A RBFNN-Based Adaptive Disturbance Compensation Approach Applied to Magnetic Suspension Inertially Stabilized Platform

Compared with traditional mechanical inertially stabilized platform (ISP), magnetic suspension ISP (MSISP) can absorb high frequency vibrations via a magnetic suspension bearing system with five degrees of freedom between azimuth and pitch gimbals. However, force acting between rotor and stator will introduce coupling torque to roll and pitch gimbals. Since the disturbance of magnetic bearings has strong nonlinearity, classic state feedback control algorithm cannot bring higher precision control for MSISP. In order to enhance the control accuracy for MSISP, a disturbance compensator based on radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is developed to compensate for the disturbance. Using the Lyapunov theorem, the weighting matrix of RBFNN can be updated online. Therefore, the RBFNN can be constructed without priori training. At last, simulations and experiment results validate that the compensation method proposed in this paper can improve ISP accuracy significantly

Dynamic Resource Management in CDRT Systems through Adaptive NOMA

This paper introduces a novel adaptive transmission scheme to amplify the prowess of coordinated direct and relay transmission (CDRT) systems rooted in non-orthogonal multiple access principles. Leveraging the maximum ratio transmission scheme, we seamlessly meet the prerequisites of CDRT while harnessing the potential of dynamic power allocation and directional antennas to elevate the system's operational efficiency. Through meticulous derivations, we unveil closed-form expressions depicting the exact effective sum throughput. Our simulation results adeptly validate the theoretical analysis and vividly showcase the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures, submitted to IEEE journal for revie

Text Mining of the Classical Medical Literature for Medicines That Show Potential in Diabetic Nephropathy

Objectives. To apply modern text-mining methods to identify candidate herbs and formulae for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Methods. The method we developed includes three steps: (1) identification of candidate ancient terms; (2) systemic search and assessment of medical records written in classical Chinese; (3) preliminary evaluation of the effect and safety of candidates. Results. Ancient terms Xia Xiao, Shen Xiao, and Xiao Shen were determined as the most likely to correspond with diabetic nephropathy and used in text mining. A total of 80 Chinese formulae for treating conditions congruent with diabetic nephropathy recorded in medical books from Tang Dynasty to Qing Dynasty were collected. Sao si tang (also called Reeling Silk Decoction) was chosen to show the process of preliminary evaluation of the candidates. It had promising potential for development as new agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. However, further investigations about the safety to patients with renal insufficiency are still needed. Conclusions. The methods developed in this study offer a targeted approach to identifying traditional herbs and/or formulae as candidates for further investigation in the search for new drugs for modern disease. However, more effort is still required to improve our techniques, especially with regard to compound formulae

Classification, replication, and transcription of Nidovirales

Nidovirales is one order of RNA virus, with the largest single-stranded positive sense RNA genome enwrapped with membrane envelope. It comprises four families (Arterividae, Mesoniviridae, Roniviridae, and Coronaviridae) and has been circulating in humans and animals for almost one century, posing great threat to livestock and poultry，as well as to public health. Nidovirales shares similar life cycle: attachment to cell surface, entry, primary translation of replicases, viral RNA replication in cytoplasm, translation of viral proteins, virion assembly, budding, and release. The viral RNA synthesis is the critical step during infection, including genomic RNA (gRNA) replication and subgenomic mRNAs (sg mRNAs) transcription. gRNA replication requires the synthesis of a negative sense full-length RNA intermediate, while the sg mRNAs transcription involves the synthesis of a nested set of negative sense subgenomic intermediates by a discontinuous strategy. This RNA synthesis process is mediated by the viral replication/transcription complex (RTC), which consists of several enzymatic replicases derived from the polyprotein 1a and polyprotein 1ab and several cellular proteins. These replicases and host factors represent the optimal potential therapeutic targets. Hereby, we summarize the Nidovirales classification, associated diseases, “replication organelle,” replication and transcription mechanisms, as well as related regulatory factors

microRNA-203 Modulates Wound Healing and Scar Formation via Suppressing Hes1 Expression in Epidermal Stem Cells

Background/Aims: Little is known how miR-203 is involved in epidermal stem cells (ESCs) differentiation and scar formation. Methods: We first used luciferase assay to determine the interaction of miR-203 with the 3’-UTR in regulation of Hes1 expression. We then used flow cytometry to analyze the effects of miR-203 expression on the differentiation of ESCs to MFB by determination of CK15 ratio and α-SMA. To confirm the results of flow cytometry analysis, we used Western blot to examine the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I (Col I), and Collagen III (Col III), as well as the expression of Notch1, Jagged1, and Hes1 in ESCs after the treatment of pre-miR-203 or anti-miR-203. Finally, we examined the effects local anti-miR-203 treatment on would closure and scar formation using a mouse skin wound model. Results: Pre-miR-203 treatment increased ESCs differentiation to MFB cells, as indicated by decreased CK15 ratio and increased MFB biomarkers. This phenomenon was reversed by overexpression of Hes1 in ESCs. In addition, skin incision increased expression of miR-203 in wound tissue. Local treatment of anti-miR-203 could accelerate wound closure and reduce scar formation in vivo, which was associated with increased re-epithelialization, skin attachment regeneration, and collagen reassignment. Finally, we confirmed that anti-miR-203 treatment could inhibit ESCs differentiation in vivo via increasing Hesl expression. Conclusion: Taken together, our results suggested that overexpression of miR-203 in ESCs after skin wound may be a critical mechanism underlying the scar formation

Potential of genotype VII Newcastle disease viruses to cause differential infections in chickens and ducks

Newcastle disease (ND), caused by ND virus (NDV), is one of the most infectious and economically important diseases of the poultry industry worldwide. While infections are reported in a wide range of avian species, the pathogenicity of chicken-origin virulent NDV isolates in ducks remains elusive. In this study, two NDV strains were isolated and biologically and genetically characterized from an outbreak in chickens and apparently healthy ducks. Pathogenicity assessment indices, including the mean death time (MDT), intracerebral pathogenicity index (ICPI) and cleavage motifs in the fusion (F) protein, indicated that both isolates were velogenic in nature. While these isolates carried pathogenic characteristics, interestingly they showed differential pathogenicity in ducks. The chicken-origin isolate caused high (70%) mortality, whereas the duck-origin virus resulted in low (20%) mortality in 4-week-old ducks. Intriguingly, both isolates showed comparable disease pathologies in chickens. Full-genome sequence analysis showed that the virus genome contains 15 192 nucleotides and carried features that are characteristic of velogenic strains of NDV. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that both isolates clustered in class II and genotype VII. However, there were several mutations in the functionally important regions of the fusion (F) and haemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) proteins, which may be responsible for the differential pathogenicity of these viruses in ducks. In summary, these results suggest that NDV strains with the same genotype show differential pathogenicity in chickens and ducks. Furthermore, chicken-origin virulent NDVs are more pathogenic for ducks than duck-origin viruses. These findings propose a role for chickens in the evolution of viral pathogenicity and the potential genetic resistance of ducks to poultry viruses

Supplementation of Vitamin E Protects Chickens from Newcastle Disease Virus-Mediated Exacerbation of Intestinal Oxidative Stress and Tissue Damage

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Newcastle disease virus (NDV) causes a highly devastating and contagious disease in poultry, which is mainly attributed to extensive tissue damages in the digestive, respiratory and nervous systems. However, nature and dynamics of NDV-induced oxidative stresses in the intestine of chickens remain elusive. METHODS: In this study, we examined the magnitude of intestinal oxidative stress and histopathological changes caused by the virulent NDV infection, and explored the protective roles of vitamin E (vit. E) in ameliorating these pathological changes. For these purposes, chickens were divided into four groups namely i) non supplemented and non-challenged (negative control, CON); ii) no supplementation of vit. E but challenged with ZJ1 (positive control, NS+CHA); iii) vit. E supplementation at the dose of 50 IU/day/Kg body weight and ZJ1 challenge (VE50+CHA); and 4) vit. E supplementation at the dose of 100 IU/day/Kg body weight and ZJ1 challenge (VE100+CHA). In all groups, we analyzed concentrations of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) using biochemical methods. The virus loads were determined by quantitative RT-PCR and antibody titers by hemagglutination inhibition assays. We also examined the histopathological changes in the duodenal and jejunal mucosa at 3 and 5-day post infection (dpi) with NDV. RESULTS: A significant elevation in the NO level was observed in NDV challenged chickens compared to the CON chickens at 2 dpi. The MDA contents were significantly increased whereas GSH was significantly decreased in NDV-challenged chickens compared to control. Furthermore, activities of GST, CAT, SOD, as well as the TOAC were markedly decreased in challenged chickens in comparison with control. Virus copy numbers were higher in NDV infected NS+CHA group compared to other groups. Severe histopathological changes including inflammation, degeneration and broken villi were observed in the intestine of NDV challenged chickens. However, all these malfunctions of antioxidant system and pathological changes in the intestine were partially or completely reversed by the vit. E supplementation. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that NDV infection causes oxidative stress and histopathological changes in the duodenum and jejunum of chickens, which can be partially or fully ameliorated by supplementation of vit. E. Additionally, these findings suggest that oxidative stress contributes to the intestinal damages in NDV infected chickens. These findings will help to understand the pathogenesis of NDV and further investigation of therapeutic agents for control of Newcastle disease

Production, characterization, and epitope mapping of a monoclonal antibody against genotype VII Newcastle disease virus V protein

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) V protein is crucial for viral interferon (IFN) antagonism and virulence, determining its host range restriction. However, little information is available on the B cell epitopes of V protein and the subcellular movement of V protein in the process of NDV infection. In this study, the monoclonal antibody (mAb) clone 3D7 against genotype VII NDV V protein was generated by immunizing mice with a purified recombinant His-tagged carboxyl-terminal domain (CTD) region of V protein. Fine epitope mapping analysis and B-cell epitope prediction indicated that mAb 3D7 recognized a linear epitope 152RGPAELWK159, which is located in the V protein CTD region. Sequence alignment showed that the mAb clone 3D7-recognized epitope is highly conserved among Class II genotype VII NDV strains, but not among other genotypes, suggesting it could serve as a genetic marker to differentiate NDV genotypes. Furthermore, the movement of V protein during NDV replication in infected cells were determined by using this mAb. It was found that V protein localized around the nucleus during virus replication. The establishment of V protein-specific mAb and identification of its epitope extend our understanding of the antigenic characteristics of V protein and provide a basis for the development of epitope-based diagnostic assays

Effect of 5/6 Nephrectomized Rat Serum on Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition In Vitro

Objective: To investigate whether the 5/6 nephrectomized (5/6Nx) rats’ 12-week serum could lead to tubular epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and its molecular mechanism, so as to probe the potential stimulation from circulation in chronic progressive kidney disease. Methods: A total of 24 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups: sham operation group (sham group) and 5/6Nx group. Rats were killed 12 weeks after surgery to obtain 5/6Nx rats’ 12-week serum. Then we detected the expression of E-cadherin in renal tubular epithelial cells of the remaining kidney and we investigated whether the 12th week serum of 5/6Nx rats could cause HK-2 (human kidney proximal tubular cell line) cells to transdifferentiate into fibroblasts. Results: Our data confirmed that E-cadherin expression decreased significantly in the remaining kidney at 12 weeks, and the 5/6Nx rats’ 12-week serum could suppress E-cadherin protein and mRNA expression (p < 0.05). We also found that the 5/6Nx rats’ 12-week serum could upreg-ulate ZEB1, β-catenin, and wnt3 protein expression (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that the 5/6Nx rats’ 12-week serum could suppress the expression of E-cadherin in HK-2 cells. It was partially through modulating the increase of ZEB1. The loss of E-cadherin could lead β-catenin to localize to the cytoplasm and nucleus, and feed into the Wnt signaling pathway. It means that the pathogenic serum in chronic kidney disease (CKD) plays an important role in the loss of renal function and turns to be a new avenue of research with potential clinical implications

Prosedur penyelesaian pembiayaan bermasalah pada akad mudharabah dalam rangka meminimalisir resiko di BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia Magelang

Permasalah kehidupan perekonomian yang sulit, membuat masyarakat berinisiatif untuk membuka usaha sendiri. Mereka membutuhkan suatu bantuan berupa dana untuk memperlancar usahanya, maka BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia Magelang ikut untuk mengembangkan produknya yaitu pembiayaan mudharabah sesuai perkembangan dunia perbankan dalam target peningkatan keuntungan dan menyejahterakan masyarakat. Dengan diberikanya pembiayaan tersebut, terkadang muncul adanya pembiayaan bermasalah dikarenakan ada beberapa faktor diantaranya ketidakmampuan anggota untuk membayar tepat waktu atau jatuh tempo pembayaran diakibatkan karena usaha anggota yang kurang lancar dan lain sebagaianya. Tugas Akhir ini berjudul “ Prosedur Penyelesaian Pembiayaan Bermasalah pada Akad Mudharabah Dalam Rangka Meminimalisir Risiko” Berdasarkan judul tersebut dapat diambil rumusan masalah yaitu apa penyebab terjadinya pembiayaan bermasalah pada BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia Magelang dan bagaimana prosedur penyelesaian pembiayaaan bermasalah pada akad mudharabah di BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia Magelang. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian lapangan dimana sumber data yang digunakan berasal dari data primer dan sekunder yang diperoleh melalui metode wawancara dengan manajer, bagian pembiayaan dan dokumentasi. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif yang bertujuan untuk menggambarkan secara sistematis dan akurat mengenai objek penelitian. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat disimpulkan bahwa penyebab terjadinya pembiayaan bermasalah yaitu faktor internal meliputi kurang telitinya petugas BMT dalam menganalisi data calon anggota, kurang disiplinya dalam penagihan dan eksternal meliputi karakter anggota yang kurang baik, usahanya bangkrut dan terjadinya bencana alam yang tidak terduga. Adapun prosesdur yang digunakan BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia dalam menyelesaian pembiayaan bermasalah pada akad mudharabah dengan cara kekeluargaan atau musyawarah dengan anggota, penjadwalan kembali (rescheduling), persyaratan kembali (reconditioning), pengambilan jaminan (eksekusi), dan write off final. Di BMT Amanah Usaha Mulia dalam penyelesaian pembiayaan bermasalah jarang menngunakan jalur hukum, tetapi sering menggunakan cara kekeluargaan yang dianggap lebih efektif dan eksekusi jaminan apabila anggota tersebut sudah mengalami macet atau bermasalah