In-situ hydrogen production for mobile transportation has gradually become a research hotspot with the adjustment of energy structure. Especially hydrogen production from liquid materials can avoid ...the problems of storage and transportation. In this work, hydrogen produced by in-liquid discharge from ethanol/water mixtures was researched. The effects of electrode configurations, solution pH, commercial TiO2 addition on hydrogen production were specially discussed. The results show that the acid solution is conducive to increasing the percentage concentration of hydrogen, and discharge in the alkaline solution can increase the flow rate of hydrogen at high voltage. Meanwhile, the needle-12 needles configuration is more suitable for in-liquid pulsed discharge for hydrogen production that the energy efficiency is higher compared with other configurations. In-liquid discharge coupled with TiO2 addition can improve the effect of hydrogen production to a certain extent. With 4 mg/L TiO2 concentration, the flow rate and percentage concentration of hydrogen can increase about 30%, 2.6%, respectively.
•The solution pH can affect the hydrogen yield by pulsed discharge.•Energy efficiency and hydrogen yield can be increased by multi-needle configuration.•Combined with TiO2, hydrogen yield can be further increased by in-liquid discharge.•Hydrogen produced by in-liquid discharge shows a low energy consumption.
Metformin can enhance cancer cell chemosensitivity to anticancer drugs. IGF-1R is involved in cancer chemoresistance. The current study aimed to elucidate the role of metformin in osteosarcoma (OS) ...cell chemosensitivity modulation and identify its underlying mechanism in IGF-1R/miR-610/FEN1 signalling. IGF-1R, miR-610, and FEN1 were aberrantly expressed in OS and participated in apoptosis modulation; this effect was abated by metformin treatment. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed that FEN1 is a direct target of miR-610. Moreover, metformin treatment decreased IGF-1R and FEN1 but elevated miR-610 expression. Metformin sensitised OS cells to cytotoxic agents, while FEN1 overexpression partly compromised metformin's sensitising effects. Furthermore, metformin was observed to enhance adriamycin's effects in a murine xenograft model. Metformin enhanced OS cell sensitivity to cytotoxic agents via the IGF-1R/miR-610/FEN1 signalling axis, highlighting its potential as an adjuvant during chemotherapy.
Background. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has become one of the leading causes of the end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Tang-Shen-Ning (TSN) decoction, an effective Traditional Chinese formula for DN, can ...improve the renal function and inhibit renal fibrosis in DN. However, its potential mechanism is still unexplored. Methods. A network pharmacology approach was employed in this study, including screening for differential expressed genes of DN (DN-DEGs), protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, and GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Besides, a rat model was established to verify the potential effect of TSN in DN. Results. Twenty-three TSN-related DN-DEGs targets were identified. These genes were associated with decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR) DN. The enrichment analysis suggested that the inhibition of renal fibrosis and inflammation through growth factors and chemokines is the potential mechanism through which TSN improves DN. TSN reduced renal fibrosis and improved pathological damage in the kidney in vivo through the regulation of GJA1, CTGF, MMP7, and CCL5, which are genes associated with ECM deposition. Conclusion. This study revealed that TSN improves DN through a multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway synergy. We provide a scientific basis for potential targets for TSN use to treat DN, yet further experimental validation is needed to investigate these targets and mechanisms.
Previous studies have demonstrated structural and functional changes of the hippocampus in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, no studies have analyzed the dynamic functional ...connectivity (dFC) of hippocampal subregions in melancholic MDD. We aimed to reveal the patterns for dFC variability in hippocampus subregions - including the bilateral rostral and caudal areas and its associations with cognitive impairment in melancholic MDD.
Forty-two treatment-naive MDD patients with melancholic features and 55 demographically matched healthy controls were included. The sliding-window analysis was used to evaluate whole-brain dFC for each hippocampal subregions seed. We assessed between-group differences in the dFC variability values of each hippocampal subregion in the whole brain and cognitive performance on the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Finally, association analysis was conducted to investigate their relationships.
Patients with melancholic MDD showed decreased dFC variability between the left rostral hippocampus and left anterior lobe of cerebellum compared with healthy controls (voxel
< 0.005, cluster
< 0.0125, GRF corrected), and poorer cognitive scores in working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, and social cognition (all
< 0.05). Association analysis showed that working memory was positively correlated with the dFC variability values of the left rostral hippocampus-left anterior lobe of the cerebellum (
= 0.338,
= 0.029) in melancholic MDD.
These findings confirmed the distinct dynamic functional pathway of hippocampal subregions in patients with melancholic MDD, and suggested that the dysfunction of hippocampus-cerebellum connectivity may be underlying the neural substrate of working memory impairment in melancholic MDD.
Abstract
Smart window is promising to save building energy and reduce carbon emissions. The fast development leads to a high demand for multifunctionality not limited to energy saving, while the ...material design and fabrication are challenging. Herein, a scalable method is developed for tri‐mode light regulations: thermo‐, mechano‐, and hydro‐/solvato‐chromisms. The film is constructed of a bio‐inspired hierarchical‐structured surface and a functional elastomer base. Through combined experiments and simulations, the triple‐stimuli‐chromic mechanisms of strain‐induced surface structure deformations, wettability‐controlled reflective index matches, and thermal‐responsive nanostructural resonances, respectively are revealed. Besides a good energy‐saving performance, the robust method shows several advantages: 1) independent energy‐saving and privacy functionalities, 2) an additional hydro‐/solvato‐chromic mode to control privacy in extreme circumstances, and 3) designable patterns and colors to meet high aesthetic demand. The work may inspire the future development of multifunctional smart windows and spatio‐temporal light control methods.
Objective. Deficiencies in klotho are implicated in various kidney dysfunctions including diabetic nephropathy (DN) related to inflammatory responses. Klotho is closely related to inflammatory ...responses and is a potential target for ameliorating kidney failure. Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of programmed cell death, is reported to take part in DN pathogenesis recently. This study is aimed at exploring whether and how klotho inhibited podocyte pyroptosis and whether astragaloside IV (AS-IV) protect podocyte through the regulation of klotho. Materials and Methods. SD rat model of DN and conditionally immortalized mouse podocytes exposed to high glucose were treated with AS-IV. Biochemical assays and morphological examination, cell viability assay, cell transfection, phalloidin staining, ELISA, LDH release assay, SOD and MDA detection, MMP assay, ROS level detection, flow cytometry analysis, TUNEL staining assay, PI/Hoechst 33342 staining, immunofluorescence assay, and western blot were performed to elucidate podocyte pyroptosis and to observe the renal morphology. Results. The treatment of AS-IV can improve renal function and protect podocytes exposed to high glucose. Klotho was decreased, and AS-IV increased klotho levels in serum and kidney tissue of DN rats as well as podocytes exposed to high glucose. AS-IV can inhibit DN glomeruli pyroptosis in vivo. In vitro, overexpressed klotho and treatment with AS-IV inhibited pyroptosis of podocytes cultured in high glucose. Klotho knockdown promoted podocyte pyroptosis, and treatment with AS-IV reversed this effect. Furthermore, the overexpression of klotho and AS-IV reduces oxidative stress levels and inhibited NF-κB activation and NLRP3-mediated podocytes’ pyroptosis which was abolished by klotho knockdown. In addition, both the ROS inhibitor NAC and the NF-κB pathway inhibitor PDTC can inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. NLRP3 inhibitor MCC950 can inhibit pyroptosis of podocytes exposed to high glucose. Conclusion. Altogether, our results demonstrate that the protective effect of AS-IV in upregulating klotho expression in diabetes-induced podocyte injury is associated with the inhibition of NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis via the NF-κB signaling pathway.
•The settlement characteristics of brick hoop caves caused by large-section tunnel excavation are analyzed.•The characteristics of crack distribution changes and the connection between building ...differential settlement and building cracking are summarized.•A bilinear strain softening/hardening ubiquitous-joints model is introduced to establish a solid model of brick hoop cave to simulate the impact of loess tunnel construction on the building.•Characteristics of settlement, flexure, and principal strain distribution of buildings under different buried depths and their influencing factors are analyzed, and the damage range of buildings based on differential settlement and tension cracking is calculated and summarized.
The ground movement during the construction of shallow loess tunnels can easily cause deformation damage to surface buildings. Most the current studies focus on the damage soft soil and rock tunnels to independent buildings, and there are few studies on the case of building groups in loess areas. Using the new Xi’Yan Railway Luochuan Tunnel as a case study, we conducted on-site testing to study building settlement and crack development characteristics. Three-dimensional numerical simulations were carried out to analyze settlement, flexure deformation, and main tensile strain distribution characteristics of the buildings at different buried depths. The study determines the extent of damage resulting from differential settlement and tension cracks. The results show that construction during the upper, middle, and lower bench stages results in significant ground volume loss, leading to a ’wide and steep’ settlement pattern with a maximum settlement value of 567 mm. Building cracks exhibit positive and inverted splayed shapes, with lengths ranging from 0.5 to 6.0 m and widths between 0 to 170 mm. As buried depth increases, maximum settlement, flexure deformation, and main tensile strain of buildings also increase. The severe damage range of buildings initially increases and then stabilizes, with the maximum range caused by differential settlement and tensile cracks being 34 m and 29 m from the tunnel axis, respectively. Based on the analysis of building damage characteristics, it was determined that a combination of surface measures and measures within the tunnel should be used to control building damage caused by tunnel construction. These research findings can serve as valuable references for similar projects.
Aging is an important step in improving the comprehensive properties of Cu-3.5Ti alloy. However, both prolonged holding times and high heat treatment temperatures lead to significant oxidation and ...substantial energy consumption. The effects of heat treatment (HT) and electropulsing treatment (EPT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the solid solution Cu-3.5Ti alloy were comparatively examined in this study. The findings demonstrated that EPT quickly completed the processes of spinodal decomposition and short-range ordered to long-range ordered phase transformation, thereby fully precipitating fine and diffusive β′-Cu4Ti phase, which greatly enhanced the precipitation strengthening effects. In addition to enhancing the strength of the alloy, EPT significantly reduced the peak aging time (to just 1/12 of that of HT) and greatly increased the plasticity (elongation to failure rose by 47 % compared to HT). The main reason for the rapid completion of the spinodal decomposition and the full precipitation process by the EPT was the additional free energy provided by the electropulsing, which significantly accelerated the Ti atomic diffusion and lowered the nucleation barrier of the β′-Cu4Ti phase. EPT is a toughening heat treatment process for metallic materials, which offers the advantages of high efficiency, low energy consumption, and low cost.
•Compared with HT, the Cu-3.5Ti alloy after EPT exhibits superior mechanical and electrical properties.•EPT provides additional free energy for accelerating spinodal decomposition.•EPT reduced the thermodynamic energy barrier of nucleation, forming more and finer dispersive β′-Cu4Ti phase.•EPT is a new toughening heat treatment process for metallic materials, with high efficiency and low energy consumption.
As postmenopausal osteoporotic fractures can cause higher rates of disability and mortality in women; it is essential to analyze the factors associated with primary and recurrent fractures in ...postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) patients.
Retrospective analysis of 2478 PMOP patients aged ≥ 50 years who attended the Shanghai General Hospital from January 2007 to December 2016, including 1239 patients with no fractures and 1239 patients with histories of fractures (1008 in the primary fracture group and 231 in the re-fracture group). All patients' basic clinical data, serum biochemical and bone metabolic markers, bone mineral density (BMD), and other indicators were recorded uniformly. Comparing the differences between the clinical characteristics of patients with primary and recurrent fractures, as well as the differences in the clinical characteristics of patients with primary and recurrent fractures in combination with different diseases, further analyses the risk factors for primary and recurrent fractures in PMOP patients. SPSS.26 was used for statistical analysis.
Compared to the unfractured group, the fractured group was older and had lower height and bone mineral density (all P < 0.01), with the re-fractured group having lower BMD at each key site than the primary fracture group (all P < 0.01). Analysis of the combined disease subgroups showed that serum BGP levels were lower in the primary and re-fracture patients with diabetes than in the non-diabetic subgroup (P < 0.05), and serum CTX levels were lower in the re-fracture group with diabetes than in the primary fracture group with diabetes (P < 0.05). Patients with recurrent fractures with cardio-vascular diseases had lower BMD than the subgroup without cardio-vascular diseases (P < 0.05) and also had lower BMD than the group with primary fractures with cardio-vascular diseases (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, overweight, low lumbar spine and total hip BMD were risk factors for primary and recurrent fractures; and comorbid chronic liver and kidney diseases were risk factors for primary fractures.
PMOP patients with advanced age, overweight, low bone mineral density, and comorbid chronic liver and kidney diseases are at greater risk of fractures and require early intervention to reduce fractures occurrence. Moreover, those who are elderly, overweight, and have low bone density should also be aware of the risk of re-fractures.
•Hydrogen produced by pulsed discharge with needle-net configurations was studied.•Hydrogen yield was affected little with the increase of discharge time.•Nano carbon particles were discovered during ...the process of hydrogen production.•Mechanism of hydrogen produced from ethanol/water by pulsed discharge was studied.
Hydrogen produced from ethanol solution by pulsed discharge was investigated in this work. With needle-net configurations, hydrogen can be easily exported from the plasma reactor thereby preventing hydrogen from consuming by the oxidizing active substances generated from pulsed discharge. Both flow rate and percentage concentration of hydrogen were enhanced with the increase of energy density, but not much change with the increase of discharge time. Flow rate, percentage concentration, and energy consumption of hydrogen were achieved about 800mL/min, 73.5%, and 0.9kWh/m3 H2 respectively with energy density of 6.4J/L. All products were analyzed, which were divided into main and secondary products guiding the mechanism analysis of hydrogen production. The main products contain H2, CO, CH3OH, and the secondary products include C2H2, CO2, macromolecular compounds, nano carbon particles. The high hydrogen yield, emerged nano carbon, low ethanol and energy consumption make this method possess bright prospect in hydrogen production.
PDF
