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To enhance the overall performance of Mo–Cu alloy, Ti was added to Mo–Cu alloy to improve the bonding strength of Mo/Cu interface and generate solid solution strengthening effect. The outstanding performances of Mo–Cu–Ti alloys were achieved by infiltrating Cu–Ti alloy with different compositions into the Mo skeleton. Compared to the incoherent interface of Mo/Cu in Mo–Cu alloy, the addition of Ti transformed its interface to the coherent interface of Mo–Ti/Cu–Ti. All Mo–Cu–Ti alloy blocks had higher relative densities (97.4%∼98.5%) to guarantee the excellent comprehensive performances. What's more, the existences of Mo–Ti and Cu–Ti solid solutions assured the alloy possessed relatively high mechanical strength. The introduction of Ti purified the grain boundary by absorbing oxygen to generate TiO2 which hindered the growth of Mo–Ti grains. As increasing Ti amount from 0 wt% to 4.62 wt%, the Mo–Ti (or Mo) grain size reduced from 5 μm to 4.1 μm. Notably, Mo–Cu alloy block with the addition of 2.30 wt% Ti possessed the highest tensile strength of 562 MPa. Additionally, since the finer grain size of Mo–Ti alloy, this sample also owned the maximum micro-hardness and bending strength of 268 HV and 1730 MPa, respectively. Nevertheless, the presences of Cu–Ti solid solution and TiO2 also destroyed the electrical conductivities of the samples to some extent.

This research investigated the impact of Cr content on the properties of (Mo,Cr)Si2 composites. Composites with CrSi2 molar fractions ranging from 0% to 10% were fabricated using spark plasma sintering (SPS). The study undertook a systematic analysis of the surface morphology, phase composition, mechanical properties, and high-temperature oxidation resistance of the sintered samples across different compositions. Notably, the (Mo95,Cr5)Si2 composite sintered at 1400 °C exhibited enhanced properties, including a Vickers hardness of 11.6 GPa, a fracture toughness of 4.6 MPa·m1/2, and a flexural strength of 397 MPa. Upon oxidation at 1500 °C, the (Mo,Cr)Si2 composites formed a protective oxide layer comprised of SiO2 and Cr2O3. It was found that the generation and thickening of the protective oxide layer was promoted by the addition of moderate amounts of Cr to MoSi2.

Abstract Background Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a histological factor that is closely related to the early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection. To investigate whether a noninvasive risk score system based on MVI status can be established to estimate early recurrence of HCC after resection. Methods Between January 2018 to March 2021, a total of 108 patients with surgically treated single HCC was retrospectively included in our study. Fifty-one patients were pathologically confirmed with MVI and 57 patients were absent of MVI. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of preoperative laboratory and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features were used to screen noninvasive risk factors in association with MVI in HCC. Risk scores based on the odds ratio (OR) values of MVI-related risk factors were calculated to estimate the early recurrence after resection of HCC. Results In multivariate logistic regression analysis, tumor size > 2 cm (P = 0.024, OR 3.05, 95% CI 1.19–11.13), Prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II > 32 mAU/ml (P = 0.001, OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.23–11.38), irregular tumor margin (P = 0.018, OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.16–8.31) and apparent diffusion coefficient value

Abstract Background Clinically, the coadministration of opioids to enhance antinociception and decrease tolerance has attracted increasing research attention. We investigated the effects of dezocine, a mu- and kappa-opioid receptor agonist/antagonist, on morphine tolerance and explored the involvement of opioid receptor expression in a rat model of bone cancer pain. Methods Thermal nociceptive thresholds were measured after the subcutaneous injection of morphine (10 mg/kg) alone or combined with dezocine (10 or 1 mg/kg) for 7 consecutive days. Real-time PCR and western blot analysis were used to examine opioid receptor expression in the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and spinal cord. Results The analgesic effect was significantly decreased after 4 days of morphine administration. We observed that low-dose dezocine significantly attenuated morphine tolerance without reducing the analgesic effect of morphine. Low-dose dezocine coadministration significantly reversed the downregulated expression of mu (MOR) and delta (DOR) opioid receptors in the PAG and the upregulated expression of kappa (KOR) and DOR in the spinal cord induced by morphine. Moreover, low-dose dezocine coadministered with morphine significantly inhibited KOR expression in both the PAG and spinal cord. Conclusions The combination of low-dose dezocine with morphine may prevent or delay the development of morphine tolerance in a rat model of bone cancer pain. The regulation of opioid receptor expression in the PAG and spinal cord may be part of the mechanism.

The separation of Cu from the CuxO-FexO containing waste (such as copper slag and electroplating sludge) is always intractable by using pyrometallurgy method. The carbothermic reduction methods, as well as the conventional sulfurization technology by using sulfurization agent FeS2, will introduce lots of iron into the prepared Cu–Fe alloy or Cu–Fe–S matte, and this results in the difficulty in further separation of Cu from Fe. In this work, CaS is utilized as the new sulfurization agent, and the iron content of prepared Cu–Fe–S matte is lower than 5%, while the copper grade is improved to about 76–79%. Such products could be used as the raw materials for producing metallic copper. According to the experimental results, at 1450 °C, the copper oxides in CuO–Fe2O3–SiO2–CaO system is selectively sulfurized by CaS, and Cu2S dominated product is formed and separated from slags. The recovery extent of copper reaches 98% when the CaS addition is 1.15 times (1.15CaS) of the stoichiometric quantity required. However, the increase of CaS addition (1.6CaS) will lead to the sulfurization of iron oxides, and make the iron content in Cu–Fe–S matte increase to 15%. Besides, when the Cu/Fe ratio (in mass) of synthetic waste is 0.5, part of the CaS is oxidized by Fe2O3, which results in the recovery extent of Cu to only about 73.30%. However, the copper recovery extent could be improved to 97% by adding extra reductant carbon.

Nano-sized transition-metal carbides with high purities were synthesized by vacuum carbothermal reduction coupled with a novel method for the removal of free carbon by molten calcium treatment. Transition-metals oxides were firstly reduced by excessive carbon black under vacuum condition, and then the obtained product was treated in molten calcium to remove the free carbon. After acidic leaching the product, pure carbides were obtained. The excess carbon in the carbothermic reduction stage could not only increase the contact between reactants and make the reduction more thorough, but also act as barrier to restrict the grain growth of the products. The effects of carbothermic reduction temperature, calcium treatment temperature and particle sizes of oxides on the reaction products were discussed in detail. It was concluded that after carbothermic reduction of corresponding oxides at 1823 K in vacuum and the following calcium treatment at 1173 K, TiC, ZrC, HfC, V8C7, NbC and TaC with the particle sizes of 100 nm, 70 nm, 130 nm, 200 nm, 150 nm and 120 nm, could be prepared, respectively.

A two-step reduction method was used to synthesize nano tungsten powder via carbothermic pre-reduction of tungsten oxide, followed by a deep hydrogen reduction. In this process, carbon black first reduced most of the oxygen in tungsten trioxide, while the residual oxygen was removed by hydrogen reduction. The tungsten powder prepared by the two-step reduction method had a spherical shape with an average grain size of 90 nm. Simultaneously, tungsten powders doped with 1% and 2% alumina (mass fraction) were similarly prepared to study the effect of alumina on its sintering behavior. Analysis of fracture morphologies and average grain size of sintered samples showed that alumina significantly inhibited grain growth at the final sintering stage and grain size decreased at the same sintering temperature with an increase in the alumina content. At 1600 ℃, the average grain size of sintered sample of pure tungsten was approximately 2.75 μm, but it was about 1.5 μm for the sintered samples doped with 1% and 2% alumina. This finding could be based on the fact that tungsten grain growth in the final stage of sintering can be effectively inhibited by alumina particles. The sintered pure tungsten powder and alumina doped tungsten powders had different hardness variation levels with temperature increase. The hardness of the sintered sample doped with alumina has always increased with temperature increases, reaching a maximum value above 800 HV. As for the sintered sample of pure tungsten, the hardness first increased and then decreased with temperature increase, reached its maximum value of 473.6 HV at 1400 °C that was caused by the rapid growth of grain size of tungsten at higher temperatures. At a sintering temperature of 1600 ℃, the relative density of the pure tungsten powder was 98.52%, while that of the tungsten powder doped with 1% and 2% alumina were 95.43% and 93.5%, respectively.

Ultrafine W-Cu composite powders with various copper (Cu) contents (5, 20 and 40 wt.%) have been fabricated by a method consisting of a carbothermic pre-reduction step and a subsequent hydrogen reduction step. After roasting the mixture of ammonium tungstate ((NH4)10[H2W12O42]·xH2O) and copper nitrate trihydrate (Cu(NO3)2·3H2O), the mixture of CuWO4 and CuO (or WO3) was obtained. Subsequently, this mixture was pre-reduced by insufficient carbon black to generate the products containing W, Cu and a small amount of WO2 which was further reduced to W in the following hydrogen reduction process. Thus, the ultrafine W-Cu composite powders were successfully produced. After sintering the green compacts made of these powders at 1100 ℃, 1150 ℃, 1200 ℃ and 1250 ℃, respectively, the microstructure, relative densities, electric conductivity and thermal conductivity of the sintered alloys were measured. The experimental results indicated that the higher the sintering temperature is, the better the performance of alloys will be. Keywords: Composite powders, Relative density, Hardness, Thermal conductivity, Electric conductivity

Pancreatic cancer (PC) patients are highly prone to cachexia, a lethal wasting syndrome featuring muscle wasting with an undefined etiology. Recent data indicate that certain murine cancer cells induce muscle wasting by releasing Hsp70 and Hsp90 through extracellular vesicles (EVs) to activate p38β MAPK-mediated catabolic pathways primarily through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). However, whether human PC induces cachexia through releasing Hsp70 and Hsp90 is undetermined. Here, we investigated whether patient-derived PC cells induce muscle cell atrophy directly through this mechanism. We compared cancer cells isolated from patient-derived xenografts (PDX) from three PC patients who had cachexia (PCC) with those of three early-stage lung cancer patients without cachexia (LCC) and two renal cancer patients who were not prone to cachexia (RCC). We observed small increases of Hsp70 and Hsp90 released by LCC and RCC in comparison to non-cancer control cells (NCC). However, PCC released markedly higher levels of Hsp70 and Hsp90 (~ 6-fold on average) than LCC and RCC. In addition, PCC released similarly increased levels of Hsp70/90-containing EVs. In contrast to RCC and LCC, PCC-conditioned media induced a potent catabolic response in C2C12 myotubes including the activation of p38 MAPK and transcription factor C/EBPβ, upregulation of E3 ligases UBR2 and MAFbx, and increase of autophagy marker LC3-II, resulting in the loss of the myosin heavy chain (MHC ~50%) and myotube diameter (~60%). Importantly, the catabolic response was attenuated by Hsp70- and Hsp90-neutralizing antibodies in a dose-dependent manner. These data suggest that human PC cells release high levels of Hsp70 and Hsp90 that induce muscle atrophy through a direct action on muscle cells.

A simple and efficient pathway was developed to synthesize ultrafine grained oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) Mo alloys doped with nano-scaled oxide particles. Firstly, dispersed La(NO3)3 or Al(NO3)3 nanoparticles were introduced into commercial MoO3 via a solution spraying method. Then, Mo nanopowders containing different amounts of oxides nanoparticles (La2O3 (0%, 0.5%, 1% and 2%) or Al2O3 (0.5%, 1%)) were successfully prepared by reducing the doped MoO3 with carbon black at 600 °C and 1050 °C, and hydrogen at 800 °C. Due to the high sintering activity of prepared doped Mo nanopowder, after sintering in H2 at 1300 °C for 3 h, the relative density of sintered products containing 0.5% La2O3 or Al2O3 reached to above 95.4%. Nanostructured ODS Mo alloys with Mo and La2O3 (or Al2O3) grain sizes of about 0.5 μm and 75 nm (or 50 nm for Al2O3) were successfully prepared at around 1300 °C. The obtained nanostructured Mo-oxides alloys had much high hardness values. For the Mo-La2O3 alloys, the highest value of hardness can reach to 338 HV (1% La2O3, Mo grain size, 0.51 μm; La2O3 grain size, 71.3 nm; density, 93.0%), while the highest hardness of Mo-Al2O3 alloys reached to 385 HV (1% Al2O3, Mo grain size, 0.55 μm; Al2O3 grain size, 55.9 nm; density, 94.6%), which were much higher than the ODS-Mo alloys prepared from the traditional methods. This method could also have great potential for industrially producing nanostructured ODS Mo alloys and W alloys. Keywords: Mo alloy, Nanoparticles, Microstructure, Dispersion strengthening, Hardness

Abstract Currently, when magnesium alloy sheet is rolled, the method of controlling roll temperature is simple and inaccurate. Furthermore, roll temperature has a large influence on the quality of magnesium alloy sheet; therefore, a new model using circular fluid flow control roll temperature has been designed. A fluid heat transfer structure was designed, the heat transfer process model of the fluid heating roll was simplified, and the finite difference method was used to calculate the heat transfer process. Fluent software was used to simulate the fluid-solid coupling heat transfer, and both the trend and regularity of the temperature field in the heat transfer process were identified. The results show that the heating efficiency was much higher than traditional heating methods (when the fluid heat of the roll and temperature distribution of the roll surface was more uniform). Moreover, there was a bigger temperature difference between the input and the output, and after using reverse flow the temperature difference decreased. The axial and circumferential temperature distributions along the sheet were uniform. Both theoretical calculation results and numerical simulation results of the heat transfer between fluid and roll were compared. The error was 1.8%–12.3%, showing that the theoretical model can both forecast and regulate the temperature of the roll (for magnesium alloy sheets) in the rolling process.

Abstract Background Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) have been involved in tumor growth and metastasis. Sevoflurane may promote angiogenesis, whereas propofol can present an anti-angiogenic effect. In this study, we compared the effects of propofol/remifentanil-based total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) and sevoflurane-based inhalational anesthesia on the release of VEGF-C and TGF-β, as well as recurrence- free survival (RFS) rates in the patients undergoing breast cancer surgery. Methods Eighty female patients undergoing breast cancer resection were enrolled and randomized to receive either sevoflurane-based inhalational anesthesia (SEV group) or propofol/remifentanil-based TIVA (TIVA group). The serum concentrations of VEGF-C and TGF-β before and 24 h after surgery were measured and RFS rates over a two-year follow-up were analyzed in both groups. The postoperative pain scores assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the use of perioperative opioids were also evaluated. Results Although VAS scores at 2 h and 24 h after surgery were comparable between the two groups, there were more patients receiving postoperative fentanyl in the TIVA group (16[40%]) compared with the SEV group (6[15%], p = 0.023). VEGF-C serum concentrations increased after surgery from 105 (87–193) pg/ml to174 (111–281) pg/ml in the SEV group (P = 0.009), but remained almost unchanged in the TIVA group with 134 (80–205) pg/ml vs.140(92–250) pg/ml(P = 0.402). The preoperative to postoperative change for VEGF-C of the SEV group (50 pg/ml) was significantly higher than that of the TIVA group (12 pg/ml) with a difference of 46 (− 11–113) pg/ml (P = 0.008). There were also no significant differences in the preoperative and postoperative TGF-β concentrations between the two groups. The two-year RFS rates were 78% and 95% in the SEV and TIVA groups (P = 0.221), respectively. Conclusion In comparison with sevoflurane-based inhalational anesthesia, propofol/remifentanil -based total intravenous anesthesia can effectively inhibit the release of VEGF-C induced by breast surgery, but didn’t seem to be beneficial in the short-term recurrence rate of breast cancer. Trial registration Chictr.org.cn ChiCTR1800017910. Retrospectively Registered (Date of registration: August 20, 2018).

Abstract Background Postoperative pneumonia (PP) is one of the common complications following esophagectomy and associated with poor short- and long-term outcomes. Sevoflurane and propofol, which have inflammatory-modulating effects, are common used general anesthetics. This study aimed to compare the effects of anesthesia with sevoflurane and propofol on the development of PP after esophageal surgery for cancer. Methods The electronic medical records of patients who underwent elective esophagectomy between July 2013 and July 2016 were reviewed. We conducted univariate and multivariate logistics analysis and propensity score matching analysis to compare the effect of sevoflurane and propofol on the incidence of PP and to identify the risk factors for PP after esophagectomy. Results Overall, the incidence of postoperative pneumonia was 9.5%. There was no significant difference in the rates of PP between sevoflurane group and propofol group either before or after propensity score matching (9.6% vs 8.0%, P = 0.606; 7.7% vs 6.4%, P = 0.754, respectively). Univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that alcohol use (OR 1.513; 95% CI 1.062–2.156), surgical procedure (Sweet: referent; Ivor-Lewis: OR 1.993; 95% CI 1.190–3.337; Three-incision: OR 1.878; 95% CI 1.296–2.722) and surgeon experience (high-volume: referent; low-volume: OR 1.525; 95% CI 1.090–2.135) were significant risk factors of postoperative pneumonia. Conclusions Sevoflurane did not differ from propofol in terms of affecting the risk of PP development after esophagectomy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of artesunate on Th1 differentiation and its anti-tumor effect on ovarian cancer. A Murine ovarian cancer model was established by ID8 cells transplantation. The expression of miR-142 and Sirt1 proteins in peripheral CD4+ T cells were quantified with qRT-PCR and western blot, respectively. Peripheral CD4+ T cells were induced for Th1 differentiation. The percentages of apoptosis of Th1/CD4+ T cells and ovarian cancer cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The IFN-γ level was examined through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Artesunate promoted miR-142 expression in peripheral CD4+ T cells and Th1 differentiation from CD4+ T cells. Artesunate promoted cell apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells by inducing Th1 differentiation. By up-regulating miR-142, artesunate suppressed Sirt1 level and promoted Th1 differentiation. Artesunate enhanced the pro-apoptotic effects of Th1 cells on ovarian cancer via the miR-142/Sirt1 pathway. Artesunate promoted Th1 differentiation from CD4+ T cells by down-regulating Sirt1 through miR-142, thereby enhancing cell apoptosis in ovarian cancer.

ABSTRACT To demonstrate the role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in yaks (Bos grunniens), we characterized the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) mRNA and protein. The level of GnRHR mRNA in the hypothalamus was higher than that in the pineal gland, pituitary gland, and ovary during estrus. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that GnRHR was expressed in the pinealocyte, synaptic ribbon, and synaptic spherules of the pineal gland and that melatonin interacts with GnRHR via nerve fibers. In the hypothalamus, GnRHR was expressed in the magnocellular neurons and parvocellular neurons. In the pituitary gland, GnRHR was expressed in acidophilic cells and basophilic cells. In the ovary, GnRHR was present in the ovarian follicle and Leydig cells. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor is located in the pineal gland, hypothalamus, pituitary, and gonad during estrus of yaks and is mainly expressed in the hypothalamus and ovaries during the estrus period.

For arbitrary code lengths of the form PL(P≥3L2/4+L-1),a new family of (4,L)-regular quasi-cyclic (QC) low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes was proposed explicitly with girth ight.Employing the new code as a component code in the construction method of Chinese remainder theorem (CRT),a novel class of compound QC-LDPC codes was presented with both girth at least eight and very flexible code lengths.Simulation results show that the new compound codes with rate 1/2 and moderate code lengths perform very well over the additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel.

The high cost of feed ingredients, the use of non-renewable sources of phosphate and the dramatic increase in the environmental load resulting from the excessive land application of manure are major challenges for the livestock industry. Precision feeding is proposed as an essential approach to improve the utilization of dietary nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients and thus reduce feeding costs and nutrient excretion. Precision feeding requires accurate knowledge of the nutritional value of feedstuffs and animal nutrient requirements, the formulation of diets in accordance with environmental constraints, and the gradual adjustment of the dietary nutrient supply to match the requirements of the animals. After the nutritional potential of feed ingredients has been precisely determined and has been improved by the addition of enzymes (e.g. phytases) or feed treatments, the addition of environmental objectives to the traditional feed formulation algorithms can promote the sustainability of the swine industry by reducing nutrient excretion in swine operations with small increases in feeding costs. Increasing the number of feeding phases can also contribute to significant reductions in nutrient excretion and feeding costs. However, the use of precision feeding techniques in which pigs are fed individually with daily tailored diets can further improve the efficiency with which pigs utilize dietary nutrients. Precision feeding involves the use of feeding techniques that allow the provision of the right amount of feed with the right composition at the right time to each pig in the herd. Using this approach, it has been estimated that feeding costs can be reduced by more than 4.6%, and nitrogen and phosphorus excretion can both be reduced by more than 38%. Moreover, the integration of precision feeding techniques into large-group production systems can provide real-time off-farm monitoring of feed and animals for optimal slaughter and production strategies, thus improving the environmental sustainability of pork production, animal well-being and meat-product quality.O custo elevado das matérias-primas, o uso de recursos não renováveis de fosfatos e o aumento da poluição ambiental resultante do excesso de aplicação de dejetos no meio ambiente têm sido considerado um dos principais problemas na produção animal. A alimentação de precisão é proposta como uma abordagem essencial para melhorar a utilização do nitrogênio, fósforo e outros nutrientes oriundos da dieta e reduzir assim o custo da dieta e a excreção de nutrientes. A alimentação de precisão requer um conhecimento do valor nutricional dos ingredientes, exigência nutricional dos animais, formulação das dietas de acordo com as restrições ambientais e do adequado ajuste da oferta de nutrientes com a exigência dos animais. O conhecimento do potencial nutricional dos ingredientes de forma precisa e a melhora pela adição de enzimas (ex.: fitase) ou por tratamento (ex: térmico) associado ao uso de objetivos ambientais na formulação das dietas no método tradicional pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de sistemas de produção de suínos sustentáveis devido reduzirem a excreção de nutrientes com pouco aumento no custo das dietas. O aumento do número de fases pode também contribuir na redução da excreção de nutrientes e custo das dietas. Entretanto, o uso de técnicas de precisão no qual os animais são alimentados de forma individualizada com dietas formuladas diariamente pode, além disso, melhorar a eficiência de utilização dos nutrientes das dietas pelos suínos. A alimentação de precisão compreende o uso de técnicas que permitem o fornecimento da quantidade e composição nutricional precisa do alimento diariamente e para cada suíno de uma população.Tem sido estimado que ao utilizar esse sistema pode resultar em uma redução de 4,6% no custo de alimentação e de aproximadamente 38% na excreção de nitrogênio e fósforo. Além disso, a integração de técnicas de alimentação precisa em sistemas de produção de grande porte permite o monitoramento em tempo real do alimento e do animal quando se trata de atingir ótimas condições de abate e estratégias de produção, melhorando assim a sustentabilidade da produção suína, bem estar animal e qualidade da carne.

In the title compound, C10H8N2O2S, the planes of the aromatic rings are oriented at a dihedral angle of 66.69 (3)°. In the crystal structure, intermolecular N—H...N and C—H...O interactions link the molecules into a two-dimensional network, forming R22(8) ring motifs. π–π contacts between the thiazole rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.535 (1) Å] may further stabilize the structure. A weak C—H...π interaction is also found.

In the molecule of the title compound, C12H16N2O4, an intramolecular N—H...O hydrogen bond results in the formation of a six-membered ring having an envelope conformation. In the crystal structure, a bifurcated intra/intermolecular N—H...(O,O) hydrogen bond generates inversion dimers.