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Background: The prognosis of non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) is poor. Detection of cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) by next generation sequencing (NGS) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may facilitate diagnosis of LM and identification of drug resistance mechanisms, yet its clinical use needs to be further verified. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study to assess the genetic profiles of paired CSF and plasma samples in lung cancer patients with LM. Of 17 patients screened, a total of 14 patients with LM and paired NGS tests were enrolled. Results: All patients harbor driver gene mutations, including 12 epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutations, 1 anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement, and 1 ROS‐1 fusion. Genetic mutations were detected in CSF cfDNA from 92.9% patients (13/14), which was significantly higher than that from the plasma (9/14, 64.2%). The mutations were highly divergent between CSF and plasma cfDNA, with a concordance rate of 24.38% and 10 mutations shared by the two media. CSF cfDNA could also benefit the analysis of resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies. In five patients who experienced progression on 1st or 2nd generation EGFR‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), RB1 mutation, and amplification of MET and EGFR were detected in CSF cfDNA only. In eight patients with LM progression on osimertinib resistance, EGFR amplification was detected in CSF cfDNA from four patients, whereas no CNVs were detected in the matched plasma samples. Conclusions: In conclusion, CSF could be superior to plasma in providing a more comprehensive genetic landscape of LM to find out drug resistance mechanisms and guide subsequent treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Immune‐therapy with anti‐PD1 inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab, is revolutionizing the treatment of non‐small cell lung cancers (NSCLC). However, identifying patients for the potential therapeutic response and predicting therapy resistance and early relapse remains a challenge. Methods: Between 2016 and 2018, 60 patients were treated with pembrolizumab, among who 12 NSCLC patients had both baseline (before treatment) and serial (on treatment) periodical circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) samples. Those samples were sequenced on a 329 pan cancer‐related gene panel. Analyses of tumor burden, blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB), maximum somatic allele frequency (MSAF), and tumor clonal structure were performed in association with clinical response. Candidate resistance mutations involved in relapse and metastases were further investigated. Results: ctDNA was detected and mutational profiling was performed for each patient. Those with a high baseline bTMB level showed significantly improved progression‐free survival (PFS) after pembrolizumab treatment. Tumor burden and therapeutic response significantly correlated with the MSAF instead of the bTMB. Clone analysis detected tumor progression about 2‐4 months ahead of computed tomography (CT) scan. One mutation in gene PTCH1 (Protein patched homolog 1) and two acquired anti‐PD1 candidate resistance mutations of gene B2M (β2 microglobulin) were identified in association with distant metastasis. The evolutionary tree of a representative patient was also described. Conclusion: This pilot study showed that MSAF could be another good indicator of therapeutic response, and clonal analysis could be clinically useful in monitoring clonal dynamics and detecting remote metastasis and early relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon-containing pellets were prepared with the carbonized product of agricultural wastes and iron concentrate, and an experimental study on the direct reduction was carried out. The experimental results demonstrated that carbon-containing pellets could be rapidly reduced at 1200 to 1300°C in 15 minutes, and the proper holding time at high temperature was 15 to 20 min. The degree of reduction gradually increased with temperature rising, and the appropriate temperature of reducing pellets was 1200°C. The weight loss rate and reduction degree of pellets increased with the rise of carbon proportion, and the relatively reasonable mole ratio of carbon to oxygen was 0.9. A higher content of carbon and an appropriate content of volatile matters in biomass char were beneficial to the reduction of pellets. The carbon-containing pellets could be reduced at high speeds in the air, but there was some reoxidization phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, carbon-containing pellets were prepared by using crop-derived charcoal made from agricultural residuals and iron ore concentrates, and their pelletizing performance and properties were studied. Experimental results showed that the strengths of pellets were related to the particle size of concentrates and the content of moisture, bentonite, and crop-derived charcoal fines in the pelletizing mixture and the temperature of roasting and reduction. That the granularity of raw materials was fine and the bentonite content increased was beneficial to the improvement of pellet strengths. The suitable molar ratio of carbon to oxygen was 1.0 and the proper proportioning ratios of moisture and binder were 8.0% and 6.5%, respectively. The pellet strengths increased accordingly with increasing the reduction temperature, and when the temperature reached 1200°C, accompanied by the fast reduction of iron and the formation of crystal stock, the dropping strength of product pellets was 15 times and the compressive strength was 1650 N; this may be improved by grinding of the concentrate, leading to acceptable strength for the blast furnace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Etch‐Stop s tructure In‐Ga‐Zn‐Oxide thin film transistor (A‐ES TFT) using SD and IGZO layer self‐aligned process is lower production cost, less parasitic capacitance than etch‐stopped layer (ESL) Oxide TFTs. We also found excellent electrical properties and bias stability and fabricated a 12.5‐inch liquid crystal panel using A‐ES TFTs by only two photomask. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hydrophilic conjugated polymers, PmP-NOH and PmP36F-NOH, with polar diethanol­amine on the side chains and main chain structures of poly( meta-phenylene) and poly( meta-phenylene- alt-3,6-fluorene), respectively, are successfully synthesized. The films of PmP-NOH and PmP36F-NOH show absorption edges at 340 and 343 nm, respectively. The calculated optical bandgaps of the two polymers are 3.65 and 3.62 eV, respectively, the largest ones so far reported for hydrophilic conjugated polymers. PmP-NOH and PmP36F-NOH also possess deep-lying highest occupied molecular orbital levels of −6.19 and −6.15 eV, respectively. Inserting PmP-NOH and PmP36F-NOH as a cathode interlayer in inverted polymer solar cells with a PTB7/PC71BM blend as the active layer, high power conversion efficiencies of 8.58% and 8.33%, respectively, are achieved, demonstrating that the two hydrophilic polymers are excellent interlayers for efficient inverted polymer solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]