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Objective: p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is associated with the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, its role is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ALS and the extracellular domain of p75NTR(p75ECD) in urine. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search using keywords in the PubMed, Embase, Science, and the Cochrane Library, and identified five case control studies, with the latest date of search being 18 April 2021. Results: The results showed that urinary p75ECD levels were significantly higher in patients with ALS compared to non-neurological control (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 4.18, 95% CI [2.525, 6.990], p < 0.001), and other neurological diseases (WMD = 6.005, 95% CI [1.596, 10.414], p = 0.008). Increased urinary p75ECD levels were inversely associated with ALSFRS-R in ALS patients (r = -0.32, 95% CI [-0.43, -0.21], p < 0.001). Conclusions: Given the associations between p75ECD and ALS found in this meta-analysis, urinary p75ECD levels have potential to be used as a diagnostic biomarker and a progression indicator in the future.

The prevalence of sleep disorders and cognitive dysfunction has overwhelmingly increased, with insomnia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) being the most common form. A multitude of studies have linked the alterations in sleep continuity or sleep architecture with cognitive impairment bilaterally, but the management of disrupted sleep patterns in preclinical AD could be more beneficial since there is no cure for AD. This review mainly focuses on the altered sleep patterns in insomnia, and summarizes potential pathways underlying the relationship between insomnia and cognitive impairment, aiming to establish certain sleep pattern changes as biomarkers for cognitive decline and explore potential therapeutic targets based on evidence from research advances.

Time-resolved monitoring of microalgae agglomeration facilitates screening of coagulants/flocculants (CFs) from numerous biopolymer candidates. Herein, a filtering-flowing analysis (FFA) apparatus was developed in which dispersed microalgal cells were separated from coagulates and flocs formed by CFs and pumped into spectrophotometer for real-time quantification. Polysaccharides-based CFs for Microcystis aeruginosa and several other microalgae were tested. Cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (CHEC), chitosan quaternary ammonium (CQA) and cationic guar gum (CGG) all triggered coagulation obeying a pseudo-second-order model. Maximal coagulation efficiencies were achieved at their respective critical dosages, i.e., 0.086 g/gM.a. CHEC, 0.022 g/gM.a. CQA, and 0.216 g/gM.a. CGG. Although not active independently, bacterial exopolysaccharides (BEPS) aided coagulation of M. aeruginosa and allowed near 100% flocculation efficiency when 0.115 g/gM.a. CQA and 1.44 g/gM.a. xanthan were applied simultaneously. The apparatus is applicable to other microalgae species including Spirulina platensis, S. maxima, Chlorella vulgaris and Isochrysis galbana. Bio-based CFs sorted out using this apparatus could help develop cleaner processes for both remediation of harmful cyanobacterial blooms and microalgae-based biorefineries.

As a result of antibiotic overuse, bacterial antibiotic resistance has become a severe threat to worldwide public health. The development of more effective antimicrobial therapies and alternative antibiotic strategies is urgently required. The role played by bacterial membrane vesicles (BMVs) in antibiotic resistance has become a current focus of research. BMVs are nanoparticles derived from the membrane components of Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and contain diverse components originating from the cell envelope and cytoplasm. Antibiotic stress stimulates the secretion of BMVs. BMVs promote and mediate antibiotic resistance by multiple mechanisms. BMVs have been investigated as conceptually new antibiotics and drug-delivery vehicles. In this article, we outline the research related to BMVs and antibiotic resistance as a reference for the intentional use of BMVs to combat antibiotic resistance.

Efficient biocoagulants/bioflocculants are desired for removal of Microcystis aeruginosa, the dominant harmful bloom-forming cyanobacterium. Herein, we reported cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose (CHEC) inactivated M. aeruginosa cells after forming coagulates and floating-flocculated them with aid of Agrobacterium mucopolysaccharides (AMP) and surfactant. CHEC exhibited cyanocidal activity at 20 mg/L, coagulating 85% of M. aeruginosa biomass within 9 h and decreasing 41% of chlorophyll an after 72 h. AMP acted as an adhesive flocculation aid that accelerated and strengthened the formation of flocs, approaching a maximum in 10 min. Flocs of M. aeruginosa were floated after foaming with cocoamidopropyl betaine (CAB), which facilitated the subsequent filter harvest. 82% of M. aeruginosa biomass was suspended on water surface after treated with the coagulation/flocculation-flotation (CFF) agents containing CHEC (25 mg/L), AMP (177 mg/L) and CAB (0.1 mg/L). All components in CFF agents at the applied concentrations did not inhibit acetylcholinesterase or Vibrio fischeri. Our findings provide new insights in developing bio-based materials for sustainable control of cyanobacterial blooms.

EPM2A has been certified as a causative gene in patients with Lafora disease (LD), which is a rare autosomal recessive and severe form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy. LD classically starts in adolescence, characterized by various types of seizure with myoclonic seizure as the main type. Typically within 10 years, intractable seizure attack, rapidly progressing dementia, and a vegetative state were present. LD is particularly frequently found in Mediterranean countries. Here, we report a Chinese family with a novel compound heterozygous mutation in the EPM2A gene, characterized by recurrent vomiting, intractable epilepsy, and progressive cognitive decline.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vestibular disruption on autophagy-related proteins and the tumour-associated pathway P13K/Akt in rat sleep and its hypothalamus tissue and to examine whether catechins trigger tumour autophagy. Healthy adult male rats were randomly selected and divided into the vestibular damage group, the sham operation group, and the control group, with 8 rats in each group. A vestibular damage model was established through penetrating the tympanic membrane of the external auditory canal by injecting sodium p-aminophenylarsonate. The electroencephalogram (EGG) activity was used to record the sleep-wakefulness cycle of rats, and the expression levels of hypothalamic orexin (orexin) mRNA and autophagy proteins were detected. Primary hippocampal neurons were intervened with orexin at different concentrations and at different times to detect cell viability and the expression of autophagy protein and P13K/Akt signal pathway protein. The results showed that compared with the control group and the sham operation group, NREM duration in the vestibular damage group decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ), while its W time increased significantly ( P < 0.05 ). The expression level of orexin mRNA in the hypothalamus of the vestibular damage group was significantly higher than that of the other two groups ( P < 0.05 ), the expression of autophagy microtubule-related proteins LC3B and Beclin-1 increased significantly ( P < 0.05 ), and the protein expression level of p62 decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ). After orexin intervention, compared with the control group, the expression of Beclin-1 protein that positively correlated with autophagy decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ) and the expression of mTOR, PDK1, and Akt protein increased significantly ( P < 0.05 ). Compared with the orexin intervention group, the expression of Beclin-1 and LC3B proteins in cells of the orexin receptor inhibitor (Almorexant) group, the autophagy activator (Rapamycin) group, the orexin + Almorexant group, and the orexin + Rapamycin group increased significantly ( P < 0.05 ), and the expression of mTOR, PDK1, and Akt proteins decreased significantly ( P < 0.05 ). Catechins trigger autophagy in part by regulating the p-Akt/p-mTOR and P13K pathways and by stimulating the MAPK pathway. Catechins initiate apoptosis in common tumour types of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activating autophagy-related pathways. The conclusion is that vestibular damage can affect the sleep-wakefulness cycle of rats; the level of autophagy in hypothalamic tissue is upregulated and may affect cell proliferation and activity through mTOR-P13K/Akt, which has a certain reference value for tumor formation and provides a basis for the research of insomnia or sleep disorders caused by tumors. Autophagy activation is a key process by which catechins promote apoptosis in tumour cells, providing an avenue for more research on the use of catechins-rich diets for cardiovascular protection in the treatment of tumours.

To describe the clinical and neuroimaging features, treatment response and outcomes of adult myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated cortical encephalitis.In this retrospective study, adult patients fulling the criteria of encephalitis but not fulfilling those of ADEM and tested positive for serum MOG antibody were recruited from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University (2019-2021). Clinical symptoms, laboratory data, imaging, and outcomes were analyzed.Eleven MOG antibody-associated cortical encephalitis patients consisting of 4 female (36.4%) and 7 male (63.6%) were included with a median onset age of 27 years (ranging: 16-32 years). Fever (8/11), headache (9/11) and seizures (7/11) were the most common symptoms of adult MOG cortical encephalitis, and generalized seizure was the dominant seizure type (4/7). Increased intracranial pressure (5/10, median 280 mm H2O, ranging 240-380 mm H2O), CSF pleocytosis (5/10, median 48 cells/μL, ranging: 18-1800 cells/μL), and protein elevation (4/10, median 0.67 g/L, ranging: 0.46-1.92 g/L) were common. Serum MOG antibody was detected in all patients and the coexistence of CSF NMDAR antibody was found in one case. Imaging showed abnormal brain MRI in 10 patients (90.9%) and 10/10 had the cortical involvement. 8/10 had unilateral lesions while 2/10 had bilateral lesions. 2/10 had the juxta cortical white matter lesions and 2/10 had the corpus callosum lesions. No involvement of deep gray matter or other white matter structure was noted. 5/11 had leptomeningeal and/or lesional enhancements. 10/11 patients had favorable outcomes and 2/11 had clinical relapses with persisting MOG antibody positive during the median follow-up interval of 10 months (ranging: 3-23months).Atypical clinical features for demyelinating diseases including seizures, remarkably increased intracranial pressure, pleocytosis, and protein elevation are common in MOG cortical encephalitis. Involvement of the corpus callosum and cortex around the midline could be unique imaging features of MOG antibody-associated bilateral cortical encephalitis.

Cellulose-derived levulinic acid (LA) can be converted into gamma-valerolactone (GVL), a sustainable platform chemical for the production of bio-based chemicals. However, LA as an organic acid causes severe metal leaching during the heterogeneous hydrogenation of LA to GVL, especially in the presence of water. Various endeavors for preventing metal leaching have focused more on the process and less on the intrinsic nature of catalysts. The aim of this work is to derive a novel metal-leaching-resistant catalyst for the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of LA into GVL by using a nanocomposite containing three components, Ag, ZrO2, and graphene oxide (GO). The AgZrO2GO catalyst without pre-reduction treatment resulted in complete conversion of LA and approximately 100 mol% selectivity to GVL in the aqueous reaction, and metal leaching from the catalyst was completely eliminated. The relationship between the catalytic performance and the distinct physicochemical properties of the catalyst was extensively discussed.

Mechanistic pathways of catalytic hydrodeoxygenation determine the portfolios of biomass-derived platform chemicals. Bifunctional catalysts involving active metals on acidic supports are known to c...

Objectives: The epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been researched. However, the prevalence of repositivity by real-time PCR for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted involving 599 discharged patients with COVID-19 in a single medical centre. The clinical features of patients during their hospitalization and 14-day post-discharge quarantine were collected. Results: A total of 122 patients (20.4%) out of 599 patients retested positive after discharge. Specifically, 94 (15.7%) retested positive within 24 h of discharge, and another 28 patients (4.7%) were repositive on day 7 after discharge, although none showed any clinical symptomatic recurrence. Both repositives and non‑repositives have similar patterns of IgG and IgM. Notably, the length of hospitalization of non-repositive patients was longer than that of 24-h repositive patients and 7-day repositive patients. In addition, the length of hospitalization of 24-h repositive patients was shorter than that of 7-day repositive patients, indicating that the length of hospitalization was also a determinant of viral shedding. Conclusion: Our study provides further information for improving the management of recovered and discharged patients, and further studies should be performed to elucidate the infectiveness of individuals with prolonged or RNA repositivity.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease accompanied with severe paralysis or even death, while the pathogenesis of ALS is still unclear and no effective therapy exists. The accumulating evidence has indicated the association between gut microbiota and various neurological diseases. Thus, to explore the potential role of gut microbiome in ALS, 20 patients diagnosed with probable or definite ALS and 20 healthy controls were enrolled and their fecal excrements were collected. The analysis of fecal community diversity with 16S rDNA sequencing showed an obvious change in microbial structure of ALS patients, where Bacteroidetes at the phylum level and several microbes at the genus level were up-regulated, while Firmicutes at the phylum level and Megamonas at the genus level were down-regulated compared to healthy controls. Additionally, decreased gene function associated with metabolic pathways was observed in ALS patients. The metagenomics further demonstrated the discrepancies in microflora at the species level and relevant metabolites thereof were also revealed when combined with metabolomics. In conclusion, the altered composition of the gut microbiota and metabolic products in ALS patients provided deeper insights into the pathogenesis of ALS, and these biomarkers might be established as potential therapeutic targets which deserve further exploration.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disorder clinically characterized by motor system dysfunction, with intraneuronal accumulation of the TAR DNAbinding protein 43 (TDP-43) being a pathological hallmark. Riluzole is a primarily prescribed medicine for ALS patients, while its therapeutical efficacy appears limited. TDP-43 transgenic mice are existing animal models for mechanistic/translational research into ALS. Methods: We developed a transgenic rat model of ALS expressing a mutant human TDP-43 transgene (TDP-43M337V) and evaluated the therapeutic effect of Riluzole on this model. Relative to control, rats with TDP-43M337V expression promoted by the neurofilament heavy subunit (NEF) gene or specifically in motor neurons promoted by the choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) gene showed progressive worsening of mobility and grip strength, along with loss of motor neurons, microglial activation, and intraneuronal accumulation of TDP-43 and ubiquitin aggregations in the spinal cord. Results: Compared to vehicle control, intragastric administration of Riluzole (30 mg/kg/d) did not mitigate the behavioral deficits nor alter the neuropathologies in the transgenics. Conclusion: These findings indicate that transgenic rats recapitulate the basic neurological and neuropathological characteristics of human ALS, while Riluzole treatment can not halt the development of the behavioral and histopathological phenotypes in this new transgenic rodent model of ALS.

Novel molecular signatures are needed to improve the early and accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and indicate physicians to provide timely intervention. This study aimed to identify a robust blood non-coding RNA (ncRNA) signature in diagnosing ASD. One hundred eighty six blood samples in the microarray dataset were randomly divided into the training set (n = 112) and validation set (n = 72). Then, the microarray probe expression profile was re-annotated into the expression profile of 4143 ncRNAs though probe sequence mapping. In the training set, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized generalized linear model was adopted to identify the 20-ncRNA signature, and a diagnostic score was calculated for each sample according to the ncRNA expression levels and the model coefficients. The score demonstrated an excellent diagnostic ability for ASD in the training set (area under receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] = 0.96), validation set (AUC = 0.97) and the overall (AUC = 0.96). Moreover, the blood samples of 23 ASD patients and 23 age- and gender-matched controls were collected as the external validation set, in which the signature also showed a good diagnostic ability for ASD (AUC = 0.96). In subgroup analysis, the signature was also robust when considering the potential confounders of sex, age, and disease subtypes. In comparison with a 55-gene signature deriving from the same dataset, the ncRNA signature showed an obviously better diagnostic ability (AUC: 0.96 vs 0.68, P

Metal leaching is a major issue in efficient production of γ-valerolactone (GVL) from levulinic acid (LA) under mild reaction conditions. In this study, Ag was added to Cu-supported γ-Al2O3 catalyst to suppress Cu leaching in the hydrogenation of LA into GVL. The CuAg/Al2O3 catalyst was reduced in situ during the reaction, and Cu leaching in the solution was significantly suppressed. The bimetallic catalyst without reduction pretreatment achieved approximately 100% yield to GVL and exhibited good reusability in nine consecutive cycles under mild reaction conditions of 180 °C and 1.4 MPa H2 pressure in tetrahydrofuran (THF). The strong interplay in the geometric and electronic effects between Cu and Ag was verified through XPS, H2-TPR, TEM, STEM/EDS, and XRD analyses. This paper extensively discussed the mechanism of Ag on preventing Cu leaching and the superiority of in situ reduction in solution over external reduction in gas.

Background Mutant transactive response DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is closely correlated to the inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). TDP-43 transgenic rats can reproduce the core phenotype of ALS and constitutive expression of TDP-43 caused postnatal death. Objective The study aimed to understand whether neurologic deficiency caused by mutant TDP- 43 is dependent on its temporal expression. Method Transgenic rats were established that express mutant human TDP-43 (M337V substitution) in neurons, then a Tet-off system was used to regulate its expression. Results TDP-43 mutant transgenic rats developed significant weakness after the transgene was activated. Rats with expression of mutant TDP-43 at 30 days showed a more aggressive phenotype. More severe pathological changes in neurogenic atrophy were observed in these rats. Conclusion Temporal expression of mutant TDP-43 in neurons promoted serious phenotype in rats. The dysfunction of TDP-43 had a profound impact on the development of motor neurons and skeletal muscles.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text, Pioglitazone may have potential benefits in the treatment of cutaneous and metabolic derangements of psoriasis, but its role in the treatment of psoriasis remains in debate. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of pioglitazone in psoriasis vulgaris (PsV). We performed a comprehensive search in database of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wan fang database through March 2019 to identify eligible studies. Randomized controlled trials that have evaluated the effect and safety of pioglitazone in PsV were included. Treatment success was defined as ≥75% reduction in psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score after treatment. Weighted mean differences (WMD), relative risks (RRs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled to compare the clinical efficacy and safety between different groups. Six randomized controlled trials (n = 270) were included. Meta-analysis showed that pioglitazone was associated with a remarkable reduction in PASI score in patients with PsV (weight mean difference: 2.68, 95% CI 1.41–3.94, P

Separation of a compound from an ionic liquid through extraction usually results in a low mass transfer rate because of the high viscosity of the ionic liquid and the large density difference between the ionic liquid and organics even under strong stirring. An improved interface mass transfer during extraction or biphasic reaction was realized by creating a bubbling effect in a biphasic system containing an ionic liquid. In a model biphasic system containing 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as the solvent phase and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as the extraction phase, the bubbling reagents partitioned in the [BMIM]Cl phase, such as methanol, ethanol and acetonitrile, exhibit dynamic equilibrium between the two phases through constant gasification from and dissolution into the [BMIM]Cl phase. Bubbling increases the interface area and dynamically enhances the turbulence of the mixture; both phenomena are beneficial for fast transfer of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from the ionic liquid phase to the extraction phase. The organic solvents suitable as bubbling reagents were identified, and the key parameters in establishing bubbling biphasic systems were determined.

Ionic liquids have been widely studied as effective reaction media for the conversion of glucose or cellulose to 5-hydroxymethhylfurfural (5-HMF). However, the recovery of 5-HMF from ionic liquids, typically carried out by extraction, has been encountered with very low extraction efficiency, which limited the reusability of the solvents. Through this work, based on the model biphasic system that consists of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) as the ionic liquid phase and methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) as the extractant phase, the dominant force that suppresses the extraction efficiency of 5-HMF was identified as being the strong hydrogen bonding between 5-HMF and [BMIM]Cl. Solvent mediation with functional promoters have been established as a new strategy to shift this force, resulting in improved extraction efficiency of 5-HMF from the ionic liquid. For example, with ethanol as a promoter, the distribution coefficient of 5-HMF was about 10 times higher than that without a promoter.

Biodiesel is a sustainable and environmentally compatible diesel fuel substitute that presents certain limitations, particularly low-temperature flow properties, which are attributable to its long fatty chain structure. Branched alkyl derivates such as tertiary butyl ethers are efficient biodiesel additives for improved cold flow behaviour of biodiesel. In this study, tert-butoxymethylfurfural (tBMF) is synthesised as a biodiesel additive through etherification of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), a non-edible biomass-derived building block, with isobutene (IB) on a series of acid zeolites and liquid acids. The catalytic activity and selectivity of a zeolite catalyst involve not only optimisation of the number and strength of its acidic sites and adsorption properties but also promotion of its internal pore space. Efficient solvent systems did not include extremely weakly polar or strongly polar solvents but included moderately polar solvents, such as glycol dimethyl ether which presents suitable hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties. The HY zeolite with a SiO2/Al2O3 mole ratio of 12 in combination with glycol dimethyl ether solvent exhibited an excellent tBMF selectivity of 94 mol% with 59 mol% 5-HMF conversion after 3 h of reaction at 60 °C. Side reactions of 5-HMF dimerisation and the IB oligomerisation were minimal under mild reaction conditions. The activity of the deactivated catalyst was fully recovered by calcination in air, and a detailed deactivation mechanism was proposed.

The catalytic hydrogenolysis of readily available glycerol to 1,2-propanediol (1,2-PD) and 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD), which provides a new promising synthesis route to produce propanediols, has been extensively studied in the past decades. This study summarizes the most significant reports regarding glycerol hydrogenolysis into propanediols. Three reaction routes, including those working towards 1,2-PD production and the recently proposed one leading to 1,3-PD production, have been summarized. The catalysts used for this reaction have been classified into two categories according to the type of metal components: the transition metal catalysts taking Cu, Ni, and Co as representative metal components and the noble metal catalysts containing Ru, Pt, Ir, and Ag. Some inexpensive transition-metal catalysts exhibit high 1,2-PD selectivity and yield under mild reaction conditions, whereas several noble metal catalysts are promising in synthesizing the more valuable 1,3-PD. Efficient preparation methods and precise modulation techniques have been systematically developed to synthesize functionalized catalysts on the basis of the metal species in combination with acidic or basic compounds. Other technological aspects, such as hydrogen sources, reaction solvents, reactor types and feeding processes, are also summarized in this study. The focus of this review is on summarizing the preparation methods and the performance of various catalysts in glycerol hydrogenolysis.

Increasing the glucose loading in the 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl) ionic liquid containing a dissolved CrCl3 catalyst system led to excessive formation of humins and a serious decrease in the 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) yield. A biphasic system containing glycol dimethyl ether (GDE) as the extraction phase, and [BMIM]Cl/CrCl3/glucose in combination with a partitioned amount of GDE and an appropriate amount of water as the reaction phase was found to be highly efficient for the reaction; CrCl3 catalyzed the formation of 5-HMF in 64.5 mol% yield from a very high glucose concentration (80 wt% with respect to the ionic liquid) at 108 °C. This 5-HMF yield in the [BMIM]Cl–GDE–H2O ternary biphasic system nearly doubled that obtained in the single [BMIM]Cl/CrCl3/glucose reaction phase. Importantly, the GDE phase contained about 56% of the generated 5-HMF without detectable contamination by the ionic liquid or carbohydrates. GDE served multiple functions: as a hydrogen-bond acceptor, it exhibited excellent extraction performance for 5-HMF; due to its low boiling point and suitable solubility saturation point in the ionic liquid, a sustained GDE bubbling phenomenon in the ionic liquid phase was observed that promoted the rate of inter-phase mass-transfer of 5-HMF in reactions; and GDE mediated the [BMIM]Cl phase to a reduced viscosity. In addition, an appropriate amount of water in the ternary system promoted the extraction efficiency of 5-HMF and also lowered the viscosity of [BMIM]Cl/glucose. The ionic liquid–organics–water ternary biphasic system has been demonstrated for high 5-HMF productivity and separation efficiency.

In order to classify the surface defects of the vehicle body, a classification method based on BP (back propagation) neural network is proposed. According to the characteristics of vehicle body defects, the gray, morphological and geometric features of various defects were extracted, and the defect feature database was established. The defect classifier was designed by using improved BP neural network algorithm. The experimental results show that the method is very feasible and effective in the identification of vehicle body defects.

Reliable molecular signatures are needed to improve the early and accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and indicate physicians to provide timely intervention. This study aimed to identify a robust blood small nuclear RNA (snRNA) signature in diagnosing ASD. 186 blood samples in the microarray dataset were randomly divided into the training set (n = 112) and validation set (n = 72). Then, the microarray probe expression profiles were re-annotated into the expression profiles of 1253 snRNAs though probe sequence mapping. In the training set, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized generalized linear model was adopted to identify the 9-snRNA signature (RNU1-16P, RNU6-1031P, RNU6-258P, RNU6-335P, RNU6-485P, RNU6-549P, RNU6-98P, RNU6ATAC26P, and RNVU1-15), and a diagnostic score was calculated for each sample according to the snRNA expression levels and the model coefficients. The score demonstrated a good diagnostic ability for ASD in the training set (area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.90), validation set (AUC = 0.87), and the overall (AUC = 0.88). Moreover, the blood samples of 23 ASD patients and 23 age- and gender-matched controls were collected as the external validation set, in which the signature also showed a good diagnostic ability for ASD (AUC = 0.88). In subgroup analysis, the signature was robust when considering the confounders of gender, age, and disease subtypes, and displayed a significantly better performance among the female and younger cases (P = .039; P = .002). In comparison with a 55-gene signature deriving from the same dataset, the snRNA signature showed a better diagnostic ability (AUC: 0.88 vs 0.80, P = .049). In conclusion, this study identified a novel and robust blood snRNA signature in diagnosing ASD, which might help improve the diagnostic accuracy for ASD in clinical practice. Nevertheless, a large-scale prospective study was needed to validate our results.

Although port-city interaction and sustainability are becoming increasingly essential, prospering regional economy and facilitating international shipping trade, problems of their mismatch and incoordination have also been aroused. Thus, research on their relationship is necessary to generate profound enlightenment on how to achieve healthy and benign development for ports and cities. In this paper, a typical Chinese port-city group, six ports and their corresponding port cities in Liaoning are selected as research objects. Firstly, a grey relative relational model and a coupling coordination degree model based on entropy weight method are applied to analyse the port-city interactive trend and degree as well as exploring the relative impacts among internal factors in port and city subsystems. Then, a sustainability analysis box of correlation&ndash, coordination is constructed to further investigate the sustainable development status. Finally, strategies for the port-city sustainable development are proposed. The results indicate the six port-city systems have not strongly correlated and are in the stage of coordinated development. Only Dalian and Yingkou have realized sustainable development. Thus, there is still much room for improvement. Measures such as resources integration and dislocation development should be taken into account to optimize the sustainable and coordinated development of the port-city systems.

A sulfonated graphene catalyst (SG) prepared by grafting sulfonic acid-containing aryl radicals onto the two-dimensional surface of graphene was used for the etherification of glycerol with isobutene, and a reaction–extraction process was developed for easy realization of product isolation and catalyst recycling. With its ultra thin two-dimensional open substrate, stable sulfonic acid sites, amphiphilic properties and light texture, SG exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the etherification reaction. At 60–70 °C with 4 wt% catalyst loading and a molar ratio of isobutene/glycerol 4, a nearly complete conversion of glycerol in 7 h and a selectivity of more than 90 mol% to desired multi-butyl glycerol ethers were achieved. Moreover, undesired oligomerization of isobutene was successfully suppressed. When extracted with fresh glycerol, the mixture after reaction was successfully layered to two phases, with a transparent liquid containing no less than 96 wt% di- and tri-butyl glycerol ethers in the top phase as a product and a black mixture consisting of glycerol and SG in the bottom phase which can be used to start a new run with fresh isobutene addition. During six consecutive reaction–extraction cycles the catalyst maintained its robust performance.

In order to increase molecular weight of PLGA, BuOH was introduced as a co-initiator to Sn(Oct)2 in ring-opening precipitation polymerization of L-lactide and glycolide in supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2). The polymerization mechanism of the reaction processes on Sn(Oct)2 with BuOH was explored. The positive effect of BuOH on polymer molecular weight was studied. PLGA with higher Mw (of 19,500 g/mol) and narrower PDI (of 1.12) was successfully prepared by ring-opening precipitation polymerization in ScCO2 using Sn(Oct)2/BuOH as an efficient catalytic system. Influence of reaction conditions, such as monomer feed concentration, reaction temperature, pressure, and time, were also investigated in detail. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:704–710, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline. It can be divided into familial AD (FAD) and sporadic AD (SAD) based on the family history. Recently dysregulation of cholesterol homeostasis has been implicated in the development of late-onset AD. ATP-binding cassette transporter A7 (ABCA7) gene, regulating the transport of cholesterol, has been recently identified as a susceptible gene of AD by several large genome-wide association studies. To test the genetic effect of ABCA7 rs3764650 on blood lipid levels in Southern Chinese Han population and investigate the risk factors of SAD, a total of 118 SAD patients and 120 healthy matched controls were recruited and the genotyping in ABCA7 rs3764650 was conducted on the Sequenom MassARRAY iPLEX platform. Meanwhile, the levels of fasting lipid profile and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores were tested. There was significant difference in genotype distribution between SAD patients and controls (p=0.001). While the difference of ABCA7 rs3764650 allele distribution between SAD patients and controls was only significant in APOEe4-noncarriers (p=0.039). The association between blood lipid levels and ABCA7 rs3764650 genotypes was influenced by APOEe4 status. In APOEe4-noncarriers of SAD, the total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in GG genotype group were significantly lower than those in GT and TT genotype groups (all p

Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is characterized by recurrent and brief attacks of dystonia or chorea precipitated by sudden movements. It can be sporadic or familial. Proline-Rich Transmembrane Protein 2 (PRRT2) has been shown to be a common causative gene of PKD. However, less than 50% of patients with primary PKD harbor mutations in PRRT2. The aim of this study is to use eight families with PKD to identify the pathogenic PRRT2 mutations, or possible novel genetic cause of PKD phenotypes. After extensive clinical investigation, direct sequencing and mutation analysis of PRRT2 were performed on patients from eight PKD families. A genome-wide STR and SNP based linkage analysis was performed in one large family that is negative for pathogenic PRRT2 mutations. Using additional polymorphic markers, we identified a novel gene locus on chromosome 3q in this PRRT2-mutation-negative PKD family. The LOD score for the region between markers D3S1314 and D3S1256 is 3.02 and we proposed to designate this locus as Episodic Kinesigenic Dyskinesia (EKD3). Further studies are needed to identify the causative gene within this locus.

Depression has been associated with reduced expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus. Genetic association studies of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) in geriatric depression have produced inconsistent results. A meta-analysis of studies was conducted to compare the frequency of the BDNF Val66Met variant between cases with geriatric depression and age-matched controls. A total of five studies involving 523 cases with geriatric depression and 1,220 psychiatrically healthy controls was included. Met allele carriers had an increased risk for geriatric depression when compared to Val/Val homozygotes (P = 0.004, OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.13-1.93). Our findings suggest the BDNF Met allele may confer increased risk for depression as individual age.

A series of γ-Al2O3 supported silver catalysts (Ag/Al2O3) prepared with various Ag loadings and calcination temperatures were used to convert glycerol to 1,2-propanediol. A catalyst with 2 mmol Ag per gram Al2O3 and calcined at 400–500 °C presented the highest activity (glycerol conversion 46 mol%) and selectivity (96 mol%) at 220 °C, glycerol/Ag (molar ratio) = 100/2, 1.5 MPa initial H2 pressure and 10 h. Optimal prereduction, elevated reaction temperature and hydrogen pressure promote the activity, but the selectivity deteriorates at higher reaction temperatures. Excessive water is detrimental to the performance. Catalyst deactivation was observed, mainly due to Ag sintering under reducing environment. The spent catalyst could be calcined to fully recover the activity.

The etherification of glycerol with isobutene to synthesize di-tert-butyl glycerol ethers (DTBG) and tri-tert-butyl glycerol ether (TTBG) was studied on acid-treated HY zeolites. Compared to the parent commercial HY, both activity and selectivities to the desired ethers were doubled after optimal acid treatments. At 70 °C with 1 wt% catalyst loading, the glycerol conversion and the selectivities to DTBG and TTBG after 7 h were 85% and 58%, respectively on a citric acid washed HY. The catalyst showed higher selectivity than an acidic resin (SAC-13) and was reusable. Similar performance was also achieved using nitric acid solutions. Although the acid wash resulted in fewer acid sites due to dealumination, the zeolite crystalinity was retained. Besides increased acid strength, enlarged surface area and pore volume from the generation of mesopores were observed, which were likely to be the key factors for the improved catalytic performance by facilitating mass transfer.

In this work, the reaction mechanism for the conversion of CO2 and H2 to methanol has been researched by density functional theory (DFT). The production of methanol from CO2 and H2 is catalyzed by a univocal bifunctional pincer-type complex trans-RuH2(CO)(dpa) (dpa = bis-(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)amine). The reaction mechanism includes three continuous catalytic processes: (1) CO2 is converted to formic acid, (2) formic acid is converted to formaldehyde and water, (3) formaldehyde is converted to methanol. By computing the catalytic processes, we have shown that the rate-limiting step in the whole process is the direct cleavage of H2. The calculated largest free energy barrier is 21.6 kcal/mol. However, with the help of water, the free energy barrier can be lowered to 12.7 kcal/mol, which suggests viability of trans-RuH2(CO)(dpa) as a catalyst for the direct conversion of CO2 and H2 to methanol.