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Abstract Background The NLRP3 inflammasome, a pivotal mechanism regulating inflammatory responses and featuring the pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) within the NOD-like receptor family, is widely recognized as a central pathogenic factor in cardiovascular diseases. The present study endeavors to delve into the correlation and potential interplay between the rs10754558 polymorphism of NLRP3 and the predisposition to hypertension among the Chinese adult population. Methods All the participants who came from a community in Bengbu, China were investigated by being interviewed with a questionnaire. Overall, 354 paired case–control participants were analyzed. Genomic DNA was extracted from 5ml venous blood using the Tiangen DNA extraction kit. The rs10754558 polymorphism of the NLRP3 gene was genotyped by TaqMan allelic discrimination real-time PCR.The association between the rs10754558 polymorphism and hypertension risk was investigated by a logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, an additive interaction analysis was conducted using related indicators, including the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP), and synergy index (SI). Results Participants carrying the GG genotype were more likely to develop hypertension than participants carrying the CC genotype (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.16, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33–3.52). A significant additive interaction between the NLRP3 polymorphism and obesity status concerning the risk of hypertension was observed, as estimated by all indicators: RERI (1.12, 95% CI: 0.70–1.5), AP (0.34, 95% CI: 0.14–0.53), and SI (1.92, 95% CI: 1.03–3.59). The values of RERI (1.74, 95% CI: 0.37–3.11), AP (0.46, 95% CI: 0.21–0.70), and SI (2.62, 95% CI: 1.18–5.83) showed that a significant interaction between the rs10754558 polymorphism and a family history of hypertension. Conclusions Our findings indicate a significant association between the NLRP3 rs10754558 polymorphism and the risk of hypertension in Chinese adults. Moreover, a notable additive interaction emerges between NLRP3 polymorphisms and obesity status, further amplifying the risk of hypertension.

Abstract Background Short-term exposure to ozone (O3) has been associated with higher stroke mortality, but it is unclear whether this association differs between urban and rural areas. The study aimed to compare the association between short-term exposure to O3 and ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke mortality across rural and urban areas and further investigate the potential impacts of modifiers, such as greenness, on this association. Methods A multi-county time-series analysis was carried out in 19 counties of Shandong Province from 2013 to 2019. First, we employed generalized additive models (GAMs) to assess the effects of O3 on stroke mortality in each county. We performed random-effects meta-analyses to pool estimates to counties and compare differences in rural and urban areas. Furthermore, a meta-regression model was utilized to assess the moderating effects of county-level features. Results Short-term O3 exposure was found to be associated with increased mortality for both stroke subtypes. For each 10-µg/m3 (lag0-3) rise in O3, ischaemic stroke mortality rose by 1.472% in rural areas and 1.279% in urban areas. For each 0.1-unit increase in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) per county, the ischaemic stroke mortality caused by a 10-µg/m3 rise in O3 decreased by 0.60% overall and 1.50% in urban areas. Conclusions Our findings add to the evidence that short-term O3 exposure increases ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke mortality and has adverse effects in urban and rural areas. However, improving greenness levels may contribute to mitigating the detrimental effects of O3 on ischaemic stroke mortality.

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly aggressive and life-threatening malignancy that metastasizes in ~50% of patients, posing significant challenges to patient survival and treatment. Fatty acid (FA) metabolism regulates proliferation, immune escape, metastasis, angiogenesis, and drug resistance in CRC. FA metabolism consists of three pathways: de novo synthesis, uptake, and FA oxidation (FAO). FA metabolism-related enzymes promote CRC metastasis by regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), angiogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Mechanistically, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, wnt/β-catenin pathway, and non-coding RNA signaling pathway are regulated by crosstalk of enzymes related to FA metabolism. Given the important role of FA metabolism in CRC metastasis, targeting FA metabolism-related enzymes and their signaling pathways is a potential strategy to treat CRC metastasis.

This study aims to identify the types of lineups based on their topological structure within a lineup network and to explore the relationship between lineup types and team standings during 10 NBA playoff seasons from 2012-2013 season to 2021-2022 season. A total of 15,699 lineups from 1,655 playoff games were collected to construct lineup networks. Three roles of the lineup, called core, connector and peripheral lineups, were found through community detection and unsupervised clustering of within-community degree, participation coefficient, and playing time. The percentage presence of connector lineups showed a positive correlation with the number of playoff wins (r = 0.45, p < 0.001), while peripheral lineups demonstrated a negative correlation (r = −0.33, p < 0.001). Additionally, the study found that connector lineups were more frequently reused than peripheral lineups (H = −14.90, p < 0.001) and that stronger teams exhibited lower conserved rates of all kinds of lineups. The collective performance was found to be more dependent on connector lineups (H = 926.42, p < 0.001) than peripheral lineups (H = 3342.63, p < 0.001). This study is the first to provide insights into the global lineup roles within season-scale lineup structures, offering generalizable suggestions for optimizing rotations. These suggestions advocate for the inclusion of more connector lineups and versatile players, and a reduction in the reuse rate of lineups, especially those classified as peripheral.

Objective: This study aims to compare, through quantitative analysis, the effectiveness of different endurance training types on increasing lower limb strength and muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) in concurrent training. Methods: This systematic literature search was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) [PROSPERO ID: CRD42023396886]. Web of Science, SportDiscuss, Pubmed, Cochrane, and Scopus were systematically searched from their inception date to October 20, 2023. Results: A total of 40 studies (841 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. MCSA analysis showed that, compared to resistance training alone, concurrent high-intensity interval running training and resistance training and concurrent moderate-intensity continuous cycling training and resistance training were more effective (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI = −0.46 to 0.76, and SMD = 0.07, 95% CI = −0.24 to 0.38 respectively), while other modalities of concurrent training not. Lower body maximal strength analysis showed that all modalities of concurrent training were inferior to resistance training alone, but concurrent high-intensity interval training and resistance training showed an advantage in four different concurrent training modalities (SMD = −0.08, 95% CI = −0.25 to 0.08). For explosive strength, only concurrent high-intensity interval training and resistance training was superior to resistance training (SMD = 0.06, 95% CI = −0.21 to 0.33). Conclusion: Different endurance training types have an impact on the effectiveness of concurrent training, particularly on lower limb strength. Adopting high-intensity interval running as the endurance training type in concurrent training can effectively minimize the adverse effects on lower limb strength and MCSA.

BackgroundsExtracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of tumor microenvironment, and its abnormal expression promotes tumor formation, progression and metastasis.MethodsWeighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify ECM-related hub genes based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) data. COAD clinical samples were used to verify the expression of potential biomarkers in tumor tissues, and siRNA was used to explore the role of potential biomarkers in cell proliferation and epithelial−mesenchymal transition (EMT).ResultsThree potential biomarkers (LEP, NGF and PCOLCE2) related to prognosis of COAD patients were identified and used to construct ERGPI. Immunohistochemical analysis of clinical samples showed that the three potential biomarkers were highly expressed in tumor tissues of COAD patients. Knockdown of LEP, NGF or PCOLCE2 inhibited COAD cell proliferation and EMT. Dictamnine inhibited tumor cell growth by binding to these three potential biomarkers based on molecular docking and transplanted tumor model.ConclusionThe three biomarkers can provide new ideas for the diagnosis and targeted therapy of COAD patients.

Abstract Background While benefits of greenness exposure to health have been reported, findings specific to lung function are inconsistent. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlations of greenness exposure with multiple lung function indicators based on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) monitoring database from multiple cities of Anhui province in China. Methods We assessed the greenness using the annual average of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a distance of 1000-meter buffer around each local community or village. Three types of lung function indicators were considered, namely indicators of obstructive ventilatory dysfunction (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEV1/FEV3); an indicator of large-airway dysfunction (PEF); indicators of small-airway dysfunction (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV3, FEV6, and FEV3/FVC). Linear mixed effects model was used to analyze associations of greenness exposure with lung function through adjusting age, sex, educational level, occupation, residence, smoking status, history of tuberculosis, family history of lung disease, indoor air pollution, occupational exposure, PM2.5, and body mass index. Results A total of 2768 participants were recruited for the investigations. An interquartile range (IQR) increase in NDVI was associated with better FVC (153.33mL, 95%CI: 44.07mL, 262.59mL), FEV1 (109.09mL, 95%CI: 30.31mL, 187.88mL), FEV3 (138.04mL, 95%CI: 39.43mL, 236.65mL), FEV6 (145.42mL, 95%CI: 42.36mL, 248.47mL). However, there were no significant associations with PEF, FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, MMEF, FEV1/FVC, FEV1/FEV6, FEV3/FVC. The stratified analysis displayed that an IQR increase in NDVI was related with improved lung function in less than 60 years, females, urban populations, nonsmokers, areas with medium concentrations of PM2.5 and individuals with BMI of less than 28 kg/m2. Sensitivity analyses based on another greenness indice (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and annual maximum of NDVI remained consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions Our findings supported that exposure to greenness was strongly related with improved lung function.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic, progressive brain degenerative disease that is common in the elderly. So far, there is no effective treatment. The multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy has been recognised as the most promising approach due to the complexity of the pathogenesis of AD. Herein, novel salicylic acid–donepezil–rivastigmine hybrids were designed and synthesised. The bioactivity results exhibited that 5a was a reversible and selective eqBChE inhibitor (IC50 = 0.53 μM), and the docking provided the possible mechanism. Compound 5a also displayed potential anti-inflammatory effects and significant neuroprotective effect. Moreover, 5a exhibited favourable stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal solution and plasma. Finally, 5a demonstrated potential cognitive improvement in scopolamine-induced cognitive dysfunction. Hence, 5a was a potential multifunctional lead compound against AD.

A series of novel quinoline-O-carbamate derivatives was rationally designed for treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy. The target compounds were synthesised and evaluated by AChE/BuChE inhibition and anti-inflammatory property. The in vitro activities showed that compound 3f was a reversible dual eeAChE/eqBuChE inhibitor with IC50 values of 1.3 µM and 0.81 µM, respectively. Moreover, compound 3f displayed good anti-inflammatory property by decreasing the production of IL-6, IL-1β and NO. In addition, compound 3f presented significant neuroprotective effect on Aβ25-35-induced PC12 cell injury. Furthermore, compound 3f presented good stabilities in artificial gastrointestinal fluids, liver microsomes in vitro and plasma. Furthermore, compound 3f could improve AlCl3-induced zebrafish AD model by increasing the level of ACh. Therefore, compound 3f was a promising multifunctional agent for the treatment of AD.

Abstract Background This study focused on the relationship between the neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the dose of organs at risk in patients with stage II–III non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. Methods The clinical characteristics and dosimetric parameters of 372 patients were collected retrospectively. A high NLR was defined as that ≥1.525. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis was conducted to select appropriate dosimetric parameters. The risk factors of NLR were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results Patients with a high NLR had poorer progression‐free survival (PFS) (p = 0.011) and overall survival (OS) (p = 0.061). A low NLR (

In this study, a series of naringenin-O-alkylamine derivatives were designed and obtained by introducing an alkylamine fragment into the naringenin skeleton. The in vitro biological activity results revealed that compounds 5f and 7k showed good antioxidant activity with ORAC values of 2.3eq and 1.2eq, respectively. Compounds 5f and 7k were reversible and excellent huAChE inhibitors with IC50 values of 0.91 μM and 0.57 μM, respectively. Moreover, compounds 5f and 7k could inhibit self-induced Aβ1–42 aggregation with 62.1% and 43.8% inhibition rate, respectively, and significantly inhibited huAChE-Aβ1–40 aggregation with 51.7% and 43.4% inhibition rate, respectively. In addition, compounds 5f and 7k were selective metal chelators and remarkably inhibited Cu2+-induced Aβ1–42 aggregation with 73.5% and 68.7% inhibition rates, respectively. Furthermore, compounds 5f and 7k could cross the blood-brain barrier in vitro and displayed good neuroprotective effects and anti-inflammatory properties. Further investigation showed that compound 5f did not show obvious hepatotoxicity and displayed a good hepatoprotective effect by its antioxidant activity. The in vivo study displayed that compound 5f significantly improved scopolamine-induced mice memory impairment. Therefore, compound 5f was a potential multifunctional candidate for the treatment of AD.

Herein, a series of novel O-alkyl ferulamide derivatives were designed and synthesised through the multi-target-directed ligands (MTDLs) strategy. The biological activities in vitro showed that compounds 5a, 5d, 5e, 5f, and 5h indicated significantly selective MAO-B inhibitory potency (IC50 = 0.32, 0.56, 0.54, 0.73, and 0.86 μM, respectively) and moderate antioxidant activity. Moreover, compounds 5a, 5d, 5e, 5f, and 5h showed potent anti-inflammatory properties, remarkable effects on self-induced Aβ1-42 aggregation, and potent neuroprotective effect on Aβ1-42-induced PC12 cell injury. Furthermore, compounds 5a, 5d, 5e, 5f, and 5h presented good blood–brain barrier permeation in vitro and drug-like properties. More interesting, the PET/CT images with [11C]5f demonstrated that [11C]5f could penetrate the BBB with a high brain uptake and exhibited good brain clearance kinetic property. Therefore, compound 5f would be a promising multi-functional agent for the treatment of AD.

Abstract Introduction The basis of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is the reconstruction of periodontal tissue under stress. Increasing the speed of OTM has always been the focus of attention. Objectives Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) are direct effector cells of mechanical force, but the mechanism by which PDLSCs sense mechanical stimuli is unclear. Methods Human PDLSCs (hPDLSCs) were analyzed in the presence or absence of force loading with the Flexcell loading system in vitro. Then, periodontal tissues were analyzed after mechanical stimulation in vivo. In addition, cells in a confined microenvironment were analyzed to observe changes in the cytoskeleton and migration. Finally, TRPC6−/− mice were used to further verify the effect of TRPC6. After force application, the OTM distance, bone marrow density (BMD), TRPC6 and COL1 expression, and TRAP staining were evaluated in periodontal tissues. Results RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and western blot analyses revealed that TRPC6 was important during mechanical force application to hPDLSCs. Appropriate mechanical force application also induced TRPC6 activation in the OTM model and the confined microenvironment. Under a slightly confined microenvironment, treatment with the TRPC6 inhibitor SKF96365 and TRPC6 knockout decreased the migration speed of hPDLSCs and mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs). In addition, TRPC6−/− mice showed lower OTM distances and reduced osteogenic and osteoclastic differentiation. Conclusion In summary, TRPC6 activation in PDLSCs mediated by appropriate mechanical force application contributes to periodontal tissue reconstruction. Graphical abstract PDLSCs modulate periodontal tissue remodeling under appropriate mechanical stimulation through TRPC6; however, under excessive stress, alveolar bone and tooth roots are readily absorbed. Under this condition, environmental factors play a leading role, and the regulatory effect of TRPC6 is not obvious.

Location information is the core data in IoT applications, which is the essential foundation for scene interpretation and interconnection of everything, and thus high-precision positioning is becoming an immediate need. However, the non-line-of-sight (NLOS) effect of indoor complex environment on UWB signal occlusion has been a major factor limiting the improvement in ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning accuracy, and the optimization of NLOS error has not yet been studied in a targeted manner. To this end, this paper deeply analyzes indoor scenes, divides NLOS into two forms of spatial occlusion and human occlusion, and proposes a particle filtering algorithm based on LOS/NLOS mapping and NLOS error optimization. This algorithm is targeted to optimize the influence of two different forms of NLOS, using spatial a priori information to accurately judge the LOS/NLOS situation of the anchor, optimizing the NLOS anchor ranging using IMU to project the virtual position, judging whether the LOS anchor is affected by human occlusion, and correcting the affected LOS anchor using the established human occlusion error model. Through experimental verification, the algorithm can effectively suppress two different NLOS errors of spatial structure and human occlusion and can achieve continuous and reliable high-precision positioning and tracking in complex indoor environments.

To enhance the navigation performance and robustness of navigation system combining ultrawideband (UWB) and inertial navigation systems (INS) under complex indoor environments, an improved navigation method—Allan variance (AV) to assist a modified adaptive extended Kalman Filter based on the dynamic weight function (DWF-MAEFF)—is proposed. Firstly, AV is used to improved INS error dynamics by modeling the stochastic noise of an inertial sensor; which can compensate for inertial sensor error caused by stochastic noise during integrated navigation. Secondly, the MAEKF is developed by designing the weight function to adjust the weight of measurement noise reasonably and dynamically, which can further improve the robustness of the AEKF algorithm. Field tests were conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed navigation method. The result indicated that an improvement of up to 60% over the existing integrated navigation method based on EKF and AEKF can be obtained by the proposed method.

The specific characteristics of remote sensing images, such as large directional variations, large target sizes, and dense target distributions, make target detection a challenging task. To improve the detection performance of models while ensuring real-time detection, this paper proposes a lightweight object detection algorithm based on an attention mechanism and YOLOv5s. Firstly, a depthwise-decoupled head (DD-head) module and spatial pyramid pooling cross-stage partial GSConv (SPPCSPG) module were constructed to replace the coupled head and the spatial pyramid pooling-fast (SPPF) module of YOLOv5s. A shuffle attention (SA) mechanism was introduced in the head structure to enhance spatial attention and reconstruct channel attention. A content-aware reassembly of features (CARAFE) module was introduced in the up-sampling operation to reassemble feature points with similar semantic information. In the neck structure, a GSConv module was introduced to maintain detection accuracy while reducing the number of parameters. Experimental results on remote sensing datasets, RSOD and DIOR, showed an improvement of 1.4% and 1.2% in mean average precision accuracy compared with the original YOLOv5s algorithm. Moreover, the algorithm was also tested on conventional object detection datasets, PASCAL VOC and MS COCO, which showed an improvement of 1.4% and 3.1% in mean average precision accuracy. Therefore, the experiments showed that the constructed algorithm not only outperformed the original network on remote sensing images but also performed better than the original network on conventional object detection images.

ABSTRACT: Tuberous sclerosis complex is a type of genetic multisystem disease that causes hamartomas in various organs. Facial angiofibromas commonly occur in 80% of patients and are prominently distributed over the cheek, chin, and nasolabial folds with severe disfigurement and emotional distress. Recently, photoelectric devices have been identified for the treatment of angiofibromas with great efficacy and fewer side effects. We report a case of a 42-year-old man with facial angiofibromas, who was treated with a combination of high-frequency electrocauterization, Ultrapulse CO2 laser, and microneedle fractional radiofrequency with 7 sessions and a 6-month follow-up. The patient showed great improvement in relation to the elevated lesions and nodules. A low recurrence rate was observed. This is the first study to investigate the efficacy of high-frequency electrocauterization and microneedle fractional radiofrequency in angiofibromas. It may provide an optimal approach for clinicians wherein a combined treatment of various lasers and electric devices is effective for complicated, protuberant, and firm angiofibromas of specific patients.

Background: Comparisons between high intensity interval training (HIIT) and continuous training (CT) regarding improvements of adolescents’ cardiac function are scarce and the preferred intensity for cardiac improvement with restricted myocardial damage remains unknown. This study conducted a 4-weeks training in male adolescent rats under moderate (MI) or high intensity (HI) HIIT and CT programs, aiming to discover and compare exercise-induced myocardial adaptations towards these two training methods.Methods: 39 male adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats (aged 4 weeks) were randomly assigned to high intensity HIIT (HI-HIIT, n = 8), moderate intensity HIIT (MI-HIIT, n = 8), high intensity CT (HI-CT, n = 8), moderate intensity CT (MI-CT, n = 8) and sedentary control (SC, n = 7) groups. Rats in training groups were trained for 4 weeks and echocardiography was performed at baseline and after the final training. Serum creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB), cardiac troponin T (cTn-T) and untargeted metabolomics analysis were measured from blood samples collected 24 h after the final training.Results: HIIT groups had greater cardiac output improvement than CT groups while no significant difference was found between the HI-HIIT and the MI-HIIT groups. HI-CT group showed higher serum CK-MB and cTn-T levels compared to MI-HIIT, MI-CT and control groups. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identified eleven HI-HIIT-related metabolites, five MI-HIIT-related metabolites and two HICT-related metabolites. The majority of the identified metabolites were phospholipid-related. Phosphatidylglyceride 18 level was significantly different between the HI-CT and MI-CT groups, and was negatively associated with cTn-T in CT groups.Conclusion: HIIT and CT improve cardiac function of adolescent rats while the HIIT demonstrates better improvement and less myocardial damage. High and moderate training intensities in HIIT exert similar cardiac benefits. HI-CT induced myocardial damage might be associated with serum phospholipids.

This study aimed to investigate whether the heart rate variability index (TLHRV) during five ball-drills could be used to quantify training load (TL) in collegiate basketball players. Ten elite male college basketball athletes (18.2 ± 0.4 years) were recruited to perform five ball-drills (1V1, 2V2, 3V3, 4V4, and 5V5) which lasted 10 min and varied in intensity. During each drill, TLHRV, training impulse (TRIMP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), speed, and distance were recorded by Firstbeat, Foster’s RPE scale, and SiMi Scout. The correlation (Spearman’s and Pearson’s correlation coefficient), reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient, ICC), and agreement (Bland-Altman plots) among TLHRV, TRIMP, RPE, speed, and distance were examined. TLHRV was significantly correlated with TRIMP (r = 0.34, p = 0.015) and RPE (r = 0.42, p = 0.002). TLHRV was significantly correlated with training intensity (r = 0.477, p = 0.006) but not with volume (r = 0.272, p = 0.056). TLHRV and TRIMP, RPE showed significant intraclass relationships (ICC = 0.592, p = 0.0003). Moreover, TLHRV differentiated basketball drills of equal volume and varying intensity. We concluded that TLHRVmay serve as an objective and rational measure to monitor TL in basketball players.

Abstract Background Hemoglobin glycation index (HGI) is considered to be a convenient measurable indicator to assess the inter-individual variation of HbA1c. In the present study, we tested the relationship between HGI and risk of hypertension, and further explored the possible interacting influences of HGI with other such factors on hypertension risk among Chinese individuals. Methods The eligible subjects were chosen from a community-based cross-sectional survey in China. We collected relevant data and clinical indicators for each participant. HGI was calculated as “measured HbA1c-predicted HbA1c” and divided into four categories according to quartile. The following indicators were used to assess interactive effects: (1) relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI); (2) attributable proportion due to interaction (AP); and (3) synergy index (SI). Statistical analysis was performed using R software. Results Specifically, 1777 eligible participants were selected in this cross-sectional survey. There were 433 subjects who were identified to have hypertension (24.4%). A significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension from Q1 to Q4 of HGI was observed (p

Abstract Background Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease. Keratinocytes hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory response contribute to psoriasis pathogenesis. The agents able to attenuate keratinocytes hyperproliferation and excessive inflammatory response are considered to be potentially useful for psoriasis treatment. Daphnetin exhibits broad bioactivities including anti-proliferation and anti-inflammatory. This study aims to evaluate the anti-psoriatic potential of daphnetin in vitro and in vivo, and explore underlying mechanisms. Methods HaCaT keratinocytes was stimulated with the mixture of IL-17A, IL-22, oncostatin M, IL-1α, and TNF-α (M5) to establish psoriatic keratinocyte model in vitro. Cell viability was measured using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the mRNA levels of hyperproliferative marker gene keratin 6 (KRT6), differentiation marker gene keratin 1 (KRT1) and inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of p65 and p-p65. Indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) was carried out to detect p65 nuclear translocation. Imiquimod (IMQ) was used to construct psoriasis-like mouse model. Psoriasis severity (erythema, scaling) was scored based on Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed to examine histological change in skin lesion. The expression of inflammatory factors including IL-6, TNF-α, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion was measured by qRT-PCR. Results Daphnetin attenuated M5-induced hyperproliferation in HaCaT keratinocytes. M5 stimulation significantly upregulated mRNA levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-23A and MCP-1. However, daphnetin treatment partially attenuated the upregulation of those inflammatory cytokines. Daphnetin was found to be able to inhibit p65 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation in HaCaT keratinocytes. In addition, daphnetin significantly ameliorate the severity of skin lesion (erythema, scaling and epidermal thickness, inflammatory cell infiltration) in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin treatment attenuated IMQ-induced upregulation of inflammatory cytokines including IL-6, IL-23A and IL-17A in skin lesion of mice. Conclusions Daphnetin was able to attenuate proliferation and inflammatory response induced by M5 in HaCaT keratinocytes through suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. Daphnetin could ameliorate the severity of skin lesion and improve inflammation status in IMQ-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Daphnetin could be an attractive candidate for future development as an anti-psoriatic agent.

Abstract Background Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2–3% of the population worldwide. Hyperproliferative keratinocytes were thought to be an amplifier of inflammatory response, thereby sustaining persistence of psoriasis lesions. Agents with the ability to inhibit keratinocyte proliferation or induce apoptosis are potentially useful for psoriasis treatment. 18β-Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), an active metabolite of glycyrrhizin, exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anti-bacteria and anti-proliferation. The current study aims to evaluate the effects of GA on the proliferation and apoptosis of human HaCaT keratinocytes in vitro and investigate the effects of GA on the skin lesions of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model in vivo. Methods Cell viability was assayed by CCK-8. Flow cytometry was performed to measure apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS), with Annexin V-FITC/PI detection kit and DCFH-DA probe respectively. Caspase 9/3 activities were measured using caspase activity assay kits. The protein levels of Akt and p-Akt were determined using Western blotting. IMQ was applied to induce psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice. The histological change in mouse skin lesions was detected using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The severity of skin lesions was scored based on Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). RT-PCR was employed to examine the relative expression of TNF-α, IL-22 and IL-17A in mouse skin lesions. Results GA decreased HaCaT keratinocytes viability and induced cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. In the presence of GA, intracellular ROS levels were significantly elevated. NAC, a ROS inhibitor, attenuated GA-mediated HaCaT keratinocytes growth inhibition and apoptosis. In addition, GA treatment remarkably decreased p-Akt protein level, which could be restored partially when cells were co-treated with GA and NAC. LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) treatment significantly enhanced GA-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, GA ameliorated IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice. Conclusions GA inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in HaCaT keratinocytes through ROS-mediated inhibition of PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and ameliorates IMQ-induced psoriasis-like skin lesions in mice.

Solar selective absorbing coatings directly harvest solar energy in the form of heat. The higher temperatures are required to drive higher power-cycle efficiencies in favor of lower costs of energy. According to different dielectrics, high temperature coatings can mainly be divided to double cermet solar selective coatings, transition metal nitride multilayer coatings and transition metal oxide multilayer coatings. This paper assesses the photothermal conversion efficiency and thermal stability, and discusses the challenges and strategies of improving both thermal and optical properties. Double cermet layers can stabilize nanocrystalline structures by alloying, while transition metal nitride/oxide layers generally choose the reliable materials with superior mechanical properties and thermal stability. The purpose of this review is to get the optimized systems, and propose further research directions at higher temperature, such as all-ceramic absorbing coatings. Keywords: High temperature, Solar selective absorbing coatings, Photothermal conversion efficiency, Spectral selectivity, Thermal stability

In order to solve the problem that atmospheric particulate matter has become the primary pollutant with serious harm and complex sources in recent years, this paper proposes an accurate identification method of pollution sources based on a receptor model to obtain the contribution rate of each pollution source category. This method takes the 75-day measured environmental receptor data of an area under the artificial intelligence cloud model as the basic data, uses the normrnd () function to expand the receptor data, and uses the positive definite matrix factor analysis (PMF) and principal component analysis (PCA) models to verify the rationality of the data expansion. The results are as follows: the number of extended simulated receptor component spectra has a certain effect on the PCA analysis results, but the effect is smaller than the extended range. All relative errors are less than 14%, and the relative error is the smallest when the six simulated receptor component spectra are expanded, that is, the PCA analysis results of the expanded data are most consistent with the measured data; the number of expanded simulated receptor component spectra has a certain influence on the PMF analysis results. But the relative error is less than 40%. When extending the spectrum of six simulated receptor components, the relative error is the smallest, that is, the PMF analysis results of the extended data are most consistent with the measured data. It is proven that this method provides a more direct basis for the targeted treatment of pollution sources that are more harmful to human health.

In order to solve the problems of single monitoring factor, weak comprehensive analysis ability, and poor real time performance in traditional environmental monitoring systems, a research method of residential environment pollution monitoring system based on cloud computing and Internet of Things is proposed. The method mainly includes two parts: an environmental monitoring terminal and an environmental pollution monitoring and management platform. Through the Wi-Fi module, the data is sent to the environmental pollution monitoring and management platform in real time. The environmental monitoring management platform is mainly composed of environmental pollution monitoring server, web server, and mobile terminal. The results are as follows. The data measured by the system is close to the data measured by the instrument, and the overall error is small. The measurement error of harmful gases is about 6%. PM 2.5 is about 6.5%. Noise is about 1%. The average time for sensor data update is 0.762 s. The average alarm response time is 2 s. The average data transfer time is 2 s. Practice has proved that the environmental pollution monitoring and alarm system operates stably and can realize real-time collection and transmission of data such as noise, PM 2.5, harmful gas concentration, illumination, GPS, and video images, providing a reliable guarantee for timely environmental pollution control.

Pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR), used in state-of-the-art smartphones, calculates pedestrian positions by using built-in inertial sensors. However, the complex and changeable usage modes of smartphones have been obstructing the development of PDR in the field of gait detection. Since the measurement of the sensor is affected by noise, position errors will emerge, needing to be corrected periodically via external measurements. To this end, an optimization-based PDR (OBPDR) method for smartphones is proposed in this study. First, an improved finite state machine (IFSM) gait detection method is designed, which can improve the gait recognition rate and stability compared with the traditional peak detection method. Second, the step detection algorithm proposed in this paper is combined with a heading estimation to obtain the PDR dynamic model. Finally, the measurements of GNSS are fused to the PDR model, based on an adaptive extended Kalman filter (AEKF) algorithm, which can enhance the adaptability of the system to the environment in order to reduce the cumulative errors of PDR. Experiments are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results indicate that compared with the gait detection method, based on peak detection, and the integrated positioning method, based on an extended Kalman filter, the proposed method boasts favorable robustness and a high gait recognition rate, the recognition accuracy being kept between 97.5% and 98.5%; the average position error decreased by more than 67.25%.

Private set intersection (PSI) is a fundamental cryptographic protocol, which has many important applications, such as personal properties matching, data sharing, or data mining. PSI has been widely studied in the literature, and many PSI protocols have been presented; however, today, many real-world applications do not use a secure PSI protocol, mainly because current PSI protocols have two issues: the insufficient efficiency and not considering the secure storage of users' datasets. Without using the PSI protocols, users of the real-world applications will sacrifice their privacy. In this paper, we propose a new approach for sets representation, which denotes sets by bit vectors and naturally hides the cardinality of a set. The new approach is particularly suitable to cloud computing environments. Then, we present two practical PSI and PSI cardinality protocols based on an additive homomorphic public-key cryptosystem (PKC). The new protocols enjoy two main advantages: 1) they are more efficient than other related protocols, especially when the set size is less than 212 and 2) the approach used in our protocols provides a good solution to securely store users' datasets, and the encrypted datasets could be used as protocols' messages directly without any additional computations. Finally, we implement our PSI and PSI cardinality protocols with Paillier PKC and ElGamal PKC in Java.

A deuterium permeation barrier is an essential part in the core component of nuclear reactors. It can protect the structure made of steel from being penetrated by deuterium in a fusion reactor. However, residual stress induced in the operation would dramatically influence the mechanical endurance of the coating, threatening the safety of the facilities. In this paper, finite element analysis was conducted to investigate the residual stress in nanoscale Al2O3 and Y2O3 coatings and their composites under thermal shock, from 700°C to 25°C. The max principal stress is assumed as the cause of crack initiation in the coating, because ceramics are brittle and fragile under tensile stress. Max shear stress and max Mises stress in the systems are also analyzed, and the effect of thickness in the range 100 nm to 1000 nm was investigated. The max principal stress in Al2O3 coating reaches its maximum value, 1.33 GPa, when the thickness of coating reaches 450 nm. And the max principal stress decreases at a very low rate as the thickness increases exceeding 450 nm. The max principal stress in Y2O3 coating increases rapidly as the thickness increases when the thickness of the coating is below 250 nm, and the max principal stress is at about 0.9 GPa when the thickness exceeds 500 nm. The max principal stress in the Y2O3/Al2O3 (150 nm) composite coating occurs in the Al2O3 layer and shows no difference from the single layer of 150 nm thick Al2O3 coating. The max principal stress site of all three kinds of coating is located at the edge of the coating 25 nm away from the interface. The result shows that residual thermal stress in the coating increases as the thickness increases when the thickness of the coating is below 200 nm due to the stress singularity of the interface. And as the thickness exceeds 500 nm, the increase in thickness has little impact on the residual thermal stress in the coating. Coating an Y2O3 top layer will not introduce any more residual thermal stress under the thermal shock condition. The Y2O3 coating causes much less residual stress under thermal shock compared with Al2O3 owing to its much lower Young’s modulus. The max principal stress in the 300 nm thick Y2O3 coating is 0.85 GPa while that of the Al2O3 coating is 1.16 GPa. The max residual stress of the composite Y2O3/Al2O3 (150 nm) coating is determined by the Al2O3 layer.

The Al/Al2O3 composite deuterium barrier was deposited on the polished side of 316 L stainless steel by the method of radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The influence of the introduction of Al transition layer on the deuterium resistance performance of Al2O3 ceramic coating was studied. The field emission scanning electron microscope (SEM), the grazing incident X-ray diffraction technique (GIXRD), and the auger electron spectroscopy (AES) were used to analyze the microscopic morphology, phase, and element distribution in the depth direction of the Al/Al2O3 coating, and the gas-driver permeation method was used to measure the deuterium permeation behavior of the coating sample. The results show that Al2O3 is amorphous after annealing at 873 K. Due to the oxidation of the Al transition layer, the connection between the coating and the substrate is tightly connected. Under the combined action of permeation temperature and pressure of 873 K and 80 kPa, the deuterium permeability of Al/Al2O3 coating is 6.35×10−14 mol·m-1·s-1·Pa-0.5, which shows that the Al/Al2O3 coating has excellent deuterium permeation resistance. Furthermore, deuterium permeability of the Al/Al2O3 coating was diminished by about 2 orders of magnitude compared with 316 L stainless steel, and it is reduced 2~3 times compared with the single Al2O3 coating sample. The study indicates that the introduction of the Al transition layer can significantly enhance the barrier effect of the Al/Al2O3 coating sample.

Abstract Background Individuals with prehypertension are at higher risk of developing hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, while the interaction between factors may aggravate prehypertension risk. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for prehypertension in Chinese middle-aged and elderly adults, and explore the potentially interactive effect of evaluated factors. Methods All the participants that came from a community based cross-sectional survey were investigated in Bengbu, China, by being interviewed with a questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI), Waist circumference (WC) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) that reflect participants’ obesity were also calculated. In addition, logistic regression model was applied to explore the risk factors of prehypertension, followed by the assessment of the interactive effects between risk factors on prehypertension by the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI). Results A total of 1777 participants were enrolled in this study, among which the prevalence of normtension, prehypertension and hypertension were 41.70%, 33.93% and 24.37% respectively. According to the multivariate logistic regression analysis, age (OR: 1.01, 95%CI: 1.00–1.02), smoking (OR: 1.67, 95%CI: 1.22–2.29), family history of cardiovascular diseases (OR: 1.52, 95%CI: 1.14–2.02), general obesity (OR: 1.51, 95%CI: 1.15–1.97) and LAP (OR: 2.58, 95%CI: 1.76–3.80) were all defined as the major factors that significantly related with the risk of prehypertension. When identifying prehypertension risk, the receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) curves (AUC) analysis indicated that LAP performed better than BMI in males (Z = 2.05, P = 0.03) and females (Z = 2.12, P = 0.03), but was superior to WC only in females (Z = 2.43, P = 0.01). What is more, there were significant interactive effects of LAP with family history of cardiovascular diseases (RERI: 1.88, 95%CI: 0.25–3.51; AP: 0.44, 95%CI: 0.20–0.69; SI: 2.37, 95%CI: 1.22–4.60) and smoking (RERI: 1.99, 95%CI: 0.04–3.93; AP: 0.42, 95%CI: 0.17–0.67; SI: 2.16, 95%CI: 1.68–4.00) on prehypertension risk. The value of AP (0.40, 95%CI: 0.03–0.77) also indicated a significant interaction between family history of cardiovascular diseases and smoking on prehypertension. Conclusion Prehypertension is currently prevalent in Chinese adults. This study indicated that age, family history of cardiovascular diseases, smoking, general obesity and LAP were significantly related with prehypertension risk. Furthermore, interactive effects on risk of prehypertension had been demonstrated in this study as well, which would help researchers to build strategy against prehypertension more comprehensively and scientifically.

Rotation modulation (RM) has been widely used in navigation systems to significantly improve the navigation accuracy of inertial navigation systems (INSs). However, the traditional single-axis rotation modulation cannot achieve the modulation of all the constant errors in the three directions; thus, it is not suitable for application in highly dynamic environments due to requirements for high precision in missiles. Aiming at the problems of error accumulation and divergence in the direction of rotation axis existing in the traditional single-axis rotation modulation, a novel rotation scheme is proposed. Firstly, the error propagation principle of the new rotation modulation scheme is analyzed. Secondly, the condition of realizing the error modulation with constant error is discussed. Finally, the original rotation modulation navigation algorithm is optimized for the new rotation modulation scheme. The experiment and simulation results show that the new rotation scheme can effectively modulate the error divergence of roll angle and improve the accuracy of roll angle by two orders of magnitude.

Aims. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is put forward as a powerful marker showing the accumulation of visceral fat. The present study is aimed at (i) analyzing the predictive performances of LAP in the identification of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) in Chinese population and (ii) exploring the potentially interactive effect between LAP and other factors on IFG risk. Methods. Analysis was conducted on the data obtained from a community-based cross-sectional survey in Chinese population, and all the participants enrolled were required to complete a face-to-face questionnaire survey and related health checks. Then, for the purpose of comparing predictive values between LAP and conventional obesity indices for IFG, relevant analysis was carried out on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The assessment of interactive effects was conducted by employing the three indicators as follows: (1) RERI (the relative excess risk due to interaction), (2) AP (attributable proportion due to interaction), and (3) SI (synergy index). Results. A total of 1777 participants (748 males and 1029 females) were involved in the final analysis. It was finally obtained that the prevalence rate of IFG was 14.1% in total, 15.5% for males and 13.1% for females, respectively. In logistic regression analysis, individuals with LAP levels in the fourth quartile had a significant higher risk of getting IFG in comparison with that of the lowest quartile (crude OR: 4.58, 95% CI: 3.01-6.98; adjusted OR: 3.81, 95% CI: 2.33-6.23). In addition, it was indicated by the ROC curve analysis that LAP showed a better performance in discriminating IFG risk than BMI in both males (Z=2.20, P=0.028) and females (Z=2.13, P=0.033). However, LAP displayed a higher predictability in comparison with WC only in females (Z=2.07, P=0.038), but not in males (Z=0.18, P=0.860). Furthermore, LAP and family history of diabetes were able to impose significant synergistic interaction on the risk of IFG, which was indicated by all the parameters in females (RERI: 2.52, 95% CI: 0.19-4.84; AP: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20-0.74; SI: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.17-4.87) and males (RERI: 2.18, 95% CI: 0.08-4.73; AP: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.07-0.79; SI: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.03-5.45). However, none of the indicators showed significant interaction between LAP and smoking on the risk of IFG in females (RERI: 0.92, 95% CI: -2.79-4.63; AP: 0.20, 95% CI: -0.50-0.92; SI: 1.37, 95% CI: 0.42-4.52). Meanwhile, there was also no significant interaction between LAP and smoking on the risk of IFG in males as indicated by the value of SI (2.22, 95% CI: 0.80-6.21). Conclusion. It was concluded that LAP was significantly related to a higher risk of IFG in Chinese population, and its performance was superior to that of conventional obesity indices, especially in females. Apart from that, LAP with family history of diabetes may have an interactive effect that can impose a great influence on the development of IFG.

Precision-guided projectiles, which can significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of fire strikes, are on the rise in current military engagements. The accurate measurement of roll angular rate is critical to guide a gun-launched projectile. However, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) gyroscope with low cost and large range cannot meet the requirement of high precision roll angular rate measurement due to the limitation by the current technology level. Aiming at the problem, the optimization-based angular rate estimation (OBARS) method specific for projectiles is proposed in this study. First, the output angular rate model of redundant gyroscope system based on the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model is established, and then the conventional random error model is improved with the ARIMA model. After that, a Sage-Husa Adaptive Kalman Filter (SHAKF) algorithm that can suppress the time-varying process and measurement noise under the flight condition of the high dynamic of the projectile is designed for the fusion of dynamic data. Finally, simulations and experiments have been carried out to validate the performance of the method. The results demonstrate the proposed method can effectively improve the angular rate accuracy more than the related traditional methods for high spinning projectiles.

The optimization-based alignment (OBA) methods, which are implemented by the optimal attitude estimation using vector observations—also called double-vectors—have proven to be effective at solving the in-flight alignment (IFA) problem. However, the traditional OBA methods are not applicable for the low-cost strap-down inertial navigation system (SINS) since the error of double-vectors will be accumulated over time due to the substantial drift of micro-electronic- mechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope. Moreover, the existing optimal estimation method is subject to a large computation burden, which results in a low alignment speed. To address these issues, in this article we propose a new fast IFA method based on modified double-vectors construction and the gradient descent method. To be specific, the modified construction method is implemented by reducing the integration interval and identifying the gyroscope bias during the construction procedure, which improves the accuracy of double-vectors and IFA; the gradient descent scheme is adopted to estimate the optimal attitude of alignment without complex matrix operation, which results in the improvement of alignment speed. The effect of different sizes of mini-batch on the performance of the gradient descent method is also discussed. Extensive simulations and vehicle experiments demonstrate that the proposed method has better accuracy and faster alignment speed than the related traditional methods for the low-cost SINS/global positioning system (GPS) integrated navigation system

Reducing the cost of pollution control during exploitation of shale gas is of great significance for achieving sustainable development of energy and environmental. This paper takes the cost control of pollution control in the exploitation process of shale gas as the research objective, constructs the accounting system of pollution control cost in the exploitation process of shale gas and establishes the systematic measurement model of environmental cost. The M shale gas company is taken as an example and conducts the case analysis of the cost control of pollution control in the exploitation process of shale gas. The research results show that the pollution control cost in the exploitation process of shale gas includes environmental prevention and control cost and environmental damage cost. Through the analysis of the cost control result of M company Analysis, it realizes the internalization of external cost. This study provides references for shale gas companies to achieve scientific management and control decision-making of environmental costs and is of certain practical significance.

OBJECTIVES:Lipid accumulation product (LAP) is a simple and effective indicator that reflects visceral obesity. This study aimed to compare the significance of LAP in predicting hypertension risk with other obesity indices, and to evaluate the interactive effects of LAP and smoking, family history of hypertension on hypertension risk in Chinese Han adults. METHODS:A community based cross-sectional study was performed in Bengbu, China. Participants received face-to-face questionnaire survey, anthropometric tests and laboratory examinations. Relevant indicators that reflect obesity including BMI (body mass index), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and LAP were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to explore the association between LAP and hypertension risk. The area under the receiver-operating characteristics curves (AUC) of LAP, BMI, and WHtR were calculated and then compared. Interactive effect was evaluated by relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) and synergy index (SI). RESULTS:A total of 1777 participants were enrolled, and the prevalence of hypertension was 24.4% (n = 433). There was a significant increase in hypertension risk with LAP levels in the fourth quartile as compared with the bottom quartile (OR: 3.31, 95%CI: 1.76-6.25). The AUC of LAP was significantly different than that of BMI in males (Z = 2.158, p = 0.0309) and females (Z = 3.570, p = 0.0004), while only performed better in females as compared with that of WHtR (Z = 2.166, p = 0.0303). LAP was significantly interacted with family history of hypertension on hypertension risk both in males (RERI: 1.07, 95%CI: 0.09-2.05; AP: 0.33, 95%CI: 0.23-0.44; SI: 1.92, 95%CI: 1.53-2.41) and females (RERI: 0.80, 95%CI: 0.07-1.53; AP: 0.25, 95%CI: 0.11-0.39; SI: 1.59, 95%CI: 1.16-2.19). However, a significant interaction between LAP and smoking was only observed in males (RERI: 1.32, 95%CI: 0.15-2.75; AP: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.14-0.73). CONCLUSION:Increased LAP was significantly associated with a higher risk of hypertension in Chinese Han adults. Moreover, the effect of LAP on predicting hypertension risk was better than that of other obesity indices. Our results also demonstrated interactive effects of LAP with smoking, family history of hypertension on hypertension risk.

Spatially separating speech maskers from target speech often leads to a large intelligibility improvement. Modeling this phenomenon has long been of interest to binaural-hearing researchers for uncovering brain mechanisms and for improving signal-processing algorithms in hearing-assistive devices. Much of the previous binaural modeling work focused on the unmasking enabled by binaural cues at the periphery, and little quantitative modeling has been directed toward the grouping or source-separation benefits of binaural processing. In this article, we propose a binaural model that focuses on grouping, specifically on the selection of time-frequency units that are dominated by signals from the direction of the target. The proposed model uses Equalization-Cancellation (EC) processing with a binary decision rule to estimate a time-frequency binary mask. EC processing is carried out to cancel the target signal and the energy change between the EC input and output is used as a feature that reflects target dominance in each time-frequency unit. The processing in the proposed model requires little computational resources and is straightforward to implement. In combination with the Coherence-based Speech Intelligibility Index, the model is applied to predict the speech intelligibility data measured by Marrone et al. The predicted speech reception threshold matches the pattern of the measured data well, even though the predicted intelligibility improvements relative to the colocated condition are larger than some of the measured data, which may reflect the lack of internal noise in this initial version of the model.

The ability to selectively target disease-related tissues with molecules is critical to the design of effective therapeutic and diagnostic reagents. Recognizing the differences between the in vivo environment and in vitro conditions, we employed an in vivo selection strategy to identify RNA aptamers (targeting motifs) that could localize to tumor in situ. One of the selected molecules is an aptamer that binds to the protein DHX9, an RNA helicase that is known to be upregulated in colorectal cancer. Upon systemic administration, the aptamer preferentially localized to the nucleus of cancer cells in vivo and thus has the potential to be used for targeted delivery.

Porphyromonas endodontalis (P. endodontalis) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is associated with the progression of bone resorption in periodontal and periapical diseases. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression and activity are elevated in apical periodontitis and have been suggested to participate in bone resorption. Therefore, inhibiting MMP-2 activation may be considered a therapeutic strategy for treating apical periodontitis. Resveratrol is a natural non-flavonoid polyphenol that has been reported to have antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the capacity of resveratrol to protect osteoblast cells from P. endodontalis LPS insults and the mechanism of its inhibitory effects on MMP-2 activation is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that cell viability is unchanged when 10 mg L−1 P. endodontalis LPS is used, and MMP-2 expression is drastically induced by P. endodontalis LPS in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Twenty micromolar resveratrol did not reduce MC3T3-E1 cell viability. Resveratrol increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, and Compound C, a specific AMPK inhibitor, partially abolished the resveratrol-mediated phosphorylation of AMPK. In addition, AMPK inhibition blocked the effects of resveratrol on MMP-2 expression and activity in LPS-induced MC3T3-E1 cells. Treatment with resveratrol also induced suppressor of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1) expression in MC3T3-E1 cells. SOCS1 siRNA negated the inhibitory effects of resveratrol on LPS-induced MMP-2 production. Additionally, resveratrol-induced SOCS1 upregulation was reduced by treatment with compound C. These results demonstrate that AMPK and SOCS1 activation are important signaling events during resveratrol-mediated inhibition of MMP-2 production in response to LPS in MC3T3-E1 cells, and there is crosstalk between AMPK and SOCS1 signaling.