Dear Editor, As a promising multi-agent systems(MASs) operation, autonomous interception has attracted more and more attentions in these years, where defenders prevent intruders from reaching destinations.So far, most...Dear Editor, As a promising multi-agent systems(MASs) operation, autonomous interception has attracted more and more attentions in these years, where defenders prevent intruders from reaching destinations.So far, most of the relevant methods are applied in ideal environments without agent damages. As a remedy, this letter proposes a more realistic interception method for MASs suffered by damages.展开更多
Effect of different Mn and Mo contents on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg-0.6Fe alloy was studied.Results indicate that the increase of Mo and decrease of Mn lead to a decrease in the size of ...Effect of different Mn and Mo contents on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg-0.6Fe alloy was studied.Results indicate that the increase of Mo and decrease of Mn lead to a decrease in the size of theα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase formed during solidification.Theα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase reaches a minimum value of about 16.3μm at 0.2wt.%Mo and 0.1wt.%Mn addition.After solution treatment,theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase is precipitated.When only Mn is added,theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase mainly distributes near the grain boundaries,while when only Mo is added,it primarily distributes in the central region of the matrix.When both Mn and Mo are added,the dispersed phase has a larger and denser dispersed region and is uniformly distributed near the Al matrix and grain boundaries.Moreover,the best overall mechanical properties of the alloy are obtained with the combined addition of 0.1wt.%Mn and 0.2wt.%Mo,due to the smaller size ofα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase and the larger area fraction and higher density of theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation are respectively improved 67.7 MPa,48.5 MPa and 5.3%,respectively,compared to that of the alloy with only 0.3wt.%Mn.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the mechanism by which galangin,a polyphenolic compound derived from medicinal herbs,induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.METHODS:The 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-t...AIM:To investigate the mechanism by which galangin,a polyphenolic compound derived from medicinal herbs,induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.METHODS:The 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was used to measure cell viability.Apoptosis was evaluated by in situ uptake of propidium iodide and Hoechst 33258 and was then detected by fluorescence microscopy.Protein expressions were detected by Western blotting.To confirm the apoptotic pathway mediated by galangin,cells were transfected by bcl-2 gene to overexpress Bcl-2 or siRNA to down-regulate Bcl-2 expression.RESULTS:Galangin(46.25-370.0 μmol/L) exerted an anti-proliferative effect,induced apoptosis,and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose and time-dependent manner.Treatment with galangin induced apoptosis by translocating the pro-apoptotic protein Bax to the mitochondria,which released apoptosis-inducing factor and cytochrome c into the cytosol.Overexpression of Bcl-2 attenuated galangin-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis,while decreasing Bcl-2 expression enhanced galangin-induced cell apoptosis.CONCLUSION:Our data suggests that galangin mediates apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway,and may be a potential chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of HCC.展开更多
AIM: To observe changes of mitochondria and investigate the effect of ethanol on mitochondrial perme- ability transition pore (PTP), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and intracellular calcium concentratio...AIM: To observe changes of mitochondria and investigate the effect of ethanol on mitochondrial perme- ability transition pore (PTP), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and intracellular calcium concentration in hepatocytes by establishing an animal model of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). METHODS: Fourty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, the model group (20) was administered alcohol intragastrically plus an Oliver oil diet to establish an ALD model, and the control group (20) was given an equal amount of normal saline. The ultramicrostructural changes of mitochondria were observed under electron microscopy. Mitochondria of liver was extracted, and patency of PTP, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), mitochondrial mass and intracellular calcium concentration of isolated hepacytes were detected by flow cytometry using rhodamine123 (Rh123), Nonyl-Acridine Orange and calcium fluorescent probe Fluo-3/AM, respectively. RESULTS: Membrane and cristae were broken or disappeared in mitochondria in different shapes under electron microscopy. Some mitochondria showed U shape or megamitochondrion. In the model group, liver mitochondria PTP was broken, and mitochondria swelled, the absorbance at 450 nm, A540 decreased (0.0136 ± 0.0025 vs 0.0321 ± 0.0013, model vs control, P < 0.01); mitochondria transmembrane potential (239.4638 ± 12.7263 vs 377.5850 ± 16.8119, P < 0.01) was lowered; mitochondrial mass (17.4350 ± 1.9880 vs 31.6738 ± 3.4930, P < 0.01); and [Ca2+]i was increased in liver cells (7.0020 ± 0.5008 vs 10.2050 ± 0.4701, P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Chronic alcohol intake might lead to broken mitochondria PTP, decreased mitochondria membrane potential and injury, and elevated intracellular Ca2+ production. Ethanol-induced chondriosome injury may be an important mechanism of alcoholic diseases.展开更多
Background Coronary artery calcification （CAC） is a predictor of cardiovascular events and plaque burden and is closely associatedwith chronic inflammation. Intedeukin （IL）-37 is a newly discovered member of the I...Background Coronary artery calcification （CAC） is a predictor of cardiovascular events and plaque burden and is closely associatedwith chronic inflammation. Intedeukin （IL）-37 is a newly discovered member of the IL-1 family and is considered an anti-inflammatorycytokine. Our recent study on mice indicated that IL-37 could attenuate atherosclerosis and vascular calcification, which suggests that IL-37could be associated with the development of atherosclerosis and related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate if IL-37 plays arole in the progression of CAC in patients. Methods Two hundred participants with suspected cardiovascular disease were recruited. Thelevels of plasma IL-37, osteoprotegerin （OPG）, hypersensitive C-reactive protein （hsCRP） together with other biochemical parameters weremeasured, and a coronary calcium assessment was carried out by multi-detector row CT. A score of 〈 10 AU （Agatston units） denotes anabsence of CAC, a score of 11-100 AU denotes mild CAC, 101-400 denotes moderate CAC, and 〉 400 AU denotes severe CAC. ResultsOur initial data showed that there were no apparent differences in plasma IL-37 levels among patients with or without mild or moderate CAC.However, IL-37 levels were significantly increased in patients with severe CAC （P 〈 0.001）. Similar results were observed for plasma OPGand hsCRP levels. When IL-37 levels in patients with severe calcification were compared with that in all of the other non-severe CAC groups,it became apparent that there was a significant positive correlation between IL-37 level and severe CAC （r = 0.360, P 〈 0.001; OR = 1.033）using Spearrnan＇s correlation and binary logistic regression analysis. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the anti-inflammatory cy-tokine IL-37 is associated with high coronary calcium levels, suggesting that IL-37 expression may be caused by the activation ofinf/amma-tion and that IL-37 might become a predictor of severe CAC in the future, which requires further investigation.展开更多
AIM:To explore the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) injection combined with Ahmed glaucoma valve(AGV) implantation in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma(NVG).METHODS:This retrospective study i...AIM:To explore the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) injection combined with Ahmed glaucoma valve(AGV) implantation in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma(NVG).METHODS:This retrospective study included 35 eyes from 35 patients who underwent preoperative IVB and AGV implantation for treatment of NVG. Findings such as intraocular pressure(IOP) number of anti-glaucoma medications, visual acuity(VA), surgical success rates,and complications were recorded.RESULTS:AfterAGVimplantation,IOPwas18.2±4.0mmHg,15.5±3.3 mm Hg and 9.8±2.6 mm Hg at 6, 12 and 36 mo,significantly decreased compared with pre-IOP(P <0.01).The number of anti-glaucoma medications was 0.9 ±0.5,0.8 ±0.9 and 0.8 ±0.6 at 6, 12 and 36 mo, significantly decreased compared to pre-treatment(P <0.01). At last visit, there were 19 eyes with stable VA, 4 with VA improvement, 12 with diminished VA and 3 with complete loss light perception. There were 7 cases that failed during 3-year fellow up period. Cumulative probabilities of valve survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 82.9%,74.1% and 71.0% at 12, 24 and 36 mo, respectively. Cox stepwise regression analysis found that the survival time was significant associated with the pre-visual acuity <2/400(P <0.05). Post-operative complications occurred in 8eyes, of which hyphema presented in 2 eyes, choroidal effusion in 2 eyes.CONCLUSION:The procedure of preoperative IVB andAGV implantation should be one of treatments for NVG because of its safety and effectiveness.展开更多
BACKGROUND Transurethral columnar balloon dilatation of the prostate(TUCBDP) is a new surgical treatment, but its efficacy remains controversial because of limited clinical application.AIM To investigate the clinical ...BACKGROUND Transurethral columnar balloon dilatation of the prostate(TUCBDP) is a new surgical treatment, but its efficacy remains controversial because of limited clinical application.AIM To investigate the clinical effect of TUCBDP for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).METHODS Overall, 140 patients with BPH who underwent surgical treatment were included in the study. A random number table was used to divide the participants into study and control groups(n = 70 per group). The study group underwent TUCBDP. The prostate resection surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, bladder irrigation time, catheter indwelling time, length of hospital stay, International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), maximum urine flow rate(Qmax), residual urine volume(RUV), changes in the International Erectile Function Score(ⅡEF-5) score, serum prostate-specific antigen(PSA), quality of life(QOL) score, and surgical complications were compared in both groups.RESULTS The operation time, intraoperative blood loss volume, bladder flushing time, urinary catheter indwelling time, and length of hospital stay were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group(P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the IPSS, Qmax, and RUV measurements between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). However, at 3 mo post-surgery, the IPSS and RUV measurements were both lower(P < 0.05) and Qmax values were higher(P < 0.05) compared to the pre-surgery results in both groups. The ⅡEF-5 scores before and 3 mo after surgery were not significantly different between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). At 1 mo after surgery, the ⅡEF-5 score was higher in the study group than in the control group(P < 0.05). The serum PSA levels and QOL scores before treatment and at 1 and 3 mo after treatment were not significantly different between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). However, lower serum PSA levels and QOL scores were observed after 1 and 3 mo of treatment compared to pre-treatment levels in the study group(P < 0.05). The surgical complication rate of the study group(4.29%) was lower than that of the control group(12.86%;P < 0.05).CONCLUSION TUCBDP for BPH and transurethral resection of the prostate can achieve better results, but the former method is associated with less surgical trauma.展开更多
The effect of high-speed direct-chill(DC) casting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si in situ composites and AA6061 alloy was investigated. The microstructural evolution of the Al–Mg_2Si com...The effect of high-speed direct-chill(DC) casting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si in situ composites and AA6061 alloy was investigated. The microstructural evolution of the Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy was examined by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The results revealed that an increase of the casting speed substantially refined the primary Mg_2Si particles(from 28 to 12 μm), the spacing of eutectic Mg_2Si(from 3 to 0.5 μm), and the grains of AA6061 alloy(from 102 to 22 μm). The morphology of the eutectic Mg_2Si transformed from lamellar to rod-like and fibrous with increasing casting speed. The tensile tests showed that the yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation improved at higher casting speeds because of refinement of the Mg_2Si phase and the grains in the Al–Mg_2Si composites and the AA6061 alloy. High-speed DC casting is demonstrated to be an effective method to improve the mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy billets.展开更多
A low-clad-ratio AA4045/AA3003 cladding billet was fabricated using a semi-continuous casting process and was subsequently extruded indirectly into a cladding pipe. The temperature distribution near the interface was ...A low-clad-ratio AA4045/AA3003 cladding billet was fabricated using a semi-continuous casting process and was subsequently extruded indirectly into a cladding pipe. The temperature distribution near the interface was measured. The microstructures, elemental distribution, Vickers hardness around the bonding interface, and the interfacial shear strength were examined. The results showed that the interface temperature rebounded when AA4045 melt contacted the supporting layer. The two alloys bonded well, with few defects, via the diffusion of Si and Mn in the temperature range from 569℃ to 632℃. The mean shear strength of the bonding interface was 82.3 MPa, which was greater than that of AA3003(75.8 MPa), indicating that the two alloys bonded with each other metallurgically via elemental interdiffusion. Moreover, no relative slip occurred between the two alloys during the extrusion process.展开更多
Aiming at the deficiency of conventional traffic control method, this paper proposes a new method based on multi-agent technology for traffic control. Different from many existing methods, this paper distinguishes tra...Aiming at the deficiency of conventional traffic control method, this paper proposes a new method based on multi-agent technology for traffic control. Different from many existing methods, this paper distinguishes traffic control on the basis of the agent technology from conventional traffic control method. The composition and structure of a multi-agent system (MAS) is first discussed. Then, the step-coordination strategies of intersection-agent, segment-agent, and area-agent are put forward. The advantages of the algorithm are demonstrated by a simulation study.展开更多
Stochastic differential equations(SDEs)are mathematical models that are widely used to describe complex processes or phenomena perturbed by random noise from different sources.The identification of SDEs governing a sy...Stochastic differential equations(SDEs)are mathematical models that are widely used to describe complex processes or phenomena perturbed by random noise from different sources.The identification of SDEs governing a system is often a challenge because of the inherent strong stochasticity of data and the complexity of the system’s dynamics.The practical utility of existing parametric approaches for identifying SDEs is usually limited by insufficient data resources.This study presents a novel framework for identifying SDEs by leveraging the sparse Bayesian learning(SBL)technique to search for a parsimonious,yet physically necessary representation from the space of candidate basis functions.More importantly,we use the analytical tractability of SBL to develop an efficient way to formulate the linear regression problem for the discovery of SDEs that requires considerably less time-series data.The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated using real data on stock and oil prices,bearing variation,and wind speed,as well as simulated data on well-known stochastic dynamical systems,including the generalized Wiener process and Langevin equation.This framework aims to assist specialists in extracting stochastic mathematical models from random phenomena in the natural sciences,economics,and engineering fields for analysis,prediction,and decision making.展开更多
Tight sand gas reservoirs are our country’s fairly rich unconventional natural gas resources, and their exploration and development is of prime importance. Sulige Gas Field which located in the northern Ordos Basin i...Tight sand gas reservoirs are our country’s fairly rich unconventional natural gas resources, and their exploration and development is of prime importance. Sulige Gas Field which located in the northern Ordos Basin is tight sand gas reservoirs. It is typically featured by low porosity and low permeability, and the error of porosity calculation by traditional methods is larger. Multicomponent explanation model is built by analyzing the thin slice data, and the objective function is got according to the concept of optimization log interpretation method. This paper puts the Genetic Algorithm and the Complex Algorithm together to form the GA-CM Hybrid Algorithm for searching the optimal solution of the objective function, getting the porosity of tight sandstone gas reservoirs. The deviation got by this method is lesser compared with the core porosity, with a high reliability.展开更多
Developments in the contents of different typical inclusions in 3104 alloy melt were described during heating and holding processing. The settling process of inclusion particles was investigated by measuring the conte...Developments in the contents of different typical inclusions in 3104 alloy melt were described during heating and holding processing. The settling process of inclusion particles was investigated by measuring the contents of inclusions in the surface, center, and bottom layers of the molten metal. In the results, main inclusions observed and determined by Prefil and PoD FA methods are MgO, Al_2O_3, spinel(MgAl_2O_4), and TiB_2 particles or thin films. It is found that some small particles of Al_2O_3 and MgO are transformed into spinel particles, and the formation rate increases as the temperature and the holding period of melt increase. The content of inclusions increases from 3.37 mm^2×kg^(-1) to 7.54 mm^2×kg^(-1) and then decreases to 3.08 mm^2×kg^(-1) after holding for 90 min. This is attributed to a settling phenomenon and a significant increase in settling velocity after holding for 60 min. The content of inclusion particles decreases by means of settlement and flotation in liquid aluminum with an increase in holding time. The theoretical analysis and experiment results are in essential agreement with those from industrial production.展开更多
Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.Hospitalized patients of COVID-19 suffer from a high mortality rate,motivating the development of convenient and practical methods that allow clinician...Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.Hospitalized patients of COVID-19 suffer from a high mortality rate,motivating the development of convenient and practical methods that allow clinicians to promptly identify high-risk patients.Here,we have developed a risk score using clinical data from 1479 inpatients admitted to Tongji Hospital,Wuhan,China(development cohort)and externally validated with data from two other centers:141 inpatients from Jinyintan Hospital,Wuhan,China(validation cohort 1)and 432 inpatients from The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen,Shenzhen,China(validation cohort 2).The risk score is based on three biomarkers that are readily available in routine blood samples and can easily be translated into a probability of death.The risk score can predict the mortality of individual patients more than 12 d in advance with more than 90%accuracy across all cohorts.Moreover,the Kaplan-Meier score shows that patients can be clearly differentiated upon admission as low,intermediate,or high risk,with an area under the curve(AUC)score of 0.9551.In summary,a simple risk score has been validated to predict death in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2);it has also been validated in independent cohorts.展开更多
With the characteristics such as low porosity, low permeability and low gas saturation, tight sandstone reservoirs almost have no natural capacity and need to be fractured (or fracturing) for productivity. Therefore, ...With the characteristics such as low porosity, low permeability and low gas saturation, tight sandstone reservoirs almost have no natural capacity and need to be fractured (or fracturing) for productivity. Therefore, fracturing capacity prediction is very necessary. However there were so many factors, and the relations between the factor and the post-frac productivity are complex. In this study, first of all factors are concluded from the gas well stable productivity formula, then I used factor analysis to look for the main factors from the logging parameters and fracturing parameters in SULIGE area. This study could provide basal references for the gas post-frac productivity prediction in tight sandstone reservoirs.展开更多
基金supported by the Science and Technology Project of State Grid Corporation of China, China (5100202199557A-0-5-ZN)。
文摘Dear Editor, As a promising multi-agent systems(MASs) operation, autonomous interception has attracted more and more attentions in these years, where defenders prevent intruders from reaching destinations.So far, most of the relevant methods are applied in ideal environments without agent damages. As a remedy, this letter proposes a more realistic interception method for MASs suffered by damages.
基金This work was financially supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Shandong Province(No.2021SFGC1001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U1864209).
文摘Effect of different Mn and Mo contents on microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Si-Cu-Mg-0.6Fe alloy was studied.Results indicate that the increase of Mo and decrease of Mn lead to a decrease in the size of theα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase formed during solidification.Theα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase reaches a minimum value of about 16.3μm at 0.2wt.%Mo and 0.1wt.%Mn addition.After solution treatment,theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase is precipitated.When only Mn is added,theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase mainly distributes near the grain boundaries,while when only Mo is added,it primarily distributes in the central region of the matrix.When both Mn and Mo are added,the dispersed phase has a larger and denser dispersed region and is uniformly distributed near the Al matrix and grain boundaries.Moreover,the best overall mechanical properties of the alloy are obtained with the combined addition of 0.1wt.%Mn and 0.2wt.%Mo,due to the smaller size ofα-Al_(15)(FeMnMo)_(3)Si_(2) phase and the larger area fraction and higher density of theα-Al(FeMnMo)Si dispersed phase.The yield strength,ultimate tensile strength,and elongation are respectively improved 67.7 MPa,48.5 MPa and 5.3%,respectively,compared to that of the alloy with only 0.3wt.%Mn.
基金Project(2015B090926013)supported by the Science and Technology Program of Guangdong Province,ChinaProject(20170540307)supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province,China
基金Supported by The administration of traditional Chinese medicine of Guangdong province,China,No.1050047
文摘AIM:To investigate the mechanism by which galangin,a polyphenolic compound derived from medicinal herbs,induces apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) cells.METHODS:The 3-(4,5-Dimethyl-thiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was used to measure cell viability.Apoptosis was evaluated by in situ uptake of propidium iodide and Hoechst 33258 and was then detected by fluorescence microscopy.Protein expressions were detected by Western blotting.To confirm the apoptotic pathway mediated by galangin,cells were transfected by bcl-2 gene to overexpress Bcl-2 or siRNA to down-regulate Bcl-2 expression.RESULTS:Galangin(46.25-370.0 μmol/L) exerted an anti-proliferative effect,induced apoptosis,and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential in a dose and time-dependent manner.Treatment with galangin induced apoptosis by translocating the pro-apoptotic protein Bax to the mitochondria,which released apoptosis-inducing factor and cytochrome c into the cytosol.Overexpression of Bcl-2 attenuated galangin-induced HepG2 cell apoptosis,while decreasing Bcl-2 expression enhanced galangin-induced cell apoptosis.CONCLUSION:Our data suggests that galangin mediates apoptosis through a mitochondrial pathway,and may be a potential chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of HCC.
基金ACKNOWLEDGM ENTS The authors are grateful to Professor Masaaki Kuwahara for his critical reading and revising of our manuscript. This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 30801354 and 30970791） and lilin Provincial Science ＆ Technology Department China （No. 20080154）.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, No. 032050113
文摘AIM: To observe changes of mitochondria and investigate the effect of ethanol on mitochondrial perme- ability transition pore (PTP), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and intracellular calcium concentration in hepatocytes by establishing an animal model of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). METHODS: Fourty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups, the model group (20) was administered alcohol intragastrically plus an Oliver oil diet to establish an ALD model, and the control group (20) was given an equal amount of normal saline. The ultramicrostructural changes of mitochondria were observed under electron microscopy. Mitochondria of liver was extracted, and patency of PTP, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), mitochondrial mass and intracellular calcium concentration of isolated hepacytes were detected by flow cytometry using rhodamine123 (Rh123), Nonyl-Acridine Orange and calcium fluorescent probe Fluo-3/AM, respectively. RESULTS: Membrane and cristae were broken or disappeared in mitochondria in different shapes under electron microscopy. Some mitochondria showed U shape or megamitochondrion. In the model group, liver mitochondria PTP was broken, and mitochondria swelled, the absorbance at 450 nm, A540 decreased (0.0136 ± 0.0025 vs 0.0321 ± 0.0013, model vs control, P < 0.01); mitochondria transmembrane potential (239.4638 ± 12.7263 vs 377.5850 ± 16.8119, P < 0.01) was lowered; mitochondrial mass (17.4350 ± 1.9880 vs 31.6738 ± 3.4930, P < 0.01); and [Ca2+]i was increased in liver cells (7.0020 ± 0.5008 vs 10.2050 ± 0.4701, P < 0.01).CONCLUSION: Chronic alcohol intake might lead to broken mitochondria PTP, decreased mitochondria membrane potential and injury, and elevated intracellular Ca2+ production. Ethanol-induced chondriosome injury may be an important mechanism of alcoholic diseases.
文摘Background Coronary artery calcification （CAC） is a predictor of cardiovascular events and plaque burden and is closely associatedwith chronic inflammation. Intedeukin （IL）-37 is a newly discovered member of the IL-1 family and is considered an anti-inflammatorycytokine. Our recent study on mice indicated that IL-37 could attenuate atherosclerosis and vascular calcification, which suggests that IL-37could be associated with the development of atherosclerosis and related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate if IL-37 plays arole in the progression of CAC in patients. Methods Two hundred participants with suspected cardiovascular disease were recruited. Thelevels of plasma IL-37, osteoprotegerin （OPG）, hypersensitive C-reactive protein （hsCRP） together with other biochemical parameters weremeasured, and a coronary calcium assessment was carried out by multi-detector row CT. A score of 〈 10 AU （Agatston units） denotes anabsence of CAC, a score of 11-100 AU denotes mild CAC, 101-400 denotes moderate CAC, and 〉 400 AU denotes severe CAC. ResultsOur initial data showed that there were no apparent differences in plasma IL-37 levels among patients with or without mild or moderate CAC.However, IL-37 levels were significantly increased in patients with severe CAC （P 〈 0.001）. Similar results were observed for plasma OPGand hsCRP levels. When IL-37 levels in patients with severe calcification were compared with that in all of the other non-severe CAC groups,it became apparent that there was a significant positive correlation between IL-37 level and severe CAC （r = 0.360, P 〈 0.001; OR = 1.033）using Spearrnan＇s correlation and binary logistic regression analysis. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the anti-inflammatory cy-tokine IL-37 is associated with high coronary calcium levels, suggesting that IL-37 expression may be caused by the activation ofinf/amma-tion and that IL-37 might become a predictor of severe CAC in the future, which requires further investigation.
文摘AIM:To explore the efficacy of preoperative intravitreal bevacizumab(IVB) injection combined with Ahmed glaucoma valve(AGV) implantation in the treatment of neovascular glaucoma(NVG).METHODS:This retrospective study included 35 eyes from 35 patients who underwent preoperative IVB and AGV implantation for treatment of NVG. Findings such as intraocular pressure(IOP) number of anti-glaucoma medications, visual acuity(VA), surgical success rates,and complications were recorded.RESULTS:AfterAGVimplantation,IOPwas18.2±4.0mmHg,15.5±3.3 mm Hg and 9.8±2.6 mm Hg at 6, 12 and 36 mo,significantly decreased compared with pre-IOP(P <0.01).The number of anti-glaucoma medications was 0.9 ±0.5,0.8 ±0.9 and 0.8 ±0.6 at 6, 12 and 36 mo, significantly decreased compared to pre-treatment(P <0.01). At last visit, there were 19 eyes with stable VA, 4 with VA improvement, 12 with diminished VA and 3 with complete loss light perception. There were 7 cases that failed during 3-year fellow up period. Cumulative probabilities of valve survival by Kaplan-Meier analysis were 82.9%,74.1% and 71.0% at 12, 24 and 36 mo, respectively. Cox stepwise regression analysis found that the survival time was significant associated with the pre-visual acuity <2/400(P <0.05). Post-operative complications occurred in 8eyes, of which hyphema presented in 2 eyes, choroidal effusion in 2 eyes.CONCLUSION:The procedure of preoperative IVB andAGV implantation should be one of treatments for NVG because of its safety and effectiveness.
文摘BACKGROUND Transurethral columnar balloon dilatation of the prostate(TUCBDP) is a new surgical treatment, but its efficacy remains controversial because of limited clinical application.AIM To investigate the clinical effect of TUCBDP for benign prostatic hyperplasia(BPH).METHODS Overall, 140 patients with BPH who underwent surgical treatment were included in the study. A random number table was used to divide the participants into study and control groups(n = 70 per group). The study group underwent TUCBDP. The prostate resection surgical time, intraoperative blood loss, bladder irrigation time, catheter indwelling time, length of hospital stay, International Prostate Symptom Score(IPSS), maximum urine flow rate(Qmax), residual urine volume(RUV), changes in the International Erectile Function Score(ⅡEF-5) score, serum prostate-specific antigen(PSA), quality of life(QOL) score, and surgical complications were compared in both groups.RESULTS The operation time, intraoperative blood loss volume, bladder flushing time, urinary catheter indwelling time, and length of hospital stay were significantly lower in the study group than in the control group(P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the IPSS, Qmax, and RUV measurements between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). However, at 3 mo post-surgery, the IPSS and RUV measurements were both lower(P < 0.05) and Qmax values were higher(P < 0.05) compared to the pre-surgery results in both groups. The ⅡEF-5 scores before and 3 mo after surgery were not significantly different between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). At 1 mo after surgery, the ⅡEF-5 score was higher in the study group than in the control group(P < 0.05). The serum PSA levels and QOL scores before treatment and at 1 and 3 mo after treatment were not significantly different between the study and control groups(P > 0.05). However, lower serum PSA levels and QOL scores were observed after 1 and 3 mo of treatment compared to pre-treatment levels in the study group(P < 0.05). The surgical complication rate of the study group(4.29%) was lower than that of the control group(12.86%;P < 0.05).CONCLUSION TUCBDP for BPH and transurethral resection of the prostate can achieve better results, but the former method is associated with less surgical trauma.
基金financially supported by the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou,China(No.2015B090926013)Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(No.2015M581348)+1 种基金Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Northeastern University(No.20150302)the Doctoral Foundation of Chinese Ministry of Education(No.20130042130001)
文摘The effect of high-speed direct-chill(DC) casting on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si in situ composites and AA6061 alloy was investigated. The microstructural evolution of the Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy was examined by optical microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The results revealed that an increase of the casting speed substantially refined the primary Mg_2Si particles(from 28 to 12 μm), the spacing of eutectic Mg_2Si(from 3 to 0.5 μm), and the grains of AA6061 alloy(from 102 to 22 μm). The morphology of the eutectic Mg_2Si transformed from lamellar to rod-like and fibrous with increasing casting speed. The tensile tests showed that the yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation improved at higher casting speeds because of refinement of the Mg_2Si phase and the grains in the Al–Mg_2Si composites and the AA6061 alloy. High-speed DC casting is demonstrated to be an effective method to improve the mechanical properties of Al–Mg_2Si composites and AA6061 alloy billets.
基金the support of the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China (No.2015B090926013)the doctoral foundation of the China Ministry of Education (No.20130042130001)
文摘A low-clad-ratio AA4045/AA3003 cladding billet was fabricated using a semi-continuous casting process and was subsequently extruded indirectly into a cladding pipe. The temperature distribution near the interface was measured. The microstructures, elemental distribution, Vickers hardness around the bonding interface, and the interfacial shear strength were examined. The results showed that the interface temperature rebounded when AA4045 melt contacted the supporting layer. The two alloys bonded well, with few defects, via the diffusion of Si and Mn in the temperature range from 569℃ to 632℃. The mean shear strength of the bonding interface was 82.3 MPa, which was greater than that of AA3003(75.8 MPa), indicating that the two alloys bonded with each other metallurgically via elemental interdiffusion. Moreover, no relative slip occurred between the two alloys during the extrusion process.
文摘Aiming at the deficiency of conventional traffic control method, this paper proposes a new method based on multi-agent technology for traffic control. Different from many existing methods, this paper distinguishes traffic control on the basis of the agent technology from conventional traffic control method. The composition and structure of a multi-agent system (MAS) is first discussed. Then, the step-coordination strategies of intersection-agent, segment-agent, and area-agent are put forward. The advantages of the algorithm are demonstrated by a simulation study.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFB1701202)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(92167201 and 51975237)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Huazhong University of Science and Technology(2021JYCXJJ028)。
文摘Stochastic differential equations(SDEs)are mathematical models that are widely used to describe complex processes or phenomena perturbed by random noise from different sources.The identification of SDEs governing a system is often a challenge because of the inherent strong stochasticity of data and the complexity of the system’s dynamics.The practical utility of existing parametric approaches for identifying SDEs is usually limited by insufficient data resources.This study presents a novel framework for identifying SDEs by leveraging the sparse Bayesian learning(SBL)technique to search for a parsimonious,yet physically necessary representation from the space of candidate basis functions.More importantly,we use the analytical tractability of SBL to develop an efficient way to formulate the linear regression problem for the discovery of SDEs that requires considerably less time-series data.The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated using real data on stock and oil prices,bearing variation,and wind speed,as well as simulated data on well-known stochastic dynamical systems,including the generalized Wiener process and Langevin equation.This framework aims to assist specialists in extracting stochastic mathematical models from random phenomena in the natural sciences,economics,and engineering fields for analysis,prediction,and decision making.
文摘Tight sand gas reservoirs are our country’s fairly rich unconventional natural gas resources, and their exploration and development is of prime importance. Sulige Gas Field which located in the northern Ordos Basin is tight sand gas reservoirs. It is typically featured by low porosity and low permeability, and the error of porosity calculation by traditional methods is larger. Multicomponent explanation model is built by analyzing the thin slice data, and the objective function is got according to the concept of optimization log interpretation method. This paper puts the Genetic Algorithm and the Complex Algorithm together to form the GA-CM Hybrid Algorithm for searching the optimal solution of the objective function, getting the porosity of tight sandstone gas reservoirs. The deviation got by this method is lesser compared with the core porosity, with a high reliability.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51204046)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2015M581348)+2 种基金the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Northeastern University (No. 20150302)the Doctoral Fund of the Ministry of Education of China (No. 20130042130001)the Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou, China (No. 2015B090926013)
文摘Developments in the contents of different typical inclusions in 3104 alloy melt were described during heating and holding processing. The settling process of inclusion particles was investigated by measuring the contents of inclusions in the surface, center, and bottom layers of the molten metal. In the results, main inclusions observed and determined by Prefil and PoD FA methods are MgO, Al_2O_3, spinel(MgAl_2O_4), and TiB_2 particles or thin films. It is found that some small particles of Al_2O_3 and MgO are transformed into spinel particles, and the formation rate increases as the temperature and the holding period of melt increase. The content of inclusions increases from 3.37 mm^2×kg^(-1) to 7.54 mm^2×kg^(-1) and then decreases to 3.08 mm^2×kg^(-1) after holding for 90 min. This is attributed to a settling phenomenon and a significant increase in settling velocity after holding for 60 min. The content of inclusion particles decreases by means of settlement and flotation in liquid aluminum with an increase in holding time. The theoretical analysis and experiment results are in essential agreement with those from industrial production.
基金supported by the Special Fund for Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia from the Department of Science and Technology of Hubei Province(2020FCA035)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Huazhong University of Science and Technology(2020kfyXGYJ023).
文摘Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)has become a worldwide pandemic.Hospitalized patients of COVID-19 suffer from a high mortality rate,motivating the development of convenient and practical methods that allow clinicians to promptly identify high-risk patients.Here,we have developed a risk score using clinical data from 1479 inpatients admitted to Tongji Hospital,Wuhan,China(development cohort)and externally validated with data from two other centers:141 inpatients from Jinyintan Hospital,Wuhan,China(validation cohort 1)and 432 inpatients from The Third People’s Hospital of Shenzhen,Shenzhen,China(validation cohort 2).The risk score is based on three biomarkers that are readily available in routine blood samples and can easily be translated into a probability of death.The risk score can predict the mortality of individual patients more than 12 d in advance with more than 90%accuracy across all cohorts.Moreover,the Kaplan-Meier score shows that patients can be clearly differentiated upon admission as low,intermediate,or high risk,with an area under the curve(AUC)score of 0.9551.In summary,a simple risk score has been validated to predict death in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2);it has also been validated in independent cohorts.
文摘With the characteristics such as low porosity, low permeability and low gas saturation, tight sandstone reservoirs almost have no natural capacity and need to be fractured (or fracturing) for productivity. Therefore, fracturing capacity prediction is very necessary. However there were so many factors, and the relations between the factor and the post-frac productivity are complex. In this study, first of all factors are concluded from the gas well stable productivity formula, then I used factor analysis to look for the main factors from the logging parameters and fracturing parameters in SULIGE area. This study could provide basal references for the gas post-frac productivity prediction in tight sandstone reservoirs.
