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• Conducted an experimental study on AFRP strengthening of circular hollow sections. • AFRP enhances CHS impact resistance and overall performance significantly. • Developed and validated FE models for simulating AFRP-strengthened CHS behavior. • Explored energy absorption, deformation, and crushing efficiency in AFRP-CHS tubes. With the increase in global threats to infrastructure, from unforeseen events particularly in steel structures, there is a growing urgency to strengthen the impact resistance of steel elements. This research aimed to investigate the potential of using AFRP (Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer) to improve the energy absorption and crushing resistance of thin-walled circular hollow steel (CHS) tubes subjected to axial impact loads. Key aspects of the investigation include conducting a series of experiments to evaluate the impact of AFRP layer thickness, steel tube thickness, and impact velocity on structural performance. The performance metrics were characterized by analyzing impact force versus displacement, energy absorption capacity, peak crush load, and mean crush load. The results show that AFRP strengthening significantly enhances peak load capacity, energy dissipation, and impact force absorption compared to plain steel tubes. The AFRP-strengthened specimens exhibit higher specific energy absorption (SEA) and crushing force efficiency (CFE) compared to non-strengthened specimens, with peak force increasing by 18 % to 160 % for low external energy and 14 % to 190 % for high external energy. The three-dimensional finite element (FE) model accurately predicts load-carrying capacity and AFRP failure, validated against experimental tests. This study provides quantitative evidence of the effectiveness of AFRP reinforcement in improving the crash performance of thin-walled tubes under axial impact loading, highlighting the potential for optimizing AFRP strengthening techniques in structural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elemental two-dimensional (2D) materials have emerged as promising candidates for energy and catalysis applications due to their unique physical, chemical, and electronic properties. These materials are advantageous in offering massive surface-to-volume ratios, favorable transport properties, intriguing physicochemical properties, and confinement effects resulting from the 2D ultrathin structure. In this review, we focus on the recent advances in emerging energy and catalysis applications based on beyond-graphene elemental 2D materials. First, we briefly introduce the general classification, structure, and properties of elemental 2D materials and the new advances in material preparation. We then discuss various applications in energy harvesting and storage, including solar cells, piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators, thermoelectric devices, batteries, and supercapacitors. We further discuss the explorations of beyond-graphene elemental 2D materials for electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, and heterogeneous catalysis. Finally, the challenges and perspectives for the future development of elemental 2D materials in energy and catalysis are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical angina has been defined as chest pain that resembles true cardiac angina but originates from the disorders of the cervical spine. Thus, physicians and spine surgeons alike should raise awareness of this unusual condition for diagnosis and treatment. Particularly when neurologic signs and symptoms are present, there should be a strong suspicion for cervical angina in any patient with inadequately explained noncardiac chest pain. Cervical angina can be diagnosed according to negative cardiac workups, positive neurologic examination, and cervical radiographic findings (herniated disk, spinal cord compression, or foraminal encroachment). However, the mechanisms of pain production in cervical angina remain unclear. Previous studies attributed the pain to cervical nerve root compression, cervical sympathetic afferent fibers, referred pain, or lesions of the posterior horn of the spinal cord. Conservative treatments, which include neck collar fixation, head traction, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, have been determined to be successful in most patients with cervical angina. But when conservative treatment fails, anterior cervical surgery with complete decompression of the spinal cord and/or nerve root has been identified to effectively relieve cervical angina symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] 3-Hydroxyflavone (3-HF) as the backbone of flavonols has been extensively studied on the dual fluorescence and excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) after photoexcitation. However, its detailed excited-state relaxation mechanism is still unclear. Herein, the minimum-energy structures, conical intersections and singlet–triplet crossing points of 3-HF in the 1ππ∗, 1nπ∗, 3ππ∗, 3nπ∗, and S 0 states in the gas phase were first optimized by the CASPT2//CASSCF method. Then, the minimum-energy proton transfer (MEPT) and excited-state decay (ESD) pathways were calculated as well. Based on the calculation results, we proposed several possible ESD pathways from the initially populated bright S 2 (ππ*) state. The major channel is singlet-involved and stretch-torsion coupled ESIPT pathway. 3-HF in normal (N) form first undergoes efficient 1ππ* ESIPT with a small barrier of 2.2 kcal/mol to yield the 1ππ* proton-transferred tautomer (T). Subsequently, the T tautomer approaches the nearby accessible S 1 /S 0 conical intersection and then occurs internal conversion (IC) to fall back to the S 0 state. Finally, the S 0 species quickly transfers into the N conformer via the reverse ground state intramolecular proton transfer (GSIPT) to realize the ground-state recovery. In addition, the minor ESD pathways are involved less efficient intersystem crossing (ISC) processes. The present work could provide insights into understanding the photophysics of flavonols and their derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary yolk sac tumor (YST) of the endometrium is a very rare malignant germ cell tumor, primary YST of the endometrium with detailed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) findings have not yet been reported in the English literature. We report a 40-year-old woman presenting with irregular lower abdominal pain and dysmenorrhea for more than 5 months. MRI showed a lesion in the right side wall of the uterus. Postoperative pathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed the diagnosis of primary YST of the endometrium with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) system staging of IV. The signal of the tumor was complex and lacked specific characteristic. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) showed that the lesion is diffuse limited, the average apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the solid component was 0.735 x 10-3 mm²/s. CE-MRI showed that the irregular lesions presented uneven and mild enhancement in the arterial stage, and continued to strengthen in the venous phase, and strengthened close to themyometrium in the delayed phase. Primary YST of the endometrium should be considered if MRI scans show an irregular lesion in the myometrium with high level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermoelectric material SnSe has aroused world-wide interests in the past years, and its inherent strong lattice anharmonicity is regarded as a crucial factor for its outstanding thermoelectric performance. However, the understanding of lattice anharmonicity in SnSe system remains inadequate, especially regarding how phonon dynamics are affected by this behavior. In this work, we present a comprehensive study of lattice dynamics on Na0.003Sn0.997Se0.9S0.1 by means of neutron total scattering, inelastic neutron scattering, Raman spectroscopy as well as frozen-phonon calculations. Lattice anharmonicity is evidenced by pair distribution function, inelastic neutron scattering and Raman measurements. By separating the effects of thermal expansion and multi-phonon scattering, we found that the latter is very significant in high-energy optical phonon modes. The strong temperature-dependence of these phonon modes indicate the anharmonicity in this system. Moreover, our data reveals that the linewidths of high-energy optical phonons become broadened with mild doping of sulfur. Our studies suggest that the thermoelectric performance of SnSe could be further enhanced by reducing the contributions of high-energy optical phonon modes to the lattice thermal conductivity via phonon engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemic chronic diseases pose significant challenges to the improvement of healthcare in China and worldwide. Despite increasing international calls for the inclusion of evidence-based decision-making (EBDM) processes in chronic disease prevention and control programming as well as policymaking, there is relatively little research that assesses the current capacity of physicians and the factors that influence that capacity in China. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted in community health centres (CHCs) in Shanghai, China, using multistage cluster sampling. An evidence-based chronic disease prevention (EBCDP) evaluation tool was employed to assess physician EBCDP awareness, adoption, implementation and maintenance based on the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework and using a 7-point Likert scale. Linear regression analysis was used to assess associations between each EBCDP aspect and overall EBCDP status with participant characteristics or organizational factors. Result: A total of 892 physicians from CHCs in Shanghai, China, were assessed. The physicians perceived their awareness (mean = 4.90, SD = 1.02) and maintenance (mean = 4.71, SD = 1.07) of EBCDP to be relatively low. Physicians with relatively lower job titles and monthly incomes (> 9000 RMB) tended to have relatively higher scores for the awareness, adoption, and implementation of EBCDP (P < 0.05). Those who had participated in one program for chronic disease prevention and control were less likely to adopt (b = − 0.284, P = 0.007), implement (b = − 0.292, P = 0.004), and maintain (b = − 0.225, P = 0.025) EBCDP than those who had participated in more programs. Physicians in general practice (Western medicine) had a lower level of awareness of EBCDP than those in other departments (P < 0.0001). Physician from CHCs located in suburban areas had lower scores for awareness (b = − 0.150, P = 0.047), implementation (b = − 0.171, P = 0.029), and maintenance (b = − 0.237, P = 0.002) that those from urban CHCs. Physicians in CHCs affiliated with universities had higher scores on all four EBCDP aspects that those in CHCs not affiliated with a university. Conclusions: This study provides quantitative evidence illustrating EBCDP practices among physicians in CHCs with various personal and organizational characteristics, respectively. More methods should be provided to increase the awareness of such physicians regarding EBCDP to stimulate the use of EBCDP for their patients and in connection with other public health priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LaMnO3−δ (LMO) films with different oxygen contents are deposited on Epi-MgO/IBAD-MgO templates using reactive magnetron sputtering under varying temperatures and atmospheres. Subsequent YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) films are grown on LMO layers by metal-organic deposition (MOD) method. X-ray diffraction measurements reveal that YBCO texture cannot be further improved when the full width at half maximum (FWHM) values of LMO (011) φ-scans (evaluation on in-plane alignment) and LMO (002) ω-scans (evaluation on out-of-plane alignment) for LMO films are less than 8° and 4°, respectively. Sharp orientation with in-plane FWHM value of <3° for YBCO (103) φ-scan and out-of-plane FWHM value of <1.5° for YBCO (006) ω-scan can typically be achieved in YBCO films. Precise control of growth conditions, especially atmosphere, remains a feasible way to modify the surface of LMO films. It induces changes in oxygen content, lattice structure and surface morphology of LMO, and further affects the epitaxial growth of superconducting layers. Oxygen-deficient LMO with expanded lattice parameters and flat surface can effectively suppress the non-c-axis oriented YBCO, thereby enhancing the current carrying capability. The 500 m long YBCO coated conductors with conditioned LMO layers have an inductive critical current (Ic) ranging from 358 to 437 A/12 mm width with an average value of 398 A/12 mm width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single-layer reticulated dome is common in public structures, which suggests that this kind of building is a potential target of a terrorist attack. Once this structure is severely damaged in a terrorist attack, the people inside could be seriously injured. To avoid this situation, it is of great significance to investigate the failure mechanisms of the single-layer reticulated domes subjected to blast. In addition, shock waves from a blast converge and propagate in the internal space, leading to a nonuniform blast pressure field on the inner surface of the dome. The effects of reflected waves on failure modes of the dome were systematically investigated. A finite element model of a reticulated dome was created using ANSYS/LS-DYNA, where the code for blast loading that accounted for wave reflection was incorporated. Five failure modes were recognized and defined from 1050 simulations. Regularities in the distributions of failure modes were found. The effects of reflected waves on failure modes were analysed quantificationally. • A suitable method for analysing the failure of spatial structures was presented. • Codes of blast loading with considering reflection waves' effect were incorporated. • Five failure modes of domes under blast with considering reflection were identified. • Effects of common parameters on failure distribution were numerical investigated. • Effects of reflection waves on the failure distributions were quantified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study aimed to examine both gray matter and functional activity changes in schizophrenia by combing both structural and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Nineteen patients with schizophrenia and 17 controls were recruited. The fMRI scan was performed while performing a working memory (WM) task. In terms of task performance, accuracy did not differ between groups, but there were significant differences in reaction time. Compared with controls, patients exhibited decreased functional activation in prefrontal areas, insula, lingual gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus during different phases of WM. The subcallosal cortex showed increased activation. Intriguingly, a structural-functional correlation was found in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and subcallosal cortex in patients when performing high-load WM task. This study demonstrated both impaired gray matter volume and functional activation during WM in schizophrenia, suggesting structural and functional impairments. The structural-functional correlation in schizophrenia suggested that structural damage in schizophrenia might induce a decreased ability to modulate functional response in accordance with increasing task difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A terrorist attack on a long-span spatial structure would cause horrible results. Therefore, it is important to determine the characteristics of blast pressure fields to protect such structures. In this study, fully confined blast loading tests were conducted using a rigid curved shell model, which had an inner space similar to that of a reticulated dome. Four different scenarios were carried out to record the blast loading on five typical positions. The blast pressure-time data were compared and analyzed. In addition, a suitable numerical simulation method was proposed for the issues involved in interior blast loading. This numerical model was verified by comparing with the test data. A parametrical analysis of the interior blast simulations was conducted based on this numerical method. The blast loading values at specific positions were obtained with the key parameters varied within a reasonable scope. The blast loading from blast tests and simulations were presented. On this basis, the interior blast loading could conveniently be predicted by using the method and data in this paper, which could be used in the protective design of other reticulated domes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical study of the behavior of circular hollow section (CHS) steel tubes strengthened by Aramid fiber-reinforced polymer (AFRP). The aramid fiber used for this experiment is available under the trade name of Kevlar 49. In this study, thin-walled circular steel tubes externally bonded with fiber in the hoop direction were tested under axial compression to examine the effects of the AFRP thickness, on their axial load carrying and shortening capacity. The three-dimensional finite element models (FEM) of AFRP strengthened circular hollow section (CHS) was developed using ANSYS Workbench Ver. 19.0 and ACP (ANSYS Composite Prep/Post) tool considering both geometric and material nonlinearities. The effects combined of AFRP damage and interlaminar failures for the bonded interface are modeled within FEM using "Hashin" failure criteria and Cohesive Zone Model (CZM), respectively, to provide an accurate simulation. The results involving the failure modes, load vs. axial shortening curve and ultimate load capacity, were obtained from the experimental and numerical simulation and compared for validation. Both the experimental and numerical results are consistent, demonstrating that AFRP external strengthening can considerably enhance the strength of steel tube columns by 96% for short tubes and 23% for long tubes using 3 mm thickness of AFRP. Highlights • Conducted an experimental study of AFRP strengthening circular hollow section columns with different wrapping parameters. • Developed and validated FE models to simulate AFRP strengthened short and long CHS columns. • Conducted a parametric study on the effect of AFRP and steel thickness and length of the columns on the axial capacity. • The strength and stiffness of the AFRP strengthened specimens significantly improved compared to the control specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Failure characteristics of rocks under polyaxial compression have been the subject of extensive laboratory testing, although a limited amount of literature is published on the numerical simulation of rock failure under such conditions. The current study was conducted by using a commercially available finite-difference program, FLAC3D, to model the hard rock strength and fracturing under polyaxial compression. The Mogi-Coulomb criterion, where the relevant parameters can be obtained from conventional triaxial tests, was simulated in the software for realistic reflection of the effects of intermediate principal stress on hard rock fracture characteristics. According to the elastoplastic mechanics, the incremental iterative calculation format of the Mogi-Coulomb strain-softening failure criterion was implemented in the program, and the results were compiled into a dynamically linked library (DLL) based on the program interface of secondary development provided by FLAC3D. The numerical results of the calculated peak strength were analyzed and compared with previous experimental data for verification of the effectiveness and accuracy of the simulation models. Laboratory tests with consideration of various intermediate principal stresses were also conducted to investigate the hard rock failure modes under polyaxial compression states. The comparison of experimental results with numerical results using bothMogi-Coulomb and Mohr-Coulomb strain-softening models further explained the validity of the former method. The results showed that proper numerical modeling can be considered for simulating hard rock fracturing under polyaxial compression states for complex stress conditions in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury severely threatens human life, while the potential mechanism underlying it is still need further exploration. The rat model of cerebral I/R injury was established using middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The rat microvascular endothelial cell line bEND.3 was exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to mimic ischemic condition in vitro. Evans blue was performed to determine the blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Real-time PCR and western blot were performed to determine gene expression in mRNA and protein level, individually. Luciferase reporter assay was conducted to determine the relationship between miR-539 and MMP-9. The infarct volume and BBB permeability of cerebral (I/R) rats were significantly greater than Sham group. The expression of miR-539 was decreased, while MMP-9 was increased in the brain tissues of I/R injury rats and OGD/R pretreated bEND.3. Up-regulated miR-539 in OGD/R pretreated bEND.3 significantly promoted the BBB permeability. MiR-539 targets MMP-9 to regulate its expression. OGD/R treatment significantly promoted the BBB permeability in bEND.3, miR-539 mimic transfection abolished the effects of OGD/R, while co-transfected with pcDNA-MMP-9 abolished the effects of miR-539 mimic. MiR-539 targets MMP-9 and further regulates the BBB permeability in cerebral I/R injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Single-layer reticulated domes are very common spatial structures. As landmarks, these types of structures can more easily be the targets of terrorist attacks than other buildings. However, blast resistance is not taken into consideration in the design of most civil structures. Therefore, it is important to know the damage level that may be imparted to single-layer reticulated domes after a blast attack. In this study, the dynamic response of reticulated domes subjected to an interior blast was investigated with numerical simulations, and five typical failure modes were identified from the results. In addition, the effects of some important parameters were investigated with a case study. Relationships between failure modes and interior blast impulses were summarised. Finally, the failure mechanisms were analysed, which could provide some design suggestions to decrease the probability of severe damage in spatial structures subjected to extreme dynamic loads. Highlights • Five failure modes of single-layer dome subjected to interior blast were identified. • Effects of common parameters were numerical investigated and compared. • Relationships between failure modes and interior blast impulses were summarised. • Failure mechanisms of the dome under interior blast loading were interpreted. • Suggestions for decreasing the probability of severe structural damage were given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial-temporal variability of precipitation is closely related to the occurrence of drought/flood, which thus merits close study. Here we examine the temporal inequality and persistence of precipitation over China from 1961 to 2013, through the use of Gini coefficient, Lorenz asymmetry coefficient and parameters (P00 and P11) of first-order Markov chain. The Mann-Kendall test was also applied to assess the changes in all indices used. The results showed that the temporal inequality of daily precipitation increased, associated with decreased wet days and increased heavy precipitation events, during the past century in most parts of China. The dry spell overall increased while wet spell declined during the period 1961-2013, which implied that the risks of both drought and flood would enhance over China in the future. However, the changes in temporal inequality and persistence of precipitation varied among sub-regions and basins, for example, extreme precipitation decreased in Songhua River basin and Pearl River basin but increased in other basins. The results obtained in this study would be helpful for understanding the spatial-temporal changes of precipitation (and thus drought and flood disasters) and for developing reasonable strategies for water resources management over China under the changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An approach for wavefront reconstruction based on a defocused Shark–Hartmann sensor is proposed. In this approach, not only the first-order origin moment (local slope of the input wavefront) but also the second-order central moment (local curvature of the input wavefront) of each spot in the intensity pattern is used to reconstruct the input wavefront. By introducing the second-order moment, an improvement of reconstruction accuracy can be obtained. As the ambiguity of the sense of the local curvature of the input wavefront exists in the scheme of the conventional Shack–Hartmann sensor in focus, a defocusing scheme is adopted to solve this problem. Based on modal and zonal methods, respectively, the corresponding algorithms are invoked to reconstruct the wavefront from the map consisted of both local slopes and curvatures. Numerical experiments show that the reconstructed wavefront by the proposed method is more accurate, in comparison to the result by the conventional method. It should be mentioned that the defocused sensor used in the proposed method sacrifices, to some extent, the dynamic range of measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A prospective study.Objective: To investigate the incidence and risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.Summary Of Background Data: Pancreatitis has been recognized as a possible complication of extra-abdominal surgeries. However, there were few reports on the incidence and risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.Methods: A prospective clinical study was performed at our center from September 2014 to October 2015. One hundred seventy-six patients undergoing posterior spinal correction surgery were enrolled. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was based on their clinical manifestations combined with laboratory examination. Demographic, intraoperative, and radiological parameters were evaluated to identify the risk factors of acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.Results: Thirteen patients (7.4%) were diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. Compared with patients without pancreatitis, pancreatitis patients had lower body mass index (BMI) (15.5 vs. 19.5, P = 0.001), larger preoperative Cobb angle of major curve (87.5° vs. 59.2°, P < 0.001), lower correction rate (57.4% vs. 69.0%, P = 0.045), lower intraoperative mean arterial pressure (57.9 mmHg vs. 66.1 mmHg, P < 0.001), and longer fusion levels (13.3 vs. 10.1, P < 0.001). No significant differences were noted with respect to operation time, intraoperative blood loss, or the amount of sagittal profile correction. Furthermore, multivariate logistic analysis revealed that BMI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.542, P = 0.009), lowest intraoperative mean arterial pressure (OR = 1.126, P = 0.039), and segments of fusion (OR = 0.551, P = 0.025) were independent risk factors for postoperative acute pancreatitis. All cases were treated with bowel rest, intravenous fluids, and fasting and completely recovered with 3.3 (2-5) days.Conclusion: The incidence of postoperative acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery was 7.4%. The low BMI, lowest intraoperative mean arterial pressure, and long segments of fusion were independent risk factors for acute pancreatitis after scoliosis surgery.Level Of Evidence: 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets up a rumor spreading model in online social networks based on the European fox rabies SIR model. The model considers the impact of changing number of online social network users, combines the transmission dynamics to set up a population dynamics of rumor spreading model in online social networks. Simulation is carried out on online social network, and results show that the new rumor spreading model is in accordance with the real propagation characteristics in online social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a flow injection vapor generation (VG) method using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for determining As, Cd, Sb, Hg, and Pb in nail polish. The samples for VG were prepared as aqueous slurries of a nail polish (0.5% m/v), thiourea (1% m/v), Co(II) (0.75 μg mL − 1 ), and HCl (1.2% v/v). Chemical VG of As, Cd, Sb, Hg, and Pb ions, by reduction with tetrahydroborate (3% m/v in 0.2% m/v NaOH), enabled their separation from the slurry. With VG sample introduction, As, Cd, Sb and Hg signals were increased by 1–2 orders (except Pb) compared to solution nebulization due to better sample introduction. Quantifications were performed by VG ICP-MS using isotope dilution and standard addition methods as slopes of calibration plots of analytes in the slurries were higher. Using the reported procedure, samples of three nail polishes purchased locally were analyzed for their levels of As, Cd, Sb, Hg, and Pb. The results obtained were in good agreement with those measured using electrothermal vaporization ICP-MS. In the original nail polish sample, the detection limits, calculated as 3σ of blank measurements, for As, Cd, Sb, Hg, and Pb, estimated from standard addition curves, were 0.06, 0.12, 0.14, 0.2, and 12 ng g − 1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic versus open resection for gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) larger than 5 cm are limited. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to compared laparoscopic and open resection for gastric GISTs larger than 5 cm.Methods: We perform a literature search on PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. Review Manage version 5.1 (RevMan 5.1) was used for data analysis. The GRADE profiler software (version 3.6) was used to estimate the level of evidence.Results: A total of 6 observational studies and one unpublished retrospective cohort study met the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis: 203 patients in LAP and 214 patients in OPEN group. The pooled result revealed that laparoscopic resection was associated with a same operative time (WMD = -0.87 min; 95% CI: -47.50 to 47.75; P = 0.97), intraoperative blood loss (WMD = -34.38 ml; 95% CI: -79.60 to 10.84; P = 0.14), overall complications (RR = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.38 to 1.12; P = 0.12), better 5-year disease-free survival (HR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.91; P = 0.03) and overall survival (HR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.40; P = 0.002) compared with open resection.Conclusion: Laparoscopic resection is a technically and oncologically safe and feasible approach for large-sized gastric GISTs (≥ 5 cm) compared to open resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vertebrae, ribs, and spinal cord are anatomically adjacent structures, and their close relationships are clinically important for planning better corrective surgical approach. The objective is to identify the radiographic characteristics in surgical patients with congenital scoliosis (CS) and coexisting split cord malformation (SCM).Methods: A total of 266 patients with CS and SCM underwent surgical treatment at our hospital between May 2000 and December 2015 was retrospectively identified. The demographic distribution and radiographic data were collected to investigate the characteristics of spine curve, vertebral, rib, and intraspinal anomalies. According to Pang's classification, all patients were divided into two groups: type I group is defined as two hemicords, each within a separate dural tube separated by a bony or cartilaginous medial spur, while type II group is defined as two hemicords within a single dural tube separated by a nonrigid fibrous septum.Results: There were 104 patients (39.1%) in Type I group and 162 patients (60.9%) in Type II group. SCM was most commonly found in the lower thoracic and lumbar regions. The mean length of the septum in Type I SCM was significantly shorter than Type II SCM (2.7 vs. 5.2 segments). Patients in Type I group had a higher proportion of kyphotic deformity (22.1%). The vertebral deformities were simple in only 16.5% and multiple in 83.5% of 266 cases. Patients in Type I group presented higher prevalence of multiple (90.4%) and extensive (5.1 segments) malformation of vertebrae. In addition, hypertrophic lamina and bulbous spinous processes were more frequent in Type I group (29.7%), even developing into the "volcano-shape" deformities. Rib anomalies occurred in 62.8% of all patients and 46.1% of them were complex anomalies. The overall prevalence of other intraspinal anomalies was 42.9%. The most common coexisting intraspinal anomalies was syringomyelia (30.5%).Conclusion: The current study, with the largest cohort to date, demonstrated that patients with CS and coexisting SCM presented high prevalence of multiple vertebral deformities, rib and intraspinal anomalies. The length of the split segment in Type I SCM was shorter than that in Type II SCM. Compared with Type II SCM, patients with Type I SCM presented with higher incidence of kyphotic deformity, more extensive and complicated vertebral anomalies, and more complex rib anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breeding and cultivar improvement are important for increasing crop yields. In this study, 1472 soybean cultivars released in the last 60 years and 683 landrace cultivars from three regions of China (North spring soybean region, Yellow-Huai-Hai summer soybean region, and South soybean region) were collated to examine changes in agronomic characters and plant density that might be associated with yield improvement. The yield and 100-seed weight of the soybean cultivars increased significantly over time in all three regions. Planting density decreased significantly in the Yellow-Huai-Hai summer and South soybean regions but did not significantly change in the North spring soybean region. The increased soybean yields were mainly due to increased 100-seed weight and seed number per plant. Seed protein content has not significantly changed in 60 years, but oil content has increased in all three regions. The North spring soybean region had the highest oil content, whereas the South soybean region had the highest protein content. Future increases in soybean yield in China may occur by improving seed number per plant without reducing 100-seed weight. The North spring region should focus on breeding soybean with high oil content, and the Yellow-Huai-Hai summer and South regions should focus on high protein and low oil contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanoparticles simultaneously integrated the photosensitizers and diagnostic agents represent an emerging approach for imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT). However, the diagnostic sensitivity and therapeutic efficacy of nanoparticles as well as the heterogeneity of tumors pose tremendous challenges for clinical imaging-guided PDT treatment. Herein, a polymeric nanoparticle with tumor acidity (pH e )-activatable TAT targeting ligand that encapsulates the photosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6) and chelates contrast agent Gd 3+ is successfully developed for fluorescence/magnetic resonance (MR) dual-model imaging-guided precision PDT. We show clear evidence that the resulting nanoparticle DA TAT-NP [its TAT lysine residues' amines was modified by 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride (DA)] efficiently avoids the rapid clearance by reticuloendothelial system (RES) by masking of the TAT peptide, resulting in the significantly prolonged circulation time in the blood. Once accumulating in the tumor tissues, DA TAT-NP is reactivated by tumor acidity to promote cellular uptake, resulting in enlarged fluorescence/MR imaging signal intensity and elevated in vivo PDT therapeutic effect. This concept provides new avenues to design tumor acidity-activatable targeted nanoparticles for imaging-guided cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underhand cut-and-fill stoping is an efficient, sustainable mining method that is particularly applicable to complicated mining conditions in which both the peripheral rocks and the orebody are extremely unstable. Considering the mining conditions of the shallow, steeply dipping, narrow orebody in the Canzhuang gold mine in Shandong Province, China, a new method of underhand cut-and-fill without sublevel stoping that does not use the conventional sublevel, access to stope, and decline is proposed. Additionally, a novel auxiliary ventilation mode is applied to achieve high-efficiency ventilation. The restrained-beam mechanical model is established for the overlying backfill in single drift to ensure stability of the test stope. The plane problem is transformed into a three-dimensional problem when deducing the theoretical evenly distributed load of the overlying backfill. The optimal bearing layer thickness of the overlying backfill is calculated. During a 2-year field industrial test, the ore dilution ratio reduced from 14 to 4%and the ore recovery ratio increased from 75 to 92%, which improved the economic efficiency significantly and satisfied safe-production requirements. The description of the new mining method might provide theoretical and practical guidance for mining in similar settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe3O4@MIL-100 (MIL, Material Institut Lavoisier) core-shell magnetic microspheres were prepared and applied as the sorbent for the magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) of N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) in baby toilet water for the first time. The synthesized magnetic metal-organic frameworks were characterized by transmission electron microscope, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The functionalized magnetic microparticles showed excellent dispersibility in aqueous solution. The MSPE conditions were investigated in detail. Under the optimized conditions, an MSPE-high performance liquid chromatography method for the determination of DEET was developed. The method was linear in the concentration range from 5 to 500 μg L-1 for DEET in baby toilet water and good linearity (r2 > 0.9998) was obtained for the calibration curve. The limit of detection was 1.5 μg L-1. Both the intra-day and inter-day precisions (relative standard deviations) were < 3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important challenge in structural reliability is to minimize the number of calls to the numerical models, so the current structural reliability analysis of multidimensional variable, the surrogate model with the uniform design are widely used because of fewest sample points used in the construction of the surrogate model. However, fewer points may lead to correlation exiting between the samples. The surrogate model, obtained by the original Least Squares (LS) regression using these samples, is not accurate, which leads to inaccuracies in the structural reliability analysis. To deal with the limitation of fitting the models in the original LS regression, an effective technique is introduced to the reliability analysis, and a new approach based on this technique has been proposed. The aim of this paper is to establish a new surrogate model based on the theory of Partial Least Squares (PLS) under the condition of multi-dimensional small samples data with correlation, to assess the reliability of structures in a more efficient way. The method is called the UD-BP-PLS surrogate model method, combining uniform design, non-linearity B-spline function and PLS technique. It is shown to be efficient as the probability of failure obtained by UD-BP-PLS surrogate model method is very accurate, which only needs a small number of calls to the performance function. Several examples from literature are used to illustrate the methodology and to prove its efficiency, particularly for problems dealing with high non-linearity and high dimensionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We first argue about the similarity between the propagation phenomenon of negative information about potential deterioration of economic situation in group of investors and the propagation phenomenon of infectious disease in crowd Applying the negative-information-propagation-induced model built based on above argument, we investigate the relationship between the generation of financial crises and propagation effects of negative information We introduce the discrimination parameter to distinguish whether or not negative information will be propagated extensively in group of investors. We also introduce the target critical value of financial crises. By comparing the theoretically predicted ratio of the long term projected number of total investors to the total number of investors at some time as initial time with target critical value of financial crises, the model can provide real-time monitoring of whether the curve of total number of investors is progressing toward the direction of generating financial crises or running on track of financial markets safety. If at some time this ratio is computed to be less than the target critical value of financial crises, governments can take relevant measures to prevent the generation of financial crises in advance Governments’ interference helps to recover the confidence of investors so that they never will again believe in negative information to continue their investment. Results from theoretical and numerical analysis show that the number of investors who hold the belief of potential deterioration of economic situation, and the number of investors who withdraw capital and depart from financial markets for avoiding business loss when governments make appropriate interference are lowered compared to that without appropriate governments’ interference. The results show the effectiveness of governments in preventing financial crises from the viewpoint of the negative information-propagation-induced model, namely governments’ prevention against financial crises can reduce the possibility of the generation of financial crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under investigation in this paper is the reduced Maxwell-Bloch system, which describes the propagation of the intense ultra-short optical pulses through a two-level dielectric medium. Through Darboux transformation, some new soliton solutions are constructed on the nonvanishing background, including the one-peak dark solitons, two-peak dark solitons, periodic solutions and some two-soliton solutions. Furthermore, by virtue of some figures, the dynamic properties of those solitons are discussed. The results may be useful in the study of the ultrashort pulses propagation in such situations as the model of the two-level dielectric media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The natural history of split spinal cord malformation (SCM) is still unclear. Knowledge of the characteristics of the osseous spur and its relationship with the spinal deformity may allow early identification of patients with a higher risk of a neurological deficit and enhance surgical decision-making.Methods: Eighty-five consecutive patients with congenital scoliosis and type-I SCM who had undergone surgical treatment at our hospital from May 2000 to December 2013 were identified retrospectively. There were 22 male and 63 female patients with an average age of 13.9 years at the time of surgery. Preoperative clinical and radiographic data were collected to investigate the characteristics of the scoliosis and the osseous spur. Two groups were identified on the basis of whether the patients had intact neurological function (Group A) or a neurological deficit (Group B).Results: There were 52 patients (61%) in Group A (intact neurological function) and 33 patients (39%) in Group B (neurological deficit). There were no significant differences in the demographic distribution, curve magnitude, or length and thickness of the osseous spur between the 2 groups. In Group A, the location of the osseous spur relative to the apex of the major curve was proximal in 13 patients (25%), distal in 28 (54%), and central in 11 (21%). In Group B, the osseous spur was proximal in 7 (21%), distal in 8 (24%), and central in 18 (55%). The 2 groups differed significantly with respect to the location of the osseous spur (chi square = 10.898, p = 0.004). Group-B patients had a higher proportion of patients with kyphotic deformity (42%) than Group A (10%). The ratio of the diameters of the hemicords (concave side divided by convex side) differed significantly between the 2 groups (0.98 for Group A versus 0.89 for Group B, p = 0.030).Conclusions: The neurological status in patients with congenital scoliosis and type-I SCM appears to be closely related to the location of the osseous spur relative to the congenital scoliosis. An osseous spur at the apex of the scoliosis may be related to a higher risk of developing a neurological deficit, especially in patients with kyphotic deformity. Asymmetric splitting of the spinal cord may contribute to neurological deficits.Level Of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the randomness of earthquake wave magnitude and direction, and the uncertain direction of strong axis and weak axis in the construction of engineering structures, the effect of the direction of ground motion on a structure are studied herein. Ground motion records usually contain three vertical ground motion data, which are obtained by sensors arranged in accordance with the EW (East -West) direction, NS (South- North) direction and perpendicular to the surface ( z) direction, referring to the construction standard of seismic stations. The seismic records in the EW and NS directions are converted to Cartesian coordinates in accordance with the rotation of θ = 0°−180°, and consequently, a countless group of new ground motion time histories are obtained. Then, the characteristics of the ground motion time history and response spectrum of each group were studied, resulting in the following observations: (1) the peak and phase of ground motion are changed with the rotation of direction θ, so that the direction θ of the maximum peak ground motion can be determined; (2) response spectrum values of each group of ground motions change along with the direction θ, and their peak, predominant period and declining curve are also different as the changes occur; then, the angle θ in the direction of the maximum peak value or the widest predominant period can be determined; and (3) the seismic response of structures with different directions of ground motion inputs has been analyzed under the same earthquake record, and the results show the difference. For some ground motion records, such as the Taft seismic wave, these differences are significant. Next, the Lushan middle school gymnasium structure was analyzed and the calculation was checked using the proposed method, where the internal force of the upper space truss varied from 25% to 28%. The research results presented herein can be used for reference in choosing the ground motion when checking the actual damage to structures following earthquakes and explaining the seismic damage. Meanwhile, it also provides a reference value for research into the most severe ground motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BaHfO (BHO) has been proposed as a new cap layer material for YBaCuO (YBCO) coated conductors. Highly c-axis oriented BHO cap layer has been deposited on ion-beam assisted deposition-MgO buffered Hastelloy tapes by direct-current-magnetron sputtering method. The epi-growth of BHO films combined with its properties is investigated in details. The degenerated cubic crystal structure of BHO film is confirmed by Raman spectrum analysis. XRD θ-2θ scan, φ-scan and ω-scan reveal an excellent c-axis alignment with good in-plane and out-of-plane textures for BHO cap layers. SEM and AFM investigations show BHO cap layer a dense and crack-free morphology. Subsequently pure c-axis orientation YBCO film was epitaxial grown on such BHO cap layer successfully, shown BaHfO a potential cap layer material for coated conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let G be a simple graph of order n with maximum degree Δ. Let λ (resp. μ ) denote the maximum number of common neighbors of a pair of adjacent vertices (resp. nonadjacent distinct vertices) of G . Let q ( G ) denote the largest eigenvalue of the signless Laplacian matrix of G . We show that q ( G ) ≤ Δ − μ 4 + ( Δ − μ 4 ) 2 + ( 1 + λ ) Δ + μ ( n − 1 ) − Δ 2 , with equality if and only if G is a strongly regular graph with parameters ( n , Δ , λ , μ ) . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was performed to determine the association of frailty and nutritional status with postoperative complications after total gastrectomy (TG) with D2 lymphadenectomy in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: Patients undergoing TG with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer between August 2014 and February 2016 were enrolled. Frailty was evaluated by sarcopenia which was diagnosed by a combination of third lumbar vertebra muscle index (L3 MI), handgrip strength, and 6-m usual gait speed. Nutritional status was evaluated by the nutritional risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002) score. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluating the risk factors for postoperative complications were performed. Results: A total of 158 patients were analyzed, and 27.2 % developed complications within 30 days of surgery. One patient died within 30 days of the operation. In the univariate analyses, NRS 2002 score ≥3 (OR = 2.468, P = 0.012), sarcopenia (OR = 2.764, P = 0.008), and tumor located at the cardia (OR = 2.072, P = 0.046) were associated with the postoperative complications. Multivariable analysis revealed that sarcopenia (OR = 3.084, P = 0.005) and tumor located at the cardia (OR = 2.347, P = 0.026) were independent predictors of postoperative complications. Conclusions: This study showed a significant relationship between postoperative complications and geriatric frailty using sarcopenia in patients with gastric cancer after TG with D2 lymphadenectomy. Frailty should be integrated into preoperative risk assessment and may have implications in preoperative decisionmaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: A retrospective study.Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of different surgical strategy for patients with congenital scoliosis (CS) and type I split cord malformation (SCM).Summary Of Background Data: CS associated with type I SCM is a challenge for spine surgeon because of the high potential rate of neurological compromise. Traditionally, bony spur resection (BR) has been indicated before any procedure for scoliosis correction.Methods: From May 2002 to February 2013, 82 CS patients with type I SCM who underwent corrective surgery at our center were retrospectively reviewed. There were 20 male and 62 female patients with an average age of 13.8 years (4-39 yrs) at surgery. They were divided into two groups according to different surgical strategy. The patients in the BR group underwent staged prophylactic neurosurgery or one-stage BR before corrective surgery, whereas patients in the nonresection (NR) group underwent one-stage corrective surgery without addressing bony spur.Results: There were 15 patients in the BR group and 67 patients in the NR group. No significant differences were detected in preoperative characteristics between two groups. The average follow up was 37 months (24-105 months). In the BR group, the correction rate was 53.0% and 45.9% at the final follow up. Whereas, in the NR group, the correction rate was 48.5% and 42.1% at the final follow up. Compared with the NR group, the operation time and blood loss were statistically higher in the BR group. Five patients experienced transient neurological complications and one patient in the BR group suffered permanent neurological damage of incomplete loss bladder control.Conclusion: One-stage corrective surgery could be safe and effective for patients with CS and SCM. For patients with intact or stable neurological status, prophylactic neurosurgical intervention to remove bony spur before curve correction may not be necessary.Level Of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients are both limited and controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define the clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients after curative resection.Methods: From May 2008 to December 2014, 198 young patients (age ≤ 40 years) and 1096 middle-aged patients (55 ≤ age ≤ 64 years) were enrolled in this study. The clinicopathological features and prognosis of gastric cancer in these patients were analyzed.Results: Compared with middle-aged patients, the proportion of females, lower third tumors, tumor size less than 5 cm, poorly differentiated tumors and T1 tumors were significantly higher in young patients (all P < 0.05). The proportions of comorbidity, upper third tumors, well and moderately differentiated tumors, T4 tumors, and positive carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 were significantly lower in young patients (all P < 0.05). The distributions of N status and CA125 were comparable between young and middle-aged patients (all P > 0.05). The five-year overall survival rates were comparable between young patients and middle-aged patients (62.8 vs 54.7 %, P = 0.307). The tumor location, T status, N status and CA125 were independent predictors of prognosis in young patients. The overall survival of patients with tumors located in the upper or middle third was significantly lower than for those located in the lower third (60.8 vs 50.6 % vs 68.4 %, P = 0.016). The overall survival of CA125-positive patients was significantly lower than CA125-negative patients (49.0 vs 64.4 %, P = 0.001).Conclusion: The clinicopathological features were significantly different between young and middle-aged patients. The prognosis of gastric cancer in young patients was equivalent to that of middle-aged patients. Tumor location, T status, N status and CA125 were independent risk factors for prognosis in young patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical shells are widely used in public buildings and military protection fields, and it has a high risk of terrorist attacks and military attacks, it is of great social benefit to carry out the anti-blast design of cylindrical shells, which needs to consider building shape and the shape of blast waves. In this paper, cylindrical charges in five directions were detonated on the outer ground of the scaled cylindrical shell, blast loads of the cylindrical shell were measured and blast waves were photographed. The variation of blast load is analyzed by combining the test and simulation results, the difference in peak overpressure of the blast waves on the end face between five orientations is nearly twice. The blast loads in the axial direction of cylindrical charges have a secondary peak phenomenon, and the blast loads between the axial direction and radial direction of cylindrical charges change abruptly at a specific angle. The experimental and simulation methods provide a reference for establishing a blast load database of typical buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Static and dynamic force performance of two types of space truss structures i.e. square pyramid space truss (SPST) and diagonal on square pyramid space truss (DSPST), are studied to determine the effect of stiffness of their lower supporting members. A simplified model for the supporting columns and the equivalent spring mass system are presented. Furthermore, the feasibility of the simplified model is demonstrated through theoretical analysis and examples of comparative analysis of the simplified model with the entire model. Meanwhile, from the elastic analysis under frequently occurring earthquakes and elasto-plastic analysis under seldom occurring earthquakes subjected to TAFT and EL-Centro seismic oscillation it is shown that the simplified method can be encompassed in the results from the normal model. It also showed good agreement between the two methods, as well as greatly improved the computational efficiency. This study verified that the dynamic effect of the supporting structures was under considered in space truss design in the past. The method proposed in the paper has important significance for other space truss structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes after total gastrectomy (TG) with D2 lymphadenectomy.Methods: Patients undergoing TG with D2 lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer between December 2008 and December 2011 were enrolled. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the risk factors for the short- and long-term outcomes.Results: A total of 229 patients were analyzed, and 22.3 % developed complications within 30 days of surgery. No patient died within 30 days, while 2.6 % died within 90 days of the operation. In the multivariate analysis, age ≥65 years and cardiopulmonary comorbidities were associated with morbidity, whereas hypoproteinemia and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage III were associated with the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). The number of preoperative risk factors stratified the morbidity from 10.3 % in those without any risk factors to 40.5 % in patients with both risk factors. Similarly, 5-year survival rates decreased from 68.9 % (DFS) and 71.1 % (OS) in those without risk factors to 20.2 % (DFS) and 22.9 % (OS) in patients with both risk factors.Conclusion: TG with D2 lymphadenectomy has acceptable short- and long-term outcomes. Patient risk stratification may allow for more rational selection of patients and therapeutic strategies for gastric resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective diastereoselective Michael/alkylation cascade reaction of arylidenepyrazolones with 3-chlorooxindoles catalyzed by DIPEA was developed. A variety of highly functionalized spiro-pyrazolone-cyclopropane-oxindoles were obtained in excellent yields (up to 99%) with good to excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >25:1 dr). Moreover, the squaramide-catalyzed asymmetric reactions of arylidenepyrazolones with 3-chlorooxindoles afforded the corresponding chiral spirocyclic heterocycles in excellent yields (up to 99%) with moderate diastereoselectivities (up to 87:13 dr) and moderate to high enantioselectivities (up to 74% ee). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A commercial finite element package, LS-DYNA, was employed to simulate the response of a single-layer reticulated dome to an interior blast. The dome, which was initially stressed by static preloading, encountered an interesting phenomenon namely counter-intuitive collapse, which was found during the blast analysis. The Johnson–Cook constitutive model for mild steel was used to identify different failure modes of the dome for more than 2430 samples. A seemingly counter-intuitive collapse was identified due to dynamic instability. This unusual collapse was explained using total potential curves, and the critical blast load was defined. The effect of different static preloads, which is the other determination factor of counter-intuitive collapse, was investigated. A relationship between collapse and static/dynamic loads was also obtained. The results indicate that single-layer reticulated domes, with large initial stresses, may collapse at lower dynamic loads than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is well known that estrogen receptor a (ERa) participates in the pathogenic progress of breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In neuroblastoma cells and related cancer clinical specimens, moreover, the ectopic expression of ERa has been identified. However, the detailed function of ERa in the proliferation of neuroblastoma cell is yet unclear. Methods: The transcriptional activity of ETS-1 (E26 transformation specific sequence 1) was measured by luciferase analysis. Western blot assays and Real-time RT-PCR were used to examine the expression of ERa, ETS-1 and its targeted genes. The protein-protein interaction between ERa and ETS-1 was determined by co-IP and GST-Pull down assays. The accumulation of ETS-1 in nuclear was detected by western blot assays, and the recruitment of ETS-1 to its targeted gene's promoter was tested by ChIP assays. Moreover, SH-SY5Y cells' proliferation, anchor-independent growth, migration and invasion were quantified using the MTT, soft agar or Trans-well assay, respectively. Results: The transcriptional activity of ETS-1 was significantly increased following estrogen treatment, and this effect was related to ligand-mediated activation of ERa. The interaction between the ERa and ETS-1 was identified, and enhancement of ERa activation would up-regulate the ETS-1 transcription factor activity via modulating its cytoplasm/nucleus translocation and the recruitment of ETS-1 to its target gene's promoter. Furthermore, treatment of estrogen increased proliferation, migration and invasion of neuroblastoma cells, whereas the antagonist of ERa reduced those effects. Conclusions: In this study, we provided evidences that activation of ERa promoted neuroblastoma cells proliferation and up-regulated the transcriptional activity of ETS-1. By investigating the role of ERa in the ETS-1 activity regulation, we demonstrated that ERa may be a novel ETS-1 co-activator and thus a potential therapeutic target in human neuroblastoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]