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miRNA-22 (miR-22) has been showed to involve in a variety of cancers; however, the association between miR-22 expression level and the prognosis of osteosarcoma is also poorly unknown. Fifty-two patients with surgically resected paired osteosarcoma and non-neoplastic disease between 2008 and 2014 were involved in this study. Real-time PCR was performed to examine the expression level of miR-22 in osteosarcoma tissues and noncancerous bone tissues. Then the association between miR-22 expression and clinical-pathological parameters were further evaluated. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression models were explored to reveal the correlations of miR-22 expression with survival of patients. The results indicated that miR-22 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues in comparison with noncancerous bone tissues. In addition, there is statistically significance between miR-22 expression level and recurrence, metastasis, and chemotherapy response. The patients with lower miR-22 expression level had both poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. The multivariant analysis revealed that the miR-22 expression level and metastasis status are independent prognosis factors for osteosarcoma. In conclusion, miR-22 was downregulated in osteosarcoma and its expression level was correlated with a variety of important clinical-pathological parameters. Moreover, miR-22 may serve as a promising biomarker for predicting the prognosis of osteosarcoma.

Objective: To explore the applicative value of serum Golgi protein (GP73) and alpha-proteinvariant (AFP-L3) in the diagnosis of patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC). Methods:Totally 110 patients were enrolled, including 60 PHC patients with low concentration of AFP ((1.1-108.0 μg/L)) and 50 patients with non-PHC digestive system diseases (20 cases of patients with chronic hepatitis, 15 patients with liver cirrhosis, 4 patients with bile duct cancer, 4 patients with gastric cancer, 4 patients with rectal cancer and 3 patients with colon cancer). In addition, 42 healthy people were selected as control group. GP73 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) trace centrifugal column method was adopted for separation of AFP-L3. Luo's chemiluminescence method was used to determine the total content of AFP and AFP-L3 in eluent for calculating the ratio of AFP-L3/ AFP. Results: The levels of serum GP73 and AFP-L3(%) in PHC group were significantly higher than the other 2 groups (P＜0.01) and the level of serum GP73 and AFP-L3 (%) in Non-PHC group were higher than those in healthy group (P＜0.01). ROC analysis showed that the area under ROC curve of single GP73 and AFP-L3(%) in diagnosis of PHC and non-PHC were 0.887 and 0.860, respectively. Additionally, the ROC analysis also showed that critical value of GP73 and AFP-L3 for the diagnosis of HPC were 83.78 μg/L and 13.87%, respectively. The sensitivity of joint detection of serum GP73 or AFP-L3 was higher than detection of them alone (90.0 vs. 71.7 and 60.0, P＜0.05) but the specificity was similar between single detection and joint detection (P＞0.05). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of joint detection of them was higher than single detections of them and there was significant differences in negative predictive value (P＜0.05) but no difference in positive predictive value (P＞0.05). The overall response rate of joint detection of GP73 and AFP-L3 was higher than single detection of them (P＜0.05).Conclusion: single detection of GP73 and AFP-L3 (%) were similar in the sensitivity and specificity in diagnosis of PHC patients with low concentration of AFP, which can be auxiliary diagnosis for PHC patients and joint detection of them is more reliable to diagnose PHC.

Objective(s): miR-125b has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many tumors, but its role in giant cell tumor (GCT) of bone remains poorly understood. The current study aimed to investigate the potential role and mechanism of miR-125b in GCT. Materials and Methods: Expression levels of miR-125b in GCT tissues were determined using RT-PCR. The cell proliferation was surveyed by direct cell counting, MTS and CCK-8, and the apoptotic cells were evaluated by Annexin V-FITC and propidium iodine staining assay. The target gene expression was determined using RT-PCR and western blot. Parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) 3’-UTR was cloned into luciferase reporter plasmid to confirm direct targeting. Results: We found that miR-125b was significantly down-regulated in GCT tissues. Using both gain- and loss-of-function analyses, we further revealed that miR-125b suppressed GCT stromal cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, we revealed that PTH/PTHrP type 1 receptor is a direct and functional target of miR-125b. Conclusion: Our results suggest that miR-125b acts as a tumor suppressor through suppression of the PTH1R/RANKL signaling pathway. These findings contribute to our understanding of the functions of miR-125b in GCT.

Objective: To analyze the changes of hemodynamics of patients with fatty liver by detecting their blood perfusion parameter changes with Philips Brilliance 64-layer spiral computed tomography (CT) perfusion technique. Methods: A total of 74 patients undergoing 64-layer spiral CT perfusion imaging were selected as study objects, in which 39 were with fatty liver and the other 35 were healthy people. The parameters of liver blood perfusion were observed. Results: Hepatic arterial perfusion (Art.Perf), portal perfusion (Port.Perf) and total perfusion (Total.Perf) values as well as hepatic perfusion index (HPI) were (18.4±4.1), (71.5±14.2) and (93.2±6.7) mL/100 g·min as well as (25.15±5.22)% in control group, in which the Art.Perf, Port.Perf and Total.Perf were in close association with the severity of fatty liver and of great significance. Art.Perf of patients with mild, moderate and severe fatty liver was (15.4±4.0), (7.3±9.6) and (4.1±1.3) mL/100 g·min, Port.Perf was (56.5±10.7), (48.6±6.8) and (37.0±4.1) mL/100 g·min and Total.Perf was (71.3±5.7), (55.7±5.8) and (40.2±5.0) mL/100 g·min, respectively. However, HPI could not be considered as the evaluation index for the severity of fatty liver. Conclusion: CT perfusion imaging of liver can reflect blood changes of patients with fatty liver, which can be used to evaluate their blood-supply condition, thus providing more diagnostic evidences for the clinic.

This paper proposes a smart graffiti clean-up system based on an autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) platform. This smart clean system is based on edge detection and machine learning algorithms to realize the detection and tracking of graffiti image in real time. In Graffiti detection, we aim to build a model to detect graffiti on walls which can help navigate the UAV to the correct coordinate and estimate the area of the graffiti. The data set which contain graffiti images are trained using machine learning techniques which will be used for the detections of the graffiti patterns. This will automate the process of detecting the location of the graffiti based on the edge detection technique and the model will be able to estimate the area of the graffiti. To achieve obstacle detection, and collision, a smart navigation approach is also proposed with the help of LiDAR and external camera. The overall graffiti cleanup system contains hardware and software that allow the user to use spray enamel with the reach and scale of an autonomous UAV.

Few studies have evaluated completely the changes in quality of life (QOL) that occur from pretreatment through the first four consecutive cycles of chemotherapy or determined its determinants in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to explore the changes to and determinants of QOL in patients with advanced NSCLC under initial chemotherapy from pretreatment through Cycle 4 of chemotherapy. The QOL of 139 patients with advanced NSCLC was assessed from prechemotherapy through Cycle 4 of chemotherapy. Changes to and determinants of QOL were evaluated using multivariate linear regression, which used generalized estimation equation models. No significant changes were observed in the global QOL or the physical, role, emotional, or cognitive functional domains of QOL during the course of chemotherapy. However, the social functional domain of QOL improved significantly at Cycle 3 in comparison with the prechemotherapy values. Better global QOL was determined as better performance status, less frequent physical symptoms, and less severe anxiety and depressive symptoms. Important determinants of better QOL in the five functional domains included younger age, better performance status, less frequent physical symptoms, less severe anxiety and depressive symptoms, and weaker perceived social support. Furthermore, patients who achieved a partial response after chemotherapy enjoyed stronger improvements in global QOL and the QOL emotional functional domain than those who did not. To help patients with advanced NSCLC optimize their QOL, healthcare professionals should enhance their ability to identify patients who are at elevated risk of poor QOL throughout the course of chemotherapy and to appropriately detect and manage the related physical symptoms and side effects, strengthen patients' social support, and lessen the anxiety and depressive symptoms of patients.

A rhodium/silver synergistic catalysis has been established, enabling cycloisomerization/cross coupling of keto-vinylidenecyclopropanes (VDCPs) with terminal alkynes toward the regio- and enantioselective formation of diversified tetrahydropyridin-3-ol tethered 1,4-enynes in good yields and high ee values. In this synergistic catalysis, Rh(I) and Ag(I) catalysts selectively activate keto-VDCP substrates and terminal alkynes to generate the π-allyl Rh(III) complex of oxa-rhodacyclic intermediate and Ag alkynyl intermediate, respectively. The rapid transmetalation of alkynyl groups from Ag to Rh is proposed to play a key role in realizing the regioselective cleavage of the distal bond of the three-membered ring in this transformation.

Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancers worldwide. Several studies have performed microarray data analyses for cancer classification and prognostic analyses. Microarray assays also enable the identification of gene signatures for molecular characterization and treatment prediction. Objective Microarray gene expression data from the online Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used to to distinguish colorectal cancer from normal colon tissue samples. Methods We collected microarray data from the GEO database to establish colorectal cancer microarray gene expression datasets for a combined analysis. Using the Prediction Analysis for Microarrays (PAM) method and the GSEA MSigDB resource, we analyzed the 14,698 genes that were identified through an examination of their expression values between normal and tumor tissues. Results Ten genes (ABCG2, AQP8, SPIB, CA7, CLDN8, SCNN1B, SLC30A10, CD177, PADI2, and TGFBI) were found to be good indicators of the candidate genes that correlate with CRC. From these selected genes, an average of six significant genes were obtained using the PAM method, with an accuracy rate of 95%. The results demonstrate the potential of utilizing a model with the PAM method for data mining. After a detailed review of the published reports, the results confirmed that the screened candidate genes are good indicators for cancer risk analysis using the PAM method. Conclusions Six genes were selected with 95% accuracy to effectively classify normal and colorectal cancer tissues. We hope that these results will provide the basis for new research projects in clinical practice that aim to rapidly assess colorectal cancer risk using microarray gene expression analysis.

Second-order IIR low-pass filter is widely used in digital signal processing. A fast filter algorithm without multiplication is proposed for it in this paper. A configuration method for the filter coefficient of fast algorithm is put forward, considering the characteristic of second-order IIR low-pass filter coefficient and the filter’s mathematical model. A performance analysis of fast second-order IIR low-pass filter without multiplication is shown in the paper, and the performance of the fast filter is shown by example using MATLAB simulation. What’s more, the algorithm’s rapidity is verified by an implementation of the filter on FPGA, which turns out that fast filtering algorithm takes only 54.7% of common algorithm’s operation time to realize the same filer function.

To determine modulus of elasticity (MOE) of the whole full-sized medium density fiberboard (MDF) by using vibration method in the future, this paper studies MDF vibration characteristics. To solve modal parameters of full-sized MDF in the condition of free vibration, the writers conducted calculation modal analysis and experimental modal analysis of the full-sized MDF with three different thicknesses respectively, compared and analyzed the first three order modal shapes and frequencies. It is found that the full-sized MDF with three different thicknesses showed the same vibration modal forms: the first and second vibration modes had bending vibration along the length direction, while the third one had bending vibration along the width direction; the frequency obtained through calculation modal analysis and experimental modal analysis had a certain difference—the first calculation modal frequency was slightly lower than the first experimental modal frequency, and the second and third calculation modal frequencies higher than the corresponding experimental modal frequencies. However, there is a good correlation between calculation modal frequency and test experimental modal frequency with the determination coefficient reaching 0.9816.

A wavelength routing device based on only one N × N cyclic arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) having easy extended channels configuration is presented in this paper. It is easy to extend the dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) channel configuration through this wavelength routing device. According to the cyclic wavelength of AWG, the wavelength routing devices are easy to configure more than N extended DWDM channels through cascading more proper tunable fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). With only one 8 × 8 AWG, two different wavelength routing structures were built to evaluate static crosstalk and the bit-error-rate (BER). Three of the 16 inputted DWDM channels were demonstrated to verify that the proposed wavelength routing device, with only one 8 × 8 AWG, could configure extended DWDM channels without interfering with other channels. The results show that the wavelength routing device can produces a better performance and offers a cheaper way to extend the DWDM channel configuration for a dynamic network.

According to experimental data, the model of fixed Joints stiffness in machine tools was built by least square of relative error. The new regression equations were obtained by regression analysis. Compared to the original equations with Gaussian least-square, the relative error of new regression equations is within 3.5%, which reduces by 12.5% and the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) decreases by 18.0%, 12.4%and 19.0% respectively.

With the experimental data of positioning precision of high-speed precision NC machine tool, a linear mathematical model of positioning error is established. Based on gray model and Cauchy problem formula, a nonlinear mathematical model is also established. The two models are evaluated by fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to find the optimal prediction model. Compensated with a selection of positioning error compensation model, the confidence interval of 0.95 of positioning error is less than 3μm, meets the design requirements of the machine tool.

Lu2Ti2O7octahedrons were synthesized by molten salt synthesis (MSS) through selecting appropriate source materials and controlling proper external conditions. The phase constituents and microstructure morphologies of as-product were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Energy Dispersive Spectrometer, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy and High-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy. According to the experimental results, the detailed microstructure and growth mechanism of Lu2Ti2O7octahedron have been analyzed. The presented results in this paper may benefit to a deeper understanding of the fundamental physical and chemical processes of MSS methods.

Background. Microarray technology shows great potential but previous studies were limited by small number of samples in the colorectal cancer (CRC) research. The aims of this study are to investigate gene expression profile of CRCs by pooling cDNA microarrays using PAM, ANN, and decision trees (CART and C5.0).Methods. Pooled 16 datasets contained 88 normal mucosal tissues and 1186 CRCs. PAM was performed to identify significant expressed genes in CRCs and models of PAM, ANN, CART, and C5.0 were constructed for screening candidate genes via ranking gene order of significances.Results. The first screening identified 55 genes. The test accuracy of each model was over 0.97 averagely. Less than eight genes achieve excellent classification accuracy. Combining the results of four models, we found the top eight differential genes in CRCs; suppressor genes,CA7, SPIB, GUCA2B, AQP8, IL6RandCWH43;oncogenes,SPP1andTCN1. Genes of higher significances showed lower variation in rank ordering by different methods.Conclusion. We adopted a two-tier genetic screen, which not only reduced the number of candidate genes but also yielded good accuracy (nearly 100%). This method can be applied to future studies. Among the top eight genes,CA7,TCN1, andCWH43have not been reported to be related to CRC.

Cloud covers, which are generally present in optical remote sensing images, limit the usage of acquired images and increase the difficulty in data analysis. Thus, information reconstruction of cloud-contaminated images generally plays an important role in image analysis. This paper proposes a novel method to reconstruct cloud-contaminated information in multitemporal remote sensing images. Based on the concept of utilizing temporal correlation of multitemporal images, we propose a patch-based information reconstruction algorithm that spatiotemporally segments a sequence of images into clusters containing several spatially connected components called patches and then clones information from cloud-free and high-similarity patches to their corresponding cloud-contaminated patches. In addition, a seam that passes through homogenous regions is used in information reconstruction to reduce radiometric inconsistency, and information cloning is solved using an optimization process with the determined seam. These processes enable the proposed method to well reconstruct missing information. Qualitative analyses of image sequences acquired by a Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensor and a quantitative analysis of simulated data with various cloud contamination conditions are conducted to evaluate the proposed method. The experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method to related methods in terms of radiometric accuracy and consistency, particularly for large clouds in a heterogeneous landscape.

Aims Despite the increasing attention given to the rate of mitochondrial respiration under light (Rd), considerable confusion persists over whether mitochondrial respiration in the dark (Rn) is inhibited by light and whether Rd is affected by light intensity. The objective of this study is to test the hypotheses: 1) Rn is not inhibited by light; 2) the rate of Rd changes with light intensity; and 3) the photosynthetic refixation of CO2 produced by Rn accounts for the apparent disparity between Rd and Rn. Methods In the present study, 0.02 mol·mol O2 (i.e. 2% O2) was used to saturate Rn and to inhibit photorespiration (Rp). By using combined gas exchange measurements and a low O2 (2% O2) method, the post-illumination CO2 release rate of Rn, photosynthetic rate (Pn) in response to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in 2% O2 at either 380 or 0 μmol·mol CO2, of C3 (Triticum aestivum and Glycine max) and C4 (Zea mays and Amaranthus hypochondriacus) plants, were measured. Important finding Rn was not inhibited by light. At 2% O2 and 0 μmol·mol CO2, the measured parameters could be used to accurately estimate Rd when CO2 concentration was set for 0 μmol·mol. Rd decreased with increasing light intensity. Although Rd was lower in the dark, this could be accounted for by photosynthetic re-fixing of respiratory CO2. For all plants tested, CO2 recovery rates increased with increasing light intensity (from 50 and 2 000 μmol·m·s).