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A selective separation-recovery process based on tuning organic acid was proposed to the resource recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for the first time. The low-cost preparation of CoFe2O4, reuse of waste acid and recovery of Li can be realized in this process, simultaneously. Li and Co in spent LIBs can be leached efficiently using citric acid as a leaching agent, and separated effectively from leaching solution by tuning oxalic acid content. The results from the characterizations of the prepared CoFe2O4 (CoFe2O4-LIBs) show that it possesses higher ratio of Co(II)/Co(III) and Fe(II)/Fe(III), larger surface specific area and more number of acid sites in comparison with pure CoFe2O4. Besides, CoFe2O4-LIBs was used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). Interestingly, its degradation performance is superior to that of pure CoFe2O4 and the related Co-based catalysts. The excellent degradation performance can be maintained in presence of inorganic ions (e.g., C l − , HC O 3 − , H 2 P O 4 − and N O 3 − ) with high concentration or humic acid. Moreover, surface-bound S O 4 ∙ − is considered as the main reactive species for the degradation of BPA. More importantly, CoFe2O4-LIBs can be readily recycled by using an external magnet and own superior ability of regeneration.

Background: Relative energy deficiency in sports (RED-S) is well-recognized in women competing in endurance sports; however, it is less common in males competing in non-endurance sports. Here, we report a case of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism associated with RED-S in an elite male non-endurance skill athlete caused by a change in workout over a short time frame.Case presentation: An 18-year-old elite male non-endurance skill athlete complained of fatigue, depression, and inattention. Blood tests showed low total testosterone levels and a physical examination revealed Tanner stage phase IV-V. A gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test revealed that the luteinizing hormone (LH) level was 10 times above normal, suggesting hypothalamic hypogonadism. However, magnetic resonance imagings (MRI) of pituitary gland, brain, and adrenal glands were normal. Due to COVID-19 pandemic, he was quarantined for 2 weeks. During that time, he only performed a basic workout. At the end of quarantine, his coach made him follow a new training program that was >50% more intense than the one before quarantine. He also had to restrict calorie intake for snowboarding. He was diagnosed as relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S). The condition resolved after lifestyle and training modifications.Conclusions: RED-S is not restricted to endurance athletes. Elite athletes performing non-endurance sports can also suffer from it after a significant modification of training. Sports scientists/trainers should monitor caloric intake and training intensity to avoid RED-S, protect the health and improve the performance of all athletes.

In this work, manganese is selectively and efficiently recovered from spent lithium-ion batteries via advanced oxidation by using potassium permanganate and ozone, and the transition metal-doped α-MnO

MS188 and MS1 are essential anther tapetum transcription factors; MS188 directly regulates MS1, which controls the expression of pollen coat protein genes, which are key components of the pollen wall., Sporophytic pollen coat proteins (sPCPs) derived from the anther tapetum are deposited into pollen wall cavities and function in pollen–stigma interactions, pollen hydration, and environmental protection. In Arabidopsis, 13 highly abundant proteins have been identified in pollen coat, including seven major glycine-rich proteins GRP14, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and GRP–oleosin; two caleosin-related family proteins (AT1G23240 and AT1G23250); three lipase proteins EXL4, EXL5 and EXL6, and ATA27/BGLU20. Here, we show that GRP14, 17, 18, 19, and EXL4 and EXL6 fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) are translated in the tapetum and then accumulate in the anther locule following tapetum degeneration. The expression of these sPCPs is dependent on two essential tapetum transcription factors, MALE STERILE188 (MS188) and MALE STERILITY 1 (MS1). The majority of sPCP genes are up-regulated within 30 h after MS1 induction and could be restored by MS1 expression driven by the MS188 promoter in ms188, indicating that MS1 is sufficient to activate their expression; however, additional MS1 downstream factors appear to be required for high-level sPCP expression. Our ChIP, in vivo transactivation assay, and EMSA data indicate that MS188 directly activates MS1. Together, these results reveal a regulatory cascade whereby outer pollen wall formation is regulated by MS188 followed by synthesis of sPCPs controlled by MS1.

The startup costs in many kinds of generators lead to complex cost structures, which in turn yield severe market loopholes in the locational marginal price (LMP) scheme. Convex hull pricing is proposed to improve the market efficiency by providing the minimal uplift payment to the generators. In this paper, we consider a stylized model where all generators share the same generation capacity. We analyze the generators' possible strategic behaviors in such a setting, and then propose an index for market power quantification in the convex hull pricing schemes.

It has been established that Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a pivotal role in regulating systemic glucose and lipid homeostasis. Previously, we identified a insulin-resistance (IR) related lncRNA named Gm15441, which was upregualted in skeletal muscle from db/db mice by RNA-sequencing. Here, we explored the relationship between Gm15441 and skeletal muscle function in vitro and in vivo and the possible mechanism involved in that process. Real-time PCR analyses revealed Gm15441 was abundant in skeletal muscle compared to other metabolic tissues. Additionally, Gm15441 expression was observed upregualted in IR cells (pamitate-treated C2C12 myotubes) and mice (db/db, ob/ob and aged mice). Overexpression of Gm15441 by plasmid transfection in C2C12 myotubes decreased Glut4, p-Akt/Akt and p-Irs1/Irs1 protein levels and attenuated glucose uptake capacity by the 2-NBDG method. Gm15441 overexpression also impaired mitochondrial oxygen consumption and Pgc1α expression. Moreover, adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors to induce Gm15441 expression in skeletal muscles. Six-week-old male mice were administered with AAV-GFP or AAV-Gm15441 vectors followed with or without high-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks. Body weight gain and food intake were not different among the groups, but AAV-Gm15441 mice under HFD showed decreased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. These mice exhibited ectopic lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle by HE staining, although no difference was observed in skeletal muscle weights and serum TG. A global mRNA analysis further indicated a possible regulatory role of Pparα-Pgc1α pathway in Gm15441-mediated dysregulation of glucose-lipid metabolism. Collectively, these findings improve our understanding of lncRNAs involved in skeletal muscle glucose-lipid metabolism and represent potential therapeutic targets to IR and associated metabolic diseases. Key words: lncRNA, Gm15441, skeletal muscle, insulin resistance, Pgc1α. Disclosure L. You: None. Y. Zeng: None. N. Gu: None. C. Ji: None.

Background The authors’ previous studies have found that spinal protein kinase C γ expressing neurons are involved in the feed-forward inhibitory circuit gating mechanical allodynia in the superficial dorsal horn. The authors hypothesize that nerve injury enhances the excitability of spinal protein kinase C γ expressing interneurons due to disinhibition of the feed-forward inhibitory circuit, and enables Aβ primary inputs to activate spinal protein kinase C γ expressing interneurons. Methods Prkcg-P2A-tdTomato mice were constructed using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated nuclease 9 technology, and were used to analyze the electrophysiologic properties of spinal protein kinase C γ expressing neurons in both normal conditions and pathologic conditions induced by chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve. Patch-clamp whole cell recordings were used to identify the nature of the dynamic synaptic drive to protein kinase C γ expressing neurons. Results Aβ fiber stimulation evoked a biphasic synaptic response in 42% (31 of 73) of protein kinase C γ expressing neurons. The inhibitory components of the biphasic synaptic response were blocked by both strychnine and bicuculline in 57% (16 of 28) of neurons. Toll-like receptor 5 immunoreactive fibers made close contact with protein kinase C γ expressing neurons. After nerve injury, the percentage of neurons double-labeled for c-fos and Prkcg-P2A-tdTomato in animals walking on a rotarod was significantly higher than that in the nerve injury animals (4.1% vs. 9.9%, 22 of 539 vs. 54 of 548,P < 0.001). Aβ fiber stimulation evoked burst action potentials in 25.8% (8 of 31) of protein kinase C γ expressing neurons in control animals, while the proportion increased to 51.1% (23 of 45) in nerve injury animals (P = 0.027). Conclusions The Prkcg-P2A-tdTomato mice the authors constructed provide a useful tool for further analysis on how the spinal allodynia gate works. The current study indicated that nerve injury enhanced the excitability of spinal protein kinase C γ expressing interneurons due to disinhibition of the feed-forward inhibitory circuit, and enabled Aβ primary inputs to activate spinal protein kinase C γ expressing interneurons. Editor’s Perspective What We Already Know about This Topic What This Article Tells Us That Is New

Pulsatile intravenous insulin therapy (PIVIT) is a means of imitating naturally occurring insulin pulses artificially. It is thought to improve carbohydrate metabolism, which can be assessed using the respiratory quotient (RQ). The aim of this present study was to assess the efficacy and safety of PIVIT for the improvement of RQ in Chinese patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). This 12-week, multi-center, prospective, randomized, open-label, parallel-group study involved 110 DM patients (both type 1 and type 2) whose RQ was

Energy storage has exhibited great potential in providing flexibility in power system to meet critical peak demand and thus reduce the overall generation cost, which in turn stabilizes the electricity prices. In this work, we exploit the opportunities for the independent system operator (ISO) to invest and manage storage as public asset, which could systematically provide benefits to the public. Assuming a quadratic generation cost structure, we apply parametric analysis to investigate the ISO's problem of economic dispatch, given variant quantities of storage investment. This investment is beneficial to users on expectation. However, it may not necessarily benefit everyone. We adopt the notion of marginal system cost impact (MCI) to measure each user's welfare and show its relationship with the conventional locational marginal price. We find interesting convergent characteristics for MCI. Furthermore, we perform $k$-means clustering to classify users for effective user profiling and conduct numerical studies on both prototype and IEEE test systems to verify our theoretical conclusions.

Insulin resistance (IR) has been considered as the common pathological basis and developmental driving force for most metabolic diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators in modulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the comprehensive profile of lncRNAs in skeletal muscle cells under the insulin resistant status and the possible biological effects of them were not fully studied. In this research, using C2C12 myotubes as cell models in vitro, deep RNA-sequencing was performed to profile lncRNAs and mRNAs between palmitic acid-induced IR C2C12 myotubes and control ones. The results revealed that a total of 144 lncRNAs including 70 up-regulated and 74 down-regulated (|fold change| > 2, q < 0.05) were significantly differentially expressed in palmitic acid-induced insulin resistant cells. In addition, functional annotation analysis based on the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) databases revealed that the target genes of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were significantly enriched in fatty acid oxidation, lipid oxidation, PPAR signaling pathway, and insulin signaling pathway. Moreover, Via qPCR, most of selected lncRNAs in myotubes and db/db mice skeletal muscle showed the consistent expression trends with RNA-sequencing. Co-expression analysis also explicated the key lncRNA–mRNA interactions and pointed out a potential regulatory network of candidate lncRNA ENSMUST00000160839. In conclusion, the present study extended the skeletal muscle lncRNA database and provided novel potential regulators for future genetic and molecular studies on insulin resistance, which is helpful for prevention and treatment of the related metabolic diseases.

This chapter is concerned with the distributed guidance law design for cooperative path maneuvering of multiple autonomous surface vehicles guided by one parameterized path. At first, distributed guidance laws based on neighboring information are proposed for fully-actuated autonomous surface vehicles over a directed network where an observer is used to estimate the unknown velocity information of neighboring surface vehicles and the derivatives of relative deviations. Then, this work is extended to an underactuated case. For both cases, it is proven that the error signals in the guidance loop are input-to-state stable via cascade stability analysis. Moreover, the prescribed guidance signals are bounded in spite of any initial positions, thereby facilitating practical implementations. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed guidance law for cooperative path maneuvering of fully-actuated and underactuated autonomous surface vehicles.

T2DM is a global health problem that seriously lowers the quality of life and insulin resistance makes a considerable contribution to the pathophysiology of T2DM. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important regulators in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, comprehensive analysis of lncRNAs in db/db mice skeletal muscle and their potential roles involved in skeletal muscle insulin resistance (IR) remains poorly characterized. Here, we identified 331 lncRNAs, 172 upregulated and 159 downregulated (|fold change|>2, q

Through the powerful hydrothermal method, five rare-earth (Re = Dy, Gd, Ho, Pr, and Sm) three-dimensional (3D) cluster-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have been synthesized, namely, [Dy(L)(H2...

A dramatic N-substituent controlled tandem annulation of 2-(2-(2-bromoethyl)phenyl)-1-sulfonylaziridines with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds has been developed. When the N-substituent was a 4-methylbenzenesulfonyl group (Ts), sequential ring opening of aziridines, nucleophilic substitution, and lactamization took place to provide a series of hexahydrobenz[e]isoindole compounds in good yields with good diastereoselectivities. By contrast, 3-benzazepine compounds were afforded in good yields via ring opening of aziridines and nucleophilic substitution when the N-substituent was the 4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl group (Ns).

Four seven-nuclearity 3d-4f heterometallic cluster {Fe6LnO28} substituted polyoxometalates (HPz)11K4Fe6Ln(μ3-O)2(B-α-GeW9O34)2(GeW6O26)· xH2O (1-Ln, Pz = piperazine, Ln = Tb, Dy, Ho, Er for x = 27, 25, 25, 24, respectively) have been hydrothermally prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectrometry, thermogravimetric analyses, elemental analyses, and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that 1-Ln contain an unprecedented banana-shaped polyanion constructed from an iron-lanthanide heterometallic {Fe6LnO28} cluster, two trilacunary {B-α-GeW9O34} units, and one hexalacunary {GeW6O26} fragment. The magnetic susceptibility surveying proved the presence of antiferromagnetic coupling in 1-Ln.

A series of heterometallic cluster organic frameworks based on cuprous-halide Cu4I4 clusters and lanthanide clusters, [Ln2(H2O)8]2(Cu4I4)(pdc)4][NO3]4·solvent (1-Ln, Ln = Y, Tb, Eu, H2pdc = 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid), have been successfully synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that 1-Ln show fascinating three-dimensional porous framework structures constructed from two dissimilar types of nanosized coordination cages. Gas sorption measurements indicate that 1-Ln show moderate gas uptake capacities. The UV/vis spectroscopy measurements reveal that 1-Ln are a class of potential materials for the removal of Cr2O72− from aqueous solution. Additionally, the luminescence properties of 1-Tb and 1-Eu have also been investigated.

The construction of composite crystal structure is an effective strategy for developing enhanced functionality and can generally be constructed via two steps. Herein, a series of α@δ-MnO2 catalysts with different α/δ phase ratios are one-pot synthesized using a hydrothermal method; their molar ratio of KMnO4 to MnSO4·H2O was accurately controlled from 2.9 to 3.7. The catalytic results show that all α@δ-MnO2 catalysts exhibit significantly better catalytic performance in oxidizing toluene than single α-MnO2 and δ-MnO2 due to a synergistic effect, in which α@δ-2 with the closest two-phase proportion has the highest activity (T90 = 238 °C under a WHSV of 60,000 mL·g−1·h−1). Various characterization results indicate that α@δ-2 has the largest specific surface area, highest defects, oxygen vacancies, and best low-temperature reducibility among α-MnO2, δ-MnO2, and α@δ-2. Also, the possible reaction pathway for oxidizing toluene over the prepared catalysts is speculated using both TD/GC–MS and in-situ DRIFTS experiments.

This paper proposes a simplified method to generate elemental images using the image pair of the scene for integral imaging stereo display. Firstly, the generalized superpixel matching algorithm is designed for integral imaging to obtain the depth map. We define the discrete boundary according to the characteristics of low-texture region. A kind of consistency check method by calculating the inclination degree of the discrete boundary is proposed. The remaining texture regions are handled by assisted growth matching method. The precise depth map is obtained through the above two steps. Secondly, the depth map and color image are used to generate multiple elemental images according to the reverse mapping principle. Therefore the reconstruction quality depends on the accuracy of depth map. The experiments verify that the depth map has small error range and prominent details which can improve the accuracy of reconstructed light field and is suitable for integral imaging.

The spatial difference of hydrate dissociation by depressurization was investigated in an L-shape hydrate simulator to enhance the exploitation efficiency of natural gas hydrates. Hydrates were found to dissociate slower near the mining well than far from the mining well due to the higher water saturation. The mass transfer rate of methane molecules in the water phase was much slower than that in the gas phase. In both vertical and horizontal directions, pore water migrated from the location far from the mining well to that near the mining well in the hydrate reservoir under the pressure difference. This led to a lower dissociation rate for the hydrate distributed at the location near the mining well, which was different from the results in gas/petroleum reservoirs and numerical simulations. The spatial difference was more pronounced in the vertical direction than in the horizontal direction. Gravity caused more water migration in the vertical direction, which led to more uneven dissociation of the hydrates. Sediments with higher permeability and lower mining pressure could result in more pronounced spatial differences. These findings can provide deep insights into the spatial evolution of multiple fields during the exploitation of natural gas hydrates.

// Guanhong Luo 1, * , Weijie Wang 1, * , Qiong Wu 1, * , Yuanyuan Lu 1, * , Tao Su 2 , Nan Gu 3 , Kai Li 1 , Jingbo Wang 1 , Rui Du 4 , Xiaodi Zhao 1 , Xiaohua Li 1 , Rui Fan 1 , Hongbo Zhang 1 , Yongzhan Nie 1 , Xinmin Zhou 1 , Yongquan Shi 1 , Jie Liang 1 , Xin Wang 1 and Daiming Fan 1 1 State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 2 Department of Cardiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 3 Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China 4 Department of Radiotherapy Oncology, Navy General Hospital, Beijing, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Jie Liang, email: liangjie@fmmu.edu.cn Xin Wang, email: wangxinpaper@163.com Daiming Fan, email: fandaim@fmmu.edu.cn Keywords: PrP C , MGr1-Ag/37LRP, gastric cancer, multi-drug-resistance (MDR), apoptosis Received: August 02, 2016 Accepted: April 24, 2017 Published: May 11, 2017 ABSTRACT Cellular prion protein (PrP C ), the infective agent of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, is thought to be related to several cellular physiological and physiopathological processes. We have previously reported that PrP C participates in multi-drug-resistance of gastric cancer. As the salient ligand molecule of PrP for participating in internalization and propagation of the scrapie form of prion protein (PrP Sc ), 37 kDa laminin receptor precursor protein (37LRP) shared the same gene coding sequence of MGr1-Ag, another protein previously found to be involved in multi-drug-resistance of gastric cancer in our lab. In the present study, we explored whether MGr1-Ag/37LRP contributed to PrP C mediated multi-drug-resistance in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemical staining showed similar expression patterns of MGr1-Ag/37LRP and PrPC in gastric cancer tissue serial sections. Western blot and immunohistochemistry also demonstrated correlative expression of MGr1-Ag/37LRP and PrP C in gastric cancer cell lines. Interaction between MGr1-Ag/37LRP and PrP C in gastric cancer cell lines and gastric cancer tissues were verified by immunofluorescence and co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, knockdown of MGr1-Ag/37LRP significantly attenuated PrP C induced multi-drug-resistance by sensitizing drug-induced apoptosis through inhibition of AKT activation. In conclusion, MGr1-Ag/37LRP may interact with PrP C and promote the PrP C induced multi-drug-resistance in gastric cancer through PI3K/AKT pathway. The current study elucidates the mechanism of how PrP C triggers intracellular signaling cascade resulting in multi-drug-resistance phenotype and provides a novel candidate molecular target against gastric cancer.

Five complexes, [Cu(L)2]·4.5H2O (1), [Cu(HL)2](NO3)2·CH3OH (2) {[Cu2(L)2(NO3)(H2O)2]·(NO3)}n (3), [Cu2(HL)2(SO4)2]·2CH3OH (4) and [Cu4(L)4Cl4]·5H2O (5) based on HL (where HL = 2-acetylpyrazine isonicotinoyl hydrazone) have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses. The counter anion and organic base during the synthesis procedure influence the structures of the complexes efficiently, which generate five complexes as mono-, bi-, tetra-nuclear and one-dimensional structures. The antitumor activities of the complexes 1–5 (except for complex 3 with the poor solubility) against the Patu8988 human pancreatic cancer, ECA109 human esophagus cancer and SGC7901 human gastric cancer cell lines are screened by MTT assay. The results indicate that the chelation of Cu(II) with the ligand is responsible for the observed high cytotoxicity of the copper(II) complexes and the 1:2 copper species 1 and 2 demonstrate lower antitumor activities than that of the 1:1 copper species 4 and 5. In addition, the in vitro apoptosis inducing activity of the copper(II) complex 5 against SGC7901 cell line is determined. And the results show that the complex can bring about apoptosis of the cancerous cells in vitro.

An efficient AgOTf-catalyzed sequential reaction involving the oxidative ring-opening of aziridines by DMSO and aza-Michael addition has been developed. A series of 2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-isoquinolones were afforded in moderate to good yields by the formation of one new C[double bond, length as m-dash]O bond and one new C-N bond. The features of this sequential reaction include high bonding efficiency, use of a catalytic amount of catalysts, a broad substrate scope and mild conditions. This methodology provides a good choice for constructing the libraries of 2,3-dihydro-4(1H)-isoquinolones.

SUMMARYMicroglia are highly dynamic immune cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Microglial processes interact with neuronal elements constantly on the order of minutes. The functional significance of this acute microglia-neuron interaction and its potential role in the context of pain is still largely unknown. Here, we found that spinal microglia increased their process motility and electrophysiological reactivity within an hour after the insult in a mouse model of formalin-induced acute, sustained, inflammatory pain. Using an ablation strategy to specifically deplete resident microglia in the CNS, we demonstrate that microglia participate in formalin-induced acute sustained pain behaviors by amplifying neuronal activity in the spinal dorsal horn. Moreover, we identified that the P2Y12 receptor, which is specifically expressed in microglia in the CNS, was required for microglial function in formalin-induced pain. Taken together, our study provides a novel insight into the contribution of microglia and the P2Y12 receptor in acute, sustained, inflammatory pain that could be used for potential therapeutic strategies.

Identifying the factors associated with table tennis performance may provide training information for competitive athletes and guide the general population for active participation. The purpose was to compare the joint, racket, and ball kinematics between the shakehand and penhold grips in table tennis forehand and backhand strokes when returning topspin and backspin balls in advanced male players. Nine penhold-grip players and 18 matched shakehand-grip players performed forehand and backhand strokes when returning topspin and backspin balls using their habitual grip styles, while the kinematics of the trunk, upper extremities, racket, and ball were collected. Racket angles were calculated as the relative motion of the racket to the forearm. For the forehand strokes, no significant differences were observed for ball or racket velocities between the two grips. The shakehand grip tended to demonstrate greater shoulder external rotation angles compared to the penhold grip. The shakehand grip resulted in racket flexion angular velocity compared to racket extension velocity for the penhold grip. For the backhand strokes, greater ball and racket velocities were observed for the shakehand grip. The shakehand grip generally demonstrated decreased final trunk left rotation angles, increased trunk right rotation angular velocities, decreased final shoulder abduction angles, increased shoulder adduction angular velocities, and increased forearm supination angular velocities. The two grips demonstrated similar peak racket and ball velocities but different shoulder rotation range of motion and racket motion in forehand strokes. The penhold grips resulted in decreased peak racket and ball velocities in backhand strokes, likely due to its decreased shoulder, elbow, and forearm motion and less aligned longitudinal axes between the racket and forearm. These findings may help understand the dominance of the shakehand grip over the penhold grip in elite athletes and provide information for grip selection, technique improvements, and exercise training.

To investigate the feasibility of applying the measure of energy cost, utilized widely in cyclic sports, in table tennis multi-ball practice.Eleven collegiate table tennis players volunteered (18±1 yrs, 177±2 cm, 71±3 kg, approximately 10 yrs' training experience) to participate in one graded exercise test on treadmill, and two step tests (forehand and backhand, 3 min × 6, 35～85 stroke/min). A portable spirometric system and heart rate monitor were utilized for the three trials. Earlobe blood samples were collected and analyzed prior to and post the test. Energy cost was calculated for one stroke at each stroke frequency.The energy cost of loop drive multi-ball practice was decreased with increased stroke frequency (P＜0.05). The energy cost of forehand loop drive was higher than backhand, with the difference significant at 35, 45, 55, 65, and 85 stroke·minThe measure of energy cost utilized in cyclic sports could be applied to evaluate the energy expenditure in table tennis multi-ball practice of single technique, and indicate the stroke efficiency of table tennis muti-ball practice with different stroke frequencies.

Insect chemoreception, including olfaction and gustation, involves several families of genes, including odorant receptors (ORs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), and gustatory receptors (GRs). The variegated cutworm Peridroma saucia Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a worldwide agricultural pest that causes serious damage to many crops. To identify such olfactory and gustatory receptors in P. saucia, we performed a systematic analysis of the antennal transcriptome of adult P. saucia through Illumina sequencing. A total of 103 candidate chemosensory receptor genes were identified, including 63 putative ORs, 10 GRs, 24 IRs, and 6 ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs). Phylogenetic relationships of these genes with those from other species were predicted, and specific chemosensory receptor genes were analyzed, including ORco, pheromone receptors (PRs), sugar receptors, CO2 receptors, and IR co-receptors. RT-qPCR analyses of these annotated genes revealed that 6 PRs were predominantly expressed in male antennae; 3 ORs, 1 GR, 2 IRs, and 2 iGluRs had higher expression levels in male than in female antennae; and 14 ORs, 1 GR, and 3 IRs had higher expression levels in female than in male antennae. This research increases the understanding of olfactory and gustatory systems in the antennae of P. saucia and facilitates the discovery of novel strategies for controlling this pest.

DNA damage can result from intrinsic cellular processes and from exposure to stressful environments. Such DNA damage generally threatens genome integrity and cell viability

The long noncoding RNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) plays a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis. However, the precise effect of ANRIL on endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. In this study, we investigated ANRIL expression in patients with coronary artery disease and elucidated the molecular mechanism underlying its effect. ANRIL expression was detected in the blood plasma of 111 patients. We analysed the correlation between ANRIL and endothelial dysfunction markers. We also examined the effect of ANRIL on the regulation of endothelial dysfunction. ANRIL levels were increased in patients with acute coronary syndrome. The expression of ANRIL is associated with the inflammatory cytokines monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-10, which are secreted in response to endothelial dysfunction. Knockdown of ANRIL significantly promoted cell proliferation and tubule formation and inhibited inflammatory activation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). ANRIL-mediated inhibition of let-7b regulates HUVEC dysfunction by targeting the TGF-βR1/Smad signalling pathway. This study highlights a new therapeutic strategy for preventing endothelial dysfunction associated with cardiovascular disease.

Autoimmune myocarditis is a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure. MicroRNAs regulate many immune processes, but their role in aberrant inflammation during autoimmune myocarditis remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-223-3p in experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM). We found that miR-223-3p expression was significantly lower in EAM mice than that in normal mice. miR-223-3p inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome expression, promoting the polarization of dendritic cells (DCs) towards a tolerogenic DC phenotype. miR-223-3p effectively induced regulatory T cell (Treg) generation by inhibiting the function of antigen-presenting DCs. Transfer of miR-223-3p-overexpressing DCs protected mice against the development of EAM. Our findings suggest that miR-223-3p is involved in the induction of the tolerogenic DC phenotype and regulates tolerance in autoimmune myocarditis.

Unlike the trajectory-guided formation control, this paper presents a path-guided time-varying formation guidance law design for a group of under-actuated autonomous surface vehicles while avoiding collisions among vehicles. The parameterized path information is known to a fraction of vehicles. The presented guidance law is designed based on a path-following design and an artificial potential function. The stability is established through Lyapunov stability analysis and it is proven that all error signals are uniformly ultimately bounded. Simulation results are given to verify the proposed path-guided time-varying formation guidance law for under-actuated vehicles.

The NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor [NLR] family pyrin domain-containing 3) inflammasome is a member of the NLR family of innate immune cell sensors. These are crucial regulators of cytokine secretions, which promote ischemic cell death and insulin resistance. This review summarizes recent progress regarding the NLRP3 inflammasome as a potential treatment for ischemic stroke in patients with diabetes, two complicated diseases that often occur together. Stroke worsens glucose metabolism abnormalities, and the outcomes after stroke are more serious for diabetic patients compared with those without diabetes. Inflammation contributes to organ injury after ischemic stroke and diabetes. Recent research has focused on inhibiting the activation of inflammasomes and thus reducing the maturation of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18. Studies suggest that inhibition of NLRP3 prevents or alleviates both ischemic stroke and diabetes. Targeting against the assembly and activity of the NLRP3 inflammasome is a potential and novel therapy for inflammasome-associated diseases, including ischemic stroke concomitant with diabetes.

In this paper, an intelligent fuzzy kinetic control scheme based on online identification is developed for an under-actuated autonomous surface vehicle in the presence of unknown uncertainties and disturbances from ocean environment. An adaptive fuzzy system is used to approximate the unknown dynamics in real time by using recorded input and output data of the vessel. To improve the learning performance, the parameters of the fuzzy system are updated based on a stochastic gradient descent approach and a predictor design. With the estimated dynamics from the fuzzy system, a robust kinetic controller is designed without any off-line learning. The proposed intelligent fuzzy control method can be applied at the kinetic level of various control scenarios, such as target tracking, path following and trajectory tracking.