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Intramedullary schwannoma is a relatively rare tumor with only a few literature reports. This study was aimed to report the clinical characteristics of intramedullary schwannoma and discuss imaging findings and treatment strategies. The inclusion criterion was consecutive patients with intramedullary schwannomas who were surgically treated in our institution between 2017 and 2022. Data included clinical characteristics, radiologic features, surgical management, and prognosis. Clinical and follow-up details of all cases were collected and reviewed. This study included 3 male and 8 female patients. The mean age was 45 years (range 26–77 years). Cervical spine (4 cases, 36.4%), thoracic spine (4 cases, 36.4%), and lumbosacral spine (3 cases, 27.3%) involvement was found. Weakness, numbness and pain of limbs were the main symptoms at administration. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated lesion with spinal cord medullary invasion and well demarcated margins. The postoperative histologic examination showed benign lesions and confirmed the schwannoma. This article presented a series of 11 cases of intramedullary schwannoma with sharp margins and well-enhanced features. Prognosis and functional recovery were good after gross total resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GML rescues DSS-induced inflammatory responses in Caco-2 cell monolayers. • GML provides protection against DSS-induced colitis in mice. • GML alters the gut microbial composition in DSS-induced colitis mice. • Lactobacillus , Alistipes , and Bacteroides are the key bacteria for the protective effect of GML. Glycerol monolaurate (GML) is a common food additive known for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to assess the impact of GML on experimental colitis, both in vivo and in vitro. The results indicated that GML significantly inhibited the expression of MIP-3α, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, while upregulating the expression of claudin-3 and claudin-4 in DSS-treated Caco-2 cell monolayers. Oral administration of GML effectively alleviated colitis in mice, as demonstrated by mitigating body weight loss, lowering the DAI score, and improving colon shrinkage. GML significantly suppressed the expression of NF-κB p65, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-18 in DSS-treated mice. Moreover, GML increased the cecal microbial alpha-diversity index and restored the dysbiosis. GML significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus , Alistipes , and Bacteroides , which were found to be negatively correlated with the DAI score and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. In conclusion, the results highlight the potential therapeutic benefits of GML in preventing colitis and emphasize the role of gut microbiota in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies on the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have generally been limited to the description of the epidemiology and initial clinical characteristics. We investigated the temporal progression in patients with COVID-19.Methods: In this retrospective, single-center study, we included confirmed cases of COVID-19 from Jan 20 to Feb 6, 2020 in Shanghai. Final date of follow-up was February 25, 2020.Results: Of the 249 patients enrolled, the median age was 51 years old, and 126 (50.6%) were male. The duration from onset of symptoms to hospitalization was 4(2-7) days in symptomatic patients. Fever was occurred in 235(94.3%) patients. A total of 215 (86.3%) patients had been discharged after 16(12-20) days hospitalization. The estimated median duration of fever in all the patients with fever was 10 days (95 confidential intervals [CIs]: 8-11 days) after onset of symptoms. Patients who were transferred to intensive care units (ICU) had significantly longer duration of fever as compared to those not in ICU (31 days v.s. 9 days after onset of symptoms, respectively, P <0.0001). Radiological aggravation of initial image was observed in 163 (65.7%) patients on day 7 after onset of symptoms. 154(94.5%) of these patients showed radiological improvement on day 14. The median duration to negative reverse-transcriptase PCR tests of upper respiratory tract samples was 11 days (95 CIs: 10-12 days). Viral clearance was more likely to be delayed in patients in ICU than those not in ICU (P <0.0001). In multivariate logistical analysis, age (Odds ratio [OR] = 1.06) and CD4 T cell count (OR = 0.55 per 100 cells/ul increase) were independently associated with ICU admission.Conclusions: The majority of COVID-19 cases are mild. The clinical progression pattern suggests that early control of viral replication and application of host-directed therapy in later stage is essential to improve the prognosis of CVOID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Postoperative adhesions remain a significant concern following abdominal surgery. Polymer barriers are widely used to prevent adhesions, although none have been able to completely prevent adhesions in all situations. Therefore, it is still crucial to develop new products that are effective in a variety of surgical applications. In this study, XG with different concentrations (0.5%–2%, w/v) and molecular weight (M w) (2.5 × 106 Da–6.9 × 106 Da) were prepared to estimate their potential application as an injectable tissue adhesion barrier. The results showed that XG exerts an anti-adhesion effect in the rat abdominal cavity. For XG with M w of 5.5 × 106 Da, a 1% or greater concentration was needed to form a gel with required effect as an anti-adhesion agent. The 1% XG gel with high M w (6.9 × 106 Da) was more effective for the prevention of adhesions compared to a commercially available gel (1.2% sodium hyaluronate). Histological and cytotoxic evaluation demonstrated that XG gel showed no side effect during wound healing, and had no in vitro cytotoxicity to L929 cells. Moreover, rheological analysis was conducted to correlate the anti-adhesion effect with the rheological behavior of XG gels. This investigation suggests that XG has good potential value in intra-abdominal adhesion prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tin sulfate (SnSO 4 ) can change the setting time and strength of cement due to the presence of sulfate (SO 4 2− ), and can reduce the content of hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) in cement owing to its strong reduction ability. This paper studies the influence of stannous sulfate on physical and chemical properties of cement under different temperature and humidity conditions. Adding SnSO 4 to the cement mixer resulted in formation of calcium hydroxo-tin, (Sn 6 O 4 (OH) 4 ) and CaSn(OH) 4 . The setting time and strength of cement are obviously enhanced by the addition of stannous sulfate than that of gypsum (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O) and stannous chloride (SnCl 2 ), which can be attributed to the coupling of sulfate and stannous ions; Compared with gypsum (CaSO 4 ·2H 2 O), SnSO 4 could hardly produce delayed ettringite (60 days) under hot temperature curing conditions; and water conservation may ensure the full use of stannous sulfate in cement. The total reducing capacity of the SnSO 4 on hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) may decrease under hot temperature, but its reduction capacity is still higher than that of ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4 ) under the same conditions. Results from SEM showed that SnSO 4 was incorporated into the hydrated cement matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilute bismide alloys and dilute nitride alloys have garnered increasing research interest over the past few years, as it promises increased engineering flexibility in the design of advanced compound semiconductor heterostructure devices. Key device parameters such as lattice constant, bandgap and band offsets can be controlled with greater precision, and this leads to better performance for a wide range of electronic and optoelectronic devices. For dilute nitride alloys, band anticrossing effects are produced due to the coupling of their resonant states with the conduction band states. This lowers the conduction band edge energy. Likewise, the coupling of the resonant states of dilute bismide with the valence band states results in the valence band anticrossing and the valence band edge energy rises. Additionally, the effective bandgap may fall below the spin-orbital-splitting energy, thus inhibiting Auger recombination. This makes them excellent candidates for optoelectronic device applications. In this work, the electronic bandstructure and optical gain of InNBiAs/InP pyramidal quantum dots are investigated using the 16-band k·p model with constant strain. The effective bandgap falls as we increase the composition of nitrogen and bismuth. With an appropriate choice of composition of doped atoms, we can tune the emission wavelength in the range of 2–5µm suitable for mid-infrared device applications. Additionally, we observe the size effect by tuning the size of quantum dot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GINS2, a subunit of GINS complex, is critical for the initiation of DNA replication and DNA replication fork progression. The expression of GINS2 is misregulated in many malignant tumors, such as leukemia, breast cancer and melanoma. However, the role of GINS in breast cancer remains poorly characterized. We investigate the possible effect and particular mechanism of GINS in breast cancer cells. We showed that expression of GINS2 is enriched in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines. Furthermore, GINS2 knockdown decreased the growth, invasive ability and stem-like property of TNBC cells. Mechanistically, silencing of GINS2 in TNBC cells caused dramatic decrease of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9). Finally, the abundance of GINS2 correlated with the advance stages of tumor in human TNBC patients. Our studies provided insight into the molecular regulation of TNBC progression and invasion. More importantly, our data suggest that GINS2 could be an outstanding therapeutic target for inhibiting invasive TNBC growth and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunlight-induced photochromic glass exhibits attractive application prospects in the field of architecture materials. In this work, a series of borosilicate aluminate photochromic glasses containing AgCl nanocrystals were prepared. The photochromic property and mechanisms were systematically investigated. The color of the glass turned from transparent to black (or dark grey) under the irradiation of 365 nm ultraviolet light (or sunlight). Placing in a dark environment, the color of photochromic glass gradually restores to its initial state. From the results of in situ TEM and XPS measurement, it is found that the photochromic and self-bleaching behavior of borosilicate aluminate glass originated from the formation and decomposition of silver nanoparticles. Utilizing the photochromic and self-bleaching properties of the glass, the transmittance of the glass could be reversibly modulated. The cycle measurement shows excellent repeatability, demonstrating the potential application of AgCl-contained borosilicate aluminate photochromic glass in the fields of smart building windows and curtain walls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A practical molecular weight determination model of xanthan gum (XG), based on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, was built in this study. Two sample measurement modules, integrating sphere module and fiber-optic probe module, were compared, and the best partial least square (PLS) regression model was based on fiber-optic probe module. The values of coefficient of determination in calibration ( R 2 c ), coefficient of determination in prediction ( R 2 p ), residual predictive deviation (RPD) and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) were 0.967, 0.975, 6.028 and 0.250 × 10 6 Da, respectively. The molecular weight range, linearity, accuracy and precision of the established method were also validated. Furthermore, influence factors on this method were discussed in order to establish an appropriate measurement protocol. Results showed that the proposed NIR method may be suitable for practical applications in manufacturing plants and probably be accepted as a good alternative approach for fast determination of molecular weight of XG in production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether in ovo feeding of t10,c12-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could regulate hepatic lipid metabolism and decrease lipid accumulation in newly hatched chicks. Three hundred and sixty fertilely specific pathogen-free hatching eggs were selected and randomly divided into 6 groups. On embryonic day 11 of incubation (E11), 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, or 7.5 mg t10,c12-CLA were injected into the eggs. The results indicated that in ovo feeding of t10,c12-CLA significantly decreased the subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) mass and the relative SAT weight of newly hatched chicks in linear and quadratic manners (P < 0.05). In liver, the levels of triglycerides were reduced linearly and quadratically and total cholesterol were reduced quadratically as the dose of t10,c12-CLA increased (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the hepatic carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1a (CPT1a) content and polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion were increased quadratically in t10,c12-CLA groups (P < 0.05), accompanied by the decrease of malondialdehyde level and the increase of glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidant capacity activities (P < 0.05). In addition, in ovo feeding of t10,c12-CLA decreased the mRNA expression levels of fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 in linear and quadratic manners (P < 0.05), and decreased the mRNA expression of adipose triacylglyceride lipase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase significantly in liver (P < 0.05), accompanied by upregulating the mRNA expression of CPT1a quadratically and AMP-activated protein kinase α linearly and quadratically (P < 0.05). In SAT, the mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c were decreased linearly and quadratically (P < 0.05), and the expression of PPARα and CPT1a genes were increased linearly and quadratically as the dose of t10,c12-CLA increased (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that in ovo feeding of t10,c12-CLA alleviates lipid accumulation in newly hatched chicks by suppressing fatty acid synthesis and stimulating lipolysis in the liver and inhibiting adipocyte differentiation in subcutaneous adipose tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an evolutionary conserved cellular energy sensor, which plays a pivotal role in mammalian energy homeostasis. The present study was aimed to explore the possible involvement of hypothalamic AMPK in feed intake regulation of broiler chickens. Hence, diets with 0, 0.05% or 0.1% α-lipoicacid (α-LA), a known AMPK inhibitor in mammals, were provided to broiler chicks for 7days. Alpha-LA exerted an anorectic effect, and the conditioned taste aversion test demonstrated that the effect was due to the alteration in satiety and not taste effects. However, the curtailed feed intake induced by α-LA disappeared on day 7. Hypothalamic AMPKα1 mRNA levels were significantly decreased by the dietary α-LA in concert with the reduced abundance in total AMPKα protein. The phosphorylated AMPKα was also decreased to a similar extend, resulting in an unaltered phosphorylated AMPKα/total AMPKα ratio. In addition, hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone mRNA levels were enhanced by α-LA. Interestingly, the mRNA expressions of hypothalamic orexigenic agouti-related peptide and neuropeptide Y were up-regulated, while the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin and its transcription regulator hypoxia-inducible factor-1α were down-regulated, probably as a physiological reaction in order to counteract the altered energy balance. In conclusion, dietary α-LA decreased feed intake of broiler chicks. The anorectic effect was due to the reduced hypothalamic phosphorylated AMPKα as reflected in its decreased mRNA and protein levels. However, the anorectic effect of α-LA was progressively diminished after 7days of treatment, likely by a physiological counteractive feedback via changing neuropeptides involved in energy balance regulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: For acute type A dissection without an intimal tear in the arch, the optimal surgical strategy is unknown. The present study was designed to clarify the issue by comparing the early and late outcomes of proximal (PR) and extensive repair (ER). Methods: From January 2002 to June 2010, 331 patients with acute type A dissection were treated surgically at our institute. Of these 331 patients, 197 were identified without an arch tear on the preoperative imaging examination and by intraoperative inspection. Of these 197 patients, 74 underwent proximal repair, including the aortic root, ascending aortic, or hemiarch repair, and 88 underwent extensive repair, including proximal repair, total arch replacement and a stented elephant trunk technique. The perioperative variables and late results were statistically analyzed. Results: No significant difference was found in the rates of early mortality and morbidity between the 2 groups, despite the shorter duration of circulatory arrest in the PR group. During long-term follow-up (mean, 55.7 ± 33.1 months; maximum, 129), the overall survival rate in the whole cohort was 100%, 90.8%, and 71.1% at 1, 5, and 8 years, respectively. No difference was found in survival between the 2 groups (P > .05). However, complete thrombosis of the false lumen in the proximal descending aorta was achieved in 100% of the ER group and 24.6% of the PR group (P < .001). For patients with a patent false lumen in the PR group, distal anastomosis leakage and unclosed small intimal tears were identified in 53.3% and 35.6% patients, respectively. The reintervention rate was also lower in the ER group than in the PR group (4.9% vs 15.9%, P < .05) during follow-up. Moreover, the reintervention rate for patients with Marfan syndrome was 9.5% in the ER group and 38.5% in the PR group (P < .05). Conclusions: For patients with acute type A dissection without an intimal tear in the arch, extensive repair could promote the occlusion of distal false lumen and decrease the reintervention rate without increasing the operative risk. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Obestatin has recently been discovered in the rat stomach. As for ghrelin, the 23-amino acid obestatin is also derived from post-translational processing of the prepro-ghrelin gene but seems to have opposite effects on feed intake. In avian species, ghrelin is mainly present in the proventriculus and decreases feed intake, as opposed to its orexigenic properties in mammals. An obestatin-like sequence was also found in the avian ghrelin precursor protein but the potential involvement of this peptide in appetite regulation of chickens is unclear. We therefore investigated the effects of a single peripheral administration of this predicted “chicken” obestatin peptide on voluntary feed intake of 7- to 9-day-old meat-type and layer-type chicks. “Chicken” obestatin was injected intraperitoneally or intravenously at a dose of 1nmol or 10nmol/100g body weight and feed intake was measured up to 4h post injection. None of these treatments did reveal any effect of the putative “chicken” obestatin on appetite of either meat-type of layer-type chicks. Furthermore, “chicken” obestatin also failed to affect the in vitro contractility of muscle strips from crop and proventriculus. In conclusion, in the given experimental settings, the putative “chicken” obestatin has indistinctive physiological effects on feed intake and in vitro muscle contractility of gut segments, and hence its functional properties in ingestive behavior of avian species remain obscure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study was conducted to explore the effects of corticosterone (CORT) on the regulation of appetite-associated genes in laying hens. Forty eight laying hens were randomly divided into two groups: one received subcutaneous injection of CORT (2mg/kg body weight, CORT-exposed) and the other received sham-treatment (Control). Treatment of hens with CORT stimulated an increase (P<0.05) in plasma CORT, glucose, uric acid (UA), insulin, cholesterol (Chol) and triiodothyronine (T3), but the concentrations of plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triacylglycerol (TG) were decreased (P<0.05). CORT treatment had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the mRNA levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY), corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), melanocortin receptor 4 and 5 (MCR-4 and MCR-5) and cholecystokinin (CCK) in the hypothalamus when compared with control hens. However, the expression of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), agouti-related protein (AgRP) and melanocortin recepter 1 (MCR-1) were significantly (P<0.05) suppressed while the mRNA levels of ghrelin and cocaine-and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) were significantly upregulated (P<0.05) in CORT-treated hens. Treatment of laying hens with CORT had no significant (P>0.05) effect on the mRNA levels of CCK in the glandular stomach and the duodenum, and those of ghrelin in the glandular stomach, the duodenum and the jejunum. However, the mRNA levels of CCK in the jejunum and the ileum, and those of ghrelin in the ileum were significantly (P<0.05) suppressed by CORT treatment. In conclusion, these results suggest that CORT plays a unique role in some special neuropeptides (e.g., ghrelin, CART, POMC, CCK and MCRs) and a dynamic balance between these appetite-associated peptides in the hypothalamus and the gastrointestinal tract defines the feeding status of CORT-exposed laying hens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Uniform design (UD) method is one of the findings of number theory. UD has widely application scopes in traditional experimental design and compound design. Some newly developed applications by our team to civil engineering are introduced. These cases include experimental design of concrete corrosion by sulfuric acid, structural damage detection, calculation of response spectrum for stochastic pedestrian loads and reliability calculation of foundation pit and compartment fire. A nonparametric regression method, alternating conditional expectation (ACE), is also introduced to analyze the datum from UD in some cases. The results show that the UD is efficient and applicable in addressing many related problems in civil engineering since it can decrease the required number of experiments remarkably for both physical experiment and numerical experiment and cut down expense, calculation work and time. Therefore, the UD can be adopted to solve similar problems in the fields of civil engineering and other. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The left subclavian artery (LSA) is usually difficult to manipulate in total aortic arch replacement procedures if it is displaced by huge false lumens in the ascending aorta or right hemiarch. We summarize our experience of selectively ligating the deeply located LSA in total aortic arch replacement and stented “elephant trunk” implantation procedures for Stanford type A aortic dissection. Methods: Data of 29 patients with deep LSA undergoing total arch replacement and stented “elephant trunk” implantation from January 2008 to June 2010 were reviewed. The LSA was ligated because of the difficult exposure (21 males, 8 females, age 19 to 55). Collateral circulation of the circle of Willis and bilateral vertebral arteries were assessed thoroughly by preoperative imaging and intraoperative observations. If collateral circulation was sufficient, LSA was ligated; if insufficient, an additional bypass graft was created from the ascending aorta to the left axillary artery. Results: Twenty-eight patients survived the operation with 1 early death. Postoperative blood pressures were lower in the left arm than in the right (78 ± 17.3 vs 126 ± 3.7 mm Hg, p < 0.01), but oxygen saturation, skin temperature, and strength of the left hand were normal. The surviving patients have been followed for 16.6 ± 9.0 months (6 to 36) and none had symptoms of LSA steal syndrome or arm ischemia. Conclusions: Ligation of the LSA after strict evaluation of collateral circulation could be safe for type A dissection patients if the exposure is insufficient, and this method can simplify the operation significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Effect of dexamethasone (DEX, a synthetic glucocorticoid) on lipid metabolism in broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) was investigated. Male Arbor Acres chickens (1 wk old, n =30) were injected with DEX or saline for 1 wk, and a pair-fed group was included. DEX administration resulted in enhanced lipid deposition in adipose tissues. Plasma insulin increased about 3.3 fold in DEX injected chickens as against the control and hepatic triglyceride was higher as compared with the pair-fed chickens. In DEX injected chickens, the hepatic activities of malic enzyme (ME) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) were significantly increased, while the mRNA levels of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), ME, and FAS were significantly up-regulated, compared with the control. Although the mRNA levels of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) genes in adipose tissue were not affected by DEX injection, ME activity and mRNA levels in abdominal fat pad of chickens treated with DEX are higher than those of control chickens. The results indicated that the increased hepatic de novo lipogenesis and in turn, the increased circulating lipid flux contributes to the augmented fat deposition in adipose tissues and liver in DEX-challenged chickens. The results suggest that glucocorticoids together with the induced hyperinsulinemia should be responsible for the up-regulated hepatic lipogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Surgical repair of pathologic tricuspid valve disease often fails because of severe anatomic distortion of the valve apparatus, particularly in patients with rheumatic heart disease. This usually leads to tricuspid valve replacement despite the associated prosthesis-related complications. This study examines our experience of tricuspid valve repair with autologous pericardium for organic rheumatic tricuspid valve disease. Methods: From 1996 to 2007, 31 patients underwent repairs for rheumatic tricuspid valve disease characterized by retracted leaflets and inadequate leaflet area. The patients, aged 14 to 56 years, had a mean New York Heart Association (NYHA) class of 2.9 ± 0.6. All patients presented with severe tricuspid regurgitation and coexisting left-sided heart valve disease. Glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardial patch was used to augment tricuspid valve leaflets. Other techniques were applied as needed, including commissurotomy, leaflet mobilization, annuloplasty, and prosthetic ring implantation. Concomitant operations included left-sided valve replacement in all, and left atrial thrombus removal in 3 patients. Follow-up duration was 4 to 126 months. Results: No deaths or late reoperations occurred. All patients demonstrated clinical improvements on follow-up. Echocardiographic studies before hospital discharge showed less than mild tricuspid regurgitation in all patients. The most recent echocardiographic follow-up showed no tricuspid regurgitation in 10 patients (32.3%), trivial regurgitation in 12 (38.7%), mild regurgitation in 8 (25.8%), and moderate regurgitation in 1 (3.2%). Conclusions: In selected patients, organic rheumatic tricuspid valve disease can be treated with pericardial patch to augment the retracted leaflets in combination with other techniques. Follow-up reveals excellent tricuspid valve function. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Chronic pancreatitis is a significant cause of morbidity and a known risk factor for pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Interleukin-1β is a proinflammatory cytokine involved in pancreatic inflammation. We sought to determine whether targeted overexpression of interleukin-1β in the pancreas could elicit localized inflammatory responses and chronic pancreatitis. Methods: We created a transgenic mouse model (elastase sshIL-1β) in which the rat elastase promoter drives the expression of human interleukin-1β. Mice were followed up for up to 2 years. Pancreata of elastase sshIL-1β mice were analyzed for chronic pancreatitis-associated histologic and molecular changes. To study the potential effect of p53 mutation in chronic pancreatitis, elastase sshIL-1β mice were crossed with p53 R172H mice. Results: Three transgenic lines were generated, and in each line the pancreas was atrophic and occasionally showed dilation of pancreatic and biliary ducts secondary to proximal fibrotic stenosis. Pancreatic histology showed typical features of chronic pancreatitis. There was evidence for increased acinar proliferation and apoptosis, along with prominent expression of tumor necrosis factor-α; chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1; stromal cell-derived factor 1; transforming growth factor-β1; matrix metallopeptidase 2, 7, and 9; inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1; and cyclooxygenase 2. The severity of the lesions correlated well with the level of human interleukin-1β expression. Older mice displayed acinar-ductal metaplasia but did not develop mouse pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia or tumors. Elastase sshIL-1β*p53R172H/+ mice had increased frequency of tubular complexes, some of which were acinar-ductal metaplasia. Conclusions: Overexpression of interleukin-1β in the murine pancreas induces chronic pancreatitis. Elastase sshIL-1β mice consistently develop severe chronic pancreatitis and constitute a promising model for studying chronic pancreatitis and its relationship with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Single bit failure is the most common failure mode in static random access memory. Although a failing cell can be easily localized with bitmap data, the exact defect location within the failing cell cannot be found immediately, especially when a defect is related to contact. In this paper, a technique of contact-level passive voltage contrast has been proposed to detect such defects for a single bit failure. After an open contact was identified, subsequent transmission electron microscope analysis was performed and it was found that the root cause for the open contact was poly residue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Simplified assessment with scenario reduction method using hierarchical clustering;. • Proposing linear method for efficient nodal pressure estimation in damaged networks;. • Proposal reduces computation time by 100-fold for efficient seismic assessment;. • Validated across diverse post-earthquake scenarios, ensuring broad applicability;. • Comparisons among three burst simulation methods advance knowledge in this field. Water distribution systems (WDSs) are vulnerable to earthquake damage, highlighting the need to assess their seismic serviceability. While existing simulation-based methods hold promise for accurate assessments, their applicability to large networks is limited by the prohibitive computational burden and longer simulation times. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a scenario reduction-based simulation method for efficiently evaluating earthquake-damaged WDS serviceability. Initially, a sufficient number of earthquake-damaged scenarios are generated using Mentor Carlo simulation, and a novel linear pressure estimation method (LPEM) is developed to approximate nodal pressures for each scenario. Subsequently, hierarchical clustering is employed to categorize all scenarios based on the similarities of estimated nodal pressures, after which representative scenarios are selected to estimate the system serviceability. The proposed method, tested on four benchmark WDSs across different seismic intensities, provides a reliable estimation of seismic serviceability while achieving a remarkable 100-fold enhancement in computational time compared to the conventional method. The newly proposed LPEM yields promising results in estimating nodal pressure for damaged WDSs with multiple bursts, with errors mostly below 3 m and all R2 values exceeding 0.9. This contributes significantly to the simulation-based serviceability assessment of WDSs, especially in the context of post-earthquake scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]