is studied. Taking Visual Studio 2008, Oracle, Pro/E as major development means, the design platform of the powertrain in wheeled combine harvester chassis is finally established.

Hybrid optical network-on-chip (HONoC) is a promising alternative to all-electrical NoC whose capability in the performance and the power consumption is facing ultimate physical limitation. However, the latency unfairness problem and the associated performance degradation due to the circuit switched characteristic of HONoC must be resolved. In this paper, we propose a new shortest path adaptive routing technique for HONoC by exploiting an elaborate rollback scheme and a rapid flow control method to promote the fast routing path setup and the parallel data transfers. Compared to existing works, experimental results show reduction by 41.6% in latency and improvement by 16.9% in throughput with negligible extra energy consumption. Additional benefits in the network resource utilization and the performance under increasing network sizes are also analyzed.

LiTaO3: Tm3+, Yb3+powders were synthesized by a high-energy ball-milling (HEB) method compared with the conventional solid-state reaction (SSR) method. Under the excitation of 980 nm laser, the strong blue emission (477 nm) band is observed and attributed to1G4-3H6of Tm3+. Because of it causing high local temperature and narrow particles size, increasing the contact area between the particles and improved crystallinity of the host, synthesis by high-energy ball milling show higher photoluminescence (PL) intensity compared to the solid state reaction method. In the process of mechanical milling, Tm3+, Yb3+co-doped LiTaO3phosphors with high photoluminescence property could be achieved at a relatively low reaction temperature.

β-NaGdF4: Yb, Tm/β-NaGdF4: Eu and β-NaGdF4: Yb, Tm, Eu particles were successfully synthesized by two different methods, solvothermal method and high-energy ball milling. The properties were measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), TEM and luminescence spectra. All samples shown the strong photoluminescence intensity under 980 nm light excitation and emission of Eu3+ was observed. Finally, two methods are compared in paper.

A total of two third-order sequences are subdivided in Late Permian. Sequence 1 is from the bottom of the Longtan Formation to the bottom of C16 coal in Longtan Formation,representing a transgressive to regressive cycle,and the Sequence 2 is from the bottom of C16 coal in Longtan formation to the top of the Changxing Formation. From Maokou formation to the first flooding surface (the bottom of the C25) is the low systems tract in sequence 1(the earlier stage of coal accumulation). The palaeogeographic map has been reconstructed based on the contour maps of a variety of palaeogeographic parameters including total thickness of strata,thickness of sandstone,thickness of mudstone,and sandstone-mudstone ratio. The paleogeographic units include lowlandhighland eluvial plain and bay-lagoon-tidal. The transgression comes from south and the sediment provenances are mainly from the Kangdian old land in the west.

To overcome the limitations in performance and power consumption of traditional electrical interconnection based network-on-chips (NoCs), a hybrid optical network-on-chip (HONoC) architecture using optical interconnects is emerging. However, the HONoC architecture should use circuit-switching scheme owing to the overhead by optical devices, which worsens the latency unfairness problem caused by frequent path collisions. This resultingly exert a bad influence in overall performance of the system. In this paper, we propose a new task mapping algorithm for optimizing latency by reducing path collisions. The proposed algorithm allocates a task to a certain processing element (PE) for the purpose of minimizing path collisions and worst case latencies. Compared to the random mapping technique and the bandwidth-constrained mapping technique, simulation results show the reduction in latency by 43% and 61% in average for each and mesh topology, respectively.

Noxious stimuli cause pain by activating cutaneous nociceptors. The Aδ- and C-fibers of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons convey the nociceptive signals to the laminae I-II of spinal cord. In the dorsal horn of spinal cord, the excitatory afferent synaptic transmission is regulated by the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid and modulators such as opioid peptides released from the spinal interneurons, and by serotonin, norepinepherine and dopamine from the descending inhibitory system. In contrast to the accumulated evidence for these central inhibitors and their neural circuits in the dorsal spinal cord, the knowledge about the endogenous suppressive mechanisms in nociceptive DRG neurons remains very limited. In this review, we summarize our recent findings of the presynaptic suppressive mechanisms in nociceptive neurons, the BNP/NPR-A/PKG/BKCa channel pathway, the FSTL1/α1Na+-K+ ATPase pathway and the activin C/ERK pathway. These endogenous suppressive systems in the mechanoheat nociceptors may also contribute differentially to the mechanisms of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain or inflammation-induced pain.

The current knowledge about heat nociception is mainly confined to the thermosensors, including the transient receptor potential cation channel V1 expressed in the nociceptive neurons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG). However, the loss of thermosensors only partially impairs heat nociception, suggesting the existence of undiscovered mechanisms. We found that the loss of an intracellular fibroblast growth factor (FGF), FGF13, in the mouse DRG neurons selectively abolished heat nociception. The noxious heat stimuli could not evoke the sustained action potential firing in FGF13-deficient DRG neurons. Furthermore, FGF13 interacted with the sodium channel Na

Sensory neurons are distinguished by distinct signaling networks and receptive characteristics. Thus, sensory neuron types can be defined by linking transcriptome-based neuron typing with the sensory phenotypes. Here we classify somatosensory neurons of the mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) by high-coverage single-cell RNA-sequencing (10 950 ± 1 218 genes per neuron) and neuron size-based hierarchical clustering. Moreover, single DRG neurons responding to cutaneous stimuli are recorded using an in vivo whole-cell patch clamp technique and classified by neuron-type genetic markers. Small diameter DRG neurons are classified into one type of low-threshold mechanoreceptor and five types of mechanoheat nociceptors (MHNs). Each of the MHN types is further categorized into two subtypes. Large DRG neurons are categorized into four types, including neurexophilin 1-expressing MHNs and mechanical nociceptors (MNs) expressing BAI1-associated protein 2-like 1 (Baiap2l1). Mechanoreceptors expressing trafficking protein particle complex 3-like and Baiap2l1-marked MNs are subdivided into two subtypes each. These results provide a new system for cataloging somatosensory neurons and their transcriptome databases.

Triptolide is a potent immunosuppressive drug capable of inhibiting T cell activation and proliferation. Recent studies show that T cells play an important role in neuropathic pain following nerve injury in rats. In this study, we investigated the effect of triptolide on T cell activation and development of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain by chronic constriction injury (CCI) was induced by loose ligation of the sciatic nerve in Sprague-Dawley rats. Triptolide (5 or 10 μg/kg) or vehicle (DMSO) was administered intrathecally after surgery for 7 days (n=8 per group). The right hind paw withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament stimuli and withdrawal latency to radiant heat were determined before and after the surgery (days 0 to 7). NF-κB activation and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α and IL-2) expression were determined by ELISA, Western blot, and real time-PCR. CCI of the sciatic nerve induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in these rats. Intrathecal triptolide (5 and 10 μg/kg) suppressed the development of allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. It also inhibited CCI-induced inflammation and T cell activation, by decreasing spinal cord TNF-α, IL-2 and NF-κB p65 levels. Motor dysfunction was not observed after triptolide treatment. In the present study, we demonstrated the suppressive effect of triptolide on the development of neuropathic pain. Therefore, triptolide could be a promising immunosuppressive agent in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Further studies are required to examine the safety of intrathecal triptolide for clinical application.

Platelet dysfunction and thrombocytopenia are common responses to sepsis, but how sepsis changes platelet function is not completely understood. This is due, in part, to our lack of understanding of how sepsis alters platelet protein patterns. The aim of the present study, accordingly, was to investigate the response of the platelet proteome to sepsis. We applied proteomic technology to analyze platelet samples of rats with sepsis. Rats were divided into two groups: 1) sham surgery and 2) sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery. Platelet samples were collected from surviving rats 12 and 24 h after surgery, and platelet proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE). Differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). In the CLP group, there were 20 spots that were statistically significantly different at 12 h. Of these spots, 16 spots were increased and four spots were decreased. At 24 h, there were six spots increased in the CLP group. Of the 26 spots, 12 proteins associated with platelet activation, acute phase proteins, cytoskeleton structure, and energy production were identified. Of interest, alpha-1-antitrypsin precursor (AAT) and ATP synthase beta subunit (ATPB) were both increased at 12 and 24 h of sepsis by 2-DE and immunoblotting. By providing the platelet profiles, our results demonstrate that this proteomic approach brings us closer to understanding how platelet dysfunction develops after sepsis.

A new species of Hansfordia was described and illustrated from the marine brown alga Colpomenia sinuosa at the coast of Weihai, China. It is Hansfordia sinuosae, which differs from other species in the genus Hansfordia based on the characters of conidia.

The first-principle quantum mechanical method was used to investigate the structures and electric properties of N-doped. Doping of N atom to clusters is found to be energetically quite favorable except for n=16. Different from bulk material, the LUMO-HOMO energy gaps of the InnSbn(n=6-12,14,16,24) clusters are enlarged by doping of N. The analysis of the electron density of the HOMO and LUMO states was performed to understand the behavior .

SummaryExcitatory synaptic transmission is modulated by inhibitory neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. We found that the synaptic transmission of somatic sensory afferents can be rapidly regulated by a presynaptically secreted protein, follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1), which serves as a direct activator of Na+,K+-ATPase (NKA). The FSTL1 protein is highly expressed in small-diameter neurons of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). It is transported to axon terminals via small translucent vesicles and secreted in both spontaneous and depolarization-induced manners. Biochemical assays showed that FSTL1 binds to the α1 subunit of NKA and elevates NKA activity. Extracellular FSTL1 induced membrane hyperpolarization in cultured cells and inhibited afferent synaptic transmission in spinal cord slices by activating NKA. Genetic deletion of FSTL1 in small DRG neurons of mice resulted in enhanced afferent synaptic transmission and sensory hypersensitivity, which could be reduced by intrathecally applied FSTL1 protein. Thus, FSTL1-dependent activation of NKA regulates the threshold of somatic sensation.

The thermal debinding behavior of stainless steel foam precursor in vacuum was studied and compared with that in hydrogen. The formation cause of pore channel was analyzed. The experiment results show that the binder removal rate in vacuum is higher than that in hydrogen. In vacuum, the organic compounds can be removed effectively without change of pore size and the pore morphology for the sample. After pre-sintering, some sintering necks form and the sample has certain intensity. The initial surface pore forms with the temperature increasing at first, and then the internal melting binder is aspirated to form initial pore because of the capillary force and the metal powders re-arrange with the migration of binder at the same time.

The density functional calculation with the generalized gradient approximation is applied to study the structural, electronic and vibrational properties of In n Sb n clusters up to n = 16 . A family of fullerene-like In n Sb n clusters with n = 9 – 16 is found. Meanwhile In 5 Sb 5 and In 12 Sb 12 show obvious magic-number behavior. We also discuss the size dependence of binding energies, gap between highest-occupied and lowest-unoccupied molecular orbitals, second-difference of total energies, electron affinities, ionization potential, Mulliken charges, and the IR spectra of In n Sb n clusters.

The thermal stability, particle size and morphology and oil absorption of aluminum hydroxide(ATH) treated by dry modification with three different modifiers were investigated. The experimental results show that the thermal stability of ATH powder is markedly improved by dry modification technology with the following modifiers such as phosphoric acid, polyacrylic acid and the mixture of phosphoric acid and polyacrylic acid. The best effect comes from pure phosphoric acid, and the initial temperature for the loss of crystal water of ATH powder modified with pure polyacrylic acid can reach about 202 °C that is approximately 10 °C higher than that of ATH powder before modification. The phenomena of agglomeration and macro-aggregate badly exist in ATH powder modified with the modifiers containing phosphoric acid. The growth of particles and agglomerations of powders are not evident in ATH powder modified with pure polyacrylic acid. The oil absorption of ATH powder modified with the modifiers containing phosphoric acid is apparently larger than that of original ATH powder and ATH powder modified with pure polyacrylic acid. The oil absorption of the ATH powder modified with pure polyacrylic acid is slightly smaller than that of original ATH powder.

Visfatin, a newly discovered adipocytokine, is a pro-inflammatory cytokine. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of visfatin on prognosis of patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. One-hundred and five patients (median age=64, range=24-84 years) were included in this study. Visfatin expression in upper tract urothelial carcinoma tissues was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Visfatin expression was correlated with clinicopathologic variables using the χ(2) test. The prognostic value of visfatin for recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier estimates, and the significance of differences between curves was evaluated by the log-rank test. Cox regression model was also used to evaluate the hazard ratios of visfatin on survival. High visfatin expression in upper tract urothelial carcinoma tissues was significantly correlated with tumor stage (P=0.001), grade (P=0.007) and p53 expression (P=0.07). High visfatin expression was associated with poor recurrence-free and cancer-specific survival. Cox regression analysis also revealed that visfatin is an independent predictor of recurrence-free (HR=3.22, P=0.009) and cancer-specific survival (HR=5.74, P=0.023). Our findings indicated that higher visfatin expression is a potential biomarker to predict patient survival. Further study is necessary to investigate the role of visfatin in the carcinogenesis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) has shown promise in cancer treatment. However, it achieved limited effects against lung cancer. Lung cancer has intrinsic mechanisms that render resistance to VSV. In this study, we attempted to explore the expression of the anti-apoptotic factor Livin in lung adenocarcinoma and its possible relationship to VSV vulnerability. We found VSV induced apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner, with the concomitant change in the expression of Livin. We elevated the expression of Livin both transiently and stably, and the cells became insensitive to VSV treatment. We further found the BIR domain of Livin was mainly responsible for its modulation effects. This finding suggested a possible interaction with the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC). The knock-down of SMAC also inhibited apoptosis by VSV. The relationship was confirmed by the co-immunoprecipitation. Finally, we knocked down the endogenous Livin, and the knock-down sensitized cells to VSV treatment. Our results suggested the important role of Livin and its partner molecule in the process of VSV treatment.

Opioid receptors play an important role in mediating the spinal analgesia. The μ-opioid receptor is the major target of opioid drugs widely used in clinics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of analgesic effect and tolerance for clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids remain to be fully investigated. Previous studies showed the interaction of δ-opioid receptor with μ-opioid receptor to form the μ-opioid receptor/δ-opioid receptor heteromers that could be processed in the degradation pathway after δ-opioid receptor agonist treatment. Here, we showed that clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids, morphine, fentanyl, and methadone, but not tramadol, caused μ-opioid receptor co-internalization with δ-opioid receptors in both transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells and primary sensory neurons. Prolonged treatment of morphine led to μ-opioid receptor co-degradation with δ-opioid receptors. Furthermore, fentanyl and methadone, but not tramadol, induced the drug tolerance similar to morphine. Thus, the clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids including morphine, fentanyl, and methadone induce μ-opioid receptor co-internalization with δ-opioid receptors, which may be involved in the analgesic tolerance of these opioids.

We detected the expression of IL-12 p40/p35 mRNA by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and silver staining, and studied the molecular interaction between the IL-12 expression and the NF-eB activation induced by LPS and IFN-gamma/LPS in murine peritoneal suppressor macrophages (MPSMs). It was found that IFN-gamma strongly enhanced the LPS-induced IL-12 p40 and p35 mRNA expression. Both p40 and p35 mRNA levels were approximately equal. IFN-a also greatly promoted the LPS-induced secretion of IL-12 p70 in MPSMs. The Proteasome Inhibitor I (PSI) could block the expression of IL-12 p40 and p35 mRNA, and the degradation of IkappaBalpha induced by LPS or LPS/IFN-gamma. EMSA showed that LPS could augment the NF-kappaB binding activity to p40 promoter DNA. However, IFN-gamma could neither enhance the LPS-induced NF-kappaB activity nor promote the degradation of IkappaBalpha. Taken together, the data suggest: (i) IFN-gamma/LPS could strongly induce the expression of IL-12 p40 and p35 mRNA; both the expression levels were equal; this phenomenon coincided with the high-level secretion of IL-12 p70 induced by IFN-gamma/LPS; (ii) NF-kappaB signal pathway is essential for IFN-gamma/LPS to induce IL-12 mRNA expression; (iii) by blocking the degradation of IkappaB, the PSI suppresses the IL-12 p40/p35 mRNA expression induced by LPS and IFN-gamma/LPS; (iv) NF-kappaB signal may not be involved in the mechanism by which IFN-gamma enhanced the expression of the LPS-induced IL-12 p40/p35 mRNA.

Xingnaojing (XNJ), is a standardized Chinese herbal medicine product derived from An Gong Niu Huang Pill. It may be involved in neuroprotection in a number of neurological disorders. Exposure to anesthetic agents during the brain growth spurt may trigger widespread neuroapoptosis in the developing brain. Thus the present study aimed to identify whether there was a neuroprotective effect of XNJ on anesthesia-induced neuroapoptosis. Seven-day-old rats received treatment with 2.1% sevoflurane for 6 h. Rat pups were injected intraperitoneally with 1 or 10 ml/kg XNJ at 0.2, 24 and 48 h prior to sevoflurane exposure. The striata of neonatal rats were collected following administration of anesthesia. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to analyze the expression of activated caspase 3, Bax and phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT) in the striatum. It was found that activated caspase 3 and Bax expression were upregulated in the striatum following sevoflurane treatment. Preconditioning with XNJ attenuated the neuronal apoptosis induced by sevoflurane in a dose-dependent manner. Anesthesia reduced the expression of p-AKT (phosphorylated at sites Thr308 and Ser473) and phosphorylated extracellular-regulated protein kinase (p-ERK) in the striatum. Pre-treatment with XNJ reversed the reduction in p-AKT, but not p-ERK expression. These data suggest that XNJ has an antiapoptotic effect against sevoflurane-induced cell loss in the striatum. It thus holds promise as a safe and effective neuroprotective agent. The action of XNJ on p-AKT may make a significant contribution to its neuroprotective effect.

The current knowledge about heat nociception is mainly confined to the thermosensors, including the transient receptor potential cation channel V1 expressed in the nociceptive neurons of dorsal root ganglion (DRG). However, the loss of thermosensors only partially impairs heat nociception, suggesting the existence of undiscovered mechanisms. We found that the loss of an intracellular fibroblast growth factor (FGF), FGF13, in the mouse DRG neurons selectively abolished heat nociception. The noxious heat stimuli could not evoke the sustained action potential firing in FGF13-deficient DRG neurons. Furthermore, FGF13 interacted with the sodium channel Nav1.7 in a heat-facilitated manner. FGF13 increased Nav1.7 sodium currents and maintained the membrane localization of Nav1.7 during noxious heat stimulation, enabling the sustained firing of action potentials. Disrupting the FGF13/Nav1.7 interaction reduced the heat-evoked action potential firing and nociceptive behavior. Thus, beyond the thermosensors, the FGF13/Nav1.7 complex is essential for sustaining the transmission of noxious heat signals.

Abnormal behavior detection refers to the problem of finding patterns in data that do not conform to expected behavior. Detection of abnormal behavior is an important area of research in computer vision and is also driven by a wide of application domains, such as smart video surveillance. In this paper, we present a novel based-energy approach for abnormal behavior detection. Use an adaptive optical flow model to operate on moving particles instead of objects and fuses features with the shape and trajectory information. To detect the abnormal behavior, experimental results on the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Science multi-view behavior database and self-photo videos demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of our method.