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As a derivable modified hemicucurbituril, aniline-containing hemicucurbituril was synthesized in our previous report. Functionalization on the amino group of this aniline-containing hemicucurbituril was investigated, and a novel sulfonamide modified hemicucurbituril was obtained by sulfonation on the amino group with tosyl chloride, providing a novel hydrogen donor macrocycle. This macrocycle showed no interaction with aniline and benzoic acid and aminobenzoic acid by the 1H NMR study, but showed obvious interaction with these corresponding benzoate salts which was a class of preservative. These host-guest interaction properties made this system a potential acid-base controlling binding molecular device. The binding ratios and association constants between the macrocycle and these benzoate salts were investigated by 1H NMR Job's plot experiments and titration experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and mortality from colorectal cancer in younger adults (younger than 55 years) is increasing. We reviewed the complete database of a gene-expression test, Oncotype DX Colon Recurrence Score test, to determine age-related differences in recurrence score (RS) and single-gene results (7 cancer-related of the 12-gene assay). We included 20 478 stage II and III A and B colon cancer patients submitted to Genomic Health. RS results were grouped by low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Single-gene scores were described using median and interquartile range. Of all patients 72.5% and 72.6% of those younger than 40 years had low-risk RS. Comparing older with younger patients, RS or single-gene expression did not differ by age group or stage. Young-onset colon cancer does not differ by expression of the RS component genes. Most patients with stage II and III colon cancer have low-risk disease as measured by the 12-gene assay, regardless of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacterial attachment on solid surfaces and subsequent biofilm formation is a significant problem in the food industry. Superhydrophobic surfaces have potential to prevent bacterial adhesion by minimizing the contact area between bacterial cells and the surface. In this study, stainless steel-based superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated by manipulating nanostructures with electrochemical etching and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film. The formation of nanostructures on stainless steel surfaces was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The stainless steel surfaces etched at 10 V for 5 min and at 10 V for 10 min with PTFE deposition resulted in average water contact angles of 154° ċ4° with pore diameters of 50 nm. In addition, adhesion of Listeria monocytogenes was decreased by up to 99% compared to the bare substrate. These findings demonstrate the potential for the development of antibacterial surfaces by combining nanoporous patterns with PTFE films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we are interested in studying the existence of the nonstationary solutions in the global attractor of the 2D Navier–Stokes equations with constant energy and enstrophy. We particularly focus on a subclass of these solutions that the geometric structures have a supplementary stability property which were called "chained ghost solutions" in Tian and Zhang (Indiana Univ Math J 64:1925–1958, 2015). By solving a Galerkin system of a particular form, we show the nonexistence of the chained ghost solutions for certain cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature (T) dependence of electrical resistivity in graphene has been experimentally investigated between 10 and 400 K for samples prepared on various substrates: HfO2, SiO2, and h-BN. The resistivity of graphene shows a linear T-dependence at low T and becomes superlinear above a substrate-dependent transition temperature. The results are explained by remote interfacial phonon scattering by surface optical phonons at the substrates. The use of an appropriate substrate can lead to a significant improvement in the charge transport of graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background In patients with stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC), minimally invasive surgery (MIS) may offer optimal oncologic outcome with low morbidity. However, the relative benefit of MIS compared to open surgery in patients requiring multistage resections has not been evaluated. Methods Patients who underwent totally minimally invasive (TMI) or totally open (TO) resections of CRC primary and liver metastases (CLM) in 2009–2016 were analyzed. Inverse probability of weighted adjustment by propensity score was performed before analyzing risk factors for complications and survival. Results The study included 43 TMI and 121 TO patients. Before and after adjustment, TMI patients had significantly less cumulated postoperative complications (41% vs. 59%, p = 0.001), blood loss (median 100 vs. 200 ml, p = 0.001) and shorter length of hospital stay (median 4.5 vs. 6.0 days, p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified TO approach vs. MIS (OR = 2.4, p < 0.001), major liver resection (OR = 4.4, p < 0.001), and multiple CLM (OR = 2.3, p = 0.001) as independent risk factors for complications. 5-year overall survival was comparable (81% vs 68%, p = 0.59). Conclusion In patients with CRC undergoing multistage surgical treatment, MIS resection contributes to optimal perioperative outcomes without compromise in oncologic outcomes. Synopsis: A coordinated preplanned approach to total laparoscopic multistage resection of stage IV colorectal cancer optimizes short-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with single-stage latent heat storage, cascaded latent heat storage is considered as an effective way to store and utilize intermittent or fluctuant thermal energy due to an increased heat transfer rate, a uniform and lower HTF outlet temperature, faster charging/discharging processes and higher exergy efficiency. In this paper, an experimental three-stage latent heat storage system filled with three different phase change materials is established and its heat charging process is studied. Its temperature evolution in each stage during the heat charging process is measured and the corresponding thermodynamic performance is analyzed. Besides, the effects of stage number, HTF inlet temperature and HTF flow rates on the thermodynamic performance are discussed, respectively. The results show that the solid-liquid phase change in the three stages does not take place simultaneously due to the poor heat transfer and the large melting temperature difference. In addition, more stages could improve energy storage efficiency, exergy storage efficiency and entransy storage efficiency. Higher HTF inlet temperatures and larger HTF flow rates could increase transfer and storage rates of energy, exergy and entransy, but the storage efficiency of energy, exergy and entransy could only be obviously improved by higher HTF inlet temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. A total of 95 qualified Chinese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 31 in the acupuncture combined with CHM group (combined group), 32 in the acupuncture combined with CHM placebo group (acupuncture group) and 32 in the CHM combined with sham acupuncture group (CHM group). The patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. The data were collected using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and safety index. The three groups each showed significant decreases in the GCS, SDS and SAS after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect on the GCS total score and the anxiety domain lasted until the follow-up period in the combined group (p < 0.05). Within the three groups, there was no difference in GCS and SAS between the three groups after treatment (p > 0.05). However, the combined group showed significant improvement in the SDS, compared with both the acupuncture group and the CHM group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No obvious abnormal cases were found in any of the safety indexes. The results suggest that either acupuncture, or CHM or combined therapy offer safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. However, the combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Dimethyl phthalate (DMP), a member of the phthalate esters (PAEs), is a common contaminant and frequently detected in soil. In this study, metagenomics revealed that DMP contamination in a Mollisol led to alterations in biological genomes and pathways identified using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases. The results of functional annotation with pathway information demonstrated that genes involved in metabolism and signal regulatory pathways were changed in soil contaminated with DMP. Genes involved in nitrogen metabolism, carbon metabolism (glycolysis, the citrate cycle and pentose phosphate pathway) and signal regulatory pathways (apoptosis pathway, adipocytokine signalling pathway and glutamatergic synapse signal pathways) were more abundant under DMP contamination in the Mollisol. Quantitative PCR (QPCR) assays also showed that copies of genes associated with DMP degradation, pcmA, pehA, phtAb, phtB and phtC, correlated positively with the concentration of DMP. The results also suggested that the acceleration of nitrogen and carbon metabolism in the Mollisol by DMP contamination arose from altering the signal regulatory pathways. This is one of the most damaging mechanisms for microorganisms; therefore, DMP contamination will adversely affect the ecosystem in the Mollisol. Highlights: How can DMP contamination alter the metabolic pathways of microorganisms in a Mollisol? Changes in microbial metabolism under DMP contamination were estimated by metagenomics. DMP accelerated N and C metabolism by altering the signal pathways. DMP could disrupt the ecological balance by altering metabolism in a Mollisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the complexity of natural organic matter (NOM) have impacted the performance of direct filtration plants of water industries, resulting in reduced treatment capacity, and can lead to increased disinfection by-products. Hence, the need to identify new materials in future can be converted into more effective technologies and processes. We report a laboratory scale innovative use of graphene oxide membranes to remove NOMs from water that had been treated and still contained 5 mg/L DOC. Our study shows that graphene oxide based membranes can reject ∼100% of NOM while maintaining high water flux of 65 L m −2 h −1 bar −1 at atmospheric pressure. Our results indicate that it is possible to develop a graphene oxide-based water filtration technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging evidence indicates a link between the increased proportion of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and reduced survival in patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been indicated to play a vital role in tumour initiation, drug resistance and recurrence. However, the relationship between Tregs and CSCs remains largely unknown. Here, we sorted out ovarian cancer stem-like side population (SP) cells and CD133+ cells to investigate the influence of ovarian CSCs on Tregs. Among the various immune-related molecules that we assessed, C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) was the most elevated in ovarian CSCs relative to that in the non-CSCs. The expression of its receptor, C-C motif chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5), was also increased on the surface of Tregs in ovarian cancer patients. This receptor-ligand expression profile indicated that ovarian CSCs recruit Tregs via CCL5-CCR5 interactions. We further assessed the expression of interleukin (IL)-10 in Tregs cultured with different cancer cells. Tregs cultured in conditioned medium (CM) from ovarian CD133+ cells expressed a higher level of IL-10 than Tregs cultured in CM from CD133- cells, indicating that Tregs exert pronounced immune-inhibitory functions in CSC-rich environments. Furthermore, co-culture with ovarian cancer cell lines induced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) in Tregs which, in turn, enhanced the degradation of the extracellular matrix and enabled the invasion of tumour cells, thereby facilitating tumour metastasis. For the first time, to our knowledge, our findings describe the relationship between ovarian CSCs and Tregs, and demonstrated that these two cell populations co-operate to promote tumour immune tolerance and enhance tumour progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green approaches for producing high purity advanced materials have always been a challenging task. Conventional methods for converting waste materials into char by heat treatment can have limitations in making defect free and pure materials for practical applications. Herein, we report a Green-Chemical Vapor Deposition (G-CVD) method to transform waste into functional materials in various forms by condensation of gases generated from waste on a chosen substrate. The flow of gases, mainly CO2, CH4 and CO, can be controlled via a regulated flow of a carrier gas and by controlling the temperature, gases can react/recombine on the substrate forming a crystalline lattice of semiconducting materials. Such a versatile green method can be sustainable and at the same time help in reducing the burden of landfill waste. We present how an appropriate control of the gas mixture resulting from the heat-treatment of waste rubber tyres and plastics leads to the growth of various types of functional materials on substrates. The growth mechanism of materials on substrates in this method is similar to the conventional CVD method. However, the utilization of waste to generate these gases adds the green and sustainable feature to this method and its high degree of reproducibility offers practical applicability. Once established for NiO nanorods, we tested the versatility of this technique to grow SiC nanowires, SiC nanoparticles and monolayer graphene. This highly reproducible G-CVD method of making advanced materials solely involves waste materials as the solid carbon source at atmospheric pressure without any other synthetic reagents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substitution of nitrogen atoms in the lattice plane of the graphene can adjust the electronic properties of the graphene to translate it from the half-metal to the n-type semiconductor. Here, we report a practicable growth of nitrogen-doped graphene films with the nitrogen atoms doped content of 4.4–7.5% by the sole solid precursor based chemical vapor deposition method. After the post-annealing process at high temperature, the morphology and crystallization quality of the nitrogen-doped graphene film were considerably improved. The as-synthesized nitrogen-doped graphene films exhibit typical n-type behavior with the electron carrier density of approximately 6.55×1012 cm-2 and the Hall mobility of around 522 cm2V-1 s-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments are conducted in a linear stratified fluid with a momentum source modeled via a nozzle jet moving horizontally. The generation mechanism of the quasi-two-dimensional dipolar vortex streets is investigated and their evolution characteristics are analyzed. Observation shows that the formation of a dipolar vortex street requires a nonzero motion of the nozzle in addition to conditions of the Reynolds and Froude number (Re, Fr). The (Re, Fr) condition that the dipolar vortex streets can be generated is determined via experimental measurements. The explanation for the absence of such a vortex street can be the low energy of the jet and the strong body-effect disturbance of the solid nozzle. The dependence of the vortex street dimensionless formation time τ and the Strouhal number St on the Froude number Fr or the Reynolds number Re is analyzed. This analysis shows that τ and St appear to be independent of Re and approximately have power-law relations with Fr via data fitting. The exponents of Fr in the two power-law functions are -0.27 for τ and -0.21 for St, while the constant coefficients are 65 and 0.21. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The practice of salvaging recurrent rectal cancer has evolved. The aim of this study was to define the evolving salvage potential over time among patients with locally recurrent disease, and to identify durable determinants of long-term success. Methods The study included consecutive patients with recurrent rectal cancer undergoing multimodal salvage with curative intent between 1988 and 2012. Predictors of long-term survival were defined by Cox regression analysis and compared over time. Re-recurrence and subsequent treatments were evaluated. Results After multidisciplinary evaluation of 229 patients, salvage therapy with curative intent included preoperative chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (73·4 per cent; with 41·3 per cent undergoing repeat pelvic irradiation), surgical salvage resection with or without intraoperative irradiation (36·2 per cent), followed by postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (38·0 per cent). Multivisceral resection was undertaken in 47·2 per cent and bone resection in 29·7 per cent. The R0 resection rate was 80·3 per cent. After a median follow-up of 56·5 months, the 5-year overall survival rate was 50 per cent in 2005-2012, markedly increased from 32 per cent in 1988-1996 ( P = 0·044). Long-term success was associated with R0 resection ( P = 0·017) and lack of secondary failure ( P = 0·003). Some 125 patients (54·6 per cent) developed further recurrence at a median of 19·4 months after salvage surgery. Repeat operative rescue was feasible in 21 of 48 patients with local re-recurrence alone and in 17 of 77 with distant re-recurrence, with a median survival of 19·8 months after further recurrence. Conclusion The long-term salvage potential for recurrent rectal cancer improved significantly over time, with the introduction of an individualized treatment algorithm of multimodal treatments and surgical salvage. Durable predictors of long-term success were R0 resection at salvage operation, avoidance of secondary failure, and feasibility of repeat rescue after re-recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space-time block code and spatial multiplexing are promising approaches that exploit the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel to provide high diversity and multiplexing gain without sacrifice in bandwidth. In this paper, a hybrid MIMO scheme for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems is proposed to achieve various multiplexing gains according to the channel condition. The existing hybrid MIMO schemes are appropriate for limited integer multiplexing rates without taking into account the channel condition, whereas the proposed scheme can attain various multiplexing rates according to the channel condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: As multidisciplinary treatment strategies for colorectal cancer have improved, aggressive surgical resection has become commonplace. Multivisceral and extended resections offer curative‐intent resection with significant survival benefit. However, limited data exist regarding the feasibility and oncological efficacy of performing extended resection via a minimally invasive approach. The aim of this study was to determine the perioperative and long‐term outcomes following robotic extended resection for colorectal cancer. Method: We describe the population of patients undergoing robotic multivisceral resection for colorectal cancer at our single institution. We evaluated perioperative details and investigated short‐ and long‐term outcomes, using the Kaplan–Meier method to analyse overall and recurrence‐free survival. Results: Among the 86 patients most tumours were T3 (47%) or T4 (47%) lesions in the rectum (78%). Most resections involved the anterior compartment (72%): bladder (n = 13), seminal vesicle/vas deferens (n = 27), ureter (n = 6), prostate (n = 15) and uterus/vagina/adnexa (n = 27). Three cases required conversion to open surgery; 10 patients had grade 3 complications. The median hospital stay was 4 days. Resections were R0 (>1 mm) in 78 and R1 (0 to ≤1 mm) in 8, with none being R2. The average nodal yield was 26 and 48 (55.8%) were pN0. Three‐year overall survival was 88% and median progression‐free survival was 19.4 months. Local recurrence was 6.1% and distant recurrence was 26.1% at 3 years. Conclusion: Performance of multivisceral and extended resection on the robotic platform allows patients the benefit of minimally invasive surgery while achieving oncologically sound resection of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the phase-resolved spectral results of the first Galactic pulsating ultraluminous X-ray source (PULX) Swift J0243.6+6124, modeling its 2017–2018 outburst peak using data collected by the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT). The broad energy coverage of Insight-HXMT allows us to obtain a more accurate spectral continuum to reduce the coupling of broad iron line profiles with other components. We use three different continuum spectrum models but obtain similar iron line results. For the first time, we detect the pulse characteristics of the broad iron line in a PULX. The variation in the width and intensity of this iron line with σ ∼ 1.2–1.5 keV has a phase offset of about 0.25 from the pulse phase. We suggest that the uneven irradiation of the thick inner disk by the accretion column produces the modulated variation of the broad iron line. In addition, the nonpulsed narrow line is suggested to come from the outer disk region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advances in molecular biology have enabled identification of tumor biomarkers that allow for individualized risk assessment for patients with cancer. Molecular predictors of clinical outcome can help inform discussion regarding the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with resected colon cancer, such as those with stage II colon cancer in which the benefit of adjuvant therapy is controversial or those with stage III colon cancer who may have a lower risk of recurrence and less absolute benefit from oxaliplatin therapy. This article summarizes the data surrounding the development, validation, and clinical and economic utility of the Oncotype DX® colon cancer assay, a multigene expression assay validated to independently predict recurrence risk in patients with stage II and III colon cancer beyond traditional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) is an important crop in Africa, Southeast Asia and the subtropics, as it is used for food and medicine. The aims of this study were to access a large expression datasets of taro and reveal the candidate genes of starch synthesis. As a result, approximately 2.2 Gb sequence data of taro transcriptome were obtained by using Illumina HiSeq 2000 platform and assembled into 52,935 contigs with an average length of 588.5 bp. Sequence similarity analyses against four public databases (NR, GO, KEGG, KOG) found 17,047 contigs that could be annotated with gene descriptions, conserved protein domains, or gene ontology terms. Among the important metabolic pathways, 26 genes related to starch synthesis were validated by RT-PCR. This transcriptome dataset can serve as an important public information platform for further studies in gene expression, genomics, and functional genomic studies in C. esculenta . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent genome-wide or follow-up studies conducted in European or Caucasian populations have identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) conferring increased risk to autoimmune diseases. It is unclear whether these observations can apply to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in China. An association study was performed on 395 SLE patients and 378 healthy controls recruited from the Chinese population, in which the IL12RB2 rs3790567, IKZF1 rs2366293, XKR6 rs4240671, TMEM39A rs1132200 and CSK rs34933034 polymorphisms were examined by Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry. The frequency of theAallele of IL12RB2 rs3790567 was lower in the cases compared with the controls (24.8% vs 30.2%, P=0.018) and significant difference among the AA, AG and GG genotypes of rs3790567 was detected between the SLE patients and healthy controls (P=0.020). We alsofound a statistically significant difference in the dominant model (GG+AG vs AA, P=0.008). There was no correlation between the genotypes and specific sub-phenotypes in the current cohort. Associations with IKZF1 rs2366293, XKR6 rs4240671, TMEM39A rs1132200 and CSK rs34933034 were also lacking (P>0.05). The results supported the theory that IL12RB2 is associated with SLE in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant transformation of normal hematopoietic transplants induced by residual leukemia cells is considered as a pivotal mechanism of donor cell leukemia (DCL). The effects of leukemia cell-derived microvesicles (MVs) in this transformation were examined. We found that MVs derived from K562 leukemia cells contained the breakpoint cluster region-Abelson leukemia gene human homolog 1 (BCR-ABL1) mRNA. Following incubation with BCR-ABL1-positive MVs, mononuclear cells derived from normal transplants exhibited a leukemia-like malignant phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. Horizontal transfer of BCR-ABL1 mRNA from MVs into the recipient cells was critical to the transformation. Relative genomic instability was observed and considered the main mechanism in the recipient cells. MVs contributed to genomic instability by two distinct pathways: via consequent overexpression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase and reactive oxygen species, which mediated DNA breakage and recombination; and via upregulation of methyltransferases and global DNA hypermethylation. We demonstrated that BCR-ABL1-positive MVs could initiate malignant transformation of normal hematopoietic transplants through genomic instability, which might serve as a convenient and operable model for investigating leukemogenesis, especially for DCL. Furthermore, MVs themselves could act as an early warning indicator and a novel tool to detect and prevent the occurrence of DCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant transformation of normal hematopoietic transplants induced by residual leukemia cells is considered as a pivotal mechanism of donor cell leukemia (DCL). The effects of leukemia cell-derived microvesicles (MVs) in this transformation were examined. We found that MVs derived from K562 leukemia cells contained the breakpoint cluster region-Abelson leukemia gene human homolog 1 (BCR-ABL1) mRNA. Following incubation with BCR-ABL1-positive MVs, mononuclear cells derived from normal transplants exhibited a leukemia-like malignant phenotype both in vitro and in vivo. Horizontal transfer of BCR-ABL1 mRNA from MVs into the recipient cells was critical to the transformation. Relative genomic instability was observed and considered the main mechanism in the recipient cells. MVs contributed to genomic instability by two distinct pathways: via consequent overexpression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase and reactive oxygen species, which mediated DNA breakage and recombination; and via upregulation of methyltransferases and global DNA hypermethylation. We demonstrated that BCR-ABL1-positive MVs could initiate malignant transformation of normal hematopoietic transplants through genomic instability, which might serve as a convenient and operable model for investigating leukemogenesis, especially for DCL. Furthermore, MVs themselves could act as an early warning indicator and a novel tool to detect and prevent the occurrence of DCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an all-optical method for measuring the average size, density, and mass fraction of large (>50 nm) clusters produced in cryogenically cooled, continuous gas jets. The technique combines three optical diagnostics--forward/backward Mie scattering detection, 90° scattering imaging, and neutral gas interferometry. Our measurement shows that cryogenic cooling and high backing gas pressure greatly enhance both cluster size and clustering ratio in continuous gas flow. Such a cluster source can be used as a potential target for intense, high-repetition-rate (>kHz) laser pulses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy followed by tumor resection and postoperative chemotherapy is the standard of care for patients with clinical stage II or III adenocarcinoma of the rectum. Significant variation exists in the receipt of postoperative chemotherapy after resection in this population. The objective of this study was to determine the demographic and clinicopathologic factors associated with the initiation of postoperative chemotherapy in elderly patients with rectal cancer and to identify potential targets for reducing treatment variation. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was performed of patients with rectal cancer ages 66 to 80 years who received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and underwent radical resection in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-linked Medicare database (1998-2007). Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess chemotherapy use in relation to patient, tumor, and treatment response characteristics. RESULTS Among 1492 patients who met the study criteria, 61.5% received adjuvant therapy with 5-fluorouracil. Pathologic stage was the strongest determinant of whether patients received postoperative chemotherapy (48.3% of patients with stage I disease, 59.6% of patients with stage II disease, and 77.6% of patients with stage III disease). Increasing age and postoperative readmission also were associated significantly with a decreased rate of adjuvant therapy initiation. CONCLUSIONS Although standard treatment guidelines for locally advanced rectal cancer include postoperative chemotherapy for all patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and radical resection, greater than 1 in 3 patients failed to receive adjuvant therapy. Despite the absence of established evidence, treatment decisions appear to be influenced by the findings at surgical pathology. Cancer 2014;120:1162-1170. © 2014 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atomic force microscopy (AFM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy are used to study morphological and compositional variations of metal-organic interfaces in organic bistable devices. The results show that bias voltage causes rougher interfaces with new protrusions, and the switching phenomena origins from the evolution of these protrusions under external electric field. In order to exclude other possible factors, three types of bistable devices are designed and examined. In addition, metal-coated AFM probes are utilized to simulate the switching process, which yields similar results and corroborates our conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate high-power terahertz (THz) generation in two-color laser filamentation using terawatt (TW) lasers including a 0.5TW, 1 kHz system, as well as 2 and 30TW systems both operating at 10 Hz. With these lasers, we study the macroscopic effect in filamentation that governs THz output energy yields and radiation profiles in the far field. We also characterize the radiation spectra at a broad range of frequencies covering radio-micro-waves to infrared frequencies. In particular, our 1 kHz THz source can provide high-energy (>1μJ), high average power (>1 mW), intense (>1MVcm-1) and broadband (0.01-60 THz) THz radiation via two-color filamentation in air. Based on our scaling law, an ~30TW laser can produce >0.1 mJ of THz radiation with multigigawatt peak power in ~1.5m long filamentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: C and N atoms are the most frequent foreign interstitial atoms (FIAs), and often incorporated into the surface layers of steels to enhance their properties by thermochemical treatments. Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Nb and Mo are the most common alloying elements in steels, also can be called foreign substitutional atoms (FSAs). The FIA and FSA interactions play an important role in the diffusion of C and N atoms, and the microstructures and mechanical properties of surface modified layers. Ab initio calculations based on the density functional theory are carried out to investigate FIA interactions with FSA in ferromagnetic bcc iron. The FIA–FSA interactions are analyzed systematically from five aspects, including interaction energies, density of states (DOS), bond populations, electron density difference maps and local magnetic moments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Global asymptotic dynamics of a cubic-autocatalytic reaction-diffusion system, the reversible Schnackenberg equations, is investigated in this paper. A global attractor is shown to exist unconditionally for the semiflow of weak solutions with the Dirichlet boundary condition on a bounded domain of dimension . The upper semicontinuity (robustness) of the global attractors for the family of solution semiflows with respect to the reverse reaction rate as it converges to zero is proved by showing the uniform dissipativity and the uniformly bounded evolution of the union of global attractors under the bundle of reversible and nonreversible semiflows to overcome the hurdle of semisingular perturbation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analysed the resistance and susceptibility of several barley cultivars harbouring one of six resistance genes ( rym1-6) to Japanese Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) isolate JK05 using infectious RNA transcripts. At the cellular level, the virus replicated efficiently in mesophyll protoplasts from rym3 cultivars, less efficiently in protoplasts from a rym2 cultivar and poorly or not at all in protoplasts from other rym cultivars. None of the rym cultivars was susceptible at the whole-plant level. These results indicate that rym2 and rym3 cultivars are resistant to this virus isolate at the movement level, whereas the other rym cultivars are resistant at the cellular level. In addition, among five barley cultivars without known resistance genes, it was found that the cv. Haruna Nijo was resistant to this virus isolate at the cellular level. Based on the host responses, it was inferred that the BaYMV isolate JK05 is in the Japanese pathotype II group. A possible mechanism for how resistance-breaking variants continually emerge in fields is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carbon and nitrogen are the most frequent foreign interstitial atoms in α-Fe. The presence of even a little amount of these impurities in interstitial positions has a drastic influence on the properties of steels. However, the physics of the C–N interaction remains unclear. Here we perform first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory to study the interactions of C–N and those with vacancy (□) in α-Fe. When C and N atoms are in neighbor octahedral sites, a hybridization around −8eV of C 2p states with the N 2p states is observed. C and N atoms lie as far away from one another as possible. When a vacancy is introduced, it can attract two C atoms and a N atom, and a C–C–N–□ complex is formed. When the C and N atoms are the first nearest neighbors of the vacancy and stay in two neighbor octahedral sites, a covalent C–N bond is formed. And the peak of 2p states of the C atom’s density of states shifts to around −8eV, where the peak of the N atom’s 2p states lies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chrysanthemum plants are subject to serious virus diseases, so detection and identification of virus pathogens is important to prevent the virus spread. A reliable one-step multiplex RT- PCR was developed to simultaneously detect two viruses and two viriods: chrysanthemum virus B, tomato Aspermy virus, chrysanthemum stunt viroid and chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid. In addition, we investigated the detection limit and the efficiency of single and multiplex RT- PCR assays. The results showed that the multiplex RT- PCR assay proved to be as sensitive as the single one. In conclusion, this technique is potentially useful in routine diagnosis of chrysanthemum viruses and viroids. Significance and Impact of Study The multiplex RT-PCR assay described in this study is the first report of simultaneous detection of virus and viroid in chrysanthemum, which provides a fast, convenient, cost-saving way to detect the virus and viroid mixed infections in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

N atom is one of the most frequent foreign interstitial atoms in α-iron along with C atoms. The Fe–C potential has been well-developed and can reproduce many significant interactions of C with point defects present in α-iron. However, there exists no satisfactory Fe–N potential to describe the interactions of N with point defects. Here, we develop a many-body potential for N in α-iron. The potential parameters are determined by fitting to ab initio data, which includes energetics, configurations, and relaxations of Fe atoms close to N atom. This potential successfully describes the interactions of Fe–N across a wide range of defect environments. The potential employs the embedded atom method form and hence is appropriate for large-scale molecular dynamics simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We observe off-axis phase-matched terahertz generation in long air-plasma filaments produced by femtosecond two-color laser focusing. Here, phase matching naturally occurs due to off-axis constructive interference between locally generated terahertz waves, and this determines the far-field terahertz radiation profiles and yields. For a filament longer than the characteristic two-color dephasing length, it emits conical terahertz radiation in the off-axis direction, peaked at 4-7° depending on the radiation frequencies. The total terahertz yield continuously increases with the filament length, well beyond the dephasing length. The phase-matching condition observed here provides a simple method for scalable terahertz generation in elongated plasmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attempts to associate methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T polymorphism with hypertension have been extensively evaluated, but mostly in Caucasians. We therefore meta-analysed this polymorphism in association with hypertension and hypertension-in-pregnancy (HIP) among Chinese subjects. A random-effects model was applied irrespective of between-study heterogeneity, which was evaluated by subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Study quality was assessed in duplicate. Publication bias was weighed using Egger's test and funnel plot. Data on 20 qualified studies totalling 4461 Chinese subjects were meta-analysed. In overall allelic/genotypic models, carriers of 677T or 677TT were consistently at significantly increased risk of developing hypertension and HIP. No between-study heterogeneity was identified for all genetic models, with the exception for contrast of allele 677T versus 677C in hypertension association studies (P=0.03), and the dominant contrast in HIP association studies (P=0.025). Both the subgroup and meta-regression analyses indicated that study design was a potential source of between-study heterogeneity. Funnel plot and Egger's test suggested no evidence of publication bias. Taken together, our results supported the notion that carriers of 677T or 677TT were at significantly increased risk of developing hypertension and HIP, but indicated caution in interpreting this result, because the study design made marginal significant contribution to the heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of electric field and temperature on bistable characteristics of indium tin oxide/tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3)/aluminum (Al) device has been investigated. The switching time, during which the device turns from a high resistive (OFF) state to a low resistive (ON) state, increases with decreasing field and temperature. The observed phenomena are accounted for by a phenomenological model that metallic nano-tips may evolve under the influence of the electric field and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A blind scheme for estimating the residual carrier-frequency offset of multiband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MB-OFDM)-based ultra-wideband (UWB) systems is proposed. In the MB-OFDM UWB system, time-domain spreading (TDS) is used by transmitting the same information across two adjacent OFDM symbols. By using the TDS structure, the proposed frequency estimation scheme does not require the use of pilot symbols. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed estimator, analytical expression of the mean square error is derived and the performance is compared with a conventional pilot-assisted estimator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this letter, an improved sampling frequency offset (SFO) estimation scheme is proposed for an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based digital radio mondiale (DRM) system. An analytical closed-form expression of the mean square error is derived for the proposed SFO synchronization scheme. The new scheme is demonstrated and verified under simulations carried out within the framework of DRM systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: T-cell-specific T-box transcription factor (T-bet) is a member of the T-box family of transcription factors regulating type 1 T-helper (Th1) cell development and is thought to be linked with several autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to evaluate whether T-bet gene ( TBX21) polymorphisms or its haplotypes are associated with SLE in a Chinese population. Methods: The study included 248 cases with SLE and 261 gender- and age-matched healthy controls. The polymorphisms T-1993C (rs4794067) and T-1514C (rs17250932) in the TBX21 promoter were identified by a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. Results: The frequency of both the -1993T and the -1514T allele were significantly higher in SLE patients than in controls. By haplotype analysis, there was significantly decreased frequency of the haplotype at positions -1993C/-1514C in the case group compared with the control group (p = 0.0002). Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that individuals with CC/CC haplotype homozygotes had a decreased susceptibility to SLE [p = 0.0004, odds ratio (OR) 0.316, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.167–0.599]. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the -1993C/-1514C haplotype may be a protective factor for genetic susceptibility to SLE in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO), which occurred at about 15 Ma, is the most recent global warming episode. Given the fact that no dramatic tectonic movement had taken place, this historical warming episode mirrors the present warming event induced mostly by human activities. Proxy data indicate that the MMCO had a global mean surface temperature of ∼3-4°C higher than the present, equivalent to the warming predicted for the next century by the mid-range scenarios of the IPCC Fourth Report (AR4). With this comparable magnitude of warming, it is therefore of scientific interest to examine whether or not the present warming is similar to the MMCO warming. Since the MMCO boundary conditions such as paleogeography and paleobathymetry were not greatly different from today, contentious scientific issues on possible forcing mechanisms can be assessed. The MMCO climate was simulated using the latest National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Community Atmosphere Model CAM3.1 and Land Model CLM3.0 coupled to a slab ocean model. Two simulations were conducted, the MG700 with a near-present equator-pole meridional sea-surface temperature (SST) gradient and a CO2 level of 700 ppmv and the HG350 with a higher equator-pole meridional SST gradient and a CO2 level of 350 ppmv. These two simulations give the closest proxy global mean surface temperature of 18.4°C with a difference of ±0.6°C. This study analyses these two simulations and provides an insight into possible mechanisms of the MMCO. Results show that the north and south poles respond differently to a 50% reduction in CO2 from the upper bound value of 700 ppmv (an approximate doubling of the present CO2) and a change in equator-pole meridional SST gradient. The Arctic response to a 50% reduction in CO2 is balanced by a 50% decrease in surface temperature but shows no response to the increase in equator-pole meridional SST gradient. The Antarctic situation is opposite to the Arctic: the western Antarctic's response to the increase in the equator-pole meridional SST gradient is nearly balanced by a doubling of the maximum surface temperature, but shows no response to a 50% reduction in CO2; the eastern Antarctic shows a weak response to either a 50% reduction in CO2 or to an increase in the equator-pole meridional SST gradient. This may explain why the Arctic warms much more than the Antarctic in the MMCO and the decoupling of CO2 with temperature as determined by the proxy SST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO), which occurred between 17 and 15 Ma, was the last of a series of warming events to have punctuated the Cenozoic and is the warmest the planet has been since 35 Ma (∼6°C warmer than present at middle latitudes). Paradoxically, CO2 concentrations during the MMCO are reported at present-day values or less and an explanation for warming has yet to be established. We test the sensitivity of version three of the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) and Community Land Model (CLM) to changes in Middle Miocene paleotopography using prescribed sea-surface temperatures. We create four separate global paleotopography datasets based on altered Andean and Tibetan Plateau elevations as well as changes to global sea-level. We find that the largest warming is achieved with a lowering of the Tibetan Plateau from 4700 to 2600 m, resulting in a local temperature increase of up to 9°C—consistent with the modern-day lapse rate measured in China—and a global mean ground temperature increase of 0.5°C. An additional effect of this lowering is to weaken the summer and winter monsoons, and we discuss implications such changes may have for coupled ocean-atmosphere simulations. We conclude that while changes to topography significantly affect local temperatures, they do little to reconcile the disagreement between temperature and CO2 measurements derived from the geological record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been shown to exert immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects. Its unique positive effects indicate that this enzyme might be a potential therapeutic target for psoriasis. To determine the effect of pharmacologic up-regulation of HO-1 on psoriasis, we generated a guinea pig model of psoriasiform skin lesions using propranolol induction. In this in vivo model, the 3-week propranolol challenge generated the psoriasiform pathological changes on the ears of guinea pigs. And then, guinea pigs were intraperitoneally injected with 5 mg/kg cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), a potent HO-1 inducer, 20 mg/kg zinc protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of HO-1, or PBS as controls, once a week from 9 weeks of age to 14 weeks old. CoPP induced notably HO-1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, CoPP treatment led to a significant reduction of the psoriasiform histopathological changes and remarkable amelioration of the psoriasiform skin lesions, compared with PBS treatment, with a concomitant reduction in proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Additionally, CoPP treatment resulted in a decreased TNF-α and significantly increased IL-10 release. Our results suggest that HO-1 induction therapy ameliorates the psoriasiform skin lesions by suppressing keratinocyte hyperproliferation and attenuating production of inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present results of the first middle Miocene climate modelling study using the latest NCAR Community Atmosphere Model (CAM v.3.1) and Community Land Model (CLM v.3.0) coupled to a slab ocean. We examine the sensitivity of the middle Miocene climate to varying concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (180, 355 and 700 ppm). Model simulations are forced with realistic Miocene boundary conditions for continental geometry, topography and vegetation. Global annual mean surface temperature increases by 2.2 °C with each successive doubling of CO2 which is consistent with climate sensitivity of previous paleoclimate studies and estimates for future climate. In addition to growing evidence that tropical sea surface temperatures were higher than suggested by proxy-data, our understanding of middle to high latitude warming mechanisms is still incomplete. We compare our results to the late Miocene study of Steppuhn et al. [Steppuhn, A., Micheels, A., Bruch, A., Uhl, D., Utescher, T., Mosbrugger, V., 2007. The sensitivity of ECHAM4/ML to a double CO2 scenario for the Late Miocene and the comparison to terrestrial proxy data. Global and Planetary Change, 57, 189–212] to explore the dependence of paleoclimate model sensitivities on different software systems and boundary conditions. Our comparison shows climate sensitivity to be overall quite robust — this is as significant, as it is often unclear to what extent simulation behaviour and outputs are dependent on a particular model implementation and initial/boundary conditions. Some distinct differences in model outputs, such as our reduced latitudinal surface temperature gradient and stronger Asian monsoon system, compared to the late Miocene study of Steppuhn et al. [Steppuhn, A., Micheels, A., Bruch, A., Uhl, D., Utescher, T., Mosbrugger, V., 2007. The sensitivity of ECHAM4/ML to a double CO2 scenario for the Late Miocene and the comparison to terrestrial proxy data. Global and Planetary Change, 57, 189–212] are shown to be closely linked to the choice of topography, vegetation and ocean heat flux. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Chemotherapy is highly effective for metastatic germ cell tumor (GCT), but experience with resection of hepatic metastases from GCT is limited.Methods: Fifteen patients with GCT metastatic to the liver underwent 16 hepatic operations (1975-2002). Pre-resection therapy, surgical pathology, and operative outcomes were reviewed. All patients were followed to death or last contact for survival and disease status.Results: Patients underwent biopsy (three), wedge resection (nine), bisegmentectomy (two), and major lobectomy (two). Hepatic histology included: necrosis (33%), viable tumor (27%), mature teratoma (13%), and benign histology (27%). Concomitant resection of extrahepatic disease (14 patients, 93%) found necrosis (53%), mature teratoma (27%), and viable tumor (13%). Operative mortality was 0% and morbidity was 40%. At 8.2 years (mean) from resection, 11 patients (73%) were alive: five with no evidence of disease, two with elevated tumor marker only, and four with gross disease. Four patients (27%) died. The 10-year overall survival was 62% from diagnosis.Conclusion: Resection of post-chemotherapy hepatic disease is safe, even when combined with resection of extrahepatic residual disease. The varied histologic findings, lack of reliable predictors, and prolonged survival achieved support a multidisciplinary approach which includes surgical resection of hepatic metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a computationally efficient approach of estimating a sampling frequency offset (SFO) in multi-band ultra wideband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. In order to devise the post-FFT based SFO estimator with low complexity, the partial pilot subset is chosen such that it provides an equivalent estimation performance to the conventional SFO estimator using the full pilot symbols. Mean square error of the low-overhead frequency estimation scheme is derived and simulation results are provided to verify our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a joint estimation of carrier frequency offset and sampling frequency offset is suggested for multi-band ultra-wideband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (UWB-OFDM) systems. The basic idea of our approach is based on the fact that two adjacent OFDM symbols carry the identical information in the UWB-OFDM system, thus removing the need of pilot symbols. The system performance of using our algorithm is demonstrated in terms of mean square error and bit error rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, the loss of orthogonality between the subcarriers due to carrier frequency offset (CFO) can degrade the performance of the system. In this paper, a residual CFO synchronization method is proposed for ultra wideband OFDM (UWB-OFDM) systems. The proposed fine frequency synchronization scheme uses a channel estimation sequence and physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) header information which are equipped with frequency-domain spreading. A UWB-OFDM receiver with algorithm for fine frequency error synchronization is simulated and is evaluated in terms of mean square error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a fine carrier frequency offset synchronizer is presented for ultra-wideband multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (UWB MB-OFDM) systems. The proposed scheme uses a channel estimation (CE) sequence provided in the current UWB MB-OFDM system and is designed to be insensitive to a sampling clock frequency offset. To demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed fine frequency synchronizer, comparisons are made with the conventional frequency synchronizer in terms of mean square error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with multiband frequency hopping (FH) is regarded as a promising solution for realizing ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. This paper deals with a modified maximum likelihood approach for frequency ambiguity resolution in the multiband UWB system. By using computer simulation, the synchronization performance of the traditional and proposed methods is evaluated in terms of probability of synchronization failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]