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Objective The different cutting mode of robot‐assisted TKAs may influence the accuracy of alignment. The purpose of this study was to compare alignment accuracy and early clinical outcomes between a CT‐based, saw cutting robotic system (MAKO) and a CT‐free, jig‐guided robotic system (ROSA) for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods A total of 20 MAKO TKAs and 20 ROSA TKAs from June 2021 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Differences in the postoperative hip‐knee‐ankle (HKA) angle, lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), posterior tibial slope (PTS) and 3° outlier frequency of the HKA, LDFA, MPTA and PTS were studied at 3 months and 1 year of follow‐up. The operative time and total blood loss (TBL) were compared between these two groups. Clinical outcomes at 1 year after surgery, including range of motion (ROM), Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and Knee Society Score‐2011 (KSS‐2011), were also compared between these two groups. Results The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. There were no significant differences in the mean deviations of postoperative HKA, LDFA, MPTA or PTS between the two groups at 3 months or 1 year (all ps > 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the percentage of 3° outliers for HKA, LDFA, MPTA, or PTS between the two groups at 3‐month or 1‐year follow‐up (all ps > 0.05). The mean operation time of MAKO was longer than that of ROSA (112.7 ± 12.8 min vs 94.8 ± 23.0 min, p = 0.001), but the mean TBL (1356.7 ± 648.5 mL vs 1384.5 ± 676.3 mL) and transfusion rate (15.0% vs 5.0%) were not significantly different between the two groups (all ps > 0.05). No significant differences were found in postoperative ROM, WOMAC score or KSS score at 1 year (all ps > 0.05). Conclusion The MAKO and ROSA had similar accuracy and precision in TKA alignment. The clinical outcomes at 1 year after surgery were also comparable.

Abstract In this paper, we selected representative electric buses (EBs) and diesel buses as research cases, aiming to explore a localized method suitable for various vehicle types that can be implemented in any region to measure the carbon emissions of urban buses throughout the lifecycle. We take into account the influence of seasonal factors over the lifecycle. We fully consider the production, assembly, and recycling stages of vehicle systems. We construct a model for estimating CO2 emissions during the fuel cycle. We analyze and compare the impacts of the optimized power grid structure on the lifecycle CO2 emissions of the two types of buses. The results indicate that seasonal factors affect both bus types' energy consumption, with EBs being more sensitive. Carbon emissions primarily stem from manufacturing the body, chassis, and notably, the lithium‐ion batteries, with the latter having a pronounced impact on EBs. A decrease in coal power generation from 71% to 21% in the grid reduced EB fuel‐cycle emissions by 70.7%. Although EBs are sensitive to seasonal factors, they still have the greatest potential for carbon reduction, depending on the proportion of clean energy in the power grid and the production processes of vehicle components.

In this work, an abnormal phenomenon of the superelastic cycle in NiTi alloy with R phase is reported. The phase transformation of the 500°C-annealed-sample is B2-R-B19'. During the first superelastic cycle, the critical stress of stress-induced martensitic transformation (SIMT) is reduced to 305.5 MPa and the phase transition plateau is shortened. With the loading process, the transformation of R–B19′ and the elastic deformation of the B19′ occur. With the unloading process, martensite reversal transformation occurs and the high-density dislocation zone and residual martensite are formed. During the superelastic cycle, the R phase is consumed. The increase of irreversible residual martensite and crystal defects leads to the deterioration of superelasticity.

The two-phase titanium alloy Ti–10 V–5Al-2.5Fe-0.1 B was taken as the experimental material, and thermal compression experiments were carried out at a deformation temperature of 770–920 °C and a strain rate of 0.0005–0.5 s−1. An Arrhenius model, a modified Johnson-Cook model, and an improved BP neural network model based on the sparrow search algorithm (SSA-BP) model were established to predict the high temperature rheological stress of the alloy. A comparison of the prediction accuracy of the three models was made. When the partial random data in the rheological curves was used for model building and relatively independent data were used for predicting the rheological stress, the SSA-BP model had higher prediction accuracy, which exhibits the highest mean square correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.9992 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and average absolute relative error (AARE) values of 1.3031, and 2.0947 %, respectively. The ability of three models to predict the rheological stress for the new process parameters was verified. Results show that the SSA-BP model still has better prediction ability, which exhibits the highest mean square correlation coefficient (R2) value of 0.9720 and the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and average absolute relative error (AARE) values of 5.0099, and 6.0382 %, respectively. The predicted values of SSA-BP for the rheological stress were used to construct the hot processing map. Results show that the trend of the power dissipation factor (η) value from the hot processing map predicted by SSA-BP can well agree with the microstructure evolution of the alloy.

Abstract Inactivating TP53 mutations leads to a loss of function of p53, but can also often result in oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) of mutant p53 (mutp53) proteins which promotes tumor development and progression. The GOF activities of TP53 mutations are well documented, but the mechanisms involved remain poorly understood. Here, we study the mutp53 interactome and find that by targeting minichromosome maintenance complex components (MCMs), GOF mutp53 predisposes cells to replication stress and chromosomal instability (CIN), leading to a tumor cell-autonomous and cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING)-dependent cytosolic DNA response that activates downstream non-canonical nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cell (NC-NF-κB) signaling. Consequently, GOF mutp53-MCMs-CIN-cytosolic DNA-cGAS-STING-NC-NF-κB signaling promotes tumor cell metastasis and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment through antagonizing interferon signaling and regulating genes associated with pro-tumorigenic inflammation. Our findings have important implications for understanding not only the GOF activities of TP53 mutations but also the genome-guardian role of p53 and its inactivation during tumor development and progression.

Abstract Purpose Parathyroidectomy (PTX) is commonly performed as a treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of PTX in patients with SHPT who underwent hemodialysis. Methods This retrospective study analyzed the clinical treatment of 80 hemodialysis patients with SHPT who underwent either total PTX with forearm auto transplantation (TPTX + AT) or subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX). We compared the changes in biochemical indices before and after surgery as well as the attenuation of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) in the TPTX and SPTX groups. We also evaluated clinical symptoms and quality of life using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Short Form-36 Questionnaire (SF-36) before and at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Results Serum iPTH and serum phosphorus levels decreased significantly after surgery in 80 patients with SHPT (P

In this study, the influence laws of different parameters on the exclusion characteristics of hailstone and ice flake, and on the aerodynamic performance of the inlet are studied by numerical method. The motion of the hailstone and ice flake is simulated using the 6-DOF method. Results show that the inhalation of hailstone in the inlet decreases total pressure distortion by about 20%, and the total pressure recovery coefficient is essentially unchanged. Icing of the upper lip decreases the total pressure distortion of the inlet by about 22%, and the total pressure recovery coefficient decreases by 0.6%. The ice flakes on the inner and outer lip, when shed and brake by collision with the center body, will cause damage to the engine duct. The shedding and breaking of ice flake at an angle of 150° to the lip can result in a large amount of ice flake debris entering the engine duct, threatening the performance and structure of the engine in the rear. The motion characteristics of hailstone and ice flake under helicopter fuselage/rotor/inlet integration conditions are revealed. It also provides a reference on the numerical methods for the numerical study of hailstone/ice flake exclusion characteristics of helicopter fuselage/rotor/inlet integration conditions.

This study explores the influence of particle size distribution (PSD) and heat treatment on 17-4 PH stainless steel fabricated by selective laser melting, which greatly improved the elongation of the material on the basis of ensuring the strength. Scanning electron microscope and electron backscattering diffraction were used to characterize the microstructure of 17-4 PH stainless steel. 17-4 PH stainless steel PSD+ and PSD− samples have obtained equiaxed grain, and the internal tissue distribution in PSD+ sample crystals is uneven. By reason of the gas in the large partials of PSD+ powder falling into the size distribution of 49 μm–58.9 μm, it was difficult to escape during the SLM process, which reduced the material density and mechanical properties. Compared with the PSD+ specimens, the tensile strength, hardness and elongation of the PSD− specimens are increase to 345.2 HV, 938.7 MPa, and 22%, respectively. This trend is retained after heat treatment, and the surface hardness, tensile strength and elongation rate of PSD− HT specimens, which are 5.3%, 5.4% and 12.9% higher compared with the PSD+ HT specimens, respectively.

Abstract Background Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) causes not only pain, stiffness, and dysfunction of the knee, but also the reduction of the joint range of motion (ROM). This study explored the demographic and radiographic factors for knee symptoms and ROM in patients with symptomatic KOA. Methods The demographic variables, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) of patients with symptomatic KOA recruited in Beijing were collected. The knee ROM of all patients were also measured. We analyzed the influencing factors for WOMAC and ROM using a generalize linear model, respectively. Results This study included a total of 2034 patients with symptomatic KOA, including 530 males (26.1%) and 1504 females (73.0%), with a mean age of 59.17 (± 10.22) years. Patients with advanced age, overweight or obesity, a family history of KOA, a moderate-to-heavy manual labor job and use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) had significantly higher WOMAC and lower ROM (all P

The atomization process of high-entropy FeCoCrNiMo alloy was tested using electrode induction gas atomization (EIGA) at different powers, pressures and rotary speeds. The modelization about the physical essence in the metal drop atomization was studied. A surface tension model, a specific surface energy model, a cooling rate model, and a solidification kinetic model of the alloy drop atomization process were built. Based on these models, the quantitative relationships between the powder particle size and process parameters during the alloy atomization were determined. Together with the results of particle size and scanning electron microscopy-based morphology of the powder obtained from EIGA under different process systems, the accuracy of the above physical models was validated.

The Gleeble-3800 thermomechanical simulator unit was used to perform single-pass hot compression tests of the single-phase BCC structure AlFeCoNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloy at the deformation temperature of 950–1150 °C and strain rate of 0.001-1s−1. The hot deformation behavior of the alloy was studied, and the dynamic recrystallization critical strain was determined by the work hardening rate. The dynamic recrystallization mechanism of the alloy was revealed with the microstructure characterization techcique. The study results showed: The dynamic recrystallization critical strain of AlFeCoNiMo0.2 high entropy alloy did not show any notable dependency on the deformation temperature and strain rate. Without reaching the recrystallization temperature, the massive generation of subgrain structures suppresses the formation of dynamic recrystallization grains. The nucleation mechanism of the high-entropy alloy is subgrain merging mechanism caused by dislocation motion.

Microstructure of novel high-strength metastable β titanium alloy, Ti–4Al–6Mo–2V–5Cr–2Zr, is extremely sensitive to both aging temperature and time length, which directly regulates their mechanical properties. Therefore, it is particularly important to clarify the roles of aging treatment in both microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti–4Al–6Mo–2V–5Cr–2Zr. Through varying the aging temperature from 520 to 640 °C and time from 2 h to 8 h, effects of aging technological parameters on the microstructure and tensile properties of Ti–4Al–6Mo–2V–5Cr–2Zr was systematically investigated. It is noted that the secondary α phase (αs) inside the β matrix coarsens as a function of the aging temperature and time length, and the shape of αs phase changes from fine needle to short rod. Moreover, lower aging temperature and longer aging time result in a higher volume fraction of αs phase. Combined with tensile test results, it is evident that volume fraction of αs phase leads to high strength. The volume fraction of αs phase in the alloy after aging at 520 °C for 6 h reaches 61.9% along with the highest ultimate tensile strength of 1367 MPa. In addition, the strengthening mechanism of reinforced phase αs was clarified with both SEM and TEM observations. Results show that the αs with the internal lattice distortion and HCP structure effectively prevent the dislocation slip. And the αs phase arranged in a triangular shape has a profound strengthening effect.

NiTi powders used for selective laser melting have here been fabricated by the breakup of discontinuous droplets in electrode induction melting gas atomization (EIGA). The morphology, particle size distribution, and hollow ratio of the powder were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), laser particle size analyzer, and computed tomography (CT), respectively. The effects of gas pressure and catheter length on the particle size distribution and powder morphology were then studied. Furthermore, the effects of the classifier wheel speed on the particle size distribution and yield of the 15–53 μ m powder in the classification process were also analyzed. The results showed that the average particle size (D50) of the NiTi powder first decreased and, thereafter, increased as the atomization gas pressure increased. This was also the situation with catheter length. Also, the yield of the 15–53 μ m powder increased with an increase in the classifier wheel speed. The optimum parameters were a gas atomization pressure of 5 MPa, a tension length of 28 mm, and a classifier wheel speed of 660 r min ^−1 . For this optimized condition, the D50 value and the yield of the NiTi powder were 57.54 μ m and 46.4%. In addition, the flowability, hollow ratio, and oxygen content were 15.8 s/50 g, 0.31%, and 450 ppm, respectively.

The CoCrNi-based medium-entropy alloys (MEA) have been extensively investigated due to their exceptional mechanical properties at both room and cryogenic temperatures. To investigate the hot deformation behavior and the recrystallization mechanism of the CoCr0.4NiSi0.3 medium-entropy alloy, a series of deformation tests was conducted using the MMS-100 thermal simulation tester, with deformation conditions of 0.001–1 s−1/850–1150 °C. During the hot deformation process, the flow stress initially increases up to its peak value before gradually decreasing towards a steady state level. Higher flow stress levels are observed with increasing strain rate and decreasing deformation temperature. The estimated activation energy for hot deformation of this alloy is approximately 423.6602 kJ/mol. The Arrhenius-type constitutive equation is utilized to establish a modified model while incorporating power dissipation theory and the instability criterion of a dynamic material model to construct power dissipation maps and instability maps. By superimposing these maps, hot processing maps with strains of 0.4, 0.5, and 0.7 are derived. In this investigation, it is observed that regions of instability exclusively occur when the true strain exceeds 0.4. These regions of instability on the hot processing map align well with experimental findings. The suitable range of parameters for hot-working decreases as the true strain increases. The microstructure was analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. The volume fraction of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) decreases with increasing strain rate but diminishes with rising temperature. The TEM characterization elucidated the mechanism of DRX in this MEA. The presence of the long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase was observed in both the face-centered cubic matrix and hexagonal close-packed recrystallized grains under different deformation conditions. The LPSO phase originates from the matrix at a low strain rate, whereas it is generated during recrystallization at a high strain rate. The observed increase in flow stress of the as-cast MEA is primarily attributed to the synergistic effects arising from the interaction of the dislocation with twins and the second phase. The onset of instability is effectively suppressed within a limited range through the formation of coherent second phases such as L12, LPSO, and superlattice structures resulting from phase transitions. These second phases serve as nucleation sites for recrystallization and contribute to the strengthening of dispersion. Furthermore, their interaction with dislocations and twins significantly influences both flow stress behavior and recrystallization kinetics under hot deformation. These findings not only deepen our understanding of the underlying deformation mechanisms governing MEA but also offer valuable insights for designing CoCrNi-based alloys with improved mechanical properties at elevated temperatures.

Runtime verification (RV) is a lightweight approach to detecting temporal errors of system at runtime. It confines the verification on observed trajectory which avoids state explosion problem. To predict the future violation, some work proposed the predictive RV which uses the information from models or static analysis. But for software whose models and codes cannot be obtained, or systems running under uncertain environment, these predictive methods cannot take effect. Meanwhile, RV in general takes multi-valued logic as the specification languages, for example the true, false and inconclusive in three-valued semantics. They cannot give accurate quantitative description of correctness when inconclusive is encountered. We in this paper present a RV method which learns probabilistic model of system and environment from history traces and then generates probabilistic runtime monitor to quantitatively predict the satisfaction of temporal property at each runtime state. In this approach, Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is firstly learned and then transformed to Discrete Time Markov Chain (DTMC). To construct incremental monitor, the monitored LTL property is translated into Deterministic Rabin Automaton (DRA). The final probabilistic monitor is obtained by generating the product of DTMC and DRA, and computing the probabilities for each state. With such a method, one can give early warning once the probability of correctness is lower than a pre-defined threshold, and have the chance to do adjustment in advance. The method has been implemented and experimented on real UAS (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) simulation platform.

Flexible control of atomization pressure and bar material feeding speed was achieved during preparation of TC11 alloy 3D-printing spherical powder on basis of a vacuum-induced multistage atomization process. Collision at the metal drop atomization stage was effectively avoided and spherical powder quality was significantly enhanced while ensuring the high fine-powder yield. Under the optimized atomization process conditions, the powder with D90 of 59.2 μm, highest sphericity, O and N element increment below 0.04%, and 15–53 μm powder yield of 30% was obtained. These comprehensive mechanical properties meet the requirement for 3D printing.

As a novel metastable β titanium alloy, Ti-6Mo-5V-3Al-2Fe, it is essential to establish the correlation among its microstructure, strength and ductility. In this paper, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to observe the secondary α phase (αs) of the aged alloy. The strength and ductility of the alloy were characterized by a room temperature tensile test. The dependence of strength and ductility on the αs of the alloy was investigated. Results indicate that the minimum width and spacing of αs within β grains can be obtained after being aged at 470°C for 4h. As the increase of aging temperature and time, the average width and average spacing of αs increase. A relational equation among precipitation strengthening and spacing length of αs is established to analyze the strengthening mechanism. It is demonstrated that the average spacing length of αs plays a predominant role in the strengthening of the alloy. The aged alloy exhibits poor ductility due to the formation of continuous grain boundaries α phase (GB α). After being aged at 620°C for 4h, Widmansta¨tten α phase nucleates along β grain boundaries and grows toward β matrix (WGB α). The combination of αs spacing widening and WGB α formation obviously improves the ductility of the alloy.

The total strain amplitude controlled low-cycle fatigue tests were performed at room temperature and 200 °C to clarify the influence of 0.5% Ag addition on the low-cycle fatigue behavior of an Al-5Cu-0.8Mg-0.15Zr-0.2Sc (in wt.%) alloy subjected to the peak-aging treatment after hot extrusion and solid solution treatment. The experimental results demonstrate that during low-cycle fatigue deformation, peak-aged Al-5Cu-0.8Mg-0.15Zr-0.2Sc(-0.5Ag) alloys exhibit cyclic hardening, cyclic stability, or cyclic hardening followed by cyclic stability, depending on the Ag addition, imposed total strain amplitude, and testing temperature. The addition of 0.5% Ag greatly increases the low-cycle fatigue life of peak-aged Al-5Cu-0.8Mg-0.15Zr-0.2Sc alloy, where the maximum rising amplitude is about 126.7% at ambient temperature and approximately 90.1% at 200 °C. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the addition of 0.5% Ag has no effect on the beginning and spreading modes of low-cycle fatigue fractures. For the peak-aged Al-5Cu-0.8Mg-0.15Zr-0.2Sc(-0.5Ag) alloys subjected to low-cycle fatigue deformation at different total strain amplitudes and testing temperatures used in this investigation, fatigue cracks initiate trans granularly at the free surface of the fatigue specimen and propagate in a trans granular mode.

Focal research has been conducted on medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) that exhibit a balanced combination of strength and plasticity. In this study, the microstructure, dynamic mechanical properties, and texture evolution of an as-cast medium-entropy CoCr0.4NiSi0.3 alloy were investigated through dynamic compression tests at strain rates ranging from 2100 to 5100 s−1 using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar in order to elucidate the underlying dynamic deformation mechanism. The results revealed a significant strain rate effect with dynamic compressive yield strengths of 811 MPa at 2100 s−1, 849 MPa at 3000 s−1, 919 MPa at 3900 s−1, and 942 MPa at 5100 s−1. Grains were dynamically refined from 19.73 to 3.35 μm with increasing strain rates. The correlation between adiabatic temperature rise induced by dynamic compression and dynamic recrystallization was examined, revealing that the latter is not associated with adiabatic heating but rather with phase transition triggered by the dynamic stress during compression. The proportion of Σ3n (1 ≤ n ≤ 3) grain boundaries in deformation specimens increases with increasing strain rates during dynamic compression. The formation of specific three-node structures enhances both strength and plasticity by impeding crack propagation and resisting higher mechanical stress. In the as-cast state, significant anisotropy was observed in the MEA. As strain rates increased, it transited into a stable {111} F texture. The exceptional dynamic properties of strength and plasticity observed in the as-cast state of the MEA can be attributed to a deformation mechanism involving a transition from dislocation slip to the formation of intricate arrangements, accompanied by interactions encompassing deformation nanotwins, stacking faults, Lomer–Cottrell locks, stair-rods, and displacive phase transformations at elevated strain rates.

Abstract Objective To explore the feasibility and clinical efficacy of a modified medial collateral ligament indentation technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with severe type II valgus deformity. Methods Consecutive patients with Krackow type II valgus deformity >20° who underwent a primary unilateral TKA between May 2008 and June 2017 were studied retrospectively. A medial collateral ligament indentation technique was performed in 20 patients (MCLI group), and 23 patients received the routine lateral structures release technique (LSR group). Radiological parameters, such as the valgus angle (VA), and functional outcomes including the use of constraint implants, Knee Society Score (KSS), Knee Society Function score (KSF), and thickness of the polyethylene insert were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 43 consecutive patients had a minimum 2‐year follow‐up. The preoperative VA was comparable between the MCLI (23.5° ± 5.8°) and LSR groups (21.3° ± 3.2°, P = 0.134), as was the postoperative VA (1.1° ± 2.1° and 2.5° ± 3.0°, respectively, P = 0.084). The mean KSS and KSF scores in the MCLI group were 30.2 ± 4.8 and 38.8 ± 4.8, respectively, before surgery, and they increased to 91.3 ± 2.6 and 86.5 ± 2.4 at the last follow‐up. The scores in the LSR group were 31.5 ± 7.5 and 36.5 ± 7.8 before surgery and 92.4 ± 3.5 and 88.5 ± 3.6 at the last follow‐up. While no statistically significant differences in pre‐ or postoperative functional scores were found between the two groups, the MCLI group had thinner polyethylene inserts (9.5 ± 1.1 mm vs 12.9 ± 1.5 mm) and less use of constrained condylar inserts (15% vs 69.6%). During follow‐up, the MCLI group had fewer complications. Conclusion A modified MCLI technique can achieve good outcomes in TKA with type II valgus deformity of >20°. It can maintain a normal joint line level, reduce the use of constrained condylar knee prostheses, and is a reliable choice for severe genu valgum.

BackgroundLow fertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes are commonly observed in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, a causal relationship between low fertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes with CKD remains unclear. Besides, whether mild kidney dysfunction can affect fertility and pregnancy still needs exploration. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the causal effect of kidney damage on fertility and pregnancy using Mendelian randomization (MR).MethodsWe first used two-sample MR to examine the effects of kidney damage on fertility and pregnancy. Next, we introduced the Bayesian model averaging MR analysis to detect major causal relationships and render the results robust. The genetic instruments and outcome data were derived from various large genome-wide association studies.ResultsAdverse pregnancy outcomes: Our analyses supported a suggestive causal effect of CKD and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) rapid on stillbirth, with CKD having an odds ratio (OR) of 1.020 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.002 to 1.038] and eGFR rapid having an OR of 1.026 (95% CI 1.004-1.048). We also discovered a suggestive causal effect of eGFR on spontaneous abortion, with an OR of 2.63 (95% CI 1.269 to 5.450). Moreover, increased urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) was regarded as a potential risk factor for pre-eclampsia (OR = 1.936; 95% CI 1.065 to 3.517) and gestational hypertension (OR = 1.700; 95% CI 1.002 to 2.886). Fertility assessment: The results indicated that eGFR and UACR had a suggestive causal relationship with the anti-Müllerian hormone level (eGFR beta: 1.004; UACR beta: 0.405).ConclusionsOur study used MR to demonstrate a suggestive causal relationship between kidney damage and fertility and pregnancy. We reported that mild kidney dysfunction might be a risk factor for reduced fertility and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dynamic renal detection may help preserve fertility and reduce the risk of pregnancy loss.

The tensile creep of Al-5Cu-0.8Mg-0.15Zr-0.2Sc(-0.5Ag) was tested at 150–250 °C and 125–350 MPa, and the effect of Ag on the high-temperature creep of Al-Cu-Mg alloys was discussed. After the addition of Ag, the high-temperature creep performances of the alloy were significantly improved at 150 °C/300 MPa and 200 °C/(150 MPa, 175 MPa). Then, constitutive relational models of the alloy during high-temperature creep were built, and the activation energy was calculated to be 136.65 and 104.06 KJ/mol. Based on the thermal deformation mechanism maps, the high-temperature creep mechanism of the alloy was predicted. After the addition of Ag, the creep mechanism of the alloy at 150 °C transitioned from lattice diffusion control to grain boundary diffusion control. At 250 °C, the mechanism was still controlled by grain boundary slip, but as the stress index increased and after Ag was added, the alloy fractures lead to the formation of dimples, thus improving the high-temperature creep performance.

AimsThis study intends to explore the research focus and trends of fulminant myocarditis (FM) to have a better understanding of the topic.Materials and methodsThe data were downloaded from the Web of Science (WoS) database using the topic (TS) advanced search strategy. Many instruments were used to extract, analyze, and visualize the data, such as Microsoft Excel, HistCite Pro, GunnMap, BibExcel, and VOSviewer.ResultsFrom 1985 to 2022, 726 documents were indexed in the WoS. The United States and Columbia University were the most productive country and institutions. Keywords co-occurrence was carried out and four research themes were identified. In addition, the top three prolific authors, the first three highly cited authors, and the core authors of the author co-citation network were identified. The topics that they kept an eye on were analyzed, and the research areas of key authors were similar to the results of keyword co-occurrence. The hot topics of FM were related to the mechanical circulatory support, etiology, diagnosis, and the disease or therapy associated with FM.ConclusionThis study carried out a systematic analysis of the documents related to FM from 1985 to 2022, which can provide a guideline for researchers to understand the theme trend to promote future research to be carried out.

BackgroundFear of childbirth is a prevalent issue among women, with a wide range of interventions to dispel it. Here we explored a novel and beneficial intervention and one possible influence mechanism of it.MethodsThe cross-sectional study recruited 1,053 pregnant women from one tertiary-grade A class hospital between March to August 2021. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics, a self-made musical activities questionnaire, the Positive affect subscale, and the Childbirth Attitudes Questionnaire. We parceled the eight musical activities into three items by item parceling methodology. The associations of musical activities and positive affect with fear of childbirth were evaluated by a structural equation modeling approach.ResultsOur analyses demonstrated the effectiveness of musical activities, which was notably correlated with the increase in positive affect (β = 0.309, P < 0.01). On the contrary, positive affect predicted a decrease in fear of childbirth (β = −0.085, P = 0.019). Additionally, positive affect mediated the effect of musical activities on fear of childbirth (β = −0.026, P = 0.030). However, the direct effect of musical activities on fear of childbirth was not found (β = 0.029, P = 0.514).ConclusionsRelying on musical activities alone may not be adequate to alleviate the fear of childbirth, and positive affect played a pivotal role between musical activities and fear of childbirth. The results showed that musical activities would be an effective non-pharmaceutical way to alleviate the fear of childbirth and positive affect can not be ignorant in future childbirth fear reduction programs.

The effects of casting and different heat treatment processes on the corrosion resistance of AlFeCoNiMo0.2 high-entropy alloy in 3.5% NaCl (mass fraction) and 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solutions were investigated using dynamic potential polarization curves, SEM, XRD, XPS, and other test methods. The results show that in the Cl− environment, the cast alloy has the lowest corrosion current density and higher corrosion resistance compared to the annealed alloy. The elements Al and Mo are severely segregated in the crystal and in the grain boundaries, where galvanic corrosion occurs, and the Al-rich phase produces pitting corrosion in the crystal. The main components of its passive film are oxides of Al, Fe, Co, and Mo, and oxides and hydroxides of Ni. In the SO42− environment, the best corrosion resistance is achieved in the 900 °C annealed state of the alloy. Electrochemical test results show that the alloys all undergo secondary passivation, producing two successive product films to protect the metal matrix. Preferential corrosion areas are concentrated in the molybdenum-rich grain boundaries and nearby dendritic regions, reducing the corrosion resistance of the alloy. The main components of the passive film are oxides of Al and Mo; oxides of Fe, Co, Ni; and hydroxides. The Mo element in the passive film prevents the activated dissolution of Fe and produces the protective component MoO3, which inhibits the dissolution of the alloy and improves the stability of the passive film. The presence of Mo elements increases the selective dissolution of Fe, and the aggregation of Mo elements at grain boundaries after annealing weakens the corrosion resistance of the alloy and leads to the dissolution of the passive film. The main components of the passive film are oxides of Al and Mo; oxides of Fe, Co, Ni; and hydroxides.

Graph-based change-point detection methods are often applied due to their advantages for using high-dimensional data. Most applications focus on extracting effective information of objects while ignoring their main features. However, in some applications, one may be interested in detecting objects with different features, such as color. Therefore, we propose a general graph-based change-point detection method under the multi-way tensor framework, aimed at detecting objects with different features that change in the distribution of one or more slices. Furthermore, considering that recorded tensor sequences may be vulnerable to natural disturbances, such as lighting in images or videos, we propose an improved method incorporating histogram equalization techniques to improve detection efficiency. Finally, through simulations and real data analysis, we show that the proposed methods achieve higher efficiency in detecting change-points.

Most near-β titanium alloy structural components should be plastically deformed at high temperatures. Inappropriate high-temperature deformed processes can lead to macro-defects and abnormally coarse grains. Ti-3Al-6Cr-5V-5Mo alloy is a near-β titanium alloy with the potential application. The available information on the high-temperature deformation behavior of the alloy is limited. To provide guidance for the actual hot working of the alloy, the flow stress behavior and processing map at α + β phase field and β phase field were studied, respectively. Based on the experimental data obtained from hot compressing simulations at the range of temperature from 700 °C to 820 °C and at the range of strain rate from 0.001 s−1 to 10 s−1, the constitutive models, as well as the processing map, were obtained. For the constitutive models at the α + β phase field and β phase field, the correlated coefficients between actual stress and predicted stress are 0.986 and 0.983, and the predictive mean relative errors are 2.7% and 4.1%. The verification of constitutive models demonstrates that constitutive equations can predict flow stress well. An instability region in the range of temperature from 700 °C to 780 °C and the range of strain rates from 0.08 s−1 to 10 s−1, as well as a suitable region for thermomechanical processing in the range of temperature from 790 °C to 800 °C and the range of strain rates from 0.001 s−1 to 0.007 s−1, was predicted by the processing map and confirmed by the hot-deformed microstructural verification. After the deformation at 790 °C/0.001 s−1, the maximum number of dynamic recrystallization grains and the minimum average grain size of 17 μm were obtained, which is consistent with the high power-dissipation coefficient region predicted by the processing map.

The metastable β titanium alloys used in marine engineering applications suffered from stress-corrosion cracking in seawater. The different phase composition leads to the distinct stress-corrosion cracking behaviors of the alloy. In this work, the influence of the phase composition on the stress-corrosion cracking of a novel metastable β titanium alloy Ti-6Mo-5V-3Al-2Fe-2Zr was investigated. The alloys with different phase compositions were prepared by three types of thermal-mechanical processing, i.e., the single β phase (assigned as M(β)), the β phase plus fine α phase (assigned as M(β+fα)), and the β phase plus coarsened α phase (assigned as M(β+cα)). The electrochemical tests and constant-stress loading tests were performed, and the phase composition and microstructure were analyzed by XRD and SEM. The M(β) alloy exhibits the best corrosion resistance as well as the compact properties of oxide films, followed by the M(β+fα) alloy and the M(β+cα) alloy. Tear ridges and a flat facet with an undulating surface were observed on the stress-corrosion cracking fracture surface, which indicated the occurrence of high-degree dislocations movement and localized plastic deformation. Absorption-induced dislocation emission (AIDE) and hydrogen-enhanced localized plasticity (HELP) are the primary mechanisms for the stress-corrosion cracking of the alloy. The increased amount of β phase has a beneficial effect on stress-corrosion cracking resistance. For the alloy with β and α phases, the α phase with wider spacing has an adverse effect on stress corrosion performance.

The effect of the secondary α phase on stress corrosion cracking of a novel metastable β titanium alloy, Ti-6Mo-5V-3Al-2Fe, in 3.5% NaCl solution was investigated by slow strain rate testing. Fine acicular secondary α phase was obtained by aging at the low temperature of 520 °C, and coarsened rod-like secondary α phase was obtained by aging at the high temperature of 680 °C. The electrochemical measurement results and slow strain rate testing results show that the microstructure contained with fine acicular secondary α phase exhibits better corrosion resistance and less stress corrosion cracking susceptibility. The fracture morphology exhibits a mixed fracture characteristic with shallow and small dimples, as well as tear ridges and flat facets with undulating surfaces. The combination of Absorption Induced Dislocation Emission and Hydrogen Enhanced Localized Plasticity is the main mechanism for stress corrosion cracking. Fine acicular secondary α phase with narrow spacing leads to less accumulated dislocations and smaller localized stress, so that has a beneficial effect on stress corrosion performance.

In this paper, a distributed asymptotic tracking control strategy is investigated by establishing filters and barrier function-based consensus control scheme to address the control of heterogenous power-chained multiagent systems (MASs) under a directed graph subject to the unknown input deadzone nonlinearities and unknown control coefficients. First, to generate estimation information from the leader, a two-order filter is exploited for every agent which solves the difficultly of the time-varying control coefficients in multiagent systems with a directed topology. Then, based on the two-order filters, prescribed performance method and barrier functions are utilized to establish the distributed tracking protocol to handle the power-chained deadzone input nonlinearities, such that the MAS can reach the global consensus while guaranteeing the prescribed tracking error performance. Using the Lyapunov stability theorem, the proof of the convergence is accomplished rigorously. Ultimately, the efficacy and advantage of the devised method are validated by two simulation examples.

Abstract Background Pre-operative risk scores are more valuable than post-procedure risk scores because of lacking effective treatment for contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI). A number of pre-operative risk scores have been developed, but due to lack of effective external validation, most of them are also difficult to apply accurately in clinical practice. It is necessary to review and validate the published pre-operative risk scores for CI-AKI. Materials and methods We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE databases for studies of CI-AKI pre-operative risk scores and assessed their calibration and discriminatory in a cohort of 2669 patients undergoing coronary angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from September 2007 to July 2017. The definitions of CI-AKI may affect the validation results, so three definition were included in this study, CI-AKI broad1 was defined as an increase in serum creatinine (Scr) of 44.2 μmol/L or 25%; CI-AKI broad2, an increase in Scr of 44.2 μmol/L or 50%; and CI-AKI-narrow, an increase in Scr of 44.2 μmol/L. The calibration of the model was assessed with the Hosmer-Lemeshow test and the discriminatory capacity was identified by C-statistic. Results Of the 8 pre-operative risk scores for CI-AKI identified, 7 were single-center study and only 1 was based on multi-center study. In addition, 7 of the scores were just validated internally and only Chen score was externally validated. In the validation cohort of 2669 patients, the incidence of CI-AKI ranged from 3.0%(Liu) to 16.4%(Chen) for these scores. Furthermore, the incidence of CI-AKI was 6.59% (178) for CI-AKI broad1, 1.44% (39) for CI-AKI broad2, and 0.67% (18) for CI-AKI-narrow. For CI-AKI broads, C-statistics varied from 0.44 to 0.57. For CI-AKI-narrow, the Maioli score had the best discrimination and calibration, what’s more, the C-statistics of Maioli, Chen, Liu and Ghani was ≥0.7. Conclusion Most pre-operative risk scores were established based on single-center studies and most of them lacked external validation. For CI-AKI broads, the prediction accuracy of all risk scores was low. The Maioli score had the best discrimination and calibration, when using the CI-AKI-narrow definition.

Background: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is a frequent cause of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury. Previous animal models developed to explore the pathogenesis of CIN were based primarily on surgery or indomethacin treatment. Thus, we sought to explore a novel CIN rat model comparable to the human CIN. Methods and results: Both serum creatinine and tubular injury score were used to assess the successful establishment of the present model. In our study, dehydration duration and the iohexol dosage were found to be the two most important factors to develop a rat CIN model. And, dehydration for 3 days plus furosemide (10 mL/kg) injection before iohexol (15 mL/kg) administration was demonstrated the optimal strategy. Renal injury induced by 15 mL/kg iohexol was almost twice more severe than 10 mL/kg. Moreover, significant renal function decrease, morphological damage and mitochondrial dysfunction occurred as early as 6 h after iohexol injection, not 24 h as previous studies reported. Unexpectedly, we firstly discovered that dehydration after iohexol administration did not increase the extent of renal damage, indicating that hydration after contrast media exposure may be ineffective. Conclusions: A novel CIN rat model based on dehydration and iohexol exposure was established and validated to assist in understanding and preventing CIN. Keywords: Contrast-induced nephropathy, Iohexol, Rat model, Dose-related, Hydration

Background: Over/under-estimating renal function may increase inappropriate dosing strategy associated adverse outcomes; however, previously reported equations to estimate renal function have limited accuracy in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Consequently, we intended to develop a novel equation to precisely estimate renal function and subsequently guide clinical treatment for CKD patients.Methods: A novel approach, Xiangya-s equation, to estimate renal function for CKD patients was derived by linear regression analysis and validated in 1885 patients with measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) < 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 by renal dynamic imaging at three representative hospitals in China, with the performance evaluated by accuracy, bias and precision. In the meanwhile, 2,165 atrial fibrillation (AF) patients who initiated direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) between December 2015 and December 2018 were identified and renal function was assessed by estimated creatinine clearance (eCrCl). Events per 100 patient-years was calculated. Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to compare the incidence of outcomes of each group.Results: Xiangya-s equation demonstrated higher accuracy, lower bias and improved precision when compared with 12 creatinine-based and 2 CysC-based reported equations to estimate GFR in multi-ethnic Chinese CKD patients. When we applied Xiangya-s equation to patients with AF and CKD prescribed DOACs, wide variability was discovered in eCrCl calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault (CG), Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), Xiangya equation which we had developed for generally patients and Xiangya-s equations, which persisted after grouping by different renal function stages. Equation choice affected drug-dosing adjustments, with the formulas agreeing for only 1.19%, 5.52%, 33.22%, 26.32%, and 36.61% of potentially impacted patients for eCrCl cutoffs of

TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2NTs) are beneficial for photogenerated electron separation in photocatalysis. In order to improve the utilization rate of TiO2NTs in the visible light region, an effective method is to use Aun cluster deposition-modified TiO2NTs. It is of great significance to investigate the mechanism of Aun clusters supported on TiO2NTs to strengthen its visible-light response. In this work, the structures, electronic properties, Mulliken atomic charge, density of states, band structure, and deformation density of Aun (n = 1, 8, 13) clusters supported on TiO2NTs were investigated by DMOL3. Based on published research results, the most stable adsorption configurations of Aun (n = 1, 8, 13) clusters supported with TiO2NTs were obtained. The adsorption energy increased as the number of Au adatoms increased linearly. The Aun clusters supported on TiO2NTs carry a negative charge. The band gaps of the three most stable structures of each adsorption system decreased compared to TiO2NTs; the valence top and the conduction bottom of the Fermi level come mainly from the contribution of 5d and 6s-Au. The electronic properties of the 5d and 6s impurity orbitals cause valence widening and band gap narrowing.

Fine-grained Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy plates were manufactured using a direct rolling approach, and a series of superplastic tensile tests were conducted at varying temperatures and strain rates. The maximum tensile elongation of 816% was obtained at 810 °C and 5 × 10−4 s−1, and the superplastic flow behavior was dominated by a strain-induced grain boundary slip. In addition, the superplastic behaviors of the alloy were investigated, and the α-and β-phase Gibbs free energy was calculated. The vital role of phase β in the transformation was discussed from a thermodynamical perspective. A power dissipation rate model of Ti-6Al-4V during the superplastic deformation was built and used to predict the energy changing laws in the dynamic recrystallization and grain boundary sliding during the superplastic deformation.

A vacuum-induced multistage atomization process was adopted to fabricate the high-performance 304 stainless steel powder for 3D printing, based on the flexible control of the droplet spheroidization and solidification process. The 36.7 μm-median diameter (D50) 304 stainless steel powder with high sphericity was successfully obtained, together with particle size proportion of 45–55 μm larger than 35% and the lower oxygen and nitrogen content increment below 0.04%.

The superplastic tension and deformation mechanism of Ti-6Al-4V alloy at 923 K and a tensile speed of 10−3, 5 × 10−3, or 5 × 10−2 s−1 was studied on an AG 250KNE electronic tension tester. Through theoretical modeling, the unit dislocation count of this alloy during superplastic deformation was introduced into the Ruano–Wadsworth–Sherby (R-W-S) deformation mechanism map, and a new deformation mechanism map involving dislocation count was plotted. Thereby, the mechanism underling the low-temperature superplastic deformation of this alloy was predicted. It was found the superplastic tension of Ti-6Al-4V at the tested temperature was controlled by dislocation movement, and with an increase in strain rate, the deformation transited from the dislocation-controlled mechanism with a stress index of 4 to the dislocation glide mechanism with a stress index of 5 or 7. At the strain rate of 10−3 s−1, this alloy reached the largest tension rate of 790% and strain rate sensitivity index of 0.52 and had excellent low-temperature superplastic properties.

BackgroudContrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the most common adverse reaction caused by contrast media, which has been reported to prolong hospitalization and increase mortality and morbidity. The hypertensive population has proved susceptible to CI-AKI. Unfortunately, no therapeutic has been shown to prevent and cure CI-AKI effectively. A few studies have shown the protection of amlodipine on renal function, but the relationship between amlodipine and CI-AKI in hypertensive group is unknown, we aimed to study the effects of amlodipine on CI-AKI and overall survival in a large Chinese hypertensive cohort.MethodsA retrospective, matched, cohort study was conducted among adults hospitalized at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from October 2007 to May 2017. CI-AKI was the primary end point of the trial, time-related all-cause mortality (including in-hospital) and length of hospital stay were the secondary end points. Propensity Score Matching was used to reduce the effect of selection bias and potential confounding.Results868 patients with and 1,798 ones without amlodipine before contrast administration were included. The incidence of CI-AKI was 10.50%. The unadjusted, adjusted, and propensity‐score matched incidence of CI-AKI were lower in patients treated with amlodipine (OR, 0.650; P = 0 .003; OR, 0.577; P = 0.007; OR, 0.687; P = 0.015, respectively), and the same results were found in the subgroups of diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), non-CKD, low-osmolar, and elderly. Moreover, amlodipine reduced hospital stay, whether matched or not (7.08 ± 7.28 vs 7.77 ± 7.82, P = 0.027, before matching; vs 7.81 ± 7.58, P = 0.040, after matching). 1,046 patients finished follow-up including 343 amlodipine users and 703 non-users. The overall mortality was significantly lower among amlodipine users (10.79%) than controls (16.07%), the significant difference was found in survival between them (P = 0.024, log-rank test), amlodipine was associated with longer overall survival [HR, 0.623; 95% CI (0.430–0.908), P = 0.014].ConclusionIn conclusion, we first found amlodipine treatment before contrast exposure played a role in protecting hypertensive patients from CI-AKI and prolonging survival.

Abstract Background Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common form of inherited retinal dystrophy presenting remarkable genetic heterogeneity. Genetic annotations would help with better clinical assessments and benefit gene therapy, and therefore should be recommended for RP patients. This report reveals the disease causing mutations in two RP pedigrees with confusing inheritance patterns using whole exome sequencing (WES). Methods Twenty-five participants including eight patients from two families were recruited and received comprehensive ophthalmic evaluations. WES was applied for mutation identification. Bioinformatics annotations, intrafamilial co-segregation tests, and in silico analyses were subsequently conducted for mutation verification. Results All patients were clinically diagnosed with RP. The first family included two siblings born to parents with consanguineous marriage; however, no potential pathogenic variant was found shared by both patients. Further analysis revealed that the female patient carried a recurrent homozygous C8ORF37 p.W185*, while the male patient had hemizygous OFD1 p.T120A. The second family was found to segregate mutations in two genes, TULP1 and RP1. Two patients born to consanguineous marriage carried homozygous TULP1 p.R419W, while a recurrent heterozygous RP1 p.L762Yfs*17 was found in another four patients presenting an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern. Crystal structural analysis further indicated that the substitution from arginine to tryptophan at the highly conserved residue 419 of TULP1 could lead to the elimination of two hydrogen bonds between residue 419 and residues V488 and S534. All four genes, including C8ORF37, OFD1, TULP1 and RP1, have been previously implicated in RP etiology. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the coexistence of diverse inheritance modes and mutations affecting distinct disease causing genes in two RP families with consanguineous marriage. Our data provide novel insights into assessments of complicated pedigrees, reinforce the genetic complexity of RP, and highlight the need for extensive molecular evaluations in such challenging families with diverse inheritance modes and mutations.

Abstract Background Physical activity (PA) and smoking have been reported to be associated with the duration and severity of common cold symptoms. However, few studies have addressed the associations between the frequency of leisure-time exercise, cigarette smoking status and the frequency of the common cold in a cold area. This study was designed to investigate these issues in northeastern China. Methods This cross-sectional study included individuals who participated in a regular health examination conducted in Jilin Province, China. Information on episodes of the common cold, the frequency of leisure-time exercise and cigarette smoking status in the past year were collected by self-administered health questionnaires. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse the associations between the frequency of leisure-time exercise, cigarette smoking status and the retrospective frequency of common cold. Results A total of 1413 employees participated in the study, with an average age of 38.92 ± 9.04 years and 44.4% of them were male. Of all participants, 80.8% reported having experienced the common cold in the past year. After adjustment, the risk of suffering from the common cold more than once (odds ratios (ORs), 1.59; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27–1.99) in passive smokers was 1.59 times as high as that in non-smokers. Nevertheless, the results of the adjusted analysis showed no statistically significant relation between current smoking and the frequency of the common cold. A high frequency of leisure-time exercise (≥3 days/week) was associated with a 26% reduced risk of having at least one episode of the common cold (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55–0.98) compared with a low frequency group (

The hot deformation behavior and processing maps of the casting NiTi alloy were studied at the deformation temperature of 650–1050 °C and the strain rate of 5 × 10−3–1 s−1 by Gleeble-3800 thermal simulating tester. The variation of the strain rate sensitivity exponent m and the activation energy Q under different deformation conditions (T = 650–1050 °C, ε˙ = 0.005–1 s−1) were obtained. The formability of the NiTi alloy was the best from 800 °C to 950 °C. The constitutive equation of the casting NiTi alloy was constructed by the Arrhenius model. The processing map of the casting NiTi alloy was plotted according to the dynamic material model (DMM) based on the Prasad instability criterion. The optimal processing areas were at 800–950 °C and 0.005–0.05 s−1. The microstructure of the casting NiTi alloy was analyzed by TEM, SEM and EBSD. The softening mechanisms of the casting NiTi alloy were mainly dynamic recrystallization of the Ti2Ni phase and the nucleation and growth of fine martensite.

The Gleeble-3800 thermal simulation machine was used to perform hot compression experiments on a new type of β alloy, Ti-6Mo-5V-3Al-2Fe (wt.%), at temperatures of 700–900 °C, strain rates of 5 × 10−1 to 5 × 10−4 s−1, and total strain of 0.7. Transmission and EBSD techniques were used to observe the microstructure. The results show that the deformation activation energy of the alloy was 356.719 KJ/mol, and dynamic recrystallization occurred during the hot deformation. The higher the deformation temperature was, the more obvious the dislocations that occurred and the more sufficient the dynamic recrystallization that occurred, but the effect of strain rate was the opposite. When the deformation temperature was higher than the phase transition point, the recrystallized grains clearly grew up. The calculated strain rate sensitivity index of the alloy was 0.14–0.29. The constitutive equation of hot deformation of Ti-6Mo-5V-3Al-2Fe alloy was established by using the Arrhenius hyperbolic sine equation. The dynamic DMM hot working diagram with the strain of 0.7 was constructed. The relatively good hot working area of the alloy was determined to be the deformation temperature of 700–720 °C and 0.0041–0.0005 s−1.

Dental fluorosis (DF) is an endemic disease caused by excessive fluoride exposure during childhood. Previous studies mainly focused on the acid resistance of fluorotic enamel and failed to reach a consensus on the topic of the caries susceptibility of DF patients. In this review, we discuss the role of DF classification in assessing this susceptibility and follow the “four factors theory” in weighing the pros and cons of DF classification in terms of host factor (dental enamel and saliva), food factor, bacteria factor, and DF treatment factor. From our analysis, we find that susceptibility is possibly determined by various factors such as the extent of structural and chemical changes in fluorotic enamel, eating habits, fluoride levels in diets and in the oral cavity, changes in quantity and quality of saliva, and/or oral hygiene. Thus, a universal conclusion regarding caries susceptibility might not exist, instead depending on each individual’s situation.

Environmental exposure to metals is ubiquitous, but its relation to androgen hormone levels is not well understood, especially in children and adolescents. This study aimed to explore the relationship between blood metal concentrations (lead, cadmium, total mercury, selenium, and manganese) and serum total testosterone (TT) levels in 6-19-year-old children and adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2012. Weighted multivariable linear regression models using NHANES sampling weights were employed to evaluate the association between log-transformed serum TT and each metal categories in male and female children (age 6-11years) and adolescents (age 12-19 years). We established that blood cadmium and manganese levels were associated with significantly higher serum TT levels in the female adolescents. Additionally, the blood selenium levels in male adolescents were related to significantly higher serum TT. No significant associations between blood lead or total mercury levels and TT were observed in children or adolescents of either sex. These findings suggest that environmental exposure to certain metals could affect serum TT levels in adolescents, which might have important implications for the health of adolescents. Further research is required to confirm and extend our present findings.

ObjectivesThe main objective of this study was to explore the associations of family relationships and negative life events with depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 3081 middle school students was conducted in Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. Students were asked to complete questionnaires regarding family relationships, negative life events, and depressive symptoms. A mediation analysis was carried out using a multiple regression analysis and the PROCESS macro method.ResultsOf all participants, 19.9% reported experiencing depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 13.0% and 29.2% in participants with good and poor parental relationships, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 11.4% and 30.9% in participants with closed and alienated parental-child relationships, respectively. Parental relationships, parental-child relationships, and negative life events were positively correlated with depressive symptoms. The effect of parental relationships on depressive symptoms was fully mediated by negative life events (Effect = 0.052, 95% CI = [0.023, 0.082]), while the effect of parent-child relationships on adolescent depressive symptoms was partially mediated by negative life events (Effect = 0.075, 95% CI = [0.048, 0.104]).ConclusionsOur results showed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Poor family relationships may have the potential to increase the risk of depressive symptoms, and they could affect depressive symptoms through negative life events.

Concanavalin A-induced autoimmune hepatitis is a well-established experimental model for immune-mediated liver injury. It has been widely used in the therapeutic studies of immune hepatitis. The in-depth analysis of dysregulated proteins from comparative proteomic results indicated that the activation of immune system resulted in the deregulation of autophagy. Follow-up studies validated that some immune related proteins, including Stat1, Pkr, Atg7, and Adrm1, were indeed upregulated. The accumulations of LC3B-II and p62 were confirmed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses. Arctigenin pretreatment significantly alleviated the liver injury, as evidenced by biochemical and histopathological investigations, whose protective effects were comparable with Prednisone acetate and Cyclosporin A. Arctigenin pretreatment decreased the levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ, but increased the ones of IL-10. Next, the quantitative proteomic analysis demonstrated that ARC pretreatment suppressed the activation of immune system through the inhibition of IFN-γ signaling, when it downregulated the protein expressions of Stat1, P-Stat1, Pkr, P-Pkr, Bnip3, Beclin1, Atg7, LC3B, Adrm1, and p62. Meanwhile, Arctigenin pretreatment also reduced the gene expressions of Stat1, Pkr, and Atg7. These results suggested that Arctigenin alleviated autophagy as well as apoptosis through inhibiting IFN-γ/IL-6/Stat1 pathway and IL-6/Bnip3 pathway. In summary, the comparative proteomic analysis revealed that the activation of immune system led to Concanavalin A-induced hepatitis. Both autophagy and apoptosis had important clinical implications for the treatment of immune hepatitis. Arctigenin might exert great therapeutic potential in immune-mediated liver injury.

The behaviors of and mechanisms acting in Ti−6Al−4V alloy during low-temperature superplastic deformation were systematically studied by using a Gleeble-3800 thermocompression simulation machine. Focusing on the mechanical behaviors and microstructure evolution laws during low-temperature superplastic compression tests, we clarified the changing laws of the strain rate sensitivity index, activation energy of deformation, and grain index at varying strain rates and temperatures. Hot working images based on the dynamic material model and the deformation mechanism maps involving dislocation quantity were plotted on the basis of PRASAD instability criteria. The low-temperature superplastic compression-forming technique zone and the rheological instability zone of Ti−6Al−4V were analyzed by using hot processing theories. The dislocation evolution laws and deformation mechanisms of the grain size with Burgers vector compensation and the rheological stress with modulus compensation during the low-temperature superplastic compression of Ti−6Al−4V were predicted by using deformation mechanism maps.

We evaluated the association between BMI and body weight perception in a sample of children and adolescents.A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted among 7-18 year-olds (N = 9727) from 4 districts in Jilin City, China. We calculated BMI from measured weight and height and assessed body weight perception using a single questionnaire item. We analyzed these data using SPSS version 20.0.Approximately 19.8% of these youth perceived themselves as underweight, 57.8% as normal weight, and 22.4% as overweight. In reality, 4.9% were underweight, 64.3% were normal weight, and 30.8% were overweight. Furthermore, approximately 66.4% of these Chinese youth correctly perceived their body image, 28.2% underestimated their true body image, and 5.4% overestimated their weight status. Girls were more likely than boys to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 135.4, p < 0.05). Adolescents 13-18 years old were more likely than children 7-12 years old to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 248.4, p < 0.05). Senior high school students were the most likely to overestimate their weight (χ2 = 297.6, p < 0.05). Kappa tests revealed significant differences in consistency analysis of BMI and body weight perception (Kappa = 0.352, p < 0.05). Kappa < 0.4, the consistency of BMI and body weight perception was poor.A mismatch existed between BMI and body weight perception among these children and adolescents. Thus, schools and parents should take steps to help them improve weight management and overall health awareness.