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Objective. Systematic evaluation of the efficacy of acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training in the treatment of upper limb spasm after cerebral apoplexy. Methods. The data of CNKI, CBM, CQVIP, Wanfang, and the libraries of Pubmed and Cochrane were searched by computer, and the related literatures about acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training in the treatment of cognitive dysfunction after stroke were searched. The search time is from January 1, 1995 to January 1, 2022. All data segments were independently analyzed and extracted by two evaluators. After evaluating the quality of the methodology, meta-analysis was carried out by using the RevMan5.4 software. Results. Finally, 11 studies were included, with a total of 789 subjects. The results of meta-analysis indicated that acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training was superior to simple cognitive rehabilitation training or drugs in the following aspects, the difference exhibited statistically significant, the total effective rate ( RR = 1.58 , 95% CI), latency of P300 ( MD = − 18.46 , 95% CI), amplitude of P300 ( MD = 1.23 , 95% CI (0.82), P < 0.00001 , 95% CI (0.31)), and activity of daily living (ADL), respectively, were significantly higher compared to the control group ( P < 0.00001 ), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05 ). Based on the results of systematic evaluation, the GRADE system recommendation classification method is used to evaluate the quality of evidence. The results show that the level of evidence is low and the intensity of recommendation is weak. Conclusion. The results of this meta-analysis suggest that the curative effect of acupuncture combined with cognitive rehabilitation training is better compared to simple cognitive rehabilitation training or drugs. However, due to the low quality of the original literature, it needs to be confirmed by multicenter, high-quality, large-sample randomized blind controlled trials in the future.

Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most important cause of lung cancer death. Wnt7a is a known tumor suppressor gene which is often downregulated in NSCLC, and restoration of Wnt7a leads to decreased NSCLC cell proliferation. However, the biological role of Wnt7a in the migration and invasion in NSCLC remains unclear. Methods We examined whether overexpression of Wnt7a transfected by pcDNA6-Wnt7a could induce the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC H1650 and A549 cell lines. Wnt7a signaling pathway, such as canonical (β-catenin) or non-canonical (c-Jun N-terminal kinase, JNK) pathways, were also assessed. Results We found that re-expression of Wnt7a led to reduced cell growth in NSCLC cell lines. In spite of the antiproliferative effect, Wnt7a overexpression could affect the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. In the Wnt7a signaling pathway, the phosphorylation of JNK (Thr-183/Tyr-185) and c-Jun (Ser-63) were increased by re-expression of Wnt7a in both H1650 and A549 cell lines. The phosphorylation of β-catenin (Thr-41/Ser-45, Ser-552, Ser-675, and Ser-45) were not altered by restoration of Wnt7a. In NSCLC cells, Wnt7a overexpression was accompanied by parallel changes in the JNK pathway but not in the β-catenin pathway. Conclusions These results help to understand that Wnt7a may play a two-sided role in NSCLC, suggesting that restoration of Wnt7a expression is not always suitable as therapeutic strategy for NSCLC.

Lithium aluminate (LiAlO2) has been successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction based on using the anodic alumina (AAO) as the template and explored as the compound materials in LiMnPO4/C lithium battery. LiAlO2 nanoplate porous structure is inherited from anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) structure and serves as substrates to grow LiMnPO4 nanocrystals, which provide a high surface area with a porous structure. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical properties of the samples were analyzed. The instruments used in this process are X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), and charge-discharge test system. The crystallization transition process of the precursor after hydrothermal reaction was researched by thermal gravity analysis. The specific surface area and pore volume of LiAlO2 are 118.6 m2/g and 0.89 cm3/g, which were confirmed by the method of nitrogen adsorption. Moreover, the 10% content LiAlO2-LiMnPO4/C has the excellent electrochemical performance, and its first discharge capacity is 144 mAh/g at 0.1 C, compared with the LiMnPO4/C electrode (121 mAh/g at 0.1 C). The LiAlO2 can obstruct the direct contact of electrode and electrolyte, thus reducing their direct contact areas of cathode at charged state, owing to the fact that LiAlO2 around the active surfaces of LiMnPO4 grains acts as an ionic conductive wiring.

Building on the existing model, an improved constitutive model for rock is proposed and extended in three dimensions. The model can avoid the defect of non-zero dynamic stress at the beginning of impact loading, and the number of parameters is in a suitable range. The three-dimensional expansion method of the component combination model is similar to that of the Hooke spring, which is easy to operate and understand. For the determination of model parameters, the shared parameter estimation method based on the Levenberg–Marquardt and the Universal Global Optimization algorithm is used, which can be well applied to models with parameters that do not change with confinement and strain rates. According to the established dynamic constitutive equation, the stress–strain curve of rock under the coupling action of the initial hydrostatic pressure load and constant strain-rate impact load can be estimated theoretically. By comparing the theoretical curve with the test data, it is shown that the dynamic constitutive model is suitable for the rock under the initial pressure and impact load.

Uncertain probability distributions and interdependencies of geotechnical parameters have profound impacts on slope reliability analysis, especially under incomplete probabilistic information. In this paper, a copula-based approach coupling information diffusion (ID) distribution is proposed to reduce such uncertainties. Firstly, ID theory is introduced to establish marginal distribution of strength parameter. Copulas are subsequently performed to characterize the corresponding dependence structure and link the proposed ID margins. At last, equivalent samples are simulated and plugged into Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) to estimate slope reliability. The effect of the proposed method is validated by a slope case. Results show that the proposed ID algorithm holds remarkable superiority in estimating the marginal distribution with considering random volatility of geotechnical parameter. For slope reliability, both marginal distributions and interdependencies of geotechnical parameters barely affect the factor of safety (FS) but significantly impact failure probability (pf). Unreasonable estimation of probability distribution may lead to large deviation in calculation of slope failure probability. Comparably, the proposed copula-based approach coupling ID distribution can give a reasonable and robust reliability results with considering random volatility.

It has been reported that upregulation of wingless-type protein 5a (Wnt5a) is associated with poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Wnt5a expression is often upregulated in radiation-resistant NSCLC cells. However, the biological functions or molecular mechanisms of radiosensitivity in NSCLC remain unknown. In the present study, MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis were performed to assess the effect of overexpression or knockdown of Wnt5a and/or radiation on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, western blot analysis was performed to detect canonical Wnt signaling (β-catenin) in H1650 and A549 cells. The results demonstrated that Wnt5a knockdown combined with irradiation inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells compared with Wnt5a knockdown or radiotherapy alone. In addition, the combination of Wnt5a knockdown and irradiation decreased nuclear and increased cytoplasmic β-catenin expression in H1650 and A549 cells, the effects of which were reversed following overexpression of Wnt5a. The combination of overexpressing Wnt5a and irradiation resulted in significant tumor regression, while β-catenin knockdown reversed Wnt5a overexpression-induced NSCLC cell proliferation. Taken together, these results suggest that Wnt5a may be involved in the activation of β-catenin-dependent canonical Wnt signaling, and thus may influence the effectiveness of radiation therapy in NSCLC.

Knowledge base question answering (KBQA) aims to provide answers to natural language questions from information in the knowledge base. Although many methods perform well when dealing with simple questions, there are still two challenges for complex questions: huge search space and information missing from the query graphs’ structure. To solve these problems, we propose a novel KBQA method based on a graph convolutional network and optimized search space. When generating the query graph, we rank the query graphs by both their semantic and structural similarities with the question. Then, we just use the top k for the next step. In this process, we specifically extract the structure information of the query graphs by a graph convolutional network while extracting semantic information by a pre-trained model. Thus, we can enhance the method’s ability to understand complex questions. We also introduce a constraint function to optimize the search space. Furthermore, we use the beam search algorithm to reduce the search space further. Experiments on the WebQuestionsSP dataset demonstrate that our method outperforms some baseline methods, showing that the structural information of the query graph has a significant impact on the KBQA task.

Quantifying the properties of cemented paste backfill (CPB) is essential for the design of cost-effective, safe and durable cemented backfill structures. In this paper, physical and mathematical modeling were integrated to develop a scientific and reliable approach to represent the mechanical properties of CPB. An experimental investigation was firstly carried out to highlight the effect of cement-tailings ratio (c/t) and slurry concentration (SC) on the UCS of CPB at different curing times. It was found that both of them produced beneficial effects on the strength behavior of CPB. The power and linear functional relationships were exhibited between the UCS of CPB specimens and the corresponding c/t and SC, respectively. Their coupled effects were complicatedly and continuously dominate the development of UCS over time. On basis of these, three time-dependent mathematical strength models were further derived to represent the coupled effects of c/t and SC on UCS. Results showed that the strength expressions for curing times of 7, 14 and 28 days were successfully deduced with ideal accuracy and reliability. The corresponding strength surfaces and contour plots could provide a useful guideline for backfill design and safety management of underground engineering.

This study investigated the effects of Tai Chi compared with no exercise control on the cerebral hemodynamic parameters and other health-related factors in community older adults at risk of ischemic stroke. A total of 170 eligible participants were randomly allocated to Tai Chi or control group. The cerebral hemodynamic parameters and physical fitness risk factors of cardiovascular disease were measured at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. After the 12-week intervention, Tai Chi significantly improved the minimum of blood flow velocity (BFVmin); BFVmean; pulsatility index and resistance index of the right anterior cerebral artery; and BFVmax, BFVmin, and BFVmean parameters of the right middle cerebral artery. Tai Chi training also decreased triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, and homocysteine levels, and improved balance ability. Therefore, the supervised 12-week Tai Chi exercise had potential beneficial effects on cerebral hemodynamics, plasma risk factors, and balance ability in older community adults at risk of ischemic stroke.

To recycle the waste and meet the demand for anode materials for Li-ion battery, α-Fe2O3/C for use as anode material is successfully prepared via a simple hydrothermal process using acid-pickled iron oxide red as raw material. The techniques of X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are used to characterize the product. The synthesis conditions, including temperature and time, are optimized by orthogonal experimental design. The optimal reaction temperature, reaction time, Fe2O3/SO42− ratio, Fe2O3/glucose ratio are 120 °C, 30 h, 20:2 and 1:1, respectively. The sample prepared at optimal conditions exhibits a high initial specific capacity of 1144/1535 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1 and a superior cycling performance of ˜800 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles. Accordingly, this method provides information for the synthesis of α-Fe2O3/C with acid-pickled iron oxide red for the first time, which may help alleviate the problem of energy shortage and environmental pollution through the rational use of resources.

Sodium-substituted LiMnPO4/C/reduced graphene oxide (LNMP@rGO) was synthesized in this study via freeze drying and carbon thermal reduction method with graphene oxide as carbon source. Sodium ion doping is optimized and rGO effects are evaluated by XRD, SEM, TEM, BET, Raman, and electrochemical performance measurements. Well-distributed nanoparticles with average size of ~50 nm are evenly distributed on the surface or intercalation between rGO layers, resulting in a porous ion/electronic conductive network. Compared to 122.3 mA h g−1 in unmodified LNMP, the best LNMP@rGO (20 mg rGO) exhibits an excellent initial discharge capacity of 150.4 mA h g−1 at 0.05 C at 122.9% of the initial capacity. The capacity retention rate is 95.8% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 1 C. Capacity of 101.2 mA h g−1 is preserved even at rates as high as 10 C.

The Tiaopi Huxin recipe (TPHXR) is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for the clinical treatment of coronary heart disease. However, the mechanism of TPHXR treatment of atherosclerosis (AS) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we have aimed to explore the potential antiatherosclerotic effect of TPHXR and its underlying mechanisms. Male ApoE knockout (ApoE-/- ) mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks and were randomly divided into four groups: the control group, and the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose TPHXR groups. The nitric oxide (NO) levels in arterial tissue and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were measured by diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate staining. Vasorelaxation of mice aorta was performed by wire myograph. Inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), hs-CRP, IL-6, and IL-1β, in mice plasma were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Western blot analysis was applied to observe protein expression. Oil Red O staining was utilized for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaques. Results showed that 4 weeks of high- and medium-dose TPHXR treatment by oral gavage reduced atheromatous lesions in ApoE -/- mice. The high- and medium-dose TPHXR treatment, but not the low-dose treatment, promoted eNOS phosphorylation, increased NO levels and improved endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in ApoE -/- mice. High- and medium-dose TPHXR, but not low-dose TPHXR, decreased the expression of cav-1, NF-κB p50, NF-κB p65, ICAM1, VCAM-1, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in the vasculature of ApoE -/- mice. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis indicated that high- and medium-dose TPHXR decreased the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, hs-CRP, and IL-1β. In conclusion, our findings show that TPHXR improved the endothelial function and reduced atheromatous lesions in ApoE -/- mice. This result may be due to the decreased expression of caveolin-1 and NF-κB and, hence, the attenuated inflammatory response in AS mice vasculature. TPHXR may represent a promising intervention in patients with AS.

The Er-doped LiMnPO4/C cathode materials were synthesized by a sol-assisted hydrothermal synthesis method followed by annealing at a low temperature using maleic acid as chelating agent and carbon source for the first time. The structure and electrochemical performances of the obtained samples were investigated systematically including XRD, SEM, EDS, galvanostatic charge and discharge tests, cycle voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Results show that the doped materials especially LiMn0.97Er0.03PO4/C tend to grow in the orientation of rectangle with the uniform particle size. Among all the samples, LiMn0.97Er0.03PO4/C delivers the highest discharge capacity of 142.5 mAh g−1 at 0.05C and a high capacity retention of 90.8% after 100 cycles at 1 C. Even with the high current density of 5 C, its capacity remains at 105.6 mAh g−1 in comparison with 46.3 mAh g−1 of LiMnPO4/C. Compared with LiMnPO4/C, the Er-doped samples demonstrate significantly enhanced electrochemical performance for lithium-ion batteries. This is likely due to the fact that the large ionic radius of erbium ions could enlarge the volume of lattice and alleviate the effect of Jahn-Teller, which is beneficial to improve Li-ion diffusion coefficient and reduce the charge transfer impedance. This material shows promising potential for use in high-voltage cathodes for lithium-ion batteries.

The Editor-in-Chief of Biology Open has raised queries concerning the data shown in Biology Open (2020) 9, [bio050575][1] ([doi:10.1242/bio.050575][2]) The authors have been contacted for an explanation and have been asked to supply the original data. Biology Open is publishing this note to make

To evaluate the effect of tai chi exercise on cardiac and static lung function for older community-dwelling adults at risk of ischemic stroke. A total of 170 older community-dwelling adults (aged 55–75 years old) at risk of ischemic stroke were allocated to either tai chi training group (85 cases, five 60-min sessions of tai chi training per week for 12 weeks) or control group (85 cases, usual pbysical activity for 12 weeks) using a computer-generated randomization. The echocardiographic parameters of cardiac structure, cardiac function and static lung function were measured at baseline, after 12 weeks of intervention and additional 12-week follow-up period by a blinded professional staffmember using a color Doppler ultrasound imaging device or a cardiopulmonary function instrument. The t test and linear mixed model based on the intentionto-treat analysis principle was used to calculate the effect. The adverse effect was observed. Most of echocardiographic parameters on the cardiac structure, cardiac function and static lung function between the tai chi group and control group did not have a significant difference either post 12-week intervention or additional 12-week follow-up period. Only three parameters involving in right ventricular diameter (P=0.024), main pulmonary artery diameter (P=0.002) and vital capacity maximum (P=0.036) were beneficial to be improved in the tai chi group compared to the control group by the analysis of mixed linear model. No adverse effects were found during the intervention period. The 12-week tai chi exercise did not have an obvious beneficial effect on cardiac structure, cardiac function and static lung function in older community-dwelling adults at risk of ischemic stroke. The study with a longer duration of intervention should be necessary. (Trial registration No. ChiCTR-TRC-13003601)

Constructing electrode materials with three-dimensional (3D) configurations has been presented as a promising way to achieve excellent properties in energy storage. Here, the cathode material LiMnPO4 with honeycomb-like structure was fabricated via a simple NaCl-template-assisted synthesis strategy. The NaCl particles served as a sacrificial template to grow LiMnPO4/C nanoparticles on the surfaces by calcination. The robust 3D honeycomb-like LiMnPO4/C network possesses a highly crystalline structure and intimate interfacial bonding between adjacent LiMnPO4/C networks, which provides more electroactive sites for lithium-ion adsorption and intercalation as well as a highly conductive network for both lithium-ion transport and electrons transfer. Furthermore, the unique honeycomb-like architecture can effectively buffer volume expansion and prevent the agglomeration of active materials. Remarkably, an excellent reversible capacity of 161.5 mAh g–1 at 0.05 C and superior capacity retention with 96.4% after 20...

LiMnPO4 has attracted massive interests due to its appropriate redox potential and higher theoretical energy density. Here, we present a strategy to transform common LiMnPO4 into dispersive, hierarchical, nanorod-like structure by vacuum immersion using anodic aluminum oxide templates. Owing to the unique hierarchical configuration, the resultant carbon-LiMnPO4 nanorods having high percentage exposed (010) facets, uniform carbon coating and large specific surface area, are very effective to keep the advantages as a fast charge/discharge lithium ion battery cathode. As a consequence, the high reversibility capacity of up to 156.8 mAh g−1 at 0.05 C and 91.7 mAh g−1 at 10 C is achieved. Meanwhile, it still retains 98.2% and 97.5% of the initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.2 C and 1 C discharge rate, respectively, revealing an excellent cycling stability. This synthesis strategy provides a new design idea for preparing advanced electrode materials for lithium ion batteries.

In the efforts toward the rapidly increasing demands for high-power application, cathode materials with three-dimensional (3D) architectures have been proposed. Here, we report the construction of the 3D LiAlO2–LiMnPO4/C cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries in an innovation way. The as-prepared 3D active materials LiMnPO4/C and the honeycomb-like Li-ion conductor LiAlO2 framework are used as working electrode directly without additional usage of polymeric binder. The electrochemical performance has been improved significantly due to the special designed core–shell architectures of LiMnPO4/C@LiAlO2. The 3D binder-free electrode exhibits high rate capability as well as superior cycling stability with a capability of ∼105 mAh g–1 and 98.4% capacity retention after 100 cycles at a high discharge rate of 10 C. Such synthesis method adopted in our work can be further extended to other promising candidates and would also inspire new avenues of development of 3D materials for lithium-ion batteries.