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In this work, the solvability of a class of second-order Hamiltonian systems on time scales is generalized to non-local boundary conditions. The measurements obtained by non-local conditions are more accurate than those given by local conditions in some problems. Compared with the known results, this work establishes the variational structure in an appropriate Sobolev's space. Then, by applying the mountain pass theorem and symmetric mountain pass theorem, the existence and multiplicity of the solutions are obtained. Finally, some examples with numerical simulation results are given to illustrate the correctness of the results obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulated evidence indicates that rare variants exert a vital role on predisposition and progression of human diseases, which provides neoteric insights into disease etiology. In the current study, based on three independently retrospective studies of 5,016 lung cancer patients and 5,181 controls, we analyzed the associations between five rare polymorphisms (i.e., p.Glu116Lys, p.Asn118Ser, p.Arg138Cys, p.Ala195Thr and p.Leu259Phe) in MKK7 and lung cancer risk and prognosis. To decipher the precise mechanisms of MKK7 rare variants on lung cancer, a series of biological experiments was further performed. We found that the MKK7 p.Glu116Lys rare polymorphism was significantly associated with lung cancer risk, progression and prognosis. Compared with Glu/Glu common genotype, the 116Lys rare variants (Lys/Glu/+ Lys/Lys) presented an adverse effect on lung cancer susceptibility (odds ratio [OR] = 3.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.70–4.01). These rare variants strengthened patients’ clinical progression that patients with 116Lys variants had a significantly higher metastasis rate and advanced N, M stages at diagnosis. In addition, the patients with 116Lys variants also contributed to worse cancer prognosis than those carriers with Glu/Glu genotype (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.32–1.78). Functional experiments further verified that the MKK7 p.116Lys variants altered the expression of several cancer-related genes and thus affected lung cancer cells proliferation, tumor growth and metastasis in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our findings proposed that the MKK7 p.Glu116Lys rare polymorphism incurred a pernicious impact on lung cancer risk and prognosis through modulating expressions of a serial of cancer-related genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mongolian gerbil ( Meriones unguiculatus) has been indicated to be a useful experimental model host for studying nematode. To understand the possibility of the Mongolian gerbil as an animal model of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection, we investigated the development, migration, and tissue distribution of A. cantonensis and pathological changes in the brain and lungs of the infected Mongolian gerbils. The first stage larvae of A. cantonensis in the stool of the infected gerbils were examined by direct smear method at 45th day postinfection (PI). In addition, a group of the infected gerbils were orally fed with albendazole (100 mg/kg/day/gerbil) at the 8th day PI and continued for 3 consecutive days. The results showed that mortality rate of Mongolian gerbils infected with 10 third stage larvae of A. cantonensis was about 62 % at the 30th day PI; the peak period of death was from the 23rd to 30th day PI. About 93 % (27/29) of the worms in survivors of infected gerbils could develop to complete sexual maturity at the 46th day PI, and the examinations of 12 gerbils in G3 group revealed that first stage larvae of A. cantonensis could be found in the feces of 4 gerbils at the 45th day PI. About 80 % of the worms were in the brain of infected gerbils and 20 % in the lungs from the 23rd to 25th day PI; during migration of the worms from the brain to lungs, more than 90 % of the worms arrived to the lungs and less than 10 % of them still stayed in the brain during from the 45th to 46th day PI. Pathological examination revealed that injuries induced by A. cantonensis in infected gerbils were characterized by eosinophilic meningitis and granulomatous pneumonia. Otherwise, albendazole exhibited a good larvicidal activity in the infected Mongolian gerbils. In contrast with infected control group, no gerbils died in administering albendazole, no worms were recovered, and no nervous system symptoms caused by the infection occurred at the 26th day PI. These findings clearly indicated that Mongolian gerbils should be a potential incomplete permissive host for A. cantonensis and are very susceptive to A. cantonensis infection. Moreover, it has been certified that gerbils as an experimental animal can be used in screening of drug against A. cantonensis. The study provides us a new, selectable experimental animal model for research of A. cantonensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fixed point theorem in a cone and some inequalities of the associated Green's function are applied to obtain the existence of positive solutions of second-order three-point boundary value problem with dependence on the first-order derivative x″(t)+f(t,x(t),x′(t))=0,00, η∈(0,1), μη<1. The interesting point is that the nonlinear term is dependent on the convection term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the existence of positive solution for a boundary value problem of fractional differential equations with p-Laplacian operator. Our analysis relies on the research of properties of the corresponding Green’s function. By the use of Krasnosel’skii’s fixed-point theorem, the multiplicity results of some positive solutions are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]