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Ovomucin is a key component in maintaining the viscous nature of egg white and has vast potential in the utilization of food industry. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of different pH on the extractability and gel properties of ovomucin. After removing lysozyme through ion exchange, the diluted duck egg white was acidified to a narrow pH range (4.50, 4.75, 5.00, 5.25, 5.50, 5.75 and 6.00) to precipitate ovomucin. By comprehensive study of purity, yield, and convenience of large-scale preparation, 4.75 was chosen as the optimal pH to extract ovomucin with the highest purity of 85.17 ± 2.31% and a compromised yield of 4.60 ± 0.06 mg/g duck egg white. A series of self-supporting gels were prepared with freeze-dried ovomucin powder at room temperature upon rehydration and centrifugation, and the gels properties were highly associated with pH. Gel formed around pH 5 was the aggregate of natural globular proteins with lowest hydrophobicity and electrostatic interaction, relatively dense structure and high water-holding capacity (WHC). Stronger acidic conditions disrupted the disulfide bonds and formed a rougher spherical aggregate. Under alkaline conditions, however, the protein gradually unfolded and broke into linear basic polypeptides, thus a porous three-dimensional network was formed. Overall, this study provided insights into the formation mechanism of the "acid-tight/alkali-loose" ovomucin gels, and introduced a potential candidate for the development of bioactive substance delivery materials. [Display omitted] • The yield of ovomucin from duck white was a litter higher than that from hen. • Ratio of subunits and amino acids of ovomucin vary slightly among different species. • A self-supporting gel can easily be prepared at room temperature upon rehydration. • The extractability and gel formation of ovomucin is highly associated with pH. • Ovomucin has unique "Acid-Tight/Alkali-loose"pH-responding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study reports the recently found critical drawback of glass fibers as compared with carbon fibers. GFRP and CFRP composites were placed into a general water bath at 80 °C until saturation for accelerated hygrothermal ageing. After ageing, the impact properties of CFRP composites improved. For GFRP composites, however, their performance under low-velocity impact degraded significantly. After removing the moisture absorbed during ageing, the strength of CFRP laminates increased to 95.75% of its original value. In contrast, GFRP composites only retained 74.65% of the strength after hygrothermal treatment. Compared with CFRP composites, GFRP composites were much more susceptible to hygrothermal attack. Tensile tests on single glass fiber were carried out which proved that both the strength and elongation-at-break decreased significantly after hygrothermal ageing. Decrease in glass fiber strength after ageing is the major mechanism responsible for the reduced performance of GFRP composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated mortality throughout the world. The prognosis of the disease depends on many factors including the stage and type of cancer. Many studies have identified various microRNAs (miRNAs) that affect the prognosis of lung cancer. In order to systemically analyze the available clinical data, the present study performed a meta-analysis to examine all evidence on the potential role of miRNAs as novel predictors of survival in lung cancer. Literature published in English prior to February 1st, 2018 was searched through PubMed to review all of the associations between individual miRNAs and groups of miRNAs with the prognosis of lung cancer. Data was extracted using standard forms and pooled odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A total of 15 eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. These represented 1,753 lung cancer patients and 20 miRNAs. A total of 8 downregulated miRNAs were associated with poorer overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR)=0.59, 95% CI: 0.47–0.75, P<1×10−4], while 10 upregulated miRNAs were associated with poorer OS (HR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.31–2.35, P<1×10−4). Additionally, low miRNA expression was associated with lymph node metastasis [LNM; relative risk (RR)=0.53, 95% CI: 0.46–0.61, P<1×10−4]. The expression of miRNAs was not associated with lung cancer stage (RR=1.07, 95% CI: 0.94–1.22, P=0.23). Expression levels of different miRNAs were associated with the OS and LNM of patients with lung cancer. These miRNAs may be applied as potential prognostic markers in lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work provides a systematic approach to accurately predict damage progression in a composite structure subjected to bending load. Landing gear structures for unmanned aerial vehicles were fabricated from braided textile preforms and assessed for flexural behavior. A multiscale finite element analysis model was developed for analyzing the progressive damage of these structures under bending loads. Microscale and mesoscale analyses were carried out first. Subsequently, the results of microscale and mesoscale analyses were used as inputs in macroscale analyses that predicted the progressive damages in the entire landing gear structure. The numerical results were validated by experimental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study used an atrial septal shunt to compare the treatment progress and prognosis for patients with heart failure (HF) who have different ejection fractions. Methods: Twenty HF patients with pulmonary hypertension, who required atrial septal shunt therapy, were included in this study. The patients underwent surgery between December 2012 and December 2020. They were divided into two groups based on their ejection fraction: a group with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and a group with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF) + mid-range ejection fraction (HfmrEF). Echocardiography was utilized to evaluate parameters such as left ventricular dimension (LVD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV). Hemodynamic parameters were measured using cardiac catheterization. The patient's cardiac function was assessed using the six-minute walking test (6MWT), KCCQ score, NYHA classification, and the degree of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR). Followed-up visits were conducted at 1, 3, and 6 months, and any adverse effects were recorded. Results: The LVEF values were consistently higher in the HFpEF+HFmrEF group than HFrEF group at all periods (P < 0.05). Differences in LVD were observed between the two groups before the surgery. Statistically, significant differences were found at the preoperative stage, 1 month, and 3 months (P < 0.05, respectively). However, the LVEDV showed a significant difference between the two groups only at 3 months (P = 0.049). Notably, there were notable variations in LAPm, LAPs, and the pressure gradient between the LA-RA gradient at baeline, after implantation, and during the 6 months follow-up (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Following treatment, the HFpEF+HFmrEF group exhibited more significant improvements in echocardiographic and cardiac catheterization indices than the HFrEF group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the 6MWT and KCCQ scores. It is important to note that the findings of this study still require further investigation in a large sample size of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural fibers and their composites differ in several aspects with carbon fibers, including higher scatter in strength and different tensile responses. The tensile and bending properties of flax fiber composites were experimentally studied and numerically simulated. Composite panels were fabricated from unidirectional flax fiber tapes and polypropylene films via hot pressing technique. The variation in the properties of flax/polypropylene composites was found to be relatively moderate as compared with that of single natural fibers. A multi-scale finite element analysis (FEA) strategy for the progressive damage prediction of natural fiber composites was developed. The FEA model started from micro-scale analysis which predicted the effective properties of unidirectional flax ply through representative volume element. Macro-scale analysis was conducted subsequently to predict the properties of composite coupons using the results of micro-scale analysis as inputs. The developed multi-scale FE model successfully predicted the tensile strength, bending behavior, and major failure modes of flax/polypropylene composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Braided textile-reinforced composites have become increasingly attractive as protection materials thanks to their unique inter-weaving structures and excellent energy-absorption capacity. However, development of adequate models for simulation of failure processes in them remains a challenge. In this study, tensile strength and progressive damage behaviour of braided textile composites are predicted by a multi-scale modelling approach. First, a micro-scale model with hexagonal arrays of fibres was built to compute effective elastic constants and yarn strength under different loading conditions. Instead of using cited values, the input data for this micro-scale model were obtained experimentally. Subsequently, the results generated by this model were used as input for a meso-scale model. At meso-scale, Hashin's 3D with Stassi's failure criteria and a modified Murakami-type stiffness-degradation scheme was employed in a user-defined subroutine developed in the general-purpose finite-element software Abaqus/Standard. An overall stress-strain curve of a meso-scale representative unit cell was verified with the experimental data. Numerical studies show that bias yarns suffer continuous damage during an axial tension test. The magnitudes of ultimate strengths and Young's moduli of the studied braided composites decreased with an increase in the braiding angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Braided textile composite exhibits an efficient mechanism to distribute loads throughout its structure and have excellent impact resistant properties. Despite many works in the past, the successful prediction of braided textile composites strength still remains a challenge today. In this paper, a numerical simulation model based on a meso-scale approach is presented to predict the strength and damage behavior of braided textile composites. A meso-scale homogenized representative unit cell was built for the study using finite element analysis (FEA) method. 3D-Hashin and Stassi failure criteria were respectively selected for the yarn and the pure matrix, and coded in a subroutine in Abaqus finite element solver to study the individual constituents damages. From the different numerical studies, the failure mechanisms were observed to change with the braiding angle. The meso-scale computed results were also seen to agree closely with experimental and simulation results computed using a micro-mechanics failure approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to hygrothermal environments affects mechanical properties of laminated composites through two principle mechanisms, namely, moisture absorption and the structural deterioration due to it. Previous studies have indicated that moisture plays a positive role in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites by alleviating their damage under impact. In this study, carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites were exposed to long-term hygrothermal ageing to investigate the possibility of the initiation of structural defects due to it and their influences on the various behaviors of the laminated composites. A major type of observable structural defects was identified and the related initiation mechanism was proposed. It was found for the first time that the structural defects formed during hygrothermal ageing in turn changed the moisture uptake profile of the laminated composites. The effects of structural defects on the impact resistance of carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites were exclusively evaluated after removing the absorbed moisture. Tensile testing on vacuum-oven-dried laminates was conducted to assist the understanding of the mechanical strength of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites exposed to the hygrothermal environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Recent studies suggest that IL-38 is associated with autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, IL-38 is expressed in human atheromatous plaque. However, the plasma levels of IL-38 in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) have not yet to be investigated. Methods. On admission, at 24 h, at 48 h, and at 7 days, plasma IL-38, C-reactive protein (CRP), cardiac troponin I (cTNI), and N-terminal of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels were measured and IL-38 gene in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected in STEMI patients. Results. The results showed that plasma IL-38 levels and IL-38 gene expression in PBMCs were significantly increased in STEMI patients compared with control group and were time dependent, peaked at 24 h. In addition, plasma IL-38 levels were dramatically reduced in patients with reperfusion treatment compared with control group. Similar results were also demonstrated with CRP, cTNI, and NT-proBNP levels. Furthermore, IL-38 levels were found to be positively correlated with CRP, cTNI, and NT-proBNP and be weakly negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in STEMI patients. Conclusions. The results indicate that circulating IL-38 is a potentially novel biomarker for patients with STEMI and IL-38 might be a new target for MI study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-velocity impact testing was conducted on carbon/epoxy composite laminates exposed to hygrothermal environments. Besides normal laminates, staggered lay-up structures were made from unidirectional prepreg materials. The specimens were immersed in water at 80℃ for different durations before impact testing. Experimental data showed that moisture played a positive role by improving the impact resistance of composite laminates. Laminates with higher moisture level could behave elastically up to higher strain levels and retain their resistance to the striking impactor to larger deflections. After absorbing moisture, more of the impact energy was dissipated by the specimen through elastic deformation and less damage was induced to the laminate. Little degradation in the fiber/matrix interface was observed from SEM graphs. It is postulated that absorbed moisture improved the ductility of the epoxy resin by promoting chain segmental mobility of the polymer molecules, which eventually lead to the better impact response of laminates with higher moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A novel finding about effects of moisture and cyclic hygrothermal conditions on the impact resistance of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy polymer (CFRP) composites are presented. The course of experiments began with the fabrication of specimens using unidirectional CFRP prepreg materials. As-fabricated specimens were exposed to two types of hygrothermal conditions which were designed to simulate in-service environment. Microstructure characterization of the specimens revealed that neither hygrothermal conditions brought about any evident defects to the laminates. Low-velocity impact testing was then carried out on the specimens with different moisture levels. It was found for the first time that moisture significantly alleviated impact induced damage in the CFRP unidirectional laminates. Detailed discussion about how the absorbed moisture influenced the impact behavior of the laminate was carried out based on the interpretation of the damage characteristics and impact testing data. The effects of absorbed moisture on the G IC of this material were explored to assist the understanding of the role played by the absorbed moisture during low-velocity impact testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, short fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (SFRTPCs) have attracted significant interest due to their low density, high strength and toughness, environmental resistance and low cost. Currently, an important task is to optimize their internal structures so as to maximize their mechanical properties. Interestingly, a previous experimental study showed that by adding a small amount of a stronger material in the matrix to link up short fibers, the strength of SFRTPCs was enhanced. We note, however, that a micromechanical study on the effect of fiber linkage on the mechanical properties is still lacking. In this work, we have developed a finite element model to conduct such micromechanical analysis. In this model, the polymer matrix is taken as elastic-plastic material, the fiber as a brittle material following a brittle damage model, while the interphase and linkage as the same polymer following a progressive damage model. Our simulations show that for a SFRTPC with a given short fiber weight fraction, by increasing the weight fraction of the linkage material, the Young's modulus, yielding strength, ultimate tensile strength, and tensile toughness of the SFRTPCs are all increased. By increasing the strength of the linkage material, the ultimate tensile strength and tensile toughness of the SFRTPCs are increased. Modified rules of mixing have been proposed to consider the fiber crosslinking effect. The present study provides a useful reference for the optimal design of SFRTPCs to maximize their mechanical performance. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Numerous studies suggest that total cholesterol content of erythrocyte membranes (CEM) might play a critical role in atherosclerotic plaque progression and instability. However, the exact role of CEM in atherosclerosis remains obscure. Our study was designed to investigate the association between CEM and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and to assess the effect of rosuvastatin on CEM levels. Methods. CEM levels were assessed in 136 participants, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTEACS) and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)), stable angina pectoris (SAP), and controls. The Gensini score was used to estimate the severity of CAD. Additionally, 54 patients with CAD were medicated with rosuvastatin, 5 or 10 mg once daily, and then checked at 6 months. Results. The highest level of CEM was found in the STEMI group, followed by the NSTEACS, the SAP, and the control groups. Gensini score in group IV (CEM > 141.6 μg/mg) was markedly higher compared with group I (CEM ≤77.6 μg/mg). Gensini scores in group II (77.6 < CEM ≤111.1 μg/mg) and group III (111.1 < CEM ≤141.6 μg/mg) were also higher than in group I (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, a positive correlation was found between CEM levels and Gensini score ( r = 0.714, P < 0.001). CEM levels were dose-dependently reduced by rosuvastatin therapy. Conclusions. CEM levels are positively associated with the severity of CAD, meaning that CEM might contribute to the development of CAD. Importantly, rosuvastatin could decrease CEM levels in patients with CAD and might effectively help to attenuate the progression of CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing studies have demonstrated that atherosclerosis is a chronic immunoinflammatory disease, and that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-specific T cells contribute to the autoimmune process in atherosclerosis. Oral administration of oxLDL, which was identified as a candidate autoantigen in atherosclerosis, was shown to induce tolerance and suppress atherogenesis. However, the precise mechanisms of mucosal tolerance induction, in particular nasal tolerance, remain unknown. In this study, we explored the effect of nasal oxLDL on atherosclerosis as well as the cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to atheroprotective responses, and then found that nasal oxLDL drastically ameliorate the initiation (47.6 %, p < 0.001) and progression (21.1 %, p = 0.001) of atherosclerosis. Most importantly, a significant 35.8 % reduction of the progression of atherosclerosis was observed in the enhanced immunization group ( p < 0.001). These effects were accompanied by a significant increase in CD4 latency-associated peptide (LAP) regulatory T cells (Tregs) and CD4CD25Foxp3 Tregs in spleens and cervical lymph nodes, together with increased transforming growth factor (TGF)-β production and suppressed T-helper cells type 1, 2, and 17 immune responses. Surprisingly, neutralization of TGF-β in vivo partially counteracted the protective effect of nasal oxLDL treatment, indicating that the presence of TGF-β was indispensable to CD4LAP Tregs and CD4CD25Foxp3 Tregs to acquire regulatory properties. Our studies suggest that CD4LAP Tregs and CD4CD25Foxp3 Tregs induced by nasal delivery of oxLDL can inhibit oxLDL-specific T cells response and ameliorate atherosclerosis process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: ; ; ; ; ; ; Flax fiber; hemicellulose; alkali treatment; hygrothermal; tensile; bending ZH EN Flax fiber hemicellulose alkali treatment hygrothermal tensile bending 9201 9222 22 11/21/22 20221220 NES 221220 Introduction In the past decade, the use of biodegradable and renewable natural fibers as substitutes for synthetic fibers (e.g., carbon and glass fibers) has attracted much attention and continuous research efforts (Kalia, Kaith, and Kaur [21]). Flax fibers of the composites were subjected to alkaline treatment using different NaOH concentrations The water absorption results show that, as shown in Figure 4, the slopes of the linear parts of the moisture absorption curves of the treated flax fiber composite material and the untreated composites are different from each other. Compared with composites reinforced by untreated flax fiber, chemical treatment using high concentration of NaOH solutions made the flax/polypropylene composites more "ductile." For flax/polypropylene composites, alkaline treatment of flax fiber would help reduce the moisture absorption in flax/polypropylene composites and consequently help alleviate the degradation in tensile strength. Nevertheless, the moisture content of alkali-treated flax/polypropylene composites was still lower than untreated flax/polypropylene composites at high NaOH concentration. [Extracted from the article]

Limited material out‐life of thermoset prepregs is unavoidable attributed to the slow crosslinking reaction between molecules and curing agents. Previous studies have explored the effects of temperature aging on the final mechanical properties of composites, but have been limited by the processing mismatch in compression molding. The research primarily focuses on the effects of forming temperature and ply angle of prepreg on inter‐ply friction behavior at various aging levels. The importance of inter‐ply friction on the forming quality is further discussed through the L‐shaped specimens forming with prepreg compression molding (PCM) process. Firstly, a comprehensive influence of aging on the properties of resin including cure kinetics, gel point, glass transition temperature (Tg) and viscosity of UD prepreg are characterized and discussed. And then, the influence of factors including resin aging, forming temperature and prepreg ply orientation on the inter‐ply friction are discussed. It can be found that the aging of prepreg reduce 26.47% of inter‐ply friction resistance under room temperature, and the increase of temperature can reduce inter‐ply friction resistance by 79.31%. Finally, the effect of aging on the forming quality is researched by PCM formed L‐shaped components. Results indicated that fresh prepreg with 20°C and prepreg with an aging level of 0.4 performed at 95°C exhibited poor formability, while prepreg with aging level of 0.2 at 95°C exhibited the best forming property. In general, this study provides a basic explain and a practical suggestion to the reuse of room temperature aging thermoset prepregs in PCM process. Highlights: A comprehensive of basic properties of aged resin were characterized, as the basic principle for inter‐ply friction behavior analysis.The gel point and final mechanical properties of prepreg were tested, for judging the aged materials whether could be used continuously.The inter‐ply friction behaviors of aged prepregs under various forming temperatures were investigated.The influence of layup orientations on the inter‐ply frictional performance with various aging levels were explored.The effect of aging and forming temperature on the PCM formability were studied and a practical suggestion to the reuse of aged thermoset prepregs in PCM process was given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Novel hybrid molecules (1~27) containing phenazine skeleton and Michael acceptor scaffold were designed and synthesized. • Compound 26 was found to be a promising lead of the TrxR1 inhibitor with excellent antitumor activities against Bel-7402 cells. • Antitumor mechanism of action of compound 26 was proven to can activate apoptosis through the ROS-Trx-ASK1-p38 pathway. A series of novel phenazine derivatives (1~27) containing the Michael acceptor scaffolds were designed and synthesized in this study. Some compounds exhibited selective cytotoxicity against Bel-7402 cancer cell line in vitro , in which compound 26 were found to have the best antiproliferative activity. Meanwhile, compound 26 showed no obvious cell toxicity against human normal liver epithelial L02 cells, which means this compound possessed a better safety potential. In the following research, compound 26 was verified to inhibit TrxR1 enzyme activity, ultimately resulting in cellular molecular mechanism events of apoptosis including growth of intracellular ROS level, depletion of reduced Trx1, liberation of ASK1 and up-regulation of p38, respectively. Together, all these evidences implicated that compound 26 acted as the TrxR1 inhibitor against Bel-7402 cells, and could activate apoptosis through the ROS-Trx-ASK1-p38 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depending on fiber size and volume fraction, polymer matrix type, processing temperature, injection speed, etc., short fiber reinforced composites produced by injection molding may exhibit complex fiber concentration, orientation and length distributions at different locations, causing large variations in their mechanical properties. In this work, a representative volume element (RVE) scheme is developed to describe the elastic properties of short glass fiber reinforced PA6,6 composites produced by injection molding. In the RVE formulation, fiber length is assumed to follow a two-parameter Weibull distribution, and a new concept, namely preferential angle, is introduced to account for the preferential alignment of fibers at different locations of injection molded composites. A random sequential insertion algorithm is developed to implement the fiber length distribution and fiber preferential alignment, and finite element method (FEM) is employed to analyze the relations of the elastic properties of RVE with three parameters, that is, the mean length, volume fraction and preferential angle of the fibers. Based on the FEM results, quantitative formulas for these relations are obtained. It is found that the variations in the mean length, volume fraction, and preferential angle of the fibers can cause large variations in elastic moduli and elastic anisotropy of the RVE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybridization of synthetic fibers with natural fibers is receiving more attention in recent years. Experimental study on the durability of carbon/flax fiber reinforced polypropylene composites and single flax fibers was carried out. Three composite lay-ups were designed by altering the position of the carbon fiber ply, i.e., pure flax/polypropylene laminates, laminates with flax ply at the surface and laminates with the carbon ply at the surface. Samples were exposed to water immersion ageing at elevated temperature until saturation. The transport law of moisture in hybrid composites and mechanisms of possible change in microstructures and mechanical properties were particularly explored. Carbon fibers reduced the amount of water absorption in flax/polypropylene composites and improved their mechanical properties. These beneficial effects were optimum when carbon fibers were placed at the outer layers. However, the interface between the carbon ply and flax ply was vulnerable to both hygrothermal attack and delamination. After hygrothermal ageing, the tensile and flexural properties of the laminates decreased while the tensile failure strain increased, primarily due to plasticization and fiber/matrix interface deterioration. Single flax fibers which were exposed to the same ageing condition also experienced decrease in strength and modulus. However, elongation-at-break of single flax fiber decreased after ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel concurrent multi-scale damage evolution modeling scheme with high computational efficiency is proposed for the design and analysis of 3D angle-interlock woven composites. • The proposed model is successfully validated by off-axis tensile test of 3D woven composites with the help of 3D DIC method. • Full range tensile analyses (different on-axis and off-axis angles) are conducted using the validated model to study the mechanical response and damage mechanisms of 3D angle-interlock woven composites. Computational models with high precision and efficiency are in urgent need for the damage analyses of 3D angle-interlock woven composites which are widely accepted in composites industry. A novel concurrent multi-scale damage evolution modeling scheme is established based on a meso-scale representative volume cell (RVC) model and the multiphase finite element method to characterize the off-axis tensile response of carbon/epoxy composites. Modified Puck criterion and maximum shear stress criterion are adopted for fiber yarns. Parabolic yield criterion is adopted for the matrix. The fiber breakage, the inter-fiber fracture and matrix cracking are considered at mesoscopic level. To validate the proposed multi-scale damage model, off-axis tensile test is conducted with the help of 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method. A reasonably good agreement is achieved between numerical predictions and experimental observations. Furthermore, the validated damage model is used to predict the tensile response of the composites considering full range on-axis and off-axis angles. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article Prediction of the mechanical behavior of flax polypropylene composites based on multi-scale finite element analysis, written by Yucheng Zhong, Le Quan Ngoc Tran, Umeyr Kureemun, and Heow Pueh Lee, was originally published Online First without open access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double–double (DD) laminates are a new type of composite layups, which can achieve different structural properties by adjusting two sets of balanced fiber orientations. The combination of topology optimization and DD laminates can further enhance the advantages of composite materials as lightweight designs. Currently, most topology optimizations use compliance as the target. Existing optimization studies implementing stress control are mostly for isotropic materials. It is a great challenge to implement stress control during topology optimization of composite laminates, because the layer-wisely distributed stress brings a lot of design constraints and leads to many local optima. In this paper, we propose a nested p-norm method that integrates the Tsai–Hill failure criterion indexes of different elements in different layers into one design response, thus realizing the effective stress control for topology optimization of laminated structures. There are two levels of p-norm nested in the process: the inner p-norm approximates the maximum failure index of all the layers for one element, and the outer p-norm approximates the maximum failure index for all elements. The nested p-norm scheme is implemented under the framework of the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) model, which is extended to DD laminates by interpolating the stiffness matrix of composites. Then, the optimization model is established by minimizing the maximum Tsai–Hill failure index using the function formulated by the proposed nested p-norm method under the constraint of the structural volume fraction and compliance. Next, stress sensitivities are calculated using the adjoint method. It is noticeable that the sensitivity with respect to the filtered projection density is separately calculated to improve the computational efficiency. Finally, typical examples of topology optimization with stress singularity such as an L-shaped bracket, a crack problem, a corbel structure, and an antenna support bracket are given. It is validated that the proposed nested p-norm method can effectively and efficiently reduce the stress concentration of laminate structures compared with the methods using single p-norm and layer-wise p-norm. Additionally, the optimization results show that the DD laminate has similar optimized configurations and optimization effects as those of the conventional Quad laminate with the equivalent stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Telomerase, as a valuable biomarker, is an important target in cancer diagnosis. Here, we report a ratiometric fluorescent probe for telomerase activity assay in urine and bladder cancer diagnoses based on the color change of Rox-DNA functionalized quantum dots (QDs). The green fluorescence of the QDs was sensitive to H 2 O 2 , but the red fluorescence of Rox showed no change. An HRP-mimicking hemin/G-quadruplex, which was formed with the help of telomerase activity, catalyzed H 2 O 2 into H 2 O and O 2. This quadruplex effectively avoided H 2 O 2 interference with green fluorescence. In the presence of H 2 O 2 , the detected color changed from red to yellow-green by increasing the telomerase concentration. The detection limit (LOD) was 10 cells, and response time was within 60 min. More importantly, a paper sensor was developed based on this probe and used for the assay of telomerase activity in urine samples. The results were highly sensitive and reproducible, and visual semi-quantitative detection was realized using the naked eye. Graphical abstract A ratiometric fluorescent probe was constructed for telomerase activity assay in urine and bladder cancer diagnoses based on the color change. fx1 Highlights • A ratiometric probe was constructed for telomerase activity assay and bladder cancer diagnoses based on the color change. • In the presence of H 2 O 2 , the detected color changed from red to yellow-green by increasing the telomerase concentration. • A paper sensor was developed based on this probe and used for the assay of telomerase activity in urine samples. • The strategy was highly sensitive and reproducible, and visual semi-quantitative detection was realized by the naked eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Warpage, volumetric shrinkage, and residual stress are three important indexes for the characterization of the overall quality of composite parts in the short fiber-reinforced composite injection molding process. In addition to process parameters, fiber parameters have an important influence on part quality. In this study, the product warpage, volumetric shrinkage and residual stress are considered as the quality objectives. The design parameters include fiber content, fiber aspect ratio, melt temperature, injection pressure and cooling time. The combined Taguchi, response surface methodology and NSGA-II approach is proposed to optimize the fiber-reinforced composite injection molding process. A case study of a part is presented. On the basis of orthogonal experiment design, Moldflow software is applied in the short fiber-reinforced composite injection molding process. The importance of various parameters on the influence of three quality objectives is researched by the analysis of variance (ANOVA). A combination of parameter settings is determined by the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Three response surface models are created on the basis of the simulation results to map the complex nonlinear relationship between design parameters and quality objectives. Based on the response surface model, the relationship between fiber parameters and quality objectives are further discussed. The nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is interfaced with the predictive models to find the optimum design parameter values. The results show that the hybrid method of response surface method (RSM) and NSGA-II is an effective method to solve the multi-objective optimization problem for the quality optimization of fiber-reinforced composite injection molding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atherosclerosis, which is characterized by chronic inflammation in the arterial wall, is driven by immune cells and cytokines. Recent evidence indicated that interleukin (IL)-27 showed pleiotropic properties in immune diseases. However, precise mechanisms of IL-27, especially in atherosclerosis remains unknown. In our research, we examined the influence of the administration of IL-27 and an anti-IL-27p28 antibody (anti-IL-27p28-Ab) on both the initiation and the progression of atherosclerosis. In the groups (both the initiation and the progression) receiving recombinant IL-27 administration, the formation of atherosclerotic plaques was suspended, and the percentage of regulatory T cells (LAP+ or Foxp3+) in the spleen and peripheral blood was increased. Meanwhile, the number of T helper 1 (Th1) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells was decreased. In the peripheral blood plasma, TGF-β and IL-10 expression were increased, while the levels of IFN-γ and IL-17 were reduced. As for lesions, the mRNA expression of Foxp3, TGF-β, and IL-10 was increased, while that of IFN-γ and IL-17 was reduced. In the anti-IL-27p28 antibody groups, we obtained opposite results. We also observed that DCs treated with IL-27 display a tolerogenic phenotype and that IL-27–treated tolerogenic DCs (tDCs) are likely to play a protective role during atherosclerosis. Our study indicates that IL-27 or adoptive transfer of IL-27 loaded tDCs may be a new therapeutic approach in atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Numerous in vitro studies have suggested that digoxin suppresses inflammation and alters lipid metabolism. However, the effect of dioxin on atherosclerosis is poorly understood. The present study was conducted to determine whether digoxin affects the development of atherosclerosis in a murine model of atherosclerotic disease.Experimental Approach: Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice maintained on a Western-type diet were administered PBS (control), low-dose digoxin (1 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1)) or high-dose digoxin (2 mg · kg(-1) · day(-1)) via i.p. injection for 12 weeks.Key Results: Digoxin dose-dependently reduced atherosclerotic lesion formation and plasma lipid levels (reductions of 41% in total cholesterol, 54% in triglycerides and 20% in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the high-dose digoxin-treated group). Moreover, treatment with digoxin markedly attenuated IL-17A expression and IL-17A-related inflammatory responses and increased the abundance of regulatory T cells (Tregs).Conclusions and Implications: Our data demonstrate that digoxin acts as a specific antagonist of retinoid-related orphan receptor-γ to decrease atherosclerosis by suppressing lipid levels and IL-17A-related inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 3 resistant starch from Canna edulis (Ce-RS3) is an insoluble dietary fiber which could improve blood lipids in animals, but clinically robust evidence is still lacking. We performed a double-blind randomized controlled trial to assess the effects of Ce-RS3 on lipids in mild hyperlipidemia. One hundred and fifteen patients were included followed the recruitment criteria, and were randomly allocated to receive Ce-RS3 or placebo (native starch from Canna edulis) for 12 weeks (20 g/day). In addition to serum lipids, complete blood counts, serum inflammatory factors, antioxidant indexes, and dietary survey, 16 S rRNA sequencing technique was utilized to analyze the gut microbiota alterations. Targeted quantitative metabolomics (TQM) was used to detect metabolite changes. Compared with the placebo, Ce- RS3 significantly decreased levels of total cholesterol, lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increased the glutathione peroxidase. Based on the 16 S rRNA sequencing, TQM, the correlation analysis, as well as the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) and Genomes and Human Metabolome Database (HMDB) analysis, we found that Ce-RS3 could increase the abundances of genera Faecalibacterium and Agathobacter , while reduce the abundances of genera norank_f_Ruminococcaceae and Christensenellaceae_R-7_ group to regulate phenylalanine metabolism, which could reduce the fatty acid biosynthesis and fatty acid elongation in the mitochondria to lower blood lipids. Conclusively, we firstly confirmed the feasibility of Ce-RS3 for clinical application, which presents a novel, effective therapy for the mild hyperlipidemia. (Chictr. org. cn. Clinical study on anti-mild hyperlipidemia of Canna edulis RS3 resistant starch, ID Number: ChiCTR2200062871). [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells play an important role in the progression of atherosclerosis. GARP is a newly biological membrane molecule existed on activated Tregs, which is related to the release of TGF-β. The antiatherosclerosis effects of statins partly depend on their multiple immune modulatory potencies. In this paper, we present that atorvastatin could upregulate the expression of GARP and TGF-β in CD4+ T cells and increase the numbers of CD4+LAP+ and CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in ApoE−/− mice. Also, we indicate that atorvastatin promotes the aggregation of GARP+ and Foxp3+ cells and secretory of the TGF-β1 in atherosclerotic plaques. Furthermore, we prove that atorvastatin could delay the procession of atherosclerosis and improve the stability of atherosclerotic plaques. Interestingly, we report that inhibition of GARP distinctly inhibits the anti-inflammatory effects of atorvastatin. We conclude that atorvastatin improves the inflammatory response in atherosclerosis partly by upregulating the expression of GARP on regulatory T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accumulating evidence shows that the pathological autoreactive immune response is responsible for plaque rupture and the subsequent onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Naturally occurring CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells (nTregs) are indispensable in suppressing the pathological autoreactive immune response and maintaining immune homeostasis. However, the number and the suppressive function of glycoprotein-A repetitions predominant (GARP) + CD4+ CD25+ activated nTregs were impaired in patients with ACS. Recent evidence suggests that heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) can regulate the adaptive immune response by promoting the expression of Foxp3. We therefore hypothesized that HO-1 may enhance the function of GARP+ CD4+ CD25+Tregs in patients with ACS and thus regulate immune imbalance. Methods: T lymphocytes were isolated from healthy volunteers (control, n=30) and patients with stable angina (SA, n=40) or ACS (n=51). Half of these cells were treated with an HO-1 inducer (hemin) for 48 h, and the other half were incubated with complete RPMI-1640 medium. The frequencies of T-helper 1 (Th1), Th2, Th17 and latency-associated peptide (LAP) +CD4+ T cells and the expression of Foxp3 and GARP by CD4+CD25+T cells were then assessed by measuring flow cytometry after stimulation in vitro. The suppressive function of activated Tregs was measured by thymidine uptake. The levels of transforming growth factor-1 (TGF-β1) in the plasma were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expression levels of the genes encoding these proteins were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: Patients with ACS exhibited an impaired number and suppressive function of GARP+ CD4+ CD25+Tregs and a mixed Th1/Th17-dominant T cell response when compared with the SA and control groups. The expression of LAP in T cells was also lower in patients with ACS compared to patients with SA and the control individuals. Treatment with an HO-1 inducer enhanced the biological activity of GARP+ CD4+ CD25+Tregs and resulted in increased expression of LAP and GARP by activated T cells. Conclusions: The reduced number and impaired suppressive function of GARP+ CD4+ CD25+Tregs result in excess effector T cell proliferation, leading to plaque instability and the onset of ACS. HO-1 can effectively restore impaired GARP+ CD4+ CD25+Tregs from patients with ACS by promoting LAP and GARP expression on activated T cells. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atherosclerosis (AS) is an inflammatory and immune disease. Regulatory T cells (Tregs) suppress the activation of T cells and have been shown to play a protective role during the pathogenesis of AS. However, specific markers for Tregs are lacking. Recently, glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) was discovered as a specific marker of activated Tregs, and we therefore utilized GARP as a specific surface marker for Tregs in the current study. Methods: To assess whether GARP+ Tregs are downregulated in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), we examined CD4+CD25+GARP+ T cell frequencies as well as their associated cytokines and suppressive function. Additionally, we compared GARP expression to that of FOXP3, which may be more sensitive as a marker of activated Tregs in patients with ACS. Results: Patients with ACS demonstrated a significant decrease in circulating CD4+CD25+GARP+ Tregs. Moreover, the suppressive function of Tregs and levels of related cytokines were also impaired in ACS patients compared to those with stable angina (SA) or normal coronary artery (NCA). Additionally, after TCR stimulation, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with ACS exhibited a decrease in CD4+CD25+GARP+ Tregs. Conclusions: These fnding indicate that circulating CD4+CD25+GARP+ Tregs are impaired in patients withACS. Thus, targeting GARP may promote the protective function of Tregs in ACS. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new numerical model combining LaRC failure criterion and extended finite element method (XFEM) is created to describe the failure behavior in fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. In this model, the onset of intralaminar damages are predicted based on the LaRC failure criterion, and the crack propagation and stiffness degradation are described explicitly by the XFEM. The user subroutine UDMGINI of ABAQUS defines the initial damage criterion and a mixed-mode, energy-based fracture criterion is employed to describe the crack onset and propagation in the enriched region of XFEM. The proposed model is used to investigate the failure behavior of two sets of open-hole laminates under tension. It is demonstrated that the proposed numerical method can predict the experimental data well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the mechanical behavior of polypropylene/silica composites under mode I and II loading by using molecular dynamics simulations, focusing on the effects of two typical surface coupling agents of HMDZ and APTES on the interface deformation and failure. It is found that under mode I loading, the silica surface functionalized with APTES can enhance the tensile strength of polypropylene/silica composites effectively. In contrast, the silica surface functionalized with HMDZ has little effect on the tensile strength. The simulation results are supported by experiments. Under mode II loading, it is found that both HMDZ and APTES can enhance the shear strength of polypropylene/silica composites with APTES being more effective. The underlying mechanisms for the enhancement of interface strength are analyzed. Our work provides a deep understanding of the interface structure, deformation and failure and will be useful for selecting suitable surface coupling agents in enhancing the interface strength of polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though phenazines have been extensively reported as anticancer molecules, the molecular target of these compounds is severely lagging behind. Our study consequently focuses on the anticancer target of a phenazine analogue (CPUL1) for its potently antitumor activities in initial stage. Along with redox status courses of Hep G2 cells, thioredoxin reductase I (TrxR1) was speculated as anticancer target of CPUL1. By virtue of zymologic, immunological and molecular biological experiments, we demonstrated that TrxR1 could be the anticancer target of CPUL1. The knowledge on phenazine targeting to TrxR1 have not been reported previously. Thus, it can provide valuable information for further development of the TrxR1 inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Interleukin-37 (IL-37) acts as an inhibitor of innate and adaptive immunity. However, the exact role of IL-37 in the patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains to be elucidated. Methods. Patients were classified into 4 groups: normal coronary artery (NCA), stable angina (SA), unstable angina (UA), and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The circulating Treg, Th1, and Th17 frequencies were measured. The effect of IL-37 on stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and the influence of IL-37 on DCs were explored. In addition, the role of IL-37-treated tDCs on Treg cell expansion and the stability of these tDCs were also tested. Results. Our results showed that the circulating Treg frequencies were decreased, while Th1 and Th17 frequencies were increased in ACS patients, and that IL-37 expanded Tregs but suppressed Th1 and Th17 cells in activated PBMCs derived from ACS patients. Of note, IL-37-treated human DCs obtained a tolerogenic phenotype, and such tDCs promoted expansion of Tregs and decreased the Th1 and Th17 populations when cocultured with CD4+ T cells. Interestingly, IL-37-treated DCs from patients with ACS are phenotypically and functionally comparable to IL-37-treated DCs from NCA patients, and tolerogenic properties of IL-37-treated DCs were highly stable. Conclusion. In conclusion, our results reveal a beneficial role of IL-37 in the patients with ACS and suggest that autologous IL-37-treated tDCs may be a novel therapeutic strategy for the patients with ACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Due to the appearance of temperature gradient and non-uniform gelation, fully understanding of residual stresses is even more complex in thick laminates. In this paper, basic mechanisms of cure process were presented firstly. Then, experimental investigation of the non-uniform gelation was carried out together with characterization of necessary material properties. Tailed FBG sets were applied to monitor the cure of thick laminates with temperature gradient. The non-uniform gelation and chemical shrinkage gradient were captured successfully. Lastly, FEM analysis integrating thermal-chemical sub-model and stress-displacement sub-model was carried out to reveal the development of residual stresses. It is demonstrated that the high temperature layer gelled earlier and showed more chemical shrinkage. The chemical strain gradient would introduce compression internal stresses in prior gelled layer and introduces tensile internal stresses in later gelled layer. For the case studied here, transverse residual stress generated by non-uniform chemical shrinkage is small. The strategy used here is promising to estimate the residual stresses for more complex cases further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal residual stresses (TRSes) can noticeably increase the yield strength and flow stresses of particle-reinforced metal-matrix composites (PR-MMCs) and show size-dependence due to thermal geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) when the size of particles is on the order of micron. This TRSes strengthening is attributed to the conventional thermal-elasto-plastic constituent mismatch (regardless of particles’ size) and the presence of GNDs (size-dependent). A modified Taylor-based nonlocal theory (TNT) of plasticity is proposed to quantify the individual contributions of size-dependent GND strengthening. An axisymmetric unit-cell model of uniform and aligned particle distribution with various particle sizes is built to study thermal-induced non-uniformly distributed GNDs, their evolution and contributions to the stress strengthening under combined thermal and mechanical loading. The results show that the proposed methodology can effectively capture the size dependence of thermal-induced GNDs which keeps a sharp gradient variation in the zone near the matrix-inclusion interface and gradually flattens out in the zone far away from the interface. It is demonstrated that TRSes significantly improve the yield strength and flow stresses. It also revealed that the contribution of thermal-induced GNDs increased as the particle size in the PR-MMCs decreased. The simulation results were validated by experimental results reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:MUTYH is a protein-coding gene that takes part in base excision repair. Many previous studies have reported that MUTYH is directly related to hereditary adenomatous polyposis and colorectal cancer and is also associated with other cancers. However, the relationship between MUTYH and bladder cancer (BC) is unknown. Materials and methods: The expression of MUTYH and clinical characteristics of BC were collected from databases including The Cancer Genome Atlas and Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia. RNA sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were used to detect MUTYH expression in SW780 BC cells. The level of MUTYH was stably downregulated by lentivirus-mediated vector in SW780 cells. Cell proliferation was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and 5-ethynyl-20-deoxyuridine assay, migration was detected using scratch assay and Transwell assay, and apoptosis was determined using ELISA. Results:MUTYH was upregulated in BC tissues and SW780 cells and its expression level was positively associated with the stage and grade of carcinomas. MUTYH was successfully downregulated in SW780 cells by transducing with a lentivirus-mediated shRNA targeting MUTYH. MUTYH knockdown inhibited the proliferation and migration and induced apoptosis in SW780 cells. Conclusion: Our data suggest that MUTYH is a new participant in bladder urothelial carcinoma. MUTYH may play a role as a biomarker and therapeutic target in BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laminated composites with thin-ply unidirectional prepregs are popular due to their higher in-situ strength as compared with thick-ply laminates due to different failure mechanisms. Thin-ply and thick-ply open-hole laminates were fabricated and the tensile failure characteristics were studied by combining experimental and numerical simulation approaches. Charge-coupled device camera and de-ply technology were used to obtain failure morphologies of open-hole specimens under tensile loading. A finite element model considering progressive damage and bilinear cohesive model was built based on ABAQUS to study the damage mechanism of open-hole laminates. In thin-ply laminates, the damage plane was relatively neat while in thick-ply laminate broom-shaped damage morphologies were observed. Based on de-ply experiments and numerical prediction, it was found that thin-ply laminates had delamination suppression effect and could restrain the propagation of delamination along the loading direction, which explains the distinct damage patterns existed in thin-ply and thick-ply laminates. Based on numerical prediction, it was found that drilling-induced delamination did not affect the tensile strength of open-hole laminates. Propagation of drilling-induced delamination was also restrained in thin-ply laminates. The results of this research suggested that thin-ply prepregs should be considered when delamination poses critical threat to the structural integrity of laminated composite structures. • A progressive damage model considering LaRC 05 failure criterion is proposed and implemented via an in-house VUMAT code. • Damage evolution of open-hole laminates fabricated using thin-ply prepregs under tensile loading is studied. • Advantages of thin-ply laminates and underlying mechanisms are studied and proved. • Effects of drilling-induced delamination on the mechanical properties of laminated composites are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curved composite components are widely used in engineering applications, such as aircraft wing spars, and subjected to complex 3D loadings. The most critical failure mechanisms of the curved parts are intra-laminar matrix cracking and inter-laminar delamination. A computational approach has been proposed to explicitly model the intra-laminar matrix cracking and inter-laminar delamination in L-shaped cross-ply laminates with cohesive elements. Zero-thickness cohesive elements with a mixed-mode traction-separation damage law are inserted in each 90° lamina to predict matrix cracking and also inserted between neighboring plies to account for inter-laminar delamination. Two laminate stacking sequences with distinguished features of isolating different modes of failure have been investigated. The simulation results confirmed that stacking sequence [0/90 3 /0 2 /90 3 /0] s trends to highlight the matrix failure mode, while the stacking sequence [0 3 /90/0 3 /90/0/90] s trends to highlight the delamination mode. The kinking cracking across 90° plies accompanying the delamination-dominated failure mode during the subsequent crack propagation can be also predicted. The computational results have been compared with the corresponding experimental observations reported in the literature. The good agreement with the reported experimental results verified the capability and effectiveness of computational modelling approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several epidemiological studies have reported that polymorphisms in microRNA-196a2 (miR-196a2) were associated with various cancers. However, the results remained unverified and were inconsistent in different cancers. Therefore, we carried out an updated meta-analysis to elaborate the effects of rs11614913 polymorphism on cancer susceptibility. A total of 84 articles with 35,802 cases and 41,541 controls were included to evaluate the association between the miR-196a2 rs11614913 and cancer risk by pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results showed that miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism is associated with cancer susceptibility, especially in lung cancer (homozygote comparison, OR =0.840, 95% CI =0.734-0.961; recessive model, OR =0.858, 95% CI =0.771-0.955), hepatocellular carcinoma (allelic contrast, OR =0.894, 95% CI =0.800-0.998; homozygote comparison, OR =0.900, 95% CI =0.813-0.997; recessive model, OR =0.800, 95% CI =0.678-0.944), and head and neck cancer (allelic contrast, OR =1.076, 95% CI =1.006-1.152; homozygote comparison, OR =1.214, 95% CI =1.043-1.413). In addition, significant association was found among Asian populations (allele model, OR =0.847, 95% CI =0.899-0.997, P=0.038; homozygote model, OR =0.878, 95% CI =0.788-0.977, P=0.017; recessive model, OR =0.895, 95% CI =0.824-0.972, P=0.008) but not in Caucasians. The updated meta-analysis confirmed the previous results that miR-196a2 rs11614913 polymorphism may serve as a risk factor for patients with cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber reinforced composite materials have been widely used in aerospace and other high-tech fields because of their excellent performance. However barely visible impact damage can be introduced by low velocity impact, which might bring out tremendous risk. In this paper, a new method is proposed to predict the position of low velocity impact. The dynamic strain signal that is caused by low velocity impact is obtained by the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. The amplitude of the first K order natural frequency is extracted by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The amplitude data is normalized, and then establish k order vector matrix model is established. It is proposed that K order sum of squares of deviations can be used as the basis to predict positioning. Two different validation tests were performed. The experimental model was made of different layers. FBG were used to embed and paste type method, experiments were conducted with impact of different energy levels. The results show that proposed method is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical shrinkage and gelation are critical issues in curing process of composite structures since they have significant influence on generation of distortion or residual stress. In this paper, a new in-situ method to capture the gel point and to measure the effective transverse chemical shrinkage was presented. A tailed FBG (Fiber Bragg Grate) set consists of several FBG sensors with various tail lengths was embedded perpendicular to the fiber direction to monitor the curing process. Gel point was determined with the aid of profile turning point of the FBG set and the results matched well with DMA test. The effective transverse chemical shrinkage which occurs between gelation and vitrification was obtained and compared with the one determined by TMA or bi-material strip test. Both results were used to predict the spring-in of C-specimen manufactured on CFRP tube. It turns out that accurate prediction of spring-in can be obtained with the effective transverse chemical shrinkage determined by tailed FBG set. The in-situ monitoring method with tailed FBG set is an alternative and promising technology to capture the gel point and to reveal the mechanism of curing distortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a lethal inflammatory heart disease and closely connected with dysfunction of the immune system. Glycoprotein A repetitions predominant (GARP) expressed on activated CD4+ T cells with suppressive activity has been established. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and function of circulating CD4+ CD25+ GARP+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in DCM. Forty-five DCM patients and 46 controls were enrolled in this study. There was a significant increase in peripheral T helper type 1 (Th1) and Th17 number and their related cytokines [interferon- γ (IFN- γ), interleukin (IL-17)], and an obvious decrease in Treg number, transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF- β1) levels and the expression of forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and GARP in patients with DCM compared with controls. In addition, the suppressive function of CD4+ CD25+ GARP+ Treg cells was impaired in DCM patients upon T-cell receptor stimulation detected using CFSE dye. Lower level of TGF- β1 and higher levels of IFN- γ and IL-17 detected using ELISA were found in supernatants of the cultured CD4+ CD25+ GARP+ Treg cells in DCM patients compared with controls. Together, our results indicate that CD4+ CD25+ GARP+ Treg cells are defective in DCM patients and GARP seems to be a better molecular definition of the regulatory phenotype. Therefore, it might be an attractive stategy to pay more attention to GARP in DCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. miR-208a is associated with adverse outcomes in several cardiac pathologies known to have increased apoptosis, including myocardial infarction (MI). We investigated if miR-208a has proapoptotic effects on ischemic cardiomyocytes and if its silencing has therapeutic benefits in MI. Methods and Results. The effect of miR-208a on apoptosis during ischemia was studied in cultured neonatal mice myocytes transfected with agomir or antagomir. Differential gene expression was assessed using microarrays. MI was induced in male C57BL/6 mice randomly assigned to antagomir (n=6) or control group (n=7), while sham group (n=7) had sham operation done. Antagomir group received miR208a antagomir, while control and sham group mice received vehicle only. At 7 and 28 days, echocardiography was done and thereafter hearts were harvested for analysis of apoptosis by TUNEL method, fibrosis using Masson’s trichrome, and hypertrophy using hematoxylin and eosin. miR-208a altered apoptosis genes expression and increased apoptosis in ischemic cardiomyocytes. Therapeutic inhibition of miR-208a decreased cardiac fibrosis, hypertrophy, and apoptosis and significantly improved cardiac function 28 days after MI. Conclusion. miR-208a alters apoptosis genes expression and promotes apoptosis in ischemic cardiomyocytes, and its silencing attenuates apoptosis, fibrosis, and hypertrophy after MI, with significant improvement in cardiac function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Recently, several studies suggest that galectin-9 (Gal-9) might play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. However, the exact role of Gal-9 in atherosclerosis remains to be elucidated. Methods. Serum Gal-9, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interferon- (IFN-) γ, interleukin- (IL-) 4, IL-17, and transforming growth factor- (TGF-) β1 were measured. The effect of Gal-9 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was investigated in patients with normal coronary artery (NCA). Results. The lowest level of Gal-9 was found in the ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group, followed by the non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTEACS), the NCA, and the stable angina pectoris (SAP) groups, respectively. Additionally, Gal-9 was found to be independently associated with hs-CRP, lipoprotein(a), and creatinine. Notably, Gal-9 was also noted to be an independent predictor of the Gensini score. Moreover, Gal-9 suppressed T-helper 17 (Th17) and expanded regulatory T cells (Tregs), resulting in decreased IL-17 production and increased secretion of TGF-β1. Conclusions. Serum Gal-9 is associated with not only coronary artery disease (CAD), but also the severity of coronary arteries stenosis. Gal-9 can expand Tregs and suppress Th17 development in activated PBMC, implying that Gal-9 has the potential to dampen the development of atherosclerosis and may be a new therapy for CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) play important roles in protein methylation. PRMT5 is the major type II arginine methyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of two methyl groups symmetrically to the arginine residues of either histone or non-histone proteins. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown that PRMT5, as an oncogene, plays an indispensable regulatory role in the pathological progression of several human cancers by promoting the proliferation, invasion, and migration of cancer cells. PRMT5 is overexpressed in many malignant tumors and plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer, which suggests that PRMT5 may become a potential biomarker or therapeutic target of cancer. This article reviews the biological function, mechanism, and clinical significance of PRMT5 in tumorigenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]