Immune cell signatures and causal association with irritable bowel syndrome:A mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND The mucosal barrier's immune-brain interactions,pivotal for neural development and function,are increasingly recognized for their potential causal and therapeutic relevance to irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).Prior studies linking immune inflammation with IBS have been inconsistent.To further elucidate this relationship,we conducted a Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis of 731 immune cell markers to dissect the influence of various immune phenotypes on IBS.Our goal was to deepen our understanding of the disrupted brain-gut axis in IBS and to identify novel therapeutic targets.AIM To leverage publicly available data to perform MR analysis on 731 immune cell markers and explore their impact on IBS.We aimed to uncover immunophenotypic associations with IBS that could inform future drug development and therapeutic strategies.METHODS We performed a comprehensive two-sample MR analysis to evaluate the causal relationship between immune cell markers and IBS.By utilizing genetic data from public databases,we examined the causal associations between 731 immune cell markers,encompassing median fluorescence intensity,relative cell abundance,absolute cell count,and morphological parameters,with IBS susceptibility.Sensitivity analyses were conducted to validate our findings and address potential heterogeneity and pleiotropy.RESULTS Bidirectional false discovery rate correction indicated no significant influence of IBS on immunophenotypes.However,our analysis revealed a causal impact of IBS on 30 out of 731 immune phenotypes(P<0.05).Nine immune phenotypes demonstrated a protective effect against IBS[inverse variance weighting(IVW)<0.05,odd ratio(OR)<1],while 21 others were associated with an increased risk of IBS onset(IVW≥0.05,OR≥1).CONCLUSION Our findings underscore a substantial genetic correlation between immune cell phenotypes and IBS,providing valuable insights into the pathophysiology of the condition.These results pave the way for the development of more precise biomarkers and targeted therapies for IBS.Furthermore,this research enriches our comprehension of immune cell roles in IBS pathogenesis,offering a foundation for more effective,personalized treatment approaches.These advancements hold promise for improving IBS patient quality of life and reducing the disease burden on individuals and their families.

Comparison of α particle detectors based on single-crystal diamond films grown in two types of gas atmospheres by microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition

Chemical vapor deposition(CVD)-grown diamond films have been developed as irradiation-resistant materials to replace or upgrade current detectors for use in extreme radiation environments. However, their sensitivity in practical applications has been inhibited by space charge stability issues caused by defects and impurities in pure diamond crystal materials. In this study, two high-quality CVD-grown single-crystal diamond(SCD) detectors with low content of nitrogen impurities were fabricated and characterized. The intrinsic properties of the SCD samples were characterized using Raman spectroscopy, stereomicroscopy, and X-ray diffraction with the rocking curve mode, cathode luminescence(CL), and infrared and ultraviolet-visible-near infrared spectroscopies. After packaging the detectors, the dark current and energy resolution under α particle irradiation were investigated. Dark currents of less than 5 pA at 100 V were obtained after annealing the electrodes, which is comparable with the optimal value previously reported. The detector that uses a diamond film with higher nitrogen content showed poor energy resolution, whereas the detector with more dislocations showed poor charge collection efficiency(CCE). This demonstrates that the nitrogen content in diamond has a significant effect on the energy resolution of detectors, while the dislocations in diamond largely contribute to the poor CCE of detectors.

Recent progress in diamond-based MOSFETs

Recent developments in the use of diamond materials as metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are in- troduced in this article, including an analysis of the advantages of the device owing to the unique physical properties of diamond materials, such as their high-temperature and negative electron affinity characteristics. Recent research progress by domestic and international research groups on performance improvement of hydrogen-terminated and oxygen-terminated diamond-based MOSFETs is also summarized. Currently, preparation of large-scale diamond epitaxial layers is still relatively difficult, and improvements and innovations in the device structure are still ongoing. However, the key to improving the performance of diamond-based MOSFET devices lies in improving the mobility of channel carriers. This mainly includes improvements in doping technologies and reductions in interface state density or carrier traps. These will be vital research goals for the future of diamond-based MOSFETs.

Propagation of acoustic waves in a fluid-filled pipe with periodic elastic Helmholtz resonators

Helmholtz resonators are widely used to reduce noise in a fluid-filled pipe system. It is a challenge to obtain lowfrequency and broadband attenuation with a small sized cavity. In this paper, the propagation of acoustic waves in a fluid-filled pipe system with periodic elastic Helmholtz resonators is studied theoretically. The resonance frequency and sound transmission loss of one unit are analyzed to validate the correctness of simplified acoustic impedance. The band structure of infinite periodic cells and sound transmission loss of finite periodic cells are calculated by the transfer matrix method and finite element software. The effects of several parameters on band gap and sound transmission loss are probed.Further, the negative bulk modulus of periodic cells with elastic Helmholtz resonators is analyzed. Numerical results show that the acoustic propagation properties in the periodic pipe, such as low frequency, broadband sound transmission, can be improved.

Impact vibration properties of locally resonant fluid-conveying pipes

Fluid-conveying pipe systems are widely used in various equipments to transport matter and energy.Due to the fluid–structure interaction effect,the fluid acting on the pipe wall is easy to produce strong vibration and noise,which have a serious influence on the safety and concealment of the equipment.Based on the theory of phononic crystals,this paper studies the vibration transfer properties of a locally resonant(LR)pipe under the condition of fluid–structure interaction.The band structure and the vibration transfer properties of a finite periodic pipe are obtained by the transfer matrix method.Further,the different impact excitation and fluid–structure interaction effect on the frequency range of vibration attenuation properties of the LR pipe are mainly considered and calculated by the finite element model.The results show that the existence of a low-frequency vibration bandgap in the LR pipe can effectively suppress the vibration propagation under external impact and fluid impact excitation,and the vibration reduction frequency range is near the bandgap under the fluid–structure interaction effect.Finally,the pipe impact experiment was performed to verify the effective attenuation of the LR structure to the impact excitation,and to validate the finite element model.The research results provide a technical reference for the vibration control of the fluid-conveying pipe systems that need to consider blast load and fluid impact.

Effect of Mean Flow on Acoustic Wave Propagation in a Duct with a Periodic Array of Helmholtz Resonators

Sound propagation properties of a duct system with Helmholtz resonators(HRs)are affected by mean flow.Previous studies have tended to focus on the effects of mean flows on acoustic response of a duct system with a finite number of HRs.Employing an empirical impedance model,we present a modified transfer matrix method for studying the effect of mean flow on the complex band structure of an air duct system with an infinite periodic array of HRs.The efficiency of the modified transfer matrix is demonstrated by comparison between an example of transmission response calculation for a finite single HR loaded duct and the finite element simulation result calculated using the COMSOL software.Numerical results are presented to analyze the effect of mean flow on the band structure and transmission loss of the sound wave in the duct system.It is hoped that this study will provide theoretical guidance for acoustic wave propagation of HR silencer in the presence of mean flow.

Influences of processing parameters and heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical behavior of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated using selective laser melting

Selective laser melting(SLM)has provided an alternative to the conventional fabrication techniques for Ti-6Al-4V alloy parts because of its flexibility and ease in creating complex features.Therefore,this study investigated the effects of the process parameters and heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V fabricated using SLM.The influences of various process parameters on the relative density,tensile properties,impact toughness,and hardness of Ti-6Al-4V alloy parts were studied.By employing parameter optimization,a high-density high-strength Ti-6Al-4V alloy was fabricated by SLM.A relative density of 99.45%,a tensile strength of 1188 MPa,and an elongation to failure of 9.5%were achieved for the SLM-fabricated Ti-6Al-4V alloy with optimized parameters.The effects of annealing and solution aging heat treatment on the mechanical properties,phase composition,and microstructure of the SLM-fabricated Ti-6Al-4V alloy were also studied.The ductility of the heat-treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy was improved.By applying a heat treatment at 850℃ for 2 h,followed by furnace cooling,the elongation to failure and impact toughness were found to be increased from 9.5%to 12.5%,and from 24.13 J/cm^(2)to 47.51 J/cm^(2),respectively.