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Abstract Glaucoma is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) and optic nerve axons, leading to irreversible visual impairment. Despite its clinical significance, the underlying mechanisms of glaucoma pathogenesis remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to unravel the multifaceted nature of glaucoma by investigating the interaction between T cells and retinas. By utilizing clinical samples, murine glaucoma models, and T cell transfer models, we made several key findings. Firstly, we observed that CD4+ T cells from glaucoma patients displayed enhanced activation and a bias towards T helper (Th) 1 responses, which correlated with visual impairment. Secondly, we identified the infiltration of Th1 cells into the retina, where they targeted RGC and integrated into the pro-inflammatory glial network, contributing to progressive RGC loss. Thirdly, we discovered that circulating Th1 cells upregulated vascular cell adhesion protein 1 (VCAM-1) on retinal microvessels, facilitating their entry into the neural retina. Lastly, we found that Th1 cells underwent functional reprogramming before reaching the retina, acquiring a phenotype associated with lymphocyte migration and neurodegenerative diseases. Our study provides novel insights into the role of peripheral CD4+ T cells in glaucoma pathogenesis, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying their infiltration into the retina and offering potential avenues for innovative therapeutic interventions in this sight-threatening disease. Graphical Abstract

Steel truss bridges are especially vulnerable in the event of a sudden loss of a load-carrying element, which can trigger a chain of failures. This paper describes a unique case study of a steel truss bridge under construction subjected to sudden member breakages with an extensive monitoring system. The failures occurred during the dismantlement of temporary members that had been used to transform a three-span simply supported steel truss bridge into a three-span continuous structure during incremental launching. These temporary members needed to be removed once the bridge reached its final position. The robustness of the bridge was assessed using computer simulations of various failure scenarios to evaluate its capacity to effectively activate alternative load paths (ALPs). The results demonstrated the structural redundancy of the steel truss bridge. However, the dynamic response resulting from the failure of the temporary upper chord, due to the initially high tension in the rods, should not be overlooked. To mitigate this issue, a structural retrofitting method was proposed, involving jacking the truss girder above the side pier to reduce the tension in the temporary upper chord above the middle pier. The effectiveness of this method was demonstrated through both simulated and formal experimental tests.

Abstract The study aims to develop and assess and validate a brief diabetic foot ulceration risk checklist among diabetic patients through a longitudinal study. Patients who had diabetes mellitus and had no foot ulceration and severe systematic disorders were recruited from eleven tertiary hospitals in nine provinces or municipalities of China. Internal consistency reliability, construct validity, concurrent validity, item property, and measurement invariance of the tool were assessed. The predictive capability of the tool was validated by the follow-up data using the receiver operating characteristic curve. At baseline, 477 valid cases were collected. Twelve items were remained after initial selection. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.56. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model had acceptable goodness-of-fit yet local dependency between two items. Item response theory showed that most items had acceptable discrimination and difficulty parameters. Differential item functioning showed that tool had measurement invariance. 278 were followed up one year after the baseline. Follow-up showed that one-year incidence of ulceration among the patients was 3.6%, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.77 (95% confidence interval: 0.61–0.93). The cut-off point of the tool was 4, when sensitivity and specificity were 0.62 and 0.75 respectively. The checklist has good psychometric properties according to mixed evidences from classical and modern test theory, and has good predictive capability.

Solid-state storage devices based on ceramic electrolytes have great potential because of their high security, long cycle life, and wide working temperature. In the present work, the three-dimensional structure of a carbon-filled porous/dense/porous layered ceramic electrolyte is designed for a solid-state supercapacitor. A single phase of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7P3O12 (LATP) is obtained by a one-step solid-state reaction using ammonium polyphosphate (APP) as a PO4 precursor. The densification of the LATP ceramic is improved by introducing sintering aids of LiMnPO4 (LMP). Porous/dense/porous layered ceramics were then fabricated by sintering the LATP/LATP-2%LMP/LATP pellet at 825°C. Carbon-filled layered ceramics show a large capacitance of 0.13 F cm-1 at a low scan rate of 2 mV s-1. The large capacitance for carbon-filled layered ceramics is due to the enhanced contact area between the electrode and solid electrolyte in the porous structure. The present supercapacitor also shows good cycling stability (~91% of the initial capacitance after 600 cycles at a scan rate of 5 mV s-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, electrical properties and direct current (DC) electrodeposition characteristics of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) grown on high purity Al and a commercial purity Al (1090 Al) were investigated. The Mott-Schottky analysis and the rectification effect suggested the n-type semiconductivity for the barrier layer of anodic film grown on 1090 Al. When DC electrodeposition was performed on the anodic film, only the nickel clusters can be found on the surface for high purity Al, while the smooth nickel covering layer can form on the surface for 1090 Al due to the semiconductivity of the barrier layer. The self-supported nickel nanowires with high filling ratio can be obtained by DC electrodeposition on 24h-anodized AAO template grown on 1090 Al. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]