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Background Existing guidelines recommend a triple immunosuppressive regimen with calcineurin inhibitors, antimetabolites, and corticosteroids for postoperative immunosuppression in renal transplant patients. However, few studies have compared cyclosporine and tacrolimus for long-term outcomes. In this study, the meta-analysis was used to compare long-term outcomes in renal transplant patients to evaluate the use of cyclosporine vs. tacrolimus. The pros and cons of suppression programs have been analyzed. Methods Cyclosporine, tacrolimus, and kidney transplantation, were used as search terms to retrieve relevant publications in PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane library. Two independent researchers screened and evaluated the relevant results of each search using the RevMan5.4 program to make relevant charts for the meta-analysis. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to report dichotomous variables, while mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to report continuous variables. The study took tacrolimus- and cyclosporine-based maintenance immunosuppression as experimental and control groups, respectively. The graft and patient survival outcomes were followed for 5 or more years. Results Overall, thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis, including nine randomized controlled trials and four non-randomized controlled trials. Compared with the cyclosporine group, the incidence of rejection, drug conversion, and dyslipidemia were significantly lower in the tacrolimus group. Furthermore, there was higher glomerular filtration rates and graft survival rates in the tacrolimus group than in the cyclosporine group. In contrast, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of patient survival, incidence of infection, hypertension and new tumors. However, the use of tacrolimus was associated with a high risk of a new onset of diabetes. Conclusion The meta-analysis showed that, compared with cyclosporine, tacrolimus increases the risk of a new-onset diabetes. However, tacrolimus had higher graft survival rate and better creatinine clearance than cyclosporine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel and disposable compliance pump was suggested and fabricated for supplying blood into a microfluidic channel. • Correction factor (β) was adopted for improving accuracy of fluid velocity obtained by micro-PIV technique. • A discrete fluidic circuit model was developed for obtaining flow rate and pressure in a microfluidic channel. • Four kinds of fluid property (i.e., fluidic resistance, viscosity, time constant, and compliance) was obtained by analyzing flow rate and pressure. • The proposed method was employed successfully to detect biophysical change in suspended blood. Blood viscosity is considered a promising indicator of cardiovascular disease and helps predict disease risks. However, conventional methods require two highly precise pumps to maintain consistent flow rates in co-flowing streams. In this study, a low-cost and disposable compliance pump was fabricated by inserting three components (a syringe needle, a blood-loaded syringe, and an air compliance unit [ACU]) into a three-way valve. Since the pump induces transient blood flow, accurately obtaining the transient flow rate is necessary. A correction factor was employed to improve the blood velocity obtained by microparticle image velocimetry. Air pressure inside the ACU was estimated using the ideal gas law. A discrete fluid circuit model was constructed to estimate the flow rate and pressure in a microfluidic channel. Four types of fluid physical properties (fluid resistance, fluid viscosity, time constant, and compliance coefficient) were obtained by analysing flow rate and pressure. The proposed method was employed to detect several types of suspended blood (variations in haematocrit, thermal-shocked RBCs, and RBC aggregation-enhanced blood). From the quantitative comparison, the proposed method provides better results than the previous method. Therefore, the proposed method is a promising tool for detecting biophysical variations in suspended blood. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiation detection performance of CZT epitaxial single crystal grown by the Close Space Sublimation (CSS) method is hindered by inherent defects. However, significant improvement in this work is achieved through annealing in a Te 2 atmosphere. The saturation channel value of the total energy peak of the detector for 241Am α-particles has shown a substantial increase from 1900 to 6000, resulting in a notable enhancement of the carrier collection efficiency. After annealing, the detector's energy resolution to 241Am gamma-rays can reach 8.3%, representing the highest energy resolution achieved by CSS growth of CZT materials. This remarkable achievement holds great promise for its potential application in the field of low-energy detection. Analysis of the laser-beam-induced current (LBIC) curve results reveals that the surface recombination of the detector is more pronounced prior to annealing, adversely affecting the transport process of photogenerated carriers. The low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) results and I–V curve demonstrate a significant compensation effect on the shallow acceptor level V Cd after annealing, leading to a reduced concentration of free carriers and subsequently leading to lower leakage current and improved signal-to-noise ratio for the detector. The concurrent reduction in leakage current and surface recombination contributes collectively to improving the radiation detection performance of the CZT detector. These findings underscore the importance of annealing in a Te 2 atmosphere as a viable method for mitigating defects and optimizing the performance of CZT epitaxial single crystals, showcasing the potential for broader applications in the field of low-energy detection. • The leakage current is reduced from 1.3 nA to 0.59 nA under the applied bias voltage of 0.5 V, which makes the detector obtain a good signal-to-noise ratio. • The surface recombination rate decreased from 13.78 × 106 cm s−1 to 3.82 × 105 cm s−1, significantly improving the carrier collection efficiency. • The energy resolution to 241Am@59.5 KeV gamma-rays of the detector reached 8.3% for the first time, which is expected to be applied in the field of low energy detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the practical application of CdZnTe photon counting detectors, severe detector counting distortion can be caused by pulse pileup. A count rate correction method in this paper is proposed to solve this problem. In this method, the case where multi-photons are recorded by higher energy regions due to pulse pileup crossing the energy threshold is considered to calculate the true count rates under all energy bins. A verification method based on Poisson distribution is also proposed to evaluate the accuracy of the correction method. A 16-pixel linear array CdZnTe photon counting detector was used for verification. Taking the dual-energy bin as an example, this method was introduced, and the true count rates of the high- and low-energy bins are successfully calculated. The result was highly consistent with the verification result, which proves the reliability of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal fire sponges (CFSs) are a type of sponge-like contaminated soil bulge common in coal fire areas. However, the impacts of CFSs on the local environment are not yet understood. Thus, this study investigated soil samples from CFSs in the Wuda coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China, focusing on the acidity, sulfate, and fluorine content. The results showed that the CFSs were highly acidic, with an average pH of 0.76, and contained high levels of SO 4 2− (257.29 × 103 μg/g), total fluorine (TF, 2011.6 μg/g), and water-soluble fluorine (WF, 118.94 μg/g), significantly exceeding those in the regional background soil and indicating that CFSs are a point source of heavy pollution. Soils in the 8000 m2 reclamation zone showed elevated acidity and high SO 4 2− (129.6 × 103 μg/g), TF (1237.8 μg/g), and WF (43.05 μg/g) levels, which was likely the result of the weathering and dissemination of CFS. The CFS samples were rich in hydrogen fluoride, releasing 202.05 ppb of it when heated to 40 °C. Correlation analysis indicated that the acid sulfate soils in CFSs are likely caused by HSO 4 −/SO 4 2−. Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry detected four characteristic ions (F−, H 3 O+, H 2 SO 4 +, and HSO 4 −) in all micro-domains of each sample, indicating that ionic fluorine compounds and sulfuric acid hydrate were found in the CFS samples. Sulfate minerals detected in CFSs included CaSO 4 , Fe 2 (SO 4) 3 , CdSO 4 , NH 4 HSO 4 , and Na 2 SO 4. Thus, the results identified CFSs as a transmission channel for contamination, with erosional surface soils as the carrier, for the first time. CFSs pose a serious threat of contamination, albeit over limited areas. [Display omitted] • Coal fire sponges (CFSs) are found globally in soft soil above burning coal seams. • Samples compared CFSs with the local coalfield area and two reference sites. • High acidity, sulfate, and fluorine levels were detected in all CFS samples. • CFSs were confirmed as a source of environmental contamination. • Contamination from air deposition is wider, but CFS intensity is higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-strength macroporous carbons with tunable pore sizes were fabricated by the simple mixing–pressing–hardening–carbonization of phenolic resin microspheres as a matrix with acid-catalyzed furfuryl alcohol as a binder. Pore-size tuning with the open cell structures was possible by changing the diameters of the phenolic microspheres in the range of 8–100 μm. After pressing the mixture of phenolic resin microspheres and binder, hardening at 170 °C for 5 h in air, and carbonizing at 1000 °C for 1 h in nitrogen flow, the macroporous carbon was formed. The mean pore sizes of the macroporous carbons were 1.8, 6.6, and 27.5 μm for 8-, 25-, and 100-μm-diameter phenolic microspheres, respectively, and the corresponding bulk densities were 1.01, 1.00, and 0.94 g/cm3. The compressive strengths of the fabricated macroporous carbon samples were 106.8, 83.5, and 43.6 MPa for the 8-, 25-, and 100-μm-diameter phenolic microspheres, respectively, which were notably higher than those of typical carbon foams. The simple fabrication process with easily tunable pore size, which yields macroporous carbons with remarkably high mechanical strength, has potential for large-scale production and many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GGC repeat expansion in the 5′-untranslated region of NOTCH2NLC was recently identified as the cause of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID). To determine if the NIID repeat expansion contributes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), we screened 304 unrelated ALS patients and 637 healthy controls for the GGC repeat expansion in NOTCH2NLC using repeat-primed PCR and fragment analysis. None of the ALS patients carried the GGC repeat expansion. The sizes of the GGC repeats ranged from 7 to 36 in the ALS patients and 4 to 46 in the controls. The distribution of the GGC repeat sizes did not differ between the two groups. Our findings indicate that the NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansion is absent or extremely rare in Taiwanese patients with ALS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many different types of polycations have been vigorously studied for nucleic acid delivery, but a systematical investigation of the structure–property relationships of polycations for nucleic acid delivery is still lacking. In this study, a new library of biodegradable and biocompatible arginine-based poly(ester amide) (Arg-PEA) biomaterials was designed and synthesized with a tunable structure for such a comprehensive structure–property research. Nanoparticle (NP) complexes were formed through the electrostatic interactions between the polycationic Arg-PEAs and anionic nucleic acids. The following structure effects of the Arg-PEAs on the transfection efficiency of nucleic acids were investigated: 1) the linker/spacer length (length effect and odd–even effect); 2) salt type of arginine; 3) the side chain; 4) chain stiffness; 5) molecular weight (MW). The data obtained revealed that a slight change in the Arg-PEA structure could finely tune its physicochemical property such as hydrophobicity, and this could subsequently affect the nanoparticle size and zeta potential, which, in turn, regulate the transfection efficiency and silencing outcomes. A further study of the Arg-PEA/CpG oligodeoxynucleotide NP complexes indicated that the polymer structure could precisily regulate the immune response of CpG, thus providing a new potential nano-immunotherapy strategy. The in vitro data have further confirmed that the Arg-PEA NPs showed a satisfactory delivery performance for a variety of nucleic acids. Therefore, the data from the current study provide comprehensive information about the Arg-PEA structure–transfection property relationship; the tunable property of the library of Arg-PEA biomaterials can be one of the promising candidates for nucleic acid delivery and other biomedical applications. Statement of Significance Polycations have being intensive utilized for nucleic acid delivery. However, there has not been elucidated about the relationship between polycation’s structure and the physicochemical properties/biological function. In this timely report, an arginine based poly(ester amide) (Arg-PEA) library was prepared with finely tunable structure to systematically investigate the structure–property relationships of polycations for nucleic acid delivery. The results revealed that slight change of Arg-PEA structure could finely tune the physicochemical property (such as hydrophobicity), which subsequently affect the size and zeta potential of Arg-PEA/nucleic acid nanoparticles(NPs), and finally regulate the resulting transfection or silencing outcomes. Further study of Arg-PEA/CpG NPs indicated that the polymer structure could precisely regulate immuno response of CpG, providing new potential nano-immunotherapy strategy. In vitro evaluations confirmed that the NPs showed satisfied delivery performance for a variety types of nucleic acids. Therefore, these studies provide comprehensive information of Arg-PEA structure–property relationship, and the tunable properties of Arg-PEAs make them promising candidates for nucleic acid delivery and other biomedical applications. Overall, we have shown enough significance and novelty in terms of nucleic acid delivery, biomaterials, pharmaceutical science and nanomedicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zn 0.3 Mn 0.4 O 4 Nanospheres (ZnMnONs) were synthesized for the photocatalytic reduction of CO 2 to CH 4 . The average particle size was 70.1 nm and having composition of Zn, Mn and O are about 18.93, 21.30 and 59.77 wt% respectively. The catalysts were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), IR spectra and UV–vis spectrophotometer. Zn 0.3 Mn 0.4 O 4 is used for efficient photocatalytic CO 2 to methane which is an important component in a future sustainable post carbon energy system. It was reached to 2.65 μmol/g of CH 4 yield, and the photocatalyst presented a potential for reducing CO 2 emission. The recovered nanospheres sample from methane production is further used for phosphate adsorption for exploring its multifunction application. The maximum% adsorption observed at 200 mg of adsorbent concentration at 40 min of agitation time. The adsorption study follows the first order of kinetics, Langmuir isotherm graph deduced the q max value at 125 mg/g & Freundlich equilibrium isotherm also shows the linear plot. The essential features of the Langmuir isotherm can be expressed in terms of a dimensionless constant called separation factor. The value of R L indicates the shape of the isotherms to be either unfavorable (R L  > 1), linear (R L  = 1), favorable (0 < R L  < 1) or irreversible (R L  = 0). It was observed that the value of R L was in the range of 0–1 and finally the Thermodynamic parameter related to the adsorption process ΔG shows the value at −4587.24 J mol −1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major breakthrough in cystic fibrosis research in the past decade is the development of drugs that target the root cause of the disease — dysfunctional CFTR protein. One of the compounds, Ivacaftor or Kalydeco, which has been approved for clinical use since 2012, acts by promoting the gating function of CFTR. Our recent studies have led to a gating model that features energetic coupling between nucleotide-binding domain (NBD) dimerization and gate opening/closing in CFTR's transmembrane domains (TMDs). Based on this model, we showed that ATP analogs can enhance CFTR gating by facilitating NBD dimerization, whereas Ivacaftor works by stabilizing the open channel conformation of the TMDs. This latter idea also explains the near omnipotence of Ivacaftor. Furthermore, this model identifies multiple approaches to synergistically boost the open probability of CFTR by influencing distinct molecular events that control gating conformational changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of collagen I matrix, a novel and facile strategy was developed to modify porcine acellular dermal matrix (PADM) via dopamine self-polymerization followed by collagen immobilization to enhance the biological, mechanical and physicochemical properties of PADM. Mechanism study indicated that the polymerization of dopamine onto PADM surface could be regulated by controlling the amount of hydrogen bonds forming between phenol hydroxyl (C OH) and nitrogen atom (N C O) within collagen fibers of PADM. The investigations of surface interactions between PDA and PADM illustrated that PDA-PADM system yielded better mechanical properties, thermal stability, surface hydrophilicity and the structural integrity of PADM was maintained after dopamine coating. Furthermore, collagen (COL) was immobilized onto the fresh PDA-PADM to fabricate the collagen-PDA-PADM (COL-PDA-PADM) complexed scaffold. The MTT assay and CLSM observation showed that COL-PDA-PADM had better biocompatibility and higher cellular attachment than pure PADM and COL-PADM without dopamine coating, thus demonstrating the efficacy of PDA as the intermediate layer. Meanwhile, the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of COL-PDA-PADM were investigated by an in vivo study. The results revealed that COL-PDA-PADM could effectively promote bFGF and VEGF expression, possibly leading to enhancing the dura repairing process. Overall, this work contributed a new insight into the development of a semi-natural tissue engineering scaffold with high biocompatibility and good mechanical properties. Statement of Significance Obtaining scaffolds with high biocompatibility and good mechanical properties is still one of the most challenging issues in tissue engineering. To have excellent in vitro and in vivo performance, scaffolds are desired to have similar mechanical and biological properties as the natural extracellular matrix, such as collagen based matrix. Utilizing the surface self-crosslinking and coating strategy, we successfully obtained a novel semi-natural platform with excellent biological and mechanical properties from porcine acellular dermal matrix (PADM), polydopamine and collagen. The results confirmed that this scaffold platform has very excellent cellular performance and very little toxicity/side effects in vivo . Therefore, this semi-natural scaffold may be an appropriate platform for tissue engineering and this strategy would further help to develop more robust scaffolds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of NF-κB downstream of T cell receptor (TCR) engagement is a key signaling step required for normal lymphocyte function during the adaptive immune response. During TCR signaling, the adaptor protein Bcl10 is inducibly recruited to the CARD11 scaffold protein as part of a multicomponent complex that induces IκB kinase (IKK) activity and NF-κB activation. Here, we show that a consequence of this recruitment is the TCR-induced conjugation of Bcl10 with linear-linked polyubiquitin chains to generate the signaling intermediate Lin(Ub)n- Bcl10, which is required for the association of Bcl10 with the NEMO subunit of the IKK complex. The TCR-induced generation of Lin(Ub)n-Bcl10 requires Bcl10 lysines 17, 31, and 63, CARD11, MALT1, and the HOIP subunit of the linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) but not the HOIP accessory protein SHARPIN. CARD11 promotes signal-induced Lin(Ub)n-Bcl10 generation by co-recruiting Bcl10 with HOIP, thereby bringing substrate to enzyme. The CARD11-HOIP interaction is rendered TCR-inducible by the four autoinhibitory repressive elements in the CARD11 inhibitory domain and involves the CARD11 coiled-coil domain and two independent regions of HOIP. Interestingly, oncogenic CARD11 variants associated with diffuse large B cell lymphoma spontaneously induce Lin(Ub)n-Bcl10 production to extents that correlate with their abilities to activate NF-κB and with their enhanced abilities to bind HOIP and Bcl10. Our results define molecular determinants that control the production of Lin(Ub)n-Bcl10, an important signaling intermediate in TCR and oncogenic CARD11 signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated 98 Taiwanese patients with molecularly unassigned hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and found none of them had the NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansion, which is the cause of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID). Our findings suggest that the NOTCH2NLC GGC repeat expansion may not contribute to HSP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During X-ray scanning imaging, the X-ray dose received by CdZnTe photon counting detectors varies dynamically because of the different absorption coefficients that occur at different locations in the object being imaged. This paper explores the phenomenon of count rate relaxation in CdZnTe detectors during X-ray dose mutations and studies the intrinsic relationship of this phenomenon with the polarization effect. The characterization of the count rate relaxation processes of CdZnTe detectors at three typical X-ray doses are studied in detail. It is concluded that the count rate relaxation process of the CdZnTe detectors correspond to the polarization process, which can be divided into three stages according to the accumulation rate of space charges, and the relaxation time depends on the settling time of the polarizing electric field. In addition, the effects of temperature and bias voltage on the relaxation phenomenon of CdZnTe detectors are studied. The results show the relaxation process of the count rate can be regulated by adjusting the temperature and bias voltage of the CdZnTe detectors. Changes in temperature and bias mainly act on the trapping and de-trapping processes of deep-level traps, thereby affecting the establishment of the polarization electric field, which further proves the close relationship between the count rate relaxation phenomenon and the polarization effect. Finally, the effects of count rate relaxation on DR image quality are discussed based on self-built DR imaging system. • The relaxation phenomenon of the CdZnTe X-ray photon counting detector was proposed. • The dominant factors affecting the relaxation process at different X-ray doses was determined. • The relationship between polarization and relaxation of high-flux X-ray CdZnTe detectors was examined. • The effects of bias and temperature on the relaxation phenomenon were characterized. • The deterioration of the relaxation phenomenon on the quality of the image was shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Time-varying dynamic coefficients of journal bearing are estimated without the tachometers. • Instantaneous angular speed of the journal bearing-rotor system is extracted. • An iteration strategy based on the square-root cubature Kalman filter is formulated. Accurate estimation of time-varying dynamic coefficients (TVDCs) of the journal bearing is important for the dynamic characteristic analysis of rotating machinery. This paper proposes a novel estimation method to identify TVDCs of journal bearings without the tachometers. Firstly, a phase-based method is introduced to extract the instantaneous angular speed (IAS) from the shaft displacement. Secondly, an iteration strategy based on the square-root cubature Kalman filter (SRCKF) is developed to estimate the TVDCs in the time domain. The state-space model and the measured shaft displacements of the journal bearing-rotor system have been applied in the estimation process. The proposed method can estimate TVDCs of journal bearing under speed-variable conditions without a tachometer by combining the phase-based and SRCKF methods. Finally, the simulation and experiments studies are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. The results show that the proposed method can efficiently estimate TVDCs of the journal bearing under speed-variable conditions and at varied measurement noise levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily and its serum level is known to be closely associated with future cardiovascular events and prognosis of various cardiovascular diseases. We investigated whether serum TRAIL levels are associated with the severity of acute ischemic stroke and specific stroke subtype. Methods We used an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure the serum TRAIL levels of 293 patients with acute ischemic stroke within 7 days of onset. Stroke subtype was classified as large artery atherosclerosis, cardioembolism, small vessel occlusion and other determined etiology. We used National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of first hospital day and stroke volume on diffusion-weighted imaging within 7 days of stroke onset for measuring the severity of acute ischemic stroke. Results The level of serum TRAIL showed significant negative correlations with NIHSS score and stroke volume. Serum TRAIL levels significantly decreased as the tertile of NIHSS score and stroke volume increased. The relative risk of patients with serum TRAIL < 64.0 pg/mL for the presence of highest tertile of NIHSS score was significantly increased (adjusted OR [95%CI]; 7.07 [3.64–13.74]). Regarding stroke volume, the relative risk of patients with serum TRAIL < 71.5 pg/mL for the presence of highest tertile of stroke volume was also significantly increased (adjusted OR [95%CI]; 2.81 [1.61–4.92]). There are no significant differences of serum TRAIL level among stroke subtypes. Conclusions Low serum TRAIL levels were significantly associated with the acute ischemic stroke severity. This finding suggests that serum TRAIL might also have a role in acute ischemic stroke as well as other cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: Although interventional management is now regarded as essential in trauma care, the effect on clinical result remains uncertain. We conducted this retrospective study to figure out the role of interventional management in trauma care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of patients enrolled in the trauma database of our trauma center were reviewed for the period of January 2009 to December 2012. During this period, we have evaluated how many interventional procedures were conducted and the clinical effect of interventional procedure on trauma care. RESULTS: Based on our institutional trauma database, medical records of 2017 patients were reviewed (male/female, 1475:542; mean age, 50.03 years). Their mean injury severity score was approximately 26.28. Among them, 111 patients have been treated with interventional procedure. The number of interventional procedures increased significantly over time, up to 15% (P < .005). During the same period, the overall survival rate did not show significant change. The survival rate of the patients, who have been treated with interventional procedures for traumatic vascular injury, was higher than possibility of survival from trauma injury severity score (86.4% vs 65.59%). CONCLUSION: The need for interventional procedure in trauma care is increasing. Although interventional procedure could not affect the overall survival rate in trauma care, it can improve survival rate remarkably in patients with traumatic vascular injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The plasma-silane coupling agent synergistically modified the hollow glass microsphere (HGM) process, blended with epoxy resin (EP), to prepare an acoustic matching layer suitable for the gas ultrasonic transducers. In comparison to the traditional NaOH solution stirring co-hydroxylation process, the plasma treatment method can rapidly activate the surface activity of HGM, leading to the generation of a large number of hydroxyl groups on the HGM surface. This process eliminates the need for mechanical stirring and cleaning steps, thus reducing the damage degree of HGM and the loss degree of surface hydroxyl groups. The results indicate that the amination modification effect of HGM treated with plasma is more pronounced, and the HGM/EP composite material exhibits better compatibility and density. The assembled ultrasonic transducer exhibits a sensitivity of up to 1.58 V, showing an improvement of nearly 61.2 % compared to the reference ultrasonic transducer with a sensitivity of 0.98 V. Furthermore, the calibrated testing of the gas ultrasonic flowmeter using the improved ultrasonic transducer demonstrates a percentage error absolute value below 0.7 % and a measurement result standard deviation below 0.15 %, demonstrating better measurement accuracy and consistency. This study aims to provide a new feasible process for improving the performance of gas ultrasonic transducers and ultrasonic flowmeters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient, oxidant and photocatalyst-free approach for the synthesis of polycyclic-fused isoindolinone derivatives is reported via annulation of 3,4-diphenyl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones along with release of the hydrogen gas under an argon atmosphere in EtOH by irradiation with a 500 W mercury lamp at room temperature. The described approach is atom-economic and environmentally friendly and tolerates various electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups. In addition, selected annulation products, dibenzo[ e,g ]isoindole-1-ones, were successfully oxidized into dibenzo[ e , g ]isoindole-1,3(2 H)- diones in DMSO in the presence of CH 3 ONa at room temperature. Dibenzo[ e,g ]isoindol-1-ones derivatives were obtained via annulation of 3,4-diphenyl-3-pyrrolin-2-ones along with release of the hydrogen gas in EtOH by irradiation with a 500 W mercury lamp at room temperature. [Display omitted] • Photo-induced direct hydrogen evolution and annulation for the synthesis of dibenzo[ e,g ]isoindole-1-one derivatives. • Mild reaction conditions, good functional group tolerance, oxidant and photocatalyst-free. • The annulation products could further oxidized into dibenzo[ e , g ]isoindole-1,3(2 H)-diones in moderate yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare therapeutic outcomes of radiofrequency (RF) ablation combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization vs surgical resection (SR) for single 2-3 cm hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).Materials and Methods: Seventy patients underwent combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy and 84 underwent SR. Local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic distant recurrence (IDR), disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates, as well as major complications and duration of hospital stay, were compared between groups before and after propensity-score matching.Results: LTP and IDR had developed in 9 (12.9%) and 24 (34.3%) patients in the combined treatment group and in 7 (8.3%) and 24 (28.6%) patients in the SR group (P = .262 and P = .252, respectively). The 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year DFS rates were similar between groups (82.6%, 53.2%, 53.2%, and 37.6%, respectively, vs 84.5%, 63.6%, 59.2%, and 52.1%, respectively; P = .278), and 1-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year OS rates were also comparable (94.2%, 81.2%, 74.1%, and 59.4%, respectively, vs 95.2%, 86.3%, 84.0%, and 80.3%, respectively; P = .081). After matching (n = 98), LTP, IDR, DFS, and OS rates were still similar (P = .725, P = .826, P = .484, and P = .578, respectively). Major complication rate was not significantly different (2.9% vs. 6.0%; P = .596); however, after matching, major complication rate was higher in SR group (2.0% vs. 6.1%; P < .001). Hospital stays were significantly longer in the SR group (16.6 ± 6.7 d vs 8.5 ± 4.1 d; P < .001).Conclusions: Before and after matching, there were no significant differences in long-term therapeutic outcomes between combined chemoembolization/RF ablation and SR groups. Therefore, combined chemoembolization/RF ablation therapy may be an alternative treatment for single 2-3 cm HCCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reactive multi-component and multi-phase epoxy asphalt cementitious materials are reviewed. • Structure-performances relationship and performances forming processes of epoxy asphalt binders are discussed. • Chemo-rheological and thermo-rheological characterizations of epoxy asphalt binders are reviewed. • Formulation and microstructure control principles of epoxy asphalt binders are presented. • Future outlooks of epoxy asphalt binders are highlighted. Epoxy asphalt cementitious material is a reactive multi-component and multi-phase chemically-modified binder. It bonds the aggregates together by utilizing polyaddition and homopolymerization reactions between epoxy resins and their curing agents, obtaining epoxy asphalt concrete with excellent service performances, which has been universally used in the construction of the demands-rigorous orthotropic steel deck bridges. In this review, the formation of microstructure networks was presented to help designing the formulation and forecasting their final thermo-rheological properties. And the control principle of gel point of epoxies curing reactions that dominates the epoxy asphalt binder recipes were considered, followed by a discussion on their curing agents' formulating methods and their curing mechanism. Then, the chemo-rheological, mechanical, and thermo-rheological properties before and after the curing of epoxy asphalt binders were thoroughly examined as a scientific guidance for the application process of epoxy asphalt binders, respectively. And finally, potential future research fields are highlighted. This review attempts to understand the epoxy asphalt binders from the viewpoint of formulation and their rheology, aiming to support the further development and application of epoxy asphalt in academic research and industry practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]