Supercritical CO2 Foaming of Radiation Cross-Linked Isotactic Polypropylene in the Presence of TAIC.

Since the maximum foaming temperature window is only about 4 °C for supercritical CO2 (scCO2) foaming of pristine polypropylene, it is important to raise the melt strength of polypropylene in order to more easily achieve scCO2 foaming. In this work, radiation cross-linked isotactic polypropylene, assisted by the addition of a polyfunctional monomer (triallylisocyanurate, TAIC), was employed in the scCO2 foaming process in order to understand the benefits of radiation cross-linking. Due to significantly enhanced melt strength and the decreased degree of crystallinity caused by cross-linking, the scCO2 foaming behavior of polypropylene was dramatically changed. The cell size distribution, cell diameter, cell density, volume expansion ratio, and foaming rate of radiation-cross-linked polypropylene under different foaming conditions were analyzed and compared. It was found that radiation cross-linking favors the foamability and formation of well-defined cell structures. The optimal absorbed dose with the addition of 2 wt % TAIC was 30 kGy. Additionally, the foaming temperature window was expanded to about 8 °C, making the handling of scCO2 foaming of isotactic polypropylene much easier.

Association of genetic loci for migraine susceptibility in the she people of China.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of the genotype and allele frequencies of the polymorphisms rs4379368, rs10504861, rs10915437, rs12134493 and rs13208321 in She people of China with migraine headache susceptibility. The five alleles were previously identified as being associated with migraine in a Western population, but it was not known if this association would hold in a She population. rs4379368 is in the succinic HMG coenzyme A transferase (C7orf10) gene; rs10504861 is near the matrix metallopeptidase 16 (MMP16) gene; rs10915437 is near the adherens junctions associated protein 1 (AJAP1) gene; rs12134493 is upstream of the tetraspanin 2 (TSPAN2) gene; and rs13208321 is within the four and a half LIM domains protein 5 (FHL5) gene. METHODS: This was a case-controlled study conducted in She people of Fujian province in China. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and direct sequencing were performed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the association of the different genotypes of each SNP with migraine. RESULTS: The rs4379368 T allele was not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and was more common than the C allele in subjects with migraine (58.7 %; P = 0.049), possibly suggesting a selection bias for T allele in this population. In support of this, the CT and TT genotypes were more frequent in the migraine compared with the control groups (54.0 % and 31.7 % vs. 48.0 % and 28.7 %, respectively; P = 0.019). These genotypes were also more common in females with migraines than females without migraines (53.8 % and 30.9 % vs. 46.7 % and 27.6 %; P = 0.026). Univariate and multivariate analyses found the CC genotype of rs4379368 and AA or AG genotype of rs13208321 were associated with a reduced risk of migraine (P values ≤0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that rs4379368 and rs13208321 are potential genetic markers for migraine in this She population. The findings of this study and others indicate important differences between ethnic populations in regard to genetic markers of migraine susceptibility.

Malignant proliferative ependymoma of the neck with lymph node metastasis: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Malignant proliferating trichilemmal tumor (MPTT) is an infrequent malignant neoplasm originating from cutaneous appendages, with only a handful of documented cases. This report delineates a unique instance of MPTT situated in the neck, accompanied by lymph node metastasis. A comprehensive exposition of its clinical trajectory and imaging manifestation is presented, aiming to enhance comprehension and management of this atypical ailment. CASE SUMMARY: Patient concerns: A 79-year-old male presented with a longstanding right neck mass persisting for over six decades, exhibiting recent enlargement over the past year. Diagnoses: Enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the neck unveiled an elliptical mass on the right neck side, characterized by an ill-defined border and a heterogeneous signal pattern. The mass exhibited subdued signal intensity on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and a heterogeneous high signal on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), interspersed with a lengthy T1 and T2 cystic signal motif. Close anatomical association with the submandibular gland joint was noted, and intravenous gadolinium diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid administration facilitated conspicuous enhancement. Substantial enhancement of the solid segment prompted an initial preoperative diagnosis of malignant nerve sheath tumor. However, post-surgery histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis conclusively confirmed the diagnosis as malignant hyperplastic external hair root sheath tumor. Intervention: Complete excision of the tumor was successfully executed. Outcomes: The patient experienced a favorable postoperative recovery. CONCLUSION: Malignant proliferative trichilemmal tumor external hair root sheath tumor is a cystic-solid lesion, appearing as low signal on T1WI images or high signal on T2WI with enhancement of the solid component. Suspicions of malignancy are heightened when the tumor border is indistinct, tissue planes are breached, or when linear or patchy high signals are observed in the subcutaneous tissue on T1 liver acquisition with volume acceleration enhanced images along with intermediate signal on T2WI and restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging images. Strong consideration for malignancy should arise if there are signs of compromised adjacent tissue relationships or direct invasion evident on imaging. We have incorporated the above-mentioned content into the entire manuscript.

Prevalence of migraine in Han Chinese of Fujian province: An epidemiological study.

Migraine is a relatively common disease that is associated with high disability and reduced quality-of-life. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, epidemiological characteristics, and risk factors of migraine in Han Chinese from Fujian Province, China.A cross-sectional epidemiological survey study was conducted to evaluate characteristics of migraine in Han Chinese. Demographic and clinical data were collected through a survey administered in face-to-face interviews by trained investigators, and a physical exam and symptom review were performed. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to assess independent risk factors for migraine.A total of 7860 subjects aged 15 years and older were surveyed, of which 9.1% (n = 717) were diagnosed with migraine. Among these, a higher percentage was female (12.6%) than male (5.3%). Only 114 subjects (15.9%) were diagnosed as having migraine with aura, which was closely associated with family history of migraine. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the odds of migraine were significantly lower in subjects aged ≥50 years compared with those aged <30 years (odds ratio [OR] ranged from 0.40 to 0.64; P ≤.013) and was higher in females compared with males (OR = 2.89, P <.001). The odds of migraine was significantly greater in subjects with a history of alcohol consumption (OR = 1.81, P <.00) and insomnia (OR = 2.77, P <.001).Han Chinese in Fujian province has a relatively high prevalence of migraine, and female gender, <50 years of age, insomnia, and use of alcohol are associated with increased odds of having migraine in this population.

Immunosuppressive effect of sinomenine in an allergic rhinitis mouse model.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a chronic allergic airway disease that has become a significant global public health issue. Sinomenine (SN), a natural phytochemical found in Sinomenium acutum, showed anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effect in previous studies. In order to explore the role of SN in the treatment of AR, mice were sensitized and challenged by ovalbumin (OVA) to establish an AR mouse model. SN was administered to AR mice orally, and compared with dexamethasone treatment as a positive control. Nasal symptoms and histopathological changes were used to evaluate the effect of SN treatment in the AR mice model. In addition, the levels of anti-OVA specific IgE and various cytokines in the serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while the levels of transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) in the mucosa were also detected by western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. AR mice that received SN treatment had reduced symptom scores and milder eosinophil infiltration. The serum levels of anti-OVA specific IgE and interleukin-4 significantly decreased following SN treatment. Furthermore, TGF-ß expression levels in the serum and nasal mucosa tissue in AR mice increased when compared with those in AR mice without treatment. In conclusion, SN treatment alleviated the symptoms of AR in mice and had an immunosuppressive effect on AR, which may result from the upregulation of TGF-ß.

Long non-coding RNA XIST exerts oncogenic functions in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting miR-34a-5p.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactivate-specific transcript (XIST) has been verified as an oncogenic gene in several human malignant tumors, and its dysregulation was closed associated with tumor initiation, development and progression. Nevertheless, whether the aberrant expression of XIST in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is corrected with malignancy, metastasis or prognosis has not been elaborated. Here, we discovered that XIST was up-regulated in NPC tissues and higher expression of XIST contributed to a markedly poorer survival time. In addition, multivariate analysis demonstrated XIST was an independent risk factor for prognosis. XIST over-expression enhanced, while XIST silencing hampered the cell growth in NPC. Additionally, mechanistic analysis revealed that XIST up-regulated the expression of miR-34a-5p targeted gene E2F3 through acting as a competitive 'sponge' of miR-34a-5p. Taking all into account, we concluded that XIST functioned as an oncogene in NPC through up-regulating E2F3 in part through 'spongeing' miR-34a-5p.