A General Deep Learning Method for Computing Molecular Parameters of a Viscoelastic Constitutive Model by Solving an Inverse Problem.

Prediction of molecular parameters and material functions from the macroscopic viscoelastic properties of complex fluids are of great significance for molecular and formulation design in fundamental research as well as various industrial applications. A general learning method for computing molecular parameters of a viscoelastic constitutive model by solving an inverse problem is proposed. The accuracy, convergence and robustness of a deep neural network (DNN)-based numerical solver have been validated by considering the Rolie-Poly model for modeling the linear and non-linear steady rheometric properties of entangled polymer solutions in a wide range of concentrations.

Time-Concentration Superposition for Linear Viscoelasticity of Polymer Solutions.

The concentration dependence of linear viscoelastic properties of polymer solutions is a well-studied topic in polymer physics. Dynamic scaling theories allow qualitative predictions of polymer solution rheology, but quantitative predictions are still limited to model polymers. Meanwhile, the scaling properties of non-model polymer solutions must be determined experimentally.

Concentration Scaling on Linear Viscoelastic Properties of Cellular Suspensions and Effects of Equilibrium Phase Behavior.

Concentration scaling on linear viscoelastic properties of cellular suspensions has been studied by rheometric characterisation of suspensions and human blood in a wide range of volume fraction under small amplitude oscillatory shear experiments. The rheometric characterisation results are analysed by the time-concentration superposition (TCS) principle and show a power law scaling of characteristic relaxation time, plateau modulus and the zero-shear viscosity over the concentration ranges studied. The results show that the concentration effect of suspensions on their elasticity is much stronger than that of human blood due to its strong cellular interactions and a high aspect ratio.

Positive association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgA nephropathy patients.

Background: α-1,6 Fucosyltransferase (FUT8) appears to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis. However, it remained unknown whether FUT8 also contributed to renal fibrosis in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). In the present study, we explored the association of serum FUT8 activity with renal tubulointerstitial injury in IgAN patients.

A Microfluidic Prototype for High-Frequency, Large Strain Oscillatory Flow Rheometry.

We introduce a "Rheo-chip" prototypical rheometer which is able to characterise model fluids under oscillatory flow at frequencies up to 80 Hz and nominal strain up to 350, with sample consumption of less than 1 mL, and with minimum inertial effects. Experiments carried out with deionized (DI) water demonstrate that the amplitude of the measured pressure drop ΔPM falls below the Newtonian prediction at f≥ 3 Hz. By introducing a simple model which assumes a linear dependence between the back force and the dead volume within the fluid chambers, the frequency response of both ΔPM and of the phase delay could be modeled more efficiently.

Blocking stanniocalcin 2 reduces sunitinib resistance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) has been identified as a prognostic marker in renal cell carcinoma. However, the role of STC2 in renal cell carcinoma is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between high expression of STC2 and sunitinib resistance in cells and the underlying mechanism.

[Predictive value of comprehensive preoperative evaluation for the outcome of TURP].

Objective: To evaluate preoperative comprehensive examinations of the IPSS-voiding to storage subscore ratio (IPSS-V/S), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), intravesical prostatic protrusion (IPP) and postvoid residual urine volume (PVR) in predicting the outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for BPH.

Methods: This retrospective study included 103 cases of BPH treated by TURP in Yixing People's Hospital from December 2018 to December 2019. The patients averaged 71.

A Predicted Stem Loop in Coat Protein-Coding Sequence of Tobacco Vein Banding Mosaic Virus Is Required for Efficient Replication.

Potyviral coat protein (CP) is involved in the replication and movement of potyviruses. However, little information is available on the roles of CP-coding sequence in potyviral infection. Here, we introduced synonymous substitutions to the codon CGC coding conserved residue arginine at position 192 (R) of tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) CP.

Cluster Percolation Causes Shear Thinning Behavior in Concentrated Solutions of Monoclonal Antibodies.

High-concentration (>100 g/L) solutions of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are typically characterized by anomalously large solution viscosity and shear thinning behavior for strain rates ≥10 s. Here, the link between protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and the rheology of concentrated solutions of COE-03 and COE-19 mAbs is studied by means of static and dynamic light scattering and microfluidic rheometry. By comparing the experimental data with predictions based on the Baxter sticky hard-sphere model, we surprisingly find a connection between the observed shear thinning and the predicted percolation threshold.

Role of Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus 3'-UTR on virus systemic infection in tobacco.

To investigate the role of Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) 3'-UTR in virus systemic infection, three types of deletions were introduced into TVBMV infectious clone pCaTVBMV-GFP. Mutants with deletions at the nucleotide position 8-42, 43-141, or 163-174 in the 3'-UTR failed to cause systemic infection in N. benthamiana plants.

Transcriptomic changes in Nicotiana benthamiana plants inoculated with the wild-type or an attenuated mutant of Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus.

Tobacco vein banding mosaic virus (TVBMV) is a potyvirus which mainly infects solanaceous crops. The helper component proteinase (HCpro) of a potyvirus is an RNA silencing suppressor protein and determines the severity of disease symptoms caused by different potyviruses, including TVBMV. It has been shown that substitution mutations introduced into the HCpro open reading frame (ORF) in a TVBMV infectious clone result in changes of Asp to Lys or Ile -Gln to Asp-Glu (Asp, aspartic acid; Gln, glutamine; Glu, glutamic acid; Ile, isoleucine).

Electrospun silk fibroin fiber diameter influences in vitro dermal fibroblast behavior and promotes healing of ex vivo wound models.

Replicating the nanostructured components of extracellular matrix is a target for dermal tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Electrospinning Bombyx mori silk fibroin (BMSF) allows the production of nano- to microscale fibrous scaffolds. For BMSF electrospun scaffolds to be successful, understanding and optimizing the cellular response to material morphology is essential.

Rheology and electrospinning of regenerated bombyx mori silk fibroin aqueous solutions.

Bombyx mori silk fibroin (BMSF) has received considerable research interest as a potential biomaterial owing to its excellent mechanical properties and benign, versatile material fabrication options, including electrospinning. Despite this, characterizations of regenerated BMSF aqueous solutions and electrospun materials resulting from them are still very limited in the literature. This report details the rheological characterization of regenerated aqueous BMSF solutions under shear and elongational deformation.

Adult stem cells in tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering is a rapidly evolving field of research that has yet to fulfil its promise in the translation and potential application of adult stem cells in clinical practice. Recently, it has become apparent that specific adult stem cells are capable of transdifferentiation. The successful application of adult stem cells is thought to be central in creating truly biomimetic tissue.

Silk: a potential medium for tissue engineering.

Objective: Human skin is a complex bilayered organ that serves as a protective barrier against the environment. The loss of integrity of skin by traumatic experiences such as burns and ulcers may result in considerable disability or ultimately death. Therefore, in skin injuries, adequate dermal substitutes are among primary care targets, aimed at replacing the structural and functional properties of native skin.

[Design of a novel fuzzy FHR monitor and its applications].

The paper presents a novel fetal heart rate (FHR) detecting system which is a fuzzy counter using the auto-correlation and fuzzy mathematic algorithm. This system is able to deal with the increase and decrease phenomena of FHR, caused by the various interference and noises. It has a higher detection level than ever and a better robust system based on the DSP.

Rheological behavior of aqueous micellar solutions of a triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide and 1,2-butylene oxide: B10E410B10.

A triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide and 1,2-butylene oxide, denoted B10E410B10, was prepared by sequential oxyanionic polymerization and characterized by 13C NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. Micellization and the formation of micelle clusters in dilute aqueous solution, the latter a consequence of micelle bridging, was confirmed by dynamic light scattering, and average association numbers of the micelles were determined by static light scattering for T = 20-40 degrees C. The frequency dependence of the dynamic storage and loss moduli was investigated for solutions in the range of 5-20 wt %.

Effects of folic acid supplementation on psychomotor performance and hemorheology in healthy elderly subjects.

Cognitive impairment is associated with increased blood concentrations of homocysteine and high blood viscosity. Previous studies have shown that vitamin B supplementation reduces homocysteine and enhances cognitive function in patients with mild dementia and low serum folic acid. However, whether folic acid enhances cognitive function in elderly subjects without dementia and normal serum folic acid is unknown.

Gelation of concentrated micellar solutions of a triblock copolymer of ethylene oxide and styrene oxide, S5E45S5.

Triblock copolymer S5E45S5 was synthesized by oxyanionic polymerization of styrene oxide initiated by a preformed difunctional polyethylene glycol. Here E denotes OCH2CH2, S denotes OCH2CH(C6H5), and the subscripts denote number-average block lengths in repeat units. Previous work on the closely related copolymer S4E45S4 indicated that micelles would form in aqueous solutions of copolymer S5E45S5, and that they would undergo transient intermicellar bridging.

Association properties of diblock copolymer of ethylene oxide and 1,2-butylene oxide: E17B12 in aqueous solution.

Copolymer E(17)B(12) (E denotes OCH(2)CH(2), B denotes OCH(2)CH(C(2)H(5)), and the subscripts denote number-average chain lengths) was prepared by sequential oxyanionic polymerization and characterized by GPC (for distribution width) and NMR spectroscopy (for absolute composition and chain length). Dynamic and static light scattering and rheometry were used to characterize micelles in dilute solution and demonstrate the formation of compact micelles at low temperatures and of elongated micelles at higher temperatures, the latter being accompanied by turbidity of the solution. Rheological methods applied across a range of concentrations and temperatures served to demonstrate the formation of worm-like micelles.