Associations between pan-immune-inflammation value and abdominal aortic calcification: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) pathogenesis is intricately linked with inflammation. The pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) emerges as a potential biomarker, offering reflection into systemic inflammatory states and assisting in the prognosis of diverse diseases. This research aimed to explore the association between PIV and AAC. Methods: Employing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this cross-sectional analysis harnessed weighted multivariable regression models to ascertain the relationship between PIV and AAC. Trend tests probed the evolving relationship among PIV quartiles and AAC. The study also incorporated subgroup analysis and interaction tests to determine associations within specific subpopulations. Additionally, the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariable logistic regression were used for characteristics selection to construct prediction model. Nomograms were used for visualization. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration plot and decision curve analysis were applied for evaluate the predictive performance. Results: From the cohort of 3,047 participants, a distinct positive correlation was observed between PIV and AAC. Subsequent to full adjustments, a 100-unit increment in PIV linked to an elevation of 0.055 points in the AAC score (ß=0.055, 95% CI: 0.014-0.095). Categorizing PIV into quartiles revealed an ascending trend: as PIV quartiles increased, AAC scores surged (ß values in Quartile 2, Quartile 3, and Quartile 4: 0.122, 0.437, and 0.658 respectively; P for trend <0.001). Concurrently, a marked rise in SAAC prevalence was noted (OR values for Quartile 2, Quartile 3, and Quartile 4: 1.635, 1.842, and 2.572 respectively; P for trend <0.01). Individuals aged 60 or above and those with a history of diabetes exhibited a heightened association. After characteristic selection, models for predicting AAC and SAAC were constructed respectively. The AUC of AAC model was 0.74 (95%CI=0.71-0.77) and the AUC of SAAC model was 0.84 (95%CI=0.80-0.87). According to the results of calibration plots and DCA, two models showed high accuracy and clinical benefit. Conclusion: The research findings illuminate the potential correlation between elevated PIV and AAC presence. Our models indicate the potential utility of PIV combined with other simple predictors in the assessment and management of individuals with AAC.

Stress Distribution Prediction of Circular Hollow Section Tube in Flexible High-Neck Flange Joints Based on the Hybrid Machine Learning Model.

The flexible high-neck flange is connected to the circular hollow section (CHS) tube through welding, and the placement of the weld seam and corresponding stress concentration factor (SCF) are crucial determinants of the joint's fatigue performance. In this study, three hybrid models combining ant colony optimization (ACO), a genetic algorithm (GA), and grey wolf optimization (GWO) with a random forest (RF) model were developed to predict the stress distribution on the inner and outer walls of the CHS tube under different flange parameter combinations. To achieve this, an automated finite element (FE) analysis program for flexible high-neck flange joints was initially developed based on ABAQUS 2020 software. Parameter combinations were randomly selected within a reasonable range to simulate the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the joint under uniform tension, generating a dataset comprising 5417 sets of data. The accuracy of the FE model was validated through experimental data from the literature. Based on this, feature importance analysis was conducted to reveal the influence of different variable parameters on the stress distribution in the tube of the joint. The flange parameters and tube stress distribution are considered as inputs and outputs, respectively. Three hybrid RF models, specifically ant colony optimization-based random forest (ACO-RF), genetic algorithm-based random forest (GA-RF), and grey wolf optimization-based random forest (GWO-RF), are trained for regression prediction. The results demonstrate that the three hybrid models outperform the original machine learning model in predictive accuracy. The ACO-RF model achieved the highest accuracy with average coefficients of determination (Rmean2) of 0.9983 and 0.9865 on the testing and training sets, respectively. Building upon this foundation, the study developed a corresponding open-source graphical user interface (GUI) as a tool for facilitating computations and visualizing results. Finally, a case study on fatigue damage assessment of a flexible high-neck flange joint in a wind-turbine tower is presented to demonstrate the application of the proposed model in this study.

Association between the presence and genotype of Helicobacter pylori and periodontitis.

Whether Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is associated with periodontitis has been contested for decades. The relationship between H. pylori genotypes and periodontitis has not been clarified either. The present study provides a novel perspective to better understand the role of H. pylori in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. A total of 53 volunteers were recruited and divided into 3 groups in this cross-sectional study, namely the periodontally healthy group (15 participants), the stage I/II periodontitis group (20 participants) and the stage III/IV periodontitis group (18 participants). DNA from the subgingival plaque of all participants was extracted and PCR was performed using specific primers for the urease C gene and cytotoxin-associated gene A (cagA)/vacuolating cytotoxin gene A (vacA) to detect the presence and genotype of H. pylori. A χ2 test and one-way ANOVA were performed on the data. There was no significant difference in sex, age or body mass index between the groups. The detection rate of H. pylori was 39.62% in the total population and increased with the deepening of probing depth and clinical attachment loss. There were significant differences in the detection rate of H. pylori among the three groups, with 13.33, 40.00 and 61.11% in the periodontally healthy, stage I/II periodontitis and stage III/IV periodontitis groups, respectively (χ2=8.760, P<0.001). The cagA-/vacAs2m2 genotype was most commonly detected in the periodontally healthy group (100%). In the periodontitis group, cagA+/vacAs1m2 was the most commonly detected genotype in the stage I/II periodontitis group (37.5%) and cagA+/vacAs1m1 in the stage III/IV periodontitis group (36.3%). The results of the present study suggest that the detection rates and genotypes of H. pylori in the subgingival plaque are associated with the status of periodontitis. cagA+/vacAs1m1 and cagA+/vacAs1m2 may be considered virulence markers of periodontitis. However, given the small sample size and lack of correlation analysis of the study, further larger scale and high-quality clinical trials are required to confirm these findings.

RhoA/ROCK1 regulates the mitochondrial dysfunction through Drp1 induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis in endothelial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a pivotal pathogen of periodontitis. Our previous studies have confirmed that mitochondrial dysfunction in the endothelial cells caused by P. gingivalis was dependent on Drp1, which may be the mechanism of P. gingivalis causing endothelial dysfunction. Nevertheless, the signalling pathway induced the mitochondrial dysfunction remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway in regulating mitochondrial dysfunction caused by P. gingivalis. P. gingivalis was used to infect EA.hy926 cells (endothelial cells). The expression and activation of RhoA and ROCK1 were assessed by western blotting and pull-down assay. The morphology of mitochondria was observed by mitochondrial staining and transmission electron microscopy. Mitochondrial function was measured by ATP content, mitochondrial DNA and mitochondrial permeability transition pore openness. The phosphorylation and translocation of Drp1 were evaluated using western blotting and immunofluorescence. The role of the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway in mitochondrial dysfunction was investigated using RhoA and ROCK1 inhibitors. The activation of RhoA/ROCK1 pathway and mitochondrial dysfunction were observed in P. gingivalis-infected endothelial cells. Furthermore, RhoA or ROCK1 inhibitors partly prevented mitochondrial dysfunction caused by P. gingivalis. The increased phosphorylation and mitochondrial translocation of Drp1 induced by P. gingivalis were both blocked by RhoA and ROCK1 inhibitors. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the RhoA/ROCK1 pathway was involved in mitochondrial dysfunction caused by P. gingivalis by regulating the phosphorylation and mitochondrial translocation of Drp1. Our research illuminated a possible new mechanism by which P. gingivalis promotes endothelial dysfunction.

Crucial role of the transcription factors family activator protein 2 in cancer: current clue and views.

The transcription factor family activator protein 2 (TFAP2) is vital for regulating both embryonic and oncogenic development. The TFAP2 family consists of five DNA-binding proteins, including TFAP2A, TFAP2B, TFAP2C, TFAP2D and TFAP2E. The importance of TFAP2 in tumor biology is becoming more widely recognized. While TFAP2D is not well studied, here, we mainly focus on the other four TFAP2 members. As a transcription factor, TFAP2 regulates the downstream targets directly by binding to their regulatory region. In addition, the regulation of downstream targets by epigenetic modification, posttranslational regulation, and interaction with noncoding RNA have also been identified. According to the pathways in which the downstream targets are involved in, the regulatory effects of TFAP2 on tumorigenesis are generally summarized as follows: stemness and EMT, interaction between TFAP2 and tumor microenvironment, cell cycle and DNA damage repair, ER- and ERBB2-related signaling pathway, ferroptosis and therapeutic response. Moreover, the factors that affect TFAP2 expression in oncogenesis are also summarized. Here, we review and discuss the most recent studies on TFAP2 and its effects on carcinogenesis and regulatory mechanisms.

A Corpus-Driven Study on Three Elements of Third Personal Pronoun Endophora in English Abstracts of Chinese and Foreign Theses.

The corpus is applied to compare and analyze three elements of the third personal pronoun endophora in English abstracts of Chinese and foreign theses. It is discovered that there is no significant difference in the total frequency of third personal pronoun endophora used by Chinese and foreign masters, but there is a significant difference in three elements of third personal pronoun endophora. Native Chinese-speaking masters tend to choose "it" as the anaphor, while native English-speaking masters are inclined to select "them" as the anaphor; antecedents used by native Chinese-speaking masters are mostly consistent with keywords of theses, while antecedents used by native English-speaking masters are rarely consistent with keywords of theses; distances between antecedents and anaphors set by native Chinese-speaking masters are much longer than those set by native English-speaking masters. These findings are beneficial for Chinese masters in terms of better understanding the writing conventions of English abstracts of foreign theses and further improving the language quality of English abstracts in their theses.

Porphyromonas gingivalis infection promotes mitochondrial dysfunction through Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission in endothelial cells.

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a key pathogen in periodontitis, has been shown to accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis (AS). However, the definite mechanisms remain elusive. Emerging evidence supports an association between mitochondrial dysfunction and AS. In our study, the impact of P. gingivalis on mitochondrial dysfunction and the potential mechanism were investigated. The mitochondrial morphology of EA.hy926 cells infected with P. gingivalis was assessed by transmission electron microscopy, mitochondrial staining, and quantitative analysis of the mitochondrial network. Fluorescence staining and flow cytometry analysis were performed to determine mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) levels. Cellular ATP production was examined by a luminescence assay kit. The expression of key fusion and fission proteins was evaluated by western blot and immunofluorescence. Mdivi-1, a specific Drp1 inhibitor, was used to elucidate the role of Drp1 in mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings showed that P. gingivalis infection induced mitochondrial fragmentation, increased the mtROS levels, and decreased the MMP and ATP concentration in vascular endothelial cells. We observed upregulation of Drp1 (Ser616) phosphorylation and translocation of Drp1 to mitochondria. Mdivi-1 blocked the mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction induced by P. gingivalis. Collectively, these results revealed that P. gingivalis infection promoted mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction, which was dependent on Drp1. Mitochondrial dysfunction may represent the mechanism by which P. gingivalis exacerbates atherosclerotic lesions.

Study on Deposition Characteristics of Microparticles in Terminal Pulmonary Acini by IB-LBM.

As an indicator of health risk, the deposition of microparticles in terminal pulmonary acini is of great significance in the medical field. To control particulate pollution and optimize aerosol delivery, it is necessary to perform an in-depth study of the microparticle deposition in terminal pulmonary acini; however, little research has been done on this topic. This paper proposes a respiratory movement model of terminal pulmonary acini using an immersed boundary-lattice Boltzmann method. In addition, we explored the effect of gravity direction, respiratory rate, microparticle diameter, and other parameters on the microparticles deposition process and distribution, under the airflow in the acinar wall. It was found that the deposition of microparticles is sensitive to gravity direction, and the growth of the respiratory rate increases the rate of microparticle migration and deposition. It was observed that the gravity effect is enhanced by increasing the diameter of microparticles, causing a high deposition and dispersion rate. The study reveals the dynamic correlation between the respiration process and the movement of microparticles, which is of reference value to figure out the pathogenicity mechanism of inhalable particles and to optimize the aerosol delivery.

Correction: Wang et al. Parametric Formula for Stress Concentration Factor of Fillet Weld Joints with Spline Bead Profile. Materials 2020, 13, 4639.

The authors wish to revise the following from pages 16-18 in the text of Appendix B [...].

Correction: Wang et al. Generalized SCF Formula of Out-Of-Plane Gusset Welded Joints and Assessment of Fatigue Life Extension by Additional Weld. Materials 2021, 14, 1249.

The authors wish to revise in the text of Appendix A, pages 19-21 [...].

Generalized SCF Formula of Out-Of-Plane Gusset Welded Joints and Assessment of Fatigue Life Extension by Additional Weld.

The existing S-N curves by effective notch stress to assess the fatigue life of gusset welded joints can result in reduced accuracy due to the oversimplification of bead geometries. The present work proposes the parametric formulae of stress concentration factor (SCF) for as-welded gusset joints based on the spline model, by which the effective notch stress can be accurately calculated for fatigue resistance assessment. The spline model is also modified to make it applicable to the additional weld. The fatigue resistance of as-welded and additional-welded specimens is assessed considering the geometric effects and weld profiles. The results show that the error of SCFs by the proposed formulae is proven to be smaller than 5%. The additional weld can increase the fatigue life by as great as 9.4 times, mainly because the increasing weld toe radius and weld leg length lead to the smaller SCF. The proposed series of S-N curves, considering different SCFs, can be used to assess the welded joints with various geometric parameters and weld profiles.

A Deep Look into the Program of Rapid Tumor Growth of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Great efforts have been made towards increasing our understanding of the pathogenesis involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the rapid growth inherent to such tumor development remains to be explored. METHODS: We identified distinct gene coexpression modes upon liver tumor growth using weighted gene coexpression network analysis. Modeling of tumor growth as signaling activity was employed to understand the main cascades responsible for the growth. Hub genes in the modules were determined, examined in vitro, and further assembled into the growth signature. RESULTS: We revealed modules related to the different growth states in HCC, especially the fastest growth module, which is preserved among different HCC cohorts. Moreover, signaling flux in the cell cycle pathway was found to act as a driving force for rapid growth. Twenty hub genes in the module were identified and assembled into the growth signature, and two genes (NCAPH, and RAD54L) were tested for their growth potential in vitro. Genetic alteration of the growth signature affected the global gene expression. The activity of the signature was associated with tumor metabolism and immunity in HCC. Finally, the prognosis effect of the growth signature was reproduced in nine cancers. CONCLUSIONS: These results collectively demonstrate the molecule organization of rapid tumor growth in HCC, which is a highly synergistic process, with implications for the future management of patients.

Parametric Formula for Stress Concentration Factor of Fillet Weld Joints with Spline Bead Profile.

The existing parametric formulae to calculate the notch stress concentration factor of fillet welds often result in reduced accuracy due to an oversimplification of the real weld geometry. The present work proposes a parametric formula for the evaluation of the notch SCF based on the spline weld model that offers a better approximation of the real shape of the fillet weld. The spline model was adopted in FE analyses on T-shape joints and cruciform joints models, under different loading conditions, to propose a parametric formula for the calculation of the SCF by regression analysis. In addition, the precision of parametric formulae based on the line model was examined. The magnitude of the stress concentration was also analyzed by means of its probability distribution. The results show that the line model is not accurate enough to calculate the SCF of fillet weld if the weld profile is considered. The error of the SCF by the proposed parametric formulae is proven to be smaller than 5% according to the testing data system. The stress concentration of cruciform joints under tensile stress represents the worst case scenario if assessed by the confidence interval of 95% survival probability.

Periodontal disease and Helicobacter pylori infection in oral cavity: a meta-analysis of 2727 participants mainly based on Asian studies.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between periodontal disease and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in oral cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library, Gray literature, and clinicaltrials.gov for eligible studies up to September 25, 2019. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The random-effects model was used with the software STATA 13.0. The Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale was used for quality evaluation. RESULTS: Twelve observational studies (eight from Asia, one from Europe, and three from the South America) involving 2727 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The overall pooled results showed that H. pylori infection in oral cavity was associated with periodontal disease (OR 2.53, 95% CI 1.86-3.44, P < 0.05). No significant heterogeneity among the articles was observed (I2 = 44.3%, P < 0.05). The sensitivity analysis indicated that the result of our meta-analysis was generally stable. The Begg test and the Egger test both showed no publication bias was observed (P = 0.45 and P = 0.18 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Based on current available evidence, it seemed there was a correlation between oral H. pylori infection and the occurrence of periodontal disease. However, since most of the data comes from Asia, more large-scale investigations with high quality from all over the world are needed to confirm the association. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: H. pylori infection in oral may have a positive association with the prevalence of periodontal disease mainly in Asian populations.

Parametric Formulae for Elastic Stress Concentration Factor at the Weld Toe of Distorted Butt-Welded Joints.

The evaluation of the stress concentration factor (SCF) at the notches of welds is of importance, especially for butt-welded joints that are widespread in the industry. Some empirical formulae can be found in the literature to estimate the SCF at the weld toes of butt-welded joints, while few solutions are available for the distorted joints under tensile fatigue test conditions. In the present study, the existing SCF formulae for butt-welded joints loaded in tension are examined and discussed. The influence of the weld width on SCF, which is commonly ignored or misestimated by existing solutions, is investigated comprehensively based on a large set of two-dimensional (2D) finite element analyses. Consequently, a new precise parametric formula for the elastic SCF at the weld toe of geometrically symmetric butt-welded joints under tension is proposed, together with a wide application range. Moreover, the analysis is also extended to consider joints with angular distortion. A two-step finite element analysis is employed to simulate the clamping and loading procedures in the fatigue test. Similarly, the parametric formulae for the assessment of clamping-induced stress and SCF caused by angular distortion are carried out as well based on the results from finite element analyses. The formulae proposed by this paper are finally tested and proved to be valid and precise.

Influence of Scanning on Nano Crystalline ß-Ti Alloys Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting and Their Applications in Biomedical Science.

The present study focuses on the microstructural and bioactive properties evolution in selective laser melting (SLM) ß titanium alloys. We have applied cross-scan strategy for improving mechanical properties and lower elastic modulus of SLMed Ti-20Mg-5Ta alloys which has been shown to be altering the microstructure and refining the grain size. The cross-scan strategy can refine the microstructure and induce various deformation textures in contrast to the conventional scan strategy. The microstructures of Ti-20Mg-5Ta alloys indicate that the cross-scan strategy will yield the best mechanical properties and lower elastic modulus. The corrosion behavior of the Ti-20Mg-5Ta alloys was studied during immersion in an acellular simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37±0.50 °C for 28 days. Both the mechanical and bioactive properties showed that the novel Ti-20Mg-5Ta alloys should be ideal for bone implants.