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In order to solve the problem of poor fusion between the spots of deformation camouflage and the background, a small-spot deformation camouflage design algorithm based on background texture matching is proposed in this research. The combination of spots and textures improved the fusion of the spot pattern and the background. An adversarial autoencoder convolutional network was designed to extract background texture features. The image adversarial loss was added and the reconstruction loss was improved to improve the clarity of the generated texture pattern and the generalization ability of the model. The digital camouflage was formed by obtaining the mean value of the square area and replacing the main color. At the same time, the spots in the square area with a side length of 2 s were subjected to simple linear iterative clustering to form irregular small-spot camouflage. A dataset with a scale of 1050 was established in the experiment. The training results of three different loss functions were investigated. The results showed that the proposed loss function could enhance the generalization of the model and improve the quality of the generated texture image. A variety of digital camouflages with main colors and irregular small-spot camouflage were generated, and their efficiency was tested. On the one hand, intuitive evaluation was given by personnel observing the camouflage pattern embedded in the background and its contour map calculated by the canny operator. On the other hand, objective comparison result was formed by calculating the 4 evaluation indexes between the camouflage pattern and the background. Both results showed that the generated pattern had a high degree of fusion with the background. This model could balance the relationship between the spot size, the number of main colors and the actual effect according to actual needs.

This paper investigates the neuroadaptive fault-tolerant control of nonlinear vehicular platoon with unmodeled dynamics, external disturbances, time-varying actuator fault directions, and distance restrictions. For the cases of known and unknown fault directions, by combining adaptive terminal sliding mode (TSM) control technique with barrier Lyapunov function (BLF), two neuroadaptive fault-tolerant controllers are designed based on symmetric and asymmetric BLF to ensure reliability and safety of vehicular platoon. BLF approaches are adopted to avoid collisions and to maintain communication connections simultaneously. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the unfavorable symmetry assumptions in the symmetric BLF and prescribed performance methods can be removed by adopting asymmetric BLF. In the proposed scheme, we also combine the Nussbaum function to solve the influence of unknown time-varying fault directions effectively. Furthermore, the nonsingular TSM control technique and the minimum parameter approximation method in radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) are adopted to ensure that the spacing error can converge to an arbitrarily small region in finite-time. Through the Lyapunov stability theory, we prove that all signals in the closed-loop system are bounded in finite time. The proposed control schemes are validated by means of simulation examples.

Purpose:Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) contribute to bladder cancer chemotherapy resistance and progression, but the associated mechanisms have not been elucidated. This study determined whether blocking an autocrine signaling loop in CSCs improves the therapeutic effects of cis-platinum on bladder cancer.Experimental Design:The expression of the epithelial marker OV6 and other markers in human bladder cancer specimens was examined by IHC. The CSC properties of magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS)-isolated OV6+ and OV6− bladder cancer cells were examined. Molecular mechanisms were assessed through RNA-Seq, cytokine antibody arrays, co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and other assays. An orthotopic bladder cancer mouse model was established to evaluate the in vivo effects of a YAP inhibitor (verteporfin) and a PDGFR inhibitor (CP-673451) on the cis-platinum resistance of OV6+ CSCs in bladder cancer.Results:Upregulated OV6 expression positively associated with disease progression and poor prognosis for bladder cancer patients. Compared with OV6− cells, OV6+ bladder cancer cells exhibited strong CSC characteristics, including self-renewal, tumor initiation in NOD/SCID mice, and chemotherapy resistance. YAP, which maintains the stemness of OV6+ CSCs, triggered PDGFB transcription by recruiting TEAD1. Autocrine PDGF-BB signaling through its receptor PDGFR stabilized YAP and facilitated YAP nuclear translocation. Furthermore, blocking the YAP/TEAD1/PDGF-BB/PDGFR loop with verteporfin or CP-673451 inhibited the cis-platinum resistance of OV6+ bladder cancer CSCs in an orthotopic bladder cancer model.Conclusions:OV6 could be a helpful indicator of disease progression and prognosis for patients with bladder cancer, and targeting the autocrine YAP/TEAD1/PDGF-BB/PDGFR loop might serve as a remedy for cis-platinum resistance in patients with advanced bladder cancer.

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This article investigates a nonlinear disturbance observer (NDO)-based fault-tolerant sliding-mode control (SMC) for 2-D plane vehicular platoon systems subjected to actuator faults with unknown time-varying fault direction (UTVFD), asymmetric nonlinear actuator saturation (ANAS), nonlinear unmodeled dynamics, and unknown external disturbance. The Nussbaum-type function approach is adopted to solve the problem of actuator faults with UTVFD. The designed NDO not only can estimate the lumped disturbance accurately but also can reduce the control peaking and chattering phenomena caused by the Nussbaum-type function. Then, an adaptive saturation compensator is designed to compensate for the influence of actuator saturation on the system. In addition, by combining SMC technology with the prescribed tracking performance (PTP) approach, a distributed fault-tolerant control scheme is developed to not only ensure collision avoidance and communication connectivity but also realize a variety of driving scenarios, such as multilane vehicle merging and vehicular platoon lane changing. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the proposed scheme's effectiveness and advantages.

This paper describes the Baibao landslide that occurred in October 2017 within a Jurassic formation in Guojiaba town, Zigui County, Yichang city, China. The factors leading to this landslide include complex geological conditions, slide-prone strata, and fluctuating water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Borehole and field investigations indicate that the landslide can be divided into two parts: a medium to deep rock landslide and a partial soil sliding landslide. A comprehensive analysis of the monitoring data, including GPS, precipitation, inclinometer, and water reservoir level measurements, indicates that the Baibao landslide was caused mostly by buoyancy, as well as seepage. Rising reservoir water levels and concentrated pore water pressure at the leading edge of the slope softened the sliding mass. The reduced anti-sliding force allowed the landslide to occur and ultimately drag the rear slope. This study illustrates the landslide deformation mechanism and provides a useful reference for engineering projects in similar regions.

The evaluation index of camouflage patterns is important in the field of military application. It is the goal that researchers have always pursued to make the computable evaluation indicators more in line with the human visual mechanism. In order to make the evaluation method more computationally intelligent, a Multi-Feature Camouflage Fused Index (MF-CFI) is proposed based on the comparison of grayscale, color and texture features between the target and the background. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed index, eye movement experiments are conducted to compare the proposed index with existing indexes including Universal Image Quality Index (UIQI), Camouflage Similarity Index (CSI) and Structural Similarity (SSIM). Twenty-four different simulated targets are designed in a grassland background, 28 observers participate in the experiment and record the eye movement data during the observation process. The results show that the highest Pearson correlation coefficient is observed between MF-CFI and the eye movement data, both in the designed digital camouflage patterns and large-spot camouflage patterns. Since MF-CFI is more in line with the detection law of camouflage targets in human visual perception, the proposed index can be used for the comparison and parameter optimization of camouflage design algorithms.

OBJECTIVE: To study the role and mechanism of autophagy in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response of human alveolar epithelial A549 cells. METHODS: A549 cells were stimulated with LPS to establish a cell model of inflammatory response, and were then grouped (n=3 each) by concentration (0, 1, 5, and 10 μg/mL) and time (0, 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours). The A549 cells were treated with autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) to be divided into four groups (n=3 each): control, LPS, 3-MA, and 3-MA+LPS. The A549 cells were treated with autophagy agonist rapamycin (RAPA) to be divided into four groups (n=3 each): control, LPS, RAPA, and RAPA+LPS. The A549 cells were transfected with the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) overexpression plasmid to be divided into four groups (n=3 each): TLR4 overexpression control, TLR4 overexpression, TLR4 overexpression control+LPS, and TLR4 overexpression+LPS. The A549 cells were transfected with TLR4 siRNA to be divided into four groups (n=3 each): TLR4 silencing control,TLR4 silencing, TLR4 silencing control+LPS, and TLR4 silencing+LPS. CCK-8 assay was used to measure cell viability. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of inflammatory indicators (NLRP3, Caspase-1, and ASC), autophagic indicators (LC3B, Beclin-1, and P62), and TLR4. RESULTS: After stimulation with 1 μg/mL LPS for 12 hours, the levels of inflammatory indicators (NLRP3, Caspase-1, and ASC), autophagic indicators (LC3B, Beclin-1, and P62), and TLR4 increased and reached the peak (P

A comprehensive evaluation system for a camouflage design combining local effect evaluation and global sampling is developed. Different from previous models, this method can sample and evaluate target camouflage in a wide range of combat areas, thereby obtaining a comprehensive evaluation effect. In evaluating local effects, the Gaussian pyramid model is adopted to decompose the image on a multi-scale so that it can conform to the multi-resolution property of human eyes. The Universal Image Quality Index (UIQI) conforming to features of eye movements is then adopted to measure the similarities between multi-scale targeted and background brightness, color and textural features. In terms of the imitation camouflage pattern design algorithm, uniform sampling is used to obtain the evaluation distribution in the background; while for the deformation camouflage pattern, the sampling distribution is improved to make it conform to the movement rule of the target in the background. The evaluation results of the model for different designs were investigated. It is suggested by the experimental results that the model can compare and evaluate the indicators involved in the process of camouflage design, including integration, polychromatic adaptability and algorithm stability. This method can be applied in the evaluation and contrast of camouflage pattern design algorithms, in parameter optimisation of camouflage design and in scheme comparison in engineering practice, and can provide support of evaluation methodology for camouflage design theories.

Objective To evaluate the early clinical and radiographic results of arthroscopic Latarjet procedure using screw or suture‐button fixation in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation. Methods Twelve patients who underwent arthroscopic Latarjet procedure between January 2015 and December 2018 at our institution were retrospectively studied. Data of the patients' history, including age, gender, side of affected arm, body mass index (BMI), and the number of dislocations since fist dislocation were collected. Preoperative and postoperative clinical follow‐up data were evaluated using Walch–Duplay score, American Shoulder and Elbow Society (ASES) score, and modified Rowe score. Active external rotation and active internal rotation at 90° of abduction as well as active elevation were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. The position and healing condition of the transferred coracoid bony graft were also assessed using computed tomography (CT) and Mimics 19.0 software. Results Mean follow‐up was 24.9 months (range, 13 to 53 months) of all patients. At final follow‐up, the average ASES score (preoperative vs postoperative values) had improved from 68.9 ± 7.9 to 91.1 ± 6.1 in screw fixation group and 68.9 ± 8.9 to 87.5 ± 6.7 in suture‐button fixation group; the average Rowe score (preoperative vs postoperative values) had improved from 25.0 ± 8.4 to 92.5 ± 4.2 in screw fixation group and 21.7 ± 13.7 to 93.3 ± 4.1 in suture‐button fixation group; the average of Walch–Duplay score (preoperative vs postoperative values) had improved from 12.5 ± 15.1 to 91.7 ± 4.1 in screw fixation group and 18.3 ± 20.7 to 88.3 ± 7.5 in button fixation group. The forward flexion was 175.0° ± 8.4° preoperatively and 178.3° ± 4.1° postoperatively in screw fixation group while 174.8° ± 10.2° preoperatively and 175.0° ± 5.5° postoperatively in suture‐button fixation group. The active external rotation was 77.5° ± 5.2° preoperatively and 71.7° ± 4.1° postoperatively in screw fixation group while 72.5° ± 6.9° preoperatively and 68.3° ± 7.5° postoperatively in suture‐button fixation group. The average of active internal rotation was 66.7° ± 6.1° preoperatively and 67.5° ± 6.1° postoperatively in screw fixation group while 68.3° ± 11.3° preoperatively and 66.7° ± 7.5° postoperatively in suture‐button fixation group. In postoperative CT scan, 91.7% grafts midline center were located at or under the equator in the en face view; 75% of the bone blocks were flush to the glenoid face in the axial view, with only two grafts exhibiting slight medial placement in screw fixation group (33.3%) and one graft exhibiting slight lateral placement in suture‐button fixation group (16.7%). All grafts achieved bone union. Graft absorption mostly occurred outside of the “best‐fit” circle. The average bony absorption rates of the coracoid grafts were 25.2% and 10.18% in screw fixation group and suture‐button fixation group, respectively, at 6 months postoperative follow‐up. Conclusion Both suture‐button fixation and screw fixation techniques in arthroscopic Latarjet procedure revealed excellent clinical outcomes with low complication rates in the early follow‐up. The suture‐button fixation exhibited a flexible fixation pattern that allowed for self‐correction to some extent, even slight lateralization could finally remodel over time., The Latarjet prodedure is becoming increasingly popular when considering treating severe anterior shoulder instability. Whether operating openly or arthroscopily, the coracoid fixation method varies among surgeons and arouse unsolved disputes in recent years. Arthroscopic Latarjet procedure is a challenging yet viable technique, achieving equal results to the open technique with advantages of the arthroscopic setting.

Background Anal cancer is a rare clinical disease with the incidence rate of 1–2/10 million. The present study aims to assess the feasibility, safety and short-term outcome of the simultaneous integrated boost intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIB-IMRT) schedule with oral capecitabine in patients with anal cancer. Methods From September 2009 to February 2014, a total of 10 patients with anal carcinoma were treated with SIB-IMRT in 32 daily fractions of 1.8 Gy to the primary tumor and macroscopically involved lymph nodes and 32 fractions of 1.55 Gy electively to the bilateral iliac and inguinal lymph node areas with concurrent capecitabine 625 mg/m2 twice daily 5 days/week. Two patients received a sequential radiation boost dose of 2×1.8 Gy on macroscopic residual tumor in week 5 of treatment. Acute and late toxicity was assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) version 4.0. Results All patients completed chemoradiation without any treatment break. Grade 3 acute skin toxicity was observed in 4 patients (40%). No grade 4 toxicity was observed. Mean follow-up was 20 months (range: 6–60 months). The 2-year-local control, colostomy-free survival, distant metastases-free survival and overall survival (OS) rates were 100% (10/10), 90% (9/10), 90% (9/10), and 90% (9/10), respectively. Conclusions SIB-IMRT with concomitant capecitabine 625 mg/m2 b.i.d. on irradiation days resulted in an acceptable safety profile, and proved to be a tolerable and effective treatment regimen for locally advanced anal cancer. However, a larger number of patients and a longer follow-up are required to assess its potential superiority.

Traditional camouflage pattern painting is not effective enough due to development of the high-tech reconnaissance. The recently proposed digital pattern painting, a new form of camouflage pattern painting, which has better performance in countering reconnaissance. In this study, we present a novel design and evaluation of digital camouflage pattern based on spot combination. Firstly, we compared three clustering algorithms to extract dominant colors. At the meantime, on the basis of spot database, a spot combination algorithm is proposed to generate camouflage spot pattern. Finally, we evaluate its camouflage effect using saliency map based on human visual perception mechanism, as well as detection time. The herein proposed digital camouflage pattern can effectively blend with surrounding background, significantly prolong the detection time, and thus has a good camouflage effect.

ObjectiveTo identify the morphological parameters correlated with the rupture of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the digital subtraction angiography (DSA) data of 48 patients with ruptured mirror MCA aneurysms. Morphological parameters included aneurysm with wall protrusion, maximum diameter (Dmax), height, neck width, aneurysm width, dome projection, parent artery average diameter (Dp), aspect ratio (AR), bottleneck factor (BNF), size ratio (SR), M1/M2 ratio, and height/width (H/W) ratio. These paired parameters were analyzed by conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regressions to screen out the independent risk factors. We established a score based on the independent risk factors. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) were generated to estimate the prediction performance of the score in our large database of 763 aneurysms.ResultsIn the univariate regressions, Dmax, height, aneurysm width, neck width, AR, BNF, H/W ratio, SR, anterior dome projection and aneurysm with wall protrusion were significant risk factors. Aneurysm width (OR 3.296, p=0.015), AR (OR 11.594, p=0.014) and anterior dome projection (OR 9.385, p=0.016) were independent risk factors in multivariate regression. The area under the curve (AUC) value of the score based on the three independent risk factors was 0.829.ConclusionAneurysm width, AR and anterior dome projection were independent risks factors of rupture.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to use morphological parameters of mirror posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms to evaluate aneurysm rupture risk. METHODS The morphological parameters of 45 pairs of ruptured mirror PCoA aneurysms were analyzed. Conditional univariate and multivariate logistic regression of the following paired morphological parameters was performed: aneurysm with a daughter sac, aneurysm height, aneurysm width, neck width, internal carotid artery diameter, PCoA diameter, flow angle, PCoA angle, aspect ratio, bottleneck factor, size ratio, height/width ratio, fetal posterior cerebral artery, and aneurysm with height > width. A scoring system was established according to the odds ratios (ORs). The receiver operating characteristic was used to test the prediction accuracy of this scoring system in the authors’ database of 523 PCoA aneurysms and the threshold value was used to define higher risk. RESULTS Aneurysm width (OR 1.676, p = 0.014), aneurysm with daughter sac (OR 7.775, p = 0.016), and aneurysm with height > width (OR 9.067, p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for rupture. The scoring system consisted of aneurysm width (1 point per mm), aneurysm with a daughter sac (5 points), and aneurysm with height > width (5 points). The area under the curve (AUC) of the scoring system was 0.842, and its threshold value was 7.97. A score ≥ 8 points was defined as higher risk. The AUC using this definition was 0.802. CONCLUSIONS Aneurysm width, aneurysms with height > width, and aneurysms with a daughter sac were independent risk factors for PCoA aneurysm rupture. The scoring system devised in this study accurately predicts rupture risk.

To identify the morphologic and hemodynamic risk factor of mirror middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms.We conducted a retrospective analysis of 40 paired mirror MCA aneurysms. Aneurysms were divided into ruptured and unruptured groups. Seventeen morphological and nine hemodynamic parameters were measured using computer-assisted semiautomated measurement (CASAM) and computer flow dynamic (CFD) simulation. We performed a paired t-test (for normally distributed data) or a paired Wilcoxon rank-sum (for non-normally distributed data) to analyze all parameters between the groups. Multivariate conditional logistic regression analysis identified independent risk factors. The receiver operating characteristic curve was analyzed to acquire the area under the curve (AUC) and the cutoff values of the independent risk factors.There were significant differences in morphological and hemodynamic parameters between the ruptured and unruptured mirror aneurysms. The multivariate logistic analysis showed that the greater size (odds ratio [OR] = 9.807, p = 0.003), smaller neck diameter (OR = 0.285, p = 0.018) and maximum oscillatory shear index (OSI) (OR = 0.000001, p = 0.046) were independently correlated with aneurysm rupture. AUCs for size, N. and maximum OSI were 0.794, 0.695, and 0.701, respectively. The cutoff values of the size, neck diameter, and maximum OSI were 6.30, 5.07, and 0.356437, respectively.Morphology and hemodynamics can help predict aneurysm rupture risks. The more significant size, smaller neck diameter and maximum OSI were independent risk factors for the rupture of MCA aneurysms. The variables could aid practical risk evaluation.

The biological effects of nanoparticles are of great importance for the in-depth understanding of safety issues in biomedical applications. Induction of autophagy is a cellular response after nanoparticle exposure. Bismuth sulfide nanoparticles (Bi2S3 NPs) are often used as a CT contrast agent because of their excellent photoelectric conversion ability. Yet there has been no previous detailed study other than a cell toxicity assessment. In this study, three types of Bi2S3 NPs with different shapes (Bi2S3 nano rods (BSNR), hollow microsphere Bi2S3 NPs (BSHS) and urchin-like hollow microsphere Bi2S3 NPs (ULBSHS)) were used to evaluatecytotoxicity, autophagy induction, cell migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). Results showed that all three Bi2S3 NPs lead to blockage in autophagic flux, causing p62 protein accumulation. The cell death caused by these Bi2S3 NPs is proved to be autophagy related, rather than related to apoptosis. Moreover, Bi2S3 NPs can reduce the migration and invasion in HepG2 cells in an autophagy-dependent manner. ULBSHS is the most cytotoxic among three Bi2S3 NPs and has the best tumor metastasis suppression. These results demonstrated that, even with relatively low toxicity of Bi2S3 NPs, autophagy blockage may still substantially influence cell fate and thus significantly impact their biomedical applications, and that surface topography is a key factor regulating their biological response.

Background Aucubin (Au), an iridoid glycoside from natural plants, has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory bioactivities; however, its effects on a traumatic brain injury (TBI) model remain unknown. We explored the potential role of Au in an H2O2-induced oxidant damage in primary cortical neurons and weight-drop induced-TBI in a mouse model. Methods In vitro experiments, the various concentrations of Au (50 μg/ml, 100 μg/ml, or 200 μg/ml) were added in culture medium at 0 h and 6 h after neurons stimulated by H2O2 (100 μM). After exposed for 12 h, neurons were collected for western blot (WB), immunofluorescence, and M29,79-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. In vivo experiments, Au (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally at 30 min, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h after modeling. Brain water content, neurological deficits, and cognitive functions were measured at specific time, respectively. Cortical tissue around focal trauma was collected for WB, TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, Nissl staining, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), immunofluorescence/immunohistochemistry, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) at 72 h after TBI. RNA interference experiments were performed to determine the effects of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) on TBI mice with Au (40 mg/kg) treatment. Mice were intracerebroventricularly administrated with lentivirus at 72 h before TBI establishment. The cortex was obtained at 72 h after TBI and used for WB and q-PCR. Results Au enhanced the translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus, activated antioxidant enzymes, suppressed excessive generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and reduced cell apoptosis both in vitro and vivo experiments. In the mice model of TBI, Au markedly attenuated brain edema, histological damages, and improved neurological and cognitive deficits. Au significantly suppressed high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)-mediated aseptic inflammation. Nrf2 knockdown in TBI mice blunted the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotective effects of the Au. Conclusions Taken together, our data suggest that Au provides a neuroprotective effect in TBI mice model by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammatory responses; the mechanisms involve triggering Nrf2-induced antioxidant system.

With the increasing network demand of users, the original middleware equipment shows the defects of single function and large geographical limitation, so the network function virtualization technology (NFV technology) should be introduced.Based on this, an audio teaching resource joint scheduling method for NFV service chain deployment is proposed.The audio resources are first virtualized and combined on demand.Then, the algorithm is deployed according to the NFV service chain to realize the joint scheduling of audio resource data.By comparing with the traditional method, it is proved that the method designed in this paper can accurately distinguish audio resources to a certain extent, ensure a higher scheduling utilization rate of resources, and have better stability and effectiveness.

Only a few types of inflammasomes have been described in central nervous system cells. Among these, the absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome is primarily found in neurons, is highly specific and can be activated only by double-stranded DNA. Although it has been demonstrated that the AIM2 inflammasome is activated by poly(deoxyadenylic-deoxythymidylic) acid sodium salt and leads to pyroptotic neuronal cell death, the role of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in early brain injury (EBI) after subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has rarely been studied. Thus, we designed this study to explore the mechanism of gasdermin D(GSDMD)-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome in EBI after SAH. The level of AIM2 from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with SAH was detected. The pathway of AIM2 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis, the AIM2/Caspase-1/GSDMD pathway, was explored after experimental SAH in vivo and in primary cortical neurons stimulated by oxyhaemoglobin (oxyHb) in vitro. Then, we evaluated GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome in AIM2 and caspase-1- deficient mice and primary cortical neurons generated through lentivirus (LV) knockdown. Compared with that of the control samples, the AIM2 level in the CSF of the patients with SAH was significantly increased. Pyroptosis-associated proteins mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome were significantly increased in vivo and in vitro following experimentally induced SAH. After AIM2 and caspase-1 were knocked down by an LV, GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome was alleviated in EBI after SAH. Intriguingly, when caspase-1 was knocked down, apoptosis was significantly suppressed via impeding the activation of caspase-3. GSDMD-induced pyroptosis mediated by the AIM2 inflammasome may be involved in EBI following SAH. The inhibition of AIM2 inflammasome activation caused by knocking down AIM2 and caspase-1 alleviates GSDMD-induced pyroptosis in EBI after SAH.

In view of the low stability of the conventional monitoring system, a remote learning process monitoring system based on 5G communication network is designed. Analyze the requirements of monitoring system, optimize flash memory circuit, select dts6677 data concentrator, use 5G communication network to transmit monitoring data and instruction information, use sigmoid function to calculate the error between expected value and output value, optimize function module, and realize the design of remote learning process monitoring system under 5G communication network. The simulation experiment tests the performance of the system. The test results show that applying 5G communication network to the design of the remote learning process monitoring system can effectively improve the stability of the monitoring system and optimize the system performance.

To improve the camouflage effectiveness of pattern painting, based on gradual coloration, a new disruptive pattern painting is put forward. There are different varieties of background vegetation and physiognomy in natural, especially in coloration. Therefore, the coloration in pattern painting should be various and gradual change between different colors. The natural gradual changing coloration scheme has the best camouflage effectiveness in theory, which cannot be painted in the surface of some targets. Different coloration schemes are intelligently designed to improve pattern background matching effectiveness, and also be convenient in construction. A test pattern painting is designed based on different coloration schemes. The results show that the proposed scheme can be used to improve background matching effectiveness, and the proper coloration scheme is selected.

In this paper, neuroadaptive fault-tolerant control of nonlinear vehicular platoon systems subject to unknown direction actuator faults, unmodeled dynamics, and external disturbances is investigated. A vehicle model considering the influence of velocity direction deflection angle on vehicle position is proposed on a two-dimensional (2-D) plane to realize multi-lane vehicle fusion. Then, in order to avoid collisions and maintain communication connection, the method of asymmetric barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) is adopted to eliminate the unfavorable assumption on spacing constraints in using symmetric BLF in the existing result. Nussbaum function is adopted to attenuate the negative effects caused by unknown direction actuator faults. Furthermore, by combining sliding-mode control (SMC) techniques with radial basis function neural network (RBFNN), a novel neuroadaptive fault-tolerant control scheme with minimal learning parameters is designed to not only guarantee the finite-time stability of the whole vehicular platoon but also tolerate the unknown direction actuator faults. Finally, simulation results show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed scheme.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem and causes liver damage as cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Development of an accurate, sensitive and reproducible detection method for detecting and monitoring HBV DNA is very necessary and urgent.The aims were to evaluate the analytical performances of the fully automated Pre-NAT system comparing to domestic assay, and to explore the role of highly sensitive quantification of HBV DNA in the management of chronic HBV infection.Pseudo-viral particles at high HBV DNA concentration were serially diluted to assess linear range. Accuracy and lower limit of detection were assessed by determining a panel of HBV standard substance. HBV DNA positive clinical specimen and internal quality control were measured 20 times to evaluate precision and reproducibility. 20 non HBV-infected specimens were used for the specificity assay. 96 chronic hepatitis B samples were quantified for HBV DNA to evaluating the correlation between the new test and Da-an assay. HBV serological markers were detected using ELISA method.Pre-NAT quantitated HBV DNA levels covered a wide dynamic range (10 logs) with a close correlation between expected and observed values (r=0.999, P0.05), satisfactory precision and higher specificity. The lower detection limit was 20IU/mL. Comparability assay showed Pre-NAT had a good agreement with but more sensitive than Da-an assay (t=0.149, P0.05). HBV DNA level was partially correlated to but more reliable and sensitive than serological evidence in reflecting the viral level.This novel fully-automated real-time PCR assay exhibits good analytical and clinical performances for highly sensitive detection of HBV DNA. It is well suited for monitoring antiviral responses and making treatment strategies according to current clinical practice guidelines for the management of chronic HBV infection.

Resume Objectifs mieux comprendre l’effet des anti-TNF (TNFi) sur la formation d’os nouveau chez les patients atteints de spondylarthrite ankylosante (SpA). Methodes Nous avons releve de maniere systematique les articles dans Embase et Pubmed. Resultats Quinze articles ont ete retenus. Dans toutes les 9 cohortes traitees par TNFi, les coins vertebraux avec lesion inflammatoire a l’inclusion presentaient un risque plus eleve de developper de nouveaux syndesmophytes que ceux sans lesion inflammatoire, bien que quelques syndesmophytes se soient egalement developpes dans les coins vertebraux sans lesion inflammatoire a l’inclusion. Les lesions inflammatoires avancees, y compris avec des depots de graisse sur l’IRM de reference, induisent un risque plus eleve pour la formation de syndesmophyte que les lesions inflammatoires aigues. Parce que le nombre de coins vertebraux analyses etait trop faible, on ne peut pas affirmer que les nouveaux syndesmophytes se developpent plus frequemment dans les coins avec des lesions inflammatoires completement eteintes avec une inflammation persistante apres traitement par TNFi. Quatre etudes avec 2 ans de suivi ont revele un effet nul des TNFi sur la progression radiographique par rapport a ce qui etait observe dans une cohorte historique de temoins ayant une activite inferieure de leur maladie, 3 etudes avec un suivi ≥ 4 ans ont constate un effet inhibiteur des TNFi sur la formation d’os nouveau chez les patients atteints de SpA. Les patients ayant debute le traitement par TNFi au moins 10 ans plus tard etaient plus susceptibles de presenter une progression radiographique par rapport a ceux qui l’ont commence plus tot. Conclusions chez les patients atteints de SpA et traites par TNFi, l’inflammation a l’inclusion est correlee au developpement de syndesmophytes. Une initiation precoce du traitement par TNFi peut ralentir la progression radiographique dans la SpA. Mais les TNFi peuvent perdre leur effet benefique sur le retard de la formation d’os nouveau a un stade avance de la SpA surtout quand existe une infiltration graisseuse focalisee ou que se forment des syndesmophytes.

// Xing Zhen Liu 1,2,* , Jie Fan 2,* , Ke Qi 3,* , Shu Peng Liu 4,* , Wei Dong Xu 3 , Ying Gao 1 , Xiao Dan Gu 1 , Jia Li 3 , Chen Guang Bai 5 , Ye Qing Shi 1 , Lan Ling Zhang 1 and Dong Bao Zhao 1 1 Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 2 Army Convalescence Area, Hangzhou Sanatorium of People’s Liberation Army, Hangzhou, China 3 Department of Joint Surgery, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 4 Experimental Center, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China 5 Department of Pathology, Changhai Hospital, The Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China * These authors have contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Dong Bao Zhao, email: // Keywords : rheumatoid arthritis; synovial fibroblast; apoptosis; inflammation; dishevelled2; Immunology and Microbiology Section; Immune response; Immunity Received : December 05, 2016 Accepted : January 24, 2017 Published : February 07, 2017 Abstract Dishevelled (Dvl) not only links the canonical Wnt and non-canonical Wnt pathways but can also crosstalk with other pathways. As there is no systematic study to date on Dvl in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), we explored the impact of Dvl2 on proliferation and inflammatory cytokine secretion in RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs). Expression of Dvl2 in RA synovial tissue and RA-FLSs was measured. Dvl2 was overexpressed in collagen-induced arthritis rats and human RA-FLSs,. the apoptosis and secretion of inflammatory cytokines were observed. Genetic changes and corresponding mechanisms caused by overexpressing Dvl2 in RA-FLSs were assessed. Dvl2 was found to be overexpressed in RA synovial tissue and RA-FLSs. Overexpression of Dvl2 increased apoptosis and inhibited inflammatory cytokine secretion by RA-FLSs in vivo and in vitro , and Dvl2 inhibited expression of anti-apoptotic and inflammatory genes. One possible mechanism is that Dvl2 decreases the nuclear translocation of P65 and inhibits its ability to bind to the promoters of NF-κB target genes. Our findings reveal an underappreciated role of Dvl2 in regulating inflammation and RA-FLS apoptosis and provide insight into crosstalk between the Wnt and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways.

Astaxanthin (ATX) is a carotenoid that exerts strong anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory property deriving from its highly unsaturated molecular structures. However, the low stability and solubility of ATX results in poor bioavailability, which markedly hampers its application as therapeutic agent in clinic advancement. This study investigated a promising way of transferrin conjugated to poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG)-encapsulated ATX nanoparticles (ATX-NPs) on targeted delivery and evaluated the possible mechanism underlying neuroprotection capability. As a result, the ATX integrated into nanocarrier presented both well water-dispersible and biocompatible, primely conquering its limitations. More than that, the transferrin-containing ATX-NPs exhibited enhanced cellular uptake efficiency than that of ATX-NPs without transferrin conjugated in primary cortical neurons. Additionally, compared to free ATX, transferrin-containing ATX-NPs with lower ATX concentration showed powerful neuroprotective effects on OxyHb-induced neuronal damage. Taken together, the improved bioavailability and enhanced neuroprotective effects enabled ATX-NPs as favorable candidates for targeted delivery and absorption of ATX. We believe that these in vitro findings will provide insights for advancement of subarachnoid hemorrhage therapy.

Hyperspectral imaging technology can make detailed division of data in both spatial and imaging bands. At the same time, due to the existence of noise factors, the data formed by imaging will have some redundancy. In order to explore the data redundancy and its impact on the subsequent analysis process, this paper analyzes the mechanism of data redundancy formation, including spatial correlation and inter-spectral correlation of hyperspectral images. At the same time, the process of data dimensionality reduction is discussed. In order to reduce the long-distance interference factors, the noise analysis of the forest image of close-range imaging was carried out during the experiment, and the model was used to reduce the dimension. The results show that the processed data dimension is greatly reduced, and the quality improvement is more obvious. Hyperspectral image dimensionality reduction can provide effective support for further computational analysis.

Human papillomavirus infection is a major health problem and caused substantial benign and malignancy diseases among female and male worldwide. We aim to investigate the epidemiology of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) and related diseases in Suzhou population. As well as evaluating the potential benefit of a nine-valent HPV vaccine (regardless of HPV-6 and -11) in Suzhou. A total of 40,108 people aged 13-89 years were retrospectively examined by database retrieval from 2010 to 2015. Thirteen genotypes (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, and 66) of HR-HPV were detected using Tellgenplex™ xMAP™ HPV DNA Test assay. The overall prevalence of HR-HPV was 21.1%, the female and male account for 96.4% and 3.6%, respectively. The infection rate among male (25.6%, 367/1,432) was significantly higher than that among female (20.9%, 8,100/38,676), X2 = 17.341 (P

Objectives To better understand the effect of TNF-α inhibitors (TNFi) on new bone formation in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Methods We systematically searched the articles in EMBASE and PubMed. Results Fifteen articles were enrolled. In all the 9 TNFi-treated cohorts, the vertebral corners with inflammatory lesions at baseline were at higher risk to develop new syndesmophytes than those without inflammatory lesions, although a few syndesmophytes also developed at the vertebral corners without inflammatory lesions at baseline. The advanced inflammatory lesions including fat deposition on baseline MRI showed a higher risk for syndesmophyte formation than the acute inflammatory lesions. Because the number of analyzed vertebral corners were too small, it might not be true that new syndesmophytes developed more frequently at the corners with inflammatory lesions completely resolved than those with persistent inflammation after TNFi treatment. Four studies with 2-year follow-up revealed null effect of TNFi on radiographic progression compared with historical controls with lower disease activity, and 3 studies with ≥ 4-year follow-up proved inhibitory effect of TNFi on new bone formation in AS patients. Patients with a delay of > 10 years in starting TNFi therapy were more likely to experience radiographic progression as compared to those who started earlier. Conclusions In TNFi treated AS patients, baseline inflammation is linked with syndesmophyte development. An earlier initiation of TNFi therapy may slow the radiographic progression in AS, and TNFi may lose its benefit of retarding new bone formation at advanced stage of AS especially after the focal fat infiltration or syndesmophyte formation.