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Odor information fills every corner of our lives yet obtaining its spatiotemporal distribution is a difficult challenge. Localized surface plasmon resonance has shown good sensitivity and a high response/recovery speed in odor sensing and converts chemical information such as odor information into optical information, which can be captured by charge-coupled device cameras. This suggests that the utilization of localized surface plasmon resonance has great potential in two-dimensional odor trace visualization. In this study, we developed a two-dimensional imaging system based on backside scattering from a localized surface plasmon resonance substrate to visualize odor traces, providing an intuitive representation of the spatiotemporal distribution of odor, and evaluated the performance of the system. In comparative experiments, we observed distinct differences between odor traces and disturbances caused by environmental factors in differential images. In addition, we noted changes in intensity at positions corresponding to the odor traces. Furthermore, for indoor experiments, we developed a method of finding the optimal capture time by comparing changes in differential images relative to the shape of the original odor trace. This method is expected to assist in the collection of spatial information of unknown odor traces in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ti 2 AlNb alloy, as a highly promising superalloy in the aerospace field, is limited by inferior workability due to centimeter-grade coarse grains formed through casting. An in-depth understanding of the relationship between deformation heterogeneities and recrystallization kinetics of the matrix B2 phase is critical to refine and optimize its microstructure. Plane strain compression followed by heat treatment, microstructure characterizations, and full-field crystal plasticity simulations were conducted. The research found that uniform primary-slips existed in most regions of the alloy. These regions exhibited negligible deformation stored energy and misorientation, and therefore, recrystallization cannot occur after heating. The observed slip transfer at grain boundaries with good geometric alignment also indicates the difficulty in dislocation pileup as the potential recrystallization site. Three typical band-like structures, i.e. , transition band, slip-interlacing band, and shear band, formed by intersection and localization of slips, possessed high deformation stored energy. Cell-like substructures readily developed in the first two regions with intersecting slips, rather than in the shear band with parallel slips. As a result, many subgrains and unclosed boundaries were formed in the first two types of bands within grains after heating due to the significant recovery effect. These multilevel deformation heterogeneities were found to be strongly associated with the dislocation structure of the alloy. TEM observations found the dissociation of dislocations with narrow widths, which enhances dislocation mobility. Consequently, the primary-slip characteristic can be maintained at a relatively large deformation, and slip transfer can occur at grain boundaries where a good geometric alignment exists. • The deformation and recrystallization behavior in Ti 2 AlNb-based alloys with centimeter-grade coarse grains were revealed. • The inferior recrystallization capacity was explained as persistence of primary-slip and slip transfer at grain boundaries. • The formation mechanism and characteristics of three types of band-like regions have been elucidated. • The difference of recrystallization kinetics in regions with high deformation stored energy was elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple runoff connections for groundwater supply and water quality evolution mechanisms were disclosed using hydrochemistry, multivariate statistics, stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes, and inverse hydrogeochemical modeling in a multi-layer groundwater system in a north China coal-mining district. Groundwater quality was mainly influenced by dissolution and weathering of carbonate, silicate, gypsum, halite, and fluorite, as well as cation exchange. Sulfate enrichment in the Carboniferous limestone aquifer may be due to pyrite oxidation, while gypsum dissolution and sewage contribute sulfate to the Quaternary alluvium. The Ordovician limestone groundwater is hydraulically connected to the other two aquifers. Incongruent dissolution of dolomite occurs when the Ordovician limestone water contacts the Carboniferous aquifer, while evaporation occurs when the Ordovician limestone water migrates upward through fractures to the Quaternary aquifer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • H 2 S decomposition is conducted through microwave discharge-catalysis (MDC). • Iron phase transformation is an essential cause to graphitization of bio-char. • The modified bio-chars by graphitization improve the discharge performance. • H 2 S conversion with the method reaches 97.4% and remains at 83.2% after two-hour test. Direct decomposition of hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) can be used to obtain high-purity hydrogen, thereby avoiding the waste of hydrogen resources by traditional Claus process. Microwave-induced discharge with spherical bio-char for H 2 S decomposition is proposed. The bio-char was treated by graphitization modification in presence of microwave heating and iron additive. The influences of graphitization parameters including iron loading and microwave irradiation time on the bio-char graphitization degree were studied. Subsequently, the modified bio-char was applied to induce microwave discharge, and the effects of graphitization parameters on discharge performance were discussed. Lastly, the attention was paid to investigate catalytic effect of microwave-induced discharge with the modified bio-char for H 2 S decomposition. The results showed the best graphitization degree of bio-char was achieved at iron loading of 6 mmol/g and microwave irradiation time of 60 min. The improvement of bio-char graphitization degree enhanced discharge intensity, thus promoting bed temperature. Microwave discharge exhibited a favorable catalytic effect on H 2 S decomposition, with initial and ending conversions at 97.4% and 83.2% in a two-hour test, respectively, because of synergistic effect of microwave discharge effect, microwave thermal effect and catalytic activity of the modified bio-char. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are many kinds of defects in pipes, which are difficult to detect with a low degree of automation. In this work, a novel omnidirectional vision inspection system for detection of the morphology defects is presented. An active stereo omnidirectional vision sensor is designed to obtain the texture and depth information of the inner wall of the pipeline in real time. The camera motion is estimated and the space location information of the laser points are calculated accordingly. Then, the faster region proposal convolutional neural network (Faster R‐CNN) is applied to train a detection network on their image database of pipe defects. Experimental results demonstrate that system can measure and reconstruct the 3D space of pipe with high quality and the retrained Faster R‐CNN achieves fine detection results in terms of both speed and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An in-depth understanding on the preferential cleavage of the matrix B2 phase, with an ordered body-centered cubic (BCC) structure, is pivotal to improve the processability of Ti 2 AlNb-based alloys. This research employed in-situ micro tensile tests, multiscale microstructure characterizations, and crystal plasticity simulations to study the grain-size dependent cleavage of the alloy with a full B2 phase. The material was intentionally prepared with two grain sizes differing by order of magnitude, i.e., the millimeter-level coarse grain (CG) and the micron-level fine grain (FG). The experimental results showed that the cleavage of CGs always occurred on the { 100 } planes, even when the loading direction was much less favorable for the cleavage of these planes, whereas the cleavage of FGs took place on both { 100 } and { 110 } planes. The investigation demonstrated that the plastic deformation takes a critical role in selecting cleavage planes. Full-field crystal plasticity simulations demonstrated that, for the CGs, the plastic deformation associated with cleavage on { 100 } planes is less than that associated with cleavage on { 110 } planes, indicating a less plastic deformation-induced blunting effect with cleavage on { 100 } planes. For the FG material, however, the existence of plentiful grain boundaries (GBs) leads to significantly heterogeneous plastic deformation, local stress distribution deviating from the imposed global stress, and hot spots of stress and strain concentration at GB triple junctions. These local plasticity heterogeneities enable the possibility for cleavage on both the { 100 } and { 110 } planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fibrillary aggregates of α-synuclein (α-syn) are closely associated with the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Mounting evidence shows that the interaction of α-syn with biological membranes is a culprit for its aggregation and cytotoxicity. While some small molecules can effectively inhibit α-syn fibrillization in solution, their potential roles in the presence of membrane are rarely studied. Among them, green tea extract epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is currently under active investigation. Herein, we investigated the effects of EGCG on α-syn protofibril (an intermediate of α-syn fibril formation) in the presence of a model membrane and on the interactions between α-syn protofibril and the membrane, as well as the underlying mechanisms, by performing microsecond all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that EGCG has destabilization effects on α-syn protofibril, albeit to a lesser extent than that in solution. Intriguingly, we find that EGCG forms overwhelming H-bonding and cation-π interactions with membrane and thus attenuates protofibril-membrane interactions. Moreover, the decreased protofibril-membrane interactions impede the membrane damage by α-syn protofibril and enable the membrane integrity. These findings provide atomistic understanding towards the attenuation of α-syn protofibril-induced cytotoxicity by EGCG in cellular environment, which is helpful for the development of EGCG-based therapeutic strategies against PD. [Display omitted] • EGCG disrupts α-syn protofibril both in solution and at model membrane surface. • EGCG-membrane interactions alter the disruptive modes of EGCG on α-syn protofibril. • EGCG-membrane interactions attenuate protofibril-membrane binding. • EGCG suppresses α-syn protofibril-induced membrane damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A mechanism of grain thinning and shearing induced recrystallization was proposed for the refinement of centimeter-grade coarse grains of Ti 2 AlNb alloy. • Reduction per compression in multi-directional isothermal forging is more vital than total strain for the refinement of this alloy. • Recrystallization relies on the shear bands and truncation of the thinned grains prepared by prior compressions. • Thinned grains were sheared and truncated due to the bending and bowing of the neighbor grains. Centimeter-grade coarse grains commonly exist in heavy ingots of Ti 2 AlNb-based alloy and severely deteriorate their workability. To investigate the refinement of coarse grains, multi-directional isothermal forging (MDIF) was carried out on samples cut from an ingot weighing about three tons. The results showed that the alloy can be refined by MDIF after 4 passes with 40% reduction per compression at 1200℃, while it cannot be refined even after 10 passes with 30% reduction per compression at 1200℃ or with 40% reduction per compression at 1050℃. The investigation showed that, as an intermetallics with low strain hardening rate, the material is very difficult to be refined by recrystallization if only increasing the total strain. The special refinement mechanism, i.e. , grain thinning and shearing (GTS) induced recrystallization, is proposed. The reduction per compression is crucial to refine the coarse grains of this alloy. Coarse grains should be firstly squashed and thinned by large reduction, and then bent and bowed to form shear bands in the following perpendicular compressions. Coarse grains are truncated by repeated shearing, and the truncation increases interfaces within the coarse grains and contributes to the local misorientation accumulation, which in turn promotes the completion of recrystallization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, with symbolic computation, Lie symmetry analysis, Painlevé test, conservation laws and similarity solutions for the generalized (2+1)-dimensional variable coefficients Nizhnik–Novikov–Veselov (VCNNV) equation are studied. Firstly, we derive the group classifications and the corresponding symmetry reductions via Lie group method. Then some new variable separation solutions with Lie symmetry properties are discussed. And integrable conditions of such system are determined via the Painlevé analysis. At last, some new infinite time-dependent conservation laws are derived, base on the “new conservation theorem” proved by Ibragimov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) has gained great popularity with researchers in regenerative medicine owing to its superior biocompatibility and biodegradability, although its inadequate bioactivity inhibits the further use of PLLA in the field of bone regeneration. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been utilized to improve the biological performance of biopolymers because of its renowned osteogenic activity. However, ZnO nanoparticles tend to agglomerate in the polymer matrix due to high surface energy, which would lead to the burst release of the Zn ion and, thus, cytotoxicity. In this study, to address this problem, carbon–ZnO (C–ZnO) was first synthesized through the carbonization of ZIF-8. Then, C–ZnO was introduced to PLLA powder before it was manufactured as scaffolds (PLLA/C–ZnO) by a selective laser sintering 3D printing technique. The results showed that the PLLA/C–ZnO scaffold was able to continuously release Zn ions in a reasonable range, which can be attributed to the interaction of Zn–N bonding and the shielding action of the PLLA scaffold. The controlled release of Zn ions from the scaffold further facilitated cell adhesion and proliferation and improved the osteogenic differentiation ability at the same time. In addition, C–ZnO endowed the scaffold with favorable photodynamic antibacterial ability, which was manifested by an efficient antibacterial rate of over 95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Er/Yb/Ce co-doped high-phosphorus silica fiber core glasses with varying Ce 2 O 3 concentrations were prepared and systematically studied. Based on this research, optimized Er/Yb/Ce co-doped high-phosphorus polarization-maintaining silica fibers were subsequently fabricated using the modified chemical vapor deposition (MCVD) technique and hole drilling method. The study confirmed that there is an optimal range of Ce doping concentrations for spectral performance, Ce doping effectively suppressing the formation of P-related defects during X-ray irradiation, and the dynamic valence state transformation of Ce3+/Ce4+ ions during irradiation enhanced the radiation-resistant properties, as demonstrated through radiation-induced absorption (RIA), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and L 3 -edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra. The homemade fiber, with optimized element concentrations, exhibited high laser efficiency comparable to commercial high-power fibers. Furthermore, the radiation-induced background loss of the fiber was 0.16 dB/m under 60 krad γ-rays at a low dose rate of 100 rad/h, and the radiation-induced gain variation (RIGV) was 0.019 dB/krad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bacterial infection is one of the most frequent complications in hepatitis B virus-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF), which leads to high mortality. However, a predictive model for bacterial infection in HBV-ACLF has not been well established. This study aimed to establish and validate a predictive model for bacterial infection in two independent patient cohorts. Methods: Admission data from a prospective cohort of patients with HBV-ACLF without bacterial infection on admission was used for derivation. Bacterial infection development from day 3 to 7 of admission was captured. Independent predictors of bacterial infection development on multivariate logistic regression were used to develop the predictive model. External validation was performed on a separate retrospective cohort. Results: A total of 377 patients were enrolled into the derivation cohort, including 88 patients (23.3%) who developed bacterial infection from day 3 to 7 of admission. On multivariate regression analysis, admission serum globulin (OR 0.862, 95% CI 0.822–0.904; P < 0.001), interleukin-6 (OR 1.023, 95% CI 1.006–1.040; P = 0.009), and C-reactive protein (OR 1.123, 95% CI 1.081–1.166; P < 0.001) levels were independent predictors for the bacterial infection development, which were adopted as parameters of the predictive model (GIC). In the derivation cohort, the area under the curve (AUC) of GIC was 0.861 (95% CI 0.821–0.902). A total of 230 patients were enrolled into the validation cohort, including 57 patients (24.8%) who developed bacterial infection from day 3 to 7 of admission, and the AUC of GIC was 0.836 (95% CI 0.782–0.881). The Hosmer–Lemeshow test showed a good calibration performance of the predictive model in the two cohorts (P = 0.199, P = 0.746). Decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the predictive model. Conclusion: GIC was established and validated for the prediction of bacterial infection development in HBV-ACLF, which may provide a potential auxiliary solution for the primary complication of HBV-ACLF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous carcinoma (HNSC) is a prevalent malignant disease, with the majority of patients being diagnosed at an advanced stage. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is considered to be a process that promotes tumorigenesis and impacts the tumor microenvironment (TME) in various cancers. The study aims to investigate the predictive value of ERS in HNSC and explore the correlation between ERS-related genes and TME. A series of bioinformatics analyses were carried out based on mRNA and scRNA-seq data from the TCGA and GEO databases. We conducted RT-qPCR and western blot to validate the signature, and performed cell functional experiments to investigate the in vitro biological functions of the gene. We identified 63 ERS-related genes that were associated with outcome and stage in HNSC. A three-gene signature (ATF6, TRIB3, and UBXN6) was developed, which presents predictive value in the prognosis and immunotherapy response of HNSC patients. The high-risk group exhibited a worse prognosis but may benefit from immunotherapy. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the signature and immune infiltration. In the high-risk group, fibroblasts were more active in intercellular communication, and more T cells were observed at the end of the sequential phase. The genes in the ERS-related signature were overexpressed in HNSC cells, and the knockdown of TRIB3 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration. This study established a novel ERS-related signature that has potential implications for HNSC therapy and the understanding of TME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, optical fibers have found extensive use in special environments, including high-energy radiation scenarios like nuclear explosion diagnostics and reactor monitoring. However, radiation exposure, such as X-rays, gamma rays, and neutrons, can compromise fiber safety and reliability. Consequently, researchers worldwide are focusing on radiation-resistant fiber optic technology. This paper examines optical fiber radiation damage mechanisms, encompassing ionization damage, displacement damage, and defect centers. It also surveys the current research on radiation-resistant fiber optic design, including doping and manufacturing process improvements. Ultimately, it summarizes the effectiveness of various approaches and forecasts the future of radiation-resistant optical fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium alloys are considered to be one of the most promising stent materials due to their good biological compatibility and biodegradable properties. However, the poor workability at room temperature restricts the processing of high-precision micro-tubes for the application as stent materials. In this study, Mg–Zn–Y–Nd alloy tube blank was firstly produced through hot extrusion. By multi-pass cold drawing combining with interpass annealing, the extruded tube blank can be processed into high-precision micro-tube with an outer diameter of about 2.0 mm and a wall thickness of about 0.15 mm. The drawn micro-tube after annealing exhibits improved mechanical properties with an ultimate tensile strength of about 298 MPa and a large breaking elongation of up to 20%. Meanwhile, the micro-tube shows good corrosion resistance with a trend of uniform corrosion in simulated body fluid solution. The investigation revealed that a significant improvement in the mechanical properties is mainly attributed to grain refinement and texture weaken, while the good biodegradable properties is related with the low density of crystallographic defects as well as fine and homogeneous microstructure. As a result, the successful processing of magnesium alloy micro-tube provides the precursor for laser engraving stents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Nasopharyngeal adenocarcinomas (NPACs) are rare malignant tumors. The treatment of NPACs is usually surgery with resection of normal nasal passage tissues.We introduced an innovative double endoscopic surgery for NPACs patients and evaluated the clinical efficacy of this approach. Methods: The clinical data of 4 NPACs patients who underwent radical endoscopic nasopharyngectomy using a combined transnasal and transoral approach were analyzed to determine the efficacy of this surgery. The endpoints were en bloc resection and relief of clinical symptoms. Results: All surgeries were successfully performed without any severe postoperative complications or death. Postoperative MRI revealed that en bloc resection was achieved for all patients with NPACs, and they had high quality of life without postoperative complications. Conclusions: The transnasal-transoral approach to endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for nasopharyngeal adenocarcinoma is safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) has become an effective treatment for early‐stage oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (OPSCCs). We aimed to analyze the clinical safety and efficacy of TORS for human papilloma virus (HPV)‐positive and HPV‐negative OPSCC in China. Methods: Patients with OPSCC of pT1‐T2 stage who underwent TORS from March 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed. Results: A total of 83 patients (HPV‐positive, n = 25; HPV‐negative, n = 58) were included. The median age of the patients was 57.0 years and 71 were men. The majority of primary tumor sites were palatine tonsils (52, 62.7%) and base of tongues (20, 24.1%). Three patients have a positive margin. A total of 12 (14.5%) patients received tracheotomies, the average duration of tracheostomy tube use was 9.4 days, and nasogastric tube was 14.5 days. No patient had a long‐term tracheotomy. The 3‐year overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS), and recurrence‐free survival (RFS) for all 83 patients were 89.5%, 80.1%, and 83.3%, respectively. The OS at 3 years between the HPV‐positive group and HPV‐negative group were 100% versus 84.3% (P =.07), while the DFS and RFS between two groups also showed no significant difference. Among multivariate cox regression analysis of all potential risk factors, smoking was the significant risk factors for disease recurrence (P <.05). Conclusion: Transoral robotic surgery achieved encouraging oncologic outcomes and safety in T1‐T2 stage OPSCC treatment, regardless of HPV status. Level of Evidence: 4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative diseases with no cure yet and its major hallmark is α-synuclein fibrillary aggregates. The crucial role of α-synuclein aggregation in PD makes it an attractive target for potential disease-modifying therapies. Disaggregation of α-synuclein fibrils is considered as one of the promising therapeutic strategies to treat PD. The wild type (WT) and mutant α-synuclein fibrils exhibit different polymorphs and provide therapeutic targets for PD. Recent experiments reported that a flavonoid baicalein can disrupt WT α-synuclein fibrils. However, the underlying disruptive mechanism remains largely elusive, and whether BAC is capable of disrupting mutant α-synuclein fibrils is also unknown. Herein, we performed microsecond molecular dynamics simulations on cryo-EM-determined WT and two familial PD-associated mutant (E46K and H50Q) α-synuclein fibrils with and without baicalein. We find that baicalein destructs WT fibril by disrupting E46-K80 salt-bridge and β-sheets, and by remodeling the inter-protofilament interface. And baicalein can also damage E46K and H50Q mutant fibrils, but to different extents and via different mechanisms. The E46K fibril disruption is initiated from E61-K80 salt-bridge and N-terminal β-sheet, while the H50Q fibril disruption starts from the inter-protofilament interface and N-terminal β-sheet. These results reveal that disruptive effects and modes of baicalein on α-synuclein fibrils are polymorphism-dependent. This study suggests that baicalein may be a potential drug candidate to disrupt both WT and E46K/H50Q mutant α-synuclein fibrils and alleviate the pathological process of PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significance of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) to the neck for pN1 status head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) after neck dissection is unclear. A total of 208 patients with pN1 status HNSCC treated from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2014, were enrolled in the current study. The 5-year regional recurrence-free survival (RRFS), overall survival (OS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were compared between patients with or without PORT to the dissected neck. Moreover, the stratified Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between PORT to the neck and survival before and after propensity score matching. Seventy-nine patients received PORT to the neck, while 129 did not. All patients were followed for over 5 years, with a median follow-up duration of 64.6 months. The PORT group did not show better survival results than the group without PORT to the neck in RRFS, OS or DMFS. Moreover, no evidence showed that PORT to the neck was independently associated with 5-year survival. PORT to the neck for pN1 status HNSCC after neck dissection did not lead to better survival. However, it is necessary to conduct prospective randomized clinical trials to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the role and molecular mechanism of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) in regulating the growth of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). Methods: The authors used multiple methods to detect the levels of CDK5 expression in samples of TSCC and to explore the relation between CDK5 expression and various clinicopathologic factors. In vivo and in vitro cell experiments were performed to detect the proliferation, invasion, and migration of TSCC cells with CDK5 knockdown or overexpression. These studies verified that CDK5 regulates the occurrence and development of TSCC cells through the microRNA 513c‐5p/cell division cycle 25B pathway. Results: An elevated level of CDK5 expression in TSCC tissues was identified as an independent risk factor affecting TSCC growth and patient prognosis. Patients who had TSCC with low levels of CDK5 expression had a higher survival rate than those with high levels. Knockdown of CDK5 reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of TSCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the authors observed that CDK5 regulated the growth of TSCC through the microRNA 513c‐5p/cell division cycle C25B pathway. Conclusions: CDK5 functions as an oncogene in TSCC and might serve as a molecular marker for use in the diagnosis and treatment of TSCC. Lay Summary: Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is 1 of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck, and the survival rate of patients with tongue cancer has been very low.Therefore, it is important to study the molecular mechanism of TSCC progression to identify biomarkers that can be used to improve its clinical diagnosis and treatment.Cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is an atypical member of the cyclin‐dependent kinase family and is involved in regulating the cell cycle.Changes in the cell cycle are of great significance for the occurrence and development of tumor cells; and, in recent years, increasing evidence has suggested that CDK5 exists in a disordered state in cancer cells.In this study, the authors demonstrate that CDK5 functions as an oncogene in TSCC and might serve as a molecular marker for use in the diagnosis and treatment of TSCC. The role of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 and its molecular mechanism in regulating the growth of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) are investigated. The results indicate that cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 is involved in the occurrence and development of TSCC and could possibly serve as a new prognostic marker and molecular target for treating TSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, based on the computer symbolic system––Maple, we presented a modified hyperbolic function method to search for the exact solutions of nonlinear differential-difference equations (DDEs). The discrete Toda lattice is chosen to illustrate the method, and abundant new exact solutions are obtained, which include kink-shaped solitary wave solutions and other new types of exact solutions. This method can also be applied to many other nonlinear differential-difference equations (DDEs) in mathematics physics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: Whether or not young patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity (OC-SCC) have a difference in prognosis remains a controversy. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and difference of survival rates between adult patients less than 40 years of age and those 40 years of age and older. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using the database of patients diagnosed with OC-SCC between 1990 and 2013 in the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, but patients older than 85 years, younger than 18 years, or died within 6 months of diagnosis were excluded. Patients were categorized into two groups: the young group (< 40 years of age) and the older group (≥ 40 years of age). Cox regression, survival and subgroups analyses were performed. The primary endpoints included the rates of 5-year overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS). Results: A total of 1902 OC-SCC patients were identified. The percentage of female in the young group was significantly higher than that in the older group (40.27% vs 31.03%, p < 0.001). This study failed to find the difference in TNM classification or tumor stage between the two groups (p > 0.05). The young group was more likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (42.48% vs 26.91%, p < 0.001). The 5-year OS rate (71% vs. 57%, p < 0.001) and DSS rate (72% vs 58%, p < 0.001) in patients under 40 years were significantly higher than those for the older group. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that OC-SCC in younger patients did not present at a more advanced stage. In addition, young age is an independent predictor for better survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to our previous study, GOLPH3 is markedly up‐expressed in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), which is also associated with poor survival. However, it remains unclear about key upstream and downstream mechanisms of GOLPH3. This study aimed to illuminate new mechanisms modulating GOLPH3 upregulation and promoting TSCC development at the molecular level. Using mass spectrometry and agarose‐streptavidin‐biotin pull‐down analyses, SOX8 (SRY‐Box 8) was identified to be the new protein to bind the GOLPH3 promoter within TSCC cells, which was further verified to be the regulator of GOLPH3 upregulation. The knockdown of SOX8 suppressed the promoter activity of GOLPH3, while secondarily inhibiting TSCC cell proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, GOLPH3 overexpression rescued the SOX8 knockdown‐mediated suppression on TSCC proliferation. Additionally, exogenous over‐expression of SOX8 also activated the activity of promoter as well as GOLPH3 expression, in the meantime of promoting TSCC development. Moreover it was discovered that SOX8 regulated GOLPH3 expression through interacting with TFAP2A. Moreover our results suggested that the SOX8 level was increased within tumor tissue compared with that in para‐cancer normal counterpart, which showed positive correlation with the GOLPH3 level. According to Kaplan‐Meier analyses, TSCC cases having higher SOX8 and GOLPH3 expression were associated with poorer prognostic outcomes. Taken together, this study reveals that SOX8 enhances the TSCC cell growth via the direct transcriptional activation of GOLPH3, which also indicates the potential to use SOX8/GOLPH3 pathway as the treatment target among TSCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometric errors are caused due to the inaccuracy of machine components' manufacturing and assembling, and significantly impact the dimensional precision of workpieces. Many researches have researched the methods of inversely identifying geometric errors of multi-axis milling machines from the workpiece profile, but those methods are inapplicable to identify geometric errors of ultra-precision lathe. This paper presents a new approach to research the inverse identification of geometric errors from the surface topography of workpiece for an ultra-precision lathe. First, a volumetric error model is built to analyze tool position errors caused by geometric errors. Next, a matrix decomposition method is put forward to simplify the calculation of tool position errors and describe the propagation process of geometric errors during the manufacturing process. This method decomposes final tool position errors into a sum of three components, and each has a definite geometric meaning. Then, an equivalent machining model is constructed to identify crucial geometric errors from the surface topography of workpiece. Geometric errors in this model can be worked out precisely through topography data sampled along a radial path on workpiece surface. Finally, some simulation experiments are implemented to verify the precision of matrix decomposition method and one plane surface is machined to validate the effectiveness of equivalent machining model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geometric errors remarkably affect the dimensional accuracy of parts manufactured by ultra-precision machining. It is vital to consider the workpiece shape for the identification of crucial error types. This research investigates the prioritization analysis of geometric errors for arbitrary curved surfaces by using random forest. By utilizing multi-body system (MBS) theory, a volumetric error model is initially established to calculate tool position errors. An error dataset, which contains information of 21 geometric errors, workpiece shape, and dimensional errors, is then constructed by discretizing the workpiece surface along the tool path. The problem of identifying crucial geometric errors is translated into another problem of feature selection by applying random forest on the error dataset. Moreover, the influence extent of each geometric error on the dimensional accuracy of four typical curved surfaces is analyzed through numerical simulation, and crucial geometric errors are identified based on the proposed method. Then, an iterative method of error compensation is proposed to verify the reasonability of the determined crucial geometric errors by specifically compensating them. Finally, under compensated and uncompensated conditions, two sinusoidal grid surfaces are machined on an ultra-precision lathe to validate the prioritization analysis method. Findings show that the machining accuracy of the sinusoidal grid surface with crucial geometric error compensation is better than that without compensation. • A volumetric error model is established based on multi-body system theory. • Tool position error is expressed in the form of cylindrical coordinates. • The impact of geometric errors on form accuracy is analyzed by the random forest. • Geometric errors are compensated by the proposed iterative compensation method. • The form accuracy of a sinusoidal grid surface achieves a significant improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a lethal disease with suboptimal survival outcomes. In this study, we aimed to find an independent prognostic factor of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and investigate its effect on tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration progress and cell cycle phase. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is an analysis method for mining module information in chip data through soft threshold. In this article, it was used to divide differential genes into different modules and determined the ten hub genes. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) analyses as well as univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to figure out HMGA2 as the independent prognostic factor. RT-qPCR and western blot results revealed the HMGA2 expression levels. Via colony formation, flow cytometry and wound healing assays, we tested the involvement of HMGA2 knockdown in corresponding cancer cell biological behaviors. HMGA2 level was up-regulated in HNSCC tissues and cell lines (SCC-25 and FaDu) in comparison with their normal counterparts. HMGA2 knockdown decreased cancer cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, blocked cell cycle at G0/G1 phase, and inhibited cell migration. We regarded HMGA2 as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target of HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Clinically, we have observed that some oral cancer patients have a history of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer; we have named this condition radiotherapy-associated cancer (RAC). Gingival cancer, which is usually juxtaposed with other oral cancer subtypes, is seldom reported individually, and there are few reports on the association between the incidence of oral cancer and history of radiation therapy. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the clinicopathological features and prognosis of second primary gingival squamous cell carcinoma after head and neck radiotherapy.Materials and Methods: The data collected included 450 patients diagnosed with gingival squamous cell carcinoma from 1964 to 2012 at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer, among whom 52 patients had a history of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. We retrospectively analysed the differences in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between sporadic gingival squamous cell carcinoma and radiation-associated gingival carcinoma, with an emphasis on gingival carcinoma.Results: Sporadic gingival squamous cell carcinoma is less likely to have more advanced T stage, and the second primary tumour is more likely to be located in the molar area of the maxillary gingiva than in the mandibular gingiva (75.6% vs 24.4%, P < 0.05). The 5-year overall survival of patients with second primary gingival carcinoma was influenced by age distribution, T classification, N classification, clinical TNM stage, histological grade and radiation history in head and neck. Mandibular gingival carcinoma was more likely to have an increased neck lymph node metastasis than maxillary gingival carcinoma (P = 0.001), but there was no significant difference in 5-year overall survival between these two groups (P = 0.828). The main therapy for gingiva carcinoma is surgery or comprehensive treatment based on surgery.Conclusions: Second primary gingival squamous cell carcinoma after radiotherapy demonstrated particular clinicopathologic features, such as prominent sites and TNM stage; and there was statistically significant difference in 5-year overall survival and prognosis between second primary gingival carcinoma after radiotherapy and sporadic gingival carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High cycle fatigue fracture (HCF) occurs on the conductive slide support rod of a section insulator. • Arc discharge-induced crack is investigated. • Stress concentration generated at the edge of the arc-shaped region of the support rod promotes crack to initiate and propagate. • Alternating load causing the fatigue fracture is mainly from the change in train operation direction at the returnsite on the route. The support rod of conductive slide of a section insulator which was applied in urban rail transport system fractured after operation for about 4 years. The failed section insulator was installed at the turning of the train route. Multiple failure causes had been analyzed utilizing a combination methods of chemical composition analysis, mechanical property test, metallographic examination, macro morphology and microstructure observation. The support rod is made of AISI-304/L/C stainless steel. No obvious microstructure defects are detected in crack origins or the matrix material. The mechanical properties and the chemical composition satisfy the requirement. The failure mechanism of the support rod is proved to be high cycle fatigue fracture (HCF). The main fatigue crack origin locates at the right-angle edge of the arc-shaped transition region of the support rod where stress concentration can be generated easily. In addition, arc discharge-induced cracks can be observed on the local burned surface of the support rod, and they contribute a lot to the fatigue crack initiation. Finally, the alternating load mainly results from the change of train operation direction at the turning position and this change further leads to the direction change of the contact force between pantograph and insulator section. Besides, the impact, vibration and unsmooth contact caused by pantograph also contribute to the alternating load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]