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To fully utilize the voltage regulation capacity and interaction characteristics of the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system, a novel Modified Partially Observed Markov Decision Process (MPOMDP)‐based Reinforcement Learning (RL) scheme for Autonomous Voltage Control is proposed, which incorporates Demand Response (DR) and cooperation with the Transmission Network. The proposed scheme consists of two vital components: an MPOMDP block and a Modified Asynchronous Advantage Actor‐Critic‐based RL block. The MPOMDP block innovatively exploits the confidence interval of the observed state to make a better perception of the precise system state by introducing two new probability vectors. Then the MPOMDP block is fed into the underlying architecture of the RL block for asynchronously capturing features and optimal decision‐making, where the solving framework additionally brings in a public data buffer to realize boundary information sharing. Case studies are conducted on a modified T&D system considering N‐1 contingencies, with a training dataset from a district in Suzhou, China. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can achieve significant voltage optimization while ensuring fast convergence speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nefopam, an analgesic drug, effectively elicits antinociception in the majority of noxious and thermal models in rodents. Acetaminophen is among the most commonly used analgesic and antipyretic drugs worldwide, either on prescription or over the counter. The present study aimed to investigate the analgesic activity of nefopam combined with acetaminophen, which was expected to maximize the potency of analgesia and decrease the dose of nefopam required. Three series of experiments, namely acetic acid-induced writhing tests in mice, hot plate tests in mice and tail flick tests in rats, were used to evaluate the analgesic effect. Initially, an optimum proportion of the two drugs, 3.5 mg/kg nefopam (N) + 60 mg/kg acetaminophen (A), was determined by orthogonal array design based on writhing response number. Subsequently, combinations of N and A (1.75 N + 30 A, 3.5 N + 60 A and 7.0 N + 120 A mg/kg) were determined to elicit antinociception in the writhing test (P<0.01 vs. normal saline control) in a dose-dependent manner. In the hot plate test, hot plate latencies up to 60 min after drug treatment were observed. The combination of 7.0 N + 120 A mg/kg exerted a greater cumulative antinociceptive effect throughout the observation period, with an area under the curve value of 1,156.95±199.30 area units (AU), compared with that achieved by 7.0 N mg/kg alone (632.12±62.38 AU). Furthermore, both monotherapy and compound therapy exhibited antinociception dose-dependently in the tail-flick test. However, a combination of 5.0 N + 84 A mg/kg exerted greater analgesic effect compared with 5.0 N mg/kg alone. The data obtained demonstrate that acetaminophen may enhance the antinociceptive activity of nefopam. Thus, coadministration of nefopam with acetaminophen warrants clinical evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the effect of occlusal interference on the afferent pathway of the trigeminal nerve and neuronal excitability in the trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (SPVC) of rats by electrical stimulation of the trigeminal ganglion (TG) and extracellular recordings of SPVC activities., Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group and model group ( n =10). In the model group, occlusal interference for 30 consecutive days was induced using light-cured flowable resin on the right maxillary molars. During occlusal interference, the pain sensitivity was scored with von Frey Fibers in the masseter. Simultaneous recordings of electrical activities from the SPVC, electrocardiogram, body temperature and electromyogram of the breath muscles of the anesthetized rats were performed, and the responses evoked by electrical stimulation of the TG were analyzed., Results: Compared with the control rats, the rats in the model group showed significantly increased pain sensitivity scores ( P < 0.05) and increased spontaneous discharge frequency of the SPVC ( P < 0.05). The amplitude of the SPVC responses induced by electrical stimulation of the TG showed stimulus intensity-dependent changes ( P < 0.05), and the amplitude evoked by 4 mA and 8 mA stimulation was similar between the model group and the control group ( P >0.05). Train stimulation (0.2 ms, 1 mA, 30 s, 100 Hz) of the TG significantly increased the discharge frequency of the SPVC only in the rats in the model group ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: The functional activities of the pain afferent pathway of the trigeminal nerve can be electrophysiologically monitored by electrical stimulation of the TG and extracellular recordings of SPVC activities in rats. Occlusal interference can increase the excitability of the neurons in the SPVC and enhance their sensitivities to TG afferent activation, suggesting the neural plasticity of the pain afferent pathway.

This study is aimed to investigate whether Mabuterol (Mab) inhibits proliferation of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) induced by platelet-derived growth factor BB (PDGF-BB) and how far it is related to mitochondrial fission/fusion and intracellular calcium if it comes into play. To explore the mechanism of Mab's antagonizing the proliferation, Mdivi-1, DRP1 inhibitor, which has an inhibitory effect on mitochondrial fission, is used to compare with Mab. Cell viability was measured by either MTT or CCK-8. The inhibitory effect of Mab on S phase of ASM cell cycle induced by PDGF-BB was analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). Fluo-3/AM, Ca 2+ fluorescent probe, was used to detect Ca 2+ fluorescence intensity by inverted microscope and flow cytometry. The gene expression of Drp-1 and Mfn-2 was observed with Real time PCR and the proteins of Drp-1, Mfn-2, PCNA and cyclin D1 were assessed by Western Blot. Mab and Mdivi-1 both suppressed the proliferation induced by PDGF-BB. The results from inverted microscope and flow cytometry showed that Mab inhibited [Ca 2+ ]i in rat ASMCs induced by PDGF-BB. Cell cycle concept map illustrated that Mab significantly controlled the S phase of ASM cell cycle induced by PDGF-BB. As a consequence, Real time PCR and Western blot revealed the fact that Mab decreased the expression of Drp-1 mRNA and protein, and promoted the expression of Mfn-2 mRNA and protein. These findings suggested that Mab placed restrictions on the proliferation of rat ASMCs induced by PDGF-BB and the mechanism might be associated with the intracellular calcium inhibited and the mitochondrial fission/fusion regulated by Mab., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)