This note further investigates the locally and globally adaptive synchronization of an uncertain complex dynamical network. Several network synchronization criteria are deduced. Especially, our ...hypotheses and designed adaptive controllers for network synchronization are rather simple in form. It is very useful for future practical engineering design. Moreover, numerical simulations are also given to show the effectiveness of our synchronization approaches.
Background and purpose
Besides a distinct spectrum of demyelinating syndromes, encephalitis was observed in patients with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG‐abs).
Methods
The ...clinical records of 690 patients with idiopathic demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system seen in our center from June 2015 to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. All underwent serum aquaporin 4 antibody (AQP4‐ab) and MOG‐ab detection by cell‐based assays as a routine diagnostic approach. Patients with MOG‐abs or AQP4‐abs who had ever experienced an encephalitis‐like illness during the disease course were identified. Whether diagnoses of possible or definite autoimmune encephalitis could be reached with regard to these particular episodes of encephalitis was determined. The incidence and clinical features of encephalitis in anti‐MOG disease are described in detail and compared with those in anti‐AQP4 disease.
Results
Amongst the 690 patients, 87 were MOG‐ab‐positive whilst 140 were AQP4‐ab‐positive. 20.7% (18/87) of the MOG‐ab‐positive patients had typical presentations of encephalitis. Unique cortical lesions (72.2%, 13/18) were observed; fever (55.6%), intracranial hypertension (41.2%) and cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis (64.7%) were common during MOG‐ab‐associated encephalitis. Sixteen of the 18 patients fulfilled the criteria of definite autoimmune encephalitis (specific disease with MOG‐ab) during encephalitis, and five patients overlapped with anti‐N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate‐receptor encephalitis (NMDARE). Only 3.6% (5/140) of the AQP4‐ab‐positive patients had encephalitis, and none overlapped with NMDARE. The Expanded Disability Status Scale scores and the Cerebral Functional System Scores at last follow‐up were lower in patients with MOG‐ab‐associated encephalitis than in those with AQP4‐ab‐associated encephalitis.
Conclusions
Encephalitis should be recognized as an important clinical component in anti‐MOG diseases.
Aim
Recent studies have shown that sarcopenia is associated with negative postoperative outcomes. However, none of these studies analysed muscle strength or physical performance, which are also ...important components of sarcopenia. The present study aimed to investigate whether sarcopenia itself, as defined by low muscle mass, strength and physical performance, would predict complications after surgery for colorectal cancer.
Method
We conducted a prospective study of patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer at our department between August 2014 and February 2015. Sarcopenia was diagnosed by a combination of third lumbar vertebra muscle index (L3 MI), handgrip strength and 6‐m usual gait speed. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the risk factors for postoperative complications were performed. Only complications classified as Grade II or above according to the Clavien–Dindo classification were analysed in this study.
Results
A total of 142 patients were included in the study, and 17 patients were diagnosed as having sarcopenia. Postoperative complications of Grade II or above occurred in 40 patients, including 10 with sarcopenia and 30 without sarcopenia. Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia and previous abdominal surgery were independent risk factors for postoperative complications. Patients with sarcopenia also had an obvious tendency to a higher incidence of infectious complications. By comparing two logistic regression models, sarcopenia showed a better predictive power for postoperative complications than did low muscle mass.
Conclusion
Sarcopenia and previous abdominal surgery are independent risk factors for complications after surgery for colorectal cancer. Including a functional aspect to the definition of sarcopenia may result in a better prediction of postoperative complications.
Summary
Photosynthetic microalgae can capture solar energy and convert it to bioenergy and biochemical products. In nature or industrial processes, microalgae live together with bacterial communities ...and may maintain symbiotic relationships. In general interactions, microalgae exude dissolved organic carbon that becomes available to bacteria. In return, the bacteria remineralize sulphur, nitrogen and phosphorous to support the further growth of microalgae. In specific interactions, heterotrophic bacteria supply B vitamins as organic cofactors or produce siderophores to bind iron, which could be utilized by microalgae, while the algae supply fixed carbon to the bacteria in return. In this review, we focus on mutualistic relationship between microalgae and bacteria, summarizing recent studies on the mechanisms involved in microalgae–bacteria symbiosis. Symbiotic bacteria on promoting microalgal growth are described and the relevance of microalgae–bacteria interactions for biofuel production processes is discussed. Symbiotic microalgae–bacteria consortia could be utilized to improve microalgal biomass production and to enrich the biomass with valuable chemical and energy compounds. The suitable control of such biological interactions between microalgae and bacteria will help to improve the microalgae‐based biomass and biofuel production in the future.
Divergent lncRNAs that are transcribed in the opposite direction to nearby protein-coding genes comprise a significant proportion (∼20%) of total lncRNAs in mammalian genomes. Through genome-wide ...analysis, we found that the distribution of this lncRNA class strongly correlates with essential developmental regulatory genes. In pluripotent cells, divergent lncRNAs regulate the transcription of nearby genes. As an example, the divergent lncRNA Evx1as promotes transcription of its neighbor gene, EVX1, and regulates mesendodermal differentiation. At a single-cell level, early broad expression of Evx1as is followed by a rapid, high-level transcription of EVX1, supporting the idea that Evx1as plays an upstream role to facilitate EVX1 transcription. Mechanistically, Evx1as RNA binds to regulatory sites on chromatin, promotes an active chromatin state, and interacts with Mediator. Based on our analyses, we propose that the biological function of thousands of uncharacterized lncRNAs of this class may be inferred from the role of their neighboring adjacent genes.
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•Genomic organization of divergent lncRNAs correlates strongly with regulatory genes•Divergent lncRNAs regulate the expression of adjacent genes in pluripotent cells•The lncRNA Evx1as binds locally to chromatin and promotes EVX1 transcription in cis•Evx1as acts upstream of EVX1 to mediate mesendodermal lineage differentiation
Based on broad genomic analysis and specific functional characterization in pluripotent cells, Luo and colleagues suggest that a major class of lncRNAs that is arranged divergently to nearby genes plays a role in transcriptional regulation to fine-tune gene expression and lineage differentiation.
We report a microfluidic fluorescence activated cell-sorting (μFACS) device that employs traveling surface acoustic waves (TSAW) to sort cells at rates comparable to conventional jet-in-air FACS ...machines, with high purity and viability. The device combines inertial flow focusing and sheath flow to align and evenly space cells, improving the sorting accuracy and screening rate. We sort with an interdigital transducer (IDT) whose tapered geometry allows precise positioning of the TSAW for optimal cell sorting. We sort three different cell lines at several kHz, at cell velocities exceeding one meter per second, while maintaining both sorting purity and cell viability at around 90% simultaneously.
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