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The use of renewable energy sources, such as wind, photovoltaics (PV), and hydropower, to supply facility agriculture may effectively mitigate food and environmental pollution problems and ensure continuity of the energy supply. The operating conditions of a hybrid system are complex, so the operating strategy is very important for system configuration and scheduling purposes. In the current study, first, a hybrid wind/PV/small-hydropower/facility-agricultural system was constructed. Then, the chaotic particle swarm method was applied to optimize hybrid system operation, and a scheduling strategy of the hybrid system was proposed. Finally, combined with an example, according to wind and PV power output and load curves, supply-to-load curves for wind, PV, and small hydropower were obtained. The operational strategy proposed in this study maximizes the utilization of wind and solar resources and rationally allocates hydropower resources. The aforementioned operational strategy provides a basis for hybrid system capacity allocation and scheduling.

BackgroundCurrently, increasing evidence shows that excess aldosterone may have an impact on bone health, and primary aldosteronism (PA) may be a secondary cause of osteoporosis. This problem is worthy of attention because secondary osteoporosis is always potentially reversible, which affects the selection of treatment for PA to some extent. The present systematic review will assess and summarize the available data regarding the relationship between PA and osteoporosis.MethodsPubmed and Embase were searched for clinical trials related to the association between PA and bone metabolism. The results were limited to full-text articles published in English, without restrictions for the publication time. The quality of clinical trials was appraised, and the data were extracted. Biochemical parameters of bone turnover in PA patients were assessed using random-effect meta-analysis. Descriptive analysis was performed for other parameters, for data is insufficient.ResultsA final total of 15 articles were included in this review. The meta-analysis of six studies showed that subjects with PA had higher serum PTH levels (MD=21.50 pg/ml, 95% CI (15.63, 27.37), P

Interest in cancer immunotherapy has rapidly risen since it offers many advantages over traditional approaches, such as high efficiency and prevention of metastasis. Efforts have primarily focused on two major strategies for regulating the body's antitumor immune response mechanisms: “enhanced immunotherapy” that aims to amplify the immune activation, and “normalized immunotherapy” that corrects the defective immune mechanism in the tumor immune microenvironments (TIMEs), which returns to the normal immune trajectory. However, due to the complexity and heterogeneity of the TIMEs, and lack of visualization research on the immunotherapy process, cancer immunotherapy has not been widely used in clinical setting. Recently, through the design and modification of nanomaterials, intelligent TIME-responsive nanoplatforms were developed from which encouraging results in many aspects of immunotherapy have been achieved. In this mini review, the status of designed nanomaterials for nanoplatform-based immune regulation of TIMEs has been emphasized, particularly with respect to the aforementioned approaches. It is envisaged that future prospects will focus on a combination of multiple immunotherapies for more efficient cancer inhibition and elimination.

The SARS-CoV-2 has infected more than 3 million people and caused more than 240,000 death globally. Among the COVID-19 patients, the prevalence of people with other chronic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary heart disease is much higher than others. More strikingly, the survival rate of diabetic patients is also much lower than in non-diabetic patients. In addition to the general damage of high glucose to cells and tissues, a recent discovery that high glucose activates interferon regulatory factor 15 promotes influenza virus -induced cytokine storm. This discovery may shed light on the high incidence of diabetes in COVID-19. Several diabetes prevention strategies together with recent significant data-driven diabetes prediction approaches, which may help COVID-19 treatments, have been proposed.

BackgroundSerum sphingolipids are widely involved in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the serum sphingolipid profile in patients with HCC or cirrhosis and explored the potential diagnostic efficiency of serum sphingolipid metabolites which may be helpful in differentiating HCC including α-fetoprotein (AFP)-negative HCC from cirrhosis.MethodsSeventy-two HCC patients (including 24 AFP-negative HCC) and 104 cirrhotic patients were consecutively enrolled in this study. High-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect a panel of 57 serum sphingolipid metabolites.ResultsTwenty-four sphingolipid metabolites showed significant differences between HCC and cirrhotic patients (all P < 0.05). Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P was found to have the potential to differentiate HCC from cirrhosis by orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). There was no significant difference in the efficacy of Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P and AFP to distinguish HCC from cirrhosis, and the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) were 0.85 and 0.83 (P > 0.05), respectively. When the cut-off value of Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P was set at 56.29 pmol/0.1 ml, the sensitivity and specificity were 79.20% and 78.70%, respectively. Notably, the upregulation of Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P could also distinguish AFP-negative HCC from cirrhosis with an AUC of 0.79. The sensitivity and specificity were 62.50% and 77.90% at a cut-off value of 56.29 pmol/0.1 ml. Spearman rank correlation analysis revealed that serum Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P was not correlated with AFP in patients with cirrhosis, AFP-positive HCC, and AFP-negative HCC. Moreover, the difference in the diagnostic efficiency of serum Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P was not statistically significant between tumor size (≤2 cm vs. >2 cm, P = 0.476). Also, there was no difference among patients with different TNM stages and BCLC stages.ConclusionThe upregulation of serum Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P exhibits good diagnostic performance for HCC. Particularly, Sphingosine (d18:1)-1-P could also serve as a biomarker for the diagnosis of AFP-negative HCC. These findings may contribute to the non-invasive diagnosis of HCC including AFP-negative HCC.

Background and Objective: Primary adrenal lymphoma is a rare, progressive, easily misdiagnosed adrenal tumor with a poor prognosis. There are limited data on its clinical characteristics, and these have been derived from small sample studies. This study aimed to identify the clinical characteristics and prognosis of primary adrenal lymphoma.Methods: This single-center study retrospectively analyzed data of 50 primary adrenal lymphoma patients treated between January 2008 and January 2018. Demographic information, biochemical indexes, computed tomography images, pathological findings, treatment regimens, and prognostic factors were analyzed.Results: The median age of onset was 60.3 years, and 30 (60.0%) of 50 patients were male. Abdominal pain was the most common symptom, followed by incidentaloma and B symptoms. On average, patients presented with elevated lactate dehydrogenase (348 IU/L, normal range 110–220 IU/L) and hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase levels (287 IU/L, normal range 72–182 IU/L) and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (0.88 mmol/L, normal range > 0.9 mmol/L). Bilateral lesions in the adrenal glands were observed in 30 (60.0%) patients. Computed tomography showed that 42 (84%) patients had signs of infiltration. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was present in 44 (88%) patients. Immunohistochemistry revealed that 70.6% (12/17), 89.5% (17/19), 92.0% (23/25), and 68.8% (11/16) of patients were positive for MYC, p53, BCL2, and both MYC and BCL2, respectively. Combined chemotherapy was associated with a good prognosis.Conclusions: Early diagnosis of primary adrenal lymphoma depends on a combination of biochemical examination, imaging studies, and pathological biopsy, and combined chemotherapy may lead to a better prognosis.

The N-glycans of mammalian glycoproteins vary greatly in structure, and the biological importance of these variations is mostly unknown. It is widely acknowledged that the bisecting N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) structure, a β1,4-linked GlcNAc attached to the core β-mannose residue, represents a special type of N-glycosylated modification, and it has been reported to be involved in various biological processes, such as cell adhesion, fertilization and fetal development, neuritogenesis, and tumor development. In particular, the occurrence of N-glycans with a bisecting GlcNAc modification on proteins has been proven, with many implications for immune biology. Due to the essential functions of bisecting GlcNAc structures, analytical approaches to this modification are highly required. The traditional approach that has been used for bisecting GlcNAc determinations is based on the lectin recognition of Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin (PHA-E); however, poor binding specificity hinders the application of this method. With the development of mass spectrometry (MS) with high resolution and improved sensitivity and accuracy, MS-based glycomic analysis has provided precise characterization and quantification for glycosylation modification. In this review, we first provide an overview of the bisecting GlcNAc structure and its biological importance in neurological systems, immune tolerance, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and tumor metastasis and development and then summarize approaches to its determination by MS for performing precise functional studies. This review is valuable for those readers who are interested in the importance of bisecting GlcNAc in cell biology.

The cognitive control processes may be disrupted by abstinence in smokers, which may be helpful in the development and maintenance of addictive behavior. The purpose of this study was to measure the performance of cognitive task after 12 h of smoking abstinence by using event-related potentials (ERPs), including the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe). In Eriksen flanker task, electroencephalography (EEG) signals of 24 smokers were recorded in two conditions: satiety and 12 h abstinence. In the behavioral data, both conditions exhibited more errors and more time on the incongruent trials than congruence. Meantime, the Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale (MNWS) score was increased during abstinence. Smokers showed reduced ERN and Pe after 12 h of abstinence, compared with satiety condition. The results indicate that the diminished error processing in young smokers after 12 h of abstinence. It may be related to increased withdrawal symptoms. In conclusion, the disrupted neurophysiological indexes in the general behavior monitoring system may be caused by abstinence. The results of this study may provide us with new ideas about the effects of short-term abstinence on brain cognitive neuroscience and be helpful for the solution of relapse.

Electromagnetic Induced transparency (EIT) has been considered as a possible manner to implement plasmonic devices for slow light and sensing applications. In this paper, we proposed a novel design of graphene waveguide structure, which provides a tunable EIT response. Numerical results reveal that the plasmon induced transparency spectral response occurs due to the interference between quasi-dark mode and quasi-bright mode which exist in the loaded graphene resonator of the device. The EIT peak frequency can be tuned by changing the Fermi level of the graphene. An elaborate analysis of the relationship between the transparency frequency and graphene’s Fermi level, in turn, proved the two-dimensional nature of the graphene plasmon. Compared with previous designs, the proposed design can work in the THz frequency and provides a much sharper EIT window which is quite useful for sensing applications.

Tumor-induced immunosuppressive microenvironment in which myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) plays an important role, remains an obstacle for effective oncotherapy currently. Inducing MDSCs into maturation was confirmed as an effective method to reduce the tumor-bearing host's immunosuppression. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) possess characteristics of alleviating immunosuppression of cancer patients and low toxicity. Jianpi Huayu Decoction (JHD) was an experienced formula of TCM for oncotherapy based on TCM theory and clinical practice. We previously observed that JHD attenuated the expression of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) in tumor. IL-10 and TGF-β were found to be cytokines positively related to immunosuppression induced by MDSCs. Here, our study was designed to further investigate the regulation of JHD on the immune system in the H22 liver-cancer mouse model. Mainly, flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion of immune cells, to analyze the apoptosis, differentiation and reactive oxygen species of MDSCs. We found that JHD significantly reduced the destruction of spleen structure, reduced the proportion of regulatory T cells (Treg) and T helper 17 cells (Th17), and increased the proportion of cytotoxic T lymphotes (CTL), Dendritic cells (DC) and CD11b+Gr-1+cells in spleen, but with no significant change of T helper 1 cells (Th1), T helper 2 cells (Th2) and macrophages. In vitro experiments showed that apoptosis of MDSCs was decreased as the time of JHD stimulation increased, which partly explained the increase of CD11b+Gr-1+cells in the spleen. Meanwhile, JHD could promote the differentiation of MDSCs into macrophages and dendritic cells, attenuate expression of ROS in MDSCs and reduce its inhibition on the proliferation of CD4+ T cells, in vitro. Therefore, that the proportion of CD11b+Gr-1+ cells increased in the spleen of tumor-bearing hosts may not be villainy after treatment, when these drugs suppress the immunosuppressive ability of CD11b+Gr-1+ cells and promote it mature to replenish dendritic cell, at the same time. Generally, JHD may be a complementary and alternative drug for attenuating the immunosuppressive status induced by hepatocellular carcinoma, possibly by promoting differentiation and inhibiting the immunosuppressive activity of MDSCs.

In this study, a waterborne polyurethane (WPU) is synthesized by using polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) to form the soft segment, 1,4-butanediol (BDO) as the chain extender, n-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) as a hydrophilic chain extender, and isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) to form the hard segment. Furthermore, the modified cationic WPU emulsion and its films are created through a reaction between the WPU and a linear polyether-blocked amino silicone (LEPS), which is an organosilicon compound that imparts flexibility. The properties of the structure and formed WPU films are then characterized by using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, a thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, as well as by measuring the water contact angle, testing the water absorption, etc. It is found that, with an increase in the LEPS content in the WPU, the particle size of the modified WPU emulsion is increased, the WPU films are more flexible, and the resistance of the modified WPU films to heat and water are increased, while the crystallinity is reduced. The polysiloxane chain segment, which is added to the LEPS-modified WPU emulsion, is significantly enriched on the surface of the modified WPU films, while there are no adverse effects of the LEPS-modified WPU emulsion on the adhesive force between the WPU and substrate. When the LEPS content of the WPU is 14.0 wt%, the modified WPU emulsion and film provide the best performance.

This study reported on a 24-year-old woman who complained of a paroxysmal headache for six months and elevated blood pressure for four months. Laboratory examination revealed increased serum potassium and chloride levels, metabolic acidosis, suppressed renin activity, and increased plasma aldosterone concentration. Whole-exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous mutation in exon 11 of the KLHL3 gene: c.1298G > A. After treatment with low-dose hydrochlorothiazide, her clinical problems were controlled. This patient is the first case of Gordon syndrome (GS) within the Chinese population caused by a heterozygous KLHL3 mutation. A systematic review of the published literature identified 27 patients with GS caused by a KLHL3 mutation. These patients had a mean age of 28.2 ± 22.0 years; 74.1% presented with hypertension, 76.9% with hyperkalemia, and 59.1% with metabolic acidosis. The patients also had varying levels of plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentrations.

Background: X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 1 (CMTX1) is the second most frequent form of CMT, which is caused by mutations in the gap junction beta 1 gene (GJB1) coding for connexin 32 protein. In addition to typical peripheral neuropathy, central nervous system (CNS) involvement in patients with CMTX1 has been reported as a special feature, but female patients are rarely affected.Case presentation: We describe a 29-year-old female who had a history of two cesarean deliveries. After each delivery, she presented transient and recurrent slurred speech and limb weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed diffuse abnormal signals in the corpus callosum, posterior limbs of bilateral internal capsule, and centrum semiovale. Electromyogram showed sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy with the characteristics of intermediate CMT. The C.622G>A mutation (p.Glu208Lys) in the GJB1 gene was detected by PCR-sequencing.Conclusion: The diagnosis of CMTX1 should be considered, even in female patients, when the disease presents with recurrent stroke-like symptoms and abnormal white matter signals on MRI. The puerperium after delivery may be one of the precipitating factors.

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the pattern of gestational weight gain (GWG) among Chinese women. We included pregnant women, who delivered at a referral medical center in China and had no pre-specified adverse pregnancy outcomes. We collected weight data across all pregnancy visits, and used the two-level spline linear model to fit for the pattern of GWG according to pre-pregnancy BMI categories. In total, 4,567 pregnant women with 47,699 repeated measures were eligible. For those who were underweight, normal and overweight before pregnancy, the interquartile ranges (25th to 75th quartiles) of GWG between 14 and 36 gestational weeks were 12.9–17.7 kg, 12.6–17.3 kg and 11.7–16.8 kg, and the corresponding rates of GWG were 2.62 kg/month, 2.56 kg/month and 2.37 kg/month. For underweight and normal women, the rates of GWG were similar before 14 weeks (0.57 and 0.58 kg/month) and after 36 weeks (1.69 and 1.70 kg/month); however, the rates of GWG were higher for overweight women (0.66 kg/month before 14 weeks and 1.89 kg/month after 36 weeks). In summary, the pattern of GWG among Chinese pregnant women is generally consistent with the IOM recommendation, particularly for those who are normal or underweight. Modifications are, however, warranted for overweight pregnant women.

A method based on workflow technology and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) specification is proposed to establish a universal workflow conceptual model in the network environment. In this paper, the soil fertility evaluation conceptual model was developed as an evaluation method of soil fertility by analyzing the GIS-based fertility evaluation method and extracting the dynamic variable to verify the feasibility model. This validation process involves determining the instantiation of the conceptual model. The proposed conceptual model achieved the following goals. All data acquisition and processing functions were packaged into an OGC-compliant service model; these service models were organized into a processing chain in a certain order on the workflow platform by Petri-Net; the fertility evaluation was realized on the workflow platform by calling the processing chain. Results showed that processing functions and data can be shared in the network environment, and the network workflow model can be realized by the workflow technology. The successful implementation of fertility evaluation proved the feasibility of the network-based universal workflow conceptual model. In addition, the flexibility of our modeling method is demonstrated by reconstructing the workflow model.

Abstract Background Early detection of subclinical myocardial dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is essential for recommending therapeutic interventions that can prevent or reverse heart failure, thereby improving the prognosis in such patients. This study aims to quantitatively evaluate left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation and perfusion using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to investigate the association between LV subclinical myocardial dysfunction and coronary microvascular perfusion. Methods We recruited 71 T2DM patients and 30 healthy individuals as controls who underwent CMR examination. The T2DM patients were subdivided into two groups, namely the newly diagnosed DM group (n = 31, patients with diabetes for ≤ 5 years) and longer-term DM group (n = 40, patients with diabetes > 5 years). LV deformation parameters, including global peak strain (PS), peak systolic strain rate, and peak diastolic strain rate (PSDR), and myocardial perfusion parameters such as upslope, time to maximum signal intensity (TTM), and max signal intensity (Max SI, were measured and compared among the three groups. Pearson’s correlation was used to evaluate the correlation between LV deformation and perfusion parameters. Results Pooled data from T2DM patients showed a decrease in global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial PDSR compared to healthy individuals, apart from lower upslope. In addition, increased TTM and reduced Max SI were found in the longer-term diabetics compared to the normal subjects (p

Context: Ajuga ovalifolia Bur. et Franch. var. calantha (Diels) C. Y. Wu et C. Chen (Labiatae), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat several inflammatory diseases. Objective: To assess the anti-inflammatory activity of ajudecumin A isolated from Ajuga ovalifolia var. calantha, and its possible mechanisms. Materials and methods: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.5 μg/mL)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages were used to assess the anti-inflammatory activity of ajudecumin A (1–40 μM) in vitro. Nitric oxide levels were evaluated by Griess reagent. The mRNA levels of iNOS, COX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were determined using qRT-PCR. Phosphorylation of ERK, JNK, p38 MAPK and IκBα were detected by western Blot. To further assess the anti-inflammatory of ajudecumin A in vivo, mice were oral treated with ajudecumin A (10 mg/kg) or dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg, positive control) for 5 days before administration of carrageenan or xylene. Paw and ear edema were then measured, respectively. Results: Ajudecumin A (10–40 μM) decreased LPS-induced nitric oxide production with an IC50 value of 16.19 μM. Ajudecumin A (20 and 40 μM) also attenuated cell spreading and formation of pseudopodia-like structures, and decreased the mRNA levels of iNOS (55.23–67.04%, p

This study aimed at assessing the correctness of a caregiver’s perception of their child’s diet status and to determine the factors which may influence their judgment. 815 child-caregiver pairs were recruited from two primary schools. 3-day 24-h recall was used to evaluate children’s dietary intake, Chinese Children Dietary Index (CCDI) was used to evaluate the dietary quality. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to explore the factors that could influence the correctness of caregiver’s perception. In the current study, 371 (62.1%) children with “high diet quality” and 35 (16.1%) children with “poor diet quality” were correctly perceived by their caregivers. Children who were correctly perceived as having “poor diet quality” consumed less fruits and more snacks and beverages than those who were not correctly perceived (p < 0.05). Obese children were more likely to be correctly identified as having “poor diet quality” (OR = 3.532, p = 0.040), and less likely to be perceived as having “high diet quality”, even when they had a balanced diet (OR = 0.318, p = 0.020). Caregivers with a high level of education were more likely to correctly perceive children’s diet quality (OR = 3.532, p = 0.042). Caregivers in this study were shown to lack the ability to correctly identify their children’s diet quality, especially amongst children with a “poor diet quality”. Obesity, significantly low consumption of fruits or high consumption of snacks can raise caregivers’ awareness of “poor diet quality”.

Abstract Background As microbial cultures are comprised of heterogeneous cells that differ according to their size and intracellular concentrations of DNA, proteins, and other constituents, the detailed identification and discrimination of the growth phases of bacterial populations in batch culture is challenging. Cell analysis is indispensable for quality control and cell enrichment. Methods In this paper, we report the results of our investigation on the use of single-cell Raman spectrometry (SCRS) for real-time analysis and prediction of cells in different growth phases during batch culture of Lactobacillus (L.) casei Zhang. A targeted analysis of defined cell growth phases at the level of the single cell, including lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase, was facilitated by SCRS. Results Spectral shifts were identified in different states of cell growth that reflect biochemical changes specific to each cell growth phase. Raman peaks associated with DNA and RNA displayed a decrease in intensity over time, whereas protein-specific and lipid-specific Raman vibrations increased at different rates. Furthermore, a supervised classification model (Random Forest) was used to specify the lag phase, log phase, and stationary phase of cells based on SCRS, and a mean sensitivity of 90.7% and mean specificity of 90.8% were achieved. In addition, the correct cell type was predicted at an accuracy of approximately 91.2%. Conclusions To conclude, Raman spectroscopy allows label-free, continuous monitoring of cell growth, which may facilitate more accurate estimates of the growth states of lactic acid bacterial populations during fermented batch culture in industry.

Abstract Background The genomic diversity of different species within the genus Lactococcus and the relationships between genomic differentiation and environmental factors remain unclear. In this study, type isolates of ten Lactococcus species/subspecies were sequenced to assess their genomic characteristics, metabolic diversity, and phylogenetic relationships. Results The total genome sizes varied between 1.99 (Lactococcus plantarum) and 2.46 megabases (Mb; L. lactis subsp. lactis), and the G + C content ranged from 34.81 (L. lactis subsp. hordniae) to 39.67% (L. raffinolactis) with an average value of 37.02%. Analysis of genome dynamics indicated that the genus Lactococcus has an open pan-genome, while the core genome size decreased with sequential addition at the genus and species group levels. A phylogenetic dendrogram based on the concatenated amino acid sequences of 643 core genes was largely consistent with the phylogenetic tree obtained by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, but it provided a more robust phylogenetic resolution than the 16S rRNA gene-based analysis. Conclusions Comparative genomics indicated that species in the genus Lactococcus had high degrees of diversity in genome size, gene content, and carbohydrate metabolism. This may be important for the specific adaptations that allow different Lactococcus species to survive in different environments. These results provide a quantitative basis for understanding the genomic and metabolic diversity within the genus Lactococcus, laying the foundation for future studies on taxonomy and functional genomics.

Abstract Background Neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the onset and development of neurodegeneration disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. The immune activities of the central nervous system are profoundly affected by peripheral immune activities. Immune tolerance refers to the unresponsiveness of the immune system to continuous or repeated stimulation to avoid excessive inflammation and unnecessary by-stander injury in the face of continuous antigen threat. It has been proved that the immune tolerance could suppress the development of various peripheral inflammation-related diseases. However, the role of immune tolerance in neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases was not clear. Methods Rats were injected with repeated low-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally for 4 days to induce peripheral immune tolerance. Neuroinflammation was produced using intracranial LPS (15 μg) injection. Inflammation cytokines were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Microglial activation were measured using immunostaining of Iba-1 and ED-1. Dopaminergic neuronal damage was evaluated using immunochemistry staining and stereological counting of TH-positive neurons. Behavioral impairment was evaluated using amphetamine-induced rotational behavioral assessment. Results Compared with the non-immune tolerated animals, pre-treatment of peripheral immune tolerance significantly decreased the production of inflammatory cytokines, suppressed the microglial activation, and increased the number of dopaminergic neuronal survival in the substantia nigra. Conclusions Our results indicated that peripheral immune tolerance attenuated neuroinflammation and inhibited neuroinflammation-induced dopaminergic neuronal death.

Annexin (Ann) is a polygenic, evolutionarily conserved, calcium-dependent and phospholipid-binding protein family, which plays key roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. However, a comprehensive understanding of CaAnn genes of pepper (Capsicum annuum) at the genome-wide level is limited. Based on the available pepper genomic information, we identified 15 members of the CaAnn gene family. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CaAnn proteins could be categorized into four different orthologous groups. Real time quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that the CaAnn genes were tissue-specific and were widely expressed in pepper leaves after treatments with cold, salt, and drought, as well as exogenously applied MeJA and ABA. In addition, the function of CaAnn9 was further explored using the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technique. CaAnn9-silenced pepper seedlings were more sensitive to salt stress, reflected by the degradation of chlorophyll, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the decrease of antioxidant defense capacity. This study provides important information for further study of the role of pepper CaAnn genes and their coding proteins in growth, development, and environmental responses.

The characteristics of plateau precipitation and atmosphere, once accurately and comprehensively understood, can be used to inform sound air–water resource development practices. In this study, atmospheric exploration of the Tibet Plateau (TP) was conducted using ground-based microwave radiometer (MWR) data collected during the East Asian summer monsoon. Atmospheric temperature, pressure, humidity, and other variables were gathered under clear-sky, cloudy-sky, and rainy-sky conditions. Statistical characteristics of the air parcel height and stability/convection indices such as convective available potential energy (CAPE) and convective inhibition (CIN) were investigated, with a special focus on the rainy-sky condition. Two retrieval applications for characterizing precipitation, namely short-term precipitation forecast and quantitative precipitation estimation were presented. Results showed that CAPE values in the Darlag region reached extremes around 18:00–20:00 (UTC+8) for cloudy-sky and rainy-sky conditions with corresponding peaks of about 1046.56 J/kg and 703.02 J/kg, respectively. When stratiform or convective–mixed precipitation occurs, the precipitable water vapor (PWV) and CAPE values were generally greater than 1.7 cm and 1000 J/kg, respectively. CAPE values are likely to decrease before the occurrence of precipitation due to the release of the latent heat in the atmosphere.

Abstract Background The maternal mortality rate (MMR) markedly decreased in China, but there has been a significant imbalance among different geographic regions (east, central and west regions), and the mortality in the western region remains high. This study aims to examine how much disparity in the health system and MMR between ethnic minority and non-minority counties exists in Sichuan province of western China and measures conceivable commitments of the health system determinants of the disparity in MMR. Methods The MMR and health system data of 67 minority and 116 non-minority counties were taken from Sichuan provincial official sources. The 2-level Poisson regression model was used to identify health system determinants. A series of nested models with different health system factors were fitted to decide contribution of each factor to the disparity in MMR. Results The MMR decreased over the last decade, with the fastest declining rate from 2006 to 2010. The minority counties experienced higher raw MMR in 2002 than non-minority counties (94.4 VS. 58.2), which still remained higher in 2014 (35.7 VS. 14.3), but the disparity of raw MMR between minority and non-minority counties decreased from 36.2 to 21.4. The better socio-economic condition, more health human resources and higher maternal health care services rate were associated with lower MMR. Hospital delivery rate alone explained 74.5% of the difference in MMR between minority and non-minority counties. All health system indicators together explained 97.6% of the ethnic difference in MMR, 59.8% in the change trend, and 66.3% county level variation respectively. Conclusions Hospital delivery rate mainly determined disparity in MMR between minority and non-minority counties in Sichuan province. Increasing hospital birth rates among ethnic minority counties may narrow the disparity in MMR by more than two-thirds of the current level.

Abstract By comparing the differentially accumulated proteins from the derivatives (UC 1110 × PI 610750) in the F10 recombinant inbred line population which differed in cold-tolerance, altogether 223 proteins with significantly altered abundance were identified. The comparison of 10 cold-sensitive descendant lines with 10 cold-tolerant descendant lines identified 140 proteins that showed decreased protein abundance, such as the components of the photosynthesis apparatus and cell-wall metabolism. The identified proteins were classified into the following main groups: protein metabolism, stress/defense, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, sulfur metabolism, nitrogen metabolism, RNA metabolism, energy production, cell-wall metabolism, membrane and transportation, and signal transduction. Results of quantitative real-time PCR of 20 differentially accumulated proteins indicated that the transcriptional expression patterns of 10 genes were consistent with their protein expression models. Virus-induced gene silencing of Hsp90, BBI, and REP14 genes indicated that virus-silenced plants subjected to cold stress had more severe drooping and wilting, an increased rate of relative electrolyte leakage, and reduced relative water content compared to viral control plants. Furthermore, ultrastructural changes of virus-silenced plants were destroyed more severely than those of viral control plants. These results indicate that Hsp90, BBI, and REP14 potentially play vital roles in conferring cold tolerance in bread wheat.

Abstract Atherosclerosis arises from leukocyte infiltration and thickening of the artery walls and constitutes a major component of vascular disease pathology, but the molecular events underpinning this process are not fully understood. Proteins containing an Asn-Gly-Arg (NGR) motif readily undergo deamidation of asparagine to generate isoDGR structures that bind to integrin αvβ3 on circulating leukocytes. Here we report the identification of isoDGR motifs in human atherosclerotic plaque components including extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins fibronectin and tenascin C, which have been strongly implicated in human atherosclerosis. We further demonstrate that deamidation of NGR motifs in fibronectin and tenascin C leads to increased adhesion of the monocytic cell line U937 and enhanced binding of primary human monocytes, except in the presence of a αvβ3-blocking antibody or the αv-selective inhibitor cilengitide. In contrast, under the same deamidating conditions monocyte-macrophages displayed only weak binding to the alternative ECM component vitronectin which lacks NGR motifs. Together, these findings confirm a critical role for isoDGR motifs in mediating leukocyte adhesion to the ECM via integrin αvβ3 and suggest that protein deamidation may promote the pathological progression of human atherosclerosis by enhancing monocyte recruitment to developing plaques.

Abstract Pulmonary rehabilitation mixture (PRM), a Chinese herbal medicine formula, has been used to treat pulmonary fibrosis for decades. In this study, we systematically evaluated the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic performance of PRM. The pharmacodynamic results showed that PRM could improve the condition of CoCl2-stimulated human type II alveolar epithelial cells, human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells, human lung fibroblasts and pulmonary fibrosis rats induced by bleomycin, PRM treatment reduced the expression of platelet-derived growth factor, fibroblast growth factor, toll-like receptor 4, high-mobility group box protein 1 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. In the pharmacokinetic study, an accurate and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of calycosin, calycosin-7-O-glucoside, formononetin, ononin and mangiferin of PRM in the rat plasma for the first time. The method was then successfully applied to the comparative pharmacokinetic study of PRM in normal and pulmonary fibrosis rats. The five constituents could be absorbed in the blood after the oral administration of PRM and exhibited different pharmacokinetic behaviors in normal and pulmonary fibrosis rats. In summary, PRM exhibited a satisfactory pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic performance, which highlights PRM as a potential multi-target oral drug for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Abstract Background Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) is an effective treatment for Parkinson’s disease (PD), the predictive effect of levodopa responsiveness on surgical outcomes was confirmed by some studies, however there were different conclusions about that through long- and short-term follow-ups. We aimed to investigate the factors which influence the predictive value of levodopa responsiveness, and discover more predictive factors of surgical outcomes. Methods Twenty-three PD patients underwent bilateral STN-DBS and completed our follow-up. Clinical evaluations were performed 1 week before and 3 months after surgery. Results STN-DBS significantly improved motor function of PD patients after 3 months; preoperative levodopa responsiveness and disease subtype predicted the effect of DBS on motor function; gender, disease duration and duration of motor fluctuations modified the predictive effect of levodopa responsiveness on motor improvement; the duration of motor fluctuations and severity of preoperative motor symptoms modified the predictive effect of disease subtype on motor improvement. Conclusions The intensity of levodopa responsiveness served as a predictor of motor improvement more accurately in female patients, patients with shorter disease duration or shorter motor fluctuations; PD patients with dominant axial symptoms benefit less from STN-DBS compared to those with limb-predominant symptoms, especially in their later disease stage.

The construction scale of optical broadband network brings the massive construction of the access network optic fibers,and the key point is the operation,the maintenance and the management of the network after the large construction,thus it is very important to use highly efficient detection methods and related flexible application methods.Based on the analysis of ODN,the capability of OTDR applied in ODN was analyzed,and the characteristics of ODN key events in the OTDR test was focused,meanwhile according to OTDR detection shortcomings,relevant OTDR application schemes were suggested.

Background: While depression and certain cardiac biomarkers are associated with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), the relationship between them remains largely unexplored. We examined the association between depressive symptoms and biomarkers in patients with AMI. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study using data from 103 patients with AMI between March 2013 and September 2014. The levels of depression, N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and troponin I (TnI) were measured at baseline. The patients were divided into two groups: those with depressive symptoms and those without depressive symptoms according to Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) score. Baseline comparisons between two groups were made using Student's t-test for continuous variables, Chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables, and Wilcoxon test for variables in skewed distribution. Binomial logistic regression and multivariate linear regression were performed to assess the association between depressive symptoms and biomarkers while adjusting for demographic and clinical variables. Results: Patients with depressive symptoms had significantly higher NT-proBNP levels as compared to patients without depressive symptoms (1135.0 [131.5, 2474.0] vs. 384.0 [133.0, 990.0], Z = −2.470, P = 0.013). Depressive symptoms were associated with higher NT-proBNP levels (odds ratio [OR] = 2.348, 95% CI: 1.344 to 4.103, P = 0.003) and higher body mass index (OR = 1.169, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.016 to 1.345, P = 0.029). The total SDS score was associated with the NT-proBNP level (β= 0.327, 95% CI: 1.674 to 6.119, P = 0.001) after multivariable adjustment. In particular, NT-proBNP was associated with three of the depressive dimensions, including core depression (β = 0.299, 95% CI: 0.551 to 2.428, P = 0.002), cognitive depression (β = 0.320, 95% CI: 0.476 to 1.811, P = 0.001), and somatic depression (β = 0.333, 95% CI: 0.240 to 0.847, P = 0.001). Neither the overall depressive symptomatology nor the individual depressive dimensions were associated with TnI levels. Conclusions: Depressive symptoms, especially core depression, cognitive depression, and somatic depression, were related to high NT-proBNP levels in patients with AMI.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of Lymantria sugii (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) was sequenced and annotated. The mitochondrial genome is 15,614 bp (GenBank No. MT265380), containing 80.4% A + T (A 39.1%, C 7.3%, G 12.2%, and T 41.3%), that is heavily biased toward A and T nucleotides. All PCGs were started with ATN (ATA/ATG/ATT/ATC) and were terminated with TAR (TAA/TAG) excepting ND4, which ended with single T. Additionally, the phylogenetic tree confirmed that L. sugii clustered with L. umbrosa, L. dispar and Lymantria sp. The current study would be enrich the mitogenomes of the Lymantriinae.

Due to the complex situation of disorder of consciousness (DOC) patients, the assessment of conscious states of these patients has become a huge challenge for a long time (Laureys et al., 2010). At present, the main clinical diagnostic method to assess the conscious state of a DOC patient is the use of a relevant behavior scale like the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R). In this article, we will focus on auditory stimulation and select some representative auditory stimulus, like calling names and music stimulation, to discuss the function and application of the auditory stimulus in patients with DOC and provide guidance for future research.

Multiple goals balancing is an important but not yet fully validated dimension of complex problem solving (CPS). The present study used process data to explore how solvers clarify goals, set priorities, and balance conflicting goals. We extracted behavioral indicators of goal pursuit from the log data of 3,201 students on the third subtask of the “Ticket” task in the PISA 2012 CPS test. Cluster analysis was used to identify 10 groups that varied in goal pursuit behavior. Logistics and least-squares regression analysis were used to explore how goal pursuit affected task scores and CPS proficiency. The results showed that competent solvers clarified goals and weighed priorities more effectively. They also made trade-offs between conflicting goals. The importance of theoretically-driven log data analysis and coping strategies in the face of multiple goals conflict scenarios was discussed.

Decreased inhibition control ability and increased craving may be the most important causes of relapsing in smoking. Although inhibition control defects in young smokers were investigated, the effects of short-term abstinence on inhibition control in young smokers were still unclear. Thirty young smokers participated in the present study. The EEG signals during the Go/NoGo task were recorded in both satiety and 12 h abstinence conditions. The task performances were observed and compared between the two conditions. Event-related potential (ERP) analysis was used to investigate changes in N200 and P300 amplitude and latency induced by 12 h of abstinence. After 12 h of abstinence, the latency of N200 was prolonged in young smokers. No significant changes were found in the number of NoGo errors and the response time of Go in young smokers after 12 h of abstinence. Correlation analysis showed that the N200 latency of abstinence condition was significantly correlated with the number of NoGo errors and the response time of Go in the abstinence condition. The present findings may improve the understanding of the effect of short-term abstinence in young smokers. We suggested that the latency of N200 may be associated with inefficient inhibitory control of the abstinence condition in young smokers. Our results may contribute new insights into the neural mechanism of nicotine abstinence in young smokers.

This paper presents pressure, flow and vibration characteristics of an axial piston pump valve plate with damping grooves. For flow ripple and vibration of the pump reduction, an improved compressible fluid model of axial-piston pump with damping groove is developed to analyze flow dynamics and vibration characteristics. A parametric analysis is performed to analyze the effects of damping groove on the discharge pressure and flow ripples of axial piston pump. The sensitivity of discharge pressure and flow ripple are analyzed to different pressure levels, speeds, and damping groove parameters. The results of pressure ripple and vibration characteristics are validated by experimental test. The experimental and simulation results differ by only approximately 0.75 MPa in the pressure ripple amplitude. The results of the vibration acceleration measurements show that the valve plate with damping groove reduces the vibration level by 0.4 mm/s2 at the rated working condition. It is the effective method that the valve plate parameters are improved to reduce vibration characteristics of axial piston pump.

Conventional high-frequency cleaners utilize functional materials (e.g. piezoelectric ceramics, magnetostrictive materials) excited by electrical signals to realize high-frequency vibration, even ultrasonic vibration. However, it is difficult to produce a large force without sacrificing bandwidth because of the physical characteristics of materials themselves. Therefore, a high-frequency high-power cleaner driven by electro-hydraulic excitation is proposed. Only a few studies are performed on electro-hydraulic cleaners, owing to the limitation of frequency bandwidth of the electro-hydraulic system. Thus, a rotary valve named two-dimensional valve is improved and adopted to improve high-frequency performances of the electro-hydraulic cleaner. In this article, a two-dimensional rotary valve with a linear variable differential transformer is designed, and the vibration characteristics of the electro-hydraulic cleaner controlled by this valve are discussed in detail, especially vibration acceleration, vibration frequency, and pressure amplitude. A prototype of the electro-hydraulic cleaner is modeled and both a theoretical analysis and experimental investigation are carried out. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the electro-hydraulic cleaning system outputs sinusoidal vibration waveforms, especially in a high-frequency domain, which could realize the vibration frequency of 2669 Hz. The measured waves at different frequencies (below the resonant frequency) demonstrate different distortions compared with the sinusoidal waveform. These distortions can be associated with the hydraulic resonance. At hydraulic resonance (1903 Hz), the amplitude is increased significantly and the vibration waveform becomes more pronounced. Nevertheless, the study does provide an access to the electro-hydraulic high-frequency vibration applied in cleaning or other engineering cases.

The heat exchanger is widely applied to many axial piston machines, and its structure significantly affects the heat transfer performance. Flow characteristic and heat transfer performance in heat exchanger channels with different dimples geometries are numerically and experimentally analyzed in this research work. The objective is to present details of flow field structure and heat transfer mechanisms for the dimpled channel. The realizable k-ε turbulence model was employed in the numerical simulations with the Re range from 3500 to 20,000. The temperature contour, local streamlines, friction factor, and Nu were presented to illustrate the heat transfer enhancement mechanisms. From this investigation, it is found that dimples cause downward flow, improve the flow mixing and reattachment, interrupt the boundary layer and form periodic impingement flows and then greatly improve the heat transfer. The heat transfer coefficient of hemispherical dimple channels with the three kinds of dimple radius–depth ratios is the highest, and it is about 27.2% higher than that of the traditional rhombus dimple channel. Comparing to the rhombus dimpled channel, the lower flow friction performance of the hemispherical dimple channel depends on the lower dimple radius–depth ratio. The hemispherical dimpled channel present better overall thermal performance due to the strength and extent of the recirculation flow reduction.

Operation and maintenance investment is an important part of the capital expenditure of power grid enterprises. In recent years, affected by multiple profit-cutting factors such as the macroeconomic downturn, the slowdown in electricity growth, the implementation of transmission and distribution price reform requirements, the narrowing of electricity price space, and the state's phased reduction of electricity cost policies, the profitability of power grid companies has dropped significantly, and power grid investment. The capacity was significantly weakened, and the operating pressure was unprecedented. Identifying and measuring the influencing factors of power grid operation and maintenance investment is an important supporting role for enterprises to formulate scientific and reasonable investment strategies for power grid equipment operation and maintenance. Therefore, this paper first applies the fish-bone method, combined with the current status of equipment operation and maintenance management of power grid enterprises, and scientifically identifies the factors that affect the investment level of operation and maintenance; then, based on the grey correlation theory, analyzes the degree of influence of each influencing factor.

Single-crystalline fibers have distinct structures and optical properties comparing with the bulk crystals. In this article, two types of single-crystalline fibers of deuterated potassium dihydrogen phosphate (K(H1−xDx)2PO4, DKDP) are obtained by rapid growth in room-temperature supersaturated solution. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that these DKDP single-crystalline fibers belong to tetragonal (I-42d) and monoclinic (P21/c) phases, respectively. The crystal structure of the tetragonal DKDP single-crystalline fiber is identical to that of the bulk DKDP tetragonal crystal reported. The lattice parameters of the monoclinic DKDP fiber (with the deuterium content of 55%) are a = 14.6571 Å, b = 4.5187 Å, c = 18.6962 Å, and β = 108.030°, which is a new crystal phase of DKDP. The monoclinic DKDP single-crystalline fiber is metastable at the present experimental condition and readily transit to the corresponding DKDP tetragonal phase in solution and in solid by grinding. The optical experiment shows that the highly deuterated tetragonal DKDP single-crystalline fiber possesses excellent optical guided-wave and effective second-harmonic generation properties. DKDP single-crystalline fibers are expected to be the suitable candidates for fabrication of the miniaturized nonlinear optical devices.

High-performance control of inertial stabilization imaging sensors (ISISs) is always challenging because of the complex nonlinearities induced by friction, mass imbalance, and external disturbances. To overcome this problem, a terminal sliding mode controller (TSMC) based on a novel exponential reaching law (NERL) method with a high-order terminal sliding mode observer (HOTSMO) is suggested. First, the TSMC based on NERL is adopted to improve system performance. The NERL incorporates the power term and switching gain term of the system state variables into the conventional exponential reaching law, and the convergent speed of the TSMC is accelerated. Then, an HOTSMO is designed, which considers the speed and lumped disturbances of the system as the observation object. The estimated disturbance is then provided as a compensation for the controller, which enhances the disturbance rejection ability of the system. Comparative simulation and experimental results show that the proposed method achieves the best tracking performance and the strongest robustness than PID and the traditional TSMC methods.

We investigated the genetic diversity of the population of captive forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) in Barkam Musk Deer Breeding Centre using twelve microsatellite markers, and then analyzed the change in genetic structure of successive generation groups from the population. The data provide a new understanding for the evaluation and usage of the breeding management system. Microsatellite marker analysis detected 141 alleles with an average of 11.75 alleles for each marker. The average expected heterozygosity (HE) was 0.731. Performing an F-statistical analysis on the data showed that the genetic diversity of population decreased, and the inbreeding coefficient significant increased with the increase of generation, and FIS of the 1st generation is significantly lower than that of the second to fifth generation (p < 0.01). The result suggested that the captive population was facing the pressure of inbreeding (FIS = 0.115) and the subsequent loss of genetic diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the breeding management system of the captive population by preventing close relatives from mating or inducing new individuals from the exotic population.

Current study examined the potential of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) fabricated using the Caryophyllus aromaticus ( C. aromaticus ) leaf extract to inhibit multidrug-resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter baumannii infection. Analytical results confirmed the stable ZnO-NPs fabrication with mean particle size of about 18 nm. Zeta potential and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) findings proved the ZnO-NPs capping with polyphenols of phyto-extract. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies displayed the synthesized ZnO-NPs crystalline nature. The findings revealed that ZnO-NPs fabricated by leaf extract of C. aromaticus induced-bacterial cell-death, triggered DNA condensation of MDR A. baumannii and showed an obvious effect on the production of biofilm, cells grown in biofilm, microbial cell attachment as well as invading human lung cells depending on the concentration. The ZnO-NPs fabricated using C. aromaticus plant leaf extract did not show any obvious effect on the human lung cell viability. Furthermore, approximately 90% MDR A. baumannii infection was inhibited by the fabricated ZnO-NPs without cytotoxic effect at 0.028 μ g ml ^−1 EC _50 . Thus, fabricated ZnO-NPs were considered as potent anti-MDR A. baumannii agent for efficient therapy and further lead to advancement of various efficient biomedical applications in nursing care.

A novel milling force model for cutting aviation aluminum alloy 7075 using carbide end mill is established in this article. A two-dimensional end-milling model is set up to investigate the influence of tool geometric parameters on milling force with the single-factor analysis. The relationship between milling forces and tool geometric parameters is obtained by nonlinear regression fitting method. Based on the existing empirical model of milling force, quadratic polynomial factor is taken into consideration to explore the influence of tool geometric parameters on milling force. Thus, a novel milling force model is built up which includes tool geometric parameters and milling parameters. The coefficients of the novel model are identified by the direct method and the loop method. The precisions of the coefficients obtained by the two methods are compared between prediction values and experiment values. After comparison, the model whose coefficients are obtained by loop method has higher prediction ability. End-milling experiments were carried out to verify the prediction accuracy of the novel milling force model. The result shows that the novel model of milling force has high accuracy in prediction. The method of building the milling force model proposed in this article can be applied to other types of milling cutter.

Background. The clock genes controlling biological rhythm play an important role in the pathophysiology of aging. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is an association between a variant of the circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) gene and circadian dysfunction of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods. Six hundred and forty-six cases of Parkinson’s disease from consecutive outpatients and inpatients ward from our hospital were included in this study. Kompetitive allele-specific PCR was used to determine the frequency distribution of genotypes and alleles. The examinations for the PD group were assessed in person in order to evaluate motor symptoms, cognitive function, sleep, and depression, including the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17). Results. Motor fluctuation (P

We report on a passively Q-switched fiber laser with black phosphorus as saturable absorber. By employing the sol-gel fabricated large-mode-area Tm-doped fiber as gain medium, a high-energy Q-switched fiber laser has been demonstrated which delivers the maximum pulse energy of 11.72 μJ with the pulse width of 660 ns at the wavelength of 1954 nm. Our experimental results indicate that BP Q-switched large-mode-area Tm-doped fiber laser is an effective and reliable approach to generate high-energy pulses at 2 μm.

Lymantria xylina (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) is an important forest pest in some Asian countries. In this study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of L. xylina. The length of the genome is 15,488 bp and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and an A + T-rich region. All PCGs use ATN as start codon and TAA as stop codon except for cox2 and nad4. The A + T-content of the genome is 80.64% and show the bias of nucleotides. We reconstructed the sister group relationship of (L. xylina + (L. dispar + Lymantria sp. AN-2017)).