Epidemiology and etiology of hand, foot, and mouth disease in Zhengzhou, China, from 2009 to 2021.

Background: Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common childhood infectious disease caused by a variety of enteroviruses (EVs). To explore the epidemiological characteristics and etiology of HFMD in Zhengzhou, China, we conducted a systematic analysis of HFMD surveillance data from Zhengzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention from January 2009 to December 2021 (https://wjw.zhengzhou.gov.cn/). Methods: Surveillance data were collected from Zhengzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention from January 2009 to December 2021 (https://wjw.zhengzhou.gov.cn/). Cases were analyzed according to the time of onset, type of diagnosis, characteristics, viral serotype, and epidemiological trends. Results: We found that the primary causative agent responsible for the HFMD outbreaks in Zhengzhou was Enterovirus A71 (EVA-71) (48.56%) before 2014. After 2015, other EVs gradually became the dominant strains (57.68%). The data revealed that the HFMD epidemics in Zhengzhou displayed marked seasonality, with major peaks occurring from April to June, followed by secondary peaks from October to November, except in 2020. Both the severity and case-fatality ratio of HFMD decreased following the COVID-19 pandemic (severity ‰: 13.46 vs. 0.17; case-fatality ‰: 0.21 vs. 0, respectively). Most severe cases were observed in patients aged 1 year and below, accounting for 45.81%. Conclusions: Overall, the incidence rate of HFMD decreased in Zhengzhou following the introduction of the EVA-71 vaccine in 2016. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that HFMD prevalence continues to exhibit a distinct seasonal pattern and periodicity, and the occurrence of other EV infections poses a new challenge for children's health.

Enhancement of porous asphalt mixtures modified with various fibers and ethylene-vinyl acetate polymer.

Porous asphalt mixture is conventional hot mix asphalt (HMA) with substantially decreased fines, which produces an open-graded mixture that enables the water to flow through an interconnected void space. Porous asphalt is a permeable system that has a lot of benefits. However, because of its open structure, the durability of this mixture decreases, and both its stability and resilient modulus are much lower compared to the dense conventional asphalt mixtures. Also, the high void percentage may lead to an increase in the draindown proportion. Fibers (cellulose or mineral) and polymer-modified binders are recommended for porous asphalt mixtures, especially in hot and moderate climates. The objective of this study is to improve the porous asphalt mixture's performance by using ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer-modified bitumen. Two types of fibers (cellulose fibers and glass wool fibers) were used, separately to determine the control mixture. Four different proportions of EVA polymer were added to the bitumen (1%, 2%, 3%, and 4%) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used for better investigating of the bitumen microstructure, then The Marshall mix design was used to determine the optimum EVA content (OEC) for the porous asphalt mixture. Several performance tests were conducted to investigate the characteristics of the porous asphalt mixture, such as the infiltration rate, binder draindown, the wheel track and the cantabro abrasion tests. The findings of the study conclude that the addition of EVA polymer to the porous asphalt mixtures enhances the performance as it increases stability by 20.8% and the infiltration rate by 20.6%. It decreases binder draindown proportion by 33.3%, cantabro abrasion loss by 25.1% and the rut depth at 5,000 cycles and 10,000 cycles by 29.8% and 19.7%, respectively.

Construction of PCR-SERS Method for Detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

A paper-based surface enhancement of a Raman scattering substrate consisting of silver-nanowires stacked on glass-fiber filter paper was prepared. At the same time, the DNA-embedding molecule Eva Green was introduced as a signaling molecule for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify target genes and the method was developed into a rapid molecular diagnostic system. The total detection time of the developed detection method was 40 min, including 30 min of PCR amplification and 10 min of SERS measurement. After 30 PCR cycles, bacterial DNA with an initial concentration of 20 fg/µL and a bacterial suspension with an initial concentration of 7.2 × 101 CFUs/mL could be detected. When the enrichment culture time was 4 h, target bacteria with an initial contamination inoculation volume of 1.5 CFUs/mL could be detected in artificially contaminated samples. The method is fast and highly sensitive, and has not been applied to the detection of V. parahaemolyticus.

Heat and Moisture Transfer Depending on 3D-Printed Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate Foam and the Presence of Holes for 3D Printing Clothing Development.

Recently, clothing development 3D printing and the evaluation of its physical characteristics have been explored. However, few studies have tackled thermal comfort, which is a major contributor to the wearers' comfort. Therefore, this study was designed to suggest effective materials and hole sizes for clothing obtained by 3D printing to maintain a comfortable clothing environment. In particular, two main variables, namely five different materials and three-hole sizes, were analyzed. All samples were placed on a hot plate (36 °C), and their surface temperature and humidity were measured for 10 min. The samples with only thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) achieved the largest temperature change of 3.2~4.8 °C, whereas those with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) foam exhibited the lowest temperature change of -0.1~2.0 °C. Similarly, the samples with only TPU showed the greatest humidity change of -0.7~-5.5%RH. Moreover, the hole size had a larger effect on humidity change than material type. The samples with large holes achieved the largest humidity change of -4.4%RH, whereas the samples without holes had the smallest humidity change of -1.5%RH after 10 min (p < 0.001). Based on these results, various combinations of materials and hole sizes should be considered to fit the purpose of 3D printing clothing.

A Macroscopic Interpretation of the Correlation between Electrical Percolation and Mechanical Properties of Poly-(Ethylene Vinyl Acetate)/Zn Composites.

Elastic composites were prepared using a procedure involving hot plates and zinc powder that was directly dispersed into an EVA matrix. The correlation between the zinc content and the conductive properties of the material was studied via impedance spectroscopy, the thermal properties of the material were studied via differential calorimetry and the mechanical properties of the composites were studied via tensile strength curves, representing an important advancement in the characterization of this type of composite material. The composites' tensile strength and elongation at break decrease with the addition of filler since zinc particles act as stress-concentrating centres, while the composites' hardness and Young's modulus increase because of an increase in the stiffness of the material. The AC perturbation across the EVA/Zn composites was characterized using an RC parallel equivalent circuit that allowed us to easily measure their resistivity (ρp) and permittivity (εp). The dependence of these electrical magnitudes on the zinc content is correlated with their mechanical properties across the characteristic time constant τp = ρp·Îµp of this equivalent circuit. The dependence of the mechanical and electrical magnitudes on the zinc content is consistent with the formation of percolation clusters. The addition of graphite particles increases their potential performance. Three possible mechanisms for the electrical transport of the ac-perturbation across the EVA/Zn composites have been identified. Chemical corrosion in acid media causes the loss of zinc surface particles, but their bulk physical properties practically remain constant.

Effect of waste cooking oil on the performance of EVA modified asphalt and its mechanism analysis.

The balance between the low and high temperature performance of asphalt materials is important to avoid either rutting deformation or low temperature cracking resistance of asphalt pavement. This is beneficial for improving the asphalt pavement comprehensive performance. Considering the excellent high temperature performance of Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) modified asphalt, this study first modified it with Waste Biological Oil (WBO) to prepare WBO/EVA composite modified asphalt (WEMA) with different dosages. Then the samples were evaluated by the traditional physical properties, low and high temperature rheological properties. Finally, the micro mechanism of WBO on EVA modified asphalt were explored by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) test and atomic force microscope (AFM) experiments. The experimental results reveal that WBO has a softening effect on EVA modified asphalt, reducing its stiffness and improving its stretching performance and flowability. In addition, WBO can reduce the high-temperature deformation resistance of EMA modified asphalt, but it significantly enhances the low-temperature property of EVA modified asphalt. When the WBO content ranges from 1.5 to 2.5%, the high-temperature performance of WEMA is inferior to that of EVA-modified asphalt, however, its low-temperature performance is significantly better than that of EVA-modified asphalt. Importantly, within this WBO content range, the comprehensive performance of WEMA is superior to that of pure asphalt. Mechanism investigation showed that WBO reduces the content of macromolecular micelles and average molecular weight in EVA modified asphalt, and it also diluts the asphaltene components in the asphalt system, resulting in a slight weakening of the performance of WEMA at high temperatures and a significant performance enhancement at low temperatures. Ultimately, the utilization of WBO/EVA composite modified asphalt has a better comprehensive performance.

Clinical trial to test the safety of the EVA Nexus surgical platform.

BACKGROUND: The EVA Nexus system offers several technical improvements over its predecessor. The newly designed Aveta cannula system for vitrectomy surgery avoids the need for removal of the valve from the infusion cannula. The chamfered leading edge of the cannula also reduces the insertion force needed. The new EquiPhaco needles in combination with SmartIOP provide excellent anterior chamber stability during phaco-emulsification surgery, enabling to work at lower infusion pressures, and the multiburst phaco mode allows easier removal of hard cataracts. The system offers a secondary active infusion line for independent control of pressure to the anterior and posterior chambers, monitoring of flow rate/reflux and warning of infusion bottle emptying. This study evaluated whether these technical improvements result in improved surgical safety. METHODS: In total, 250 eyes that underwent vitrectomy (53%) or phaco-vitrectomy (47%) using the EVA Nexus system were prospectively included. The occurrence of intraoperative adverse events was compared to that of historically operated eyes using the EVA system. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 63 years. A total of 33% of the patients were operated on for retinal detachment, 17% for macular pucker, 11% for treating floaters, 9% for removing silicone oil, 8% for macular hole repair and 22% for other diseases. In 75% of surgeries, 23 G instruments were used, and 27 G instruments were used in 25% of cases. Device issues that occurred included priming cycle issues (n = 4), eye pressure stability problems (n = 6) and vitrectome performance issues (n = 1), all of which in the first 100 patients who were included and were fixed with software updates. The frequency of surgical complications in the anterior segment was lower than that in the historically recorded surgical reports. Intraoperative events in the posterior segment included hemorrhage from retinal vessels, choroidal hematoma, iatrogenic retinal damage/tear, and subchoroidal infusion. Again, these events occurred rarely and less frequently than in the historical surgical reports. CONCLUSIONS: The EVA Nexus provides a surgical platform that reduces the incidence of intraoperative adverse events and iatrogenic complications in both anterior and posterior segment surgery. This could increase surgical safety during cataract and vitrectomy surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: : NCT05229094 Data 22/5/2021.

Enterovirus-A71 exploits RAB11 to recruit chaperones for virus morphogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) causes Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in children and has been associated with neurological complications. The molecular mechanisms involved in EV-A71 pathogenesis have remained elusive. METHODS: A siRNA screen in EV-A71 infected-motor neurons was performed targeting 112 genes involved in intracellular membrane trafficking, followed by validation of the top four hits using deconvoluted siRNA. Downstream approaches including viral entry by-pass, intracellular viral genome quantification by qPCR, Western blot analyses, and Luciferase reporter assays allowed determine the stage of the infection cycle the top candidate, RAB11A was involved in. Proximity ligation assay, co-immunoprecipitation and multiplex confocal imaging were employed to study interactions between viral components and RAB11A. Dominant negative and constitutively active RAB11A constructs were used to determine the importance of the protein's GTPase activity during EV-A71 infection. Mass spectrometry and protein interaction analyses were employed for the identification of RAB11A's host interacting partners during infection. RESULTS: Small GTPase RAB11A was identified as a novel pro-viral host factor during EV-A71 infection. RAB11A and RAB11B isoforms were interchangeably exploited by strains from major EV-A71 genogroups and by Coxsackievirus A16, another major causative agent of HFMD. We showed that RAB11A was not involved in viral entry, IRES-mediated protein translation, viral genome replication, and virus exit. RAB11A co-localized with replication organelles where it interacted with structural and non-structural viral components. Over-expression of dominant negative (S25N; GDP-bound) and constitutively active (Q70L; GTP-bound) RAB11A mutants had no effect on EV-A71 infection outcome, ruling out RAB11A's involvement in intracellular trafficking of viral or host components. Instead, decreased ratio of intracellular mature viral particles to viral RNA copies and increased VP0:VP2 ratio in siRAB11-treated cells supported a role in provirion maturation hallmarked by VP0 cleavage into VP2 and VP4. Finally, chaperones, not trafficking and transporter proteins, were found to be RAB11A's top interacting partners during EV-A71 infection. Among which, CCT8 subunit from the chaperone complex TRiC/CCT was further validated and shown to interact with viral structural proteins specifically, representing yet another novel pro-viral host factor during EV-A71 infection. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes a novel, unconventional role for RAB11A during viral infection where it participates in the complex process of virus morphogenesis by recruiting essential chaperone proteins.

LINC00115 aggravates thyroid cancer progression by targeting miR-489-3p, which downregulates EVA1A to regulate the Hippo signaling pathway.

LINC00115 has been documented to regulate many different cancers; however, its function in thyroid cancer (THCA) remains unexplored. Therefore, we examined the effects of LINC00115 on THCA and the associated molecular mechanisms. In THCA cell lines and tumor samples, the expression levels of LINC00115, miR-489-3p, and EVA1A were analyzed by qRT-PCR along with respective controls. Cell viability, migration, and apoptosis were analyzed by employing CCK-8, transwell, and western blotting assays, respectively. Xenograft experiments were done to assess in vivo tumor growth. The interaction among LINC00115, miR-489-3p, and EVA1A was tested using RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. Key proteins of the Hippo signaling pathway were ascertained by western blotting. The outcomes elucidated that LINC00115 was overexpressed in THCA cell lines and tumor tissues. LIN00115 knockdown reduced in vitro proliferation and migration but facilitated apoptosis in THCA cells and inhibited in vivo tumor growth. The target of LINC00115 was miR-489-3p, which binds to EVA1A in THCA. Functional assays revealed that miR-489-3p inhibition boosted THCA cell proliferation and migration, but hindered apoptosis. However, EVA1A knockdown resulted in the opposite effects via the Hippo signaling pathway. Additionally, miR-489-3p inhibition partially negated the effects of LINC00115 knockdown in THCA cells, and EVA1A knockdown remarkably impeded the effects of miR-489-3p inhibition in THCA cells. Thus, LINC00115 knockdown suppressed THCA carcinogenesis via targeting miR-489-3p, which regulates EVA1A expression and affects the Hippo signaling pathway.

EVA1A reverses lenvatinib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma through regulating PI3K/AKT/p53 signaling axis.

Lenvatinib is a commonly used first-line drug for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its clinical efficacy is limited due to the drug resistance. EVA1A was a newly identified tumor suppressor, nevertheless, the impact of EVA1A on resistance to lenvatinib treatment in HCC and the potential molecular mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, the expression of EVA1A in HCC lenvatinib-resistant cells is decreased and its low expression was associated with a poor prognosis of HCC. Overexpression of EVA1A reversed lenvatinib resistance in vitro and in vivo, as demonstrated by its ability to promote cell apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation, invasion, migration, EMT, and tumor growth. Silencing EVA1A in lenvatinib-sensitive parental HCC cells exerted the opposite effect and induced resistance to lenvatinib. Mechanistically, upregulated EVA1A inhibited the PI3K/AKT/MDM2 signaling pathway, resulting in a reduced interaction between MDM2 and p53, thereby stabilizing p53 and enhancing its antitumor activity. In addition, upregulated EVA1A suppressed the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and promoted autophagy, leading to the degradation of mutant p53 and attenuating its oncogenic impact. On the contrary, loss of EVA1A activated the PI3K/AKT/MDM2 signaling pathway and inhibited autophagy, promoting p53 proteasomal degradation and mutant p53 accumulation respectively. These findings establish a crucial role of EVA1A loss in driving lenvatinib resistance involving a mechanism of modulating PI3K/AKT/p53 signaling axis and suggest that upregulating EVA1A is a promising therapeutic strategy for alleviating resistance to lenvatinib, thereby improving the efficacy of HCC treatment.

Enterovirus A71 crosses a human blood-brain barrier model through infected immune cells.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is associated with neurological conditions such as acute meningitis and encephalitis. The virus is detected in the bloodstream, and high blood viral loads are associated with central nervous system (CNS) manifestations. We used an in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model made up of human brain-like endothelial cells (hBLECs) and brain pericytes grown in transwell systems to investigate whether three genetically distinct EV-A71 strains (subgenogroups C1, C1-like, and C4) can cross the human BBB. EV-A71 poorly replicated in hBLECs, which released moderate amounts of infectious viruses from their luminal side and trace amounts of infectious viruses from their basolateral side. The barrier properties of hBLECs were not impaired by EV-A71 infection. We investigated the passage through hBLECs of EV-A71-infected white blood cells. EV-A71 strains efficiently replicated in immune cells, including monocytes, neutrophils, and NK/T cells. Attachment to hBLECs of immune cells infected with the C1-like virus was higher than attachment of cells infected with C1-06. EV-A71 infection did not impair the transmigration of immune cells through hBLECs. Overall, EV-A71 targets different white blood cell populations that have the potential to be used as a Trojan horse to cross hBLECs more efficiently than cell-free EV-A71 particles.IMPORTANCEEnterovirus A71 (EV-A71) was first reported in the USA, and numerous outbreaks have since occurred in Asia and Europe. EV-A71 re-emerged as a new multirecombinant strain in 2015 in Europe and is now widespread. The virus causes hand-foot-and-mouth disease in young children and is involved in nervous system infections. How the virus spreads to the nervous system is unclear. We investigated whether white blood cells could be infected by EV-A71 and transmit it across human endothelial cells mimicking the blood-brain barrier protecting the brain from adverse effects. We found that endothelial cells provide a strong roadblock to prevent the passage of free virus particles but allow the migration of infected immune cells, including monocytes, neutrophils, and NK/T cells. Our data are consistent with the potential role of immune cells in the pathogenesis of EV-A71 infections by spreading the virus in the blood and across the human blood-brain barrier.

A novel method to estimate the response of habitat types to nitrogen deposition.

Increasing nitrogen depositions adversely affect European landscapes, including habitats within the Natura2000 network. Critical loads for nitrogen deposition have been established to quantify the loss of habitat quality. When the nitrogen deposition rises above a habitat-specific critical load, the quality of the focal habitat is expected to be negatively influenced. Here, we investigate how the quality of habitat types is affected beyond the critical load. We calculated response curves for 60 terrestrial habitat types in the Netherlands to the estimated nitrogen deposition (EMEP-data). The curves for habitat types are based on the occurrence of their characteristic plant species in North-Western Europe (plot data from the European Vegetation Archive). The estimated response curves were corrected for soil type, mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Evaluation was carried out by expert judgement, and by comparison with gradient deposition field studies. For 39 habitats the response to nitrogen deposition was judged to be reliable by five experts, while out of the 41 habitat types for which field studies were available, 25 showed a good agreement. Some of the curves showed a steep decline in quality and some a more gradual decline with increasing nitrogen deposition. We compared the response curves with both the empirical and modelled critical loads. For 41 curves, we found a decline already starting below the critical load.

Enterovirus A71 infection-induced dry eye-like symptoms by damaging the lacrimal glands.

Purpose: To determine the effects of EV-A71 (Enterovirus A71) infection on ocular surface and its mechanism. Methods: AG6 mice aged two to three weeks were randomly divided into control and EV-A71 infected groups. Slit-lamp observation, fluorescein staining, and phenol red thread test were used to assess symptoms of ocular surface at 4 dpi (days post infection). The pathological changes of cornea and lacrimal gland were observed by H&E staining, PAS staining, TUNEL assay, IHC staining and qRT-PCR. Corneas and lacrimal glands from mice were obtained and processed for RNA sequencing analysis. Newly diagnosed HFMD patients caused by EV-A71 were recruited and ensured they met the inclusion criteria. Ocular surface parameters (TMH and NIKBUT) were measured using the OCULUS Keratograph 5M. Tear samples were taken to examine Cxcl1 and IL-6 levels through the ELISA method. Results: Mice studies revealed that EV-A71 infection caused tear film instability, decreased tear secretions, decreased in lacrimal gland size, and distinct goblet cell loss. It also resulted in increased large vacuoles within acinar cells and structural damage in lacrimal gland. Apart from minor damage to the epidermis, there was no obvious inflammatory changes or apoptosis in the cornea. However, there were significant inflammatory injury and apoptosis in the lacrimal gland. RNA-seq analysis showed IL-17 and NF-κB signaling pathways were activated in the lacrimal glands of mice infected with EV-A71. In HFMD patients, the THM was in a low range and NITBUT was significantly shorter than the control group by Oculus Keratograph 5M. ELISA assay showed a higher tear Cxcl1 and IL-6 level in them. Conclusion: EV-A71 infection affected lacrimal gland structure and function and induced dry eye-like symptoms.

Gamma radiation-induced grafting of poly(butyl acrylate) onto ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer for improved crude oil flowability.

Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers are widely employed as pour point depressants to enhance the flow properties of crude oil. However, EVA copolymers have limitations that necessitate their development. This work investigated the modification of EVA via gamma radiation-induced grafting of butyl acrylate (BuA) monomers and the evaluation of grafted EVA as a pour point depressant for crude oil. The successful grafting of poly(butyl acrylate) p(BuA) onto EVA was verified through grafting parameters, FTIR spectroscopy, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Treating crude oil with 3000 ppm of (EVA)0kGy, (EVA)50kGy, and (1EVA:3BuA)50kGy yielded substantial reductions in pour point of 24, 21, and 21 °C, respectively. Also, rheological characterization demonstrated improving evidenced by a viscosity reduction of 76.20%, 67.70%, and 71.94% at 25 °C, and 83.16%, 74.98%, and 81.53% at 12 °C. At low dosages of 1000 ppm, the EVA-g-p(BuA) exhibited superior pour point reductions compared to unmodified EVA, highlighting the benefit of incorporating p(BuA) side chains. The grafted EVA copolymers with p(BuA) side chains showed excellent potential as crude oil flow improvers by promoting more effective adsorption and co-crystallization with paraffin wax molecules.

Predicting construction cost under uncertainty using grey-fuzzy earned value analysis.

Insufficient emphasis on planning and control is one of the major causes of several delayed and cost-overrun construction projects. To improve such performances, many studies have been conducted on project control techniques such as Earned Value Analysis (EVA) and its modifications: fuzzy EVA and grey EVA. Since there is no analytical model integrating fuzzy theory and grey theory simultaneously with EVA, this research aimed at predicting construction cost under uncertainty using grey-fuzzy EVA. Consequently, simple and valid project cost control grey-fuzzy EVA algorithms were developed to ensure continuous project cost performance improvement in the presence of imprecise data. In addition, an analysis result interpretation scheme was presented. Grey-fuzzy EVA was compared with fuzzy EVA and grey EVA to check its validity. Then, a case study of a road project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was presented to demonstrate the application of grey-fuzzy EVA. This research contributes determinations of the lower limit, median, and upper limit of predicted costs and degree of greyness using grey-fuzzy EVA, which simplifies cost analysis, requires only a small number of data points (BAC, PV, AC, and Progress), needs no experts to create a membership function, and is comprehensible for practitioners as compared to fuzzy EVA and grey EVA used separately.

EVA1A, a novel and promising prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of EVA1A as a prognostic biomarker for Colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: The study utilized public databases to analyze the difference in Evala mRNA expression between CRC tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues. Additionallymunohistochemical staining was performed on 90 paired tissue samples to detect EVA1A expression. The relationship between EVA1A and clinicopathological features was examined, and a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were employed to identify prognostic factors affecting the overall survival (OS) of CRC patients. Results: The analysis revealed a significant increase in Evala mRNA expression in CRC tumor cells compared to normal controls from public databases (P< 0.05). Immunohistochemical staining further confirmed a significant upregulation of EVA1A expression in CRC tissues (P< 0.05). High EVA1A expression was associated with age, pathological M stage, total tumor stage, and Carbohydrate antigen CA19-9 (CA19-9). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated a significant association between high EVA1A expression and poor OS. Univariate and multivariate analysis identified EVA1A as an independent risk factor for CRC prognosis. Conclusion: The study suggests that EVA1A is increased in CRC tumor tissues and may serve as a potential biomarker for poor prognosis in CRC.

Identification of fangchinoline as a broad-spectrum enterovirus inhibitor through reporter virus based high-content screening.

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common pediatric illness mainly caused by enteroviruses, which are important human pathogens. Currently, there are no available antiviral agents for the therapy of enterovirus infection. In this study, an excellent high-content antiviral screening system utilizing the EV-A71-eGFP reporter virus was developed. Using this screening system, we screened a drug library containing 1042 natural compounds to identify potential EV-A71 inhibitors. Fangchinoline (FAN), a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, exhibits potential inhibitory effects against various enteroviruses that cause HFMD, such as EV-A71, CV-A10, CV-B3 and CV-A16. Further investigations revealed that FAN targets the early stage of the enterovirus life cycle. Through the selection of FAN-resistant EV-A71 viruses, we demonstrated that the VP1 protein could be a potential target of FAN, as two mutations in VP1 (E145G and V258I) resulted in viral resistance to FAN. Our research suggests that FAN is an efficient inhibitor of EV-A71 and has the potential to be a broad-spectrum antiviral drug against human enteroviruses.

Preparation of Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide Fly Ash Antistatic Composite and Its Properties in Filling EVA.

As a common coal-based solid waste, fly ash is widely used in material filling. However, due to the high resistivity of fly ash itself, the antistatic performance of the filling material is poor. Therefore, antistatic composite powder was prepared by coating nano-sized antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) on the surface of fly ash, and its preparation mechanism was discussed. The composite powders were characterized by SEM, EDS, XRD and FTIR. The results show that the interaction between SiO2 and SnO2 appears at the wave number of 727.12 cm-1, and the obvious SnO2 crystal phase appears on the surface of fly ash. The volume resistivity of calcined fly ash is 1.72 × 1012 Ω·cm, and the volume resistivity of ATO fly ash is reduced to 6 × 103 Ω·cm. By analyzing the limiting oxygen index, melt index, tensile strength, elongation at break, cross-section morphology and surface electrical resistivity of EVA, it was found that the addition of antistatic powder to EVA can improve its antistatic performance without deteriorating the mechanical properties of EVA.

The accuracy and retention of presurgical infant orthopaedics constructed from different polymer materials: A comparative study.

Objectives: This laboratory-based study aimed to evaluate and compare the accuracy and retention of moulding plates when used as pre-surgical orthopaedic appliances (PSIOs) for infants with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Methods: Ten moulding plates were fabricated from three different materials (total sample size: 30), including polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a hard clear aligner (PET-G polymer), and a dual-layered hard and soft clear aligner (mixed PET-G/EVA) on ten three-dimensional (3D) printed working models. Accuracy was evaluated by measuring the virtual gap between the data acquired from the moulding plate and the working model after the optical scanning at each of the designated 36 points for each plate. Exocad software was used to facilitate all virtual alignments and measurements. Retention was measured using a digital gauge that quantified the traction force required to separate the plates from the retention test cast (a soft resin printed cast). Results: PET-G plates exhibited the best fit with the working cast, with overall adaptations of 0.146 ± 0.012 for PET-G, 0.250 ± 0.073 for PET-G/EVA, and 0.294 ± 0.113 for PMMA. For region-specific misfit, PET-G plates exhibited superior accuracy across all regions, with mean discrepancies of 0.16 ± 0.08 mm, 0.15 ± 0.061 mm, and 0.12 ± 0.128 mm in the anterior, middle, and posterior regions, respectively. Retention for PET-G was significantly higher than the other materials, with a mean of 3.34 N ± 0.487, as opposed to 1.65 N ± 0.331for PMMA and 1.27 N ± 0.239 for PET-G/EVA (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Moulding plates constructed from PET-G exhibited a better fit and higher retention than those made from PET-G/EVA and PMMA. Clinical significance: Collectively, our findings suggest that the selection of PET-G for PSIO appliances could have clinical significance by potentially improving treatment outcomes in infants with CL/P.

Development of a Recycling Process and Characterization of EVA, PVDF, and PET Polymers from End-of-Life PV Modules.

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are highly efficient power generators associated with solar energy. The rapid growth of the PV industry will lead to a sharp increase in the waste generated from PV panels. However, electro-waste can be successfully used as a source of secondary materials. In this study, a unique procedure for recycling PV modules was developed. In the first stage, the aluminum frame and junction box, 18wt%. and 1wt%. of the module, respectively, were removed. The following stage was crucial, involving a mechanical-thermal method to remove the glass, which accounts for 70wt%. As a result, only 11wt%. of the initial mass of the PV was subjected to the next stage of chemical delamination, which reduced the amount of solvent used. Toluene was used to swell the ethylene vinyl acetate, EVA, and allow for the separation of the PV module. The effects of temperature and ultrasound on separation time were investigated. After the separation of silicon cells, metal ribbons, EVA, and the backsheet were obtained. The purity of the polymers was determined by FTIR and elemental analysis. Thermal properties were measured using DSC calorimetry to determine the basic parameters of the material.