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Chigger mites are arthropods and are the sole vectors of scrub typhus, and rodents as well as other small mammals are the most common hosts of chigger mite larvae. Therefore, it is of great medical significance to study the ecology of chigger mites. In this study, a detailed analysis of chigger mites was conducted based on field survey data. A total of 4,941 chigger mites were collected from 86 hosts at 34 survey sites in Ruili, Yunnan Province, China. Among the 4,941 chiggers, five genera in one subfamily were identified; Schoengastiella ligula was the dominant chigger species with the highest infestation index, prevalence (Pm, 42.86%) and mean intensity (MI, 59.09%) (P0.001). The association coefficient (V) between S. ligula and Gahrliepia radiopunctata was positively correlated (P0.05), indicating the tendency of chiggers to select and coexist on the same host at the same time. The dominant species Leptotrombidium kunmingense, Ascoschoengastia indica, S. ligula and G. radiopunctata showed aggregation distribution patterns, indicating that the distribution of chiggers among different hosts was not uniform. Low altitudes and low latitudes appeared to be more favorable for the growth and reproduction of chigger mites (P0.05). It is suggested to collect as many host samples as possible in future field investigations to better understand the dynamics of chigger mite populations and their primary hosts.

This article proposed a hard switching high-temperature reverse bias (HS-HTRB) stress test method with a high measurement delay tolerance to study the impacts and mechanisms of hot electron effects on the stability of threshold voltage ( $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ ) in 650-V gallium nitride (GaN)-based metal–insulator–semiconductor high-election mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs). Conventional HTRB and high-temperature constant source current (HTSC) stress tests have been carried out as well. The electric field caused emission (or detrapping) of electrons in dielectrics results in a negative $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ shift, while buffer electron trapping leads to a positive $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ shift and degrades subthreshold slope. The hot current affects $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ in two different ways: channel impact ionization generates and accumulates holes under the gate and, thus, shifts $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ negatively by lowering the gate–source barrier, while injected hot electrons themselves shift $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ positively by depleting the channel electrons. As temperature rises, the intensity of impact ionization decreases while the hot electron injection strengthens. The appropriate level of hot current and substrate termination can help compensate the field-induced negative $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ shifts, ensuring a more stable working $V_{\mathrm {th}}$ and, thus, a more reliable device for HS operations.

浆液黏液腺错构瘤（seromucinous hamartoma，SMH）是一种罕见的鼻腔鼻窦良性腺体增生性病变，目前国内外文献仅报道了40余例。本文报道1例山东大学齐鲁医院（青岛）耳鼻咽喉头颈外科收治的发生于蝶筛隐窝的SMH病例，并结合文献复习，介绍鼻腔SMH的临床和影像学特点、诊治及预后。.

Hypopharyngeal carcinoma is one kind of high malignant tumour followed by poor prognosis in head and neck carcinomas. This study aimed to detect miR-29a-3p and Cdc42 in patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma.The expression of miR-29a-3p and Cdc42 mRNA were detected, and the correlation between miR-29a-3p/Cdc42 and clinical stages was investigated.The relative expression of miR-29a-3p in stage II, III and IV hypopharyngeal carcinoma tissues was significantly lower than that of stage I (P0.05). The relative expression of Cdc42 mRNA in stage I, III and IV tissues was significantly higher than that of stage I (P0.05). The expression of miR-29a-3p in hypopharyngeal carcinoma with lymph node metastasis was significantly lower than that without lymph node metastasis (P = 0.045).MiR-29a-3p and Cdc42 mRNA could be potential diagnostic biomarkers of hypopharyngeal carcinoma.

IntroductionCOVID-19 is a public health emergency of international concern, which is characterised by rapid and widespread transmission, high mortality and complications. Several studies have shown the benefits of tai chi and qigong for recovery after COVID-19; however, no meta-analysis has been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tai chi and/or qigong on rehabilitation after COVID-19 through a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide a reference and basis for clinical application.Methods and analysisThis study will use the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China Knowledge Network, China Biomedical Literature Database, Chinese Scientific Journal Database and Wanfang Database. The time period is from the inception of the database to November 2021, with no language restrictions. Searches will be conducted using the subject terms “Taichi”,“Qigong” and “COVID-19” plus free-text words. Articles will be screened and collected by two reviewers independently. Included studies will be assessed for quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool. Statistical analyses will be performed using the Revman V.5.3 software. The primary outcomes include 1-second forced expiratory volume and 1-second forced vital capacity, oxygen saturation, total white cell count and quality of life score. Secondary outcomes include time to remission of major symptoms, incidence of adverse events, clinical cure rate and mortality. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will also be used to explore and interpret the heterogeneity. This protocol is written based on the guideline of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocol.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval and consent are unnecessary because no primary data will be collected. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021288962.

Purpose. We assessed the clinical outcomes and toxicities following hypofractionation with helical tomographic intensity-modulated radiotherapy technology (tomotherapy) in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were not candidates for surgery or concurrent chemoradiation. Methods. Forty-three patients with stage III NSCLC who were treated between 2011 and 2017 were enrolled. The prescription doses for gross target volume and clinical target volume were 70 Gy and 60 Gy (respectively) delivered in 15–25 fractions over 3–5 weeks. Results. The median overall survival (OS) time was 34.23 (range 11.33–99.33) months. The estimated 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 97.7%, 74.4%, and 55.9%, respectively; the corresponding progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 79.1%, 53.5%, and 36.1%, respectively. The local disease recurrence, regional disease recurrence, and distant metastasis rates at 3 years were 4.7%, 11.62%, and 55.81%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, dose regimen (p<0.05). Seven patients developed grade 1-2 acute radiation pneumonia (RP), 5 patients developed grade 1-2 late RP, while 3 patients developed grade 3 late RP. None of the patients developed grade 4-5 radiation lung injury. Conclusion. Tomotherapy may be an effective treatment option for patients with stage III NSCLC. It may be a viable alternative to surgery with lower incidence of side effects.

Researches have shown that lung injury due to excessive spontaneous breathing effort, that is, patient self-inflicted lung injury (P-SILI), may be the important manifestation and possible mechanism of ventilation-associated lung injury and ventilation-induced diaphragmatic dysfunction in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients who were mechanically ventilated with intense spontaneous breathing. This paper reviews the concept of P-SILI, possible occurrence mechanism, clinical significance, and prevention and treatment, in order to provide more ideas for clinical ARDS management.研究显示，因过度自主呼吸努力引起的肺损伤，即患者自戕性肺损伤（patient self-inflicted lung injury，P-SILI），是具有强烈自主呼吸的行机械通气的急性呼吸窘迫综合征（ARDS）患者发生机械通气相关性肺损伤、机械通气相关性膈肌功能障碍的重要表现形式和可能机制。本文综述了P-SILI概念、潜在发生机制、临床意义和防治等，以期为临床ARDS管理提供更多思路。.

The application of immune checkpoint inhibitors has significantly improved the immunotherapy effect of a variety of solid tumors. With the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of nivolumab and pembrolizumab as second-line treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma, the application of immune checkpoint inhibitors, especially in combination with other treatment methods, has become more and more widely used in hepatocellular carcinoma. Notably, these drugs play a therapeutic role in tumor immunosuppression; however, they can also stimulate related side effects caused by autoimmunity, so their side effects are very different from traditional chemotherapy and targeted drugs. Therefore, effective monitoring, detection and intervention of immune-related side effects are obligatory assurances for patients to attain clinical benefits.免疫检查点抑制剂的应用显著提高了多种实体瘤的免疫治疗效果。随着Nivolumab和Pembrolizumab被美国食品药品监督管理局批准用于肝癌的二线治疗，免疫检查点抑制剂，特别是与其他治疗方法的联合应用在肝细胞癌中的应用也越来越广泛。这些药物在接触肿瘤的免疫抑制作用发挥治疗作用的同时，也激发了自身免疫引起的相关副作用。其副作用发生特点与传统化疗及靶向药物有很大差异，有效地监测、发现及干预免疫相关副作用是保证病人获得临床获益的必要保障。.

To investigate the population structure and genetic diversity of Henan indigenous pig breeds, samples from a total of 78 pigs of 11 breeds were collected, including four pig populations from Henan Province, three Western commercial breeds, three Chinese native pig breeds from other provinces and one Asian wild boar. The genotyping datasets were obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing technology. We found a high degree of polymorphism and rapid linkage disequilibrium decay in Henan pigs. A neighbor-joining tree, principal component analysis and structure analysis revealed that the Huainan and Erhualian pigs were clustered together and that the Queshan black pigs were clearly grouped together but that the Nanyang and Yuxi pigs were extensively admixed with Western pigs. In addition, heterozygosity values might indicate that Henan indigenous pigs, especially the Queshan black and Huainan pigs, were subjected to little selection during domestication. The results presented here indicate that Henan pig breeds were admixed from Western breeds, especially Nanyang and Yuxi pigs. Therefore, establishment of purification and rejuvenation systems to implement conservation strategies is urgent. In addition, it is also necessary to accelerate genetic resources improvement and utilization using modern breeding technologies, such as genomic selection and genome-wide association studies.

It is widely accepted that the service life of transformer oil–paper insulation is determined by the aging condition of transformer cellulosic insulation. Therefore, it is rather meaningful to accurately and reliably evaluate the aging condition of transformer cellulose insulation. Existing studies have shown that activation energy can eliminate the temperature effect on the frequency dielectric spectroscopy, however, the traditional activation energy might not be suitable for assessing the aging condition of transformer cellulosic insulation. The aim of the work is to assess the aging condition of cellulosic insulation by using average activation energy technique. The experiment process is firstly discussed. Then, the second-order dynamic equation formed by Arrhenius equation and Ekenstam equation is strictly investigated to accurately calculate the degree of polymerization value of transformer cellulosic insulation. The experimental results preliminarily show that the average activation energy can effectively assess aging condition of transformer cellulosic insulation.

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Previous history of knee injury is a significant risk factor for OA. It has been established that low-level chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in the onset and pathogenesis of OA. The primary aim of this research was to determine if a history of knee joint injury is associated with systemic inflammation. A secondary aim was to determine if systemic inflammation is related to knee pain and joint structure. Methods Differences in serum cytokine association networks, knee joint structural changes (MRI), and self-reported pain (i.e., Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Pain subscale, KOOSPAIN and Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain score, ICOAP) between individuals who had sustained a youth (aged 15–26 years) sport-related knee injury 3–10 years previously and age- and sex-matched controls were examined. Proteins of interest were also examined in an OA rat model. Results Cytokine association networks were found to differ significantly between study groups, yet no significant associations were found between networks and KOOSPAIN or MRI-defined OA. A group of cytokines (MCP1/CCL2, CCL22 and TNFα) were differentially associated with other cytokines between study groups. In a pre-clinical rat OA model, serum CCL22 levels were associated with pain (r = 0.255, p = 0.045) and structural changes to the cartilage. CCL22 expression was also observed in human OA cartilage and furthermore, CCL22 induced apoptosis of isolated human chondrocytes. Discussion These results suggest that CCL22 may be an early factor in the onset/pathogenic process of cartilage degeneration and/or related to pain OA.

Background ALRN-6924 is a cell-penetrating α-helical stapled peptide that disrupts the interaction of the p53 tumor suppressor protein and its inhibitors, MDMX and MDM2. Reactivation of p53 with ALRN-6924 in TP53-wild-type tumors triggers cell cycle arrest and apoptosis resulting in antitumor efficacy. CDK4/6 inhibitors induce apoptosis, senescence, and cell growth arrest via the interrelated Rb pathway, and co-amplification of MDM2 and CDK4 (both on chromosome 12q13) is a known oncogenic driver, suggesting that combinations of ALRN-6924 and CDK4/6i's may be synergistic. This study evaluates the antitumor efficacy and pharmacodynamics (PD) of ALRN-6924 combined with palbociclib or abemaciclib. Methods ALRN-6924 was tested in combination with palbociclib or abemaciclib in MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines and MDM2- and CDK4-co-amplified SJSA-1 sarcoma cell lines using WST-1 cell viability assays. Synergy was quantified by the Chou-Talalay combination index method. Single agents and combinations were evaluated in cell culture using assays for apoptosis (Caspase 3/7 cleavage), proliferation (BrdU), senescence (ß-Galactosidase), colony growth (Giemsa), and Western blot analysis of p53, p21, Rb, phospho-Rb, FOXM1, and phospho-FOXM1; and E2F1 mRNA. In vivo combinations were tested in athymic nude mouse MCF-7 and SJSA-1 xenograft models, with cell cycle assays (EdU) measured in tumor samples by flow cytometry. Results ALRN-6924 combinations with palbociclib or abemaciclib display synergistic in vitro anti-proliferative activity in MCF-7 and SJSA-1 cells. ALRN-6924 induces senescence in vitro as a monotherapy and in combination with CDK4/6i's. Western blot assays show that ALRN-6924/palbociclib combinations trigger sustained on-mechanism biomarker activation, vs. transient activation with single agents. Phospho-Rb and phospho-FOXM1 down-regulation, p53 and p21 up-regulation, and repression of E2F1 mRNA are sustained after wash-out in combination, but not in single agent-treated cells. MCF-7 and SJSA-1 tumor growth inhibition was improved in mice treated with ALRN-6924 combinations with either palbociclib or abemaciclib vs. single agent. EdU assays show that ALRN-6924/palbociclib combinations inhibit SJSA-1 tumor cell proliferation in vivo. Body weights and mortality data show the combination of ALRN-6924 with palbociclib 75 mg/kg/day was well tolerated; the combination with abemaciclib 100 mg/kg/day was tolerated with interruption and dose-reduction. No pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-drug interactions were noted in nude mice due to different modes of metabolism for ALRN-6924 (proteolysis) and palbociclib (CYP3A). Conclusions This study demonstrates that ALRN-6924 and CDK4/6i combinations show synergistic activity. PD biomarkers indicate on-mechanism in vitro activity that is sustained after wash-out. In vivo efficacy, biomarker, PK, and tolerability results, plus clinical evidence that the most frequent and concerning safety issues for CDK4/6i's (neutropenia, leukopenia, infections) do not overlap with ALRN-6924's reported safety profile (Meric-Bernstam et al., ASCO 2017) support the development of combination regimens for breast cancer and other malignancies. Citation Format: Annis A, Carvajal LA, Ren J-G, Sutton D, Santiago S, Narasimhan N, Guerlavais V, Aivado M. The stapled peptide ALRN-6924, a dual inhibitor of MDMX and MDM2, and the CDK4/6 inhibitors palbociclib or abemaciclib synergistically enhance each other's in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-21-07.

Background: MDMX and MDM2 are endogenous inhibitors of the p53 tumor suppressor protein. MDMX levels are frequently elevated in luminal breast cancer, which generally expresses wild-type p53. ALRN-6924, an α-helical stapled peptide, is the first and only dual inhibitor of MDMX and MDM2 currently in clinical trials for solid tumors and hematological malignancies. We sought to determine the antitumor efficacy of the combination of ALRN-6924 with taxanes in models of human breast cancer. Methods: Sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of the combination of ALRN-6924 with taxanes in vitro. Athymic nude mice were implanted with MCF-7 tumors and treated for four weeks with ALRN-6924 alone and in combination with paclitaxel in cremaphor (Taxol®, study #1) or a nanoparticle-albumin-bound (nab) formulation (Abraxane®, study #2). In study #1, ALRN-6924 (5, 10 mg/kg) was dosed twice weekly and paclitaxel (10, 15 mg/kg) was dosed weekly, with paclitaxel administered 6 h prior to ALRN-6924. In study #2, ALRN-6924 alone (5 mg/kg) was dosed twice weekly while nab-paclitaxel (15 mg/kg) was administered weekly in combination at -24h, -6h, 0h, +6h, or +24h relative to ALRN-6924 administration. Results: ALRN-6924 was found to have synergistic activity with paclitaxel in both MCF-7 and ZR-75-1 cell lines in vitro (Combination index: 0.874 and 0.323 respectively). In in vivo study #1, the combination of ALRN-6924 and paclitaxel significantly inhibited MCF-7 tumor growth compared to either agent alone (p In study #2, the combination of nab-paclitaxel with ALRN-6924 administered -6h to +24h relative to nab-paclitaxel resulted in improved efficacy over either single agent and a significant increase in the number of tumor regressions (up to 6/10 with 3 consecutive measurements In both studies, drug treatments were well tolerated with no significant weight loss in mice. Conclusion: The significant increase in efficacy observed with ALRN-6924 in combination with paclitaxel supports further evaluation in patients with breast cancer. Citation Format: Pairawan SS, Yuca E, Evans K, Annis A, Narasimhan N, Sutton D, Carvajal LA, Ren J-G, Santiago S, Guerlavais V, Akcakanat A, Tapia C, Illeana Dumbrava EE, Aivado M, Meric-Bernstam F. The stapled peptide ALRN-6924, a dual inhibitor of MDMX and MDM2, enhances antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel and Nab-paclitaxel in TP53 wild-type MCF-7 breast cancer models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-20-11.

Although it has been well established that G protein plays pivotal roles in physiologic or pathologic conditions, including cancer formation, its role in breast cancer, especially specific subunits, remains largely unknown. Our work aimed to evaluate the correlation of the G protein alpha subunit (GNAS) with breast cancer and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism. The expression of GNAS was determined by breast tumor tissue microarray of 150 patients with complete follow-up information. The correlation between GNAS expression and clinical features was assessed. CCK8, EdU incorporation, flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell, western blot and tumor formation assays were carried out in nude mice to study the biological function of GNAS and the underlying molecular mechanism in breast cancer by silencing GNAS using a specific siRNA. High GNAS expression showed a close correlation with a reduced overall survival (p = 0.021), frequent distal metastasis (p = 0.026), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.001), stronger cell proliferation (ki67+ positive cell rate, p = 0.0351) and enhanced cancer cell migration, which was further confirmed by in vitro and in vivo assays and might be dependent on the PI3K/AKT/Snail1/E-cadherin axis. The data suggested that GNAS promoted breast cancer cell proliferation and migration (EMT) through the PI3K/AKT/Snail1/E-cadherin signaling pathway. These findings also indicate that GNAS can serve as a potential prognostic indicator and novel therapeutic target in breast cancer.

Pepper wilt disease is common in the production of pepper in Guizhou province, China and fenaminosulf is often used to prevent its occurrences in agricultural practices. To estimate the effects of fenaminosulf on the sustainable pepper production, a pot experiment for 93 d was conducted to investigate the effects of fenaminosulf on the growth of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), microbial communities and enzyme activities of the soil infested with phytopathogen Fusarium oxysporum. Four treatments: T1-seeding a week after pathogen inoculation in the soil, T2-seeding and soil drenching of fenaminosulf (at recommended dose) a week after pathogen inoculation in the soil, T3-pathogen inoculation in the soil at the first four to fiveleaf stage of pepper seedling and T4-soil drenching of fenaminosulf (at recommended dose) a week after pathogen inoculation in the soil at the first four to five-leaf stage of pepper seedling were established. The studies showed that T2 and T4 of fenaminosulf application obviously improved pepper survival rate, partially inhibited plant growth and development and significantly reduced soil bacterial quantity, but had no similar effects on the soil activities of catalase, urease and alkaline phosphatase. On the basis of stronger growth potential of plant, larger quantities of bacteria and actinomycetes and higher activities of catalase and alkaline phosphatase in the soil, T4 strategy might be reasonable for the production of pepper in the field where pepper wilt disease usually occurs.

We present a dynamical study of the intermediate polar and dwarf nova cataclysmic variable GK Persei (Nova Persei 1901) based on a multisite optical spectroscopy and R-band photometry campaign. The radial velocity curve of the evolved donor star has a semi-amplitude K-2 = 126.4 +/- 0.9 km s(-1) and an orbital period P = 1.996872 +/- 0.000009 d. We refine the projected rotational velocity of the donor star to v(rot) sin i = 52 +/- 2 km s(-1) that, together with K-2, provides a donor star to white dwarf mass ratio q = M-2/M-1 = 0.38 +/- 0.03. We also determine the orbital inclination of the system by modelling the phase-folded ellipsoidal light curve and obtain i = 67 degrees +/- 5 degrees. The resulting dynamical masses are M-1 = 1.03(-0.11)(+0.16) M-circle dot and M-2 = 0.39(-0.06)(+0.07) M-circle dot at 68 per cent confidence level. The white dwarf dynamical mass is compared with estimates obtained by modelling the decline light curve of the 1901 nova event and X-ray spectroscopy. The best matching mass estimates come from the nova light curve models and an X-ray data analysis that uses the ratio between the Alfven radius in quiescence and during dwarf nova outburst.

Summary Synovitis is common in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and is associated with pain and disease progression. We have previously demonstrated that the chemokine C-C motif chemokine 22 (CCL22) induces chondrocyte apoptosis in vitro; however, the effects of CCL22 on the synovium remain unknown. Therefore, our goal was to investigate the effect of CCL22 on fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). CCL22 treatment suppressed expression of IL-4 and IL-10 and promoted expression of S100A12 in FLS. The response of FLS to CCL22 was not dependent on the disease state of the joint (e.g., normal versus OA), but was instead correlated with the individuals' synovial fluid level of CCL22. CCL22 induction of S100A12 in FLS was attenuated after knockdown of CCR3, yet ligands of CCR3 (CCL7, CCL11) did not induce S100A12 expression. In the presence of CCL22, CCR3-positive FLS upregulate CCL22 and S100A12 driving a potential feedforward pro-inflammatory mechanism distinct from canonical CCL22 and CCR3 pathways., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • CCL22 increases the expression of the pro-inflammatory mediator S100A12 • CCL22 decreases the expression of anti-inflammatory mediators IL-4 and IL-10 • Fibroblast-like synoviocytes from normal and OA joints do not express CCR4 • CCL22 induces S100A12 expression through CCR3 but not CCR5, Molecular Biology; Immunology

Electron and hole trapping is studied in the ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$- and ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{3+}$-doped ${\mathrm{Lu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Si}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ scintillation single crystals (LPS:$\mathrm{Ce}$ and LPS:$\mathrm{Pr}$) by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Detailed EPR measurements of the x-ray irradiated LPS crystals reveal that holes generated by irradiation are predominantly trapped at oxygen lattice ions creating ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ centers. The same x-ray irradiation creates also electron-type centers, which are attributed to ${\mathrm{Lu}}^{2+}$ ions, where the trapped electron at the Lu lattice ion is stabilized by a nearby defect, such as the oxygen vacancy and ${\mathrm{Ir}}^{3+}$ impurity ion. Both the hole and electron centers can be thus considered as a bound small polaron, which makes the charge trapping in a scintillation mechanism quite competitive. The hole ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ and electron ${\mathrm{Lu}}^{2+}$ centers show thermal stability well above room temperature. Thermal decays of their concentrations correlate well with the appearance of the thermally stimulated luminescence glow peaks at 470--550 K. The presence of the same intrinsic traps in the $\mathrm{Ce}\text{\ensuremath{-}}$ and $\mathrm{Pr}$-doped LPS crystals suggests that the difference in the light yield of these crystals is an intrinsic property of the ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}$ and ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{3+}$ activator centers in the LPS lattice. An origin of charge traps in this pyrosilicate structure and their role in the scintillation mechanism is compared with the results previously described in the literature on orthosilicates.

MiRNA-133 (miR-133) has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many types of human cancers. However, its clinical significance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation of miR-133 expression with clinical variables and prognosis in AML patients.Quantitative Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to analyze blood samples from 145 patients with AML and 70 healthy volunteers.Decreased miR-133 levels were observed in AML patients and closely associated with aggressive clinical parameters, such as white blood cells and poor Karyotype subgroups. In addition, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that serum miR-133 could efficiently screen AML patients from normal controls with high sensitivity and specificity. More interestingly, serum miR-133 levels were remarkably elevated in the patients with favorable response after standard induction chemotherapy or achieving a complete remission. Furthermore, patients in the high serum miR-133 expression group had better overall survival and recurrence-free survival than those in the low serum miR-133 expression group. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis identified serum miR-133 as a significant independent predictor for survival.Low miR-133 expression was a common event and correlated with worse clinical outcome in AML, suggesting that serum miR-133 might serve as a promising indicator for the early detection and prognosis evaluation of AML.

Beishan granite is a potential host rock for a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository in China. Understanding the hydromechanical (HM) behavior and permeability evolution of Beishan granite is important for the HLW repository safety. Therefore, the granite of Beishan in Gansu province was studied. HM coupled tests are carried out on Beishan granite under different pore pressures. The results show that the initial pressure difference has little influence on permeability measurement before dilatancy starts. However, after onset of dilatancy, the permeability increases with the increasing initial pressure difference. The initial permeability of Beishan granite is about 10−18 m2 under a confining pressure of 20 MPa. In the initial loading phase, the permeability shows a relatively large reduction. Then, the permeability almost keeps constant until dilatancy starts. From dilatancy point to peak stress, permeability increases linearly with volumetric strain. The proposed permeability evolution rule is implemented into a numerical code to perform HM coupled simulations. The simulation results show that the damaged zone first appears at the model boundary and then extends to the inside, forming high volumetric strain areas. And it provides seepage channels for fluid flow. The macroscopic fracture patterns indicate that pore pressure accelerates rock degradation during HM coupling. The obtained results help to understand the damage mechanisms of granite caused by pore pressures and are of great importance for the safety of a HLW repository.

The ultimate shear strength at the interface between the soil nail and surrounding soil is of practical importance in the design and performance of a soil nail system. The most commonly adopted method of measuring this interface shear strength is by soil nail pullout testing. This study introduces a novel soil nail system in the form of a screw nail and compares its performance with a conventional grouted soil nail. Both types of soil nails are tested in a controlled laboratory setting using residual soil in a large purpose-made pullout box. The development of the screw nail and the laboratory testing procedures are briefly discussed first, followed by presentation and discussion of the results of the interface shear behaviour measured from pullout tests. It is shown that the screw nail offers many advantages in terms of pullout load–displacement behaviour and the interface shear mechanism than that of the conventional grouted soil nail.