Search

This study presents a numerical investigation of a solitary wave breaking over a slope by using the phase-field lattice Boltzmann method. The incompressible two-phase flow equations are solved by using a velocity-based formulation of the two-phase lattice Boltzmann method with a central-moment collision model to accurately simulate wave breaking problems. For interface capture, a phase-field lattice Boltzmann method that ensures mass conservation is employed. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed through solitary wave propagation and transformation problems, and the obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental and calculated results. The proposed method is then employed to analyze wave breaking on a slope, demonstrating strong concordance with experimental data and existing computational findings. By analyzing the instantaneous flow characteristics and the temporal evolution of the variation in kinetic, potential, and total energy from deep to shallow water, the model can reveal the macroscopic characteristics of solitary wave breaking. Because the phase-field model effectively simulates wave breaking and air entrainment, it can depict wave energy dissipation more accurately than the single-phase lattice Boltzmann method with free surface tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the AlCoCrFeNi2.1 eutectic high‐entropy alloys (EHEAs), which can achieve a good balance of strength and ductility. The relationship between the microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy was established in this study by examining the microstructural evolution during heat treatment of 500–1000°C. The results show that the alloy's microstructure remained unchanged when the heat treatment temperature was lower than 700°C. With further rise above 800°C, the B2II precipitates were inspected in the L12 matrix. Besides, L12II started to be precipitated from the B2 matrix at 900°C. The tensile test results conducted at 20–1000°C showed that both the yield strength and ultimate tensile strength decreased as the temperature rose. As for the elongation, however, it increased dramatically when the testing temperature was over 800°C, being attributed to the dynamic recrystallization. The results obtained provided a fundamental understanding of high‐temperature properties for duplex HEAs. Highlights: The B2II precipitates were precipitated from the L12 at 800°C.The B2II and L12II were precipitated from the L12 and B2 over 900°C.The yield and tensile strength decreased sharply at 20–700°C and slowly at 800–1000°C.The elongation first remained stable at 20–700°C and then increased sharply at 800–1000°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gynecological Endocrinology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: To introduce a new position for ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy for patients with upper ureteral calculi. Materials and methods: Between June 2014 and May 2017, 192 patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: group A, ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) in the Trendelenburg position; or group B, URSL in the standard position. Baseline information, including gender, age, body mass index (BMI), stone side, stone size and hydronephrosis grade, was collected and determined preoperatively. Stone-free rate (SFR) was evaluated 3 weeks after surgery and was defined by the absence of residual stones or the presence of residual stones <2 mm in diameter. Operation time, hospital stay, stone migration, operative complications and SFR were assessed and compared between the two groups. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in gender, age, BMI, stone side, stone size, serum creatinine or hydronephrosis grade between the two groups (all p > 0.05). There were no significant differences in the postoperative hospital stay or postoperative complications between the two groups (all p > 0.05), but the differences in operative time, stone migration and SFR between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study introduced a new position for ureteroscopic holmium laser lithotripsy for patients with upper ureteral calculi. The Trendelenburg position can improve the SFR and may provide an optional surgical method for treating upper ureteral calculi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine diseases in women with reproductive age, which is associated with hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance, and ovulatory dysfunction. Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) can mediate progesterone to inhibit the apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells and the growth of follicles, and to induce glucolipid metabolism disorder in ovarian granulosa cells, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of PCOS. This study aims to determine the expression of PGRMC1 in serum, ovarian tissue, ovarian granulosa cells, and follicular fluid in PCOS patients and non-PCOS patients, analyze the value of PGRMC1 in diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of PCOS, and investigate its molecular mechanism on ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis and glucolipid metabolism., Methods: A total of 123 patients were collected from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Guangdong Women and Children Hospital (hereinafter referred to as "our hospital") from August 2021 to March 2022 and divided into 3 groups: a PCOS pre-treatment group ( n =42), a PCOS treatment group ( n =36), and a control group ( n =45). The level of PGRMC1 in serum was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The diagnostic and prognostic value of PGRMC1 was evaluated in patients with PCOS by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Sixty patients who underwent a laparoscopic surgery from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in our hospital from January 2014 to December 2016 were collected and divided into a PCOS group and a control group ( n =30). The expression and distribution of PGRMC1 protein in ovarian tissues were detected by immunohistochemical staining. Twenty-two patients were collected from Reproductive Medicine Center in our hospital from December 2020 to March 2021, and they divided into a PCOS group and a control group ( n =11). ELISA was used to detect the level of PGRMC1 in follicular fluid; real-time RT-PCR was used to detect the expression level of PGRMC1 mRNA in ovarian granulosa cells. Human ovarian granular cell line KGN cells were divided into a scrambled group which was transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) without interference and a siPGRMC1 group which was transfected with specific siRNA targeting PGRMC1. The apoptotic rate of KGN cells was detected by flow cytometry. The mRNA expression levels of PGRMC1 , insulin receptor ( INSR ), glucose transporter 4 ( GLUT4 ), very low density lipoprotein receptor ( VLDLR ), and low density lipoprotein receptor ( LDLR ) were determined by real-time RT-PCR., Results: The serum level of PGRMC1 in the PCOS pre-treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group ( P <0.001), and the serum level of PGRMC1 in the PCOS treatment group was significantly lower than that in the PCOS pre-treatment group ( P <0.001). The areas under curve (AUC) of PGRMC1 for the diagnosing and prognosis evaluation of PCOS were 0.923 and 0.893, respectively, and the cut-off values were 620.32 and 814.70 pg/mL, respectively. The positive staining was observed on both ovarian granulosa cells and ovarian stroma, which the staining was deepest in the ovarian granulosa cells. The average optical density of PGRMC1 in the PCOS group was significantly increased in ovarian tissue and ovarian granulosa cells than that in the control group (both P <0.05). Compared with the control group, the PGRMC1 expression levels in ovarian granulosa cells and follicular fluid in the PCOS group were significantly up-regulated ( P <0.001 and P <0.01, respectively). Compared with the scrambled group, the apoptotic rate of ovarian granulosa cells was significantly increased in the siPGRMC1 group ( P <0.01), the mRNA expression levels of PGRMC1 and INSR in the siPGRMC1 group were significantly down-regulated ( P <0.001 and P <0.05, respectively), and the mRNA expression levels of GLUT4 , VLDLR and LDLR were significantly up-regulated (all P <0.05)., Conclusions: Serum level of PGRMC1 is increased in PCOS patients, and decreased after standard treatment. PGRMC1 could be used as molecular marker for diagnosis and prognosis evaluation of PCOS. PGRMC1 mainly localizes in ovarian granulosa cells and might play a key role in regulating ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis and glycolipid metabolism.

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) not only increases fertility challenges for women of reproductive age, but also leads to increased complications during pregnancy and even affects the birth weight of newborns. Also, hyperandrogenemia is associated with lower pregnancy rates and lower live birth rates and may even play a role in preterm delivery and pre-eclampsia in patients with PCOS. However, it is still controversial whether PCOS patients are treated with androgen-lowering therapy before pregnancy., Objective: To assess the effect of anti-androgen therapy prior to ovulation induction on maternal and infant pregnancy outcomes in patients with PCOS., Methods: Prospective cohort study., Results: A total of 296 patients with PCOS were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal complications was lower in DRSP(with drospirenone ethinyl estradiol tablets (II) pretreatment) group than in NO-DRSP(without drospirenone ethinyl estradiol tablets (II) pretreatment) groups (DRSP vs . NO-DRSP: adverse pregnancy outcomes, 12.16% vs . 27.03%, P =0.001; neonatal complications, 17.16% vs . 36.67%, P <0.001). No significant difference was found in maternal complications. Further subgroup analysis revealed that PCOS with pretreatment decreased the risk of preterm delivery (2.99% vs . 10.00%; Adjusted RR, 3.80; 95% CI, 1.19-12.13), pregnancy loss (9.46% vs . 18.92%; Adjusted RR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.08-3.96), low birth weight (0.75% vs 7.50%; Adjusted RR, 12.08; 95% CI, 1.50-97.31), fetal malformations(1.49% vs . 8.33%; Adjusted RR, 5.63; 95% CI, 1.20-26.33).There were no significant differences in the incidence of DM and PIH as pregnancy complications between the two groups ( P >0.05)., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that preconception androgen-lowering therapy in patients with PCOS improves pregnancy outcomes and reduces neonatal complications., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhang, Miao, Zhou, Chen, Ou, Song, Peng, Li and Li.)

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted much attention in the field of anticancer treatment. However, PDT has to face challenges, such as aggregation caused by quenching of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and short 1 O 2 lifetime, which lead to unsatisfactory therapeutic effect. Aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgens)-based photosensitizers (PSs) showed enhanced ROS generation upon aggregation, which showed great potential for hypoxic tumor treatment with enhanced PDT effect. In this review, we summarized the design strategies and applications of AIEgen-based PSs with improved PDT efficacy since 2019. Firstly, we introduce the research background and some basic knowledge in the related field. Secondly, the recent approaches of AIEgen-based PSs for enhanced PDT are summarized in two categories: (1) organelle-targeting PSs that could cause direct damage to organelles to enhance PDT effects, and (2) PSs with tumor-targeting abilities to selectively suppress tumor growth and reduce side effects. Finally, current challenges and future opportunities are discussed. We hope this review can offer new insights and inspirations for the development of AIEgen-based PSs for better PDT effect.

The present work introduced first-principles calculation to explore the substitution behavior of Ag atoms for Al or Ti atoms in the Ti 2 AlC MAX phase ceramic. The effect of Ag substitution on supercell parameter, bonding characteristic, and stability of the Ti 2 AlC was investigated. The results show that for the substitution of Ag for Al, the Al-Ti bond was replaced by a weaker Ti-Ag bond, decreasing the stability of the Ti 2 AlC. However, the electrical conductivity of the Ti 2 AlC was enhanced after the substitution because of the contribution of Ag 4 d orbital electrons toward the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level coupled with the filling of Ti d orbital electrons. For the substitution of Ag for Ti, new bonds, such as Ag-Al bond, Ag-C bond, Al-Al bond, Ti-Ti anti-bond, and C-C anti-bond were generated in the Ti 2 AlC. The Ti-Ti anti-bond was strengthened as well as the number of C-C anti-bond was increased with increasing the substitution ratio of Ag for Ti. Similar to the substitution of Ag for Al, the stability of the Ti 2 AlC also decreased because the original Al-Ti bond became weaker as well as the Ti-Ti and C-C anti-bonds were generated during the substitution of Ag for Ti. Comparing with the loss of Ti d orbital electrons, Ag 4 d orbits contributed more electrons to the DOS at the Fermi level, improving the electrical conductivity of the Ti 2 AlC after substitution. Based on the calculation, the substitution limit of Ag for Al or Ti was determined. At last, the substitution behavior of Ag for Al or Ti was compared to discriminate that Ag atoms would tend to preferentially substitute for Ti atoms in Ti 2 AlC. The current work provides a new perspective to understand intrinsic structural characteristic and lattice stability of the Ti 2 AlC MAX phase ceramic.

To investigate the antitumor mechanism of MAP30 in human bladder cell line (T24) and its potential toxic effects in mice.  In this study, the biological behavior of MAP30's influence on bladder cell was investigated to reveal the antitumor mechanism and role of MAP30 in bladder cancer. MAP30 gene sequence optimized by gene synthesis codon was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a to produce a large amount of target protein in Escherichia coli. The protein product was obtained after purification. Membrane hydration method was used to prepare MAP30 liposome in order to enhance its membrane permeability. The effects of MAP30 on the viability, apoptosis and migration of T24 cell were assessed using 3‑(4,5‑dimethyl‑thiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyl‑2H‑tetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometric and TUNEL assays, respectively. Mice were transfected with bladder cancer cells for 48 h. The expressions of apoptotic and non-apoptotic proteins were determined using Western blotting. Changes in tumor volume and occurrence of metastasis were assessed using luciferase assay. After 7 days, liver and kidney were excised for histological examination. The levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced glutathione (GSH), and activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined in serum or homogenate using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The yield of MAP30 after purification was significantly increased. The results of MTT assay showed that MAP30 significantly and concentration-dependently inhibited the proliferation and migration of T24 cells (p &lt; 0.05). The prepared liposomes had uniform hydrated particle size of 132.6 nm, with encapsulation efficiency of 78 %. The inhibitory effect of MAP30 liposome on T24 cells was significantly higher than that of MAP30, and MAP30 significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells (p &lt; 0.05). Western blotting showed that MAP30 significantly promoted the expression of caspase 3 (p &lt; 0.05), but did not significantly affect the expressions of bcl-2 and bax (p &gt; 0.05). It also significantly down-regulated the expressions of NF-kB, JNK and MMP2 (p &lt; 0.05). Tumor formation was significantly inhibited, and tumor volume reduced in bladder cancer-bearing mice after treatment with MAP30 (p &lt; 0.05). Histological examination showed that MAP30 induced mild histological changes in the liver and kidney of mice, and significantly increased the level of MDA at day 1 (p &lt; 0.05). It also significantly and time-dependently increased ROS, but reduced GSH levels and activities of catalase and GPx (p &lt; 0.05). However, MAP30 had no significant effect on DNA (p &gt; 0.05). The apoptotic effect of MAP30 in T24 cells is mediated via activation of caspase-3 signaling pathway. The protein produces mild histological changes in the liver and kidney of mice, but has no significant effect on DNA.

The aim of the present study was to construct the 125 I-replication-selective oncolytic adenovirus (RSOAds)-human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT)/prostate specific antigen (PSA) nuclide-oncolytic virus marker by labelling the hTERT/PSA double-regulation replicative oncolytic adenovirus with 125 I nuclide, and investigate the influence of viral markers under various reaction conditions on labelling efficiency. N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) was used as the oxidizer for 125 I labelling, and the best conditions for labelling were identified through the reactions between oncolytic adenovirus at various concentrations and NBS. Dosage of 125 I, reaction duration, pH values and reaction volume were respectively evaluated to determine their effects on the labelling efficiency of 125 I-RSOAds-hTERT/PSA nuclide-oncolytic adenovirus markers. Purified nuclide-oncolytic adenovirus markers were isolated by gel-filtration chromatography; paper chromatography was performed to assay the radiochemical purity of 125 I-RSOAds-hTERT/PSA markers at various time points. Radiochemical purity of 125 I-RSOAds-hTERT/PSA was >95%, and could be maintained at 4°C for 7 days. The best reaction conditions were set as follows: 0.5 µl of 125 I (~0.2 m Ci, 7.4 MBq); 25 qg of NBS; 100 µl of 8×10 9 VP/ml 125 I-RSOAds-hTERT/PSA virus solution; 30 min of reaction duration; pH 7.5; 120 µl of PBS. Labelling hTERT/PSA double-regulation replicative oncolytic adenovirus with 125 I was identified to be available, and the radiochemical purity of acquired virus markers could be maintained under specific conditions.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (decitabine; DAC) and all- trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in vitro . The methylation status of the WT1 promoter was analyzed using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP). The expression level of WT1 was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The effect of DAC and ATRA on cell differentiation was evaluated by flow cytometry. The WT1 gene was methylated in U937 cells, but unmethylated in SHI-1 and K562 cells; the U937 cells did not express the WT1 gene, but the SHI-1 and K562 cells highly expressed the WT1 gene. DAC and ATRA, alone or in combination, exhibited no effect on the expression level of WT1 in the U937 cells and on the differentiation of the K562 cells. The combined treatment of DAC and ATRA markedly decreased the WT1 expression levels of the SHI-1 and K562 cells, and induced the differentiation of the SHI-1 and U937 cells. In the SHI-1 cells, WT1 expression changed inversely to the dynamic changes of cluster of differentiation 11b-positive rates. In conclusion, the combined treatment of DAC and ATRA has clinical therapeutic potential in acute monocytic leukemia patients with high WT1 expression and a poor response to standard induction chemotherapy.

Angiomatoid fibrous histiocytoma (AFH) is a rare, low-grade malignant potential soft tissue tumor which occurs most commonly in children and young adults. Only a few case reports have been described that typically occur in the extremities of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue, followed by the trunk, as well as the head and neck. A case report of retroperitoneal AFH is described. This presentation for patients with AFH has not yet been reported. AFH may occur in the retroperitoneum, in the future patients with retroperitoneal tumor should be considered the posibility of having AFH.