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Objective: This study explored the effects of sevoflurane exposure during different stages of pregnancy on the brain development of offspring. Methods: Thirty-six pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, sevoflurane exposure in early (S1) pregnancy, sevoflurane exposure in middle (S2) pregnancy, and sevoflurane exposure in late (S3) pregnancy. After natural birth, the learning and memory capacity of offspring rats was analyzed using the Morris water maze experiment. The hippocampi of offspring rats were collected. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the hippocampus were measured by ELISA. Additionally, the Nissl bodies in the hippocampus were analyzed using Nissl staining. Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of BDNF and CPEB2 in the hippocampus of offspring. Proteins related to the NR4A1/NF-κB pathway were analyzed using western blotting. Results: The memory and learning capacity of offspring rats was significantly reduced in the S1 and S2 groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05), while there was no obvious difference between the control and S3 groups (p > 0.05). The level of IL-1β was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the S1 group compared with the control group. Sevoflurane anesthesia received in early and middle pregnancy could significantly affect the formation of Nissl bodies in the hippocampi of offspring rats. In addition, the expression of BDNF and CPEB2 in the hippocampi of offspring rats was greatly decreased in the S1 group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The expression of NR4A1 in the hippocampi of rat offspring was significantly decreased in the S1 and S2 groups compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The expression of proteins related to the NF-κB pathway was increased in the S1 group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The neurotoxic effect of maternal sevoflurane anesthesia on the brain development of offspring is higher when the exposure occurs in early pregnancy than in late pregnancy, and its mechanism might involve the NR4A1/NF-κB pathway to increase the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solubilities in the quaternary system K+, NH4+//Cl−, SO42--H2O and its two ternary subsystems NH4Cl-KCl-H2O, (NH4)2SO4-K2SO4-H2O at 80.0 °C were measured using the isothermal dissolution equilibrium method under atmospheric pressure, and the corresponding phase diagrams were plotted. In the phase diagram of the NH4Cl-KCl-H2O system, there are three crystalline zones, which correspond to (K1−m,(NH4)m)Cl, ((NH4)n,K1−n)Cl and the co-existence zone of (K1−m,(NH4)m)Cl and ((NH4)n,K1−n)Cl, respectively. In the phase diagram of the (NH4)2SO4-K2SO4-H2O system, there is only one crystalline zone for (K1−t,(NH4)t)2SO4. In the phase diagram of the K+, NH4+//Cl−, SO42--H2O system, there are three crystal zones, which correspond to (K1−t,(NH4)t)2SO4, (K1−m,(NH4)m)Cl and ((NH4)n,K1−n)Cl, respectively. According to the analysis and the calculations for the phase diagrams of the K+, NH4+//Cl−, SO42--H2O system at 80.0 °C and 50.0 °C, this paper proposes a technological process. In the process, the (K1−t,(NH4)t)2SO4 can be prepared at 80.0 °C and the ((NH4)n,K1−n)Cl can crystallize out at 50.0 °C. The mass fraction of K2SO4 in product L1 (K1−t,(NH4)t)2SO4 (t = 0.1465) is 88.48%. The composition of solid solutions in the K+, NH4+//Cl−, SO42--H2O system was experimentally determined and then theoretical calculations about the process can be carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a literature review focused on the material performance of cold-formed, carbon steel, hollow structural sections under impulsive (highly dynamic) loading. Impulsive loading, represented by impact and blast, is characterized by a very rapid, time-dependent loading regime in the affected members and materials. Thus, the effect of high-strain-rate loading is initially reviewed. Next the material toughness, an important energy-absorption property and one measure of a material's ability to arrest fracture, is considered by means of studying the Charpy V-notch behavior. The response of hollow sections under axial and lateral impact loading is then reviewed. Studies of blast on hollow sections, most of which fall under the categories of contact/near-field loading or far-field loading are presented. Under large-scale field blast experiments, cold-formed hollow sections have shown excellent behavior. Software for modeling blast loading and structural response, the latter including single degree of freedom analysis and explicit finite element analysis, is described and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural equipments, such as linkage graders, haymakers, swing-ploughs, bale handlers and road transport equipments, such as road trailers, traffic sign supports and lighting poles are manufactured using welded thin-walled ( t < 4 mm) hollow section connections. There are currently no fatigue design rules for nodal joints made up of thicknesses less than 4 mm in existing fatigue design standards such as CIDECT Design Guide No.8. Previous research on welded thin-walled joints covered plate-to-SHS (square hollow section) and SHS-to-SHS T-joints. This paper describes fatigue tests on T-joints made up of thin-walled ( t < 4 mm) SHS chords and circular hollow section (CHS) braces, namely CHS-SHS T-joints. The joints were tested under constant stress amplitude cyclic in-plane bending in the brace. In all the 18 CHS-SHS T-joints tested, chord-tension-side failure mode was observed. Using the experimental stress concentration factors (SCFs) obtained through stress distribution measurement at weld toes in the chord and SCFs from existing parametric equations, fatigue design recommendations are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solute carrier family 27 (SLC27, also known as fatty acid transport proteins [FATPs]) plays important biological roles in cells. However, there is no report about the expression profile of SLC27 member in chicken. In this study, we quantified the expression of SLC27A1 ( FATP1) mRNA in a mountainous black-boned chicken breed (MB) and a commercial meat type chicken breed (S01), to discern the tissue and age-related specific expression pattern and their potential involvement in fat deposition and muscle fatty acid metabolism. Real-time quantitative PCR assays were developed for accurate measurement of SLC27A1 mRNA levels in different tissues from chicken with different ages (0-12 weeks). Expression of SLC27A1 mRNA was detected in all tissues examined. There was a significantly age-related change of the SLC27A1 mRNAs in heart, breast muscle (BMW), leg muscle (LMW), liver, and abdominal fat (AF) tissues ( P < 0.05). The breast muscle and leg muscle tissues had the highest expression of SLC27A1 mRNA than the other tissues from the same individual at 0, 2 and 4 weeks. The overall SLC27A1 mRNA level exhibited a 'rise-decline' developmental change in all tissues except for breast muscle, subcutaneous fat, and brain. The S01 chicken had a higher expression of the SLC27A1 mRNA in breast muscle, subcutaneous fat, and heart tissues than the MB chicken. Our results showed that the expression of SLC27A1 mRNA in chicken tissues exhibits specific developmental changes and age-related patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to detect the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the chicken FATP1 gene and discern the potential association between FATP1 SNPs and chicken carcass traits. A total of 620 meat-type quality chickens from six commercial pure lines (S01, S02, S03, S05, S06 and D99) and two cross lines (S05 × S01 and S06 × S01) were screened by using the single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis (SSCP) and DNA sequencing. Five SNPs [g.49360G > A, g.48195G > A, g.46847A > G, g.46818A > G, and g.46555A > G] were identified in chicken FATP1 gene. SNP g.46818 A > G was a rare variant and was not considered in the subsequent analysis. Sixteen haplotypes were reconstructed on the basis of the other four SNPs. The linear regression model analysis indicated that there were significant associations of certain diplotypes with part of carcass traits, such as live weight (LW), carcass weight (CW), and semi-eviscerated weight (SEW) ( P < 0.05). In particular, diplotype H2H4 had a negative effect on LW, CW, SEW, and abdominal fat weight (AW); diplotype H6H10 had the highest reducing effect on subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT). Our results suggested that FATP1gene polymorphisms were associated with chicken carcass traits or was linked with the major gene. The SNPs in this gene may be utilized as potential markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS) during chicken breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the findings of a comparative study on the effect of Chinese medicine Shugan Shuru Granule on pathology and p53 gene expression in patients with hyperplastic disease of breast (HDB), conducted by Wang Cheng-xin, Huang Xuan et al. Existence of bulky strip and granular lump with unclear bound are some of the clinical manifestations of patients with HDB. The rank-sum test was adopted for the statistical analysis of the study. HDB is closely related with endocrine functional disturbance and ovarian function disorder.

Tube-to-plate nodal joints under cyclic bending are widely used in the road transport and agricultural industry. The square hollow sections (SHS) used in these constructions are thin-walled and cold formed, and they have thicknesses of less than 4 mm. Some fatigue failures have been observed. The weld undercut may affect the fatigue life of welded tubular joints especially for thin-walled sections. The undercut dimensions were measured using the silicon imprint technique. Modelling of thin-walled cruciform joints, as a simplification of welded tubular joints, is described in this paper to determine the effect of weld undercut on fatigue propagation life. The Boundary Element Analysis System Software (BEASY) is used. The results of the effect of weld toe undercut from this analysis are compared with results from previous research to determine the comparative reduction in fatigue life between thin-walled joints ( T=3 mm) and those made of thicker sections ( T=20 mm). The loss in fatigue strength of the thin-walled joints is found to be relatively more than that for thicker walled joints. A 3D model of a tube to plate T-joint is also modelled using the boundary element software, BEASY. The nodal joint consists of a square hollow section, 50×50×3 SHS, fillet welded to a 10-mm thick plate, and subjected to cyclic bending stress. Fatigue analyses are carried out and the results are compared with the only available S–N design curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]