An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease prog...An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease progression,demonstrating the need for novel approaches in PD.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive approach that has been shown to improve motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.However,the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation remain unknown.The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the beneficial effects of prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of experimental parkinsonism are based on modulation of adenosine-mediated signaling.Animals with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions underwent intermittent theta burst stimulation for 3 weeks and were tested for motor skills using the Rotarod test.Immunoblot,quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,immunohistochemistry,and biochemical analysis of components of adenosine-mediated signaling were performed on the synaptosomal fraction of the lesioned caudate putamen.Prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation improved motor symptoms in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned animals.A 6-hydroxydopamine lesion resulted in progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the caudate putamen.Treatment with intermittent theta burst stimulation began 7 days after the lesion,coinciding with the onset of motor symptoms.After treatment with prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation,complete motor recovery was observed.This improvement was accompanied by downregulation of the e N/CD73-A_(2A)R pathway and a return to physiological levels of A_(1)R-adenosine deaminase 1 after 3 weeks of intermittent theta burst stimulation.Our results demonstrated that 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degeneration reduced the expression of A_(1)R and elevated the expression of A_(2A)R.Intermittent theta burst stimulation reversed these effects by restoring the abundances of A_(1)R and A_(2A)R to control levels.The shift in ARs expression likely restored the balance between dopamine-adenosine signaling,ultimately leading to the recovery of motor control.展开更多
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the diseas...Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the disease are critical period during which reversible joint damage occurs. So early diagnosis of RA and appropriate drug application is the only way to save a patient from this crippling disease. In India, the cost of investigations is a significant factor for most of the patients. Ultrasonography or Power Doppler Ultra Sound (PDUS) has the advantage of being economic in spite of its sensitivity in assessing both inflammatory and destructive changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of PDUS in early rheumatoid arthritis. The study was performed with the patients attending Rheumatology Clinic. A total number of 106 patients of clinically suspected rheumatoid arthritis were studied as per selection criteria. Radiological examinations of hands were done by digital radiography and PDUS in a group of 53 patients, assessment of foot changes by PDUS and Digital Radiography were done in another similar group of 53 patients. Final diagnosis by ACR EULAR-2010 criteria is done for all the patients. The comparative study reveals that synovial vascularity as demonstrated by PDUS is much more effective in diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis, both in hand and in feet than digital radiograph. PDUS of feet may yield earlier and better findings than hands, which is conventionally used in patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis.展开更多
Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular rese...Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular research topic.In this paper,ocean internal waves are detected in SAR images by employing the faster regions with convolutional neural network features(Faster R-CNN)framework;for this purpose,888 internal wave samples are utilized to train the convolutional network and identify internal waves.The experimental results demonstrate a 94.78%recognition rate for internal waves,and the average detection speed is 0.22 s/image.In addition,the detection results of internal wave samples under different conditions are analyzed.This paper lays a foundation for detecting ocean internal waves using convolutional neural networks.展开更多
Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation...Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation.To address this issue,real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect the expression of several differentiation-related miRNAs during the differentiation of retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.The results revealed that miR-124 and miR-9 were upregulated,while miR-125 b was downregulated in retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.To identify the miRNA that may play a key role,miR-124 expression was regulated by transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors.Morphological analysis results showed that inhibition of miR-124 expression reversed the effects of retinoic acid on neurite outgrowth.Moreover,miR-124 overexpression alone caused Neuro-2 A cells to differentiate into neurons,and its inhibitor could block this effect.These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in retinoic acid-induced differentiation of Neuro-2 A cells.展开更多
Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxyt...Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide has preventive effects on neuroinflammation is unclear. This study was designed to pretreat primary astrocytes from the brains of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats with 20, 100 and 500 nM(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide for 1 hour before establishing an in vitro neuroinflammation model with 1.0 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The generation of nitric oxide was detected by Griess reagents. Astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the culture supernatant were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Nuclear factor-κB/p65 expression was examined by immunofluorescence staining. The phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor IκB-α and the location of nuclear factor-κB/P65 were determined using western blot assay. Our data revealed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibited the generation of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β from primary astrocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide, decreased the positive reaction intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein, reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β in culture supernatant, inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and the translocation of nuclear factor-κB/P65 to the nucleus. These results have confirmed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced glial inflammatory response and provides cytological experimental data for(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different ...A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different complex nonsmooth/discontinuous interfaces, we develop an R(x)-orthonormal theory, where R(x) is an integrable flexural rigidity function. The R(x)-orthonormal bases in the linear space of boundary functions are constructed, of which the second-order derivatives of the boundary functions are asked to be orthonormal with respect to the weight function R(x). When the vibration modes of the symmetric composite beam are expressed in terms of the R(x)-orthonormal bases we can derive an eigenvalue problem endowed with a special structure of the coefficient matrix A :=[aij ],aij= 0 if i + j is odd. Based on the special structure we can prove two new theorems, which indicate that the characteristic equation of A can be decomposed into the product of the characteristic equations of two sub-matrices with dimensions half lower. Hence, we can sequentially solve the natural frequencies in closed-form owing to the specialty of A. We use this powerful new theory to analyze the free vibration performance and the vibration modes of symmetric composite beams with three different interfaces.展开更多
This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “com...This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “computer-automated control system design” (CAutoCSD). The first step towards this goal is to accommodate, under practical constraints, various design objectives that are desirable in both time and frequency domains. Such performance-prioritised unification is aimed at relieving practising engineers from having to select a particular control scheme and from sacrificing certain performance goals resulting from pre-commitment to such schemes. With recent progress in evolutionary computing based extra-numeric, multi-criterion search and optimisation techniques, such unification of LTI control schemes becomes feasible, analytical and practical, and the resultant designs can be creative. The techniques developed are applied to, and illustrated by, three design problems. The unified approach automatically provides an integrator for zero-steady state error in velocity control of a DC motor, and meets multiple objectives in the design of an LTI controller for a non-minimum phase plant and offers a high-performance LTI controller network for a non-linear chemical process.展开更多
The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar n...The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar neutrinos and the temporal characteristics of the radioactive source. That is, to conduct a search for the possible influence of external sources for radioactivity. There are cycles 5 min, 18 min and 53 min found in solar physics. The cycle of 27 days corresponds to the activity of the Sun. During of the solar activeity these temporal pulsations are lost in a strong variation of solar wind (Neugebauer, NASA). The Stanford University scientists (P. Starrek, G. Valter and M. Vitlend) have found the cycle of 28.4 days as pulsations of the solar neutrinos. Neutrinos come from the depths of the Sun and they tell about the frequency of oscillations of solar bowels. It is also seen online: Kostyantynivska L. V. Solar activity. Search experiment is better to have a known but modified experiment. Experiments on monitoring natural radioactivity and the possible influence from the Sun were previously carried out by measuring the variations of the gamma-ray sample of ore from the TransBaikal uranium deposit;the characteristics of the sample are known. The spectrum of temporal variations in the activity of the sample Zabaikalskaya radioactive ore contains peaks which coincide with the period of natural oscillations of the Sun. The capture cross section of the radioactive heavy deformed nucleus in time decay increases in many orders and is able to interact with the stream of solar neutrinos which are modulated by own oscillations of the Sun. The picks of spectrum of long-period oscillations of the Earth exceed its own contain peaks that match the value with an accuracy of 1% 3% with peaks of its own oscillations of the Sun. The mechanism of excitation of these oscillations is similar to the nature of variations in the activity of a radioactive sample of ore. These effects are included in the mechanisms of interaction of the Earth—the Sun systems and impact on seismicity;search problem of existing natural nuclear reactor inside Earth core.展开更多
BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predicti...BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predictive biomarker's system of chronicization of inflammation for cancer treatment.METHODS A group of 147 CRC patients was studied. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically, and patients were sub-typed using the pathological tumornode-metastasis classification. Thirteen colon adenoma patients and 219 healthy subjects were also studied. A system biology study on Thioredoxin1/CD30 redox-immune systems(Trx1/CD30), T helper cytokines and polymorphisms of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors, FcγRIIa-131 H/R and FcγRIIIa-158 V/F was carried out. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to analyze sera.Genetic study was executed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers and sequence-based typing method. Statistical analysis was performed by using the "Statgraphics software systems".RESULTS We found a positive increase between Trx1/RTrx1 levels and sCD30 level and increased age. With respect to the gender relationships, there were distinct differences. Females showed a primary relationship between transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ) with Trx1, whereas males had one with TGFβ and RTrx1. Trx1/CD30 controls the redox immune homeostasis, and an imbalance in the relationship between the Trx1/RTrx1 and sCD30 levels is linked to the onset and progression of tumor. This event happens through different gender-specific cytokine pathways. Our study demonstrated that the serum levels ofTrx1/RTrx1, TGFβ/interleukin(IL)6 and TGFβ/IL4 combinations and the sCD30,IFNγ and IL2 combination constitute a predictive gender specific biomarker system. This is relevant for clinical screening to detect the risk of the potential development or progression of a tumor.CONCLUSION Oxidative stress on Trx1/CD30 is a trigger of cancer disease, and the selected oxidation and immune products are a biomarker system for aging and cancer.展开更多
Recently devised new symplectic and differential-algebraic approaches to studying hidden symmetry properties of nonlinear dynamical systems on functional manifolds and their relationships to Lax integrability are revi...Recently devised new symplectic and differential-algebraic approaches to studying hidden symmetry properties of nonlinear dynamical systems on functional manifolds and their relationships to Lax integrability are reviewed. A new symplectic approach to constructing nonlinear Lax integrable dynamical systems by means of Lie-algebraic tools and based upon the Marsden-Weinstein reduction method on canonically symplectic manifolds with group symmetry, is described. Its natural relationship with the well-known Adler-Kostant-Souriau-Berezin-Kirillov method and the associated R-matrix method [1,2] is analyzed in detail. A new modified differential-algebraic approach to analyzing the Lax integrability of generalized Riemann and Ostrovsky-Vakhnenko type hydrodynamic equations is suggested and the corresponding Lax representations are constructed in exact form. The related bi-Hamiltonian integrability and compatible Poissonian structures of these generalized Riemann type hierarchies are discussed by means of the symplectic, gradientholonomic and geometric methods.展开更多
Data from rain Drop Size Distributions gathered on five sites in Africa as well as those of the pilot site in Kourou (French Guyana, South America), located in different climatic zones, and collected by two types of d...Data from rain Drop Size Distributions gathered on five sites in Africa as well as those of the pilot site in Kourou (French Guyana, South America), located in different climatic zones, and collected by two types of disdrometer (the impact JW RD-69 disdrometer and the Optical Spectro-Pluviometer, OSP) are used to study the consistency of the reflectivity factor-rain rate at the ground (Z-R) relationship variability. The results clearly confirm that the relationship Z-R knows a large spatial variability, from a type of precipitation to another and within the same precipitation regardless the type of disdrometer used for DSD measurements. Base on the similarity of the relations reflectivity factor-rain rate and ratio median volume diameter over the total number of drops-rain rate, the variability of the Z-R coefficients (A, b) through the simultaneously implication of the size and number of drops which characterize the DSD was exhibited. It was shown that the relationships A-α and b-β designed to understand the involvement of parameters D0 and NT of DSD in the variability of the relationship Z-R are similar regardless the types of disdrometer used. However, the relations A-α in the Sahelian region appear to deviate from those of Guinean, equatorial and Soudanian zones. The plausible reasons were discussed.展开更多
Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are used to identify cardiovascular disease. The availability of signal processing and neural networks techniques for processing ECG signals has inspired us to do research that consists...Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are used to identify cardiovascular disease. The availability of signal processing and neural networks techniques for processing ECG signals has inspired us to do research that consists of extracting features of an ECG signals to identify types of cardiovascular diseases. We distinguish between normal and abnormal ECG data using signal processing and neural networks toolboxes in Matlab. Data, which are downloaded from an ECG database, Physiobank, are used for training and testing the neural network. To distinguish normal and abnormal ECG with the significant accuracy, pattern recognition tools with NN is used. Feature Extraction method is also used to identify specific heart diseases. The diseases that were identified include Tachycardia, Bradycardia, first-degree Atrioventricular (AV), and second-degree Atrioventricular. Since ECG signals are very noisy, signal processing techniques are applied to remove the noise contamination. The heart rate of each signal is calculated by finding the distance between R-R intervals of the signal. The QRS complex is also used to detect Atrioventricular blocks. The algorithm successfully distinguished between normal and abnormal data as well as identifying the type of disease.展开更多
The exergy analysis and finite time thermodynamic methods had been employed to analyze the compound condensation process (CCP). It was based on the air-cooling heat pump unit. The cooling capacity of the chiller unit ...The exergy analysis and finite time thermodynamic methods had been employed to analyze the compound condensation process (CCP). It was based on the air-cooling heat pump unit. The cooling capacity of the chiller unit is about 1 kW, and the work refrigerant is R22/R407C/R410A/CO2. The MATLAB/SIMULINK software was employed to build the simulation model. The thermodynamic simulation model is significant for the optimization of parameters of the unit, such as condensation and evaporation temperature and mass flow of the sanitary hot water and size of hot water storage tank. The COP of the CCP of R410A system is about 3% - 5% higher than the CCP of the R22 system, while CCP of the R407C system is a little lower than the CCP of R22 system. And the CCP of CO2 trans-critical system has advantage in the hot supply mode. The simulation method provided a theoretical reference for developing the production of CCP with substitute refrigerant R407C/R410A/CO2.展开更多
In this work, the authors proposed a four parameter potentiated lifetime model named as Transmuted Exponentiated Moment Pareto (TEMP) distribution and discussed numerous characteristic measures of proposed model. Para...In this work, the authors proposed a four parameter potentiated lifetime model named as Transmuted Exponentiated Moment Pareto (TEMP) distribution and discussed numerous characteristic measures of proposed model. Parameters are estimated by the method of maximum likelihood and performance of these estimates is also assessed by simulations study. Four suitable lifetime datasets are modeled by the TEMP distribution and the results support that the proposed model provides much better results as compared to its sub-models.展开更多
Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation c...Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation changes, are facing significant challenges, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors such as mining and agriculture. LDCs need more resilience to adverse climate shocks but have limited capacity for adaptation compared to other developed and developing nations. This paper examines Liberia’s susceptibility to climate change as a least developed country, focusing on its exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It provides an overview of LDCs and outlines the global distribution of carbon dioxide emissions. The paper also evaluates specific challenges that amplify Liberia’s vulnerability and constrain sustainable adaptation, providing insight into climate change’s existing and potential effects. The paper emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate impacts on Liberia and calls for concerted local and international efforts for effective and sustainable mitigation efforts. It provides recommendations for policy decisions and calls for further research on climate change mitigation and adaptation.展开更多
Powdery mildew,caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt),is a devastating disease that seriously threatens wheat yield and quality.To control this disease,host resistance is the most effective measure.Compared wit...Powdery mildew,caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt),is a devastating disease that seriously threatens wheat yield and quality.To control this disease,host resistance is the most effective measure.Compared with the resistance genes from common wheat,alien resistance genes can better withstand infection of this highly variable pathogen.Development of elite alien germplasm resources with powdery mildew resistance and other key breeding traits is an attractive strategy in wheat breeding.In this study,three wheat-rye germplasm lines YT4-1,YT4-2,and YT4-3 were developed through hybridization between octoploid triticale and common wheat,out of which the lines YT4-1 and YT4-2 conferred adult-plant resistance(APR)to powdery mildew while the line YT4-3 was susceptible to powdery mildew during all of its growth stages.Using genomic in situ hybridization,multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization,multi-color GISH,and molecular marker analysis,YT4-1,YT4-2,and YT4-3 were shown to be cytogenetically stable wheat-rye 6R addition and T1RS.1BL translocation line,6RL ditelosomic addition and T1RS.1BL translocation line,and T1RS.1BL translocation line,respectively.Compared with previously reported wheat-rye derivative lines carrying chromosome 6R,YT4-1 and YT4-2 showed stable APR without undesirable pleiotropic effects on agronomic traits.Therefore,these novel wheat-rye 6R derivative lines are expected to be promising bridge resources in wheat disease breeding.展开更多
AIM: To determine whether the positive status of human epidermal growth receptor 2(HER2) can be regarded as an effective prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer(GC) undergoing R0 resection.METHODS: A total ...AIM: To determine whether the positive status of human epidermal growth receptor 2(HER2) can be regarded as an effective prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer(GC) undergoing R0 resection.METHODS: A total of 1562 GC patients treated by R0 resection were recruited. HER2 status was evaluated in surgically resected samples of all the patients using immunohistochemical(IHC) staining. Correlations between HER2 status and clinicopathological characteristics were retrospective analyzed. Hazard ratios(HRs) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard model, stratified by age, gender, tumor location and tumor-nodemetastasis(TNM) stage, with additional adjustment for potential prognostic factors.RESULTS: Among 1562 patients, 548(positive rate = 35.08%, 95%CI: 32.72%-37.45%) were HER2 positive. Positive status of HER2 was significantly correlated with gender(P = 0.004), minority(P < 0.001), tumor location(P = 0.001), pathological grade(P < 0.001), TNM stage(P < 0.001) and adjuvant radiotherapy(74.67% vs 23.53%, P = 0.011). No significant associations were observed between HER2 status and disease free survival(HR = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.96-1.46, P = 0.105) or overall survival(HR = 1.19, 95%CI: 0.96-1.48, P = 0.118) using multivariate analysis, although stratified analyses showed marginally statistically significant associations both in disease free survival and overall survival, especially among patients aged < 60 years or with early TNM stages(Ⅰ and Ⅱ). Categorical age, TNM stage, neural invasion, and adjuvant chemotherapy were, as expected, independent prognostic factors for both disease free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION: The positive status of HER2 based on IHC staining was not related to the survival in patients with GC among the Chinese population.展开更多
基金supported by a grant from Ministry of Science,Technological Development and Innovation,Serbia,No.451-03-68/2022-14/200178(to NN)University of Defence,No.MFVMA/02/22-24(to MN)。
文摘An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease progression,demonstrating the need for novel approaches in PD.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive approach that has been shown to improve motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.However,the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation remain unknown.The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the beneficial effects of prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of experimental parkinsonism are based on modulation of adenosine-mediated signaling.Animals with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions underwent intermittent theta burst stimulation for 3 weeks and were tested for motor skills using the Rotarod test.Immunoblot,quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,immunohistochemistry,and biochemical analysis of components of adenosine-mediated signaling were performed on the synaptosomal fraction of the lesioned caudate putamen.Prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation improved motor symptoms in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned animals.A 6-hydroxydopamine lesion resulted in progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the caudate putamen.Treatment with intermittent theta burst stimulation began 7 days after the lesion,coinciding with the onset of motor symptoms.After treatment with prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation,complete motor recovery was observed.This improvement was accompanied by downregulation of the e N/CD73-A_(2A)R pathway and a return to physiological levels of A_(1)R-adenosine deaminase 1 after 3 weeks of intermittent theta burst stimulation.Our results demonstrated that 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degeneration reduced the expression of A_(1)R and elevated the expression of A_(2A)R.Intermittent theta burst stimulation reversed these effects by restoring the abundances of A_(1)R and A_(2A)R to control levels.The shift in ARs expression likely restored the balance between dopamine-adenosine signaling,ultimately leading to the recovery of motor control.
文摘Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the disease are critical period during which reversible joint damage occurs. So early diagnosis of RA and appropriate drug application is the only way to save a patient from this crippling disease. In India, the cost of investigations is a significant factor for most of the patients. Ultrasonography or Power Doppler Ultra Sound (PDUS) has the advantage of being economic in spite of its sensitivity in assessing both inflammatory and destructive changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of PDUS in early rheumatoid arthritis. The study was performed with the patients attending Rheumatology Clinic. A total number of 106 patients of clinically suspected rheumatoid arthritis were studied as per selection criteria. Radiological examinations of hands were done by digital radiography and PDUS in a group of 53 patients, assessment of foot changes by PDUS and Digital Radiography were done in another similar group of 53 patients. Final diagnosis by ACR EULAR-2010 criteria is done for all the patients. The comparative study reveals that synovial vascularity as demonstrated by PDUS is much more effective in diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis, both in hand and in feet than digital radiograph. PDUS of feet may yield earlier and better findings than hands, which is conventionally used in patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61471136)the Special Project for Global Change and Air-sea Interaction of Ministry of Natural Resources(No.GASI-02-SCS-YGST2-04)the Chinese Association of Ocean Mineral Resources R&D(No.DY135-E2-4)
文摘Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular research topic.In this paper,ocean internal waves are detected in SAR images by employing the faster regions with convolutional neural network features(Faster R-CNN)framework;for this purpose,888 internal wave samples are utilized to train the convolutional network and identify internal waves.The experimental results demonstrate a 94.78%recognition rate for internal waves,and the average detection speed is 0.22 s/image.In addition,the detection results of internal wave samples under different conditions are analyzed.This paper lays a foundation for detecting ocean internal waves using convolutional neural networks.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai of China,No.16ZR1410500(to SZD)
文摘Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation.To address this issue,real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect the expression of several differentiation-related miRNAs during the differentiation of retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.The results revealed that miR-124 and miR-9 were upregulated,while miR-125 b was downregulated in retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.To identify the miRNA that may play a key role,miR-124 expression was regulated by transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors.Morphological analysis results showed that inhibition of miR-124 expression reversed the effects of retinoic acid on neurite outgrowth.Moreover,miR-124 overexpression alone caused Neuro-2 A cells to differentiate into neurons,and its inhibitor could block this effect.These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in retinoic acid-induced differentiation of Neuro-2 A cells.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81402932(to YQC)
文摘Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide has preventive effects on neuroinflammation is unclear. This study was designed to pretreat primary astrocytes from the brains of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats with 20, 100 and 500 nM(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide for 1 hour before establishing an in vitro neuroinflammation model with 1.0 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The generation of nitric oxide was detected by Griess reagents. Astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the culture supernatant were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Nuclear factor-κB/p65 expression was examined by immunofluorescence staining. The phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor IκB-α and the location of nuclear factor-κB/P65 were determined using western blot assay. Our data revealed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibited the generation of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β from primary astrocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide, decreased the positive reaction intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein, reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β in culture supernatant, inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and the translocation of nuclear factor-κB/P65 to the nucleus. These results have confirmed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced glial inflammatory response and provides cytological experimental data for(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
文摘A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different complex nonsmooth/discontinuous interfaces, we develop an R(x)-orthonormal theory, where R(x) is an integrable flexural rigidity function. The R(x)-orthonormal bases in the linear space of boundary functions are constructed, of which the second-order derivatives of the boundary functions are asked to be orthonormal with respect to the weight function R(x). When the vibration modes of the symmetric composite beam are expressed in terms of the R(x)-orthonormal bases we can derive an eigenvalue problem endowed with a special structure of the coefficient matrix A :=[aij ],aij= 0 if i + j is odd. Based on the special structure we can prove two new theorems, which indicate that the characteristic equation of A can be decomposed into the product of the characteristic equations of two sub-matrices with dimensions half lower. Hence, we can sequentially solve the natural frequencies in closed-form owing to the specialty of A. We use this powerful new theory to analyze the free vibration performance and the vibration modes of symmetric composite beams with three different interfaces.
文摘This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “computer-automated control system design” (CAutoCSD). The first step towards this goal is to accommodate, under practical constraints, various design objectives that are desirable in both time and frequency domains. Such performance-prioritised unification is aimed at relieving practising engineers from having to select a particular control scheme and from sacrificing certain performance goals resulting from pre-commitment to such schemes. With recent progress in evolutionary computing based extra-numeric, multi-criterion search and optimisation techniques, such unification of LTI control schemes becomes feasible, analytical and practical, and the resultant designs can be creative. The techniques developed are applied to, and illustrated by, three design problems. The unified approach automatically provides an integrator for zero-steady state error in velocity control of a DC motor, and meets multiple objectives in the design of an LTI controller for a non-minimum phase plant and offers a high-performance LTI controller network for a non-linear chemical process.
文摘The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar neutrinos and the temporal characteristics of the radioactive source. That is, to conduct a search for the possible influence of external sources for radioactivity. There are cycles 5 min, 18 min and 53 min found in solar physics. The cycle of 27 days corresponds to the activity of the Sun. During of the solar activeity these temporal pulsations are lost in a strong variation of solar wind (Neugebauer, NASA). The Stanford University scientists (P. Starrek, G. Valter and M. Vitlend) have found the cycle of 28.4 days as pulsations of the solar neutrinos. Neutrinos come from the depths of the Sun and they tell about the frequency of oscillations of solar bowels. It is also seen online: Kostyantynivska L. V. Solar activity. Search experiment is better to have a known but modified experiment. Experiments on monitoring natural radioactivity and the possible influence from the Sun were previously carried out by measuring the variations of the gamma-ray sample of ore from the TransBaikal uranium deposit;the characteristics of the sample are known. The spectrum of temporal variations in the activity of the sample Zabaikalskaya radioactive ore contains peaks which coincide with the period of natural oscillations of the Sun. The capture cross section of the radioactive heavy deformed nucleus in time decay increases in many orders and is able to interact with the stream of solar neutrinos which are modulated by own oscillations of the Sun. The picks of spectrum of long-period oscillations of the Earth exceed its own contain peaks that match the value with an accuracy of 1% 3% with peaks of its own oscillations of the Sun. The mechanism of excitation of these oscillations is similar to the nature of variations in the activity of a radioactive sample of ore. These effects are included in the mechanisms of interaction of the Earth—the Sun systems and impact on seismicity;search problem of existing natural nuclear reactor inside Earth core.
文摘BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predictive biomarker's system of chronicization of inflammation for cancer treatment.METHODS A group of 147 CRC patients was studied. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically, and patients were sub-typed using the pathological tumornode-metastasis classification. Thirteen colon adenoma patients and 219 healthy subjects were also studied. A system biology study on Thioredoxin1/CD30 redox-immune systems(Trx1/CD30), T helper cytokines and polymorphisms of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors, FcγRIIa-131 H/R and FcγRIIIa-158 V/F was carried out. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to analyze sera.Genetic study was executed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers and sequence-based typing method. Statistical analysis was performed by using the "Statgraphics software systems".RESULTS We found a positive increase between Trx1/RTrx1 levels and sCD30 level and increased age. With respect to the gender relationships, there were distinct differences. Females showed a primary relationship between transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ) with Trx1, whereas males had one with TGFβ and RTrx1. Trx1/CD30 controls the redox immune homeostasis, and an imbalance in the relationship between the Trx1/RTrx1 and sCD30 levels is linked to the onset and progression of tumor. This event happens through different gender-specific cytokine pathways. Our study demonstrated that the serum levels ofTrx1/RTrx1, TGFβ/interleukin(IL)6 and TGFβ/IL4 combinations and the sCD30,IFNγ and IL2 combination constitute a predictive gender specific biomarker system. This is relevant for clinical screening to detect the risk of the potential development or progression of a tumor.CONCLUSION Oxidative stress on Trx1/CD30 is a trigger of cancer disease, and the selected oxidation and immune products are a biomarker system for aging and cancer.
文摘Recently devised new symplectic and differential-algebraic approaches to studying hidden symmetry properties of nonlinear dynamical systems on functional manifolds and their relationships to Lax integrability are reviewed. A new symplectic approach to constructing nonlinear Lax integrable dynamical systems by means of Lie-algebraic tools and based upon the Marsden-Weinstein reduction method on canonically symplectic manifolds with group symmetry, is described. Its natural relationship with the well-known Adler-Kostant-Souriau-Berezin-Kirillov method and the associated R-matrix method [1,2] is analyzed in detail. A new modified differential-algebraic approach to analyzing the Lax integrability of generalized Riemann and Ostrovsky-Vakhnenko type hydrodynamic equations is suggested and the corresponding Lax representations are constructed in exact form. The related bi-Hamiltonian integrability and compatible Poissonian structures of these generalized Riemann type hierarchies are discussed by means of the symplectic, gradientholonomic and geometric methods.
文摘Data from rain Drop Size Distributions gathered on five sites in Africa as well as those of the pilot site in Kourou (French Guyana, South America), located in different climatic zones, and collected by two types of disdrometer (the impact JW RD-69 disdrometer and the Optical Spectro-Pluviometer, OSP) are used to study the consistency of the reflectivity factor-rain rate at the ground (Z-R) relationship variability. The results clearly confirm that the relationship Z-R knows a large spatial variability, from a type of precipitation to another and within the same precipitation regardless the type of disdrometer used for DSD measurements. Base on the similarity of the relations reflectivity factor-rain rate and ratio median volume diameter over the total number of drops-rain rate, the variability of the Z-R coefficients (A, b) through the simultaneously implication of the size and number of drops which characterize the DSD was exhibited. It was shown that the relationships A-α and b-β designed to understand the involvement of parameters D0 and NT of DSD in the variability of the relationship Z-R are similar regardless the types of disdrometer used. However, the relations A-α in the Sahelian region appear to deviate from those of Guinean, equatorial and Soudanian zones. The plausible reasons were discussed.
文摘Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals are used to identify cardiovascular disease. The availability of signal processing and neural networks techniques for processing ECG signals has inspired us to do research that consists of extracting features of an ECG signals to identify types of cardiovascular diseases. We distinguish between normal and abnormal ECG data using signal processing and neural networks toolboxes in Matlab. Data, which are downloaded from an ECG database, Physiobank, are used for training and testing the neural network. To distinguish normal and abnormal ECG with the significant accuracy, pattern recognition tools with NN is used. Feature Extraction method is also used to identify specific heart diseases. The diseases that were identified include Tachycardia, Bradycardia, first-degree Atrioventricular (AV), and second-degree Atrioventricular. Since ECG signals are very noisy, signal processing techniques are applied to remove the noise contamination. The heart rate of each signal is calculated by finding the distance between R-R intervals of the signal. The QRS complex is also used to detect Atrioventricular blocks. The algorithm successfully distinguished between normal and abnormal data as well as identifying the type of disease.
文摘The exergy analysis and finite time thermodynamic methods had been employed to analyze the compound condensation process (CCP). It was based on the air-cooling heat pump unit. The cooling capacity of the chiller unit is about 1 kW, and the work refrigerant is R22/R407C/R410A/CO2. The MATLAB/SIMULINK software was employed to build the simulation model. The thermodynamic simulation model is significant for the optimization of parameters of the unit, such as condensation and evaporation temperature and mass flow of the sanitary hot water and size of hot water storage tank. The COP of the CCP of R410A system is about 3% - 5% higher than the CCP of the R22 system, while CCP of the R407C system is a little lower than the CCP of R22 system. And the CCP of CO2 trans-critical system has advantage in the hot supply mode. The simulation method provided a theoretical reference for developing the production of CCP with substitute refrigerant R407C/R410A/CO2.
文摘In this work, the authors proposed a four parameter potentiated lifetime model named as Transmuted Exponentiated Moment Pareto (TEMP) distribution and discussed numerous characteristic measures of proposed model. Parameters are estimated by the method of maximum likelihood and performance of these estimates is also assessed by simulations study. Four suitable lifetime datasets are modeled by the TEMP distribution and the results support that the proposed model provides much better results as compared to its sub-models.
文摘Climate change is an alarming global challenge, particularly affecting the least developed countries (LDCs) including Liberia. These countries, located in regions prone to unpredictable temperature and precipitation changes, are facing significant challenges, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors such as mining and agriculture. LDCs need more resilience to adverse climate shocks but have limited capacity for adaptation compared to other developed and developing nations. This paper examines Liberia’s susceptibility to climate change as a least developed country, focusing on its exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. It provides an overview of LDCs and outlines the global distribution of carbon dioxide emissions. The paper also evaluates specific challenges that amplify Liberia’s vulnerability and constrain sustainable adaptation, providing insight into climate change’s existing and potential effects. The paper emphasizes the urgency of addressing climate impacts on Liberia and calls for concerted local and international efforts for effective and sustainable mitigation efforts. It provides recommendations for policy decisions and calls for further research on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
基金This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFD1200600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32272105).
文摘Powdery mildew,caused by Blumeria graminis f.sp.tritici(Bgt),is a devastating disease that seriously threatens wheat yield and quality.To control this disease,host resistance is the most effective measure.Compared with the resistance genes from common wheat,alien resistance genes can better withstand infection of this highly variable pathogen.Development of elite alien germplasm resources with powdery mildew resistance and other key breeding traits is an attractive strategy in wheat breeding.In this study,three wheat-rye germplasm lines YT4-1,YT4-2,and YT4-3 were developed through hybridization between octoploid triticale and common wheat,out of which the lines YT4-1 and YT4-2 conferred adult-plant resistance(APR)to powdery mildew while the line YT4-3 was susceptible to powdery mildew during all of its growth stages.Using genomic in situ hybridization,multi-color fluorescence in situ hybridization,multi-color GISH,and molecular marker analysis,YT4-1,YT4-2,and YT4-3 were shown to be cytogenetically stable wheat-rye 6R addition and T1RS.1BL translocation line,6RL ditelosomic addition and T1RS.1BL translocation line,and T1RS.1BL translocation line,respectively.Compared with previously reported wheat-rye derivative lines carrying chromosome 6R,YT4-1 and YT4-2 showed stable APR without undesirable pleiotropic effects on agronomic traits.Therefore,these novel wheat-rye 6R derivative lines are expected to be promising bridge resources in wheat disease breeding.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaNo.81360318+1 种基金the Application and Basic Research Program of Qinghai Province of ChinaNo.2014-Z-745
文摘AIM: To determine whether the positive status of human epidermal growth receptor 2(HER2) can be regarded as an effective prognostic factor for patients with gastric cancer(GC) undergoing R0 resection.METHODS: A total of 1562 GC patients treated by R0 resection were recruited. HER2 status was evaluated in surgically resected samples of all the patients using immunohistochemical(IHC) staining. Correlations between HER2 status and clinicopathological characteristics were retrospective analyzed. Hazard ratios(HRs) and 95% confidence intervals(CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazard model, stratified by age, gender, tumor location and tumor-nodemetastasis(TNM) stage, with additional adjustment for potential prognostic factors.RESULTS: Among 1562 patients, 548(positive rate = 35.08%, 95%CI: 32.72%-37.45%) were HER2 positive. Positive status of HER2 was significantly correlated with gender(P = 0.004), minority(P < 0.001), tumor location(P = 0.001), pathological grade(P < 0.001), TNM stage(P < 0.001) and adjuvant radiotherapy(74.67% vs 23.53%, P = 0.011). No significant associations were observed between HER2 status and disease free survival(HR = 0.19, 95%CI: 0.96-1.46, P = 0.105) or overall survival(HR = 1.19, 95%CI: 0.96-1.48, P = 0.118) using multivariate analysis, although stratified analyses showed marginally statistically significant associations both in disease free survival and overall survival, especially among patients aged < 60 years or with early TNM stages(Ⅰ and Ⅱ). Categorical age, TNM stage, neural invasion, and adjuvant chemotherapy were, as expected, independent prognostic factors for both disease free survival and overall survival. CONCLUSION: The positive status of HER2 based on IHC staining was not related to the survival in patients with GC among the Chinese population.