Search

Background: Epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and DNA repair status represent intrinsic features of colorectal cancer (CRC) and are associated with patient prognosis and treatment responsiveness. We sought to develop a combined EMT and DNA repair gene panel with potential application in patient classification and precise treatment. Methods: We comprehensively evaluated the EMT and DNA repair patterns of 1,652 CRC patients from four datasets. Unsupervised clustering was used for classification. The clinical features, genetic mutation, tumor mutation load, and chemotherapy as well as immunotherapy sensitivity among different clusters were systematically compared. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression method was used to develop the risk model. Results: Three distinct CRC clusters were determined. Clustet1 was characterized by down-regulated DNA repair pathways but active epithelial markers and metabolism pathway and had intermediate prognosis. Clustet2 was characterized by down-regulated both epithelial markers and DNA repair pathways and had poor outcome. Clustet3 presented with activation of DNA repair pathway and epithelial markers had favorable prognosis. Clustet1 might benefit form chemotherapy and Clustet3 had a higher response rate to immunotherapy. An EMT and DNA repair risk model related to prognosis and treatment response was developed. Conclusions: This work developed and validated a combined EMT and DNA repair gene panel for CRC classification, which may be an effective tool for survival prediction and treatment guidance in CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A T4B hepatic flexure of colon cancer that had invaded the liver, gall bladder, and pancreas/duodenum was removed through a D3 expanded right hemicolectomy + pancreaticoduodenectomy +sectional VI and VII hepatic segmentectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different opinions exist on the relationship between the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and the prognosis of colon cancer. This study is aimed at evaluating the relationship between CAR and prognosis of stage II–III colon cancer and establishing a clinical prognosis model. Patients were randomised to a training set (566 cases) and validation set (110 cases). The relationship between CAR and clinicopathological variables was calculated, and the Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyse the overall survival (OS) rate of colon cancer. In the training set, colon cancer independent risk factors were included in the prognosis model and then tested in the validation set. The accuracy and discrimination of the model were assessed using the C-index and calibration curves. Compared with patients with low CAR, patients with high CAR showed significantly poorer survival (P = 0.020). In the multivariate analysis, CAR, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), lymph node metastasis, operation mode, and perineural invasion were identified as independent prognostic indicators and adopted to establish the prediction model. The C-index of the nomogram for predicting OS reached 0.751 in the training set and 0.719 in the validation set. The calibration curve exhibited good consistency. In the present study, the CAR may be an independent prognostic factor for stage II–III colon cancer, and the nomogram has a certain predictive value. However, further prospective large-sample research needs to be conducted to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing ordered mesoporous silica-based membranes with highly sensitive detection performance is of great significance for direct electrochemical detection in biological fluids against surface biofouling. Herein, we describe a facile one-step approach for the integration of a vertically-ordered mesoporous silica-nanochannel film (VMSF) with electrochemically reduced graphene oxide (ErGO) by an electrochemically assisted self-assembly (EASA) method. Electrochemical reduction of GO and growth of the VMSF simultaneously occur in a simple one-step process, forming a VMSF/ErGO layer on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Arising from the oxygen-containing groups, hydrophobic π-conjugated structure, and the two-dimensional planar structure of ErGO, the VMSF could be stably grown on the GCE surface and it further acted as a protective layer to prevent the internal ErGO electroactive layer from falling off the electrode surface over prolonged use. In comparison with a bare GCE, the present VMSF/ErGO/GCE sensor exhibits an excellent response to doxorubicin with a wide linear range (1 nM−20 μM), a high sensitivity (7.815 μA μM−1) and a low limit of detection (0.77 nM), due to the cooperative signal amplification originating from the electrocatalytic activity and π–π interaction of ErGO and electrostatic preconcentration effect of the VMSF. Furthermore, considering the outstanding anti-fouling and anti-interference ability of the VMSF, direct determination and long-term monitoring of doxorubicin in human whole blood was successfully achieved by the sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with stage II‐III colorectal cancer (CRC) can vary greatly, even between patients with the same tumor stage. We aimed to design a nomogram to predict OS in resected, stage II‐III CRC and stratify patients with CRC into different risk groups. Patients and Methods: Based on data from 873 patients with CRC, we used univariate Cox regression analysis to select the significant prognostic features, which were subjected to the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression algorithm for feature selection. Cross‐validation was used to confirm suitable tuning parameters (λ) for LASSO logistic regression. Then, the nomogram was used to estimate 3‐ and 5‐year OS based on the multivariable Cox regression model. The survival curves of the two groups were produced using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Risk group stratification was performed to assess the predictive capacity of the nomogram. Results: Preoperative mean platelet volume, preoperative platelet distribution width, monocytes, and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy were identified as independent prognostic factors by LASSO regression and integrated for the construction of the nomogram. The nomogram provided good discrimination, with C‐indices of 0.67 and 0.69 for the training and validation sets, respectively. Calibration plots illustrated excellent agreement between the nomogram predictions and actual observations for 3‐ and 5‐year OS. Moreover, a significant difference in OS was shown between patients stratified into different risk groups (P <.001). Conclusion: We constructed and validated an original predictive nomogram for OS in patients with CRC after surgery, facilitating physicians to appraise the individual survival of postoperative patients accurately and identify high‐risk patients who need more aggressive treatment and follow‐up strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy is an essential component of systemic chemotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC). The immune response is implicated in chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity. Here, we reported an immune risk (Imm-R) model for prognostic prediction in patients receiving fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. Gene expression profiles and corresponding clinical information were collected from four data sets and divided into training set (n = 183) and validation set (validation set1: n = 34; validation set2: n = 99). The composition of 22 tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) populations was characterized with the CIBERSORT deconvolution algorithm. A prognostic Imm-R model for predicting overall survival was established by performing least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) penalized COX regression analysis. T follicular helper cells and M0 macrophages were associated with better survival, while eosinophils were associated with worse survival. TIICs signature was constructed based on the above three immune cell types. Furthermore, a Imm-R model was created by integrating TIICs signature with immune-related genes (IRGs), which effectively in distinguishing CRC patients with poorer prognosis. The Imm-R model was associated with activation of the TGF-beta signaling and suppression of DNA damage. Results of this research provide new insights into the role of immunity for in fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy as well as a useful tools to predict the outcome of CRC patients receiving fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular invasion (VI) is an important feature for systemic recurrence and an indicator for the application of adjuvant therapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Preoperative knowledge of VI is important in determining whether adjuvant therapy is necessary, as well as the adequacy of surgical resection. In the present study, a predictive nomogram for VI in patients with CRC was constructed. The prediction model consisted of 664 eligible patients with CRC, who were divided into a training set (n=468) and a validation set (n=196). Data were collected between August 2013 and April 2018. The feature selection model was established using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to construct the predictive nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated by calibration, discrimination and clinical usefulness. Differentiation, computed tomography (CT)-based on N stage (CT N stage), hemameba and tumor distance from the anus (cm) were integrated into the nomogram. The nomogram exhibited good discrimination, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.731 and good calibration. Application of the nomogram in the validation cohort showed acceptable discrimination, with an AUC of 0.710 and good calibration. Decision curve analysis revealed that the nomogram was clinically useful. These findings suggests, to the best of our knowledge, that this may be the first nomogram for individual preoperative prediction of VI in patients with CRC, which may promote preoperative optimization strategies for this selected group of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most lethal cancer globally. This study sought to determine the feasibility of using red cell distribution width-to-lymphocyte ratio (RLR) as a tool to facilitate CRC detection. Methods. Seventy-eight healthy controls, 162 patients diagnosed with CRC, and 94 patients with colorectal polyps (CP) from June 2017 to October 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data were obtained to analyze preoperative RLR level, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to estimate the potential role of RLR as a CRC biomarker. Results. RLR was higher in patients with CRC than in healthy participants (P < 0.05). ROC analysis indicated that combined detection of RLR and CEA appears to be a more effective marker to distinguish among controls, CP, and CRC patients, yielding 56% sensitivity and 90% specificity. RLR levels were significantly greater in those who had more advanced TNM stages (P < 0.05) and patients with distant metastasis stages (P < 0.05). Conclusions. RLR might serve as a potential biomarker for CRC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave attenuation materials with high thermal conductivity are required for developing high power microwave technology. In this paper, boron-doped diamond films with different doping concentrations were prepared by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition. Complex permittivity of the samples was measured in the K-band by using the transmission/reflection method. It was found that the complex permittivity of the diamond films increased with an increase in the boron doping concentration and the diamond films were transformed from a microwave transparent material into a microwave absorbing material. In addition, although thermal conductivity decreased with increasing boron concentration, it remained at a fairly high level. Therefore, boron-doped diamond films could be developed into a microwave attenuation material with extremely high thermal conductivity. Mechanism analysis revealed that the increase in the real part of permittivity mainly resulted from the hopping polarization of bound charges, while the increase in the imaginary part was due to both hopping polarization and valence band conduction. It was found that with the increase in the boron doping concentration, the proportion of the dielectric loss of the first mechanism increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated the effect of lanthanum (La) on magnetic properties of magnets. Analysis of the sintering behavior and microstructure of La-substituted rare earth element-iron-boron magnets; Identification of phases in the La-containing magnets; Examination of the oxidation of La-containing rare earth element-rich alloys.

Background: Three-dimensional (3D) laparoscopy has the advantages and characteristics of more radical procedures in the treatment of gastric cancer. The objective of this research was to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of 3D laparoscopic procedures in the treatment of advanced distal gastric cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 124 patients treated with 3D and two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopic D2 lymphadenectomy for distal gastric cancer at the China Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital and the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from January 2014 to January 2015. The effects on operative time, bleeding, hospitalization time, complications, and the number of lymph nodes removed were analyzed. Results: The difference between the general data of the two groups was not statistically significant (P.0.05). In analysis of the subgroups, the number of lymph nodes removed in the 3D laparoscopic group was significantly higher than in the 2D laparoscopic group ([2.52±1.88] vs [2.22±1.80], P=0.001; [2.22±1.80] vs [1.47±1.99], P=0.019). However, the differences among the total number of lymph nodes removed, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, postoperative recovery time, and postoperative hospital stay were not statistically significant. Conclusion: 3D laparoscopic-assisted radical gastrectomy for distal advanced gastric cancer is safe and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2007, ligation of the intersphincteric fistula tract (LIFT) for the management of anal fistula was all introduced with initial success and excitement. It remains controversial which surgical procedure is suitable for transsphincteric fistula, especially to complex anal fistula. This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the results in patients with recurrent anal fistula by LIFT. A retrospective study of 55 complex fistula patients who underwent LIFT procedure in a single medical center was analyzed. Patients and fistula characteristics, complications, and recurrences were reviewed. All 55 patients underwent the procedure with a median follow-up of 16 months. Median operative time was 44 (range 23–88) minutes. Of the 55 patients, 33 (60%) healed completely and did not require any further surgical treatment at end of follow-up. Twenty-two (40%) recurrences and six complications were observed. Compared with patients who had undergone more than two surgical procedures, LIFT was more suitable for patients who had undergone one to two surgical procedures, and significant difference was observed in number of operations before LIFT (p=0.002). Clinicians can consider the use of LIFT for the treatment of recurrent anal fistulas. A larger number of patients and prospective study are needed to be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone morphogenetic protein-9 (BMP9) shows great osteoinductive potential in bone regeneration. Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) with multi-differentiation capability and low immunogenicity are increasingly used as seed cells for periodontal regenerative therapies. In the present study, we investigated the potent osteogenic activity of BMP9 on human PDLSCs (hPDLSCs), in which the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway is possibly involved. Our results showed that JNK inhibition by the specific inhibitor SP600125 or adenovirus expressing small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting JNK (AdR-si-JNK) significantly decreased BMP9-induced gene and protein expression of early and late osteogenic markers, such as runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OCN), in hPDLSCs. We also confirmed the in-vivo positive effect of JNKs on ectopic bone formation induced by hPDLSCs injected into the musculature of athymic nude mice and BMP9 ex vivo gene delivery. For the cellular mechanism, we found that BMP9 activated the phosphorylation of JNKs and Smad2/3, and that JNKs may engage in cross-talk with the Smad2/3 pathway in BMP9-mediated osteogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of this analysis was to compare the advantages of the anal fistula plug ( AFP) with the mucosa advancement flap ( MAF) for complex anal fistulas. Methods Comparative studies of the efficacy of AFP and MAF were included. Two independent reviewers selected articles for inclusion. After information collection, a meta-analysis was performed using data on overall healing rates, complications, incontinences and recurrences. The quality of postoperative life and cost were also included with the clinical results. Results Ten studies included 778 patients who were divided into AFP and MAF groups in this meta-analysis. During the follow-up period, no significant difference in healing rates, complications and recurrences were found ( P = 0.55, P = 0.78 and P = 0.23, respectively). The incontinence rate of AFP was lower than that of MAF ( P = 0.04). The postoperative quality of life of AFP patients was superior to that of MAF patients. The AFP patients had less persistent pain of a shorter duration and shortened healing time and hospital stay. The treatment cost of AFP patient was lower than that of MAF. Conclusion Compared to the MAF procedure, the AFP procedure has some advantages for complex anal fistulas, but more and large randomized clinical trials comparing the two procedures for fistula management need to be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We evaluated the efficacy of fistulectomy compared to fistulotomy, and which procedure was the best procedure for patients with low anal fistula. Methods: The literature search included PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Google original studies and a manual search of reference on the topic of fistulectomy compared to fistulotomy for anal fistula that had a deadline for publication by June 2016. Randomized controlled trials studies were included in the review. The outcome variables were analyzed which including operative time, healing time, postoperative complications, recurrence and incontinence. Results: Six randomized controlled trials (fistulectomy = 280, fistulotomy = 285) were considered suitable for the meta-analysis, with a total of 565 patients. The result of meta-analysis indicated no statistically significant difference in operative time [OR 4.74, 95 % CI −2.74, 12.23, p = 0.21] and healing time [OR −3.32, 95 % CI −19.86, 13.23, p = 0.69] between the fistulectomy and fistulotomy procedures. Three main postoperative complications were included, and the combined result indicated no statistically significant difference in overall complications [OR 1.39, 95 % CI 0.51, 3.78, p = 0.52] and subgroup complication. At the end of follow up, two kinds of surgical methods have the same low recurrence rate and faecal incontinence. The result revealed that there was no significant difference in rate of fistula recurrence between the fistulectomy and the fistulotomy [OR 1.39, 95 % CI 0.70, 2.73, p = 0.34]. Conclusion: The meta-analysis indicates that there is no conclusive evidence if fistulectomy or fistulotomy procedure is better in the treatment of low anal fistula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the crystal structures and the compositions of the neodymium-rich phases in the Nd-Fe-B systems by means of transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Auger spectroscopy techniques. Details on the primary phase of the Nd-Fe-B magnets; Method used in preparing the samples; Observation on the neodymium-rich phase layers in sintered magnets; Description of the boron-rich phase grain.

To explore why some oligonucleotides in denaturing polyacrylamide gel could not be silver-stained, 134 different oligonucleotides were analyzed using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis stained with silver and asymmetric cyanine. As a result, we found that the sensitivity of oligos (dA), (dC), (dG) and (dT) to silver staining could be ranged as (dA) > (dG) > (dC) > (dT) from high to low. It was unexpected that oligo (dT) was hard to be silver-stained. Moreover, the silver staining of an oligonucleotide containing base T could be partially or completely inhibited by base T. The inhibition of silver staining by base T was a competitive inhibition which could be affected by the amounts of the argyrophil nucleobase and base T, the cis-distance between the argyrophil nucleobase and base T, and the gel concentration. The changes of the intensity of an oligonucleotide band caused by the changes of DNA base composition were diverse and interesting. The intensity of some oligonucleotide bands would significantly change when the changes of DNA base composition accumulated to a certain extent (usually ≥ 4 nt). The sensitivity of cyanine staining of ≤ 11-nt long oligonucleotides could be enhanced about 250-fold by fixing the gels with methanol fixing solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (sCEA) level might be an indicator of disease. Indeed, an elevated sCEA level is a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. However, the genetic determinants of sCEA level in healthy and CRC population remains unclear. Thus we investigated the genetic markers associated with elevated serum sCEA level in these two populations and its clinical implications. Methods and Findings: Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in a cohort study with 4,346 healthy male adults using the Illumina Omni 1 M chip. Candidate SNPs associated with elevated sCEA levels were validated in 194 CRC patients on ABI Taqman platform. Eight candidate SNPs were validated in CRC patients. The rs1047781 (chr19- FUT2) (A/T) was associated with elevated sCEA levels, and rs8176746 (chr9- ABO) was associated with the regional lymph metastasis in the CRC patients. The preoperative sCEA level was a risk factor for tumor recurrence in 5 years after operation (OR = 1.427, 95% CI: 1.005∼1.843, P = 0.006). It was also one of the risk factors for regional lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.266, 95% CI: 1.196∼4.293, P = 0.012). The sCEA level in rs1047781-T carriers was higher than that in the A carriers in CRC patients without lymph node metastasis (P = 0.006). The regional lymph node metastasis in patients with homozygote AA of rs8176746 was more common than that in the heterozygote AG carriers (P = 0.022). In addition, rs1047781-AT and TT CRC patients exhibited a worse disease-free survival than AA genotype carriers (P = 0.023). Conclusions: We found candidate SNPs associated with elevated sCEA levels in both healthy males and CRC population. Rs1047781 (chr19- FUT2) may be the susceptible locus for recurrence of CRC in a population from Southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an inducible enzyme converting arachidonic acid to prostaglandins and playing important roles in inflammatory diseases as well as tumor development. Previous studies investigating the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to explore this association. Methods: All studies published up to October 2013 on the association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library. The association between COX-2 polymorphisms and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Ten studies with 6,774 cases and 9,772 controls were included for −1195A>G polymorphism, 13 studies including 6,807 cases and 10,052 controls were available for −765G>C polymorphism, and 8 studies containing 5,121 cases and 7,487 controls were included for 8473T>C polymorphism. With respect to −765G>C polymorphism, we did not find a significant association with CRC risk when all eligible studies were pooled into the meta-analysis. However, in subgroup analyses by ethnicity and cancer location, with a Bonferroni corrected alpha of 0.05/2, statistical significant increased CRC risk was found in the Asian populations (dominant model CC+CG vs. GG: OR = 1.399, 95%CI: 1.113–1.760, P = 0.004) and rectum cancer patients (CC vs. GG: OR = 2.270, 95%CI: 1.295–3.980, P = 0.004; Recessive model CC vs. CG+GG: OR = 2.269, 95%CI: 1.297–3.970, P = 0.004). In subgroup analysis according to source of control, no significant association was detected. With respect to −1195A>G and 8473T>C polymorphisms, no significant association with CRC risk was demonstrated in the overall and subgroup analyses. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis suggests that the COX-2 −765G>C polymorphism may be a risk factor for CRC in Asians and rectum cancer patients. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Caspase-8 (CASP8) plays a central role in the apoptotic pathway and aberrant regulation of this pathway may cause cancers. Previous studies investigating the association between CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk showed inconclusive results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to investigate this association. Methods: All studies published up to October 2013 on the association between CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library. The association between CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Six studies with 6,325 cases and 6,842 controls were included in the meta-analysis. We observed that the CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism was significantly correlated with CRC risk when all studies were pooled into the meta-analysis (ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.890, 95%CI 0.821–0.964, P = 0.004; del/del + ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.899, 95%CI 0.833–0.970, P = 0.006). In stratified analyses by ethnicity, source of control, and quality score, significant association was observed in Asians (ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.862, 95%CI 0.761–0.977, P = 0.020; del/del + ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.845, 95%CI 0.749–0.953, P = 0.006), population-based studies (ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.890, 95%CI 0.813–0.975, P = 0.012; del/del + ins/del vs. ins/ins: OR = 0.901, 95%CI 0.827–0.982, P = 0.018), and high quality studies. However, in subgroup analysis according to cancer location, no significant association was detected. Conclusions: The present meta-analysis suggests that the CASP8 is a candidate gene for CRC susceptibility. The CASP8 -652 6N ins/del polymorphism may play a protective role in CRC development especially among Asians. Further large and well-designed studies are needed to confirm this association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to promote the industrialization of the large deformation technology of carbon fiber composites, this paper studies a new method of forming of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite. The purpose is to solve the problem of large deformation of carbon fiber with low elongation and metal matrix with high elongation. By introducing carbon fiber with helical space structure into the aluminum matrix, the helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites were prepared and the subsequent drawing deformation was carried out. Here we systematically studied the large plastic deformation behavior of helical carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite via a combination of numerical simulations and experiments, and analyzed the deformation law and stress of helical carbon fiber in the deformation process. We found that the plastic deformation of the composite causes local stress concentration around the helical carbon fiber, and the helical carbon fiber will move synchronously with the aluminum matrix during the deformation, and receive the pressure from the aluminum matrix. Second, the best process parameters obtained from the simulation, that is, the drawing die angle α = 7°, when five-pass drawing experiments were carried out, the total deformation reached 58%, and the average elongation of a single pass was 18.9%. The experimental show carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composite with helical space structure can achieve large deformation and high strength. The experimental and simulation are in general agreement, which verifies the correctness of the carbon fiber helical structure model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) has gained considerable importance due to the capability of producing high quality diamond film, microwave cavity is one key factor for improving the techniques. Reentrant cavities with special structure were proposed, the effective chamber dimension can be changed. Ring shape quartz dielectric window was employed on the bottom side of the substrate holder and so fully shielded from the plasma, which make the cavity has excellent power handing capability. Distribution of electric fields in cavities were simulated. The modeling results show that, after optimization, electric field in chamber exhibits one maximum and homogeneous distribution on substrate, but very weak near the dielectric window, which meet the requirement for design. Proposed reentrant cavities have potential application in MPCVD diamond film with more microwave input power. This study will provide reference for further improvement of MPCVD techniques. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To explore the spectrum of p53 gene mutations of sporadic colorectal carcinoma in Guangxi, a Zhuang autonomous region in southern China, we examined exons 2&nvsim; 11 and exon-intron junctions of p53 gene from 48 patients with sporadic colorectal carcinoma by using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA direct sequencing. As a result, p53 gene mutations were found in 31.25 percent (15/48) of our patients. A total of 13 types of p53 gene mutations were found, namely, c.370T > G, c.524G > A, c.528C > G, c.529_546del18, c.536A > G, c.736A > G, c.743G > A, c.770_771del2, c.772G > T, c.814G > A, c.949delC, c.782+1G > A, and c.919+1G > C. Only a double heterozygote for c.370T > G and c.529_546del18 was found. All the other mutations were heterozygous. No homozygote was found. 524G > A was the most common mutation, accounting for 18.75 percent (3/16). c.370T > G could not be found in the whole somatic mutation section of IARC TP 53 mutation database (2004 version). c.528C > G, c.949delC, c.782+1G > A, and c.919+1G > C could not be found in colorectal carcinomas reported in the somatic mutation section of IARC TP 53 mutation database (2004 version). The frequency (45.83 percent) of p53 gene mutations in &nvge;60 years old patients was higher than that (16.67 percent) in < 60 year old patients (P < 0.05). The frequency (47.83 percent) of p53 gene mutations in rectal carcinoma was higher than that (16 percent) in colonic carcinoma (P < 0.025). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the effects associated with the optical fiber polarimetric temperature sensor along with the strain sensor. Demonstration of these effects; How can higher accurate values of two parameters be ascertained; Consideration of the sensitivity of the measurand.

Presents the use of a highly elliptical core two-mode fiber for simultaneous measurement of pressure and temperature. Analysis of cross sensitivity; Numerical examples; Errors induced by the condition number of the sensitivity matrix; Expressions to calculate the cross sensitivity between pressure and temperature.

Carbon fiber is mainly distributed in the shape of short fibers and continuous fiber bundles as the reinforcing phase in metal matrix composites, and it is seldom studied as braided rope shaped to reinforce the matrix. For this paper, the pretreatment and the surface metallization of the carbon fiber braided rope were studied. Besides, the casting experiments of aluminum-based carbon fiber braided rope composites were performed without external pressure. XPS analysis shows that the surface of the carbon fiber braided rope treated with ultrasonic degumming contains many hydrophilic oxygen-containing functional groups C-OH, C=O, COOH, etc., which can effectively improve the wettability between the carbon fiber braided rope and the aluminum matrix. SEM, EDS, and XRD were used to analyze the micromorphology and structure of the copper plating on the surface of carbon fiber braided ropes obtained from different pH plating solutions. When pH is 12, a continuous, uniform, and dense layer was formed on the surface of carbon fiber braided ropes. In addition, copper coating can effectively inhibit the formation of Al4C3 brittle phase. Finally, the mechanical properties results indicated that the tensile strength of the carbon fiber bundle and carbon fiber rope reinforced composite materials were 69 MPa and 83 MPa, respectively, indicating that the reinforcing effect of the carbon fiber rope is better than that of the carbon fiber bundle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal conductivity is required for developing high-power microwave technology. Diamond has the highest thermal conductivity in nature. In this study, a diamond film was synthesized by microwave plasma chemical deposition, and then long and short conductive graphite fibers were introduced to the diamond films by laser ablation. The permittivity of the samples in the K-band was measured using the transmission/reflection method. The permittivity of diamond films with short graphite fibers increased. The increase in real part of permittivity can be attributed to electron polarization, and the increase in the imaginary part can be ascribed to both polarization and electrical conductivity. The diamond films with long graphite fibers exhibited a highly pronounced anisotropy for microwave. The calculation of microwave absorption shows that reflection loss values exceeding −10 dB can be obtained in the frequency range of 21.3–23.5 GHz when the graphite fiber length is 0.7 mm and the sample thickness is 2.5 mm. Therefore, diamond films can be developed into a microwave attenuation material with extremely high thermal conductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin is the only renewable aromatic material in nature and contains a large number of oxygen-containing functional groups. High-value and green utilization of "lignin-to-chemicals" can be realized via using lignin to produce fine chemicals such as phenols and carboxylic acids, which can not only reduce the waste of lignin in the process of lignocellulosic biomass treatment, but gradually make the substitution of traditional fossil fuels come true. The hydrogenolysis process under catalysis of metal catalyst has high product selectivity and less impurity, which is suitable for the production of same type or single fine chemicals. Hydrogenolysis of lignin via metal catalysts to produce lignin oil, and further modification of functional groups (e.g. methoxyl, alkyl and hydroxyl group) of depolymerized monomers in the bio-oil to yeild phenols and terephthalic acid are reviewed, and catalytic mechanisms are briefly summarized in this paper. Finally, the problems of lignin catalytic conversion existing currently are investigated, and the future development of this field is also prospected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:The mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) gene encodes a phosphoprotein that interacts with P53 and negatively regulates its activity. The SNP309 polymorphism (T-G) in the promoter of MDM2 gene has been reported to be associated with enhanced MDM2 expression and tumor development. Studies investigating the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk reported conflicting results. We performed a meta-analysis of all available studies to explore the association of this polymorphism with CRC risk. Methods:All studies published up to July 2013 on the association between MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk were identified by searching electronic databases PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese Biomedical Literature database (CBM) databases. The association between the MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk was assessed by odds ratios (ORs) together with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results:A total of 14 case-control studies including 4460 CRC cases and 4828 controls were identified. We did not find a significant association between the MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism and CRC risk in all genetic models in overall population. However, in subgroup analysis by ethnicity, significant associations were found in Asians (TG vs. TT: OR = 1.197, 95% CI = 1.055–1.358, P=0.005; GG+TG vs. TT: OR = 1.246, 95% CI = 1.106–1.404, P=0.000) and Africans. When stratified by HWE in controls, significantly increased risk was also found among the studies consistent with HWE (TG vs. TT: OR = 1.166, 95% CI = 1.037–1.311, P= 0.010). In subgroup analysis according to p53 mutation status, and gender, no any significant association was detected. Conclusions:The present meta-analysis suggests that the MDM2 is a candidate gene for CRC susceptibility. The MDM2 SNP309 polymorphism may be a risk factor for CRC in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The properties and processes of cathode arc plasma carburizing were studied in this paper. Graphite with high purity and high strength was selected as the cathode arc source to provide carbon atoms. The carbon steel AISI 1010 was used as the substrate. A surface concentration of 1.05 wt.%C and a carburised layer thickness of 780 μm was obtained at 950 °C in 30 min. The diffusion coefficient of carbon atoms in carburizing layer was estimated by using the Matano-Plane method. The exponential relationship of diffusion coefficient and the distance to surface are determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lung cancer is one of most common malignant cancer worldwide. It is emerging that PCYT1A, a rate-limiting enzyme required for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylcholine, is associated with cancer progression. However, the biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of PCYT1A in lung adenocarcinoma is still unknown. Here we found that PCYT1A suppressed lung adenocarcinoma cancer cell proliferation and migration. Mechanically, PCYT1A served as a novel negative regulator of mTORC1 signaling. PCYT1A knockdown enhanced the malignant proliferation and migration of lung adenocarcinoma cells by activating mTORC1. The promoting effects of PCYT1A silencing on cell proliferation and migration could be abolished when mTORC1 signaling was inhibited by rapamycin or RAPTOR depletion. Importantly, PCYT1A high expression predicted longer survival of lung cancer patients. The expression of PCYT1A was also negatively correlated with mTORC1 activation in the clinical lung cancer samples. We therefore reveal that PCYT1A suppresses proliferation and migration by inhibiting the mTORC1 signaling pathway in lung adenocarcinoma. PCYT1A shows as a potential promising biomarker in lung adenocarcinoma. PCYT1A inhibits mTORC1 activation to suppress lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and migration. Low expression of PCYT1A by knocking down PCYT1A activates mTORC1 signaling thereby promoting cell proliferation and migration in lung adenocarcinoma cells, which can be reversed by mTORC1 inhibition by Rapamycin or RAPTOR knockdown. mTORC1 activation is negatively correlated with PCYT1A expression in lung adenocarcinoma clinical samples, revealing that PCYT1A/mTORC1 axis may be a potential target for lung cancer treatment. Image 1 • PCYT1A suppresses proliferation and migration in lung adenocarcinoma. • PCYT1A suppresses the malignant biological behavior in a mTORC1 dependent manner in lung adenocarcinoma. • PCYT1A is negatively correlated with mTORC1 activation in lung cancer clinical samples. • PCYT1A/mTORC1 axis may be a potential target for lung cancer treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two kinds of abnormal biomechanical stimulation models were used both in vivo and in vitro. • Temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis is related to mitochondrial injury. • Mitochondrial injury can be caused by an increase in nitric oxide. • Targeting mitochondrial pathway can be a strategy for the treatment of osteoarthritis. Chondrocyte apoptosis is a pathological manifestation of osteoarthritis. The goal of this report was to explore the role of nitric oxide in chondrocyte apoptosis in osteoarthritic mandibular condylar cartilage. This study used our reported experimental unilateral anterior crossbite in vivo rat model and chondrocyte fluid flow shear stress in vitro model. In the in vivo model, apoptosis in the mandibular condylar cartilage was assessed by detection of the TUNEL-positive cells, the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), caspase-9, and caspase-3. In the in vitro model, mitochondrial injury was evaluated, the nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase (SOD) production levels were measured, and the cytochrome C (Cyt C) expression level was detected. The expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), caspase-3, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1) were analyzed in both in vivo and in vitro models. The effects of iNOS inhibitor on chondrocyte apoptosis were also investigated. The data indicated that the unilateral anterior crossbite induced cartilage degeneration with enhanced cell apoptosis and stimulated the expression of caspase-3/-9 and iNOS. The fluid flow shear stress upregulated the expression of iNOS, SOD, and nitric oxide, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and promoted Cyt C to enter the cytoplasm. All of these changes were reversed by iNOS inhibitors. The abnormal occlusion stimulated mitochondrial damage and apoptosis of the chondrocytes in the mandibular condylar cartilage mediated by nitric oxide. Inhibiting nitric oxide production could be a therapeutic strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cubic silicon carbide (β-SiC) thin films were synthesized on cemented carbide (WC–Co) substrates as an interlayer for modifying the adhesion of diamond coatings. The influence of varying the hydrogen (H 2 )/tetramethylsilane (TMS) flow ratios on the microstructure, phase composition and adhesion of the β-SiC films was investigated. It was found that with the increase of the H 2 /TMS flow ratios, the SiC crystallite size increases from 6.5 nm to 22.2 nm. When the flow ratio was 40:5, the film was formed of loose cauliflower-like agglomerates, containing SiC granular particles. With the flow ratio increased from 40:5 to 120:5, the films became more uniform and denser, resulting in adhesion enhancement. However, when the ratio increased from 160:5 to 200:5, clusters composed of faceted particles replaced the agglomerates, and the adhesion reduced. The β-SiC film deposited with a H 2 /TMS flow ratio of 120:5 possessed a more uniform and denser structure, as well as better adhesion than the others. After subsequent diamond deposition, homogeneous nanocrystalline diamond coatings were realized on the β-SiC interlayered substrates. Compared with the results on the well-known two-step chemically etched substrates, the diamond coatings deposited on the substrates with the β-SiC interlayer possess excellent adhesion. It was also validated in this research that the β-SiC interlayer deposited with a H 2 /TMS flow ratio of 120:5 was effective in enhancing the adhesion of diamond coatings prepared on WC–Co substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, bi-layer (SiC + diamond) coatings were synthesized on 0.8-mm-diameter cemented carbide micro-end mills. The influences of SiC interlayers and diamond coatings on the morphologies, phase composition and fracture strength were investigated. The cutting performance of the bi-layer (SiC + diamond) coated tools was validated by dry cutting of aluminum alloys. The results indicated that the binder Co reacted with SiC to form cobalt silicides (i.e., Co 2 Si and CoSi), suggesting that the SiC interlayer suppressed the deleterious effects of Co, successfully. Neither the presence of the SiC interlayer nor the bi-layer coatings reduced the fracture resistance of the tools. The workpieces had a better surface finish after being cut by the coated tools than those cut by the uncoated tools. This result indicated that the bi-layer (SiC + diamond) coated tools exhibited better cutting performance than the uncoated tools. Thus, SiC interlayers were demonstrated as a suitable option for adherent diamond coatings on the cemented carbide components and cutting tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of two-step surface pretreatment utilizing two kinds of solutions (KOH:K3[Fe(CN)6]:H2O and H2SO4:H2O2) to etch, respectively, the surface WC and Co in cemented carbide substrates was investigated. Diamond films were deposited by means of the High Current Extended DC Arc Plasma CVD Equipment. The results showed that the two-step method can effectively remove the Co in cemented carbide substrates and obviously roughen the surface of the cemented carbide. As the result, enhancements both on the quality and adhesion of the diamond coatings were observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In present work, Al-7Si-4Cu alloys with/without 0.28 wt % Cd addition were fabricated. Both alloys were solution treated at 500 °C for 10 h, followed by quenching and subsequently ageing at 165 °C for different times of 0.5–20 h. Results showed that hardness, strength and ductility at peak-aged state for Cd-doped alloy were simultaneously enhanced by comparing with Cd-free alloy. Quantitative analysis results of microstructure indicated that with Cd addition a finer and denser microstructure of θ′ can be obtained. Based on microstructure characterization as well as thermodynamics and kinetics calculations, the mechanism for obtaining a finer and denser θ′ was discussed, which was considered as a result of the pre-precipitation and heterogeneous nucleation effect of Cd-rich particles. Improved mechanical properties for Cd-doped alloy were discussed to be ascribed to the precipitation of larger number density and less size of θ′. The increase of yield strength with Cd was quantitatively described by the strengthening models. The results indicated that yield strength increment in alloy B was dominated by strengthening contribution of finer and denser θ′ precipitates. Image 1 • Al-Si-Cu-Cd alloy was fabricated with finer and denser θ′ by Cd addition. • Hardness, strength and ductility were enhanced simultaneously in the Cd-doped alloy. • Heterogeneous nucleation effect of Cd-rich particles on refining θ′ was found. • Strengthening and toughening mechanisms in the Cd-doped alloy were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Twenty-eight chromanone-dithiocarbamate hybrids were designed and synthesized. • 6c showed potential inhibition for both AChE and Aβ aggregation. • 6c exhibited no acute toxicity in mice and could penetrate the BBB. • 6c could significantly reverse scopolamine-induced memory deficit in vivo. By connecting chromanone with dithiocarbamate moieties through flexible linkers, a series of hybrids as novel multifunctional AChE inhibitors have been designed and synthesized. Most of these compounds displayed strong and excellently selective inhibition to eeAChE as well as potent inhibition to self- and AChE-induced Aβ aggregation. Among them, compound 6c showed the best activity to inhibit eeAChE (IC 50 = 0.10 μM) and AChE-induced Aβ aggregation (33.02% at 100 μM), and could effectively inhibit self-induced Aβ aggregation (38.25% at 25 μM). Kinetic analysis and docking study indicated that compound 6c could target both the CAS and PAS, suggesting that it was a dual binding site inhibitor for AChE. Besides, it exhibited good ability to penetrate the BBB and low neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells. More importantly, compound 6c was well tolerated in mice (2500 mg/kg, po) and could attenuate the memory impairment in a scopolamine-induced mouse model. Overall, these results highlight 6c as a promising multifunctional agent for treating AD and also demonstrate that the dithiocarbamate is a valid scaffold for design of multifunctional AChE inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer is one of the top five malignant tumors in the world in terms of morbidity and mortality. Numerous long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are specifically expressed in tumours and can affect various types of human cancer by participating in competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks. However, the specific mechanisms and complex networks of ceRNA regulatory patterns in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remain unclear., Methods: Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we identified the differentially expressed lncRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA) between colon cancer and normal tissues, as well as between groups with high and low CEACAM5 expression. Then, we constructed CEACAM5-related ceRNA networks, established the key lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axis, and explored the biological mechanisms of this axis and its clinical significance in colon cancer from multiomic aspects., Results: We constructed a ceRNA network of 18 lncRNAs, 177 miRNAs, and 25 mRNAs associated with CEACAM5 and finally established the key LCMT1-AS2 /miR-454-3p/ribosomal protein S6 kinase A5 (RPS6KA5) axis associated with overall survival. Subsequent investigations have indicated that this regulatory axis could potentially participate in the progression of COAD and exert influence on the therapeutic outcomes of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It may be involved in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and may modify the tumor immune microenvironment and influence the course of COAD. Additionally, it may be related to ferroptosis, N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation, and tumor stemness and interfere with the sensitivity of tumor cells to 5-fluorouracil and immunotherapy., Conclusions: The LCMT1-AS2/RPS6KA5 axis may be instrumental in tumor progression, potentially acting as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jgo.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jgo-24-43/coif). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (2024 Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology. All rights reserved.)

The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a comprehensive indexing vocabulary used to label millions of books and articles on PubMed. The MeSH annotation of a document consists of one or more descriptors, the main headings, and of qualifiers, subheadings specific to a descriptor. Currently, there are more than 34 million documents on PubMed, which are manually tagged with MeSH terms. In this paper, we describe a machine-learning procedure that, given a document and its MeSH descriptors, predicts the respective qualifiers. In our experiment, we restricted the dataset to documents with the Heart Transplantation descriptor and we only used the PubMed abstracts. We trained binary classifiers to predict qualifiers of this descriptor using logistic regression with a tfidf vectorizer and a fine-tuned DistilBERT model. We carried out a small-scale evaluation of our models with the Mortality qualifier on a test set consisting of 30 articles (15 positives and 15 negatives). This test set was then manually re-annotated by a cardiac surgeon, expert in thoracic transplantation. On this re-annotated test set, we obtained macroaveraged F1 scores of 0.81 for the logistic regression model and of 0.85 for the DistilBERT model. Both scores are higher than the macroaveraged F1 score of 0.76 from the initial PubMed manual annotation. Our procedure would be easily extensible to all the MeSH descriptors with sufficient training data and, we believe, would enable human annotators to complete the indexing work more easily.Clinical Relevance-Selecting relevant articles is important for clinicians and researchers, but also often a challenge, especially in complex subspecialties such as heart transplantation. In this study, a machine-learning model outperformed PubMed's manual annotation, which is promising for improved quality in information retrieval.

Objective: To identify differences between the composition, abundance, and biological function of the intestinal microbiome of patients with and without lymph-vascular invasion (LVI) colorectal cancer (CRC) and to construct predictive labels to support accurate assessment of LVI in CRC., Method: 134 CRC patients were included, which were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of LVI, and their intestinal microbiomes were sequenced by 16SrRNA and analyzed for differences. The transcriptome sequencing data of 9 CRC patients were transformed into immune cells abundance matrix by CIBERSORT algorithm, and the correlation among LVI-associated differential intestinal microbiomes, immune cells, immune-related genes and LVI-associated differential GO items and KEGG pathways were analyzed. A random forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) model were constructed to predict the LVI of CRC patients based on the differential microbiome., Result: There was no significant difference in α-diversity and β-diversity of intestinal microbiome between CRC patients with and without LVI (P > 0.05). Linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis showed 34 intestinal microbiomes enriched in CRC patients of the LVI group and 5 intestinal microbiomes were significantly enriched in CRC patients of the non-lymph-vascular invasion (NLVI) group. The RF and XGB prediction models constructed with the top 15% of the LVI-associated differential intestinal microbiomes ranked by feature significance had good efficacy., Conclusions: There are 39 intestinal flora with significantly different species abundance between the LVI and NLVI groups. g:Alistipes.s:Alistipes&#95;indistinctus is closely associated with colorectal cancer vascular invasion. LVI-associated differential intestinal flora may be involved in regulating the infiltration of immune cells in CRC and influencing the expression of immune-related genes. LVI-associated differential intestinal flora may influence the process of vascular invasion in CRC through a number of potential biological functions. RF prediction models and XGB prediction models constructed based on microbial markers of gut flora can be used to predict CRC-LVI conditions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Chen, Huang, Huang, Wang, He, Qin, Long, Tang, Mo, Liu and Tang.)