Search

Rock joint surface roughness is usually characterized by heterogeneity, but the determination of a required number of samples for achieving a reasonable heterogeneity assessment remains a challenge. In this paper, a novel method, the global search method, was proposed to investigate the heterogeneity of rock joint roughness. In this method, the roughness heterogeneity was characterized based on a statistical analysis of the roughness of all samples extracted from different locations of a given rock joint. Analyses of the effective sample number were conducted, which showed that sampling bias was caused by an inadequate number of samples. To overcome this drawback, a large natural slate joint sample (1000 mm × 1000 mm in size) was digitized in a laboratory using a high-accuracy laser scanner. The roughness heterogeneities of both two-dimensional (2D) profiles and three-dimensional (3D) surface topographies were systematically investigated. The results show that the expected value obtained from conventional methods failed to accurately represent the overall roughness. The relative errors between the population parameter and the expected value varied not only from sample to sample but also with the scale. The roughness heterogeneity characteristics of joint samples of various sizes can be obtained using the global search method. This new method could facilitate the determination of the most representative samples and their positions.

To study fracture evolution and peak stress in burst risk coal samples (BRCSs) under true triaxial loading and unloading conditions, experimental and numerical research was applied to BRCSs under true triaxial stress paths entailing “x-direction displacement fixed, y-direction loading, z-direction unloading.” Both the experimental and the numerical results demonstrated that the peak stress borne by the BRCSs was not only affected by the initial stress but also had a negative exponential relationship with the ratio of the unloading rate and the loading rate (RURLR); therefore, peak stress equations of BRCSs under true triaxial loading and unloading conditions were established. The triaxial stress-time curves obtained by experiments and simulations exhibited an “elasticity-yield-destruction” phase, and the characteristics of the yield phase were determined by the RURLR. A typical BRCS was selected for velocity tomographic imaging to analyze the fracture evolution characteristics under true triaxial loading and unloading. The results showed that when the BRCS was subjected to a triaxial state of stress, the high- and low-velocity regions existed alternately due to the presence of the crack; during the elastic phase, the crack closed during loading in the previous phase was reopened upon unloading, so that the velocity of the sample decreased and a wide range of low-velocity regions could be formed; when entering the yield phase, the original crack continued to expand into a hole-through crack, leading to wider extreme values and ranges of these low- and high-velocity regions; at the breaking phase, multiple microcracks were generated around the hole-through cracks, decreasing the overall velocity, and showing point distributions characteristics of high- and low-velocity regions. Overall, many low-velocity regions with similar normal directions to the unloading direction were formed; these correlated well with macrofractures (postfailure).

A dilactosyl-dicyanovinyl-functionalized tetraphenylethene (TPELC) was designed, synthesized and used for ratiometric sensing of cyanide. TPELC was comprised of three moieties (tetraphenylethylene, dicyanovinyl group and lactose unit) in one molecule, making TPELC water-soluble and aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active and selectively reactive to cyanide. Compared with other reported fluorescent probes containing dicyanovinyl group, TPELC is the first AIE luminogen to be assembled as fluorescent organic nanoparticles (FONs) for sensing of cyanide in water without the use of surfactant or the help of organic solvents based on the nucleophilic addition reaction. The detection mechanism was verified by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry experiments and by protonation of cyanide to reduce the nucleophilicity of cyanide. In addition, TPELC was used for detection of the cyanide content of food samples and test strips were developed to simplify the detection procedure.

BACKGROUND Strategies for integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into thyroid nodule management require additional development and testing. We developed a deep-learning AI model (ThyNet) to differentiate between malignant tumours and benign thyroid nodules and aimed to investigate how ThyNet could help radiologists improve diagnostic performance and avoid unnecessary fine needle aspiration. METHODS ThyNet was developed and trained on 18 049 images of 8339 patients (training set) from two hospitals (the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China, and Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China) and tested on 4305 images of 2775 patients (total test set) from seven hospitals (the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China; the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; the Guangzhou Army General Hospital, Guangzhou, China; the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China; the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center; and the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China) in three stages. All nodules in the training and total test set were pathologically confirmed. The diagnostic performance of ThyNet was first compared with 12 radiologists (test set A); a ThyNet-assisted strategy, in which ThyNet assisted diagnoses made by radiologists, was developed to improve diagnostic performance of radiologists using images (test set B); the ThyNet assisted strategy was then tested in a real-world clinical setting (using images and videos; test set C). In a simulated scenario, the number of unnecessary fine needle aspirations avoided by ThyNet-assisted strategy was calculated. FINDINGS The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for accurate diagnosis of ThyNet (0·922 [95% CI 0·910-0·934]) was significantly higher than that of the radiologists (0·839 [0·834-0·844]; p

Amyloid-related diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, are all considered to be related to the deposition of amyloid fibrils in the body. Insulin is a protein hormone that easily undergoes aggregation and fibrillation to form more toxic amyloid-like fibrils. So far, it is still challenging to develop a new protocol to study the

The coal seam bifurcation area (CSBA) exists widely in coal measure strata, where the geological weak surface (GWS) slip in overburden structure is easy to induce coal burst. The coal mass of coal face shows overall instability failure and high-speed throwing characteristics during the coal burst, seriously threatening the safe and efficient coal mine production. In order to understand the GWS-induced coal burst caused by the slip in CSBA and find the main controlling factors of GWS slip, the GWS slip criterion in CSBA was established based on the coal burst case analysis of overburden structure in CSBA of 1305 coal face (1305CF) in Zhaolou Coal Mine. The case study showed that the angle and range of CSBA are the main controlling factors affecting GWS slip. The FLAC3D numerical model of CSBA was established to analyze the influence effect of main control factors. The results show that the increase of angle and range of CSBA will increase the influence scope and degree of coal face mining, improving coal face burst risk. However, the peak point region of abutment pressure will not be affected, gradually reaching its peak within 0 m ~10 m from the coal seam merging area. With the increase of the angle of CSBA, the integrity of the triangular wedged rock mass along the GWS slip will be enhanced, aggravating the dynamic disturbance to the coal mass. With the increase of the range of CSBA, the slip of triangular wedged rock mass along GWS gradually changes from integral slip to phased slip, which will intermittently disturb the coal mass of the coal face. The research results have certain theoretical significance and practical value for preventing and controlling coal bursts in CSBA.

Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) plays a crucial role in many physiological processes and is widely used as bleach, deodorant and fungicide. In this work, we designed an amphiphilic hydrazone fluorescent molecule THG-1 containing hydrophilic sugar units and hydrophobic tetraphenylethylene unit for ratiometric detection of HOCl with high sensitivity and excellent selectivity based on HOCl-triggered hydrolyzation reaction and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect. The detection mechanism was verified by liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry experiments and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests. Contrast experiments revealed that the numbers of lactose unit and hydrazone linker were essential for assembly of THG-1 and detection of HOCl. In addition, THG-1 was successfully used for imaging of exogenous and endogenous HOCl in living cells.

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor with the first symptom of acute rapid blindness in both eyes are rare in adolescents. We present a case of an adolescent female without a history of cancer who developed a dramatic loss of vision and eventually blindness, and was diagnosed as diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor by cerebrospinal fluid cytology and enhanced MRI. In order to save vision, under the condition of ineffective dehydration treatment, timely emergency surgery to implant Ommaya sac drainage cerebrospinal fluid. According to the pathophysiological mechanism of cerebral edema, we added Edaravone to scavenge oxygen free radicals, Alprostadil to improve microcirculation, Monosialotetrahexosylganglioside nutrient nerve, Butylphthalide to promote collateral circulation, combined with hyperbaric oxygen and acupoint injection of Anisodine. Finally, the patient's vision returned to normal. Conclusion: when dehydration treatment is ineffective, timely surgery to reduce intracranial pressure, combined with comprehensive treatment, can effectively save vision.

Portunus trituberculatus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura), commonly known as the swimming crab, is of major ecological importance, as well as being important to the fisheries industry. P. trituberculatus is also an important farmed species in China due to its rapid growth rate and high economic value. Here, we report the genome sequence of the swimming crab, which was assembled at the chromosome scale, covering ~1.2 Gb, with 79.99% of the scaffold sequences assembled into 53 chromosomes. The contig and scaffold N50 values were 108.7 kb and 15.6 Mb, respectively, with 19,981 protein-coding genes and a high proportion of simple sequence repeats (49.43%). Based on comparative genomic analyses of crabs and shrimps, the C2H2 zinc finger protein family was found to be the only gene family expanded in crab genomes, and its members were mainly expressed in early embryonic development and during the flea-like larval stage, suggested it was closely related to the evolution of crabs. Combined with transcriptome and Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) providing insights into the genetic basis of salinity adaptation in P. trituberculatus, strong immunity and rapid growth of the species were also observed. In addition, the specific region of the Y chromosome was located for the first time in the genome of P. trituberculatus, and Dmrt1 was identified as a key sex determination gene in this region. Decoding the swimming crab genome not only provides a valuable genomic resource for further biological and evolutionary studies, but is also useful for molecular breeding of swimming crabs.

circRNAs, as a kind of non-coding RNA, are characterized by rich content, high stability, and tissue specificity, and have become a research focus in recent years. A large number of studies have found that circRNA and miRNA have the strongest binding capacity among competing endogenous RNAs, playing a role as a miRNA molecular sponge in cellular gene expression and playing an important role in many diseases. At present, studies have shown that circRNAs are closely related to cerebrovascular diseases and play a crucial role in vascular endothelial cells, metabolism of low-density lipoprotein, smooth muscle cells, inflammatory oxidative stress, ischemia-reperfusion, and other regulatory mechanisms. In order to systematically understand circRNA and its function, in order to understand the research progress of circRNA in regulating the molecular mechanism of cerebrovascular diseases, and in order to find potential markers and drug molecules in the field of cerebrovascular disease occurrence, development, diagnosis, and treatment targets, we reviewed the research progress of circRNA in the development of cerebrovascular disease.

Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor has various clinical manifestations and is easily misdiagnosed. This article aims to describe the clinical features of a patient with diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor misdiagnosed as optic neuromyelitis lineage disease (NMOSD), analyze the causes of misdiagnosis, and identify the disease with similar clinical manifestations. Adolescent women with decreased vision and headache, nausea, and vomiting were initially diagnosed as NMOSD. Immunotherapy was ineffective; enhanced MRI and cerebrospinal fluid cytology examination were completed and compared with classic meningeal carcinoma, NMOSD, multiple sclerosis, and Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome. Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor was finally diagnosed in adolescent women with no history of tumor. Compared with NMOSD: no history of infection, no AQP4, MOG antibody, no spinal segmental abnormalities, immunotherapy was ineffective; compared with multiple sclerosis: no history of infection, no plaque, no oligoclonal antibody, immunotherapy was ineffective; compared with VKH syndrome: no history of infection, no fever, no treatment for immunotherapy; and compared with classic meningeal carcinoma: adolescents, no extracranial tumor lesions, super high protein, more different sugar excess. Patients with acute visual impairment should consider not only NMOSD, but also diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (DLGNT) and other diseases. DLGNT could not be excluded when CSF cytology and MRI plain scan were negative. The positive rate of malignant cells can only be increased by repeatedly sending fresh cerebrospinal fluid for examination; DLGNT needs to be differentiated from NMOSD, multiple sclerosis, VKH syndrome, and other diseases. Early diagnosis and molecular targeted therapy can improve the quality of life and prolong life.

To reveal the mechanism and precursors of the “1.21” rockburst induced by hard roof fracturing in the No. 1 working face of the Junde coal mine (JCM), the inversions including P-wave velocity, velocity gradient, stress concentration and accumulated energy were elaborately conducted by seismic tomography, and the static high-stress concentration and dynamic stress transfer were vividly demonstrated. Simultaneously, the multi-parameter characteristics including microseism (MS), electromagnetic emission (EME) and acoustic emission (AE) before and after the rockburst were comprehensively investigated, and then the corresponding precursors were summarized. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the intrinsic factor of the “1.21” rockburst is owing to the original static high stress concentration in tailentry ahead of the No. 1 working face, and the external factor is ascribed to the dynamic stress transfer and superimposition with energy input generated by roof fracturing; (2) before roof fracturing, the region where sources congregate shows higher velocity, velocity gradient and stress concentration, accompanied with energy accumulation. After fracturing, the region manifests abnormal low velocity. However, the surrounding and far-field rockburst destruction regions appear higher velocity due to dynamic stress transfer; and (3) an obvious transform from dominantly hybrid to dominantly low-frequency of MS events will occur as roofs experience micro-fissure initiation, propagation, convergence, and coalescence, and thus it is concluded that the gradual transform of MS dominant spectrum from high to low frequencies represents a precursor for warning roof fracturing. The findings may put forward a certain reference for warning the type of rockburst triggered by roof fracturing.

The development of micro-cracks during damage to rocks affects the propagation of macroscopic cracks on the surface. To explore the crack evolution among pre-existing flaws in rocks, based on the acoustic emission (AE) source location results, the paper analysed the influences of micro-crack development on failure mode. By analyzing AE characteristic parameters, the main controlling factors affecting the development of micro-fractures are determined. The results show that: (1) the development of micro-cracks in rock samples presents a trend of having a high-energy fracture point, the low-energy and small fracture region, the extensive fracture region, and a macroscopic fracture zone. (2) The difference in rock failure mode arises from the influence of rock bridge on the number, location, and extension direction of high-energy fractures, which results in the difference in the formation of main damage zone in rock samples. (3) The total number of micro-cracks, the proportion of shear cracks, and mixed-mode cracks gradually increase with the increase of the rock bridge inclination angle, leading to the gradual evolution of rock samples from simple tensile failure mode to complex crack penetration mode. The variation of the rock bridge inclination angle affects the stress direction of the rock particles at a microscopic level, while it affects the direction of macroscopic crack propagation at a macroscopic level.

Purpose This trial evaluated the addition of cetuximab to a modified FOLFOXIRI (mFOLFOXIRI: 5-fluorouracil/folinic acid, oxaliplatin, irinotecan) as conversion therapy in a two-group, nonrandomized, multicenter, phase II trial in patients with initially technically unresectable colorectal liver-limited metastases (CLM) and BRAF/RAS wild-type. Patients and Methods Patients were enrolled to receive cetuximab (500 mg/m2) plus mFOLFOXIRI (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 165 mg/m2, folinic acid 400 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil 2,800 mg/m2 46-hour infusion, every 2 weeks) (the cetuximab group) or the same regimen of mFOLFOXIRI alone (the control group), in a 2:1 ratio allocation. The primary endpoint was the rate of no evidence of disease (NED) achieved. Secondary endpoints included resection rate, objective response rate (ORR), survival, and safety. Results Between February 2014 and July 2019, 117 patients were registered for screening at six centers in China, and 101 of these were enrolled (67 cetuximab group, 34 control group). The rate of NED achieved was 70.1% in the cetuximab group and 41.2% in the control group (difference 29.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.1%–48.8%; p = .005). Patients in the cetuximab group had improved ORR (95.5% vs. 76.5%; difference 19.1%; 95% CI, 17.4%–36.4%; p = .010) compared with those in control group. Progression-free survival and overall survival showed the trend to favor the cetuximab group. The incidence of grade 3 and 4 adverse events was similar in the two groups. Conclusion Addition of cetuximab to mFOLFOXIRI improved the rate of NED achieved. This combination could be an option of conversion regimen for molecularly selected patients with initially technically unresectable CLM. Implications for Practice This trial evaluated the addition of cetuximab to a modified FOLFOXIRI as conversion therapy in a phase II trial in patients with initially technically unresectable colorectal liver-limited metastases and BRAF/RAS wild-type. The rate of no evidence of disease achieved was 70.1% in the cetuximab plus modified FOLFOXIRI group and 41.2% in the modified FOLFOXIRI group. Objective response rates, overall survival, and progression-free survival were improved in the cetuximab group when compared with the modified FOLFOXIRI group. Addition of cetuximab to modified FOLFOXIRI increased the rate of no evidence of disease achieved, and this combination could be an option of conversion regimen for molecularly selected patients with initially technically unresectable colorectal liver-limited metastasis.

COVID-19 is currently a pandemic in the world, can invade multiple systems, and has a high morbidity and mortality. So far, no cases of acute cerebrovascular disease have been reported. This article reports the clinical features of a COVID-19 patient whose first symptom was cerebral hemorrhage. More importantly, after the craniotomy, the patient had high fever and it was difficult to retreat. After cerebrospinal fluid testing, it was determined that an intracranial infection had occurred. After anti-infection and plasma infusion of the recovered person, the patient's symptoms gradually improved. This case suggests that COVID-19 may infringe on cerebral blood vessels and cause cerebral hemorrhage. Transfusion of plasma from rehabilitation patients is effective for critically ill patients.

COVID-19 is currently a pandemic in the world, can invade multiple systems, and has a high morbidity and mortality. So far, no cases of acute cerebrovascular disease have been reported. This article reports the clinical features of a COVID-19 patient whose first symptom was cerebral hemorrhage. More importantly, after the craniotomy, the patient had high fever and it was difficult to retreat. After cerebrospinal fluid testing, it was determined that an intracranial infection had occurred. After anti-infection and plasma infusion of the recovered person, the patient's symptoms gradually improved. This case suggests that COVID-19 may infringe on cerebral blood vessels and cause cerebral hemorrhage. Transfusion of plasma from rehabilitation patients is effective for critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVES Increasing studies have reported focal chemotherapy-induced sinusoidal injury (CSI) mimicking colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) on imaging studies, resulting in unnecessary lobectomy. This study aimed to investigate the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging features of focal CSI. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 16 patients who had a pathologic diagnosis of focal CSI and underwent CEUS between January 2013 and January 2019. The images were compared with those obtained from 27 patients with CRLM. RESULTS On CEUS, 14 (87.5%) focal CSIs showed heterogeneous isoenhancement, 1 (6.3%) peripheral hyperenhancement, and 1 (6.3%) homogeneous hyperenhancement during the arterial phase. Compared with the adjacent liver parenchyma, the initial enhancement time of focal CSI was earlier in 2 (12.5%), simultaneous in 9 (56.3%), and later in 5 (31.3%) patients. In the portal and late phases, all of the focal CSI cases showed hypoenhancement compared with the adjacent liver parenchyma. Focal CSI had the following CEUS findings, which were different from those of CRLM: (1) heterogeneous isoenhancement in the arterial phase (87.5% versus 0%; P

Purpose: To investigate the clinical effectiveness and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) and evaluate the influencing factors of local efficacy. Methods: From January 2013 to January 2017, 137 CRLM patients accepting US-guided percutaneous MWA were included. The 2450-MHz microwave ablation system and a cooled-shaft antenna were used. All patients were regularly followed up for at least 6 months. Technical success, complete ablation, local tumor progression (LTP), complications and side effects were assessed. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent prognostic factors for LTP. Results: In total, 411 lesions (mean diameter 15.4 ± 7.2 mm, range 5–67 mm) were treated. Complete ablation was achieved in 99.27% (408/411) of lesions and 97.81% (134/137) of patients. LTP occurred in 5.35% (22/411) of lesions and 16.06% (22/137) of patients. LTP was more likely to occur in lesions larger than 3 cm in diameter (OR: 14.71; p

In many coal mines in China, skip-mining and the corner coal pillar will lead to the formation of an island longwall coal face (ILCF), which will induce a series of problems. Rock bursts pose a severe threat to miners and safe production in coal mines. Here, we used a mechanical model, theoretical calculations, seismic computed tomography, and energy density to explore the stress field distribution in an ILCF to obtain some pre-warning parameters. Based on elastic thin-plate theory, three cases of rock strata of ILCF were analysed to explore various stress fields (case 1: solid coal, case 2: two-sided goaf, and case 3: four-sided goaf). The stress reaches the peak value at the points of “a = b” in case 1, “a = 0.7b” in case 2, and “a = 1.4b” in case 3, respectively, which indicates high rock burst risk. In the case study, the test methods of seismic computed tomography and energy density were used on four ILCFs in Zhaolou Coal Mine (ILCFs 11301, 1307, 1305, and 1306). The stress field can be reflected by the three parameters: velocity distribution, velocity gradient, and stress concentration factor; and the energy density can indirectly reflect the accumulated damage of coal and rock mass and test two parameters of velocity distribution and stress concentration factor, which verifies the stress field in ILCFs, and assesses their rock burst risk.

The synthesis of O-, C-, and N-glycoconjugates has continuously been an attractive research subject due to the growing biological importance of various glycoconjugates. In recent years, by careful changing the glycosylation reaction conditions, especially the amount of activators and the preactivation temperature, (p-Tol)2SO/Tf2O preactivition strategy was developed as a general method for the synthesis of various O-, C-, and N-glycoconjugates, including related biological active glycoconjugates, such as nucleosides and antigen Lewisa etc. High yields and excellent stereoselectivities were obtained even without the anchimeric assistance at the adjacent position of anomeric carbon. In this review, we predominantly make a review on the progress of the (p-Tol)2SO/Tf2O preactivition strategy from O-, C-sialylation to general O-, N-glycosylation.

In order to explore the mechanism of floor dynamic rupture, the current study adopts a thin plate model to further investigate the condition of floor failure. One of the possible explanations could be floor buckling due to high horizontal stress and dynamic disturbance ultimately leading to rapid and massive release of elastic energy thus inducing dynamic rupture. Seismic computed tomography and 3D location were employed to explore the evolution characteristics of floor stress distribution and positions of mine tremors. In the regions of floor dynamic rupture, higher P-wave velocity was recorded prior to the dynamic rupture. On the contrary, relatively lower reading was observed after the dynamic rupture thus depicting a high stress concentration condition. Meanwhile, evolution of mine tremors revealed the accumulation and subsequent release of energy during the dynamic rupture process. It was further revealed that dynamic rupture was induced due to the superposition of static and dynamic stresses: (i) the high static stress concentration due to frontal and lateral abutment stress from coal pillar and (ii) dynamic stress from the fracture and caving of coal pillar, hard roof, and key stratum. In the later part of this study, the floor dynamic rupture occurrence process would be reproduced through numerical simulations within a 0.6 sec time frame. The above-mentioned findings would be used to propose a feasible mechanism for prewarning and prevention of floor dynamic rupture using seismic computed tomography and mine tremors 3D location.

Imaging-based total bacterial count and type identification of bacteria play crucial roles in clinical diagnostics, public health, biological and medical science, and environmental protection. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of tetraphenylethenes (TPEs) functionalized with one or two aldehyde, carboxylic acid, and quaternary ammonium groups, which were successfully used as fluorescent materials for rapid and efficient staining of eight kinds of representative bacterial species, including pathogenic bacteria Vibrio cholera, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes and potential bioterrorism agent Yersinia pestis. By comparing the fluorescence intensity changes of the aggregation-induced-emission (AIE) materials before and after bacteria incubation, the sensing mechanisms (electrostatic versus hydrophobic interactions) were simply discussed. Moreover, the designed AIE materials were successfully used as an efficient artificial tongue for bacteria discrimination, and all of the bacteria tested were identified via linear discriminant analysis. Our current work provided a general method for simultaneous broad-spectrum bacterial imaging and species discrimination, which is helpful for bacteria surveillance in many fields.

Based on a preactivation strategy using ( p -Tol) 2 SO/Tf 2 O, a new O -fucosylation method with thioglycoside as donor under mild conditions was reported. High yields and excellent α-stereoselectivities of the fucosylation were obtained with secondary sugar alcohol as acceptors. Moreover, the novel fucosylation strategy was successfully applied to the synthesis of an important Lewis blood group antigen Lewis a , which was obtained in nine linear steps with 27% overall yield.

Two water-soluble carbohydrate-coated AIE-activate fluorescent organic nanoparticles TPE3G and TPE4G were designed and synthesized for the detection of heparin. Different from the reported strategy, we not only utilized the general detection mechanism of electrostatic interactions, but also introduced the concept of carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions (CCIs) to enrich the detection mechanism of heparin. TPE3G can serve as an efficient "turn-on" probe with higher selectivity towards heparin than TPE4G. TEM studies revealed that the micro-aggregated TPE3G was encapsulated with the heparin chain to form a complex self-assemblied composite and emits strong fluorescence. It is believed that the results illustrated in this study provide a novel strategy based on CCls to design water-soluble and more efficient bio-probes for various biological and clinical applications.

In this work, we designed and synthesized an aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-active tetraphenylethene-decorated pseudo-trisialic acid (TPE3S) and validated its high affinity for Siglecs using microscale thermophoresis techniques. TPE3S was a unique binding-on fluorescent trivalent sialocluster which was successfully utilized for the visualization of Siglecs expressed on the surface of mammalian cells.

Water-soluble ratiometric AIE-active fluorescent organic nanoparticles 2OA-FON for the specific sensing of cysteine over other biothiols are reported. The obtained amphiphilic probe included olefin aldehyde as recognizing unit, tetraphenylethylene as fluorescence reporter and lactose moiety as a hydrophilic group. This work provides a general design strategy based on the introduction of a sugar moiety into a hydrophobic AIEgen to develop ratiometric water-soluble fluorescent organic nanoparticles.

In the present study, purple coneflower leaves were used as explants to explore the effects of basic medium, CuSO4, and Diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) on induction of adventitious buds. The results shown that MS medium was the most suitable basic medium for inducing adventitious buds regeneration from leaf explants. When the concentration of CuSO4 was at 0.5 mg/L, a great effect of induction of adventitious buds was obtained (90%). Meanwhile, the optimal culture condition for the proliferation of adventitious buds was MS medium containing 0.5 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (6-BA).

In order to reveal the stress precursors of the “3.15” rockburst disaster that occurred in the No. 1 working face of Junde coal mine, the combined stress field inversion including static and dynamic stresses was conducted by using P-wave velocity tomography, and the static high-stress concentration regions were further designated. Simultaneously, the evolution of dynamic stress generated by seven periodical caving events of primary roof was analyzed, and the fracturing characteristics were described in detail. Ultimately, the stress precursors of the “3.15” rockburst for early warning were clearly revealed. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) the micro-fissures inside coal and rock mass produce the significant reflection and refraction on the propagation of microseismic (MS) waves, and thus P-wave overall characterizes with lower velocity and higher velocity gradient; (2) after the slightly fracturing of primary roof on March 9, 2013, the maximum stress concentration factor suddenly rises to 20. This sign can be viewed as an early warning precursor of rockburst; (3) until March 12, 2013, the large-scale micro-fractures begin to form inside primary roof, and thus the corresponding high velocity gradient regions are generated. This phenomenon can be regarded as an effective precursor of macroscopic fracturing of primary roof; and (4) before the “3.15″ rockburst, the scope of P-wave velocity gradient in the No. 1 working face does not change significantly. The above findings may put forward a certain reference for accurately warning the stress precursors of rockburst by P-wave velocity tomography.

To assess influencing factors for quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in Crohn's disease (CD), dynamic CEUS examinations from 77 consecutive CD patients were recorded. Peak intensity (PI) values were calculated using the pre-installed quantification software of the ultrasound scanner. The influence of depth, pressure from the ultrasound probe and intraluminal gas was analyzed. The PI value of the anterior wall was lower than that of the posterior wall when the depth was ≤3.4 cm (17.9 dB vs. 21.3 dB; p 0.05) or evident pressure was exerted (19.1 dB vs. 22.5 dB; p 0.01). In the presence of intraluminal gas, the PI of the anterior wall was higher than that of the posterior wall (20.7 dB vs. 18.8 dB; p 0.05). Nevertheless, no significant difference was found between the PI value of anterior and posterior walls when the depth was3.4 cm (19.8 dB vs. 20.3 dB), moderate pressure was exerted (20.5 dB vs. 21.1 dB) or luminal gas was excluded between the two bowel walls (18.9 dB vs. 21.2 dB; p ≥ 0.05). The factors of depth, pressure from the ultrasound probe and intraluminal gas can affect the quantification results of CEUS. It is preferable to place the region of interest in the posterior wall when luminal gas is absent and in the anterior wall when luminal gas is present. In the latter case, more attention should be paid to reducing pressure by the ultrasound probe.

Global climate change has a significant effect on extreme environments and a profound influence on species survival. However, little is known of the genome-wide pattern of livestock adaptations to extreme environments over a short time frame following domestication. Sheep (Ovis aries) have become well adapted to a diverse range of agroecological zones, including certain extreme environments (e.g., plateaus and deserts), during their post-domestication (approximately 8–9 kya) migration and differentiation. Here, we generated whole-genome sequences from 77 native sheep, with an average effective sequencing depth of ∼5× for 75 samples and ∼42× for 2 samples. Comparative genomic analyses among sheep in contrasting environments, that is, plateau (>4,000 m above sea level) versus lowland (1500 m) versus low-altitude region (600 mm), and arid zone (400 mm), detected a novel set of candidate genes as well as pathways and GO categories that are putatively associated with hypoxia responses at high altitudes and water reabsorption in arid environments. In addition, candidate genes and GO terms functionally related to energy metabolism and body size variations were identified. This study offers novel insights into rapid genomic adaptations to extreme environments in sheep and other animals, and provides a valuable resource for future research on livestock breeding in response to climate change.

Hog deer (Axis porcinus) is a small deer species in family Cervidae and has been undergoing a serious and global decline during the past decades. Chengdu Zoo currently holds a captive population of hog deer with sufficient genetic diversity in China. We sequenced and de novo assembled its genome sequence in the present study. A total of six different insert-size libraries were sequenced and generated 395 Gb of clean data in total. With aid of the linked reads of 10X Genomics, genome sequence was assembled to 2.72 Gb in length (contig N50, 66.04 Kb; scaffold N50, 20.55 Mb), in which 94.5% of expected genes were detected. We comprehensively annotated 22,473 protein-coding genes, 37,019 tRNAs, and 1,058 Mb repeated sequences. The newly generated reference genome is expected to significantly contribute to comparative analysis of genome biology and evolution within family Cervidae. Machine-accessible metadata file describing the reported data (ISA-Tab format)

99 Background: Conversion therapy for unresectable colorectal liver metastases (LM) can downsize tumours and create a situation where the patient has no evidence of disease (NED). We assessed the effectiveness of cetuximab plus mFOLFOXIRI or mFOLFOXIRI in this setting. Methods: FOCULM was a prospective 2:1 controlled, multicenter, phase II trial. Given no free drugs offered and the patients' affordability for cetuximab, the study design has been amended from randomization to non-randomization since September, 2016. Patients with unresectable LM were assigned to receive cetuximab (500mg/m2) plus mFOLFOXIRI (oxaliplatin 85 mg/m2, irinotecan 165 mg/m2, folinic acid 400 mg/m2, 5-fluorouracil 2800mg/m2 46h infusion, every 2 weeks) (group A) or mFOLFOXIRI (group B). Primary endpoint was the rate of NED achieved, secondary endpoints were ORR, resection rate, the rate of local and ablative treatment (LAT), OS, PFS and DpR. Results: From February 2014 to July 2019, 114 patients were enrolled at 6 centers in China and 101 patients were in the ITT population (67 group A, 34 group B). Treatment groups were generally well balanced, although more patients with ≥5 LM were in group A. The rate of NED achieved was 62.7% in group A and 38.2% in group B (P = 0.020). At a median follow-up of 19.4 months, patients in group A had significantly prolonged the mOS, increased ORR, the rate of LAT and DpR compared with those in group B (Table). Patients with NED achieved yielded a significant survival benefit, whether in group A (Not reached vs. 49.4 months; P = 0.001) or group B (Not reached vs. 25.1 months; P = 0.007). Conclusions: The addition of cetuximab to a mFOLFOXIRI in patients with RAS/BRAF wild-type unresectable LM colorectal cancer significantly improved the rate of NED achieved, ORR and OS. Clinical trial information: NCT02063529. [Table: see text]

We report a turn-on tetravalent sialic acid-coated tetraphenylethene luminogen (TPE4S) with excellent hydrophilicity, good stability, high sensitivity and unique selectivity towards sialidases, and the maximum fluorescence enhancement was ∼40 fold. More importantly, TPE4S was successfully utilized for the screening of sialidase inhibitors and diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis.

Although observational studies have assessed the relationship between parity and thyroid cancer risk, the findings are inconsistent. To quantitatively assess the association, we conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis. PubMed and Embase were searched up to January 2015. Prospective or case–control studies that evaluated the association between parity and thyroid cancer risk were included. We used the fixed‐effects model to pool risk estimates. After literature search, 10 prospective studies, 12 case‐control studies and 1 pooled analysis of 14 case‐control studies including 8860 patients were identified. The studies had fair methodological quality. Pooled analysis suggested that there was a significant association between parity and risk of thyroid cancer (RR for parous versus nulliparous: 1.09, 95% CI 1.03‐1.15; I2=33.4%). The positive association persisted in almost all strata of subgroup analyses based on study design, location, study quality, type of controls, and confounder adjustment, although in some strata statistical significance was not detected. By evaluating the number of parity, we identified that both parity number of 2 versus nulliparous and parity number of 3 versus nulliparous demonstrated significant positive associations (RR=1.11, 95% CI 1.01‐1.22; I2=31.1% and RR=1.16, 95% CI 1.01‐1.33; I2=19.6% respectively). The dose‐response analysis suggested neither a non‐linear nor linear relationship between the number of parity and thyroid cancer risk. In conclusion, this meta‐analysis suggests a potential association between parity and risk of thyroid cancer in females. However, the lack of detection of a dose‐response relationship suggests that further studies are needed to better understand the relationship.

To prospectively investigate the usefulness of acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Consecutive patients with CHB scheduled for liver biopsy or partial liver resection underwent standardized ASQ examinations. The ASQ parameter, named focal disturbance (FD) ratio, were compared with METAVIR scores. The analysis was based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multiple regression analysis. A total of 114 patients were enrolled in the final analysis. The area under the ROC curve for the FD ratio was 0.84 for significant fibrosis (≥ F2), 0.86 for severe fibrosis (≥ F3), and 0.83 for cirrhosis (= F4). The optimal cutoff values for the FD ratio were 0.25, 0.30 and 0.50 for fibrosis stages ≥ F2, ≥ F3 and = F4, respectively. The prevalence of a difference of at least two stages between the FD ratio and the histological stage was 12.3 % (14 of 114). The fibrosis stage (P

The goal of our study was to evaluate the differences between quantitative parameters of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with or without portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Twenty-four patients with HCC with PVTT and 48 without PVTT underwent CEUS using sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles. Dynamic images were analyzed with quantification software. Time-intensity curves were obtained for HCC and surrounding liver parenchyma, and parameters including the intensity maximum (IMAX), rising time (RT), mean transit time and time to peak (TTP) were compared within and between the PVTT and control groups, respectively. RT and TTP of HCC were significantly faster than those of surrounding liver parenchyma in both the PVTT and control groups. IMAX of HCC was significantly stronger than that of surrounding liver in the control group, but not significantly different from that of liver parenchyma in the PVTT group. RT and TTP of HCC and surrounding liver were significantly faster in the PVTT group compared with the control group, whereas IMAX values of HCC in the PVTT group were lower than those in the control group. HCC with PVTT presents different hemodynamic parameters, with faster RT and TTP and lower IMAX than those for HCC without PVTT. Quantitative perfusion analysis of CEUS may be a potential method for predicting PVTT.

Using UDEC discrete element numerical simulation software and a cosine wave as vibration source, the whole process of rockburst failure and the propagation and attenuation characteristics of shock wave in coal-rock medium were investigated in detail based on the geological and mining conditions of 1111(1) working face at Zhuji coal mine. Simultaneously, by changing the thickness and strength of immediate roof overlying the mining coal seam, the whole process of rockburst failure of roadway and the attenuation properties of shock wave were understood clearly. The presented conclusions can provide some important references to prevent and control rockburst hazards triggered by shock wave interferences in deep coal mines.

Based on a preactivation strategy using the (p-Tol)2SO/Tf2O system, a series of nucleosides were synthesized by coupling various thioglycosides with pyrimidines and purines under mild conditions. High yields and excellent β-stereoselectivities were obtained with either armed or disarmed N-glycosylation donors by tuning the amount of (p-Tol)2SO additive.

During the past decades, the interaction between boronic acids-functionalized sensors and saccharides is of great interest in the frontier domain of the interdiscipline concerning both biology and chemistry. Various boronic acid-based sensing systems have been developed to detect saccharides and corresponding derivatives in vitro as well as in vivo, which embrace unimolecular sensors, two-component sensing ensembles, functional assemblies, and boronic acid-loaded nanomaterials or surfaces. New sensing strategies emerge in endlessly with excellent selectivity and sensitivity. In this review, several typical sensing systems were introduced and some promising examples were highlighted to enable the deep insight of saccharides sensing on the basis of boronic acids.

The aim of this study was to summarize the imaging features of chronic radiation proctitis (CRP) on endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) and investigate the value of ERUS in the evaluation of disease activity. 40 CRP patients and 30 control patients were investigated by ERUS. Rectal wall thickness and layers, ulcers and rectovaginal fistulas were evaluated by B-mode ultrasound. Power Doppler imaging was used to evaluate the vascularity of the rectal wall using a semiquantitative score. Disease activity was calculated according to the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 4.0 (CTCAE 4.0). Imaging findings for patients with mild and severe CRP were compared. For 30 patients in the control group, the average maximum thickness of the rectal wall was 3.07 ± 0.73 mm, with all exhibiting typical wall stratification and level 0 vascularity. For the 40 CRP patients, there was marked thickening of the rectal wall (average thickness = 9.42 ± 1.94 mm), which was significantly thicker than in the control group (p 0.05). The rectal walls of the mild group were significantly thinner than those of the severe group (8.71 ± 1.67 mm vs. 10.00 ± 2.00 mm, p 0.05). Among the 22 severe cases, 19 cases (19/22, 86.4%) exhibited hyper-vascularity (level IV) or blurred wall stratification (including hypo-echoic submucosa, ulcer and fistula); 12 of the 18 mild cases (166.7%) exhibited a vascularity of level III and typical wall stratification. A significant association (p 0.05) was observed between stratification and vascularity of the rectal wall and CRP activity. When ERUS findings of blurred rectal wall stratification or increasing vascularity (level IV) were used to evaluate CRP activity, the sensitivity was 86.4% (95% confidence interval: 64.0-96.4) and the specificity was 66.7% (95% confidence interval: 41.2-85.6). Thickening of the rectal wall, blurred wall stratification and increased vascularity are characteristic ERUS findings of CRP. ERUS is helpful in the comprehensive evaluation of disease activity and may provide objective evidence during treatment planning and follow-up.

To compare the performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using high-frequency linear and convex probes in the detection of small colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs). A total of 85 patients with 143 small CRLMs were evaluated. High-frequency ultrasound (US) and CEUS detected significantly more superficial lesions within 60 mm below the skin than a convex probe (p

It has a significant and practical meaning for warning precisely gas outburst to reveal microseismic (MS) and acoustic emission (AE) effect of gas outburst precursor. It was thoroughly investigated and discussed on MS and AE effect on an abnormal gas outburst triggered by a strong rockburst using MS- and AE-monitoring systems through spectral analysis technique. We obtained main conclusions are as: (1) MS amplitude prominently decreased prior to outburst, the spectrum significantly moved from extremely low-frequency to high-frequency band, and evolved from “single-peak type” (the center frequency was about 1.5–3.5 Hz) to “multi-peak type” (the peak frequencies were about 25, 50, 75 and 125 Hz, respectively). (2) During the initiative stage of outburst, MS spectrum manifested the broadband distribution, and the predominant frequency was about 20–35 Hz. The high-frequency portion was generated by micro-cracks, and the low-frequency part attributed to macro-fracture for gas outburst channel. (3) The rockburst stimulated micro-fissures formation for gas emission channels, and maintained the event count of MS and AE signals in a relatively higher level, which is a major discrepancy to the common belief that both the total energy and event count should simultaneously and suddenly reduce to the lowest value in a non-outburst coal seam.

Objective To investigate the imaging features of focal splenic lesions (FSLs) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Methods Thirty two patients with FSLs proved by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. CEUS was performed using intravenous bolus injection of 2.4 ml sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble contrast agent and real time scanning. There were hemangioma (n = 7), lymphoma (n = 8), true cyst (n = 3), infarction (n = 4), hematolymphangioma (n = 2), metastasis tumor (n = 2), and one for each of the following entities extramedullary hemopoiesis, hamartoma, tuberculosis, Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis, inflammatory pseudotumor and myxofibrosarcoma. Results Among 21 benign lesions, 4 infarctions and 3 cysts presented non-enhancement throughout CEUS scanning, and the other 14 lesions displayed various enhancement levels with 6 (42.9%) hyper-enhancement, 2 (14.3%) iso-enhancement and 6 (42.9%) hypo-enhancement in arterial phase and 11 (78.6%) hypo-enhancement, 1 (7.1%) iso-enhancement and 2 (14.3%) hyper-enhancement in late phase, respectively. The enhancement pattern included 9 (64.3%) homogeneous, 4 (28.6%) heterogeneous and 1 (7.1%) rim-like enhancement. As for the malignant FSLs, all the lesions became completely or extensively hypo-enhancement during the late phase no matter their vascularity during arterial phase. Conclusions The CEUS features reported in this series may enrich the knowledge for CEUS characterization of FSLs.