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The existing residual film-recycling machines struggle to efficiently recover and separate film stubble in a single operation. With roller-type film-rolling device unloading difficulties and other problems, in order to improve the recovery efficiency of film stubble and the separation effect while reducing human labor and to improve work efficiency, we designed an automatic hydraulic unloading film stubble-recycling integrated residual film-recycling machine. The angle of the membrane lifting device was determined by theoretical calculations using the method of coupled simulation of EDEM and ANSYS Workbench. We analyzed the amount of resistance as well as the maximum stress and deformation during the working process of the membrane-lifting device and focused on the design of the membrane–soil separating device and membrane-rolling device. The depth of the film shovel, the forward speed of the machine, and the rotational speed of the driving wheel of the jogging chain were selected as the test factors, and the residual film recovery rate was taken as the evaluation index. A three-factor, three-level test was designed by applying the principles of the Box–Behnken experimental design. The results show that when the forward speed is 1.36 m/s, the soil depth is 147.16 mm, and the rotational speed of the driving wheel of the shaking chain is 77.89 r/min, the recovery rate of the residual film is 87.56%, and the relative error between the experimental value and the optimized value is 2.73%. The experimental results can provide a theoretical basis for the design of the residual film-recycling machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of low soil cover and serious wear and tear of transmission parts in the soil lifting device of potato planters, this paper carries out innovative optimization design of its key parts based on TRIZ theory. The discrete element model of the soil model and the multi-body dynamic model of the soil lifting device are established, the upper scraping and lower scraping soil lifting devices are simulated respectively through the method of DEM-MBD coupling, and the working mechanism of the soil lifting device is further explored. The simulation results show that the lower scraping type lifting device has a large conveying capacity and a stable flow rate at the soil outlet. The results of the soil tank performance comparison test show that: the improved soil lifting device has a simple structure, large conveying capacity, stable flow rate, and fast flow speed and is not easily congested. It meets the standard requirements of dryland potato seedling strip mulching planting technology on mulching parameters and is of great significance for improving dryland food production on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problems of poor passability of a tracked chassis due to small plots, complicated road conditions and steep slopes during mechanized potato harvesting in hilly and mountainous areas. To design a potato combine harvester and take the tracked chassis of the harvester as the research object to study its driving performance under typical road conditions in mountainous areas. Firstly, mechanical analysis and theoretical calculation are carried out on the tracked chassis to obtain the relevant parameters of key components, and secondly, its driving performance is analyzed to obtain the driving limit values of passing performance under different working conditions; RecurDyn software was used to establish the dynamics simulation and analysis model of the whole machine, and the driving limit values of the harvester were determined under five different road conditions through simulation. The results show the following: the driving limit gradient angle is 20° in cross-gradient conditions, 25° in longitudinal up-gradient conditions, 25° in longitudinal down-gradient conditions, the limiting height of the chassis that can be overpassed in obstacle-crossing conditions is 450 mm, and the limiting width of the chassis that can be spanned in trench-crossing conditions is 1200 mm. The simulation results were verified through field tests, and the results of the field tests showed that the harvester met the requirements of stable travelling on longitudinal slopes of 24°, climbed over a 450 mm straight wall and crossed over a 1200 mm trench, which were similar to the simulation results, indicating that the simulation results were accurate and feasible, and met the design requirements for the travelling passage of the crawler potato harvester. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the tracked chassis of the potato combine harvester in hilly mountainous areas, with a view to providing reference for the design of tracked harvesters for other crops in hilly mountainous areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the issues of the poor filling and clearing efficiency of spoon–chain potato seed dischargers, an optimization design was implemented in this study. Based on the motion characteristics of potatoes during the filling and transport processes, an inclination angle was set for the seed spoon cavity, and a seed-clearing brush was installed at the top of the seed discharger. A DEM-MBD coupled simulation model of the seed discharger was constructed. The working speed of the driving sprocket, the inclination angle of the seed spoon cavity, and the seed holding height were used as experimental factors, while the single-seed qualification rate, missed seed rate, and over-seeding rate were used as evaluation indices to conduct a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination experiment. This determined the optimal technical parameter combination for the best working performance. Based on the results of the DEM-MBD coupled simulation experiments, a response surface optimization test was conducted. The results showed that the optimal working performance was achieved when the working speed of the driving sprocket was 43 rpm, the inclination angle of the seed spoon cavity was 15°, and the seed holding height was 0.2 m. Under these conditions, the single-seed qualification rate was 95.28%, the missed seed rate was 0.92%, and the over-seeding rate was 3.80%. Further soil bin tests confirmed that, under the optimal working parameters, the relative deviations of all test indices from the response surface optimization test results were less than 2%. The research results provide new insights for the optimization design of spoon–chain potato seed-metering devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) serves as the primary source of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anions in the intestinal mucosa. However, its specific contribution to the progression of colonic disease remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of XOR in ulcerative colitis (UC) and attempted to identify the underlying mechanisms. We used the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)–induced mouse model to mimic UC and observed that XOR inhibitors, allopurinol and diphenyleneiodonium sulfate (DPI), significantly alleviated UC in mice. In addition, treatment with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) and 1% O2 increased the expression of XOR and induced DNA oxidative damage in colonic epithelial cells. Furthermore, we identified that XOR accumulation in the nucleus may directly cause DNA oxidative damage and regulates HIF1α protein levels. In addition, allopurinol effectively protected colon epithelial cells from CoCl2-induced DNA damage. Altogether, our data provided evidence that XOR could induce DNA damage under hypoxic conditions, indicating a significant role of XOR in the initiation and early development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the compelling antitumor properties of VALD‐2, a synthetic Schiff base ligand known for its low toxicity. The focus is on investigating VALD‐2's protective role against cisplatin‐induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice, with a specific emphasis on mitigating oxidative stress and inflammation. The study involves daily intraperitoneal injections of amifostine or VALD‐2 over 7 days to establish an AKI model. Subsequently, mice were assigned to normal control, cisplatin group, cisplatin + amifostine group, and cisplatin + VALD‐2 10 mg/kg group, cisplatin + VALD‐2 20 mg/kg, and cisplatin + VALD‐2 40 mg/kg. Kidney injury is assessed through serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) activity assays. Levels of inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), in kidney tissue of mice were assessed through enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The protective effect of VALD‐2 is further examined through HE staining to observe pathological changes in kidney injury. The ultrastructural changes of renal cells and tubular epithelial cells were observed by electron microscopy under experimental conditions, indicating the effect of VALD‐2 on reversing cisplatin‐induced renal injury. The study delves into VALD‐2's protective mechanisms against cisplatin‐induced kidney injury by using western blot analysis to assess the expression levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in kidney tissues. VALD‐2 demonstrates significant improvement in cisplatin‐induced AKI, as evidenced by increased BUN and Cr levels. It effectively protects kidney tissue from oxidative damage, enhancing SOD and GSH‐Px activities while reducing MDA levels. The study also reveals a decrease in TNF‐α and IL‐6 levels, supported by ELISA results, and histological findings confirm anti‐nephrotoxic effects. Western blot analysis shows an upregulation of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GSH‐Px) and a reduction in MDA production. VALD‐2 emerges as a promising mitigator of cisplatin‐induced AKI, showcasing its ability to enhance oxidative stress‐related protein expression. The findings suggest VALD‐2 as a potential therapeutic agent for protecting against cisplatin‐induced kidney injury. Highlights: VALD‐2 is a yellow precipitate, a Schiff base ligand synthesized by mixing diethylene‐triamine and o‐vanillin and insoluble in 0.9% sodium chloride. It has been also reported that which forms complexes with most metals and has potential antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer effects.In our previous study, we found that VALD showed antitumor effects both in vivo and in vitro. In recent years, the antitumor activities of some Schiff base ligands have been widely reported.Our study revealed for the first time that VALD‐2 alleviates cisplatin‐induced acute renal injury by inhibiting renal inflammation and enhancing the endogenous antioxidant system, which provides a molecular basis for the new drug treatment of cisplatin‐induced acute renal injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dysregulation of the intestinal epithelial barrier significantly contributes to the inflammatory progression of ulcerative colitis. Recent studies have indicated that lactate, produced by gut bacteria or derived from fermented foods, plays a key role in modulating inflammation via G-protein-coupled receptor 81 (GPR81). In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of GPR81 in the progression of colitis and to assess the impact of lactate/GPR81 signaling on intestinal epithelial barrier function. Our findings demonstrated a downregulation of GPR81 protein expression in patients with colitis. Functional verification experiments showed that Gpr81-deficient mice exhibited more severe damage to the intestinal epithelial barrier and increased susceptibility to DSS-induced colitis, characterized by exacerbated oxidative stress, elevated inflammatory cytokine secretion, and impaired expression of tight-junction proteins. Mechanistically, we found that lactate could suppress TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression and prevent the disruption of tight-junction proteins by inhibiting NF-κB activation through GPR81 in vitro. Furthermore, our study showed that dietary lactate could preserve intestinal epithelial barrier function against DSS-induced damage in a GPR81-dependent manner in vivo. Collectively, these results underscore the crucial involvement of the lactate/GPR81 signaling pathway in maintaining intestinal epithelial barrier function, providing a potential therapeutic strategy for ulcerative colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tire pattern structure has a serious influence on automobile performance. In order to improve the tire performance, the strain energy density of tire tread under different working conditions was analyzed. The finite element model of longitudinal groove pattern of automobile tire was established to analyze the strain energy density under different working conditions, and the influence of parameter changes on the strain energy density of tire on dry road and slippery road was analyzed respectively. The multi-objective optimization model was established based on the finite element analysis results, and the function constraint conditions were set. Differential evolution method (DE) and non-dominated sorting genetic optimization method (NSGA-II) are used to design a multi-objective optimization program, which can quickly determine the optimization scheme after the input data. The finite element model was modified according to the optimization scheme and the strain energy density was analyzed. The results show that the performance of the optimized tire is greatly improved. The combination of finite element analysis technology and multi-objective optimization method can effectively reduce a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources in mechanical product structure optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective signal amplification is necessary for the sensitive detection of low-abundance proteins. In this work, a sandwich-type immunosensor for the sensitive detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was prepared. Hollow mesoporous silica spheres (HMSS) with a large specific surface area and loading capacity were synthesized. Next, their adsorption performance was improved by a hyaluronic acid (HA) coating that could inhibit the escape of lead(II) ions adsorbed on the hollow silica spheres. After that, an "off–on" strategy was applied to the immunosensor to amplify δ I. The sensitive detection of AFP was obtained by square wave voltammetry (SWV). The antifouling material (HA) not only reduces non-specific binding, but also has good biocompatibility and increases the number of attached secondary antibodies. Finally, we confirmed the successful application of the "off–on" strategy by some electrochemical tests. The final electrochemical sensor has high sensitivity and a low detection limit of 9.9 fg mL−1 (S/N = 3). The proposed "metal ion (organic small molecule)-HMSS@HA" bioresponsive release system has potential application value as a carrier for other electroactive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyacrylamide which is directly added into concrete shows strong water absorption property. Thus the construction of underwater constructure would demand high amount of water, resulting in poor workability of concrete and strength shrinkage after hardening. Herein, a kind of anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) grafted with water reducing functional group (-COOH) was synthesized at low temperatures by partial factor design and response surface design. The structure and morphology of APAM were characterized by UV, FTIR and SEM methods. The experimental results show that the molecular weight of the synthesized APAM could reach 11 million, under the condition that the temperature was 35 °C, the pH value was 8, the monomer concentration was 27wt%, the initiator dosage was 0.6wt%, and the monomer ratio (n(AM): n(AA)) was 3. When the APAM was applied into the underwater slurry, it presented good flocculation and low water demand. When the dosage was 1% of the mass of the cement, the water demand increased by 12%, which could meet the self-leveling and anti-dispersity of the underwater slurry at the same time. This technology provides technical guidance for the large-scale industrial production of polyacrylamide for underwater concrete construction while achieving environmental protection during production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato malformation seriously affects commercial value, and its removal has become one of the core steps in the post-harvest and pre-sales process of potatoes. At present, this work mainly relies on manual visual inspection, which requires a lot of labor and incurs high investment costs. Therefore, precise and efficient automatic detection technology urgently needs to be developed. Due to the efficiency of deep learning based on image information in the field of complex object feature extraction and pattern recognition, this study proposes the use of the YOLOv3 algorithm to undertake potato malformation classification. However, the target box regression loss function MSE of this algorithm is prone to small errors being ignored, and the model code is relatively large, which limits its performance due to the high demand for computing hardware performance and storage space. Accordingly, in this study, CIOU loss is introduced to replace MSE, and thus the shortcoming of the inconsistent optimization direction of the original algorithm's loss function is overcome, which also significantly reduces the storage space and computational complexity of the network model. Furthermore, deep separable convolution is used instead of traditional convolution. Deep separable convolution first convolves each channel, and then combines different channels point by point. With the introduction of an inverted residual structure and the use of the h-swish activation function, deep separable convolution based on the MobileNetv3 structure can learn more comprehensive feature representations, which can significantly reduce the computational load of the model while improving its accuracy. The test results showed that the model capacity was reduced by 66%, mAP was increased by 4.68%, and training time was shortened by 6.1 h. Specifically, the correctness rates of malformation recognition induced by local protrusion, local depression, proportional imbalance, and mechanical injury within the test set range were 94.13%, 91.00%, 95.52%, and 91.79%, respectively. Misjudgment mainly stemmed from the limitation of training samples and the original accuracy of the human judgment in type labeling. This study lays a solid foundation for the final establishment of an intelligent recognition and classification picking system for malformed potatoes in the next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of flexible films with excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and enhanced thermal management capabilities is highly desired to meet the ever-growing demands for portable and miniaturized electronics. Herein, graphene/MXene (G/M) composite thin films with unique structure, excellent flexibility, and outstanding EMI shielding capability are fabricated by integrating MXene nanosheets with a three-dimensional porous graphene film via a facile vacuum-assisted filtration method. Notably, the obtained G/M composite thin film with a thickness of 100 μm possesses a high EMI shielding effectiveness of up to 96.3 dB. This remarkable EMI shielding performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between the wrinkled structure of the MXene layer and the interconnected porous network of the graphene film, thereby ensuring excellent electrical conductivity and superior mechanical properties. Additionally, the polymer-modified G/M composite thin film shows an excellent electrothermal conversion capability under a low driving voltage. This work provides a facile strategy for fabricating flexible composite thin films toward practical EMI shielding and thermal management applications in next-generation miniaturized flexible electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the search for new steroid substances with potential application in oncology, a series of endoperoxide steroid derivatives (7a-n) containing a thiazole system were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxicities in four tumor cell lines. Among them, compound 7h exhibited the most significant cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells (IC50 = 4.54 μM), being more potent than ergosterol peroxide. Furthermore, 7h was able to promote apoptosis in HepG2 cells and decrease the mitochondrial membrane potential, accompanied by activating the expression of cytochrome c, caspase-9, caspase-3, and Bax, while Bcl-2 expression was suppressed. The molecular mechanism may refer to the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. On the whole, the above results incentivize the further study of 7h derivatives as potent anticancer agents. Graphical Abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has a considerable advantage in the rehabilitation treatment of dysphagia. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of tDCS combined with respiratory training on dysphagia in post-stroke patients. METHODS: From December 2017 to January 2019, 64 post-stroke patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University were enrolled in this study. They were randomly divided into control and treatment groups (n = 32). Patients in the two groups received routine swallowing rehabilitation training and respiratory training. On this basis, the patients in the treatment group received tDCS. The anode was placed in the movement area of the pharyngeal cortex on the unaffected side of the patients' bodies, and the cathode was placed in the upper orbital orbit on the opposite side. The current intensity was 1.5 mA, 20 min/time, 1 time/d, and 6 d/w. Before and after the treatment, the water swallow text, functional oral intake scale (FOIS), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were assessed, and the correlation among them was evaluated. RESULTS: There were no differences in all indexes before and after treatment. After treatment, water swallow text, FOIS, FVC and PEF were all better than before treatment, and the clinical efficacy in the treatment group was significantly better than that in the control group. FVC and PEF were positively correlated with water swallow text and FOIS. CONCLUSION: tDCS combined with respiratory training may have a significant therapeutic effect on dysphagia in post-stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel ergosterol peroxide derivatives with acrylate or propionate side chain were synthesized. All compounds 3a-n were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against four kinds of human carcinoma cell lines (HepG2, MCF-7, HCT-116, and A549). Most of the derivatives displayed stronger cytotoxicity than ergosterol peroxide parent. Among them, compound 3h with the highest potency against HepG2 cell line (IC50 = 2.70 μ M), which was 7.47-fold more efficacious than ergosterol peroxide. The results suggested that the introduction of acrylate or propionate side chain at C-3 position of ergosterol peroxide is beneficial to enhance its cytotoxic activity. Compound 3h has potential to become a novel anti-tumor agent through further structural modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability of advanced functional materials subjected to extreme conditions involving ion bombardment, radiation, or reactive chemicals is crucial for diverse applications. Here we demonstrate the excellent stability of wafer-scale thin films of vertically aligned hexagonal BN nanosheets (hBNNS) exposed to high-energy ions and reactive atomic oxygen representative of extreme conditions in space exploration and other applications. The hBNNS are fabricated catalyst-free on wafer-scale silicon, stainless steel, copper and glass panels at a lower temperature of 400 °C by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and subsequently characterized. The resistance of BNNS to high-energy ions was tested by immersing the samples into the plasma plume at the anode of a 150 W Hall Effect Thruster with BNNS films facing Xenon ions, revealing that the etching rate of BNNS is 20 times less than for a single-crystalline silicon wafer. Additionally, using O2/Ar/H2 plasmas to simulate the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment, it is demonstrated that the simulated plasma had very weak influence on the hBNNS surface structure and thickness. These results validate the strong potential of BNNS films for applications as protective, thermally conductive and insulating layers for spacecrafts, electric plasma satellite thrusters and semiconductor optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) causes a systemic skin disorder with hepatitis known as TCE hypersensitivity syndrome (TCE-HS). Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA)-B*13:01 is its susceptibility factor; however, the immunological pathogenesis of TCE-HS remains unknown. We herein examined the hypothesis that autoantibodies to CYP2E1 are primarily involved in TCE-HS. A case–control study of 80 TCE-HS patients, 186 TCE-tolerant controls (TCE-TC), and 71 TCE-nonexposed controls (TCE-nonEC) was conducted to measure their serum anti-CYP2E1 antibody (IgG) levels. The effects of TCE exposure indices, such as 8-h time-weighted-average (TWA) airborne concentrations, urinary metabolite concentrations, and TCE usage duration; sex; smoking and drinking habits; and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels on the antibody levels were also analyzed in the two control groups. There were significant differences in anti-CYP2E1 antibody levels among the three groups: TCE-TC > TCE-HS patients > TCE-nonEC. Antibody levels were not different between HLA-B*13:01 carriers and noncarriers in TCE-HS patients and TCE-TC. The serum CYP2E1 measurement suggested increased immunocomplex levels only in patients with TCE-HS. Multiple regression analysis for the two control groups showed that the antibody levels were significantly higher by the TCE exposure. Women had higher antibody levels than men; however, smoking, drinking, and ALT levels did not affect the anti-CYP2E1 antibody levels. Anti-CYP2E1 antibodies were elevated at concentrations lower than the TWA concentration of 2.5 ppm for TCE exposure. Since HLA-B*13:01 polymorphism was not involved in the autoantibody levels, the possible mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of TCE-HS is that TCE exposure induces anti-CYP2E1 autoantibody production, and HLA-B*13:01 is involved in the development of TCE-HS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Exploring biomarkers for easy and reliable diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has attracted an increasing attention. Coagulation parameters have been found to be associated with infections, but their role in diagnosing PJI is not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the diagnostic value of coagulation parameters in PJI.Methods: We retrospectively recruited patients who underwent revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) from January 2014 to December 2020. Patients were grouped into PJIs or non-PJIs, and PJIs were further divided into culture positive and culture negative groups. The diagnostic value of coagulation parameters including fibrin degradation product (FDP), D-dimer, platelet count (PC), and platelet count to mean platelet volume ratio (PVR) was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic curve, in comparison with traditional biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR).Results: A total of 186 patients including 136 THA and 50 TKA were studied. There were 105 PJI and 81 non-PJI patients. The coagulation parameters showed an inferior performance to CRP and ESR, with the area under the curve (AUC) of FDP, D-dimer, PC, PVR, CRP, and ESR being 0.805, 0.571, 0.703, 0.704, 0.882, and 0.824, respectively. The diagnostic performance of those coagulation parameters was similar in THA and TKA PJIs and was not superior to ESR or CRP in either culture-positive or culture-negative PJIs.Conclusion: Coagulation parameters FDP, D-dimer, PC, and PVR are of limited value for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection in both THA and TKA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To accomplish ultra-sensitive detection of alpha-fetoprotein(AFP), a novel electrochemical immunosensor using polydopamine-coated Fe3O4 nanoparticles (PDA@Fe3O4 NPs) as a smart label and polyaniline (PANI) and Au NPs as substrate materials has been created. The sensor has the following advantages over typical immunoassay technology: (1) The pH reaction causes PDA@Fe3O4 NPs to release Prussian blue (PB) prosoma while also destroying the secondary antibody label and immunological platform and lowering electrode impedance; (2) PB has a highly efficient catalytic effect on H2O2, allowing for the obvious amplification of electrical impulses; (3) PANI was electrodeposited on the electrode surface to avoid PB loss and signal leakage, which effectively absorbed and fixed PB while considerably increasing electron transmission efficiency. The sensor's detection limit was 0.254 pg·mL−1 (S/N = 3), with a detection range of 1 pg·mL−1 to 100 ng·mL−1. The sensor has a high level of selectivity, repeatability, and stability, and it is predicted to be utilized to detect AFP in real-world samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Kingdom of Morocco approved BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm) COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on 22 January 2021 in a two-dose, three-to-four-week interval schedule. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to determine real-world BBIBP-CorV vaccine effectiveness (VE) against serious or critical hospitalization of individuals RT-PCR-positive for SARS-CoV-2 during the first five months of BBIBP-CorV use in Morocco. Methods: The study was conducted among adults 18–99 years old who were tested by RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 infection between 1 February and 30 June 2021. RT-PCR results were individually linked with outcomes from the COVID-19 severe or critical hospitalization dataset and with vaccination histories from the national vaccination registration system. Individuals with partial vaccination (< 2 weeks after dose two) or in receipt of any other COVID-19 vaccine were excluded. Unadjusted and adjusted VE estimates against hospitalization for serious or critical illness were made by comparing two-dose vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in logistic regression models, calculated as (1-odds ratio) * 100%. Results: There were 348,190 individuals able to be matched across the three databases. Among these, 140,892 were fully vaccinated, 206,149 were unvaccinated, and 1,149 received homologous BBIBP-CorV booster doses. Unadjusted, full-series, unboosted BBIBP-CorV VE against hospitalization for serious or critical illness was 90.2% (95%CI: 87.8—92.0%). Full-series, unboosted VE, adjusted for age, sex, and calendar day of RT-PCR test, was 88.5% (95%CI: 85.8—90.7%). Calendar day- and sex-adjusted VE was 96.4% (95%CI: 94.6—97.6%) for individuals < 60 years, and was 53.3% (95%CI: 39.6—63.9%) for individuals 60 years and older. There were no serious or critical illnesses among BBIBP-CorV-boosted individuals. Conclusions: Effectiveness of Sinopharm's BBIBP-CorV was consistent with phase III clinical trial results. Two doses of BBIBP-CorV was highly protective against COVID-19-associated serious or critical hospitalization in working-age adults under real-world conditions and moderately effective in older adults. Booster dose vaccination was associated with complete protection, regardless of age, although only a small proportion of subjects received booster doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early detection of tumour markers is essential for the timely treatment of cancer, and thus realising the sensitive detection of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is significant. Herein, we employed an electrochemical immunosensor as a simple analytical method. The loading of precious metals significantly amplifies the signal of electrochemical immunosensors. In this study, the successful loading of Au NPs was achieved via the galvanic displacement method. Moreover, CuS nanoflowers possessed intrinsic peroxidase-like activity, which could catalyse the oxidation of o-phenylenediamine (OPD) to generate a light-orange product in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The flower-shaped CuS not only provided active sites for the catalytic reaction, but also possessed a large specific surface area, which could provide abundant sites for the placement of Au nanoparticles. Thus, it was suitable for the labelling of Ab2 for the sensitive detection of CEA. The instant current response (i–t) method detected CEA quantitatively, and the immunosensor prepared under the optimized conditions exhibited an excellent analytical performance. The detection range of the sensor prepared in this study was 0.1–80 ng mL−1 and its detection limit was 5.5 pg mL−1 (S/N = 3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the biomass material chitosan as a precursor and potassium citrate (PC) as a substitute for traditional corrosive activators such as KOH and ZnCl2, a chitosan-based porous carbon material with high specific surface area was successfully prepared and used as a support for the catalytic acetylene acetoxylation reaction. By controlling the PC content and the calcination temperature, chitosan-based porous carbon with a suitable pore structure and abundant surface oxygen functional groups was obtained. The inductively coupled plasma analysis confirmed that the zinc content of the 0.9Zn/CS-PC1-800 catalyst was about 14 wt%, and the acetic acid conversion reached 81%. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopy and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed that the catalyst carrier was mesoporous carbon material, and different PC content formed different pore size distribution at different calcination temperatures. In addition, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that the content of O in chitosan-based porous carbon was rich, and PC consumed the O content on the surface of carbon materials during activation. Because O content and pore size structure on carrier surface are closely related to acetic acid conversion, reasonable PC content and calcination temperature are very important for acetic acid conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practical implementation of porous carbon-based composite phase-change materials (CPCMs) for heat dissipation in high-power-density electronics is usually limited by liquid leakage issues and unsatisfactory thermal conductivity resulting from their relatively low filler fraction and/or existence of interfacial thermal resistance between fillers. Therefore, development of shape-stable CPCMs with high thermal conductivity and large latent heat to avoid overheating of electronics remains challenging. Herein, graphene foams (GFs) with very high densities of up to 204 mg/cm3 have been synthesized to act as interconnected porous networks of CPCMs. Notably, the obtained CPCM with a filler loading of 11.1 wt % preserves a high heat capacity (171.8 J/g) with a retention of 84.8% while showing a 22.6-fold enhancement in the thermal conductivity as compared to pure PCM (10.13 vs 0.43 W/m·K). A higher thermal conductivity of 14.29 W/m·K can be achieved by further increasing the filler loading to 17.7 wt %, which outperforms many of the previously reported CPCMs based on the interconnected porous carbon-based frameworks. Owing to the superior interconnected network structure of the dense GFs and the strong interconnection between them and PCM molecules, these CPCMs also exhibit leakage-proof shape stability and excellent thermal reliability (at least 100 cycles). Moreover, a state-of-the-art aluminum (Al) package based on the CPCM (filler loading: 11.1 wt %) possessing weight 60% less than its pure Al panel counterpart has been demonstrated to verify better heat transfer efficiency and more efficient phonon pathways of the CPCM composite than those of the pure PCM, which holds great promise for advanced thermal management of emerging applications in electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ultra-sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for detecting carcinoembryonic antigen was prepared. Graphene oxide-gold was used as the substrate modifier of the sandwich immunosensor. The high conductivity of graphene oxide effectively enhanced the electron transfer rate. The large specific surface area of graphene and the biocompatibility of gold nanoparticles increased the number of primary antibodies. The bovine serum albumin coated silver – platinum composite was used as a secondary antibody tag to prepare signal probes. The excellent biocompatibility of bovine serum albumin increased the number of secondary antibody connections. Silver nanoparticles increased the speed of electron transfer, and platinum further enhanced electrochemical sensing capabilities by catalyzing hydrogen peroxide. The immunosensor showed good performance for detecting carcinoembryonic antigen. Under the optimal conditions, the dynamic response range for carcinoembryonic antigen was from 0.005 ng·mL−1 to 100 ng·mL−1 with a detection limit of 0.76 pg·mL−1. The immunosensor also shown high selectivity, suitable stability, and good reproducibility, which provides new capabilities for clinical carcinoembryonic antigen detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction of macroscopic 3D architectures of graphene is crucial to harness the advantageous properties of planar 2D graphene and to enable integration to many conventional and novel applications. Ideally, the 3D structure of graphene should be free of defects, covalently interconnected, and can be produced at large‐scale. Among various assembly techniques, fabrication using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) enables the production of high‐quality graphene where selection of template is the key that determines its consequent crystalline quality and structural morphology. Herein, a new method is presented to synthesize high‐quality porous graphene film by incorporating an in situ reduction–oxidation cycling treatment to generate micrometer‐sized pores on commercial Ni foil using an all‐CVD process route. Owing to the unique morphological features of the modified Ni template, the graphene film exhibits a holey surface with large‐area exterior skin coverage of >94% and many interconnected ligaments within its porous interior. This extraordinary configuration gives rise to superior in‐plane electrical conductivity despite its low density. In comparison to state‐of‐the‐art materials for electromagnetic interference shielding, this porous graphene film is among the best performing materials with a specific shielding effectiveness of >550 dB cm3 g−1 and absolute effectiveness of >220 000 dB cm2 g−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internal structure analysis of radial tires is of great significance to improve vehicle safety and during tire research. In order to perform the digital analysis and detection of the internal composition in radial tire cross-sections, a detection method based on digital image processing was proposed. The research was carried out as follows: (a) the distribution detection and parametric analysis of the bead wire, steel belt, and carcass in the tire section were performed by means of digital image processing, connected domain extraction, and Hough transform; (b) using the angle of location distribution and area relationship, the detection data were optimized through coordinate and quantity relationship constraints; (c) a detection system for tire cross-section components was designed using the MATLAB platform. Our experimental results showed that this method displayed a good detection performance, and important practical significance for the research and manufacture of tires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in patients with delayed encephalopathy after carbon monoxide poisoning (DEACMP). Design: A parallel-group, open-label randomised controlled study. Setting: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Room of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Subjects: A total of 40 patients were recruited for the current study. Patients were randomly divided into a treatment group and a control group (20 cases/group). Interventions: Control group: conventional, individualised rehabilitation therapy. Treatment group: conventional, individualised rehabilitation therapy and tDCS. Main Measures: cognitive function of patients, the Barthel Index (BI). Results: After treatment, significantly higher MMSE and BI scores, as well as a greater reduction in P300 latency and an increase in P300 amplitude, were observed in the treatment group compared to the control group (MMSE: 13 ± 7 vs. 9 ± 5; P300 latency: 342 ± 29 vs. 363 ± 17 ms; P300 amplitude: 7.0 ± 3.3 vs. 5.1 ± 2.7 μV; all P < 0.05). In both groups, however, MMSE and BI scores, in addition to P300 amplitude, were significantly improved; in contrast, there was a decrease in P300 latency in both groups after treatment compared to before treatment (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Combined with HBOT, tDCS can help improve cognitive function and ADL in patients with DEACMP. This combination therapy might be a helpful method to enhance the recovery of patients with DEACMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics rank as the most powerful weapons against bacterial infection, but their use is often limited by antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD). Here, we reported that glutamine deficiency might act as a new link between clindamycin-induced dysbiosis and intestinal barrier dysfunction during AAD progression. Using a mouse model, we demonstrated that glutamine became a conditionally essential amino acid upon persistent therapeutic-dose clindamycin exposure, evidenced by a dramatic decrease in intestinal glutamine level and glutaminase expression. Mechanistically, clindamycin substantially confounded the abundance of butyrate-producing strains, leading to the deficiency of faecal butyrate which is normally a fundamental fuel for enterocytes, and in turn increased the compensatory use of glutamine. In addition to its pivotal roles in colonic epithelial cell turnover, glutamine was required for nitric oxide production in classic macrophage-driven host defence facilitating pathogen removal. Importantly, oral administration of glutamine effectively attenuated clindamycin-induced dysbiosis and restored intestinal barrier dysfunction in mice. Collectively, the present study highlighted the importance of gut microbiota in host energy homoeostasis and provided a rationale for introducing glutamine supplementation to patients receiving long-term antibiotic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schiff base compounds and their metal complexes have become important synthetic organic drugs due to their extensive biological activities, which include anticancer, antibacterial and antiviral effects. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of VALD-3, a Schiff base ligand synthesized from o-vanillin derivatives, on human breast cancer cells and the possible underlying mechanisms. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)-test was used to observe the proliferation of human breast cancer MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells induced by VALD-3. Flow cytometry analysis showed that VALD-3 triggered cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Western blot analysis revealed that VALD-3 upregulated pro-apoptotic proteins (Bad and Bax), downregulated anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, survivin and XIAP) and increased the expression of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-8, Cyto-c and cleaved PARP. VALD-3 also regulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in breast cancer cells, inhibiting the activation of downstream molecules. By xenografting human breast cancer cells into nude mice, we found that VALD-3 significantly suppressed tumor cell growth while showing low toxicity against major organs. In addition, survival analysis showed that VALD-3 can significantly prolong the survival time of mice (P = 0.036). This study is the first to show that VALD-3 induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling, indicating that it could be a potential drug for the treatment of breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperuricemia contributes to chronic kidney disease development. However, it has been historically viewed with limited research interest. In this study, we mimicked the development of hyperuricemic nephropathy by using a potassium oxonate‐induced hyperuricemia rat model. We found that administering vitamin C at 10 mg/kg/day effectively ameliorated hyperuricemic nephropathy. Compared to the control group, rats with hyperuricemia had significantly increased serum uric acid level, xanthine oxidase activity, and urine microalbumin level, by 5‐fold, 1.5‐fold, and 4‐fold, respectively. At the same time, vitamin C supplementation reverted these values by 20% for serum uric acid level and xanthine oxidase activity and 50% for microalbumin level. Vitamin C also alleviated renal pathology and decreased the expression of pro‐inflammatory and pro‐fibrotic markers. A further mechanistic study suggested that vitamin C might attenuate hyperuricemic nephropathy in renal tubular epithelial cells induced by monosodium urate (MSU) crystal, at least in part, by directly inhibiting IL‐6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Meanwhile, in macrophages, vitamin C inhibited the expression of TGF‐β, and reduced ROS level induced by MSU by about 35%. In short, our results suggest that vitamin C supplementation delay the progression of hyperuricemic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) strains are extensively resistant to most antibiotics. Tigecycline is one of the few effective drugs that can be used to treat infections caused by CRE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of different methods for detecting the susceptibility of CRE to tigecycline. Methods: Seven commonly used drug susceptibility testing methods were compared and evaluated for the ability to determine CRE tigecycline susceptibility: broth microdilution (BMD), agar dilution method (ADM), disk diffusion method, Etest, MicroScan, Vitek2 COMPACT, and BD Phoenix 100. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of tigecycline to inhibit 50% and 90% of CRE growth (MIC50 and MIC90, respectively) assessed by ADM and BD Phoenix 100 was the same as that determined by the reference method, BMD. The MIC50 was 2 μg/mL, and the MIC90 was 4 μg/mL. The highest number of susceptible strains was detected by MicroScan, followed by BMD, Etest, ADM, BD Phoenix 100, Vitek2 COMPACT, and disk diffusion method, in descending order. No significant differences were observed among the tigecycline susceptibility results (P > 0.05) obtained from MicroScan, Etest, BD Phoenix 100, and BMD. BMD confirmed that 82.0% of strains were susceptible to tigecycline. ADM, MicroScan, and BD Phoenix 100 yielded the categorical agreement of 96%, 92%, and 93%, respectively. No method was found to present any very major errors (VMEs), and only the Vitek2 COMPACT yielded major errors (MEs) greater than 3%. Conclusion: Among the seven methods tested, the ADM, MicroScan, and BD Phoenix 100 methods were accurate for determining the tigecycline susceptibility of CRE. MicroScan was acceptable with better performance than other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity has received increasing attention because of its widespread worldwide occurrence and many threats to health. Human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs) are a critical source of adipocytes. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in cell fate determination and differentiation. The objective of the present study was to identify and investigate the function and regulatory mechanism of lncRNAs on adipogenic differentiation of hADSCs. Methods: We used lncRNA arrays to identify the prominent differentially expressed lncRNAs before and after hADSC adipogenic differentiation and verified their biological function through antisense oligonucleotide knockdown or lentivirus overexpression. The adipogenic differentiation of hADSCs was assessed by oil red O staining as well as the mRNA and protein levels of adipogenic marker genes through qRT-PCR and western blot. Bioinformatic tool LncPro and immunofluorescence was performed to uncover the interaction between lnc13728 and ZBED3. WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway was evaluated by western blot and immunofluorescence. Results: The lncRNA arrays showed that lnc13728 expression was significantly upregulated after hADSC adipogenic differentiation and was correlated positively with the expression of the adipogenesis-related genes in human adipose tissue. Lnc13728 knockdown in hADSCs suppressed the expression of the adipogenesis-related genes at both mRNA and protein level and weakened lipid droplet production. Accordingly, lnc13728 overexpression enhanced hADSC adipogenic differentiation. Beyond that, lnc13728 co-localized with ZBED3 in the cytoplasm and regulated its expression positively. Downregulating ZBED3 had a negative effect on adipogenic differentiation, while the expression of WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway-related proteins was upregulated. Conclusions: Lnc13728 promotes hADSC adipogenic differentiation possibly by positively regulating the expression of ZBED3 which plays a role in inhibiting the WNT/β-catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cross-linked polyethylene (HXLPE) liners have been used for total hip arthroplasty (THA) to address the problem of osteolysis and revision surgery associated with conventional polyethylene (CPE) liners. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the long-term efficacy of HXLPE in preventing revision surgery and radiological osteolysis in comparison to CPE. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from their respective inception to September 2018 was conducted to identify potential candidate articles. Data were pooled using Stata software 14.0. The quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies was assessed by two different authors using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and the Newcastle–Ottawa scale (NOS), respectively. Results: Eight RCTs and six observational studies were included in this review. The pooled results significantly favored HXLPE over CPE in terms of total number of revisions and radiological osteolysis, with a risk reduction of 78% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13–0.36; p < 0.001) and 80% (95% CI 0.13–0.29; p < 0.001), respectively. Additionally, subgroup analyses of pooled data from RCTs and observational studies both showed the efficacy of HXLPE in the prevention of revision and osteolysis. Polyethylene wear in the HXLPE group was significantly less than that in the CPE group in terms of linear wear rates and head penetration rates (both p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed with regard to functional outcomes. Conclusions: The current evidence shows that HXLPE significantly improved the clinical and radiographic outcomes, but not the functional outcomes, in comparison to CPE in long-term follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Layered MoTe2 has shown great promises for optoelectronics and energy-storage applications due to its exceptional optical and electrochemical properties. To date, considerable efforts have been devoted to fabricating layered MoTe2 with lateral orientation by means of mechanical/chemical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. As compared to its horizontal counterparts, vertically aligned MoTe2 with higher density of active edge sites is expected to possess unique optoelectronic and electrochemical properties, while which has not been reported yet. In this work, we report a versatile and scalable CVD growth of vertically aligned MoTe2 with length of up to ∼ 7.5 µm on Mo foil. Remarkably, the dominant phase of the vertically aligned MoTe2 can be tuned from 2H to 1T' by increasing the growth temperature from 630 to 780 °C. Owing to the weak interaction between the as-grown MoTe2 and Mo foil, the as-grown MoTe2 can be easily detached from the Mo foil. This in turn enabled economic reuse of the Mo foil for multiple growth. Moreover, the vertical growth of the MoTe2 is proposed to be caused by the internal strain generated during tellurization of Mo foil. Furthermore, the as-grown MoTe2 can also be directly dispersed in solvent to produce high-quality MoTe2 nanosheets. The versatility of this growth strategy was further demonstrated by fabricating other vertically aligned TMDs such as TaTe2 and MoSe2. Hence, this work paves the path towards achieving unique TMDs structures to enable high-performance optoelectronic and electrochemical devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk 1T‐TaSe2 as a charge‐density‐wave (CDW) conductor is of special interest for CDW‐based nanodevice applications because of its high CDW transition temperature. Reduced dimensionality of the strongly correlated material is expected to result in significantly different collective properties. However, the growth of atomically thin 1T‐TaSe2 crystals remains elusive, thus hampering studies of dimensionality effects on the CDW of the material. Herein, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of atomically thin TaSe2 crystals is reported with controlled 1T phase. Scanning transmission electron microscopy suggests the high crystallinity and the formation of CDW superlattice in the ultrathin 1T‐TaSe2 crystals. The commensurate–incommensurate CDW transition temperature of the grown 1T‐TaSe2 increases with decreasing film thickness and reaches a value of 570 K in a 3 nm thick layer, which is 97 K higher than that of previously reported bulk 1T‐TaSe2. This work enables the exploration of collective phenomena of 1T‐TaSe2 in the 2D limit, as well as offers the possibility of utilizing the high‐temperature CDW films in ultrathin phase‐change devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To evaluate the prevalence rate and survival situation of bone metastases in initial nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and the hazard and forecast elements of bone metastases NPC patients. Patients and Methods. The data collected from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program between 2010 and 2016 were evaluated. Univariate and multivariable logistic analysis and the Cox regression were carried out to estimate predictors and elements of the being of bone metastases at diagnosis, respectively. The overall survival of different subgroups were appraised by log-rank tests and the Kaplan–Meier analysis. Results. Factors including male sex, higher N stage, presence of liver, and brain or lung metastases were largely related to the occurrence of bone metastases. The median survival time for bone metastasis NPC patients was 14.0 months. A factor of more than one primary sequence number predicted worse survival. Conclusion. The data offer corresponding risks and prognostic indicators of bone metastases for NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcription factors have already been proposed to work on some human diseases. Yet the role of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) in cerebral palsy (CP) remains elusive. This study intends to examine the mechanism of TCTP on CP by regulating microRNA-200a (miR-200a). CP models of rats were established referring to the internationally recognized improved hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy modeling method. The neuroethology of rats, ultrastructure and pathological condition in brain tissues of rats were observed through several assays. The expression of TCTP, miR-200a, myelin transcription factor 1-like (Myt1L), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) along with apoptosis in brain tissues of rats was detected. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in brain tissues of rats were determined. The binding site between miR-200a and Myt1L was analyzed. TCTP and Myt1L were overexpressed and miR-200a was under-expressed in CP rats. Elevated miR-200a ameliorated neurobehavior of CP rats and pathological injury in brain tissues. Elevated miR-200a up-regulated TH, GSH, GSH-Px, and SOD levels, down-regulated iNOS, ROS, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels, and attenuated neuronal apoptosis in brain tissues of CP rats. Myt1L was a target gene of miR-200a. Altogether, our study suggested that diminution of transcription factor TCTP up-regulates miR-200a to limit Myt1L expression, thereby improving neurobehavior and oxidative stress injury in CP rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous polymeric foams as dielectric layer for highly sensitive capacitive based pressure sensors have been extensively explored owing to their excellent flexibility and elasticity. Despite intensive efforts, most of previously reported porous polymer foams still suffer from difficulty in further lowering the attainable density limit of ≈0.1 g cm−3 while retaining high sensitivity and compressibility due to the limitations on existing fabrication techniques and materials. Herein, utilizing 3D interconnected networks of few‐layer hexagonal boron nitride foams (h‐BNFs) as supporting frameworks, lightweight and highly porous BN/polydimethylsiloxane composite foams (BNF@PDMS) with densities reaching as low as 15 mg cm−3 and permittivity close to that of air are fabricated. This is the lightest PDMS‐based foam reported to date. Owing to the synergistic effects between BN and PDMS, these lightweight composite foams possess excellent mechanical resilience, extremely high compressibility (up to 95% strain), good cyclic performance, and superelasticity. Being electrically nonconductive, the potential application of BNF@PDMS as a dielectric layer for capacitive sensors is further demonstrated. Remarkably, the as‐fabricated device can perform multiple sensing functions such as noncontact touch sensor, environmental monitoring sensor, and high sensitivity pressure sensor that can detect extremely low pressures of below 1 Pa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Occupational exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE) induces trichloroethylene hypersensitivity syndrome (TCEHS), which causes hypersensitivity dermatitis and hepatitis. However, whether TCE itself or its two metabolites, trichloroethanol (TCEOH) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA), are involved in TCEHS remains unclear. Therefore, in this study we explored the allergens causing TCEHS and characterized TCEHS‐related liver injury in guinea pigs. Method: The guinea pig maximization test was performed using TCE, TCEOH, and TCA as candidate allergens. Skin inflammation was scored, and liver function and histopathological changes were evaluated by biochemical tests and hematoxylin and eosin staining, respectively. Results: The sensitization rates for TCE, TCEOH, and TCA were 90.0%, 50.0%, and 0.0%, respectively. In the TCE and TCEOH experimental groups, the skin showed varying degrees of erythema with eosinophil granulocyte infiltration in the dermis. Additionally, serum alanine aminotransferase and γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase levels increased significantly, and histological analysis revealed focal hepatocellular necrosis with inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver. Conclusions: TCE is the main cause of allergy and TCEOH is a secondary factor for allergy in guinea pigs. TCE and TCEOH can cause immune‐mediated skin sensitization complicated by focal hepatic necrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitotically-associated long non-coding RNA (MANCR) is involved in malignant breast cancer. The present study analyzed the role of MANCR in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MANCR was found to be upregulated in HCC and high expression level of MANCR in cancer tissues predicted poor survival of HCC patients. MicroRNA (miR)-122a was downregulated HCC and was inversely correlated with MANCR only in cancer tissues. MANCR overexpression resulted in downregulation of miR-122a, while miR-122a overexpression showed no obvious effects on MANCR expression. MANCR overexpression showed no significant effects on HCC cell proliferation but led to promoted cell migration and invasion. miR-122a overexpression led to inhibited migration and invasion of HCC cells and attenuated the effects of MANCR overexpression. Therefore, lncRNA MANCR may promote cancer cell proliferation in HCC by downregulating miR-122a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate whether the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) measured by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) could discriminate between aggressive and indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) and correlations between the SUVmax and clinical variables and serum biochemical indicators in adult lymphoma.Methods: A total of 103 patients with lymphoma confirmed by biopsy, pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT scans, and a complete medical record were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Clinical variables that were evaluated included stage, pathological subtype, International Prognostic Index (IPI) score, and Ki-67 index, as well as serum biochemical indicators (e.g., lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] and erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]) and metabolic parameters (e.g., SUVmax of the biopsy site on PET/CT). Correlations between SUVmax and clinical variables and serum biochemical indicators were investigated.Results: Of the 103 patients, 84 had NHL and 19 had Hodgkin lymphoma. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for examining the accuracy of SUVmax with regard to distinguishing between aggressive and indolent NHLs was 0.94 (95% confidence interval: 0.89-0.99), suggesting that SUVmax was a useful predictor of diagnosis. A cutoff value of 8.5 yielded a sensitivity of 76.3% and specificity of 92.0%. The SUVmax mean ± standard deviation of NHL (9.8 ± 6.0, range: 1.8-28.1) was higher than that of HL (7.5 ± 2.8, range: 3.5-13.9) (P = 0.016), but there was no statistically significant difference in SUVmax between NHL and HL (P > 0.05). SUVmax of the biopsy site was strongly positively correlated with Ki-67 index (r = 0.813, P < 0.001) and moderately positively correlated with IPI score (r = 0.332, P = 0.002), but it was not significantly correlated with clinical stage, LDH, or ESR (P > 0.05).Conclusions: 18F-FDG PET/CT may yield reliable measurements of tumor proliferation, and an SUVmax >8.5 may distinguish between aggressive and indolent NHLs. In adults with newly diagnosed lymphoma, SUVmax correlates with Ki-67 index and IPI score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesoporous CoNiO2 (CNO) hexagonal nanoparticles are prepared via a hydrothermal microwave carbon bath process. The nanostructure and morphology of CNO NPs prepared at different hydrothermal temperatures are systematically studied and characterized. At the hydrothermal temperature of 140 °C, CNO hexagonal nanoparticles have a porous structure and a specific surface area of 53.56 m2 g−1. In addition, the as-prepared CNO electrode material exhibits a large capacitance of 801.00 F g−1 at a current density of 0.5 A g−1. The assembled CNO asymmetric supercapacitor shows a high energy density of 10.34 W h kg−1 at the power density of 300 W kg−1, which shows great potential as a novel electrode material in energy storage applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Keloids are hard nodules or plaques formed by excessive proliferation of connective tissue. Radiotherapy, widely used in various benign and malignant skin diseases, is an effective treatment for keloids. This work evaluates Intrabeam photon radiotherapy in the management of keloids. Methods. Fourteen patients who have undergone Intrabeam radiotherapy for a total of 15 sites of keloids were followed up. Twelve cases were first onset and the other two had recurrent diseases. Thirteen patients underwent surgical resection of keloids before radiotherapy. One relapsing patient received only 2 rounds of radiation therapy as she could not be reoperated. Radiotherapy was divided into 2 sessions on days 0 and 3 after surgery. The dose was 4 or 5 Gy each time for 3 min 14 s to 12 min 1 s. In addition, we compared our data to the recurrence of keloids in fourteen patients who had previously been exposed to electron beam using conventional accelerators. Results. We analyzed the treatment for adverse reactions and recurrence. In the Intrabeam group, one patient developed superficial skin ulcers a month after treatment. No one experienced wound rupture, bleeding, infection, skin contractures, or obvious hyperpigmentation. None of the fourteen cases showed any recurrence so far after on median 22.5 months of follow-up. Five patients in the electron beam group relapsed 3 to 10 months after treatment. Conclusion. Here, Intrabeam photon radiotherapy was shown to be an effective treatment for keloid scars and it is therefore recommended for management of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]