Polyethylene glycol fusion repair of severed rat sciatic nerves reestablishes axonal continuity and reorganizes sensory terminal fields in the spinal cord

Peripheral nerve injuries result in the rapid degeneration of distal nerve segments and immediate loss of motor and sensory functions;behavioral recovery is typically poor.We used a plasmalemmal fusogen,polyethylene glycol(PEG),to immediately fuse closely apposed open ends of severed proximal and distal axons in rat sciatic nerves.We have previously reported that sciatic nerve axons repaired by PEG-fusion do not undergo Wallerian degeneration,and PEG-fused animals exhibit rapid(within 2–6 weeks)and extensive locomotor recovery.Furthermore,our previous report showed that PEG-fusion of severed sciatic motor axons was non-specific,i.e.,spinal motoneurons in PEG-fused animals were found to project to appropriate as well as inappropriate target muscles.In this study,we examined the consequences of PEG-fusion for sensory axons of the sciatic nerve.Young adult male and female rats(Sprague–Dawley)received either a unilateral single cut or ablation injury to the sciatic nerve and subsequent repair with or without(Negative Control)the application of PEG.Compound action potentials recorded immediately after PEG-fusion repair confirmed conduction across the injury site.The success of PEG-fusion was confirmed through Sciatic Functional Index testing with PEG-fused animals showing improvement in locomotor function beginning at 35 days postoperatively.At 2–42 days postoperatively,we anterogradely labeled sensory afferents from the dorsal aspect of the hindpaw following bilateral intradermal injection of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated horseradish peroxidase.PEG-fusion repair reestablished axonal continuity.Compared to unoperated animals,labeled sensory afferents ipsilateral to the injury in PEG-fused animals were found in the appropriate area of the dorsal horn,as well as inappropriate mediolateral and rostrocaudal areas.Unexpectedly,despite having intact peripheral nerves,similar reorganizations of labeled sensory afferents were also observed contralateral to the injury and repair.This central reorganization may contribute to the improved behavioral recovery seen after PEG-fusion repair,supporting the use of this novel repair methodology over currently available treatments.

Improved clonal selection algorithm optimizing Neural Network for solving terminal anti-missile collaborative intercepting assistant decision-making model

Programming terminal high-low collaborative intercepting strategy scientifically and constructing assistant decision-making model with self-determination and intellectualization is onekey problem to enhance operational efficiency.Assistant decision-making model has been constructed after analysis on collaborative intercepting principle;then Improved Clonal Selection Algorithm Optimizing Neural Network(ICLONALGNN)is designed to solve the terminal anti-missile collaborative intercepting assistant decision-making model through introducing crossover operator to increase population diversity,introducing modified combination operator to make use of the information before crossover and mutation,introducing population update operator into traditional CLONALG to optimize Neural Network parameters.Experimental simulation confirms the superiority and practicability of the assistant decision-making model solved by ICLONALG-NN.

Acute suppurative terminal cholangitis:Clinical characteristics of a new subtype of acute cholangitis

Background:Acute suppurative terminal cholangitis(ASTC)is rarer than acute obstructive cholangitis and is not well studied.To explore this subtype of acute cholangitis,we described our clinical experience with ASTC.Methods:We performed a retrospective review of patients with ASTC admitted to our center from September 2014 to August 2020.We analyzed their clinical characteristics,including etiology,clinical manifestations,imaging features,treatment and prognosis.Results:A total of 32 ASTC patients were included in the analysis.The majority of the patients had a history of biliary operations,and clinical manifestations were occult and atypical.The positive rate of bacterial culture was 46.9%.All the patients had typical imaging features on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.Treatment with effective antibiotics was provided as soon as diagnosis was established.After treatment,most patients had a good outcome.Elevated levels of total bilirubin,aspartate aminotransferase,procalcitonin and gamma-glutamyltransferase were the characteristics of critically ill patients and were associated with relatively poor prognosis.Conclusions:Our results demonstrated that ASTC should be recognized as a new subtype of acute cholangitis,and that earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatments are needed.

Machine learning for predicting the outcome of terminal ballistics events

Machine learning(ML) is well suited for the prediction of high-complexity,high-dimensional problems such as those encountered in terminal ballistics.We evaluate the performance of four popular ML-based regression models,extreme gradient boosting(XGBoost),artificial neural network(ANN),support vector regression(SVR),and Gaussian process regression(GP),on two common terminal ballistics’ problems:(a)predicting the V50ballistic limit of monolithic metallic armour impacted by small and medium calibre projectiles and fragments,and(b) predicting the depth to which a projectile will penetrate a target of semi-infinite thickness.To achieve this we utilise two datasets,each consisting of approximately 1000samples,collated from public release sources.We demonstrate that all four model types provide similarly excellent agreement when interpolating within the training data and diverge when extrapolating outside this range.Although extrapolation is not advisable for ML-based regression models,for applications such as lethality/survivability analysis,such capability is required.To circumvent this,we implement expert knowledge and physics-based models via enforced monotonicity,as a Gaussian prior mean,and through a modified loss function.The physics-informed models demonstrate improved performance over both classical physics-based models and the basic ML regression models,providing an ability to accurately fit experimental data when it is available and then revert to the physics-based model when not.The resulting models demonstrate high levels of predictive accuracy over a very wide range of projectile types,target materials and thicknesses,and impact conditions significantly more diverse than that achievable from any existing analytical approach.Compared with numerical analysis tools such as finite element solvers the ML models run orders of magnitude faster.We provide some general guidelines throughout for the development,application,and reporting of ML models in terminal ballistics problems.

Edge modes in finite-size systems with different edge terminals

We investigate the behavior of edge modes in the presence of different edge terminations and long-range(LR)hopping.Here,we mainly focus on such model crystals with two different types of structures(type I:“…-P-Q-P-Q-…”and type II:“…=P-Q=P-Q=…”),where P and Q represent crystal lines(CLs),while the symbols“-”and“=”denote the distance between the nearest neighbor(NN)CLs.Based on the lattice model Hamiltonian with LR hopping,the existence of edge modes is determined analytically by using the transfer matrix method(TMM)when different edge terminals are taken into consideration.Our findings are consistent with the numerical results obtained by the exact diagonalization method.We also notice that edge modes can exhibit different behaviors under different edge terminals.Our result is helpful in solving novel edge modes in honeycomb crystalline graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides with different edge terminals.

The Impact of Privatization on Terminal Efficiency: A Case Study of Tema Port

Port and terminal efficiency are of utmost importance to the container shipping industry due to their significance in enhancing the competitive advantage of ports within a region. Consequently, there have always been notable variations of studies around it. This paper analyzes the impact of privatization on terminal efficiency using the Port of Tema as a Case Study. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the efficiency trends of the public and private terminals in the port over the years. To achieve this objective, DEA-CCR methodology was employed to calculate the annual technical efficiency trends of the private and public terminals using four input variables and three output variables. The main results of the paper indicated that the public and private terminals were efficient for multiple years. However, the efficiency scores over the years demonstrated inconsistency, exhibiting notable fluctuations. The findings of this study will aid policymakers across the region on policies relating to the efficiency and ownership structure of ports and terminals.

Improved STNModels and Heuristic Rules for Cooperative Scheduling in Automated Container Terminals

Improving the cooperative scheduling efficiency of equipment is the key for automated container terminals to copewith the development trend of large-scale ships. In order to improve the solution efficiency of the existing spacetimenetwork (STN) model for the cooperative scheduling problem of yard cranes (YCs) and automated guidedvehicles (AGVs) and extend its application scenarios, two improved STN models are proposed. The flow balanceconstraints in the original model are decomposed, and the trajectory constraints of YCs and AGVs are added toacquire the model STN_A. The coupling constraint in STN_A is updated, and buffer constraints are added toSTN_A so that themodel STN_B is built.As the size of the problem increases, the solution speed of CPLEX becomesthe bottleneck. So a heuristic method containing three groups of heuristic rules is designed to obtain a near-optimalsolution quickly. Experimental results showthat the computation time of STN_A is shortened by 49.47% on averageand the gap is reduced by 1.69% on average compared with the original model. The gap between the solution ofthe heuristic rules and the solution of CPLEX is less than 3.50%, and the solution time of the heuristic rules is onaverage 99.85% less than the solution time of CPLEX. Compared with STN_A, the computation time for solvingSTN_B increases by 58.93% on average.

Mixed Integer Robust Programming Model for Multimodal Fresh Agricultural Products Terminal Distribution Network Design

The low efficiency and high cost of fresh agricultural product terminal distribution directly restrict the operation of the entire supply network.To reduce costs and optimize the distribution network,we construct a mixed integer programmingmodel that comprehensively considers tominimize fixed,transportation,fresh-keeping,time,carbon emissions,and performance incentive costs.We analyzed the performance of traditional rider distribution and robot distribution modes in detail.In addition,the uncertainty of the actual market demand poses a huge threat to the stability of the terminal distribution network.In order to resist uncertain interference,we further extend the model to a robust counterpart form.The results of the simulation show that the instability of random parameters will lead to an increase in the cost.Compared with the traditional rider distribution mode,the robot distribution mode can save 12.7%on logistics costs,and the distribution efficiency is higher.Our research can provide support for the design of planning schemes for transportation enterprise managers.

Clinical Epidemiology and Surgical Treatment of Spontaneous Perforations of the Terminal Ileum: A Multicentre Study in Cameroon

Background: Perforations of the terminal ileum are a frequent clinical situation and a therapeutic challenge. Surgical treatment is controversial. Several surgical modalities have been proposed and postoperative morbidity and mortality remain high. The aim of this study was to review our experience in the surgical management of perforations of the terminal ileum. Patients and methods: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2021, in five hospitals in Cameroon. Patients’ demographic, clinical presentation, surgical findings and 30-days postoperative outcomes data were collected. Results: We collected 34 files. The sex ratio was 1.4 and the average age was 20.28 years. The average consultation time was 9.1 days. Abdominal pain was present in all our patients. Peritoneal irritation was present in 46 cases (88.5%). The mean time to treatment after admission was 17.5 hours. The perforation was unique in 40 cases (76.9%) and located between 6 and 10 cm from the ileocecal valve in 29 cases (55.8%). Typhoid was the most suspected etiology intraoperatively in 38 cases (73.1%). A simple suture was performed in 18 patients (34.6%), resection with anastomosis in 11 patients (21.2%) and an ileostomy in 5 patients (9.6%). The average length of hospitalization was 21.74 days. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were 32.7% and 17.3% respectively. Conclusion: Perforations of the terminal ileum are common and affect young people. Surgical procedures are varied. Reducing consultation and care times and respecting treatment principles could improve postoperative morbidity and mortality, which remain high.

An Improved Bounded Conflict-Based Search for Multi-AGV Pathfinding in Automated Container Terminals

As the number of automated guided vehicles(AGVs)within automated container terminals(ACT)continues to rise,conflicts have becomemore frequent.Addressing point and edge conflicts ofAGVs,amulti-AGVconflict-free path planning model has been formulated to minimize the total path length of AGVs between shore bridges and yards.For larger terminalmaps and complex environments,the grid method is employed to model AGVs’road networks.An improved bounded conflict-based search(IBCBS)algorithmtailored to ACT is proposed,leveraging the binary tree principle to resolve conflicts and employing focal search to expand the search range.Comparative experiments involving 60 AGVs indicate a reduction in computing time by 37.397%to 64.06%while maintaining the over cost within 1.019%.Numerical experiments validate the proposed algorithm’s efficacy in enhancing efficiency and ensuring solution quality.

Transformation of marginal zone lymphoma into high-grade B-cell lymphoma expressing terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase:A case report

BACKGROUND High-grade B-cell lymphoma(HGBL)is an unusual malignancy that includes myelocytomatosis viral oncogene(MYC),B-cell lymphoma-2(BCL-2),and/or BCL-6 rearrangements,termed double-hit or triple-hit lymphomas,and HGBL-not otherwise specific(HGBL-NOS),which are morphologically characteristic of HGBL but lack MYC,BCL-2,or BCL-6 rearrangements.HGBL is partially transformed by follicular lymphoma and other indolent lymphoma,with few cases of marginal zone lymphoma(MZL)transformation.HGBL often has a poor prognosis and intensive therapy is currently mainly advocated,but there is no good treatment for these patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy.CASE SUMMARY We reported a case of MZL transformed into HGBL-NOS with TP53 mutation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression.Gene analysis revealed the gene expression profile was identical in the pre-and post-transformed tissues,suggesting that the two diseases are homologous,not secondary tumors.The chemotherapy was ineffective and the side effect was severe,so we tried combination therapy including venetoclax and obinutuzumab.The patient tolerated treatment well,and reached partial response.The patient had recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and died of multifunctional organ failure.He survived for 12 months after diagnosis.CONCLUSION Venetoclax combined with obinutuzumab might improve the survival in some HGBL patients,who are unsuitable for chemotherapy.

A Pre-Selection-Based Ant Colony System for Integrated Resources Scheduling Problem at Marine Container Terminal

Marine container terminal(MCT)plays a key role in the marine intelligent transportation system and international logistics system.However,the efficiency of resource scheduling significantly influences the operation performance of MCT.To solve the practical resource scheduling problem(RSP)in MCT efficiently,this paper has contributions to both the problem model and the algorithm design.Firstly,in the problem model,different from most of the existing studies that only consider scheduling part of the resources in MCT,we propose a unified mathematical model for formulating an integrated RSP.The new integrated RSP model allocates and schedules multiple MCT resources simultaneously by taking the total cost minimization as the objective.Secondly,in the algorithm design,a pre-selection-based ant colony system(PACS)approach is proposed based on graphic structure solution representation and a pre-selection strategy.On the one hand,as the RSP can be formulated as the shortest path problem on the directed complete graph,the graphic structure is proposed to represent the solution encoding to consider multiple constraints and multiple factors of the RSP,which effectively avoids the generation of infeasible solutions.On the other hand,the pre-selection strategy aims to reduce the computational burden of PACS and to fast obtain a higher-quality solution.To evaluate the performance of the proposed novel PACS in solving the new integrated RSP model,a set of test cases with different sizes is conducted.Experimental results and comparisons show the effectiveness and efficiency of the PACS algorithm,which can significantly outperform other state-of-the-art algorithms.

Investigation on Breakdown Characteristics of Various Surface Terminal Structures for GaN-Based Vertical P-i-N Diodes

GaN-based vertical P-i-N diode with mesa edge terminal structure due to electric field crowding effect, the breakdown voltage of the device is significantly reduced. This work investigates three terminal structures, including deeply etched, bevel, and stepped-mesas terminal structures, to suppress electric field crowding effects at the device and junction edges. Deeply-etched mesa terminal yields a breakdown voltage of 1205 V, i.e., 89% of the ideal voltage. The bevel-mesa terminal achieves about 89% of the ideal breakdown voltage, while the step-mesa terminal is less effective in mitigating electric field crowding, at about 32% of the ideal voltage. This work can provide an important reference for the design of high-power, high-voltage GaN-based P-i-N power devices, finding a terminal protection structure suitable for GaNPiN diodes to further enhance the breakdown performance of the device and to unleash the full potential of GaN semiconductor materials.

Security Risk Assessment in Container Terminals:Empirical Evidence from Greece

The most prominent risk assessment techniques are founded on the values of measuring and controlling the frequency and the consequences of risks in order to assure an“acceptable level”of“safeness”mainly in the lines of environmental,health and hygiene and port product issues.This paper examines security risk assessment approaches within the emerging role of ports.This paper contributes to the current literature by considering the ports of Greece as a case in point and by measuring the degree of its security risk orientation based on certain valid risk factors drawn from the current literature.Moreover,it presents a security risk assessment methodology into the domain of port container terminals.Their potential for ports were quantitatively and qualitatively assessed by discussing issues of security approaches within the maritime industry,in order to facilitate improvement strategies.A two-dimension empirical study was conducted,in a time range of ten years(2010-2020)in order to provide evidence regarding security risk assessment in the port container terminal of Thessaloniki,in Greece.The findings of this study have significant strategic policy implications and shed more light on the role of security risks in the overall risk orientation of container terminals in practice.Finally,further research directions in security risk in ports are proposed.

Design and Analysis of Terminal Guidance Law for Kinetic Interceptors based on Pulse Engine

A new terminal guidance law is proposed based on a solid propellant pulse engine and an improved proportional navigation method to address the terminal guidance issue for kinetic interceptors.On this basis,the start-stop curve of the pulse motor during the terminal guidance process is designed,along with its start-up logic.The effectiveness of the proposed guidance strategy is verified through simulation.

一类非线性系统的Terminal滑模控制

首先结合Terminal滑模控制的基本思想,即突破以往的线性滑动面,将非线性项引入到滑动面设计中,使得系统处于滑动模态阶段时,状态变量能够在"有限时间内"收敛至平衡点,给出了适用于高阶非线性系统的Terminal滑动面设计方法,基于Lyapunov稳定性理论得出了相应的控制器.进一步考虑系统参数摄动和外界扰动等不确定性因素上界的未知性,用Lyapunov稳定性方法给出了一个带有未知性上界参数估计的自适应Terminal滑模控制器.

基于Terminal滑模的动能拦截器末制导律研究

针对大气层外动能拦截器的精确拦截问题,给出了一种基于Terminal滑模的鲁棒末制导律设计方法。在不考虑动能拦截器姿态运动的情况下,建立了动能拦截器纵向平面和侧向平面内的相对运动方程,并通过在末制导滑模中引入非线性项,去除了传统变结构制导律中的切换项,保证制导系统具有全局快速性。仿真结果表明Terminal滑模应用于动能拦截器精确末制导律设计中的有效性,较之传统的比例导引和变结构制导方法,能有效抑制视线的发散,对目标机动具有更强的鲁棒性,并具有更高的拦截精度。

基于自适应Terminal滑模的混沌振荡控制

针对电力系统负荷扰动满足一定条件时就会产生混沌振荡现象,提出了一种自适应Terminal滑模混沌控制方法。利用Lyapunov指数证明了系统存在混沌振荡,应用简单电力系统分析了周期性负荷扰动下的动力学行为,设计了Terminal滑模动态使得系统能够快速收敛,给出了扰动的自适应律。应用Matlab/Simulink仿真平台对含噪声和不含噪声的电力系统进行仿真验证。仿真结果表明,该控制方法能够有效地镇定电力系统混沌振荡。

Terminal滑模自适应控制实现一类不确定混沌系统的同步

应用T erm ina l滑模控制技术和选择指数趋近律来综合滑模控制器,实现一类混沌系统的状态同步.在控制器中引入一类简单的自适应律,用以在线估计界参数.该设计方案消除了滑模控制的到达阶段,状态始终保持在滑模面上,并能在有限时间内趋近于原点.与一般滑模控制同步实现相比,具有更小的同步时间和鲁棒性.通过对Du ff-ing-Ho lm es系统的同步仿真,验证了该方法的可行性.

不确定性空间机器人自适应Terminal滑模控制方法

分析了空间机器人本体质量变化和负载情况变化对系统动力学不确定性的影响,并针对空间机器人操作负载变化显著的特点,设计了一种自适应Terminal滑模控制方法。利用RBF神经网络在线学习系统的不确定性上界,系统状态始终保持在滑模面上,并能保证系统控制误差在有限时间内收敛。以两自由度空间机器人为对象,对不同负载情况的运动进行了仿真,结果表明这种滑模控制方法对系统负载变化不敏感,并能保证期望控制精度。