Efficient AoA-based wireless indoor localization for hospital outpatients using mobile devices

The motivation of this work is to help outpatients find their corresponding departments or clinics, thus, it needs to provide indoor positioning services with a room-level accuracy. Unlike wireless outdoor localization that is dominated by the global positioning system (GPS), wireless indoor localization is still an open issue. Many different schemes are being developed to meet the increasing demand for indoor localization services. In this paper, we investigated the AoA-based wireless indoor localization for outpatients’ wayfinding in a hospital, where Wi-Fi access points (APs) are deployed, in line, on the ceiling. The target position can be determined by a mobile device, like a smartphone, through an efficient geometric calculation with two known APs coordinates and the angles of the incident radios. All possible positions in which the target may appear have been comprehensively investigated, and the corresponding solutions were proven to be the same. Experimental results show that localization error was less than 2.5 m, about 80% of the time, which can satisfy the outpatients’ requirements for wayfinding

Octreotide ameliorates hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cerebral infarction by inhibiting oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, and via inhibition of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway

Purpose: To explore the effects of octreotide (OCT) on oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cerebral infarction.Methods: The in vitro model of cerebral infarction was established by treating N2A cells with hypoxia for 4 h and reoxygenation for 24 h. The viability of N2A cells was determined by CCK-8 assay. The cells were divided into 3 groups: control group, H/R group, and H/R+OCT group. The cells in H/R+OCT group were pretreated with OCT (60 ng/mL) before H/R treatment. The oxidative stress of N2A cells were assessed by determining the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), catalase (CAT), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Inflammation of N2A cells was evaluated by evaluating the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8, while the apoptosis of N2A cells was assessed by flow cytometry. Western blot analysis was used to determine the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB.Results: Octreotide treatment significantly reduced the level of oxidative stress. The inflammation of N2A cells caused by hypoxia/reoxygenation was inhibited by treatment with octreotide. Apoptosis of N2A cells was also inhibited by octreotide treatment. Hypoxia/reoxygenation activated TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway, while octreotide inhibits the activation of this pathway.Conclusion: The results reveal that octreotide inhibits hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced oxidative stress,as well as the inflammation, and apoptosis of N2A cells by inhibiting TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, these findings may provide new insights into the treatment of cerebral infarction

Venlafaxine inhibits neuronal apoptosis in a depression rat model via ERK1/ERK2 pathway

Purpose: To investigate the effects and mechanism of action of venlafaxine on neuronal apoptosis of depressed rats. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into normal control (NC) group, depressed rats (depression) group or venlafaxine-treatment group. Changes in body weight and sucrose preference ratio were recorded and behaviors in open field test (OFT) were observed in each group. Pathological changes in and the apoptosis rate of the cerebral neurons, and the activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1)/ERK2 pathway were observed under a microscope. Results: At weeks 2 and 4, the body weight and water consumption of rats in depression group dropped below those of rats in NC group. On the other hand, at week 2, the body weight and water consumption of rats in venlafaxine-treatment group were significantly higher than those of rats in depression group (p < 0.05). Besides, depression group had randomly arranged neuron cells and a thinner cell layer, while venlafaxine-treatment group had a relatively regular hippocampal neural cell arrangement and a thicker cell layer. Moreover, cell apoptosis rate was higher in depression group than in that NC group, and lower in venlafaxine-treatment group than that in depression group (p < 0.05). Finally, the protein expressions of phosphorylated (p)-ERK1 and p-ERK2 were significantly higher in depression group than those in NC group (p<0.05), and distinctly lower in venlafaxine-treatment group than those in depression group (p <0.05). Conclusion: By suppressing the activity of ERK1/ERK2 pathway, venlafaxine relieves the symptoms of depression and repairs neuronal injuries in rats, thereby suppressing neuronal apoptosis. Thus, these findings provide a novel approach for the development of new antidepressants

Truncated Total Least Squares Method with a Practical Truncation Parameter Choice Scheme for Bioluminescence Tomography Inverse Problem

In bioluminescence tomography (BLT), reconstruction of internal bioluminescent source distribution from the surface optical signals is an ill-posed inverse problem. In real BLT experiment, apart from the measurement noise, the system errors caused by geometry mismatch, numerical discretization, and optical modeling approximations are also inevitable, which may lead to large errors in the reconstruction results. Most regularization techniques such as Tikhonov method only consider measurement noise, whereas the influences of system errors have not been investigated. In this paper, the truncated total least squares method (TTLS) is introduced into BLT reconstruction, in which both system errors and measurement noise are taken into account. Based on the modified generalized cross validation (MGCV) criterion and residual error minimization, a practical parameter-choice scheme referred to as improved GCV (IGCV) is proposed for TTLS. Numerical simulations with different noise levels and physical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and potential of TTLS combined with IGCV for solving the BLT inverse problem

ANALYSIS ON CONSTRUCTION DEFORMATION AND SUPPORTING STRUCTURE OF TWO-STEP AND THREESECTION EXCAVATION METHOD FOR SUPER LARGER SPAN HIGHWAY TUNNEL

The super larger span tunnel is a common form of highway reconstruction and expansionprojects in recent years. In order to determine the stability of tunnel structure of the two-step andthree-section excavation method of the III-level surrounding rock mass of the super larger spanhighway, the field test method was adopted. Relying on the Laohushan Tunnel in Jinan, Shandong,China, the deformation and the structure performance of the super larger span tunnel in III-levelsurrounding rock mass are analyzed, and the safety of the tunnel and the support structure isevaluated on this basis. The results show that the maximum settlement of the arch section of theGrade III surrounding rock section is 12.5mm, and the maximum clearance convergence is 5.8mm.Both of them are much smaller than the design reserved deformation of 80mm. The maximumpressure of the surrounding rock is 0.091MPa, showing that the force acting on the supportingstructure by surrounding rock mass is small. The inner and outer arched parts of the steel frameare subject to large stresses, and most of them are tensile stresses. The maximum stress of thesteel frame is 283 MPa, and occurs at the inner side of right arch waist. Although the local stressexceeds the yield strength of the steel (235 MPa), it does not exceed its ultimate compressivestrength of 400 MPa, and the tensile and compressive stress values of the other inner and outerparts do not exceed the yield strength. Mainly, the maximum stress appears on the left side wall,reaching 4.83 MPa, which is far less than the ultimate compressive strength of sprayed concrete(11.9 MPa). For super larger span highway tunnels, located in III-level surrounding rock mass,constructed by two-step and three-section excavation method, the initial support effectivelycontrolled the tunnel deformation, the supporting structures were fully protected and the tunnelstructure was stable. The super larger span tunnel is a common form in the road reconstructionand expansion project in recent years. In order to determine the stability of tunnel structure of thetwo steps and three excavation method of the III-level surrounding rock mass of the super largerspan highway, the field test method was adopted. Relying on the Laohushan Tunnel, thedeformation and the structure performance of the super larger span tunnel in III-level surroundingrock mass were analyzed. The results show that the maximum settlement of arch of the III-levelsurrounding rock mass is 12.5mm in super larger span highway tunnel, and the maximumclearance convergence is 5.8mm. Both of them are smaller than the design reserved deformationof 80mm. The maximum surrounding rock mass pressure is 0.091MPa, the force acting on thesupporting structure by surrounding rock mass are small. The inner and outer arched parts of the steel frame bear larger stress, and are mostly tensile stress. The maximum stress on inner side ofthe steel frame is 283 MPa, and occurs at the right arch waist. The maximum stress on the outerside of the steel frame is184 MPa, and occurs at the vault. The steel frame plays an important rolein the initial support, however the force does not reach the yield strength of the steel. The shotcreteis subjected to pressure, the maximum stress appears on the left side wall is 4.83 MPa, which ismuch smaller than the ultimate compressive strength of shotcrete of 25 MPa. So for super largerspan highway tunnels, located in III-level surrounding rock mass, constructed by two-step andthree-excavation method, the whole structure is stable

Self-assembly of hierarchical porous structure for stretchable superhydrophobic films by delicately controlling the surface energy

Herein, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) was not only used as the means of attaching modified silica (m-SiO₂), but was also used as a flexible polymer substrate combining with poly(amide–imide) (PAI) for improving the robustness of stretchable superhydrophobic films by self-assembly. m-SiO₂ floated up and TPU sank down in the superhydrophobic coating layer while TPU floated up and PAI sank down in the PAI–TPU stretchable substrate layer by delicately controlling the surface energies of the materials (γPAI > γTPU > γm-SiO₂). With this strategy, the two layers penetrated into each other, and the compatibility between the superhydrophobic coating and polymer substrate was improved due to the same component of TPU, which made m-SiO₂ firmly attach to the stretchable substrate and uniformly disperse into the PAI–TPU substrate. In addition, during the up–down process, a hierarchical porous structure with robust microscale bumps was formed, which offered a stable Cassie state. As expected, the PAI–TPU/m-SiO₂ superhydrophobic film was highly stretchable, and can bear 2000 cycles of stretching–releasing (0% → 30% → 0%) without sacrificing its superhydrophobicity. The tight adhesion between the decorated m-SiO₂ and stretchable substrate rendered outstanding mechanical robustness with resistance to sandpaper abrasion, knife-scuffing, ultrasonic treatment, and hot-water jet impact. The PAI–TPU/m-SiO₂ superhydrophobic surface also showed excellent durability when exposed to acid–base immersing, cooling or heating, and UV irradiation. Furthermore, the PAI–TPU/m-SiO₂ superhydrophobic surface possessed excellent self-healing, and icephobic properties. For practical application, PAI–TPU/m-SiO₂ stretchable superhydrophobic films were applied as water-proof covers for curved surfaces, or served as a self-cleaning coating. These versatile features demonstrated a simple and convenient method to fabricate stretchable superhydrophobic surfaces with multi-functionality

Aberrant resting-state brain activity in Huntington's disease: A voxel-based meta-analysis

IntroductionFunctional neuroimaging could provide abundant information of underling pathophysiological mechanisms of the clinical triad including motor, cognitive and psychiatric impairment in Huntington's Disease (HD).MethodsWe performed a voxel-based meta-analysis using anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) method.Results6 studies (78 symptomatic HD, 102 premanifest HD and 131 healthy controls) were included in total. Altered resting-state brain activity was primarily detected in the bilateral medial part of superior frontal gyrus, bilateral anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyrus, left insula, left striatum, right cortico-spinal projections area, right inferior temporal gyrus area, right thalamus, right cerebellum and right gyrus rectus area. Premanifest and symptomatic HD patients showed different alterative pattern in the subgroup analyses.DiscussionThe robust and consistent abnormalities in the specific brain regions identified in the current study could help to understand the pathophysiology of HD and explore reliable neuroimaging biomarkers for monitoring disease progression, or even predicting the onset of premanifest HD patients

A 2540-year record of moisture variations derived from lacustrine sediment (Sasikul Lake) on the Pamir Plateau

Although the Pamir Plateau is an ideal place to investigate paleo-environmental changes in the westerlies-dominated high Central Asia, there are only few Holocene records from this region. We present a sub-centennially resolved lacustrine record of moisture variations from Sasikul Lake, central Pamir Plateau, based on geochemical, sedimentological, and mineralogical proxies. Our results show that generally dry conditions at Sasikul Lake during the past 2540 years were interrupted by a pronounced wet period between ad 1550 and 1900, corresponding to the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA). More negative values of carbonate δ18O, lower total inorganic carbon (TIC), and sand content during LIA all indicate a relatively wet period with higher lake level. Higher TIC during the ‘Medieval Warm Period’ (MWP; ad 950–1200) reveals a lower lake level relative to the LIA. Low δ18O during this time is probably attributed to changes in the isotopic composition of input water and/or upstream moisture sources. The significant increase in detrital minerals and decrease in carbonate during the LIA provide further evidence for higher allochthonous input during the wet period at Sasikul Lake. The inferred moisture variations are consistent with existing records from regions of the northern Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia that are also influenced by the westerlies, but out-ofphase with those records from the Asian monsoon region, indicating that moisture variations at Sasikul Lake were mainly influenced by the strength and trajectories of the westerlies. The inferred water level at Sasikul Lake decreased significantly during the first half of the 20th century, and then increased in recent decades. This is consistent with the increase in lake area derived from satellite images and the monitoring data of large lake-level changes in Central Asia

Interface-engineered paclitaxel-based hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoplatforms for photothermal-enhanced chemotherapy of tumor

Having benefited from the combination of different therapeutic modalities, functionalized nanoplatforms with synergistic strategies have aroused great interest in anticancer treatment. Herein, an engineered, a biodegradable hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticle (HMON)-based nanoplatform was fabricated for photothermal-enhanced chemotherapy of tumor. For the first time, we demonstrated that HMONs could serve as nanocarriers for co-delivering of both the paclitaxel and photothermal agent new indocyanine green (IR820), denoted as Paclitaxel/IR820@ HMONs-PEG. The as-prepared nanosystem exhibited a high paclitaxel-loading capacity of 28.4%, much higher than most paclitaxel-loaded nanoformulations. Furthermore, incorporating thioether bonds (S-S) into the HMONs’ framework endowed them with GSH-responsive biodegradation behavior, leading to the controllable release of drugs under a tumor reducing microenvironment, and hindered the premature release of paclitaxel. Upon being irradiated with an NIR laser, the obtained co-delivery nanosystem exhibited great photothermal properties generated from IR820. The fabricated nanocomposites could significantly suppress tumor growth under NIR laser irradiation, as validated by in vitro and in vivo assessments. Combined with outstanding biocompatibility, the constructed nanosystem holds great potential in combinational antitumor therapy

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adolescent depression among parents of children diagnosed with depression in Ningbo City, eastern China

ObjectiveTo investigate parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) toward adolescent depression.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2022 and October 2023 at The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University among parents of adolescents diagnosed with depression. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the parents’ demographic characteristics and KAP toward adolescent depression.ResultsA total of 522 questionnaires were collected from parents of depressed adolescents. Among the participants, 383 (73.37%) were female. In addition, 426 participants (81.61%) had children aged 14–18. The mean knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 9.09 ± 2.37 (possible range: 0–12), 37.04 ± 4.11 (possible range: 11–55), and 31.53 ± 3.84 (possible range: 8–40), respectively. There were significant positive correlations between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.225, p < 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.240, p < 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.381, p < 0.001). The path analysis showed significant direct effects of knowledge on attitude (β = 0.422, p < 0.001) and practice (β = 0.283, p < 0.001). There was an indirect effect of knowledge on practice through attitude (β = 0.131, p = 0.004). Attitude directly impacted practice (β = 0.311, p < 0.001).ConclusionParents of adolescents diagnosed with depression exhibited moderate KAP regarding adolescent depression. The study underscored the importance of targeted interventions to improve parental KAP in supporting adolescents with depression. Moreover, future research should explore additional factors influencing parental attitudes and behaviors toward adolescent depression to develop more effective interventions