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Collaborative product design on heterogeneous computer-aided design (CAD) platforms has shown its significance to today’s global manufacturing industries. This article proposes a novel collaboration framework for supporting distributed collaborative design with heterogeneous CAD resources. The unique feature of the framework is that, instead of directly accessing heterogeneous CAD resources, a so-calledco-proxy modelis defined and created to work as the replication agent representing original CAD resources during collaborative sessions. The co-proxy model is designed to represent corresponding CAD resources with both structured polygonal graphics for visualisation and a set of embeddedvirtual topological elements(VTE), so as to support collaborative design manipulations such as virtual assembly and annotation. Moreover, the co-proxy model comes with an external link mechanism, with which the powerful modelling and editing functionalities from heterogeneous CAD systems can be reasonably integrated into the distributed collaboration framework. The proposed framework together with its enabling technologies has been implemented into a prototype system named as Co-DMU, which is generally applicable for feature-based CAD modelling systems with automation interfaces provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study the left ventricular flow vector characteristics in Diannan Small-Ear pigs with anterior anterior wall myocardial infarction by using vector flow mapping (vector flow mapping, VFM) . Methods Routine echocardiography was performed in 18 Diannan small ear pigs and the flow vector and velocity of left ventricle were analyzed. Then the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was ligated at the lower 1/3 piont, and the same echocardiography was performed again 1 hour after ligation. Some parameters, such as flow velocity vector, streamline and swirling flow field parameters of left ventricle, were comparatively analyzed. Results After acute anterior wall myocardial infarction, LVEF, LVFS were decreased (<0.05) . Pig's left ventricular intracavitary vortex in the ejection phase was still visible. The pig's vortex diameter (Dx), vortex longitudinal diameter (Dy), vortex total duration were larger after acute anterior wall myocardial infarction than before. The difference was statistically significant (<0.05) . Conclusions The left ventricular vortex extends from diastolic to systolic when aortic valve is opening, as the left ventricular wall motion decreases after their Left ventricular anteroseptal myocardial infarction. It suggests the lower left ventricular regional systolic function may reduce the blood flow velocity and extend the time of the left ventricular vortex, thus reduce the left ventricular intracardiac hydrodynamic efficiency and cardiac stroke volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To define the impact of BMI index on left ventricular structure and diastolic function, and investigate the application value of E/Em in evaluating left ventricular diastolic function by dual pulse-wave Doppler (DPW) technology. Methods A total of 137 healthy adults without hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, kidney disease, arrhythmia, heart failure and organic heart disease were recruited and assigned to normal weight group (n = 54) and over weight group (n - 83) by BMI index. All subjects underwent conventional echocardiography and dual pulse-wave Doppler (DPW) echocardiography, then we observed and compared the difference in the cardiac structures and diastolic function parameters. Results Interventricular septum thickness (iVSd), left ventricular mass indexs (LVMl), left ventricular diameters (LVEDD) (P < 0.05), left atrial diameters (LAD) (P < 0.01), E/Em ratios (P< 0.05) measured in the over weight group were greater than those measured in the normal weight group. However, peak early mitral annular velocity (Em), Em/Am ratio was decreased (P < 0.05) . Compared with the conventional echocardiography, mitral peak early diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity (E), mitral peak late diastolic trans-mitral flow velocity (A), E/Em ratio (P<0.01) of correcting were significantly increased by DPW echocardiography. Conclusions BMI index is correlated well with Em, Em/Am and E/Em, the alterations of cardiac structures and left ventricular diastolic function in over weight group could be better estimated by DPW echocardiography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the characteristics of two dimensional and color Doppler ultrasonic examination in the diagnosis of multi-Takayasu arteritis. Method Color Doppler ultrasonic images of the peripheral vascular and heart were retrospectively analyzed in 14 cases with multi-Takayasu arteritis proved by clinical manifestation. Results (1) The ultrasonic characteristics of the lesions were listed as diffused thickening of intima-media (IMT), low-echo and stenosis or occlusion of the involved vessels, clear demarcation between lesion segments and non-lesion ones, the respective changes of the blood rheology revealed by the color Doppler. (2) The increasement of the affected heart chamber, thickening and motion abatement of ventricular walls, abatement of left ventricular diastolic and systolic function. Conclusion The color Doppler ultrasound can reveal lesion characteristics, extent and degree of cases with this disease accurately and visually in real time, is the first choice for diagnosis of multi-Takayasu arthritis in clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the modality and function of right ventricular in patients with atrial septal defect by single beat real-time three dimensional echocardiography. sRT-3DE), and discuss how the pulmonary artery pressure affect the function of right ventricular. Methods The enrolled subjects were divided into four groups, twenty-five healthy volunteers and forty ASD patients were enrolled consecutively as normal controls and the ASD group respectively. The ASD group was divided into three groups, fifteen with pulmonary artery pressure mildly rised as group A, and fifteen with pulmonary artery pressure moderately rised as group B, fifteen with pulmonary artery pressure highly rised as group C. Single cardiac cycle real-time three dimensional echocardiography was performed in all to evaluate parameters concerning modality and systolic function of participants right ventricle. Full-volume imaging was performed and the data was analyzed by right ventricular analysis (RVA) software. The end diastolic volume (EDVRV), end systolic volume (ESVRV), stroke volume (SVRV) and ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) of right ventricular were obtained, as well as the volume-time curve. Results EDVRV, ESVRV and SVRV of atrial septal defects group (group A, B, C) were greater than the control group ( < 0.01) . EDVRV, ESVRV and SVRV of group C were greater than group A and B ( < 0.01) . Compared with A and B group, the RVEF of control group has no significant difference. (P > 0.05), whereas RVEF of group C was less than the control group, group A and B ( < 0.01) . RVEF and EDVRV, ESVRV, SVRV showed a negative correlation in Group C (R =-0.738, < 0.05) . The right ventricular volume change over time of atrial septal defects was lower than those of control group. Conclusions The sRT-3DE has an obvious advantage than normal test in evaluating the change of the right ventricular function and shapes without wound. With the increase of pulmonary artery pressure, the volume of right ventricular in patients with atrial septal defects increase but RVEF does not decrease, when the pulmonary artery pressure highly increased, the function of right ventricular decompensated, RVEF decreased obviously. The changes of volume and function of right ventricular can indirectly reflect the pulmonary artery pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The outcome of experimental murine infection with different strains of malaria parasites, ranging from spontaneous cure to death, depends largely on the establishment of effective Th1 responses during the early stages of infection. Here we describe the disparity in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell (Treg) responses during the early stages of infection with the highly virulent Plasmodium yoelii 17XL strain in susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (DBA/2) mice. An increased proportion of Tregs 3–4 days post inoculation, co-occurring with elevated IL-10 levels, is observed in BALB/c but not in DBA/2 mice. These findings suggest that Treg proliferation might be causally associated with the suppression of Th1 responses during early malaria infection, leading to increase parasitemia and mortality in BALB/c mice, possibly in an IL-10-dependent manner. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Indapamide blocks multiple voltage-dependent K+ currents (Kv) in the heart and Kv have an important role in cell proliferation and apoptosis, so the aim of this work was to study the effects of indapamide on Kv and the viability of GH3 cells. Indapamide inhibited Kv of GH3 cells and the inhibition was irreversible after a 10-min washout when more than 250 μM indapamide was used. Indapamide reduced the viability of GH3 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The decreased cell viability was because indapamide induced cell apoptosis, or even necrosis at higher concentrations. HepG2 cells, which express no apparent Kv, were used to determine the association between inhibition of Kv and the apoptotic action of indapamide. Indapamide had a similar action on cell viability and apoptosis of HepG2 cells. 4-Aminopyridine, the voltage-dependent K+ channel blocker, inhibited Kv of GH3 cells but did not induce the cell apoptosis. We concluded that while indapamide inhibited Kv and induced apoptosis of GH3 cells, the apoptotic action of indapamide was not associated with its inhibition of Kv. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Effect of ripening on pulsed vacuum drying behavior of goji berry was explored. • Ripening stage changes goji's phytochemicals, ultrastructure and moisture status. • Ripening stage influences goji drying characteristics and physicochemical quality. • Lower maturity samples hold shorter drying time, while suffer more severe browning. • PVD promoted rupture and transformation of pectin and by thus enhanced browning. In current work, the effect of ripening stages (I, II, and III) on pulsed vacuum drying (PVD) behavior of goji berry was explored. The shortest drying time of goji berry was observed at stage I (6.99 h) which was 13.95 %, and 28.85 % shorter than those at stages II, and III, respectively. This phenomenon was closely associated with the ripening stage, as contributed by the initial physiochemical differences, ultrastructure alterations, and moisture distribution. In addition, lower maturity suffered more severe browning, primarily due to the enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions of phenolics, followed by pigment degradation and the Maillard reaction. Additionally, the PVD process promoted the rupture and transformation of the pectin fractions, also causing browning either directly or indirectly through participation in other chemical reactions. These findings suggest that the appropriate ripening stage of goji berry should be considered as having a significant impact on drying behaviors and quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Composite porous vapor chambers (CPVCs) was analyzed by a thermal hydraulic model. • The temperature, velocity and pressure distributions of CPVCs were explored. • Wick porosities affect the performance of CPVCs more than the powder size does. • Wick porosities should be as close as possible to the lower bound of their range. • Evaporator wick porosity should be slightly larger than condenser wick porosity. Composite porous vapor chamber (CPVC) with good thermal performance in temperature uniformity and high heat-flux limit was recently developed, and its wick structure consisted of a condenser wick and an evaporator wick with uniform radial grooves. However, the underlying mass and heat transfer mechanisms of the CPVC are unclear, hindering its further development. A simplified numerical model is presented in this paper to study the thermal hydraulic performance of the CPVC. By analyzing of the thermal performance, liquid/vapor velocity and pressure distributions of the CPVC with the input heat flux of 6 × 105–28 × 105 W/m2, the influence of the wick structures, the wick porosity configuration and the powder size on the thermal hydraulic performance of the CPVC is investigated. Results show that the wicks can provide radial multi-artery channels for liquid backflow and heat conductive passages for heat transfer. The wick porosity affects the performance of the CPVC more than the powder size does. To obtain better performance, the configuration of the evaporator wick porosity and the condenser wick porosity should make the maximum pressure drop in the wicks slightly less than the maximum capillary pressure. However, the optimal porosity configuration varies with the powder size. Larger powder size results into smaller optimal porosity, and vice versa. In addition, the wick porosities should be as close as possible to the lower bound of their range. To facilitate the fluid flowing through the multi-artery channels, the evaporator wick porosity should be slightly larger than the condenser wick porosity. The work is useful for optimizing CPVC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have retracted this article [1] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agaricus bisporus is in general cultivated on wheat and rice straw in China. However, millet straw is a potential alternative resource for Agaricus bisporus cultivation, but this has hardly been studied. In the present study, the feasibility of millet straw based mushroom production was analyzed by three successive trials. Mature compost demonstrated high quality with total nitrogen, pH, and C/N ratio of 2.0%, 7.5, and 18:1 respectively, which was suitable for mushroom mycelia growth. During composting, 47-50% of cellulose, 63-65% of hemicellulose, and 8-17% lignin were degraded, while 22-27% of cellulose, 14-16% of hemicellulose, and 15-21% of lignin were consumed by A. bisporus mycelia during cultivation. The highest FPUase and CMCase were observed during mushroom flushes. Endo-xylanase had the key role in hemicellulose degradation with high enzyme activity during cultivation stages. Laccase participated in lignin degradation with the highest enzyme activity in Pinning stage followed by a sharp decline at the first flush. Yield was up to 20 kg/m2, as this is similar to growth on wheat straw, this shows that millet straw is an effective resource for mushroom cultivation. Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Deinococcus-Thermus, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing during composting. The key environmental factors dominating bacterial communities of the samples were determined to be pH value, cellulose content, and hemicellulose content for prewetting and premixed phase of basic mixture (P0); moisture content for phase I (PI); and nitrogen content, lignin content, and ash content for phase II (PII), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total organic carbon content (TOC) of the source rock is evaluated by longitudinal high-resolution logging information，which makes up the deficiency of the distribution of organic matter abundance in the source rock by finite geochemical analytical data.This method can provide a basis for the calculation of the amount of resources and the oil and gas exploration decision in the Pearl River Mouth Basin.Based on the analysis of total organic carbon content (TOC) and corresponding logging response parameters，the multi-parameter regression model，the differentiation porosity between nuclear magnetic resonance and density model and multi-mineral reaction model of total organic carbon content prediction were established.Using the above three models，the total organic carbon content of the six source wells of Wenchang Formation in the study area is predicted.The prediction results are in good agreement with the geochemical analytical data，and the average relative error is less than 20%.The comparison shows that the accuracy of the differentiation porosity between nuclear magnetic resonance and density model is the highest，and it has a good application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freeform surfaces are widely present in the core components of advanced equipment such as aerospace and shipbuilding, and their high-level manufacturing is a key indicator of the national manufacturing industry. Industrial robots offer a promising solution for freeform surface milling due to their high flexibility and large workspace advantages. However, maintaining stability in milling force and ensuring robot stiffness are crucial factors affecting the quality of surface machining. In this work, we propose a method for constant load toolpath planning and stiffness-based robot posture optimization in freeform surface milling. Firstly, we combine the conformal mapping algorithm and variable radius trochoidal trajectory to develop a toolpath planning method with constant cutting load, based on the material removal rate simulation according to the Dexel model. Moreover, we introduce an evaluation index for robot stiffness matching, considering the prediction of MRR. To optimize the sequence of posture changes under robot motion constraints, we employ the dynamic A* algorithm. This ensures that the robot maintains optimal stiffness performance throughout the machining process. Simulations and experimental studies validate the effectiveness and practicality of our proposed approach. These studies demonstrate that our method successfully maintains milling force stability and enhances robot stiffness, enabling more efficient freeform surface machining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vacuum steam pulsed blanching (VSPB) was employed as a novel blanching technology on Cornus officinalis to soften the tissue for subsequent coring and dehydration. The current work aims to explore its effect on mass transfer behavior, PPO inactivation, drying characteristics, physicochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and microstructure of C. officinalis. Results showed that VSPB increased water loss, decreased solid gain, and increased weight reduction with increased blanching cycles. Besides, VSPB significantly changed physical properties and extensively reduced drying time which was attributed to the cell wall components dissolving and cell turgor pressure decreasing, also verified by observing microstructure alteration. PPO was completely denatured after blanching in 6 cycles, but phenolic compounds were still diffused or degraded. Notably, the content of flavonoids and antioxidant capacity significantly increased compared to fresh samples probably due to increased extractability caused by the disrupting cell structure. Besides, the carotenoids and ascorbic acid could be well preserved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an additive manufacturing prepared porous stainless steel felt (AM-PSSF) is proposed as a novel catalyst support for hydrogen production via methanol steam reforming (MSR). In the method, 316 L stainless steel powder with diameter of 15–63 μm is processed by the additive manufacturing technology of selective laser melting (SLM). To accomplish the preparation, the reforming chamber where the AM-PSSF is embedded is firstly divided into an all-hexahedron mesh. Then, the triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) unit with mathematical form, high interconnectivity and large specific surface area is mapped into the hexahedrons based on shape function, forming the fully connected three-dimensional (3D) micro pore structure of the AM-PSSF. By correlating the mathematical parameter and the porosity of the TPMS unit, and taking into account the SLM process, the porosity of the AM-PSSF is well controlled. Based on the designed 3D pore structure model, the AM-PSSF is produced using standard SLM process. The application of the AM-PSSF as catalyst support for hydrogen production through MSR indicates that: 1) both the naked and catalyst-coated AM-PSSF have the characteristics of high porosity, large specific surface area and high connectivity; 2) the MSR hydrogen production performance of the AM-PSSF is better than that of the commercial stainless steel fiber sintered felt. The feasibility of AM-PSSF as catalyst support for MSR hydrogen production may pave a better way to balance different requirements for catalyst support, thanks to the excellent controllability provided by AM on both the external shape and the internal pore structure, and to the produced rough surface morphology that benefits the catalyst adhesion strength. In addition, catalyst support with pore structures that are more accommodated with the flow field and the reaction rate of MSR reaction may be prepared in future, since the entire catalyst support structure, from macro scale to micro scale, is under control. Image 1 • A novel catalyst support for H 2 production via MSR is prepared by additive manufacturing. • The pore structure of the catalyst support is mathematically defined. • The porosity of the highly interconnected catalyst support can be easily controlled. • The catalyst support made of stainless steel powders has rough topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haptic rendering in virtual environment provides a powerful training and validation tool for assembly of bolted joints that require accurate assembly forces. This work proposes a staged haptic rendering approach for virtual assembly (VA) of bolted joints. Firstly, by analyzing the stress condition during the actual assembly process, four consecutive stages, namely navigation stage, transition stage, linearity stage, and yield stage, are identified. Then, the force rendering model is set up. Moreover, a prototype VA system is developed to implement and test the approach. Two groups of experiments on a two-stage gear reducer are conducted to verify the feasibility of the approach and evaluate the prototype’s performance. The results have shown that the force calculated by the proposed approach is consistent with the actual assembly and the evaluators are highly positive on the immersion and the guiding ability of the VA process with the haptic rendering provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear correlated constants AD (centrifugal correction of the spin-orbit coupling constant) and γ (the spin-rotation constant) involved in the second negative (A2πu-X2πg) system of O2+ are determined by nonlinear least-squares fitting the spectra of 16O2+ and 18O2+ using the isotopic effect. In addition, the molecular constants of the other O2+ isotopologues are predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effects of postharvest ripening (0–6 days, D0–6) on cell wall pectin profile, infrared-assisted hot air-drying characteristics, and sugar content. Results showed that during postharvest ripening progress, the content of water-soluble pectin (WSP) and chelate-soluble pectin (CSP) increased while the content of Na 2 CO 3 -soluble pectin (NSP) and hemicellulose (HC) decreased. In addition, the average molecular weight of WSP increased while the average molecular weight of NSP decreased. Secondly, the drying time of plums with different postharvest ripening periods was in the order: D3 < D4 < D2 < D1 < D0 < D5 < D6. Furthermore, the sugar content of dried plums was mainly influenced by drying time, with three stages of sugar changes observed, tied to moisture content: (1) Sucrose hydrolyzes (50–85%); (2) Fructose and glucose degrade (15–50%); (3) Sorbitol degrades (15–42%). These findings indicate that the transformation of cell wall pectin profile during the postharvest ripening process alters drying behavior and regulates the sugar content of dried plums. Galacturonic acid (PubChem CID: 439215); Acetone (PubChem CID: 180); Distilled water (PubChem CID: 962); Trans-1,2-Diaminocyclohexane-N, N, N, N′-tetraacetic acid (PubChem CID: 2723845); Na 2 CO 3 (PubChem CID: 10340); Glucose (PubChem CID: 5793); fructose (PubChem CID: 2723872) sucrose (PubChem CID: 5988) sorbitol (PubChem CID: 5780) and Sodium borohydride (PubChem CID: 4311764). [Display omitted] • Postharvest ripening affects plum's drying characteristics and dried plum's sugar content. • Postharvest ripening process alters cell wall polysaccharide content. • Molecular weight of pectin and microstructure were used to explore quality changes. • Postharvest ripening process affects the water distribution status of plums. • Plum drying has three sugar change stages tied to moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A macroscopic numerical method is proposed to study the flow distribution uniformity of a novel porous copper fiber sintered felt (PCFSF), which has gradient porosities and was developed as the methanol steam reforming micro-reactor catalyst support for hydrogen production for fuel cell applications. The macroscopic porous media developed by the ANSYS/FLUENT software is used to represent the PCFSF. Our results indicate that the gradient porosity can reshape the flow distribution of PCFSFs greatly, thus producing significant influence on their performance. It is further revealed that, for a PCFSF with a determined gradient porosity configuration but different reactant feed directions, the velocity uniformity can be used as a quantitative criterion to evaluate the performance of hydrogen production. Furthermore, new gradient PCFSFs are produced according to the flow distribution of original gradient PCFSFs. The preliminary experimental results of the new gradient PCFSFs of 0.8-0.9-0.7 and 0.7-0.9-0.8 exhibit better methanol conversion and H 2 flow rate. This indicates that the numerical method can be used for the optimization of PCFSFs' gradient porosity configuration, which consists of the shape and position of the interfaces between different porosity portions, the number of interfaces and the porosity distribution in different portions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual offline robot teaching provides a flexible and more economic robot programming solution to belt lapping. Due to the elasticity of the components, the applied force directly influences the polishing result, and the corresponding reaction force sensed by the user affects his or her decision on next operation. However, most of the simulation works reported so far focus mainly on the machining effect of belt lapping but not the contacting force. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel force feedback model for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping. By analyzing the force conditions at different process stages, three kinds of forces, namely natural force, colliding force, and resistance force, are defined to facilitate users with continuous force feedback during a virtual lapping process. To validate the model, a comparative study is done between the actual force measured during the belt lapping process and that simulated by the proposed force model. Moreover, evaluators are involved to conduct the virtual lapping of a mechanical part using the prototype developed. Both the quantitative and the evaluation experiments have validated that the force model is able to provide users with realistic force feedback and better ergonomic feelings of immersion. Moreover, they are also positive on the flexibility and efficiency of using the prototype for virtual robot teaching of belt lapping processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new parametric method for the design of Voronoi-based lattice porous structures is proposed in this paper. First, the functional relationship between the porosity p , the number of seed points n , and the beam radius r is established. The design space is then divided into individual unit cells, and the seed points and beam radius values of each unit cell are calculated. In each unit cell, Voronoi tessellation is used to generate uniformly distributed seed points. Finally in the design space, all seed points are Voronoi tessellated globally, and the edges are cylindered with corresponding beam radius values. With this design method, not only can the lattice structures with uniform or graded distribution of porosity be generated, but the customized lattice structures can also be generated according to the porosity of each unit cell. Through the analysis of model data, it is verified that the uniform distribution of seed points in this paper is stable and the porosity of the model is consistent with the design value. The distribution of pore spheres between pores is used to illustrate that the lattice porous structures designed in this paper is globally controllable and locally uniform. Unlabelled Image • A design approach is proposed to determine the structural parameters from the characterization parameters. • The function relationship between porosity and the number of seed points and beam radius is established. • Combine the design features of lattice and open-cell foam. • A globally controllable and locally uniform graded lattice structure is designed. • The size and distribution of the pore spheres are used to evaluate the pore characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In current work, the effect of freezing (F), ultrasound (U), and freeze- ultrasound (FU) pretreatment on infrared combined with hot air impingement drying kinetics, cell ultrastructure, enzyme activity, and physicochemical properties of strawberry slices were explored. Results showed that FU pretreatment enhanced cell membrane permeability via forming micropores, altered water status by transforming bound water into free water and thus promoted moisture diffusivity and decreased drying time by 50% compared to the control group. FU pretreatment also extensively decreased pectin methylesterase enzyme activity and maintained quality. The contents of total phenols, anthocyanins, vitamin C, antioxidant activity, and a * value of dried strawberries pretreated by FU were extensively increased compared to the control group. U and FU pretreatments were beneficial for retaining aromatic components and organic sulfides according to e-nose analyses. The findings indicate that FU is a promising pretreatment technique as it enhances drying process and quality of strawberry slices., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

In order to better manage the peeling degree and avoid unnecessary losses, the current work aimed to explore the peeling mechanism of a novel peeling technology, high-humidity hot air impingement blanching (HHAIB). The relationships between HHAIB peeling performance and the changes in skin temperature, skin structure, water state, pectin fractions content, and skin mechanical properties of tomatoes were analyzed. Results showed, after HHAIB treatment, the epicuticular wax was disrupted, the skin exhibited more and longer random cracks, the degradation of inner skin tissue was observed by transmission electron microscopy, the free water percentage increased resulting in water loss in the whole tomato, the water-soluble pectin contents decreased in tomato fleshes, while the contents of chelate-soluble pectin and sodium-carbonate-soluble pectin increased. HHAIB heating reduced the elongation at break, and increased Young's Modulus of tomato peel. This study revealed the HHAIB peeling mechanism and provided new insights for developing HHAIB peeling technology., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2023 The Author(s).)

Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a rare childhood cardiomyopathy that is a challenging diagnostic problem for clinicians. We describe a case of an 8-year-old girl with a 2-year history of shortness of breath on exertion. Electrocardiogram and echocardiography showed biatrial enlargement, while cardiac magnetic resonance showed biatrial dilation and normal pericardial thickness. Left and right heart catheterization revealed a left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure (EDP) of 20 mmHg, right ventricular (RV) EDP of 13 mmHg, and pulmonary arterial systolic pressure of 51 mmHg. LV and RV pressure traces showed that LV and RV pressures moved concordantly with respiration, and that the systolic area index was 0.98. Cardiac catheterization data were therefore supportive of RCM. Next-generation sequencing identified a heterozygous variant of the troponin I gene ( TNNI3 ; c.574C>T). Combining these findings led to a diagnosis of RCM. The patient's parents chose conservative treatment, but at the 12-month follow-up she died of worsening heart failure and cerebral infarction. This case emphasizes the need for cardiac catheterization and genetic testing in RCM, and suggests that anticoagulants should be recommended to reduce the risk of thromboembolic events.

Background: This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of early secretory antigenic target-6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein-10 (CFP-10) in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) associated with renal tuberculosis (RT)., Methods: Forty patients with IgAN (IgAN group), 32 patients with RT (RT group), and 52 patients with IgAN associated with RT (IgAN + RT group) were retrospectively selected for this study. A tuberculin skin test (TST) was conducted, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) antibody levels were measured. Immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to determine the expression of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 proteins in renal tissues., Results: The positive results of TST and levels of serum and urinary MTB antibodies were higher in the RT group than in the IgAN + RT group. The expression levels of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 proteins were the highest in the IgAN + RT group and lowest in the IgAN group. The receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the area under curve (AUC) value of the ESAT-6 protein for the diagnosis of IgAN associated with RT was 0.907 and the cut-off value of the integral optical density (IOD) was 26.72. Diagnosis based on ESAT-6 protein levels showed 75% sensitivity and 94.2% specificity. The AUC value of the CFP-10 protein for the diagnosis of IgAN associated with RT was 0.8 and the cut-off value of IOD was 25.67. Detection based on CFP-10 protein levels showed 63.9% sensitivity and 84.6% specificity., Conclusions: Our study provides evidence for the potential of ESAT-6 and CFP-10 proteins as candidate markers in the diagnosis of IgAN associated with RT., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2022 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Databases including China Biological Medicine database(CBM), Chinese scientific journals full-text database(VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure database(CNKI), WanFang Data, PubMed, and EMbase were searched from inception to March 2018 to collect the randomized controlled trials(RCTs) on Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer. All included studies were critically appraised by two independent reviewers by following the cochrane systematic review method and using Revman 5.3 software and State 12.0 for data analysis. After screening, 20 RCTs involving 2 095 patients were included in the study. Meta-analysis showed that as compared with control group of chemotherapy alone, Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy could improve the clinical curative efficiency, the KPS score, and immune function indexes such as total T cells, Th cells and Ts cells; inhibit the decline of white blood cells(WBC), platelets in blood system, T-lymphocyte subsets such as CD3~+, CD4~+, CD4~+/CD8~+, alleviate myelosuppression and reduce the incidence of side effects such as gastrointestinal adverse reaction, liver and kidney dysfunction and abnormal electrocardiogram. The results revealed that for clinical breast cancer patients, Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy could significantly improve its clinical efficacy and reduce adverse reactions. However, the conclusions still need to be verified by high-quality, multi-center, large-sample, prospective, randomized and double-blind clinical trials. In conclusion, this study has systemically evaluated the efficacy and safety of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection combined with chemotherapy in treatment of breast cancer and provided the reference of evidence-based medicine for safe and effective clinical application of medicines.

To systemically evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection in treatment of acute cerebral infarction and provide the reference of evidence-based medicine for its clinical safety and effective drug use. Databases including CNKI, WanFang Data, SinoMed, the Cochrane Library, EMbase and PubMed were searched from inception to April 2018 to collect the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction. The quality of all included studies was evaluated by two independent reviewers following the cochrane systematic review method and using Revman5.3 software and State13.0 for Meta-analysis. A total of 30 RCTs involving 3 233 patients with acute cerebral infarction were included in the study after literature quality evaluation. Meta-analysis showed that as compared with the control group of conventional western medicine alone, Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection combined with conventional western medicine can achieve better efficacy in treatment of acute cerebral infarction, increase the clinical total effective rate (RR=1.22, 95% CI [1.18, 1.27], P <0.000 01) and activities of daily living (MD=9.42, 95% CI [8.12, 10.72], P <0.000 01), and improve the degree of neurological impairment (MD=-3.99, 95% CI [-4.89, -3.07], P <0.000 01). Furthermore, the result showed that Danshen Chuanxiongqin Injection in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction can significantly decrease the whole blood high-shear viscosity, whole blood low-shear viscosity, plasma viscosity, fibrinogen level and other hemorheological indexes ( P <0.01). This Meta-analysis demonstrated that Danshen Chuan xiongqin injection in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction is safe and effective, but lacks the large multicenter clinical randomized trials to support the treatment outcome., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.)

A pot experiment was carried out to test the effects of salt levels on root morphology as well as the relationship between root morphology and salt tolerance with four cotton cultivars (salt-sensitive cultivar CCRI45, weak salt-resistance cultivar XLZ17, moderate salt-resistance cultivar XLZ13 and salt-resistance cultivar CCRI35). Results showed that dry mass and K + /Na + ratio of cotton root and leaf were significantly reduced by salt stress. Dry mass of root and leaf and K + /Na + ratio of root of cultivars XLZ13 and CCRI35 were 69.3%-104.4%, 24.8%-45.3% and 25.0%-45.8% higher than those of cultivar CCRI45, respectively. Root development was significantly restrained by salt stress. Total root length, total root surface area and total root volume of cultivars XLZ13 and CCRI35 were 15.2%-85.8%, 12.0%-68.5% and 31.7%-217.8% higher than those of cultivar CCRI45, respectively. Furthermore, the length of fine and middle roots, root surface area and root volume of cultivars XLZ13 and CCRI35 in 0-10 cm soil layer were 27.2%-73.9%, 39.6%-74.3% and 99.0%-309.7% higher than those of cultivar CCRI45, respectively. Results from principal component analysis showed that the variations of specific root length, root length ratio at 0-10 cm soil layer and fine root length ratio at 0-10 cm soil layer among cultivars was significant. Specific root length, root length ratio at 0-10 cm soil layer and fine root length ratio at 0-10 cm soil layer were the main root characters to distinguish different salt tolerant cotton cultivars. Results from the stepwise regression analysis showed that specific root length, coarse root length, coarse root area, and coarse root volume at 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers, as well as fine root area and middle root ratio at 0-10 cm soil layer were sensitive to salt. Salt tolerant cultivar adapted to salt stress through increasing root length ratio, fine length ratio, and specific root length.

Four prenylated flavonoids compounds 1-4, named sinopodophyllines A-D, and a flavonoid glycoside (compound 13), sinopodophylliside A, together with 19 known compounds (compounds 5-12 and 14-24) were isolated from the fruits of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum. The structures of new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, including HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR. Compounds 1-6, 9-11, and 14-17 were tested for their cytotoxicity against human breast-cancer T47D, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro, and compounds 2, 5, 6, 10 and 11 showed significant cytotoxicity (IC 50 values < 10 μmol·L -1 ) against T47D cells., (Copyright © 2017 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Three frequent genetic polymorphisms in the human high-affinity IgE receptor alpha-subunit (FcepsilonRIalpha) were shown to be associated with allergic disorders and/or total serum IgE levels in allergic patients. Two of these were previously demonstrated to affect FcepsilonRIalpha expression while the third -18483A>C (rs2494262) has not yet been subjected to functional studies. We hypothesized that the -18483A>C variant affects transcriptional activity of the FcepsilonRIalpha distal promoter in monocytes in which FcepsilonRIalpha transcription is driven through that regulatory region. Indeed, we confirmed preferential binding of the YY1 transcription factor to the -18483C allele, resulting in lower transcriptional activity when compared with the -18483A allele.

The high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE), FcepsilonRI, is specifically expressed in mast cells and basophils and plays a key role in IgE-mediated allergic reactions. The transcription factor Elf-1 has been previously identified to bind to the promoter of the human FcepsilonRI alpha-chain, which is essential for the function and expression of FcepsilonRI. In the present study, Elf-1 siRNA was conducted to evaluate the effects of Elf-1 on FcepsilonRI alpha-chain expression in the primary mouse mast cells, bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMC). Introduction of Elf-1 siRNA effectively reduced expression levels of Elf-1 mRNA and protein in BMMC. Transient reporter assay showed that the knockdown of Elf-1 by siRNA resulted in increased FcepsilonRI alpha-chain promoter activity, while overexpression of Elf-1 suppressed alpha-chain promoter activity in BMMC. Elf-1 siRNA-treated BMMC exhibited marked upregulation of FcepsilonRI alpha-chain transcription, whereas beta-chain mRNA was not affected by Elf-1 siRNA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that the amount of transcription factor PU.1, recognizing the cis-element close to the Elf-1-site on the FcepsilonRI alpha-chain promoter, was significantly increased by introduction of Elf-1 siRNA. These results indicate that Elf-1 negatively regulates FcepsilonRI alpha-chain expression by suppressing PU.1-mediated transcription of the alpha-chain in BMMC.