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Patients presenting to the emergency department with paralysis can have a wide differential diagnosis. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a rare disorder causing transient flaccid paralysis in the setting of thyrotoxicosis and hypokalemia. It has been reported in Asian male populations predominantly, and the diagnosis is rarely considered in non-Asian populations. Recent research has identified cases in patients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, although epidemiologic data from the United States are very limited. Our aim was to report our experience with TPP at a tertiary care center in the United States. A retrospective chart review was conducted between January 2006 and February 2022 to identify cases of TPP and determine their demographic and clinical characteristics. Prevalence of TPP was estimated using the institutional hyperthyroidism registry. Thirty-three patients with TPP were identified. All of the patients were male; median age was 28 years, and 85% were Hispanic. All patients had hypokalemia at presentation and 23% had rebound hyperkalemia after treatment. Prevalence of TPP in our population of patients with hyperthyroidism was approximately 0.5%. Young Hispanic men presenting with paralysis should be evaluated for TPP, as the prevalence in this population may be higher than estimated previously. Management of TPP involves treatment of underlying hyperthyroidism and cautious potassium repletion, with an initial dose of no more than 60 mEq/L of potassium chloride to avoid rebound hyperkalemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multiaxial low cycle fatigue behaviors of 308L SS fabricated by WAAM and hot-rolling technology are studied comparatively. • WAAM 308L SS exhibits significant non-proportional additional hardening phenomenon similar to the hot-rolled material. • Under uniaxial loading, WAAM 308L SS has longer fatigue life under high strain amplitudes. • Under torsional loading, WAAM 308L SS exhibits a significantly shorter fatigue life under each strain amplitude. • The CXH model can predict the fatigue life of both hot-rolled and WAAM 308L SS over a range of loading conditions. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a technique that has gained popularity in various industrial sectors due to its high productivity and flexibility. However, the comprehension of cyclic deformation and fatigue behaviors in WAAM austenitic stainless steel (SS), particularly under complex multiaxial loading conditions, is much less advanced compared to conventional manufacturing methods. This study aims to fill some of these gaps by performing fatigue tests of WAAM 308L SS under axial, torsional and axial–torsional multiaxial loadings. Similar tests were carried out on the hot-rolled 308L SS as a basis for comparison. WAAM 308L SS exhibits notable distinctions in cyclic deformation, fatigue life, cracking mode and fatigue failure mechanisms compared to its hot-rolled counterparts as a result of its distinct manufacturing technologies and resulting microstructures. To assess all fatigue life data, three critical plane criteria, namely FS, SWT and CXH criteria, were employed. The CXH model, which considers the effects of both tensile and shear damage on fatigue properties, has the ability to predict the fatigue life of both hot-rolled and WAAM 308L SS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-materials were designed for the severe corrosion environment in fluorine chemical industry. Directed energy deposition with laser beam (DED-LB) was used to manufacture SS316L/IN625 multi-materials with direct combination (DC) and graded transition (GT) structures. Partial immersion tests in 40% HF solution were conducted. The corrosion rate of SS316L/IN625 multi-materials was less than 1 mm/y. However, localized galvanic corrosion was observed in the DC samples because of the sudden change in chemical composition at the interface. The GT samples effectively eliminated this issue by gradually increasing Ni, showing good economic efficiency and reliability for the multi-phase HF corrosion environment. • SS316L/IN625 multi-materials were fabricated by additive manufacturing. • The corrosion resistance of SS316L/IN625 multi-materials in hydrofluoric acid environment were investigated. • The precipitates promote the local galvanic corrosion effect due to the different of volta potential. • Graded transition design effectively mitigates severe localized corrosion at the interface of SS316L/IN625. • This research gives a new idea for the application of functionally graded materials in hydrofluoric acid environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent complexes of bovine bone proteins (BBP) with four polyphenols (chlorogenic acid (CA), quercetin (Q), rutin (R), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) with were prepared to increase the high-value utilization degree of bovine bone. The differences in coupling effect and structural and functional properties between the conjugates were also investigated. The results showed that EGCG-BBP had the highest polyphenolic equivalent at 88.05 mg/g protein and the lowest sulfhydryl group content. EGCG-BBP also had the best covalent effect. The SDS-PAGE and fluorescence spectra results revealed that the molecular weight of the conjugates increased significantly as different polyphenols conjugated with the aromatic amino acids in BBP, resulting in significant changes in the structure of EGCG-BBP. Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis demonstrated that the amide I band of conjugates was slightly shifted, indicating that the polyphenols were covalently bonded with BBP. Based on the results of this study and well-established mechanisms, it could be speculated that the best covalent effect of EGCG may be not only due to the eight phenolic hydroxyl groups but also to its two benzene rings, which are greatly increased in its reaction site. In terms of functional characteristics, EGCG-BBP had the highest 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl radical (DPPH·) scavenging capacity, while Q-BBP had the best solubility. Thus, this study provides a theoretical basis for different polyphenols' structural and functional effects on covalently modified proteins. [Display omitted] • Bovine bone protein (BBP) was conjugated with four polyphenols. • EGCG has the strongest covalent capacity, followed by CA, R, and Q. • The structural and functional properties of different polyphenol-protein conjugates have changed significantly. • Covalent difference between polyphenols and BBP may be related to the number of phenolic hydroxyl and benzene rings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post ASCT engraftment syndrome (ES) is a well-known clinical complication, however many aspects of its etiology, treatment and outcomes remain largely controversial. In this retrospective study, we hypothesized that ES is frequent, and empiric treatment of presumed ES with steroids improves patient outcomes. We reviewed records of 138 ASCTs done over recent 18 months in our institution and identified patients with the diagnosis of ES. ES was defined as fever and/or skin rash and/or diarrhea and/or pulmonary manifestations that started around the engraftment day and in the absence of evidence for infection. Our results show that 39 patients (28.3%) were diagnosed with ES, with incidence of 32.6% in multiple myeloma/amyloidosis versus 23.8% in lymphoma and other diseases. We used SPSS v25 for statistical analysis and present P values for 2-tailed t-test or Fisher's exact test. Compared to patients without ES, patients with ES were significantly more likely to have fever, skin rash, diarrhea, and higher LDH levels on first day of engraftment. Risk factors for ES included shorter time from diagnosis to ASCT (P=0.038), older age (P=0.04), higher CD34+ cell dose (P=0.02) which caused less use of post ASCT G-CSF, and lower absolute lymphocyte count on first engraftment day (P=0.04). All ES patients received treatment with steroids. Initial dose of prednisone/methylprednisolone was 2 mg/kg (n=31), 1 mg/kg (n=5), while 3 patients received 1000 mg as the starting dose. The median length of steroid therapy was 7.5 days (range, 3-19). One ES patient with bad diarrhea died of cardiac arrest who received only 3 days of lower dose steroids, and another ES patient intubated for respiratory failure who had full recovery with delayed start of steroids treatment. Only one ES patient had documented bacteremia with fever spike. In conclusion, our study suggests that fever, even without rash, around the time of engraftment is likely to be ES related and not infection. Overall survival of ES patients has improved with greater awareness of the diagnosis and earlier use of steroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is one of the most severe complications faced by patients with cancer; however, current pharmacological options are limited. Curcumin has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties; however, our preliminary research found that the analgesic efficiency of curcumin is not high in BCP. Consequently, curcumin analogs have emerged as a significant focus of our research. This study aimed to systematically investigate the analgesic effects of C16 in rats with BCP induced by MADB 106 breast cancer cells (MADB 106-induced BCP) and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. A range of experimental methods, including kinase profiling, transcriptome sequencing, behavioral tests, immunofluorescence, and biochemical analyses, were employed to comprehensively assess the role of C16 in the MADB 106-induced BCP model. The results indicated that C16 significantly alleviated bone cancer pain induced by Luciferin-MADB 106 cells (10ˆ6 cells) in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, kinase profiling and validation experiments identified CaMKIα in spinal dorsal horn neurons as the primary target of C16's analgesic effect on MADB 106-induced BCP. Continuous intrathecal administration of C16 markedly suppressed the expression of CREB and P-CREB and reduced the expression of neuroligin 2 in the spinal cords of BCP rats, thereby clarifying the mechanism of action of C16 in alleviating MADB 106-induced BCP. These findings suggest that C16 possesses significant therapeutic potential for mitigating MADB 106-induced BCP nociceptive hypersensitivity, providing a foundation for the future development of novel drugs targeting MADB 106-induced BCP. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Empathic Pain". [Display omitted] • 1. Intrathecal administration of C16 significantly relieves bone cancer pain in rats via targeting CaMKⅠα. • 2. Intrathecal administration of C16 notably improves pain-related negative emotions in rats with bone cancer pain. • 3. C16 alleviates bone cancer pain by modulating CREB/NLGN2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RET is a well-recognized drug target for cancer treatment. Despite the promising efficacy of selective second-generation RET inhibitors Selpercatinib and Pralsetinib, the clinical benefits have been compromised due to the quickly developed resistance to these drugs. RET G810 mutations at the solvent front site have been identified as the major on-target mutations contributing to resistance against Selpercatinib and Pralsetinib. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of next-generation RET inhibitors to overcome acquired solvent-front resistance mutations. In this study, a series of (E)-1-(4-(2-(1H-pyrazol-5-yl)vinyl)phenyl) derivatives have been identified as selective next-generation RET inhibitors. The representative compound, CQ1373 exhibits potent cellular potency with IC 50 values of 13.0, 25.7 and 28.4 nM against BaF3 cells expressing CCDC6-RET, CCDC6-RET-G810C and CCDC6-RET-G810R, respectively. A comprehensive selectivity profile across 89 kinases reveals that CQ1373 demonstrates good selectivity toward wild-type RET and solvent front mutants G810C/R with IC 50 values of 4.2, 7.1 and 32.4 nM, respectively. Furthermore, western blot analysis reveals that CQ1373 effectively inhibits RET phosphorylation and downstream signaling through SHC. It also induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in a dose-dependent manner in BaF3 cells harboring CCDC6-RET, CCDC6-RET-G810C and CCDC6-RET-G810R fusions. More significantly, CQ1373 exhibits promising in vivo anti-tumor efficacy in a CCDC6-RET-G810R mice xenograft model, highlighting its potentials for RET-driven cancers treatment. [Display omitted] • CQ1373 can overcome RET G810 mutations. • CQ1373 displayed high target selectivity. • CQ1373 demonstrated promising in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Designing a rectangular plate capacitance sensor for detecting multiple contaminants in oil. • This sensor not only has high sensitivity but also has high throughput, which is easy to realize online monitoring. • The frequency characteristics and signal characteristics of capacitance mode detection are studied through experiments. Wear particles are rich in information about the running state of mechanical equipment. Identifying wear particles is of great importance for monitoring and maintaining the safety and reliability of mechanical equipment. This paper investigated the characteristics of the micro planar capacitance sensor used for wear particle detection. The structural parameters of the micro planar capacitance sensor were optimized through finite element numerical simulation. The influences of excitation frequency and particle velocity on the sensor characteristics were studied through different experiments. The results show that when the excitation frequency is 1.8 MHz, and the particle velocity is 4 mm/s, the sensor has higher sensitivity for particle recognition. The relationship between the sensor signal pulse width and particle velocity is a power function. The sensor can distinguish and detect various metal and non-metallic particulate pollutants and recognize 78 μm iron particles and 165 μm copper particles. This study provides a new method for wear condition monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condition monitoring is an important guarantee to improve the reliability of mechanical equipment. Material information of debris can be used for fault location, but the distinction technology of debris material is a weakness in oil monitoring. A novel distinction method of metal debris material based on inductive sensor with multi-sensing units is proposed in this article. There are at least two sensing units with various amplitude-size curves, and the judgment result will be more accurate with the number of sensing units. Soft magnetic materials can change the trend of amplitude-size curves, which is beneficial to the construction of the required debris sensor. The experimental results show that this method can identify the debris information about the material and size based on data comparison. This method is of great significance for fault diagnosis of rotating and reciprocating machinery. [Display omitted] • A distinction method of metal debris material based on inductive sensor with multi-sensing units is proposed. • The sensor includes at least two sensing units with various amplitude-size curves for distinguishing debris material. • Soft magnetic materials can change the trend of amplitude-size curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil condition monitoring technology is a practical method for mechanical fault diagnosis, because oil contamination can directly reflect the lubrication and wear state. A comprehensive detection method based on integrated sensor consisting of an inductance-resistance sensing unit and a capacitance sensing unit is introduced in this article. Inductance parameter differentiates metallic debris, and the coil-based resistance parameter can detect smaller non-ferromagnetic metallic debris. Capacitance parameter is used to measure air bubbles and moisture, and the moisture measurement is not interfered by solid impurities. The simulation analysis showed that annular channel reduces the instability of inductive-resistive detection caused by position effect. The experimental results proved that the integrated inductive-resistive-capacitive sensor detects air bubbles, moisture, ferromagnetic debris and non-ferromagnetic debris by comparing multi-parameter signals. This method expands the detection range for oil contamination, and reduces the probability of incorrect particle counting and incorrect size measurement, which provides technical support for the intelligent operation and maintenance of mechanical equipment. [Display omitted] • A comprehensive detection method for multi-contaminants based on inductance-resistance-capacitance analysis is introduced. • This method reduces the probability of incorrect particle counting and incorrect size measurement. • Annular channel structure reduces the instability of inductive-resistive detection caused by position effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]