Search

The objective of this study was to comparative evaluate the protective efficacy of live attenuated and inactivated porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome vaccines. Fifty-five healthy piglets free of PRRSV antigen and antibody were randomly assigned into four groups. Piglets of group 1 (n = 20) were inoculated with PRRS live vaccine TJM-F92 strain (Live vaccine TJM-F92). Piglets of group 2 (n = 20) were inoculated with commercial PRRS inactivated vaccine (Inactivated vaccine). Piglets of group 3 (n = 10) were inoculated with PBS (Negative control). Group 4 (n = 5) remained as a not-immunized and not-challenged control (Mock group). And half of piglets from groups 1 and 2 were randomly selected and challenged with HP-PRRSV TJ strain and PRRSV NADC30-like strain respectively at 49 days post immunization (dpi). Our data showed the level of antibodies arose from live vaccine was significantly higher and faster than that from inactivated vaccine after immunization. Neither high fever nor signs of clinical disease were observed in piglets immunized with live vaccine, whereas piglets in inactivated vaccine group exhibited serious clinical symptoms, pathological lesions, and viremia load after HP-PRRSV TJ strain challenge. No obvious clinical signs, gross pathology lesions and viremia load were found in live vaccine group, while severe clinical signs, pathology change of lungs and high viremia load were recorded in inactivated vaccine group after NADC30-like strain challenge. The results indicated that PRRS live vaccine (TJM-F92 strain) could effectively prevent the infection of HP-PRRSV TJ strain and virulent NADC30-like strain. Immunization with PRRS inactivated vaccine could not effectively arouse immune system and provide strong immune cross-protection. Therefore, it is necessary to select suitable, widely application and effective PRRS vaccine for PRRS control according to the situation of pig farms.

Prior studies on anterior circulation stroke have demonstrated that the benefits of endovascular treatment (EVT) may be absent in patients with poor collaterals. Our study focused on patients with basilar artery occlusion (BAO) to investigate time-dependent EVT effects according to the posterior circulation collateral score (PC-CS). The BASILAR study was a nationwide prospective Chinese registry of consecutive BAO patients. Patients were divided into groups receiving standard medical therapy alone (SMT group) or SMT plus EVT (EVT group). Restricted cubic spline analyses (RCSA) were performed to explore the nonlinear and linear relationships between EVT time and outcomes for different PC-CS. We included 828 patients with acute BAO. Compared with the poor collateral (PC-CS 0-3), the adjusted odds ratio of favorable outcome was 1.311 in patients with moderate (PC-CS 4-5) (95% CI, 0.781-2.201) and 1.899 with good (PC-CS 6-10) collateral (1.125-3.207) for EVT. RCSA revealed that in patients with PC-CS 0-3, the favorable outcome probability after EVT significantly decreased to 10% within 6 h and stabilized thereafter (P

Background: Emerging evidence suggests a role for orthostatic hypotension (OH) in contributing to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The exosomes in the blood can reflect the pathological changes in the brain. Objective: To investigate whether neural-derived plasma exosomes pathogenic proteins of AD levels are associated with OH in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Methods: There were 274 subjects without dementia included in the study: 81 control participants (controls), 101 normotensive patients with DM without OH, and 92 patients with DM and neurogenic OH (DMOH). Neural-derived exosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits for amyloid-β (Aβ) and tau. Results: The neural-derived exosome levels of Aβ42, total tau (T-tau), and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-T181-tau) in the DM with OH group were higher than those in the DM and control groups. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the presence of OH in patients with DM was associated with elevated exosomal Aβ42 (β= 0.172, p = 0.018), T-tau (β= 0.159, p = 0.030), and P-T181-tau (β= 0.220, p = 0.003) levels after adjustment for age, sex, APOE ɛ4, duration of type 2 diabetes, HbA1c, and cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, the levels of Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau in neural-derived exosomes were correlated with HIF-1α levels and the drop in mean cerebral blood flow velocity from the supine to upright position. Conclusion: The presence of OH in DM patients was independently associated with elevated the Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau levels in neural-derived plasma exosomes. Cerebral hypoperfusion from DM with OH are likely candidate mechanisms.

Archaeological and ancient DNA studies revealed that Shandong, a multi-culture center in northern coastal China, was home to ancient populations having ancestry related to both northern and southern East Asian populations. However, the limited temporal and geographical range of previous studies have been insufficient to describe the population history of this region in greater detail. Here, we report the analysis of 86 complete mitochondrial genomes from the remains of 9500 to 1800-year-old humans from 12 archaeological sites across Shandong. For samples older than 4600 years before present (BP), we found haplogroups D4, D5, B4c1, and B5b2, which are observed in present-day northern and southern East Asians. For samples younger than 4600 BP, haplogroups C (C7a1 and C7b), M9 (M9a1), and F (F1a1, F2a, and F4a1) begin to appear, indicating changes in the Shandong maternal genetic structure starting from the beginning of the Longshan cultural period. Within Shandong, the genetic exchange is possible between the coastal and inland regions after 3100 BP. We also discovered the B5b2 lineage in Shandong populations, with the oldest Bianbian individual likely related to the ancestors of some East Asians and North Asians. By reconstructing a maternal genetic structure of Shandong populations, we provide greater resolution of the population dynamics of the northern coastal East Asia over the past nine thousand years.

The design of the nuclear power plant shall meet the general objective to ensure that the safety functions of the systems and components are not affected by any external explosion hazard. A protection device must be sufficiently designed to protect the target equipment from the external explosion load. The shock wave propagation and attenuation was simulated dynamically for a new protection device withstand external explosion by use of the computational fluid dynamics software FLUENT. The method used in the simulation was firstly validated by comparing the simulation and the results of the shock tube test. Furthermore, the numerical model of the shock wave propagation and attenuation through the protection device was developed by this method, and the pressure time history behind the protection device was obtained, and then the protective effect of more layers of the protection device and the attenuation effect of the protection device preventing the lower amplitude of the incident shock wave were taken into account. It was found that the protection device could provide an effective limitation to the external explosion, the protective effect had not been strengthened obviously with more layers of the same protection device, and the attenuation effect would decrease with the lower amplitude of the incident shock wave. This analysis practice predicts virtually the physical phenomena, and can be taken as a guidance for the protection device design development and improve our understanding of external explosion shock wave phenomena.

Study Objectives The relationship between autonomic nervous system dysfunction measured by heart rate variability (HRV) and cognitive impairment in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients is complex and still not well understood. We aimed to analyze the role of complement activation, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) in modulating the association of HRV with cognitive performance. Methods There were 199 subjects without dementia, including 42 healthy controls, 80 OSA patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 77 OSA patients without cognitive impairment. All participants who completed polysomnography, cognition, WMH volume, and 5-min HRV analysis were recorded during wakefulness and sleep periods. Neuron-derived exosome and astrocyte-derived exosome proteins were measured by ELISA kits. Results The OSA with MCI group were associated with a lower mean of standard deviations of R-R intervals for 5-min intervals (SDANN index) during wakefulness, standard deviation of the R-R interval (SDNN) during sleep stage and percentage of adjacent R-R intervals differing by more than 50 ms (PNN50) in each stage compared with OSA without MCI. The influence of HRV on cognition was partially mediated by complement activation (C5b-9 mediated a maximum of 51.21%), AD biomarkers, and WMH. Conclusions Lower SDANN index and PNN50 during wakefulness and SDNN and PNN50 during sleep periods were found in OSA patients with MCI, suggesting potential vulnerability to autonomic and parasympathetic dysfunction. Complement activation, AD biomarkers, and WMH might partially mediate and interact with the influence of HRV on cognitive impairment in OSA patients. Clinical Trial Registration ChiCTR1900021544.

Microrobots driven by multiple propelling forces hold great potential for noninvasively targeted delivery in the physiologic environment. However, the remotely collective perception and precise propelling in a low Reynold's number bioenvironment remain the major challenges of microrobots to achieve desired therapeutic effects

The complement system plays a crucial role in cognitive impairment in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The present study aimed to investigate the connections between complement component 8 gamma (C8G) levels in astrocyte-derived exosomes (ADEs) and cognitive impairment in OSA patients without dementia. This cross-sectional cohort study recruited 274 participants without dementia, including 124 OSA patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 100 OSA patients without MCI, and 50 healthy control subjects. Enrolled participants underwent polysomnography (PSG) evaluation, neuropsychological scale assessment, magnetic resonance imaging scanning, and collection of peripheral blood samples for quantification of complement proteins in ADEs. The findings showed higher C8G concentrations in ADEs from OSA patients with MCI than in the controls and OSA without MCI group. Logistic regression analysis suggested that C8G levels in ADEs were independently associated with MCI in OSA patients. Multivariable linear regression analysis demonstrated that C8G levels in ADEs were significantly correlated with global cognitive scores and all cognitive subdomain scores after adjusting for demographic factors (age, sex, education), vascular risk factors (Body mass index, history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia), depressive symptoms measures, and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) values. The levels of C8G were linearly positively related to the white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes in Pearson's correlation analysis. Our research confirmed that C8G levels are significantly associated with cognitive impairment in OSA patients, which paves the way for novel therapeutic targets for neurocognitive dysfunction progression in OSA patients in the future.

Nanomachines with active propulsion have emerged as an intelligent platform for targeted cancer therapy. Achieving an efficient locomotion performance using an external energy conversion is a key requirement in the design of nanomachines. In this study, inspired by diverse spiky structures in nature, we proposed a photo-magnetically powered nanomachine (PMN) with a spiky surface and thermal-dependent viscosity tunability to facilitate mechanical motion in lysosomes for cancer mechanotherapy. The hybrid nanomachine was integrated with magnetic nanoparticles as the core and covered with gold nanotips. The physical simulations and experimental results proved that the spiky structure endows nanomachines with an obvious photo-magnetic coupling effect in the NIR-II region through the alignment and orienting movement of plasmons on the gold tips. Using a coupling-enhanced magnetic field, PMNs are efficiently assembled into chain-like structures to further elevate energy conversion efficiency. Notably, PMNs with the thermal control of viscosity were efficiently propelled under simultaneously-applied dual external energy sources in cell lysosomes. Enhanced mechanical destruction of cancer cells via PMNs was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo under photo-magnetic treatment. This study provides a new direction for designing integrated nanomachines with active adaptability to physiological environments for cancer treatment. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Archaeological cultures are commonly defined by typologies established from ceramic assemblages at sites dated to a relatively restricted timeframe and located in specific geographic regions. It is often assumed that cultural traditions, social organizations, and other aspects of lifeways were similar throughout the established cultural areas. However, variations in pottery assemblages, burial practices, house construction techniques, and subsistence strategies are observed among late Neolithic Dawenkou culture sites in China. This study uses stable isotopic, archaeobotanical, and archaeozoological analysis to investigate variation in diet at middle and late Dawenkou sites. We provide new isotopic data for two sites and a comparison of results for all studies to date for the Dawenkou culture area. There is significant synchronic and diachronic variation, both among and within sites, during the middle and late Dawenkou period. There are multiple potential explanations for this variability including constraints from environmental factors such as temperature, precipitation, local geomorphology, and social factors such as gender, social status, and ethnicity. This study demonstrates that closer examination of Dawenkou culture sites using multiple approaches provides a more nuanced understanding of variation in communities that deserve further analysis.

Bankground: Basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is related to a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to investigate the values of posterior circulation collateral score (PC-CS) on treatment decision-making and individualizing time window of patients with acute BAO in endovascular treatment. Methods: The BASILAR study was a nationwide prospective registry of consecutive patients presenting with symptomatic, radiologically confirmed within 24 hours of symptoms onset. Patients were divided into two groups according to the treatment they received: standard medical therapy alone and medical therapy plus endovascular therapy (EVT). We used a 10-points grading system based on computed tomography angiography to quantify the potential for collateral flow in the posterior circulation. We defined modified Rankin Scale score &It;3 within 3 months as favorable outcome, as well as mortality within 90 days were included as primary outcomes. Results: A total of 828 eligible consecutive patients with acute BAO were enrolled in our study with trichotomized PC-CS. EVT was associated with higher rate of favorable outcomes (adjusted odds radio with 95% CI, 7.02 [1.48-33.29]; 4.84[1.82-12.87] and 6.16 [2.69-14.08]; respectively) and lower mortality (57.4% versus 84.8%, P =0.001; 47.4% versus 75% , P &It ; 0.001 and 34.9% versus 58.8%, P &It;0.001) than standard medical therapy group in the trichotomized PC-CS. And higher PC-CS is associated with favorable outcomes in EVT group. More importantly, the patients received endovascular treatment with poor collateral circulation (PC-CS 0-3) could benefit only within 6 hours of symptom onset, while the time window will be extended to 24 hours in the patients with good collateral circulation (PC-CS 4-10). Conclusions: The PC-CS is a vital marker for predict favorable outcomes and treatment decision-making and individualizing time window in patients with acute BAO in endovascular treatment.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is mainly managed by pharmacological therapy (e.g., Benserazide and dopamine agonists). However, prolonged use of these drugs would gradually diminish their dopaminergic effect. Gut dysbiosis was observed in some patients with PD, suggesting close association between the gut microbiome and PD. Probiotics modulate the host’s gut microbiota beneficially. A 3-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to investigate the beneficial effect of probiotic co-administration in patients with PD. Eighty-two PD patients were recruited and randomly divided into probiotic [n = 48; Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Probio-M8 (Probio-M8), Benserazide, dopamine agonists] and placebo (n = 34; placebo, Benserazide, dopamine agonists) groups. Finally, 45 and 29 patients from Probio-M8 and placebo groups provided complete fecal and serum samples for further omics analysis, respectively. The results showed that Probio-M8 co-administration conferred added benefits by improving sleep quality, alleviating anxiety, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Metagenomic analysis showed that, after the intervention, there were significantly more species-level genome bins (SGBs) of Bifidobacterium animalis, Ruminococcaceae, and Lachnospira, while less Lactobacillus fermentum and Klebsiella oxytoca in Probio-M8 group (P Lactobacillus fermentum correlated positively with the scores of UPDRS-III, HAMA, HAMD-17, and negatively with MMSE. Klebsiella oxytoca correlated negatively with feces hardness. Moreover, co-administering Probio-M8 increased SGBs involved in tryptophan degradation, gamma-aminobutyric acid, short-chain fatty acids, and secondary bile acid biosynthesis, as well as serum acetic acid and dopamine levels (P

The purpose of our study was to investigate the correlation between neural-derived plasma exosomal amyloid-β (Aβ)42, total tau (T-tau) and tau phosphorylated at threonine 181 (P-T181-tau) protein levels and cognitive impairment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).There were 122 subjects without dementia included in the study: 27 patients with OSA and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 52 OSA patients without MCI, and 43 subjects diagnosed with simple snoring but not MCI as the control group. Neuronal-derived exosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits for Aβ42, T-tau and P-T181-tau. The cognitive function was evaluated by a Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire, and a normal cognitive score was ≥26.The exosomal Aβ42, T-tau and P-T181-tau levels in the OSA with MCI group were higher than those in the OSA group. The Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau levels in the plasma neuronal-derived exosomes were associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment in OSA patients after additional adjustment for age, gender, education, vascular risk factors, apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) or oxygen reduction index (ODI). Furthermore, there were also significant associations between Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau in neural-derived plasma exosomes and Epworth Sleepiness Scale, AHI, and ODI in OSA patients. After 1 year of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) intervention, the neuronal-derived exosome levels of Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau were significantly lower than those at baseline (P = 0.001, P = 0.012, and P = 0.034).These findings indicate that peripheral blood levels of neuronal-derived exosomal Aβ and tau proteins were increased in OSA patients with cognitive impairment. CPAP interventions could possibly improve cognitive function and be associated with decreased levels of exosomal Aβ and tau proteins.

There is accumulating evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the contribution of diabetes to Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. Neuronal mitochondrial proteins are found in plasma neuronal-derived exosomes (NDEs) at levels that reflect those in brain neurons. Here, we tested the performance of mitochondrial proteins in plasma NDEs to predict cognitive decline and brain injury in participants with diabetes. The study participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) included 41 cognitively normal control subjects, 97 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (68 individuals with stable MCI; 29 individuals with progressive MCI), and 36 patients with AD dementia. Plasma neuroexosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits. Spearman correlation was used to test associations between plasma neuroexosomal mitochondrial proteins and other core biomarkers of AD. Diagnostic accuracy for progressive MCI and AD was obtained for mitochondrial proteins using receiver operating characteristic curve analyses. The associations of mitochondrial proteins with the conversion from MCI to AD were assessed by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Plasma levels of neuroexosomal NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S3 (NDUFS3) and succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit B (SDHB) were significantly lower in patients with T2DM with AD dementia and progressive MCI than in cognitively normal subjects (P < 0.001 for both groups). We also found that plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB levels were lower in progressive MCI subjects than in stable MCI subjects. Both plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB offer diagnostic utility for AD. Low plasma neuroexosomal SDHB levels significantly predicted conversion from MCI to AD. In addition, low mitochondrial protein levels were associated with the rate of hippocampal and gray matter atrophy and reduced AD signature cortical thickness in progressive MCI over the follow-up period. These data suggest that both plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB are already increased at the early clinical stage of AD, and indicate the promise of plasma neuroexosomal mitochondrial proteins as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for the earliest symptomatic stage of AD in participants with diabetes.

Background There is accumulating evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with the contribution of diabetes to Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Neuronal mitochondrial proteins found in plasma neuronal-derived exosomes(NDEs) at levels that reflect those in brain neurons. Here, we tested the performance of mitochondrial proteins in plasma NDEs to predict cognitive decline and brain injury in diabetic participants. Methods The type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) participants in the study included 41 cognitively normal controls, 97 individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (68 individuals with stable MCI; 29 individuals with progressive MCI) and 36 patients with AD dementia. Plasma neuroexosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits. Spearman’s correlation was used to test associations between mitochondrial proteins and other core biomarkers of AD in plasma neuronal-derived exosomes. Diagnostic accuracy (the area under the curve (AUC)) for progressive MCI and AD was obtained for mitochondrial proteins using receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses. The associations of mitochondrial proteins with the conversion from MCI to AD were assessed by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results Plasma neuroexosomal NADH ubiquinone oxidoreductase core subunit S3 (NDUFS3) and succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit B (SDHB) levels were significantly lower in T2DM patients with AD dementia (232.7 ± 63.4, 1360.7 ± 328.5, pg/ml) and progressive MCI (274.4 ± 78.6, 1536.7 ± 342.8, pg/ml) than in cognitively normal subjects (333.9 ± 96.7, 2050.4 ± 628.9, pg/ml) (P < 0.001 for both groups). We also found that plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB levels were lower in progressive MCI (274.4 ± 78.6 pg/ml, 1536.7 ± 342.8 pg/ml) than in stable MCI (319.9 ± 109.8 pg/ml, P < 0.05; 1824.7 ± 606.4 pg/ml, P < 0.05) subjects. Both plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB offer diagnostic utility for AD. Low plasma neuroexosomal SDHB levels significantly predicted conversion from MCI to AD. In addition, low mitochondrial proteins levels were associated with the rate of hippocampal and gray matter atrophy, reduced AD signature cortical thickness in progressive MCI over the follow-up period. Conclusions These data suggest that both plasma neuroexosomal NDUFS3 and SDHB are already increased at the early clinical stage of AD, and indicate the promise of plasma neuroexosomal mitochondrial proteins as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for the earliest symptomatic stage of AD in diabetic participants .

Objective To evaluate the effect of a decrease in blood pressure (BP) fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for orthostatic hypotension (OH) on performance in each domain of cognitive function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus using a cross-sectional and within-group design. Methods Subjects were individuals without dementia and with type 2 diabetes mellitus, including 107 individuals without OH and 94 with OH (DMOH); 95 control participants were also included. BP was assessed in both the supine and standing positions. A detailed neuropsychological assessment was made in each posture for all subjects. Results There were statistically significant differences between the patients without OH and the DMOH group with regard to some cognitive measures while supine. Standing posture exacerbated and broadened cognitive deficits in the DMOH group for all measures in the different domains of cognition including executive functioning, memory, visuospatial skills, information processing speed, and attention. When group-specific supine scores were used as baseline anchors, both the patients without OH and the DMOH group showed cognitive changes when transitioning from a supine to a standing, upright position, with the DMOH group exhibiting a wider range of neuropsychological deficits in memory, visuospatial skills, executive function, and sustained attention, as well as significant changes in information processing speed. Interpretation These data demonstrate that type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with OH had transient, posture-mediated cognitive deficits in excess of those found in diabetes mellitus without OH. Understanding the effects of OH on cognition due to autonomic failure is important, particularly as clinical assessments and neuroimaging collect data only in the seated or supine positions. ANN NEUROL 2019;86:754-761.

We report an electrochemical study of end-capped glymes dissolving lithium salts as electrolyte solutions for lithium metal batteries. Various electrolyte formulations including triethylene and diethylene glycol dimethyl ethers as solvents and lithium salts employing bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (FSI−), bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI−), and bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)imide (BETI−) anions are explored. The ion transport properties, the lithium/electrolyte interphase characteristics and the electrochemical stability window are investigated by means of chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, galvanostatic cycling, and voltammetry measurements. The comparative study suggests electrochemical properties well suitable for lithium battery application which enable long cycling. The electrolyte solutions are studied in cells using an insertion cathode material, i.e., lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4), and the high-energy lithium metal anode. The results reveal that the electrolyte composition has a remarkable effect on the cell performances, and indicate the solutions of LiTFSI salt in either glymes as the most adequate formulations for possible applications among the ones herein investigated.

Electrochemical and ion-transport properties of polymer blend electrolytes comprising poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC), poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) and lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl) imide (LiFSI) were studied in this work, and the electrolyte with the best blend composition was applied in all-solid-state Li batteries. The ionic conductivity of both PEC and PTMC single-polymer electrolytes increased with increasing Li salt concentration. All PEC and PTMC blend electrolytes show ionic conductivities on the order of 10−5 S cm−1 at 50 °C, and the ionic conductivities increase slightly with increasing PEC contents. The PEC6PTMC4-LiFSI 150 mol% electrolyte demonstrated better Li/electrolyte electrochemical and interfacial stability than that of PEC and PTMC single-polymer electrolytes and maintained a polarization as low as 5 mV for up to 200 h during Li metal plating and stripping. A Li|SPE|LFP cell with the PEC6PTMC4-LiFSI 150 mol% electrolyte exhibited reversible charge/discharge capacities close to 150 mAh g−1 at 50 °C and a C/10 rate, which is 88% of the theoretical value (170 mAh g−1). Concentrated poly(ethylene carbonate) (PEC) and poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) blend electrolytes with 150 mol% of LiFSI were prepared and the PEC6PTMC4 electrolyte was applied in all-solid-state Li batteries. The blend electrolyte has an ionic conductivity of 10−5 S cm−1 and a Li+ transference number (t+) of 0.73. Meanwhile, the PEC6PTMC4 electrolyte exhibits a good electrochemical stability with Li electrode than those of PEC and PTMC single-polymer electrolytes. An LFP half-cell exhibits a discharge capacity of 150 mAh g−1 at 50 °C and a C/10 rate.

Background: Recently, the cognitive impairment of patients with alcohol dependence has attracted more and more attention. The combination of Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and event-related potentials (ERPs) for evaluating the degree of cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence has not undergone enough in-depth investigation.Method: Sixty patients with alcohol dependence were selected as alcohol-dependence group, whereas 40 healthy volunteers served as a normal control group. The original scores of the RBANS sub-items, the incubation period, and volatility of ERPs between the two groups were compared, and the correlation among the above indicators in the alcohol-dependence group was further analyzed.Results: The RBANS test showed that the original scores of speech function, attention function, delayed memory, and immediate attention in the alcohol-dependence group were significantly lower than those in the normal control group. Compared with the normal control group, the latencies of P200 and P300 in the alcohol-dependence group were significantly prolonged, and the amplitude of P200 and P300 was significantly reduced. Correlation analysis between RBANS and ERPs in alcohol-dependence group showed that immediate attention score was positively correlated with P300 and P200 amplitude, visual breadth score was positively correlated with P200 latency, and attention function score was negatively correlated with P300 latency.Conclusion: As RBANS scale was highly correlated with the results of ERPs, the combined use of these two scales may serve as an objective basis for early diagnosis of cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence.

BackgroundEmerging evidence suggests a role for orthostatic hypotension (OH) in contributing to the progression of Alzheimer disease (AD). The aim of the study was to investigate whether neural-derived plasma exosomal amyloid-β and tau protein levels are associated with OH in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients.MethodsThere were 274 subjects without dementia included in the study: 81 control participants (controls), 101 normotensive patients with DM without OH, and 92 patients with DM and neurogenic OH (DMOH). Neuronal-derived exosomal proteins were measured by ELISA kits for amyloid-β and tau.ResultsThe neuronal-derived exosome levels of Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau in the DM with OH group were higher than those in the DM and control groups. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the presence of OH in patients with DM was associated with elevated exosomal Aβ42 (β = 0.172, P = 0.018), T-tau(β = 0.159, P = 0.030), and P-T181-tau (β = 0.220, P = 0.003) levels after adjustment for age, sex, APOE ε4, duration of type 2 diabetes, HbA1c and cardiovascular risk factors. Furthermore, the levels of Aβ42, T-tau, and P-T181-tau in neuronal-derived exosomes were correlated with HIF-1α levels and the drop in mean cerebral blood flow velocity from the supine to upright position.ConclusionsThe presence of OH in DM patients was independently associated with elevated the Aβ42, T-tau, and PT181-tau levels in neural-derived plasma exosomes. Cerebral hypoperfusion from DM with OH are likely candidate mechanisms.Trial registrationChinese Clinical Trial Registry (Identifier: ChiCTR1900021544 ). Registered 27 February 2019.

With the development of artificial intelligence, convolutional neural networks (CNN) have been widely used in image processing and other aspects due to their excellent performance. However, as a computationally intensive algorithm, CNN face huge challenges in the realization of mobile devices. FPGA have the advantages of high performance, reprogramming, and low power consumption, and have becoming suitable choices for CNN deployment. Compared with various CNN algorithms, the YOLO algorithm regards target detection as a regression problem. It is a one-step algorithm with fast execution speed and small amount of calculation. It is suitable for implementation on FPGA hardware platforms. This paper proposes an improved algorithm for deep learning YOLO network based on Xilinx ZYNQ FPGA. By optimizing the YOLO network model and fixed-point, etc., the problem of large computational of CNN and limited resources on FPGA chips is solved, and the parallelism of FPGA is used to accelerate the CNN. Experimental results show that the method proposed in this paper has greatly improved the operation rate while maintaining accuracy, and has important practical value in the realization of mobile terminals of CNN and real-time computing.

High‐performance lithium‐metal batteries are achieved by using a glyme‐based electrolyte enhanced with a LiNO3 additive and a LiFePO4 cathode. An optimal electrolyte formulation is selected upon detailed analysis of the electrochemical properties of various solutions formed by dissolving respectively lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (LiFSI), lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI), and lithium bis(pentafluoroethanesulfonyl)imide (LiBETI) either in diethylene glycol dimethyl ether or in triethylene glycol dimethyl ether and by adding LiNO3. A thorough investigation shows evidence of efficient ionic transport, a wide stability window, low reactivity with lithium metal, and cathode/electrolyte interphase characteristics that are strongly dependent on the glyme chain length. The best Li/LiFePO4 battery delivers 154 mAh g−1 at C/3 (1 C=170 mA g−1) without any decay after 200 cycles. Tests at 1 C and 5 C show initial capacities of about 150 and 140 mAh g−1, a retention exceeding 70 % after 500 cycles, and suitable electrode/electrolyte interphases evolution.

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-hol-10.1177_0959683620970273 for Social and environmental factors influencing dietary choices among Dawenkou culture sites, Late Neolithic China by Yu Dong, Songtao Chen, Stanley H Ambrose, Anne Underhill, Xue Ling, Mingkui Gao, Zhenguang Li, Fengshi Luan and Guiyun Jin in The Holocene