Effects of Transverse Baffle Design on Reducing Liquid Sloshing in Partially Filled Tank Vehicles

Longitudinal liquid sloshing in partially filled clear-bore tanks causes extensive degradation of tankers braking performance. To reduce the negative effect of longitudinal liquid sloshing on tankers, three kinds of transverse baffles were designed, namely, the conventional baffle, the circular baffle, and the staggered baffle. Each kind of baffle took several forms to investigate the impact of baffle installation angle, the sizes of holes pierced on the baffle, and their arrangement on the antisloshing effect. FLUENT software was used to simulate liquid sloshing in tanks equipped with different kinds of transverse baffles and subject to constant braking deceleration. A time-series analysis of the forces act on tank walls and transverse baffles was carried out. It was drawn that the baffle shape and its installation angle have great impact on the antisloshing effect of baffles. The study on the antisloshing effect of different transverse baffles is of great significance for tank vehicle driving and braking safety, as well as for the design of optimal transverse baffles

Associations between impulsivity, aggression, and suicide in Chinese college students

BACKGROUND: Although there are accumulating data regarding the epidemiology of suicide in China, there are meager data on suicidal ideation and attempts among college students. Interestingly, elevated impulsivity is thought to facilitate the transition from suicidal thoughts to suicidal behavior. Therefore, the objective of this research was to identify the associations between suicide and the personality factors of impulsivity and aggression. METHODS: This study’s sampling method employed stratified random cluster sampling. A multi-stage stratified sampling procedure was used to select participants (n = 5,245). We conducted structured interviews regarding a range of socio-demographic characteristics and suicidal morbidity. The Patient Health Questionnaire depression module (PHQ-9) was used to acquire the information about thoughts of being better off dead or hurting themselves in some ways during the past two weeks. The impulsivity symptoms in this study were assessed with the BIS-11-CH (i.e., the Chinese version of the BIS-11), and the Aggressive symptoms were assessed with the BAQ. The statistical package for social science (SPSS) v.13.0 program (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for statistical analysis. Socio-demographic variables such as ethnic and gender were compared between groups, through the use of χ(2) tests. The nonparametric test (k Independent Sample test, Kruskal-Wallis H) was performed to determine differences between the personality factors of impulsivity and aggression and suicide. RESULTS: In total, 9.1% (n = 479) of the 5,245 students reported they have ever thought about committing suicide; and 1% (n = 51) reported a history of attempted suicide (attempters). The analyses detected significant differences in scores on cognitive impulsivity (p < 0.01), when comparing individuals who only had suicidal ideation and individuals who had attempted suicide. Moreover, significant differences were found between ideators only and attempters on scores of self-oriented attack (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Suicidal ideation is prevalent among Chinese university students. Students with high aggression scores were more susceptible to committing suicide. Scores on self-oriented attack and cognitive impulsivity may be important factors for differentially predicting suicide ideation and suicide attempts

Development and application of a novel suspension concentrate for seed coating of rice for controlling bakanae disease and seedling rot disease

The main rice planting areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are primarily affected by two types of rice seedling diseases: bakanae disease and seedling rot disease. These diseases lead to considerable losses. Seed coating technology effectively protects rice from these diseases and mitigates environmental pollution. We determined the antifungal activity of six fungicides, including phenamacril, azoxystrobin, fludioxonil, metconazole, thifluzamide and prothioconazole against Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon and Curvularia lunata in this study. In addition, the impact of fungicides and surfactants on rice seed germination were determined. Furthermore, phenamacril and fludioxonil were selected as the active components of suspension concentrate for seed coating. The antifungal activity of phenamacril against F. moniliforme Sheldon was 0.139 mg/L and fludioxonil against C. lunata was 0.110 mg/L. PEG-2000 was selected as the surfactant due to its promoting effect on rice seedling. Based on the above findings, 6% phenamacril fludioxonil FS was developed via the wet sand grinding method. The toxicity of 6% phenamacril fludioxonil FS to zebrafish was verified, and field experiments were conducted in five different regions of the Yangtze River Basin. The results indicated minimal toxicity of 6% phenamacril fludioxonil FS to zebrafish. Relative to the control agent consisting of 6.25% phenamacril metalaxyl-M FS, 6% phenamacril fludioxonil FS showed better control effect and exhibited superior efficacy in promoting growth and increasing yield in all five regions. Specifically, the control effect of 6% phenamacril fludioxonil FS on bakanae exceeded 84.83% with the highest yield increasing value recorded at 30.48%. Currently, the market offers a limited selection of suspension concentrate for seed coating of rice. The findings of this study may offer a viable alternative formulation and directions for further research concerning the application of suspension concentrate for seed coating of rice

Effect of Corilagin on the Proliferation and NF- κ

Background. This study is to explore the effect of corilagin on the proliferation and NF-κB signaling pathway in U251 glioblastoma cells and U251 glioblastoma stem-like cells. Methods. CD133 positive U251 glioblastoma cells were separated by immunomagnetic beads to isolate glioblastoma stem-like cells. U251 cells and stem-like cells were intervened by different corilagin concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) for 48 h, respectively. Cell morphology, cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry, dual luciferase reporter assay, and a western blot were used to detect and analyze the cell proliferation and cell cycle and investigate the expression of IKBα protein in cytoplasm and NF-κB/p65 in nucleus. Results. Corilagin inhibited the cell proliferation of U251 cells and their stem-like cells and the inhibition role was stronger in U251 stem-like cells (P<0.05). The cell cycle was arrested at G2/M phase in the U251 cells following corilagin intervention; the proportion of cells in G2/M phase increased as the concentration of corilagin increased (P<0.05). The U251 stem-like cells were arrested at the S phase following treatment with corilagin; the proportion of cells in the S phase increased as the concentration of corilagin increased (P<0.05). The ratio of dual luciferase activities of U251 stem-like cells was lower than that of U251 cells in the same corilagin concentration. With increasing concentrations of corilagin, the IKBα expression in cytoplasm of U251 cells and U251 stem-like cells was increased, but the p65 expression in nucleus of U251 cells and U251 stem-like cells was decreased (P<0.05). Conclusion. Corilagin can inhibit the proliferation of glioblastoma cells and glioblastoma stem-like cells; the inhibition on glioblastoma stem-like cell proliferation is stronger than glioblastoma cells. This different result indicates that the effect of corilagin on U251 cells and U251 stem-like cells may have close relationships with mechanism of cell cycle and NF-κB signaling pathway; however, the real antitumor mechanism of corilagin is not yet clear and requires further study

A regulatory mutant on TRIM26 conferring the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inducing low immune response.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is most closely associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but the complexity of its genome structure has proven challenging for the discovery of causal MHC loci or genes. We conducted a targeted MHC sequencing in 40 Cantonese NPC patients followed by a two-stage replication in 1065 NPC cases and 2137 controls of Southern Chinese descendent. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis (qRT-PCR) was used to detect gene expression status in 108 NPC and 43 noncancerous nasopharyngeal (NP) samples. Luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) were used to assess the transcription factor binding site. We discovered that a novel SNP rs117565607_A at TRIM26 displayed the strongest association (OR = 1.909, Pcombined = 2.750 × 10-19 ). We also observed that TRIM26 was significantly downregulated in NPC tissue samples with genotype AA/AT than TT. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) test also found the TRIM26 protein expression in NPC tissue samples with the genotype AA/AT was lower than TT. According to computational prediction, rs117565607 locus was a binding site for the transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1). We observed that the luciferase activity of YY1 which is binding to the A allele of rs117565607 was suppressed. ChIP data showed that YY1 was binding with T not A allele. Significance analysis of microarray suggested that TRIM26 downregulation was related to low immune response in NPC. We have identified a novel gene TRIM26 and a novel SNP rs117565607_A associated with NPC risk by regulating transcriptional process and established a new functional link between TRIM26 downregulation and low immune response in NPC

Xuebijing Protects Rats from Sepsis Challenged with Acinetobacter baumannii

Xuebijing (XBJ) injection is a herbal medicine that has been widely used in the treatment of sepsis in China; however, its role in the development and progression of Acinetobacter baumannii sepsis and the underlying mechanisms remain uninvestigated. In the present study, fifty-four male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to normal-control group, sepsis-control group, and sepsis + XBJ group, each containing three subgroups of different treatment time periods (6, 12, and 24 hrs following injection, resp.). The sepsis model was established by intraperitoneal injection of A. baumannii ATCC 19606. For XBJ treatment, 4 mL/kg XBJ was administrated simultaneously by intravenous injection through caudal vein every 12 hrs. All animals demonstrated ill state, obvious intestinal dysfunction, histopathological lung damages, and overactive inflammatory responses after A. baumannii infection, and these events could be partially reversed by XBJ treatment from the beginning of infection. XBJ induced an increase in the expression of anti-inflammatory mediator annexin A1; however, two proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were decreased at the each monitored time point. These findings suggested that XBJ via its cytokine-mediated anti-inflammatory effects might have a potential role in preventing the progression of A. baumannii infection to sepsis by early administration

Experience of Congenital Choledochal Cyst in Adults: Treatment, Surgical Procedures and Clinical Outcome in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University

This study was undertaken to analyze and evaluate the diagnosis and principal treatment methods for congenital choledochal cyst, focusing on various surgical procedures and clinical outcome. A comprehensive, retrospective study was conducted on 72 adult patients who presented with choledochal cyst from 1985 to 2002. Surgical procedures were cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy in 25 cases for type I or type IV-B, extrahepatic cyst excision with hepaticojejunostomy in 8 cases for type IV-A, extrahepatic cyst excision with modified hepaticojejunostomy in 2 cases for type IV-B, non-cyst excision with or without hepaticojejunostomy in 27 cases for types I, II, IV-A, IV-B. The early postoperative morbidity and mortality rate were 16.1% (9/62) and 6.5% (4/62) respectively, and the complication rate related to surgical procedure was 30.6% (19/62). The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma with non-cyst excision or non-operated congenital choledochal cyst was 10.8% (4/37). One patient died of primary hepatocellular carcinoma after cyst excision with hepatojejunostomy. In conclusion, our results showed that complete exci-sion of choledochal cyst for types I, II, and IV-B and complete excision of extra-hepatic choledochal cyst from the hepatic hilum in type IV-A with hepaticojejunostomy or modified hepaticojejunostomy are the treatment of choice for choledochal cyst in adult patients