α-Synuclein and tau are abundant multifunctional brain proteins that are mainly expressed in the presynaptic and axonal compartments of neurons,respectively.Previous works have revealed that intracellular deposition...α-Synuclein and tau are abundant multifunctional brain proteins that are mainly expressed in the presynaptic and axonal compartments of neurons,respectively.Previous works have revealed that intracellular deposition ofα-synuclein and/or tau causes many neurodegenerative disorders,including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.Despite intense investigation,the normal physiological functions and roles ofα-synuclein and tau are still unclear,owing to the fact that mice with knockout of either of these proteins do not present apparent phenotypes.Interestingly,the co-occurrence ofα-synuclein and tau aggregates was found in post-mortem brains with synucleinopathies and tauopathies,some of which share similarities in clinical manifestations.Furthermore,the direct interaction ofα-synuclein with tau is considered to promote the fibrillization of each of the proteins in vitro and in vivo.On the other hand,our recent findings have revealed thatα-synuclein and tau are cooperatively involved in brain development in a stage-dependent manner.These findings indicate strong cross-talk between the two proteins in physiology and pathology.In this review,we provide a summary of the recent findings on the functional roles ofα-synuclein and tau in the physiological conditions and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.A deep understanding of the interplay betweenα-synuclein and tau in physiological and pathological conditions might provide novel targets for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Energy efficiency limits the application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge(DBD),such as air purification,water treatment and material surface modification.This article focuses on the electrical and ...Energy efficiency limits the application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge(DBD),such as air purification,water treatment and material surface modification.This article focuses on the electrical and optical effects of the DBD under three square wave pulses polarities-positive,negative and bipolar.The result shows that under the same voltage with the quartz glass medium,the discharge efficiency of bipolar polarity pulse is the highest due to the influence of deposited charge.With the increase of air gap distance from 0.5 to 1.5 mm,average power consumed by the discharge air gap and discharge efficiency decrease obviously under alumina,and increase,and then decrease under quartz glass and polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA).Through spectrum diagnosis,in the quartz glass medium,the vibration temperature is the highest under negative polarity pulse excitation.Under bipolar pulse,the vibration temperature does not change significantly with the change of air gap distance.For the three dielectric materials of quartz glass,alumina and PMMA,the molecular vibration temperature is the highest under the quartz glass medium with the same voltage.When the gap spacing,pulse polarity or dielectric material are changed,the rotational temperature does not change significantly.展开更多
As an important treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) plays an important role in reducing relapse and improving long-term survival. With rapid advancements...As an important treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) plays an important role in reducing relapse and improving long-term survival. With rapid advancements in basic research in molecular biology and immunology and with deepening understanding of the biological characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells, allo-HSCT has been widely applied in clinical practice. During allo-HSCT, preconditioning, the donor, and the source of stem cells can be tailored to the patient’s conditions, greatly broadening the indications for HSCT, with clear survival benefits. However, the risks associated with allo-HSCT remain high, i.e. hematopoietic reconstitution failure, delayed immune reconstitution, graft-versus-host disease, and posttransplant relapse, which are bottlenecks for further improvements in allo-HSCT efficacy and have become hot topics in the field of HSCT. Other bottlenecks recognized in the current treatment of individuals diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and subjected to allo-HSCT include the selection of the most appropriate conditioning regimen and post-transplantation management. In this paper, we reviewed the progress of relevant research regarding these aspects.展开更多
Objective:To summarize the research progress of music therapy in hospice care and to provide reference for further research.Methods:A wide range of literatures on music therapy and hospice care at home and abroad were...Objective:To summarize the research progress of music therapy in hospice care and to provide reference for further research.Methods:A wide range of literatures on music therapy and hospice care at home and abroad were searched and read,and the literature was integrated,judged,analyzed,and summarized.Results:The related research on music therapy in hospice care mainly focused on western developed countries such as Europe and the United States.China is still in the stage of theoretical exploration,lacking qualitative research based on case investigation and empirical research based on data statistics.Conclusions:Music therapy supports the management of symptoms in hospice care,which can meet the diverse needs of patients and their family members including physical,psychological,social,and spiritual.展开更多
BACKGROUND The level of Ki-67 expression has served as a prognostic factor in gastric cancer.The quantitative parameters based on the novel dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography(DLSDCT)in discriminating the...BACKGROUND The level of Ki-67 expression has served as a prognostic factor in gastric cancer.The quantitative parameters based on the novel dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography(DLSDCT)in discriminating the Ki-67 expression status are unclear.AIM To investigate the diagnostic ability of DLSDCT-derived parameters for Ki-67 expression status in gastric carcinoma(GC).METHODS Dual-phase enhanced abdominal DLSDCT was performed preoperatively in 108 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.Primary tumor monoenergetic CT attenuation value at 40-100 kilo electron volt(kev),the slope of the spectral curve(λ_(HU)),iodine concentration(IC),normalized IC(nIC),effective atomic number(Z^(eff))and normalized Z^(eff)(nZ^(eff))in the arterial phase(AP)and venous phase(VP)were retrospectively compared between patients with low and high Ki-67 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to analyze the association between the above parameters and Ki-67 expression status.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the statistically significant parameters between two groups.RESULTS Thirty-seven and 71 patients were classified as having low and high Ki-67 expression,respectively.CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP),CT_(100 kev-VP),and Z^(eff)-related parameters were significantly higher,but IC-related parameters were lower in the group with low Ki-67 expression status than the group with high Ki-67 expression status,and other analyzed parameters showed no statistical difference between the two groups.Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP),CT_(100 kev-VP),Z^(eff),and n Z^(eff) exhibited a negative correlation with Ki-67 status,whereas IC and nIC had positive correlation with Ki-67 status.The ROC analysis demonstrated that the multi-variable model of spectral parameters performed well in identifying the Ki-67 status[area under the curve(AUC)=0.967;sensitivity 95.77%;specificity 91.89%)].Nevertheless,the differentiating capabilities of singlevariable model were moderate(AUC value 0.630-0.835).In addition,the nZ_(VP)^(eff) and nIC_(VP)(AUC 0.835 and 0.805)showed better performance than CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP) and CT_(100 kev-VP)(AUC 0.630,0.631 and 0.662)in discriminating the Ki-67 status.CONCLUSION Quantitative spectral parameters are feasible to distinguish low and high Ki-67 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.Z^(eff) and IC may be useful parameters for evaluating the Ki-67 expression.展开更多
In recent years,the soft subspace clustering algorithm has shown good results for high-dimensional data,which can assign different weights to each cluster class and use weights to measure the contribution of each dime...In recent years,the soft subspace clustering algorithm has shown good results for high-dimensional data,which can assign different weights to each cluster class and use weights to measure the contribution of each dimension in various features.The enhanced soft subspace clustering algorithm combines interclass separation and intraclass tightness information,which has strong results for image segmentation,but the clustering algorithm is vulnerable to noisy data and dependence on the initialized clustering center.However,the clustering algorithmis susceptible to the influence of noisydata and reliance on initializedclustering centers andfalls into a local optimum;the clustering effect is poor for brain MR images with unclear boundaries and noise effects.To address these problems,a soft subspace clustering algorithm for brain MR images based on genetic algorithm optimization is proposed,which combines the generalized noise technique,relaxes the equational weight constraint in the objective function as the boundary constraint,and uses a genetic algorithm as a method to optimize the initialized clustering center.The genetic algorithm finds the best clustering center and reduces the algorithm’s dependence on the initial clustering center.The experiment verifies the robustness of the algorithm,as well as the noise immunity in various ways and shows good results on the common dataset and the brain MR images provided by the Changshu First People’s Hospital with specific high accuracy for clinical medicine.展开更多
This article considers three types of biological systems:the dengue fever disease model,the COVID-19 virus model,and the transmission of Tuberculosis model.The new technique of creating the integration matrix for the ...This article considers three types of biological systems:the dengue fever disease model,the COVID-19 virus model,and the transmission of Tuberculosis model.The new technique of creating the integration matrix for the Bernoulli wavelets is applied.Also,the novel method proposed in this paper is called the Bernoulli wavelet collocation scheme(BWCM).All three models are in the form system of coupled ordinary differential equations without an exact solution.These systems are converted into a system of algebraic equations using the Bernoulli wavelet collocation scheme.The numerical wave distributions of these governing models are obtained by solving the algebraic equations via the Newton-Raphson method.The results obtained from the developed strategy are compared to several schemes such as the Runge Kutta method,and ND solver in mathematical software.The convergence analyses are discussed through theorems.The newly implemented Bernoulli wavelet method improves the accuracy and converges when it is compared with the existing methods in the literature.展开更多
Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been practiced in China and surrounding countries for thousands of years and has gradually attracted the attention of Western countries.After reasonable compatibility,TCMs could pl...Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been practiced in China and surrounding countries for thousands of years and has gradually attracted the attention of Western countries.After reasonable compatibility,TCMs could play the key role of enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity,which has significant therapeutic advantages in the treatment of complex diseases in clinical practice.While the TCM compatibility is not the simple addition of drugs.Under the appropriate dosage ratio,multiple TCMs can play a synergistic role to realize the overall regulation of TCM treatment.Therefore,it is of critical essential to study the compatibility of TCM formula to promote TCM modernization,new drug development and clinical application.Recently,under the guidance of TCM theory,many researches on the composition,pharmacodynamic activity and pharmacokinetic properties of TCM formula have emerged by integrating new technologies and new methods,revealing the scientific connotation of the compatibility of TCM formula from different perspectives and levels.This paper introduces the research progress of compatibility rules from different levels of compatibility,compatibility for synergistic enhancement and detoxification,and application of cutting-edge technology,with representative cases,in order to provide ideas and references for further study on TCM compatibility.展开更多
Objective:This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of comprehensive information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis(TOX),rubella virus(RV),cytomegalovirus(CMV),and herpes simplex(HSV)also known as TO...Objective:This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of comprehensive information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis(TOX),rubella virus(RV),cytomegalovirus(CMV),and herpes simplex(HSV)also known as TORCH infection in women of childbearing age.Besides,the positive rates of TORCH-Immunoglobulin G(TORCH-IgG)and Immunoglobulin M(IgM)antibodies in women of childbearing age in different regions of China were statistically analyzed,so as to highlight the issue of TORCH infection in women of childbearing age.Methods:A total of 12,694 articles were retrieved by keyword searching.The works were screened according to the inclusion criteria,and 25 studies were included totaling 531,617 women of childbearing age.The OpenMeta[Analyst]software was used to perform a heterogeneity test,and a random-effects model was used for system analysis.Results:The results of the meta-analysis showed that the positive rates of TORCH-IgG antibodies in women of childbearing age nationwide were 3.2%for TOX-IgG,73.4%for RV-IgG,73.8%for CMV-IgG,and 57.4%for HSV-IgG.The positive rates of IgM antibody infection in TORCH were 1.3%for TOX-IgM,6.1%for RV-IgM,9.5%for CMV-IgM,7.6%for HSV-IgM,2.0%for HSV-1-IgM,and 1.9%for HSV-2-IgM.All meta-analyses had I2≥98%and P<0.001,which meant that the results were statistically significant.Conclusions:A meta-analysis of the positive rates of IgG and IgM antibodies of TORCH infection in women of childbearing age found that the early infection rate of HSV was the highest,and the previous infection rate of RV was the highest.This result can provide epidemiological basis for the prevention and treatment of TORCH infection.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the effect of auricular acupuncture on postoperative pain and gastrointestinal motility recovery after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of patients who unde...Objective:To investigate the effect of auricular acupuncture on postoperative pain and gastrointestinal motility recovery after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer in our hospital from April 2020 to December 2021 were collected.Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria,76 patients were included in the retrospective analysis.Depending on whether they received auricular acupuncture or not,the patients were divided into two groups:46 patients in the experimental group(auricular acupuncture)and 30 patients in the control group.The differences between the two groups were analyzed.Results:The time to first flatus of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(52.2±7.36 h versus 66.3±7.83 h;P<0.001).Similarly,the time to first defecation of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(76.3±7.76 h versus 86.1±10.79 h;P<0.001).The time to first fluid intake of the auricular group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(90.4±8.92 h versus 107.3±9.66 h,P<0.001).Compared with the control group,the experimental group scored significantly lower on the visual analogue scale on postoperative days 2 and 3(P<0.001).Conclusion:Auricular acupuncture is an effective traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method.It can promote gastrointestinal motility recovery in patients after laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer and also reduce postoperative pain and discomfort.Furthermore,this therapy is easy to operate and well-accepted by patients.Therefore,it should be strongly promoted in clinical practice.展开更多
Previous studies have demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression.Activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain,leucine-rich repeat,and NLR family pyrin domain-containin...Previous studies have demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression.Activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain,leucine-rich repeat,and NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasomes is closely related to the pathogenesis of various neurological diseases.In patients with major depressive disorder,NLRP3 inflammasome levels are significantly elevated.Understanding the role that NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation plays in the pathogenesis of depression may be beneficial for future therapeutic strategies.In this review,we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms that lead to the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in depression as well as to provide insight into therapeutic strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome.Moreover,we outlined various therapeutic strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome,including NLRP3 inflammatory pathway inhibitors,natural compounds,and other therapeutic compounds that have been shown to be effective in treating depression.Additionally,we summarized the application of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors in clinical trials related to depression.Currently,there is a scarcity of clinical trials dedicated to investigating the applications of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors in depression treatment.The modulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in microglia holds promise for the management of depression.Further investigations are necessary to ascertain the efficacy and safety of these therapeutic approaches as potential novel antidepressant treatments.展开更多
BACKGROUND Recently,vessels encapsulating tumor clusters(VETC)was considered as a distinct pattern of tumor vascularization which can primarily facilitate the entry of the whole tumor cluster into the bloodstream in a...BACKGROUND Recently,vessels encapsulating tumor clusters(VETC)was considered as a distinct pattern of tumor vascularization which can primarily facilitate the entry of the whole tumor cluster into the bloodstream in an invasion independent manner,and was regarded as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To develop and validate a preoperative nomogram using contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CECT)to predict the presence of VETC+in HCC.METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 190 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC who underwent CECT scanning and immunochemical staining for cluster of differentiation 34 at two medical centers.Radiomics analysis was conducted on intratumoral and peritumoral regions in the portal vein phase.Radiomics features,essential for identifying VETC+HCC,were extracted and utilized to develop a radiomics model using machine learning algorithms in the training set.The model’s performance was validated on two separate test sets.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was employed to compare the identified performance of three models in predicting the VETC status of HCC on both training and test sets.The most predictive model was then used to constructed a radiomics nomogram that integrated the independent clinical-radiological features.ROC and decision curve analysis were used to assess the performance characteristics of the clinical-radiological features,the radiomics features and the radiomics nomogram.RESULTS The study included 190 individuals from two independent centers,with the majority being male(81%)and a median age of 57 years(interquartile range:51-66).The area under the curve(AUC)for the combined radiomics features selected from the intratumoral and peritumoral areas were 0.825,0.788,and 0.680 in the training set and the two test sets.A total of 13 features were selected to construct the Rad-score.The nomogram,combining clinicalradiological and combined radiomics features could accurately predict VETC+in all three sets,with AUC values of 0.859,0.848 and 0.757.Decision curve analysis revealed that the radiomics nomogram was more clinically useful than both the clinical-radiological feature and the combined radiomics models.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential utility of a CECT-based radiomics nomogram,incorporating clinicalradiological features and combined radiomics features,in the identification of VETC+HCC.展开更多
Through bioinformatic data mining,10 SnRK2 and 31 CIPK genes were identified from sorghum genome.They are unevenly distributed in the sorghum chromosomes.Most SnRK2 genes have 8 introns,while the CIPK genes have a few...Through bioinformatic data mining,10 SnRK2 and 31 CIPK genes were identified from sorghum genome.They are unevenly distributed in the sorghum chromosomes.Most SnRK2 genes have 8 introns,while the CIPK genes have a few(no intron or less than 3 introns) or more than 10 introns.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that SnRK2 genes belong to one cluster and CIPK genes form the other independent cluster.The sorghum SnRK2s are subgrouped into three parts,and CIPK into five parts.More than half SnRK2 and CIPK genes present in homologous pairs,suggesting gene duplication may be due to the amplification of SnRK family genes.The kinase domains of SnRK2 family are highly conserved with 88.40% identity,but those of the CIPK family are less conserved with 63.72% identity.And the identity of sorghum CBLinteracting NAF domains of CIPKs is 61.66%.What's more,regarding to the sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK kinases,they are characterized with distinct motifs and their subcellular localization is not necessarily the same,which suggests they may be divergent in functions.Due to less conserved sequences,complex subcellular localization,and more family members,sorghum CIPK genes may play more flexible and multiple biological functions.According to the phylogenetic analysis of SnRK genes and SnRK functional studies in other plants,it is speculated that sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK genes may play important roles in stress response,growth and development.展开更多
Brachial plexus avulsion often results in massive motor neuron death and severe functional deficits of target muscles. However, no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is a criti...Brachial plexus avulsion often results in massive motor neuron death and severe functional deficits of target muscles. However, no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is a critical molecule targeting several genes associated with ischemia-hypoxia damage and angiogenesis. In this study, a rat model of brachial plexus avulsion-reimplantation was established, in which C5–7 ventral nerve roots were avulsed and only the C6 root reimplanted. Different implants were immediately injected using a microsyringe into the avulsion-reimplantation site of the C6 root post-brachial plexus avulsion. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: phosphate-buffered saline, negative control of lentivirus, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentivirus), gel(pluronic F-127 hydrogel), and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(pluronic F-127 hydrogel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentivirus). The Terzis grooming test was performed to assess recovery of motor function. Scores were higher in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel +hypoxia-inducible factor 1α groups(in particular the gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α group) compared with the phosphate-buffered saline group. Electrophysiology, fluorogold retrograde tracing, and immunofluorescent staining were further performed to investigate neural pathway reconstruction and changes of neurons, motor endplates, and angiogenesis. Compared with the phosphate-buffered saline group, action potential latency of musculocutaneous nerves was markedly shortened in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor1α groups. Meanwhile, the number of fluorogold-positive cells and ChAT-positive neurons, neovascular area(labeled by CD31 around av ulsed sites in ipsilateral spinal cord segments), and the number of motor endplates in biceps brachii(identified by α-bungarotoxin) were all visibly increased, as well as the morphology of motor endplate in biceps brachil was clear in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α groups. Taken together, delivery of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentiviral vectors mediated by pluronic F-127 effectively promotes spinal root regeneration and functional recovery post-brachial plexus avulsion. All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Guangdong Medical University, China.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the effects of quercetin on diabetic retinopathy(DR)and its association with nucleotidebinding oligomerization domain-like receptors 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and autophagy using retinal endothelial cell...AIM:To investigate the effects of quercetin on diabetic retinopathy(DR)and its association with nucleotidebinding oligomerization domain-like receptors 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and autophagy using retinal endothelial cell as an experimental model.METHODS:Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs)were cultured in vitro and assigned into the control group,high-glucose(HG)group,and HG+different concentrations of quercetin groups.Cellular viability,migration,and tube formation in these groups was detected by MTT,transwell and matrigel assay,respectively.Expressions of NLRP3,apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC),cysteiny aspartate-specific protease-1(Caspase-1)as well as microtubule-related protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and Beclin-1 were detected by Western blotting.Expressions of IL-1β and IL-18 were detected by ELISA and cellular autophagy was detected by Cyto-ID■ autophagy detection kit.RESULTS:Under an HG condition,the viability,migration,tube formation of HRMECs,and the protein expressions of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,IL-1β,IL-18,LC3,and Beclin-1 as well as autophagy were all increased.Quercetin inhibited angiogenesis of HRMECs as well as the expressions of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,IL-1β,IL-18,LC3,Beclin-1,and autophagy of HRMECs under a HG condition.The inhibitory effects of quercetin on angiogenesis,NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy increased with the increase of its concentration.CONCLUSION:The therapeutic potential of quercetin in retinal neovascularization of DR,and inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy signaling pathway may be involved.展开更多
Bicycle-sharing system is considered as a green option to provide a better connection between scenic spots and nearby metro/bus stations.Allocating and optimizing the layout of bicycle-sharing system inside the scenic...Bicycle-sharing system is considered as a green option to provide a better connection between scenic spots and nearby metro/bus stations.Allocating and optimizing the layout of bicycle-sharing system inside the scenic spot and around its influencing area are focused on.It is found that the terrain,land use,nearby transport network and scenery point distribution have significant impact on the allocation of bicycle-sharing system.While the candidate bicycle-sharing stations installed at the inner scenic points,entrances/exits and metro stations are fixed,the ones installed at bus-stations and other passenger concentration buildings are adjustable.Aiming at minimizing the total cycling distance and overlapping rate,an optimization model is proposed and solved based on the idea of cluster concept and greedy heuristic.A revealed preference/stated preference(RP/SP) combined survey was conducted at Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing,China,to get an insight into the touring trip characteristics and bicycle-sharing tendency.The results reveal that 39.81% visitors accept a cycling distance of 1-3 km and 62.50% respondents think that the bicycle-sharing system should charge an appropriate fee.The survey indicates that there is high possibility to carry out a bicycle-sharing system at Xuanwu Lake.Optimizing the allocation problem cluster by cluster rather than using an exhaustive search method significantly reduces the computing amount from O(243) to O(432).The 500 m-radius-coverage rate for the alternative optimized by 500 m-radius-cluster and 800 m-radius-cluster is 89.2% and 68.5%,respectively.The final layout scheme will provide decision makers engineering guidelines and theoretical support.展开更多
Cloud computing and storage services allow clients to move their data center and applications to centralized large data centers and thus avoid the burden of local data storage and maintenance.However,this poses new ch...Cloud computing and storage services allow clients to move their data center and applications to centralized large data centers and thus avoid the burden of local data storage and maintenance.However,this poses new challenges related to creating secure and reliable data storage over unreliable service providers.In this study,we address the problem of ensuring the integrity of data storage in cloud computing.In particular,we consider methods for reducing the burden of generating a constant amount of metadata at the client side.By exploiting some good attributes of the bilinear group,we can devise a simple and efficient audit service for public verification of untrusted and outsourced storage,which can be important for achieving widespread deployment of cloud computing.Whereas many prior studies on ensuring remote data integrity did not consider the burden of generating verification metadata at the client side,the objective of this study is to resolve this issue.Moreover,our scheme also supports data dynamics and public verifiability.Extensive security and performance analysis shows that the proposed scheme is highly efficient and provably secure.展开更多
PNEUMOCYSTIS pneumonia (PCP) is among the most common opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).Although trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first line therapy for...PNEUMOCYSTIS pneumonia (PCP) is among the most common opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).Although trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first line therapy for that condition given its efficacy,approximately one third of patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity.1 For cases of severe to moderate PCP,if TMP-SMX treatment fails or is contraindicated,primaquine combined with clindamycin or intravenous pentamidine is recommended as second line therapy.2 However,both primaquine and pentamidine are associated with severe adverse reactions and often unavailable at hospitals in China.3 As a result,other treatment options have been explored.展开更多
We previously demonstrated that overexpression of tropomyosin receptor kinase A(TrkA)promotes the survival and Schwann celllike differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells in nerve grafts,thereby enhancing the r...We previously demonstrated that overexpression of tropomyosin receptor kinase A(TrkA)promotes the survival and Schwann celllike differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells in nerve grafts,thereby enhancing the regeneration and functional recovery of the peripheral nerve.In the present study,we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of TrkA in bone marrow stromal stem cells seeded into nerve grafts.Bone marrow stromal stem cells from Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with recombinant lentivirus vector expressing rat TrkA,TrkA-shRNA or the respective control.The cells were then seeded into allogeneic rat acellular nerve allografts for bridging a 1-cm right sciatic nerve defect.Then,8 weeks after surgery,hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that compared with the control groups,the cells and fibers in the TrkA overexpressing group were more densely and uniformly arranged,whereas they were relatively sparse and arranged in a disordered manner in the TrkA-shRNA group.Western blot assay showed that compared with the control groups,the TrkA overexpressing group had higher expression of the myelin marker,myelin basic protein and the axonal marker neurofilament 200.The TrkA overexpressing group also had higher levels of various signaling molecules,including TrkA,pTrkA(Tyr490),extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2(Erkl/2),pErk1/2(Thr202/Tyr204),and the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.In contrast,these proteins were downregulated,while the pro-apoptotic factors Bax and Bad were upregulated,in the TrkA-shRNA group.The levels of the TrkA effectors Akt and pAkt(Ser473)were not different among the groups.These results suggest that TrkA enhances the survival and regenerative capacity of bone marrow stromal stem cells through upregulation of the Erk/Bcl-2 pathway.All procedures were approved by the Animal Ethical and Welfare Committee of Shenzhen University,China in December 2014(approval No.AEWC-2014-001219).展开更多
Due to their low cost,flexibility,and convenience for long distance data transfer,plastic scintillation fibers (PSF) have been increasingly used in building detectors or sensors for detecting various radiations and im...Due to their low cost,flexibility,and convenience for long distance data transfer,plastic scintillation fibers (PSF) have been increasingly used in building detectors or sensors for detecting various radiations and imaging. In this paper,GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation tool was used to obtain some radiation effects of PSF under high-energy neutron irradiation. BCF-20,a plastic fiber material,produced by Saint-Gobain,was used in the simulation. The fiber consists of a core scintillating material of polystyrene and an acrylic outer cladding. Incident neutrons produce energy deposition in fiber through neutron induced recoil proton events. The relationships between energy deposition efficiency and fiber length,fiber radius and incident neutron energy are presented. The variation with those parameters and parameter selection are also analyzed.展开更多
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region,Nos.2022GXNSFAA035622(to MJ),2020GXNSFAA297048(to ZZ)the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.82060268(to ZZ)。
文摘α-Synuclein and tau are abundant multifunctional brain proteins that are mainly expressed in the presynaptic and axonal compartments of neurons,respectively.Previous works have revealed that intracellular deposition ofα-synuclein and/or tau causes many neurodegenerative disorders,including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.Despite intense investigation,the normal physiological functions and roles ofα-synuclein and tau are still unclear,owing to the fact that mice with knockout of either of these proteins do not present apparent phenotypes.Interestingly,the co-occurrence ofα-synuclein and tau aggregates was found in post-mortem brains with synucleinopathies and tauopathies,some of which share similarities in clinical manifestations.Furthermore,the direct interaction ofα-synuclein with tau is considered to promote the fibrillization of each of the proteins in vitro and in vivo.On the other hand,our recent findings have revealed thatα-synuclein and tau are cooperatively involved in brain development in a stage-dependent manner.These findings indicate strong cross-talk between the two proteins in physiology and pathology.In this review,we provide a summary of the recent findings on the functional roles ofα-synuclein and tau in the physiological conditions and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases.A deep understanding of the interplay betweenα-synuclein and tau in physiological and pathological conditions might provide novel targets for clinical diagnosis and therapeutic strategies to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
基金supported by Shanghai Sailing Program(No.19YF1435000)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51707122 and 12005128)。
文摘Energy efficiency limits the application of atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge(DBD),such as air purification,water treatment and material surface modification.This article focuses on the electrical and optical effects of the DBD under three square wave pulses polarities-positive,negative and bipolar.The result shows that under the same voltage with the quartz glass medium,the discharge efficiency of bipolar polarity pulse is the highest due to the influence of deposited charge.With the increase of air gap distance from 0.5 to 1.5 mm,average power consumed by the discharge air gap and discharge efficiency decrease obviously under alumina,and increase,and then decrease under quartz glass and polymethyl methacrylate(PMMA).Through spectrum diagnosis,in the quartz glass medium,the vibration temperature is the highest under negative polarity pulse excitation.Under bipolar pulse,the vibration temperature does not change significantly with the change of air gap distance.For the three dielectric materials of quartz glass,alumina and PMMA,the molecular vibration temperature is the highest under the quartz glass medium with the same voltage.When the gap spacing,pulse polarity or dielectric material are changed,the rotational temperature does not change significantly.
基金Supported by the Scientific Research Project of the Sichuan Province Education Department,No. 16ZA0241the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 82060268the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation of China,No. 2020JJA140124。
文摘As an important treatment for acute myeloid leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation(allo-HSCT) plays an important role in reducing relapse and improving long-term survival. With rapid advancements in basic research in molecular biology and immunology and with deepening understanding of the biological characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells, allo-HSCT has been widely applied in clinical practice. During allo-HSCT, preconditioning, the donor, and the source of stem cells can be tailored to the patient’s conditions, greatly broadening the indications for HSCT, with clear survival benefits. However, the risks associated with allo-HSCT remain high, i.e. hematopoietic reconstitution failure, delayed immune reconstitution, graft-versus-host disease, and posttransplant relapse, which are bottlenecks for further improvements in allo-HSCT efficacy and have become hot topics in the field of HSCT. Other bottlenecks recognized in the current treatment of individuals diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and subjected to allo-HSCT include the selection of the most appropriate conditioning regimen and post-transplantation management. In this paper, we reviewed the progress of relevant research regarding these aspects.
基金This project was supported by Construction and Empirical Study of Competency Index System for Nurses Specializing in Hospice Care and Nursing(No.19PJ042).
文摘Objective:To summarize the research progress of music therapy in hospice care and to provide reference for further research.Methods:A wide range of literatures on music therapy and hospice care at home and abroad were searched and read,and the literature was integrated,judged,analyzed,and summarized.Results:The related research on music therapy in hospice care mainly focused on western developed countries such as Europe and the United States.China is still in the stage of theoretical exploration,lacking qualitative research based on case investigation and empirical research based on data statistics.Conclusions:Music therapy supports the management of symptoms in hospice care,which can meet the diverse needs of patients and their family members including physical,psychological,social,and spiritual.
文摘BACKGROUND The level of Ki-67 expression has served as a prognostic factor in gastric cancer.The quantitative parameters based on the novel dual-layer spectral detector computed tomography(DLSDCT)in discriminating the Ki-67 expression status are unclear.AIM To investigate the diagnostic ability of DLSDCT-derived parameters for Ki-67 expression status in gastric carcinoma(GC).METHODS Dual-phase enhanced abdominal DLSDCT was performed preoperatively in 108 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.Primary tumor monoenergetic CT attenuation value at 40-100 kilo electron volt(kev),the slope of the spectral curve(λ_(HU)),iodine concentration(IC),normalized IC(nIC),effective atomic number(Z^(eff))and normalized Z^(eff)(nZ^(eff))in the arterial phase(AP)and venous phase(VP)were retrospectively compared between patients with low and high Ki-67 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to analyze the association between the above parameters and Ki-67 expression status.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the statistically significant parameters between two groups.RESULTS Thirty-seven and 71 patients were classified as having low and high Ki-67 expression,respectively.CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP),CT_(100 kev-VP),and Z^(eff)-related parameters were significantly higher,but IC-related parameters were lower in the group with low Ki-67 expression status than the group with high Ki-67 expression status,and other analyzed parameters showed no statistical difference between the two groups.Spearman’s correlation analysis showed that CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP),CT_(100 kev-VP),Z^(eff),and n Z^(eff) exhibited a negative correlation with Ki-67 status,whereas IC and nIC had positive correlation with Ki-67 status.The ROC analysis demonstrated that the multi-variable model of spectral parameters performed well in identifying the Ki-67 status[area under the curve(AUC)=0.967;sensitivity 95.77%;specificity 91.89%)].Nevertheless,the differentiating capabilities of singlevariable model were moderate(AUC value 0.630-0.835).In addition,the nZ_(VP)^(eff) and nIC_(VP)(AUC 0.835 and 0.805)showed better performance than CT_(40 kev-VP),CT_(70 kev-VP) and CT_(100 kev-VP)(AUC 0.630,0.631 and 0.662)in discriminating the Ki-67 status.CONCLUSION Quantitative spectral parameters are feasible to distinguish low and high Ki-67 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma.Z^(eff) and IC may be useful parameters for evaluating the Ki-67 expression.
基金This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant 62171203in part by the Suzhou Key Supporting Subjects[Health Informatics(No.SZFCXK202147)]+2 种基金in part by the Changshu Science and Technology Program[No.CS202015,CS202246]in part by the Changshu City Health and Health Committee Science and Technology Program[No.csws201913]in part by the“333 High Level Personnel Training Project of Jiangsu Province”.
文摘In recent years,the soft subspace clustering algorithm has shown good results for high-dimensional data,which can assign different weights to each cluster class and use weights to measure the contribution of each dimension in various features.The enhanced soft subspace clustering algorithm combines interclass separation and intraclass tightness information,which has strong results for image segmentation,but the clustering algorithm is vulnerable to noisy data and dependence on the initialized clustering center.However,the clustering algorithmis susceptible to the influence of noisydata and reliance on initializedclustering centers andfalls into a local optimum;the clustering effect is poor for brain MR images with unclear boundaries and noise effects.To address these problems,a soft subspace clustering algorithm for brain MR images based on genetic algorithm optimization is proposed,which combines the generalized noise technique,relaxes the equational weight constraint in the objective function as the boundary constraint,and uses a genetic algorithm as a method to optimize the initialized clustering center.The genetic algorithm finds the best clustering center and reduces the algorithm’s dependence on the initial clustering center.The experiment verifies the robustness of the algorithm,as well as the noise immunity in various ways and shows good results on the common dataset and the brain MR images provided by the Changshu First People’s Hospital with specific high accuracy for clinical medicine.
文摘This article considers three types of biological systems:the dengue fever disease model,the COVID-19 virus model,and the transmission of Tuberculosis model.The new technique of creating the integration matrix for the Bernoulli wavelets is applied.Also,the novel method proposed in this paper is called the Bernoulli wavelet collocation scheme(BWCM).All three models are in the form system of coupled ordinary differential equations without an exact solution.These systems are converted into a system of algebraic equations using the Bernoulli wavelet collocation scheme.The numerical wave distributions of these governing models are obtained by solving the algebraic equations via the Newton-Raphson method.The results obtained from the developed strategy are compared to several schemes such as the Runge Kutta method,and ND solver in mathematical software.The convergence analyses are discussed through theorems.The newly implemented Bernoulli wavelet method improves the accuracy and converges when it is compared with the existing methods in the literature.
基金supported by grants from the Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Research on TCM Physical Constitution and Disease Prevention and Treatment (Program No.KF2207)the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi (Program No.2020GXLH-Y-019,2022KXJ-141)+1 种基金the Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi (Program No.2019GHJD-14,2021TD-40)Science and Technology Talent Support Program of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital (Program No.2021LJ-05).
文摘Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been practiced in China and surrounding countries for thousands of years and has gradually attracted the attention of Western countries.After reasonable compatibility,TCMs could play the key role of enhancing efficacy and reducing toxicity,which has significant therapeutic advantages in the treatment of complex diseases in clinical practice.While the TCM compatibility is not the simple addition of drugs.Under the appropriate dosage ratio,multiple TCMs can play a synergistic role to realize the overall regulation of TCM treatment.Therefore,it is of critical essential to study the compatibility of TCM formula to promote TCM modernization,new drug development and clinical application.Recently,under the guidance of TCM theory,many researches on the composition,pharmacodynamic activity and pharmacokinetic properties of TCM formula have emerged by integrating new technologies and new methods,revealing the scientific connotation of the compatibility of TCM formula from different perspectives and levels.This paper introduces the research progress of compatibility rules from different levels of compatibility,compatibility for synergistic enhancement and detoxification,and application of cutting-edge technology,with representative cases,in order to provide ideas and references for further study on TCM compatibility.
基金Matching fund project of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University(XYFYPT-2022-02)。
文摘Objective:This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of comprehensive information on the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis(TOX),rubella virus(RV),cytomegalovirus(CMV),and herpes simplex(HSV)also known as TORCH infection in women of childbearing age.Besides,the positive rates of TORCH-Immunoglobulin G(TORCH-IgG)and Immunoglobulin M(IgM)antibodies in women of childbearing age in different regions of China were statistically analyzed,so as to highlight the issue of TORCH infection in women of childbearing age.Methods:A total of 12,694 articles were retrieved by keyword searching.The works were screened according to the inclusion criteria,and 25 studies were included totaling 531,617 women of childbearing age.The OpenMeta[Analyst]software was used to perform a heterogeneity test,and a random-effects model was used for system analysis.Results:The results of the meta-analysis showed that the positive rates of TORCH-IgG antibodies in women of childbearing age nationwide were 3.2%for TOX-IgG,73.4%for RV-IgG,73.8%for CMV-IgG,and 57.4%for HSV-IgG.The positive rates of IgM antibody infection in TORCH were 1.3%for TOX-IgM,6.1%for RV-IgM,9.5%for CMV-IgM,7.6%for HSV-IgM,2.0%for HSV-1-IgM,and 1.9%for HSV-2-IgM.All meta-analyses had I2≥98%and P<0.001,which meant that the results were statistically significant.Conclusions:A meta-analysis of the positive rates of IgG and IgM antibodies of TORCH infection in women of childbearing age found that the early infection rate of HSV was the highest,and the previous infection rate of RV was the highest.This result can provide epidemiological basis for the prevention and treatment of TORCH infection.
基金the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province(No.2023-YBSF-086)Xi’an Science and Technology Plan Projects(No.21YXYJ0091)+1 种基金Key Projects of Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education(No.21JS041)Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital Science and Technology Talent Support Plan(No.2022BJ-05).
文摘Objective:To investigate the effect of auricular acupuncture on postoperative pain and gastrointestinal motility recovery after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.Methods:The clinical data of patients who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer in our hospital from April 2020 to December 2021 were collected.Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria,76 patients were included in the retrospective analysis.Depending on whether they received auricular acupuncture or not,the patients were divided into two groups:46 patients in the experimental group(auricular acupuncture)and 30 patients in the control group.The differences between the two groups were analyzed.Results:The time to first flatus of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(52.2±7.36 h versus 66.3±7.83 h;P<0.001).Similarly,the time to first defecation of the experimental group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(76.3±7.76 h versus 86.1±10.79 h;P<0.001).The time to first fluid intake of the auricular group was significantly shorter than that of the control group(90.4±8.92 h versus 107.3±9.66 h,P<0.001).Compared with the control group,the experimental group scored significantly lower on the visual analogue scale on postoperative days 2 and 3(P<0.001).Conclusion:Auricular acupuncture is an effective traditional Chinese medicine external treatment method.It can promote gastrointestinal motility recovery in patients after laparoscopic radical surgery for colorectal cancer and also reduce postoperative pain and discomfort.Furthermore,this therapy is easy to operate and well-accepted by patients.Therefore,it should be strongly promoted in clinical practice.
基金supported by Health Commission of Pudong New Area Health and Family Planning Scientific Research Project,No.PW2020E-4(to GL)Siming Youth Fund Project of Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine,No.SGKJ-202119(to RH)+5 种基金Medical Innovation Research Special Project of 2021“Science and Technology Innovation Action Plan”of Shanghai,No.21Y21920200(to GL)Shanghai Rising-Star Program and Shanghai Sailing Program,No.23YF1418200(to QH)Shanghai Municipal Health Commission Foundation grant,No.20234Y0294(to QH)Hundred Teacher Talent Program of Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences,No.A1-2601-23-311007-21(to QH)the Scientific and Technological Innovation Program of Higher Education Institution in Shanxi,No.2021L350(to XC)the Fundamental Research Program of Shanxi Province,No.20210302124194(to XC).
文摘Previous studies have demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and depression.Activation of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain,leucine-rich repeat,and NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasomes is closely related to the pathogenesis of various neurological diseases.In patients with major depressive disorder,NLRP3 inflammasome levels are significantly elevated.Understanding the role that NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated neuroinflammation plays in the pathogenesis of depression may be beneficial for future therapeutic strategies.In this review,we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms that lead to the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in depression as well as to provide insight into therapeutic strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome.Moreover,we outlined various therapeutic strategies that target the NLRP3 inflammasome,including NLRP3 inflammatory pathway inhibitors,natural compounds,and other therapeutic compounds that have been shown to be effective in treating depression.Additionally,we summarized the application of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors in clinical trials related to depression.Currently,there is a scarcity of clinical trials dedicated to investigating the applications of NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors in depression treatment.The modulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes in microglia holds promise for the management of depression.Further investigations are necessary to ascertain the efficacy and safety of these therapeutic approaches as potential novel antidepressant treatments.
基金The study was reviewed and approved by the Second Hospital of Shandong University Institutional Review Board,IRB No.KYLL-2023LW044.
文摘BACKGROUND Recently,vessels encapsulating tumor clusters(VETC)was considered as a distinct pattern of tumor vascularization which can primarily facilitate the entry of the whole tumor cluster into the bloodstream in an invasion independent manner,and was regarded as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To develop and validate a preoperative nomogram using contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CECT)to predict the presence of VETC+in HCC.METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 190 patients with pathologically confirmed HCC who underwent CECT scanning and immunochemical staining for cluster of differentiation 34 at two medical centers.Radiomics analysis was conducted on intratumoral and peritumoral regions in the portal vein phase.Radiomics features,essential for identifying VETC+HCC,were extracted and utilized to develop a radiomics model using machine learning algorithms in the training set.The model’s performance was validated on two separate test sets.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analysis was employed to compare the identified performance of three models in predicting the VETC status of HCC on both training and test sets.The most predictive model was then used to constructed a radiomics nomogram that integrated the independent clinical-radiological features.ROC and decision curve analysis were used to assess the performance characteristics of the clinical-radiological features,the radiomics features and the radiomics nomogram.RESULTS The study included 190 individuals from two independent centers,with the majority being male(81%)and a median age of 57 years(interquartile range:51-66).The area under the curve(AUC)for the combined radiomics features selected from the intratumoral and peritumoral areas were 0.825,0.788,and 0.680 in the training set and the two test sets.A total of 13 features were selected to construct the Rad-score.The nomogram,combining clinicalradiological and combined radiomics features could accurately predict VETC+in all three sets,with AUC values of 0.859,0.848 and 0.757.Decision curve analysis revealed that the radiomics nomogram was more clinically useful than both the clinical-radiological feature and the combined radiomics models.CONCLUSION This study demonstrates the potential utility of a CECT-based radiomics nomogram,incorporating clinicalradiological features and combined radiomics features,in the identification of VETC+HCC.
基金supported by the National 973 Program of China (2007CB109000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30871577)
文摘Through bioinformatic data mining,10 SnRK2 and 31 CIPK genes were identified from sorghum genome.They are unevenly distributed in the sorghum chromosomes.Most SnRK2 genes have 8 introns,while the CIPK genes have a few(no intron or less than 3 introns) or more than 10 introns.Phylogenetic analysis revealed that SnRK2 genes belong to one cluster and CIPK genes form the other independent cluster.The sorghum SnRK2s are subgrouped into three parts,and CIPK into five parts.More than half SnRK2 and CIPK genes present in homologous pairs,suggesting gene duplication may be due to the amplification of SnRK family genes.The kinase domains of SnRK2 family are highly conserved with 88.40% identity,but those of the CIPK family are less conserved with 63.72% identity.And the identity of sorghum CBLinteracting NAF domains of CIPKs is 61.66%.What's more,regarding to the sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK kinases,they are characterized with distinct motifs and their subcellular localization is not necessarily the same,which suggests they may be divergent in functions.Due to less conserved sequences,complex subcellular localization,and more family members,sorghum CIPK genes may play more flexible and multiple biological functions.According to the phylogenetic analysis of SnRK genes and SnRK functional studies in other plants,it is speculated that sorghum SnRK2 and CIPK genes may play important roles in stress response,growth and development.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81371366(to HFW)the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province of China,No.2015A030313515(to HFW)+1 种基金the Dongguan International Science and Technology Cooperation Project,No.2013508152010(to HFW)the Key Project of Social Development of Dongguan of China,No.20185071521640(to HFW)
文摘Brachial plexus avulsion often results in massive motor neuron death and severe functional deficits of target muscles. However, no satisfactory treatment is currently available. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α is a critical molecule targeting several genes associated with ischemia-hypoxia damage and angiogenesis. In this study, a rat model of brachial plexus avulsion-reimplantation was established, in which C5–7 ventral nerve roots were avulsed and only the C6 root reimplanted. Different implants were immediately injected using a microsyringe into the avulsion-reimplantation site of the C6 root post-brachial plexus avulsion. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: phosphate-buffered saline, negative control of lentivirus, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentivirus), gel(pluronic F-127 hydrogel), and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α(pluronic F-127 hydrogel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentivirus). The Terzis grooming test was performed to assess recovery of motor function. Scores were higher in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel +hypoxia-inducible factor 1α groups(in particular the gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α group) compared with the phosphate-buffered saline group. Electrophysiology, fluorogold retrograde tracing, and immunofluorescent staining were further performed to investigate neural pathway reconstruction and changes of neurons, motor endplates, and angiogenesis. Compared with the phosphate-buffered saline group, action potential latency of musculocutaneous nerves was markedly shortened in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor1α groups. Meanwhile, the number of fluorogold-positive cells and ChAT-positive neurons, neovascular area(labeled by CD31 around av ulsed sites in ipsilateral spinal cord segments), and the number of motor endplates in biceps brachii(identified by α-bungarotoxin) were all visibly increased, as well as the morphology of motor endplate in biceps brachil was clear in the hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and gel + hypoxia-inducible factor 1α groups. Taken together, delivery of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α overexpression lentiviral vectors mediated by pluronic F-127 effectively promotes spinal root regeneration and functional recovery post-brachial plexus avulsion. All animal procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Guangdong Medical University, China.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81500726)the Matching Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.XYFYPT-2020-01)。
文摘AIM:To investigate the effects of quercetin on diabetic retinopathy(DR)and its association with nucleotidebinding oligomerization domain-like receptors 3(NLRP3)inflammasome and autophagy using retinal endothelial cell as an experimental model.METHODS:Human retinal microvascular endothelial cells(HRMECs)were cultured in vitro and assigned into the control group,high-glucose(HG)group,and HG+different concentrations of quercetin groups.Cellular viability,migration,and tube formation in these groups was detected by MTT,transwell and matrigel assay,respectively.Expressions of NLRP3,apoptosis-associated speck-like protein(ASC),cysteiny aspartate-specific protease-1(Caspase-1)as well as microtubule-related protein 1 light chain 3(LC3)and Beclin-1 were detected by Western blotting.Expressions of IL-1β and IL-18 were detected by ELISA and cellular autophagy was detected by Cyto-ID■ autophagy detection kit.RESULTS:Under an HG condition,the viability,migration,tube formation of HRMECs,and the protein expressions of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,IL-1β,IL-18,LC3,and Beclin-1 as well as autophagy were all increased.Quercetin inhibited angiogenesis of HRMECs as well as the expressions of NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,IL-1β,IL-18,LC3,Beclin-1,and autophagy of HRMECs under a HG condition.The inhibitory effects of quercetin on angiogenesis,NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy increased with the increase of its concentration.CONCLUSION:The therapeutic potential of quercetin in retinal neovascularization of DR,and inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagy signaling pathway may be involved.
基金Project(51208261)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of ChinaProject(12YJCZH062)supported by the Ministry of Education of Humanities and Social Science of ChinaProject(30920140132033)supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,China
文摘Bicycle-sharing system is considered as a green option to provide a better connection between scenic spots and nearby metro/bus stations.Allocating and optimizing the layout of bicycle-sharing system inside the scenic spot and around its influencing area are focused on.It is found that the terrain,land use,nearby transport network and scenery point distribution have significant impact on the allocation of bicycle-sharing system.While the candidate bicycle-sharing stations installed at the inner scenic points,entrances/exits and metro stations are fixed,the ones installed at bus-stations and other passenger concentration buildings are adjustable.Aiming at minimizing the total cycling distance and overlapping rate,an optimization model is proposed and solved based on the idea of cluster concept and greedy heuristic.A revealed preference/stated preference(RP/SP) combined survey was conducted at Xuanwu Lake in Nanjing,China,to get an insight into the touring trip characteristics and bicycle-sharing tendency.The results reveal that 39.81% visitors accept a cycling distance of 1-3 km and 62.50% respondents think that the bicycle-sharing system should charge an appropriate fee.The survey indicates that there is high possibility to carry out a bicycle-sharing system at Xuanwu Lake.Optimizing the allocation problem cluster by cluster rather than using an exhaustive search method significantly reduces the computing amount from O(243) to O(432).The 500 m-radius-coverage rate for the alternative optimized by 500 m-radius-cluster and 800 m-radius-cluster is 89.2% and 68.5%,respectively.The final layout scheme will provide decision makers engineering guidelines and theoretical support.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China，the National Basic Research Program of China ("973" Program) the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China ("863" Program)
文摘Cloud computing and storage services allow clients to move their data center and applications to centralized large data centers and thus avoid the burden of local data storage and maintenance.However,this poses new challenges related to creating secure and reliable data storage over unreliable service providers.In this study,we address the problem of ensuring the integrity of data storage in cloud computing.In particular,we consider methods for reducing the burden of generating a constant amount of metadata at the client side.By exploiting some good attributes of the bilinear group,we can devise a simple and efficient audit service for public verification of untrusted and outsourced storage,which can be important for achieving widespread deployment of cloud computing.Whereas many prior studies on ensuring remote data integrity did not consider the burden of generating verification metadata at the client side,the objective of this study is to resolve this issue.Moreover,our scheme also supports data dynamics and public verifiability.Extensive security and performance analysis shows that the proposed scheme is highly efficient and provably secure.
文摘PNEUMOCYSTIS pneumonia (PCP) is among the most common opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).Although trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) is the first line therapy for that condition given its efficacy,approximately one third of patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity.1 For cases of severe to moderate PCP,if TMP-SMX treatment fails or is contraindicated,primaquine combined with clindamycin or intravenous pentamidine is recommended as second line therapy.2 However,both primaquine and pentamidine are associated with severe adverse reactions and often unavailable at hospitals in China.3 As a result,other treatment options have been explored.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81372041(to DW),and No.81801220(to MGZ)
文摘We previously demonstrated that overexpression of tropomyosin receptor kinase A(TrkA)promotes the survival and Schwann celllike differentiation of bone marrow stromal stem cells in nerve grafts,thereby enhancing the regeneration and functional recovery of the peripheral nerve.In the present study,we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of TrkA in bone marrow stromal stem cells seeded into nerve grafts.Bone marrow stromal stem cells from Sprague-Dawley rats were infected with recombinant lentivirus vector expressing rat TrkA,TrkA-shRNA or the respective control.The cells were then seeded into allogeneic rat acellular nerve allografts for bridging a 1-cm right sciatic nerve defect.Then,8 weeks after surgery,hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that compared with the control groups,the cells and fibers in the TrkA overexpressing group were more densely and uniformly arranged,whereas they were relatively sparse and arranged in a disordered manner in the TrkA-shRNA group.Western blot assay showed that compared with the control groups,the TrkA overexpressing group had higher expression of the myelin marker,myelin basic protein and the axonal marker neurofilament 200.The TrkA overexpressing group also had higher levels of various signaling molecules,including TrkA,pTrkA(Tyr490),extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2(Erkl/2),pErk1/2(Thr202/Tyr204),and the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL.In contrast,these proteins were downregulated,while the pro-apoptotic factors Bax and Bad were upregulated,in the TrkA-shRNA group.The levels of the TrkA effectors Akt and pAkt(Ser473)were not different among the groups.These results suggest that TrkA enhances the survival and regenerative capacity of bone marrow stromal stem cells through upregulation of the Erk/Bcl-2 pathway.All procedures were approved by the Animal Ethical and Welfare Committee of Shenzhen University,China in December 2014(approval No.AEWC-2014-001219).
基金National Natural Science Foundation (No60602065)
文摘Due to their low cost,flexibility,and convenience for long distance data transfer,plastic scintillation fibers (PSF) have been increasingly used in building detectors or sensors for detecting various radiations and imaging. In this paper,GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation tool was used to obtain some radiation effects of PSF under high-energy neutron irradiation. BCF-20,a plastic fiber material,produced by Saint-Gobain,was used in the simulation. The fiber consists of a core scintillating material of polystyrene and an acrylic outer cladding. Incident neutrons produce energy deposition in fiber through neutron induced recoil proton events. The relationships between energy deposition efficiency and fiber length,fiber radius and incident neutron energy are presented. The variation with those parameters and parameter selection are also analyzed.
