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Hollow nanoboxes structure have raised great attention as microwave absorption materials on account of their ultralow density and large specific area. By introducing an adjustable interior cavity structure, the dielectric loss and microwave absorption performance were affected by the tunable complex permittivity and impedance matching was improved. In our study, hollow CoS2 nanoboxes with designable interspaces were successfully fabricated based on the surfactant-assisted solution method and followed by an in situ ion-exchange process. The structure, elemental compositions and morphology of the products were characterized by XRD, XPS, EDX, SEM and TEM, respectively. In addition, microwave absorption performance and the intrinsic mechanism are investigated in-depth. The paraffin-based composites with 20 wt.% filling contents exhibited superior microwave absorption capacities in view of both maximum reflection loss value (RLmax, −54.48 dB) and effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, below −10 dB, 6.0 GHz), which can be ascribed to unique hollow structure and good impedance matching. With these considerations in mind, this study provides a reference for the construction of high-performance microwave absorbers with unique hollow structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of yield stress of poplar (Poplar × euramericana cv. 'Neva') on temperature (60–210°C), moisture content (oven dry-30%) and grain response mechanism and as well as its role in the formation of sandwich compressed wood were studied in this paper. The results showed that the yield stress of wood was significantly affected by moisture content(MC), temperature and their interaction. Compared with temperature, the relative change rate of yield stress was nearly 10 times higher for each 1% increase in MC than for each 1°C increase in temperature. The experimental data revealed that the relative change rate of yield stress depended on the softening effect of wood by moisture and temperature. The asymmetry of yield stress in different grain direction also depended on wood hydrothermal softening effect. Raising the temperature or increasing the MC could make wood radial vs tangential asymmetry decrease and radial vs radial tangential asymmetry disappear. In the process of hydrothermal compression, the yield stress gradient caused by the hydrothermal softening inside the wood was the main reason for the formation of sandwich compressed wood, and provided a scientific basis for the controllability of the position and thickness of the compressed layer(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculated the sedimentary budget of the Northwest Sub-basin (NWSB), South China Sea for different geological times based on interpretations of four multichannel seismic profiles across the basin with constraints from International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 367 and 368 drilling results. Sedimentation was generally dominated by regional tectonic events and climate change, but complicated by local tectonic events and geographic position, which resulted in a specific sedimentary budget in the NWSB compared with other marginal basins and the Southwest Sub-basin. The sedimentation rate was relatively low following the opening of the NWSB but increased gradually during the Middle Miocene, corresponding to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and the Asian monsoon. It reached its peak in the Late Miocene, corresponding to uplift of the Dongsha Island region that caused intensive bypass of eroded sediments from the Baiyun Sag into the abyssal basin, and reduced again during the Pliocene because of sediment storage on the wide northern continental shelf area compared to the abyssal basin during a period of high-stand sea level. Increase in sedimentation during the Pleistocene suggests that continental erosion and sediment transport to the abyssal basin were enhanced by an intensified Asian summer monsoon and glacial-interglacial climate fluctuations. Since the opening of the NWSB, the primary sediment provenance has been from southern China, with minor contributions from the Red River, Hainan Island, as well as local uplifts on the continental shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calculation of the sediment budget in the South China Sea abyssal basin lacks constraints from drilling data and reinterpretation of seismic data. On the basis of six multichannel seismic profiles across the Southwest Sub‐basin (SWSB) and the drilling data from International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 349, we divided the Cenozoic sediments into four sedimentary units. The sedimentary budget of the abyssal basin at different geological times was calculated. The previous works in the Mekong continental shelf and slope areas were integrated to calculate the sediment budget of the whole SWSB. Our researches show that the sediment budget in the SWSB increased during the Palaeogene and reached its first peak because of intensified erosion, which might have resulted from the continued uplift of the Tibetan Plateau and accelerated southeastward extrusion of the Indo‐China Peninsula. Since the Late Miocene, the sediment budget was mainly influenced by the East Asia monsoon, that is, the intensified winter monsoon decreased the sediment budget of the entire area during the Late Miocene, whereas the strengthened summer monsoon increased the sediment budget during the Pliocene and reached a peak during the Pleistocene. The sediment budgets of the Mekong continental shelf, the Mekong continental slope, and the abyssal basin have distinct characteristics, relating to the infilling sequence of the terrestrial sediments in different regions. The sediment provenance of the SWSB was mainly from the Indo‐China Peninsula, the Nansha area, and the Palawan before the Late Miocene. After that time, sediments were mainly transported from the modern Mekong River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The database of BRCA1/2 mutations in Chinese population remains incomplete at present. Therefore, the present study aimed to report specific harmful BRCA1/2 mutations in the Chinese population and discuss the clinicopathological features in mutation carriers. BRCA1/2 germline mutation tests for 71 patients with breast cancer from a hereditarily high‑risk Chinese population were performed using next‑generation sequencing for identification of deleterious mutations. Furthermore, the clinicopathological features between BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non‑carriers were compared. A total of 13/71 (18.3%) patients carried a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation (7 BRCA1 and 6 BRCA2). The incidence of BRCA1/2 mutation in patients with bilateral breast cancer and patients with family history were 25, and 32.2%, respectively. Eleven pathogenic or likely pathogenic mutations were identified in 13 patients, among the mutation sites 7 were never reported before in Asian populations. The age at diagnosis of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers was older compared with non‑mutation carriers (44.73 vs. 35.39 years; P=0.001) in this cohort. BRCA1/2 deleterious mutation carriers had a significantly lower chance of human epidermal growth factor receptor‑2 (Her‑2) positive status (P=0.010), higher tumor grade at diagnosis (P=0.009), higher probability to have a family history (P=0.016) and older age at diagnosis. Estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status were significantly different between BRCA1, and BRCA2 mutation carriers (P=0.007). The current interpretation of BRCA1/2 status can only explain a small part of hereditary high‑risk breast cancer. However, BRCA1/2 gene testing should still be recommended for women with a family history of breast cancer, as well as patients with breast cancer with specific pathologic types, which may be useful to make appropriate clinical decisions for treatment and prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) by surface marker expression and ploidy analysis [immunostaining-fluorescence in situ hybridization (iFISH)] has been shown to be a highly sensitive method in the identification of certain solid cancers. In the present study, iFISH analysis was performed to identify CTCs in 184 patients with newly diagnosed non-metastatic breast cancer, and the distribution of CTC subtypes was characterized based on cytokeratin (CK) expression and ploidy status. It was revealed that CTCs of non-metastatic, aneuploid breast cancers, independent of CK expression profile, can be detected with high sensitivity (90.76%) by the iFISH system. Higher CTC counts and sensitivity were observed in patients with increased tumor size burden and unfavorable hormone receptor status. Investigation of CTC subtypes based on ploidy analysis indicated that triploid CTCs constituted the majority of CTCs evaluated. While CK-positive CTCs were detected in a small cohort of patients, an overall low rate of CK expression was observed in the 18 patient samples evaluated. Of note, CK expression was rare in CTCs detected in patients with Herceptin 2 (Her2)-positive or triple-negative [estrogen receptor (ER)-, progesterone receptor (PR)- and Her2-negative], indicating that lack of ER and PR may result in promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhancement of tumor aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton structure in spring in the moats of Dinghai District, Zhoushan City was investigated in April 2016. Firstly, the species composition and dominant species of phytoplankton were analyzed, and then the water quality of the moats was evaluated by cell density, water-quality indicator species, biodiversity index method, and saprobic index method. The results show that there were 114 species of phytoplankton in the moats of Dinghai District in spring, belonging to 70 genera, 38 families, and 7 phyla, of which Bacillarophyta, Chlorophyta and Cyanophyta were dominant; the main dominant species were Synedra acus, Aphanizomenon flosaquae, Microcytis flos-aquae, etc. The cell density of phytoplankton in the moats ranged from 1.07 million to 13.7 million cells/L. Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Margalef richness index, Pielou evenness index, and saprobic index averaged 0.93, 2.53, 0.12, and 2.61 respectively. On the whole, river water in the moats of Dinghai District was polluted seriously, but there was no obvious difference between the four rivers in water pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]