Betaine addition to the diet alleviates intestinal injury in growing rabbits during the summer heat through the AAT/mTOR pathway

Background The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of betaine(Bet)inclusion in the diet on the intestinal health of growing rabbits under summer heat.A total of 100 weaned Qixing meat rabbits aged 35 d with body weight of 748.61±38.59 g were randomly divided into 5 treatment groups:control group(basal diet)and Bet groups(basal diet+0.75,1.0,1.5 or 2.0 g/kg Bet).The average daily temperature in the rabbitry during the experiment was 30.48°C and the relative humidity was 69.44%.Results Dietary addition of Bet had no significant effect on growth performance and health status of growing rabbits(P>0.05),but it increased ileal secretory immunoglobulin A content compared to the control under summer heat(P<0.05).Addition of 0.75 g/kg Bet up-regulated jejunal IL-4,down-regulated ileal TNF-αexpression(P<0.05).The addition of 1.0 g/kg Bet increased the villi height(VH)in the jejunum(P<0.05).Serum glucose levels were reduced,and the expression of SLC6A20 was up-regulated in jejunum and ileum of rabbits fed with 1.5 g/kg Bet(P<0.05).When added at 2.0 g/kg,Bet reduced serum HSP70 content,increased jejunal VH,and up-regulated duodenal SLC7A6,SLC38A2,mTOR and 4EBP-2 expression(P<0.05).Correlation analysis revealed that intestinal mTOR expression was significantly and positively correlated with SLC7A6,SLC38A2,SLC36A1 and IL-4 expression(P<0.05).Conclusions Dietary addition of Bet can up-regulate the expression of anti-inflammatory factors through the AAT/mTOR pathway,improve the intestinal immune function,alleviate intestinal damage in growing rabbits caused by summer heat,and improve intestinal health.

Path Tracking Controller Design of Automated Parking Systems via NMPC with an Instructible Solution

Parking difficulties have become a social issue that people have to solve.Automated parking system is practicable for quick par operations without a driver which can also greatly reduces the probability of parking accidents.The paper proposes a Lyapunov-based nonlinear model predictive controller embedding an instructable solution which is generated by the modified rear-wheel feedback method(RF-LNMPC)in order to improve the overall path tracking accuracy in parking conditions.Firstly,A discrete-time RF-LNMPC considering the position and attitude of the parking vehicle is proposed to increase the success rate of automated parking effectively.Secondly,the RF-LNMPC problem with a multi-objective cost function is solved by the Interior-Point Optimization,of which the iterative initial values are described as the instructable solutions calculated by combining modified rear-wheel feedback to improve the performance of local optimal solution.Thirdly,the details on the computation of the terminal constraint and terminal cost for the linear time-varying case is presented.The closed-loop stability is verified via Lyapunov techniques by considering the terminal constraint and terminal cost theoretically.Finally,the proposed RF-LNMPC is implemented on a selfdriving Lincoln MKZ platform and the experiment results have shown improved performance in parallel and vertical parking conditions.The Monte Carlo analysis also demonstrates good stability and repeatability of the proposed method which can be applied in practical use in the near future.

Study on the Driving Style Adaptive Vehicle Longitudinal Control Strategy

This paper presents a fusion control strategy of adaptive cruise control(ACC) and collision avoidance(CA),which takes into account a driver’s behavioral style. First, a questionnaire survey was performed to identify driver type, and the corresponding driving behavioral data were collected via driving simulator experiments, which served as the template data for the online identification of driver type. Then, the driveradaptive ACC/CA fusion control strategy was designed, and its effect was verified by virtual experiments. The results indicate that the proposed control strategy could achieve the fusion control of ACC and CA successfully and improve driver adaptability and comfort.

Robust Position Anti-Interference Control for PMSM Servo System With Uncertain Disturbance

Aiming to suppress the influence of uncertain disturbances in the drive control of permanent magnet synchronous machines(PMSM),such as the parameter uncertainties and load disturbance,a robust anti-interference control for the angular position tracking control of a PMSM servo system has been proposed in this paper.During the position tracking,uncertain system disturbances being regarded as a lumped unknown term will be online observed by a nonlinear disturbance observer(NDOB),of which the influence will consequently be counteracted by a robust backstepping compensator(RBC).The asymptotical stability of proposed control scheme is analyzed and designed according to the Lyapunov stability criterion,and its convergence against the system uncertain disturbance is verified on a prototype PMSM servo platform and shows good performance in rotor angular position tracking and anti-interference.

Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control Based on Longitudinal Force Estimation for Electro-mechanical Braking Systems using BLDC Motor

This paper focuses on the controller design using fuzzy sliding mode control(FSMC)with application to electro-mechanical brake(EMB)systems using BLDC Motor.The EMB controller transmits the control signal to the motor driver to rotate the motor.The torque distribution of motors is studied in this paper actually.Firstly,the model of the EMB system is established.Then the state observer is developed to estimate the vehicle states including the vehicle velocity and longitudinal force.Due to the fact that the EMB system is nonlinear and uncertain,a FSMC strategy based on wheel slip ratio is proposed,where both the normal and emergency braking conditions are taken into account.The equivalent control law of sliding mode controller is designed on the basis of the variation of the front axle and rear axle load during the brake process,while the switching control law is adjusted by the fuzzy corrector.The simulation results illustrate that the FSMC strategy has the superior performance,better adaptability to various types of roads,and shorter braking distance,as compared to PID control and traditional sliding mode control technologies.Finally,the hardware-in-loop(HIL)experimental results have exemplified the validation of the developed methodology.

Cell-based therapies for age-related macular degeneration:cell replacement versus paracrine effects

Age-related macular degeneration(AMD)is a leading cause for severe visual loss and legal blindness in seniors worldwide.The molecular basis for the disease remains poorly understood,likely involving genetic and environment-related ocular defects.Its pathogenesis proceeds slowly,started with deposits of fatty proteins(drusen)in the Bruch’s membrane,followed by gradual impairments of the posterior choriocapillaris and the anterior retinal pigment epithelium(RPE),and lead to irreversible degeneration of the light receiving neurons(photoreceptor)and vision decline.Clinically,AMD is divided into two subgroups:dry or atrophy form and wet or exudative form.Twenty percent of AMD patients have the wet form.

Large Population Screening Identified the Main Risk Factors of Stroke in Shashi District of Jingzhou City

Objective: This paper aims to screen and analyze the current status of high-risk stroke patients in Shashi District of Jingzhou City and the exposure levels of related risk factors, and provides suggestions as the references for prevention and treatment of stroke. Methods: Using cluster sampling, on-site investigations were conducted on 1060 permanent residents aged 40 years and over at 3 townships and 2 communities in Shashi District of Jingzhou City from January 2018 to December 2018. Risk assessment of stroke is based on the stroke risk screening form. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS 22.0 software. Results: After making a stroke risk assessment, a total of 313 high-risk stroke patients were screened, and the detection rate was 29.53%. The exposure rate of risk factors from high to low was hypertension (70.93%), dyslipidemia (46.33%), less physical exercise (46.01%), diabetes (36.10%), overweight (33.55%), smoking (33.23%), family history of stroke (24.92%), atrial fibrillation or valvular heart disease (7.35%). There are statistically significant differences among all risk factors between the high-risk group and middle and low-risk groups (P Conclusion: The detection rate of high-risk stroke patients in Shashi District of Jingzhou City is high. Hypertension, dyslipidemia and less physical exercise are the main risk factors of stroke occurrence and recurrence in the region. The prevention and treatment of risk factors for stroke should be strengthened to control the incidence and recurrence rate of stroke.

On the low cycle fatigue behaviour of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy processed via non-isothermal ageing

The low cycle fatigue behaviour of an Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy processed via non-isothermal ageing(NIA)was examined at different strain amplitudes.We showed that NIA improved the low cycle fatigue life(more than 7000 cycles)by optimising the precipitate configuration within 5.5 h while maintaining comparable mechanical properties(570 MPa for tensile strength)and conductivity(nearly 39%IACS)to conventional isothermal ageing,simultaneously.Experimental observation combined with molecular dynamic simula-tion revealed that precipitation configuration manipulated by NIA had a crucial effect on fatigue resis-tance.A great number of repeatedly sheared and locally destructed GP zones enhanced co-planar slip and slip localisation in the under-aged alloy during the early stage of NIA,responsible for the dramatic displacement steps on the surface and resultant poor fatigue performance.As the NIA further proceeded,moderately coarsened precipitates with an average dimension of 6.0 nm and elevated number density ef-fectively impeded the dislocation movement and weaken the slip localisation to a great extent,improving the fatigue performance within a few hours.

Gas sensors based on metal-organic frameworks:Challenges and opportunities

The need for high-performance and cost-effective gas sensors in industrial and domestic settings has led to ad-vancements in gas sensors based on metal-organic frameworks(MOFs).However,challenges remain in the design and synthesis of MOFs with customized structure and affinity toward targeted gases and their integration onto miniaturized electronic devices.The deliberate design of MOFs with desired characteristics is hindered by limited understanding of the interactions between MOFs and analytes.Furthermore,there is a lack of customization of relevant MOF-based sensors with salient sensing performance and their integration into sensor arrays to align with different application scenarios.The combination of machine learning or artificial intelligence(AI)with gas sensors also represents a promising avenue for future research.Herein,we provide a mini-review of recent ac-complishments in MOF-based gas sensors,covering materials design and device integration.The challenges of miniaturization and building smart sensing systems with anomaly detection,self-calibration,and lifetime pre-diction are also discussed.

Multi-phase structure and electrical properties of Bi_(0.5)Li_(0.5)ZrO_3 doping K_(0.48)Na_(0.56)NbO_3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

(1–x)K_(0.48)Na_(0.56)NbO_3–xBi_(0.5)Li_(0.5)ZrO_3(KNN–x BLZ, x = 0–0.06) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics were prepared by the conventional solid-state sintering method, and their phase structures and electric properties as well as T_C were systematically investigated. The orthorhombic–tetragonal(O–T) two phases were detected in all(1–x)K_(0.48)Na_(0.56)NbO_3–xBi_(0.5)Li_(0.5)ZrO_3 ceramics at 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.05. Due to the appropriate ratio between O phase and T phase(CO/C T= 45/55), high piezoelectric properties of d 33= 239 pC/N, k_p= 34%, and P_r = 25.23 μC/cm^2 were obtained at x = 0.04. Moreover, a high T_C = 348 ℃ was also achieved in KNN–x BLZ ceramic at x = 0.04. These results indicate that (1–x)K_(0.48)Na_(0.56)NbO_3–xBi_(0.5)Li_(0.5)ZrO_3 system is a promising candidate for high-temperature piezoelectric devices.

Micellar Catalysis:Visible-Light Mediated Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine C—H Amination with N-Aminopyridinium Salt Accelerated by Surfactant in Water

A light-promoted metal-free protocol for the amination of imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines with N-aminopyridinium salt by the assistance of surfactants in water was reported,charactering mild and environmentally benign conditions,as well as great functional group tolerance.Micelles with negatively charged polar surface and hydrophobic core formed from sodium dodecyl sulfate serve as an ideal medium for visible-light mediated radical reaction of cationic pyridine salt and imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine in aqueous phase.The electrostatic interaction between positively charged N-aminopyridinium and negatively charged surface of micelles is of great significance in this method.

Trust Assessment Under the Integrated Air-Space-Ground Network Environment

While playing an increasing role in the field of air-space integrated networks,terminal entities are exposed to more serious security risks than ordinary terminal entities on the ground,including but not limited to astronomical risks(e.g.,solar activity),link disruptions,and malicious attacks.In the integrated air-space-space network,after the terminal entity is loaded into the rocket for launch,real-time monitoring measures are implemented on the ground site for all links to the intended orbit.On top of the real-time monitoring measures,the need for a comprehensive evaluation of the air-space integration network is growing.In this paper,we further classify the security requirements and evaluation benchmarks of the terminal entities of the air-space integration network around the security evaluation requirements of the air-space integration network.On this basis,the relevant concept of trust value is introduced to assess the security status of terminal entities of air-space-sky integrated networks,and on this basis,a security assessment system of air-space-sky integrated network terminals is proposed.The exploration and development of field applications are initially realized.

Driver mental load identification model Adapting to Urban Road Traffic Scenarios

load model established in a road traffic scene is difficult to adapt to the changes of the surrounding road environment during the actual Objective:At present,most research on driver mental load identification is based on a single driving scene.However,the driver mental driving process.We proposed a driver mental load identification model which adapts to urban road traffie scenarios.scene discrimination sub-model can quickly and accurately determine the road traffic scene.The driver load identification sub-model Methods:The model includes a driving scene discrimination sub-model and driver load identification sub-model,in which the driving sub-model.selects the best feature subset and the best model algorithm in the scene based on the judgement of the driving scene classification Results:The results show that the driving scene discrimination sub-model using five vehicle features as feature subsets has the best performance.The driver load identification sub-model based on the best feature subset reduces the feature noise,and the recognition tends to be consistent,and the support vector machine(5VM)algorithm is better than the K-nearest neighbors(KNN)algorithm.effect is better than the feature set using a single source signal and all data.The best recognition algorithm in different scenarios Conclusion:The proposed driver mental load identificution model can discriminate the driving scene quickly and accurately,and then identify the driver mental load.In this way,our model can be more suitable for actual driving and improve the effect of driver mental load identification.

Formate-Mediated Synthesis ofβ-Hydroxysulfides from Olefins and Thiosulfonates via EDA Complex Strategy under Visible Light Irradiation in Air

A visible-light-induced and efficient one-pot synthesis ofβ-hydroxysulfides from olefins,thiosulfonates and HCOOCs using an EDA complex strategy under air atmosphere at room temperature has been disclosed.A plausible radical involved mechanism is proposed.During the reaction process,formates play a crucial role:first,as donors in the EDA complex;second,as providers of the hydrogen source;and third,by generating CO_(2)^(•–)to reduce peroxide intermediates,leading to the formation ofβ-hydroxysulfides.In contrast to the previously reported thiol-oxygen co-oxidation reactions,this simple and sustainable approach features mild reaction conditions,operational simplicity,odorless and excellent functional group tolerance.