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Tristructural isotropic (TRISO) fuel particles have been primarily developed for high-temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors and can be subjected to oxidizing environments for extended periods in an off-normal accident scenario. Surrogate TRISO fuel particles were oxidized in air at 1,000 or 1,100 °C for up to 120 h. The oxide scale morphology and thickness were studied via scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam, and atomic force microscopy. TRISO particles oxidized at 1,100 °C exhibited a highly crystalline oxide scale, which led to significant cracking and irregularly shaped closed porosity, whereas those oxidized at 1,000 °C possessed a primarily amorphous oxide scale, which contained small, rounded internal pores and no larger defects. The observed phenomena deviated from the expected behavior based on models for oxide growth on flat-plate and fiber SiC. The oxidation kinetics of TRISO fuel particles in high-temperature air were investigated without mechanically deforming the surface and were analyzed with respect to oxide morphology. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kidney transplantation is a pivotal treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESKD). However, renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) during surgery significantly impacts graft function. Despite unclear molecular mechanisms, no specific therapies or preventative measures are available. Gene expression profiles from renal biopsies before and after IRI were downloaded from public databases. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Ferroptosis-associated genes were screened using the FerrDb database. The genes with the highest connectivity were identified via the PPI network, and upstream regulatory miRNAs were found through the gene-miRNA network. A mouse renal IRI model was constructed for transcriptome sequencing and qRT-PCR validation to elucidate the relationship between key ferroptosis genes and regulatory miRNAs in renal IRI. Differential analysis identified 15 ferroptosis-associated genes (TNFAIP3, IL6, KLF2, EGR1, JUN, ZFP36, GDF15, CDKN1A, HSPB1, BRD2, PDK4, DUSP1, SLC2A3, DDIT3, CXCL2) involved in renal IRI regulation. In animal experiments, ferroptosis-related genes were also upregulated in the model group. Enrichment analysis and H&E pathological staining suggested these genes are primarily involved in renal inflammatory responses. PPI network analysis revealed IL6 as the gene with the highest connectivity, and the gene-miRNA network indicated IL6 might be regulated by miR-let-7a. Animal experiments revealed decreased miR-let-7a and increased IL6 levels in the model group, identifying potential therapeutic targets. MiR-let-7a regulates ferroptosis in renal IRI by targeting IL6, highlighting IL6 as a crucial gene in the ferroptosis process of renal IRI.

Introduction: The relationship between BMI and early renal function recovery after kidney transplantation is important due to the rising global obesity rates., Methods: A retrospective study on 320 patients who received allograft kidney transplantation at Guangxi Medical University Hospital explored the BMI-kidney function relationship using various statistical methods. Mendelian randomization (MR) was also employed to investigate causality., Results: Based on the univariate analysis, multivariate linear regression models, and trend analysis, it was found that there were significant positive correlations between BMI and creatinine, urea, and cystatin C on the 7th day after kidney transplantation (p < 0.05). The sensitivity analysis further confirmed these correlations in different gender stratification, adolescents, and adults. However, the positive correlation with cystatin C was only significant in males. Additionally, after conducting smooth curve fitting analysis and threshold saturation analysis, it was revealed that the negative correlation between early renal function recovery was most significant when BMI was between 22.0 and 25.5 kg/m2, and early postoperative renal function may be optimal when BMI was at 22.2 kg/m2. Finally, the MR analysis confirmed a causal relationship between BMI and renal failure, as indicated by the IVW method (p = 0.003), as well as the weighted median estimator (p = 0.004)., Conclusion: This study on kidney transplant patients found that maintaining a BMI within the range of 22.0-25.5 kg/m2, with an optimal BMI of 22.2 kg/m2, improves early renal function recovery. This correlation holds true for different age-groups and genders. Monitoring and controlling BMI in high-risk patients can enhance post-transplantation renal function., (© 2024 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.)

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are a class of metallic materials that have revolutionized alloy design. They are known for their high compressive strengths, often greater than 1 GPa; however, the tensile strengths of most reported HEAs are limited. Here, we report a strategy for the design and fabrication of HEAs that can achieve ultrahigh tensile strengths. The proposed strategy involves the introduction of a high density of hierarchical intragranular nanoprecipitates. To establish the validity of this strategy, we designed and fabricated a bulk Fe 25 Co 25 Ni 25 Al 10 Ti 15 HEA to consist of a principal face-centered cubic (fcc) phase containing hierarchical intragranular nanoprecipitates. Our results show that precipitation strengthening, as one of the main strengthening mechanisms, contributes to a tensile yield strength (σ 0.2 ) of ~1.86 GPa and an ultimate tensile strength of ~2.52 GPa at room temperature, which heretofore represents the highest strength reported for an HEA with an appreciable failure strain of ~5.2%.