Search

The interfacial properties between carbon fiber (CF) and thermoplastic resin are relatively weak, which can be problematic for composites in structural applications. Improving the surface roughness of CF is regarded as an effective way to enhance the interface of composites. However, most CF modifying methods are complex and time-consuming, which cannot meet the demand for industrial production. Therefore, it is of great significance to research a fast technique of CF surface modification to strengthen the interface of composites. Herein, a one-pot reaction based on the aryl diazonium salt modification was applied to enhance the interface between CF and poly ether ether ketone (PEEK) resin. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were linked to CF by p-phenylenediamine (PPD) via cyclic voltammetry (CV). The surface morphology, chemical characteristics and surface energy of modified CF illustrated the effectiveness of this method, and the interfacial properties of as-prepared modified CF/PEEK demonstrated the increased tendency. All the CF was treated within 5 min and the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) of CF/PEEK was increased to the maximum of 99.62 MPa by aryl diazonium salt modification. This work may shed some light on the industrialized application of CF reinforced high-performance engineering thermoplastic composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of oil production, wells containing gas can impact the efficiency of electric submersible pump (ESP), potentially causing gas lock. This issue can lead to the loss of lifting capacity in ESP, affecting the normal production of oil wells. To address this problem, the concept of gas separation before mixing transportation has been proposed, and a gas–liquid separation–mixing device has been designed. Experimental tests on the gas–liquid two-phase flow under various working conditions were conducted. A numerical model of the physical process was developed and validated with the experimental results. The results indicate that when the inlet flow rate exceeds 8.75 m3/h, the gas phase can be effectively accumulated in the center of the main pipeline after flowing through the guide vanes, thereby achieving efficient gas–liquid separation. Centrifugal number, which is defined as the ratio of axial flux of centrifugal force to axial flux of gravity, was proposed for evaluating the flow characteristics. When the centrifugal number exceeds 6.5, a high-quality gas core is formed in the pipe. At high inlet gas content, the volume fraction of gas in the main pipe initially decreases to 2% as the flow rate increases to 15 m3/h. However, at a flow rate of 30 m3/h, the volume fraction gradually rises to 30%, which results in a significant amount of gas being forced into the main pipe. The results are beneficial for expanding the use of ESP and improving the lifting efficiency in the development of oil field with high gas content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-fiber-reinforced polyimide (PI) resin composites have gained significant attention in the field of continuous-fiber-reinforced polymers, in which the interfacial bonding between carbon fiber and matrix resin has been an important research direction. This study designed and prepared a water-soluble thermoplastic polyamide acid sizing agent to improve the wettability of carbon fiber, enhance the van der Waals forces between carbon fiber and resin and strengthen the chemical bonding between the sizing agent and the alkyne-capped polyimide resin by introducing alkyne-containing functional groups into the sizing agent. This study found that the addition of a sizing layer effectively bridged the large modulus difference between the fiber and resin regions, resulting in the formation of an interfacial layer approximately 85 nm thick. This layer facilitated the transfer of stress from the matrix to the reinforced carbon fiber, leading to a significant improvement in the interfacial properties of the composites. Adjusting the concentration of the sizing agent showed that composites treated with 3% had the best interfacial properties. The interfacial shear strength increased from 82.08 MPa to 108.62 MPa (32.33%) compared to unsized carbon fiber. This research is significant for developing sizing agents suitable for carbon-fiber-reinforced polyimide composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toughening modification of epoxy resin has received widespread attention. The addition of the second-phase resin has a good toughening effect on epoxy resin. In order to investigate the effect of the second-phase resin on the interphase of composites, in this work the interfacial properties of carbon fiber (CF)/epoxy resin with the second-phase resin structure were investigated. Methodologies including surface structure observation, chemical characteristics, surface energy of the CF, and micro-phase structure characterization of resin were tested, followed by the micro-interfacial performance of CF/epoxy composites before and after hygrothermal treatment. The results revealed that the sizing process has the positive effect of increasing the interfacial bonding properties of CF/epoxy. From the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) test, the introduction of the second phase in the resin reduced the interfacial bonding performance between the CF and epoxy. After the hygrothermal treatment, water molecules diffused along the interfacial paths between the two resins, which in turn created defects and consequently brought about a reduction in the IFSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Chronic hyperglycemia‐induced inflammation of the hippocampus is an important cause of cognitive deficits in diabetic patients. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which is widely expressed in the hippocampus, is a crucial factor in this inflammation and the associated cognitive deficits. We aimed to reveal the underlying mechanism by which RAGE regulates neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of diabetes‐induced cognitive impairment. Methods: We used db/db mice as a model for type 2 diabetes to investigate whether receptor‐interacting serine/threonine protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), which is expressed in microglia in the hippocampal region, is a key protein partner for RAGE. GST pull‐down assays and AutoDock Vina simulations were performed to identify the key structural domain in RAGE that binds to RIPK1. Western blotting, co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP), and immunofluorescence (IF) were used to detect the levels of key proteins or interaction between RAGE and RIPK1. Cognitive deficits in the mice were assessed with the Morris water maze (MWM) and new object recognition (NOR) and fear‐conditioning tests. Results: RAGE binds directly to RIPK1 via the amino acid sequence (AAs) 362–367, thereby upregulating phosphorylation of RIPK1, which results in activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome in microglia and ultimately leads to cognitive impairments in db/db mice. We mutated RAGE AAs 362–367 to reverse neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and improve cognitive function, suggesting that RAGE AAs 362–367 is a key structural domain that binds directly to RIPK1. These results also indicate that hyperglycemia‐induced inflammation in the hippocampus is dependent on direct binding of RAGE and RIPK1. Conclusion: Direct interaction of RAGE and RIPK1 via AAs 362–367 is an important mechanism for enhanced neuroinflammation in the hyperglycemic environment and is a key node in the development of cognitive deficits in diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasingly urgent need to develop cost-effective electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and stability as alternatives to the traditional Pt/C in catalysts in water electrolysis. In this study, microspheres composed of Mo-doped NiCoP nanoneedles supported on nickel foam were prepared to address this challenge. The results show that the nanoneedles provide sufficient active sites for efficient electron transfer; the small-sized effect and the micro-scale roughness enhance the entry of reactants and the release of hydrogen bubbles; the Mo doping effectively improves the electrocatalytic performance of NiCoP in alkaline media. The catalyst exhibits low hydrogen evolution overpotentials of 38.5 and 217.5 mV at a current density of 10 mA·cm−2 and high current density of 500 mA·cm−2, respectively, and only 1.978 V is required to achieve a current density of 1000 mA·cm−2 for overall water splitting. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the improved hydrogen evolution performance can be explained as a result of the Mo doping, which serves to reduce the interaction between NiCoP and intermediates, optimize the Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption ( Δ G ∗ H ), and accelerate the desorption rate of *OH. This study provides a promising solution to the ongoing challenge of designing efficient electrocatalysts for high-current-density hydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the Pt‐like electrocatalytic capability and moderate price, Ru‐based catalysts are considered as the Pt alternatives for electrochemical water splitting. However, they demonstrate limited catalytic performance under industrial‐level current densities. Herein, a novel electrocatalyst with an extremely low amount (0.85 wt.%) of Ru nanoclusters anchored on Cr‐doped Fe‐metal–organic frameworks (Ru@Cr─FeMOF) through a robust Cr─O─Ru bond is presented. The study unveils that such an architecture facilitates fast electron transfer and manipulates the highest occupied d orbital and d‐band centers of Ru sites, favoring both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysis. The as‐prepared catalyst performs excellent reaction activity of 21 mV@10 mA cm−2 for HER and 230 mV@50 mA cm−2 for OER in alkaline solution, and realizes excellent water‐splitting performance at industrial‐level current densities (1.72 V@1000 mA cm−2), surpassing the state‐of‐the‐art literatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To better understand the community patterns mediated by connectivity in artificial reefs of coastal areas, it is necessary to understand the distribution and coexistence of organisms with artificial reefs area and adjacent waters. This study was conducted to examine main catches assemblages collected by trawls in Haizhou Bay, which included five habitats: the artificial reef area (AR), aquaculture area (AA), natural area (NA), estuary area (EA) and comprehensive effect area (CEA). The result shows that the total abundances of species in the five habitats were highly different (univariate PERMANOVA: P = 0.001, n = 24), but some species were also unique in their habitat (e.g. Scapharca subcrenata and Glossaulax didyma in AA). The body size distribution of specific species between habitats are different. For Collichthys lucidus, their body size in AR (14.63 cm ± 1.64 cm) and EA (14.3 cm ± 0.85 cm) is higher than that in NA (10.65 cm ± 1.64 cm), CEA (11.28 cm ± 1.85 cm) and AA (12.1 cm ± 0.43 cm), which indicates the potential connection from AR to EA mediated by their adult population. We concluded that artificial reefs in AR can be considered key components that have the ability to support species assemblages in adjacent habitats. This study has implications for the conservation and monitoring of species assemblages in coastal areas in terms of that artificial reefs can be applied in different stages of habitat protection implementation and in different combinations of scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal single atom electrocatalysts (SACs) with metal‐nitrogen‐carbon (M−N−C) configuration show great potential in oxygen evolution reaction (OER), whereby the spin‐dependent electrons must be allowed to transfer along reactants (OH−/H2O, singlet spin state) and products (O2, triplet spin state). Therefore, it is imperative to modulate the spin configuration in M−N−C to enhance the spin‐sensitive OER energetics, which however remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a local field distortion induced intermediate to low spin transition by introducing a main‐group element (Mg) into the Fe−N−C architecture, and decode the underlying origin of the enhanced OER activity. We unveil that, the large ionic radii mismatch between Mg2+ and Fe2+ can cause a FeN4 in‐plane square local field deformation, which triggers a favorable spin transition of Fe2+ from intermediate (dxy2dxz2dyz1dz21, 2.96 μB) to low spin (dxy2dxz2dyz2, 0.95 μB), and consequently regulate the thermodyna‐mics of the elementary step with desired Gibbs free energies. The as‐obtained Mg/Fe dual‐site catalyst demonstrates a superior OER activity with an overpotential of 224 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and an electrolysis voltage of only 1.542 V at 10 mA cm−2 in the overall water splitting, which outperforms those of the state‐of‐the‐art transition metal SACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal single atom electrocatalysts (SACs) with metal‐nitrogen‐carbon (M−N−C) configuration show great potential in oxygen evolution reaction (OER), whereby the spin‐dependent electrons must be allowed to transfer along reactants (OH−/H2O, singlet spin state) and products (O2, triplet spin state). Therefore, it is imperative to modulate the spin configuration in M−N−C to enhance the spin‐sensitive OER energetics, which however remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a local field distortion induced intermediate to low spin transition by introducing a main‐group element (Mg) into the Fe−N−C architecture, and decode the underlying origin of the enhanced OER activity. We unveil that, the large ionic radii mismatch between Mg2+ and Fe2+ can cause a FeN4 in‐plane square local field deformation, which triggers a favorable spin transition of Fe2+ from intermediate (dxy2dxz2dyz1dz21, 2.96 μB) to low spin (dxy2dxz2dyz2, 0.95 μB), and consequently regulate the thermodyna‐mics of the elementary step with desired Gibbs free energies. The as‐obtained Mg/Fe dual‐site catalyst demonstrates a superior OER activity with an overpotential of 224 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and an electrolysis voltage of only 1.542 V at 10 mA cm−2 in the overall water splitting, which outperforms those of the state‐of‐the‐art transition metal SACs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective in situ H2/N2 pretreatment technique for enhancement-mode GaN MISFET with a PEALD AlN/LPCVD SiNx Dual Gate Dielectric is presented. This technique features in situ H2 (15%)/N2 (85%) plasma pretreatment prior to AlN deposition. By using in situ H2 (15%)/N2 (85%) plasma pretreatment and a PEALD AlN protection layer, combined with an LPCVD SiNx gate dielectric, the quality of the AlN/GaN interface can be further improved due to the reduced interface trap densities between the AlN/GaN interface. The interface protection technique enables the successful integration of a high-quality PEALD AlN/LPCVD SiNx gate dielectric in an E-mode GaN MISFET with high performance, high stability, and high reliability. The fabricated enhancement-mode GaN MISFET exhibits a high gate swing and high channel effective mobility of 187.5 cm2/Vs, a threshold voltage of 2.9 V defined at 1 µA/mm, an on/off current ratio of 108, and a breakdown voltage of 1760 V defined at ID = 10 μm/mm. Our experiments showed a significant reduction in dynamic ON resistance and the suppression of current collapse when using the enhancement-mode GaN MISFET with PEALD AlN/LPCVD SiNx under high drain bias switching conditions, especially when the VDS is greater than the 60 V drain bias switch operating state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a common type of lung cancer with a high risk of metastasis, but the exact molecular mechanisms of metastasis are not yet understood. Methods: This study acquired single-cell transcriptomics profiling of 11 distal normal lung tissues, 11 primary LUAD tissues, and 4 metastatic LUAD tissues from the GSE131907 dataset. The lung multicellular ecosystems were characterized at a single-cell resolution, and the potential mechanisms underlying angiogenesis and metastasis of LUAD were explored. Results: We constructed a global single-cell landscape of 93,610 cells from primary and metastatic LUAD and found that IGF2BP2 was specifically expressed both in a LUAD cell subpopulation (termed as LUAD_IGF2BP2), and an endothelial cell subpopulation (termed as En_IGF2BP2). The LUAD_IGF2BP2 subpopulation progressively formed and dominated the ecology of metastatic LUAD during metastatic evolution. IGF2BP2 was preferentially secreted by exosomes in the LUAD_IGF2BP2 subpopulation, which was absorbed by the En_IGF2BP2 subpopulation in the tumor microenvironment. Subsequently, IGF2BP2 improved the RNA stability of FLT4 through m6A modification, thereby activating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and eventually promoting angiogenesis and metastasis. Analysis of clinical data showed that IGF2BP2 was linked with poor overall survival and relapse-free survival for LUAD patients. Conclusions: Overall, these findings provide a novel insight into the multicellular ecosystems of primary and metastatic LUAD, and demonstrate that a specific LUAD_IGF2BP2 subpopulation is a key orchestrator promoting angiogenesis and metastasis, with implications for the gene regulatory mechanisms of LUAD metastatic evolution, representing themselves as potential antiangiogenic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design of non‐noble metal electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and stability to replace commercial Pt/C is crucial in the commercialization development of Zn‐air batteries (ZABs). In this work, Co catalyst nanoparticles coupled with nitrogen‐doped hollow carbon nanoboxes were well designed through zeolite‐imidazole framework (ZIF‐67) carbonization. As a result, the 3D hollow nanoboxes reduced the charge transport resistance, and the Co nanoparticles loaded on nitrogen‐doped carbon supports exhibited excellent electrocatalytic performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR, E1/2=0.823 V vs. RHE), similar to that of commercial Pt/C. Moreover, the designed catalysts showed an excellent peak density of 142 mW cm−2 when applied on ZABs. This work provides a promising strategy for the rational design of non‐noble electrocatalysts with high performance for ZABs and fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still increasing. This study aimed to identify potential therapeutic targets related to patient prognosis. Data were downloaded from TCGA, GSE25097, GSE36376, and GSE76427 datasets. Differential analysis and enrichment analysis were performed in HCC. Cell deaths were evaluated, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression (LASSO) regression was analyzed to screen candidate genes. Additionally, immune cell infiltration in HCC was assessed. We identified 4088 common DEGs with the same direction of differential expression in all four datasets, they were mainly enriched in immunoinflammation and cell cycle pathways. Apoptosis was significantly suppressed in HCC in GSEA and GSVA. After LASSO regression analysis, we screened CD69, CDC25B, MGMT, TOP2A, and TXNIP as candidate genes. Among them, CD69 significantly influenced the overall survival of HCC patients in both TCGA and GSE76427. CD69 may be a protective factor for outcome of HCC patients. In addition, CD69 was positive correlation with T cells and CD3E. CD69, CDC25B, MGMT, TOP2A, and TXNIP were potential diagnostic and prognostic target for HCC, especially CD69. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically devastating diseases affecting the swine industry worldwide. To investigate the role of miRNAs in the infection and susceptibility of PRRS virus (PRRSV), twenty-four miRNA libraries were constructed and sequenced from PRRSV-infected and mock-infected Porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) of Meishan, Landrace, Pietrain and Qingping pigs at 9 hours post infection (hpi), 36 hpi, and 60 hpi. The let-7 family miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between PRRSV-infected and mock-infected PAMs from 4 pig breeds. The let-7 family miRNAs could significantly inhibit PRRSV-2 replication by directly targeting the 3'UTR of the PRRSV-2 genome and porcine IL6, which plays an important role in PRRSV replication and lung injury. NEAT1 acts as a competing endogenous lncRNA (ceRNA) to upregulate IL6 by attaching let-7 in PAMs. EMSA and ChIP results confirmed that ARID3A could bind to the promoter region of pri-let-7a/let-7f/let-7d gene cluster and inhibit the expression of the let-7 family. Moreover, the NF-κB signaling pathway inhibits the expression of the let-7 family by affecting the nuclear import of ARID3A. The pEGFP-N1-let-7 significantly reduced viral infections and pathological changes in PRRSV-infected piglets. Taken together, NEAT1/ARID3A/let-7/IL6 play significant roles in PRRSV-2 infection and may be promising therapeutic targets for PRRS. Author summary: There are significant differences in susceptibility/resistance to PRRSV among different pig breeds. Especially the local pig breeds in China had strong resistance to PRRSV. However, due to the complexity of the interaction mechanism between pigs and PRRSV, the genetic mechanism leading to PRRSV susceptibility/resistance in different pig breeds is still unclear. MiRNAs play a vital regulatory role in immune response and development of PRRS. In this study, we found that the expression of miRNA let-7 family members were significantly different in PRRSV-infected/mock-infected PAMs from Pietrain, Qingping, Meishan, and Landrace pigs. Our findings illustrated that NEAT1/ARID3A/let-7/IL6 had a significant role in PRRSV-2 infection. What's more, let-7 family could significantly reduce PRRSV infection and pathological changes in vitro and in vivo. This discovery provided a new idea for breeding PRRSV resistant pigs by revealing the molecular mechanism of PRRSV susceptibility in different pig breeds. Altogether, let-7 family have significant roles in PRRSV infection and may be promising therapeutic targets for PRRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we demonstrate a GaN-based E/D-mode (Enhancement/Depletion-mode) inverter with PEALD-AlN (Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition) and LPCVD-SiN (Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition) as bilayer gate dielectric, where the E-mode GaN-MISHEMT is fabricated based on our proposed self-terminating gate recess etching technique. The combination of the two dielectrics makes the device exhibits high gate swing and low dielectric/III-V interface state densities. So that the fabricated inverter shows a large logic swing, high temperature stability and low hysteresis effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, we demonstrate a high-threshold-voltage and high-current-density normally-off SiN/AlN/ GaN-on-Si MIS-HEMT with in situ low-damage H2/N2 plasma pretreatment. The in situ plasma pretreatment was performed in a plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) system prior to the PEALD-AlN deposition, which effectively suppress the interface trap densities between the AlN/GaN interface and increase the mobility of electrons to 198.80 cm $^{{2}}/\text {V} \cdot \text {s}$. Therefore, the devices demonstrate state-of-art characteristics with a competitive maximum drain current of 683.75 mA/mm at ${V} _{\textit {GS}} =15\text{V}$ and a high threshold of 6.28 V. The devices also show ON/OFF current ratio of $10^{{8}}$ and off-state breakdown voltage of 1778 V. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melanoma has gradually entered the public view because of its high morbidity and rising prevalence rate, which is a serious threat to human life and health. Recently, N6-methyladenine (m6A) modification has been increasingly confirmed as a potential role in the development of tumogenesis. The purpose of this study is to explore the role and function of m6a-related regulators in the development of melanoma disease at the molecular, cellular and clinical levels through bioinformatics and traditional experiments. We screened and validated differential expression genes (DEGs) in m6A regulators via the GEO, GTEx, TCGA database. The biological processes and signaling pathway involved by DEGs were improved by constructing bioinformational methods such as PPI, GO enrichment, KEGG enrichment, GSEA enrichment, and immune infiltration analysis. And then, we explored the biological function of the key gene, SPRR1B, through cell invasion, migration, infiltration, and tissue chips. The gene IGF2BP3 which was differentially expressed in m6A regulatory factor gene was screened. The results of the enrichment analysis are significantly enriched in the biological processes and pathways of the skin barrier, epidermal differentiation, cytoskeleton, lymphocyte migration and other pathways, pointing to the direction of tumor immunity and tumor metastasis. Tumor immune-related genes YTHDC1, YTHDC2 and ALKBH5 were found. Knock SPRR1B reduction group had a significantly lower invasive ability, the ability to migrate. Nomogram prediction model shows that SPRR1B increased, expressing a worse prognosis. For this purpose, the relationship between m6A regulatory factor and melanoma progression was explored. At the same time, it was found that the abnormal up-regulated expression of SPRR1B before metastasis would lead to poor prognosis of melanoma. SPRR1B promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of human melanoma cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: This single‐arm, open‐label, multicenter, phase 3 trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of seraprevir, an hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3/4A (NS3/4A) inhibitor, combined with sofosbuvir for treating Chinese patients with chronic HCV infection without cirrhosis. Methods: Treatment‐naive or interferon‐experienced adult patients without cirrhosis were treated with a universal, combinational regimen of seraprevir 100 mg, twice daily and sofosbuvir 400 mg, once daily, for 12 or 24 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was sustained virologic response at week 12 after treatment (SVR12). Results: Overall, 205 patients with genotype 1 HCV infection without cirrhosis were enrolled from 23 sites, 202 of whom completed the full treatment and post‐treatment course and 3 discontinued follow‐up. In total, 27 patients (13.2%) were interferon experienced. SVR12 was achieved by 201 out of 205 (98.0% [95% CI, 95.1%, 99.5%]) patients, 100.0% of patients with genotype 1a, and 98.0% of genotype 1b. In the other exploratory study, SVR 12 was achieved by 100% patients with genotype 2 (n = 21), genotype 3 (n = 7), and genotype 6 (n = 8). The majority of adverse events were mild to moderate and transient and did not require a specific medical intervention. Conclusions: The all‐oral, ribavirin‐free regimen of seraprevir and sofosbuvir is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment option for Chinese patients mono‐infected with HCV, including those with a history of interferon treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) caused by a single-stranded RNA virus (PRRSV) is a highly infectious respiratory disease and leads to huge economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. To investigate the role of miRNAs in the infection and lung injury induced by PRRSV, the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRs) were isolated from PRRSV-2 infected/mock-infected PAMs of Meishan, Landrace, Pietrain, and Qingping pigs at 9, 36, and 60 hpi. Mir-331-3p was the only common DE-miR in each set of miRNA expression profile at 36 hpi. Mir-210 was one of 7 common DE-miRs between PRRSV infected and mock-infected PAMs of Meishan, Pietrain, and Qingping pigs at 60 hpi. Mir-331-3p/mir-210 could target PRRSV-2 ORF1b, bind and downregulate porcine TNF- α/ STAT1 expression, and inhibit PRRSV-2 replication, respectively. Furthermore, STAT1 and TNF- α could mediate the transcriptional activation of MCP-1, VCAM-1 , and ICAM-1. STAT1 could also upregulate the expression of TNF- α by binding to its promoter region. In vivo , pEGFP-N1-mir-331-3p could significantly reduce viral replication and pathological changes in PRRSV-2 infected piglets. Taken together, Mir-331-3p/mir-210 have significant roles in the infection and lung injury caused by PRRSV-2, and they may be promising therapeutic targets for PRRS and lung injury/inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in consideration of nucleation characteristics (homogeneous/heterogeneous nucleation) using the volume of fluid (VOF) method and Lee model was proposed. The model was used to predict the process of a multiphase flow accompanied by freezing phase change during cryogenic fracturing. In this model, nucleation characteristic (homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation) during the freezing process and the influence of the formed ice phase on the flowing behavior was considered. Validation of the model was done by comparing its simulation results to Neumann solutions for classical Stefan problem. The comparison results show that the numerical results are well consistent with the theoretical solution. The maximum relative differences are less than 7%. The process of multiphase flow accompanied by the freezing of water was then simulated with the proposed model. Furthermore, the transient formation and growth of ice as well as the evolution of temperature distribution in the computational domain was studied. Results show that the proposed method can better consider the difference between homogeneous nucleation in the fluid domain and heterogeneous nucleation on the wall boundary. Finally, the main influence factors such as the flow velocity and initial distribution of ice phase on the fracturing process were discussed. It indicates that the method enable to simulate the growth of ice on the wall and its effect on the flow of multiphase fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety and depression continue to be significant comorbidities for people with HIV infection. We investigated the prevalence of and factors associated with anxiety and depression among adult HIV-infected patients across China. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we described clinical and psychosocial variables related to depression and anxiety in 4103 HIV-infected persons. Doctors assessed anxiety and depression by asking patients whether they had experienced anxiety or depression in the prior month. Patients also self-administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale; those with score ≥8 on HAD-A/D were considered to be at high risk of anxiety or depression. Results: Associations between socio-demographic, psychosocial, and ART-related clinical factors and risk of depression or anxiety were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. Among patients assessed between 9/2014 and 11/2015, 27.4% had symptoms of anxiety, 32.9% had symptoms of depression, and 19.0% had both. Recentness of HIV diagnoses (P = 0.046) was associated with elevated odds of anxiety. Older age (P = 0.004), higher educational attainment (P < 0.001), employment (P = 0.001), support from family / friends (P < 0.001), and sleep disturbance (P < 0.001), and number of ART regimen switches (P = 0.046) were associated with risk of depression, while neither sex nor transmission route showed any associations. There were no significant associations with HIV-specific clinical factors including current CD4+ T cell count and current viral load. Conclusions: Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression is high in this cohort of treatment-experienced HIV patients. Psychological and social-demographic factors, rather than HIV disease status, were associated with risk of depression and anxiety. This finding highlights the need to deliver interventions to address the mental health issues affecting HIV-infected persons with fully successful immune restoration across China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: An intervention study was performed to determine if supplement containing folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12could improve cognitive function and lower homocysteine in middle-aged and elderly patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. Methods: One hundred and four participants with hyperhomocysteinemia were recruited in Tianjin, China, aged 55–94 years old. Fifty-seven individuals with hyperhomocysteinemia were included in the intervention group (vitamin B group, which received 800 µg/day of folate, with 10 mg of vitamin B6and 25 µg of vitamin B12) and 47 patients in the placebo group. The endpoint was the improvement in cognitive function as evaluated by Basic Cognitive Aptitude Tests (BCATs). All parameters were measured before and after the treatment period of 14 weeks. Results: The BCAT total score and four sub-tests scores (digit copy, Chinese character rotation, digital working memory, and recognition of meaningless figure) of BCAT at 14 weeks significantly increased only for the vitamin B group. Serum total homocysteine (tHcy) levels significantly decreased in the intervention group, while serum concentrations of folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12significantly increased in the intervention group. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that supplement containing folate, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12in middle-aged and elderly patients with hyperhomocysteinemia could improve their cognitive function partly and reduce serum tHcy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Etiology of esophageal cancer has not yet been clearly documented, especially in high-risk regions. To evaluate the association between salted meat intake and esophageal squamous-cell carcinoma (ESCC) and to explore its joint effects with alcohol drinking and smoking, a population-based case-control study was conducted in a high ESCC risk area in China, including 942 incident ESCC cases and 942 age- and sex-matching controls. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to collect information on dietary factors, alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking. Conditional logistic regressions were applied to estimate the association between salted meat intake and ESCC and its interactions with alcohol drinking and smoking, with adjustment for other confounders, including total energy intake. Salted meat intake was associated with an increased risk of ESCC, showing an exposure-response relationship ( p for trend <0.001). Consumption of 50 g salted meat per week was related to an increased risk by 18% (odds ratio = 1.18, 95% confidence interval: 1.13-1.23). Salted meat in combination with either alcohol drinking or smoking had a greater risk than salted meat alone, which was more than additive. The strongest association was seen in the combination of all the three factors, particularly at the highest level of salted meat intake (odds ratio = 29.27, 95% confidence interval: 13.21-64.89). Salted meat intake is strongly associated with ESCC and its interactions with alcohol drinking and/or smoking highlights the significance of reducing salted meat intake among smokers and drinkers with respect to ESCC prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveTo develop a new model of desirable dietary pattern (N-DDP) score for Chinese diets and to validate it against the nutrient-rich foods (NRF) index.DesignThe N-DDP score model followed the principles of the traditional DDP (T-DDP) score model (DDP-China for 2000) proposed in 1991 and of food grouping in the dietary pagoda for Chinese residents in 2007, and made detailed ratings by expressing the food weight coefficient, reasonable maximum limit of the score and an algorithm of the deserved score for each group of foods after considering current nutritional problems of Chinese residents. The N-DDP score model was validated against the NRF9·3 index with linear regression analysis and compared with the T-DDP score model.SettingsOne set of dietary data was extracted from the diet recommended by the dietary pagoda for Chinese residents in 2007 and the literature on dietary surveys in China. The other two sets of dietary data were from a dietary survey in 2011. DDP scores for all three dietary data sets were calculated with the N-DDP score model and the T-DDP score model.SubjectsAll items of dietary records in the three dietary data sets were included in the present study.ResultsAll DDP scores obtained with the N-DDP score model were positively correlated (P = 0·000) with the NRF9·3 index. DDP scores obtained with the N-DDP score model had higher R2 with the NRF9·3 index than those of the T-DDP score model, as well as higher β values.ConclusionsIt can be considered that the N-DDP score is a more accurate and convenient tool to evaluate current individual and group diet for Chinese residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: China is proceeding into the aging society. There are near 6 million elderly suffering senile dementia, while cognitive impairment is an important clinical feature in dementia. The factors involved in cognitive dysfunction in the middle-aged and the elderly persons were investigated. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community dwellers and nursing home residents in Tianjin, China. Subjects: Total of 662 subjects(284 men and 378 women) aged 55-93. Methods: A designed questionnaire was used to collect their demographic data, information of disease and medication, and life style. Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and Basic Cognitive Aptitude Tests (BCAT) software were applied to evaluate their cognitive function. Serum total homocysteine (tHcy) level was quantified by enzyme conversion method. A multiple linear stepwise regression analysis was applied to find the influencing factors of cognitive function. Results: The average serum tHcy concentrations was 15.95±7.29 μmol/L, while the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia (HHE) was 45.4%. The average serum tHcy level and prevalence of HHE were higher in men than those in women after ruling out the age differences. The mean MMSE and BCAT scores were 26.74±2.71 and 50.26±18.84 respectively. The BCAT score was negatively correlated with age and positively correlated with education. Multiple linear stepwise regression equations showed that the P value was less than 0.001, the BCAT regression equation showed that the R2=0.453. Serum tHcy concentration was negatively correlated with total scores of BCAT, digit copy, Chinese character comparison, mental arithmetic, Chinese character rotation and recall answer of mental arithmetic test. Total scores of BCAT were negatively correlated with education, inhabitancy, serum tHcy concentration and age. In addition, Chinese character rotation was correlated with tea consumption. Remembrance and recognition of dual words and nonsense figures was correlated with income level. Conclusions: Hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with cognitive impairment in the middle-aged and the elderly persons in Tianjin. The BCAT scores could well represent the detailed cognitive function in elderly and negatively correlate with age, but positively correlated with education level. Serum tHcy concentration was negatively correlated with total BCAT scores.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the potential health-promoting effects of heat-inactivated Lactobacillus gasseri TMC0356 (TMC0356) on the metabolic syndrome (MS) and the probable mechanisms underlying these effects using an MS rat model. For the purpose of the study, sixty Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: a control group fed a conventional diet, an MS model group fed a high-fat and high-salt (HFS) diet and three TMC0356 test groups (low-, medium- and high-dose groups) fed an HFS diet supplemented with TMC0356 at 41·8, 83·5 and 167·0 mg/kg body weight (BW) per d, respectively. Food intake and BW were measured weekly. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profiles and blood pressure (BP) were measured at 0, 5, 10 and 15 weeks. Organ coefficients, immune cell counts and serum insulin, adiponectin, C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, TNF-α, IgG and secretory IgA levels were measured at the 15th week after diet intervention. The HFS diet increased the BW, liver or fat:BW ratio, FBG, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, adiponectin, serum LDL-cholesterol and total cholesterol levels and BP (P< 0·01). Average food and energy intakes in the three TMC0356 groups were significantly lower than those of the MS model group. All the metabolic indices, except BP, were markedly improved (P< 0·05) by oral administration of low and medium doses of TMC0356. The thymus index in the medium-dose group and lymphocyte, CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and IgG levels in all the three TMC0356 groups were significantly increased (P< 0·05 or P< 0·01) compared with those in the MS model group. These results suggest that TMC0356 can improve the metabolic characteristics of MS rats by suppressing appetite. Additionally, the enhancement of inflammatory immune response may be, at least in part, the mechanism underlying the health-promoting effects of TMC0356 on the MS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study was conducted to investigate the association between consumption of processed foods and esophageal cancer risk. A population-based case-control study was designed. For the present study, 254 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with pathological diagnoses were selected from Yanting during 2008 and 2010 and 254 community-based controls were selected from the same area, individually matched with cases by age and sex. Data on demographic, lifestyle and dietary factors were collected using food frequency questionnaires. A conditional logistic regression model was used to estimate the odds ratio ( OR) with adjustments for potential confounders. Compared to the frequency of <1 time/week, the intake frequency of >3 times/week of preserved vegetables had a significant association with esophageal cancer ( OR = 5.01, 95% confidence interval [ CI] 2.07, 12.17). In stratified analyses, the OR of increasing intake of preserved vegetables for esophageal cancer were 2.02 in men (95% CI 1.18, 3.48), 3.15 in women (95% CI 1.28, 7.75), 2.41 (95% CI 1.45 4.01) in the persons <65 years old and 1.28 (95% CI 0.35, 4.65) in persons ≥65 years old. Consumption of pickled vegetables was not associated significantly with esophageal cancer risk. Intake of salted meat with a frequency of ≥1 time/week meant that the OR increased to 2.57 (95% CI 1.02, 6.43), but no significant trend or association in subgroup analysis was observed. Preserved vegetable consumption was associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer, while no association was found with pickled vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is prevalent in Yanting (YT) country located in southwestern China. Residents in the YT region have an unusual diet pattern and the role of the YT diet on the risk of ESCC is still uncertain. The present study was to examine the possible effects of sera from rats fed with the YT diet on proliferation of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca-109 by means of a sero-physiology approach. Firstly, two feasibilities were assessed to set up the sero-physiology method. We found that rats fed with a human adult diet in Chengdu region (ESCC-low-risk-area) for 30d had very close body weight gains in comparison with the control rats fed with the conventional diet, confirming the feasibility of feeding rats with a human diet without affecting their normal growth. Cell growth results showed that 5% non-deactivated rat serum had exactly the same effect on the proliferation of Eca-109 cells compared with the fetal bovine sera (FBS) control, confirming the feasibility of cultivating Eca-109 cells with the rat serum instead of FBS. Subsequently, cell proliferation results indicated that rats' sera fed with the YT diet significantly promoted Eca-109 cells proliferation but inhibited human normal liver epithelial cell line control HL7702 proliferation, whereas rats' sera fed with the Chengdu diet didn't have these effects on the two cell lines. The different effects of the two human diets on proliferation of Eca-109 cells demonstrated that the sero-physiology method is effective in studying the relationship between diet and cancer, and there maybe exist cancer-promoting factors in the YT diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Series of displacement tests of water by cold n-hexanol (below 0 °C) in a straight tube were conducted to investigate the freezing-accompanied displacement process, which occurs during the cryogenic fracturing process. The interrelationship between water freezing and displacement flow was studied. It was found that the displacement flow could significantly affect the water distribution in the flow channel. Along with the displacement proceeding, the n-hexanol overtook the water in the flow direction gradually, and the water in the center of the channel was driven to the edge area. Moreover, the initially integrated water phase split into several parts during the displacement process. Once the water freezing occurred, two typical ice blockage patterns, i.e., complete ice blockage and incomplete ice blockage, were observed. In incomplete ice blockage pattern, the channel cross-section was partly occupied by the ice phase, which mainly affected the rate of subsequent fluid flow. In complete ice blockage pattern, the channel cross-section was fully occupied by the ice phase, which cut off the fluid flow in the original direction. Based on the test results, the influences of the initial water temperature, initial water column length and flow rate of n-hexanol on the formation of different ice blockage patterns are discussed. The decrease of the initial water temperature and the increase of the initial water column length are preferred to induce the occurrence of complete ice blockage. However, changing n-hexanol flow rate could lead to the occurrence of both incomplete ice blockage and complete ice blockage, which depends on the actual situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have demonstrated that antibiotics/or probiotics administration in early life play key roles on modulating intestinal microbiota and the alterations might cause long-lasting consequences both physiologically and immunologically. We investigated the effects of early life ceftriaxone, vancomycin and Bifidobacterium bifidum TMC3115 (TMC3115) treatment on intestinal microbiota and immunity both in neonates and adults even after termination of antibiotics exposure. We found that ceftriaxone and vancomycin, but not TMC3115, significantly altered the intestinal microbiota, serum total IgE level, and the morphology and function of the intestinal epithelium in the neonatal mice. In the adult stages, the diversity and composition of the intestinal microbiota were significantly different in the antibiotic-treated mice, and ceftriaxone-treated mice exhibited significantly higher serum total IgE and OVA-specific IgE levels. TMC3115 significantly mitigated the alteration of intestinal microbiota caused by ceftriaxone not vancomycin. Antibiotics and TMC3115 can differently modulate intestinal microbiota and SCFAs metabolism, affecting the development and function of the immunity and intestinal epithelium to different degrees in neonatal mice. Neonatal ceftriaxone-induced abnormal intestinal microbiota, immunity and epithelium could last to adulthood partly, which might be associated with the enhancement of host susceptibility to IgE-mediated allergies and related immune responses, TMC3115 may protect against the side effects of antibiotic treatment, at least partly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]