Impact of LDLR polymorphisms on lipid levels and atorvastatin's efficacy in a northern Chinese adult Han cohort with dyslipidemia.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia, a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), is influenced by genetic variations, particularly those in the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of LDLR polymorphisms on baseline serum lipid levels and the therapeutic efficacy of atorvastatin in an adult Han population in northern China with dyslipidemia. METHODS: In this study, 255 Han Chinese adults receiving atorvastatin therapy were examined and followed up. The 3' untranslated region (UTR) of the LDLR gene was sequenced to identify polymorphisms. The associations between gene polymorphisms and serum lipid levels, as well as changes in lipid levels after intervention, were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, with a P < 0.05 indicating statistical significance. Assessment of linkage disequilibrium patterns and haplotype structures was conducted utilizing Haploview. RESULTS: Eleven distinct polymorphisms at LDLR 3' UTR were identified. Seven polymorphisms (rs1433099, rs14158, rs2738466, rs5742911, rs17249057, rs55971831, and rs568219285) were correlated with the baseline serum lipid levels (P < 0.05). In particular, four polymorphisms (rs14158, rs2738466, rs5742911, and rs17249057) were in strong linkage disequilibrium (r2 = 1), and patients with the AGGC haplotype had higher TC and LDL-C levels at baseline. Three polymorphisms (rs1433099, rs2738467, and rs7254521) were correlated with the therapeutic efficacy of atorvastatin (P < 0.05). Furthermore, carriers of the rs2738467 T allele demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels post-atorvastatin treatment (P = 0.03), indicating a potentially crucial genetic influence on therapeutic outcomes. Two polymorphisms (rs751672818 and rs566918949) were neither correlated with the baseline serum lipid levels nor atorvastatin's efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: This research outlined the complex genetic architecture surrounding LDLR 3' UTR polymorphisms and their role in lipid metabolism and the response to atorvastatin treatment in adult Han Chinese patients with dyslipidemia, highlighting the importance of genetic profiling in enhancing tailored therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, this investigation advocates for the integration of genetic testing into the management of dyslipidemia, paving the way for customized therapeutic approaches that could significantly improve patient care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This multicenter study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Xiangya Hospital Central South University (ethics number K22144). It was a general ethic. In addition, this study was approved by The First Hospital of Hebei Medical University (ethics number 20220418).

An Intelligent Thermal Compensation System Using Edge Computing for Machine Tools.

This paper focuses on the use of smart manufacturing in lathe-cutting tool machines, which can experience thermal deformation during long-term processing, leading to displacement errors in the cutting head and damage to the final product. This study uses time-series thermal compensation to develop a predictive system for thermal displacement in machine tools, which is applicable in the industry using edge computing technology. Two experiments were carried out to optimize the temperature prediction models and predict the displacement of five axes at the temperature points. First, an examination is conducted to determine possible variances in time-series data. This analysis is based on the data obtained for the changes in time, speed, torque, and temperature at various locations of the machine tool. Using the viable machine-learning models determined, the study then examines various cutting settings, temperature points, and machine speeds to forecast the future five-axis displacement. Second, to verify the precision of the models created in the initial phase, other time-series models are examined and trained in the subsequent phase, and their effectiveness is compared to the models acquired in the first phase. This work also included training seven models of WNN, LSTNet, TPA-LSTM, XGBoost, BiLSTM, CNN, and GA-LSTM. The study found that the GA-LSTM model outperforms the other three best models of the LSTM, GRU, and XGBoost models with an average precision greater than 90%. Based on the analysis of training time and model precision, the study concluded that a system using LSTM, GRU, and XGBoost should be designed and applied for thermal compensation using edge devices such as the Raspberry Pi.

Monitoring of temperature rise in global nuclear power plant thermal discharge from 2013 to 2022.

The development of nuclear power plants is progressing rapidly worldwide. However, there is currently a lack of dynamic monitoring of the thermal discharge temperature rise from these plants, making it unclear to governments where their nuclear power thermal discharges stand globally. We hypothesize that between 2013 and 2022, there are significant temporal and spatial differences in the thermal discharge temperature rise from nuclear power plants globally. Temporal differences are expected to reflect a country's nuclear power installed capacity and thermal discharge treatment capabilities, while spatial differences are related to the type of water bodies where nuclear power plants are located. To test these hypotheses, we utilized Landsat data to get the distribution range of thermal discharge and temperature rise levels ranging from 1 °C to 4 °C, and compared the temporal and spatial characteristics of temperature rise in different countries. The results indicate that: (1) Currently, China, the United States, and Canada rank among the top three globally in terms of the area experiencing temperature rise due to thermal discharge, which correlates with the total installed capacity of nuclear power in these countries. (2) Countries such as Russia, Finland, and Mexico exhibit larger areas with a 4 °C temperature rise level per unit installed capacity, with their thermal rise area per unit installed capacity (TRAUIC) exceeding the global average by more than 1.5 times. (3) The spatial dispersion trends of thermal discharges from nuclear power plants vary across different types of water bodies. For nuclear power plants located in bays, thermal discharges primarily disperse along the coast, while in open sea and lakes, thermal discharges tend to spread in a fan-shaped pattern. The findings of this study are crucial for understanding the efficiency of thermal discharge from nuclear power plants across different countries globally, assessing potential environmental risks during the operation of these plants, and promoting the safe and orderly development of nuclear power plants worldwide.

Integrated monitoring and prediction of thermal discharge from nuclear power plants using satellite, UAV, and numerical simulation.

Global nuclear power is surging ahead in its quest for global carbon neutrality, eyeing an anticipated installed capacity of 436 GW for coastal nuclear power plants by 2040. As these plants operate, they emit substantial amounts of warm water into the ocean, known as thermal discharge, to regulate the temperature of their nuclear reactors. This discharge has the potential to elevate the temperature of the surrounding seawater, potentially influencing the marine ecosystem in the discharge vicinity. Therefore, our study area is on the Qinshan and Jinqimen Nuclear Power Plants in China, employing a blend of Landsat 8/9, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery to gather sea surface temperature (SST) data. In situ measurements validate the temperature data procured through remote sensing. Leveraging these SST observations alongside hydrodynamic and meteorological data from field measurements, we input them into the MIKE 3 model to prognosticate the three-dimensional (3D) spatial distribution and temperature elevation resulting from thermal discharge. The findings reveal that (1) satellite remote sensing can instantly acquire the horizontal distribution of thermal discharge, but with a spatial resolution much lower than that of UAV. The spatial resolution of UAV is higher, but the imaging efficiency of UAV is only 1/40,000 of that of satellite remote sensing. (2) Numerical simulation models can predict the 3D spatial distribution of thermal discharge. Although UAV and satellite remote sensing cannot directly obtain the 3D spatial distribution of thermal discharge, using remotely sensed SST as the temperature field input for the MIKE 3 model can reduce the quantity of measured temperature data and lower the cost of numerical simulation. (3) In the process of monitoring and predicting the thermal discharge of nuclear power plants, achieving an effective balance between monitoring accuracy and cost can be realized by comprehensively considering the advantages and costs of satellite, UAV, and numerical simulation technologies.

Electrochemical aptasensor based on gold nanoparticle decorated Ti3C2Tx nanocomposites for chloramphenicol detection.

Using gold (Au) nanoparticle decorated Ti3C2Tx (Ti3C2Tx-Au) nanocomposites, a highly sensitive electrochemical aptasensor for the effective detection of chloramphenicol has been developed. As a two-dimensional layered material, the prepared composite not only provides high surface area, good conductivity, and thermal stability but also substantial binding sites for aptamers with high sensitivity and selectivity for the accurate determination of chloramphenicol. Interestingly, the conductivity and active sites were enhanced by freeze-drying Ti3C2Tx and in situ formation of Ti3C2Tx-Au nanocomposite. The fabricated aptasensor exhibited a very low detection limit (S/N ≥ 3) of 13.18 fg mL-1 with a linear range of 1 ~ 700 pg mL-1 and correlation coefficient of 0.9992. The fabricated aptasensor demonstrated an excellent reproducibility, repeatability, long-term stability, and high selectivity toward chloramphenicol. Further, the aptasensor was applied to real milk samples, and the recoveries were ranged from 98.93 to 101.93%.

Synthesis of Triblock Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers with Well-Defined Structure and Its Dispersing Performance in ß-Hemihydrate Gypsum.

In this work, a novel AaBAb-type triblock polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCEs) with well defined molecular structures were designed and synthesized, firstly, by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, to explore the structure-property relationship PCEs in the ß-hemihydrate gypsum (ß-HH) system. Three PCEs with the same molecular weight and different structure were obtained by changing the feed ratio of the RAFT agent, initiator, and monomer. The effect of the chemical structure of PCEs on their dispersing property and water reduction capacity were assessed in gypsum by measuring the flowability of pastes and the adsorption ability of PCEs on gypsum. Results showed that among three PCEs, when the monomer ratio is 5:1 and a:b = 1:1, PCE-1 exhibited a higher working efficiency, verifying the contribution of regulating structural parameters to the improvement in performances of gypsum paste, because PCE-1 showed the strongest binding capacity with calcium ions due to the relatively equal amount of carboxyl groups at both ends. The AaBAb-type PCEs provide a special advantage over the conventional comb polymer to understand the relation between the structure and property of PCEs, and a direction for further development of PCEs of high performance.

High-sensitive ferrocene labeled aptasensor for the detection of Mucin 1 by tuning the sequence constitution of complementary probe.

A strand displacement-based "signal-off" electrochemical aptasensor is reported for the detection of Mucin 1 (MUC 1) based on a high original signal. Different from the conventional "signal-off" electrochemical biosensors where electrochemical substances are dispersed in electrolyte solution, here the current signal was generated by the complementary probe (CP) associated with ferrocene (Fc) labeled aptamer (Apt.-Fc). Because Apt.-Fc and MUC 1 have a higher affinity, Apt.-Fc dissociates from CP in the presence of MUC 1, resulting in a reduction of detection current signal generated by oxidation of labeled Fc. In this system, high detection signal is necessary to improve the sensor's performance. For this aim, a strategy is proposed for changing the modalities of electron transport and the quantity of Apt.-Fc introduced by simply tuning the sequence constitution of CP. As expected, a high detection current signal was obtained after selecting CP(Apt.-Fc)-TTT as the optimal CP. The aptasensor was then employed to detect MUC 1, and satisfactory detection results with a low detection limit (LOD) of 0.087 pM (S/N = 3), good specificity, good stability, and feasibility of detection of MUC 1 in artificial serum (recovery of 92-101%, RSD of 1.36-5.23%) were obtained.

A sensitive electrochemical DNA sensor for detecting Helicobacter pylori based on accordion-like Ti3C2Tx: a simple strategy.

A novel electrochemical DNA sensor was designed to detect Helicobacter pylori based on accordion-like Ti3C2Tx. Here the multilayer Ti3C2Tx obtained by DMSO delamination was used to modify the glass carbon electrode, with a large specific surface area and excellent conductivity. Au nanoparticles were supported on the modified electrode and worked as an effective carrier to fix the capture probe (cpDNA) with sulfhydryl group through the firm binding of Au-S bond. Such an accordion-like Ti3C2Tx structure provides an ultrahigh electroactive surface area and ample binding sites for accommodating Au nanoparticles, which is advantageous for the signal amplification during the detection. And further, the sandwich structure formed by hybridizing cpDNA with target DNA sequence (tDNA) and rpDNA (rpDNA is a strand of DNA that can be base-paired with the tested tDNA) increases greatly the current signal and enhances the sensitivity of the electrochemical DNA sensor. Under optimal conditions, the developed electrochemical DNA sensor showed a wide linear range from 10-11 to 10-14 M and a low detection limit of 1.6 × 10-16 M and exhibited good sensitivity, reproducibility, and stability. A novel electrochemical DNA sensor with simple sandwich structure was designed to detect H. pylori based on accordion-like Ti3C2Tx.

Ultrasensitive electrochemical detection of ochratoxin A based on signal amplification by one-pot synthesized flower-like PEDOT-AuNFs supported on a graphene oxide sponge.

To enhance the sensitivity of an aptasensor, a novel strategy was designed to develop an electrochemical aptasensor based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxy thiophene)-gold nanoflower (PEDOT-AuNF) composites supported on a three-dimensional graphene oxide sponge (GOS). GOS with a three-dimensional sponge-like porous structure, exhibiting excellent electrical conductivity and a large surface area, provided the first amplification of the electrochemical signal for ochratoxin A (OTA) detection. PEDOT-AuNFs, synthesized by an ionic liquid-assisted one-pot method, presented a peculiar hierarchical flower-like structure, a high electroactive surface area, and more binding sites for immobilizing the aptamer molecules by the Au-S bonds. When PEDOT-AuNFs were supported on the surface of GOS by the interaction of the π-π packing between PEDOT and graphene oxide, a synergistic effect was produced to provide the second amplification for the aptasensor. PEDOT-AuNFs/GOS provided an ultrasensitive detection technique by multiple signal amplification for the electrochemical sensing of OTA. Consequently, this strategy not only endowed the aptasensor with high sensitivity but also needed no complicated signal amplification. The electrochemical sensor was fabricated successfully on a glassy carbon electrode to detect OTA with a linear response in the range of 0.01-20 ng L-1 and a limit of detection of 4.9 pg L-1. Moreover, it displayed good specificity, reproducibility and stability. The utilization of the proposed aptasensor for the quantitative determination of OTA in wine indicates that it can find promising applications in detecting OTA and even other mycotoxins in foodstuffs.

Spatial Distribution and Potential Sources of Five Heavy Metals and One Metalloid in the Soils of Xiamen City, China.

In our study, we collected 146 surface soil samples in Xiamen City and measured the concentrations of five heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, and Zn) and one metalloid (As). Multivariate statistics, geostatistics and Random Forest methods were applied to identify the potential sources and spatial variation of the six elements. The results revealed that As, Cr, and Ni originated mainly from industrial activities, and higher concentrations were found in developed areas. The amounts of Cu, Pb, and Zn in soils were mainly predetermined by soil parent material and agricultural activities. Besides, the atmospheric deposition rather than industrial activities substantially influenced the accumulation of Pb in the soils near the boundary between Tong'an and Quanzhou City, because there were few industries but many forests in this area. Because of the connections of the six elements with factor values of factor analysis, appropriate and accessible covariates could be used in co-kriging to increase the accuracies of interpolation of heavy metal and metalloid concentrations relative to that in ordinary kriging.

Rs495828 polymorphism of the ABO gene is a predictor of enalapril-induced cough in Chinese patients with essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: ABO genetic polymorphisms have recently been associated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity and inflammation, which play a critical role in the pathogenic mechanism of ACE inhibitor-induced cough. Therefore, the current study determined the association of ABO genetic polymorphisms with enalapril-induced cough in Chinese patients with essential hypertension. METHODS: A total of 450 essential hypertensive patients treated with 10 mg of enalapril maleate were genotyped for ABO genetic polymorphisms using the PCR-direct sequencing method. Cough was recorded when patients were bothered by cough and respiratory symptoms during enalapril treatment without an identifiable cause. RESULTS: The distribution of rs8176740 and rs495828 was different between the coughers and the controls [P=0.039; odds ratio (OR)=0.70, P=0.018; OR=1.41]. The risk of enalapril-induced cough in the rs495828 TT carriers was increased (P=0.008; OR=2.69), which remained significant after false discovery rate correction. The results for the rs8176740 polymorphism were significant in the female subgroup (P=0.027; OR=0.22). Haplotype analysis of the four ABO polymorphisms (rs8176746/rs8176740/rs495828/rs12683493) showed that the frequency of the GATC haplotype was higher in the coughers than those in the controls (26.6 vs. 18.8%, P=0.033; OR=1.43). CONCLUSION: The rs495828 polymorphism was associated with enalapril-induced cough and may serve as a useful pharmacogenomics marker of the safety of enalapril in Chinese patients with essential hypertension. The mechanism for the associations may involve the effects of the ABO gene or ABO blood type on ACE activity and inflammation.

[Construction and validation of a dual-luciferase reporter gene system for screening and evaluating anti-liver fibrosis drugs that inhibit transcription of the gene encoding collagen I, chain a1].

OBJECTIVE: To construct a dual-reporter gene system that will be applicable for use as a tool to screen and evaluate therapeutic drug compounds that inhibit transcription of the gene encoding collagen I, chain at1 (COL1A1). METHODS: The full-length eDNA of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1) was cloned by RT-PCR and inserted into two vectors, pcDNA3.1 and pJW4303, for construction of two eukaryotic expression vectors, pcDNA3.1-TGFbeta1 and pJW4303-TGFbeta1.Next, the promoter region of COL1A1, cloned by PCR using human genome DNA as template, was inserted into the vector pGL4.29 to construct the reporter gene vector, pGL4.29-COL1A1 promoter.All three recombinant vectors were verified by restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing.Either the pcDNA3.1-TGFbeta1 or pJW4303-TGFbeta1 vector along with the pGL4.29-COL1A1 promoter vector or a pRL-null, control reporter, vector were co-transfected into the LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells to establish the transcription-activated dualreporter gene system.This system was used as a cell model for screening anti-liver fibrosis compounds that inhibit the transcription of COL1A1.Dexamethasone, a model drug that is known to inhibit the expression of COL1A1, was used as a control to validate the dual-reporter gene system. RESULTS: The two TGFbeta1-expressing vectors and the reporter gene vector containing the promoter region of COL1A1 were successfully constructed.The results of a dual-reporter gene assay showed that TGFbeta1 co-expression increased the activity of the COL1A1 promoter by above 200-fold (t =21.78, P =0.0001), whereas in the absence of TGF31 co-expression the activity was below 2-fold (t =3.396, P =0.0274).The transcriptionactivated dual-reporter gene system was successfully established.The model drug, dexamethasone, effectively inhibited the activity of the COL 1A1 promoter in dose-dependent manner; the activity decreased 29.6% with 10 mumol/L dexamethasone (t =4.140, P =0.0144) and 53.9% with 100 mumol/L (t =6.193, P =0.0035). CONCLUSION: The dual-luciferase reporter system of TGFbeta1 and COL1A1 co-expression developed here can be used as a cell model to screen and evaluate anti-liver fibrosis compounds that inhibit activity of the COL1A1.

Efficacy of angiotensin receptor blockers for nocturnal blood pressure reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Nocturnal blood pressure (BP) is correlated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and is an important predictor of cardiovascular death in hypertensive patients. OBJECTIVE: Nocturnal BP control is of great importance for cardiovascular risk reduction. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the efficacy of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) for nocturnal BP reduction in patients with mild to moderate hypertension. METHODS: PICOS design structure was used to formulate the data extraction. All statistical calculations and analyses were performed with R. RESULTS: Seventy-seven studies with 13,314 participants were included. The overall analysis indicated that nocturnal BP drop varied considerably among different ARBs. Allisartan (13.04 [95% CI (-18.41, -7.68)] mmHg), olmesartan (11.67 [95% CI (-14.12, -9.21)] mmHg), telmisartan (11.11 [95% CI (-12.12, -10.11)] mmHg) were associated with greater reduction in nocturnal systolic BP. In the aspect of the nocturnal-diurnal BP drop ratio, only allisartan was greater than 1. While, the variation tendency of last 4-6 h ambulatory BP was basically consistent with nocturnal BP. Additionally, allisartan showed improvement effect in the proportion of patients with dipping BP pattern. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that for patients with mild to moderate hypertension, allisartan, olmesartan and telmisartan have more advantages in nocturnal BP reduction among the ARBs, while allisartan can reduce nighttime BP more than daytime BP and improve the dipping pattern.

This meta-analysis explores the efficacy of Angiotensin II AT1 receptor antagonists (ARBs) on nocturnal blood pressure (BP) reduction in mild to moderate hypertension.The results demonstrate that for patients with mild to moderate hypertension, allisartan, olmesartan and telmisartan have more advantages in nocturnal BP reduction among the ARBs.Allisartan can reduce nighttime BP more effectively than daytime BP, which also improve the dipping pattern.

Combined effects of PFOS and PFOA on zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are two kinds of emerging contaminants most studied in recent years. However, there is limited information about their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms. In the present study, the single and combined toxicity of PFOA and PFOS to zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were investigated. PFOS was more toxic than PFOA for the single toxicity. In four mixtures, PFOS and PFOA showed complex interactive effects that changed from additive to synergistic effect, then to antagonistic effect, and at last turnover to synergic effect again, with increased molar ratios of PFOS. Neither the concentration-addition model nor the independent-action model could predict the combined effects when strong interactive effects existed. Although the interactive effects of PFOS and PFOA affected their combined toxicity, the trend of mixture toxicity still showed an increase with increasing molar ratios of PFOS in the mixture.

[Effects of different antihypertensive strategies on reversing urinary albumin excretion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of different antihypertensive strategies on blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion in patients with hypertension and microalbuminuria. METHODS: For this multi-center, randomized, positively controlled clinical trial, a total of 531 patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension and microalbuminuria were enrolled. They were divided randomly into calcium channel blocker (CCB), angiotensin II receptor antagonist (ARB) and CCB+ARB groups. The whole treatment period was 6 months. RESULTS: According to ANOVA analysis, the post-therapeutic urinary albumin level decreased 20.6, 27.6 and 30.9 mg/L in CCB, ARB and CCB+ARB groups respectively (P = 0.067). And the extents of urinary albumin reduction were 31.1 and 6.6 mg/L in patients with controlled and uncontrolled blood pressure respectively (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Effective antihypertensive therapy is a key for decreasing urinary albumin excretion in hypertensive patients. As compared with calcium antagonists, ARB-containing regimens appear to be better in reducing urinary albumin.

Water consumption of electric power system in China: from electricity generation to consumption.

Understanding the water requirement of electricity generation is critical to the development of both electricity and water systems, while the water consumption of the whole electric power system remains unrevealed. Here, we examine the water consumption driven by electricity generation, transmission, and consumption in China, finding that 14 billion m3 of freshwater is consumed by electricity generation in 2019 and that 2.5 billion m3 of freshwater was virtually transferred via electricity transmission. Nationally, the freshwater consumption per unit of electricity generation was 1.9 m3/MWh. Based on the state-of-the-art electricity transmission data, we find that 59% of the transported electric power was from water-scarce provinces and 0.7 billion m3 of freshwater was lost due to the electricity loss in transmission lines in China. It is essential to link water resources with the whole electric power system (production, transmission, and consumption) rather than only part of the power system as in previous research.

Dosimetric and spectroscopic study of LiMgPO4 doped with Tm3+ and Er3.

Olivine-type phosphate LiMgPO4 doped with rare earth elements is considered a novel dosimetric material with excellent performance that is suitable for thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) measurements. Novel LiMgPO4:Tm,Er samples were synthesized by a high-temperature solid-state reaction method. A detailed study of the TL and OSL of the samples was performed using ß-ray irradiation and X-ray-excited optical luminescence (XEOL) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to predict the preferential positions of thulium and erbium, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra and TL 3D spectra were analyzed. The DFT calculation results show that Mg is preferentially replaced by Tm/Er in the LiMgPO4 system. The PL/TL3D/XEOL spectra of the samples are dominated by the characteristic luminescence of Tm3+, and the OSL decay curve of photoluminescence has fast and slow decay components with decay constants of 5 s and 42 s, respectively. The TL and XEOL results show that LiMgPO4:Tm,Er has strong emission signals under different types of radiation rays. The PL/TL3D/XEOL spectral results show that Er3+ has no radiative excitation, but Tm3+ has strong luminescence, such that the sample still emits strong TL and PL signals. Two TL emission peaks occur at approximately 120 °C and 300 °C, where the high-temperature peak is significantly more intense than the low-temperature peak, promoting the stability of the TL and OSL signals of the samples. The TL curve consists of 6 general TL dynamic peaks. The nonlinear parameters of the TL dose response are R = 0.08 and D 0 = 479 Gy, and the OSL dose response is linear in the range of 0.2-1000 Gy. The TL and OSL signals of the LiMgPO4:Tm,Er phosphor have good repeatability. Therefore, the LiMgPO4:Tm,Er phosphor can be used for radiation dose measurement.

Efficacy of Allisartan Isoproxil in the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate Essential Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Allisartan isoproxil is a selective nonpeptide angiotensin II (AT1) receptor blocker developed by China, this study aimed to assess its clinical efficacy for essential hypertension (EH). METHODS: Patients with mild-to-moderate EH, selected at 44 sites in China from September 9, 2016, to December 7, 2018, were administered 240 mg allisartan isoproxil daily for 4 weeks. Patients with controlled blood pressure (BP) continued monotherapy for 8 weeks, others were randomly assigned (1:1) to A + D group (allisartan isoproxil 240 mg + indapamide 1.5 mg) or A + C group (allisartan isoproxil + amlodipine besylate 5 mg) for 8 weeks. BP were measured at week 4, 8 and 12. RESULTS: 2,126 patients were included in the analysis. After 12 weeks of treatment, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by 19.24 ± 12.02 and 10.63 ± 8.89 mm Hg, respectively, and the overall BP control rate was 78.56%. The sitting blood pressures (SBP/DBP) decreased by 19.12 ± 11.71/10.84 ± 8.73 mm Hg in patients with 12 weeks allisartan isoproxil monotherapy (both P < 0.0001). The BP reductions and control rates were comparable between A + D and A + C groups. 48 patients with monotherapy-controlled BP underwent ambulatory BP monitoring, with a mean decrease in ambulatory BP of 10.04 ± 10.87/5.50 ± 8.07 mm Hg after 12 weeks of treatment, and consistent reductions between day and night. SBP and DBP had trough-to-peak ratios of 64.64% and 62.63% and smoothness indices of 3.82 and 2.92, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An allisartan isoproxil-based antihypertensive regimen can effectively control BP in patients with mild-to-moderate EH. PROJECT REGISTRATION NO: CTR20160138 (Registration and Information Disclosure Platform for China Drug Clinical Studies, http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html).

Luminescence properties and energy-transfer behavior of Y2-x-yBixEuyMgTiO6 phosphors.

In recent years, double perovskite has become a research hotspot of luminescent matrix materials due to its flexible structure, easy doping and good thermal stability. By using a high temperature solid-state technique, Bi3+ and Eu3+ co-doped Y2-x-yBixEuyMgTiO6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 0.5) phosphors were made. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis shows that the crystal structure of all samples is monoclinic system, P21/n; Bi3+ and Eu3+ can be doped into the position of Y3+ in the substitution system of Y2MgTiO6. Both photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and X-ray excitation luminescence spectroscopy (XEL) were used to investigate the link between Bi3+ and Eu3+ doping concentrations and luminescence intensity. PL shows that: When 375 nm is used as the excitation wavelength, by varying the doping concentration of Eu3+ in the Y1.995-yBi0.005EuyMgTiO6 phosphor, it is possible to create the color-tunable emission from blue to red; The introduction of an appropriate amount of Bi3+ will increase the typical Eu3+ emission; The way that the system's Bi3+ and Eu3+ exchange energy can be observed by combining the fluorescence decay curve and photoluminescence. Fitting by concentration quenching model shows that the resonant dipole-dipole transition is the mechanism of energy transfer between Bi3+→Eu3+; X-rays may successfully stimulate the phosphor, and the spectral distribution of XEL and PL is basically the same; The introduction of an appropriate amount of Bi3+ is also beneficial to improving the sensitivity of XEL; Changes in temperature affect the sample's emission intensity; In addition, the samples remain stable for an extended period while being continuously exposed to X-rays at various environmental temperatures. The a forementioned findings suggest that the phosphor has potential use value in the lighting industry, X-ray imaging and temperature sensor.

Influence of Lanthanum-Doped Tungsten Wire Drawing Process on Microstructure and Properties.

A reasonable preparation processing of Lanthanum-doped tungsten wire plays a decisive role in the final properties of the wire. This paper gives the optimum drawing process parameters of lanthanum-doped tungsten wire with φ1.00 mm-φ0.50 mm and explains the phenomenon of coarsening of fiber-like grains in the preparation processing of tungsten wire. The final optimum process parameters of lanthanum-doped tungsten wire are given: the temperature is 950 °C (the first pass temperature is 950 °C, and the temperature decreases by about 20 °C for each pass), the compression ratio is 15%, mold temperature is 550 °C, because of the limitation of equipment conditions, the wire drawing speed is fixed at 0.19 m/s. It is found that the fiber-like grains of the tungsten wire coarsen when the temperature is too high, and it is prone to breakage when the temperature is too low during the drawing process. When the compression ratio is too high (for example, 22%), there is a negative impact on the surface quality and the straightness of the tungsten wire. When the compression ratio is too low, the processing die time is increased, and the production cost is increased.