α-Synuclein pathology from the body to the brain:so many seeds so close to the central soil

α-Synuclein is a protein that mainly exists in the presynaptic terminals.Abnormal folding and accumulation of α-synuclein are found in several neurodegenerative diseases,including Parkinson’s disease.Aggregated and highly phospho rylated a-synuclein constitutes the main component of Lewy bodies in the brain,the pathological hallmark of Parkinson s disease.For decades,much attention has been focused on the accumulation of α-synuclein in the brain parenchyma rather than considering Parkinson s disease as a systemic disease.Recent evidence demonstrates that,at least in some patients,the initial α-synuclein pathology originates in the peripheral organs and spreads to the brain.Injection of α-synuclein preformed fibrils into the gastrointestinal tra ct trigge rs the gutto-brain propagation of α-synuclein pathology.However,whether α-synuclein pathology can occur spontaneously in peripheral organs independent of exogenous α-synuclein preformed fibrils or pathological α-synuclein leakage from the central nervous system remains under investigation.In this review,we aimed to summarize the role of peripheral α-synuclein pathology in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease.We also discuss the pathways by which α-synuclein pathology spreads from the body to the brain.

Writing the Silenced Female Body, Scrutinizing the Grand Narrative of Colonization and Decolonization: The Body in Zoë Wicomb’s David’s Story

David’s Story by Zoë Wicomb addresses the complexities of representing female suffering and the limitations of traditional historical narratives in capturing the experiences of marginalized bodies.It challenges the grand narratives of national history by emphasizing the indispensable role of women’s experiences.Through characters like Dulcie and Rachael,Wicomb portrays the female body as a site of resistance and resilience,highlighting the need for more nuanced and inclusive ways of documenting history.Underscoring the inexpressibility of trauma and the limitations of language and representation,the novel self-reflexively acknowledges its own aporia of completing the narrative,embodying the ongoing struggle to capture the full breadth of human experience.

A novel binary effective medium model to describe the prepeak stressstrain relationship of combined bodies of rock-like material and rock

Combined bodies of rock-like material and rock are widely encountered in geotechnical engineering,such as tunnels and mines.The existing theoretical models describing the stress-strain relationship of a combined body lack a binary feature.Based on effective medium theory,this paper presents the governing equation of the“elastic modulus”for combined and single bodies under triaxial compressive tests.A binary effective medium model is then established.Based on the compressive experiment of concretegranite combined bodies,the feasibility of determining the stress threshold based on crack axial strain is discussed,and the model is verified.The model is further extended to coal-rock combined bodies of more diverse types,and the variation laws of the compressive mechanical parameters are then discussed.The results show that the fitting accuracy of the model with the experimental curves of the concretegranite combined bodies and various types of coal-rock combined bodies are over 95%.The crack axial strain method can replace the crack volumetric strain method,which clarifies the physical meanings of the model parameters.The variation laws of matrix parameters and crack parameters are discussed in depth and are expected to be more widely used in geotechnical engineering.

Joint Detection of Serum Vitamin D,Body Mass Index,and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha for the Diagnosis of Crohn’s Disease

Objective Vitamin D(VD)deficiency was reported to contribute to the progression of Crohn’s disease(CD)and affect the prognosis of CD patients.This study investigated the role of serum VD,body mass index(BMI),and tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-α)in the diagnosis of Crohn’s disease.Methods CD patients(n=76)and healthy subjects(n=76)were enrolled between May 2019 and December 2020.The serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]levels,BMI,and TNF-αlevels,together with other biochemical parameters,were assessed before treatment.The diagnostic efficacy of the single and joint detection of serum 25(OH)D,BMI,and TNF-αwas determined using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results The levels of 25(OH)D,BMI,and nutritional indicators,including hemoglobin,total protein,albumin,and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol,were much lower,and the TNF-αlevels were much higher in the CD patients than in the healthy subjects(P<0.05 for all).The areas under the ROC curve for the single detection of 25(OH)D,BMI,and TNF-αwere 0.887,0.896,and 0.838,respectively,with the optimal cutoff values being 20.64 ng/mL,19.77 kg/m^(2),and 6.85 fmol/mL,respectively.The diagnostic efficacy of the joint detection of 25(OH)D,BMI,and TNF-αwas the highest,with an area under the ROC curve of 0.988(95%CI:0.968–1.000).Conclusion The joint detection of 25(OH)D,TNF-α,and BMI showed high sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy in CD diagnosis;thus,it would be effective for the diagnosis of CD in clinical practice.

Colliding Bodies Optimization with Machine Learning Based Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis

Parkinson’s disease(PD)is one of the primary vital degenerative diseases that affect the Central Nervous System among elderly patients.It affect their quality of life drastically and millions of seniors are diagnosed with PD every year worldwide.Several models have been presented earlier to detect the PD using various types of measurement data like speech,gait patterns,etc.Early identification of PD is important owing to the fact that the patient can offer important details which helps in slowing down the progress of PD.The recently-emerging Deep Learning(DL)models can leverage the past data to detect and classify PD.With this motivation,the current study develops a novel Colliding Bodies Optimization Algorithm with Optimal Kernel Extreme Learning Machine(CBO-OKELM)for diagnosis and classification of PD.The goal of the proposed CBO-OKELM technique is to identify whether PD exists or not.CBO-OKELM technique involves the design of Colliding Bodies Optimization-based Feature Selection(CBO-FS)technique for optimal subset of features.In addition,Water Strider Algorithm(WSA)with Kernel Extreme Learning Machine(KELM)model is also developed for the classification of PD.CBO algorithm is used to elect the optimal set of fea-tures whereas WSA is utilized for parameter tuning of KELM model which alto-gether helps in accomplishing the maximum PD diagnostic performance.The experimental analysis was conducted for CBO-OKELM technique against four benchmark datasets and the model portrayed better performance such as 95.68%,96.34%,92.49%,and 92.36%on Speech PD,Voice PD,Hand PD Mean-der,and Hand PD Spiral datasets respectively.

基于线性密集台阵的2023年甘肃积石山M_(S)6.2地震断层低速带研究

2023年12月18日,甘肃省积石山县发生M_(S)6.2逆冲型地震。该地震发生在祁连活动地块拉脊山北缘断裂带,在断裂两侧曾发生过20余次5级左右中强地震,地震活动频次高,因此研究拉脊山断裂带特征具有重要意义。根据拉脊山断裂走向和此次地震余震分布,在刘集乡布设一条线性密集台阵,利用不同方位的余震事件计算体波的走时延时和放大效应。结果表明,P波和S波分别存在6个采样点(约0.012 s)和15个采样点(约0.03 s)的走时延时,推断出台阵西侧存在一个约150 m宽近似垂直的断层低速带,且该结果与远震P波相似性系数矩阵结果一致。

Association between childhood obesity and gut microbiota:16S rRNA gene sequencing-based cohort study

BACKGROUND This study aimed to identify characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12 years old)using 16S rDNA sequencing.The research aimed to provide insights for mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.Thirty normal-weight and thirty age-and sex-matched obese children were included.Questionnaires and body measurements were collected,and fecal samples underwent 16S rDNA sequencing.Significant differences in body mass index(BMI)and body-fat percentage were observed between the groups.Analysis of gut microbiota diversity revealed lowerα-diversity in obese children.Differences in gut microbiota composition were found between the two groups.Prevotella and Firmicutes were more abundant in the obese group,while Bacteroides and Sanguibacteroides were more prevalent in the control group.AIM To identify the characteristic gut genera in obese and normal-weight children(8-12-year-old)using 16S rDNA sequencing,and provide a basis for subsequent mechanistic studies and prevention strategies for childhood obesity.METHODS Thirty each normal-weight,1:1 matched for age and sex,and obese children,with an obese status from 2020 to 2022,were included in the control and obese groups,respectively.Basic information was collected through questionnaires and body measurements were obtained from both obese and normal-weight children.Fecal samples were collected from both groups and subjected to 16S rDNA sequencing using an Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform for gut microbiota diversity analysis.RESULTS Significant differences in BMI and body-fat percentage were observed between the two groups.The Ace and Chao1 indices were significantly lower in the obese group than those in the control group,whereas differences were not significant in the Shannon and Simpson indices.Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant differences in unweighted and weighted UniFrac distances between the gut microbiota of normal-weight and obese children(P<0.01),suggesting substantial disparities in both the species and quantity of gut microbiota between the two groups.Prevotella,Firmicutes,Bacteroides,and Sanguibacteroides were more abundant in the obese and control groups,respectively.Heatmap results demonstrated significant differences in the gut microbiota composition between obese and normal-weight children.CONCLUSION Obese children exhibited lowerα-diversity in their gut microbiota than did the normal-weight children.Significant differences were observed in the composition of gut microbiota between obese and normal-weight children.

鄂北S井区盒8上亚段砂体叠置类型及其对气藏分布的影响

为明确鄂北S井区盒8上亚段地层砂体叠置类型及其与气藏分布的关系,通过岩心观察、测井解释等方法对研究区盒8上亚段沉积微相类型、砂体的垂向叠置及侧向接触关系进行深入研究,再结合试气资料探讨不同砂体叠置类型的气藏分布特征。结果表明:鄂北S井区盒8上亚段为曲流河三角洲平原亚相,有利砂体对应的沉积微相类型为边滩与河道充填微相;砂体垂向叠置类型可划分为分离式、叠加式、切叠式、替代式,侧向接触关系可划分为间湾接触、堤岸接触、对接式、侧切式、替代式;鄂北S井区盒8上亚段砂体垂向叠置类型主要为侧向切叠式和替代式,增加了砂体在侧向上的连通性;盒8上亚段砂体侧向接触关系主要为侧切式,提升了砂体侧向上的连通程度,气藏储存关系较好;单一、孤立存在的砂体,其连通性较差,整体的含气性也较差。该研究对寻找低渗透背景下产能高、潜力大的砂体分布区具有重要指导意义。

From the Green's Function in Tight-Binding Representation to Interatomic Many-body Potentials

In this paper, we deduce the analytical form of many-body interatomic potentials based on the Green's function in tight-binding representation. The many-body potentials are expressed as the functions of the hopping integrals which are the physical origin of cohesion of atoms. For thesimple case of s-valent system, the inversion of the many-body potentials are discussed in detail by using the lattice inversion method.

The Research of the Flow of Bodies with Use of the Vector Form of the Newton’s Law for the Viscous Liquid

On the basis of the vector formula of the Newton’s law for a viscous liquid and the integrated vector form of the equation of an impulse for a viscous liquid for resistance and carrying power of a profile of any form and the big length dependences are found in a stream. Application of the found dependences at a circulating flow of the cylinder located across a stream is showed. The analysis of a tensor of viscosity for laminar and turbulent flow is carried out.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty versus percutaneous kyphoplasty for the treatment of delayed post-traumatic vertebral body collapse(Kümmell’s disease) in Chinese patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: To compare the clinical efficacy between percutaneous vertebroplasty(PVP) and percutaneous kyphoplasty(PKP) in the treatment of Kümmell's disease in Chinese patients.Methods: The studies using randomized controlled trials to compare clinical efficacy between PVP and PKP in the treatment of Kümmell's disease in Chinese patients were retrieved from Embase, Pubmed, Central, Cinahl, PQDT, CNKI, CQVIP, Wanfang Data, and CBM(from September 2008 to September 2018). Keywords for both Chinese and English search were: percutaneous vertebroplasty, PVP, percutaneous kyphoplasty, PKP, and Kümmell's disease. A total of 132 articles were retrieved based on the search strategy through online database searching and manual searching. Finally, one foreign report and seven Chinese reports were included. After extracting the data, statistical software Review Manager 5.3 was used for data analysis.Results: Through comparison, Cobb angle(95% CI [0.54, 4.42), P = 0.01] and Oswestry Dysfunction Index(ODI)(95% CI [0.21, 2.15], P= 0.02) of PKP group was smaller than that of PVP group. Postoperative anterior vertebral body height of the PKP group was better than PVP group(95% CI [-1.27,-0.66], P < 0.001]. However, the PVP group had shorter operation time than PKP group(95% CI [-13.48,-7.43), P = 0.001]. In the other outcome measures, including Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) score(95% CI [-0.04, 0.27), P = 0.15), cement volume(95% CI [-0.82, 0.32], P = 0.39) and cement leakage(95% CI [0.90, 2.76], P = 0.11), there was no significant differences between the two procedures.Conclusions: At this stage, there is sufficient evidence to support that PKP is better than PVP in the treatment of Kümmell's disease in Chinese patients. Although PVP surgery requires much less operation time, PKP has better postoperative radiological results and lower ODI. Moreover, both of them had similar clinical results(e.g., analgesic effects, cement dosage, and leakage rate). Further evidence is dependent on the emergence of randomized controlled trials with higher quality and larger sample sizes in the future.

LOOMIS-WHITNEY'S INEQUALITY ABOUT MIXED BODY

In this article, the authors establish two theorems for mixed body, which are the generalizations of the well-known Loomis-Whitney＇s inequality.

Foreign body impaction in the sigmoid colon: A twenty euro bet

Foreign body ingestion is a common clinical problem in early childhood. However, it may occur even in adults, unknowingly. Most ingested foreign bodies entering the stomach pass through the gastrointestinal tract uneventfully. Here we report on a 13-year-old boy who presented with chronic abdominal pain, weight loss and occult gastrointestinal bleeding for 6 mo. Colonoscopy was negative; however, a ballpoint pen was impacted in the sigmoid region. Subsequently, the child admitted swallowing a pen as a 20-euro bet 6 mo previously. Crohn's disease is a chronic relaps-ing inflammatory gastrointestinal disease. It is often difficult to diagnose due to the fact that there is no single pathognomonic sign or symptom. This case is a description of an adolescent with chronic gastrointes-tinal symptoms due to a foreign body. Therefore, an ingested foreign body should be included in the differ-ential diagnostic procedure related to gastrointestinal symptoms.

Asymptotic properties of two affine invariants for 1-unconditional convex bodies

Let K be a 1-unconditional convex bodies in Euclidean spaces.We study the asymptotic properties of two affine invariants m2（K） and S2（K） for a random simplex inside K.As an application,we discuss the asymptotic properties of two affine invariants m2（Bpn ） and S2（Bpn ）,where Bpn = {x ∈ Rn ： ‖x‖ p 1}.

DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF FLEXIBLE BODY WITH DEFINITE MOVING ATTITUTE

The nonlinear dynamic control equation of a flexible multi-body system with definite moving attitude is discussed. The motion of the aircraft in space is regarded as known and the influence of the flexible structural members in the aircraft on the motion and attitude of the aircraft is analyzed. By means of a hypothetical mode, the defor mation of flexible members is regarded as composed of the line element vibration in the axial direction of rectangular coordinates in space. According to Kane＇ s method in dynamics, a dynamic equation is established, which contains the structural stiffness matrix that represents the elastic deformation and the geometric stiffness matrix that represents the nonlinear deformation of the deformed body. Through simplification the dynamic equation of the influence of the planar flexible body with a windsurfboard structure on the spacecraft motion is obtained. The numerical solution for this kind of equation can be realized by a computer.

Variation and Sexual Dimorphism of Body Size in the Plateau Brown Frog along an Altitudinal Gradient

Variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism（SSD） can have important consequences for animal ecology, behavior, population dynamics and the evolution of life-history traits. Organisms are expected to be larger in colder climate（i.e., Bergmann＇s rule） and SSD varies with body size（i.e., Rensch＇s rule）. However, the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. The plateau brown frog（Rana kukunoris）, a medium-sized anuran species with femalebiased SSD, is endemic to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau（QTP）. From 1797 m（Maoxiang＇ping） to 3453 m（Heihe＇qiao） in the eastern margin of the QTP, we surveyed 10 populations of R. kukunoris and collected phalanges and snout vent length（SVL） data for 258 adult individuals（199 males versus 59 females）. Based on these data, we explored how body size and SSD varying along the altitudinal gradient and examined the corresponding effects of temperature. We found body size to be larger at higher altitude for males but not for females, with likely effects from the temperature on the variation in male body size. Sex differences in growth rates may be the main cause of the variation in SSD. Our results suggested that only males follow the Bergmann＇s rule and variation in SSD of R. kukunoris do not support the Rensch＇s rule and its inverse. Therefore, the variations of body size can be different between sexes and the applicability of both Bergmann＇s rule and Rensch＇s rule should depend on species and environment where they live.

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.

Bacterial Biofilm in Water Bodies of Cherrapunjee: The Rainiest Place on Planet Earth

Bacterial attachment is influenced by the cell surface, attachment media and other environmental factors. Bacterial community composition involved in biofilm formation in extremely high rainfall areas like Cherrapunjee has not been reported. The present study was undertaken to characterize bacteria involved in biofilm formation on different substrata in water bodies of Cherrapunjee, the highest rainfall receiving place on planet earth and to assess if the continuous rainfall has an effect on nature and colonization of biofilm bacteria. We developed the biofilm bacteria on stainless steel and glass surfaces immersed in water bodies of the study sites. Isolation of biofilm bacteria were performed on different culture media followed by estimation of protein and carbohydrate content of bacterial exopolysaccharides. 16S rRNA gene sequences were amplified for molecular characterization. The results showed that the biofilm bacterial diversity in water bodies of Cherrapunjee was influenced by substratum and was observed more in stainless steel than glass surface. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that biofilm microstructure may represent a key determinant of biofilm growth and physiology of associated bacteria. The overall protein content of the extracted EPS of all the isolates were relatively higher than the carbohydrate content. Diverse bacteria proliferated on the substrata regardless of each other's presence, with more diverse bacteria colonizing the substrata on 7th day compared to 15th day of incubation. The biofilm bacteria compositions in the highest rainfall receiving habitat were not distinctly different from reports available, hence not unique from other water bodies.

Protein Bodies in Cotyledon Cells Exhibit Differential Patterns of Legumin-Like Proteins Mobilization during Seedling Germinating States

Olive (Olea europaea L.) tree is one of the most extensive and important agricultural crop in Mediterranean countries due to its beneficial health and nutritional properties and its high economic value. Currently, olive tree constitutes the sixth most important cultivated plant in the world, spreading from the Mediterranean region of origin to new production areas such as Australia, South and North America and South Africa. However, the mobilization processes of storage materials i.e. reserve proteins during seed germination, which are largely involved in essential physiological process including plant growth and development, remain poorly understood. Morphometric and immunohistochemistry analyses of protein bodies contained in olive seed storage tissues, cotyledon and endosperm, were performed by using different microscopy techniques, including light (bright-field and fluorescence) microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Furthermore, we used legumin-like proteins (11S-type globulins) as a molecular marker to study the mobilization of reserve proteins from PBs of cotyledons at germinating seedling stages by using immunofluorescence assays. Results demonstrated that cotyledon and endosperm are characterized by distinct PBs populations containing legumin-like proteins, distinctly discriminated by the number of PBs per cell and tissue, size, immunofluorescence and histochemical staining. These features reflect differential PBs biogenesis during development and maturation processes in olive seed tissues endosperm and cotyledon, in relation to proteins (polypeptides) final composition, SSPs processing and/or packaging during seed maturation. Three different mobilization patterns of legumin-like proteins were identified for the first time in cotyledon PBs during seedling germinating process. Mature proteins composition and/or processing, cell types and enzyme composition and/or differential activation have been discussed as key features determining how proteins mobilize from PBs for further degradation in the cotyledon.

Recent progress and concerns in dementia: Distinguishing Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies via biochemical markers in the cerebrospinal fluid

Dementia is mainly a neurodegenerative disorder involved in several systems, including central nervous system, endocrinology/metabolism system and circulatory system. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are the most common forms of the dementia, accounting for 60% - 80% and 10% - 20% of all cases, respectively. DLB is defined by widespread neocortical, limbic and brainstem Lewy bodies but frequently accompanied by variable levels of AD pathology. This pathological and clinical overlap makes their differential diagnosis complicated. Recent advances in the identification of disease bio-markers now make it possible to detect and distinguish their pathology in the early or preclinical stage of the diseases, even in cognitively normal individuals. In addition to the key biomarkers (amyloid β or Aβ, tau and α-synuclein), neurotrophins such as cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) have also drawn attention due to their expressions and functions. This article summarizes the progress in the definition, pathology and diagnosis of dementia, with a focus on potential biochemical markers in the cere-brospinal fluid (CSF) in the differential diagnosis of the main forms of dementia. To prediction or early diagnosis of dementia, the role of specific and sensitive CSF biomarkers seems to be crucial in a routine clinical setting. The concerns and challenges in the biomarker field are also discussed.