The clinical significance of serum HMGB1 in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans after interventional vascular restenosis

ObjectiveThis study explored the correlation between serum HMGB1 levels and postoperative vascular restenosis in patients with lower extremity arteriosclerosis obliterans (LEASO).MethodsA total of 362 patients LEASO who received vascular intervention were recruited in this study. Serum HMGB1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the influencing factors associated with vascular restenosis. The R procedure was used to create nomogram model. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to determine the predictive value of serum HMGB1 and nomogram model for vascular restenosis.ResultsOf the 362 LEASO patients included, 103 (28.45%) developed restenosis within 6 months of postoperative follow-up. Postoperative HMGB1 levels were significantly higher in patients with restenosis compared to those with non-restenosis. Postoperative HMGB1 levels were significantly and positively correlated with the severity of postoperative restenosis (r = 0.819). The AUC of postoperative HMGB1 for the diagnosis of postoperative restenosis was 0.758 (95% CI: 0.703–0.812), with a sensitivity and specificity of 56.31% and 82.24%, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes, smoking, regular postoperative medication, increased fibrinogen, decreased red blood cells, increased hs-CRP, and increased postoperative HMGB1 were independently associated with postoperative restenosis in patients with LEASO. The C-index of the nomogram prediction model constructed based on the seven influencing factors mentioned above was 0.918. The nomogram model was significantly more predictive of postoperative restenosis in LEASO patients compared with a single postoperative HMGB1 (AUC: 0.918, 95% CI: 0.757–0.934).ConclusionPostoperative serum HMGB1 is an independent risk factor associated with postoperative vascular restenosis in patients with LEASO, and a novel nomogram model based on postoperative serum HMGB1 combined with clinical characteristics may help to accurately predict the risk of postoperative restenosis in patients with LEASO

Quality and inspection of machining operations: Review of condition monitoring and CMM inspection techniques 2000 to present

In order to consistently produce quality parts, many aspects of the manufacturing process must be carefully monitored, controlled, and measured. The methods and techniques by which to accomplish these tasks has been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. With the rapid advances in computing technology, the complexity and overhead that can be feasibly incorporated in any developed technique has dramatically improved. Thus, techniques that would have been impractical for implementation just a few years ago can now be realistically applied. This rapid growth has resulted in a wealth of new capabilities for improving part and process quality and reliability. In this paper, overviews of recent advances that apply to machining are presented. Moreover, due to the relative significance of two particular machining aspects, this review focuses specifically on research publications pertaining to using tool condition monitoring and coordinate measurement machines to improve the machining process. Tool condition has a direct effect on part quality and is discussed first. The application of tool condition monitoring as it applies to turning, drilling, milling, and grinding is presented. The subsequent section provides recommendations for future research opportunities. The ensuing section focuses on the use of coordinate measuring machines in conjunction with machining and is subdivided with respect to integration with machining tools, inspection planning and efficiency, advanced controller feedback, machine error compensation, and on-line tool calibration, in that specific order and concludes with recommendations regarding where future needs remain

A preclinical animal study to evaluate the operability and safety of domestic one-way endobronchial valves

PurposeTo evaluate the operability and safety of bronchoscopic domestic one-way endobronchial valves (EBV) on animals.MethodsNine pigs were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive domestic one-way EBV (the experimental group, n = 6) and Zephyr® EBV (the control group, n = 3). Routine blood tests, arterial blood gases, and CT scans of the lungs were performed 1 day pre-procedure in addition to 1 week and 1 month post-procedure to assess changes in blood markers and lung volumes. At 1 month post-procedure, the animals were sacrificed, followed by removal of all valves via bronchoscopy. Pathological examinations of critical organs were subsequently performed.ResultsA total of 15 valves were placed in the experimental group and 6 valves were placed in the control group, without serious complications. Routine blood tests and arterial blood gas examinations at 1 day pre-procedure, 1 week post-procedure, and 1 month post-procedure did not differ significantly in both groups. No EBV displacement was noted under bronchoscopy, and the valve was smoothly removable by bronchoscope at 1 month post-procedure. At 1 week post-procedure, varying degrees of target lung lobe volume reduction were observed on lung CT in both groups. Lung volume reduction was achieved at 1 month post-procedure in both groups, without significant statistical difference. Although 3 cases in the experimental group and 1 case in the control group developed varying degrees of pneumonia, the inflammatory response did not increase over time during the experimental period. Pathological examination revealed no significant abnormal changes in the critical organs for both groups.ConclusionOur results demonstrate that domestic EBV is safe and reliable for endobronchial application in general-grade laboratory white pigs. The safety of domestic EBV is similar to that of Zephyr® EBV, with good ease of use and operability. This kind of domestic EBV can meet the safety evaluation requirements for animal testing

The serum levels of gasdermin D in uremic patients and its relationship with the prognosis: a prospective observational cohort study

Objective This study aimed to explore the serum levels of gasdermin D (GSDMD) in uremic (end-stage kidney disease, ESKD) patients and their correlation with vascular calcification (VC) and clinical results.Methods This prospective observational cohort study enrolled 213 ESKD patients who were undergoing regular maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) for > 3 months in our hospital from August 2019 to July 2022. The abdominal aortic calcification score (AACS) was used to assess the VC condition of patients with ESKD. Serum GSDMD, caspase-1, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, IL-18 and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Demographic and clinical data were obtained. All patients were followed up for 1 year, and patients with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were defined as having a poor prognosis. All data used SPSS 26.0 to statistical analyses.Results The serum total cholesterol (TC) levels of patients in the AACS > 4 group were significantly elevated compared with those in the AACS ≤ 4 group. In addition, ESKD patients with an AACS > 4 had significantly higher serum levels of GSDMD, caspase-1, IL-6, IL-18 and IL-1β. Moreover, Pearson’s analysis supported a positive correlation between GSDMD and caspase-1, IL-6, and IL-1β. In addition, we found that GSDMD levels were positively correlated with the clinical data (AACS scores and serum TC levels) of patients with ERSD. Additionally, ROC curves showed that the serum levels of GSDMD could be a potential predictive biomarker of moderate/severe VC and prognosis in patients with ESKD. Finally, the results of logistic regression indicated that GSDMD and AACS scores were risk factors for poor prognosis in patients with ESKD.Conclusion Serum GSDMD levels were remarkably elevated in patients with ESKD with moderate/severe calcification. In addition, serum levels of GSDMD could be a potential predictive biomarker of moderate/severe VC and prognosis in patients with ESKD

A Method for Obtaining Optical Properties of Two-Layer Tissue such as Thin-Skinned Fruits by Using Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging

As a new imaging inspection method with characteristics of a wide view field and non-contact, spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) is very suitable to evaluate the optical properties of agricultural products to ensure the sustainable development of agriculture. However, due to the unique forward scattering characteristics of fruit skin, only a few photons can return to the skin surface after interacting with the flesh, thus affecting the detection accuracy of the flesh layer. This study aims to propose a more accurate and wider applicable method to extract the optical properties of two-layer tissue from SFDI measurements. Firstly, a two-layer model was proposed by optimizing the reflectivity of the flesh layer through the optical properties and thickness of the skin layer. Secondly, the influence of the optical properties and thickness of different skin layers on the reflectivity optimization of the flesh layer was investigated by a Monte Carlo simulation, and then, the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed model was evaluated for practical inspection by phantom experiments. Finally, this model was used to obtain the optical properties, layer by layer, of four thin-skinned fruits (pear, apple, peach and muskmelon) to verify its universality. The results showed that, for the skin layer, the average errors of the absorption coefficient (μa1) and the reduced scattering coefficient (μ′s1) were 10.87% and 7.91%, respectively, and for the flesh layer, the average errors of the absorption coefficient (μa2) and the reduced scattering coefficient (μ′s2) were 16.76% and 8.64%, respectively. This study provides the basis for the SFDI detection of optical properties of two-layer tissue such as thin-skinned fruits, which can be further used for nondestructive fruit quality evaluations

Extracting Tissue Optical Properties and Detecting Bruised Tissue in Pears Quickly and Accurately Based on Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging and Machine Learning

Recently, Spatial Frequency Domain Imaging (SFDI) has gradually become an alternative method to extract tissue optical properties (OPs), as it provides a wide-field, no-contact acquisition. SFDI extracts OPs by least-square fitting (LSF) based on the diffuse approximation equation, but there are shortcomings in the speed and accuracy of extracting OPs. This study proposed a Long Short-term Memory Regressor (LSTMR) solution to extract tissue OPs. This method allows for fast and accurate extraction of tissue OPs. Firstly, the imaging system was developed, which is more compact and portable than conventional SFDI systems. Next, numerical simulation was performed using the Monte Carlo forward model to obtain the dataset, and then the mapping model was established using the dataset. Finally, the model was applied to detect the bruised tissue of ‘crown’ pears. The results show that the mean absolute errors of the absorption coefficient and the reduced scattering coefficient are no more than 0.32% and 0.21%, and the bruised tissue of ‘crown’ pears can be highlighted by the change of OPs. Compared with the LSF, the speed of extracting tissue OPs is improved by two orders of magnitude, and the accuracy is greatly improved. The study contributes to the rapid and accurate extraction of tissue OPs based on SFDI and has great potential in food safety assessment

Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodetectors Based on TiO2 Films Deposited by Radio-Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Metal-semiconductor-metal ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors (PDs) with Au electrodes, based on TiO2 thin films prepared by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering, are fabricated and characterized. The PDs exhibit a low dark current of 9.73 pA at 5-V bias and a high breakdown voltage of over 90 V, owing to the achievement of high-quality stoichiometric TiO2 films. Meanwhile, the high responsivity with a cutoff wavelength at around 380 nm and a large UV-to-visible rejection ratio (310 versus 400 nm) of more than three orders of magnitude are obtained, which suggest that the fabricated PDs are very promising in UV detection applications

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Co31.5Cr7Fe30Ni31.5 high-entropy alloy powder produced by plasma rotating electrode process and its applications in additive manufacturing

Microstructure and mechanical properties of feedstock powders critically determine the quality of additive manufacturing (AM). The present study employs a plasma rotating electrode process (PREP) to produce non-equiatomic Co31.5Cr7Fe30Ni31.5 high-entropy alloy (HEA) powders and examines variations of their microstructure and mechanical properties with powder particle size in the range of 20–106 μm. It finds that the powders possess smooth surfaces, good sphericity, and equiaxed polycrystal grains under PREP electrode rod arc speed of 32000 r/min and main arc current of 760 A. A stable FCC structure is maintained regardless of the powder particle size. Moreover, the nano-hardness of the powders generally decreases with the increase of powder particle size except for that of 50–75 μm, which is positively correlated with the change of the grain size. The finest grain size is present for powders with particle sizes of 50–75 μm, which possess the highest average nano-hardness and reduced elastic modulus. Bulk alloys fabricated by cold spray (CS) and laser cladding (LC) AM maintain the FCC structure. The CSAM bulk alloy shows early brittle fracture due to the presence of pores and prior particle boundaries resulting from insufficient plastic deformation of the powder particles. The LCAM bulk alloy presents good tensile properties with the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation to failure being 481.2 MPa and 35.9%, respectively, which can be attributed to the good cohesion and grain characteristics. The present study shall provide the field of AM with useful information in the applications of non-equiatomic PREP HEA powders