Mendelian Randomization Study of Causal Relationship between Inflammatory Factors and Vascular Dementia and Chinese Herbal Medicines Screening for Prevention and Treatment

Objective: This study aims to examine the causal relationship between inflammatory factors and the probability of developing vascular dementia (VD) using Mendelian Randomization (MR) and Chinese herbal medicine prediction method, and to screen potential Chinese herbal medicines for the prevention and treatment of VD. Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that exhibit a strong association with vascular dementia (VD) were identified as instrumental variables from the summary statistics of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The primary analytical method employed was inverse variance weighting (IVW), while auxiliary analyses included the MR-Egger method, weighted median method, simple model, and weighted model. A two-way Mendelian randomization analysis was conducted to assess the causal relationship between inflammatory factors and the risk of VD, thereby identifying the key inflammatory factors involved. The MR-Egger intercept test and Cochran’s Q test were employed to assess the horizontal polymorphism and heterogeneity of instrumental variables. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by excluding one method at a time. Ultimately, based on key inflammatory factors, predictions for the prevention and treatment using traditional Chinese medicine were made, along with the screening of homologous herbal remedies. Results: Based on the results of the forward MR, the probability of developing VD was elevated when the inflammatory factors CXCL10 and CXCL5 were expressed at higher levels, whereas the probability of developing VD decreased as the expression levels of IL-13 and IL-20RA increased. These findings were supported by the assessment of pleiotropy, heterogeneity, and sensitivity. The results of the reverse MR analysis showed that there was no causal relationship between VD, as an exposure dataset, and these four inflammatory factors. According to the key inflammatory factors, 37 Chinese herbal medicines such as Siraitia grosvenorii were selected. Their characteristics including four natures, five flavors, channel tropism and treatment efficiency were cold, warm, neutral, pungent, sweet, bitter, lung meridian, spleen meridian, liver meridian, kidney meridian and clearing heat. Among them, Siraitia grosvenorii, Poria with hostwood, Perilla frutescens, and Radix Platycodi were all medicine and food homologous Chinese herbal medicines. Conclusions: The increase of CXCL10 and CXCL5 expression levels can increase the risk of VD, and the increase of IL-13 and IL-20 RA expression levels can reduce the risk of VD. Siraitia grosvenorii and other Chinese herbal medicines might be potential sources of therapeutic drugs for the treatment of VD. Medicine and food homologous Chinese herbal medicines, such as Siraitia grosvenorii, Poria with hostwood, Perilla frutescens, and Radix Platycodi, may help the elderly population with corresponding Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) constitutions to prevent VD.

Revolutionary entrapment model of uniformly distributed swarm robots in morphogenetic formation

This study proposes a method for uniformly revolving swarm robots to entrap multiple targets,which is based on a gene regulatory network,an adaptive decision mechanism,and an improved Vicsek-model.Using the gene regulatory network method,the robots can generate entrapping patterns according to the environmental input,including the positions of the targets and obstacles.Next,an adaptive decision mechanism is proposed,allowing each robot to choose the most well-adapted capture point on the pattern,based on its environment.The robots employ an improved Vicsek-model to maneuver to the planned capture point smoothly,without colliding with other robots or obstacles.The proposed decision mechanism,combined with the improved Vicsek-model,can form a uniform entrapment shape and create a revolving effect around targets while entrapping them.This study also enables swarm robots,with an adaptive pattern formation,to entrap multiple targets in complex environments.Swarm robots can be deployed in the military field of unmanned aerial vehicles’(UAVs)entrapping multiple targets.Simulation experiments demonstrate the feasibility and superiority of the proposed gene regulatory network method.

SUNDER:Self-organized grouping and entrapping method for swarms in multitarget environments

For swarm robots moving in a harsh or uncharted outdoor environment without GPS guidance and global communication,algorithms that rely on global-based information are infeasible.Typically,traditional gene regulatory networks(GRNs)that achieve superior performance in forming trapping pattern towards targets require accurate global positional information to guide swarm robots.This article presents a gene regulatory network with Self-organized grouping and entrapping method for swarms(SUNDER-GRN)to achieve adequate trapping performance with a large-scale swarm in a confined multitarget environment with access to only local information.A hierarchical self-organized grouping method(HSG)is proposed to structure subswarms in a distributed way.In addition,a modified distributed controller,with a relative coordinate system that is established to relieve the need for global information,is leveraged to facilitate subswarms entrapment toward different targets,thus improving the global multi-target entrapping performance.The results demonstrate the superiority of SUNDERGRN in the performance of structuring subswarms and entrapping 10 targets with 200 robots in an environment confined by obstacles and with only local information accessible.

Intervention effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on ICU acquired weakness: A meta-analysis

Objective:The early use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation(NMES)to prevent intensive care unit-acquired weakness(ICU-AW)in critical patients is still a controversial topic.We conducted a systematic review to clarify the effectiveness of NMES in preventing ICU-AW.Methods:The Cochrane Library,PubMed,EMBASE,MEDUNE,Web of Science,Ovid,CNKI,Wanfang,VIP,China Biology Medicine disc(CBMdisc)and other databases were searched for randomized controlled trials on the influence of NMES on ICU-AW.The studies were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.After data and quality were evaluated,a meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3 software.Results:A total of 11 randomized controlled trials with 576 patients were included.The meta-analysis results showed that NMES can improve muscle strength[MD=1.78,95%CI(0.44,3.12,P=0.009);shorten the mechanical ventilation(MV)time[SMD=-0.65,95%CI(-1.03,-0.27,P=0.001],ICU length of stay[MD=-3.41,95%CI(-4.58,-4.24),P<0.001],and total length of stay[MD=-3.97,95%CI(-6.89,-1.06,P=0.008];improve the ability of patients to perform activities of daily living[SMD=0.9,95%CI(0.45,1.35),P=0.001];and increase walking distance[MD=239.03,95%CI(179.22298.85),P<0.001].However,there is no evidence indicating that NMES can improve the functional status of ICU patients during hospitalization,promote the early awakening of patients or reduce mortality(P>0.05).Conclusion:Early implementation of the NMES intervention in ICU patients can prevent ICU-AW and improve their quality of life by enhancing their muscle strength and shortening the MV duration,length of stay in the ICU and total length of stay in the hospital.

Bio-modulation of scaring Glaucoma Filtration Surgery using a novel application of coated magnesium

Filtration surgery still plays a mainstream role of treatment for glaucoma.Postoperative scarring is the main cause of surgical failure.This study evaluated the biocompatibility and anti-proliferative properties of pure magnesium with three different coatings,which are hydroxyapatite(HA),dicalcium phosphate dihydrate(DCPD)and DCPD+stearic acid(SA),in a primary culture of human tenon's capsule fibroblasts(HTCFs)and in rabbit Glaucoma Filtration Surgery.Titanium and glass were used as controls in vitro,and trabeculectomy was used as control in vivo.The results show the number and shape of HTCFs seeded on different coatings showed less quantity and poor cell morphology.Each type of coated magnesium demonstrated significantly decreased metabolic activity of HTCFs.DCPD+SA showed higher cytotoxicity than the other coatings.Significant inhibition of proliferation was observed with the DCPD+SA coating.The expression ofα-SMA was decreased in the cells when seeded on all of the coated magnesium disks.In vivo,no obvious adverse effects were observed after operation.No significant difference existed for any of the different samples regarding different ion concentrations in the aqueous humor.The inflammatory response in the titanium,DCPD and DCPD+SA treated eyes was more intense than in the trabeculectomy alone and HA groups.Western Blot analysis showed that collagen-1 andα-SMA expression was significantly lower in the titanium,HA,DCPD and DCPD+SA groups compared with the control.Different coatings on magnesium were able to affect the corrosive properties,which in turn,influenced the morphology and function of HTCFs.HA coated magnesium may be considered a very promising biodegradable material for the next generation of glaucoma drainage devices.

How do nitrogen-limited alpine coniferous forests acquire nitrogen?A rhizosphere perspective

Background:Alpine coniferous forest ecosystems dominated by ectomycorrhizal(ECM)tree species are generally characterized by low soil nitrogen(N)availability but stabilized plant productivity.Thus,elucidating potential mechanisms by which plants maintain efficient N acquisition is crucial for formulating optimized management practices in these ecosystems.Methods:We summarize empirical studies conducted at a long-term field monitoring station in the alpine coniferous forests on the eastern Tibetan Plateau,China.We propose a root-soil interaction-based framework encompassing key components including soil N supply,microbial N transformation,and root N uptake in the rhizosphere.Results:We highlight that,(i)a considerable size of soil dissolved organic N pool mitigates plant dependence on inorganic N supply;(ii)ectomycorrhizal roots regulate soil N transformations through both rhizosphere and hyphosphere effects,providing a driving force for scavenging soil N;(iii)a complementary pattern of plant uptake of different soil N forms via root-and mycorrhizal mycelium-pathways enables efficient N acquisitions in response to changing soil N availability.Conclusions:Multiple rhizosphere processes abovementioned collaboratively contribute to efficient plant N acquisition in alpine coniferous forests.Finally,we identify several research outlooks and directions to improve the understanding and prediction of ecosystem functions in alpine coniferous forests under on-going global changes.

Traffic Pollution Influences Leaf Biochemistries of <i>Broussonetia papyrifera</i>

Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) is one of multifunctional species in agroforestry systems as well as one of traditional forages in many countries of Asia. Fully expanded tender leaves of B. papyrifera wildly growing under two traffic densities (a high traffic loads bearing more than 1000 vehicles per hour, HT;and a relatively clear section with almost no traffic loads, NT) were collected for carbohydrates, amino acids and phytohormones analysis. Leaves exposed to traffic pollutants were revealed to have significant lower amounts of carbohydrates and total amino acids than those growing at relatively clear environment. The levels of abscisic acid in the leaves significantly increased, while gib-berellin acid, indoleaetic acid, and zeatin riboside in the leaves significantly decreased, with the traffic densities. The results indicated that the contents of carbohydrates, amino acids and phytohormones in the leaves of B. papyrifera could be adversely affected by traffic pollution. Variations of the leaf biochemistries of B. papyrifera exposed to traffic pollutants implied that B. papyrifera could physiologically regulate itself to adapt or resist traffic stress.

A Caching Scheme for Session Setup in IMS Network

In IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), the session setup delay is a critical value for Quality of Service (QoS). The existing approaches to improve this metric depend on optimization of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message transmitting and signaling flows. Unfortunately, some service features are missing considered al-though they have been used widely in traditional 2G networks. This paper proposes a novel session setup scheme based on caching, upon the investigation of the performance of IMS session establishment. This mechanism involves cache based local routing policy and an adaptive caching algorithm, which can decrease call setup delay effectively as cached information in the terminating Serving-Call Session Control Function (S-CSCF) hit. The analytical model is deduced, as well as the delay and cost ratio functions are presented based on the model. Moreover, the analytical model is validated through the performance simulation in which the performance of the proposed novel method is evaluated against the basic session setup mechanism in terms of cost and delay.

Shouhui Tongbian Capsule in treatment of constipation: Treatment and mechanism development

Constipation is common in the diseases of the digestive system in clinics.With the change in diet structure and the increase in life pressure,the prevalence rate increases year by year.In traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),the location of the disease of constipation is in the large intestine,which is related to the dysfunction of lung,spleen,liver,kidney and other viscera.Its pathogenesis is conductive dysfunction of large intestine.Based on the theory,Shouhui Tongbian Capsule(SHTB)is composed of eight traditional Chinese medicines,including Polygoni multiflori Radix(Heshouwu in Chinese),Aloe(Luhui in Chinese),Cassiae Semen(Juemingzi in Chinese),Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma(Renshen in Chinese),Lycii Fructus(Gouqizi in Chinese),Asini Corii Colla(Ejiao in Chinese),Aurantii Fructus Immaturus(Zhishi in Chinese),and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma(Baizhu in Chinese),which could help to release excessive turbid,and nourishing yin and supplementing qi in the treatment.This study has been carried out to review the latest advances of SHTB in the treatment of constipation.The results showed that significant effect of SHTB was found in the treatment of constipation,such as functional constipation,and constipation associated with tumor chemotherapy,colitis,type 2 diabetes and chronic cardiac failure.Besides,obvious adverse reactions were not observed.SHTB could effectively treat five types of constipation,provide direction for the future exploration of SHTB in the treatment of other types of constipation。

Current Geological Issues and Future Perspectives in Deep-Time Source-to-Sink Systems of Continental Rift Basins

0 INTRODUCTION Essentially,the source-to-sink systems are natural framework that follow the law of conservation of matter.The multifactor configuration link between provenance signals,geomorphological elements,and sedimentary records is mostly described in terms of weathering,denudation,transportation,and the accumulation of detrital particles(Helland-Hansen et al.,2016;Romans et al.,2016;Allen et al.,2013;Allen,2008a).

Distance Signatures of Extended and Co-extended Incidence Graphs of Affine Designs

The distance matrix of a connected graph G,denoted by D(G),is the matrix whose rows and columns are indexed by the vertex set V(G)such that the(vi,vj)-entry is d(vi,vj),where vi,vj∈V(G).The distance signature sig(D(G))of G is the inertia of D(G).In this paper,we determine the distance signature of the extended(co-extended)incidence graph of an affine design.Furthermore,we state that an open Graffiti conjecture is true for the extended(co-extended)incidence graphs of affine designs by investigating the lower bound of the matching number.

Spectra of Generalized Cayley Graphs on Finite Abelian Groups

The spectra of generalized Cayley graphs of finite abelian groups are investigated in this paper.For a generalized Cayley graph X of a finite group G,the canonical double covering of X is the direct product X×K_(2).In this paper,integral generalized Cayley graphs on finite abelian groups are characterized,using the characterization of the spectra of integral Cayley graphs.As an application,the integral generalized Cayley graphs on Z_(p)×Z_(q) and Z2n are investigated,where p and q are odd prime numbers.

Application of biochar-based materials in environmental remediation:from multi-level structures to specific devices

The development of biochar has triggered a hot-spot in various research fields including agriculture,energy,environment,and materials.Biochar-based materials provide a novel approach against environmental challenging issues.Considering the rapid development of biochar materials,this review serves as a valuable platform to summarize the recent progress on the theoretical investigation and engineering applications of biochar materials in environmental remediation.For a better understanding of the structure-application relationships,the structural properties of biochar from macroscopic and microscopic aspects are summarized.The multilevel structures including elements,phases,surface chemistry,and molecular are highlighted to elucidate the multi-functional properties of biochars.Sorption,catalysis,redox reaction,and biological activity of biochar are briefly illustrated,which influence the transport,transformation,and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in the environments.According to the multi-level structures and structure-application relationships of biochar,specific biochar-based materials and devices have been designed for practical environmental application.The important progress on the functionalization and device of biochar-based materials,including magnetic biochars,2D and 3D biochar-based macrostructures,immobilized microorganism on biochar,and biochar-amended biofilters are highlighted.The environmental friendliness and sustainability of biochar-based materials,considering the whole cycle from synthesis to application,are evaluated.

Isomorphisms and Automorphisms of Generalized Semi-Cayley Graphs

In this paper we propose the concept of generalized semi-Cayley graphs, which is a combination of semi-Cayley graphs and generalized Cayley graphs. We study the isomorphisms and automorphisms of generalized semi-Cayley graphs and other related properties.

Difference-less mobility management network

Core systemtechnology is a key factor in the next generation network(NGN).Adifference-less mobility management network is proposed to better support the mobility of an IP multimedia subsystem(IMS).This kind of network can provide good service and user mobility,enabling local user access to the network anywhere.User location management and session creation are analyzed.The results show that under this network architecture,the cost of the user location registration and session creation is lower than that of the home control model employed by the IMS.