Arithmetical properties of Multiple Ramanujan sums

In the present paper, we introduce a multiple Ramanujan sum for arithmetic functions, which gives a multivariable extension of the generalized Ramanujan sum studied by D. R. Anderson and T. M. Apostol. We then find fundamental arithmetic properties of the multiple Ramanujan sum and study several types of Dirichlet series involving the multiple Ramanujan sum. As an application, we evaluate higher-dimensional determinants of higher-dimensional matrices, the entries of which are given by values of the multiple Ramanujan sum.Comment: 19 page

Historical development of domestic army hand-to-hand combat as a sport

Objective of the study was to identify development trends in Russia of the military-applied sport "Army hand-to-hand combat

Effects of (a Combination of) the Beta2-Adrenoceptor Agonist Indacaterol and the Muscarinic Receptor Antagonist Glycopyrrolate on Intrapulmonary Airway Constriction

Expression of bronchodilatory β2-adrenoceptors and bronchoconstrictive muscarinic M3-receptors alter with airway size. In COPD, (a combination of) β2-agonists and muscarinic M3-antagonists (anticholinergics) are used as bronchodilators. We studied whether differential receptor expression in large and small airways affects the response to β2-agonists and anticholinergics in COPD. Bronchoprotection by indacaterol (β2-agonist) and glycopyrrolate (anticholinergic) against methacholine- and EFS-induced constrictions of large and small airways was measured in guinea pig and human lung slices using video-assisted microscopy. In guinea pig lung slices, glycopyrrolate (1, 3 and 10 nM) concentration-dependently protected against methacholine- and EFS-induced constrictions, with no differences between large and small intrapulmonary airways. Indacaterol (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 μM) also provided concentration-dependent protection, which was greater in large airways against methacholine and in small airways against EFS. Indacaterol (10 μM) and glycopyrrolate (10 nM) normalized small airway hyperresponsiveness in COPD lung slices. Synergy of low indacaterol (10 nM) and glycopyrrolate (1 nM) concentrations was greater in LPS-challenged guinea pigs (COPD model) compared to saline-challenged controls. In conclusion, glycopyrrolate similarly protects large and small airways, whereas the protective effect of indacaterol in the small, but not the large, airways depends on the contractile stimulus used. Moreover, findings in a guinea pig model indicate that the synergistic bronchoprotective effect of indacaterol and glycopyrrolate is enhanced in COPD

Nonlinear hydro turbine model having a surge tank.

yesThis paper models a hydro turbine based on the dynamic description of the hydraulic system having a surge tank and elastic water hammer. The dynamic of the hydraulic system is transformed from transfer function form into the differential equation model in relative value. This model is then combined with the motion equation of the main servomotor to form the nonlinear model of the hydro turbine, in which the power of the hydro turbine is calculated using algebraic equation. A new control model is thus proposed in which the dynamic of the surge tank is taken as an additional input of control items. As such, the complex hydraulic system is decomposed into a classical one penstock and one machine model with an additional input control. Therefore, the order of the system is descended. As a result, the feasibility of the system is largely improved. The simulated results show that the additional input of the surge tank is effective and the proposed method is realizable.National Natural Science Foundation of China (50839003, 50949037, 51179079), Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province (No. 2008GA027

Anti-Inflammatory Role of the cAMP Effectors Epac and PKA: Implications in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Cigarette smoke-induced release of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-8 (IL-8) from inflammatory as well as structural cells in the airways, including airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells, may contribute to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite the wide use of pharmacological treatment aimed at increasing intracellular levels of the endogenous suppressor cyclic AMP (cAMP), little is known about its exact mechanism of action. We report here that next to the β2-agonist fenoterol, direct and specific activation of either exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (Epac) or protein kinase A (PKA) reduced cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced IL-8 mRNA expression and protein release by human ASM cells. CSE-induced IκBα-degradation and p65 nuclear translocation, processes that were primarily reversed by Epac activation. Further, CSE increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, which was selectively reduced by PKA activation. CSE decreased Epac1 expression, but did not affect Epac2 and PKA expression. Importantly, Epac1 expression was also reduced in lung tissue from COPD patients. In conclusion, Epac and PKA decrease CSE-induced IL-8 release by human ASM cells via inhibition of NF-κB and ERK, respectively, pointing at these cAMP effectors as potential targets for anti-inflammatory therapy in COPD. However, cigarette smoke exposure may reduce anti-inflammatory effects of cAMP elevating agents via down-regulation of Epac1

Species-specific, pan-European diameter increment models based on data of 2.3 million trees

ResearchBackground: Over the last decades, many forest simulators have been developed for the forests of individual European countries. The underlying growth models are usually based on national datasets of varying size, obtained from National Forest Inventories or from long-term research plots. Many of these models include country- and location-specific predictors, such as site quality indices that may aggregate climate, soil properties and topography effects. Consequently, it is not sensible to compare such models among countries, and it is often impossible to apply models outside the region or country they were developed for. However, there is a clear need for more generically applicable but still locally accurate and climate sensitive simulators at the European scale, which requires the development of models that are applicable across the European continent. The purpose of this study is to develop tree diameter increment models that are applicable at the European scale, but still locally accurate. We compiled and used a dataset of diameter increment observations of over 2.3 million trees from 10 National Forest Inventories in Europe and a set of 99 potential explanatory variables covering forest structure, weather, climate, soil and nutrient deposition. Results: Diameter increment models are presented for 20 species/species groups. Selection of explanatory variables was done using a combination of forward and backward selection methods. The explained variance ranged from 10% to 53% depending on the species. Variables related to forest structure (basal area of the stand and relative size of the tree) contributed most to the explained variance, but environmental variables were important to account for spatial patterns. The type of environmental variables included differed greatly among species. Conclusions: The presented diameter increment models are the first of their kind that are applicable at the European scale. This is an important step towards the development of a new generation of forest development simulators that can be applied at the European scale, but that are sensitive to variations in growing conditions and applicable to a wider range of management systems than before. This allows European scale but detailed analyses concerning topics like CO2 sequestration, wood mobilisation, long term impact of management, etcinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Reconstruction of the complete characteristics of the hydro turbine based on inner energy loss

The power output characteristics of the hydro turbine is one of the core contents for transient calculation of the hydro turbine generating sets (HTGS). In particular, the hydro turbine operates far beyond the given parameters region during the load rejection transient. As such, obtaining the complete characteristics of the hydro turbine becomes one of the key issues in calculating the transient process. In this study, methods for calculating the energy losses are proposed by analyzing the general characteristics of the inner energy losses within the hydro turbine. Characteristic parameters in the hydro turbine power model are calculated from the synthetical characteristics of the model hydro turbine. The transient power model of the hydro turbine has been established and applied to calculate and reconstruct the complete characteristics of the hydro turbine. Furthermore, the relationship curve between the mechanical friction loss power and the rotation speed under different head can be established by combing the runaway curve with the proposed turbine power model. This relationship is applied to construct the complete characteristics of the mechanical friction loss. Combining the proposed two complete characteristics, the power model of the hydro turbine is suitable for simulation with a wide range of fluctuations as well as the load rejection transient. Details of the computational procedures are presented and demonstrated using a case study.The research reported here is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 51579124, 51469011,51279071

An unbiased ranking of murine dietary models based on their proximity to human metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, encompasses steatosis and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), leading to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Preclinical MASLD research is mainly performed in rodents; however, the model that best recapitulates human disease is yet to be defined. We conducted a wide-ranging retrospective review (metabolic phenotype, liver histopathology, transcriptome benchmarked against humans) of murine models (mostly male) and ranked them using an unbiased MASLD ‘human proximity score’ to define their metabolic relevance and ability to induce MASH-fibrosis. Here, we show that Western diets align closely with human MASH; high cholesterol content, extended study duration and/or genetic manipulation of disease-promoting pathways are required to intensify liver damage and accelerate significant (F2+) fibrosis development. Choline-deficient models rapidly induce MASH-fibrosis while showing relatively poor translatability. Our ranking of commonly used MASLD models, based on their proximity to human MASLD, helps with the selection of appropriate in vivo models to accelerate preclinical research

Imaging findings in noncraniofacial childhood rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma of childhood. This paper is focuses on imaging for diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of noncraniofacial RMS

Studies on the Utilization of Sugar Beet Leaves as the Rock-Horn Cockerels Green Feed

Purpose: To compare event-free survival (EFS), overall survival (OS), pattern of relapse, and hearing loss in children with standard-risk medulloblastoma treated by postoperative hyperfractionated or conventionally fractionated radiotherapy followed by maintenance chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: In all, 340 children age 4 to 21 years from 122 European centers were postoperatively staged and randomly assigned to treatment with hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) or standard (conventional) fractionated radiotherapy (STRT) followed by a common chemotherapy regimen consisting of eight cycles of cisplatin, lomustine, and vincristine. Results: After a median follow-up of 4.8 years (range, 0.1 to 8.3 years), survival rates were not significantly different between the two treatment arms: 5-year EFS was 77% ± 4% in the STRT group and 78% ± 4% in the HFRT group; corresponding 5-year OS was 87% ± 3% and 85% ± 3%, respectively. A postoperative residual tumor of more than 1.5 cm2 was the strongest negative prognostic factor. EFS of children with all reference assessments and no large residual tumor was 82% ± 2% at 5 years. Patients with a delay of more than 7 weeks to the start of RT had a worse prognosis. Severe hearing loss was not significantly different for the two treatment arms at follow-up. Conclusion: In this large randomized European study, which enrolled patients with standard-risk medulloblastoma from more than 100 centers, excellent survival rates were achieved in patients without a large postoperative residual tumor and without RT treatment delays. EFS and OS for HFRT was not superior to STRT, which therefore remains standard of care in this disease