Focused ultrasound restrains the growth of orthotopic colon cancer is via promoting pyroptosis

Introduction. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is a non-invasive tumor therapy technology emerging in recent years, which can treat various solid tumors. However, it is unclear whether FUS can affect the pyroptosis of colon cancer (CC) cells. Here, we analyzed the effect of FUS on pyroptosis in the orthotopic CC model. Material and methods. After an orthotopic CC mouse model was constructed by injecting CT26-Luc cells, BABL/C mice were allocated to the normal, tumor, FUS, and FUS + BAY11-7082 (pyroptosis inhibitor) groups. We monitored the tumor status of the mice through in vivo fluorescence image analysis. The histopathological injury of the intestinal tissue and the expression of IL-1β, IL-18, caspase-recruitment domain (ASC), cleaved caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD), and NLRP3 of the CC tumors were examined utilizing hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical assay, and Western blot. Results. FUS restrained the fluorescence intensity of the tumors in orthotopic CC mice, while FUS-mediated suppression of the bioluminescent signal of the tumors was alleviated by BAY11-7082. FUS was found to relieve the injury of the intestinal tissues in CC mice as revealed by morphology. Furthermore, the expressions of IL-1β, IL-18, GSDMD, ASC, cleaved caspase-1, and NLRP3 of the CC tumors in the FUS group were higher than those in the tumor group, while BAY11-7082 addition partly reversed the FUS’s effects on orthotopic CC model mice. Conclusions. Our results pointed out that FUS presented anti-tumor activity in CC, and its mechanism was correlated with the promotion of pyroptosis

Subthalamic nucleus dynamics track microlesion effect in Parkinson’s disease

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is characterized by the temporary alleviation of motor symptoms following electrode implantation (or nucleus destruction), known as the microlesion effect (MLE). Electrophysiological studies have explored different PD stages, but understanding electrophysiological characteristics during the MLE period remains unclear. The objective was to examine the characteristics of local field potential (LFP) signals in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) during the hyperacute period following implantation (within 2 days) and 1 month post-implantation. 15 patients diagnosed with PD were enrolled in this observational study, with seven simultaneous recordings of bilateral STN-LFP signals using wireless sensing technology from an implantable pulse generator. Recordings were made in both on and off medication states over 1 month after implantation. We used a method to parameterize the neuronal power spectrum to separate periodic oscillatory and aperiodic components effectively. Our results showed that beta power exhibited a significant increase in the off medication state 1 month after implantation, compared to the postoperative hyperacute period. Notably, this elevation was effectively attenuated by levodopa administration. Furthermore, both the exponents and offsets displayed a decrease at 1 month postoperatively when compared to the hyperacute postoperative period. Remarkably, levodopa medication exerted a modulatory effect on these aperiodic parameters, restoring them back to levels observed during the hyperacute period. Our findings suggest that both periodic and aperiodic components partially capture distinct electrophysiological characteristics during the MLE. It is crucial to adequately evaluate such discrepancies when exploring the mechanisms of MLE and optimizing adaptive stimulus protocols

Investigations into the drying kinetics of biomass in a fluidized bed dryer using electrostatic sensing and digital imaging techniques

Investigations into drying kinetics of biomass in fluidized bed dryers are essential for the control of drying processes, enhancing productivity and reducing energy consumption. However, there is limited research on drying characteristics of biomass at different bubble locations due to complex hydrodynamics around bubbles in the bed. In this paper, a new method is proposed by combining electrostatic sensing and digital imaging techniques to obtain moisture contents, drying models, moisture diffusivities, activation energies and mass transfer coefficients of biomass at different bubble locations. Experimental tests were conducted on a laboratory-scale fluidized bed dryer for different air velocities at a range of air temperatures. Five mathematical drying models are evaluated in the paper. It is found that the Page drying model is most suitable for describing the drying process of biomass in the fluidized bed. The results also show that the mass transfer coefficient of biomass at the interior and boundary of the bubble is higher than that at the exterior of the bubble. In addition, although the mass transfer coefficient increases with the air temperature and air velocity, the highest air temperature and highest air velocity are not optimal conditions. For example, a bubble flow turns into a slug flow or plug flow at an air velocity of 0.56 m/s and an air temperature of 75°C

Synthesis of Mg-Al LDH and its calcined form with natural materials for efficient Cr(VI) removal

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) has been extensively studied due to its excellent capacity of heavy metal adsorption. However, the synthesis of LDH is always complex and requiring pure chemical reagents. In this study, two solid minerals, MgO and metakaolin (MK), derived from abundant natural resources, were used as raw materials to synthesize Mg-Al LDH via a facile one-pot method. The compositions and morphologies of synthetic products and its calcined form(C-LDH) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nitrogen adsorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cr(VI) adsorption by the LDH and C-LDH was systematically studied including the effect of contact time, initial pH value, temperature, liquid/solid ratio, and initial Cr(VI) concentration. The adsorption kinetics and isotherms were modelled, and thermodynamic parameters were determined. Results showed that the LDH and C-LDH exhibited high adsorption capacities (23.5–33.2 mg/g and 33.2–38.9 mg/g, respectively) within a wide pH range of 1.75–6.0, and maintained a higher adsorption capacity in all cases afterwards. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted the kinetic data well in which the Langmuir model described the adsorption isotherms the best. The adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous. The adsorption mechanisms may include anion exchange, redox reaction, and electrostatic adsorption. Moreover, the effect of the synthesis conditions (i.e., alkali concentration, temperature and liquid/solid ratio) on the adsorption characteristics were discussed. And XPS, UV-Vis Spectrophotometer (UV-Vis) and FTIR analysis confirmed Cr(VI) adsorption on the LDH and C-LDH surface, followed by its subsequent reduction to Cr(III). It has been revealed that the LDH/C-LDH synthesized in this work exhibited higher Cr(VI) removal capacities compared to the ones reported in the literature, demonstrating the significant potential of synthesizing high performance absorbents by low-cost natural materials

Gender differences and risk factors for acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery: A single center retrospective cohort study

Background: We studied AKI incidence and prognosis in cardiac surgery patients under and over 60 years old. Methods: We studied AKI in patients who underwent cardiac surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University between Jan 2020 and Dec 2021, using improved global prognostic criteria for diagnosis. Results: After analyzing 781 patients (402 males, 379 females), AKI incidence after surgery was 30.22 %. Adjusting for propensity scores revealed no significant difference in AKI incidence between young males (24.1 %) and females (19.3 %). However, young females had higher AKI stages. Among older patients, AKI incidence was comparable between males (43.4 %) and females (42.2 %), but females had longer intubation times. Independent risk factors for AKI included age, male gender, and BMI, while intraoperative hemoglobin level was protective. Conclusions: No gender gap in AKI frequency for <60 years old and ≥60 years old post-cardiac surgery, yet women display increased AKI severity and extended intubation duration

Simulation of Trinitrogen Migration and Transformation in the Unsaturated Zone at a Desert Contaminant Site (NW China) Using HYDRUS-2D

The protection of an unsaturated zone is essential for groundwater-quality security. Neglecting pollutant changes in the saturated zone can affect the accuracy of groundwater-quality assessments. Unlike water sampling, the nonreproducibility of soil sampling complicates the observation of contaminant changes at different times in the same location. The HYDRUS-2D model, coupled with the Richards equation and the convection-dispersion equation, was applied to simulate the migration and transformation of high ammonia concentrations in wastewater in an unsaturated zone. Long-term field observations were carried out for trinitrogen (NH4+, NO2&minus;, and NO3&minus;) from 2015 to 2018 at a wastewater discharge site located in a desert area in northwest China. Samples were collected twice a month. The model was calibrated and validated using statistics and observation data. Variations in trinitrogen concentrations were simulated using the model and fitted well with the measured values. Simulation results for trinitrogen migration and transformation demonstrated that there was no enrichment on the ground surface. Contaminants attenuated rapidly in the unsaturated zone after wastewater discharge stopped. NH4+ was oxidized to NO2&minus; and NO3&minus; under nitrification, except in the anoxic subclay lenses. Subclay lenses were not considered in previous research. These lenses had high enrichment with contaminants and prevented secondary nitrification, which might have led to extremely low NO3&minus; concentrations. The removal rate of contaminants by the unsaturated zone in natural conditions is as high as 76%, and contaminants could be degraded to acceptable levels within 10 years (3650 days) without artificial interventions. This indicates that the unsaturated zone can delay migration and degrade contaminants, and should be taken into consideration in groundwater-quality assessments

Responses of soil nitrogen cycling to changes in aboveground plant litter inputs: A meta-analysis

Alterations in aboveground plant litter inputs due to global climate change can strongly change soil nitrogen (N) cycling, which will influence soil processes and functions. However, a comprehensive evaluation for the effects of altered litter inputs on soil N cycling is not available. We evaluated these effects using a global meta-analysis based on 1829 observations from 119 studies across different ecosystems including forests, shrublands and grasslands. Results showed that litter addition significantly increased soil N pools including total N (TN), dissolved organic N (DON), ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3–) and microbial biomass N (MBN) by 4–––24 %, while litter removal decreased them by 10–––42 %. High initial soil TN pool weakened the positive effect of litter addition on soil TN. Moreover, litter addition significantly increased soil net N mineralization (+19 %), DON leaching (+56 %) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission (+27 %), whereas litter removal reduced net N mineralization (-10 %) and increased NO3– leaching (+51 %). The response of soil net N mineralization to litter addition was stronger in broadleaved forests than that in coniferous forests, and negatively correlated with mean annual temperature and precipitation. The responses of soil TN, NH4+, NO3–, MBN and N2O emission to litter manipulation increased with increasing litter input rates. Therefore, altered litter inputs had strong effects on soil N cycling and these effects were regulated by soil N status, ecosystems, climates and experimental conditions. Our results provide insights into understanding how altered plant litter input affects soil N cycling and help better assess the soil processes under global climate change

Gene Coexpression Network and Module Analysis across 52 Human Tissues

Gene coexpression analysis is widely used to infer gene modules associated with diseases and other clinical traits. However, a systematic view and comparison of gene coexpression networks and modules across a cohort of tissues are more or less ignored. In this study, we first construct gene coexpression networks and modules of 52 GTEx tissues and cell lines. The network modules are enriched in many tissue-common functions like organelle membrane and tissue-specific functions. We then study the correlation of tissues from the network point of view. As a result, the network modules of most tissues are significantly correlated, indicating a general similar network pattern across tissues. However, the level of similarity among the tissues is different. The tissues closing in a physical location seem to be more similar in their coexpression networks. For example, the two adjacent tissues fallopian tube and bladder have the highest Fisher’s exact test p value 8.54E-291 among all tissue pairs. It is known that immune-associated modules are frequently identified in coexperssion modules. In this study, we found immune modules in many tissues like liver, kidney cortex, lung, uterus, adipose subcutaneous, and adipose visceral omentum. However, not all tissues have immune-associated modules, for example, brain cerebellum. Finally, by the clique analysis, we identify the largest clique of modules, in which the genes in each module are significantly overlapped with those in other modules. As a result, we are able to find a clique of size 40 (out of 52 tissues), indicating a strong correlation of modules across tissues. It is not surprising that the 40 modules are most commonly enriched in immune-related functions

Silver Nanoparticles Based Ink with Moderate Sintering in Flexible and Printed Electronics

Printed electronics on flexible substrates has attracted tremendous research interest research thanks its low cost, large area production capability and environmentally friendly advantages. Optimal characteristics of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) based inks are crucial for ink rheology, printing, post-print treatment, and performance of the printed electronics devices. In this review, the methods and mechanisms for obtaining Ag NPs based inks that are highly conductive under moderate sintering conditions are summarized. These characteristics are particularly important when printed on temperature sensitive substrates that cannot withstand sintering of high temperature. Strategies to tailor the protective agents capping on the surface of Ag NPs, in order to optimize the sizes and shapes of Ag NPs as well as to modify the substrate surface, are presented. Different (emerging) sintering technologies are also discussed, including photonic sintering, electrical sintering, plasma sintering, microwave sintering, etc. Finally, applications of the Ag NPs based ink in transparent conductive film (TCF), thin film transistor (TFT), biosensor, radio frequency identification (RFID) antenna, stretchable electronics and their perspectives on flexible and printed electronics are presented