Ultrauniform, strong, and ductile 3D-printed titanium alloy through bifunctional alloy design.

Coarse columnar grains and heterogeneously distributed phases commonly form in metallic alloys produced by three-dimensional (3D) printing and are often considered undesirable because they can impart nonuniform and inferior mechanical properties. We demonstrate a design strategy to unlock consistent and enhanced properties directly from 3D printing. Using Ti-5Al-5Mo-5V-3Cr as a model alloy, we show that adding molybdenum (Mo) nanoparticles promotes grain refinement during solidification and suppresses the formation of phase heterogeneities during solid-state thermal cycling. The microstructural change because of the bifunctional additive results in uniform mechanical properties and simultaneous enhancement of both strength and ductility. We demonstrate how this alloy can be modified by a single component to address unfavorable microstructures, providing a pathway to achieve desirable mechanical characteristics directly from 3D printing.

Manufacturing of high strength and high conductivity copper with laser powder bed fusion.

Additive manufacturing (AM), known as 3D printing, enables rapid fabrication of geometrically complex copper (Cu) components for electrical conduction and heat management applications. However, pure Cu or Cu alloys produced by 3D printing often suffer from either low strength or low conductivity at room and elevated temperatures. Here, we demonstrate a design strategy for 3D printing of high strength, high conductivity Cu by uniformly dispersing a minor portion of lanthanum hexaboride (LaB6) nanoparticles in pure Cu through laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF). We show that trace additions of LaB6 to pure Cu results in an improved L-PBF processability, an enhanced strength, an improved thermal stability, all whilst maintaining a high conductivity. The presented strategy could expand the applicability of 3D printed Cu components to more demanding conditions where high strength, high conductivity and thermal stability are required.

A Bibliometric Analysis of Uveitis in the Past 20 Years.

PURPOSE: To assess the quantity and quality of global research on uveitis, visualize the research hotspots, and reveal the study trends in uveitis. METHODS: This bibliometric analysis was performed with the data obtained from the Web of Science core collection (WoSCC) database and Scopus. Bibliometrix and VOSviewer were used to analyze and visualize study trends and hotspots. Citespace was used to conduct the cooperation and co-citation network analysis. RESULTS: A total of 5837 and 7195 documents were exported for further analysis in WoSCC and Scopus, respectively. The USA has published the most articles related to uveitis (1627, 27.87%, WoS; 1979, 27.51%, Scopus) and accounted for the most frequency of total citations (42345 times total citations 35 900 times without self-citations in WoSCC database). Most of the papers focusing on uveitis were published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation (761, 13.04% within WoS; 793, 11.02% within Scopus). Additionally, novel biotherapy is the hotspot of uveitis research which also may be a sustained research interest in the future. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing trend of publications was found in uveitis research. The USA was the leading contributor in this field, and it was the center of cooperation network. Our study provided an overview of uveitis research, which may serve as a valuable reference and guide for stakeholders interested in uveitis.

Pulsatilla saponin D regulates ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 3 (RAC3) to overcome resistance to paclitaxel in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Paclitaxel, a tubulin-binding agent, is a Food and Drug Administration-approved first-line drug for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), for both squamous and non-squamous cell lung carcinoma, with paclitaxel/carboplatin + bevacizumab a common chemotherapy regimen for stage IV non-squamous NSCLC; however, primary or acquired resistance to paclitaxel is gradually increasing, leading to treatment failure. METHODS: Our results show that Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 3 (RAC3) is overexpressed in cultured paclitaxel-resistant cells and that RAC3 expression levels are negatively correlated with sensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma cells to paclitaxel. Pulsatilla saponin D could inhibit RAC3 expression, and we hypothesize that it may block paclitaxel resistance. Further, we found that treatment with paclitaxel combined with Pulsatilla saponin D, can overcome lung adenocarcinoma cell resistance to paclitaxel alone in cell culture and mouse xenograft models.

Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' Flower Formation and Flowering in the Current Year.

The perennial woody plant Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' is of great research value due to its unique mechanism of flower development that occurs in the current year, resulting in decorative flowers that can be enjoyed for a relatively long period of time. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of current-year flower development in H. arborescens 'Annabelle' are still not fully understood. In this study, we conducted an associated analysis to explore the core regulating network in H. arborescens 'Annabelle' by combining phenological observations, physiological assays, and transcriptome comparisons across seven flower developmental stages. Through this analysis, we constructed a gene co-expression network (GCN) based on the highest reciprocal rank (HRR), using 509 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified from seven flowering-related pathways, as well as the biosynthesis of eight flowering-related phytohormones and signal transduction in the transcriptomic analysis. According to the analysis of the GCN, we identified 14 key genes with the highest functional connectivity that played critical roles in specific development stages. We confirmed that 135 transcription factors (AP2/ERF, bHLH, CO-like, GRAS, MIKC, SBP, WRKY) were highly co-expressed with the 14 key genes, indicating their close associations with the development of current-year flowers. We further proposed a hypothetical model of a gene regulatory network for the development of the whole flower. This model suggested that the photoperiod, aging, and gibberellin pathways, along with the phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), brassinosteroid (BR), and jasmonic acid (JA), work synergistically to promote the floral transition. Additionally, auxin, GA, JA, ABA, and salicylic acid (SA) regulated the blooming process by involving the circadian clock. Cytokinin (CTK), ethylene (ETH), and SA were key regulators that affected flower senescence. Additionally, several floral integrators (HaLFY, HaSOC1-2, HaAP1, HaFULL, HaAGL24, HaFLC, etc.) were dominant contributors to the development of H. arborescens flowers. Overall, this research provides a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic mechanism underlying the entire process of current-year flower development, thereby offering valuable insights for further studies on the flower development of H. arborescens 'Annabelle'.

3D microscopy at the nanoscale reveals unexpected lattice rotations in deformed nickel.

In polycrystalline metals, plastic deformation is accompanied by lattice rotations resulting from dislocation glide. Following these rotations in three dimensions requires nondestructive methods that so far have been limited to grain sizes at the micrometer scale. We tracked the rotations of individual grains in nanograined nickel by using three-dimensional orientation mapping in a transmission electron microscope before and after in situ nanomechanical testing. Many of the larger-size grains underwent unexpected lattice rotations, which we attributed to a reversal of rotation during unloading. This inherent reversible rotation originated from a back stress-driven dislocation slip process that was more active for larger grains. These results provide insights into the fundamental deformation mechanisms of nanograined metals and will help to guide strategies for material design and engineering applications.

Current status and progress of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair: A review.

After 30 years of development, laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) has become the main method for treating adult inguinal hernia. LIHR is more standardized, the approach of single-port laparoscopic hernioplasty, the advantages of robotic inguinal hernioplasty, the application of new patches and the selection of surgical methods for different populations have become the focus and difficulty of current research. This article summarized the research progress of LIHR in recent years. Different keywords and phrases including inguinal hernia, LIHR, transabdominal laparoscopic preperitoneal hernia repair, and total extraperitoneal hernia repair were used to search the PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Web of Science databases for related original and review articles that serve the aim of this article well, which was to perform a nonsystematic review of the development, progress, and current status of LIHR.

The association between glaucoma and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and elderly Chinese people: results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: This population-based, prospective cohort study investigated the association between glaucoma and mortality in older adults. METHODS: Participants aged 45 years or older at baseline (47.9% male) were enrolled in 2011 for the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). All-cause mortality was observed during 7 years of follow-up. The baseline data were collected in the 2011 CHARLS, and participants were followed up for 7 years (until 2018). The risk of all-cause mortality was investigated using Cox proportional-hazards regression with age as the time scale, adjusting for significant risk factors and comorbid conditions. RESULTS: Among the 14,803 participants included, the risk of all-cause death was significantly higher among people with glaucoma than among those without glaucoma, after adjustment for other confounders (hazard ratio [HR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 2.03). In a subgroup analysis based on the mean age of death, among those who were 75 years and older (n=1,231), the risk of all-cause death was significantly higher in patients with glaucoma than in those without glaucoma (HR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.89). CONCLUSIONS: Participants with glaucoma had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, especially those aged 75 years and above. Our findings revealed potential mechanisms underlying an association between glaucoma and all-cause mortality. They also highlighted the importance of glaucoma management to prevent premature death in middle-aged and older adults.

NPRA promotes fatty acid metabolism and proliferation of gastric cancer cells by binding to PPARα.

Among cancers, gastric cancer (GC) ranks third globally in morbidity and mortality, particularly in East Asia. Natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPRA), a receptor for guanylate cyclase, plays important roles in regulating water and sodium balance. Recent studies have suggested that NPRA is involved in tumorigenesis, but its role in GC development remains unclear. Herein, we showed that the expression level of NPRA was positively correlated with gastric tumor size and clinical stage. Patients with high NPRA expression had a lower five-year survival rate than those with low expression, and NPRA was identified as an independent predictor of GC prognosis. NPRA knockdown suppressed GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. NPRA overexpression enhanced cell malignant behavior. Immunohistochemistry of collected tumor samples showed that tumors with high NPRA expression had higher peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) levels. In vivo and in vitro studies showed that NPRA promotes fatty acid oxidation and tumor cell metastasis. Co-IP showed that NPRA binds to PPARα and prevents PPARα degradation. PPARα upregulation under NPRA protection activates arnitine palmitoyl transferase 1B (CPT1B) to promote fatty acid oxidation. In this study, new mechanisms by which NPRA promotes the development of GC and new regulatory mechanisms of PPARα were identified.

Contribution of CKD to mortality in middle-aged and elderly people with diabetes: the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study : CKD was a chronic stressor for diabetics.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to mortality in diabetic patients is unclear. This study aimed to explore the association between diabetics with CKD and mortality in middle-aged and elderly people of different ages. METHODS: Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, including 1,715 diabetic individuals, 13.1% of whom also had CKD. Diabetes and CKD were assessed by combining the physical measurements and self-reports. We fitted Cox proportional hazards regression models to examine the effect of diabetics with CKD on mortality in middle-aged and elderly people. The risk factors for death were further predicted based on age stratification. RESULTS: The mortality rate of diabetic patients with CKD (29.3%) was increased as compared to that of diabetic patients without CKD (12.4%). Diabetics with CKD were at a higher risk of all-cause mortality than those without CKD, with a hazard ratio of 1.921 (95% CI: 1.438, 2.566). Additionally, for participants 45 to 67 years of age, the hazard ratio was 2.530 (95% CI: 1.624, 3.943). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggested that, for diabetics, CKD was a chronic stressor that led to death in middle-aged and elderly people, especially among participants aged 45 to 67 years.

Preserving or peeling the inferior mesenteric arterial sheath during laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery: a prospective study of surgical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: We mainly evaluated whether preserving the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) sheath to dissecting IMA root lymph nodes (also called No.253 lymph nodes) would benefit patients in terms of comparable lymph-node yield removed during operation and postoperative complications in laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. METHODS: This is a prospective study included 141 rectal cancer patients who received laparoscopic radical resection during September 2018 to December 2020. All patients were randomly assigned to the preserved group (n = 71) and the peeled group (n = 70). The baseline characteristics, pathological features, intraoperative and postoperative data outcomes and complications were analyzed by independent samples t test, chi-square test or Fisher's exact test between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The baseline characteristic and pathological features had no statistical difference between the 2 groups. The preserved group had a shorter operative time (P = 0.002), a shorter lymph node dissection time (P < 0.001), less intraoperative bleeding (P = 0.004), an earlier time to first flatus (P = 0.013), an earlier time to fluid intake (P = 0.033) and a shorter length of hospitalization (P = 0.012) than the peeled group. The differences between the 2 groups were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) in regard to the total number of lymph nodes cleared, positive lymph nodes, bleeding, anastomotic leakage, pneumonia, wound infection, abscess, ileus, urinary retention, urinary tract infection and chyle leakage. CONCLUSION: Preserving of the IMA sheath in laparoscopic radical surgery for rectal cancer will reduce the total operation time and the length of hospitalization. This surgical method could lead to lower complication rate and faster recovery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College and registered by the China Clinical Trials Registry (ChiCTR2200060830, Date of Registration:2022-06-12 -retrospective registration) http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx .

Newly discovered mechanisms that mediate tumorigenesis and tumour progression: circRNA-encoded proteins.

Proteins produced by cap-independent translation mediated by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in circular RNAs (circRNAs) play important roles in tumour progression. To date, numerous studies have been performed on circRNAs and the proteins they encode. In this review, we summarize the biogenesis of circRNAs and the mechanisms regulating circRNA-encoded proteins expression. We also describe relevant research methods and their applications to biological processes such as tumour cell proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, autophagy and chemoresistance. This paper offers deeper insights into the roles that circRNA-encoded proteins play in tumours. It also provides a theoretical basis for the use of circRNA-encoded proteins as biomarkers of tumorigenesis and for the development of new targets for tumour therapy.

The association between obesity and glaucoma in older adults: evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the association between obesity and glaucoma in middle-aged and older people. A population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. METHODS: Glaucoma was assessed via self-reports. Multivariate logistic regression analysis and a Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess the relationship between obesity and glaucoma risk. RESULTS: Older males living in urban areas who were single, smokers, and non-drinkers were found to have a significantly higher incidence of glaucoma (all p<0.05). Diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease were also associated with higher glaucoma risk, while dyslipidemia was associated with lower risk (all p<0.05). After the model was adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and health-related variables, obesity was significantly associated with a 10.2% decrease in glaucoma risk according to the Cox proportional hazards model (hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 0.97) and an 11.8% risk reduction in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80 to 0.97). A further subgroup analysis showed that obesity was associated with a reduced risk of glaucoma in people living in rural areas, in smokers, and in those with kidney disease (all p<0.05). Obesity also reduced glaucoma risk in people with diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia more than in healthy controls (all p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This cohort study suggests that obesity was associated with a reduced risk of glaucoma, especially in rural residents, smokers, and people with kidney disease. Obesity exerted a stronger protective effect in people with diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia than in healthy people.

[Plasma amino acids levels in 1859 physical examination subjects in Hangzhou City in 2020].

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between fasting plasma amino acids and obesity in the physical examination population. METHODS: A total of 1859 persons who underwent physical examination in the Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January to December 2020 were enrolled. Fasting plasma amino acids concentrations and body fat ratio(BFR) were respectively determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS) and Inbody instrument. According to body mass index and gender grouping, Python language was used for data analysis and graphic visualization to explore the relationship between body mass index, gender and plasma amino acids levels. RESULTS: The plasma levels of glycine, serine and asparagine in the overweight and obesity groups were significantly lower than those in the normal group, especially the levels in the obesity group were lower than those in the overweight group in males(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in plasma levels of lysine, tryptophan, arginine and hydroxyproline among normal, overweight and obesity groups(P>0.05). The plasma levels of leucine, valine, tyrosine, phenylalanine(in males), isoleucine(in females) and alanine in the overweight and obesity groups were significantly higher than those in the normal group, and the levels in the obesity group were higher than those in the overweight group except alanine(P<0.05). BFR was positively correlated with body mass index. BFR in females increased significantly with age after 50 years old(P<0.05). CONCLUTION: The rate of overweight and obesity among the health screening population is high.

The role of noncoding RNAs in cancer lipid metabolism.

Research on noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) is mostly and broadly focused on microRNAs (miRNAs), cyclic RNAs (circRNAs), and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), which have been confirmed to play important roles in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Specifically, recent studies have shown that ncRNAs contribute to tumorigenesis and tumor development by mediating changes in enzymes related to lipid metabolism. The purpose of this review is to discuss the characterized ncRNAs involved in the lipid metabolism of tumors to highlight ncRNA-mediated lipid metabolism-related enzyme expression in malignant tumors and its importance to tumor development. In this review, we describe the types of ncRNA and the mechanism of tumor lipid metabolism and analyze the important role of ncRNA in tumor lipid metabolism and its future prospects from the perspectives of ncRNA biological function and lipid metabolic enzyme classification. However, several critical issues still need to be resolved. Because ncRNAs can affect tumor processes by regulating lipid metabolism enzymes, in the future, we can study the unique role of ncRNAs from four aspects: disease prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Therefore, in the future, the development of ncRNA-targeted therapy will become a hot direction and shoulder a major task in the medical field.

Reliability-Based Design Analysis for FRP Reinforced Compression Yield Beams.

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) provide promising prospects for replacing steel bars in traditional reinforced concrete structures. However, the use of FRP as tension bars in concrete beams leads to insufficient ductility because of its elastic characteristics. A newly developed compression-yielding (CY) beam has successfully solved this issue. Instead of tensile reinforcement yield, the ductile deformation of a CY beam is realized by the compression yield of a CY block in the compressive region. Another important feature is that the CY block is also the fuse of the beam, where material damage to the beam is concentrated in the CY block region and can be easily replaced. As a load-bearing recoverable and ductile structure, it is necessary to conduct a reliability-based design analysis and recommend reduction factors for this new structure. In this study, the function for calculating the failure probability of CY beams is proposed, semi-probabilistic design recommendations are presented, and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is adopted as a reliability analysis method. This study discusses the influence of the possible characteristics of the critical variables on reliability and provides the reliability index with different reduction factors to guide the design of the CY beam. These analyses indicate that the reliability index can be improved from the material design of the CY block in greater strength fb, smaller depth, smaller coefficient of variation of fb, and yield modulus ratio ξ. This study also shows that compared with the design of FRP concrete beams, the ductile failure mode of the CY beams allows a lower safety factor to meet safety requirements, which significantly reduces construction costs and avoids over-designing the load-bearing capacity.

Effects of low-carbohydrate vs low-fat diets on weight loss and metabolic risk factors in obese/overweight individuals with impaired glucose regulation: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) versus low-fat diet (LFD) on weight loss, glycemic control and metabolic risk factors in individuals with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) after 10-week intervention. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: In this 10-week randomized controlled trial, 90 obese/overweight adults with IGR were randomly assigned to consume either low-carbohydrate diet (20%-25% energy from carbohydrates, 30%-45% energy from fat, 40%-45% en-ergy from protein), or low-fat diet (40%-55% energy from carbohydrates, 20%-30% energy from fat, 20%-30% energy from protein), or heath education (HE) group. The anthropometry and body composition were collected at baseline, week 4, week 8 and week 10. The glycemia and metabolic indicators were assessed at baseline and week 10. RESULTS: A total of 69 participants (mean±SE age: 39.2±1.0 years, 72.5% women) completed the intervention and were included in the final analysis. At week 10, all three groups presented similar mean reduction in weight (LCD: 5.80±0.6 kg; LFD: 6.36±0.57 kg; HE: 4.49±0.98 kg), and fasting blood glucose (LCD: 0.73±0.13 mmol/L; LFD: 0.84±0.17 mmol/L; HE: 0.58±0.14 mmol/L). Additionally, there were no differences in the improvements of TG and liver function markers between diets, the low-fat diet exhibited more favorable effects on TC level. CONCLUSIONS: Both diets achieved similar weight loss, fasting glucose, and insulin reduction in short-term, suggesting each diet pattern could be an effective strategy for the prediabetes management.

Designing against phase and property heterogeneities in additively manufactured titanium alloys.

Additive manufacturing (AM) creates digitally designed parts by successive addition of material. However, owing to intrinsic thermal cycling, metallic parts produced by AM almost inevitably suffer from spatially dependent heterogeneities in phases and mechanical properties, which may cause unpredictable service failures. Here, we demonstrate a synergistic alloy design approach to overcome this issue in titanium alloys manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. The key to our approach is in-situ alloying of Ti-6Al-4V (in weight per cent) with combined additions of pure titanium powders and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles. This not only enables in-situ elimination of phase heterogeneity through diluting V concentration whilst introducing small amounts of Fe, but also compensates for the strength loss via oxygen solute strengthening. Our alloys achieve spatially uniform microstructures and mechanical properties which are superior to those of Ti-6Al-4V. This study may help to guide the design of other alloys, which not only overcomes the challenge inherent to the AM processes, but also takes advantage of the alloy design opportunities offered by AM.

A prospective study of specimen eversion to lateral rectum and valgus resection for low rectal cancer.

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of a reverse puncture device (RPD) and specimen eversion of the rectum for resection in total laparoscopic proctectomy. Methods: In a prospective study from August 2019 to March 2021, 40 patients underwent a procedure with an RPD and specimen eversion of the rectum for total laparoscopic low rectal cancer resection, that is natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES), were included in the NOSES group. Forty patients in the control group underwent conventional laparoscopic radical resection for low rectal cancer and were included in the LAP group. Intraoperative- and postoperative-related indicators, recovery and inflammatory factors, quality of life (QOL) and mental health were compared. Results: All operations were successfully completed. Compared with the LAP group, the NOSES group showed better short-term outcomes, such as time to eating, postoperative pain, and especially postoperative incision-related complications. At the same time, postoperative inflammatory factor levels, psychological trauma, life-related anxiety and depression scores, and QOL were better in the NOSES group than in the LAP group. Conclusions: The application of an RPD and specimen eversion of the rectum for total laparoscopic low rectal cancer resection is a technically feasible and safe approach with a short-term curative effect.