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Background: Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of children with CHD has been the focus of research attention. Hainan is the southernmost underdeveloped province in China, where the technology of screening, diagnosis, and treatment for children with CHD has not been fully developed. Objectives: This study aimed to introduce and promote an appropriate technology system for screening, diagnosis, and evaluation of neonatal CHD. Methods: Two indicators, namely cardiac auscultation plus pulse oximetry (POX), were used by screening staff to screen live newborns within six to 72 hours after birth at all screening institutions in Hainan province from January 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021. Diagnosis procedure for the screened-positive newborns was performed in 31 certified medical institutions, and evaluation procedure for the newborns confirmed with CHD was performed in six certified medical institutions. Data about screening, diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment were obtained, uploaded, and managed online through a neonatal CHD screening information management net. Results: A total of 321447 live births were included in the CHD screening project, and an overall screening rate of 97.59% (321447/329387) was determined. According to our results, 8032 cases were screened-positive. A total of 1099 cases of CHD were confirmed, suggesting a CHD prevalence of 3.419 per 1000 live births. Atrial septal defect (ASD) was the most common CHD lesion, with a prevalence of 1.313 per 1000 live births. The sensitivity of cardiac auscultation, POX, and two indicators’ combination (i.e., cardiac auscultation plus POX) for CHD detection were 69.15%, 33.49%, and 91.90%, respectively; and the specificity of them were 98.36%, 99.43%, and 97.81%, respectively. The ratio of both positive in two indicators among the children with major (serious and critical) CHD at the initial screening was significantly higher than that of single positive in any indicator (χ2 = 59.455, P < 0.001). All children with CHD were evaluated, out of who 154 children with major CHD were treated promptly. Only 15 cases of children with major CHD died, and the standardized mortality of children aged 0 - 1 years with CHD was 4.67/100,000. Conclusions: It was concluded that the combination of two indicators (i.e., cardiac auscultation plus POX) for CHD screening was reliable as well as non-invasive, simple, and easy to operate so that it was conducive for promotion. It was also found that introducing and promoting an appropriate technology for screening, diagnosis, and evaluation of neonatal CHD were extremely significant since they may have contributed to the timely diagnosing and treating children with CHD, especially those with major CHD.

Sensory nerves promote osteogenesis through the release of neuropeptides. However, the potential application and mechanism in which sensory nerves promote healing of bone defects in the presence of biomaterials remain elusive. The present study identified that new bone formation was more abundantly produced after implantation of silicified collagen scaffolds into defects created in the distal femur of rats. The wound sites were accompanied by extensive nerve innervation and angiogenesis. Sensory nerve dysfunction by capsaicin injection resulted in significant inhibition of silicon-induced osteogenesis in the aforementioned rodent model. Application of extracellular silicon in vitro induced axon outgrowth and increased expression of semaphorin 3 A (Sema3A) and semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), as detected by the upregulation of signaling molecules. Culture medium derived from silicon-stimulated DRG cells promoted proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells. These effects were inhibited by the use of Sema3A neutralizing antibodies but not by Sema4D neutralizing antibodies. Knockdown of Sema3A in DRG blocked silicon-induced osteogenesis and angiogenesis almost completely in a femoral defect rat model, whereas overexpression of Sema3A promoted the silicon-induced phenomena. Activation of “mechanistic target of rapamycin” (mTOR) pathway and increase of Sema3A production were identified in the DRG of rats that were implanted with silicified collagen scaffolds. These findings support the role of silicon in inducing Sema3A production by sensory nerves, which, in turn, stimulates osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Taken together, silicon has therapeutic potential in orthopedic rehabilitation.

The adult cortex has long been regarded as non-neurogenic. Whether injury can induce neurogenesis in the adult cortex is still controversial. Here, we report that focal ischemia stimulates a transient wave of local neurogenesis. Using 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine labeling, we demonstrated a rapid generation of doublecortin-positive neuroblasts that died quickly in mouse cerebral cortex following ischemia. Nestin-Cre

Neural stem cell (NSC) transplantation is a promising strategy for replacing lost neurons following spinal cord injury. However, the survival and differentiation of transplanted NSCs is limited, possibly owing to the neurotoxic inflammatory microenvironment. Because of the important role of glucose metabolism in M1/M2 polarization of microglia/macrophages, we hypothesized that altering the phenotype of microglia/macrophages by regulating the activity of aldose reductase (AR), a key enzyme in the polyol pathway of glucose metabolism, would provide a more beneficial microenvironment for NSC survival and differentiation. Here, we reveal that inhibition of host AR promoted the polarization of microglia/macrophages toward the M2 phenotype in lesioned spinal cord injuries. M2 macrophages promoted the differentiation of NSCs into neurons in vitro. Transplantation of NSCs into injured spinal cords either deficient in AR or treated with the AR inhibitor sorbinil promoted the survival and neuronal differentiation of NSCs at the injured spinal cord site and contributed to locomotor functional recovery. Our findings suggest that inhibition of host AR activity is beneficial in enhancing the survival and neuronal differentiation of transplanted NSCs and shows potential as a treatment of spinal cord injury.

The bHLH transcription factor Olig2 is required for sequential cell fate determination of both motor neurons and oligodendrocytes and for progenitor proliferation in the central nervous system. However, the role of Olig2 in peripheral sensory neurogenesis remains unknown. We report that Olig2 is transiently expressed in the newly differentiated olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and is downregulated in the mature OSNs in mice from early gestation to adulthood. Genetic fate mapping demonstrates that Olig2-expressing cells solely give rise to OSNs in the peripheral olfactory system. Olig2 depletion does not affect the proliferation of peripheral olfactory progenitors and the fate determination of OSNs, sustentacular cells, and the olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). However, the terminal differentiation and maturation of OSNs are compromised in either Olig2 single or Olig1/Olig2 double knockout mice, associated with significantly diminished expression of multiple OSN maturation and odorant signaling genes, including Omp, Gnal, Adcy3, and Olfr15. We further demonstrate that Olig2 binds to the E-box in the Omp promoter region to regulate its expression. Taken together, our results reveal a distinctly novel function of Olig2 in the periphery nervous system to regulate the terminal differentiation and maturation of olfactory sensory neurons.

Sensory nerves promote osteogenesis through the release of neuropeptides. However, the potential application and mechanism in which sensory nerves promote healing of bone defects in the presence of biomaterials remain elusive. The present study identified that new bone formation was more abundantly produced after implantation of silicified collagen scaffolds into defects created in the distal femur of rats. The wound sites were accompanied by extensive nerve innervation and angiogenesis. Sensory nerve dysfunction by capsaicin injection resulted in significant inhibition of silicon-induced osteogenesis in the aforementioned rodent model. Application of extracellular silicon in vitro induced axon outgrowth and increased expression of semaphorin 3 A (Sema3A) and semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), as detected by the upregulation of signaling molecules. Culture medium derived from silicon-stimulated DRG cells promoted proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial progenitor cells. These effects were inhibited by the use of Sema3A neutralizing antibodies but not by Sema4D neutralizing antibodies. Knockdown of Sema3A in DRG blocked silicon-induced osteogenesis and angiogenesis almost completely in a femoral defect rat model, whereas overexpression of Sema3A promoted the silicon-induced phenomena. Activation of “mechanistic target of rapamycin” (mTOR) pathway and increase of Sema3A production were identified in the DRG of rats that were implanted with silicified collagen scaffolds. These findings support the role of silicon in inducing Sema3A production by sensory nerves, which, in turn, stimulates osteogenesis and angiogenesis. Taken together, silicon has therapeutic potential in orthopedic rehabilitation., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • Nerve innervation, vascularization and tissue mineralization integrated into a single scaffold. • Silicified collagen scaffolds has therapeutic potential in orthopedic rehabilitation. • Silicified collagen scaffolds promote in-situ bone regeneration via sensory nerve innervation and semaphorin 3A production.

Glutamate is a prominent neurotransmitter responsible for excitatory synaptic transmission and is taken up by sodium-dependent excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) on astrocytes to maintain synaptic homeostasis. Here, we report that N-myc downstream regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), a known tumor suppressor, is required to facilitate astroglial glutamate uptake and protect the brain from glutamate excitotoxicity after ischemia. NDRG2 knockout (Ndrg2−/−) mice exhibited an increase in cerebral interstitial glutamate and a reduction in glutamate uptake into astrocytes. The ability of NDRG2 to control EAAT-mediated glutamate uptake into astrocytes required NDRG2 to interact with and promote the function of Na+/K+-ATPase β1, which could be disrupted by a Na+/K+-ATPase β1 peptide. The deletion of NDRG2 or treatment with the Na+/K+-ATPase β1 peptide significantly increased neuronal death upon a glutamate challenge and aggravated brain damage after ischemia. Our findings demonstrate that NDRG2 plays a pivotal role in promoting astroglial glutamate uptake from the interstitial space and protecting the brain from glutamate excitotoxicity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12975-019-00708-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ocean vector acoustic measurement is feasible affected by the hydrodynamic interference caused by the flow fluctuations and structural vibrations, especially in the very-low-frequency monitoring. Hence, a novel horizontal floating platform including a horizontal floating cable, vertical mooring cable and floating main body is proposed and described in this paper. It has the advantages of good maneuverability along with the current and multi-stage vibration isolation. The main application of this platform is to measure the ocean ambient noise coming from the wave fluctuation and the deterministic acoustic signals such as aquatic organisms, underwater targets and sailing vehicles. The influence of the current fluctuation on the attitude angle and flow induced vibration of cables and main body are analyzed with some previous sea test data. Moreover, the comparison between the vertical type platform used before and the horizontal type platform is also discussed. It is concluded that there is obvious relevance between the attitude angle and ocean current variation. Meanwhile, the abnormal influence on the main body is caused by the vibration transmission from the fluctuation of cables. There will be the influence on the accuracy of the acoustic measurement above 100 Hz, and the inherent vibration characteristic of the main body is the primary reason.

The finite element software based on the three-dimensional potential theory and Morison equation is used to simulate the mooring barge. The maximum amplitude of 6-DOF motion response of the barge in 5 wave directions is obtained by hydrostatic calculation in frequency domain, and the pressure distribution on the wet surface of the barge when encountering waves is obtained. The dynamic motion time history curve and force in X, Y, Z direction of the barge under the restraint of mooring lines are obtained by the method of couple sum calculation. Mooring cable response curve and laid length variation curve in time domain are proved that the mooring design project of barge can meet the safety condition specified by the classification society.

Background: Reactive astrogliosis is a common pathologic change of various neurological disorders and usually takes some properties of neural progenitors. This dedifferentiation response of reactive astrocytes to injury is thought as an endogenous cellular attempt for neuronal regeneration, but the underlying mechanism remains largely unclear. Methods: A focal cerebral ischemic model was adopted to assess the dedifferentiation of reactive astrocytes. Topgal mice (a Wnt signaling reporting mouse line) and Caspase-3-/- mice were used to evaluate the change and roles of Wnt signaling and apoptosis in this process. Virus mediated Wnt2, β-catenin, dnTCF4 and DAP5 manipulation was used to reveal the molecular mechanism of dedifferentiation. Ischemic cortical samples and Wnt2-5UTR sequences of macaca mulatta and human were analyzed to explore if the apoptosis-induced Wnt2 up-regulation was conserved. Results: Focal ischemia induces rapid up-regulation of Wnt2 protein in apoptotic neurons in mice, primates and human, and activation of canonical Wnt signaling in reactive astrocytes. Local delivery of Wnt2 shRNA abolished the dedifferentiation response of astrocytes while over-expressing Wnt2 promoted progenitor marker expression and neurogenesis. Both the activation of Wnt signaling and dedifferentiation of astrocytes was compromised in ischemic caspase-3-/- cortex. Over-expressing stabilized β-catenin not only facilitated neurogenesis but also promoted functional recovery in ischemic caspase-3-/- mice. Apoptotic neurons up-regulated Wnt2 protein via internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. Knocking down death associated protein 5 (DAP5), a key protein in IRES-mediated protein translation, significantly diminished both Wnt activation and astrocyte dedifferentiation. Conclusions: Our data demonstrated a novel apoptosis-initiated Wnt-activating mechanism which triggers the dedifferentiation of reactive astrocytes and facilitates neurogenesis in adult cortex, revealing a “SOS” mechanism for inducing astrocyte dedifferentiation and indicating Wnt2/β-catenin signaling as a potential therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.

Nitrogen oxide (NO

In the disturbance of unsteady flow field under the sea, the monitoring accuracy and precision of the bottom-mounted acoustic monitoring platform will decrease. In order to reduce the hydrodynamic interference, the platform wrapped with fairing structure and separated from the retrieval unit is described. The suppression effect evaluation based on the correlation theory of sound pressure and particle velocity for spherical wave in infinite homogeneous medium is proposed and the difference value between them is used to evaluate the hydrodynamic restraining performance of the bottom-mounted platform under far field condition. Through the sea test, it is indicated that the platform with sparse layers fairing structure (there are two layers for the fairing, in which the inside layer is 6-layers sparse metal net, and the outside layer is 1-layer polyester cloth, and then it takes sparse layers for short) has no attenuation in the sound pressure response to the sound source signal, but obvious suppression in the velocity response to the hydrodynamic noise. The effective frequency of the fairing structure is decreased below 10 Hz, and the noise magnitude is reduced by 10 dB. With the comparison of different fairing structures, it is concluded that the tighter fairing structure can enhance the performance of sound transmission and flow restraining.

In this study, a kinetic model was developed based on Anaerobic Digestion Model No. 1 to provide insights into the directed production of acetate and methane from sugar-containing wastewater under low pH conditions. The model sufficiently described the dynamics of liquid-phase and gaseous products in an anaerobic membrane bioreactor by comprehensively considering the syntrophic bioconversion steps of sucrose hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis and methanogenesis under acidic pH conditions. The modeling results revealed a significant pH-dependency of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis and ethanol-producing processes that govern the sucrose fermentative pathway through changing the hydrogen yield. The reaction thermodynamics of such acetate-type fermentation were evaluated, and the implications for process optimization by adjusting the hydraulic retention time were discussed. This work sheds light on the acid-stimulated acetate-type fermentation process and may lay a foundation for optimization of resource-oriented processes for treatment of food wastewater.

Medium Mn advanced high strength steel (AHSS) with significant combination of strength and ductility is one of candidates of the Third Generation AHSS. However, the specific plastic instability behavior of medium Mn steels is different from traditional steels and physical mechanism behind it is unclear. Representative volume element (RVE) has been proved to be applicable of describing microstructural deformation and revealing the micro-deformation mechanism. In this paper, a two dimensional micro-mechanical RVE of medium Mn steel, 7MnCA, is constructed from its electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) data. The deformation behavior under uniaxial tension is investigated based on the constructed RVE models incorporating with phases morphology and distribution. The results show that the present RVEs constructed from EBSD data through image-processing algorithm with different filling strategies are capable to predict the macroscopic mechanical behavior of medium Mn steel with finite element analysis. Keywords: Medium Mn steel, Representative volume element, EBSD, Finite element analysis

Summary Notch signaling is critically involved in neural development, but the downstream effectors remain incompletely understood. In this study, we cultured neurospheres from Nestin-Cre-mediated conditional Rbp-j knockout (Rbp-j cKO) and control embryos and compared their miRNA expression profiles using microarray. Among differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-342-5p showed upregulated expression as Notch signaling was genetically or pharmaceutically interrupted. Consistently, the promoter of the miR-342-5p host gene, the Ena-vasodilator stimulated phosphoprotein-like (Evl), was negatively regulated by Notch signaling, probably through HES5. Transfection of miR-342-5p promoted the differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) into intermediate neural progenitors (INPs) in vitro and reduced the stemness of NSCs in vivo. Furthermore, miR-342-5p inhibited the differentiation of neural stem/intermediate progenitor cells into astrocytes, likely mediated by targeting GFAP directly. Our results indicated that miR-342-5p could function as a downstream effector of Notch signaling to regulate the differentiation of NSCs into INPs and astrocytes commitment., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • miR-342-5p acts as a downstream effector of canonical Notch signaling • Notch signal inhibits miR-342-5p expression by regulating its host gene Evl • miR-342-5p promotes the transition of NSCs into INPs • Astrocyte commitment was suppressed by miR-342-5p targeting GFAP, In this article, Han and colleagues show that miR-342-5p acts as a downstream effector of Notch signaling in the mouse CNS. Notch signal inhibits miR-342-5p expression by regulating its host gene Evl. And with attenuated Notch signal in NSCs, miR-342-5p is upregulated to promote NSCs transition into INPs, and to inhibit astrocyte commitment by targeting GFAP.

To understand film cooling flow fields and heat transfer characteristics of the longitudinal corrugated surface on afterburner heat liner, the numerical simulation was performed in approximate actual boundary conditions. The single hole and full film holes on the corrugated surface were investigated under different boundary conditions to study the heat transfer and discharge coefficient. The adverse pressure gradient on the leeward results in spanwise expansion of the airflow, while the favorable pressure gradient on the windward keeps the shape of the jet constant. The different hole spacing and hole row spacing in different positions of the corrugated surface should be considered due to the film covering characteristics. The film cooling holes at the same height on the leeward and windward share the similar laterally average effectiveness. The flow rate and discharge coefficient increase from crest to trough. Cross-flow has a negative influence on the discharge coefficient especially the inlet cross-flow. The cross-flow and discharge coefficient can be correlated with each other by a logarithmic function. The jet discharge coefficient on the windward surface is higher than that on the leeward surface, which is contrary to previous cognition. The reason is that the jet blocking causes the downstream pressure zone to advance, which counteracts and enhanced the siphon effect on the leeward and windward side respectively. As the inlet pressure of coolant increases, the film cooling effectiveness on the windward side is greatly improved in full film condition. However, it changes little on the leeward side.

Biomechanical methods may provide a novel way to understand blood accumulation in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The current study presents the results of a biomechanical analysis of blood accumulation in ICH using a finite element analysis, with an emphasis on the pressure exerted by the mass effect of blood in early ICH. A two-dimensional finite model of the human brain parenchyma and the human ventricular system was developed and analyzed under two preloading conditions. The material properties of the human parenchyma were derived from previous reports. Ogden's theory was applied to describe the stress-strain association in soft tissue. The results of the present study indicated that maximal stress was located at the two ends of the hemorrhage cavity, with the majority of stresses distributed on the zone surrounding the bleed. The two load environments demonstrated similar stress distributions. The loads put on the detached edges were not less than the intracranial pressure (ICP) when the stress threshold was reached. The results of the present study suggest that the direction of blood accumulation can be determined by the shape of the initial blood mass. Mechanical factors (blood pressure and ICP) did not serve a definitive role in preventing blood from accumulating in the early stages of ICH. The present study may aid in understanding the effects of mechanical factors in blood accumulation and hemostasis in patients with early ICH.

Study design: Experimental study. Objectives: To investigate the effect of early hemostasis on spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China. Methods: Sprague Dawley rats were used. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to observe hemorrhage at different time points (2, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h) after SCI to determine the time window of hemostatic drug administration (n=3 per time point). Three different concentrations of Etamsylate (0.025, 0.05 and 0.1 g kg−1) were administered immediately and 5 and 10 h after SCI to evaluate the effective dosage (n=6 per group). Another 82 rats were then randomly divided into two groups, Etamsylate group (0.1 g kg−1, n=41) and glucose control group (n=41). Nissl staining was performed to observe neurons at 10 days post injury. Immunohistochemistry, western blot and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to detect tissue necrosis at 7 d.p.i., the activation of astrocytes and microglia/macrophages and lesion cavity at 10 d.p.i. Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan scoring and rump height index assay were used to examine locomotion recovery. Results: Early hemostasis reduced the lesion area and tissue necrosis, enhanced neuronal survival, alleviated the activation of microglia/macrophages and astrocytes and facilitated functional recovery after spinal cord contusion in rats. Early hemostasis decreased hemorrhage area and lesion area after spinal cord transection in rats. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that early hemostasis has beneficial effects on SCI in the rat. It has the potential to be translated into clinical practice.

Proper neuron-glia ratio is essential for normal brain development and function. Olig1 is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor generally used as a lineage tool for oligodendrocyte research in spinal cord. Recent studies have revealed a property of Olig1-positive cells as the common progenitors of GABAergic neurons and oligodendrocytes in the forebrain during embryogenesis, and a stage-dependent regulatory role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the differentiation of oligodendrocytes in spinal cord. Given the neurogenic role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in neural progenitor cells, it is unclear how β-catenin affects the differentiation of Olig1-positive progenitors in brain. In the present study, we investigated the effects of β-catenin over-expression on the differentiation of Olig1-positive progenitors in the forebrain cortex, by using Olig1-Cre:β-cateninEX3 (loxp/+):ROSA-YFP (β-cateninEX3 CKO) mice as compared to Olig1-Cre:ROSA-YFP control. The results showed that in the cortex of Olig1-Cre:ROSA-YFP mice, approximately 28.6% of YFP labeled cells are GFAP-positive, 43.7% are NG2-positive, 23.4% are CC1-positive and 3.2% are NeuN-positive, showing that Olig1-positive cells are multi-potential and mainly gliogenic. However, in the cortex of β-cateninEX3 CKO mice, the percentage of astrocytes generated from Olig1-positive cells decreased dramatically to approximately 2%, NG2-positive cells to 0.4%, and CC1-positive cells to 0.5%. In contrast, the percentage of NeuN-positive cells increased to approximately 96% of YFP-labeled cells. Taken together, our data showed that the gliogenic property of Olig1-positive progenitors in forebrain can be efficiently switched to neurogenic by over-expressing β-catenin, revealing a neurogenic effect of β-catenin in the forebrain Olig1-positive progenitors.

Microglia/macrophages play a crucial role in inflammation after spinal cord injury (SCI). Although extensive studies have been performed on the mechanisms of microglia/macrophage activation and recruitment, how microglia/macrophages are eliminated remains unclear. In the present study, we observed a high-level expression of mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL), a key molecule in the execution of necroptosis, in microglia/macrophages after SCI in mice. In vivo PI-labeling and Necrostatin-1 treatment confirmed the necroptosis of microglia/macrophages. Interestingly, our electronic microscopic (EM) study revealed that MLKL localized not only at the membrane but also on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of necroptotic microglia/macrophages. Furthermore, receptor-interacting protein 3 (RIP3), another necrosome component, was also found on the ER of necroptotic microglia/macrophages. And Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), an ER stress sensor, was up-regulated in MLKL-positive microglia/macrophages after SCI, suggesting a possible link between necroptosis and ER stress. In vitro, oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) stress induced ER stress and necroptosis in microglia. Inhibiting ER stress by 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA) significantly blocked the OGD-induced necroptosis of microglia. In the end, our data showed that, GRP78 and phosphorylated MLKL were co-expressed by the microglia/macrophages in the injured human spinal cord. Taken together, these results suggested that microglia/macrophages undergo an ER-stress involved necroptosis after SCI, implying that ER stress and necroptosis could be manipulated for modulating inflammation post-SCI.

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) have gained tremendous global interest over the last decades as a device that uses bacteria to oxidize organic and inorganic matters in the anode with bioelectricity generation and even for purpose of bioremediation. However, this prospective technology has not yet been carried out in field in particular because of its low power yields and target compounds removal which can be largely influenced by electron acceptors contributing to overcome the potential losses existing on the cathode. This mini review summarizes various electron acceptors used in recent years in the categories of inorganic and organic compounds, identifies their merits and drawbacks, and compares their influences on performance of MFCs, as well as briefly discusses possible future research directions particularly from cathode aspect.

In this paper, a length-controllable picking-up method of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is proposed and the electrical performance data utilized for the conductivity analysis of CNT are also obtained. The micro-nano-operation system inside scanning electron microscope (SEM) is composed of 4 manipulation units each with 3 degrees of freedom, which is driven by piezoelectric ceramics and flexure hinges. In this micro manipulation system, an atomic force microscope (AFM) probe is used as the end effector to adjust the spatial pose of the CNT based on van der Waals force and two tungsten needles are used to cut the CNT from the target length and to measure the I-V characteristic data simultaneously. At first, the AFM probe is moved in the z direction to approach to the CNT until the end of the CNT is adsorbed onto the surface of the AFM probe. And then the AFM probe moves alternately in the x and z direction in order to stretch the CNT into a horizontal straight line, only in this way can the length of the CNT be measured accurately and can the cutting position be determined. Two tungsten needles cleaned by using hydrofluoric acid to remove the oxide layer are controlled to contact both sides of the cutting position on CNT and connected to the TECK 2280S power supply through the electric cabinet to apply a gradually increasing DC voltage, and the current in the circuit is measured and recorded by the TECK DMM7510 until the current abruptly changes to zero which indicates that the CNT between the tungsten needles has been cut off. The stress of the CNT in contact with the tungsten needles and the AFM probe are analyzed. The modeling of van der Waals force between AFM probe and CNT which can influence the pick-up length error caused by the deformation of CNT under the force of tungsten needles is completed. It is found that the contact length of them and the pick-up length error decrease while the van der Waals force between the AFM probe and CNT increases. The circuit models for contact between the tungsten needles and three operating objects, such as semiconducting CNT, metallic CNT and CNT bundle, are also established. In addition, the I-V characteristic equations of circuit model which can be used to fit the I-V data are derived separately. The CNT pick-up experiment is carried out and the results demonstrate that the proposed picking method can control the length of CNT effectively, but the conductivity of CNT can also be judged by fitting the I-V obtained experiment data through the derived I-V characteristic equations.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) may lead to physical and pathological damage and has been a focus of research for decades. Evaluating tensile damage caused by deformation in ICH is an important component of damage assessment for correct diagnosis and treatment. Traditional research on ICH paid little attention to quantified brain tissue damage resulting from mechanical factors, and only a few reported the mechanical properties of damaged brain tissue. The aim of the present study was to present an effective method that is able to evaluate the tissue damage degree in ICH, based on strain energy function. Two finite element analysis (FEA) models were analyzed: A three-dimensional (3D) model for tissue's tension experiment and a two-dimensional (2D) model for brain tissue's deformation in ICH. The polynomial fitting function of stress vs. stretch curve, which was derived from previous reports, was used in the FEA as the constitutive function of brain tissue. The present study demonstrated that white matter could be regarded as hyperelastic material when stretch was 1.343. The strain energy loss was not linear in this process, and Neo-Hookean and Ogden model's results demonstrated a similar change in trend, but a difference in quantity. The results from 2D and 3D simulation, respectively, demonstrated the degree of damage according to the above dividing criteria and the possible distribution of tissue damage after ICH ictus. An analytical model from a biomechanical perspective for white matter injury in ICH may facilitate to improve clinical diagnosis and treatment.

This paper represents an auxiliary scheme for traditional deep-sea ground buoy lowering through past several years work on buoy lowering research. From this scheme the ground buoy could lay on appropriate posture to keep steady bottoming. The composition, advantage and existing difficulties of the auxiliary lowering system are also pointed in detail.

To investigate the relationship between the levels of plasma adrenaline and norepinephrine and gene polymorphism of β1 adrenergic receptor G1165C in children with enterovirus 71 (EV71) infection in hand foot and mouth disease (HFMD).The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the expression of gene polymorphism of β1 adrenergic receptor G1165C in vitro. The levels of plasma adrenaline and norepinephrine were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The plasma norepinephrine level of severe group was significantly higher than the mild group in children with EV71 infection in HFMD (P 0.05); however, the levels of plasma adrenaline in two groups had no statistical differences (P 0.05); There was no significant difference in the distribution of β1 adrenergic receptor G1165C genotype and allele between EV71 infection group and healthy control group (P 0.05). Further analysis of EV71 infection group by dividing it into mild and severe groups showed that there was no significant difference in the distribution of genotype and allele between these two groups as well (P 0.05). There was no significant difference in the levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine in different genotypes of EV71 infection group (P 0.05), and in the levels of plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine in the mild and severe groups (P 0.05).As the disease gets worse, the plasma norepinephrine level has a rising trend in children with EV71 infection in HFMD, which is an important indicator to evaluate the progress of the disease. However, the gene polymorphism of β1 adrenergic receptor G1165C have no significant correlation, not only with the susceptibility and severity of EV71 infection in hand, foot and mouth disease, but also with the levels of catecholamine.

A new polyoxypregnane aglycone, tenacigenin D (1), and seven new C21 steroid glycosides, tenacissimosides D-J (2-8), were isolated from the stems of Marsdenia tenacissima. Their structures were determined by interpretation of their 1D and 2D NMR and other spectroscopic data, as well as by comparison with published values for related known compounds. Compound 1 was found to circumvent P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated multidrug resistance through an inhibitory effect on P-gp with a similar potency to verapamil. In addition, compound 1 potentiated the activity of erlotinib and gefitinib in epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR TKI)-resistant non-small-cell lung cancer cells.

We aimed to investigate whether peripheral low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces the breakdown of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and/or the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in the neonatal rat brain. Neonatal rats received intraperitoneal injections of low-dose LPS (0.3 mg/kg∙bw), and the BBB compromise was detected by Evans Blue extravasation and electron microscopy. Meanwhile, TLR4, adaptin myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), nuclear transcription factor kappa-B (NF-κB) p50 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in the neonatal rat brain were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western Blot. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the distribution and activation of microglia in the brain after LPS administration. It was demonstrated that Evans Blue extravasation was not observed in the brain parenchyma, and that tight junctions of cerebral endothelial cells remained intact after systemic injections of LPS in neonatal rats. Although intracerebroventricular injections of LPS activated microglia and up-regulated the expression of TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB p50 and TNFα in the neonatal rat brain, systemic LPS did not induce these responses. These findings indicate that while the neonatal rat brain responds to the direct intra-cerebral administration of LPS through robust TLR4 activation, systemic low-dose LPS does not induce the innate immune reaction or compromise the BBB in neonatal rats.

Enterprise integrated automation is the general trend of industrial control development. The combination of control network and information network provides comprehensive information services for enterprise as production information, production control, planning decisions and sales management as well. The industrial control network and information network integration can realize the information and resources sharing among the enterprises networks and further improve the enterprises informationization and integrated automation level so as to achieve the situation that the enterprise production and management is more efficient and more flexible. The study introduces the information integration of the fieldbus control network and the information network and analyze the information integration technologies such as internetworking, dynamic data exchange (DDE), Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), OLE for Process Control (OPC), control network and information network with unified protocol standards. the integration application of bus system is illustrated with the example of Controller Area Network (CAN) bus.

The transverse mass spectra of light mesons produced in Au–Au collisions at s N N = 200 GeV / nucleon are analyzed in Tsallis statistics. In high-energy collisions, it has been found that the spectra follow a generalized scaling law. We applied Tsallis statistics to the description of different particles using the scaling properties. The calculated results are in agreement with experimental data of PHENIX Collaboration. And, the temperature of emission sources is extracted consistently.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs), the major glia cells in the olfactory system, have been extensively studied because of their ability to promote axonal growth and regeneration. Whether it could facilitate synaptogenesis is an important, but remains as yet an unanswered question. We have identified a subgroup of Wnt signaling-activated OECs, spatiotemporal distribution of which in the olfactory bulb suggests a role for these cells in both axonal growth and synaptogenesis. In the present study, we explored this possibility in vitro. OECs were primarily cultured, in which Wnt signaling was activated by overexpressing β-catenin, and inhibited by dominant negative TCF4. Neurite growth and synaptogenesis were assessed by co-culturing neurons with conditioned medium from control OECs (cOECs CM), Wnt/β-catenin signaling-activated OECs (wOECs CM), or Wnt signaling-inhibited OECs (wiOECs). The results showed that although cOECs CM enhances axonal growth, wOECs CM exhibited a stronger axonal growth-promoting effect, than cOECs CM. More importantly, wOECs CM stimulates synatpogenesis, demonstrated by the expression of Synaptophysin and whole-cell patch clamp recording. In contrast, both cOECs CM and wiOECs CM do not affect synaptogenesis. Our data, for the first time, demonstrated that, in comparison with regularly cultured OECs, wOECs CM are more effective in enhancing axonal growth, and can promote synaptogenesis, probably by secreting factors. These results suggest a potential application of wOECs for treating spinal cord injury.

A facile topochemical route has been developed to synthesize porous LiMn2O4 spheres by using molten LiOH and porous Mn2O3 spheres as a precursor. The formation of porous LiMn2O4 spheres was inherited from porous Mn2O3 spheres which were obtained from the thermal decomposition of the MnCO3 precursors and the presence of pores was confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). When applied as cathode materials for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, it shows good capacity retention after cycling. Taking the excellent electrochemical performance and facile synthesis into consideration, the presented porous LiMn2O4 spheres could be a competitive candidate cathode material for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

In the present investigation, lab-made mesoporous activated carbon (MAC) was prepared for testing the ability to remove Cr(VI) from aqueous solution. The influences of several operating parameters such as pH and temperature on the adsorption were investigated. Solution pH is found highly influencing the adsorption and low pH is favorable for Cr(VI) adsorption. The adsorption of Cr(VI) is enhanced with increased temperature. Thermodynamic parameters were evaluated and the adsorption was endothermic. Several adsorption isotherms include Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin–Radushkevich(D–R) were used to fit the equilibrium data. The adsorption kinetic data of Cr(VI) were analyzed and was found fitting well in pseudo-second order equation. The lab-made MAC is found to be effective adsorbent for removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions.

Gastric cancer stem cells (CSCs), which require activation of Wnt signaling to maintain their self-renewal and tumorigenicity, are proposed to be critical targets for effective therapy of gastric carcinomas. Gene therapies that are delivered by adenovirus of serotype 5 (Ad5) or chimeric 5/35(Ad5/35) adenovirus have shown promise for treating various cancers. Here we aimed to develop a gene therapy strategy that targeted gastric CSCs (CD44+ cells). CD44+ cells were isolated by fluorescence activated cell sorting from both primary gastric cancer cells and cell lines. Expression of adenovirus receptors was examined in CD44+ and CD44− cells. A potent Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) was delivered into CD44+ cells using Ad5/35 (Ad5/35-DKK1). The therapeutic outcomes were evaluated. Expression of Coxsakievirus adenovirus receptor for Ad5 was significantly reduced, while abundance of CD46, the receptor for Ad5/35, was slightly higher in CD44+ cells. Accordingly, CD44+ cells were sensitive to Ad5/35 infection, but not to Ad5. Ad5/35-DKK1 introduced DKK1 into CD44+ cells and deactivated endogenous Wnt/β-catenin signaling efficiently. Overexpression of DKK1 inhibited survival, anchorage-independent colony formation, and invasion of CD44+ cells, which were restored by a GSK-3 specific inhibitor BIO-acetoxime. More importantly, introduction of DKK1 abrogated the tumorigenicity of CD44+ cells in vivo. However, Ad5/35-DKK1 only showed minimal cytotoxicity to normal tissue-derived cells, L-02 and GES-1. We developed, for the first time, a novel Ad5/35-DKK1-based approach to abrogate Wnt signaling in CSCs and demonstrated that gastric CSC-targeting gene therapy was effective in preclinical experiments.

This paper mainly researches the control system of honing machine spindle reciprocating motion. On the basis of brief introduction to the processing of honing machines, its mathematic models were established, and design the double control system on the base of fuzzy control .Two fuzzy controllers were used separately according to actual error signal of the system output to improve the system rapidity and overshot .so that make the designed control system of honing machines spindle reciprocating motion can satisfy the design requirements better. Finally the control system was conducted by using the tool of MATLAB. The simulation result showed that the double fuzzy controller can effectively reduce steady-state error of the system and overshoots can well satisfied the system performance index, and has some quick response ability.

Ischemia not only leads to tissue damage, but also induces seizures, which in turn worsens the outcome of ischemia. Recent studies have revealed the impaired homeostatic functions of reactive astrocytes, which were thought to facilitate the development of seizures. However, how this phenotype of reactive astrocytes is regulated remains unclear. Here, using pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindling model, we investigated the roles of reactive astrocytes and their intracellular Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the ischemia-increased seizure susceptibility. Our data showed that somatosensory cortical ischemia significantly increased the susceptibility to PTZ-induced seizure. Genetic ablation of Nestin-positive reactive astrocytes significantly decreased the incidence and severity of seizures. By using a Wnt signaling reporter mice line Topgal mice, we found that Wnt/β-catenin signaling was upregulated in reactive astrocytes after ischemia. Depletion of β-catenin in reactive astrocytes significantly decreased the susceptibility of seizures and the expression of c-Fos induced by PTZ in the ischemic cortex. Overexpression of β-catenin in reactive astrocytes, in contrast, significantly increased seizure susceptibility and the expression of c-Fos. Furthermore, the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) and inwardly rectifying K(+) channel 4.1 (Kir4.1), two molecules reportedly associated with seizure development, was oppositely affected in reactive astrocytes with β-catenin depletion or overexpression. Taken together, these data indicated that astrocytic Wnt/β-catenin signaling accounts, at least partially, for the ischemia-increased seizure susceptibility. Inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling may be utilized in the future for preventing postischemic seizures.