Break Resistance Research Articles

Suicide prevention actions carried out by an academic psychiatry service in Rio de janeiro city

IntroductionDescription of a structured work of primary prevention, based on a survey of the prevalence of suicidal behavior in the Brazilian population throughout life, performed by an academic service of psychiatry and chemical dependence. We describe a survey of the probability of suicide attempt in an academic internment service focused on psychiatry and drug addiction in the city of Rio de Janeiro.ObjectivesRaise awareness of the need to call for help and 24-hour distress hotline phone outreach. Calculate a possible demand for mental health services to patients with severe suicidal behavior aiming at the necessary equipment to attend this population.MethodsClarification actions through the press, development of a suicide prevention lecture program given in schools, surveillance cameras, military institutions, companies and laws, promotion of public events with music, activities, distribution of t-shirts, booklets and leaflets.Using the mental health care implementation system: identifying the patient, raising their needs and available resources, breaking resistance, advocating and treating, we raised in this institution that from January 01, 2019 to September 01, 2019, 137 patients were hospitalized with a serious suicide attempt.ResultsAccording to a survey of the prevalence of suicidal behavior in the Brazilian population over the course of life, where out of 100 patients, 17 had suicidal thoughts, 5 planned, 3 attempted suicide and 1 was treated in the emergency room.ConclusionsThe suicide prevention program has been very successful as the press promotes of the telephone number for immediate relief. His survey highlighted the need to create a specific suicide treatment and prevention program.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Construction of full-length infectious cDNA clones of two Korean isolates of turnip mosaic virus breaking resistance in Brassica napus.

In this work, two new turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) strains (Canola-12 and Canola-14) overcoming resistance in canola (Brassica napus) were isolated from a B. napus sample that showed typical TuMV-like symptoms and was collected in the city of Gimcheon, South Korea, in 2020. The complete genome sequence was determined and an infectious clone was made for each isolate. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strains isolated from canola belonged to the World-B group. Both infectious clones, which used 35S and T7 promoters to drive expression, induced systemic symptoms in Nicotiana benthamiana and B. napus. To our knowledge, this is the first report of TuMV infecting B. napus in South Korea.

Can ‘relative culm wall thickness’ be used to evaluate the lodging resistance of rice?

ABSTRACT Many indexes have been demonstrated to evaluate the lodging resistance of rice, but most of them are complex or not representative. Thus, we propose a simple and low-cost index, called relative culm wall thickness (RCWT), which can be calculated as the ratio of the basal internode wall thickness to its diameter, to measure the lodging characteristics of rice. A field experiment with 20 indica hybrid rice varieties was conducted in Dayi, Sichuan, China, in 2017 and 2018. The results show that RCWT was significantly negatively correlated with the lodging index, visual lodging rate, plant inclination angle, and bending moment, while it was significantly positively correlated with culm wall thickness, breaking resistance, cellulose, and lignin. Compared with the middle and low RCWT types, the high RCWT type had a lower plant height and center of gravity. Meanwhile, the short basal internodes, thick culm wall thickness, and small pith diameter increased the fullness of the stem, which increased the content of cellulose and lignin in the stem, and thus enhanced the bending resistance and decreased lodging index of the stem. These results indicate that the RCWT can be used as an important index to evaluate the lodging resistance of rice.

Evaluation of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) population density for disease resistance screening of tomato germplasm carrying the gene Mi-1

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne spp. causes yield losses of up to 68% on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) crops. Genetic resistance in the host plant makes the crop sustainable and it can breakdown when there is a high population density of the pathogen. The objective of this study was to determine the nematode population density that allow determining the resistance potential of tomato germplasm associated with the Mi-1 resistance gen. The Mi-1 gene was evaluated with the molecular marker SCAR Mi-23 and specific primers in the genotypes COLY007, IAC1687, LA0445, IAC1622 and two commercial controls (susceptible and resistant). The damage scale and the number of individuals recovered (eggs and juveniles) were assessed, with different population densities of the pathogen inoculated (0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000 and 5000 individuals plant-1), in a split plot design, with six replicates and a plant as the experimental unit. The genotype IAC1687 and the resistant commercial control presented the resistance allele of the Mi-1 gene and were classified as moderately resistant to a density of 1000 individuals plant-1. Despite having the Mi-1 gene, the COLY007 genotype was classified as moderately susceptible and with densities greater than 1000 individuals plant-1 can break resistance in all genotypes evaluated. Additionally, it is necessary to correlate the genotypic and phenotypic responses to guarantee the success of the selection supported by molecular markers such as SCAR Mi-23 and identify promising genotypes that could be included in a long-term breeding and also used as rootstocks in an integrated management of root-knot nematode.

A cleaner processing approach for cellulose reinforced thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposites

AbstractIn a manner of addressing challenges in scalable processing of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) nanocomposites through extrusion methods, this study reports a very clean processing approach of incorporating cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) into a TPU matrix, with no acid or organic‐solvents usage. It involves a mechanical deconstruction of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) into nanoscale particles in water and polyol through scalable bead‐milling, vacuum drying, and followed by twin‐screw reactive extrusion with isocyanate and chain extender. The thermal stability of CNC was higher than that of typically acid‐hydrolyzed CNC and suitable for processing with the precursors of TPU at typical processing temperature range (175–190°C). The CNC incorporation at very low loadings (0.5, 0.8 wt%) through this methodology resulted in substantial enhancements in tensile properties (for example, up to 28% in strength and toughness) without any significant stiffening effect. Moreover, the nanocomposites retained elastic properties, including elongation at break (%), resilience, and creep resistance. Their chemical properties and thermal transitions were also found to support the retained thermoplastic behavior while improving mechanical performance.

Karakteristik Biokomposit Foam Maizena dan Glukomanan pada Perlakuan Konsentrasi Campuran Sorbitol dan TDI-80

This study aims to know the effect of the concentration of a mixture of sorbitol and TDI-80 on the characteristics of cornstarch and glucomannan foam biocomposite and to determine the concentration of a mixture of sorbitol and TDI-80 which produces the best characteristics of cornstarch and glucomannan foam biocomposite. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 treatments with 4 repetitions so that there were 20 experimental units with variations in the mixture of sorbitol and TDI-80 (5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and R5 = 25%) with a ratio of 1:1. The data obtained were analyzed for diversity (ANOVA) and continued with the Tukey test using Minitab 17 software. The variables observed were hardness, bouncing spring, breaking stress, elongation at break, tear resistance, constant compression and biodegradation. The results showed that the concentration of the mixture of sorbitol and TDI-80 had an effect on mass density, hardness, bouncing spring and constant compression, breaking stress, elongation at break and tear resistance. The best cornstarch and glucomannan foam biocomposite was obtained in the treatment with a mixture of sorbitol and TDI-80 concentration of 25% with a hardness value of 5.15 kg, a constant compressive value of 3.15%, a mass density of 0.12 g/mL, and a rebound spring of 22.91. %, breaking stress 0.05 N/mm2, elongation at break 4.52%, tear resistance 0.04 N/cm3 and biodegradation rate within 8 days days.
 Keywords: biocomposite foam, cornstarch, glucomannan, concentration of sorbitol and TDI-80.

Preparation and Properties of Impact Resistant Polyurea Coating for Fluorochemical Pipeline

A new type of high elastic polyurea protective coating reinforced by nano silica is prepared by filler composite in order to avoid both the leakage of fluorine chemical pipelines containing highly toxic and dangerous media as well as the damage to fluorine chemical pipelines under impact loads. The aim is to improve the intrinsic safety of fluorine chemical pipelines and ensure the safety of the ecological environment, life and property. The effects of different processes and process parameters on the properties of polyurea coating were studied. The polyurea coating was blended and strengthened with nano silica modified by silane coupling agent KH-550. The suitable stirring speed, material addition sequence and nano silica concentration of the new polyurea material were put forward to prepare a new polyurea coating with excellent properties. The properties of the polyurea coating were characterized, including curing time, tensile strength, elongation at break and impact resistance. Then, by using the numerical simulation method, the protection law of polyurea coating on fluorochemical pipelines with or without polyurea coating under the impact of small balls with different speeds was studied, and the equivalent stress mitigation and energy absorption mechanism of polyurea coating were analyzed from the perspective of macro and micro mechanisms. The results show that silane coupling agent KH-550 has successfully modified nano silica, and the optimal filling concentration of modified nano silica is 4 wt%. At this time, the tensile strength of filled reinforced polyurea coating is increased to 15.7 MPa, the elongation at break is 472%, the hardness is 61 HA, and the impact resistance of the matrix material is increased by 9.7 kJ/m2. This shows that the polyurea reinforced by nano silica has excellent mechanical properties and impact resistance. The simulation results show that the polyurea coating can slow down the impact caused by the equivalent stress of small balls at different speeds. When the ball speed is 5 m/s, the equivalent stress of polyurea coating slows down to 49.3%, and the percentage of reduction of the impact caused by the equivalent stress of the polyurea coating decreases gradually with the increase of ball impact speed.

First Report of Pea as a Natural Host of tomato mottle mosaic virus in China.

Tomato mottle mosaic virus, a new species in the genus Tobamovirus and family Virgaviridae, was first reported on tomato in Mexico in 2013 (Li et al. 2013). Subsequently, tomato mottle mosaic virus (ToMMV) was found infecting pepper and eggplant in China (Li et al. 2014; Chai et al. 2018). ToMMV was thought to pose a serious risk to solanaceous crops due to its potential to break resistance and numerous transmission ways (Li et al. 2020), meanwhile, some plant species in the families of Amaranthaceae, Brassicaceae, Cucurbitaceae, and Verbenaceae, were found as the hosts of ToMMV under experimental condition (Sui et al. 2017; Li et al. 2020). To clarify the occurrence of ToMMV in Yunnan province of China, 395 plant samples, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and pea (Pisum sativum L.), exhibiting viral-like symptoms were collected in major crop plantations in Yunnan province in 2020. Total nucleic acids were extracted from the diseased samples using a CTAB method (Li et al. 2008), and tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with ToMMV specific primers, ToMMVMPF (5'-ATGGCTCTAACTGTTAGTGGT-3') and ToMMVMPR (5'-TTAATACGAATCAGATCCCGCG-3'), which were designed based on the movement protein gene sequence of ToMMV YYMLJ isolate (KR824950). ToMMV was detected in 13 symptomatic samples (11 cherry tomato and 2 green pea plants) with a total detection rate of 3.29%. An 807-bp fragment was amplified from 2 out of 86 pea samples showing foliar chlorosis, mosaic, malformation and necrosis symptoms, and the amplicons were cloned and sequenced. Sequences obtained from the two pea samples were identical. Therefore, one sequence was deposited in the GenBank (accession no. MW561348). BLAST search result showed that the nucleotide sequence had the highest identity of 99.88% with the ToMMV TiLhaLJ isolate (KR824951). The ToMMV infection on the two pea samples was also verified by dot-enzyme immunoassay (Dot-ELISA) using ToMMV monoclonal antibody (kindly provided by Dr. Jianxiang Wu, Zhejiang University, China). To determine the pathogenicity of ToMMV on pea, ToMMV infectious cDNA clone was used to inoculate into 3-week-old healthy pea plants via an Agrobacterium-mediated method (Tu et al. 2021). Mottle or slight mosaic, chlorosis and malformation symptoms were observed on the upper leaves of the 8 out of 12 inoculated plants 8 days postinoculation, and ToMMV could be detected by RT-PCR from the 8 symptomatic plants but not from the asymptomatic and healthy control pea plants with the above described ToMMV specific primer pair. ToMMV has now only been detected in Mexico, China, Spain, USA, Israel and Australia on tomato, pepper and eggplant (Webster et al. 2014; Turina et al. 2016; Ambrós et al. 2017; Lovelock et al. 2020). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of natural infection of ToMMV in pea as well as the natural infection of ToMMV on plants outside of the family Solanaceae. The result also implies that ToMMV has a potential risk to more crops in the field. Since pea, pepper and tomato are economically important cash crops in China, proper virus management strategies for the cultivation of these crops should be adopted.

Impact of bow shapes on hydrodynamic derivatives due to drifting conditions

Bulbous bows have been applied on a large variety of low-speed blunt ships to reduce wave breaking resistance. However, the impact of bulbous bow shapes on the maneuverability remains unsolved. Three scaled model hulls designed by Hiroshima University, which are modified from standard KVLCC2 tanker with different bulbous bows, from protruding bow to vertical stem, are studied. Forces and moments of the bare hulls at drifting conditions are obtained from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. Service speed Fr=0.166, and double body method and free surface method are utilized to compare the free surface effects on the resistance characteristics. Pressure distribution, vorticity and surface flow features, meeting of turning test criteria of advance and transfer are discussed to demonstrate the hydrodynamic performance and turning ability of the three ships. Simulation results show good consistency with experimental results, and it is concluded that, the vertical stem helps achieve a resistance reduction, and performs better in turning operations. However, for accurate mathematical models, further studies need to be carried out for eliminating the yaw moment and coupled hydrodynamic interaction among ship and appendages in present work.

Modified nanocrystalline cellulose partially replaced carbon black to reinforce natural rubber composites

AbstractAs a renewable nanomaterials, nanocellulose was generally considered as a green filler for reinforcing polymer. In this study, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) isolated from softwood pulp was successfully modified, and the modified nanocrystalline cellulose (m‐NCC) was used to partially replace carbon black (CB) to reinforce natural rubber (NR). Then, the dispersion of m‐NCC in the rubber matrix and the mechanical properties of NR composites were studied. The results showed that the surface modification of NCC improved its dispersion in the NR matrix and the filler‐rubber interfacial interaction. In addition, the m‐NCC partly replaced the CB‐reinforced NR composite with a lower stress at 300% elongation, but the tensile strength, elongation at break, tear strength, and wear resistance of the composites were significantly improved. Besides, the dynamic compression fatigue heat built‐up of the composites in which m‐NCC partially replaced CB was increased, but DIN abrasion and the flex cracking resistance was improved. From these properties, it can be seen that the partial replacement of CB by NCC could basically approach or even achieve the effect of NR composites reinforced by CB, indicating that the NCC had good rubber reinforcement ability.

Study to evaluate pulmonary responses of various exercise intensities in young adults using treadmill and ergometer bicycle

Background: Exercise is important for keeping your health in check and is advised for disease prevention, disease diagnosis, and disease rehabilitation. There are several workouts that can be used to enhance exercise performance; however, the threshold differs from individual to individual. Aim and Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the pulmonary responses to three different exercise intensities in young, healthy individuals using a treadmill, and a bicycle ergometer at a fixed heart rate value. Materials and Methods: After getting approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee, 130 volunteers were evaluated, and 48 randomly chosen male and female individuals between the ages of 18 and 24 and with a normal BMI were chosen. The selected participants are divided into three groups according to heart rate using the WHO classification and the Karvonen formula for exercise intensity. Sixteen persons in each group begin exercising on a treadmill at speeds of 3, 6, and 7.5 km/h, respectively, with no incline, and on an ergometer bicycle at speeds of 50–60 rpm, 70–80 rpm, and 90–100 rpm, respectively, with no breaking resistance until the predicted goal heart rate is attained. Before and after exercise, pulmonary measures including respiratory rate (RR), tidal volume, minute ventilation (MV), and oxygen saturation level (SPO2) were assessed. The findings were statistically evaluated. Results: RR, TV, and MV are linearly increased with increasing intensity of exercise in ergometer bicycling than treadmill exercise, whereas SPO2 gradually decreased with increasing intensity of exercise; however, more observed in ergometer bicycling than a treadmill. When the difference between pre and post-TV was compared between two modes of exercise, there was a significant increase in TV during ergometer bicycle among all the three groups; however, when post-mean RR, TV, MV, and SPO2 were compared between treadmill and ergometer bicycle exercise, there was statistically insignificant. Conclusion: Each sort of exercise has advantages and disadvantages based on the individual’s needs and physiological condition.

Grain yield and lodging-related traits of ultrashort-duration varieties for direct-seeded and double-season rice in Central China

Lodging is the most common constraint on grain yield of direct-seeded rice. There is limited information about lodging resistance and its related plant traits in direct-seeded and double-season rice (DDR) in Central China. This study aims to identify the plant traits that achieve high lodging resistance in ultrashort-duration varieties (about 95 days) of DDR. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in Wuxue County, Hubei Province, China, with four ultrashort-duration varieties grown under two nitrogen (N) rates. Lodging-related traits were measured on the 15th day after heading, and yield and yield attributes were measured at maturity. The grain yield of the four varieties ranged from 4.59 to 7.61 t ha−1 across the two N rates, with a total growth duration of 85 to 97 days. Varietal differences in lodging index were mainly explained by the bending moment, which was closely related to plant height. Breaking resistance did not affect the lodging index significantly. Shortening plant height from 95.4 to 80.5 cm decreased the lodging index by 22.4% but did not reduce grain yield. Our results suggested that reducing plant height was effective in improving the lodging resistance of ultrashort-duration varieties of DDR. Lodging resistance should be enhanced by improving breaking resistance rather than reducing plant height to increase DDR grain yield further.

The effect of silica filler quartz sand from tailing processing of mining material on mechanical properties, thermal aging and morphology rubber compound

Tailings as waste from mining material processing contain constituents that have the potential to be exploited economically. Tailings deposits derived from tin mines include quartz sand with a SiO2 content of 98.03%, which can function as a filler for rubber products. This research studied silica quartz sand as a mineral filler in natural rubber (NR) on rubber’s mechanical and thermal aging characteristics. The effect of reinforced filled in NR was observed by varying 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 phr of the filler. The thermal aging test is carried out at 70 °C and 100 °C for a storage period of 72 hours. SEM micrographs were used to examine morphology. The results showed that using silica quartz sand as a filler improved various properties, including tensile strength, tear strength, elongation at break, hardness, and abrasion resistance. The higher the grinding temperature, the higher the hardness and tensile strength, but the lower the elongation at break. Morphological analysis using SEM micrographs revealed the system’s strengths and weaknesses. The silica particles are homogeneously mixed with natural rubber, according to SEM analysis. According to the findings of this study, the silica of quartz sand from tin mining processing industrial waste can be used as a cost-effective alternative filler in NR compounding.

Contrasting Characteristics of Lodging Resistance in Two Super-Rice Hybrids Differing in Harvest Index

The “super rice” breeding program in China has been successful in developing high-yielding hybrids, including few with high harvest index values. However, there is limited information on the relationship between lodging resistance and harvest index, and the mechanisms underlying the relationship in super-rice hybrids. In this study, a two-year field experiment was conducted to compare lodging resistance and its related traits between two super-rice hybrids differing in harvest index, i.e., Guiliangyou 2 (G2) with a high harvest index and Y-liangyou 1 (Y1) with a typical harvest index of modern high-yielding rice varieties. Results showed that compared to Y1, G2 was lower in plant height due to its lower aboveground N uptake, and its higher stem breaking resistance (i.e., lower stem breaking index) resulted from a lower stem height at its center of gravity. Consequently, G2 had a higher lodging resistance (i.e., lower plant lodging index) than Y1. This study suggests that developing super-rice hybrids with high harvest index values is a possible way to achieve both high grain yield and strong lodging resistance in rice.

Preparation and properties of antibacterial and antioxidant mango peel extract/polyvinyl alcohol composite films

In order to improve the high-value utilization of mango peel and the performance of the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films, mango peel extract (MPE) and PVA were blended to prepare multifunctional composite films in this paper. First, gel permeation chromatography was used to determine the molecular weight distribution of MPE, and the major components of MPE were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Subsequently, different ratios of MPE/PVA composite films were prepared. As indicated by the results, the optical and mechanical properties of pure PVA film are significantly affected by the addition of MPE. With addition of 2.4 wt% MPE, the ultimate elongation of this films is significantly increased by 160.24%. The addition of MPE also enhances the water resistibility and thermal stability of the films and significantly improves its antibacterial and antioxidative properties. These results indicate that the prepared composite films is expected to be widely applied in food packaging. Novelty impact statement The mango peel extract (MPE) was prepared, its molecular weight and composition were characterized, and then the MPE/PVA composite films were further prepared. The MPE improved the elongation at break and water resistance of composite films. The MPE gave excellent UV resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant properties to the composite films.

Damızlık Bıldırcın Rasyonlarına Portakal ve Limon Kabuğu Esansiyel Yağları ve Karışımlarının İlavesinin Performans, Yumurta Kalitesi ve Kuluçka Parametrelerine Etkisi

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of adding orange peel (PKY), lemon peel essential oils (LKY) and PKY+LKY (respectively 300, 300, 150+150 mg/kg) to laying quail diets on performance, egg internal and external quality parameters and hatchability parameters. The eight-week trial was conducted in 20 subgroups, with 4 treatment groups and 5 replications for each treatment, and a total of 120 Japanese quails at 10 weeks of age were randomly distributed, with 6 quails (4 females, 2 males) in each subgroup. Feed intake with the addition of LKY to the diet, egg production and egg mass with the addition of PKY + LKY decreased significantly compared to the control group, and the eggshell breaking resistance with the addition of LKY and PKY + LKY increased significantly compared to the control group. However, the addition of LKY, PKY and PKY+LKY to the diet did not affect hatchability and reproduction parameters. According to these results, the addition of 300 mg/kg PKY and 300 mg/kg (150+150) PKY+LKY to breeder quail diets had an effect on the increase of eggshell qualityi, although the performance was adversely affected.

Residual stress, distortion, and porosity analysis of LED heat sink printed by SLM process using machine learning

In recent years, Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are dominating the traditional lighting system. Besides mercury-free, they have small size, good break resistance and long life. Although LEDs are cool to touch, they generate a lot of unnecessary heat inside the gadgets. It is important to remove the heat using efficient thermal management component such as heat sink. Instead of using a conventional manufacturing process, selective laser melting (SLM) process is used to manufacture the heat sink. The quick solidification and various thermal regimes of the material during the SLM process lead to the development of residual stresses that cause the part distortion and harm the mechanical properties of the component. The objective of the current study is to find the optimum value of laser power, scanning speed, and hatch spacing to bring down the residual stress and distortion in the SLM process to an acceptable range. Residual stress and distortion values of the heat sink are simulated using MSC Simufact additive and ANSYS Additive software. The conflicting nature between residual stress and porosity was observed. Hence, grey relation analysis was used to convert residual stress & porosity into a single objective. Optimum process parameters obtained were, laser power 80 (W), scanning speed 950 (mm s−1), and hatch spacing of 70 The values of residual stress and porosity at optimum parameters were found to be 385.58 MPa and 12.21%. Multiple regressions algorithm of machine learning was used to form a relationship between residual stresses and porosity. It was also observed that the magnitude of residual stress and distortion were low at lower energy densities and high at higher energy densities and the residual stress and porosities were high in the z-direction.

Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the COBRA-like genes reveal likely roles in stem strength in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

The COBRA-like (COBL) genes play key roles in cell anisotropic expansion and the orientation of microfibrils. Mutations in these genes cause the brittle stem and induce pathogen responsive phenotypes in Arabidopsis and several crop plants. In this study, an in silico genome-wide analysis was performed to identify the COBL family members in Brassica. We identified 44, 20 and 23 COBL genes in B. napus and its diploid progenitor species B. rapa and B. oleracea, respectively. All the predicted COBL genes were phylogenetically clustered into two groups: the AtCOB group and the AtCOBL7 group. The conserved chromosome locations of COBLs in Arabidopsis and Brassica, together with clustering, indicated that the expansion of the COBL gene family in B. napus was primarily attributable to whole-genome triplication. Among the BnaCOBLs, 22 contained all the conserved motifs and derived from 9 of 12 subgroups. RNA-seq analysis was used to determine the tissue preferential expression patterns of various subgroups. BnaCOBL9, BnaCOBL35 and BnaCOBL41 were highly expressed in stem with high-breaking resistance, which implies these AtCOB subgroup members may be involved in stem development and stem breaking resistance of rapeseed. Our results of this study may help to elucidate the molecular properties of the COBRA gene family and provide informative clues for high stem-breaking resistance studies.

Metabolic Reprogramming in the Tumor Microenvironment With Immunocytes and Immune Checkpoints.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), Ipilimumab, Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab and Atezolizumab, have been applied in anti-tumor therapy and demonstrated exciting performance compared to conventional treatments. However, the unsatisfactory response rates, high recurrence and adaptive resistance limit their benefits. Metabolic reprogramming appears to be one of the crucial barriers to immunotherapy. The deprivation of required nutrients and altered metabolites not only promote tumor progression but also confer dysfunction on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Glycolysis plays a central role in metabolic reprogramming and immunoregulation in the TME, and many therapies targeting glycolysis have been developed, and their combinations with ICIs are in preclinical and clinical trials. Additional attention has been paid to the role of amino acids, lipids, nucleotides and mitochondrial biogenesis in metabolic reprogramming and clinical anti-tumor therapy. This review attempts to describe reprogramming metabolisms within tumor cells and immune cells, from the aspects of glycolysis, amino acid metabolism, lipid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis and their impact on immunity in the TME, as well as the significance of targeting metabolism in anti-tumor therapy, especially in combination with ICIs. In particular, we highlight the expression mechanism of programmed cell death (ligand) 1 [PD-(L)1] in tumor cells and immune cells under reprogramming metabolism, and discuss in detail the potential of targeting key metabolic pathways to break resistance and improve the efficacy of ICIs based on results from current preclinical and clinical trials. Besides, we draw out biomarkers of potential predictive value in ICIs treatment from a metabolic perspective.

A simulation approach for local ice loads on ship structures in level ice

Ships are operating in ice-covered waters and level ice interaction represents one of the relevant interaction scenarios. Furthermore, level ice is the standard ice condition for testing and performance assessment. Therefore, various approaches exist to obtain relevant loads for this interaction type. While limitations of existing numerical approaches will be presented, the approach sought-after in this paper is the simulation of the ship-ice interaction by means of a dedicated contact algorithm including contact detection, force evaluation and cusp formation for arbitrary bow shapes at the waterline. As a result, the ice load can be obtained locally across the bow and compared to full-scale measurements within a validation case study. Furthermore, the breaking resistance can be calculated from the local ice load distribution. The MATLAB code of the presented simulation approach is provided along with this paper.