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Many modern terahertz systems require dynamic manipulation of a terahertz wave. We proposed a terahertz wave switch based on a

Background Ophiocordyceps sinensis is an important traditional Chinese medicine for its comprehensive active ingredients, such as cordycepin, cordycepic acid, and Cordyceps polysaccharide. O. sinensis zjut, a special strain isolated from O. sinensis, has similar pharmacological functions to wild O. sinensis. Currently, O. sinensis with artificial cultivation has been widely studied, but systematic fundamental research at protein levels has not been determined. Results Proteomes of O. sinensis zjut at different culture periods (growth period, 3rd day; pre-stable period, 6th day; and stable period, 9th day) were relatively quantified by relative isotope markers and absolute quantitative technology. In total, 4005 proteins were obtained and further annotated with Gene Ontology, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database. Based on the result of the annotations, metabolic pathways of active ingredients, amino acids and fatty acid were constructed, and the related enzymes were exhibited. Subsequently, comparative proteomics of O. sinensis zjut identified the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) by growth in different culture periods, to find the important proteins involved in metabolic pathways of active ingredients. 605 DEPs between 6d-VS-3d, 1188 DEPs between 9d-VS-3d, and 428 DEPs between 9d-VS-6d were obtained, respectively. Conclusion This work provided scientific basis to study protein profile and comparison of protein expression levels of O. sinensis zjut, and it will be helpful for metabolic engineering works to active ingredients for exploration, application and improvement of this fungus.

Purpose Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS) is a rare disease that was characterized by vascular malformation. Lymphatic malformation was also commonly associated with KTS. However, the application of lymphoscintigraphy in the management of patients with KTS was rarely described. The purpose of this study is to assess whether the findings of lymphoscintigraphy can aid the management of the patients with KTS. Methods A total of 28 patients with known KTS who underwent Tc-dextran lymphoscintigraphy with lower extremity tracer injection were included in this retrospective analysis. The images from lymphoscintigraphy were reviewed for any abnormalities in the body with the attention on the region of left subclavian-jugular venous angle. Results In addition to abnormal activity in the other regions, abnormal activity in the left subclavian-jugular venous angle was visualized in over half of the patients (53.6%, 15/28). Based on the findings of the lymphoscintigraphy, 7 patients with left subclavian-jugular venous angle activity underwent thoracic duct decompression. In 4 patients with postsurgery follow-up, 3 achieved significant, measurable symptomatic relief. Conclusions Lymphoscintigraphy can be used to assess potential candidates for thoracic duct decompression to alleviate the symptoms in patients with KTS.

Background The heterogeneity and diverse pathogenic conditions of HCC construct an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) which may lead to low immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapeutic responsiveness. Therefore, alleviating immunosuppression to potentiate ICB anti-cancer immunity is in urgent need. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) with potent T cell suppressive property are correlated with poor prognosis and unsatisfactory ICB response in HCC. In this study, we aimed to study the potential efficacy and functional mechanisms of targeting C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) chemotaxis pathway to block MDSC tumor infiltration, enhancing ICB efficacy using pre-clinical orthotopic HCC mouse models. Methods CXCR2-chemotaxis pathway activation in MDSCs was determined by multi-color flow cytometry in tumor and paired non-tumor liver specimens from HCC patients, as well as healthy blood samples. Therapeutic efficacy of CXCR2 blockade was conducted in an orthotopic mouse model using AZD5069 (100 or 150 mg/kg) which is a CXCR2 antagonist currently undergoing clinical trials and in combination with anti-PD-L1 antibody (10F.9G2). Tumorigenic monitor, immune profiling and survival analysis were performed. Mechanistic study was determined using lentivirus-based gene knockdown in human-blood cell models. Results The result showed that both monocytic (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear (PMN-MDSC) populations are elevated in HCC liver tissue compared to healthy donor (HD) control. CXCR2 was widely expressed in immune cells, in particular for MDSC, while its ligand interleukin-8 (IL-8) was expressed in the majority of tumor cells, as well as CD45+ leukocytes in HCC. Notably, the blockade of CXCR2 chemotaxis pathway significantly inhibits MDSC trafficking into tumor microenvironment in HCC orthotopic mouse model. Furthermore, co-blockade of CXCR2 and PD-L1 remarkably reduced tumor weight when compared to a single treatment, in which intratumoral CXCR2+PD-L1+ MDSC was positively associated with tumor burden. Conclusions Our data demonstrated the intricate link between IL-8/CXCR2 axis and MDSC trafficking to TME, providing insight into the immunosuppression mechanism in HCC. Targeting IL-8/CXCR2 chemotaxis pathway may potentiate ICB responsiveness, serving as a novel potential therapeutic option for effectively combined immunotherapy in liver cancer.

Background: Ceftiofur is a third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic developed exclusively for veterinary applications. Although not approved in China, ceftiofur is being used extensively in an extra-label manner to treat poultry infections. Black-bone silky fowl is a unique chicken breed which is different from the common chicken breeds in both morphology and other physiology. These differences may result in varied pharmacokinetic profiles. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of ceftiofur (measured by ceftiofur and its active metabolites concentrations) in black-bone silky fowl following a single intravenous or intramuscular injection of ceftiofur sodium.Methods: Ceftiofur sodium was intravenously and intramuscularly given to six healthy black-bone silky fowl at the dose of 10 mg/kg body weight. A derivatization method was used to quantify the concentrations of ceftiofur and its active metabolites (expressed as desfuroylceftiofur acetamide) in plasma samples. A non-compartmental method was used to calculate the pharmacokinetics parameters. Results: The terminal half-life (t1/2lz) was calculated as 3.19±0.28 and 3.36±0.17 h following intravenous and intramuscular injections, respectively. After intravenous treatment, the total body clearance (Cl) and volume of distribution at steady state (VSS) were determined as 73.79±5.83 ml/h/kg and 318.65±30.06 ml/kg, respectively. After intramuscular injection, the peak concentration (Cmax; 22.55±0.89 ìg/ml) was observed at 1.67±0.26 h and the absorption half-life (t1/2ka) and absolute bioavailability (F) were calculated as 0.40±0.13 h and 93.03%±7.07%, respectively. The current results demonstrated the rapid and complete absorption, however, poor distribution and rapid elimination of ceftiofur and its active metabolites in black-bone silky fowl.

Purpose To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ethanol embolization of lip arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Materials and Methods Seventy-six patients with lip AVMs were treated with 173 ethanol embolization procedures. Lip AVMs were treated with direct puncture alone in 21 patients (35 procedures, 20.2%), transarterial embolization alone in 13 patients (18 procedures, 10.4 %), and a combination of both in 60 patients (120 procedures, 69.3%). Adjunctive surgical resection was performed after embolization for cosmetic purposes based on the patient’s request, including patient preference, functional impairment, and skin necrosis. The mean duration of follow-up was 30.9 months ± 27.6. The follow-up included clinic visits and telephonic questionnaires to evaluate the clinical signs and symptoms of AVMs as well as quality of life measures. Results Of 76 patients, 51 showed 100% devascularization of AVMs, as determined using arteriography, followed by 23 with 76%–99% devascularization and 2 with 50%–75% devascularization. Of the 76 patients, 40 achieved complete symptom relief and 25 achieved major improvements in cosmetic deformity after embolization. Additionally, 54 patients achieved satisfactory function and aesthetic improvement with ethanol embolotherapy alone, whereas 22 achieved similar outcomes with a combination of ethanol embolotherapy and surgical intervention. Thirty-three adverse events (including 1 major) were documented. Conclusions Ethanol embolization of lip AVMs, as a mainstay, is efficacious in managing these lesions, with acceptable complications. Surgical resection after embolization may improve function and cosmesis in a subset of patients.

Pulmonary artery involvement can occur in about half of the patients suffering Takayasu arteritis. Increased FDG activity in the aorta and its main branches in patients with Takayasu arteritis on PET/CT had been well-reported. However, the FDG PET/CT appearance of pulmonary artery involvement in Takayasu arteritis is less known. We present FDG PET/CT findings in a 37-year-old patient with known Takayasu arteritis. The images showed rim-like FDG activity in opacities in the left lung, which was later proven due to narrowed left main pulmonary artery.

Neuroblastoma is one of the most common pediatric malignant tumors. Functional imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis, staging, and therapy response monitoring of neuroblastoma. Although metaiodobenzylguanidine scan with single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography remains the mainstay in functional imaging of the neuroblastomas, PET/CT has begun to show increased utility in this clinical setting.

Ophiocordyceps sinensis has been used as a traditional medicine or healthy food in China for thousands of years. Hirsutella sinensis was reported as the only correct anamorph of O. sinensis. It is reported that the laboratory-grown H. sinensis mycelium has similar clinical efficacy and less associated toxicity compared to the wild O. sinensis. The research of the H. sinensis is becoming more and more important and urgent. To gain deeper insight into the biological and pharmacological mechanisms, we sequenced the genome of H. sinensis. The genome of H. sinensis (102.72 Mb) was obtained for the first time, with > 99% coverage. 10,200 protein-encoding genes were predicted based on the genome sequence. A detailed secondary metabolism analysis and structure verification of the main ingredients were performed, and the biosynthesis pathways of seven ingredients (mannitol, cordycepin, purine nucleotides, pyrimidine nucleotides, unsaturated fatty acid, cordyceps polysaccharide and sphingolipid) were predicted and drawn. Furthermore, infection process and mechanism of H. sinensis were studied and elaborated in this article. The enzymes involved in the infection mechanism were also predicted, cloned and expressed to verify the mechanism. The genes and proteins were predicted and annotated based on the genome sequence. The pathways of several active components in H. sinensis were predicted and key enzymes were confirmed. The work presented here would improve the understanding of the genetic basis of this organism, and contribute to further research, production and application of H. sinensis.

Biliary atresia (BA) is a severe cholangiopathy that leads to liver failure in infants, but its pathogenesis remains to be fully characterized. By single-cell RNA profiling, we observed macrophage hypo-inflammation, Kupffer cell scavenger function defects, cytotoxic T cell expansion, and deficiency of CX3CR1+effector T and natural killer (NK) cells in infants with BA. More importantly, we discovered that hepatic B cell lymphopoiesis did not cease after birth and that tolerance defects contributed to immunoglobulin G (IgG)-autoantibody accumulation in BA. In a rhesus-rotavirus induced BA model, depleting B cells or blocking antigen presentation ameliorated liver damage. In a pilot clinical study, we demonstrated that rituximab was effective in depleting hepatic B cells and restoring the functions of macrophages, Kupffer cells, and T cells to levels comparable to those of control subjects. In summary, our comprehensive immune profiling in infants with BA had educed that B-cell-modifying therapies may alleviate liver pathology.

Copper clad laminate was delaminated after producing. In order to found out the invalidation reason, scanning electron microscope was employed to analyze the samples. It was showed that the invalidation reason was different as the invalidation had happened at the different position of the laminate. On the delamination of the central section of copper clad laminate, a smooth boundary was seen and no crack initiation formed so it was clear that there was no bonding between substrate board and copper film. While the delamination position was situated on the border of copper clad laminate, tearing crack was very clear. It was indicated the delamination was due to unreliable bonding.

The present study aimed to determine the pharmacokinetic profiles of ceftiofur (as measured by ceftiofur and its active metabolites concentrations) in a small-size dog breed, Peekapoo, following a single intravenous or subcutaneous injection of ceftiofur sodium. The study population comprised of five clinically healthy Peekapoo dogs with an average body weight (BW) of 3.4 kg. Each dog received either intravenous or subcutaneous injection, both at 5 mg/kg BW (calculated as pure ceftiofur). Plasma samples were collected at different time points after the administration. Ceftiofur and its active metabolites were extracted from plasma samples, derivatized, and further quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations versus time data were subjected to noncompartmental analysis to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters. The terminal half-life (t

The gallbladder is generally located at the anterolaterally situated gallbladder fossa on the undersurface of the liver, whereas choledochal cyst, as a dilation of the common bile duct, is located more posteromedially. We reported an ectopically located gallbladder, which appeared to be a choledochal cyst on hepatobiliary scintigraphy in a 10-year-old girl.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma, a rare type of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, generally manifests as widespread skin lesions, which is often self-limited. However, when other organs are involved, its outcome can be unfavorable, and there is no clearly defined consensus regarding what is the best imaging modality in monitoring the therapy. We report here findings of a series of FDG PET/CT scans during the course of clofarabine therapy in a 12-year-old girl with extracutaneous juvenile xanthogranuloma.

Biliary atresia (BA) is characterized as an immune-related disorder that involves neonatal biliary obstruction and cholestasis. The aetiology of BA is unclear, and genetic components, environmental factors and immunological responses are involved. In this study, we selected fourteen SNPs in thirteen immune-related genes and investigated their associations with BA by using a large case-control cohort with a total of 503 cases and 1473 controls from southern China. SNP rs1518111 in IL-10 was identified as associated with BA (P=5.79E-03). Epistatic effects of STAT4 and CXCL3, STAT4 and DRAM1, CXCL3 and RAD51B, and IFNG and IL26 were suggested to be associated with BA when we tested the pairwise interactions among these SNPs. Furthermore, we explored the potential role of IL-10 in the pathogenesis of RRV-induced bile duct injury in mice. IL-10 helped to improve the phenotype and inhibit the activation of immune cells in BA mice. In conclusion, this study provided strong evidence implicating IL-10 as a susceptibility gene for BA in a population from southern China. Funding Statement: This study was supported by grant from Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research in Structural Birth Defect Disease (No: 2019B030301004). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the institutional review board of the hospital. Informed consent was obtained from the guardians of all patients included in this study.

Additional file 1. Additional figures and tables.

Additional file 1: Supporting information 1: The single colonies, growth curve and active compounds contents in O. sinensis zjut; Supporting information 2 The details of iTRAQ quantitative proteomics; Supporting information 3: The identified results of the samples and DEPs in O. sinensis zjut; Supporting information 4: GO enrichment analysis of DEPs in O. sinensis zjut; Supporting information 5: The proteins involved in metabolic pathway of D-mannital, cordycepin and purine nucleotides in O. sinensis zjut, and purine nucleotides metabolic pathway; Supporting information 6: The metabolic pathways of D-mannose, D-galactose and D-glucose as well as the proteins involved in these pathways; Supporting information 7: The contents of sixteen types of amino acids in O. sinensis zjut; Supporting information 8: The metabolic pathways of the histidine, arginine, phenylalanine and tyrosine as well as the proteins involved in these pathways; Supporting information 9: The proteins involved in the biosynthetic pathway of fatty acids; Supporting information 10: The metabolic pathways of glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and citrate cycle as well as the proteins involved in these pathways; Supporting information 11: The proteins with anti-oxidant activity in O. sinensis zjut.

Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) using phase change materials (PCM) has been considered a promising technique for improving the energy efficiency of thermal systems. However, a LHTES unit often suffers from low power density, e.g., low energy charging rates, because of the low thermal conductivity of common PCM like paraffin. Close-contact melting (CCM) has long been studied as a special melting process featuring very high heat transfer rates as a result of the low thermal resistance across the thin melt film between the PCM and the heating surface. It was shown in the literature that utilization of CCM could reduce the charging time of a well-designed LHTES container by even 4 times. Towards increasing the power density of LHTES units, this review paper focuses on the progress of CCM studies, including fundamental mechanisms, applications, and enhancement methods. Available theoretical models, experimental observations, as well as numerical approaches were reviewed systematically. The research gaps between investigations and applications were discussed, and the main challenges on both mechanistic understanding and utilization of CCM were also outlined. Last, some recommendations for future researches on CCM as a pathway for realizing rapid energy charging of PCM-based LHTES units were proposed.

The binding of HBV polymerase (Pol) and the epsilon stem loop (ε) on the 5' terminal region of pgRNA is required for pgRNA packaging and HBV replication. Previous research has demonstrated that RNA binding motif protein 24 (RBM24) is involved in pgRNA packaging by mediating the interaction between HBV polymerase (Pol) and the ε element. Here, we demonstrate that RBM38 interacts with ε, pol, RBM24 and HBV core which mediate pgRNA packaging. RBM38 directly binds to the lower bulge of ε via RNA recognition submotifs (RNPs) and interacts with HBV Pol in an RNA-independent manner. RBM38 interacts with RBM24 and forms heterogeneous oligomers, which mediate Pol-ε binding and the formation of the Pol-RBM38/RBM24-ε complex. More important, RBM38 also binds to the HBV core via the C-terminal region (ARD domain), which facilitates the combination of Pol-ε with the HBV core protein. In conclusion, RBM38 facilitates the Pol-ε interaction and mediates Pol-ε in combining with the HBV core, triggering pgRNA packaging for reverse transcription and DNA synthesis. This study provides new insights into pgRNA encapsidation.

In this study, a coupled ocean–atmosphere model was used to simulate the evolution of Typhoon Nanmadol (2011), an intense typhoon that drifted over the Kuroshio Current over a 2-day period, encountering land twice, once in the Philippines and once in Taiwan. Sensitivity experiments were performed to elucidate the influence of the three-dimensional ocean structure on predictions of typhoon intensity, with a focus on the interaction between the typhoon and the Kuroshio Current in the Luzon Strait (LS) and the unique path of Nanmadol. The cooling of the sea surface, which was associated with frontal movement in the LS, significantly reduced the intensity of the typhoon. The improved predictions of Nanmodal's intensity resulting from this complex interaction between the ocean and atmosphere occur only in model runs which include full two-way coupling between oceanic and atmospheric processes.

Natural circulation (NC) loops were widely used in many fields, but still limited in the instability of the loop. The instability characteristics of NC are not fully understood, such as oscillation boundary, amplitude and frequency. To understand the oscillation characteristics, experiments of two-phase natural circulation were performed for R134a in a single loop. Two types of the oscillation were observed and identified by the characteristic frequency in their oscillation spectra. The characteristic frequencies and amplitudes of the oscillations were affected by the system pressure, the heating power and the evaporator inlet subcooling. For the type 1 oscillation, with the increase of the heating power, the main characteristic frequency increased, while the oscillation amplitude decreased; with the increase of the system pressure, the oscillation frequency decreased; with the increase of the subcooling, the frequency decreased. For the type 2 oscillation, with the increase of the heating power, the main characteristic frequency increased, the oscillation amplitude increased; with the increase of subcooling, the frequency decreased, and the amplitude increased. An instability map was built based on the dimensionless numbers: the subcooling number N_sub versus the phase change number N_pch. The stable region of the system was wider at low subcooling condition. Two types of the oscillation may occur at the same time, and the stable region disappeared when subcooling number higher than 3. Combining dimensionless analysis and spectrum analysis, we divided the two-phase natural circulation into five regions in the instability map. Through the oscillation spectrum, this study provided a deep perspective for the instability of two-phase natural circulation. Also, the experimental results of this study can lay the foundation for future research.

Kaposiform haemangioendotheliomas (KHEs) complicated by the Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) are rare and severe neoplastic lesions often associated with locally aggressive disease, consumption coagulopathy and high mortality rates. Current regimens have yet to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic effect. Thus, an effective and minimally invasive approach for treating complex KHE/KMP cases is necessary for clinical management. The present case series describes patients with KHE/KMP who underwent local suture ligation-assisted percutaneous sclerotherapy to minimise surgical trauma and ensure effective treatment. Between September 2015 and September 2017, 3 consecutive patients with KHE/KMP underwent staged local suture ligation-assisted percutaneous sclerotherapy. Of these patients, 2 presented with medical histories of corticosteroid treatment with unsatisfactory outcomes. The patients underwent a stepwise synthetic serial therapy programme consisting of percutaneous sclerotherapy and adjunctive pharmacotherapy accompanied by a suture ligation procedure. Clinical, radiological, pathological and laboratory data were analysed to evaluate the outcomes of the therapy. All patients were successfully managed with the proposed procedure. Significant relief of clinical symptoms and improvements in haematological indicators were achieved. No recurrence or complications were observed during regular follow-up (4, 19 and 28 months). In conclusion, local suture ligation-assisted percutaneous sclerotherapy was demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment for KHE/KMP, being minimally invasive, involving simple manipulation and providing a clear treatment benefit in certain cases. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are required to thoroughly evaluate the procedure, which can potentially be used as a novel therapeutic option for KHE/KMP treatment.

Mini-channel heat exchangers draw significant attention due to their capability of dissipating high flux heat in a relatively controllable way. The properties of heat transfer and instability of the parallel minichannel heat exchangers were investigated on orbit. The heat exchangers were installed as the evaporators of a two-phaseflow loop in the first Chinese cargo ship (TZ1). R134a was selected as working fluid of the loop. The heat exchangers were designed to be gravitydominated, with the channels’ cross section of 1 × 3 mm2, or larger. Small temperature fluctuation was found on the surface of one heat exchanger. It may be caused by the flow-rate fluctuation among the channels; and it could be more likely occur in microgravity. The necking at each entrance of the channels could suppress the fluid fluctuation inside the heat exchanger. For gravity-dominated channels, gravity plays a decisive role in the vapor-liquid distribution in the channels, which in turn affects the heat transfer coefficient of the heat exchanger.

Broadcasting popular data content such as videos to multiple users is widely used in mobile wireless networks. We consider a group of mobile users, within proximity of each other, who are interested in the same video or cloud services. In this scenario, users are able to use device-to-device (D2D) connections, e.g., WiFi or Bluetooth, to get the video in a cooperative way. In this paper we consider the D2D-assisted wireless network coded video broadcast problem for users with multiple interfaces to minimize the number of transmission slots. In order to obtain all needed videos, user can receive encoded packet according to cellular link and local cooperative D2D links simultaneously. We analyze the lower bound and upper bound of number of transmission slots under two different receiver models. In the first model, receiver just drop the encoded packet which cannot be decoded immediately, and we propose a joint broadcast and D2D encoding solution based on the clique partition in the graph. In the second model that receiver can buffer all received encoded packets and decode when enough packets are received, we propose an optimal solution using an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation, and we also propose an effective heuristic encoding solution based on random linear coding. Simulation results show that the proposed transmission strategy can significantly reduce the number of transmission slots in most cases, which is an important performance metric in wireless video delivery.

AIM To investigate the prevalence and clinical significance of autoimmune liver disease (ALD)-related autoantibodies in patients with biliary atresia (BA). METHODS Sera of 124 BA patients and 140 age-matched non-BA controls were assayed for detection of the following autoantibodies: ALD profile and specific anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), by line-blot assay; ANA and anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA), by indirect immunofluorescence assay; specific ANCAs and anti-M2-3E, by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Associations of these autoantibodies with the clinical features of BA (i.e., cytomegalovirus infection, degree of liver fibrosis, and short-term prognosis of Kasai procedure) were evaluated by Spearman's correlation coefficient. RESULTS The overall positive rate of serum autoantibodies in preoperative BA patients was 56.5%. ALD profile assay showed that the positive reaction to primary biliary cholangitis-related autoantibodies in BA patients was higher than that to autoimmune hepatitis-related autoantibodies. Among these autoantibodies, anti-BPO was detected more frequently in the BA patients than in the controls (14.8% vs 2.2%, P < 0.05). Accordingly, 32 (25.8%) of the 124 BA patients also showed a high positive reaction for anti-M2-3E. By comparison, the controls had a remarkably lower frequency of anti-M2-3E (P < 0.05), with 6/92 (8.6%) of patients with other liver diseases and 2/48 (4.2%) of healthy controls. The prevalence of ANA in BA patients was 11.3%, which was higher than that in disease controls (3.3%, P < 0.05), but the reactivity to specific ANAs was only 8.2%. The prevalence of ANCAs (ANCA or specific ANCAs) in BA patients was also remarkably higher than that in the healthy controls (37.9% vs 6.3%, P < 0.05), but showed no difference from that in patients with other cholestasis. ANCA positivity was closely associated with the occurrence of postoperative cholangitis (r = 0.61, P < 0.05), whereas none of the autoantibodies showed a correlation to cytomegalovirus infection or the stages of liver fibrosis. CONCLUSION High prevalence of autoantibodies in the BA developmental process strongly reveals the autoimmune-mediated pathogenesis. Serological ANCA positivity may be a useful predictive biomarker of postoperative cholangitis.

Haggite-structured V4O6(OH)4 is prepared via a one-step reduction of V2O5 in a mixture of guaiacol and methanol. Guaiacol delays the overreduction of Haggite to V2O3. The time window for the stable existence of the Haggite phase is enlarged at low temperature.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a type of chronic suppurative inflammatory reaction of the hair follicles characterized by recurrent dermal abscesses, sinus tracts and scars. In this report, one case of severe hypertrophic scar induced by facial HS achieved resolution of skin lesions after combined treatment with high concentration single-dose 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (5-ALA PDT). No recurrence was observed up to eleven months of follow-up. The 5-ALA PDT based treatment could improve the severe hypertrophic scar induced by HS in an effective and safe manner.

Lymphoma involving many different organs can be occasionally observed. However, lymphoma involvement of multiple hormone-producing organs is rare. In this report, we described our FDG PET/CT findings in a 21-year-old man whose Burkitt's lymphoma involved not only lymph nodes, the spleen, the brain, and the bones, but also 4 organs in the endocrine system, including the thyroid, right adrenal, the pancreas, and the right testicle.

Lymphoma rarely involves hand or foot. We presented the FDG PET/CT findings of lymphoblastic lymphoma in a 28-year-old man who had recurrent disease in many bones, including those of the hand and foot without any lymph node involvement 17 years after initial diagnosis.

A 20 year old man suffered severe right knee pain, especially when his right foot touched ground. The MRI findings suggested periosteal osteosarcoma, which led to a staging FDG PET/CT. The images showed not only a hypermetabolic right knee lesion but also focally elevated activity in select muscles, which was attributed to altered biomechanics. The resected lesion was pathologically proven as periosteal chondrosarcoma instead of periosteal osteosarcoma. In a follow-up period of 4 years after the surgery, there was no recurrent disease, nor any abnormality in the muscles which showed focal FDG activity on the initial FDG PET/CT.

We present a multifunctional metasurface by using phase change material of GeTe. Under different external temperature, the proposed metasurface achieves various terahertz device functions including single-band terahertz absorption, tri-band terahertz absorption and double-band electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT). When the bottom GeTe layer is crystalline (i.e. the external temperature t = 250 °C), the presented metasurface can be used as a terahertz wave absorber with tri-absorption bands. The three absorption peaks for TE incident wave are 96.3% at 0.46 THz, 95.7% at 0.74 THz and 99.7% at 1.27 THz, respectively. As the top GeTe is crystalline state (i.e. the external temperature t = 250 °C), the presented metasurface becomes a terahertz wave absorber with a single absorption peak of 99.2% at 0.6 THz. When the top and bottom GeTe are amorphous state (i.e. the external temperature t = 25 °C), our designed metasurface can be switched from terahertz absorption to electromagnetically induced transparency. This multifunctional switching metasurface structure provides a new method for the design of terahertz wave devices.

A reduction-modified MoO3 catalyst is employed in the ethanolysis of Kraft lignin in supercritical ethanol. The reduction pretreatment under hydrogen atmosphere is carried out and shows a strong effect on the activity. A sample MoO3@623 K, that is, pretreated at 623 K, achieves the highest overall yield of small molecules, 1266 mg/g lignin. Compared with that using untreated MoO3 sample, the yield increases almost 15%, implying that the reduction pretreatment is effective for the enhancement of product yields and a promising strategy for industrial application. The XRD patterns and XPS spectra indicate that a transformation of bulk MoO3 to MoO2 happens at around 773 K, therefore, a MoO3@773 K catalyst gives a very low yield. The oxygen vacancies and Mo6+ together with Mo5+ formed during the partial reduction facilitate the formation of active species.

In this paper, we announce the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) refractive index (RI) sensor based on tapered coreless fiber (TCF) structure. We take full advantage of the transmission characteristics of the coreless fiber, and the experimental results evidence that TCF is able to excite surface plasmon wave effectively. Compared with common SPR sensors, this sensor is easier to fabricate, has better mechanical stability, and offers a comparable sensitivity. The wavelength interrogation sensitivity of the proposed sensor is 2278.4 nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.33–1.391. As the structure of the proposed sensor can lead to multimode interference (MMI), and the gold film is only coated on one side of TCF, MMI spectra appear in the visible light band instead of in the near-infrared. When surrounding RI increases, the resonance wavelength shifts to shorter wavelengths. We get an ultrahigh wavelength interrogation sensitivity, 866.1 nm/RIU, compared with common MMI RI sensors, in the RI range of 1.3864–1.416. Because both SPR and MMI are sensitive to the change of surrounding RI, this sensor can achieve a wide detection range when we use these two phenomena together.

A polyphasic approach was used to characterize an aerobic, Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium (designated strain CC-KL-3T) isolated from a hot spring. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes indicated that strain CC-KL-3T showed highest sequence similarity to Hydrogenophaga bisanensis (97.7 %) and Hydrogenophaga atypica (97.6 %) and lower sequence similarity to other species (less than 97.6 %). The levels of DNA–DNA relatedness between strain CC-KL-3T, H. bisanensis and H. atypica were estimated to be 13.0 and 8.7 % (the reciprocal value was 14.7 and 6.3 %). Strain CC-KL-3T was non-motile, without apparent flagella and able to grow between 15–42 °C (optimal 30 °С), pH 6.0–8.0 (optimal 7.0) and 0–2 % (w/v) NaCl (optimal 0 %). The DNA G+C content was 61.4 mol% and the major quinone system was ubiquinone (Q-8). The polyamine profile revealed the predominance of 2-hydroxyputrescine and putrescine and the dominant cellular fatty acids were C16 : 0 (28.9 %), C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c (41.4 %) and C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c (11.9 %). These data corroborated the affiliation of strain CC-KL-3T to the genus Hydrogenophaga . Based on the distinct phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic traits, and the results of comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain CC-KL-3T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Hydrogenophaga , affiliated to the family Comamonadaceae , for which the name Hydrogenophaga aquatica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-KL-3T (=BCRC 80937T=JCM 31216T).