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Abstract Background Acute thrombotic events play a major role in various cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, direct thrombus imaging can be proved beneficial for early diagnosis and prompt therapy of thrombosis. Our study investigated targeted dual‐modality cyclic arginine‐glycine‐aspartic micro bubbles (cRGD‐MBs) for direct imaging of thrombi by fluorescence and ultrasound. Methods cRGD‐MBs were prepared by mechanical vibration and chemical chelation methods. Results Coulter counter analysis demonstrated that the cRGD‐MBs were well dispersed, with diameters ranging from 1 to 3 μm. They emitted bright red fluorescence under an excitation wavelength of 660 nm. In vivo fluorescence and ultrasound imaging revealed that cRGD‐MBs accumulated at the site of thrombus in the carotid artery with significant fluorescence and ultrasonic signal. Conclusions This study showed that novel microbubble cRGD‐MBs were successfully synthesized, and that these could potentially be used as contrast agents for immediate diagnosis of acute thrombus in vivo.

Abstract Background Peritoneal dialysis (PD) and conventional in‐center hemodialysis (HD) are treatment options for patients with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD). However, their impact on all‐cause mortality is unclear. Methods We conducted a multicenter, open‐label, randomized, non‐inferiority trial to determine the effect of dialysis modality on mortality in patients with ESKD. Eligible patients were recruited from 30 sites across China and assigned to receive either PD or HD in a ratio of 1:1. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality. Non‐inferiority was defined as the upper bound of the one‐sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for the hazard ratio (HR) being ≤1.25. Results A total of 414 patients with incident ESKD were randomly assigned to PD (n = 213) or HD (n = 201). During a median follow‐up of 1.7 years, 37 patients in the PD group and 31 in the HD group died, giving respective event rates per patient‐year of 0.061 and 0.071. The HR for mortality on PD in comparison with HD was 0.76 (95% CI 0.47–1.24) after adjustment for age, sex, and diabetes status, achieving the limit for non‐inferiority. There were more adverse events (p = 0.003), serious adverse events (p = 0.009), and adverse events leading to hospitalization (p = 0.003) in the PD group than in the HD group; however, there was no significant between‐group difference in adverse events leading to death or discontinuation of treatment. Conclusions PD was non‐inferior to conventional in‐center HD in terms of survival in patients with ESKD. Our findings underscore the need for shared decision‐making between physicians and patients regarding the selection of dialysis modality. Trial registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01413074).

Abstract Investigating the influencing factors of new‐onset hypertension in the elderly with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). 450 Chinese older patients with OSA who were non‐hypertensive at baseline were enrolled. All patients had undergone polysomnography monitoring in the multicenter study. The primary endpoint was incident hypertension. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were generated to determine the factors influencing new‐onset hypertension. A total of 176 (39.1%) patients developed hypertension. The hypertension group had older age, higher hemoglobin (Hb) level and apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI) values than the non‐hypertension group (all p

The shift towards green aviation necessitates the adoption of all-electric aircraft, marking an essential trend in the aviation industry. Distributed propulsion systems enhance aircraft flexibility and reliability, synchronously reducing performance demands and costs of single propulsion units compared to centralized propulsion system. The high reliability and lightweight characteristics of brushless DC motors have made them increasingly popular in distributed propulsion systems. Despite its advantage which helps to build efficient aircraft aerodynamic layout, there are more cables in the distributed propulsion system, which accounts for most of the weight of the aircraft. To address this, all-electric aircraft utilizes high-voltage power supply to reduce the current, so it uses SiC MOSFETs as power devices to improve its efficiency and heat dissipation. The speed controller in all-electric aircraft determines the efficiency and reliability of the propulsion unit. However, the traditional high-voltage speed controller poses challenges for aircraft maintenance because of high cost. Therefore, this paper emphasizes the significance of designing a low-cost, high-performance speed controller for all-electric aircraft. Challenges such as circuit interference, battery voltage fluctuation, and sampling noise affecting the high-voltage controller during operation are solved, respectively. First, to address the likelihood of mutual interference in the bridge arm, a self-bootstrapping voltage reduction drive mode is designed to turn off SiC MOSFET and enhance circuit anti-interference. Second, to solve the challenge of wide battery voltage fluctuation range and inconsistent controller output, an adaptive pulse width modulation (PWM) regulation mode for battery voltage is proposed, ensuring stable controller output. Finally, to counteract the impact of the comparator threshold on zero-crossing sampling, an electrical angle delay method based on delay compensation is designed to improve the efficiency of the brushless DC motor during operation. Experimental results show that the three solutions proposed in this paper are helpful to improve the anti-interference, stability, and efficiency of the controller in the high-voltage distributed electric propulsion system and contribute to reduce the cost and weight in the propulsion unit.

Abstract Background Although radiotherapy has improved local control in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), a considerable number of patients still experience relapse due to resistance. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of cetuximab on radiosensitivity in two ESCC cell lines (ECA109 and TE‐13) and to investigate their underlying mechanisms. Methods Cells were pretreated with or without cetuximab before irradiation. The MTT assay and clonogenic survival assay were performed to evaluate cell viability and radiosensitivity. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. The γH2AX foci were counted to determine cellular DNA‐repairing capacity via immunofluorescence assay. The phosphorylation of key molecules involved in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway and DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair were measured by western blot. Results Cetuximab alone was not sufficient to suppress cell viability, but significantly enhanced radiation‐induced inhibition of clonogenic survival in ECA109 and TE‐13. The radiation sensitivity enhancement ratio (SER) was 1.341 and 1.237 for ECA109 and TE‐13, respectively. ESCC cells treated with cetuximab were arrested at the G2/M phase in response to radiation. No significant increase in apoptotic rate was observed in irradiated cells that were treated with cetuximab. The average number of γH2AX foci increased in the combination group (cetuximab and radiation). Cetuximab suppressed phosphorylation of EGFR and downstream ERK, but had no significant effect on AKT. Conclusions These results indicate the potential for use of cetuximab as an effective radiosensitizer in ESCC. Cetuximab promotes G2/M cycle arrest and reduces DSB repair, as well as inhibiting EGFR and downstream ERK pathways in ESCC.

Abstract Background The sex‐specific associations between birth weight and the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) later in life remain controversial. This study aimed to examine the shape of the relationship between birth weight and the risk of CKD in men and women. Methods A total of 277,252 participants free of CKD at baseline from the United Kingdom Biobank (UKB) prospective cohort were included in the analysis. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the association between birth weight and the risk of incident CKD with adjustment for potential confounders. Results During a median follow‐up of 11.9 years, we identified 13,030 (4.7%) CKD cases. Compared with normal birth weight (2.5–4.0 kg), low birth weight (LBW, 4.0 kg) was associated with an 11% lower risk of CKD (HR: 0.89 [0.83–0.95]) in men but not in women (HR: 0.96 [0.89–1.04]) (p for interaction = 0.13). Furthermore, the LBW‐CKD association was stronger in obese (HR: 1.28 [1.18–1.39]) than in nonobese participants (HR: 1.16 [1.09–1.24], p for interaction = 0.03). Conclusions We found an L‐shaped relationship between birth weight and the risk of CKD in women but a linear shape in men. The LBW‐CKD association was mitigated to some extent by maintaining healthy body weight in adulthood. Our findings support the notion that the CKD risk should be managed from a lifecycle perspective.

Abstract Sepsis is one of the most common causes of death, which is closely related to the uncontrolled systemic inflammation. Dysregulation of M1 macrophage polarization is the primary contributor to serious inflammation. In this study, it is revealed that the murine homologue of circRNA SCAR (steatohepatitis‐associated circRNA ATP5B regulator), denoted as circRNA mSCAR hereafter, decreases in the macrophages of septic mice, which correlates with the excessive M1 polarization. To restore circRNA mSCAR in mitochondria, exosomes encapsulated with circRNA mSCAR are further electroporated with poly‐D‐lysine‐graft‐triphenylphosphine (TPP‐PDL), and thus TPP‐PDL facilitates the bound circRNA delivered into mitochondria when the exosomes engulf by the recipient cells. In in vivo septic mouse model and in vitro cell model, it is shown that the exosome‐based mitochondria delivery system delivers circRNA mSCAR into mitochondria preferentially in the macrophages, favoring macrophage polarization toward M2 subtype. Accordingly, the systemic inflammation is attenuated by exosome‐based mitochondrial delivery of circRNA mSCAR, together with alleviated mortality. Collectively, the results uncover the critical role of circRNA mSCAR in sepsis, and provide a promising approach to attenuate sepsis via exosome‐based mitochondrial delivery of circRNA mSCAR.

Abstract Aims/Introduction We aimed to explore the clinical factors associated with glycemic variability (GV) assessed with flash glucose monitoring (FGM), and investigate the impact of FGM on glycemic control among Chinese type 1 diabetes mellitus patients in a real‐life clinical setting. Materials and Methods A total of 171 patients were included. GV was assessed from FGM data. A total of 110 patients wore FGM continuously for 6 months (longitudinal cohort). Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting and 2‐h postprandial C‐peptide, and glucose profiles were collected. Changes in HbA1c and glycemic parameters were assessed during a 6‐month FGM period. Results Individuals with high residual C‐peptide (HRCP; 2‐h postprandial C‐peptide >200 pmol/L) had less GV than patients with low residual C‐peptide ( 2‐h postprandial C‐peptide ≤200 pmol/L; P

Objective. The study aimed to analyze the effect of fast-track surgery with pain care on the improvement of postoperative pain and the prevention of postoperative complications in perioperative spinal surgery patients. Methods. A total of 126 patients undergoing spinal surgery from January 2021 to September 2021 were chosen as the study population, and the patients were classified into the regular group, the FTS group, and the combined group by random grouping, with 42 cases in each group. Patients in the regular group used routine perioperative care in spine surgery, patients in the FTS group used the FTS care model, and patients in the combined group combined special pain care on the basis of the FTS group. We compared the numeric rating scale (NRS) and pain severity of patients in the three groups post-op, 30 min, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 24 h after surgery; we compared the time to get out of bed, length of stay, and occurrence of postoperative adverse effects in the three groups, compared the incidence of complications in the three groups, and compared the satisfaction of care in the three groups. Results. The NRS scores at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h post-op in the combined group and FTS group were lower than those in the regular group, and the NRS scores at 12 h and 24 h post-op in the combined group were lower than those in the FTS group (all P

Aims. Acute kidney injury (AKI) can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD), and macrophages play a key role in this process. The aim of this study was to discover the role of IκB kinase α (IKKα) in macrophages in the process of AKI-to-CKD transition. Main Methods. We crossed lyz2-Cre mice with IKKα-floxed mice to generate mice with IKKα ablation in macrophages (Mac IKKα-/-). A mouse renal ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) model was induced by clamping the renal artery for 45 minutes. Treated mice were evaluated for blood biochemistry, tissue histopathology, and fibrosis markers. Macrophages were isolated from the peritoneal cavity for coculturing with tubular epithelial cells (TECs) and flow cytometry analysis. Key Findings. We found that fibrosis and kidney function loss after IRI were significantly alleviated in Mac IKKα-/- mice compared with wild-type (WT) mice. The expression of fibrosis markers and the infiltration of M2 macrophages were decreased in the kidneys of Mac IKKα-/- mice after IRI. The in vitro experiment showed that the IRI TECs cocultured with IKKα-/- macrophages (KO MΦs) downregulated the fibrosis markers accompanied by a downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Significance. These data support the hypothesis that IKKα is involved in mediating macrophage polarization and increasing the expression of fibrosis-promoting inflammatory factors in macrophages. Therefore, knockdown of IKKα in macrophages may be a potential method that can be used to alleviate the AKI-to-CKD transition after IRI.

The effects of seawater and site conditions on the seismic response of the isolated continuous girder bridge are evaluated in this study. The seawater-muddy soil-isolated bridge coupling model is built in the dynamic analysis software ADINA, and the external seismic wave input is realized by the seismic wave motion analysis program. The influences of seawater and muddy soil on the seismic response of isolated continuous girder bridges are determined by comparing different offshore site models. The results indicated that the seawater and the muddy soil magnify the displacement of the seabed. The existence of seawater increases the longitudinal relative displacement of piers by 20%–40% but has limited influence on the bending moment and shear force of piers. The muddy soil can increase the longitudinal relative displacement and internal force of the piers remarkably. Moreover, the displacement of bridge bearings increases significantly under the combined influence of muddy soil and seawater. In the seawater-muddy soil-isolated bridge coupling model, the seawater and site condition can influence the seismic performance of sea-crossing bridges obviously.

The recent earthquakes have caused serious damage to Chinese rural houses. Research on the seismic performance and reinforcement for traditional rural houses is strongly needed. In this study, the seismic performance of traditional brick-wood structural houses in Jiangxi province and surrounding areas is analyzed and confirmed by site investigation and numerical simulation. And, the traditional constructions, such as the purlin roof and the cavity wall, are considered. These construction types can reduce the seismic behavior of rural houses, and limited research has been carried out. This study found that the structure will produce plastic deformation and local damage above 6-degree earthquake fortification action. The damage positions occurred in the walls close to purlins and the walls close to doors and windows. Given the above seismic safety problems, a reinforcement method of reinforced cement mortar strip and mesh surface is proposed, which is suitable for engineering applications for traditional rural houses. The seismic strengthening effect is analyzed by numerical simulation. Comparing the calculation results, it is found that the seismic performance of the structure after reinforcement is significantly enhanced, and the stress concentration of the walls is improved.

An axisymmetric model scramjet assisted with cavity flameholder is numerically investigated. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes simulation is carried out to reveal the fuel mixing and combustion characteristics. The simulation results show reasonable agreements with experimental data. The analysis indicates that the axisymmetric and rectangular scramjet has some similarities to the cavity shear layer in the nonreacting flow field. The configuration of the cavity shear layer changes hugely due to the significant chemical reaction and heat release in the reacting flow field. Typically, two more configurations with different cavity aft wall angles are compared with the experimental configuration to optimize the configuration of the cavity. When the cavity aft wall angle is small, the cavity shear layer bends to the cavity floor and more fuel enters into and stays in the cavity, which results in poor fuel mixing performance. With the increase of the aft wall angle, the fuel distributes more uniformly and the fuel mixing efficiency improves. In the reacting flow field, the volume of the cavity full of hot products and free radicals increases while the interaction between the cavity and main flow decreases with the increase of the aft wall angle. The improved combustion efficiency shows that larger cavity volume weighs more than reduced interaction between the cavity and main flow. The combustion is more violent in the case with a larger aft wall angle. Therefore, a proper increase of the aft wall angle is beneficial to the performance of cavity-assisted axisymmetric scramjet when designing the cavity flameholder.

Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) is an ingredient of the extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis, which has documented a wide spectrum of anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities, including inhibiting regulatory T cells, regulating effector T cell functions, and mediating macrophage immunity. However, the potential effect of Wogonin on B cells has not been fully understood. Here, our results showed that Wogonin inhibited IL-10 secretion in B cells. When purified B cells were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, the amount of IL-10 production in supernatant was decreased by Wogonin significantly. The protective role of B cells on dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colitis was alleviated after exposure to Wogonin. Furthermore, administration of Wogonin on LPS-treated B cells suppressed phosphorylation of STAT3 and ERK, but not AKT. Interestingly, among those IL-10 signaling-associated transcription factors, mRNA and protein levels of Hif-1α were specifically decreased by Wogonin. Overall, our study indicates that Wogonin suppresses potentially IL-10 production in B cells via inhibition of the STAT3 and ERK signaling pathway as well as inhibition of mRNA and protein levels of the transcription factor Hif-1α. These results provide novel and potential molecular targets of Wogonin in B cells and help us further understand its mechanism of action, which could potentially improve its clinical application in the future.

Tests on twelve circular concrete-filled steel tube stub columns with mixed red mud and three circular concrete-filled steel tube stub columns to investigate the influence of the mixed proportion of red mud on the mechanical behavior of axial compressive circular concrete-filled steel tube stub columns are reported. It is found that with the increase of red mud content, the ultimate load increases first and then decreases; on the contrary, the ultimate displacement decreases first and then increases; the specimen stress reaches the proportion limitation as the steel tube longitudinal strain is around 160 με and reaches the yield limitation as the steel tubes’ longitudinal strain is around 4400∼5000 με. The axial compressive bearing capacity empirical formulation of concrete-filled steel tubes stub columns mixed with red mud is proposed. The theoretical calculation results agree well with those experimental data.

Background. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the best available reperfusion strategy in patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). However, PCI is associated with a serious problem known as no-reflow phenomenon, resulting in poor clinical and functional outcomes. This study aimed to compare the influences of different balloon deflation velocity on coronary flow and cardiovascular events during primary PCI in STEM as well as transient hemodynamic changes in in vitro experiments. Method and Results. 211 STEMI patients were randomly assigned to either a rapid or a slow balloon deflation group during stent deployment. The primary end point was coronary flow at the end of PCI procedure, and secondary end points included myocardial infarct size. Transient hemodynamic changes were evaluated through an in vitro experimental apparatus and a computer model. In clinical practice, the level of corrected TIMI frame count (cTFC) in slow balloon deflation after primary PCI was significantly lower than that of rapid balloon deflation, which was associated with smaller infarct size. Numerical simulations revealed that the rapid deflation led to a sharp acceleration of flow in the balloon-vessel gap and a concomitant abnormal rise in wall shear stress (WSS). Conclusion. This randomized study demonstrated that the slow balloon deflation during stent implantation improved coronary flow and reduced infarct size in reperfused STEMI. The change of flow in the balloon-vessel gap and WSS resulted from different balloon deflation velocity might be partly accounted for this results.

The toxic inert ingredients in pesticide formulations are strictly regulated in many countries. In this paper, a simple and efficient headspace-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HSGC-MS) method using fluorobenzene as an internal standard (IS) for rapid simultaneous determination of benzene and toluene in pesticide emulsifiable concentrate (EC) was established. The headspace and GC-MS conditions were investigated and developed. A nonpolar fused silica Rtx-5 capillary column (30 m×0.20 mm i.d. and 0.25 μm film thickness) with temperature programming was used. Under optimized headspace conditions, equilibration temperature of 120°C, equilibration time of 5 min, and sample size of 50 μL, the regression of the peak area ratios of benzene and toluene to IS on the concentrations of analytes fitted a linear relationship well at the concentration levels ranging from 3.2 g/L to 16.0 g/L. Standard additions of benzene and toluene to blank different matrix solutions 1ead to recoveries of 100.1%–109.5% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.3%–8.1%. The method presented here stands out as simple and easily applicable, which provides a way for the determination of toxic volatile adjuvant in liquid pesticide formulations.