The Rhizome Mixture of Anemarrhena asphodeloides

We investigated the effect of DWac on the gut microbiota composition in mice with 2,3,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid- (TNBS-) induced colitis. Treatment with DWac restored TNBS-disturbed gut microbiota composition and attenuated TNBS-induced colitis. Moreover, we examined the effect of DWac in mice with mesalazine-resistant colitis (MRC). Intrarectal injection of TNBS in MRC mice caused severe colitis, as well as colon shortening, edema, and increased myeloperoxidase activity. Treatment with mesalazine (30 mg/kg) did not attenuate TNBS-induced colitis in MRC mice, whereas treatment with DWac (30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated TNBS-induced colitis. Moreover, treatment with the mixture of mesalazine (15 mg/kg) and DWac (15 mg/kg) additively attenuated colitis in MRC mice. Treatment with DWac and its mixture with mesalazine inhibited TNBS-induced activation of NF-κB and expression of M1 macrophage markers but increased TNBS-suppressed expression of M2 macrophage markers. Furthermore, these inhibited TNBS-induced T-bet, RORγt, TNF-α, and IL-17 expression but increased TNBS-suppressed Foxp3 and IL-10 expression. However, Th2 cell differentiation and GATA3 and IL-5 expression were not affected. These findings suggest that DWac can ameliorate MRC by increasing the polarization of M2 macrophage and correcting the disturbance of gut microbiota and Th1/Th17/Treg, as well as additively attenuating MRC along with mesalazine

Transparent conducting film fabricated by metal mesh method with Ag and cu@ag mixture nanoparticle pastes

Transparent conducting electrode film is highly desirable for application in touch screen panels (TSPs), flexible and wearable displays, sensors, and actuators. A sputtered film of indium tin oxide (ITO) shows high transmittance (90%) at low sheet resistance (50 ??/cm2). However, ITO films lack mechanical flexibility, especially under bending stress, and have limitation in application to large-area TSPs (over 15 inches) due to the trade-off in high transmittance and low sheet resistance properties. One promising solution is to use metal mesh-type transparent conducting film, especially for touch panel application. In this work, we investigated such inter-related issues as UV imprinting process to make a trench layer pattern, the synthesis of core-shell-type Ag and Cu@Ag composite nanoparticles and their paste formulation, the filling of Ag and Cu@Ag mixture nanoparticle paste to the trench layer, and touch panel fabrication processes

Characteristics of the aberrant pyramidal tract in comparison with the pyramidal tract in the human brain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aberrant pyramidal tract (APT) refers to the collateral pathway of the pyramidal tract (PT) through the medial lemniscus in the midbrain and pons. Using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), we investigated the characteristics of the APT in comparison with the PT in the normal human brain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In thirty-four (18.3%, right hemisphere: 20, left hemisphere: 14) of the 186 hemispheres, the APTs separated from the PT at the upper midbrain level, descended through the medial lemniscus from the midbrain to the pons, and then rejoined with the PT at the upper medulla. Nine (26.5%) of the 34 APTs were found to originate from the primary somatosensory cortex without a primary motor cortex origin. Values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and tract volume of the APT were lower than those of the PT (<it>P </it>< 0.05); however, no difference in mean diffusivity (MD) value was observed (<it>P ></it>0.05).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We found that the APT has different characteristics, including less directionality, fewer neural fibers, and less origin from the primary motor cortex than the PT.</p

Optimal Multiuser Diversity in Multi-Cell MIMO Uplink Networks: User Scaling Law and Beamforming Design

We introduce a distributed protocol to achieve multiuser diversity in a multicell multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) uplink network, referred to as a MIMO interfering multiple-access channel (IMAC). Assuming both no information exchange among base stations (BS) and local channel state information at the transmitters for the MIMO IMAC, we propose a joint beamforming and user scheduling protocol, and then show that the proposed protocol can achieve the optimal multiuser diversity gain, i.e., KM log (SNR log N), as long as the number of mobile stations (MSs) in a cell, N, scales faster than SNRKM-L/1-epsilon for a small constant epsilon &gt; 0, where M, L, K, and SNR denote the number of receive antennas at each BS, the number of transmit antennas at each MS, the number of cells, and the signal-to-noise ratio, respectively. Our result indicates that multiuser diversity can be achieved in the presence of intra-cell and inter-cell interference even in a distributed fashion. As a result, vital information on how to design distributed algorithms in interference-limited cellular environments is provided

A Distributed ADMM Approach to Non-Myopic Path Planning for Multi-Target Tracking

This paper investigates non-myopic path planning of mobile sensors for multi-target tracking. Such problem has posed a high computational complexity issue and/or the necessity of high-level decision making. Existing works tackle these issues by heuristically assigning targets to each sensing agent and solving the split problem for each agent. However, such heuristic methods reduce the target estimation performance in the absence of considering the changes of target state estimation along time. In this work, we detour the task-assignment problem by reformulating the general non-myopic planning problem to a distributed optimization problem with respect to targets. By combining alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) and local trajectory optimization method, we solve the problem and induce consensus (i.e., high-level decisions) automatically among the targets. In addition, we propose a modified receding-horizon control (RHC) scheme and edge-cutting method for efficient real-time operation. The proposed algorithm is validated through simulations in various scenarios.Comment: Copyright 2019 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other work

Osteitis Fibrosa Cystica Mistaken for Malignant Disease

A 65-year-old man with back pain had plain radiographs that showed multiple osteolytic bone lesions of the pelvis, femur and L-spine; an magnetic resonance imaging scan of the L-spine showed extensive bony resorption with a posterior epidural mass involving the L1 spinous process; these findings suggested multiple myeloma or bony metastasis. However, all serology testing was negative. The parathyroid hormone and serum calcium levels were found to be abnormally elevated. A fine needle aspiration biopsy suggested that the L-spine lesion was consistent with the diagnosis of osteitis fibrosa cystica. A pathological fracture of the spine compressed the spinal cord, and surgical intervention was required. The neck computed tomography and Tc-99m sestamibi scan showed a solitary parathyroid mass. A minimally invasive parathyroidectomy using intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring was performed and two enlarged parathyroid glands identified. This case illustrates the importance of the consideration of a rare brown tumor associated with primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with the bone lesions suggestive of a malignancy

Anti-malarial activity of 6-(8'Z-pentadecenyl)-salicylic acid from Viola websteri in mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Petroleum ether extracts of <it>Viola websteri </it>Hemsl (Violaceae) were reported to have anti-plasmodial activity against <it>Plasmodium falciparum in vitro</it>, with this activity being largely attributable to 6-(8'Z-pentadecenyl)-salicylic acid (6-SA).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The schizontocidal activity of 6-SA on early <it>Plasmodium berghei </it>infections was evaluated in a four-day test. The possible 'repository' activity of 6-SA was assessed using the method described by Peters. The median lethal dose (LD₅₀) of 6-SA, when given intraperitoneally, was also determined using uninfected ICR mice and the method of Lorke.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In the present study, 6-SA was found to have anti-malarial activity <it>in vivo</it>, when tested against <it>P. berghei </it>in mice. 6-SA at 5, 10 and 25 mg/kg·day exhibited a significant blood schizontocidal activity in four-day early infections, repository evaluations and established infections with a significant mean survival time comparable to that of the standard drug, chloroquine (5 mg/kg·day).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>6-SA possesses a moderate anti-malarial activity that could be exploited for malaria therapy.</p