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PurposeOcular pathology may be reduced by slowing myopia progression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of a novel custom-designed rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lens to control high myopia by comparing the efficacy of multifocal RGP lenses and single-vision spectacles for high myopia control.MethodsThe medical records of children fitted with spectacles or multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses between January 2018 and May 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Children (5–17 years) with non-cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction of ≤ −6.00 D or spherical equivalent refraction > − 6.00 D with baseline axial length ≥ 26.5 mm, and astigmatism of ≥ −2.00 D were included. Axial length and refraction were measured at baseline, before fitting the participants with multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses or spectacles, and at 1- and 2-year follow-up visits. Changes in axial length were compared between the groups.ResultsAmong the 77 children with 1-year follow-up data, the mean axial elongation was 0.20 ± 0.17 mm and 0.21 ± 0.14 mm in the multifocal rigid gas-permeable and control groups, respectively, without significant differences between groups (F = 0.004, p = 0.835). Among the 41 patients who completed 2 years of follow-up, the mean axial elongation values in the multifocal rigid gas-permeable and control groups were 0.21 ± 0.15 mm and 0.24 ± 0.13 mm, respectively, at the 1-year follow-up, and 0.37 ± 0.27 mm and 0.43 ± 0.23 mm, respectively, at the 2-year follow-up, without significant between-group differences at either time point (p = 0.224).ConclusionAxial length increased at a similar rate in both the control (spectacles) and multifocal rigid gas-permeable lens groups, suggesting that multifocal rigid gas-permeable lenses have no significant impact on controlling high myopia progression compared with spectacles.

Network fingerprinting detection is an important network reconnaissance method,which can be used by attackers to obtain the fingerprinting characteristics of the target network,and then provide support for subsequent targeted attacks.Fingerprinting obfuscation technology enables attackers to form fake fingerprinting views by actively modifying the fingerprinting features in response packets.However,existing obfuscation methods are still insufficient in dealing with attackers’ strategic detection and analysis.To this end,a differential privacy based fingerprinting obfuscation mechanism(DPOF) towards network reconnaissance deception is proposed.Taking the idea of data privacy protection as a reference,DPOF first establishes a utility-driven differential privacy fingerprinting obfuscation model,and calculates the obfuscation probability of fake fingerprints with different utilities through the differential privacy exponential mechanism.On this basis,a fingerprinting obfuscation decision method under resource constraint is further designed,and an obfuscation strategy solving algorithm based on particle swarm optimization is implemented.Simulation results show that compared with the existing typical fingerprinting obfuscation methods,DPOF has better fingerprinting obfuscation effect with different problem scales and budgets,and can obtain a better approximate optimal strategy at a faster speed.

Background: The excessive activation of the microglia leads to the release of inflammatory factors that contribute to neuronal cell loss and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) that belongs to a newly found neurotrophic factors (NTFs) family has been reported to promote neuronal survival in the PD models. However, the effects of the MANF on neuroinflammation in PD remain unclear. Methods: AAV8-MANF virus was constructed to determine whether the high expression of MANF can protect the neuroinflammation-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration in rats with 6-OHDA-induced PD. Rotarod performance test, immunofluorescent staining and western bolt were employed to evaluate the behavioral dysfunction, dopaminergic neurodegeneration, microglia activation, and signal activation. 6-OHDA treated SH-SY5Y cells and LPS treated BV-2 cells were used as the in vitro model for MANF neuroprotective and neuroinflammation mechanisms. Cell vitality and apoptosis were evaluated with MTT, CCK-8 and flow cytometric analysis. The AKT/GSK3β-Nrf2 signaling and the TNF-α/IL6 expression were measured by Western Blot. Results: Our findings indicated that the elevated MANF expression by the AAV8-MANF administration ameliorated the motor dysfunction and protected the dopaminergic neurons in the 6-OHDA treated rats. The upregulated CD11b in the rat SN caused by the 6-OHDA administration was significantly attenuated by the pretreatment of the AAV8-MANF. Furthermore, the levels of p-AKT, p-GSK3β, BCL-2, and Nrf-2 were upregulated by the high expression of the MANF. Under the oxidative stress of the 6-OHDA, the MANF significantly reduced the apoptotic effect of the TNF-α on the SH-SY5Y cells. In the LPS treated BV-2 cells, the MANF reduced the production of the TNF-α and IL-6, via enhancing the Nrf-2, p-Akt, p-GSK3β, and p-NF-κβ level. Conclusions: These results suggested that the MANF prevented the dopaminergic neurodegeneration caused by the microglia activation in PD via activation of the AKT/GSK3β-Nrf-2 signaling axis.

Background: The gut microbiota is crucial in the process of radiation enteritis (RE). Asrecommended by Chinese expert consensus, three formulas such as Baitouweng decoction, Gegen Qinlian decoction, and Shaoyao decoction, are used to prevent the same type of RE. Methods: Herein, we aimed to investigate the common pharmaceutical ingredients andmolecular mechanisms of the three formulas on RE from the perspective of gut microbiotathrough multi-bioinformatics analysis and mouse experiment. Results: Interestingly, theimportant active ingredient screened was quercetin in all three herbal formulas, andthedominant targets that participated in RE treatment by targeting gut microbiota regulationwere IL10, STAT1, IL1B, and IL1A. The concentration of quercetin was measured inGegenQinlian decoction > Shaoyao decoction > Baitouweng decoction (P <0.001) usinghighperformance liquid chromatography. Moreover, a total of 40 SPF C57/BL6J (male, 12–14weeks old) mice were assigned to perform the validation experiment with various quercetinintervention doses. Quercetin significantly protected against inflammatory responseinradiation induced-mice. The microbial alterations in the gut caused by quercetinintervention in radiation-induced mice were also explained. We further confirmedthealterations in the relative mRNA expression of the three formulas for the treatment of RE, which have four similar gut microbiota-regulated targets (IL10, STAT1, IL1B, andIL1A). Conclusion: These findings show that quercetin regulated the gut microbiota for REtherapy, a connotation that works on the principle of “different treatments for the samedisease” for RE. The present investigation provides methodological guidelines and protocolsfor the modern use and examination of traditional therapeutic concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze nonlinear dynamic systems, we developed a new technique based on the square matrix method. We propose this technique called the “convergence map” for generating particle stability diagrams similar to the frequency maps widely used in accelerator physics to estimate dynamic aperture. The convergence map provides similar information as the frequency map but in a much shorter computing time. The dynamic equation can be rewritten in terms of action-angle variables provided by the square matrix derived from the accelerator lattice. The convergence map is obtained by solving the exact nonlinear equation iteratively by the perturbation method using Fourier transform and studying convergence numerically. When the iteration is convergent, the solution is expressed as a quasiperiodic analytical function as a highly accurate approximation and hence the motion is stable. The border of stable motion determines the dynamical aperture. As an example, we applied the new method to the nonlinear optimization of the NSLS-II storage ring and demonstrated a dynamic aperture comparable to or larger than the nominal one obtained by particle tracking. The computation speed of the convergence map is 30 to 300 times faster than the speed of the particle tracking, depending on the size of the ring lattice (number of superperiods). The computation speed ratio is larger for complex lattices with low symmetry, such as particle colliders.

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a severe chronic neuropathic pain. Despite numerous available medical interventions, the therapeutic effects are not ideal. To control the pain attacks, the need for more contemporary drugs continues to be a real challenge. Our previous study reported that Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BKCa) channels modulated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the trigeminal ganglia (TG) neurons play crucial roles in regulating TN, and some research studies demonstrated that inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) could promote neuropathic pain. Meanwhile, the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC), the first central site of the trigeminal nociceptive pathway, is responsible for processing sensory and pain signals from the peripheral orofacial area. Thus, this study is aimed to further investigate whether TNF-α and MAPKs phosphorylation in the TNC could mediate the pathogenesis of TN by modulating BKCa channels. The results showed that TNF-α of the TNC region is upregulated significantly in the chronic constriction injury of infraorbital nerve (ION-CCI) rats model, which displayed persistent facial mechanical allodynia. The normal rats with target injection of exogenous TNF-α to the fourth brain ventricle behaved just like the ION-CCI model rats, the orofacial mechanical pain threshold decreased clearly. Meanwhile, the exogenous TNF-α increased the action potential frequency and reduced the BKCa currents of TNC neurons significantly, which could be reversed by U0126 and SB203580, the inhibitors of MAPK. In addition, U0126, SB203580, and another MAPK inhibitor SP600125 could relieve the facial mechanical allodynia by being injected into the fourth brain ventricle of ION-CCI model rats, respectively. Taken together, our work suggests that the upregulation of TNF-α in the TNC region would cause the increase of MAPKs phosphorylation and then the negative regulation of BKCa channels, resulting in the TN.

In order to realize the resource utilization of calcite tailings corner waste, block copolymerized polypropylene (PPB)/polyolefin elastomer (POE)/calcite waste powder ternary composites were prepared by melt blending modified extrusion method. The effects of waste powder content and POE content on mechanical properties, thermal properties and microstructure of composites were investigated. The results show that POE can improve compatibility of composites, and calcite waste powder can significantly enhance stiffness. Adding 10 phr of calcite waste powder and 20 phr of POE to the PPB base material can improve compatibility between inorganic filler and resin substrate and significantly improve mechanical properties of composites. The impact strength of composites is increased to 55.48 kJ/m2 by the coordination of calcite waste powder and POE. POE and calcite waste powder both reduce the crystallinity of composites, have little effect on melting temperature, and slightly increase crystallization temperature. PPB, POE and calcite waste powder are compounded to prepare composites, which provided a new way to solve the application problem of calcite tailings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]