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The glass fiber fabric reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene (GF/PTFE) self-lubricating composite was investigated by using a high frequency and high load oscillating friction and wear tester MYB-500 to carry on a whole life wear test. The self-lubricating performance and damage characteristics were studied, and the wear debris and wear surface were analyzed by microscopic detection method to discuss the key factors affecting the self-lubricating stability and service life of material. Results show that the life cycle of GF/PTFE self-lubricating composite exhibits an obvious stage characteristics, and can be divided into three stages, including running-in, stable stage and failure stage based on the change of friction coefficient and wear depth. Real-time monitoring of friction coefficient and friction temperature can effectively reflect the self-lubricating performance and life stage of the material. The change of wear depth and wear surface analysis show that the wear exhibits notable non-uniformity. According to wear mechanism, the inhomogeneity of the initial thickness of the material has a significant influence on the inconsistency of the damage during the wear process as well as its life. Therefore, by improving the curing process, the stable stage in life cycle can be prolonged and the service life of the material can also be increased.

MAPK has been reported as a key oncogenic pathway for canine histiocytic sarcoma, which can be pharmacologically targeted with trametinib, a small inhibitor of MEK1/2. Preliminary data showed promising antitumor activity in in vitro and in vivo models and represented a proof of concept to translate the findings from bench to bedside. In this phase I, dose escalating study using a 3 + 3 cohort design, trametinib was evaluated in 18 dogs with cancer. Adverse events were graded according to VCOG‐CTCAE v2. Blood samples and tumour biopsies were collected for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessment. Trametinib was well tolerated with a maximum tolerated dose of 0.5 mg/m2/day, PO. Dose‐limiting toxicities included systemic hypertension, proteinuria, lethargy and elevated ALP, and were all Grade 3. The drug exposures increased more than linearly with dose since the elimination of trametinib was saturable. At a dose of 500 μg Q24h (0.5 mg/m2/day in a 30 kg dog), approximately 70% of dogs had an average steady‐state concentration of 10 ng/mL, achieved after approximately 2 weeks. This threshold was associated with clinical efficacy in humans. Target engagement was not observed in biospecimens collected on Days 0 and 7. In conclusion, trametinib was considered safe in dogs with cancer, and the dose of 0.5 mg/m2/day was the recommended dose for phase II studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) are the commonly used biomarkers for insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, respectively. We aimed to investigate the combined association of TyG and hsCRP with the major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS). Methods: A total of 9421 patients with CCS were included in this study. The primary endpoint was defined as a composite of MACE covering all‐cause death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and revascularization. Results: During the 2‐year follow‐up period, 660 (7.0%) cases of MACE were recorded. Participants were divided equally into three groups according to TyG levels. Compared with the TyG T1 group, the risk of MACE was significantly higher in the TyG T3 group. It is noteworthy that among patients in the highest tertile of TyG, hsCRP >3 mg/L was significantly associated with an increased risk of MACE, whereas the results were not significant in the medium to low TyG groups. When patients were divided into six groups according to hsCRP and TyG, the Cox regression analysis showed that patients in the TyG T3 and hsCRP >3 mg/L group had a significantly higher risk of MACE than those in the TyG T1 and hsCRP ≤3 mg/L group. However, no significant interaction was found between TyG and hsCRP on the risk of MACE. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the concurrent assessment of TyG and hsCRP may be valuable in identifying high‐risk populations and guiding management strategies among CCS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To ensure the quality of grain storage, researchers have developed a variety of models for the morphological structure of bulk grain piles. However, traditional characterization methods suffer from issues such as inaccurate models, limited size ranges, and low precision. In this study, x‐ray computed tomography was employed for the first time to capture real three‐dimensional (3D) images, revealing the surface porosity distribution ranging from 30% to 38% along the slice direction and a fractal dimension primarily distributed between 1.45 and 1.47. Moreover, the box counting method was used to determine the representative elementary volume (REV) comprising 600 × 600 × 600 pixels, effectively characterizing pore structure using porosity as an index. Connectivity analysis of the REV was conducted by integrating the refined central axis method and the 3D watershed algorithm. Equivalent diameters of connected pores were mainly distributed between 0.5 and 3.5 mm, with an average pore diameter of 2.22 ± 0.02 mm, an average coordination number of 7.04 ± 0.07, and an average tortuosity of 1.58 ± 0.01. Based on the characteristic parameters of connected pores, an equivalent pore network model (EPNM) was reconstructed for numerical simulation of single‐phase percolation of bulk grain pile. In addition, the constructed experimental platform demonstrates that the constructed EPNM closely corresponds to the real pore structure of the seed body, accurately reflecting pore–throat size, connectivity, and morphological characteristics within the grain pile. Furthermore, this research model can be applied to the study of gas flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer within porous media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To screen the key genes affecting the prognosis and treatment of gastric cancer (GC) patients and to analyze the value of the key gene microfibrillar-associated protein 2 (MFAP2) in suggesting the prognosis and the sensitivity of immunotherapy of GC patients. Methods: The expression profile data and clinical information of gastric cancer and paracancerous tissues were downloaded from the TCGA database. Genes significantly associated with the prognosis of gastric cancer were screened by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and univariate Cox regression analysis. Multiple patient cohorts were used to assess the prognostic value of the key gene MFAP2 and analyze its efficacy and clinicopathological correlation. Multiple online databases and algorithms were used to analyze the correlation between MFAP2 and the tumor immune microenvironment. Immunophenotyping score (IPS) combined with immunotherapy patient cohort was used to analyze the value of MFAP2 in predicting the responsiveness of immunotherapy. Differential expression of MFAP2 in gastric cancer and adjacent tissues was verified with multiple datasets. Results: The blue module showed the highest correlation with survival outcomes of GC patients (R=0.17, P<0.001). Further intersections were taken with prognosis-related genes, and a total of 20 key genes were screened. High expression of the key gene MFAP2 suggested poor prognosis and pathological progression of GC (HR>1, P<0.05). MFAP2 was closely associated with cancer-associated fibroblasts, and GC patients with high expression of MFAP2 were more insensitive to immunotherapy. The high expression of MFAP2 mRNA in GC was verified by multiple datasets (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusion: High expression of MFAP2 is a predictive factor for poor prognosis and response to immunotherapy in GC patients. MFAP2 is expected to serve as a novel therapeutic target and prognostic indicator for gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]