Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the diseas...Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the disease are critical period during which reversible joint damage occurs. So early diagnosis of RA and appropriate drug application is the only way to save a patient from this crippling disease. In India, the cost of investigations is a significant factor for most of the patients. Ultrasonography or Power Doppler Ultra Sound (PDUS) has the advantage of being economic in spite of its sensitivity in assessing both inflammatory and destructive changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of PDUS in early rheumatoid arthritis. The study was performed with the patients attending Rheumatology Clinic. A total number of 106 patients of clinically suspected rheumatoid arthritis were studied as per selection criteria. Radiological examinations of hands were done by digital radiography and PDUS in a group of 53 patients, assessment of foot changes by PDUS and Digital Radiography were done in another similar group of 53 patients. Final diagnosis by ACR EULAR-2010 criteria is done for all the patients. The comparative study reveals that synovial vascularity as demonstrated by PDUS is much more effective in diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis, both in hand and in feet than digital radiograph. PDUS of feet may yield earlier and better findings than hands, which is conventionally used in patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis.展开更多
In response to the actual demands of the energy storage type organic Rankine power generation cycle,this study proposes a new type of jacketed shell and tube heat exchanger with integrated cold storage and heat exchan...In response to the actual demands of the energy storage type organic Rankine power generation cycle,this study proposes a new type of jacketed shell and tube heat exchanger with integrated cold storage and heat exchange.N-tedecane is selected as the phase change material for cold storage,low-temperature water as the cold source,and R134a as the heat source.The phase change material for cold storage is filled inside the jacket tube of the heat exchanger.Cold fluid is introduced into the inner tube to cause the phase change material to condense and store cold.After the cold storage is completed,R134a flows in from the shell side and condenses through heat exchange with the solidified phase change material for energy storage.This study discusses the influence laws of different cold water mass flow rates and temperatures on the cold storage performance of this heat exchanger,and analyzes the condensation effect of R134a.The results show that when the mass flow rate is 0.5 kg/s and the cold water temperature is between 3 and 4℃,the average power of the energy storage heat exchanger in the condensation experiment is 80W,and the average convective heat transfer coefficient is 110.73 W/(m^(2)⋅K).This research provides an experimental basis for the development of energy storage organic Rankine power generation cycles.展开更多
Laser wakefield accelerators(LWFAs)offer acceleration gradients up to 1000 times higher than those of conventional radio-frequency accelerators,offering a pathway to significantly more compact and cost-effective accel...Laser wakefield accelerators(LWFAs)offer acceleration gradients up to 1000 times higher than those of conventional radio-frequency accelerators,offering a pathway to significantly more compact and cost-effective accelerator systems.This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for laboratory-scale light sources.All-optical inverse Compton scattering(AOCS)sources driven by LWFAs produce high-brightness,quasimonochromatic X rays with micrometer-scale source sizes,delivering the spatial coherence and resolution required for X-ray phase-contrast imaging(XPCI).These features position AOCS X-ray sources as promising tools for applications in biology,medicine,physics,and materials science.However,previous AOCS-based imaging studies have primarily focused on X-ray absorption imaging.In this work,we report successful experimental demonstrations of edge-enhanced in-line XPCI using energy-tunable,quasi-monochromatic AOCS X rays.With a spatial resolution of~20μm,our results clearly show the potential of high-resolution,AOCS-based XPCI applications.展开更多
Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular rese...Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular research topic.In this paper,ocean internal waves are detected in SAR images by employing the faster regions with convolutional neural network features(Faster R-CNN)framework;for this purpose,888 internal wave samples are utilized to train the convolutional network and identify internal waves.The experimental results demonstrate a 94.78%recognition rate for internal waves,and the average detection speed is 0.22 s/image.In addition,the detection results of internal wave samples under different conditions are analyzed.This paper lays a foundation for detecting ocean internal waves using convolutional neural networks.展开更多
Objectives:Although immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and targeted therapies have reshaped treatment non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)paradigms,prognosis remains poor for many patients due to delayed diagnosis and res...Objectives:Although immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and targeted therapies have reshaped treatment non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)paradigms,prognosis remains poor for many patients due to delayed diagnosis and resistance mechanisms.Liquid biopsy offers a minimally invasive approach to monitoring tumor evolution.Among circulating biomarkers,circulating tumor cells(CTCs)and cancer-associated macrophage-like cells(CAM-Ls)may provide complementary prognostic insights.The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of CTC and CAM-Ls dynamic in metastatic NSCLC patients.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 77 patients with metastatic NSCLC who underwent CTC and CAM-L evaluation via the CellSearch^(R)system at baseline(T0)and after three months of first-line treatment(T1)including chemotherapy,targeted therapy,or ICIs.Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses.Results:Conversion to CTC-negative status at T1 was associated with improved outcomes,with median overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)of 33 and 18 months,respectively,vs.10 and 6 months in persistently positive patients(both p<0.001).CTC negativity at T1 remained an independent prognostic factor for OS(HR:6.68)and PFS(HR:5.91,both p<0.0001).CAM-L positivity at T1 also correlated with longer OS(30 vs.12 months)and PFS(13 vs.6 months,both p<0.0001),particularly among ICI-treated patients.Combined CTC and CAM-L assessment further refined risk stratification.Conclusions:Dynamic monitoring of CTCs and CAM-Ls provides actionable prognostic information in metastatic NSCLC.CTC-negative status predicted longer OS and PFS,while CAM-L positivity at T1 was associated with improved outcomes,particularly in ICI-treated patients.Combined assessment of both biomarkers may directly inform therapeutic decision-making,through early detection of outcomes.展开更多
Sensor noise is a critical factor that degrades the performance of image processing systems.In traditional computing systems,noise correction is implemented in the digital domain,resulting in redundant latency and pow...Sensor noise is a critical factor that degrades the performance of image processing systems.In traditional computing systems,noise correction is implemented in the digital domain,resulting in redundant latency and power consumption overhead in the analog-to-digital conversion.In this work,we propose an analog-domain image correction architecture based on a proposed small-scale UNet,which implements a compact noise correction network within a one-transistor-one-memristor(1T1R)array.The statistical non-idealities of the fabricated 1T1R array(e.g.,device variability)are rigorously incorporated into the network's training and inference simulations.This correction network architecture leverages memristors for conducting multiply-accumulate operations aimed at rectifying non-uniform noise,defective pixels(stuck-at-bright/dark),and exposure mismatch.Compared to systems without correction,the proposed architecture achieves up to 50.13%improvement in recognition accuracy while demonstrating robust tolerance to memristor device-level errors.The proposed system achieves a 2.13-fold latency reduction and three orders of magnitude higher energy efficiency compared to conventional architecture.This work establishes a new paradigm for advancing the development of low-power,low-latency,and high-precision image processing systems.展开更多
Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation...Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation.To address this issue,real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect the expression of several differentiation-related miRNAs during the differentiation of retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.The results revealed that miR-124 and miR-9 were upregulated,while miR-125 b was downregulated in retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.To identify the miRNA that may play a key role,miR-124 expression was regulated by transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors.Morphological analysis results showed that inhibition of miR-124 expression reversed the effects of retinoic acid on neurite outgrowth.Moreover,miR-124 overexpression alone caused Neuro-2 A cells to differentiate into neurons,and its inhibitor could block this effect.These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in retinoic acid-induced differentiation of Neuro-2 A cells.展开更多
Nuclear heating plays an important aspect in design and deployment of both fission and fusion reactors and experimental devices in terms of cooling requirements. Two experimental campaigns in the framework of a collab...Nuclear heating plays an important aspect in design and deployment of both fission and fusion reactors and experimental devices in terms of cooling requirements. Two experimental campaigns in the framework of a collaboration project between the French Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission(CEA) and Jožef Stefan Institute(JSI), Slovenia, have been performed at the JSI TRIGA reactor for the experimental assessment of nuclear heating in fission and fusion-relevant materials by the differential calorimetry technique, based on the CALMOS and CARMEN differential calorimeters, previously developed at CEA. The results of the first campaign performed at reactor powers between 100 and 250 kW have already been reported, highlighting some measurement difficulties. Therefore, the second campaign was performed at a lower reactor power of 30 kW to overcome these issues. Moreover, a computational analysis of the experiments was performed using the JSIR2S code package to calculate the nuclear heating levels. Both experiments and their reproduction by simulations are described in detail. We present a comparison of the previously reported measured nuclear heating values of the first campaign with the computational results, with consistent underestimation by simulations by 8–35%. We report the experimental and computational results for the second experimental campaign performed at a reactor power of 30 kW. The simulated heating values were in agreement with the measurements within the measured heating uncertainty, with simulated heating 2.7–11.3% lower than the experimental values.展开更多
Neurokinin-1 receptor(NK1R),a member of the G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR)family,contributes to multiple pathological processes,including pain,chronic inflammation,and cancer(Gutierrez et al.,2019;Robinson et al.,20...Neurokinin-1 receptor(NK1R),a member of the G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR)family,contributes to multiple pathological processes,including pain,chronic inflammation,and cancer(Gutierrez et al.,2019;Robinson et al.,2023).Current reports and our previous work have proven that NK1R is highly expressed in many cancer cells,such as colorectal cancer and leukemia,and that targeted blocking of NK1R can effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation(Li XQ et al.,2013;Li JY et al.,2016;Ge et al.,2019;Shi et al.,2021).展开更多
Following the publication of Zeng et al.(2023),an inadvertent error was recently identified in Figure 1B and Supplementary Figure S3.To ensure the accuracy and integrity of our published work,we formally request a cor...Following the publication of Zeng et al.(2023),an inadvertent error was recently identified in Figure 1B and Supplementary Figure S3.To ensure the accuracy and integrity of our published work,we formally request a correction to address this issue and apologize for any confusion this error may have caused.For details,please refer to the modified Supplementary Materials.展开更多
The double perovskite Cs_(2)SnI_(6)has notable optical and electrical characteristics,rendering it a highly prospective candidate for deployment as the absorber layer in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).We simulated the p...The double perovskite Cs_(2)SnI_(6)has notable optical and electrical characteristics,rendering it a highly prospective candidate for deployment as the absorber layer in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).We simulated the performance of PSCs using lead-free Cs_(2)SnI_(6)double perovskite absorber layer and graphene derivatives,namely graphene oxide(GO)and reduced graphene oxide(rGO),as hole transport layers(HTLs).Our findings show that r GO offers an excellent hole extraction property with minimal interfacial recombination compared to GO.展开更多
Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxyt...Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide has preventive effects on neuroinflammation is unclear. This study was designed to pretreat primary astrocytes from the brains of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats with 20, 100 and 500 nM(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide for 1 hour before establishing an in vitro neuroinflammation model with 1.0 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The generation of nitric oxide was detected by Griess reagents. Astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the culture supernatant were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Nuclear factor-κB/p65 expression was examined by immunofluorescence staining. The phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor IκB-α and the location of nuclear factor-κB/P65 were determined using western blot assay. Our data revealed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibited the generation of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β from primary astrocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide, decreased the positive reaction intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein, reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β in culture supernatant, inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and the translocation of nuclear factor-κB/P65 to the nucleus. These results have confirmed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced glial inflammatory response and provides cytological experimental data for(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Aiming at the problem of dynamic instability of hard-brittle jointed rock surrounding in deep tunnel/roadway engineering,combining with the support concepts of"coupling rigidity with flexibility"and"ove...Aiming at the problem of dynamic instability of hard-brittle jointed rock surrounding in deep tunnel/roadway engineering,combining with the support concepts of"coupling rigidity with flexibility"and"overcoming rigidity by flexibility",the prevention and control method with"rigid-flexible coupling(R-F-C)"was put forward.Through numerical simulation calculation,the impact damage process,acoustic emission(AE)evolution characteristics,and element stress/displacement evolution characteristics of unsupported surrounding rock structure model,rigid supporting surrounding rock structure model,and"R-F-C"supporting surrounding rock structure model under horizontal bidirectional impact loading were compared and analyzed.Based on the theory of stress wave propagation,the dynamic instability catastrophe mechanism of three kinds of supporting structure models induced by horizontal bidirectional impact loading was revealed.Based on the Mohr-Coulomb strength theory,the stress discrimination methods of dynamic catastrophe of surrounding rock induced by horizontal bidirectional impact loading under three kinds of supporting structures were proposed.Combined with the above numerical simulation study,the explosion impact physical and mechanical test of"R-F-C"surrounding rock supporting plate structure was further designed and carried out.Finally,combined with the"conceptual model of ball-cliff potential energy instability",the energy driving theory and energy transformation mechanism of impact-induced rockburst under three kinds of supporting structures were discussed deeply.The research results provided a scientific basis for further promoting the effective application of"R-F-C"supporting structure in the prevention and control of dynamic instability of deep tunnel/roadway surrounding rock.展开更多
An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease prog...An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease progression,demonstrating the need for novel approaches in PD.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive approach that has been shown to improve motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.However,the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation remain unknown.The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the beneficial effects of prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of experimental parkinsonism are based on modulation of adenosine-mediated signaling.Animals with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions underwent intermittent theta burst stimulation for 3 weeks and were tested for motor skills using the Rotarod test.Immunoblot,quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,immunohistochemistry,and biochemical analysis of components of adenosine-mediated signaling were performed on the synaptosomal fraction of the lesioned caudate putamen.Prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation improved motor symptoms in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned animals.A 6-hydroxydopamine lesion resulted in progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the caudate putamen.Treatment with intermittent theta burst stimulation began 7 days after the lesion,coinciding with the onset of motor symptoms.After treatment with prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation,complete motor recovery was observed.This improvement was accompanied by downregulation of the e N/CD73-A_(2A)R pathway and a return to physiological levels of A_(1)R-adenosine deaminase 1 after 3 weeks of intermittent theta burst stimulation.Our results demonstrated that 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degeneration reduced the expression of A_(1)R and elevated the expression of A_(2A)R.Intermittent theta burst stimulation reversed these effects by restoring the abundances of A_(1)R and A_(2A)R to control levels.The shift in ARs expression likely restored the balance between dopamine-adenosine signaling,ultimately leading to the recovery of motor control.展开更多
A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different ...A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different complex nonsmooth/discontinuous interfaces, we develop an R(x)-orthonormal theory, where R(x) is an integrable flexural rigidity function. The R(x)-orthonormal bases in the linear space of boundary functions are constructed, of which the second-order derivatives of the boundary functions are asked to be orthonormal with respect to the weight function R(x). When the vibration modes of the symmetric composite beam are expressed in terms of the R(x)-orthonormal bases we can derive an eigenvalue problem endowed with a special structure of the coefficient matrix A :=[aij ],aij= 0 if i + j is odd. Based on the special structure we can prove two new theorems, which indicate that the characteristic equation of A can be decomposed into the product of the characteristic equations of two sub-matrices with dimensions half lower. Hence, we can sequentially solve the natural frequencies in closed-form owing to the specialty of A. We use this powerful new theory to analyze the free vibration performance and the vibration modes of symmetric composite beams with three different interfaces.展开更多
This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “com...This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “computer-automated control system design” (CAutoCSD). The first step towards this goal is to accommodate, under practical constraints, various design objectives that are desirable in both time and frequency domains. Such performance-prioritised unification is aimed at relieving practising engineers from having to select a particular control scheme and from sacrificing certain performance goals resulting from pre-commitment to such schemes. With recent progress in evolutionary computing based extra-numeric, multi-criterion search and optimisation techniques, such unification of LTI control schemes becomes feasible, analytical and practical, and the resultant designs can be creative. The techniques developed are applied to, and illustrated by, three design problems. The unified approach automatically provides an integrator for zero-steady state error in velocity control of a DC motor, and meets multiple objectives in the design of an LTI controller for a non-minimum phase plant and offers a high-performance LTI controller network for a non-linear chemical process.展开更多
The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar n...The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar neutrinos and the temporal characteristics of the radioactive source. That is, to conduct a search for the possible influence of external sources for radioactivity. There are cycles 5 min, 18 min and 53 min found in solar physics. The cycle of 27 days corresponds to the activity of the Sun. During of the solar activeity these temporal pulsations are lost in a strong variation of solar wind (Neugebauer, NASA). The Stanford University scientists (P. Starrek, G. Valter and M. Vitlend) have found the cycle of 28.4 days as pulsations of the solar neutrinos. Neutrinos come from the depths of the Sun and they tell about the frequency of oscillations of solar bowels. It is also seen online: Kostyantynivska L. V. Solar activity. Search experiment is better to have a known but modified experiment. Experiments on monitoring natural radioactivity and the possible influence from the Sun were previously carried out by measuring the variations of the gamma-ray sample of ore from the TransBaikal uranium deposit;the characteristics of the sample are known. The spectrum of temporal variations in the activity of the sample Zabaikalskaya radioactive ore contains peaks which coincide with the period of natural oscillations of the Sun. The capture cross section of the radioactive heavy deformed nucleus in time decay increases in many orders and is able to interact with the stream of solar neutrinos which are modulated by own oscillations of the Sun. The picks of spectrum of long-period oscillations of the Earth exceed its own contain peaks that match the value with an accuracy of 1% 3% with peaks of its own oscillations of the Sun. The mechanism of excitation of these oscillations is similar to the nature of variations in the activity of a radioactive sample of ore. These effects are included in the mechanisms of interaction of the Earth—the Sun systems and impact on seismicity;search problem of existing natural nuclear reactor inside Earth core.展开更多
BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predicti...BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predictive biomarker's system of chronicization of inflammation for cancer treatment.METHODS A group of 147 CRC patients was studied. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically, and patients were sub-typed using the pathological tumornode-metastasis classification. Thirteen colon adenoma patients and 219 healthy subjects were also studied. A system biology study on Thioredoxin1/CD30 redox-immune systems(Trx1/CD30), T helper cytokines and polymorphisms of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors, FcγRIIa-131 H/R and FcγRIIIa-158 V/F was carried out. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to analyze sera.Genetic study was executed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers and sequence-based typing method. Statistical analysis was performed by using the "Statgraphics software systems".RESULTS We found a positive increase between Trx1/RTrx1 levels and sCD30 level and increased age. With respect to the gender relationships, there were distinct differences. Females showed a primary relationship between transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ) with Trx1, whereas males had one with TGFβ and RTrx1. Trx1/CD30 controls the redox immune homeostasis, and an imbalance in the relationship between the Trx1/RTrx1 and sCD30 levels is linked to the onset and progression of tumor. This event happens through different gender-specific cytokine pathways. Our study demonstrated that the serum levels ofTrx1/RTrx1, TGFβ/interleukin(IL)6 and TGFβ/IL4 combinations and the sCD30,IFNγ and IL2 combination constitute a predictive gender specific biomarker system. This is relevant for clinical screening to detect the risk of the potential development or progression of a tumor.CONCLUSION Oxidative stress on Trx1/CD30 is a trigger of cancer disease, and the selected oxidation and immune products are a biomarker system for aging and cancer.展开更多
文摘Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic multisystem disease of unknown cause. The characteristic feature of RA is persistent inflammatory synovitis. The natural history of disease is such that the early months of the disease are critical period during which reversible joint damage occurs. So early diagnosis of RA and appropriate drug application is the only way to save a patient from this crippling disease. In India, the cost of investigations is a significant factor for most of the patients. Ultrasonography or Power Doppler Ultra Sound (PDUS) has the advantage of being economic in spite of its sensitivity in assessing both inflammatory and destructive changes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of PDUS in early rheumatoid arthritis. The study was performed with the patients attending Rheumatology Clinic. A total number of 106 patients of clinically suspected rheumatoid arthritis were studied as per selection criteria. Radiological examinations of hands were done by digital radiography and PDUS in a group of 53 patients, assessment of foot changes by PDUS and Digital Radiography were done in another similar group of 53 patients. Final diagnosis by ACR EULAR-2010 criteria is done for all the patients. The comparative study reveals that synovial vascularity as demonstrated by PDUS is much more effective in diagnosing early rheumatoid arthritis, both in hand and in feet than digital radiograph. PDUS of feet may yield earlier and better findings than hands, which is conventionally used in patients suffering from early rheumatoid arthritis.
基金the the basic scientific research Funds project of Heilongjiang Universities[grant numbers 2024-KYYWF-0554].
文摘In response to the actual demands of the energy storage type organic Rankine power generation cycle,this study proposes a new type of jacketed shell and tube heat exchanger with integrated cold storage and heat exchange.N-tedecane is selected as the phase change material for cold storage,low-temperature water as the cold source,and R134a as the heat source.The phase change material for cold storage is filled inside the jacket tube of the heat exchanger.Cold fluid is introduced into the inner tube to cause the phase change material to condense and store cold.After the cold storage is completed,R134a flows in from the shell side and condenses through heat exchange with the solidified phase change material for energy storage.This study discusses the influence laws of different cold water mass flow rates and temperatures on the cold storage performance of this heat exchanger,and analyzes the condensation effect of R134a.The results show that when the mass flow rate is 0.5 kg/s and the cold water temperature is between 3 and 4℃,the average power of the energy storage heat exchanger in the condensation experiment is 80W,and the average convective heat transfer coefficient is 110.73 W/(m^(2)⋅K).This research provides an experimental basis for the development of energy storage organic Rankine power generation cycles.
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB0530000)the Discipline Construction Foundation of“Double World-class Project”.
文摘Laser wakefield accelerators(LWFAs)offer acceleration gradients up to 1000 times higher than those of conventional radio-frequency accelerators,offering a pathway to significantly more compact and cost-effective accelerator systems.This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for laboratory-scale light sources.All-optical inverse Compton scattering(AOCS)sources driven by LWFAs produce high-brightness,quasimonochromatic X rays with micrometer-scale source sizes,delivering the spatial coherence and resolution required for X-ray phase-contrast imaging(XPCI).These features position AOCS X-ray sources as promising tools for applications in biology,medicine,physics,and materials science.However,previous AOCS-based imaging studies have primarily focused on X-ray absorption imaging.In this work,we report successful experimental demonstrations of edge-enhanced in-line XPCI using energy-tunable,quasi-monochromatic AOCS X rays.With a spatial resolution of~20μm,our results clearly show the potential of high-resolution,AOCS-based XPCI applications.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61471136)the Special Project for Global Change and Air-sea Interaction of Ministry of Natural Resources(No.GASI-02-SCS-YGST2-04)the Chinese Association of Ocean Mineral Resources R&D(No.DY135-E2-4)
文摘Ocean internal waves appear as irregular bright and dark stripes on synthetic aperture radar(SAR)remote sensing images.Ocean internal waves detection in SAR images consequently constituted a difficult and popular research topic.In this paper,ocean internal waves are detected in SAR images by employing the faster regions with convolutional neural network features(Faster R-CNN)framework;for this purpose,888 internal wave samples are utilized to train the convolutional network and identify internal waves.The experimental results demonstrate a 94.78%recognition rate for internal waves,and the average detection speed is 0.22 s/image.In addition,the detection results of internal wave samples under different conditions are analyzed.This paper lays a foundation for detecting ocean internal waves using convolutional neural networks.
基金funded by Sapienza University PNRR-RT_SPOKE_1—ROME TECHNOPOLE—Spoke 1—B83C22002820006—ECS00000024 and FO R.O.onlus.
文摘Objectives:Although immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and targeted therapies have reshaped treatment non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)paradigms,prognosis remains poor for many patients due to delayed diagnosis and resistance mechanisms.Liquid biopsy offers a minimally invasive approach to monitoring tumor evolution.Among circulating biomarkers,circulating tumor cells(CTCs)and cancer-associated macrophage-like cells(CAM-Ls)may provide complementary prognostic insights.The study aimed to evaluate the prognostic role of CTC and CAM-Ls dynamic in metastatic NSCLC patients.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 77 patients with metastatic NSCLC who underwent CTC and CAM-L evaluation via the CellSearch^(R)system at baseline(T0)and after three months of first-line treatment(T1)including chemotherapy,targeted therapy,or ICIs.Survival outcomes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses.Results:Conversion to CTC-negative status at T1 was associated with improved outcomes,with median overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)of 33 and 18 months,respectively,vs.10 and 6 months in persistently positive patients(both p<0.001).CTC negativity at T1 remained an independent prognostic factor for OS(HR:6.68)and PFS(HR:5.91,both p<0.0001).CAM-L positivity at T1 also correlated with longer OS(30 vs.12 months)and PFS(13 vs.6 months,both p<0.0001),particularly among ICI-treated patients.Combined CTC and CAM-L assessment further refined risk stratification.Conclusions:Dynamic monitoring of CTCs and CAM-Ls provides actionable prognostic information in metastatic NSCLC.CTC-negative status predicted longer OS and PFS,while CAM-L positivity at T1 was associated with improved outcomes,particularly in ICI-treated patients.Combined assessment of both biomarkers may directly inform therapeutic decision-making,through early detection of outcomes.
基金Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2024YFA1208800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.62404253,62304254,U23A20322)。
文摘Sensor noise is a critical factor that degrades the performance of image processing systems.In traditional computing systems,noise correction is implemented in the digital domain,resulting in redundant latency and power consumption overhead in the analog-to-digital conversion.In this work,we propose an analog-domain image correction architecture based on a proposed small-scale UNet,which implements a compact noise correction network within a one-transistor-one-memristor(1T1R)array.The statistical non-idealities of the fabricated 1T1R array(e.g.,device variability)are rigorously incorporated into the network's training and inference simulations.This correction network architecture leverages memristors for conducting multiply-accumulate operations aimed at rectifying non-uniform noise,defective pixels(stuck-at-bright/dark),and exposure mismatch.Compared to systems without correction,the proposed architecture achieves up to 50.13%improvement in recognition accuracy while demonstrating robust tolerance to memristor device-level errors.The proposed system achieves a 2.13-fold latency reduction and three orders of magnitude higher energy efficiency compared to conventional architecture.This work establishes a new paradigm for advancing the development of low-power,low-latency,and high-precision image processing systems.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai of China,No.16ZR1410500(to SZD)
文摘Retinoic acid can cause many types of cells,including mouse neuroblastoma Neuro-2 A cells,to differentiate into neurons.However,it is still unknown whether microRNAs(miRNAs)play a role in this neuronal differentiation.To address this issue,real-time polymerase chain reaction assays were used to detect the expression of several differentiation-related miRNAs during the differentiation of retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.The results revealed that miR-124 and miR-9 were upregulated,while miR-125 b was downregulated in retinoic acid-treated Neuro-2 A cells.To identify the miRNA that may play a key role,miR-124 expression was regulated by transfection of miRNA mimics or inhibitors.Morphological analysis results showed that inhibition of miR-124 expression reversed the effects of retinoic acid on neurite outgrowth.Moreover,miR-124 overexpression alone caused Neuro-2 A cells to differentiate into neurons,and its inhibitor could block this effect.These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in retinoic acid-induced differentiation of Neuro-2 A cells.
基金supported by the Slovenian Research Agency(research project NC-0001-Analysis of nuclear heating in a reactor,research core funding Reactor physics No.P2-0073,infrastructure program I0-0005)。
文摘Nuclear heating plays an important aspect in design and deployment of both fission and fusion reactors and experimental devices in terms of cooling requirements. Two experimental campaigns in the framework of a collaboration project between the French Atomic and Alternative Energy Commission(CEA) and Jožef Stefan Institute(JSI), Slovenia, have been performed at the JSI TRIGA reactor for the experimental assessment of nuclear heating in fission and fusion-relevant materials by the differential calorimetry technique, based on the CALMOS and CARMEN differential calorimeters, previously developed at CEA. The results of the first campaign performed at reactor powers between 100 and 250 kW have already been reported, highlighting some measurement difficulties. Therefore, the second campaign was performed at a lower reactor power of 30 kW to overcome these issues. Moreover, a computational analysis of the experiments was performed using the JSIR2S code package to calculate the nuclear heating levels. Both experiments and their reproduction by simulations are described in detail. We present a comparison of the previously reported measured nuclear heating values of the first campaign with the computational results, with consistent underestimation by simulations by 8–35%. We report the experimental and computational results for the second experimental campaign performed at a reactor power of 30 kW. The simulated heating values were in agreement with the measurements within the measured heating uncertainty, with simulated heating 2.7–11.3% lower than the experimental values.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32201092)the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(No.LTGY24H180008).
文摘Neurokinin-1 receptor(NK1R),a member of the G protein-coupled receptor(GPCR)family,contributes to multiple pathological processes,including pain,chronic inflammation,and cancer(Gutierrez et al.,2019;Robinson et al.,2023).Current reports and our previous work have proven that NK1R is highly expressed in many cancer cells,such as colorectal cancer and leukemia,and that targeted blocking of NK1R can effectively inhibit tumor cell proliferation(Li XQ et al.,2013;Li JY et al.,2016;Ge et al.,2019;Shi et al.,2021).
文摘Following the publication of Zeng et al.(2023),an inadvertent error was recently identified in Figure 1B and Supplementary Figure S3.To ensure the accuracy and integrity of our published work,we formally request a correction to address this issue and apologize for any confusion this error may have caused.For details,please refer to the modified Supplementary Materials.
文摘The double perovskite Cs_(2)SnI_(6)has notable optical and electrical characteristics,rendering it a highly prospective candidate for deployment as the absorber layer in perovskite solar cells(PSCs).We simulated the performance of PSCs using lead-free Cs_(2)SnI_(6)double perovskite absorber layer and graphene derivatives,namely graphene oxide(GO)and reduced graphene oxide(rGO),as hole transport layers(HTLs).Our findings show that r GO offers an excellent hole extraction property with minimal interfacial recombination compared to GO.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81402932(to YQC)
文摘Many studies have shown that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide is the optimal modified analogue of triptolide, possessing comparable immunosuppressive activity but much lower cytotoxicity than triptolide. Whether(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide has preventive effects on neuroinflammation is unclear. This study was designed to pretreat primary astrocytes from the brains of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats with 20, 100 and 500 nM(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide for 1 hour before establishing an in vitro neuroinflammation model with 1.0 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide for 24 hours. The generation of nitric oxide was detected by Griess reagents. Astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein was measured by immunohistochemical staining. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the culture supernatant were assayed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Nuclear factor-κB/p65 expression was examined by immunofluorescence staining. The phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor IκB-α and the location of nuclear factor-κB/P65 were determined using western blot assay. Our data revealed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibited the generation of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β from primary astrocytes activated by lipopolysaccharide, decreased the positive reaction intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein, reduced the expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-1β in culture supernatant, inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB-α and the translocation of nuclear factor-κB/P65 to the nucleus. These results have confirmed that(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced glial inflammatory response and provides cytological experimental data for(5R)-5-hydroxytriptolide in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
基金Project(2023AH051167)supported by the Natural Science Research Project of Anhui Educational Committee,ChinaProject(AHBP2024B-04)supported by the Foundation of Anhui Engineering Research Center of New Explosive Materials and Blasting Technology,China+1 种基金Project(GXZDSYS2023103)supported by the Open Fund for Anhui Key Laboratory of Mining Construction Engineering,ChinaProjects(52274071,52404155)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China。
文摘Aiming at the problem of dynamic instability of hard-brittle jointed rock surrounding in deep tunnel/roadway engineering,combining with the support concepts of"coupling rigidity with flexibility"and"overcoming rigidity by flexibility",the prevention and control method with"rigid-flexible coupling(R-F-C)"was put forward.Through numerical simulation calculation,the impact damage process,acoustic emission(AE)evolution characteristics,and element stress/displacement evolution characteristics of unsupported surrounding rock structure model,rigid supporting surrounding rock structure model,and"R-F-C"supporting surrounding rock structure model under horizontal bidirectional impact loading were compared and analyzed.Based on the theory of stress wave propagation,the dynamic instability catastrophe mechanism of three kinds of supporting structure models induced by horizontal bidirectional impact loading was revealed.Based on the Mohr-Coulomb strength theory,the stress discrimination methods of dynamic catastrophe of surrounding rock induced by horizontal bidirectional impact loading under three kinds of supporting structures were proposed.Combined with the above numerical simulation study,the explosion impact physical and mechanical test of"R-F-C"surrounding rock supporting plate structure was further designed and carried out.Finally,combined with the"conceptual model of ball-cliff potential energy instability",the energy driving theory and energy transformation mechanism of impact-induced rockburst under three kinds of supporting structures were discussed deeply.The research results provided a scientific basis for further promoting the effective application of"R-F-C"supporting structure in the prevention and control of dynamic instability of deep tunnel/roadway surrounding rock.
基金supported by a grant from Ministry of Science,Technological Development and Innovation,Serbia,No.451-03-68/2022-14/200178(to NN)University of Defence,No.MFVMA/02/22-24(to MN)。
文摘An imbalance in adenosine-mediated signaling,particularly the increased A_(2A)R-mediated signaling,plays a role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease.Existing therapeutic approaches fail to alter disease progression,demonstrating the need for novel approaches in PD.Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive approach that has been shown to improve motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease.However,the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial effects of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation remain unknown.The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which the beneficial effects of prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation in the 6-hydroxydopamine model of experimental parkinsonism are based on modulation of adenosine-mediated signaling.Animals with unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesions underwent intermittent theta burst stimulation for 3 weeks and were tested for motor skills using the Rotarod test.Immunoblot,quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction,immunohistochemistry,and biochemical analysis of components of adenosine-mediated signaling were performed on the synaptosomal fraction of the lesioned caudate putamen.Prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation improved motor symptoms in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned animals.A 6-hydroxydopamine lesion resulted in progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the caudate putamen.Treatment with intermittent theta burst stimulation began 7 days after the lesion,coinciding with the onset of motor symptoms.After treatment with prolonged intermittent theta burst stimulation,complete motor recovery was observed.This improvement was accompanied by downregulation of the e N/CD73-A_(2A)R pathway and a return to physiological levels of A_(1)R-adenosine deaminase 1 after 3 weeks of intermittent theta burst stimulation.Our results demonstrated that 6-hydroxydopamine-induced degeneration reduced the expression of A_(1)R and elevated the expression of A_(2A)R.Intermittent theta burst stimulation reversed these effects by restoring the abundances of A_(1)R and A_(2A)R to control levels.The shift in ARs expression likely restored the balance between dopamine-adenosine signaling,ultimately leading to the recovery of motor control.
文摘A composite beam is symmetric if both the material property and support are symmetric with respect to the middle point. In order to study the free vibration performance of the symmetric composite beams with different complex nonsmooth/discontinuous interfaces, we develop an R(x)-orthonormal theory, where R(x) is an integrable flexural rigidity function. The R(x)-orthonormal bases in the linear space of boundary functions are constructed, of which the second-order derivatives of the boundary functions are asked to be orthonormal with respect to the weight function R(x). When the vibration modes of the symmetric composite beam are expressed in terms of the R(x)-orthonormal bases we can derive an eigenvalue problem endowed with a special structure of the coefficient matrix A :=[aij ],aij= 0 if i + j is odd. Based on the special structure we can prove two new theorems, which indicate that the characteristic equation of A can be decomposed into the product of the characteristic equations of two sub-matrices with dimensions half lower. Hence, we can sequentially solve the natural frequencies in closed-form owing to the specialty of A. We use this powerful new theory to analyze the free vibration performance and the vibration modes of symmetric composite beams with three different interfaces.
文摘This paper attempts to set a unified scene for various linear time-invariant (LTI) control system design schemes, by transforming the existing concept of “computer-aided control system design” (CACSD) to novel “computer-automated control system design” (CAutoCSD). The first step towards this goal is to accommodate, under practical constraints, various design objectives that are desirable in both time and frequency domains. Such performance-prioritised unification is aimed at relieving practising engineers from having to select a particular control scheme and from sacrificing certain performance goals resulting from pre-commitment to such schemes. With recent progress in evolutionary computing based extra-numeric, multi-criterion search and optimisation techniques, such unification of LTI control schemes becomes feasible, analytical and practical, and the resultant designs can be creative. The techniques developed are applied to, and illustrated by, three design problems. The unified approach automatically provides an integrator for zero-steady state error in velocity control of a DC motor, and meets multiple objectives in the design of an LTI controller for a non-minimum phase plant and offers a high-performance LTI controller network for a non-linear chemical process.
文摘The study of natural radioactivity of objects which are able to change their temporal timing feature is presented. It is of interest to compare the latest data on the activity of the Sun and the periodicity of solar neutrinos and the temporal characteristics of the radioactive source. That is, to conduct a search for the possible influence of external sources for radioactivity. There are cycles 5 min, 18 min and 53 min found in solar physics. The cycle of 27 days corresponds to the activity of the Sun. During of the solar activeity these temporal pulsations are lost in a strong variation of solar wind (Neugebauer, NASA). The Stanford University scientists (P. Starrek, G. Valter and M. Vitlend) have found the cycle of 28.4 days as pulsations of the solar neutrinos. Neutrinos come from the depths of the Sun and they tell about the frequency of oscillations of solar bowels. It is also seen online: Kostyantynivska L. V. Solar activity. Search experiment is better to have a known but modified experiment. Experiments on monitoring natural radioactivity and the possible influence from the Sun were previously carried out by measuring the variations of the gamma-ray sample of ore from the TransBaikal uranium deposit;the characteristics of the sample are known. The spectrum of temporal variations in the activity of the sample Zabaikalskaya radioactive ore contains peaks which coincide with the period of natural oscillations of the Sun. The capture cross section of the radioactive heavy deformed nucleus in time decay increases in many orders and is able to interact with the stream of solar neutrinos which are modulated by own oscillations of the Sun. The picks of spectrum of long-period oscillations of the Earth exceed its own contain peaks that match the value with an accuracy of 1% 3% with peaks of its own oscillations of the Sun. The mechanism of excitation of these oscillations is similar to the nature of variations in the activity of a radioactive sample of ore. These effects are included in the mechanisms of interaction of the Earth—the Sun systems and impact on seismicity;search problem of existing natural nuclear reactor inside Earth core.
文摘BACKGROUND Identifying biomarkers for the risk of developing degenerative processes linked to aging and colorectal cancer(CRC) onset that could improve clinical strategies.AIM To determine valid targets and a predictive biomarker's system of chronicization of inflammation for cancer treatment.METHODS A group of 147 CRC patients was studied. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed histopathologically, and patients were sub-typed using the pathological tumornode-metastasis classification. Thirteen colon adenoma patients and 219 healthy subjects were also studied. A system biology study on Thioredoxin1/CD30 redox-immune systems(Trx1/CD30), T helper cytokines and polymorphisms of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors, FcγRIIa-131 H/R and FcγRIIIa-158 V/F was carried out. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to analyze sera.Genetic study was executed by polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers and sequence-based typing method. Statistical analysis was performed by using the "Statgraphics software systems".RESULTS We found a positive increase between Trx1/RTrx1 levels and sCD30 level and increased age. With respect to the gender relationships, there were distinct differences. Females showed a primary relationship between transforming growth factor beta(TGFβ) with Trx1, whereas males had one with TGFβ and RTrx1. Trx1/CD30 controls the redox immune homeostasis, and an imbalance in the relationship between the Trx1/RTrx1 and sCD30 levels is linked to the onset and progression of tumor. This event happens through different gender-specific cytokine pathways. Our study demonstrated that the serum levels ofTrx1/RTrx1, TGFβ/interleukin(IL)6 and TGFβ/IL4 combinations and the sCD30,IFNγ and IL2 combination constitute a predictive gender specific biomarker system. This is relevant for clinical screening to detect the risk of the potential development or progression of a tumor.CONCLUSION Oxidative stress on Trx1/CD30 is a trigger of cancer disease, and the selected oxidation and immune products are a biomarker system for aging and cancer.
