Search

Poly (p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA), is well known as a material with excellent properties, but its application is greatly limited due to the harsh methods required for its preparation. This study proposes an innovative carbodiimide-assisted polymerization (CAP) method to simplify the synthesis process of PPTA. The ηinh of the prepared PPTA is 4.97 dl/g. Achieving amidation condensation at normal temperature and pressure, this method is suitable for synthesizing PPTA and allows for the recycling of the condensation reagent, offering a novel approach to green synthesis. Compared to the commercial fiber Kevlar 29, PPTA exhibits similar thermal stability, with negligible decomposition before 500°C. Using the deprotonation method to prepare aramid nanofiber (ANF) resulted in various shapes of bulk materials. The ANF bulk exhibits excellent mechanical properties, with tensile and compressive strengths of 36.9 MPa and 60.68 MPa, respectively, on par with standard engineering materials. Additionally, ANF and PPTA share similar thermal stability. Furthermore, the study prepared aramid nanofiber/partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (ANF/HPAM) composite paper, which demonstrated outstanding mechanical performance and thermal stability. The ANF/HPAM composite paper (2% concentration of HPAM) exhibited a tensile strength of 63.32 MPa. These findings offer new insights into developing high-performance fiber materials.

4,4′-azobis(1,2,4-triazole) (Atrz) is an excellent thermally stable explosive that is widely used to synthesize high-energy nitrogen-rich compounds. However, current methods for synthesizing this compound are low-yield and exothermic. In order to overcome these limitations, in this study, a continuous method based on the use of continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was used to prepare Atrz for the first time, and the optimal experimental conditions were obtained by single factor experimental method and orthogonal experimental method. The yield of Atrz increased from 20%-30% to 71.84%, and the purity reached 98.54%. The use of CSTR enables materials to be mixed efficiently, making the reaction process efficient and environmentally friendly. At the same time, this method has the advantages of simple reaction process, easy large-scale continuous production, and high yield.

Abstract Background Workplace violence has always been a critical issue worldwide before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which can lead to burnout and turnover. In addition, the burnout and mental stress of nurses during the COVID-19 period have been widely described. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the mediating effect of the sense of coherence on the relationship between workplace violence and burnout among Chinese nurses over time. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between workplace violence and burnout among Chinese nurses and how the sense of coherence mediates the association. Methods Using a convenience sampling method, 1190 nurses from 4 tertiary grade-A comprehensive hospitals were investigated between September 2021 and December 2021 in 3 provinces of China. The Workplace Violence Scale, Burnout Inventory, and Sense of Coherence scale were used to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis to estimate direct and indirect effects using bootstrap analysis. Results The mean total scores for workplace violence and burnout were 1.67 ± 1.08 and 47.36 ± 18.39, respectively. Workplace violence was significantly negatively correlated with the sense of coherence (r = -0.25) and positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.27). Additionally, a higher level of workplace violence was associated with higher burnout (β = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.68 ~ 1.56). A higher sense of coherence was also associated with lower burnout (β = -0.98, 95% CI: -1.03 ~ -0.92). Workplace violence showed an effect on burnout through a sense of coherence. The direct, indirect and total effects were 1.13, 1.88 and 3.01, respectively. The mediating effect of the sense of coherence accounted for 62.45% of the relationship between workplace violence and burnout. Conclusion We found that the sense of coherence mediated most workplace violence on burnout. It is imperative for hospital managers to improve nurses’ sense of coherence to reduce the occurrence of burnout during COVID-19. Future intervention studies should be designed to strengthen nurses’ sense of coherence.

Abstract Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known as a prevalent but complicated gynecologic disease throughout the reproductive period. Typically, it is characterized by phenotypic manifestations of hyperandrogenism, polycystic ovary morphology, and persistent anovulation. For now, the therapeutic modality of PCOS is still a formidable challenge. Metabolic aberrations and immune challenge of chronic low-grade inflammatory state are significant in PCOS individuals. Recently, interleukin-22 (IL-22) has been shown to be therapeutically effective in immunological dysfunction and metabolic diseases, which suggests a role in the treatment of PCOS. In this review, we outline the potential mechanisms and limitations of IL-22 therapy in PCOS-related metabolic disorders including its regulation of insulin resistance, gut barrier, systemic inflammation, and hepatic steatosis to generate insights into developing novel strategies in clinical practice.

Astaxanthin is an efficient nutrition strategy to relieve oxidative stress and enhance crustacean body color. Because of technological and economic benefits, synthetic astaxanthin is favored by the aquatic feed industry. However, whether synthetic astaxanthin can achieve the effects of natural astaxanthin needs further investigation. Here, we evaluated the effects of synthetic astaxanthin and natural astaxanthin (dietary supplementation with Haematococcus pluvialis and Phaffia rhodozyma) on the growth performance, body color, fatty acid composition and antioxidant capacity of black tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon). Compared with the control group (no astaxanthin supplementation), only synthetic astaxanthin significantly increased the weight gain rate (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR), together with the elevation of feed efficiency ratio (FER). All three types of astaxanthin enhanced body color by increasing astaxanthin deposition. The highest value of (a*) in the carapace and muscle occurred in the synthetic astaxanthin group. Synthetic astaxanthin significantly increased the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) contents in muscle. As expected, different sources of astaxanthin inhibited glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) activities in the hemolymph and decreased the contents of reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the hepatopancreas. Correspondingly, the structure of hepatopancreas was enhanced by astaxanthin. In addition, three types of astaxanthin almost indistinguishably enhanced the ability of shrimps to resist stress caused by transportation simulation. In conclusion, these results indicate that dietary synthetic astaxanthin has a better effect than natural astaxanthin on growth promotion, body color enhancement and n-3 PUFA deposition in muscle of black tiger prawn. Hence, synthetic astaxanthin is a suitable feed additive to promote the healthy and sustainable development of the shrimp industry.

Abstract Background Cancer is mostly a disease of aging, and older patients with cancer are generally frailer. This study aimed to describe the characteristics and in‐hospital outcomes and explore factors associated with duration, cost, and mortality during first hospitalization, in older patients with cancer admitted to a top‐ranked hospital in China. Methods Data on patients with solid cancer ≥65 years consecutively hospitalized in 2016–2020 were retrieved from the electronic medical records of Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai, China. Baseline characteristics, duration, cost, and mortality during hospitalization were described. Factors associated with duration, cost, and mortality during first hospitalization were explored using multivariable‐adjusted logistic regression. Results 20,650 eligible patients with male proportion of 59% and median age of 70 years were analyzed. 45% of the patients underwent resection in our hospital. Upon first admission, 49% of patients had hypertension, 19% diabetes, 22% weight loss, and 28% risks of malnutrition. The median duration and cost of first hospitalization were 9 days and 32,000 RMB, respectively. 118 (0.6%) and 228 (1.1%) deaths occurred during first and any hospitalization, respectively. For first hospitalization, longer duration and higher cost were positively associated with older ages, male gender, emergency admission, certain tumor locations and histology, histories of diabetes, cirrhosis, and anticoagulant intake, higher body mass index, weight loss, reduced food intake, risk of falling, and worse self‐care ability; in‐hospital mortality was positively associated with age ≥85 years, emergency admission, certain cancer types, histories of hypertension and psychotropic intake, reduced food intake, and worse self‐care ability. Conclusions This study identified certain baseline patient and tumor characteristics, medical and medication histories, changes of weight and food intake, diet, and self‐care ability which were independently associated with in‐hospital outcomes among older patients with cancer admitted to our hospital and which should be paid special attention to. While the factors might not be easily modifiable, our study can help identify patients at higher risks of inferior in‐hospital outcomes.

Rhabdomyolysis syndrome refers to the breakdown and necrosis of muscle tissue due to various reasons and caused by the release of intracellular contents into the blood stream, which can lead to acute renal failure or even death. In this article, we describe for the first time a case report of severe rhabdomyolysis induced by etoposide-nedaplatin chemotherapy in a small cell lung cancer (SCLC IIIb) patient. The patient developed progressive general muscle pain and weakness after the first cycle of chemotherapy, accompanied by elevated creatine kinase (CK), myoglobin (Mb), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), spartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Examination of and inquiry regarding the medical history were used to exclude various factors of rhabdomyolysis caused by trauma, strenuous activities, infections, drugs, hyperthermia, and immunity; the patient was diagnosed with severe rhabdomyolysis induced by chemotherapy. After treatment with intravenous fluids and methylprednisolone, the patient’s symptoms were relieved and laboratory results were significantly improved. An unexpected situation arose, in that the lung CT scan showed that the lung mass was significantly smaller than that before chemotherapy; the reason for this is not clear. Rhabdomyolysis induced by anti-cancer drugs, especially chemotherapy drugs, is rarely reported and easily overlooked. Therefore, physicians should be aware of this rare but potentially serious complication when using chemotherapy drugs.

In this study, a method was developed for the rapid online measurement of sodium nitrite solutions using near-infrared spectroscopy. A series of standard solutions of sodium nitrite at different concentrations were prepared, and the samples were measured in cuvettes and flow cells. Following the preprocessing of raw spectra and band selection, partial least squares were used to establish a prediction model, and the coefficient of determination (R2) of the validation set and the root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) of the model were 0.9989 and 0.0338. The results demonstrate that the established model can meet the demands of online measurement and perform the rapid, nondestructive detection of sodium nitrite solutions, which provides some basis for the automated formulation of feedstock in spent fuel reprocessing.

PurposeTo investigate the effect of acupuncture for improving the pregnancy rate of COH rats from the viewpoint of regulating the opening time of the implantation window and endometrial receptivity.MethodsExperimental rats were randomly divided into normal group (N), model group (M) and acupuncture group(A), and samples were collected on Day 4, 5 and 6 after mating. COH rats were treated with acupuncture at SP6, LR3, and ST36 once a day for 7 times. The pinopodes were observed under a scanning electron microscope. Serum estrogen and progesterone levels were measured via ELISA. The protein and mRNA levels of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), integrin β3, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in the endometrium were evaluated via West-blot, immunohistochemistry, and PCR.ResultsCompared with group N, the pregnancy rate of group M was significantly decreased (P

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a common female reproductive disorder and characterized by menopause, increased gonadotropin levels and estrogen deficiency before the age of 40 years old. The etiologies and pathogenesis of POF are not fully clear. At present, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the main treatment options for POF. It helps to ameliorate perimenopausal symptoms and related health risks, but can’t restore ovarian function and fertility fundamentally. With the development of regenerative medicine, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have shown great potential for the recovery of ovarian function and fertility based on the advantages of abundant sources, high capacity for self-renewal and differentiation, low immunogenicity and less ethical considerations. This systematic review aims to summarize the possible therapeutic mechanisms of BMSCs for POF. A detailed search strategy of preclinical studies and clinical trials on BMSCs and POF was performed on PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and Embase database. A total of 21 studies were included in this review. Although the standardization of BMSCs need more explorations, there is no doubt that BMSCs transplantation may represent a prospective therapy for POF. It is hope to provide a theoretical basis for further research and treatment for POF.

The synthesis of the new energetic material 4-amino-3-hydrazino-5-methyl-1,2,4-triazole, which shows excellent performance and reliable safety, has drawn attention recently. To fully characterize this material, a comprehensive analysis was performed using various techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, and 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Additionally, three compounds, 3, 5 and 9, were further characterized using single X-ray diffraction. The X-ray data suggested that extensive hydrogen bonds affect molecular structure by means of intermolecular interactions. In order to evaluate the explosive properties of these synthesized compounds, detonation pressures and velocities were calculated using EXPLO5 (V6.01). These calculations were carried out utilizing experimental data, including density and heat of formation. Among the explosives tested, compounds 7 and 8 exhibited zero oxygen balance and demonstrated exceptional detonation properties. Compound 7 achieved the highest recorded detonation pressure, at 34.2 GPa, while compound 8 displayed the highest detonation velocity, at 8887 m s−1.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is an intractable issue that negatively impacts the quality of pregnancy. The incidence of GDM is on the rise, becoming a major health burden for both mothers and children. However, the specific etiology and pathophysiology of GDM remain unknown. Recently, the importance of gut microbiota and related metabolic molecules has gained prominence. Studies have indicated that women with GDM have significantly distinct gut microbiota and gut metabolites than healthy pregnant women. Given that the metabolic pathways of gut flora and related metabolites have a substantial impact on inflammation, insulin signaling, glucose, and lipid metabolism, and so on, gut microbiota or its metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, may play a significant role in both pathogenesis and progression of GDM. Whereas the role of intestinal flora during pregnancy is still in its infancy, this review aims to summarize the effects and mechanisms of gut microbiota and related metabolic molecules involved in GDM, thus providing potential intervention targets.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disease, affecting 8%–13% of the females of reproductive age, thereby compromising their fertility and long-term health. However, the pathogenesis of PCOS is still unclear. It is not only a reproductive endocrine disease, dominated by hyperandrogenemia, but also is accompanied by different degrees of metabolic abnormalities and insulin resistance. With a deeper understanding of its pathogenesis, more small metabolic molecules, such as bile acids, amino acids, and short-chain fatty acids, have been reported to be involved in the pathological process of PCOS. Recently, the critical role of gut microbiota in metabolism has been focused on. The gut microbiota-related metabolic pathways can significantly affect inflammation levels, insulin signaling, glucose metabolism, lipid metabolism, and hormonal secretions. Although the abnormalities in gut microbiota and metabolites might not be the initial factors of PCOS, they may have a significant role in the pathological process of PCOS. The dysbiosis of gut microbiota and disturbance of gut metabolites can affect the progression of PCOS. Meanwhile, PCOS itself can adversely affect the function of gut, thereby contributing to the aggravation of the disease. Inhibiting this vicious cycle might alleviate the symptoms of PCOS. However, the role of gut microbiota in PCOS has not been fully explored yet. This review aims to summarize the potential effects and modulative mechanisms of the gut metabolites on PCOS and suggests its potential intervention targets, thus providing more possible treatment options for PCOS in the future.

The beating heart adapts cardiac output to changes in mechanical load via incompletely understood mechanotransduction mechanisms. Here the authors show that the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channel serves as a mechanotransducer for directly converting mechanical stretch of cardiomyocytes into Ca2+ and ROS signaling and consequently maintaining normal heart function.

Abstract Background During the fresh cycles of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, a disturbance in the reproductive endocrine environment following controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is closely related to compromised endometrial receptivity. This is a major disadvantage for women during pregnancy. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, Bushen Huoxue recipe (BSHXR) has been indicated to facilitate embryo implantation. Methods The COH model (Kunming breed) was induced by injecting mice with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (0.4 IU/g) and human chorionic gonadotropin (1 IU/g), followed by treatment with BSHXR at three different concentrations (5.7, 11.4, and 22.8 g/kg), Bushen recipe (BSR) (5.7 g/kg), and Huoxue recipe (HXR) (5.7 g/kg). After successful mating, the pregnancy rate and implantation sites were examined on embryo day 8 (ED8), and the weight ratio of endometrium was calculated on ED4 midnight. Serum estrogen, progesterone, and endometrial PGE2 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The endometrial microvasculature was evaluated using CD31 immunostaining. The protein and mRNA levels of the angiogenic factors in the endometrium were evaluated using western blot, immunohistochemistry, and polymerase chain reaction. Results In the COH group, the pregnancy rate and implantation sites were significantly decreased, and abnormal serum hormone levels and impaired endometrial vascular development were observed. After BSHXR treatment, the supraphysiological serum progesterone level in COH mice was restored to normalcy. Moreover, the abnormal expression of the endometrial pro-angiogenic factors, including HIF1α, COX2-PGE2 pathway, and the down-stream factors, namely, MMP2, MMP9, TIMP2, and FGF2 after subjecting mice to COH was significantly improved after BSHXR treatment. Conclusion BSHXR could improve embryo implantation by regulating hormonal balance and modulating endometrial angiogenesis in mice, without inducing any side effects in normal pregnancy.

Smart self-healing is perceived as a new alternative to ensure reliability and quality of power supply with the development of intelligent communication and control technology. On the basis of multistage characteristics of self-healing control, this article proposes an integrated multistage self-healing strategy for smart distribution systems using multiagent system (MAS), in which the complex self-healing problem is decomposed into phased sub-problems and is addressed by a unified control framework composed of different algorithms of stages. In the proposed control framework, decision-making agents vary with fault points and transition between self-healing stages making the technique fully decentralized. Stressing on the coordination between stage algorithms composed of communication self-adaption, fault tolerance, fault location and isolation, service restoration and state regression, the proposed strategy features well real-time control performance and relatively complete self-healing functions. Comprehensive simulation studies are carried out on the 84-bus and 22-bus distribution systems using MATLAB and JADE and the self-healing test platform respectively, and the test results have shown the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

The modern distribution automation suggests to enable decentralized self-healing of distribution networks using advance metering and controlling infrastructure. Decentralized fault location and isolation, as an essential and vital component of self-healing, has attracted considerable attention over the years. In this paper, an integrated fault location and isolation strategy based on fully decentralized multi-agents system (FDMAS) is presented for distribution system with distributed generators (DGs) by combining the primary protection with device failure protection (i.e., backup protection). The proposed FDMAS strategy can locate and isolate electrical fault rapidly even under device failures with minimum fault clearance time and range by using expert logical rules, meanwhile can detect and identify device failure adaptively. Furthermore, a unified programming framework is developed for generalization and application of the proposed strategy. The simulation studies are carried out on 22-bus distribution system by using dynamic model test platform. The test results show that the proposed strategy has an excellent performance on fault clearance time, fault isolation range and device failure detection.

Abstract Background The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 has spread rapidly worldwide and disease spread is currently increasing. Data on the clinical picture of transplant recipients and management of the anti-rejection immunosuppressive therapy on COVID-19 infection are lacking. Case presentation We report two cases of COVID-19 infection in renal transplant recipients with variable clinical presentations. The first patient presented with mild respiratory symptoms and a stable clinical course. The second patient had more severe clinical characteristics and presented with severe pneumonia and multi-organ failure. Both patients received a combination therapy including antiviral treatment and reduced immunosuppression therapy and finally recovered. Conclusions We report COVID-19 infection in two renal transplant recipients with a favorable outcome but different clinical courses, which may provide a reference value for treating such patients.

Surface flattening plays an important role in the whole process of garment design. We proposed a novel method by using three-dimensional triangle mesh flattening in this study. First, the three-dimensional triangle mesh is flattened to a two-dimensional plane to approximate the original surface. The initial flattening results are then used as preliminary guesses for subsequent optimizations. Considering that the deformation energy in the real woven fabric is related to tensile or shear deformation, a simplified fabric deformation model based on energy is proposed to update the energy distribution to determine the best two-dimensional pattern. An innovative unified axis system process is proposed to obtain the deformation energy, and energy relaxation in local flattening is proposed to release the distortion of flattening. Finally, the experimental results show that complex surfaces such as garments could achieve better flattening results. Compared with other energy-based methods in garment design, our proposed methods are more flexible and practical.

TMEM120A, a member of the transmembrane protein 120 (TMEM120) family, has a pivotal function in adipocyte differentiation and metabolism, and may also contribute to sensing mechanical pain by functioning as an ion channel named TACAN. Here we report that expression of TMEM120A is not sufficient in mediating poking- or stretch-induced currents in cells and have solved cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human TMEM120A (HsTMEM120A) in complex with an endogenous metabolic cofactor (coenzyme A, CoASH) and in the apo form. HsTMEM120A forms a symmetrical homodimer with each monomer containing an amino-terminal coiled-coil motif followed by a transmembrane domain with six membrane-spanning helices. Within the transmembrane domain, a CoASH molecule is hosted in a deep cavity and forms specific interactions with nearby amino acid residues. Mutation of a central tryptophan residue involved in binding CoASH dramatically reduced the binding affinity of HsTMEM120A with CoASH. HsTMEM120A exhibits distinct conformations at the states with or without CoASH bound. Our results suggest that TMEM120A may have alternative functional roles potentially involved in CoASH transport, sensing, or metabolism.

To ensure safe and reliable operation, the ability to ride through various disturbances is vital for a microgrid with multi-inverters. As the voltage and frequency support comes from the power-electronic-based inverters, it is necessary to find a proper control strategy to improve the rejection ability of the DG inverter against disturbances. In this regard, this paper proposes a new distributed secondary frequency control approach for islanded microgrids, in which the main purpose is to remove the frequency deviation under droop control method with better disturbance rejection performance. Unlike many traditional approaches which rely on a detailed control model, the proposed one needs little model information thanks to the model-independent characteristic of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) technique. A linear extended state observer is introduced to estimate the useless model dynamics (including unknown disturbances, unmodeled dynamics and nonlinear dynamics) which are then compensated in the control input. After the active compensation procedure, the nonlinear frequency control model can be converted into a quasi-linear model, based on which a proportional distributed control algorithm is established to restore the frequency and equalize the active power among the DGs. Simulation results based on a four-inverter-based microgrid show that the proposed approach achieves frequency restoration, active power sharing, as well as satisfactory disturbance rejection performance.

Chloride penetration frequently happens in an unsaturated concrete; in this case, the chloride migration is under the coupling effects of internal moisture and external relative humidity (RH). Various chloride attack tests were designed in this paper to investigate the effects of internal moisture and external RH (50–100%) on the chloride penetration into an unsaturated concrete, and the chloride content was determined to quantify the chloride migration in concrete. The results highlighted that there was a good correlation between the chloride penetration into concrete and its internal RH. The chloride ion was difficult to penetrate into concrete when its internal RH was below 50%; however, the chloride penetration rate increased when the internal RH of concrete was above 75%, and the chloride migration increased with increasing RH and exposure duration. Water evaporation in concrete increased with decreasing external RH, and an obvious increase in the surface chloride content may be observed when external RH was 50%; however, when external RH was above 75%, the inner chloride content increased and surface chloride content decreased with increasing exposure duration. Simulating the chloride penetration under wet-dry cycling, the water migration resulted in an increase in the surface chloride content and a decrease in the inner chloride content, and the chloride crystal precipitated on the surface of concrete with a high w/c ratio.

With the increasing use of sensitive loads in frequency converters and in relays in distribution networks, voltage sag has become a major power quality issue that urgently needs to be solved. For the purpose of improving the understanding of voltage sag severity in distribution networks, a comprehensive weight-based severity evaluation method of voltage sag is presented in this paper. First, a multi-side index system that takes into account the combined influence of the source, network, and the load is established. A comprehensive weight method, which combines the improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) and the entropy method, is then adopted to determine the index weight. The weight of each index and the degree of superiority are linearly weighted to obtain the severity of voltage sag at different observation points. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified using a distribution network model established in DIgSILENT PowerFactory (15.1.7, Gomaringen, Germany).

Summary: Touch and mechanical pain represent distinct, but interactive, modalities of mechanosensation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these mechanotransduction processes remain incompletely understood. Here, we show that deletion of the mechanically activated and rapidly adapting Piezo2 channel in a portion of the low-threshold mechanoreceptors and a majority of the IB4-positive nociceptors impairs touch but sensitizes mechanical pain in mice. Ectopic expression of the Piezo2 homolog, the intermediately adapting Piezo1 channel, in sensory neurons can sensitize touch in normal mice and rescue defective touch of the Piezo2-knockout mice. Broad expression of Piezo1 in sensory neurons decreases, rather than evokes, mechanical pain responses. Together, our data suggest that Piezo channels can mediate touch and indirectly suppress acute pain. Tuning Piezo-mediated touch sensitivity allows us to recapitulate the inhibitory effect of touch on acute pain in mouse models. : Using conditional deletion of endogenously expressed Piezo2 or ectopic expression of Piezo1 in primary somatosensory neurons, Zhang et al. find that mechanically activated Piezo channels can mediate touch and proprioception as well as indirectly suppress acute mechanical pain responses in mice. Keywords: Piezo1, Piezo2, mechanosensitive ion channels, DRG, mechanosensation, touch, pain, proprioception

This study analyzes and evaluates the feasibility of a harmonic suppression traction transformer (HSTT) for harmonic reduction in railway systems. This new type of transformer can improve the power quality of railway systems by preventing high-frequency harmonic currents from injecting into the traction grid. As the physical size of available space in high-speed trains is strictly limited, low space-occupying filtering techniques are needed. Therefore, an HSTT with integrated filtering inductors (IFIs) capable of being implemented in regular trains is proposed. Taking advantage of the HSTT, a specially constructed inductive-capacitive-inductive (LCL)-type filter is used for harmonic suppression instead of a regular LCL-type filter. The proposed filter is composed of an integrated inductor, leakage inductor of the traction transformer, and an external filter capacitor. In this paper, we analyze the topology of the proposed system, construct a mathematical model to reveal the magnetic decoupling theory of IFIs, and discuss the design and calculation procedures of the HSTT with IFIs. The field circuit coupling simulation of the HSTT with IFIs is performed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed system. Finally, the practical operation based on a 10 kVA prototype shows that the proposed scheme can not only suppress the high-order frequency harmonics but also decrease the installed space of filter devices.

Bushen Huoxue recipe (BSHXR) is a classic Chinese herbal prescription for nourishing the kidney and activating blood circulation. It consists of six herbs: Astragali radix, Angelicae sinensis radix, Ligustici Chuanxiong Rhizoma, Cuscutae semen, Taxilli Herba, and Dipsaci Radix, and the main active constituents of BSHXR are ferulic acid, calycosin-7-glucopyranoside, hyperoside, quercitrin, and asperosaponin VI. In clinical practice, BSHXR is traditionally used to treat failed pregnancy and its complications. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of BSHXR for the treatment of implantation loss during early pregnancy. In the current study, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation was induced in mice as our implantation loss model, and we evaluated the effects of BSHXR on implantation, decidualization, decidual angiogenesis, and reproductive outcome. We showed that BSHXR could regulate the supraphysiological levels of serum estrogen and progesterone observed in these mice, and also act on estrogen and progesterone receptors in the stroma and epithelium. BSHXR also enhanced FGF2 expression in the vascular sinus folding area of the decidua, thus potentially reducing implantation loss during early pregnancy and contributing to placentation and survival of the fetuses. Taken together, our findings provide scientific evidence for the application of BSHXR in the clinic as a treatment for implantation loss during early pregnancy, and warrant further investigation of BSHXR as an effective treatment for failed pregnancy and its complications.

As the latest L-band mission to date, evaluation of the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) products is one of its post-launch objectives. However, almost all previous studies have been conducted at the core validation sites (CVS) of the SMAP mission. This paper presents an evaluation of the SMAP soil moisture Level 3 (L3) and Level 4 (L4) products under different vegetation types at multiple tempo-spatial scales over the upper reach of the Heihe River Watershed, a topographically complex mountainous area in Northwest China. This was done through comparisons of the L3 and L4 products with ground-based observations from a sparse in situ network of permanent and temporary stations from 1 April 2015 to 22 June 2017. Results show that, compared with in situ observations at point scale, both the L3 and L4 products represent the temporal trends of the in situ observations in the study area well, with R values of 0.601 and 0.538 for the L3 ascending and descending products, respectively, and ranging from 0.353 to 0.410 for the L4 product at eight overpassing moments. However, because of the uncertainties of brightness temperature TBp and effective temperature Teff as well as their propagations in the inversion algorithm, both products did not achieve the accuracy of 0.04 m3/m3 in mountainous area. These uncertainties also result in the “dry bias” of the SMAP products in almost all the evaluations to date. Compared with areal average values at the watershed scale, the L3 product is far beyond the accuracy of 0.04 m3/m3 and the L4 product basically achieves the accuracy. In vegetation-covered land, the suitability and the variability of the coefficient bp result in both products performing best in cropland, then coniferous forest, sparse grassland, dense grassland, and alpine meadow, and worst in shrub. In barren land, the errors in estimating surface roughness h caused by the complex topography lead to poor performance of the SMAP products. With the relative errors of the SMAP brightness temperature observations and the corresponding land model forecast in the assimilation; the L3 and L4 products show different performance at both temporal and spatial scales; and the L3 product provides more reliable soil moisture estimates in the study area. Based on the results of this study, we propose: quantifying the uncertainties in estimating brightness temperature TBp and effective temperature Teff; determine coefficient bp and surface roughness h factor under various conditions; improving Goddard Earth Observing Model System Version 5 (GEOS-5) model; and deriving the SMAP-only climatology to improve the SMAP soil moisture estimates in the future.