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The effects of cryogenic treatment (CT) and tempering-cryogenic treatment (TCT) on the microstructure and properties of coarse-grained WC–10Co cemented carbides with different carbon contents were researched. The binder phase, WC mean grain sizes, W solubility in the binder, relative magnetic saturation, densities, hardness, wear resistance and second phase precipitation of cemented carbides with different heat treatments were discussed. The results show that there are significant changes of microstructure and properties in the samples with CT and TCT, especially due to the precipitation of metastable nanoparticles W x Co y C z in the binder during the heat treatments of CT and TCT. With the simultaneous combination of microstructure and nanoparticle-reinforced binder, a dramatically improved combination of hardness and wear resistance of the samples after TCT has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: By analyzing the distribution of existing and newly proposed staging imaging features in pT1–3 and pT4a tumors, we searched for a salient feature and validated its diagnostic performance. Methods: Preoperative multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images of the training cohort were retrospectively collected at three centers from January 2016 to December 2017. We used the chi-square test to analyze the distribution of several stage-related imaging features in pT1–3 and pT4a tumors, including small arteriole sign (SAS), outer edge of the intestine, tumor invasion range, and peritumoral adipose tissue. Preoperative multiphase contrast-enhanced CT images of the validation cohort were retrospectively collected at Beijing Cancer Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018. The diagnostic performance of the selected imaging feature, including accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, was validated and compared with the conventional clinical tumor stage (cT) by the McNemar test. Results: In the training cohort, a total of 268 patients were enrolled, and only SAS was significantly different between pT1–3 and pT4a tumors. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the SAS and conventional cT in differentiating T1–3 and T4a tumors were 94.4%, 81.6%, and 97.3% and 53.7%, 32.7%, and 58.4%, respectively (all p < 0.001). In the validation cohort, a total of 135 patients were collected. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the SAS and the conventional cT were 93.3%, 76.2%, and 96.5% and 62.2%, 38.1%, and 66.7%, respectively (p < 0.001, p = 0.021, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Small arteriole sign positivity, an indirect imaging feature of serosa invasion, may improve the accuracy of identifying T4a colon cancer. Clinical relevance statement: Small arteriole sign helps to distinguish T1–3 and T4a colon cancer and further improves the accuracy of preoperative CT staging of colon cancer. Key Points: • The accuracy of preoperative CT staging of colon cancer is not ideal, especially for T4a tumors. • Small arteriole sign (SAS) is a newly defined imaging feature that shows the appearance of tumor-supplying arterioles at the site where they penetrate the intestine wall. • SAS is an indirect imaging marker of tumor invasion into the serosa with a great value in distinguishing between T1–3 and T4a colon cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgery is the primary treatment for locally advanced differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). However, some locally advanced patients are not candidates for R0/1 resection. There is limited evidence of neoadjuvant treatment in locally advanced DTC. Surufatinib targets multiple kinases, which is efficient, tolerable, and safe in patients with radioiodine-refractory DTC. In addition, surufatinib plus toripalimab (an anti-PD-1 antibody) showed encouraging antitumor activity in advanced solid tumors. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of surufatinib plus toripalimab in locally advanced DTC in the neoadjuvant setting. Methods: In this single-arm, phase II study, patients with pathologically confirmed unresectable or borderline resectable DTC were eligible and received a combination of 250 mg of surufatinib (orally daily) with 240 mg of toripalimab (intravenous, every 3 weeks). Treatment continued until satisfied for curative surgery, disease progression, withdrawal of consent, unacceptable toxicity, or investigator decision. Primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included R0/1 resection rate, adverse events (AEs), etc. Results: Ten patients were enrolled and received at least 4 cycles of treatment. The ORR was 60%. Nine patients received R0/1 resections after neoadjuvant treatment. The median best percentage change in the sum of the target lesion diameter was 32%. Most adverse events (AEs) were grade 1 or 2. Conclusions: Surufatinib in combination with toripalimab as neoadjuvant therapy for locally advanced DTC was feasible, and the majority of patients achieved R0/1 resection. It represents a new option for locally advanced DTC and needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monkeypox was declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, and as of March 2023, 86,000 confirmed cases and 111 deaths across 110 countries have been reported. Its causal agent, monkeypox virus (MPV) belongs to a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses, Orthopoxviridae, that also includes vaccinia virus (VACV) and others. MPV produces two distinct forms of viral particles during its replication cycles: the enveloped viron (EV) that is released via exocytosis, and the mature viron (MV) that is discharged through lysis of host cells. This study was designed to develop multi-valent mRNA vaccines against monkeypox EV and MV surface proteins, and examine their efficacy and mechanism of action. Four mRNA vaccines were produced with different combinations of surface proteins from EV (A35R and B6R), MV (A29L, E8L, H3L and M1R), or EV and MV, and were administered in Balb/c mice to assess their immunogenicity potentials. A dynamic immune response was observed as soon as seven days after initial immunization, while a strong IgG response to all immunogens was detected with ELISA after two vaccinations. The higher number of immunogens contributed to a more robust total IgG response and correlating neutralizing activity against VACV, indicating the additive potential of each immunogen in generating immune response and nullifying VACV infection. Further, the mRNA vaccines elicited an antigen-specific CD4+ T cell response that is biased towards Th1. The mRNA vaccines with different combinations of EV and MV surface antigens protected a mouse model from a lethal dose VACV challenge, with the EV and MV antigens-combined vaccine offering the strongest protection. These findings provide insight into the protective mechanism of multi-valent mRNA vaccines against MPV, and also the foundation for further development of effective and safe mRNA vaccines for enhanced protection against monkeypox virus outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop nutritious and healthy Sichuan hotpot oil. Four blended oil formulas were formulated using MATLAB based on the fatty acid composition of four base constituents (beef tallow, mutton tallow, peanut oil, and palm oil). The sensory characteristics, physicochemical properties, nutritional composition, harmful substances, and antioxidant capacity of the oils were analyzed during the boiling process. A blend of 60% beef tallow + 10% mutton tallow + 10% peanut oil + 20% palm oil exhibited a low level of peroxide (0.03 g/100 g) and malondialdehyde (0.04 mg/kg), and high phytosterol content (1028.33 mg/kg), which was the suitable hotpot blending oil. Furthermore, the changes in the physicochemical properties during boring were low, with a high retention rate of phytosterol (94.85%), and the levels of 3,4-benzopyrene (1.12 μg/kg) and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol ester (0.67 mg/kg) were both lower than the recommended limits. This study will provide a theoretical basis for the advancement of the hotpot oil industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemoresistance remains a huge challenge for effective treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Previous studies have shown Chinese herbal extracts possess great potential in ameliorating tumor chemoresistance, however, the efficacy is clinically limited mainly because of the poor tumor-targeting and in vivo stability. The construction of nano-delivery systems for herbal extracts has been shown to improve drug targeting, enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce toxic and side effects. In this study, a folic acid (FA)-modified nano-herb micelle was developed for codelivery of pristimerin (PRI) and paclitaxel (PTX) to enhance chemosensitivity of NSCLC, in which PRI could synergistically enhance PTX-induced growth inhibition of A549 cancer cell. PTX was firstly grafted with the FA-linked polyethylene glycol (PEG) and then encapsulated with PRI to construct the PRI@FA-PEG-PTX (P@FPP) nano-micelles (NMs), which exhibited improved tumor-targeting and in vivo stability. This active-targeting P@FPP NMs displayed excellent tumor-targeting characteristics without obvious toxicity. Moreover, inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis induced by P@FPP NMs were significantly enhanced compared with the combined effects of the two drugs (PRI in combination of PTX), which associated with epithelial mesenchymal transition inhibition to some extent. Overall, this active-targeting NMs provides a versatile nano-herb strategy for improving tumor-targeting of Chinese herbal extracts, which may help in the promotion of enhancing chemosensitivity of NSCLC in clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change and increased human consumption have aggravated the uneven spatiotemporal distribution of watershed water resources, affecting the water provision supply and demand state. However, this problem has often been ignored. The present study used the Xiangjiang River basin (XRB) as the study area, and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs (InVEST) model, demand quantification model, supply–demand ratio, and water flow formula were applied to explore the spatial heterogeneity, flow, and equilibrium between water supply and demand. The results demonstrated significant spatial heterogeneity in the upstream, midstream, and downstream regions. The areas of water shortage were mainly located the downstream of the Changsha–Zhuzhou–Xiangtan urban agglomeration, and the Hengyang basin was the most scarcity area. Affected by terrain gradients and human needs, water flow varied from -16.33 × 108 m3 to 13.69 × 108 m3 from the upstream to the downstream area, which provided a possibility to reduce spatial heterogeneity. In the future, measures such as strengthening water resource system control, sponge city construction, and dynamic monitoring technology should be taken to balance the supply and demand of water in different river sections of the basin. This study can provide references for regulating water resources allocation in different reaches of the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The role of lymph node ratio (LNR, ratio of metastatic to examined nodes) in the staging of multiple human malignancies has been reported. We aim to evaluate its value in salivary gland cancer (SGC). Methods: Records of SGC patients from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (SEER, training set, N = 4262) and Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC, validating set, N = 154) were analyzed for the prognostic value of LNR. Kaplan–Meier survival estimates, the Log-rank χ2 test and Cox proportional hazards model were used for univariate and multivariate analysis. Optimal LNR cutoff points were identified by X-tile. Results: Optimal LNR cutoff points classified patients into four risk groups, R0, R1 (≤ 0.17), R2 (0.17–0.56) and R3 (> 0.56), corresponding to 5-year cause-specific survival in SEER patients of 88.6%, 57.2%, 53.1% and 39.7%, disease-free survival in FUSCC patients of 69.2%, 63.3%, 34.6% and 0%, and disease-specific survival in FUSCC patients of 92.3%, 90.0%, 71.4% and 0%, respectively. Compared with TNM staging, TNM + R staging showed smaller AIC values and higher C-index values in the Cox regression model in both patient sets. Conclusions: LNR classification should be considered as a complementary system to TNM staging and LNR classification based clinical trials deserve further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide does not directly consider longitudinal cracking in concrete pavement design. However, longitudinal cracking has been widely observed on joint plain concrete pavements, sometimes even more significant than transverse cracking, which adversely affect the performance and service life of concrete pavements. The objective of this study was to determine the possible causes for the longitudinal cracking problem in joint plain concrete pavements so that effective actions can be taken in future design and construction. Both field project survey of severe longitudinal cracking and numerical simulations were conducted. Results confirmed that construction problems such as inadequate longitudinal joint forming and inadequate base support are among the contribution factors, in particular for premature and localized longitudinal cracks. However, field survey indicated that the amounts of longitudinal cracking increased with widened slabs and tied concrete shoulders. Results from numerical simulation further demonstrated that the geometry of a slab could greatly influence the potential of longitudinal cracking, especially when the traffic is composed of more tandem and tridem axles. The field data led to a development of an empirical model for the prediction of longitudinal cracking. As the geometry including slab length, width and thickness is generally a design issue, this study warrants the necessity and possibility of developing a mechanistic-empirical model for longitudinal cracking in future mechanistic-empirical pavement design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an optimal semi-continuous process for vinegar production from edible alcohol through biotransformation by acetic acid bacteria (AAB) WUST-01 was developed. The optimized medium composition for the starting-up stage was glucose 5.1 g/L, yeast extract 26.2 g/L, and ethanol 11.9 mL/L, and the optimal ethanol for the following semi-continuous stage was 50 mL/L. In the semi-continuous biotransformation process, the optimal withdraw ratio was 50% of working volume with 12 h cycle time. With these conditions, the total acidity could reach to 77.3 g/L and the acidity productivity could reach to 3.0 g/(L h) in a 5 L reactor. Furthermore, it was investigated to strengthen vinegar synthesis through enhancing alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase activity in AAB by ferrous ion and pueraria flower extract as the enzyme regulators. With these regulators, the vinegar synthesis efficiency can be improved 16.3 and 13.2% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: Peramivir is a novel antiviral agent approved for the treatment of severe influenza. However, the development of oral formulation of peramivir has been severely hurdled by poor bioavailability (human, ≤3%). The present work aims to evaluate oral permeability characteristics of peramivir. Methods: In vitro gastrointestinal stability, metabolic stability in human intestinal S9 fraction and Caco-2 permeability were performed. The liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometric (LC-MS/MS) was used to quantify peramivir in buffer and biological sample. Using GastroPlus™ software, intestinal effective permeability coefficient ( P ) of peramivir was estimated. Results: Our results indicated that peramivir maintained stability in pH 5.5 and 7.4 buffers, fasted state simulated gastric fluid and fasted state simulated intestinal fluid, and human intestinal S9 fractions. The apparent permeability coefficient ( P ) values of peramivir (10 μM) were 3.29 ± 0.73 × 10 cm/s in a Caco-2 cell model. In vivo intestinal effective permeability coefficient ( P ) was estimated to be 0.06 × 10 cm/s. Furthermore, co-incubating with cyclosporine, mitoxantrone, rifampicin, or paroxetine, the apical (AP) to basolateral (BL) flux of peramivir decreased ( p < 0.05). The efflux and influx of peramivir was not significantly affected with co-incubation with verapamil, MK-571, or diclofenac ( p > 0.05). Conclusions: These results revealed that carrier-mediated transports, including OATP1B (organic anion transport 1B) and OCT1 (organic cation transport 1), might be involved in the absorption of peramivir. In conclusion, our results provide insight into the poor oral bioavailability of peramivir. Peramivir can be classified as a BCS-III (high solubility/low permeability) and BDDCS-III high solubility/poor metabolism) drug. The oral bioavailability of peramivir primarily depends on its permeability across cell membranes. Both of passive and active transports are involved in the permeability of peramivir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure evolution of Mg100-2xYxZnx (x=2, 2.5, 3, 3.5) alloys was investigated. Results show that the Mg100-2xYxZnx alloys are composed of α-Mg, long period stacking ordered (LPSO) phase and eutectic structure phase (W phase), and the Mg95Y2.5Zn2.5 alloy has the best comprehensive mechanical properties. Subsequently, the microstructure evolution of the optimized alloy Mg95Y2.5Zn2.5 during solidification and heat treatment processes was analyzed and discussed by means of OM, SEM, TEM, XRD and DTA. After heat treatment, the lamellar phase 14H-LPSO precipitated in α-Mg and W phase transforms into particle phase (MgYZn2). Due to the compound reinforcement effect of the particle phase and LPSO phase (18R+14H), the mechanical properties of the alloy are enhanced. The tensile strength and elongation of the Mg95Y2.5Zn2.5 alloy is improved by 9.1% and 31.3% to 215 MPa and 10.5%, respectively, after solid-solution treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of truck axle load spectra in the Mechanistic Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) has brought great advancement in pavement design through quantifying pavement accumulated damage due to individual axle loads. However, how to relate the truck axle load volume and spectra directly to pavement performance remains a practical challenge for pavement engineers. This paper presents a systematic index approach to this issue that characterizes three aspects of traffic loading to pavement performance: volume, load, and damage. Four summary indices were investigated in this study: cumulative truck volume (CTV), cumulative truck load (CTL), equivalent single axle load (ESAL), and relative pavement performance impact (RPPI). The involved concepts and calculation procedures were first introduced, followed by a numerical evaluation analysis of 30 axle load spectra, 18 vehicle class distributions, 2 truck configurations, and 2 pavement types. To demonstrate how these summary indices could be used, a case study was presented. Overall results suggested that the systematic indices introduced in this study had a clear relationship with pavement performance, so it could be used to assist engineers in many ways such as comparing different load spectra, communicating between engineers, and understanding the relationship between traffic and pavement performance for a specific design at any point in time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AlN films were prepared on Si(100) and quartz glass substrates with high deposition rate of 30 nm·min at the temperature of below 85 °C by the magnetic-filtered cathodic arc ion plating (FCAIP) method. The as-deposited AlN films show very smooth surface and almost no macrodroplets. The films are in amorphous state, and the formation of AlN is confirmed by N1s and Al2p X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS depth profile analysis shows that oxygen is mainly absorbed on the AlN surface. The AlN film has Al and N concentrations close to the stoichiometric ratio with a small amount of AlO. The prepared AlN films are highly transparent over the wavelength range of 210-990 nm. The optical transmission spectrum reveals the bandgap of 6.1 eV. The present technique provides a good approach to prepare large-scale AlN films with controlled structure and good optical properties at low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) often presents as multifocal tumor;, however, whether multifocality is associated with poor prognosis remains controversial. The aims of this retrospective study were to identify the characteristics of PTC with multifocal tumors and evaluate the association between the location and prognosis. We reviewed the medical records of 496 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy for PTC. Patients were classified as three groups: N1 (solitary tumor), N2 (2 or more foci within unilateral lobe of thyroid), and N3 (bilateral tumors, at least one tumor focus for each lobe of thyroid). We analyzed the differences of clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes among the three groups. Cox regression model was used to assess the relation between the different locations of multifocal tumors and prognosis. Although the differences of clinicopathologic features such as the size of tumor, extrathyroidal extension, and cervical lymph node metastasis were not significant among the three groups, the bilateral-multifocality was proved to be an independent risk factor for neck recurrence (hazard ratio (HR) = 4.052, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.070-7.933), distant metastasis (HR = 3.860, 95 % CI 1.507-9.884), and cancer death (HR = 7.252, 95 % 2.189-24.025). In addition, extrathyroidal extension (HR = 2.291, 95 % CI 1.185-4.427) and older age >45 years (HR = 6.721, 95 % CI 2.300-19.637) were also significant predictors for neck recurrence and cancer death, respectively. Therefore, bilateral-multifocality as an indicator for more extensive tumor location could be used to assess the risk of recurrence and mortality in PTC. Given the poor prognosis associated with bilateral-multifocality and other risk factors, aggressive therapy and intensive follow-up were recommended for PTC patients with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of predictors for recurrence in relation to recurrence-free survival was analyzed retrospectively in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients under 21 years of age who underwent primary surgical treatment and who had a pathological diagnosis of DTC between 1983 and 2012 at Fudan University Cancer Hospital. Recurrences were retrospectively analyzed using a Cox regression model for the hazard ratio (HR) according to the clinicopathological features. A meta-analysis was performed with respect to the potential predictors for recurrence from current related studies. In the present study, there were 146 young patients aged from 7 to 20 years, with a female/male ratio of 2.65/1. Female gender was the only factor significantly associated with recurrence according to univariate (HR = 2.812, P = 0.037) and multivariate (HR = 4.107, P = 0.024) Cox regression analyses. Meta-analyses revealed that multifocality (HR = 1.91, P < 0.05) and presentation at diagnosis (HR = 1.39, P < 0.05) were highly associated with recurrence in young DTC patients. However, female gender and other factors, such as age (≤10 vs. 11-20 years), PTC (PTC vs. FTC), extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, total thyroidectomy (total vs. less than total), radioiodine therapy, and radiation history, were not associated with recurrence in young DTC patients. In conclusion, multifocality and presentation at diagnosis are strong predictive factors of recurrence in relation to recurrence-free survival. We recommend studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up to verify the influence of predictors for disease recurrence in young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current evidences suggest an influence of overweight body mass index (BMI) on the carcinogenesis in malignancies. However, the role of BMI is unclear in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between BMI and BRAF mutation status in PTC. BRAF mutation in 108 patients with PTC was analyzed by Sanger sequencing. The cutoff point of BMI was identified by X-tile for predicting mutation by overweight. Odds ratios (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) of BRAF mutation according to BMI and clinicopathologic variables were calculated using logistic regression models. Fifty-one patients were positive for BRAF mutation. A positive relationship existed between BRAF mutation and BMI ( p = 0.039). A 24.3 kg/m was identified as cutoff point for differentiating greater than 52.0 % observed probability of mutation for BRAF in entire cohort, which was similar to the midpoint between the upper limit of normal BMI and overweight defined by WHO (≥24 kg/m). Multivariate analysis confirmed the association between BRAF mutation with overweight BMI range (OR 7.645, 95 % CI 1.275-45.831, p = 0.026). This study suggests an influence of overweight BMI on the status of BRAF in patients with PTC, whereas the underlying mechanism need to be further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three full-scale roller compacted concrete (RCC) pavement sections built over a soil cement base were tested under accelerated pavement testing (APT). The RCC thicknesses varied from 102 mm (4 in.) to 152 mm (6 in.) and to 203 mm (8 in.), respectively. A bi-directional loading device with a dual-tire load assembly was used for this experiment. Each test section was instrumented with multiple pressure cells and strain gages. The objective was to evaluate the structural performance and load carrying capacity of thin RCC-surfaced pavements under accelerated loading. The APT results generally indicated that all three RCC pavement sections tested in this study possessed very high load carrying capacity; an estimated pavement life in terms of equivalent single axle load (ESAL) for the thinnest RCC section (i.e., RCC thickness of 102 mm) evaluated was approximately 19.2 million. It was observed that a fatigue failure would be the primary pavement distress type for a thin RCC pavement under trafficking. Specifically, the development of fatigue cracking was found to originate from a longitudinal crack at the edge or in the center of a tire print, then extended and propagated, and eventually merged with cracks of other directions. Instrumentation results were used to characterize the fatigue damage under different load magnitudes. Finally, based on the APT performance of this experiment, two fatigue models for predicting the fatigue life of thin RCC pavements were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the flow structure and the bedload transport regime in backwater flows, to provide a theoretical support for solving the sediment transport and bed scour problems in rivers or reservoirs with backwater. The bedload transport rates under different conditions are analyzed first on the basis of theoretical analysis, measurement comparison and flume experiment, and it is pointed out that the existing formulas for the bedload transport rate are not applicable for the bedload transport rate in backwater flows. Next, the flow structure in a non-uniform flow is observed by flume experiments, and by introducing the backwater degree index, the quantitative relation between the relative bed shear stress and the backwater degree is obtained. Finally, the formula for the bedload transport rate applicable for the reservoir channel segment with backwater flows is obtained through measurements and flume experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunicamycin (TM) is an inducer of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. However, which genes related to ER stress was induced in cardiomyocytes on a genome-wide scale remains poorly understood. Salubrinal and its derivatives are ER stress inhibitors. However, the cellular protection mechanisms remain unresolved. Neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were cultured from ventricles of one-day-old Wistar rats. Cells were exposed to salubrinal, its derivatives (PP1-12, PP1-24) or vehicle followed by TM treatment at different times. Total RNA was isolated from cells for RNA-sequencing analysis. The expressions of 189, 182, 556, 860, and 1314 genes were changed in cells exposed to TM for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Five well-known UPR genes ( Hspa5, Hsp90b1, Calr, Ddit3, and Atf4) were significantly increased in a time-dependent manner. Six not well-known genes ( Hyou1, Herpud1, Manf, Creld2, Sdf2l1, and Slc3a2) were highlighted to be involved in ER stress. Compared with TM-only treated cells, the expressions of 36 genes upregulated by TM and 74 genes downregulated by TM were reversed by salubrinal. In comparison, 121 genes upregulated by TM and 92 genes downregulated by TM were reversed by PP1-12. Most genes altered by salubrinal are in the category of transcription (1 h) and cell cycle (24 h). Most genes altered by PP1-12 are in the category of response to ER stress (3 h) and cell cycle (24 h). Our findings help elucidate the mechanism for TM treatment and may be useful for future drug screens involved in ER stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the adaptive time-dependent density matrix renormalization group method, we numerically investigate the expansion dynamics of bosons in a one-dimensional hard-core boson model with three-body interactions. It is found that the bosons expand ballistically with weak interaction, which are obtained by local density and the radius Rn. It is shown that the expansion velocity V, obtained from Rn = Vt, is dependent on the number of bosons. As a prominent result, the expansion velocity decreases with the enhancement of three-body interaction. We further study the dynamics of the system, which quenches from the ground state with two-thirds filling, the results indicate the expansion is also ballistic in the gapless phase regime. It could help us detect the phase transition in the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the prognostic value of CD45RO tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in locally advanced rectal cancer treated with 30 Gy/10 fraction (10f) neoadjuvant radiotherapy. Methods: This retrospective study involved 185 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer who underwent 30 Gy/10f nRT (biologic equivalent dose, 30 Gy) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) between August 2003 and October 2009. The density of CD45RO TILs was assessed by immunohistochemistry using an image-analysis system and tissue microarray and was evaluated for its association with histopathologic features along with disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Following neoadjuvant radiotherapy, the median density of CD45RO TILs is 654/mm. High density of CD45RO TILs was significantly associated with increased T and N downstaging effect ( p = 0.006; p = 0.014), lesser-advanced T stage ( p = 0.003) and TNM stage ( p = 0.022). Prolonged DFS (89.0 vs. 68.1 %) was also observed in CD45RO cases. On multivariate regression model, CD45RO TILs ( p = 0.026; odds ratio (OR), 0.436 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.209-0.907)), tumor differentiation ( p = 0.057; OR, 1.878 (95 % CI, 0.982-3.593)), ypT stage ( p = 0.066; OR, 2.383 (95 % CI, 0.943-6.025)), and ypN stage ( p = 0.009; OR, 2.612 (95 % CI, 1.266-5.388)) were independent factors for DFS. Conclusion: The density of CD45RO TILs cannot only predict tumor downstaging and ypTNM stage for rectal cancer following 30 Gy/10f nRT but also promisingly predict long-term outcomes. These findings may be used to stratify patients and make alternative strategy of adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labile organic carbon (LOC) and carbon management index (CMI), which are sensitive factors to the changes of environment, can improve evaluating the effect of land management practices changes on soil quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of land use types and landscape positions on soil quality as a function of LOC and CMI. A field study in a small watershed in the red soil hilly region of southern China was conducted, and soil samples were collected from four typical lands (pine forest (PF) on slope land, barren hill (BH) on slope land, citrus orchard (CO) on terrace land and Cinnarnornum Camphora (CC) on terrace land) at a sampling depth of 20 cm. Soil nutrients, soil organic carbon (SOC), LOC and CMI were measured. Results showed that the LOC and CMI correlated to not only soil carbon but also soil nutrients, and the values of LOC and CMI in different land use types followed the order CC > PF > CO > BH at the upper-slope, while CO > CC > BH > PF at mid-slope and down-slope. With respect to slope positions, the values of LOC and CMI in all the lands were followed the order: upper-slope > down-slope > mid-slope. As whole, the mean values of LOC and CMI in different lands followed the order CC > CO > PF > BH. High CMI and LOC content were found in the terrace lands with broadleaf vegetations. These results indicated that the terracing and appropriate vegetations can increase the carbon input and lability and decrease soil erosion. However, the carbon pools and CMI in these lands were significantly lower than that in reference site. This suggested that it may require a long time for the soil to return to a high-quality. Consequently, it is an efficient way to adopt the measures of terracing and appropriate vegetations planting in improving the content of LOC and CMI and controlling water and soil loss in fragile ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the adsorption kinetics of Cu, Zn and Cd introduced into red soils simultaneously and sequentially as well as their distribution coefficients, the ability of red soils to retain heavy metals was evaluated by performing batch experiments. The results indicate that Cu is preferentially adsorbed by red soils no matter in simultaneous or in sequential situation. The adsorption amount of Cd is the minimum in simultaneous competitive adsorption experiment. As heavy metals are added into red soils sequentially, the heavy metal adsorptions are relatively hard to reach equilibrium in 2 h. Red soils retain more Cd than Zn, which is opposite to the result in simultaneous adsorption. The addition sequences of heavy metals affect their adsorbed amounts in red soils to a certain extent. The joint distribution coefficients of metals in simultaneous adsorption are slightly higher than those in sequential adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is one of the treatment modes for liver cancer. The trauma caused by RFA is small, and its local curative effect is reliable. Computed tomography (CT) can only be used for axial scans, and parts of the lesion are unclear on plain scans. The aim of this study is to compare the local curative effect of RFA percutaneously guided by MRI and ultrasound for small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study is a retrospective study. In this study, we examined 60 cases of 88 liver lesions and 50 cases of 52 lesions, in which RFA was guided by MRI and ultrasound, respectively. All cases were clinically diagnosed. The therapeutic effect of ablation lesions was examined by postoperative imaging follow-up. The results indicated that there were 5 (5/88) recurrences of liver lesions with MRI-guided RFA and 14 (14/52) recurrences of liver lesions with ultrasound-guided RFA. The median time to recurrence in the case of recurrent lesions was 7 months. Postoperative ablation lesions showed a low-intensity signal surrounded by a thin high-intensity signal ring on T2WI images. On T1WI images, the ablation lesion showed a concentric pattern and the central area of the original lesion continued to show a low-intensity signal with a clear ring of high-intensity signal that had a clear boundary. In conclusion, the local curative effect of MRI-guided RFA for small HCC is superior to that of ultrasound-guided RFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RuO· nHO film was deposited on tantalum foils by electrodeposition and heat treatment using RuCl·3HO as precursor. Surface morphology, composition change and cyclic voltammetry from precursor to amorphous and crystalline RuO· nHO films were studied by X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transformation infrared spectrometer, differential thermal analyzer, scanning electron microscope and electrochemical analyzer, respectively. The results show that the precursor was transformed gradually from amorphous to crystalline phase with temperature. When heat treated at 300 °C for 2 h, RuO· nHO electrode surface gains mass of 2.5 mg/cm with specific capacitance of 782 F/g. Besides, it is found that the specific capacitance of the film decreased by roughly 20% with voltage scan rate increasing from 5 to 250 mV/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a recent study on using AASHTO Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) design software (Pavement ME™) to evaluate the performance of typical Louisiana rigid pavement structures as compared to the existing pavement performance data available in the pavement management system (PMS). In total, 19 projects with two pavement structure types, Portland cement concrete (PCC) over unbound base and PCC over asphalt mixture blanket, were analyzed. Results show that the national model over-predicts transverse cracking and under-predicts joint faulting. Therefore, a preliminary calibration was conducted to adjust Pavement ME for Louisiana's condition. In addition to comparing the measured and predicted performance, the recommended thickness from the current and the new design methods was also compared. It was found that the two design methods are comparable with an average difference of 2 cm or 7 percent (Pavement ME requires a thinner pavement). At the end of this paper, problems, challenges and possible solutions for fully implementing the new design method are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycrystalline PrFeMn ( x = 0, 1, and 2) alloys were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), heat capacity, ac susceptibility, and isothermal magnetization measurements. All the alloys adopt the rhombohedral ThZn-type structure. The Curie temperature increases from 283 K at x = 0 to 294 K at x = 1, and then decreases to 285 K at x = 2. The magnetic phase transition at the Curie temperature is a typical second-order paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition. For an applied field change from 0 to 5 T, the maximum −Δ S for PrFeMn alloys with x = 0, 1, and 2 are 5.66, 5.07, and 4.31 J·kg·K, respectively. The refrigerant capacity ( RC) values range from 458 to 364 J·kg , which is about 70 %-89 % that of Gd. The large, near room temperature Δ S and RC values, chemical stability, and a high performance-to-cost ratio make PrFeMn alloys be selectable materials for room temperature magnetic refrigeration applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focal thyroid incidentaloma identified on F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography or positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET or PET/CT) indicates a high risk of thyroid malignancy. A meta-analysis was performed to investigate whether the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) could discriminate between benign and malignant tissues in focal lesions and to explore the cutoff value of SUVmax for the diagnosis of malignancy. A total of 29 studies were involved in this meta-analysis. The results indicated that there was no statistically significant difference in the size of the two benign and malignant groups when measured by ultrasonography (95 % confidence interval (CI), −0.79 to 0.03 min; p = 0.07), while a significantly higher focal SUVmax was observed in the malignant group (95 % CI, 0.34 to 1.05; p = 0.0001). In conclusion, the findings of this meta-analysis suggest that a higher focal F-FDG SUVmax was associated with a higher risk of thyroid malignancy, especially at a threshold of 3.3 or more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines are a promising immunotherapeutic approach for treatment and prevention of cancer. While this methodology is widely accepted, it also has some limitations. Antigen-presenting cells including DCs express the mannan receptor (MR). The delivery of a mannan-modified tumor antigen to the MR has been demonstrated to be efficient. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) is mainly responsible for angiogenesis and tumor growth. The goal of our study was to deliver VEGFR-2 to DCs by means of mannan-modified adenovirus. Methods: VEGFR-2 recombinant adenovirus modified with oxidized mannan was constructed as a tumor vaccine to immunize mice in vivo. IFN-γ in mouse sera and spleen was detected by ELISA and ELISPOT. The killing activity of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) against VEGFR-2 was measured with a lactate dehydrogenase assay. Vessel densities in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry was used to test CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts in tumor tissues. Results: The vaccine exhibited both protective and therapeutic efficacy in the inhibition of tumor growth and markedly prolonged survival in mice. Protection against metastasis was also observed. Furthermore, vaccination led to greater IFN-γ and VEGFR-2-specific CTLs. The specific immunity resulted in the suppression of angiogenesis and an increase in CD8 cells in tumor tissues. Conclusion: Oxidized mannan-modified adenovirus expressing VEGFR-2 could extraordinarily stimulate both protective and therapeutic immune response in a mice model. Our data suggest that the combination of cancer immunity and anti-angiogenesis via modified mannan is a promising strategy in tumor prophylaxis and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supercapacitors, as one of alternative energy devices, have been characterized by the rapid rate of charging and discharging, and high power density. But they are now challenged to achieve their potential energy density that is related to specific capacitance. Thus it is extremely important to make such materials with high specific capacitances. In this report, we have gained homogenous Ni(OH)2 on graphene by efficiently using of a facile and effective electrostatic induced stretch growth method. The electrostatic interaction triggers advantageous change in morphology and the ordered stacking of Ni(OH)2 nanosheets on graphene also enhances the crystallization of Ni(OH)2. When the as-prepared Ni(OH)2/graphene composite is applied to supercapacitors, they show superior electrochemical properties including high specific capacitance (1503 F g-1 at 2 mV s-1) and excellent cycling stability up to 6000 cycles even at a high scan rate of 50 mV s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A small homemade device was used to study the influence of mechanical vibration on the crystal structure and morphology of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) under different melting temperatures, vibration times, vibration frequencies, and cooling rates. The crystallite size, crystal structure, and crystallinity of iPP under or without vibration treatment were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and polarized microscopy observation (PLM). The crystallization of iPP varied with the length of vibration time, vibration frequency, cooling rate, and melt temperature. Compared with the data of conventional samples measured by DSC, vibration could increase the crystallinity of iPP, make melting peak of α-crystal move toward higher temperature and make that of β-crystal shift to lower temperature. Meanwhile, WAXD measurements showed that the vibration could reduce the content of β-crystal evidently, particularly at the lower vibration frequency, lower cooling rate, and higher melting temperature. Furthermore, PLM measurements showed that the vibration made the spherulite size smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accelerated pavement testing (APT) experiment was conducted to evaluate field performance of foamed asphalt-treated reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) layers used in a flexible pavement structure under typical southern Louisiana highway conditions. The APT experiment consisted of three full-scale flexible pavement sections with different base layers: a regular good-performing crushed stone base and two foamed asphalt-treated RAP bases containing different RAP percentages. Laboratory test results indicated that the two foamed asphalt RAP materials exhibited the higher potential of moisture susceptibility, had less resilient moduli, and were more prone to permanent deformation than the crushed stone base material considered. The APT results showed that the foamed asphalt base test sections had excellent early performance, but both failed by a suddenly sharp increase in permanent deformation when the APT load level was increased. A shakedown analysis revealed that the foamed asphalt treated RAP base materials could have lower shakedown stress thresholds than that of the crushed stone under a moisture-rich road condition. Finally, forensic investigation indicated that one foamed asphalt base failed mainly due to its severe moisture susceptibility, while the other experienced both mositure and over-asphalting problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass formation was intensively studied for Fe-based alloys. Parameters defining kinetics and thermodynamic behavior of crystallization were calculated using calorimetric measurements and physical properties of constituent elements. It is found that the critical cooling rate R estimated by combining kinetic and thermodynamic parameters highly correlates with measured R found in literatures with correlation coefficient R=0.944, and alloy compositions with high melting enthalpy Δ H can easily form glass even without high undercooling and high value of the β-parameter of Turnbull's theory, revealing that the glass formation in this group of alloys is mostly controlled by growth limitation. This combination of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters can be used to determine alloy composition with good glass forming ability in Fe-based alloys just using physical properties of alloying elements and calorimetric measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of soil and water conservation (SWC) on soil properties are well documented. However, definitive and quantitative information of SWC and its interactions with soil properties on soil productivity is lacking for hilly red soil region of southern China. Experiments were conducted in the hilly red soil region of southern China for seven years in three runoff plots, each of which represented different SWC forest-grass measures. Principal component analysis and multiple regression techniques were used to relate the aboveground biomass (representing soil productivity) to soil properties. Based on the final regression equations, soil organic carbon content ( S) is significantly correlated with soil productivity under the condition of forest-grass measures, whereas pH value and cation exchange capacity ( C) are the main factors for soil productivity without SWC. Therefore, SWC plays an important role in sequestering S and improving soil productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]