Search

Abstract Background Investigating immune cell infiltration in the brain post-ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is crucial for understanding and managing the resultant inflammatory responses. This study aims to unravel the role of the RPS27A-mediated PSMD12/NF-κB axis in controlling immune cell infiltration in the context of cerebral I/R injury. Methods To identify genes associated with cerebral I/R injury, high-throughput sequencing was employed. The potential downstream genes were further analyzed using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) analyses. For experimental models, primary microglia and neurons were extracted from the cortical tissues of mouse brains. An in vitro cerebral I/R injury model was established in microglia using the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) technique. In vivo models involved inducing cerebral I/R injury in mice through the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) method. These models were used to assess neurological function, immune cell infiltration, and inflammatory factor release. Results The study identified RPS27A as a key player in cerebral I/R injury, with PSMD12 likely acting as its downstream regulator. Silencing RPS27A in OGD/R-induced microglia decreased the release of inflammatory factors and reduced neuron apoptosis. Additionally, RPS27A silencing in cerebral cortex tissues mediated the PSMD12/NF-κB axis, resulting in decreased inflammatory factor release, reduced neutrophil infiltration, and improved cerebral injury outcomes in I/R-injured mice. Conclusion RPS27A regulates the expression of the PSMD12/NF-κB signaling axis, leading to the induction of inflammatory factors in microglial cells, promoting immune cell infiltration in brain tissue, and exacerbating brain damage in I/R mice. This study introduces novel insights and theoretical foundations for the treatment of nerve damage caused by I/R, suggesting that targeting the RPS27A and downstream PSMD12/NF-κB signaling axis for drug development could represent a new direction in I/R therapy.

Abstract Moisture content of rock/coal can change its mechanical properties and absorption capacities, which can directly affect gas diffusivity, change the stress distribution and hence cause significant impacts on the overall gas or coal extraction process. Observation of the water penetration process and water distribution in the coal matrix will be beneficial for the understanding of the fluid-solid coupling mechanism in hydraulic fracturing, aquifer cracking and coal seam infusion. However, the observation of water penetration process and the determination of water distribution mode were hard to be non-destructively achieved as coal is a non-uniform, inhomogeneous and un-transparent material. µ-CT imaging, which is based on variation of X-ray attenuation related to the density and atomic composition of the scanned objects, enables a four-dimensional (spatial-temporal) visualise of the heterogeneous and anisotropic coal samples. The primary aim of this paper is extending the application of µ-CT imaging to explore the moisture penetration and distribution within coal samples during water infusion process, which has been reported by very little literature. The working principle and procedures of CT imaging was firstly introduced. Then, the determination equation of moisture distribution based on density profile was established. The CT determined moisture content has been compared with weighting method for verification. The paper has demonstrated that µ-CT can be used for non-destructively imaging the moisture distribution within coal samples.

Organic proteins are attractive owing to their unique optical properties, remarkable mechanical characteristics, and biocompatibility. Manufacturing multifunctional structures on organic protein films is essential for practical applications; however, the controllable fabrication of specific structures remains challenging. Herein, we propose a strategy for creating specific structures on silk film surfaces by modulating the bulging and ablation of organic materials. Unique surface morphologies such as bulges and craters with continuously varying diameters were generated based on the controlled ultrafast laser-induced crystal-form transition and plasma ablation of the silk protein. Owing to the anisotropic optical properties of the bulge/crater structures with different periods, the fabricated organic films can be used for large-scale inkless color printing. By simultaneously engineering bulge/crater structures, we designed and demonstrated organic film-based optical functional devices that achieves holographic imaging and optical focusing. This study provides a promising strategy for the fabrication of multifunctional micro/nanostructures that can broaden the potential applications of organic materials.

Objective: The current study aimed to investigate the potential therapeutic impact of allantoin on diabetes produced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) in rats. Subjects and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet to induce insulin resistance, followed by streptozotocin injection to induce diabetes. The effect of oral treatment of allantoin (200, 400 and 800 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks was evaluated by calculating the alteration in metabolic parameters, biochemical indicators, the oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp tests were performed. Histopathological studies were performed in the liver, kidney and pancreas. Next, the expressions of the MAPK and insulin signaling pathway were measured by Western blot analysis to elucidate the potential mechanism underlying these antidiabetic activities. Results: The administration of allantoin resulted in a significant decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, glycogen levels, and glycosylated hemoglobin levels in diabetic rats. Additionally, allantoin therapy led to a dose-dependent increase in body weight growth and serum insulin levels. In addition, the administration of allantoin resulted in a considerable reduction in lipid profile levels and amelioration of histological alterations in rats with diabetes. The administration of allantoin to diabetic rats resulted in a notable decrease in Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, accompanied by an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the serum, liver, and kidney. The findings of oral glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp tests demonstrated a significant rise in insulin resistance following the administration of allantoin. The upregulation of IRS-2/PI3K/p-Akt/GLUT expression by allantoin suggests a mechanistic relationship between the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and the antihyperglycemic activity of allantoin. Furthermore, it resulted in a reduction in the levels of TGF-β1/p38MAPK/Caspase-3 expression in the aforementioned rat tissues affected by diabetes. Conclusions: This study implies that allantoin treats type 2 diabetes by activating PI3K. Additionally, it reduces liver, kidney, and pancreatic apoptosis and inflammation-induced insulin resistance.re

Abstract The gas content is crucial for evaluating coal and gas outburst potential in underground coal mining. This study focuses on investigating the in-situ coal seam gas content and gas sorption capacity in a representative coal seam with multiple sections (A1, A2, and A3) in the Sydney basin, where the CO2 composition exceeds 90%. The fast direct desorption method and associated devices were described in detail and employed to measure the in-situ gas components (Q 1, Q 2, and Q 3) of the coal seam. The results show that in-situ total gas content (Q T) ranges from 9.48 m3/t for the A2 section to 14.80 m3/t for the A3 section, surpassing the Level 2 outburst threshold limit value, thereby necessitating gas drainage measures. Among the gas components, Q 2 demonstrates the highest contribution to Q T, ranging between 55% and 70%. Furthermore, high-pressure isothermal gas sorption experiments were conducted on coal samples from each seam section to explore their gas sorption capacity. The Langmuir model accurately characterizes CO2 sorption behavior, with fit coefficients (R 2) greater than 0.99. Strong positive correlations are observed between in-situ gas content and Langmuir volume, as well as between residual gas content (Q 3) and sorption hysteresis. Notably, the A3 seam section is proved to have a higher outburst propensity due to its higher Q 1 and Q 2 gas contents, lower sorption hysteresis, and reduced coal toughness f value. The insights derived from the study can contribute to the development of effective gas management strategies and enhance the safety and efficiency of coal mining operations.

Well-developed pores and cracks in coal reservoirs are the main venues for gas storage and migration. To investigate the multi-scale pore fractal characteristics, six coal samples of different rankings were studied using high-pressure mercury injection (HPMI), low-pressure nitrogen adsorption (LPGA-N2), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test methods. Based on the Frankel, Halsey and Hill (FHH) fractal theory, the Menger sponge model, Pores and Cracks Analysis System (PCAS), pore volume complexity (Dv), coal surface irregularity (Ds) and pore distribution heterogeneity (Dp) were studied and evaluated, respectively. The effect of three fractal dimensions on the gas adsorption ability was also analyzed with high-pressure isothermal gas adsorption experiments. Results show that pore structures within these coal samples have obvious fractal characteristics. A noticeable segmentation effect appears in the Dv1 and Dv2 fitting process, with the boundary size ranging from 36.00 to 182.95 nm, which helps differentiate diffusion pores and seepage fractures. The D values show an asymmetric U-shaped trend as the coal metamorphism increases, demonstrating that coalification greatly affects the pore fractal dimensions. The three fractal dimensions can characterize the difference in coal microstructure and reflect their influence on gas adsorption ability. Langmuir volume (VL) has an evident and positive correlation with Ds values, whereas Langmuir pressure (PL) is mainly affected by the combined action of Dv and Dp. This study will provide valuable knowledge for the appraisal of coal seam gas reservoirs of differently ranked coals.

Before conducting pavement rehabilitation, the concrete pavement performance evaluation is more than necessary to assess the strength and analyze the internal condition. To evaluate the modulus performance of concrete pavement and provide theoretical support for subsequent maintenance and rehabilitation, the SASW (Spectral-Analysis-of-Surface-Waves) method, a non-destructive testing method based on surface waves, was used to determine the modulus of three in-service concrete pavements. At the same time, FWD (Falling Weight Deflectometer) testing and on-site coring were carried out at the measuring points. Through the analysis of modulus results measured in the field, it was found that the SASW method can accurately obtain the elastic modulus of the concrete layer and base layer. Compared with the concrete modulus measured by FWD, the modulus measured by the SASW method was closer to the uniaxial compressive modulus. Moreover, since the SASW method has the ability to provide gradient modulus varying with depth and determine the pavement thicknesses, it is reasonable to recognize the location of the inherent distress based on the region where the modulus suddenly decreases within one layer. The comprehensive evaluation of concrete pavement condition, including the modulus value and internal distress recognition, has the capability to assist in determining the design of overlay asphalt thickness and material.

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 poses a considerable threat to those living in residential aged care facilities (RACF). RACF COVID-19 outbreaks have been characterised by the rapid spread of infection and high rates of severe disease and associated mortality. Despite a growing body of evidence supporting airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, current infection control measures in RACF including hand hygiene, social distancing, and sterilisation of surfaces, focus on contact and droplet transmission. Germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) light has been used widely to prevent airborne pathogen transmission. Our aim is to investigate the efficacy of GUV technology in reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in RACF. Methods A multicentre, two-arm double-crossover, randomised controlled trial will be conducted to determine the efficacy of GUV devices to reduce respiratory viral transmission in RACF, as an adjunct to existing infection control measures. The study will be conducted in partnership with three aged care providers in metropolitan and regional South Australia. RACF will be separated into paired within-site zones, then randomised to intervention order (GUV or control). The initial 6-week period will be followed by a 2-week washout before crossover to the second 6-week period. After accounting for estimated within-zone and within-facility correlations of infection, and baseline infection rates (10 per 100 person-days), a sample size of n = 8 zones (n = 40 residents/zone) will provide 89% power to detect a 50% reduction in symptomatic infection rate. The primary outcome will be the incidence rate ratio of combined symptomatic respiratory infections for intervention versus control. Secondary outcomes include incidence rates of hospitalisation for complications associated with respiratory infection; respiratory virus detection in facility air and fomite samples; rates of laboratory confirmed respiratory illnesses and genomic characteristics. Discussion Measures that can be deployed rapidly into RACF, that avoid the requirement for changes in resident and staff behaviour, and that are effective in reducing the risk of airborne SARS-CoV-2 transmission, would provide considerable benefit in safeguarding a highly vulnerable population. In addition, such measures might substantially reduce rates of other respiratory viruses, which contribute considerably to resident morbidity and mortality. Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12621000567820 (registered on 14th May, 2021).

Abstract A novel CMOS-process-compatible high-holding voltage silicon-controlled rectifier (HHV-SCR) for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is proposed and demonstrated by simulation and transmission line pulse (TLP) testing. The newly introduced hole (or electron) recombination region H-RR (or E-RR) not only recombines the minority carrier in parasitic PNP (or NPN) transistor base by N+ (or P+) layer, but provides the additional recombination to eliminate the surface avalanche carriers by newly added P+ (or N+) layer in H-RR (or E-RR), which brings about a further improvement of holding voltage (V h). Compared with the measured V h of 1.8 V of low-voltage triggered silicon-controlled rectifier (LVTSCR), the V h of HHV-SCR can be increased to 8.1 V while maintaining a sufficiently high failure current (I t2 > 2.6 A). An improvement of over four times in the figure of merit (FOM) is achieved.

Abstract An ultra-low specific on-resistance (R on,sp) lateral double-diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor transistor (LDMOS) with enhanced dual-gate and partial P-buried layer is proposed and investigated in this paper. On-resistance analytical model for the proposed LDMOS is built to provide an in-depth insight into the relationship between the drift region resistance and the channel region resistance. N-buried layer is introduced under P-well to provide a low-resistance conduction path and reduce the resistance of the channel region significantly. Enhanced dual-gate structure is formed by N-buried layer while avoiding the vertical punch-through breakdown in off-state. Partial P-buried layer with optimized length is adopted under the N-drift region to extend vertical depletion region and relax the electric field peak in off-state, which enhances breakdown voltage (BV) with low drift region resistance. For the LDMOS with enhanced dual-gate and partial P-buried layer, the result shows that R on,sp is 8.5 mΩ·mm2 while BV is 43 V.

In order to analyze the impact of compound breakage of key strata on overlying strata movement and strata pressure behavior during the fully mechanized caving mining in shallow and extremely thick seams, this paper took the 1322 fully mechanized caving face in Jindi Coal Mine in Xing County as the engineering background. Under the special mining and geological condition mentioned above, UDEC numerical simulation software was applied to research the engineering problems, and results of numerical simulation were verified through the in-site measurement. The research results showed that during the fully mechanized caving mining in shallow and extremely thick seams, the inferior key strata affected by mining movement behaved in the mode of sliding instability and could not form the stable structure of the voussoir beam after breaking and caving. In addition, the main key strata behaved in the mode of rotary instability, and the caving rocks behind the goaf were gradually compacted because of the periodic instability of the main key strata. With the continuous advance of the working face, the abutment pressure of the working face was affected by the compound breakage and periodic instability of both the inferior key strata and the main key strata, and the peaks of the abutment pressure presented small-big-small-big periodical change characteristics. Meanwhile, the risk of rib spalling ahead of the working face presented different levels of acute or slowing trends. The actual measurement results of ground pressure in the working face showed that, in the working process, the first weighting interval of the inferior key strata was about 51 m and its average periodic weighting interval was about 12.6 m, both of which were basically consistent with the results of numerical simulation. The research has great significance in providing theoretical guidance and practical experience for predicting and controlling the ground pressure under the similar mining and geological conditions.

In solid backfilling coal mining (SBCM), the crushed gangue backfilling material (CGBM) is generally compacted circularly by a compaction machine in order to reduce its compressibility. In this cyclic compaction process, the particles are crushed, which has a significant effect on the deformation resistance of CGBM. However, the deformation resistance of CGBM is critical for controlling overburden strata movement and ground surface subsidence. This study implemented an experimental approach to investigate the particle-crushing characteristics and acoustic-emission (AE) characteristics of CGBM during constant-amplitude cyclic loading (CACL). At the same time, the relationship between particle crushing and AE signals was established. The results showed that the gangue particles were generally in the shape of irregular convex polyhedrons with more edges and angles that were prone to breakage. It also demonstrated that both the crushing ratio (Bg) and the newly produced fine granule content increased with the cyclic loading times. The content of newly generated fine particles can reflect the particle-crushing conditions to a certain extent. What is more, it was found that the CGBM samples exhibited an apparent Felicity effect during CACL, and AE signals were the most active during the first loading cycle. The crushing ratio of CGBM was highly correlated to the AE signals, which indicated that AE signals can be used to reflect the particle-crushing situation of CGBM. This study is of great significance for obtaining an in-depth understanding of the mechanical properties of CGBM, as well as providing guidance for the engineering practice of SBCM.

PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI) is the first layer of plant defense response that occurs on the plant plasma membrane. Recently, the application of a rhizobacterium, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain PMB05, has been demonstrated to enhance flg22Pst- or harpin-triggered PTI response such as callose deposition. This PTI intensification by PMB05 further contributes to plant disease resistance to different bacterial diseases. Under the demand for rapid and large-scale screening, it has become critical to establish a non-staining technology to identify microbial strains that can enhance PTI responses. Firstly, we confirmed that the expression of the GSL5 gene, which is required for callose synthesis, can be enhanced by PMB05 during PTI activation triggered by flg22 or PopW (a harpin from Ralstonia solanacearum). The promoter region of the GSL5 gene was further cloned and fused to the coding sequence of gfp. The constructed fragments were used to generate transgenic Arabidopsis plants through a plant transformation vector. The transgenic lines of AtGSL5-GFP were obtained. The analysis was performed by infiltrating flg22Pst or PopW in one homozygous line, and the results exhibited that the green fluorescent signals were observed until after 8 h. In addition, the PopW-induced fluorescent signal was significantly enhanced in the co-treatment with PMB05 at 4 h after inoculation. Furthermore, by using AtGSL5-GFP to analyze 13 Bacillus spp. strains, the regulation of PopW-induced fluorescent signal was observed. And, the regulation of these fluorescent signals was similar to that performed by callose staining. More importantly, the Bacillus strains that enhance PopW-induced fluorescent signals would be more effective in reducing the occurrence of bacterial wilt. Taken together, the technique by using AtGSL5-GFP would be a promising platform to screen plant immunity-intensifying microbes to control bacterial wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrofunctionalizations of unsaturated bonds via π-ƞ3 substitution have emerged as a reliable method to construct stereogenic centers, and mainly rely on the use of heteroatom-based or carbon nucleophiles bearing acidic C-H bonds. In comparison, sp2 carbon nucleophiles are generally not under consideration because of enormous challenges in cleaving corresponding inert sp2 C-H bonds. Here, we report a protocol to achieve asymmetric formal sp2 hydrocarbonations, including hydroalkenylation, hydroallenylation and hydroketenimination of both 1,3-dienes and alkynes via hydroalkylation and Wittig reaction cascade. A series of unachievable motifs via hydrofunctionalizations, such as di-, tri- and tetra-substituted alkenes, di-, tri- and tetra-substituted allenes, and tri-substituted ketenimines in allyl skeletons are all facilely constructed in high regio-, diastereo- and enantioselectivities with this cascade design. Stereodivergent synthesis of all four stereoisomers of 1,4-diene bearing a stereocenter and Z/E-controllable olefin unit highlights the power of present protocol. An interesting mechanistic feature is revealed that alkyne actually undergoes hydrocarbonation via the formation of conjugated diene intermediate, different from conventional viewpoint that the hydrofunctionalization of alkynes only involves allene species. Sp2 carbon nucleophiles are generally not considered for transition metal-catalyzed asymmetric hydrofunctionalizations of unsaturated bonds due to challenges in cleaving corresponding inert sp2 C-H bonds. Here, the authors report a protocol to achieve asymmetric formal sp2 hydrocarbonations, including hydroalkenylation, hydroallenylation and hydroketenimination of both 1,3-dienes and alkynes via hydroalkylation and Wittig reaction cascade [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to determine the global effects of the Chêneau brace combined with Schroth exercises on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). We analyzed 192 patients with AIS who underwent the Chêneau brace treatment alone or combined with Schroth best practice (SBP) from June 2013 to October 2019. There were 138 patients in the Brace group and 54 patients in the Brace + SBP group. Radiographs were obtained at various treatment durations. Answers to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire were recorded before the intervention and at the time of treatment wean. The Cobb angle (–3.55°; p < 0.001) and C7-CSVL (–3.03 mm; p < 0.001) significantly decreased in the Brace + SBP group. Thoracic kyphosis (TK) decreased in both the Brace + SBP group (–1.85°; p = 0.0152) and the Brace group (–5.06; p < 0.001). Changes before and after treatment of TK were significantly different between groups (p < 0.001). The 22-item Scoliosis Research Society function score, self-image, mental health, and EuroQol 5-Dimension scores were significantly higher in the Brace + SBP group. The satisfaction score was higher in the Brace + SBP group (3.77 ± 0.63 vs. 3.13 ± 0.79; p < 0.001). Compared to bracing alone, the Schroth exercises plus bracing had a better effect on coronal balance. Schroth exercises improve flatback deformity caused by bracing and positively influence the HRQoL in AIS patients who received the Chêneau brace treatment. Bracing and physiotherapy are common treatments for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The Chêneau brace treatment causes flatback deformity and muscle stiffness in AIS patients. The Schroth method helps patients increase muscle strength, halt curve progression, increase vital capacity, and maintain improved posture. The Schroth exercises could improve flatback deformity caused by bracing and positively influence the health-related quality of life in AIS patients who received the Chêneau brace treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous heating in the active goaf area during normal mining processes poses increased threats to mine productivity and safety, as evidenced in events induced by spontaneous combustion of coal. To control and mitigate this engineering problem, there is a need to gain critical knowledge of spontaneous combustion in the longwall goaf area, which can be achieved through a combination of field tests and numerical modeling. This paper introduces the spontaneous combustion management system widely used in Australia and presents Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models for the simulation of gas flow dynamics in the goaf area, based on the site conditions of an underground coal mine where coal seam gas is predominantly comprised of carbon dioxide. The models were validated with gas monitoring data and used to conduct parametric studies for proactive goaf inertisation optimization. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of simulation results indicated that better goaf inertisation could be achieved when nitrogen was injected via cut-through at 250 m on the maingate (MG) side and surface boreholes at 100 m and 700 m on the tailgate (TG) side, with a total injection rate greater than 1750 1/s. The oxygen concentration on the MG and TG side dropped below 5% at distances of 120 m and 75 m behind the longwall face, with an oxidation zone area of 35375 m2, which was approximately one-third of the oxidation zone area of the scenario without inert gas injection. Simulation results help shed light on improving current goaf inertisation practices to effectively reduce the risk of heating in goaf areas and improve mining process safety based on Australian conditions and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

C31H30N4NiO8, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 9.687(2) Å, b = 11.145(2) Å, c = 15.704(3) Å, α = 70.304(2)°, β = 89.859(2)°, γ = 73.906(2)°, V = 1525.9 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0320, wRref(F2) = 0.0859, T = 296 K.

C19H17CdN3O5, monoclinic, C2/c (no. 15), a = 27.369(3) Å, b = 9.126(1) Å, c = 15.326(2) Å, β = 104.285(1)°, V = 3709.6 Å3, Z = 8, Rgt(F) = 0.0288, wRref(F2) = 0.0626, T = 296 K

The rate of improvement of sugar content in sugarcane remains low for decades worldwide. Our previous transcriptome studies provided an atlas of sucrose accumulation-related gene expression, but little is known about the proteins involved. Here, we conducted a proteomic analysis of experimentally altered sucrose accumulation in sugarcane. Analysis of stem proteomes of sugarcane ripener ethephon treated high- and low-sugar genotypes had identified 2983 proteins of which 139 were significantly differentially expressed (DEPs). These DEPs were found to be associated with sugar metabolism-related processes with 25 of them may have a regulatory role in sucrose accumulation. The key proteins identified include UDP-glucose 6-dehydrogenase associated with amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism; those involved in carbon fixation; and fructokinase, β-D-glucosidase, and α-glucan phosphorylase involved in starch and sucrose metabolism. Distinct genotype- and ethephon-dependent DEP expression was evident providing new insights into one of the most intractable sugarcane traits to breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. Due to the rarity, it is difficult to predict the survival of patients with fibrosarcoma. This study aimed to apply a nomogram to predict survival outcomes in patients with fibrosarcoma. Methods. A total of 2235 patients with diagnoses of fibrosarcoma were registered in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database, of whom 663 patients were eventually enrolled. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify independent prognostic factors. Nomograms were constructed to predict 3-year and 5‐year overall survival and cancer‐specific survival of patients with fibrosarcoma. Results. In univariate and multivariate analyses of OS, age, sex, race, tumor stage, pathologic grade, use of surgery, and tumor size were identified as independent prognostic factors. Age, sex, tumor stage, pathologic grade, use of surgery, and tumor size were significantly associated with CSS. These characteristics were further included to establish the nomogram for predicting 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS. For the internal validation of the nomogram predictions of OS and CSS, the C-indices were 0.784 and 0.801. Conclusion. We developed the nomograms that estimated 3-year and 5-year OS and CSS. These nomograms not only have good discrimination performance and calibration but also provide patients with better clinical benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We assessed replication and excretion of the live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) into biological fluids following vaccination in dengue-naive adults in Australia.Methods: Vaccinal viremia/shedding was assessed in a subset of participants enrolled in a lot-to-lot consistency study; 95 participants received 3 subcutaneous doses of CYD-TDV from phase 2/3 lots of the vaccine, and 8 received placebo; doses were administered 6 months apart. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qR-PCR) analysis was used to initially detect the yellow fever virus (YFV) core protein gene in the backbone of CYD-TDV in serum, saliva and urine, followed by serotype-specific qRT-PCR analysis of samples positive for YFV by qRT-PCR (lower limit of detection, 5.16 GEq/mL).Results: YFV viremia was detected by qRT-PCR in 69.5% of participants (66 of 95) who received CYD-TDV, mainly 6-14 days after injection 1. The serotypes detected were serotype 4 (in 68.2% of participants [45 of 95]), serotype 3 (in 19.7% [13 of 95]), and serotype 1 (in 12.1% [8 of 95]); serotype 2 was not detected. None of the placebo recipients had vaccinal viremia/shedding. No participants had detectable viral shedding into saliva at levels above the lower limit of quantitation. Two participants had low-level viral shedding (serotype 3) in urine (5.47 and 5.77 GEq/mL). None of the participants with viremia or shedding experienced concomitant fever.Conclusions: Low-level vaccinal viremia may occur following vaccination with CYD-TDV, but this is not associated with any symptom or adverse event.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT01134263. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials with zero thermal expansion (ZTE) or precisely tailored thermal expansion are in urgent demand of modern industries. However, the overwhelming majority of materials show positive thermal expansion. To develop ZTE or negative thermal expansion (NTE) materials as compensators has become an important challenge. Here, we present the evidence for the realization of ultra-low thermal expansion in Mn-Co-Ge-In particles. The bulk with the Ni2In-type hexagonal structure undergoes giant NTE owing to a martensitic magnetostructural transition. The major finding is that the thermal expansion behavior can be totally controlled by modulating the crystallinity degree and phase transition from atomic scale. Self-compensation effect leads to ultra-low thermal expansion with a linear expansion coefficient as small as +0.68 × 10-6/K over a wide temperature range around room temperature. The present study opens an avenue to reach ZTE particularly from the large class of giant NTE materials based on phase transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hot-carrier-induced linear drain current (Idlin) and threshold voltage (Vth) degradations for the thin layer SOI field p-channel lateral double-diffused MOS (pLDMOS) are investigated. Two competition degradation mechanisms are revealed and the hot-carrier conductance modulation model is proposed. In the channel, hot-hole injection induced positive oxide trapped charge and interface trap gives rise to the Vth increasing and the channel conductance (Gch) decreasing, then reduces Idlin. In the p-drift region, hot-electron injection induced negative oxide trapped charge enhances the conductance of drift doping resistance (Gd), and then increases Idlin. Consequently, the eventual Idlin degradation is controlled by the competition of the two mechanisms due to conductance modulation in the both regions. Based on the model, it is explained that the measured Idlin anomalously increases while the Vth is increasing with power law. The thin layer field pLDMOS exhibits more severe Vth instability compared with thick SOI layer structure; as a result, it should be seriously evaluated in actual application in switching circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown that electroacupuncture (EA) has a significant effect on acute pain, but it has not solved the clinical problem of the chronification of acute pain. Diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (DNIC) function as a reliable indicator to predict the risk of chronic pain events. DNIC function in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients has been demonstrated to gradually decrease during the development of chronic pain. The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized, controlled clinical trial to determine if EA can repair impaired DNIC function and thus prevent chronification of the acute pain of KOA. Methods/Design: This is a multicenter, single blind, randomized, controlled, three-arm, large-scale clinical trial. A total of 450 KOA patients will be randomly assigned to three groups. The strong EA group will receive EA with high-intensity current (2 mA < current < 5 mA) at the ipsilateral 'Neixiyan' (EX-LE5), 'Dubi'(ST35), 'Liangqiu'(ST34) and 'Xuehai' (SP10). The weak EA group will receive EA with low-intensity current (0 mA < current < 0.5 mA) on the same acupoints. The sham EA group will receive EA with low-intensity current (0 mA < current < 0.5 mA) with fine needles inserted superficially into the sites 2 cm lateral to the above acupoints. The patients will be treated with EA once a day, 30 minutes per session, in 5 sessions per week, for 2 weeks. In order to determine the best stage of KOA for effective EA intervention, patients within the treatment groups also will be divided into four stages. The primary outcomes are Visual Analog Scale (VAS), DNIC function and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Clinical assessments will be evaluated at baseline (before treatment) and after 5 to 10 sessions of treatment. Discussion: This trial will be helpful in identifying whether strong EA is more effective than weak EA in reversing chronification of acute pain through repairing the impaired DNIC function and in screening for the best stage of KOA for effective EA intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]