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Adverse experiences in early life have long-lasting negative impacts on behavior and the brain in adulthood, one of which is sleep disturbance. As the corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) system and nucleus accumbens (NAc) play important roles in both stress responses and sleep-wake regulation, in this study we investigated whether the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system mediates early-life stress-induced abnormalities in sleep-wake behavior in adult mice. Using the limited nesting and bedding material paradigm from postnatal days 2 to 9, we found that early-life stress disrupted sleep-wake behaviors during adulthood, including increased wakefulness and decreased non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep time during the dark period and increased rapid eye movement (REM) sleep time during the light period. The stress-induced sleep disturbances were accompanied by dendritic atrophy in the NAc and both were largely reversed by daily systemic administration of the CRHR1 antagonist antalarmin during stress exposure. Importantly, Crh overexpression in the NAc reproduced the effects of early-life stress on sleep-wake behavior and NAc morphology, whereas NAc Crhr1 knockdown reversed these effects (including increased wakefulness and reduced NREM sleep in the dark period and NAc dendritic atrophy). Together, our findings demonstrate the negative influence of early-life stress on sleep architecture and the structural plasticity of the NAc, and highlight the critical role of the NAc CRH-CRHR1 system in modulating these negative outcomes evoked by early-life stress.

Zhenzhen Liu,1 Xiao Ma,2 Saif Ullah,1 Jitao Song,2 Lingjian Kong,1 Deliang Li,1 Chao Pan,2 Bingrong Liu1 1Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Bingrong LiuDepartment of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No. 1 Eastern Jianshe Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, People’s Republic of ChinaTel/Fax +86-15713815559Email fccliubr@zzu.edu.cnPurpose: To evaluate the role of endoscopic retrograde appendicography for the diagnosis of acute appendicitis.Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 33 patients (20 men and 13 women, average age 44± 18 years) with suspected acute appendicitis between December 2016 and November 2018. Endoscopic direct-vision imaging or fluoroscopic endoscopic retrograde appendicography was performed to separate suspected acute appendicitis from actual acute appendicitis. The success rate, complications, and recurrence rate were recorded.Results: Acute appendicitis was ruled out by normal endoscopic retrograde appendicography in 8 (24%) and confirmed in 23 patients (70%). In 2 patients (6%), appendiceal orifice cannulation failed. Colonoscopic findings in acute appendicitis were mucosal hyperemia and edema of appendiceal orifice (83%), outpouring of pus from the appendiceal orifice (74%), and swollen cecal mucosa (61%). Appendicograpic findings were either normal or in acute disease showed diffuse luminal dilation (diameter: 0.8± 0.4 mm), partial stenosis (43%), stiffness or inflexibility (87%) and filling defects (22%). There were no complications during or after follow-up for a median of 13 months (IQR: 9– 24 months).Conclusion: Endoscopic retrograde appendicography appears to be a reliable and safe method to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and prevent unnecessary appendectomy.Keywords: acute appendicitis, endoscopic retrograde appendicography, diagnosis, appendicography

Retinoblastoma (RB), the most common malignant retinal tumor among children under 3 years old, is lethal if left untreated. Early diagnosis, together with timely and effective treatment, is important to improve retinoblastoma-related outcomes. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a new class of non-coding RNAs with the capacity to regulate cellular activities, have great potential in retinoblastoma diagnosis and treatment. Recent studies have identified circular RNAs that regulate multiple cellular processes involved in retinoblastoma, including cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, migration, and invasion. Six circular RNAs (circ-FAM158A, circ-DHDDS, circ-E2F3, circ-TRHDE, circ-E2F5, and circ-RNF20) promote disease progression and metastasis in retinoblastoma and function as oncogenic factors. Other circular RNAs, such as circ-TET1, circ-SHPRH, circ-MKLN1, and circ-CUL2, play tumor suppressive roles in retinoblastoma. At present, the studies on the regulatory mechanism of circular RNAs in retinoblastoma are not very clear. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent studies on the functional roles and molecular mechanisms of circular RNAs in retinoblastoma and highlight novel strategies for retinoblastoma diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

Background Impaction of jujube pits in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a special clinical condition in the northern Chinese population. Endoscopic removal is the preferred therapy, but there is no consensus on the management strategies. We reported our individualized endoscopic strategies on the jujube pits impacted in the upper GI tract. Methods In this retrospective study, we included 191 patients (male: 57; female: 134) who presented to our hospital with ingestion of jujube pits between January 2015 and December 2017. Demographic information, times of hospital visiting, locations of jujube pits, endoscopic procedures, post-extraction endoscopic characteristics were analyzed. Management strategies including sufficient suction, repeated irrigation, jejunal nutrition and gastrointestinal decompression were given based on post-extraction endoscopic characteristics and impacted locations. Results Peak incidence was in the second quarter of each year (85/191 cases, 44.5%). Among the 191 cases, 169 (88.5%) showed pits impaction in the esophagus, 20 (10.5%) in the prepyloric region and 2 (1.0%) in the duodenal bulb. A total of 185 patients (96.9%) had pits removed with alligator jaw forceps, and 6 (3.1%) underwent suction removal with transparent caps placed over the end of the endoscope to prevent injury on removal of these pits with two sharp painted edges. Post-extraction endoscopic manifestations included mucosal erosion (26.7%), mucosa laceration (24.6%), ulceration with a white coating (18.9%) and penetrating trauma with pus cavity formation (29.8%). All patients received individualized endoscopic and subsequent management strategies and showed good outcomes. Conclusions Individualized endoscopic management for impacted jujube pits in the upper GI tract based on post-extraction endoscopic characteristics and impacted locations was safe, effective, and minimally invasive.

Genome‐wide 5hmC profiling in cell‐free DNA acquired from CRC patients, adenoma patients, and healthy individuals revealed that the differential 5hmC‐modified regions were gathered into four clusters with no overlap, although there are a few overlapped genes shared between the different clusters. CRC patients with adenoma history showed exclusive 5hmC‐gain characteristics, which was consistent with the ‘parallel’ evolution hypothesis in adenoma., Approximately 85% colorectal cancers (CRCs) are thought to evolve through the adenoma‐to‐carcinoma sequence associated with specific molecular alterations, including the 5‐hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) signature in circulating cell‐free DNA (cfDNA). To explore colorectal disease progression and evaluate the use of cfDNA as a potential diagnostic factor for CRC screening, here, we performed genome‐wide 5hmC profiling in plasma cfDNA and tissue genomic DNA (gDNA) acquired from 101 samples (63 plasma and 38 tissues), collected from 21 early‐stage CRC patients, 21 AD patients, and 21 healthy controls (HC). The gDNA and cfDNA 5hmC signatures identified in gene bodies and promoter regions in CRC and AD groups were compared with those in HC group. All the differential 5hmC‐modified regions (DhMRs) were gathered into four clusters: Disease‐enriched, AD‐enriched, Disease‐lost, and AD‐lost, with no overlap. AD‐related clusters, AD‐enriched and AD‐lost, displayed the unique 5hmC signals in AD patients. Disease‐enriched and Disease‐lost clusters indicated the general 5hmC changes when colorectal lesions occurred. Cancer patients with a confirmable adenoma history segmentally gathered in AD‐enriched clusters. KEGG functional enrichment and GO analyses determined distinct differential 5hmC‐modified profiles in cfDNA of HC individuals, AD, and CRC patients. All patients had comprehensive 5hmC signatures where Disease‐enriched and Disease‐lost DhMR clusters demonstrated similar epigenetic modifications, while AD‐enriched and AD‐lost DhMR clusters indicated complicated subpopulations in adenoma. Analysis of CRC patients with adenoma history showed exclusive 5hmC‐gain characteristics, consistent with the ‘parallel’ evolution hypothesis in adenoma, either developed through the adenoma‐to‐carcinoma sequence or not. These findings deepen our understanding of colorectal disease and suggest that the 5hmC modifications of different pathological subtypes (cancer patients with or without adenoma history) could be used to screen early‐stage CRC and assess adenoma malignancy with large‐scale follow‐up studies in the future.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA (lncNRA) forkhead box D3 antisense RNA 1 (FOXD3-AS1) has been proved to promote or suppress the occurrence and development of multiple types of human tumors. However, the function and mechanism of FOXD3-AS1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are scarcely understood. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used for detecting FOXD3-AS1, miR-150 and SRC kinase signaling inhibitor 1 (SRCIN1) mRNA expression in NSCLC tissues, and the relationship between pathological characteristics of NSCLC patients and FOXD3-AS1 expression level was analyzed. With human NSCLC cell lines H1299 and A549 as cell models, CCK-8 and BrdU assays were employed for detecting cancer cell proliferation, and Transwell assay was employed for detecting cell invasion ability. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used for the verification of the targeting relationshipe between FOXD3-AS1 and miR-150, and Western blot was employed for detecting SRCIN1 protein expression. RESULTS: FOXD3-AS1 expression was significantly reduced in NSCLC tissues and cell lines, and low expression of FOXD3-AS1 was closely related to positive lymph node metastasis and relatively high tumor grade. FOXD3-AS1 over-expression inhibited the proliferation and invasion of H1299 cell lines, while its knockdown promoted the proliferation and invasion of A549 cells. Additionally, it was confirmed that FOXD3-AS1 suppressed the expression of miR-150 by targeting it, and up-regulated the expression of SRCIN1. CONCLUSIONS: FOXD3-AS1 indirectly enhances the expression of SRCIN1 by targeting miR-150, thereby inhibiting NSCLC progression.

Chronic stress may disrupt the normal neurodevelopmental trajectory of the adolescent brain (especially the prefrontal cortex) and contribute to the pathophysiology of stress-related mental illnesses, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we investigated how synaptic cell adhesion molecules (e.g., nectin3) are involved in the effects of adolescent chronic stress on mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Male C57BL/6N mice were subjected to chronic social instability stress from postnatal days 29 to 77. One week later, the mice exposed to chronic stress exhibited impaired social recognition and spatial working memory, simplified dendritic structure, and reduced spine density in the mPFC. Membrane localization of nectin3 was also altered, and was significantly correlated with behavioral performance. Furthermore, knocking down mPFC nectin3 expression by adeno-associated virus in adolescent mice reproduced the stress-induced changes in behavior and mPFC morphology. These results support the hypothesis that nectin3 is a potential mediator of the effects of adolescent chronic stress on prefrontal structural and functional abnormalities. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s12264-020-00499-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background:. Depression affects approximately 5% of elderly people and its etiology might be related to chronic stress exposure during neurodevelopmental periods. In this study, we examined the effects of adolescent chronic social stress in aged mice on depressive behaviors and the excitatory-inhibitory (E/I) balance in stress-sensitive regions of the brain. Methods:. Sixty-four adolescent, male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned to either the 7-week (from post-natal days 29 to 77) social instability stress (stress group, n = 32) or normal housing conditions (control group, n = 32). At 15 months of age, 16 mice were randomly selected from each group for a series of behavioral tests, including two depression-related tasks (the sucrose preference test and the tail suspension test). Three days following the last behavioral test, eight mice were randomly selected from each group for immunohistochemical analyses to measure the cell density of parvalbumin (PV+)- and calretinin (CR+)-positive gamma-aminobutyric-acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory inter-neurons, and the expression levels of vesicular transporters of glutamate-1 (VGluT1) and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) in three stress-sensitive regions of the brain (the medial pre-frontal cortex [mPFC], hippocampus, and amygdala). Results:. Behaviorally, compared with the control group, adolescent chronic stress increased depression-like behaviors as shown in decreased sucrose preference (54.96 ± 1.97% vs. 43.11 ± 2.85%, t(22) = 3.417, P = 0.003) and reduced latency to immobility in the tail suspension test (92.77 ± 25.08 s vs. 33.14 ± 5.95 s, t(25) = 2.394, P = 0.025), but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors and pre-pulse inhibition. At the neurobiologic level, adolescent stress down-regulated PV+, not CR+, inter-neuron density in the mPFC (F(1, 39) = 19.30, P 10.09, all P

Background:. Exposure to adverse experiences in early life may profoundly reshape the neurodevelopmental trajectories of the brain and lead to long-lasting behavioral and neural alterations. One deleterious effect of early-life stress that manifests in later life is sleep disturbance, but this has not been examined in aged mice and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Considering the important role of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the sleep-wake regulation, this study aimed to assess the effects of early-life stress on the sleep behaviors in aged mice and the potential involvement of the NAc in stress-induced sleep abnormalities. Methods:. Twenty aged male C57BL/6 mice (>16 months, n = 10 per group) were used in this study. During post-natal days 2 to 9, dams were provided with either sufficient (control) or a limited nesting and bedding materials (stressed). When the mice were 16 to 17 months old, their sleep-wake behaviors were recorded over 24 h using electroencephalogram and electromyelogram. The amount of each sleep-wake stage, mean duration, and stage transition was analyzed. Then, five animals were randomly chosen from each group and were used to measure the expression levels of vesicular glutamate transporter-1 (VGluT1) and vesicular transporters of γ-aminobutyric acid (VGAT) in the NAc using immunohistochemistry. Group comparisons were carried out using Student t test or analysis of variances when appropriate. Results:. Compared with the control mice, the early-life stressed aged mice spent less time awake over 24 h (697.97 ± 77.47 min vs. 631.33 ± 34.73 min, t17 = 2.376, P = 0.030), accordingly, non-rapid eye movement sleep time was increased (667.37 ± 62.07 min vs. 723.54 ± 39.21 min, t17 = 2.326, P = 0.033) and mean duration of rapid eye movement sleep was prolonged (73.00 ± 8.98 min vs. 89.39 ± 12.69 min, t17 = 3.277, P = 0.004). Meanwhile, we observed decreased VGluT1/VGAT ratios in the NAc in the stressed group (F(1, 16) = 81.04, P

Background Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), a rare cause of cerebral infarction, is often unrecognized at initial presentation. We report the case of a patient with bilateral corpus callosum and corona radiata infarction due to cerebral venous sinus thrombosis presenting as headache and acute reversible aphasia. Case presentation A 30-year-old female patient presented with headache, vomiting, and motor aphasia. She was 20 days post-partum and had a lower than normal food intake following a normal vaginal delivery. Brain magnetic resonance images revealed a bilateral corpus callosum and corona radiata infarction. MR venography (MRV) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images showed a signal void in the anterior aspect of the superior sagittal sinus and inferior sagittal sinus, ophthalmic vein expansion, and the reversed direction of venous flow. In addition, images showed non-visualization of the left transverse sinus. The left slender sigmoid sinus and small internal jugular vein were also noted. The diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis was considered based on the above findings. The patient was managed with anticoagulation therapy, and recovered substantially after treatment. Conclusions Bilateral corpus callosum and corona radiata infarction is very rare. However, for patients who clinically show cranial hypertension and neurological deficits during the puerperium period, the possibility of CVST should be considered. Furthermore, DSA plays an important role in the diagnosis of CVST, and should be routinely checked. Early diagnosis is crucial for the patient suffering from CVST.

Multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) have great potential for multimodal cancer imaging and effective therapy. We have developed multifunctional NPs (GNR@SiO2@QDs) by incorporating gold nanorods (GNRs) and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) into silica. Folic acid (FA) as a targeting ligand was covalently conjugated on the surfaces of GNR@SiO2@QDs with a silane coupling agent. Cell viability assay showed that these NPs had low cytotoxicity. And confocal fluorescence images illustrated that they could selectively target HeLa cells overexpressing folate receptors (FRs) rather than FR-deficient A549 cells. In vitro cell imaging experiments revealed that these NPs exhibited strong X-ray attenuation for X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging and strong fluorescence for fluorescence imaging. They also showed an enhanced photothermal therapy (PTT) effect for cancer cells due to GNRs' high absorption coefficient in the near infrared (NIR) region and a better heat generation rate. All results show that they have great potential in theranostic applications such as for targeted tumor imaging and therapy.

Background Metformin is a first-line drug for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, yet its mechanism remains only partially understood and controversial. In this study we assessed a global gene expression profiling in liver of KKAy mice affected by metformin. This study aimed to identify the novel anti-diabetic mechanisms of metformin. Methods After KKAy mice were administered metformin for 5 weeks, the gene changes profile in the livers of KKAy mice were assessed by using the Agilent whole mice genome oligo microarray. Results Metformin altered the gene expression profiles in liver of KKAy mice. To our best knowledge, some genes have not been reported until now, such as Anxa2, Atf6, and so on. These genes were involved in many pathways, such as peroxisome proliferator activated receptor signaling pathway. Conclusions Gene expression changes induced by metformin were in support of the improvement of glucolipid metabolism and insulin resistance in KKAy mice. These findings expanded our knowledge of pharmacological action of metformin, and provided the potential novel insights and interesting information about the molecules involved in the antidiabetic effects of metformin.

The tool setting error model is put forward in this paper, according to the characteristics of the numerical control lathe tool setting error. On the basis of analyzing the influence factors of tool setting error, the influence of the tool setting error on the part shape error is discussed. Analysis shows that the shape error and size error is produced by the tool setting error, and the error will increase with the diameter size of tool setting error, the cutter diameter, amount of feed and other factors.

To perform a meta-analysis examining the effects of genistein on homocysteine and lipid levels in postmenopausal women.We systematically searched the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases and the ClinicalTrials.gov website for studies. We performed a meta-analysis using weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals in a random-effects model. We assessed between-study heterogeneity using the Cochran's Q and I(2) statistics.Eight randomized, controlled trials with a total of 476 subjects were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with placebos, genistein was effective in reducing plasma levels of homocysteine (WMD, -0.58 μmol/l; p = 0.001), and increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (WMD, 4.9 mg/dl; p = 0.0002). Subgroup analyses revealed that genistein significantly decreased the levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (WMD, -16.90 mg/dl; p = 0.01), total cholesterol (WMD, -15.83 mg/dl; p = 0.008), and triglycerides (WMD, -46.58 mg/dl; p = 0.03) in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome, but had no significant effects in those with no metabolic syndrome.Our meta-analysis demonstrates that genistein significantly reduces homocysteine levels and increases HDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women. Genistein also significantly decreases LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome.

A rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method was developed and validated using spinasterol as the internal standard (IS) for the simultaneous determination of shionone and epi-friedelinol in rat plasma. Plasma samples were pretreated using liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl ether. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a C18 column (100 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) with an isocratic elution consisting of acetonitrile-0.1% formic acid water (75:25, v/v) at a flow rate of 0.30 mL/min. Detection was performed under the selected reaction monitoring scan using an electrospray ionization in the positive ion mode. The mass transitions were as follows: m/z 427.4 → 95.1 for shionone, m/z 411.4 → 205.2 for epi-friedelinol and m/z 395.3 → 105.2 for IS. All calibration curves exhibited good linearity (r > 0.995) over the concentration range for both components. The intra- and inter-day precisions at three QC and lower limit of quantitation levels were both

Key Clinical Message Coughing could induce symptomatic, frequent atrial premature contractions (APCs), and episodes of atrial tachycardia (AT) in a rare case. If multiple arrhythmic drugs therapy failed to control the symptoms, catheter ablation was an effective therapeutic option for abolishing such atrial tachyarrhythmias guided by the electroanatomic mapping systems.

Mutant KRAS and BRAF are associated with primary EGFR inhibitor resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, other biomarkers that could predict EGFR inhibitor resistance remain elusive. In the present study, immunoblotting and cell proliferation results revealed that yes‑associated protein (YAP), a downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, was positively associated with primary cetuximab resistance in CRC cells. YAP knockdown enhanced the cytotoxicity of cetuximab in CRC cells. Simvastatin, a 3‑hydroxy‑3‑methylglutaryl‑coenzyme A (HMG‑CoA) reductase inhibitor of the mevalonate pathway that inhibits YAP bioactivity through nuclear translocation and total YAP expression, increased the cytotoxicity of EGFR inhibitors (cetuximab and gefitinib) against CRC cells. The combination of simvastatin and EGFR inhibitors inhibited YAP and EGFR signaling more markedly than each agent alone. Adding back geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), a key product of the mevalonate pathway, reversed the YAP bioactivity inhibition induced by simvastatin and the cell proliferation inhibition induced by the combination of simvastatin and EGFR inhibitors. Collectively, these results revealed that YAP may be useful in identifying cetuximab resistance in CRC and indicated that targeting of both YAP and EGFR signals may present a promising therapeutic approach for CRC.

We investigated whether Xiao-Xu-Ming decoction reduced mitophagy activation and kept mitochondrial function in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: sham, ischemia and reperfusion (IR), IR plus XXMD (60 g/kg/day) (XXMD60), IR plus cyclosporin A (10 mg/kg/day) (CsA), and IR plus vehicle (Vehicle). Focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion models were induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cerebral infarct areas were measured by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Cerebral ischemic injury was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) and Nissl staining. Ultrastructural features of mitochondria and mitophagy in the penumbra of the ischemic cortex were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Mitophagy was detected by immunofluorescence labeled with LC3B and VDAC1. Autophagy lysosome formation was observed by immunofluorescence labeled with LC3B and Lamp1. The expression of LC3B, Beclin1, and Lamp1 was analyzed by Western blot. The rats subjected to MCAO showed worsened neurological score and cell ischemic damage. These were all significantly reversed by XXMD or CsA. Moreover, XXMD/CsA notably downregulated mitophagy and reduced the increase in LC3, Beclin1, and Lamp1 expression induced by cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. The findings demonstrated that XXMD exerted neuroprotective effect via downregulating LC3, Beclin1, Lamp1, and mitochondrial p62 expression level, thus leading to the inhibition of mitophagy.

Skin diseases have a serious impact on people’s life and health. Current research proposes an efficient approach to identify singular type of skin diseases. It is necessary to develop automatic methods in order to increase the accuracy of diagnosis for multitype skin diseases. In this paper, three type skin diseases such as herpes, dermatitis, and psoriasis skin disease could be identified by a new recognition method. Initially, skin images were preprocessed to remove noise and irrelevant background by filtering and transformation. Then the method of grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) was introduced to segment images of skin disease. The texture and color features of different skin disease images could be obtained accurately. Finally, by using the support vector machine (SVM) classification method, three types of skin diseases were identified. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.

Pure polystyrene (PS) was subjected to natural weathering in Qionghai (QH) and Ruoqiang (RQ) of China, representing hot and humid climate and xerothermic climate respectively. The degradation profile of pure PS was studied by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Spectrophotometer. Artificial accelerated weathering tests protocol A and B were carried out to simulate hot and humid climate and xerothermic climate respectively. Results show that pure PS degrade slowly at the initial stage and then become faster. Color shift could be an appropriate indicator for evaluating simulated effect of artificial accelerated weathering and protocol A simulate hot and humid climate perfectly while protocol B turns out weak for xerothermic climate.

A dynamic sensor deployment strategy for heterogeneous mobile wireless sensor networks is proposed, so-called virtual force-directed differential evolution algorithm (VFDE). To ensure efficient coverage of networks, VFDE combines the virtual force (VF) with differential evolution algorithm (DE), where the position vector of each population is updated according to not only the historical local and global optimal solutions but also the virtual forces of sensor nodes. The key motivation of this strategy is to use the virtual force to direct the updating of DE for improving the convergence speed, and DE is used to enhance the global searching ability. Simulation results show that VFDE has better performance on regional convergence and global searching than VF algorithm and DE algorithm, and it can implement dynamic heterogeneous mobile sensor deployment efficiently and rapidly.

The aim of this study is to explore the expression of CD109 in breast cancer stem cells and the relationship between CD109 protein and clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer. CD44+/CD24- tumor cells (CSCs) were selected by flow cytometry. The protein expression of CD109 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry staining, and the relationship between CD109 and clinicopathological parameters of breast cancer was determined. CD109 positively regulated the proliferation of breast CSCs in vitro, and CD109 protein expression was significantly higher in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) compared to non-TNBC (63.78 vs. 3.71 %, P = 0.001). Moreover, CD109 protein expression was related to the histological grade of breast cancer (P = 0.015), whereas age (P = 0.731), tumor size (P = 0.995), clinical stage (P = 0.644), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.924) were not. In the logistic regression model, histological grade (P = 0.001) and molecular type (P = 0.001) were significantly related to CD109 expression. The patients with high expression of CD109 protein had significantly poorer postoperative disease-specific survival than those with no or low expression of CD109 protein (P = 0.001). In the Cox regression, CD109 was an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.001). CD109 is highly expressed in TNBC and is a potential biomarker for the initiation, progression, and differentiation of breast cancer tumors.

Photo-cross-linkable physical hydrogels based on the coiled-coil region of the cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and polyethylene glycol diacrylate were designed and synthesized to mimic the natural extracellular matrix for three-dimensional cell culture. The engineered polypeptides (Pcys and RGDPcys) were modified with polyethylene glycol diacrylate to form photo-cross-linkable multifunctional macromers via the Michael-type addition reaction between the cysteine residues and acrylates. Gel formation was confirmed by rheological measurements. The swelling ratio and stability of 10% w/v RGDP-PEG-acrylate6k hydrogel were 38% and 15 days, respectively. Spreading and migration of encapsulated fibroblast cells were observed in these physical hydrogels, while round cells were observed in a covalent control hydrogel. In addition, rapid self-healing of these physical hydrogels can provide a flexible way to build tissue by self-assembly and bottom-up approach. The results demonstrate that such physical hydrogels are expected to have great potential applications in tissue engineering.

In order to meet the miniaturization, low power, low cost and increasingly high precision requires of Strapdown navigation system, the Strapdown Navigation Computer based on DSP and FPGA is researched in this paper. DSP is used to process the data. The FPGA has functions of data collected and I/O controlled etc, the dual-port RAM interface complete the data communication between DSP and FPGA. Two CPU give full play to their respective characteristics, the coordinated work, can complete the function of the navigation computer well.

The authors provide a new idea and approach for national fitness service, and to create a service mode for the fitness industry in China, expatiated on the significance to establish a local fitness network system platform,analyzed such characteristics of platform establishment as quick, interactive, unique and differentiated service, determined the basic framework and core contents of the platform, established the platform in such aspects as local fitness network platform website, platform fitness management system and comprehensive system platform database, run the platform according to such two running modes as internal circulation and external circulation, rationally adjusted the contents of various modular subsystems based on different user feedbacks, and put forward requirements for platform running in practice.

Zinc oxide/poly (butylene succinate) composite (ZnO/PBS) were performed by aging test of 1008h. The chemical structure and crystallinity of the materials were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction, and the aging properties of composite were studied by mechanical properties. The results showed that: the scale of characteristic functional groups had some change. And any of the reciprocal actions or effects, that can occur in composite molecule. The crystallinity of composite had reduced from 26.13% to 15.56% after aging. Mechanical properties of materials reduced gradually in aging, and reduced extent of ZnO/PBS composite was less than that of PBS.

Electro-hydraulic controlling drill rig has played a very important role nowadays in drilling program. The design of monitor system for JD15 electro-hydraulic controlling drill rig, and the functional requirements of different parts, including real time data acquisition, processing and output, real-time monitoring and display of parameters, have been studied according to the actual demand of monitor system, and additionally, the design puts forward relevant thoughts about the system in the way of computer software and hardware.

Drill tower is the support structure to ensure normal work for drilling, and the structural characteristic has been played a vital role in the stability of drilling rig. In the paper, the 3-D modeling of the drill tower has been established by the software UG and the finite element analysis of the structure has been finished by software ANSYS that it provides a new design method and thought for the new type of electro-hydraulic controlling core drill tower. According to the analysis result, the practicability for the structure is discussed, and furthermore, this study can provide reliable and efficient technical reference for future design of drill tower products.

The mis-configuration investigation is an important field in the security of cloud computing. However, the common method of investigating mis-configuration is a post-processing way. In order to find errors in the process of the cloud service management timely, we analyze the relationship between indicators of the cloud computing and locations of configuration items in this paper. According to this relationship, we construct a solution model based on the fuzzy pattern recognition. The lattice degree of nearness is used to determined locations of the mis-configuration. We further test the validity and accuracy of the model under the cloud simulation environment. The results show that the model is more effective and accurate to find the location of the mis-configuration rapidly.

BPEL-based composition of Web services has become one important part of business processes, but because of the dynamic and complexity of network, it easily raises various exceptions during the execution. In order to address various exceptions may exist in execution of composite Web services process effectively; this paper proposes an effective exception handling model of composite Web services in combination of the autonomic management theories and techniques in the field of autonomic computing. This model incorporates the autonomic management element of autonomic computing to monitor the execution of composite services and to compensate or restore the business process of the composite services according to the specified policy when an exception occurs. The model enhances the exception handling autonomy while reducing the complexity of exception handling of composite services.

The polarization phenomenon occurs when the sunlight is scattered by atmospheric molecules. As a result, there is a polarization pattern in the sky. An amount of research shows that many nature insects can derive orientation information from this pattern, such as bees and ants. The fundamental polarization pattern in the sky is presented. The characters and the orientation mechanism of the nature insects are discussed. The basic principle of designing the polarization skylight navigation sensor is explained. The domestic and foreign relevant researches and application situation of this new navigation method are summarized in details. In the end, the characters of application fields and its application prospect are previewed.

The adsorption characteristics of virgin and potassium permanganate modified lignite semi-coke (SC) for gaseous Hg0 were investigated in an attempt to produce more effective and lower price adsorbents for the control of elemental mercury emission. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) measurements, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the surface physical and chemical properties of SC, Mn-SC and Mn-H-SC before and after mercury adsorption. The results indicated that potassium permanganate modification had significant influence on the properties of semi-coke, such as the specific surface area, pore structure and surface chemical functional groups. The mercury adsorption efficiency of modified semi-coke was lower than that of SC at low temperature, but much higher at high temperature. Amorphous Mn7+, Mn6+ and Mn4+ on the surface of Mn-SC and Mn-H-SC were the active sites for oxidation and adsorption of gaseous Hg0, which oxidized the elemental mercury into Hg2+ and captured it. Thermal treatment reduced the average oxidation degree of Mn(x+) on the surface of Mn-SC from 3.80 to 3.46. However, due to the formation of amorphous MnOx, the surface oxidation active sites for gaseous Hg0 increased, which gave Mn-H-SC higher mercury adsorption efficiency than that of Mn-SC at high temperature.

BACKGROUND To compare the clinical outcomes and complications of 247 pituitary tumor patients managed by endoscopic and microscopic approaches in our hospital. METHODS The authors performed a retrospective review of 100 pituitary tumor patients treated by endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (ETS) and 147 patients treated by microscopic transsphenoidal surgery (MTS) at our center from January 2007 to July 2014. The tumors were stratified by Knosp classification and modified Hardy classification, and tumor gross total resection (GTR)/remission rate, visual improvement rate, complications, operation time, intraoperative bleeding and length of hospital stay were compared between ETS and MTS. RESULTS The GTR rate decreased with increasing Knosp grades for both ETS and MTS, with the rates of 93.3%, 87.5%, 71.4%, 58.8% for ETS and 82.8%, 92.0%, 70.7%, 36.0% for MTS in resecting Knosp grades 0, I, II, and III tumors, respectively. The visual improvement rates increased with increasing Hardy grades, which was 66.7% and 45.5% for Hardy grade B lesion, 72.2% and 71.4% for grade C lesion, and 88.9% and 78.9% for grade D lesion treated by ETS and MTS, respectively. No significant differences were observed for GTR rate, visual outcome and complication rate between ETS and MTS, while ETS resulted in more intraoperative blood loss, longer operative time, and shorter hospital stay than MTS. CONCLUSIONS These data conclude that, compared with MTS, ETS needs longer operation time and results in more intraoperative blood loss, but appears to achieve higher GTR rate for Knosp grade III pituitary tumors.

A series of novel substituted uracil-1′( N )-acetic acid esters ( 6 – 20 ) of camptothecins (CPTs) were synthesized by the acylation method. These new compounds were evaluated for in vitro antitumor activity against tumor cell lines, A549, Bel7402, BGC-823, HCT-8 and A2780. In vitro results showed that most of the derivatives exhibited comparable or superior cytotoxicity compare to CPT ( 1 ) and topotecan (TPT, 2 ), with 12 and 13 possessing the best efficacy. Four compounds, 9 , 12 , 13 and 16 , were selected to be evaluated for in vivo antitumor activity against H 22 , BGC-823 and Bel-7402 in mice. In vivo testing results indicated that 12 and 13 had antitumor activity against mouse liver carcinoma H 22 close to Paclitaxel and cyclophosphamide. 12 had similar antitumor activity against human gastric carcinoma BGC-823 in nude mice compared to irinotecan ( 3 ) and possessed better antitumor activity against human hepatocarcinoma Bel-7402 in nude mice than 2 . It is also discovered that 12 showed a similar mechanism but better inhibitory activity on topoisomerase I (Topo I) compared to 2 . These findings indicate that 20(S)- O -fluorouracil-1′( N )-acetic acid ester derivative of CPTs, 12 , could be developed as an antitumor drug candidate for clinical trial.

An efficient metal-free and practical method for the synthesis of disubstituted dihydroquinolin-2(1 H )-ones via intermolecular radical tandem addition/cyclization was developed. This method provides a novel and straightforward route to 3-acyl-4-aryldihydroquinolin-2(1 H )-ones in one step by C–H functionalization. A possible mechanism for the formation of 3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1 H )-ones is also proposed.

Aiming to the problems of the pneumatic-hydraulic supercharging press such as only supporting small force and forming micropart of sheet metal or nonmetal, the pneumatic-hydraulic supercharging press of Lever Amplifier was designed integrated pneumatic-hydraulic with lever mechanism, it can support 30 Ton force. Its working parameters were calculated, its machine frame structure was built in virtue of Solidworks, supporting plate of PHSP frame were analyzed and optimized by FEM CosmosWorks. The result shows that thickness of supporting plate with two holes is superior, it deflection is small, this structure is simple, reliable, operating safe and convenient, the most important item is to put forward to the new-type press machine for thickness metal sheet forming.

Thickness Nonliner Blank (TNLB) is forming by flexible rolling system and is superior to Tailor Rolled Blank（TRB）,the thickness of TNLB belongs to nonperiodic, it can be used to make automobile panels for reducing material and lower light-weight. The rolling process model of TNLB was presented and rolling simulation model of TNLB was built by Deform，the better match for the rolling speed and roll vertical speed is the key to get the target curve, the comparison between simulation curve and target profile curve was discussed the influence of rolling by different parameters such angular velocity and vertical velocity aimming at decreased Zone. the factors of each sections during rolling were analyzed. This research results show that these will put forward references for TNLB rolling and widen the connotations of TRB.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the combined use of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitors pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), bortezomib or SN50, and the chemotherapy agents arsenic acid (As(2)O(3)), fluorouracil (5FU), oxaliplatin or paclitaxel on the growth and apoptosis of HT-29 cells. Cell morphology was observed using inverted microscopy, and cell viability and apoptosis were assessed using the MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. The activities of NF-κB were analyzed by western blotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Cell growth was significantly inhibited by As(2)O(3), oxaliplatin and paclitaxel in a time- and concentration-dependent manner (P

The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT (PI3K/AKT) pathway plays a critical role in human cancer. We determined the expression patterns of class I PI3K catalytic subunits and evaluated their importance in the development or progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). For this purpose, expression of class I PI3K isoforms was evaluated in 82 primary CRC and paired non-cancerous mucosa samples by qRT-PCR. P-AKT-Ser473 and P-AKT-Thr308 expression were measured by western blot. We found that, compared with paired non-cancerous mucosa samples, mRNA expression of p110α and p110β in CRCs was significantly increased to 2.02-fold (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-3.28 fold) and 1.76-fold (95% CI 1.19-2.60 fold), respectively; while slight differences were found regarding the expression of p110δ (0.57-fold; 95% CI 0.31-1.07 fold) and p110γ (0.97-fold; 95% CI 0.50-1.88 fold). Increased p110α and p110β expression correlated with primary tumor size, regional lymph node metastases, and AJCC stage. Increased p110β expression also correlated with distant metastasis. P-AKT-Thr308 and P-AKT-Ser473 expression showed significant direct correlations with p110α and p110β mRNA expression. Besides, CRC patients with p110β mRNA overexpression had a worse disease-free survival after radical surgery compared with those with normal or decreased levels (P = 0.043). It was, therefore, concluded that the altered p110α and p110β expression might contribute to the CRC development or progression.

The finite element software DYNAFORM was applied to simulate the whole tube hydroforming process. Two main failure types in the process of hydroforming are wrinkling and bursting. The strain distribution and thickness distribution at different process parameters were presented. Not only friction coefficient but also the effect of different matching of internal pressure and axial force was simulated and analyzed. In addition, the velocity of punch was considered too. The result has reference value for the variable cross-section tube hydroforming process research.

Aiming to the problems of the mechanical press, the Pneumatic-hydraulic supercharging press of microparts forming was designed, with help of FEA software CosmosWorks, the frame structure of PH was simulated and calculated. Different parameters influencing minimum distance and maximum stress were taken into account and the optimal structure parameter was obtained by orthogonal design. The results of FEA and sample press show that the frame structure could satisfy the requirement of micropart forming.

Tailor rolled blanks (TRB) is made by flexible rolling system. And the thickness of TRB can be determined according to the load of this section. With its good bearing capacity and designed, it can be used to make automotive body for reducing the material and lower the weight. This paper describes the rolling process of TRB, and rolling simulation model of TRB was constructed using Deform-3D. The result curve of TRB rolling simulation was compared with a given target curve to determine the TRB rolling implementation, and had a simple analysis about the factors of each cross section during rolling. This research will give a guidance to realize the rolling of TRB.

In order to find out the influence trend and the impact factor of different process parameters for die-roll of gear shape and smooth-shear surface, the forming process to characteristics of FPG fine-blanking that based on fine-blanking theory was simulated by using Deform-3D. The best scheme suitable for FPG fine-blanking was obtained, which was also validated by the simulation test. The results showed that the processes were feasible and thus provided the basis to improve the die life and the forming quality for fine-blanking of FPG.

As one of the best ways to lightweight car-white-body, tailor rolling blanks (TRB) are affected by various factors when produced, such as friction, rotational speed of working rolls, adjusting speed of rollers gap, rolling force, roller stiffness, etc. In this paper, a three-level three factors orthogonal table was set up and various tests were simulated by using orthogonal design method and Deform-3D software. Take the comparison of simulated curve with the target curve as experimental index, one set of optimal rolling parameters was found by variance analysis to the experiment results. This researching results can provide technical support for production of TRB, and promote the TRB application in the car lightweight.

Numerical simulation was made on parameters like internal pressure and axial force as well as friction coefficient of tube that affect the formation of variable cross-section tube. Through numerical simulation and orthogonal optimization, the most thickness reduction ratio and thickness uniformity on different conditions were contrasted and analyzed. An optimum scheme was obtained and it could improve the formability of variable cross-section tube. The result indicates that the axial force plays the most important role on thickness reduction ratio. The result provides technical support for the variable cross-section tube hydroforming research.

Reinforced concrete slab has the property of two-way bending. In this paper, four test specimens of reinforced concrete slabs were set up to be determined the strain and deflection at corresponding position. The results show that the bending of reinforced concrete slab does have two-way nature and the moment in one direction will cause the deformation of the other orthogonal direction, which can be reflected by the changes of curvature. At last, the conclusions are given: The calculation formula, which was derived from deflection calculation of beams and now is applied to the slabs, will result in no small calculation errors. The moment on one direction will cause the deformation of the other orthogonal direction and its size is related to the poisson’s ratio of the compressed concrete. And the size also is related to the strength grade of concrete and the reinforcement ratio, and so on. And the idea is further pointed out that it also can be used to solve the deflection calculation of concrete two-way slab.

Currently, durability of concrete structures is a hot area of civil engineering. This paper reviews the background to the study of concrete and the current international research developments. Recent accomplishments in the world are summarized on four levels—environment, materials, components, structure. Finally, directions of future research are also proposed.

Tailor rolling blanks(TRB) act an important method for automobile light-weight, the process model of TRB forming panels is put forward, key technologies for TRB rolling including TRB synthesized mathematic model, integrated control model of TRB thickness based on multi-domains and Frame model of TRB thickness integrated control are presented fused with virtual manufacturing technology(VMT) and KBE. The main value of thickness fluctuating is predicted by the mathematics model ,the process is verified by VMT, the warp of thickness fluctuating is forecast by networking. Key technologies of TRB forming panels including TRB material paramters confirm and TRB VMT are discussed. The result provides an effective approach for TRB rolling and takes on positive drived function for TRB forming in panels.