Simulation on metro railway induced vibration. Part I: effect of out-of-round wheels

This paper discussed the effect of out-of-round wheels on simulation of rail dynamic behavior in the frequency range for ground vibration and ground-borne noise. A train-track interaction model was built by software Simpack and Abaqus. The input roughness was measured from a worn wheel and was applied moving on perfect smooth rail surface in different train speeds. Simulation results indicated that out-of-round wheel would affect the calculation result that could not be neglected, as the affected frequency range would be lower enough to influence the ground vibration (1-80 Hz) and ground-borne noise (16-250 Hz)

Is caffeine intake a risk factor leading to infertility? A protocol of an epidemiological systematic review of controlled clinical studies

Background: Previous studies showed that high dose of caffeine intake may induce some specific human reproductive system diseases, even lead to infertility. Objectives: In consideration of the high consumption of caffeine according to the latest population-based survey, this review is aimed to systematically review the evidence from all controlled clinical studies of caffeine intake for infertility. Designs: Relevant randomized/quasi-randomized controlled trials, non-randomized clinical studies, cohort studies, and case-control studies will be included in this review. Participants will be either those without a history of infertility who are willing to have a baby (for prospective studies) or infertile patients with confirmed diagnosis (for retrospective studies). Caffeine or caffeine-containing beverage will be observed as the exposure factor. The key outcome will be the diagnosis of infertility in participants. All relevant published/unpublished or ongoing studies will be searched from seven databases and four online systems until December 2015. Two authors will screen the literatures and extract the data independently. Methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed by two authors according to either Risk of Bias Assessment or Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We will use R software to analyze the data. Dose of caffeine will be quantified on a daily basis, and relative risk with their 95 % confidence interval will be measured. If data permit, meta-analysis and dose-response analysis will be conducted

CO₂ emission reduction potential in China from combined effects of structural adjustment of economy and efficiency improvement

China has committed to decreasing its emission intensity by 60% to 65% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060. It is of great importance to evaluate the CO2 emission reduction potential to quantify the amount of CO2 emissions that can be less generated and the amount that should be balanced out. Economic structure adjustment and CO2 emission efficiency improvement will contribute to mitigating CO2 emissions, which always happen simultaneously in the real world. However, few studies consider these issues simultaneously, which can lead to inaccurate estimation. A scenario analysis framework is proposed to estimate their combined effects, and an indicator is proposed to measure the technical feasibility of achieving the reduction potential. A set of scenarios are designed based on this framework and we find that: (1) to achieve carbon neutrality, 6161.16 Mt of CO2 emissions of China can be less generated compared to 2017 levels by significantly increasing its tertiary industry share to high-income entities’ level and adopting the most advanced technology to improve emission efficiency; the remaining 2732.40 Mt of CO2 emissions should be removed by carbon offsetting. Regarding emission intensity, 81.39% can be reduced compared with the 2005 level; and (2) Technical feasibility analysis shows Sichuan, Chongqing, and Anhui have the largest technical barriers in achieving the reduction potential. The proposed scenario analysis framework can provide a reference not only for China to achieve the emission mitigation pledges, but for countries with significant technological differences and structure adjustment to formulate mitigation strategies.</p

THE ISOKINETIC MUSCLE ASYMMETRY OF THE THIGH AT 1 YEAR AFTER ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT RECONSTRUCTION WAS SIGNIFICANTLY ASSOCIATED WITH GAIT ASYMMETRY

Objective: To study the correlation between muscle strength asymmetry and gait asymmetry in 1 year after （Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction， ACLR）. Methods: Twenty-five ACLR patients were enrolled in the Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital. Data of isokinetic muscle strength test one year after ACLR were collected. The concentric and eccentric strength of extensor and flexor muscles at 60°/s, 180°/s and 300°/s on the uninjured side and the injured side were measured respectively, and the peak value of muscle strength was analyzed. The three dimensional motion information and ground reaction force during gait were collected, and the peaks of three dimensional joint angle and moments during gait stance phase were calculated by inverse dynamics analysis. The paired-samples T test was used to analyze the difference of gait parameters and isokinetic muscle strength peaks. Spearman correlation analysis was used to study the correlation between bilateral asymmetry index of isokinetic muscle strength and gait asymmetry index. Results: One year after ACLR, the isokinetic muscle strength peaks of the flexor and extensor muscles on the injured side were significantly lower than those on the uninjured side【60°/s extensor concentric, the injured side: (1.22 ± 0.4)Nm·kg-1, uninjured side: (1.73 ± 0.42)Nm·kg-1, bilateral difference: (-0.5 ± 0.39)Nm·kg-1, P \u3c 0.01; 60°/s flexor concentric, injured side: (0.84 ± 0.19)Nm·kg-1, uninjured side: (1.05 ± 0.23)Nm·kg-1, bilateral difference: (-0.21 ± 0.14)Nm·kg-1, P \u3c 0.01】. Compared with the uninjured side, the injured side showed insufficient knee extension at the time of maximum knee extension during stance phase 【injured side: (5.25 ± 4.17) °, uninjured side: (2.24 ± 3.11) °, bilateral difference: (3.01 ± 2.44) °, P \u3c 0.01】, and the peak extension moment decreased significantly 【injured side: (0.1 ± 0.09) Nm·kg-1·m-1, (0.15 ± 0.07) Nm·kg-1·m-1, (-0.05 ± 0.06) Nm·kg-1·m-1, P \u3c 0.01】. One year after ACLR, the asymmetry of 180°/s isokinetic extensor concentric strength was significantly correlated with the asymmetry of peak flexion moment (R = 0.449, P = 0.024). The asymmetry of 60°/s isokinetic extensor concentric strength was significantly correlated with the asymmetry of peak internal rotation moment (R = 0.421, P = 0.036). One year after ACLR, asymmetries of 180°/s, 300°/s isokinetic extensor concentric strength and 60°/s isokinetic flexor eccentric strength were significantly correlated with peak asymmetries during stance phase. Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between isokinetic muscle strength asymmetry of knee and gait asymmetry. This study suggests that ACLR patients still need regular rehabilitation training to improve muscle strength and motor function 1 year after ACLR, so as to reduce the risk of reinjury and secondary injury

ICP-AESによる魚体と飼料中カドミウム定量に及ぼすマイクロ波分解条件の影響

東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋生物資源学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学科東京海洋大学海洋科学部海洋環境学

HMGB1: a double-edged sword and therapeutic target in the female reproductive system

HMGB1 that belongs to the High Mobility Group-box superfamily, is a nonhistone chromatin associated transcription factor. It is present in the nucleus of eukaryotes and can be actively secreted or passively released by kinds of cells. HMGB1 is important for maintaining DNA structure by binding to DNA and histones, protecting it from damage. It also regulates the interaction between histones and DNA, affecting chromatin packaging, and can influence gene expression by promoting nucleosome sliding. And as a DAMP, HMGB1 binding to RAGE and TLRs activates NF-κB, which triggers the expression of downstream genes like IL-18, IL-1β, and TNF-α. HMGB1 is known to be involved in numerous physiological and pathological processes. Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of HMGB1 as DAMPs in the female reproductive system. These findings have shed light on the potential role of HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of diseases in female reproductive system and the possibilities of HMGB1-targeted therapies for treating them. Such therapies can help reduce inflammation and metabolic dysfunction and alleviate the symptoms of reproductive system diseases. Overall, the identification of HMGB1 as a key player in disease of the female reproductive system represents a significant breakthrough in our understanding of these conditions and presents exciting opportunities for the development of novel therapies

Characterization and Expression Patterns of Auxin Response Factors in Wheat

Auxin response factors (ARFs) are important transcription factors involved in both the auxin signaling pathway and the regulatory development of various plant organs. In this study, 23 TaARF members encoded by a total of 68 homeoalleles were isolated from 18 wheat chromosomes (excluding chromosome 4). The TaARFs, including their conserved domains, exon/intron structures, related microRNAs, and alternative splicing (AS) variants, were then characterized. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that members of the TaARF family share close homology with ARFs in other grass species. qRT-PCR analyses revealed that 20 TaARF members were expressed in different organs and tissues and that the expression of some members significantly differed in the roots, stems, and leaves of wheat seedlings in response to exogenous auxin treatment. Moreover, protein network analyses and co-expression results showed that TaTIR1–TaARF15/18/19–TaIAA13 may interact at both the protein and genetic levels. The results of subsequent evolutionary analyses showed that three transcripts of TaARF15 in the A subgenome of wheat exhibited high evolutionary rate and underwent positive selection. Transgenic analyses indicated that TaARF15-A.1 promoted the growth of roots and leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana and was upregulated in the overexpression plants after auxin treatment. Our results will provide reference information for subsequent research and utilization of the TaARF gene family

The Antioxidative, Antiaging, and Hepatoprotective Effects of Alkali-Extractable Polysaccharides by Agaricus bisporus

The aim of this work was designed to investigate the antioxidant, antiaging, and hepatoprotective effects of alkali-extractable polysaccharides (AlAPS) and their three purified fractions (AlAPS-1, AlAPS-2, and AlAPS-3) from Agaricus bisporus in D-galactose induced aging mice. For in vitro antioxidant analysis, both AlAPS and its fractions exhibited moderate reducing power, Fe2+-chelating activities, and potent scavenging activities on hydroxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The in vivo results demonstrated that the polysaccharides, especially AlAPS-2, showed potential antiaging and hepatoprotective effects by enhancing the antioxidant status, decreasing serum hepatic enzyme activities, and improving the lipid metabolism. This study suggested that the polysaccharides extracted and purified from A. bisporus could be exploited as a potent dietary supplement to attenuate aging and prevent age-related diseases