Aggrecan is the major proteoglycan in the articular cartilage. This molecule is important in the proper functioning of articular cartilage because it provides a hydrated gel structure (via its interaction with hyaluro...Aggrecan is the major proteoglycan in the articular cartilage. This molecule is important in the proper functioning of articular cartilage because it provides a hydrated gel structure (via its interaction with hyaluronan and link protein) that endows the cartilage with load-bearing properties. It is also crucial in chondroskeletal morphogenesis during development. Aggrecan is a multimodular molecule expressed by chondrocytes. Its core protein is composed of three globular domains (G1, G2, and G3) and a large extended region (CS) between G2 and G3 for glycosaminoglycan chain attachment. G1 comprises the amino terminus of the core protein. This domain has the same structural motif as link protein. Functionally, the G1 domain interacts with hyaluronan acid and link protein, forming stable ternary complexes in the extracellular matrix. G2 is homologous to the tandem repeats of G1 and of link protein and is involved in product processing. G3 makes up the carboxyl terminus of the core protein. It enhances glycosaminoglycan modification and product secretion. Aggrecan plays an important role in mediating chondrocyte-chondrocyte and chondrocyte-matrix interactions through its ability to bind hyaluronan.展开更多
Car body design in view of structural performance and lightweighting is a challenging task due to all the performance targets that must be satisfied such as vehicle safety and ride quality.In this paper,material repla...Car body design in view of structural performance and lightweighting is a challenging task due to all the performance targets that must be satisfied such as vehicle safety and ride quality.In this paper,material replacement along with multidisciplinary design optimization strategy is proposed to develop a lightweight car body structure that satisfies the crash and vibration criteria while minimizing weight.Through finite element simulations,full frontal,offset frontal,and side crashes of a full car model are evaluated for peak acceleration,intrusion distance,and the internal energy absorbed by the structural parts.In addition,the first three fundamental natural frequencies are combined with the crash metrics to form the design constraints.The wall thicknesses of twenty-two parts are considered as the design variables.Latin Hypercube Sampling is used to sample the design space,while Radial Basis Function methodology is used to develop surrogate models for the selected crash responses at multiple sites as well as the first three fundamental natural frequencies.A nonlinear surrogate-based optimization problem is formulated for mass minimization under crash and vibration constraints.Using Sequential Quadratic Programming,the design optimization problem is solved with the results verified by finite element simulations.The performance of the optimum design with magnesium parts shows significant weight reduction and better performance compared to the baseline design.展开更多
Metamaterial surfaces play a vital role to achieve the surface waves suppression and in-phase reflection,in order to improve the antenna performance.In this paper,the performance comparison of a fifth generation(5G)an...Metamaterial surfaces play a vital role to achieve the surface waves suppression and in-phase reflection,in order to improve the antenna performance.In this paper,the performance comparison of a fifth generation(5G)antenna design is analyzed and compared with a metamaterial-based antenna for 5G communication system applications.Metamaterial surface is utilized as a reflector due to its in-phase reflection characteristic and high-impedance nature to improve the gain of an antenna.As conventional conducting ground plane does not give enough surface waves suppression which affects the antenna performance in terms of efficiency and gain etc.These factors are well considered in this work and improved by using the metamaterial surface.The radiating element of the proposed metamaterial based antenna is made up of copper material which is backed by the substrate,i.e.,Rogers-4003 with a standard thickness,loss tangent and a relative permittivity of 1.524 mm,0.0027 and 3.55,correspondingly.The proposed antenna with and without metamaterial surface operates at the central frequency of 3.32 GHz and 3.60 GHz,correspondingly.The traditional antenna yields a boresight gain of 2.76 dB which is further improved to 6.26 dB,using the metamaterial surface.The radiation efficiency of the proposed metamaterial-based 5G antenna is above 85%at the desired central frequency.展开更多
Viruses are extremely heterogeneous entities; the size and the nature of their genetic information, as well as the strategies employed to amplify and propagate their genomes, are highly variable. However, as obligator...Viruses are extremely heterogeneous entities; the size and the nature of their genetic information, as well as the strategies employed to amplify and propagate their genomes, are highly variable. However, as obligatory intracellular parasites, replication of all viruses relies on the host cell. Having co-evolved with their host for several million years, viruses have developed very sophisticated strategies to hijack cellular factors that promote virus uptake, replication, and spread. Identification of host cell factors(HCFs) required for these processes is a major challenge for researchers, but it enables the identification of new, highly selective targets for anti viral therapeutics. To this end, the establishment of platforms enabling genome-wide high-throughput RNA interference(HT-RNAi) screens has led to the identification of several key factors involved in the viral lifecycle. A number of genome-wide HT-RNAi screens have been performed for major human pathogens. These studies enable first inter-viral comparisons related to HCF requirements. Although several cellular functions appear to be uniformly required for the life cycle of most viruses tested(such as the proteasome and the Golgi-mediated secretory pathways), some factors, like the lipid kinase Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase Ⅲα in the case of hepatitis C virus, are selectively required for individual viruses. However, despite the amount of data available, we are still far away from a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between viruses and host factors. Major limitations towards this goal are the low sensitivity and specificity of such screens, resulting in limited overlap between different screens performed with the same virus. This review focuses on how statistical and bioinformatic analysis methods applied to HTRNAi screens can help overcoming these issues thus increasing the reliability and impact of such studies.展开更多
Seeds of many woody plant species have one of several types of dormancy. They do not germinate unless ,specific environmental signals are in place or events occur. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of s...Seeds of many woody plant species have one of several types of dormancy. They do not germinate unless ,specific environmental signals are in place or events occur. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of scarification treatments on seed dormancy and germination of Acacia nilotica （L.） Willd. ex Del., Prosopis juliflora （Sw.） DC. ：and Dodonaea viscosa （L.） Jacq. The following treatments were applied： T1, untreated seed （control）; T2, sulphuric acid （97%） for 45 min; T3, boiling water for 5 min. The seeds were cultured on a Murashige and Skoog （MS） medium after sterilization. The responses of seeds to treatments were compared with each other and with the control treatment. Germination was observed daily for a 30-day period. Results indicated positive responses to treatments, while impermeable Seed coats may be responsible for low germination rates in intact seeds as seen experimentally in the untreated control. The highest germination was obtained for P. juliflora and D. viscosa acid-scarified seeds （80.8%-90.8%） and for scarified seeds of A. nilotica （50.2%） boiled in water. The germination indices, i.e., final germination percentage （FG）, mean daily germination （MDG） and germination rate （GR）, were significantly affected by treatments and species （p 〈 0.01）.展开更多
The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxyg...The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.展开更多
Rapid urbanization has led to extensive land-use changes,particularly in developing countries.This research is aimed to investigate the role of land use and its effect on soil and water quality in Ziarat watershed foc...Rapid urbanization has led to extensive land-use changes,particularly in developing countries.This research is aimed to investigate the role of land use and its effect on soil and water quality in Ziarat watershed focusing on four land uses:forest,pasture,cultivated and urban development.Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm on each land use and were analyzed by completely randomized split-plot design in two geographical directions.Results showed that bulk density(BD),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),and soil particle density(DS) of the soil samples in pastures,cultivated and urban areas increased and the mean weight diameter(MWD),soil porosity(F),organic carbons(OC),total nitrogen(TN),exchangeable cations(Ca 2+,Mg 2+,K +,Na +),cation exchange capacity(CEC) and soil microbial respirations(SMR) decreased,respectively in comparison with the forest soils.For water quality evaluations,sodium adsorption ratio(SAR),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,total dissolved solids(TDS),bicarbonate(HCO 3),chloride(Cl),total hardness(TH),calcium(Ca 2+),potassium(K +),sodium(Na +) and magnesium(Mg 2+) were investigated in two areas:Nahrkhoran and Abgir stations.Results showed that the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Naharkhoran station is higher than that in Abgir station.On the other hand,the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Abgir station are the relatively higher due to its location.Total hardness had the same trend during the study years except in the last three years;however,TH showed an increase of 25% TH in Naharkhoran for the last two years.Cl,K + and SAR in Naharkhoran station increased by 61%,22%,78% and 56% respectively,in comparison with Abgir station.This study demonstrated that the trend of soil degradation and mismanagement of land use may increase the frequency of urban floods and human health problems.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the performance of elastography by ultrasound with acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) in determining fibrosis stage in patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD) undergoing alcoholic detoxificatio...AIM: To evaluate the performance of elastography by ultrasound with acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) in determining fibrosis stage in patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD) undergoing alcoholic detoxification in relation to biopsy.METHODS: Eighty-three patients with ALD undergoing detoxification were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent ARFI imaging and a liver biopsy onthe same day. Fibrosis was staged according to the METAVIR scoring system. The median of 10 valid ARFI measurements was calculated for each patient.RESULTS: Sixty-nine males and thirteen females(one patient excluded due to insufficient biopsy size) were assessed with a mean alcohol consumption of 132.4 ± 128.8 standard drinks per week and mean cumulative year duration of 17.6 ± 9.5 years. Sensitivity and specificity were respectively 82.4%(0.70-0.95) and 83.3%(0.73-0.94)(AUROC = 0.87) for F ≥ 2 with a cut-off value of 1.63m/s; 82.4%(0.64-1.00) and 78.5%(0.69-0.89)(AUROC = 0.86) for F ≥ 3 with a cut-off value of 1.84m/s; and 92.3%(0.78-1.00] and 81.6%(0.72-0.90)(AUROC = 0.89) for F = 4 with a cut-off value of 1.94 m/s.CONCLUSION: ARFI is an accurate, non-invasive and easy method for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with ALD undergoing alcoholic detoxification.展开更多
Due to rapid growth in wireless communication technology,higher bandwidth requirement for advance telecommunication systems,capable of operating on two or higher bands with higher channel capacities and minimum distor...Due to rapid growth in wireless communication technology,higher bandwidth requirement for advance telecommunication systems,capable of operating on two or higher bands with higher channel capacities and minimum distortion losses is desired.In this paper,a compact Ultra-Wideband(UWB)V-shaped monopole antenna is presented.UWB response is achieved by modifying the ground plane with Chichen Itzia inspired rectangular staircase shape.The proposed V-shaped is designed by incorporating a rectangle,and an inverted isosceles triangle using FR4 substrate.The size of the antenna is 25 mm×26 mm×1.6 mm.The proposed V-shaped monopole antenna produces bandwidth response of 3 GHz Industrial,Scientific,and Medical(ISM),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX),(IEEE 802.11/HIPERLAN band,5G sub 6 GHz)which with an additional square cut amplified the bandwidth response up to 8 GHz ranging from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz attaining UWB defined by Federal Communications Commission(FCC)with a maximum gain of 3.83 dB.The antenna is designed in Ansys HFSS.Results for key performance parameters of the antenna are presented.The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated results.Due to flat gain,uniform group delay,omni directional radiation pattern characteristics and well-matched impedance,the proposed antenna is suitable for WiMAX,ISM and heterogeneous wireless systems.展开更多
In this work, the mixing and segregation of binary mixtures of particles with different sizes and densities in a pseudo-2D spouted bed were studied experimentally. A binary mixture of solid particles including sand, g...In this work, the mixing and segregation of binary mixtures of particles with different sizes and densities in a pseudo-2D spouted bed were studied experimentally. A binary mixture of solid particles including sand, gypsum, and polyurethane was used. To determine the particles mass fraction, and their mixing and segregation in the bed, an image-processing technique was developed and used. Important hydrodynamic parameters, such as the axial and radial segregation profiles of the solid particles, were measured. The effects of air velocity, particle size, and particle mass fraction were also evaluated. The flow regime in the spouted bed and the time required for reaching the equilibrium state of the solid particles were discussed. The results showed that the segregation of solid particles and the time to equilibrium both decreased when the air velocity increased to much larger than the minimum spouting velocity. The axia! segregation increased with the diameter ratio of the particles. Upon completion of the test, coarse particles were concentrated mainly in the spout region, while fine particles were aggregated in the annulus region. Examination of the flow pattern in the spouted bed showed that the particles near the wall had longer flow paths, while those near the spout region had shorter flow paths.展开更多
A facile synthetic strategy was developed for insitu preparation of two-dimensional (2D)highly crystalline tungsten nitride (WN)nanosheets with controllable morphology as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)catalysts.The d...A facile synthetic strategy was developed for insitu preparation of two-dimensional (2D)highly crystalline tungsten nitride (WN)nanosheets with controllable morphology as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)catalysts.The dependence of the crystal structure and morphology of WN on K2SO4content,pH,and pyrolysis temperature was thoroughly examined.The electrocatalytic performance of WN toward ORR in an alkaline electrolyte indicated that K+plays an important role in the control of size and shape in the hydrothermal and nitridation process,thereby promoting the formation of plate-like WO3and 2D WN nanosheets.The WN nanosheets,with largely exposed edge sites,provide abundant catalytic active sites and allow fast charge transfer.Furthermore,they exhibit high stability for ORR and methanol tolerance.展开更多
Luminescence constitutes a unique source of insight into hot carrier processes in metals,including those in plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing and energy applications.However,being weak in nature,metal luminesc...Luminescence constitutes a unique source of insight into hot carrier processes in metals,including those in plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing and energy applications.However,being weak in nature,metal luminescence remains poorly understood,its microscopic origin strongly debated,and its potential for unraveling nanoscale carrier dynamics largely unexploited.Here,we reveal quantum-mechanical effects in the luminescence emanating from thin monocrystalline gold flakes.Specifically,we present experimental evidence,supported by first-principles simulations,to demonstrate its photoluminescence origin(i.e.,radiative emission from electron/hole recombination)when exciting in the interband regime.Our model allows us to identify changes to the measured gold luminescence due to quantum-mechanical effects as the gold film thickness is reduced.Excitingly,such effects are observable in the luminescence signal from flakes up to 40 nm in thickness,associated with the out-of-plane discreteness of the electronic band structure near the Fermi level.We qualitatively reproduce the observations with first-principles modeling,thus establishing a unified description of luminescence in gold monocrystalline flakes and enabling its widespread application as a probe of carrier dynamics and light-matter interactions in this material.Our study paves the way for future explorations of hot carriers and charge-transfer dynamics in a multitude of material systems.展开更多
Background:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)virus affected more people than SARS-CoV-1 and related coronaviruses.Human genetic factors,besides respiratory droplets and direct exposure to the ...Background:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)virus affected more people than SARS-CoV-1 and related coronaviruses.Human genetic factors,besides respiratory droplets and direct exposure to the virus,are found highly responsible for transmitting SARS-CoV-2 infection.Aim:The objective of this study was to determine the plasma levels of the TMPRSS2 gene and its role in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility.Methodology:A total of 100 patients,i.e.50 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients as the case group and 50 SARS-CoV-2 negative samples as the control group,were selected randomly and included in this case-control study to determine the association between TMPRSS2 gene and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).The TMPRSS2 levels of case and control samples were measured through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Following the genomic DNA extraction,a set of reverse and forward primers of human TMPRSS2 gene primers were used for the amplification of the TMPRSS2 gene.Results:In the control group,the ratio of men to women was more or less the same while in the case group 62%of the population were women.The TMPRSS2 level was found to be 4.70±7.7 ng/ml in case samples while it was 4.73±5.7 ng/ml in control samples.Conclusion:The levels of TMPRSS2 in plasma samples of both controls and cases were found to be the same indicating that the entry of SARS-CoV-2 is not dependent on the plasma levels of this protein.展开更多
In this study,the microstructures,mechanical properties,corrosion behaviors,and biocompatibility of extruded magnesium-zirconiumstrontium-holmium(Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho)alloys were comprehensively investigated.The effect of diff...In this study,the microstructures,mechanical properties,corrosion behaviors,and biocompatibility of extruded magnesium-zirconiumstrontium-holmium(Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho)alloys were comprehensively investigated.The effect of different concentrations of Ho on the microstructural characteristics,tensile and compressive properties,corrosion resistance,and biocompatibility were investigated.The microstructures of the extruded Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-xHo(x=0.5,1.5,and 4 wt.%)alloys consisted ofα-Mg matrix,fineα-Zr particles,and intermetallic phase particles of Mg_(17)Sr_(2) and Ho_(2)Mg mainly distributed at the grain boundaries.Extensive{1012}tensile twins were observed in the partially recrystallized samples of Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho and Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-1.5Ho.Further addition of Ho to 4 wt.%resulted in a complete recrystallization due to activation of the particle stimulated nucleation around the Mg_(17)Sr_(2) particles.The evolution of a rare earth(RE)texture was observed with the Ho addition,which resulted in the weakened basal and prismatic textures.Furthermore,a drastic increase of 200%in tensile elongation and 89%in compressive strain was observed with Ho addition increased from 0.5 to 4 wt%,respectively.The tension-compression yield asymmetry was significantly decreased from 0.62 for Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho to 0.98 for Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-4Ho due to the weakening of textures.Corrosion analysis of the extruded Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys revealed the presence of pitting corrosion.A minimum corrosion rate of 4.98 mm y^(−1) was observed in Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho alloy.The enhanced corrosion resistance is observed due to the presence of Ho_(2)O_(3) in the surface film which reduced galvanic effect.The formation of a stabilized surface film due to the Ho_(2)O_(3) was confirmed through the electrical impedance spectroscopy and XPS analysis.An in vitro cytotoxicity assessment revealed good biocompatibility and cell adhesion in relation to SaOS2 cells.展开更多
In this work,a new liquid-phase microextraction method coupled with an electrochemical technique using a switchable solvent was proposed for the determination of metronidazole.The extraction solvent used was dipropyla...In this work,a new liquid-phase microextraction method coupled with an electrochemical technique using a switchable solvent was proposed for the determination of metronidazole.The extraction solvent used was dipropylamine(DPA),which exhibited switchable hydrophilicity.This means that it can become miscible or immiscible when in contact with carboxylic acids in the aqueous sample.The metronidazole was then measured using a glassy carbon electrode that was modified with Au-multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs).The eff ect of diff erent parameters such as the type and amount of trigger,the addition of salt,and the volume of extraction solvent on the e fficiency of switchable hydrophilic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction(SHS-LPME)was investigated using the one-factor-at-a-time method.After optimizing the conditions,the linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range of 0.005–250μmol/L.Accordingly,the limit of quantification(LOQ)of 0.005μmol/L and the limit of detection(LOD)of 0.0015μmol/L were obtained,respectively.展开更多
Tumor protein p53 (TP53) mediates DNA repair and cell proliferation in growing cells. The TP53 gene is a tumor suppressor that regulates the expression of target genes in response to multiple cellular stress factors. ...Tumor protein p53 (TP53) mediates DNA repair and cell proliferation in growing cells. The TP53 gene is a tumor suppressor that regulates the expression of target genes in response to multiple cellular stress factors. Key target genes are involved in crucial cellular events such as DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, metabolism, and senescence. TP53 genetic variants and the activity of the wild-type p53 protein (WT-p53) have been linked to a wide range of tumorigenesis. Various genetic and epigenetic alterations, including germline and somatic mutations, loss of heterozygosity, and DNA methylation, can alter TP53 activity, potentially resulting in cancer initiation and progression. This study was designed to screen three reported mutations in the DNA-binding domain of the p53 protein in breast cancer, to evaluate the relative susceptibility and risk associated with breast cancer in the local population. Genomic DNA was isolated from 30 breast tumor tissues along with controls. Tetra and Tri ARMS PCR were performed to detect mutations in the TP53 coding region. For SNPs c.637C>T and c.733C>T, all analyzed cases were homozygous for the wild-type allele ‘C,’ while for SNP c.745A>G, all cases were homozygous for the wild-type allele ‘A.’ These results indicate no relevance of these three SNPs to cancer progression in our study cohort. Additionally, the findings from whole exon sequencing will help to predict more precise outcomes and assess the importance of TP53 gene mutations in breast cancer patients.展开更多
In this paper,a low cost,highly efficient and low profile monopole antenna for ultra-wideband(UWB)applications is presented.A new inverted triangular-shape structure possessing meander lines is designed to achieve a w...In this paper,a low cost,highly efficient and low profile monopole antenna for ultra-wideband(UWB)applications is presented.A new inverted triangular-shape structure possessing meander lines is designed to achieve a wideband response and high efficiency.To design the proposed structure,three steps are utilized to achieve an UWB response.The bandwidth of the proposed antenna is improved with changing meander lines parameters,miniaturization of the ground width and optimization of the feeding line.The measured and simulated frequency band ranges from 3.2 to 12 GHz,while the radiation patterns are measured at 4,5.3,6 and 8 GHz frequency bands.The overall volume of the proposed antenna is 26×25×1.6 mm^(3);whereas the FR4 material is used as a substrate with a relative permittivity and loss tangent of 4.3 and 0.025,correspondingly.The peak gain of 4 dB is achieved with a radiation efficiency of 80 to 98%for the entire wideband.Design modelling of proposed antenna is performed in ANSYS HFSS 13 software.A decent consistency between the simulated and measured results is accomplished which shows that the proposed antenna is a potential candidate for the UWB applications.展开更多
Surface recombination represents a handicap for high-efficiency solar cells. This is especially important for nanowire array solar cells, where the surface-to-volume ratio is greatly enhanced. Here, the effect of diff...Surface recombination represents a handicap for high-efficiency solar cells. This is especially important for nanowire array solar cells, where the surface-to-volume ratio is greatly enhanced. Here, the effect of different passivation materials on the effective recombination and on the device performance is experimentally analyzed. Our solar cells are large area top-down axial n-p junction silicon nanowires fabricated by means of Near-Field Phase-Shift Lithography （NF-PSL）. We report an efficiency of 9.9% for the best cell, passivated with a SiO2/SiNx stack. The impact of the presence of a surface fixed charge density at the silicon/oxide interface is studied.展开更多
Hepatorenal syndrome with acute kidney injury(HRS-AKI)is a form of rapidly progressive kidney dysfunction in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or acute severe liver injury such as acute liver failure.Current d...Hepatorenal syndrome with acute kidney injury(HRS-AKI)is a form of rapidly progressive kidney dysfunction in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or acute severe liver injury such as acute liver failure.Current data suggest that HRS-AKI occurs secondary to circulatory dysfunction characterized by marked splanchnic vasodilation,leading to reduction of effective arterial blood volume and glomerular filtration rate.Thus,volume expansion and splanchnic vasoconstriction constitute the mainstay of medical therapy.However,a significant proportion of patients do not respond to medical management.These patients often require renal replacement therapy and may be eligible for liver or combined liver-kidney transplantation.Although there have been advances in the management of patients with HRS-AKI including novel biomarkers and medications,better-calibrated studies,more widely available biomarkers,and improved prognostic models are sorely needed to further improve diagnosis and treatment of HRS-AKI.展开更多
文摘Aggrecan is the major proteoglycan in the articular cartilage. This molecule is important in the proper functioning of articular cartilage because it provides a hydrated gel structure (via its interaction with hyaluronan and link protein) that endows the cartilage with load-bearing properties. It is also crucial in chondroskeletal morphogenesis during development. Aggrecan is a multimodular molecule expressed by chondrocytes. Its core protein is composed of three globular domains (G1, G2, and G3) and a large extended region (CS) between G2 and G3 for glycosaminoglycan chain attachment. G1 comprises the amino terminus of the core protein. This domain has the same structural motif as link protein. Functionally, the G1 domain interacts with hyaluronan acid and link protein, forming stable ternary complexes in the extracellular matrix. G2 is homologous to the tandem repeats of G1 and of link protein and is involved in product processing. G3 makes up the carboxyl terminus of the core protein. It enhances glycosaminoglycan modification and product secretion. Aggrecan plays an important role in mediating chondrocyte-chondrocyte and chondrocyte-matrix interactions through its ability to bind hyaluronan.
基金This material is based on the work supported by the U.S.Department of Energy under Award number DE-EE0002323.
文摘Car body design in view of structural performance and lightweighting is a challenging task due to all the performance targets that must be satisfied such as vehicle safety and ride quality.In this paper,material replacement along with multidisciplinary design optimization strategy is proposed to develop a lightweight car body structure that satisfies the crash and vibration criteria while minimizing weight.Through finite element simulations,full frontal,offset frontal,and side crashes of a full car model are evaluated for peak acceleration,intrusion distance,and the internal energy absorbed by the structural parts.In addition,the first three fundamental natural frequencies are combined with the crash metrics to form the design constraints.The wall thicknesses of twenty-two parts are considered as the design variables.Latin Hypercube Sampling is used to sample the design space,while Radial Basis Function methodology is used to develop surrogate models for the selected crash responses at multiple sites as well as the first three fundamental natural frequencies.A nonlinear surrogate-based optimization problem is formulated for mass minimization under crash and vibration constraints.Using Sequential Quadratic Programming,the design optimization problem is solved with the results verified by finite element simulations.The performance of the optimum design with magnesium parts shows significant weight reduction and better performance compared to the baseline design.
基金This work was supported by the Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea,NRF-2019R1A2C1005920,S.K.
文摘Metamaterial surfaces play a vital role to achieve the surface waves suppression and in-phase reflection,in order to improve the antenna performance.In this paper,the performance comparison of a fifth generation(5G)antenna design is analyzed and compared with a metamaterial-based antenna for 5G communication system applications.Metamaterial surface is utilized as a reflector due to its in-phase reflection characteristic and high-impedance nature to improve the gain of an antenna.As conventional conducting ground plane does not give enough surface waves suppression which affects the antenna performance in terms of efficiency and gain etc.These factors are well considered in this work and improved by using the metamaterial surface.The radiating element of the proposed metamaterial based antenna is made up of copper material which is backed by the substrate,i.e.,Rogers-4003 with a standard thickness,loss tangent and a relative permittivity of 1.524 mm,0.0027 and 3.55,correspondingly.The proposed antenna with and without metamaterial surface operates at the central frequency of 3.32 GHz and 3.60 GHz,correspondingly.The traditional antenna yields a boresight gain of 2.76 dB which is further improved to 6.26 dB,using the metamaterial surface.The radiation efficiency of the proposed metamaterial-based 5G antenna is above 85%at the desired central frequency.
文摘Viruses are extremely heterogeneous entities; the size and the nature of their genetic information, as well as the strategies employed to amplify and propagate their genomes, are highly variable. However, as obligatory intracellular parasites, replication of all viruses relies on the host cell. Having co-evolved with their host for several million years, viruses have developed very sophisticated strategies to hijack cellular factors that promote virus uptake, replication, and spread. Identification of host cell factors(HCFs) required for these processes is a major challenge for researchers, but it enables the identification of new, highly selective targets for anti viral therapeutics. To this end, the establishment of platforms enabling genome-wide high-throughput RNA interference(HT-RNAi) screens has led to the identification of several key factors involved in the viral lifecycle. A number of genome-wide HT-RNAi screens have been performed for major human pathogens. These studies enable first inter-viral comparisons related to HCF requirements. Although several cellular functions appear to be uniformly required for the life cycle of most viruses tested(such as the proteasome and the Golgi-mediated secretory pathways), some factors, like the lipid kinase Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase Ⅲα in the case of hepatitis C virus, are selectively required for individual viruses. However, despite the amount of data available, we are still far away from a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between viruses and host factors. Major limitations towards this goal are the low sensitivity and specificity of such screens, resulting in limited overlap between different screens performed with the same virus. This review focuses on how statistical and bioinformatic analysis methods applied to HTRNAi screens can help overcoming these issues thus increasing the reliability and impact of such studies.
文摘Seeds of many woody plant species have one of several types of dormancy. They do not germinate unless ,specific environmental signals are in place or events occur. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of scarification treatments on seed dormancy and germination of Acacia nilotica （L.） Willd. ex Del., Prosopis juliflora （Sw.） DC. ：and Dodonaea viscosa （L.） Jacq. The following treatments were applied： T1, untreated seed （control）; T2, sulphuric acid （97%） for 45 min; T3, boiling water for 5 min. The seeds were cultured on a Murashige and Skoog （MS） medium after sterilization. The responses of seeds to treatments were compared with each other and with the control treatment. Germination was observed daily for a 30-day period. Results indicated positive responses to treatments, while impermeable Seed coats may be responsible for low germination rates in intact seeds as seen experimentally in the untreated control. The highest germination was obtained for P. juliflora and D. viscosa acid-scarified seeds （80.8%-90.8%） and for scarified seeds of A. nilotica （50.2%） boiled in water. The germination indices, i.e., final germination percentage （FG）, mean daily germination （MDG） and germination rate （GR）, were significantly affected by treatments and species （p 〈 0.01）.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21306119)the Key Research and Development Projects in Sichuan Province(2017GZ0397,2017CC0017)+1 种基金the Science and Technology Project of Chengdu(2015-HM01-00531-SF)the Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation of Sichuan University(2013SCU04A23)
文摘The main difficulty in the extensive commercial use of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells （PEMFCs） is the use of noble metals such as Pt-based electrocatalyst at the cathode, which is essential to ease the oxygen reduction reaction （ORR） in fuel cells （FCs）. To eliminate the high loading of Pt-based electrocatalysts to minimize the cost, extensive study has been carried out over the previous decades on the non-noble metal catalysts. Development in enhancing the ORR performance of FCs is mainly due to the doped carbon materials, Fe and Co-based electrocatalysts, these materials could be considered as probable substitutes for Pt-based catalysts. But the stability of these non-noble metal electrocatalysts is low and the durability of these metals remains unclear. The three basic reasons of instability are： （i） oxidative occurrence by H2O2, （ii） leakage of the metal site and （iii） protonation by probable anion adsorption of the active site. Whereas leakage of the metal site has been almost solved, more work is required to understand and avoid losses from oxidative attack and protonation. The ORR performance such as stability tests are usually run at low current densities and the lifetime is much shorter than desired need. Therefore, improvement in the ORR activity and stability afe the key issues of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst. Based on the consequences obtained in this area, numerous future research directions are projected and discussed in this paper. Hence, this review is focused on improvement of stability and durability of the non-noble metal electrocatalyst.
文摘Rapid urbanization has led to extensive land-use changes,particularly in developing countries.This research is aimed to investigate the role of land use and its effect on soil and water quality in Ziarat watershed focusing on four land uses:forest,pasture,cultivated and urban development.Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm on each land use and were analyzed by completely randomized split-plot design in two geographical directions.Results showed that bulk density(BD),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),and soil particle density(DS) of the soil samples in pastures,cultivated and urban areas increased and the mean weight diameter(MWD),soil porosity(F),organic carbons(OC),total nitrogen(TN),exchangeable cations(Ca 2+,Mg 2+,K +,Na +),cation exchange capacity(CEC) and soil microbial respirations(SMR) decreased,respectively in comparison with the forest soils.For water quality evaluations,sodium adsorption ratio(SAR),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,total dissolved solids(TDS),bicarbonate(HCO 3),chloride(Cl),total hardness(TH),calcium(Ca 2+),potassium(K +),sodium(Na +) and magnesium(Mg 2+) were investigated in two areas:Nahrkhoran and Abgir stations.Results showed that the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Naharkhoran station is higher than that in Abgir station.On the other hand,the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Abgir station are the relatively higher due to its location.Total hardness had the same trend during the study years except in the last three years;however,TH showed an increase of 25% TH in Naharkhoran for the last two years.Cl,K + and SAR in Naharkhoran station increased by 61%,22%,78% and 56% respectively,in comparison with Abgir station.This study demonstrated that the trend of soil degradation and mismanagement of land use may increase the frequency of urban floods and human health problems.
基金support from the national clinical research program for public hospitals of France
文摘AIM: To evaluate the performance of elastography by ultrasound with acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) in determining fibrosis stage in patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD) undergoing alcoholic detoxification in relation to biopsy.METHODS: Eighty-three patients with ALD undergoing detoxification were prospectively enrolled. Each patient underwent ARFI imaging and a liver biopsy onthe same day. Fibrosis was staged according to the METAVIR scoring system. The median of 10 valid ARFI measurements was calculated for each patient.RESULTS: Sixty-nine males and thirteen females(one patient excluded due to insufficient biopsy size) were assessed with a mean alcohol consumption of 132.4 ± 128.8 standard drinks per week and mean cumulative year duration of 17.6 ± 9.5 years. Sensitivity and specificity were respectively 82.4%(0.70-0.95) and 83.3%(0.73-0.94)(AUROC = 0.87) for F ≥ 2 with a cut-off value of 1.63m/s; 82.4%(0.64-1.00) and 78.5%(0.69-0.89)(AUROC = 0.86) for F ≥ 3 with a cut-off value of 1.84m/s; and 92.3%(0.78-1.00] and 81.6%(0.72-0.90)(AUROC = 0.89) for F = 4 with a cut-off value of 1.94 m/s.CONCLUSION: ARFI is an accurate, non-invasive and easy method for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with ALD undergoing alcoholic detoxification.
基金This work was supported by the Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea,NRF-2019R1A2C1005920,S.K.
文摘Due to rapid growth in wireless communication technology,higher bandwidth requirement for advance telecommunication systems,capable of operating on two or higher bands with higher channel capacities and minimum distortion losses is desired.In this paper,a compact Ultra-Wideband(UWB)V-shaped monopole antenna is presented.UWB response is achieved by modifying the ground plane with Chichen Itzia inspired rectangular staircase shape.The proposed V-shaped is designed by incorporating a rectangle,and an inverted isosceles triangle using FR4 substrate.The size of the antenna is 25 mm×26 mm×1.6 mm.The proposed V-shaped monopole antenna produces bandwidth response of 3 GHz Industrial,Scientific,and Medical(ISM),Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX),(IEEE 802.11/HIPERLAN band,5G sub 6 GHz)which with an additional square cut amplified the bandwidth response up to 8 GHz ranging from 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz attaining UWB defined by Federal Communications Commission(FCC)with a maximum gain of 3.83 dB.The antenna is designed in Ansys HFSS.Results for key performance parameters of the antenna are presented.The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated results.Due to flat gain,uniform group delay,omni directional radiation pattern characteristics and well-matched impedance,the proposed antenna is suitable for WiMAX,ISM and heterogeneous wireless systems.
文摘In this work, the mixing and segregation of binary mixtures of particles with different sizes and densities in a pseudo-2D spouted bed were studied experimentally. A binary mixture of solid particles including sand, gypsum, and polyurethane was used. To determine the particles mass fraction, and their mixing and segregation in the bed, an image-processing technique was developed and used. Important hydrodynamic parameters, such as the axial and radial segregation profiles of the solid particles, were measured. The effects of air velocity, particle size, and particle mass fraction were also evaluated. The flow regime in the spouted bed and the time required for reaching the equilibrium state of the solid particles were discussed. The results showed that the segregation of solid particles and the time to equilibrium both decreased when the air velocity increased to much larger than the minimum spouting velocity. The axia! segregation increased with the diameter ratio of the particles. Upon completion of the test, coarse particles were concentrated mainly in the spout region, while fine particles were aggregated in the annulus region. Examination of the flow pattern in the spouted bed showed that the particles near the wall had longer flow paths, while those near the spout region had shorter flow paths.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21306119)the Key Research and Development Projects in Sichuan Province(2017GZ0397,2017CC0017)the Science and Technology Project of Chengdu(2015-HM01-00531-SF)
文摘A facile synthetic strategy was developed for insitu preparation of two-dimensional (2D)highly crystalline tungsten nitride (WN)nanosheets with controllable morphology as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)catalysts.The dependence of the crystal structure and morphology of WN on K2SO4content,pH,and pyrolysis temperature was thoroughly examined.The electrocatalytic performance of WN toward ORR in an alkaline electrolyte indicated that K+plays an important role in the control of size and shape in the hydrothermal and nitridation process,thereby promoting the formation of plate-like WO3and 2D WN nanosheets.The WN nanosheets,with largely exposed edge sites,provide abundant catalytic active sites and allow fast charge transfer.Furthermore,they exhibit high stability for ORR and methanol tolerance.
基金ARB and FK acknowledge the support of SNSF Eccellenza Grant PCEGP2-194181ARB acknowledges SNSF Swiss Postdoctoral Fellowship TMPFP2_217040 and thanks Valeria Vento and Christophe Galland for the use of a commercial monocrystalline 200 nm gold sample,and Franky Esteban Bedoya Lora for the use of the Ocean Optics spectrometer.+5 种基金ARE,FI and FJGA acknowledge funding from the European Research Council(Advanced Grant No.789104-eNANO)the Spanish MICINN(PID2020-112625 GB-I00 and Severo Ochoa CEX2019-000910-S)the Catalan CERCA Program,and Fundacios Cellex and Mir-Puig.JDC is a Sapere Aude research leader supported by VILLUM FONDEN(Grant no.16498)Independent Research Fund Denmark(Grant no.0165-00051B)The Center for Polariton-driven Light-Matter Interactions(POLIMA)is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation(Project No.DNRF165)First-principles calculations were carried out at the Center for Computational Innovations at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
文摘Luminescence constitutes a unique source of insight into hot carrier processes in metals,including those in plasmonic nanostructures used for sensing and energy applications.However,being weak in nature,metal luminescence remains poorly understood,its microscopic origin strongly debated,and its potential for unraveling nanoscale carrier dynamics largely unexploited.Here,we reveal quantum-mechanical effects in the luminescence emanating from thin monocrystalline gold flakes.Specifically,we present experimental evidence,supported by first-principles simulations,to demonstrate its photoluminescence origin(i.e.,radiative emission from electron/hole recombination)when exciting in the interband regime.Our model allows us to identify changes to the measured gold luminescence due to quantum-mechanical effects as the gold film thickness is reduced.Excitingly,such effects are observable in the luminescence signal from flakes up to 40 nm in thickness,associated with the out-of-plane discreteness of the electronic band structure near the Fermi level.We qualitatively reproduce the observations with first-principles modeling,thus establishing a unified description of luminescence in gold monocrystalline flakes and enabling its widespread application as a probe of carrier dynamics and light-matter interactions in this material.Our study paves the way for future explorations of hot carriers and charge-transfer dynamics in a multitude of material systems.
基金supported by grants from the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology(SZABIST)University,Karachi,Pakistan.
文摘Background:Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)virus affected more people than SARS-CoV-1 and related coronaviruses.Human genetic factors,besides respiratory droplets and direct exposure to the virus,are found highly responsible for transmitting SARS-CoV-2 infection.Aim:The objective of this study was to determine the plasma levels of the TMPRSS2 gene and its role in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility.Methodology:A total of 100 patients,i.e.50 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients as the case group and 50 SARS-CoV-2 negative samples as the control group,were selected randomly and included in this case-control study to determine the association between TMPRSS2 gene and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).The TMPRSS2 levels of case and control samples were measured through an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Following the genomic DNA extraction,a set of reverse and forward primers of human TMPRSS2 gene primers were used for the amplification of the TMPRSS2 gene.Results:In the control group,the ratio of men to women was more or less the same while in the case group 62%of the population were women.The TMPRSS2 level was found to be 4.70±7.7 ng/ml in case samples while it was 4.73±5.7 ng/ml in control samples.Conclusion:The levels of TMPRSS2 in plasma samples of both controls and cases were found to be the same indicating that the entry of SARS-CoV-2 is not dependent on the plasma levels of this protein.
基金the financial support for this research by the Australian Research Council(ARC)through the Future Fellowship(FT160100252)the Discovery Project(DP170102557)。
文摘In this study,the microstructures,mechanical properties,corrosion behaviors,and biocompatibility of extruded magnesium-zirconiumstrontium-holmium(Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho)alloys were comprehensively investigated.The effect of different concentrations of Ho on the microstructural characteristics,tensile and compressive properties,corrosion resistance,and biocompatibility were investigated.The microstructures of the extruded Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-xHo(x=0.5,1.5,and 4 wt.%)alloys consisted ofα-Mg matrix,fineα-Zr particles,and intermetallic phase particles of Mg_(17)Sr_(2) and Ho_(2)Mg mainly distributed at the grain boundaries.Extensive{1012}tensile twins were observed in the partially recrystallized samples of Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho and Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-1.5Ho.Further addition of Ho to 4 wt.%resulted in a complete recrystallization due to activation of the particle stimulated nucleation around the Mg_(17)Sr_(2) particles.The evolution of a rare earth(RE)texture was observed with the Ho addition,which resulted in the weakened basal and prismatic textures.Furthermore,a drastic increase of 200%in tensile elongation and 89%in compressive strain was observed with Ho addition increased from 0.5 to 4 wt%,respectively.The tension-compression yield asymmetry was significantly decreased from 0.62 for Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho to 0.98 for Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-4Ho due to the weakening of textures.Corrosion analysis of the extruded Mg-Zr-Sr-Ho alloys revealed the presence of pitting corrosion.A minimum corrosion rate of 4.98 mm y^(−1) was observed in Mg-1Zr-0.5Sr-0.5Ho alloy.The enhanced corrosion resistance is observed due to the presence of Ho_(2)O_(3) in the surface film which reduced galvanic effect.The formation of a stabilized surface film due to the Ho_(2)O_(3) was confirmed through the electrical impedance spectroscopy and XPS analysis.An in vitro cytotoxicity assessment revealed good biocompatibility and cell adhesion in relation to SaOS2 cells.
基金financial support for this work provided by Yasouj University Research Council。
文摘In this work,a new liquid-phase microextraction method coupled with an electrochemical technique using a switchable solvent was proposed for the determination of metronidazole.The extraction solvent used was dipropylamine(DPA),which exhibited switchable hydrophilicity.This means that it can become miscible or immiscible when in contact with carboxylic acids in the aqueous sample.The metronidazole was then measured using a glassy carbon electrode that was modified with Au-multiwalled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs).The eff ect of diff erent parameters such as the type and amount of trigger,the addition of salt,and the volume of extraction solvent on the e fficiency of switchable hydrophilic solvent-based liquid-phase microextraction(SHS-LPME)was investigated using the one-factor-at-a-time method.After optimizing the conditions,the linear calibration curve was obtained in the concentration range of 0.005–250μmol/L.Accordingly,the limit of quantification(LOQ)of 0.005μmol/L and the limit of detection(LOD)of 0.0015μmol/L were obtained,respectively.
文摘Tumor protein p53 (TP53) mediates DNA repair and cell proliferation in growing cells. The TP53 gene is a tumor suppressor that regulates the expression of target genes in response to multiple cellular stress factors. Key target genes are involved in crucial cellular events such as DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, metabolism, and senescence. TP53 genetic variants and the activity of the wild-type p53 protein (WT-p53) have been linked to a wide range of tumorigenesis. Various genetic and epigenetic alterations, including germline and somatic mutations, loss of heterozygosity, and DNA methylation, can alter TP53 activity, potentially resulting in cancer initiation and progression. This study was designed to screen three reported mutations in the DNA-binding domain of the p53 protein in breast cancer, to evaluate the relative susceptibility and risk associated with breast cancer in the local population. Genomic DNA was isolated from 30 breast tumor tissues along with controls. Tetra and Tri ARMS PCR were performed to detect mutations in the TP53 coding region. For SNPs c.637C>T and c.733C>T, all analyzed cases were homozygous for the wild-type allele ‘C,’ while for SNP c.745A>G, all cases were homozygous for the wild-type allele ‘A.’ These results indicate no relevance of these three SNPs to cancer progression in our study cohort. Additionally, the findings from whole exon sequencing will help to predict more precise outcomes and assess the importance of TP53 gene mutations in breast cancer patients.
基金the Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea,NRF-2019R1A2C1005920,S.K.
文摘In this paper,a low cost,highly efficient and low profile monopole antenna for ultra-wideband(UWB)applications is presented.A new inverted triangular-shape structure possessing meander lines is designed to achieve a wideband response and high efficiency.To design the proposed structure,three steps are utilized to achieve an UWB response.The bandwidth of the proposed antenna is improved with changing meander lines parameters,miniaturization of the ground width and optimization of the feeding line.The measured and simulated frequency band ranges from 3.2 to 12 GHz,while the radiation patterns are measured at 4,5.3,6 and 8 GHz frequency bands.The overall volume of the proposed antenna is 26×25×1.6 mm^(3);whereas the FR4 material is used as a substrate with a relative permittivity and loss tangent of 4.3 and 0.025,correspondingly.The peak gain of 4 dB is achieved with a radiation efficiency of 80 to 98%for the entire wideband.Design modelling of proposed antenna is performed in ANSYS HFSS 13 software.A decent consistency between the simulated and measured results is accomplished which shows that the proposed antenna is a potential candidate for the UWB applications.
文摘Surface recombination represents a handicap for high-efficiency solar cells. This is especially important for nanowire array solar cells, where the surface-to-volume ratio is greatly enhanced. Here, the effect of different passivation materials on the effective recombination and on the device performance is experimentally analyzed. Our solar cells are large area top-down axial n-p junction silicon nanowires fabricated by means of Near-Field Phase-Shift Lithography （NF-PSL）. We report an efficiency of 9.9% for the best cell, passivated with a SiO2/SiNx stack. The impact of the presence of a surface fixed charge density at the silicon/oxide interface is studied.
文摘Hepatorenal syndrome with acute kidney injury(HRS-AKI)is a form of rapidly progressive kidney dysfunction in patients with decompensated cirrhosis and/or acute severe liver injury such as acute liver failure.Current data suggest that HRS-AKI occurs secondary to circulatory dysfunction characterized by marked splanchnic vasodilation,leading to reduction of effective arterial blood volume and glomerular filtration rate.Thus,volume expansion and splanchnic vasoconstriction constitute the mainstay of medical therapy.However,a significant proportion of patients do not respond to medical management.These patients often require renal replacement therapy and may be eligible for liver or combined liver-kidney transplantation.Although there have been advances in the management of patients with HRS-AKI including novel biomarkers and medications,better-calibrated studies,more widely available biomarkers,and improved prognostic models are sorely needed to further improve diagnosis and treatment of HRS-AKI.
基金The financial and encouragement support provided by Research vice Presidency of Ayatollah Amoli branch, Islamic Azad University and Faculty of Chemical & Petroleum and Gas Engineering ,Semnan University
文摘以3-Amino-5a,10a-dihydroxybenzo[b] indeno [2,l-d]furan-10-one (ADIF)功能化改性的纳米碳管(MWCNT-ADIF)为吸附剂,除去水溶液中的Pb^2+。采用FT-IR, SEM, TGA及DTG对MWCNT-ADIF样品进行表征。探讨了pH值、Pb^2+初始浓度、吸附量和接触时间对吸附动力学与平衡的影响。采用4种二参数模型(Langmuir、Freundlich、Tempkin与Dubinin-Radushkevich)和6种三参数模型(Redlich-Peterson, Khan, Sips, Radke-Prausnitz, Toth, Hil)研究Pb^2+吸附等温线。通过伪一阶动力学模型、伪二阶动力学模型和粒子内扩散模型分析吸附动力学。采用3种误差分析方法、相关系数、卡方值和平均相对误差来确定最佳拟合等温线和动力学模型。结果表明,吸附动力学与伪二阶动力学模型相吻合。误差分析表明,三参数模型比二参数模型更适合描述Pb^2+吸附数据。等温线数据与Langmuir、 Hill和Sips models相符。MWCNT-ADIF在pH=3溶液中能脱除92%的Pb^2+,并且回收后的MWCNT-ADIF能重复使用5个再生周期。
