Stability and performance investigation using different electrode configurations and electrolyte compositions in an oxyhydrogen gas generator.

This study aimed to develop an efficient HHO generator with higher gas production, enhanced electrodes, and stable current density. For HHO generator stack fabrication, 15 plates of 304L stainless steel were utilized, accompanied with a 4 mm rubber separator to maintain the gap between electrodes. Each plate in the stack was connected a separate wire through lug spot welding, enabling the assembly of different configurations for testing.

Radiomics of pericoronary adipose tissue on computed tomography angiography predicts coronary heart disease in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Diabetes is a common chronic metabolic disease. The progression of the disease promotes vascular inflammation and the formation of atherosclerosis, leading to cardiovascular disease. The coronary artery perivascular adipose tissue attenuation index based on CCTA is a new noninvasive imaging biomarker that reflects the spatial changes in perivascular adipose tissue attenuation in CCTA images and the inflammation around the coronary arteries.

Molecular Characterization and Virus-Induced Gene Silencing of a Collagen Gene, , in Root-Knot Nematode .

, a highly pathogenic root-knot nematode species, causes serious damage to agricultural production worldwide. Collagen is an important part of the nematode epidermis, which is crucial for nematode shape maintenance, motility, and reproduction. In this study, we report that a novel collagen gene, from the highly pathogenic root-knot nematode species was required for the egg formation of this pathogen.

Regulation of the macrophage-hepatic stellate cell interaction by targeting macrophage peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma to prevent non-alcoholic steatohepatitis progression in mice.

Background & Aims: Macrophages display remarkable plasticity and can interact with surrounding cells to affect hepatic immunity and tissue remodelling during the progression of liver diseases. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays a critical role in macrophage maturation, polarization and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the role of PPARγ in macrophage-hepatic stellate cell (HSC) interaction during non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development.

Genome-wide analysis of methylation CpG sites in gene promoters identified four pairs of CpGs-mRNAs associated with lung adenocarcinoma prognosis.

Background: Activation of oncogenes through promoter hypomethylation and silencing of tumor suppressor genes induced by promoter hypermethylation played essential roles in the progression of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This study aimed to identify the LUAD prognostic CpG sites and the regulated genes which contributed to LUAD progression.

Methods: Methylation profiles from TCGA and GSE60645 were used to screen the differentially methylated CpGs.

Miniaturized soft centrifugal pumps with magnetic levitation for fluid handling.

Centrifugal pumps are essential mechanical components for liquid delivery in many biomedical systems whose miniaturization can promote innovative disease treatment approaches. However, centrifugal pumps are predominately constructed by rigid and bulky components. Here, we combine the soft materials and flexible electronics to achieve soft magnetic levitation micropumps (SMLMs) that are only 1.

Energy Loss and Radial Force Variation Caused by Impeller Trimming in a Double-Suction Centrifugal Pump.

Impeller trimming is an economical method for broadening the range of application of a given pump, but it can destroy operational stability and efficiency. In this study, entropy production theory was utilized to analyze the variation of energy loss caused by impeller trimming based on computational fluid dynamics. Experiments and numerical simulations were conducted to investigate the energy loss and fluid-induced radial forces.

Genetic Variants Were Associated With the Prognosis of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma.

As the sixth most common cancer of worldwide, head and neck cancers (HNC) are springing from oral cavity, pharynx and larynx and there is no strong biomarker for prognosis. Rates of 5 years survival with HNC remain relatively low in decades with improvement of treatments. Evidence that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play a part in cancer prognosis is growing.

A critical role of the K 3.1 channel in mechanical stretch-induced proliferation of rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Mechanical stimulation is an important factor regulating mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) functions such as proliferation. The Ca -activated K channel, K 3.1, is critically engaged in MSC proliferation but its role in mechanical regulation of MSC proliferation remains unknown.

Systematic analyses of genetic variants in chromatin interaction regions identified four novel lung cancer susceptibility loci.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported 45 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that may contribute to the susceptibility of lung cancer, with the majority in non-coding regions. However, no study has ever systematically evaluated the association between SNPs in physical chromatin interaction regions and lung cancer risk. In this study, we integrated the chromatin interaction information (Hi-C data) of lung cancer cell line and conducted a meta-analysis with two Asian GWASs (7,127 cases and 6,818 controls) to evaluate the association of potentially functional SNPs in chromatin interaction regions with lung cancer risk.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number is associated with risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese population.

Mitochondria show the special role in cellular bioenergy and many essential physiological activities. Previous researches have suggested that variations of mitochondrial DNA copy number contribute to development of different types of carcinomas. However, the relationship of mtDNA copy number in peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) with the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is still inconclusive.

ATG12 expression quantitative trait loci associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma risk in a Chinese Han population.

Autophagy is an essential process to maintain cellular homeostasis and functions, which has been demonstrated to play an important role in the different stages of tumorigenesis. To evaluate whether the genetic variants in autophagy-related genes influence the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) risk, we conducted a case-control study to analyze 11 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of three core autophagosome formation genes (ATG5, ATG12, and ATG16L1) with 576 HNSCC cases and 1552 healthy controls among Chinese population. Finally, we identified that rs26537 of ATG12 (additive model: adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.

Cervical Infection of Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Types in Beijing, China.

Objective: This study was designed to determine the prevalence of oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV) in cervical infections in Beijing, China, and to investigate the odds ratio (OR) of HPV single and multiple infections in abnormal cytology.

Methods: A total of 19,018 specimens from outpatients in the department of obstetric and gynecology were collected. They were detected using high-risk HPV genotyping real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit and analyzed by ThinPrep cytology test for cervical pathological diagnosis.

Evaluation of a CD25-specific immunotoxin for prevention of graft-versus-host disease after unrelated marrow transplantation.

Donor T cells activated by recipient alloantigens cause graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after hematopoietic cell transplantation. Activated T cells express CD25, among other components of the interleukin-2 receptor. We conducted a phase I/II study to determine whether administration of CD25-specific antibody conjugated to ricin toxin A could reduce the risk of grade III or IV GVHD after marrow transplantation from HLA-matched unrelated donors.