Therapeutic interventions target the NLRP3 inflammasome in ulcerative colitis:Comprehensive study

One of the significant health issues in the world is the prevalence of ulcerative colitis(UC).UC is a chronic disorder that mainly affects the colon,beginning with the rectum,and can progress from asymptomatic mild inflammation to extensive inflammation of the entire colon.Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of UC pathogenesis emphasizes the need for innovative therapeutic approaches based on identifying molecular targets.Interestingly,in response to cellular injury,the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3)inflammasome is a crucial part of the inflammation and immunological reaction by promoting caspase-1 activation and the release of interleukin-1β.This review discusses the mechanisms of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by various signals and its regulation and impact on UC.

Therapeutic interventions of acute and chronic liver disorders:A comprehensive review

Liver disorders are one of the most common pathological problems worldwide.It affects more than 1.5 billion worldwide.Many types of hepatic cells have been reported to be involved in the initiation and propagation of both acute and chronic liver diseases,including hepatocytes,Kupffer cells,sinusoidal endothelial cells,and hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).In addition,oxidative stress,cytokines,fibrogenic factors,microRNAs,and autophagy are also involved.Understanding the molecular mechanisms of liver diseases leads to discovering new therapeutic interventions that can be used in clinics.Recently,antioxidant,anti-inflammatory,anti-HSCs therapy,gene therapy,cell therapy,gut microbiota,and nanoparticles have great potential for preventing and treating liver diseases.Here,we explored the recent possible molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic liver diseases.Besides,we overviewed the recent therapeutic interventions that targeted liver diseases and summarized the recent studies concerning liver disorders therapy.

Impact of cytokine storm and systemic inflammation on liver impairment patients infected by SARS-CoV-2:Prospective therapeutic challenges

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a devastating worldwide pandemic infection caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome namely coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)that is associated with a high spreading and mortality rate.On the date this review was written,SARS-CoV-2 infected about 96 million people and killed about 2 million people.Several arguments disclosed the high mortality of COVID-19 due to acute respiratory distress syndrome or change in the amount of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2)receptor expression or cytokine storm strength production.In a similar pattern,hepatic impairment patients co-infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibited overexpression of ACE2 receptors and cytokine storm overwhelming,which worsens the hepatic impairment and increases the mortality rate.In this review,the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on hepatic impairment conditions we overviewed.Besides,we focused on the recent studies that indicated cytokine storm as well as ACE2 as the main factors for high COVID-19 spreading and mortality while hinting at the potential therapeutic strategies.

Machine learning and data-driven prediction of pore pressure from geophysical logs:A case study for the Mangahewa gas field,New Zealand

Pore pressure is an essential parameter for establishing reservoir conditions,geological interpretation and drilling programs.Pore pressure prediction depends on information from various geophysical logs,seismic,and direct down-hole pressure measurements.However,a level of uncertainty accompanies the prediction of pore pressure because insufficient information is usually recorded in many wells.Applying machine learning(ML)algorithms can decrease the level of uncertainty of pore pressure prediction uncertainty in cases where available information is limited.In this research,several ML techniques are applied to predict pore pressure through the over-pressured Eocene reservoir section penetrated by four wells in the Mangahewa gas field,New Zealand.Their predictions substantially outperform,in terms of prediction performance,those generated using a multiple linear regression(MLR)model.The geophysical logs used as input variables are sonic,temperature and density logs,and some direct pore pressure measurements were available at the reservoir level to calibrate the predictions.A total of 25,935 data records involving six well-log input variables were evaluated across the four wells.All ML methods achieved credible levels of pore pressure prediction performance.The most accurate models for predicting pore pressure in individual wells on a supervised basis are decision tree(DT),adaboost(ADA),random forest(RF)and transparent open box(TOB).The DT achieved root mean square error(RMSE)ranging from 0.25 psi to 14.71 psi for the four wells.The trained models were less accurate when deployed on a semi-supervised basis to predict pore pressure in the other wellbores.For two wells(Mangahewa-03 and Mangahewa-06),semi-supervised prediction achieved acceptable prediction performance of RMSE of 130—140 psi;while for the other wells,semi-supervised prediction performance was reduced to RMSE>300 psi.The results suggest that these models can be used to predict pore pressure in nearby locations,i.e.similar geology at corresponding depths within a field,but they become less reliable as the step-out distance increases and geological conditions change significantly.In comparison to other approaches to predict pore pressures,this study has identified that application of several ML algorithms involving a large number of data records can lead to more accurate prediction results.

Migration and speciation transformation mechanisms of mercury in undercurrent zones of the Tongguan gold mining area, Shaanxi Loess Plateau and impact on the environment

In order to study the migration and transformation mechanism of Hg content and occurrence form in subsurface flow zone of gold mining area in Loess Plateau and its influence on water environment,the field in-situ infiltration test and laboratory test were carried out in three typical sections of river-side loess,alluvial and proluvial strata in Tongguan gold mining area of Shaanxi Province,and the following results were obtained:(1)The source of Hg in subsurface flow zone is mainly caused by mineral processing activities;(2)the subsurface flow zone in the study area is in alkaline environment,and the residual state,iron and manganese oxidation state,strong organic state and humic acid state of mercury in loess are equally divided in dry and oxidizing environment;mercury in river alluvial or diluvial strata is mainly concentrated in silt,tailings and clayey silt soil layer,and mercury has certain stability,and the form of mercury in loess is easier to transform than the other two media;(3)under the flooding condition,most of mercury is trapped in the silt layer in the undercurrent zone where the sand and silt layers alternate with each other and the river water and groundwater are disjointed,and the migration capacity of mercury is far less than that of loess layer and alluvial layer with close hydraulic connection;(4)infiltration at the flood level accelerates the migration of pollutants to the ground;(5)the soil in the undercurrent zone is overloaded and has seriously exceeded the standard.Although the groundwater monitoring results are safe this time,relevant enterprises or departments should continue to pay attention to improving the gold extraction process,especially vigorously rectify the small workshops for illegal gold extraction and the substandard discharge of the three wastes,and intensify efforts to solve the geological environmental problems of mines left over from history.At present,the occurrence form of mercury in the undercurrent zone is relatively stable,but the water and soil layers have been polluted.The risk of disjointed groundwater pollution can not be ignored while giving priority to the treatment of loess and river alluvial landform areas with close hydraulic links.The research results will provide a scientific basis for water conservancy departments to groundwater prevention and control in water-deficient areas of the Loess Plateau.

Current situation and human health risk assessment of fluoride enrichment in groundwater in the Loess Plateau:A case study of Dali County,Shaanxi Province,China

This study aims to investigate the mechanisms and health risks of fluoride enrichment in groundwater in the Loess Plateau,China.By taking Dali County,Shaanxi Province,China as an example,this study obtains the following results through field investigation and the analyses of water,soil,and crop samples.(1)The groundwater can be divided into two major types,namely the Quaternary pore-fissure water and Karst water.The Karst area and sandy area have high-quality groundwater and serve as the target areas for optional water supply.The groundwater in the study area is slightly alkaline and highly saline.Meanwhile,high-fluoride groundwater is mainly distributed in the loess and river alluvial plains in the depression area of the Guanzhong Basin and the discharge areas of the groundwater,with the highest fluoride concentration exceeding seven times the national standard.(2)Fluoride in groundwater mainly originates from a natural source and human activities.The natural source refers to the fluoride-bearing minerals in rocks and soil,and the fluoride from this source is mainly controlled by natural factors such as climate,geologic setting,pH,specific hydrochemical environment,ion exchange,and mineral saturation.Human activities in modern life can be further divided into industrial and agricultural sources primarily.(3)The health risks of fluoride contamination are very high in the Loess Plateau,especially for children compared to adults.Meanwhile,the risks of fluoride exposure through food intake are higher than those through drinking water intake.The authors suggest selecting target areas to improve water supply and ensure the safety of drinking water in the study area.Besides,it is necessary to plant crops with low fluoride content or cash crops and to conduct groundwater treatment to reduce the fluoride concentration in drinking water.These results will provide a theoretical basis for safe water supply in the faulted basin areas in the Loess Plateau.

Evaluation of Micro Leakage of Two Direct Esthetic Restorations with Different Preparation Techniques

Objectives: In recent times, the term “minimal intervention dentistry” has coined to describe a new approach to the treatment of the disease of caries. This study was carried out to evaluate the marginal integrity of class V cavity in permanent posterior teeth prepared with different air abrasion parameters compared with classical rotary cavity preparation. Methods: A total number of 150 sound caries for free human posterior teeth were used in this study. Teeth were extracted for periodontal disease or orthodontic reasons and the average age of patients between 20 - 35 years. Teeth were divided according to the type of restoration into two main groups: Group I (n = 75) restored with low shrinkable posterior composite (P90) and Group II (n = 75) restored with Ketac nano ionomer (N100). Each main group was divided into five groups (n = 15), then each group was further subdivided into three subgroups (n = 5) according to the storage time (immediately, three months, and six months). All teeth would be tested at both occlusal and gingival margins of prepared class V cavity according to the method of cavity preparation. Results: A high significant difference was found in the mean ranks of micro-leakageat both occlusal enamel and gingival dentin walls among Groups 1 - 5 (p-value of Conclusion: Low shrinkable silorane based composite yielded better results of micro-leakage scores along the occlusal enamel and gingival dentin walls when the cavity of class V was prepared with air abrasion technique with large size alumina particles under high pressure at immediate storage time as compared with Ketac N100.

Biomarkers in Nile Tilapia <i>Oreochromis niloticus niloticus</i>(Linnaeus, 1758) to Assess the Impacts of River Nile Pollution: Bioaccumulation, Biochemical and Tissues Biomarkers

The use of biomarkers has become an important tool for modern environmental assessment as they can help to predict pollutants involved in the monitoring program. Here I present data on bioaccumulation, biochemical and tissues biomarkers in Nile tilapia as early warning indicators of river Nile pollution. Nile tilapia sampled from downstream sites accumulated higher levels of all the detected heavy metals than those collected from upstream sites. Heavy metal residues in the tissues of Nile tilapia exhibited different patterns of accumulation and distribution among the selected tissues. Remarkable alterations in the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the tissues of Nile tilapia were detected. These alterations were followed, in the present study, by the occurrence of histological lesions in liver and gill tissues of fish collected from the same sites. Alterations in bioaccumulation patterns, in enzyme activities and in histology go in parallel with the elevation in the levels of water chemical parameters detected in the downstream sites as a result of pollution stress in these areas. These results provide evidence that bioaccumulation, biochemical and tissues biomarkers can be sensitive indicators of exposure to mixed pollutants in surface waters.

Genotoxicity Tests and Their Contributions in Aquatic Environmental Research

As many chemicals with genotoxic potential are emitted to surface water, genotoxicity tests are gaining importance which led to the development of several techniques to detect directly DNA damage. The relevance of detecting the genotoxic risks associated with water pollution was firstly perceived in the late 1970s. Since that time several tests have been developed for evaluating DNA alterations in aquatic animals. These tests rely on the premise that any changes to DNA may have long-lasting and profound consequences. Sister chromatid test, chromosome aberrations, comet assay, and micronucleus test are currently the most widely employed methods to detect DNA lesions in ecotoxicology. Chromosomal aberration and sister chromatid exchanges are time consuming, resource intensive and require proliferating cell population. Hence, Comet assay and Micronucleus test as cost effective and more sensitive test systems have now been introduced for assessing the genotoxicity of chemicals. This review presents a synthesis of the state of the art in the methodologies of comet assay and micronucleus test and their contributions in aquatic environmental research. The text explores the latest knowledge and thinking on these very important approaches for the assessment of environmental health, management, and conservation. The primary concern of the present review is the measurement of genotoxic potential in aquatic organisms under field and laboratory conditions, where effects of chemicals at different levels of biological organization can be examined.

Postoperative Mechanical Axis Alignment and Components Position after Conventional and Patient-Specific Total Knee Arthroplasty

Introduction: Accurate postoperative alignment and implant positioning are determinant factors for successful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patient-specific template (PST) is a technique that uses computer technology for the planning, deigning and production of cutting guides. This study aims to compare PST to conventional technique in terms of mechanical axis alignment and component positioning. Patients and method: 109 TKA were performed for 78 patients in 2 groups. Group A included 69 conventional TKA in 55 patients and Group B included 40 patient-specific TKA in 23 patient. Postoperative long-film X-rays were done for all patients to observe the mechanical axis, anatomical axis, lateral distal femoral mechanical angle and medial proximal tibial angle. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding alignment or component positioning. Conclusion: Both techniques have shown similar results in restoring the mechanical axis and alignment after TKA. However, PST had the advantages of reduced blood loss and shorter operative time.

Performance enhancement of a DC-operated micropump with electroosmosis in a hybrid nanofluid:fractional Cattaneo heat flux problem

The purpose of this investigation is to theoretically shed some light on the effect of the unsteady electroosmotic flow(EOF)of an incompressible fractional secondgrade fluid with low-dense mixtures of two spherical nanoparticles,copper,and titanium.The flow of the hybrid nanofluid takes place through a vertical micro-channel.A fractional Cattaneo model with heat conduction is considered.For the DC-operated micropump,the Lorentz force is responsible for the pressure difference through the microchannel.The Debye-H¨ukel approximation is utilized to linearize the charge density.The semianalytical solutions for the velocity and heat equations are obtained with the Laplace and finite Fourier sine transforms and their numerical inverses.In addition to the analytical procedures,a numerical algorithm based on the finite difference method is introduced for the given domain.A comparison between the two solutions is presented.The variations of the velocity heat transfer against the enhancements in the pertinent parameters are thoroughly investigated graphically.It is noticed that the fractional-order parameter provides a crucial memory effect on the fluid and temperature fields.The present work has theoretical implications for biofluid-based microfluidic transport systems.

Microplastic contamination in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:Current status and transfer mechanisms

This paper aims to investigate the present situation and transfer mechanisms of microplastics in lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The study surveyed the average abundance of microplastics in sediments.The abundance of microplastics in sediments of lakes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is 17.22-2643.65 items/kg DW and 0-60.63 items/kg DW based on the data of the Qinghai Lake and the Siying Co Basin.The microplastic abundance in sediments from small and medium lakes is very high compared to that in other areas in the world.Like microplastics in other lakes of the world,those in the lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau mainly include organic polymers PA,PET,PE,and PP and are primarily in the shape of fibers and fragments.The microplastic pollution of lacustrine sediments in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is affected by natural changes and by human activities,and the concentration of microplastics in lacustrine ecosystems gradually increases through food chains.Furthermore,the paper suggests the relevant administrative departments of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau strengthen waste management while developing tourism and pay much attention to the impacts of microplastics in water environments.This study provides a reference for preventing and controlling microplastic contamination in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Stability of within host HTLV-I/HIV-1 co-infection in the presence of macrophages

The main target of both human immunodeficiency virus type 1(HIV-1)and human Tlymphotropic virus type I(HTLV-I)is the CD4+T cell which is considered the key player in the immune system.Moreover,HIV-1 has another target that is the macrophages.The present paper aims to formulate and develop a mathematical model to analyze the interaction of two viruses,HIV-1 and HTLV-I with the immune system.We determine a bounded domain for the concentrations of the model's compartments.We discuss the dynamical behavior of the model and analyze the existence and stability of the system's steady states.The global asymptotic stability of all steady states is proven by utilizing the Lyapunov method.We also demonstrate the dynamical behavior of the system numerically.The significant impact of macrophages on the HTLV-I/HIV-1 co-infection dynamics is discussed.Our developed model will contribute to the understanding of HTLV-I/HIV-1 co-infection dynamics and help to choose different treatment strategies against HIV-1 and HTLV-I.

Improving electrical,optical and radiation shielding properties of polyvinyl alcohol yttrium oxide composites

This research aims to study the impact of yttrium oxide on the radiation protection features of polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) for gamma shielding applications.The yttrium oxide(Y_(2)O_(3)) was instilled through the PVA matrix by different contents(x=0.1 wt%,0,3 wt%,0,7 wt%,0,9 wt%),The morphology of the prepared PVA/Y_(2)O_(3)composites was characterized using scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The samples were investigated using absorption edge,transmittance spectra and dielectric properties.The transmittance and the bandgap energy decrease as the Y2O3content increases while there is an increase in ε’ and ε" as well as the ac conductivity with the content increment of Y_(2)O_(3)till 0.7 wt%.The te mperature dependence of the dc conductivity was measured for all samples in the range of 260-460 K,and it increases with the temperature increasing.To correlate the electrical characteristics of the PVA/Y_(2)O_(3)composites with their structure and evaluate electrical properties with the help of equivalent circuit matching with the experimentally electrical response in the impedance spectrum,the radiation protection properties were also investigated to get the radiation shielding performance of these PVA/Y_(2)O_(3)composite films with varying Y_(2)O(3)content.The linear attenuation coefficient(μ),half value layer(T_(0.5)),and mass attenuation coefficient(μm) were measured.According to all obtained data,PVA/Y_(2)O_(3)composite films with various percentages(0.1 wt%,0.3 wt%,0.7 wt%,0.9 wt%) can be used as a radiation shielding material.

Series solution of a natural convection flow for a Carreau fluid in a vertical channel with peristalsis

An analysis has been achieved to study the natural convection of a non-Newtonian fluid （namely a Carreau fluid） in a vertical channel with rhythmically contracting walls. The Navier-Stokes and the energy equations are reduced to a system of non- linear PDE by using the long wavelength approximation. The optimal homotopy analysis method （OHAM） is introduced to obtain the exact solutions for velocity and temperature fields. The convergence of the obtained OHAM solution is discussed explicitly. Numerical calculations are carried out for the pressure rise and the features of the flow and temperature characteristics are analyzed by plotting graphs and discussed in detail.

An Investigation of ~4He+^(12)C and ~4He+^(16)O Reactions Using the Cluster Model

The α-target semimicroscopic single folding potentials have been derived by folding a composite (repul-sive and attractive) effective α-α interaction with the α-cluster distribution density in the target nuclei. The obtained potentials are considered as the real part of the nuclear optical model potentials, while the imaginary parts are phe-nomenologicaly expressed using the Woods-Saxon form. Nine sets of measured experimental data of the 4He+12C and 4 He+16O elastic rainbow scattering over the energy range 80-240 MeV are analyzed using the obtained potentials. The data are successfully reproduced using the extracted potentials. The resulted reaction cross sections are also investigated and compared with the available corresponding data.

Modeling and stability analysis of HIV/HTLV-I co-infection

Human immunodeficiency virus(HIV)and human T-Iymphotropic virus type I(HTLV-I)are two retroviruses that infect the susceptible CD4^(+)T cells.It is known that HIV and HTLV-I have in common a way of transmission through direct contact with certain body fluids related to infected individuals.Therefore,it is not surprising that a mono-infected person with one of these viruses can be co-infected with the other virus.In the literature,a great number of mathematical models has been presented to describe the within-host dynamics of HIV or HTLV-I mono-infection.However,the within-host dynamics of HIV/HTLV-I co-infection has not been modeled.In this paper,we develop a new within-host HIV/HTLV-I co-infection model.The model includes the impact of Cytotoxic T lymphocytes(CTLs)immune response,which is important to control the progression of viral co-infection.The model describes the interaction between susceptible CD4^(+)T cells,silent HIV-infected cells,active HIV-infected cells,silent HTLV-infected cells,Tax-expressing HTLV-infected cells,free HIV particles,HIV-specific CTLs and HTLV-specific CTLs.We first show the nonnegativity and boundedness of the model’s solutions and then we calculate all possible equilibria.We derive the threshold parameters which govern the existence and stability of all equilibria of the model.We prove the global asymptotic stability of all equilibria by utilizing Lyapunov function and LaSalle’s invariance principle.We have presented numerical simulations to illustrate the effectiveness of our main results.In addition,we discuss the effect of HTLV-I infection on the HIV-infected patients and vice versa.

Couple stress fluid flow in a rotating channel with peristalsis

This article describes a new model for obtaining closed-form semi-analytical solutions of peristaltic flow induced by sinusoidal wave trains propagating with constant speed on the walls of a two-dimensional rotating infinite channel. The channel rotates with a constant angular speed about the z-axis and is filled with couple stress fluid. The governing equations of the channel deformation and the flow rate inside the channel are derived using the lubrication theory approach. The resulting equations are solved, using the homotopy perturbation method（HPM）, for exact solutions to the longitudinal velocity distribution, pressure gradient, flow rate due to secondary velocity, and pressure rise per wavelength. The effect of various values of physical parameters, such as, Taylor＇s number and couple stress parameter, together with some interesting features of peristaltic flow are discussed through graphs. The trapping phenomenon is investigated for different values of parameters under consideration. It is shown that Taylor＇s number and the couple stress parameter have an increasing effect on the longitudinal velocity distribution till half of the channel, on the flow rate due to secondary velocity, and on the number of closed streamlines circulating the bolus.

New measurements and reanalysis of^14N elastic scattering on^10B target

The angular distributions of elastic scattering of^14N ions on^10B targets have been measured at incident beam energies of 21.0 and 24.5 MeV.Angular distributions at higher energies 38–94.0 MeV(previously measured)were also included in the analysis.All data were analyzed within the framework of the optical model and the distorted waves Born approximation method.The observed rise in cross sections at large angles was interpreted as a possible contribution of theα-cluster exchange mechanism.Spectroscopic amplitudes SA2 and SA4 for the configuration^14N→^10B+αwere extracted.Their average values are 0.58±0.10 and 0.81±0.12 for SA2 and SA4,respectively,suggesting that the exchange mechanism is a major component of the elastic scattering for this system.The energy dependence of the depths for the real and imaginary potentials was found.