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In the last decade, motivated by advances in cell biology, theoretical studies of the cell tissue as active matter have emerged as a new area in soft matter physics. This article reviews recent theoretical progresses based on the active network (AN) model of cell tissue. In the mesoscopic scale, the non-equilibrium dynamics of cell tissue is mainly driven by the self-propulsion of cells and non-propulsion activities, like active contractility or cellular tension/volume oscillation. AN models of self-propelled cells can reproduce complex dynamics of cell tissue in vivio, such as activity/adhesion driven solid-liquid transition, flocking and active turbulence. The AN model incorporating cellular tension fluctuation can also simulate the cell volume oscillation waves in embryo of Drosophila, and predict the fluctuation-driven solid-liquid transition of cell tissue. The structural phase transition and density fluctuation of cell tissue were also studied by using AN models, which deepens our understanding of this unique non-equilibrium soft matter system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more dynamic reactive power devices (DRPDs) have been put into operation to improve voltage stability in AC/DC hybrid power system. In order to make full use of these devices, this paper presented an optimization technology for multiple DRPDs’ coordinate operation in the receiving-end of AC/DC hybrid power system. DRPDs’ steady-state reactive instructions are treated as optimization variables in the proposed model, while the objective is minimizing the successive times of HVDC’s commutation failure under a number of grounding faults. Power flow constraints and electromechanical transient process are considered simultaneously. Based on the characteristics of the model, commutation failure of HVDC under each grounding fault could be obtained by employing time-domain simulation method. Furthermore, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to get DRPDs’ optimal reactive instruction in steady-state. The simulation is done by considering Jiangsu power grid in eastern China, including synchronous condenser, STATCOM, and UPFC. The results show that the proposed model and algorithm are corrective and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute pancreatitis refers to pancreatic enzyme activation caused by a variety of aetiologies, and mainly characterized by local inflammation of the pancreas, with or without diseases of other organ function changes. The main clinical features are abdominal pain and elevated trypsin levels in the blood. Common causes of acute pancreatitis include cholelithiasis, alcohol consumption and hyperlipidaemia, among which drugs are considered to be one of the rare causes of pancreatitis. The patient in this case was a 16‐year‐old adolescent female who developed acute severe pancreatitis during the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis with voriconazole for 35 days. Following diagnosis that pancreatitis was induced by voriconazole, the drug was immediately stopped and the patient was discharged after symptomatic treatment. The phenomenon of voriconazole‐induced pancreatitis is extremely rare, but we hope that this report can arouse greater attention and vigilance of the majority of medical personnel to improve the safety of patients' medication, especially for children or minors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an innovative interface fracture criterion is proposed based on the concept of configurational forces in material space. In this criterion, the crack-tip configurational forces as the driving force are introduced to describe the interface crack evolution under mixed-mode loading conditions. And it assumes that the interface crack propagates due to the competition of resultant configurational forces with interface fracture toughness. The analytical expression of the configurational forces is obtained by differentiating the elastic strain energy density and conservative integral for interface cracks. And the relation of interface crack-tip configurational forces with classical complex intensity factors is obtained through strict mathematical deduction. The interface crack-tip configurational forces are evaluated for a classic interface crack problem covering a wide range of bimaterial oscillation indexes. The configurational forces-based interface fracture criterion is validated through series interface fracture experiments. The proposed criterion may provide a novel framework for the analysis of interface fracture under complex loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an innovative interface fracture criterion is proposed based on the concept of configurational forces in material space. In this criterion, the crack-tip configurational forces as the driving force are introduced to describe the interface crack evolution under mixed-mode loading conditions. And it assumes that the interface crack propagates due to the competition of resultant configurational forces with interface fracture toughness. The analytical expression of the configurational forces is obtained by differentiating the elastic strain energy density and conservative integral for interface cracks. And the relation of interface crack-tip configurational forces with classical complex intensity factors is obtained through strict mathematical deduction. The interface crack-tip configurational forces are evaluated for a classic interface crack problem covering a wide range of bimaterial oscillation indexes. The configurational forces-based interface fracture criterion is validated through series interface fracture experiments. The proposed criterion may provide a novel framework for the analysis of interface fracture under complex loading conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A phase field model is developed to examine microstructural evolution of an infiltrated solid oxide fuel cell cathode. It is employed to generate the three-phase backbone microstructures and morphology of infiltrate nano-particles [La1-xSrxMnO3 (LSM)]. Two-phase Y2O3+ZrO2 and LSM backbones composed of 0.5-1 µm particles are first generated and then seeded with infiltrate, and evolution is compared for starting infiltrate particle diameters of 5 nm and 10nm. The computed lifetime triple phase boundary (3PB) density of the infiltrated cathode is then compared to the cathode backbone. Results indicate that initial coarsening of infiltrate nano-particles is the primary evolution process, and infiltrate coarsening is the majority contributor to 3PB reduction. However, at all times, the infiltrated cathode possesses significantly greater 3PB length than even the uncoarsened backbone. Infiltrate particle size effects indicate that the smaller particle size produces greater 3PB length for the same infiltration amount, consistent with intuition. A maximum 3PB enhancement is reached when increasing infiltrate particle loading, and the maximum enhancement depends on infiltrate particle size. It is found that architectural degradation modes will insignificantly affect the lifetime performance of infiltrated cathodes. This work suggests that lifetime optimized particle size/loading combinations are identifiable, and can be precise if additional fundamental data become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion was investigated in ovariectomised (OVX) ewes, in which GnRH and luteinising hormone (LH) secretion had been restrained by treatment with oestrogen and progesterone. Guide tubes for microinjection were placed above the median eminence (ME) and the animals were allowed to recover for 1 month. Jugular venous blood samples were taken via cannulae at 10 min intervals. Vehicle (50 nL) was injected into the ME at 2 h, followed by injection of GLP-1 ((7-36)-amide - 0.5 or 1 nmol) or its receptor agonist, exendin-4 (0.5 nmol) at 4 h (n = 5). Plasma LH levels were quantified as a surrogate measure of GnRH secretion. GLP-1 microinjection into the ME elicited a large amplitude LH pulse in jugular plasma, the effect was great er at the higher dose. Exendin-4 microinjection caused a large, sustained increase in plasma LH levels. To determine how GLP-1 might exert an effect on GnRH secretion, we employed double labelled in situ hybridisation, with RNAScope, for co-localisation of the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in GnRH, Kisspeptin and NPY cells in the hypothalami of three ewes in the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. GLP1R expression was clearly visible but the receptor was not expressed in GNRH1 or NPY expressing neurons and was visualised in <5% of KISS1 expressing neurons. We conclude that GLP-1 may act at the level of the secretory terminals of GnRH neurons in the ME to stimulate GnRH secretion, the pathway through which such effect is manifested remains unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This article discovered the phenomenon of abnormal rotational speed fluctuations in WTE when emulating the mechanical dynamics of large inertia wind turbines under turbulent wind conditions. • This article explains the physical mechanism of abnormal rotational speed fluctuations in WTE. • This article proposes an inertia compensation scheme based on anticipation deviation suppression, which eliminates the phenomenon of high-frequency rotational speed fluctuations and verifies the effectiveness of the scheme through experiments. The wind turbine emulator (WTE) is an important tool for dynamic emulation experiments of wind turbines. This paper studies the problem of high-frequency fluctuation of the rotating speed of the dynamic emulation platform when emulating the mechanical dynamics of large inertia wind turbine under fluctuating wind speed. Through the time domain analysis of the discrete mathematical model of the WTE, it is found that the torque compensation loop of the transmission system will incur the acceleration deviation because of the influence of the time delay, and this anticipatory deviation increases with the increase of the compensation multiple. As a result, the acceleration of the transmission chain oscillates, resulting in high-frequency fluctuations in the rotational speed. To this end, this paper proposes an inertia compensation scheme for the WTE based on the anticipation deviation suppression. Based on the principle of zero-pole configuration, a feedforward suppressor is designed to offset the zero-pole of the closed-loop transfer function of the transmission chain system, in order to eliminate the high-frequency fluctuation of the rotating speed caused by the torque deviation. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is validated using the maximum power point tracking control experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently developed linker-mediated vitrimers based on metathesis of dioxaborolanes with various commercially available polymers have shown both good processability and outstanding performance, such as mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance, suggesting new ways of processing cross-linked polymers in industry, of which the design principle remains unknown [M. Ro? ttger et al., Science 356, 62-65 (2017)]. Here we formulate a theoretical framework to elucidate the phase behavior of the linker-mediated vitrimers, in which entropy plays a governing role. We find that, with increasing the linker concentration, vitrimers undergo a reentrant gel-sol transition, which explains a recent experiment [S. Wu, H. Yang, S. Huang, Q. Chen, Macromolecules 53, 1180-1190 (2020)]. More intriguingly, at the low temperature limit, the linker concentration still determines the cross-linking degree of the vitrimers, which originates from the competition between the conformational entropy of polymers and the translational entropy of linkers. Our theoretical predictions agree quantitatively with computer simulations, and offer guidelines in understanding and controlling the properties of this newly developed vitrimer system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The initial cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)-infected pneumonia (NCIP) occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019 and January 2020. We analyzed data on the first 425 confirmed cases in Wuhan to determine the epidemiologic characteristics of NCIP.Methods: We collected information on demographic characteristics, exposure history, and illness timelines of laboratory-confirmed cases of NCIP that had been reported by January 22, 2020. We described characteristics of the cases and estimated the key epidemiologic time-delay distributions. In the early period of exponential growth, we estimated the epidemic doubling time and the basic reproductive number.Results: Among the first 425 patients with confirmed NCIP, the median age was 59 years and 56% were male. The majority of cases (55%) with onset before January 1, 2020, were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, as compared with 8.6% of the subsequent cases. The mean incubation period was 5.2 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.1 to 7.0), with the 95th percentile of the distribution at 12.5 days. In its early stages, the epidemic doubled in size every 7.4 days. With a mean serial interval of 7.5 days (95% CI, 5.3 to 19), the basic reproductive number was estimated to be 2.2 (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.9).Conclusions: On the basis of this information, there is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. Considerable efforts to reduce transmission will be required to control outbreaks if similar dynamics apply elsewhere. Measures to prevent or reduce transmission should be implemented in populations at risk. (Funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and others.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disordered hyperuniform structures are locally random while uniform like crystals at large length scales. Recently, an exotic hyperuniform fluid state was found in several nonequilibrium systems, while the underlying physics remains unknown. In this work, we propose a nonequilibrium (driven-dissipative) hard-sphere model and formulate a hydrodynamic theory based on Navier-Stokes equations to uncover the general mechanism of the fluidic hyperuniformity (HU). At a fixed density, this model system undergoes a smooth transition from an absorbing state to an active hyperuniform fluid and then, to the equilibrium fluid by changing the dissipation strength. We study the criticality of the absorbing-phase transition. We find that the origin of fluidic HU can be understood as the damping of a stochastic harmonic oscillator in q space, which indicates that the suppressed long-wavelength density fluctuation in the hyperuniform fluid can exhibit as either acoustic (resonance) mode or diffusive (overdamped) mode. Importantly, our theory reveals that the damping dissipation and active reciprocal interaction (driving) are the two ingredients for fluidic HU. Based on this principle, we further demonstrate how to realize the fluidic HU in an experimentally accessible active spinner system and discuss the possible realization in other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sperm with normal morphology and motility are essential for successful fertilization, and the strong attachment of the sperm head-tail coupling apparatus to the nuclear envelope during spermatogenesis is required to ensure the integrity of sperm for capacitation and fertilization. Here, we report that Arrdc5 is associated with spermatogenesis. The Arrdc5 knockout mouse model showed male infertility characterized by a high bent-head rate and reduced motility in sperm, which led to capacitation defects and subsequent fertilization failure. Through mass spectrometry, we found that ARRDC5 affects spermatogenesis by affecting NDC1 and SUN5. We further found that ARRDC5 might affect the vesicle-trafficking protein SEC22A-mediated transport and localization of NDC1, SUN5 and other head-tail coupling apparatus-related proteins that are responsible for initiating the attachment of the sperm head and tail. We finally performed intracytoplasmic sperm injection as a way to explore therapeutic strategies. Our findings demonstrate the essential role and the underlying molecular mechanism of ARRDC5 in anchoring the sperm head to the tail during spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of reactive oxygen species-mediated oxidative stress on activation of mitochondrial apoptosis and tenderness of yak meat during postmortem ageing. Oxidative stress degree, Ca 2+ levels, membrane permeability transition pore opening, mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptotic factors and the shear force were examined. Results showed that the ROS generated by H 2 O 2 significantly increased mitochondrial oxidative stress by decreasing the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase, and increasing lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, oxidative stress enhanced Ca 2+ production and cytochrome c release, changed the levels of Bcl-2 family proteins and activated caspase-9 and -3 activities. Ultimately, oxidative stress increased the apoptosis rate and tenderness of yak meat. These observations confirmed that ROS-mediated oxidative stress participates in the activation of the apoptotic cascade reaction involving Ca 2+ and Bcl-2 family proteins. The results further suggested that ROS-mediated oxidative stress plays a significant role in meat tenderization through the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of non-close-packed structures in colloids is challenging. Using Brownian dynamics simulations, we study the nonequilibrium self-assembly in suspensions of oppositely charged particles, whose charge magnitude is responsive to the pH of the solution. Under the fast pH-oscillating condition, various non-close-packed (e.g., graphitelike and diamondlike) structures are obtained. Here, changing the amplitude of the pH oscillation is an effective way to fabricate colloidal dynamic structures. To clarify the underlying mechanism of the dynamic self-assembly, the analysis of effective potential is adopted. A dimensionless parameter, the ratio of effective repulsion and attraction, is introduced to reflect the subtle interactions in the system. We find that the imbalance between repulsion and attraction is the cause of structural diversity. Madelung energy is used to study the stability of these structures. Our results provide a new way to fabricate non-close-packed structures in colloids, which has potential applications in the synthesis of photonic crystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel fuzzy logic data association algorithm is proposed for online visual multi-object tracking. Firstly, in the proposed algorithm, in order to incorporate expert experience into the data association for the improvement of performance in multi-object tracking, a fuzzy inference system based on knowledge is designed by using a set of fuzzy if-then rules. Given the error and change of error of motion, shape and appearance models in the last prediction, these rules are used to determine the fuzzy membership degrees that can be used to substitute the association probabilities between the objects and the measurements (or detection responses). Secondly, in order to deal with the fragmented trajectories caused by long-term occlusions, a track-to-track association approach based on the fuzzy synthetic function is proposed, which can effectively stitch track fragments (tracklets). Because of this, the proposed algorithm has the advantage that it does require no assumption of statistical models of measurement noise and of object dynamics. The experiment results on several public data sets show the efficiency and the ability to minimize the number of fragment tracks of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moths can biosynthesize sex pheromones in the female sex pheromone glands (PGs) and can distinguish species-specific sex pheromones using their antennae. However, the biosynthesis and transportation mechanism for Type II sex pheromone components has rarely been documented in moths. In this study, we constructed a massive PG transcriptome database (14.72 Gb) from a moth species, Ectropis grisescens, which uses type II sex pheromones and is a major tea pest in China. We further identified putative sex pheromone biosynthesis and transportation-related unigenes: 111 cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (CYPs), 25 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), and 20 chemosensory proteins (CSPs). Tissue expression and phylogenetic tree analyses showed that one CYP (EgriCYP341-fragment3), one OBP (EgriOBP4), and one CSP (EgriCSP10) gene displayed an enriched expression in the PGs, and that EgriOBP2, 3, and 25 are clustered in the moth pheromone-binding protein clade. We considered these our candidate genes. Our results yielded large-scale PG sequence information for further functional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In InAlN/GaN heterostructures, alloy clustering-induced InAlN conduction band fluctuations interact with electrons penetrating into the barrier layers and thus affect the electron transport. Based on the statistical description of InAlN compositional distribution, a theoretical model of the conduction band fluctuation scattering (CBFS) is presented. The model calculations show that the CBFS-limited mobility decreases with increasing two-dimensional electron gas sheet density and is inversely proportional to the squared standard deviation of In distribution. The AlN interfacial layer can effectively suppress the CBFS via decreasing the penetration probability. This model is directed towards understanding the transport properties in heterostructure materials with columnar clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlamydia trachomatis, an obligate intracellular pathogen, has various effective strategies to regulate host cell death signalling pathways that ensure completion of their growth cycle. Mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) is responsible for elimination of dysfunctional and impaired mitochondria, and this process plays a critical role in cell survival via restriction of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. However, the specific molecular mechanisms are not entirely understood. In the present study, we observed that pORF5 plasmid protein of C. trachomatis plays a crucial role in attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. Knockdown high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) by lentivirus suppressed pORF5-induced mitophagy and increased apoptosis, implying that pORF5 may participate in cell death signalling pathways via up-regulation of HMGB1. Thus, we concluded that up-regulation of HMGB1 is a pivotal event for C. trachomatis that manipulates mitophagy and apoptosis in order to establish a favourable environment supportive of Chlamydial growth, which should further promote our understanding of Chlamydial pathogenic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic oxidative cross-dehydrogenative coupling between unactivated C(sp2)-H and C(sp3)-H bonds is achieved by the cobalt-catalyzed o-alkylation reaction of aromatic carboxamides containing (pyridin-2-yl)isopropyl amine (PIP-NH2) as a N,N-bidentate directing group. Many different C(sp3)-H bonds in alkanes, toluene derivatives and even in the α-position of ethers and thioethers can be used as coupling partners. This method has a broad substrate scope and the tolerance of various functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Altered microRNAs expression mediates tumor development and progression in many type cancers including triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Here we detected the effect of miR-454 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion of triple negative breast cancer cells. Results: miR-454 promoted the proliferation of TNBC, and enhanced migration and invasion in TNBC cells. Meanwhile, miR-454 improved the survival of TNBC cells after ironizing radiation. miR-454 inhibited radiation-induced apoptosis in TNBC cells by regulation of caspase 3/7 and Bcl-2 expression. Furthermore, PTEN and pAKT levels in TNBC cells were changed after overexpression of miR-454. Conclusions: miR-454 played an essential role in tumor development and progression in TNBC, and might be used as a potential biomarker to predict radiotherapy response and prognosis in TNBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel auxiliary truncated unscented Kalman filtering (ATUKF) is proposed for bearings-only maneuvering target tracking in this paper. In the proposed algorithm, to deal with arbitrary changes in motion models, a modified prior probability density function (PDF) is derived based on some auxiliary target characteristics and current measurements. Then, the modified prior PDF is approximated as a Gaussian density by using the statistical linear regression (SLR) to estimate the mean and covariance. In order to track bearings-only maneuvering target, the posterior PDF is jointly estimated based on the prior probability density function and the modified prior probability density function, and a practical algorithm is developed. Finally, compared with other nonlinear filtering approaches, the experimental results of the proposed algorithm show a significant improvement for both the univariate nonstationary growth model (UNGM) case and bearings-only target tracking case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery and dissolution of poorly soluble drugs is challenging in the pharmaceutical industry. One way to significantly improve the delivery efficiency is to incorporate these hydrophobic small molecules into a colloidal polyelectrolyes(PE)-drug complex in their ionized states. Despite its huge application value, the general mechanism of PE collapse and complex formation in this system has not been well understood. In this work, by combining a mean-field theory with extensive molecular simulations, we unveil the phase behaviors of the system under dilute and salt-free conditions. We find that the complexation is a first-order-like phase transition triggered by the hydrophobic attraction between the drug molecules. Importantly, the valence ratio between the drug molecule and PE monomer plays a crucial role in determining the stability and morphology of the complex. Moreover, the sign of the zeta potential and the net charge of the complex are found to be inverted as the hydrophobicity of the drug molecules increases. Both theory and simulation indicate that the complexation point and complex morphology and the electrostatic properties of the complex have a weak dependence on chain length. Finally, the dynamics aspect of PE-drug complexation is also explored, and it is found that the complex can be trapped into a nonequilibrium glasslike state when the hydropobicity of the drug molecule is too strong. Our work gives a clear physical picture behind the PE-drug complexation phenomenon and provides guidelines to fabricate the colloidal PE-drug complex with the desired physical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis open stub-loaded tri- and quad-mode resonators, two compact microstrip low-pass filters (LPFs) with deep and ultra-wide stopband are presented. Modal characteristics of the tri- and quad-mode resonators are analysed by even-odd-mode method. Multimode resonator can be modelled as multiple LC resonant circuits and the lumped-element equivalent circuit models of the proposed LPFs are presented. The tri- and quad-mode resonators have strong slow-wave and bandstop effects, which can achieve ultra-wide and deep stopband and size reduction in the design of LPFs. For the proposed low-pass filter using tri-mode resonators, the 3 dB cutoff frequency is 2.5 GHz and the stopband with 40 dB suppression is from 4.5 to 17.7 GHz. The low-pass filter based on quad-mode resonators has a 3 dB cutoff frequency of 2.2 GHz and the stopband with 30 dB suppression is from 4.1 to 18 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different factors that influence the alkaline degradation of cellulose in the pulping process were considered in this study. The factors were the reaction temperature, reaction time, dosage of NaOH, and metal ions. Microcrystal cellulose (MCC) was applied as the model compound. To measure the influence of different metal ions on the alkaline degradation of cellulose, K+ and Mg2+ were added into the reaction system. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the MCC in the solution with and without K+ and Mg2+ were analyzed to clarify the reaction mechanism of the alkaline degradation of cellulose and MCC. Alkaline degradation increased with increasing reaction temperature, reaction time, and alkali concentration. When the reaction temperature was above 80 °C, the reaction time was above 2 h, or the alkali content was below 5 g/L, the degradation ratio of MCC decreased. The amount of degraded MCC and the concentration of glucose in the reaction solution exhibited a nearly linear relationship when the alkali quantity increased from 0 g/L to 5 g/L. K+ and Mg2+ had an opposite impact on the alkaline degradation. While the K+ promoted the alkaline degradation of cellulose, the Mg2+ inhibited it, along with an increase of the dosage of the two metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reference-based representation scheme achieves significant reduced dimensionality and better discriminability compared to using original image features. More specifically, a greater degree of diversity among the reference-set increases the probability that the descriptor of different images will be unique and well-spread in the data space while maintaining low redundancy. To ensure good diversity of reference-set, we study and compare five different methods to automatically construct the reference-set, including max-variation scheme, max-mean scheme, max-correlation scheme, min-correlation scheme, and affinity propagation algorithm to the task of scene categorization on some benchmark datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed reference-set selection methods improves reference-based scene categorization method and outperforms state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A delignification method was employed to extract the polysaccharide from the fruiting body of Phellinus baumii. The three parameters, processing temperature, ratio of water to raw material and amount of acetic acid every time were optimized using the Box-Behnken design. As a result, the optimal extraction conditions were: processing temperature 70.3 °C, ratio of water to raw material of 34.7 mL/g and amount of acetic acid of 0.32 mL every time. Under these conditions, the highest yield of polysaccharide (10.28%) was obtained. The main fraction (PPB-2) purified from PPB was composed of fucose, arabinose, galactose, glucose, xylose and mannose, while glucose was the predominant monosaccharide. PPB-2 exhibited noticeable antioxidant activity and strong protection against oxidative DNA damage. These findings implied that acid-chlorite delignification was a superior method to extract the polysaccharide from P. baumii and PPB-2 may be useful for cancer chemoprevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims The CCL20/CCR6 axis has been shown to play a vital role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). However, the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we studied the miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of the CCL20/CCR6 axis in atherogenesis. Methods CCR6 +/+ ApoE−/− and CCR6 −/− ApoE−/− mice were fed a high-fat diet for 24 weeks. Plaque size was evaluated via ultrasound biomicroscope and hematoxylin and eosin. Protein expression were measured by Western blotting or immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry or ELISA, and gene mRNA levels were detected by RT-PCR. Seven hundred and sixty miRNAs were screened via miRNA profiling. miRNA-27b target genes were predicted using software and verified with a dual luciferase reporter assay. The tube formation of mouse aortic endothelial cells (MAECs) was performed on Matrigel. Results In contrast to wild-type ApoE−/− mice, CCR6 deficiency led to a significantly decreased plaque size, CD31, CCR6, CCL20 expression and number of CCL20 + macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques. Stimulation of mouse primary peritoneal macrophages (MPPMs) resulted in increased IL-23 release. miRNA-27b was the most highly expressed (5.19-fold increase) miRNA among the 760 miRNAs screened in the vessel. Naa15 was verified as miRNA-27b target gene, which was diminished in the plaques. Transfection of siRNA Naa15 or miRNA-27b mimic into MAECs caused an increase tube formation. Conclusions CCR6 deletion effectively ameliorates atherosclerosis progression by reducing macrophage accumulation, resulting in reduced secretion of CCL20 and IL-23. Mechanistically, the decreased miRNA-27b regulates the activity of the CCL20/CCR6 axis by targeting Naa15, and promotes plaque stability in atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The direct arylation of aliphatic aldehydes has been established via Pd-catalyzed sp³ C-H bond functionalization in the presence of 3-aminopropanoic acids as transient directing groups. The reaction showed excellent functional group compatibility and chemoselectivity in which a predominant preference for functionalizing unactivated β-C-H bonds of methyl groups over others was achieved. In addition, C-H bonds of unactivated secondary sp³ carbons can also be functionalized. The extreme popularity and importance of aliphatic aldehydes would result in broad applications of this novel method in organic chemistry and medicinal sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel particle filter (PF) which we refer to as the quadrature particle filter (QPF) based on fuzzy c-means clustering is proposed. In the proposed algorithm, a set of quadrature point probability densities are designed to approximate the predicted and posterior probability density functions (pdf) of the quadrature particle filter as a Gaussian. It is different from the Gaussian particle filter that uses the prior distribution as the proposal distribution, the proposal distribution of the QPF is approximated by a set of modified quadrature point probability densities, which can effectively enhance the diversity of samples and improve the performance of the QPF. Moreover, the fuzzy membership degrees provided by a modified version of fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm are used to substitute the weights of the particles, and the quadrature point weights are adaptively estimated based on the weighting exponent and the particle weights. Finally, experiment results show the proposed algorithms have advantages over the conventional methods, namely, the unscented Kalman filter(UKF), quadrature Kalman filter(QKF), particle filter(PF), unscented particle filter(UPF) and Gaussian particle filter(GPF), to solve nonlinear non-Gaussian filtering problems. Especially, to the target tracking in Aperiodic Sparseness Sampling Environment, the performance of the quadrature particle filter is much better than those of other nonlinear filtering approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a multiconstrained ascent guidance method for a solid rocket-powered launch vehicle, which uses a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) as payload and shuts off by fuel exhaustion. First, pseudospectral method is used to analyze the two-stage launch vehicle ascent trajectory with different rocket ignition modes. Then, constraints, such as terminal height, velocity, flight path angle, and angle of attack, are converted into the constraints within height-time profile according to the second-stage rocket flight characteristics. The closed-loop guidance method is inferred by different spline curves given the different terminal constraints. Afterwards, a thrust bias energy management strategy is proposed to waste the excess energy of the solid rocket. Finally, the proposed method is verified through nominal and dispersion simulations. The simulation results show excellent applicability and robustness of this method, which can provide a valuable reference for the ascent guidance of solid rocket-powered launch vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reduced grapheme oxide (rGO)/Au hybrid nanocomposite has been synthesized by hydrothermal treatment using graphite and HAuCl4 as the precursors. Characterization, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectra, X-ray photoelecton spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), indicates the formation of rGO/Au. A gas sensor fabricated with rGO/Au nanocomposite was applied for NO2 detection at 50 °C. Compared with pure rGO, rGO/Au nanocomposite exhibits higher sensitivity, a more rapid response–recovery process and excellent reproducibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mycobacterium smegmatis strain MC2 155 is an attractive model organism for the study of M. tuberculosis and other mycobacterial pathogens, as it can grow well using cholesterol as a carbon resource. However, its global transcriptomic response remains largely unrevealed. In this study, M. smegmatis MC2 155 cultivated in androstenedione, cholesterol and glycerol supplemented media were collected separately for a RNA-Sequencing study. The results showed that 6004, 6681 and 6348 genes were expressed in androstenedione, cholesterol and glycerol supplemented media, and 5891 genes were expressed in all three conditions, with 237 specially expressed in cholesterol added medium. A total of 1852 and 454 genes were significantly up-regulated by cholesterol compared with the other two supplements. Only occasional changes were observed in basic carbon and nitrogen metabolism, while almost all of the genes involved in cholesterol catabolism and mammalian cell entry (MCE) were up-regulated by cholesterol, but not by androstenedione. Eleven and 16 gene clusters were induced by cholesterol when compared with glycerol or androstenedione, respectively. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the cholesterol responsive transcriptome of M. smegmatis. Our results indicated that cholesterol induced many more genes and increased the expression of the majority of genes involved in cholesterol degradation and MCE in M. smegmatis, while androstenedione did not have the same effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the potential of Lonicera macranthoides Hand. -Mazz. Yulei1 suspension culture system for enhanced production of the main secondary metabolite, chlorogenic acid. Methods: The callus of L. macranthoides Hand.-Mazz. "Yulei1" was suspension cultured in B5 liquid medium supplemented with different plant growth regulators. Biomass accumulation was calculated by weight method and chlorogenic acid production was measured using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC was carried out on C18 analytical column at 35 °C and the detection wavelength was set at 324 nm. Results: The results showed that maximum accumulation of biomass and chlorogenic acid were achieved 15 days after culture growth. The optimized conditions for biomass accumulation and chlorogenic acid production were 50 g/L of inoculum on fresh weight basis, B5 medium supplemented with plant growth regulators, 30 - 40 g/L sucrose and initial medium pH of 5.5. Maximum accumulation of chlorogenic acid and biomass were observed when the culture medium was supplemented with 2.0 mg/L6-BA. Optimal accumulation of chlorogenic acid was observed using combination of hormones 2.0 mg/L 6-Benzyladenine (BA) + 0.5 mg/L2, 4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), while optimal accumulation of biomass was observed with 2.0 mg/L 6-BA + 2.0 mg/L2, 4-D. In addition, phenylalanine also contributed to the synthesis of chlorogenic acid at a concentration > 50 mg/L. Conclusion: Cell suspension cultures of L. macranthoides Hand.-Mazz. "Yulei1" have successfully been established. The findings provide a potential basis for large scale production of chlorogenic acid using cell suspension cultures of L. macranthoides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new, metal-free intermolecular formal [3 + 2] heterocyclization between triethylammonium thiolates and aryl hydrazines has been established by using the combination of I2 and O2 as efficient oxidation sources, allowing a concise and low-cost access to new densely functionalized 1,2,3-thiadiazoles with good to excellent yields. The reaction showed a broad scope of substrates of both reactants and attractive characteristics consisting of eco-friendly oxidants, flexible structural modification, broad functional group compatibility, and mild reaction conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor localization using Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) fingerprinting has been extensively studied for decades. The positioning accuracy is highly dependent on the density of the signal database. In areas without calibration data, however, this algorithm breaks down. Building and updating a dense signal database is labor intensive, expensive, and even impossible in some areas. Researchers are continually searching for better algorithms to create and update dense databases more efficiently. In this paper, we propose a scalable indoor positioning algorithm that works both in surveyed and unsurveyed areas. We first propose Minimum Inverse Distance (MID) algorithm to build a virtual database with uniformly distributed virtual Reference Points (RP). The area covered by the virtual RPs can be larger than the surveyed area. A Local Gaussian Process (LGP) is then applied to estimate the virtual RPs’ RSSI values based on the crowdsourced training data. Finally, we improve the Bayesian algorithm to estimate the user’s location using the virtual database. All the parameters are optimized by simulations, and the new algorithm is tested on real-case scenarios. The results show that the new algorithm improves the accuracy by 25.5% in the surveyed area, with an average positioning error below 2.2 m for 80% of the cases. Moreover, the proposed algorithm can localize the users in the neighboring unsurveyed area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the maximum gliding range problems of subsonic unpowered gliding vehicles and proposes an approximate optimal maximum range guidance scheme. First, the gliding flight path angle corresponding to constant dynamic pressure is derived. A lift-to-drag ratio (L/D) inversely proportional to the dynamic pressure is then proven. On this basis, the calculation method of an optimal dynamic pressure (ODP) profile with a maximum L/D throughout the flight is presented. A guidance scheme for tracking the ODP profile, which uses the flight path angle as control variable, is then designed. The maximum ranges of the unpowered gliding vehicle obtained by the proposed guidance scheme and pseudospectral method are compared. Results show that the guidance scheme provides an accurate approximation of the optimal results, and the errors are less than 2%. The proposed guidance scheme is easy to implement and is not influenced by wind compared with numerical schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study was conducted to investigate the prognostic value of lymph node ratio (LNR) in stage II/III breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Materials and Methods Clinical and pathological data describing stage II/III breast cancer patients were included in this retrospective study. The primary outcomes were locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Results Among 277 patients, there were 43 ypN0, 64 ypN1, 89 ypN2, and 81 ypN3 cases. Additionally, there were 43, 57, 92 and 85 cases in the LNR 0, 0.01-0.20, 0.21-0.65, and > 0.65 groups, respectively. The median follow-up was 49.5 months. Univariate analysis showed that both ypN stage and LNR were prognostic factors of LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that LNR was an independent prognostic factor of LRFS, DMFS, DFS, and OS (p < 0.05), while ypN stage had no effect on prognosis (p > 0.05). Conclusion The integrated use of LNR and ypN may be suitable for evaluation the prognosis of stage II/III breast cancer patients who undergo mastectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact microstrip dual-band in-phase filtering power divider is presented in this study. The integrated two stub-loaded resonators are applied to realise the dual-band filtering response and compact size. Based on the even- odd-mode analysis, an analytical model of the proposed power divider structure is presented. To improve the frequency selectivity, a source-load cross coupling is introduced by placing input and output coupling lines closely. A prototype of the dual-band in-phase filtering power divider centred at 3.5 and 5 GHz with 3 dB fractional bandwidth of 7.4 and 4.2% is designed, fabricated and measured. The size of the fabricated power divider is 0.27λg × 0.35λg. The simulated and measured results are presented and show good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptogenic organizing pneumonia (COP) is a pulmonary disorder associated with nonspecific clinical presentations. The macrolide class of antimicrobial agents is widely used to treat infectious and inflammatory respiratory diseases in humans. The present study reports a case of COP that was effectively treated with azithromycin in combination with glucocorticoid. A literature review of similar cases is also presented. It was found that all COP patients in the literature received macrolide treatment, including six cases with unknown clinical outcomes. For the remaining 29 patients, 20 patients initially received the macrolide as a single therapy and 4/5 of them (16 cases) were cured with a treatment time of 3-14 months, while 1/5 (4 cases) showed no improvement after treatment for 1 month and were switched to a glucocorticoid or combination treatment with a glucocorticoid, after which the disease was finally well-controlled. Side-effects of macrolide were rare. Based on this analysis, it is recommended that macrolides can be used as a first-line therapy in patients with mild COP. For patients with recurrent COP, it is suggested that macrolides should be used as an adjunctive therapy with other treatments, such as a glucocorticoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malignant glioma is the most devastating and aggressive tumour in the brain and is characterised by high morbidity, high mortality and extremely poor prognosis. The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of schisandrin B (Sch B) on glioma cells both in vitro and in vivo and to explore the possible anticancer mechanism underlying Sch B-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Methods: The anti-proliferative ability of Sch B on glioma cells were assessed by MTT and clony formation assays. Flow cytometric analysis was used to detect cell cycle changes. Apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33342 staining and annexin V/PI double-staining assays. The mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by Rhodamine 123 staining. The in vivo efficacy of Sch B was measured using a U87 xenograft model in nude mice. The expressions of the apoptosis-related and cell cycle-related proteins were analysed by western blot. Student's t-test was used to compare differences between treated groups and their controls. Results: We found that Sch B inhibited growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner as assessed by MTT assay. In U87 and U251 cells, the number of clones was strongly suppressed by Sch B. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that Sch B induced cell cycle arrest in glioma cells at the G0/G1 phase. In addition, Sch B induced glioma cell apoptosis and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in a dose-dependent manner. Mechanically, western blot analysis indicated that Sch B induced apoptosis by caspase-3, caspase-9, PARP, and Bcl-2 activation. Moreover, Sch B significantly inhibited tumour growth in vivo following the subcutaneous inoculation of U87 cells in athymic nude mice. Coclusions: In summary, Sch B can reduce cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in glioma cells and has potential as a novel anti-tumour therapy to treat gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel bearings-only maneuvering target tracking algorithm based on truncated quadrature Kalman filtering (TQKF) is proposed. In the proposed method, when the target maneuvers, in order to reduce the effect on performance duo to the increasing variance of the prior distribution, a modified prior distribution based on the current measurement is proposed. In the update step, the first two moments of the modified prior distribution is approximately estimated based on the least square estimation method and Gauss–Hermite quadrature rule, and the posterior distribution is jointly updated by using the prior distribution and the modified prior distribution. Moreover, in order to adaptively choose the estimated results obtained by the prior PDF and the truncated prior PDF, a fuzzy logic approach in which a Gaussian membership function is employed is proposed to determine the weight α . Finally, the experiment results show that the proposed algorithm results in more accurate tracking than the existing one, namely, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), the quadrature Kalman filter (QKF), interact multiple model extended Kalman filter (IMMEKF) and multiple model Rao–Blackwellized particle filter (MMRBPF). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This retrospective study investigated the clinical value of post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in female Chinese breast cancer patients aged 35 years or younger with positive axillary lymph nodes after mastectomy. Methods: We performed an analysis of clinical pathological data from 221 female Chinese breast cancer patients aged 35 years or younger treated between 1998 and 2007. Patients were diagnosed with positive axillary lymph nodes and underwent mastectomy. PMRT was delivered to 92 patients. Results: The median follow-up was 61 months. The 5-year locoregional recurrence-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) were 84.1%, 65.2%, 61.4%, and 77.2%, respectively. Univariate survival analysis (P=0.003) and multivariate analysis (P<0.001) both suggested that PMRT is an independent prognostic factor of LRFS. PMRT positively affected LRFS (P=0.003), but had no significant impact on DMFS (P=0.429), DFS (P=0.146), and OS (P=0.750). PMRT improved LRFS (P=0.001), DFS (P=0.017), and OS (P=0.042) in patients with four or more positive nodes, but no survival benefit was observed in patients with one to three positive nodes (P>0.05). Conclusion: PMRT can improve survival in breast cancer patients aged 35 years or younger with four or more positive nodes but not in those with one to three positive nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrochemical performances of symmetric supercapacitors assembled by MnFe2O4 colloidal nanocrystal clusters (CNCs) in aqueous electrolytes were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge--discharge, cycle stability and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results showed that the capacitance of MnFe2O4 CNCs can be easily adjusted by the controlled electrolytes. It was found that the specific capacitances of CNCs-based electrodes were 97.1, 93.9, 74.2 and 47.4 F g-1 for the electrolytes (2 M) containing KOH, NaOH, LiOH and Na2SO4, respectively, at the current density of 0.1 A g-1. The capacitance of the electrode was increased from 56.9 to 152.5 F g-1 with aqueous KOH electrolytes changed from 0.5 M to 6 M. The MnFe2O4 CNCs-based supercapacitor using aqueous KOH (6 M) electrolyte displayed the best cycle stability among all the supercapacitors. Based on the experimental results, the enhancement mechanism of electrochemical performances for the CNCs-based supercapacitors was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The function of middle hepatitis B surface protein C-terminally truncated at amino acid position 167 (MHBst167) is not currently clear. This study aimed to screen and identify the proteins that interact with MHBst167 in hepatocytes using a yeast two-hybrid system, and to explore the effects of MHBst167 in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and precancerous diseases of the liver. The MHBst167 gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cloned into a pGEM-T vector. The target region was sequenced and the constructed bait plasmid, pGBKT7-MHBst167, was transformed into AH109 yeast cells. The transformed AH109 cells were then mated with Y187 yeast cells containing the fetal liver cDNA library plasmid using a yeast two-hybrid system. The false positives were eliminated and the true positive clones were selected by PCR and sequencing analysis. The pGBKT7-MHBst167 bait plasmid was successfully constructed and 66 clones grew in the selective synthetic defined media lacking leucine, tryptophan, histidine and adenine. Fifty-two clones were identified following X-α-Gal selection and segregation analysis. Seven proteins were found to be expressed that could interact with MHBst167 in hepatocytes by the yeast two-hybrid system. These results have provided novel insights into the biological functions of MHBst167. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The yellow dwarf disease associated with phytoplasmas is one of the most devastating diseases of mulberry and the pathogenesis involved in the disease is poorly understood. To analyze the molecular mechanisms mediating gene expression in mulberry-phytoplasma interaction, the comprehensive sRNA changes of mulberry leaf in response to phytoplasma-infection were examined. A total of 164 conserved miRNAs and 23 novel miRNAs were identified, and 62 conserved miRNAs and 13 novel miRNAs were found to be involved in the response to phytoplasma-infection. Meanwhile, target genes of the responsive miRNAs were identified by sequencing of the degradome library. In addition, the endogenous siRNAs were sequenced, and their expression profiles were characterized. Interestingly, we found that phytoplasma infection induced the accumulation of mul-miR393-5p which was resulted from the increased transcription ofMulMIR393A, and mul-miR393-5p most likely initiate the biogenesis of siRNAs from TIR1 transcript. Based on the results, we can conclude that phytoplasma-responsive sRNAs modulate multiple hormone pathways and play crucial roles in the regulation of development and metabolism. These responsive sRNAs may work cooperatively in the response to phytoplasma-infection and be responsible for some symptoms in the infected plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new intuitionistic fuzzy joint probabilistic data association filter for multitarget tracking in a cluttered environment. In the proposed algorithm, the joint association probabilities in JPDAF are reconstructed by utilizing intuitionistic fuzzy membership degrees of the measurements belonging to the targets. To compute the intuitionistic fuzzy membership degree, a new intuitionistic fuzzy clustering method is proposed based on intuitionistic fuzzy point operator, which can extract useful information from uncertainty information of measurement. At the same time, two new weight assignments are introduced to deal with the uncertainty of measurement, which lead to two different data association methods, IF-JPDAF1 and IF-JPDAF2. Moreover, according to the characteristic of multitarget tracking, a new intuitionistic index of intuitionistic fuzzy set is defined. Finally, experiment results show the proposed algorithms have advantages over the conventional methods (including the JPDAF, Fitzgerald's JPDAF and MEF-JPDAF) in terms of efficiency and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which examined the epidemiologic characteristics of avian influenza A(H7N9) cases in China identified as of December 1, 2013. Topics discussed include the verification of a case of H7N9 virus by means of real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase-chain-reaction assay (RT-PCR), the death of patients after a median duration of illness of 21 days and the development of respiratory symptoms in 28 patients.

In integrated pulp and paper mills a rapid pulp brightness determination method is needed at the pulp mill for quality and process control. In this study, the effect of dryness on the brightness reading of pulp pads has been studied. The results showed that in comparison with that from the TAPPI standard test procedure, the brightness was significantly lower when the pulp pad dryness was lower than 50%, implying that at pulp mills, the pulp pads should be dried quickly to a dryness of about 50% or higher in order to give rapid, yet reproducible brightness results. For this purpose, a forced hot air dryer was designed to dry the pulp pads to 50 to 60% dryness in about 15 minutes. The pulp pads which were dried with the forced hot air dryer had similar brightness readings to those prepared and dried by following the TAPPI standard method. Alternatively, a microwave oven can be used for the same purpose, and the pulp pads can be dried to about 50% dryness in 2.5 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To date, no effective systemic therapies have been made available for paraganglioma. However, multiple mutations in susceptibility genes have been identified that are potential targets for sorafenib, an oral multitargeted tyrosine-kinase inhibitor. Case presentation: We report the case of a 69-year-old Chinese man with mediastinal paraganglioma that had metastasized to the bone. The paraganglioma responded to sorafenib, a novel multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets angiogenesis, the Raf-kinase pathway, the platelet-derived growth factor Ret, and c-Kit. The patient was diagnosed as having paraganglioma after biopsy of the mediastinal mass. We first treated the patient with radiotherapy. Then he tolerated an etoposide-and-cisplatin chemotherapy regimen. Subsequently, he received 6 months of maintenance treatment with sorafenib (400 mg twice daily). A dramatic reduction in tumor volume was observed. At present, the patient has achieved a partial response, and his clinical status remains unchanged. Conclusion: We suggest that sorafenib should be further investigated in the management of patients with paraganglioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]