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Purpose: This paper analyzes the impact of transport infrastructure on Gross Regional Products in Chinese provinces under the “Belt and Road Initiative”. Methods: The impact of the key elements of transport infrastructure on Gross Regional Products is analyzed based on the data related to development levels of transport infrastructure and economic development. Correlation and regression analyses were used for data analysis. Results: It is found that railways and highways, which are the key elements of transport infrastructure, have a strong correlation with Gross Regional Products, and their effects are diverse among provinces under study. Implications: The findings demonstrate the position and role of diverse infrastructural elements in enhancing the economic benefits of infrastructural investment and promoting economic growth. Thus, it is expected to facilitate decision-making related to infrastructural investment under the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

Hypocretin (also called orexin) regulates various functions, such as sleep-wake rhythms, attention, cognition, and energy balance, which show significant changes in schizophrenia (SCZ). We aimed to identify alterations in the hypocretin system in SCZ patients. We measured plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients and healthy controls and found significantly decreased plasma hypocretin-1 levels in SCZ patients, which was mainly due to a significant decrease in female SCZ patients compared with female controls. In addition, we measured postmortem hypothalamic hypocretin-1-immunoreactivity (ir), ventricular cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 levels, and hypocretin receptor (Hcrt-R) mRNA expression in the superior frontal gyrus (SFG) in SCZ patients and controls We observed a significant decrease in the amount of hypothalamic hypocretin-1 ir in SCZ patients, which was due to decreased amounts in female but not male patients. Moreover, Hcrt-R2 mRNA in the SFG was decreased in female SCZ patients compared with female controls, while male SCZ patients showed a trend of increased Hcrt-R1 mRNA and Hcrt-R2 mRNA expression compared with male controls. We conclude that central hypocretin neurotransmission is decreased in SCZ patients, especially female patients, and this is reflected in the plasma.

This chapter discusses the impact of transport infrastructure on trades in the Chinese provinces directly affecting by “One Belt, One Road” initiative. That is why infrastructure is of significance in “One Belt, One Road” initiative and one of important purpose for initiative is to promote the unimpeded trade in China. In this article, authors analyzed the impact of railways and highways which are the key elements of transport infrastructure on total value of exports and imports in the Chinese inland provinces directly affecting by “One Belt, One Road” based on data from National Bureau of Statistics of China and from some articles related to “One Belt, One Road”. The conclusion is that railways and highways have strong correlation with trade and effects of elements of transport infrastructure are different among inland provinces affected by “One Belt, One Road”, and thus, this needs rational management of transport infrastructure in promoting trade according to provinces. This study can contribute to making decision related to ways of investment in infrastructure for ensuring purposeful TVEI in future under execution of OBOR.

This paper discusses the impact of transport infrastructure on trades in the Chinese provinces directly affecting by “One Belt, One Road” initiative. That is why infrastructure is of significance in “One Belt, One Road” initiative and one of important purpose for initiative is to promote the unimpeded trade in China. In this paper, authors analyzed the impact of railways and highways which are the key elements of transport infrastructure on total value of exports and imports in the Chinese inland provinces directly affecting by “One Belt, One Road” and correlations between individual elements of transport infrastructure based on data from National Bureau of Statistics of China and from some articles related to “One Belt, One Road” and correlation and regression analysis methods. The conclusion is that railways, highways, and port have strong correlation with Gross Regional Products, and effects of elements of transport infrastructure are different among inland provinces affected by “One Belt, One Road” and this needs rational management of transport infrastructure in promoting trade according to provinces.

To investigate the risk factors for progression of increased signal intensity (ISI) on T2W magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its prognostic value in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). A total of 109 patients with CSM were included in this study. All the patients were treated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. MRI was performed for all 109 patients preoperatively and at the final follow-up. Radiological evaluation included ISI, anterior compression (AC) of dural and spinal cord, hyperintensity region (HR) at the involved level. Clinical data including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, and Visual Analogue Scale were collected and evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to ISI grades (Group A: no hyper-intensity; Group B: presence of ISI). Then all patients presented with ISI were divided into 2 subgroups based on the range of HR (Group B1: hyper-intensity diameter accounts for less than half of the spinal cord diameter at the involved level; Group B2, hyper-intensity diameter accounts for more than half of the spinal cord diameter at the involved level). AC, disease duration, age, and gender were analyzed as potential risk factors. Significantly better JOA and NDI scores were observed in Group A preoperatively and at the final follow-up, compared to Group B (P

The purpose of character localization is to detect and locate a certain character from the picture, which can be used in automatic testing task. In this paper, we propose a new virtual keyboard character localization pipeline, mainly including image preprocessing, feature extraction, training classification and identification and positioning. It combines HOG feature extraction algorithm and SVM classifier to complete the design and implementation of character positioning, including image sample acquisition and processing, image feature extraction, SVM training, target character recognition and positioning. The experiments are done on characters in different virtual keyboards, and get more accurate results than CNN based text detection method.

In recent decades, high-tech electrical equipment has drastically proliferated instead of Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), making CRT funnel glass potential hazardous solid waste. Due to a relatively high level of lead, CRT funnel glass could be used as a potential material for the production of anti-radioactive concrete. In our study the CRT funnel glass , which was separated as aggregate in the concrete, was reduced to 4.75-25 mm (coarse aggregates) and less 4.75 mm (fine aggregates) in the production of anti-radioactive concrete. Mixes containing 0%, 20%, 40% , 60%, 80% and 100% (volume percentage) of CRT funnel glass to replace fine aggregate and coarse aggregate (respectively or simultaneously)) were prepared. The influence of the size, shape and replacement percentage of aggregates on workability, compressive strength and radiation shielding performance were determined. It was found that the replacement of natural aggregate with recycled CRT glass considerably improved the slump and radiation shielding performance but reduced compressive strength. The optimum percentage of waste funnel glass used as fine aggregate and coarse aggregate was 40%. The results clearly showed that the CRT funnel glass performed a significant enhancement in radiation shielding properties.

Using a case of Sino-Danish cooperation in higher education, this chapter’s aim is to demonstrate how higher education has moved from being merely a national matter to transnational cooperation and how this kind of cooperation is educating citizenry to comply with the political ideas of current global challenges. Through a historical contextualization of the role of higher education in state-building in China and Denmark, the chapter illustrates that these countries have similar yet different ways of embedding their state-building efforts in their universities. The effects of the merging of these efforts in the educational practices of the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC) are explored through interviews with students about their experiences of the new educational space.

To assess a new and highly specific, but low-cost, easily performed and suitable for large-scale applications method for renal fibrosis (RF) diagnostics. Thirty-five RF and twenty non-RF patients were enrolled in the study. An appropriate polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used to isolate urinary exosomes. The efficiency of isolation process was evaluated by the morphology and size observation, as well as the detection of specific markers (CD63, CD9). The expression level of exosomal miR-29c, miR-21 and the endogenous control snRNA-U6 were detected by qRT-PCR. The diagnostic potency of urinary exosomal miR-29c and miR-21 was estimated by the ROC method. Spearman’s rank-order correlations analysis was used to assess the correlation between the miRNAs and clinical parameters, including pathological index. PEG-based method for isolation urinary exosome was effective and could be completed with a relatively low-speed centrifugal machine. Exosomal miR-29c and miR-21 were detected in all samples. The analysis of miRNAs in urinary exosomes revealed significant dys-regulation of miR-29c and miR-21 associated with RF. Exosomal miR-29c and miR-21 could predict degree of RF with AUC of 0.8333 and 0.7639 (P

As the complex structure, large size, hot climate, aggressive corrosive environment and high concrete strength grade for Super-large Section Precast Immersed Tube of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, crack control of concrete was difficult. On the basis of simulating analysis on thermal stress, temperature control design was carried out. Harmful crack could be effective controlled by series of treatment measures during construction period such as optimization of raw materials, preparation of low heat and shrinkage concrete, controlling concrete raw material temperature, mixing concrete with ice shavings and cooling water, setting up automatic maintenance system and automatic temperature monitoring system. From the monitoring results, the temperature monitoring results were consistent with the simulation data, and the maximum temperature and the temperature difference between concrete surface and internal concrete were met the requirement of temperature control standard. Moreover, the precast immersed tube didn’t appear harmful crack.

In order to reduce the road damage of heavy trucks, comprehensively considering ride comfort and road friendliness, the multi-objective optimization method of vehicle suspension parameters with non-linear air spring was presented based on Simulink-Mfile mixed programming. The simulation model including vehicle dynamics module, road roughness module, ride comfort and road friendliness evaluation index modules was constructed in Simulink platform, and the multi-objective optimization model was developed in Mfile program which took the linear weighted sum of ride comfort and road friendliness indexes as the objective. Then the suspension parameters were optimized with genetic algorithm (GA). The results showed that, compared with before optimization, the vehicle ride comfort and road friendliness could be synthetically improved. And with the Simulink-Mfile mixed programming method, the optimization of nonlinear vehicle suspension could be successfully solved in time domain, which could provide a new idea for vehicle suspension design.

In order to develop more scientific LQG (Linear-Quadratic Gaussian) optimal controller of vehicle active suspension, based on vehicle systme dynamics and modern control theory, the LQG controller of one 4-dof active suspension vehicle model was presented. And the index weighting coefficiens in LQG controller were rationally determind by AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method. Based on this, for furtherly improving vehicle performanc, the subjective important degrees in AHP method were optimized by OT (Othogonal Test) method which took the linear weighted sum of ride comfort and road friendliness index as the comprehensive performance evaluation index. The simulation results showed that, compared to AHP method, the LQG active suspension vehicle designed by OT-AHP (Orthogonal Test of Analytic Hierarchy Process) method could have better comprehensive performance, which could provide new ideas for the development of vehicle active suspension.

On the basis of the Mechanics and Kinematics analysis of built-in chatter suppression boring bar, the research analyzes the motional stability of built-in chatter suppression boring bar, and uses SIMS vibration absorbers for chatter suppression theory to design the characteristic parameters of vibration absorber; then with MATLAB optimized to get structural material parameters of vibration absorber; finally conduct harmonic response analysis to built two-dimensional model of built-in chatter suppression boring bar by ANSYS, compare and optimize the results to guide the development of built-in chatter suppression boring bar.

With the developing and widely used electromagnetic field (EMF) technology, more and more studies are focusing on the relationship between EMF and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Electromagnetic pulse (EMP) is one type of widely used EMF. This study aimed to clarify whether EMP exposure could induce cognitive and memory impairment, thus finding a possible relationship between EMP and AD.Forty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Animals, respectively, received 100, 1000, and 10,000 pulses EMP (field strength 50 kV/m, repetition rate 100 Hz) exposure and sham exposure when 2 months old. Monthly Morris water maze (MWM) was used to test the changes of cognitive and memory ability. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content were used as oxidative stress indexes. Expressions of some types of Alzheimer's disease-related proteins were also detected.After exposure, EMP exposure caused clear cognitive and memory impairment compared with sham exposure group (p0.05). Determination of oxidation indexes showed decreased SOD activity and GSH content in exposure groups compared with sham group. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining showed increased beta amyloid protein (Aβ) in EMP exposure groups compared with sham group. Western blot experiments showed increased expressions of Aβ oligomer and beta amyloid protein precursor (APP) in EMP exposure groups. Increased expression of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-II (LC3-II) was also found.The present results showed that EMP exposure can cause long-term impairment in impaired cognition and memory of rats, resulting in AD-like symptoms. This may be induced by enhancing oxidative stress and is related to autophagy dysfunction.

This study develops an electromagnet-air spring-vehicle coupled model of the actively controlled, magnetically levitated system. Based on the coupled model, the nonlinear module controller based on the feedback linearization is adopted. The experiment verification on CMS04 low speed maglev vehicle is carried out; the results show that the tracking performance and decoupling ability of proposed controller is satisfied.

In order to study the damage of a semirigid pavement under vehicle loads with varied parameters, the random dynamic loads applied on the pavement by a running vehicle were computed with two degrees of freedom, quarter-vehicle model, and then a three-dimensional finite element analysis model of semirigid asphalt pavement was established. With the peak stress index of each pavement layer, the effect of varied vehicle parameters on pavement response was studied. The results indicated that the stress wave frequency of each pavement layer was similar to that of the dynamic random load, and, with increased pavement depth, the wave effect decreased. The pavement response increased with increased suspension stiffness and tire stiffness and decreased with increased suspension damping and tire damping. Furthermore, compared to the stiffness, the response variation induced by the damping was orders of magnitude lower. Compared with the traditional time response analysis method, the peak response analysis of the pavement structure was more scientific, rational, and intuitive, which could be useful for the study of vehicle-pavement interaction and road damage.

Background Chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) can cause behavioral and physiological abnormalities that are important to the prediction of symptoms of depression that may be associated with cerebral glucose metabolic abnormalities. Curcumin showed potential antidepressant effects, but whether or not it can reverse cerebral functional abnormalities and so ameliorate depression remains unknown. Methods To investigate the effects of curcumin on brain activity in CUS rats, rats were subjected to 3 weeks of CUS and then treated with curcumin orally at a dose of 40 mg/kg/day for one month. 18 F fluorodeoxyglucose (18 F-FDG)-micro positron emission tomography (micro-PET) neuroimaging was used to detect changes in cerebral metabolism. Body weight, sucrose preference, and open field tests were used to record depressive behaviors during CUS and after curcumin treatment. Results Three weeks of CUS significantly decreased body weight, sucrose preference, sucrose consumption, total distance travelling, and the number of rearing events. It also induced metabolic alterations in several parts of the brain, showing increased glucose metabolism in the right hemisphere. After curcumin treatment for one month, sucrose preference, sucrose consumption, total distance travelling, and the number of rearing events returned to normal levels. Curcumin treatment also induced strong deactivation of the left primary auditory cortex and activation of amygdalohippocampal cortex. Conclusion Curcumin was found to ameliorate the abnormalities in the behavior and brain glucose metabolism caused by CUS, which may account for its antidepressive effects.

Background Abiraterone acetate improved overall survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer at a preplanned interim analysis of the COU-AA-301 double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 study. Here, we present the final analysis of the study before crossover from placebo to abiraterone acetate (after 775 of the prespecified 797 death events). Methods Between May 8, 2008, and July 28, 2009, this study enrolled 1195 patients at 147 sites in 13 countries. Patients were eligible if they had metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer progressing after docetaxel. Patients were stratified according to baseline Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, worst pain over the past 24 h on the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form, number of previous chemotherapy regimens, and type of progression. Patients were randomly assigned (ratio 2:1) to receive either abiraterone acetate (1000 mg, once daily and orally) plus prednisone (5 mg, orally twice daily) or placebo plus prednisone with a permuted block method via an interactive web response system. The primary endpoint was overall survival, analysed in the intention-to-treat population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT00638690. Findings Of the 1195 eligible patients, 797 were randomly assigned to receive abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (abiraterone group) and 398 to receive placebo plus prednisone (placebo group). At median follow-up of 20·2 months (IQR 18·4—22·1), median overall survival for the abiraterone group was longer than in the placebo group (15·8 months [95% CI 14·8—17·0] vs 11·2 months [10·4—13·1]; hazard ratio [HR] 0·74, 95% CI 0·64—0·86; p

The aim of this study is to design a 4-degree-of-freedom linear-quadratic-Gaussian optimal controller for an active suspension to improve cargo integrity, under the condition of no loss of other properties. The analytic hierarchy process was used to reasonably determine the index weight, and simulation models of active and passive suspension systems were developed in the MATLAB and Simulink environment. By analyzing the time- and frequency-domain characteristics that are affected by suspension control, we observed that cargo integrity was effectively improved by the active suspension, and the road friendliness, ride comfort, and handling stability were also improved to some extent.

Practical education of biostatistics is an important way of changing abstract theories into lively and operable methods. There are many problems in practical education of biostatistics in Colleges. How to reform the practical education of biostatistics is very important for improving students' quality. In this paper, a survey with stratified sampling was taken to investigate the way of practice, tools of data analysis and final reviews in the practical education of biostatistics. The result showed that more exercisable and field experiments should be arranged in the reformation of practical education of biostatistics. Questionnaire survey should be taken timely in instruction. Teachers should reform the contents of courses and tools of data analysis in time according to the requirements of students, so that most students could apply theory into practice, final review was good for students to understand the knowledge. Besides, teachers should improve their qualities while teaching and reforming because they affected students in many respects.

Background The serum p53 antibody (s-p53 Ab) is a valuable prognostic factor for carcinomas, but its common detection method, based on enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), needs to be improved due to low sensitivity. Although neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is widely used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in China, forecasting chemoresistance is still a pressing problem. Methods Hybrid phage and wild-type p53 protein (wt p53 protein) were produced before the establishment of phage-ELISA and p53-ELISA. S-p53 Abs of 829 patients with various types of cancer was detected by a double ELISA system. 47 ΙΙΙ stage NSCLC patients treated with mitomycin, vindesine and cisplatin (MCV)-based NACT were chosen for s-p53 Abs, carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 12-5 predictive value analysis. Results Through the combination of p53-ELISA and phage-ELISA (p53-phage ELISA), the sensitivity of s-p53 Abs in lung, breast, colorectal, gastric, esophageal, liver and ovarian cancer increased to 39.0%, 33.3%, 41.7%, 32.1%, 30.9%, 23.1% and 43.2% respectively. S-p53 Abs proved to correlate with nodal involvement, TNM stage, histological type (in lung cancer) or tumor size (in gastric cancer). As for the 47 ΙΙΙ stage NSCLC treated with NACT, s-p53 Abs and CA12-5 remarkably decreased after NACT treatment (P = 0.034 and P = 0.007) and pre-NACT low s-p53 Abs correlated with high objective chemoresponse rate (P = 0.016). Conclusions p53-phage ELISA system has an edge over single p53-ELISA. S-p53 Abs level correlates with cancer patients' clinicalpathological parameters and can predict the chemoresponse of ΙΙΙ stage NSCLC patients during MCV-based NACT treatment.

The optimization and selection procedure of logistics center facilities layout projects has an important status in the logistics system layout and planning. Aiming at the deficiencies existing in the logistics center facilities layout projects optimization and selection, a new optimization frame was developed. Based on the analysis to the recent relevant studies, the evaluation index system for logistics center facilities layout projects was constructed, which included fourteen indexes. In view of the weight determination deficiencies of common comprehensive evaluation methods and the inefficiency of traditional DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), one method based on the DEA cross-efficiency model was presented. And in the end, the optimization method was applied on one farming logistics center facilities layout projects evaluation course to validate its feasibility and correctness.