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Purposes It is important to explore the law of capillary action on the corrosion of X70 steel in soil. Methods On the basis of the theory of unsaturated soil and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, combined with polarization curve technology, electrochemical impedance technology, scanning electron microscopy, and other test methods, the electrochemical corrosion behavior of X70 steel caused by capillarity in silty clay was investigated through the simulation test of one-dimensional soil column instrument under indoor conditions. Findings The test results show that capillary action has a certain influence on the electrochemical corrosion behavior of X70 steel, that is, the corrosion rates of steel sheet at the height of 12 and 27 cm of soil column first increase and then decrease with embedding time, and the corrosion rate of steel sheet at the height of 42 and 57 cm of soil column first decrease and then increase with embedding time; The rising rate of capillary water in silty clay meets the law of being first fast and then slow. Conclusions The corrosion type of X70 steel sheet surface is mainly pitting corrosion, and the corrosion product surface is accompanied by deep and wide cracks. With the increase of soil sample height, the corrosion degree decreases, and the size and number of corrosion pits show a decreasing trend on the whole. In the rising process of capillary water, when X70 steel sheet is at the solid-liquid-gas three-phase boundary, its corrosion rate is the fastest and the corrosion degree is the most serious.

Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is an inherited skeletal muscle disorder caused primarily by a genetic mutation, usually in the calcium channel gene of the muscle. This mutation can lead to muscle hypersensitivity to volatile anesthetics (such as sevoflurane) and the depolarizing muscle relaxant succinylcholine, resulting in hyperthermia, muscle stiffness, metabolic disturbances, and other severe physiological reactions. This condition may prove fatal unless it is recognized in its early stages and treatment is administered promptly and aggressively. We report a 13-year-old adolescent who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy and developed MH after the use of inhalational anesthetics, manifested by unremitting hyperthermia with a maximum temperature of 44.2°C, muscle rigidity, tachycardia, hypercapnia; and malignant arrhythmias, cardiogenic shock, hyperkalemia, metabolic, and respiratory acidosis. After early and timely recognition, multidisciplinary management and administration of dantrolene, the case was successfully treated. Exome sequencing revealed a point mutation (amino acid change) on the RYR1 gene: c.12700G>C(p.Val4234Leu). Due to the lack of ready-made dantrolene in our hospital, the patient in this case received dantrolene treatment only 6 h after the first observation of high body temperature. We review the development of the disease and summarize the success of treatment and what can be done to improve the chances of saving the patient’s life if dantrolene is not available in time.

Condenser titanium tubes are easily to generate many defects in nuclear power plants, such as corrosion, damage, and wall thickness thinning. Eddy current technology is the main method of condenser titanium tubes in-service inspection, but manual operation has the problem of low efficiency. This article designed one new titanium tube eddy current inspection system based on automatic push-puller, and successfully applied in the nuclear power plant in China. The results show that this system can realize eddy current inspection in the condenser tubes with push-puller machine.

It is urgent to engineer an advanced electrocatalyst toward the oxygen evolution reaction for water electrolysis, and interface engineering is an effective method to boost the catalytic activity. Here we report Ag modified Co–phytic acid (Co-PA-Ag) with a hollow nanoprism structure for the OER. Co-PA is prepared by etching a Co precursor with phytic acid, and a spontaneous redox reaction is used to load Ag nanoparticles. The close contact between Co-PA and Ag modifies the electronic structure of Co-PA-Ag, which greatly improves its catalytic activity. The Co-PA-Ag only needs an overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm–2, as well as long-term durability for 35 h. In addition, an electrolyzer featuring a Co-PA-Ag anode and Pt/C cathode exhibits rapid water splitting capacity with 100% Faraday efficiency, demonstrating its practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important half-reaction in rechargeable metal–air batteries and water splitting devices, and it suffers from slow kinetics due to the multiple step proton-electron coupled process. Therefore, the major challenge for the OER is to develop durable and low-cost electrocatalysts with high catalytic performance. Herein, a ternary metal CoNiFe subacetate nano prism (CoNiFe NP) was synthesized by a one-step hydrothermal method, with the aim of accelerating the water dissociation and improving the reaction rate using the synergy of the ternary metal. The results show that the electrocatalytic performance of the ternary metal CoNiFe layered double hydroxide is significantly improved compared with the binary metal and single metal catalysts. In particular, the overpotential of the prepared CoNiFe NP for the OER at 10 mA cm−2 is as low as 292 mV, and the Tafel slope is 75.6 mV dec−1. This work provides a new platform for the design of medium-entropy electrocatalysts using the interaction of polymetallic components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study endeavored to investigate the role of DOCK8 in modulating the immune function triggered by sepsis. Methods: Expression of DOCK8 in the whole blood of sepsis patients and its enrichment pathways were assayed by bioinformatics. Pearson analysis was used to predict the relationship between glycolytic signaling pathway and its relevance to neutrophil function in sepsis. A sepsis mouse model was then built by performing cecal ligation and puncture treatment on male mice. Neutrophils were isolated, and their purity was tested by flow cytometry. Neutrophils were then stimulated by lipopolysaccharide to build a sepsis cell model. Next, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and CCK‐8 were applied to test the expression of DOCK8 and cell viability, western blot to assay the expression of HK‐2, PKM2, and LDHA proteins, ELISA to measure the concentrations of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6, Transwell to detect the chemotaxis of neutrophils and flow cytometry to detect the phagocytic activity of neutrophils. Finally, in different treatment groups, we used Seahorse XF 96 to analyze the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) of sepsis cells and used enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay to detect the contents of pyruvic acid, lactic acid, and ATP in sepsis cells. Results: DOCK8 was downregulated in sepsis blood and activated neutrophils. Aerobic glycolysis was positively correlated with sepsis. Activated neutrophils promoted the expression of inflammatory factors TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐6. Low expression of DOCK8 facilitated the proliferation, chemotaxis, and phagocytic activity of sepsis cells and promoted the expression of inflammatory factors. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that DOCK8 was enriched in the glycolytic signaling pathway. Low expression of DOCK8 induced ECAR, promoted the protein expression of HK‐2, PKM2 and LDHA, and favored the increase of pyruvate, lactate, and ATP contents. While 2‐DG treatment could restore these effects. Conclusion: DOCK8 may inhibit sepsis‐induced neutrophil immune function by regulating aerobic glycolysis and causing excessive inflammation, which helps to explore potential therapeutic targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to estimate the soil moisture (SM) in all-sky agriculture areas using fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) Gaofen-3 (GF-3) data. The radar vegetation index (RVI) is obtained using the radar SAR data, which overcomes the difficulty that the optical data cannot construct the vegetation index in cloud-covered areas. The RVI is introduced into the water cloud model (WCM) to remove the contribution of vegetation to the total radar backscatter σ 0 and obtain the soil backscattering coefficients σ soil 0 with HH and VV polarization. Subsequently, σ soil 0 and radar frequency data are introduced into the Chen model, and a semi-empirical model of SM estimation is established. The main findings of this study are as follows: (1) Compared with the σ 0 , the σ soil 0 obtained by the WCM has a stronger correlation with the SM. (2) In the cloud covered area, the accuracy of the estimated SM by synergistically using the WCM and the Chen model is ideal. An RMSE of 0.05 and a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.69 are achieved. In this study, the SM estimation method is not affected by clouds, and it shows many advantages for sustainable development, monitoring soil drought degree, and other related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longchuan River Basin is located in Chuxiong (central Yunnan province, China) that is subject to severe drought. Agriculture is critical to local economy, which can lead to intense agricultural activity. Accordingly, delineating groundwater potential zones and developing usable groundwater resources are required to meet potable and irrigating water demands in the zone. Remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS) and improved fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) were adopted to delineate the groundwater potential zones to assess the groundwater availability in Longchuan River Basin. The surveys of China geological map, Landsat 8 OLI and GDEM Aster satellite images were employed to generate eight thematic layers, i.e., lithology, land use/land cover (LULC), lineaments density, rainfall, slope, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), drainage density and elevation; subsequently, the mentioned layers were converted into raster data in ArcGIS. According to the ability of thematic layer to impact groundwater potential, the mentioned criteria were weighted differently by improved FAHP. Next, a map based on weighted linear combination (WLC) model was generated. Lastly, the groundwater potential zones of study area fell into 'poor' zone, 'moderate' zone and 'good' zone. As revealed from the results of the study, nearly 31.22% of the area exhibited 'good' groundwater potential, approximately 36.46% was terrain exhibiting 'moderate' groundwater potential, and the residual 32.23% were considered to exhibit 'poor' groundwater potential. The results provide more insights, and the groundwater potential zones map can be exploited by local governments for groundwater resources management and exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spectrum measurement experiment, the roughness of the object surface is an essential factor that cannot be ignored. In this experiment, a group of mixed pixel samples with different mixing ratios were designed, and these samples were printed on four kinds of papers with different roughness. The spectral characteristics of mixed pixels with different roughness are quantitatively analyzed by using the measured spectral data. The linear spectral mixture model is used for spectral decomposition, and the effect of roughness on the unmixing precision of mixed pixels was studied. The surface roughness will affect the reflectivity of the mixed pixel. Specifically, the higher the roughness is, the higher the reflectivity of the sample is. This phenomenon is more noticeable when the proportion of white endmember (PWE) is large, and as the white area ratio decreases, the reflectance difference gradually decreases. When the surface roughness of the sample is less than 3.339 μm, the spectral decomposition is performed using a linear spectral mixing model in the visible light band. The average error of the unmixing is less than 0.53%, which is lower than the conventional standard spectral measurement error. In other words, when the surface roughness of the sample is controlled within a specific range, the effect of roughness on the unmixing accuracy of the mixed pixels is small, and this effect can be almost ignored. Multiple scattering within the pixels is the key to model selection and unmixing accuracy, when using the ASD FieldSpec3 spectrometer to perform spectral reflectance measurement and linear spectral unmixing experiments. If the surface roughness of the sample to be measured is less than the maximum wavelength of the spectrometer, the experimental results believe that the photon energy is mainly mirror reflection on the surface of the object and diffuse reflection. At this time, it is still a better choice to use a linear spectral mixing model to decompose the mixed pixels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benefiting from similar hydrogen bonding energy to Pt and much lower price compare with Pt, Ru based catalysts are promising candidates for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The catalytic activity of Ru nanoparticles can be enhanced through improving their dispersion by using different supports, and the strong metal supports interaction can further regulate their catalytic performance. In addition, single-atom catalysts (SACs) with almost 100% atomic utilization attract great attention and the coordinative atmosphere of single atoms can be adjusted by supports. Moreover, the syngenetic effects of nanoparticles and single atoms can further improve the catalytic performance of Ru based catalysts. In this review, the progress of Ru based HER electrocatalysts are summarized according to their existing forms, including nanoparticles (NPs), single atoms (SAs) and the combination of both NPs and SAs. The common supports such as carbon materials, metal oxides, metal phosphides and metal sulfides are classified to clarify the metal supports interaction and coordinative atmosphere of Ru active centers. Especially, the possible catalytic mechanisms and the reasons for the improved catalytic performance are discussed from both experimental results and theoretical calculations. Finally, some challenges and opportunities are prospected to facilitate the development of Ru based catalysts for HER., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Introduction: Sepsis and septic shock are significant contributors to the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients. This study aimed to elucidate the role and mechanism of microRNA-223-3p in sepsis-associated AKI (SA-AKI)., Methods: Bioinformatics methods were used to analyze the expression of microRNA-223-3p in sepsis patients, its correlation with inflammatory cytokines, and to predict the binding site of microRNA-223-3p with SGK1. The binding relationship between microRNA-223-3p and SGK1 was validated using a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The expression of microRNA-223-3p was assayed using qPCR in patient serum or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated HK-2 cells. Cell apoptosis; expression of Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3; and levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were measured using TUNEL assay, Western blot (WB), and ELISA, respectively. SGK1 expression of HK-2 cells with different treatments was detected using qPCR and WB., Results: The expression of microRNA-223-3p was found to be upregulated in sepsis patients and HK-2 cells treated with LPS. Furthermore, microRNA-223-3p promoted apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced HK-2 cells. This promotion was mediated by the negative regulation of SGK1 by microRNA-223-3p., Conclusion: The microRNA-223-3p was found to regulate SGK1 and promote apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced HK-2 cells. Our study has elucidated the mechanism of microRNA-223-3p in SA-AKI, providing a potential target for sepsis treatment., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

It has been reported that HMGB1 participated in various types of lung injury. In this study, we explored whether blocking HMGB1 has a preventive effect on the early radiation-induced lung injury and investigate the mechanism. Mice model of radiation-induced lung injury were accomplished by a single dose irradiation (15 Gy) to the whole thorax. Irradiated mice were treated with HMGB1-neutralizing antibody intraperitoneally dosed 10 μg, 50 μg, 100 μg/mouse respectively and were sacrificed after one week post-irradiation. Lung tissue slices were stained by H&E, and alveolitis was quantified by Szapiel scoring system. The level of cytokines TNF-γ in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was detected by ELISA method. And p65NF-κB, p50NF-κB protein expression in mice lung tissues was detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that blocking HMGB1 inhibited the inflammatory response, and thereby decreased the degree of alveolitis of irradiated lung tissue. In addition, HMGB1 antagonist can restrain the expression of type Th2 or Th17 derived inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-17A, promote the expression of Th1 type cytokines INF-γ, and inhibit p65 NF-κB but promote p50 NF-κB activation, which promoted the resolution of the radiation-induced inflammatory response. In conclusion, blocking HMGB1 can reduce the degree of early radiation-induced lung injury, and its mechanism may be related to the promotion of p50NF-κB activation and its downstream molecules expression. Inhibiting HMGB1 may be a new target to deal with early radiation-induced lung injury.

The prognostic value of the HPV status in ESCC is much controversial, this study aimed to determine the prognostic importance of high-risk HPV and p16 in patients with ESCC. A total of 105 consecutive patients who underwent esophagectomy in 2008 were included in this study. All specimens with ESCC were tested by in situ hybridization for HPV16/18 and immunohistochemistry for p16 expression. Kappa values were calculated using Cohen's kappa test. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated in relation to the two markers and the Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the hazard ratio (HR) of variables. Thirty-nine (37.1%) of 105 were p16-positive, and HPV was detected in 29 of the 105 patients (27.6%) with ESCC. P16 was detected in 25 of the 29 patients (86.2%) who were HPV-positive, and only 14 of 76 patients (18.4%) who were HPV-negative (P < 0.001). Cohen's kappa coefficient revealed an agreement in two researchers (kappa = 0.61). The 5-year OS rate and PFS rate in the p16-positive group were 64.1% and 58.7%, respectively, and the rates in the p16-negative group were 45.5%, 37.9%, respectively. The difference of survival rate between the two groups remained statistically significant. P16-positive patients had better 5-year rates of OS and PFS than p16-negative group (P = 0.02 and P = 0.007 by the Log-rank test, respectively). Using HPV status as a stratification factor, we found differences in OS and PFS that were consistent with those based on p16 expression. P16 is a very good marker of HPV infection for ESCC. HPV-positive or p16-positive ESCC is a distinct entity with a favorable prognosis compared with HPV-negative or p16-negative ESCC.