Upregulation of NR2A in Glutamatergic VTA Neurons Contributes to Chronic Visceral Pain in Male Mice.

Chronic visceral pain is a persistent and debilitating condition arising from dysfunction or sensitization of the visceral organs and their associated nervous pathways. Increasing evidence suggests that imbalances in central nervous system function play an essential role in the progression of visceral pain, but the exact mechanisms underlying the neural circuitry and molecular targets remain largely unexplored. In the present study, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) was shown to mediate visceral pain in mice.

Robust finite-time input-to-state stability via impulsive hybrid control for uncertain dynamical systems with disturbances.

This paper studies the robust finite-time input-to-state stability (R-FT-ISS) including robust finite-time stability (R-FTS) via impulsive hybrid control (IHC) for uncertain dynamical systems (UDS) with disturbances. The notions of robust GKL-stability, R-FT-ISS, and R-FTS are proposed. Time-based IHC (T-IHC) and state-based IHC (S-IHC) are proposed, respectively.

Improvement of Efficiency in Kesterite Solar Cells by Intentionally Inserting a Thin MoS Layer into the Back Interface.

A Mo(S,Se) interfacial layer is formed inevitably and uncontrollably between the Mo electrode and CuZnSn(S,Se) (CZTSSe) absorber during the selenization process, which significantly influences the performance of CZTSSe solar cells. In this work, an ultrathin MoS layer is intentionally inserted into Mo/CZTSSe to reduce the recombination and thus optimize the interface quality. It is revealed that the absorber exhibits a continuous and compact morphology with bigger grains and remarkably without pinholes across the surface or cross-sectional regions after MoS modification.

A possible mechanism of Cry7Ab4 protein in delaying pupation of larvae.

Cry toxins produced by (Bt) are well known for their insecticidal activities against Lepidopteran, Dipteran, and Coleopteran species. In our previous work, we showed that trypsin-digested full-length Cry7Ab4 protoxin did not have insecticidal activity against larvae but strongly inhibited their growth. In this paper, we expressed and purified recombinant active Cry7Ab4 toxic core from for bioassay and identified its binding proteins.

Rheological Properties of Organic Kerosene Gel Fuel.

Gel fuel potentially combines the advantages of solid fuel and liquid fuel due to its special rheological properties, which have essential impacts on the application of gel fuel in propulsion systems. In this paper, we study the rheological property of organic kerosene gel through a series of measurements on its viscosity as a function of the shear rate, temperature, and shear history. The measured datasets are then fitted with constitutive relationships between the viscosity and shear rate at three different levels: the power law shear-thinning model, the power law dependency on both the temperature and shear rate, and the thixotropic property.

A paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus input to ventral of lateral septal nucleus controls chronic visceral pain.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by chronic visceral pain with complex etiology and difficult treatment. Accumulated evidence has confirmed that the sensitization of the central nervous system plays an important role in the development of visceral pain, whereas the exact mechanisms of action of the neural pathways remain largely unknown. In this study, a distinct neural circuit was identified from the paraventricular hypothalamic (PVH) to the ventral of lateral septal (LSV) region.

Independent risk factors for disease recurrence after surgery in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma ≤3 cm in diameter.

Background: Post-operative recurrence rates are high for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to explore the factors associated with post-operative 1-year recurrence rate in patients with HBV-related HCC who had a single small primary tumor (≤3 cm in diameter).

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 203 (training cohort) and 64 (validation cohort) patients newly diagnosed with HBV-related HCC who had a single small primary tumor.

Effects of adjuvant traditional Chinese medicine therapy on long-term survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Many patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Asian countries seek adjuvant therapy with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This study aims to explore the benefits of TCM therapy in the long-term survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in China.

Patients And Methods: In total, 3483 patients with HCC admitted to the Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University were enrolled in this study.