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Global warming, climate change, and ever-increasing energy demand are among the pressing challenges currently facing humanity. Particularly, indoor air conditioning, a major source of energy consumption, requires immediate improvement to prevent energy crises. In this study, various airfoil profiles were applied to create a window-type convection device that entrains air to improve convection between indoor and outdoor airflows and adjust the indoor temperature. How the geometric structure of the convection device affects its air entrainment performance was investigated on the basis of various airfoil profiles and outlet slit sizes of the airflow multiplier. The airfoil profiles were designed according to the 4-digit series developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The results revealed that airfoil thickness, airfoil camber, and air outlet slit size affected the mass flow rate of the convection device. Overall, the mass flow rate at the outlet of the convection device was more than 10 times greater than at the inlet, demonstrating the potential of the device to improve air convection. To validate these simulated results, the wind-deflector plate was processed using the NACA4424 airfoil with a 1.2 mm slit, and various operating voltages were applied to the convection device to measure the resulting wind speeds and calculate the corresponding mass flow rates. The experimental and simulated results were similar, with a mean error of

Background: The Montreal classification defines L4 Crohn’s disease (CD) as any disease location proximal to the terminal ileum, which anatomically includes L4-esophagogastroduodenal (EGD), L4-jejunal, and L4-proximal ileal involvement. L4-jejunal disease was established to be associated with poor prognosis. However, the outcome of patients with L4-proximal ileal disease or L4-EGD remains to be clarified. Our study aimed to investigate whether the outcome differs among CD patients with L4-EGD, L4-jejunal, and L4-proximal ileal disease. Methods: In our retrospective cohort study, 483 patients with confirmed CD were included. The primary outcome was intestinal surgery. Demographic features and outcomes were compared among L4-EGD, L4-jejunal, and L4-proximal ileal disease. Results: Thirty-nine (8.1%) patients had isolated L4 disease, whereas 146 patients had L4 as well as concomitant L1, L2, or L3 disease. During a median follow up of 5.8 years, L4 patients were more likely to have intestinal surgeries compared to non-L4 patients (31% versus 16%, p < 0.001). The percentage of L4-jejunal patients who underwent surgery was higher than that of L4-proximal ileal (66% versus 28%, p < 0.001), and both of these subtypes of L4 were at higher risk for intestinal resection compared to L4-EGD patients (66% and 28% versus 9%, respectively, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05). On multi-variable analysis, L4-jejunal (HR 3.08; 95% CI 1.30–7.31) and L4-proximal ileal disease (HR 1.83; 95% CI 1.07–3.15) were independent predictors for intestinal resection. Conclusions: L4 disease had worse prognosis compared to non-L4 disease. Within L4 disease, phenotype of L4-jejunal and L4-proximal ileal disease indicated higher risk for intestinal surgery. It might be justified to further characterize the L4 phenotype of the Montreal classification into three specific subgroups including L4-EGD, L4-jejunal, and L4-proximal ileal disease, similar to the Paris classification of pediatric patients.

Ten-eleven translocation-2 (TET2) protein is a DNA demethylase that regulates gene expression through DNA demethylation and also plays important roles in various diseases including atherosclerosis. Endothelial dysfunction represents an early key event in atherosclerotic disease. The cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE)/hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a key endogenous system with protective effects on endothelial functions. In this study, we examined how TET2 regulates oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced dysfunction of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and determined the role of the CSE/H2S system. Treatment with oxLDL resulted in downregulation of both TET2 expression and CSE/H2S system in HUVECs. TET2 was found to have protective effects on oxLDL-induced HUVEC dysfunction, which was confirmed with TET2 overexpression plasmid or TET2 shRNA plasmid. Moreover, TET2 was found to upregulate the CSE/H2S system and inhibit NF-κB activation, leading to decreased expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 and attenuated adhesion of THP-1 cells to oxLDL-activated HUVECs. The protective effect of TET2 was reduced by treatment with CSE siRNA. Further studies revealed that CSE promoter region contains a well-defined CpG island. We also showed that TET2 enhanced 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) level and promoted DNA demethylation of CSE gene promoter, leading to an increase in CSE expression. In conclusion, TET2 has protective effects on oxLDL-induced HUVEC dysfunction, likely through upregulating the CSE/H2S system by DNA demethylation of CSE gene promoter. TET2 may become a novel therapeutic target for endothelial dysfunction-associated vascular diseases.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the developmental potential of single blastomeres that were obtained from 4-cell mice embryos that were split during the blastocyst stage. Materials and Methods: Imprinting Control Region (ICR) mice (age: 6–8 weeks), were superovulated and mated with a single fertile male of the same strain. We obtained 2-cell embryos that were then cultured in 4 groups (×4) with Human tubal fluid (HTF) supplemented with 12% fetal bovine serum. When these embryos reached the 4-cell stage, their zonae pellucidae were removed and every single blastomere was isolated by repeated pipetting with Ca/Mg2+-free medium. The isolated blastomeres (study group) and the intact embryos (control group) were then cultured to determine the blastocyst formation rate and quality. Results: We collected a total of 936 embryos from 524 morphologically intact, top-grade embryos in the 4-cell stage from 80 stimulated mice. We used 356 of these embryos to isolate the blastomeres. The remaining 168 embryos were cultured as controls. A total of 1312 single blastomeres were obtained and cultured in vitro. Among these, 620 blastocysts were harvested from the original embryos compared with 136 blastocysts that were harvested from the control group. The overall blastocyst formation rate was 174.2% (620 blastocysts from 356 embryos) for the study group compared with 81.5% (136 blastocysts from 168 embryos) for the control group. The study group was 43.3% (268 of 620) top-grade blastocysts compared with 91% (152 of 168) of the control group. Taken together, the percentage of top-grade blastocysts obtained per original embryo in the split group was 75.4% (174.2%×43.3%) compared with 74.2% (81.5%×91%) for the control group. Conclusions: Embryo splitting can increase the number of blastocysts. However, the percentage of available top-grade blastocysts is the same compared with nonsplit embryos. Embryo splitting may not be a cost-effective technique for the generation of high-quality mouse blastocysts.

Objective: Simultaneous mifepristone 200 mg and vaginal misoprostol 800 μg produces a complete abortion rate of approximately 90% at up to 63 days of gestation. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of concurrent administration of mifepristone 200 mg and vaginal misoprostol 600 μg with respect to early medical abortion. Materials and Methods: A total of 254 women with undesired pregnancies of less than 49 days of gestation were enrolled. All women received oral mifepristone 200 mg and vaginal misoprostol 600 μg concurrently. Follow-up assessment by transvaginal ultrasonography was performed 3 days and 2 weeks after treatment. Results: Efficacy outcome was analyzed for 242 women (95.3%) after excluding 12 individuals lost to follow-up. The complete abortion rate was 92.6%. The mean induction to abortion interval was about 5.8 hours. The mean bleeding duration was about 12.6 days. The women indicated that the side effects were tolerable and 90% of them said that their experience was satisfactory. Conclusion: Concurrent administration of oral mifepristone 200 mg and vaginal misoprostol 600 μg is an efficacious regimen for medical abortion of pregnancies up to 49 days of gestation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify an optimal stimulation protocol for intrauterine insemination (IUI) to obtain an acceptable pregnancy rate and low frequency of multiple pregnancies. Materials and Methods: In total, 340 patients, who received intrauterine insemination because of ovulation dysfunction, were enrolled in this study. Group I consisted of 203 patients who received recombinant FSH (r-FSH) 150 U every other day as an ovulation induction agent. Group II consisted of 137 patients who received r-FSH 100 U every other day as an ovulation induction agent. All patients in both groups also received clomiphene citrate 100 mg/day for consecutive five days from the fifth day of the cycle. Only patients with at least two follicles >18 mm on the human chorionic gonadotropin injection days were included in this study. Results: The clinical pregnancy rate was 14.8% (30/203) in Group I compared with 20.4% (28/137) in Group II, p > 0.05. The incidence of multiple pregnancy was 41.7% (10/24) in Group I compared with 12.5% (3/24) in Group II, p

An early Paleozoic ophiolitic mélange has recently been documented in the west Gangma Co area, north-central Tibetan Plateau. It is composed of serpentinite, isotropic and cumulate gabbros, basalt, and plagiogranite. Whole-rock geochemical data suggest that these rocks were formed in an oceanic-ridge setting, and the depletion in Nb and Ti indicates their suprasubduction zone nature. Furthermore, whole-rock εNd(t) (+3.5 to +10.6) and zircon εHf(t) values (+11.4 to +14.5) suggest that these rocks were derived from a long-term depleted mantle source. These geochemical features, combined with the rock types and their field relationships, suggest the rocks represent an ophiolite suite. Zircon U-Pb dating of isotropic gabbros and plagiogranites yielded weighted mean ages ranging from 437 to 501 Ma, which makes the west Gangma Co ophiolitic mélange the oldest Paleo-Tethys ophiolitic mélange in the Tibetan Plateau. The main Paleo-Tethys Ocean basin probably opened in the Middle Cambrian; it continued to grow throughout the Paleozoic and closed in the later Triassic. The Paleo-Tethys Ocean was formed by the breakup of the northern margin of Gondwana, with southward subduction of the proto-Tethys oceanic lithosphere along the northern margin of the supercontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periodic stripe patterns are ubiquitous in living organisms, yet the underlying developmental processes are complex and difficult to disentangle. We describe a synthetic genetic circuit that couples cell density and motility. This system enabled programmed Escherichia coli cells to form periodic stripes of high and low cell densities sequentially and autonomously. Theoretical and experimental analyses reveal that the spatial structure arises from a recurrent aggregation process at the front of the continuously expanding cell population. The number of stripes formed could be tuned by modulating the basal expression of a single gene. The results establish motility control as a simple route to establishing recurrent structures without requiring an extrinsic pacemaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy flows in biomolecular motors and machines are vital to their function. Yet experimental observations are often limited to a small subset of variables that participate in energy transport and dissipation. Here we show, through a solvable Langevin model, that the seemingly hidden entropy production is measurable through the violation spectrum of the fluctuation-response relation of a slow observable. For general Markov systems with time scale separation, we prove that the violation spectrum exhibits a characteristic plateau in the intermediate frequency region. Despite its vanishing height, the plateau can account for energy dissipation over a broad time scale. Our findings suggest a general possibility to probe hidden entropy production in nanosystems without direct observation of fast variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium is considered a candidate low-temperature solder because of its low melting temperature and excellent mechanical properties. However, the solid-state microstructure evolution of In with different substrates has rarely been studied due to the softness of In. To overcome this difficulty, cryogenic broad Ar + beam ion polishing was used to produce an artifact-free Cu/In interface for observation. In this study, we accomplished phase identification and microstructure investigation at the Cu/In interface after long-term thermal aging. CuIn 2 was observed to grow at the Cu/In interface and proved to be a stable phase in the Cu-In binary system. The peritectoid temperature of the Cu 11 In 9 + In → CuIn 2 reaction was confirmed to be between 100 and 120 °C. In addition, the growth rate of CuIn 2 was discovered to be dominated by the curvature of the reactant Cu 11 In 9 /In phase and the temperature difference with the peritectoid temperature. Finally, a comprehensive microstructural evolution mechanism of the Cu/In solid-state interfacial reaction was proposed.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are rare non-Hodgkin lymphomas consisting of heterogeneous disease entities. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing photosensitizers irradiated with a specific wavelength of light in the presence of oxygen exerts promising anti-tumor effects on non-melanoma skin cancer, yet its application in primary cutaneous lymphomas remains less recognized. Despite many in vitro data showing PDT could effectively kill lymphoma cells, clinical evidence of PDT against primary cutaneous lymphomas is limited. Recently, a phase 3 "FLASH" randomized clinical trial demonstrated the efficacy of topical hypericin PDT for early-stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. An update on recent advances of photodynamic therapy in primary cutaneous lymphomas is provided.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a heterogeneous group of rare inherited blistering skin disorders characterized by skin fragility following minor trauma, usually present since birth. EB can be categorized into four classical subtypes, EB simplex, junctional EB, dystrophic EB and Kindler EB, distinguished on clinical features, plane of blister formation in the skin, and molecular pathology. Treatment for EB is mostly supportive, focusing on wound care and patient symptoms such as itch or pain. However, therapeutic advances have also been made in targeting the primary genetic abnormalities as well as the secondary inflammatory footprint of EB. Pre-clinical or clinical testing of gene therapies (gene replacement, gene editing, RNA-based therapy, natural gene therapy), cell-based therapies (fibroblasts, bone marrow transplantation, mesenchymal stromal cells, induced pluripotential stem cells), recombinant protein therapies, and small molecule and drug repurposing approaches, have generated new hope for better patient care. In this article, we review advances in translational research that are impacting on the quality of life for people living with different forms of EB and which offer hope for improved clinical management., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Although xenografts are one of the most attractive strategies for overcoming the shortage of organ donors, cellular rejection by macrophages is a substantial impediment to this procedure. It is well known that macrophages mediate robust immune responses in xenografts. Macrophages also express various inhibitory receptors that regulate their immunological function. Recent studies have shown that the overexpression of inhibitory ligands on porcine target cells results in the phosphorylation of tyrosine residues on intracellular immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs on macrophages, leading to the suppression of xenogenic rejection by macrophages. It has also been reported that myeloid-derived suppressor cells, a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells, suppress not only NK and cytotoxic T lymphocyte cytotoxicity but also macrophage-mediated cytotoxicity. This review is focused on the recent findings regarding strategies for inhibiting xenogenic rejection by macrophages.

Objective: To investigate the role of the application of role-play in endodontic study in improving the communication skills of Chinese dental undergraduates prior to their direct interactions with patients at the Fourth Military Medical University’s School of Stomatology, China. Methods: Students were recruited from the 5-year bachelor’s programme (n = 36) and randomly divided into six groups, and from the 8-year DDS programme (n = 10) and randomly divided into two groups to participate in the role-play training. Cases selected randomly from the case pool were distributed to the groups. The teacher gave an outline of the roles in the simulation. Each member of each group randomly selected their own role for the role-play. Four types of surveys were distributed to students and faculty members at different points after the role-plays had taken place, to evaluate their attitude towards the use of role-plays in endodontic study. Frequency analysis and a one sample t test were used to describe and analyse students’ acceptance of role-play as a teaching technique. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Students’ performance and satisfaction as well as the supporting faculty responses were very favourable towards role-playing. In total, 93.5% of students responded favourably to the role-play, answering ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ to the positive statements about their role-play performance. A total of 95.1% of students stated that they had benefited psychologically and technically from the role-play (‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’) after their 1-year rotating internship. Conclusion: The application of role-play in endodontic study is an effective way of educating Chinese dental undergraduates and can be beneficial for their transition from students to dentists.

Purpose: To generate the transgenic mouse model of DSP and perform transgene expression analysis by RT-PCR., Methods: Plasmid pcDNA3.1-CX was constructed by substituting promoter cbeta-actin for CMV promoter of pcDNA3.1, and the ultimate transgenic vector, pcDNA3.1-CX-dsp, was constructed by cloning DSP coding sequence into pcDNA3.1-CX. The pcDNA3.1-CX-dsp plasmid was linearized and microinjected into the male pronucleus of the zygotes. The tail DNA of pups was tested by PCR and Southern blot. A member of F1 generation of one positive mouse was used to perform transgene expression analysis by RT-PCR., Results: 717 embryos were implanted to 29 recipient pseudopregnant mice, 4 of the 67 pups carrying the transgene. Expression of DSP was detected in a member of F1 generation of one positive mouse by RT-PCR., Conclusion: Founders of the DSP transgenic mouse were obtained successfully, and the expression of DSP was primarily confirmed.

Purpose: To establish a transgenic mouse founders in which the expression of LacZ was directed by a dentin sialophosphoprotein-specific promoter., Methods: The DSPP-specific promoter was obtained by PCR and confirmed by sequencing, and the transgenic plasmid, pTN-DPM-LacZ, was constructed by subcloning the DSPP-specific promoter and LacZ-encoding sequence into one vector. The linearized transgenic plasmid was microinjected into the male pronucleus of the zygotes, and the microinjected zygotes were implanted to recipient pseudopregnant mice. The tail DNA of 4 week-pups was tested by PCR., Results: 503 embryos were implanted to 20 recipient pseudopregnant mice, 12 of the 89 pups carrying the transgene. The establishment of the dspp-LacZ transgenic mouse line is under progress., Conclusion: 12 founders of the dspp-LacZ transgenic mice, in which the expression profile of LacZ should be the same as that of DSPP, were obtained by microinjection successfully, and the mouse line which is being established could be used as a good tool to investigate the exact expression profile of DSPP in the future.