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Mine microseismic signal denoising is a basic and crucial link in microseismic data processing, which influences the accuracy and reliability of the monitoring system, and is of great significance with regard to safety during mining. Therefore, this study introduces a deep learning method to improve the mapping function and sparsity of signals in the time-frequency domain and constructs a denoising framework based on a deep convolutional autoencoder to address the denoising problem of mine microseismic signals. First, all noisy microseismic signals are normalized to ensure the nonlinear expression ability of the constructed denoising framework. Then, the normalized signals are transformed into the time-frequency domain using the short-time Fourier transform (STFT), and the real and imaginary parts of time-frequency coefficients serve as the input of the deep convolutional autoencoder to output the masks of the effective and noise signals. Next, these masks are applied to the time-frequency coefficients of the noisy microseismic signals, and the time-frequency coefficients of the potentially effective and noise signals are estimated. Finally, inverse STFT is used to transform these time-frequency coefficients to the time domain to obtain the final denoised effective and noise signals. The constructed framework automatically learns rich features from synthetic data to separate the effective and noise signals, thereby achieving the purpose of fast and automatic denoising. The experimental results show that compared with the wavelet threshold and ensemble empirical mode decomposition, the denoising framework considerably improves the signal-to-noise ratio of mine microseismic signals with less waveform distortion. Moreover, it can achieve a better denoising effect efficiently even in the case of a low SNR, which has obvious advantages. The constructed denoising framework is suitable for microseismic monitoring signals of various mine dynamic disasters and provides strong technical support for intelligent monitoring and early warning concerning production risks in mines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Film is an essential expression of a country's cultural soft power in terms of cross-cultural exchange. In addition, film is also the most direct and favourable means of communication. Along with the expansion and development of the Chinese film market, outstanding animation films have emerged in recent years. Animated films have both artistic and commercial properties and can not only have a cultural impact but can also contribute to economic growth. For this reason, our country is now paying more and more attention to the development of animated films. Specifically, animated films not only represent a country's cultural soft power and national image, but they are also a symbol of the strength of a country's cultural industry. As a reflection and extension of China's culture and ideology, animated films play an important role in enhancing cultural confidence and cultural export. In recent years, China's economy has shown a steady and sustained growth trend. At the same time, with the rapid development of internet technology, social networking has gradually penetrated into all aspects of people's lives. Various social networking forums, websites, and sites have emerged. While satisfying a wide range of needs, they also provide information on product reviews, social reviews, and service reviews. These reviews contain feedback from the reviewer about the subject of the review. Tapping into the emotions in these reviews can provide consumers with shopping references and help businesses to optimise their products and improve their business strategies. With the help of modern internet technology and information technology, the modern movie industry, such as Cat's Eye Movies and other internet entertainment service platforms, has developed a model of online ticketing, offline movie viewing, and online reviews and feedback. The content of the reviews on these movie websites fully reflects the attitudinal views of the movie-going community. These reviews play a decisive role in the box office and the further spread of culture. As a result, in order to better understand the audience's emotional tendencies and needs, it is necessary to carry out sentiment analysis and deep semantic mining of animated film reviews. As the evaluation of film works considers many factors and is complex and variable, the choice of model is crucial in the process of sentiment analysis. Machine learning models represented by deep neural networks are more tolerant of sentence noise and have strong information discrimination and feature self-learning capabilities. As a result, intelligent machine learning is more advantageous for sentiment classification tasks. This study is a combination of textual data mining and statistical analysis from the perspective of viewers' comments to study the online reviews of animation films from different countries. At the same time, this research hopes to uncover meaningful information from the film reviews and the gap between Chinese and other countries' animation films, in order to provide a little help for the rise of domestic animation films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the reference value of film review data, this paper combines clustering analysis technology to construct a film review clustering visualization research system to improve the visualization effect of film reviews. Moreover, this paper analyzes online reviews based on the method of type-2 fuzzy sets and determines the interval of type-2 fuzzy sets of each factor set of commodity status in commercial stores by considering both the language and specific numbers of keywords in online review texts. In addition, this paper analyzes intelligent control through practical application and sets the expected target of the control object. Finally, according to the fuzzy rules and word calculation, this paper determines the interference or improvement measures that can be referenced to form a closed-loop control. The experimental research shows that cluster analysis technology can play a certain role in the visual analysis of film review data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Hepatic fibrosis is the most significant determinant of all-cause- and liver -related mortality in NAFLD. However, the relationship between NAFLD fibrosis and severe coronary artery disease (CAD) remains unclear. Methods and Results. We conducted a retrospective study of 531 patients with ultrasonogram-confirmed NAFLD who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Then, all patients were separated into four categories by Gensini score (0, 0-9, 9-48, and ≥48) for use in ordinal logistic regression analysis to determine whether NAFLD fibrosis was associated with increased Gensini scores. Mediation analysis was used to investigate whether systemic inflammation is a mediating factor in the association between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. FIB − 4 > 2.67 (OR = 5.67 , 95% CI 2.59-12.38) and APRI > 1.5 (OR = 14.8 , 95% CI 3.24-67.60) remained to be independent risk factors for the severity of CAD after adjusting for conventional risk factors, whereas among the inflammation markers, only neutrophils and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were independently associated with CAD. Multivariable ordinal regression analysis suggested that increasing Gensini score (0, 0-9, 9-48, and ≥48) was associated with advanced NAFLD fibrosis. ROC curve showed that either fibrosis markers or inflammation markers, integrating with traditional risk factors, could increase the predictive capacity for determining CAD. Inflammation markers, especially neutrophils and NLR, were mediators of the relationship between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. Conclusions. NAFLD patients with advanced fibrosis are at a high risk of severe coronary artery stenosis, and inflammation might mediate the association between NAFLD fibrosis and CAD severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In the past decade, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), and noncoding RNAs in exosomes may play a major role. Aim. The present study is aimed at exploring the effect and mechanism of miR-326 in exosomes secreted by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on pyroptosis of cartilage and OA improvement. Methods. Exosomes from BMSCs (BMSC-Exos) were isolated and identified to incubate with OA chondrocytes. Proliferation, migration, specific gene and miR-326 expression, and pyroptosis of chondrocytes were detected. BMSCs or chondrocytes were transfected with miR-326 mimics or inhibitors to investigate the effect of miR-326 in BMSC-Exos on pyroptosis of chondrocytes and the potential mechanism. Finally, a rat OA model was established to verify the effect and mechanism of miR-326 in BMSC-Exos on cartilage of pyroptosis. Results. Incubation with BMSC-Exos could significantly improve the survival rate, migration ability, and chondrocyte-specific genes (COL2A1, SOX9, Agg, and Prg4) and miR-326 expression of OA chondrocytes and significantly inhibit pyroptosis of chondrocytes by downregulation of the levels of inflammatory cytokines, Caspase-1 activity, and pyroptosis-related proteins such as GSDMD, NLRP3, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18 (P < 0.01). PKH26 labeling confirmed the uptake of BMSC-Exos by chondrocytes. Incubation with exosomes extracted from BMSCs overexpressing miR-326 can significantly repress the pyroptosis of chondrocytes, while knockdown of miR-326 had the opposite effect (P < 0.01). The same result was also demonstrated by direct interference with the expression level of miR-326 in chondrocytes (P < 0.01). In addition, we found that the overexpression of miR-326 significantly inhibited the expression of HDAC3 and NF-κB p65 and significantly promoted the expression of STAT1, acetylated STAT1, and acetylated NF-κB p65 in chondrocytes (P < 0.01). The targeted relationship between miR-326 and HDAC3 was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Animal experiments confirmed the mechanism by which miR-326 delivered by BMSC-Exos inhibits pyroptosis of cartilage by targeting HDAC3 and STAT1/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway. Conclusion. BMSC-Exos can deliver miR-326 to chondrocytes and cartilage and improve OA by targeting HDAC3 and STAT1//NF-κB p65 to inhibit pyroptosis of chondrocytes and cartilage. Our findings provide a new mechanism for BMSC-Exos to treat OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through field observation and theoretical study, we found that the Hanxing mining area has a typical ternary structure in coal mining under high water pressure of the aquifer. This ternary structure is the Ordovician limestone aquifer-aquiclude including thin limestones-coal seam. Although the aquiclude is considerably thick, there is still a great risk of water burst during mining under water pressure in the deep burial environment. Multidimensional characteristics of floor water inrush in deep mining are summarized in the paper, including water migration upwardly driven by the Ordovician confined water, the planar dispersion of the water inrush channel, the stepped increase of the water inrush intensity, the hysteretic effluent of the water inrush time and the exchange, and adsorption of the water quality. The water inrush mechanism is clarified that the permeability, dilatancy, fracturing, and ascending of the water from the Ordovician limestone aquifer form a planar and divergent flow through the transfer, storage, and transportation of thin limestone aquifers. The corresponding water inrush risk evaluation equation is also proposed. Based on the thickness of the aquiclude, the thickness of the failure zones, and the water inrush coefficient, the floor aquiclude is classified into five categories. While water inrush cannot be completely controlled by the traditional underground floor reinforcement with ultra-thick aquiclude or even zonal grouting, a comprehensive prevention and control concept of the four-dimensional floor water hazard in full time-space domain are proposed. A tridimensional prevention and control model of three-dimensional reticulated exploration, treatment, verification, and supplementation is presented. A full time domain technological quality control process of condition assessment, exploration, remediation, inspection, evaluation, monitoring, and reassurance is formed, and a water disaster prevention method with full time-space tridimensional network in deep coal mining is established. Case study in the Hanxing mining area demonstrates that the proposed methods are highly effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gefitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and represents the first-line treatment for EGFR mutation patients with NSCLC (non-small-cell lung cancer) therapeutics. However, NSCLC patients are inclined to develop acquired gefitinib drug resistance through nowadays, unarticulated mechanisms of chemoresistance. Here, we investigated the role of TF (Trifolium flavonoids) on sensitizing gefitinib resistance in NSCLC cells and revealed its potential mechanism of action. We demonstrated that TF exerted significantly potential chemosensitivity in gefitinib resistant NSCLC cells. MTT assay and cytological methods were used to analyze cell viability and apoptosis in NSCLC cell line PC-9R. Both TF and gefitinib suppressed PC-9R cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Subtoxic concentrations of TF did significantly augment gefitinib-induced apoptosis in PC-9R cell line. The TF promoted chemosensitivity was major mediated by the PARP and caspases activation. Meanwhile, the TF promoted chemosensitivity also decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. Finally, TF significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 and ERK. Altogether, the results of the present study indicated the potential mechanisms of chemosensitivity of TF in gefitinib-induced apoptosis of NSCLC by downregulating ERK and STAT3 signaling pathways and Bcl2 and Mcl-1 expression and a promising application of TF in therapy of NSCLC with gefitinib resistant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the synthesis mechanism of cubic boron nitride (cBN) with catalysts at high temperature and high pressure, we calculate the surface energy of the main phases in the Li-N-B synthesis system using the first-principle method. Based on the density functional theory, the surface energy of low-index surfaces of cBN, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and lithium boron nitride (Li3BN2) at the cBN synthetic temperature of 1700 K and synthetic pressure of 5.0 GPa is calculated. The surface energy of the main low-index surfaces of cBN is σ (111) > σ (001) > σ (110), that of hBN is σ 10 1 ¯ 0 > σ 11 2 ¯ 0 > σ (0001), and that of Li3BN2 is σ (100) > σ (110) > σ (001). The energy orders of the main low-index surfaces were well contrary to the corresponding orders of the valence electron density of the low-index surfaces of cBN, hBN, and Li3BN2, which were calculated by the empirical electron theory (EET) of solids and molecules. The result shows that the calculation results in this paper are well consistent with the previous results of the EET theory and support for the results of the "direct transformation of hBN to cBN under the catalysis of Li3BN2" obtained by the EET theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cubic boron nitride (cBN) single crystals are synthesized under high temperature and high pressure in the Li-based system. The growth defects on hexagonal and triangular (111) surfaces of cBN single crystals after rapid cooling are discussed systemically for the first time using the atomic force microscope. Some impurity particles, triangle cone hole defects, lamellar-fault structures, and big steps are obvious on the surfaces of cBN single crystals. The formation mechanism of these defects is analyzed briefly at the synthetic process of cBN single crystals, and the growth mechanism of cBN single crystals transform from the two-dimensional growth to dislocation growth mechanism under high temperature and high pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common lung cancer which seriously threatens the human health. Xu Li's experiential prescription (XLEP) can treat the NSCLC. However, whether XLEP can regulate the autophagy in the EGFR-positive NSCLC still remains unknown. We found that the cellular activity of drug-resistant cells and sensitive cells were all decreased in the TCM group and TCM + Gef group. The expression of autophagy-associated proteins (mTOR and Beclin1-Vps34) in drug-resistant cells was decreased in the TCM group, while the expression of autophagy-associated proteins in sensitive cells was all decreased in the TCM + Gef group. The ratio of M1/M2 macrophages was increased when IL-4-induced RAW264.7 was treated with TCM. TCM treatment promoted the expression of CCL2 and CCL3 while it downregulated the CCL22 level among A549, H1975, and PC9 cells. The expression of TNF-α and IL-6 was increased, and the expression of IL-10 and TGF-β was decreased in IL-4-induced RAW264.7 cells treated with TCM. And, TCM treatment also decreased the expression of Fizz1 and TGM2. In conclusion, this study indicated that XLEP could suppress the proliferation of EGFR-TKI-resistant cancer cells and increase the ratio of M1/M2 macrophages by inhibiting autophagy to treat the drug-resistant EGFR-positive NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main challenge of the galfenol actuator for high-precision positioning is the inherent nonsmooth hysteresis, which may lead to undesirable inaccuracies or oscillations and even instability. The primary aim of this study is to develop a tracking control method to precisely control the output displacement of a galfenol-actuated nanopositioning stage using feedforward control with a disturbance observer. In order to accurately describe the rate-dependent hysteresis, considering the dynamic behavior of the power amplifier, a novel dynamic model is put forward. Then, a developed controller is designed. In this controller, a feedforward control is developed to compensate the rate-dependent hysteresis, and a disturbance observer is employed to restrain disturbances, high-order unmodeled dynamics, and hysteresis compensation error. The comparative experimental results show that the proposed control method can significantly improve the positioning accuracy and suppress disturbances. This research can be applied in various micro and nanopositioning and vibration control fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Upper partial fibulectomy has been preliminarily proved to have the efficacy for pain alleviation and improvement of function in patients with mild to moderate medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, the previous studies lack the control group with other treatments. The aim of this prospective, randomized controlled study is to compare the clinical and biomechanical effects between upper partial fibulectomy and drug conservative treatment on improvement of clinical pain, function, and gait for patients with mild to moderate medial knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and further discuss its biomechanical mechanism. Methods. From August 2016 to February 2017, 49 and 48 patients with mild to moderate medial KOA were allocated to fibulectomy and drug groups. We assessed the patients' visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee score, limb alignment, passive flexion/extension range of motion (ROM) of the knee, and 3D gait kinematics and kinetics parameters before and after intervention. Repeated-measures ANOVA with Dunnett's post hoc assessment and multivariate analysis of variance were applied for intragroup and intergroup comparisons, respectively. Results. The improvement in the fibulectomy group on the VAS pain score, HSS knee score, walking speed, and walking knee range of motion (ROM) was statistically better than that in the drug group. The decreased overall peak knee adduction moment (KAM) (decreased by 16.1%) and hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle (decreased by 0.99° from a more varus alignment to a more neutral alignment) of the affected and operated side 1 year after surgery were observed in the fibulectomy group. Conclusion. This research demonstrated that as a biomechanical intervention, upper partial fibulectomy can be a better choice in pain relief and function and gait improvement than drug conservative treatment for patients with early-stage knee OA. The long-term clinical outcomes, indication, and rationale for the improvement in clinical symptoms should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microstructure-based function components are widely used in precision engineering. Surface profile measurement is an essential tool to verify the manufacturing quality of microstructures and to enhance the working performance of the device employing microstructures as function components. However, highly accurate surface profile measurements are difficult to perform for microstructures owing to their complex surface topographies. In this paper, a measurement system is proposed for the surface profile measurement of microstructures. The main components of the measurement system are a precision displacement stage to move the workpiece, a homemade probing system with a diamond microstylus to sense the surface profile variation of the microstructures on the workpiece, and a vibration isolation table to reduce the disturbance of the measurement environment. In addition, the stability of the measurement was experimentally investigated. Microstructures with shape of equilateral right triangle were employed as the measurement specimen, and the surface profile of triangular microstructures was measured by employing two methods to correct errors caused by the specimen inclination and the radius of the stylus tip. The shape, depth, and period of the measured microstructures were also detected based on the results of the surface profile measurement. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed surface profile measurement for microstructures with complex surface topographies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaching-learning-based optimization (TLBO) is a population-based metaheuristic search algorithm inspired by the teaching and learning process in a classroom. It has been successfully applied to many scientific and engineering applications in the past few years. In the basic TLBO and most of its variants, all the learners have the same probability of getting knowledge from others. However, in the real world, learners are different, and each learner’s learning enthusiasm is not the same, resulting in different probabilities of acquiring knowledge. Motivated by this phenomenon, this study introduces a learning enthusiasm mechanism into the basic TLBO and proposes a learning enthusiasm based TLBO (LebTLBO). In the LebTLBO, learners with good grades have high learning enthusiasm, and they have large probabilities of acquiring knowledge from others; by contrast, learners with bad grades have low learning enthusiasm, and they have relative small probabilities of acquiring knowledge from others. In addition, a poor student tutoring phase is introduced to improve the quality of the poor learners. The proposed method is evaluated on the CEC2014 benchmark functions, and the computational results demonstrate that it offers promising results compared with other efficient TLBO and non-TLBO algorithms. Finally, LebTLBO is applied to solve three optimal control problems in chemical engineering, and the competitive results show its potential for real-world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Diagnoses of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) are a crucial problem in clinics. In our study, we compared the peptide profiles of MPE and tuberculosis pleural effusion (TPE) to investigate the value of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) in diagnosis of MPE. Material and Methods. The 46 MPE and 32 TPE were randomly assigned to training set and validation set. Peptides were isolated by weak cation exchange magnetic beads and peaks in the m/z range of 800–10000 Da were analyzed. Comparing the peptide profile between 30 MPE and 22 TPE samples in training set by ClinProTools software, we screened the specific biomarkers and established a MALDI-TOF-MS classification of MPE. Finally, the other 16 MPE and 10 TPE were included to verify the model. We additionally determined carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in MPE and TPE samples using electrochemiluminescent immunoassay method. Results. Five peptide peaks (917.37 Da, 4469.39 Da, 1466.5 Da, 4585.21 Da, and 3216.87 Da) were selected to separate MPE and TPE by MALDI-TOF-MS. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the classification were 93.75%, 100%, and 96.15%, respectively, after blinded test. The sensitivity of CEA was significantly lower than MALDI-TOF-MS classification (P=0.035). Conclusions. The results indicate MALDI-TOF-MS is a potential method for diagnosing MPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop a thermally and operationally stable trypsin through covalent immobilization onto chitosan magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4 @CTS). The successful preparation of the Fe3O4 @CTS nanoparticles was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which indicated that the prepared Fe3O4 @CTS nanoparticles have superparamagnetic properties, with an average size of approximately 17 nm. Then, trypsin was covalently immobilized onto the Fe3O4 @CTS nanoparticles at a high loading capacity (149.25 mg/g). The FTIR data demonstrated that the trypsin had undergone a conformational change compared with free trypsin, and the Michaelis constant (Km) and the maximum hydrolysis reaction rate (Vmax) showed that the trypsin immobilized on the Fe3O4 @CTS had a lower affinity for BAEE and lower activity compared with free trypsin. However, the immobilized trypsin showed higher activity than free trypsin at pH 6.0 and in alkaline conditions and retained more than 84% of its initial activity at 60°C after 8 h incubation. Its excellent performance across a broader pH range and high thermal stability, as well as its effective hydrolysis of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and its reusability, make it more attractive than free trypsin for application in protein digestion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic errors of the stylus-based probing system seriously affect the measurement accuracy in surface quality detection on microstructures. A method, which is focused on measuring the surface form of microgears, microholes on the injector nozzle, and so forth, is proposed to control dynamic errors of the stylus-based probing system. Firstly, two kinematical models were built to systematically investigate the dynamic performance of the stylus-based probing system, and the relationship between the measuring force, scanning speed, fidelity, and dynamic errors was described. Then, numerical simulations of the surface form measurement, in which a sine-shaped microstructure was taken as a target surface, were carried out. Results of the numerical simulations reveal that the dynamic errors were affected by the scanning speed and the initial position of the measured specimen. Lastly, a method to control dynamic errors by properly setting up the scanning speed and the initial position of the specimen was proposed for the surface form measurement of microstructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contour line is the main linear feature on topographic maps. Extraction of contour lines is tedious and time-consuming process, but is still an interesting problem. This paper presents a novel method for extracting contour lines from average-quality scanned topographic maps. First, it uses spatial fuzzy c-means algorithm (sFCM) to solve color aliasing and false color problems by taking into consideration both color and spatial information of topographic maps during color segmentation. In order to improve the categorizing rate, upper and lower cut-sets are introduced into sFCM. Second, to deal with the problem of thick lines, node segments are removed before gaps are repaired. Third, different methods are used to repair contour lines gaps according to the causes, which improves the break points matching accuracy. The performance of the method is tested on several topographic maps comparing with other methods, and the results show that the method can avoid misleading results caused by distortion and wrong branches at intersecting regions when using thinning algorithms and have more accurate and higher quality extraction results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While MOOCs offer educational data on a new scale, many educators find great potential of the big data including detailed activity records of every learner. A learner’s behavior such as if a learner will drop out from the course can be predicted. How to provide an effective, economical, and scalable method to detect cheating on tests such as surrogate exam-taker is a challenging problem. In this paper, we present a grade predicting method that uses student activity features to predict whether a learner may get a certification if he/she takes a test. The method consists of two-step classifications: motivation classification (MC) and grade classification (GC). The MC divides all learners into three groups including certification earning, video watching, and course sampling. The GC then predicts a certification earning learner may or may not obtain a certification. Our experiment shows that the proposed method can fit the classification model at a fine scale and it is possible to find a surrogate exam-taker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of community detection algorithms in complex networks has been very active in the past several years. In this paper, a Hybrid Self-adaptive Community Detection Algorithm (HSCDA) based on modularity is put forward first. In HSCDA, three different crossover and two different mutation operators for community detection are designed and then combined to form a strategy pool, in which the strategies will be selected probabilistically based on statistical self-adaptive learning framework. Then, by adopting the best evolving strategy in HSCDA, a Multiobjective Community Detection Algorithm (MCDA) based on kernel k-means (KKM) and ratio cut (RC) objective functions is proposed which efficiently make use of recommendation of strategy by statistical self-adaptive learning framework, thus assisting the process of community detection. Experimental results on artificial and real networks show that the proposed algorithms achieve a better performance compared with similar state-of-the-art approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a slope-adapted sample-tilting method for the profile measurement of microstructures with steep surfaces. Distinct from the traditional scanning method that has the restriction of a maximum detectable angle, this method corrects the sample-stylus relative angle during the measurement of the steep surface to eliminate the profile deviation and the scanning blind region. The performance of the proposed method was verified by simulations that measured the surface profiles of a trapezoidal microstructure and a spherical microstructure, finding maximum errors of 0.15 μm and 1.71 μm, respectively, compared to 3.63 μm and 7.85 μm using the traditional scanning method. The proposed method enables accurate profile measurement and quality control of microstructures with steep surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide an opportunity for people to access free courses offered by top universities in the world and therefore attracted great attention and engagement from college teachers and students. However, with contrast to large scale enrollment, the completion rate of these courses is really low. One of the reasons for students to quit learning process is problems which they face that could not be solved by discussing them with classmates. In order to keep them staying in the course, thereby further improving the completion rate, we address the task of study partner recommendation for students based on both content information and social network information. By analyzing the content of messages posted by learners in course discussion forum, we investigated the learners’ behavior features to classify the learners into three groups. Then we proposed a topic model to measure learners’ course knowledge awareness. Finally, a social network was constructed based on their activities in the course forum, and the relationship in the network was then employed to recommend study partners for target learner combined with their behavior features and course knowledge awareness. The experiment results show that our method achieves better performance than recommending method only based on content information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless ad hoc/sensor networks (WASN) have seen increased application in three-dimensional (3D) environments, such as underwater and aerial scenarios. However, WASN may be fragmented or unable to connect continuously due to the harsh surrounding environment or high mobility. Therefore, restoring the network connectivity and transmit data in real time is very important. This paper focuses on the critical task of restoring network connectivity in 3D WASN, a complex issue given that existing connectivity restoration algorithms for two-dimensional environments are not directly applicable or become overly complicated in 3D contexts. We present a comprehensive analysis of the current research landscape, summarizing key findings related to various aspects of 3D WASN connectivity restoration. These aspects include the application environment (underwater, in the sky, and recovery disaster), opportunities for restoration (active, passive, and active/passive), implementation strategies (clustering and sleep scheduling), and resource constraints (node deployment and movement control). Our study also proposes a classification of connectivity restoration solutions for 3D WASN, identifying existing gaps and suggesting potential future research directions. By providing specific insights and a structured overview of the field, we aim to contribute to the ongoing development of robust and resilient 3D WASN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNA (circRNA), a recently identified type of endogenous noncoding RNA, has been implicated in the occurrence and development of a variety of tumors; however, whether circ-SIRT1, derived from pre-mRNA of the parental SIRT1 gene, is involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unknown, as do the potential underlying mechanisms. The expression of circ-SIRT1 in CRC cells and tissue was detected by RT-qPCR. Colony formation and Cell Counting Kit-8 assays were used to evaluate the effect of circ-SIRT1 knockdown on the proliferative ability of CRC cells. Wound healing and Transwell assays were used to assess the effect of circ-SIRT1 knockdown on the migratory and invasive capacity of CRC cells. RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assays were employed to validate the binding of circ-SIRT1 to EIF4A3. Western blot was used to identify the changes in the expression of EIF4A3 and EMT-related proteins. The RT-qPCR results showed that circ-SIRT1 was highly expressed in CRC cells and tissue and was positively correlated with the depth of tumor invasion. Knocking down circ-SIRT1 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells and EMT. We further found that EIF4A3 could bind to circ-SIRT1, and that overexpressing circ-SIRT1 decreased the abundance of EIF4A3 at the mRNAs of the EMT marker proteins N-cadherin and vimentin. Combined, our findings suggested that circ-SIRT1 regulates the expression of EMT-related proteins by preventing EIF4A3 recruitment to the respective mRNAs. Our results further indicate that circ-SIRT1 functions as an oncogene in CRC by promoting the proliferation, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells through the circ-SIRT1/EIF4A3/N-cadherin/vimentin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of inclined cables is fundamental to the integrity of cable-stayed bridges. The vibrational frequencies of these cables form the foundation for assessing the cable force. Traditional contact measurement methods necessitate the installation of sensors on each cable, incurring substantial costs. In scenarios where camera placement adjacent to an inclined cable is impractical, noncontact approaches such as video capture via unmanned aerial vehicles prove effective. However, unmanned aerial vehicle-captured videos present a challenge due to their complex background, impeding cable feature recognition. In our study, we initially utilized the Region Growing algorithm for background subtraction. To enhance this method, we integrated it with the unique structural characteristics of cables, leading to the creation of the RGv2 algorithm. This novel algorithm offers increased processing speed and improved accuracy. Furthermore, we combined our method with empirical mode decomposition for effective detection of cable frequency characteristics. We also implemented a hybrid method, combining the K-Means and line segment detector algorithms with empirical mode decomposition. Compared to deep learning techniques for background subtraction, our proposed method demonstrates superior computational efficiency and promising potential for measuring vibrational frequencies of inclined cables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive control methods have been widely adopted to handle the variable time delay in real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS). Nevertheless, the initial parameter settings in adaptive control law, the parameter estimation method, and the testing system nonlinearity will affect RTHS's accuracy and stability at different levels. To this end, this study proposes a novel model-based adaptive feedforward-feedback control method that considers an additive error model. In the proposed method, the time delay and amplitude discrepancy are roughly compensated by a feedforward controller and then finely reduced by an adaptive controller, and an outer-loop control formed by the feedback controller is introduced to improve the ability and robustness furthermore. What's more, the testing system, composed of the transfer system and physical specimen, is divided into the nominal and additive error models. The feedforward controller is devised using the inverse nominal model, whose parameters are constant. The adaptive controller is designed to adopt a discrete-time additive error model, in which the parameters are identified online by the Kalman filter. Numerical simulations, parametric studies, and actual experiments were carried out to inspect the feasibility and effectiveness of this method thoroughly. Results indicate that the proposed method can effectively improve the accuracy and stability of RTHS and significantly reduce the dependence on the adaptive control law. Moreover, the proposed method exhibits strong robustness and is, therefore, useful in RTHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of myopia in elementary school students and to assess the risk factors for myopia. Methods. This school-based cross-sectional study was performed on students from two elementary schools in Jiaojiang, Taizhou City, China. A total of 556 students, whose age ranged from 9 to 12 years, were included. The uncorrected visual acuity and noncycloplegic refractive error tests were performed to determine the myopia. Each student was asked to fulfill the questionnaire about the possible factors associated with myopia. Multivariate logistic analyses of risk factors were conducted. Results. The overall prevalence of myopia among those students was 63.7%, ranged from 53.4% in grade 4 to 72.5% in grade 6. Multivariate logistic analysis showed that adjusting the height of desks and chairs according to the changing height and the presence of myopia in parents were significantly associated with myopia in these students, respectively. Conclusions. Our results showed that myopia among elementary school students was associated with environmental and hereditary factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concrete-faced rockfill dam valley foundation was considered as an open energy system and a reasonable non-uniform seismic motion input method was applied to the dynamic analysis of a concrete-faced rockfill dam based on the generalized plastic model. First, the corresponding program was validated by means of the scattering question of an idealized semicircle valley. Subsequently, the seismic elasto-plastic finite element analyses were performed to compare and investigate the performances of a concrete-faced rockfill dam under different seismic motion input methods. The results show that the dynamic responses of the concrete-faced rockfill dam are decreased by 10%–30% approximately with the use of non-uniform seismic motion input method. As a result, the traditional uniform seismic motion input method would overestimate the responses of the dam. From the perspective of seismic safety evaluation, the overestimations would disturb the reasonable assessment of the aseismic capacity of the dam. Moreover, the slope stability analysis results might be conservative and unreasonable due to overestimating the accelerations during the earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concrete-faced rockfill dam valley foundation was considered as an open energy system and a reasonable non-uniform seismic motion input method was applied to the dynamic analysis of a concrete-faced rockfill dam based on the generalized plastic model. First, the corresponding program was validated by means of the scattering question of an idealized semicircle valley. Subsequently, the seismic elasto-plastic finite element analyses were performed to compare and investigate the performances of a concrete-faced rockfill dam under different seismic motion input methods. The results show that the dynamic responses of the concrete-faced rockfill dam are decreased by 10%–30% approximately with the use of non-uniform seismic motion input method. As a result, the traditional uniform seismic motion input method would overestimate the responses of the dam. From the perspective of seismic safety evaluation, the overestimations would disturb the reasonable assessment of the aseismic capacity of the dam. Moreover, the slope stability analysis results might be conservative and unreasonable due to overestimating the accelerations during the earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With multilayer hard roof occurring above the mining area, the strata behaviors will be significantly affected by their special characteristics and interaction. In this paper, relying on the mining background of panel 1061 of a coalmine, the breaking instability of double-layer hard thick strata (DLHTS) and the precursory information of disasters are studied by using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and physical simulation. Results show that the DLHTS have bearing, blocking, and controlling effects. Prior to DLHTS breaking, the horizontal development of stress concentration zone and plastic zone can be controlled, and the overburden movement is gentle, while during the breaking process, the stress drops abruptly, the plastic zone expands longitudinally rapidly, the overburden moves notably, and the energy release is sharp, which is likely to directly cause strong dynamic pressure. Moreover, the DLHTS can interact with and influence each other; that is to say, the breaking of lower magmatic rock (LMR) can provide sufficient space for that of upper magmatic rock (UMR), while the UMR breaking can promote the LMR periodic breaking in turn and cause its secondary instability, thereby easily causing complex or composite dynamic disasters' formation. Hence, compared with single hard thick stratum occurrence, the strata behaviors affected by DLHTS breaking and instability are normal and more intense. Study results can provide a scientific basis for the prevention and control of dynamic disaster with hard thick stratum occurrence and important guidance value for promoting safe and efficient production of coalmines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To investigate the relationship between external knee adduction moment (KAM) and knee osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms according to static alignment and pelvic drop. Methods. Ninety-five participants with symptomatic knee OA were included. Radiographic severity was graded by Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) scale. The hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle was used to assess limb alignment from a full-length lower-limb radiograph. KAM-related variables (peak KAM and KAM impulse) and pelvic drop angle were determined from 3D gait analysis. Symptoms were assessed via visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and hospital for special surgery (HSS) score for physical function. The relationship between KAM and symptoms was evaluated according to radiographic severity and pelvic drop using linear models. Results. According to the more affected knee in the varus group, both the two KAM-related measures (peak KAM and KAM impulse) were positively associated with greater VAS pain and were negatively associated with HSS score. Only peak KAM was correlated with VAS and HSS in the valgus group. VAS pain score of the more affected knee was positively correlated with pelvic drop angle. Stratified by pelvic drop angle, KAM-related variables were more positively associated with VAS pain and negatively associated with HSS score for patients with pelvic drop angle ≤3 degrees. The relationships between KAM and symptoms according to radiographic disease severity remained confusing. Conclusions. Static alignment and pelvic drop angle significantly affected relationships between KAM-related variables and knee OA symptoms, which may explain the confusing results as shown by previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The experiment aimed to explore the effects of curcumin on motor impairment, dopamine neurons, and gut microbiota in the 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) mice model. Methods. Mice were randomly assigned to six groups: normal control group, solvent control group, MPTP group, curcumin-low-dose group (40 mg/kg), curcumin-medium-dose group (80 mg/kg), and curcumin-high-dose group (160 mg/kg). After 14 days, each group of mice was subjected to the pole text, the hanging test, and the open-field test. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry was used to observe the survival of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons. Moreover, ultrastructural changes were observed with a transmission electron microscope in mice striatal tissue cells. Then, 16S rRNA was used to assess changes in the gut microbiota. Results. (1) Each dose of curcumin reduced pole climbing time and increased suspension score and total distance moved dose-dependently. (2) All curcumin groups improved cell wrinkling and vacuolar degeneration, increased the number of TH positives, improved cell survival, and the higher the dose of curcumin, the better the effect. (3) There were differences in microbiota composition and a relative abundance among the groups. The relative abundance of Patescibacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia was higher in the MPTP group. The relative abundance of Patescibacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcaceae all decreased in all curcumin groups. In addition, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways showed a reduction in the superpathway of N-acetylneuraminate degradation after medium- and high-dose curcumin administration. Conclusions. Curcumin regulates gut microbiota and exerts a neuroprotective effect in the MPTP mice model. This preliminary study demonstrates the therapeutic potential of curcumin for Parkinson's disease, providing clues for microbially targeted therapies for Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Common chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) has a good prognosis when cured by surgery. However, clinical practice shows that a small number of patients with chRCC will produce metastasis, and the prognosis after metastasis is poor. In this regard, we try to find potential biological targets to prevent CRCC metastasis. In this experiment, we analyzed the clinical traits and gene expression data of chRCC samples which were provided by the TCGA database by the WGCNA method. On this basis, we selected MEtan, a module with a significant positive correlation with the M phase of chRCC, for subsequent analysis. The MEtan module genes in the biological process of chRCC were mainly related to steroid metabolic process, cholesterol metabolic process and STEM cell differentiation. KEGG analysis showed that these genes were mainly enriched in cancer-related signaling pathways, such as Neuroactive Ligand−receptor interaction, cAMP signaling pathway, and Wnt signaling pathway. Subsequently, we mapped the PPI interaction network and screened the key gene beta-arrestin 2 (ARRB2). Expression analysis showed that there was a significantly increased expression of ARRB2 in chRCC patients in comparison to the normal group. Expression survival analysis indicated that ARRB2 was inversely associated with overall survival. We firmly believe that the key genes identified in this study would be able to provide new clues and research basis for the treatment of chRCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mice models are an important way to understand the relation between the fetus with cleft palate and changes of maternal biofluid. This paper aims to develop a metabonomics approach to analyze dexamethasone-induced cleft palate in pregnant C57BL/6J mice and to study the relationship between the change of endogenous small molecular metabolites in maternal plasma and the incidence of cleft palate. To do so, pregnant mice were randomly divided into two groups. The one group was injected with dexamethasone. On E17.5th day, the incident rates of cleft palate from embryos in two groups were calculated. The (1)H-NMR spectra from the metabolites in plasma in two groups was collected at same time. Then the data were analyzed using metabonomics methods (PCA and SIMCA). The results showed that the data from the two groups displayed distinctive characters, and the incidence of cleft palate were significantly different (P < .005). To conclude, this study demonstrates that the metabonomics approach is a powerful and effective method in detecting the abnormal metabolites from mother in the earlier period of embryos, and supports the idea that a change from dexamethasone induced in maternal metabolites plays an important role in the incidence of cleft palate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In smart home, location estimation based on PIR sensors is very popular. Existing methods by various sensors technologies and intelligent algorithms are used to achieve a high accuracy. In fact, how to deploy the PIR sensor is directly related to the accuracy. In this paper, we present an approach to deploying the PIR sensor based on the accessible priority by genetic algorithm. This paper presents a genetic algorithm that searches for an optimal or near optimal solution to the PIR sensor deployment for smart home. The fitness function of GA is based on the accessible priority of indoor areas. The accessible priority value of different area is set according to the indoor environment and daily accessible habits. The performance of the genetic algorithm was evaluated using several metrics, and the simulation results demonstrated that the proposed algorithm can optimize the network coverage in terms of accessible frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise measurement of the cable force is very important for monitoring and evaluating the operation status of cable structures such as cable-stayed bridges. The cable system should be installed with lateral dampers to reduce the vibration, which affects the precise measurement of the cable force and other cable parameters. This paper suggests a cable model updating calculation scheme driven by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. By establishing a finite element model considering the static geometric nonlinearity and stress-stiffening effect firstly, an automatically finite element method model updating powered by PSO algorithm is proposed, with the aims to identify the cable force and relevant parameters of cable-damper system precisely. Both numerical case studies and full-scale cable tests indicated that, after two rounds of updating process, the algorithm can accurately identify the cable force, moment of inertia, and damping coefficient of the cable-damper system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Jinlian Xiaodu Decoction (JXD) was reported to have anti-inflammatory and lung protection effects. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanism of JXD on bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Methods. The UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS system was applied to analyze JXD composition. The PF model was established by BLM intratracheal administration in Wistar rats. Subsequently, BLM-treated rats were intragastrically administered with dexamethasone (DXM, 1 g/kg/d) or JXD (3.5, 7 or 14 g/kg/d). Next, the lung coefficient was calculated; H&E, Masson, and TUNEL staining were used for lung morphological analysis and apoptosis assessment. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) biochemical analysis was conducted to count the inflammatory cell number. The expression of inflammatory factors mRNA in the lung tissue and BALF were measured by qRT-PCR. The content and activity of oxidative stress-related proteins were detected. The expression of PF-related, apoptosis-related, and TGF-β1 pathway-related protein were assessed by immunohistochemistry or Western blot. Results. Twenty-six compounds were identified from JXD in both negative and positive ion modes. In BLM-induced rats, JXD reduced the lung coefficient and alleviated PF injury. JXD decreased inflammatory cell count and TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and MCP-1 content. Meanwhile, JXD blunted BLM-induced oxidative stress and a high level of HYP. Furthermore, TUNEL analysis found that JXD inhibited cell apoptosis and increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio in BLM-induced lung. Moreover, JXD relieved the role of BLM on α-SMA, TGF-β1, collagen I, fibronectin, E-cadherin protein expression, and the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in PF rat. Conclusion. This study revealed the protective effect and possible element of JXD on BLM-caused PF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among different fruits, mulberry is the most highlighted natural gift in its superior nutritional and bioactive composition, indispensable for continuing a healthy life. It also acts as a hepatoprotective immunostimulator and improves vision, anti-microbial, anti-cancer agent, anti-stress activity, atherosclerosis, neuroprotective functions, and anti-obesity action. The mulberry fruits also help reduce neurological disorders and mental illness. The main reason for that is the therapeutic potentials present in the nutritional components of the mulberry fruit. The available methods for assessing mulberry fruits are mainly chromatographic based, which are destructive and possess many limitations. However, recently some non-invasive techniques, including chlorophyll fluorescence, image processing, and hyperspectral imaging, were employed to detect various mulberry fruit attributes. The present review attempts to collect and explore available information regarding the nutritional and medicinal importance of mulberry fruit. Besides, non-destructive methods established for the fruit are also elaborated. This work helps encourage many more research works to dug out more hidden information about the essential nutrition of mulberry that can be helpful to resolve many mental-illness-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture can significantly ameliorate inflammatory pain in acute visceral hyperalgesia. Hyperalgesia is attenuated by inflammatory mediators that activate transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), and TRPV1 is regulated by nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. However, it is unknown whether NGF-induced PI3K/Akt pathway is associated with manual acupuncture (MA). In this study, the effect and mechanism of MA at Shangjuxu (ST37) and Quchi (LI11) were examined using an acetic acid-induced rat model with visceral hyperalgesia. We demonstrated that MA at ST37 significantly decreased abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) scores, proinflammatory cytokine expression (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), and TRPV1 protein and mRNA expression in rats with acute visceral hyperalgesia compared with the untreated controls, while MA at LI11 showed no effect. The effects of MA at ST37 were reversed after treatment with the PI3K agonist IGF-1 30 min before MA. In rats with visceral hyperalgesia, the upregulation of NGF, tropomyosin-receptor-kinase A (TrkA), PI3K, and phosphorylation-Akt (p-Akt) was decreased by MA at ST37, indicating that TRPV1 regulation via the NGF-induced PI3K/Akt pathway plays a vital role in the effects of MA-mediated amelioration of acute visceral hyperalgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report luminous polylactic acid (PLA) composite prepared via a solvent casting method using different amounts of phosphor strontium aluminate (SrAl2O4: Eu2+ and Dy3+) (SAO). The reason for doing this is that the changes of fluorescence and mechanical properties in the composites with different SAO contents can be directly evaluated. The SAO particles should have a variety of excellent characteristics in the PLA matrix, among which dispersibility and compatibility are particularly important; so, they can be modified by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) to achieve the target characteristics. The results showed that the fluorescence and mechanical properties were affected by SAO addition. The mechanical properties significantly improved with 5 wt% SAO; further, addition had no impact. And the emission band of fluorescence and phosphorescence is just at the peak of 524 nm. The composites with 15 wt% SAO have the best fluorescence properties. The fluorescence decreased with further doping. Fluorescence decay curves with various amounts of SAO particles show a similar tendency as pure SAO particles; the speed of decrease in afterglow intensity was higher for the first 30 min. In addition, the detailed morphological scanning and study by scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that the particles had good adhesion to the matrix. In conclusion, the concentration of SAO into the PLA matrix impacts the fluorescence and mechanical properties of a SAO/PLA composite material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insomnia, one of the most common sleep disorders, is thought to have an adverse effect on cognitive function. At the same time, people with cognitive dysfunction are more prone to insomnia. At present, pharmacotherapy is the main treatment for insomnia, but there are some shortcomings such as poor long-term efficacy and potential dependence. There is some evidence that acupuncture has some advantages in alleviating insomnia and improving cognitive function. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of acupuncture and drugs on cognitive function in patients with insomnia and evaluating the efficacy and safety of these two interventions, providing strong evidence for clinical decision-making. The study will retrieve eight major databases: China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, SinoMed, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library. Dissertations, conference papers, and ongoing experiments will also be retrieved for supplement. Literature screening and data extraction will be completed by two authors independently (JJ and X-QW). If there were any disagreements, they would be discussed or referred to a third person for adjudication (W-ZW). Authors will use Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess the included studies. The Review Manager Statistical (RevMan) software is used to conduct the statistical process of meta-analysis, and funnel plot is used to evaluate reporting biases. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Profiler can be used to be aware of the quality of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively relieve hyperglycemia and gastric emptying disorders in diabetic gastroparesis (DGP). However, the effect of EA on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) gastroparesis and its mechanism in the enteric nervous system (ENS) are rarely studied. We investigated the therapeutic effect of EA at ST36 and its effect on the main inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the ENS in DGP rats. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a high-fat diet for 2 weeks and injected with streptozotocin (STZ) at 35 mg/kg to induce T2DM. T2DM rats were divided into the diabetic mellitus (DM) group and the EA group. The control (CON) group comprised normal rats without any intervention. EA treatment was started 6 weeks after the induction of DM and continued for 5 weeks. The body weight and food intake of the rats were recorded every week. Blood glucose, insulin, glucose tolerance, gastric emptying, and antral motility were measured after treatment. The expression of protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in gastric antrum were quantified by western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The T2DM gastroparesis model was successfully established. EA treatment reduced the body weight, food intake, and blood glucose; improved glucose intolerance and insulin resistance; increased the gastric emptying rate, the mean antral pressure, and the amplitude of antral motility; and decreased the frequency of antral motility compared with those in the DM group. EA treatment increased the expression level of nNOS, ChAT, and PGP9.5 proteins, and nNOS and ChAT mRNA. The results suggested that EA at ST36 could ameliorate DGP, partly restore the damage to general neurons, and increase nNOS and ChAT in the gastric antrum. EA improved DGP partly via reducing the loss of inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the ENS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thin endometrium affects the success of assisted reproduction due to low endometrial receptivity. Acupuncture improves endometrial receptivity and promotes the formation of pinopodes, the ultrastructure marker implantation window. However, the specific underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the efficacy of acupuncture treatment and its underlying mechanism were investigated by analyzing pregnancy rate, pinopode formation, and related molecular markers in thin endometrium model rats. Absolute ethanol (95%) was injected into the uteruses of female Sprague-Dawley rats to construct a thin endometrium model. In this model, acupuncture stimulation at EX-CA1, SP6, and CV4 ameliorated the pregnancy rate. Significantly increased embryo implantation, endometrial thickness, numbers of glands, and blood vessels were observed in the electroacupuncture (EA) group compared to the model group. The number of pinopodes in the EA group was abundant, with a shape similar to that of the control group. Additionally, significantly higher expression levels of pinopode-related markers, including integrin αvβ3, homeobox A10 (HOXA10), heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HBEGF), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), and progesterone receptor (PR), were observed in the EA group than those in the model group. In conclusion, EA had a positive effect on the endometrial receptivity of thin endometrium model rats by improving pinopode formation through multiple molecular targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a challenge for surgeons and is still without effective treatment method. This study is aimed at evaluating the combined pharmacotherapy with alendronate and desferoxamine for preventing glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GIOFH) and evaluating the efficacy of the combined medicine in regulating the bone resorption and bone regeneration. Materials and Methods. Thirty-six rats were randomly assigned to three groups: group A received alendronate and desferoxamine (n = 12), group B received alendronate only (n = 12), and group C acted as the control group received placebo (n = 12). All rats induced the GIOFH using methylprednisolone combined with lipopolysaccharide. Eight weeks later, all rats were killed and their tissues were subjected to radiographic and histological analyses. Results. According to the results, alendronate administration improved the trabecular thickness and separation in micro-CT analysis but had no significant evidence in increasing the bone area and decreasing the ratio of osteocyte lacunae in histological analysis when compared with the control group. Meanwhile, the alendronate group had more OCs, but less OCN and VEGF levels along with decreased p-AKT, HIF-1α, RANKL, and NFATc1 expressions than the control group. For comparison, alendronate combined with DFO further improved the bone volume, trabecular number, trabecular separation, and trabecular thickness with lower ratio of osteocyte lacunae and OC number, higher expression of OCN and VEGF and upregulated signal factors of HIF-1α and β-catenin, and decreased RANKL and NFATc1. Conclusion. Combined pharmacotherapy with alendronate and desferoxamine provide significant effects in regulating the bone resorption and bone regeneration for preventing GIOFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the effects of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and osteoblasts (hFOB1.19) on PC3 prostate cancer cells. Methods. To simulate the in vivo interaction between the bone/bone marrow microenvironments and prostate cancer cells, we established cocultures of PC3 cells with hBMSC or hFOB1.19 cells and evaluated their effects on the proliferation, cell cycle distribution, cell migration, and invasion of PC3 cells. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to detect CD59 mRNA expression in PC3 cells. The expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor- (NF-) κB (RANK), RANK ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG), CD59, NF-κB (p50 subunit), and cyclin D1 in PC3 cells was analyzed by immunofluorescence and western blotting. Results. hBMSCs and hFOB1.19 cells enhanced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC3 cells; increased the proportion of PC3 cells in the S and G2/M phases of the cell cycle; and upregulated RANK, RANKL, OPG, CD59, cyclin D1, and NF-κB (p50 subunit) expression by PC3 cells. The RANKL inhibitor, scutellarin, inhibited these effects in PC3-hFOB1.19 cocultures. Conclusion. hBMSCs and hFOB1.19 cells modulate the phenotype of PC3 prostate cancer cells and the expression of CD59 by activating the RANK/RANKL/OPG signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ELK3, an ETS domain-containing transcription factor, participates in various physiological and pathological processes including cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and malignant progression. However, the role of ELK3 in prostate cancer cells and its mechanism are not fully understood. The contribution of ELK3 to prostate cancer progression was investigated in the present study. We showed that silencing of ELK3 by siRNA in prostate cancer cell DU145 induced S-M phase arrest, promoted apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro, and suppressed xenograft growth in mice in vivo. In accordance with its ability to arrest cells in S-M phase, the expression of cyclin A and cyclin B was downregulated. In addition, the expression of p53 was upregulated following ELK3 knockdown, while that of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 was decreased. The migration inhibition may partly due to upregulation of SERPINE1 (a serine protease inhibitor) followed ELK3 knockdown. Consistently, downregulation of SERPINE1 resulted in a modest elimination of migration inhibition resulted from ELK3 knockdown. Furthermore, we found that the AKT signaling was activated in ELK3 knockdown cells, and treatment these cells with AKT inhibitor attenuated SERPINE1 expression induced by ELK3 silencing, suggesting that activation of AKT pathway may be one of the reasons for upregulation of SERPINE1 after ELK3 knockdown. In conclusion, modulation of ELK3 expression may control the progression of prostate cancer partly by regulating cell growth, apoptosis, and migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. We aimed to assess whether electroacupuncture (EA) at PC6 affects gastric motility via the vagovagal reflex and if so whether brainstem vagovagal neurocircuits and related transmitters are involved. Methods. Gastric motility was measured in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats by placing a small manometric balloon in the gastric antrum. The rats were subjected to control, sham surgery, vagotomy, sympathectomy, and microinjection group, including artificial cerebrospinal fluid, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and glutamic acid (L-Glu). The effect of EA at PC6 on gastric motility was measured. Moreover, electrophysiological testing was used to measure the effect of EA at PC6 on the parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. In addition, artificial cerebrospinal fluid, L-Glu, and GABA have been microinjected into the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) to measure the changes in gastric motility and parasympathetic nerve discharge induced by EA at PC6. Key Results. EA facilitated the gastric motility in control group. In the vagotomy group, gastric motility was not affected by EA at PC6. However, in the sympathectomy group, gastric motility was similar to control group. Acupuncture at PC6 increased parasympathetic nerve discharge but not sympathetic nerve discharge. Furthermore, the microinjection of L-Glu into the DMV increased gastric motility, although EA at PC6 showed no remarkable change in this group. The injection of GABA reduced gastric motility and parasympathetic nerve discharge, but EA at PC6 significantly increased gastric motility and the parasympathetic nerve discharge in this group. Conclusions and Inferences. EA at PC6—primarily by inhibiting GABA transmission to DMV—reduced the inhibition of efferent vagal motor fibers and thus promoted efferent vagus nerve activity and increased gastric motility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-implant-retained mandibular overdentures with magnetic attachments can provide an effective treatment modality for edentulous patients. In this study, a three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to compare the biomechanical characteristics of three different types of magnetic attachments in two-implant-retained mandibular overdentures. Flat-type, dome-type, and cushion-type of the magnetic attachments were designed to retain the overdenture. Four types of load were applied to the overdenture in each model: 100 N vertical and oblique loads on the right first molar and a 100 N vertical load on the right canine and the lower incisors. The biomechanical behaviors of peri-implant bone, abutment, and mucosa were recorded. In vertical incisors, vertical right canine, and oblique molar loading condition, the flat-type group exhibited the highest levels of maximum equivalent strain/stress in the peri-implant bone. The total deformation of mucosa and the maximum equivalent strain/stress in the oblique molar loading condition are about two times as the vertical molar loading condition. These results suggested that both cushion-type and dome-type of the magnetic attachments are better choices in two-implant-retained mandibular overdentures, and oblique loading is more harmful than vertical loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To gain an insight into the spatiotemporal variability of drought events and to assess trends under future climate change scenarios are fundamental for making sound mitigation and adaptation strategies. A new drought index, standardized supply-demand water index (SSDI), has been proposed in this research. The SSDI describes drought from the view of water supply-demand relations using a simple water balance model. It was used to assess historical drought events in the middle and lower Jinsha river basin (MLJRB) located in the southwest China and applied to address the drought conditions in the MLJRB under current and future climates. The results showed the following: (1) The average drought area during 2001 to 2011 reached up to 9.9 × 103 km2, accounting for 35.4% of the whole farmland area in the MLJRB, which was about twice as the drought area during 1961 to 2000. The region for greater drought severity with more drought events and longer duration was mainly distributed in Dali, Chuxiong, Kunming, and Yuxi. (2) For the period 2021 to 2050, total drought area was projected to increase by 43.2%. The drought-prone regions could move further towards the northwest of the MLJRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]