A kind of compact all-fiber-optic vector magnetic sensor is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor consists of a side-polished-fiber (SPF)-integrated with singlemode-no core-singlemode (SNS) fiber ...structure. A section of side-polished fiber breaks the axially symmetry of the composite structure. The as-fabricated sensor supports vector sensing and has a magnetic field strength sensitivity of up to -2370 pm/mT over 2-6 mT range. The physical mechanism is that the modal interference is strongly influenced by the refractive index (RI) near the side-polished surface. The advantages of the proposed sensor lie in low cost, simple structure and easy manufacture, which make it attractive in the field of magnetic field vector sensing.
•Hydropyrolysis of coal was studied using reactive force field and compared with pyrolysis.•Hydrogen plays a role to weaken the CS bond and serves as H radical provider during ...hydropyrolysis.•Hydrogen has positive effects on the gas production and desulfurization.•Desulfurization rate increases first and then decreases with the rise of temperature or pressure.
Based on the Wiser Coal Model, the process of coal hydropyrolysis was studied by molecular dynamics simulations with reactive force field (ReaxFF). The gas production and organic sulfur removal were analyzed. The related reaction mechanism and factors were discussed. It turns out that hydropyrolysis, relative to pyrolysis, could increase the gas yield and improve the removal rate of organic sulfur up to 80%. With the rise in temperature or pressure, the desulfurization rate increases first and then decreases. Adding hydrogen could weaken the CS bonds in thiophene (ring), thiophenol (R–S–H), phenyl sulfide (R–S–R), then the bond-dissociation energy declines and the bonds are easier to break, so the hydropyrolysis could effectively improve the desulfurization rate. The simulated temperature-dependence of desulfurization rate is in agreement with the reported experimental tendency.
Purpose
This study was designed to compare robot-assisted gastrectomy with laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy in surgical performance and short-term clinical outcomes for gastric cancer and evaluate ...the safety and feasibility of robotic surgery.
Methods
A retrospective database of patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer between March 2010 and May 2013 was examined. After screening, 514 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer were enrolled in this study: 120 robotic and 394 laparoscopic surgery. Patient demographics, surgical performance, and short-term clinical outcomes were examined.
Results
All operations were performed successfully. The clinicopathologic characteristics were similar between the two groups. Compared with the laparoscopic group, the robotic group had less intraoperative blood loss (118.3 ± 55.8 vs. 137.6 ± 61.6 ml,
P
< 0.001), more lymph nodes dissection (34.6 ± 10.9 vs. 32.7 ± 11.2,
P
= 0.013), and longer operation time (234.8 ± 42.4 vs. 221.3 ± 44.8 min,
P
= 0.003). The survival rates were 90.2 % at 1 year, 78.1 % at 2 years, and 67.8 % at 3 years in the RAG group compared with 87.3 % at 1 year, 77.1 % at 2 years, and 69.9 % at 3 years in the LAG group. The difference in overall survival rate between the two groups was not statistically significant (
P
= 0.812). In view of lymph node involvement, the 3-year survival rates for patients with negative nodal metastasis were 84.4 % in the RAG group versus 82.6 % in the LAG group (
P
= 0.972) and 57.5 % in the RAG group versus 60.3 % in the LADG group (
P
= 0.653) for those with positive nodal metastasis.
Conclusions
Comparing well with laparoscopic gastrectomy, robot-assisted gastrectomy is a feasible and safe surgical procedure with clear operation field, precise dissection, minimal trauma, and fast recovery. Longer follow-up time and randomized, clinical trials are needed to evaluate the clinical benefits and long-term oncological outcomes of this new technology.
Double emulsions are complex fluid systems, in which droplets of a dispersed liquid phase contain even smaller dispersed liquid droplets. Particularly, water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions provide ...significant advantages over simple oil-in-water emulsions for microencapsulation, such as carrier of both aqueous and oily payloads and sustained release profile. However, double emulsions are thermodynamically unstable systems consisting typically of relatively large droplets. Here we show that nanoscale water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions can be prepared by adding a silica precursor polymer, hyperbranched polyethoxysiloxane, to the oil phase without any additional surfactants. The resulting double miniemulsions are transformed to robust water@SiO
@polymer@SiO
nanocapsules via conversion of the precursor to silica and polymerization of the oil phase. Other intriguing nanostructures like nanorattles and Janus-like nanomushrooms can also be obtained by changing preparation conditions. This simple surfactant-free double miniemulsion polymerization technique opens a promising avenue for mass production of various complex hybrid nanostructures that are amenable to numerous applications.
Rhubarb palmatum
L.
, Polygonum multijiorum
Thunb
.,
and
Polygonum cuspidatum
Sieb. Et Zucc. are traditional Chinese medicines that have been used for thousands of years. They are formulated into ...various preparations and are widely used. Emodin is a traditional Chinese medicine monomer and the main active ingredient in
Rhubarb palmatum
L.
, Polygonum multijiorum
Thunb
.,
and
Polygonum cuspidatum
Sieb. Et Zucc. Modern research shows that it has a variety of pharmacological effects, including promoting lipid and glucose metabolism, osteogenesis, and anti-inflammatory and anti-autophagy effects. Research on the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of emodin can promote its clinical application. This review aims to provide a basis for further development and clinical research of emodin in the treatment of metabolic diseases. We performed a comprehensive summary of the pharmacology and molecular mechanisms of emodin in treating metabolic diseases by searching databases such as Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and CNKI up to 2023. In addition, this review also analyzes the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of emodin. The results show that emodin mainly regulates AMPK, PPAR, and inflammation-related signaling pathways, and has a good therapeutic effect on obesity, hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes and its complications, and osteoporosis. In addition, controlling toxic factors and improving bioavailability are of great significance for its clinical application.
Human RecQ helicases that share homology with E. coli RecQ helicase play critical roles in diverse biological activities such as DNA replication, transcription, recombination and repair. Mutations in ...three of the five human RecQ helicases (RecQ1, WRN, BLM, RecQL4 and RecQ5) result in autosomal recessive syndromes characterized by accelerated aging symptoms and cancer incidence. Mutational inactivation of Werner (WRN) and Bloom (BLM) genes results in Werner syndrome (WS) and Bloom syndrome (BS) respectively. However, mutations in RecQL4 result in three human disorders: (I) Rothmund-Thomson syndrome (RTS), (II) RAPADILINO and (III) Baller-Gerold syndrome (BGS). Cells from WS, BS and RTS are characterized by a unique chromosomal anomaly indicating that each of the RecQ helicases performs specialized function(s) in a non-redundant manner. Elucidating the biological functions of RecQ helicases will enable us to understand not only the aging process but also to determine the cause for age-associated human diseases. Recent biochemical and molecular studies have given new insights into the multifaceted roles of RecQL4 that range from genomic stability to carcinogenesis and beyond. This review summarizes some of the existing and emerging knowledge on diverse biological functions of RecQL4 and its significance as a potential molecular target for cancer therapy.
•Mutations in RecQL4 helicase results in three autosomal recessive human disorders that are characterized by premature aging features and increased cancer susceptibility.•RecQL4 is aberrantly elevated in multiple human cancers.•Elevated expression of RecQL4 confers survival and proliferative advantage to cancer cells.•RecQL4 plays multifaceted roles in maintaining the genomic stability of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes in normal and cancer cells.•RecQL4 is emerging as a prognostic/diagnostic marker for cancer and possibly a novel molecular target for improving individualized cancer therapy.
A kind of all-fiber magnetic field sensing structure is proposed and demonstrated here. The sensing element includes a microfiber knot resonator (MKR) cladded with magnetic fluid (MF). The low-index ...MgF₂ slab is adopted as the substrate. The sensitivity increases with the decrease of the MKR ring diameter. The achieved maximum magnetic field sensitivity is 277 pm/mT. The results of this work have the potential to promote the development of magnetically controllable optical devices and the design of ultra-compact cost-effective magnetic field sensors.
CD274, one of two co-stimulatory ligands for programmed death 1 and widely expressed in the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), may co-stimulate T cells and regulates inflammatory responses. However, ...changes in CD274 gene expression and the underlying molecular mechanism are poorly understood during inflammatory responses. Therefore, delineation of the complex mechanisms regulating CD274 expression is critical to understand this immunoregulatory system during inflammatory responses. The purpose of this study was to assess the molecular mechanisms regulating CD274 expression in an in vitro monocyte model of inflammatory response. Firstly, CD274 expression levels in human primary monocytes after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment were observed and correlated with NF-κB activation. Secondly, based on the distribution of putative NF-κB binding sites, 5' truncated human CD274 promoter reporters were constructed, transfected into U937 cells and critical promoter regions for basal (nt -570 to +94) and LPS-induced (nt -1735 to -570) transcription were identified by dual luciferase assays. Finally, a key NF-κB binding site (nt -610 to -601) for LPS-inducible CD274 transcriptional activity was characterized by point mutation analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis assays (ChIP). Thus, the present study establishes a molecular basis to understand the mechanisms governing CD274 expression in certain infections and inflammatory disorders.
Emerging and re-emerging RNA viruses occasionally cause epidemics and pandemics worldwide, such as the on-going outbreak of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Herein, we identi ed two potent ...inhibitors of human DHODH, S312 and S416, with favorable drug-likeness and pharmacokinetic pro les, which all showed broadspectrum antiviral effects against various RNA viruses, including in uenza A virus, Zika virus, Ebola virus, and particularly against SARS-CoV-2. Notably, S416 is reported to be the most potent inhibitor so far with an EC 50 of 17 nmol/L and an SI value of 10,505.88 in infected cells. Our results are the rst to validate that DHODH is an attractive host target through high antiviral ef cacy in vivoand low virus replication in DHODH knock-out cells. This work demonstrates that both S312/S416 and old drugs (Le unomide/Teri unomide) with dual actions of antiviral and immuno-regulation may have clinical potentials to cure SARS-CoV-2 or other RNA viruses circulating worldwide, no matter such viruses are mutated or not.
Low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) and apolipoprotein E (Apoe) knockout (KO) mice have been widely used as animal models of atherosclerosis. However, data suggested that it is difficult to ...develop typical atherosclerosis in rats. To this end, Ldlr and Apoe KO rats were generated and the potential to develop novel atherosclerosis models was evaluated.
We established Apoe/Ldlr single and double KO (DKO) rats via the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the same background. Phenotypes of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis in these KO rats were systematically characterized.
Knockout of either gene led to severe dyslipidemia and liver steatosis. Significant atherosclerotic plaques were observed in the abdominal aorta of all mutant rats fed a normal diet for 48 weeks. Western diet greatly aggravated atherosclerosis and fatty liver. In addition, we found mononuclear cell infiltration in early lesions. Increased expression of inflammatory cytokines, as well as macrophage accumulation in lesions of mutants, was observed, indicating that mononuclear cell trafficking and endothelial inflammation affected atherogenesis. Moreover, mutant rats displayed a sex difference profile more similar to humans in which males had heavier plaque burdens than females.
Deficiency of either Ldlr or Apoe genes induced hyperlipidemia, which promoted endothelial inflammation and led to typical atherosclerosis in rats on normal or Western diets. These models display certain advantages, which will benefit future investigations of atherosclerotic pathology and antiatherosclerotic therapeutics.
•Rat models of atherosclerosis established using CRISPR/Cas9.•Systematic comparison of Apoe/Ldlr single and double knockout rats.•First demonstration for Apoe deficiency in rat led to typical atherosclerosis.•Sex difference profile similar to human disease in which males had heavier plaques.
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