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The use of vacuum-distilled carbon residues to replace part of prebaked carbon coke reflects the high-value resource utilization of carbon residues and has the potential to improve the anode reactivity. However, the effect of adding vacuum-distilled carbon residues on the anode reactivity and its mechanism on the anode raw materials remain unclear, which has become a technical bottleneck hindering the application of carbon slag anodization. In this study, carbon residue was vacuum-distilled at 1200 ℃, and the degree of vacuum was 0.5–5 Pa. Vacuum-distilled carbon residue was compounded with petroleum coke and asphalt to form anodes with carbon residues, and the phase composition of vacuum-distilled carbon residues in anode reactivity was tested. A simultaneous thermal analyzer (TG-DSC) was used to analyze the influence of vacuum-distilled carbon residue on the pyrolysis reaction of asphalt. A thermogravimetric analyzer (TG), an X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and a scanning electron microscope-energy-dispersive spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were used to explore the reaction mechanism of vacuum-distilled carbon residues on petroleum and pitch coke. The results show that with the addition of vacuum-distilled carbon residues increasing from 3% to 5%, 7%, and 10% (Mass fraction), carbon residue has an inhibitory effect on the anode air reactivity (600 ℃). In the same addition amount change range of vacuum-distilled carbon residues, the anode CO2 reactivity (970 ℃) is firstly decreased to 27.97 mg·cm–2·h–1 and then increased to 50.16 mg·cm–2·h–1. Vacuum-distilled carbon residues can catalyze not only the pyrolysis reaction of asphalt but also the polycondensation reaction of asphalt. A small amount of vacuum-distilled carbon residues mainly affects the coking of asphalt through the polycondensation reaction, but has no obvious effect on the pyrolysis reaction of asphalt, which can increase the asphalt coking rate. In contrast, high amounts of vacuum-distilled carbon residues have a large influence on the pyrolysis reaction of asphalt, and vacuum-distilled carbon residues mainly affected asphalt coking through pyrolysis, which reduced the asphalt coking rate. The effect of vacuum-distilled carbon dust on the anode reactivity was attributed to chemical and structural factors. The addition of vacuum-distilled carbon residues can improve the coking rate of asphalt and the carbonization degree of asphalt coke and petroleum coke, which inhibit the anode air reactivity. The catalytic effect of trace elements in carbon residues on the gasification reaction of pitch coke at high temperatures is the main reason for the catalytic the anode’s CO2 reactivity with the addition of large amounts of carbon residues.

Abstract Background Osteoarthritis is a prevalent degenerative joint condition typically found in individuals who are aged 50 years or older. In this study, the focus is on PIWI-interacting RNA (piRNA), which belongs to a category of small non-coding RNAs. These piRNAs play a role in the regulation of gene expression and the preservation of genomic stability. The main objective of this research is to examine the expression of a specific piRNA called hsa_piR_019949 in individuals with osteoarthritis, to understand its impact on chondrocyte metabolism within this condition. Methods We analyzed piRNA expression in osteoarthritis cartilage using the GEO database. To understand the impact of inflammatory factors on piRNA expression in chondrocytes, we conducted RT-qPCR experiments. We also investigated the effect of piRNA hsa_piR_019949 on chondrocyte proliferation using CCK-8 and clone formation assays. Furthermore, we assessed the influence of piRNA hsa_piR_019949 on chondrocyte apoptosis by conducting flow cytometry analysis. Additionally, we examined the differences in cartilage matrix composition through safranine O staining and explored the downstream regulatory mechanisms of piRNA using transcriptome sequencing. Lentiviral transfection of NEAT1 and NLRP3 was performed to regulate the metabolism of chondrocytes. Results Using RNA sequencing technology, we compared the gene expression profiles of 5 patients with osteoarthritis to 3 normal controls. We found a gene called hsa_piR_019949 that showed differential expression between the two groups. Specifically, hsa_piR_019949 was downregulated in chondrocytes when stimulated by IL-1β, an inflammatory molecule. In further investigations, we discovered that overexpression of hsa_piR_019949 in vitro led to increased proliferation and synthesis of the extracellular matrix in chondrocytes, which are cells responsible for cartilage formation. Conversely, suppressing hsa_piR_019949 expression resulted in increased apoptosis (cell death) and degradation of the extracellular matrix in chondrocytes. Additionally, we found that the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway is linked to the low expression of hsa_piR_019949 in a specific chondrocyte cell line called C28/I2. Furthermore, we observed that hsa_piR_019949 can inhibit the expression of a long non-coding RNA called NEAT1 in chondrocytes. We hypothesize that NEAT1 may serve as a downstream target gene regulated by hsa_piR_019949, potentially influencing chondrocyte metabolism and function in the context of osteoarthritis. Conclusions PiRNA hsa_piR_019949 has shown potential in promoting the proliferation of chondrocytes and facilitating the synthesis of extracellular matrix in individuals with osteoarthritis. This is achieved by inhibiting the expression of a long non-coding RNA called NEAT1. The implication is that by using hsa_piR_019949 mimics, which are synthetic versions of the piRNA, as a therapeutic approach, it may be possible to effectively treat osteoarthritis.

Recently, eutectogels have emerged as ideal candidates for flexible wearable strain sensors. However, the development of eutectogels with robust mechanical strength, high stretchability, excellent transparency, and desirable conductivity remains a challenge. Herein, a covalently cross-linked eutectogel was prepared by exploiting the high solubility of oligoethylene glycol in a polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (DES) form of acrylic acid (AA) and choline chloride (ChCl). The resulting eutectogel exhibited high transparency (90%), robust mechanical strength (up to 1.5 MPa), high stretchability (up to 962%), and desirable ionic conductivity (up to 1.22 mS cm−1). The resistive strain sensor fabricated from the eutectogel exhibits desirable linear sensitivity (GF: 1.66), wide response range (1–200%), and reliable stability (over 1000 cycles), enabling accurate monitoring of human motions (fingers, wrists, and footsteps). We believe that our DES-based eutectogel has great potential for applications in wearable strain sensors with high sensitivity and reliability.

Since the discovery of the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), it has gradually become an important tool for the analysis of material compositions and structures. The applications of SERS have been expanded from the fields of environmental and materials science to biomedicine due to the extremely high sensitivity and non-destructiveness of SERS-based analytical technology that even allows single-molecule detection. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon. The content is divided into several main sections: basic principles and the significance of Raman spectroscopy; historical advancements and technological progress in SERS; and various practical applications across different fields. We also discuss how electromagnetic fields contribute to the SERS effect, the role of chemical interactions in enhancing Raman signals, a modeling and computational approaches to understand and predict SERS effects.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play critical roles in various biological processes. The aberrant expression or depletion of snoRNAs is related to various diseases. In previous research, most of the snoRNAs were categorized as C/D box snoRNAs and H/ACA box snoRNAs, whose typical functions were thought of as regulation of 2′-O-ribose methylation and pseudouridylation of ribosome RNAs, respectively. However, in the past two decades, studies have revealed an increasing number of snoRNAs without specific targets or determined cell functions. These findings indicated that some potential roles of snoRNAs are still unknown. Numerous studies have indicated the correlation of snoRNAs with human diseases. SnoRNAs play various roles in abundant biological processes, and they have great potential in controlling human diseases. This new and rising field could benefit from investigations of the disease pathogenesis, biomarker identification, and the determination of novel therapeutic targets. This review summarized the reports on snoRNAs and the regulation of different diseases in recent years.

Abstract With the rapid development of e-commerce and the impact of COVID-19, online takeout has become the first choice of more and more consumers. Previous research has indicated that food packaging is of great significance to marketing performance, yet very little is known about the mechanisms through which food packaging pollution risk affects online takeout consumption. This study proposes an expanded model of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by incorporating the Concept of Perceived Risk (CPR) to analyze the mechanism of consumers’ packaging pollution risk perception (PPRP) on their purchasing intention toward online takeout. Online survey was performed to collect data from 336 valid respondents in China, which was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The research findings verify the effectiveness of the TPB in the context of Chinese online takeout. Notably, the PPRP of online takeout was found to have a significant negative impact on consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC). It was also confirmed that consumers’ attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC regarding online takeout partially mediate the negative relationship between PPRP and purchase intention. In addition, the findings corroborate the granular nuances among three groups concerning consumers’ education level. The results do not only provide suggestions to the online takeout industry but also contribute theoretical value and practical significance for the improvement of sustainable food consumption.

Ruihai gold mine is a super large underwater gold mine with an initial mining depth of more than 1,400 m. Deep mining may face rockburst disaster. In order to scientifically control the potential rockburst risk, ensure the safety of underground personnel and equipment, and realize the safe and efficient mining of the mine, it is necessary to evaluate the rockburst risk of the mine and formulate appropriate rockburst risk warning and mitigation strategies. XRD mineral composition analysis and conventional rock mechanical tests were carried out on the parent rock granite samples. The results show that there are differences in the lithologic composition and rock mechanics parameters of the three colors of granite, which are preliminarily determined as three kinds of granite; The rockburst tendency of three kinds of granites is evaluated by using three classical rockburst criteria, and the discrimination results of the three rockburst criteria are not completely consistent or even contradictory. The application limitations rockburst risk assessment based on index criteria are discussed and analyzed in detail. It is proposed to apply microseismic monitoring technology to warn and manage the rockburst risk of Ruihai gold mine in development and mining stages, and put forward microseismic monitoring layout schemes and targeted rockburst prevention and control measures in different stages. The research results can provide reference for similar projects.

In the context of defect detection in high-speed railway train wheels, particularly in ultrasonic-testing B-scan images characterized by their small size and complexity, the need for a robust solution is paramount. The proposed algorithm, UT-YOLO, was meticulously designed to address the specific challenges presented by these images. UT-YOLO enhances its learning capacity, accuracy in detecting small targets, and overall processing speed by adopting optimized convolutional layers, a special layer design, and an attention mechanism. This algorithm exhibits superior performance on high-speed railway wheel UT datasets, indicating its potential. Crucially, UT-YOLO meets real-time processing requirements, positioning it as a practical solution for the dynamic and high-speed environment of railway inspections. In experimental evaluations, UT-YOLO exhibited good performance in best recall, mAP@0.5 and mAP@0.5:0.95 increased by 37%, 36%, and 43%, respectively; and its speed also met the needs of real-time performance. Moreover, an ultrasonic defect detection data set based on real wheels was created, and this research has been applied in actual scenarios and has helped to greatly improve manual detection efficiency.

Abstract Background It is important to reorient the acetabular fragment into an optimal position and version to ensure a good long-term outcome after Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Unfortunately, the intraoperative balance between overcorrection and undercorrection remains challenging for the surgeon. The purpose of this study was to answer two questions: (1) Does the femoral head coverage measured on intraoperative fluoroscopy agree with that measured on postoperative radiography? (2) What is the reliability of intraoperative fluoroscopy in identifying hip center correction in PAO? Methods A total of 173 patients (173 hips) who underwent PAO for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) at our center from July 01, 2020, to December 31, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging data from 111 patients (female/male, 98/13; right/left, 72/39; mean age, 28.93 years) were included in this study. The analysis included measurement of the lateral center-edge angle (LCEA), acetabular index (AI), anterior wall index (AWI), posterior wall index (PWI), extrusion index (EI), and medial offset distance (MO). These measurements were acquired from intraoperative fluoroscopic images and postoperative radiographs and compared by paired t test using SPSS (version 24.0). Significance was determined at a p value of

Abstract Objective We sought to correlate various spinopelvic and lower limb alignments, and to examine the current spinopelvic theories on a Chinese cohort. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 166 patients undergoing THA. Among them, 138 patients with unilateral THA met the inclusion criteria. Sagittal alignments and cup orientations were measured on standing and sitting lateral EOS images. Patients were categorized into two groups with a scoring system for lumbar spine degeneration. Patients’ demographics including age, sex, lumbar spine degeneration and radiographic measurements were studied. Results PT, SS, LL and TK differed significantly between standing and sitting within each group except for TK in degenerative group (32.8 ± 13.9 vs. 32.9 ± 14.2, p = 0.905). Compared with degenerative spine group, non-degenerative spine patients have great pelvic mobility (ΔPT, -24.4 ± 12.5° vs. -17.6 ± 10.7, p = 0.0008), greater lumbar mobility (ΔLL, -34.8 ± 15.2 vs. -21.7 ± 12.2, p =

The advanced science and technology of polymer matrix nanomaterials are rapidly developing fields that focus on the synthesis, characterization, and application of nanomaterials in polymer matrices [...]

With the development of rail transit in terms of speed and carrying capacity, train safety problems caused by wheel tread defects and wear have become more prominent. The wheel is an important part of the train, and the wear and defects of the wheel tread are directly related to the safety of the train; therefore, wheel tread testing is a key element of train testing. In phase measuring profilometry (PMP), the virtual sine grating generated by the computer is projected onto the measured wheel tread by a digital projector, and then a camera is used to obtain the modulated deformed grating on the surface of the wheel tread. Next, the wrapped phase is obtained by the improved Stoilov algorithm, and the unwrapped phase is obtained by the phase unwrapped algorithm. Finally, the three-dimensional (3D) profile of the wheel tread is reconstructed. This paper presents an improved Stoilov algorithm based on probability and statistics. Supposing that the probability of real data was the highest, we chose the cosine square matrix value of the phase shift for processing. After ruling out the singular points of large error, we obtained the closest value to the true phase shift using the method of probability and statistics. The experimental results show that this method can effectively restrain the singular phenomenon, and the 3D profile of wheel tread can be reconstructed successfully.

Abstract Background Some patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) complained of anterior knee pain (AKP) before and after Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) surgery. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the characteristics of patellofemoral joint (PFJ) deformities in patients with DDH and (2) to determine the effects of PAO on the PFJ. Methods Seventy patients (86 hips) were included in the DDH group. Thirty-three patients (33 knees) without AKP and hip pain were included in the control group. All patients underwent simultaneous CT scans of the hip and knee joints before PAO and after hardware removal surgery. The distance from the anterior inferior iliac spine to the ilioischial line (DAI), was measured in DDH patients. Imaging parameters of knees, including the sulcus angle (SA), femoral trochlear depth (FTD), patellar width (PW), tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove (TT-TG), patellar tilt angle (PTA) and lateral shift of the patella (LSP) were measured in patients in both the DDH and control group. TT-TG, PTA, and LSP of DDH patients were measured before PAO and after hardware removal. The DAI, PTA, LSP and TT-TG of all DDH patients before and after Bernese PAO were compared using paired t-tests. The FTD, PW, and SA of the DDH patients and the control group were analyzed using independent t-tests. PTA, TT-TG, and LSP between the control group and preoperative DDH patients, between the control group and post PAO patients were compared using independent t-tests. Results The DAI changed from 4.04 ± 0.61 mm before PAO surgery to 5.44 ± 0.63 mm after PAO surgery. The SA of the DDH group (140.69 ± 11.30 degree) was greater than that of the control group (130.82 ± 6.43 degree). The FTD and the PW of the DDH group (5.45 ± 1.59 mm, 4.16 ± 0.36 mm) were smaller than that of the control group (7.39 ± 1.20 mm, 4.24 ± 0.38 mm). The changes in LSP, PTA, and TT-TG before and after surgery were not statistically significant. Both before and after PAO, there was no statistically significant difference in the parameters of LSP, PTA, and TT-TG compared with the control group. Conclusion The knee joints of DDH patients presented a certain degree of femur trochlear groove dysplasia and patellofemoral instability. PAO surgery did not change PFJ stability, although the origination point of the rectus femoris muscle moved laterally during PAO surgery.

Polymer matrix nanomaterials have revolutionized materials science due to their unique properties resulting from the incorporation of nanoscale fillers into polymer matrices [...]

Macrophages belong to a special phagocytic subgroup of human leukocytes and are one of the important cells of the human immune system. Small noncoding RNAs are a group of small RNA molecules that can be transcribed without the ability to encode proteins but could play a specific function in cells. SncRNAs mainly include microRNAs (miRNAs) and piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and repeat RNAs. We used high-throughput sequencing analysis and qPCR to detect the expression changes of the small noncoding RNAome during macrophage polarization. Our results showed that 84 miRNAs and 47 miRNAs with were downregulated during M1 macrophage polarization and that 11 miRNAs were upregulated and 19 miRNAs were downregulated during M2 macrophage polarization. MiR-novel-3-nature and miR-27b-5p could promote expression of TNF-α which was marker gene of M1 macrophages. The piRNA analysis results showed that 69 piRNAs were upregulated and 61 piRNAs were downregulated during M1 macrophage polarization and that 3 piRNAs were upregulated and 10 piRNAs were downregulated during M2 macrophage polarization. DQ551351 and DQ551308 could promote the mRNA expression of TNF-α and DQ551351overexpression promoted the antitumor activity of M1 macrophages. SnoRNA results showed that 62 snoRNAs were upregulated and 59 snoRNAs were downregulated during M1 macrophage polarization, whereas 6 snoRNAs were upregulated and 10 snoRNAs were downregulated during M2 macrophage polarization. Overexpression of snoRNA ENSMUST00000158683.2 could inhibit expression of TNF-α. For snRNA, we found that 12 snRNAs were upregulated and 15 snRNAs were downregulated during M1 macrophage polarization and that 2 snRNAs were upregulated during M2 macrophage polarization. ENSMUSG00000096786 could promote expression of IL-1 and iNOS and ENSMUSG00000096786 overexpression promoted the antitumor activity of M1 macrophages. Analysis of repeat RNAs showed that 7 repeat RNAs were upregulated and 9 repeat RNAs were downregulated during M1 macrophage polarization and that 2 repeat RNAs were downregulated during M2 macrophage polarization. We first reported the expression changes of piRNA, snoRNA, snRNA and repeat RNA during macrophage polarization, and preliminarily confirmed that piRNA, snoRNA and snRNA can regulate the function of macrophages.

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been used in stem cell-based therapy for various diseases due to their self-renewing ability and differentiation potential to various types of cells and immunoprivileged properties. However, the proliferation capability and functionality of BMSCs are known to decline with aging, which severely limits the extensive applications of BMSC-based therapies. To date, the exact mechanism involved in the cellular senescence of BMSCs remains unclear. RNA is thought to be the initial molecular form of life on earth. It also acts as a transmitter and important regulator of genetic information expression. There are many kinds of small noncoding RNAs with different functions in cells that regulate important life activity processes in multiple dimensions, including development process, gene expression, genomic stability, and cellular senescence. In this study, a replicative senescence model of hBMSCs was established and the expression changes of small noncoding RNAs during senescence were detected by small RNA high-throughput sequencing analysis and qPCR. Small RNA sequencing results showed that there were significant differences in the expression of 203 miRNAs, 46 piRNAs, 63 snoRNAs, 12 snRNAs, and 7 rasiRNAs. The results of qPCR, which was performed for the verification of the sequencing results, showed that there were significant differences in the expression of 24 miRNAs, 34 piRNAs, 34 snoRNAs, and 2 snRNAs. These findings might provide a novel insight into hBMSC senescence and contribute to the development of new targeting senescence strategies.

Abstract Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a high-risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Cellular immune responses are essential for HCC development, and the CD4+ and CD8+ T subtypes are identified as the primary anti-tumor immune cells. In the study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of amygdalin in the cellular immune response in HBV-related HCC and HCC progression. Methods The cell proliferation was examined by MTT analysis. Cells metastasis ability was detected by Invasion and migration assays. Quantification of apoptotic cells was performed with Flow cytometer assay. The protein levels of p-STAT3, STAT3, p-JAK2, JAK2, caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3 were detected by performing immunoblotting assays. Results We demonstrate that amygdalin treatment could rescue the HBV-T cell viability and IFN-γ and TNF-αproduction. In HBV-T cells, the MFI levels of CD8+ are lower than that in NC-T cells. Moreover, the phosphorylation levels of STAT3 and JAK2 are higher in HBV-T cells, compared to those in NC-T cells, and then reduced by amygdalin treatment. Co-culture with HBV-T cells could reduce IFN-γ and TNF-α, production while increase IL-6 and IL-10 production in HepG2.2.15 cells; these alterations could be partially reversed by amygdalin pretreatment. Finally, co-culture with HBV-T cells significantly promoted the cell viability, inhibited the apoptosis, and promoted the migration of HepG2.2.15 cells, and these alterations could be partially reversed by amygdalin treatment. Conclusion Our findings provide a rationale for further studies on the functions and mechanism of amygdalin inhibiting HBV-related HCC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration via T cell-mediated tumor immunity.

It is challenging to stably and rapidly achieve accurate absolute phase retrieval for isolated objects with a single-shot pattern in fringe projection profilometry (FPP). In this context, a single-shot multi-frequency absolute phase retrieval (SAPR-DL) method based on deep learning is proposed, which only needs to capture one fringe image to obtain the full-field precise absolute phase. Specifically, a low-frequency deformed fringe image is loaded into the trained one-to-two deep learning framework (DLFT) to predict unit-frequency and high-frequency deformed fringe images. Then, three fringe images with different frequencies are loaded into the trained deep learning phase retrieval framework (DLPR) to calculate the corresponding absolute phase. The experimental results prove that the proposed SAPR-DL method can obtain the three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement of multiple complex objects by collecting a single-shot fringe image, showing great prospects in advancing scientific and engineering applications.

Precisely controlling the spatial organization of inorganic nanoparticles is essential for many applications, such as sensing, catalytic, and optical/electronic systems. Here, we describe a general and robust strategy to fabricate arbitrary quasi-two-dimensional (quasi-2D) nanoparticle assembly structures with tunable size and thickness on a substrate by using block copolymer brushes as the templates. To achieve this, patterned amphiphilic block copolymer brushes were first grown via light-mediated surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. The hydrophilic polymer blocks could interact and enrich the inorganic precursors, and thus accelerate the in-situ growth of nanoparticles within the patterned hydrophilic polymer domains. In our method, the block copolymer template could strictly limit the vertical growth of quasi-2D nanoparticle assemblies to achieve thickness control in the nanometer scale. By changing the design of the photomask and experimental conditions for the light-mediated polymerization, quasi-2D inorganic nanoparticle assemblies with controllable shape and dimension can be feasibly obtained. Moreover, this method is also generally applicable to prepare various patterned inorganic nanoparticle assemblies with different compositions.

RNA silencing is a host innate antiviral mechanism which acts via the synthesis of viral-derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs). We have previously reported the infection of phytopathogenic fungi by plant viruses such as cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). Furthermore, fungal RNA silencing was shown to suppress plant virus accumulation, but the characteristics of plant vsiRNAs associated with the antiviral response in this nonconventional host remain unknown. Using high-throughput sequencing, we characterized vsiRNA profiles in two plant RNA virus–fungal host pathosystems: CMV infection in phytopathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani and TMV infection in phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum. The relative abundances of CMV and TMV siRNAs in the respective fungal hosts were much lower than those in the respective experimental plant hosts, Nicotiana benthamiana and Nicotiana tabacum. However, CMV and TMV siRNAs in fungi had similar characteristics to those in plants, particularly in their size distributions, proportion of plus and minus senses, and nucleotide preference for the 5′ termini of vsiRNAs. The abundance of TMV siRNAs largely decreased in F. graminearum mutants with a deletion in either dicer-like 1 (dcl1) or dcl2 genes which encode key proteins for the production of siRNAs and antiviral responses. However, deletion of both dcl1 and dcl2 restored TMV siRNA accumulation in F. graminearum, indicating the production of dcl-independent siRNAs with no antiviral function in the absence of the dcl1 and dcl2 genes. Our results suggest that fungal RNA silencing recognizes and processes the invading plant RNA virus genome in a similar way as in plants.

NF-κB signaling is very important in cancers. However, the role of BRCC3-associated NF-κB signaling activation in bladder cancer remains to be characterized. Western blotting and IHC of tissue microarray were used to confirm the abnormal expression of BRCC3 in bladder cancer. Growth curve, colony formation, soft agar assay and Xenograft model were performed to identify the role of BRCC3 over-expression or knock-out in bladder cancer. Further, RNA-Seq and luciferase reporter assays were used to identify the down-stream signaling pathway. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence confocal assay were performed to verify the precise target of BRCC3. Here, we found that high expression of BRCC3 promoted tumorigenesis through targeting the TRAF2 protein. BRCC3 expression is up-regulated in bladder cancer patients which indicates a negative prognosis. By in vitro and in vivo assays, we found genetic BRCC3 ablation markedly blocks proliferation, viability and migration of bladder cancer cells. Mechanistically, RNA-Seq analysis shows that NF-κB signaling is down-regulated in BRCC3-deficient cells. BRCC3 binds to and synergizes with TRAF2 to activate NF-κB signaling. Our results indicate that high BRCC3 expression activates NF-κB signaling by targeting TRAF2 for activation, which in turn facilitates tumorigenesis in bladder cancer. This finding points to BRCC3 as a potential target in bladder cancer patients.

Blockchain technology and its applications have recently become a research hotspot. Its three core technologies, distributed ledger, smart contract, and consensus mechanism, provide trust-enhancing features such as tamper-proof records, full traceability, and data decentralization for a wide range of applications. This paper investigates the use of blockchain technology in environmental health. It investigates indicators such as the number of articles published, author collaboration network, research institution network, and keyword co-occurrence in this field between 2014 and 2021. It describes and analyzes the development and connotations of these indicators. Many scholars have conducted in-depth studies on blockchain in various areas. Still, there are few cross-over studies on environmental health and a lack of cross-over studies on technology application in multiple fields. The current study investigates the evolution of research on the application of blockchain technology in environmental health, as well as potential development patterns and research trends, to provide a theoretical foundation for the application and sustainability of blockchain technology in this field.

Abstract Background Bernese periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) has been shown to be applicable as a hip-preserving technique for the treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The approach could be designed preoperatively using various types of reverse-engineering software and finite element analysis, but how to implement it in the actual PAO remains a challenge. This study examines and evaluates a solution to achieve higher accuracy when performing a PAO. Methods A patient-specific cutting and rotating template was predesigned through computer-aided design (CAD) with three-dimensional (3D) modeling programs. The templates were then reproduced with rapid prototyping (RP) technology and used in the actual PAO. Finally, the clinical and radiographic effects were assessed and compared between the newly developed PAO and conventional PAO groups. Results The customized cutting template fit well with the bone surface and served as a guide for surgeons as they slid the osteotome to the precise location that had been determined prior to surgery. A very similar acetabular fragment was reproduced, and no major complications occurred when performing the osteotomy along the edge of the cutting template. The acetabular fragment was then corrected to the predetermined position through one-off manipulation with the customized rotating template. The final position of the acetabular fragment in the new developed PAO group was highly consistent with the planned position, and the postoperative morphological parameters were consistent with the preoperative planned data compared to the conventional PAO group. The duration of the operation and the number of irradiation decreased significantly. The Harris hip score (HHS) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score improved significantly with the use of the new developed PAO. Conclusions We demonstrate that our system, which was based on CAD-RP technology, is feasible and could realize the predicted results accurately during the actual PAO.

Abstract Background As a recognized cause of groin pain following total hip arthroplasty, iliopsoas tendonitis probably results from different factors. Given the anatomic disadvantage, dysplastic hips theoretically make acetabular component relatively retroverted or oversized, screws implanted frequently, and iliopsoas tendonitis more likely. However, the prevalence and mechanism of iliopsoas tendonitis following total hip replacement in dysplastic hips are not fully understood. Methods One hundred and thirty-three total hip arthroplasties for Crowe type 2 to 4 dysplastic hips were compared with 126 total hip arthroplasties for hips without dysplasia in this study. Preoperative patient demographic data were well matched between the groups. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed. Results A significantly higher frequency of protruded screws (24.8% vs 0), anterior overhang of acetabular components (30.8% vs 4.0%), and increased leg lengthening (3.6 [2.0–6.8] vs 0.5 [0–1.8]) was found in the dysplastic group (all p values

The time-frequency analysis (TFA) by wavelet transform is adopted for the laser ultrasonic signal processing, and the effective features extraction of the material defect is obtained. The TFA is adopted here to analyze the laser-generated surface acoustic wave (SAW) signal which contains the defect features, the echo wave features are extracted significantly, especially under the condition of low signal-to-noise rate (SNR). The simulation model by using finite element method (FEM) is set up in an aluminum plate with different surface defect depths in detail, and the defect depths prediction with TFA is also considered. It shows that, without extra denoising process, the echo SAW is extracted significantly in case of defect depths ranging from 0.1mm to 0.9mm at SNR of -3dB by TFA. The TFA for processing the laser ultrasonic signal provides a promising way to get the defect information, with the accuracy increased by 7.9dB in this work, which is extremely meaningful for the ultrasonic signal processing and material evaluation.

The current research focuses on the mechanism of the surfactant polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the preparation of magnesium hydroxide by electrolysis of a salt lake bischite aqueous solution. The samples were analyzed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR) and laser particle size analyzer. The characterization results show that PEG plays an important role in adjusting the growth mode and morphology of Mg(OH)2 crystals. The ether group of the PEG molecular chain and the hydroxyl group of Mg(OH)2 can be combined by a hydrogen bond, which provides a "template" for the growth of Mg(OH)2. At the same time, the difference in growth mode and morphology will also affect the economic performance of electrolytic reactions. When the PEG content reaches 0.4 g/L, the particle size of the product is uniform, which can well reduce the polarization of the electrode plate. The cell potential of electrolytic reaction is small, and the economic benefit is high. When the content of PEG is low, it has a low impact on the product and the economic benefits of electrolytic reaction. When the PEG content is higher than 0.4 g/L, the electrode reaction is hindered, resulting in an increase in cell potential.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) leads to a worse prognosis in diabetic patients compared with prognoses in non-diabetic patients, but whether and how diabetes affects kidney repair after AKI remains unknown. Here, we used scratch-wound healing and transwell migration models to examine whether and how wound healing is affected by high glucose levels in cultured kidney proximal tubular cells (RPTC). The results show that scratch-wound healing and transwell migration were significantly slower in high-glucose-treated kidney tubular cells (30 mM glucose) than in low-glucose-treated cells (5.5 mM). Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), MyD88, phospho-protein kinase C (PKC), phospho-p38 MAPK and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA levels were upregulated after high glucose treatments. Staurosporine, a selective PKC inhibitor, inhibited TLR4, MyD88 and p-p38 upregulation in the high-glucose-treated cells, indicating the involvement of PKC in high-glucose-induced TLR4 upregulation. The pharmacological inhibition of TLR4 or shRNA-mediated TLR4 knockdown improved wound healing and transwell migration in high-glucose-treated RPTC. In contrast, the overexpression of TLR4 in low-glucose-treated RPTC suppressed wound healing, mimicking the effects of high glucose levels. These results suggest that the upregulation of TLR4 expression via PKC activation contributes to defective wound healing in high-glucose-treated kidney tubular cells.

As an important part of the electric locomotive in railway transportation, the sensing and inspection of the pantograph has a significant effect on the safe operation of the train. In general, the pantograph carbon slip detection items include slide wear detection, slip strip crack detection, carbon slip fall-block detection and slip strip wear detection. The emergence and development of structured light measurement technology with 3D sensors provide new technical means for the acquisition of spatial 3D information. The three-dimensional data can not only obtain more information but also reduce the data deviation, thereby improving the measurement accuracy and work efficiency. At present, few studies have been conducted on the slide block and partial wear of the carbon slide. Therefore, this paper studies the detection of the pantograph slide block based on 3D sensor measurement technology. The experimental results indicate that it is feasible to adopt 3D measurement technology to detect the fall-block of the pantograph slide. In addition, a sound detection effect can also be obtained.