Diagnostic value of circulating microRNA-208a in differentiation of preserved from reduced ejection fraction heart failure.

BACKGROUND: There is no satisfactory answer on the specific biomarker that might be used in differentiating heart failure with reduced EF (HFrEF), allowing for inadequacy of N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). OBJECTIVES: We aim to evaluate the value of microRNA-208a in diagnosing HFrEF patients. METHODS: We included 120 HF patients and 60 healthy volunteers. Diagnostic values of NT-proBNP and miR-208a for HF patients versus controls and HFrEF versus HFpEF were described by area under curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: HFrEF patients had significantly higher miR-208a level (p<0.001). As for diagnosing HFrEF patients, additional use of miR-208a and NT-proBNP yielded a significantly higher AUC than NT-proBNP alone (0.83, 95% CI 0.76-0.90 vs. 0.73, 95% CI 0.64-0.82) and the sensitivity and specificity were raised to 68.0% and 90.2%. CONCLUSION: Use of miR-208a in combination with NT-proBNP may allow a more reliable method in diagnosing HFrEF patients.

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Indoor Mobile Robot Path Planning.

This paper proposes a novel incremental training mode to address the problem of Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) based path planning for a mobile robot. Firstly, we evaluate the related graphic search algorithms and Reinforcement Learning (RL) algorithms in a lightweight 2D environment. Then, we design the algorithm based on DRL, including observation states, reward function, network structure as well as parameters optimization, in a 2D environment to circumvent the time-consuming works for a 3D environment. We transfer the designed algorithm to a simple 3D environment for retraining to obtain the converged network parameters, including the weights and biases of deep neural network (DNN), etc. Using these parameters as initial values, we continue to train the model in a complex 3D environment. To improve the generalization of the model in different scenes, we propose to combine the DRL algorithm Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic policy gradients (TD3) with the traditional global path planning algorithm Probabilistic Roadmap (PRM) as a novel path planner (PRM+TD3). Experimental results show that the incremental training mode can notably improve the development efficiency. Moreover, the PRM+TD3 path planner can effectively improve the generalization of the model.

Catalytic C-C Cleavage/Alkyne-Carbonyl Metathesis Sequence of Cyclobutanones.

A ring-opening/alkyne-carbonyl metathesis sequence of alkyne-tethered cyclobutanones catalyzed by AgSbF6 is realized for the first time to furnish multisubstituted naphthyl ketones under mild conditions. A range of substrates decorated with various substituents at different positions were all well accommodated. Preliminary mechanistic studies show that silver salt acted as a Lewis acid to facilitate both C-C cleavage of the cyclobutanone moiety and the subsequent metathesis between C═O and C≡C bonds.

High affinity of interaction between superantigen and T cell receptor Vbeta molecules induces a high level and prolonged expansion of superantigen-reactive CD4+ T cells.

In mice implanted with an osmotic pump filled with the superantigen (SAG) staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA), the Vß3(+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited a high level of expansion whereas the Vß11(+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited a mild level of expansion. In contrast, in mice implanted with an osmotic pump filled with SE-like type P (SElP, 78.1% homologous with SEA), the Vß11(+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited a high level of expansion while the Vß3(+)CD4(+) T cells exhibited a low level of expansion, suggesting that the level of the SAG-induced response is determined by the affinities between the TCR Vß molecules and SAG. Analyses using several hybrids of SEA and SElP showed that residue 206 of SEA determines the response levels of Vß3(+)CD4(+) and Vß11(+)CD4(+) T cells both in vitro and in vivo. Analyses using the above-mentioned hybrids showed that the binding affinities between SEA and the Vß3/Vß11 ß chains and between SEA-MHC class II-molecule complex and Vß3(+)/Vß11(+) CD4(+) T cells determines the response levels of the SAG-reactive T cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Interaction between superantigen and T-cell receptor Vbeta element determines levels of superantigen-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity of CD8(+) T cells in induction and effector phases.

Specific superantigens activate different T-cell fractions with distinct TCR V beta elements in association with MHC class II molecules and also induce SDCC against MHC class II(+) target cells. In the present study, to determine whether the responsiveness of each CD8(+) T-cell fraction expressing a different TCR V beta element is primarily determined by the TCR V beta, we compared the levels of proliferation and SDCC in V beta3(+) and V beta11(+) T cells upon stimulation with SEA. Upon stimulation with SEA(wt), the levels of proliferation were higher in V beta3(+) T cells than in V beta11(+) T cells. The levels of SDCC were also higher for the combination of V beta3(+) T cells and SEA(wt) than for the combination of V beta11(+) T cells and SEA(wt) during both the induction phase and the effector phase. In addition, upon stimulation with SEA(m), the levels of proliferation were higher in V beta11(+) T cells than in V beta3(+) T cells. And then, the levels of SDCC were also higher for the combination of V beta11(+) T cells and SEA(m) than for the combination of Vbeta3(+) T cells and SEA(m) during both the induction phase and the effector phase. These results suggest that the SAG-responsiveness of each CD8(+) T-cell fraction expressing a different TCR V beta element is primarily determined by the interaction between the TCR V beta element and the SAG.