The role of drop shape in impact and splash

The impact and splash of liquid drops on solid substrates are ubiquitous in many important fields. However, previous studies have mainly focused on spherical drops while the non-spherical situations, such as raindrops, charged drops, oscillating drops, and drops affected by electromagnetic field, remain largely unexplored. Using ferrofluid, we realize various drop shapes and illustrate the fundamental role of shape in impact and splash. Experiments show that different drop shapes produce large variations in spreading dynamics, splash onset, and splash amount. However, underlying all these variations we discover universal mechanisms across various drop shapes: the impact dynamics is governed by the superellipse model, the splash onset is triggered by the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and the amount of splash is determined by the energy dissipation before liquid taking off. Our study generalizes the drop impact research beyond the spherical geometry, and reveals the potential of using drop shape to control impact and splash.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Upregulation of the ferroptosis-related STEAP3 gene is a specific predictor of poor triple-negative breast cancer patient outcomes

ObjectiveThis study was designed to assess ferroptosis regulator gene (FRG) expression patterns in patients with TNBC based on data derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Further, it was utilized to establish a TNBC FRG signature, after which the association between this signature and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) composition was assessed, and relevant prognostic factors were explored.MethodsThe TCGA database was used to obtain RNA expression datasets and clinical information about 190 TNBC patients, after which a prognostic TNBC-related FRG signature was established using a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression approach. These results were validated with separate data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The TNBC-specific prognostic gene was identified via this method. The STEAP3 was then validated through Western immunoblotting, immunohistochemical staining, and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analyses of clinical tissue samples and TNBC cell lines. Chemotherapy interactions and predicted drug sensitivity studies were investigated to learn more about the potential clinical relevance of these observations.ResultsThese data revealed that 87 FRGs were differentially expressed when comparing TNBC tumors and healthy tissue samples (87/259, 33.59%). Seven of these genes (CA9, CISD1, STEAP3, HMOX1, DUSP1, TAZ, HBA1) are significantly related to the overall survival of TNBC patients. Kaplan-Meier analyses and established FRG signatures and nomograms identified CISD1 and STEAP3 genes of prognostic relevance. Prognostic Risk Score values were positively correlated with the infiltration of CD4+ T cells (p = 0.001) and myeloid dendritic cells (p =0.004). Further evidence showed that STEAP3 was strongly and specifically associated with TNBC patient OS (P<0.05). The results above were confirmed by additional examinations of STEAP3 expression changes in TNBC patient samples and cell lines. High STEAP3 levels were negatively correlated with half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for GSK1904529A (IGF1R inhibitor), AS601245 (JNK inhibitor), XMD8−85 (Erk5 inhibitor), Gefitinib, Sorafenib, and 5-Fluorouracil (P < 0.05) in patients with TNBC based on information derived from the TCGA-TNBC dataset.ConclusionIn the present study, a novel FRG model was developed and used to forecast the prognosis of TNBC patients accurately. Furthermore, it was discovered that STEAP3 was highly overexpressed in people with TNBC and associated with overall survival rates, laying the groundwork for the eventually targeted therapy of individuals with this form of cancer

Systemic analysis of the expression and prognostic significance of USP31 in endometrial cancer

Increasing evidence indicates that multiple mechanisms are involved in the metastasis and postoperative recurrence in patients with endometrial cancer (EC). Ubiquitin-specific protease 31 (USP31) has been studied in some human tumors, but its function remains unclear in EC. In this study, we tried to investigate the expression of USP31 in EC and its possible involvement in biological signaling pathways and define its predictive value for the prognosis. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases confirmed the difference in USP31 expression between EC and normal endometrium. Specimens and clinical data of 259 patients with EC who underwent primary surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were collected. The independent predictive value of USP31 for the prognosis of EC patients was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses. Kaplan-Meier analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used for confirming the ability of USP31 to predict the prognosis. Functional enrichment analyses were used for finding the hub genes associated with USP31 and to predict the biological signaling pathways that might be involved. Our study confirms that EC patients with low expression of USP31 may have a worse prognosis. Functional annotations suggest that USP31 may participate in the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, nuclear factor κB pathway, early 2 factor targets, and inflammatory response. USP31 may act as a promising biomarker for research in EC

Fatigue Analysis of Hybrid Wind Turbine Towers

Fatigue analysis of hybrid wind turbine towers between cut in wind speed and cut out wind speed are demonstrated. Nominal stress method and miner liner accumulated damage theory are adopted. Through the analysis of the results, comparative research on effect of parameters of aspect ratio, height ratio and unequal legs for fatigue properties of hybrid wind turbine towers. The results show that the optimal range of aspect ratio of hybrid towers is 1/6~1/4, the optimal range of height ratio of hybrid towers is 0.60~0.67. Fatigue analysis of hybrid towers, should select the right junction of leeward towers and the S-N curve from EN 1993-1-9.The effect of unequal legs for fatigue properties of hybrid towers can be neglected

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of diabetic kidney disease among individuals with hyperglycemia:a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is associated with a variety of complications, including micro- and macrovascular complications, neurological manifestations and poor wound healing. Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet (MED) is generally considered an effective intervention in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, little is known about its effect with respect to the different specific manifestations of T2DM. This prompted us to explore the effect of MED on the three most significant microvascular complications of T2DM: diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and vascular diabetic neuropathies (DN). METHODS: We examined the association between the MED and the incidence of these microvascular complications in a prospective cohort of 33,441 participants with hyperglycemia free of microvascular complications at baseline, identified in the UK Biobank. For each individual, we calculated the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, which yields a semi-continuous measure of the extent to which an individual's diet can be considered as MED. We used Cox proportional hazard models to analyze hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, medical histories and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Over a median of 12.3 years of follow-up, 3,392 cases of microvascular complications occurred, including 1,084 cases of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 2,184 cases of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and 632 cases of diabetic neuropathies (DN), with some patients having 2 or 3 microvascular complications simultaneously. After adjusting for confounders, we observed that higher AMED scores offer protection against DKD among participants with hyperglycemia (comparing the highest AMED scores to the lowest yielded an HR of 0.79 [95% CIs: 0.67, 0.94]). Additionally, the protective effect of AMED against DKD was more evident in the hyperglycemic participants with T2DM (HR, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.83). No such effect, however, was seen for DR or DN. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study, we have demonstrated that higher adherence to a MED is associated with a reduced risk of DKD among individuals with hyperglycemia. Our study emphasizes the necessity for continued research focusing on the benefits of the MED. Such efforts including the ongoing clinical trial will offer further insights into the role of MED in the clinical management of DKD.</p

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of diabetic kidney disease among individuals with hyperglycemia:a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes is associated with a variety of complications, including micro- and macrovascular complications, neurological manifestations and poor wound healing. Adhering to a Mediterranean Diet (MED) is generally considered an effective intervention in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, little is known about its effect with respect to the different specific manifestations of T2DM. This prompted us to explore the effect of MED on the three most significant microvascular complications of T2DM: diabetic retinopathy (DR), diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and vascular diabetic neuropathies (DN). METHODS: We examined the association between the MED and the incidence of these microvascular complications in a prospective cohort of 33,441 participants with hyperglycemia free of microvascular complications at baseline, identified in the UK Biobank. For each individual, we calculated the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, which yields a semi-continuous measure of the extent to which an individual's diet can be considered as MED. We used Cox proportional hazard models to analyze hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for demographics, lifestyle factors, medical histories and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Over a median of 12.3 years of follow-up, 3,392 cases of microvascular complications occurred, including 1,084 cases of diabetic retinopathy (DR), 2,184 cases of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and 632 cases of diabetic neuropathies (DN), with some patients having 2 or 3 microvascular complications simultaneously. After adjusting for confounders, we observed that higher AMED scores offer protection against DKD among participants with hyperglycemia (comparing the highest AMED scores to the lowest yielded an HR of 0.79 [95% CIs: 0.67, 0.94]). Additionally, the protective effect of AMED against DKD was more evident in the hyperglycemic participants with T2DM (HR, 0.64; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.83). No such effect, however, was seen for DR or DN. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study, we have demonstrated that higher adherence to a MED is associated with a reduced risk of DKD among individuals with hyperglycemia. Our study emphasizes the necessity for continued research focusing on the benefits of the MED. Such efforts including the ongoing clinical trial will offer further insights into the role of MED in the clinical management of DKD.</p

Replacing Traditional Plastics with Biodegradable Plastics:Impact on Carbon Emissions

In recent years, a great deal of attention has been focused on the environmental impact of plastics, including the carbon emissions related to plastics, which has promoted the application of biodegradable plastics. Countries worldwide have shown high interest in replacing traditional plastics with biodegradable plastics. However, no systematic comparison has been conducted on the carbon emissions of biodegradable versus traditional plastic products. This study evaluates the carbon emissions of traditional and biodegradable plastic products (BPPs) over four stages and briefly discusses environmental and economic perspectives. Four scenarios—namely, the traditional method, chemical recycling, industrial composting, and anaerobic digestion—are considered for the disposal of waste biodegradable plastic product (WBBPs). The analysis takes China as a case study. The results show that the carbon emissions of 1000 traditional plastic products (plastic bags, lunch boxes, cups, etc.) were 52.09–150.36 carbon emissions equivalent of per kilogram (kg CO2eq), with the stage of plastic production contributing 50.71%–50.77%. In comparison, 1000 similar BPPs topped out at 21.06–56.86 kg CO2eq, approximately 13.53%–62.19% lower than traditional plastic products. The difference was mainly at the stages of plastic production and waste disposal, and the BPPs showed significant carbon reduction potential at the raw material acquisition stage. Waste disposal plays an important role in environmental impact, and composting and anaerobic digestion are considered to be preferable disposal methods for WBBPs. However, the high cost of biodegradable plastics is a challenge for their widespread use. This study has important reference significance for the sustainable development of the biodegradable plastics industry.</p