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A novel absorptive bandstop microstrip filter utilizing two couplers is presented in this letter. The proposed absorptive bandstop filer (ABSF) with four ports is achieved by combing two quadrature couplers with two conventional microstrip bandstop filters. Unwanted energy within the stopband will be absorbed by absorptive port instead of reflecting to incident port so that the property of absorption could be realized. The theory is analyzed and a microstrip bandstop filter with a center frequency f0 of 5GHz is demonstrated and simulated, the maximal stopband rejection is 38 dB with an input return loss of 31 dB, which implies that almost of the input power is dissipated by the proposed ABSF.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is involved in the tumor growth and metastasis of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and is therefore a target with therapeutic potential. In this study, we show that HJC0152, a recently developed anticancer agent and a STAT3 signaling inhibitor, exhibits promising antitumor effects against HNSCC both in vitro and in vivo via inactivating STAT3 and downstream miR-21/β-catenin axis. HJC0152 treatment efficiently suppressed HNSCC cell proliferation, arrested the cell cycle at the G0–G1 phase, induced apoptosis, and reduced cell invasion in both SCC25 and CAL27 cell lines. Moreover, HJC0152 inhibited nuclear translocation of phosphorylated STAT3 at Tyr705 and decreased VHL/β-catenin signaling activity via regulation of miR-21. Loss of function of VHL remarkably compromised the antitumor effect of HJC0152 in both cell lines. In our SCC25-derived orthotopic mouse models, HJC0152 treatment significantly abrogated STAT3/β-catenin expression in vivo, leading to a global decrease of tumor growth and invasion. With its favorable aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability, HJC0152 holds the potential to be translated into the clinic as a promising therapeutic strategy for patients with HNSCC. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(4); 578–90. ©2017 AACR.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are newly discovered endogenous non-coding RNAs featuring structural stability, high abundance, and tissue-specific expression. CircRNAs are prevalent and conserved in mammalian cells. They are involved in cellular processes and regulate gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level by interacting with microRNAs (miRNAs) and other molecules. Recent studies have shown that circRNAs play an important role in the progression of various human diseases including atherosclerosis, nervous system disorders, diabetes, and cancer. In this review, we summarize the advances on endogenous circRNAs in eukaryotic cells and elucidate their diagnostic and prognostic significance in human cancers. Especially, we highlight the involvement of circRNAs in signal transduction pathways as well as their clinical potential to serve as biomarkers.

This study was conducted to analyze the predictive value of circulating tumor cells (CTC) expressing thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) on the recurrence and survival rates of endometrial carcinoma patients treated with laparoscopic surgery.78 patients were recruited, diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma and measured CTC expressing TTF-1 using flow cytometry in blood and tissues. Then, the patients were distributed into TTF-1-positive (N=42) and -negative (N=36) groups. The levels of HE4 were determined by ELISA, the levels of cancer antigen CA125 and CA15.3 by chemiluminescent immunoassay, and the levels of mRNA expression of survivin, β-catenin, miR-15a, and PTEN by RT-PCR assay from endometrial carcinoma samples.Patients in TTF-1-positive group had mainly TNM stages II and III-IV, whereas the TTF-1-negative group stages I and II predominated. The rates of vascular infiltration and lymphatic metastasis in the TTF-1-positive group were higher compared with the TTF-1-negative group (p0.05). The serum levels of CA125, CA15.3, and HE4 were significantly higher in the TTF-1-positive group than in the TTF-1-negative group (p0.05). The levels of survivin and β-catenin mRNA expression in endometrial carcinoma in the TTF-1-positive group was higher than in the TTF-1-negative group. In contrast, the levels of miR-15a and PTEN mRNA expression were lower in the TTF-1-positive group (p0.05). The median follow-up duration was 25 months for both groups. At that time, progression-free survival (PFS) and the median survival time decreased in the TTF-1-positive group compared with the TTF-1-negative group. Additionally, the recurrence rate increased in the TTF-1-positive group.The rate of TTF-1-positive CTC was strongly correlated with TNM staging, vascular infiltration, lymphatic metastasis, and the levels of CA125, CA15.3, and HE4 in endometrial carcinoma. The levels of survivin, β-catenin, miR-15a, and PTEN mRNA also contributed to predict survival rates after laparoscopic surgery.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies should be tailored according to the different syndrome types. In order to identify the relationship between the TCM Yin-cold (YC) or Yang-heat (YH) syndrome types and the EGFR gene status, we prospectively studied 310 NSCLC patients. TCM YH or YC was diagnosed by three TCM experts. TCM symptoms and signs were entered into a binary cluster analysis. The relationships between the EGFR gene status, YH or YC syndrome types, and classification by cluster analysis were analyzed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. In the 299 patients who had their EGFR gene tested, 45.24% YC (76/168) and 25.95% YH (34/131) patients had EGFR mutations (p=0.001). Among the 292 patients entered into the cluster analysis, 132 were classified into group A, with signs and symptoms similar to YC, whereas 160 group B patients were similar to YH. In the 281 patients with EGFR tested, 45.67% group A (58/127) and 28.57% group B patients (44/154) had EGFR mutations (p=0.003). The EGFR status was independently correlated with TCM syndrome type and classification by cluster analysis on multivariate logistic regression. NSCLC patients with YC were more likely to have EGFR gene mutations.

Here we demonstrate that efficient piezoelectric nanoparticle-polymer composite materials can be optically printed into three-dimensional (3D) microstructures using digital projection printing. Piezoelectric polymers were fabricated by incorporating barium titanate (BaTiO3, BTO) nanoparticles into photoliable polymer solutions such as polyethylene glycol diacrylate and exposing to digital optical masks that could be dynamically altered to generate user-defined 3D microstructures. To enhance the mechanical-to-electrical conversion efficiency of the composites, the BTO nanoparticles were chemically modified with acrylate surface groups, which formed direct covalent linkages with the polymer matrix under light exposure. The composites with a 10% mass loading of the chemically modified BTO nanoparticles showed piezoelectric coefficients (d(33)) of ∼ 40 pC/N, which were over 10 times larger than composites synthesized with unmodified BTO nanoparticles and over 2 times larger than composites containing unmodified BTO nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes to boost mechanical stress transfer efficiencies. These results not only provide a tool for fabricating 3D piezoelectric polymers but lay the groundwork for creating highly efficient piezoelectric polymer materials via nanointerfacial tuning.

For measurement and communication interrupt between earth station and reentry vehicle in blackout area, we analyze electromagnetic environment characteristic of plasma sheath. Methods of changing electrical characteristic of plasma medium or changing measurement and communication equipments are researched based on the analysis. Also technology of trajectory reconstruction is presented by using limited measurement data of target. The paper introduces technology status of measurement and communication for blackout area reentry vehicle. Also we analyze properties of common methods and propose key questions to research. It provides reference for related researchers.

Giant structure processes involve highly dangerous manual welding operations. aiming at the welding for giant structures, tankers and other large work pieces, a five degrees of freedom (DOF) gantry type automatic welding robot was developed which has our own property right. Forward/inverse kinematics for the mechanical structure is analyzed in which pose of the welding torch is defined as a free vector. Then kinematics equations were proposed for torch pose fitting. Finally, simulation results for robot kinematics analysis and torch pose fitting were also proposed with Matlab. The result not only proves the feasibility of torch pose fitting, but also provides a basis for further study on kinematic analysis, torch pose fitting and off-line programming about gantry type automatic welding robot.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the interaction between valsartan, an anti-hypertension drug, and human serum albumin (HSA) using spectroscopic techniques, including fluorescence, ultraviolet-visible absorption, synchronous fluorescence and circular dichroism (CD). The results demonstrated that valsartan and HSA form a complex and that a static quenching mechanism occurs. In addition, the binding constant and the number of binding sites for valsartan on HSA were analyzed. Hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were the predominant forces in the association reaction based on thermodynamic parameters. The distance between the donor (HSA) and the acceptor (valsartan) was 1.994 nm as derived from Forster's theory. Alterations in the secondary structure of HSA in the presence of valsartan were assessed using synchronous fluorescence and CD. This study provides an enhanced understanding of the pharmacodynamic effects of valsartan on the physiologically important protein HSA.

For interference alignment (IA) with no channel extension, determining the existence of IA solution for general system parameters is still an open problem. This same problem also exists in interference alignment and cancellation (IAC), which combines IA with interference cancellation in the receivers, involving a new receiver architecture associated with signaling over backhaul links among them. As IAC is expected to achieve more degrees of freedom (DoF) than IA, the existence of IAC solution would be another interesting, yet challenging issue to investigate. In this paper, we have proposed a specific alignment scheme, which allows for the derivation of closed-form IAC solution. Furthermore, we establish and prove the general necessary and sufficient condition to determine the existence of closed-form IAC solution for a Gaussian interference multiple access channel (MAC) with K receivers and J users, each with M antennas.

AIM To explore whether resveratrol (Res) can inhibit human retinal pigment epithelial cell (ARPE-19 cell) proliferation and migration, and to research the molecular mechanisms. METHODS ARPE-19 cells were pretreated with various concentrations at 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 µmol/L of Res, and with 0 µmol/L Res as the control for 24, 48 and 72h. The cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration were measured with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and wound-healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), P21 and P27, as well as matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases (p38MAPK) was identified by Western blot. RESULTS Cell proliferation was effectively inhibited by Res (P 0.05). Cell migration was suppressed by Res both in wound-healing assay and Transwell migration assay (P

This paper briefly introduces the composition, working principle and the common installation method of the shipborne underwater acoustic short baseline array detection and positioning system. Based on the underwater acoustic direction measurement and location algorithm and the underwater acoustic short baseline array detection and positioning system, the error sources affecting the accuracy of the underwater acoustic direction and positioning are analysed in great detail, and the influence of each error source is quantitatively analysed. In this paper, through theoretical calculation and analysis, the influence factors and the influence degree of the error sources on the direction and location measurement are obtained, the technical indexes of direction measurement accuracy and positioning accuracy of the system are estimated. The results of the error analysis of short baseline array system in this paper provide a theoretical basis for the operation of related underwater acoustic location systems at sea, and has important guiding and practical significance for the underwater target detection and positioning system design.

Recycling of the spent LIBs to extract Li and Co not only offers raw materials for batteries but also lays a sustainable way for battery development. Herein, we adopt a route combining hydrometallurgical and pyro-electrochemical routes to extract Li2CO3 and Co powder from the spent LIBs of cell phones. The LiCoO2-based cathode materials were firstly dissolved in H2SO4 solution containing H2O2 as the reductant, and the optimal conditions for attaining a high extraction rate of 99% were studied. After that, the precipitated Co(OH)2 was calcinated in air under 500 °C to generate Co3O4 which was thereafter electrochemically converted into Co powder and oxygen in molten Na2CO3-K2CO3. Overall, the hybrid method employing both hydro- and pyro-route provides an effective pathway to recover both Li2CO3 and Co powder from spent LIBs.

To reveal the potential aging mechanism for self-irradiation in Pu–Ga alloy, we choose Au–Ag alloy as its substitutional material in terms of its mass density and lattice structure. As a first step for understanding the microscopic behavior of point defects in Au–Ag alloy, we perform a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation on energetics and diffusion of point defects in Au and Ag metal. Our results indicate that the octahedral self-interstitial atom (SIA) is more stable than the tetrahedral SIA. The stability sequence of point defects for He atom in Au/Ag is: substitutional site > octahedral interstitial site > tetrahedral interstitial site. The He–V cluster ( He n V m , V denotes vacancy) is the most stable at n = m. For the mono-vacancy diffusion, the MD calculation shows that the first nearest neighbour (1NN) site is the most favorable site on the basis of the nudged elastic band (NEB) calculation, which is in agreement with previous experimental data. There are two peaks for the second nearest neighbour (2NN) and the third nearest neighbour (3NN) diffusion curve in octahedral interstitial site for He atom, indicating that the 2NN and 3NN diffusion for octahedral SIA would undergo an intermediate defect structure similar to the 1NN site. The 3NN diffusion for the tetrahedral SIA and He atom would undergo an intermediate site in analogy to its initial structure. For diffusion of point defects, the vacancy, SIA, He atom and He–V cluster may have an analogous effect on the diffusion velocity in Ag.

In this study, we use an aqueous solution synthesis method to prepare silver perrhenate powders and suspend them into a poly alpha olefin (PAO) base oil with polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether. Four ball tests and ball-on-disk reciprocating mode are performed to determine how silver perrhenate performs tribologically as a lubricating additive over a wide range of temperatures. The physical and chemical properties, as well as the lubricating mechanisms of the silver perrhenate additive, are characterized via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The four-ball test results demonstrate that the oil added with silver perrhenate additive is more effective than the base oil in reducing friction and improving wear resistance, and provides the best lubricating performance when at a concentration of 0.5 wt%. The reciprocating mode findings indicate that the hybrid lubricant exhibits distinctively better tribological properties than the base oil at high temperatures, and its low shear strength and chemical inertness allow for low friction at elevated temperatures. The resulting silver perrhenate layer that incorporates native superalloy oxides on the worn surface can provide lubrication by serving as a barrier that prevents direct contact between the rubbing surfaces at elevated temperatures.

ADSCs are a great cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, the development of methods to appropriately manipulate these cells invitro remains a challenge. Here the proliferation and differentiation of ADSCs on microfabricated surfaces with varying geometries were investigated. To create the patterned substrates, a maskless biofabrication method was developed based on dynamic optical projection stereolithography. Proliferation and early differentiation of ADSCs were compared across three distinct multicellular patterns, namely stripes (ST), symmetric fork (SF), and asymmetric fork (AF). The ST pattern was designed for uniaxial cell alignment while the SF and AF pattern were designed with altered cell directionality to different extents. The SF and AF patterns generated similar levels of regional peak stress, which were both significantly higher than those within the ST pattern. No significant difference in ADSC proliferation was observed among the three patterns. In comparison to the ST pattern, higher peak stress levels of the SF and AF patterns were associated with up-regulation of the chondrogenic and osteogenic markers SOX9 and RUNX2. Interestingly, uniaxial cell alignment in the ST pattern seemed to increase the expression of SM22α and smooth muscle α-actin, suggesting an early smooth muscle lineage progression. These results indicate that geometric cues that promote uniaxial alignment might be more potent for myogenesis than those with increased peak stress. Overall, the use of these patterned geometric cues for modulating cell alignment and form-induced stress can serve as a powerful and versatile technique towards controlling differentiation in ADSCs. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Introduction Comparisons of the characteristics between the influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 and common seasonal influenza are important for both clinical management and epidemiological studies. However, the differences between pandemic and seasonal influenza during the post-pandemic period are poorly understood. Objectives The aim of our research was to investigate clinical and immune response differences between patients with influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 pneumonia and seasonal influenza A (H3N2) pneumonia in the post-pandemic period. Methods During the first flu season in post-pandemic period, patients from Beijing Network for Adult Community-Acquired Pneumonia present A (H1N1) pdm09 or A (H3N2) influenza were compared concurrently in the aspects of clinical characteristics and inflammatory profile in acute phase. Result Patients with A (H1N1) pdm09 influenza pneumonia showed a close mean age to A (H3N2) pneumonia (51 ± 20 vs 53 ± 16, mean ± standard deviation, years) but tended to have more underlying diseases (32.8% vs 10%, P = 0.036). Although clinical characteristics were similar, no statistical difference were found in pneumonia severity index (PSI) score or intensive care unit admission rate or mortality, patients in A (H1N1) pdm09 cohort present higher levels of aspartate aminotransferase, lactase dehydrogenase (P = 0.006, 0.018, respectively) in blood and also longer duration of fever than A (H3N2) cohort. Levels of interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12 (p70) were higher in A (H1N1) pdm09 cohort (P = 0.031, 0.047, respectively). Conclusios During the first post-pandemic flu season, patients with the A (H1N1) pdm09 pneumonia showed similar clinical characteristics but slightly higher disease severity and stronger systemic inflammatory response than A (H3N2) pneumonia.

To understand the physical behavior and migration of cancer cells, a 3D in vitro micro-chip in hydrogel was created using 3D projection printing. The micro-chip has a honeycomb branched structure, aiming to mimic 3D vascular morphology to test, monitor, and analyze differences in the behavior of cancer cells (i.e. HeLa) vs. non-cancerous cell lines (i.e. 10 T1/2). The 3D Projection Printing system can fabricate complex structures in seconds from user-created designs. The fabricated microstructures have three different channel widths of 25, 45, and 120 microns wide to reflect a range of blood vessel diameters. HeLa and 10 T1/2 cells seeded within the micro-chip were then analyzed for morphology and cell migration speed. 10 T1/2 cells exhibited greater changes in morphology due to channel size width than HeLa cells; however, channel width had a limited effect on 10 T1/2 cell migration while HeLa cancer cell migration increased as channel width decreased. This physiologically relevant 3D cancer tissue model has the potential to be a powerful tool for future drug discoveries and cancer migration studies.

Pithan and Mauritsen argue that the 2009 results of Boe et al. are not consistent with current understanding of the lapse-rate feedback in the Arctic. They also argue that these results arise to an important extent from self-correlation issues. In this response, the authors argue that their results are not inconsistent with current understanding of lapse-rate feedback and demonstrate that the conclusions remain unchanged when all possibilities of self-correlation are excluded. In Boe et al. (2009, hereafter B09), we concluded that models from the World Climate Research Programme’s phase 3 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3) dataset with stronger present-day climatological temperature inversions in the Arctic are characterized by a stronger negative longwave feedback. The comment by Pithan and Mauritsen (2013, hereafter PM13) about this paper makes two main points. First, they argue this result is not consistent with the common understanding of a positive lapse-rate feedback in the Arctic. Second, they argue that this result is to an important extent an artifact related to selfcorrelation issues. These two points are examined in this reply. We will first argue that our results are consistent with current understanding of longwave feedback in the Arctic. Then we will demonstrate that our conclusions remainunchangedwhenallpossibilitiesofself-correlation issues are excluded.

To assess the activity and safety of postoperative adjuvant immunotherapy with transfusion of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells combined with chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer.We retrospectively studied 96 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer who were treated with resection between January 2010 and December 2012 as well as adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-one of these patients accepted at least 1 cycle of CIK cell transfusion for immunotherapy (CIK group). Disease free survival (DFS), immune cells and treatment related side effects were assessed. The patients were followed up until May 2013.By the end of follow-up, 10 patients (10.42 %) had died. Eighteen patients (18.75 %) had withdrawn. All the patients in the CIK group are still alive, and only 1 patient had withdrawn. Patients in the CIK group had significantly longer DFS than those in the control group [HR = 0.28, 95 % CI (0.09, 0.91), p = 0.034]. The 2-year DFS rates of patients in the CIK group and the control group were 59.65 ± 24.80 % and 29.35 ± 6.39 %, respectively. The CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratios were significantly lower during the period of chemotherapy than those before chemotherapy (p = 0.0038), while the ratios were significantly higher during the period of CIK cell transfusion than those before CIK therapy (p = 0.0484). There were no immediate adverse reactions to the CIK cell transfusions.Adjuvant transfusion of CIK cells prolongs DFS in patients with colorectal cancer.

This paper is concerned with the oscillatory properties of even order advanced type dynamic equation with mixed nonlinearities of the form $$\bigl[r(t)\varPhi_\alpha\bigl(x^{\Delta^{n-1}}(t) \bigr) \bigr]^\Delta+ p(t)\varPhi_\alpha\bigl(x\bigl(\delta(t)\bigr) \bigr) +\sum_{i=1}^kp_i(t) \varPhi_{\alpha_i} \bigl(x\bigl(\delta(t)\bigr) \bigr)=0 $$ on an arbitrary time scale \(\mathbb{T}\), where Φ∗(u)=|u|∗−1u. We present some new oscillation criteria for the equation by introducing parameter functions, establishing a new lemma, using a Hardy-Littlewood-Polya inequality and an arithmetic-geometric mean inequality and developing a generalized Riccati technique. Our results extend and supplement some known results in the literature. Several examples are given to illustrate our main results.

Snow-albedo feedback (SAF) is examined in 25 climate change simulations participating in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project version 5 (CMIP5). SAF behavior is compared to the feedback’s behavior in the previous (CMIP3) generation of global models. SAF strength exhibits a fivefold spread across CMIP5 models, ranging from 0.03 to 0.16 W m−2 K−1 (ensemble-mean = 0.08 W m−2 K−1). This accounts for much of the spread in 21st century warming of Northern Hemisphere land masses, and is very similar to the spread found in CMIP3 models. As with the CMIP3 models, there is a high degree of correspondence between the magnitudes of seasonal cycle and climate change versions of the feedback. Here we also show that their geographical footprint is similar. The ensemble-mean SAF strength is close to an observed estimate of the real climate’s seasonal cycle feedback strength. SAF strength is strongly correlated with the climatological surface albedo when the ground is covered by snow. The inter-model variation in this quantity is surprisingly large, ranging from 0.39 to 0.75. Models with large surface albedo when these regions are snow-covered will also have a large surface albedo contrast between snow-covered and snow-free regions, and therefore a correspondingly large SAF. Widely-varying treatments of vegetation masking of snow-covered surfaces are probably responsible for the spread in surface albedo where snow occurs, and the persistent spread in SAF in global climate models.

The volatile compounds in Alaska pollock frame and Alaska pollock frame hydrolysates were analyzed by solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for identifying and comparing their flavor characteristics. The optimized SPME extraction conditions were 75 μm carboxen/polydimethyl siloxane fiber, adsorption time of 40 min, and extraction temperature of 65°C. Compared to Alaska pollock frame, Alaska pollock frame hydrolysates have more aromas detected and identified. Numerous volatile compounds were responsible for the overall aroma of Alaska pollock frame hydrolysates, such as 1-penten-3-ol, 2-penten-1-ol, ethyl acetate, methacrolein, 3-methylbutanal, hexanal, octanal, nonanal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, and so on. However, only a relatively small proportion showed similar composition. Although Alaska pollock frame hydrolysates was prepared by the same raw material, each Alaska pollock frame hydrolysate exhibited its individual flavor characteristics. Thus, the type of enzyme was prob...

Growth factors have been shown to be powerful mediators of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) osteogenic differentiation. However, their use in tissue engineered scaffolds not only can be costly but also can induce undesired responses in surrounding tissues. Thus, the ability to specifically promote MSC osteogenic differentiation in the absence of exogenous growth factors via the manipulation of scaffold material properties would be beneficial. The current work examines the influence of select extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins on MSC osteogenesis toward the goal of developing scaffolds with intrinsically osteoinductive properties. Fibrinogen (FG), fibronectin (FN) and laminin-1 (LN) were chosen for evaluation due to their known roles in bone morphogenesis or bone fracture healing. These proteins were conjugated into poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogels and their effects on encapsulated 10T½ MSCs were evaluated. Specifically, following 1week of culture, mid-term markers of various MSC lineages were examined in order to assess the strength and specificity of the observed osteogenic responses. PEG-LN gels demonstrated increased levels of the osteogenic transcription factor osterix relative to day 0 levels. In addition, PEG-FG and PEG-LN gels were associated with increased deposition of bone ECM protein osteocalcin relative to PEG-FN gels and day 0. Importantly, the osteogenic response associated with FG and LN appeared to be specific in that markers for chondrocytic, smooth muscle cell and adipocytic lineages were not similarly elevated relative to day 0 in these gels. To gain insight into the integrin dynamics underlying the observed differentiation results, initial integrin adhesion and temporal alterations in cell integrin profiles were evaluated. The associated results suggest that α(2), α(v) and α(6) integrin subunits may play key roles in integrin-mediated osteogenesis.

// Yan-juan Zhu 1 , Hai-bo Zhang 1 , Yi-hong Liu 1 , Fu-li Zhang 1 , Ya-zhen Zhu 2 , Yong Li 1 , Jian-ping Bai 1 , Li-rong Liu 1 , Yan-chun Qu 1 , Xin Qu 1 , Xian Chen 1 , Yan Li 1 , Guang-juan Zheng 2 1 Oncology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China 2 Pathology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, China Correspondence to: Hai-bo Zhang, email: haibozh@aliyun.com Keywords: droplet digital polymerase chain reaction, epidermal growth factor receptor, non-small cell lung cancer, blood biopsy Received: October 25, 2016 Accepted: December 16, 2016 Published: January 04, 2017 ABSTRACT Detection of circulating tumor DNA using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a highly-sensitive, minimally invasive alternative to serial biopsies for assessment and management of cancer. We used ddPCR to assess the utility of measuring plasma concentrations of common epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) mutations (L858R, exon 19 deletion, and T790M) in 57 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). High baseline plasma EGFR mutation ( pEGFRmut ) concentrations were associated with shorter progression-free survival (8.43 months) than low baseline pEGFRmut (16.23 months; p = 0.0019). By contrast, there were no differences in tumor shrinkage or overall survival between groups. During EGFR-TKI treatment, pEGFRmut levels decreased to zero in 89.58% of patients. Twenty-five of the 27 patients who progressed had basal pEGFRmut , and 18 also had circulating T790M. All 20 patients with dramatic progression (according to a categorization system for EGFR-TKIs failure) had basal pEGFRmut , and 13 had T790M mutation at progression. These results support the use of ddPCR for analysis of plasma EGFR mutations for prediction of PFS and to monitor clinical responses to EGFR-TKIs in NSCLC patients.

Living tissues rely heavily on vascular networks to transport nutrients, oxygen and metabolic waste. However, there still remains a need for a simple and efficient approach to engineer vascularized tissues. Here, we created prevascularized tissues with complex three-dimensional (3D) microarchitectures using a rapid bioprinting method - microscale continuous optical bioprinting (μCOB). Multiple cell types mimicking the native vascular cell composition were encapsulated directly into hydrogels with precisely controlled distribution without the need of sacrificial materials or perfusion. With regionally controlled biomaterial properties the endothelial cells formed lumen-like structures spontaneously in vitro. In vivo implantation demonstrated the survival and progressive formation of the endothelial network in the prevascularized tissue. Anastomosis between the bioprinted endothelial network and host circulation was observed with functional blood vessels featuring red blood cells. With the superior bioprinting speed, flexibility and scalability, this new prevascularization approach can be broadly applicable to the engineering and translation of various functional tissues.

// Yihao Yang 1, * , Ya Zhang 1, * , Xin Qu 1, * , Junfeng Xia 1 , Dongqi Li 1 , Xiaojuan Li 1 , Yu Wang 1 , Zewei He 1 , Su Li 1 , Yonghong Zhou 1 , Lin Xie 1, * , Zuozhang Yang 1, * 1 Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors Research Center of Yunnan Province, Department of Orthopaedics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University (Tumor Hospital of Yunnan Province), Kunming, Yunnan 650118, China * These authors contributed equally to this work and co-first authors Correspondence to: Zuozhang Yang, email: yangzuozhang@163.com , zuozhangyang1326@sohu.com Lin Xie, email: xielinyanghan@163.com Keywords: differentially expressed genes, network, primary osteosarcoma, metastatic osteosarcoma, target Received: August 15, 2016 Accepted: November 07, 2016 Published: November 24, 2016 ABSTRACT Objective: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant bone tumor with high morbidity in young adults and adolescents. This study aimed to discover potential early diagnosis biomarkers in OS. Results: In total, 111 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in primary OS compared with normal controls and 235 DEGs were identified in metastatic OS compared with primary OS. AURKB and PPP2R2B were the significantly up-regulated and down-regulated hub proteins, respectively, in the PPI protein-protein network (PPI) network of primary OS. ISG15 and BTRC were the significantly up-regulated and down-regulated hub proteins, respectively, in the network of metastatic OS. The DEGs in metastatic OS compared with primary OS were significantly enriched in the arachidonic acid metabolism, malaria, and chemokine signaling pathways. Finally, we employed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to validate the expression levels of candidate DEGs and the results indicated that our bioinformatics approach was acceptable. Materials and Methods: The mRNA expression profiling of 20 subjects was obtained through high-throughput RNA-sequencing. DEGs were identified between primary OS and normal Control, and between primary OS and metastatic OS, respectively. Functional annotation and PPI networks were used to obtain insights into the functions of DEGs. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression levels of dysregulated genes in OS. Conclusions: Our work might provide groundwork for the further exploration of tumorigenesis and metastasis mechanisms of OS.

When the measure ship berthing or sailing, it is vulnerable to waves, tidal currents and other complex disturbance. The measurement precision of servo system is related to error and the inertial force caused by measurement ship swing and displacement as well as subgrade. So it is necessary to improve the accuracy of the ship servo system. The active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) algorithm has higher control accuracy and better robustness than the traditional PID control algorithm. The control performance of ADRC is excessive reliance on extended state observer, so a fractional order controller is proposed as a feedback controller to eliminate the dependence on the extended state observer in this paper, and the extended state observer can also maintain the system's uncertainty to insensitive zone of the fractional order controller. Compared with traditional PID algorithm, the simulation results show that the fractional order ADRC controller can obviously improve the performance of servo system.

This paper presents a stripline SIR bandpass filter with high skirt selectivity. The bandpass filter has a good performance on the out-of-band rejection by adding some through metallized holes on both sides of the substrate. It is easy to integrate by using a structure of transition between microstrip to stripline. To validate the proposed concept, a filter working at 12.5GHz with 5% fractional bandwidth was designed and fabricated by standard PCB process. Measured results are in accord well with the simulated results, showing good performance of the filter.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative stress is a main feature observed in the sepsis by increasing endothelial oxidative damage. Many studies have demonstrated that Ulinastatin (UTI) can inhibit pro-inflammatory proteases, decrease inflammatory cytokine levels and suppress oxidative stress. However, the potential molecular mechanism underlying UTI which exerts its antioxidant effect is not well understood. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of UTI on the LPS-induced oxidative stress and the underlying mechanisms using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). After oxidative stress induced By LPS in HUVECs, the cell viability and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cytoplasm were measured. In addition, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined. We found that LPS resulted in a profound elevation of ROS production and MDA levels. The decrease in Cu/Zn-SOD protein and increased in Mn-SOD protein were observed in a time- and dose-dependent manner. These responses were suppressed by an addition of UTI. The increase in c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) phosphorylation by LPS in HUVECs was markedly blocked by UTI or JNK inhibitor SP600125. Our results suggest that UTI exerts its anti-oxidant effects by decreasing overproduction of ROS induced by LPS via suppressing JNK/c-Jun phosphorylation. Therefore UTI may play a protective role in vascular endothelial injury induced by oxidative stress such as sepsis. This study may provide insight into a possible molecular mechanism by which Ulinastatin inhibits LPS-induced oxidative stress.

The functional maturation and preservation of hepatic cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are essential to personalized in vitro drug screening and disease study. Major liver functions are tightly linked to the 3D assembly of hepatocytes, with the supporting cell types from both endodermal and mesodermal origins in a hexagonal lobule unit. Although there are many reports on functional 2D cell differentiation, few studies have demonstrated the in vitro maturation of hiPSC-derived hepatic progenitor cells (hiPSC-HPCs) in a 3D environment that depicts the physiologically relevant cell combination and microarchitecture. The application of rapid, digital 3D bioprinting to tissue engineering has allowed 3D patterning of multiple cell types in a predefined biomimetic manner. Here we present a 3D hydrogel-based triculture model that embeds hiPSC-HPCs with human umbilical vein endothelial cells and adipose-derived stem cells in a microscale hexagonal architecture. In comparison with 2D monolayer culture and a 3D HPC-only model, our 3D triculture model shows both phenotypic and functional enhancements in the hiPSC-HPCs over weeks of in vitro culture. Specifically, we find improved morphological organization, higher liver-specific gene expression levels, increased metabolic product secretion, and enhanced cytochrome P450 induction. The application of bioprinting technology in tissue engineering enables the development of a 3D biomimetic liver model that recapitulates the native liver module architecture and could be used for various applications such as early drug screening and disease modeling.

Seafood is regarded as a high-purine food that may induce gout, which has attracted extensive attention concerning its safety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a simple and reliable method to determine the purine content in seafood and its change during storage to offer consumers healthy diet information.Chromatographic separation was carried out using Waters Atlantis dCThe purine content of seafood differed depending on species, body part and degree of freshness, which could recommend consumers a healthy diet, especially for people with hyperuricemia and gout. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

BACKGROUND Autoimmune systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is associated with inflammatory activity and frequently causes complications in pregnant women. The aim of the current study was to investigate the serum levels of chemokines and cytokines (CKs) in SLE women during pregnancy and to examine the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) signaling in the deregulation of chemokines and CKs. METHODS Blood samples from pregnant women with or without SLE were assayed for the levels of CKs (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-α), chemokines (IP-10 and RANTES) with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and were examined for toll like receptor (TLR)-2, -4, -7, -8 and -9. Then the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from the SLE or normal pregnant women were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and were assayed for the CKs promotion. RESULTS It was demonstrated that there were higher serum concentrations of IL-1p, IL-8, IFN-t, and IP-10 (p < 0.05, p < 0.01 or p < 0.0001) in the SLE pregnant women than in the non-SLE pregnant women. Additionally, the TLR-4 at the mRNA level in the PBMCs was also significantly higher in the SLE pregnant women than in the non-SLE pregnant women (p < 0.05). Moreover, the upregulated IL-1β, IL-8, IFN-α or IP-10 was associated with the promoted TLR-4 level in PBMCs of those SLE patients. In addition, the PBMCs from the SLE pregnant women were more responsive to LPS stimulation. There was more promoted IL-1β, IL-8, or IFN-α in the PBMCs from the SLE pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS High levels of pro-inflammatory CKs and chemokines were promoted during pregnancy in women with SLE, possibly increasing their risk for pregnancy complications. In addition, the TLR4 signaling might play an important role in such CKs promotion.

Titanium alloys, as difficult-to-cut materials, have poor machinability due to their superior mechanical properties, heat resistance and corrosion resistance. High cutting temperature and great cutting force that will greatly accelerate tool wear often occurs in titanium alloys cutting process. In this paper, an ultrasonic vibration turning method was used to lower diamond tool wear during TC4 titanium alloy turning process. Ultrasonic vibration turning tests were carried out with various cutting parameters. Experimental results indicated that there’s a significant reduction of the wear rate of diamond tools by means of ultrasonic vibration in TC4 turning process. For ultrasonic vibration turning, spindle speed, the amplitude and frequency of vibration of the tool are the greatest impact of tool wear, followed by feed rate, then the cutting depth.

The dam concrete material properties wre influenced by the implementation of temperature control measures on site. The weekly temperature evaluation system has been set up in order to evaluate current temperature control measures, combining with the distributed optical fiber temperature control techniques and construction technical requirements. The system has been applied to a concrete arch dam under construction in southwest China which established multi-objective fuzzy mathematical model by synthetic weighting method that was a combination of experts scoring method and entropy weight method. Practice shows that the system can estimate weak link of this week and give guidance to the temperature control’s adjustment of the following week.

The topographic features of the extracelluar matrix (ECM) lay the foundation for cellular behavior. A novel biofabrication method using a digital-mirror device (DMD), called dynamic optical projection stereolithography (DOPsL) is demonstrated. This robust and versatile platform can generate complex biomimetic scaffolds within seconds. Such 3D scaffolds have promising potentials for studying cell interactions with microenvironments in vitro and in vivo.

Most of the cracks on concrete dam are external ones, while external heat preservation is an important measure to prevent cracking. In order to obtain the actual thermal parameters, according to thermal conduction theory and the temperature distribution conditions of optical fiber on concrete surface, the surface temperature distribution of concrete pouring deck was real-time monitored by setting optical fiber in different depths; then the surface heat flux of mass concrete was calculated, thereby the equivalent surface heat transfer coefficient, which varied as time goes, was inversed. It is indicated that the inversion process is relatively simple and reliable, and the heat transfer coefficient obtained can well reflect the real performance of the insulation materials. Meanwhile, it is also indicated that the heat transfer coefficient of equivalent surface varies as time goes, which can contribute to back analysis calculation and actual engineering practice.

A facile method to selectively synthesize nano-scaled Gd2O3 with different morphology such as nanosheres and nanorods has been developed in our report. The precursors GdOHCO3 can be prepared by a two-step hydrothermal process via homogeneous generation of hydroxide ions through the hydrolysis of urea, and the formation of different morphology structures were obtained under different reaction temperatures. After further heating treatment, a transformation from GdOHCO3 to cubic Gd2O3 takes place. The morphology and size of nano Gd2O3 strongly depend on that of the precursors GdOHCO3. The X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were employed to characterize the as-obtained low-dimensional nanostructures. And the effects of hydrothermal temperature, solvent and urea concentration on the morphologies of the products were also studied.