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Foam-assisted gas injection exhibits promising potential for enhancing sweep efficiency through the amelioration of gravity segregation, particularly within reservoirs characterized by heterogeneity. In this work, the implicit-texture (IT) model featuring two flow regimes is employed to examine the impact of heterogeneity on gravity segregation. The validation of the numerical results for water–gas coinjection and pre-generated foam injection is accomplished through a comparative analysis with analytical solutions. A hypothetical two-layer model with varying permeabilities and thickness ratios is used to examine the impact of foam on gravity segregation. The numerical findings demonstrate satisfactory conformity with analytical solutions in homogeneous reservoirs. A high-permeability top layer in a layered model with a fixed injection rate results in sweep efficiency similar to that of a homogeneous reservoir with each individual permeability. A low-permeability top layer could increase the sweep efficiency, but with severe permeability contrast, the bottom high-permeability layer could impact the displacement process, even with a thin thickness. The sweep efficiency increases with the thickness of the high-permeability top layer and decreases with a thicker low-permeability top layer under fixed injection pressure. The predicted segregation length through a single-layer approximation cannot match the results of the layered models where the permeability contrast is too great or the thickness of two layers is comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peptidoglycan recognition protein-1 (PGLYRP-1) is a part of the innate immune system. It is well-known that dysregulation of innate immune responses is present in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the role of Pglyrp1/PGLYPR-1 in RA is poorly understood. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the level of Pglyrp1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. An ELISA was used to measure the level of PGLYPR-1 in the serum, and correlation analysis was performed to analyze the association between the level of PGLYPR-1 in the serum and clinical characteristics. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to evaluate the diagnostic value of PGLYPR-1 in serum. The expression of PGLYPR-1 in the serum of healthy controls compared with PGLYPR-1 in the serum from patients with RA was significantly increased compared with patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The level of PGLYPR-1 in serum was correlated with rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide. ROC curve analysis suggested that PGLYPR-1 in the serum may have significant value for RA diagnosis. In addition, the risk score based on PGLYPR-1 in the serum also significantly discriminated the patients with RA from the disease controls (SLE). The present study suggested that increased expression of PGLYPR-1 in the serum from patients with RA may serve as a potential biomarker for RA diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several 0.97PbZrO3–0.03Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 (0.97PZ–0.03BMN) ceramics were prepared via the columbite precursor method. Their microstructures and pressure-dependent ferroelectric and depolarization performances were then studied. The X-ray diffraction patterns of ground and fresh samples indicate that a main rhombohedral symmetry crystal structure is present in the bulk and that it sits alongside a trace quantity of an orthorhombic antiferroelectric phase that results from the effect of grinding on the surface. The remanent polarization (Pr) of the 0.97PZ–0.03BMN reached 32.4 μC/cm2 at 4.5 kV/mm and ambient pressure. In an in situ pressure-induced current measurement, more than 91% of the retained Pr of the pre-poled sample was released when the pressure was increased from 194 MPa to 238 MPa. That this pressure-driven depolarization should be attributed to the pressure-induced ferroelectric–antiferroelectric phase transition is supported by the emergence of double P–E loops at high hydrostatic pressures. Moreover, the 0.97PZ-0.03BMN ceramics exhibit no temperature-induced phase transitions and little related polarization loss up to 125 °C, which suggests that Pr has excellent thermal stability. The sharp depolarization behavior at low pressures and excellent temperature stability reveal that our 0.97PZ–0.03BMN ceramics exhibit superior performances in mechanical–electrical energy conversion applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the effect of the gene vaccine in anti-tuberculosis immunity by constructing immunity-related p47 GTPase/ezrin-radixin-moesin-binding phosphoprotein 50 (LRG47/EBP50) gene co-expression recombinant lentivirus targeting vector. Methods Recombinant lentiviral plasmid vector pLenti-EBP50-LRG47 was established by using molecular cloning and packaged as lentivirus LV-EBP50-LRG47 and H37Rv infect macrophages. Then their bactericidal ability was tested by colony-forming units while the cellular autophagy and apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry. iNOS protein was detected by Western blotting and the expression level of nitric oxide (NO) was detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometer. Results The recombinant lentivirus LV-EBP50-LRG47 successfully up-regulated the expression of EBP50 and LRG47 after infecting macrophages. Compared with the control group, LV-EBP50-LRG47 can significantly inhibit the growth of intracellular H37Rv. The autophagy and apoptosis levels of LV-EBP50-LRG47 infected macrophages increased significantly, and the expression levels of iNOS and NO were significantly up-regulated. Conclusion LRG47/EBP50 gene co-expression enhances macrophages autophagy and apoptosis, and increases generation of iNOS and NO, which significantly inhibites the growth of intracellular H37Rv.

Petroleum cokes with different chemical structures and oxygen-containing functional groups were obtained from two kinds of naphthenic- and paraffin-base crude oils by simulating an in situ combustion (ISC) process with the same reaction atmosphere and different reaction temperatures. 13 C wide-cavity solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance ( 13 C NMR) spectroscopy was used to identify and investigate the oxygen-containing functional groups of petroleum cokes obtained under different compositions and reaction temperatures. This study demonstrated that with the increase of coking temperature, the content of alkyl side chain and active oxygen-containing functional groups in naphthenic-base crude coke decreased obviously, while the content of aromatic carbon increased. The 13 C NMR analysis of the two kinds of petroleum cokes obtained at 500 °C further revealed that the paraffin-base petroleum coke retained a high content of oxygen- and nitrogen-rich functional groups, while the naphthenic-base petroleum coke had a lower amount of carbonyl groups and oxygen-containing functional groups., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing financial interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society.)

It is well-known that monocytes are a heterogeneous cell population and different monocyte subsets play important roles in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Cluster of differentiation (CD)64 is one of Fc receptor, which initiates immunological and inflammatory reactions. However, the roles in RA remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the expression of CD64, CD40, CD163, CD206, HLA-DR, CD80 and CD86 on monocytes and the expression of CD64 on monocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of CD64 on monocyte subsets in patients with RA was further analyzed for their correlation with markers of autoimmune response, inflammation, disease activity of RA and serum cytokines. Compared to the health volunteers, the expression of CD64 on monocytes and each monocyte subset were significantly elevated in RA patients. The expression of CD64 on CD14 ++ CD16- and CD14++CD16+ monocytes were positively correlated with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), rheumatoid factor (RF), anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA) and disease activity score 28 (DAS28). Furthermore, the expression of CD64 on CD14++CD16+ monocytes was found to be associated with the serum level of IL-6. In conclusions, these data demonstrated the expression of CD64 on CD14++CD16- and CD14++CD16+ monocytes are elevated and associated with the disease activity in RA.

It is well-known that decreased levels of NK cells are found in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the mechanism of deregulation of NK cells in SLE is largely unknown. In this study, expression of T-cell immunoreceptor with Ig and immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory domains (TIGIT) on NK cells was determined by flow cytometry and correlation with markers of autoimmune response, inflammation, disease activity and severity of SLE was further analyzed. Moreover, the function of TIGIT on NK cells in SLE was investigated. We have found that the frequency of TIGIT-expressing NK cells was significantly decreased in SLE patients. The frequency of TIGIT-expressing NK cells in patients with SLE was decreased significantly in subjects with low complement, positive anti-ribosomal RNP (anti-rRNP), and high SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. Furthermore, the frequency of TIGIT-expressing NK cells was significantly increased in SLE patients after regular treatment. In addition, the activation marker CD69, degranulation marker CD107a and cytokine IFN-γ production potential of TIGIT + NK cells were significantly lower than those of TIGIT - NK cells. Blocking the TIGIT pathway by functional anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody restored IFN-γ secretion of NK cells. In conclusion, TIGIT expression was significantly decreased on NK cells in patients with SLE and correlated negatively with disease activity and severity of SLE. Additionally, the functional potential of TIGIT + NK cells was significantly decreased compared with TIGIT - NK cells. This study reveals that TIGIT is a powerful negative regulator of NK cells in SLE., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2018.)

In recent years, increasing evidence has suggested that circRNAs can serve as novel diagnostic markers for many diseases. However, little is known about the value of circRNAs in the diagnosis of active tuberculosis (TB). In this study, 10 circRNAs which we previously found to be involved in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection were selected as candidate targets for subsequent circulating circRNA assay. Compared with healthy controls, plasma levels of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 were significantly decreased ( P < 0.001). Plasma levels of hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 were correlated with TB severity. Hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 were selected for further analysis in another 145 TB patients and 120 control individuals. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for distinguishing TB patients was 0.928 (95% confidence interval: 0.897-0.960; sensitivity = 86.21%, specificity = 89.17%) when hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 were used in combination. Further evaluation on potential biomarkers showed that hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 may specifically identify patients with TB. Additionally, hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 plasma levels after treatment were significantly higher than that pre-treatment ( P < 0.001). Our present study indicates that circulating hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001204 and hsa&#95;circ&#95;0001747 may represent novel plasma biomarkers for TB diagnosis., Competing Interests: None., (IJCEP Copyright © 2018.)