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Background: Only a subset of gastric cancer (GC) patients with stage II–III benefits from chemotherapy after surgery. Tumour infiltrating lymphocytes per area (TIL density) has been suggested as a potential predictive biomarker of chemotherapy benefit. Methods: We quantified TIL density in digital images of haematoxylin-eosin (HE) stained tissue using deep learning in 307 GC patients of the Yonsei Cancer Center (YCC) (193 surgery+adjuvant chemotherapy [S + C], 114 surgery alone [S]) and 629 CLASSIC trial GC patients (325 S + C and 304 S). The relationship between TIL density, disease-free survival (DFS) and clinicopathological variables was analysed. Results: YCC S patients and CLASSIC S patients with high TIL density had longer DFS than S patients with low TIL density (P = 0.007 and P = 0.013, respectively). Furthermore, CLASSIC patients with low TIL density had longer DFS if treated with S + C compared to S (P = 0.003). No significant relationship of TIL density with other clinicopathological variables was found. Conclusion: This is the first study to suggest TIL density automatically quantified in routine HE stained tissue sections as a novel, clinically useful biomarker to identify stage II–III GC patients deriving benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Validation of our results in a prospective study is warranted.

In the present study, various groove casing treatments were evaluated under a high-speed subsonic axial flow compressor using experimental and numerical simulation methods. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of inclination of grooves on compressor stability and performance. The potential flow mechanisms were also evaluated. Three different inclination grooves were designed in this study: grooves with no inclination, grooves with 30 degrees upstream inclination and grooves with 30 degrees downstream inclination. Similar effect of the grooves on the compressor stability and efficiency was observed under experimental and numerical analyses. The grooves with no inclination, 30 degrees upstream inclination and 30 degrees downstream inclination enhanced stall margin by 6.08%, 8.74% and 3.03%, respectively. The peak efficiency losses of the three types of grooves were 1.62%, 0.94% and 2.33%, respectively. Tip flow field analyses demonstrated that the radial transport effect caused by grooves effectively reduced tip loads and alleviated tip blockage. This explains why the grooves enhanced the compressor stability. The radial transport effect was enhanced, and a larger stall margin improvement was obtained when grooves inclined upstream were applied. The tip flow loss was the dominant loss observed after grooves were applied on the compressor. The grooves with upstream inclination markedly reduced the tip flow loss, indicating that they exhibited the lowest effect on reducing compressor efficiency compared with the other types of grooves.

We studied the 2018 outburst of the black hole transient H 1743 − 322 with a series of Insight-HXMT, NICER, and NuSTAR observations, covering the 1–120 keV band. With our broad-band X-ray spectral modelling, we confirm that the source remained in the low/hard state throughout the month-long outburst, although it became marginally softer at peak flux. We detected Type-C quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) and followed the evolution of their properties. The QPO frequency increased from ∼0.1 to ∼0.4 Hz during the rising phase of the outburst and decreased again in the decline. Continuum X-ray flux, power-law photon index, QPO frequency, and QPO root-mean-square amplitude were positively correlated. The QPO amplitude was slightly higher in the soft X-ray band (typical values of 12–16 per cent, compared with 8–10 per cent in the hard band). Our spectral-timing results shed light on the initial rising phase in the low/hard state, which has rarely been monitored with such high cadence, time resolution, and broad-band coverage. Combining spectral and timing properties, we find that ‘failed’ (hard state only) and ‘successful’ outbursts follow the same initial evolutionary track, although the former class of outburst never reaches the threshold for a transition to softer (thermally dominated) accretion regimes.

This research provides insights into how to enhance recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) project outcomes by improving partnerships with the RPO provider. We posit that knowledge sharing and top management support enhance partnership quality by increasing both parties’ mutual dependence and commitment to the relationship. We conducted a survey of 150 RPO projects. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of knowledge sharing and top management support for enhancing partnership, leading to enhanced RPO project outcomes (i.e., recommended candidates’ person-job fit). Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.

We report on the Insight-HXMT observations of the new black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1820+070 during its 2018 outburst. Detailed spectral analysis via the continuum fitting method shows an evolution of the inferred spin during its high soft sate. Moreover, the hardness ratio, the non-thermal luminosity and the reflection fraction also undergo an evolution, exactly coincident to the period when the inferred spin transition takes place. The unphysical evolution of the spin is attributed to the evolution of the inner disc, which is caused by the collapse of a hot corona due to condensation mechanism or may be related to the deceleration of a jet-like corona. The studies of the inner disc radius and the relation between the disc luminosity and the inner disc radius suggest that, only at a particular epoch, did the inner edge of the disc reach the innermost stable circular orbit and the spin measurement is reliable. We then constrain the spin of MAXI J1820+070 to be a*=0.2^{+0.2}_{-0.3}. Such a slowly spinning black hole possessing a strong jet suggests that its jet activity is driven mainly by the accretion disc rather than by the black hole spin., Comment: 14 pages, 13 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Bragg scattering of nonlinear surface waves over a wavy bottom is studied using two-dimensional fully nonlinear numerical wave tanks (NWTs). In particular, we consider cases of high nonlinearity which lead to complex wave generation and transformations, hence possible multiple Bragg resonances. The performance of the NWTs is well verified by benchmarking experiments. Classic Bragg resonances associated with second-order triad interactions among two surface (linear incident and reflected waves) and one bottom wave components (class I), and third-order quartet interactions among three surface (linear incident and reflected waves, and second-order reflected/transmitted waves) and one bottom wave components (class III) are observed. In addition, class I Bragg resonance occurring for the second-order (rather than linear) transmitted waves, and Bragg resonance arising from quintet interactions among three surface and two bottom wave components, are newly captured. The latter is denoted class IV Bragg resonance which magnifies bottom nonlinearity. It is also found that wave reflection and transmission at class III Bragg resonance have a quadratic rather than a linear relation with the bottom slope if the bottom size increases to a certain level. The surface wave and bottom nonlinearities are found to play opposite roles in shifting the Bragg resonance conditions. Finally, the results indicate that Bragg resonances are responsible for the phenomena of beating and parasitic beating, leading to a significantly large local free surface motion in front of the depth transition.

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are short pulses observed in radio band from cosmological distances. One class of models invoke soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs), or magnetars, as the sources of FRBs. Some radio pulses have been observed from some magnetars, however, no FRB-like events had been detected in association any magnetar burst, including one giant flare. Recently, a pair of FRB-like bursts (FRB 200428 hereafter) separated by milliseconds (ms) were detected from the general direction of the Galactic magnetar SGR J1935+2154. Here we report the detection of a non-thermal X-ray burst in the 1-250 keV energy band with the Insight-HXMT satellite, which we identify as emitted from SGR J1935+2154. The burst showed two hard peaks with a separation of 34 ms, broadly consistent with that of the two bursts in FRB 200428. The delay time between the double radio and X-ray peaks is about 8.57 s, fully consistent with the dispersion delay of FRB 200428. We thus identify the non-thermal X-ray burst is associated with FRB 200428 whose high energy counterpart is the two hard peaks in X-ray. Our results suggest that the non-thermal X-ray burst and FRB 200428 share the same physical origin in an explosive event from SGR J1935+2154., 24 pages, 9 figures, 6 tables; initial submission to a journal on May 9th, 2020. Significant changes include updated localization and detailed spectral evolution of the X-ray burst, and better determination of the two narrow X-ray peaks corresponding to the two radio pulses. Conclusions are strengthened. Nature Astronomy online on Feb. 18, 2021

Background The literature on the prognostic relevance of signet-ring cell (SRC) histology in gastric cancer (GC) is controversial which is most likely related to inconsistent SRC classification based on haematoxylin–eosin staining. We hypothesised that mucin stains can consistently identify SRC-GC and predict GC patient outcome. Methods We performed a comprehensive literature review on mucin stains in SRC-GC and characterised the mucin expression in 851 Caucasian GC and 410 Asian GC using Alcian Blue (AB)-Periodic Acid-Schiff (PAS), MUC2 (intestinal-type mucin), and MUC5AC (gastric-type mucin). The relationship between mucin expression and histological phenotype [poorly cohesive (PC) including proportion of SRCs, non-poorly cohesive (non-PC), or mucinous (MC)], clinicopathological variables, and patient outcome was analysed. Results Depending on mucin expression and cut-offs, the positivity rates of SRC-GC reported in the literature varied from 6 to 100%. Patients with MUC2 positive SRC-GC or SRC-GC with (gastro)intestinal phenotype had poorest outcome. In our cohort study, PC with ≥ 10% SRCs expressed more frequently MUC2, MUC5AC, and ABPAS (p p = 0.004 and p p = 0.002). This association was not seen in Asian patients. Conclusions This is the first study to suggest that mucin stains do not help to differentiate between SRC-GC and non-SRC-GC. However, mucin stains appear to be able to identify GC patients with different outcome. To our surprise, the relationship between outcome and mucin expression seems to differ between Caucasian and Asian GC patients which warrants further investigations.

Microwave absorption properties of paste reinforced with well-dispersed reduced graphene oxide, ferroferric oxide and nickel nanoparticles were investigated. The effect of nanofiller on the fluidity, mechanical properties and pore structure of the paste was studied. The microstructure of the composite is examined by scanning electron microscopy, its groups and hydration products are analyzed with infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction curves. A small nanofiller load is shown to significantly reduce the paste fluidity, but its pore structure is improved so that its mechanical properties are enhanced. Microscopic examination demonstrates that the nanofiller fosters the development of flower-like crystals, which promotes the paste compaction. A minimum reflectivity of -14.7 dB is in the range of 1–18 GHz and the effective bandwidth of 14.4 GHz is obtained when the reflectivity is less than -5 dB. The new method of preparing cement-based absorbent materials is proposed.

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-ATB in laryngeal carcinoma (LNCa) and its relationship with the prognosis.The expression of lncRNA-ATB was examined in laryngeal carcinoma tissue specimens, as well as in normal ones by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the interplay between lncRNA-ATB levels and clinical indicators was analyzed. In addition, the diagnostic value of lncRNA-ATB for LNCa was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The patients were followed up for 5 years and the survival analysis was conducted by Kaplan-Meier test. Finally, the Cox regression model was used to analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of patients.LncRNA-ATB expression was markedly enhanced in laryngeal carcinoma tissue samples compared to the corresponding normal ones, which was relevant to T grade and clinical stage. For the diagnosis of laryngeal carcinoma using lncRNA-ATB, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.8672, the diagnostic threshold was 3.895, and the sensitivity and specificity were 83.02% and 76.42%, respectively. In addition, the overall survival rate of patients with high expression of lncRNA-ATB was markedly lower than those in low expression group. Meanwhile, T grade, clinical stage and lncRNA-ATB are found as three independent factors influencing the prognosis of LNCa.LncRNA-ATB was highly expressed in laryngeal carcinoma tissues, which was not conducive to the prognosis of patients. Therefore, this molecular marker has potential to become a new biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis prediction of patients with LNCa.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of lung cancer, with an unfavorable prognosis of 5-year survival rates. It is of great clinical significance to further search for more efficacious and novel targets for diagnosis and therapeutic strategies. This study aimed at clarifying the role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NORAD in proliferation, invasion and migration and tumor growth of NSCLC.In this study, mRNA levels of lncRNA NORAD were examined by RT-PCR. CCK-8 assay was applied to test cell viability. Furthermore, wound healing assay and transwell assay were performed to detect the migration and invasion of A549 cells, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was applied to assess the levels of CXC chemokine receptor (CXCR) 4 and CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 12. Mice models of NSCLC in vivo were exploited to further examine the potential role of NORAD in tumor growth. Key proteins related to Ras homolog gene family member A (RhoA) GTPase/Rho-associated kinase (RhoA/ROCK) pathway were determined by Western blot.NORAD has elevated the levels in NSCLC tissues and cells. NORAD interference dramatically inhibited tumor growth and suppressed A549 cell proliferation, migration and invasion by downregulating CXCR4 and CXCL12 expression. RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway was activated in NSCLC.This study revealed that the downregulation of lncRNA NORAD could slow down the progression of NSCLC by regulating CXCR4 and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway.

To explore the role of microRNA-15b in diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its underlying mechanism.Diabetic retinopathy rat model was first constructed. Retinal endothelial cells (EC) and retinal pericytes (RP) in DR rats were extracted. The mRNA expression of microRNA-15b in EC and RP cells was detected by qRT-PCR (quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction). Protein expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) in EC and RP cells was detected by Western blot. After altering microRNA-15b expression by plasmid transfection, cell viability was detected by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay. Furthermore, the target gene of microRNA-15b was predicted by TargetScan analysis and the binding condition was verified by luciferase reporter gene assay. Finally, rescue experiments were carried out to explore the regulatory effect of microRNA-15b on IRS-1.MicroRNA-15b was lowly expressed, whereas IRS-1 was highly expressed in EC and RP cells. After overexpression of microRNA-15b, viabilities of EC and RP cells were decreased and β-catenin expression was inhibited. TargetScan predicted that IRS-1 was the downstream gene of microRNA-15b, which was further verified by luciferase reporter gene assay. Rescue experiments indicated that microRNA-15b was capable of regulating IRS-1 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.MicroRNA-15b participates in the development of diabetic retinopathy by targeting IRS-1 via Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Satb1 regulates chromatin structure and gene expression, and is aberrantly expressed in many tumors. However, there is still no report about Satb1 functions in peripheral nerve injury until now. In this study, we explored the regulatory effect of Satb1 on Schwann cells.MTT assay, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay were respectively used to determine Schwann cell viability, migration, and apoptosis. The mRNA and phosphorylation levels of Satb1 and SHIP1 were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis, respectively. The correlation between Satb1 and SHIP1 was examined by ChIP assay. The expressions of PI3K/AKT pathway related factors were detected by Western blotting.In the present study, we found that knock-out of Satb1 significantly inhibited cell viability and migration, and promoted Schwann cells apoptosis. Conversely, over-expression of Satb1 promoted cell viability, migration, and inhibited apoptosis. Satb1 inhibited SHIP1 expression by recruiting HDAC1. Furthermore, results showed that Satb1 activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by inhibiting the expression of SHIP1. SHIP1 showed significant reversal effects on the regulatory roles of Satb1 in Schwann cells. Over-expression of Satb1 and SHIP1 inhibited cell viability, migration, and promoted apoptosis.Our study demonstrated that the Satb1 knock-out could inhibit the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway by up-regulating SHIP1, thus inhibiting cell viability and migration, and promoting Schwann cell apoptosis.

Axially polarized piezoelectric fibers have been widely used in smart composites. This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the size-dependent mechanical response of a nano-sized piezoelectric cylindrical transducer with axially polarized multilayers subjected to an external harmonic voltage load. An electro-elastic surface/interface model is introduced to analyze the size-dependent stress in the transducer. Based on the plane stress assumption, the dynamic solution with surface/interface energy effect is expanded, and the expanded constants are solved by satisfying the boundary conditions at the surfaces/interfaces. An example is used to analyze the distribution of stress along the radial direction. It is found that the piezoelectric surfaces/interfaces in the nano-sized transducer exert greater effect on the mechanical response than the elastic surfaces/interfaces. The surfaces/interfaces effect on the inner layers is more evident than that on the outer layers. The surfaces/interfaces energy effect under different frequencies is also examined.

A multilevel model of IC's impact on individual performance is proposed.Increasing IC will improve individual performance.Job autonomy and task interdependence mediate between IC and individual performance.Increasing collaborative interaction will enhance autonomy and interdependence. In the knowledge-based economy, intellectual capital (IC) is of substantial importance. IC includes human capital, organizational capital and social capital. Applying IC is essential for an organization's survival in a competitive industry such as news media. Reporters are vital human capital in news organizations. They are the knowledge workers who create and distribute news. They also represent social capital because they have to develop relationships with news sources from outside of the organization. However, it is difficult to tap and retain IC. A news organization loses both human and social capital whenever a reporter resigns or job-hops. This research examines the relationships between IC and reporters' performance from a multi-level perspective. We argue that the performance of an individual reporter is influenced by IC; moreover, job autonomy and team interdependence mediate the influence of IC on reporter performance. We collected 492 valid TV reporter samples from 44 teams, and used the Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) to analyze the data. All hypotheses were supported, suggesting that the more the management pays attention to reporters' IC and their working conditions (i.e., job autonomy and task interdependence), the higher the performance of reporters. The implications for team collaborative learning and interaction are discussed.

This study assesses the effectiveness of an IT project team's direct persuasion behaviors in obtaining management support. The literature typically suggests that obtaining management support is critical for IT project success. The literature also generally prescribes cognition-based approaches to obtaining such support, ignoring the potential effect of emotion on influencing management. We employ organizational influence theory to identify direct persuasion strategies and posit that both cognitive involvement and emotional involvement mediate the effectiveness of influence strategies on management support. Our argument was tested on a survey of non-MIS managers who recently undertook large IT projects. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of two persuasion behaviors applied by the project team to obtain management support. Both persuasion behaviors encourage management support by increasing management's cognitive and emotional involvement in the project. We find that emotional involvement has a stronger effect than cognitive involvement on management support. Important implications for theory and practice are discussed.

An analytical model is proposed to predict the electromechanical response of anisotropic piezoelectric composites containing spherical piezoelectric nano-inclusions under a uniform electric field. The electroelastic surface/interface theory for nano-size structures is introduced to analyze the nano-size effect. The analytical solutions for the elastic displacements and electric potentials in the nano-composites are derived exactly with consideration of the elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity of the interface. The unknown coefficients are determined by satisfying the boundary conditions with interface effect. Numerical examples show that the elasticity, permittivity and piezoelectricity of surface/interface express different effects on the stress and electric displacement in the nano-particle and matrix. The jump of stress and electric displacement under different material properties of the interface is also examined.

The hot deformation process on grain size and surface quality after pre-aging of 6016 aluminium alloy were investigated by mechanical properties, surface topography and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. The results indicated that after different hot rolling processes, the alloy sheets achieved similar mechanical properties and formability, but exhibited obvious difference in surface quality. After hot rolled under a strain rate of 0·01 s− 1 at 500°C, orange peel was observed in the alloy sheet with non-uniform microstructure, and average grain size of more than 280 μm. Coarse grains were easy to produce non-uniform deformation and texture, which were prone to cause orange peel. After hot rolling was performed under a strain rate of 0·01 s− 1 at 400°C, even though the grains were equiaxed with the size of about 76 μm, the surface of the alloy sheet displayed slight roping, owing to the bands of Cube orientation. After hot rolled under a strain rate of 0·1 s− 1 at 500°C, the alloy s...

For piezoelectric composites with nano-inclusions, the interface energy around the nano-inclusions will play important roles in predicting the electromechanical response under different loadings. In this paper, the interface energy effect on the electromechanical response of piezoelectric composites with a coated nano-inclusion of arbitrary shape under anti-plane mechanical and in-plane electric loadings is studied, and the analytical solutions of the stress and electric displacement are presented. Combining the Laurent series expansion technique and conformal mapping method, the general solutions of complex potentials are expressed. The unknown coefficients are determined by satisfying the boundary conditions with consideration of surface/interface effect. Some examples such as triangle and quasi-square shapes of nano-inclusions are given to show the distribution of internal stress and electric field. It is found that the interface energy effect shows significant variation with the shapes of nano-inclusions, and the effect in the case of circular shape is the smallest. The interface effect on the stress and electric field at the inner and outer boundaries is also examined.

Clip domain serine proteases (CLIPs), characterized by one or more conserved clip domains, are essential components of extracellular signalling cascades in various biological processes, especially in innate immunity and the embryonic development of insects. Additionally, CLIPs may have additional non-immune functions in insect development. In the present study, the clip domain serine protease gene Bombyx mori serine protease 95 (BmSP95), which encodes a 527-residue protein, was cloned from the integument of B. mori. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that BmSP95 is a typical CLIP of the subfamily D and possesses a clip domain at the N terminus, a trypsin-like serine protease (tryp_spc) domain at the C terminus and a conserved proline-rich motif between these two domains. At the transcriptional level, BmSP95 is expressed in the integument during moulting and metamorphosis, and the expression pattern is consistent with the fluctuating 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) titre in B. mori. At the translational level, BmSP95 protein is synthesized in the epidermal cells, secreted as a zymogen and activated in the moulting fluid. Immunofluorescence revealed that BmSP95 is distributed into the old endocuticle in the moulting stage. The expression of BmSP95 was upregulated by 20E. Moreover, expression of BmSP95 was downregulated by pathogen infection. RNA interference-mediated silencing of BmSP95 led to delayed moulting from pupa to moth. These results suggest that BmSP95 is involved in integument remodelling during moulting and metamorphosis.

A prospective study. To evaluate the effect of the surgery to reconstruct thoracic breathing in patients with high cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI). China Rehabilitation Research Center, Beijing, China. The posterior ribs (from the fifth to the eighth) were suspended on the inferior angle of the scapula on each side using titanium cables, as well as muscles and myofascial tissue in the subscapular area. After the surgery, the patients were trained for synchronous contraction of the trapezius and diaphragm muscles, and electromyography (EMG) was performed to evaluate the synchronization. The clinical symptoms and pulmonary function were assessed within 1 week before surgery and at 2, 12 and 24 postoperative weeks. Six patients with complete high CSCI received rib suspension surgery 84±26.7 days after spinal cord injury. Before the surgery, all of the patients presented with weakened cough, retention of respiratory secretions and dyspnea, while these symptoms alleviated postoperatively. The vital capacity (VC) was enhanced to be 1680±282 ml at 2 weeks after the surgery, compared with 1085±92 ml (P=0.013). The EMG showed a synchronous muscle electrical activity between the trapezius muscles and diaphragm during deep breaths. The rib suspension surgery partially restored the thoracic breathing of the patients with high CSCI, thereby improving VC, cough and expectoration.

In this work, we report the in-orbit demonstration of X-ray pulsar navigation with Insight-Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT), which was launched on Jun. 15th, 2017. The new pulsar navigation method 'Significance Enhancement of Pulse-profile with Orbit-dynamics' (SEPO) is adopted to determine the orbit with observations of only one pulsar. In this test, the Crab pulsar is chosen and observed by Insight-HXMT from Aug. 31th to Sept. 5th in 2017. Using the 5-day-long observation data, the orbit of Insight-HXMT is determined successfully with the three telescopes onboard - High Energy X-ray Telescope (HE), Medium Energy X-ray Telescope (ME) and Low Energy X-ray Telescope (LE) - respectively. Combining all the data, the position and velocity of the Insight-HXMT are pinpointed to within 10 km (3 sigma) and 10 m/s (3 sigma), respectively., Accepted by the Astrophysical Journal Supplement

Homosexuality is now accepted as a normal variant of human sexuality, but homophobia among healthcare professionals is well documented. Establishment of trustful doctor–patient relationships is impossible in the presence of homophobia. We were interested to examine the extent of homophobia among medical students, the future doctors. This article aims to study attitudes of medical students of the University of Hong Kong towards homosexuality and to identify significant factors affecting their attitudes. A cross‐sectional study was performed on students of the University of Hong Kong. Attitudes towards homosexuality were compared between medical and non‐medical students. More than 25% of the medical students agreed with the statement ‘homosexuality is a psychological disorder that requires therapy’. More than 15% would avoid any physical contact with homosexuals to minimise the chance of contracting diseases, especially AIDS. Comparison between the medical students and non‐medical students showed that the a...

Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients increase erythrocyte susceptibility to hemolysis and impair cell survival. We explored whether electrolyte-reduced water (ERW) could palliate HD-evoked erythrocyte impairment and anemia. Forty-three patients undergoing chronic HD were enrolled and received ERW administration for 6 month. We evaluated oxidative stress in blood and plasma, erythrocyte methemoglobin (metHb)/ferricyanide reductase activity, plasma metHb, and proinflammatory cytokines in the chronic HD patients without treatment (n=15) or with vitamin C (VC)- (n=15), vitamin E (VE)-coated dialyzer (n=15), or ERW treatment (n=15) during an HD course. The patients showed marked increases (15-fold) in blood reactive oxygen species, mostly H(2)O(2), after HD without any treatment. HD resulted in decreased plasma VC, total antioxidant status, and erythrocyte metHb/ferricyanide reductase activity and increased erythrocyte levels of phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) and plasma metHb. Antioxidants treatment significantly palliated single HD course-induced oxidative stress, plasma and RBC PCOOH, and plasma metHb levels, and preserved erythrocyte metHb /ferricyanide reductase activity in an order VCERWVE-coated dialyzer. However, ERW had no side effects of oxalate accumulation easily induced by VC. Six-month ERW treatment increased hematocrit and attenuated proinflammatory cytokines profile in the HD patients. In conclusion, ERW treatment administration is effective in palliating HD-evoked oxidative stress, as indicated by lipid peroxidation, hemolysis, and overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in HD patients.

The super blue box recycling (SUBBOR) process is an enhanced, multi-stage anaerobic digestion process for mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) and other biomass feedstock materials. The technology centers on enhanced high solids, thermophilic digestion after steam–pressure disruption of the ligno-cellulosic fiber components that are recalcitrant to conventional anaerobic digestion. Mixed MSW, rich in organic components but also containing inorganic materials, such as glass, aluminum and steel, as well as non-digestible plastic materials, has been laboratory pilot tested with a fully integrated process train designed to treat and recycle all of the MSW components. Methane yields from the MSW were 0.36 m3 CH4/kg volatile solids (VS) representing a 40% increase over the yield obtained from conventional single stage digestion. The secondary digestion step after steam pressure disruption also provided a 40% improvement in total solids and VS reduction. The residual organic fraction following two-stage digestion was fine in texture and was recovered as a clean peat fraction with reduced contents of heavy metal and other fugitive non-digested contaminants. Mass and energy balance determinations indicated a high degree of MSW diversion from landfill disposal (>80%) was achievable by the SUBBOR process as well as substantial net electrical and thermal energy production. Continuous long-term trials of the SUBBOR process at 25,000 tonnes/year are underway.

In BALB/c mice, two maturation-related wheat-germ-binding glycoproteins (GP-49 and GP-83) are synthesized and secreted by corpus and cauda epididymis. A co-culture technique was used to investigate these glycoproteins in principal cells of corpus epididymis and the conjugation of these molecules on caput sperm. The principal cells were recovered from corpus epididymides of 4-week-old mice and cultured in RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum. After culturing for 3-4 days, most cells revealed epithelial cell-specific keratins in immunofluorescent localization with monoclonal antibody. By electron microscopy, a prominent nucleolus with well-extended euchromatin was revealed in the nucleus and the cytoplasm contained multivesicular bodies, and a well-developed Golgi apparatus with endoplasmic reticulum. By SDS-PAGE, GP-83 and GP-49 were revealed in the cell extracts and cell culture supernatants after incubation with 35S-methionine. Radiolabeled binding sites were also found on the surface of caput sperm co-cultured with the principal cells for 4 h in the presence of 35S-methionine. WGA-binding glycoproteins may be synthesized and secreted by the principal cells of corpus epididymis and conjugated to caput sperm during the epididymal transit.

This study is designed to investigate the synthesis of maturation-related wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) binding glycoproteins in the human corpus epididymal epithelial cells by in vitro culture. Epithelial cells were isolated from the corpus of human epididymides and cultured with RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum in type IV collagen-coated dishes at 37°C. The epithelial nature, presence of fibroblasts, WGA-binding sites, and existence of GP-83 were determined by an indirect immunocytochemical and histochemical staining technique. Proteins in the cultured cells were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. After culturing for 10 days, the cells were shown to be positive with epithelial cell-specific keratins but devoid of fibroblasts. WGA-binding granules and positive binding sites of GP-83 were also detected in the cytoplasm. Immunoblots of cell extracts probed with the anti-GP-83 antibody from seminal fluid revealed the sperm maturation-related glycoprotein GP-83. The results indica...

In this paper, spinel LiMn2−x In x O4 powder were prepared by rheological phase reaction method with the CH3COOLi·2H2O, (CH3CO2)2Mn·4H2O, and In2O3. The structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction and the electrochemical cycling performance were also observed. The results showed that the spinel LiMn2−x In x O4 were pure phase with very excellent performance. As a cathode material for lithium secondary batteries, LiMn1.98In2O4 had a high initial discharge-capacity with 132.42 mAh/g and a good cyclic reversibility with 98.9%. Even after 60 cycles, the discharge capacity still kept 126.29 mAh/g.

High-quality heterojunctions between p-type diamond single-crystalline films and highly oriented n-type ZnO films were fabricated by depositing the p-type diamond single-crystal films on the Io-type diamond single crystal using a hot filament chemical vapor deposition, and later growing a highly oriented n-type ZnO film on the p-type diamond single-crystal film by magnetron sputtering. Interestingly, anomalously high ideality factors (n≫2.0) in the prepared ZnO/diamond p–n junction diode in the interim bias voltage range were measured. For this, detailed electronic characterizations of the fabricated p–n junction were conducted, and a theoretical model was proposed to clarify the much higher ideality factors of the special heterojunction diode.

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of pasture intake on meat quality, lipid oxidation, and fatty acid composition of geese. One hundred twenty Dongbei White male geese (a local breed; BW = 878 ± 13 g; 28 d old) were randomly and equally divided into 2 treatments with 6 pens of 10 geese per treatment. The 2 treatments consisted of birds fed ad libitum a corn-based feed. One-half of the birds had no access to pasture (control) while the other half had access to an alfalfa (Medicago sativa)-based pasture (pasture). The study lasted 42 d. Body weight and feed intake were recorded weekly. At the end of the study, geese were slaughtered to collect meat samples. Results showed that pasture intake reduced subcutaneous fat thickness (P0.05) and abdominal fat yield (P0.05) of geese compared with control. Geese with access to pasture had greater cooking loss (P0.05) and lightness (L*) value (P0.05) and lower pH at 24 h postmortem (pH24; P0.05) and thiobarbituric acid reacting substance values (P0.05) at 0 and 30 min of forced oxidation. Moreover, pasture intake increased linolenic acid (C18:3n-3; P0.05) and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3; P0.05) and reduced the n-6:n-3 ratio (P0.05) in the breast muscle of geese compare with the control. In conclusion, pasture intake did not enhance growth performance but improved carcass characteristics and meat quality and changed fatty acid composition of geese.

We presented the results on the fabrication and characterization of high-quality heterojunction between p-type diamond single-crystalline film and n-type cubic boron nitride (c-BN) bulk single crystal. By employing a simple surface diffusion, we prepared the n-type c-BN bulk single crystals with relatively low resistivity (1.0×10−1 Ω cm). Combining p-type diamond films grown by chemical vapor deposition with n-type c-BN, we fabricated a high-quality heterojunction bipolar p–n diode, which the turn-on voltage of the heterojunction was 0.85 V, and the current density reached to 170 A/m2 when the forward bias was applied to 3 V.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of providing shade on growth performance, welfare, and meat quality of grazing sheep under high ambient temperature. A total of 120 healthy male Ujumqin wool sheep (a local breed; BW = 18.7 ± 1.27 kg; 14 wk old) were randomly and equally divided into shaded and unshaded treatments with 3 pens per treatment. Sheep were grazed on an unshaded pastureland from 0600 to 1000 h and 1400 to 1800 h. During other times, sheep were confined in shaded or unshaded pens. Body weight was recorded on d 1 and 42 of the experiment. Rectal temperature and respiration rate were recorded on d 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42. At end of the trial, sheep were blood sampled and slaughtered to collect meat samples. Respiration rate was greater (P0.05) in the unshaded sheep than shaded sheep on d 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 of the trial whereas no significant differences were found on d 7. Moreover, no differences were observed in final BW, ADG, or rectal temperature throughout the trial. The pH at 24 h postmortem (pH(24)) and cooking loss were greater (P0.01) in unshaded than shaded sheep. On the contrary, lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) values at 24 h postmortem were lower (P0.05) in unshaded versus shaded sheep. The sheep in the unshaded group had a greater (P0.05) cortisol concentration compared with the shaded group. Sheep in the shaded group had lower creatine kinase activity (P0.01) as well as observed for glucose (P0.05), triiodothyronine (P0.01), and thyroxine (P0.05) concentrations and white blood cell count (P0.05). Compared with the unshaded group, sheep in the shaded group had a greater lymphocytes (LYM) count (P0.05). In contrast, the opposite was true for neutrophils (NEU) count (P0.01) and NEU:LYM ratio (P0.01). In conclusion, the shade cloth, although not enhancing ADG, improved meat quality traits and certain stress parameters in grazing sheep reared under high ambient temperature.

The two-photon transition ψ(3686)→γγJ/ψ is studied in a sample of 1.06×10(8) ψ(3686) decays collected by the BESIII detector. The branching fraction is measured to be (3.1±0.6(stat)(-1.0)(+0.8)(syst))×10(-4) using J/ψ→e(+)e(-) and J/ψ→μ(+)μ(-) decays, and its upper limit is estimated to be 4.5×10(-4) at the 90% confidence level. This work represents the first measurement of a two-photon transition among charmonium states. The orientation of the ψ(3686) decay plane and the J/ψ polarization in this decay are also studied. In addition, the product branching fractions of sequential E1 transitions ψ(3686)→γχ(cJ) and χ(cJ)→γJ/ψ(J=0,1,2) are reported.

The high-pressure phases boron nitride films together with cubic, wurtzic, and explosive high-pressure phases, were successfully deposited on the metal alloy substrates by tuned substrate radio frequency magnetron sputtering. The percentage of cubic boron nitride phase in the film was about 50% as calculated by Fourier transform infrared measurements. Infrared peak position of cubic boron nitride at 1006.3 cm−1, which is close to the stressless state, indicates that the film has very low internal stress. Transition electron microscope micrograph shows that pure cubic boron nitride phase exits on the surface of the film. The growth mechanism of the BN films was also discussed.

We present results of a study of the decay J/ψ → ωηπ+ π- using a sample of (225.2 ± 2.8) × 10(6) J/ψ events collected by the BESIII detector, and report the observation of a new process J/ψ → ωX(1870) with a statistical significance of 7.2σ, in which X(1870) decays to a(0)(±)(980)π±. Fitting to ηπ+ π- mass spectrum yields a mass M = 1877.3 ± 6.3(stat)(-7.4)(+3.4)(syst) MeV/c(2), a width Γ = 57 ± 12(stat)(-4)(+19)(syst) MeV/c(2), and a product branching fraction B(J/ψ → ωX) × B(X→a(0)(±)(980)π±) × B(a(0) (±)(980) → ηπ±) = [1.50 ± 0.26(stat)(-0.36)(+0.72) (syst)] × 10(-4). Signals for J/ψ → ωf(1)(1285) and J/ψ → ω η(1405) are also clearly observed and measured.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of 8 h of road transportation on physiological responses and meat quality traits of sheep at 6, 12, and 24 mo of age. Seventy-two male sheep were equally divided into transported (TRANS) and nontransported (CON) treatments (n = 36), and each treatment was subdivided into 3 groups by age (n = 12). Sheep in CON groups were weighed, blood sampled, and slaughtered, whereas sheep in TRANS groups were weighed, transported, blood sampled, and slaughtered to collect meat samples. The BW of sheep in TRANS groups was reduced significantly (P0.001) compared with CON sheep, and older sheep lost more BW than younger animals. However, dressing percentages of TRANS sheep were significantly (P0.001) greater than those of CON sheep. Some meat quality variables were affected by transportation, and responses of different ages of sheep varied. Total pigment content and lipid oxidation of LM and gluteus medius of TRANS sheep increased significantly (P0.001) compared with CON sheep. Cooking loss of LM and gluteus medius was influenced significantly (P0.01) by interaction effect between transportation and age, and the values for 6-mo-old TRANS sheep were less than those of CON sheep. Serum total protein (P = 0.036), globulin (P = 0.026), triglyceride (P0.001), and total cholesterol concentrations (P = 0.028) of TRANS sheep decreased compared with CON sheep. Serum NEFA concentration of TRANS sheep increased in relation to CON sheep with a significant interaction (P0.001) between transportation and age effect. Numbers of white blood cells were influenced (P = 0.002) by an interaction effect between transportation and age, and values for 6-mo-old sheep were not influenced by transportation. Numbers of platelets were influenced (P = 0.014) by age; they decreased more in 6-mo-old sheep than in older sheep. Transportation and age had no significant effects (P0.05) on packed cell volume and lymphocyte number. Serum creatine kinase activities in TRANS sheep were affected (P = 0.01) by an interaction effect between transportation and age. The 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in serum of TRANS sheep increased (P = 0.009) with the greatest change for 6-mo-old compared with older sheep. In conclusion, 8 h of road transportation resulted in greater heme pigment concentrations but improved meat tenderness and induced physiological responses of sheep. However, different ages of sheep showed different responses to the present transportation pattern.

In this note, we show by a counterexample that the conjecture of Seeger on the convexity of the greatest eigenvalue of a real symmetric matrix-valued function $$(\alpha _{ij} (u))_{n \times n}$$ does not hold.

Epididymal maturation is essential for mammalian sperm to develop fertility. Wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a lectin which specifically recognizes N-acetyl-glucosamine and sialic acid, was used to investigate membrane characteristics of epididymal sperm in the mouse. Histochemical and cytochemical localization revealed that WGA-binding sites were increased as sperm became mature. The binding sites were mainly localized in the plasma membrane of the anterior acrosome and tails. On Western blots of NP-40 extracts, two WGA-binding glycoproteins, GP-49 and GP-83 were identified on the sperm recovered from both corpus and cauda epididymidis. GP-83 was removed from the sperm surface by centrifugation and resuspension in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) three times. GP-49 was resistant to centrifuging at 400 g for 5 min up to seven times and the treatment with 1M NaCl in PBS.These observations suggest that GP-49 is very likely an intrinsic membrane protein of the sperm, whereas GP-83 is an extrinsic protein.

The aim of this study was to test natural teeth stability under various simulated types and degrees of alveolar vertical bone loss, as well as to assess the role that the surrounding bone played for maintaining tooth stability. A three-dimensional finite element model of the human maxillary central incisor with surrounding tissue, including periodontal ligament, enamel, dentin, pulp, and alveolar bone, was established. One side and multiple vertical bone loss were simulated by means of decreasing the surrounding bone level apically from the cemento-enamel junction in 1 mm steps incrementally downward for 10 mm. Natural frequency values of the incisor model with various types and degrees of bone loss were then calculated. The results showed that, with one-sided bone resorption, the model with labial bone loss had the lowest natural frequency decreasing rates (8.2 per cent). On the other hand, in cases of multiple bone loss, vertical bone resorption at the mesial and distal sides had more negative effects on tooth stability compared to vertical bone losses on facial and lingual sides. These findings suggest that the natural frequency method may be a useful, auxiliary clinical tool for diagnosis of vertical periodontal diseases.