Serological Investigation into the Infected Genotypes of Patients with Japanese Encephalitis in the Coastal Provinces of China

Objective Genotypes(G)1,3,and 5 of the Japanese encephalitis virus(JEV)have been isolated in China,but the dominant genotype circulating in Chinese coastal areas remains unknown.We searched for G5 JEV-infected cases and attempted to elucidate which JEV genotype was most closely related to human Japanese encephalitis(JE)in the coastal provinces of China.Methods In this study,we collected serum specimens from patients with JE in three coastal provinces of China(Guangdong,Zhejiang,and Shandong)from 2018 to 2020 and conducted JEV cross-neutralization tests against G1,G3,and G5.Results Acute serum specimens from clinically reported JE cases were obtained for laboratory confirmation from hospitals in Shandong(92 patients),Zhejiang(192 patients),and Guangdong(77 patients),China,from 2018 to 2020.Seventy of the 361 serum specimens were laboratory-confirmed to be infected with JEV.Two cases were confirmed to be infected with G1 JEV,32 with G3 JEV,and two with G5 JEV.Conclusion G3 was the primary infection genotype among JE cases with a definite infection genotype,and the infection caused by G5 JEV was confirmed serologically in China.

Incidence,Risk Factors,and Prognosis of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Brain Metastases

Objective Brain metastases significantly impact the clinical course of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).This study aimed to examine the age-related incidence,demographics,and survival of patients with HCC and brain metastases.Methods Data of HCC patients from 2010 to 2015 in the Surveillance,Epidemiology,and End Results(SEER)Registry were screened for the presence of brain metastases.They were stratified by age and ethnicity.Multivariable logistic and Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with brain metastases and those with overall survival(OS)and liver cancer-specific survival(CSS),respectively.Results A total of 141 HCC patients presenting with brain metastases were identified,accounting for 0.35% of all HCC patients and 2.37% of patients with metastatic disease.Among all HCC patients,the incidence rate was the highest among patients aged 30-49 years old(0.47%).Ethnicity was not associated with the presence of brain metastases at the time of HCC diagnosis.However,African-American patients presented with a significantly lower disease-specific survival[median time:1 month;interquartile range(IQR):0-3.0 months].Initial lung or bone metastasis was independently associated with an increased risk of the presence of brain metastases[odds ratio(OR):12.62,95% confidence interval(CI):8.40-18.97]but was not associated with a worse OS or CSS among those with brain metastases.Conclusion This study identified the age-related incidence and risk factors of brain metastases in HCC patients.These results may contribute to the consideration of brain screening among patients with initial metastatic HCC with lung or bone metastases,and influence the counseling of this patient population regarding their prognosis.

多元信息技术在安全生产标准化管理中的应用分析

本文通过对多元信息技术的发展趋势进行分析,结合目前安全生产标准化的发展现状,探究多元信息技术在安全生产标准化管理中的应用效果。

ZnO@MOF@PANI core-shell nanoarrays on carbon cloth for high-performance supercapacitor electrodes

Hierarchical ZnO@metal-organic framework @polyaniline(ZnO@MOF@PANI) core-shell nanorod arrays on carbon cloth has been fabricated by combining electrodeposition and hydrothermal method. Well-ordered Zn O nanorods not only act as a scaffold for growth of MOF/PANI shell but also as Zn source for the formation of MOF. The morphology of ZnO@MOF@PANI composite is greatly influenced by the number of PANI electrodeposition cycles. Their structural and electrochemical properties were characterized with different techniques. The results indicate that the Zn O@MOF@PANI with 13 CV cycles of PANI deposition demonstrates the maximum specific capacitance of 340.7 F g-1 at 1.0 A g-1, good rate capability with84.3% capacitance retention from 1.0 to 10 A g-1 and excellent cycling life of 82.5% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles at high current density of 2.0 A g-1. This optimized core-shell nanoarchitecture endows the composite electrode with short ion diffusion pathway, rapid ion/electron transfer and high utilization of active materials, which thus result in excellent electrochemical performance of the ternary composite.

Numerical Simulation of Fluid and Heat Transfer in a Biological Tissue Using an Immersed Boundary Method Mimicking the Exact Structure of the Microvascular Network

The aim of this study is to develop a model of fluid and heat transfer in a biological tissue taking into account the exact structure of the related microvascular network,and to analyze the influence of structural changes of such a network induced by diabetes.A cubic region representing local skin tissue is selected as the computational domain,which in turn includes two intravascular and extravascular sub-domains.To save computational resources,the capillary network is reduced to a 1D pipeline model and embedded into the extravascular region.On the basis of the immersed boundary method(IBM)strategy,fluid and heat fluxes across a capillary wall are distributed to the surrounding tissue nodes by a delta function.We consider both steady and periodic blood pressure conditions at the entrances of the capillary network.Under steady blood pressure conditions,both the interstitial fluid pressure and tissue temperature around the capillary network are larger than those in other places.When the periodic blood pressure condition is considered,tissue temperature tends to fluctuate with the same frequency of the forcing,but the related waveform displays a smaller amplitude and a certain time(phase)delay.When the connectivity of capillary network is diminished,the capacity of blood redistribution through the capillary network becomes weaker and a subset of the vessel branches lose blood flow,which further aggravates the amplitude attenuation and time delay of the skin temperature fluctuation.

Ultrasound-triggered microbubble destruction enhances the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma by inhibiting PGRMC1-mediated autophagy in vitro and in vivo

Background:Ultrasound-triggered microbubble destruction(UTMD) is a widely used noninvasive technology in both military and civilian medicine,which could enhance radiosensitivity of various tumors.However,little information is available regarding the effects of UTMD on radiotherapy for glioblastoma or the underlying mechanism.This study aimed to delineate the effect of UTMD on the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma and the potential involvement of autophagy.Methods:GL261,U251 cells and orthotopic glioblastoma-bearing mice were treated with ionizing radiation(IR) or IR plus UTMD.Autophagy was observed by confocal microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis were used to detect progesterone receptor membrane component 1(PGRMC1),light chain 3 beta 2(LC3B2) and sequestosome 1(SQSTM1/p62) levels.Lentiviral vectors or siRNAs transfection,and fluorescent probes staining were used to explore the underlying mechanism.Results:UTMD enhanced the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma in vitro and in vivo(P<0.01).UTMD inhibited autophagic flux by disrupting autophagosome-lysosome fusion without impairing lysosomal function or autophagosome synthesis in IR-treated glioblastoma cells.Suppression of autophagy by 3-methyladenine,bafilomycin A1 or ATG5 siRNA had no significant effect on UTMD-induced radiosensitization in glioblastoma cells(P<0.05).Similar results were found when autophagy was induced by rapamycin or ATG5 overexpression(P>0.05).Furthermore,UTMD inhibited PGRMC1expression and binding with LC3B2 in IR-exposed glioblastoma cells(P<0.01).PGRMC1 inhibitor AG-205 or PGRMC1siRNA pretreatment enhanced UTMD-induced LC3B2 and p62 accumulation in IR-exposed glioblastoma cells,thereby promoting UTMD-mediated radiosensitization(P<0.05).Moreover,PGRMC1 overexpression abolished UTMD-caused blockade of autophagic degradation,subsequently inhibiting UTMD-induced radiosensitization of glioblastoma cells.Finally,compared with IR plus UTMD group,PGRMC1 overexpression significantly increased tumor size [(3.8±1.1) mm^(2)vs.(8.0±1.9) mm^(2),P<0.05] and decreased survival time [(67.2±2.6) d vs.(40.0±1.2) d,P=0.0026] in glioblastoma-bearing mice.Conclusions:UTMD enhanced the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma partially by disrupting PGRMC1-mediated autophagy.

Age-related Variation in Snake Venom: Evidence from Two Snakes (Naja atra and Deinagkistrodon acutus) in Southeastern China

In this study we explored electrophoretic profiles, enzymatic activities and immunoreactivity of neonate and adult venoms from two snakes （Naja atra and Deinagkistrodon acutus） coexisting in southeastern China. Age-related variation in electrophoretic profiles was found in both species and proteolytic and fibrinogenolytic activity was higher in neonate than adult venoms. Neonate D. acutus venom had higher 5＇ nucleotidase, PLA2, hyaluronidase and gelatinolytie activity, but lower esterolytic activity, than adult venom. Neonate and adult D. acutus venoms showed identical phosphomonoesterase, LAO and fibrinolytic activities. Neonate N. atra venom had higher phosphomonoesterase and LAO activity, but lower 5＇ nucleotidase, PLA2, hyaluronidase and Ache activities than adult venom. Neonate and adult N. atra venoms showed similar gelatinolytic activity. Further, age-dependent immunoreactivity was found in both species, and cross-reactions between homologous venoms and antiserums were closely related to venom composition. We speculate that age-related variation in venom characteristics is possibly driven by evolutionary forces associated with ontogenetic shifts in dietary habits, competition and predation pressure.

Beneficial effects of a novel shark-skin collagen dressing for the promotion of seawater immersion wound healing

Background: Wounded personnel who work at sea often encounter a plethora of difficulties. The most important of these difficulties is seawater immersion. Common medical dressings have little effect when the affected area is immersed in seawater, and only rarely dressings have been reported for the treatment of seawater-immersed wounds. The objective of this study is to develop a new dressing which should be suitable to prevent the wound from seawater immersion and to promote the wound healing.Methods: Shark skin collagen(SSC) was purified via ethanol de-sugaring and de-pigmentation and adjusted for p H. A shark skin collagen sponge(SSCS) was prepared by freeze-drying. SSCS was attached to an anti-seawater immersion polyurethane(PU) film(SSCS+PU) to compose a new dressing. The biochemical properties of SSC and physicochemical properties of SSCS were assessed by standard methods. The effects of SSCS and SSCS+PU on the healing of seawaterimmersed wounds were studied using a seawater immersion rat model. For the detection of SSCS effects on seawaterimmersed wounds, 12 SD rats, with four wounds created in each rat, were divided into four groups: the 3 rd day group, 5 th day group, 7 th day group and 12 th day group. In each group, six wounds were treated with SSCS, three wounds treated with chitosan served as the positive control, and three wounds treated with gauze served as the negative control. For the detection of the SSCS+PU effects on seawater-immersed wounds, 36 SD rats were divided into three groups: the gauze(GZ)+PU group, chitosan(CS)+PU group and SSCS+PU group, with 12 rats in each group, and two wounds in each rat. The wound sizes were measured to calculate the healing rate, and histomorphology and the immunohistochemistry of the CD31 and TGF-β expression levels in the wounded tissues were measured by standard methods.Results: The results of Ultraviolet-visible(UV-vis) spectrum, Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR) spectrum, circular dichroism(CD) spectra, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE), and amino acid composition analyses of SSC demonstrated that SSC is type I collagen. SSCS had a homogeneous porous structure of approximately 200μm, porosity rate of 83.57%±2.64%, water vapor transmission ratio(WVTR) of 4500 g/m2, tensile strength of 1.79±0.41 N/mm, and elongation at break of 4.52%±0.01%. SSCS had significant beneficial effects on seawater-immersed wound healing. On the 3 rd day, the healing rates in the GZ negative control, CS positive control and SSCS rats were 13.94%±5.50%, 29.40%±1.10% and 47.24%±8.40%, respectively. SSCS also enhanced TGF-in the initial stage of the healing period. The SSCS+PU dressing effectively protected woundsβ and CD31 expression from seawater immersion for at least 4 h, and accelerated re-epithelialization, vascularization and granulation formation of seawater-immersed wounds in the earlier stages of wound healing, and as well as significantly promoted wound healing. The SSCS+PU dressing also enhanced expression of TGF-n and gauze dressings.β and CD31. The effects of SSCS and SSCS+PU were superior to those of both the chitosaConclusion: SSCS has significant positive effects on the promotion of seawater-immersed wound healing, and a SSCS+PU dressing effectively prevents seawater immersion, and significantly promotes seawater-immersed wound healing.

Selenogenome and AMPK signal insight into the protective effect of dietary selenium on chronic heat stress-induced hepatic metabolic disorder in growing pigs

Background:Chronic heat stress(CHS)disrupts hepatic metabolic homeostasis and jeopardizes product quality of pigs.Selenium(Se)may regulate the metabolic state through affect selenoprotein.Thus,we investigate the protective effect of dietary hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid(HMSeBA)on CHS induced hepatic metabolic disorder in growing pigs,and the corresponding response of selenoprotein.Methods:Forty crossbreed growing pigs were randomly assigned to five groups:control group raised in the thermoneutral environment(22±2℃)with basal diet;four CHS groups raised in hyperthermal condition(33±2℃)with basal diet and supplied with 0.0,0.2,0.4,and 0.6 mg Se/kg HMSeBA,respectively.The trial lasted 28 d.The serum biochemical,hepatic metabolism related enzyme,protein and gene expression and 25 selenoproteins in liver tissue were determined by real-time PCR,ELISA and western blot.Results:CHS significantly increased the rectal temperature,respiration rate,serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)of pigs,up-regulated hepatic heat shock protein 70(HSP70)and induced lower liver weight,glycogen content,hepatic glucokinase and glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px).The CHSinduced liver metabolic disorder was associated with the aberrant expression of 6 metabolism-related gene and 11 selenoprotein encoding genes,and decreased the protein abundance of GCK,GPX4 and SELENOS.HMSeBA improved anti-oxidative capacity of liver.0.4 or 0.6 mg Se/kg HMSeBA supplementation recovered the liver weight,glycogen content and rescue of mRNA abundance of genes related to metabolism and protein levels of GCK.HMSeBA supplementation changed expressions of 15 selenoprotein encoding genes,and enhanced protein expression of GPX1,GPX4 and SELENOS in the liver affected by CHS.CHS alone showed no impact while HMSeBA supplementation increased protein levels of p-AMPKαin the liver.Conclusions:In summary,HMSeBA supplementation beyond nutrient requirement mitigates CHS-induced hepatic metabolic disorder,recovered the liver glycogen content and the processes that are associated with the activation of AMPK signal and regulation of selenoproteins in the liver of growing pigs.

Haemodynamic Analysis of the Relationship between the Morphological Alterations of the Ascending Aorta and the Type A Aortic-Dissection Disease

Type A aortic dissection(AD)is one of the most serious cardiovascular diseases,whose risk predictors are controversial.The purpose of this research was to investigate how elongation accompanied by dilation of the ascending aorta(AAo)affects the relevant haemodynamic characteristics using image-based computational models.Five elongated AAos with different levels of dilation have been reconstructed based on the centerlines data of an elderly and an AD patient.Numerical simulations have been performed assuming an inflow waveform and a Windkessel model with three elements for all outflow boundaries.The numerical results have revealed that the elongation of AAo can disturb the systolic helical flow pattern between the root of AAo and the aortic arch.The helical flow inside the AAo starts to develop into a vortex flow when the elongated AAo becomes dilated.The vortex gives rise to a localized oscillatory shear index at the ostia of the brachiocephalic artery(BA)and the inner curve of the aortic arch.This study suggests that abnormal growth of AAo,especially accompanied by its moderate dilation,can be considered as morphological risk factors of AD.

Thermogram-based estimation of foot arterial blood flow using neural networks

The altered blood flow in the foot is an important indicator of early diabetic foot complications.However,it is challenging to measure the blood flow at the whole foot scale.This study presents an approach for estimating the foot arterial blood flow using the temperature distribution and an artificial neural network.To quantify the relationship between the blood flow and the temperature distribution,a bioheat transfer model of a voxel-meshed foot tissue with discrete blood vessels is established based on the computed tomography(CT)sequential images and the anatomical information of the vascular structure.In our model,the heat transfer from blood vessels and tissue and the inter-domain heat exchange between them are considered thoroughly,and the computed temperatures are consistent with the experimental results.Analytical data are then used to train a neural network to determine the foot arterial blood flow.The trained network is able to estimate the objective blood flow for various degrees of stenosis in multiple blood vessels with an accuracy rate of more than 90%.Compared with the Pennes bioheat transfer equation,this model fully describes intra-and inter-domain heat transfer in blood vessels and tissue,closely approximating physiological conditions.By introducing a vascular component to an inverse model,the blood flow itself,rather than blood perfusion,can be estimated,directly informing vascular health.

Yiqi Qingre Xiaozheng formula protects against diabetic nephropathy by restoring autophagy in mice

Objective:To evaluate the protective effect of Yiqi Qingre Xiaozheng formula(YQQRXZF)via the regulation of autophagy in diabetic nephropathy(DN)mice induced by injection of streptozotocin(STZ)after high fat diet(HFD).Methods:The composition of YQQRXZF was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatographyelectrospray ionization/mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI/MSn).The DN model was induced by intraperitoneally injection of 50 mg/kg STZ within 5 days,followed by HFD feeding for 8 weeks in C57BL/6J mice.Mice were randomly separated into DN group,YQQRXZF group,irbesartan group,and control group.Blood glucose was calculated,and body weight was measured every 2 weeks.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio(uACR)before and after treatment,and the serum concentrations of total cholesterol(TC),low-density lipoprotein(LDL),triglycerides(TG),high-density lipoprotein(HDL),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),and serum creatinine(Scr)were measured.In addition,hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)staining,periodic acid-Schiff(PAS)staining,Masson's trichrome staining,and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)were used to observe pathological changes in renal tissue.Autophagy levels were determined by immunofluorescence staining.Results:In this study,21 dominant chemical constituents were identified in YQQRXZF.The treatment group reduced u ACR in a more significant way than the DN group(P=.018).The treatment group reduced TC,TG,and LDL concentrations after YQQRXFF treatment(P=.021,P=.014 and P=.026,respectively).H&E,PAS,and Masson staining showed that pathological damage to mice kidneys improved,the volume of renal glomeruli was reduced,and glomerular sclerosis and fibrosis were reduced.Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that expressions of LC3-Ⅱprotein increased in the treatment group(P=.013).In contrast,the protein expressions of P62 were reduced after treatment(P=.025).

Validity of the Chinese Version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) in Lung Cancer Patients

The prevalence of malnutrition is high among oncology patients in China. Although the Patient- Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is widely recognized as an important nutritional assessment tool, it has not been validated for Chinese cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to conduct an analysis of nutrition screening and assessment data to validate the Chinese version of the PG-SGA in Chinese patients with lung cancer. This was an observational, cross-sectional study of 2,000 consecutive adult patients with lung cancer treated at several tertiary hospitals in China. Anthropometric and patient descriptive data were collected. The PG-SGA generated a score for the nutritional risk and a global rating for the nutritional status. The internal consistency, external consistency, and construct validity were evaluated, and a known-groups comparison and principal component analyses were conducted to evaluate the reliability and validity of the PG-SGA. The known-groups comparison demonstrated the ability of the PG-SGA to differentiate lung cancer patients of different nutritional and body mass index (BMI) groups. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the original four-factor structure of the PG-SGA. In terms of the internal and external consistency, the PG-SGA demonstrated intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) up to 0.987. Alternative form validity was also demonstrated between Box 4 of the PG-SGA and the Karnofsky Performance Status score, with excellent external consistency (r = 0.972, P < 0.001). The construct validity was supported, and selected questionnaire dimensions were evident in the principal component analysis. Significant Spearman correlations (P < 0.001) were demonstrated. The Chinese version of the PG-SGA demonstrated significant reliability and sufficient exploratory properties to support its validity. It seems to be a valid tool that can be used to access the nutritional status of Chinese lung cancer patients. The validity of the PG-SGA in Chinese cancer patients warrants further investigation in other cancer types.

Validity of the Chinese Version of the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) in Gastric Cancer Patients

Purpose Malnutrition is severe among gastric cancer patients in China. While the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) is a widely used nutritional assessment tool, the validation for Chinese patients with gastric cancer has not been performed yet. The aim of this research is to validate the Chinese version of the PGSGA in Chinese gastric cancer patients by conducting analyses of nutrition screening and assessment data. Methods Two thousand consecutive adult patients with gastric cancer were included in this observational, cross-sectional study in several tertiary hospitals in China. A survey was made among those patients, which included several questionnaires and some anthropometric parameters. We calculated the parameters to validate the use of PG-SGA categorizing the nutritional status of gastric cancer patients. Then we performed statistical analysis to evaluate the internal consistency, external consistency, and construct validity. Results This study verified the ability of the PG-SGA to differentiate gastric cancer patients into different nutritional groups. The confirmatory factor analysis verified the original four-factor structure of the PG-SGA. The internal and external consistency was measured by a concordance analysis which showed an intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.987. The correlations of the Box 4 score with the Karnofsky performance status score demonstrated alternative form validity with good external consistency (Pearson, r = 0.643, P < 0.001). All three anthropometric dimensions of the PG-SGA were supported by principal component analysis. Spearman correlations (P < 0.001) were significant in the majority of tests. Conclusion The Chinese version of the PG-SGA is a valid tool to access the patients’ nutritional status for Chinese gastric patients.

An improved correlation of the pressure drop in stenotic vessels using Lorentz's reciprocal theorem

A mathematical model of the human cardiovascu lar system in conjunction with an accurate lumped model for a stenosis can provide better insights into the pressure wave propagation at pathological conditions. In this study, a the oretical relation between pressure drop and flow rate based on Lorentz＇s reciprocal theorem is derived, which offers an identity to describe the relevance of the geometry and the convective momentum transport to the drag force. A voxel based simulator VFLOW VOF3D, where the vessel geome try is expressed by using volume of fluid （VOF） functions, is employed to find the flow distribution in an idealized steno sis vessel and the identity was validated numerically. It is revealed from the correlation flow in a stenosis vessel can that the pressure drop of NS be decomposed into a linear term caused by Stokes flow with the same boundary condi tions, and two nonlinear terms. Furthermore, the linear term for the pressure drop of Stokes flow can be summarized as a correlation by using a modified equation of lubrication the ory, which gives favorable results compared to the numerical ones. The contribution of the nonlinear terms to the pressure drop was analyzed numerically, and it is found that geomet ric shape and momentum transport are the primary factors for the enhancement of drag force. This work paves a way to simulate the blood flow and pressure propagation under dif ferent stenosis conditions by using 1D mathematical model.

Effects of size and location of distal tear on hemodynamics and wave propagation in type B aortic dissection

The type B aortic dissection(TBAD)is a perilous disease with high morbidity and mortality rates.The hemodynamics of TBAD in different scenarios has been widely studied by computational fluid dynamics(CFD)research.However,the flow pattern and wave propagation characteristics in the cardiovascular system with TBAD are not yet clear,and the effect of the distal tear is still unknown.In this work,a onedimensional(1D)cardiovascular system model coupling with a zero-dimensional(0D)lumped-parameter model is introduced to study the hemodynamics and wave propagation in the cardiovascular system.The results show that the proposed 0D-1D method well captures the oscillation and retrograde characteristics for the flow in the false lumen(FL),and the smaller distal tear damps the retrograde flow.Besides,the distal tear should also be paid attention to,and the wave intensity(WI)can be used as an access mark of the degree of the aortic dissection(AD).

Study of the spectrum effect on the threshold of resonant magnetic perturbation penetration on J-TEXT

The spectrum effect on the penetration of resonant magnetic perturbation(RMP) is studied with upgraded in-vessel RMP coils on J-TEXT.The poloidal spectrum of the RMP field,especially the amplitudes of 2/1 and 3/1 components,can be varied by the phase difference between the upper and lower coil rows,ΔΦ=Φ_(top)-Φ_(bottom),where Φ_(top)and Φ_(bottom)are the toroidal phases of the n=1 field of each coil row.The type of RMP penetration is found to be related to ΔΦ,including the RMP penetration of either 2/1 or 3/1 RMP and the successive penetrations of 3/1 RMP followed by the 2/1 RMP.For cases with penetration of only one RMP component,the penetration thresholds measured by the corresponding resonant component are close for variousΔΦ.However,the 2/1 RMP penetration threshold is significantly reduced if the 3/1 locked island is formed in advance.The changes in the rotation profile due to 3/1 locked island formation could partially contribute to the reduction of the 2/1 thresholds.

Study of Effect of Boundary Conditions on Patient-Specific Aortic Hemodynamics

Cardiovascular computational fluid dynamics(CFD)based on patient-specific modeling is increasingly used to predict changes in hemodynamic parameters before or after surgery/interventional treatment for aortic dissection(AD).This study investigated the effects of flow boundary conditions(BCs)on patient-specific aortic hemodynamics.We compared the changes in hemodynamic parameters in a type A dissection model and normal aortic model under different BCs:inflow from the auxiliary and truncated structures at aortic valve,pressure control and Windkessel model outflow conditions,and steady and unsteady inflow conditions.The auxiliary entrance remarkably enhanced the physiological authenticity of numerical simulations of flow in the ascending aortic cavity.Thus,the auxiliary entrance can well reproduce the injection flow fromthe aortic valve.In addition,simulations of the aortic model reconstructed with an auxiliary inflow structure and pressure control and the Windkessel model outflow conditions exhibited highly similar flow patterns and wall shear stress distribution in the ascending aorta under steady and unsteady inflow conditions.Therefore,the inflow structure at the valve plays a crucial role in the hemodynamics of the aorta.Under limited time and calculation cost,the steady-state study with an auxiliary inflow valve can reasonably reflect the blood flow state in the ascending aorta and aortic arch.With reasonable BC settings,cardiovascular CFD based on patient-specific ADmodels can aid physicians in noninvasive and rapid diagnosis.

Blood oxygenation-level dependent functional MRI in evaluating the selective activation of motor cortexes associated with recovery of motor function in hemiplegic patients with ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND： Previous studies about blood oxygenation-level dependent （BOLD） functional MRI （fMRI） have indicated that the poststroke recovery of motor function is accompanied by the selective activation of motor cortexes with high correlation. OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the short-term outcomes after rehabilitative interventions with BOLD fMRI in hemiplegic patients with acute stroke, and analyze the correlation of the excitement of brain function in the passive and active movements of the affected limb with the recovery of motor function. DESIGN ： A case observation.SETTING： Department of Neurology, Baotou Central Hospital.PARTICIPANTS： Thirty hemiplegic inpatients with ischemic stroke were selected from the Department of Neurology, Baotou Central Hospital from January to December in 2005, including 16 males and 14 females, aging 44-71 years with an average age of （56±5） years, and the disease course ranged from 12 to 72 hours. Inclusive criteria： In accordance with the diagnostic standard of ischemic stroke revised by the Fourth National Academic Meeting for Cerebrovascular Disease; Confirmed by cranial CT or MRI. They were all informed agreed with the detected items. METHODS ： ① The Bobath technique was adopted in the rehabilitative interventions of the 30 patients, 30 minutes for each time, twice a day for three weeks continuously. ② The hand motor recovery of the stroke patients was graded by the Brunnstrom stages （ Ⅰ -Ⅵ）, and be able to grasp various objects and extend for the whole range was taken as grade Ⅵ. ③ The patients were examined with fMRI BOLD before rehabilitation and 3 weeks after rehabilitation. All the patients were trained with finger movements, the distracting thoughts should be eliminated as much as possible especially during the movement phase, the patients should highly concentrate on the hand movements. The range for the finger movements should be as large as possible with moderate frequency. The hand movements should be 10 s with an interval of 30 s. Te AVANTO 1.5T MRI machine （Siemens Company, Germany） was used for scanning, the 30 s before fMRI BOLD scanning was the adaptation phase for the patients, and the finger movements were alternated for 6-10 times till the end of the scanning. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： Differences after rehabilitation evaluated by the activations of different sensorimotor cortex in the hemiplegic patients with acute stroke. RESULTS： ① In passive and active movements of the affected hand, 5 cases of Brunnstrom grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ were manifested by the activation of unilateral sensorimotor cortex （SMC） of the hemiplegic side, and they were Brunnstrom grade Ⅱ after 3-week rehabilitation, and 1 case with activations of bilateral SMC recovered to Brunnstrom grade Ⅲ. ② Among the patients of Brunnstrom grade Ⅲ or Ⅳ, 5 cases were unilaterally activated, and had no changes after 3-week rehabilitation; Whereas of the 9 cases of bilateral activations, 3 recovered to grade Ⅵ and 6 recovered to grade Ⅴ after 3-week rehabilitation. ③ In the passive and active movements of the affected hand, all the cases of Brunnstrom grades Ⅴ and Ⅵ were manifested by the activations of bilateral SMC. After 3-week rehabilitation, 2 of the 4 cases of grade Ⅴ recovered to grade Ⅵ, and the other 2 recovered to normal; Whereas 5 of the 6 cases of grade Ⅵ recovered to normal, and the other 1 was still grade Ⅵ. CONCLUSION ： BOLD fMRI showed that the outcomes of short-term rehabilitation in the patients with bilateral activations were obvious, whereas the outcomes were bad in the patients whose ipsilateral cortexes were activated. The activated signal in ipsilateral or bilateral SMC and the activation of supplementary motor area in active movements were greater than those in the passive ones.

Machine learning application to predict the electron temperature on the J-TEXT tokamak

The reliability of diagnostic systems in tokamak plasma is of great significance for physics researches or fusion reactor.When some diagnostics fail to detect information about the plasma status,such as electron temperature,they can also be obtained by another method:fitted by other diagnostic signals through machine learning.The paper herein is based on a machine learning method to predict electron temperature,in case the diagnostic systems fail to detect plasma temperature.The fully-connected neural network,utilizing back propagation with two hidden layers,is utilized to estimate plasma electron temperature approximately on the J-TEXT.The input parameters consist of soft x-ray emission intensity,electron density,plasma current,loop voltage,and toroidal magnetic field,while the targets are signals of electron temperature from electron cyclotron emission and x-ray imaging crystal spectrometer.Therefore,the temperature profile is reconstructed by other diagnostic signals,and the average errors are within 5%.In addition,generalized regression neural network can also achieve this function to estimate the temperature profile with similar accuracy.Predicting electron temperature by neural network reveals that machine learning can be used as backup means for plasma information so as to enhance the reliability of diagnostics.