Distributed Fixed-Time Control for Leader-Steered Rigid Shape Formation With Prescribed Performance.

Resorting to the principle of rigid body kinematics, a novel framework for a multirobot network is proposed to form and maintain an invariant rigid geometric shape. Unlike consensus-based formation, this approach can perform both translational and rotational movements of the formation geometry, ensuring that the entire formation motion remains consistent with the leader. To achieve the target formation shape and motion, a distributed control protocol for multiple Euler-Lagrange robotic vehicles subject to nonholonomic constraints is developed. The proposed protocol includes a novel prescribed performance control (PPC) algorithm that addresses the second-order dynamics of the robotic vehicles by employing a combination of nonsingular sliding manifold and adaptive law. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed formation framework and control protocol is demonstrated through the numerical simulations and practical experiments with a team of four robotic vehicles.

USP25 inhibition ameliorates Alzheimer's pathology through the regulation of APP processing and Aß generation.

Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, is one of the critical risk factors for early-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), implicating key roles for chromosome 21-encoded genes in the pathogenesis of AD. We previously identified a role for the deubiquitinase USP25, encoded on chromosome 21, in regulating microglial homeostasis in the AD brain; however, whether USP25 affects amyloid pathology remains unknown. Here, by crossing 5×FAD AD and Dp16 DS mice, we observed that trisomy 21 exacerbated amyloid pathology in the 5×FAD brain. Moreover, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgene-mediated USP25 overexpression increased amyloid deposition in the 5×FAD mouse brain, whereas genetic deletion of Usp25 reduced amyloid deposition. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that USP25 promoted ß cleavage of APP and Aß generation by reducing the ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation of both APP and BACE1. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of USP25 ameliorated amyloid pathology in the 5×FAD mouse brain. In summary, we identified the DS-related gene USP25 as a critical regulator of AD pathology, and our data suggest that USP25 serves as a potential pharmacological target for AD drug development.

Contributions of enhanced endogenous microbial metabolism via inoculation with a novel microbial consortium into an anoxic side-stream reactor to in-situ sludge reduction for landfill leachate treatment.

In-situ sludge reduction plays a significant role in reducing excess sludge production. This study investigated the role of beneficial microorganisms (BM) in the anoxic-oxic-settling-anoxic (A-OSA) process associated with the in-situ sludge reduction efficiency under synthetic landfill leachate treatment. The rates of excess sludge reduction with the inoculation of BM increased up to 53.6% (calculated as total suspended solids) and 38.3% (calculated as total volume), respectively. Side-stream reactors, as important components of the A-OSA process, were further studied to explore change of parameters related to in-situ sludge reduction. With the inoculation of BM, the release and conversion of extracellular polymeric substances and the dehydrogenase activity (increasing rate = 60.9%) were increased. Species richness and microbial diversity, as well as the microbial community composition (e.g., hydrolytic and fermentative bacteria), were improved via bioaugmentation. Moreover, potential gene functions of microorganisms were positively regulated and the abundance of gene expressions (e.g., nirK, norB) for in-situ sludge reduction could be improved.

Control effect of functional strength training for aerobics sports injury.

OBJECTIVE: The study was carried out to improve scientificity in aerobics training, reduce sports injury and boost further development of aerobics. METHODS: In the study, 1000 aerobics athletes from sports colleges were selected as research subjects. In this study, the prevention and treatment effect of functional strength training on calisthenics injury was analyzed. The research subjects were given functional strength training (including training under stable conditions, training under unstable conditions) for three months and then followed up for three months. After the training, the performance of the subjects in the calisthenics training was analyzed by using the functional movement test scale. RESULTS: The results showed that the1000 surveyed aerobics athletes had good motion stability and flexibility after functional strength training. Although 94 (9.4%) athletes had deficiency in some sport function, no serious sports injury was caused. CONCLUSIONS: As can be known from the study, for aerobics athletes, functional strength training can strengthen general strength training, further improve aerobics athletes' motor coordination ability, control ability, stability ability, enhance overall strength of athletes, thereby effectively preventing sports injuries.

Low temperature advanced nitrogen and sulfate removal from landfill leachate by nitrite-anammox and sulfate-anammox.

Under anaerobic conditions, ammonium (NH4+) can react with nitrite (NO2-) and sulfate (SO42-), termed nitrite-anammox (NirAnammox) and sulfate-anammox (Sulfammox), respectively. However, how to remove NH4+ and SO42- together from leachate is unclear. In this study, NirAnammox and Sulfammox cooperatively achieved nitrogen and sulfate removal from leachate using a biological process at low temperature (14-15 °C). NH4+, total nitrogen (TN), and SO42- concentrations in the influent were 610-700, 670-900, 1870-1920 mg/L, respectively, and 10 ± 1, 35 ± 3, and 897.7 ± 10 mg/L, respectively, in the effluent. Sulfammox, and NirAnammox (including partial nitrification) removed 44.2% and 35.46% of the NH4+, respectively. Therefore, because leachate contains high concentrations of NH4+ and SO42-, NirAnammox and Sulfammox can easily occur together, with nitrogen removal by Sulfammox being more than NirAnammox. The relative abundance of dominant bacteria of the Sulfammox were 10-20 times that of Candidatus Kuenenia (NirAnammox) in each reactor. Organic matter negatively affected NirAnammox, but not Sulfammox. Dissolved oxygen negatively affected both.

Cooperation between partial-nitrification, complete ammonia oxidation (comammox), and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) in sludge digestion liquid for nitrogen removal.

The challenge of sludge digester liquor treatment is its high ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration. Early reports found that complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) was not present and anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) was difficult to achieve in most sludge digester liquor treatments. In this study, NH4+-N removal by cooperation between partial-nitrification, comammox, and anammox processes was achieved in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for sludge digester liquor treatment. The results showed that 2100-2200 mg/L of NH4+-N was removed in the SBR with 98.82% removal efficiency. In addition, 55.11% of NH4+-N was converted to nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N) by partial-nitrification, 25.43% of NH4+-N was converted to nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) by comammox, and 18.28% of NH4+-N was removed by anammox. During the operation, in the SBR, the relative abundance of the dominant ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Chitinophagaceae) was 18.89%, that of the dominant anammox bacteria (Candidatus Kuenenia) was 0.10%, and that of the dominant comammox bacteria (Nitrospira) was 0.20%. Therefore, the high nitrogen removal efficiency in this system was considered the result of the combination of the three processes. These results showed that comammox and anammox could play very important roles in nitrogen transformation and energy-saving in nitrogen removal systems.

Low energy treatment of landfill leachate using simultaneous partial nitrification and partial denitrification with anaerobic ammonia oxidation.

An up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor (UASB), anoxic/oxic (A/O)-anaerobic ammonia oxidation reactor (ANAOR or anammox reactor), and anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) were employed in the treatment of landfill leachate with partial nitrification-anammox and half-denitrification-anammox. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) concentration, ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N) concentration, and total nitrogen (TN) concentration of the basal leachate was 2200-2500 mg/L, 1200-1300 mg/L, and 1300-1400 mg/L, respectively. After a 1:2 dilution using domestic sewage, the COD, NH4+-N, and TN concentrations in the influent were 800-1000 mg/L, 400-430 mg/L, and 420-440 mg/L, respectively. After treatment, the final COD, NH4+-N, and TN were decreased to 90-100 mg/L, 13-14 mg/L, and 35-38 mg/L, respectively. In the ASBR, organic carbon sources in sewage-diluted landfill leachate were introduced for the conversion of nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) into nitrite nitrogen (NO2--N). This enabled the continued reaction of NO2--N with NH4+-N from the newly introduced sewage-diluted landfill leachate via anammox. As a result, complete TN removal was achieved in the system. Microbial diversity analysis indicated that the relative abundance of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) was four to five times greater than nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) in the A/O reactor, showing that partial nitrification was prevalent. The relative abundance of the anammox bacterium Candidatus Kuenenia gradually increased in each reactor, reaching a maximum of 1.17%-1.39%. Using this set-up, we achieved advanced, efficient, and economical, COD reduction and nitrogen removal. Taken together, the findings provide important insights into the optimal operation of landfill leachate treatments.

[Testicular microlithiasis: ultrasonic diagnosis and correlation with male infertility].

OBJECTIVE: To study the sonographic appearance of testicular microlithiasis (TM) and its correlation with male infertility. METHODS: We conducted high-resolution 2D ultrasound examination for 1 198 patients with scrotal diseases, including 379 with infertility and 819 with other testicular diseases. RESULTS: TM was found in 21 of the infertile men (5.54%) and 12 of the other 819 fertile patients (1.47%). TM was correlated with male infertility (r = 0. 115, P < 0.01), with a higher incidence in the infertile patients than in patients with other testicular diseases (P < 0.05). Sonography of TM showed high-echo dots in the testicular parenchyma, sparse, sporadic or converted, about 1 mm in diameter and without shadow. CONCLUSION: The sonographic appearance of TM, with its obvious features, is conducive to the definite diagnosis of the disease. TM is correlated with male infertility.