The upper and lower solution method for nonlinear third-order three-point boundary value problem

This paper is concerned with the following nonlinear third-order three-point boundary value problem \left\{ \begin{array}{l} u^{\prime \prime \prime }(t)+f\left( t,u\left( t\right) ,u^{\prime}\left(t\right) \right) =0,\, t\in \left[ 0,1\right], \\ u\left( 0\right) =u^{\prime }\left( 0\right) =0,\, u^{\prime}\left( 1\right) =\alpha u^{\prime }\left( \eta \right),\label{1.1} \end{array} \right. where $0<\eta <1$ and $0\leq \alpha <1.$ A new maximum principle is established and some existence criteria are obtained for the above problem by using the upper and lower solution method

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and the risk of idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls

Introduction: Prior studies have found inconsistent results regarding the relationship between vitamin D status and Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP). Objective: To assess the role of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 [OH]D) levels in ICPP development. Method: The authors retrospectively collected data from 221 girls with ICPP and 144 healthy girls between January 2017 and December 2019. The participants’ serum 25(OH)D levels were measured using an automatic chemiluminescence method, and the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and the risk of ICPP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Odds Ratios (OR) with 95% Confidence Intervals (95% CI) were calculated as effect estimates. Results: Serum 25(OH)D levels in the ICPP group were significantly lower than those in healthy controls (p &lt; 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that girls with insufficient vitamin D levels (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.201; 95% CI 0.094–0.428; p &lt; 0.001) and sufficient vitamin D levels (OR&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.141; 95% CI 0.053–0.375; p &lt; 0.001) both had a lower risk of ICPP than girls with vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, the authors found that the height (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.014), weight (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.014), breast stage (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.010), mother's height (p &lt; 0.001), and luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone ratio (p&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.010) in girls with ICPP could be associated with levels of vitamin D. Conclusion: This study found that a low serum 25(OH)D level is an independent risk factor for ICPP, and several characteristics of girls with ICPP could be affected by their vitamin D status.

A Novel Approach to Study Real-Time Dynamic Optimization Analysis and Simulation of Complex Mine Logistics Transportation Hybrid System with Belt and Surge Links

The mine logistics transportation system with belt and surge links is often formed by a complex hybrid dynamic system that consists of continuous and discrete links, and these parts can have the complex changes along with the mining engineering going on. Studying the hybrid system with belt and surge links to fully realize its beneficial functions is very significant. Until now, there have been many references studying the logistics transportation hybrid system with belt and surge links, and many concepts about it have been set up. However, in these references, complicated real-time dynamic changes of the hybrid system usually is studied. This paper presents a novel approach to study real-time dynamic optimization analysis and simulation problems of complex mine logistics transportation hybrid system, which can be used to make optimization design for this kind of complex hybrid system. The proposed method considered expressly complicated real-time dynamic changing of the hybrid system comparing with some existing references and can solve some optimization design problems of the hybrid system. In addition, this paper used statistical data of a real logistics transportation system with belt and surge bin on simulation and gets some useful conclusions. The application result shows that the presented method is valid

Association of Mitochondrial DNA Polymerase γ Gene <i>POLG1</i> Polymorphisms with Parkinsonism in Chinese Populations

Background: Mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (POLG1) mutations were associated with levodopa-responsive Parkinsonism. POLG1 gene contains a number of common nonsynonymous SNPs and intronic regulatory SNPs which may have functional consequences. It is of great interest to discover polymorphisms variants associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), both in isolation and in combination with specific SNPs.Materials and Methods: We conducted a case-control study and genotyped twenty SNPs and poly-Q polymorphisms of POLG1 gene including in 344 Chinese sporadic PD patients and 154 healthy controls. All the polymorphisms of POLG1 we found in this study were sequenced by PCR products with dye terminator methods using an ABI-3100 sequencer. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium (LD) for association between twenty POLG1 SNPs and PD were calculated using the program Haploview.Principal Results: We provided evidence for strong association of four intronic SNPs of the POLG1 gene (new report: c.2070-12T>A and rs2307439: c.2070-64G>A in intron 11, P = 0.00011, OR = 1.727; rs2302084: c.3105-11T>C and rs2246900: c.3105-36A>G in intron 19, P = 0.00031, OR = 1.648) with PD. However, we did not identify any significant association between ten exonic SNPs of POLG1 and PD. Linkage disequilibrium analysis indicated that c.2070-12T>A and c.2070-64G>A could be parsed into one block as Haplotype 1 as well as c.3105-11T>C and c.3105-36A>G in Haplotype 2. In addition, case and control study on association of POLG1 CAG repeat (poly-Q) alleles with PD showed a significant association (P = 0.03, OR = 2.16) of the non-10/11Q variants with PD. Although intronic SNPs associated with PD didn't influence POLG1 mRNA alternative splicing, there was a strong association of c.2070-12T>A and c.2070-64G>A with decreased POLG1 mRNA level and protein levels.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that POLG1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of PD in Chinese populations.</p

Moderate mutation rate in the SARS coronavirus genome and its implications

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) caused a severe global epidemic in 2003 which led to hundreds of deaths and many thousands of hospitalizations. The virus causing SARS was identified as a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and multiple genomic sequences have been revealed since mid-April, 2003. After a quiet summer and fall in 2003, the newly emerged SARS cases in Asia, particularly the latest cases in China, are reinforcing a wide-spread belief that the SARS epidemic would strike back. With the understanding that SARS-CoV might be with humans for years to come, knowledge of the evolutionary mechanism of the SARS-CoV, including its mutation rate and emergence time, is fundamental to battle this deadly pathogen. To date, the speed at which the deadly virus evolved in nature and the elapsed time before it was transmitted to humans remains poorly understood. RESULTS: Sixteen complete genomic sequences with available clinical histories during the SARS outbreak were analyzed. After careful examination of multiple-sequence alignment, 114 single nucleotide variations were identified. To minimize the effects of sequencing errors and additional mutations during the cell culture, three strategies were applied to estimate the mutation rate by 1) using the closely related sequences as background controls; 2) adjusting the divergence time for cell culture; or 3) using the common variants only. The mutation rate in the SARS-CoV genome was estimated to be 0.80 – 2.38 × 10(-3 )nucleotide substitution per site per year which is in the same order of magnitude as other RNA viruses. The non-synonymous and synonymous substitution rates were estimated to be 1.16 – 3.30 × 10(-3 )and 1.67 – 4.67 × 10(-3 )per site per year, respectively. The most recent common ancestor of the 16 sequences was inferred to be present as early as the spring of 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated mutation rates in the SARS-CoV using multiple strategies were not unusual among coronaviruses and moderate compared to those in other RNA viruses. All estimates of mutation rates led to the inference that the SARS-CoV could have been with humans in the spring of 2002 without causing a severe epidemic