Expression Profiling of Transcriptome and Its Associated Disease Risk in Yang Deficiency Constitution of Healthy Subjects

Objectives. Differences among healthy subjects and associated disease risks are of substantial interest in clinical medicine. According to the theory of “constitution-disease correlation” in traditional Chinese medicine, we try to find out if there is any connection between intolerance of cold in Yang deficiency constitution and molecular evidence and if there is any gene expression basis in specific disorders. Methods. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from Chinese Han individuals with Yang deficiency constitution (n=20) and balanced constitution (n=8) (aged 18–28) and global gene expression profiles were determined between them using the Affymetrix HG-U133 Plus 2.0 array. Results. The results showed that when the fold change was ≥1.2 and q ≤ 0.05, 909 genes were upregulated in the Yang deficiency constitution, while 1189 genes were downregulated. According to our research differential genes found in Yang deficiency constitution were usually related to lower immunity, metabolic disorders, and cancer tendency. Conclusion. Gene expression disturbance exists in Yang deficiency constitution, which corresponds to the concept of constitution and gene classification. It also suggests people with Yang deficiency constitution are susceptible to autoimmune diseases, enteritis, arthritis, metabolism disorders, and cancer, which provides molecular evidence for the theory of “constitution-disease correlation.

Comfort Optimization of the Active Collision Avoidance Control System of Electric Vehicles for Green Manufacturing

The vehicle model was built based on MATLAB/Simulink and Carsim, and the multi-objective active collision avoidance control algorithm considering safety and comfort was established based on a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm. The vehicle active collision avoidance control system for comfort and safety was studied by simulation and experimentation. The results show that the active collision avoidance control system based on an MPC algorithm can follow the vehicle under different working conditions and ensure the safety and comfort in the process of following the vehicle while meeting the requirements of the active collision avoidance control system

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Thermal-Hydraulic Performance of Three-Dimensional Overall Jagged Internal Finned Tubes

To satisfy the demand for efficient heat transfer, a novel three-dimensional overall jagged internal finned tube (3D-OJIFT) was fabricated, using the rolling–ploughing/extruding method. The thermal performance of the 3D-OJIFT were studied and compared in experiments and three-dimensional numerical simulations. The RNG k-ε turbulence model is well verified with the experimental results. By analyzing the distributions of velocity, temperature, and turbulence kinetic energy, it was found that the 3D-OJIFT destroyed the development of the velocity and thermal boundary layers, increased the turbulence disturbance, and reduced the temperature gradient, thus improving the heat transfer. The influences of the jagged height and jagged spiral angle of the 3D-OJIFT are discussed. The Nu and f increased as the jagged height of the 3D-OJIFT increased. The Nusselt number of the 3D-OJIFT was 1.67–2.04 times the value for the smooth tube. In addition, the comprehensive heat transfer performance of the 3D-OJIFT improved after increasing the jagged spiral angle. Compared with conventional internal helical-finned tubes and other reinforcement structures reported in the literature, the 3D-OJIFT demonstrated better comprehensive heat transfer performance. Finally, empirical correlations of the 3D-OJIFT were obtained

Terminal Pleistocene Human Occupation of the Qomolangma Region: New Evidence from the Su-re Site

Lithic artifacts are crucial for elucidation of the temporal and spatial patterns of prehistoric human occupation of the Tibetan Plateau. Core-and-flake technology is particularly noteworthy, as it is distinguished by its broad temporal span and widespread distribution across the plateau. In this study, we present the results of a reassessment of the lithic assemblage from the Su-re site in Tingri County, Shigatse City, Xizang Autonomous Region, China. Its resemblance to lithic assemblages from Southwestern China implies a close relationship between the plateau and its southeastern vicinity, contributing to the diversification of technology and prehistoric humans on the Tibetan Plateau. Moreover, gneissic pebbles transported by glacial meltwater in the Tingri Graben—the most suitable raw material available in the vicinity—explains the presence of prehistoric humans in the inhospitable Qomolangma region

The N-Terminal α-Helix of Potato Virus X-Encoded RNA-Dependent RNA Polymerase Is Required for Membrane Association and Multimerization

Positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses replicate in virus-induced membranous organelles for maximum efficiency and immune escaping. The replication of potato virus X (PVX) takes place on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); however, how PVX-encoded RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) is associated with the ER is still unknown. A proline-kinked amphipathic α-helix was recently found in the MET domain of RdRp. In this study, we further illustrate that the first α-helix of the MET domain is also required for ER association. Moreover, we found that the MET domain forms multimers on ER and the first α-helix is essential for multimerization. These results suggest that the RdRp of PVX adopts more than one hydrophobic motif for membrane association and for multimerization

Composition of intestinal microflora associated with Yang-deficiency

Objective: In this study, we investigated the composition of the intestinal microflora associated with Yang-deficiency and the function-specific members of this microflora. Method: Subjects with normal and Yang-deficient constitutions were recruited in Beijing, with 30 subjects in each group. Illumina high-throughput sequencing was used to sequence the DNA of their fecal bacteria in the 16S rRNA V3–V4 region. The species abundance and distribution of the intestinal microflora in each specimen were determined with a statistical analysis of these sequences. We identified an underlying taxonomic trend with nonparametric PCoA and other statistical techniques. Results: (1) Subjects with Yang-deficiency displayed more uneven abundances of the taxa in their intestinal microflora than the subjects with normal Yang; (2) several differences were observed in the proportions of certain bacterial groups between the Yang-deficient and control groups; and (3) the following bacteria differed significantly between the two groups: (i) Brevundimonas, Leuconostoc, Turicibacter, Defluviitaleaceae incertae sedis, Rothia, and Butyricimonas were slightly higher in the Yang-deficient subjects, whereas (ii) Megasphaera, Ruminococcus, and Lachnospira were higher in the normal subjects than in the Yang-deficient subjects. Conclusions: The composition of the intestinal microflora is altered in Yang-deficient subjects

Janus Gold Nanoplatform for Synergetic Chemoradiotherapy and Computed Tomography Imaging of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

There is a pressing need to develop nanoplatforms that integrate multimodal therapeutics to improve treatment responses and prolong the survival of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mesoporous silica-coated gold nanomaterials have emerged as a novel multifunctional platform combining tunable surface plasmon resonance and mesoporous properties that exhibit multimodality properties in cancer theranostics. However, their reduced radiation-absorption efficiency and limited surface area hinder their further radiochemotherapeutic applications. To address these issues, we designed Janus-structured gold-mesoporous silica nanoparticles using a modified sol–gel method. This multifunctional theranostic nanoplatform was subsequently modified <i>via</i> the conjugation of folic acid for enhanced HCC targeting and internalization. The loaded anticancer agent doxorubicin can be released from the mesopores in a pH-responsive manner, facilitating selective and safe chemotherapy. Additionally, the combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced synergistic anticancer effects <i>in vitro</i> and exhibited remarkable inhibition of tumor growth <i>in vivo</i> along with significantly reduced systematic toxicity. Additionally, the Janus NPs acted as targeted computed tomography (CT)-imaging agents for HCC diagnosis. Given their better performance in chemoradiotherapy and CT imaging as compared with that of their core–shell counterparts, this new nanoplatform designed with dual functionalities provides a promising strategy for unresectable HCC theranostics