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Background Granulosa cell proliferation and differentiation are essential for follicle development. Breast cancer amplified sequence 2 (BCAS2) is necessary for spermatogenesis, oocyte development, and maintaining the genome integrity of early embryos in mice. However, the function of BCAS2 in granulosa cells is still unknown. Results We show that conditional disruption of Bcas2 in granulosa cells caused follicle development failure; the ratio of the positive cells of the cell proliferation markers PCNA and Ki67 were unchanged in granulosa cells. Specific deletion of Bcas2 caused a decrease in the BrdU-positive cell ratio, cell cycle arrest, DNA damage, and an increase in apoptosis in granulosa cells, and RPA1 was abnormally stained in granulosa cells. RNA-seq results revealed that knockout of Bcas2 results in unusual expression of cellular senescence genes. BCAS2 participated in the PRP19 complex to mediate alternative splicing (AS) of E2f3 and Flt3l mRNA to inhibit the cell cycle. Knockout of Bcas2 resulted in a significant decrease in the ratio of BrdU-positive cells in the human granulosa-like tumour (KGN) cell line. Conclusions Our results suggest that BCAS2 may influence the proliferation and survival of granulosa cells through regulating pre-mRNA splicing of E2f3 and Flt3l by forming the splicing complex with CDC5L and PRP19.

Current studies on inhibitory effects of n-3 PUFA on pro-inflammatory cytokines have inconsistent results. Thus, a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials was conducted to identify the effects of n-3 PUFA administration on circulating IL-6 and TNF in patients with cancer. Studies that examined the effects of n-3 PUFA administration on circulating IL-6 and TNF in patients with cancer were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE from January 1975 to February 2021. Differences in n-3 PUFA administration and control conditions were determined by calculating standardised mean differences (SMD) with 95 % CI. Twenty studies involving 971 patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall SMD were 0·485 (95 % CI 0·087, 0·883) for IL-6 and 0·712 (95 % CI 0·461, 0·962) for TNF between n-3 PUFA administration and control conditions. Sources of heterogeneity were not found through subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Publication bias was observed in TNF with a slight contribution to the effect size. n-3 PUFA can reduce circulating IL-6 and TNF levels in patients with cancer. Results supported the recommendation of n-3 PUFA as adjuvant therapy for patients with cancer, possibly excluding head and neck cancer, owing to their anti-inflammatory properties.

With the rapid development of urbanization and industrialization, environmental pollution has become more severe. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) could be originated from the following sources: domestic, mobile and industrial sources. As important air pollutants, VOCs could cause serious harm to the environment and human health. Therefore, removing VOCs has become a priority research direction of ecological issues. Among the many elimination methods, catalytic oxidation approaches are among the most effective and economical methods which can transform VOCs into CO2 and H2O. MnOx catalysts are among the most active catalysts, which can be further modified by different cations such as Cu2+, Co2+, Cr3+, Ni2+ and Ce4+ to form mixed oxides to improve the catalytic oxidation of VOCs activity. Moreover, MnOx can be loaded on the carrier, improving the redox and oxygen storage capacity and improving its stability and activity. This review explores the structure, preparation and oxidation state of Mn-based catalysts.

Background Ovarian folliculogenesis is a tightly regulated process leading to the formation of functional oocytes and involving successive quality control mechanisms that monitor chromosomal DNA integrity and meiotic recombination. A number of factors and mechanisms have been suggested to be involved in folliculogenesis and associated with premature ovarian insufficiency, including abnormal alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNAs. Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1; previously SF2/ASF) is a pivotal posttranscriptional regulator of gene expression in various biological processes. However, the physiological roles and mechanism of SRSF1 action in mouse early-stage oocytes remain elusive. Here, we show that SRSF1 is essential for primordial follicle formation and number determination during meiotic prophase I. Results The conditional knockout (cKO) of Srsf1 in mouse oocytes impairs primordial follicle formation and leads to primary ovarian insufficiency (POI). Oocyte-specific genes that regulate primordial follicle formation (e.g., Lhx8, Nobox, Sohlh1, Sohlh2, Figla, Kit, Jag1, and Rac1) are suppressed in newborn Stra8-GFPCre Srsf1Fl/Fl mouse ovaries. However, meiotic defects are the leading cause of abnormal primordial follicle formation. Immunofluorescence analyses suggest that failed synapsis and an inability to undergo recombination result in fewer homologous DNA crossovers (COs) in the Srsf1 cKO mouse ovaries. Moreover, SRSF1 directly binds and regulates the expression of the POI-related genes Six6os1 and Msh5 via AS to implement the meiotic prophase I program. Conclusions Altogether, our data reveal the critical role of an SRSF1-mediated posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism in the mouse oocyte meiotic prophase I program, providing a framework to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of the posttranscriptional network underlying primordial follicle formation.

Background: The possible correlation between oral microbiota dysbiosisand acute ischemic stroke, regarding different pathogenesis and stroke severity, remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the specific microbiota for different subtypes of stroke to discover the underlying risk factors for ischemic stroke, which is of important clinical research value. Methods:Oral microbiota communities from 162 stroke patients and 62 stroke-free controls were prospectively assessed by sequencing the V3–V4 region of the 16S DNA gene. Demographic and clinical data were obtained for both groups. Triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, homocysteine, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, SLCO1B1, APOE, CYP2C19, IL6, IL8, IL1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were measured, and their relationship with oral microbiota was analyzed. Cranial magnetic resonance and carotid artery ultrasound were performed for both groups within seven days of admission. Results: IL6, IL8, IL1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were significantly higher in stroke patients than in controls. Although the oral microbiota of the stroke and control groups were similar in diversity and structure, that of the severe stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score > 5) and cardioembolic stroke subgroups differed from those of the control group. Linear discriminant analysis effect size analysis showed that Megasphaera, Prevotella_1, Clostridia, Selenomonas_3, Prevotella_6, and Dialister were mainly enriched in the severe stroke subgroup. Prevotella_6, Staphylococcus, Staphylococcaceae, and Peptostreptococcus were significantly enriched in the cardioembolic stroke subgroup. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that IL6, IL8, IL1β, TNF-α, and sCD40L were significantly correlated with Peptostreptococcus, Staphylococcus, Selenomonas, Megasphaera, and other bacteria (p < 0.01; p < 0.05). Conclusions: The oral microbiota in stroke patients were not significantly different from that in the stroke-free controls. However, certain stroke subgroups, such as the severe or cardioembolic stroke subgroups, exhibited significant oral microbiota dysbiosis, which was associated with elevated inflammatory cytokines.

BackgroundThe safety of the COVID-19 vaccine in patients at stroke risk is poorly understood.MethodsA survey was conducted on risk factors related to stroke and adverse reactions to vaccines. The participants were divided into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups, according to the stroke risk scorecard recommended by the Stroke Prevention and Control Engineering Committee of the National Health and Family Planning Commission. Factors associated with adverse reactions were analyzed. Reasons for non-vaccination and the aggravation of underlying diseases after vaccination were investigated.Results1747 participants participated (138 unvaccinated) and 36.8, 22.1, 41.1% of the vaccinated participants had low, medium, high risk of stroke, respectively. The incidence of adverse reactions after the first and second injection was 16.6, 13.7%, respectively. There was no difference in the incidence of adverse reactions among different risk groups. Sex, vaccine type, sleep quality, worry of adverse reactions, age, and education level were significantly related to adverse reactions to vaccination. The most popular reason for non-vaccination for medium- or high risk-participants was the aggravation of the existing disease. Only 0.3% of vaccinated participants reported slight changes in blood pressure, sugar levels, and lipid levels. No aggravation of stroke sequelae, atrial fibrillation, or transient ischemic attack was reported.ConclusionsVaccination against COVID-19 (inactive virus) is safe for people at risk of stroke when the existing disease condition is stable. It is suggested to strengthen vaccine knowledge and ensure good sleep before vaccination.

SOmega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) possess anti-inflammatory properties. There is a lack of consensus regarding the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, in cancer patients. Herein, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate the effects of omega-3 PUFAs on CRP levels in patients with cancer. PubMed and EMBASE were searched until May 2020 to identify randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of omega-3 PUFA administration on CRP levels in cancer patients. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to determine the differences in omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions. Seventeen eligible studies involving 916 cancer patients were included in this meta-analysis. Significant heterogeneity was present among individual studies (Pheterogeneity = 0.000; I2 = 74.5%). The overall SMDs of CRP levels between omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions were 0.628 (95% CI: 0.342-0.914) and 0.456 (95% CI: 0.322-0.590) by the random-effect and fixed-effect models, respectively. Sources of heterogeneity were not found through subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Existing publication bias contributed slightly to the effect size. Omega-3 PUFAs can reduce systemic inflammation, as indicated by CRP levels in cancer patients. The use of omega-3 PUFAs is recommended for cancer patients due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

A new mushroom species from Hunnan province in China, Stropharia lignicola, is described. S. lignicola is distinguished from other species of Stropharia by its greyish yellow pileus, white stipe with recurved yellowish squamules, presence of acanthocytes in the hymenium, and association with decaying fallen wood or stumps of a hardwood species, Tilia sp. The phylogenetic analyses were based on ITS and 28S. An illustrated description of S. lignicola is provided along with a key to the Stropharia species found in China.

In this study, we (i) checked for the presence of bacteria in cerebral thrombi in over 95% of the LVO stroke patients using 16S rRNA sequencing, in contrast with periprocedural control samples that are bacteria negative; (ii) visualized clusters of bacterial signals in the thrombi using FISH; and (iii) cultivated Lactobacillus vaginalis , Bacillus cereus , and Kocuria marina in the bacterial culture of the tissue fragment solution of thrombus aspirates. We found excessive enrichment of Proteobacteria in the thrombi, mainly originating from plasma, as indicated with fast expectation-maximization microbial source tracking (FEAST).

BackgroundNAD+, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, is mostly described to associate with the aging process. We aimed to investigate the association between human whole blood NAD+ contents and aging in a relative large-scale community-based population and further to address the gender impact on this association.MethodsWe recruited 1,518 participants aged over 18 years old and free of cardiovascular and any type of cancer from the Jidong community from 2019 to 2020. Whole blood NAD+ level was measured by cycling assay and LC-mass spectroscopy assay. The chronological age and clinical data were collected using standard questionnaires. The participants were divided into five groups according to their chronological age. General liner regression model was performed to analyze the association between NAD+ contents and aging. In addition, we also conducted subgroup analysis by gender.ResultsThe mean age of included 1,518 participants was 43.0 years, and 52.6% of them were men. The average levels of whole blood NAD+ of total participants was 33.0 ± 5.5 μmol/L. The whole blood NAD+ contents in men were significantly higher than that in women (34.5 vs. 31.3 μmol/L). There was significant difference in the meat diet among NAD+ quartile groups (p = 0.01). We observed a decline trend of NAD+ contents with aging before 50 years in total participants with significant level in 40–49 years old group (β coefficients with 95% confidence interval (95% CI): −1.12 (−2.18, −0.06)), while this trend disappeared after the 50 years. In addition, this association was significantly altered by gender (p for interaction = 0.003). In men, as compared with ≤29 years group, adjusted β coefficient decreased with aging but was only significant in the ≥60 year group (β,−2.16; 95% CI, −4.16 to −0.15). In females, the level of whole blood NAD+ did not significantly differ among five age groups and without the trend as males.ConclusionsAssociation of whole blood NAD+ contents with aging significantly differed in males and females. The loss of blood NAD+ with aging only was observed in males, especially in the male middle-aged population. It is crucial to consider the gender difference in further NAD+ related studies in the future.

Current studies on inhibitory effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on pro-inflammatory cytokines have inconsistent results. Thus, a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted to identify the effects of omega-3 PUFA administration on circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) in patients with cancer. Studies that examined the effects of omega-3 PUFA administration on circulating IL-6 and TNF in patients with cancer were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE from January 1975 to February 2021. Differences in omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions were determined by calculating standardised mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Twenty studies involving 971 patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall SMDs were 0.485 (95% CI: 0.087-0.883) for IL-6 and 0.712 (95% CI: 0.461-0.962) for TNF between omega-3 PUFA administration and control conditions. Sources of heterogeneity were not found through subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Publication bias was observed in TNF with a slight contribution to the effect size. Omega-3 PUFAs can reduce circulating IL-6 and TNF levels in patients with cancer. Results supported the recommendation of omega-3 PUFAs as adjuvant therapy for patients with cancer, possibly excluding head and neck cancer, owing to their anti-inflammatory properties.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD

With mushroom poisoning emerging as one of the most serious food safety problems worldwide, a rapid identification method of poisonous mushrooms is urgently required to investigate the source of poisoning. Gyromitra infula, a kind of poisonous mushroom, contains gyromitrin toxin, which causes epileptogenic neurotoxicity and hemolytic disease. This study aimed to establish a rapid and visual method of G. infula identification based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). A set of specific LAMP primers was designed, and its specificity in G. infula was confirmed against various mushroom species, including its closely related species and other macrofungi. The sensitivity assay showed that the minimum concentration of genomic DNA detected by LAMP was 1 ng/μl. The method’s applicability was conducted by preparing mushroom samples that were boiled and digested in artificial gastric juice. The results showed that the content as low as 1% G. infula can be successfully detected. This method can be completed within 90 min, and the reaction results can be directly observed by the naked eyes. Hence, the identification method of G. infula established based on LAMP in this study is accurate, rapid, sensitive, and low-cost, which is required for clinical treatment or forensic analysis when mushroom poisoning occurs.

NADWe recruited 1,518 participants aged over 18 years old and free of cardiovascular and any type of cancer from the Jidong community from 2019 to 2020. Whole blood NADThe mean age of included 1,518 participants was 43.0 years, and 52.6% of them were men. The average levels of whole blood NADAssociation of whole blood NAD

With the increasing number of college students, the difficulty and workload of ideological and political education are also increasing. For the calculation and analysis of big data, it is most suitable to use data mining algorithm for calculation and research. In order to help college students' ideological and political education to develop and innovate, this paper establishes a new model of college students’ ideological and political education combined with particle swarm optimization algorithm to help carry out college students’ ideological and political education. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is tested. Therefore, this paper uses data mining algorithm to calculate and analyze the research in this paper. The algorithm is tested and analyzed. Through the test of data mining algorithm, the calculation accuracy of the algorithm is proved, and the feasibility of this paper is proved. This paper studies the ideological and political education by using data mining algorithm. The computational efficiency of the optimized data mining algorithm is twice that of the traditional algorithm, and the optimized algorithm has also been significantly improved. In general, the data mining algorithm optimized in this paper is reasonable, which can improve the calculation accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm.

The wheat AP2 family gene Q controls domestication traits, including spike morphology and threshability, which are critical for the widespread cultivation and yield improvement of wheat. Although many studies have investigated the molecular mechanisms of the Q gene, its direct target genes, especially those controlling spike morphology, are not clear, and its regulatory pathways are not well established. In this study, we conducted gene mapping of a wheat speltoid spike mutant and found that a new allele of the Q gene with protein truncation played a role in spike morphology variation in the mutant. Dynamic expression levels of the Q gene throughout the spike development process suggested that the transcript abundances of the mutant were decreased at the W6 and W7 scales compared to those of the WT. We identified several mutation sites on the Q gene and showed that mutations in different domains resulted in distinct phenotypes. In addition, we found that the Q gene produced three transcripts via alternative splicing and that they exhibited differential expression patterns in nodes, internodes, flag leaves, and spikes. Finally, we identified several target genes directly downstream of Q, including TaGRF1-2D and TaMGD-6B, and proposed a possible regulatory network. This study uncovered the target genes of Q, and the results can help to clarify the mechanism of wheat spike morphology and thereby improve wheat grain yield.

With mushroom poisoning emerging as one of the most serious food safety problems worldwide, a rapid identification method of poisonous mushrooms is urgently required to investigate the source of poisoning.

BackgroundCerebral venous disorder may have a harmful effect on ischaemic stroke; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Although Dl-3-n-butylphthalide is a multitarget agent for antiischaemic stroke, its neuroprotective role in brain ischaemia accompanied by brain venous disturbance remains unclear. In this study, we induced cerebral venous disturbance by the occlusion of bilateral external jugular veins (EJVs) to explore the potential mechanism of the adverse effects of cerebrovenous disorders in cerebral infarction and explore the protective effect of Dl-3-n-butylphthalide on cerebral infarction accompanied through cerebral venous disturbance.MethodsCerebral venous disturbance was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats through the permanent occlusion of bilateral EJVs, and cerebral ischaemic stroke was induced through the permanent occlusion of the right cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, MRI, Evans blue extravasation and behavioural test were performed to evaluate infarction volume, cerebral blood flow (CBF), blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity and neurological function. Immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis were performed to detect loss of neuron, endothelial cells, pericytes and tight junctions.ResultsBilateral EJVs occlusion did not cause cerebral infarction; however, it increased the infarction volume compared with the simple middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group, accompanied by severe neuron loss, worse neurological function, lower CBF, increased EJVs pressure, exacerbated Evans blue extravasation and brain oedema, as well as attenuated angiogenesis. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide displayed a neuroprotective effect in rats with MCAO accompanied by EJVs occlusion by reducing neuron loss, accelerating CBF restoration, promoting angiogenesis and relieving BBB damage.ConclusionBilateral EJVs occlusion did not significantly affect normal rats but aggravated brain damage in the case of ischaemic stroke. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide treatment plays a neuroprotective role in rats with MCAO accompanied by EJVs occlusion, mainly due to the promotion of CBF restoration and BBB protection.

One of the most important issues in wireless sensor network (WSN) design is energy consumption as well as sufficient sensing area. Especially, in the situation of non-uniform deployment, energy waste and redundancy easily appear due to the nodes overlap each other. In this paper, a protocol is proposed to deal with these problems. We divide the network into several regions by density peaks clustering (DPC) algorithm. In addition, we combine the Boolean model and the number of neighboring nodes to filter out redundant nodes. What's more, cluster heads are selected based on optimal number of cluster heads, residual energy, and distance away from base station. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm can effectively extend the lifetime of wireless sensor networks.

This paper mainly reveals the inherent mechanism how dandelion pappus shape affects the formation of stable separated vortex ring (SVR) and the flight drag characteristics of bionic dandelion aircraft. Firstly, based on the morphometric results of super dandelion seeds and dandelion seeds, the geometric model of bionic dandelion aircraft was established. Secondly, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of a single cylindrical pappus, a cuboid pappus and bionic aircraft models with cylindrical or cuboid pappi is carried out. Finally, the simulation results are analyzed and compared with the relevant experimental results. The results proves that the porosity of bionic dandelion aircraft is not the absolute factor to determine the drag coefficient, and the pappus shape is also an important factor which should be considered in the design of bionic dandelion aircraft. The results of this paper can explain how the pappus shape affects the formation of stable SVR and the drag coefficient, which is of great significance for the design of bionic dandelion aircraft.

This paper proposes a novel control scheme for a group of quadrotors aircrafts that form a leader-follower configuration and are subjected to nonlinear behavior with lumped disturbances. For each aircraft, a distributed formation control law is designed. The desired geometrical pattern is achieved and the reference formation trajectory is tracked using the synthesized fixed-time position control robust law. Considering the overall feedback system, the presented work also presents a rigorous stability analysis of the system. Moreover, to characterize the control performance, simulations are conducted in a realistic ROS/Gazebo environment. Compared with the relevant literature, the proposed scheme demonstrates superior performance in practice because (i) convergence-time of the agents does not depend on their initial positions; (ii) chattering problem of switching control methods is avoided; (iii) zero error in steady-state is obtained while ensuring robustness.

Purpose The recommendation strength of the guidelines for mechanical thrombectomy among patients with large pre-treatment core infarct is weak. We evaluated the safety and outcome of endovascular treatment for acute ischemic stroke with diffusion-weighted imaging-Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (DWI-ASPECTS) ≤ 5. Methods Data on acute ischemic stroke patients with DWI-ASPECTS ≤ 5 who underwent endovascular treatment within 6 h, or presented an arterial spin labeling-DWI (ASL-DWI) mismatch within 12 h, at our center were retrospectively collected. We report the clinical characteristics and outcome of every patient, and review the relevant literature. Results Among the 19 patients who were enrolled, all experienced successful reperfusion, and 10 achieved a favorable outcome (modified Rankin scale (mRS) ≤ 2). Two patients presented with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH); both of them had a poor outcome (mRS > 2). Conclusion Acute ischemic stroke patients with large DWI lesions caused by large vessel occlusion can achieve a favorable clinical outcome with endovascular treatment if recanalization is performed within 6 h, or after 6 h in case of an ASL-DWI mismatch. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s00234-019-02177-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

To observe the co-transport of Cd(Ⅱ) with nanoscale As

This paper presents an accurate solution of finite-time Cartesian trajectory tracking control problem of a quadrotor system by designing and implementing a novel robust flight-control algorithm. The quadrotor is subject to nonlinearities, unmodeled dynamics, parameters’ uncertainties, and external time-varying disturbances. To reject the disturbances and enhance the control system’s robustness, a terminal sliding mode-based active antidisturbance control (TSMBAADC) approach is proposed for rotational and translational subsystems. To improve the tracking performance, a nonlinear continuous terminal sliding manifold and a fast reaching law are proposed in this work to quickly drive the systems’ states to the equilibrium point even in the presence of lumped disturbances. The convergence time of the states can be pretuned based on the parameters of the sliding manifold and the reaching law. Lyapunov theorem is used to provide a rigorous stability proof for the feedback control system. Numerical simulations and processor-in-the-loop (PIL) experiments are conducted to validate and implement the designed flight control algorithm on real autopilot hardware. The novelty of the proposed research lies in hardware implementation of a sophisticated version of modern control technique that exhibits a multitude of distinguishing features including but not limited to (i) finite-time tracking stability featuring fast convergence is ensured, (ii) chattering and singularity problems in sliding mode control (SMC) are avoided, and (iii) null steady-state error is achieved along with enhanced robustness. Finally, the proposed control law is compared with two recently reported research works. Results of performance comparison in term of the integral of square error (ISE) and the absolute value of the derivative of the input u t (IADU) dictate that the proposed technique overperforms by precision and chattering alleviation.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) contributes to cognitive impairments, and hippocampal neuronal death is one of the key factors involved in this process. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (D3NB) is a synthetic compound originally isolated from the seeds of Apium graveolens, which exhibits neuroprotective effects against some neurological diseases. However, the protective mechanisms of D3NB in a CCH model mimicking vascular cognitive impairment remains to be explored. We induced CCH in rats by a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) operation. Animals were randomly divided into a sham-operated group, CCH 4-week group, CCH 8-week group, and the corresponding D3NB-treatment groups. Cultured primary hippocampal neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to mimic CCH in vitro. We aimed to explore the effects of D3NB treatment on hippocampal neuronal death after CCH as well as its underlying molecular mechanism. We observed memory impairment and increased hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in the CCH groups, combined with inhibition of CNTF/CNTFRα/JAK2/STAT3 signaling, as compared with that of sham control rats. D3NB significantly attenuated cognitive impairment in CCH rats and decreased hippocampal neuronal apoptosis after BCCAO in vivo or OGD/R in vitro. More importantly, D3NB reversed the inhibition of CNTF/CNTFRα expression and activated the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Additionally, JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor AG490 counteracted the protective effects of D3NB in vitro. Our results suggest that D3NB could improve cognitive function after CCH and that this neuroprotective effect may be associated with reduced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis via modulation of CNTF/CNTFRα/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways. D3NB may be a promising therapeutic strategy for vascular cognitive impairment induced by CCH.

Background/AimsChronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is induced by chronic deficit of brain perfusion, contributes to a persistent or progressive cognitive dysfunction, which is characterized by diverse neuropathological manifestations. There are currently no effective medications available. White matter damage (WMD) and cortical neuron death may be caused by CCH, which are related to cognitive impairment, while the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In the study, a database of the transcriptome level was built to determine potential biomarkers in cortex of CCH.MethodsCCH was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by permanent occlusion of the bilateral common carotid arteries. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: Sham-operated group (n = 24), the 4th and 8th week of CCH groups (total = 56, n = 28 for each group). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris water maze task. WMD and neuron damage were detected using diffusion tensor imaging and histological analysis, respectively. Western blotting analysis of various markers was used to examine neuronal death. Whole-transcriptome microarray was performed to assess mRNA, circRNA, and lncRNA expression profiles at 4th and 8th weeks after CCH. Diversified bioinformatic tools were performed to analyze and predict the key biological processes and signaling pathways of differentially expressed RNAs and co-expressed potential target genes. Co-expression networks of mRNA–circRNA–miRNA and lncRNA–mRNA were constructed.ResultsCompared to the sham group, cognitive impairment, disintegration of white matter, blood-brain barrier damage and neuron death were induced by CCH. Neuron death including apoptosis and necroptosis might occur in the cortex of CCH. We constructed the regulatory networks of whole-transcriptomic including differentially expressed mRNAs, circRNAs, and lncRNAs, and related biological functions and pathways involved in neurological disease, cell death and survival, energy and metabolism, et al. Our results also indicated that Cyr61 mRNA may play a role in the CCH-related cortical neuronal death.ConclusionWMD and cortical neuronal death are worthy of attention in the pathogenesis of CCH. Additionally, the present results provide potential evidence at the whole-transcription level for CCH, offering candidate biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

This paper deals with robust attitude control problem of the quadrotor UAV in the presence of model uncertainties and external disturbances such as wind gusts. A Disturbance Observer-Based Control (DOBC) method is proposed by combining an Improved Twisting Control (ITC) algorithm and a Finite-Time Observer (FTO). Within the ITC scheme, the chattering problem of discontinuous Sliding Mode Control (SMC) techniques can be reduced due to the continuous control signal. Besides, finite-time convergence of the system states can be ensured to achieve accurate control. On the other hand, to reject external disturbances, the FTO observer is incorporated into the control framework. Stability analysis of the closed-loop system is rigorously investigated by using a homogeneous Lyapunov Function (LF). Experimental tests are conducted to validate the theoretical findings. A comparative study is made involving the proposed ITC-FTO strategy and three other controllers, including Continuous Twisting Controller (TC), Integral Backstepping Sliding Mode Controller (IBSMC), and a Nominal Backstepping Controller (NBSC). Overall, the obtained results show that the suggested control system yields performance improvement regarding accuracy and robustness. Meanwhile, the chattering effect of conventional SMC is remarkably alleviated.

The problem of ranging error has posed great challenges for 3D reconstruction and obstacle avoidance in parallel binocular vision system. For robot platform, parallel binocular vision system calibrated in fixed distance leads to low accuracy in depth estimation when distance changes. The error transfer function model in the system is applied to solve the problem. However, the theoretical ranging error along central axis of binocular cameras decreases with increasing depth and eventually converges to a limit value, and the ranging error near the central axis is sensitive to a minor change of field of view (FOV). These results are inconsistent with real scene. In this paper, an innovative error analysis method is proposed by introducing spatial uncertainty due to discretization of pixels to geometric model. The proposed method indicates theoretically that the ranging error of object within common FOV along the central axis grows with increasing depth and the magnitude of ranging error is modified. Also, experiments are implemented to further validate the reasonability of the proposed method.

Multi-robot systems have been increasingly employed to explore and detect unknown environments in recent years, such as geological surveys, disaster detection and so on. To ensure effective area detection, area coverage is one of the key issues for multi-robot systems. However, most of the robot systems have the problems of high redundancy and covering holes. Adding robots to the detected holes will lead to increased redundancy and cost of the robot system. Therefore, this paper studies the problem of area coverage hole optimization for multi-robot systems that have limited perception range, and proposes an improved Lloyd-Voronoi algorithm based on virtual force (LVVF). The minimum number of robots required is determined by the inscribed polygon rule according to the circle perception model, and the preliminary coverage is based on Voronoi diagram and Lloyd algorithm. On the basis, a virtual force algorithm based on the Euclidean distance of regions is applied to refine the proposed Lloyd-Voronoi algorithm. The numerical simulations show that the improved Lloyd-Voronoi algorithm can improve the area coverage of the entire system and reduce the system redundancy.

In this paper, we design a stereo image and video acquisition system with adjustable baseline and relative angle. Stereo vision has been used both for field robotic navigation and 3D wave reconstruction. However, there has been inadequate documentation about the synchronization performance of such system. For a dynamically moving scene, such as the wave, any delay between the two cameras will affects the accuracy of the disparity map. The present study presents a physical process to measure the delay between the two cameras. Firstly, we obtain the maximum frame rate of camera when it is triggered by external signal. Then we adopt a free fall experiment to measure the delay between trigger intervals at maximum frame rate. The relationship between baseline distance, calibration checker box tile size and target distance is discussed. Two calibration tools, i.e. MATLAB and WASS are compared using a range of distances.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) contributes to cognitive impairments, and hippocampal neuronal death is one of the key factors involved in this process. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (D3NB) is a synthetic compound originally isolated from the seeds of Apium graveolens, which exhibits neuroprotective effects against some neurological diseases. However, the protective mechanisms of D3NB in a CCH model mimicking vascular cognitive impairment remains to be explored. We induced CCH in rats by a bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) operation. Animals were randomly divided into a sham-operated group, CCH 4-week group, CCH 8-week group, and the corresponding D3NB-treatment groups. Cultured primary hippocampal neurons were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to mimic CCH in vitro. We aimed to explore the effects of D3NB treatment on hippocampal neuronal death after CCH as well as its underlying molecular mechanism. We observed memory impairment and increased hippocampal neuronal apoptosis in the CCH groups, combined with inhibition of CNTF/CNTFRα/JAK2/STAT3 signaling, as compared with that of sham control rats. D3NB significantly attenuated cognitive impairment in CCH rats and decreased hippocampal neuronal apoptosis after BCCAO in vivo or OGD/R in vitro. More importantly, D3NB reversed the inhibition of CNTF/CNTFRα expression and activated the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. Additionally, JAK2/STAT3 pathway inhibitor AG490 counteracted the protective effects of D3NB in vitro. Our results suggest that D3NB could improve cognitive function after CCH and that this neuroprotective effect may be associated with reduced hippocampal neuronal apoptosis via modulation of CNTF/CNTFRα/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways. D3NB may be a promising therapeutic strategy for vascular cognitive impairment induced by CCH.

Background and Purpose: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with large artery occlusion (LAO) may lead to severe disability or death if not promptly treated. To determine the source of cerebral artery occlusion thrombosis, we studied the pathological components of cerebral artery thrombosis with different etiological classifications to guide clinical formulation of preventive treatment. Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight thrombi from AIS patients with LAO, 12 atrial thrombi from patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), and 11 plaques obtained by carotid endarterectomy (CEA) from patients with carotid artery stenosis were included in this retrospective study. The hematoxylin and eosin–stained specimens were quantitatively analyzed for erythrocytes, white blood cells (WBCs) and fibrin; platelets were shown by immunohistochemistry for CD31. Results: The thrombi of VHD showed the highest percentage of fibrin, followed by those of cardioembolism (CE) and stroke of undetermined etiology (SUE), and these values were higher than those of the other groups. Plaques obtained by CEA showed the highest erythrocyte number, followed by the large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) thrombi, and showed significantly noticeable differences between other stroke subtypes. The proportions of fibrin and erythrocytes in the thrombi of CE and SUE were most similar to those in the thrombi of VHD, and the LAA thrombi were the closest to those obtained by CEA. CE thrombi and CEA plaques had a higher percentage of WBCs than thrombi of other stroke thrombus subtypes and VHD. Conclusions: CE and most cryptogenic thrombi may originate from the heart, and the formation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques may be related to atherosclerotic cerebral embolism. Inflammation may be involved in their formation.

Objective: Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is a common consequence of various cerebral vascular disorders, hemodynamics and blood composition changes, which can lead to neurodegenerative injury and cognitive dysfunction. Therefore, it is important to take measures to prevent or reverse its development. Methods: Eighty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: Sham group, Vehicle groups (2-week group and 4-week group), Rosuvastatin-treated groups (2-week group and 4-week group). Both vehicle and treated group rats were treated with bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO). Then rats in the treated group were intravenously injection with rosuvastatin (0.2 mg/kg/day) daily for 14 days beginning 24 hours after BCCAO. The vehicle groups were given the same amount of saline. The MRI ASL technique was used to scan cerebral blood flow (CBF) at pre-occlusion, BCCAO, 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after operation. Morris water maze test detected spatial memory abilities of the treated and vehicle rats after BCCAO. Immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expression of CD34, GFAP, NeuN and Caspase-3 positive cells in hippocampus. Results: CBF decreased significantly after BCCAO in both rosuvastatin-treated and vehicle groups and then increased gradually. The CBF of the treated group was basically recovered to baseline levels at 1 or 2 weeks after BCCAO. But it took the vehicle group 4 weeks to restore to baseline. The vertebral artery (VA) diameter of the treated group was greater than that of the vehicle group (p+ and NeuN + cells in the hippocampus of the treated group was more than that in the vehicle group (p+ and Caspase-3 + cells was less than in the vehicle group (p Conclusion: Rosuvastatin can accelerate the recovery of cerebral blood flow in CCH rats, which may be related to the dilation of VAs and angiogenesis; and its effects on reducing astrocyte activation and neuroprotection may help to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in CCH rats.

A proper inflammatory response is critical to the restoration of tissue homeostasis after injury or infection, but how such a response is modulated by the physical properties of the cellular and tissue microenvironments is not fully understood. Here, using H358, HeLa, and HEK293T cells, we report that cell density can modulate inflammatory responses through the Hippo signaling pathway. We found that NF-κΒ activation through the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) is not affected by cell density. However, we also noted that specific NF-κΒ target genes, such as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), are induced much less at low cell densities than at high cell densities. Mechanistically, we observed that the transcriptional coactivators Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are localized to the nucleus, bind to TEA domain transcription factors (TEADs), recruit histone deacetylase 7 (HDAC7) to the promoter region of COX-2, and repress its transcription at low cell density and that high cell density abrogates this YAP/TAZ-mediated transcriptional repression. Of note, IL-1β stimulation promoted cell migration and invasion mainly through COX-2 induction, but YAP inhibited this induction and thus cell migration and invasion. These results suggest that YAP/TAZ-TEAD interactions can repress COX-2 transcription and thereby mediate cell density-dependent modulation of proinflammatory responses. Our findings highlight that the cellular microenvironment significantly influences inflammatory responses via the Hippo pathway.