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In this study, ovotransferrin/chitosan (OVT/CS) composite films cross-linked by citric acid (CA) were prepared and the effects of CA cross-linking on the structure and physicochemical properties of the composite films were investigated. The cross-linking degree measured by 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) method confirmed that CA was cross-linked with the matrix, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed that more hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions were formed between CA and the matrix. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and Scanning electron microscope images revealed the compatibility between substances. The synergistic inhibition between the matrix results in a significantly higher antibacterial activity of the composite film than the pure film. Compared with uncross-linked films, the mechanical properties, barrier properties and water resistance of the cross-linked films were significantly improved. When the concentration of CA was 5 wt% (W/W, on a dry basis of the weight of OVT and CS), the most significant improvement in film performance was obtained. The tensile strength of the film increased from 32.05 MPa without cross-linking to 61.99 MPa and the swelling degree decreased from 51.5 % to 24.23 %. The observed phenomena suggest that cross-linking OVT and CS with CA can obtain functional edible films with improved properties. [Display omitted] • Hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions cause cross-linking. • The tensile strength of the cross-linked film increased by 93.42 %. • The swelling degree of the cross-linked film decreased by 112.54 %. • Composite films with excellent antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We collected data on ventilator‐associated pneumonia (VAP) and hospital‐acquired pneumonia (HAP) induced by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (SM) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) and compared differences between two bacteria in mortality, duration of ventilator use, length of hospital stay, and risk factors for infection. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prognosis and to find risk factors of SM‐HAP/VAP versus KP‐HAP/VAP in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients admitted to the ICU between June 2019 and June 2021 and diagnosed with SM‐HAP/VAP or KP‐HAP/VAP. The primary outcome was 28‐day mortality. Results: Ninety‐two HAP/VAP patients (48 with SM‐HAP/VAP and 44 with KP‐HAP/VAP) were included. The 28‐day mortality was 16.7% (8/48 patients) in SM‐HAP/VAP and 15.9% (7/44 patients) in KP‐HAP/VAP (P = 0.922). After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratios for 28‐day mortality in SM‐HAP/VAP were 1.3 (95% CI:0.5–3.7), 1.0 (95% CI:0.4–3.0), 1.4 (95% CI:0.5–4.0), and 1.1 (95% CI:0.4–3.4), respectively. Conclusion: SM‐HAP/VAP and KP‐HAP/VAP patients in ICU might have a similar prognosis in mortality, the total duration of the artificial airway and ventilator use, the total length of ICU stay, and hospital stay. The risk factors of SM‐HAP/VAP versus KP‐HAP/VAP might be the artificial airway, ventilator use, gastric tube placement, acid suppressant and antibiotics (especially carbapenem). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault seals are significant for petroleum exploration and production. This study summarizes the fault sealing impacting factors, including lithological juxtaposition, mud smearing, fault rocks and the fault plane stress states, as well as evaluation methods like Allan maps and Shale Gouge Ratio (SGR). The seal evaluation for a wrench fault focuses on its particular structural features. The evaluation methods were applied to the Jinma–Yazihe structure and the Shunbei oilfield. The source rock is the Xujiahe Formation of the Upper Triassic, the reservoirs and caprocks being of the Shaximiao Formation of the Lower Jurassic. The fault sealing evaluations in major faults proved the reservoir formation processes in the wells Jinfo 1 (JF1) and Chuanya 609 (CY–609), based on the editions of the Allan map showing lithological juxtaposition, the calculation of SGR showing mud smear and analyses of fault stress states. The analyses of stress states were also applied to Shunbei 5 strike‐slip fault in the Shunbei area in Tarim Basin. The various sections along the fault were of different mechanical properties, such as compression and extension. Petroleum exploration has demonstrated that the extensional sections are more favorable for oil accumulation than the compressional sections. These evolutionary methods and other understandings will help in analyses of deep fault sealing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2D contractional scaled analogue experiments with composite materials including silica-sand and mica-flakes for overburden and silicone for salt analogue are used to investigate effects of mechanical stratigraphy on the structural evolution and kinematics of salt-detached fold-thrust-belts. Specific parameters tested are mechanical stratigraphy of the overburden and thickness variation of the basal silicone layer. The silicone-detached models in general are characterized by low-taper thrust wedge geometries and non-systematic vergence of folds and thrusts. Strain localization in the undeformed layer occurs as an in-sequence foreland breaking sequence. Strain is nucleating as detachment folds including thrust-bounded and concentric folds. Increased shortening develops break-thrusts in fold limbs. In-sequence frontal thrust interacts with out-of-sequence reactivation of older thrusts in the internal thrust wedge. Syn-kinematic silicone mobilization causes diapirism, allochthonous sheets and source-fed thrust. The specific distribution of discordant and allochthonous silicone structures vary with the mechanical stratigraphy. The impact of the mica-interlayer in the overburden sequence is strain-dependent. It strengthens the undeformed sand-pack compared to initial thrusting while active thrusts with mica-flakes in shear zones are weaker and active for longer than in homogeneous sand-pack. The longevity of thrusts correlates with the transfer of silicone to external domains and hanging-walls of thrusts. The silicone thickness controls the strain nucleation modes whether thrusting-dominated or folding-dominated predating main-thrusting stages. It also governs silicone supply and flow regimes with thick silicone source layers being readily remobilized to source-fed thrust and inflate silicone massifs in the foreland. Insights from the modelling results are that the formation of large-transport source-fed thrusts such as Quele Thrust (China) and Chazuta Thrust (Peru) observed in salt-bearing FTB's is possibly attributed to salt detachment thickness and anisotropic overburden resulting from mechanically layered stratigraphy. • Salt thickness controls deformation nucleation modes and governs viscous material supply and flow regimes. • The impact of mica interlayers is strain-dependent. • Large-transport source-fed thrust can form from salt-cored fold if there's enough salt supply and anisotropic overburden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the bifurcation behavior and the stability of the rotating cantilever rectangular plate that is subjected to varying speed and centrifugal force. The local stability of the degenerated equilibrium of nonlinear system with symmetry is observed after analyzing the corresponding characteristic equation. In addition to complex phenomena such as static bifurcation and Hopf bifurcation, the 2-D torus bifurcation is investigated in this paper. Thereafter, the steady-state solutions and stability region are obtained using the center manifold theory and normal form method. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted to show the nonlinear dynamical behaviors of the rotating cantilever rectangular plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Structural morphologies of the basal Cambrian and active faults are obtained. • Tectonic evolution of the Tarim Basin since the Paleozoic is reconstructed. • Counterclockwise plate collage causes the changes of uplift-depression framework. • Structural hinge zones are favorable targets for ultra-deep subsalt exploration. The Tarim Basin holds significant geological interest due to its complex basin-range coupling relationship and promising prospects for hydrocarbon exploration. The basal Cambrian in this basin records all tectonic movements of surrounding plates and influences the distribution of source rocks, reservoirs and caprocks. Its morphological evolution not only reflects changes of the uplift-depression framework but also indicates the migration pathways of hydrocarbons. Based on seismic profile interpretations, the structural morphologies of the basal Cambrian and active faults in various geological periods are obtained and related to regional plate tectonics. Furthermore, favorable targets for ultra-deep hydrocarbon exploration are predicted by identifying structural hinge zones. The results show that, (1) the initial amalgamation of the Tarim Plate with South Kunlun Terrane in the southwest at the end of the Middle Ordovician led to uplift of the Southwestern Depression, Bachu uplift, and Tazhong uplift, with the formation of NW-SE-trending boundary faults, (2) the amalgamations of the Tarim Plate with South Kunlun Terrane in the southwest, and Altun-Qilian Terrane in the southeast, as well as the bidirectional subduction of the South Tianshan Ocean in the north at the end of the Ordovician led to uplift of the Southwestern Depression, Bachu uplift, Tazhong uplift, southeastern basin, and Tabei Uplift, with the development of the Bachu-Tazhong fault system trended NW-SE, Madong back-thrust fault system trended NE-SW, and Tabei fault system trended E-W, (3) the amalgamation of the Qaidam Block and Tarim Plate in the southeast and the continued subduction of the South Tianshan Ocean in the north at the end of the Silurian led to uplift in the Madong structural belt, Gucheng low uplift, Tadong low uplift, Shuntuoguole low uplift, and Tabei Uplift, with a large-scale reactivation of the Madong back-thrust fault system and small-scale activities of the Bachu-Tazhong and Tabei fault systems, (4) the closure of both the North and South Tianshan Oceans in the Carboniferous and the intense uplift of the Tianshan orogenic belt in the Permian in the north, as well as the amalgamation of the Tarim Plate with Tianshuihai Terrane in the southwest, led to the development of the Tabei Uplift, Shuntuoguole low uplift, Awati sag, northwestern Bachu uplift, Tazhong uplift, and Southwestern Depression, with the strong activities of the Tabei and Bachu-Tazhong fault systems, and weaker activity of the Madong back-thrust fault system, (5) the amalgamations of the Tarim Plate with North Qiangtang Block, South Qiangtang Block, and Lhasa Block during the Mesozoic in the southwest led to uplift of the Southwestern Depression, Bachu uplift, Tazhong uplift, and Tadong low uplift, with the strong activity of the Bachu-Tazhong fault system, (6) the remote effect resulting from the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates in the Cenozoic led to significant uplift of the Bachu uplift and varying degrees of subsidence in other basin areas, with intense fault activities in the southwestern, northwestern, and northern regions. Based on the distribution of Middle-Lower Cambrian source rock, reservoir, and caprock, the favorable targets for ultra-deep subsalt exploration include the central-eastern Tazhong uplift, central Lunnan low uplift, central Shuntuoguole low uplift, southwestern Markit slope, northwestern Yecheng sag, and northwestern Bachu uplift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a systematic literature (SLR) and content analysis, this article offers a critical review of customer engagement (CE) research in English and Chinese hospitality and tourism management literature. This article discusses CE research by identifying temporal scope, country of origin distributions, theoretical perspectives and conceptualizations. Research streams of CE are also discussed from the perspective of context, mode and process, antecedents and consequences. The current study suggests that CE is an important research topic in the hospitality and tourism field. There has been a shift from "customer" to "tourist" and "visitor". CE in hospitality and tourism has been explored both in the context of offline and online. This study provides specific theoretical implications and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Polysaccharide is one of the main bioactive substances in Cordyceps sinensis (C. sinensis). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of polysaccharide from natural C. sinensis (CSP) on intestinal mucosal immunity and antioxidant activity in cyclophosphamide (Cy)-induced intestinal immunosuppressed mice, further to explore the potential mechanism. Results showed that in mice with Cy-induced intestinal injury, the supplement of CSP (25, 50, 100 mg/kg·bw) significantly increased the levels of goblet cells and mucus in intestine in a dose-dependent manner. The formation of immunoglobulin A (IgA)-secreting cells and the secretory IgA (sIgA) contents were promoted obviously in CSP groups. Furthermore, CSP significantly promoted the secretion or mRNA expression of T helper (Th) 1 style cytokines, including interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-12 p40, interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), in addition to Th1 style transcription factor T-bet. Besides, the levels of Th2 style cytokines, including IL-4, IL-10 and transcription factor GATA-3, were also improved. The value of T-bet/GATA-3, as well as IFN-γ/IL-4 was increased obviously. These results indicated that CSP effectively enhanced intestinal mucosal immunity and regulated polarization of Th1/Th2 cells. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and the activities of superoxidase dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) in liver were increased significantly, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased dose-dependently. In conclusion, CSP effectively ameliorated Cy-induced intestinal injury in mice, which provided a good suggestion of the potential utilization of CSP as a natural immunopotentiator and antioxidant. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • CSP provided protection against intestinal mucosal injury induced by Cy. • CSP enhanced intestinal mucosal immunity in intestinal immunosuppressed mice. • CSP regulated Th1/Th2 balance disrupted by Cy. • CSP improved antioxidant status in immunosuppressed mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A variable density radiation shield method is proposed for the vertical test Dewar. • The coupling model for radiation, gas convection and conduction is established. • The Gr of gas between radiation shield and liquid surface has a maximum value. The vertical test cryostat, which is used to measure the cryogenic performance of a superconducting cavity is a liquid helium open vessel, and has high requirements for thermal insulation performance. The inner vessel of the cryostat is high-vacuum multilayer insulation, and the open side is multi-shield insulation. In order to further reduce the heat leakage through the cover plate of the cryostat at the open side, a variable arranged radiation shield spacing is proposed. The coupling heat transfer model was established for the cover plate, radiation shields, liquid surface and helium gas, and was verified by experiment. The influence of the radiation shields distribution on the heat leakage and the optimal radiation shield arrangement were obtained by numerical calculation. As the number of radiation shields is 11, the method of the variable arranged radiation shield, which is to arrange 7-layer radiation shields in the high temperature region and 4-layer radiation shields in the low temperature region, has a minimal heat leakage. The method can reduce the heat leakage by 4% compared with the equal spacing method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent oil discoveries in the L13-L15 sub-sag area in the Pearl River Mouth basin have inspired interest in Paleogene hydrocarbon targets. However, the structures and their control on reservoirs have not been completely studied. The aim of this paper is to address the tectonics and Eocene sedimentation based on 3D seismic data. We documented characteristics from four aspects of the faults in the study area: (a) fault arrangement; (b) fault segmentation; (c) flower structures; and (d) distribution of the depocenters along the faults. Based on the above data, we propose that the structures in the studied area were formed by a right-handed wrench. The principal shear for this model was caused by NNE- to NE-ward motion of the eastern part of the Eurasia plate due to the collision of the Indian-Australian and Eurasian plates starting approximately 49 Ma ago. The L13-L15 sub-sag area underwent early Eocene rifting, a late Eocene rifting-depression transition and an Oligocene-Quaternary thermal depression. The rift phase included three stages: the initial rifting, intensive rifting and late rifting. The deep lake mudstone deposited during the intensive rifting stage is the source rock with the most potential for oil generation. Shallow lake source rocks formed in the late rifting and transition stages are the secondary source rocks. Reservoir sweet spots were formed in the early period of the intensive rifting and late rifting stages. The junction sites between the front of the meandering river delta plain and fault steps are favorable places for good reservoirs. The sediments in the transition stage are rich in sandstone, making them perfect sites for prospecting reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The getter setting is critical for maintaining a high vacuum environment in the annular space of multilayer insulation in the cryogenic vessel. To maximize the sorption of residual gases, particularly hydrogen, an efficient targeted hydrogen getter must be designed. In this study, PdO nanoparticles and Alkyne-PVA were loaded onto graphene oxide to create an efficient and cost-effective targeted hydrogen getter. Raman, XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, and other characterization methods were used to investigate the microstructure and morphology of the intermediate and Alkyne-PVA-(GO-PdO) nanocomposites. The "Getter Sorption Properties Test System" was used to evaluate the hydrogen sorption properties of the nanocomposites. The results show that the super high specific surface area and efficient network structure of GO can be used as a good substrate material for the loading of PdO nanoparticles and Alkyne-PVA, and that the nanocomposites prepared with reasonable ratios of PdO nanoparticles and Alkyne-PVA have excellent hydrogen sorption performance, and have promising application prospects. The simultaneous use of unsaturated hydrocarbon branched chain and Pd element to the construction of a low-temperature vacuum annular space hydrogen getter in this work is critical to the commercial popularization of hydrogen getters. • PdO nanoparticles and Alkyne-PVA were loaded uniformly onto GO. • The adsorption capacity is 116.92 mL/g at 9.85Pa of the nanocomposite. • PdO initiated hydrogen absorption, the reaction product Pd can be used as a catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the impact of endoscopic surgery (ES) versus robot CAS-R-2 assisted with stereotactic drainage on prognosis of basal ganglia hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (HICH). This retrospective observational study included patients who underwent ES or robot CAS-R-2 assisted with stereotactic drainage for basal ganglia HICH in Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital between June 2017 and May 2022. The outcomes were 6-month mortality and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. A total of 94 patients were included; 68 (age 51.26 ± 9.18 years, 17 women) of them underwent ES, while the other 26 (age 56.50 ± 12.91, 11 women) underwent robot CAS-R-2. The 6-month mortality rates were similar (P > 0.05) between the patients who underwent ES (6 of 68, 8.82%) and robot CAS-R-2 (2 of 26,7.69%), while the rate of good prognosis in the ES group was significantly higher compared with that in the robot CAS-R-2 group (P = 0.024). Univariate logistic analysis found that endoscopic surgery, age, and hematoma volume were associated with poor prognosis at 6 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusted for the preoperative hematoma volume and age, endoscopy surgery (relative risk 0.21, 95% CI 0.06–0.68, P = 0.009) was associated with good prognosis at 6 months follow-up. Compared with robot CAS-R-2 assisted with stereotactic drainage, ES might have higher rate of good prognosis at 6-month follow-up for basal ganglia HICH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pickled eggs enjoy a long processing history with unique flavor and rich nutrition but suffer from long pickling cycle due to the limitations of traditional processing methods. In terms of quality, salted egg whites have the disadvantage of high sodium content, and salted egg yolks have problems such as hard core and black circle around outer layer. Likewise, the quality of preserved eggs is challenged by the black spots (dots) on the eggshells and the high content of heavy metals in the egg contents. The sustainable development of traditional pickled eggs are hindered by these defects and extensive research has been carried out in recent years. Based on the elaboration of the quality formation mechanism of salted eggs and preserved eggs, this paper reviewed the processing principles and applications of rapid pickling technologies like ultrasonic technology, magnetoelectric-assisted technology, water cycle technology, vacuum decompression technology, and pulsed pressure technology, as well as the quality optimization methods such as controlling the sodium content of the salted egg whites, improving the quality of salted egg yolks, promoting the quality of lead-free preserved eggs, and developing heavy metal-free preserved eggs. In the end, the future development trend of traditional pickled eggs was summarized and prospected in order to provide theoretical guidance for the actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to investigate three kinds of filler with completely different morphology on mechanical properties of natural rubber (NR). Coal gangue (CG) are derived from natural deposits are composed principally by illite and quartz. CG, carbon black (CB), and multiwalled carbon nanotube (CNT) were used as hybrid fillers in NR. CNTs were dispersed into NR latex by ultrasonic irradiation and then the mixed latex were coagulated to obtain the CNTs/NR masterbatch, then mechanical mixing method was employed to prepare the CG/CB/CNTs/NR composites. The addition of CG, CB, and CNTs to NR was varied with the total filler loading fixed at 35 phr. The mechanical properties of NR composites were studied in terms of tensile and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results showed that the tensile strength and modulus 300% (M300) of all hybrid samples were higher than the composites only loaded CG; and the highest tensile strength of NR loaded with hybrid fillers achieved at sample of loading amount of CG 17.5, CB 15.5, and CNTs 2 phr, whose M300 and elongation at break was obviously higher than that of only CB loaded NR composites; The inclusion CG improves the tensile strength of NR without the sacrifice of its extensibility, while CB and CNTs brings together the enhancement in the ultimate strength and the reduction in the extensibility. DMA results revealed that the existence of CG can improve the dispersion of CB and CNTs in NR matrix. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3083-3092, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The fault zone kinematic features aid in reconstructing the tectonic evolution of the Bohai Bay Basin. • The Wangjiagang fault zone is divided into three sections: strike-slip, en echelon, and overlapping. • The fault zone experienced three strike-slip motions during the late Eocene, Oligocene, and Miocene. • The extensional – dextral strike-slip faulting tectonic switch occurred at ca. 42 Ma. • The strike-slip motion of the Bohai Bay Basin was governed by plate interactions around the Pacific-Eurasian-Indian plates. The Wangjiagang (WJG) fault zone is regarded as the northward propagation of the Tan-Lu fault zone (TLFZ) in the Bohai Bay Basin (BBB). We used three-dimensional seismic and borehole data, as well as structure and isopach maps, to describe the structural properties and tectonic development of the WJG fault zone. The properties and thickness of the mechanical layer are the principal factors of differences in the deformation of the strike-slip fault zone. Extensional tectonics and strike-slip faulting occurred in WJG. Not only does strike-slip faulting regulate sand body distribution, but it also plays a critical role in oil migration. WJG provides a record of the tectonic evolution of the BBB and how it responded to plate interactions around the Pacific-Eurasian-Indian plates and/or the strike-slip faulting of the TLFZ. The BBB extended in the early Paleocene as a result of relative relaxation between the Pacific and Eurasian plates and the upwelling of the asthenosphere mantle. Before and after the late Eocene (ca. 42 Ma), the tectonic stress regimes at a nearly N-S-oriented extensional to dextral strike-slip faulting along TLFZ coincided with the strike-slip faulting of the pre-existing fault in WJG. The Pacific Plate's change in direction and rate of subduction, as well as the far-field effect of a hard collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates, caused the TLFZ's two walls to move in opposite directions. The resulting force couple caused a strong simple shear in the TLFZ and adjacent areas, including the WJG fault zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Id2 knockdown inhibits tumor growth by arrested in the G0/G1 phase. • Id2 knockdown inhibits CRC metastasis by regulating EMT and MMPs/TIMPs. • Id2 contributes to EMT via the PI3K/AKT signalling pathway. Liver metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) remains high mortality and the mechanism is still unknown. Here we investigated the effects of inhibitor of DNA binding 2 (Id2) on growth and liver metastasis of CRC. qPCR and western blotting were used to demonstrate mRNA and protein expressions in Id2-knockdown HCT116 cells. Cell growth was observed by cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were observed with wound healing assay and transwell migration and invasion assay. The effects of Id2 knockdown on tumor growth and liver metastasis in vivo were evaluated respectively with subcutaneous tumor model and colorectal liver metastasis model by injecting HCT116 cells into the mesentery triangle of cecum in mice. Id2 overexpression was found in CRC cell lines. Id2 knockdown resulted in a reduction in the proliferation, colony formation, migration and invasion of HCT116 cells. The suppression of cell proliferation was accompanied by the cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase with down-regulation of Cyclin D1, Cyclin E, p-Cdk2/3, Cdk6, p-p27 and up-regulation of p21 and p27. Id2 knockdown reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through increasing E-Cadherin and inhibiting N-Cadherin, Vimentin, β-catenin, Snail and Slug. Id2 was also found to inhibit CRC metastasis via MMP2, MMP9 and TIMP-1. Furthermore, Id2 knockdown suppressed CRC liver metastasis in vivo. Id2 promotes CRC growth through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, and triggers EMT to enhance CRC migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence has been accumulated for the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in relieving pain. However, there are limited data on regulation of protein expression after electroacupuncture (EA) intervention. Thus, the present study is designed to determine changes in protein expression following EA stimulation in rats with sciatic nerve chronic constrictive injury (CCI) induced neuropathic pain. Sixty Wistar rats were equally randomized into normal control group, CCI group, and CCI with EA stimulation (EA) group. The CCI model was established by ligature of the left sciatic nerve. EA stimulation was applied at Zusanli (ST36) and Yanglingquan (GB34) in the EA group. Differentially expressed hypothalamic proteins in the three groups were identified by 2-D gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. The functional clustering and pathway of the identified proteins were analyzed by Mascot software. Results showed that, after CCI, the thermal pain threshold of the affected hind footpad was decreased and was reversed gradually by 12 sessions of EA treatment. Following EA intervention, there were 17 hypothalamic proteins identified with significant changes in the expression (>twofold). Three gene-ontologies (oxidoreductase activity, oxidation reduction, and protein binding) were enriched, while there was a significant regulation of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis/hexose metabolism pathway. These data demonstrate that EA intervention can attenuate pain via regulation of expression of multiple proteins in the hypothalamus. Further, hypothalamic glucose metabolism may be important in supporting energy and neurotransmitter homeostasis in the effects of EA intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a clinical phenomenon characterized by cognitive deficits in patients after anesthesia and surgery, especially in geriatric surgical patients. Although it has been documented that isoflurane exposure impaired cognitive function in several aged animal models, there are few clinical interventions and treatments available to prevent this disorder. Minocycline has been well established to exert neuroprotective effects in various experimental animal models and neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, we hypothesized that pretreatment with minocycline attenuates isoflurane-induced cognitive decline in aged rats. In the present study, twenty-month-old rats were administered minocycline or an equal volume of saline by intraperitoneal injection 12 h before exposure to isoflurane. Then the rats were exposed to 1.3% isoflurane for 4 h. Two weeks later, spatial learning and memory of the rats were examined using the Morris Water Maze. We found that pretreatment with minocycline mitigated isoflurane-induced cognitive deficits and suppressed the isoflurane-induced excessive release of IL-1β and caspase-3 in the hippocampal CA1 region at 4 h after isoflurane exposure, as well as the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei. In addition, minocycline treatment also prevented the changes of synaptic ultrastructure in the hippocampal CA1 region induced by isoflurane. In conclusion, pretreatment with minocycline attenuated isoflurane-induced cognitive impairment in aged rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pre-existing faults or early formed faults may be reactivated or locked in subsequent evolution in a rift basin. The reactivation or sealing of a fault affects sedimentation in the related fault block, and in turn controls the accumulation of oil and gas. Based on fault mechanics of reactivation, this paper established equations denoting the angle range of the reactivated faults or frictional sliding faults by using Mohr stress circles. The results were applied to explain the sealing property of pre-existing faults or early formed faults in Dongpu sag. In the Dongpu sag, reactivation or sealing of the faults in fault blocks is supposed due to the rotation of the fault block which was caused by the activity of high order faults. For quantitative calculation of dip range for activated faults, the sum of the maximum and minimum principal stresses were determined by acoustic emission experiment based on the Kaiser effect of rocks, and the cohesion and inner frictional angle of rocks were measured by rock physical experiment. The calculations show, when the dips of early formed faults are from 87° to 45°, the faults will remain activation in the subsequent deformation. Otherwise, the faults will be locked as sealing faults. The results of petroleum exploration show that the peak dips of sealing faults are from 36° to 40°, and the most of sealing faults are those with dip angles less than 46–50°. These results indicate that a shallower fault is of better sealing property in oil and gas reservoirs than a steeper fault in Dongpu sag. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper mainly studied the analytical solutions of three types of Van der Pol-Duffing equations. For a system with parametric excitation frequency, we knew that the ordinary homotopy analysis method would be unable to find the analytical solution. Thus, we primarily used the multi-frequency homotopy analysis method (MFHAM). First, the MFHAM was introduced, and the solution of the system was expressed by constructing auxiliary linear operators. Then, the method was applied to three specific systems. We compared the numerical solution obtained using the Runge–Kutta method with the analytical solution to verify the correctness of the latter. Periodic solutions, with and without time delay, were also compared under the same parameters. The results demonstrated that it was both effective and correct to use the MFHAM to find analytical solutions to Van der Pol-Duffing systems, which were classical systems. By comparison, the MFHAM proved to be effective for time delay systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Described in this paper is an experimental study on a concept for enhancing the film cooling performance by placing an upstream ramp in front of a row of film cooling holes. Parameters studied include upstream ramp angle (8.5°, 15°, and 24°) and blowing ratio M (0.3, 0.4, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.4). Detailed local film cooling effectiveness and heat transfer coefficient are measured using the infrared imaging technique. The results indicate that film cooling characteristics in the region downstream of the film cooling holes are sensitive to the combination of ramp angle (height) and blowing ratio. In general, a large ramp angle with a high blowing ratio leads to more effective film protection. Transport phenomena in the region link closely to the interaction between the coolant injection and the separated flow behind the ramp. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The elastic problem of a functionally graded plate in cylindrical bending is studied in this paper. The plate is assumed to be simply supported at lateral edges and subjected to normal and shear tractions on top and bottom surfaces. A general solution procedure is developed using Fourier series expansion and variables separation method. Analytical solutions are obtained for some specific variations of material modulus. The influence of different functionally graded models and plate configurations on the stress and displacement fields is investigated through numerical examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wrench motion is relatively common in basins but often goes undetected because of its subtle structural imprint. Even so wrench-related folding is of significance in petroleum exploration and development. Based on the Riedel shear nomenclature, we apply the model of wrench-related folding to deformation in the Bohai sea basin. The folding related to R-shears, T-tensional structural systems (T-systems) and C-compressive structural systems (C-systems) in a Riedel shear model are discussed. The R-system related folding results from differential movements between the two sides of fault blocks, in map view the fold is oriented (90°-φ/2) (in the initial deformation stage) or more than (90°-φ/2) from the principle displacement zone (PDZ), where φ is the angle of internal friction. The T-system related folding is related to the rollover of the hanging wall, and in map view the fold is initiated at 45° from the PDZ in the initial deformation stage. The C-system related folding is resulted from the compression induced by a wrench action, in map view the fold was oriented 45° from initial deformation in the PDZ. Bohai Sea basin fold orientations fit our models, and the wrench-related folds play important roles in oil and gas accumulation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Kuqa foreland between the Tarim basin and the Tianshan Mountains is rich in oil and gas. Based on field work and seismic profiles, the structural styles and their formation mechanisms were determined, and the role of evaporites in the deformation was demonstrated. The main structural styles in the overburden are detachment folds, large scale nappes, triangle zones, gentle and wide synclines, fault-propagation folds and pop-ups. The main structures in the substrate are small-scale thrust faults, duplexes, pop-ups and fault-bend and fault-propagation folds, and formed mainly at the end of the Pliocene under north-south compression. The evaporite layer in the lower section of the Paleogene is the decollement zone for the disharmonic deformations in the overburden and in the substrate. The detachment along the evaporite layer made it possible for compressive stresses to be transmitted farther in the overburden than in the substrate. Deformation in the overburden is more extensive than in the substrate at the leading edge of deformation. At the trailing edge of deformation, the structural highs in the overburden closely correspond to those in the substrate, which is of significance for petroleum exploration in the western Kuqa foreland. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the advent of the ski-skating technique, upper body power has increasingly been shown to be a major factor in cross-country skiing success. The purpose of this study was to evaluate 4 commonly used training methods (weight, circuit, rollerboard, and ski-specific training) for the development of upper body power (UBP) in junior cross-country skiers. Fifty-eight adolescent cross-country skiers (Boys: n = 29, age = 16.0 ± 1.2 y and Girls: n = 29, age = 15.5 ± 1.5 y) were assigned to one of the UBP training methods for a 10-week training program. Fourteen cross-country runners served as controls (boys: n = 7, age = 15.8 ± 1.7 y; girls: n = 7, age = 14.9 ± 1.3 y). Skiers were evaluated pre- and post-training for upper body strength (UBS) using a 10 repetition maximum (RM) rollerboard test, for UBP using a double-poling ergometer and for upper body endurance (UBE) with a 3-km, arms-only, rollerski endurance time trial. Competitive race results were collected during the winters before and after training as were all training data. Only the rollerboard training group improved significantly greater than the control group (p < 0.05) in UBP and UBS. Improvements in UBP, UPS, and UBE were significantly related (r = 0.545, 0.303, and 0.407, respectively) to improvements in competitive performance. These data suggest that training using a rollerboard with 5-12RM and explosive speed is more effective in developing UBP than other common training methods for adolescent cross-country skiers. The practical importance of these data was verified by the significant relationships between improvements in UBP, UBS, and UBE related to improvements in competitive race performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies a stochastic linear quadratic optimal control problem (LQ problem, for short), for which the coefficients are allowed to be random and the cost functional is allowed to have a negative weight on the square of the control variable. The authors introduce the stochastic Riccati equation for the LQ problem. This is a backward SDE with a complicated nonlinearity and a singularity. The local solvability of such a backward SDE is established, which by no means is obvious. For the case of deterministic coefficients, some further discussions on the Riccati equations have been carried out. Finally, an illustrative example is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cold energy utilization scheme for dual-energy heavy-duty trucks (DHDTs) using liquid hydrogen (LH 2) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) was proposed to reduce the evaporation loss of cryogenic fuel and enhance dormancy. High-performance thermal insulation of LH 2 and LNG tanks is realized by combinatorial design of LNG cooled shield (LNGCS), LH 2 cooled shield (LHCS) and multi-layer insulation (MLI). A thermodynamic model is established to optimize the positioning of LNGCS and LHCS within MLI system, and the impact of pressure and flow rate on heat leakage is analyzed, the reliability and environmental benefits of the cold energy utilization scheme is demonstrated for LNG and LH 2 DHDTs. The results showed that LHCS can eliminate heat flux entering the LNG tank through MLI, and the optimal position for LNGCS within MLI was determined to be 75%. The heat absorption of LNGCS and LHCS was found to be inversely proportional to pressure and directly proportional to flow rate. In contrast to tanks without cooled shields, the daily evaporation rates of LNG and LH 2 tanks decrease by 60.2% and 26.8% respectively. Moreover, LNGCS and LHCS significantly improved the dormancy of LNG and LH 2 tanks. • A scheme of dual-energy heavy-duty trucks (DHDTs). • Maximizing cold energy utilization through LH 2 cooled shields (LHCS) and LNG cooled shields (LNGCS). • Thermodynamic optimization to reduce thermal leakage of LNG and LH 2 tanks. • Reduce the daily evaporation rate and enhance the dormancy of tanks by cooled shields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the leading indication of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of mobilization failure and characterize the risk factors associated with poor mobilization (PM) of MM patients in novel therapies era. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 211 MM patients who received their first peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) mobilization at our single center. The following data were collected: age, gender, clinical stage, disease status, complete blood cell count, induction regimen, CD34+ cell count in peripheral blood (PB), and PBSC collections. Results: In addition to conventional drugs, 22 (10.4%) patients received daratumumab containing induction, and 33 (15.6%) patients used plerixafor for poor mobilization (pre‐apheresis PB CD34+ cells <20/μL). Failure of collection occurred in 24 (11.4%) patients and was correlated with low white blood cell (WBC), ≥3 cycles of lenalidomide treatment before mobilization, steady‐state mobilization and nouse of plerixafor are associated with mobilization failure. Daratumumab‐based induction treatment ≥2 courses, albumin >41 g/L before mobilization, and steady‐state mobilization were risk factors for PM in subgroups of patients treated with lenalidomide for <3 courses. In addition, Hepatitis B virus infection at baseline, thalassemia and measurable residual disease positivity were recognized as predictive factors for PM in subset of chemo‐mobilization patients. Conclusion: In addition to some well‐recognized risk factors, baseline WBC count and daratumumab exposure ≥2 courses before mobilization were revealed as the predictive factors of mobilization failure, providing consultation for preemptive use of plerixafor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron overload causes vascular endothelium damage. It has been thought to relate excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), an active ingredient of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort , protects various cells by inhibiting oxidative stress and cascade reaction of apoptosis. However, whether TMP can increase DDAHII activity and expression against endothelial cell damage induced by iron overload, and the protective mechanism has not been elucidated. In this study, 50 μM iron dextran and 25 μM TMP were used to co-treat HUVECs for 48 h. TMP could increase cell viability and decrease LDH activity, enhance DDAHII expression and activity, p-eNOS/eNOS ratio, NO content, and reduce ADMA level. TMP also showed a strong antioxidant activity with inhibited ROS generation and oxidative stress. Moreover, TMP attenuated mitochondrial membrane potential loss, inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore openness, and decreased apoptosis induced by iron overload. While mentioned above, the protective effects of TMP were abolished with the addition of pAD/DDAHII-shRNA. The effects of TMP against iron overload were similar to the positive control groups, L-arginine, a competitive substrate of ADMA, or edaravone, free radical scavenger. These results signify that TMP alleviated iron overload damage in vascular endothelium via ROS/ADMA/ DDAHII/eNOS/NO pathway. Unlabelled Image • Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) can protect HUVECs against iron-overloaded injury. • Protective mechanism of TMP may be associated with ROS/ADMA/DDAH II/eNOS/NO pathway. • Mitochondria are the target organelles of TMP's protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An optimum thermal intercept position formed by vapor cooled screen is proposed. • The optimum height of the uninsulated part of the inner vessel is determined. • The heat transfer model for the special thermal structure is established. The cryostat for superconducting cavity vertical tests (SCVT) studied in this paper has the following two characteristics. One is that there is an uninsulated part of the inner vessel, which is exposed to the environment, to heat the outflow gas to prevent frost formation, and another is that there is a vapor cooled screen in direct contact with the inner vessel forming a thermal intercept. Based on the above characteristics, a heat leakage model for the SCVT cryostat was established in the case where the evaporation gas is involved. The effects of the thermal intercept position, height of the uninsulated part of the inner vessel and liquid level height on the heat leakage and gas outlet temperature of the cryostat were studied. The results showed that the thermal intercept position at 0.34 times the height of the insulation part of the inner vessel has the minimum required power, and at 0.388 times the height has the minimum heat leakage. The optimal thermal intercept position considering required power and heat leakage is located at 0.376 times the height of the insulated part. As the height of the uninsulated part changes from 0.1 m to 0.6 m, the gas outlet temperature rises from 71.83 K to 290 K. Although the heat leakage increases greatly with the height of the uninsulated part rises, it is mainly used to heat the outflow gas, which has less influence on the liquid helium evaporation. With a liquid level height from 1.8 m to 2.4 m, the gas outlet temperature has decreased by 29.6 K, and the heat leakage increases by 1.69%. The heat leakage and gas outlet temperature is not sensitive to the liquid level height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the quality formation process of low-NaCl salted eggs (LSEs) under the dual action of vacuum and salt, changes of physicochemical properties, molecular structure, and microstructures of egg white as well as interior and exterior yolks were systematically studied. Results showed that the salt content of egg whites and egg yolks increased to around 5% and 1% respectively, which were only about half of their traditional counterparts. Exterior yolk exudes more oil than the interior yolk, which was consistent with the observation of a more compact microstructure by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Rheological testing demonstrated a significant increase in the viscosity of yolks but a decrease of egg whites. At the molecular level, proteins of egg white and yolk had gone through the process of denaturation and aggregation, but their change tendencies of free sulfhydryl group, surface hydrophobicity and secondary structure were slightly different. In summary, vacuum assisted two-stage pickling could effectively shorten the ripening time of salted eggs and reduce salt content without compromising their good quality. [Display omitted] • Vacuum technology can accelerate dehydration and reduce salt content. • The product can be pickled successfully in 15 days with excellent quality. • Salt contents of final egg product were 5% of whites and 1% of yolks. • The quality of salted eggs is formed by osmotic dehydration of salt, protein and lipid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some bioactive substances in food have problems such as poor solubility, unstable chemical properties and low bioavailability, which limits their application in functional food. Recently, many egg white protein-based delivery carriers have been developed to improve the chemical stability, biological activity and bioavailability of bioactive substances. This article reviewed the structure and properties of several major egg white proteins commonly used to construct bioactive substance delivery systems. Several common carrier types based on egg white proteins, including hydrogels, emulsions, micro/nanoparticles, aerogels and electrospinning were then introduced. The biological functions of common bioactive substances, the limitations, and the role of egg white protein-based delivery systems were also discussed. At present, whole egg white protein, ovalbumin and lysozyme are most widely used in delivery systems, while ovotransferrin, ovomucoid and ovomucin are less developed and applied. Egg white protein-based nanoparticles are currently the most commonly used delivery carriers. Egg white protein-based hydrogels, emulsions, and microparticles are also widely used. Future research on the application of various egg white proteins in developed new delivery systems will provide more choices for the delivery of various bioactive substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The destruction of the rock that surrounds boreholes under thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling is an important factor for borehole stability in hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal energy extraction. Failure experiments for granite under triaxial stress ( σ 1 > σ 2 > σ 3 ) were conducted as 500°C superheated steam was transported through the borehole. High-temperature steam leads to large thermal cracks in the surrounding rock, which are randomly distributed around the borehole and gradually expand outwards. The randomly distributed thermally induced microcracks increase the complexity of the initial fracture morphology around the borehole and contribute to the appearance of multiple branch fractures. Fracture development is negligibly affected by ground stresses during the initial stages. However, fractures are deflected towards the maximum horizontal principal stress under ground stresses during later periods. During fracture propagation, high-temperature steam more easily penetrates the rock because its viscosity is lower than water. Towards the end of the crack expansion, the steam loses heat and liquefies, which increases the elongation resistance, and results in the arrest and intermittent expansion of the cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An α-1, 6-linked galactomannan was isolated and purified from natural Cordyceps sinensis . The fine structure analysis of this polysaccharide was elucidated based on partial acid hydrolysis, monosaccharide composition, methylation and 1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that this polysaccharide was mainly composed of galactose (68.65%), glucose (6.65%) and mannose (24.02%). However, after partial acid hydrolysis the percentages of galactose, glucose and mannose were changed to 3.96%, 13.82% and 82.22%, respectively. The molecular weight of this polysaccharide was 7207. Methylation and NMR analysis revealed that this galactomannan had a highly branched structure, mainly consisted of a mannan skeleton and galactofuranosyl chains. The structure of galactofuranosyl part was formed by alternating (1 → 5)-lined β-Gal f and (1 → 6)-liked β-Gal f or a single (1 → 6)-liked β-Gal f , attaching to the O -2 and O -4 of the mannose chain, and terminated at β-T-Gal f . The mannan core was revealed by analyzing the partial acid hydrolysate of the galactomannan and the structure was composed of (1 → 6)-linked α-Man p backbone, with substituted at C-2 by short chains of 2-substituted Man p or Gal f branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain is a common disability influencing quality of life. Results of previous studies showed that acupuncture has a cumulative analgesic effect, but the relationship with spinal cytokines neurotrophic factors released by astrocytes remains unknown. The present study was designed to observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) treatment on spinal cytokines neurotrophic factors in chronic neuropathic pain rats. The chronic neuropathic pain was established by chronic constrictive injury (CCI). EA treatment was applied at Zusanli (ST36) and Yanglingquan (GB34) (both bilateral) once a day, for 30 min. IL-1β mRNA, TNF-α mRNA, and IL-1 mRNA were detected by quantitative real-time PCR, and the proteins of BDNF, NGF, and NT3/4 were detected by Western blot. The expression levels of cytokines such as IL-1β mRNA, TNF-α mRNA, IL-6 mRNA, and neurotrophic factors such as BDNF, NGF, and NT3/4 in the spinal cord were increased significantly after CCI. The astrocytes released more IL-1β and BDNF after CCI. Repeated EA treatment could suppress the elevated expression of IL-1β mRNA, TNFα mRNA, and BDNF, NGF, and NT3/4 but had no effect on IL-6 mRNA. It is suggested that cytokines and neurotrophic factors which may be closely associated with astrocytes participated in the process of EA relieving chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preserved eggs are a kind of traditional Chinese egg products with a long history, which are highly valued by consumers. Preserved eggs are usually made from fresh poultry eggs in pickling solutions containing strong alkali, salt, and metallic salts. Preserved eggs not only have a unique color, fragrance, and flavor, but also have improved nutritional value and functional activity; thus, they have attracted the attention of researchers. Although preserved eggs have been widely studied, there are not yet systematic enough. To deepen research on preserved eggs, this paper summarizes the processing technology, metal ion regulation, functional activity, and formation mechanism of gelation, color, flavor, and Songhua of preserved eggs, and raises ideas for the future study of preserved eggs. Under the synergistic induction of strong alkali and metal ions, in fresh poultry eggs, sols gradually aggregate to form gels, thus becoming preserved eggs. In the process, the Maillard reaction occurs between the amino acids and glucose present in the eggs, forming the unique flavor and color of preserved eggs. In addition, under the action of strong alkali, proteins and lipids gradually degrade into small molecule peptides and amino acids, which not only enriches the flavor of preserved eggs, but also produces many active peptides. The mechanism of preserved eggs formation is completely explained, and evidence shows that it can be regulated to produce healthier, nutritious, and delicious preserved eggs. • The processing, formation and active function of preserved egg are overview. • Preserved egg gel is induced by the synergism of metal ions and strong alkali. • Maillard reaction and protein-metal ion reaction form the color of preserved egg. • Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation form the main flavor of preserved egg. • Preserved egg has anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and hypolipidemic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following consideration of the characteristics of high temperature, high pressure and high in‐situ stress in ultra‐deep sedimentary basins, together with the existence of hydrocarbon phase state transformation, hydrocarbon‐water‐rock interaction and rock mechanical property transition at those depths, the evaluation index system for hydrocarbon preservation was established. The physical leakage evaluation indexes can be divided into three categories: the dynamic efficiency indexes of micro‐sealing, caprock integrity and natural gas diffusion. The chemical loss evaluation indexes can be divided into two categories: the thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) index in marine gypsum‐bearing carbonate strata and the thermochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons (TOH) index in clastic strata. The slippage angle and overconsolidation ratio (OCR) are the key evaluation indexes in the evaluation of the integrity of shale caprocks. TSR intensity can be quantitatively calculated by use of the ZnPVT state parameter method. The TOH strength can be used to estimate the degree of hydrocarbon chemical loss, based on the TOH‐related authigenic calcite cement content or the degree of negative δ13C of authigenic calcite. For the evaluation of ultra‐deep preservation in specific areas, key indexes can be selected according to the local geological conditions, instead of all indexes needing to be evaluated for every scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripheral blood lymphocytes exhibit changes that parallel those in failing cardiomyocytes. We hypothesised that mitochondrial transmembrane potential (MTP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels of lymphocytes are associated with serum NT-proBNP and short-term prognosis in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).Methods: Fifty-four CHF patients and 30 controls were enrolled in this prospective study. Mitochondrial transmembrane potential and ROS levels of lymphocytes were evaluated by flow cytometry and reported as the JC-1 fluorescence ratio and DCF fluorescence intensity, respectively. Serum NT-proBNP levels and biochemical parameters were also examined. All the participants received follow-up to evaluate clinical end-points after eight months.Results: Chronic heart failure patients had higher levels of DCF fluorescence intensity of lymphocytes and serum NT-proBNP, as well as lower levels of JC-1 fluorescence ratios compared with those of controls (all P<0.05). A closer relationship was found between Lg(DCF fluorescence intensity of lymphocytes) or JC-1 fluorescence ratio of lymphocytes and Lg(NT-proBNP) (both P<0.05) in CHF patients. During the eight-month follow-up period, 14 CHF patients (25.9%) were readmitted for severe HF, but none died. A logistic regression analysis showed that both ROS level and MTP of the lymphocytes were independent predictors (B=7.03, P=0.006; B= - 0.32, P=0.029, respectively) of readmission of CHF patients.Conclusions: In CHF patients at low risk, MTP and ROS levels of the lymphocytes showed a significant change that is associated with serum NT-proBNP and patient readmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the increasing awareness of consumers about the relationship between excessive fat intake and chronic diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, etc., the demand for low-fat foods has increased year by year. However, a simple reduction of fat content in food will cause changes in physical and chemical properties, physiological properties, and sensory properties of food. Therefore, developing high-quality fat replacers to replace natural fats has become an emerging trend, and it is still a technical challenge to completely simulate the special function of natural fat in low-fat foods. This review aims to provide an overview of development trends of fat replacers, and the different types of fat replacers, the potential fat replacement mechanisms, sensory evaluation methods, and their consumer acceptance are discussed and compared, which may provide a theoretical guidance to produce fat replacers and develop more healthy low-fat products favored by consumers. [Display omitted] • This article covers the types, mechanisms and sensory evaluation methods of fat replacers. • Potential mechanisms of fat replacement are discussed in terms of texture, flavor and caloric content. • Fat replacers are more beneficial to human health. • The development of fat replacers are the future trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A visual detection method for mucin 1 has been developed. • The system combines advantages of aptamer, magnetic beads, and gold nanoparticles. • It has advantages of high anti-interference performance and easy operation. In this work, a colorimetric aptasensor based on magnetic beads (MBs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and Horseradish Peroxidase (HRP) was prepared for the detection of mucin 1 (MUC1). Complementary DNA of the MUC1 aptamer (Apt) immobilized on the MBs was combined with the prepared AuNPs-Apt-HRP complex (AuNPs@Apt-HRP). In the presence of MUC1, it specifically bound to Apt, resulting in the detachment of gold nanoparticles from the MBs. After magnetic separation, AuNPs@Apt-HRP was separated into the supernatant and reacted with 3,3′,5,5′-Tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) to produce color reaction from colorless to blue. The linear range of MUC1 was from 75 to 500 μg/mL (R2 = 0.9878), and the detection limit was 41.95 μg/mL. The recovery rate of MUC1 in human serum was 99.18 %∼101.15 %. This method is simple and convenient. Moreover, it does not require complex and expensive equipment for detection of MUC1. It provides value for the development of MUC1 colorimetric sensors and a promising strategy for the determination of MUC1 in clinical diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• At different heat temperatures, the COD values of the elastic-plastic transition point P E-F are in the range of 1∼13 μm. • With the increase in heat-treatment temperatures, the critical COD (COD c) exhibit a quadratic growth pattern. • The relationship between the critical strain (ε c) and the heat-treatment temperature (T) exhibited a quadratic trend. Accurately and quantitatively investigating the progression of macro failure cracks in thermal storage rock masses is crucial to ensuring the safe operation of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). In this study, we employed the digital image correlation method (DIC) to systematically monitor the development of strain and displacement fields in heat-treated granite during Brazilian splitting tests. The deformation process of the specimen can be categorized into three distinct stages: the elastic stage, the plastic deformation stage (involving the formation and development of the fracture process zone (FPZ)), and the failure stage. As the temperature of heat treatment increases, the elastic stage gradually shortens, the plastic stage extends, and the load level at the elastic-plastic transition point (P E-F) gradually decreases. Also, the post-peak load failure stage becomes more distinct, attributed to the increased ductility of the material. The crack opening displacement (COD) values at the transition point P E-F (COD b) under various temperatures consistently fall within the range of 1∼13 μm. The COD at the peak load (COD c) follows a parabolic trend with temperature. Specifically, the average COD c at 500 °C is about 2.21 times higher than that at 25 °C, and it is about 20.46 times greater at 1000 °C than at 25 °C. This temperature-dependent behavior signifies a transition in the rock's failure mechanism, beginning to shift from brittle fracture to ductile fracture between the temperature range of 500∼600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Upregulated Kindlin-2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) correlates with metastasis and poor prognosis. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of Kindlin-2 in HCC. Methods: Kindlin-2 downstream pathways were explored through microRNA sequencing. The Kindlin-2–miR-1258–TCF4 axis was verified using bisulfite sequencing, a luciferase reporter assay, quantitative real-time PCR, and rescue assays. Binding of TCF4 to the Kindlin-2 promoter was confirmed by promoter activity analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Results: MiRNA sequencing identified miR-1258 as a downstream effector of Kindlin-2. MiR-1258 expression was increased following Kindlin-2 knockdown and decreased after Kindlin-2 overexpression. Next, we identified transcription factor 7 like 2 (TCF7L2 or TCF4) as a target of miR-1258 and found that Kindlin-2 upregulated TCF4 expression by epigenetically suppressing miR-1258 in HCC. Furthermore, our results suggest that TCF4 binds to the Kindlin-2 promotor to enhance its transcription. Therefore, Kindlin-2–miR-1258–TCF4 interaction creates a positive feedback loop. Functional assays and animal experiments demonstrated critical roles of miR-1258 and TCF4 in HCC cell migration in vitro and HCC metastasis in vivo. In HCC tissues, Kindlin-2 expression correlated negatively with miR-1258 expression and positively with TCF4 expression. Meanwhile, miR-1258 expression correlated negatively with TCF4 expression. Conclusions: This study illustrates a novel integrin-independent signaling pathway, Kindlin-2–miR-1258–TCF4, that regulates HCC invasion and metastasis and identifies Kindlin-2 as a promising therapeutic target in HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The host blood transcriptional levels of several genes, such as guanylate binding protein 5 (GBP5), have been reported as potential biomarkers for active tuberculosis (aTB) diagnosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whole blood GBP5 protein levels in aTB and non-tuberculosis patients.Methods: An in-house immunoassay for testing GBP5 protein levels in whole blood was developed, and suspected aTB patients were recruited. Whole blood samples were collected and tested at enrolment using interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA) and the GBP5 assay.Results: A total of 470 participants were enrolled, and 232 and 238 patients were finally diagnosed with aTB and non-TB, respectively. The GBP5 protein levels of aTB patients were significantly higher than those of non-tuberculosis patients (p < 0.001), and the area under the ROC curve of the GBP5 assay for aTB diagnosis was 0.76. The reactivity of the GBP5 assay between pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients was comparable (p = 0.661). With the optimal cut-off value, the sensitivity and specificity of the GBP5 assay for diagnosing aTB were 78.02 and 66.81%, respectively, while those of IGRA were 77.59 and 76.47%. The combination of the GBP5 assay and IGRA results in 88.52% accuracy for diagnosing aTB in 63.83% of suspected patients with a positive predictive value of 89.57% and a negative predictive value of 87.59%.Conclusions: Whole blood GBP5 protein is a valuable biomarker for diagnosing of aTB. This study provides an important idea for realizing the clinical application of whole blood transcriptomics findings by immunological methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the curse of dimensionality, the data in high-dimensional space hardly afford sufficient information for neural networks training. Hence, this is a tough task to approximate the high-dimensional space using neural networks. To address this, here proposes the method that neural networks approximate a high-dimensional function that can effectively approach the high-dimensional space, rather than using neural networks to directly approximate the high-dimensional space. Hence, two boundaries were derived by Lipschitz condition, i.e., the one is that neural networks approximate a high-dimensional function, and the other is that a high-dimensional function approaches the high-dimensional space. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world datasets show that our method is effective and outperforms the competing methods in the performance to approximate the high-dimensional space. We find that this manner of using neural networks to approximate a high-dimensional function that can effectively approach the high-dimensional space is more resistance to the curse of dimensionality. In addition, the ability of the proposed method to approximate the high-dimensional space is related to the number of hidden layers and the choice of high-dimensional functions, but more relies on the latter. Our findings demonstrate that it is no obvious dependency between the number of hidden layers respecting the proposed method and the choice for high-dimensional functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovomucin is a key component in maintaining the viscous nature of egg white and has vast potential in the utilization of food industry. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of different pH on the extractability and gel properties of ovomucin. After removing lysozyme through ion exchange, the diluted duck egg white was acidified to a narrow pH range (4.50, 4.75, 5.00, 5.25, 5.50, 5.75 and 6.00) to precipitate ovomucin. By comprehensive study of purity, yield, and convenience of large-scale preparation, 4.75 was chosen as the optimal pH to extract ovomucin with the highest purity of 85.17 ± 2.31% and a compromised yield of 4.60 ± 0.06 mg/g duck egg white. A series of self-supporting gels were prepared with freeze-dried ovomucin powder at room temperature upon rehydration and centrifugation, and the gels properties were highly associated with pH. Gel formed around pH 5 was the aggregate of natural globular proteins with lowest hydrophobicity and electrostatic interaction, relatively dense structure and high water-holding capacity (WHC). Stronger acidic conditions disrupted the disulfide bonds and formed a rougher spherical aggregate. Under alkaline conditions, however, the protein gradually unfolded and broke into linear basic polypeptides, thus a porous three-dimensional network was formed. Overall, this study provided insights into the formation mechanism of the "acid-tight/alkali-loose" ovomucin gels, and introduced a potential candidate for the development of bioactive substance delivery materials. [Display omitted] • The yield of ovomucin from duck white was a litter higher than that from hen. • Ratio of subunits and amino acids of ovomucin vary slightly among different species. • A self-supporting gel can easily be prepared at room temperature upon rehydration. • The extractability and gel formation of ovomucin is highly associated with pH. • Ovomucin has unique "Acid-Tight/Alkali-loose"pH-responding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Micro/nanochannels are considered as a promising method to enhance heat transfer due to the large ratio of surface area to the volume. To clarify the optimization direction of micro/nanochannel walls, the convective heat transfer of nanochannels under different surface coupling characteristics are explored with molecular dynamics. Specifically, the effects of solid-liquid interaction, wall atomic vibration property, rough morphology and their interactions on heat transfer and hydrodynamic characteristics of nanochannels are investigated based on orthogonal test method. The results show that the solid-liquid interaction and vibration frequency of wall atoms are the two most important factors affecting Nusselt number and comprehensive performance coefficient. Strengthening the vibrational coupling between wall atoms and liquid atoms is critical for promoting heat transfer. Unlike this, the two most significant factors influencing friction factor are solid-liquid interaction and rough morphology. The increase in static structure factor of liquid leads to an increase in its microstructural orderliness, which is the fundamental reason for the decrease of slip length and subsequently leads to an increase in the friction factor. Taking into account the heat transfer and flow resistance characteristics, the optimal combination of wall surface characteristics composed of the solid-liquid interaction, vibration frequency of wall atoms and roughness factor has been selected, which can achieve the best overall heat transfer performance of nanochannels. [Display omitted] • Some mechanisms that occur in nanochannel convective heat transfer are revealed. • Effect of surface characteristics coupling on flow and heat transfer is explored. • The priority order of influencing factors is determined by orthogonal test method. • Optimal combination of surface characteristics for nanochannel wall is proposed. • The optimal combination provides a reference for structural optimization design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Hen egg white lysozyme has broad activities and prominent antimicrobial properties. • Immobilization overcomes the impact of external factors on the activity of HEWL. • Intermolecular modifications address poor biosafety caused by intramolecular. • Intermolecular modifications diversify the functions of HEWL. • Hen egg white lysozyme has a wide range of applications in food. Hen egg white lysozyme (HEWL) is used as a food additive in China due to its outstanding antibacterial properties. It is listed as GRAS grade (generally recognized as safe) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA, US) and has been extensively researched and used in food preservation. And the industrial production of HEWL already been realized. Given the complex food system that can affect the antibacterial activity of HEWL, and the limitations of HEWL itself on Gram-negative bacteria. Based on the structure and main biological characteristics of HEWL, this paper focuses on reviewing methods to enhance the stability and antibacterial properties of HEWL. Immobilization tactics such as chemically driven self-assembly, embedding and adsorption address the restriction of poor HEWL antibacterial activity effected by external factors. Both intermolecular and intramolecular modification strategies break the bactericidal deficiencies of HEWL itself. It also comprehensively analyzes the current application status and future prospects of HEWL in the food preservation. There was limited research on the biological methods in modifying HEWL. If the HEWL is genetically engineered, it can broaden its antimicrobial spectrum, improve its other biological activities, so as to further expand its application in the food industry. At present, research on HEWL mainly focused on its antibacterial properties, whereas its application in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects also presented great potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]