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Compound Danshen dropping pill (CDDP), a famous Chinese medicine formula, has been widely used to treat high-altitude heart disease in China. However, its molecular mechanisms, potential targets, and bioactive ingredients remain elusive. In this study, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and validation experiments were combined to investigate the effective active ingredients and molecular mechanisms of CDDP in the treatment of high-altitude heart disease. Tan IIA may be the main active component of CDDP in the treatment of high-altitude heart disease via HIF-1/PI3K/Akt pathways.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation in the brain is a pivotal event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), and its clearance from the brain is impaired in sporadic AD. Previous studies suggest that approximately half of the Aβ produced in the brain is cleared by transport into the periphery. However, the mechanism and pathophysiological significance of peripheral Aβ clearance remain largely unknown. The kidney is thought to be responsible for Aβ clearance, but direct evidence is lacking. In this study, we investigated the impact of unilateral nephrectomy on the dynamic changes in Aβ in the blood and brain in both humans and animals and on behavioural deficits and AD pathologies in animals. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of the diuretic furosemide on Aβ clearance via the kidney were assessed. We detected Aβ in the kidneys and urine of both humans and animals and found that the Aβ level in the blood of the renal artery was higher than that in the blood of the renal vein. Unilateral nephrectomy increased brain Aβ deposition; aggravated AD pathologies, including Tau hyperphosphorylation, glial activation, neuroinflammation, and neuronal loss; and aggravated cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. In addition, chronic furosemide treatment reduced blood and brain Aβ levels and attenuated AD pathologies and cognitive deficits in APP/PS1 mice. Our findings demonstrate that the kidney physiologically clears Aβ from the blood, suggesting that facilitation of Aβ clearance via the kidney represents a novel potential therapeutic approach for AD.

The decline of fossil fuels is fostering research on carbon–neutral fuels such as nuclear energy, yet uranium supply is limited by actual techniques of uranium extraction from seawater. In particular, biofouling by marine bacteria and adsorbent instability are major drawbacks. Here we synthesized a novel amidoxime-functionalized antibacterial covalent organic framework that displays high stability and inhibits more than 90% the growth of marine bacteria, thus resulting in an enhanced uranium recovery capacity of 6.64 mg/g. Meanwhile, due to its exceptional fluorescence properties, the adsorbent can also be applied to highly sensitive on-site and real-time monitoring of UO22+.

Meeting the demand for fresh water and energy is among the major challenges to the development of human civilization. Herein, we report the concept of a covalent organic framework hydrogel (named CPP) as a synergistic platform for seawater desalination and uranium extraction. In natural seawater, CPP shows an exceptional evaporation rate (0.744 kg m−2 h−1) and uranium extraction capacity (4.15 mg g−1), which benefits from the hydrophilic 3D hydrogel network and capillary microporous channels of CPP providing adequate water transport, improving the mass transfer of uranyl ions, and increasing the binding sites of uranyl ions. In addition, CPP exploits interfacial solar heating to limit heat, increases solar energy utilization, and further accelerates the coordination between uranium and binding sites. The excellent photocatalytic effects endow CPP with high anti-biofouling activity, achieving long-term solar desalination and highly efficient uranium extraction. The connection between freshwater and nuclear energy is realized in a new material providing an opportunity to meet the growing needs of mankind.

Considering that the garbage classification is urgent, a 23-layer convolutional neural network (CNN) model is designed in this paper, with the emphasis on the real-time garbage classification, to solve the low accuracy of garbage classification and recycling and difficulty in manual recycling. Firstly, the depthwise separable convolution was used to reduce the Params of the model. Then, the attention mechanism was used to improve the accuracy of the garbage classification model. Finally, the model fine-tuning method was used to further improve the performance of the garbage classification model. Besides, we compared the model with classic image classification models including AlexNet, VGG16, and ResNet18 and lightweight classification models including MobileNetV2 and SuffleNetV2 and found that the model GAF_dense has a higher accuracy rate, fewer Params, and FLOPs. To further check the performance of the model, we tested the CIFAR-10 data set and found the accuracy rates of the model (GAF_dense) are 0.018 and 0.03 higher than ResNet18 and SufflenetV2, respectively. In the ImageNet data set, the accuracy rates of the model (GAF_dense) are 0.225 and 0.146 higher than Resnet18 and SufflenetV2, respectively. Therefore, the garbage classification model proposed in this paper is suitable for garbage classification and other classification tasks to protect the ecological environment, which can be applied to classification tasks such as environmental science, children’s education, and environmental protection.

It is traditionally believed that cerebral amyloid-beta (Aβ) deposits are derived from the brain itself in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Peripheral cells such as blood cells also produce Aβ. The role of peripherally produced Aβ in the pathogenesis of AD remains unknown. In this study, we established a bone marrow transplantation model to investigate the contribution of blood cell-produced Aβ to AD pathogenesis. We found that bone marrow cells (BMCs) transplanted from APPswe/PS1dE9 transgenic mice into wild-type (Wt) mice at 3 months of age continuously expressed human Aβ in the blood, and caused AD phenotypes including Aβ plaques, cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), tau hyperphosphorylation, neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and behavioral deficits in the Wt recipient mice at 12 months after transplantation. Bone marrow reconstitution in APPswe/PS1dE9 mice with Wt-BMCs at 3 months of age reduced blood Aβ levels, and alleviated brain Aβ burden, neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and behavioral deficits in the AD model mice at 12 months after transplantation. Our study demonstrated that blood cell-produced Aβ plays a significant role in AD pathogenesis, and the elimination of peripheral production of Aβ can decrease brain Aβ deposition and represents a novel therapeutic approach for AD.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to explore the performance of MRI radiomics in predicting the pathologic classification and TNM staging of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Clinical and MRI data for 189 patients with TETs were retrospectively collected. A total of 2088 radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted images and T2-weighted fat-suppressed (FS) images. With the use of a support vector machine with recursive feature elimination, the optimal feature subsets were selected and used to construct two predictive models for pathologic classification and TNM staging. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, we incorporated the radiomics model, conventional MRI findings, and clinical variables to develop a radiomics nomogram for predicting risk stratification of advanced TETs. RESULTS. Of the extracted features, 125 features were selected to construct the radiomics model for predicting pathologic classification, and 69 features were selected to construct the radiomics model for predicting TNM staging. The models achieved AUC values of 0.880 and 0.948 in the training cohort and 0.771 and 0.908 in the test cohort, respectively, for distinguishing among low-risk thymomas, high-risk thymomas, and thymic carcinomas and differentiating between early-stage and advanced-stage TETs. The radiomics model, symptom, and pericardial effusion constituted a radiomics nomogram, with an AUC value of 0.967 (95% CI, 0.891-0.989) in the training cohort and 0.957 (95% CI, 0.842-0.974) in the test cohort. CONCLUSION. MRI radiomics analysis has the potential to differentiate the pathologic classification and TNM staging of TETs. A radiomics nomogram provides a useful tool for in dividualized prediction of the risk of advanced-stage TET before a patient undergoes treatment.

Deficits in the clearance of amyloid β protein (Aβ) by the peripheral system play a critical role in the pathogenesis of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Impaired uptake of Aβ by dysfunctional monocytes is deemed to be one of the major mechanisms underlying deficient peripheral Aβ clearance in AD. In the current study, flow cytometry and biochemical and behavioral techniques were applied to investigate the effects of polysaccharide krestin (PSK) on AD-related pathology in vitro and in vivo. We found that PSK, widely used in therapy for various cancers, has the potential to enhance Aβ uptake and intracellular processing by human monocytes in vitro. After administration of PSK by intraperitoneal injection, APP/PS1 mice performed better in behavioral tests, along with reduced Aβ deposition, neuroinflammation, neuronal loss, and tau hyperphosphorylation. These results suggest that PSK holds promise as a preventive agent for AD by strengthening the Aβ clearance by blood monocytes and alleviating AD-like pathology. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12264-021-00779-5.

Cheng-Rong Wu,1 Hua-Lei Cai,2 Di-Xian Cai,3 Tao-Lan Li,1 Rong Shen,2 Dan Zi2 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Psychology, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Hua-Lei CaiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, No. 28 of Guiyi Street, Yunyan District, Guiyang, 550004, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 18198132660Fax +86 851-86855119Email caihualei_dr@163.comObjective: The growth of oviduct mucosa in the uterine cavity was observed by co-culture of oviduct mucosa cells and endometrial cells in different proportions to study the possibility and function of the growth of oviduct mucosa in the uterine cavity.Methods: The extracted cells were identified by immunofluorescence with cytokeratins 19 (CK19) and vimentin. A Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) experiment, cell decidualization induction, and HE staining were performed after the co-culture of two kinds of cells in different proportions.Results: 1) The cells could grow normally when the two cells were co-cultured indirectly. 2) A CCK8 test of oviduct mucosa cells showed that the growth rate of each group was similar after the indirect co-culture of two kinds of cells in different proportions, which was in line with the growth law of normal cells. 3) Immunofluorescence identification of the cells showed that most of the two kinds of cells in the second passage were CK19 positive and were epithelial cells, while most of the cells in the fifth passage expressed positive vimentin antibody and were stroma cells. 4) After cell decidualization induction, the cell morphology of each group showed deciduation-like changes. 5) After decidualization, the cell morphology of each group was similar after HE staining.Conclusion: Oviduct mucosa cells can grow normally in the uterine environment. In the uterine environment with different degrees of endometrial loss, the growth rate of oviduct mucosa cells is not inhibited. Its morphology does not change, and it can undergo decidualization in vitro.Keywords: oviduct mucosa, endometrium, co-culture, endometrial receptivity, intrauterine adhesion

Background The role of α1 adrenergic receptors (α1-ARs) signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has rarely been investigated. Clarifying pathophysiological functions of α1-ARs in the AD brain is helpful for better understanding the pathogenesis and screening novel therapeutic target of AD. Methods This study included 2 arms of in vivo investigations: 1) 6-month-old female APPswe/PS1 mice were intravenously treated with AAV-PHP.eB-shRNA (ARs)-GFP or AAV-PHP.eB-GFP for 3 months. 2) 3-month-old female APPswe/PS1 mice were daily treated with 0.5 mg/kg terazosin or equal saline for 6 months. SH-SY5Y cell lines bearing human Amyloid precurssor protein were treated with terazosin or saline for investigating possible mechanisms. Results α1-ARs knockdown mice exhibited improved behavioral performances than control mice. α1-ARs knockdown mice had significantly lower brain amyloid burden, as reflected by soluble Aβ species, compact and total plaques, than control mice. The α1-ARs inhibitor terazosin substantially reduced Aβ deposition, attenuated downstream pathologies including Tau hyperphosphorylation, glial activation, neuronal loss, synaptic dysfunction, and rescued behavioral deficits of APPswe/PS1 mice. In vitro investigation demonstrated that α1-ARs inhibition down-regulated BACE1 expression, and promoted ser9 phosphorylation of GSK-3β, thus reduced Aβ production. Conclusions This study indicates that inhibition of α1-ARs signaling pathway might represent a promising therapeutic strategy for AD.

We propose a high sensitivity optical fiber sensor for detecting the acoustic emission generated by the partial discharge in gas-insulated-switchgear (GIS). A model is established to investigate the effects of the cylinder coil on the sensitivity, the bandwidth, and the detection limit. After that, the proposed sensor was modified based on the effects. The average sensitivity of the optimized acoustic emission (AE) optical fiber sensor is 32 dB higher than that of the conventional lead zirconate titanate (PZT) in the frequency range from 20 kHz to 100 kHz. Moreover, the experimental results show that the detectable partial discharge initial voltage for the proposed optical system is 17.1% lower than that for the PZT system, and the amplitude of the signal detected by the proposed optical system is 525% higher than that detected by the PZT system.

We proposed a centimeter-resolution insulator strain measuring system based on the optical frequency domain reflectometry to achieve hundreds points distribution measurement. The details of the optical fiber arrangement and signal processing algorithm to obtain the strain distribution on an insulator is presented. A calibration experiment based on a uniform strength beam was carried out to determine the strain sensing factor. Hydrostatic test results demonstrate the accomplishment of 210 points strain distribution measurement with a 1-cm spatial resolution using the proposed system on a 126-kV insulator. Then, the strain distribution on the whole insulator is presented, which is hardly to realized using the conventional strain gauges. The proposed centimeter resolution insulator strain distribution measurement system is suitable for more comprehensive epoxy insulator manufacture processes studies.

To explore the value of combining apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) and texture parameters from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the pathological subtypes and stages of thymic epithelial tumors (TETs). Fifty-seven patients with TETs confirmed by pathological analysis were retrospectively enrolled. ADC values and optimal texture feature parameters were compared for differences among low-risk thymoma (LRT), high-risk thymoma (HRT), and thymic carcinoma (TC) by one-way ANOVA, and between early and advanced stages of TETs were tested using the independent samples t test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the differentiating efficacy. The ADC values in LRT and HRT were significantly higher than the values in TC (p = 0.004 and 0.001, respectively), also in early stage, values were significantly higher than ones in advanced stage of TETs (p

Online dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is an effective technique to obtain the health status information of insulation oil in power transformers. The typical hydrocarbon gases (methane, ethyne, ethene, ethane) decomposed from insulation oil, are the key indicators to diagnose the fault type and severity. To realize contactless and field measurement, a multi-gas detection system based on tunable diode laser absorption spectrum (TDLAS) is proposed in this paper. Critical technique problems on the light source, long path gas cell, and the topology for multi-gas detection are investigated. Individual central wavelengths of hydrocarbon gases are set at as 1653.72 nm for methane, 1530.37 nm for ethyne, 1620.04 nm for ethene and 1679.06 nm for ethane in the near infrared band. A 10.13 m long multi-pass gas cell is developed with the advantage of anti-vibration design. To share the optical absorption path, an optical switch is adopted to merge the multi-gas detection system. The high sensitivity of the TDLAS multi-gas detection system was demonstrated in the laboratory calibrations, with ethyne detection reaching sub-parts per million level, and the other hydrocarbon gases achieving ppm level. Furthermore, the comparison detection in the real 220 kV power transformer gave evidence to the effective monitoring of DGA, proving it an alternative approach to online detection of multiple gases in power transformer oil.

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the technology has penetrated deeply into the core areas of high-level education. Higher vocational colleges should help the existing artificial intelligence technology to cultivate more outstanding talents, completely change the traditional teaching mode, make the teaching more scientific, lively and interesting. It should gradually cultivate the ability of students to learn independently, and improve the comprehensive ability, and constantly strengthen the speed and efficiency of basic teaching.

According to the World Health Organization global status report on road safety, traffic accidents are the eighth leading cause of death in the world, and nearly one-fifth of the traffic accidents were cause by driver distractions. Inspired by the famous two-stream convolutional neural network (CNN) model, we propose a driver behavior analysis system using one spatial stream ConvNet to extract the spatial features and one temporal stream ConvNet to capture the driver&rsquo, s motion information. Instead of using three-dimensional (3D) ConvNet, which would suffer from large parameters and the lack of a pre-trained model, two-dimensional (2D) ConvNet is used to construct the spatial and temporal ConvNet streams, and they were pre-trained by the large-scale ImageNet. In addition, in order to integrate different modalities, the feature-level fusion methodology was applied, and a fusion network was designed to integrate the spatial and temporal features for further classification. Moreover, a self-compiled dataset of 10 actions in the vehicle was established. According to the experimental results, the proposed system can increase the accuracy rate by nearly 30% compared to the two-stream CNN model with a score-level fusion.

Accurately predicting the WHO classification of thymomas is urgently needed to optimize individualized therapeutic strategies. We aimed to develop and validate a combined radiomics nomogram for personalized prediction of histologic subtypes in patients with thymomas. A total of 182 thymoma patients were divided into training (n = 128) and test (n = 54) cohorts. Radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted, T2-weighted fat suppression, and diffusion-weighted images to establish a radiomics signature in the training cohort. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to develop a combined radiomics nomogram that incorporated clinical, conventional MR imaging variables, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, and radiomics signature. The efficacy of clinical, conventional MR imaging, or ADC model was also evaluated respectively. The performances of different models were compared by receiver operating characteristic analysis and Delong test. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness of the combined radiomics nomogram were assessed. The radiomics signature, consisting of 14 features, achieved favorable predictive efficacy in differentiating low-risk from high-risk thymomas, outperforming clinical, conventional MR imaging, and ADC models. The combined radiomics nomogram incorporating tumor shape, ADC value, and radiomics signature yielded the best performance (training cohort: area under the curve [AUC] = 0.946, test cohort: AUC = 0.878). The calibration curve and decision curve analysis indicated the clinical utility of the combined radiomics nomogram. The radiomics signature is a useful tool that can be used to predict histologic subtypes of thymomas. The combined radiomics nomogram improved the individualized subtype prediction in patients with thymomas. • Fourteen robust features were selected to develop a radiomics signature for preoperative prediction of thymoma subtype. • MRI-based radiomics signature can differentiate low-risk thymomas from high-risk thymomas with favorable predictive efficacy compared with clinical, conventional MR imaging, and ADC models. • Combined radiomics nomogram based on tumor shape, ADC value, and radiomics signature could improve the individualized subtype prediction in patients with thymomas.

This study proposes an integrated deep network consisting of a detection and identification module for person search. Person search is a very challenging problem because of the large appearance variation caused by occlusion, background clutter, pose variations, etc., and it is still an active research issue in the academic and industrial fields. Although various studies have been proposed, following the protocols of the person re-identification (ReID) benchmarks, most existing works take cropped pedestrian images either from manual labelling or a perfect detection assumption. However, for person search, manual processing is unavailable in practical applications, thereby causing a gap between the ReID problem setting and practical applications. One fact is also ignored: an imperfect auto-detected bounding box or misalignment is inevitable. We design herein a framework for the practical surveillance scenarios in which the scene images are captured. For person search, detection is a necessary step before ReID, and previous studies have shown that the precision of detection results has an influence on person ReID. The detection module based on the Faster R-CNN is used to detect persons in a scene image. For identifying and extracting discriminative features, a multi-class CNN network is trained with the auto-detected bounding boxes from the detection module, instead of the manually cropped data. The distance metric is then learned from the discriminative features output by the identification module. According to the experimental results of the test performed in the scene images, the multi-class CNN network for the identification module can provide a 62.7% accuracy rate, which is higher than that for the two-class CNN network.

In recent years, GIS compact design has gradually been recognized and adopted by the industry. In the trend of the compact design, the insulation performance of the cone-type spacer is getting more and more attention by GIS manufacturers and grid operators and maintenance departments. In particular, under the action of DC residual pressure, the insulation properties of cone-type spacer become the focus of attention of all parties. Based on the field equipment operating conditions, the experimental study of DC residual voltage for the true cone-type spacer insulation performance is significant. In order to obtain the proposed pre-stressed time of DC voltage and distributions of surface charge, for the insulation test of 500 kV cone-type spacer under lightning impulse with DC voltage superimposed. A full scale surface charge measurement platform is build up for 500 kV GIS spacer. Then, long-term DC voltage experiments were carried out to obtain the distributions of surface charge on spacer in stationary state under different voltages. Moreover, the saturation time of surface charge accumulation under different DC electric stress is calculated and discussed. The study results show that (1) the distribution of surface charge on spacer is not uniform. It can be observed that on most areas of 500 kV spacer concave surface is dominated by the electric conduction through the volume with positive charges. (2) The time constant of surface charge accumulation decreases with the residual DC voltage amplitude, it can be estimated that the saturation time of surface charge accumulation on 500 kV cone-type spacer is about 23 h for the residual DC voltage reach to 1.0 p.u. The study results are thought to be helpful to the insulation test of 500 kV conetype spacer under impulse voltage with a superimposed residual DC voltage.

To overcome the low sensitivity of power transformer partial discharge (PD) detection by a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensor, we propose a novel PD detection system based on phase-shifted fiber Bragg gratings (PS-FBG). Compared with the conventional method, the proposed sensor can be installed inside the power transformer, which takes the advantage of the optical fiber status as an insulator. Distributed PD detection is achieved using wavelength and time-division multiplexing. Frequency response experiments indicate that the sensitivity of the PS-FBG is 8.46 dB higher than that of the conventional ultrasonic sensor. Moreover, a PD detection experiment shows that the PD sensitivity of the PS-FBG immersed in oil is 17.5 times higher than that of the PZT sensor. Furthermore, the multiplexing and the feasibility of defect localization of the proposed distributed PD detection system are demonstrated.

Dissolved gas analysis (DGA) is widely used in monitoring and diagnosing of power transformer, since the insulation material in the power transformer decomposes gases under abnormal operation condition. Among the gases, acetylene, as a symbol of low energy spark discharge and high energy electrical faults (arc discharge) of power transformer, is an important monitoring parameter. The current gas detection method used by the online DGA equipment suffers from problems such as cross sensitivity, electromagnetic compatibility and reliability. In this paper, an optical gas detection system based on TDLAS technology is proposed to detect acetylene dissolved in transformer oil. We selected a 1530.370 nm laser in the near infrared wavelength range to correspond to the absorption peak of acetylene, while using the wavelength modulation strategy and Herriott cell to improve the detection precision. Results show that the limit of detection reaches 0.49 ppm. The detection system responds quickly to changes of gas concentration and is easily to maintenance while has no electromagnetic interference, cross-sensitivity, or carrier gas. In addition, a complete detection process of the system takes only 8 minutes, implying a practical prospect of online monitoring technology.

Currently, different kinds of security devices are deployed in the cloud datacenter environment and tenants may choose their desired security services such as firewall and IDS (intrusion detection system). At the same time, tenants in cloud computing datacenters are dynamic and have different requirements. Therefore, security device deployment in cloud datacenters is very complex and may lead to inefficient resource utilization. In this paper, we study this problem in a software-defined network (SDN) based multi-tenant cloud datacenter environment. We propose a load-adaptive traffic steering and packet forwarding scheme called LTSS to solve the problem. Our scheme combines SDN controller with TagOper plug-in to determine the traffic paths with the minimum load for tenants and allows tenants to get their desired security services in SDN-based datacenter networks. We also build a prototype system for LTSS to verify its functionality and evaluate performance of our design.

The purpose of this work was to study the influences of Realgar-Indigo naturalis(RIF) and its principal element realgar on 4 main cytochrome P450 enzymes activities in rats. A simple and efficient cocktail method was developed to detect the four probe drugs simultaneously. In this study, Wistar rats were administered intragastric RIF and realgar for 14 days; mixed probe drugs were injected into rats by caudal vein. Through analyzing the pharmacokinetic parameter of mixed probe drugs in rats, we can calculate the CYPs activities. The results showed that RIF could inhibit CYP1A2 enzyme activity and induce CYP2C11 enzyme activity significantly. Interestingly, in realgar high dosage group, CYP3A1/2 enzyme activity was inhibited significantly, and different dosage of realgar manifested a good dose-dependent manner. The RIF results indicated that drug coadministrated with RIF may need to be paid attention in relation to drug-drug interactions (DDIs). Realgar, a toxic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), does have curative effect on acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Its toxicity studies should be focused on. We found that, in realgar high dosage group, CYP3A1/2 enzymes activity was inhibited. This phenomenon may explain its potential toxicity mechanism.

Most work about the measurement of very fast transient overvoltage (VFTO) was carried out in the laboratory and test base. Because of the different GIS arrangement and power capacity, the time and frequency characteristics of VFTO in ultra high voltage (UHV) substation could be different with that obtained in the laboratory and test base. A series of VFTO measurements were carried out in two 1100 kV GIS substations to investigate the characteristics of on-site VFTO. The port-hole sensor based on surface-mounted device was chosen to measure the VFTO for its reliability and wide band-width. The whole measurement system was introduced and the schematic layout of each experiment was given. Measurement results of different switch conditions and measure points were presented for comprehensive understanding of the VFTO characteristics on site. The results indicated that the striking number during one operation was 16 (closing) and 14 (opening), similar to that obtained from test base result. Besides, single strike with front time 5.3 ns and voltage steepness 186.1 kV/ns was recorded, and the steepness was relatively higher than that gained in the test base. Moreover, the spectral analysis based on S transform was investigated to get the duration of different frequency components of VFTO waveform. Compared with the data obtained from the test base, the high frequency components of VFTO were reduced, while the lower frequency components lasted longer. The results provided references for the investigation of the electromagnetic interfere, the insulation coordination, and VFTO mitigation methods.

BACKGROUND Viral exanthems in the pediatric age group are common. The worldwide increase in the incidence of highly infectious measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases and its impact in emergency departments (EDs) of a cosmopolitan city-state like Singapore are unknown. Our aims were to investigate and describe recent epidemiologic trends of proven measles infection seen in our ED and elucidate risk factors that can potentially impact our ED isolation practice. METHODS This is a retrospective observational cohort study on laboratory-confirmed measles infection in patients admitted through our pediatric ED from January 2010 to December 2016. RESULTS A total of 277 patients were hospitalized for measles infection during the study period. Of these, 177 patients (63.9%) were not isolated initially at the ED triage and 92 patients (33.2%) were not admitted to isolation wards on admission. Seventy-five patients (27.1%) with microbiologically proven measles had no rash at initial ED presentation. They presented earlier in their illness (3.1 days) compared with an average of 4.8 days for those who had a rash at presentation (P < 0.001). These patients without rash were younger, and most were admitted for poor feeding. CONCLUSIONS Our study found that most pediatric patients who required hospitalization presented with nonspecific symptoms at an early phase of illness, making it challenging to adequately isolate patients despite strict isolation policies. This calls for the importance of universal push for global vaccination to increase herd immunity to prevent measles infection.

Gastroenteritis viruses in wastewater reclamation systems can pose a major threat to public health. In this study, multiple gastroenteritis viruses were detected from wastewater to estimate the viral contamination sources in a wastewater treatment and reclamation system installed in a suburb of Xi&rsquo, an city, China. Reverse transcription plus nested or semi-nested PCR, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, were used for detection and genotyping of noroviruses and rotaviruses. As a result, 91.7% (22/24) of raw sewage samples, 70.8% (17/24) of the wastewater samples treated by anaerobic/anoxic/oxic (A2O) process and 62.5% (15/24) of lake water samples were positive for at least one of target gastroenteritis viruses while all samples collected from membrane bioreactor effluent after free chlorine disinfection were negative. Sequence analyses of the PCR products revealed that epidemiologically minor strains of norovirus GI (GI/14) and GII (GII/13) were frequently detected in the system. Considering virus concentration in the disinfected MBR effluent which is used as the source of lake water is below the detection limit, these results indicate that artificial lake may be contaminated from sources other than the wastewater reclamation system, which may include aerosols, and there is a possible norovirus infection risk by exposure through reclaimed water usage and by onshore winds transporting aerosols containing norovirus.

Neurotrophic factors can promote the survival of degenerating retinal cells through the activation of STAT3 pathway. Thus, augmenting STAT3 activation in the retina has been proposed as potential therapy for retinal dystrophies. On the other hand, aberrant activation of STAT3 pathway is oncogenic and implicated in diverse human diseases. Furthermore, the STAT3/SOCS3 axis has been shown to induce the degradation of rhodopsin during retinal inflammation. In this study, we generated and used mice with constitutive activation of STAT3 pathway in the retina to evaluate the safety and consequences of enhancing STAT3 activities in the retina as a potential treatment for retinal degenerative diseases. We show that long-term activation of the STAT3 pathway can induce retinal degenerative changes and also exacerbate uveitis and other intraocular inflammatory diseases. Mechanisms underlying the development of vision impairment in the STAT3c-Tg mice derived in part from STAT3-mediated inhibition of rhodopsin and overexpression of SOCS3 in the retina. These results suggest that much caution should be exercised in the use of STAT3 augmentation therapy for retinal dystrophies.

Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we made an accurate structural characterization of the C60 superstructures self-assembled on the Tl-adsorbed Si(111) and Ge(111) surfaces, which finds a good agreement with the recent scanning tunneling microscopy observations. Our band structure calculations revealed the semi-metallic character of the C60/Tl/Si(111) system, while the C60/Tl/Ge(111) system was found to show up the pronounced metallic character due to the cascade of the flat bands lying in the vicinity of the Fermi level. The latter is a fingerprint for strong correlation effects in the C60/Tl/Ge(111) system, which makes it a promising object for studying electrical transport phenomena and opens the prospects for its application in the molecular-based electronic devices. We elucidated the details of the molecule-substrate and intermolecular interactions and discussed the character of a charge transfer in both systems.

It was observed that partial discharges were not detected from GIS insulators with the crack defects operated at 1100 kV in the UHV substation in China. The question is that whether crack defects can induce partial discharge at the operated voltage. In order to obtain the relationships between PD occurrence and crack configuration on GIS insulator operated at 1100 kV, the electric field strengths in the crack, changed with crack length, crack depth, crack direction, crack position, were simulated on a 1100 kV GIS insulator at operation voltage. The simulated results indicated that the field strength in the cracks, which located on the surface of the insulator or paralleled to the electric field direction, were close to that in the insulator around the crack, and the crack cannot induce partial discharge. However, the field strength in the cracks, which located in the deep position of insulator and in perpendicular to the electric field direction, was much higher than that in the insulator around the crack. For example, in the case of the crack located close to high voltage conductor, field strength in deep crack perpendicular to electric field direction could be 5.6 times of the field strength in the insulator around the crack, and it close to the field criteria of gas discharge, leading partial discharge occurred at operation voltage. The simulated results were verified by the experiment conducted on the insulators with cracks. The experimental results indicated that the crack could produce partial discharge, only when it is located in deep insulator material and in perpendicular to the electric field direction, and close to high voltage conductor.

A novel temperature monitoring system for gas-insulated switchgears (GISs) based on surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) sensing is proposed in this paper. Compared with the existing systems, this system has several unique advantages, such as being wireless, passive, and at a proper cost with continuous monitoring. First, an accurate SAW temperature sensor is designed for the GIS conductor, where epoxy encapsulating and loop antennas are adopted in the SAW sensor to prohibit the potential partial discharge of the sensor itself. After that, a multifunctional reader antenna is developed, which can measure the conductor temperature and partial discharge by the time-division multiplexing technique. Experiments are carried out to examine the accuracy and response speed of the SAW sensors, and the results indicate that the uncertainty of the contact temperature measurement is smaller than 10 $^{\circ}$ C. Moreover, the insulation level and anti-interference ability are demonstrated based on experiments carried out on a 126-kV GIS. At last, temperature monitoring performance of the developed system is investigated by changing the current in the 126-kV GIS conductor. The experiment results prove that the developed system can meet the requirement of temperature monitoring in GIS.

The ketogenic diet (KD) is an effective treatment for intractable epilepsy (IE), however the therapeutic mechanism is still unclear. This study was designed to investigate T helper type 17/regulatory T cell (Th17/Treg) levels in children with IE and age-matched healthy controls following KD.Circulating levels of Th17/Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plasma concentration of interleukin (IL)-17 was measured by cytometric bead array assay. Real-time PCR was performed to measure mRNA levels of mTOR, HIF1α and Th17/Treg associated factors in purified CD4(+)CD25(+) T and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells.By one-way ANOVA, the proportion of circulating Th17 cells and expression of IL-17A and RORγt were significantly higher (P.05), while the proportion of circulating Tregs and expression of Foxp3, GITR, CTLA-4 were significantly lower (P.05) in IE patients than healthy subjects. However, these alternations were reversed following KD (P.05). In CD4(+)CD25(+) T and CD4(+)CD25(-) T cells mTOR and HIF1α expression were significantly higher in IE patients (P.05), however KD reduced mTOR and HIF1α expression (P.05). The plasma IL-17A concentrations were higher in IE patients than controls (P.05). KD partially reduced IL-17A levels (P.05).Our results suggest that Th17/Treg imbalance is characteristic of childhood IE, and may contribute to IE pathogenesis. KD treatment is able to correct this imbalance, probably via inhabiting the mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway.

To study the mechanism of metal cutting deformation, we invented a new type of explosion rotary quick-off tools test device which was based on absorbing advantages of existing cutting deformation test device. So that the tool can be separated from the workpiece with a larger acceleration and the complete chip root samples can be obtained. This new type of explosion rotary quick-off tools test device composed of foundation, explosion chamber, piston body, pressure plate, locking wedge and customized tools, which has many advantages such as simple structure, convenient operation and high rigidity.

Taking advantage of three-dimensional software Solidworks to model for solar modules and also using finite element analysis software Ansysworkbench to conduct the stress analysis and strength check of modules, to analyze the deformation of modules under certain loading conditions, to conduct load tests and defect detection (EL experiments) and to optimize encapsulation with aluminum frame combined with the factory laboratory. The results show that: the modules have no crack and other defects and their power attenuation does not exceed the specified value after the 2.0mm thickness aluminum frame was reduced to 1.7mm.

Weathering performance of PV modules is an important indicator of the solar cell module reliability. By conducting hydrothermal aging test for a group of double-glazed modules according to IEC612165 standard (terrestrial solar modules environmental test method) in this paper, the leakage test data and power test data of modules can be drawn after hydrothermal test. Results of the test show that: modules occurs partial delamination after hydrothermal aging test, but did not appear serious appearance defects specified in IEC61215 and power loss is within the allowable range, and all of these have certain value for reference to mass production of modules.

In this paper, a new type of explosive rotary quick-off tools device is designed. This new type of explosion rotary quick-off tools test device is composed of foundation, explosion chamber, piston body, pressure plate, locking wedge and customized tools, which has many advantages such as simple structure, convenient operation and high rigidity. The calculation results of the acceleration of tool-falling, plate strength, physical strength of combustion show that the device is expected to obtain complete chip root samples at 150m/min speed conditions, which can meet the requirements of researching metal cutting deformation process at high-speed cutting condition.

The CIGRE WG D1.03 has indicated the breakdown voltage of GIS with protrusion defect under standard lightning impulse (LI) voltage is significantly smaller than that under standard switching impulse (SI) or AC voltage, and LI withstand test is more efficient to find protrusion defect. The question is that whether the partial discharge (PD) inception voltage of protrusion defect under LI is also lower than that under standard switching impulse or AC voltage. In order to understand the relations between voltage waveforms and protrusion defect, three kinds of protrusion with different curvature radius are designed, namely, 0.025 mm curvature radius, 0.25 mm curvature radius, and 0.5 mm curvature radius, and the PD characteristics of protrusion defects are measured under four types of voltage waveforms (standard lightning impulse, standard switching impulse, oscillating switching impulse (OSI), AC voltage), and the influence of voltage waveforms on PD characteristics of protrusion is analyzed. The results indicate that, for protrusion with 0.025 mm curvature radius, the steeper the impulse voltage front is, the lower PD inception voltage of protrusion defect is, and PD under LI has higher detection sensitivity to protrusion compared with AC voltage and SI. While for protrusions with 0.25 mm curvature radius and 0.5 mm curvature radius, the steeper the impulse voltage front, the higher the PD inception voltage of protrusion defect is, and PD under LI has lower detection sensitivity of protrusion with 0.25 mm and 0.5 mm curvature radius compared to AC voltage. As PD exacerbated, the shape changes occur in the q−φ scatter plot, N−φ histogram under oscillating switching impulse voltage, and q−1 scatter plot and N−1 histogram under non-oscillating impulse voltage, which can be used as important criterion in assessing the severity levels of the partial discharge triggered by protrusion under impulse voltage waveforms.

Generally, optical methods for precision measurement have limitations when rotation of large angle (larger than 10°) and translation of large range occur simultaneously. To deal with the problem, an improved method based on spatial magnetic detection is proposed for planar 3-degree-of-freedom position measurement with large ranges in this article. The position-solving algorithm of the method calculates position by decoupling 3 degrees of freedom with the magnetic flux densities of the inherent magnetic field of the permanent-magnet synchronous planar motor detected by the proposed Hall-sensor array. On the basis of previous work, the calculation approach of decoupling is improved; as a result, the calculations for solving position are simplified. The characteristics of the sensor topology are exploited further, and a new calculation approach of decoupling is introduced to compensate the original one, achieving better robustness to noise. The ability of solving 3-degree-of-freedom position and the robustness to noise and magnetic-field imperfections are evaluated by simulation; the results show that the accuracies of translational and rotational motions are 10 µm scale and 0.1° scale in the case with noise of 0.01% of signal amplitude, while they are 100 µm scale and 10° scale in the case with the magnetic-field imperfections caused by parameter deviations. Comparison experiments with commercial sensors are conducted on a self-developed testing platform to verify the feasibility of the method, and the results show that the method can achieve sensing a large rotational angle and a large translational range with a simple implementation.

CYP2J3 in myocardium metabolizes arachidonic acid to 4 regioisomeric epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs), which have diverse biological activities in rat heart. In this study we examined whether CYP2J3 was involved in cardioprotective effects of ophiopogonin D (OPD), a steroidal glycoside isolated from Chinese herb Radix ophiopogonis.Rat cardiomyoblast cell line (H9c2 cells) was tested. Intracellular Ca(2+) concentrations ([Ca(2+)]i) were measured using Fluo-4/AM. The expression of calcium-regulating molecules and ER stress signaling molecules was measured with qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses. Cell apoptosis was quantified with Hoechst 33258 staining and TUNEL assay. The level of 14,15-DHET, a stable metabolite of 14,15-EET, was assessed with ELISA.Angiotensin II (10(-6) mol/L) significantly decreased the expression of calcium-regulating molecules (SERCA2a, PLB, RyR2 and FKBP12.6), and elevated [Ca(2+)]i in H9c2 cells. Furthermore, angiotensin II markedly increased the expression of ER stress signaling molecules (GRP78, CHOP, p-JNK and cleaved caspase-12) and ER stress-mediated apoptosis. OPD (100, 250 and 500 nmol/L) dose-dependently increased CYP2J3 expression and 14,15-DHET levels in normal H9c2 cells. Pretreatment of H9c2 cells with OPD suppressed angiotensin II-induced abnormalities in Ca(2+) homeostasis, ER stress responses and apoptosis. Overexpression of CYP2J3 or addition of exogenous 14,15-EET also prevented angiotensin II-induced abnormalities in Ca(2+) homeostasis, whereas transfection with CYP2J3 siRNA diminished the effects of OPD on Ca(2+) homeostasis. Furthermore, the intracellular Ca(2+) chelator BAPTA suppressed angiotensin II-induced ER stress responses and apoptosis in H9c2 cells.OPD is a novel CYP2J3 inducer that may offer a therapeutic benefit in treatment of cardiovascular diseases related to disturbance of Ca(2+) homeostasis and ER stress.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear receptor that regulates a number of genes encoding drug metabolism enzymes and transporters and plays a key role in xeno- and endobiotic detoxification. Ginkgolide B has shown to increase the activity of PXR. Here we examined whether ginkgolide B activated PXR and attenuated xenobiotic-induced injuries in endothelial cells. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were treated with ginkgolide B. The expression of PXR, CYP3A4, MDR1, VCAM-1, E-selectin and caspase-3 were quantified with qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Cell apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry. Fluorescently labeled human acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1 cells) were used to examine cell adhesion. Ginkgolide B (30–300 μmol/L) did not change the mRNA and protein levels of PXR in the cells, but dose-dependently increased nuclear translocation of PXR protein. Ginkgolide B increased the expression of CYP3A4 and MDR1 in the cells, which was partially reversed by pretreatment with the selective PXR signaling antagonist sulforaphane, or transfection with PXR siRNA. Functionally, ginkgolide B dose-dependently attenuated doxorubicin- or staurosporine-induced apoptosis, which was reversed by transfection with PXR siRNA. Moreover, ginkgolide B suppressed TNF-α-induced THP-1 cell adhesion and TNF-α-induced expression of vascular adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in the cells, which was also reversed by transfection with PXR siRNA. Ginkgolide B exerts anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects on endothelial cells via PXR activation, suggesting that a PXR-mediated endothelial detoxification program may be important for protecting endothelial cells from xeno- and endobiotic-induced injuries.

The authors realized that the representative images of DMSO group in Fig. 7a were found to be misplaced due to the mishandling in the paper preparation. All the authors agree on the correction of our negligence and the correct images are given below. This correction does not affect the results and conclusion of the original paper. We sincerely apologize for the mistake and any inconvenience this might have caused.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of small-bowel diseases is clinically difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic value of double-balloon enteroscopy in small-bowel diseases. Methods: The history and outcomes of 2806 patients who underwent double-balloon enteroscopy from July 2004 to April 2017 were reviewed, which included 562 patients with obscure digestive tract bleeding, 457 patients with obscure diarrhea, 930 patients with obscure abdominal pain, 795 patients with obscure weight loss, and 62 patients with obscure intestinal obstruction. Examinations were performed through the mouth and/or anus according to the clinical symptoms and abdominal images. If a lesion was not detected through one direction, examination through the other direction was performed as necessary. Eighty-four patients with small-bowel polyps, 26 with intestinal obstruction caused by enterolith, and 18 with bleeding from Dieulafoy’s lesions in the small intestine were treated endoscopically. Results: A total of 2806 patients underwent double-balloon enteroscopy, and no serious complications occurred. An endoscopic approach through both the mouth and anus was used in 212 patients. Lesions were detected in 1696 patients, with a detection rate of 60.4%; the rates for obscure digestive tract bleeding, diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and intestinal obstruction were 85.9% (483/562), 73.5% (336/457), 48.2% (448/930), 49.1% (390/795), and 62.9% (39/62), respectively. For patients with small-bowel polyps who underwent endoscopic therapy, no complications such as digestive tract bleeding and perforation occurred. Intestinal obstruction with enteroliths was relieved with endoscopic lithotripsy.Among the 18 patients with bleeding from small-bowel Dieulafoy’s lesions, 14 patients were controlled with endoscopic hemostasis. Conclusion: Double-balloon enteroscopy is useful for diagnosing and treating some small-bowel disease. Key words: Diagnosis; Double-Balloon Enteroscopy; Small Bowel; Therapy

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: This study retrospectively reviewed 46 cases of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors treated by endoluminal endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFR) microsurgery in our gastrointestinal endoscopy center. We aimed to evaluate the EFR for the treatment of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors originating from the muscularis propria. METHODS: A total of 46 patients with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors originated from the muscularis propria layer from January 2012 to June 2015 were treated with EFR. The patients were followed up with gastroscope and computed tomography (CT) for evaluation of therapeutic effect and safety. RESULTS: EFR was successfully accomplished to remove all tumors in 46 patients. The mean procedure time was 82.5±39.8min (56-188min). Except in 3 leiomyomas, pathological examination confirmed gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) in 43 cases. None of the patients had occurred bleeding, peritonitis and other complications after EFR. Thereafter, all patients were followed up with gastro-scope after 1, 6,12 months. CONCLUSIONS: EFR is effective and safe for patients with gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors originated from muscularis propria layer and has the advantage of less invasive treatment and higher tumor resection rate. It should be considered for further application. RESUMO OBJETIVO: Este estudo revisou retrospectivamente 46 casos de tumores gástricos estromáticos gastrointestinais tratados por microcirurgia endoluminal endoscópica de ressecção completa (EFR) em nosso centro de endoscopia gastrointestinal. Pretendemos avaliar a EFR para o tratamento de tumores gastrointestinais estromáticos originários da muscularis própria. MÉTODOS: Um total de 46 pacientes com tumores gástricos estromáticos gastrointestinais originários da camada muscular própria, de janeiro de 2012 a junho de 2015, foi tratado com EFR. Os pacientes foram acompanhados com gastroscópio e tomografia computadorizada (TC) para avaliação de efeitos terapêuticos e segurança. RESULTADOS: A EFR foi realizada com sucesso para remover todos os tumores em 46 pacientes. O tempo médio de procedimento foi de 82,5±39,8 min (56-188 min). Exceto em três leiomiomas, exame patológico confirmou tumor estromal gastrointestinal (Gist) em 43 casos. Em nenhum paciente ocorreu sangramento, peritonite e outras complicações após EFR. Posteriormente, todos os pacientes foram acompanhados com gastroscópio após um, seis e 12 meses. CONCLUSÕES: A EFR é eficaz e segura para pacientes com tumores gastrointestinais originários da camada muscular própria e tem a vantagem de ser um tratamento menos invasivo e com maior taxa de ressecção tumoral. Deve ser considerada para posterior aplicação.

Partial discharges (PD) detection is an effective method to evaluate the insulation condition of power cable joint. However, optimization of the partial discharge sensor was hard to be achieved because of the complex nature of cable joint. In this paper, the waveform and frequency characteristics of the partial discharge pulse in power cable were studied with experiment firstly. Then, the partial discharge pulses were numerical modeled to be used as excitation in cable joint simulation model. Furthermore, an electromagnetic simulation method of PD propagation in cable joint with considering the frequency dependent dielectric parameter was proposed. Afterwards, the quantitative relation between the sensor sensitivity and the sensor structure was discussed based on the developed pulse model and cable joint model. Calculations and measurements indicated the numerical sensor design can be achieved with the proposed pulse numerical model and cable joint simulation method.