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Cervical cancer rates in China remain high, with only limited opportunistic screening in urban centers and large mostly unscreened rural areas. Cervical cytology practices in China have been changing over the last decade with introduction of The Bethesda System reporting terminology, liquid-based cytology (LBC), and programs for cervical cytology screening of underserved rural populations. An effort was undertaken for the first time to collect nationwide data on cervical cytology laboratory practices in China, a possible first step toward increased standardization and potential development of nationwide cytology quality benchmarks. Data on cervical cytology practices from 1572 laboratories operating in 26 nationwide Provisional Level Administrative Divisions was collected in an online survey approved through the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai. Over 90% of cervical cytology laboratories in China now solely use Bethesda System reporting terminology. LBC is now the most commonly utilized form of cervical cytology, with lower-cost Chinese-manufactured LBC formulations used in almost 70% of laboratories. Nationwide, significantly higher abnormal cytology rates were reported with LBC than with the conventional Papanicolaou smear (CPS); however, the CPS remains a useful low-cost alternative as China strives to extend cervical screening to large underserved rural areas. Abnormal cytology rates were not significantly different when different levels of hospitals were compared. The survey identified nationwide opportunities for cytology quality improvement, including low rates of reporting of unsatisfactory cases and low rates for atypical glandular cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-hole drilling technology is commonly used in the aerospace and automobile industries, for new-energy equipment manufacturing, and in the high-tech industries. While this technology produces high-quality holes, higher quality is pursued. A method to improve the processing quality is to suppress the vibration modes associated with long shafts. This problem was addressed with an aim of real-time application. In addition, a higher goal was set by way of providing a solution (in full) to the associated problem, to shed light on processes that bear similar features in manufacturing and for other industries. An operable control scheme was constructed by transforming the system dynamics to modal space for modal decoupling and truncation. The modal displacement and velocity information estimated by the modal filtering were introduced into the feedback gain matrix. All obstacles in traditional physical space were shunned. A damper/sensor position optimisation algorithm was suggested to minimise the modal spillover and acquire modal orthogonality, which led to a new method that has an edge on all preceding methods because of its stronger ability. A system capable of real-time suppression of modal vibration in a deep-hole drilling tool was built and implemented. Using hole roundness error as the criterium, it was found that further improvement of hole quality was achieved. The idea presented in this work may pave the way for elevating the quality of other manufacturing processes with similar weak stiffness features, such as those seen in long-shaft tools or thin-wall workpieces. The method may also provide a reference for other industries with relevant or comparable problems. Image 1 • Real-time targeted suppression of drilling tool vibration modes is presented for improving the hole processing quality. • An operable damper/sensor position optimisation strategy was constructed to minimize the modal spillover. • This method may also provide a reference for other manufacturing processes with similar weak stiffness features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Viscoelastic sandwich structures (VSSs) have been widely used in mechanical equipment. The aging condition monitoring of VSSs is essential for fault prevention of mechanical equipment. However, the ageing condition identification of VSS is still a challenging task since the change of structural response caused by the ageing of viscoelastic sandwich structure (VSS) is very puny. Therefore, a novel identification method based on empirical wavelet transform (EWT) and Hilbert envelope demodulation is proposed for the ageing condition identification of VSS. First, EWT is constructed to decompose the vibration response signals of VSS into a set of sub-band signals, so that the aging condition feature components are allocated in a certain frequency band. Second, the sub-band signals that contain rich aging condition information are selected and used to reconstruct a new signal. Thirdly, the reconstructed signal is analyzed with Hilbert envelope demodulation to obtain an envelope spectrum. Finally, the low band energy of envelope spectrum is calculated as detection index to identify the aging condition of VSS. The proposed method is verified with a well-designed VSS in which the viscoelastic core subjected to accelerated ageing in a thermal-oxygen ambient. The results show the outstanding performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scratching processes of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon carbide (SiC) with diamond grit were studied by molecular dynamics simulation to investigate the nanoscale material removal behavior. The results showed that, for both monocrystalline and polycrystalline SiC, the material removal processes were achieved by the phase transition to the amorphous structure. Large depth of cut and low scratching speed induced the large scratching forces, stress, and surface damage layer thickness. Less amorphous structure phase transition, smaller normal scratching force, and higher tangential stress were found in polycrystalline SiC, comparing to the monocrystalline SiC, due to the material soften caused by the microstructure, under all scratching conditions. Furthermore, the tangential stress showed highly dependent on the grain geometry and grain boundary (GB) location in polycrystalline. The subsurface damage layer in polycrystalline was little thinner than that in monocrystalline before the new GB generation at a low depth of cut and deteriorated at large depth of cut. In addition to the plastic deformation, which occurred in the monocrystalline SiC nanoscale scratching, the intergranular fracture and transgranular fracture were also observed through the GB generation and connection in polycrystalline SiC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) is one of the most common inhalation occupational diseases. It is no effective treatment methods. Early diagnosis of CWP could reduce mortality. Lipid mediators (LMs) as key mediators in the generation and resolution of inflammation, are natural biomarkers for diagnosis inflammatory disease, such as CWP. The UHPLC-MRM technique was used to detect LMs in urine. The metabolic network of LMs in CWP and CT group samples was comprehensively analyzed. Screening for major difference compounds between the two groups. Aimed to contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of CWP. Urinary levels of 13-OxoODE, 9-OxoODE, and 9,10-EpOME were significantly higher in the CWP group compared with the CT group (P < 0.05). In the model group, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) for 9-OxoODE,13-OxoODE,9,10-EpOME was 84.4%, 73.3%, and 80.9%, respectively. In the validation group, the area under the ROC was 87.0%, 88.8%, and 68.8% for 9-OxoODE,13-OxoODE,9,10-EpOME, respectively. According to the logistic regression model, the area under the ROC was 80.4% in the model group and 86.7% in the validation group. 13-OxoODE,9-OxoODE,9,10-EpOME could be used as biomarkers for early diagnosis. Significant abnormalities of LOX and CYP450 enzyme pathways were seen in CWP organisms. Changes in the CYP450 enzyme pathway may be associated with PAHs. • Possible difference in pathogenesis between CWP and silicosis suggested for the first time. • Suggesting that the CYP450 pathway in CWP should receive more attention in vivo. • Providing new perspectives on the treatment of CWP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An improved quasi-static of ball bearing is built. • The improved model has higher efficiency, applicability and convergence. • The effects of ring misalignment on ball bearings are discussed. • The bearing-rotor systems of two misalignment errors are comparatively analysis. As one of the most common errors in practical engineering, the ring misalignment has great influence on the service characteristics of ball bearing and rotor system. Based on the various contact angles and ball-raceway contact state determination, this paper presents an improved quasi-static model of ball bearing which has obvious advantages of the higher computational efficiency, wider application range and better convergence. On the basis, the effects of the ring misalignment on the stiffness and life characteristics for both the axially-loaded and combined-loaded ball bearings are discussed, then the change rules of the natural frequencies for the bearing-rotor systems with two different types of misalignment errors are comparatively analyzed. The results show that the ring angular misalignment can change the movement and force state of the balls inside ball bearing, thereby deteriorating (axially loaded ball bearing) or improving (combined loaded ball bearing) the service performance of ball bearing. Besides, the angular misalignment induced by the non-concentric housings of ball bearing has a greater impact on the dynamic characteristic of the rotor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crack induced surface/subsurface damage in SiC ceramic grinding limits the industrial application. A single-grain scratching simulation based on the smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) has been used to analyze the SiC grinding mechanism, including the material removal process, scratching speed effect on crack propagation, ground surface roughness, and scratching force. The simulation results showed that the material removal process went through the pure ductile mode, brittle assisted ductile mode, and brittle mode with the increase of the depth of cut. The critical depth of cut for ductile-brittle transition was about 0.35 µm based on the change of ground surface crack condition, surface roughness, and maximum scratching force. Increasing the scratching speed promoted the transformation of deep and narrow longitudinal crack in the subsurface into the shallow and wide transverse crack on the surface, which improved the surface quality. The SPH simulation results were indirectly validated by the cylindrical grinding experiments in terms of the critical single grain depth of cut for ductile-brittle transition, and the trend of ground surface roughness and grinding forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis is a serious disease that leads to severe inflammation, dysregulation of immune system, multi-organ failure and death. Innate response activator (IRA) B cells, which produce granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), protect against microbial sepsis. Lipid mediator lipoxin A4 (LXA4) exerts anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory effects, and it has been reported that LXA4 receptor ALX/FPR2 is expressed on B cells. Here, we investigated the potential role of LXA4 on IRA B cells in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. We found that LXA4 significantly promoted the expansion of splenic IRA B cells and increased GM-CSF expression in splenic B cells with LPS stimulation. After splenectomy, LXA4 treatment did not change the serum or peritoneal IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α levels in LPS-induced sepsis. LXA4 accelerated the migration of peritoneal B cells to spleen for their differentiation into IRA B cells, whereas this effect was independent of peritoneal macrophage. Furthermore, LXA4 enhanced the phosphorylation level of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) in splenic B cells. These results suggest that LXA4 protects against LPS-induced sepsis by promoting the generation and migration of splenic IRA B cells, and the underlying molecular mechanism may be related to STAT5 activation. It might provide new insights and therapeutic approaches for treating sepsis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a chronic obstructive disease which is characterized by recurring airway inflammation, reversible airway obstruction, airway hyper responsiveness and vascular remodeling. Thymoquinone (TQ), an active ingredient isolated from Nigella sativa , was reported to exhibit anti-inflammation and anti-proliferation of in various cancer cells as well as epithelial cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of TQ on the inflammation, neoangiogenesis and vascular remodeling induced by Ovalbumin (OVA) in asthma mice in vivo and the anti-angiogenesis effects of TQ in VEGF-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro . Our results revealed that TQ inhibited the production of inflammatory factors interleukin-4/− 5 (IL-4/− 5) by enzyme-linked immunesorbent assay (ELISA). Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the increase of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, which is also known as CD31 and α-smooth muscle actinalpha (α-SMA) expression in asthma mice challenged by OVA was suppressed by TQ. Moreover, TQ suppressed the activation of VEGFR2-PI3K-Akt pathway and up-regulated the expression of Slit glycoprotein-2 (Slit-2) both in vivo and in vitro with the inhibition of tube information in HUVEC cells. Meanwhile immunofluorescence analysis showed that Slit-2 and Roundabout-4 (Robo-4) were co-expressing after TQ treatment in OVA-challenged asthma mice. Our study demonstrates that TQ attenuated the inflammatory reaction by antagonizing IL-4/− 5 while the anti-neoangiogenesis effect of TQ is mediated by inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression through VEGFR2/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which supports a potential role for TQ in ameliorating asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the high parameter development of low-speed and high-torque hydraulic motors, higher requirements have been placed on the tribological performances of their moving parts. Connecting rod slipper pair, as key friction pair, directly affects the leakage of hydraulic motors. In this paper, a composite wear-resistant surface is fabricated by combining the surface texture and boronizing technology, and the texture parameters are optimized by orthogonal tribological test and then applied to the connecting rod slipper pair for hydraulic motor bench test. For the tribological test: (i) the lubrication performance of composite surface is mainly provided by dynamic pressure generated by dimple texture under oil lubrication condition, (ii) the wear rate increases with the increase of texture diameter and depth, while decreases first and then increases with the increase of area density under starved lubrication condition. The hydraulic motor bench test shows that the wear of the composite treated connecting rod is obviously improved, and the leakage is 47.6% lower than that of connecting rod without treatment. The result demonstrates that the composite surface has the ability to capture wear debris and provide dynamic pressure dues to the textured surface, and thus its wear resistance is obviously improved with collaborative use of the high-hardness boride layer. • A novel composite surface was fabricated by combined with surface texture and boronizing technology. • The effects of texture parameters on tribological properties were optimized by performing orthogonal tribological test. • The composite surface was fabricated on connecting rod slipper of hydraulic motor and evaluated by a bench test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metformin has been suggested as an anti-cancer agent. However, increasing reports show that some tumors are resistant to metformin. Identification of factors affecting metformin mediated cancer therapy is of great significance. FGFR1 is a receptor-tyrosine-kinase that is frequently overexpressed in breast cancer, which is associated with poor-prognosis. To investigate the effect of FGFR1 overexpression on metformin-induced inhibition of breast cancer cells, we demonstrated that FGFR1 overexpression rendered MCF-7 and T47D cells resistant to metformin. In particular, we found that, in addition to AKT and ERK1/2 activation, FGFR1-induced activation of IRS1 and IGF1R, key regulators connecting metabolism and cancer, was associated with metformin resistance. Targeting IRS with IRS1 KO or IRS inhibitor NT157 significantly sensitized FGFR1 overexpressing cells to metformin. Combination of NT157 with metformin induced enhanced inhibition of p-IGF1R, p-ERK1/2 and p-mTOR. Moreover, we demonstrated that IRS1 functions as a critical mediator of the crosstalk between FGFR1 and IGF1R pathways, which involves a feedback loop between IRS1 and MAPK/ERK. Our study highlights the significance of FGFR1 status and IRS1 activation in metformin-resistance, which will facilitate the development of strategies targeting FGFR overexpression-associated metformin resistance. • FGFR1 induced metformin resistance was associated with enhanced IRS activation. • Metformin-induced inhibition of p-IRS1 is attenuated in FGFR1 overexpressing cells. • IRS1 KO or IRS inhibitor NT157 sensitizes FGFR1 overexpressing cells to metformin. • NT157 enhances metformin-mediated inhibition of IRS1 and proliferation signaling. • IRS1 mediates FGFR1-IGFIR crosstalk via feedback activations with ERK1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To evaluate and contrast the therapeutic effect and safety of fluticasone aerosol combined with theophylline tablets in patients with moderate to severe asthma, compared with salmeterol/fluticasone propionate aerosol. Methods After a screening period, patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to the experiment group (fluticasone aerosol combined with theophylline tablets) or the control group (salmeterol/fluticasone aerosol combined with placebo tablets) for 12 weeks of treatment. The main outcome measurements were forced expiratory volume in 1 second and fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide value, whereas the secondary measures were forced vital capacity, peak expiratory flow value, and Asthma Control Test/Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire score. Findings Forty-four cases completed the course, with 23 cases in the experiment group and 21 cases in the control group. The forced expiratory volume in 1 second values of both groups were significantly improved from before ( P < 0.05). The fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide values of both groups were significantly decreased from before ( P < 0.05). The secondary outcome measurements after treatment achieved obvious improvement from baseline ( P < 0.05) in both. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in all measurements. In addition, the blood biochemistry results, ECG results, and vital signs of both groups had no significant abnormality. Implications There was no significant difference in therapeutic effect and safety between the 2 groups in treating patients with moderate to severe persistent asthma, which suggests that fluticasone aerosol combined with theophylline tablets is worth considering for use in primary hospitals or for low-income populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]