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Magnetic transitional behaviors and the magnetocaloric effect of the intermetallic compound Pr7Pd3 have been studied. A second-order metamagnetic transition between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic states was observed with a Curie temperature (TC) of 14.9 K. The paramagnetic Curie temperature (휃p) and the effective magnetic moment (μeff) were investigated and determined to be 5.1 K and 3.43 μB/Pr, respectively. A reversible magnetocaloric effect was observed in this compound originated from the magnetic phase transition. For a magnetic field change of 0-5 T, the maximum magnetic entropy change − ΔSM reached 5.5 J kg− 1 K− 1, and the corresponding value of refrigerant capacity was estimated to be about 65 J kg− 1 with no thermal and field hysteresis loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the 2×40 t/h heating boiler flue gas, ethanolamine was used for absorption, carbamate - for desorption. The waste heated boiler flue gas was used to heat the absorption and the desorption; the pump was driven by the solar energy. The results showed that the best absorption rate was 82.28%, when the ethanolamine concentration was 40% and the temperature was 40°C; the energy consumption was 59.82 KJ/mol. The best desorption temperature was 115°C, the desorption rate was 55%, and its energy consumption was 694.30 KJ/mol. The pump needed 1.49 KJ/h, reduced 42.8 t/year of CO2 and regenerated 23.54 t/year of CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore whether long non-coding RNA AGAP2-AS1 (AGAP2-AS1) could serve as a novel biomarker for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cancer and matched normal lung tissues were collected from 198 patients. AGAP2-AS1 levels were examined by RT-PCR, and the associations of AGAP2-AS1 levels with clinicopathological characteristics evaluated. Overall survival was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazard modeling was performed for univariate and multivariate analysis to determine the effects of variables on survival. Receiver-operating characteristic. Besides, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were applied to analyze its diagnostic value. RESULTS: Expression of AGAP2-AS1 was up-regulated in the NSCLC tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues (p < 0.01). Furthermore, The level of AGAP2-AS19 in NSCLC was strongly correlated with tumor stage (p = 0.001) and lymph nodes metastasis (p = 0.005). Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated patients with higher AGAP2-AS1 expression had a shorter overall survival time than those with lower AGAP2-AS1 expression (p < 0.0001). The multivariate analysis showed that AGAP2-AS1 expression is an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in patients with NSCLC. The results of ROC curve analysis showed that AGAP2-AS1 might be a promising diagnostic marker of NSCLC with an AUC of 0.846. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed that AGAP2-AS1 might be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC. However, to completely elucidate its role as a biomarker, further studies are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Our main aim was to investigate the effect of dynamic and contrast enhanced CT imaging on differential diagnosis of lung carcinoma, pulmonary tuberculoma, inflammatory pseudotumor, and coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: About, 144 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis as the study subjects were chosen which included: 36 patients with lung carcinoma, 36 patients with pulmonary tuberculoma, 36 patients with inflammatory pseudotumor, 36 patients with coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. CT imaging scan was carried out on all of these 144 patients. RESULTS: CT scan value of lung carcinoma was different from other conditions such as pulmonary tuberculoma, inflammatory pseudotumor, and coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer (p < 0.01). Similarly, the peak of enhancement of lung carcinoma was different from others including inflammatory pseudotumor, and coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer (p < 0.01). Both, the intensive added values and S/A values of lung carcinoma, inflammatory pseudotumor, and coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer differed between them (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Helical incremental dynamic CT is helpful in differential diagnoses of lung carcinoma, pulmonary tuberculoma, inflammatory pseudotumor, and coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis and lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Accumulating studies have focused on the role of the newly identified lncRNAs in the tumor. We aimed to investigate the clinical correlation between long noncoding RNA HNF1A-AS (HNF1A-AS1) expression and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to detect HNF1A-AS expression in NSCLC tissues and corresponding adjacent tissues. The c2-test was used to compare the clinicopathological characteristics between different groups. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method. The univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate the prognostic significance of HNF1A-AS for NSCLC. RESULTS: The level of HNF1A-AS was higher in tumor tissues than that in normal tissues (p < 0.01). In addition, HNF1A-AS level was significantly associated with TNM stage (p = 0.002) and Lymph node metastasis (p = 0.005). Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that a high level of HNF1A-AS expression predicted unfavorable overall survival (p < 0.001). The univariate and multivariate analysis identified HNF1A-AS as an independent poor prognostic factor for overall survival in NSCLC patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that overexpression of HNF1A-AS might act a poor prognosis indicator in patients with NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both unipolar resistive switching (URS) and bipolar resistive switching (BRS) behaviors are observed in Cu2O/Ga2O3 stacked layer. The conversion between BRS and URS is controllable and reversible. The switching operations in BRS mode requires smaller voltage than that in the URS mode. The oxygen vacancies closed to the Cu2O/Ga2O3 interface contributes to the BRS, and the bias-controlling filament formation/rupture in depletion layer is considered to contribute to the URS. The URS happens only in the negative voltage part due to the nature of directionality of the p-n junction. The process reported here can be developed to design memory device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kawasaki disease ( KD) is a type of systemic vasculitis syndrome related to immune dysfunction. Previous studies have implicated that dysfunctional regulatory T cells ( Treg) may be associated with the immune dysfunction in KD. In the absence of micro RNAs (mi RNAs), forkhead box protein 3 ( FoxP3)+ Treg develop but fail to maintain immune homeostasis. This study was designed to investigate the effects of mi R-155, mi R-21 and mi R-31 on Treg in children with KD. The proportions of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ Treg and the mean fluorescence intensity ( MFI) of phosphorylated-signal transducer and activator of transcription ( pSTAT)-5 and pSTAT-3 protein in CD4+ CD25+ Treg were analysed by flow cytometry. The concentration of interleukin ( IL)-6 in plasma was measured by cytometric bead array. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the levels of micro RNAs and associated factors in CD4+ CD25+ Treg. The proportion of Treg and the mRNA levels of the associated factors [ FoxP3, glucocorticoid-induced tumour necrosis factor-receptor ( GITR), cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4)] were significantly lower in KD patients ( P < 0·05). MiR-155 and mi R-21 levels were significantly down-regulated and mi R-31 expression was higher in KD patients ( P < 0·05). Plasma interleukin ( IL)-6 concentrations, pSTAT-3 protein levels and suppressors of cytokine signalling ( SOCS)-1 mRNA expression were remarkably elevated in acute KD ( P < 0·05), while pSTAT-5 protein levels were remarkably decreased in acute KD ( P < 0·05). These findings were reversed after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment ( P < 0·05). Our results demonstrate that FoxP3 mRNA levels were primarily affected by the mi R-155/ SOCS1 and the mi R-31 signalling pathways. These results suggest that the decrease in FoxP3+ Treg might be associated with decreased expression of mi R-155, leading to aberrant SOCS1/ STAT-5 signalling and overexpression of mi R-31 in patients with acute KD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]