Search

A high-brightness single-end pumping monolithic fiber laser with 10.6 kW output power has been demonstrated through laser diode pumping schemes in traditional step-index large mode area double cladding fiber for the first time, and the configuration of the fiber laser has been detailed reported. To obtain a high power output by means of single-end pumping, a cascade-end pump configuration has been proposed based on a 30/900 μm double cladding fiber, in which the maximal pump power can be increased significantly, and the requirement of thermal management has been reduced. To enable cascade-end pump configuration, a signal/pump combiner has been developed, the signal port of which can pass signal and pump light simultaneously. In experiment, this monolithic fiber laser achieves 10.6 kW output power at a center wavelength of 1080 nm with an optic-to-optic efficiency of 82.6% and a βFL beam quality of 1.95. This single-end pumped fiber laser manifests good thermal management ability, and is promising for higher power scaling. Keywords: Fiber laser, Cascade-end pump, Fiber device

Abstract Purpose: To analyze the preoperative serum matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) levels and prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HC) undergoing radical resection. Methods: Preoperative serum MMP-9 levels in patients with HC undergoing radical resection were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ROC curve assay was used to analyze the preoperative serum MMP-9 level to determine the most valuable cut-off point. The relationship between MMP-9 and clinicopathological features of HC patients was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the prognostic factors, and COX regression model was used to analyze the independent risk factors affecting prognosis. Results: Preoperative serum MMP-9 levels were significantly elevated in the death patients compared with the survival patients. The most valuable cut-off point for preoperative serum MMP-9 for prognosis was 201.93 ng/mL. Preoperative serum MMP-9 was associated with Bismuth-Corlette classification) and lymph node metastasis. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that MMP-9, Bismuth-Corlette classification, Lymph node metastasis, Portal vein invasion, Hepatic artery invasion, Liver invasion, Incised margin, and Preoperative biliary drainage were related to prognosis. Cox regression model confirmed that hepatic artery invasion, liver invasion, incised margin, and MMP-9 have the potential to independence predicate prognosis in HC patients. Conclusion: Preoperative serum MMP-9 has high predictive value for prognosis and is an independent influencing factor for the prognosis of patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a devastating disease that is characterized by high morbidity and high mortality. ICH has an annual incidence of 10–30/100,000 people and accounts for approximately 10%–30% of all types of stroke. ICH mostly occurs at the basal ganglia, which is rich in nerve fibers; thus, hemiplegia is quite common in ICH patients with partial sensory disturbance and ectopic blindness. In the clinic, those symptoms are considered to originate from the white matter injury in the area, but the exact mechanisms are unknown, and currently, no effective drug treatments are available to improve the prognosis. Clarifying the mechanisms will contribute to the development of new treatment methods for patients. The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channel is a non-selective cation channel that plays a role in inflammatory pain sensation and nociception and may be a potential regulator in emotion, cognition and social behavior. Here, we report that TRPA1 is involved in myelin damage and oxidative stress injury in a mouse ICH model. Intervention with the TRPA1 channel may be a new method to improve the motor function of patients in the early stage of ICH.

Little is known about the male experience of premarital pregnancy (MEPP) and the sociodemographic characteristics of unmarried male youths involved in pregnancy. This study estimates the prevalence of MEPP and identifies the sociodemographic factors associated with it among Chinese unmarried youths aged 15–24 years, using data from the Survey of Youth Access to Reproductive Health in China. Descriptive analyses and χ 2 tests were applied to explore the number and prevalence of MEPP, and logistic regressions were used to identify the associated factors. As a result, among 2,853 sexually experienced male youths, 597 individuals reported 852 partner pregnancies caused by them during their lifetime, with a weighted prevalence rate of 20.87% (95% CI [18.85%, 22.88%]). Among these pregnancies, 78.05% ended in induced abortion. Factors like living with only the father (OR: 4.16, 95% CI [2.22, 7.8]) and the low level of education of the father (junior high school or below, OR: 1.60, 95% CI [1.04, 2.46]) were associated with MEPP among unmarried male youth. Furthermore, there is a marked difference between the rural and urban youth in factors associated with MEPP. The findings in this study highlight the importance of and need for strategies and interventions targeting male youths, in order to improve sexual education and reproductive services.

BACKGROUND:Early pregnancy among unmarried youth is a serious public health challenge. Male youth's knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and its association with the risk of their sexual partners' pregnancy in China remains unexplored. This study investigates the KAP among Chinese unmarried male youth aged 15-24 years and identifies its association with partner pregnancy using nationally representative data from Survey of Youth Access to Reproductive Health in China (YARHC) in 2009. METHODS:Chi-square tests were applied to explore the prevalence of partner pregnancy by male youth's KAP of SRH and logistic regression were applied to identify the associations of partner pregnancy with knowledge, attitudes and practice among male youth. RESULTS:Among 2853 sexually experienced male youth, totally 597 unmarried male youth caused 852 partner pregnancies and the prevalence rate was 20.93%. Lacking the knowledge of contraception access (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.44-0.99) was significantly associated with lower risk of causing partner pregnancy. Contraception discussion before (1.49, 1.04-2.11) or after first sexual intercourse (1.46, 1.11-1.93), not using valid contraception (1.29, 1.03-1.64) and male contraception decision-maker (1.79, 1.41-2.28) were significantly associated with higher risk of causing partner pregnancy. CONCLUSION:Our results indicated that male youth's knowledge and behaviors of sexual and reproductive health were significantly associated with the risk of causing partner pregnancy, and highlighted the importance and need of sexual and reproductive programs targeting male for the prevention of unintended partner pregnancy in China.

BackgroundYouth with disability contribute to a high burden of disease but are often neglected. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of disability and its association with poverty among Chinese youth aged 15-24 years.MethodsData were obtained from a nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey in 2006 and its follow-up investigations from 2007 to 2013 in 31 provinces of mainland China. A total of 357 856 non-institutionalized youth at age of 15-24 years were investigated. Population weighted numbers and prevalence rates with 95% CI of various types and causes of disabilities for the overall youth were estimated where appropriate. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the association between poverty and each type of and cause-specific disability.ResultsA weighted number of 3 633 838 youth were living with disability in China, with a prevalence rate of 19.7 per thousand Chinese youth. Youth living in poor households were 3.84 times more likely to be with disability than those living in affluent households (95% CI: 3.56-4.14). Associations were similar for most types of and cause-specific disabilities. Among youth with disability, those from poor households had less healthcare service use (OR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.61-0.82) than those from affluent households.ConclusionA significant number of Chinese youth were living with disability, and poverty is significant associated with the disability among youth. Investment in health and disability prevention are essential to the development of youth, as well as their families and communities.

Foot measurement is necessary for personalized customization. Nowadays, people usually obtain their foot size by using a ruler or foot scanner. However, there are some disadvantages to this, namely, large measurement error and variance when using rulers, and high price and poor convenience when using a foot scanner. To tackle these problems, we obtain foot parameters by 3D foot reconstruction based on mobile phone photography. Firstly, foot images are taken by a mobile phone. Secondly, the SFM (Structure-from-Motion) algorithm is used to acquire the corresponding parameters and then to calculate the camera position to construct the sparse model. Thirdly, the PMVS (Patch-based Multi View System) is adopted to build a dense model. Finally, the Meshlab is used to process and measure the foot model. The result shows that the experimental error of the 3D foot reconstruction method is around 1 mm, which is tolerable for applications such as shoe tree customization. The experiment proves that the method can construct the 3D foot model efficiently and easily. This technology has broad application prospects in the fields of shoe size recommendation, high-end customized shoes and medical correction.

The strong noise generated during the operation of the centrifugal pump harms the pump group and people. In order to decrease the noise of the centrifugal pump, a specific speed of 117.3 of the centrifugal pump is chosen as a research object. The bionic modification of centrifugal pump blades is carried out to explore the influence of different bionic structures on the noise reduction performance of centrifugal pumps. The internal flow field and internal sound field of bionic blades are studied by numerical calculation and test methods. The test is carried out on a closed pump test platform which includes external characteristics and a flow noise test system. The effects of two different bionic structures on the external characteristics, acoustic amplitude–frequency characteristics and flow field structure of a centrifugal pump, are analyzed. The results show that the pit structure has little influence on the external characteristic parameters, while the sawtooth structure has a relatively great influence. The noise reduction effect of the pit structure is aimed at the wide-band noise, while the sawtooth structure is aimed at the discrete noise of the blade-passing frequency (BPF) and its frequency doubling. The noise reduction ability of the sawtooth structure is not suitable for high-frequency bands.

Objective To explore the techniques and curative effect of microsurgical procedures assisted by minimal exposure tubular retractor system (METRx) in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods A total of 51 LDH patients, including 24 patients with L4-5 herniation and 27 patients with L5-S1 herniation, underwent discectomy assisted by METRx system. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications and hospital stay were recorded. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate the degree of low back pain before operation, one week, 3 months after operation, and in the last follow-up. Lumbar MRI was used to evaluate the decompression of spinal canal. Results The success rate of operations in 51 cases was 98.04% (50/51). The average operation time was 125 min, the average intraoperative blood loss was 50 ml, the mean hospital stay was 5 d, all patients were followed up for 6-48 months (average 24 months). Compared with preoperation, both VAS and ODI scores decreased significantly one week after operation (P = 0.036, 0.029), 3 months after operation (P = 0.018, 0.023) and in the last follow-up (P = 0.007, 0.013). The improvement rate of ODI was 35.37% in the last follow-up. No infection, postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula, neurological defects or incision infection was found. One patient presented acute abdominalgia on the 2nd day after operation, and was diagnosed as annexitis. One patient showed nerve root irritation symptoms after operation caused by thick nerve root during the surgery. They were cured after symptomatic treatment. Conclusions Microsurgical procedures for treating LDH assisted by METRx system can effectively relieve nerve root compression, protect the dural sac and nerve roots, and reduce surgical complications. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.04.008

The existing definition method of filter grid scale in a Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) hybrid model is unreasonable, which will lead to the unreasonable trigger of a boundary layer large eddy simulation and reduce computational efficiency. In view of this problem, the filter grid scale is discussed in this paper. The 90° square curved elbow is selected as the research object. The effects of three grid definition methods: geometric mean (ΔGM), arithmetic mean (ΔAM) and quadratic mean (ΔQM) on the simulation results of the DES model are compared, and the velocity distribution of the flow cross section and the distribution of the flow pressure coefficient on the outer arc surface are compared with the experimental results of Taylor. The results show that the order of the three definition methods is ΔGM≤ΔAM≤ΔQM. Meanwhile, within 30° < polar angle(θ) < 75°, the results are closer to the experiment, and the development trends and numerical values of ΔAM and ΔQM are closer to the experiment in general. However, when θ > 60°, the value of ΔQM is slightly closer to the experimental result than ΔAM. ΔQM is more suitable for calculating the internal flow in a curved elbow than the other two methods.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence rate and associated factors of co-morbid mental disability among the elderly with motor disability. Data was obtained from the second China National Sample Survey on Disability (CNSSD). 250,752 older adults aged 65 years and above were sampled from 5964 sites, 2980 towns, 734 counties in 31 provinces in China. Descriptive statistics were used for population-weighted numbers and prevalence of co-morbid mental disability by different characteristics. Univariate logistic regression and multivariate logistic regression were used to calculate the association between mental disability, and the factors of co-morbid mental disability among physical disability. Among the elderly with motor disability, 275,607 persons (2.28%, 99% CI: 1.97-2.59) had co-morbid mental disability at the survey time, which was significantly higher than those without motor disability (OR: 2.11, 99% CI: 1.83-2.43). The factors associated with a higher risk of co-morbid mental disability included urban areas (OR: 1.38; 99% CI: 1.04-1.84), east (2.60, 1.76-3.83) or west (1.65, 1.06-2.55) regions, having other co-morbid disabilities (5.93, 4.48-7.85), and having more severe motor disability (Moderate: 1.81, 1.28-2.57; Severe: 2.90, 2.08-4.04; Extremely severe: 4.22, 2.96-6.01). The elderly with motor disability have a high risk of co-morbid mental disability, especially for higher socioeconomic groups. These findings highlight the need of and will be beneficial for implementing more comprehensive prevention and rehabilitation strategies, to prevent and control the emergence and development of multiple disabilities and promote the physical and mental health of the elderly.

Abies fargesii is endemic to central China and ecologically and economically important. In the present study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of A. fargesii. The chloroplast genome is 121,799 bp in size, comprising a large single copy (LSC) region of 67,122 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 54,149 bp, and 2 inverted repeat regions (IRa and IRb) of 264 bp each. It composed of 114 genes and there were 68 peptide-encoding genes, 35 tRNA genes, 4 rRNA genes, 6 open reading frames, and 1 pseudogene. The phylogenetic analysis confirms that the Abies species are strongly supported as monophyletic in both ML and BI tree. This study provided important genetic resources for the ecologically and economically important fir species.

Acetaminophen (APAP) is commonly prescribed for relieving pain and fever symptoms. However, the clinical use of APAP is accompanied with the side-effect of hepatotoxicity. In this study, we aimed to investigate immediate benefit role of allicin on APAP-induced acute liver damage in mice. The freshly-prepared APAP solution (300 mg/kg, bw) was intragastrically given to mice. The current findings showed that co-treatment of allicin effectively inhibited APAP-induced hepatotoxic effect, as revealed in attenuated hepatocellular pathological impairments and normalized serum liver enzymes (ALT and AST) and inflammatory molecules (TNF-α and IL-6). In addition, the immunoreactive cells of NF-κB-p52 in the liver were reduced following allicin treatment. Furthermore, the intrahepatic mRNAs of NF-κB, TLR4 and proteins of Ikb-α, p-p65 were downregulated. Overall, these preclinical observations elucidate that allicin exerts hepatoprotective effects against APAP-induced hepatic cytotoxicity, possibly through the molecular mechanism of blocking inflammatory stress associated with intrahepatic TLR4/NF-κB pathway.

Background: Ginsenoside Rb1 (G-Rb1), the major active constituent of ginseng, improves insulin sensitivity and exerts antidiabetic effects. We tested whether the insulin-sensitizing and antidiabetic effects of G-Rb1 results from a reduction in ectopic fat accumulation, mediated by inhibition of lipolysis in adipocytes. Methods: Obese and diabetic db/db mice were treated with daily doses of 20 mg/kg G-Rb1 for 14 days. Hepatic fat accumulation was evaluated by measuring liver weight and triglyceride content. Levels of blood glucose and serum insulin were used to evaluate insulin sensitivity in db/db mice. Lipolysis in adipocytes was evaluated by measuring plasma-free fatty acids and glycerol release from 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with G-Rb1. The expression of relevant genes was analyzed by western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Results: G-Rb1 increased insulin sensitivity and alleviated hepatic fat accumulation in obese diabetic db/db mice, and these effects were accompanied by reduced liver weight and hepatic triglyceride content. Furthermore, G-Rb1 lowered the levels of free fatty acids in obese mice, which may contribute to a decline in hepatic lipid accumulation. Corresponding to these results, G-Rb1 significantly suppressed lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and upregulated the perilipin expression in both 3T3-L1 adipocytes and mouse epididymal fat pads. Moreover, G-Rb1 increased the level of adiponectin and reduced that of tumor necrosis factor-α in obese mice, and these effects were confirmed in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conclusion: G-Rb1 may improve insulin sensitivity in obese and diabetic db/db mice by reducing hepatic fat accumulation and suppressing adipocyte lipolysis; these effects may be mediated via the upregulation of perilipin expression in adipocytes.

Social media continues to change how advocacy organizations mobilize, educate, and connect with their constituents. One of the most unique yet understudied tools available on social media platforms is the hashtag. Little research exists on how social work and advocacy organizations use hashtags, much less on how such use can be effective. This study examines the hashtag use by 105 constituent members of the National Health Council, a national US-based patient/health advocacy coalition. The study presents an inductive coding scheme of the types of hashtags employed, analyzes inter-sectoral differences in hashtag usage, and examines the relationship between hashtag use and measures of the effectiveness of social media messages.

Electron beam selective melting (EBSM) is an additive manufacturing technique that directly fabricates three-dimensional parts in a layerwise fashion by using an electron beam to scan and melt metal powder. In recent years, EBSM has been successfully used in the additive manufacturing of a variety of materials. Previous research focused on the EBSM process of a single material. In this study, a novel EBSM process capable of building a gradient structure with dual metal materials was developed, and a powder-supplying method based on vibration was put forward. Two different powders can be supplied individually and then mixed. Two materials were used in this study: Ti6Al4V powder and Ti47Al2Cr2Nb powder. Ti6Al4V has excellent strength and plasticity at room temperature, while Ti47Al2Cr2Nb has excellent performance at high temperature, but is very brittle. A Ti6Al4V/Ti47Al2Cr2Nb gradient material was successfully fabricated by the developed system. The microstructures and chemical compositions were characterized by optical microscopy, scanning microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis. Results showed that the interface thickness was about 300 μm. The interface was free of cracks, and the chemical compositions exhibited a staircase-like change within the interface.

With the development of information technology, the instrumentation and control system of nuclear power plant nowadays rely heavily on the massive and complex software to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the power plant. The improvement of the software design and development for the safety systems has been a research focus for its decisive impact on the nuclear safety. The framework of the software design and development for reactor protection system in High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor-Pebble bed Module was introduced in this paper. Firstly, during the design period, in addition to multichannel redundancy, grouping of protection variables and diverse 2-out-of-4 logics were adopted by different subsystems of each channel in case of common cause failure. Then a series of development characteristics together with strict software verification and validation were performed. Thirdly, during the software test period, an improved software reliability growth model based on the Goel-Okumoto model according to the analysis of fault severity was proposed to help in estimating the reliability of the software product and identifying the software release time.

This paper aimed to investigate the role of parental education in child disability in China. We used nationally representative data from China's National Sample Survey on Disability, iterated twice, in 1987 and 2006, with data of 764,718 children aged 0-14 years. Logit models were used for statistical analysis. Results showed that the prevalence of child disability was significantly associated with each parent's education. Maternal education was more important than paternal education in child disability in both surveys. The analysis of marginal effect indicated a one-year increase in maternal and paternal schooling led to an average decrease of 0.121% and 0.091% in the probability of child disability in 1987, and 19 years later, these figures had dwindled to 0.091% and 0.072%, respectively.

The prognostic value of serum cystatin-C (Cys-C) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to explore the prognostic value of Cys-C for RCC patients.The levels of preoperative Cys-C, creatinine (CRE) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) were retrospectively collected in 325 RCC patients undergoing surgery. The cutoff values of Cys-C, CRE and e-GFR were determined by the standardized Cutoff Finder algorithm. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and pairwise comparison were performed to compare the three variables. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic value of serum Cys-C in RCC.Based on the analysis of Cutoff Finder algorithm, ROC curve and pairwise comparison, the preoperative Cys-C was superior to CRE and e-GFR as a predictive factor in RCC. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that high preoperative Cys-C (>1.09 mg/L) was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (OS) in all RCC patients (hazard ratio [HR], 1.59; P = 0.012), patients at pT1-2 (P

Ivalin, a natural compound isolated from Carpesium divaricatum, showed excellent microtubule depolymerization activities among human hepatocellular carcinoma in our previous work. Here, we investigated its functions on mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 cells. DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining, annexin V-fluorexcein isothiocyanate (FITC) apoptosis detection, and western blotting were applied to explore the apoptotic effect of Ivalin. Next, the induction effect of Ivalin on the mitochondrial pathway was also confirmed via a series of phenomena including the damage of mitochondria membrane potential, mitochondria cytochrome c escape, cleaved caspase-3 induction, and the reactive oxygen species generation. In this connection, we understood that Ivalin induced apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway and the overload of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, we found that the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and subsequent p53 induction were associated with the apoptotic effect of Ivalin. These data confirmed that Ivalin might be a promising pro-apoptotic compound that can be utilized as a potential drug for clinical treatment.

The efficient processing and forwarding of big data is one of the key problems and challenges facing the next generation wireless communication network. Using a software definition method to virtualize the network can improve the efficiency of network operation and reduce the cost of network operation and maintenance. A software-defined transmission control scheme was presented to solve the excessive controller flow problem for 5G networks. Based on the queuing game theory, a system model was built due to the competition among the requests of the switch. The transmission control platform was in charge of resource allocation. It got maximum social welfare under a profit-maximizing fee. In this model, the optimal queue length was calculated and discussed in a first-come-first-served and last-come-first-served with preemption discipline. The optimal queue length was obtained and the optimal admission fee was calculated. Then, the single switch single controller transmission control model was extended to the multi-switches single controller model. As a result, the social welfare of the system containing the controller’s profit and switch surplus reaches the maximum.

10-oxo-5-(3-(pyrrolidin-1-yl) propyl)-5,10-dihydroindeno [1,2-b] indol-9-yl propionate (LS-2-3j) is a new chemically synthesized indole compound and some related analogues are known to be inhibitors (such as alectinib and Ko143) of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, especially the ABC transporter subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1) and the ABC transporter subfamily G member 2 (ABCG2). This study aimed to evaluate the multidrug resistance (MDR) reversal effects and associated mechanisms of LS-2-3j in drug-resistant cancer cells. The inhibition of cell proliferation in tested agents was evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Accumulation or efflux of chemotherapy drugs was analyzed by flow cytometry. The ATPase activity was measured using an ATPase activity assay kit. The mRNA transcripts and protein expression levels were detected by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. In this connection, LS-2-3j significantly enhanced the activity of chemotherapeutic drugs in MDR cells and could significantly increase the intracellular accumulation of doxorubicin (DOX) and mitoxantrone (MITX) by inhibiting the function of the efflux pumps in ABCB1- or ABCG2-overexpressing cells. Furthermore, reduced ATPase activity, mRNA transcription, and protein expression levels of ABCB1 and ABCG2 were observed in a concentration dependent manner in MDR cancer cells.

3,4-Dibromo-5-(2-bromo-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(isopropoxymethyl)benzyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HPN) is a synthetic analogue of 3,4-dibromo-5-(2-bromo-3,4-dihydroxy-6-(ethoxymethyl)benzyl)benzene-1,2-diol (BPN), which is isolated from marine red alga Rhodomela confervoides with potent protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) inhibition (IC50 = 0.84 μmol/L). The in vitro assay showed that HPN exhibited enhanced inhibitory activity against PTP1B with IC50 0.63 μmol/L and high selectivity against other PTPs (T cell protein tyrosine phosphatase (TCPTP), leucocyte antigen-related tyrosine phosphatase (LAR), Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) and SHP-2). The results of antihyperglycemic activity using db/db mouse model demonstrated that HPN significantly decreased plasma glucose (P < 0.01) after eight weeks treatment period. HPN lowered serum triglycerides and total cholesterol concentration in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, both of the high and medium dose groups of HPN remarkably decreased HbA1c levels (P < 0.05). HPN in the high dose group markedly lowered the insulin level compared to the model group (P < 0.05), whereas the effects were less potent than the positive drug rosiglitazone. Western blotting results showed that HPN decreased PTP1B levels in pancreatic tissue. Last but not least, the results of an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test in Sprague–Dawley rats indicate that HPN have a similar antihyperglycemic activity as rosiglitazone. HPN therefore have potential for development as treatments for Type 2 diabetes.

A three-dimensional, multigroup, diffusion code based on a high order nodal expansion method for hexagonal-z geometry (HNHEX) was developed to perform the neutronic analysis of hexagonal-z geometry. In this method, one-dimensional radial and axial spatially flux of each node and energy group are defined as quadratic polynomial expansion and four-order polynomial expansion, respectively. The approximations for one-dimensional radial and axial spatially flux both have second-order accuracy. Moment weighting is used to obtain high order expansion coefficients of the polynomials of one-dimensional radial and axial spatially flux. The partially integrated radial and axial leakages are both approximated by the quadratic polynomial. The coarse-mesh rebalance method with the asymptotic source extrapolation is applied to accelerate the calculation. This code is used for calculation of effective multiplication factor, neutron flux distribution, and power distribution. The numerical calculation in this paper for three-dimensional SNR and VVER 440 benchmark problems demonstrates the accuracy of the code. In addition, the results show that the accuracy of the code is improved by applying quadratic approximation for partially integrated axial leakage and four-order approximation for one-dimensional axial spatially flux in comparison to flat approximation for partially integrated axial leakage and quadratic approximation for one-dimensional axial spatially flux.

The general method to suppress the axial force of the permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) direct-drive turbine is to increase the number of balance devices, such as balance disks and special bearings, to counteract its influence, but this also leads to complex system structure and higher mechanical losses. Aiming to solve the above issue, this paper presents a novel PMSM structure with a conical-rotor (CR). Due to its adaptive equilibrium of axial force and simple structure of rotor with turbine, the CR-PMSM can help improve the system efficiency. Both surface-type and interior-type motors are analyzed, and the axial magnetic force of CR-PMSM is studied in detail. The 3-D finite-element method (FEM) is used to model and simulate the machine, and the magnetic-field distribution, axial magnetic force and driving performance are obtained. Also, the control rule of d-axis current is analyzed to achieve the adaptive equilibrium of axial force. A 2.0 kW, 6000 r/min prototype motor is fabricated and tested to validate the theory.

Rain gardens have recently been studied as important low-impact development (LID) facilities that play a critical role in runoff volume reduction and pollutant purification. Approximately 16–40 rainfall events were monitored from March 2011 to October 2017 in order to determine the running effect of three rain gardens with respect to runoff volume reduction and pollutant purification. In particular, running fate analysis of rain gardens is the key focus in this study. Combined analyses revealed three key points. Firstly, performance assessment demonstrated that rain gardens effectively cut inflow volumes through the filter media; when the confluence area ratio was 6:1–20:1 (confluence ratio = roof area or road/garden area) and the rainfall was approximately 2.8–39.9 mm, the runoff volume reduction rate ranged from 9.8% to 100.0%. However, the average annual runoff reduction rate presented an initially increasing and then gradually decreasing trend with monitoring time. Secondly, according to water quality data in 54 rainfall events, the annual average concentration removal rate of NH4+-N was relatively good, but generally decreased with monitoring time. The concentration removal rate of NO3−-N and total phosphorus (TP) is unstable; however, the removal rate of total suspended solids (TSS) is better than that of total nitrogen (TN). Combined with runoff reduction, the pollutant load reduction by rain gardens is greater than 50%, although this decreases with increasing monitoring time. Thirdly, through the study of 7-year running effect on runoff reduction and pollutant purification, the “three-stage purification (TSP) concept” (periods of purification growth, stability, and attenuation) with respect to pollutant load reduction processes was finally proposed, and a curve chart was drawn for pollutant load reduction and rain garden operating fate (the “P–F” curve chart).

An interference avoidance mechanism for Chinese Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) is proposed in this paper. This mechanism firstly classifies the channels by priority based on the distribution characteristics of potential interference on the China medical band, commits energy detection on all channels in the network initialization phase, and compares to energy threshold to form available channel set. Then differentiated channel maintenance strategy is utilized to avoid interference as far as possible in network running phase. The scheme proposed in this thesis is proved to be superior by simulation from either the interference probability or packet loss rate. Apart from that, the interference detection threshold that can satisfy the least communication demand is calculated for every Type B, C channel by simulation and convenient for referring to.

Background/Aims: Acetaminophen (APAP) refers to a medication used to manage pain and fever symptoms. Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) is to be expressed during various stresses, such as wound healing and tissue remodeling. Recently, it is discovered that Hsp90 is a potential modifier of cytogenesis. In comparison to clinical references of liver damage, this study was designed to assess the potential bioeffect of Hsp90 in APAP-treated livers without conspicuous drug induced liver injury (DILI). Methods: In our current study, human plasma samples of APAP-used patients were collected for biochemical assays in clinical parameters. Adult male mice were used to investigate the biocharacterization of Hsp90 in APAP-treated livers through serological tests and immunoassays. Further, a mouse liver cell strain was employed in assessment of bioeffect of APAP on hepatocellular Hsp90 expression. Results: Correspondingly, the clinical data showed APAP-administered patients resulted in increased Hsp90 levels in serum when compared to other clinical parameters of liver injury. In adult mice study, APAP-treated livers showed unchanged hepatocellular and metabolic functions, as highlighted in biochemical analysis and immunoassay. Notably, Hsp90 expression in APAP-treated mice were elevated in the serum and liver samples. In quantitative western blot assay, the present data suggested that hepatocellular Hsp90 level was up-regulated followed by APAP treatment. In mouse cell strain study, APAP-treated liver cells had increased trend of aminotransferase contents and apoptotic counts. Further, endogenous Hsp90 expression in APAP-exposed cells was increased dose- and time-dependently. Conclusions: In conclusion, our current findings disclose that Hsp90 biomolecule may be a potential indicator for APAP-induced inconspicuous DILI, in which it seems to be characterized with more sensitive than other diagnosis criteria.

Synthesis of indolyl 4H-chromenes via a three-component reaction catalyzed by lipase in ionic liquidsis reported here for the first time. High yields (77–98%) were obtained when Mucor miehei lipase was used as the catalyst in [EMIM][BF4]. Furthermore, [EMIM][BF4] exhibited good reusability in this enzymatic reaction. This study affords a new example of lipase catalytic promiscuity and broadens the application range of ionic liquid in biocatalysis.

In wireless powered sensor networks (WPSN), it is essential to research uplink transmit power control in order to achieve throughput performance balancing and energy scheduling. Each sensor should have an optimal transmit power level for revenue maximization. In this paper, we discuss a dynamic game-based algorithm for optimal power control in WPSN. The main idea is to use the non-cooperative differential game to control the uplink transmit power of wireless sensors in WPSN, to extend their working hours and to meet QoS (Quality of Services) requirements. Subsequently, the Nash equilibrium solutions are obtained through Bellman dynamic programming. At the same time, an uplink power control algorithm is proposed in a distributed manner. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that our algorithm can obtain optimal power control and reach convergence for an infinite horizon.

The transient behaviors of natural circulation loop (NCL) are important for the system reliability under postulated accidents. The heat loss and structure thermal inertia may influence the transient behaviors of NCL greatly, so a transient analysis model with consideration of heat loss was developed based on the MATLAB/Simulink to predict the thermal-hydraulic characteristic of liquid metal NCL. The transient processes including the start-up, the loss of pump, and the shutdown of thermal-hydraulic ADS lead bismuth loop (TALL) experimental facility were simulated by using the model. A good agreement is obtained to validate the transient model. The appended structure would provide significant thermal inertia and flatten the temperature distribution in the transients. The oscillations of temperature and flow rate are also weakened. The temperature difference between hot leg and cold leg would increase with the decrease of heat loss, so the flow rate increases as well. However, a significant increase of hot section temperature may cause a failure of facility integrity due to the decrease of heat loss. Hence, the full power of the core tank may also be limited.

SCWR (Supercritical Water Reactor) is one of the promising Generation IV nuclear systems, which has higher thermal power efficiency than current pressurized water reactor. It is necessary to perform the thermal equilibrium and thermal power calculation for the conceptual design and further monitoring and calibration of the SCWR. One visual software named H-Power was developed to calculate thermal power and its uncertainty of SCWR, in which the advanced IAPWS-IF97 industrial formulation was used to calculate the thermodynamic properties of water and steam. The ISO-5167-4: 2003 standard was incorporated in the code as the basis of orifice plate to compute the flow rate. New heat balance model and uncertainty estimate have also been included in the code. In order to validate H-Power, an assessment was carried out by using data published by US and Qinshan Phase II. The results showed that H-Power was able to estimate the thermal power of SCWR.

Understanding how neuronal diversity is achieved within the cerebral cortex remains a major challenge in neuroscience. The advent of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) as a model system provides a unique opportunity to study human corticogenesis in vitro and to identify the mechanisms that promote neuronal differentiation to achieve neuronal diversity in human brain. The transcription factor Fezf2 is necessary and sufficient for the specification of subcerebral projection neurons in mouse. However, its function during human corticogenesis is poorly understood. This study reports the differentiation of a hFezf2-YFP hESC reporter line into corticofugal projection neurons capable of extending axons toward the spinal cord upon transplantation into neonatal mouse brains. Additionally, we show that triple inhibition of the TGFß/BMP/Wnt-Shh pathway promotes the generation of hFezf2-expressing cells in vitro. Finally, this study unveils the isolation of two novel and distinct populations of hFezf2-YFP expressing cells reminiscent of the distinct Fezf2-expressing neuronal subtypes in the developing mouse brain. Overall our data suggest that the directed differentiation of hESCs into corticofugal neurons provides a useful model to identify the molecular mechanisms regulating human corticofugal differentiation and survival.

BACKGROUND:Pre-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PrECP) using antiretroviral agents is a promising strategy for the prevention of sexual HIV transmission in women. Molecular transporters in the human vaginal tract (VT) may play a pivotal role in determining drug disposition and, consequently, pharmacodynamic outcomes in these efforts. Little is known, however, on the expression of these transporters in vaginal tissues, representing a critical knowledge gap. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:Our study analyzed the genome-wide transcriptome in 44 vaginal tissue samples from 6 reproductive-age women undergoing gynecologic surgeries. The analysis revealed that, unexpectedly, a large number (43%) of gene isoforms corresponding to membrane transporters were over-expressed (above the median expression level) in all samples. A subset of 12 highly expressed membrane transporters was identified and contained 10 members (83%) of the solute carrier superfamily. The largest difference in membrane transporter gene expression was observed across subjects, but more subtle differential expression also was found along the anterior-posterior axis of the VT. Cross-validation of the microarray analyses with measurements RT-qPCR demonstrated high concordance between these data sets. Immunofluorescence labeling of membrane transporter proteins in vaginal tissues was highly dependent on tissue/cell types. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Antiretroviral PrECP drugs currently under evaluation are substrates for molecular transporters that were commonly expressed, but fell into both over- or under-expressed categories in all samples, suggesting a complex role for carrier-mediated processes in determining the disposition of these xenobiotics in vaginal tissues. These findings hold important implications for the successful development of products, either oral or intravaginal, for female-controlled HIV PrECP.

The basal respiration rate at 10°C (R10) and the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (Q10) are two premier parameters in predicting the instantaneous rate of soil respiration at a given temperature. However, the mechanisms underlying the spatial variations in R10 and Q10 are not quite clear. R10 and Q10 were calculated using an exponential function with measured soil respiration and soil temperature for 11 mixed conifer-broadleaved forest stands and nine broadleaved forest stands at a catchment scale. The mean values of R10 were 1.83 µmol CO2 m(-2) s(-1) and 2.01 µmol CO2 m(-2) s(-1), the mean values of Q10 were 3.40 and 3.79, respectively, for mixed and broadleaved forest types. Forest type did not influence the two model parameters, but determinants of R10 and Q10 varied between the two forest types. In mixed forest stands, R10 decreased greatly with the ratio of coniferous to broadleaved tree species; whereas it sharply increased with the soil temperature range and the variations in soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil total nitrogen (TN). Q10 was positively correlated with the spatial variances of herb-layer carbon stock and soil bulk density, and negatively with soil C/N ratio. In broadleaved forest stands, R10 was markedly affected by basal area and the variations in shrub carbon stock and soil phosphorus (P) content; the value of Q10 largely depended on soil pH and the variations of SOC and TN. 51% of variations in both R10 and Q10 can be accounted for jointly by five biophysical variables, of which the variation in soil bulk density played an overwhelming role in determining the amplitude of variations in soil basal respiration rates in temperate forests. Overall, it was concluded that soil respiration of temperate forests was largely dependent on soil physical properties when temperature kept quite low.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) metastasis portends a poor prognosis and cannot be reliably predicted. Early determination of the metastatic potential of RCC may help guide proper treatment. We analyzed microRNA (miRNA) expression in clear cell RCC (ccRCC) for the purpose of developing a miRNA expression signature to determine the risk of metastasis and prognosis. We used the microarray technology to profile miRNA expression of 78 benign kidney and ccRCC samples. Using 28 localized and metastatic ccRCC specimens as the training cohort and the univariate logistic regression and risk score methods, we developed a miRNA signature model in which the expression levels of miR-10b, miR-139-5p, miR-130b and miR-199b-5p were used to determine the status of ccRCC metastasis. We validated the signature in an independent 40-sample testing cohort of different stages of primary ccRCCs using the microarray data. Within the testing cohort patients who had at least 5 years follow-up if no metastasis developed, the signature showed a high sensitivity and specificity. The risk status was proven to be associated with the cancer-specific survival. Using the most stably expressed miRNA among benign and tumorous kidney tissue as the internal reference for normalization, we successfully converted his signature to be a quantitative PCR (qPCR)-based assay, which showed the same high sensitivity and specificity. The 4-miRNA is associated with ccRCC metastasis and prognosis. The signature is ready for and will benefit from further large clinical cohort validation and has the potential for clinical application.