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Peritoneal recurrence (PR) in gastric cancer after curative resection has poor prognosis. Therefore, we aimed to construct a nomogram to predict PR, and establish PR score for risk stratification to guide adjuvant chemotherapy. A total of 315 patients with gastric cancer after radical surgery were included, and randomly stratified into training group (n = 221) and validation group (n = 94). Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine predictive factors of PR. The nomogram was constructed to predict the risk of PR. We utilized the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves (AUCs), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) to evaluate the performance of the nomogram. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor site, N stage, preoperative CEA, and postoperative CA199 were independent predictors of PR. A nomogram was constructed to predict PR based on these factors. The AUC value was 0.755 in the training group and 0.715 in the validation group. The calibration curves showed good agreement between prediction and observation in the training and validation groups. The decision curve analysis displayed a good net benefit of the nomogram. The novel PR score was developed and patients were stratified into the low-, medium-, and high -risk groups. For the high-risk group, postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy significantly improved patients' overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). The establishment of nomogram facilitates the prediction of PR after radical gastrectomy, and a novel PR score may help guide adjuvant chemotherapy for gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sitravatinib is a spectrum-selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MER), VEGFR-2, KIT, and MET. SAFFRON-104 (NCT03941873) was a multicohort phase Ib/II study investigating sitravatinib with/without tislelizumab, an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) antibody, in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or gastric cancer/gastroesophageal junction cancer (GC/GEJC). Methods: Eligible patients had histologically/cytologically confirmed advanced HCC or GC/GEJC. Phase I determined the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of sitravatinib with/without tislelizumab. Phase II evaluated sitravatinib monotherapy in patients with pretreated HCC, and sitravatinib plus tislelizumab in anti-PD-(L)1–naïve or –treated HCC and anti-PD-(L)1–naïve GC/GEJC. Primary endpoints were safety/tolerability (phase I) and objective response rate (ORR) (phase II). Results: At data cutoff (March 31, 2023), 111 patients were enrolled; 102 were efficacy-evaluable (median study follow-up 9.1 months [range: 0.7–36.9]). The RP2D of sitravatinib was determined as 120 mg orally once daily. In patients receiving sitravatinib monotherapy and sitravatinib in combination with tislelizumab, grade ≥ 3 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 14 (51.9%) and 42 (50.0%) patients, respectively. The ORR was 25% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 8.7–49.1) in patients with pretreated HCC receiving sitravatinib monotherapy. In patients receiving sitravatinib with tislelizumab, the ORR was 11.5% (95% CI 2.4–30.2) with anti-PD-(L)1–naïve HCC, 9.5% (95% CI 1.2–30.4) with anti-PD-(L)1–treated HCC, and 16.1% (95% CI 5.5–33.7) in patients with anti-PD-(L)1–naïve GC/GEJC. Conclusions: Sitravatinib with/without tislelizumab was generally well tolerated and showed preliminary antitumor activity in patients with advanced HCC and GC/GEJC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radioactive aerosols produced by nuclear accidents and decommissioning of nuclear power plants would cause tremendous radioactive damage to the environment and human body. The development of a radioactive aerosol suppressant is of great significance in the treatment of radioactive aerosols. In this study, a three-dimensional biomass-based polymer pectin-g-acrylic acid-acrylamide (pectin-g-poly (AA-co-AM)) SAP with high water absorbency and high agglomeration was prepared by solution polymerization. The results showed that the water absorbency of pectin grafted with acrylic acid and acrylamide reached 1064 g/g. Furthermore, under the synergistic effect of water absorption and agglomeration of the material, the sedimentation efficiency of simulated radioactive aerosol by 30 min after using suppressant is 91.21%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 6229 brown rice grains from three major rice-producing regions were collected to investigate the spatial and variety distributions of heavy metals in rice grains in China. The potential sources of heavy metals in rice grains were identified using the Pearson correlation matrix and principal component analysis, and the health risks of dietary exposure to heavy metals via rice consumption were assessed using the hazard index (HI) and total carcinogenic risk (TCR) method, respectively. Moreover, 48 paired soil and rice samples from 11 cities were collected to construct a predicting model for Cd accumulation in rice grains using the multiple linear stepwise regression analysis. The results indicated that Cd and Ni were the main heavy metal pollutants in rice grains in China, with approximately 10% of samples exceeding their corresponding maximum allowable limits. The Yangtze River basin had heavier pollution of heavy metals than the Southeast Coastal Region and Northeast Plain, and the indica rice varieties had higher heavy metal accumulation abilities compared with the japonica rice. The Cu, Pb, and Cd mainly originated from anthropogenic sources, while As, Hg, Cr, and Ni originated from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The mean HI and TCR values of dietary exposure to heavy metals via rice consumption ranged from 2.92 to 4.31 and 9.74 × 10−3 to 1.44 × 10−2, respectively, much higher than the acceptable range, and As and Ni were the main contributor to the HI and TCR for Chinese adults and children, respectively. The available Si (ASi), total Cd (TCd), available Mo (AMo), and available S (AS) were the main soil factors determining grain Cd accumulation. A multiple linear stepwise regression model was constructed based on ASi, TCd, AMo, and AS in soils with good accuracy and precision, which could be applied to predict Cd accumulation in rice grains and guide safe rice production in contaminated paddy fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA), a chronic degenerative disease characterized mainly by damage to the articular cartilage, is increasingly relevant to the pathological processes of senescence, apoptosis, autophagy, proliferation, and differentiation of chondrocytes. Clinical strategies for osteoarthritis can only improve symptoms and even along with side effects due to age, sex, disease, and other factors. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new ideas and targets for current clinical treatment. The tumor suppressor gene p53, which has been identified as a potential target for tumor therapeutic intervention, is responsible for the direct induction of the pathological processes involved in OA modulation. Consequently, deciphering the characteristics of p53 in chondrocytes is essential for investigating OA pathogenesis due to p53 regulation in an array of signaling pathways. This review highlights the effects of p53 on senescence, apoptosis, and autophagy of chondrocytes and its role in the development of OA. It also elucidates the underlying mechanism of p53 regulation in OA, which may help provide a novel strategies for the clinical treatment of OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electret fiber filtration materials prepared by electrostatic spinning and corona polarization have drawn significant interest in treating radioactive aerosols. In this study, a three-dimensional biomass-based electret nanofiber aerogel material with high dust capacity, high filtration efficiency and low-pressure drop was created by pore structure regulation. The results showed that aerogels with good charge capture and storage ability were obtained by regulating the concentration of tert-butanol and ethylcellulose fiber suspension, and the pre-freezing temperature. The initial surface potential and stable surface potential increased from 0.85 and 0.05 kV to 1.37 and 0.15 kV respectively. Furthermore, the purification time was reduced from 44 to 15 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) alterations are found in approximately 2%–5% of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with NSCLC having HER2 alterations in China and the differences compared with Western counterparts and also perform a prognostic analysis. Material and Methods: A total of 1300 patients diagnosed with NSCLC from January 2017 to December 2020 were included. Their clinical characteristics were retrospectively recorded. The gene expression profiles and clinical information of 20 patients having altered HER2 were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database and compared, and the prognostic factors affecting the Chinese population were analyzed. If tissues were sufficient, the overexpression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Results: Among 39 (3.0%) patients with HER2 alterations, 31 patients (79.5%) had HER2 mutations. HER2 insertion mutation in exon 20 was the most common type (A775_G776 ins YVMA). Seven patients (17.9%) had amplification, and one had both. The HER2 kinase domain was most commonly mutated. A majority of patients in the study were young-aged with no smoking history; 66.7% had stage III/IV adenocarcinoma. Compared with Chinese patients, HER2 alterations in Western counterparts were mostly associated with old age, previous smoking, and stages I and II at diagnosis. The most common type of HER2 alteration was HER2 amplification; one patient had coexistence of HER2 gene amplification and fusion. The furin-like cysteine-rich region was most commonly mutated. The median overall survival (OS) of the Chinese patients was 41 months. The univariate analysis showed that age > 60 years, no surgical treatment, no liver or renal cysts on imaging, and maximum tumor diameter ≥ 4.25 cm were significantly associated with poor OS. The multivariate analysis showed that age, presence of surgery, and no hepatic or renal cysts were independent prognostic factors for OS. Chemotherapy achieved better outcomes, and HER2 mutations were not associated with HER2 amplification and overexpression. Conclusions: This study was novel in comprehensively investigating the clinical and molecular characteristics of patients in Chinese and Western populations, and in analyzing the factors affecting the prognosis of Chinese patients. It provided critical data for future therapies against HER2-altered NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To evaluate the effect and safety of crizotinib loaded polydopamine-polylactide-TPGS nanoparticles (CZT/pD-PT NPs) on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). CZT/pD-PT NPs were synthesized and characterized, and their effects on PC-9 cell viability and apoptosis were determined. In vivo experiment was further performed to evaluate the anti-NSCLC efficacy of CZT/pD-PT NPs. TUNEL assay and Western blot were respectively applied for the determination of cell apoptosis and apoptosis-related protein expression, while liver function-related index expression detection and liver histopathological detection were used to evaluate the hepatotoxicity of CZT/pD-PT NPs. Compared with free CZT, CZT/pD-PT NPs had a sustained-release effect and promoted the cellular uptake of CZT. In addition, CZT/pD-PT NPs significantly inhibited PC-9 cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo, exhibiting superior cytotoxicity. At the same time, CZT/pD-PT NPs had no significant effect on liver tissue morphology and liver function-related indicators such as ALP, ALT, AST, and DBIL. CZT/pD-PT NPs have excellent anti-NSCLC effect with low hepatotoxicity, which can be served as a novel drug delivery system to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy for NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Data on the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of senaparib (previously IMP4297), an oral poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, are limited. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of senaparib in healthy Chinese subjects. Methods: This is a phase I, open-label, randomized, single-dose, two-way crossover study. Healthy Chinese male subjects were randomized 1:1 to receive a single dose of senaparib 100 mg in two prandial states: fasted or after a high-fat meal; subjects were given a second dose after switching prandial states and a washout period of at least 7 days. Pharmacokinetics were assessed at pre-dose and up to 72 h post-dose. Safety was assessed throughout the study. Results: Sixteen subjects were randomized and included in the pharmacokinetic analysis; 15 completed the study. The presence of food slowed the rate of senaparib absorption (time to maximum concentration) by ~ 3 h and reduced the maximum concentration of senaparib by ~ 24%. Total exposure to senaparib was higher in the fed than fasted state; senaparib area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to the last measurable concentration and area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to infinity were increased by ~ 24 and ~28%, respectively. Safety profiles were similar in both prandial states. All treatment-emergent adverse events were grade 1 in severity; no serious adverse events or deaths were reported. Conclusions: Food slightly decreased the rate and increased the extent of senaparib absorption following oral administration. However, the effect of food on various exposure parameters was not considered clinically meaningful. Safety data were consistent with the known profile of senaparib and senaparib was well tolerated in the fed and fasted states in healthy subjects. These results indicated that senaparib could be administered orally with or without food. Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04057729. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, polyacrylonitrile was modified to polyamidoxime to enhance foam stabilization and decontamination rate. Polyamidoxime was combined with graphene oxide, 1 wt% of saponins, and 1 wt% of alkyl glycosides to formulate the PAO/GO foam decontaminant. The outcomes demonstrated resulted in the half-life of the foam extending from 32 to 308 min. The PAO/GO foam decontaminant displayed α-ray decontamination rates of 93.30%, 98.34%, and 99.81% on stainless steel, tile, and glass surfaces. Hence, the dual functional PAO/GO in stabilizing foam while enhancing decontamination rates underscores its potential for radioactive decontamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cancer patients are associated with an elevated risk of suicide. This study aims to investigate the suicide rates and identify risk factors for suicide among patients with malignant intracranial tumors (MITs). Methods: Patients diagnosed with MITs during the years of 1975–2015 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Suicide rates and standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated. Cox regression analyses were used to identified risk factors for suicide among MIT patients. Results: Among 115,668 patients with MITs collected from the SEER program, 99 committed suicide. The rate of suicide was 23.02 per 100,000 person-years, and SMR of suicide was 1.90. Diagnosis in recent era (years 2000–2015, SMR = 2.01), male gender (SMR = 1.78), older age (60–79 years, SMR = 3.54), white race (SMR = 1.86), married persons (SMR = 2.31), living in rural areas (SMR = 2.50), history of other malignancy (SMR = 3.81), diagnosis of glioblastoma (SMR = 4.05) and supratentorial location (SMR = 2.45) were associated with an increased incidence of suicide. In addition, the risk of suicide increased significantly within the first year after diagnosis (SMR = 13.04). Multivariate Cox regressions showed that older age, male sex, and supratentorial location were independent risk factors for suicide. Conclusions: The suicide mortality among patients with MITs steadily elevated in the past decades. Male sex, older age, and supratentorial location were significantly associated with risk of suicide, especially within the first year following diagnosis. Healthcare providers should early identify and effectively intervene with MIT patients at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional water-based detergents cannot remove radioactive contamination on the surface below 0 °C. In order to solve this problem, a biodegradable antifreeze foam, containing the antifreeze, the chelating agent and the surfactant in the low pH complex system, has been developed with the small molecule lauryl alcohol (LA) as the foam stabilizer. The developed foam being with short decontamination time which is easy to use and collect, can significantly reduce the amount of radioactive waste. The foam has good stability and decontamination efficiency as low as − 10 °C. The stabilization mechanism of LA on foam was studied. At the range of from 0 to − 10 °C, the decontamination rates of simulated radioactive cesium (Cs) and strontium (Sr) pollution are all above 90% on surfaces with different roughness such as glass, stainless steel, ceramic tile, marble and paint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this research was to decipher the biological functions and mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 200 (LINC00200) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, our data confirmed that LINC00200 expression was up-regulated in GC tissues and its high expression was correlated with the poor differentiation of GC tissues and lymph node metastasis of the patients. In vitro experiments indicated that, the overexpression of LINC00200 facilitated the proliferation of GC cells, constrained their apoptosis, and increased the IC50 of oxaliplatin (Oxa), whereas knockdown of LINC00200 exhibited the opposite effects. Additionally, we demonstrated that LINC00200 could bind to E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1), and the up-regulation of LINC00200 expression enhanced the binding between E2F1 and RAD51 promoter, hence promoting RAD51 transcription, while knockdown of LINC00200 inhibited the transcription of RAD51. In conclusion, LINC00200 may recruit E2F1 to the RAD51 recombinase (RAD51) promoter region, thereby up-regulating the expression of RAD51 and enhancing the chemoresistance of GC cells to Oxa. Our data suggested that LINC00200 could probably be a promising target for treating GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To summarize the clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis, and management of breast adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC). Methods: A population-based study was performed using retrospectively extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database for breast cancer patients with histological diagnoses of ASC, infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from 2004 to 2016. Results: ASC presented similar tumor size but low histological grade and less lymph node metastasis compared to IDC. ASC expressed less positive rate of hormone receptors and barely HER2, which was similar with SCC. ASC patients underwent the similar surgical and systematic treatment as IDC, only with less radiotherapy. Median follow-up data of 78 months showed that the prognosis of IDC patients was better than that of ASC patients (all p < 0.05 for BCSM and OS). ASC was not an independent prognosis factor of breast cancer. After propensity score matching (PSM), no significant difference in BCSM nor OS was observed between ASC and IDC groups. In HR-negative patients, the prognosis of ASC was similar with that of IDC, and both were superior to SCC. In HR-positive patients, the 5-year survival rate of ASC was 63.5%, which was far less than that in ASC of HR-negative (81.0%). Multivariate analysis showed that older age (age > 60) and advanced AJCC-stage were independent factors of poor prognosis in ASC, breast-conserving surgery was also ideally suited for ASC. Conclusions: ASC has unique clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. It is imperative to focus on a more precise and personalized treatment management of ASC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, hydrothermal carbon doped with phosphorus using phytic acid (PA) and Sodium tripolyphosphate as functional monomers was successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal route combined with microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbon as matrix material. The uranium(VI) adsorption capacity by phytic acid functionalized microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbon (MHC-PA) was up to 382.2 mg/g at pH of 6.0 and the temperature of 298.15 K. The adsorption mechanism of uranium(VI) onto the MHC-PA was mainly the chelation of P=O, P–OH functional group and uranium(VI), which improves the selective adsorption performance of MHC-PA for uranium(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-abundance proteins (LAPs) play a very important role in interaction, regulation, and metabolism of plant biological processes. A combinatorial peptide ligand library (CPLL) can solve the problem of high-abundance proteins (HAPs) masking LAPs and enlarging the dynamic range of protein concentrations perfectly and be considered as one of the most advanced approaches for plant proteomics research. In this paper, a proper CPLL method to rice leaf proteins was established for the first time and 1056 proteins were identified in rice leaf extracts, and 624 (59.1%) LAPs were newly detected after CPLL. Based on this technology, we detected the response of rice to Cd stress and analyzed the differential LAPs and the biological significance of misexpressed proteins before and after Cd stress by bioinformatics analysis. An important contribution has also been made to a better understanding of the complex mechanisms by which rice adapts to Cd stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: FAM83D has been proposed to act as an oncoprotein in several types of human cancer. Its role and mode of action in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metastasis and its impact on chemotherapy are as yet, however, poorly understood. Methods: FAM83D expression was measured in NSCLC cells and normal lung epithelial cells, as well as in primary NSCLC tissues and corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues, using qRT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. FAM83D was stably overexpressed in BEAS2B cells or silenced in A549 and H1299 cells using retroviral or lentiviral vectors. The growth capacity of NSCLC cells was evaluated using MTT and colony formation assays. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was assessed using Western blotting and immunofluorescence. NSCLC cell invasive capacities were assessed using scratch wound healing and Boyden chamber assays. NSCLC cell viability in response to cisplatin treatment was assessed using MTT assays in vitro and a xenograft model in vivo. Results: We found that FAM83D expression levels were significantly elevated in NSCLC cells and tissues, and positively correlated with tumor progression and a poor prognosis. Exogenous FAM83D overexpression promoted, while FAM83D silencing inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, EMT and invasion. FAM83D silencing also reduced cisplatin resistance. Concordantly, we found that NSCLC patients with a low FAM83D expression benefited most from chemotherapy. Mechanistically, we found that FAM83D activated the protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Pharmacological treatment with either AKT or mTOR inhibitors reverted FAM83D-induced tumorigenic phenotypes. Conclusions: Our results suggest a role of FAM83D in NSCLC development. In addition, our results indicate that NSCLC patients exhibiting FAM83D overexpression are likely to benefit from AKT and/or mTOR inhibitor treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cetuximab plus FOLFIRI (leucovorin, fluorouracil, and irinotecan) is the preferred first-line therapy for RAS and BRAF wild-type (RBWT) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). To counter chemotherapy-induced side effects, use of maintenance therapy is suggested. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of cetuximab maintenance therapy in patients after effective completion of first-line induction therapy.Methods: This prospective study enrolled untreated patients with mCRC RBWT who received first-line cetuximab plus FOLFIRI therapy. Following this, patients with treatment response either entered observation (stop treatment) or maintenance treatment 1 (cetuximab plus irinotecan) groups. After 6-12 cycles of maintenance treatment 1, patients entered maintenance treatment 2 (cetuximab only). If a patient progressed on maintenance 2, cetuximab plus FOLFIRI was reintroduced. The primary end point was failure-free survival (FFS), whereas the secondary end points included disease control rate (DCR), objective remission rate (ORR), and progression-free survival (PFS). Safety events were also evaluated.Results: Among 79 enrolled patients, 72 completed first-line treatment effectively (DCR 91.1%, ORR 63.9%) and 44 entered maintenance 1 [median PFS 1 (mPFS, maintenance 1) 6.1 months, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.0-6.2; DCR 56.8%; ORR 22.7%]. Of them, 21 entered maintenance treatment 2 (mPFS2 8.7 months, 95% CI 3.3-14.1; DCR 28.6%; ORR 4.8%). Median FFS (mFFS) was significantly longer in the maintenance 1 group compared with the observation group [12.7 vs. 3.0 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.202, 95% CI 0.111-0.369; P < 0.001]. Overall, mFFS was 19.0 and 9.3 months in maintenance and observation groups, respectively (HR 0.211, 95% CI 0.117-0.380; P < 0.001). Rash acneiform, mucositis, and asthenia were commonly observed adverse events during maintenance treatment.Conclusion: Maintenance treatment with cetuximab after first-line therapy significantly improved FFS, with an acceptable safety profile in untreated patients with mCRC RBWT.Trial Registration: Retrospectively registered, 2019/10/02, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR number 1900026360. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panel count data commonly arise in epidemiological, social science, and medical studies, in which subjects have repeated measurements on the recurrent events of interest at different observation times. Since the subjects are not under continuous monitoring, the exact times of those recurrent events are not observed but the counts of such events within the adjacent observation times are known. A Bayesian semiparametric approach is proposed for analyzing panel count data under the proportional mean model. Specifically, a nonhomogeneous Poisson process is assumed to model the panel count response over time, and the baseline mean function is approximated by monotone I-splines of Ramsay (Stat Sci 3:425-461, 1988). Our approach allows to estimate the regression parameters and the baseline mean function jointly. The proposed Gibbs sampler is computationally efficient and easy to implement because all of the full conditional distributions either have closed form or are log-concave. Extensive simulations are conducted to evaluate the proposed method and to compare with two other bench methods. The proposed approach is also illustrated by an application to a famous bladder tumor data set (Byar, in: Pavone-Macaluso M, Smith PH, Edsmyn F (eds) Bladder tumors and other topics in urological oncology. Plenum, New York, 1980). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dedicated to studying the following elliptic system of Hamiltonian type: { − ε 2 Δ u + u + V (x) v = Q (x) F v (u , v) , x ∈ R N , − ε 2 Δ v + v + V (x) u = Q (x) F u (u , v) , x ∈ R N , | u (x) | + | v (x) | → 0 , a s | x | → ∞ where N ⩾ 3, V, Q ∈ C (R N , R) , V (x) is allowed to be sign-changing and inf Q > 0, and F ∈ C 1 (R 2 , R) is superquadratic at both 0 and infinity but subcritical. Instead of the reduction approach used in Ding et al. (2014), we develop a more direct approach—non-Nehari manifold approach to obtain stronger conclusions but under weaker assumptions than those in Ding et al. (2014). We can find an ε0 > 0 which is determined by terms of N, V, Q and F, and then we prove the existence of a ground state solution of Nehari-Pankov type to the coupled system for all ε ∈ (0, ε0]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of synthesis temperature and time on the morphology and structure of the carbon microspheres was investigated. The comparation between traditional hydrothermal and microwave-assisted hydrothermal method for preparing carbon materials was carried out. Finally, the adsorption performance of the material for uranium (VI) was tested. The results showed that microwave method has better heating rate than conventional hydrothermal method, the carbon material prepared by microwave-assisted hydrothermal method at low temperature and short time has excellent adsorption performance, and the maximum adsorption amount can reach 170.07 mg/g for uranium (VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aims of this study had been to classify the superior angle of the scapula based on morphological features, and to investigate its correlation with the suprascapular notch.Methods: 303 samples of Chinese dried scapular specimens were collected from the Department of anatomy, Southwest Medical University. According to the anatomical morphological characteristics of the superior angle of the scapula, the morphological classification was performed to explore its correlation with the suprascapular notch (SSN).Results: The superior angle of the scapula was classified into three types (Hilly shape, Mountain Peak shape and Chimney shape). There were 143 cases of Hilly shape (47.20%), 144 cases of Mountain shape (47.52%), and 16 cases of Chimney shape (5.28%). The angle of Hilly shape (93.36° ± 7.76°) was significantly larger than the Mountain Peak shape (86.60° ± 6.61°) and the Chimney shape (86.22° ± 7.20°), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The type I-III of Rengachary's classification to SSN was low risk of suprascapular nerve entrapment, while the type IV-VI was high risk of suprascapular nerve entrapment. Compared with the Mountain Peak shape and the Chimney shape, the Hilly shape corresponds to more types I-III of suprascapular notch but to fewer types IV-VI (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The superior angle of the scapula was divided into three types: Hilly shape (47.20%), Mountain Peak shape (47.52%) and Chimney shape (5.28%). The Mountain Peak shape might be more likely to result in inability of the levator muscle with acute or chronic overload mechanisms, and the risk of suprascapular nerve entrapment in Mountain peak shape was higher than that of Hilly shape. And, it might have a potential effect on neck pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is dedicated to studying the semilinear Schrödinger equation - ▵ u + V (x) u = f (x , u) , x ∈ R N , u ∈ H 1 (R N) , where V ∈ C (R N , R) is sign-changing and either periodic or coercive and f ∈ C (R N × R , R) is subcritical and local super-linear (i.e. allowed to be super-linear at some x ∈ R N and asymptotically linear at other x ∈ R N ). Instead of the common condition that lim | t | → ∞ ∫ 0 t f (x , s) d s t 2 = ∞ uniformly in x ∈ R N , we use a local super-quadratic condition lim | t | → ∞ ∫ 0 t f (x , s) d s t 2 = ∞ a.e. x ∈ G for some domain G ⊂ R N to show the existence of nontrivial solutions for the above problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stereoscopic porous microspheres based gellan gum (GG-Ca) were successfully prepared by sol-gel method using ethyl acetate as porogen and glutaraldehyde as crosslinker. The obtained GG-Ca microspheres were mainly of mesoporous with the average pore diameter was about 4 nm. It displayed a higher ability for uranium removal. In addition, the uranium adsorption process was endothermic and spontaneous following a pseudo-second-order and the adsorption isotherm was the best fit with the Freundlich model with maximum uranium capacity of 202.26 mg g−1. The UO2+ adsorption mechanism is ion-exchange with Ca2+ based on SEM, EDX and XPS data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Core–shell nanoscale zero-valent iron@alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose sodium composite loaded with calcium (nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca) beads were synthesized in this study using coaxial electronic injection method. The adsorbent structure was characterized via FT-IR, SEM, EDX and XPS. The adsorption behavior of U(VI) and Cu(II) on core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca beads was studied under various experimental parameters like pH, contact time and temperature. The isotherm and the kinetic data, pertaining to the adsorption of U(VI) and Cu(II) by core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca beads obeyed both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters revealed the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption. The experiment of regeneration and reusability suggested core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca bead was a regenerated material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the core-shell nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI)@Alg-Ca beads were synthesized by coaxial electronic injection method for removal of U (VI) from aqueous solution, and characterized by SEM, EDX and XPS. The results showed that the pseudo-second-order models and the Langmuir isotherm model fitted well with the data obtained. The removal mechanism may include both physical adsorption of U (VI) on the surface or inside of core-shell nZVI@Alg-Ca beads and subsequent reduction of U (VI) to U (IV). Therefore, the core-shell nZVI@Alg-Ca beads would have an application prospect in effective removal of U (VI) contamination from aqueous solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemically oxidized porous carbon (m-a-NC) materials were prepared by oxidation and activation of N-doped carbon (NC) materials which were produced from the glucose-urea resin primary carbon. Simultaneously, the batch experiments were carried out to investigate the adsorption of U(VI) onto the m-a-NC materials. The m-a-NC materials exhibit the maximum adsorption capacity of 397 mg/g towards U(VI) at 298.15 K and pH = 4.5. The adsorption kinetics was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption isotherm was better described by the Langmuir model. The possible adsorption mechanism of the m-a-NC for U(VI) was ion-exchange and coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microsphere of carboxymethyl konjac glucomannan immobilizing La and Al (CMKGM-La-Al) has been explored for sorption of U(VI). The maximum U(VI) sorption capacity of the microsphere is found to be 45.4 mg g at pH 5. Experimental data are fitted well with the linear Langmuir and linear pseudo-first-order kinetic model. The sorption process is endothermic, spontaneous and favorable. The possible mechanism of CMKGM modification and sorption of U(VI) on CMKGM-La-Al involves ion exchange and coordination reaction. The comparison between CMKGM-La-Al and other sorbents suggests that CMKGM-La-Al can be considered as an effective sorbent for U(VI) sorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alginate-Ca/attapulgite clay core/shell particles were synthesized via electro-coextrusion. Affecting parameters on the removal of uranium, such as pH, initial uranium concentration, temperature and co-existing cations were investigated. The uranium adsorption process was endothermic, feasible and spontaneous. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for uranium was 199.345 mg/g at pH 3 and at 328.15 K. The results showed that the pseudo-second-order model and the Langmuir isotherm model fitted well with the data obtained. Based on the adsorption-desorption study, the adsorbent shows excellent reusability. The mechanism of uranium adsorption on the adsorbent was a combination of ion-exchange and an electrostatic interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel microsphere adsorbent based upon carboxymethyl cellulose sodium/prussian blue composite loaded with Lanthanum(III) (CMC/PB-La) was successfully synthesized via electrostatic ejection device for removal of cesium from contaminated water, and characterized by FT-IR, SEM, EDX and XPS. Influencing factors to adsorption cesium were investigated, including solution pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, initial concentration, temperature and competing ions. Linear Freundlich isotherm was fitted satisfactorily to the adsorption data, and the adsorption kinetic data was fitted well with pseudo-second-order model. Moreover, the results of γ-irradiation experiments indicate that CMC/PB-La has good radiation stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, by using two fixed point theorems, we discuss two classes of anti-periodic BVP for fractional differential equations with fractional impulsive conditions and variable parameter. The existence of solutions is obtained. Examples are also given to illustrate our theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon microsphere which possesses a large number of carboxyl groups on its surface was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment from aqueous glucose solutions at 130 °C and further calcination. The results showed that the maximum adsorption capacity (163 mg/g) of the carbon microspheres towards U(VI) was obtained, and the adsorption kinetic was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Meanwhile, the adsorption isotherm was better described by the Langmuir model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated the adsorption process was an endothermic and spontaneous process. The possible adsorption mechanism of the carbon microspheres for U(VI) involves ion-exchange and coordination reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carboxymethyl cellulose microsphere loaded with Al(III) (CMC-Al) has been explored for removal of uranium(VI) from U-containing water. Various factors, including pH, adsorbent dosage and uranium(VI) concentration, were tested. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied to the adsorption data. The thermodynamic parameters such as Δ H°, Δ S° and Δ G° were also evaluated. The mechanism of modification and adsorption on CMC-Al were analyzed by SEM, EDX and XPS. Results show Al (III) was loaded on CMC through ion exchange of sodium ion of CMC. The coordination reaction happened during the adsorption process between CMC-Al and uranium(VI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proportional hazards (PH) model is the most widely used semiparametric regression model for analyzing right-censored survival data based on the partial likelihood method. However, the partial likelihood does not exist for interval-censored data due to the complexity of the data structure. In this paper, we focus on general interval-censored data, which is a mixture of left-, right-, and interval-censored observations. We propose an efficient and easy-to-implement Bayesian estimation approach for analyzing such data under the PH model. The proposed approach adopts monotone splines to model the baseline cumulative hazard function and allows to estimate the regression parameters and the baseline survival function simultaneously. A novel two-stage data augmentation with Poisson latent variables is developed for the efficient computation. The developed Gibbs sampler is easy to execute as it does not require imputing any unobserved failure times or contain any complicated Metropolis-Hastings steps. Our approach is evaluated through extensive simulation studies and illustrated with two real-life data sets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A polycapillary X-ray optics is developed and used in a micro-area XRD residual stress measurement. The results are compared with the traditional pinhole method. Both diffraction intensity and peak height obtained from the application of this polycapillary are enhanced by dozens of times than that from the pinhole method. The experimental results exhibit the advantage of this polycapillary optics in the micro-area residual stress measurement with higher detectable signal and more accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of erectile dysfunction (ED) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey. Eligible patients were interviewed by questionnaire: the five-item version of International Index of Erectile Function. Residual renal function (RRF) was assessed by daily urine volume and residual glomerular filtration rate. Results: Totally, 176 male prevalent PD patients were interviewed, six of them were not included in analysis for sexually inactive unrelated to ED. The prevalence of ED was 80.6 %. After adjusting for confounding factors, advance age ( P = 0.014), less daily urine volume ( P = 0.032) and higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) ( P = 0.043) were independent risk factors for the development of ED. Conclusion: The prevalence of ED was high in Chinese PD patients. Advanced age, poor RRF and higher hs-CRP were independently associated with the prevalence of ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important initial step of mathematical formula recognition is to correctly identify the location of formulae within documents. Previous work in this area has traditionally focused on image-based documents; however, given the prevalence and popularity of the PDF format for dissemination, alternatives to image-based approaches are increasingly being explored. In this paper, we investigate the use of both machine learning techniques and heuristic rules to locate the boundaries of both isolated and embedded formulae within documents, based upon data extracted directly from PDF files. We propose four new features along with preprocessing and post-processing techniques for isolated formula identification. Furthermore, we compare, analyse and extensively tune nine state-of-the-art learning algorithms for a comprehensive evaluation of our proposed methods. The evaluation is carried out over a ground-truth dataset, which we have made publicly available, together with an application adaptable fine-grained evaluation metric. Our experimental results demonstrate that the overall accuracies of isolated and embedded formula identification are increased by 11.52 and 10.65 %, compared with our previously proposed formula identification approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the most hazardous substances in the world, dioxins have received continuous interest in chemistry, materials, and environmental sciences. The rapid detection and capture of carcinogenic 2,3,7,8-tetrochlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) are particularly challenging in the fields of materials and environmental sciences. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) method was applied to systematically investigate the interactions between TCDD and different types of graphene samples. The results reveal that the initial configuration of TCDD affects the interactions to a certain extent. As TCDD molecule is parallel to the graphene sheets, the interactions are the largest for all three types of graphene samples (intrinsic, defected and doped). In addition, the 'TCDD' capture ability of graphene can be greatly improved by Ti doping. Our study facilitates the rational design of efficient sensors for a variety of applications in environmental science and engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are crucial for double-strand break repair by homologous recombination, and mutations in these genes are responsible for most familial breast carcinomas. Cells with inactivating mutations of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 tumor suppressor genes are sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP1) inhibitors. Already in 2010, it has been predicted, that BRCA1 hypermethylation might be sensitive to PARP1 inhibitor. However, till today, a statistically significant proof has been missing, and the effectiveness of PARP1 inhibitors for breast cancer caused by BRCA1 promoter hypermethylation remained elusive. Pyrosequencing has been proposed as an optimal method to investigate the methylation status of the BRCA1 genes. Here, we show for the first time that BRCA1 CpG island hypermethylation is sensitive to PARP1 inhibitors. In clinical settings, this might improve treatment response and provide a more personalized therapy for breast cancer patients. Furthermore, the determination of methylation status of BRCA1 and other genes of the BRCA/homologous recombination (HR) pathway may be an important predictive classifier of response to PARP inhibitor therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purification is a separated post-treatment step after the synthesis of nanocrystals (NCs) in order to exclude excess ligands and monomers in NC solution. The common purification process involves many manipulations, such as concentrating, addition of anti-solvents and centrifugation, which are troublesome and time consuming. In this work, we originally integrate NC synthesis and NC purification in one-pot via selecting water-ethanol co-environment for NC synthesis and NC purification. Our research shows that NCs can grow in water-ethanol mixture. When growing into critical size, NCs will automatically precipitate from the solution. Element analysis demonstrates that precipitates fraction fits well with stoichiometric of ligand-capped NCs. Excess monomers are left in supernatant, and thus achieving automatically purification of NCs in the water-ethanol co-environment. By adjusting the volume ratios of water and ethanol in bi-solvent system, different-sized purified NCs can be controlled. Besides, this water-ethanol co-environment can be used in both thermal-promoted and hydrazine-promoted growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the assumptions that [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] is indefinite sign and subquadratic as [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] and [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] satisfies [Equation not available: see fulltext.] for some constant [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.], we establish a theorem on the existence of infinitely many homoclinic solutions for the second-order self-adjoint discrete Hamiltonian system [Equation not available: see fulltext.] where [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] and [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] are [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] real symmetric matrices for all [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.], and [InlineEquation not available: see fulltext.] is always positive definite. MSC: 39A11, 58E05, 70H05. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium (VI)-containing water has been recognized as a potential longer-term radiological health hazard. In this work, the sorptive potential of sunflower straw for U (VI) from aqueous solution was investigated in detail, including the effect of initial solution pH, adsorbent dosage, temperature, contact time and initial U (VI) concentration. A dose of 2.0 g L −1 of sunflower straw in an initial U (VI) concentration of 20 mg L −1 with an initial pH of 5.0 and a contact time of 10 h resulted in the maximum U (VI) uptake (about 6.96 mg g −1) at 298 K. The isotherm adsorption data was modeled best by the nonlinear Langmuir–Freundlich equation. The equilibrium sorption capacity of sunflower straw was observed to be approximately seven times higher than that of coconut-shell activated carbon as 251.52 and 32.37 mg g −1 under optimal conditions, respectively. The positive enthalpy and negative free energy suggested the endothermic and spontaneous nature of sorption, respectively. The kinetic data conformed successfully to the pseudo-second-order equation. Furthermore, energy dispersive X-ray, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrated that U (VI) adsorption onto sunflower straw was predominantly controlled by ion exchange as well as complexation mechanism. The study revealed that sunflower straw could be exploited for uranium remediation of aqueous streams as a promising adsorbent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1) has been proved in the process of apoptosis and tumor suppression. The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of Mst1 in breast cancer and to evaluate its prognostic significance. The expression of Mst1 was examined in 110 breast cancer patients by immunohistochemistry, in which 80 (72.7 %) were defined as positive for Mst1 expression. Patients with negative expression of Mst1 had poor overall survival, comparing with those with positive expression using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis ( P = 0.009). Multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards model showed that Mst1 expression was a significant independent prognostic factor in breast cancer ( P = 0.030). Our results presented the tumor suppressive role of Mst1, and confirmed Mst1 was a prognostic factor in human breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the effect of social support and coping style on depression in patients on CAPD in Southern China. Methods: The patients undergoing CAPD therapy for more than 3 months were recruited from Jan 1 to May 31, 2009. The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Social Support Rating Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) were used to evaluate depression, social support, coping style, and quality of life (QoL), respectively. Results: Of the 191 recruited patients, 65 patients (34.0 %) suffered from depression, with a BDI-II score of 23.8 ± 8.4. The average score of QoL (44.9 ± 13.9 vs. 64.7 ± 14.2, p < 0.001), social support (37.9 ± 7.2 vs. 42.1 ± 7.3, p < 0.001), and 'confrontation' coping style (17.2 ± 3.9 vs. 18.8 ± 3.8, p = 0.006) in depressed patients was significantly lower than those in non-depressed patients, respectively. While the depressed patients had significantly higher score of 'acceptance-resignation' coping style (12.9 ± 2.5 vs. 10.4 ± 3.5, p < 0.001) compared with those of non-depressed patients. Univariate analysis showed that the BDI-II score was negatively associated with social support ( r = −0.284, p < 0.001) and 'confrontation' ( r = −0.180, p = 0.013), but positively associated with 'acceptance-resignation' ( r = 0.482, p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age (OR = 0.971, p = 0.038), female sex (OR = 2.211, p = 0.039), diabetes mellitus (OR = 3.046, p = 0.015), long PD duration (OR = 1.021, p = 0.020), fatigue (OR = 2.500, p = 0.032), high Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score (OR = 1.143, p = 0.001), low social support (OR = 0.945, p = 0.046), and high 'acceptance-resignation' (OR = 1.096, p = 0.020) were independently associated with depression. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of depression in CAPD patients. Age, female sex, diabetes mellitus, long PD duration, fatigue, sleep disturbance, low social support, and high 'acceptance-resignation' coping style were independently associated with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]