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Synapse maintenance is essential for generating functional circuitry, and decrement in this process is a hallmark of neurodegenerative disease. Yet, little is known about synapse maintenance in vivo. Cysteine string protein a (CSPa), encoded by the Dnajc5 gene, is a synaptic vesicle chaperone that is necessary for synapse maintenance and linked to neurodegeneration. To investigate the transcriptional changes associated with synapse maintenance, we performed single-nucleus transcriptomics on the cortex of young CSPa knockout (KO) mice and littermate controls. Through differential expression and gene ontology analysis, we observed that both neurons and glial cells exhibit unique signatures in the CSPa KO brain. Significantly, all neuronal classes in CSPa KO brains show strong signatures of repression in synaptic pathways, while up-regulating autophagy-related genes. Through visualization of synapses and autophagosomes by electron microscopy, we confirmed these alterations especially in inhibitory synapses. Glial responses varied by cell type, with microglia exhibiting activation. By imputing cell-cell interactions, we found that neuron-glia interactions were specifically increased in CSPa KO mice. This was mediated by synaptogenic adhesion molecules, with the classical Neurexin1-Neuroligin 1 pair being the most prominent, suggesting that communication of glial cells with neurons is strengthened in CSPa KO mice to preserve synapse maintenance. Together, this study provides a rich dataset of transcriptional changes in the CSPa KO cortex and reveals insights into synapse maintenance and neurodegeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective • This study aims to investigate the potential of mustard oil-induced reduction in acetylcholine expression as a means to delay the progression of colon cancer within the internal environment. Methods • The study design in this research involved both in vitro cellular experiments and in vivo animal experiments to employ mustard oil to modulate acetylcholine expression levels and evaluate its impact on colon cancer. Cellular experiments involved the introduction of six concentrations of acetylcholine (10-2, 10-3, 10-4, 10-5, 10-6, and 10-7 mol/L) into colon cancer cell cultures to monitor cell proliferation. Animal experiments encompassed the subcutaneous CT26 colon cancer cells implantation into 28 Balb/c mice, divided into experimental and control groups. After tumor establishment, both groups were fed standard diets for two weeks. Serum acetylcholine concentrations were measured from eye blood samples. Additionally, Balb/c mice were inoculated with CT26- derived colon cancer cells and further categorized into experimental and control groups. A total of 14 mice comprised each group, with experimental mice fed mustard oil and control mice fed soybean oil. Post two weeks, serum acetylcholine expression in both groups was assessed. After sacrifice, subcutaneous tumors were excised, and tumor dimensions were measured using a Vernier scale. Results • Acetylcholine concentration augmentation in the culture medium corresponded to gradual cell proliferation escalation, peaking at 10-5 mol/L, exhibiting statistical significance. Comparative analysis revealed significantly elevated relative acetylcholine expression levels in Balb/c mice with tumor-bearing colon cancers compared to normal Balb/c mice. Experimental group mice exhibited substantially lower serum acetylcholine concentrations than control group mice. Mustard oil administration effectively curtailed acetylcholine expression in normal Balb/c mice, consequently retarding tumor growth. These findings underscore mustard oil’s potential to diminish serum acetylcholine expression, thereby delaying colon cancer progression. Conclusions • This study suggests that mustard oil’s modulation of acetylcholine expression within the internal environment holds the potential for impeding colon cancer growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 49-year-old patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who presented with facial subcutaneous nodules on both eyelids as the first manifestation of the disease. Topics discussed include the clinical features of rheumatoid nodules, diagnostic evaluations including laboratory tests and imaging studies, and the management approach involving prednisone therapy.

Background and Objective • miR-22-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting a variety of downstream genes, while its role and downstream targets in gastric cancer (GC) remain to be determined. We aimed to explore the role of miR-22-3p in gastric cancer and the potential mechanism. Methods • miR-22-3p mimic and inhibitor were used to overexpress or knockdown the expression of miR-22-3p separately. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blot were used to analyse the abundance of mRNA or protein level respectively. CCK-8 assay, cell colony formation assay, and flow cytometry were implemented to investigate the effect of miR-22-3p on gastric cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. Luciferase assay was used to evaluate the role of miR-22-3p on the expression of glycolytic enzyme enolase 1 (ENO1). Results • In this study, we found that miR-22-3p was downregulated in GC cells. By transfecting the cells with miR-22-3p inhibitors or mimics, we showed that miR-22- 3p suppressed GC cell proliferation and migration, as well as triggered cell death. In addition, we discovered that miR-22-3p was engaged in glycolysis by controlling the generation of lactate as well as the consumption of glucose. TargetScan database suggested that the ENO1 may be a target of the miR-22-3p, and the luciferase experiment verified this hypothesis. Recovery assays showed that the proliferation and migration of GC cells suppressed by miR-22-3p could be rescued by overexpression of ENO1. Conclusion • Collectively, we identified a new axis of miR-22-3p/ENO1 for GC development, which could be investigated as a therapeutic target for GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the (β -deformed) Hurwitz Kontsevich model corresponds to the special case of affine Yangian of gl (1) . In this paper, we construct two general cases of the β -deformed Hurwitz Kontsevich model. We find that the W-operators of these two models can be represented by the generators e k , f k , ψ k of the affine Yangian of gl (1) , and the eigenstates (the symmetric functions Y λ and 3-Jack polynomials) can be obtained from the 3D Young diagram representation of affine Yangian of gl (1) . Then we can see that the W-operators and eigenstates are symmetric about the permutations of coordinate axes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction is located at the boundary of the distal esophagus and gastric cardia, and surgical resection is currently performed using open or laparoscopic methods. This report presents 2 cases of laparoscopic resection of Siewert type II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction using a transhiatal approach, complicated by hemopericardium. Case Reports: We present 2 patients diagnosed with Siewert type II esophagogastric junction cancer. A 67-year-old man had intermittent dull pain in the epigastrium without apparent cause for 10 months. A 69-year-old man had persistent dull pain in the middle and upper abdomen for more than 3 months and acid reflux after eating. Gastroscopy with pathological examination confirmed the diagnoses. The patients underwent laparoscopic transhiatal total gastrectomy according to the Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guidelines 2018 (5th edition). Pathological analysis classified the cancers as T3N1M0 and T2N0M0, respectively. The patients' cases were complicated with hemopericardium 18 h and 23 h after surgery, respectively. The shared clinical symptoms of the patients included tachycardia and low blood pressure. Cardiovascular color Doppler ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) were used to identify the hemopericardium. Following emergent ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis and drainage, the vital signs of the patients improved. Both patients recovered well, and no other complications occurred. Conclusions: Hemopericardium is a life-threatening complication for patients with esophageal-gastric junction cancer who undergo transhiatal laparoscopic surgery. Quick detection and intervention for postoperative hemopericardium following laparoscopic transhiatal total gastrectomy are important. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis and drainage is effective for the treatment of postoperative hemopericardium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the seismic performance of high-rise buildings, a friction damper installation scheme was proposed in the paper. Through numerical simulation and experimental testing, the vibration reduction effect was compared and verified. Herringbone structure was applied to install friction damper in the bearing wall. Based on this vibration reduction scheme, the finite element model of high-rise building was established, and the influence of damper on the modal characteristics of building frame was analyzed. It can be known that the damper has little influence on the natural frequency, but has a great influence on the amplitude range of the excitation response. In the finite element model, two kinds of seismic waves were applied, the strength and dynamic response was simulated and calculated, and the maximum deformation and stress results were obtained. Compared with the initial model, it can be known that the more intense the vibration is, the more obvious the damping effect of the damper is. A seismic excitation simulation system based on acceleration sensor detection is designed and applied to the wall vibration test. The results show that the maximum vibration acceleration of the measured point is reduced by 26.3 % by the damper, and the stable seismic effect can still be maintained during the impact of extension. Compared with the traditional hardness and volume reinforcement scheme, the friction damper can reduce the production cost and improve the adaptability to seismic wave excitation, which provides an important basis for seismic research in other fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cytokinins (CKs) function in plant development and during stress responses, but their role in drought tolerance in wheat is unknown. In the present study, 24 isopentenyltransferase (IPT) genes, encoding ratelimiting enzymes in CK biosynthesis were identified in the wheat genome. The chromosomal locations and structures of the genes, protein properties, and phylogenetic relationships were characterized. ATP/ADP TaIPT genes showed tissue-specific expression. TaIPT2, TaIPT7, and TaIPT8 expression was rapidly induced by 0.5-1 h drought treatments, which decreased to low levels after 2 h drought treatment, as did most other TaIPT genes. TaIPT8-5a/5b/5d triple mutants showed decreased levels of tZtype CK under normal and drought conditions and reduced drought tolerance, which, however, did not manifest as phenotype alterations. By contrast, transgenic wheat plants with drought-induced TaIPT8 showed increased drought tolerance. Our study provides a foundation for further investigation of TaIPT genes and novel insights into the role of CKs in the drought response of wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses a class of nonlinear singular perturbation problems with Robin boundary values in critical cases. By using the boundary layer function method and successive approximation theory, the corresponding asymptotic expansions of small parameters are constructed, and the existence of uniformly efficient smooth solutions is proved. Meanwhile, we give a concrete example to prove the validity of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orphan nuclear receptor Nurr1 plays important roles in the progression of various diseases, including Parkinson's disease, neuroinflammation, Alzheimer's disease, and multiple sclerosis. It can recognize DNA as a monomer or heterodimer with retinoid X receptor a (RXRa). But the molecular mechanism of its transcriptional activity regulation is still largely unknown. Here we obtained a crystal structure of monomer Nurr1 (DNA- and ligand-binding domains, DBD and LBD) bound to NGFI-B response element. The structure exhibited two different forms with distinct DBD orientations, unveiling the conformational flexibility of nuclear receptor monomer. We then generated an integrative model of Nurr1-RXRa heterodimer. In the context of heterodimer, the structural flexibility of Nurr1 would contribute to its transcriptional activity modulation. We demonstrated that the DNA sequence may specifically modulate the transcriptional activity of Nurr1 in the absence of RXRa agonist, but the modulation can be superseded when the agonist binds to RXRa. Together, we propose a set of signaling pathways for the constitutive transcriptional activation of Nurr1 and provide molecular mechanisms for therapeutic discovery targeting Nurr1 and Nurr1-RXRa heterodimer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread over the world since its emergence. Although the dominant route of SARS-CoV-2 infection is respiratory, a number of studies revealed infection risk from contaminated surfaces and products, including porcine-derived food and other products. The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has been severely threatening public health, and disrupting porcine products trade and the pig industry. Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV), which was responsible for large-scale, fatal disease in piglets, emerged in 2017 and has caused enormous economic losses in the pig industry. Currently, reverse transcription real-time PCR (RT-rPCR) is the gold standard method for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and is most commonly used for SADS-CoV detection. However, inaccurate detection of the SARS-CoV-2 infection obtained by RT-rPCR is increasingly reported, especially in specimens with low viral load. Objective: This study aimed to develop an accurate reverse transcription droplet digital PCR (RT-ddPCR) assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and SADS-CoV simultaneously. Methods: Two pairs of primers and one double-quenched probe targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDRP) region of the open reading frame 1ab (ORF1ab) gene of SARS-CoV-2 and the corresponding ORF1ab region of SADS-CoV were designed to develop the RT-ddPCR assay. The sensitivity, specificity, repeatability, and reproducibility were tested using complementary RNAs (cRNAs) and clinical specimens. Results: The detection limits of RT-ddPCR were 1.48±0.18 and 1.38±0.17 copies in a 20 lL reaction for SARS-CoV-2 and SADS-CoV cRNAs, respectively (n=8), showing approximately 4- and 10-fold greater sensitivity than the RT-rPCR assay. This assay also exhibited good specificity, repeatability, and reproducibility. Conclusion: The established RT-ddPCR assay was shown to be a highly effective, accurate, and reliable method for the sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 and SADS-CoV. Highlights: This RT-ddPCR assay could be used to detect both SARS-CoV-2 and SADS-CoV in a sample with one doublequenched probe, and is also the first reported RT-ddPCR assay for SADS-CoV detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrosion and strain levels of reinforcement steel are the two main indicators that determine the durability and safety of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. Therefore, monitoring corrosion and strain is crucial for evaluating the health condition of RC structures. In this study, a fiber optic sensor is developed and characterized for the simultaneous measurement of early-stage corrosion and strain levels of steel rebar. It was fabricated by fusion splicing a segment of fiber with a long-period grating (LPG) with fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The LPG-FBG fiber optic sensor was installed on steel rebars for simultaneous tensile and corrosion tests. Two kinds of specimens were tested, including bare steel rebar and steel rebar embedded in mortar. A tension-corrosion-optical setup was designed to conduct tensile, corrosion, and optical tests simultaneously. The corrosion behavior of both types of steel rebar specimens was characterized using electrochemical techniques by immersing them in a sodium chloride solution. The strain levels applied range from zero to 1200 µε. Results show that steel rebar corrosion causes a shift in the resonant wavelength, while it has no influence on the Bragg wavelength. When the tensile strain increases, the resonant wavelength remains stable, while the Bragg wavelength red shifts. The sensitivity coefficients were determined, which can be utilized for the simultaneous measurement of early-stage corrosion and strain levels in steel rebars. • LPG-FBG sensor is developed for simultaneous measurement of corrosion and strain. • The corrosion monitoring sensitivity is higher for bare rebar than that in mortar. • The corrosion monitoring sensitivity is not affected by the rebar strain. • The corrosion of steel rebar does not affect the strain monitoring sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To explore the distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon in degraded forest land in the sandstorm area of Jing-bian County, Shaanxi Province. [Methods] The distribution characteristics and abundance of 0 -20 cm shallow soil organic carbon in 5 towns in the sandstorm area in the north of Jingbian County were studied by field sampling and indoor detection. [Results] The average soil organic carbon contents in Hongdunjie Town, Haizetan Town, Huanghaojie Town, Ningtiaoliang Town and Dongkeng Town were 2.93, 3. 21, 2.53, 2.54 and 4.08 g/kg, respectively, which were all lower than the national background value (31.00 g/kg). The coefficients of variation of soil organic carbon content in Hongdunjie Town, Huanghaojie Town and Dongkeng Town were 59.04%, 35.97% and 47.55%, respectively, with higher coefficients of variation and larger differences in spatial distribution. The organic carbon content of Haizetan Town and Dongkeng Town was above the abundance, accounting for 70% and 50%, which were relatively rich, while the soil organic carbon content of Hongdunjie was relatively scarce. The average content of soil organic carbon in the sandstorm area was 3. 03 g/kg, which was also lower than the national background value. The coefficient of variation was 46.53%, showing high coefficient of variation and large difference in spatial distribution. In addition, 20.41% of the average content of soil organic carbon in the sandstorm area was in the deficient level, and 79. 59% were in the medium or above level. [Condusions] The study of distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon in degraded forest land in the sandstorm area of Jingbian County will better serve the precise management of soil resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to find the optimum climb parameters for decreasing aircraft pollution emissions, we establish a calculation model of aircraft pollutant emissions to thoroughly examine the economy of aircraft operation and its impact on the environment, based on the International Civil Aviation Organization reference emission data and Boeing Method 2 which can calculate pollutant emissions in different flight phases by correcting the ICAO emission data. Firstly, we propose the concept of integrated flight cost considering the effect of emissions and establish its calculation model. Secondly, we establish the climb speed optimization models based on the traditional flight cost and integrated flight cost. Then, we analyze the effect of climb performance on the integrated flight cost. Next, we establish a combined optimization model of indicated airspeed and thrust using the genetic algorithm. The model simulation and result analysis are carried out using a wide-body aircraft. Finally, we analyze the effect of the optimization parameters and the sensitivity of the pollution index. The results show that the decrease in the flight speed and thrust effectively reduces the cost of pollutant emission during flight. The combination of (Vc, Tr) with the smallest integrated flight cost reduces the integrated flight cost by 1.28% and emission cost by 4.56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background This study investigates the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective agonist of alpha 2-adrenergic receptors (α2-ARs), on the regulation of hepatic macrophage activation in liver regeneration. Methods A two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PHx) mouse model was performed. DEX (25 μg/kg) or a vehicle control (saline) was injected i.p. at 30 min before and every 12 h after PHx. The expression of α2B-ARs in the liver was detected using immunofluorescence staining. The effects of DEX on liver regeneration were assessed by Ki67 staining. The gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in isolated hepatic macrophages was quantified 36 h after the PHx. Results α2B-ARs colocalized with hepatic macrophages after the PHx. The number of Ki67-positive hepatocytes in the mice treated with DEX was markedly increased (p < 0.05). The increases in Ki67-positive hepatocytes after treatment with DEX were inhibited in the macrophage-depleted mice. DEX treatment inhibited the expression of major pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor and elevated the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-β1 in hepatic macrophages 36 h after the PHx (p < 0.05). Conclusions The α2B-AR subtype is expressed in hepatic macrophages after a PHx. DEX modulates hepatic macrophage activation toward an anti-inflammatory phenotype via α2B-AR, which promotes the process of liver regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the existing music classification and recognition algorithms have the problem of low accuracy. Therefore, this paper proposes a music recognition and classification algorithm considering the characteristics of audio emotion. Firstly, the emotional features of music are extracted from the feedforward neural network and parameterized with the mean square deviation. Gradient descent learning algorithm is used to train audio emotion features. The neural network models of input layer, output layer, and hidden layer are established to realize the classification and recognition of music emotion. Experimental results show that the algorithm has good effect on music emotion classification. The data stream driven by the algorithm is higher than 55 MBbs, the anti-attack ability is 91%, the data integrity is 83%, the average accuracy is 85%, and it has good effectiveness and feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Endometrial cancer (ECa) is a common gynecological malignancy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified as key regulators of human tumorigenesis and development. Herein, we explored the role and mechanism of circular RNA intraflagellar transport 80 (circ- IFT80, also called circ_0067835) in ECa. Methods: Circ-IFT80, microRNA-545-3p (miR-545-3p), and family with sequence similarity 98 member A (FAM98A) were quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot. The biological characteristics of ECa cells were evaluated via Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine, transwell, tube formation and flow cytometry assays. Dual-luciferase reporter assay or RNA pull-down assay was employed to verify the binding relationship between miR-545-3p and circ-IFT80 or FAM98A. Xenograft assays were conducted to analyze the effect of circ-IFT80 in vivo. Results: Circ-IFT80 and FAM98A were up-regulated, and miR-545-3p was down-regulated in ECa tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ-IFT80 blocked proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis and promoted apoptosis in ECa cells. Moreover, circ-IFT80 harbored a binding site for miR-545-3p, and the effects of circ-IFT80 were mediated by miR-545-3p. FAM98A was a direct target of miR-545-3p, and miR-545-3p hindered ECa cell progression via targeting FAM98A. Circ-IFT80 induced FAM98A expression through miR-545-3p. Furthermore, silence of circ-IFT80 suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion: Circ-IFT80 may promote the malignant progression of ECa cells at least in part by modulating miR-545-3p/FAM98A axis, providing a potential therapeutic target for ECa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endostatin (ES) can effectively inhibit neovascularization in most solid tumors and has the potential to make oxygen delivery more efficient and increase the efficacy of radiotherapy (RT). With a short halflife, ES is mainly administered systemically, which leads to low intake in tumor tissue and often toxic systemic side effects. In this study, we used hyaluronic acid-tyramine as a carrier to synthesize an ESloaded hydrogel drug (ES/HA-Tyr) that can be injected locally. ES/HA-Tyr has a longer half-life and fewer systemic toxic side effects, and it exerts a better anti-angiogenic effect and anti-tumor effect with RT. In vitro, ES/HA-Tyr showed sustained release in the release assay and a stronger ability to inhibit the proliferation of human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) in the MTT assay; it exhibited a more potent effect against HUVEC invasion and a stronger anti-angiogenic effect on HUVECs in tube formation. In vivo, ES/HA-Tyr increased local drug concentration, decreased blood drug concentration, and caused less systemic toxicity. Further, ES/HA-Tyr effectively reduced tumor microvessel density, increased tumor pericyte coverage, decreased tumor hypoxia, and increased RT response. ES/HA-TyrþRT also had increased anti-tumor and anti-angiogenic effects in Lewis lung cancer (LLC) xenograft models. In conclusion, ES/HA-Tyr showed sustained release, lower systemic toxicity, and better anti-tumor effects than ES. In addition, ES/HA-TyrþRT enhanced anti-angiogenic effects, reduced tumor hypoxia, and increased the efficacy of RT in LLC-bearing mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amphidinium species are amongst the most abundant benthic dinoflagellates in marine intertidal sandy ecosystems. Some of them produce a variety of bioactive compounds that have both harmful effects and pharmaceutical potential. In this study, Amphidinium cells were isolated from intertidal sand collected from the East China Sea. The two strains established were subjected to detailed examination by light, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The vegetative cells had a minute, irregular, and triangular-shaped epicone deflected to the left, thus fitting the description of Amphidinium sensu stricto. These strains are distinguished from other Amphidinium species by combination characteristics: (1) longitudinal flagellum inserted in the lower third of the cell; (2) icicle-shaped scales, 276 ± 17 nm in length, on the cell body surface; (3) asymmetrical hypocone with the left side longer than the right; and (4) presence of immotile cells. Therefore, they are described here as Amphidinium stirisquamtum sp. nov. The molecular tree inferred from small subunit rRNA, large subunit rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer-5.8S sequences revealed that A. stirisquamtum is grouped together with the type species of Amphidinium, A. operculatum, in a fully supported clade, but is distantly related to other Amphidinium species bearing body scale. Live A. stirisquamtum cells greatly affected the survival of rotifers and brine shrimp, their primary grazers, making them more susceptible to predation by the higher tropic level consumers in the food web. This will increase the risk of introducing toxicity, and consequently, the bioaccumulation of toxins through marine food webs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study a fractional nonlinear Rayleigh–Stokes problem with final value condition. By means of the finite dimensional approximation, we first obtain the compactness of solution operators. Moreover, we handle the problem in weighted continuous function spaces, and then the existence result of solutions is established. Finally, because of the ill posedness of backward problem in the sense of Hadamard, the quasi‐boundary value method is utilized to get the regularized solutions, and the corresponding convergence rate is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the solubility parameter theory, the Hansen solubility parameters of various solvents were calculated and compared to predict the solubility of cellulose in various solvents, which illustrates the feasibility of Hansen solubility parameters to predict the solubility of cellulose in solvents. This paper aims to make a more accurate prediction in advance when finding suitable cellulose solvent system, and then to reduce the burden of cellulose solvent selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we systematically studied the mechanical and electronic properties of a series of antiperovskite-type Ti-based ternary carbides and nitrides AXTi3 (A = Ba, Ca, In, Sn, Sr, Zn, Cu, Al, Ga, Cd, and La; X = C, N) from first-principles calculations. By calculating the formation energies, elastic constants, and other mechanical parameters, we predicted that 7 carbides ACTi3 and 7 nitrides ANTi3 compounds are stable among the 22 compounds. The predicted large Young's modulus and high hardness imply a good mechanical application prospect of AXTi3. Particularly, SnNTi3 was found to show ferromagnetic ground state. For the electronic structure, our results confirm that the compounds are metallic in nature, and the density of states near the Fermi energy is predominately contributed by Ti-3d states. The effect of A- and X-site atom doping on AXTi3 can be evaluated by rigid band approximation. Our prediction will be useful for the experimental exploration of the new antiperovskite compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we systematically studied the mechanical and electronic properties of a series of antiperovskite-type Ti-based ternary carbides and nitrides AXTi3 (A = Ba, Ca, In, Sn, Sr, Zn, Cu, Al, Ga, Cd, and La; X = C, N) from first-principles calculations. By calculating the formation energies, elastic constants, and other mechanical parameters, we predicted that 7 carbides ACTi3 and 7 nitrides ANTi3 compounds are stable among the 22 compounds. The predicted large Young's modulus and high hardness imply a good mechanical application prospect of AXTi3. Particularly, SnNTi3 was found to show ferromagnetic ground state. For the electronic structure, our results confirm that the compounds are metallic in nature, and the density of states near the Fermi energy is predominately contributed by Ti-3d states. The effect of A- and X-site atom doping on AXTi3 can be evaluated by rigid band approximation. Our prediction will be useful for the experimental exploration of the new antiperovskite compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to Articles 53.1 of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Shenzhen Code), Neottia bifida M.N.Wang (as 'bifidus'; PhytoKeys 229: 222, 2023) is an illegitimate name, and hence a new name Neottia maolanensis M. N. Wang is proposed here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Lung transplantation is the only effective way to treat end-stage lung disease. Severe gastrointestinal complications are common after lung transplantation and are associated with increased mortality. Early identification and active intervention are necessary to avoid treatment delays. Abdominal massage belongs to the category of external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is often used in the treatment of internal diseases. It has an excellent effect in treating stomachache, bloating, anorexia, and constipation. Case presentation The patient developed gastrointestinal dysfunction 16 days after lung transplantation. Through the implementation of abdominal massage intervention, symptoms were significantly relieved, weight gain occurred, and the curative effect was good. Conclusion Abdominal massage can relieve gastrointestinal symptoms and promote the recovery of gastrointestinal function after lung transplantation and has good curative effects. This method is worth promoting in patients who have had lung transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Asymptomatic subacute thyroiditis (aSAT) without inflammatory features is often difficult to distinguish from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), even with ultrasonography. Under certain circumstances, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is performed, which is known to increase the patient's physical pain. Objectives: To investigate the value of quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in discriminating aSAT from PTC nodules. Methods: A total of 30 aSAT and 23 PTC patients were systematically reviewed. Quantitative CEUS parameters, including the rise time (RT), time to peak (TTP), maximum intensity (IMAX), as well as their extension indicators (ΔRT and ΔTTP), were determined in various nodule areas (total, central, peripheral, and control regions of nodules). Chi-square test and independent-samples t-test were performed to compare significant differences between PTC and aSAT. A receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was also performed to assess the diagnostic efficacy of each parameter, as well as diagnostic efficacy indices, including sensitivity and specificity, in discriminating aSAT from PTC nodules. Results: Compared to the PTC group, patients with aSAT had a longer ΔRT1 (RT of the control area - RT of the whole area; 0.12±0.69 vs. -0.2 ± 0.57, P = 0.03) and ΔRT3 (RT of the control area - RT of the central area; 0.43 ± 0.72 vs. 0.04 ± 0.94, P = 0.049). Besides, compared to the PTC group, the aSAT group had a shorter RT in the total area (RT1: 4.05 ± 1.56 vs. 4.91 ± 2.09, P = 0.045); a shorter TTP in the total (TTP1: 4.91±1.76 vs. 7.30±3.92, P = 0.005), peripheral (TTP2: 5.06±1.97 vs. 7.00±3.48, P = 0.01), and central (TTP3: 4.90±1.68 vs. 7.57±4.41, P = 0.004) areas; and a lower IMAX in the peripheral area (IMAX2: 0.74±0.36 vs. 1.09±0.57, P = 0.009). Based on the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve was significantly larger for TTP1 as compared to RT1 (P = 0.027). Conclusion: Conventional ultrasound and CEUS examinations were inadequate in distinguishing PTC from aSAT. Overall, a quantitative analysis may indicate more biological characteristics of nodules, which can be helpful in the differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate a profit-maximization firm how to determine the composition and prices of multiple bundles. Bundles are sets of components that must meet some technical constraints; furthermore, customers differ in their quality valuations and choose the bundle that maximizes their utility. A mixed integer non-linear program is proposed to solve this problem. First, a two-step approach is employed to obtain the firm's optimal decision. The result indicates that when the firm faces deterministic demand, the optimal set of bundles it offers is independent of the distribution of customer valuations and does not contain any dominated bundle. In addition, dominated components cannot be used to construct the optimal bundles. Second, the impact of demand uncertainty on the firm's performance is explored. The results suggest that disregarding the demand risk may result in broader assortment and suboptimal prices. Finally, numerical experiments and sensitive analysis are conducted to provide managerial insights for the pricing and composition of multiple bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have demonstrated that multi-wavelength Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies are sufficient to completely characterize the structural properties of ultra-thin hydrogenated diamond-like carbon (DLC:H) films subjected to rapid thermal annealing (RTA, 1 s up to 659 °C) and to resolve the structural differences between films grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, facing target sputtering and filtered cathodic vacuum arc with minute variations in values of mass density, hydrogen content, and sp³ fraction. In order to distinguish unequivocally between films prepared with different density, thickness, and RTA treatment, a new method for analysis of Raman spectra was invented. This newly developed analysis method consisted of plotting the position of the Raman G band of carbon versus its full width at half maximum. Moreover, we studied the passivation of non-radiative recombination centers during RTA by performing measurements of the increase in photoluminescence in conjunction with the analysis of DLC:H networks simulated by molecular dynamics. The results show that dangling bond passivation is primarily a consequence of thermally-induced sp² clustering rather than hydrogen diffusion in the film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the possible molecular mechanisms of paeonol in preventing ventricular remodeling. The cell viability of neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts was detected by the method of MTT. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to measure the expression of TGF-β1, type I collagen and type III collagen. After treating the cardiac fibroblasts with paeonol, the cell viability decreased (p<0.01), and the expression of TGF-β1, type I collagen and types III collagen was significantly reduced (p<0.01). Thus, paeonol can inhibit the proliferation of fibroblast cells induced by aldosterone. The molecular mechanism is related to the down-regulation of TGF-β1 and type I and III collagen gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centromeres are defined by the location of Centromeric Histone H3 (CENP-A/CENH3) which interacts with DNA to define the locations and sizes of functional centromeres. An analysis of 26 maize genomes including 110 fully assembled centromeric regions revealed positive relationships between centromere size and genome size. These effects are independent of variation in the amounts of the major centromeric satellite sequence CentC. We also backcrossed known centromeres into two different lines with larger genomes and observed consistent increases in functional centromere sizes for multiple centromeres. Although changes in centromere size involve changes in bound CENH3, we could not mimic the effect by overexpressing CENH3 by threefold. Literature from other fields demonstrate that changes in genome size affect protein levels, organelle size and cell size. Our data demonstrate that centromere size is among these scalable features, and that multiple limiting factors together contribute to a stable centromere size equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the population ages, there is a growing burden owing to musculoskeletal diseases, such as knee osteoarthritis, and subsequent functional decline. In the absence of a cure, there is a need to identify factors amenable to intervention to prevent or slow this process. The Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study cohort was developed for this purpose. In this study, associations between variability in peak knee flexor and extensor torque at baseline and worsening of pain and physical function over the subsequent 60 mos were assessed in a cohort of 2680 participants. The highest quartile of baseline knee flexor torque variability was found to be associated longitudinally with worsening pain (fourth quartile β estimate, mean ± SE, 0.49 ± 0.19; P = 0.0115; with R² = 0.28 and P for trend across quartiles = 0.0370) and physical function scores (fourth quartile β estimate, mean ± SE, 1.39 ± 0.64; P = 0.0296; with R² = 0.25 and P for trend across quartiles = 0.0371), after adjusting for baseline knee osteoarthritis and maximum knee flexor torque. There were no associations between baseline knee extensor torque and worsening pain or physical function by 60 mos. The presence of greater variability in maximum knee flexor strength may identify patients who may benefit from therapies aimed at preventing worsening knee pain and physical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Loss of swallow tail sign (STS) on iron-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recognized as an imaging feature in parkinsonism (PS). Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic and differential diagnostic value of STS scale on susceptibility map-weighted imaging (SMWI) in PS, including Parkinson's disease (PD), progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome (PSP), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), and to evaluate its correlation with disease severity. Material and Methods: Ninety-nine patients (55 PD, 29 PSP, and 15 MSA) and 47 healthy controls (HC) were prospectively recruited and scanned using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). STS was visually assessed on SMWI derived from QSM. STS scale in the range of 0-4 at participant level was calculated by summing bilateral STS scores (0-2). We used receiver operating characteristic analysis of STS scale for evaluating the diagnostic power of parkinsonism and Spearman's correlation for assessing disease severity. Results: Frequency distribution of STS scale was significantly different in parkinsonism and HC groups, and among PD, PSP, and MSA subgroups. STS scale ≤3 could distinguish parkinsonism from HC with high accuracy (91.78%), PD from HC (91.18%), and MSA from HC (88.71%). STS scale ≤2 could distinguish PSP from HC (96.05%). STS scale = 0 could distinguish PSP from PD (70.24%) and PSP from MSA (72.73%). STS scale was negatively correlated with H-Y stage (P = 0.007, r =-0.359) and duration of disease (P = 0.006, r =-0.367) in PD patients. Conclusion: STS scale on SMWI may serve as a useful imaging biomarker for diagnosis of parkinsonism and disease progression evaluation in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rayleigh‐Stokes problem has gained much attention with the further study of non‐Newtonain fluids. In this paper, we are interested in discussing the existence of solutions for nonlinear Rayleigh‐Stokes problem for a generalized second grade fluid with Riemann‐Liouville fractional derivative. We firstly show that the solution operator of the problem is compact and continuous in the uniform operator topology. Furtherly, we give an existence result of mild solutions for the nonlinear problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study considers a class of Caputo fractional differential equation. The main results of the existence and nonexistence of positive solutions for a certain problem are obtained by a fixed point theorem. Two examples are demonstrated to illustrate our resu [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we demonstrate that the first example of harmaline scaffolds serving as acceptor/acceptor-based N-C-C synthons triggered the ring opening and skeletal reconstruction of 3-vinyl benzofuranones for the construction of a library of skeletally diverse polycyclic harmaline scaffolds. These products were smoothly afforded in up to 77% yield, 420: 1 dr under catalyst-free conditions, and expanded the chemical space of biologically significant harmaline derivative species. All synthetic compounds showed cytotoxic activity against tumor cells, especially compound 3at, which exhibited selective cytotoxicity against A549 cells and lower cytotoxicity against normal cells MRC-5 and HK-2. In further mechanism research, 3at inhibited A549 cell proliferation through the G1 phase arrest, induced A549 cell apoptosis through internal and external apoptosis pathways, and suppressed the migration and invasion abilities of A549 cells. These data indicated that compound 3at is the most effective compound in the series and can serve as a promising precursor for drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study that showcases the haploid induction by a maize cenh3 null mutant. It mentions that production of haploids as an important first step in creating many new plant varieties. It discusses that cenh3 haploid inducer works as a vigorous hybrid and can be transferred to other lines in a single cross, making it versatile for a variety of applications.

There is growing evidence that cellular metabolism can directly participate in epigenetic dynamics and consequently modulate gene expression. However, the role of metabolites in activating the key gene regulatory network for specialization of germ cell lineage remains largely unknown. Here, we identified some cellular metabolites with significant changes by untargeted metabolomics between mouse epiblast-like cells (EpiLCs) and primordial germ cell-like cells (PGCLCs). More importantly, we found that inhibition of glutaminolysis by bis-2-(5-phenylacetamido-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl) ethyl sulfide (BPTES) impeded PGCLC specialization, but the impediment could be rescued by addition of α-ketoglutarate (αKG), the intermediate metabolite of oxidative phosphorylation and glutaminolysis. Moreover, adding αKG alone to the PGCLC medium accelerated the PGCLC specialization through promoting H3K27me3 demethylation. Thus, our study reveals the importance of metabolite αKG in the germ cell fate determination and highlights the essential role of cellular metabolism in shaping the cell identities through epigenetic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new energetic green burning rate catalyst, magnesium 5,5′‒bistetrazole‒1,1′‒diolate hexahydrate complex ([Mg(BTO)(H2O)6], 1) was synthesized based on 5,5′‒bistetrazole‒1,1′‒diolate dehydrate (BTO, 2) by the metathesis reaction, and it was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, elemental analysis (EA), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and single X-ray diffraction. The thermal decomposition processes of magnesium complex 1 and compound 2 were studied utilizing the TG‒DTA and TG‒MS technologies. Moreover, the sensitivity tests were carried out to evaluate the stability of compound 1 and compound 2. Besides, the DSC was used to evaluate the catalytic effect of magnesium complex 1 on thermal decomposition of cyclotrimethylene trinitramine (RDX), cyclotetramethylene tetranitramine (HMX), hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (CL‒20) and dihydroxylammonium 5,5′-bistetrazole −1,1′-diolate (TKX‒50). The thermal behaviors indicate that the gaseous products such as NO, CO, N2 are checked from the decomposition of the complex at 320°C. Sensitivity results show that compound 1 is more insensitive to mechanical stimuli than compound 2. The results from DSC and the target line method analyses indicate that [Mg(BTO)(H2O)6] have no effect on the thermal decomposition of RDX, HMX, CL‒20 except for TKX‒50. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of L-carnitine on the pig semen characteristics during storage. Methods: Spermatozoa samples were examined for spermatozoa quality and then randomly divided into 5 groups: 0 (control), 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM L-carnitine. Sperm motility, plasma membrane integrity and antioxidant parameters (total reactive oxygen species, total antioxidant capacity, and malondialdehyde) were evaluated after 0, 3, 5, and 10 day cooledstorage at 17°C. Moreover, ATP content, mitochondria activity as well as sperm-binding and in vitro fertilizing ability of preserved boar sperm were also investigated. Results: Supplementation with 50 mM L-carnitine could effectively maintain boar sperm quality parameters such as sperm motility and membrane integrity. Besides, we found that L-carnitine had positive effects on boar sperm quality mainly through improving antioxidant capacities and enhancing ATP content and mitochondria activity. Interestingly, by assessing the effect of L-carnitine on sperm fertility and developmental potential, we discovered that the extender containing L-carnitine could improve sperm quality and increase the number of sperms bounding to zona pellucida, without improving in vitro fertility and development potential. Conclusion: These findings suggested that the proper addition of L-carnitine to the semen extender improved boar sperm quality during liquid storage at 17°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a detection method for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of bronchial asthma (BA) susceptibility genes (IL-13, IL-33, and GSDMA) based on fluorescence PCR melting curves. Methods: Peripheral blood samples from 33 patients with BA were collected. DNA was extracted, and positive plasmids were constructed. Probes and primers for fluorescence polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were designed according to IL-13, IL-33, and GSDMA sequences, and the SNPs were separately detected by gene sequencing and fluorescence PCR melting curve. Results: The system was successfully divided into 3 SNPs, including IL-13, IL-33, and GSDMA, and a comparison of sequencing methods showed that the results were completely consistent. The lowest detection limit was 1 ng/reaction, the sensitivity and specificity were 100%, and this method had high repeatability (CV = 2.8%). Conclusion: The fluorescence PCR melting curve method is suitable for the rapid and accurate classification of SNPs. The method is economical, simple, and efficient, and is suitable for the screening of the susceptible gene SNPs in a large-scale population of patients with BA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spindle barrel finishing is commonly used to improve the surface integrity of the important parts of the high-end equipment while it is difficult to provide enough test artifacts for the traditional trial and error experiment to obtain the desirable processing technology. The EDEM simulation of the spindle barrel finishing can provide effective help for the process design. In this paper, simulations and experiments are conducted based on the identical apparatus and conditions to facilitate the comparison and validation between each other. The parameters required in the simulation are determined based on reliable experiments. In order to explain the interaction of ceramic media and metal workpieces in the finishing barrel, firstly, the depth of material wear on the surface of the workpiece is obtained, and the amount of material removal is calculated in conjunction with Archard wear theory based on the Hertz-Mindlin with Archard wear model in EDEM. The relationship between the amount of material removed and the time and position of workpiece clamping is quantified. It is in good agreement with the experimental results; the maximum deviation is 20.14%. The finishing mechanism is analyzed based on the motion trajectory of the barrel finishing media that are in contact with the workpiece observed in the simulation and the corresponding contact forces obtained from both the simulation and the experiment. Furthermore, the machining effect of the workpieces after the finishing process is discussed considering the analysis of the motion trajectory and the contact force. The achieved trajectories permit to calculate the active working time. This work provides an understanding of spindle barrel finishing process fundamentals and guidelines for optimal operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multijoint robot is a complex and variable electromechanical coupling system, and the inherent parameters of its model, friction, and external disturbance have important effects on the performance of the control system. A robust control method of multijoint robots based on an adaptive fuzzy observer was proposed in this study to improve the influence of uncertain parameters and external disturbances on the control performance effectively. First, this study constructed the error dynamic model of the system according to the mechanical characteristics of the multijoint robot system. Second, the adaptive fuzzy estimation and compensation of the robot total disturbance were conducted by using fuzzy theory, and the L2 gain robust controller was designed. Finally, the stability of the system was analyzed by the Hamiltonian-Jacobi inequality theorem, and the effectiveness of the control method was verified by simulation. Results show that when model parameter perturbation and external disturbance simultaneously exist in the system, the maximum angular displacement error and the maximum angular velocity tracking error of the robot are reduced by 20 times and 9.57 times, respectively, compared with the sliding mode control method. The observation accuracy of the designed adaptive fuzzy observer is four times higher than that of the conventional fuzzy observer, the number of fuzzy rules is reduced, and the tracking speed of the system is improved. The output torque of the proposed control method has a small peak torque, which is reduced by six times compared with the sliding mode control, and the control curve is smooth. The study provide a certain basis for the multijoint robot to adapt to the complex and changeable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of the intracoronary injection of nicorandil and tirofiban on myocardial perfusion and short-term prognosis in elderly patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after emergency percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: Seventy-eight STEMI patients with age >65 years who underwent emergency PCI were consecutively enrolled. These patients received conventional PCI and were randomly divided into a control group and a treatment group (n=39 per group). The control group received an intracoronary injection of tirofi ban followed by a maintenance infusion for 36 hours after surgery. The treatment group received intracoronary injection of tirofiban and nicorandil, and then intravenous infusion of tirofi ban and nicorandil 36 hours after surgery. The following parameters were measured: TIMI grade, corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC), TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG), STsegment resolution (STR) rate 2 hours post-operatively, resolution of ST-segment elevation (STR) at 2 hours postoperatively, peak level of serum CK-MB, left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at 7-10 days postoperatively, and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in-hospital and within 30 days post-operatively. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, more patients in the treatment group had TIMI 3 and TMPG 3, and STR after PCI was significantly higher. The treatment group also had significantly lower cTFC, lower infarction relative artery (IRA), lower peak CK-MB, and no refl ow ratio after PCI. The treatment group had signifi cantly higher LVEDD and LVEF but lower incidence of MACEs than the control group. CONCLUSION: The intracoronary injection of nicorandil combined with tirofi ban can effectively improve myocardial reperfusion in elderly STEMI patients after emergency PCI and improve shortterm prognoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mutations in the miRNA enzyme gene DICER1 have been reported in several endocrine malignancies and is associated with the rare tumour-predisposing DICER1 syndrome. DICER1 mutations have been reported in subsets of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC), but the role of DICER1 in follicular thyroid tumorigenesis has not been extensively studied. In this study, we investigate the role of DICER1 in 168 follicular thyroid tumours and in an FTC cell line. We found rare DICER1 mutations in paediatric FTC cases and a general DICER1 down-regulation in FTCs visualized both on mRNA and protein level, especially pronounced in Hürthle cell carcinoma (HuCC). The down-regulation was also evident in follicular thyroid adenomas (FTAs), suggesting a potential early step in tumorigenesis. The expression of DICER1 was lower in FTCs of older patients in which TERT promoter mutations are more frequent. In FTCs, DICER1 down-regulation was not caused by gene copy number loss but significantly correlated to expression of the transcription factor GABPA in clinical cases. GABPA was found to bind to the DICER1 promoter and regulate DICER1 expression in vitro, as GABPA depletion in FTC cell lines reduced DICER1 expression. This in turn stimulated cell proliferation and affected the miRNA machinery, evident by altered miRNA expression. To conclude, we show that GABPA directly regulates DICER1 in FTC, acting as a tumour suppressor and displaying down-regulation in clinical samples. We also show reduced expression of DICER1 in benign and malignant follicular thyroid tumours, suggesting a potentially early tumorigenic role of this gene aberrancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi degree of freedom (DOF) robot is a complex and variable nonlinear system, and its control performance is affected by the inherent parameters of the model itself, friction, external disturbance, and other factors. A robust control method based on neural network disturbance observer was proposed in this study to improve the effect of time-varying system parameters and external disturbances on the control system performance. A new dynamic model of robot error was constructed by analyzing the characteristics of the robot system model. The total disturbance of the system was observed and compensated online on the basis of the neural network observer, and the effectiveness of the control method was verified through simulation. Results demonstrate that the robust adaptive control method with neural network disturbance observer reduces the maximum angular displacement error by 2.7 times and the maximum angular velocity tracking error by 2.14 times compared with the control method without observer when model parameter perturbation and external disturbance are found in the system. The maximum angular velocity error is 4 and 88.6 times lower than proportional derivative (PD) compensation control and traditional sliding mode control, respectively. The neural network disturbance observer can accurately track the total disturbance of the system. The input torque of the proposed control method has a small peak torque, which is 1/8 and 1/2 times lower than the sliding mode control and PD compensation control, respectively, and the control curve of the proposed control method is relatively smooth. The proposed method provides a reference for the multi DOF robot to achieve high-precision tracking in complex and changeable environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains a major cause of cancer-associated mortality, with poor patient outcome. The present study aimed to identify key candidate genes and investigate the potential molecular mechanisms associated with the progression of PDAC. The GSE46234 dataset was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, in order to identify the upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in PDAC. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to determine the biological functions and pathways of the upregulated DEGs, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was subsequently constructed to screen the hub genes. Subsequently, survival analyses of the hub genes were undertaken in patients with PDAC, using The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. Reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR analysis was performed to assess the mRNA expression levels of the hub genes associated with the prognosis of patients with PDAC. In the present study, 65 upregulated DEGs were identified. GO analysis suggested that the DEGs were enriched in response to hypoxia, calcium ion and negative regulation of catecholamine. KEGG analysis demonstrated that the DEGs were enriched in gastric acid secretion, the ECM-receptor interaction and the cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. Among the 18 hub genes determined by module screening of the PPI network, upregulation of three key genes, abnormal spindle-like microcephaly-associated protein (ASPM), mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine-protein kinase BUB1 β (BUB1B) and protein spindly (SPDL1), was significantly associated with worse overall survival and disease-free survival time in patients with PDAC. Furthermore, ASPM, BUB1B and SPDL1 were demonstrated to be associated with advanced tumor stage, and their upregulation in PDAC tumor tissues was validated using RT-qPCR analysis. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that ASPM, BUB1B and SPDL1 may have the potential to function as prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neurovascular unit (NVU) plays an important role in maintaining the function of the central nervous system (CNS). Emerging evidence has indicated that the NVU changes function and molecules at the early stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD), which initiates multiple pathways of neurodegeneration. Cell types in the NVU have become attractive targets in the interventional treatment of AD. The NVU transportation system contains a variety of proteins involved in compound transport and neurotransmission. Brain transporters can be classified as members of the solute carrier (SLC) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) families in the NVU. Moreover, the transporters can regulate both endogenous toxins, including amyloid-beta (Aß) and xenobiotic homeostasis, in the brains of AD patients. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified some transporter gene variants as susceptibility loci for late-onset AD. Therefore, the present study summarizes changes in blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in AD, identifies the location of SLC and ABC transporters in the brain and focuses on major SLC and ABC transporters that contribute to AD pathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]