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Abstract Existing research has found that the number, insertion depth and angle, filling rate, and working fluid of heat pipe (HP) can affect the distribution of temperature field inside coal gangue dumps. However, there is relatively little research on the optimal arrangement of heat pipes (HPs) in coal gangue dumps. In response to the above issues, based on the theoretical model of HP heat transfer, the influence of HPs layout on the temperature field of coal gangue dumps is analyzed through a combination of numerical simulation and experiments, and the optimal layout of HPs is obtained. The results show that the presence of HPs can change the heat conduction path in a coal gangue dump and help the coal gangue dumps to dissipate heat in time. As the insertion spacing of the HPs decreases and the insertion depth of the HPs increases, the area of the spontaneous combustion danger zone (SCDZ) decreases, the maximum temperature value (Tmax) decreases, and the better the cooling effect. The influence of the insertion spacing of HPs on the spontaneous combustion volume of coal gangue dumps is greater than the influence of the insertion depth of HPs. When the insertion spacing of HPs is 3 m and the insertion depth of HPs is 7 m, the spontaneous combustion volume and the highest temperature point respectively decrease by 11755m3 and 302.57 ℃, and the cooling effect of coal gangue dumps is the best. Consequently, this study provides a reference for the design and optimization of coal gangue fire fighting engineering with HP application in the future.

Abstract Acid mine water (AMD) can cause significant environmental hazards due to its high concentration of metal ions, so the development of effective treatment methods is essential to mitigate its impact. In this study, adsorption experiments were conducted using limestone (LS) and activated carbon (AC) to explore the adsorption efficiency for different concentrations of metal ions. Adsorption was evaluated by static and competitive batch tests. The adsorbent mechanism was investigated using analytical techniques such as SEM, FTIR and XRD. The efficacy of LS and AC for competitive adsorption of Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu ions from AMD was evaluated. The study analyzed the effect of environmental conditions such as initial concentration and ionic strength on the adsorption efficiency. The results showed that LS showed high adsorption capacity for Fe and Cu, but was less effective in competitive adsorption of Mn. AC showed superior adsorption performance for Fe and Cu under competitive conditions due to its high surface area and functional groups. Both adsorbents showed selective efficacy influenced by the physicochemical properties of metal ions. This study helps to guide the optimization of adsorbents in AMD treatment and highlights the importance of selecting suitable materials based on specific metal ion properties.

Transfer RNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) are a newly recognized class of small non-coding RNAs that are implicated in a variety of cancers, including head and neck tumors. Studies have identified tsRNAs with differential expression profiles in head and neck malignancies, highlighting their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Functional analyses show that tsRNAs are involved in regulating critical cellular pathways, including those related to cell proliferation, migration, and metabolic processes. Despite these encouraging insights, there are myriad challenges that must be tackled. In summary, tsRNAs present considerable potential as therapeutic targets and biomarkers in the realm of head and neck tumors, meriting further investigation and clinical application to optimize outcomes in the management of these complex diseases. This literature review synthesizes current research on tsRNAs, tsRNAs hold significant promise as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with the potential to transform diagnostic and treatment strategies for head and neck tumors, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate the relationship between systemic immune‐inflammation index (SII) and short‐term mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with internal carotid artery (ICA) severe stenosis and stroke associated pneumonia (SAP) patients. Methods Information on general demographic, laboratory data, CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, or digital subtraction angiography were obtained. The predictive power was evaluated by assessing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The logistic regression was performed to assess the association of SII and short‐term mortality in severe stenosis ICA‐AIS and SAP patients. Result Among 342 patients with severe stenosis ICA‐AIS and SAP, death occurred in 66 patients during 120 days follow‐up. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that increased SII predicts higher mortality in 120 days follow‐up, and the risk of short‐term mortality in SII > 666.31 × 109/L group is increased 4.671‐fold. Patients with SII > 666.31 × 109/L had higher proportion of male, hypertension, smoking, higher admission NIHSS score, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher proportion of 120 days mortality. Higher SII predicted a worse 120 days mortality was worked out by Kaplan–Meier methods. Conclusion An elevated SII was remarkably associated with 120 days mortality in severe stenosis ICA‐AIS and SAP patients.

Abstract Introduction There is no approved effective drug for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP) in China. Gabapentinoids including mirogabalin have shown promise, although data in Chinese patients are scarce. Methods This phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial investigated the efficacy and safety of mirogabalin for treating DPNP in China. Mirogabalin was administered at 5 mg twice daily for the first week and uptitrated to 15 mg twice daily for a total duration of 14 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in weekly average daily pain score (ADPS) at week 14; secondary endpoints included the ADPS responder rate, Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire visual analogue scale score, patient global impression of change (PGIC), average daily sleep interference score (ADSIS), EuroQol 5-dimensions 5-levels (EQ-5D-5L), and incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). Results Of 393 patients (mirogabalin, n = 196; placebo n = 197), the mean age was 58.2 years (mirogabalin, 58.7 years; placebo, 57.7 years) and 54.2% were male (mirogabalin, 56.1%; placebo, 52.3%). Mirogabalin elicited a greater change from baseline in the weekly ADPS vs. placebo at week 14: least-squares mean difference (95% confidence interval) vs. placebo − 0.39 (− 0.74, − 0.04), p = 0.0301. PGIC, ADSIS, and EQ-5D-5L data reflected significantly better improvements for patients receiving mirogabalin vs. placebo. The incidence of TEAEs was 75.0% and 75.1% in the mirogabalin and placebo groups, respectively. Most TEAEs were mild or moderate, and the incidence of TEAEs leading to treatment discontinuation was 2.6% in the mirogabalin group and 1.5% in the placebo group. Conclusions Although the effect size of mirogabalin was reduced due to the placebo effect, mirogabalin is a safe and effective treatment option for Chinese patients with DPNP. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT04094662.

Abstract Background Rimegepant orally disintegrating tablet (ODT), an oral small-molecule calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist, is indicated for acute and preventive treatment of migraine in the United States and other countries. Previously, a large clinical trial assessed the efficacy and safety of rimegepant ODT 75 mg for the acute treatment of migraine in adults living in China or South Korea. A post hoc subgroup analysis of this trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rimegepant for acute treatment of migraine in adults living in China. Methods Eligible participants were ≥ 18 years of age and had a ≥ 1-year history of migraine, with 2 to 8 attacks of moderate or severe pain intensity per month and

As sensor monitoring technology continues to evolve, structural online monitoring and health management have found numerous applications across various fields. However, challenges remain concerning the real-time diagnosis of structural damage and the accuracy of dynamic reliability predictions. In this paper, a structural online damage identification and dynamic reliability prediction method based on Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) is presented. Specifically, in the Wiener degradation process with random effects on structural performance, the structural damage identification is initially realized using UKF. Following that, the EM algorithm is employed for estimating the performance model parameters. Eventually, dynamic reliability prediction is realized based on conditional probability. The simulation results indicate that the method effectively estimates the damage state during the structure’s use while providing accurate, real-time, and dynamic reliability predictions for the system.

The three performance indexes of the space robot, travel time, energy consumption, and smoothness, are the key to its important role in space exploration. Therefore, this paper proposes a multi-objective trajectory planning method for robots. Firstly, the kinematics and dynamics of the Puma560 robot are analyzed to lay the foundation for trajectory planning. Secondly, the joint space trajectory of the robot is constructed with fifth-order B-spline functions, realizing the continuous position, velocity, acceleration, and jerk of each joint. Then, the improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm is used to optimize the trajectory, and the distribution uniformity, convergence, and diversity of the obtained Pareto front are good. The improved MOPSO algorithm can realize the optimization between multiple objectives and obtain the trajectory that meets the actual engineering requirements. Finally, this paper implements the visualization of the robot’s joints moving according to the optimal trajectory.

In a satellite communication system deployed with massive MIMO, when the number of users far exceeds the number of beams of the satellite, it is still difficult to satisfy the delay requirements of the satellite communication system even if the number of RF chains is increased, i.e., the number of concurrently serving users is increased.To address the above problems, it proposed a dynamic beam hopping (BH) scheme based on user grouping for communication service coverage.The proposed method utilized the sparsity of the angular domain channel distribution to adaptively divide user groups accorded to the beam direction where the user energy is maximum.The number of co-channel user groups was constrained by power and interference constraints, limiting the reduction of communication traffic delay, as power limitations on the satellite make the number of RF chains limited and increased the number of simultaneously served user groups increased the interference between user groups.So the BH scheme with beam cluster grouping was further proposed, when the beam clusters reduced the user delay by increased the number of users served at the same moment.Since the above problem was non-convex, it adopt a data-driven determinantal point process (DPP) learning method to simplify the beam scheduling in BH scheme.Simulation results showed that the dynamic BH algorithm based on user grouping could effectively reduce the average user delay by more than 52% compared with the single-beam scheme, also verifies the versatility of the DPP learning.

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with motor deficits due to nigrostriatal dopamine depletion and with the non-motor/premotor symptoms (NMS) such as anxiety, cognitive dysfunction, depression, hyposmia, and sleep disorders. NMS is presented in at least one-fifth of the patients with PD. With the histological information being investigated, stem cells are shown to provide neurotrophic supports and cellular replacement in the damaging brain areas under PD conditions. Pathological change of progressive PD includes degeneration and loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the midbrain. The current stem cell beneficial effect addresses dopamine boost for the striatal neurons and gliovascular mechanisms as competing for validated PD drug targets. In addition, there are clinical interventions for improving the patient’s NMS and targeting their autonomic dysfunction, dementia, mood disorders, or sleep problems. In our and many others’ research using brain injury models, multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells demonstrate an additional and unique ability to alleviate depressive-like behaviors, independent of an accelerated motor recovery. Intranasal delivery of the stem cells is discussed for it is extensively tested in rodent animal models of neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this review, we attempt to discuss the repairing potentials of transplanted cells into parkinsonism pathological regions of motor deficits and focus on preventive and treatment effects. From new approaches in the PD biological therapy, it is believed that it can as well benefit patients against PD-NMS.

Abstract Objectives Patients with vascular anomalies (VAs) who receive oral sirolimus may be at high risk of infectious complications. Antibiotic prophylaxis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) has been advocated. However, there have been few evidence-based analyses on this topic. This study assessed the effect of prophylactic TMP-SMZ on the incidence of infections in VA patients receiving sirolimus monotherapy. Methods A retrospective, multicenter chart review was performed on all VA patients receiving sirolimus treatment from August, 2013 to January, 2021. Results Before January 2017, 112 patients were treated with sirolimus without antibiotic prophylaxis. In the subsequent period, 195 patients were treated with TMP-SMZ for at least 12 months during sirolimus therapy. The percentage of patients with at least one serious infection during the initial 12 months of sirolimus treatment did not differ between the groups (difference, 1.1%; 95% CI − 7.0–8.0%). We observed no difference in the incidence of individual infection or total adverse events between the groups. The rate of sirolimus discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions We demonstrated that prophylactic TMP-SMZ does not decrease the incidence of infection or improve tolerance in VA patients receiving sirolimus monotherapy.

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoantibodies-mediated autoimmune disease with the complications of neuromuscular junction transmission. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular regulatory roles of pentaxin 3 (PTX3) in patients and in animal model with MG and to explore its underlying mechanism. Methods: Patients with MG were identified and enrolled at our designated hospital and animal model was utilized for the proposed study. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit were used to quantify the IL-1β, IL-6, INF-γ, IL-17, TNF-α, anti-TAChR IgG/IgG1/IgG2b/IgG2c levels. Results: Serum PTX3 expression level in patients with MG was up-regulated as compared to normal. Furthermore, we found increased expression level of mRNA and protein product of PTX3 in the mice with MG. PTX3 promoted inflammation, pyroptosis in patients as well as in the MG mouse model. In addition, PTX3 induced the STAT3/NLRP3 inflammasome and promoted gene synthesis of STAT3. We found that METTL3-mediated m6A modification decreases PTX3 stability. Conclusions: Our study suggests that the PTX3 is associated with the enhancement of inflammation and pyroptosis through regulating the STAT3/NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway at the early stage of the disease. The pro-inflammatory PTX3 facilitates the development of MG and it can be used as a potantial MG-associated diagnostic biomarker for MG.

Purpose: Rectal adenoma, a pre-cancerous lesion, is one of the indications for transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). TEM has its unique advantages in the treatment of rectal adenomas. However, there are few reports on the therapeutic effects of large rectal adenoma (LRA). The objective of this study was to investigate the value of TEM in the treatment of LRA. Materials and Methods: We collected data from patients who underwent surgery at our center from 2007 to 2017. The postoperative pathology of all patients was rectal adenoma and the diameter of the adenoma was 3 cm or greater. Moreover, all patients underwent TEM. We followed up to observe the incidence of no wound healing, rectal stenosis and recurrence rate of rectal adenoma. The risk factors of adenoma recurrence and wound healing were analysed using single- and multiple-factor analysis. Results: The clinicopathological data of 85 patients with LRA were collected through a pre-set table. During the follow-up period, eight patients were lost to follow-up, and three (3.90%) patients developed rectal stenosis. After 2 years of post-operative follow-up, 20 (25.97%) patients had recurrence and 57 (74.03%) patients had no recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that positive margin was an independent risk factor for recurrence of adenoma. Conclusions: TEM is feasible in the treatment of large rectal tumours in Centers of Expertise with the technique.

Abstract Steel–concrete (SC) composite widely used in military defensive project is due to its impressive mechanical properties, long-lived service, and low cost. However, the growing use of hypervelocity kinetic weapons in the present war puts forward higher requirements for the anti-explosion and penetration performance of military protection engineering. Here, inspired by the special ‘brick-and-mortar’ (BM) structural feature of natural nacre, we successfully construct a nacre-inspired steel–concrete (NISC) engineering composite with 2510 kg/m3, possessing nacre-like lamellar architecture via a bottom-up assembling technique. The NISC engineering composite exhibits nacreous BM structural similarity, high compressive strength of 68.5 MPa, compress modulus of 42.0 GPa, Mohs hardness of 5.5, Young’s modulus of 41.5 GPa, and shear modulus of 18.4 GPa, higher than pure concrete. More interestingly, the hypervelocity impact tests reveal the penetration capability of our NISC target material is obviously stronger than that of pure concrete, enhanced up to about 46.8% at the striking velocity of 1 km/s and approximately 30.9% at the striking velocity of 2 km/s, respectively, by examining the damages of targets, the trajectories, penetration depths, and residual projectiles. This mechanically integrated enhancement can be attributed to the nacre-like BM structural architecture derived from assembling the special steel-bar array frame-reinforced concrete platelets. This study highlights a key role of nacre-like structure design in promoting the enhanced hypervelocity impact resistance of steel–concrete composites.

PurposeTesticular yolk sac tumor (TYST) is a rare malignant germ cell tumor that mainly occurs in young men. Due to the low incidence of yolk sac tumors, there is a lack of prospective cohort studies with large samples. We aimed to develop a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with TYST.Materials and methodsPatient information was downloaded from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. We enrolled all patients with TYST from 2000 to 2018, and all patients were randomly divided into a training set and a validation set. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to identify independent risk factors for patients. We constructed a nomogram based on the multivariate Cox regression model to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year CSS in patients with TYST. We used a series of validation methods to test the accuracy and reliability of the model, including the concordance index (C-index), calibration curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).Results619 patients with TYST were enrolled in the study. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, T stage, M stage and chemotherapy were independent risk factors for CSS. A nomogram was constructed to predict the patient's CSS. The C-index of the training set and the validation set were 0.901 (95%CI: 0.859–0.847) and 0.855 (95%CI: 0.865–0.845), respectively, indicating that the model had excellent discrimination. The AUC showed the same results. The calibration curve also indicated that the model had good accuracy.ConclusionsIn this study, we constructed the nomogram for the first time to predict the CSS of patients with TYST, which has good accuracy and reliability and can help doctors and patients make clinical decisions.

Motion capture systems have enormously benefited the research into human–computer interaction in the aerospace field. Given the high cost and susceptibility to lighting conditions of optical motion capture systems, as well as considering the drift in IMU sensors, this paper utilizes a fusion approach with low-cost wearable sensors for hybrid upper limb motion tracking. We propose a novel algorithm that combines the fourth-order Runge–Kutta (RK4) Madgwick complementary orientation filter and the Kalman filter for motion estimation through the data fusion of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and an ultrawideband (UWB). The Madgwick RK4 orientation filter is used to compensate gyroscope drift through the optimal fusion of a magnetic, angular rate, and gravity (MARG) system, without requiring knowledge of noise distribution for implementation. Then, considering the error distribution provided by the UWB system, we employ a Kalman filter to estimate and fuse the UWB measurements to further reduce the drift error. Adopting the cube distribution of four anchors, the drift-free position obtained by the UWB localization Kalman filter is used to fuse the position calculated by IMU. The proposed algorithm has been tested by various movements and has demonstrated an average decrease in the RMSE of 1.2 cm from the IMU method to IMU/UWB fusion method. The experimental results represent the high feasibility and stability of our proposed algorithm for accurately tracking the movements of human upper limbs.

IntroductionEpilepsy is a highly prevalent neurological disease whose treatment has always been challenging. Hence, it is crucial to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy inhibition. Inflammation and oxidative stress are important pathophysiological changes in epilepsy that contribute to the development of spontaneous seizures and cognitive deficits. In recent years, altered gut microbiota composition was found to be involved in epilepsy, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Modulation of the gut microbiota showed a positive impact on the brain by regulating oxidative stress and inflammation. Hence, this study evaluated the effect of modulating gut dysbiosis by treating epileptic rats with prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics and investigated the underlying molecular mechanism.Materials and methodsEpileptic rat models were established by injecting 1 μl of kainic acid (KA, 0.4 μg/μl) into the right amygdalae. The rats were divided into Sham, KA, KA+prebiotic [inulin:1 g/kg body weight (bw)/day], KA+probiotics (10 × 109cfu of each bacteria/kg, bw/day), and KA+synbiotic groups (1:1 mixture of prebiotics and probiotics). Seizures were monitored, and cognitive function was assessed in all rats. Biochemical indicators, namely, oxidative stress, DNA damage, glutamate levels, and inflammation markers, were also determined.ResultsThe KA-induced status epilepticus (SE) rats exhibited spontaneous seizures and cognitive deficits. This was accompanied by the activation of glial cells, the inflammatory response (IL-1 β, IL-6, and TNF-α), lipid peroxidation (MDA), DNA damage (8-OHdG), the release of glutamate, and a decline in total antioxidant ability (GSH). These changes were alleviated by partial treatment with prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics.ConclusionModulating gut dysbiosis ameliorates spontaneous seizures and cognitive deficits in rats with KA-induced status epilepticus. The underlying mechanism may potentially involve the inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Cognitive impairment and neuropsychiatric disorders are very common in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). These comorbidities complicate the treatment of epilepsy and seriously affect the quality of life. So far, there is still no effective intervention to prevent the development of epilepsy-associated comorbidities. Gut dysbiosis has been recognized to be involved in the pathology of epilepsy development. Modulating gut microbiota by probiotics has shown an antiseizure effect on humans and animals with epilepsy. Whether this treatment strategy has a positive effect on epilepsy-associated comorbidities remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to objectively assess the effect of probiotics on cognitive function and neuropsychiatric performance of patients with TLE. Participants enrolled in an epilepsy clinic were randomly assigned to the probiotic and placebo groups. These two groups were treated with probiotics or placebo for 12 weeks, and then the cognitive function and psychological performance of participants were assessed. We enrolled 76 participants in this study, and 70 subjects were finally included in the study (35 in the probiotics group and 35 in the placebo group). Our results showed significant seizure reduction in patients with TLE treated with probiotics. No significant differences were observed on cognitive function (including intelligence and memory) between groups. For neuropsychiatric performances, supplementation of probiotics significantly decreased the Hamilton Anxiety Rating and Depression Scale scores and increased the 89-item Quality of Life in Epilepsy Inventory score in patients with TLE. In conclusion, probiotics have a positive impact on seizures control, and improve anxiety, depression, and quality of life in patients with TLE.

Abstract Objectives There are no cohort studies of chronic lymphedema in patients with kaposiform hemangioendothelioma (KHE). We sought to characterize the incidence, clinical features, risk factors and management of chronic lymphedema in patients with KHE. Methods We conducted a multicenter retrospective analysis of patients who had a minimum of 3 years of follow-up after the onset of KHE and/or Kasabach–Merritt phenomenon (KMP). Clinical features were reviewed to determine the possible cause of chronic lymphedema. The degree of lymphedema, risk factors and management strategies were analyzed. Results Among the 118 patients, chronic lymphedema was confirmed by lymphoscintigraphy 1 year after the onset of KHE and/or KMP in 13 patients. In 8 patients with lymphedema, extremity swelling was evident in the presence of KHE and/or KMP. In all patients with lymphedema, a unilateral extremity was affected, along with ipsilateral KHE. Most (84.6%) patients reported moderate lymphedema. Lymphedema was more common in patients with larger (≥ 10 cm) and mixed lesions involving the extremities (P 0.05). Overall, 76.9% of patients received sirolimus treatment after referral, including 53.8% who presented extremity swelling before referral. Seven (53.8%) patients received compression therapy. Five (38.5%) patients reported lymphedema-associated decreased range of motion at the last follow-up. Conclusions Chronic lymphedema is a common sequela of KHE and can occur independently of KMP and sirolimus treatment. Patients with large and mixed KHE involving extremities should be closely monitored for this disabling complication.

Abstract Background The association between diurnal temperature range (DTR) and hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) was rarely reported. Objectives To examine the association between DTR and daily hospital admissions for exacerbation of CRD and find out the potential effect of modifications on this association. Method Data on daily hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and bronchiectasis and meteorology measures from 2013 through 2017 were obtained from 21 cities in South China. After controlling the effects of daily mean temperature, relative humidity (RH), particulate matter

In this paper, a structure composed of a T- or L-shaped recycled concrete column frame (RCCF) and lightweight infill wall (LIW) with a herringbone brace has been proposed to investigate its seismic behavior. Two T-shaped and two L-shaped full-size experimental models of the structure have been built and tested under low-cyclic loading conditions. Consequently, bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, hysteretic behavior, energy dissipation, and failure characteristics of each test specimen have been analyzed, identifying structure parts prone to damage and failure, understanding their yield mechanisms, and lastly providing constructive recommendations for the structural design. Studies show that the bearing capacity, ductility, and comprehensive seismic behavior of T- or L-shaped lattice-reinforced RCCF-LIW structures with a herringbone brace have been significantly improved. For the engineering practice, it is necessary to strengthen the performance of the herringbone brace-frame beam joint.

Abstract Background It is reported that acute cerebral infarction with adenomyosis is associated with elevated D-Dimer, elevated CA125, anemia and menstruation. However, previous reports did not notice infection known as fever, which may be a potential risk factor for developing acute cerebral infarction with adenomyosis. Case presentation We describe a 34-year-old woman who presented headache and fever (38 °C) for 4 days and left limb weakness for 1 day during her menstrual phase. Laboratory test data showed: Hemoglobin (HGB) (112 g/L, normal: 120–150 g/L), Carcinoembryonic antigen 125 (CA125) (937.70 U/ml, normal: 0–35 U/ml), D-Dimer (27.4 mg/L, normal: 0–1.5 mg/L). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) indicated acute cerebral infarction in right basal ganglia and subcortical region of right frontotemporal lobe. Further, brain computed tomography angiography (CTA) showed that the M1 segment of right middle cerebral artery was strictured and the distal branches of right middle cerebral artery were significantly less than those on the opposite side. No obvious abnormality was found in cranial magnetic resonance venogram (MRV). She had a 5-year history of adenomyosis. No tumors were found by whole body positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT). We treated this patient by using anti-infective therapy for 1 week and using anticoagulant therapy with low molecular weight heparin for 2 weeks. Subsequently, the anticoagulant therapy was discontinued and replaced by antiplatelet therapy with clopidogrel. We followed up this patient for 4 months, and no recurrence of cerebral infarction was found. Conclusions Acute cerebral infarction with adenomyosis may be related to elevated D-Dimer, elevated CA125, anemia and menstruation. Our report suggests that infection may be a potential risk factor for developing acute cerebral infarction with adenomyosis.

In GNSS-denied environments, especially when losing measurement sensor data, inertial navigation system (INS) accuracy is critical to the precise positioning of vehicles, and an accurate INS error compensation model is the most effective way to improve INS accuracy. To this end, a two-level error model is proposed, which comprehensively utilizes the mechanism error model and propagation error model. Based on this model, the INS and ultra-wideband (UWB) fusion positioning method is derived relying on the extended Kalman filter (EKF) method. To further improve accuracy, the data prefiltering algorithm of the wavelet shrinkage method based on Stein’s unbiased risk estimate–Shrink (SURE-Shrink) threshold is summarized for raw inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. The experimental results show that by employing the SURE-Shrink wavelet denoising method, positioning accuracy is improved by 76.6%; by applying the two-level error model, the accuracy is further improved by 84.3%. More importantly, at the point when the vehicle motion state changes, adopting the two-level error model can provide higher computational stability and less fluctuation in trajectory curves.

Background: As there is a growing concern about the cerebral embolism events secondary to non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) has been more and more widely used as an anticoagulation treatment for the prevention of stroke. However, in the face of life-threatening bleeding or emergency surgery/treatment, NOAC-related antagonists such as idarucizumab need to be urgently used to reverse the NOAC. Using recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke requires a time window of 4.5 h. This case reports rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis after reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation with idarucizumab in patients with acute ischemic stroke.Case Presentation: We report the case of 62-year-old Chinese female with NVAF treated with dabigatran 110 mg twice daily, and missed a dose on the eve of the stroke. The patient presented with acute ischemic stroke causing the angle of mouth deviated to right side and left limb weakness in the early morning of the next day. However, the last dosing time of dabigatran was between 24 and 48 h, the patients were given rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis after reversal of dabigatran anticoagulation with idarucizumab, while any potential relative contraindication had been excluded by means of laboratory test and CT scan in the hospitalization services. National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score was reduced from 4 to 1, and the patient was discharged after 2 weeks.Conclusion: Our case report adds to the evidence that idarucizumab administration is safe and effective in the setting of patients with atrial fibrillation treated with dabigatran who develop acute ischemic stroke requiring rt-PA intravenous thrombolysis.

Prognostics and health management (PHM) has emerged as an essential approach for improving the safety, reliability, and maintainability of composite structures. However, an obstacle remains in its damage state estimation and lifetime prediction due to unknown inputs. Thus, a self-calibration Kalman-filter-based framework for residual life prediction is proposed, which involves unknown input items in the fatigue damage evolution model and employs health-monitoring data to estimate and compensate for them. Combined with the time-varying structural failure threshold, the remaining useful life (RUL) of composite laminates subjected to fatigue loading is predicted, providing a novel solution to the problem of unknown inputs in PHM. The simulation results demonstrate that the developed method can estimate the performance degradation state well, and its RUL prediction accuracy is within 5% with existing unknown inputs such as foreign impact damage.

In the background of constructing a wold-class Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area (GBA), the growing demand for industrial, transportation and energy development in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) will put considerable pressure on improvement of regional air quality. It is important to choose a scientific development path to achieve both economic goal and air quality improvement target. This study uses scenario analysis method to construct three “industry-transport-energy” development scenarios within the region while the improvement level of air quality is simulated and analyzed. The results show that: (1) Considering the mutual constraints and influence relations between industry, transportation and energy in scenario analysis, the “industry-transport-energy” development scenario can be established to meets the same economic goal but has different development paths. (2) Along the historical track and established policy path, concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the PRD can be reduced to 16.2 µg/m3 by 2035 as regional gross domestic product (GDP) reaching about 23.5 trillion. (3) Under the same economic goals, raising the proportion of emerging industries, freight by rail, public transport travel and non-fossil power to 95%, 10%, 73%, and 46% respectively leads to 29.6~49.2% reductions in the emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrous oxides (NOx), primary PM2.5 and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) compared with those in 2017 that the regional PM2.5 concentration will further drop to 14.1 µg/m3. The results show that, under the constraints of economic development objectives, deepening structural adjustment can improve air quality, which gives advice for the PRD to choose its development path. Furthermore, this study can provide reference for the PRD to promote the transformation of industrial, transportation and energy development modes and structural adjustment under the dual objective of promoting the world-class bay area economic level and high-quality air level.

With the continuous growth of international maritime trade, black carbon (BC) emissions from ships have caused great harm to the natural environment and human health. Controlling the BC emissions from ships is of positive significance for Earth’s environmental governance. In order to accelerate the development process of ship BC emission control technologies, this paper proposes a BC emission prediction model based on stacked generalization (SG). The meta learner of the prediction model is Ridge Regression (RR), and the base learner combines four models: Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB), Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGB), Random Forest (RF), and Support Vector Regression (SVR). We used mutual information (MI) to measure the correlation between combustion characteristic parameters (CCPs) and BC emission concentration, and selected them as the features of the prediction model. The results show that the CCPs have a strong correlation with the BC emission concentration of the diesel engine under different working conditions, which can be used to describe the influence of the changes to the combustion process in the cylinder on the BC generation. The introduction of the stacked generalization method reconciles the inherent bias of various models. Compared with traditional models, the fusion model has achieved higher prediction accuracy on the same datasets. The research results of this paper can provide a reference for the research and development of ship black carbon emission control technologies and the formulation of relevant regulations.

Abstract Background Nocardiosis is a rare and life-threatening opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Myasthenia gravis (MG) patients are potentially at risk of nocardia infection because of the use of immunosuppressive agents. To date, only 7 patients with MG have been reported to have nocardiosis. Disseminated nocardiosis with ocular involvement has not been reported in MG patients. Case presentation A 66-year-old man with MG who was receiving treatment with methylprednisolone and azathioprine was found to have a respiratory infection. He also had heterogeneous symptoms with skin, brain and ocular manifestations. Nocardia bacteria verified by the culture of puncture fluid, and a diagnosis of disseminated nocardiosis was made. Except for left eye blindness, the patient completely recovered from the disease with combination antibiotic therapy. To further understand nocardiosis in patients with MG, we reviewed the previous relevant literature. According to the literature, this is the first report of disseminated nocardiosis with ocular involvement in an MG patient. Conclusions MG patients with immunosuppressant treatments are potentially at risk of a rare nocardia infection, and a favourable prognosis can be achieved through early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Introduction Large artery intracranial occlusive disease including middle cerebral artery (MCA) is a major contributor to the incidence of stroke in China. The data on the prognosis of symptomatic atherosclerotic MCA occlusions (MCAO) are limited. We aimed to investigate the related factors of unfavorable outcomes in patients with stroke associated with MCAO. Material and methods A total of 119 patients with MCAO symptom were enrolled in this retrospective longitudinal cohort study. All patients met inclusion criteria of cerebral angiography by CT angiography or magnetic resonance angiography. Stroke severity was assessed on admission using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results We showed an average follow-up time of 46.8 months, within which 20 (19.6%) cases died and 14 (13.7%) cases had stroke recurrence. Using mRS as an evaluation index, the patients were divided into an unfavourable outcome group (mRS > 2, 48 cases) and a favourable outcome group (mRS ≤ 2, 54 cases). Logistic regression analysis suggests that age and NIHSS score were independent risk factors for a poor outcome value. Coexisting other cerebral vascular occlusion was an independent risk factor for stroke recurrence. Age was an independent risk factor for death. Conclusions The prognosis of patients with MCAO was generally optimistic, with higher survival rate and longer survival time. As compared, elder age and higher NIHSS score both tend to be associated with worse prognosis of survival. MCAO patients with other extracranial or intracranial vascular occlusion have higher risk of recurrent stroke. Death rate increases with age among the MCAO patients.

The genetic algorithm (GA) is an effective method for the path planning system of unmanned surface vessel (USV),but it is easy to fall into local optimal precocity and converges slowly.For this,without increasing the complexity of the algorithm,a data-driven linear changing parameters genetic algorithm (LCPGA) was proposed,which can adjust adaptively control parameters in the shortest time.Compared with the traditional genetic algorithm,the LCPGA increases the diversity of the population,avoids falling into local optimum more effectively,and improves the accuracy,robustness and convergence speed of path planning.Then simulation experiments and field tests verify the more excellent performance of the LCPGA.This algorithm can be helpful in path planning for unmanned surface vessel.

Perforin-mediated cytotoxicity plays a crucial role in microbial defense, tumor surveillance, and primary autoimmune disorders. However, the contribution of the cytolytic protein perforin to ischemia-induced secondary tissue damage in the brain has not been fully investigated. Here, we examined the kinetics and subpopulations of perforin-positive cells and then evaluated the direct effects of perforin-mediated cytotoxicity on outcomes after ischemic stroke. Using flow cytometry, we showed that perforin+CD45+ immune cells could be detected at 12 h and that the percentage of these cells increased largely until on day 3 and then significantly declined on day 7. Surprisingly, the percentage of Perforin+CD45+ cells also unexpectedly increased from day 7 to day 14 after ischemic stroke in Perforin1-EGFP transgenic mice. Our results suggested that Perforin+CD45+ cells play vital roles in the ischemic brain at early and late stages and further suggested that Perforin+CD45+ cells are a heterogeneous population. Surprisingly, in addition to CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and NKT cells, central nervous system (CNS)-resident immune microglia, which are first triggered and activated within minutes after ischemic stroke in mice, also secreted perforin during ischemic brain injury. In our study, the percentage of perforin+ microglia increased from 12 h after ischemic stroke, increased largely until on day 3 after ischemic stroke, and then moderately declined from days 3 to 7. Intriguingly, the percentage of perforin+ microglia also dramatically increased from days 7 to 14 after ischemic stroke. Furthermore, compared with wild-type littermates, Perforin 1–/– mice exhibited significant increases in the cerebral infarct volume, neurological deficits, and neurogenesis and inhibition of neurotoxic astrogliosis. Interestingly, the number of CD45+CD3+ T cells was significantly decreased in Perforin 1–/– mice compared with their wild-type littermates, especially the number of γδ T cells. In addition, Perforin 1–/– mice had lower levels of IL-17 than their wild-type littermates. Our results identified a critical function of perforin-mediated neurotoxicity in the ischemic brain, suggesting that targeting perforin-mediated neurotoxicity in brain-resident microglia and invading perforin+CD45+ immune cells may be a potential strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Background: Bilateral striatal necrosis (BSN) is characterized by symmetrical degeneration, predominantly of the caudate and putamen nucleus, in the basal ganglia. It is associated with numerous acquired and hereditary neuro-developmental and motor dysfunction-related pathological conditions. BSN results in high morbidity and mortality among infants and children, and its diagnosis is clinically challenging due to several overlapping disease phenotypes. Therefore, a precise genetic diagnosis is urgently needed for accurate genetic counseling and improved prognostic outcomes as well.Objective: To identify novel missense mutations in the NDUFAF5 gene as a cause of childhood BSN in members of a Chinese family and summarize the clinical characteristics of patients with the NDUFAF5 gene mutations.Methods: This study included a large family living in a remote northwestern area of China. Three siblings developed a neurological disorder characterized by generalized dystonia within the first decade of their lives. Cerebral computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bilateral lesions of the putamen. Biochemical and genetic approaches were used to identify the cause of BSN.Results: Sequence analysis showed no pathogenic variation in PANK2, SLC25A19, SLC19A3, and NUP62 genes and in the entire mitochondrial genome as well. Whole-exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous mutations consisting of NDUFAF5:c.425A > C(p.E142A) and c.836T > G (p.M279R). The father, a healthy sister, and a healthy brother of the affected siblings carried the c.836T > G mutation, and the mother carried the c.425A > C mutation. These variants were absent in 100 ethnically matched non-BSN controls. In silico analysis demonstrated that the E142A and M279R mutations in NDUFAF5 protein significantly perturbed the normal conformation of the protein due to alterations in the hydrogen bonding patterns around the evolutionarily conserved catalytic domains, leading to its loss of function in the early stage of mitochondrial complex I assembly.Conclusions: We identified a novel compound heterozygous mutation (c.425A > C and c.836T > G) in the NDUFAF5 gene as the potential cause of autosomal recessive childhood BSN, which extended the pathogenic variation spectrum of the NDUFAF5 gene. This study provides substantial evidence for further improvement of genetic counseling and better clinical management of BSN affected individuals.

Neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) with severe neurological/psychiatric symptoms, such as cerebrovascular pathology in AD, CAA, and chronic stroke, have brought greater attention with their incidence and prevalence having markedly increased over the past few years. Causes of the significant neuropathologies, especially those observed in neurological diseases in the CNS, are commonly believed to involve multiple factors such as an age, a total environment, genetics, and an immunity contributing to their progression, neuronal, and vascular injuries. We primarily focused on the studies of glial involvement/dysfunction in part with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the neurovascular unit (NVU) changes, and the vascular mechanisms, which have been both suggested as critical roles in chronic stroke and many other NDDs. It has been noted that glial cells including astrocytes (which outnumber other cell types in the CNS) essentially contribute more to the BBB integrity, extracellular homeostasis, neurotransmitter release, regulation of neurogenic niches in response to neuroinflammatory stimulus, and synaptic plasticity. In a recent study for NDDs utilizing cellular and molecular biology and genetic and pharmacological tools, the role of reactive astrocytes (RACs) and gliosis was demonstrated, able to trigger pathophysiological/psychopathological detrimental changes during the disease progression. We speculate, in particular, the BBB, the NVU, and changes of the astrocytes (potentially different populations from the RACs) not only interfere with neuronal development and synaptogenesis, but also generate oxidative damages, contribute to beta-amyloid clearances and disrupted vasculature, as well as lead to neuroinflammatory disorders. During the past several decades, stem cell therapy has been investigated with a research focus to target related neuro-/vascular pathologies (cell replacement and repair) and neurological/psychiatric symptoms (paracrine protection and homeostasis). Evidence shows that transplantation of neurogenic or vasculogenic cells could be achieved to pursue differentiation and maturation within the diseased brains as expected. It would be hoped that, via regulating functions of astrocytes, astrocytic involvement, and modulation of the BBB, the NVU and astrocytes should be among major targets for therapeutics against NDDs pathogenesis by drug and cell-based therapies. The non-invasive strategies in combination with stem cell transplantation such as the well-tested intranasal deliveries for drug and stem cells by our and many other groups show great translational potentials in NDDs. Neuroimaging and clinically relevant analyzing tools need to be evaluated in various NDDs brains.

Objective To investigate the effects of DL-3-N-butylphthalide (NBP) via intranasal delivery after ischaemic stroke in mice.Methods C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: sham, stroke with vehicle and stroke with NBP treatment. Ischaemic stroke was induced by permanent ligation of right middle cerebral artery with 7 min common carotid artery occlusion. NBP (100 mg/kg) or vehicle was intranasally administered at 1 hour after stroke and repeated once a day until sacrifice. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) (50 mg/kg/day) was given from the third day until sacrifice. Sensorimotor function was tested during 1–21 days after stroke. Local cerebral blood flow in the ischaemic and peri-infarct regions was measured using laser Doppler flowmetry before, during and 3 days after ischaemia. Expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase as well as regenerative marker BrdU in the peri-infarct region were analysed by western blotting and immunohistochemical methods.Results Compared with the vehicle group, NBP treatment significantly increased the VEGF expression in the poststroke brain. Stroke mice that received NBP showed significantly less vascular damage after stroke and more new neurons and blood vessels in the peri-infarct region at 21 days after stroke. In the adhesive removal test, the sensorimotor function of stroke mice treated with NBP performed significantly better at 1, 3 and 7 days after stroke compared with vehicle controls.Conclusion Daily intranasal NBP treatment provides protective and neurogenic/angiogenic effects in the poststroke brain, accompanied with functional improvements after a focal ischaemic stroke in mice.

Aims: To assess possible effect of air quality improvements, we investigated the temporal change in hospital admissions for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) associated with pollutant concentrations. Methods: We collected daily concentrations of particulate matter (i.e., PM2.5, PM10 and PMcoarse), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and admissions for AECOPD for 21 cities in Guangdong from 2013 to 2017. We examined the association of air pollution with AECOPD admissions using two-stage time-series analysis, and estimated the annual attributable fractions, numbers, and direct hospitalization costs of AECOPD admissions with principal component analysis. Results: From 2013–2017, mean daily concentrations of SO2, PM10 and PM2.5 declined by nearly 40%, 30%, and 26% respectively. As the average daily 8 h O3 concentration increased considerably, the number of days exceeding WHO target (i.e.,100 μg/m³) increased from 103 in 2015–152 in 2017. For each interquartile range increase in pollutant concentration, the relative risks of AECOPD admission at lag 0–3 were 1.093 (95% CI 1.06–1.13) for PM2.5, 1.092 (95% CI 1.08–1.11) for O3, and 1.092 (95% CI 1.05–1.14) for SO2. Attributable fractions of AECOPD admission advanced by air pollution declined from 9.5% in 2013 to 4.9% in 2016, then increased to 6.0% in 2017. A similar declining trend was observed for direct AECOPD hospitalization costs. Conclusion: Declined attributable hospital admissions for AECOPD may be associated with the reduction in concentrations of PM2.5, PM10 and SO2 in Guangdong, while O3 has emerged as an important risk factor.Summarizes the main finding of the work：Reduction in PM may result in declined attributable hospitalizations for AECOPD, while O3 has emerged as an important risk factor following an intervention.

Severe mental illnesses (SMI) such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder affect 2-4% of the world population. Current medications and diagnostic methods for mental illnesses are not satisfying. In animal studies, stem cell therapy is promising for some neuropsychiatric disorders and cognitive/social deficits, not only treating during development (targeting modulation and balancing) but also following neurodegeneration (cell replacement and regenerating support). We believe that novel interventions such as modulation of particular cell populations to develop cell-based treatment can improve cognitive and social functions in SMI. With pathological synaptic/myelin damage, oligodendrocytes seem to play a role. In this review, we have summarized oligodendrogenesis mechanisms and some related calcium signals in neural cells and stem/progenitor cells. The related benefits from endogenous stem/progenitor cells within the brain and exogenous stem cells, including multipotent mesenchymal-derived stromal cells (MSC), fetal neural stem cells (NSC), pluripotent stem cells (PSC), and differentiated progenitors, are discussed. These also include stimulating mechanisms of oligodendrocyte proliferation, maturation, and myelination, responsive to the regenerative effects by both endogenous stem cells and transplanted cells. Among the mechanisms, calcium signaling regulates the neuronal/glial progenitor cell (NPC/GPC)/oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation, migration, and differentiation, dendrite development, and synaptic plasticity, which are involved in many neuropsychiatric diseases in human. On the basis of numerous protein annotation and protein-protein interaction databases, a total of 119 calcium-dependent/activated proteins that are related to neuropsychiatry in human are summarized in this investigation. One of the advanced methods, the calcium/cation-channel-optogenetics-based stimulation of stem cells and transplanted cells, can take advantage of calcium signaling regulations. Intranasal-to-brain delivery of drugs and stem cells or local delivery with the guidance of brain imaging techniques may provide a unique new approach for treating psychiatric disorders. It is also expected that preconditioning stem cell therapy following precise brain imaging as pathological confirmation has high potential if translated to cell clinic use. Generally, modulable cell transplantation followed by stimulations should provide paracrine protection, synaptic modulation, and myelin repair for the brain in SMI.

The indoor autonomous navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is the current research hotspot. Unlike the outdoor broad environment, the indoor environment is unknown and complicated. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are easily blocked and reflected because of complex indoor spatial features, which make it impossible to achieve positioning and navigation indoors relying on GNSS. This article proposes a set of indoor corridor environment positioning methods based on the integration of WiFi and IMU. The zone partition-based Weighted K Nearest Neighbors (WKNN) algorithm is used to achieve higher WiFi-based positioning accuracy. On the basis of the Error-State Kalman Filter (ESKF) algorithm, WiFi-based and IMU-based methods are fused together and realize higher positioning accuracy. The probability-based optimization method is used for further accuracy improvement. After data fusion, the positioning accuracy increased by 51.09% compared to the IMU-based algorithm and by 66.16% compared to the WiFi-based algorithm. After optimization, the positioning accuracy increased by 20.9% compared to the ESKF-based data fusion algorithm. All of the above results prove that methods based on WiFi and IMU (low-cost sensors) are very capable of obtaining high indoor positioning accuracy.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are important precursors of photochemical ozone and secondary organic aerosol (SOA). Here, hourly variations of ambient VOCs were monitored with an online system at an urban site (Panyu, PY) in the Pearl River Delta region during August–September of 2020 in order to identify reactive VOC species and major sources of VOCs, OH loss rate (LOH), SOA formation potential (SOAFP), and corresponding emission source regions. The average concentration of VOCs at PY was 31.80 ± 20.82 ppbv during the campaign. The C2–C5 alkanes, aromatics, and ≥C6 alkanes contributed for the majority of VOC, alkenes and aromatics showed the highest contribution to LOH and SOAFP. Further, m/p-xylene, propene, and toluene were found to be the top three most reactive anthropogenic VOC species, with respective contributions of 11.6%, 6.1%, and 5.8% to total LOH. Toluene, m/p-xylene, and o-xylene constituted a large fraction of calculated SOAFP. Seven major sources were identified by using positive matrix factorization model. Vehicle exhaust made the most significant contribution to VOCs, followed by liquefied petroleum gas and combustion sources. However, industrial-related sources (including industrial solvent use and industrial process emission) had the largest contribution to LOH and SOAFP. By combining source contribution with wind direction and wind speed, the regions of different sources were further identified. Based on high-resolution observation data during ozone pollution, this study clearly exhibits key reactive VOC species and the major emission regions of different VOC sources, and thus benefits the accurate emission control of VOCs in the near future.

With the increasing demands for detailed design of composite aircraft structures, the method of covering all damages with low design allowables cannot meet the current requirements for aircraft structure design. Herein, this paper proposes a novel algorithm for design allowable determination of composite laminates by combining the damage distribution with damage factor model of design allowable, so as to provide different structures with more accurate design allowables based on their initial damages. For the composite laminates with initial delaminations, a model describing the effect of delamination size and depth position on the compression design allowable is developed and the compression design allowable of different aircraft structures are individually determined by employing abundant initial delamination statistics. Compared with the design allowable offered by the single-point method, the design allowable based on the initial damage can be increased by at least 5% to 20%, greatly improving the economic benefits of the aircraft structures and providing an important support for the damage tolerance design of the composite structures.

During freeze–thaw periods, the transformation between phreatic water and soil water will change the soil hydrothermal properties and affect the soil freezing and thawing in shallow groundwater areas. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of four different groundwater table depths (GTDs) and two soil textures on the process of soil freezing and thawing during two successive freeze–thaw periods using the Simultaneous Heat and Water (SHAW) model. The results show that the frost depth was the maximum when the GTD was 1.0 m, and the maximum frost depths of sandy loam and fine sand were 97.6 and 98.9 cm, respectively. When the GTD was larger than 1.5 m, the maximum frost depth decreased with an increase in GTD, and the maximum frost depth of the soil profile was more sensitive to changes in the air temperature. The frost depth of the soil profile was linear with the square root of the accumulated negative soil surface temperature (ANST) under different GTDs. The ANST was influenced by the phreatic evaporation, and the soil freezing rate increased with an increase in GTD under the same ANST. This research is significant for the rational development of soil water and heat resources and the study of soil water–heat transfer in shallow groundwater areas.

This study focuses on curative effects of teniposide combining with semustine on patients with neuroglioma and the influences on the expression of Twist and E-cadherin in tissue. Sixty-eight patients with neuroglioma taking operation in our hospital were divided into two groups randomly. Single radiotherapy was given to 34 patients in group A, and teniposide (VM-26) and semustine (Me-CCUN) were added to radiotherapy for 34 patients in group B. Then, curative effects, survival rate, living quality and adverse reaction rate after operation were compared between two groups. Moreover, the difference in positive expression rate of Twist and E-cadherin before and after treatment between two groups was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results: In group B, the effective rate of treatment was 88.2%, and the disease control rate was 70.6%, higher than 52.9% and 32.4% in group A with statistical significance (P 0.05). In addition, the difference in positive expression rate of Twist and E-cadherin between group A and group B has no statistical significance before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, however, the positive rate of Twist in group B is lower than that in group A, while the positive rate of E-cadherin is higher. Both differences have statistical significance (P

Hemorrhagic stroke is a devastating disease that lacks effective therapies. In the present investigation, we tested 6-bromoindirubin-3′-oxime (BIO) as a selective glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) inhibitor in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). ICH was induced by injection of collagenase IV into the striatum of 8- to 10-week-old C57BL/6 mice. BIO (8 μg/kg, IP) was administered following either an acute delivery (0–2 h delay) or a prolonged regimen (every 48 h starting at 3 days post-ICH). At 2 days post-ICH, the acute BIO treatment significantly reduced the hematoma volume. In the perihematoma regions, BIO administration blocked GSK-3β phosphorylation/activation, increased Bcl-2 and β-catenin levels, and significantly increased viability of neurons and other cell types. The prolonged BIO regimen maintained a higher level of β-catenin, upregulated VEGF and BDNF, and promoted neurogenesis and angiogenesis in peri-injury zones at 14 days after ICH. The BIO treatment also promoted proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) and migration of nascent DCX + neuroblasts from the subventricular zone (SVZ) to the lesioned cortex. BIO improved functional outcomes on both the neurological severity score and rotarod tests. The findings of this study corroborate the neuroprotective and regenerative effects of BIO and suggest that the Wnt/GSK-3β/β-catenin pathway may be explored for the treatment of acute or chronic ICH.

Multi-sensor fusion for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) is an important issue for autonomous navigation of USVs. In this paper, an improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed for real-time autonomous navigation of a USV in real maritime environment. To overcome the conventional PSO’s inherent shortcomings, such as easy occurrence of premature convergence and human experience-determined parameters, and to enhance the precision and algorithm robustness of the solution, this work proposes three optimization strategies: linearly descending inertia weight, adaptively controlled acceleration coefficients, and random grouping inversion. Their respective or combinational effects on the effectiveness of path planning are investigated by Monte Carlo simulations for five TSPLIB instances and application tests for the navigation of a self-developed unmanned surface vehicle on the basis of multi-sensor data. Comparative results show that the adaptively controlled acceleration coefficients play a substantial role in reducing the path length and the linearly descending inertia weight help improve the algorithm robustness. Meanwhile, the random grouping inversion optimizes the capacity of local search and maintains the population diversity by stochastically dividing the single swarm into several subgroups. Moreover, the PSO combined with all three strategies shows the best performance with the shortest trajectory and the superior robustness, although retaining solution precision and avoiding being trapped in local optima require more time consumption. The experimental results of our USV demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method for real-time navigation based on multi-sensor fusion.