Protein degradation of black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus) muscle during cold storage

This study investigated the effects of cold storage at different temperatures (4, -0.5, -3, and -20 degrees C) on protein degradation and its relationship to structural changes of black carp muscle. At -0.5 and 4 degrees C, major structural changes occurred, including the formation of gaps between myofibers and myofibrils, breakage of myofibrils and myofibers, and degradation of sarcoplasmic reticulum. Gel-based proteomic analysis showed that these structural changes were accompanied by degradation of a series of myofibrillar proteins, including titin, nebulin, troponin, myosin, myomesin, myosin-binding protein, and a-actinin. Loss of extractable gelatinolytic and caseinolytic protease activities was also observed. At -3 and -20 degrees C, formation of ice crystals was the most noticeable change. The major proteins were degraded at different locations in the black carp muscle, and gelatinolytic and caseinolytic proteases appear to contribute to the degradation of those proteins.Peer reviewe

Deep learning based defect detection algorithm for solar panels

Defect detection of solar panels plays an essential role in guaranteeing product quality within automated production lines. However, traditional manual inspection of solar panel defects suffers from low efficiency. This paper proposes an enhanced YOLOv5 algorithm (EL-YOLOv5) fused with the CBAM hybrid attention module to ensure product quality. The algorithm focuses on detecting five common types of defects that frequently appear on photovoltaic production lines, namely hidden cracks, scratches, broken grids, black spots, and short circuits. This study utilizes publicly available solar panel datasets, as well as datasets collected from actual photovoltaic production lines. These datasets are annotated accordingly and used to train the proposed algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves good performance on both the public and actual solar panel defect datasets. Particularly in actual datasets, where defect features are often less apparent and defects are smaller in size, the proposed algorithm can still detect even minor black spots

Effect of Tetramethylpyrazine on Atherosclerosis and SCAP/SREBP-1c Signaling Pathway in ApoE −/−

Lipid metabolism dysregulation plays a crucial role in the occurrence of atherosclerosis (As). SCAP/SREBP signaling is the main pathway for regulating lipid metabolism. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for treating angina pectoris, has antiatherosclerotic effects and ameliorates blood lipids disturbance. However, its precise mechanism remains unclear. This study investigated the mechanism of TMP in ameliorating As in mice model. After six weeks of high-fat diet, 30 ApoE−/− mice were randomized (n=10) and treated with Lipitor, TMP, or distilled water for six weeks. The serum blood lipids and insulin levels were measured. The expressions of PAQR3, Insig-1, SCAP, SREBP-1c, IRS-1, PI3K, Akt, and mTORC-1 in the adipose tissues were determined. The results showed that TMP could significantly decrease blood lipids levels, insulin, and corrected plaque area of the ApoE−/− mice as compared to the untreated mice (P<0.05, P<0.01). Moreover, TMP could significantly downregulate the expressions of SCAP, SREBP-1c, PAQR3, IRS-1, PI3K, Akt, and mTORC1 (P<0.01). Thus, TMP may ameliorate lipid metabolism disorder and As by downregulating PAQR3 and inhibiting SCAP/SREBP-1c signaling pathway. In addition, PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway may be involved in this process

Helical Luttinger liquid on the edge of a 2-dimensional topological antiferromagnet

Boundary helical Luttinger liquid (HLL) with broken bulk time-reversal symmetry belongs to a unique topological class which may occur in antiferromagnets (AFM). Here, we search for signatures of HLL on the edge of a recently discovered topological AFM, MnBi2Te4 even-layer. Using scanning superconducting quantum interference device, we directly image helical edge current in the AFM ground state appearing at its charge neutral point. Such helical edge state accompanies an insulating bulk which is topologically distinct from the ferromagnetic Chern insulator phase as revealed in a magnetic field driven quantum phase transition. The edge conductance of the AFM order follows a power-law as a function of temperature and source-drain bias which serves as strong evidence for HLL. Such HLL scaling is robust at finite fields below the quantum critical point. The observed HLL in a layered AFM semiconductor represents a highly tunable topological matter compatible with future spintronics and quantum computation

Shen-Yuan-Dan Capsule Attenuates Atherosclerosis and Foam Cell Formation by Enhancing Autophagy and Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 Signaling Pathway

Background and Aim: The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in autophagy and inflammation. Our previous studies demonstrated that Shen-Yuan-Dan Capsule (SYDC), a Chinese medicine used for treating angina pectoris, has anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice. However, its effects on autophagy and the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the effects of SYDC on autophagy and PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling in the apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE−/−) mouse model and in macrophage-derived foam cells to delineate the underlying mechanism.Methods: After 6 weeks of high-fat diet, ApoE–/– mice were randomly grouped into control, Lipitor, low-SYDC (SYDC-L), middle-SYDC (SYDC-M), and high-SYDC (SYDC-H) groups (n = 10). The mice were intragastrically administered the respective treatment for 6 weeks. Murine RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) (80 µg/ml) for 24 h and then pretreated with SYDC freeze-dried powder for another 24 h. Cells treated with SYDC were co-cultured for 24 h with LY294002, tricirbine, and rapamycin to investigate the effects on the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway.Results: SYDC ameliorated blood lipid levels, reduced the atherosclerotic index and plaque areas in the aortic root in mice, and inhibited total cholesterol (TC) levels and cholinesterase (ChE)/TC ratios in ox-LDL stimulated macrophages. Moreover, SYDC up-regulated Beclin1 and LC3II/I proteins in mice and in the ox-LDL–stimulated macrophages. Moreover, SYDC inhibited AKT phosphorylation at Ser473 and mTOR phosphorylation at Ser2448 in mice and in ox-LDL–stimulated macrophages. Furthermore, SYDC’s inhibitory of ChE/TC ratios in ox-LDL–stimulated macrophages was not changed by selective inhibition of the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway.Conclusions: Our results highlight that SYDC treatment attenuates foam cell formation by promoting autophagy via inhibiting activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism underlying SYDC’s therapeutic potential for treating atherosclerosis

Factors Associated With Dyskinesia in Parkinson's Disease in Mainland China

Background and Objectives: Studies examining the risk factors for dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been inconsistent, and racial differences exist. Since there have been no systematic studies of the characteristics of dyskinesia in the Mainland Chinese population, we sought to elucidate the risk factors for dyskinesia.Methods: A total of 1974 PD patients from Mainland China were systematically investigated by univariable and multivariable analyses. PD patients with and without dyskinesia were stratified into 4 groups according to levodopa equivalent daily dose (LEDD) and analyzed by a Cox proportional hazards model. A longitudinal study of 87 patients with dyskinesia was classified into 3 groups according to the duration from onset of PD to the initiation of levodopa, and comparisons among groups were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test.Results: Early age of onset, long disease duration, being female, high LEDD, low UPDRS III scores (ON-state) and high Hoehn-Yahr stage (ON-state) were predictors of dyskinesia. Dyskinesia was levodopa dosage-dependent, and the incidence increased remarkably when LEDD exceeded 300 mg/d (p &lt; 0.05). The emergence of dyskinesia had no association with the initiation time of levodopa, and if the latter was more than 4 years, the duration of time on chronic levodopa free of motor complications was significantly shortened.Conclusions: We found risk factors for the prediction of dyskinesia. Our data shows that physicians should be cautious if the LEDD exceeds 300 mg/d. The development of dyskinesia was not correlated with the time of levodopa initiation

Exploring Motion Stability of a Novel Semi-Submersible Platform for Offshore Wind Turbines

The stability of offshore floating wind turbine foundation platforms is a fundamental requirement for the efficiency and safety of wind power generation systems. This paper proposes a novel small-diameter float-type semi-submersible platform to improve system stability. To evaluate the superior motion stability of the proposed floating platform, a comprehensive frequency–domain response analysis and experimental study were conducted in comparison with the OC4-DeepCwind platform developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The respective comparison of the frequency–domain response analysis and the experimental results demonstrated that the proposed floating wind turbine platform shows better hydrodynamic characteristics and resonance avoidance capability. This not only reduces the Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs), but also enhances the system stability, namely, effectively avoiding the regions of concentrated wave loading and low-frequency ranges. Furthermore, the proposed small-diameter semi-submersible platform has the potential to reduce manufacturing costs, providing valuable insights for the manufacturing of offshore floating wind turbine systems

Research on the cantilever roadheader positioning based on near-infrared binocular stereo vision

The existing roadheader has problems, such as unable real-time positioning, inaccurate positioning, and positioning failure caused by camera view occlusion in visual positioning. In order to solve the above problems, a positioning scheme of the cantilever roadheader based on near-infrared binocular stereo vision is proposed. A near-infrared LED target is arranged on the fuselage and arm of cantilever roadheader. Taking LED as the near-infrared target, the characteristic information of the roadheader is constructed. The three-dimensional spatial positioning of the roadheader fuselage and the cutting part is realized through image processing and pose calculation. The binocular stereo vision camera is arranged at the top of a roadway. The distance between the roadheader and the binocular stereo vision camera gradually increases as the roadheader continues to advance. It leads to the failure of binocular image acquisition, which leads to the failure of the visual solution of the pose of the cutting part. In order to solve this problem, a magnetic field assisted positioning method of the cutting part based on one-dimensional convolution neural network (1D-CNN) is introduced. Three-axis digital magnetometers are arranged on two sides of the fuselage of the roadheader. The permanent magnet is arranged on the machine arm. The strength component of a magnetic field and pose data obtained by binocular stereo vision camera are used as training data to construct the 1D-CNN model, and the pose of a cutting part of the roadheader is output under the condition that vision measurement fails. The cantilever roadheader positioning based on near-infraared binocular stereo vision scheme is tested from the aspects of depth information and its fuselage of the roadheader and the cutting position are verified. The results showed that the measurement error of the fuselage is within ±11 mm, and the relative error is within 0.4%. The measurement error of the cutting part is within ±50 mm, and the relative error is within 1%.The relative pose error between the roadheader fuselage and the cutting part is within ±2.5°, the root-mean-square error of the pitch angle is 0.930 1°, and the root-mean-square error of the yaw angle is 0.922 0°. The errors are within the allowable range of roadway operation. The results show that the cantilever roadheader positioning scheme based on near-infrared binocular stereo vision is effective and reliable. The effectiveness of the magnetic field assisted positioning method based on 1D-CNN is verified. In order to simulate the complex magnetic field environment in coal mine underground, the interference magnetic source is randomly added near the roadheader. The results show that the predicted values of the pitch angle, yaw angle and rolling angle of the cutting part of the roadheader by this method are basically consistent with the measured real values. The determination coefficients of the predicted pitch angle, yaw angle and rolling angle are 0.992 4, 0.995 9 and 0.917 4 respectively. It shows that the magnetic field assisted positioning method of the cutting part of the roadheader based on 1D-CNN can better meet the positioning requirements of the roadheader in the case of visual positioning failure