Investigation of Flexural Bearing Behavior of Corroded RC Strengthened with U-Type TRC.

In this study, the flexural bearing behavior of corroded reinforced concrete (RC) beams reinforced with U-type Textile Reinforced Concrete (TRC) was investigated using a four-point bending loading method. Nine test beams were produced: one original beam, three RC beams with corrosion alone, and five corroded beams strengthened with U-type TRC. The analysis focuses on assessing the impacts of the steel corrosion degree and the number of textile layers on various aspects of the bending behavior, such as failure modes, bearing capacity, and load displacement curves, in U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams. The experimental results revealed three distinct failure modes in the U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams. TRC effectively enhanced the bearing capacity. With sufficient textile layers, it can be restored to the level of the original RC beams. Moreover, in the cases of severe corrosion in RC beams, the bearing capacity increased more significantly. The TRC also enhanced the ductility. Finally, a calculation equation for the ultimate bearing capacity of U-type TRC-strengthened corroded beams was presented and validated, demonstrating consistent alignment with the experimental data.

Traditional Chinese medicine Qingre Huoxue decoction enhances wound healing in through modulation of angiogenic and inflammatory pathways.

This study investigates the therapeutic potential of Qingre Huoxue Decoction (QHD), a traditional Chinese herbal formulation, in promoting wound healing in an imiquimod-induced murine model of psoriasis. The research was driven by the need for effective wound healing strategies in psoriatic conditions, where conventional treatments often fall short. Employing a combination of in vivo and in vitro methodologies, we assessed the effects of QHD on key factors associated with wound healing. Our results showed that QHD treatment significantly reduced the expression of angiogenic proteins HIF-1α, FLT-1, and VEGF, and mitigated inflammatory responses, as evidenced by the decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased expression of IL-10. Furthermore, QHD enhanced the expression of genes essential for wound repair. In vitro assays with HUVECs corroborated the anti-angiogenic effects of QHD. Conclusively, the study highlights QHD's efficacy in enhancing wound healing in psoriatic conditions by modulating angiogenic and inflammatory pathways, presenting a novel therapeutic avenue in psoriasis wound management.

Spinal Cord Injury: From MicroRNAs to Exosomal MicroRNAs.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an unfortunate experience that may generate extensive sensory and motor disabilities due to the destruction and passing of nerve cells. MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules that do not code for proteins but instead serve to regulate protein synthesis by targeting messenger RNA's expression. After SCI, secondary damage like apoptosis, oxidative stress, inflammation, and autophagy occurs, and differentially expressed microRNAs show a function in these procedures. Almost all animal and plant cells release exosomes, which are sophisticated formations of lipid membranes. These exosomes have the capacity to deliver significant materials, such as proteins, RNAs and lipids, to cells in need, regulating their functions and serving as a way of communication. This new method offers a fresh approach to treating spinal cord injury. Obviously, the exosome has the benefit of conveying the transported material across performing regulatory activities and the blood-brain barrier. Among the exosome cargoes, microRNAs, which modulate their mRNA targets, show considerable promise in the pathogenic diagnosis, process, and therapy of SCI. Herein, we describe the roles of microRNAs in SCI. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of exosomal microRNAs in this disease.

Fabrication of ß-Ga2O3 Nanotubes via Sacrificial GaSb-Nanowire Templates.

ß-Ga2O3 nanostructures are attractive wide-band-gap semiconductor materials as they exhibit promising photoelectric properties and potential applications. Despite the extensive efforts on ß-Ga2O3 nanowires, investigations into ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes are rare since the tubular structures are hard to synthesize. In this paper, we report a facile method for fabricating ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes using pre-synthesized GaSb nanowires as sacrificial templates. Through a two-step heating-treatment strategy, the GaSb nanowires are partially oxidized to form ß-Ga2O3 shells, and then, the residual inner parts are removed subsequently in vacuum conditions, yielding delicate hollow ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes. The length, diameter, and thickness of the nanotubes can be customized by using different GaSb nanowires and heating parameters. In situ transmission electron microscopic heating experiments are performed to reveal the transformation dynamics of the ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes, while the Kirkendall effect and the sublimation process are found to be critical. Moreover, photoelectric tests are carried out on the obtained ß-Ga2O3 nanotubes. A photoresponsivity of ~25.9 A/W and a detectivity of ~5.6 × 1011 Jones have been achieved with a single-ß-Ga2O3-nanotube device under an excitation wavelength of 254 nm.

IGF2BP3 promotes the progression of colorectal cancer and mediates cetuximab resistance by stabilizing EGFR mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3), an RNA-binding protein, is associated with tumorigenesis and progression. However, the exact molecular mechanisms of IGF2BP3 in colorectal cancer (CRC) oncogenesis, progression, and drug resistance remain unclear. This study found that IGF2BP3 was upregulated in CRC tissues. Clinically, the elevated IGF2BP3 level is predictive of a poor prognosis. Functionally, IGF2BP3 enhances CRC tumorigenesis and progression both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 promotes epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA stability and translation and further activates the EGFR pathway by serving as a reader in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner by cooperating with METTL14. Furthermore, IGF2BP3 increases the drug resistance of CRC cells to the EGFR-targeted antibody cetuximab. Taken together, our results demonstrated that IGF2BP3 was a functional and clinical oncogene of CRC. Targeting IGF2BP3 and m6A modification may therefore offer rational therapeutic targets for patients with CRC.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Te Nanosheets: Growth Mechanism and Electrical Property.

Hydrothermal synthesis is a highly efficient way to yield multiform Te nanosheets. However, the growth mechanisms and property discrepancies between different types of Te nanosheets are still unclear. In this paper, we perform an investigation on this issue by monitoring the hydrothermally synthesized Te nanosheets at different growth stages with transmission electron microscopy and electrical tests. Three main types of Te nanosheets and their variants are revealed including trapezoidal and "V"-shaped configurations. It is found that the different types of Te nanosheets dominate at different reaction stages, indicating a sequential growth scenario. Surfactants and surface energy co-determine the growth kinetics, while the crystallographic attachments lead to specifically included angles of 74° and 41° in the "V"-shaped Te nanosheets. The fractions of the three main types of Te nanosheets as a function of reaction time are statistically tracked, and their crystalline structures, interfaces, and preferential growth orientations are uncovered. Moreover, the electrical properties of the Te nanosheets are tested, and the results show an interface-related feature. These findings provide some new insights into the synthesis and property of low-dimensional Te functional materials.

Identification of Peptides of Small Extracellular Vesicles from Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages.

Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) are typically secreted by the exocytosis of multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These nanovesicles with a diameter of <200 nm are present in various body fluids. These sEVs regulate various biological processes such as gene transcription and translation, cell proliferation and survival, immunity and inflammation through their cargos, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, and metabolites. Currently, various techniques have been developed for sEVs isolation. Among them, the ultracentrifugation-based method is considered the gold standard and is widely used for sEVs isolation. The peptides are naturally biomacromolecules with less than 50 amino acids in length. These peptides participate in a variety of biological processes with biological activity, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, and cell growth factors. The peptidome is intended to systematically analyze endogenous peptides in specific biological samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Here, we introduced a protocol to isolate sEVs by differential ultracentrifugation and extracted peptidome for identification by LC-MS/MS. This method identified hundreds of sEVs-derived peptides from bone marrow-derived macrophages.

Revealing the alloying and dealloying behaviours in AuAg nanorods by thermal stimulus.

Binary metallic nanocrystals are attractive as they offer an extra degree of freedom for structure and phase modulation to generate synergistic effects and extraordinary properties. However, whether the binary structures and phases at the nanoscale still follow the rules established on the bulk counterparts remains unclear. In this work, AuAg nanorods were used as a sample to probe into this issue. An in situ heating method by combining aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopes with a chip-based heating holder was employed to perform the heating experiments. It was found that the AuAg nanorods, which initially possessed heterostructures, can be designed and engineered to be gradient phase alloys with thermal pulses over 350 °C. Atomic diffusion inside the rod structures did not alter the shape of the rods but provided a route to fine-tune their properties. At higher temperatures, the discrepant sublimation behaviours between Au and Ag lead to dealloying of the nanorods. Durative sublimation of the Ag element can continuously tailor the lengths of the nanorods while concentrating the Au composition simultaneously. Especially, nearly pure Au nanocrystals can be obtained with the depletion of Ag by sublimation. These findings give insights into the nanoscale structure and phase behaviours in binary alloys and provide an alternative way to fine-tune their structure, phase, and properties.

A moderate dosage of coffee causes acute retinal capillary perfusion decrease in healthy young individuals.

AIM: Caffeinated beverages are very popular across populations and cultures, but quantitative evidence of the acute effects of moderate coffee doses on retinal perfusion is sparse and contradicting. Thus, the aim of this randomized, cross-over and parallel-group design study was to investigate whether moderate consumption of coffee alters macular retinal capillary perfusion in young healthy individuals. METHODS: Twenty-seven young healthy individuals were recruited for this study. Acute changes in retinal microvasculature were assessed using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography angiography (SD-OCTA) at baseline, 0.5 h, and 2 h after intake of coffee, or water. Meanwhile, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and retina-choroid blood flow were evaluated in a parallel-group design (4 participants each in coffee or water group) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling sequences. RESULTS: Two hours after coffee intake, blood caffeine concentration increased from 0 to 5.05 ± 1.36 µg/mL. Coffee caused a significant decrease in retinal vessel diameter index (VDI) (19.05 ± 0.24 versus [vs] 19.13 ± 0.26; p < 0.001) and CBF in the frontal lobe (77.47 ± 15.21 mL/100 mL/min vs. 84.13 ± 15.55 mL/100 mL/min; p < 0.05) 2 h after intake. However, it significantly increased retina-choroid blood flow after 0.5 and 2 h (163.18 ± 61.07 mL/100 mL/min vs. 132.68 ± 70.47 mL/100 mL/min, p < 0.001, and 161.21 ± 47.95 vs. 132.68 ± 70.47; p < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate the acute effects of daily dose coffee consumption on retinal capillary perfusion using SD-OCTA combinate with blood flow MRI. The findings imply that although moderate coffee intake caused a significant increase in retina-choroid blood flow, there was a significant acute decrease both in macular retinal capillary perfusion and CBF.

[Analysis on the Quality Status of in Vitro Diagnostic Reagents for National Medical Device Supervision and Inspection in 2020].

OBJECTIVE: This paper puts forward suggestions on the development of in vitro diagnostic reagents and supervision measures for the post-marketing products, so as to further improve the quality of in vitro diagnostic reagents and ensure the safety use of medical device. METHODS: This paper summarizes the quality of in vitro diagnostic reagents and analyzes the causes of the problems, according to the results of the national medical device supervision and inspection in 2020. RESULTS: The overall quality of in vitro diagnostic reagents for national medical device supervision and inspection in 2020 is stable and the unqualified detection rate is 1.6%. However, there are some problems. For example, the management of raw materials is unscientific, the faultiness in the preparation of reference materials, the understanding of standards is unthorough, and the management of instructions is unimportance. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that manufacturers of in vitro diagnostic reagents should improve the binding force of the quality management system, strengthen the awareness of risk management, attach importance to communicate with regulatory authorities, study standards sufficiently and strengthen the management of instructions. It is also suggested that the regulatory authorities should strengthen supervision and inspection, and further complete the evaluation guidance and standard publicity and implementation.

[Analysis on the Characteristics of Quality Variation of National Medical Device Supervision and Inspection in 2020].

This study is based on the summary of the characteristics of quality variation of national medical device supervision and inspection in 2020. According to the results of the national medical device supervision and inspection through comparative analysis, this study puts forward suggestions on the medical device production and supervision measures for the post-marketing products, so as to further improve the level of the medical device and ensure the safety use of medical device.

Ginsenoside Rg1 ameliorates psoriasis-like skin lesions by suppressing proliferation and NLRP3 inflammasomes in keratinocytes.

As a common chronic skin disease, psoriasis is characterized by the involvement of congenital acquired inflammatory immune diseases. In the study, our results indicated the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on psoriasis-like skin and the potential protection mechanisms that have not yet been investigated. In vivo, psoriasis-like skin mice model was induced by imiquimod (IMQ), then was treated by ginsenoside Rg1 for consecutive 4 weeks to evaluate its effect, respectively. In vitro, M5 cocktail treatment of human immortalized keratinocyte HaCaT-induced psoriasis-like skin cell model, which was exposed to ginsenoside Rg1. The inflammatory cell infiltration, expression level of keratinocyte proliferation marker Ki67, keratinocyte proliferation, inflammatory cytokines, and ROS/NLRP3 pathway-related proteins in vivo and in vitro were examined by hematoxylin and eosin, immunohistochemistry, ELISA, CCK-8, flow cytometry, and western blot. All results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg1 attenuated the injury of psoriasis-like skin, which inhibited the proliferation of skin keratinocytes and the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and the level of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß and IL-18, and decreased the level of Ki67, NLRP3, and caspase-1 in mice and HaCaT. Furthermore, NLRP3 overexpression attenuates the effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on M5 cocktail-induced proliferation and NLRP3 inflammasomes in HaCaT. These results demonstrated that ginsenoside Rg1 could suppress the ROS/NLRP3 pathway to treat psoriasis-like skin. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This is the very first study to explore the efficacy of ginsenoside Rg1 against psoriasis-like skin lesions to reveal the underlying mechanism. In this paper, the detection of skin histopathological analysis, CCK-8, flow cytometry, western blot, and ELISA analysis shows that ginsenoside Rg1 has preventive effect on psoriasis caused by imiquimod or M5 cocktail through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome, which helps in the development of novel nutraceutical/functional food against psoriasis and thus could improve the quality of life in psoriasis patients.

Successful treatment after toxic epidermal necrolysis induced by AZD-9291 in a patient with non-small cell lung cancer: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome are acute life-threatening skin reactions. AZD9291 has been developed as a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) with activity against T790M mutation. CASE SUMMARY: Herein we report a 68-year-old woman who developed a large area of skin necrosis and was diagnosed with toxic epidermal necrolysis after AZD-9291 ingestion. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case reported in patients with EGFR T790M mutation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Cabozantinib combined with erlotinib had clinically meaningful effectiveness, with additional toxicity that was generally manageable. CONCLUSION: Treatment with AZD-9261 is effective in regressing the growth of the NSCLC and can bring some hope to despairing patients. We hope that more research will be carried out on the association between severe rashes and EGFR-TKIs, and more safe and effective drugs can be developed.

Relationship between rice farming and polygenic scores potentially linked to agriculture in China.

Following domestication in the lower Yangtze River valley 9400 years ago, rice farming spread throughout China and changed lifestyle patterns among Neolithic populations. Here, we report evidence that the advent of rice domestication and cultivation may have shaped humans not only culturally but also genetically. Leveraging recent findings from molecular genetics, we construct a number of polygenic scores (PGSs) of behavioural traits and examine their associations with rice cultivation based on a sample of 4101 individuals recently collected from mainland China. A total of nine polygenic traits and genotypes are investigated in this study, including PGSs of height, body mass index, depression, time discounting, reproduction, educational attainment, risk preference, ADH1B rs1229984 and ALDH2 rs671. Two-stage least-squares estimates of the county-level percentage of cultivated land devoted to paddy rice on the PGS of age at first birth (b = -0.029, p = 0.021) and ALDH2 rs671 (b = 0.182, p < 0.001) are both statistically significant and robust to a wide range of potential confounds and alternative explanations. These findings imply that rice farming may influence human evolution in relatively recent human history.

[Analysis of Quality Status of National Medical Device Supervision and Inspection in 2019].

Summarize the quality status and variety quality change characteristics of the sampling products through the Summary and analysis, according to the results of the national medical device supervision and inspection in 2019. Put forward suggestions on the development of the medical device industry and supervisory measures. Thereby, further improve the level of the medical device and ensure the safety use of medical device.

Computed Tomography Angiography of Gastrocolic Vein Trunk by Morphological Filtering Technique in Right Colon Cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study was to evaluate CT vein image segmentation and three-dimensional imaging in the anatomical structure of gastrocolic venous trunk before operation for colon cancer. METHODS: CT scanning images by Philips Brilliance CT 256CT scanner. Vein position was segmented and calculated by grey value through algorithm flow. Intensity measurement of selected image area by a calculate through noise cancellation and missing pixel filling, based on numerical morphology. RESULTS: The direction of the right colonic vein could be clearly displayed in all 96 patients by morphological filtering technique. Among these patients, there were 78 patients with gastrocolic vein trunk, with an occurrence rate of 81.25%. According to the classification of GVT, there were 36 cases of type A (46.2%), 22 cases of type B (28.2%), 12 cases of type C (15.4%) and 6 cases of type D (7.7%). CONCLUSION: CT vein image segmentation and three-dimensional imaging can effectively evaluate the anatomical variation of gastrocolic vein trunk before operation, which is helpful for operators to correctly understand its anatomical structure and choose a reasonable anatomical approach.

Upregulation of OSBPL3 by HIF1A promotes colorectal cancer progression through activation of RAS signaling pathway.

Oxysterol-binding protein like protein 3 (OSBPL3) has been shown involving in the development of several human cancers. However, the relationship between OSBPL3 and colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly the role of OSBPL3 in the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of CRC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of OSBPL3 in CRC and found that its expression was significantly higher in CRC tissues than that in normal tissues. In addition, high expression of OSBPL3 was closely related to poor differentiation, advanced TNM stage and poor prognosis of CRC. Further experiments showed that over-expression of OSBPL3 promoted the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of CRC in vitro and in vivo models. Moreover, we revealed that OSBPL3 promoted CRC progression through activation of RAS signaling pathway. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hypoxia induced factor 1 (HIF-1A) can regulate the expression of OSBPL3 via binding to the hypoxia response element (HRE) in the promoter of OSBPL3. In summary, Upregulation of OSBPL3 by HIF1A promotes colorectal cancer progression through activation of RAS signaling pathway. This novel mechanism provides a comprehensive understanding of both OSBPL3 and the RAS signaling pathway in the progression of CRC and indicates that the HIF1A-OSBPL3-RAS axis is a potential target for early therapeutic intervention in CRC progression.

[Establishment of Sampling Inspection Scheme Paradigm for Medical Device Sampling Inspection].

This paper introduces the sampling scheme and the inspection scheme paradigm followed in organizing the sampling inspection of medical devices. The sampling scheme paradigm includes the definition and operation guidelines for sampling products, the regulations for individual sampling batches and related model specifications, accessory data, validity period, storage conditions, etc., the requirements for sampling areas, places and quantities, and the requirements for samples to be sent to inspection institutions. The inspection scheme paradigm includes the provisions for inspection basis, inspection items and determination principles.

[Analysis of Variety Selection for Medical Device Supervision and Inspection].

This article introduces the process and principles of variety selection for medical device supervision and inspection, and it analyzes the reason and consideration of the variety selection data of national medical device supervision and inspection from 2017 to 2019, it also put forward a collection of selected varieties for reference in the future by sorting out the classified catalogue of medical devices and in vitro diagnostic reagents.