Search

Additional file 1: Figure S1. The morphology of BMMs and EPCs under optical microscope. Representative the morphology of the mature macrophages. Scale bar: 20 μm.Representative colony morphology of early EPCs. Scale bar: 200 μm. Figure S2. Flow cytometry analysis of the EPCs’ specificity markersare highly expressed. Figure S3. Statistics on the uptake of Dil-labeled exosomesby macrophagesin the injured region after spinal cord injury, n = 3. Figure S4. EPC-EXOs promote axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury and inhibit apoptosis in the injured region.Immunofluorescence images of Tuj1 axonand DAPIstaining of spinal cord injury sections of mice representative of the Sham group, Control group and EPC-EXOs group at 28 dpi in wild-type mice. The white dashed area is the core of the spinal cord injury. Scale bar: 200 µmImmunofluorescence images of apoptosis staining-TUNELand DAPIstaining of spinal cord injury sections of mice representative of the Sham group, Control group and EPC-EXOs group at 3 dpi in wild-type mice. Scale bar: 100 µmImmunofluorescence results were analyzed by ImageJ, GraphPad, and SPSS, n = 3, **P < 0.01. Figure S5. qRT-PCR analysis of pri-miRNA expression in macrophages treated with EPC-EXOs or not, n = 3, nsP > 0.05. Table S1. qRT-PCR primer sequences in this study.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Table 1. Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients. Supplementary Fig. 1. Calibration curves of EGVB incidences for 1 year in the training (A) and validation data sets (B) of the ANN model probabilities.

Corundum abrasives with good chemical stability can be fabricated into various free abrasives and bonded abrasive tools that are widely used in the precision machining of various parts. However, these abrasives cannot satisfy the machining requirements of difficult-to-machine materials with high hardness, high strength, and strong wearing resistance. Although superhard abrasives can machine the above-mentioned materials, their dressing and manufacturing costs are high. By contrast, ceramic corundum abrasives fabricated by sol–gel method is a cost-effective product between conventional and superhard abrasives. Ceramic corundum abrasives exhibit self-sharpening and high toughness. In this review, the optimization methods of ceramic corundum abrasive properties are introduced from three aspects: precursor synthesis, particle shaping, and sintering. Firstly, the functional mechanism of seeds and additives on the microstructural and mechanical properties of abrasives is analyzed. Specifically, seeds can reduce the phase transition temperature and improve fracture toughness. The grain size and uniformly dense structure can be controlled by applying an appropriate amount of multicomponent additives. Then, the urgent need of engineering application and machinability of special shape ceramic corundum abrasives is reviewed, and three methods of abrasive shaping are summarized. The micromold replication technique is highly advanced and can be used to prepare functional abrasives. Additionally, the influence of a new sintering method, namely, two-step sintering technique, on the microstructural and mechanical performance of ceramic corundum abrasives is summarized. Finally, the challenge and developmental trend of the optimization of ceramic corundum abrasives are prospected.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of the decoction of Fuzheng Jiedu Xiaoji formula (扶正解毒消积方, FJXF) plus chemoembolization (TACE) on primary liver cancer (PLC) in patients, and study the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Patients with PLC who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into case group and control group. The case group was treated with FJXF combined with TACE. The control group was treated with TACE alone. The short-term clinical effect was evaluated; liver biochemistry, liver function index and multidrug resistance-associated indicators were detected. RESULTS: FJXF combined with TACE in the case group significantly increased the disease control rate than TACE alone in the control group (83.3% vs 61.1%). There was a reduction in the serum alpha-fetoprotein at 8 weeks after treatment in each group, while no difference between the two groups. The same trend can be observed for transaminase and direct bilirubin in both groups. In the case group, it showed a significant increase for albumin at 8 weeks after treatment, while no change in the control group. Multidrug resistance-associated indicators for multidrug resistance protein 1 and p-glycoprotein were upregulated in the case group but remained stable in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: FJXF combined TACE had a better short-term effect than TACE alone in patients with PLC. The potential mechanism was probably associated with alleviated multidrug resistance induced by FJXF. Additionally, FJXF didn’t increase the risk of liver damage in the combined therapy.

Polymyxins, especially polymyxin B and polymyxin E (colistin), are considered to be the last line of defence against infections caused by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria such as carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). However, the recent emergence and dissemination of the plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 and its variants pose a serious challenge to public health and the livestock industry. This review describes the prevalence and dissemination of mcr-1-positive isolates from different sources, including animals (food animals, pet animals and wildlife), humans (healthy populations and patients) and the environment (farms, urban and rural communities and natural environments) based on existing epidemiological studies of mcr-1 and MCR-1-producing Enterobacteriaceae bacteria around the world. The major mechanisms of mcr-1 transmission across humans, animals and the environment are discussed.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most important complication in patients with diabetes. The accumulation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) is the main reason for the development of DN. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of buckwheat hull flavonoids to break AGEs in vitro by measuring fluorescence analysis, three-dimensional fluorescence, protein molecular weight, free amino groups, and the sulfhydryl group content. Proteomics analysis was used to determine the effect of total buckwheat hull flavonoids (TBHF) intervention on protein differential expression in the kidney of db/db mice. The results showed that buckwheat hull flavonoids were potent in breaking AGEs in vitro, and they protected mice kidneys by regulating the renal AGE-RAGE pathway. This study lays a strong experimental and theoretical foundation for the development of new lysing agents to break AGEs. The findings should make an important contribution to the field of flavonoids in improving the application of diabetic nephropathy in the diet.

Perfluorinated iodine alkanes (PFIs) can serve as an important raw materials for the synthesis of various perfluorinated chemical products through telomerization reaction. The estrogenic effects of PFIs have been reported previously by some in vitro and in vivo screening assays. To explore the potential epigenetic toxicity of PFIs, activation of lncRNAs was screened, and the cell motility changes induced by perfluorooctyl iodide (PFOI) were analyzed in this study. High metastatic bladder cell line (T24) was used to investigate the cellular migration function affected by PFOI. PFOI exposure significantly induced the upregulation of lncRNA anril, thorlnc, hotairm1, meg3, and malat1. The migration and invasion of T24 cells were also enhanced upon PFOI exposure. The transcription level of matrix metalloenzyme genes, epidermal growth factors, cytoskeleton genes, and the upstream factors involved in cell motility pathways were examined to illustrate possible mechanisms. Additionally, the basic role of malat1 in cellular motility was investigated by lncRNA knockdown and migration assays. The knockdown of malat1 inhibited the cellular motility induced by PFOI. The levels of MMP-2/-9 genes were also down-regulated by the treatment of si-malat1. Overall, the perturbation of cytoskeleton genes (E-cadherin/N-cadherin) may account for the impact on the motility of T24 cells. Our studies indicate that perfluorinated chemicals might regulate the lncRNAs, thus promoting the metastasis of the tumor cells.

Additional file 3: Fig. S3 (a) Construction flowchart of the galP gene overexpression vector pBBR1MCS-2::tac:;galP; (b) Construction of he galP gene overexpression vector pBBR1MCS-2::tac:;galP; and (c) Filtration and verification of the ��fruA��fruB/tac::galPOP.

Additional file 6: Table S1 Primers and restriction enzymes used in this study.

Additional file 1: Fig. S1 (a) Construction flowchart of the glk gene deletion vector pK18mobsacB::glk-L-R; (b) Construction of glk gene deletion vector pK18mobsacB::glk-L-R; and (c) Filtration and verification of ��glk.

Additional file 2: Fig. S2 (a) Construction flowchart of the fruB gene deletion vector pK18mobsacB::fruB-L-R; (b) Construction of glk gene deletion vector pK18mobsacB:: fruA-L-R; (c) Construction of glk gene deletion vector pK18mobsacB:: fruB -L-R; (d) Filtration and verification of ��fruA; and (e) Filtration and verification of ��fruA��fruB.

Additional file 7: Table S2 Primers used for mutant strains verification.

Additional file 5: Fig. S5 Growth and glucose metabolism of the ��fruA��fruB/bp and the ��fruA��fruB/tac::glk cultured in the MSMM.

Additional file 4: Fig. S4 Growth and glucose metabolism of the WT and the mutant strains cultured in the MSMM. (a) Growth curves and (b) glucose concentration curves.

Additional file 8: Table S3 Primers used for RT-qPCR amplification.

Polymyxins, especially polymyxin B and polymyxin E (colistin), are considered to be the last line of defence against infections caused by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) gram-negative bacteria such as carbapenem-resistant

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical manifestations and features of laboratory examinations including liver function and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets of adult patients with acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of liver injury associated with acute EBV infection in adults. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 115 adult patients with acute EBV infection and abnormal liver function who were treated from June 2009 to March 2016, and these patients were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of jaundice. The influencing factors for jaundice were analyzed. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between groups, the Wilcoxon test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between groups, and the logistic regression analysis was used for univariate analysis. ResultsOf all patients, 106 (92.2%) had pyrexia, 97 (84.3%) had angina, 73 (63.5%) had swelling of the tonsil, 73 (63.5%) had superficial lymph node enlargement, and 74 (64.4%) had splenomegaly. There were significant differences between the jaundice group and the non-jaundice group in terms of the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes (t=-2.51, P=0.014) and the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (Z=4.93, P＜0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (Z=5.34, P＜0.001), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (Z=5.26, P＜0.001), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (Z=5.29, P＜0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that AST (OR=1008, 95% CI: 1.003-1.012, P＜0.001) and ALP (OR=1.008, 95% CI: 1.003-1.013, P=0.001) were independent risk factors for the increase in total bilirubin (TBil). ConclusionLiver injury associated with acute EBV infection mainly manifests as increases in ALT and AST, and common clinical manifestations include pyrexia, angina, swelling of the tonsil, cervical lymph node enlargement, and splenomegaly. AST and ALP are independent risk factors for the increase in TBil and provide a basis for clinical diagnosis.

Intelligent Weapon Station, as a new type of weapon system, which adapts to the future battlefield with people in the ring remote control and has certain autonomous capacity, has become a hot spot for all military powers to develop. A case study on the equipment of typical unmanned chariot abroad, an overview of the development status and characteristics is presented, and the development trend of Intelligent Weapon Station is discussed. On the basis of these, the basic principle and the key technology of Intelligent Weapon Station are studied and summarized, which provide the theoretic and technologic reference for system research, analysis and design.

In recent years, extensive studies have been conducted on the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the action of mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in NAFLD has become a new research topic. TCM has achieved good clinical efficacy in the treatment of NAFLD, with the advantages of specific, flexible, multilevel, and multi-target treatment. This article introduces the role of TCM in improving insulin, regulating lipid metabolism, preventing lipid peroxidation, regulating cytokines, regulating and maintaining the dynamic balance of factors involved in lipid metabolism, and maintaining the balance of intestinal microflora, and analyzes the major problems in TCM research.

The location of participants in Location-based CrowdSensing (LCS) represents important information for task completion. Tasks in Areas with High Concentration of Participants (AHCP) can be completed quickly, whereas task completion is difficult in Areas with Sparse Participants (ASP). Incentive mechanisms are necessary to motivate participants to move toward ASP. Previous studies have faced two main problems. First, most incentive mechanisms assume that participant motivation is not affected by external factors. Second, when participants fail to complete tasks, only the cost of the participant is considered the loss. However, reference effect from behavioral economics proves that participants are influenced by both internal and external factors. Furthermore, loss aversion studies have shown that participant evaluations of loss are more severe than simple costs. Therefore we propose an Incentive mechanism based on Behavioral Economics (IBE) consisting of two schemes for Participant Selection (IBE-PS) and Payment Decisions (IBE-PD). Based on reference effect, IBE-PS is proposed to control the task selection and pricing of participants. Based on loss aversion, IBE-PD is proposed to encourage participants to complete tasks in ASP many times. Theoretical analysis and simulation results demonstrate that IBE can improve the task completion rate, the participant utility, and the platform welfare.

Finite element analysis and optimization technique have been integrated to solve the optimal process parameters of sheet metal forming by transforming multi-objective problem into a single-objective problem in many studies. In this paper, a Pareto-based multi-objective genetic algorithm was applied to optimize sheet metal forming process. In the proposed optimal model, blank-holding force and draw-bead restraining force were optimized as design variables in order to make objective functions of fracture, wrinkle, insufficient stretching and thickness varying minimized simultaneously. The steps of optimization procedure include the using of Latin hypercube design for sample producing, response surface model for coarse fitting and incremental finite element analysis program for exact solving. An auto-body panel stamping case shows that this approach is more effective and accurate than traditional finite element analysis method and the ‘trial and error’ procedure.

Polyaniline (PANI)/polysulfone (PSF) composite films are successfully prepared by phase separation and one-step in-situ polymerization. It is found that the head-on face (in contact with solution) of the films is green while the back face is white. The chemical component and the surface morphology of both surfaces of the films are characterized by FT-IR spectra and SEM, respectively. The effect of the polymerization temperature, time and concentration of the reactants on the electrical properties of the films are discussed in details. The thermo-oxidative degradation of the films is studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The results indicate that the thermal stability of the PANI/PSF films is higher than that of the pure PSF film.

Core-shell structured nanocomposites with NiFe2O4 as the magnetic core and polyaniline (PANI) as the conducting shell were prepared. The structural components in the NiFe2O4 and NiFe2O4/PANI were identified from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) of the samples. The crystalline phase of NiFe2O4 and NiFe2O4/PANI was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The shape and size distribution of particles were observed by transmission electron microgragh (TEM). The thermal stability of samples was ensured by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The magnetic properties were measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The results indicated that the resultant composites exhibited good quadrate morphology and uniform size with magnetic and conducting characteristic and high thermal stability.

Electromagnetic forming is a kind of high energy rate forming; in which magnetic pressure analysis is the foundation of theoretical analysis. Usually equivalent methods are used to resolve any problems, but because of the limitations of the calculation methods, only the average force which acts on the workpiece can be obtained. Especially, the tolerances at the end of the workpiece are higher, which results in great difficulties in the deformation analysis of the workpiece. This paper carries out a numerical simulation of the magnetic pressure acting on the workpiece during electromagnetic bulge forming by use of the FEA software ANSYS. The boundary conditions of the analysis model are established on the basis of theoretical analysis of the magnetic field properties. Through measuring the magnetic induction intensity between the coil and the workpiece, the simulative results are proven to be accurate. This is the first time that the magnetic pressure distribution in the thickness direction of the workpiece has been explored through FEM.

The wrinkling phenomenon induced by compressive instability is one of the major defects in sheet metal forming processes. In this paper, a simplified method of wrinkling simulation is proposed, being realized by applying direct node projection in the contact algorithm and applying a BHG in the blankholder treatment. The method avoids the need for a wrinkling criterion, complicated plastic bifurcation theory and an initial imperfection of blank. The wrinkling phenomena in the drawing process of a square box, a hemispherical part, cylindrical cups, and a real auto-body panel are simulated by the simplified method. The simulation results fit the real stamping process well, which validates the effectiveness of the method.

Applying a blankholder gap is the main method of control of the blankholder in stamping or its simulation. In this paper, the nature of stamping with a blankholder gap is provided as well as two advantages of stamping simulation with a blankholder gap. Finally, a reasonable blankholder gap for cup deep drawing and the reverse drawing process is proposed.

A new contact judgement method for sheet metal forming simulation is proposed. The method can overcome miss-judgement and error-judgement, and improve numerical stability and computational accuracy effectively. Based on the proposed contact judgement method, a static–implicit FE code is developed. Some typical sheet metal forming processes and the benchmark of NUMISHEET’93 are simulated, and satisfactory results being obtained.

In this paper, the relationship between side pressure, stretching force and the section distortion of LY12M hat-section profiles in the rotary draw bending process with stretching force are studied. The section precision of the rotary-drawn bent parts is well improved by the return rotary draw bending process, and lays the foundation for practice.

The surface deflection is an important disadvantage issue in the automobile outer panels forming. It can be controlled effectively through forming process. In this paper, a model of cylinder shallow shell is founded, and the measured method and evaluated standard of surface deflection for drawing parts are presented. The influence law of process techniques on surface deflection such as binder force, draw-bead, and shape of blank-hold surface is achieved, which give a basic reference for controlling surface deflection.

Through experimental comparison and comprehensive analysis of the shape- and size-determination method for several box blanks used commonly at present, a set of choice- and size-calculation methods for the ideal box-blank shapes is assessed. Experimental results show that the choice partition for the given reasonable method of the shape- and size-determination of the box blank for two types of blanks cannot only determine the reasonable blank shape conveniently, but also can standardize the choice of the blank shape and the calculation method of the sizes.

Curved flanging is a common forming process in sheet metal forming, but its deformation characters are different from that of plate flanging. Based on experimental results the paper studies and analyzes the characteristics of the deformation, the stress properties, the strain distribution and various factors influencing the deformation in curved flanging. The main principles and methods of die design are also given, based on the quality analysis in the paper.

During the single-stage drawing of oval cylindrical workpieces, the deformation is not distributed uniformly along the edge of the deforming areas. Therefore, the shape and size of the blanks can not be determined simply according to the theory of drawing cylindrical workpieces. Based on theoretical analysis and the results of many experiments, this paper shows the method for determining the appropriate shape and size of the blanks, i.e., “the K -value method”, and also the method for determining the forming limit of oval cylindrical workpieces when the “ K -value method” is applied. Hence the process calculation of single-stage drawing of oval cylindrical workpieces is made simpler and more reliable.

There often appears longitudinal cracking in deep-drawn austenitic stainless-steel parts that is due mainly to the presence of tangential stress and to the structure of the metal. In this paper, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method is used to test and analyse the residual tangential stress and the content of induced martensite transformation in two kinds of stainless steel under different deformation conditions. Based on the results, a compound technology of smaller clearance drawing and ironing is presented. The results of testing verify that deep stainless-steel cups with fewer stages of deformation, a lesser number of annealings and no longitudinal cracking can be produced through the use of this technology, which latter also can save energy and reduce pollution.