Multisensory mechanisms of gait and balance in Parkinson’s disease:an integrative review

Understanding the neural underpinning of human gait and balance is one of the most pertinent challenges for 21st-century translational neuroscience due to the profound impact that falls and mobility disturbances have on our aging population.Posture and gait control does not happen automatically,as previously believed,but rather requires continuous involvement of central nervous mechanisms.To effectively exert control over the body,the brain must integrate multiple streams of sensory information,including visual,vestibular,and somatosensory signals.The mechanisms which underpin the integration of these multisensory signals are the principal topic of the present work.Existing multisensory integration theories focus on how failure of cognitive processes thought to be involved in multisensory integration leads to falls in older adults.Insufficient emphasis,however,has been placed on specific contributions of individual sensory modalities to multisensory integration processes and cross-modal interactions that occur between the sensory modalities in relation to gait and balance.In the present work,we review the contributions of somatosensory,visual,and vestibular modalities,along with their multisensory intersections to gait and balance in older adults and patients with Parkinson’s disease.We also review evidence of vestibular contributions to multisensory temporal binding windows,previously shown to be highly pertinent to fall risk in older adults.Lastly,we relate multisensory vestibular mechanisms to potential neural substrates,both at the level of neurobiology(concerning positron emission tomography imaging)and at the level of electrophysiology(concerning electroencephalography).We hope that this integrative review,drawing influence across multiple subdisciplines of neuroscience,paves the way for novel research directions and therapeutic neuromodulatory approaches,to improve the lives of older adults and patients with neurodegenerative diseases.

Euler’s First-Order Explicit Method–Peridynamic Differential Operator for Solving Population Balance Equations of the Crystallization Process

Using Euler’s first-order explicit(EE)method and the peridynamic differential operator(PDDO)to discretize the time and internal crystal-size derivatives,respectively,the Euler’s first-order explicit method–peridynamic differential operator(EE–PDDO)was obtained for solving the one-dimensional population balance equation in crystallization.Four different conditions during crystallization were studied:size-independent growth,sizedependent growth in a batch process,nucleation and size-independent growth,and nucleation and size-dependent growth in a continuous process.The high accuracy of the EE–PDDO method was confirmed by comparing it with the numerical results obtained using the second-order upwind and HR-van methods.The method is characterized by non-oscillation and high accuracy,especially in the discontinuous and sharp crystal size distribution.The stability of the EE–PDDO method,choice of weight function in the PDDO method,and optimal time step are also discussed.

The Tension Balance Structure of China's Human Rights Development Path

The human rights white paper has in it the basic concepts of human rights,the form of the human rights system,and the mode of human rights practice in modern China.It is based on the tension balance structure between the historical feature and rationality,the cultural feature and similarity,the realistic feature and the common feature of human rights.Adhering to the historical nature of human rights rather than abstract rationality,and the cultural diversity and equality of human rights rather than one dominant model,and the particularity of human rights rather than universality is the pillar of China’s human rights philosophy,system,and practice.The human rights development path that combines the top-down leadership of China’s ruling party,the capability of the Chinese government in taking a holistic approach and the bottom-up driving force of the people is very different from the natural evolution path of the West.

One-step cell biomanufacturing platform:porous gelatin microcarrier beads promote human embryonic stem cell-derived midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cell differentiation in vitro and survival after transplantation in vivo

Numerous studies have shown that cell replacement therapy can replenish lost cells and rebuild neural circuitry in animal models of Parkinson’s disease.Transplantation of midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells is a promising treatment for Parkinson’s disease.However,transplanted cells can be injured by mechanical damage during handling and by changes in the transplantation niche.Here,we developed a one-step biomanufacturing platform that uses small-aperture gelatin microcarriers to produce beads carrying midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells.These beads allow midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cell differentiation and cryopreservation without digestion,effectively maintaining axonal integrity in vitro.Importantly,midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cell bead grafts showed increased survival and only mild immunoreactivity in vivo compared with suspended midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cell grafts.Overall,our findings show that these midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cell beads enhance the effectiveness of neuronal cell transplantation.

Modelling Wave Transmission and Overtopping Based on Energy Balance Equation

Wave transmission and overtopping around nearshore breakwaters can have significant influence on the transmitted wave parameters,which affects wave conditions and sediment transportation and becomes the focus of design in engineering.The objective of this paper is to present a simplified model to estimate these important wave parameters.This paper describes the incorporation of wave transmission and overtopping module into a wave model for multi-directional random wave transformation based on energy balance equation with the consideration of wave shoaling,refraction,diffraction,reflection and breaking.Wen's frequency spectrum and non-linear dispersion relation are also included in this model.The influence of wave parameters of transmitted waves through a smooth submerged breakwater has been considered in this model with an improved description of the transmitted wave spectrum of van der Meer et al.(2000) by Carevic et al.(2013).This improved wave model has been validated through available laboratory experiments.Then the verified model is applied to investigate the effect of wave transmission and overtopping on wave heights behind low-crested breakwaters in a project for nearshore area.Numerical calculations are carried out with and without consideration of the wave transmission and overtopping,and comparison of them indicates that there is a considerable difference in wave height and thus it is important to include wave transmission and overtopping in modelling nearshore wave field with the presence of low-crested breakwaters.Therefore,this model can provide a general estimate of the desired wave field parameters,which is adequate for engineers at the preliminary design stage of low-crested breakwaters.

Shifting balance from neurodegeneration to regeneration of the brain: a novel therapeutic approach to Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions

Neurodegeneration is one of the biggest public health problems in modern society. Age-associated neurodegeneration, which is accelerated several-fold in Alzheimer＇s disease （AD） alone, is not only an enormous social and economic burden to the affected in- dividuals and their families, but is also a great scientific challenge. Currently 25-35 million people worldwide suffer from AD, the single largest cause of dementia in middle- to old-aged individuals. These numbers are projected to triple by 2050 if no treatment to prevent or reverse AD is developed.

China-U.S. Trade Balance from the National Income Perspective

This paper calculates the China-U.S. trade balance from the national income perspective based on an input-output model that differentiates domestic and foreign-invested companies. The result shows that due to different degrees of dependence of both countries on foreign production factors such as foreign capital for the manufacturing of export goods,only 87.7% of the domestic value-added created by China's exports to the U.S. in 2012 was China's national income, whereas 96.2% of value-added in U.S. exports to China was U.S.national income. In the comparison of total export volume and export value-added, the home country's national income created by exports can more realistically reflect a country's gains from trade. In 2012, China's trade surplus with the U.S. stood at 102.8 billion US dollars in national income terms, which is 61% and 22% smaller than the results in gross and value-added terms, respectively. The implication is that the traditional trade balance accounting method seriously exaggerates the China-U.S. trade imbalance.

Pioneering a New Realm of Human Rights Civilization in the Chinese Path to Modernization——An Overview of the Symposium on“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”

On October 14,2023,a symposium themed“The Chinese Path to Modernization and the Promotion of Free and Comprehensive Human Development”was held in Changchun,Jilin Province,China.More than fifty experts,scholars,and researchers from national institutions and universities engaged in discussions and exchanges on human rights on the Chinese path to modernization,including the path,practice,knowledge systems,and civilization forms of human rights.This symposium played a significant role in advancing the construction of the disciplinary system,academic system,and discourse system of human rights in China.

Fecal-associated microbiome differences between phlegm-dampness constitution and balanced constitution

Objective: This study aimed to explore the structural and functional characteristics of the fecalassociated microbiome(FAM) between the phlegm-dampness constitution(PDC) and balanced constitution(BC), and to screen the related specific operational taxonomic unit(OTU) biomarkers.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. After strictly identifying the constitution of subjects, their clinical index was recorded and counted. Fecal samples were collected for 16S rDNA sequencing. Alpha diversity, beta diversity, and the relative abundance of dominant bacterial taxa were used to describe the FAM structure, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Metagenome Seq, and linear discriminant analysis effect size(LEf Se) were used to screen specific bacterial taxa. Specific OTUs were screened to construct receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves.Results: Thirty-two subjects were enrolled, including 22 subjects with BC and 10 subjects with PDC.There were significant differences in cold preference, levels of aspartate transaminase, β2-microglobulin,and creatine kinase MB, and alpha diversity indices(Shannon and Shannoneven) between the two groups. In principal coordinate analysis by abund-jaccard distance measure and partial least squares discriminant analysis, bacterial communities clustered separately between the two groups. Furthermore,based on Metagenome Seq, LEf Se, and the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, a total of 43, 18, and 130 OTUs were differentially distributed between BC group and PDC group, respectively, and OTU200, OTU133, and OTU353 were screened when P≤.01. The area under the ROC curve constructed from the 3 selected OTUs was 0.93.Conclusion: The FAM structure and related functional characteristics of the PDC group differed from those of the BC group. In particular, OTU200, OTU133, and OTU353 can be used as unique markers of PDC to assist clinical diagnosis.

Exploring the role of N-acetyltransferases in diseases:a focus on N-acetyltransferase 9 in neurodegeneration

Acetyltransferases,required to transfer an acetyl group on protein are highly conserved proteins that play a crucial role in development and disease.Protein acetylation is a common post-translational modification pivotal to basic cellular processes.Close to 80%-90%of proteins are acetylated during translation,which is an irreversible process that affects protein structure,function,life,and localization.In this review,we have discussed the various N-acetyltransferases present in humans,their function,and how they might play a role in diseases.Furthermore,we have focused on N-acetyltransferase 9 and its role in microtubule stability.We have shed light on how N-acetyltransferase 9 and acetylation of proteins can potentially play a role in neurodegenerative diseases.We have specifically discussed the N-acetyltransferase 9-acetylation independent function and regulation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling and microtubule stability during development and neurodegeneration.

U-Type Designs via New Generalized Partially Balanced Incomplete Block Designs with <i>m</i>= 4, 5 and 7 Associated Classes

The traditional combinatorial designs can be used as basic designs for constructing designs of computer experiments which have been used successfully till now in various domains such as engineering, pharmaceutical industry, etc. In this paper, a new series of generalized partially balanced incomplete blocks PBIB designs with m associated classes (m = 4, 5 and 7) based on new generalized association schemes with number of treatments v arranged in w arrays of n rows and l columns (w ≥ 2, n ≥ 2, l ≥ 2) is defined. Some construction methods of these new PBIB are given and their parameters are specified using the Combinatory Method (s). For n or l even and s divisor of n or l, the obtained PBIB designs are resolvable PBIB designs. So the Fang RBIBD method is applied to obtain a series of particular U-type designs U (wnl;) (r is the repetition number of each treatment in our resolvable PBIB design).

Wireless Network Security Using Load Balanced Mobile Sink Technique

Real-time applications based on Wireless Sensor Network(WSN)tech-nologies are quickly increasing due to intelligent surroundings.Among the most significant resources in the WSN are battery power and security.Clustering stra-tegies improve the power factor and secure the WSN environment.It takes more electricity to forward data in a WSN.Though numerous clustering methods have been developed to provide energy consumption,there is indeed a risk of unequal load balancing,resulting in a decrease in the network’s lifetime due to network inequalities and less security.These possibilities arise due to the cluster head’s limited life span.These cluster heads(CH)are in charge of all activities and con-trol intra-cluster and inter-cluster interactions.The proposed method uses Lifetime centric load balancing mechanisms(LCLBM)and Cluster-based energy optimiza-tion using a mobile sink algorithm(CEOMS).LCLBM emphasizes the selection of CH,system architectures,and optimal distribution of CH.In addition,the LCLBM was added with an assistant cluster head(ACH)for load balancing.Power consumption,communications latency,the frequency of failing nodes,high security,and one-way delay are essential variables to consider while evaluating LCLBM.CEOMS will choose a cluster leader based on the influence of the fol-lowing parameters on the energy balance of WSNs.According to simulatedfind-ings,the suggested LCLBM-CEOMS method increases cluster head selection self-adaptability,improves the network’s lifetime,decreases data latency,and bal-ances network capacity.

Body Balance and Core Training in Parkinson’s Disease: A Longitudinal Crossover Study

Objective: The objective of this study was to verify the effects of two different training protocols based on Core Stability and Body Balance exercises in subjects with Parkinsons’s Disease. Methods: Eight elderly men with PD (age of 73 ± 9 years, weight 69 ± 16 kg, height 164 ± 13 cm, 2 ± 1 of Disability Score according to Hoehn and Yahr scale). The disability score was evaluated using Hoehn and Yahr scale. This study was 12-month-long organized in 3 blocks of 4 months each. The sample was divided in two groups formed by 4 subjects each group. During the first four months, one group performed core stability exercises (CSG) while the other group exercised itself through a Balance Exercises Program (BG). After this first part of the study both protocols were stopped for the following 4 months. Finally, the group were reversed (counter balance design) for the last 4 months of physical activity. The two groups were measured twice, before (T0) and after the treatment (T1). Both treatments were designed in order to investigate the improvement in core muscles performance in order to grant a better balance control and to reduce the risk of falling. Results: statistically significant variations were found in the flight time of Sit-to-Stand (p < 0.05, +27%) and in the step length (p < 0.05, ?3%). In the CSG group, statistically significant variations were detected in Speed of Steps (p < 0.05, +5%), Step Cadence (p < 0.05, +3%), and Left Stride Duration (p < 0.05, ?3%) (Table 1). Conclusion: Both Body Balance and Core training can be considered two good physical exercise methods for people with PD. This study highlights the positive effects of this training protocol on legs strength improvements and on the balance control while walking.

The Explicitly Covariant Stress-Energy-Momentum Balance Equation for Electromagnetism in Material Media

Beginning with the explicitly covariant Maxwell equations in media, we deduce an explicitly covariant stress-energy-momentum balance equation in material media. Proceeding in this way we avoid mixing external fields and self fields, as occurs if one begins with Lorentz＇s law, the most usual approach appearing in textbooks. Indeed our deduction implies a generalized force density in which the total fields appear. As an application of the present deduction, we discuss briefly the Abraham-Minkowski controversy, showing its relation to open or closed electromagnetic systems. This approach will be interesting for scholars as well as graduate students interested in conceptual problems of relativistic electromagnetism.

The Conflict and Balance Between Intellectual Property Rights and Public Freedom of Information in the“Anti-circumvention Clause”

There is a long-standing conflict between intellectual property rights and public freedom of information.The continuous development of the“anti-circumvention clause”has caused the conflict to intensify.As a basic human right,freedom of information is being gradually eroded by the expansion of intellectual property rights.The existing research mainly carries on the right balance from the negative protection path,but the positive protection path is more advantageous to realizing the public freedom of information and alleviates the conflict between the two kinds of rights.In practice,there are some problems in the application of the anti-circumvention clause,such as the legality of the aim,the division of the protected part,and the determination of the circumvention.This is mainly due to the lack of restrictions on technical measures,the failure to distinguish between“copyright protection”and“contact control”,and the offside and absence of administrative bodies in practice.We should protect public freedom of information by distinguishing the two measures of copyright protection and contact control and the two torts of access and use,increasing the restrictive conditions for the use of technical protection measures,and changing the functions of administrative supervision agencies.

An Analysis of China's Trade Balances with Other Countries and Regions

This article utilizes a large amount of statistical data to analyze the global distribution of foreign trade in China since 1990,as well as the factors involved and the changes in trends.The research results indicate that China has gained a favourable balance against developed countries and a disadvantageous balance against developing countries;China enjoys a trade surplus with North American and European countries while suffering deficits with those in the Asia.pacific region,as well as with resource-abundant Australia,Africa and South America. With regard to trends,the structure of China’s foreign trade will not undergo fundamental changes in the short term,but in the long run will be transformed in line with restructuring of the growth pattern.

Research on the Method of Balance Sheet Quality Inspection based on the Ford Law

This paper based on Benford＇s Law （Benford Law）, the Shanghai stock exchange 15 listed bank balance sheets for the past 5 years data for the study sample, results show that the model in the inspection report can quantify the quality in the process of accounting information quality comparison and has the outstanding advantages of simple, clear, this paper focuses on the Benford＇s law of balance sheet quality inspection method based on in our country and how to test the quality of balance sheets in the introduction and promotion.

Pro-Oxidant Antioxidant Balance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with increased morbidity and incident of colon cancer;however its etiology is still unclear. Currently, one of the most probable pathogenesis patterns is increased permeability of bowel membrane and it seems that oxidative stress plays an important role in this pathway. This study was done to assess the pro-oxidant antioxidant balance (PAB) in these patients. Materials: This was a cross sectional study of 2 groups including 50 patients with diagnosed IBD and 50 healthy controls. Patients were selected purposively from those referring to adult gastroenterology clinic in 2013. SPSS (ver11.5) has been. A P value < 0.05 was regarded as statistically significant. Results: Mean PAB in patients and controls group was 119.98 ± 38.98 HK unite and 52.67 ± 22.80 HK unite, respectively, (P value < 0.001). PAB mean in ulcerative colitis patients was 120.60 ± 33.90 HK unite and in CD patients was 118.20 ± 45.99 HK unite, and showed no significant difference (P value = 0.85). PAB and MDA could detect healthy subjects from IBD patients with sensitivity more that 90% and specificity more than 84%. Conclusion: PAB shifted to pro-oxidants in IBD patients;moreover this shift was unrelated to disease type. These tests could use as screening test.

Analysis Method for Predicting Strain in Interior Beds and Sub-Resolution Faults from Area Balance Theory in Extensional Basins

Extensional basins include mainly grabens and half grabens displaced along alower detachment. Based on area balance theory, there is a linear relationship between a height ofregional and the lower detachment h on the outside of the basin and 'lost area S' from the regionalin the basin. The pre-growth beds above lower detachment are of the same extensional displacement sothat an 'S-h diagram' can be used to determine the depth to lower detachment and to calculate thetotal extensional displacement of the beds above the lower detachment. The extensional displacementis dominated by the heave of various scale normal faults. The displacement of obvious faults can beimmediately figured out from the measured bed-length. The requisite extension calculated by areabalance is the layer-parallel strain, which could be accommodated by displacement on sub-resolutionfaults. Accordingly, the layer-parallel strain can help us predict the magnitude and distribution ofsub-resolution faults on the basis of analysis of the structural style and rheological behavior.

Human Carrying Capacity of Rangeland Resources in China′s Mountain Areas

Based on analysis of the development potential of rangeland resources in China＇s mountain areas, the paper makes analysis and forecast in human carrying capacity of rangeland resources. It provides some reference for drawing up the development strategy in mountain areas.