A Multi-Curvature Soft Gripper Based on Segmented Variable Stiffness Structure Inspired by Snake Scales.

In atypical industrial settings, soft grippers needed to adjust to different object shapes. Existing grabbers typically accommodated only single-curvature, fixed-stiffness objects, restricting their stability and usability. This study presents a design for a finger featuring multi-curvature, incorporating a wedge actuator alongside two variable stiffness units (VSUs) inspired by snake scales.

Chuanxiong Rhizoma regulates ferroptosis and the immune microenvironment in ischemic stroke through the JAK-STAT3 pathway.

Ferroptosis is linked to various pathological conditions; however, the specific targets and mechanisms through which traditional Chinese medicine influences ischemic stroke (IS)-induced ferroptosis remain poorly understood. In this study, data from the Gene Expression Omnibus and disease target databases (OMIM, GeneCards, DisGeNet, TTD, and DrugBank) were integrated with ferroptosis-related gene datasets. To identify key molecular targets of Chuanxiong Rhizoma (CX), drug ingredient databases, including PubChem and TCMBank, were employed to map CX-related targets (CX-DEGs-FRG and CX-IS-FRG).

Serine/threonine protein kinase mediates rifampicin resistance in through interacting with ribosomal protein RpsD and affecting antioxidant capacity.

Unlabelled: Brucellosis, a zoonotic disease, has re-emerged in both humans and animals, causing significant economic losses globally. Recently, an increasing number of rifampicin-resistant strains have been isolated worldwide without detectable mutations in known antibiotic resistance genes. Here, this study identified the deletion of serine/threonine protein kinase (STPK) gene in as an efficient trigger for rifampicin resistance using bioinformatics predictions, a transposon mutant library, and gene mutation strains.

[Electroacupuncture preconditioning prevents urticaria by regulating inflammatory response in rats with urticaria].

Objectives: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) preconditioning at "Quchi" (LI11) and "Xuehai" (SP10) in prevention of urticaria.

Methods: Twenty-four male SD rats were randomly divided into control, model and preconditioning of EA (Pre-EA) groups (8 rats/group). The urticaria model was established by intradermal injection of dilute allogeneic antioalbumin serum at the spots of the bilateral symmetry of the spine on the back, and followed by tail venous injection of mixture solution of egg albumin diluent, plus 0.

Seroprevalence and Molecular Characterization of from the Himalayan Marmot in Qinghai, China.

Objective: Brucellosis is a serious public health issue in Qinghai (QH), China. Surveying the seroprevalence and isolation of strains from marmots is key to understanding the role of wildlife in the maintenance and spread of brucellosis.

Methods: In this study, a set of methods, including a serology survey, bacteriology, antibiotic susceptibility, molecular genotyping (MLST and MLVA), and genome sequencing, were employed to characterize the two strains.

First description study on molecular characterization of Hemiclepsis khankiana (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) in China.

Background: Leeches are an integral component of aquatic biocenosis and can be found in a wide range of ecosystems such as freshwater, saltwater, flowing, and still-water ecosystems. It especially plays an important role in the freshwater benthic community and is an important part of the food web. In this study, a leech species was found in the mantle cavity of wild freshwater mussels in Zigong City, Sichuan Province, China, and its identity was determined through morphological analysis and molecular biological analysis.

Native circulating lineages causing a brucellosis epidemic in Qinghai, China.

Since 2010, the cases and incidences of human brucellosis have been increasing annually in Qinghai (QH) Province. Molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic analyses of strains from this region are crucial to better understand the transmission of the disease and the evolutionary patterns of strains. In this study, classical bio-typing assay, multilocus variable-number tandem repeat analysis, and the whole-genome sequencing-single-nucleotide polymorphism approach were used to illustrate the epidemiological and evolutionary patterns of .

[Effect of acupuncture pretreatment of "Quchi"(LI11) and "Xuehai" (SP10) on mast cells and IL-33/ST2 in rats with urticaria].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment at "Quchi "(LI11) and "Xuehai "(SP10) on expression of interleukin (IL)-33, suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (ST2) and mast cell degranulation in sensitive area of skin tissue in rats with urticaria, so as to explore its mechanisms underlying prevention of urticaria.

Methods: A total of 32 male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, EA preconditioning and medication groups, with 8 rats in each group. The urticaria model was established by topical injection of the prepared anti-ovalbumin serum (foreign serum, 0.

[Electroacupuncture preconditioning relieves cutaneous passive anaphylaxis by down-regulating IP3 mediated ROS/TRPM2 signaling pathway and inhibiting mast cell degranulation in rats with urticaria].

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) preconditioning of "Quchi" (LI11) and "Xuehai" (SP10) on mast cell (MC) degranulation, and expressions of inositol triphosphate(IP3), reactive oxygen species (ROS), transient receptor potential (TRP) M2, calmodulin (CaM) in rats with urticaria, so as to reveal its molecular mechanism under-lying improving urticaria.

Methods: Thirty-two male SD rats were randomly divided into blank control, model, preconditioning of EA (Pre-EA) and medication groups (=8 rats/group). The urticaria model was established by intradermal injection of dilute allogeneic antioalbumin serum at the spots of the bilateral symmetry of the spine on the back, and followed by tail venous injection of mixture solution of egg albumin diluent, plus 0.

Effects of Cavity Thickness and Mold Surface Roughness on the Polymer Flow during Micro Injection Molding.

In micro injection molding, the cavity thickness and surface roughness are the main effects factors of polymer flow in the die designing and affect the quality of molded products significantly. In this study, the effects of cavity thickness and roughness of cavity surface were investigated mainly on polymer flow during molding and on the roughness of molded products. The parts were molded in the cavities with the thickness from 0.

Effects of Cavity Thickness on the Replication of Micro Injection Molded Parts with Microstructure Array.

Parts with microstructure arrays have been widely used in biotechnologies and optical technologies, and their performances are affected by replication uniformity. The uniformity of the microstructure is still a challenge in micro-injection molded parts and is greatly affected by the cavity thickness and process parameters. In this study, the replication uniformity of microstructures is experimentally investigated.

Genetic characteristics of an amikacin-resistant Brucella abortus strain first isolated from Marmota himalayana.

Brucella spp. are facultative intracellular pathogens that can persistently colonize animal host cells and cause zoonotic brucellosis. Brucellosis affects public health and safety and even affects economic development.

Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the most common respiratory disease in clinic. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) lung rehabilitation has gradually been valued in the field of prevention and treatment of COPD. Acupuncture, as an important part of TCM lung rehabilitation, is carried out in clinical extensively and application.

Recent advances in high- experiments and magnetohydrodynamic instabilities with hybrid scenarios in the HL-2A Tokamak.

Over the past several years, high- experiments have been carried out on HL-2A. The high- is realized using double transport barriers (DTBs) with hybrid scenarios. A stationary high- ( ) scenario was obtained by pure neutral-beam injection (NBI) heating.

Reducing the Burn Marks on Injection-Molded Parts by External Gas-Assisted Injection Molding.

A burn mark is a sort of serious surface defect on injection-molded parts. In some cases, it can be difficult to reduce the burn marks by traditional methods. In this study, external gas-assisted injection molding (EGAIM) was introduced to reduce the burn marks, as EGAIM has been reported to reduce the holding pressure.

Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Blends in Injection Molding: A Review.

Modeling and simulation of the morphology evolution of immiscible polymer blends during injection molding is crucial for predicting and tailoring the products' performance. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art progress in the multiscale modeling and simulation of injection molding of polymer blends. Technological development of the injection molding simulation on a macroscale was surveyed in detail.

Warpage Prediction of RHCM Crystalline Parts Based on Multi-Layers.

Warpage is a typical defect for injection-molded parts, especially for crystalline parts molded by rapid heat cycle molding (RHCM). In this paper, a prediction method is proposed for predicting the warpage of crystalline parts molded by the RHCM process. Multi-layer models were established to predict warpage with the same thicknesses as the skin-core structures in the molded parts.

Molecular characteristics of Brucella melitensis isolates from humans in Qinghai Province, China.

Background: The prevalence of human brucellosis in Qinghai Province of China has been increasing rapidly, with confirmed cases distributed across 31 counties. However, the epidemiology of brucellosis transmission has not been fully elucidated. To characterize the infecting strains isolated from humans, multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeats analysis (MLVA) and whole-genome single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based approaches were employed.

A Novel Multiscale Methodology for Simulating Droplet Morphology Evolution during Injection Molding of Polymer Blends.

The morphology of polymer blends plays a critical role in determining the properties of the blends and performance of resulting injection-molded parts. However, it is currently impossible to predict the morphology evolution during injection molding and the final micro-structure of the molded parts, as the existing models for the morphology evolution of polymer blends are still limited to a few simple flow fields. To fill this gap, this paper proposed a novel model for droplet morphology evolution during the mold filling process of polymer blends by coupling the models on macro- and meso-scales.

Serum changes in pyridinoline, type II collagen cleavage neoepitope and osteocalcin in early stage male brucellosis patients.

Musculoskeletal changes are the most common clinical manifestation of brucellosis. The main objective of this study was to provide a better understanding of this disease, while also attempting to identify potential markers that can identify the early stage musculoskeletal changes associated with human brucellosis. In this case-control study, 41 male early-stage brucellosis patients (within 6 months of diagnosis) who had not received drug therapy and 44 matched controls were examined.

Significant Enhancement of the Visible Light Photocatalytic Properties in 3D BiFeO₃/Graphene Composites.

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃, BFO) submicron cubes and 3D BFO/graphene composite materials were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal process. The crystallization processes of the 3D BFO/graphene composites with different graphene oxide (GO) concentrations were studied for their visible light photocatalytic properties. Compared to the single BFO submicron cubes, 3D BFO/graphene composites have greatly improved photocatalytic activity.

The early diagnostic value of serum neopterin and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein for osteoarticular changes among brucellosis patients at an early period.

Background: Brucellosis is an important public health problem in China. Brucellosis can cause many osteoarticular changes, especially chronic brucellosis. Brucellosis presents various diagnostic difficulties because it mimics many other diseases.

An internal magnetic field strategy to reuse pulverized active materials for high performance: a magnetic three-dimensional ordered macroporous TiO/CoPt/α-FeO nanocomposite anode.

A ferromagnetic three-dimensional ordered macroporous TiO/CoPt/α-FeO (3DOMTCF) nanocomposite was synthesized via a sol-gel approach templated by poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres. After magnetization, it exhibited an extremely high reversible capacity and a long cycle life, which were ascribed to the internal magnetic field for reusing pulverized active materials and its unique structure.