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The effectiveness of chemotherapy as a primary approach in cancer treatment is under scrutiny due to the rise of multidrug resistance (MDR). Biomimetic technology presents numerous opportunities for the development of therapeutic platforms that exhibit enhanced performance in antitumor therapy and address the limitations of traditional chemotherapy. In this study, an erythrocyte membrane (EM)-camouflaged biomimetic nanodrug delivery platform, namely B-Lip@PTX/Cur/Ce6, capable of simultaneously delivering paclitaxel (PTX, a chemotherapeutic agent), curcumin (Cur, a P-gp inhibitor), and chlorin e6 (Ce6, a photosensitizer), was introduced for synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy. With near-infrared laser irradiation, B-Lip@PTX/Cur/Ce6 has been found to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby triggering both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and hybrid cell membrane disruption for controlled release of PTX/Cur. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity has demonstrated the ability of Cur in B-Lip@PTX/Cur/Ce6 to reverse MDR by enhancing the inhibitory impact of PTX on MCF-7/ADR cells. By employing the EM coating strategy, B-Lip@PTX/Cur/Ce6 could demonstrate favorable biocompatibility, while also exhibiting prolonged circulation time in the bloodstream, which would be beneficial to long-term accumulation at the tumor sites. Notably, the innovative biomimetic platform demonstrates successful inhibition of MDR and exhibits efficacy in combating tumors through enhanced chemo-photodynamic therapy. The integration of the versatile nanoscopic drug delivery system results in an augmentation of the therapeutic activity against cancer and holds promising potential for treating breast cancer effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Elderly patients are at increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality after conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (ONCABG). This study was to determine whether such high-risk population would benefit from off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on patients aged 65 years or older who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting for the first time in Wuhan Union Hospital from January 2015 to January 2021. We used propensity score matching to adjust for differences in baseline characteristics between the ONCABG and OPCABG groups. Morbidity and mortality within 30 days after surgery were compared between the two groups. All operations were performed by experienced cardiac surgeons. Results A total of 511 patients (ONCABG 202, OPCABG 309) were included. After 1:1 matching, the baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable (ONCABG 173, OPCABG 173). The OPCABG group had higher rate of incomplete revascularization (13.9% vs. 6.9%; P  = .035) than the ONCABG group. However, OPCABG reduced the risk of postoperative renal insufficiency (15.0% vs. 30.1%; P  = .001) and reoperation for bleeding (0.0% vs. 3.5%; P  = .030). There were no significant differences in early postoperative mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions OPCABG is an alternative revascularization method for elderly patients. It reduces the risk of early postoperative renal insufficiency and reoperation for bleeding. What is already known on this topic   Elderly patients are at increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality after conventional on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting. What this study adds   Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting reduced the risk of early postoperative renal insufficiency and reoperation for bleeding in elderly patients. How this study might affect research, practice or policy   The study showed that off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting is an alternative surgical method for revascularization in elderly patients with coronary heart disease. It can provide data support for clinicians to select off-pump procedure for elderly patients and facilitate clinical decision-making, outcome assessment, and quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of novel anticancer drugs with antiproliferative and antimetastatic activities is of great importance in the pharmaceutical field. Herein, a series of ligustrazine (LSZ) platinum(IV) complexes with chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic effects were designed, prepared and evaluated as antitumor agents for the first time. Complex 4 with potent antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo was screened out as a candidate. Notably, it displays significantly more effective anti-metastatic activities than the platinum(II) drugs cisplatin and oxaliplatin. Mechanism detection discloses that it causes serious DNA damage and increases the expression of γ-H2AX and P53. Then, the apoptosis of tumor cells is promoted by activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway Bcl-2/Bax/caspase-3 and causing autophagy via modulating LC3-I/II and P62 expression. Furthermore, the immune therapeutic responses are significantly elevated by blocking HIF-1α, ERK 1/2 and COX-2 pathways to reduce PD-L1 expression, and further increasing CD3+ and CD8+ T cells to elevate T cell immunity in tumors. Tumor metastasis is blocked by the synergistic functions of DNA damage, hypoxia modulation and immune activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) exhibits excellent mechanical properties and environmental friendliness and, therefore, has a wide range of applications. This study investigated the mechanical properties of three short plant fiber-reinforced PLA composites (flax, jute, and ramie) using mechanical testing and material characterization techniques (SEM, FTIR, and DSC). Additionally, we propose a methodology for predicting the mechanical properties of high-content short plant fiber-reinforced composite materials. Results indicate that flax fibers provide the optimal reinforcement effect due to differences in fiber composition and microstructure. Surface pretreatment of the fibers using alkali and silane coupling agents increases the fiber–matrix interface contact area, improves interface performance, and effectively enhances the mechanical properties of the composite. The mechanical properties of the composites increase with increasing fiber content, reaching the highest value at 40%, which is 38.79% higher than pure PLA. However, further increases in content lead to fiber agglomeration and decreased composite properties. When the content is relatively low (10%), the mechanical properties are degraded because of internal defects in the material, which is 40.42% lower than pure PLA. Through Micro-CT technology, the fiber was reconstructed, and it was found that the fiber was distributed mainly along the direction of injection molding, and the twin-screw process changes the shape and length of the fiber. By introducing the fiber agglomeration factor function and correcting the Halpin-Tsai criterion, the mechanical properties of composite materials with different contents were successfully predicted. Considering the complex stress state of composite materials in actual service processes, a numerical simulation method was established based on transversely isotropic material using the finite element method combined with theoretical analysis. The mechanical properties of high-content short plant fiber-reinforced composite materials were successfully predicted, and the simulation results showed strong agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the well-established application of prebiotics in human food products, there is a growing interest in their potential as dietary supplements for gut microbiota composition and improvement of the digestive health of dogs. However, targeted studies with dogs as research subjects are still limited. In the present study, an in vitro simulated gut microbiota fermentation system using canine feces from a healthy Border Collie breed was used to investigate the prebiotic effects of five different oligosaccharides and compare their regulatory effects on the gut microbiota structure and the resultant metabolites. Due to the addition of oligosaccharides, the fermented samples had lower pH and higher bacterial proliferation. The oligosaccharide-fermentation selectively boosted Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Bacteroides spp., and hindered Escherichia-Shigella spp., Paeniclostridium, spp., and Bacteroides spp. Each oligosaccharide showed distinct characteristics and preferences for regulating gut microbiota structure and abundance. Furthermore, the addition of oligosaccharides increased the production of short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyric acid. This study provides a preliminary basis for the rapid and rational selection of prebiotic oligosaccharides as canine dietary supplements and further explores the function of oligosaccharides and their combinations in canine health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Years of outbreaks of woody canker (Cryptosphaeria pullmanensis) in the United States, Iran, and China have resulted in massive economic losses to biological forests and fruit trees. However, only limited information is available on their distribution, and their habitat requirements have not been well evaluated due to a lack of research. In recent years, scientists have utilized the MaxEnt model to estimate the effect of global temperature and specific environmental conditions on species distribution. Using occurrence and high resolution ecological data, we predicted the spatiotemporal distribution of C. pullmanensis under twelve climate change scenarios by applying the MaxEnt model. We identified climatic factors, geography, soil, and land cover that shape their distribution range and determined shifts in their habitat range. Then, we measured the suitable habitat area, the ratio of change in the area of suitable habitat, the expansion and shrinkage of maps under climate change, the direction and distance of range changes from the present to the end of the twenty-first century, and the effect of environmental variables. C. pullmanensis is mostly widespread in high-suitability regions in northwestern China, the majority of Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkey, northern Chile, southwestern Argentina, and the west coast of California in the United States. Under future climatic conditions, climate changes of varied intensities favored the expansion of suitable habitats for C. pullmanensis in China. However, appropriate land areas are diminishing globally. The trend in migration is toward latitudes and elevations that are higher. The estimated area of possible suitability shifted eastward in China. The results of the present study are valuable not only for countries such as Morocco, Spain, Chile, Turkey, Kazakhstan, etc., where the infection has not yet fully spread or been established, but also for nations where the species has been discovered. Authorities should take steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to restrict the spread of C. pullmanensis. Countries with highly appropriate locations should increase their surveillance, risk assessment, and response capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A highly integrated methane-detection system was experimentally established by using a distributed feedback laser diode and hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The self-developed circuits with a laser diode and essential optical devices were integrated into an instrument that generated a modulated optical signal in a fiber-coupled gas cell that contained the hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. The instrument could also process the return optical signal that contained the gas concentration information. The experiments demonstrated the good performance of the developed system. In the spectrum tests, the center wavelength of the laser diode could be tuned linearly by controlling the laser's working temperature and driving current. The second harmonic signal could be extracted in order to reflect the gas concentration. According to the Allan deviation method, the low limit of detection of the system was determined to be 29.52 ppm. In addition, a long-term stability test demonstrated that the system has a good stable performance. The proposed system can be further optimized in order to be applied in paddy fields to detect and monitor the methane concentration in a large area by using the optical fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop new chemotherapeutics with anti-metastasis properties, a series of multi-specific niflumic acid (NFA) platinum(IV) complexes with DNA damage, inflammation inhibition, immunity activation, and angiogenesis suppression mechanisms were designed, synthesized and evaluated as novel antitumor agents. The dual NFA platinum(IV) complex with a cisplatin core showed promising antitumor activities both in vitro and in vivo with lower toxicity than platinum(II) drugs and displayed attractive anti-metastasis performance. It caused serious DNA damage and further elevated the expression of γ-H2AX. Furthermore, it promoted apoptosis by activating the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and autophagy of tumor cells. Moreover, immune response in tumors was significantly improved by increasing CD3+, CD4+ and CD8+ T infiltrating cells. Subsequently, the pathway ERK/HIF-1α/VEGFA associated with angiogenesis was suppressed by the reduced inflammation and elevated immune response, and the density of microvessels marked by CD34 was significantly reduced in tumors. Accordingly, the multi-specific NFA platinum(IV) complexes have great potential to be developed as novel anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 11-story high-rise building with a shear-wall structure utilized a raft foundation based on a deep alluvial deposit. After structure completion, the building tilted beyond acceptable limits. This paper presents the investigation, settlement analysis, building rectification, and foundation remediation. The purpose of this study is to provide a common method of addressing similar problems and propose two formulas to guide design. First, through site investigation and settlement reanalysis, it was determined that the large settlement and building eccentricity accounted for the building tilt. Second, underexcavation was used for the side with less subsidence to address the building differential settlement, and precast micropiles were driven into the foundation to improve foundation safety. Finally, two formulas for underexcavation were proposed to apply to general rectification projects. A simplified analysis method was adopted for formula derivation. In accordance with the force balance in the foundation soil before and after underexcavation, the preferable hole spacing could be expressed as a multiple of the hole diameter, i.e., λ=K/(K−1) , which mainly depends on the safety factor of the bearing capacity of the foundation soil. Assuming that the extraction volume of soil equals the forced settlement volume for inclination correction, the diameter of the hole is obtained, i.e., d=4λs/π , which mainly depends on the proposed forced settlement. The key parameters were verified by the case history. The case history and practical design method provide a framework for projects experiencing differential settlement. Buildings sometimes incline. Reasons for the inclination are various, such as severe foundation settlement, surrounding underground construction, neighboring foundation pit excavation, and underground water drainage. Underexcavation is a cost-effective and "soft" method of rectifying buildings. It is suitable for buildings with shallow foundations. This paper presents a case history, and theoretical formulas for underexcavation design are proposed. In the case study, the methods of investigating and analyzing building inclination and the technology of inclination correction can provide valuable references for similar projects. The theoretical formulas can provide the key parameters of limit hole spacing and hole diameter for a correction design and enable a designer to quickly give a correction scheme for general conditions. For specific projects, appropriate adjustments should be made according to geotechnical conditions, the surrounding environment, and the suitability of construction. Notably, even with the formulas to guide design and construction, in view of the complexity of geological issues, close monitoring is still essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]