The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) is known to relay noxious information to the amygdala for processing affective responses. However, it is unclear whether the LPBN actively processes ...neuropathic pain characterized by persistent hyperalgesia with aversive emotional responses. Here we report that neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity induced by common peroneal nerve (CPN) ligation increases nociceptive stimulation-induced responses in glutamatergic LPBN neurons. Optogenetic activation of GABAergic LPBN neurons does not affect basal nociception, but alleviates neuropathic pain-like behavior. Optogenetic activation of glutamatergic or inhibition of GABAergic LPBN neurons induces neuropathic pain-like behavior in naïve mice. Inhibition of glutamatergic LPBN neurons alleviates both basal nociception and neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity. Repetitive pharmacogenetic activation of glutamatergic or GABAergic LPBN neurons respectively mimics or prevents the development of CPN ligation-induced neuropathic pain-like hypersensitivity. These findings indicate that a delicate balance between excitatory and inhibitory LPBN neuronal activity governs the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain.
In this article, considering denial-of-service (DoS) attacks and stochastic disturbances, the adaptive decentralized fuzzy security problem of a family of large-scale nonlinear systems is addressed. ...To mitigate the adverse effects from DoS attack, a compensator is constructed to model the output signals, and a compensator-based estimator that utilizes the designed compensator signals is designed to acquire the unmeasurable state variables. Then, an estimator-based secure control scheme is proposed by employing the adaptive backstepping technique against DoS attacks, where the unknown nonlinearities are approximated through fuzzy logic systems due to their powerful approximation capability. By combining of Lyapunov stability theory and a modified average dwell time method that incorporates the constraints imposed on DoS attacks, the stability of the closed-loop system is established. Moreover, the controller guarantees the convergence of tracking errors to a vicinity of the origin even under DoS attacks, and all signals remain semiglobally uniformly ultimately bounded in probability. Eventually, the validity of the established solution is examined in a simulation example.
To study the formation of online consumers' information privacy concern and its effect, scholars from different perspectives applied multiple theories in research. To date, there has yet to be a ...systematic review and integration of the theories in literature. To fill the gap, this study reviews fifteen established theories in online information privacy research and recognizes the primary contributions and connections of the theories. Based on the review, an integrated framework is developed for further research. The framework highlights two interrelated trade-offs that influence an individual's information disclosure behavior: the privacy calculus (i.e., the trade-off between expected benefits and privacy risks) and the risk calculus (i.e., the trade-off between privacy risks and efficacy of coping mechanisms). These two trade-offs are together called the dual-calculus model. A decision table based on the dual-calculus model is provided to predict an individual's intention to disclose personal information online. Implications of the study for further research and practice are discussed.
► This study reports a review on fifteen theories in online information privacy research. ► An integrated theoretical framework is proposed from the fifteen theories. ► Two interrelated tradeoffs are recognized. ► The risk calculus is proposed for future research. ► A decision table based on the two tradeoffs is further provided.
This paper studies the problem of finite time control for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown actuator faults where the total number of failures is allowed to be infinite. By fusing ...the techniques of command filter and backstepping control, a two-step design method is proposed to construct the controller, under which the effect of actuator faults can be compensated completely. Moreover, the proposed controller can avoid the “explosion of complexity” and “singularity” problems in the backstepping design framework. Based on the finite time stability criterion, it is proved that both the tracking performance and the closed-loop stability can be ensured in a finite time. Finally, a simulation example of one-link manipulator is given to verify the effectiveness the proposed finite fault tolerant control scheme.
Wuhan was the first epicentre of COVID-19 in the world, accounting for 80% of cases in China during the first wave. We aimed to assess household transmissibility of severe acute respiratory syndrome ...coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and risk factors associated with infectivity and susceptibility to infection in Wuhan.
This retrospective cohort study included the households of all laboratory-confirmed or clinically confirmed COVID-19 cases and laboratory-confirmed asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections identified by the Wuhan Center for Disease Control and Prevention between Dec 2, 2019, and April 18, 2020. We defined households as groups of family members and close relatives who did not necessarily live at the same address and considered households that shared common contacts as epidemiologically linked. We used a statistical transmission model to estimate household secondary attack rates and to quantify risk factors associated with infectivity and susceptibility to infection, accounting for individual-level exposure history. We assessed how intervention policies affected the household reproductive number, defined as the mean number of household contacts a case can infect.
27 101 households with 29 578 primary cases and 57 581 household contacts were identified. The secondary attack rate estimated with the transmission model was 15·6% (95% CI 15·2–16·0), assuming a mean incubation period of 5 days and a maximum infectious period of 22 days. Individuals aged 60 years or older were at a higher risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 than all other age groups. Infants aged 0–1 years were significantly more likely to be infected than children aged 2–5 years (odds ratio OR 2·20, 95% CI 1·40–3·44) and children aged 6–12 years (1·53, 1·01–2·34). Given the same exposure time, children and adolescents younger than 20 years of age were more likely to infect others than were adults aged 60 years or older (1·58, 1·28–1·95). Asymptomatic individuals were much less likely to infect others than were symptomatic cases (0·21, 0·14–0·31). Symptomatic cases were more likely to infect others before symptom onset than after (1·42, 1·30–1·55). After mass isolation of cases, quarantine of household contacts, and restriction of movement policies were implemented, household reproductive numbers declined by 52% among primary cases (from 0·25 95% CI 0·24–0·26 to 0·12 0·10–0·13) and by 63% among secondary cases (from 0·17 0·16–0·18 to 0·063 0·057–0·070).
Within households, children and adolescents were less susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection but were more infectious than older individuals. Presymptomatic cases were more infectious and individuals with asymptomatic infection less infectious than symptomatic cases. These findings have implications for devising interventions for blocking household transmission of SARS-CoV-2, such as timely vaccination of eligible children once resources become available.
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, US National Institutes of Health, and US National Science Foundation.
A
bstract
With the hypothesis of minimal flavor violation, we find that there exists a power-aligned relation between the Yukawa couplings of the two scalar doublets in the two-Higgs-doublet model ...with Hermitian Yukawa matrices. Within such a power-aligned framework, it is found that a simultaneous explanation of the anomalies observed in the electron and muon anomalous magnetic moments can be reached with TeV-scale quasi-degenerate Higgs masses, and the resulting parameter space is also phenomenologically safer under the B-physics,
Z
and
τ
decay data, as well as the current LHC bounds. Furthermore, the flavor-universal power that enhances the charged-lepton Yukawa couplings prompts an interesting correlation between the two anomalies, which makes the model distinguishable from the (generalized) linearly aligned and the lepton-specific two-Higgs-doublet models that address the same anomalies but in a non-correlative manner, and hence testable by future precise measurements.
In this article, an adaptive neural finite-time event-triggered consensus tracking problem is studied for nonlinear multiagent systems (MASs) under directed graphs. First, the unknown nonlinear ...functions of MASs can be approximated by neural networks. Then, a distributed adaptive event-triggered control scheme is proposed via command filter and backstepping technique. The newly designed control scheme cannot only circumvent the problem of the explosion of complexity, but also remove the singularity issue typical of conventional backstepping technique. In the meanwhile, an event-triggered mechanism with a dynamic threshold is devised to reduce the waste of network resources. Moreover, by using a novel finite-time stability criterion, it can be proved that the closed-loop system is finite-time stable and the consensus tracking errors can reach zero as time approaches to infinity. Finally, a numerical example is given to validate the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
Molecular machines based on mechanically-interlocked molecules (MIMs) such as (pseudo) rotaxanes or catenates are known for their molecular-level dynamics, but promoting macro-mechanical response of ...these molecular machines or related materials is still challenging. Herein, by employing macrocyclic cucurbit8uril (CB8)-based pseudorotaxane with a pair of styrene-derived photoactive guest molecules as linking structs of uranyl node, we describe a metal-organic rotaxane compound, U-CB8-MPyVB, that is capable of delivering controllable macroscopic mechanical responses. Under light irradiation, the ladder-shape structural unit of metal-organic rotaxane chain in U-CB8-MPyVB undergoes a regioselective solid-state 2 + 2 photodimerization, and facilitates a photo-triggered single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation, which even induces macroscopic photomechanical bending of individual rod-like bulk crystals. The fabrication of rotaxane-based crystalline materials with both photoresponsive microscopic and macroscopic dynamic behaviors in solid state can be promising photoactuator devices, and will have implications in emerging fields such as optomechanical microdevices and smart microrobotics.
Single‐cell and in situ cell‐based operation with nanopipette approach offers a possibility to elucidate the intracellular processes and may aid the improvement of therapy efficiency and precision. ...We present here a photo‐responsive hydrogel‐nanopipette hybrid system that can achieve single‐cell operation with high spatial/temporal resolution and negligible cell damage. This strategy overcomes long‐time obstacles in nanopipette single‐cell studies as high electric potential (ca. 1000 mV) or organic solvent is always used during operations, which would inevitably impose disturbance and damage to targeted cells. The light‐triggered system promotes a potential‐free, non‐invasive single‐cell injection, resulting in a well‐retained cell viability (90 % survival rate). Moreover, the photo‐driven injection enables a precisely dose‐controllable single‐cell drug delivery. Significantly reduced lethal doses of doxorubicin (163–217 fg cell−1) are demonstrated in corresponding cell lines.
The fabrication of photo‐responsive hydrogel‐nanopipette system ensures both precision single‐cell operation and high cell preservation. Upon light‐controlled, non‐invasive operation, a high cell viability over 90 % as well as precise quantification of injection are obtained. Hence, a single‐cell precise‐dosing is achieved with a minimum lethal dose of 163–217 fg cell−1.
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