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The link between fatty acids and bone metabolism is complex and can be direct and indirect. This link has been reported in different types of bone cells and various stages of bone metabolism. G-protein coupled receptor 120 (GPR120), also called free fatty acid receptor 4 (FFAR4), is a member of the recently discovered G protein-coupled receptor family that can interact with both long-chain saturated fatty acids (C14-C18) and longchain unsaturated fatty acids (C16-C22). Research shows that GPR120 regulates processes in different types of bone cells, directly or indirectly affecting bone metabolism. Our research reviewed the literature on the effects of GPR120 on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and chondrocytes, focusing on the research findings regarding the mechanism by which GPR120 alters specific bone metabolic diseases-osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. The data reviewed here provide a basis for clinical and basic research into the role of GPR120 on bone metabolic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to many social problems caused by Internet consumer finance, Internet consumer finance regulation has always become one of the main concerns of governments and society. Based on a novel three-dimensional mixed strategy game matrix, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model for regulators, Internet consumer financial institutions, and consumers. In this model, we establish the dynamic replication equation of the three parties above, analyze the influence of factors on the tripartite strategy selection and discuss the stability of model equilibrium points through numerical simulation. The results show that the model will get six evolutionary stable points in Internet consumer financial regulation under different conditions. Moreover, strict regulation, verification, and contract keeping are the most ideal evolutionarily stable strategies. In addition, three critical factors affect the evolution results of the three parties, namely losses to institutions caused by loose regulation and verification, punishment for loose verification under strict regulation, and losses from breaking the contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to many social problems caused by Internet consumer finance, Internet consumer finance regulation has always become one of the main concerns of governments and society. Based on a novel three-dimensional mixed strategy game matrix, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model for regulators, Internet consumer financial institutions, and consumers. In this model, we establish the dynamic replication equation of the three parties above, analyze the influence of factors on the tripartite strategy selection and discuss the stability of model equilibrium points through numerical simulation. The results show that the model will get six evolutionary stable points in Internet consumer financial regulation under different conditions. Moreover, strict regulation, verification, and contract keeping are the most ideal evolutionarily stable strategies. In addition, three critical factors affect the evolution results of the three parties, namely losses to institutions caused by loose regulation and verification, punishment for loose verification under strict regulation, and losses from breaking the contract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a brain region that integrates external and internal sensory information and executes innate and adaptive behaviors through distinct output pathways. Despite its complex functions, the diversity of molecularly defined neuronal types in the CEA and their contributions to major axonal projection targets have not been examined systematically. Here, we performed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to classify molecularly defined cell types in the CEA and identified marker genes to map the location of these neuronal types using expansion-assisted iterative fluorescence in situ hybridization (EASI-FISH). We developed new methods to integrate EASI-FISH with 5-plex retrograde axonal labeling to determine the spatial, morphological, and connectivity properties of ~30,000 molecularly defined CEA neurons. Our study revealed spatiomolecular organization of the CEA, with medial and lateral CEA associated with distinct molecularly defined cell families. We also found a long-range axon projection network from the CEA, where target regions receive inputs from multiple molecularly defined cell types. Axon collateralization was found primarily among projections to hindbrain targets, which are distinct from forebrain projections. This resource reports marker gene combinations for molecularly defined cell types and axon-projection types, which will be useful for selective interrogation of these neuronal populations to study their contributions to the diverse functions of the CEA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adrenal hypoplasia congenita (AHC) is a rare X-linked recessive disease caused by mutations in the nuclear receptor subfamily 0, group B, member 1 (NR0B1) gene, which is also referred to as dosage-sensitive sex-reversal, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, in the critical region of the X chromosome, gene 1 (DAX1). This gene is expressed in the hypothalamus, anterior pituitary and steroidogenic tissues, including the gonads and adrenal cortex. Adult-onset forms of X-linked AHC are a significant cause of concern. In the present study, the case of a 21-year-old male who exhibited adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism was described. The patient initially presented with nausea, vomiting, fatigue and dizziness. The laboratory results demonstrated that the patient had hyponatremia, a low basal cortisol concentration and increased adrenocorticotropic hormone levels. Molecular genetic examination revealed a novel frameshift mutation (c.1005delC, p.V336Cfs*36). Following steroid supplementation, the patient's vomiting, fatigue and dizziness rapidly improved. To the best of our knowledge, the present study was the first case report of adult-onset X-linked AHC with this novel frameshift mutation. Furthermore, the present study highlighted differences in the clinical presentation of adult-onset forms of X-linked AHC. This may therefore alert medical professionals to the need to perform genetic analysis for DAX1 mutations in adolescents and adults with primary adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] To study the effects of different temperature, time and humidity on the sensory quality of fish meat, and to determine the optimal process parameters for whole fish frying of Sichuan-style dry-roasted fish using a universal oven. [Methods] The effects of different heating temperature, time and humidity on the sensory quality of whole fish frying were analyzed by single factor experiment and orthogonal experiment. [Results] In the whole fish frying process of the universal oven, the optimal parameters in the first stage steaming mode was as follows; 215 °C for temperature, 15% for humidity, and 10 min for time; the optimal parameters in the second baking mode was as follows; 250 °C for temperature, 70% for humidity, and 5 min for time. [Conclusions] Different from the traditional whole fish frying of Sichuan-style dry roasted fish, universal oven is greatly optimized in convenience, safety and environmental protection. Besides, the use of oil is reduced, and the cost is well controlled, thus it is conducive to mass production in the later period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondria are the main organelles for mammalian energy metabolism and have been implicated in the regulation of germ cell maintenance and spermatogenesis. However, little is known about the changes in the mitochondria of the testis of seasonal breeders. Here, we characterized the seasonal changes in the mitochondria in the testis of the wild ground squirrels. Increased testicle weight, seminiferous tubule diameter, and sperm count were observed in the wild ground squirrels at the breeding season. RNA-seq analysis of the wild ground squirrel testes revealed that mitochondrial-related genes were expressed differentially between the breeding and nonbreeding seasons. Immunohistochemical staining showed that key mitophagy factors including PINK1, MFN2, and PARKIN were highly expressed in various cell types of testis during the breeding season. In addition, the abundance and enzymatic activities of mitochondrial-localized antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and Catalase were decreased in the testis during the breeding season, suggesting a tightly controlled redox balance at least partially facilitated by mitophagy during the seasonal breeding. Taken together, our study reveals that mitochondrial autophagy and oxidative stress may be implicated in the seasonal reproductive recrudescence of the wild ground squirrels, which deepens our understanding of the mitochondrial regulation of seasonal reproductivity in wildlife and provides new insights into the development of potential therapeutic interventions of male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the types of pulp, the tissue making technologies, and shelf price of bath tissue was evaluated for the North American market. Twenty-four market tissue samples (representing approximately 80% of the current market offering) were sourced and analyzed along with their nationwide price information. Pulp composition, drying technologies, market share, sustainability advertising, and tissue properties were evaluated. Tissue properties, including softness, ball burst strength, water absorbency, density, tensile strength, and tensile modulus were measured. Among all the drying technologies, creped through-air dry (CTAD) and creped through-air dry belt (CTADB) seemed to improve tissue softness most. The UCTAD maximized tissue bulk by drying the tissue web solely using a through-air (TAD) cylinder. Tissue samples with freeness between 575 to 650 mL seemed to have their properties improved more significantly through advanced drying technologies. It was found that the retail prices of these bath tissues were directly related to softness, bulkiness, water absorbency, and basis weight. A mathematical model was conducted to predict the retail price of bath tissue (based on product performance and attributes). This paper also identified the effect of “sustainability” on the retail price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coastal tourism is an important growth point of marine economic. Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone (SPBEZ) is the first approved strategic marine economic development zone in China. Its coastal tourism development not only has an important demonstration role, but also has important significance for the marine ecological civilization. This study combined SWOT analysis with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), and with experts' professional knowledge, quantitatively calculated the intensities of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of coastal tourism in SPBEZ. From the perspective of SWOT-AHP model, drew strategic quadrilateral, calculated strategic vector, and scientifically established the strategic type and the strength of strategy implementation. The results show that the pioneering strategy of seizing opportunities should be actively implemented, and the implementation focus of OS strategy, OW strategy, ST strategy and WT strategy are further clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Softness, as a subjective perception, is difficult to define and quantify. For decades, panel tests have been used to judge differences in the softness of hygiene tissue samples. Panel tests can be a time-consuming and expensive process. A number of protocols have been developed to quantify the physical properties of tissues associated with softness. The Tissue Softness Analyzer (TSA) by Emtec has gained popularity in characterizing the physical properties of tissues associated with softness. The instrument was designed with softness in mind and attempts to simulate the touch of the human hand. There is currently no comprehensive study that compares the results from a TSA and human panel. In this work, panel tests were used to validate the performance of the TSA with bath tissue. It was determined that one component of the TSA measurements (TS7) linearly correlated with the panel results. Among all of the algorithms available for use with the TSA, the TP2 algorithm most accurately predicted the panel scores. The TSA performed better in predicting the softness of the samples that were dried with a conventional wet press or creped-through air-dryer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The artic presents the case study of 63-year-old white female presented to the ED with one month of malaise, chills, and ten kilogram weight loss. Topics include the CT angiogram has foreign body resembling a fish bone eroding through the third portion of the duodenum into the portal vein, the patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy with Kocher maneuver to mobilize the duodenal stump, and the penetration site has inspected by repeat duodenoscopy before closing the duodenotomy transversely.

When two droplets containing nonvolatile components are sitting close to each other, asymmetrical ring-like deposition patterns are formed on the substrate. We propose a simple theory based on the Onsager variational principle to predict the deposition patterns of two neighboring droplets. The contact line motion and the interference effect of two droplets are considered simultaneously. We demonstrate that the gradients of evaporation rate along two droplets is the main reason for forming asymmetrical deposition patterns. By tracing the relative motion between the contact line and the solute particles, we found that the velocities of solute particles have no cylindrical symmetry anymore because of the asymmetrical evaporation rate, giving the underlying mechanism of forming asymmetrical patterns. Moreover, controlling the evaporation rate combined with varying the contact line friction, fan-like and eclipse-like deposition patterns are obtained. The theoretical results of pinned contact line cases are qualitatively consistent with the pervious experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation is a primary climate forcing factor in catchment hydrology, and its spatial distribution is essential for understanding the spatial variability of ecohydrological processes in a catchment. In mountainous areas, meteorological stations are generally too sparse to represent the spatial distribution of precipitation. This study develops a spatial interpolation method that combines meteorological observations and regional climate model (RCM) outputs. The method considers the precipitation-elevation relationship in the mountain region and the topographic effects, especially the mountain blocking effect. Furthermore, using this method, this study produced a 3-km-resolution precipitation dataset from 1960 to 2014 in the middle and upper reaches of the Heihe River basin located on the northern slope of the Qilian Mountains in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Cross validation based on the station observations showed that this method is reasonable. The rationality of the interpolated precipitation data was also evaluated by the catchment water balances using the observed river discharge and the actual evapotranspiration based on remote sensing. The interpolated precipitation data were compared with the China Gauge-Based Daily Precipitation Analysis product and the RCM output and was shown to be optimal. The results showed that the proposed method effectively used the information from the meteorological observations and the RCM simulations and provided the spatial distributions of daily precipitations with reasonable accuracy and high resolution, which is important for a distributed hydrological simulation at the catchment scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salt stress is one of the major abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide that causes crop failure by interfering with the profile of gene expression and cell metabolism. Transcription factors and RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) play an important role in the regulation of gene activation under abiotic stress in plants. This work characterized AtMYB7, a member of the R2R3-MYB gene family, which is transcriptionally regulated mainly by RdDM as a response in salt stress in Arabidopsis. Bisulphite sequencing indicated that 24-nt siRNAs target a region approximately 500 bp upstream of the transcription initiation site of AtMYB7, which is heavily methylated. Levels of DNA methylation in this region were significantly reduced in wild type plants under salt stress, whereas no changes were found in RdDM mutants. Northern blot and quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR analysis showed that the accumulation of 24-nt siRNAs was decreased in WT plants under salt stress. Further promoter deletion analysis revealed that the siRNA target region is essential for maintaining AtMYB74 expression patterns. In addition, transgenic plants overexpressing AtMYB74 displayed hypersensitivity to NaCl during seed germination. These results suggest that changes in the levels of the five 24-nt siRNAs regulate the AtMYB74 transcription factor via RdDM in response to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck cancers are the sixth most common cancer in the world and the predominant type of which consist of squamous cell carcinomas (head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, HNSCC). Besides tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption, human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the third leading cause of the occurrence of HNSCC. The presence of HPV is a distinct group of head and neck cancers exhibiting epidemiological, histopathological, clinical and prognostic differences opposed to the typical HNSCC. HPV positive HNSCC normally have a favorable prognosis compared with HPV negative HNSCC, so biomarkers suitable for the early detection of HPV positive HNSCC should be developed urgently to improve patient outcomes. HPV DNA screening is sensitive, but probably not useful because of the high prevalence of oral HPV and low risk of HNSCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a class of small non-coding RNAs that act as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Since miRNAs have a role in the cancer development and HPV status may affect the miRNAs expression pattern in HNSCC, the specific of miRNAs' expression in HPV positive HNSCC may expound the role of HPV in HNSCC and be new biomarkers for the early detection of HNSCC. More excitingly, saliva as proximal biofluid in the context of HNSCC contains a good deal of miRNAs. These miRNAs are stabile and may be suitable for noninvasive biomarkers of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness and the most common complex neuropsychiatric disorder. To date, the etiology of schizophrenia is unclear; consequently, the diagnosis of schizophrenia is controversial. Biomarkers that reflect the dysregulations observed in schizophrenia may potentially assist the diagnosis of the disorder. However, the majority of these biomarkers are found in the brain tissue, which is not readily accessible, leading to the search for novel biomarkers that are present in the peripheral blood. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Previous investigations have revealed that miRNAs may play a potential role in neurodevelopment and maturation, including neurite outgrowth, dendritogenesis and dendritic spine formation. These developments highlight the significance of miRNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers for schizophrenia. To date, miRNA biomarkers have been predominantly extracted from the brain tissue; however, future studies should examine the use of peripheral blood miRNAs as biomarkers, as these are more accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a behavioral model, in this paper a new dynamic modeling method is presented and used to analyze the life cycle of application objects and their interactions in an open-architecture CNC controller model. Since a CNC kernel has a high capability real-time multi-task controller, it is important to develop CNC software based on non-real-time preempt multi-task operating system (Windows NT). A proper method for software high capability real-time control is employed when open on CNC kernel is designed. Further, the paper develops a solution for how to realize reconfigurable structures in CNC systems and seamless connection between function modules and a system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Accurately predicting the production rate and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) of shale oil wells is vital for efficient shale oil development. Although numerical simulations provide accurate predictions, their high time, data, and labor demands call for a swifter, yet precise, method. This study introduces the DuongeCNNeLSTM (D-C-L) model, which integrates a convolutional neural network (CNN) with a long short-term memory (LSTM) network and is grounded on the empirical Duong model for physical constraints. Compared to traditional approaches, the D-C-L model demonstrates superior precision, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in predicting shale oil production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: To evaluate the predictive power of the ChIna-PAK model for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: Dominate databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, Chinese Biomedical Literature Service System, and VIP self-built database, were searched from January 1, 2016 to February 22, 2022. The primary outcome included observed events and predicted events by China-PAR. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Stroke, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), male, and female were divided into subgroup analyses. Funnel plots were used to assess publication bias. Results: A total of nine studies, which included 221,918 participants, were analyzed. Meta-analysis showed the combined observed incidence of CVD was 3.97%, and the combined predicted incidence was 9.59% by China-PAR. There was no significant difference between the observed and the predicted events. Subgroup analysis showed there was no statistical significance between the observed and the predicted events for stroke or for ASCVD. The difference between the observed and the predicted events by China-PAR was not statistically significant in either males or females. Conclusions: China-PAR model has important public health significance to further improve the primary prevention strategy of CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To conduct the association between vitamin B12 and mental health in children and adolescents. Five databases were searched for observational studies in any language reporting on mental health and vitamin B12 levels or intake in children and adolescents from inception to March 18, 2022. Two authors independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data were performed. The review was registered in the PROSPERO database (CRD42022345476). Fifty six studies containing 37,932 participants were identified in the review. Vitamin B12 levels were lower in participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (standardized mean difference [SMD], -1.61; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], -2.44 to -0.79; p < 0.001), attention deficit hyperactivity disorders (SMD, -0.39; 95% CI, -0.78 to -0.00; p = 0.049) compared with control group. Vitamin B12 intake were lower in participants with ASDs (SMD, -0.86; 95% CI, -1.48 to -0.24; p = 0.006) compared with control group, but showed no difference between depression group (SMD, -0.06; 95% CI, -0.15 to 0.03; p = 0.17) and the control group. Higher vitamin B12 intake were associated with lower risk of depression (odds ratio [OR], 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.98; p = 0.034) and behavioral problems (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.69-0.99; p = 0.04). The vast majority of included studies supported potential positive influence of vitamin B12 on mental health, and vitamin B12 deficiency may be a reversible cause for some mental health disorders in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the photoconversion of 1-chloronaphthalene (CN-1) and 2,3-dichlornaphthalene (CN-10) under the simulated sunlight had been studied. The results showed that the photoconversion of CN-1 and CN-10 obeyed the first-order kinetics model. NO2−, NO3−, Fe3+ and Fe2+ extensively present in natural water can accelerate CN-1 photoconversion via generating ·OH, which may induce indirect photooxidation of CN-1. The photoproducts were treated by the derivatization method and analyzed by GC-MS after being irradiated for 6 h. Ten products were characterized for CN-1 and CN-10, and there were six common products. On this basis, the photoconversion pathways of CN-10 and CN-1 were proposed, and both of them have a similar conversion mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-skewed asymmetrical rotors bars can be used to eliminate the slot harmonic fields and the resulting noise and vibration in cage induction motors. However, it is difficult to determine the spatial distribution of the asymmetrical rotor bars and the slot combinations, which can affect the loss and the air gap force significantly. With a 5.5 kW, 4-pole induction motor as an example, this paper studies the influence of the above factors on the loss and the air gap force by time-stepping finite element method, and the experiments are performed to validate the calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aging has been recognized to be a highly complex biological health problem with a high risk of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Particularly, age-related turnover in adipose tissue is a major contributor to metabolic syndromes and shortened lifespan. Adipocytes undergo senescence in early stage, which results in adipose tissue metabolic dysfunction, redistribution, and inflammation. The well-established association between DNA methylation (DNAm) and aging has been observed in the past few decades. Indeed, age-related alteration in DNAm is highly tissue-specific. This review intends to summarize the advancements how DNAm changes coupled with aging process in adipose tissue, by which DNAm regulates cellular senescence, metabolic function, adipokine secretion and beiging process in adipocytes. Elucidation of the effect of DNAm on adipose aging would have great potential to the development of epigenetic therapeutic strategies against aging-related diseases in clinical settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently diagnosed at late stages when curative treatments are no more appliable. Many studies have proved the active role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancers' biology; here, the functional role of lncRNA NCK1-AS1 in HCC was identified. Methods: Gene expression in tumor tissues of HCC was evaluated by examining online databases and 88 collected HCC samples from our hospital. The interactions of miR-22-3p with NCK1-AS1 and tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (YARS) were tested by conducting bioinformatics analysis, luciferase report, and RNA pulldown experiments. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell experiments were used to dissect the role of the NCK1-AS1/miR-22-3p/YARS axis in HCC. Results: NCK1-AS1 was overexpressed in HCC cells and tissues. Functional assays depicted that depletion of NCK1-AS1 hampered malignant character of HCC cells. NCK1-AS1 controlled the availability of miR-22-3p, resulting in YARS upregulation. YARS was found to have a clinical value for HCC diagnosis. Moreover, rescue experiments revealed that miR-22-3p inhibition or YARS overexpression partially blocked the function of NCK1-AS1 deficiency in HCC cells. As for the downstream signaling pathway, we discovered that NCK1-AS1 activated PI3K/AKT signaling by the miR-22-3p/YARS axis. Conclusion: The present study verified that NCK1-AS1 could promote HCC progression via the miR-22-3p/YARS axis to activate PI3K/AKT signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tool-tip frequency response functions (FRFs) are often required in milling vibration analysis. Receptance coupling substructures analysis (RCSA) affords an efficient analytical way for different tool-tip FRFs prediction with only one modal test. The coupling theory includes both translational and rotational degrees-of-freedom, so rotation-related FRFs are essential to know in the test. The finite-differential technique is generally used to measure these special FRFs due to the avoidance of specialist equipment. The technique uses several translational accelerometers spatially placed close to each other to approximate the rotational vibration. However, the added sensor masses lead to a frequency shift of the test structure, and the phenomenon would aggravate as the sensors increase. The polluted measurement data would subsequently decrease the tool-tip FRFs prediction accuracy. Addressing this problem, this paper introduces a multi-point substructure coupling method to simultaneously compensate the multi-accelerometer masses in a single experimental setup. The proposed method considers the installed accelerometers as multiple point masses and then uses inverse coupling calculation to isolate their effect. The compensation procedure is first effectively validated in simulation and experiment, and then, it is integrated into an RCSA-based application of predicting different tool-tip dynamics. Experimental results show that the compensated FRF data can improve prediction accuracy, especially when predicting tools shorter than the tested tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent advances in high-speed and high-accuracy machining, the NURBS interpolator has shown significant effect on dealing with the free-form curves and surfaces. The existing study aims at developing the adaptive interpolator which confines the chord error, the tangent acceleration, and jerk. However, the excessive axis acceleration is still unavoidable at the sharp corners and will deteriorate the contour accuracy. In this paper, a real-time adaptive NURBS interpolator considering the acc/dec capacity for each individual axis is developed to confine both the chord error and the axis acceleration. The maximum feasible feed and tangent acceleration range are deduced, respecting the given axis acc/dec limit. A two-stage feed determination scheme is applied to calculate the adaptive feed rate for each sampling period. A look-ahead window is utilized to improve the calculation performance for real-time application. Simulations and experiments are performed to verify the resulting feed rate, acc/dec profiles, and the real-time performance of the proposed interpolator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flank milling with a taper cutter is widely used in industry. The analytical representation of the envelope surface generated by a conical cutter undergoing rational motion is derived by bringing together the theories of line geometry and kinematics. Based on the projective duality between a point and a plane in line geometry, a cone surface is represented as two pieces of rational quadratic Bézier developable surfaces in terms of the plane coordinates instead of the traditional point coordinates. It provides a way to describe and calculate the envelope surface exactly by analyzing the trajectory of a plane undergoing a two-parameter rational motion. The rotation around the axis of the cone is adopted to ensure that the characteristic curve is located on the same piece of rational quadratic Bézier developable surface of the cone. The degenerate cases that the characteristic curve does not exist are also discussed. Examples are provided, in which the envelope surfaces of a conical cutter undergoing rational Bézier and B-spline motions are computed. The results can be applied to tool-path planning and error analysis for five-axis flank milling machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic relatedness and phenotype are important factors that govern the expression of heterosis in hybrid progeny of many cross-pollinating plant species. Since this relationship is important but not well understood in melon ( Cucumis melo L.), one monoecious and two andromonoecious melon lines of diverse Chinese [Peoples Republic of China (PRC)] origin were crossed to the andromonoecious U.S. Western Shipping market type ‘Top Mark’ (TM) and the andromonoecious, highly branched line H-16 to determine parental combining ability and heterosis for five yield component traits in three test environments [open-field (USA), and energy-saving (PRC) and plastic greenhouses (PRC)]. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)- and simple sequence repeat (SSR)-based genetic distances (GD) among and between parents (5) and their hybrids (6) were calculated and compared to phenotypic trait values. These germplasms were evaluated for lateral branch number (LBN), days to 50% flower (DF), fruit number and weight per plant, and fruit length:diameter (L:D) ratio in each of three test environments. General combining ability was significant for all characters, except for L:D in all locations, and LBN and DF in the plastic greenhouse environment. Both descriptors of difference (genetic marker and phenotype) were discriminatory, and provided similar assessments of relationships among parents and hybrids. Although dramatic performance differences were detected between parents and among F1 hybrid progeny, a strong relationship between GD and heterotic effects was not consistently detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In free-form surface machining, it is essential to optimize the feedrate in order to improve the machining efficiency. Conservative constant feedrate values have been mostly used up to now since there was a lack of physical models and optimization tools for the machining processes. The overall goal of this research is the integration of geometric and mechanistic milling models for force prediction and feedrate scheduling in five-axis CNC free-form surface machining. For each tool move, the geometric model calculates the cut geometry, and a mechanistic model is used along with a maximum allowable cutting force to determine a desired feedrate. The results are written into the part NC program with optimized feedrates. When the integrated modeling approach based feedrate scheduling strategy introduced in this paper was used, it was shown that the machining time can be decreased significantly along the tool path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate the feed fluctuation and to maintain a smooth feed in conventional five-axis machining, an optimal feed interpolation algorithm (look-ahead) is proposed. However, the problem arises where the segment usually cannot be interpolated exactly in an integer period because of the nonzero joint feed at the junction. To overcome this problem, and to achieve faster machining speed and higher quality parts, this paper presents an optimal feed interpolation algorithm for high-speed, five-axis machining having the function of “look-ahead”, i.e., variable-period linear interpolation algorithm. In real applications, the proposed algorithm results in: (1) constant speed; (2) high machining accuracy. Moreover, in this paper, an efficient method for acceleration and deceleration control is presented to achieve the highest-quality feed profiles and to shorten machining times. The precision and speed of machining is improved greatly. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Route planning plays a key role in reverse engineering. Currently, a rectangle is usually taken as the approximation of an irregular measuring area. This would lead to a low efficiency in measuring because unnecessary region is included and blank routes are generated. In this paper, a polygon-based method is presented to more accurately approximate irregular area. An irregular area is decomposed into a set of sub-polygons. Within each sub-polygon, there is no blank route. Unnecessary region is thus much more reduced. Experiment shows that measuring efficiency is improved a great deal by adopting the polygon-based method, compared with the rectangle approximation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apron of the Roll-on/Roll-off/Passenger (Ro-Pax) terminal is an accident-prone zone with high risk of traffic congestion and vehicle exhaust pollution in the peak season, which brings a bad experience to passengers and even endangers passengers' health. This study aims to improve the passenger service quality in the peak season by rezoning the Ro-Pax terminal apron and its traffic organization. Thus, we establish a simulation-based Fuzzy Multiple Attribute Decision Making framework to evaluate the passenger service quality and distinguish an optimal layout of the terminal apron. This framework introduces three evaluation indicators (safety, convenience, and comfort and health) and 11 performance indexes to define the passenger service quality, and the values of these indexes are derived from an agent-based simulation model for the Ro-Pax terminal apron operation. Finally, an example of the proposed framework is presented in a case study to show how to select an improved layout of the Ro-Pax terminal apron considering passenger service quality. The result confirms the proposed framework is an effective tool to solve rezoning the Ro-Pax terminal apron and the proposed methodology can also be used to cope with similar problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A majority of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, arising from the squamous (flattened) epithelial cells that line the cervix. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a unique class of messenger RNA-like transcripts of at least 200 nucleotides in length with no significant protein-coding capacity. Aberrant lncRNA expression is emerging as a major component of the cancer transcriptome. In the present study, lncRNA microarrays were conducted to investigate the differentially expression lncRNAs in cervical cancer (CC) tissues compared with peritumoral tissues. Then, the most signifi- cantly upregulated lncRNA, which was lncRNA-AK001903 was selected to conduct further experiments. Real-time Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was conducted to investigate lncRNA-AK001903 expression in CC tissues and Hela, Siha, Ca Ski, C33a, H8 (HPV-immortalized cervical epithelial cell line) cell lines, and in situ hybridization histochemistry (ISHH) was performed to detect lncRNA-AK001903 expression level in different CC stages. The effect of lncRNA-AK001903 on cell proliferation, invasion and migration was assessed after knockdown of lncRNA-AK001903. The findings of the study confirmed that lncRNA-AK001903 was upregulated in CC cells and tissues compared with normal cell line H8 and peritumoral tissues. ISHH demonstrated that the expression level of lncRNA-AK001903 was connected with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2018) stage of CC. Knockdown of lncRNA-AK001903 inhibited cell proliferation, invasion and migration in Ca Ski cells. In conclusion, lncRNA-AK001903 was demonstrated to be an oncogenic lncRNA that promotes tumor progression and may be an effective target for CC treatment in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring rotating tool-tip frequency response functions (FRFs) is difficult because of the fluted tip geometry. The methods based on receptance coupling substructure analysis (RCSA) can obtain rotating tool-tip FRFs with a few tests. Existing RCSA-based methods require at least one smooth rod for measurement and then mathematically calculate the desired rotating tool-tip FRFs. However, involving the inverse of the experimentally obtained FRFs matrix, these methods are susceptible to the measurement noise in the rotating structure. In addition, the inconsistency between the holder-tool and holder-rod connections is another uncertainty which impacts accuracy. This paper presents a robust RCSA-based method to obtain rotating tool-tip FRFs. It is found that tool-tip FRFs can be calculated from another point FRFs on the same assembly. Then, one point on the smooth cylindrical shank of the tool is selected for measurement. The measured FRFs, along with those from the theoretical tool model, calculate the rotating tool-tip FRFs. Compared with the previous methods, the proposed one does not require inverting the measured FRFs matrix, inherently avoiding amplification of measurement noise. Since the tool replacement is no longer required, in situ measurement is achieved to ensure the same holder-tool connection throughout the procedure. The proposed method is first validated in a numerical case and then verified experimentally by a commercial hammer and laser vibrometer. Both results show that the method is insensitive to the measurement noise and can obtain rotating tool-tip FRFs with considerable accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asymmetric arylation of γ,δ-unsaturated β-ketophosphonates with arylboronic acids is reported. By using the (R)-diene* ligated rhodium(I) chloride complex as a catalyst under none basic conditions, the corresponding β-ketophosphonates bearing a δ-chiral center were obtained in high yields (up to 99%) with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to >99% ee). The enantioenriched products can be readily converted to diverse chiral β′-aryl enones by the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conditionally replicative oncolytic adenoviruses (CRAds) display significant anti-tumor effects. However, the traditional adenovirus of serotype 5 (Ad5) entering cancer cells via coxsackie virus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) can't be utilized for bladder cancer with low expression of CAR, which limits the application of Ad5. Methods: We utilized Ad5/F11p containing the chimeric fiber gene encoding the Ad5 fiber tail domain and Ad11p fiber shaft and knob domains to construct bladder cancer-specific chimeric type viruses Ad5/F11p-PSCAE-UPII-E1A, which can infect bladder cancer cells mediated by CD46 molecule. We carried out series of experiments in vitro to research anti-tumor effect of Ad5/F11p-PSCAE-UPII-E1A and the interaction in combination with cisplatin. Results: The results demonstrated Ad5/F11p-PSCAE-UPII-E1A could infect bladder cancer cells (T24, EJ and 5637) in a CAR-independent way, and exert anti-tumor effect by blocking the cancer cells in G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. Ad5/F11p-PSCAE-UPII-E1A plus cisplatin enhanced the anti-proliferative effect and increased the number of apoptotic cells compared with viruses or cisplatin alone. Ad5/F11p-PSCAE-UPII-E1A plus cisplatin could upregulate the proteins expression of p53, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3, and downregulated Bcl-2 protein expression in T24, EJ and 5637 cells. Conclusion: We constructed a bladder cancer-specific oncolytic adenovirus and provided new combination treatment strategies for bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the prevalence of high weight at different characteristics, understand the perceptions and behaviours towards high body weight, and determine potential influencing factors of body weight misperception among high-weight adults in Jilin Province.Design: A cross-sectional survey with complex sampling design was conducted. We described the prevalence and perception of high body weight.Setting: Northeast China in 2012.Subjects: Adults (n 20 552) aged 18-79 years.Results: Of overweight individuals, 37·4 % considered themselves as 'normal weight', 4·8 % reported themselves as being 'very thin' and only 53·1 % were aware of their own weight being 'overweight'. About 1·8 % of both male and female obese individuals perceived themselves as 'very thin'. Only 29·1 % of obese people thought of themselves as 'too fat'. Nearly 30·0 % of centrally obese men and women perceived that their waist circumference was about right and they were of 'normal weight'; 5·7 % of the centrally obese even perceived themselves as being 'very thin'. Only 51·8 and 12·5 % of centrally obese individuals reported themselves to be 'overweight' or 'too fat'. Body weight misperception was more common in rural residents (OR; 95 % CI: 1·340; 1·191, 1·509). The prevalence of body weight misperception increased with age (middle age: 1·826; 1·605, 2·078; old people: 3·101; 2·648, 3·632) and declined with increased education level (junior middle school: 0·628; 0·545, 0·723; senior middle school: 0·498; 0·426, 0·583; undergraduate and above: 0·395; 0·320, 0·487).Conclusions: Body weight misperception was common among adults from Jilin Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we report a novel and efficient fluorescence probe synthesized by Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane-derived carbon dots (CDs)-modified hexagonal cobalt oxyhydroxide(CoOOH) nanoflakes (Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH) for monitoring of cerebral ascorbic acid (AA) in brain microdialysate. The as-prepared Tris-derived CDs with the fluorescence quantum yield of 7.3% are prepared by a one-step pyrolysis strategy of the sole precursor and used as the signal output. After being hybridized with CoOOH nanoflakes to form Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH, the luminescence of the Tris-derived CDs can be efficiently quenched by CoOOH via fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Due to the specific redox reaction between the enediol group of AA and hexagonal CoOOH nanoflakes, AA can reduce the hexagonal CoOOH nanoflakes in the Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH and lead to collapse of the hybrized structure, then the release of Tris-derived CDs, and thus finally the fluorescence recovery. Moreover, cobalt ions (II), generated by CoOOH nanoflakes oxidizing AA, almost have no obvious interference on the fluorescence probe, i.e., Tris-derived CDs, which could be ascribed to the surface of Tris-derived CDs containing a few strong chelation groups such as amino/carboxyl/thiol groups, instead of plenty of -OH groups with weak chelation with Co2+. On the basis of this feature, the Tris-derived CDs-CoOOH fluorescent probe demonstrates a linear range from 100 nM to 20 μM with the detection limit of ∼50 nM, i.e., with an improved sensitivity toward AA detection. Compared with other turn-on fluorescent methods using convenient fluorophore-nitroxide fluorescent probes for detection of AA, the method demonstrated here possesses a facial synthesis route, lower limit of detection, and wider linear range, which validates sensing of AA in the cerebral systems during the calm/ischemia process. This study provides a fluorescence assay for the simple yet facial detection of AA in the cerebral systems and assists in the understanding of the biological processes in the physiological and pathological study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the biochemical characterization of deblocking aminopeptidases (DAPs) from an hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus kodakarensis. It mentions that the DAPs were identified as proteins which shows overexpression in response to heat and oxidative stress. It also notes that two of the proteins were purified homogeneity and was analyzed using gel filtration chromatography.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have gained tremendous interest as membrane building blocks owing to rigid, long-range ordered and easily functionalized skeletons. The facile, controllable and task-specific construction of COF membranes lies in the frontier of membrane technology. Herein, we explored a post-synthetic linker exchange (PLE) method to engineer COF membranes for efficient alcohol dehydration. The proposed PLE method, utilizing the reversible breaking-reformation basis between pristine COF membranes and post-introduced linkers, narrowed the effective pore size to intensify molecular sieving property. Moreover, the PLE method also endowed COF membranes with more hydrophilic groups, thus improving the water sorption ability of COF membranes. The resultant COF membranes exhibited superior n -butanol dehydration performances with 3620 of selectivity, 11.35 kg m−2 h−1 of total flux and remained stable in 15-day operation. This PLE method may flourish the library of engineering COF membranes for efficient molecular separations. [Display omitted] • Post-synthetic linker exchange was used to tune the structures of COF membranes. • Narrowed pore size enhanced the sieving ability of COF membranes. • Increased hydrophilic groups improved the water affinity/capture-ability. • COF membranes exhibited superior separation performance in butanol dehydration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]