MicroRNAs,Parkinson’s Disease,and Diabetes Mellitus

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects 1% of the population over the age of 60. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder that affects approximately 25% of adults over the age of 60. Recent studies showed that DM increases the risk of developing PD. The link between DM and PD has been discussed in the literature in relation to different mechanisms including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and protein aggregation. In this paper, we review the common microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers of both diseases. miRNAs play an important role in cell differentiation, development, the regulation of the cell cycle, and apoptosis. They are also involved in the pathology of many diseases. miRNAs can mediate the insulin pathway and glucose absorption. miRNAs can also regulate PD-related genes. Therefore, exploring the common miRNA biomarkers of both PD and DM can shed a light on how these two diseases are correlated, and targeting miRNAs is a potential therapeutic opportunity for both diseases.     

Preparation and Evaluation of a Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System Loaded with Heparin Phospholipid Complex

A self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) was developed to enhance the absorption of heparin after oral administration, in which heparin was compounded with phospholipids to achieve better fat solubility in the form of heparin-phospholipid (HEP-Pc) complex. HEP-Pc complex was prepared using the solvent evaporation method, which increased the solubility of heparin in n-octanol. The successful preparation of HEP-Pc complex was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, NMR, and SEM. A heparin lipid microemulsion (HEP-LM) was prepared by high-pressure homogenization and characterized. HEP-LM can enhance the absorption of heparin after oral administration, significantly prolong activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and thrombin time (TT) in mice, and reduce fibrinogen (FIB) content. All these outcomes indicate that HEP-LM has great potential as an oral heparin formulation.     

超宽带大功率合成器设计北大核心CSCD

在80 MHz~1 GHz频段,单个功率管输出功率能达到100 W以上,为研制输出功率400 W的功率放大器,文中设计了四路功率合成器。该合成器需要实现功率容量大、工作频带宽、体积小的设计目标。在功率容量方面,文中采用悬置带状线结构,其功率容量远远大于微带线结构;在工作频带方面,采用切比雪夫九节阻抗变换器,将工作带宽拓宽为80 MHz~1 GHz;在体积方面,文中合成器的功率合成部分采用Y型节级联实现四路功率合成,阻抗变换部分采用切比雪夫阻抗变换器进行阻抗变换,该结构相较于磁环巴伦功率合成器,不但具有损耗小、平坦度高的优点,而且通过将阻抗变换器设计成曲折的形状,进一步缩小了合成器体积。仿真与实测结果显示该合成器在80 MHz~1 GHz范围内还具有较高的平坦度,合成效率可达90%以上。     

基于乙酰胆碱酯酶和氧化应激研究海胆酮对阿尔茨海默症的作用机制

海胆酮是一种酮式类胡萝卜素，主要从海胆及藻类等海洋生物中提取。本文研究海胆酮对乙酰胆碱酯酶（acetylcholinesterase，AChE）的抑制作用，应用酶动力学、荧光光谱、圆二色光谱和分子对接技术研究海胆酮对AChE的抑制机理，并用淀粉样β蛋白片段25～35（amyloid beta-peptide 25-35，Aβ25-35）诱导大鼠肾上腺嗜铬细胞瘤细胞（PC12细胞）建立阿尔茨海默症（Alzheimer’s disease，AD）模型，研究海胆酮对AD细胞模型氧化应激损伤的作用。结果表明，海胆酮有很强的AChE抑制活性，其半抑制质量浓度为（16.29±0.97）μg/mL，抑制常数Ki为3.82 μg/mL，表现为竞争性抑制；海胆酮可诱导AChE二级结构改变，更容易与AChE活性中心氨基酸Ser200、His440、Trp84和Tyr121结合，阻碍底物碘代硫代乙酰胆碱（acetylthiocholine iodide，ATCI）与酶结合，从而引起酶活力降低。海胆酮能有效抑制Aβ25-35诱导PC12细胞的AChE活力，降低丙二醛含量，增加超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活力，减轻Aβ25-35诱导的PC12细胞氧化应激损伤。本研究基于AChE和氧化应激阐明了海胆酮对AD的潜在作用机制，为海胆酮在功能食品、生物医药等领域的应用提供了数据支持和理论根据。     

New exact solutions of the Tzitzéica-type equations in non-linear optics using the expa function method

One specific class of non-linear evolution equations, known as the Tzitzéica-type equations, has received great attention from a group of researchers involved in non-linear science. In this article, new exact solutions of the Tzitzéica-type equations arising in non-linear optics, including the Tzitzéica, Dodd–Bullough–Mikhailov and Tzitzéica–Dodd–Bullough equations, are obtained using the exp_a function method. The integration technique actually suggests a useful and reliable method to extract new exact solutions of a wide range of non-linear evolution equations.     

A Voltage Control Method for a Distributed Line Feeder by means of Multiagent Approach

This paper proposes a method for the coordinated control of power factor by means of a multiagent approach. The proposed multiagent system consists of two types of agent: single feeder agent (F_AG) and bus agent (B_AG). In the proposed system, an F_AG plays as an important role, which decides the power factors of all distributed generators by executing the load flow calculations repeatedly. The voltage control strategies are implemented as the class definition of Java into the system. In order to verify the performance of the proposed method, it has been applied to a typical distribution model system. The simulation results show that the system is able to control very violent fluctuation of the demands and the photovoltaic (PV) generations.     

Feedforward control of the transverse strip profile in hot-dip galvanizing lines

Hot-dip galvanizing is a standard technology to produce coated steel strips. The primary objective of the galvanizing process is to establish a homogeneous zinc layer with a defined thickness. One condition to achieve this objective is a uniform transverse distance between the strip and the gas wiping dies, which blow off excessive liquid zinc. Therefore, a flat strip profile at the gas wiping dies is required. However, strips processed in such plants often exhibit residual curvatures which entail unknown flatness defects of the strip. Such flatness defects cause non-uniform air gaps and hence an inhomogeneous zinc coating thickness. Modern hot-dip galvanizing lines often use electromagnets to control the transverse strip profile near the gas wiping dies. Typically, the control algorithms ensure a flat strip profile at the electromagnets because the sensors for the transverse strip displacement are also located at this position and it is unfeasible to mount displacement sensors directly at the gas wiping dies. This brings along that in general a flatness defect remains at the gas wiping dies, which in turn entails a suboptimal coating.In this paper, a model-based method for a feedforward control of the strip profile at the position of the gas wiping dies is developed. This method is based on a plate model of the axially moving strip that takes into account the flatness defects in the strip. First, an estimator of the flatness defects is developed and validated for various test strips and settings of the plant. Using the validated mathematical model, a simulation study is performed to compare the state-of-the-art control approach (flat strip profile at the electromagnets) with the optimization-based feedforward controller (flat strip profile at the gas wiping dies) proposed in this paper. Moreover, the influence of the distance between the gas wiping dies and the electromagnets is investigated in detail.