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Purpose: One of the main reasons for prostate cancer (PCa) recurrence is the difficulty in identifying and removing cancerous lesions during surgery. Accurately localizing and excising cancerous tissue remains a significant challenge. The second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) fluorescence offers enhanced resolution, a high signal-to-noise ratio, and the potential for deeper tissue penetration. However, this technology is not currently employed for intraoperative imaging of PCa. This study aims to construct a new NIR-II probe targeting B7-H3 (AbB7−H3-800CW) for accurate intraoperative identification and resection of PCa. Methods: Based on the differential expression of B7-H3 in PCa, we designed a novel imaging probe to accurately identify and guide the resection of preclinical PCa models and ex vivo human PCa tissues using NIR-II fluorescence imaging technology. Results: Analyzing tissue samples from 60 clinical cases of PCa, along with benign prostatic hyperplasia and normal prostate tissue from 22 cases, we observed a significant difference in B7-H3 protein expression levels (P < 0.001). Subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse models of PCa were imaged using NIR-II fluorescence after AbB7−H3-800CW injection, showing promising results with successful tumor targeting and high-contrast images achieved within 24–48 h post-injection. The imaging also enabled the detection of occult PCa lesions approximately 1 mm in diameter. In addition, imaging analysis of human PCa and adjacent tissues using AbB7−H3-800CW incubation revealed that cancer tissues exhibited a significantly higher fluorescence intensity than adjacent tissues (P < 0.05), which was conducive to the evaluation of tumor resection margin in vitro. Conclusion: The findings revealed that B7-H3 was a compelling imaging target for PCa. The AbB7−H3-800CW molecular imaging probe is capable of accurately identifying PCa lesions and guiding their removal. This approach can potentially reduce the rate of surgical margins under NIR-II fluorescence guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal trophoblast self-renewal and differentiation during early gestation is the major cause of miscarriage, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we show that trophoblast specific deletion of Kat8, a MYST family histone acetyltransferase, leads to extraembryonic ectoderm abnormalities and embryonic lethality. Employing RNA-seq and CUT&Tag analyses on trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), we further discover that KAT8 regulates the transcriptional activation of the trophoblast stemness marker, CDX2, via acetylating H4K16. Remarkably, CDX2 overexpression partially rescues the defects arising from Kat8 knockout. Moreover, increasing H4K16ac via using deacetylase SIRT1 inhibitor, EX527, restores CDX2 levels and promoted placental development. Clinical analysis shows reduced KAT8, CDX2 and H4K16ac expression are associated with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Trophoblast organoids derived from these patients exhibit impaired TSC self-renewal and growth, which are significantly ameliorated with EX527 treatment. These findings suggest the therapeutic potential of targeting the KAT8-H4K16ac-CDX2 axis for mitigating RPL, shedding light on early gestational abnormalities. Embryo implantation failure is a leading cause of miscarriage, though the mechanisms underlying trophoblast defects are not well understood. Here they show that the histone acetyltransferase KAT8 is essential for proper activation of the trophoblast stemness gene CDX2, and that placental development can be partially rescued by inhibiting histone deacetylase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We compare the application of intravenous indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging in lung cancer with near-infrared-I (NIR-I) and near-infrared-II (NIR-II) windows. Methods: From March to December 2022, we enrolled patients who received an intravenous injection of ICG (5 mg/kg) 1 day before the planned lung cancer surgery. The lung cancer nodules were imaged by NIR-I/II fluorescence imaging systems, and the tumor-to-normal-tissue ratio (TNR) was calculated. In addition, the fluorescence intensity and signal-to-background ratio (SBR) of capillary glass tubes containing ICG covered with different thicknesses of lung tissue were measured by NIR-I/II fluorescence imaging systems. Results: In this study, 102 patients were enrolled, and the mean age was 59.9 ± 9.2 years. A total of 96 (94.1%) and 98 (96.1%) lung nodules were successfully imaged with NIR-I and NIR-II fluorescence, and the TNR of NIR-II was significantly higher than that of NIR-I (3.9 ± 1.3 versus 2.4 ± 0.6, P < 0.001). In multiple linear regression, solid nodules (P < 0.001) and squamous cell carcinoma (P < 0.001) were independent predictors of a higher TNR of NIR-I/II. When capillary glass tubes were covered with lung tissue whose thickness was more than 2 mm, the fluorescence intensity and the SBR of NIR-II were significantly higher than those of NIR-I. Conclusions: We verified the feasibility of NIR-II fluorescence imaging in intravenous ICG lung cancer imaging for the first time. NIR-II fluorescence can improve the TNR and penetration depth of lung cancer with promising clinical prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of laser pulse was tested for controlled ablation of the copper alloy (CuCrZr) and nanometer-thick impurity layer on the rear surface of a glass window. The target surface was moved across the focus point (FP) to vary the distance from the FP within the depth-of-focus (DOF) of the focusing lens. An Nd:YAG laser was used at its fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm in this experiment. The controlled ablation was performed to remove the impurity from the rear surface of a glass window that was taken from the H-port of the EAST tokamak. The morphology of the laser-produced craters was measured using the 3D laser scanning confocal microscope and scanning electron microscope. The depth and diameter of the craters varied according to the laser energy which focused on the unit area. The spectral intensity increases as the distance from the FP decreases. The threshold fluence values for ablation, ignition of the plasma, and spectral emission were investigated. The laser pulse energy focused before and after the FP resulted in different ablation behaviors, crater morphologies, and spectral intensity. The precise removal of impurities from the rear surface was performed at − 2 mm from the FP. The laser ablation with variable fluence can further improve the selective ablation of impurity deposition to investigate the surface of the plasma-facing components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the influence of different heavy metal concentration conditions on the remediation of Pb and Cd in paddy soil by MFCs (microbial fuel cells) device, and compare the concentrations of Pb and Cd that are most suitable for its operation and remediation, three different heavy metal concentrations were set under the condition of 100 Ω external resistance, which were group C1 (Pb 500 mg/kg, Cd 0.5 mg/kg), group C2 (Pb 1000 mg/kg, Cd 1 mg/kg), and group C3 (Pb 2000 mg/kg, Cd 2 mg/kg). The results showed that the maximum power density of MFCs in each group was 6.37 mW/m2 in group C1, 20.35 mW/m2 in group C2, and 7.49 mW/m2 in group C3, respectively. Under the condition of Pb concentration of 500 mg/kg, the remediation efficiency of Pb in soil is the highest, which is 13.58%; under the condition of Pb concentration of 1000 mg/kg, the total remediation efficiency of Pb in soil is the highest, which is 128.80 mg/kg. Under the condition of Cd concentration of 0.5 mg/kg, the repair efficiency of Cd in soil was the highest (47.52%), and the total repair amount was also the highest (0.353 mg/kg). According to the analysis of bacterial population structure, the relative abundances of Blastocatellia, Rhizobiales, and Blastocatellaceae were significantly increased in C2 group, which had the best electrical production and the highest total amount of heavy metal repair. In addition, three electrogenic bacteria in the anode chamber, including Acinetobacter oleophilus WYB1, Microbacterium levosaccharides WYB2, and Acidophaga delft WYB3, have been isolated and identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hopfield neural networks are favored by academia and industrial fields due to their abundant dynamics. In this paper, the dynamical behavior of a small Hopfield neural network (HNN) simultaneously stimulated by electromagnetic radiation and multi-level-logic pulse is investigated. Firstly, a modified HNN with three neurons is presented by selecting appropriate synapse weight coefficients. And the system model of the HNN under electromagnetic radiation and an electrical pulse is constructed. Then its equilibrium stabilities and nonlinear dynamical phenomena are analyzed by using numerical analysis methods including phase portraits, Lyapunov exponents, and bifurcation diagrams. The research results show that the neural network affected by electromagnetic radiation and a multi-level-logic pulse signal can generate chaotic multi-scroll attractors, which has not been observed in the previous investigation for the Hopfield-type neural networks. In addition, the number of the scroll can be easily changed by adjusting the electrical pulse signal. Circuit simulations based on the designed neural network circuit are carried out to confirm the numerical simulations. Finally, an HNN-based image encryption scheme is designed from the perspective of engineering applications. Performance evaluations demonstrate that the proposed image cryptosystem has good security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemicellulose, which is an abundant polysaccharide, has the potential to be an alternative for petroleum-based emulsifiers. In this study, dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA) modified glucuronoxylans (DDSA-GLX) with high degree of substitution (DS) were synthesized through homogeneous esterification. The emulsifying properties of DDSA-GLX were investigated. The influences of pH, DS, calcium and sodium ions, and solvent system on the emulsifying properties (droplet size, zeta potential, emulsifying activity, and emulsion stability) were evaluated. The results indicated that the DS hold positive impact on the emulsifying properties of DDSA-GLX. With the increasing of DS, DDSA-GLX emulsions showed smaller droplet size (~ 0.56 μm), lower zeta potential (− 27.6 mV), higher emulsifying activity (0.989), and better emulsion stability. In addition, DDSA-GLX showed better emulsifying properties at pH 6.5 and pH 8.5. Calcium and sodium ions had negative impacts on the emulsifying properties of DDSA-GLX. Furthermore, DDSA-GLX prepared in water showed better emulsifying properties than those of DDSA-GLX prepared in DMSO (DS = 0.044). To sum up, the DDSA-GLX with high DS (up to 0.328) presented satisfactory emulsifying properties and the potential to be an alternative for petroleum-based emulsifiers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells undergo transcriptional reprogramming to drive tumor progression and metastasis. Using cancer cell lines and patient-derived tumor organoids, we demonstrate that loss of the negative elongation factor (NELF) complex inhibits breast cancer development through downregulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness-associated genes. Quantitative multiplexed Rapid Immunoprecipitation Mass spectrometry of Endogenous proteins (qPLEX-RIME) further reveals a significant rewiring of NELF-E-associated chromatin partners as a function of EMT and a co-option of NELF-E with the key EMT transcription factor SLUG. Accordingly, loss of NELF-E leads to impaired SLUG binding on chromatin. Through integrative transcriptomic and genomic analyses, we identify the histone acetyltransferase, KAT2B, as a key functional target of NELF-E-SLUG. Genetic and pharmacological inactivation of KAT2B ameliorate the expression of EMT markers, phenocopying NELF ablation. Elevated expression of NELF-E and KAT2B is associated with poorer prognosis in breast cancer patients, highlighting the clinical relevance of our findings. Taken together, we uncover a crucial role of the NELF-E-SLUG-KAT2B epigenetic axis in breast cancer carcinogenesis. Transcriptional dysregulation contributes to tumor progression. Here the authors show that transcriptional complex NELF interacts with SLUG, and co-opts KAT2B, to promote the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness-associated genes in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: During lung cancer surgery, it is very important to define tumor boundaries and determine the surgical margin distance. In previous research, systemically application of fluorescent probes can help medical professionals determine the boundaries of tumors and find small tumors and metastases, thereby improving the accuracy of surgical resection. However, there are very few safe and effective probes that can be applied to clinical trials up to now, which limits the clinical application of fluorescence imaging. Here we developed a new technology that can quickly identify the tumor area in the resected lung tissue during the operation and distinguish the tumor boundary and metastatic lymph nodes. Experimental design: For animal studies, a PDX model of lung cancer was established. The tumors, lungs, and peritumoral muscle tissues of tumor-bearing mice were surgically removed and incubated with a probe targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) for 20 min, and then imaged by a closed-field near-infrared two-zone (NIR-II) fluorescence imaging system. For clinical samples, ten surgically removed lung tissues and 60 lymph nodes from 10 lung cancer patients undergoing radical resection were incubated with the targeting probe immediately after intraoperative resection and imaged to identify the tumor area and distinguish the tumor boundary and metastatic lymph nodes. The accuracy of fluorescence imaging was confirmed by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. Results: The ex vivo animal imaging experiments showed a fluorescence enhancement of tumor tissue. For clinical samples, our results showed that this new technology yielded more than 85.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity in identifying the tumor area in the resected lung tissue. The average fluorescence tumor-to-background ratio was 2.5 ± 1.3. Furthermore, we also used this technique to image metastatic lymph nodes intraoperatively and showed that metastatic lymph nodes have brighter fluorescence than normal lymph nodes, as the average fluorescence tumor-to-background signal ratio was 2.7 ± 1.1. Calculations on the results of the fluorescence signal in relation to the number of metastatic lymph nodes yielded values of 77.8% for sensitivity and 92.1% for specificity. We expect this new technology to be a useful diagnostic tool for rapid intraoperative pathological detection and margin determination. Conclusions: By using fluorescently labeled anti-human EGFR recombinant antibody scFv fragment to incubate freshly isolated tissues during surgery, the probes can quickly accumulate in lung cancer tissues, which can be used to quickly identify tumor areas in the resected lung tissues and distinguish tumor boundaries and find metastases in lymph nodes. This technology is expected to be used for rapid intraoperative pathological detection and margin determination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The surgery of glioblastoma (GBM) requires a maximal resection of the tumor when it is safe and feasible. The infiltrating growth property of the GBM makes it a challenge for neurosurgeons to identify the tumor tissue even with the assistance of the surgical microscope. This highlights the urgent requirement for imaging techniques that can differentiate tumor tissues during surgery in real time. Fluorescence image-guided surgery of GBM has been investigated using several non-specific fluorescent probes that emit light in the visible and the first near-infrared window (NIR-I, 700–900 nm), which limit the detection accuracy because of the non-specific targeting mechanism and spectral characteristics. Targeted NIR-II (1000–1700 nm) fluorescent probes for GBM are thus highly desired. The folate receptor (FR) has been reported to be upregulated in GBM, which renders it to be a promising target for specific tumor imaging. Methods: In this study, the folic acid (FA) that can target the FR was conjugated with the clinically approved indocyanine green (ICG) dye and DOTA chelator for radiolabeling with 64Cu to achieve targeted positron emission tomography (PET) and fluorescence imaging of GBM. Results: Surprisingly it was found that the resulted bioconjugate, DOTA-FA-ICG and non-radioactive natCu-DOTA-FA-ICG, were both self-assembled into nanoparticles with NIR-II emission signal. The radiolabeled DOTA-FA-ICG, 64Cu-DOTA-FA-ICG, was found to specifically accumulate in the orthotopic GBM models using in vivo PET, NIR-II, and NIR-I fluorescence imaging. The best time window of fluorescence imaging was demonstrated to be 24 h after DOTA-FA-ICG injection. NIR-II fluorescence image-guided surgery was successfully conducted in the orthotopic GBM models using DOTA-FA-ICG. All the fluorescent tissue was removed and proved to be GBM by the H&E examination. Conclusion: Overall, our study demonstrates that the probes, 64Cu-DOTA-FA-ICG and DOTA-FA-ICG, hold promise for preoperative PET examination and intraoperative NIR-II fluorescence image-guided surgery of GBM, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: China has the largest cancer population globally. Surgery is the main choice for most solid cancer patients. Intraoperative fluorescence molecular imaging (FMI) has shown its great potential in assisting surgeons in achieving precise resection. We summarized the typical applications of intraoperative FMI and several new trends to promote the development of precision surgery. Methods: The academic database and NIH clinical trial platform were systematically evaluated. We focused on the clinical application of intraoperative FMI in China. Special emphasis was placed on a series of typical studies with new technologies or high-level evidence. The emerging strategy of combining FMI with other modalities was also discussed. Results: The clinical applications of clinically approved indocyanine green (ICG), methylene blue (MB), or fluorescein are on the rise in different surgical departments. Intraoperative FMI has achieved precise lesion detection, sentinel lymph node mapping, and lymphangiography for many cancers. Nerve imaging is also exploring to reduce iatrogenic injuries. Through different administration routes, these fluorescent imaging agents provided encouraging results in surgical navigation. Meanwhile, designing new cancer-specific fluorescent tracers is expected to be a promising trend to further improve the surgical outcome. Conclusions: Intraoperative FMI is in a rapid development in China. In-depth understanding of cancer-related molecular mechanisms is necessary to achieve precision surgery. Molecular-targeted fluorescent agents and multi-modal imaging techniques might play crucial roles in the era of precision surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Identifying the lymphatic drainage pathway is important for accurate lymph node (LN) dissection in esophageal cancer (EC). This study aimed to assess lymphatic drainage mapping in thoracic EC using near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging with indocyanine green (ICG) and identify its feasibility for intraoperative LN drainage visualization and dissection. Methods: From November 2019 to August 2020, esophagectomy was performed using intraoperative NIRF navigation with ICG injected into the esophageal submucosa by endoscopy. All LNs were divided into four groups according to the NIRF status and presence of metastasis: NIRF+LN+, NIRF+LN−, NIRF−LN+, and NIRF−LN−. Results: Regional LNs were detected in all 84 enrolled patients with thoracic EC. A total of 2164 LNs were removed, and the mean number of dissected LNs was 25.68 ± 12.00. NIRF+ LNs were observed in all patients and distributed at 19 LN stations, which formed lymphatic drainage maps. The top five LN stations of NIRF+ probability in upper thoracic EC were No. 7, 106ecR, 107, 1, and 106recL; in middle thoracic EC, they were No. 107, 7, 110, 1, and 105; and in lower thoracic EC, they were No. 107, 7, 110, 106recR, and 1. There were no cases of ICG-related adverse events or chylothorax. The 30-day mortality rate was 0%. Major complications included anastomotic fistula (7.14%), pneumonia (4.76%), pleural effusion (13.10%), atelectasis (3.75%), hoarseness (8.33%), and arrhythmia (4.76%). Conclusion: Regional LN mapping of thoracic EC was performed using ICG/NIRF imaging, which showed different preferred LN drainage stations in various anatomical locations of the thoracic esophagus. ICG/NIRF imaging is feasible for intraoperative LN drainage visualization and dissection. Clinical trial registration: The clinical trial registration number is NCT04173676 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a pathogen closely associated with foodborne diseases. We prepared a reliable colorimetric sensor to detect S. aureus using click chemical reaction and immunomagnetic separation. Aptamer-functionalized and ALP-labeled Fe3O4 NPs act as separation and signal transduction elements. Under the optimized conditions, the Cu+ generated by signal transduction triggers a click chemistry reaction, which causes the aggregation of azides and alkyne-AuNPs and a color change. The net extinction ratio of Δ(A530/A760) was linearly correlated with the S. aureus concentration from 10 to 106 cfu mL−1, and the limit detection was 2.4 cfu mL−1. The recoveries were 91.15 ~ 106.36% for the analysis of spiked food and water samples without pre-enrichment. Therefore, we believe that the detection platform can be easily and accurately used for S. aureus detection, providing a broad prospect for on-site visual detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of 51-year-old woman, diagnosed with cervical cancer, consented to being included in a clinical trial (NCT05087264). The patient underwent a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy. Preoperatively, indocyanine green ([ICG], 5 mg/kg) was intravenously injected for 24 h, and it emitted a tail fluorescence in the NIR-II spectrum.

Purpose: Surgery is the predominant treatment modality of human glioma but suffers difficulty on clearly identifying tumor boundaries in clinic. Conventional practice involves neurosurgeon's visual evaluation and intraoperative histological examination of dissected tissues using frozen section, which is time-consuming and complex. The aim of this study was to develop fluorescent imaging coupled with artificial intelligence technique to quickly and accurately determine glioma in real-time during surgery. Methods: Glioma patients (N = 23) were enrolled and injected with indocyanine green for fluorescence image–guided surgery. Tissue samples (N = 1874) were harvested from surgery of these patients, and the second near-infrared window (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) fluorescence images were obtained. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) combined with NIR-II fluorescence imaging (named as FL-CNN) were explored to automatically provide pathological diagnosis of glioma in situ in real-time during patient surgery. The pathological examination results were used as the gold standard. Results: The developed FL-CNN achieved the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.945. Comparing to neurosurgeons' judgment, with the same level of specificity >80%, FL-CNN achieved a much higher sensitivity (93.8% versus 82.0%, P < 0.001) with zero time overhead. Further experiments demonstrated that FL-CNN corrected >70% of the errors made by neurosurgeons. FL-CNN was also able to rapidly predict grade and Ki-67 level (AUC 0.810 and 0.625) of tumor specimens intraoperatively. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that deep CNNs are better at capturing important information from fluorescence images than surgeons' evaluation during patient surgery. FL-CNN is highly promising to provide pathological diagnosis intraoperatively and assist neurosurgeons to obtain maximum resection safely. Trial registration: ChiCTR ChiCTR2000029402. Registered 29 January 2020, retrospectively registered [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemicelluloses account for 15–30 % of the lignocellulosic biomass and are considered as abundant renewable biopolymers. They are the major byproducts from pulping and other biorefinery industries, but are highly underutilized and usually burned as low value fuel. In this study, glucuronoxylan recovered from dissolving pulp mill were used to produce a high-quality bio-based emulsifier. Octylamine, dodecylamine and hexadecylamine were used to modify oxidized glucuronoxylan in order to improve the amphipathic properties of glucuronoxylan. Alkyl aminated glucuronoxylan emulsions showed smaller droplet size, higher emulsion activity and lower zeta potential compared to that of unmodified glucuronoxylan emulsions. With the increasing of alkyl contents, the emulsifying properties were improved. However, when the contents of alkyl groups increased beyond a certain value, the emulsifying properties were not changed significantly. Furthermore, the alkyl chain length also had a positive impact on emulsifying properties of alkylamine aminated glucuronoxylans. These results suggest that alkyl aminated glucuronoxylans have the potential to substitute for petroleum-based emulsifiers in many applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foundation deformation and failure of a finite length double-layered foundation by rapid stabilization was studied with regard to dredger fill in road engineering. Deformation and bearing capacity theories were proposed based on the discontinuous deformation and the lower strength. In order to study the applicability of the theory, variations of deformation, earth pressure, and tension stress of the artificial crust were investigated using two centrifuge-modeling tests. The test results indicated that the punching shear failure through the artificial crust layer and general failure mode in the soft clay layer occurred first in the dredger fill foundation. As the load increased, the cracking failure of the artificial crust layer occurred suddenly. The maximum tensile stress value was approximately 13% of the unconfined compressive strength. The soil pressure at the bottom of the artificial crust was approximately 50% lower compared with the untreated situation, which showed that the load was spread effectively. By comparing theory with the results of the centrifuge test, the bearing capacity theory was applied successfully to the assessment of dredger fill in road engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glucuronoxylans, a low-value byproduct from pulping, biomass pretreatment and other biomass processing industries, have been considered to be potentially used as emulsifiers. However, the poor amphipathic property of glucuronoxylans limits their application as emulsifiers. To improve the amphipathic property of glucuronoxylans and develop high quality natural-based/green emulsifiers, glucuronoxylans were chemically modified by alkenyl succinic anhydrides to produce a novel emulsifer. The effects of degree of substitution (DS) and alkenyl chain length on the emulsifying properties of long-chain succinic anhydride modified glucuronoxylans were investigated. Dodecenyl succinic anhydride–glucuronoxylans (DDSA–glucuronoxylans) emulsions showed much smaller droplet size, lower zeta potential, higher emulsifying activity and better emulsion stability compared to that of glucuronoxylans emulsion. When DS increased from 0.014 to 0.09, the emulsifying properties of DDSA–glucuronoxylans were improved. However, when DS increased beyond 0.09, the emulsifying properties were not changed significantly. Furthermore, the alkenyl chain length also has a positive impact on emulsifying properties of long-chain succinic anhydride modified glucuronoxylans. These results suggested that long-chain succinic anhydride modified glucuronoxylans had a potential to be used as emulsifiers, while the DS and chain length should be kept at a proper value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial crust layer formed by in-situ stabilization combined with pre-stressed pipe piles over soft ground has been proposed to reduce foundation settlement in road construction. To analyze the effects of the artificial crust layer, the field measurements from a road project, including the strength of field stabilized soil, settlement and the load distribution between soils and piles were investigated. The results showed that the ratio of 28-day field unconfined compressive strength to laboratory strength ranged from 0.28 to 0.45 at the same stabilized agent. Additionally, the artificial crust layer had a greater compression modulus and strength compared with soft clay, so that the deformation of stabilized soil only accounted for about 5% of the total settlement. The foundation consolidation speed was slower because of the impervious properties of the artificial crust layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, polycrystalline LaBaCoO (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.1) ceramic samples were prepared by conventional solid-state reaction process. La doping effects on the crystal structures, densities, microstructures and thermosensitive characteristics of the LaBaCoO ceramics were investigated. The major phase presented in the sintered samples is a hexagonal perovskite BaCoO phase. The doping of La reduces the quantity of voids and improves the densities of the LaBaCoO ceramics compared with La-free ceramic. The resistivities of the LaBaCoO ceramics decrease exponentially with increasing temperature in each of the range of 10-26 K and 26-100 K. The resistivities and B constants increase as the contents of La increase in the LaBaCoO ceramics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the effect of Fe addition on microstructure and electrical properties of CoMnFeO (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) NTC thermistors was studied. The added Fe did not affect the crystalline structure and formed a single cubic spinel phases. The density of CoMnFeO samples decreased significantly with increasing Fe content. The values of ρ, ρ, B, and E of ceramic samples were in the range of 2283-14273 Ω cm, 730-5157 Ω cm, 3701-3991 K, and 0.3196-0.3445 eV, respectively. This means that the electrical properties can be adjusted to desired values, depending on Fe content. The values of relative resistance drift ΔR/R (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) had a minimum value when x = 0.4, after aging test for 500 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, BaCoO ceramic materials were prepared via conventional solid state reaction at different sintering temperatures. The crystal structures, microstructures and electrical properties of BaCoO ceramics were systematically investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electrical measurement. The XRD patterns indicate that the major phases presented in the sintered samples are hexagonal perovskite BaCoO phase and some other minor phases (BaO or CoO). SEM images show that the grain size increases with temperature increasing. The resistivity of the prepared BaCoO ceramics thermistors decreases exponentially with increasing temperature in each of the range of 12.5-26 and 26-100 K. These prepared materials are intended to be used for NTC thermistors in a temperature range from 12.5 to 100 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ZnFeNiMnO ceramic materials with different sintering temperatures are synthesized by homogeneous co-precipitation method. The effects of different sintering temperatures on the structure, electrical properties and stability of the ceramic materials are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, electrical measurement and impedance analysis. The results show the ceramic powders calcined at 800 °C can form a single cubic spinel structure NiFeO phase, which exhibits great stability at sintering temperature from 1150 to 1300 °C. The values of B constant, ρ and Ea of ZnFeNiMnO ceramic samples at different sintering temperatures are in the range of 3786-3881 K, 84-134 KΩ cm and 0.327-0.335 eV, respectively. The values of relative resistance drift ( ΔR/R ) are in the range of 0.58-0.78 % and have a minimum at 1300 °C after aging test at 125 °C for 600 h. The ZnFeNiMnO ceramic materials are desirable for high stability thermistor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WS24-3 is a newly bred recessive genic male sterility line of the non-heading Chinese cabbage ( Brassica rapa ssp . chinensis). Here, an F population was produced from the cross between WS24-3 and a male-fertile breeding line (WS135). The Illumina Brassica 60 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array was used for SNPs detecting between sterile and fertile bulks from the F population, and 62 SNPs were identified. BLAST analysis of the 62 SNPs revealed that the A2 chromosome of Brassica rapa genome contained 22 SNPs, whereas the other chromosomes did not contain more than 6 SNPs each. These data indicated that the potential target gene locus, named Bra2Ms, might be located on A2. Based on 10 of the 22 SNPs, allele-specific-polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) primers and single sequence repeat (SSR) primers were designed, 5 AS-PCR primers and 9 SSR primers showed difference between the bulks in electrophoretic determination. Analysis of these markers in F population revealed that Bra2Ms was genetically delimited to a region of 1.2 cM. We also detected two co-segregated markers SSRa2-951 and SSRa2-960 in this region. The markers identified in our study might facilitate the transfer of recessive genic male sterility alleles to other favorable genetic backgrounds. Furthermore, these markers will support a map-based clone of Bra2Ms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a NMOS-based wideband low power and linear tunable transconductance current differencing transconductance amplifier (CDTA) is presented. Based on the NMOS CDTA, a novel simple and easily reconfigurable configurable analogue block (CAB) is designed. Moreover, using the novel CAB, a simple and versatile butterfly-shaped FPAA structure is introduced. The FPAA consists of six identical CABs, and it could realize six order current-mode low pass filter, second order current-mode universal filter, current-mode quadrature oscillator, current-mode multi-phase oscillator and current-mode multiplier for analog signal processing. The Cadence IC Design Tools 5.1.41 post-layout simulation and measurement results are included to confirm the theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to α1,2-fucosyl transferase (FUT1) gene transfection in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Human whole-genome oligonucleotide microarrays were used to determine whether gene expression profile may differentiate the epithelial ovarian cell line Caov-3 transfected with FUT1 from the empty plasmid-transfected cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining validated the microarray results. Gene expression profile identified 215 DEGs according to the selection criteria, in which 122 genes were upregulated and 93 genes were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) and canonical pathway enrichment analysis were applied, and we found that these DEGs are involved in BioCarta mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, BioCarta eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 (EIF4) pathway, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in cancer. Interaction network analysis predicted genes participating in the regulatory connection. Highly differential expression of TRIM46, PCF11, BCL6, PTEN, and FUT1 genes was validated by quantitative real-time PCR in two cell line samples. Finally, BCL6 and Lewis Y antigen were validated at the protein level by immunohistochemistry in 103 paraffin-embedded ovarian cancer tissues. The identification of genes in response to FUT1 may provide a theoretical basis for the investigations of the molecular mechanism of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article is mainly concerned with applying generalized fractal derivatives in a macroeconomic model. We propose a discrete model involving four macroeconomic variables, the gross domestic production, exchange rate, money supply and exports/imports by using the generalized fractal derivative. The fractal derivative can describe the power-law phenomenon and memory property of economic variables more accurately. Based on the concrete macroeconomic data of Canada, the coefficients of this nonlinear system are estimated by the method of least squares. The statistical test results show that the four variables we have selected have an apparent causal connection, and the sum of squared residuals of the fitting equations is also acceptable. In simulation, the actual data of Canada from 1990 to 2008 are considered, and the effectiveness of our model is verified. The empirical study shows that in the coming few years, the money supply will grow quickly and hence it may lead to proper inflation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: A new non-heading Chinese cabbage CMS line M119A was characterized and specific molecular markers were developed to classify different CMS types. Abstract: One new non-heading Chinese cabbage ( Brassica rapa L.) cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) line M119A was obtained by interspecific crosses between the recently discovered hau CMS line of Brassica juncea and B. rapa. Furthermore, the line was characterized and compared with other five isonuclear-alloplasmic CMS lines. The M119A line produced six stamens without pollen and only two stamen fused together in fewer flowers. Tissue section indicated that anther abortion in M119A may have occurred during differentiation of the archesporial cells without pollen sac. All the six CMS lines were grouped into three types based on the presence of three PCR fragments of 825, 465 and 772 bp amplified with different mitochondrial genes specific primers. The 825-bp fragment was amplified both in 09-10A and H201A using the specific primer pair P-orf224-atp6, and showed 100 % identity with the mitochondrial gene of pol CMS. The 465-bp fragment was amplified in 30A and 105A using the primer pair P-orf138 and shared 100 % identity with the mitochondrial gene of ogu CMS. The 772-bp fragment was amplified in M119A and H203A using the primer pair P-orf288 and showed 100 % identity with the mitochondrial gene of hau CMS. Therefore, these markers could efficiently distinguish different types of isonuclear-alloplasmic CMS lines of non-heading Chinese cabbage, which were useful for improving the efficiency of cross-breeding and heterosis utilization in cruciferous vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the expression of FOXP1 in ovarian tumors and correlate it with clinicopathological parameters, chemotherapy resistance, and prognosis. FOXP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was examined in fresh ovarian cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues, and FOXP1 protein expression was determined in a total of 201 ovarian tissue samples, including 152 cases of primary epithelial ovarian cancer, 26 borderline ovarian tumors, 13 benign ovarian tumors, and 10 normal ovarian tissues. Complete chemotherapy and follow-up data were available in 92 of the 152 epithelial ovarian cancer patients. The relationship between FOXP1 protein expression and ovarian cancer pathological characteristics, chemotherapy resistance, and survival time was analyzed. FOXP1 mRNA expression was downregulated in ovarian cancer tissues compared with that in normal ovarian tissues. Decreased nuclear and increased cytoplasmic FOXP1 protein expression was correlated with increasing tumor grade. Nuclear FOXP1 expression was an independent risk factor associated with chemotherapy resistance and the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. FOXP1 expression is closely related to the degree of malignancy of epithelial ovarian cancer and may be a reliable index of the chemoresistance and prognosis of ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new topology for realizing current-mode reconfigurable nth-order filter for multi-mode wireless communication equipments, which is based on a new active device, namely digitally programmable current differencing transconductance amplifier (DPCDTA). The proposed filter is resistorless, and it employs n DPCDTAs and n grounded capacitors with one input and one output terminals. The signal path of the filter does not contain any switches, and wide tuning coefficient of the filter is implemented using programmable current division network with zero standby power consumption in the DPCDTA. Also, the proposed topology exhibits broader programmable features to accommodate wide range of selectivity requirements, which can be used as the most compatible structure for field-programmable analog array and very suitable for multi-mode filtering applications. The programming ability of variable filter orders from first to fourth providing low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass responses, and programming ability of variable cutoff frequencies from 1.14 to 11.75 MHz are given as application examples. The performance of the circuits have been verified and evaluated through post-layout simulations using Cadence IC5141 with GlobalFoundries' 0.18 μm CMOS process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this study was to explore the molecular structural relationship between annexin II (ANXA2) and Lewis y antigen by determining their expression patterns and clinical significance in ovarian epithelial carcinoma. The structural relationship between ANXA2 and Lewis y antigen was examined using immunoprecipitation and confocal laser scanning microscopy in two ovarian caner cell lines ES-2 and CaoV-3. We also constracted the stably transfected cell lines with low ANXA2 gene expression in order to detect the expression level between ANXA2 and Lewis y. ANXA2 and Lewis y were detected in tissues from malignant, borderline, benign, and normal ovarian tissues using immunohistochemical analysis. ANXA2 and Lewis y were present in both two ovarian cancer cells and ANXA2 contained Lewis y antigen. Moreover, expression of Lewis y antigen in ANXA2 from cell after transfection was higher than that before. Our immunohistochemistry data revealed significantly higher positive expression rates of ANXA2 in malignant ovarian tissues, compared to benign tumor and normal tissue, similar to Lewis y antigen levels in ovarian cancer. Notably, tissues displaying marked expression of ANXA2 simultaneously expressed high levels of Lewis y antigen. A linear correlation between the expression patterns of ANXA2 and Lewis y antigen was evident. Consistently, double-labeling immunofluorescence experiments illustrated co-localization of ANXA2 and Lewis y antigen within the same area. In conclusions, ANXA2 contains Lewis y antigen. Our results further demonstrate a close correlation between the expression levels of the two antigens, which are significantly high in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify genes that associated with higher ability of metastasis and chemotherapic resistance in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) cells. An oligonucleotide microarray with probe sets complementary to 41,000 unique human genes and transcripts was used to determine whether gene expression profile may differentiate three epithelial ovarian cell lines (RMG-I-C, COC1 and HO8910) from their sub-lines (RMG-I-H, COCI/DDP and HO8910/PM) with higher ability of metastasis and chemotherapic resistance. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemical staining validated the microarray results. Hierarchic cluster analysis of gene expression identified 49 genes that exhibited ≥2.0-fold change and P value ≤0.05. Highly differential expression of GCET2, NLRP4, FOXP1 and SNX29 genes was validated by quantitative PCR in all cell line samples. Finally, FOXP1 was validated at the protein level by immunohistochemistry in paraffin embedded ovarian tissues (i.e., for metastasis, 15 primary EOC and 10 omental metastasis [OM]; for chemoresistance, 13 sensitive and 13 resistant EOC). The identification of higher ability of metastasis and chemotherapic resistance-associated genes may provide a foundation for the development of new type-specific diagnostic strategies and treatment for metastasis and chemotherapic resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Liver transplantation is a well-recognized treatment for non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, the overall survival and waiting list removal rates for hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related HCC have not been assessed. Methods: The present study included 11,146 patients with HCC and 64,788 patients without HCC, listed for liver transplantation on the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database between 2003 and 2010. Results: In a multivariate analysis, HCV infection was an independent predictor of being transplanted or remaining on the waiting list in HCC candidates (HR 0.65, 95 % CI 0.60-0.71, p < 0.001). However, patients in the advanced status (model for end-stage liver disease score over 20, tumor stage exceed tumor-node-metastasis stage II, or alpha fetoprotein lover 400 ng/ml) but without HCV had better post-transplant survival than patients in the advanced status and with HCV (64 vs. 47 % at 5 years, p < 0.001), and comparable survival to patients with HCV but not in the advanced status (62 %, p = 0.461). Conclusions: HCC candidates with HCV infection are more likely to be transplanted, remain on the waiting list for longer, and have worse post-transplant survival. Patients in the advanced status but without HCV also could share a similar post-transplant survival to those not in the advanced status but with HCV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen in epithelial ovarian carcinoma tissues and resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, and its underlying clinical significance, and to analyze the correlation between the expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen. Ninety-two ovarian cancer patients were divided into a chemotherapeutic-drug-resistant group (34 patients) and a drug-sensitive group (58 patients). Immunohistochemical assays were used to measure CD147, and Lewis y antigen to investigate their correlation with chemotherapy resistance. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationships between risk factors and resistance to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. Cox's model was used to analyze the relationships between risk factors and prognosis. The proportion of tissues expressing CD147 and Lewis y antigen in the drug-resistant group were 94.12 and 91.67 %, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the sensitive group (77.59 and 60.34 %, respectively). The multivariate analysis indicated that the expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen and the pathological stage of the ovarian cancer were all independent risk factors for drug resistance. Expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen was high in the resistant group, and they correlated positively with each other. The expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen was significantly higher in the drug-resistant group and their expression correlated positively in the ovarian epithelium. The expression of CD147 and Lewis y antigen and the pathological stage of ovarian cancer were all independent risk factors for drug resistance and prognosis in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the expression levels of RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and class III β-tubulin (TUBB3) in ovarian cancer and to determine if there is a correlation between their expression and resistance to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. The protein expression of REST and TUBB3 in ovarian cancer was detected by Western blot analysis. REST expression was inhibited by small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) in human ovarian cancer cell lines. The levels of REST and TUBB3 protein expression were detected by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between REST and TUBB3 expression and chemotherapy resistance, clinicopathological parameters, and prognosis of ovarian cancer was then determined. The present study found that REST was more highly expressed in the ovarian SKOV3 carcinoma cell line compared to the paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3/TAX ( P = 0.01). In contrast, TUBB3 was more highly expressed in SKOV3/TAX cells compared to SKOV3 cells ( P = 0.01). After REST siRNA interference, TUBB3 expression increased in SKOV3 cells. REST expression was significantly higher in the paclitaxel-sensitive group compared to the paclitaxel-resistant group (70.7 % vs. 37.0 %, P < 0.05). However, TUBB3 expression was significantly lower in the paclitaxel-sensitive group compared to the paclitaxel-resistant group (47.6 % vs. 77.8 %, P < 0.05). Notably, REST was more highly expressed in TUBB3-negative cases than TUBB3-positive cases ( P < 0.05). Univariate analyses indicated that both REST and TUBB3 expression were unrelated to tumor differentiation, histological type, and clinical stage (all P > 0.05). According to the Cox regression model, negative REST and positive TUBB3 protein expression was detected as independent prognostic factors ( P = 0.003 and P = 0.005, respectively). REST and TUBB3 protein may be potential biomarkers for chemoresistance and prognosis in ovarian cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third-order optical nonlinear susceptibility χ responsible for phase-conjugate beam in non-degenerate four-wave mixing for a biased asymmetric coupled quantum well (ACQW) structure are given by the doubled-side Feynman diagram technique. It is shown that the photonic echo (PE) in excess of one terahertz pump-probe detuning rate can be achieved under low temperature condition due to electronic wavepaket oscillation when two laser beams interacts with the delocalized excitons in the ACQW structure. Also, the resonant peak position in the frequency domain of the large detuning rate PE depends strongly on an external inverse electric field strength but its peak intensity is insensitive to this one, resulting in the frequency conversion peak maintains a constant in a small bias range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-1 monotherapy is widely used following gemcitabine failure in pancreatic cancer, especially in East Asia. We performed a meta-analysis to determine whether S-1-based combination therapy had better efficacy and safety compared with S-1 monotherapy. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane CENTRAL and subsequently included five trials with a total of 690 patients. The combined hazard ratio (HR) or risk ratio; the corresponding 95% confidence intervals of progression-free survival, overall survival, and overall response rate; and grade 3-4 adverse events were examined. Five randomized controlled trials were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated S-1-based combination therapy significantly increased progression-free survival (HR = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.90, p = 0.0009) and overall response rate (HR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.20-2.52, p = 0.003). Evidence was insufficient to confirm that S-1-based combined regimens improved overall survival (HR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.75-1.00, p = 0.05). There was no significant difference in adverse events between the two treatment arms. In conclusion, S-1-based combination therapy improved progression-free survival and overall response rate compared to S-1 monotherapy with acceptable toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]