HfB2-SiC-MoSi2 oxidation resistance coating fabricated through in-situ synthesis for SiC coated C/C composites

A brand new HfB2-SiC-MoSi2 coating was fabricated to protect carbon/carbon (C/C) composites with inner SiC coating from oxidation, which was prepared by in-situ synthesis. In this paper, the C/C substrate with the protection of the HfB2-SiC-MoSi2/SiC coating could resist oxidation in 1773 K air for 408 h. The double coating also presented expected oxidation protection performance at dynamic oxidation environment. In the test process, the surface coating was oxidized to form a self-sealing silicate glass layer containing HfO2 and HfSiO4, which could hinder crack propagation in coating

Production of a high-efficiency cellulase complex via β-glucosidase engineering in Penicillium oxalicum

Additional file 6: Table S1. Primers used in this study

Nitrogen addition enhances nitrogen but not carbon mineralization in aggregate size fractions of soils in a Pinus massonia plantation

IntroductionAtmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition can impact the levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (total N) by altering the soil N availability. However, the effect of N input on the mineralization of SOC and total N in various soil aggregate size fractions requires further clarification.MethodsThe soil samples were collected from a Pinus massoniana plantation situated in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China. Over a period of three years, the soils from the plantation were subjected to four different levels of nitrogen addition (0 [N0], 30 [N30], 60 [N60], and 90 [N90] kg N ha−1 yr−1). The impact of N addition on the mineralization of SOC and total N in aggregates was evaluated through an incubation experiment, encompassing four aggregate sizes (2000 − 8000, 1000 − 2000, 250 − 1000, and < 250 μm).ResultsThe < 250 μm fraction showed the highest levels of cumulative C mineralization, while the lowest levels were observed in the 2000 − 8000 μm fraction. Compared to the < 250 um fraction, a drop of 9 − 21% in cumulative C mineralization was observed in the 2000 − 8000 μm fraction, indicating that soil aggregates enhance the stability of C in the soil. Cumulative N mineralization levels were consistently at their lowest in the 2000 − 8000 μm fraction, indicating aggregates reducing mineralization-related N loss. Adding N to forest soil samples led to a reduction in cumulative C mineralization. In contrast, an opposite trend was observed in the cumulative N mineralization after adding N in microaggregates. Nitrification was the main contributor to net N mineralization. SOC and total levels increased in response to N30 and N60. N addition leads to an increase in the weight ratio of the 1000 − 2000 μm fraction. Moreover, N90 was linked to decreases in microbial biomass C and N.DiscussionThese findings confirm that the structural characteristics of soil aggregates play a crucial role in sequestering organic carbon and total N sequestration in the presence of N deposition, while highlighting N loss from the soil caused by N input

I Seed Permanent Implantation as a Palliative Treatment for Stage III and IV Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous 125I seed permanent implantation for advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma from toxicity, tumor response, and short-term outcome. Methods. 125I seeds implant procedures were performed under computed tomography for 34 patients with advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma. We observed the local control rate, overall survival, and acute or late toxicity rate. Results. In the 34 patients (stage III, n=6; stage IV, n=28), the sites of origin were pyriform sinus (n=29) and postcricoid area (n=5). All patients also received one to four cycles of chemotherapy after seed implantation. The post-plan showed that the actuarial D90 of 125I seeds ranged from 90 to 158 Gy (median, 127 Gy). The mean follow-up was 12.3 months (range, 3.4 to 43.2 months). The local control was 2.1–31.0 months with a median of 17.7 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.4 to 22.0 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year local controls were 65.3%, 28.6%, and 9.5% respectively. Twelve patients (35%) died of local recurrence, fourteen patients (41%) died of distant metastases, and three patients (9%) died of recurrence and metastases at the same time. Five patients (15%) still survived to follow-up. At the time of analysis, the median survival time was 12.5 months (95% CI, 9.5 to 15.4 months). The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survival rates were 55.2%, 20.3%, and 10.9%, respectively. Five patients (15%) experienced grade 3 toxic events and nine patients (26%) have experienced grade 2 toxic events. Conclusion. This review shows relatively low toxicity for interstitial 125I seed implantation in the patients with advanced stage hypopharyngeal cancer. The high local control results suggest that 125I seed brachytherapy implant as a salvage or palliative treatment for advanced hypopharyngeal carcinoma merit further investigation

Construction of Yeast One-hybrid Bait Reporter Vector for Screening the Binding Proteins of Cassava MeCWINV1

Cellwall invertase (CWIN) hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose irreversibly, playing key roles in carbohydrate partitioning and plant defence. MeCWINV1 is one of the CWINs in cassava, which contains several light-responsive elements and stress-responsive elements in promoter region. To analyze the regulatory function of MeCWINV1 in the cassava starch accumulation and stress defense response, a 865 bp MeCWINV1 promoter fragment was cloned and inserted into yeast one-hybrid bait vector to construct pCW1-AbAi vector, then was transformed to Y1HGold yeast strains to screen the binding proteins. It might provide a framework for further investigation on the regulation mechanism of MeCWINV1 gene in cassava

A framework for the successful implementation of food traceability systems in China

Implementation of food traceability systems in China faces many challenges due to the scale, diversity and complexity of China’s food supply chains. This study aims to identify critical success factors specific to the implementation of traceability systems in China. Twenty-seven critical success factors were identified in the literature. Interviews with managers at four food enterprises in a pre-study helped identify success criteria and five additional critical success factors. These critical success factors were tested through a survey of managers in eighty-three food companies. This study identifies six dimensions for critical success factors: laws, regulations and standards; government support; consumer knowledge and support; effective management and communication; top management and vendor support; and information and system quality

A Homeodomain-Containing Transcriptional Factor PoHtf1 Regulated the Development and Cellulase Expression in Penicillium oxalicum

Homeodomain-containing transcription factors (Htfs) play important roles in animals, fungi, and plants during some developmental processes. Here, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor PoHtf1 was functionally characterized in the cellulase-producing fungi Penicillium oxalicum 114-2. PoHtf1 was shown to participate in colony growth and conidiation through regulating the expression of its downstream transcription factor BrlA, the key regulator of conidiation in P. oxalicum 114-2. Additionally, PoHtf1 inhibited the expression of the major cellulase genes by coordinated regulation of cellulolytic regulators CreA, AmyR, ClrB, and XlnR. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis showed that PoHtf1 participated in the secondary metabolism including the pathway synthesizing conidial yellow pigment. These data show that PoHtf1 mediates the complex transcriptional-regulatory network cascade between developmental processes and cellulolytic gene expression in P. oxalicum 114-2. Our results should assist the development of strategies for the metabolic engineering of mutants for applications in the enzymatic hydrolysis for biochemical production

Associations between body composition profile and hypertension in different fatty liver phenotypes

BackgroundIt is currently unclear whether and how the association between body composition and hypertension varies based on the presence and severity of fatty liver disease (FLD).MethodsFLD was diagnosed using ultrasonography among 6,358 participants. The association between body composition and hypertension was analyzed separately in the whole population, as well as in subgroups of non-FLD, mild FLD, and moderate/severe FLD populations, respectively. The mediation effect of FLD in their association was explored.ResultsFat-related anthropometric measurements and lipid metabolism indicators were positively associated with hypertension in both the whole population and the non-FLD subgroup. The strength of this association was slightly reduced in the mild FLD subgroup. Notably, only waist-to-hip ratio and waist-to-height ratio showed significant associations with hypertension in the moderate/severe FLD subgroup. Furthermore, FLD accounted for 17.26% to 38.90% of the association between multiple body composition indicators and the risk of hypertension.ConclusionsThe association between body composition and hypertension becomes gradually weaker as FLD becomes more severe. FLD plays a significant mediating role in their association

The ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure is associated with carotid and femoral atherosclerosis

BackgroundAlthough the impact of hypertension on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques has been well established, its association with femoral IMT and plaques has not been extensively examined. In addition, the role of the ratio of systolic and diastolic pressure (SDR) in the subclinical atherosclerosis (AS) risk remains unknown. We assessed the relationship between SDR and carotid and femoral AS in a general population.MethodsA total of 7,263 participants aged 35–74 years enrolled from January 2019 to June 2021 in a southeast region of China were included in a cross-sectional study. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were used to define SDR. Ultrasonography was applied to assess the AS, including thickened IMT (TIMT) and plaque in the carotid and femoral arteries. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were the main approaches.ResultsThe prevalence of TIMT, plaque, and AS were 17.3%, 12.4%, and 22.7% in the carotid artery; 15.2%, 10.7%, and 19.5% in the femoral artery; and 23.8%, 17.9% and 30.0% in either the carotid or femoral artery, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found a significant positive association between high-tertile SDR and the higher risk of overall TIMT (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.10–1.49), plaques (OR = 1.36, 95%CI = 1.16–1.61), or AS (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.17–1.57), especially in the carotid artery. RCS analysis further revealed the observed positive associations were linear. Further analyses showed that as compared to the low-tertile SDR and non-hypertension group, high-tertile SDR was associated with increased risks of overall and carotid TIMT, plaques, or AS in both groups with or without hypertension.ConclusionsSDR is related to a higher risk of subclinical AS, regardless of hypertension or not, suggesting that as a readily obtainable index, SDR can contribute to providing additional predictive value for AS