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Practical teaching is the core teaching link of applied undergraduate colleges and bears the main task of cultivating applied talents. This thesis deeply explored the impact of cross-border e-commerce on international trade, constructed practice talent training system based on cross-border e-commerce, based on theoretical analysis and practical research, it proposed comprehensive VR practice platform and operating suggestions for implementation. The research is beneficial for undergraduates to improve their practical abilities in international trade field.

Background Prenatal anxiety has been a significant public health issue globally, leading to adverse health outcomes for mothers and children. The study aimed to evaluate the sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP), and anxiety level of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in Wuhan and investigate the influencing factors for prenatal anxiety in this specific context. Methods Pregnant subjects’ KAP towards COVID-19 and their sociodemographics and pregnancy information were collected using questionnaires. The Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used to assess anxiety status. Factors associated with the level of prenatal anxiety were analyzed by Pearson’s chi-square test and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Results The prenatal anxiety prevalence in this population was 20.8%. The mean score of knowledge was 13.2 ± 1.1 on a 0 ~ 14 scale. The attitudes and practices data showed that 580/ 817 (71.0%) were very concerned about the news of COVID-19, 455/817 (55.7%) considered the official media to be the most reliable information source for COVID-19, and 681/817 (83.4%) were anxious about the possibility of being infected by COVID-19. However, only 83/817 (10.2%) worried about contracting COVID-19 infection through the ultrasound transducer during a routing morphology scan. About two-thirds 528/817 (64.6%) delayed or canceled the antenatal visits. Approximately half of them 410/817 (50.2%) used two kinds of personal protection equipments (PPEs) during hospital visits. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the influential factors for prenatal anxiety included previous children in the family, knowledge score, media trust, worry of contracting the COVID-19 infection and worry about getting infected with COVID-19 from the ultrasound probe antenatal care (ANC) schedule. Conclusion Prenatal anxiety was prevalent among pregnant women in Wuhan during the outbreak of COVID-19. The current findings identified factors associated with the level of prenatal anxiety that could be targeted for psychological care.

BackgroundThe association of myocardial bridge (MB) with cardiovascular risk and the possible cardiovascular risk factors remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics and related factors of coronary stenosis proximal to an MB.MethodsThis was a retrospective study of patients with symptoms of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease admitted between 10/2011 and 12/2014 to the Emergency and Cardiology Department of Bayannur Hospital, who underwent selective coronary angiography (SCAG). The patients were assigned to the non-stenosis and stenosis groups according to whether coronary stenosis was proximal to the MB.ResultsAmong 244 patients with MB and cardiovascular symptoms, 91 (37.3%) had stenosis proximal to the MB. Compared with the non-stenosis group, there were more males (80.2% vs. 55.6%,P P P = 0.002), which was then considered an independent factor associated with coronary stenosis proximal to the MB.ConclusionsIn patients diagnosed with an MB by SCAG, only MB located in the middle distal or distal segment of the LAD is independently associated with coronary stenosis proximal to the MB.

The early prediction of renal outcomes in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) remains challenging. The present retrospective study evaluated patients with iMN confirmed by renal biopsy. An optimized Cox regression model and a nomogram were constructed for the early prediction of renal outcomes. A total of 141 patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated in the present study. In total 18 (12.8%) patients eventually progressed to the endpoint, 6 of whom developed end-stage renal disease, and one patient died during follow-up. The optimized model demonstrated that 24-h proteinuria [hazard ratio (HR) 1.24; 95% CI, 1.10-1.40; P-value

Nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) is the major cell type maintaining the physiological function of intervertebral discs by producing extracellular matrix (ECM). NPC apoptosis and senescence together contribute to NPC loss, finally leading to intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). Herein, miR-623 showed to be downregulated within IDD tissue samples according to both bioinformatics and experimental analyses. In LPS-injured NPCs, miR-623 overexpression promoted LPS-suppressed cell proliferation; moreover, miR-623 overexpression inhibited cell apoptosis and senescence, increased ECM secretion, and reduced levels of inflammatory factors. In contrast to miR-623, CXCL12 expression was significantly upregulated in IDD tissues; miR-623 directly bound CXCL12 to inhibit its expression. In LPS-stimulated NPCs, CXCL12 silencing also LPS-induced changes in cell proliferation, cell senescence, ECM secretion, and inflammatory factor levels. More importantly, CXCL12 overexpression aggravated LPS-induced changes and significantly reversed the protective effects of miR-623 overexpression. In conclusion, the miR-623/CXCL12 axis could affect NPC apoptosis and senescence, ECM deposition, and inflammatory factor levels under LPS stimulation in vitro. The p65 signaling might be involved.

Cisplatin and other platinum-based compounds are frequently used to treat breast cancer, but their utility is severely compromised by drug resistance. Many genes dictating drug responsiveness are subject to pre-mRNA alternative splicing which is regulated by key kinases such as the serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1). However, its contribution to drug resistance remains controversial. In this study, we have identified that Tip60-mediated acetylation of SRPK1 is closely associated with chemotherapy sensitivity. In breast cancer cells, cisplatin induced SRPK1 acetylation but in the corresponding resistant cells, it reduced acetylation yet increased phosphorylation and kinase activity of SRPK1, favouring the splicing of some anti-apoptotic variants. Significantly, the cisplatin-resistant cells could be re-sensitized by enhancing SRPK1 acetylation or inhibiting its kinase activity. Hence, our study reveals a key role of SRPK1 in the development of cisplatin resistance in breast cancer cells and suggests a potential therapeutic avenue for overcoming chemotherapy resistance., Wang et al. find that the therapeutic agent cisplatin has opposite effect on acetylation of serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1) in cisplatin-resistant versus – sensitive breast cancer cells. Inhibiting SRPK1 activity or enhancing its acetylation re-sensitises cells to cisplatin, suggesting a potential strategy to treat cancers resistant to platinum-based therapy.

The α-helix–mimicking sulfono-γ-AApeptides with entire unnatural backbone were reported as novel GLP-1R agonists., Existing long α-helix mimicking necessitates the retention of most natural amino acid residues to maintain their biological activity. Here, we report the exploration of helical sulfono-γ-AApeptides with entire unnatural backbones for their ability to structurally and functionally mimic glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). Our findings suggest that efficient construction of novel GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists could be achieved with nanomolar potencies. In addition, the resulting sulfono-γ-AApeptides were also proved to display remarkable stability against enzymatic degradation compared to GLP-1, augmenting their biological potential. This alternative strategy of α-helix mimicking, as a proof of concept, could provide a new paradigm to prepare GLP-1R agonists.

A panel of three lipid-modified, functionalized biphenyl cross-linkers (fBph) were synthesized and subsequently employed in the preparation of the stapled oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogs. In a luciferase-based reporter assay, these stapled OXM analogs showed varying degree of potency in activating GLP-1R and GCGR, presumably due to the disparate effect of the lipid chains on the local environment close to the ligand-receptor binding interface. In particular, the fBph-1 cross-linked peptide with the lipid chain attached to position-3 of the biphenyl cross-linker exhibited the highest dual agonist activity.

The generation of topological domain structures can significantly influence the behaviors of ferroelectric materials, and, however, strategies and perspectives for treating and analyzing them are still lacking. Inspired by the fluid lines and vorticity in hydromechanics, a characterization method of polarization lines and polarization vorticity is proposed herein for characterizing the vortex structure evolution. The polarization vorticity has the same unit as charge density, and the polarization vortex size is identified as a structure for vorticity concentration. Observing the radius and vorticity of vortices, we find that the domain evolution can be divided into three stages and the vortices react to mechanical loading in two ways: increasing the vorticity and enlarging the radius. Moreover, vortices exhibit three-dimensional shape, just like the vortex tube, and their conservation is proved. This paper provides a basis for further research on topological domain structures and the mechanism of vortex evolution, which might help improve high energy density devices.

An efficient membrane with good antifouling ability in various complex separation environments is crucial for long-term oily wastewater treatment. Herein, a thermo-modulated nanofibrous skin covered Janus membrane was successfully developed via a scalable synergetic electrospraying/electrospinning method. By introducing carbon nanotubes, the substrate exhibited superhydrophobicity and achieved separation of oil/water mixtures with high fluxes (> 6000 L m-2 h-1) and efficiencies (> 99%) under gravity. Moreover, benefiting from synergistic effect of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes and beadlike skin surface, the opposite thermoresponsive membrane exhibited improved wettability and water permeability (average from 774.6 to 947 and max = 1022.7 L m-2 h-1) with temperature varied from 20 ℃ (below the lower critical solution temperature) to 50°C (above the lower critical solution temperature). Additionally, the hydrophilic side had high oil-in-water emulsion separation fluxes (max = 979.6 L m-2 h-1) and separation efficiencies of > 98% under gravity. Most importantly, the material showed excellent antifouling and cleaning ability resulting from thermoresponsive property. With the water temperature increased from 20°C to 50°C during the cleaning process of the membrane, the flux recovery ratio increased from 59.3% to 82.8%, and the irreversible fouling ratio correspondingly decreased from 40.7% to 17.2%. The thermo-responsive cleaning ability of coating is less limited to the material and morphology of the substrate, which provides a new vision for the antifouling method of membrane. The novel thermoresponsive Janus membrane demonstrated a good oil-water separation performance and remarkable antifouling ability which has a wider application prospect.

TFEB (transcription factor EB) is a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis, function and autophagy. The transcriptional activity of TFEB is mainly controlled by its phosphorylation status mediated by the MTOR (mechanistic target of rapamycin [serine/threonine kinase]) complex 1 (MTORC1). At present, little is known whether other forms of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) such as acetylation also affects is transcriptional activity. In this study, we first observed that a well-established histone deacetylase inhibitor suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) activated lysosomal function in human cancer cells, a process independent of the MTORC1 pathway. Second, SAHA treatment activated TFEB transcriptional activity, as evidenced by increased TFEB luciferase activity and expression of its target genes. Third and more importantly, we observed the enhanced TFEB acetylation in SAHA-treated cells, with identification of 4 acetylation sites. Mutation of these 4 sites markedly diminished TFEB transcriptional activity and lysosomal function induced by SAHA. Finally, we found that TFEB acetylation was functionally implicated in SAHA-mediated autophagy and cell death in cancer cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TFEB acetylation is a novel form of PTMs in TFEB that plays an important role in determining its transcriptional activity, lysosomal function and autophagy in cancer cells. Abbreviations: ACAT1: acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 1; AHA: L-azidohomoalanine; AO: acidic orange; ATG: autophagy related; CLEAR: Coordinated Lysosomal Expression and Regulation; CQ: chloroquine; CTSB: cathepsin B; HATs: histone acetyltransferases; HDACIs: HDACs inhibitors; HDACs: histone deacetylases; IP: immunoprecipitation; MEFs: mouse embryonic fibroblasts; MS: mass spectrometry; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin (serine/threonine kinase); MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin (serine/threonine kinase) complex 1; PTMs: posttranslational modifications; SAHA: suberoylanilidehydroxamic acid; TFEB: transcription factor EB

Three new C-19 diterpene alkaloids, along with two known ones, were isolated from the roots of Aconitum brachypodum Diels. The structures of the new alkaloids were established as N-deethyl-3-Oacetylchasmaconitine (1), N-deethyl-3-O-acetylyunaconitine (2), and N-deethyl-3-O-acetyljesaconitine (3). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D (1H, 13C) NMR and 2D NMR (1H–1H COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC) experiments, as well as high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS).

// Ji Zhang 2 , Chaosheng Chen 2 , Qiongxiu Zhou 2 , Shubei Zheng 1 , Yinqiu Lv 2 , Jianna Zhang 2 , Xiaohan You 2 , Zhanyuan Li 1 , Zhihong Zhou 1 and Min Pan 1 1 Department of Nephrology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China 2 Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China Correspondence to: Min Pan, email: pm_1234@163.com Keywords: IgA nephropathy, fibrinogen, chronic kidney disease, Oxford classification, renal outcome Received: July 29, 2017 Accepted: September 22, 2017 Published: October 09, 2017 ABSTRACT Background: IgA nephropathy is a primary cause of renal failure, and inflammation and renal fibrosis are the main mechanisms leading to kidney damage. The serum fibrinogen level is closely related to inflammatory states, but its relationship to the prognosis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is unclear. Materials and Methods: 1053 patients diagnosed with IgAN after renal biopsy were enrolled from two Nephrology Departments. Demographic and clinical data and histopathological features were collected. The patients were divided into four groups (Q1–Q4) according to the serum fibrinogen levels at the time of renal biopsy, and the relationships of serum fibrinogen levels with other risk factors and the prognosis of IgAN were investigated. Results: 672 patients with proven primary IgAN were included in this study, which included a median follow-up of 36 months. Patients with higher serum fibrinogen levels had elevated serum creatinine levels, 24-hour urinary protein, and blood pressure compared with patients with the lowest levels of serum fibrinogen as well as severe renal damage at the time of renal biopsy. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses confirmed that the serum fibrinogen level at the time of renal biopsy was significantly related to the prognosis of patients with IgAN. Conclusions: In patients with IgAN, an elevated serum fibrinogen level at the time of renal biopsy is associated with poor renal outcomes, which suggests the need for more aggressive early interventions. Greater benefits of aggressive treatments were observed in patients with higher serum fibrinogen levels.

Hyperglycemia and inflammation play important roles in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Brazilin might be an effective pharmacological agent against hyperglycemia and inflammation. In our present study, we explored whether brazilin mitigated pathological progression, inflammation, and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy. Brazilin reduced aggravated biochemical indices of DN (proteinuria and the serum glucose level) and renal hypertrophy. Brazilin also improved renal morphology and inhibited macrophage infiltration, as manifested by different pathological staining methods. Brazilin reduced the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and CD68, a macrophage marker, in the kidney cortex, as revealed by both RT-PCR and western blotting experiments. Furthermore, brazilin significantly downregulated the serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Interestingly, brazilin significantly upregulated the levels of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10, and prevented ECM accumulation. Brazilin reduced nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, brazilin might be a useful treatment for DN, through mitigating hypoglycemia, inflammation, and ECM accumulation.

The effects of oxytocin on food intake and body weight reduction have been demonstrated in both animal models and human clinical studies. Despite being efficacious, oxytocin is enzymatically unstable and thus considered to be unsuitable for long-term use in patients with obesity. Herein, a series of oxytocin derivatives were engineered through conjugation with fatty acid moieties that are known to exhibit high binding affinities to serum albumin. One analog (OT-12) in particular was shown to be a potent full agonist at the oxytocin receptor (OTR) in vitro with good selectivity and long half-life (24 h) in mice. Furthermore, OT-12 is peripherally restricted, with very limited brain exposure (1/190 of the plasma level). In a diet-induced obesity mouse model, daily subcutaneous administration of OT-12 exhibited more potent anorexigenic and body weight reducing effects than carbetocin. Thus, our results suggest that the long-acting, peripherally restricted OTR agonist may offer potential therapeutic benefits for obesity.

As the load of the turbine components of aircraft engines continuously increases, shock loss becomes the dominant factor of turbine stage loss and has become a hot topic. The Schlieren technique is one of the few effective experimental methods to observe and study shock wave and, thus, has been widely used. Nevertheless, limited by camera accuracy and computer image processing technology, quantitative schlieren analysis methods were difficult to achieve in engineering applications. Fortunately, several quantitative schlieren methods have been developed with the help of new digital technology. Applying the schlieren technique to the highly loaded turbine cascade test is of great significance to the study of shock wave in highly loaded turbine cascades. In this paper, the results of the quantitative density field and shock intensity and loss in the cascade are obtained by using a double-reflection-type monochrome schlieren device. The boundary condition of the density field is obtained by pressure test, and matlab software is used as image processing calculation tool. The quantitative results of this paper prove the feasibility of applying quantitative schlieren method to highly loaded turbine cascade tests. Also, the implemented image processing method and density boundary condition acquisition method are suitable and convenient for cascade flow and shock measurement tests.

Objective To elucidate the relationship between the risk factors and hematoma expansion(HE)shapes. Patients and methods From February 2013 to November 2018, 60 patients diagnosed as basal ganglia ICH were divided into the filled type hematoma expansion group (FTE group) and the expanded type hematoma expansion group (ETE group). we performed follow-up CT and three-dimensional reconstruction for the patients and compared the hematoma before and after the expansion of size and extent. Results The regression analysis showed that the irregular sign (odds ratio, 3.64; 95 % CI, 1.46–9.12), black hole sign (odds ratio, 3.85; 95 % CI, 1.40–10.60), blend sign (odds ratio, 2.86; 95 % CI, 1.03–7.95), and early use of dehydration (odds ratio, 4.59; 95 % CI, 1.59–13.19) were possible risk factors for the ETE group, while the high systolic blood pressure (odds ratio, 1.51; 95 % CI, 1.04–2.30), early use of dehydration (odds ratio, 3.27; 95 % CI, 1.10–9.69) and low density low-density band (odds ratio, 4.52; 95 % CI, 1.54–13.28) were possible risk factors for the FTE group. Conclusions The irregular sign, black hole sign, blend sign and early use of dehydration may be the main risk factors for ETE, whereas early use of dehydration, high systolic blood pressure, and low density low-density band may be the main risk factors for FTE.

Although multilayer stents (MSs) can be used to treat aneurysm effectively, for some aneurysms with branches attached, the hemodynamic mechanisms are still unclear. In this work, we modeled five cases that involve 1–4-layer stents implanted in aneurysms with side branches, and the numerical approach was used. Case 1 corresponds to an aneurysm without a stent, and cases 2–5 represent 1–4-layer stents being employed within aneurysms, respectively. The results showed that the velocity within the sac declined dramatically and the eddies’ intensity weakened with increased number of stent layers, time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), and nitric oxide production rate (TARNO) dropped linearly with increase in stent porosity, and oscillatory shear index (OSI) and relative residence time (RRT) increased evidently with MS intervention. Moreover, the MSs had a slight effect on the patency of the side branch; its flow rate was still above the normal case than without aneurysm. It can be concluded that MSs are helpful in promoting the growth of thrombus within the aneurysm through an isolated hemodynamic environment and keeping the branch unobstructed, but more clinical evidences are required.

Objective To explore the clinical presentation and molecular genetic characteristics of a cohort of congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) patients from southern China and also to explore the most appropriate therapeutic approaches. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 65 children with CHI. Mutational analysis was performed for KCNJ11 and ABCC8 genes. The GLUD1 gene was sequenced in patients with hyperammonaemia. GCK gene sequencing was performed in those patients with no mutation identified in the ABCC8, KCNJ11 or GLUD1 genes. Results ABCC8 mutations were identified in 16 (25%) of the cohort, GLUD1 mutations were identified in five children, and no KCNJ11 or GCK mutations were identified. Moreover, some unique features of ABCC8 gene mutations in southern Chinese CHI patients were found in this study. The most common mutation was a deletion/insertion mutation p.Thr1042GlnfsX75 was found in five unrelated patients, which possibly represents a relatively common mutation in southern China. Five novel ABCC8 mutations were detected. The mutations were p.Phe5SerfsX72, p.Gln273ArgfsX85, p.Leu724del, p.Asp1447Gly and IVS 25-1G>T. Five compound heterozygous mutations of ABCC8 gene were identified in this study, and three of these patients were diazoxide-responsive. Forty patients were diazoxide-responsive, 13 patients were diazoxide-unresponsive and 12 patients received dietary treatment only. A pancreatectomy was performed in 10 patients who were unresponsive to medical treatment. Conclusion To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of CHI in south China. Mutations in ABCC8 are the most common causes of CHI in this cohort. Diazoxide and dietary treatment were effective in most patients. Multicentre studies are necessary to obtain the long-term follow-up characteristics of such patients at a national level.

As the load of the turbine components of aircraft engines continuously increases, shock loss becomes the dominant factor of turbine stage loss and has become a hot topic. Schlieren technique is one of the few effective experimental methods to observe and study shock wave and, thus, has been widely used. Nevertheless, limited by camera accuracy and computer image processing technology, quantitative schlieren analysis methods were difficult to achieve in engineering applications. Fortunately, several quantitative schlieren methods have been developed with the help of new digital technology. Applying schlieren technique to the highly-loaded turbine cascade test is of great significance to the study of shock wave in highly-loaded turbine cascades. In this paper, the results of quantitative density field and shock intensity and loss in the cascade are obtained by using a double reflection type monochrome schlieren device. The boundary condition of density field is obtained by pressure test, and MATLAB software is used as image processing calculation tool. The quantitative results of this paper prove the feasibility of applying quantitative schlieren method to highly-loaded turbine cascade tests. Also, the implemented image processing method and density boundary condition acquisition method are suitable and convenient for cascade flow and shock measurement tests.

According to literature, most failures of coiled tubing are classified into four kinds of causes, mechanical damage, corrosion, string manufacturing, and human error. Among these, the failures due to mechanical damages take 29% of all failures. Although there are various kinds of mechanical damages, longitudinal plowing marks (LPM) are the major mechanical damages, account for 46%. Understanding the mechanism of LPM damage on coiled tubing surface will help to reduce this kind of damage. A conjecture is proposed that the running of the CT-gripper block-chain system will produce a period excitation which arouses CT string system resonance, and the vibration of CT string may make slippage between the gripper blocks and CT string at the wave peak and stop slippage at the wave trough, which may form fish scale damage. Because of the mismatch of the diameters between CT with grown diameter and gripper blocks, the first principle stress on the surface of CT will be large enough so that rock debris can carve CT easily when a gripper block is clamping it. FEM is employed to calculate the stress of CT when it is in this situation. The results verify the guess. To determine the CT string system resonance, we tried to find which gives the system a period excitation and how the system resonates. First a mechanical model of CT-gripper-chain is build, and excitation frequency is found to be related with the velocity of CT string running and length of gripper block. After idealization, a dynamic model for CT string in vertical well is built, and the wave equation is established, then frequency equation is derived and natural frequencies are found. After that, finite difference method is used to conduct numerical calculation. The results show that when system resonates, it must take minutes to reach large stress amplitude of the CT string enough to make damage on it. The field recorded data indicate that there maybe exists resonance actually. After synthesizing the information above, an image of the process how LPM is formed has been constructed. Finally, the measures to reduce LPM damage are recommended.

Objective To evaluate the effects of Living-High Training-Low on HIF-1α transcriptional regulatory factors MAPKs mRNA in gastrocnemius of Rats. Methods After adaptive training, 40 8-weeks-old male SD rats were divided into living-low quiet control group (LC), living-low training-low group (LoLo), living-high quiet control group (HC), living-high training-low group (HiLo). All living-high groups stayed in the environment with 13.6% oxygen concentration, about altitude of 3500 m, for 12h/day. All training groups underwent treadmill training with 35m/min for 1hour/day, 5days/week. 4 weeks later, the gastrocnemius was sampled 24 hours after the last training. The ERK, p38MAPK, JNK and HIF-1α mRNA genes expressions in gastrocnemius were measured by real-time quantitative PCR. Results The gastrocnemius ERK mRNA of HiLo group was significantly higher than LC (P0.05). The JNK and HIF-1α mRNA of HiLo group were significantly higher than other groups (P

Tubular-interstitial nephritis (TIN) is characterized by tubular cell damage and inflammatory lesions of kidneys. Baicalein (BAI) is a flavonoid compound found in the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. The present study was undertaken to explore the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of BAI on TIN patients and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TIN cell model. The expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor α in serum samples of TIN patients and culture supernatants of renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTECs) were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Creatinine clearance was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation. Activities of malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were also determined. Viability and apoptosis of RPTECs were measured using MTT assay and Guava Nexin assay, respectively. qRT-PCR was performed to determine the expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, nuclear factor kappa B (IκBα), and p65. Protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2, IκBα, p65, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular regulated protein kinases, and p38 were analyzed using western blotting. We found that BAI reduced inflammation and oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, BAI alleviated the LPS-induced RPTECs viability inhibition and apoptosis enhancement, as well as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation. Phorbol ester, an activator of NF-κB, attenuated the effects of BAI on LPS-induced inflammatory cytokine expressions in RPTECs. In conclusion, BAI had anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects on TIN patients and LPS-induced RPTECs by down-regulating NF-κB and MAPK pathways.

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune disease associated with complement activation. It is unclear whether the ratio of serum C3 and C4 concentrations (C3/C4 ratio) can predict renal outcomes in IgAN patients. A total of 1503 patients diagnosed with IgAN via renal biopsy were recorded in this study. Poor renal outcomes were defined as > 50% decrease in the baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during follow-up. In total, 712 patients meeting the exclusion/inclusion criteria were selected, and the mean follow-up period was 40.6 (12.34) months. Patients with decreased C3/C4 ratios displayed significantly more severe clinical characteristics and renal pathological features and a higher proportion of poor renal outcomes and ESRD. The optimal multivariate Cox regression models identified the C3/C4 ratio (hazard ratio (HR) 0.63, 95% CI 0.5–0.9), serum uric acid (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.2–2.2), serum creatinine (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.6), systolic blood pressure (HR 1.57, 95% CI 1.2–2.0) and T score (relative to T0, T1: HR 1.96, 95% CI 1.1–3.7, T2: HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.6–5.9) as strong predictors of poor renal outcomes. Subgroup analysis showed that patients with low C3/C4 ratios benefited from glucocorticoids or other immunosuppressive agents (hazard ratio 0.30 and 0.18, 95% CI 0.13–0.72 and 0.07–0.46, respectively). Serum C3/C4 ratios may be an independent novel predictor of renal outcomes in IgAN patients. Decreased C3/C4 ratios suggest poor renal outcomes and the potential to benefit from aggressive immunosuppressive therapies.

A new discrete fractional random transform based on two circular matrices is designed and a novel double-image encryption–compression scheme is proposed by combining compressive sensing with discrete fractional random transform. The two random circular matrices and the measurement matrix utilized in compressive sensing are constructed by using a two-dimensional sine Logistic modulation map. Two original images can be compressed, encrypted with compressive sensing and connected into one image. The resulting image is re-encrypted by Arnold transform and the discrete fractional random transform. Simulation results and security analysis demonstrate the validity and security of the scheme.

The local head loss of tee could be calculated with the determination of local resistance coefficient by CFD simulation and test. Based on the mesh-independent feature identified, the flow field inner tee was numerically simulated by the standard k - ε turbulent model and SIMPLEC algorithms, which has revealed the mainstream was obliged to turn to the opposite side of tee junction, and a rise in pressure drop between upstream and downstream was caused as a result. Furthermore, the frictional resistance coefficient was calculated for eliminating the frictional head loss of model, which decreased from 0.0207 to 0.0133 when the inlet velocity increased from 1 m/s to 12 m/s. Additionally, the local resistance coefficients of tee at flow conditions were attained, and the quadratic polynomial between the local resistance coefficient and flux ratio was presented due to the influence of branch on mainstream. Through the test, the simulation result has been compared and the effectiveness of simulation has been verified.

Most of the existing image encryption techniques bear security risks for taking linear transform or suffer encryption data expansion for adopting nonlinear transformation directly. To overcome these difficulties, a novel image compression–encryption scheme is proposed by combining 2D compressive sensing with nonlinear fractional Mellin transform. In this scheme, the original image is measured by measurement matrices in two directions to achieve compression and encryption simultaneously, and then the resulting image is re-encrypted by the nonlinear fractional Mellin transform. The measurement matrices are controlled by chaos map. The Newton Smoothed l 0 Norm ( NSL 0 ) algorithm is adopted to obtain the decryption image. Simulation results verify the validity and the reliability of this scheme.

Due to human errors, noise during transmission and other interference, some data collected from industrial process system might be lost in the collection process, which would affect the whole quality of data. In addition, the data collected by the industrial control system are generally composited of a large number of high-dimensional data. To facilitate the follow-up processing like anomaly detection, the “the curse of dimensionality” need to be solved, to obtain useful and meaningful content from massive high-dimensional data. The features obtained from DBNs (Deep Belief Networks) are usually not on the low-dimensional surface, and they can well express high-dimensional nonlinear function with a variety of variables. Therefore, in this paper, the DBNs are used to solve the data processing problem in industrial control system. Moreover, some experiments have been done to reveal that the DBNs algorithm can improve the filling accuracy, and the reduction of dimensions of data is good for effective information extraction.

In order to achieve self-repairing of MgO-C refractory in oxidizing atmosphere at high temperatures, Fe powder, serving as both antioxidant and direct-bond former, was introduced into this refractory. The effect of Fe addition on the microstructure, properties and oxidation resistance was investigated. The coexistence of (Mg,Fe)Oss and Mg(Fe1.2Al0.8)O4 was identified for the Fe-containing MgO-C refractory after graphite was oxidized, by which a network was formed in the matrix. As a consequence, both densification and direct-bond in the oxidized layer were greatly enhanced compared with the conventional MgO-C refractory, solving the issue of strength degradation during high temperature oxidation. An excellent oxidation resistance was obtained owing to the above improvements.

The primary aim of this study was to identify the time point at which improvements in knee range of motion reach a plateau, if any. The secondary aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the improvements in knee range of motion and patient-reported outcomes [Oxford knee score (OKS) and SF-36]. The hypothesis is that there is a time point at which the recovery in the knee range of motion after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) plateaus. A prospective study of 145 patients who underwent TKA was conducted. All TKAs were performed by the same surgeon. OKS and SF-36 scores were measured preoperatively and at 6, 12, and 24 months. Range of motion was measured preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. This study shows that for surgeon/therapist reported range of motion, a plateau in recovery was reached at 12 months after TKA. It was also found that range of extension is significantly correlated with OKS, whereas range of flexion was not significantly correlated with OKS. Knowledge of when patients fully recover after TKA will allow appropriate counseling of patients during preoperative consultation. Also, this knowledge will enable surgeons/therapists to better monitor the rehabilitation progress of TKA patients, and make adjustments to the rehabilitation protocol. In addition, our study shows that objective surgeon-/therapist-measured outcome (range of motion) has a significant correlation with subjective patient-reported outcomes (OKS). Hence, both outcome measures should be employed in the postoperative monitoring of patient progress. Prospective case series, Level IV.

Coiled tubing operating system can improve the efficiency of offshore oil and gas exploration with a wide prospect of application. Coiled tubing is commonly subjected to complex loading inside the pipeline or wellbore. Through experimental research, we can derive the experimental explanations of actual pipe depth the coiled tubing goes into, buckling, lock-up, release, etc. In this paper, the method of combined numerical calculation and experimental validation is used to study coiled tubing buckling inside the pipeline or wellbore. The geometric parameters of the experimental system are presented. A test bench including a vertical segment, a bending segment, a horizontal segment and an end loading unit is designed. We carry out experiments using rubber rods and steel wires with three different diameters, bending segment of two kinds of lengths, and terminal constraints of the free end, fixed end and loading end. Experimental phenomena such as sinusoidal buckling, helical buckling, lock-up, pitch reversal, yield of head and load jumps in end loading experiments are analyzed. The experimental results are in good agreement with the numerical results. The load jumps in end loading experiments and radial gap affect helical buckling and lock-up process. Moreover, the decision criterion of helix lock-up in the field operation is proposed, which can provide a guide for engineering practice.

Fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O) from different land use patterns (matured forest, secondary forest, grassland and cropland) in a subtropical karst region of Guizhou Province, Southwest China, were measured for one year with a closed static chamber technique and by gas chromatography. The results showed that soil under different land uses was a source of atmospheric N2O. The cropland was a source with relatively high N2O as compared to forest and grassland, but no significant differences were observed. N2O emissions from soils varied with land use change and fertilizer application. There were two peaks of N2O flux occurred following the combination of two obvious precipitation and fertilizer events in the cultivated land. Converting from the matured forest to secondary forest tended to increase annual emissions of N2O (from 1.40 to 1.65 kg N ha−1 a−1), while changing land use from secondary forest to scattered grassland tended to decrease annual emissions of N2O slightly (from 1.65 to 1.45 kg N ha−1 a−1). Our range of cumulative annual N2O emission across different land uses (1.40–1.91 kg N ha−1 a−1) in a karst region is in general agreement with previously published data in a non-karst region. However, in the maize field, N2O emission factor (EF) was 0.34% for fertilizer application, which is about 71.2% lower than the IPCC default value. It is suggested that current IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) EF methodology could overestimate N2O emission from the karstic cropland. Anyway, the N2O emission from cropland in the karst region would contribute significantly to the global N2O budget, so reducing fertilization frequency during the crop growing season could lead to a decrease in N2O emission in the whole year.

Objective The correlation of serum fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) and Klotho protein levels with bone mineral density (BMD) in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients was analyzed. Methods Between January 2015 and November 2015, 125 MHD patients in our hospital were enrolled. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to examine the BMD in the femoral neck and lumbar spine of MHD patients. The patients were divided into three groups: a normal bone mass group, an osteopenia group, and an osteoporosis group. An ELISA was performed to measure serum FGF-23, Klotho protein, and 1,25(OH)2VitD3 levels. Other parameters, including calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and parathyroid hormone, were also measured. Results Of the 125 MHD patients, 82.40% of patients had femoral neck osteopenia, and 56.00% of patients had lumbar spinal osteopenia. The serum FGF-23 level was highest in the osteoporosis group. However, there was no significant difference in serum FGF-23 levels among the three groups, depending on femoral neck and lumbar spinal BMD (P > 0.05). Spearman’s correlation analysis also pointed to a lack of correlation between serum FGF-23 levels and BMD. Among the three groups, there were significant differences in serum Klotho protein levels and femoral neck BMD (P

OPTICA APPLICATA; 01/2017; ISSN 1429-7507

Both exercise and calorie restriction interventions have been recommended for inducing weight-loss in obese states. However, there is conflicting evidence on their relative benefits for metabolic health and insulin sensitivity. This study seeks to evaluate the differential effects of the two interventions on fat mobilization, fat metabolism, and insulin sensitivity in diet-induced obese animal models. After 4 months of ad libitum high fat diet feeding, 35 male Fischer F344 rats were grouped (n = 7 per cohort) into sedentary control (CON), exercise once a day (EX1), exercise twice a day (EX2), 15% calorie restriction (CR1) and 30% calorie restriction (CR2) cohorts. Interventions were carried out over a 4-week period. We found elevated hepatic and muscle long chain acylcarnitines with both exercise and calorie restriction, and a positive association between hepatic long chain acylcarnitines and insulin sensitivity in the pooled cohort. Our result suggests that long chain acylcarnitines may not indicate incomplete fat oxidation in weight loss interventions. Calorie restriction was found to be more effective than exercise in reducing body weight. Exercise, on the other hand, was more effective in reducing adipose depots and muscle triglycerides, favorably altering muscle/liver desaturase activity and improving insulin sensitivity.

Introduction: We conducted a biomechanical study comparing cerclage wiring using a power tool with the traditional manual method. Materials and Methods: Our study consisted of 4 experimental arms based on the method of fixation and diameter of wires. The 4 arms were: 1) power tool method using 0.8 mm cerclage wires, 2) power tool method using 1.0 mm cerclage wires, 3) conventional manual method using 0.8 mm cerclage wires, and 4) conventional manual method using 1.0 mm cerclage wires. Synthetic femur bones were employed in our study. Six specimens were prepared for each arm. Each specimen was cut lengthwise and pressure sensors were placed in between. For the power tool method, while maintaining tension, wires were coiled using the Colibri power tool until just before secondary coiling occurred. For the conventional manual method, each specimen was compressed by plier twisting for 10 rounds, while maintaining tension. Cerclaging and data recording was done thrice for each specimen, giving a total of 18 readings per arm. Peak and steady-state forces were recorded. Results: There was no significant difference between the peak forces recorded between the power drill and manual methods. The steady-state forces achieved using the power tool method were significantly higher than that achieved in the manual fixation method (0.8 mm wires: 54.89N vs 27.26N, P = 0.037; 1.0 mm wires: 71.59N vs 39.66N, P = 0.025). Conclusion: The power tool method achieved a superior steady-state force of compression across the fracture site for both 0.8 mm and 1 mm wires. Key words: Conventional method, Peak force, Periprosthetic, Steady-state force

As previously reported, a novel gene P28GANK conferred a multidrug resistant phenotype in gastric cancer cells. The aim of this study was to explore the role of P28GANK in the development of multidrug resistance (MDR) in osteosarcoma cells. P28GANK gene was found to be overexpressed at the mRNA level and the protein level in a cisplatin induced MDR osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2/CDDP compared to its parent cell line Saos-2. Here, we transfected the osteosarcoma cell line Saos-2 with eukaryotic expression vector of P28GANK. In vitro drug sensitivity assay suggested that Saos-2-P28GANK cells conferred resistance to both P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-related and P-gp-nonrelated drugs. Blocking P28GANK expression in MDR osteosarcoma cells Saos-2/CDDP by P28GANK-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) increased the cell sensitivity to various chemotherapeutic drugs. Flow cytometry examination suggested that P28GANK gene expression could suppress Adriamycin-induced apoptosis accompanied by decreased accumulation and increased release of Adriamycin. Semiquantitative RT-PCR, Western blot and Luciferase reporter assay suggested that P28GANK gene could significantly up-regulate the expression of MDR-1 and Bcl-2, transcription of the MDR-1 gene and down-regulate the expression of Bax. In addition, inhibition of P28GANK expression by RNA interference or P-gp inhibition could partially reverse P28GANK-mediated MDR. Taken together, our findings suggest that down-regulation of P28GANK gene expression could sensitize osteosarcoma cells to chemotherapeutic drugs by down-regulation of the MDR-1 and Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax gene expression, without altering the glutathione S-transferase activity, or intracellular glutathione content in osteosarcoma cells. Further study on biological function of P28GANK may be helpful for understanding MDR mechanism of osteosarcoma and developing a strategy for osteosarcoma treatment.

The fast response property of double damping system is beneficial to improve damping characteristics. However, the intense pressure fluctuation in damping chambers often leads to the cavitation erosion of damping piston and seriously affects the normal use of seal and rock drill. The coupling model including the damping piston, damping valve, damping accumulator and connecting pipelines was established considering the structural feature and dynamic characteristics of damping system. The cavitation erosion mechanism was revealed by the simulation results. Analysis suggested that the pipeline damping and oil flow velocity between the primary and secondary damping chamber were the critical influencing factors for the cavitation erosion. The influence on system cavitation of damping valve structure and connecting pipeline types was discussed, and the reasonable range of matching parameters was given. Pressure curves in the primary, secondary damping chamber and noise spectra of cavitation were obtained by the field rock drilling test. The simulation and experimental results had consistency. The system cavitation was detected by the high-frequency pulsating pressure signal and its power spectral density analysis. This detection method provides a new approach for studying the cavitation behavior of hydraulic rock drills.