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The metal inert gas (MIG) technique plays a vital role in enhancing the durability and lifespan of 20 steel under harsh operating conditions across various industries. A strong bond is crucial for preventing joint separation. Fe-based materials with appropriate Cr/C exhibit high compatibility with carbon steel bonding. Solid solutions can improve the situation faced by MIG-treated joints. In this work, weld joints were manufactured by MIG, and half of them were treated with a solid solution, and. after the analysis of microstructure and properties, it was found that the untreated fused zone (FZ) showed good forming quality with martensite, retained austenite, and had a carbide microstructure. The solid solution eliminated the retained austenite and exhibited an even hardness. The untreated heat-affected zone had a complex microstructure, dominating upper bainite, and discrepancy-shape ferrite. The untreated group's base material (BM) consisted of grain boundary martensite, ferrite, and pearlite in a matrix, while the solid-solution group's hardness was similar. Tensile tests revealed that the untreated group had a yield strength of 639 MPa, while the solid solution group gained 339 MPa. The untreated group in BM fractures was caused by grain boundary martensite, while the solid-solution group in FZ fractures was caused by α′ and carbides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the predictive value of radiomics derived from intratumoral and peritumoral regions and to develop a radiomics nomogram to predict preoperative nuclear grade and overall survival (OS) in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). Methods: The study included 395 patients with ccRCC from our institution. The patients in Center A (anonymous) institution were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 284) and an internal validation cohort (n = 71). An external validation cohort comprising 40 patients from Center B also was included. Computed tomography (CT) radiomics features were extracted from the internal area of the tumor (IAT) and IAT combined peritumoral areas of the tumor at 3 mm (PAT 3 mm) and 5 mm (PAT 5 mm). Independent predictors from both clinical and radiomics scores (Radscore) were used to construct a radiomics nomogram. Kaplan–Meier analysis with a log-rank test was performed to evaluate the correlation between factors and OS. Results: The PAT 5-mm radiomics model (RM) exhibited exceptional predictive capability for grading, achieving an area under the curves of 0.80, 0.80, and 0.90 in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts. The nomogram and RM gained from the PAT 5-mm region were more clinically useful than the clinical model. The association between OS and predicted nuclear grade derived from the PAT 5-mm Radscore and the nomogram-predicted score was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The CT-based radiomics and nomograms showed valuable predictive capabilities for the World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology grade and OS in patients with ccRCC. Critical relevance statement: The intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics are feasible and promising to predict nuclear grade and overall survival in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, which can contribute to the development of personalized preoperative treatment strategies. Key Points: The multi-regional radiomics features are associated with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) grading and prognosis. The combination of intratumoral and peritumoral 5 mm regional features demonstrated superior predictive performance for grading. The nomogram and radiomics models have a broad range of clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the risk factors for short-term outcomes, focusing particularly on the associations among molecular subgroups. The analysis focused on the data of pediatric patients with medulloblastoma between 2013 and 2023, as well as operative complications, length of stay from surgery to adjuvant treatment, 30-day unplanned reoperation, unplanned readmission, and mortality. 148 patients were included. Patients with the SHH TP53-wildtype exhibited a lower incidence of complications (45.2% vs. 66.0%, odds ratio [OR] 0.358, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.160 − 0.802). Female sex (0.437, 0.207 − 0.919) was identified as an independent protective factor for complications, and brainstem involvement (1.900, 1.297 − 2.784) was identified as a risk factor. Surgical time was associated with an increased risk of complications (1.004, 1.001 − 1.008), duration of hospitalization (1.006, 1.003 − 1.010), and reoperation (1.003, 1.001 − 1.006). Age was found to be a predictor of improved outcomes, as each additional year was associated with a 14.1% decrease in the likelihood of experiencing a prolonged length of stay (0.859, 0.772 − 0.956). Patients without metastasis exhibited a reduced risk of reoperation (0.322, 0.133 − 0.784) and readmission (0.208, 0.074 − 0.581). There is a significant degree of variability in the occurrence of operative complications in pediatric patients with medulloblastoma. SHH TP53-wildtype medulloblastoma is commonly correlated with a decreased incidence of complications. The short-term outcomes of patients are influenced by various unmodifiable endogenous factors. These findings could enhance the knowledge of onconeurosurgeons and alleviate the challenges associated with patient/parent education through personalized risk communication. However, the importance of a dedicated center with expertise surgical team and experienced neurosurgeon in improving neurosurgical outcomes appears self-evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O3-Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2/MgO compounds were synthesized as cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries by high-temperature solid-state and wet chemical methods. The effects of different MgO coating amounts on the crystal structure, surface morphology, and electrochemical properties of O3-Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2 materials were investigated. The results showed that the appropriate amount of MgO coating had a positive effect on the cyclic and rate performance. This is attributed to the fact that the MgO layer inhibits harmful side reactions of the electrode material with the electrolyte, which improves structural stability and reduces interfacial transport resistance. Meanwhile, the doped Mg2+ can effectively inhibit the irreversible phase transition. Particularly, the sample of Na0.9Li0.1Mn0.9O2 coated with 2 wt% MgO exhibits high initial discharge specific capacity of 164.9 mAh/g at 0.1C and maintains 83.7% capacity retention after 100 cycles at 0.1C, suggesting enhanced electrochemical performance. Therefore, the surface modification of the material by MgO provides a new strategy for designing high-rate cathode materials for SIBs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was aimed at exploring the osteoporotic vertebral fracture rate and the related causal factors in prostate cancer patients before and after treatment. Methods: One hundred prostate cancer patients were recruited in this study. One hundred men without prostate cancer history were selected as the control group. The study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee under Ethics number B2021-373R and the requirement for the informed consent was waived. The T4-L1 vertebral body of the case group and the control group before and after treatment was evaluated according to Genant's semi-quantitative method. The difference in vertebral body fracture rate between the case group and the control group and the changes in vertebral body fracture rate before and after treatment among the case group were compared. They were grouped according to age, body mass index (BMI), prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, Gleason grade, and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to determine the factors significantly associated with vertebral fracture rate in prostate cancer patients. Results: The prevalence of vertebral fracture was 16% and 31% in prostate cancer patients before and after treatment, respectively, and 29% in the control group. The vertebral fracture rate of the patients before treatment significantly differed that of the control group and the patients after treatment. Univariate analysis showed that age, PSA levels, and treatment parameters were the significant influencing factors of vertebral fracture rates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age was the main influencing factor of vertebral fracture rates. Conclusion: Osteoporotic vertebral fractures in patients with prostate cancer was associated with many factors. And the incidence of vertebral fracture in prostate cancer patients after ADT was significantly higher than that before treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional base-catalyzed epoxy/aliphatic thiol systems have a poor storage stability, and are impossible to be one-pot systems. A widely accepted solution is to use the latent catalysts, which are usually insoluble anionic initiators sensitive to impurities and moisture, and have many limitations in practical use. In this work, a soluble thiol-terminated imidothioether oligomer (TPI) was synthesized and used as a latent hardener and modifier to prepare one-pot epoxy/thiol systems without the latent catalysts. The latent behavior and curing mechanism of epoxy systems (EP/TPI series), consisted of bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (DGEBA), pentaerythritol tetrakis(mercaptoacetate) (PETMP) and TPI, were proposed. The thiol exchange reaction between TPI and PETMP preceded the curing reaction of DGEBA, and produced aromatic thiols, which were unreactive at ambient conditions and reacted with DGEBA to form the thermosets at temperatures above 130 °C. At the loading of 24.4 wt% TPI, the epoxy system (EP/TPI-3)had a shelf life of 13 days and was completely cured within 20 min at 180 °C. Meanwhile, the catalyst-free curing process of EP/TPI-3 system was insensitive to impurities and moisture. Furthermore, the thermal and mechanical properties of EP/TPI-3 thermoset were simultaneously improved, thereinto, the glass transition temperature, Young's modulus and ultimate tensile strength were increased by 16.7 °C, 12.9%, and 13.6%, respectively, compared with those of the commercial DGEBA/PETMP thermoset. This work shows that TPI has the potential to be a powerful alternative to commercial latent catalysts, and EP/TPI thermosets with high performance have broad application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To establish a non-invasive diagnostic system for intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) via decision tree analysis. Methods: Totally 1008 patients with 504 pathologically confirmed IMCCs and proportional hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) and combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinomas (cHCC-CC) from multi-centers were retrospectively included (internal cohort n = 700, external cohort n = 308). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to evaluate the independent clinical and MRI predictors for IMCC, and the selected features were used to develop a decision tree–based diagnostic system. Diagnostic efficacy of the established system was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis in the internal training-testing and external validation cohorts, and also in small lesions ≤ 3 cm. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that female, no chronic liver disease or cirrhosis, elevated carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9) level, normal alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, lobulated tumor shape, progressive or persistent enhancement pattern, no enhancing tumor capsule, targetoid appearance, and liver surface retraction were independent characteristics favoring the diagnosis of IMCC over HCC or cHCC-CC (odds ratio = 3.273–25.00, p < 0.001 to p = 0.021). Among which enhancement pattern had the highest weight of 0.816. The diagnostic system incorporating significant characteristics above showed excellent performance in the internal training (area under the curve (AUC) 0.971), internal testing (AUC 0.956), and external validation (AUC 0.945) cohorts, as well as in small lesions ≤ 3 cm (AUC 0.956). Conclusions: In consideration of the great generalizability and clinical efficacy in multi-centers, the proposed diagnostic system may serve as a non-invasive, reliable, and easy-to-operate tool in IMCC diagnosis, providing an efficient approach to discriminate IMCC from other HCC-containing primary liver cancers. Clinical relevance statement: This study established a non-invasive, easy-to-operate, and explainable decision tree–based diagnostic system for intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma, which may provide essential information for clinical decision-making. Key Points: • Distinguishing intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) from other primary liver cancers is important for both treatment planning and outcome prediction. • The MRI-based diagnostic system showed great performance with satisfying generalization ability in the diagnosis and discrimination of IMCC. • The diagnostic system may serve as a non-invasive, easy-to-operate, and explainable tool in the diagnosis and risk stratification for IMCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing methods for analyzing semi-functional linear models usually assumed that random errors are not serially correlated or serially correlated with the known order. However, in some applications, these assumptions on random errors may be unreasonable or questionable. To this end, this paper aims at testing error correlation in a semi-functional linear model (SFLM). Based on the empirical likelihood approach, the authors construct an empirical likelihood ratio statistic to test the serial correlation of random errors and identify the order of autocorrelation if the serial correlation holds. The proposed test statistic does not need to estimate the variance as it is data adaptive and possesses the nonparametric version of Wilks' theorem. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed test procedure. Two real examples are illustrated by the proposed test method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An external ventricular drain (EVD) is used to facilitate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) removal in medulloblastoma patients suffering from hydrocephalus. It is essential to recognize that EVD management plays a crucial role in influencing the incidence of drain-related complications. However, the ideal method for EVD management remains undetermined. Our research sought to examine the safety of EVD placement and the impact of EVD on the incidences of intracranial infections, postresection hydrocephalus, and posterior fossa syndrome (PFS). We conducted a single-center observational study involving a cohort of 120 pediatric medulloblastoma patients who were treated from 2017 to 2020. The rates of intracranial infection, postresection hydrocephalus, and PFS were 9.2%, 18.3%, and 16.7%, respectively. EVD did not influence the occurrence of intracranial infection (p = 0.466), postresection hydrocephalus (p = 0.298), or PFS (p = 0.212). A gradual EVD weaning protocol correlated with an elevated incidence of postresection hydrocephalus (p = 0.033), whereas a rapid weaning approach resulted in 4.09 ± 0.44 fewer drainage days (p < 0.001) than the gradual weaning strategy. EVD placement (p = 0.010) and intracranial infection (p = 0.002) were linked to delayed speech return, whereas a longer duration of drainage was conducive to the recovery of language function (p = 0.010). EVD insertion was not correlated with the incidence of intracranial infection, postoperative hydrocephalus, or PFS. The optimal EVD management method should encompass a rapid EVD weaning strategy, followed by prompt drain closure. We have presented additional evidence to improve the safety of EVD insertion and management in neurosurgical patients to ultimately facilitate the establishment of standardized institutional/national implementation and management protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of functional MRI to assess renal interstitial fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Methods: We prospectively recruited 80 CKD patients who underwent renal biopsies and 16 healthy volunteers to undergo multiparametric functional MRI examinations. The Oxford MEST-C classification was used to score the interstitial fibrosis. The diagnostic performance of functional MRI to discriminate interstitial fibrosis was evaluated by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: IgA nephropathy (60%) accounted for the majority of pathologic type in the CKD patients. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was correlated with interstitial fibrosis (rho = −0.73). Decreased renal blood flow (RBF) derived from arterial spin labeling (rho = −0.78) and decreased perfusion fraction (f) derived from DWI (rho = −0.70) were accompanied by increased interstitial fibrosis. The T1 value from T1 mapping correlated with interstitial fibrosis (rho = 0.67) (all p < 0.01). The areas under the ROC curve for the discrimination of ≤ 25% vs. > 25% and ≤ 50% vs. > 50% interstitial fibrosis were 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.78 to 0.94) and 0.93 (0.86 to 0.98) by ADC, 0.84 (0.74 to 0.91) and 0.94 (0.86 to 0.98) by f, 0.93 (0.85 to 0.98) and 0.90 (0.82 to 0.96) by RBF, and 0.91 (0.83 to 0.96) and 0.77 (0.66 to 0.85) by T1, respectively. Conclusions: Functional MRI parameters were strongly correlated with the interstitial fibrosis of CKD. Therefore, it might a powerful tool to assess interstitial fibrosis of CKD noninvasively. Key Points: • In CKD patients, the renal cortical ADC value decreased and T1 value increased significantly compared with healthy volunteers. • Functional MRI revealed significantly decreased renal perfusion in CKD patients compared with healthy volunteers. • The renal cortical ADC, f, RBF, and T1 values were strongly correlated with the interstitial fibrosis of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To prospectively investigate the capability of arterial spin labeling (ASL) and intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI) for the identification of early kidney injury in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients with normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Methods: Fifty-four CKD patients confirmed by renal biopsy (normal eGFR group [eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min/1.73 m2]: n = 26; abnormal eGFR group [eGFR < 90 mL/min/1.73 m2]: n = 28) and 20 healthy volunteers (HV) were recruited. All subjects were examined by IVIM-DWI and ASL imaging. Renal blood flow (RBF) derived from ASL, true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) derived from IVIM-DWI were measured from the renal cortex. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare MRI parameters among the three groups. The correlation between eGFR and MRI parameters was evaluated by Spearman correlation analysis. Diagnostic performances of MRI parameters for detecting kidney injury were assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: The renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values showed statistically significant differences among the three groups. eGFR was positively correlated with MRI parameters (D: r = 0.299, D*: r = 0.569, f: r = 0.733, RBF: r = 0.586). The areas under the curve (AUCs) for discriminating CKD patients from HV were 0.725, 0.752, 0.947, and 0.884 by D, D*, f, and RBF, respectively. D, D*, f, RBF, and eGFR identified CKD patients with normal eGFR with AUCs of 0.735, 0.612, 0.917, 0.827, and 0.733, respectively, and AUC of f value was significantly larger than that of eGFR. Conclusion: IVIM-DWI and ASL were useful for detecting underlying pathologic injury in early CKD patients with normal eGFR. Key Points: • The renal cortical f and RBF values in the control group were significantly higher than those in the normal eGFR group. • A negative correlation was observed between the renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values and SCr and 24 h-UPRO, while eGFR was significantly positively correlated with renal cortical D, D*, f, and RBF values. • The AUC of renal cortical f values was statistically larger than that of eGFR for the discrimination between the CKD with normal eGFR group and the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To predict survival prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients with tumors larger than 7 cm by preoperative radiological morphological features. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of RCC patients with tumors larger than 7 cm from 2007 to 2017 in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University. A total of 251 patients' clinical data were collected. 25 and 9 patients were excluded due to loss of follow-up and lack of imaging data, respectively. PFS and OS from date of surgery were evaluated. We defined the irregularity of the tumor as the morphological feature studied and quantified it according to a theorem of the ellipse: the length from the midpoint of the ellipse to any point on the ellipse is shorter than or equal to 1/2 of the long axis. The cutoff value of irregularity was calculated based on the ROC curve. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to test associations between features and outcome. Results: Of all the 217 patients included in the study, 67 patients had disease progression and 30 patients died. The cutoff value of the irregularity was selected to be 0.5335. Adrenal invasion, presence of distant metastasis and irregularity of tumors were significantly associated with PFS, and presence of distant metastasis and irregularity of tumors were significantly associated with OS. Conclusions: For patients with tumors larger than 7 cm in RCC, we found a radiological index that is closely related to the prognosis: irregularity. This is an unreported independent prognostic risk factor that can be quantified before surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved harmonic rejecting N-path filter with a circuit-level structure is proposed. A different set of mixing functions is introduced to conventional N-path filters. Systematic analysis shows that the mixing functions have the benefits of harmonic rejection at the radio frequency node. An 8-path circuit-level structure is proposed, and a harmonic gain calibration technique is introduced to calibrate the errors due to the process variation and mismatch. The proposed 8-path filter is designed and simulated under the 65-nm CMOS technology and achieves 17– 29 dB gain with a 2 nd harmonic rejection ratio of 24– 31 dB , 3 rd – 6 th harmonic rejection ratio of 35– 60 dB , a frequency range of 0.1– 1 GHz , and a noise figure of 3.8– 4.9 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medulloblastoma is a malignant tumor with high incidence and poor prognosis in adolescents and children. MicroRNA-137 (miR-137) has been found to be abnormally expressed in cancers such as pancreatic cancer. The purpose of this study is to explore the expression of miR-137 in MB and its role in cell physiological activities to determine the significance of miR-137 in the prognosis of MB. First, the expression of miR-137 in MB tissues and cell lines was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Then the Kaplan–Meier survival curve was used to analyze the significance of miR-137 expression in the prognosis, and the Cox regression model was used to explore the correlation between miR-137 expression and clinical characteristics. The effects of miR-137 on MB cell activities were analyzed by MTT assay, Transwell assays, and flow cytometry. It can be concluded from the results that the expression of miR-137 is down-regulated in MB tissues and cells. The down-regulation of miR-137 was significantly related to the poor prognosis of MB, and significantly related to clinical indicators. Up-regulated miR-137 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle progression, as well as induced cell apoptosis by targeting KDM1A. This study can conclude that miR-137 may be used as a prognostic biomarker of MB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the clinical factors that could be used predict the number of transferable blastocysts in preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) cycles based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and formed form a mathematical model to predict the chance likelihood of obtaining one transferable blastocyst, which is helpful for genetic counseling. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled couples undergoing PGT cycles for chromosomal structural rearrangement (PGT-SR, n = 363, 202 with reciprocal translocation carriers, 131 with Robertsonian translocation carriers, 30 with inversion carriers), monogenic diseases (PGT-M, n = 47), and for Aneuploidies (PGT-A, n = 132) from January 2015 to October 2018. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify the factors relevant for obtaining at least one transferable blastocyst. The factors that predict the number of biopsied blastocysts were further analyzed. Results: The transferable blastocyst rates were 29.94, 41.99, 49.09, 41.42, and 44.37% in the reciprocal translocation carrier, Robertsonian translocation carrier, inversion carrier, PGT-M, and PGT-A cycles, respectively. The number of transferable blastocysts in these cycles were 0.3004 × the number of biopsied blastocysts (NBB) − 0.0031, 0.4063 × NBB + 0.0460, 0.5762 × NBB − 0.3128, 0.3611 × NBB + 0.1910, and 0.4831 × NBB − 0.0970, respectively. Furthermore, the number of MII oocytes and female age were clinical predictors of NBB in reciprocal translocation and PGT-A couples, while the number of MII oocytes was the only clinical predictor in Robertsonian translocation carriers, inversion carriers, and PGT-M couples. Conclusions: The number of biopsied blastocysts was the only clinical predictor of the ability to obtain a transferable blastocyst in PGT cycles; therefore, for clinical practice, theoretically the minimum numbers of biopsied blastocysts is 4 in reciprocal translocation carrier and 3 in couples undergoing PGT for other reasons. The number of MII oocytes and female age were clinical predictors of the number of biopsied blastocysts. With the mathematical models in our study as a reference, in clinical practice, clinicians will be able to conduct a more targeted genetic consultation for different kinds of PGT patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of polymer additives provides a simple effective method to modify perovskite grain boundaries to improve power conversion efficiency (PCE) and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). In this work, the high-quality methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3) perovskite film is prepared by adding the protonated polyamide-amine dendrimer (NH3+-PAMAM) to the perovskite precursor solution to regulate the crystalline growth process. The cross-linked perovskite grain structure induced by dendritic NH3+-functionalized PAMAM macromolecules results in the formation of compact and pinhole-free perovskite film owing to the suppression of perovskite gain boundaries. Finally, the unsealed NH3+-PAMAM modified PSC device achieves the highest PCE value of 16.03%, representing an increase of 48% compared with the control PSC device. Also, the unencapsulated NH3+-PAMAM-modified PSC device retained 75% of initial PCE value after being exposed to an ambient environment for 20 days, which is obviously higher than 10% for the control device. The improvements of perovskite morphology and photovoltaic performance are attributed to the modification of NH3+-PAMAM dendrimers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, we investigate infinite horizon optimal control problems driven by a class of stochastic delay evolution equations in Hilbert spaces and the corresponding adjoint equation is given by an anticipated backward stochastic evolution equation (ABSEE). We first establish a priori estimate for the solution to ABSEEs by imposing restriction on unbounded operator A ∗ , that is, the operator A ∗ is maximal dissipative. In this way, the Itô inequality is applicable in our study, and we can also avoid the problem that neither Itô formula nor energy equation is available. Next, we obtain the existence and uniqueness results of solutions of linear backward stochastic evolution equations on infinite horizon by using approximating methods. Then, the existence and uniqueness results of ABSEEs on infinite horizon is obtained via the fixed-point theory. That is the highlight of innovation in this paper. Eventually, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions for optimality of the control problem on infinite horizon, in the form of Pontryagin's maximum principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a power-efficient successive-approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with fast response reference buffer (RV-buffer). Several techniques are applied in the system design to improve the performance of the SAR ADC. A novel timing-redistribution SAR logic is proposed to balance the difference between required settling time for the most significant bit and the least significant bits (LSBs) in the digital-to-analog capacitor array, which reduces the incomplete settling error and releases the requirements on the RV-buffer to achieve lower power dissipation. The SAR ADC is fabricated in 40-nm CMOS technology occupying 0.13 mm 2 area. At 1.1 V supply voltage and 80 MHz sampling frequency, the ADC achieves 50.7 dB SNDR, 69.5 dBc SFDR with a 1 MHz input at −8 dBFS. The total power consumption of the ADC is 2.99 mW, including the reference buffer power consumption of 2 mW. The Schreier FoM is 164.1 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CuSCN-containing perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are presently of great research focus due to the high carrier mobility and well-aligned work function of the CuSCN hole-transporting layer. The improvement of photovoltaic performance and stability is still an important subject in the practical applications of CuSCN-containing PSCs. Herein, a facile approach to improve the efficiency and stability of CuSCN-containing PSCs is developed by spin-coating the triphenylamine-based macromolecules between the CuSCN hole-transporting layer and metallic electrode, such as linear macromolecule poly-TPD and branched macromolecule CRA-TPA. The maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of CuSCN-containing PSCs is increased by linear triphenylamine-based macromolecule poly-TPD to 10.36% while the PCE value of CuSCN-containing PSCs, being modified by branched triphenylamine-based macromolecule CRA-TPA, reaches up to 11.97%. Evidently, the PCE values are nearly two times higher than 5.95% of CuSCN-containing control device. The photovoltaic improvement of macromolecule-modified CuSCN-containing PSCs is mainly caused by the strong hole-transporting capacity of triphenylamine-based macromolecules inducing the reduction of charge recombination, which is derived from the reduced potential barrier of hole transportation including the flatness and coverage improvement in the triphenylamine-based macromolecular functional layer. In addition, the stability of macromolecule-modified CuSCN-containing PSCs is significantly improved due to the protection of triphenylamine-based macromolecular layer on the perovskite film, so that the unencapsulated macromolecule-modified CuSCN-containing PSC device can keep over 70–80% of initial PCE value after 20-day exposure under ambient environment (relative humidity (RH) = 50%, 25°C). This work provides a facile approach to enhance the efficiency and stability of CuSCN-containing PSCs through the modification of triphenylamine-based macromolecules between the CuSCN hole-transporting layer and metallic electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To illustrate tumor contour irregularity on preoperative imaging with a practical method and further determine its value in predicting disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with pRCC (papillary renal cell carcinoma).Methods: We performed a retrospective single-institution review of 267 Chinese pRCC patients between March 2009 and May 2019. Contour irregularity on cross-section was classified into smooth but distorted margin, unsmooth and sharply nodular margin, and blurred margin. Then, the ratio of the cross-section numbers of irregularity and the total tumor was defined as the contour irregular degree (CID). Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis were performed to analyze the impact of CID on DFS. Then, the prognostic performance of CID was compared with pRCC risk stratification published by Leibovich et al. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 45 months (IQR: 23-69), in which 27 (10%) patients had metastasis or recurrence. Observed DFS rates were 95%, 90%, and 88% at 1, 3, and 5 years. The CID was an independent prognostic factor of DFS (HR = 1.048, 95% CI = 1.029-1.068, p < 0.001). The Kaplan-Meier plot showed that high-risk patients (CID ≥ 50%) tended to have a significantly shorter DFS (p < 0.001). The CID and Leibovich's pRCC model for DFS prediction had a C-index of 0.934 (95% CI = 0.907-0.961) and 0.833 (95% CI = 0.739-0.927) respectively.Conclusions: With our standard and practical method, the CID can be a reliable imaging marker for DFS prediction in patients with pRCC.Key Points: • The updated contour irregularity was an independent parameter for predicting disease-free survival in patients with pRCC. • High-risk pRCC patients (contour irregular degree ≥ 50%) tended to have a shorter disease-free survival. • Tumor contour irregularity in pRCC risk stratification outperformed Leibovich's model from our cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage dielectric ceramics play a more and more important role in power or electronics systems as a pulse power material, and the development of new technologies has put forward higher requirements for energy storage properties. Here, the sol-gel method was used to synthetize the 0.9BaTiO3-0.1Bi(Mg1/2Zr1/2)O3 (0.9BT–0.1BMZ) precursor powder and 0.9BT-0.1BMZ ceramics with pseudocubic phase was obtained. The 0.9BT-0.1BMZ dielectric ceramics possessed a strong relaxation behavior with 1.64 relaxation degree (g) and 0.15 eV relaxation activation energy (Ea) fitted by modified Curie–Weiss law and Vogel-Fulcher formulas, respectively. The most important was that by controlling the grain size to be reduced, the discharge energy storage density had been improved to 2.0 J/cm3 with high breakdown strength (325 kV/cm). In addition, the comprehensive analysis of electric field distributions, breakdown paths, and impedance spectra was illustrated the enhanced grain boundary effect can improve the energy storage performance obviously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave action on a box girder-type bridge deck is experimentally investigated in this study. Two types of incident waves, namely, regular waves (RWs) and focused waves (FWs), are tested. Fourier, wavelet, and Hilbert spectra of the vertical wave forces are obtained and analyzed. Four different methods are then applied to obtain the low- and high-frequency components of the total vertical wave force. Based on the separation results, the relationship between the wave force and wave crest amplitude is thereafter examined. An empirical formula is proposed to predict the vertical wave force. It is hoped that the aforementioned empirical formula may be widely applied during bridge design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxy-γ-sanshool was prepared with 19.5% overall yield through eight steps. Wittig reactions of ylides with ethyl 4-oxobut-2-enoate as well as (2E,4E)-hex-2,4-dienal were key steps to construct a carbon skeleton. The 2E,4Z-isomer in ethyl 8-hydroxyocta-2,4-dienoate can be isomerized to the desired 2E,4E-isomer with iodine as a catalyst, and free tetradeca-2,4,8,10,12-pentaenoic acid can be purified through crystallization in 1% ethyl acetate in n-hexane. The impurities in other intermediates can be easily removed, the synthetic process can avoid the synthesis or use of 4-bromobutyraldehyde which comes from the oxidation of unstable 4-bromobutan-1-ol, and the work-ups were simple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of TiO2 nano-photoanode films was seriously limited due to week photoresponse, effortless recombination of photogenerated electrons/holes, and instability. In this work, we used narrow bandgap semiconductor CdS quantum dots that decorated TiO2 nanotube arrays to enhance its PEC performance. In addition, ultra-thin transparent grapheme oxide (GO) spreads on the surface of TiO2 photoanode film to avoid its light corrosion and improve the stability. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed that the layer GO is well distributed on the surface of CdS/TiO2 film, and composite film GO/CdS/TiO2 has good PEC stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave-induced fracturing of hard rock can be used to assist mechanical rock breakage and release stress on rock masses in deep underground engineering operations. This is significant to those aiming to improve the construction efficiency and safety of underground tunnelling and ore extraction operations. The research was devoted to exploring the computed tomography (CT) and acoustic emission (AE) characteristics of hard rock subjected to microwave irradiation. For this purpose, microwave irradiation tests at a given power for different irradiation times were conducted on basalt collected from Chifeng, China by utilising a multimode cavity working at a frequency of 2450 MHz. By applying an infrared camera, the temperature distribution on the surface of samples during microwave irradiation was measured. Three-dimensional (3-d) microscopic CT was conducted on samples treated, and not treated, with microwave irradiation to explore the crack propagation regimes in such samples. Based on CT value and P-wave velocities, the damage characteristics of microwave treatment on basalt samples were evaluated. Afterwards, uniaxial compression strength tests were conducted and AE information in the loading process of samples was collected. After conducting microwave irradiation, internal cracks of samples propagated to generate fracture surfaces and surface temperatures of samples were found to have been non-uniformly distributed. The longer the irradiation time, the higher the degree of crack propagation in samples; P-wave velocities both decreased with increasing irradiation duration. With increasing irradiation time, the brittle failure characteristics of basalt shown in the time-dependent change curve of stress on basalt were gradually weakened while ductile failure characteristics were gradually strengthened. The uniaxial compressive strength, corresponding AE energy and cumulative AE energy at peak strength all gradually decreased with increasing irradiation time. The failure stress, the level of stress drop, AE energy, and cumulative AE energy of basalt after different irradiation times reflected consistent fracturing characteristics of basalt, which were interactively validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In real data analysis, practitioners frequently come across the case that a discrete response will be related to both a function-valued random variable and a vector-value random variable as the predictor variables. In this paper, we consider the generalized functional partially linear models (GFPLM). The infinite slope function in the GFPLM is estimated by the principal component basis function approximations. Then, we consider the theoretical properties of the estimator obtained by maximizing the quasi likelihood function. The asymptotic normality of the estimator of the finite dimensional parameter and the rate of convergence of the estimator of the infinite dimensional slope function are established, respectively. We investigate the finite sample properties of the estimation procedure via Monte Carlo simulation studies and a real data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term stability evaluation of grouting materials is critical to the safe operation of geological engineering. Taking blocky No. 8 coalseam of Huaibei coalfield as engineering background, taking coal fragmentation distribution and grouting quantity as the control variables, uniaxial compression tests were conducted every 1 or 2 months to study long-term mechanical behavior of silica sol grout. Results indicated that (a) long-term strength stability of samples could not be achieved in the case that silica sol was mixed into coal samples including big fragments (5–10 mm); (b) in the case that silica sol was mixed into coal sample without big fragments (5–10 mm), 200 days was the least maintenance time that the strength need to turn stable; (c) in the case that silica sol was mixed into the coal samples with small fragments (< 2 mm), long-term stiffness of samples could be achieved. In other words, coal fragmentation had a negative correlation with the long-term consolidated stability of silica sol grouting. Generally, grouting quantity had a linear positive correlation with strength, peak strain, brittleness coefficient, and had an exponential function increasing relation with pre-peak strain energy density. But grouting quantity was of no influence on secant modulus. There existed a lower limit of grouting quantity and long-term stability of silica sol grouting strength couldn't be achieved when grouting quantity was below the limit. The research results can guide grouting design and long-term stability evaluation of grouting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conducts a simulation experiment research on cutter-head vibration characteristics by evaluating a soft-hard mixed stratum (the upper layer is silty soil, whereas the lower layer is moderately weathered granite of maximum UCS 142.0 MPa and slightly weathered granite of maximum 210.0 MPa). The ratios of hard rock and soil within the tunnel face were designed to be 1:1 and 1:2. Then, the cutter-head and stratum model were subjected to vibration analysis by reasonably deployed accelerometers. Results show that: 1) different conditions of heterogeneous strata mainly affected the acceleration amplitude and frequency distribution of cutter-head, in other words, the stronger hard rock, the larger the strength difference between the hard rock and soil within a tunnel face, the larger the vibration acceleration and the more concentrated the vibration frequency distribution; 2) the radial and circumferential vibration acceleration of the cutter-head in different positions were not largely different; however, axial accelerations were largely different. The axial vibration accelerations first increased and then decreased along the radial direction of cutter-head. Considering the difference between Multi-Mode Boring Test System and real cutter-head structure, the radius of joint between the cutter-head and the flange plate should be reasonably increased according to the ratio of hard rock in tunnel face; 3) with the increasing difference between the strength of the hard rock and soil, the circumferential and axial vibration acceleration multiplied. Thus, the soil remarkably reduces the vibration of the cutter-head. These results can provide some evidence of potential application for advancing manufacturing practice for cutter-head and disc cutter of shield machine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yeast cell wall (YCW) preparations are important nutritional additives in the aquaculture industry. Head-kidney macrophages play important roles in innate immune functions in fish. However, the mechanisms underlying their stimulation are not yet characterized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of YCW on immunological functions of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) head-kidney macrophages. Our results showed that YCW preparations not only improved the proliferation and phagocytosis of macrophages but also induced the secretion of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β). At a concentration of 500.0 μg/mL, YCW preparations stimulated macrophage proliferation and phagocytosis to 1.98 and 1.8 times, respectively, when compared with the negative group. Equally, YCW preparations raised the production of NO by inducing iNOS and ROS in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, these preparations enhanced TNF-α and IL-1β mRNA levels to multiple digits from 1.2 to 3.0 times, respectively. In conclusion, the stimulatory effects of YCW on the phagocytic activity of the fish macrophages were associated with respiratory bursts coupled with nitric oxide production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contraposing the problem of cutter wear and other issues in TBM boring in erosive and hard strata, this paper analyzes the boring parameters and cutter wear amount in the trial 2 km of TBM section in Qinling Tunnel of Han River to Wei River Water Diversion Project. Then several pieces of advice are proposed and analysis results suggest that the inadequate amount of cutters around No. 43 cutter causes their relatively high wear. Experiments of disc cutter breaking hard rock are conducted, showing that the specific energy of TBM used for breaking rock is relatively low while the efficiency high when the S/p (the ratio of cutter space to penetration) is between 25 and 30. Relevant scaled experiments indicate a critical penetration value beyond which the mass wear rate of disc cutter surges. The experiment also proves that round-blade disc cutter could effectively reduce the wear. The research could provide reference for the cutter-head design and parameter control of TBM in similar geologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantitatively compare the diagnostic values of conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in differentiating between malignant and benign renal tumors.Methods: Multiple b value DWIs and DKIs were performed in 180 patients with renal tumors, which were divided into clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), non-ccRCC, and benign renal tumor group. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusivity (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusivity (MD) maps were calculated. The diagnostic efficacy of various diffusion parameters for predicting malignant renal tumors was compared.Results: The ADC, D, and MD values of ccRCCs were higher, while D*, f, and MK values were lower than those of benign renal tumors (all p < 0.025). The D* and f values of non-ccRCCs were lower than those of benign renal tumors (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). The difference of ADC, D, MD, and MK values between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The ADC, D, MD, and f values of ccRCCs were higher, while MK values were lower than those of non-ccRCCs (all p < 0.001). The AUC values of ADC, D, D*, f, MK, and MD were 0.849, 0.891, 0.708, 0.656, 0.862, and 0.838 for differentiating ccRCCs from benign renal tumors, respectively. The AUC values of D* and f were 0.772 and 0.866 for discrimination between non-ccRCCs and benign renal tumors, respectively.Conclusion: IVIM parameters are the best, while DWI and DKI parameters have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors.Key Points: • The D value is the best parameter for differentiating ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • The f value is the best parameter for differentiating non-ccRCC from benign renal tumors. • Conventional DWI and DKI have similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign renal tumors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to discover compounds with better biological activity, a series of furazan derivatives were synthesized based on the structural modification of INCB024360 (Epacadostat). The anti-proliferative activities of new synthesized compounds 4a–o were screened in vitro against a panel of four human solid tumor cell lines (HepG2; A549, Hela and A375). We also reported the toxicity of compounds with low IC50 values on human hepatic cell line (LO2), and the apoptosis effect of compounds 4h and 4i on Hela cell. The results showed that several compounds displayed good inhibitory activity, even better than the positive compound 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) for specific cell lines. In addition, the toxicity of compounds 4h–j and 4m–o towards LO2 were lower than the positive compound 5-FU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the preponderant diagnostic performances of IVIM and DKI in predicting the Gleason score (GS) of prostate cancer. Methods: Diffusion-weighted imaging data were postprocessed using monoexponential, lVIM and DK models to quantitate the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), molecular diffusion coefficient (D), perfusion-related diffusion coefficient (Dstar), perfusion fraction (F), apparent diffusion for Gaussian distribution (Dapp), and apparent kurtosis coefficient (Kapp). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to explore the relationship between those parameters and the GS, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Mann–Whitney U test were performed to compare the above parameters between the different groups, and a receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the differential diagnosis ability. The interpretation of the results is in view of histopathologic tumor tissue composition. Results: The area under the ROC curves (AUCs) of ADC, F, D, Dapp, and Kapp in differentiating GS ≤ 3 + 4 and GS > 3 + 4 PCa were 0.744 (95% CI 0.581–0.868), 0.726 (95% CI 0.563–0.855), 0.732 (95% CI 0.569–0.860), and 0.752 (95% CI 0.590–0.875), 0.766 (95% CI 0.606–0.885), respectively, and those in differentiating GS ≤ 7 and GS > 7 PCa were 0.755 (95% CI 0.594–0.877), 0.734 (95% CI 0.571–0.861), 0.724 (95% CI0.560–0.853), and 0.716 (95% CI 0.552–0.847), 0.828 (95% CI 0.676–0.929), respectively. All the P values were less than 0.05. There was no significant difference in the AUC for the detection of different GS groups by using those parameters. Conclusion: Both the IVIM and DKI models are beneficial to predict GS of PCa and indirectly predict its aggressiveness, and they have a comparable diagnostic performance with each other as well as ADC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although exogenous follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) has been used for decades and millions of cycles have been performed worldwide until now, criteria for selecting the proper FSH starting dose have not been clearly identified. The aim of this study was to elaborate a formula based on markers of ovarian reserve for the calculation of the appropriate starting dose of FSH.Methods: A total of 931 patients underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment using long GnRH agonist protocol was retrospectively identified and reviewed. 673 cases of them with a normal ovarian response (4-14 retrieved oocytes) were used to analysis the predictive formula. All follicles 4-7 mm in diameter were counted in the same day of blood sample in both ovaries using transvaginal ultrasound scan. The modified protocol of each patient was recorded and analyzed in the same center. In another center were the numbers of retrieved oocytes of 750 validated patients recorded and analyzed.Results: A formula model based on age, AMH, and antral follicle count (AFC) was able to accurately predict the ovarian sensitivity and accounted for 57.2% of the variability of ovarian response to FSH. When tested in the same total population used to elaborate the model it predicts a high 46.88% rate of step-down protocol in higher-starting FSH dose group and about 57.92% of patients had their dose step-up modified in lower-starting FSH dose group during their treatment, respectively. And when tested in different population from another center used to elaborate the model it predicts a high 64.40% rate of ≥ 15 retrieved oocytes in higher-starting FSH dose group and about 22.50% of patients had ≤ 7 retrieved oocytes in lower-starting FSH dose group during their treatment, respectively.Conclusions: In the present study we demonstrated that the individualized FSH starting dose may be calculated on the basis of a woman's age, AMH and AFC. The formula model might be a useful, immediate, and easily applicable tool for clinicians to predict the tailored starting dose of FSH during their daily clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the effects of the addition of different concentrations (0–3.0 wt%) of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) on the properties of wheat dough and prebaked bread. Dough tensile test results and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the addition of 0.5–1.5 wt% β-CD enhanced dough tensile strength and promoted gluten formation. The addition of 2.0–3.0 wt% β-CD, however, failed to improve gluten network formation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the α-helix-to-β-sheet ratios of dough samples increased as β-CD content increased. This result indicated that the protein secondary structure of the dough had changed. Fermentation rheometry illustrated that dough fermentation height, gas production volume, and gas-holding capacity increased with the addition of 0–1.5 wt% β-CD. Dough fermentation capacity decreased when the addition of β-CD exceeded 2.0 wt%. The effect of β-CD on the quality of prebaked frozen bread was also studied. The results of texture profile analysis indicated that the addition of 1.5 wt% β-CD could reduce bread hardness and increase bread crumb elasticity and resilience. The results of the C-cell test further demonstrated that the addition of 1.5 wt% β-CD could increase stomatal number and decrease pore number and pore wall thickness. These characteristics suggested that the addition of β-CD improved bread structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and prospectively validate a novel weighted quantitative scoring system based on CT findings, namely, the renal cyst index (RCI), aimed at preoperatively predicting the pathological features of cystic renal masses (CRMs).Methods: The RCI was based on four critical features of CRMs: the cyst wall, septal, nodule, and cyst contents. These parameters were scored with 1, 2, or 3 points. Weight coefficients for these parameters were determined by the multivariable logistic regression. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to summarise the results. The RCI was defined as the sum of these four weight coefficients. Malignancy risk prediction models were built based on the retrospective evaluation of 441 patients. We also compared the prediction ability of the RCI with the Bosniak classification in the 441 patients and applied these novel models to 152 masses resected in our institution to prospectively validate the efficiency of the RCI.Results: The wall point (OR = 5.71 [95% CI = 1.734-18.808, p = 0.004, point = 2], OR = 12.665 [95% CI = 3.750-42.770, p < 0.001, point = 3]), septal point (OR = 3.325 [95% CI = 1.272-8.692, p = 0.014, point = 3]), nodule point (OR = 4.588 [95% CI = 1.429-14.729, p < 0.001, point = 2], OR = 17.032 [95% CI = 5.017-57.820, p = 0.010, point = 3]), content point (OR = 22.822 [95% CI = 1.041-495.995, p = 0.047, point = 2], OR = 2.723 [95% CI = 1.296-10.696, p = 0.015, point = 3]), and RCI (OR = 1.247 [95% CI = 1.197-1.299, p < 0.001]) were significantly associated with malignancy. Masses with an RCI < 6 were regarded as benign masses; masses with an RCI ≥ 10 were regarded as malignant masses. The malignancy risk of masses with an RCI > 6 but < 10 were determined by a nomogram. The prediction ability of the RCI was significantly superior to the Bosniak classification for Bosniak IIF and III masses (AUC: 0.912 vs. 0.753, p = 0.001). The RCI also accurately predicted the pathological features of 152 masses.Conclusion: The RCI is a reliable quantitative scoring system in predicting the malignancy risk of CRMs, and it outperformed the Bosniak classification system in some ways.Key Points: • The renal cyst index (RCI) is a useful weighted quantitative classification system based on CT findings for diagnosing cystic renal masses. • The RCI outperforms the Bosniak classification system in some ways, especially for Bosniak IIF and III masses. • Masses with an RCI < 6 can be regarded as a simple cyst, while those with an RCI > 10 can be regarded as malignant masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: Predictive factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are not well established. We sought to identify the value of MR imaging features in preoperatively predicting the lymph node metastasis of pNETs.Materials and methods: In this study, we enrolled 108 consecutive patients with pNETs between January 2009 and June 2018. MR morphologic features and quantitative data were evaluated. Predictors of LNM were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models.Results: A total of 108 patients with pNETs were finally enrolled, including 82 LNM-negative and 26 LNM-positive patients. Features significantly related to the LNM of pNETs at univariate analysis were tumor size > 2 cm (P = 0.003), Ki-67 > 5% (P = 0.002), non-enhancement pattern (P < 0.001), apparent diffusion coefficient value (P < 0.001), main pancreatic duct dilation (P < 0.001) and pancreatic atrophy (P = 0.032) and extrapancreatic tumor spread (P = 0.001), CNRs during arterial, portal and delay phase (P = 0.005, 0.047, and 0.045, respectively), and histological classification (P = 0.006). At multivariate analysis, non-enhancement pattern (P = 0.019; odds ratio, 6.652; 95% CI 1.369, 32.321) and main pancreatic duct dilation (P = 0.018; odds ratio, 6.745; 95% CI 1.379, 32.991) were independent risk factors for predicting the LNM of pNETs.Conclusion: The non-enhancement characteristic and main pancreatic duct dilation appear to be linked with LNM in pNETs. These radiological predictors can be easily obtained preoperatively, and may help to avoid missing pNETs with a high risk of LNM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to retrospectively analyze MRI findings of renal cell carcinoma associated with Xp11.2 translocation/TFE3 gene fusion (Xp11.2/TFE RCC) in adults.Methods: Sixteen patients with Xp11.2/TFE RCC were reviewed retrospectively. The clinical characteristics and imaging features were assessed and then compared between metastatic and non-metastatic subgroups.Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 47.4 (20-76) years. Seven (44 %) patients were men, and nine (56 %) patients were women. The lesions predominantly exhibited an endophytic distribution (n = 14, 88 %) with a capsule (n = 16, 100 %), accompanied by solid and cystic patterns (n = 12, 75%) and hemorrhage (n = 11, 69 %). The tumors prevalently appeared hyper- to isointense on T1WI (n = 14, 88 %), hypointense on T2WI (n = 13, 81 %), and hyperintense on DWI (n = 16, 100 %) with a lower ADC (P < 0.001) than that of the surrounding tissue. The tumors were less enhanced than the normal renal cortex in all phases with a prolonged enhancement pattern (P ≤ 0.001). In addition, six patients (38 %) developed recurrence or metastases. The RCCs with metastases showed an irregular shape (P = 0.013), an incomplete capsule (P = 0.018), heterogeneous solid-cystic patterns (P = 0.034), and hemorrhage (P = 0.037) than non-metastatic subgroups.Conclusions: MRI provides valuable information for the diagnosis of adult Xp11.2/TFE RCCs. Features including irregular shape, incomplete capsule, mixed solid-cystic pattern, and hemorrhage may indicate the occurrence of recurrence or metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of disc cutter wear is inevitable when shield or TBM excavating hard rock for a long distance, thus, the study of disc cutter wear model has an important project value on predicting its service life and replacement opportunity. It is put forward by analyzing disc cutter wear mechanism that the main wear form is abrasive wear, which is based on plastic removal mechanism. Then, disc cutter wear rate and linear wear rate prediction models are obtained by approximate calculation and mathematical deduction, which are based on Rabinowicz equation and CSM model. At last, the two models are verified through field test data from three projects, and the results show that the prediction model can accurately reflect the real wear situation of disc cutter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a refractory disease for clinical treatment with the goal of restoring fertility. In this study, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on a collagen scaffold (collagen/UC-MSCs) can activate primordial follicles in vitro via phosphorylation of FOXO3a and FOXO1. Transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs to the ovaries of POF patients rescued overall ovarian function, evidenced by elevated estradiol concentrations, improved follicular development, and increased number of antral follicles. Successful clinical pregnancy was achieved in women with POF after transplantation of collagen/UC-MSCs or UC-MSCs. In summary, collagen/UC-MSC transplantation may provide an effective treatment for POF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new blind digital background calibration for nonlinearity compensation of voltage-controlled oscillator based analog-to-digital converter is proposed in this letter. The proposed technique is blind and does not require the injection of an additional calibration signal. It takes advantage of the fact that the in-band and the out-of-band distortions have the same origin. By cancelling the out-of-band distortions, in-band distortions can also be removed. This new technique draws support from the orthogonal polynomials least mean square (LMS) algorithm to improve the computational efficiency. Finally, the proposed technique improves the signal-to-noise ratio by more than 40 dB after convergence of the LMS algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The understanding of the complicated braiding mechanisms in braided rivers is closely related to avulsions. They control the channel generation, migration and disappearance in large lowland braided rivers, and are considered to be the key factor that keeps the river maintaining a dynamic braided pattern. However, their occurring processes and mechanisms are still not well understood due to the lack of detailed measurements with sufficient temporal and spatial data covering multiple bifurcations. In the present study, a numerical model based on the physical process of hydrodynamics and sediment transport is used to simulate the suspended sediment transport and river channel evolution in braided rivers. The model predicted braiding processes are comparable to those observed in nature. Efforts are made to investigate the morphological processes that are key for river braiding. Three types of avulsions observed in natural rivers have been identified in the model predicted river and their evolution processes and controlling factors are examined based on the predicted flow velocity, sediment concentration, bed elevation and sediment size distribution. It was found that, a curving channel bend is the key factor in introducing a constriction avulsion, while the choking avulsion and apex avulsion are controlled by the water surface slope and bed elevation. They are mostly affected by the upstream channel pattern changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the possibility of iodine quantification during a single nephrographic phase in characterizing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) subtypes and if there is a difference between areal and volumetric iodine quantification methods.Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 110 patients with 113 histopathologically confirmed RCCs scanned by dual-energy CT at the nephrographic phase before surgeries. For each lesion, an areal measurement of the iodine concentration with maximum enhancement (Imax enhan) and the iodine concentration with maximum area among slices (Imax area), as well as a volumetric iodine concentration of the whole-tumor (Ivolume), were evaluated by two independent radiologists. The diagnostic performances in a single nephrographic phase for characterizing RCC subtypes were evaluated, and three iodine quantification methods were compared with each other.Results: There were significant differences (clear cell vs. papillary and clear cell vs. chromophobe RCC) and no significant differences (papillary vs. chromophobe RCC) at the nephrographic phase in all three methods. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) derived from the Imax enhan for discriminating clear cell from papillary RCC was significantly higher than that derived from the Imax area (P = 0.0357) and the Ivolume (P = 0.0206), and no significant differences existed among the three methods in distinguishing clear cell RCC from chromophobe RCC. The reliability of all three parameters was very high with an interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) exceeding 0.8.Conclusions: Iodine quantification in a single nephrographic phase can be used to differentiate RCC subtypes preoperatively, and the areal maximum enhancement iodine quantification would probably be the most appropriate approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application or disposal of char derived from tannery sludge is directly influenced by the mobility and bioavailability of Cr during pyrolysis process. This study focused on the changes of Cr speciation and organic matter in tannery sludge during low-temperature pyrolysis (100-400 °C) to evaluate the toxicity of char in terms of the leaching possibility of Cr. The results showed that (1) lower char yield and more porous structure were observed after pyrolysis. (2) Higher pyrolysis temperature increased Cr content in the char; however, Cr in this case was converted into the residual fraction which minimized its bioavailability therefore lowers its potential risk to the environment. (3) Organic matters in the acid and alkali leachates were mainly humic acid-like substance, and condensed organic matter might appear at 200 °C and then destruct. (4) Despite the comparatively high content of Cr in the char, the leaching toxicity of char was within the security range according to the national standard of China. The Cr content in the acid and alkali leachates decreased to the range of 16.5-35.3 and 0.2-6.8 mg/L, respectively. It was suggested that the potential toxicity of tannery sludge from Cr could be reduced before utilization or disposal by pyrolysis, especially under 400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the association between the numbers of oocytes retrieved and the cumulative live birth rates (LBR) in women aged 35-40 years undergoing long GnRH agonist IVF/ICSI cycles.Methods: A total of 931 women aged 35-40 years who underwent their first cycle of IVF/ICSI treatment between January 2010 and December 2013 at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were identified and reviewed. The main endpoint of this study was the cumulative LBR after one complete oocyte retrieval, which included fresh and all subsequent frozen-thaw embryo transfer cycles. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for live birth were estimated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, all the women were divided into four groups based on the number of oocytes retrieved: 0-4, 5-9, 10-14 or ≥15 oocytes group. Variables were then compared among groups.Results: We found that 634 out of the 931 patients (68.1%) achieved at least one live birth. The number of oocytes retrieved was an independent predictive factor for live birth, with OR 1.20 (95% CI 1.15-1.26) when adjusted for age (years), duration of infertility and Gn (gonadotrophin) doses. The cumulative LBR in the four different oocyte groups was 35.6, 68.8, 83.4 and 89.2%, respectively. When the 1-4 oocytes group was issued as a reference, the ORs for cumulative LBR gradually increased to 3.66, 6.74 and 11.77 in other three oocytes groups, respectively. The moderate-severe ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) rate was dramatically increased in the ≥15 oocytes group (6.9%) when compared to that in the 10-14 oocytes group (0.8%), while the cumulative LBR only increased 5.8% (from 83.4 to 89.2%).Conclusions: The ideal number of oocytes retrieved in women aged 35-40 years is 10-14 oocytes, which achieves a high cumulative LBR while maintaining an acceptable low OHSS rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reduction of urate depositions in the joints, on dual-energy computed tomography (DECT), in patients with gout during urate-lowering therapy (ULT) was demonstrated in previous studies. The aim of this study was to further investigate the changes in distribution of urate deposits during ULT. This randomized controlled trial enrolled 46 patients diagnosed with gout from Zhongshan Hospital, China, between October 2013 and June 2014. Epidemiological data, serum uric acid level, and arthritis attacks were recorded at monthly follow-up visits. DECT of bilateral feet and ankles was performed at baseline and after 6 months of ULT. Overall, 163 areas of urate deposition were found in the 46 patients; of these, 133/163 (81.6%) areas were associated with former arthritis attacks. On DECT at 6 months, the number of urate deposits decreased to 126, with 68 areas disappearing and 31 new deposits areas. The mean volume of urate deposits at baseline was 1.3 ± 3.8 cm, decreasing to 0.6 ± 2.1 cm at the end of 6 months ( P = 0.01), with 3/46 (6.5%) patients showing complete disappearance of urate deposits. New urate depositions were found in 21/46 (45.7%) patients, while urate depositions in some joints disappeared in some joints in 31/46 (67.4%) patients. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein was significantly lower in patients with new deposits (4.6 ± 9.3 vs. 7.1 ± 7.6 mg/dL; P = 0.01). There is dynamic redistribution of urate depositions in gout patients receiving ULT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional data are infinite-dimensional statistical objects which pose significant challenges to both theorists and practitioners. To avoid the stringent constraints for parametric methods and low convergence rate for nonparametric methods, many functional dimension reduction methods have received attention in the functional data analysis literature, which, if desired, can be combined with low dimensional nonparametric regression in a later step. However, as far as we know that all of the functional dimension reduction methods are based on the classical estimates of the first and second moments of the data, and therefore sensitive to outliers. In the present paper, we propose a robust functional dimension reduction method by replacing the classical estimates with robust ones in the functional sliced inverse regression (FSIR). This leads to procedures which maintain the clever estimation scheme of the original FSIR method but can cope better with outliers. A comparison with FSIR is also made through simulation studies to show the robustness of the robust functional sliced inverse regression (RFSIR). As applications, the Orange juice data and the Tecator data are analyzed by using the proposed RFSIR method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we successfully developed a novel method to create [6,6]-phenyl-C-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) nanoscale aggregates using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO) annealing and fabricated bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells with the nanoscale PCBM to improve device performance. PCBM forms nanoscale aggregates with a size of approximately 70 nm after scCO annealing at 11 MPa and 50 °C for 60 min. However, PCBM remains amorphous after thermal annealing (TA) at 150 °C for 5 min. The morphology, structure, and crystallinity of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in the scCO-treated P3HT film are nearly the same as those in the TA-treated P3HT film. In the P3HT/PCBM blend, the formation of PCBM nanoscale aggregates by scCO treatment decreases the disturbance for P3HT crystallization and improves diffusion and regular packing of P3HT molecular chains. This increases the crystallinity of P3HT so that it becomes higher than that in the TA-treated blend film. The nanoscale aggregates of PCBM and the higher crystallinity of P3HT give the scCO-treated P3HT/PCBM BHJ solar cells a maximum power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2.74%, which is much higher than that of the as-cast device (PCE is 1.70%) and a little higher than the highest PCE (2.64%) of thermally annealed devices. These results indicate that scCO is an effective, mild, and environmental method to modulate the nanoscale aggregates of PCBM and to improve the PCE of BHJ solar cells. However, the size of the PCBM aggregates is a little larger than the most suitable size of the exciton diffusion length, leading to limited improvement of the PCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Excessive inflammation results in adverse pregnancy outcomes, including embryonic resorption, fetal growth restriction, and preeclampsia. This study investigated whether curcumin, a highly safe anti-inflammation drug, had protective effect on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated pregnant mice. Method: A mouse model of LPS-induced adverse pregnancy outcomes was generated by daily administering LPS from GD 13.5 to GD 16.5. Curcumin was given from GD 0.5. The effects of curcumin on maternal hypertension, proteinuria, pregnancy outcomes, as well as proinflammatory factors, chemokines, Akt, JNK, and P38 levels in placenta were examined. Results: Systolic blood pressure (156.6 ± 5.056 versus 125.5 ± 3.617 mmHg; P < 0.05) and proteinuria (22.36 ± 2.22 versus 12.70 ± 1.04 mg/L; P < 0.05) were decreased in the LPS+curcumin-treated group, as compared with the LPS-treated group. Curcumin also increased the number of live pups, fetal weight, and placental weight, while it decreased fetal resorption rate. Moreover, increased placental TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expressions in LPS-treated group were significantly suppressed after curcumin administration. Furthermore, decreased p-Akt level in placenta induced by LPS was improved by curcumin. Of note, the expression of p-Akt increased by curcumin was accompanied by the decreased chemokines MCP-1 and MIP-1 levels and fewer CD68-positive macrophages in the placenta. Conclusion: Curcumin inhibited the expression of proinflammatory factors and macrophage infiltration in placenta and ameliorated LPS-induced adverse pregnancy outcomes in mice by inhibiting inflammation via upregulation of phosphorylated Akt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the usefulness of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for the patient affected by congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). Methods: Multiple displacement amplification (MDA) was performed for whole genome amplification (WGA) of biopsied trophectoderm (TE) cells. Direct mutation detection by sequencing and next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) haplotyping were used for CCA diagnosis. Direct sequencing of the PCR products and sex determination by amplification of sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene were used for SBMA diagnosis. After PGD, the unaffected blastocyst (B4) was transferred in the following frozen embryo transfer (FET). Results: In this PGD cycle, sixteen MII oocytes were inseminated by ICSI with testicular spermatozoa. Four blastocysts (B4, B5, B10, B13) were utilized for TE cell biopsy on day 5 after ICSI. After PGD, B4 was unaffected by CCA and SBMA. B5 was affected by CCA and carried SBMA. B10 was unaffected by CCA and carried SBMA. B13 was affected by CCA and unaffected by SBMA. B4 was the only unaffected blastocyst and transferred into the uterus for the subsequent FET cycle. The accuracy of PGD was confirmed by amniocentesis at 21 weeks of gestation. A healthy boy weighing 2850 g was born by cesarean section at the 38th week of gestation. Conclusions: PGD is a valid screening tool for patienst affected of CCA and SBMA to prevent transmission of these genetic diseases from parents to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]