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In this prospective, multicenter, Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02987244), patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) who had responded to first-line chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin or epirubicin, vincristine or vindesine, etoposide, and prednisone (Chi-CHOEP) were treated by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or with chidamide maintenance or observation. A total of 85 patients received one of the following interventions: ASCT (n = 15), chidamide maintenance (n = 44), and observation (n = 26). estimated 3 PFS and OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 49.4% (P = 0.001). The two-year OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 69.0% (P = 0.075).The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than the observation group (P = 0.001, and P = 0.01, respectively). The overall survival (OS) differed significantly between the chidamide maintenance group and the observation group (P = 0.041). The multivariate and propensity score matching analyses for PFS revealed better outcomes in the subjects in the chidamide maintenance than observation groups (P = 0.02). The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significant survival advantages over the observation group. In the post-remission stage of the untreated PTCL patients, single-agent chidamide maintenance demonstrated superior PFS and better OS than observation. Our findings highlight the potential benefit of chidamide in this patient subset, warranting further investigation through larger prospective trials. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov, NCT02987244. Registered 8 December 2016, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02987244. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the benefit-risk of 3 commonly used Chinese medicine injections, Aidi Injection (ADI), Cinobufagin Injection (CINI) and Compound Kushen Injection (CKI), in the treatment of primary liver cancer (PLC), so as to provide a reference for clinical decision-making. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ADI, CINI and CKI in the treatment of PLC published in the databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, China Science and Technology Journal Database, SinoMed, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were retrieved from January 2020 to October 2022. The data of benefit and risk indicators were combined to obtain the effect value. The multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) model was applied to build the decision tree. The benefit value, risk value and benefit risk value of the 3 injections in PLC treatment were calculated. Monte Carlo simulation was carried out to calculate the 95% confidence interval and probability of differences among the 3 injections, so as to optimize the evaluation results. Results: A total of 71 RCTs were included. The benefit values of ADI, CINI and CKI combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) were 42, 38 and 36, respectively. The risk values were 42, 25 and 37, respectively. The benefit risk values were 42, 31 and 37, respectively. The benefit risk differences of ADI vs. CINI, ADI vs. CKI, and CKI vs. CINI were 11 (−0.86, 17.75), 5 (−5.01, 11.09), and 6 (−1.87, 12.63), respectively. The probability that ADI superior to CINI, ADI superior to CKI, and CKI superior to CINI was 96.26%, 77.27%, and 92.62%, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the results of MCDA model, CINI combined with TACE has the greatest risk in the treatment of the PLC. Considering the efficacy and safety, the possible priority of the 3 Chinese medicine injections combined with TACE in the treatment of PLC is ADI, CKI and CINI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early apoptosis of grafted islets is one of the main factors affecting the efficacy of islet transplantation. The combined transplantation of islet cells and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) can significantly improve the survival rate of grafted islets. Transcription factor insulin gene enhancer binding protein 1 (ISL1) is shown to promote the angiogenesis of grafted islets and the paracrine function of mesenchymal stem cells during the co-transplantation, yet the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. By using ISL1-overexpressing BMSCs and the subtherapeutic doses of islets for co-transplantation, we managed to reduce the apoptosis and improve the survival rate of the grafts. Our metabolomics and proteomics data suggested that ISL1 upregulates aniline (ANLN) and Inhibin beta A chain (INHBA), and stimulated the release of caffeine in the BMSCs. We then demonstrated that the upregulation of ANLN and INHBA was achieved by the binding of ISL1 to the promoter regions of the two genes. In addition, ISL1 could also promote BMSCs to release exosomes with high expression of ANLN, secrete INHBA and caffeine, and reduce streptozocin (STZ)-induced islets apoptosis. Thus, our study provides mechanical insight into the islet/BMSCs co-transplantation and paves the foundation for using conditioned medium to mimic the ISL1-overexpressing BMSCs co-transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toroidal tuned liquid column dampers (TLCDs) are recently designed devices that extend the application of TLCDs to multidirectional vibration control. Toroidal TLCDs are promising in suppressing the horizontal vibration response of structures. This study further explores the potential and optimization scheme of toroidal TLCDs for multidirectional pitching vibration mitigation. Firstly, equations of motion for a toroidal TLCD-structure system in pitching motion are presented. A non-iterative analytical closed-form solution for calculating the dynamic response of the system under harmonic loading is developed. Subsequently, optimized frequency tuning ratio and flow resistance coefficient can be obtained. The optimization results theoretically confirm the direction-independent control performance of toroidal TLCDs. A design example of toroidal TLCDs is presented in detail as a reference. Finally, a pendulum rotational structure for TLCDs testing in pitching motion is constructed. The multidirectionality, effectiveness and robustness of toroidal TLCDs in mitigating pitching vibration are verified by free vibration tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metasequoia glyptostroboides is a living fossil and an endangered species listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Distinguishing the genotypes of all wild individuals of M. glyptostroboides is important to delimit management units and key germplasm resources. We characterized 28 novel polymorphic microsatellite loci using a streptavidin–biotin microsatellite-enriched library and Illumina high-throughput sequencing. Characteristics of each locus were tested using 140 individuals collected from five natural populations of M. glyptostroboides. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 20, with a mean number of about 8 alleles. The observed and expected heterozygosities in each population ranged from 0.0000 to 1.0000 and from 0.0000 to 0.8958, respectively. Four to nine loci were cross-amplified successfully in seven species of Cupressaceae. The novel SSR markers will provide a toolkit for DNA identification of all of the extant wild individuals guiding further conservation efforts of M. glyptostroboides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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To bond untreated polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate, a novel UV-/moisture-curable silicone-modified poly(urethane-acrylate) (SiPUA) oligomer was synthesized from isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydroxypropyl silicone oil, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and other additives, and the structure of synthesized oligomer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Adhesive formulas were developed using the synthesized oligomer, N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA), tetrahydro furfuryl alcohol (THFA) and active amine acted as reactive diluents; 1-hydroxy-cyclohexylphenyl-ketone (C-184) and benzophenone (BP) acted as photoinitiators; dehydrating agent, defoamer, flow agent and nanometer inorganic filler acted as additives. The compositions that can be cured by exposure to ultraviolet and also has capability of curing by exposure to moisture at room temperature showed high adhesion to PET substrate. Furthermore, to obtain higher bonding strength to PET substrate, optimal content of curing agent was researched. It was found that appropriate addition of curing agent to the UV-/moisture-curing formula contributed to a remarkable enhancement in adhesion strength, and the shear strength bonding PET substrate can reach 7 MPa in accordance with ASTM D1002. The degree of wetting and fracture surfaces of the bonded joints were analyzed by means of contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. Mechanic performance tests including lap shear strength, peel strength, adhesion, and hardness were also carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyaniline (PANI) doped with p-toluene sulfonic acid (PTSA) was synthesized by chemical oxidation method under the condition of conventional magnetic stirring (PTSA-PANI) and ultrasonic vibration (uPTSA-PANI) separately. Acrylic resin elastomer (ArE) was synthesized via radical polymerization. Novel all-organic dielectric elastomer composites (refer to the resultant composites herein as ArE/PTSA-PANI and ArE/uPTSA-PANI) were obtained by solution casting method. Chemical and microstructure characterization of the two kinds of resultant composites suggested that uPTSA-PANI possessed larger crystalline domain than that of PTSA-PANI and a unique branched structure. The dielectric properties of composites were measured in a wide frequency range, and the results demonstrated that both ArE/2.0% PTSA-PANI and ArE/2.0% uPTSA-PANI owned a high dielectric constant of more than 30 at 100 Hz, representing ten times increase with respect to neat ArE matrix (≈ 3). Moreover, it was found that ArE/2.0%uPTSA-PANI held better comprehensive dielectric properties at high frequency than that of ArE/2.0% PTSA-PANI composite; that was to say, ArE/2.0% uPTSA-PANI composite possessed not only high dielectric constant but also low dielectric loss. In addition, the thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the composite possessed better thermal stability than that of neat ArE. In addition, the elastic modulus of ArE/2.0% uPTSA-PANI composite was lower than 5 MPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyrotaxane, owing to the special topological interlocked structure, has attracted more and more attention from researchers. In this paper, a new polyrotaxane derivative has been synthesized based on the polyrotaxane end capped by 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB). And through cross-linking the polyrotaxane derivative meanwhile adding graphene filler, high dielectric constant elastomeric nanocomposite is fabricated according to percolation theory. SEM images show that the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) improves the dispersibility of graphene in the cross-linked matrix. The percolation threshold of composite with PVP-modified graphene is 2.45 vol.% and for unmodified composite it is 2.20 vol.%. Besides, the dielectric constant of composite with PVP-modified graphene increases sharply to 289.8 with graphene content of 2.35 vol.% which is 25 times higher than that of matrix. However, the dielectric loss of composite is just 0.46. What is more, the thermal stability of composites shows an obvious enhancement compared to the polymer matrix. And the composite films still exhibit great flexibility at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermal degradation study of chitosan in air atmosphere has been carried out in detail through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and differential thermal analysis (DTA) measurements. FTIR spectra reveal the variations of chemical structures of chitosan in the course of thermal degradation. The mass loss data were collected under the heating rates of 5-30 K min. Kinetic analysis of chitosan thermal degradation has been performed through isoconversional FWO, CR, MKN and Tang methods, and the calculated results are basically comparable for these four different methods. With the Arrhenius parameters obtained, the four methods have been attempted to reconstruct the temperature-dependent mass conversion curves and have resulted in generally acceptable results. The TG and DTA results suggest that two-stage thermal degradation processes may be better assumed. For more accurately describing the thermal degradation process of chitosan, the most probable reaction functions have thus been determined for these two stages, leading to greatly improved calculation performance over the entire conversion range. On the basis of the Arrhenius parameter values obtained, the changes in entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy, and lifetime predictions have been estimated concerning the thermal degradation processes of chitosan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The co-crystallization of a benzimidazole derivative ( 1, CHNO, 3-[[[2-[[(4-Cyanophenyl) amino]methyl]-1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-5-yl]carbonyl]pyridin-2-ylamino]propionic acid ethyl ester), with fumaric acid (FA) and maleic acid (MA), has been performed. The FA and MA molecules, both are connected with two molecules of CHNO, giving birth to a three-components compound ( 1·0.5FA, CHNO) and a four-components compound ( 1·MA, CHNO). Single-crystal X-ray diffractions show that the three different planar moieties (4-cyanophenyl, benzimidazol, and pyridin-2-yl) in compound CHNO display ' cis-form' conformation ( a) in the crystal of 1, while exhibiting 'intermediate-state' conformation ( b) and ' trans-form' conformation ( c) in compounds 1·0.5FA and 1·MA, respectively. Hirshfeld surfaces analysis, DFT calculations, DSC measurements, IR and Raman spectroscopy were performed, which revealed that the thermal stability of the three conformations follows the order c > b > a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solders, containing alloy elements and nanoparticles, have been extensively investigated. With the extensive prevalence of 3D IC package, a major concern of Sn-Ag-Cu based solders today is continuously focused on extending service life of solder bonding formed between solders and substrates. The critical issues and improvements on Sn-Ag-Cu solders bearing alloys and nanoparticles are outlined and evaluated in this review. It can be summarized that appropriate content of certain alloys or nanoparticles addition to Sn-Ag-Cu solder is possible to tailor the solder properties, such as the melting and solidification behaviors, oxidation resistance, wettability, (interfacial) microstructure, and mechanical properties. Worthy of note is that reliability issues such as creep behavior, thermomechanical fatigue, electromigration, thermomigration and Sn whisker were briefly discussed and analyzed to lay down a solid foundation for the future development of 3D IC technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal features and decomposition kinetics of poly( l-lactide) (PLA) filled with β-zeolite have been studied through differential thermal analysis measurements and thermogravimetric analysis. The experimental data were collected under nitrogen atmosphere with the heating rates of 5-30 K min, and the thermal degradation of PLA/β-zeolite composites is observed to mainly occur in the temperature range of 550-675 K. The incorporation of β-zeolite has been found to make the onset thermal decomposition temperature of PLA obviously decrease. With the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, the activation energy E of the composites has been estimated and the β-zeolite composites have required higher E values for thermal decomposition reaction than pure PLA. The pre-exponential factor ln A can be readily obtained so as to establish the thermal conversion curves if the first-order mechanism is taken. Simulated results reflect that the first-order reaction mechanism has led to certain large deviations at the low conversion levels. By scanning the well-known 27 mechanism functions, the D mechanism of Zhuravlev, Lesokhin, Tempelman equation is found to be the most suitable mechanism for the description of the thermal decomposition of PLA and its β-zeolite counterparts. Along with the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, the D mechanism has performed excellently to establish all the conversion curves over the whole range, resulting in more satisfactory simulation results than the first-order reaction mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim:To investigate the effects of safflor yellow A (SYA), a flavonoid extracted from Carthamus tinctorius L, on cultured rat cardiomyocytes exposed to anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R).Methods:Primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes were exposed to anoxia for 3 h followed by reoxygenation for 6 h. The cell viability was measured using MTT assay. The releases of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK), level of malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were analyzed. Hoechst 33258 staining and changes in Bcl-2/Bax ratio and caspase 3 activity were used to examine A/R-induced apoptosis.Results:The A/R exposure markedly decreased the viability of cardiomyocytes, suppressed the activities of SOD, GSH, CAT and GSH-Px, and Bcl-2 protein expression. Meanwhile, the A/R exposure markedly increased the release of LDH and CK, and MDA production in the cardiomyocytes, and increased the rate of apoptosis, caspase 3 activity, Bax protein expression. Pretreatment with SYA (40, 60 and 80 nmol/L) concentration-dependently blocked the A/R-induced changes in the cardiomyocytes. Pretreatment of the cardiomyocytes with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 200 μmol/L) produced protective effects that were comparable to those caused by SYA (80 nmol/L).Conclusion:SYA protects cultured rat cardiomyocytes against A/R injury, maybe via inhibiting cellular oxidative stress and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routing efficiently the photon signals between different channels is essential in an optical quantum network. Recent chiral waveguide-emitter coupling techniques are widely applied to improve the routing capabilities in waveguide systems. As a possible alternative, we put forward a proposal to control the quantum routing of photons by adjusting asymmetric intercavity couplings on both sides of a cross-cavity in an X-shaped coupled-resonator waveguide. With the robust and tunable intercavity couplings, high transfer rate between quantum channels and expected probability distributions of two ports in the same output channel can be easily implemented. The asymmetric intercavity coupling may be utilized as a new handle to efficiently control the single-photon routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]