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To explore the predictive value of morphological signs and quantitative parameters from spectral CT for EGFR gene mutations in intermediate and advanced non-small–cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This retrospective observational study included patients with intermediate or advanced NSCLC at Xinjiang Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019. The patients were divided into the EGFR gene mutation-positive and -negative groups. Seventy-nine patients aged 60.75 ± 9.66 years old were included: 32 were EGFR mutation-positive, and 47 were negative. There were significant differences in pathological stage (P<0.001), tumor diameter (P=0.019), lobulation sign, intrapulmonary metastasis, mediastinal lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis (P<0.001), bone metastasis (P<0.001), arterial phase normalized iodine concentration (NIC) (P=0.001), venous phase NIC (P=0.001), slope of the energy spectrum curve (λ) (P<0.001), and CT value at 70 keV in arterial phase (P=0.004) and venous phase (P=0.003) between the EGFR mutation-positive and -negative patients. The multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that intrapulmonary metastasis, distant metastasis, venous phase NIC, venous phase λ, and pathological stage were independent factors predicting EGFR gene mutations, with high diagnostic power (AUC = 0.975, 91.5% sensitivity, and 90.6% specificity). The pathological stage and the spectral CT parameters of intrapulmonary metastasis, distant metastasis, venous phase NIC, and venous phase λ might pre-operatively predict EGFR gene mutations in intermediate and advanced NSCLC. • Spectral CT predicts EGFR mutations in intermediate and advanced NSCLC. • Pathological grade and CT parameters predict EGFR gene mutations. • Intrapulmonary and distant metastasis affect EGFR mutation status. • Venous phase NIC and λ are predictive factors for EGFR mutations. • Multivariate logistic regression shows high diagnostic power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies on the experiences of gay Asian men demonstrate that members of these groups experience both subtle and blatant forms of racism within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities. This study expands on previous research by examining how gay Vietnamese American men experience racism within the gay community of Southern California, how racism affects members of this group mentally and emotionally, and their responses when facing racism. Based on 17 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with self-identified gay Vietnamese American men living in Southern California, this study found that they experienced racism similarly to other gay Asian men. Race and racism shape the everyday experiences of gay Vietnamese American men through the racial paradox of gay desire as they are either deemed undesirable and rejected as a potential sexual and romantic interest, or they are racially fetishized. However, members of this group do not experience racism passively but actively respond through various acts of resistance and intra-racial and ethnic community-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved physical fitness is important for preventing COVID-19-related mortality. So, combined training can effectively increase peak oxygen consumption, physical fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and the healthrelated characteristics of adults; however, its impact in the elderly remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of combined training on older adults. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science) were searched (until April 2021) for randomized trials comparing the effect of combined training on cardiorespiratory fitness, physical fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults. Combined training significantly improved peak oxygen consumption compared to no exercise (WMD = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.83 to 3.37). Combined resistance and aerobic training induced favorable changes in physical fitness (timed up-and-go = −1.06, 30-s chair stand = 3.85, sit and reach = 4.43, 6-minute walking test = 39.22, arm curl = 4.60, grip strength = 3.65, 10-m walk = −0.47, maximum walking speed = 0.15, one-leg balance = 2.71), body composition (fat mass = −2.91, body fat% = −2.31, body mass index = −0.87, waist circumference = −2.91), blood pressure (systolic blood pressure = −8.11, diastolic blood pressure = −4.55), and cardiometabolic risk factors (glucose = −0.53, HOMA-IR = −0.14, high-density lipoprotein = 2.32, total cholesterol = −5.32) in older individuals. Finally, the optimal exercise prescription was ≥ 30 min/session × 50–80% VO2peak, ≥ 3 times/week for ≥ 12 weeks and resistance intensity 70–75% one-repetition maximum, 8–12 repetitions × 3 sets. Combined training improved VO2peak and some cardiometabolic risk factors in older populations. The dose–effect relationship varied between different parameters. Exercise prescriptions must be formulated considering individual needs during exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrate is a severe threat to the flow assurance of oil and gas transportation pipelines. For this reason, the behavior of hydrate slurry flow in the bend is investigated based on the Computational Fluid Dynamics-Population Balance Model (CFD-PBM) considering the aggregation and breakage of hydrate. Meanwhile, the effects of the bend angle, the velocity, the hydrate volume fraction, and the initial hydrate particle size on the hydrate concentration and the particle size are discussed in detail. The results show that hydrate is prone to aggregate on the outside of the elbow in the L-pipe. As the bend angle decreases, the hydrate concentration increases slightly, while the high-concentration region, the large particle size region, and the particle size decrease in the elbow. The high velocity can reduce hydrate aggregation in the elbow. However, the high hydrate concentration and the large particle size are not conducive to safe transportation. When the particle size is greater than 84 μm, there exists a blockage risk in the elbow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SAMHD1 is a deoxynucleotide triphosphohydrolase that restricts replication of HIV-1 in differentiated leucocytes. HIV-1 is not restricted in cycling cells and it has been proposed that this is due to phosphorylation of SAMHD1 at T592 in these cells inactivating the enzymatic activity. To distinguish between theories for how SAMHD1 restricts HIV-1 in differentiated but not cycling cells, we analysed the effects of substitutions at T592 on restriction and dNTP levels in both cycling and differentiated cells as well as tetramer stability and enzymatic activity in vitro. Results: We first showed that HIV-1 restriction was not due to SAMHD1 nuclease activity. We then characterised a panel of SAMHD1 T592 mutants and divided them into three classes. We found that a subset of mutants lost their ability to restrict HIV-1 in differentiated cells which generally corresponded with a decrease in triphosphohydrolase activity and/or tetramer stability in vitro. Interestingly, no T592 mutants were able to restrict WT HIV-1 in cycling cells, despite not being regulated by phosphorylation and retaining their ability to hydrolyse dNTPs. Lowering dNTP levels by addition of hydroxyurea did not give rise to restriction. Compellingly however, HIV-1 RT mutants with reduced affinity for dNTPs were significantly restricted by wild-type and T592 mutant SAMHD1 in both cycling U937 cells and Jurkat T-cells. Restriction correlated with reverse transcription levels. Conclusions: Altogether, we found that the amino acid at residue 592 has a strong effect on tetramer formation and, although this is not a simple "on/off" switch, this does correlate with the ability of SAMHD1 to restrict HIV-1 replication in differentiated cells. However, preventing phosphorylation of SAMHD1 and/or lowering dNTP levels by adding hydroxyurea was not enough to restore restriction in cycling cells. Nonetheless, lowering the affinity of HIV-1 RT for dNTPs, showed that restriction is mediated by dNTP levels and we were able to observe for the first time that SAMHD1 is active and capable of inhibiting HIV-1 replication in cycling cells, if the affinity of RT for dNTPs is reduced. This suggests that the very high affinity of HIV-1 RT for dNTPs prevents HIV-1 restriction by SAMHD1 in cycling cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ring gantry-based Linac with a dual-layer multi-leaf collimator offers fast imaging and delivery, and adaptive radiotherapy capability. We aimed to perform pre-clinical evaluation of treatment planning and delivery workflow for total marrow and lymphoid irradiation (TMLI) and total body irradiation (TBI) using volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) fields on this Linac. We retrospectively retrieved four pediatric/adolescent patients (age: 7 – 11) who previously received intensity modulated TBI at our institution. In-house developed software (TXIHelper, publicly available in online Github repository) concatenated upper body and lower extremity CT scans into one CT image set. In the TMLI plans, a prescription dose of 12 Gy in 8 fractions was prescribed to the skeletal bones, spleen, spinal canal, and lymphoid volume. In the TBI plans, the prescribed dose was 12 Gy in 8 fractions for the body volume excluding the lungs. Each VMAT field has a field size of 28 cm × 28 cm with the collimator at 90° and a full gantry rotation. Isocenters were placed with equal spacing of 14 cm along the patient's longitudinal direction. Two VMAT fields were placed at each isocenter for the upper body up to mid-thigh, while one VMAT field was placed at each isocenter for the lower extremities. In-house software rotated lower extremity fields for feet-in delivery. The nominal dose rate was 800 MU/minute, and the maximum gantry rotation speed was 24°/sec. Institutional dosimetric constraints were used for optimization. Treatment plans were delivered on an anthropomorphic phantom on the machine. The average body length in the concatenated CT scans was 137.3 cm (range: 126.0 – 152.3 cm). Five isocenters were used for the upper body from the top of skull to mid-thigh, while four isocenters were used for the lower extremities for all patients. In the VMAT TBI plans, the average mean lung dose (MLD) was 6.3±0.3 Gy (range: 5.9 – 6.5 Gy); while in the VMAT TMLI plans, it was 6.1±0.5 Gy (range: 5.8 – 6.9 Gy). The average OAR dose in the TMLI plans ranged from 15.8% to 78.4% relative to the prescription dose. The average net beam-on time in the TMLI plans was 254.8±12.1 sec (range: 239.6 – 269.1 sec), while it was 222.5±2.8 sec (range: 218.4 – 224.3 sec) in the TBI plans. The average dose gradient was 1.1 Gy/cm in the longitudinal direction in field overlapping regions. At each isocenter, the CBCT scan plus image registration took less than 60 seconds, while up to 2 minutes were needed to set up the patient from one isocenter to another as the couch position had to be changed inside the Linac vault. Arrangement of VMAT fields in this study allowed simple clinical setup and adequate plan robustness against setup uncertainty in TBI and TMLI treatments. The CBCT-based image setup time and net beam-on time in the TMLI and TBI plans were significantly shorter compared to other Linac models. However, overhead time cannot be ignored as the current system mandates entering the Linac vault for each couch movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the diverse clinical and imaging features of Lhermitte–Duclos disease (LDD) and its subgroup comparison. Clinical data from 21 patients with LDD were collected, including eight patients with LDD without other tumours and 13 LDD with other tumours. Redefined diagnostic criteria are used to evaluate Cowden Syndrome. Imaging indicators were analysed retrospectively to extract typical and atypical features. Imaging findings and preoperative diagnostic accuracy were compared between the subgroups. None of these patients met the redefined diagnostic criteria. The typical "tiger stripe sign" was seen in most LDD lesions (13/29, 61.9%), with lower density (29.66 ± 2.51 versus 37.81 ± 2.76 HU, p< 0.001) and higher apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value (1.04 ± 0.05 × 10−3 versus 0.74 ± 0.03 × 10−3 mm2/s, p< 0.001) than that of the normal cerebellum. Atypically, some lesions showed abnormal vessels (8/21, 38.1%), intratumoural calcification (3/21, 14.29%), intratumoural haemorrhage (4/21, 19.05%), peritumoural oedema (6/21, 28.57%), and heterogeneous enhancement (5/21, 23.81%). The typical "tiger stripe sign" was more common in LDD with other tumours (84.62% versus 25%, p= 0.018). Although LDD without other tumours was more common with abnormal vessels (75% versus 15.38%, p= 0.018), intratumoural calcification (37.5% versus 0, p= 0.042), intratumoural haemorrhage (50% versus 0, p= 0.012), peritumoural oedema (62.5% versus 7.69%, p= 0.014) and heterogeneous enhancement (50% versus 7.69%, p= 0.047). Preoperative diagnostic accuracy was higher in LDD with other tumours than LDD without other tumours (76.92% versus 25%, p= 0.032). The "tiger stripe sign" of LDD is characteristic, but not unique. With or without other tumours, it may be associated with the imaging diversity. Combining typical and atypical signs can improve the imaging assessment of LDD. • "Tiger stripe sign" of LDD is characteristic, but not unique. • "Tiger stripe sign" is more common in LDDs with systemic tumors. • LDDs without systemic tumors are more common with atypical imaging findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SCINTIX treatment technique on the medical technology company machine became clinically available in 2023. With an integrated positron emission tomography (PET) imaging system, the X1 uses real-time positron emission signals from the fludeoxyglucose F-18 (FDG)-avid tumor as a bio-guide for accurate radiation delivery. This study reviews our institutional experience in patient selection and treatment planning in the early phase of initiating clinical SCINTIX treatments with the aim of facilitating other institutions in implementing this technology. After commissioning SCINTIX hardware and software modules on the machine at our institution in the middle of 2023, we implemented a process of prospective patient screening for SCINTIX treatment eligibility. Potentially eligible patients were then further evaluated with quantitative measures by the physics team. Eligibility criteria included availability of recent diagnostic PET/CT scans, PET-avid tumor size of 1 to 5 cm, tumor location (in the lung or as bony metastases), tumor standardized update value (SUV) thresholds relative to tumor size, PET activity around the tumor, and patient tolerance to estimated treatment time. Diagnostic PET/CT images for candidate patients were converted to simulate expected PET images on the X1 machine to calculate activity concentration (AC) and normalized target signal (NTS). If both AC and NTS were above eligibility thresholds, a PET scan was performed on the X1 machine to further evaluate SCINTIX treatment eligibility. In the few months leading to the first clinical SCINTIX treatment, simulated SCINTIX treatment planning were performed for six candidate patients among all patients evaluated. Two patients were found ineligible as simulated PET images showed low PET activity for the tumor and another patient was not eligible as the prescription dose did not meet SCINTIX treatment criteria. Three candidate patients received PET scans on the X1 machine. One of the patients was found to be not suitable due to low PET activity in the X1 scan, while another patient did not receive SCINTIX treatment due to target location and plan dose conformity. The remaining patient had a left femur bony lesion with maximum SUV of 9.4 and tumor size of around 2 cm. The SCINTIX treatment plan based on the X1 PET scan was generated with a prescription dose of 10 Gy in one fraction and the target volume was found to have an AC of 5.02 kBq/ml and NTS of 4.5. This patient was treated successfully on the X1 machine with a beam-on time of 19 minutes, as the third patient in the United States that received SCINTIX treatments and the first patient that received a single-fraction treatment. A comprehensive set of screening criteria was used for efficient screening of patients for SCINTIX treatment. Introduction of novel treatment modalities including the SCINTIX technique requires close collaboration among radiation oncologists and medical physicists for successful initiation of a clinical program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM, WHO Grade 4) is associated with a low 5-year survival rate and a highly aggressive phenotype. PTEN is a tumor suppressor gene that is known to act as an inhibitor of the PI3K-Akt pathway. It is mutated in about 36-44% of GBM patients and its deficiency positively correlates with poor survival. We have previously shown that TRIB1 activates the Akt and ERK pathways in GBM providing survival advantage to GBM cells in response to radiation and chemotherapy treatments. Previous studies in prostate cancer have shown that TRIB1 mRNA expression is inversely correlated with PTEN gene expression. In this study we evaluated the relationship between TRIB1 and PTEN in the context of GBM. The publicly available TCGA GBM cohort was analyzed for TRIB1 gene expression in PTEN wildtype (WT) and mutant patients. Furthermore, correlative analysis was done between TRIB1 and PTEN gene expression in TCGA GBM and CGGA cohorts. Transient transfection was used to overexpress PTEN. Patient derived xenograft (PDX) cell lines stably overexpressing TRIB1 were created by antibiotic selection. Protein levels were detected by western blotting. CGGA cohorts (Table 1). Western blot data revealed that after overexpression of TRIB1, PTEN protein levels were decreased in the T08-387 PDX cell line (50% PTEN allelic loss) and LN18 cells (PTEN WT). We then overexpressed PTEN in U87 cells (PTEN null) overexpressing TRIB1 transgene and observed the same effect on PTEN protein levels. However, the Akt and ERK phosphorylation were also reduced. Table 1: Correlation between TRIB1 and PTEN gene expression in various patient cohorts. TRIB1 and PTEN gene expression have a direct correlation in TCGA GBM database. Also, TRIB1 mRNA levels are not dictated by PTEN mutation status. TRIB1 affects PTEN protein levels in respective cell lines however the mechanism is not known. The reduction in Akt and ERK phosphorylation in U87 cells may be attributed to TP53 status of these cells and the fact that addition of WT PTEN over WT TP53 may enhance tumor suppression in these cells. In conclusion, further studies are needed to delineate the relationship between TRIB1 and PTEN, as the mutation status of PTEN (WT, heterozygous loss and complete loss) has differing tumor-initiation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Reflexion Biology Guided Radiation Therapy (BGRT) (Reflexion Medical Systems, Hayward CA) system incorporates Positron Emission Tomography (PET) in treatment planning and delivery. This work details our institutional commissioning of the system for patient treatment. The manufacturer provided custom insert phantoms for the check device) including a hollow 2-cm sphere fillable with Fludeoxyglucose F18 (FDG) with a film plane and a point geometry Na-22 source. We constructed custom phantoms composed of solid water, cork to represent lung density, and PET sources including a Ge-68 bar source various cylindrical plastic inserts for FDG filling (diameters 2.2 cm, 3.5 cm, and 5.5 cm). Computed Tomography (CT) and PET Images of the phantoms were acquired on diagnostic PET/CT and on the system on a motion platform capable of simulating respiratory motion and intra-fraction gross anatomic shifts. Treatment plans were generated including varying PTV size for fixed PET-source geometry (range = 17-230 cc), varying doses from 7-12 Gy / fraction, and varying geometry of proximal PET active regions and background activity. We evaluated the delivery system response in planning conditions, and the system response to perturbations from the planning conditions including varying PET activity and geometric shifts including simulation of respiratory and gross intra-fraction motion. Varying PTV size and geometry for fixed PET-sources did not affect accurate planning and delivery in planning conditions, confirming BgRT can safely deliver non-uniform margin expansions of PET-active volumes (as is customary in PTV definition). In delivery matching the planning conditions, planned vs. measured dosimetry routinely exceed 90% 3mm/3% Gamma with ion chamber and film readings generally within 3%. Varying PET activity from 30-105% of the planned kBq/ml resulted in no dose variations, indicating the system delivery is robust to injection and uptake variations which may be observed clinically. Geometric variations including varying breathing motion did show interplay effects in large targets reducing Gamma passing rates, but the clinical significance of these variations may be averaged out over several fractions. Intra-fraction geometric shifts of 5-10mm revealed the system has the ability to perform real-time plan adaptation and avoid major dosimetric errors. The BGRT system was validated as a robust treatment modality for multiple PET sources of varying activity, active volume, and PTVs. When varying delivery parameters, the system was robust against large variations in absolute PET activity and real-time adaptation was possible when gross motion occurred. Further studies are needed to understand the interplay effect in large targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RefleXion® X1 system is a biology-guided radiotherapy (BgRT) machine with SCINTIX® treatment capability, which uses real-time positron emission signals from the tumor to guide radiation delivery. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using the Gallium-68 (Ga-68) prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-11 radiotracer as a bio-guide for SCINTIX® treatment on the X1 machine in the future for bony metastases in prostate cancer patients. A retrospective review was performed on patients who underwent recent diagnostic Ga-68 PSMA-11 PET/CT scans at our institution. Five patients with PET-avid bone metastases identified in the scans were included. A gross tumor volume (GTV) was drawn for a PET-avid bone lesion for each patient. The PTV was created by adding a 5 mm margin to the GTV, and a biology tracking zone (BTZ) was created to encompass the potentially full range of motion of the tumor plus margin. To create SCINTIX treatment plans on the X1 machine, the diagnostic PET images were first converted to simulated treatment planning PET images on the X1 machine to account for differences in PET detector size and reconstruction algorithms. Then the activity concentration (AC) and normalized target signal (NTS) were calculated. The SCINTIX plans used a jaw width of 2 cm and a prescription dose of 27 Gy in 3 fractions given to the PTV using four couch passes. A 64-leaf binary MLC was used to modulate a 6-MV flattening filter-free photon beam on a ring gantry that rotates around the patient at 60 RPM. Patients received an average Ga-68 injection dose of 4.86 ± 0.73 mCi (range = 4.1 – 5.6 mCi) prior to PET/CT scans. In the diagnostic Ga-68 PSMA-11 PET images, the average maximum and mean PET activities in the GTVs were 25.2 ± 12.0 kBq/mL (range = 13.3 – 43.5 kBq/mL) and 16.44 ± 5.6 kBq/mL (range = 14.3 – 24.2 kBq/mL), respectively. The average AC and NTS values for targets in the simulated treatment planning PET images were 11.5 ± 5.2 kBq/mL (range = 6.2 - 18.9 kBq/mL) and 12.6 ± 5.5 (range = 8.7 - 22.2), respectively. With an average PTV volume of 15.7 ± 9.6 cc (range = 7.0 – 30.9 cc), the average treatment beam-on time was 1,678 ± 290 seconds (range = 1,416 – 2,120 seconds). Bounded dose-volume histograms (bDVH) were calculated to estimate the range of delivered dose due to PET signal and patient position uncertainties. The average PTV coverage, conformity index, and homogeneity index were 93.6 ± 1.9%, 1.14 ± 0.1, and 1.63 ± 0.1, respectively. This is one of the first studies on Ga-68 based tracers for SCINTIX planning as the current plan creation software was developed for F-18 based tracers. Metastatic bony lesions from prostate cancer could have sufficient positron emission strength for SCINTIX treatment when Ga-68 PSMA-11 radiotracer is used at diagnostic dose levels. This study demonstrated the feasibility of using Ga-68 PSA-11 radiotracer for future PET-guided SCINTIX treatments on the X1 machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the requirements for the quality of steel structure welding projects in severe cold areas, reasonable and effective technical research and welding scheme improvement are carried out for welding in low temperature environments. Based on ABAQUS software to simulate different welding conditions, mainly for welding after traditional flame heating and ceramic sheet heating in low temperature environment, the corresponding temperature field is obtained. Compared with the actual welding results, it is concluded that the weldment welded after heating with ceramic sheet is of better quality, fully verify the accuracy of welding simulation, optimize process design, shorten the time required for practical inspection accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the multi-objective problem of deploying wireless sensor networks with cooperative distance-based sensing coverage. This problem considers deploying a number of sensor nodes to cove multiple target points on a deployment area. Based on the locations of target points and the sensor nodes with their own inner and outer coverage radii, the distance-based sensing coverages of target nodes by sensor nodes are divided into three categories: full coverage (i.e., within the inner coverage radius), no coverage (i.e., outside the outer coverage radius), and partial coverage (i.e., between the inner and outer radii). Furthermore, this paper additionally considers the cooperative sensing coverage in which the sensing coverage of a target point is provided by more than one sensor node. The decision of sensor deployment in this paper is to select sensor nodes from potential sensor node positions so as to simultaneously maximize the collective sensing coverage of all target points and minimize the total distances between each target point and the selected sensor node(s). This paper first formulates this problem as a multi-objective optimization model, and then develops a solution procedure to determine the best non-dominated solution set for the problem model. Numerical experiments for the concerned problem by the proposed solution approach are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling devices are often used with power electronics systems to allow them to operate stably over long periods of time, they help guarantee not only thermal performance but also reliability. To understand the performance of these cooling devices it is important that they are verified by various types of testing, also the test results themselves should be quantified and analyzed using recognized statistical methods. For this article, we investigated an air-cooled heat sink with heat pipes (HPS) by conducting heat load, high/low temperature storage limits test, accelerated life test (ALT), and transport vibration test (TVT). The collected experimental data were analyzed by statistical methods, such as the independent samples $T$ -test, the paired samples $T$ -test, correlation analysis, process capability analysis, and the tolerance interval analysis. A newly manufactured power conditioning system had one heat sink on which the two power electronics modules were attached while providing a heat load of up to 3.2 kW. It was found that there was no deterioration in the thermal performance of the heat sink due to vibrations while being transported from the Republic of Korea to the United States. If such a heat sink is used for more than 20 years, it is anticipated that there will be a performance degradation of 6.2% over those years with a 95% confidence level for a B10 life. Based on our accelerated life testing, the heat sink is capable of dealing with a heat load of up to 3.1 kW over the design lifetime of 20 years. Thermal engineers should eventually introduce design margins in consideration of the reduction in quality and reliability that can occur over the lifetime of a cooling device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to detect the role of glucose and insulin in cell proliferation of primary goose hepatocytes, Tianfu Meat Geese were overfed and the primary goose hepatocytes were treated with single insulin (50 nmol/l), single glucose (5 mmol/l), glucose (5 mmol/l) and insulin (50 nmol/l), respectively. The related parameters of cell proliferation and glucose transporter expression were measured. The results showed that after overfeeding, the serum concentration of insulin and glucose increased (P< 0.05), the mRNA level of Cyclin D1 (CCND1), Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and Glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) increased and the mRNA level of P21 decreased (P< 0.05). Compared with the control group and the single treatment groups of glucose or insulin, the co-treatment of glucose and insulin had more dyed green bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells, higher G2/M phase and proliferative index (PI), indicating that the cell proliferation of primary hepatocytes was more evident. Secondly, compared with the control group, the cotreatment of glucose and insulin significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of CCND1, Cyclin D2 (CCND2) and Cyclin D3 (CCND3) (P< 0.05). Compared with the control group, single treatments of glucose or insulin, and the co-treatment with glucose and insulin significantly increased the Cyclin D1 protein content (P< 0.05). Also, compared with the control group, the co-treatment of glucose and insulin increased significantly (P< 0.05) the mRNA levels of GLUT1 and GLUT2. In conclusion, the combined treatment of glucose and insulin had a stronger effect on cell proliferation, and GLUT1 and GLUT2 could indirectly induce cell proliferation of goose hepatocytes by regulating glucose uptake and insulin secretion of hepatocytes. Für die Untersuchung der Bedeutung von Glukose und Insulin bei der Zellproliferation von primären Hepatozyten bei Gänsen, wurden Tianfu-Fleischgänse überfüttert und die primären Hepatozyten jeweils nur mit Insulin (50 nmol/l) oder Glukose (5 mmol/l) bzw. mit Glukose (5 mmol/l) kombiniert mit Insulin (50 nmol/l) behandelt. Anschließend wurden relevante Parameter der Zellproliferation und die Glukosetransporter (GLUT)-Expression gemessen. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass nach der Überfütterung sowohl die Konzentrationen von Insulin und Glukose im Serum (P < 0,05) als auch die mRNA-Level von CCND1, Glukosetransporter 1 (GLUT1) und Glukosetransporter 2 (GLUT2) anstiegen und der mRNA-Level von P21 abnahm (P < 0,05). Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe und den einzelnen Behandlungsgruppen mit Glukose oder Insulin, führte eine Co-Behandlung von Glukose und Insulin zu mehr grün gefärbten Bromodeoxyuridin (BrdU)-positiven Zellen sowie einer höheren G2/M-Phase und einem höheren proliferativen Index (PI), was darauf hinweist, dass die Zellproliferation der primären Hepatozyten deutlicher war. Desweiteren erhöhte die Co-Behandlung von Glukose und Insulin im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe signifikant die mRNA-Expressionslevel von CCND1, CCND2 and CCND3 (P < 0,05). Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe erhöhten die Einzelbehandlungen mit Glukose oder Insulin und die Co-Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin den Cyclin D1-Proteingehalt signifikant (P < 0,05). Außerdem erhöhte die Co-Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe signifikant (P < 0,05) die mRNA-Spiegel von GLUT1 und GLUT2. Es kann geschlussfolgert werden, dass eine kombinierte Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin einen stärkeren Effekt auf die Zellproliferation von Gänsehepatozyten ausübte. Dabei induzierten GLUT1 und GLUT2 indirekt die Zellproliferation über Regulation der Glukoseaufnahme und Insulinsekretion der Hepatozyten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a 30 L reactor, acetone (9.5 L) was placed, and B 2 b (1.90 kg, 6.27 mol), B 3 b (1.35 kg, 6.92 mol) and potassium carbonate (1.04 kg, 7.53 mol) were added with stirring. I Bepotastine besilate i ( B 1 b , Figure 1, synonymous with bepotastine besylate), is a non-sedative highly selective histamine receptor antagonist, which has a stabilizing effect on mast cells. According to the literature,[8] B 2 b , B 3 b and potassium carbonate were loaded into acetone at room temperature and then heated to reflux for 7 hours. If dimethylformamide (DMF) or an acetone-water system was used as solvent, the reaction could be complete, but the waste solvent was difficult to recover. [Extracted from the article]

The experiment was conducted to investigate the protective effect of Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract on carbon tetrachloride induced acute liver injury in rats by regulating the nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat receptors family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome. In this study, a rat acute liver injury model was established by a single intraperitoneal injection of 50 % carbon tetrachloride oil solution (1 ml/kg body weight). A total of 50 rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and 3 Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract intervention groups (0.75, 1.5 and 3 g/kg body weight/d). Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract or distilled water was orally administered by gavage once daily for seven consecutive days. Then the blood and liver samples were collected. The results showed that in the 3 intervention Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract groups, the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase and Alanine aminotransferase, the content of malondialdehyde in rat liver tissues significantly reduced and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione increased significantly, the liver lobule structures were repaired and the liver cells were aligned in an orderly manner, the expressions of nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat receptors family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome, apoptosis associated speck like protein containing and caspase-1 proteins, Interleukin 1 beta messenger ribonucleic acid was decreased. Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract exerted a protective effect against carbon tetrachloride induced acute liver injury by inhibiting the activation of nucleotide binding leucine rich repeat receptors family pyrin domain containing 3 inflammasome, which suggest a promising avenue for the exploration of Smilax glabra Roxb. aqueous extract in improving acute liver injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. When geese or ducks are overfed with a high-energy diet rich in carbohydrates, their liver increases in size by 5- to 10-fold in 2 weeks, which is accompanied by the occurrence of hepatic steatosis. As a result, this distinctive genetic characteristic of waterfowl has been taken advantage of to produce foie gras. 2. When overfed geese were fed a regular diet for a 20-d period of recovery, their liver was restored to the original state. Hence, the entire process is reversible, and cause no lasting cirrhosis or necrosis in the liver. This suggests that waterfowl have a mechanism to protect their liver from the harm caused by severe hepatic steatosis. 3. This paper reviews the formation, physiological changes to metabolic pathways and the protective mechanisms in geese and ducks with hepatic steatosis. Not only will understanding these mechanisms provide ideas for the waterfowl breeding selection for foie gras, it is conducive to improving production efficiency and quality of foie gras. This provides a scientific basis to ensure animal welfare and an approach to the prevention and treatment of fatty liver disease in human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a supersymmetric type-I seesaw framework with non-universal scalar masses at the GUT scale to explain the long-standing discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We find that it is difficult to accommodate the muon g-2 while keeping charged-lepton flavor violating processes under control for the conventional SO(10)-based relation between the up sector and neutrino sector. However, such tension can be relaxed by adding a Georgi-Jarlskog factor for the Yukawa matrices, which requires a non-trivial GUT-based model. In this model, we find that both observables are compatible for small mixings, CKM-like, in the neutrino Dirac Yukawa matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term exposure to particulate and gaseous air pollution (AP) may trigger the development of Parkinson disease (PD), but this association remains controversial. The relationship between second-hand smoke (SS) and PD risk is also inconclusive. We aimed to systematically review epidemiological studies investigating the association between these AP exposures and PD risk. This was a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies investigating the relationship of ambient AP and SS with PD risk. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched. We used a random-effects model to derive pooled estimates of relative risk (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) per increment in pollutant concentration. The studied AP included particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm (PM 2.5), <10 μm (PM 10), nitrogen dioxides (NO 2, NO x), ozone (O 3), and carbon monoxide (CO). In total, 21 studies with 222,051 patients with PD were eligible for inclusion. We found marginally significant increased risk of PD with per 10-μg/m3 increase in concentration of PM 2.5 (RR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.98–1.19), NO 2 (RR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.99–1.07), and O 3 (RR = 1.01, 95% CI = 1.00–1.02). A positive but non-significant association was also detected for CO (RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 0.82–2.11). Furthermore, an inverse PD-SS relationship was noted irrespective of exposure occasions and timing (at home: RR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.56–0.95; at work: RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.57–1.17; in children: RR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.76–1.08). Both sensitivity and subgroup analyses generated results comparable with those of the overall analyses. Our study suggested that exposure to PM 2.5 , NO 2 , and O 3 might contribute to higher risk of PD, whereas SS conferring reduced PD risk. Public and environmental health strategies that aim at reducing outdoor AP levels might reduce the burden of PD. More prospective cohort studies with personal exposure measurements are warranted in the future. Image 1 • PM 2.5 , NO 2 , and O 3 may contribute to higher risk of Parkinson disease. • Second-hand smoke conferred reduced risk of Parkinson disease, regardless of exposure occasions and timing. • This is the first meta-analysis on the neuroprotective effect of second-hand smoke. • This is the most comprehensive review on the relationship between outdoor air pollution and Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the prevalence of positive allergen reactions in intradermal and IgE serological tests in dogs presenting to a dermatology referral centre in South Australia and the clinical efficacy of subsequent allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Results from 108 intradermal allergy tests, 25 IgE serological assays and immunotherapy outcomes in 37 dogs were retrospectively analysed. Immunotherapy outcomes were determined as excellent, good, modest or failure using a global assessment of efficacy matrix which incorporated pruritus scores, lesion severity, medication requirements, and owner and clinician opinion. Results: The most common positive reactions in intradermal allergy tests were Red clover (59%), Dermatophagoides farinae (29%), Tyrophagus putrescentiae (28%), Yellow dock (25%) and Malassezia pachydermatis (24%). In the IgE serological tests, Yorkshire fog grass (40%), Yellow dock (36%), Kentucky bluegrass (36%) and T. putrescentiae (36%) were the most commonly reported positive results. The outcome of allergen‐specific immunotherapy was judged to be excellent in 20% of dogs, good in 15%, modest in 18% and a failure in 47%. Conclusion: As has been reported in other geographical areas, environmental mites and plant pollens frequently gave positive reactions in allergy tests in South Australia. However, the prevalence of individual allergen reactions differed between intradermal and IgE serological tests, with M. pachydermatis being identified as a common cause of hypersensitivity in intradermal tests but not in IgE serological assays. Immunotherapy was judged to be a beneficial treatment in 35% of dogs but was essentially unsuccessful in 65%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method is proposed to calculate the magnetic energy barrier of nanostructured cells of synthetic ferrimagnets. An important feature of the method is the use of an equation for the total energy that contains the magnetostatic fields at the saddle point as parameters of the energy equation. With no suitable methods of accessing the magnetic configuration at the unstable saddle point, it is difficult to obtain the saddle point magnetostatic fields. This difficulty is overcome with the use of equations that link the magnetostatic fields at the saddle point and critical fields, which are readily obtained by micromagnetic simulation. The present method is essentially based on the micromagnetic simulation, and, therefore, it should provide accurate results for the magnetic energy barrier. A contour diagram showing the thermal stability parameter is constructed as a function of the cell geometry and the thickness asymmetry, and the result should be of great value in designing magnetic cells for high density magnetic random access memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination method of beneficial wrinkle and preform shape is proposed to solve the problem of non-uniform thickness distribution during hydroforming of a variable diameter tubular component. The effect of loading path for the hydroform part and the preform shape are simulated by LS-DYNA. At the same time, the wall thickness deviation of the maximum and minimum of the hydroformed part is considered as the optimal target and the loading path for the preform shape is optimized to obtain the beneficial wrinkles by response surface methodology. Simultaneously, hydroforming experiments were conducted to verify the simulation results. Study shows that the loading path plays an important role in the forming of the beneficial wrinkles, which influence the cracking and the wrinkling defects. Only the loading path is appropriate can the beneficial wrinkles be formed and the wrinkles are flattened in the subsequent calibrating process. Response surface methodology is an effective way to obtain the optimal loading path, and the desired loading path can be achieved by controlling the relationship of the axial feeding and the internal pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how the value of consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and ethnocentric marketing affect consumers' purchase intentions for domestic and foreign brands in China. In predicting ethnocentric consumer behavior, past research has tended to focus on consumers' ethnocentric values rather than ethnocentric marketing stimuli. In addition, this study examines how the consumer value of individualism and collectivism (IC) affects ethnocentric choice behavior. An experimental study was conducted on 220 Chinese millennials, using fictitious advertisements. The study found that the CET value has moderate effects on consumer purchase intentions for foreign brands, while it strongly influences consumer purchases of domestic brands. In addition, the findings suggest that ethnocentric advertising may not encourage purchases of domestic brands, but can discourage foreign brand purchases. More significantly, individualistic consumers were found to show a greater preference for foreign brands and also their brand choices were less affected by the CET value and ethnocentric advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large diameter thin-walled tubes are prone to wrinkle due to a low stability of anti-wrinkles, non-uniform material flow, and contact sequence to the die cavity during hydroforming process. Although wrinkling defects can be controlled by reducing the diameter of the initial tube to some extent, the severe thinning will occur. A method of using local constraints was proposed to eliminate wrinkling defects that occurred on thin-walled hydroformed tubes. The effect of axial constraint, hoop constraint, and axial-and-hoop constraint on wrinkling behavior of large diameter thin-walled tubes has been investigated by using numerical simulation and experiment methods. In addition, the trajectory of principal stress of the wrinkling zones with different local constraints has been discussed. The results show that axial compressive stress of the two wrinkling zones can be reduced by 6.8 and 23.0% by using axial constraint, respectively. Hoop constraint reduces axial compressive stress by 11.7% at the two wrinkling zones. And the axial compressive stress remarkably decreased by 22.3 and 31.8% using axial-and-hoop constraint. The results reveal that the application of local constraints can effectively restrict the occurrence of wrinkle by decreasing axial compressive stress during hydroforming of large diameter thin-walled tubes. Finally, a desired part without defects has been manufactured successfully by axial-and-hoop constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Current strategies for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of pleural TB have been inadequate, several challenges and issues related with pleural TB have been reported. Aim To summarize the main features of pleural tuberculosis (TB) and determine the risk factors in treatment delay. Design Retrospective analysis of hospital records. Methods Consecutive confirmed TB patients with pleural effusion were enrolled in the study. Demographic and epidemiological data were collected from electronic medical records. Treatment delay duration was stratified into two categories: <30 days and ≥30 days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate risk factors for the delay. Results From July 2011 to September 2015, a total of 723 patients were enrolled, 72.1% of patients had pulmonary TB, 8.9% had empyema, 8.9% were multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Multivariate analysis revealed that MDR-TB (odds ratios (OR) = 2.485, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.347, 4.587), pulmonary TB (OR = 1.452, 95% CI 1.010, 2.087) and empyema (OR = 4.355, 95% CI 2.185, 8.680) were significant risk factors for treatment delay, while fever (OR= 0.519, 95% CI 0.362, 0.744) as well as pleural protein (≥45 g/l) (OR=0.470, 95% CI 0.332, 0.667) were the protective factors. Conclusion MDR-TB, pulmonary TB and empyema were significant risk factors for treatment delay, while fever and high pleural protein were protective factors. Tuberculous empyema remains a major problem in China, adequate awareness should be created for the management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: This study aimed to investigate the influence of planting Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac gene expressing rice (Bt rice) on rhizospheric active methanogenic archaeal communities. Methods and Results: The nontransgenic parental line was used as the control (Ck rice). DNA‐based stable isotope probing (DNA‐SIP) technology traced the rhizospheric active methanogens at the tillering stage. The results revealed significantly lower CH4 emission flux from Bt soil than that from Ck soil during the whole growth period. The active methanogenic community composition remained stable. The RC‐I lineage (77·9–79·8%) and Methanosaetaceae (13·9–15·1%) were the predominant active methanogens in Bt and Ck rice rhizospheres. However, the abundance of functionally active methanogens in the Bt rice rhizosphere was significantly reduced. Lower levels of root exudates (that included carbohydrate and organic acids) from Bt rice were also detected at the tillering stage. Conclusion: This study found that the genetic modification of rice reduced the potential methanogenic substrates came from plant‐derived root exudates, which represented an important factor in reducing CH4 generation and active methanogenic archaeal abundance in Bt rhizosphere soil. Significance and Impact of the Study: The effect of genetically modified (GM) insect‐resistant crops on soil micro‐organisms has become an issue of public concern, especially the indirect effect of plant metabolisms caused by the insertion of foreign genes. Methanogenesis, which is regarded as a critical ecological process in paddy soil, is influenced by plant root exudates; these are mainly derived from photosynthesis. The variations in root exudates across the Bt and Ck rice suggested the indirect influence of foreign gene insertion. DNA‐SIP successfully traced the active methanogenic archaeal populations assimilating 13C‐labelled photosynthetic carbon and found a strong influence of planting Bt rice on active methanogens. As a consequence, we proposed that analysis of functionally active micro‐organisms is more suitable for monitoring and predicting the environmental influence of GM plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mean-field lattice model is used to investigate some possible aspects of the low-temperature behavior of a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) polymer blend made miscible by a dilute distribution of a hydrogen-bonding comonomer. The nature of the binding interaction is examined for both a random comonomer distribution and for the case of identically end-modified chains. For the latter case, competition between the interaction responsible for the immiscibility of the homopolymer components and the attraction due to hydrogen bonding leads to a stable intermediate phase. For random distributions, polydispersity in the binding interaction restricts this intermediate phase to an extremely narrow window in reduced temperature, consistent with a ‘‘smeared’’ transition. The free-energy landscape contains local minima separated by energy barriers. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the temperature dependence of the contact resistivity of the Si/Ni(Mg) nonspiking contact scheme on p-gallium arsenide. Information on the ohmic behavior of the contact scheme; Details of the experimental procedure; Results and discussion.

Deals with the formation of nonspiking ohmic contact on p-GaAs by solid-phase regrowth. Details of experimental techniques used; Technique in overcoming the problems associated with the use of gold and zinc in the ohmic contact; Discussion on interfacial reactions and ohmic contact formation mechanism.

Presents a study which developed a room-temperature model for modulation-doped field-effect transistors and heterojunction insulated gate field-effect transitors that accounts for effects induced by the gate current at large gate voltages. Theory; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

This study aims to report our initial clinical experience on using a new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system on a ring gantry with dual PET-CT imaging capabilities for IMRT treatments at different anatomical sites. The study also evaluates the system's plan quality compared to an existing ring gantry-based Linac. This new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system has the potential to be used for biology-guided radiotherapy. We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients treated on the machine since commissioning. The initial five patients treated to a thoracic site and five patients treated to a pelvic site were included in this study. The dose per fraction ranged from 1.8 to 3.0 Gy. The treatment plans for the machine used a 2-cm jaw size along the longitudinal direction and used the IMRT delivery mode. A 64-leaf binary MLC was used to modulate a flattening filter free 6-MV photon beam. A helical tomotherapy plan (HT plan) using a 2.5-cm jaw size was generated for each RFX plan to serve as the backup plan in clinical treatments. Dosimetric parameters used in institutional treatment protocols were compared between RFX plans and HT plans. Daily delivery records were reviewed, and actual beam-on time was compared between the two machine types. On average, 12 dosimetric parameters (range: 7 – 14) for critical organs and the primary PTV were used in each treatment plan as clinically relevant planning optimization parameters and were analyzed in this study. Among the critical organ dose parameters, 19 (22.4%) dosimetric parameters were lower by more than 10% in the study's plans compared to the HT plans, while 11 (12.9%) dosimetric parameters were higher by more than 10% in the study's plans compared to the HT plans. The other dosimetric parameters had less than 10% or no clinically relevant difference between the two plans. There was no statistically significant difference in integrated dose between the new machine and HT plans. All the plans were normalized so that the prescription dose covered 95% of the primary planning target volume (PTV). The average D mean of the primary PTV were 103.5±1.1% and 102.6±0.8% of the prescription dose in the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT plans, respectively, and the average D(1%) of the primary PTV (dose covering the hottest 1% of the PTV) were 107.1±2.0% and 105.2%±1.6% in the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT plans, respectively (two-tailed p-value = 0.06 in the paired t-test). The beam-on time was not significantly different between the two machines. The average daily beam-on time was 438.8±151.2 seconds and 427.6±183.1 seconds with the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT systems, respectively (two-tailed p-value = 0.76 in the paired t-test). Our initial clinical experience with the external-beam radiotherapy delivery system showed that image guided IMRT could be delivered to different anatomical sites with adequate clinical workflow efficiency. The new machine achieved clinically comparable treatment plan quality compared to helical tomotherapy. The beam-on time was comparable to that on helical tomotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM; WHO grade IV) is the most aggressive form of glioma with a dismal 5-year survival rate. The current therapies are largely ineffective and therapy resistance is commonly encountered. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify druggable therapeutic targets in GBM. In this study we identified TRIB1, a Ser/Thr pseudokinase that functions as a scaffold to initiate Ubiquitin Proteasome System-mediated degradation of target proteins in the cell. It has also been shown to activate the MAPK and Akt signaling cascades in various cell types. Reports also suggest that TRIB1 contributes to chemotherapy resistance in various cancers. Therefore, we evaluated the role of TRIB1 in GBM cell proliferation/ survival and its contribution to therapy resistance. We utilized patient-centered reverse translational approach to identify novel therapeutic targets. To this end, TRIB1 was identified by statistical association (Cox regression analysis) of the patient-derived mRNA profiling data publicly available from TCGA GBM cohort. TRIB1 was functionally validated in vitro by generating stable overexpression cell lines by antibiotic selection. TRIB1 was conditionally knocked down by doxycycline induction. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to evaluate protein-protein interactions. Protein levels were detected by western blotting. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to mutate specific amino acid. Patient derived primary cell lines overexpressing the wild type and mutant (W337A) Trib1 transgenes were injected intracranially to create tumors in nude mice. Changes in tumor volume and overall survival (OS) were determined. The mRNA profiling of TCGA GBM cohort revealed that increased TRIB1 gene expression was associated with worse OS of GBM patients (HR=1.3 (1.0-1.5); P=0.019). Mice bearing TRIB1 transgene overexpressing tumors had highest tumor volume and lowest OS whereas mice bearing TRIB1-W337A tumors had the highest OS and lower tumor volume when measured. We also observed that overexpression of TRIB1 caused a decrease in apoptosis of primary GBM cell lines after RT and TMZ treatments in vitro. Overexpression of TRIB1 also increased the phosphorylation/activation of Akt in patient derived primary cell lines. Akt activation was similarly decreased after TRIB1 knockdown. TRIB1 bound directly to Akt in these cells. Following PI3K inhibition, Akt phosphorylation was detected to a greater level in TRIB1 overexpressing cells. Our data suggest that heightened expression of TRIB1 in GBM cells contributes to RT/TMZ resistance by activating the prosurvival Akt signaling cascades. Therefore, targeting TRIB1 mediated Akt activation could provide a therapeutic benefit over targeting Akt directly, which may reduce Akt's oncogenic signal without risking the toxicity associated with available Akt- specific inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose a dual-energy approach to reduce cone-beam artefacts in a circular orbit cone-beam computed tomography (CT) system. When there exist multiple dense structures within a large cone angle, two-pass algorithm is ineffective for reducing cone-beam artefacts because high-density materials are incorrectly segmented with simple thresholding. The proposed algorithm utilises projection data obtained with dual-energy X-ray spectra to estimate projections of the high-density materials from multi-density anatomical structures. Using bone and water as two of basis functions, the projection data of bone materials can be precisely estimated via dual-energy scans. Then, bone-only images are reconstructed by a constrained total-variation minimisation-based iterative algorithm. The reconstructed bone images are used to generate cone-beam artefacts and the final corrected images are acquired by subtracting the generated cone-beam artefacts from the original Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress images. The proposed method was validated using an extended cardiac-torso phantom with complex vertebral anatomy and compared with the two-pass algorithm. The results show that the proposed method restores distorted bony structures and intensity values, especially in regions with large cone angles. A qualitative evaluation of the mean-squared errors and structural similarities demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to the two-pass algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose a dual‐energy approach to reduce cone‐beam artefacts in a circular orbit cone‐beam computed tomography (CT) system. When there exist multiple dense structures within a large cone angle, two‐pass algorithm is ineffective for reducing cone‐beam artefacts because high‐density materials are incorrectly segmented with simple thresholding. The proposed algorithm utilises projection data obtained with dual‐energy X‐ray spectra to estimate projections of the high‐density materials from multi‐density anatomical structures. Using bone and water as two of basis functions, the projection data of bone materials can be precisely estimated via dual‐energy scans. Then, bone‐only images are reconstructed by a constrained total‐variation minimisation‐based iterative algorithm. The reconstructed bone images are used to generate cone‐beam artefacts and the final corrected images are acquired by subtracting the generated cone‐beam artefacts from the original Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress images. The proposed method was validated using an extended cardiac‐torso phantom with complex vertebral anatomy and compared with the two‐pass algorithm. The results show that the proposed method restores distorted bony structures and intensity values, especially in regions with large cone angles. A qualitative evaluation of the mean‐squared errors and structural similarities demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method compared to the two‐pass algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the vertical distribution traits of anaerobic ammonium‐oxidizing (anammox) bacterial relative abundance and community composition along the oxic/anoxic sediment profiles in a shallow lake. Methods and Results: The Illumina Miseq‐based sequencing and quantitative polymerase chain reactions were utilized to analyse relative abundance of anammox hydrazine synthase (hzsB) gene in comparison with bacterial 16S rRNA genes, anammox bacterial relative abundance (the number of anammox sequences divided by total number of sequences), community composition and diversity in sediments. The relative abundance of hzsB gene at the low‐nitrogen (LN) site in the lake sediments showed that the vertical distribution of anammox bacteria increased to a peak, then decreased with increasing depth. Moreover, the relative abundance of hzsB gene at the high‐nitrogen site was significantly lower than that at the LN site. Additionally, the community composition results showed that Candidatus Brocadia sp. was the dominant genus. In addition, the anammox bacterial diversity was also site specific. Redundancy analysis showed that the total N and the NH4+‐N content might be the most important factors affecting anammox bacterial community composition in the studied sites. Conclusions: The results revealed the specific vertical variance of anammox bacterial distribution and community composition in oxic/anoxic sediments of a eutrophic shallow lake. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study to demonstrate that anammox bacteria displayed the particular distribution in freshwater sediments, which implied a strong response to the anthropogenic eutrophication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of surface defects (eg, notches) and external environment conditions (eg, operating temperature, the number of re-weldings) on the static strength and fatigue of C1220T-O copper tubes used in the heat exchangers of air conditioners. Instead of using standardized specimens, as is done in general rotary bending fatigue tests, special specimens were fabricated in this study by inserting metal plugs on both ends of the copper tubes to perform fatigue tests on the actual tube product, and then the fatigue characteristics were evaluated using stress-life (S-N) curves. Regarding the welding conditions (maximum 1000°C and 10 seconds), the grain size grew (grain size number decreased), and the hardness decreased as the number of re-weldings increased. The effects of the operating temperatures on the fatigue life were examined at a room temperature of 25°C and a heat exchanger operating temperature of 125°C, resulting in the same fatigue limit (70.21 MPa) at both room and operating temperatures. However, the fatigue limit of 37.46 MPa measured in the notched specimens (radius of 3 mm, depth of 0.2 mm) was lower than that obtained from those without notches. The material constant (1.07) used in the Peterson equation was then computed from the fatigue notch factor (1.87 = 70.21/37.46), and the stress concentration factor (2.18) of the notched tube specimens was obtained from the structural analysis. This material constant can be used to predict a decrease in the fatigue limit over varying notch sizes in copper tubes (C1220T-O). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of different sports on stress fractures among adolescents during a 9-month follow-up period. The sample was composed of 184 adolescents divided into three groups (impact sports [n = 102]; swimming [n = 35]; non-sports [n = 47]). The occurrence of stress fracture was reported by participants and coaches. As potential confounders we considered age, sex, resistance training, body composition variables and age at peak of height velocity. There were 13 adolescents who reported fractures during the 9-month period. Bone mineral density values were higher in adolescents engaged in impact sports (P-value = 0.002). Independently of confounders, the risk of stress fracture was lower in adolescents engaged in impact sports than in non-active adolescents (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.23 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.05 to 0.98]), while swimming practice was not associated to lower risk of fracture (HR = 0.49 [95% CI = 0.09 to 2.55]). In conclusion, the findings from this study indicate the importance of sports participation among adolescents in the reduction of stress fracture risk, especially with impact sports. More importantly, these results could be relevant for recognising adolescents in danger of not reaching their potential for peak bone mass and later an increased risk of fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the formation of goose fatty liver induced by a high-carbohydrate diet, it is characterized by the quick cell growth of liver. The carbohydrate is mostly digested and absorbed in the small intestine by the form of glucose. Recent studies have suggested a crucial role for PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway in regulating cell proliferation, and then we speculate that PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway may mediate glucose-induced liver cell proliferation. Goose primary hepatocytes were isolated and incubated in either no addition as a control or glucose or PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway inhibitors or cotreatment with glucose and PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway inhibitors. The results firstly showed that 35 mmol/l glucose stimulated the mRNA level and protein content of factors involved in PI3K-Akt- mTOR signal pathway in goose primary hepatocytes. Secondly, 35 mmol/l glucose evidently changed the cell cycle PI index and protein expression of cyclin D1. Meanwhile, the upregulation of 35 mmol/l glucose on the DNA synthesis rate, cell cycle PI index, the mRNA expression, protein content and protein expression of factors involved in the cell proliferation was decreased significantly by the inhibitors of PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway, LY294002, rapamycin or NVP- BEZ235. In summary, glucose could stimulate the cell proliferation, and the PI3K-Akt- mTOR pathway inhibitors could dismiss glucose-induced the upregulation of cell proliferation in goose primary hepatocyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q235 steel components have poor corrosion resistance and are susceptible to erosion by corrosive media, so they are generally passivated before being put into service. This paper investigates the corrosion behaviour and corrosion mechanism of passivated Q235 steel in atmospheric environments through macro and micro morphological characterisation and electrochemical simulation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleocurrent reconstruction is an important aspect of basin research, playing a key role in the reconstruction of sediment development and understanding the evolution of sedimentary environments. The reconstruction of paleowind direction is an important part of the study of paleoatmospheric circulation, playing a vital role in revealing the characteristics and evolution of paleoclimate. Water flow and wind movement present similar interactions with ground objects and leave direction information. This paper summarises the current common reconstruction theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction, analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the reconstruction theories, and analyses the characteristics of reconstruction results. Based on the technical structure of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction, the development of reconstruction theories, processes and results are highlighted. The analysis shows that paleocurrent and paleowind directions can be used for paleoatmospheric circulation research, resource exploration, paleogeographic environment reconstruction and planetary geological research. The current common theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction are outlined. The advantages, disadvantages and scope of application of the reconstruction theory are summarised. Applications and developments in the reconstruction of paleocurrent and paleowind directions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation and experimental methods were conducted to study the non-uniform thickness during hydroforming of a rectangular cross-sectional component by using a bent tube, which is thickened inside and thinned outside. A method of changing the contact sequence of the tube to the die surface is proposed to improve thickness distribution of hydroformed part. There are four contact sequences, Side-and-Side (SS), Side-and-Fillet (SF), Fillet-and-Side (FS) and Fillet-and-Fillet (FF), that are proposed through the preform shape for a rectangular section. The effect of contact sequence on thickness distribution was studied. The results show that SF or FF contact sequence makes the fillet corner contact with the die surface first and suppresses the further thinning in hydroforming. On the contrary, SF or SS contact sequence makes the straight side of the bend inside contact with the die surface first and benefits the full deformation of the thickening region in hydroforming. Among them, the SF contact sequence is the best for the uniformity of thickness, and SF and FF contact sequences are useful to ensure the minimum thickness of the section and help to avoid cracking defects. On the basis of it, two contact sequences, SS and FF, were applied to an instrument panel bar, respectively. There is a cracking defect in the circular section for the SS sequence, while there is no defect in the straight and circular sections for the FF sequence. And the sound part is successfully developed and applied to the assembly of the instrument panel bar of Chrysler 300C car in mass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pentacene organic thin-film transistors (OTFT) using high-k LaTiON gate dielectric with different Ti contents are investigated. The LaxTi(1-x)ON films (with x=1, 0.87, 0.76, and 0.67) are deposited by reactive sputtering followed by an annealing in N2 at 200°C. The OTFT with La0.87Ti0.13ON can achieve a high carrier mobility of 2.6 cm2/V∙s, a small threshold voltage of -1.5 V, a small sub-threshold swing of 0.07 V/dec, and a small hysteresis of 0.17 V. AFM and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that Ti can suppress the hygroscopicity of La oxide to achieve a smoother dielectric surface, which can result in larger pentacene grains and thus higher carrier mobility. All the devices show a clockwise hysteresis because both the LaOH formation and Ti incorporation can generate acceptor-like traps in the gate dielectric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bending springback plays an important role in hydroforming of curved hollow components, and the effect will be more apparent with the increase of the strength of the material. In order to predict and eliminate the effect of springback on hydroforming process, springback of DP590 welded tube was investigated in computer numerical control (CNC) bending process using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental methods. The effects of the bending angles, the diameter-thickness ratio d/t, and the relative bending radius R/d on springback are studied, and the influence factor of the weld position is considered. The theoretical and experimental results show that the springback of the DP590 welded tube with 65 mm in diameter and 2.6 mm in thickness varies within the range from 4.0 to 4.9 % and the amount of springback is influenced by the tube diameter and thickness. The springback reduces from 7.0 to 3.5 % when the diameter-thickness ratio is increasing from 10 to 40. On the contrary, the springback increases from 3.7 to 7.2 % when the relative bending radius is increasing from 1.2 to 4.0. The effect of weld position on springback is very little, but it has a negative effect on defects of hydroforming and wall thickness distribution. It is liable to crack when hydroforming if the weld locates on the outside or neutral layer of the bend. Finally, springback rules and weld effect are applied to form a control arm. A sound part had been successfully manufactured to avoid flash and crack defects considering the appropriate springback compensation and weld position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent theory predicts that the magnitude of sexual antagonism should depend on how well populations are adapted to their environment. We tested this idea experimentally by comparing intersexual genetic correlations for adult survival in pedigreed populations of southern field crickets ( Gryllus bimaculatus) raised on naturally balanced (free-choice) vs. imbalanced (protein-deprived) diets. We tested for (1) sex differences in nutritional intake and preference, (2) sex-specific effects of protein deprivation on survival and (3) diet dependence of the level of sexual antagonism. Adult males and females consumed a similar amount of protein, but protein deprivation decreased male survival but not female survival. Protein deprivation appeared to decrease the degree of sexual antagonism as intersexual genetic correlations were significantly lower than 1 only for the complementary free-choice diet group but close to 1 for the protein-deficient diet group. Our findings thereby implied that variation in nutritional environments can alter the magnitude of sexual antagonism. This research represents an important step towards understanding the relationship between sexual antagonism and adaptation in heterogeneous environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfacial stresses, electric fields, and electric displacements of a piezoelectric unsymmetrical bi-layer orthotropic laminate are presented. A state space equation for orthotropic piezoelectric material is derived from three-dimensional piezoelectric elasticity directly. With the application of the transfer matrix and recursive solution approach, a strong solution for the unsymmetrical piezoelectric generalized plane strain bi-layer laminated structure is sought after considering all elastic and piezoelectric constants of materials. Electromechanical boundary layer effect is identified quantitatively at free edges. To facilitate the discussion on the results, the corresponding calculations from finite element models are compared with those of the strong solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative W-TiO 2 /clay photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a facile sol-gel method using different W dopant concentrations (0.5, 2 and 5 M%). The obtained photocatalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, XPS, textural analysis and DRS-UV–vis spectroscopy. The W-TiO 2 /clay photocatalysts have TiO 2 as anatase phase, where W dopant caused the increase of its crystal size and the distortion of its lattice, due to W substitution of Ti ions. W dopant also modified the electronic properties of anatase, resulting in moderately narrower band gap of photocatalysts. Photocatalytic activity measurements showed that W-TiO 2 /clay catalyst with 5% of W possed the best photocatalytic performance for the removal of atrazine under solar light compared to un-doped TiO 2 /clay, which was explained by the presence of W ions in the TiO 2 structure. The relevance of W doping on the photocatalytic performance of these photocatalysts was also corroborated studying the activity under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes dry oxides grown on silicon at 1000 ° Celsius at 1 atm using purified [sup16]Oxygen[sub2] and purified [sup18]Oxygen[sub2] employing secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). SIMS profile of an oxide sample; Information on the diffusion rate for lattice oxygen near the interface.

Interfraction anatomical changes during intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer may lead to suboptimal patients' treatment. This study assessed the dosimetric effects of anatomical changes on pretreatment kilovoltage computed tomography (kVCT) scans of a novel dual on-board kVCT/positiron emission tomography (PET) imaging radiotherapy system. This retrospective study analyzed daily kVCT scans acquired on days 1, 5, 13, 17, and 22 of a post-prostatectomy patient treated with 44 Gy/22 fractions to the prostate bed and lymph nodes. The prostate bed CTV, pelvic lymph nodes, rectum and bladder were re-contoured on the daily kVCT, and treatment plans were subsequently created. The treatment doses were calculated using the HU density table of kVCT. Delineation and treatment plans created on the daily kVCT scans were compared with those created on the planning CT. Interfraction changes of bladder and rectum were analyzed based on median dose (Dmedian), mean dose (Dmean), maximum dose (Dmax), volume receiving 10 Gy (V10), volume receiving 30 Gy (V30), and overall volume. For bladder and rectum, the correlation coefficient between volume and Dmean was analyzed. For the kVCT days investigated in this study, mean bladder and rectum volume changes were 10.69 cc ± 10.08 cc and 1.31 cc ± 0.64 cc, respectively. Consequentially, the average changes in Dmedian, Dmean, Dmax for the bladder were 0.51 Gy ±0.32 Gy, 0.30 Gy ±0.22 Gy, and 0.75 Gy ±0.44 Gy, respectively. For the rectum, the average changes in Dmedian, Dmean, Dmax were 0.62 Gy ±0.36 Gy, 0.59 Gy ±0.49 Gy, and 0.76 Gy ±0.57 Gy, respectively. The average changes in V10, and V30 were 0.48 % ±0.56 %, and 1.1 %± 0.66 % for bladder and 1.48 % ±1.27 %, and 1.83 %± 1.34 % for rectum. The correlation coefficient (r2) for bladder-Dmean and Rectum-Dmean were 0.765 and 0.002, respectively. This study showed that with adaptive planning, the interfraction dose variation was minimal because adaptive plans were optimized based on daily kVCT images (this is one primary benefit of adaptive planning). Even with adaptive planning, there is still a correlation between bladder dose and bladder volume. The high-quality kVCT images produced could potentially be used for target and OAR delineation and consequentially for treatment planning. Treatment delivery could further be improved by kVCT adaptive planning, which will account for possible interfraction variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]