Bilateral boundary control of an input delayed 2-D reaction-diffusion equation

In this paper, a delay compensation design method based on PDE backstepping is developed for a two-dimensional reaction-diffusion partial differential equation (PDE) with bilateral input delays. The PDE is defined in a rectangular domain, and the bilateral control is imposed on a pair of opposite sides of the rectangle. To represent the delayed bilateral inputs, we introduce two 2-D transport PDEs that form a cascade system with the original PDE. A novel set of backstepping transformations is proposed for delay compensator design, including one Volterra integral transformation and two affine Volterra integral transformations. Unlike the kernel equation for 1-D PDE systems with delayed boundary input, the resulting kernel equations for the 2-D system have singular initial conditions governed by the Dirac Delta function. Consequently, the kernel solutions are written as a double trigonometric series with singularities. To address the challenge of stability analysis posed by the singularities, we prove a set of inequalities by using the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, the 2-D Fourier series, and the Parseval's theorem. A numerical simulation illustrates the effectiveness of the proposed delay-compensation method.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures(including 8 sub-figures

Surface states on a topologically non-trivial semimetal: The case of Sb(110)

The electronic structure of Sb(110) is studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principle calculations, revealing several electronic surface states in the projected bulk band gaps around the Fermi energy. The dispersion of the states can be interpreted in terms of a strong spin-orbit splitting. The bulk band structure of Sb has the characteristics of a strong topological insulator with a Z2 invariant nu0=1. This puts constraints on the existence of metallic surface states and the expected topology of the surface Fermi contour. However, bulk Sb is a semimetal, not an insulator and these constraints are therefore partly relaxed. This relation of bulk topology and expected surface state dispersion for semimetals is discussed.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase activation is essential for up-regulation of LC3 during ceramide-induced autophagy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Autophagy is a dynamic catabolic process characterized by the formation of double membrane vacuoles termed autophagosomes. LC3, a homologue of yeast Atg8, takes part in autophagosome formation, but the exact regulation mechanism of LC3 still needs to be elucidated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ceramide-induced autophagy was determined by detecting LC3 expression with Western blotting and confocal microscopy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines CNE2 and SUNE1. The activation of JNK pathway was assessed by Western blotting for phospho-specific forms of JNK and c-Jun. The JNK activity specific inhibitor, SP600125, and siRNA directed against JNK were used to block JNK/c-Jun pathway. ChIP and luciferase reporter analysis were applied to determine whether c-Jun was involved in the regulation of LC3 transcription.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Ceramide-treated cells exhibited the characteristics of autophagy and JNK pathway activation. Inhibition of JNK pathway could block the ceramide-induced autophagy and the up-regulation of LC3 expression. Transcription factor c-Jun was involved in LC3 transcription regulation in response to ceramide treatment.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Ceramide could induce autophagy in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells, and activation of JNK pathway was involved in ceramide-induced autophagy and LC3 expression.</p

the case of Sb(110)

The electronic structure of Sb(110) is studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculations, revealing several electronic surface states in the projected bulk band gaps around the Fermi energy. The dispersion of the states can be interpreted in terms of a strong spin-orbit splitting. The bulk band structure of Sb has the characteristics of a strong topological insulator with a ℤ2 invariant ν0=1. This puts constraints on the existence of metallic surface states and the expected topology of the surface Fermi contour. However, bulk Sb is a semimetal, not an insulator, and these constraints are therefore partly relaxed. This relation of bulk topology and expected surface-state dispersion for semimetals is discussed

Risk of hepatitis B virus reactivation and its effect on survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy and lenvatinib plus programmed death receptor-1 inhibitors

BackgroundHepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation is a common complication in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of HBV reactivation and its effect on survival in HCC patients treated with HAIC and lenvatinib plus PD1s.MethodsWe retrospectively collected the data of 213 HBV-related HCC patients who underwent HAIC and lenvatinib plus PD1s treatment between June 2019 to June 2022 at Sun Yat-sen University, China. The primary outcome was the risk of HBV reactivation. The secondary outcomes were overall survival (OS), progression−free survival (PFS), and treatment−related adverse events.ResultsSixteen patients (7.5%) occurred HBV reactivation in our study. The incidence of HBV reactivation was 5% in patients with antiviral prophylaxis and 21.9% in patients without antiviral prophylaxis, respectively. The logistic regression model indicated that for HBV reactivation, lack of antiviral prophylaxis (P=0.003) and tumor diameter (P=0.036) were independent risk factors. The OS and PFS were significantly shorter in the HBV reactivation group than the non-reactivation group (P=0.0023 and P=0.00073, respectively). The number of AEs was more in HBV reactivation group than the non-reactivation group, especially hepatic AEs.ConclusionHBV reactivation may occur in HCC patients treated with HAIC and lenvatinib plus PD1s. Patients with HBV reactivation had shorter survival time compared with non-reactivation. Therefore, HBV-related HCC patients should undergo antiviral therapy and HBV-DNA monitoring before and during the combination treatment

From teleoperation to autonomous robot-assisted microsurgery: A survey

Robot-assisted microsurgery (RAMS) has many benefits compared to traditional microsurgery. Microsurgical platforms with advanced control strategies, high-quality micro-imaging modalities and micro-sensing systems are worth developing to further enhance the clinical outcomes of RAMS. Within only a few decades, microsurgical robotics has evolved into a rapidly developing research field with increasing attention all over the world. Despite the appreciated benefits, significant challenges remain to be solved. In this review paper, the emerging concepts and achievements of RAMS will be presented. We introduce the development tendency of RAMS from teleoperation to autonomous systems. We highlight the upcoming new research opportunities that require joint efforts from both clinicians and engineers to pursue further outcomes for RAMS in years to come

Prevalence trend and burden of neglected parasitic diseases in China from 1990 to 2019: findings from global burden of disease study

ObjectiveThis study sought to investigate the parasitic diseases of neglected tropical diseases defined by the World Health Organization based on the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) database. Importantly, we analyzed the prevalence and burden of these diseases in China from 1990 to 2019 to provide valuable information to formulate more effective measures for their management and prevention.MethodsData on the prevalence and burden of neglected parasitic diseases in China from 1990 to 2019 were extracted from the global health data exchange (GHDx) database, including the absolute number of prevalence, age-standardized prevalence rate, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) and age-standardized DALY rate. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the prevalence and burden changes, sex and age distribution of various parasitic diseases from 1990 to 2019. A time series model [Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA)] was used to predict the DALYs of neglected parasitic diseases in China from 2020 to 2030.ResultsIn 2019, the number of neglected parasitic diseases in China was 152518062, the age-standardized prevalence was 11614.1 (95% uncertainty interval (UI) 8758.5–15244.5), the DALYs were 955722, and the age-standardized DALY rate was 54.9 (95% UI 26.0–101.8). Among these, the age-standardized prevalence of soil-derived helminthiasis was the highest (9370.2/100,000), followed by food-borne trematodiases (1502.3/100,000) and schistosomiasis (707.1/100,000). The highest age-standardized DALY rate was for food-borne trematodiases (36.0/100,000), followed by cysticercosis (7.9/100,000) and soil-derived helminthiasis (5.6/100,000). Higher prevalence and disease burden were observed in men and the upper age group. From 1990 to 2019, the number of neglected parasitic diseases in China decreased by 30.4%, resulting in a decline in DALYs of 27.3%. The age-standardized DALY rates of most diseases were decreased, especially for soil-derived helminthiasis, schistosomiasis and food-borne trematodiases. The ARIMA prediction model showed that the disease burden of echinococcosis and cysticercosis exhibited an increasing trend, highlighting the need for further prevention and control.ConclusionAlthough the prevalence and disease burden of neglected parasitic diseases in China have decreased, many issues remain to be addressed. More efforts should be undertaken to improve the prevention and control strategies for different parasitic diseases. The government should prioritize multisectoral integrated control and surveillance measures to prioritize the prevention and control of diseases with a high burden of disease. In addition, the older adult population and men need to pay more attention