Search

Cu–Mn–Ce ternary mixed oxides, prepared via the citric acid complex method and supported on cordierite, were investigated for their catalytic activity in the oxidation of chlorobenzene. The impact of various reaction conditions, including chlorobenzene concentration, GHSV, water vapor and HCl, was thoroughly investigated to analyze oxidative activity, stability, and anti-poisoning ability. Among the catalysts tested, those with 20 wt% CuMnOx and 10 wt% CeO2, calcined at 450 °C for 4 h with one step, exhibited the highest apparent activity with T90 < 300 °C in the feed containing 500ppm chlorobenzene at a space velocity of 10,000 h−1. Notably, Cu–Mn–Ce–O exhibited a stable and effective catalyst performance for the oxidation of chlorinated aromatics under low water vapor (< 5%) and HCl (2%) concentrations. Further insights into the oxidation process were gained via in-situ FTIR spectroscopy and GC–MS analysis. The exceptional performance of Cu–Mn–Ce–O was attributed to the incorporation of CeO2, resulting in a lower H2 reduction peak, smaller particle size, abundant surface active oxygen, and a higher specific surface area. To understand the reaction mechanism, the relationship between inlet and outlet gas compounds and the reaction temperature over Cu–Mn–Ce–O was studied, revealing the presence of NO/NOx during the reaction at temperature up to 300 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"World literature" has come of age. Its maturity calls for a world theory of literature. In this context, I will examine some important issues arising from Wang Ning's proposal for its conception and construction. Critically reviewing the historical movement from national literature to world literature and world poetics, this article addresses some fundamental issues including: Is it necessary to posit the concept of "world poetics"? If necessary, what is its nature? How should we conceive and define it? What paradigm should be adopted for its construction? How can we construct it in practical terms? What resources can we draw from existing scholarship? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glycocalyx is a proteoglycan–glycoprotein structure lining the luminal surface of the vascular endothelium and is susceptible to damage due to blast overpressure (BOP) exposure. The glycocalyx is essential in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the vasculature and regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). Assessment of alterations in the density of the glycocalyx; its components (heparan sulphate proteoglycan (HSPG/syndecan-2), heparan sulphate (HS), and chondroitin sulphate (CS)); CBF; and the effect of hypercapnia on CBF was conducted at 2–3 h, 1, 3, 14, and 28 days after a high-intensity (18.9 PSI/131 kPa peak pressure, 10.95 ms duration, and 70.26 PSI·ms/484.42 kPa·ms impulse) BOP exposure in rats. A significant reduction in the density of the glycocalyx was observed 2–3 h, 1-, and 3 days after the blast exposure. The glycocalyx recovered by 28 days after exposure and was associated with an increase in HS (14 and 28 days) and in HSPG/syndecan-2 and CS (28 days) in the frontal cortex. In separate experiments, we observed significant decreases in CBF and a diminished response to hypercapnia at all time points with some recovery at 3 days. Given the role of the glycocalyx in regulating physiological function of the cerebral vasculature, damage to the glycocalyx after BOP exposure may result in the onset of pathogenesis and progression of cerebrovascular dysfunction leading to neuropathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: LanGui tea, a traditional Chinese medicine formulation comprising of Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl, and Ampelopsis grossedentata (Hand-Mazz) W.T. Wang, has yet to have its potential contributions to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) fully elucidated. Consequently, the objective of this research is to investigate the protective properties of LanGui tea against binge alcohol-induced ALD and the mechanisms underlying its effects. Methods: An experimental model of acute alcohol-induced liver disease was performed to assess the protective effects of extract of LanGui tea (ELG) at both 50 and 100 mg.kg−1 dosages on male C57BL/6 mice. Various parameters, including hepatic histological changes, inflammation, lipids content, as well as liver enzymes and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) in the serum were measured. The pharmacological mechanisms of ELG, specifically its effects on adenosine monophosphate-(AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) signaling, were investigated through Western blotting, qRT–PCR, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence analyses, and by blocking the AMPK activity. Results: ELG demonstrated a mitigating effect on fatty liver, inflammation, and hepatic dysfunction within the mouse model. This effect was achieved by activating AMPK signaling and inhibitingNLRP3 signaling in the liver, causing a reduction in IL-1β generation. In vitro studies further confirmed that ELG inhibited cell damage and IL-1β production in ethanol-induced hepatocytes by enhancing AMPK-NLRP3 signaling. Conversely, the pharmacological inhibition of AMPK activity nearly abrogated such alteration. Conclusions: Thus, LanGui tea emerges as a promising herbal therapy for ALD management involving AMPK-NLRP3 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Cultural unconscious' is a vague term in literary and cultural studies. It has not yet been systematically examined from the conceptual standpoint. As a concept, it is not a simple idea that combines 'culture' and 'unconscious', but refers to the mechanism of cultural psychology and epistemology structured on the interaction of history, psychology, discourse, ideology and other factors. By investigating how culture and the unconscious work together to form a concept from the integrated approach of psychoanalysis and semiotics, this article aims to turn a vague idea into a clearly defined theory of criticism with practical applicability for cultural studies. After a conception of its logic and mechanism in terms of Freud's unconscious, Lacan's renovation, Peirce's semiosis, and Barthes's semiology, the article applies the new theory to the analysis of a literary text to see how it may not only help reveal deep dimensions and mechanism of cultural consciousness but also has the potential of becoming a theory of cultural criticism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liaoning cashmere goat (LCG) is one of the excellent cashmere goat breeds in China. Because of its larger size, better cashmere, and better cashmere production performance, people pay special attention to it. This article mainly studied the relationship between SNP loci of LIPE gene and ITGB4 gene and milk production, cashmere production and body measurement traits of LCGs. We further identified potential SNP loci by PCR-Seq polymorphism detection and gene sequence comparison of LIPE and ITGB4 genes. Further, we use SPSS and SHEsis software to analyze their relationship to production performance. The consequence indicated that CC genotype of LIPE gene T16409C locus was dominant genotype in milk production and cashmere production, while CT genotype of LIPE gene T16409C locus was dominant in body size. The CT genotype of C168T locus of ITGB4 gene is the dominant genotype of body type and cashmere production, while the dominant genotype of milk production is TT genotype. Through joint analysis, in haploid combinations, H1H2:CCCT is the dominant haplotype combination in cashmere fineness. H3H4:TTCT is a dominant haplotype combination of milk production traits and body measurement traits. These dominant genotypes can provide a reliable basis for the study of production performance of LCG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high altitude in mountainous regions results in lower atmospheric pressure, oxygen concentration and temperature, leading to lower combustion efficiency in motor vehicles. Therefore, there may be differences in carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions characteristics at different altitudes. In this study, a portable emission measurement system was used to investigate the effects of varying elevations on the emission factors of CO2, CO, and NOx on diesel and gasoline-powered vehicles at altitudes ranging from 2270 to 4540 m in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau of China. Additionally, the influencing factors of CO2, CO, and NOx emissions were studied. Results showed that the CO2, CO, and NOx emission factors for diesel vehicles varied in the range of 161.83–195.54, 0.59–0.77, and 4.61–6.58 g/km; the population means with 90% confidence intervals were 178.54, 0.68, and 5.60 g/km, respectively. For gasoline vehicles, the CO2, CO, and NOx emission factors varied in the range of 161.66–181.98, 0.95–1.06, and 0.12–0.25 g/km; the population means with 90% confidence intervals were 171.82, 1.01, and 0.19 g/km, respectively. Overall, the emission factors of diesel vehicles were higher than those of gasoline vehicles, and the emissions increased with increasing altitude. Atmospheric pressure was identified as the primary environmental factor affecting CO2, CO, and NOx emissions. As the speed of motor vehicles increased, the emission of CO2 also increased, while there was a quadratic relationship with acceleration. This study provides a reference and guidance for vehicle pollution control in high-altitude regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional negative selection algorithm with a randomly generated hypersphere detector is unable to satisfy the development needs of continuous learning due to the inherent defects of the detector. This paper proposes a novel negative selection algorithm for hyper-rectangle detectors that overcomes the shortcomings of randomly generated hyper-sphere detectors and lays the foundation for a negative selection algorithm with continuous learning capability. It uses self-sample clusters of equal-sized hypercubes instead of self-samples for training. The hyper-rectangle detectors are generated by cutting the nonself-space along the boundary of the self-sample clusters. The state space is covered without overlapping each other by self-sample clusters and detectors. The anomaly detection performance of the proposed method was demonstrated using Iris data, vowel recognition data (Vowel), and Wisconsin Breast Cancer (BCW) data. The experimental results show that the proposed method outperforms other artificial immune algorithms and clustering algorithms under the same parameter conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogeneous hematopoietic stem cell disorder with thrombocytopenia. Flow cytometric immunophenotyping of blood cells has been instrumental in diagnosis as co-criteria, but the data regarding platelets remains lacking. This study aims to determine if there is a difference in surface antigen levels on platelets by comparing surface antigen levels in MDS patients and healthy control subjects. Concurrently, as flow cytometric gating can reveal the diameter of cells, this study will investigate differences in giant platelet percentage by comparing these percentages in high- and low-risk MDS patients. Study design: Twenty newly diagnosed MDS patients were enrolled in this study. Platelet surface antigen levels were determined by measuring the binding capacity of antibodies with flow cytometry. Results: Platelets of MDS patients were shown to have a lower level of CD61 and higher levels of CD31 and CD36 than healthy controls. Judged by forward scatter (FSC), MDS patients' platelets appeared to be larger than those of healthy control subjects, whereas the MFI adjusted by diameter (MFI/FSC ratio) of CD31, CD41a, CD42a, CD42b and CD61 on platelets were lower in MDS patients than in healthy control subjects. There was a significant quantity of giant platelets found in MDS patients, and the high-risk MDS patients tended to have a higher percentage of giant platelets than low-risk patients. Conclusions: All the results indicate that MDS patients exhibit a lower antigen presentation (MFI) adjusted by diameter on platelets than healthy controls and the giant platelets detected by flow cytometry might correlate with the condition of MDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated multistage supply chain inventory model containing a single manufacturer and multiple retailers is proposed to consider deteriorating raw materials and finished products with imperfect production and inspection systems. The main purpose is to jointly determine the manufacturer's production and delivery strategies and the retailers' replenishment strategies to maximize the integrated total profit. First, the individual total profit functions of the manufacturer and multiple retailers are established and are integrated to form the total profit function of the supply chain system. Then, to address the model complexity, an algorithm is proposed to obtain the optimal solution. Several practical numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the solution procedure, and a sensitivity analysis is performed on the major parameters. From the numerical results, several findings that differ from those in the previous literature were observed. First, retailers with larger market scale, better cost control, and/or inspection capabilities guarantee higher individual and integrated total profits. Second, increasing the deterioration rates of raw materials and finished products has different effects on the order quantity of raw materials. Third, the manufacturer's shipping strategy is rigid and not easily changed except for significant changes (increase or decrease by 20%) to the production rate or selling price. The performance of the proposed model has several meaningful management implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pharmacy intravenous admixture service (PIVAS) center has emerged as an important department of hospital as it can improve occupational protection and ensure the safety and effectiveness of intravenous infusions. However, medication errors were considered to be a significant challenge in PIVAS, so information-intelligence technologies were introduced to optimize the management of PIVAS. Our article summarized the application of information-intelligence technologies in PIVAS of a large third-class A hospital in China, and provided an example for PIVAS in other hospitals at home and abroad.Methods: Prescription-reviewing rules containing intravenous medications and infusion solution guideline were recorded in the database of prescription-cheking system. Drugs information were recorded in the PIVAS management system with special identification and warning labels to reduce intravenous infusion errors. Automatic labeling device was used to label the infusion bags, and the quality control program database of intelligent compounding robot for cytotoxic drugs was established ingeniously. Automatic sorting devices were applied for the third batch of finished infusion admixtures, and intelligent logistics robots were used to transport the infusion to the ward.Results: After establishing and implementing of prescription-reviewing rules in the prescription-cheking system database, the number of prescriptions checked by pharmacists increased from 18 to 43 per minute. The success rate of intervention with irrational medical orders increased from 85.89% to 99.06% (P < 0.05). By introducing various intelligent devices, automatic labeling significantly enhanced work efficiency and reduced the error rate (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the use of intelligent intravenous compounding robots significantly reduced the risk of errors (P < 0.001).Conclusions: The application of information-intelligence technologies in PIVAS can improve work efficiency and reduce error risk. However, some intelligent devices have failed to achieve the expected effect in practical use, and further improvements are needed to meet the demands of PIVAS in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This force balance equates the particle inertia with the forces acting on the particle, and can be written as HT ht Graph (16)where, I F i SB I x i sb is an additional acceleration term, HT ht is the drag force per unit particle mass. [Extracted from the article]

This article enquires into a transcultural aesthetic: bi-xing (inspired metaphor) in China and symbolic representation in the West, which share the common logic of correlative thinking. By examining its earliest provenance in the Zhouyi (Book of Changes) and Shijing (Book of Songs) in China's high antiquity in relation to divination, symbolization, and poetic creation in the West, it argues that this aesthetic arose from omen readings in divination, went through symbolism in linguistic representation, and became a poetic principle in aesthetic thought. It concludes that correlative thinking was an approach to knowledge production and conception in traditional thought across cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gastrointestinal tract can be affected by a number of diseases that pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant manifestation of them. The prognosis of PC patients is unfavorable and because of their diagnosis at advanced stage, the treatment of this tumor is problematic. Owing to low survival rate, there is much interest towards understanding the molecular profile of PC in an attempt in developing more effective therapeutics. The conventional therapeutics for PC include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy as well as emerging immunotherapy. However, PC is still incurable and more effort should be performed. The molecular landscape of PC is an underlying factor involved in increase in progression of tumor cells. In the presence review, the newest advances in understanding the molecular and biological events in PC are discussed. The dysregulation of molecular pathways including AMPK, MAPK, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and non-coding RNA transcripts has been suggested as a factor in development of tumorigenesis in PC. Moreover, cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis, autophagy, ferroptosis and necroptosis demonstrate abnormal levels. The EMT and glycolysis in PC cells enhance to ensure their metastasis and proliferation. Furthermore, such abnormal changes have been used to develop corresponding pharmacological and nanotechnological therapeutics for PC. [Display omitted] • Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a malignant of gastrointestinal tract. • The dysregulation of molecular and biological pathways occurs in PC. • The cell death mechanisms including apoptosis, autophagy and ferroptosis show aberrant status in PC. • The PC cells are able to develop resistance into conventional therapies. • Epigenetic factors such as non-coding RNAs regulate biological behaviour of PC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study compressed data separation (CDS) problem, i.e., sparse data separation from a few linear random measurements. We propose the nonconvex ℓq-split analysis with ℓ∞-constraint and 0 < q ≤ 1. We call the algorithm ℓq-split-analysis Dantzig selector (ℓq-split-analysis DS). We show that the two distinct subcomponents that are approximately sparse in terms of two different dictionaries could be stably approximated via the ℓq-split-analysis DS, provided that the measurement matrix satisfies either a classical D-RIP (Restricted Isometry Property with respect to Dictionaries and ℓ2 norm) or a relatively new (D, q)-RIP (RIP with respect to Dictionaries and ℓq-quasi norm) condition and the two different dictionaries satisfy a mutual coherence condition between them. For the Gaussian random measurements, the measurement number needed for the (D, q)-RIP condition is far less than those needed for the D-RIP condition and the (D, 1)-RIP condition when q is small enough. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-associated cerebral dysfunction is complex pathophysiology, generated from primary infections that are developed elsewhere in the body. The neonates, elderly population and chronically ill and long-term hospitalized patients are predominantly vulnerable to sepsis and related cerebral damage. Generally, electrophysiological recordings, severity and sedation scales, computerized imaging and spectroscopy techniques are used for its detection and diagnosis. About the underlying mechanisms, enhanced blood-brain barrier permeability and metalloprotease activity, tight junction protein loss and endothelial cell degeneration promote the influx of inflammatory and toxic mediators into the brain, triggering cerebrovascular damage. An altered neutrophil count and phenotype further dysregulate the normal neuroimmune responses and neuroendocrine stability via modulated activation of protein kinase C-delta, nuclear factor kappa-B and sphingolipid signaling. Glial activation, together with pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and the Toll-like receptor, destabilize the immune system. Moreover, superoxides and hydroperoxides generate oxidative stress and perturb mitochondrial dynamics and ATP synthesis, propagating neuronal injury cycle. Activated mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, characterized by increased caspase-3 and caspase-9 cleavage and Bax/Bcl2 ratio in the hippocampal and cortical neurons, stimulate neurocognitive impairments. Additionally, altered LC3-II/I and P62/SQSTM1, p-mTOR, p-AMPK1 and p-ULK1 levels and dysregulated autophagosome-lysosome fusion decrease neuronal and glial energy homeostasis. The therapies and procedures for attenuating sepsis-induced brain damage include early resuscitation, cerebral blood flow autoregulation, implantable electric vagus nerve stimulation, antioxidants, statins, glucocorticoids, neuroimmune axis modulators and PKCδ inhibitors. The current review enumerates the pathophysiology of sepsis-induced brain damage, its diagnosis, the role of critical inducers and mediators and, ultimately, therapeutic measures attenuating cerebrovascular degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between sleep duration and physical fitness is one aspect of sleep health. Potential factors associated with sleep duration interfere with physical fitness performance, but the impact trends on physical fitness indicators remain unclear.Methods: This study examined associations between sleep duration and physical fitness among young to middle-aged adults in Taiwan. A total of 42,781 Taiwanese adults aged 23-45 participated in the National Physical Fitness Examination Survey 2013 (NPFES-2013) in Taiwan between October 2013 and March 2014. A standardized structural questionnaire was used to record participants' sleep duration, which was stratified as short (< 6 h/day (h/d)), moderate (6-7 h/d; 7-8 h/d; 8-9 h), and long (≥ 9 h/d) sleep duration groups. Physical fitness was assessed based on four components: body composition (body mass index [BMI], waist-to-height ratio [WHtR], and waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]), muscle strength and endurance (1-min bent-leg sit-up test [BS]), flexibility (sit-and-reach test [SR]), and cardiorespiratory endurance index (3-min step test [CEI]).Results: By using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), after sex grouping and age adjustment, we observed that sleep duration was significantly associated with obesity, functional fitness, and self-perception of health. The sleep duration for low obesity-related values (BMI, WHtR, and WHR) for men was 7-9 h/d, and that for women was 7-8 h/d. Sleeping more than 8 h/d showed poor functional fitness performances (BS and SR). For both sexes, sleep duration of 8-9 h/d was the optimal sleep duration for self-perceptions of health.Conclusions: Our research found that there were wide and different associations of sleep duration with physical fitness and self-perception of health among Taiwanese adults aged 23-45, and there were differences in these associated manifestations between men and women. This study could be of great importance in regional public health management in Taiwan, and provide inspirations for clinical research on physical fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese literature has a history of at least three thousand years, but modern Chinese literature did not arise until the second decade of the twentieth century. Under the impact of world literature, Chinese literary tradition self-consciously initiated its own re-birth and completed its creative transformation into a modern literature in the family of world literatures. In the process of transformation, a number of Chinese intellectuals made pioneering contributions, but it is Lu Xun (Lu Hsun, 1881–1936) who is unanimously acknowledged as the father of modern Chinese literature. This article focuses on a few of Lu Xun's epoch-making works in the larger context of Chinese literature, critically analyzes them in relation to Western modernism and postmodern writings, and explores how his avant-gardist ways of writing played a pioneering role in transforming traditional Chinese literature into modern literature compatible with the spirit of modern times and comparable to modern, modernist, and postmodern literature of the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents a personal narrative of his experiences of inspiring and enlightening by the fresh insights and rigorous scholarship.

Paneth cells (PCs) are located at the bottom of small intestinal crypts and play an important role in maintaining the stability of the intestinal tract. Previous studies reported on how PCs shape the intestinal microbiota or the response to the immune system. Recent studies have determined that PCs play an important role in the regulation of the homeostasis of intestinal epithelial cells. PCs can regulate the function and homeostasis of intestinal stem cells through several mechanisms. On the one hand, under pathological conditions, PCs can be dedifferentiated into stem cells to promote the repair of intestinal tissues. On the other hand, PCs can regulate stem cell proliferation by secreting a variety of hormones (such as wnt3a) or metabolic intermediates. In addition, we summarise key signalling pathways that affect PC differentiation and mutual effect with intestinal stem cells. In this review, we introduce the diverse functions of PCs in the intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The benefits of physical activity (PA) have been well documented, and the worksite is a promising setting for PA promotion. The aims of this study were as follows: 1. To evaluate the effect of a group-based worksite intervention on PA and health-related outcomes by using pedometers. 2. To examine the associations between the change in vigorous physical activity (VPA)/moderate physical activity (MPA)/walking and health related outcomes.Methods: A total of 398 participants (221 in the intervention group (IG) and 177 in the control group (CG)) from 17 worksites were recruited for a prospective self-controlled trial of a worksite physical activity intervention program in China. In the IG, a pedometer was utilized to self-monitor the PA, together with group competition, goal setting, and other incentives. No intervention was applied to the CG. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health-related outcomes were measured at baseline and immediately after the 100-day period intervention.Results: A total of 262 participants completed the program (68.3% adherence). Adherence in the intervention group was 67.9% (n = 150/221). Improvements between baseline and follow-up among intervention participants were observed in the following parameters: VPA (+ 109.7 METs/week; p < 0.05), walking (+ 209.2 METs/week; p < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (SBP; - 2.1 mmHg; p < 0.01), waist circumference (WC; - 2.3 cm; p < 0.01), body fat percentage (BF); - 1.0%; p < 0.01), and body mass index (BMI; - 0.5 kg/m2; p < 0.01). VPA was related to changes in body fat percentage (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.05).Conclusion: This integrated group-based intervention program contributed to comprehensive improvement in health-related outcomes. The study was useful for establishing associations between change in VPA/MPA/walking and health-related outcomes in a natural setting. Long-term evaluation is required to examine the potential of such an integrated intervention to promote PA.Registration: This study was prospectively registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry.Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR-1,800,015,529. Date of registration: April 5, 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocin is a carotenoid compound which possesses multiple biological activities. Our and other laboratory's previous findings show that crocin alleviates obesity and type 2 diabetes-related complications. We have found that crocin activates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling and inhibition of AMPK suppresses crocin-induced protective effects. However, the causal role of AMPK activation in the biological role of crocin is still not verified. In the present study, we showed that crocin markedly inhibits the changes of glucose metabolic parameters and serum lipid profiles in wild type diabetic mice. In AMPKα KO diabetic mice, those protective effects of crocin against glucose and lipid metabolic dysfunction were abolished. These results demonstrated AMPK activation was responsible for the beneficial effects of crocin on metabolic dysfunction. Moreover, we have shown that the antiobese effect of crocin has been abolished by the deficiency of AMPKα. We also showed that crocin induced a significant decrease of CDK5 protein level in wild type diabetic mice, while this effect was abolished in AMPKα KO diabetic mice. The regulation of downstream targets of CDK5/PPARγ by crocin was abolished by the deficiency of AMPK. In conclusion, our study verified that activation of AMPK is involved in crocin-induced protective effects against glucose and lipid metabolic dysfunction. Activation of AMPK downregulates the protein level of CDK5, followed by the decrease of PPARγ phosphorylation, leading to the inhibition of adipose formation and metabolic dysfunction. Our study provides new insights into the mechanism of protective effects of crocin and interaction of AMPK and CDK5/PPARγ signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel method for estimating the evolutionary power spectral density (EPSD) of a nonstationary process based on a single sample. In the proposed method, a sample of a nonstationary process is decomposed into several components with a new binomial fitting decomposition (BFD). The EPSD of each component can be estimated using a newly proposed time-varying standard deviation estimation method and short-time Thomson multiple-window spectrum estimation method. The EPSD of the analyzed nonstationary sample is obtained by combining the EPSDs of all components. Via a comprehensive numerical study, the applicability of the proposed EPSD estimation method (for estimating the EPSD of a nonstationary process) is analyzed and compared with those by the Priestley method and wavelet-based method. The numerical results indicate that the estimated EPSD by the proposed method is more consistent with the corresponding theoretical one than those by the other two methods. Finally, the EPSDs of Storm Ampil, measured atop the Shanghai World Financial Center, are analyzed by the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to blast overpressure may result in cerebrovascular impairment, including cerebral vasospasm. The mechanisms contributing to this vascular response are unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between blast and functional alterations of the cerebral microcirculation and to investigate potential underlying changes in vascular microstructure. Cerebrovascular responses were assessed in sham- and blast-exposed male rats at multiple time points from 2 h through 28 days after a single 130-kPa (18.9-psi) exposure. Pial microcirculation was assessed through a cranial window created in the parietal bone of anesthetized rats. Pial arteriolar reactivity was evaluated in vivo using hypercapnia, barium chloride, and serotonin. We found that exposure to blast leads to impairment of arteriolar reactivity >24 h after blast exposure, suggesting delayed injury mechanisms that are not simply attributed to direct mechanical deformation. Observed vascular impairment included a reduction in hypercapnia-induced vasodilation, increase in barium-induced constriction, and reversal of the serotonin effect from constriction to dilation. A reduction in vascular smooth muscle contractile proteins consistent with vascular wall proliferation was observed, as well as delayed reduction in nitric oxide synthase and increase in endothelin-1 B receptors, mainly in astrocytes. Collectively, the data show that exposure to blast results in delayed and prolonged alterations in cerebrovascular reactivity that are associated with changes in the microarchitecture of the vessel wall and astrocytes. These changes may contribute to long-term pathologies involving dysfunction of the neurovascular unit, including cerebral vasospasm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between COL6A5 (collagen type VI alpha 5 chain) and LOC102181374 (alcohol dehydrogenase 1) genes and the production performance of Liaoning cashmere goats by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). We have searched for SNP loci of COL6A5 and LOC102181374 genes through sequence alignment and PCR experiments, and have used SPSS and SHEsis software to analyze production data. We obtained five SNP loci in total, including three SNP loci (G50985A, G51140T, G51175A) in COL6A5 gene and two SNP loci (A10067G, T10108C) in LOC102181374 gene. The genotypes G50985A (AG), G51140T (GT), G51175A (AA), A10067G (AA), and T10108C (CC) of these loci have certain advantages in improving the production performance of Liaoning cashmere goats. The haplotype combinations that can improve production performance in COL6A5 gene were H1H5:AGGGAG, H4H4:GGGGAA, and H4H4:GGGGAA. H3H3:GGCC and H2H4:AGTT were the dominant combinations in LOC102181374 gene. At G51175A and A10067G loci, we found that H1H2:AAAG and H1H3:AGAA have dominant effects. These results may provide some support for the molecular breeding of production traits in Liaoning cashmere goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify accurate occurrence and risk of cardiovascular (CV) events (stroke and myocardial infarction [MI]) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods: Systemic literature search in PubMed and additional manual search were performed to obtain interested studies until March 31, 2018. The pooled incidences and risk of stroke and MI were calculated. Results: A total of 24 studies were included in this meta-analysis. For MI, a total of 1,516 SLE patients were reported to had MI (n = 96,154) over a mean follow-up of 9.98 years: incidence 2.0% (95% CI: 1.7–2.4%), i.e. 0.20/100 pyrs; in the five studies, 360 SLE patients (n = 18,943) and 817 controls had MI (n = 111,525), revealing that the risk of MI in SLE population was 3.04 times higher than in the general population (RR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.81–5.11). For stroke, the incidence of 17 studies during the 10.09 follow-up period using random model was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.6–5.1%), i.e. 0.44/100 pyrs; in the 7 studies, 694 SLE patients (n = 22,594) and 4,034 controls had stroke (n = 255,023), indicating that the risk of MI in SLE population was 1.95 times higher than that in the general population (RR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.52–2.53). Conclusion: Based on the findings from previous reports, our meta-analysis showed that patients with SLE have been at higher risk of CV events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: The molecular mechanism for the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains elusive. Both farnesoid X receptor (FXR) signalling and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress contribute to the progression of NAFLD; however, it is not clear whether the actions of these two pathways are dependent on each other. Moreover, the pharmacological benefits and mechanism of betulinic acid (BA) in controlling metabolic syndrome and NAFLD are largely unknown.Experimental Approach: A reporter assay and a time-resolved FRET assay were used to identify BA as an agonist of the FXR. NAFLD was induced by a methionine and choline-deficient L-amino acid diet (MCD) and high-fat diet (HFD). The pharmacological effects of BA (100 mg·kg-1 ·day-1 ) and potential interactions between hepatic FXR activation and ER stress pathways were evaluated by FXR silencing, Western blot and RT-PCR analyses using control and FXR-/- mice.Key Results: Activation of the FXR inhibited intracellular PERK/EIF2α/ATF4 and CHOP signalling, thereby alleviating hepatic ER stress, whereas FXR silencing resulted in an opposite effect. Furthermore, we identified BA as an FXR agonist that effectively attenuated the progression of NAFLD and metabolic disorders in both HFD- and MCD diet-fed mice and restored the hepatocellular ER homeostasis by stimulating the FXR signalling pathway and blocking PERK/EIF2α signalling. In contrast, the effects of BA were attenuated in FXR-/- mice.Conclusions and Implications: Our data demonstrate that pharmacological activation of the FXR by BA reduces hepatocellular ER stress and attenuates NAFLD in an animal model of hepatic steatosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Titanium dioxide (TiO 2) has been widely used as the white pigment in paintings and coatings. It is of significance to endow TiO 2 powders with the high conductivity to extend its application. In this research, rutile TiO 2 nanorods were prepared as the substrate material. Further the surface coating by antimony doped tin dioxide (Sb SnO 2) shell layers was achieved to obtain conductive TiO 2 nanorods. The morphology and structure of TiO 2 @Sb SnO 2 nanorods was mainly focused on to obtain high conductivity by optimizing the calcination temperature. When the temperature was properly applied at nearly 500 °C, the calcination led to the fusion and attachment of Sb SnO 2 crystalline regions on the surface of TiO 2 nanorods, forming a continuous intact coating layer and thus getting lower volume electrical resistivity of the composite nanopowder. However, after calcination at 600 °C or higher temperature, the integrity of Sb SnO 2 shell layers would be destroyed, resulting in the increased electrical resistivity. The conductive TiO 2 nanorods obtained at the optimized reaction condition showed a very low resistivity of 52 ± 1.6 Ω cm, in contrast to 105 Ω cm of the pure TiO 2. The conductive TiO 2 nanorods would be excellent candidate for antistatic or electromagnetic shielding applications in coatings. Graphical abstract Image 10310104 Highlights • Conductive TiO 2 nanorods were prepared by coating rutile TiO 2 with Sb SnO 2. • TEM, XRD and XPS revealed the core-shell morphology and chemical composition of conductive TiO 2 nanorods. • Only appropriate calcination temperature could ensure the integrity of Sb SnO 2 shell layers upon TiO 2 substrate. • The obtained conductive TiO 2 based nanorods showed the low resistivity of 52 ± 1.6 Ω·cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract The novel red-emitting Ba 2 ZrF 8 :Mn4+ phosphor was prepared by two-step method at low temperature, which exhibits intense excitation broadband centered at ∼ 460 nm and sharp emission lines at ∼630 nm. Highlights • A novel red-emitting Ba 2 ZrF 8 :Mn4+ was prepared by two-step method at low temperature. • The phosphor shows an intense red emission under 460 nm excitation matching well with blue LED chip. • The energy transfer between Mn4+ was confirmed to be electric dipole-quadrupole interaction. Abstract A novel red-emitting Ba 2 ZrF 8 : Mn4+ phosphor was prepared by two-step method at low temperature, where critical precursor K 2 MnF 6 was prepared first by the reduction of KMnO 4 using H 2 O2 as reducer. The crystal structure and morphology of the phosphor was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), showing single phase product. Luminescent properties of the phosphor were investigated by photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and decay curves. The molar ratio of KMnO 4 : KHF 2 was confirmed to play the key role in improving the luminous efficiency. More importantly, the phosphor exhibits a broadband excitation from 300 to 520 nm due to 4A 2g →4T 1g and 4A 2g →4T 2g transition of Mn4+, matching well with blue LED chips. Under 465 nm excitation, intense red emission at around 630 nm with high color purity is achieved, suggesting the red-emitting phosphor has great potential for white light-emitting diodes (wLEDs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C20H18O8, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 7.3855(2) Å, b = 28.1424(9) Å, c = 8.5863(3) Å, β = 98.4040(10)°, V = 1765.46(10) Å3, Z = 4, R gt (F) = 0.0545, wR ref (F 2) = 0.1641, T = 273(2) K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of building materials, construction technology, and design concepts, suspended arched roofs (SARs) are becoming increasingly popular. The wind loads of arched roofs springing from ground level (ARSGL) and vaulted roofs on side walls (VRSW) have already been studied; however, the wind loads of SARs, which are very different from those of ARSGL or VRSW, have not received adequate attention. Based on the wind tunnel tests of a rigid model of an actual SAR design scheme, the mean value, root mean square (RMS) value, and most unfavorable value of the wind pressure coefficient and overall lift coefficient of this type of roof are analyzed. Furthermore, the influence of the buildings below or surrounding it is investigated and discussed. The test results indicate that the net wind pressure of the SAR is affected by the upper- and lower-surface wind pressures. Both the most unfavorable wind pressure (positive pressure) and suction (negative pressure) coefficients of the SAR are larger near the edge (arch foot) and smaller in the internal area. The maximum values of the most unfavorable pressure and suction coefficients of the tested SAR are 4.5 and 8.0, respectively, and these values are larger than those of ARSGL and VRSW. The buildings below cause airflow congestion under the SAR and eventually increase the net pressure coefficients near the windward edge of the SAR. The shielding effects of the surrounding buildings of the tested SAR reduce the wind pressure coefficient; however, the wind pressure in some areas of the tested SAR increases because of the narrow tube effects between surrounding buildings. The lift coefficient of the tested SAR significantly increases because of the presence of buildings below in some cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fractal nanostructure having a high surface area is potentially useful in sensors, catalysts, functional coatings, and biomedical and electronic applications. Preparation of fractal nanostructures on solid substrates has been reported using various inorganic or organic compounds. However, achieving such a process using polymers in solution has been extremely challenging. Here, we report a simple one- shot preparation of polymer fractal nanostructures in solution via an unprecedented assembly mechanism controlled by polymerization and self-assembly kinetics. This was possible only because one monomer was significantly more reactive than the other, thereby easily forming a diblock copolymer microstructure. Then, the second insoluble block containing poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) without any side chains spontaneously underwent self-assembly during polymerization by an in situ nanoparticlization of conjugated polymers (INCP) method. The formation of fractal structures in solution was confirmed by various imaging techniques such as atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cryogenic TEM. The diffusion-limited aggregation theory was adopted to explain the branching patterns of the fractal nanostructures according to the changes in polymerization conditions such as the monomer concentration and the presence of additives. Finally, after detailed kinetic analyses, we proposed a plausible mechanism for the formation of unique fractal nanostructures, where the gradual formation and continuous growth of micelles in a chain-growth-like manner were accounted for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Morin is a natural occurring flavonoid in many dietary plants and has a wide range of beneficial effects on metabolism; however, the mechanism underlying its action remains elusive.Experimental Approach: A reporter assay and the time-resolved FRET assay were used to identify morin as a dual antagonist of liver X receptor (LXR)-α and -β. Morin (100 mg. 100 g-1 diet) was administered to high-fat diet-induced obese or LXRβ-/- mice. The pharmacological effects and mechanism of action of morin were evaluated by Western blot and RT-PCR analyses.Key Results: From the in vitro assays, morin was shown to be a dual antagonist of LXRα and LXRβ. In vivo, morin blunted the development of liver hepatic steatosis, reduced body weight gains, lowered triglyceride levels and improved glucose and insulin tolerance in mice fed a high-fat diet. Mechanistically, morin inhibited 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation and lipid formation in human hepatic HepG2 cells and suppressed the mRNA expression of genes downstream of LXR. Consistently, the effects of morin on metabolic disorders were attenuated in LXRβ-/- mice.Conclusion and Implications: Our data reveal that morin is a dual antagonist of LXRα and LXRβ and suggest that morin may alleviate hepatic steatosis and other associated metabolic disorders via the suppression of LXR signalling and, therefore, shows promise as a novel therapy or nutraceutical for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a global health problem. However, there is no approved therapy for NAFLD. Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a potential drug target for treatment of NAFLD. In an attempt to screen FXR agonists, we found that cycloastragenol (CAG), a natural occurring compound in Astragali Radix, stimulated FXR transcription activity. In animal studies, we demonstrated that CAG treatment resulted in obvious reduction of high-fat diet induced lipid accumulation in liver accompanied by lowered blood glucose, serum triglyceride levels and hepatic bile acid pool size. The stimulation of FXR signalling by CAG treatment in DIO mice was confirmed via gene expression and western blot analysis. Molecular docking data further supported the interaction of CAG and FXR. In addition, CAG alleviated hepatic steatosis in methionine and choline deficient L-amino acid diet (MCD) induced non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) mice. Our data suggest that CAG ameliorates NAFLD via the enhancement of FXR signalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Falcarindiol (FAD) is a natural polyyne have been found in many food and dietary plants. It has been found to have various beneficial biological activities. In this study, we demonstrated its anticancer function and mechanism in breast cancer cells. We found that FAD preferentially induces cell death in breast cancer cells. FAD-induced cell death is caspase-dependent. However, FAD induces autophagy to contribute to the cell death. Blocking autophagy by either chemical inhibitors or genetic knockout of autophagy signaling component inhibits FAD-induced cell death. We further found that FAD-induced cell death is mediated by the induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress. We also identified that FAD has synergistic effect with approved cancer drugs 5-FU and Bortezomib in killing breast cancer cells. Summarily, these data demonstrate that FAD has strong and specific anticancer effect in breast cancer cells, and provide some insights about the roles of autophagy in FAD-induced cell death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) is a leading cause of injuries in recent military conflicts and it is responsible for an increased number of civilian casualties by terrorist attacks. bTBI includes a variety of neuropathological changes depending on the intensity of blast overpressure (BOP) such as brain edema, neuronal degeneration, diffuse axonal damage, and vascular dysfunction with neurological manifestations of psychological and cognitive abnormalities. Internal jugular vein (IJV) compression is known to reduce intracranial compliance by causing an increase in brain volume and was shown to reduce brain damage during closed impact-induced TBI. We investigated whether IJV compression can attenuate signs of TBI in rats after exposure to BOP. Animals were exposed to three 110 ± 5 kPa BOPs separated by 30 min intervals. Exposure to BOP resulted in a significant decrease of neuronal nuclei (NeuN) together with upregulation of aquaporin-4 (AQP-4), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), and endothelin 1 receptor A (ETRA) expression in frontal cortex and hippocampus one day following exposures. IJV compression attenuated this BOP-induced increase in 3-NT in cortex and ameliorated the upregulation of AQP-4 in hippocampus. These results suggest that elevated intracranial pressure and intracerebral volume have neuroprotective potential in blast-induced TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of cyclic gas huff-and-puff recovery is challenging because there is a myriad of variables involved in the system, most of which have nonlinear and opposite effects. This study conducted a sensitivity analysis in order to find a set of primary depletion period, injection period, and production period which maximized the final oil recovery factor after a fixed length of production. Input data were based on the actual Bakken formation properties and field data. On the basis of numerical simulations, we found that short injection and production periods were favorable because they increased the overall huff-and-puff cycle number and adequately took advantage of the high initial injection rate and production rate during the huff-and-puff stage. When the injection period (production period) was fixed, a too short or too long production period (injection period) was not optimal for final oil recovery because of the interdependence between these two variables; a balance between them is needed. In addition, a too short or too long primary depletion period was not optimal for final oil recovery, and the optimal primary depletion period depends significantly on the combination of injection and production periods. If cyclic CO 2 huff-and-puff recovery starts too early, the recovery rate of primary depletion is higher than huff-and-puff; in this scenario the potential of reservoir pressure drive is not fully utilized. Conversely, if cyclic CO 2 huff-and-puff process starts too late, the recovery rate of primary depletion is already lower than huff-and-puff; in this scenario the remaining time is insufficient to take full advantage of cyclic CO 2 huff-and-puff process. This study aims to use a comprehensive sensitivity analysis to better demonstrate the interdependence and relationships between primary depletion period, injection period, and production period, as well as the influence on the final oil recovery. The outcome of this study has the potential to advance our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying CO 2 huff-and-puff, which will benefit unconventional hydrocarbon energy recovery within shale reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to blast overpressure (BOP) activates a cascade of pathological processes including changes in intracranial pressure (ICP) and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability resulting in traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this study the effect of single and multiple exposures at two intensities of BOP on changes in ICP and BBB permeability in Sprague-Dawley rats was evaluated. Animals were exposed to a single or three repetitive (separated by 0.5 h) BOPs at 72 kPa or 110 kPa. ICP was monitored continuously via telemetry for 6 days after exposure to BOP. The alteration in the permeability of BBB was determined by extravasation of Evans Blue (EB) into brain parenchyma. A significant increase in ICP was observed in all groups except the single 72 kPa BOP group. At the same time a marked increase in BBB permeability was also seen in various parts of the brain. The extent of ICP increase as well as BBB permeability change was dependent on intensity and frequency of blast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the success of pre-trained language models, the performance of story ending generation has been dramatically improved while remaining challenging due to the lack of commonsense reasoning ability. Most previous works mainly focus on using commonsense knowledge to enhance the implicit correlations between words but ignore the hidden causality of sentences or events. In this paper, we propose Causal commonsense Enhanced joint model for story ending Generation (CEG), which incorporates causal commonsense events knowledge to generate a reasonable story ending. Specifically, we first develop a commonsense events inference model trained on GLUCOSE, which converts static knowledge into a dynamic generation model to discover unseen knowledge. It uses prompts to produce various commonsense events behind the stories as pseudo-labels of the dataset. Then, we propose a joint model for the causal events inference task and the story ending generation task to inject inference knowledge into the generation, which consists of a shared encoder, an inference decoder, and a generation decoder. In the causal events inference task, we use the shared encoder and the inference decoder to reason the causal events behind each sentence of the story context to help the model better understand the story and provide long-distance dependencies for the story ending generation. In story ending generation, we combine the hidden states of the causal events with the story context to generate the story ending by the shared encoder and the generation decoder. We jointly train the model on two tasks so that the generation decoder produces the story endings that better match the clues. Experimental results on the ROCStories dataset show that our model outperforms the previous works, demonstrating the effectiveness of the joint model and the generated causal events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed model is based on a three-stage multinational supply chain production-inventory model, considering the deterioration of both raw materials and finished products. The application of cross-border carbon policy combinations is an innovation of this study, and we provide assumptions for two situations. [Display omitted] • A cross-border production-inventory model for deteriorating items is developed. • Two carbon policy combinations in a global supply chain system are considered. • Comparison between proposed model and previous related studies is provided. • The concavity of the optimal solution has been verified by theoretical analysis. • Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are done to gain managerial insights. This study is the first to propose a cross-border production-inventory model for deteriorating items under different carbon emission policy combinations by considering a global supply chain system with a single manufacturer from abroad and a single domestic retailer. An integrated three-stage supply chain that includes material supply, manufacturer's production and delivery, and retailer's ordering and sales is designed. Two carbon policy combinations are considered: (1) the manufacturer faces a carbon cap-and-trade policy, and the retailer faces a carbon tax policy; (2) the manufacturer faces a carbon tax policy and the retailer faces a carbon cap-and-trade policy. The main purpose is to determine the optimal material supply, production, and delivery strategies for the manufacturer and the optimal replenishment strategies for the retailer to maximize the joint total profit of the supply chain in each situation, while observing the solutions' carbon reduction benefits. This study uses mathematical programming to find optimal solutions for the manufacturer and the retailer, with numerical examples presented to demonstrate the solution procedures for comparing different carbon policy combinations. The results show that under different policy combinations, fluctuations in carbon prices, carbon taxes, and exchange rates have different effects on the profits of the entire supply chain and each member, as well as the carbon reduction's social benefits. This is expected to provide enterprise or supply chain decision makers, especially in multinational enterprises, with valuable references for opting for a green supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interfacial stability of thermoelectric (TE) joints is among the key issues determining the durability of thermoelectric generators (TEGs) in practical operation. For skutterudite (SKD) based TEGs, the inter-diffusion between the metal electrode and the SKD material at high temperature plays a vital role on the interfacial stability of the joints. In this work, we report the evolution of the interfacial microstructure and the interfacial contact resistivity for a series of p-type SKD TE joints (Ti/Ce y Fe x Co 4 -x Sb 12 , x = 1.5–4, y = 0.35–1) at high temperature. The growth of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layers at the interface of all the joints was found to be controlled by the diffusion process. In contrast to the binary Ti/CoSb 3 joints, the growth of the interfacial IMC layers in the p-type Ti/Ce y Fe x Co 4 -x Sb 12 joints was considerably depressed. Moreover, no brittle TiCoSb phase was formed at the interface of the p-type joints, which resulted in good stability of the interfacial contact resistivity at high temperature. Related mechanisms were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justicidin A is a structurally defined arylnaphthalide lignan, which has been shown anti-cancer activity; however, the neuroprotective effect of justicidin A is still untested. In this study, we investigated the action of justicidin A on amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced neuronal cell death via inhibition of the hyperphosphorylation of tau and induction of autophagy in SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment with justicidin A significantly elevated cell viability in cells treated with Aβ. Western blot data demonstrated that justicidin A inhibited the Aβ-induced up-regulation the levels of hyperphosphorylation of tau in SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, treatment with justicidin A significantly induced autophagy as measured by the increasing LC3 II/I ratio, an important autophagy marker. These studies showed that justicidin A inhibited activity of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK-3β), which is an important kinase in up-stream signaling pathways; inhibited hyperphosphorylation of tau in AD; and enhanced activity of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), which is the key molecule for both hyperphosphorylation of tau and induction of autophagy. These data provide the first evidence that justicidin A protects SH-SY5Y cells from Aβ-induced neuronal cell death through inhibition of hyperphosphorylation of tau and induction of autophagy via regulation the activity of GSK-3β and AMPK, and they also provide some insights into the relationship between tau protein hyperphosphorylation and autophagy. Thus, we conclude that justicidin A may have a potential role for neuroprotection and, therefore, may be used as a therapeutic agent for AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel active contour model is proposed for segmentation images with inhomogeneity. Firstly, fractional order filter is defined by eight convolution masks corresponding to the image orientation in the eight compass directions. Then, the fractional order differentiation image is obtained and applied to the level set method. Secondly, we defined a new energy functional based on local image information and fractional order differentiation image; the proposed model not only can describe the input image more accurately but also can deal with intensity inhomogeneity. Local fitting term can enhance the ability of the model to deal with intensity inhomogeneity. The defined penalty term is used to reduce the occurrence of false boundaries. Finally, in order to eliminate the time-consuming step of reinitialization and ensure stable evolution of level set function, the Gaussian filtering method is used. Experiments on synthetic and real images show that the proposed model is efficient for images with intensity inhomogeneity and flexible to initial contour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the Chinese tradition, the relationship between art and philosophy is conceptually explored in terms of the relationship between dao (Tao) and wen, which may respectively be viewed as representing philosophy and art. Over history, discourses on dao 道 and wen 文 are central to studies of Chinese literature, art, culture, and civilization. But just as dao holds a range of ideas in Chinese philosophy, wen is also one of the most complex terms in Chinese tradition, whose denotations and connotations are multifaceted and open to interpretations. This article argues that the elusive nature of wen can be understood adequately from the perspective of language philosophy and aesthetics via its relationship to the metaphysical principle of the Dao. By examining the discourses on wen and dao, this article advances a thesis with three interrelated ideas: (1) wen (writing) as manifestations of the Tao is an instance of 'humanized nature'; (2) the birth of wen marked the beginning of reflections on literature and art, hence inaugurating aesthetics in the Chinese tradition; and (3) the early discourses on wen have determined the distinctiveness of Chinese aesthetic consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zen/Chan, which used to be a Far Eastern philosophy-cum-religion, has evolved into a global cultural phenomenon. Despite the many views expressed by numerous thinkers in the world, the consensus on Chan and Chan enlightenment remains an agnostic Oriental mysticism. By exploring Chan and enlightenment from a combined perspective of history, philosophy, psychology, religion and linguistics, this article proposes a hitherto unexpressed view. Chan enlightenment is a prenatal physico-psychological existence, which grows out of a fetal subject’s perception of the womb. Although this primordial mode of perception is unconscious, it is cosmic in nature because for the fetal subject the womb is the whole world with which it feels to be at one. This unconscious oneness may be termed the ‘cosmic unconscious’. Once born, no one can return to the prenatal mental state, but through personal cultivation and Chan practice one can experience a fleeting moment of the cosmic unconscious. In the final analysis, the essence of Chan enlightenment is a momentary return of the cosmic unconscious. It is, therefore, not a great wisdom which enables one to have a profound understanding of the self and the world, but a non-wisdom induced by a return to the prenatal primal being of life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Determine the association of lean body mass (LBM) on the incidence and severity of peripheral neurotoxicity in cancer patients who received nab-paclitaxel alone or combined with cisplatin or carboplatin. This prospective clinical study examined 32 cancer patients classified into a sarcopenia or non-sarcopenia group according to the Asian L3 vertebra skeletal muscle index (L3-SMI) at Ordos Central Hospital (China) from December 2020–2021, to compare the incidence and severity of neurotoxicity and analizing the relationship between nab-paclitaxel dose per kg LBM and neurotoxicity. There were 18 patients (56.25%) in the sarcopenia group and 14 (43.75%) in the non-sarcopenia group. The incidences of peripheral and severe neurotoxicity were higher in the sarcopenia group (both P < 0.05). Patients in three different body surface area (BSA) groups received the same nab-paclitaxel dose (260 mg/m2 BSA). However, when patients were divided into three groups according to LBM, they received different doses (low-LBM: 15.18 mg/kg LBM, middle-LBM: 12.82 mg/kg LBM, and high-LBM: 11.14 mg/kg LBM). The incidence of grade-C or higher neurotoxicity of these three groups was 61.54% (8/13), 20.00% (1/5), and 11.11% (1/9). Sarcopenia and a higher dose of nab-paclitaxel per kg LBM were associated with peripheral and severe neurotoxicity. Chemotherapy dosing based on body composition may reduce neurotoxicity in patients receiving nab-paclitaxel. Registration number of Clinical Trial: ChiCTR2000040918. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slender structures are sensitive to wind loads, and aeroelastic effects during vortex-induced resonance have considerable influences on their survivability, serviceability, and habitability. However, the vortex-induced aeroelastic effects and the effects of turbulence intensity on unsteady aerodynamic forces of an aeroelastic prism remain far from been fully understood. In this study, a series of wind tunnel tests, including the pressure measurements of a rigid model and simultaneous measurements of the pressure and response of an aeroelastic model, were conducted in three different wind flows. The characteristics of unsteady aerodynamic forces and the effects of turbulence intensity on the unsteady aerodynamic forces were systematically investigated. The mechanism of aeroelastic effects and the variations of aerodynamic damping ratios were also discussed. Wind-induced responses were predicted by the unsteady aerodynamic forces and compared with the measured values. The experimental results show that vortex-induced aeroelastic effects on the wind-induced responses and the unsteady aerodynamic forces are significant. An increase in the turbulence intensity may result in a weak correlation of the unsteady aerodynamic forces and thus suppress the vortex-induced aeroelastic effects. Moreover, the amplitudes of the positive and negative peaks of the aerodynamic damping ratios decrease with the increase of the turbulence intensity. In addition, the wind-induced responses predicted by the unsteady aerodynamic forces measured from the aeroelastic model are the closest to the measured responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments on the rectangular prisms with side ratios of 2. 0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4. 0 are reported. Wind pressure measurements were carried out on five rectangular prisms for the testing Reynolds number Re ranging from l. 1 x 105 to 6. 8 x 105. The Reynolds number effects on the wind pressure distributions and the base pressure coefficients were studied, then the mechanisms of Reynolds number effects on rectangular prisms were described by analyzing the variation of the flow around the model. The results are summarized as follows; wind pressure distributions of five rectangular prisms are all sensitive to Re, and the Reynolds number affects the wind pressure distributions not only in the reattachment region, but also in the separation bubble. The sensitivity to the Reynolds number effects is changed with the side ratio of the rectangular prism, and the B/D = 4 .0 rectangular prism appears to be the most sensitive to the Re. Its separated shear layer is easier to reattach to the body at high Re, and the flow reattachment point moves towards the leading edge suddenly at the critical Re = 6. 8 x 105. In addition, with the increasing of Re, the absolute value of base pressure coefficient for the B/D =4. 0 prism increases firstly, and then decreases rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equivalent static wind loads (ESWL) are widely used by structural designers to determine a specific response of large-scale structures. However, structural designers usually pay attention to more responses. Thus, this study proposes a constrained least-squares method to compute the ESWL distribution that can simultaneously target multi-responses. The loading distribution is regarded as a linear combination of basic load distributions. Two forms of basic load distribution are presented herein. The magnitude range of ESWLs is limited by controlling the bounds of the participation factor, which can be regarded as a constrained linear least-squares problem. Furthermore, since only a few structural responses are usually emphasized by structural designers, weighting factor is imported to improve the accuracy of these focused responses. To verify its computational accuracy, the method is applied to a real large-span roof structure. The results of calculations show that a reasonable magnitude of ESWL distribution can be achieved. There seems to always be a balance between the number of targeted responses and computational accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Ti-Al/Yb0.6Co4Sb12 thermoelectric joints were made with Ti-Al as the barrier layer. [•] Al addition effectively reduced the interfacial diffusion during aging. [•] Reduced interfacial diffusion helped to stabilize interfacial shear strength. [•] Alloys of TiAl and Ti3Al formed during aging improved the interfacial stability. [•] Al addition also significantly improved the stability of the contact resistivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]