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This paper focuses on finite‐time synchronization and parameters identification in the Markovian switching complex delayed network with multiple weights. Considering the control cost required for network synchronization, finite‐time control technique and pinning control strategy are adopted. Based on these methods, when finite‐time synchronization of the network is achieved, the unknown parameters of the system can also be identified in finite time. In addition, in order to solve the problem of the network performance change caused by network topology switching, an Optimal Nodes Selection Control Strategy (ONSCS) is proposed. On the one hand, finite‐time synchronization and identification of the network can be realized faster, on the other hand, it also further reduces the energy consumption and control cost of the network. Finally, two sets of comparative numerical simulations are given to prove the superiority and applicability of the proposed ONSCS.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is one of the most significant factors influencing beef quality in terms of tenderness, flavor, and juiciness. Thus, internal factors affecting IMF deposition have received considerable attention for decades. In this study, we demonstrated a long non-coding RNA, lnc210, promoted adipogenic differentiation of buffalo intramuscular adipocytes. lnc210 was rich in adipose tissue and showed increased expression with the adipogenic differentiation of buffalo intramuscular adipocytes. lnc210 was mainly expressed in the nucleus of adipocytes. Full-length lnc210 was obtained by rapid amplification of cDNA ends technology. lnc210 overexpression promoted lipid accumulation by upregulating the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPα) in buffalo intramuscular adipocytes. These results provide a basis for an in-depth analysis of the role of lnc210 in accelerating IMF deposition in buffaloes.

The retinoblastoma (Rb1) gene is one of the most important tumor suppressor genes. Dysfunction of Rb protein drives tumorigenesis by overcoming barriers to cellular proliferation. Consequently, factors modulating Rb function are of great clinical import. Here, we show that miR-26a was differentially expressed in human retinoblastoma cells, tissues and serums from retinoblastoma patients, compared with human retinal microvascular endothelial cells, non-tumor tissues and serums from healthy children, and that it tightly regulated the expression of Rb1 by specifically targeting a conserved sequence motif in its UTR, leading to low expression of Rb1. In vitro experiments determined that miR-26a directly participated in the regulation of cell proliferation of human Y79 RB cells. Our results also suggest that curcumin modulated the miR-26a expression profile, thereby exerting its anti-proliferation effects on Y79 RB cells via up-regulation of Rb1. To our knowledge, these data indicate for the first time that miR-26a directly regulates cell proliferation by targeting Rb1 in retinoblastoma and that miR-26a could be a potential therapeutic approach for retinoblastoma.

Ferulic acid, a kind of phenolic substance widely existing in plants, is an important active component of many traditional Chinese medicines. So far, it has been proved that ferulic acid has a variety of biological activities, especially in oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular endothelial injury, fibrosis, apoptosis and platelet aggregation. Many studies have shown that ferulic acid can inhibit PI3K/AKT pathway, the production of ROS and the activity of aldose reductase. The anti-inflammatory effect of ferulic acid is mainly related to the levels of PPAR γ, CAM and NF-κ B and p38 MAPK signaling pathways. Ferulic acid not only protects vascular endothelium by ERK1/2 and NO/ET-1 signal, but also plays an anti-fibrosis role by TGF-β/Smad and MMPs/TIMPs system. Moreover, ferulic acid has ant-apoptotic and anti-platelet effects. In addition to the pharmacological effects of ferulic acid, its pharmacokinetics and derivatives were also discussed in this paper. This review provides the latest summary of the latest research on ferulic acid.

Background Dysfunction of cerebral autoregulation is one of the pathophysiological mechanisms that causes delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Pressure reactivity index (PRx) have been confirmed to reflect the level of cerebral autoregulation and used to derive optimal cerebral perfusion pressure (CPPopt). The goal of this study is to explore the associations between autoregulation, CPPopt, PRx, and DCI. Methods Continuous intracranial pressure (ICP), arterial blood pressure (ABP), and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) signals acquired from 61 aSAH patients were retrospectively analyzed. PRx was calculated and collected by Pneumatic computer system. The CPP at the lowest PRx was determined as the CPPopt. The duration of a hypoperfusion event (dHP) was defined as the cumulative time that the PRx was > 0.3 and the CPP was Results Data from 52 patients were included in the final analysis of 61 patients. The mean %dHP in DCI was 29.23% and 10.66% in control. The mean %ΔCPPopt < − 10 mmHg was 22.28%, and 5.90% in control. The %dHP (p < 0.001) and the %ΔCPPopt < − 10mmHg (p < 0.001) was significantly longer in the DCI group. In multivariate logistic regression model, %ΔCPPopt p < 0.001) and %dHP (p < 0.001) were independent risk factor for predicting DCI, and %ΔCPPopt p = 0.010) and %dHP (p = 0.026) were independent risk factor for predicting unfavorable outcomes. Conclusions The increase of duration of hypoperfusion events and duration of CPP below CPPopt over 10 mmHg, evaluated as time of lowered CPP, is highly indicative of DCI and unfavorable outcomes.

Fat deposition is one of the most important traits that are mediated by a set of complex regulatory factors in meat animals. Several researches have revealed the significant role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in fat deposition while the precise regulatory mechanism is still largely elusive. In this study, we investigated the lncRNA profiles of adipose and muscle tissues in buffalo by using the Illumina HiSeq 3000 platform. In total, 43,809 lncRNAs were finally identified based on the computer algorithm. A comparison analysis revealed 241 lncRNAs that are differentially expressed (DE) in adipose and muscle tissues. We focused on lncSAMM50, a DE lncRNA that has a high expression in adipose tissue. Sequence alignment showed that lncSAMM50 is transcribed from the antisense strand of the upstream region of sorting and assembly machinery component 50 homolog (SAMM50), a gene involved in the function of mitochondrion and is subsequently demonstrated to inhibit the adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells in this study. lncSAMM50 is highly expressed in adipose tissue and upregulated in the mature adipocytes and mainly exists in the nucleus. Gain-of-function experiments demonstrated that lncSAMM50 promotes the adipogenic differentiation by upregulating adipogenic markers but with no effect on its host gene SAMM50 in buffalo adipocytes. These results indicate that lncSAMM50 enhances fat deposition in buffalo and provide a new factor for the regulatory network of adipogenesis.

This paper focuses on finite-time synchronization and parameters identification in Markovian switching complex delayed network with stochastic perturbations. By pinning control strategy, finite-time stability theory and Ito’s lemma, some sufficient conditions for finite-time synchronization of Markovian switching complex delayed network are obtained. In the meantime, the unknown parameters of the network can be accurately identified through the adopted adaptive strategy. Moreover, the number of nodes and the dynamic behavior of each node are randomly determined, so the proposed method can be appliable to more general complex networks. Finally, a numerical simulation is performed to prove the practicability and effectiveness of the analysis results.

Let X = {X1, X2, …} be a sequence of independent but not necessarily identically distributed random variables, and let η be a counting random variable independent of X. Consider randomly stopped su...

Background: Several investigations have indicated that T helper cell 17 (Th 17 ) and Foxp 3 + regulatory T cells (Treg) cells adopt a pro-tumorigenic role. Opioids and pain exacerbate immunosuppression in immunocompromised cancer patients. Methods: A rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models was established by N-nitrosodiethylamine (DENA). 48 of them were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=16): surgery without postoperative analgesia (Control); surgery with morphine postoperative analgesia (Morphine); surgery with sufentanil postoperative analgesia (Sufentanil). The level of cluster of CD4 + , CD8 + , Th1,Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in blood were also detected to assess immune function using flow cytometry on d0, d3 and d7.The rats’ survival situation of each group left after three days of surgery were observed. Results ： The CD4 + /CD8 + ratio and Th1 cells levels were significantly higher while Th2, Th17 and Treg cells levels were significantly lower in sufentanil and morphine postoperative analgesia rats compared with that without postoperative analgesia. Compared with morphine postoperative analgesia, sufentanil postoperative analgesia rats seem have higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio , Th1 cells, while lower Th2, Th17 and Treg cells level. Conclusions ： Sufentanil and morphine postoperative analgesia show better immune function than that without postoperative analgesia by analyzing CD4 + /CD8 + ratio, Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells. Sufentanil postoperative analgesia demonstrated a favorable impact on immune function compared with morphine postoperative anesthesia in hepatocellular carcinoma rats undergoing left hepatectomy operation.

The measurement of the topological properties on the lattices usually requires smearing. In this proceeding, we demonstrate that we can use the zero modes of the domain wall operator to study the topological properties in detail without smearing. We show that the eigenvalues and the chirality properties of the eigenvectors are very similar to those of the Dirac operator with mass term in the continuum. The finite fifth dimension brings the residual mass into the eigenvectors but the eigenvectors can still be used to probe the detailed topological properties. We are able to get the quark bilinear $\sum_{\vec{x},\vec{y}}\langle\bar{q}(\vec{x},t)\gamma_5 q(\vec{y},t)\rangle$ through the eigenvectors which contribute to $m_{\eta}$ and $m_{\eta'}$. $m_{\eta}$ and $m_{\eta'}$ are measured and we expect that we can use the zero modes to improve the measurements.

Background Surgery-related pain and opioids might exacerbate immune defenses in immunocompromised cancer patients which might affect postoperativd overall survival. Sufentanil is a good postoperative pain control drug,the present study aimed to figure out whether it effect T cell immunity in rat hepatocellular carcinoma surgical model. Methods A rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models was established by N-nitrosodiethylamine. Forty-eight of them were randomly divided into 3 equal groups: surgery without postoperative analgesia (Group C), surgery with morphine postoperative analgesia (Group M), surgery with sufentanil postoperative analgesia (Group S). Each animal underwent a standard left hepatolobectomy, and intraperitoneally implanted with osmotic minipumps filled with sufentanil, morphine or normal saline according to the different group. The food and water consumptions, body weight changes, locomotor activity and mechanical pain threshold (MPT) were observed. The ratio of CD4+/CD8+, proportions of Th1, Th2, Th17 and Treg cells in blood were detected using flow cytometry. The liver function and the rats’ survival situation of each group were observed. Results The food and water consumption, locomotor activity and MPT of group C declined than those of group S and M on d1, d2, d3 (P

Objective: The plasma D-dimer has been regarded as a poor prognosis factor in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) patients, but the reason of elevated D-dimer level has not been revealed. In...

Pediatric medulloblastoma is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. However, few studies have reported gene expression profiles of pediatric medulloblastoma and the molecular mechanism underlying this disease is unclear. To identify essential genes in pediatric medulloblastoma, we analyzed three microarray data sets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). We identified 1798 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using the limma package. Gene set enrichment analysis demonstrated that "entrainment of circadian clock by photoperiod," "regulation of triglyceride biosynthetic process," and "snare complex" pathway were significantly enriched gene sets that correlated with pediatric medulloblastoma. Enriched Gene Ontology annotations of DEGs mostly included "ion-gated channel activity," "gated channel activity," and "channel activity." Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were enriched in "glutamatergic synapse," "synaptic vesicle cycle," and "GABAergic synapse." Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis showed that RAB5C, VAMP2, AP2M1, FNBP1, AP2A1, SYT1, SYNJ2, SYT2, HIP1R, UBB, WNT5A, SH3GL2, SYNJ1, EPN1, and DNM1 were hub genes. In conclusion, the identification of the above hub genes and pathways will help to reveal the pathogenesis of pediatric medulloblastoma and will also provide prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for pediatric medulloblastoma.

miRNAs are recently found playing important roles in osteogenesis. In this study, we identified that miR-222-3p decreased during osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) using Quantitative Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, we investigated the effect of miR-222-3p on osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. Inhibition of miR-222-3p function in hBMSCs using infection of lentiviruses carrying miR-222-3p specific inhibitor promoted expression of osteoblast-specific genes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and matrix mineralization. Whereas, overexpression of miR-222-3p inhibited osteoblast differentiation of hBMSCs in vitro. Moreover, Smad5 and RUNX2, which are the critical transcription factors in osteogenic differentiation, were predicted to be targets of miR-222-3p by bioinformatic analysis. Overexpression of miR-222-3p in hBMSCs significantly suppressed the protein levels of Smad5 and RUNX2, while inhibition of miR-222-3p increased their protein levels. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-222-3p increased phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8, which regulated the expression of osteogenic genes. Our findings suggest that suppression of miR-222-3p activity promoted osteogenic differentiation hBMSCs through regulating Smad5-RUNX2 signaling axis.

Background and Aim: A fibrotic liver may have impaired regenerative capacity. Liver transplantation is a donor-limited, expensive therapeutic option for the restoration of the structural and function integrity of the liver following regeneration failure. Thus, gaining the clinical ability to restore the regenerative capacity of the fibrotic liver is important. This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms involved in regenerative failure of the fibrotic liver after resection. Methods: A two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PH) was performed in C57Bl/6 mice with or without carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) treatment. Cell proliferation in the fibrotic liver post-PH was assessed by the intrahepatic expression of P53, PGC-1α, P21 and PCNA with RT-PCR, Western-blot and immunohistochemical staining. Histone epigenetic modification of the PGC-1α promoter was investigated by ChIP and RT-PCR assay. The impact of PGC-1α on liver regeneration after hepatectomy was further evaluated in PGC-1α gene knockout mice. Results: An association was detected between a decreased expression of PGC-1α and p53 in the fibrotic liver and liver injury and cell proliferation 24 hours after PH. Moreover, the oxidative stress observed following PH in the fibrotic liver inhibited the PGC-1α expression through histone deacetylation of the PGC-1α promoter. This PGC-1α mediated liver regeneration was further demonstrated in PGC-1αf/f alb cre /0 mice. Conclusion: Altered p53 expression, which was preceded by abnormal histone epigenetic modification of the promoter of PGC-1α, led to inefficient regeneration in the fibrotic liver after PH. Targeting the histone modification of PGC-1α may represent a strategy which may improve PH treatment in patients with liver fibrosis. Funding Statement: This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China Award number 81470864. Declaration of Interests: All the authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: All experimental procedures were conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Laboratory Animal Welfare Assurance issued by the National Institute of Health (NIH) and were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Capital Medical University.

For an airborne radar system, the detection of moving target under the ground clutter has become the research hotspot to worldwide scholars. And the detection of the slow-moving target near the main clutter area is now regarded as one of the difficulty problem. In order to reduce the Minimum Detectable Velocity (MDV) of moving target, a novel slow-moving target detection method is presented for airborne MIMO radar, which transmits Doppler frequency movable waveform (DFMW). By combining the advantages of the MIMO radar and the DFMW, the proposed method could realize the suppression of ground clutter and the detection of the slow-moving target near main clutter area effectively. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Based on the theory that the steering vectors of coherently distributed targets for bistatic MIMO radar possess a property called Hadamard product rotational invariance (HPRI), a novel central angle estimation algorithm is derived. The proposed algorithm has the advantage of no searching and easily pair the estimated angles. Furthermore, it can deal with different coherently distributed targets with different angular distribution functions or unknown angular distribution functions. Simulation results show the proposed method is effective.

The slot waveguide has attracted considerable attention because of its ability to confine and guide electromagnetic energy at the subwavelength scale beyond the diffraction limit. We propose a novel terahertz slot waveguide structure to achieve a better tradeoff between propagation length and field confinement capacity, the novel waveguide consisting of a two slot structure. The performances of terahertz waveguides were investigated using the finite-element method. The results demonstrated that the hybrid slot waveguide (HSW) provides significantly enhanced field confinement in low index slot regions: more than five times that of traditional low index slot waveguides (LISWs). An optimized HSW structure was achieved by tuning the tradeoff between mode confinement and propagation length. We also showed that its integration in conventional planar waveguide circuits was greatly improved compared with the LISWs, by comparing their crosstalk. The proposed new HSW structure has great potential to enable THz production of compact integration and could lead to true semiconductor-basedTHz applications with high performance.

Oxidative stress induces the activation of liver fibrogenic cells (myofibroblasts), thus promoting the expression of fibrosis-related genes, leading to hepatic fibrogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a new class of small RNAs ~18–25 nucleotides in length involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Wound-healing and remodeling processes in liver fibrosis have been associated with changes in hepatic miRNA expression. However, the role of miR-706 in liver fibrogenesis is currently unknown. In the present study, we show that miR-706 is abundantly expressed in hepatocytes. Moreover, oxidative stress leads to a significant downregulation of miR-706, and the further reintroduction of miR-706 inhibits oxidative stress-induced expression of fibrosis-related markers such as α-SMA. Subsequent studies revealed that miR-706 directly inhibits PKCα and TAOK1 expression via binding to the 3′-untranslated region, preventing epithelial mesenchymal transition. In vivo studies showed that intravenous injection of miR-706 agomir successfully increases hepatic miR-706 and decreases α-SMA, PKCα, and TAOK1 protein levels in livers of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-treated mice. In summary, this study reveals a protective role for miR-706 by blocking the oxidative stress-induced activation of PKCα/TAOK1. Our results further identify a major implication for miR-706 in preventing hepatic fibrogenesis and suggest that miR-706 may be a suitable molecular target for anti-fibrosis therapy.

Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is a member of IRF family which plays an important role in neuronal survival and neuroprotection. However, the role of IRF3 in neuropathic pain remains unclear. Thus, in this study, we investigated the effect of IRF3 on neuropathic pain in a rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. Our results showed that IRF3 was up-regulated in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in CCI rats. Intrathecal short-hairpin RNA (shRNA)-IRF3 attenuated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CCI rats, as well as inhibited the production of TNF-α and IL-1β in the DRG of CCI rats. Furthermore, we revealed that sh-IRF3 greatly suppressed the expression of p-NF-κB p65 and IκBα degradation in the DRG of CCI rats. In conclusion, our data suggest that knockdown of IRF3 may alleviate neuropathic pain by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway. Therefore, IRF3 may provide an important target for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Hypermethylation often leads to gene silencing; however, the mechanism responsible for the low expression resulting from hypermethylation of the tumor suppressor gene Kelch-like ECH-associating protein 1 (Keap1) in human lung cancer cell lines remains unclear. In this study, using promoter deletion and site mutagenesis assays, we determined that one transcription factor stimulating protein-1 (Sp1) regulatory element in the Keap1 promoter region was important for the transcription of Keap1 in A549 cells. We demonstrated that the transcription factor Sp1 can directly bind to this element in the normal bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cell line but not in A549 cells, as assessed with chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). EMSAs and supershift assays also showed that CpG island methylation could abrogate Sp1 binding to the Keap1 promoter. Moreover, Keap1 mRNA decreased by 50% after the knock-down of Sp1 with siRNA in BEAS-2B cells, whereas the over-expression of Sp1 led to a dramatic increase in Keap1 promoter activity. The treatment of A549 cells with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine restored the binding of Sp1 to the promoter and Keap1 expression. Our results indicate that Sp1 is essential for Keap1 expression and that promoter methylation blocks Sp1 binding in A549 cells. These results demonstrate that hypermethylation may act as an epigenetic gene silencing mechanism, i.e., the inhibition of Sp1 binding to the hypermethylated Keap1 promoter in lung cancer cells, which suggests new approaches to lung cancer treatment.

To evaluate the effects of a novel molluscicide, the salt quinoid-2', 5-dichloro-4'-nitrosalicylanilide from niclosamide (LDS), with 10% wettable powder, in main schistosomiasis epidemic areas of China, including Hunan, Jiangxi, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang Province.In the immersion test, 6 effective concentrations of 10% LDS were tested respectively: 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 g/m3 in the field; at the same time, 50% wettable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt (WPN) with effective concentrations of 1.0 g/m was used as the molluscicide control, and the fresh water as the blank control, then the mortality rates of 0. hupensis snails were recorded at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after the immersion. In the spraying test and powder-spraying test, 5 effective dosages of 10% LDS were tested respectively: 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 g/m2, while 50% WPN 1.0 g/m2 was used as the molluscicide control, and the fresh water as the blank control in the field for 1 d, 3 d and 7 d, then the mortality rates of O. hupensis snails were recorded at 1 d, 3 d and 7 d after the spraying and powder-spraying.The snail mortality rates of LDS using the immersion test for 72 h were more than 95% in the field of eight provinces (0.1 g/m in Sichuan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, 0.2 g/m3 in Yunnan, Hunan and Hubei provinces, and 0.4 g/min Anhui Province); the snail mortality rates of LDS using the spraying test for 7 d were more than 85% (0.2 g/m2 in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces, 0.4 g/m2 in Sichuan and Anhui provinces, 0.6 g/m2 in Yunnan and Jiangsu provinces). The snail mortality rates of LDS the powder-spraying test for 7 d were more than 85% (0.6 g/m2 in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces). According to the standards of "Efficacy test methods and evaluation of molluscicide for pesticide registration (NY/T 1617-2008)", LDS is a qualified molluscicide.LDS has good molluscicidal effects through the immersion, spraying and powder-spraying test in the fields. It is suitable for a variety of environments to control O. hupensis snails of schistosomiasis endemic areas in China. The recommended dosages of LDS are 0.1-0.2 g/m3 by the immersion method, 0.2-0.4 g/m2 by the spraying method, and 0.4-0.6 g/m2 by the powder-spraying method in the fields.

To investigate the status of Cryptosporidium infection in the population in the local area of Anhui Province, and discuss the risk factors of the infection, so as to provide the evidence for the prevention and treatment of cryptosporidiosis.Qianshan County and Lingbi County of Anhui Province were selected as investigation spots, and the oocysts of Cryptosporidium in the feces of the investigation objects and the specific IgG antibody against Cryptosporidium in the serum were checked by using the pathogenic modified acid fast staining method and ELISA, respectively, so as to determine the status of Cryptosporidium infection in these investigation objects. At the same time, the questionnaire surveys were conducted in the investigation objects so as to know about the risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection.A total of 668 people were investigated in the two counties, 635 people received etiological examinations, and 15 people were positive with the positive rate of 2.36%; 642 people received serological examinations, and 140 people were positive with the positive rate of 21.81%; 628 people received pathogenic and serological examinations at the same time, and the examination results of the both methods showed that 12 people were positive (there were 4 people in Qianshan County and 8 people in Lingbi County) , and the positive rate was 1.94%. The rates of Cryptosporidium infection in the population of Qianshan County and Lingbi County were 1.24% (4/322) and 2.71% (8/295) respectively, and the difference had no statistical significance (P0.05). The single factor analysis found that the rate of Cryptosporidium infection was higher in the children and diarrhea patients; the multivariate logistics regression analysis indicated that the rate of Cryptosporidium infection was higher in the people who bred poultry and the diarrhea patients.The positive rate of serum antibody of Cryptosporidium in the population of the local area of Anhui Province is higher, which indicates that the previous infection is serious, and the rate of Cryptosporidium infection in human is relative to the age, diarrhea and whether there are poultries to be bred in the family, which is worthy of attention in the future prevention and treatment.

Background and Objective MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to be associated with various physiological and pathological conditions, including inflammation and cardiovascular disease, but little is known about their relationship with the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and disease severity. Methods A total of 195 consecutive subjects who underwent coronary angiography for chest pain evaluation were enrolled in this study. In CAD patients severity of coronary lesions was assessed by the number of diseased vessels and the Synergy between PCI with Taxus and Cardiac surgery score (SYNTAX score). Plasma levels of miRNA-145 were quantified by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction test, and logarithmic transformation of miRNA-145 levels (Ln_miRNA-145) was used for analyses due to its skewed distribution. Results Of the 195 total subjects 167 patients were diagnosed as having CAD. Ln_miRNA-145 was significantly lower in CAD patients compared with the non-CAD group (-6.11±0.92 vs. -5.06±1.25; p

Effects of Neutrophils on Cardiac Myocytes. Introduction: Myocardial ischemia causes neutrophils to bind to activaled myocytes and liberate platelet-activating factor (PAF). PAF causes delayed repolarization, early afterdepolarizations (EADs), and arrest of repolarization. We studied the effect of activation of neutrophils bound to canine cardiac myocytes to determine if such activation causes PAF generation and similar changes in transmembrane potentials. Methods and Results: Myocytes from canine left ventricle and neutrophils from the same dog were superfused with Tyrode's solution and transmembrane potentials recorded from the former. Neutrophils (100 μL, 10-6/mL) were added and allowed to bind to the myocytes. Neutrophils were activated with 1% zymosan-activated serum (ZAS). CV-6209 (100 nM) was used to block receptors for PAF. Liberation of PAF by activated neutrophils was quantified with a commercial radioimmunoassay kit. Neutrophils activated with ZAS caused changes in myocyte transmembrane potentials like those induced by PAF: action potential prolongation, runs of EAD, and periods of plateau arrest. PAF receptor blockade prevented neutrophil activation from altering transmembrane potentials. Neutrophils activated with 1 % ZAS liberated significant amounts of PAF. Conclusions: When neutrophils bound to cardiac myocytes are activated by exposure to 1% ZAS, they cause prompt and consistent changes in myocyte electrical activity that could be arrhythmogenic for the in situ heart. These changes are similar to those caused by PAF in pharmacologic studies. Neutrophils activated in this manner generate PAF, and the effects of their activation are prevented by blockade of PAF receptors. We conclude that, during reperfusion of ischemic myocardium, PAF generated by activated neutrophils most likely is a cause of some arrhythmias.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of poly(lactic- co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres loaded with recombinant human growth and differentiation factor-5 (rhGDF-5) on the disc degeneration induced by needle puncture in a rat caudal disc model. Methods: The rhGDF-5-loaded PLGA microspheres were prepared by the water-oil-water double-emulsion solvent evaporation method, and release kinetics was determined over 42 days. Rats that underwent 21-G needle puncture at rat tail discs were injected with rhGDF-5/PLGA microspheres at four weeks after needle injury. At eight weeks after the injection, disc height, glycosaminoglycans content, and DNA content of the discs were evaluated. In addition, gene expression analysis of aggrecan, collagen type I, and collagen type II in the rat nucleus pulposus was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Rat discs were also assessed by histology using hematoxylin and eosin stain. Results: Encapsulation of rhGDF-5 in PLGA microspheres guaranteed a sustained release of active rhGDF-5 for more than 42 days. The injection of GDF-5/PLGA microspheres resulted in a statistically significant restoration of disc height ( p Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that injection of rhGDF-5 loaded in PLGA microspheres into rat tail discs may be as a promising therapy strategy to regenerate or repair the degenerative disc.

To investigate the expression and signification of B-cell lymphoma/leukemia-2 (bcl-2), bax and ER proteins in epithelial cells in different depth of adenomyosis.Expression and correlation of bcl-2, bax and ER proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry staining in 36 adenomyosis cases with superficial (1/2 depth of penetration) and deep (≥ 1/2 depth of penetration) ectopic endometrium and eutopic endometrial tissues matched with 30 cases with benign ovarian tumor, uterine septum, pelvic floor dysfunction without adenomyosis as controls.(1) The expression of ER protein in superficial and deep ectopic tissues (5.04 ± 0.24, 4.91 ± 0.16) were found significantly lower than 6.06 ± 0.36 in eutopic tissues (P0.01) and higher than 3.70 ± 0.58 in control group (P0.05). There was no statistical difference of ER expression in superficial and deep ectopic endometrium (P0.05). (2) The level of bcl-2 protein of 5.6 ± 0.4 in superficial and 6.0 ± 0.3 in deep myometrium of ectopic tissues were significantly higher than 3.6 ± 0.4 in eutopic tissues and 1.9 ± 0.4 in control group (P0.01). (3) The level of bax protein of 3.50 ± 0.28 in superficial and 4.80 ± 0.29 in deep myometrial ectopic and 4.43 ± 0.37 in eutopic tissues were significantly lower than 6.18 ± 0.65 in control groups (P0.05). The expression of bax in superficial myometrium is significantly lower than deep myometrium in ectopic tissues (P0.01). (4) The positive correlation between the expression of ER and bcl-2 protein at superficial myometrium of ectopic tissues (r = 0.720, P0.01). And there was no significant correlation with the expression of ER and bax protein at superficial myometrium (r = 0.008, P0.05). As well as, there was not significant correlation with the expression of bcl-2, bax and ER protein at deep myometrium (r = 0.089, r = -0.023, P0.05). The expression of bax protein in ectopic endometrium was positive correlation with the depth of adenomyosis penetration (r = 0.736, P0.01). There was positive correlation between the expression of ER and bcl-2 protein at normal endometrium (r = 0.453, P0.05). And there was negative correlation between the expression of ER and bax protein at control group (r = -0.514, P = 0.05).The bax protein expression of ectopic endometrium in deep adenomyosis was higher than superficial adenomyosis.

We studied the role of alpha1-adrenoceptors in the modulation of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation in chloralose-anesthetized dogs subjected to 30 min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion. Study groups were control, and those treated with the alpha1-adrenoceptor-subtype blockers WB4101 (0.5 mg/kg i.v.) or chloroethylclonidine (1.9 mg/kg i.v.). For the first set of experiments all animals were in sinus rhythm and heart rate was slower in the chloroethylclonidine-pretreated animals than the WB4101-treated group (P < 0.05). During occlusion, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation incidence did not differ among control, WB4101 or chloroethylclonidine (3 dogs with ventricular fibrillation in each group and 0, 2 and 3 dogs respectively with ventricular tachycardia), but ventricular premature depolarizations were significantly reduced by both interventions, and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia was suppressed by WB4101. In a second set of experiments, animals were atrially paced at a cycle length of 300 ms, and divided into control, WB4101-treated or chloroethylclonidine-treated, as above. Here, 9/10 chloroethylclonidine-treated animals developed ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation during occlusion, whereas only 4/10 controls and 4/10 WB4101-treated animals did so (P < 0.05). In conclusion, during sinus rhythm, both types of alpha1-adrenoceptor subtype blockade significantly suppressed ventricular premature depolarizations and neither affected ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation. In contrast, when heart rate was held constant, chloroethylclonidine clearly enhanced the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation during occlusion. These results suggest the alpha1-adrenoceptor subtype blocked by chloroethylclonidine, but not that blocked by WB4101, is capable of increasing the incidence of lethal arrhythmias that occur at rapid atrial rates during ischemia.

By exploiting the banded symmetric and Toeplitz matrix model for the mutual coupling of uniformly linear array (ULA), an efficient self-calibration algorithm based on estimation of signal parameter via rotational invariance techniques (ESPRIT) is proposed. The DOA and mutual coupling parameters can be decoupled by a smart choosing of subarrays for ESPRIT method, and favorable DOA estimation can be provided without the knowledge of the sensor mutual coupling matrix. Based on the estimated DOAs, an accurate estimation of mutual coupling matrix (MCM) can also be achieved for the self-calibration of ULA. The DOA estimation and mutual coupling estimation could be completed without any angle-searching and iterative procedure, so its computational burden is low. The correction and efficiency of the proposed algorithm are verified by the computer simulation results.

To understand the dynamic changes of the potential prevalent factors of schistosomiasis in Chaohu Lake area so as to provide forecast information on the outbreak of schistosomiasis in the area.From 2008 to 2010, fixed and mobile surveillance sites in potential endemic areas of Juchao District in Chaohu City, which was located in the southeast side of Chaohu Lake, were selected, and the schistosomiasis infection situation of local people, mobile population and livestock were investigated by immunological assays and/or stool examinations. The distribution of Oncomelania snails was surveyed in risk areas and suspicious areas, the spreading patterns of Oncomelania snails were observed in rivers that directly connected with the Yangtze River, and the Oncomelania snails were raised in the cages on the beaches of Chaohu Lake and a control area, and their survival and reproduction capacity was observed.In 2008, a total of 301 local people were screened by IHA, and there were no positives. From 2008 to 2010, a total of 321, 362 and 306 mobile population were examined by IHA, respectively, and the positive rate of antibody were 3.74%, 4.97% and 2.94%, respectively. The antibody positives were tested by stool examinations, and the positive rates were 66.67%, 50% and 55.56%, respectively. A total of 91 local livestock and 92 livestock from endemic areas were examined respectively by the miracidium hatching method, and there were no positives. A total of 97.8 hm2 risk areas and 193.62 hm2 suspicious areas in the potential endemic area were surveyed respectively, but no Oncomelania snails were found. The investigation results on snail spreading patterns indicated that snails could spread into Chaohu Lake by adsorbing on floating debris. The field study revealed that Oncomelania snails could survive and reproduce in the Lake.The imported infectious sources of schistosomiasis have been found in Chaohu Lake area, and the higher possibility of imported Oncomelania snails spreading into the Lake and surviving and reproducing in the lake is predicted. Therefore, effective measures should be taken to decrease the risks of schistosomiasis transmission in the potential endemic area.

A novel computational efficient direction of arrival (DOA) estimation algorithm using multi-stage Wiener filter (MSWF) and polynomial rooting is proposed. The signal subspace is obtained using MSWF, which avoid the known of desired signal, the estimation of data covariance matrix and its eigen-decomposition. Then, a new polynomial rooting based on the estimated signal subspace is adopted to realize DOA estimation. Therefore, comparing with the conventional DOA estimation algorithms, the proposed algorithm has smaller computational complexity. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method are verified by computer simulation results.

To evaluate the molluscicidal effect of suspension concentrate of 26% metaldehyde and niclosamide (MNSC) in laboratory and field.The experiment of MNSC against Oncomelania snails were performed by immersion and spray methods with different time in laboratory and field, and the wettable powder of 50% niclosamide ethanolamine salt (WPN) and fresh water were set as the controls.In laboratory, by immersion method (immersion for 24 h), LC50 of MNSC was 0.058 3 mg/L, which was lower than 0.094 7 mg/L of WPN. For the concentrations of 2.0 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L of MNSC by immersion method (immersion for 24, 48 h and 72 h, respectively), the death rates of snails were all 100%. In laboratory, by the spray method, the snail death rates were higher than 97% on the 3rd and 7th day when the dosage of MNSC was higher than 1.0 g/m2. In the field, by the immersion method, the snail death rates of MNSC (2 g/m3) for 24, 48 h and 72 h were 97.78% -100% in Hubei Province and 97.50% - 100% in Anhui Province, respectively, the rates of WPN were 98.89% - 100% and 97.56% - 100%, respectively, and the snail death rates of MNSC and WPN were both 100% in Jiangsu Province. In the field, by the spray method, the snail death rates of MNSC for 1, 3 d and 7 d were 83.12% - 94.64% in Jiangsu Province, 67.81% - 86.67% in Hubei Province and 72.80% - 100% in Anhui Province, respectively. The snail death rates of WPN for 1, 3 d and 7 d were 78.40% - 86.11%, 77.27% - 87.50% and 83.81% - 98.51%, respectively. In Hunan Province, the snail death rates of MNSC and WPN after spraying for 7 d were 94.94% and 94.20%, respectively, after spraying for 15 d, the rates were 86.67% and 89.38%, respectively.The molluscicidal effect of MNSC is as the same as WPN by immersion and spray methods in laboratory and field. MNSC has the characteristics of good water solubility, quick dispersing and easy using. In addition, the efficiency component of MNSC is half of WPN. So MNSC is a novel form of molluscicide which is worthy of promotion in field.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) strikes individuals with devastating neurological results. Traditional viewpoints do not explain all the differences that are usually found in clinical practice. The role of genetic predisposition in SAH has recently been investigated. Particular attention has been paid to the apolipoprotein E (apoE) genotype. APOE genotype is a major prognostic factor in patient outcome after spontaneous aneurysmal SAH. In patients with SAH, the expression of the apoE ε4 allele is associated with a higher risk of negative outcome and delayed ischemia. Evidence from experimental and clinical studies confirms that apoE plays an important role in the pathological events after SAH. This article reviews related research and surveys the links between the pathological events of SAH and apoE.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is an important cause of death and disability worldwide. To date, there is not a definitive treatment that completely prevents brain injury after SAH. Recently, early brain injury (EBI) has been pointed out to be the primary cause of mortality in SAH patients. Apoptosis that occurs in neuronal tissues and cerebral vasculature after SAH plays an essential role in EBI. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) has been found to increase in many cerebral vascular diseases. There have been reports that MMP-9 can mediate apoptosis, which called anoikis in cerebral ischemia models, through cleaving main components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), especially laminin. Therefore, minocycline, which has been found to inhibit MMP-9, may be protective to brain injury after SAH. We based our hypothesis on the fact that SAH possesses some aspects that are similar to those of cerebral ischemia. It is conceivable that MMP-9 may also be involved in the pathological process of EBI after SAH, and minocycline can relieve anoikis and improve EBI after SAH.

Minocycline has been shown to be neuroprotective in cerebral ischemia and in other models of brain injury. Our goal is to observe the protection of minocycline on EBI after SAH and the mechanism. 48 adult male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups: the sham-operated group, SAH group, vehicle group (SAH+normal sodium), and minocycline group (SAH+minocycline). The SAH model was induced by injecting 300 μl of autologous arterial blood into the prechiasmatic cistern. Expressions of MMP-9 in the hippocampus were examined at 24 h by western blot and zymography. Western blot and zymography showed that the expression of total and active MMP-9 increased dramatically at 24 h after SAH compared with that of the sham group (P0.01). The clinical assessments got a lower score than that of the sham-operated group. After treated with minocycline, the expression of MMP-9 decreased significantly (P0.01 vs. vehicle group), and the clinical assessments improved. We conclude that minocycline can protect EBI after SAH, which may be related to the mechanism of inhibiting the expression of MMP-9 in the hippocampus.