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Oxidative stress can adversely affect the health status of the body, more specifically by causing intestinal damage by disrupting the permeability of the intestinal barrier. This is closely related to intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis caused by the mass production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Baicalin (Bai) is a major active ingredient in Chinese traditional herbal medicine that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties. The purpose of this study was to explore the underlying mechanisms by which Bai protects against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced intestinal injury in vitro. Our results indicated that H2O2 treatment caused injury to IPEC-J2 cells, resulting in their apoptosis. However, Bai treatment attenuated H2O2-induced IPEC-J2 cell damage by up-regulating the mRNA and protein expression of ZO-1, Occludin, and Claudin1. Besides, Bai treatment prevented H2O2-induced ROS and MDA production and increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-PX). Moreover, Bai treatment also attenuated H2O2-induced apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells by down-regulating the mRNA expression of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 and up-regulating the mRNA expression of FAS and Bax, which are involved in the inhibition of mitochondrial pathways. The expression of Nrf2 increased after treatment with H2O2, and Bai can alleviate this phenomenon. Meanwhile, Bai down-regulated the ratio of phosphorylated AMPK to unphosphorylated AMPK, which is indicative of the mRNA abundance of antioxidant-related genes. In addition, knockdown of AMPK by short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) significantly reduced the protein levels of AMPK and Nrf2, increased the percentage of apoptotic cells, and abrogated Bai-mediated protection against oxidative stress. Collectively, our results indicated that Bai attenuated H2O2-induced cell injury and apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells through improving the antioxidant capacity through the inhibition of the oxidative stress-mediated AMPK/Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between Ferredoxin 1 (FDX1) expression and the prognostic survival of tumor patients and predict the efficacy of immunotherapy response to antitumor drug sensitivity. FDX1 plays an oncogenic role in thirty-three types of tumors, based on TCGA and GEO databases, and further experimental validation in vitro was provided through multiple cell lines. FDX1 was expressed highly in multiple types of cancer and differently linked to the survival prognosis of tumorous patients. A high phosphorylation level was correlated with the FDX1 site of S177 in lung cancer. FDX1 exhibited a significant association with infiltrated cancer-associated fibroblasts and CD8+ T cells. Moreover, FDX1 demonstrated correlations with immune and molecular subtypes, as well as functional enrichments in GO/KEGG pathways. Additionally, FDX1 displayed relationships with the tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), DNA methylation, and RNA and DNA synthesis (RNAss/DNAss) within the tumor microenvironment. Notably, FDX1 exhibited a strong connection with immune checkpoint genes in the co-expression network. The validity of these findings was further confirmed through Western blotting, RT-qPCR, and flow cytometry experiments conducted on WM115 and A375 tumor cells. Elevated FDX1 expression has been linked to the enhanced effectiveness of PD-L1 blockade immunotherapy in melanoma, as observed in the GSE22155 and GSE172320 cohorts. Autodocking simulations have suggested that FDX1 may influence drug resistance by affecting the binding sites of antitumor drugs. Collectively, these findings propose that FDX1 could serve as a novel and valuable biomarker and represent an immunotherapeutic target for augmenting immune responses in various human cancers when used in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine (ATR), a water-soluble herbicide commonly used to control broad-leaf and monocotyledonous weeds, presents a significant risk to environmental soil and water quality. Exposure to ATR adversely affects human and animal health, frequently resulting in cardiac impairment. Curcumin (Cur), an acidic polyphenol derivative from plants acclaimed for its pronounced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has garnered interest as a potential therapeutic agent. However, whether it has the potential to ameliorate ATR-induced cardiac toxicity via modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis pathways in mice remains unclear. Our results showed that Cur supplementation attenuates ATR-induced cardiotoxicity, evidenced by decrease in creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase, key biochemical markers of myocardial injury, which have a more significant protecting effect in high-dose ATR induced injury. Histopathological and electron microscopy examinations further solidified these findings, demonstrating an amelioration in organellar damage, particularly in endoplasmic reticulum swelling and subsequent mitochondrial impairment. Additionally, ATR exposure augments ERS and triggers apoptotic pathways, as indicated by the upregulation of ERS-related gene expression (ATF6, CHOP, IRE1, GRP78) and pro-apoptotic markers (BAX, BAK1, Caspase3, Caspase. Intriguingly, Cur counteracts this detrimental response, significantly reducing ERS and pro-apoptotic signals at both transcriptional and translational levels. Collectively, our findings illuminate Cur's cardioprotective effect against ATR-induced injury, primarily through its anti-ERS and anti-apoptotic activities, underscoring Cur's potential as a therapeutic for ATR-induced cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Based on the force method, a modeling method for flexible joined wings under fully intrinsic formulation is proposed. • A mathematical proof for the existence and uniqueness of rotation in orientation compatibility condition is given. • By Galerkin...s discretization, the dynamics of joined wing is described by a set of differential-algebraic equations. • According to computing speed and numerical accuracy, the superiority of present method is revealed. • An excessive thrust can lead to the buckling of front wing and the co-existing solutions of joined wing. The joined-wing aircraft is an alternative configuration compared to general cantilevered configuration because of its superiority. In the present work, an efficient modeling method for flexible joined wing is proposed. The fully intrinsic formulation is applied for the geometrically nonlinear effect and the static indeterminacy of joined wing is addressed based on the force method. To avoid mathematically over-determined problem, an orientation compatibility condition with profound physical meaning is established and subsequently a strict mathematical proof is given for the existence and uniqueness of rotation. By adopting Peters finite inflow theory, the unsteady aerodynamic model for joined wing is built up. The joined-wing aeroelastic model is eventually represented by a set of differential-algebraic equations. Following validation studies show that although the displacements and rotations are excluded, contributing to higher computing speed than the mixed formulation, the numerical accuracy of present method is close to mixed formulation and superior to the incremental method. Finally, the static aeroelastic analysis for a planar joined wing under a thrust force at wingtip is implemented within flutter boundary. Results show that the thrust force can lead to an axial compressive load in front wing and the co-existing solutions are revealed because of the buckling of front wing when the thrust force exceeds a threshold value. Further studies indicate that although either solution path is possible theoretically, the "upward-bending solution" is a more likely practical solution for the planar joined wing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the large number of studies addressing the effect of acrylic resin polymerization concerning flexural properties, limited research has been conducted on the manufacturing impact on a polymer's mechanical properties. Photosensitive resinous materials are used in various engineering applications where they may be exposed to multiple detrimental environments during their lifetime. Therefore, there is a need to understand the impact of an environment on the service life of resins. Thus, flexural tests were conducted to study the effects of exposure time and angle on the flexural strength of resins. Herein, the main objective was to explore the strength, stability, and flexural durability of photosensitive resin (EPIC-2000ST) fabricated at different exposure times (E) and angle deviation varying from 0° to 85° with a 5° increment. The samples in circular rings were manufactured and divided into five groups according to their exposure time (E): 10 s, 20 s, 30 s, 40 s, and 50 s. In each exposure time, we designed rings via SolidWorks software and experimentally fabricated at different oblique angles (OA) varying from 0° to 85° with a 5° increment during each fabrication, i.e., OA = 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, 55°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, and 85°. Flexural strength was evaluated using a three-point bending test. Optical electron microscopy was used to examines the samples' exterior, interior, and ruptured surfaces. Our experimental analysis shows that flexural strength was significantly enhanced by increasing exposure time and at higher oblique angles. However, at lower angles and less exposure time, mechanical flexural resilience declines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sports equipment crafted from flexible mechanical metamaterials offers advantages due to its lightweight, comfort, and energy absorption, enhancing athletes' well-being and optimizing their competitive performance. The utilization of metamaterials in sports gear like insoles, protective equipment, and helmets has garnered increasing attention. In comparison to traditional truss and honeycomb metamaterials, the triply periodic minimal surface lattice structure stands out due to its parametric design capabilities, enabling controllable performance. Furthermore, the use of flexible materials empowers this structure to endure significant deformation while boasting a higher energy absorption capacity. Consequently, this study first introduces a parametric method based on the modeling equation of the triply periodic minimal surface structure and homogenization theory simulation. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of this method in designing triply periodic minimal surface lattice structures with a controllable and adjustable elastic modulus. Subsequently, the uniform flexible triply periodic minimal surface lattice structure is fabricated using laser selective sintering thermoplastic polyurethane technology. Compression tests and finite element simulations analyze the hyperelastic response characteristics, including the element type, deformation behavior, elastic modulus, and energy absorption performance, elucidating the stress–strain curve of the flexible lattice structure. Upon analyzing the compressive mechanical properties of the uniform flexible triply periodic minimal surface structure, it is evident that the structure's geometric shape and volume fraction predominantly influence its mechanical properties. Consequently, we delve into the advantages of gradient and hybrid lattice structure designs concerning their elasticity, energy absorption, and shock absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical metamaterials with ultralight and ultrastrong mechanical properties are extensively employed in various industrial sectors, with three-periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures gaining significant research attention due to their symmetry, equation-driven characteristics, and exceptional mechanical properties. Compared to traditional lattice structures, TPMS structures exhibit superior mechanical performance. The mechanical properties of TPMS structures depend on the base material, structural porosity (volume fraction), and wall thickness. Hard rigid lattice structures such as Gyroid, diamond, and primitive exhibit outstanding performance in terms of elastic modulus, energy absorption, heat dissipation, and heat transfer. Flexible TPMS lattice structures, on the other hand, offer higher elasticity and recoverable large deformations, drawing attention for use in applications such as seat cushions and helmet impact-absorbing layers. Conventional fabrication methods often fail to guarantee the quality of TPMS structure samples, and additive manufacturing technology provides a new avenue. Selective laser sintering (SLS) has successfully been used to process various materials. However, due to the layer-by-layer manufacturing process, it cannot eliminate the anisotropy caused by interlayer bonding, which impacts the mechanical properties of 3D-printed parts. This paper introduces a process data-driven optimization design approach for TPMS structure geometry by adjusting volume fraction gradients to overcome the elastic anisotropy of 3D-printed isotropic lattice structures. Experimental validation and analysis are conducted using TPMS structures fabricated using TPU material via SLS. Furthermore, the advantages of volume fraction gradient-designed TPMS structures in functions such as energy absorption and heat dissipation are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexual activity appears to have protective effects on overall and cardiovascular health. Aim: We hypothesized that decreased sexual frequency would be an early predictor of all-cause mortality in young and middle-aged patients (20 to 59 years old) with hypertension. Methods: A total of 4565 patients with hypertension (55.6% men; mean [SD] age 40.60 [10.81] years) who had completed a sexual behavior questionnaire were enrolled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2005 to 2014. Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to evaluate the relationship between sexual frequency and all-cause mortality. Outcomes: The outcome measure for this study is the relationship between sexual frequency and all-cause mortality in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. Results: During the 68-month median follow-up period, 109 (2.39%) patients died from any cause. After full adjustment for potential confounders, sexual frequency was an independent predictive factor for all-cause mortality in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension. A marital status difference was identified in the subgroup analysis: among patients with a sexual frequency of <12 times/year, only married patients had higher risks of all-cause mortality than the 12-51 times/year group (HR, 0.476, 95% CI, 0.235-0.963, P < .05) and > 51 (HR, 0.452, 95% CI, 0.213-0.961, P < .05) times/year groups. The association of sexual frequency and all-cause mortality was nonlinear. Clinical Implications: Increased frequency of sexual activity may have protective effects on overall health and quality of life in patients with hypertension. Strengths and Limitations: To our knowledge this is the first observational investigation performed to evaluate the correlation between sexual frequency and all-cause mortality in patients with hypertension. A limitation of the study is that the participants in our analysis were between the ages of 20 and 59 years, and this patient sample may not reflect possible outcomes for patients of other age groups. Conclusion: The association between lower frequency of sexual intercourse and greater all-cause mortality was significant in young and middle-aged patients with hypertension in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hippocalcin‐like 1 (HPCAL1) is involved in the development of several cancer types. However, our understanding of the HPCAL1 activity in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains limited. Methods: Two microarray datasets were used to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the development of CCA. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)/Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was integrated to determine the prognostic significance of DEGs in CCA. The association between clinical characteristics and HPCAL1 expression levels was initially explored to assess the clinical profile of CCA. The prognostic value of HPCAL1 overexpression in the validation cohort was analyzed, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) term analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of HPCAL1. Results: Three upregulated genes and 10 downregulated genes were detected from two microarray‐based screenings. High expression of HPCAL1 as a poor prognostic factor of CCA was validated using TCGA/GEO integrated database and our database. Univariate and multivariate analyses along with Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high HPCAL1 expression was an independent factor affecting the overall survival and relapse‐free survival in patients with CCA. The high expression of HPCAL1 was significantly associated with cancer antigen 125 (CA‐125) levels, number of tumors, lymph node invasion, and TNM stage. Analysis of the enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways revealed that the high expression of HPCAL1 was involved in the critical biological processes and molecular pathways, including modulation by a host of symbiont processes, the clathrin coat, actinin binding, and Rap1 signaling pathways. Conclusion: HPCAL1 was enriched in CCA in our study and has the potential to be applied in the identification of patients with CCA with an unfavorable prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently additive manufacturing of lunar regolith to utilize in-situ resources of the Moon for deep space exploration has attracted attention. However, most previous works have been limited by low precision, inferior mechanical properties, and complex processes, such as ball grinding. Furthermore, the regional distribution difference of the lunar regolith which shows compositional diversity, demands the exploration of manufacturing of low-titanium lunar soil, which has not been comprehensively studied before. Herein, the vat photopolymerization and heat treatment of raw low-titanium lunar regolith simulant were investigated to achieve high dimensional precision and high mechanical properties. The influence of solid content and photoinitiator concentration on printability is carefully examined based on the characterization of rheological behaviors and curing depth. Then the vat photopolymerization is used to build green bodies with good interlayer bonding strength and high dimensional precision. Besides this, the effect of the debinding heating rate and sintering temperature on samples were optimized in air and nitrogen to enhance the mechanical properties of printed samples. Finally, the optimal sintered parts with a flexural strength of 108.8 MPa and compressive strength of 222.8 MPa were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goose astroviruses (GAstVs) are important pathogens which can cause gout in goslings leading to huge economic losses for the goose farming industry in China. In 2023, an infectious disease characterized by visceral gout broke out in commercial goose farms in Guangxi and Guangdong provinces of China. In this study, two GAstV strains of GXNN and GDCS were successfully isolated from these two disease-ridden goose farms. The complete genomic lengths of these two strains were 7166 bp, and phylogenetic analysis showed that they were both GAstV-2 subtypes. The 3-dimensional structures of the capsid protein were predicted and six characteristic mutation sites at amino acid positions 60, 61, 228, 229, 456 and 523 were found within the strong antigenic regions. A recombination event occurred at 6833-7070 nt between the GAstV TZ03 and Turkey astrovirus CA/00 and this was detected in both the GXNN and GDCS strains. Another recombinant event occurred at 63–2747 nt between the GAstV XT1 and GAstV SDPY and this was detected in the GDCS strain. When 1-day-old goslings were infected with the novel GXNN and GDCS strains, they showed severe visceral gout. This was accompanied by enlarged spleens, liver hemorrhages and urate deposits in the kidneys and ureters and their blood urea nitrogen levels were significantly elevated. The mortality rates of the GXNN- and GDCS-infected groups were pathogenically high at 80 % and 60 %, respectively. These results will promote our understanding of the evolution and epidemic potential of GAstVs in China. • Two GAstV-2 strains of GXNN and GDCS were isolated from two disease-ridden goose farms. • Recombination events were detected in both the GXNN and GDCS strains. • One-day-old goslings infected with the GXNN and GDCS strains showed severe visceral gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In deep space exploration, additive manufacturing (AM) of lunar regolith is extremely attractive by using Moon's in-situ resources with the potential to reduce spacecraft launching costs and alleviate Earth's resource limit. However, previous studies are limited to feasibility investigation by fabricating samples using lunar regolith simulant (LRS) and have not considered real lunar environmental conditions such as space weathering, temperature cycles, and exosphere, leaving a big unknown on how to obtain reliable samples via AM using really lunar regolith on the Moon. Hence, the influence of several environmental conditions on LRS-based vat photopolymerization (VP) is comprehensively studied in this work, to obtain better mechanical properties for practical application. First, the effects of different particle size distributions in the lunar regolith caused by space weathering on VP are examined. An optimal middle D50 of 2.37 μm is proved to be beneficial for great stability, high resolution (30 μm), and mechanical properties. Secondly, the strategy of debinding in the nitrogen followed by sintering in the air is proven to be more beneficial for improving mechanical properties and reducing oxygen consumption, preventing samples from reduced durability caused by the wide temperature cycle. Overall, this study provides an initial step for developing in-situ resource utilization on the Moon using the AM method by considering the lunar environment conditions. [Display omitted] • Various particle sizes of lunar regolith affect all stages of manufacturing. • A scheme to improve mechanical properties with less oxygen consumption is proposed. • Optimal mechanical properties based on low titanium lunar regolith are achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pt/CNTs, PtRu/CNTs, Pt/RuO2/CNTs and RuO2/Pt/CNTs were prepared to understand the role of RuO2 in anodic catalyst of direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The results show that the presence of Ru, no matter in alloy or in oxide, can improve the CO electrooxidation ability. RuO2 in Pt–Ru binary catalyst, which situates between CNTs and Pt particles, can exert its CO electrooxidation ability best. Another role of RuO2 in Pt–Ru binary catalyst is to promote Pt nanoparticles to disperse uniformly on CNTs to obtain larger EAS, resulting in higher activity of methanol electrocatalytic oxidation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most published works have considered the influence of a single factor on the thermal or hygroscopic properties of the modified soil materials, but few studies have focused on the influence of multi-factor. Therefore, an L 9 (34) orthogonal array test design was adopted in this study to investigate the effects of cement, lime, fly ash, and moisture on the hygroscopic properties of modified soil composites. They were chosen as chemical additives because they are the most common and widely used industrial building materials in the construction of modern buildings. Based on results from range analysis and mean square deviation analysis, the important order of the four factors on the hygroscopic properties was achieved, then the optimum proportion is found. The results show that cement has the most obvious effect on the equilibrium moisture content in 52.89% relative humidity (RH) among the four factors, and fly ash flow is second, moisture content has a minimal effect. By optimizing the parameters, when the cement content was 7%, lime content was 5%, fly ash content was 4% and the moisture content was 10%, the highest average equilibrium moisture content of 1.625% was obtained. The optimized modified soil composites have excellent hygroscopic properties and compressive strength meets the corresponding safety requirements, so it has potential for application and development in the field of soil architecture. • The isothermal absorption-desorption of modified soil composites is irreversible. • The optimum formula is 7% cement, 4% fly ash, 5% lime, and 10% moisture content. • Cement significantly impacts the hygroscopic property of modified soil composites. • Moisture content slightly impacts the hygroscopic property of studied materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]