Association between haptoglobin polymorphism and coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis

BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated the association between the haptoglobin rs72294371 polymorphism and coronary artery disease (CAD) risk, but the results are controversial and uncertain. Therefore, this study aimed to systematically review the literature on haptoglobin polymorphism and susceptibility to CAD.MethodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Wanfang databases were used to identify relevant studies from their inception to April 2024. The pooled odds ratio (OR) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were used to assess the strength of the association. An OR value greater than one suggested an increased risk; otherwise, it suggested a protective risk.ResultsA total of 15 studies comprising 8,632 individuals (2,988 cases and 5,644 controls) were included. In the current meta-analysis, a significant association between haptoglobin polymorphism and CAD was found under recessive model (OR:0.74, 95% CI:0.60–0.92), dominant model (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.71–0.95), homozygote model (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53–0.92), and allelic genetic model (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.69–0.94). In the analysis stratified by ethnicity, a statistically significant association was observed in Asians rather than Caucasian population.ConclusionThis meta-analysis indicates that haptoglobin polymorphism is associated with CAD susceptibility, especially in Asians

MnO2 prepared by hydrothermal method and electrochemical performance as anode for lithium-ion battery

Two α-MnO(2) crystals with caddice-clew-like and urchin-like morphologies are prepared by the hydrothermal method, and their structure and electrochemical performance are characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), galvanostatic cell cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The morphology of the MnO(2) prepared under acidic condition is urchin-like, while the one prepared under neutral condition is caddice-clew-like. The identical crystalline phase of MnO(2) crystals is essential to evaluate the relationship between electrochemical performances and morphologies for lithium-ion battery application. In this study, urchin-like α-MnO(2) crystals with compact structure have better electrochemical performance due to the higher specific capacity and lower impedance. We find that the relationship between electrochemical performance and morphology is different when MnO(2) material used as electrochemical supercapacitor or as anode of lithium-ion battery. For lithium-ion battery application, urchin-like MnO(2) material has better electrochemical performance

Noncytotoxic polycaprolactone-polyethyleneglycol-ε-poly(<scp>l</scp>-lysine) triblock copolymer synthesized and self-assembled as an antibacterial drug carrier

The PCL35-b-PEG45-b-EPL23 vesicles perform well in vitro drug release and antibacterial activity against Gram− and Gram+ bacteria with low cytotoxicity.</p

Parameter Optimization on the Forced Ventilation of Symmetric Tunnel Construction Based on the Super-Short Bench-Cut Method

To exploit the influence of the tunnel face and the distance between the diameter and the orifice of a blast pipe on the ventilation effect in symmetric tunnel construction, this paper uses Fluent to establish a three-dimensional model and numerical simulation. Firstly, the accuracy of the numerical simulation is tested and then the distance between the orifice and tunnel face and the influence of the air duct diameter on the ventilation effect are studied, respectively. The results show that the ventilation effect is best when the wind pipe is arranged on one side of the tunnel wall (an asymmetrical layout), although the space in the tunnel is axisymmetric, and that the error of the numerical simulation is less than 5% of the measured value. When the distance between the orifice and tunnel face is 5 m, the uniformity of the air flow field near the tunnel face is poor; when the distance is 10 m and 12 m, an obvious vertex area appears in the tunnel. Furthermore, the uniformity of the wind velocity flow field is optimal when the distance is 8 m. When the air duct diameter is less than 1.4 m, there is a uniformity of the flow field near the tunnel face of the upper and lower benches; when the air duct diameter is more than 1.4 m, the tunnel face of the upper bench near the ground shows more obvious backflow. Therefore, it was determined that taking the air duct diameter as 1.4 m and the distance between the orifice and tunnel face as 8 m was the best combination for the design of ventilation in this project. It was also found that a better ventilation effect can be achieved when the distance between the nozzle of the ventilator and the tunnel face is 6 m–9 m and the wind speed of the nozzle is 6 m/s–8 m/s. In practical engineering, the wind speed and the required air volume should be taken into consideration to determine the diameter of the ventilator

Mechanical Behavior of Tunnel Lining with Cracks at Different Positions

Cracks in the lining significantly reduce the safety of a tunnel during operation. It is urgent to figure out the influence of cracks on tunnel carrying capacity. In this paper, three-dimensional model tests were conducted to investigate deformation, internal force, and deterioration laws of the lining with prefabricated cracks at different positions. The main conclusions were obtained as follows: (1) The carrying capacity of the lining structure with prefabricated cracks was reduced, and the deformation of the lining structure increased. The penetration of the vault crown crack accelerated the damage of the lining structure, and structural failure occurred when the crack went through at the left arch spring. (2) The internal force of the lining was greatly affected by the positions of prefabricated cracks. The internal forces of the lining structure decreased with the existence of prefabricated cracks. Whether or not there were prefabricated cracks, tension cracks appeared in the inside fiber of the vault and inverted arch. (3) The deformation of the lining structure with the existence of prefabricated cracks increased. When the prefabricated crack was located at the vault, the deformation was the largest, followed by the arch spring, side wall, and arch shoulder. (4) The analysis shows that prefabricated cracks at the vault are the most damaging under stress and deformation of the lining structure, so longitudinal cracks at the vault should be strengthened.</jats:p