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With the higher rate of using cloud storage, protecting data privacy becomes an important issue. The most effective solution is to encrypt data before uploading to the cloud. However, how to efficiently search over data encrypted with different keys is still an open problem. To address this problem, we introduce a new notion of the identity-based encryption with equality test supporting flexible authorization (IBEET-FA). It supports the test of whether two ciphertexts encrypted under the different keys encapsulate the same message, and in the meanwhile supports fine-grained authorization of the test. Based on the equality test on ciphertexts, there is a direct way to support an authorized user to search over ciphertexts of different users, which accelerates secret data sharing among a group of users. Besides, IBEET-FA does not suffer from the complex key management problem of its counterpart in the traditional public key infrastructure. We propose a concrete construction of IBEET-FA and prove it to be securely based on simple mathematical assumptions. The experimental results show that our IBEET-FA scheme is efficient and can satisfy various types of search over encrypted data.

Activation of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) is crucial in initiating inflammation and alloreaction during acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), a common life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). IL-1 receptor-associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) regulates the activation of APCs in inflammatory settings, and inhibition of IRAK1 might decrease APC activation and aGVHD. This study was conducted to explore the impact of IRAK1 inhibition on APC activation and aGVHD in mice. We administered a selective IRAK1 inhibitor, Jh-X-119-01, to recipient mice undergoing allo-HCT or co-challenged by A20 lymphoma cells. We assessed aGVHD and the graft-versus-lymphoma (GVL) effect. T cell and APC activations were analyzed as well. Jh-X-119-01 was associated with increased survival and decreased aGVHD of recipients. Jh-X-119-01 decreased the proportions of Th1 cells and Tc1 cells in the aGVHD model and in the in vitro mixed lymphocyte reaction. The IRAK1 inhibitor reduced production of TNFα and IFNγ in macrophages of recipient mice. In in vitro cultured bone marrow dendritic cells (BMDCs), Jh-X-119-01 decreased productions of inflammatory cytokines, reduced expression levels of CD80 and CD86, and decreased protein levels of antiapoptotic Bcl2 and phosphorylated NF-κB p65. RNA-seq analysis showed that Jh-X-119-01 had an impact on several pathophysiologic processes of BMDCs, including reduction of GVHD-related genes and regulation of helper T cell differentiation. Importantly, IRAK1 inhibition did not impair cytotoxic function of T cells or the allo-HCT-related GVL effect against A20 lymphoma cells. In addition, the IRAK1 inhibitor did not retard recovery of hematopoietic cells in blood or bone marrow. Our findings show that selective IRAK1 inhibition ameliorates murine aGVHD but preserves the GVL effect. Our findings may have implications for the use of an IRAK1 inhibitor in allo-HCT.

Objective To explore the molecular mechanism of Res in regulation of pulmonary fibrosis (PF). Methods Rats were injected with bleomycin (BLM) to establish a PF model and treated with resveratrol (Res) and/or miR-21 agomir. After 14 days, lung tissues were collected for Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s staining, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were performed to detect fibrosis-related protein expression and the activation of the TGF-β1/Smad pathway. In vitro, MRC-5 cells were pretreated with TGF-β1, Res, and/or miR-21 agomir. After 48 h, total soluble collagen was detected with a Sircol Soluble Collagen Assay. Subsequently, a miR-21 mimic was transfected into MRC-5 cells, and a luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify whether miR-21 targeted Smad7. Results Res reversed the increased levels of miR-21 induced by BLM and alleviated serious PF symptoms, but agomiR-21 treatment effectively impaired the above manifestations. In vivo, miR-21 inhibited the decreases of TGF-β1 and p-Smad2/3 that were induced by Res. In vitro, miR-21 significantly disrupted the positive effect of Res on TGF-β-induced collagen deposition, as well as the levels of Fn, α-SMA, p-Smad2, and Smad7. In addition, Smad7 was found to be a direct target of miR-21-5p. TGF-β stimulation led to an enormous increase in p-c-Jun, c-Jun, and c-Fos, which were significantly reduced by Res. Finally, miR-21 sharply reduced the increased phosphorylation levels of ERK, JNK and p38 that were induced by Res. Conclusion Res inhibits BLM-induced PF by regulating miR-21 through MAPK/AP-1 pathways.

Effect of cryogenic burnishing on the corrosion product film formation mechanism of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy has been investigated in this work. The corrosion product films of both burnished and unburnished specimens exhibited three distinct oxide layers. Compared with un-burnished specimens, burnished specimens possessed a thicker subsurface layer with high-valent oxides and additional Al2O3 in the inner layer. The chemical activity, diffusion, and distribution of alloy elements were changed by high-density dislocations, nano-grains, twins and compressive residual stress induced by cryogenic burnishing, resulting in the enhancement of the compactness, thickness, growth rate and protection of corrosion product film on the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

Purpose An estimated 9 million elderly people accompanied their adult children to urban areas in China, raising concerns about their social capital and mental health following re-location. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of migration on social capital and depression among this population. Methods Multistage stratified cluster sampling was applied to recruit the migrant and urban elderly in Hangzhou from May to August, 2013. Data were collected from face-to-face interviews by trained college students using a standardized questionnaire. Social capital measurements included cognitive (generalized trust and reciprocity) and structure (support from individual and social contact) aspects. Depression was measured by Geriatric Depression Scale-30 (GDS-30). Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models were used for analysis. Results A total of 1248 migrant elderly and 1322 urban elderly were eligible for analysis. After adjusting for a range of confounder factors, binary logistic regression models revealed that migrant elderly reported significantly lower levels of generalized trust [OR = 1.34, 95% CI (1.10–1.64)], reciprocity [OR = 1.55, 95% CI (1.29–1.87)], support from individual [OR = 1.96, 95% CI (1.61–2.38)] and social contact [OR = 3.27, 95% CI (2.70–3.97)]. In the full adjusted model, migrant elderly were more likely to be mentally unhealthy [OR = 1.85, 95% CI (1.44–2.36)] compared with urban elderly. Conclusions Migrant elderly suffered from a lower mental health status and social capital than their urban counterparts in the emigrating city. Attention should focus on improving the social capital and mental health of this growing population.

This study aimed to examine the cellular and molecular events that occur in rhesus monkey testes after scrotal hyperthermia. Eight male adult rhesus monkeys were subjected to scrotal hyperthermia at 43°C for 30 min daily for 6 consecutive days. Sperm concentration, reproductive hormones, and testis histology were examined before hyperthermia (day 0), and at 8, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days after the initiation of hyperthermia. iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis was conducted on testicular tissues collected on days 0, 8, and 60 to identify differentially expressed proteins at the early and recovery stages of testicular damage. The sperm concentration was significantly decreased at days 30 and 45 after treatment (p < 0.01) and recovered to baseline at day 60. When compared with day 0, 101 and 24 differentially expressed proteins were identified at days 8 and 60 after heat treatment, respectively. The molecular functions of the differentially expressed proteins at day 8 were mainly nucleic acid binding, unfolded protein binding, nucleotide binding, and nucleoside phosphate binding. Spliceosome was enriched as the most significant pathway at day 8. CIRBP, PSIP1, Sam68, and Decorin were validated and found to be consistent with the proteomic data, indicating the reliability of the proteomic profiles identified in this study. In summary, we suggest that the proteins identified in this study may play important roles in heat-induced spermatogenic impairment. Some of these proteins, such as CIRBP, PSIP1, Sam68, and Decorin, may be early molecular targets responsible for spermatogenesis suppression induced by heat treatment.

Objective: To study the effect of folic acid and vitamin supplement on endothelial injury and placental blood perfusion in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy. Methods: A total of 62 patients who were diagnosed with preeclampsia in Wuhan Red Cross hospital between March 2015 and February 2017 were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into two groups, the observation group received folic acid, vitamin and conventional symptomatic treatment, and control group accepted conventional symptomatic treatment. Serum contents of endothelial injury markers and oxidative stress indexes were detected before treatment and 2 weeks after treatment; the expression of apoptosis genes in the placenta were detected after delivery. Results: 2 weeks after treatment, serum ET-1, tTG, sFlt-1, sEng, MPO, IMA, MDA and AOPP levels of both groups of patients were significantly lower than those before treatment, and serum ET-1, tTG, sFlt-1, sEng, MPO, IMA, MDA and AOPP levels of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group; after delivery, Fas, Bax and Caspase-3 mRNA expression levels in placenta tissue of observation group were significantly lower than those of control group while Bcl-2, Survivin and Livin mRNA expression levels were significantly higher than those of control group. Conclusion: Folic acid and vitamin supplement can significantly improve the endothelial injury and placental blood perfusion in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of leukotriene B4 (LTB4) on the expression of interleukin-32 (IL-32) interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and chemokine monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and macrophage inhibitory protein (MIP-1α) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The rat model of RA collagen induced-arthritis (CIA) was established. The levels of LTB4, interleukin-32, IFN-γ and chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α in CIA rats were detected by ELISA. After the rat synovial cells were isolated and treated with different concentrations of LTB4, the effect of LTB4 the expression of IL-32, IFN-γ and chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α mRNA in synovial cells was detected by real-time quantitative PCR, the effect of LTB4 on protein expression was detected by immunoblotting. The effects of different concentrations of LTB4 on the viability and apoptosis of synovial cells were detected by LDH and cell proliferation reagent WST-1. Compared with the control group, the levels of LTB4, IL-32, IFN-γ and chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α were significantly increased in the serum of the CIA group. After treatment of CIA rat synovial cells with different concentrations of LTB4, the expression of IL-32, IFN-γ and chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α mRNA and protein were increased with significant differences among groups. WST-1 and flow cytometry showed that LTB4 had significant toxic effects on synovial cells and promoted apoptosis. In conclusion, LTB4 promotes the expression of interleukin-32, IFN-γ and chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1α in synovial cells and facilitates apoptosis of synovial cells.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage due to genetic and epigenetic components. The pathogenesis of OA is complex and the mechanism of chondrocyte homeostatic regulation remains to be fully elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) contribute to cartilage dysfunction. However, the functional role of miR‑98 in interleukin‑1β (IL‑1β)‑induced chondrocyte apoptosis in OA cartilage remains to be investigated. The present study aimed to identify and characterize the expression profile of miR‑98 and apoptosis‑associated proteins in healthy and OA chondrocytes, and western blot analysis and TUNEL staining were used to evaluate the role of miR‑98 in the regulation of chondrocyte apoptosis. The present study demonstrated that miR‑98 expression was increased in OA chondrocytes in response to IL‑1β stimulation, and the expression levels of apoptosis-associated proteins, including Fas cell surface death receptor, caspase‑3, caspase‑8 and B‑cell lymphoma‑2 (Bcl‑2)-associated X protein, were also increased in IL‑1β‑stimulated chondrocytes. In addition, it was revealed that upregulation of miR‑98 was accompanied by reduced expression of Bcl‑2 following exposure to IL‑1β. IL‑1β‑induced downregulation of Bcl‑2 was associated with miR‑98‑mediated translational repression. Transfection of OA chondrocytes with a miR‑98 inhibitor had an inhibitory effect on IL‑1β‑induced cell apoptosis, increased cell proliferation and upregulated Bcl‑2 expression. It is possible that miR‑98 inhibited IL‑1β‑induced chondrocyte apoptosis by modulating Bcl‑2 expression levels. The findings of the present study indicated that the effects of miR‑98 on chondrocyte apoptosis were induced by regulation of Bcl‑2 expression. In addition, the present study confirmed that miR‑98 targeted the 3'‑untranslated region of Bcl‑2. In conclusion, miRNA‑coordinated regulation of apoptosis‑associated protein expression has been identified in OA chondrocytes following IL‑1β induction.

The incident direction of earthquake motion is an important factor affecting the seismic response of underground structures. In this study, a three-dimensional (3D) oblique incidence method of SV waves is proposed and the effects of incident angles of SV waves on the seismic response of a lined arched tunnel are evaluated. Based on wave field decomposition principle and equivalent node force method and together with viscous-spring artificial boundary, the oblique incidence method of SV waves is implemented by transforming seismic wave field into the equivalent nodal forces acting on the artificial boundaries. By deriving the distance of the incident waves and the reflected wave on free surface to artificial boundaries, this method can comprehensively consider the phase difference of the seismic wave propagation and the influence of the damping effect of the rock medium on the seismic wave propagation. The method is programed into a dynamic finite element program and its effectiveness is examined by a numerical example. Consequently, the oblique incidence method is applied to evaluate the seismic behaviors of the tunnel. The numerical results reveal that (1) the oblique incidence of the seismic wave results in a larger seismic response; (2) the response amplitudes of the stress and displacement increase with the increase of incident angles and reaching the maximum in the case of 30° incident angle; (3) the damage extent increases with an increase in the incident angles, and the oblique incidence of the seismic wave is believed to increase the spatial difference of damage distribution.

Background Owing to the increase in life expectancy and sickliness, caring for older adults has become a major challenge in China, where the traditional care system is disintegrating and community- and home-based care have been introduced to respond to this ‘silver wave’. However, there is limited knowledge of the dilemmas associated with caring for older adults and the acceptability of community- and home-based care for this population. Methods Participants were recruited from Xihu District, Hangzhou, from June to July 2017. In-depth interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. Audio recording, verbatim transcription, and thematic analysis were conducted. Results A total of 64 older adults from four communities were interviewed. Half of the participants had multiple chronic diseases. The very old individuals and those with severe diseases and in poor financial conditions were observed to be struggling the most. Health status, financial capability, and personality were the main factors affecting the care process. Participants cited the following reasons for staying away from nursing homes: misunderstanding, negative environment, a sense of shame, loneliness, and financial limitations. Community- and home-based cares are popular forms of old-age care; however, some participants exhibited a lack of knowledge about such services. Conclusion A multi-layered old-age care system is urgently needed for older adults in Zhejiang Province. Further, it is important that such a system integrates the care provided through community- and home-based services with that offered by nursing homes. Community- and home-based care for older adults needs to be prioritised, and the quality of care provided in nursing homes should be improved. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6637-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

This review provides a brief survey of the physicochemical properties of phthalate esters (PAEs) and their harm to human health. The present analytical methods available for the determination of these compounds in dairy products are critically evaluated. The attention is primarily devoted to the methods for sample pretreatment, which are the main source of errors and are usually the most time-consuming step of the whole analysis. The characteristics of instrumental analysis methods, including gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, tandem mass spectrometry, capillary electrophoresis and immunoassay are discussed. Furthermore, the future development of analysis of PAEs is discussed.

A two-dimensional porous framework SHU-1 could undergo solvent-induced structural transformations to SHU-1a in methanol and SHU-1b in water. SHU-1, SHU-1a and SHU-1b showed selective adsorption towards malachite green.

Altered expression of miRNA-98 (miR-98) has been reported in osteoarthritis (OA) patients, while its role and underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, a rat model of OA was established using modified Hulth method, and the expression level of miR-98 and its effect on cartilage degradation and cell apoptosis in OA rats were examined. The results showed that up-regulated miR-98 was observed in OA rats, and knockdown of miR-98 in OA rats resulted in an inhibitory effect on cartilage degradation and chondrocyte apoptosis. Then the potential apoptosis associated genes regulated by miR-98 were screened and examined in cartilage tissues. The target gene of miR-98 was validated by luciferase reporter assay. The data showed that the increased miR-98 was accompanied with a reduced expression of Bcl-2 at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, the silencing of miR-98 in OA rats prevented the down-regulation of Bcl-2 in cartilage tissues. Finally, the luciferase reporter assay validated that Bcl-2 was the target gene of miR-98. In this study, we found that miR-98 might promote chondrocyte apoptosis and cartilage degradation by down-regulating Bcl-2 expression in the pathogenesis of OA, suggesting that miR-98 can be a potential target for the treatment of OA.

Objective: To study the correlation of abnormal DNMT1 and MeCP2 expression with cell biological characteristics in cervical lesion tissue. Methods: Cervical cancer tissue and paracarcinoma tissue were collected from cervical cancer patients who received surgery in our hospital from May 2012 to October 2015, and HPV types as well as the expression levels of DNMTs, MeCP2, PBK, TOPK, Snail, Slug, SALL4 and Cat L were determined. Results: Protein levels of DNMT1, DNMT2, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, DNMT3l and MeCP2 in cervical cancer tissue were significantly higher than those in para-carcinoma tissue, and the rising trend of DNMT1 expression level was the most significant; protein levels of DNMT1, DNMT2, DNMT3a, DNMT3b, DNMT3l and MeCP2 in cervical cancer tissue with high-risk HPV infection were significantly higher than those in cervical cancer tissue with normal HPV infection; in cervical cancer tissue with high expression of DNMT1 and MeCP2, PBK, TOPK, Snail, Slug, SALL4 and Cat L levels were significantly higher than those in cervical cancer tissue with low expression of DNMT1 and MeCP2. Conclusions: Abnormally high expression of DNMT1 and MeCP2 in cervical cancer tissue may up-regulate the expression of a variety of malignant biological molecules by increasing methylation level.

A new metal–organic polyhedron Cu-MOP with octahedral geometry was constructed by 2,8-dibenzothiophenedicarboxylic acid and dicopper paddlewheel. Cu-MOP exhibited H2 and CO2 sorption behavior. Furthermore, Cu-MOP revealed reductive properties towards TCNQ, DDQ, CR and MB due to the electron-donating nature of DBT ligand.

A novel chiral ionic liquid containing proline moiety was synthesized. It can be used as a highly efficient and recyclable chiral organocatalyst for Michael addition of cyclohexanone with (E)-β-nitroalkenes in methanol at room temperature. The Michael addition affords the corresponding products in satisfactory yields of isolated products (78–98%) with high diastereoselectivities and excellent enantioselectivities (up to 98% dr and up to 99% ee). The catalyst can be recycled up to five times without any decrease in yields and stereoselectivities.

(1) Background: In order to determine the correlation between the inclination of articular eminence (AEI) and the development of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs), a systematic review was performed. (2) Methods: A systematic literature research was conducted between 1946 and January 2020, based on the following electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, Scope, SciELO, and Lilacs. Observational studies, analytical case-control studies, and cohort studies written in English were identified. The articles were selected and analyzed by two authors independently. The PICO format was used to analyze the studies and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to verify the quality of the evidence. (3) Results: Sixteen articles were included in this review, ten case-control studies and six cohort studies. Eight articles (50%) established a positive relation between AEI and TMDs and eight (50%) did not. The scientific quality was medium-low, mainly influenced by the exposure to the risk of bias and the lack of clinical methods with adequate consistency and sensitivity on the diagnosis of TMDs. (4) Conclusions: It is controversial to establish a causal relationship between the TMDs and the AEI in the field of stomatology, due to limited and inconclusive evidence. However, it is suggested that the AEI defined by some specific methods may be associated with some special pathological stages of TMDs. High-quality prospective studies are required to draw any definitive conclusions.

Microplastic accumulation in estuarine environments is considered the dominant input of land-based plastics into the oceans. In this study, the level of microplastic contamination was evaluated in 26 species of wild fish from the Pearl River Estuary, South China. Results showed that microplastics abundance ranged from 0.17 items individual−1 (Boleophthalmus pectinirostris & Acanthogobius flavimanus) to 1.33 items individual−1 (Plectorhynchus cinctus) among different species. The distribution of microplastic abundance in the gills and gastrointestinal tracts was not significantly different. Microplastics in gills are strongly related to the filtration area of gills in 15 fish species. Fibers were the dominant shapes accounting for 93.45% of the total shapes. The majority of microplastics were

This study aimed at exploring the active components and mechanisms of Jinhua Qinggan granules (JQG) in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. These efforts were accomplished by employing the holistic approach of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and considering the virus-host interaction consisting of viral characteristics, the entry pathway into the host, and the resulting immune response. The chemical constituents and molecular targets of the 12 herbs from JQG were obtained using the TCM Systems Pharmacology database and analysis platform. UniProt was used to search for genes corresponding to JQG protein targets and Cytoscape 3.7.2 to construct the component-target (gene) network. Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery was used to perform enrichment analysis of gene ontology functions and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways to predict the mechanism of action. The components ranked high in the network, and the major active components of the principal medicines, based on published literature, were docked with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 3CL hydrolase, SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (S protein), angiotensin conversion enzyme II (ACE2), and suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1). Visualization analysis demonstrated that the core active components of JQG had a strong affinity for SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase, SARS-CoV-2 S protein, ACE2, and SOCS1. These data imply that the potential active components of JQG may act on multiple signaling pathways by binding to targets such as SARS-CoV-2 3CL hydrolase, S protein, ACE2, and SOCS1, thereby inhibiting virus replication and targeting cell binding, reducing host inflammation, and activating antiviral immunity to a certain extent.

Additional file 1 : Table S1 Demographic characteristics described based on four patterns. Table S2: Associations between patterns and 10-year ASCVD risk score level for miners in imputed dataset. Table S3: Associations between patterns and 10-year ICVD risk score level for miners in imputed dataset.

Histone H2AX phosphorylation at the site of Tyr-142 can participates in multiple biological progressions, which is including DNA repair. Ras pathway is closely involved in human cancers. Our study investigated the effects of Ras pathway via regulating H2AX.Gastric cancer cell line SNU-16 and MKN1 cells were transfected with Ras for G12D and T35S site mutation. The phosphorylation of H2A.XRasRas/ERK signal pathway decreased H2A.X

Background Many studies focused on health inequality between migrant older adults and local older adults, while few study concerned the health inequalities between urban-to-urban and rural-to-urban migrant older adults. This study aimed to compare physical health and mental health between these two groups in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, and to explore the relationship between cognitive social capital, social integration and health among migrant older adults. Methods A two-stage stratified sampling method was employed to recruit participants from May to August 2013 in Hangzhou. Measurement data were compared with student’s t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Multiple linear regression was adopted in this study. Results A total of 1000 of participants who met the inclusion criteria were analyzed, consisting of 527 (52.7%) urban-to-urban and 473 (47.3%) rural-to-urban migrant older adults. There were no statistically significant difference in physical health and mental health between urban-to-urban and rural-to-urban groups on the whole. However, urban-to-urban migrant older adults had a higher reciprocity and social integration than did in rural-to-urban group (13.36 vs. 12.50, p p p p p p p p Conclusions Social capital and social integration were played important roles in health of migrant older adults. The female rural-to-urban migrant older adults, those aged over 70 years, and older adults who were not in marriage should be especially concerned in health policy making.

Track circuit is an important basic equipment in the high-speed railway, which supervises the track occupancy and transmits the train operation information. The mechanical insulation joint in the track circuit limits the train speed and introduces the safety hidden danger. Jointless track circuit adopts electrical tuning unit to replace the mechanical insulation, which realizes the seamless connection of the track. The disconnection of the track circuit is inspected. The jointless track circuit increases the train speed and improves the anti-interference ability.

Traditional forest fire detection methods based on flame are subject to detection delays due to the later appearrance of flame than smoke. When the flame is detected, the fire might have already been spread and out of control. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to study new fire detection method based on smoke. First a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is adopted to capture the fire video; then the collected video sequence will be processed by a series of preprocessing including filtering and image enhancement; finally a new significance detection algorithm is investigated for early and efficient smoke detection. Experimental results show that the algorithm can detect smoke effectively.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease characterized by degeneration of the articular cartilage due to genetic and epigenetic components. The pathogenesis of OA is complex and the mechanism of chondrocyte homeostatic regulation remains to be fully elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miR) contribute to cartilage dysfunction. However, the functional role of miR‑98 in interleukin‑1β (IL‑1β)‑induced chondrocyte apoptosis in OA cartilage remains to be investigated. The present study aimed to identify and characterize the expression profile of miR‑98 and apoptosis‑associated proteins in healthy and OA chondrocytes, and western blot analysis and TUNEL staining were used to evaluate the role of miR‑98 in the regulation of chondrocyte apoptosis. The present study demonstrated that miR‑98 expression was increased in OA chondrocytes in response to IL‑1β stimulation, and the expression levels of apoptosis-associated proteins, including Fas cell surface death receptor, caspase‑3, caspase‑8 and B‑cell lymphoma‑2 (Bcl‑2)-associated X protein, were also increased in IL‑1β‑stimulated chondrocytes. In addition, it was revealed that upregulation of miR‑98 was accompanied by reduced expression of Bcl‑2 following exposure to IL‑1β. IL‑1β‑induced downregulation of Bcl‑2 was associated with miR‑98‑mediated translational repression. Transfection of OA chondrocytes with a miR‑98 inhibitor had an inhibitory effect on IL‑1β‑induced cell apoptosis, increased cell proliferation and upregulated Bcl‑2 expression. It is possible that miR‑98 inhibited IL‑1β‑induced chondrocyte apoptosis by modulating Bcl‑2 expression levels. The findings of the present study indicated that the effects of miR‑98 on chondrocyte apoptosis were induced by regulation of Bcl‑2 expression. In addition, the present study confirmed that miR‑98 targeted the 3'‑untranslated region of Bcl‑2. In conclusion, miRNA‑coordinated regulation of apoptosis‑associated protein expression has been identified in OA chondrocytes following IL‑1β induction.

BACKGROUND The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a strong predictor of mortality in patients with colorectal, lung, gastric cancer, pancreatic and metastatic renal cell carcinoma. We here evaluated whether preoperative NLR is an independent prognostic factor for non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Data from 327 patients who underwent curative or palliative nephrectomy were evaluated retrospectively. In preoperative blood routine examination, neutrophils and lymphocytes were obtained. The predictive value of NLR for non-metastatic RCC was analyzed. RESULTS The NLR of 327 patients was 2.72±2.25. NLR

Parasitism by rhizocephalans can cause morphological, physiological, and behavioral changes in their host crabs, thus potentially also affecting the structure and function of host populations in the benthic ecosystem. The dynamic variation in crab populations caused by rhizocephalans may affect the colonization of epibionts on the crabs, but there is little literature on host/parasite/epibiont relationships. This study investigated the patterns of colonization by the thecostracan barnacle Octolasmis on crabs parasitized by the rhizocephalan externae of Diplothylacus sinensis, in order to quantify the interaction of the epibionts and rhizocephalan. Two species of epibiont barnacles, Octolasmis bullata and O. wanwickii, occurred on the host crab species Portunus sanguinolentus: O. bullata was found in the branchial chambers of all rhizocephalan-parasitized crabs, with an intensity of 74.6 +/- 39.1 (mean +/- SD) barnacles per host; O. warwickii was found attached to the outer surfaces of 34.6% of parasitized crabs, with an intensity of 49.3 +/- 32.3 barnacles per host. Their patterns of colonization, including Octolasmis prevalence, intensity, and distribution, were not similar to those crabs unparasitized with the rhizocephalan externae in previous reports. Differences between the two groups of crabs were closely related to the parasitism by rhizocephalan externae of D. sinensis. Because the evidence in this study suggests that the parasite had arrested or reduced a series of host behaviors, such as molting, grooming, and burying, to protect the parasitization of rhizocephalan externae, although these behavioral patterns are natural antifouling mechanisms for the epibionts. As a result, Octolasmis could benefit from the behavioral changes of hosts in the rhizocephalan-crab association. Whereas, massive colonization of Octolasmis on rhizocephalan-parasitized crabs, especially long-term parasitized hosts, could pose a severe burden and lead to an increase in host mortality.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of real-time tissue elastography (RTE) in the evaluation of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Methods: A total of 60 patients with chronic hepatitis B who were admitted in our hospital from March, 2015 to March, 2016 were included in the study and served as the study group, while 30 healthy individuals were served as the control group. RTE was used to detect MEAN, %AREA, SD, COMP, CONT, KURT, SKEW, ENT, IDM, ASM, and CORR. The elastic imaging characteristic quantitative value difference in the two groups and the change of elastic imaging characteristic quantitative values at different fibrosis stages were observed. Results: Except for ENT, ASM, and CORR, the comparison of the rest quantitative values between the two groups was statistically significant. With the change of liver fibrosis staging, the various elastic imaging characteristic quantitative values were correspondingly changed, and the comparison among the various stages was statistically significant by one-way ANOVA. Conclusions: RTE, characterized by simplicity, strong practicability, repeatability, and noninvasiveness, and can provide an accurate evidence for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and the evaluation of fibrosis degree in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

As a transitional zone between riverine and marine environments, an estuary plays an important role for the sources, accumulation and transport of microplastics. Although estuarine environments are hotspots of microplastic pollution, the correlation between microplastic pollution and aquatic organisms is less known. Here we investigated microplastic pollution in wild oysters Saccostrea cucullata from 11 sampling sites along the Pearl River Estuary in South China. The microplastic abundances in oysters ranged from 1.4 to 7.0 items per individual or from 1.5 to 7.2 items per gram tissue wet weight, which were positively related to those in surrounding waters. The oysters near urban areas contained significantly more microplastics than those near rural areas. Fibers accounted for 69.4% of the total microplastics in oysters. Microplastic sizes varied from 20 to 5000 μm and 83.9% of which were less than 100 μm. Light color microplastics were significantly more common than dark color ones. Based on the results, oysters are recommended as a biomonitor for the microplastic pollution in estuaries.

The effectiveness and efficiency of using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for automated power transmission line inspection is tightly related to the inspection paths designed for UAV. Different types of UAV are suitable for different inspection tasks and have different requirements for path planning. Based on the contents of the transmission line inspection, it can be divided into tower monitoring and line corridor monitoring. First, according to the characteristics of the tower monitoring, the multi-rotor UAV is used for the tower inspection. By considering the safe distance bewteen UAV and the tower and the features of the camera, the genetic algorithm (GA) is used to design a rational inspection path. Then, according to the requirements of the line corridor monitoring mission, the fixed-wing UAV is used for long distance inspection and the path planning mathematical model and objective function are established. Polar coordinate coding is used to overcome the restrictions of the maximum path deflection angle, the minimum step length and the number of the maximum path nodes. The GA and genetic simulated annealing (GSA) algorithms are used to obtain effective inspection paths. Simulation results show that the proposed optimization scheme in this paper can find the optimal inspection paths.

A structure of fault manager is established. Under the premise of combining relevant standards, the five main modules of the fault manager effectively integrated and handled fault information. This fault manager is implemented in a home-ECU for its upcoming production.