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Air Brayton cycle obtains the significant advantages of high efficiency, compact structure, easy medium requirement and so on, which is one of the most suitable choices for the mobile nuclear power conversion system. In this paper, system-component combined design method is used to establish the open and closed air Brayton cycle of diverse configurations. Based on performance and compactness targets, the multi-objective optimization is carried out to find the optimal design by nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II and entropy weight method. According to the analysis, the closed intercooling reheating recuperating cycle is the configuration with the best comprehensive performance, with cycle efficiency of 33.58 %, power density of 175.39 kW m−3 and power mass ratio of 68.60 kW t−1. The open simple recuperating cycle is the configuration with the smallest volume and mass, with cycle efficiency of 20.01 %, system volume of 6.56 m3 and system mass of 19.98 t. The closed intercooling recuperating cycle is the most balanced configuration, with cycle efficiency of 31.33 %, volume of 9.06 m3 and system mass of 24.97 t. Based on the optimal results, off-design performance analysis of different environmental conditions is also carried out for the configurations above.

Thermal energy storage (TES) has emerged as a promising solution to enhance nuclear safety by passively removing decay heat during reactor shutdown and accidents, thus preventing overheating of the reactor core and protecting the integrity of containment barriers. The research of TES with different structures has broad application prospects and practical significance. In this study, the melting process of phase change material (PCM) in various TES structures was simulated by the numerical simulation method in two and three dimensions. The mechanism of gravity-driven natural convection enhancing heat transfer was revealed. The effects of different TES structures, fin pitch, fin height, and fin thickness on heat transfer performance were studied. The results showed that many vortices formed by liquid PCM are the main reason for enhancing the natural convection. Adding fins could greatly accelerate the heat storage process. The melting time of PCM in annular and spiral finned tube TES was 47.3% and 61.3% less than that in smooth tube TES, respectively. In the present study, the heat transfer effect was enhanced as the spiral fin pitch became small, the fin height increased and the fin thickness increased. Two opposite effects of fin structure on the natural convection were revealed: (1) positive effect provided by heat transfer enhancement and (2) negative effect produced by blockage.

miRNA is a type of classic non-coding RNA which is enriched in cancer. Various studies reported that miRNA be involved in the progression and metastasis of TSCC. Exploring pivotal miRNAs and elaborating the mechanisms inducing metastasis are important for improving the prognosis of TSCC patients. Here, Let-7b miRNA was identified as a significant factor contributing to metastasis of TSCC via directly targeting the 3′UTR of MOR mRNA, which leads to abnormally high expression of MOR protein. MOR might bind with SRC and potentially activate p-EGFR through SRC. As a treatment modality, Let-7b miRNA mimics were encapsulated into the endosomal pH-responsive nanoparticles. NPs (Let-7b miRNA mimics) significantly inhibited Cal27 cells in vitro and in vivo metastatic model. Altogether, our data revealed that Let-7b miRNA-MOR-SRC-EGFR axis might be an effective therapeutic target in TSCC metastasis.

Bacterial leaf blight (BLB), among the most serious diseases in rice production, is caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Xa23, the broadest resistance gene against BLB in rice, is widely used in rice breeding. In this study, the rice variety CBB23 carrying the Xa23 resistance gene was inoculated with AH28 and PXO99A to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the resistance. Transcriptome sequencing of the infected leaves showed 7997 DEGs between the two strains at different time points, most of which were up-regulated, including cloned rice anti-blight, peroxidase, pathology-related, protein kinase, glucosidase, and other coding genes, as well as genes related to lignin synthesis, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and secondary metabolites. Additionally, the DEGs included 40 cloned, five NBS-LRR, nine SWEET family, and seven phenylalanine aminolyase genes, and 431 transcription factors were differentially expressed, the majority of which belonged to the WRKY, NAC, AP2/ERF, bHLH, and MYB families. Metabolomics analysis showed that a large amount of alkaloid and terpenoid metabolite content decreased significantly after inoculation with AH28 compared with inoculation with PXO99A, while the content of amino acids and their derivatives significantly increased. This study is helpful in further discovering the pathogenic mechanism of AH28 and PXO99A in CBB23 rice and provides a theoretical basis for cloning and molecular mechanism research related to BLB resistance in rice.

Network security is an important part of the national security, and network security threat intelligence work has become an important part of the network security protection.Aiming at the problems of power enterprise carrying out network security threat intelligence, such as many sources, many types, wide range, many vulnerability risks, many subordinate departments and personnel, the network security threat intelligence work plan of power enterprise was put forward.The scheme includes five aspects: information source, information research and judgment, information disposal, information platform and information performance.The evaluation method of network security vulnerabilities, information emergency disposal process and information performance evaluation method were puts forward.The preliminary application results show that the proposed scheme has important reference value for power enterprise to improve the emergency response ability of network security information and the level of network security protection ability.

Cancer cells downregulate surface expression of major histocompatibility complex I (MHC-I) for immune evasion. Here, the authors show that rapid mitochondrial fission activates the ER-stress response leading to reduced MHC-I complex formation and cell surface expression in solid cancer cells; moreover inhibition of mitochondrial fission increases the immune-mediated anticancer response in murine models.

Abstract Background Deep neck space abscess (DNSA) is a serious infection in the head and neck. Antibiotic therapy is an important treatment in patients with DNSA. However, the results of bacterial culture need at least 48 h, and the positive rate is only 30–50%, indicating that the use of empiric antibiotic treatment for most patients with DNSA should at least 48 h or even throughout the whole course of treatment. Thus, how to use empiric antibiotics has always been a problem for clinicians. This study analyzed the distribution of bacteria based on disease severity and clinical characteristics of DNSA patients, and provides bacteriological guidance for the empiric use of antibiotics. Methods We analyzed 433 patients with DNSA who were diagnosed and treated at nine medical centers in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020. A nomogram for disease severity (mild/severe) was constructed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator–logistic regression analysis. Clinical characteristics for the Gram reaction of the strain were identified using multivariate analyses. Results 92 (21.2%) patients developed life-threatening complications. The nomogram for disease severity comprised of seven predictors. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the nomogram in the training and validation cohorts were 0.951 and 0.931, respectively. In the mild cases, 43.2% (101/234) had positive culture results (49% for Gram-positive and 51% for Gram-negative strains). The positive rate of cultures in the patients with severe disease was 63% (58/92, 37.9% for Gram-positive, and 62.1% for Gram-negative strains). Diabetes mellitus was an independent predictor of Gram-negative strains in the mild disease group, whereas gas formation and trismus were independent predictors of Gram-positive strains in the severe disease group. The positivity rate of multidrug-resistant strains was higher in the severe disease group (12.1%) than in the mild disease group (1.0%) (P

During the drilling of shale gas wells, the shape of shale cuttings cut by polycrystalline diamond compact bits has an obvious flaky structure. The accumulation of such flaky cuttings is one of the main reasons for high drilling torque and drag and serious back pressure, which affect the drilling speed of the horizontal section of shale gas wells. Therefore, predicting the thickness of the flaky cuttings bed and restraining it are essential for ensuring safe and efficient drilling of the horizontal section of shale gas wells. However, most of the previous research on migration laws for cuttings were based on spherical particles, which affected the accuracy of cuttings bed thickness prediction. In this study, through visualization experiments combined with computational fluid dynamics numerical simulation, the hole cleaning laws of shale gas wells in the long horizontal section were studied, and a set of cuttings bed thickness prediction models and cuttings bed removal process parameter optimization methods were established. Field application was conducted in the Changning 209H24-1 well in the southern Sichuan Basin, China. The results revealed the following: (1) There are significant differences in the migration laws of flaky cuttings and spherical cuttings in the horizontal section. (2) The fitting accuracy of the established long horizontal fragmentation layer distribution model considering multiple factors and the experimental data is as high as 0.973. (3) Based on this model, the drilling parameters of the Changning 209H24-1 well were optimized, which played a good role in wellbore cleaning and ensured the safe and smooth implementation of the later casing operation.

Abstract Background Airway management, including noninvasive endotracheal intubation or invasive tracheostomy, is an essential treatment strategy for patients with deep neck space abscess (DNSA) to reverse acute hypoxia, which aids in avoiding acute cerebral hypoxia and cardiac arrest. This study aimed to develop and validate a novel risk score to predict the need for airway management in patients with DNSA. Methods Patients with DNSA admitted to 9 hospitals in Guangdong Province between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, were included. The cohort was divided into the training and validation cohorts. The risk score was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and logistic regression models in the training cohort. The external validity and diagnostic ability were assessed in the validation cohort. Results A total of 440 DNSA patients were included, of which 363 (60 required airway management) entered into the training cohort and 77 (13 required airway management) entered into the validation cohort. The risk score included 7 independent predictors (p < 0.05): multispace involvement (odd ratio [OR] 6.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.79–23.07, p < 0.001), gas formation (OR 4.95, 95% CI 2.04–12.00, p < 0.001), dyspnea (OR 10.35, 95% CI 3.47–30.89, p < 0.001), primary region of infection, neutrophil percentage (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.02–1.18, p = 0.015), platelet count to lymphocyte count ratio (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.01, p = 0.010), and albumin level (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80–0.92, p < 0.001). Internal validation showed good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.951 (95% CI 0.924–0.971), and good calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow [HL] test, p = 0.821). Application of the clinical risk score in the validation cohort also revealed good discrimination (AUC 0.947, 95% CI 0.871–0.985) and calibration (HL test, p = 0.618). Decision curve analyses in both cohorts demonstrated that patients could benefit from this risk score. The score has been transformed into an online calculator that is freely available to the public. Conclusions The risk score may help predict a patient’s risk of requiring airway management, thus advancing patient safety and supporting appropriate treatment.

Abstract Abnormal expression of long-noncoding RNA is involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of various cancers, but the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms are unclear. Microbial flora and chronic inflammation, such as periodontitis, which is associated with oral cancer, affect the occurrence and progression of tumors. Accordingly, we stimulated the tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cell lines CAL27 and SCC15 with a low concentration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g) for 6 days and then performed LncRNA sequencing on P.g-LPS-treated CAL27 cells and untreated CAL27 cells. LTSCCAT was upregulated in P.g-LPS-treated CAL27 cells compared with untreated CAL27 cells. LTSCCAT induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition and promoted the invasion and metastasis of TSCC in vitro and in vivo. LncRNA LTSCCAT was upregulated in TSCC patients with periodontitis and was correlated with metastasis and poor prognosis. We predicted through an online database and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assays that LTSCCAT is a competitive endogenous RNA for the regulation of miR-103a-2-5p. Another dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-103a-2-5p has a binding site at the 3′-UTR of the histone methylation transferase SMYD3 and inhibits its translation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that SMYD3 binds directly to the promoter region of TWIST1 and promotes its transcription, which is related to H3K4 trimethylation. The effect of pcDNA/LTSCCAT on expression was attenuated by miR-103a-2-5p mimics. The RF and SVM classifier predicts that LTSCCAT can bind to SMYD3, whereas the RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay confirms that it cannot. In addition, we predicted the combination of LTSCCAT and SMYD3 through software, but the RIP assay confirmed that LTSCCAT could not be combined with SMYD3. For the first time, we showed that periodontitis promotes the invasion and metastasis of TSCC and clarified the molecular mechanism of LTSCCAT to promote invasion and metastasis of TSCC, providing a potential therapeutic target for clinical treatment of TSCC.

Supersonic shear layer development affects mixing between the primary and secondary fluids in a supersonic ejector substantially. The splitter plate plays a key role in shear layer development in the near-trailing-edge region. In this paper, supersonic shear layers with various splitter plate thicknesses are calculated and analyzed. Two types of instability modes are found when various splitter plate thicknesses are used. The shock wave strength and absolute unstable region determine the instability modes. Shock waves can limit instability development but an absolute unstable region promotes instability development. Velocity thickness growth rates are found to be the result of the merging process between two or more adjacent vortices in the transition region. The number of vortices that merge depends on the ratio of the vortex shedding and nature frequencies. The velocity thickness growth rates are larger under the local instability mode than under the global instability mode since three vortices merge under the former mode but two vortices merge under the latter. This study may provide a helpful reference for the design of supersonic ejectors.

The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Smads signal plays an important role in cancer metastasis by mediating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells. lnc-TSI is a recently identified long noncoding RNA that negatively regulates the TGF-β/Smads signal. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that lnc-TSI inhibits metastasis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by regulating the TGF-β/Smad3 pathway. Herein, we show that lnc-TSI was upregulated in ccRCC cells and tissue and was associated with activation of the TGF-β/Smads signal. Depleting lnc-TSI enhanced tumor cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and ccRCC lung metastasis in vivo, whereas overexpressing lnc-TSI inhibited ccRCC cell invasion and tumor metastasis. Mechanistic studies indicated that lnc-TSI specifically inhibited the phosphorylation of Smad3 and subsequent EMT by binding with the MH2 domain of Smad3 to block the interaction between Smad3 and TGF-β receptor I in ccRCC cells. In a cohort of 150 patients with ccRCC, expression of lnc-TSI in tumors was negatively correlated with phosphorylated (p)Smad3 and activated EMT markers. Patients with expression of tumor lnc-TSI greater than or equal to the median at radical nephrectomy had a higher survival rate compared to those with lnc-TSI below the median during follow-up. These findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of ccRCC metastasis and suggest a potential molecular target for the development of anti-cancer drugs.

This paper has established an evaluation system for the sensitivity analysis of cascade/compressor aerodynamic performance to geometric deviations. The system includes blade profile parameterization with non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS), uniform Latin hypercube sampling in association with Monte Carlo algorithm and statistical investigation methods. The sensitivity of a subsonic cascade performance to its geometric deviations is investigated under different typical inflow conditions. Results show that there is an approximately linear relationship between the geometric deviations and the aerodynamic parameters. The total pressure loss coefficient is the most sensitive to the leading edge profile deviation at i=2°. However the suction profile deviation and the leading edge profile deviation dominate the total pressure loss when the incidences are i = −4° and i = −8°. The blocking effect of the increased leading edge profile moves forward the separation point of the boundary layer. Therefore the scale of the separation vortex is enlarged, the total pressure loss is increased at i = 2° condition. Regarding i = −8°, the enlarged suction profile deviation reduces the circumferential static pressure gradient, resulting in an increase of the scale of separation vortex on the pressure side. The work is helpful to robust design of compressor blade profile and manufacturing & maintenance techniques of compressor blades.

When injectors are used in petroleum industries or sea water desalination system, it is a special case that the induced gas is accompanied by water, the ejector is in two-phase operation. In the present study, the ejector performance at two phase flow is investigated experimentally and numerically. The results indicate that: the entrainment ratio would decrease when the water is injected into the induced flow, as well as the pressure ratio. The maximum decrement of entrainment ratio is around 40.5% at sub-critical mode when the motive pressure is 1.0 MPa, the induced pressure is 0.2 MPa, liquid-air ratio is 22%. For the pressure ratio, the maximum decrement is 62.5% when the motive pressure is 1.0 MPa, the induced pressure is 0.5 MPa, liquid-air ratio is 2.87%. However, the lower the induced pressure is, the more obvious the effect of mass flow rate on entrainment rate is, while the effect on pressure ratio is just opposite. Moreover, the performance becomes worse in sub-critical mode than that in critical mode. The effect of NXP on ejector performance also has been analyzed. There exists an optimum NXP whether the two phase flow ejector is in critical mode or sub-critical mode. The optimum NXP for entrainment ratio enlarges from 3.6 mm to 4.4 mm with the increase of water mass flowrate, and is bigger than that of single phase ejector (the optimum NXP is 2.8 mm). This study may provide a beneficial reference for the operation of supersonic ejectors on two phase flow.

The shortage of freshwater resources is becoming increasingly serious. A thermal power plant coupled with a low-temperature multi-effect distillation seawater desalination (single-stage thermal vapor compressor (TVC)) has been widely used. To reduce the water production cost effectively, a two-stage TVC is proposed in this study. The simulation work for the system performance under single- and two-stage TVC is analyzed. Results show that the performance of the system coupled with the two-stage TVC is superior under most conditions, and an optimal intermediate pressure (16 kPa) of the two-stage TVC is found for minimum coal consumption. When the power plant load is higher than 70% THA, the cogeneration system performs well, and the motive steam of the two-stage TVC comes from extraction point No. 5. Otherwise, the motive steam that comes from extraction point No. 4 is a suitable choice. The maximum coal consumption reduction value is 1.48 t/h. To deal with the low operation load of power plants in China, 60% THA load of power plant is a suitable choice for two-stage TVC of power-water cogeneration system.

As one of the most promising working substances for space nuclear power sources, research on the heat transfer characteristics of helium–xenon gas mixtures has become the key issue in focus. In this paper, through an extensive literature research, the current research results are classified and organized. The results show that there are semi-empirical formulas for physical property parameters with high prediction accuracy, and there are also Nusselt correlations with small errors. However, both lack the support of experimental data. There is no systematic research on enhanced heat transfer technologies, and the conclusions of the existing studies are not significant, so they can only make limited reference contributions to the future study of enhanced heat transfer technologies. More flow and heat transfer experiments on helium–xenon mixtures are urgently needed, through detailed analysis of the heat transfer performance of helium–xenon flow, identifying the key factors affecting the heat transfer thermal resistance, and corresponding heat transfer enhancement measures to form an optimized design method applicable to helium–xenon heat exchangers. In this way, an enhanced heat transfer theory of helium–xenon heat exchangers can be developed.

As an energy-saving technology, the ejector is widely used in the heating, aerospace, and chemical industry. The ejector performance is closely related to its structure, so the structure of the ejector needs to be optimized. In the present study, single-factor optimization is first carried out, and the main structural parameters affecting the ejector performance are screened out. Then, the response surface method is used to analyze the combined effect of the multiple structural parameters of the ejector, find out the optimal structure, and analyze the flow field inside the ejector. This study shows that, through numerical simulation, the ejector performance obtained by the response surface method is better than that obtained by the single-factor optimization method or theoretically designed ejector, and the ejector performance is 35.4% higher than that of the theoretically designed ejector. Moreover, the optimal structure of the ejector obtained by the response surface method has high reliability, and the difference between the simulation result and the prediction result of the response surface method is 0.96%.

Summary: Cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), but clinical biomarkers to predict chemosensitivity remain elusive. Here, we show the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) LINC01011, which we termed cisplatin-sensitivity-associated lncRNA (CISAL), controls mitochondrial fission and cisplatin sensitivity by inhibiting BRCA1 transcription in tongue SCC (TSCC) models. Mechanistically, we found CISAL directly binds the BRCA1 promoter and forms an RNA-DNA triplex structure, sequestering BRCA1 transcription factor-GABPA away from the downstream regulatory binding region. Importantly, the clinical relevance of these findings is suggested by the significant association of CISAL and BRCA1 expression levels in TSCC tumors with neoadjuvant chemosensitivity and overall survival. We propose a new model where lncRNAs are tethered at gene promoter by RNA-DNA triplex formation, spatially sequestering transcription factors away from DNA-binding sites. Our study uncovers the potential of CISAL-BRCA1 signaling as a potential target to predict or improve chemosensitivity. : Biological Sciences; Molecular Biology; Cell Biology; Cancer Subject Areas: Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Cancer

To reduce the cost of arranging air foam flooding equipment at each wellhead, a method of establishing centralized air foam flooding injection stations is proposed. The flow pattern and resistance characteristics of air foam flooding mixtures in different initial conditions are studied. Experimental results indicate that the probability density function of stratified flow is obtained by comparing stainless steel and transparent pipes. If the gas–liquid ratio is kept constant, then the shape of the probability density function remains unchanged in both stainless steel and transparent tubes. Meanwhile, the flow pattern under the gas–liquid ratio is determined by comparing the image recognition results with the probability density function, and a formula for calculating the resistance and pressure drop of the gas and liquid two-phase flow in the horizontal and upward pipes is established. Compared with the experiments, the error results of the calculation are small. Thus, the proposed equations can be used to predict the flow resistance of real air foam flooding.

In order to analyse the particular feature of rock deformation and breakage in oil and gas resources exploitation, the rock breaking model based on SPH method is established by using the constitutive relation of abrasive material, the corresponding material parameters and the state equations. The three-dimensional dynamic process of rock breaking by abrasive water jet is simulated. The damage and deformation characteristics of the rock with different abrasive concentrations and velocities during the rock breaking process are also studied. The results show that with the increase of abrasive concentration, the depth of deformation in rock increases and the damage area of rock decreases. With the increase of jet velocity, the deformation depth and the damage area of rock increase. Therefore, the effect of rock breaking can be greatly improved by increasing the abrasive concentration and the jet velocity. The accuracy of jet technology and the quality of machined surface can be also improved by adding abrasive into water jet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of tetramethlpyrazine on oxazolone-induced colitis mice. Spleen mononuclear cells (SMC), lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMC) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from oxazolone-induced colitis and normal mice. The colitis cells treated by oxazolone were randomly divided into model, low dose, middle dose and high dose groups treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/L tetramethlpyrazine, respectively. The apoptotic rate of SMC and LPMC in the oxazolone-induced group was lower than that in the normal group. Compared with model group, apoptotic rate of SMC was significantly increased in the high dose group, while the apoptotic rate of LPMC in the middle dose group was increased. Compared with SMC, LPMC and PBMC of normal group, the mRNA level of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-k B), transcription factor-activated protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) were higher in model group. Tetramethylpyrazine inhibited the increase of NF-k B, AP-1 and NF-AT mRNA induced by oxazolone. For SMC, LPMC and PBMC there was significant difference in the mRNA level of AP-1 among the three different doses of tetramethylpyrazine treated groups. However, no significant difference was observed in the mRNA levels of NF-AT and NF-κB between normal and middle groups. Tetramethylpyrazine promoted the apoptotic rate of SMC and LPMC in-vitro, and suppressed the expression of transcription factors in SMC, LPMC and PBMC isolated from oxazolone-induced colitis mice. The study provides a novel insight into the mechanism behind the effect of etramethylpyrazine on colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgroud: IL-22 regulates various processes and has been linked to diverse effects. However, the importance of IL-22 in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis (AR) remains poorly understood. This study sought to evaluate the levels of IL-22 and IL-17A in AR patients and their association with clinical severity of AR. Methods: Thirty-six AR patients and 22 normal controls were enrolled in this study. The frequencies of IL-22+, IL-17A+, and IL-9+ T helper (Th) cells in peripheral blood of AR patients and normal controls were examined by flow cytometry. Serum levels of IL-22 and IL-17A in AR patients and normal controls were determined by ELISA. The clinical relevance of the percentages of IL-22+ and IL-17A+ Th cells as well as serum IL-22 and IL-17A levels were evaluated. Results: The frequencies of IL-22+ and IL-17A+ Th cells, but not IL-9+ Th cells, were significantly increased compared with those in normal controls (p < 0.05). Frequencies of IL-22+ and IL-17A+ Th cells in peripheral blood of AR patients significantly correlated with visual analog scale scores of nasal symptoms (nasal congestion and rhinorrhea; p < 0.05). Moreover, the serum levels of IL-22 and IL-17A were significantly increased compared with those in normal controls (p < 0.05) and significantly correlated with the levels of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae specific IgE in AR patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that IL-22 as well as IL-17A may play an important role in the regulation of Th2-skewed inflammation in AR patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper performs experimental and numerical investigations on the global performance and internal flow of a supersonic air ejector. The effects of operation parameters and geometrical factor on the air ejector performance have been analyzed. The results show that: the static wall pressure and axisymmetric line static pressure remain constant in critical mode under different discharged pressures, but they both increase in sub-critical mode with the increase of the discharged pressure. The shock position of the mixed fluid moves upstream in critical mode. The second shock position disappears in sub-critical mode. The experimental and numerical results indicate that there exists an optimal nozzle exit position (NXP) corresponding to maximum entrainment ratio, but the critical value of discharged pressure is almost independent of NXP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) is an effective Chinese plant-derived medicine for colitis in the clinic, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of its use remain poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in its therapeutic action. Methods: A colitis mouse model was induced by oxazolone enema. TMP was administered at 80 mg/kg/day and sulphasalazine (SASP) was used as positive control and administered at 100 mg/kg/day for the treatment of colitis. On the fourth day after enema, mice were sacrificed. The inflammatory response was assessed by the disease activity index and histology. Colon mucosa was isolated and biochemically analyzed. In addition, in vitro studies were performed to evaluate the activity of TMP in Caco-2 cells. Results: Our results showed that TMP improved the colonic inflammatory status as evidenced by histological findings, as well as SASP. These effects were associated with a decrease in nucleus translocation of B-κNF. Paired with this inhibitive activity, there was a decrease in downstream signaling, such as C-MYC, iNOS and COX-2. In vitro assays revealed that TMP inhibited NF-κB translocation and its downstream production of inflammatory factors, such as TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, and that ROS production that was induced by LPS in Caco-2 cells. Conclusion: TMP improved the colitis induced by oxazoline, and its activity was associated with inhibition of NF-κB translocation, and subsequent inhibition of pro-inflammatory factor production and oxidative stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]