Miller-Fisher syndrome (MFS) is a rare variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) manifesting as the triad of ataxia, areflexia, and ophthalmoplegia. With the extensive 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) immunization program, cases of GBS or MFS following vaccination are increasingly being reported. A 64-y-old Chinese man presented with new-onset paresthesia of the extremities, bilateral abduction limitation, right facial palsy, areflexia of bilateral lower limbs, and left-dominant limb ataxia 12 d after the second dose of inactivated vaccine against COVID-19. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis indicated albumin-cytological dissociation and was positive for anti-GQ1b IgG and anti-GT1b IgG. Nerve conduction studies of limbs showed evidence of axonal neuropathy with reduced sensory amplitudes. Based on the clinical presentations, temporal progression of symptoms, and laboratory findings, the diagnosis of MFS–GBS overlap syndrome was made. The patient was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and acupuncture and made a complete recovery 54 d after the onset of his initial neurological signs. To the best of our knowledge, we report the first case of MFS–GBS overlap syndrome following the inactivated COVID-19 vaccination. However, a coincidental relationship with this inactivated vaccine cannot be excluded. Although the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination largely outweigh its risk and the prognosis of MFS is generally favorable, a close surveillance of neurological complications post-COVID-19 vaccination is always necessary, considering its potentially disabling and lethal effects on vaccinated populations.

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which can accurately measure strain, can be integrated with rock bolts with small fingerprints. In this paper, according to the force mechanism of prestressed anchor and non-prestressed anchor, different loading modes were designed, named active loading mode and passive loading mode. Then, FBG technology was used to monitor the axial force variation of prestressed anchor and non-prestressed anchor in different loading modes. Based on the test results, it is found that when the anchoring force is relatively small (<35 kN), prestressed anchors need to be tested by active loading mode, and non-prestressed anchors need to be tested by passive loading mode. For the prestressed anchor, the force condition of the bolt-shaft was similar to that of the two-force bar, and the axial force of the bolt-shaft was nearly the same along its entire length. Taking the applied load as the reference, the change rate of the axial force of the bolt-shaft was less than 10%. For non-prestressed anchor, due to the plate, there is a certain area surrounding the plate where the axial force of the bolt-shaft was greatly influenced. With applied loads of less than 15 kN, the change rate of the axial force on FBG1 was greater than 10%. With applied loads of greater than 20 kN, this was less than 10%. In this area, influenced by the plate, the axial force of the bolt-shaft increases, and as the applied load of the pullout test increases, the influence decreases.

Parkinson's disease (Pd) is a neurodegenerative disorder that has a high incidence during the aging process and is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to motor dysfunctions and non-motor symptoms. Impaired clearance and excessive accumulation of aberrantly modified proteins or damaged organelles, such as aggregated α-synuclein and dysfunctional mitochondria, are regarded as the main causes of nigrostriatal neurodegeneration. As one of the major degradation pathways, autophagy can recycle these useless or toxic substances to maintain cellular homeostasis and it plays a crucial role in Pd progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by silencing targeted mRNAs. Recent studies have illustrated that autophagy-regulating miRNA has been implicated in pathological processes of Pd, including α-synuclein accumulation, mitochondrial damage, neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis, which suggests that targeting autophagy-regulating miRNAs may provide novel therapeutic strategies for this disease. The present review summarizes the role of autophagy in Pd and emphasizes the role of miRNA-mediated autophagy in Pd, for the development of promising interventions in this disease.

The force-measuring rock bolt instrumented with bare fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are generally factory-fabricated. To enable users to fabricate a force-measuring rock bolt by themselves, the microclamped FBG sensor is proposed to replace the encapsulated bare FBG sensor. A theoretical formula of strain sensitivity is also established. The strain sensibility measured by indoor calibration is consistent with the theoretical one, indicating that the microclamped FBG sensor can measure strain accurately. Besides, the measured strain sensibility coefficient (wavelength difference/strain) matches the theoretical values, making the installed microclamped sensor free from the need for recalibration and proving the installation method to be reliable. Also, the test sensitivity can be adjusted as needed. The instrumented rock bolt with microclamped FBG sensors shows great mechanical performance in the field test, awaiting further usage in applications.