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In order to explore the influence of the side duct position and venting position on the premixed combustion and explosion characteristics of methane/air, a premixed combustion and explosion experiment of methane/air and a simulation of an explosion of the same size were carried out in a tube with an internal size of 2000 mm × 110 mm × 110 mm. The results showed that the side duct could change the flame structure and accelerate the flame inside the tube. The maximum increase ratio of the flame propagation speed was 106.1%. The side duct had a certain venting effect on the explosion pressure. For different position cases, when the venting film was placed over the bottom section, the maximum overpressure first decreased and then increased. When the venting film was placed over the middle section and the top section, the maximum overpressure first increased and then decreased, and the change trend of the top section was stronger. Turbulence mostly occurred inside the side duct when the venting film of the side duct ruptured. There is no linear relationship between the maximum flame propagation velocity within the tube and the maximum turbulent kinetic energy inside the side duct. The two had a relationship that could be fitted to the Gauss function; the correlation coefficient R2 was 0.836, and the minimum value was at (4767.72, 17.918), suggesting that the side duct had the best venting effect on the flame inside the duct at this maximum turbulent kinetic energy. The analysis results of the influence of the location of the vent on the maximum flame propagation velocity inside the tube are helpful for optimizing the layout design of the underground space, reducing the combustion efficiency, and ensuring the safety of the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) has contributed many improvements to human assisted reproduction. However, effects of hMG on oocyte development and clinical results remain controversial. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hMG on the zona pellucida of oocytes, as well as clinical results in superovulation treatment. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was performed with 150 cycles of long-protocol treatment using recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (r-FSH) with or without hMG. The number of retrieved oocytes, fertilization rate, implantation rate, pregnancy rate, and birefringence and thickness of the zona pellucida of oocytes were investigated. Results: No significant differences were existed in r-FSH +hMG, and r-FSH groups in the number of retrieved oocytes (11.99±0.75 vs. 13.9±0.73, p=0.06), maturation rate (84.76% vs. 83.32%, p=0.42), pregnancy rate (37.31% vs. 37.66%, p=0.96), and embryo implantation rate (28.97% vs. 23.26%, p=0.30). However, fertilization rate (82.95% vs. 78.75%; p=0.02) was different. Zona pellucida birefringence was lower in the r-FSH +hMG group than in the r-FSH group (6.70±0.50 vs. 7.04±0.31; p=0.53). Thickness values of the metaphase-II zona pellucida of the r-FSH +hMG group on the first (19.20±0.14 vs. 18.75±0.10; p=0.01) and second (18.69±0.12 vs. 18.17±0.14; p=0.00) days of insemination were both higher than those of the r-FSH group. Conclusion: hMG positively influenced the improvement of oocyte fertilization, as well as the birefringence and thickness of zona pellucida.

The chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard (SM) causes severe cutaneous lesions characterized by epidermal cell death, apoptosis, and inflammation. At present, the molecular mechanisms underlying SM-induced injury are not well understood, and there is no standard treatment protocol for SM-exposed patients. Here, we conducted a high-content screening of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drug library of 1018 compounds against SM injury on an immortal human keratinocyte HaCaT cell line, focusing on cell survival. We found that the B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib had an apparent therapeutic effect on HaCaT cells and resisted SM toxicity. Other tested B-Raf inhibitors, both type-I (dabrafenib and encorafenib) and type-II (RAF265 and AZ628), also exhibited potent therapeutic effects on SM-exposed HaCaT cells. Both SM and vemurafenib triggered extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) activation. The therapeutic effect of vemurafenib in HaCaT cells during SM injury was ERK-dependent, indicating a specific role of ERK in keratinocyte regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, vemurafenib partially improved cutaneous damage in a mouse ear vesicant model. Collectively, our results provide evidence that the B-Raf inhibitor vemurafenib is a potential therapeutic agent against SM injury, and oncogenic B-Raf might be an exciting new therapeutic target following exposure to mustard vesicating agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the regulatory role and molecular mechanism of lncRNA‐LINC01279 in endometriosis (EMs). Methods: Between September 2018 and July 2019, 20 EMs patients and 20 healthy subjects were recruited to detect the expression of lncRNA‐LINC01279 in EMs and in normal endometrium via qRT‐PCR. Autograft was used to establish EMs models on Spraque–Dawley (SD) rats, which was followed by taking volume measurements of EMs endometrium and observing pathological changes in the morphology of EMs via hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The qRT‐PCR technique was further carried out to determine mRNA expression of lncRNA‐LINC01279 and HOXA10 in the serum of EMs rats and LINC01279 shRNA‐transfected rats, while the protein expression of HOXA10 was determined using a Western blot. Results: EMs patients presented with upregulation of lncRNA‐LINC01279 and downregulation of HOXA10 (p < 0.01 or 0.001). Online predictions further revealed that lncRNA‐LINC01279 regulated the expression of HOXA10 via miRNA‐135b. In EMs models, it was observed that there were a significantly enlarged endometrium and poor pathological morphology, significant upregulation of lncRNA‐LINC01279, and downregulation of miR‐135b and HOXA10 in serum (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). In the lncRNA‐LINC01279 shRNA group, EMs rats, following treatment, had a sharp decrease in the volume of EMs endometrium, and an improvement in pathological morphology, while lncRNA‐LINC01279 was downregulated, with upregulation of miR‐135b and HOXA10 (p < 0.05, 0.01 or 0.001). Conclusion: LncRNA‐LINC01279, by the mechanism of targeting miR‐135b, has the potential to downregulate the expression of HOXA10, and therefore, can promote the development and progression of EMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence suggests that liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) are the cellular determinants that promote tumor recurrence and metastases. Aberrantly expressed miRNAs were identified in LCSCs and found to play a significant role in modulating biological characteristics of LCSCs. In this study, we implemented miRNA microarrays in CD133+ LCSCs and found miR-101 expression was downregulated. Increasing miR-101 expression repressed the metastasis and tumorigenic potential in LCSCs. Further investigations showed that ANXA2 was a novel target of miR-101. And we revealed that ANXA2 plays a critical role in acceleration of cell cycle and enhancing the migration and invasion abilities of LCSCs. Elevated ANXA2 increased activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) which regulated SOX2 and cell cycle-related kinases. Moreover, ERK phosphorylation inhibited the expression of early growth response 1 (EGR1) which in turn restrained the transcription of miR-101. In vivo experiments, overexpression of miR-101 produced potent inhibitory effects on the growth of LCSCs xenograft tumors as well as ANXA2 knockdown. Taken together, our findings suggest a novel regulatory loop miR-101/ANXA2/EGR1 in LCSCs and may serve as potential therapeutic targets in liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the clinical features of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in children and adolescents under 18 years and assess the impact of surgery combined with thyroid hormone and radioactive iodine (RAI) on their prognosis., Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted, involving children/adolescents with DTC who underwent surgery at the Head and Neck Department of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital from January 1998 to December 2018., Results: Among 198 patients, 130 (65.7 %) were female. According to the American Thyroid Association guidelines, cases were categorized as low (106, 53.5 %), intermediate (54, 27.3 %), and high (38, 19.2 %) risk. The follow-up duration ranged from 3 to 23 years. Local recurrence and distant metastasis were identified in 21 (10.6 %) and 14 (7.1 %) cases, respectively. All patients received levothyroxine, while RAI therapy was administered to intermediate- and high-risk patients. The local recurrence and distant metastasis rates in these two groups were 33.3 and 39.5 %, respectively, with no recurrence or metastasis in the low-risk group. Persistent without structural evidence of disease were 0.9, 3.7, and 26.3 % at end of follow-up for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively. The overall survival rates for all three groups were 100 %, while disease-free survival rates were 99.1, 63.0, and 34.2 % for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively., Conclusions: Children/adolescents with low-risk DTC exhibited a favorable prognosis even without RAI. However, intermediate- and high-risk DTC patients, despite RAI and levothyroxine treatment, showed elevated rates of persistent disease, local recurrence, and distant metastasis., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)