Search

Oil-immersed transformers are widely used in power systems. When an arc fault occurs inside a transformer, the surrounding oil is rapidly pyrolyzed. These high-temperature, flammable gases are compressed into a high-pressure bubble, which is likely to cause tank deformations, explosions, and fires. Currently, related simulations on tank internal pressure and transformer fires are based on a constant gas composition, a constant gas production rate of 0.1 L/kJ, and a constant bubble temperature of 2000 K. This paper deals with a case of a power-frequency arc (5 kA, 30 mm, 80 ms) in transformer oil. The time-varying characteristics of pyrolyzed gas production, composition, and temperature are experimentally investigated. The percentage of hydrogen changes considerably, decreasing from 85.2 % to 70 %. The overall gas production rate increases slowly from 0.0574 L/kJ in the first 2.5 ms to 0.0982 L/kJ in 80 ms. The local temperature inside the main bubble (30 mm from the arc) decreases gradually from 2200 K to 1400 K, while the average bubble temperature decreases from 2550 K to 550 K. This case and these results provide an experimental basis for the parameter selections in the simulations about transformer internal pressure and fire progression.

The Western Sichuan Plateau stands as a vital ecological barrier in China. In recent years, rapid urbanization and infrastructure development have led to increased ecosystem fragmentation in the region, compression of species habitats, and significant challenges to ecosystem service functions and biodiversity conservation. Constructing ecological corridors can help maintain landscape connectivity and preserve biodiversity by providing habitats for various species. Additionally, they can enhance population viability and species richness at both local and regional scales. Current research focuses on the construction of ecological networks and the potential impacts of corridors. Few studies consider corridor width as an object of study. This study addresses the width of corridor construction, aiming to support the practical implementation of corridor projects and explore the coordination between corridor costs and functionality at different widths. Based on an evaluation of ecosystem service functions and in conjunction with natural reserves, this study identified significant ecological source. Four primary resistance factors—land use type, elevation, slope, and Degree of relief—were selected to construct resistance surfaces. The MAXENT model is introduced to identify potential landslide-prone areas, and the resistance surfaces are accordingly adjusted. Potential corridors are identified utilising circuit theory. Subsequently, by employing the IEW-TOPSIS model, different ecological corridor widths are evaluated in terms of “cost-function-ecological benefits” to determine suitable corridor widths for the Western Sichuan Plateau. Results reveal significant variations in ecological corridor widths across different regions of the plateau. Taking topographical factors into account, 1400 m emerges as the most optimal width twice, while 800 m, 1700 m, and 2000 m each appear once. The corridor width evaluation system can provide decision support for ecological corridor construction in the Western Sichuan Plateau, contributing to the preservation of ecological security in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China.

Introduction: Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC) is a nonabsorbed cation-exchanger approved in China for the treatment of hyperkalemia [HK; serum potassium (sK+) levels >5.0 mmol/L]. This is the first real-world study aimed to assess the effectiveness, safety, and treatment patterns of SZC in Chinese patients with HK. Here we present the results of the first interim analysis.Methods: This multicenter, prospective, cohort study included patients aged ≥18 years with documented HK within 1-year before study enrollment day. These patients were followed up for 6 months from the enrollment day after initiating SZC treatment. The treatment was categorized into correction phase (FAS-P1) and maintenance phase (FAS-P2 new and ongoing users). Subgroup analysis was performed in patients on hemodialysis (FAS-H). The primary objective was evaluation of safety profile of SZC; secondary objectives included assessment of treatment patterns of SZC and its effectiveness.Results: Of 421 screened patients, 193, 354, and 162 patients were enrolled in the FAS-P1, FAS-P2, and FAS-H groups, respectively. sK+ levels were reduced significantly from 5.9 mmol/L to 5.0 mmol/L after the correction phase. For the maintenance phase, the mean sK+ levels were maintained at 5.2 mmol/L and 5.0 mmol/L in the FAS-P2 new and ongoing user, respectively, and 5.3 mmol/L in the FAS-H subgroup. A considerable proportion of patients showed normokalemia after 48 h of SZC treatment (FAS-P1:51.3%) which was maintained up to 6 months in the maintenance phase (FAS-P2:44%). SZC was well-tolerated.Conclusion: SZC was effective and safe for the treatment of HK in real-world clinical practice in China.

BackgroundToxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a significant protozoan pathogen among food animals. Despite the threat to public health by T. gondii infections, there’s limited understanding of its seroprevalence and trends in food animals across mainland China. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infections among swine, sheep, goats, chickens, and cattle in mainland China from 2010 to 2023.MethodsWe searched cross-sectional studies published between 2010 and 2023 that reported the prevalence of T. gondii in food animals from databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine Disc (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang data, and the China Science and Technology Journal Database (CQVIP). We performed subgroup analyses to explore the impact of different factors on the seroprevalence of T. gondii. Pooled estimates of T. gondii seroprevalence were calculated with a random-effects model.ResultsAn analysis of 184 studies involving 211985 animals revealed a T. gondii overall seroprevalence of 15.3% (95% CI: 13.1-17.8). Although the seroprevalence of food animals across mainland China was relatively stable from 2010 to 2023, notable variations were observed across different animal types and regions (P < 0.01), along with changes in geographical distribution. Sample type, detection method, animal age, and history of abortion were identified as key risk factors for T. gondii seroprevalence.ConclusionThe study conducted a meta-analysis on the seroprevalence of T. gondii in mainland China’s Food Animals from 2010 to 2023, and identified key risk factors. These findings advance our understanding of T. gondii infection dynamics, offering critical insights for developing control strategies and guiding public health policies.

Abstract Arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the first choice of vascular access in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, the correlations between patient factors and the arteriovenous fistula patency remain unclear. Therefore, our study investigates the risk factors associated with AVF dysfunction in HD patients. A total of 233 end-stage renal disease (ESDR) patients who met the study inclusion criteria in the Nephrology Department of Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital between December 2020 and June 2022 were included in this study. The baseline demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters were collected at the time of AVF creation and analyzed. Of the 233 ESRD patients, 146 (62.7%) were male and the mean age was 56.11 ± 12.14 (21–82) years. The patients were followed for a median time of 14 months. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a 6-, 12- and 24-month post-placement survival of 87.1%, 82.8% and 80.7%, respectively. Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed weight (HR, 1.03; P = 0.03) as a predictor for the loss of vascular access functionality. In addition, multivariate Cox regression analysis further demonstrated that sex (HR, 3.41; P = 0.03), weight (HR 1.08; P

Due to the low permeability, small pore throat, and poor pore connectivity of ultra-low permeability reservoirs, fracturing was required to improve the flow environment of oil in the reservoir during its development. The combination of fracturing and oil displacement could reduce the complexity of the development of ultra-low permeability reservoirs. It was feasible to synthesize new surfactants to prepare fracturing oil displacement agents, but the research and development of new surfactants were difficult and costly. This paper aimed to experimentally investigate the imbibition displacement mechanism of fracturing flooding by combining the surfactant of chemical flooding with the fracturing fluid. With the conditions of the ultra-low permeability reservoir in block Y of Changqing Oilfield, the mechanism of remaining oil start-up and fractured oil displacement agent enhanced oil recovery in the ultra-low permeability reservoir was studied by microfluidic model experiment and NMR experiment. A mixture of fracture oil displacement agents was obtained by mixing heavy alkyl benzene sulfonate surfactant, a nonionic surfactant, and a betaine-type amphoteric surfactant. HAS-6C, HAS-5E, and HAS-5G were selected for their interfacial tension reaching 10−3 mN/m. Oil–water​ interfacial tension of HAS-5E was the lowest, which can be reduced to 10−4 mN/m. The ability to alter the wettability of HAS-6C was the most significant, which could make the contact angle go down to 64.5°. The multi-round dynamic and static imbibition experiments showed that the combination of selected surfactant and slickwater can greatly improve the imbibition recovery, of which HAS-6C could enhance oil recovery by 17%. The HAS-5E system with the lowest interfacial tension had the best effect of starting clustered residual oil, and the clustered residual oil saturation was reduced by 48.8%. The HAS-6C system with stronger wettability had the best effect of starting throat-like residual oil, and the throat-like residual saturation was reduced by 10.8%.

The increased awareness of environmental problems has shifted the attention from synthetic polymer porous materials to natural plant porous materials like bamboo parenchyma tissue to develop functional materials. However, the neglect of the inherent structure and property of plant porous materials leads to insufficient development and utilization of their natural advantages. Here, we investigated the fine structure and mechanisms of bamboo parenchyma tissue, which has multiple high-quality properties like energy-absorbing and toughening, to provide a basis for their wide utilization in porous materials. Results showed that bamboo parenchyma tissue was a foam-like porous material with sufficient strength, high porosity and low density. It was composed of cell walls and four types of three-dimensional polyhedral pores converging in space. The total natural porosity was up to 78.80%. The cell walls exhibited a three-zone strength distribution with an average solid cell wall strength of 75.84 MPa, due to their cocoon-like closed microfibrils patterns, chemical compositions and pits characteristics. The high porosity and weakening of transition zone and cell end wall helped to absorb energy. This study provides ideas for the application of bamboo parenchyma tissue in cushioning energy-absorbing foam materials and porous material templates and for the biomimetic design of environmentally friendly porous materials.

Abstract Objective The primary objective of this study is to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the reversal of peritoneal fibrosis (PF) by Danshenol C, a natural compound derived from the traditional Chinese medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza. By comprehensively investigating the intricate interactions and signaling pathways involved in Danshenol C's therapeutic effects on PF, we aim to unveil novel insights into its pharmacological actions. This investigation holds the potential to revolutionize the clinical application of Salvia miltiorrhiza in traditional Chinese medicine, offering promising new avenues for the treatment of PF and paving the way for evidence-based therapeutic interventions. Methods Firstly, we utilized the YaTCM database to retrieve the structural formula of Danshenol C, while the SwissTargetPrediction platform facilitated the prediction of its potential drug targets. To gain insights into the genetic basis of PF, we acquired the GSE92453 dataset and GPL6480-9577 expression profile from the GEO database, followed by obtaining disease-related genes of PF from major disease databases. R software was then employed to screen for DEG associated with PF. To explore the intricate interactions between Danshenol C's active component targets, we utilized the String database and Cytoscape3.7.2 software to construct a PPI network. Further analysis in Cytoscape3.7.2 enabled the identification of core modules within the PPI network, elucidating key targets and molecular pathways critical to Danshenol C's therapeutic actions. Subsequently, we employed R to perform GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses, providing valuable insights into the functional implications and potential biological mechanisms of Danshenol C in the context of PF. To investigate the binding interactions between the core active components and key targets, we conducted docking studies using Chem3D, autoDock1.5.6, SYBYL2.0, and PYMOL2.4 software. We applied in vivo and in vitro experiments to prove that Danshenol C can improve PF. In order to verify the potential gene and molecular mechanism of Danshenol C to reverse PF, we used quantitative PCR, western blot, and apoptosis, ensuring robust and reliable verification of the results. Results ① Wogonin, sitosterol, and Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 5 (STAT5) emerged as the most significant constituents among the small-molecule active compounds and gene targets investigated. ②38 targets intersected with the disease, among which MAPK14, CASP3, MAPK8 and STAT3 may be the key targets; The results of GO and KEGG analysis showed that there was a correlation between inflammatory pathway and Apoptosis. ④Real-time PCR showed that the mRNA expressions of MAPK8 (JNK1), MAPK14 (P38) and STAT3 were significantly decreased after Danshenol C treatment (P

There is limited understanding of nanoparticle potential ecotoxicity, particularly regarding the influence of environmental factors that can be transferred through the food chain. Here, we assessed the transfer behavior and the ecotoxicity of commercially manufactured graphene oxide nano-materials (GO,

Bamboo–wood composites have found extensive applications in the container flooring, furniture, and construction industries. However, commonly utilized bamboo units such as four-side-planed rectangular bamboo strips and bamboo scrimber suffer from either low utilization rates or high adhesive content. The recently developed bamboo-flattening technology, which employs softening methods with saturated high-pressure steam, may improve the utilization rate and reduce the adhesive content, but its complex processes and high cost restrict its widespread application. This study introduces a novel bamboo–wood composite utilizing high-utilization, easy-to-manufacture bamboo units processed through a straightforward flattening-and-grooving method. However, the stress concentration introduced by the grooving treatment may affect the mechanical properties and stability of the bamboo–wood composites. In order to optimize the mechanical properties and bonding performance, response surface methodology based on a central composite rotatable design was used to map the effects of hot-pressing parameters (time, temperature, and pressure) on the mechanical properties. The bamboo-woodbamboo–wood composites prepared with optimized conditions of 1.18 min/mm pressing time, 1.47 MPa pressure, and a 150 °C temperature had a 121.51 MPa modulus of rupture and an 11.85 GPa modulus of elasticity, which exhibited an error of only ~5% between the experimental and model predictions. Finite element analysis revealed that, in comparison to homogeneous flat bamboo composites, grooved bamboo composites exhibited distinct tensile ductility and toughness due to discontinuous stress fields and alternating rigid–soft layers, which alter the stress transmission and energy dissipation mechanisms. Additionally, grooving treatment not only effectively improved the surface wettability of the bamboo plants, thus enhancing the permeability of the adhesive, but also facilitated adhesive penetration into parenchymal cells and fibers. This led to the formation of a more robust glue–nail structure and chemical bonding.

Accurately assessing the prognostic outcomes of patients with acute ischemic stroke and adjusting treatment plans in a timely manner for those with poor prognosis is crucial for intervening in modifiable risk factors. However, there is still controversy regarding the correlation between imaging-based predictions of complications in acute ischemic stroke. To address this, we developed a cross-modal attention module for integrating multidimensional data, including clinical information, imaging features, treatment plans, prognosis, and complications, to achieve complementary advantages. The fused features preserve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics while supplementing clinical relevant information, providing a more comprehensive and informative basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment. The proposed framework based on multidimensional data for activity of daily living (ADL) scoring in patients with acute ischemic stroke demonstrates higher accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art network models, and ablation experiments confirm the effectiveness of each module in the framework.

Objective: Diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) refers to the decreased number and quality of oocytes in the ovary. Acupuncture and moxibustion has a certain effect on DOR; however, the number of studies and reports of research evidence are limited. This study aimed to conduct a scoping review of the clinical research status of acupuncture and moxibustion for treating patients with DOR. Method: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Excerpta Medica database, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biological Medicine, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, and Wanfang database were searched from January 2010 to May 2022 using keywords and medical subject heading terms. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant studies were selected. Structured tables and descriptive charts were made to visually express research features by using Excel, Original, IBM SPSS Model 18.0, Adobe Illustrator and other software packages. Report quality was evaluated for Cochrane bias using Review Manager 5.3. Results: Overall, 851 studies were identified; of these, 90 met the inclusion criteria. The results extracted from these studies were classified into four categories: research characteristics, study type, acupuncture and moxibustion prescriptions, and efficacy observation. Conclusions: The quality assessment of acupuncture and moxibustion for DOR is not ideal. Therefore, standardisation and normalisation should be strengthened, and high-quality evidence is needed to further demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. Due to heterogeneity in DOR diagnosis, the observation index should be updated with reference to the latest research to improve efficacy evaluation.

Evidence from clinical studies and preclinical studies supports that exercise preconditioning can not only reduce the risk of stroke but also improve brain tissue and functional outcome after stroke. It has been demonstrated that autophagy and mitochondrial dynamics are involved in ischemic stroke. However, it is still unclear whether exercise preconditioning-induced neuroprotection against stroke is associated with modulation of autophagy and mitochondrial dynamics. Although age and sex interactively affect ischemic stroke risk, incidence, and outcome, studies based on young male animals are most often used to explore the role of exercise preconditioning in the prevention of ischemic stroke. In the current study, we examined whether exercise preconditioning could modulate autophagy and mitochondrial dynamics in a brain ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) model of female aged mice. The results showed that exercise preconditioning reduced infarct volume and improved neurological deficits. Additionally, increased levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3-II/LC3-I, LC3-II, p62, Atg7, and mitophagy-related proteins Bnip3L and Parkin, as well as increased levels of mitochondrial fusion modulator Mfn2 and mitochondrial fission modulator Drp1 in the ischemic cortex of female aged mice at 12 h after I/R were present. Our results could contribute to a better understanding of exercise preconditioning-induced neuroprotection against ischemic stroke for the elderly.

Abstract Background Mixed Reality technology may provide many advantages over traditional teaching methods. Despite its potential, the technology has yet to be used for the formal assessment of clinical competency. This study sought to collect validity evidence and assess the feasibility of using the HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset for the conduct and augmentation of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs). Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted to compare the assessment of undergraduate medical students undertaking OSCEs via HoloLens 2 live (HLL) and recorded (HLR), and gold-standard in-person (IP) methods. An augmented mixed reality scenario was also assessed. Results Thirteen undergraduate participants completed a total of 65 OSCE stations. Overall inter-modality correlation was 0.81 (p = 0.01), 0.98 (p = 0.01) and 0.82 (p = 0.01) for IP vs. HLL, HLL vs. HLR and IP vs. HLR respectively. Skill based correlations for IP vs. HLR were assessed for history taking (0.82, p = 0.01), clinical examination (0.81, p = 0.01), procedural (0.88, p = 0.01) and clinical skills (0.92, p = 0.01), and assessment of a virtual mixed reality patient (0.74, p = 0.01). The HoloLens device was deemed to be usable and practical (Standard Usability Scale (SUS) score = 51.5), and the technology was thought to deliver greater flexibility and convenience, and have the potential to expand and enhance assessment opportunities. Conclusions HoloLens 2 is comparable to traditional in-person examination of undergraduate medical students for both live and recorded assessments, and therefore is a valid and robust method for objectively assessing performance. The technology is in its infancy, and users need to develop confidence in its usability and reliability as an assessment tool. However, the potential to integrate additional functionality including holographic content, automated tracking and data analysis, and to facilitate remote assessment may allow the technology to enhance, expand and standardise examinations across a range of educational contexts.

BackgroundMechanical digit sensory stimulation (MDSS) is a novel therapy designed to accelerate the recovery of upper limb (including hand) function in patients with hemiplegia following a stroke. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the effect of MDSS on patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS).MethodsSixty-one inpatients with AIS were randomly divided into conventional rehabilitation group (RG) and stimulation group (SG), and the latter group received MDSS therapy. A healthy group consisting of 30 healthy adults was also included. The interleukin-17A (IL-17A), vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasma levels were measured in all subjects. The neurological and motor functions of patients were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Fugel-Meyer Assessment (FMA), and Modified Barthel Index (MBI).ResultsAfter 12 days of intervention, the IL-17A, TNF-α, and NIHSS levels were significantly decreased, while the VEGF-A, MMSE, FMA, and MBI levels were significantly increased in both disease groups. No significant difference was observed between both disease groups after intervention. The levels of IL-17A and TNF-α were positively correlated with NIHSS but negatively correlated with MMSE, FMA, and MBI. The VEGF-A levels were negatively correlated with NIHSS but positively correlated with MMSE, FMA, and MBI.ConclusionBoth MDSS and conventional rehabilitation significantly reduce the production of IL-17A and TNF-α, increase the VEGF-A levels, and effectively improve cognition and motor function of hemiplegic patients with AIS, and the effects of MDSS and conventional rehabilitation are comparable.

BackgroundThe RxPONDER trial found that among breast cancer patients with estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, 1-3 positive axillary nodes, and a recurrence score of ≤25, only pre-menopausal women benefitted from adjuvant chemoendocrine therapy; postmenopausal women with similar characteristic did not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. We aimed to replicate the RxPonder trial using a larger patient cohort with real world data to determine whether a RS threshold existed where adjuvant chemotherapy was beneficial regardless of age.MethodsThe National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for women with ER+, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer, 1-3 positive axillary nodes, and RS ≤25 who received endocrine (ET) only or chemo-endocrine therapy (CET). Cox regression interaction was explored between CET and age as a surrogate for menopausal status.ResultsThe final analytic cohort included 28,427 eligible women: 7,487 (26.3%) received adjuvant CET and 20,940 (73.7%) ET. In the entire cohort, RS had a normal distribution, with a median score of 14. After correcting for demographic and clinical variables, a threshold effect was observed with RS >20 being associated with a significantly inferior overall survival (OS) (P value range: < 0.001-0.019). In women with RS of 20-25, CET was associated with a significant improvement in OS compared to ET alone, regardless of age (age 50: HR=0.521, P=0.019).ConclusionAmong women with ER+/HER2- breast cancer with 1–3 positive nodes, and a RS of 20-25—in contrast to the RxPONDER trial—we observed that CET was associated with an OS benefit in women regardless of age.

Nickel–cobalt alloys were prepared by alloy electrodeposition with a sulfamate bath, and the mechanical properties on the micro-scale were evaluated for the application as micro-components in miniaturized electronic devices. Nickel bromide and a commercially available surface brightener were used as the additives. The cobalt content increased from 21.5 to 60.1 at.% after addition of nickel bromide into the bath, and the grain size refined from 21.1 to 13.2 nm when the surface brightener was used. The mechanical properties on the micro-scale were evaluated by micro-compression test using micro-pillar type specimens fabricated by a focused ion beam system to take the sample size effect into consideration. The yield strength of the nickel–cobalt alloy having an average grain size at 13.9 nm and cobalt content of 66.6 at.% reached 2.37 GPa, revealing influences from the sample size, grain boundary strengthening, and solid solution strengthening effects.

Introduction Hyperkalaemia (HK) is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte imbalance associated with several adverse clinical outcomes. The efficacy and negative effects of currently existing treatment options have made HK management questionable. Sodium zirconium cyclosilicate (SZC), a novel highly selective potassium binder, is approved for the treatment of HK. The present study will be aimed to assess the safety, effectiveness and treatment patterns of SZC in Chinese patients with HK in a real-world clinical setting as it is required by China’s drug review and approval process.Methods and analysis This is a multicentre, prospective cohort study which plans to enrol 1000 patients taking SZC or willing to take SZC from approximately 40 sites in China. Patients ≥18 years of age at the time of signing the written informed consent and with documented serum potassium levels ≥5.0 mmol/L within 1 year before study enrolment day will be included. Eligible patients will receive SZC treatment and will be followed up for 6 months from enrolment day. The primary objective will be to evaluate the safety of SZC for the management of HK in Chinese patients in terms of adverse events (AEs), serious AEs as well as discontinuation of SZC. The secondary objectives will include understanding the SZC dosage information in terms of its effectiveness and treatment patterns under real-world clinical practice and assessing effectiveness of SZC during the observational period.Ethics and dissemination This study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University (approval number: YJ-JG-YW-2020). All the participating sites have received the ethics approval. Results will be disseminated through national and international presentations and peer-reviewed publications.Trial registration number NCT05271266.

BackgroundWhile high blood pressure has been linked to cognitive impairment, the relationship between low blood pressure, especially hypotension, and cognitive impairment has not been well studied. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of hypotension and cognitive impairment in the seniors of China, and the association between hypotension and cognitive function impairment.MethodsThe data was derived from the 2018 wave of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Systolic blood pressures (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP) were measured by objective examination. The Chinese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE) was used to evaluate the cognitive impairment of the elderly. Generalized linear models were conducted to evaluate the association of hypotension with cognitive impairment.ResultsThe prevalence of hypotension and cognitive impairment in the Chinese elderly were 0.76% and 22.06%, respectively. Participants with hypotension, lower SBP, and lower DBP, had odds ratios of 1.62, 1.38, and 1.48 for cognitive impairment, respectively. Besides, the CMMSE scores decreased by 2.08, 0.86, and 1.08 in the elderly with hypotension, lower SBP, and DBP, compared with those with non-hypotension, higher SBP, and DBP, respectively. Subgroup analyses showed that the association of cognitive impairment with hypotension was stronger in Chinese elderly who had decreased activity of daily living. Moreover, there was statistical evidence of a nonlinear dose-response relationship of SBP and DBP with cognitive impairment (Pnonlinear < 0.05).ConclusionHypotension was a potential risk factor for cognitive impairment of the Chinese elderly, especially for those having decreased activity of daily living. Blood pressure management should be conducted to prevent them from cognitive impairment.

Abstract Objective This study discusses the effects of focus training on heart rate variability (HRV) in post-stroke fatigue (PoSF) patients. Methods Self-generate physiological coherence system (SPCS) was used for the focus training of PoSF patients for 12 weeks. Then, fatigue severity scale (FSS), Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), HRV and satisfaction scale (SASC-19) before and after the training were assessed. Results Compared with the control group, FSS score, HAMD score, RMSSD, PNN50% were significantly lower in the research group at the end of the intervention (P

Discrimination of seismicity distributed in different areas is essential for reliable seismic risk assessment in mines. Although machine learning has been widely applied in seismic data processing, feasibility and reliability of applying this technique to classify spatially clustered seismic events in underground mines are yet to be investigated. In this research, two groups of seismic events with a minimum local magnitude (ML) of −3 were observed in an underground coal mine. They were respectively located around a dyke and the longwall face. Additionally, two types of undesired signals were also recorded. Four machine learning methods, i.e. random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), deep convolutional neural network (DCNN), and residual neural network (ResNN), were used for classifying these signals. The results obtained based on a primary dataset showed that these seismic events could be classified with at least 91% accuracy. The DCNN using seismogram images as the inputs reached the best performance with more than 94% accuracy. As mining is a dynamic progress which could change the characteristics of seismic signals, the temporal variance in the prediction performance of DCNN was also investigated to assess the reliability of this classifier during mining. A cascaded workflow consisting of database update, model training, signal prediction, and results review was established. By progressively calibrating the DCNN model, it achieved up to 99% prediction accuracy. The results demonstrated that machine learning is a reliable tool for the automatic discrimination of spatially clustered seismicity in underground mining.

Background Computer Generated Animations (CGA), when applied to three-dimensional (3D) city models (3DCM), can be used as powerful tools to support urban decision-making. This leads to a new paradigm, based on procedural modeling, that allows the integration of known urban structures. This paper introduces a new workflow for the development of high-quality approximations of urban models in a short time and enables facilities to be imported from other cities into a given city model, following specific generation rules. Thus, this workflow provides a very simple approach to observe, study, and simulate the implementation of models already developed in other cities, in a city where they are not yet adopted. Examples of these models include all types of mobility systems and urban infrastructure. This allows us to perceive the environmental impact of certain decisions in the real world, as well as to carry out simple simulations to determine the changes that can occur in the flows of people, traffic, and other city activities.

ObjectiveThe effects of inflammation on post-stroke cognitive function are still unclear. This study investigated the correlation between the Th17-related cytokines in peripheral blood and post-stroke cognitive function after ischemic stroke in the subacute phase.DesignA retrospective cohort study.SettingAcademic acute inpatient rehabilitation facility.ParticipantsOne hundred and fourteen patients with first ischemic stroke were categorized as the poor cognitive recovery group (n = 58) or good cognitive recovery group (n = 56) based on their cognitive MRFS efficiency.InterventionsAll subjects received routine physical, occupational, and speech-language pathology therapy.Main outcome measuresSerum cytokines/chemokine (IL-1 β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17A, IL-17E, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-22, IL-23, IL-27, IL-28A, IL-31, IL-33, GM-CSF, IFN-γ, MIP-3 α, TNF-α, and TNF-β) levels were measured in duplicate using Human Th17 magnetic bead panel and multiplex array analysis (Luminex-200 system). The primary functional outcome was a gain in functional independence measure (FIM) cognitive subscore at discharge. The secondary outcome measures were FIM total score at discharge, length of stay in the hospital, and discharge destination. Cognitive Montebello Rehabilitation Factor Score (MRFS) and cognitive MRFS efficiency were calculated. Demographic and clinical characteristics were obtained from the medical record.ResultsThe good cognitive recovery group had an interesting trend of higher IL-13 than the poor cognitive recovery group (good cognitive recovery group 257.82 ± 268.76 vs. poor cognitive recovery group 191.67 ± 201.82, p = 0.049, unit: pg/ml). However, Pearson's correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between cytokine levels and gain of cognition, cognitive MRFS, or cognitive MRFS efficiency. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of cytokines also suggested a low accuracy of prediction as a predictor for post-stroke cognitive recovery improvement.ConclusionOur preliminary findings suggested that the level of serum cytokines had minimal predictive value for the recovery of cognitive function during the subacute inpatient rehabilitation after stroke.

As a natural biomass material, bamboo is subject to variations in culm size as well as in physical and mechanical properties that substantially influence processing and product quality. The diameter, thickness, and hardness of bamboo culms are critical factors for the output and quality of flattened bamboo board (FBB). In this study, the effects of different hardness modulus (HM) grades on the physical and mechanical properties of FBB were examined. The results showed that the HM of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) followed a normal distribution. Nine grades of HM could be divided by an interval of 5 KN/mm2. The physical and mechanical properties of FBB were positively correlated with the HM of bamboo culms. Compressive strength, tensile strength, and shear strength, as well as the bending properties of FBB, each increased with increasing HM. Furthermore, under the same conditions, the mechanical properties of FBB were superior to those of both bamboo strips and bamboo culms. The softening, flattening, and planing processes were beneficial in improving the performance of bamboo. The strong correlation between HM and the properties of FBB indicates that the HM grading of bamboo culms can be used in bamboo processing to produce high-quality FBB products with uniform performance.

Objective(s): This study aimed to determine the effect of ischemic occlusion duration and recovery time course on motor and cognitive function, identify optimal conditions for assessing cognitive function with minimal interference from motor deficits, and elucidate the underlying mechanism of axonal inhibitors.Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly allocated to the transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) 60-min (tMCAO60min), tMCAO90min, tMCAO120min, and sham groups. We conducted forelimb grip strength, two-way shuttle avoidance task, and novel object recognition task (NORT)tests at three time points (14, 21, and 28 days). Expression of Nogo receptor-1 (NgR1), the endogenous antagonist lateral olfactory tract usher substance, ras homolog family member A (Rho-A), and RhoA-activated Rho kinase (ROCK) was examined in the ipsilateral thalamus.Results: There was no difference in grip strength between sham and tMCAO90min rats at 28 days. tMCAO90min and tMCAO120min rats showed lower discrimination indices in the NORT than sham rats on day 28. Compared with that in sham rats, the active avoidance response rate was lower in tMCAO90min rats on days 14, 21, and 28 and in tMCAO120min rats on days 14 and 21. Furthermore, 50-54% of rats in the tMCAO90min group developed significant cognitive impairment on day 28, and thalamic NgR1, RhoA, and ROCK expression were greater in tMCAO90min rats than in sham rats.Conclusion: Employing 90-min tMCAO in SD rats and assessing cognitive function 28 days post-stroke could minimize motor dysfunction effects in cognitive function assessments. Axonal inhibitor deregulation could be involved in poststroke cognitive impairment.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder that often occurs in children and has a hidden onset. Patients usually have lagged development of communication ability and social behavior and thus suffer an unhealthy physical and mental state. Evidence has indicated that diseases related to ASD have commonalities in brain imaging characteristics. This study aims to study the pathogenesis of ASD based on brain imaging data to locate the ASD-related brain regions. Specifically, we collected the functional magnetic resonance image data of 479 patients with ASD and 478 normal subjects matched in age and gender and used a machine-learning framework named random support vector machine cluster to extract distinctive brain regions from the preprocessed data. According to the experimental results, compared with other existing approaches, the method used in this study can more accurately distinguish patients from normal individuals based on brain imaging data. At the same time, this study found that the development of ASD was highly correlated with certain brain regions, e.g., lingual gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, medial gyrus, insular lobe, and olfactory cortex. This study explores the effectiveness of a novel machine-learning approach in the study of ASD brain imaging and provides a reference brain area for the medical research and clinical treatment of ASD.

Clostridium perfringens causes significant morbidity and mortality in swine worldwide. Avilamycin showed no cross resistance and good activity for treatment of C. perfringens. The aim of this study was to formulate optimal regimens of avilamycin treatment for C. perfringens infection based on the clinical breakpoint (CBP). The wild-type cutoff value (COWT) was defined as 0.25 μg/ml, which was developed based on the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) distributions of 120 C. perfringens isolates and calculated using ECOFFinder. Pharmacokinetics–pharmacodynamics (PK-PD) of avilamycin in ileal content were analyzed based on the high-performance liquid chromatography method and WinNonlin software to set up the target of PK/PD index (AUC0–24h/MIC)ex based on sigmoid Emax modeling. The PK parameters of AUC0–24h, Cmax, and Tmax in the intestinal tract were 428.62 ± 14.23 h μg/mL, 146.30 ± 13.41 μg/ml,, and 4 h, respectively. The target of (AUC0–24h/MIC)ex for bactericidal activity in intestinal content was 36.15 h. The PK-PD cutoff value (COPD) was defined as 8 μg/ml and calculated by Monte Carlo simulation. The dose regimen designed from the PK-PD study was 5.2 mg/kg mixed feeding and administrated for the treatment of C. perfringens infection. Five respective strains with different MICs were selected as the infection pathogens, and the clinical cutoff value was defined as 0.125 μg/ml based on the relationship between MIC and the possibility of cure (POC) following nonlinear regression analysis, CART, and “Window” approach. The CBP was set to be 0.25 μg/ml and selected by the integrated decision tree recommended by the Clinical Laboratory of Standard Institute. The formulation of the optimal regimens and CBP is good for clinical treatment and to control drug resistance.

In this paper, two types (i.e., type-A and type-B) of hybrid microstrip/defected ground structure (DGS) cells are proposed for passive circuit implementation with ultra-wide stopband. Both cells consist of the stepped-impedance DGS and embedded folded slotline on the ground, which could obtain the dual-resonances. In type-A cell, a microstrip T-stub on the top side is introduced, which can not only allocate a strong coupling to the DGS with slotline on the bottom side, but also act as the input/output port. To finely adjust the dual-resonances of the type-B cell, a grounded microstrip patch is used. Meanwhile, such compact cells could feature an ultra-wide upper stopband, due to their own slow-wave effect. Based on the aforementioned hybrid microstrip/DGS cells, two dual-band bandpass filters (BPFs) and a dual-band filtering power divider (FPD) are proposed and fabricated. Measured and simulated results are in a fairly-close agreement. Both dual-band BPFs exhibit the ultra-wide upper stopband, which extends up to 40 GHz with a high rejection level about 30 dB. Besides, the dual-band FPD has merits of more than 18.7 dB of in-band isolation and 28 dB stopband rejection levels up to 40 GHz.

Alpinia oxyphylla, a traditional herb, is widely used for its neuroprotective, antioxidant and memory-improving effects. However, the neuroprotective mechanisms of action of its active ingredients are unclear. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of various organic extracts of Alpinia oxyphylla on PC12 cells exposed to hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative injury in vitro. Alpinia oxyphylla was extracted three times with 95% ethanol (representing extracts 1–3). The third 95% ethanol extract was dried and resuspended in water, and then extracted successively with petroleum ether, ethyl acetate and n-butanol (representing extracts 4–6). The cell counting kit-8 assay and microscopy were used to evaluate cell viability and observe the morphology of PC12 cells. The protective effect of the three ethanol extracts (at tested concentrations of 50, 100 and 200 µg/mL) against cytotoxicity to PC12 cells increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The ethyl acetate, petroleum ether and n-butanol extracts (each tested at 100, 150 and 200 μg/mL) had neuroprotective effects as well. The optimum effective concentration ranged from 50–200 μg/mL, and the protective effect of the ethyl acetate extract was comparatively robust. These results demonstrate that organic extracts of Alpinia oxyphylla protect PC12 cells against apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide. Our findings should help identify the bioactive neuroprotective components in Alpinia oxyphylla.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence of lifestyle behaviors and suicide-related behaviors and the association between them using a nationally representative sample of adolescents from the USA.Methods: 13,677 high school students aged 14-18 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The research data were retrieved from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey in 2019. All data on age, sex, grade, race, physical activity, television time, fruit intake, and suicide-related behavior were self-reported by students. Logistic regression models were adopted to examine the association between lifestyle behaviors and the suicide-related behaviors.Results: Students who played video/computer games for ≥2 h had higher risk of suicide attempt (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.30-1.85). Daily sleep duration of ≤8 h was positively associated with considering a suicide attempt (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.62-2.43). In addition, participants who did not engage in any sport team were more likely to report considering a suicide attempt (OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.24-1.81).Conclusion: This research suggests that some lifestyle behaviors (e.g., time for video or computer use, sleep duration, sports team participation, regular breakfast intake, and substance use) are associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior and ideation in high school students. To identify the specific effect of multiple lifestyle factors in influencing the risk of suicide-related behaviors in high school students, longitudinal studies are warranted in future.

Cancer cell spheroids have been shown to be more physiologically relevant to native tumor tissue than monolayer 2D culture cells. Due to enhanced intercellular communications among cells in spheroids, spheroid secreted exosomes which account for transcellular transportation should exceed those from 2D cell culture and may display a different expression pattern of miRNA or protein. To test this, we employed a widely used pancreatic cancer cell line, PANC-1, to create 3D spheroids and compared exosomes generated by both 2D cell culture and 3D PANC-1 spheroids. We further measured and compared exosomal miRNA and GPC-1 protein expression with qRT-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. It showed that PANC-1 cells cultured in 3D spheroids can produce significantly more exosomes than PANC-1 2D cells and exosomal miRNA and GPC-1 expression derived from spheroids show more features relevant to the progression of pancreatic cancer. These findings point to the potential importance of using spheroids as in vitro model to study cancer development and progression.

To estimate network structures to discover the interrelationships among variables and distinguish the difference between networks. Three hundred and forty-eight stroke patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. A network analysis was used to investigate the association between those variables. A Network Comparison Test was performed to compare the correlation of variables between networks. Three hundred and twenty-five connections were identified, and 22 of these differed significantly between the high- and low-Functional Independence Measurement (FIM) groups. In the high-FIM network structure, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and length of stay (LOS) had associations with other nodes. However, there was no association with BDNF and LOS in the low-FIM network. In addition, the use of amantadine was associated with shorter LOS and lower FIM motor subscores in the high-FIM network, but there was no such connection in the low-FIM network. Centrality indices revealed that amantadine use had high centrality with others in the high-FIM network but not the low-FIM network. Coronary artery disease (CAD) had high centrality in the low-FIM network structure but not the high-FIM network. Network analysis revealed a new correlation of variables associated with stroke recovery. This approach might be a promising method to facilitate the discovery of novel factors important for stroke recovery.

In this paper, a reconfigurable wideband filtering balun with tunable dual-notched bands is proposed, using coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-slot transitions and varactor-loaded shorted-slots. The wideband filtering balun consists of a triple-mode slot resonator, two CPW-to-slot transitions, and a CPW short-stub. Three transmission poles are allocated by the triple-mode slot resonator to achieve the wideband operation. To further improve the amplitude- and phase-imbalance responses, two CPW-to-slot transitions are used. Besides, the CPW short-stub is introduced to enhance the passband selectivity. Then, based on the proposed wideband filtering balun, a reconfigurable balun with tunable dual-notched bands is achieved by introducing two pairs of varactor-loaded shorted-slots. The measured results show that the frequency tuning ranges of the dual-notched bands are 1.28-1.58 GHz (21.6%) and 1.89-2.41 GHz (24.2%) with 15-dB rejection, respectively. The proposed filtering balun shows the advantages of wide fractional bandwidth, high selectivity, low insertion loss, and tunable notched band operation.

The 3-D reconstruction methods based on structure from motion (SfM) pipeline mainly use the traditional scale invariant feature detecting methods for feature matching. This type of methods suffers from the accuracy with affine matching in the image-based modeling system. In this paper, we propose an affine-invariant feature detection and matching method which is accurate and fast based on the three types of critical points in Morse theory called precise extreme feature region (PEFR). We also exploit the evaluation method for the reconstruction results without the ground truth. We propose the average descending rate to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of the reconstruction model. Using PEFR in an SfM pipeline to build 3-D point-cloud, our method presents better results and less runtime compared to the state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, our quality assessment method presents a practical comparison of the reconstruction result based on the geometric accuracy of the reconstruction models. The experimental results prove that our PEFR method is faster and more accurate and works well on the reconstruction pipeline. The assessment method is fit for the quality assessment on 3-D reconstruction.

Objective: This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of acupuncture in improving cognitive impairment of post-stroke patients.Design: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the effects of acupuncture compared with no treatment or sham acupuncture on post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) before December 2019 were identified from databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid library, Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Periodical Database, Wanfang Database, and SinoMed). The literature searching and data extracting were independently performed by two investigators. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Meta-analyses were performed for the eligible RCTs with Revman 5.3 software.Results: Thirty-seven RCTs (2,869 patients) were included in this meta-analysis. Merged Random-effects estimates of the gain of MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) or MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) were calculated for the comparison of acupuncture with no acupuncture or sham acupuncture. Following 2–8 weeks of intervention with acupuncture, pooled results demonstrated significant effects of acupuncture in improving PSCI assessed by MMSE (MD [95% CI] = 2.88 [2.09, 3.66], p < 0.00001) or MoCA (MD [95% CI] = 2.66 [1.95, 3.37], p < 0.00001).Conclusion: The results suggest that acupuncture was effective in improving PSCI and supported the needs of more rigorous design with large-scale randomized clinical trials to determine its therapeutic benefits.

Objective We investigated factors affecting the disability assessment Longshi scale, and differences between the Longshi and Barthel scales, as well as modified Rankin scale (mRS), to determine whether the Longshi scale is superior to the other scales. Methods This cross-sectional study included 721 participants with disability. We performed the t -test, analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation test, and multiple linear regression to analyze group differences and define explanatory variables. Results The Longshi scale had a strong positive correlation with the Barthel scale (r = 0.868) but a weak negative correlation with the mRS (r = –0.185). Scores obtained among seven study hospitals in two provinces of southeast China were significantly different (F = 8.034). Social activities of participants with disability can be positively predicted using the Longshi (β = 0.251) and Barthel scales (β = 0.276). However, age has a weak negative correlation with the Longshi scale (r = –0.163). Conclusion Training did not cause significant variations in assessment using the Longshi scale. However, the results differed among different regions. The Longshi scale showed a strong correlation with the Barthel scale but a weak correlation with the mRS. Assessment time was shorter using the Longshi scale and the scale can be used to predict the social activities of individuals with disability.

Background: Cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury can lead to severe dysfunction, and its treatment is difficult. It is reported that nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat family protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated cell pyroptosis is an important part of cerebral I/R injury and the activation of autophagy can inhibit pyroptosis in some tissue injury. Our previous study found that the protective effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in cerebral I/R injury may be associated with the regulation of autophagy. Recent studies have demonstrated that exosomes secreted from BMSCs (BMSC-Exos) may play an essential role in the effective biological performance of BMSCs and the protective mechanism of BMSC-Exos is associated with the activation of autophagy and the remission of inflammation, but it has not been reported in studies of cerebral I/R injury. We aimed to investigate the effects of BMSC-Exos on cerebral I/R injury and determine if the mechanism is associated with the regulation of pyroptosis and autophagic flux.Method: PC12 cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) to induce cerebral I/R in vitro and were cocultured with BMSC-Exos. Cell viability was determined with CCK-8 and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) detection kits. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide (PI) double staining, 2′,7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate assay, immunofluorescence, Western blot, and Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect cell pyroptosis. Furthermore, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), GFP-RFP-LC3 adenovirus transfection, and Western blot were used to detect autophagic flux and its influence on pyroptosis. Finally, coimmunoprecipitation was used to detect the binding interaction between NLRP3 and LC3.Results: BMSC-Exos increased cell viability in OGD/R. The inhibitory effect of BMSC-Exos on pyroptosis was comparable to the NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 and was reversed by NLRP3 overexpression. Furthermore, BMSC-Exos promoted autophagic flux through the AMP-activated kinase (AMPK)/mammalian target of the rapamycin pathway, whereas chloroquine, AMPK silencing, and compound C blocked the inhibitory effect on pyroptosis.Conclusions: BMSC-Exos can protect PC12 cells against OGD/R injury via attenuation of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis by promoting AMPK-dependent autophagic flux.

Accurate gait event detection is necessary for control strategies of gait rehabilitation robots. However, due to personal diversity between individuals, it is a challenge for robots to detect a gait event at various stride frequencies. This paper proposes a novel method for gait event detection of a gait rehabilitation robot using a single inertial sensor mounted on the thigh. A self-adaptive threshold for detecting heel strike is obtained in real time via a linear regression model. Observable thresholds for toe off detection are constant at various stride frequencies. Experiments are conducted based on 20 healthy subjects and six hemiplegic patients wearing a gait rehabilitation robot and walking at various kinds of stride frequencies. The experimental results show that the proposed method can detect heel strike and toe off gait events within an average 2% gait cycle temporal errors and never miss two-gait event detection. Compared to the conventional thresholding method, this work presents a simple and robust application for gait event detection in healthy and hemiplegic subjects by one inertial sensor. The linear regression model can be applicable to different subjects walking at various stride frequencies.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease for which it is difficult to find exact disease-related genes. Effectively identifying disease-related genes would contribute to improving the treatment and diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Current methods for identifying disease-related genes mainly focus on the hypothesis of guilt-by-association and pay little attention to the global topological information of the whole protein-protein-interaction (PPI) network. Besides, network representation learning (NRL) has attracted a huge amount of attention in the area of network analysis because of its promising performance in node representation and many downstream tasks. In this paper, we try to introduce NRL into the task of disease-related gene prediction and propose a novel framework for identifying the disease-related genes multiple sclerosis. The proposed framework contains three main steps: capturing the topological structure of the PPI network using NRL-based methods, encoding learned features into low-dimensional space using a stacked autoencoder, and training a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to predict disease-related genes. Compared with three state-of-the-art algorithms, our proposed framework shows superior performance on the task of predicting disease-related genes of multiple sclerosis.

Many studies supported that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) can differentiate into neural cells, but few researchers detected mature and function of nerve cells, especially in vivo study. Some researchers even suggested that BM-MSCs transplantation would not be able to differentiate into functional neural cells. To figure out the dispute, this study examined bone marrow-derived sphere-like cells, harvested via neural stem cell suspension culture, then identified as bone marrow-derived neural progenitor cells (BM-NPCs) by finding the expression of neural progenitor cells genes and proteins, neural progenitor cells characteristic and nerve cell differentiation induced through both methods. Moreover, BM-NPCs transplantation showed long-term survival and improved the ethological and histological indexes of brain injury rats, demonstrating functional nervous cells differentiated from BM-NPCs. These in vitro and in vivo results confirmed BM-NPCs differentiating into mature and functional nerve cells. This study provided valuable experimental data for BM-NPCs, suggesting a potential alternative treatment of central nervous injury disease.

Amino acids have been shown to be among the most important metabolites to be altered following stroke; however, they are a double-edged sword with regard to regulating hemostasis. In this study, we conducted a targeted metabolomic study to examine the association between serum levels of amino acids and functional recovery after stroke. Three hundred and fifty-one patients with stroke admitted to an acute rehabilitation hospital were screened, and 106 patients were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Recruited patients were stratified using Montebello Rehabilitation Factor Score (MRFS) efficiency. We selected the top (n = 20, 19%) and bottom (n = 20, 19%) of MRFS efficiency for metabolomic analysis. A total of 21 serum amino acids levels were measured using ultra high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. The normalized data were analyzed by multivariate approaches, and the selected potential biomarkers were combined in different combinations for prediction of stroke functional recovery. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences in leucine-isoleucine, proline, threonine, glutamic acid, and arginine levels between good and poor recovery groups. In the training (0.952) and test (0.835) sets, metabolite biomarker panels composed of proline, glutamic acid, and arginine had the highest sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing good recovery from poor. In particular, arginine was present in the top 10 combinations of the average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) test set. Our findings suggest that amino acids related to energy metabolism and excitotoxicity may play an important role in functional recovery after stroke. Therefore, the level of serum arginine has predictive value for the recovery rate after stroke.

Stroke is a cerebrovascular circulation disorder with sudden onset, which causes disorder of ion balance, inflammation, and acidosis, and that in turn induces ischemia-reperfusion injury, influencing the prognosis of stroke patients. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are regulatory sequences involved at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels, have high specific expression in the central nervous system, and effectively regulate the development of the central nervous system and progression of diseases. Stroke induces changes in the expression of many lncRNAs. Therefore, lncRNAs play an important role in the complex pathological process of stroke. Exploring lncRNA could facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the pathological mechanism of stroke and the post-injury molecular regulatory network. However, there are few reports on the role of lncRNA in the pathological development of stroke. In the present review, we discuss the association of lncRNA with post-stroke injury repair.

The shale oil reservoir of the Lucaogou Formation in the Jimsar Sag has undergone tectonic movement, regional deposition and complex diagenesis processes. Therefore, various reservoir space types and complex combination patterns of pores have developed, resulting in an intricate pore throat structure. The complex pore throat structure brings great challenges to the classification and evaluation of reservoirs and the efficient development of shale oil. The methods of scanning electron microscopy, high-pressure mercury injection, low-temperature adsorption experiments and thin-slice analysis were used in this study. Mineral, petrology, pore throat structure and evolution process characteristics of the shale oil reservoir were analyzed and discussed qualitatively and quantitatively. Based on these studies, the evolution characteristics and formation mechanisms of different pore throat structures were revealed, and four progressions were made. The reservoir space of the Lucaogou Formation is mainly composed of residual intergranular pores, dissolved pores, intercrystalline pores and fractures. Four types of pore throat structures in the shale oil reservoir of the Lucaogou Formation were quantitatively characterized. Furthermore, the primary pore throat structure was controlled by a sedimentary environment. The pores and throats were reduced and blocked by compaction and cementation, which deteriorates the physical properties of the reservoirs. However, the dissolution of early carbonate, feldspar and tuffaceous minerals and a small amount of carbonate cements by organic acids are the key factors to improve the pore throat structure of the reservoirs. The genetic evolution model of pore throat structures in the shale oil reservoir of the Lucaogou Formation are divided into two types. The large-pore medium-fine throat and medium-pore medium-throat reservoirs are mainly located in the delta front-shallow lake facies and are characterized by the diagenetic assemblage types of weak compaction–weak carbonate cementation–strong dissolution, early medium compaction–medium calcite and dolomite cementation–weak dissolution. The medium-pore fine throats and fine-pore fine throats are mainly developed in shallow lakes and semi-deep lakes. They are characterized by the diagenetic assemblage type of strong compaction–strong calcite cementation–weak dissolution diagenesis. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the pore throat structure and the genetic mechanism of a complex shale oil reservoir and benefits the exploration and development of shale oil.

Background: In order to establish the clinical breakpoint (CBP) of danofloxacin against G. parasuis, three cutoff values, including epidemiological cutoff value (ECV), pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) cutoff value (COPD) and clinical cutoff value (COCL), were obtained in the present study. Methods: The ECV was calculated using ECOFFinder base on the MIC distribution of danfloxacin against 347 G. parasuis collected from disease pigs. The COPD was established based on in vivo and ex vivo PK-PD modeling of danofloxacin both in plasma and pulmonary epithelial lining fluid (PELF) using Hill formula and Monte Carlo analysis. The COCL was established based on the relationship between the possibility of cure (POC) and MIC in the clinical trials using the “WindoW” approach, nonlinear regression and CART analysis. Results: The MIC50 and MIC90 of danofloxacin against 347 G. parasuis were 2 μg/mL and 8 μg/mL, respectively. The ECV value was set to 8 μg/mL using ECOFFinder. Concentration-time curves of danofloxacin were fitted with a two-compartment PK model. The PK parameters of the maximum concentration (Cmax) and area under concentration-time curves (AUC) in PELF were 3.67 ± 0.25 μg/mL and 24.28 ± 2.70 h·μg/mL, higher than those in plasma (0.67 ± 0.01 μg/mL and 4.47 ± 0.51 h·μg/mL). The peak time (Tmax) in plasma was 0.23 ± 0.07 h, shorter than that in PELF (1.61 ± 0.15 h). The COPD in plasma and PELF were 0.125 μg/mL and 0.5 μg/mL, respectively. The COCL calculated by WindoW approach, nonlinear regression and CART analysis were 0.125–4 μg/mL, 0.428 μg/mL and 0.56 μg/mL, respectively. The 0.5 μg/mL was selected as eligible COCL. The ECV is much higher than the COPD and COCL, and the clinical breakpoint based on data in plasma was largely different from that of PELF. Conclusions: Our study firstly established three cutoff values of danofloxacin against G. parasuis. It suggested that non-wild-type danofloxacin-resistant G. parasuis may lead to ineffective treatment by danofloxacin.

This paper describes a recent study on using fly ash for backfilling abandoned room and pillar mines. Detailed investigations on fly ash properties such as the strength and stiffness of settled fly ash, flowability of fly ash grout, as well as chemistry and environmental aspects of fly ash backfill have been undertaken in the laboratory. Numerical modelling was also conducted to quantify the effects of fly ash backfill on the stability of underground pillars. The laboratory tests showed that with a solid concentration of approximate 50%, fly ash grout has an excellent flowability and very low viscosity. It is capable of penetrating and filling almost any voids underground if designed properly and settling as a reasonably stiff solid to provide support to the pillars. Several different types of strength tests proved that a consolidated fly ash should exhibit a friction angle above 42°. 3D numerical modelling on interaction between fly ash backfill and underground pillars has shown that fly ash backfill to 90% roadway height can raise the factor of safety (FoS) of a marginally stable area to above 1.6, which is the number often used in rock engineering design for long term stability. Chemistry and leachate analysis of representative fly ash samples from a local power station showed that the elemental concentrations in the fly ash solid sample are lower than the allowed contaminant threshold and specific contaminant concentration levels. Geotechnical monitoring in the high risk areas of an abandoned mine has been carried out as part of the risk management and control for potential subsidence. The monitoring has been very helpful in understanding the ground behaviour around the abandoned mine which can provide timely information to the parties concerned in order to make correct decisions to control the subsidence risk. Keywords: Abandoned mine, Backfill, Fly ash, Laboratory tests, Monitoring, Modelling

This article designs an automatic flight control system for an unmanned aerial vehicle helicopter. The differential evolution intelligent algorithm is used for a state-space model identification; the differential evolution method has an advantage of choosing initial point randomly. The accuracy of the identified model is verified by comparing the model-predicted responses with the responses collected during flight experiments. The reliability and efficiency of the differential evolution algorithm are demonstrated by the experimental results. A robust controller is designed based on the identified model for the unmanned aerial vehicle helicopter with two-loop control frame: the outer-loop is used to obtain the expected attitude angles through reference path and speed with guidance-based path-following control, and the inner-loop is used to control the attitude angles of helicopter tracking the expected ones with H ∞ loop-shaping method. The greatest common right divisor method is used to choose the weighting matrix in loop shaping, in which the stability margin is larger and has a greater bandwidth of the unmanned aerial vehicle system. Finally, a space spiral curve trajectory tracking simulation is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed control systems, and the simulation results prove that the unmanned helicopter system achieves a top-level control performance.

Decellularized extracellular matrices have been clinically used for tendon regeneration. However, only a few systematic studies have compared tendon stem/progenitor cells to mesenchymal stromal cells on the tendon-derived decellularized matrix. In the present study, we prepared extracellular matrix derived from porcine tendons and seeded with tendon stem/progenitor cells, embryonic stem cell-derived mesenchymal stromal cells or without stem cells. Then we implanted the mixture (composed of stem cells and scaffold) into the defect of a rat Achilles tendon. Next, 4 weeks post-surgery the regenerated tendon tissue was collected. Histological staining, immunohistochemistry, determination of collagen content, transmission electron microscopy, and biomechanical testing were performed to evaluate the tendon structure and biomechanical properties. Our study collectively demonstrated that decellularized extracellular matrix derived from porcine tendons significantly promoted the regeneration of injured tendons when combined with tendon stem/progenitor cells or embryonic stem cell-mesenchymal stromal cells. Compared to embryonic stem cell-mesenchymal stromal cells, tendon stem/progenitor cells combined with decellularized matrix showed more improvement in the structural and biomechanical properties of regenerated tendons in vivo . These findings suggest a promising strategy for functional tendon tissue regeneration and further studies are warranted to develop a functional tendon tissue regeneration utilizing tendon stem/progenitor cells integrated with a tendon-derived decellularized matrix.

Acupuncture has been widely used in China to treat neurological diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, its mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, eighty healthy Wistar rats were divided into a normal control group (n=15) and premodel group (n=65). Forty-five rats that met the criteria for the AD model were then randomly divided into the model group (MG), the nonacupoint group (NG), and the acupoint group (AG). All rats received positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, and the images were analyzed with Statistical Parametric Mapping 8.0. MG exhibited hypometabolism in the olfactory bulb, insular cortex, orbital cortex, prelimbic cortex, striatum, parietal association cortex, visual cortex, cingulate gyrus, and retrosplenial cortex. AG exhibited prominent and extensive hypermetabolism in the thalamus, hypothalamus, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, cerebral peduncle, midbrain tegmentum, and pontine tegmentum compared to NG. These results demonstrated that acupuncturing at GV24 and bilateral GB13 acupoints may improve the learning and memory abilities of the AD rats, probably via altering cerebral glucose metabolism (CGM) in the hypothalamus, thalamus, and brain stem. The observed effects of acupuncture may be caused by regulating the distribution of certain kinds of neurotransmitters and enhancing synaptic plasticity.

Because of its outstanding thermochromic characteristics and metal-insulator transition (MIT) property, nano-vanadium dioxide (abbreviated as nano-VO2 or nVO2) has been applied widely in electrical/optical devices and design of intelligent window. However, the biological effect of nVO2 is not well understood, especially when affected by environmental factors or living organisms. For VO2 is an amphoteric oxide, we simulated pH's influence to nVO2’s physicochemical properties by exposure nVO2 in water of different pH values. We found that nVO2 transformed to a new product after exposure in acidic water for two weeks, as revealed by physicochemical characterization such as SEM, TEM, XRD, and DLS. This transformation product formed in acidic water was referred as (acidic) transformed nVO2). Both pristine/untransformed and transformed nVO2 displayed no obvious toxicity to common epithelial cells; however, the acidic transformed nVO2 rapidly induced macrophage cell death. Further investigation demonstrated that transformed nVO2 caused macrophage apoptosis by the induction of Ca2+ efflux and the following mitochondrial membrane permeabilization (MMP) process. And a more detailed time course study indicated that transformed nVO2 caused lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) at the earlier stage, indicating LMP could be chosen as an earlier and sensitive end point for nanotoxicological study. We conclude that although nVO2 displays no acute toxicity, its acidic transformation product induces macrophage apoptosis by the induction of LMP and Ca2+ efflux. This report suggests that the interplay with environmental factors or living organisms can results in physicochemical transformation of nanomaterials and the ensuing distinctive biological effects.

Objective To investigate whether gait dysfunction is a predictor of severe spatial learning and memory impairment in aged mice. Methods A total of 100 12-month-old male mice that had no obvious abnormal motor ability and whose Morris water maze performances were not significantly different from those of two-month-old male mice were selected for the study. The selected aged mice were then divided into abnormal or normal gait groups according to the results from the quantitative gait assessment. Gaits of aged mice were defined as abnormal when the values of quantitative gait parameters were two standard deviations (SD) lower or higher than those of 2-month-old male mice. Gait parameters included stride length, variability of stride length, base of support, cadence, and average speed. After nine months, mice exhibiting severe spatial learning and memory impairment were separated from mice with mild or no cognitive dysfunction. The rate of severe spatial learning and memory impairment in the abnormal and normal gait groups was tested by a chi-square test and the correlation between gait dysfunction and decline in cognitive function was tested using a diagnostic test. Results The 12-month-old aged mice were divided into a normal gait group (n = 75) and an abnormal gait group (n = 25). Nine months later, three mice in the normal gait group and two mice in the abnormal gait group had died. The remaining mice were subjected to the Morris water maze again, and 17 out of 23 mice in the abnormal gait group had developed severe spatial learning and memory impairment, including six with stride length deficits, 15 with coefficient of variation (CV) in stride length, two with base of support (BOS) deficits, five with cadence dysfunction, and six with average speed deficits. In contrast, only 15 out of 72 mice in the normal gait group developed severe spatial learning and memory impairment. The rate of severe spatial learning and memory impairment was significantly higher in the abnormal gait group as compared to that in the normal gait group (x = 21.986, P