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Diaphragm compressors have become the primary source of on-site hydrogen compression for hydrogen fuelling stations around the world. The most common hydrogen-compressor-failure mechanism has been identified as diaphragm fracture due to low tensile strength and poor surface properties. In this study, a new type of GH4169 diaphragm with high yield strength and low surface roughness was fabricated. Microstructures, tensile behaviours and surface properties of the specimens were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, an electronic universal testing machine and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The evolution of the γ′′ and γ′ phases with temperature has been examined. Both γ′′ and γ′ phases were precipitant-strengthened phases for GH4169 and the volume and size of γ′′ and γ′ phases increase with ageing time. In addition, the γ′′ phase is the main strengthening phase and γ′ is the supportive strengthening phase. Tensile strength was increased due to the strengthening phases at the cost of ductility. The roughness of the diaphragm could reach an arithmetic average roughness (Ra) of 0.1 μ m by applying a cooling-assisted polishing process. This work improves the reliability and reduces the auxiliary steps and down-time for diaphragm compressors.

MoS2 in a graphene-like structure that possesses a large interlayer spacing is a promising anode material for sodium ions batteries (SIBs).

The incorporation of high-density and easily accessible Lewis acid sites is of great significance to obtain high catalytic activity in the CO2 cycloaddition reaction of epoxides.

Theoretical simulation indicates that three layers of insulating NaCl layers is sufficient to decouple a double-decker 3,3-paracyclophane molecule from Au(111) surface to preserve the intrinsic properties of the molecule.

In the process of the evolution of urban-rural spatial patterns, traditional village forms have been seriously eroded and destroyed, resulting in the gradual loss of garden feature elements and the blurring of spatial features. Facing these problems, accurate and efficient acquisition of relevant data becomes the key to traditional village conservation. We take the typical Huizhou Shuikou garden Tangmo village as an example and conduct a study on how to use UAV aerial images to extract spatial feature data. Firstly, the UAV was used to acquire aerial images of the study area through a predefined mission. Then, the image data are processed by using structure from motion (SfM) software to obtain digital surface model (DSM), digital orthophoto map (DOM), point cloud, and 3D model. Finally, the produced spatial data are applied to the spatial feature extraction analysis study. The results show the following: (1) the data produced by UAV aerial images have a horizontal accuracy of 0.034 m and a vertical accuracy of 0.039 m, which meet the requirements of traditional village spatial data collection. (2) The results of spatial feature elements and terrain feature extraction show that the 3D model and DSM can accurately extract and analyze the micro and macro spatial feature of traditional villages. (3) By using the cloth simulation filtering (CSF) to extract point clouds of buildings and streets, and after statistical analysis, we could quickly obtain their spatial features. Based on the spatial data obtained by using UAV, the study achieves the accurate collection of Tangmo DSM, DOM, 3D model, and spatial feature data and forms a method of data collection, processing and spatial feature extraction. The results of the study can provide a scientific basis for data collection on the spatial features of other cultural heritages and the conservation of traditional villages.

This study aimed to investigate the association between daily sleep duration and incident dementia among physically and socially independent older people with/without diseases (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases) in a Japanese age-specific cohort.We carried out a prospective cohort study including 1954 (1006 men and 948 women) Japanese individuals aged 64/65 years. Information on daily sleep duration, medical status, demographics, and lifestyle characteristics was collected by a baseline questionnaire survey and health checkup (2000-2005). Dates of incident dementia were confirmed using the nationally standardized dementia scale proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. A competing risk model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident dementia. We treated censored cases due to death as competing events.During a median of 15.6 years of follow-up, 260 participants reported incident dementia. Compared with participants without diseases and who slept 6-7.9 h/day, those with a shorter daily sleep duration of6 h/day, presence of disease and shorter, moderate, or longer daily sleep duration ≥8 h/day had an increased risk of incident dementia (HR 1.73; 95% CI 1.04-2.88, HR 1.98; 95% CI 1.14-3.44, HR 1.44; 95% CI 1.03-2.00, and HR 2.09; 95% CI 1.41-3.09, respectively) with a significant interaction between the presence of diseases and sleep duration (p 0.001).The present findings suggest that habitual sleep duration predicts future risk of dementia.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurological disease that causes dementia, affecting millions of people every year. Recent studies have shown that there is a potential relationship between AD and gut microbiota. The changes of gut microbiota and their metabolites are related to neuroinflammation and can affect the disease progression of all stages of AD. This paper summarizes the changes of gut microbiota in each stage of AD, the mechanism of gut microbiota affecting the progression of AD and the means of treating AD by changing gut microbiota. This work may play an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of AD staging.

Three kinds of pore-forming agents (corn flour, starch, and biochar) were selected to prepare dolomite-based porous ceramic catalyst carriers with good mechanical properties. Pore-forming agents occupy space within preformed agglomerates, such that after the pyrolysis and sintering have been completed there are spaces within the resulting ceramic material. Porous ceramic samples prepared with biochar exhibited high apparent porosity and water absorption. By contrast, the apparent porosity of the porous ceramic samples prepared with starch as the pore-forming agent was low. When the ratio of the dolomite to quartz sand in the ceramic aggregate was changed from 4:6 to 3:7, the change of the apparent porosity of the porous ceramic samples made with starch as a pore-forming agent was very small, with high bulk density and compressive strength. Compared with corn flour and biochar, starch was less suitable as a pore-forming agent for porous ceramics. The apparent porosity and water absorption of the porous ceramics prepared with biochar as a pore-forming agent decreased slightly. But its bulk density and thermal conductivity were increased. This is mainly attributable to the fact that biochar is lighter, but it performs well in terms of mechanical strength and thermal conductivity.

Objectives. Acupuncture is used worldwide to relieve both acute and chronic pain. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is also frequently used for postoperative pain relief. However, there are few meta-analyses of the efficacy of acupuncture with PCA in reducing acute postoperative pain. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the effectiveness of acupuncture with PCA in relieving acute pain after back surgery. Methods. We searched seven databases (Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database, Chongqing VIP (VIP), and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM)-from 1949 until now) without language restrictions for randomized controlled trials, including patients undergoing back surgery and receiving PCA alone or treated with acupuncture/sham acupuncture + PCA for pain relief. This meta-analysis assessed pain intensity, with visual analogue scale (VAS) score and postoperative opioid dosage as primary outcomes. Results. A total of 12 randomized controlled trials (n = 904) met the inclusion criteria. Compared with the control group (standard mean difference (SMD) = ‒0.42, 95% CI = ‒0.60 to ‒0.25, P < 0.01 ) or sham acupuncture + PCA (SMD = ‒0.7, 95% CI = ‒0.94 to ‒0.46, P < 0.01 ), acupuncture + PCA treatment reduced the VAS score in patients after back surgery. Acupuncture + PCA decreased the use of opioids after surgery compared to sham acupuncture + PCA (SMD = −0.35, 95% CI = ‒0.63 to ‒0.07, P = 0.01 ) or control group (SMD = ‒0.82, 95% CI = ‒1.03 to ‒0.61, P < 0.01 ). Furthermore, the use of acupuncture with PCA reduced the incidence of postoperative PCA-related total complications (odds ratio = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.85, P = 0.01 ), but may not reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (odds ratio =0.82 , 95% CI =0.49 to 1.36, P = 0.44 ). Conclusion. This systematic review found that acupuncture with PCA relieved acute pain after back surgery more effectively than PCA alone and could reduce opioid use and the incidence of postoperative PCA-related total complications

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in childhood. However, classical antiepileptic drugs are linked with drug toxicity and cognitive function impairment in children. Hence, it is essential to develop a novel therapy to solve this problem. Currently, studies indicate regulating the nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated ferroptosis pathway represents a potential advanced therapy for seizures. Hence, the present study aimed to explore whether quercetin, a natural polyphenol, could alleviate seizure-induced neuron death and preserve cognitive function by inhibiting Nrf2-mediated ferroptosis.Kainic acid-induced epileptic mice model, morris water maze (MWM) test, cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, western blotting analysis, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, flow cytometry, quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR), immunofluorescence staining, and RNA sequencing analysis were employed to explore the potential mechanisms by which quercetin exerts protective effects on seizure-induced neuron death in kainic acid-induced epileptic mice model and glutamate-induced HT22 neuronal cell death.Our findings suggested the association between the Nrf2-mediated ferroptosis pathway and seizures in a clinical setting. Quercetin pretreatment alleviates seizure-like behaviors and cognitive impairment in KA-induced epileptic mice. Additionally, in vitro, co-treatment with quercetin effectively exerts neuroprotective effects in glutamate-induced HT22 neuronal cell death. These protective effects were also closely linked to regulating the Nrf2-mediated ferroptosis pathway. Furthermore, bioinformatic profiling revealed that the SIRT1/Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway plays a crucial role in the Glu-induced HT22 cell death pretreated with quercetin.These findings indicated that quercetin effectively protects against seizure-induced neuron death in vivo and in vitro and alleviates cognitive function impairment via the SIRT1/Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway.

This prospective cohort study was to assess the association of pre-diagnostic dietary intake and dietary pattern with the survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients.855 patients were recruited and successfully followed. Information on diet over past five years before diagnosis was collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were extracted using principal component analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model.164 (19.18%) ESCC patients survived during the follow-up. Every 25-g increment intake of pickled vegetables was associated with a 6.0% (HR: 1.060, 95% CI: 1.003-1.121) increased risk of death after adjustment for covariates. When comparing the highest with lowest tertiles of energy-adjusted intake, pickled vegetables intake was associated with a 21.9% elevated risk of death (HR: 1.219, 95% CI: 1.014-1.465), while fish and shrimp intake was associated with a 19.4% (HR: 0.816, 95% CI: 0.675-0.986) reduced risk of death. Three dietary patterns were defined and labeled as patterns I, II, and III. Every 10-score increment of dietary pattern II, characterized with a higher loading of preserved vegetables, pickled vegetables, and salted meat, was associated with a 1.7% (HR: 1.017, 95% CI: 1.003-1.032) increased risk of death.A diet characterized with higher loading of preserved vegetables, pickled vegetables, and salted meat, was negatively associated with death risk among ESCC patients. Prospective studies concerning the role of post-diagnosis dietary intake in ESCC prognosis are needed.

The breakage and deep plugging law of deformable gel particle (DGP) in porous media are not clear. In this study, the flow experiments of DGP were carried out, the changes of residual resistance coefficient (RRC), DGP size and concentration along the way were measured, and the breakage and plugging law of DGP was quantitatively characterized. The results show that the passage after breakage is the main migration behaviors of DGP, and DGP are reduced by half in front of the porous media. Breakage is an important reason for the continuous decrease of concentration, particle size and RRC. However, the DGP can plug in deep of the porous media after breaking. The higher the injection rate or the larger the DGP size, the faster the breakage along the injection direction, and the worse the deep plugging ability. The empirical model can be used to optimize the DGP parameters in oil field.

Anoikis is a term used to describe the programmed cell death that takes place when cells become disconnected from the extracellular matrix[1]. Numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be linked to anoikis resistance in various tumors, including glioma[2], breast cancer[3], and bladder cancer[4]. There is a lack of studies examining the relationship between ARLs and HCC prognosis. Further research is needed to explore this potential link and understand the role of ARLs in HCC progression. Patients and methods: In this study, we acquired 36 genes associated with anoikis through the GO and GSEA databases, and identified 22 differentially expressed lncrnas that were correlated with these genes based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Using Cox regression analyses, we created an anoikis-related lncRNA signature (ARlncSig) in a training cohort, which we then validated in both a testing cohort and a combined cohort composed of data from both cohorts. Then, we collected 8 pairs of liver cancer tissues and adjacent tissues from Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Nantong University. Results: Five ARLs were developed as a risk stratification system to categorize patients into low- and high-risk groups. The high-risk group exhibited a notably lower overall survival (OS) rate in comparison to the low-risk group. The model's predictive performance is supported by the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration of nomogram, clinical correlation analysis, and clinical decision curve. Furthermore, differential analysis of immune function, immune checkpoint, response to chemotherapy, and immune cell subpopulations indicated significant discrepancies between the high and low-risk groups. IC50 analysis determined that commonly prescribed drugs were more effective for patients in the high-risk group. Lastly, quantitative real-time PCR validated the expression levels of the five lncRNAs in specific drug-resistant cell lines. In conclusion, our ARlncSig model possesses critical predictive value in the prognosis of HCC patients, and it may provide clinical guidance for personalized immunotherapy.

Associations between NAMPT-AS level and clinico-pathological characteristics in TCGA breast cancer patients

Detailed information of the materials and methods referenced in this manuscript is shown as supplementary files.

Antibody information

10 supplementary figures are referenced in this manuscript. Fig.S1. The expression of NOP14 is positively correlated with the capacity of PDAC cells. Fig. S2. The expression of NOP14 is determined in PANC-1 cells. Fig. S3. NOP14 promotes MIA PaCa-2 cell migration and invasion in vitro. Fig. S4. The expression of NOP14 is determined in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Fig. S5. NOP14 inhibition leads to dampened capacity of invasion in PANC-1 cells. Fig. S6. The suppressive impact of si-p53 is analyzed in PDAC cells. Fig. S7. NOP14 promotes PDAC metastasis by regulating miR-17-5p expression. Fig. S8. miR-17-5p inhibits the luciferase activity of P21 reporter in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Fig. S9. The RNA stability of pri-miR-17-5p is evaluated in PDAC cells. Fig. S10. The impact of NOP14 on c-Myc expression is determined in PDAC cells.

Primer information

6 tables referenced in this manuscript is shown as supplementary files. Table S1. Characterization of 20 aired of PDAC patients. Table S2. Sequences of miRNAs and U6 snRNA primers. Table S3. Primer sequences of protein-coding genes. Table S4. NOP14 expression in primary PDAC and metastases. Table S5. Whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing data. Table S6. Comparison of NOP14 expression levels with clinico-pathological features in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Univariate cox analysis of overall survival and relapse-free survival in TCGA breast cancer patients

The file contains 9 supplementary Figures indicating the bioinformatics analysis, transfection efficiency analysis, rescue experiments and clinical sample analysis.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly heterogeneous and has a poor prognosis. It is therefore important to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms in order to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Although emerging research has revealed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) as vital to carcinogenesis and cancer progression, their functional involvement in TNBC has not been well defined. In this study, we utilized the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and analyzed clinical samples to show that the long noncoding antisense transcript of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), NAMPT-AS, is upregulated in TNBC and is associated with poor prognosis, lymph node involvement, metastasis, and advanced stage. NAMPT-AS was cotranscribed with NAMPT from a bidirectional promoter, where the distributions of H3K4me3 and H3K27Ac chromatin modifications were enriched based on ENCODE and FANTOM5, suggesting the potential enhancer-RNA characteristics of NAMPT-AS. NAMPT-AS epigenetically regulated the expression of NAMPT in two divergent ways: NAMPT-AS recruited POU2F2 to activate the transcription of NAMPT, and NAMPT-AS acted as a competing endogenous RNA to rescue NAMPT degradation from miR-548b-3p. NAMPT-AS/NAMPT promoted tumor progression and regulated autophagy through the mTOR pathway in vitro and in vivo. In a cohort of 480 breast cancer patients, NAMPT was associated with breast cancer–specific survival and overall survival. These results demonstrate that NAMPT-AS is an oncogenic lncRNA in TNBC that epigenetically activates NAMPT to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Furthermore, these data identify NAMPT-AS/NAMPT as promising therapeutic targets in patients with TNBC.Significance:Upregulation of the long noncoding antisense RNA of NAMPT gene (NAMPT-AS) is associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in TNBC.

Mutant p53 (mutp53) proteins promote tumor invasion and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the mechanism underlying sustained activation of mutp53 oncogenic signaling is currently unclear. In this study, we report that NOP14 nucleolar protein (NOP14) expression is upregulated in PDAC tumors and metastatic tissue specimens. NOP14 overexpression promoted cell motility, whereas NOP14 inhibition decreased invasive capacity of PDAC cells. In vivo invasion assays conducted on established subcutaneously, orthotopically, and intravenously injected tumor mouse models also indicated NOP14 as a promoter of PDAC metastasis. Mechanistically, mutp53 was validated as a functional target of NOP14; NOP14 primed tumor invasion and metastasis by increasing the stability of mutp53 mRNA. The NOP14/mutp53 axis suppressed p21 expression at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels via induction of miR-17-5p in PDAC cells. In vivo, high NOP14 expression in PDAC patient tumors correlated with local metastasis and lymph invasion. Overall, our findings define a novel mechanism for understanding the function of NOP14 in the metastatic cascade of PDAC. Targeting NOP14 allows for effective suppression of tumor invasion in a mutp53-dependent manner, implicating NOP14 inhibition as a potential approach for attenuating metastasis in p53-mutant tumors. Cancer Res; 77(10); 2661–73. ©2017 AACR.

Studies on the neuroprotective effects of anesthetics were carried out more than half a century ago. Subsequently, many cell and animal experiments attempted to verify the findings. However, in clinical trials, the neuroprotective effects of anesthetics were not observed. These contradictory results suggest a mismatch between basic research and clinical trials. The Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable X (STAIR) proposed that the emergence of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) would provide a proper platform to verify the neuroprotective effects of anesthetics because the haemodynamics of patients undergoing EVT is very close to the ischaemia–reperfusion model in basic research. With the widespread use of EVT, it is necessary for us to re-examine the neuroprotective effects of anesthetics to guide the use of anesthetics during EVT because the choice of anesthesia is still based on team experience without definite guidelines. In this paper, we describe the research status of anesthesia in EVT and summarize the neuroprotective mechanisms of some anesthetics. Then, we focus on the contradictory results between clinical trials and basic research and discuss the causes. Finally, we provide an outlook on the neuroprotective effects of anesthetics in the era of endovascular therapy.

Background Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to be an important contributor in podocyte injury under diabetic conditions. The BaoShenTongLuo (BSTL) formula has been shown to reduce podocyte damage and postpone the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). The potential mechanisms underlying the effects of BSTL, however, have yet to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the effects of BSTL are related to the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis via the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway. Methods High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometer (HPLC–ESI–MS) analysis was performed to investigate the characteristics of pure compounds in BSTL. db/db mice and mouse podocyte clone-5 (MPC5) cells were exposed to high glucose (HG) to induce DKD and podocyte damage. Body weight, random blood glucose, urinary albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), indicators of renal function and renal histological lesions were measured. Markers of podocyte injury, mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) content, mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes activities, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels were assessed. Protein expressions of AMPK, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), transcription factor A (TFAM), mitochondrial fusion protein 2 (MFN2) and dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1) were also detected. MPC5 cells were transfected with AMPKα small interfering RNA (AMPKα siRNA) to determine the underlying mechanisms of BSTL improvement of mitochondrial function under diabetic conditions. Results In vivo, treatment with BSTL reduced the UACR levels, reversed the histopathological changes in renal tissues, and alleviated the podocyte injury observed in db/db mice. After BSTL treatment, the decreased mtDNA content and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I, III, and IV activities were significantly improved, and these effects were accompanied by maintenance of the protein expression of p-AMPKαT172, PGC-1α, TFAM and MFN2. The in vitro experiments also showed that BSTL reduced podocyte apoptosis, suppressed excessive cellular ROS production, and reversed the decreased in MMP that were observed under HG conditions. More importantly, the effects of BSTL in enhancing mitochondrial biogenesis and reducing podocyte apoptosis were inhibited in AMPKα siRNA-treated podocytes. Conclusion BSTL plays a crucial role in protecting against podocyte injury by regulating the AMPK-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis in DKD.

SARS-CoV Spike (S) protein shares considerable homology with SARS-CoV-2 S, especially in the conserved S2 subunit (S2). S protein mediates coronavirus receptor binding and membrane fusion, and the latter activity can greatly influence coronavirus infection. We observed that SARS-CoV S is less effective in inducing membrane fusion compared with SARS-CoV-2 S. We identify that S813T mutation is sufficient in S2 interfering with the cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 S by TMPRSS2, reducing spike fusogenicity and pseudoparticle entry. Conversely, the mutation of T813S in SARS-CoV S increased fusion ability and viral replication. Our data suggested that residue 813 in the S was critical for the proteolytic activation, and the change from threonine to Serine at 813 position might be an evolutionary feature adopted by SARS-2-related viruses. This finding deepened the understanding of Spike fusogenicity and could provide a new perspective for exploringSarbecovirus’ evolution.Author SummaryThe Spike strain of SARS-CoV-2 has accumulated many mutations during its time in circulation, most of which have occurred in the S1 region, and more specifically in the RBD, in an effort to either improve the virus’s affinity for the receptor ACE2 or to enhance its ability to evade the immune system. Mutations in the Spike S2 region have more far-reaching effects than those in the S1 region because it is more conserved across sarbecoviruses. By comparing SARS and SARS2, we found that an important substitution at amino acid position 813 in the S2 region (T813S) disrupts the utilization of TMPRSS2 and can significantly influence viral entry into cells. This discovery deepens our knowledge of S proteins and provides new prospects for tracing the evolution of Sarbecoviruses.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacterial pathogens is a growing threat to global public health. Here, we report the development and characterization of a panel of nine–amino acid residue synthetic peptides that display potent antibacterial activity and the ability to disrupt preestablished microbial biofilms. The lead peptide (Peptide K6) showed bactericidal activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in culture and in monocultures and mixed biofilms in vitro. Biophysical analysis revealed that Peptide K6 self-assembled into nanostructured micelles that correlated with its strong antibiofilm activity. When surface displayed on the outer membrane protein LamB, two copies of the Peptide K6 were highly bactericidal to Escherichia coli. Peptide K6 rapidly increased the permeability of bacterial cells, and resistance to this toxic peptide occurred less quickly than that to the potent antibiotic gentamicin. Furthermore, we found that Peptide K6 was safe and effective in clearing mixed P. aeruginosa–S. aureus biofilms in a mouse model of persistent infection. Taken together, the properties of Peptide K6 suggest that it is a promising antibiotic candidate and that design of additional short peptides that form micelles represents a worthwhile approach for the development of antimicrobial agents.