Classification and Prediction of Driver’s Mental Workload Based on Long Time Sequences and Multiple Physiological Factors

The driver’s mental workload is closely related to driving safety. However, how to analyze the driver’s mental workload in a reasonable and correct manner remains an open question. As an important factor to evaluate mental workload, changes in physiology encounter two clear problems: (1) Physiological factor contains multi-characteristic indicators, there is a lack of reasonable means for synchronizing multi-dimensional tabular data, and the limits of tabular data processing in the evaluation of mental workload have a significant impact on the evaluation results. (2) The physiological data obtained during the driving process are of the time-series variety. The correlation of numerous indicators must be considered in time-series data correlation analysis. Mental workload should be the result of multiple indicators interacting over time, rather than a single instant. In this regard, we propose a model, that is the long time sequences and multiple physiological factors(LTS-MPF), for classifying and predicting multiple physiological changes in the time series. In contrast to previous methods of processing data in a single instant, LTS-MPF can directly analyze all time-series factors that may affect the driver’s mental workload during a time interval, such as Heart rate growth, Heart rate variability, and Electrodermal activity, and so on. Furthermore, LTS-MPF can predict the driver’s mental workload in the next 1s as well as classify the current sequence’s results. Specifically, we collect physiological data from drivers via sensors. These collected data are processed and transformed into tabular data. The table’s columns represent features, while the rows represent all feature data at one moment in time. The row order also indicates the forward and backward order of the different moments. We convert each row in this table into an embedding feature and feed the entire table into our proposed LTS-MPF based on the Transformer model. The LTS-MPF achieves time series correlation while eliminating column feature series irrelevance. The experiment results reveal that LTS-MPF exceeds earlier techniques in forecasting the driver’s mental workload, with an accuracy of up to 94.3%. And its accuracy in predicting mental workload in the future for one second can reach 93.5%. These findings suggest that LTS-MPF can be utilized to not only better evaluate a driver’s mental workload in the present, but also in the future, providing solid data for early warning of dangerous driving behaviors and enhancing driving safety

Estimation of Layered Ground Thermal Properties for Deep Coaxial Ground Heat Exchanger

A ground heat exchanger (GHE) can efficiently exploit geothermal energy, and a ground source heat pump (GSHP) is an important type of geothermal application. The distributed thermal response test (DTRT) is widely used to measure layered ground thermal properties for shallow GHEs, but nowadays, there is a lack of studies applying the DTRT to deep coaxial GHEs (DCGHEs). This study proposes a new parameter estimation method (PEM) by adopting the DTRT data of a DCGHE to estimate layered ground thermal properties and applies the proposed PEM to simulated DTRTs under different boundary conditions, and the estimated values of the layered ground thermal properties are compared with the true values. Under heat output rate or inlet temperature boundary conditions, the relative errors of the thermal conductivities and heat capacities of ground estimated using the proposed PEM are basically within 2% and 4%, respectively, except for shallower layers with a depth range of 0–800 m. The larger errors for shallower layers may be caused by weaker heat transfer between the fluid and ground, and the errors are basically lower for higher heat output rates. The predicted fluid temperature distributions during 120 d using the estimated values of the layered ground thermal properties match well with those using the true values. The results show that the proposed PEM is viable for DCGHE DTRT interpretation under heat output rate and inlet temperature boundary conditions, is a cost-effective way to establish key parameters for GSHP design, and would promote geothermal development

Sulfation and Its Effect on the Bioactivity of Magnolol, the Main Active Ingredient of Magnolia Officinalis

Magnolol, the main active ingredient of Magnolia officinalis, has been reported to display anti-inflammatory activity. Sulfation plays an important role in the metabolism of magnolol. The magnolol sulfated metabolite was identified by the ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The magnolol sulfation activity of seven major recombinant sulfotransferases (SULTs) isoforms (SULT1A1*1, SULT1A1*2, SULT1A2, SULT1A3, SULT1B1, SULT1E1, and SULT2A1) was analyzed. The metabolic profile of magnolol was investigated in liver S9 fractions from human (HLS9), rat (RLS9), and mouse (MLS9). The anti-inflammatory effects of magnolol and its sulfated metabolite were evaluated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Magnolol was metabolized into a mono-sulfated metabolite by SULTs. Of the seven recombinant SULT isoforms examined, SULT1B1 exhibited the highest magnolol sulfation activity. In liver S9 fractions from different species, the CLint value of magnolol sulfation in HLS9 (0.96 µL/min/mg) was similar to that in RLS9 (0.99 µL/min/mg) but significantly higher than that in MLS9 (0.30 µL/min/mg). Magnolol and its sulfated metabolite both significantly downregulated the production of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) stimulated by LPS (p < 0.001). These results indicated that SULT1B1 was the major enzyme responsible for the sulfation of magnolol and that the magnolol sulfated metabolite exhibited potential anti-inflammatory effects

Targeted Delivery of Cargoes into a Murine Solid Tumor by a Cell-Penetrating Peptide and Cleavable Poly(ethylene glycol) Comodified Liposomal Delivery System via Systemic Administration

A liposomal delivery system with a high efficiency of accumulation in tumor tissue and then transportation of the cargo into tumor cells was developed here and evaluated via systemic administration. 1,2-Distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-poly(ethylene glycol)2000 (DSPE-PEG2000)-TAT and protective DSPE-PEG2000 modified liposomes possessing good stability in 50% FBS (fetal bovine serum) and good uptake efficiency were used as the basic formulation (TAT-SL; SL = stealth liposome), and then longer cysteine (Cys)-cleavable PEG5000 was incorporated to modulate the function of TAT. All of the formulations to be used in vivo had sizes in a range of 80–100 nm and were stable in the presence of 50% FBS. Optical imaging showed that the incorporation of cleavable PEG5000 into TAT-SL (i.e., C-TAT-SL) led to much more tumor accumulation and much less liver distribution compared with TAT-SL. The in vivo delivery profiles of C-TAT-SL were investigated using DiD as a fluorescent probe. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry showed that C-TAT-SL had a 48% higher (p < 0.001) delivery efficiency in the absence of Cys and a 130% higher (p < 0.001) delivery efficiency in the presence of Cys than the control (SL), indicating the successful targeted delivery of cargo was achieved by C-TAT-SL via systemic administration especially with a subsequent administration of Cys

A de novo PAK1 likely pathogenic variant and a de novo terminal 1q microdeletion in a Chinese girl with global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, and seizures

Abstract Background Pathogenic PAK1 variants were described to be causative of neurodevelopmental disorder with macrocephaly, seizures, and speech delay. Herein, we present a de novo PAK1 variant combine with a de novo terminal 1q microdeletion in a Chinese pediatric patient, aiming to provide more insights into the underlying genotype–phenotype relationship. Methods Enrolled in this study was a 6-year-old girl with clinical features of global developmental delay, severe intellectual disability, speech delay, and seizures from Quanzhou region of China. Karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) were performed to detect chromosome abnormalities in this family. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed to investigate additional genetic variants in this family. Results No chromosomal abnormalities were elicited from the entire family by karyotype analysis. Further familial CMA results revealed that the patient had a de novo 2.7-Mb microdeletion (arr[GRCh37] 1q44(246,454,321_249,224,684) × 1]) in 1q44 region, which contains 14 OMIM genes, but did not overlap the reported smallest region of overlap (SRO) responsible for the clinical features in 1q43q44 deletion syndrome. In addition, WES result demonstrated a de novo NM_002576: c.251C > G (p.T84R) variant in PAK1 gene in the patient, which was interpreted as a likely pathogenic variant. Conclusion In this study, we identify a novel PAK1 variant associated with a terminal 1q microdeletion in a patient with neurodevelopmental disorder. In addition, we believe that the main clinical features may ascribe to the pathogenic variant in PAK1 gene in the patient

Exosomes of endothelial progenitor cells repair injured vascular endothelial cells through the Bcl2/Bax/Caspase-3 pathway

Abstract The main objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of exosomes derived from endothelial progenitor cells (EPC-Exo) on neointimal formation induced by balloon injury in rats. Furthermore, the study aims to investigate the potential of EPC-Exo to promote proliferation, migration, and anti-apoptotic effects of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) in vitro. The underlying mechanisms responsible for these observed effects will also be thoroughly explored and analyzed. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) was isolated aseptically from Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats and cultured in complete medium. The cells were then identified using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. The EPC-Exo were isolated and confirmed the identities by western-blot, transmission electron microscope, and nanoparticle analysis. The effects of EPC-Exo on the rat carotid artery balloon injury (BI) were detected by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western-blot and qPCR. LPS was used to establish an oxidative damage model of VECs. The mechanism of EPC-Exo repairing injured vascular endothelial cells was detected by measuring the proliferation, migration, and tube function of VECs, actin cytoskeleton staining, TUNEL staining, immunofluorescence, western-blot and qPCR. In vivo, EPC-Exo exhibit inhibitory effects on neointima formation following carotid artery injury and reduce the levels of inflammatory factors, including TNF-α and IL-6. Additionally, EPC-Exo downregulate the expression of adhesion molecules on the injured vascular wall. Notably, EPC-Exo can adhere to the injured vascular area, promoting enhanced endothelial function and inhibiting vascular endothelial hyperplasia Moreover, they regulate the expression of proteins and genes associated with apoptosis, including B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2), Bcl2-associated x (Bax), and Caspase-3. In vitro, experiments further confirmed that EPC-Exo treatment significantly enhances the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of VECs. Furthermore, EPC-Exo effectively attenuate lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced apoptosis of VECs and regulate the Bcl2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway. This study demonstrates that exosomes derived from EPCs have the ability to inhibit excessive carotid intimal hyperplasia after BI, promote the repair of endothelial cells in the area of intimal injury, and enhance endothelial function. The underlying mechanism involves the suppression of inflammation and anti-apoptotic effects. The fundamental mechanism for this anti-apoptotic effect involves the regulation of the Bcl2/Bax/Caspase-3 signaling pathway

Changes in Gut Microbiota Composition Associated with the Presence of Enteric Protist Blastocystis in Captive Forest Musk Deer (Moschus Berezovskii)

10.1128/spectrum.02269-21MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM10

Occurrence, genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of

Blastocystis sp. is a common anaerobic protist with controversial pathogenicity that can infect various animals and humans. However, there are no reports of Blastocystis sp. infections in forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii). The present study was designed to examine the occurrence, subtype distribution and genetic characterization of Blastocystis sp. in forest musk deer in southwestern China, and to assess the potential for zoonotic transmission. A total of 504 fresh stool samples were collected from captive forest musk deer in four distinct areas of southwestern China. Overall, 14.7% of the forest musk deer (74/504) were found to be infected with Blastocystis sp. The highest occurrence of Blastocystis sp. was observed in Dujiangyan (27.5%), followed by Maerkang (23.3%). The occurrence of Blastocystis sp. was 7.9% and 4.1% in Shimian and Hanyuan, respectively. Significant differences in the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. among different areas were observed (p  0.05). Two known zoonotic subtypes (ST1 and ST5) and three animal-predominant subtypes (ST10, ST13, and ST14) were identified, of which ST10 was the most common (36/74, 48.6%). Our findings highlight that forest musk deer may be potential reservoirs of zoonotic human Blastocystis sp. infections

Genetic characterization and zoonotic potential of

Blastocystis is a prevalent eukaryotic parasite that has been identified in a wide range of hosts. Several species are considered potential sources of Blastocystis infection in humans, but little is known about the prevalence of Blastocystis in wild animals. In this study, the prevalence and subtypes of Blastocystis were investigated to assess the zoonotic potential of wild animals in Sichuan Wolong National Natural Reserve. A total of 300 fecal samples were collected from 27 wildlife species in three areas of the Reserve. The subtype (ST), genetic characteristics, and prevalence of Blastocystis were determined by PCR amplification of part (~600 bp) of the SSU rRNA gene. Thirty fecal samples (10.0%) were Blastocystis-positive. The highest prevalence of Blastocystis was found in Yinchanggou (18.3%), with significantly less found in Niutoushan (7.5%) and Genda (5.5%) (p < 0.05). No significant differences were associated with different orders of animals in prevalence, which may be because of the small number of positive samples obtained. Sequence analysis showed five subtypes (ST1, ST3, ST5, ST13, and ST14), with ST13 and ST14 being predominant (33% each), followed by ST1 (20%). This is the first molecular investigation of Blastocystis infection in the wild animals of southwestern China. Subtypes ST1, ST3, ST5, and ST14 have previously been identified in humans, suggesting that wild animals may be potential reservoirs of Blastocystis for humans

Abundance and diurnal trends of fluorescent bioaerosols in the troposphere over Mt. Tai, China, in spring

Primary biological aerosol particles are ubiquitous in the global atmosphere and can affect cloud formation, deteriorate air quality, and cause human infections. Mt. Tai (1,534 m a.s.l.) is an elevated site in the North China Plain where atmospheric aerosols reflect both regional advection and long-range transport. In this study, we deployed a Wideband Integrated Bioaerosol Sensor (WIBS-4A) and collected total suspended particles and eight-stage size-segregated aerosol samples at the summit of Mt. Tai in spring from 21 March to 8 April 2017 to quantify the abundance, size distributions, and diurnal variations of fluorescent bioaerosols and to investigate the effect of different fluorescence thresholds of WIBS for ambient bioaerosol recognition. During the whole sampling period, the number concentration of fluorescent particles (&gt;0.8 μm) was 647 ± 533 L−1, accounting for 26.9% ± 10.0% by number of the total particles in that size range. Three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix fluorescence of water-soluble organic matter in size-segregated aerosols shows that humic-like substances (HULIS) are mainly in the fine mode (&lt;2.1 μm) while protein-like substances are mainly in the coarse mode (&gt;2.1 μm). From the diurnal variation, it is shown that bioaerosols can undergo transformation during long-range transport and contribute to HULIS. For bioaerosol recognition, we find that 6σ-threshold can lead to better classification of fluorescent aerosol particles for fungal spores. Overall, our results constrain the abundance of primary bioaerosols in the troposphere over East Asia and elucidate the processes for their evolution via mountain/valley breezes and long-range transport