Search

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare but fatal disease characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and increased pressure in the distal pulmonary arteries. Systematic analysis of the proteins and pathways involved in the progression of PAH is crucial for understanding the underlying molecular mechanism. In this study, we performed tandem mass tags (TMT)-based relative quantitative proteomic profiling of lung tissues from rats treated with monocrotaline (MCT) for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks. A total of 6759 proteins were quantified, among which 2660 proteins exhibited significant changes (p-value < 0.05, fold change < 0.83 or >1.2). Notably, these changes included several known PAH-related proteins, such as Retnla (resistin-like alpha) and arginase-1. Furthermore, the expression of potential PAH-related proteins, including Aurora kinase B and Cyclin-A2, was verified via Western blot analysis. In addition, we performed quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis on the lungs from MCT-induced PAH rats and identified 1412 upregulated phosphopeptides and 390 downregulated phosphopeptides. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant involvement of pathways such as complement and coagulation cascades and the signaling pathway of vascular smooth muscle contraction. Overall, this comprehensive analysis of proteins and phosphoproteins involved in the development and progression of PAH in lung tissues provides valuable insights for the development of potential diagnostic and treatment targets for PAH.

User interaction can significantly degrade handset antenna performances through frequency detuning and absorption. In this article, the relationships between the hand effects and the radiation patterns of the antennas are investigated using characteristic mode theory. First, we calculate the characteristic far fields of a typical monopole-loaded handset antenna with metal frames. Afterward, the radiation patterns of the handset antenna are simulated and obtained in two different scenarios, i.e., in free space and with hand. Then we map the antenna patterns in two scenarios to the characteristic mode patterns by calculating the weighting coefficients, which stand for the power contributions of the modes. By inspecting the variations of the weighting coefficients in free space and with hands, it is found that the modes with less radiation at the boresight and the backward directions are more robust to the hands. Accordingly, a handset antenna with little radiating power toward the boresight is designed. Compared to the reference antenna with the same feeding location, the efficiencies of the proposed antenna have been improved by 4.1 and 6.3 dB, respectively, for the left-hand and right-hand scenarios. Experiments have been carried out for the hand effects, with the measured results agreeing reasonably with the simulated ones.

Background: The pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis is not completely clear, while it is clear that various immune cells and cytokines play an essential role in its occurrence and development.Aim: To investigate the effect of exogenous interleukin-10 on the expression of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, and Th17/Treg-IL10/IL-17 axis balance in the nasal mucosa of rats with allergic rhinitis.Method: In this study, 48 female SPF SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: blank control group, AR group, and IL-10 intervention group. The allergic rhinitis model was established in the AR group and IL-10 group. The rats in the control group were treated with normal saline; the rats in the AR group were given 20 μ L of saline containing 50 μ g of OVA every day. The rats in the IL-10 intervention group were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mL of 40 pg/kg IL-10 and provided with OVA. The IL-10 intervention group was composed of mice with AR that received IL-10. The behavior of nasal allergic symptoms (such as nasal itching, sneezing, and runny nose) and the HE staining of nasal mucosa were observed. The levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVAs IgE in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The levels of Treg and Th17 cells in serum were detected by flow cytometry. The protein levels of TGF- β, IL-10, and IL-17 in nasal mucosa were detected by the Western-blot method.Results: The scores of snots, nasal itching, and sneezing in the AR group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the scores of the above symptoms in the IL-10 intervention group were lower than those in the AR group. The levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVAs IgE in serum and the protein levels of IL-10 and IL-17 in the nasal mucosa in the AR group were higher than those in the blank control group. Meanwhile, the levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVAs IgE in serum and IL-10 and IL-17 protein in the nasal mucosa in the IL-10 group were lower than those in the AR group.Conclusion: IL-10 could improve the allergy of AR rats by affecting the expression of FIB, PCT, and hs-CRP, as well as the balance of the Th17/Treg-IL10/IL-17 axis in the nasal mucosa of AR rats.

Background The pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) is ambiguous, while it is clear that various immune cells and cytokines play crucial roles in its occurrence and development. Aim To investigate the effect of exogenous interleukin-10 (IL-10) on the expression of fibrinogen (FIB), procalcitonin (PCT), hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and Th17/Treg-IL10/IL-17 axis balance in the nasal mucosa of rats with AR. Method In this study, 48 female-specific pathogen-free Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: blank control group, AR group, and IL-10 intervention group. The AR model was established in the AR group and IL-10 group. The rats in the control group were treated with normal saline; the rats in the AR group were given 20 μL of saline containing 50 μg of ovalbumin (OVA) every day. The rats in the IL-10 intervention group were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mL of 40 pg/kg IL-10 and provided with OVA. The IL-10 intervention group was composed of mice with AR that received IL-10. The behavior of nasal allergic symptoms (such as nasal itching, sneezing, and runny nose) and the hematoxylin and eosin staining of nasal mucosa were observed. The levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVA sIgE in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The levels of Treg and Th17 cells in serum were detected by flow cytometry. The protein levels of TGF-β, IL-10, and IL-17 in nasal mucosa were detected by the Western-blot method. Results The scores of snots, nasal itching, and sneezing in the AR group were significantly higher than those in the control group, while the scores of the above symptoms in the IL-10 intervention group were lower than those in the AR group. The levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVA sIgE in serum and the protein levels of IL-10 and IL-17 in the nasal mucosa in the AR group were higher than those in the blank control group. Meanwhile, the levels of FIB, PCT, hs-CRP, IgE, and OVA sIgE in serum and IL-10 and IL-17 protein in the nasal mucosa in the IL-10 group were lower than those in the AR group. Conclusion IL-10 can relieve the allergy of AR rats by affecting the expression of FIB, PCT, and hs-CRP, as well as the balance of the Th17/Treg-IL10/IL-17 axis in the nasal mucosa of AR rats.

Aim: To explore the effect of finite element biomechanical properties of different methods in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures.Methods: Based on the ultra-thin CT scan data of a volunteer's thoracolumbar spine, the finite element method was used to simulate the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture. The images of thoracolumbar region were obtained by spiral CT scanning, and the three-dimensional geometric model was obtained by importing Mimics software, the finite element model of normal T11 ~ L2 segment was established by finite element software Abaqus, and the validity of the model loading was verified. Based on the finite element model of T11 vertebral compression fracture based on normal raw data, the clinical overextension reduction manipulation was simulated by different treatment methods, and the changes of stress and displacement in different parts of injured vertebrae were analyzed.Results: In this study, an effective finite element model of T11-L2 segment is established. The maximum stress, axial compression strength, axial compression stiffness (EF) and transverse shear stiffness (GF) of PKP and PVP treatment group were significantly better than those of conservative treatment group and open treatment group, and the difference was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between open treatment group and conservative treatment group, and there was no significant difference between PKP and PVP treatment group.Conclusion: The results of finite element analysis show that PKP and PVP in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures can effectively improve the condition of patients, relieve their clinical symptoms, have a good prognosis and have a good long-term effect, and its biomechanical properties are good, the application effect is remarkable.

Land-use maps are instrumental to inform urban planning and environmental research. Street view images (SVIs) have shown great potential for automated land-use classification for land-use mapping. ...

For the first time, zero-ground-clearance dual antenna pair with high isolation and balanced high performance is proposed. A T-shaped monopole intersects with a T-shaped slot that is etched on a large ground edge, constituting the CPW-fed dual antenna pair. By exploiting the odd and even modes of the CPW structure, two orthogonal characteristic modes including the in-phase current and monopole modes can be excited, generating high port isolation. Both modes are unbalanced mode, which means that the ground currents can be fully excited, so the two antennas are with balanced high performance. A sub-6 GHz antenna pair that occupies a footprint of $15\times 7$ mm2 ( $0.18\,\,\lambda \,\times 0.08\,\,\lambda$ ) is analyzed and the simulated results show an isolation of better than −24 dB and an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of lower than 0.0016, −6 dB bandwidths of 230 and 240 MHz, and average efficiencies of 57.9% and 57.4%. A four-antenna multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array is fabricated and measured to verify the feasibility. The measured isolations and ECCs of the two modes are, respectively, better than −20.0 dB and 0.04, −6 dB bandwidths are 230 MHz/240 MHz and 220 MHz/230 MHz, and average efficiencies are 54.5%/50.2% and 49.9%/48.6%. The proposed dual antenna pair exhibits a great potential for 5G MIMO smartphone application.

This paper proposes a polarization-orthogonal co-frequency dual antenna pair suitable for fifth-generation (5G) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) smartphone with metallic bezels. The proposed spatial-reuse dual antenna pair consists of a split on the metallic bezel and a slot on the mainboard ground, where the slot is centered on the split. Two orthogonal degenerate characteristic modes operating at half wavelength including in-phase current and slot modes can be excited on the same antenna structure. An end-shorted microstrip line that crosses the split is used to excite the in-phase current mode, producing $y$ -polarized radiation, while a symmetrical slot-centered Y-shaped feeding network with its shorted ends crossing the slot is adopted to excite the slot mode, producing $x$ -polarized radiation. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that a co-frequency dual antenna pair suitable for smartphone with metallic bezels is proposed. A sub-6 GHz dual antenna pair operating at 3.5 GHz that occupies a footprint of $25 \times 7 \times 1.5$ mm3 shows a simulated isolation better than −24.1 dB without any external decoupling measures and an envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) lower than 0.008. A four-antenna MIMO array is fabricated and measured to verify the feasibility. Across the operation band, the measured isolation of the antenna pair is better than −20.1 dB and other isolation levels are all better than −12.7 dB, the ECCs of any two antennas are lower than 0.13, and the total efficiency range of the four antennas is 35.2%~64.7%. The proposed dual antenna pair exhibits a great potential to be applied in future 5G MIMO smartphone.

In this work, we investigate how different radiation patterns are influenced by the user’s hand, based on which we design handset antennas that are robust to the hand effect. Handset antenna working at dual bands is firstly simulated numerically, with its eigenvalues, characteristic currents and farfields calculated over the frequency bands. Afterwards, the total pattern of the antenna is mapped to its characteristic patterns using weighting coefficients. To study the influence of the hand on each modal pattern, the pattern for the antenna with hand is then obtained. Similar to the free space scenario, the pattern with hand is also mapped to the characteristic patterns in free space. Comparing the weighting coefficients of each mode in free space and with hand, it is derived that the radiation pattern with null at the boresight is less affected by the hand. According to the observation, a handset antenna, which radiates little power towards the boresight, is designed. It is proved that the radiation efficiency of the proposed antenna with hand is 2.4 dB higher than that of the reference antenna.

Urban land use maps are significant references for urban planning and environmental research. Contrary to land cover mapping, it is generally impossible using overhead imagery since it requires close-up views. Street view images capture the surrounding scenes along streets and represent urban land information objectively. In this work, we proposed an automatic classification model using street view images for urban land use classification. We utilize high-level semantic image features extracted adopting a deep transfer network, which includes three fully-connected layers. Geographic information was applied to mask out land use parcel and to associate the corresponding street view images. The approach allows us to achieve 61.8% accuracy on a challenging six class land use mapping problem. The assessment results show that the proposed approach has potential on land use classification. Since the street view images are publicly accessible and supply a variety of APIs for downloading, the presented approach would provide an effective way for urban-related research in future.

Human hand, including bone and muscle, will cause antenna detuning and efficiency absorption, especially for the mobile phone with full metal ID (industrial design). A novel reconfiguring mobile antenna is proposed in this paper to improve the hand performance of full metal ID mobile antenna. Firstly, a novel wide band antenna with very small clearance is presented in free space. However, hand influence study shows when left hand grips the phone, the antenna efficiency drops a lot. Finally, by using switches, the radiating areas of the proposed antenna are reconfigured for left hand. Compared with the original antenna, the efficiency of the proposed antenna improves 18.2% for left-hand gripping at 1.8 GHz. Moreover, the reconfiguring antenna is designed based on a single antenna, so the whole structure is very compact.

The environment in villages in Southwest China has been experiencing constant changes, indicating related change-inducing factors as well as their constitution and hierarchy. Starting from the classification of built environment according to Rapoport's view, the “environment” consists of fixed, semi-fixed and unfixed elements ( A. Fixed-feature elements: infrastructure, buildings, walls, floors, etc. B. Semi-fixed-feature elements: “furnishings” of the environment, interior or exterior, trees and gardens, fences, signs, billboards, lights, etc. C.Unfixed-feature elements: typically people and their activities, behaviors, etc.). Five representative historic villages in Southwest China (Zhenshan Village in Guizhou, Zhanglang Village in Yunnan, Moluo Village in Sichuan, Huaili Village in Guangxi, and Gongzhong Village in Tibet) were investigated to demonstrate the changes in terms of landscape in the last decade. This article provides an analysis of the dialectical relationship between reservation practices and evolving landscapes from a diachronic perspective. This analysis reveals defects of heritage conservation projects for historic villages in Southwest China. The results indicate the following: (1) there exists an important relationship between unfixed-feature elements of landscape and cultural heritages in historic villages; (2) semi-fixed-feature elements, although being neglected in most preservation practices, show strong sensitivity to mass tourism; (3) fixed-feature elements are highly vulnerable to civil engineering techniques; and (4) the most active change-inducing factors for evolving landscapes in historic villages include value orientations of villagers, relative locations of villages, ethnic groups, customs, and economic development. In conclusion, approaches to promoting sustainable development of historic village in Southwest China are explored.