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A high detection efficiency thermal neutron detector based on the 6LiF/ZnS(Ag) scintillation screens, wavelength-shifting fibers (WLSF) and Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readout is under development at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) for the Engineering Material Diffractometer (EMD).A prototype with a sensitive volume of 180mm×192mm has been built. Signals from SiPMs are processed by the self-design Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC). The performances of this detector prototype are as follows: neutron detection efficiency could reach 50.5% at 1 A, position resolution of 3, the dark count rate 200KHz. Such detector prototype could be an elementary unit for applications in the EMD detector arrays.

Background: Heart failure (HF) is one of the main comorbidities in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Sacubitril/valsartan (SAC/VAL) is widely used in HF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) or HF mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF). However, the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic properties of SAC/VAL in HD patients with HF remain uncertain. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and PK properties of SAC/VAL in HD patients with HFrEF or HFmrEF. Methods: HD patients with HFrEF or HFmrEF were treated with SAC/VAL 50 or 100 mg twice a day (BID) and the concentrations of valsartan and LBQ657 (active metabolite of SAC) were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry during HD and on the days between HD sessions (interval days). N-terminal-pro B-type natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T were measured, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was evaluated by echocardiography. Results: The mean maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax) of LBQ657 and VAL on the interval days were 15.46 ± 6.01 and 2.57 ± 1.23 mg/L, respectively. Compared with previous values in patients with severe renal impairment and healthy volunteers, these levels both remained within the safe concentration ranges during treatment with SAC/VAL 100 mg BID. Moreover, SAC/VAL significantly improved LVEF in HD patients with HFrEF or HFmrEF (p < 0.05). Conclusions: HD did not remove the SAC metabolite LBQ657 or VAL in patients with HF. However, SAC/VAL 100 mg BID was safe and effective in patients undergoing HD.

Accurate prediction of topographical correlation between craniopharyngiomas (CPs) and hypothalamus is important for treatment. This study sought to develop a predicting tool based on preoperative-MRI through radiological–surgical–pathological–outcome analysis. Third ventricle floor (TVF), mammillary bodies and cerebral peduncle were evaluated through preoperative-MRI. An eagle-head-like sign named “eagle sign” was observed. Normal TVF on sagittal-MRI was defined as the baseline. Variants of the sign were analyzed by comparing with the baseline and corresponding correlations of CPs with hypothalamus were verified using intraoperative records, histopathology and outcome evaluation. A total of 146 CPs patients, who undergone endoscopic endonasal procedure were divided into four groups based on the variants of “eagle sign”. Group A: 24 patients with the upward sign; group B: 81 with the downward sign; group C: 21 with the anterior TVF upward sign and group D: 20 with the unidentifiable sign. Surgical–pathological analysis showed significant correlations between 95.8% CPs in group A and 95.2% in group C with tumor topography and tumor adherence to the hypothalamus. These CPs had their origins beneath the hypothalamus. In contrast, groups B and D, with hypothalamic origin, showed hypothalamic infiltration by tumor in 97.5% and 95% of cases in groups B and D, respectively. Outcomes of groups A and C were relatively better than groups B and D. Predictive sensitivity and specificity of “eagle sign” were more than 90%. “Eagle sign” is an accurate tool for predicting topographic correlations between CPs and hypothalamus with high sensitivity and specificity.

The element content obtained by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mud-logging is mainly used to determine mineral content and identify lithology. This work has been developed to identify dolomite, granitic gneiss, granite, limestone, trachyte, and rhyolite from two wells in Nei Mongol of China using back propagation neural network (BPNN) model based on the element content of drill cuttings by XRF analysis. Neural network evaluation system was constructed for objective performance judgment based on Accuracy, Kappa, Recall and training speed, and BPNN for lithology identification was established and optimized by limiting the number of nodes in the hidden layer to a small range. Meanwhile, six basic elements that can be used for fuzzy identification were determined by cross plot and four sensitive elements were proposed based on the existing research, both of which were combined to establish sixteen test schemes. A large number of tests are performed to explore the best element combination, and the result of experiments indicate that the improved combination has obvious advantages in identification performance and training speed. The author’s pioneer work has contributed to the neural network evaluation system for lithology identification and the optimization of input elements based on BPNN.

In this paper, we present a multi-functional terahertz metamaterial device based on the gold and vanadium dioxide (VO2). Availing of the phase transition characteristic of VO2, the switchable performance between perfect absorption and broadband asymmetric transmission (AT) can be realized. When VO2 acts like a metal, the proposed metamaterial device behaves as a selectively perfect absorber for linearly polarized lights. By transforming the phase of VO2 into isolating state, broadband AT with high efficiencies over 90% can be achieved in the region from 1.5 THz to 2.5 THz. Moreover, perfect polarization conversion can be simultaneously realized associated with the AT effect. The Fabry-Perot-like cavity model and the electric field distributions are employed to explain the physical mechanism of the above phenomena. Besides, the proposed metamaterial shows a high tolerance to the incident angle for achieving perfect absorption and broadband AT effect. Our designed device may provide a new avenue for developing multi-functional metamaterial devices in the THz region.

In this study, novel lead-free (1-x)Sr0·7Bi0·2TiO3-xLa(Mg0·5Zr0.5)O3 ((1-x)SBT-xLMZ) ceramics were designed and fabricated by the conventional solid-state reaction method. The dielectric performance, energy storage characteristics and charge-discharge behavior of the ceramics were systematically investigated. Specifically, the temperature stability of dielectric constant is improved by doping SBT with LMZ. On a separate note, BDS is also enhanced ascribed to the reduction of the grain size. Consequently, the 0.87SBT-0.13LMZ exhibits high critical electric field of 340 kV/cm with ultrahigh efficiency (η) of 98.2% and recoverable energy storage density (Wrec) of 1.22 J/cm3. Moreover, pulsed charge-discharge test elucidates that 0.87SBT-0.13LMZ possesses great thermal stability (30 °C–150 °C) along with a fast discharge period of 0.125 μs, high power density (PD) of 72.38 MW/cm3 as well as a high pulsed discharge energy density (1.2 J/cm3) at 380 kV/cm. Based on these outstanding characteristics, the 0.87SBT-0.13LMZ is considered as a potential candidate for pulse systems.

Background Cognitive complications persist in persons with HIV (PWH) during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). Low levels of HIV during ART could contribute to these complications. In this study, we measured cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) HIV using a single copy assay (SCA) to investigate a possible relationship between low level HIV and cognition.Design/Methods: SCA data were analyzed from three consecutive paired CSF-plasma specimens collected over a mean of 456 days from 96 participants on suppressive ART. Using mixed models, the presence of CSF HIV by SCA as a risk factor for worse neurocognitive performance was examined. Results At baseline on the SCA, 45.8% of participants had detectable plasma HIV RNA (median 8 copies/milliliter (ml), interquartile range (IQR) = 3-17 among detectable values), and 17.7% had detectable CSF HIV RNA (median CSF concentration= 3 copies/ml, interquartile range= 2-13 among detectable values). The frequency of CSF HIV RNA detection declined over time in CSF (p=0.018) with a trend toward decline in plasma (p=0.064). Detectable CSF HIV RNA during the study was associated with worse performance in the domains of recall (p=0.014) and motor (p=0.040), and a trend with worse overall global performance (p=0.078). Integrase inhibitor use, while very infrequent in this cohort, was associated with better performance in two domains. Conclusions Low-level CSF HIV RNA declines with time but is associated with worse cognitive performance in two domains. Additional research is needed to better understand the relationship between HIV RNA persistence during long-term ART and central nervous system complications in PWH.

The V-shaped electrothermal actuator has gained significant popularity as it was demonstrated to be a compact, stable and high rectilinear displacement device. However, existing electrothermal actuators usually require the driven voltage as high as several tens of volts to realize large displacements, imposing restrictions on the actuator’s integration in miniature mobile mechatronic systems. The paper presents a V-shaped metal-silicon actuator with low voltage, low power consumption and large displacement. The electro-thermal conversion and heat conduction mechanism of the actuator are improved by optimizing the architecture design of the actuator. An innovative method utilizing the double-sided inductively coupled plasma etching technique is developed for the fabrication. The motion of the actuator is characterized with a microscope-based dynamic test system. Finite element analysis is conducted to verify the device design and experimental results. The transient dynamic behaviour of the actuator is modelled for future control strategy. A rectilinear displacement as high as $80.7~\mu \text{m}$ is achieved at a voltage of 4.0 V and power of 1.12 W. The displacement per unit length to voltage ratio of the metal-silicon actuator is the largest among existing silicon actuators. The displacement per unit length to power of the actuator is also comparative to the highest value of existing actuators, demonstrating that the metal-silicon actuator can achieve large displacement with low voltage and power consumption. The proposed actuator has great potential for the applications in the miniature mechatronic systems such as cell phone, camera, safety and arming device. [2021-0048]

This letter proposes a simple rectangular patch antenna with reduced H-plane cross polarization using substrate integrated suspended line (SISL) technology. Compared with the conventional patch antenna, the embedded air cavities in the multilayer SISL provide a lower loss characteristic and higher gain. However, the SISL patch antenna is prone to high H-plane cross polarization. The nonradiating edges of the traditional patch are extended to the electric walls of the SISL to reduce the orthogonal E-fields of the nonradiating edge, which suppresses the H-plane cross polarization without affecting the copolarization. A slot is introduced to provide frequency tuning capabilities. The simulation and measurement results are well agreed. Measured results show a gain of about 9.85 dBi, and the H-plane cross polarization is less than –20.8 dB.

Purpose Motivated by recent advances in deep learning, the purpose of this study was to investigate a deep learning method in automatic segment and reconstruct applicators in computed tomography (CT) images for cervix brachytherapy treatment planning. Material and methods U-Net model was developed for applicator segmentation in CT images. Sixty cervical cancer patients with Fletcher applicator were divided into training data and validation data according to ratio of 50 : 10, and another 10 patients with Fletcher applicator were employed to test the model. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and 95th percentile Hausdorff distance (HD95) were used to evaluate the model. Segmented applicator coordinates were calculated and applied into RT structure file. Tip error and shaft error of applicators were evaluated. Dosimetric differences between manual reconstruction and deep learning-based reconstruction were compared. Results The averaged overall 10 test patients' DSC, HD95, and reconstruction time were 0.89, 1.66 mm, and 17.12 s, respectively. The average tip error was 0.80 mm, and the average shaft error was less than 0.50 mm. The dosimetric differences between manual reconstruction and automatic reconstruction were 0.29% for high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D90%, and less than 2.64% for organs at risk D2cc at a scenario of doubled maximum shaft error. Conclusions We proposed a deep learning-based reconstruction method to localize Fletcher applicator in three-dimensional CT images. The achieved accuracy and efficiency confirmed our method as clinically attractive. It paves the way for the automation of brachytherapy treatment planning.

We present numerical and theoretical analysis of the tunable electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) effect based on graphene metasurfaces. The unit cells of metasurfaces are composed of a pair of parallel graphene strips and a two-split rectangular graphene ring resonator, both of which are performed as bright modes. The physical mechanism behind the EIT-like effect results from the frequency detuning and hybridization coupling of two bright modes. The FDTD simulation results show an excellent agreement with the theoretical analysis based on the coupled Lorentz oscillators model. Moreover, the transparency window of EIT-like effect can be modulated not only by changing the geometry of the nanostructure, but also by adjusting the Fermi level of graphene, allowing for an actively tunable group time delay of the light. In addition, owing to the peak frequency of the transparency window is highly sensitive to the variation of refractive index of the surrounding media, we demonstrate a refractive index sensor with sensitivity of ∼ 6800 nm/RIU, and the calculated FOM can reach up to about 14.2. Therefore, our proposed nanostructure provides a feasible platform for slow light and sensing applications.

Lead-free double perovskites are emerging as an excellent candidate material for optoelectronic devices, owing to their unique properties such as widely adjustable band gap and markedly lower toxicity than the lead-halide counterparts. In this work, a series of Mn2+-doped Cs2NaInCl6 (Mn2+:Cs2NaInCl6) DP crystals with tailored Mn2+-doping concentrations are synthesized. The effects of the reaction temperatures and Mn/(In + Na) ratios in the raw materials on the Mn2+ doping concentrations and their photoluminescence (PL) properties are investigated systematically. The resultant DP crystals exhibit well-resolved Mn2+ 4T1 → 6A1 d − d emission with an optimal PL quantum yield of 16% and an extremely long excited state lifetime up to ~ 17 ms, which is the longest one of Mn2+ emission among those of Mn2+-doped II–VI semiconductors or perovskite materials ever reported. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent PL and PL decay are studied in the temperatures range from 120 to 480 K. The decay lifetime decreased monotonously with the rise in temperatures, while the PL intensity gradually reaches a maximum and then keeps nearly constant, followed by a sharp decrease. Such abnormal phenomenon is mainly attributed to the combined effect of intrinsic property of octahedrally coordinated Mn2+ in perovskite lattice and enhanced electron–phonon coupling at elevated temperature.

Sr0.7Bi0.2TiO3 (SBT) by increasing the proportion and size of polar nano-region. Meanwhile, the BDS remains a high level with x ≤ 0.38 attributed to the addition of KBT with a large band gap. As a result, the 0.62SBT-0.38KBT exhibits a high energy storage density of 2.21 J/cm3 with high η of 91.4% at 220 kV/cm and superior temperature stability (−55 ∼ 150 °C), frequency stability (10 ∼ 500 Hz) and fatigue resistance (105 cycles). Moreover, high pulsed discharge energy density (1.81 J/cm3), high power density (49.5 MW/cm3) and great thermal stability (20 ∼ 160 °C) are achieved in 0.62SBT-0.38KBT. Based on these excellent properties, the 0.62SBT-0.38KBT are suitable for pulsed power systems. This work provides a novel strategy and systematic study for improving energy storage properties of SBT.

In this paper, we theoretically and numerically demonstrate a polarization-controlled dynamically tunable electromagnetically induced transparency-like (EIT-like) effect based on graphene metasurfaces. The unit cell of metasurface is composed of a rectangular graphene ring placed between two parallel graphene strips, which can achieve tunable spectral responses in different polarization directions. And when the polarization angle of the incident light changes gradually from 0° to 90°, the number of transparent windows can be switched between 1 and 2. The theoretical calculations based on the coupled Lorentz oscillator models have an excellent agreement with the simulation results. The mechanism of the dynamical modulation is attributable to the near field coupling of resonator units. Moreover, we can significantly adjust the transparency windows of the EIT-like by changing the asymmetry parameter and the Fermi level of graphene. Also, the strong dispersion and tunable group delay accompanied with the transparency window can be achieved for slow light application. Our proposed graphene metasurface architecture provides a new platform of multi-controlled EIT-like system for applications in slow light, optical sensor and selective filter.

Based on the growing power of computational capabilities and algorithmic developments, with the help of data-driven and high-throughput calculations, a new paradigm accelerating materials discovery, design and optimization is emerging. Titanium (Ti) alloys have been chosen herein to highlight an integrated computational materials engineering case study with the aim of improving their strength and ductility. The electronic properties of elemental building blocks were derived from high-throughput first-principles calculations and presented in the form of the Mendeleev periodic table, including their electron work function (Ф), Fermi energy (EF), bonding charge density (Δρ), and lattice distortion energy. The atomic and electronic insights of the composition–structure–property relationships were revealed by a data mining approach, addressing the key features/principles for the design strategies of advanced alloys. Guided by defect engineering, the deformation fault energy and dislocation width were treated as the dominating criteria in improving the ductility. The proposed yield strength model was utilized quantitatively to present the contributions of solid-solution strengthening and grain refinement hardening. Machine learning was used collaboratively with fundamental knowledge and feed back into a new training model, shown to be superior to the empirical molybdenum equivalence method. The results draw a conclusion that the integration of data mining and machine learning will not only generate plausible explanations and address new hypotheses, but also enable the design of strong and ductile Ti alloys in a more efficient and cost-effective way.

Boron-lined gas detectors are prospective alternatives to helium-3-based neutron detectors. For boron-lined multi-wire proportional chamber (MWPC) with neutron grazing incident angle geometry, high neutron detection efficiency and 3D position sensitive can be realized. In this paper, a multi-layer boron-lined MWPC was studied. Influences of the boron coating thickness, coating layer numbers and neutron incident angle on the neutron detection efficiency were studied and optimized with Geant4 simulation. The output signal properties including induced signal width on the readout plane, the time resolution and gas gain uniformity of the detector were studied with Garfield program. The results show that the neutron detection efficiency can be significantly increased by using neutron grazing incident geometry. For 4 layers of 10B4C with thickness of 1 µm, the neutron detection efficiency can reach to 54.56%, 49.17% and 44.36% when neutron incident angle is 6°, 8° and 10°, respectively. For detector with curved geometry, the gas gain is nonuniform among the anode wires, and using separate high voltage for each anode wire or wires group can effectively reduce the nonuniform of the gas gain. The results of this work can be used to optimize the detector design.

Background. Natural killer (NK) cells play a critical role in suppressing human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection, but knowledge on whether and how NK cells affect immune reconstitution in HIV-1-infected individuals who receive antiretroviral therapy (ART) is limited. Methods. We performed a case-control study with 35 healthy individuals and 66 HIV-1-infected patients including 32 immunological non-responders (INRs) with poor CD4+ T-cell recovery (500 cells/μL after 4 years of ART). NK cell phenotype, receptor repertoire, and early activation in INRs and IRs were investigated by flow cytometry. Results. A significantly higher proportion of CD56dimCD16dim/- NK cells was observed in INRs than IRs before ART and after 4 years of ART. The number of CD56dimCD16dim/- NK cells was inversely correlated with CD4+ T-cell counts in INRs before ART (r = –0.344, P = 0.050). The more CD69-expressing NK cells there were, the lower the CD4+ T-cell counts and ΔCD4, and these correlations were observed in INRs after ART (r = –0.416, P = 0.019; r = –0.509, P = 0.003, respectively). Additionally, CD69-expressing CD56dimCD16dim/- NK cells were more abundant in INRs than those in IRs (P = 0.018) after ART, both of which had an inverse association trend towards significance with CD4+ T-cell counts. The expression of the activating receptors NKG2C, NKG2D, and NKp46 on CD56dimCD16dim/- NK cell subsets were higher in IRs than that in INRs after 4 years of ART (all P

The precise understanding of hypothalamic injury (HI) patterns and their relationship with different craniopharyngioma (CP) classifications remains poorly addressed. Here, four HI patterns after CP resection based on endoscopic observation were introduced. A total of 131 CP cases treated with endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA) were reviewed retrospectively and divided into four HI patterns: no‐HI, mild‐HI, unilateral‐HI and bilateral‐HI, according to intraoperative findings. The outcomes were evaluated and compared between groups in terms of weight gain, endocrine status, electrolyte disturbance and neuropsychological function before and after surgery. A systematic correlation was found between CP origin and subsequent HI patterns. The majority of intrasellar and suprasellar stalk origins lead to a no‐HI pattern, the central‐type CP mainly develops a mild or bilateral HI pattern, and the majority of tumors with hypothalamic stalk origins result in unilateral HI and sometimes bilateral HI patterns. The proportion of tumors with a maximum diameter >3 cm in the no‐HI group was higher than that in the mild‐HI group, BMI and quality of life in the no‐HI group showed better results than those in the other groups. The incidence of new‐onset diabetes insipidus in the bilateral‐HI group was significantly higher than that in the other groups. Memory difficulty was observed mainly in the unilateral‐HI and bilateral‐HI groups. However, the outcomes of electrolyte disturbance, sleep, and cognitive disorder in the unilateral‐HI group were significantly better than those in the bilateral‐HI group. This study suggests the possibility of using pre‐ and intraoperative observation of CP origin to predict four HI patterns and even subsequent outcomes after tumor removal., This study provided possibility to use the pre‐ and intraoperative observation of craniopharyngiomas origin to predict the four hypothalamic injury patterns and subsequent outcomes after tumor removal.

Background Secretory carrier membrane proteins 3 (SCAMP3) is an endocytosis-associated protein involved in regulating endosomal pathways and the trafficking of vital signaling receptors. This study aimed to comprehensively assess the role of SCAMP3 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by integrated bioinformatics analysis. Methods In this study, bioinformatics databases were used to explore the differential expression status and prognostic value of SCAMP3 gene in HCC, and bioinformatics analyses of survival data and interactors of SCAMP3 were conducted to predict the prognostic value of SCAMP3 in HCC. Results Using the TCGA data, our data shows that SCAMP3 mRNA expression is most significantly different between liver and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and higher expression of SCAMP3 has unfavorable prognostic significance in HCC. Tumor grade, stage, and gender also showed a significant relevance with SCAMP3 expression. High SCAMP3 expression of males revealed significantly poorer survival and progression compared with low SCAMP3 expression of males. BioGRID statistics explores 79 unique interactions with SCAMP3 and multiple post translational modifications. Further analysis finds that SOCS2 may negatively correlate with SCAMP3, while GBA, MX1, and DDOST positively correlate with SCAMP3. Moreover, ncRNA analysis shows that SCAMP3 gene expression is positively associated with lncRNA SBF2-AS1 and negatively related with Has-miR-145. The expressions of SBF2-AS1 and Has-miR-145 are also significantly related with survival in HCC. Discussion SCAMP3 expression can be affected by multiple genes or ncRNAs expression that are associated with survival, thus suggesting that SCAMP3 can be used as a clinical diagnosis and prognostic biomarker in HCC.

Injected electrons and holes play an important role in the mechanical properties of semiconductors because of the charged states in dislocation core. However, many superhard ceramics exhibit very limited plasticity at room temperature because of strong covalent and ionic bonding. To illustrate the effects of injected carriers on the mechanical properties of superhard ceramics, we selected boron carbide (B4C) as the prototype system and employed density functional theory (DFT) to examine the deformation and failure mechanism under neutral, injected-electron and injected-hole states. We find that both strength and ductility of B4C can be enhanced by injecting electrons, which arises from the modified failure mechanism due to the distribution of excess electrons. In contrast, injecting holes into B4C does not affect the failure mechanism, but causes increased strength and decreased ductility. Our study suggesting that injecting electrons is a promising way to tune mechanical properties of superhard ceramics.

Scintillator Neutron Detectors Arrays (SNDA) were successfully installed at General Purpose Powder Diffractometer (GPPD) at the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). The inhomogeneity of the detection efficiency in each detector module, which caused by the gain nonuniformity of the multi-anode photo-multiplier tubes (MA-PMTs) and the inconsistency of the wave-length shifting fibers in collecting scintillation photons, need to be mitigated before the installation. An automated rapid measurement system based on the blue laser and the two-dimensional mobile platform was developed to calibrate the light response of each channel in detector modules. According to the test results of this system, the electronics threshold of each channel of the SNDA is adjusted. Before the installation of the all 40 SNDA modules in GPPD, the electronics thresholds of each channel are adjusted according to the measurement results of this rapid measurement system. Compared with the unadjusted detector module, the adjusted one obtained a better uniformity of the neutron detection efficiency. The inhomogeneity of the detection efficiency is improved from 27.4% to 10.9%. The test result of the diffraction peak of the standard sample Si showed that the adjusted SNDA works well in GPPD.

ObjectiveThe surgical management of lesions involving the lateral area of the suprasellar region, including the lateral aspect of the planum sphenoidale and the tight junction region of the optic canal (OC), anterior clinoid process (ACP), and internal carotid artery (ICA) and its dural rings, is extremely challenging. Here, these regions, namely, the “parasuprasellar” area, are described from the endonasal perspective. Moreover, the authors introduce two novels endoscopic endonasal supraoptic (EESO) and endoscopic endonasal infraoptic (EEIO) approaches to access the parasuprasellar area.MethodsSurgical simulation of the EESO and EEIO approaches to the parasuprasellar area was conducted in 5 silicon-injected specimens. The same techniques were applied in 12 patients with lesions involving the parasuprasellar area.ResultsThe EESO approach provided excellent surgical access to the lateral region of the planum sphenoidale, which corresponds to the orbital gyrus of the frontal lobe. With stepwise bone (OC, optic strut and ACP) removal, dissociation of the ophthalmic artery (OA) and optic nerve (ON), the EEIO approach enables access to the lateral region of the supraclinoidal ICA. These approaches can be used independently or in combination, but are more often employed as a complement to the endoscopic endonasal midline and transcavernous approaches. In clinical application, the EESO and EEIO approaches were successfully performed in 12 patients harboring tumors as well as multiple aneurysms involving the parasuprasellar area. Gross total and subtotal tumor resection were achieved in 9 patients and 1 patient, respectively. For two patients with multiple aneurysms, the lesions were clipped selectively according to location and size. Visual acuity improved in 7 patients, remained stable in 4, and deteriorated in only 1. No postoperative intracranial infection or ICA injury occurred in this series.ConclusionsThe EESO and EEIO approaches offer original treatment options for well-selected lesions involving the parasuprasellar area. They can be combined with the endoscopic endonasal midline and transcavernous approaches to remove extensive pathologies involving the intrasellar, suprasellar, sphenoid, and cavernous sinuses and even the bifurcation of the ICA. This work for the first time pushes the boundary of the endoscopic endonasal approach lateral to the supraclinoidal ICA and ON.

To investigate the feasibility of an endoscopic surgical approach through the neck to the jugular foramen, to determine the relevant techniques and extent of exposure, and to provide a new surgical approach with minimal trauma. Nine cadaveric head specimens with attached necks were fixed with 10% formalin solution. Two of the heads were fixed and injected with colored silicone rubber. Through the dissection of these cadaver head and neck specimens, we designed a surgical approach from the neck to the jugular foramen area with the use of a neuroendoscope and performed simulated surgery to determine which anatomical structures were encountered in the approach. The posterior aspect of the internal jugular vein is adjacent to the rectus capitis lateralis. The internal carotid artery is anteromedial to the internal jugular vein, with the glossopharyngeal nerve, accessory nerve, vagus nerve and hypoglossal nerve in between. Removal of the rectus capitis lateralis can reveal the jugular process, and exposing the space between the superior oblique muscle and the jugular process can reveal the atlanto-occipital joint. Drilling through the occipital condyle can facilitate entrance into the skull, expose the flank of the medulla oblongata, and reveal the medullary olive and accessory nerve, vagus nerve, hypoglossal nerve, vertebral artery and posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Removing the jugular vein and completely opening the posterior wall of the jugular foramen can expose the inferior wall of the jugular bulb and the inferior wall of the sigmoid sinus. Drilling through the styloid process, which is lateral to the internal jugular vein, can expose the lateral area and upper wall of the jugular bulb and cranial nerves (CN) IX–XII; and near the top of the jugular bulb, the tympanic cavity and the external auditory canal can be easily opened. Endoscopic surgical access from the neck to the jugular foramen is feasible. This surgical approach can simultaneously remove intracranial and extracranial tumors and can also be used to remove tumors in the ventral region of the occipital foramen and the hypoglossal canal. Furthermore, this approach is advantageous in that minimal trauma is inflicted. With judicious patient selection, this approach may have significant advantages and may be used as a primary or secondary surgical approach in the future. Nonetheless, this approach is still in development in a laboratory setting, and further research and improvements are needed before facing more complicated situations in clinical practice.

In this paper, a structure for isolating packaging stress in a sandwich MEMS capacitive accelerometer is proposed and verified. The structure is designed and analyzed by finite element modeling (FEM) using ABAQUS. Two kinds of MEMS accelerometer, one with the stress isolation structure and the other without it, were simulated and compared. Simulation results show that the structure can reduce packaging stress and avoid uneven stress distribution. And then, MEMS accelerometers with and without the stress isolation structure are fabricated based on bulk micromachining technology and experimentally verified. The experimental results show that stabilities of the bias temperature coefficient and scale factor temperature coefficient of the MEMS accelerometer with the stress isolation structure are significantly improved. The comparison results demonstrate that the stress isolating structure is working and the packaging stress is successfully isolated.

The family of layered oxychalcogenides has received extensive attention in the field of optoelectronics due to the wide band gaps and p-type conductivity. Herein, seven La-based copper oxide sulfides are considered to explore their unrevealed optical transparency, transport properties as well as the electrical conductivity using ab initio density functional calculations. The obtained results demonstrate that second gap may lead to degradation of the transparency for p-type semiconductors. Our predicted theoretical carrier effective masses of these compounds are expected to supply a gap in previous investigations. The temperature dependence of transport properties shows that the carrier mobility decreases with the increasing temperature because the phonon scattering is intensified as temperature increases. At room temperature, LaCuSTe exhibits a high hole mobility of 461.00 cm2 v−1 s−1 and a high electrical conductivity of 1.48 × 103 S cm−1 which nearly reaches the conductive ability of typical n-type TCOs, like ZnO:Al, TiO2:Nb, SnO2:F, and Sn:In2O3 (on the order of 102-104 S cm−1). The fundamental mechanism for the high conductivity of LaCuSTe may lies in the light hole effective masses obtained by the enhanced hybridization between 3p or 5p orbitals of S/Te atoms and the Cu-3d states. LaCuSTe is demonstrated as an intrinsic p-type conductor with a native hole concentration of 2.12 × 1015 n/cm−3 (requiring no external doping). It is probably due to the self-compensation effect of native donor defects in LaCuSTe is weaker than that in conductive oxides.

OBJECTIVETransinfundibular craniopharyngioma (TC) is one of the 4 subtypes of suprasellar craniopharyngioma. In this study, the authors analyzed the clinical features of and operative technique for TC.METHODSA total of 95 consecutive cases of suprasellar craniopharyngioma that had been resected via the endoscopic expanded endonasal approach were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: 34 in the TC group and 61 in the nontransinfundibular craniopharyngioma (NC) group. Clinical and radiographic features, intraoperative findings, histopathological and genetic findings, and surgical outcomes were analyzed and compared between groups.RESULTSCompared with NC, TC was mostly seen in adult patients (97.1%); it was rare in children (2.9%). Clinical presentations tended toward headache, hydrocephalus, and diabetes insipidus. The relatively smaller volume, midline location (consistent with the stalk position), unidentifiable stalk, no shift of the third ventricle, and greater likelihood to involve the third ventricle and cause hydrocephalus were the characteristic features of TC in the preoperative MRI study. According to the degree of vertical extension of the tumor, the 34 TCs could be classified into 3 subtypes: type 1, entity was limited to stalk (n = 2, 5.9%); type 2, tumor extended up to the third ventricle (type 2a) or down to the subdiaphragmatic cavity (type 2b) (n = 23, 67.6%); and type 3, tumor extended in both directions (n = 9, 26.5%). For TC resection, the chiasm–pituitary corridor, lamina terminalis corridor, and pituitary corridor could be used separately or jointly. Most of the TCs originated from the infundibulum–tuber cinereum, grew within and along the long axis of the infundibulum, and the pituitary stalk was not usually preserved in TCs (20.6%), whereas the rate of preservation was higher (80.3%) in NCs. Bilateral hypothalamic injury was found in nearly all TCs if radical resection was performed, whereas the relationship between NCs and hypothalamus was either compression (32.8%) or unilateral invasion (67.2%). Meanwhile, the postoperative endocrine and neuropsychological function outcomes in patients with TC were worse than in patients with NC. The genetic analysis with whole-exome sequencing studies showed no differential mutations of CTNNB1 (β-catenin) and BRAF (V600E) between TC and NC subtypes, but there was a difference between adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma and papillary craniopharyngioma.CONCLUSIONSTC is a special subtype of suprasellar craniopharyngioma, which is remarkably different from NC. Identification of this type of tumor preoperatively is essential for the planning of appropriate surgical approach and degree of excision.

To explore clinical features and compare of the difference between conservative treatment and surgical treatmentin prognosis of intracranial aneurysms associated with moyamoya disease (MMD).104 patients with MMD a ssociated with intracranial aneurysms diagnosed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) or computed tomography angiography (CTA) were retrospectively analyzed.All patients of MMD with intracranial aneurysms had 129 aneurysms distributed at different sites. The distribution of the aneurysms was as follows: 28(21.71%) anterior communicating artery aneurysms, 21(16.28%) basilar artery aneurysms, 19(14.73%) middle cerebral artery aneurysms, 17(13.18%) posterior cerebral artery aneurysms, 12(9.30%)internal carotid artery aneurysms, 11(8.53%) posterior communicating artery aneurysms, 10(7.75%) anterior cerebral artery aneurysms, 5(3.88%) anterior choroidal artery aneurysms, 2(1.55%) moyamoya vessel aneurysms, and 4(3.1%) other location aneurysms. 82 cases (78.85%) had one aneurysm, and 21 cases (20.19%) had 2 or more aneurysms. 64 cases were treated surgically, and 40 cases were treated conservatively. 57 of 81 cases (70.37%) had a good outcome, 2 cases (2.47%) were in paralyzed, and 22 cases were died. The mortality rate was (27.16%). Death occurred in 16 (47.06%) of 34 patients with conservative treatment, and 6(12.77%) of 47 patients with surgical treatment. 7 cases (8.64%) had twice cerebral hemorrhage, and one case (1.23%) had third cerebral hemorrhage in the follow-up period. There were 5 deaths, two good outcomes, and one coma among 8 cases experienced re-hemorrhage.Compared with conservative treatment, positive surgical treatment showed clinical significance for preventing cerebral hemorrhage and reducing mortality of MMD with intracranial aneurysms.MMD: moyamoya disease; DSA: digital subtraction angiography; CTA: computed tomography angiography.

Two-dimensional (2D) semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as attractive platforms in next-generation nanoelectronics and optoelectronics for reducing device sizes down to a 10 nm scale. To achieve this, the controlled synthesis of wafer-scale single-crystal TMDs with high crystallinity has been a continuous pursuit. However, previous efforts to epitaxially grow TMD films on insulating substrates (e.g., mica and sapphire) failed to eliminate the evolution of antiparallel domains and twin boundaries, leading to the formation of polycrystalline films. Herein, we report the epitaxial growth of wafer-scale single-crystal MoS2 monolayers on vicinal Au(111) thin films, as obtained by melting and resolidifying commercial Au foils. The unidirectional alignment and seamless stitching of the MoS2 domains were comprehensively demonstrated using atomic- to centimeter-scale characterization techniques. By utilizing onsite scanning tunneling microscope characterizations combined with first-principles calculations, it was revealed that the nucleation of MoS2 monolayer is dominantly guided by the steps on Au(111), which leads to highly oriented growth of MoS2 along the ⟨110⟩ step edges. This work, thereby, makes a significant step toward the practical applications of MoS2 monolayers and the large-scale integration of 2D electronics.

This article presents a brief review of our case studies of data-driven Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) for intelligently discovering advanced structural metal materials, including light-weight materials (Ti, Mg, and Al alloys), refractory high-entropy alloys, and superalloys. The basic bonding in terms of topology and electronic structures is recommended to be considered as the building blocks/units constructing the microstructures of advanced materials. It is highlighted that the bonding charge density could not only provide an atomic and electronic insight into the physical nature of chemical bond of materials but also reveal the fundamental strengthening/embrittlement mechanisms and the local phase transformations of planar defects, paving a path in accelerating the development of advanced metal materials via interfacial engineering. Perspectives on the knowledge-based modeling/simulations, machine-learning knowledge base, platform, and next-generation workforce for sustainable ecosystem of ICME are highlighted, thus to call for more duty on the developments of advanced structural metal materials and enhancement of research productivity and collaboration.

Caching popular videos at mobile edge servers (MESs) has been confirmed as a promising method to improve mobile users (MUs) perceived quality of experience (QoE) and to alleviate the server load. However, with the multiple bitrate encoding techniques prevalently employed in modern streaming services, caching deployment is challenging for the following three facts: (1) cooperative caching should be explored for MUs located at overlapped coverage areas of MESs; (2) there exists tradeoff consideration for caching either high bitrate videos or high diversity videos; and (3) the relationship between MU perceived QoE and MU received bitrate, known as QoE function, varies in different services. Aiming to maximize the MU perceived QoE, we formulate the multiple bitrate video caching problem, and prove this problem is NP-hard for any given positive and strictly increasing QoE function. We then propose a polynomial complexity algorithm based on a general QoE function, which can achieve an approximate ratio arbitrarily close to 1/2. Specifically, for a linear QoE function, we explore useful property of optimal solutions, based on which more efficient algorithms are proposed. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our solutions via both theoretical analysis and extensive simulations.

BACKGROUND: The aims of this study were: investigate the frequency of HIV-1 RNA levels discordance between the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma and of CSF viral escape (CVE) in patients HIV-1 subtype C on antiretroviral therapy; evaluate the CSF white blood cell (WBC) performance characteristics in predicting CSF discordance in HIV+ group; and the frequency of cognitive impairment in individuals with CSF HIV discordance or escape. METHODS: HIV-1 RNA levels were assessed in plasma and CSF samples from 68 HIV+ participants without opportunistic infection. RESULTS: CSF discordance was found in 7.4% and CVE in 10%, with comparable frequencies between HIV-1B and C. Twenty samples (29%) showed increased CSF WBC counts. This group had higher CSF and plasma HIV-1 RNA levels than the group with normal WBC counts (p < 0.0001 and 0.006, respectively). The odds of CSF discordance were 18 times higher for a person with CSF WBC count of >5cells/mm(3) than the group with normal CSF WBC count. CSF WBC counts (cut-off of 15 cells/mm(3)) showed high-performance characteristics as a predictive biomarker of CSF discordance (AUC the ROC curve 0.98). The frequency of cognitive impairment for CSF escape or discordance, was 83%, and 80%. The odds of cognitive impairment in these groups were 19 and 15 times higher, than those for a HIV(−) person. CONCLUSION: Viral discordance or escape in the CNS occurs at a comparable frequency for HIV-1C and HIV-1B. The CSF WBC count was effective as a predictive biomarker of CSF and plasma discordance.

The issue of the low probability of intercept (LPI) radar signal sensing has received considerable attention. Furthermore, the development of military technology further increased demand for it in future electronic warfare (EW). Meanwhile, so far, a systematic understanding of how radar signal detection and recognition technology contributes to EW is still lacking. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to this growing area of research by exploring an automatic method for detecting and identifying radar signals based on visibility graphs (VG), which can extract more network and feature information in the two-dimensional space of VG. In this article, the signal to be measured is subjected to wavelet noise reduction. Secondly, auto-correlation processing is performed on the signal, we subsequently convert the signal into a VG complex network. Then the average degree and weighted operation of the network are used for signal detection and recognition, respectively. Experiments in the last part indicate that the proposed method provides excellent performance, such as the robustness to noise and the probability of classification, over several state-of-the-art algorithms.

Semantic segmentation networks focus on the scene parsing of an unrestricted open scene. The typical segmentation architectures are stacks consisting of convolutional layers, which are used to extract semantic features. The feature map dimension is sharply changed at sampling units for most of networks, which ensure effective propagation of the gradient in deep nets. In this article, we proposed a state-of-the-art network model named Fully Convolutional Pyramidal Networks (FC-PRNet), which employs pyramidal residual structure to change the feature map dimension at all convolutional layers. This design is an effective way of improving generalization ability and optimizing parameters, and FC-PRNet could achieve excellent capability of semantic extraction. We used urban scene benchmark CamVid and KITTI dataset to test our network, the experimental results show that FC-PRNet achieves better results without any pre-training or post-treatment module. Moreover, due to smart construction of pyramidal residual structures, FC-PRNet has less parameters than other existing networks trained on these datasets.

In the application of industrial cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the displaced detector scanning mode can significantly enlarge the field of view (FOV) of the CT system. However, when this mode is applied to inspect a large object, the connecting line between the X-ray focus and the center-of-rotation projection may not be perpendicular to the real flat-panel detector, which makes most of the existing reconstruction methods impractical. The purpose of this article is to explain the work done in developing an image reconstruction method under the displaced detector scanning mode. We first establish a virtual detector to make the connecting line be perpendicular to the virtual detector, and the real projection data are then converted into the virtual detector. The geometrical parameters of the real CT system are converted into the CT system with the virtual detector, in which the virtual detector and the twist angles of the reconstructed images are effectively corrected by adjusting angles of the projection sequence. Based on the corrected projection data and the converted geometry parameters, the cross sections of the object are accurately reconstructed through the FDK reconstruction algorithm combined with the Wang weighting function. Computer simulation results and CBCT experiment results demonstrate that the image artifacts and the twist angles of the reconstructed images are well corrected. Through this method, the FOV of the CT system is enlarged by 78% without changing the original geometric layout of the system, which is significant for engineering applications.

Objective: Renal fibrosis is the most common manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Noting that existing treatments of renal fibrosis only slow disease progression but do not cure it, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapies. Hydrogen sulfide(H2S) is a newly discovered endogenous small gas signaling molecule exerting a wide range of biologic actions in our body. This review illustrates recent experimental findings on the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of H2S against renal fibrosis and highlights its potential in future clinical application. Data sources: Literature was collected from PubMed until February 2019, using the search terms including "Hydrogen sulfide," "Chronic kidney disease," "Renal interstitial fibrosis," "Kidney disease," "Inflammation factor," "Oxidative stress," "Epithelialto-mesenchymal transition," "H2S donor," "Hypertensive kidney dysfunction," "Myofibroblasts," "Vascular remodeling," "transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta/Smads signaling," and "Sulfate potassium channels." Study selection: Literature was mainly derived from English articles or articles that could be obtained with English abstracts. Article type was not limited. References were also identified from the bibliographies of identified articles and the authors’ files. Results: The experimental data confirmed that H2S is widely involved in various renal pathologies by suppressing inflammation and oxidative stress, inhibiting the activation of fibrosis-related cells and their cytokine expression, ameliorating vascular remodeling and high blood pressure, stimulating tubular cell regeneration, as well as reducing apoptosis, autophagy, and hypertrophy. Therefore, H2S represents an alternative or additional therapeutic approach for renal fibrosis. Conclusions: We postulate that H2S may delay the occurrence and progress of renal fibrosis, thus protecting renal function. Further experiments are required to explore the precise role of H2S in renal fibrosis and its application in clinical treatment. Key words: Hydrogen sulfide; Renal interstitial fibrosis; Chronic kidney disease

Objectives: In breast radiotherapy, the proximity of the target to sensitive structures together with the uncertainty introduced by respiratory movement, make this treatment one of the most studied to increase its effectiveness. Dosimetric and physical variables play an important role and the study of their correlation and impact on treatment is fundamental. This retrospective study aims to highlight the dosimetric differences of 2 different clinical data sets of patients receiving left-sided breast irradiation in free breathing (FB) or breath hold (BH). Methods: A total of 155 left breast carcinoma patients receiving whole-breast irradiation in FB (73 patients) and BH (82 patients) were enrolled in this study. The dosimetric parameters of the target, heart, left and right lung and right breast were evaluated and compared, and possible correlations were studied in both groups. Results: No significant difference ( P > .05) was found in the target dosimetry; a clear advantage in BH for both high and low doses received by the heart, with reductions of the dosimetric parameters between 27.1% and 100% ( P

Aim Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the risk of CVD increases with reductions in renal function. This study aims to investigate the potential roles of B lymphocyte populations in subclinical atherosclerosis (measured by intima-media thickness, IMT) and prognosis in elderly patients with moderate-to-severe CKD. Methods In this study, a total of 219 patients (143 moderate-to-severe CKD patients with stage 3–4 and 76 non-CKD controls) were recruited. B cell subsets: CD19(+)CD5(+) and CD19(+)CD5(−) B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Intima-media thickness (IMT) was measured by ultrasound. Correlations between the B cell subsets with IMT and clinical outcome was analyzed. Results CKD patients showed increased IMT (P = 0.006). The level of CD19(+)CD5(+) and CD19(+)CD5(−) B cells were decreased in CKD patients. Correlation analysis showed that IMT was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure, protein/creatinine ratio and diabetes (P P P 9 /L) and CD19(+)CD5(−) B cells (≤ 0.05 × 109 /L) (P P P Conclusions Our results showed that decreased CD19(+)CD5(+) and CD19(+)CD5(−) B lymphocytes were correlated with atherosclerosis and worse survival, which indicates that B lymphocytes might involve in atherosclerosis and associated the prognosis of elderly patients with moderate-to-severe CKD.

Acquired resistance represents a bottleneck to molecularly targeted therapies such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment in lung cancer. A deeper understanding of resistance mechanisms can provide insights into this phenomenon and help to develop additional therapeutic strategies to overcome or delay resistance. Here, we identified a pharmacologically targetable metabolic mechanism that drives resistance to EGFR TKIs in lung cancer cell lines and patient-derived xenograft mice. We demonstrated that aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B1 (AKR1B1) interacts with and activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) to up-regulate the cystine transporter solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11). This leads to enhanced cystine uptake and flux to glutathione de novo synthesis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, protection from cell death, and EGFR TKI drug resistance in lung cancer cell lines and xenograft mouse models. Suppression of AKR1B1 with selective inhibitors, including the clinically approved antidiabetic drug epalrestat, restored the sensitivity of resistant cell lines to EGFR TKIs and delayed resistance in lung cancer patient-derived xenograft mice. Our findings suggest a metabolic mechanism for resistance to a molecularly targeted therapy and provide a potential therapeutic target for overcoming resistance to EGFR TKIs, including the third-generation inhibitor osimertinib.

BackgroundMatrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) is a member of the MMP family, which interacts with tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMPs), and is involved in normal physiological functions such as cell migration, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and proliferation, as well as tumor genesis and progression. However, there has been a lack of relevant reports on the effect of MMP14 across cancers. This study aims to explore the correlation between MMP14 and pan-cancer prognosis, immune infiltration, and the effects of pan-cancer gene mismatch repair (MMR), microsatellite instability (MSI), tumor mutational burden (TMB), DNA methylation, and immune checkpoint genes.MethodsIn this study, we used bioinformatics to analyze data from multiple databases, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), ONCOMINE, and Kaplan–Meier plotter. We investigated the relationship between the expression of MMP14 in tumors and tumor prognosis, the relationship between MMP14 expression and tumor cell immune infiltration, and the relationship between MMR gene MMR, MSI, TMB, DNA methylation, and immune checkpoint genes.ResultsMMP14 expression is highly associated with the prognosis of a variety of cancers and tumor immune invasion and has important effects on pan oncologic MMR, MSI, TMB, DNA methylation, and immune checkpoint genes.ConclusionMMP14 is highly correlated with tumor prognosis and immune invasion and affects the occurrence and progression of many tumors. All of these results fully indicate that MMP14 may be a biomarker for the prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment of many tumors and provide new ideas and direction for subsequent tumor immune research and treatment strategies.

Anisotropic materials provide a new platform for building diverse polarization-dependent optical devices. Two-dimensional α-phase molybdenum trioxides (α-MoO3), as newly emerging natural van der Waals materials, have attracted significant attention due to their unique anisotropy. In this work, we theoretically propose an anisotropic perfect metamaterial absorber in visible frequencies, the unit cell of which consists of a multi-layered α-MoO3 nanoribbon/dielectric structure stacked on a silver substrate. Additionally, the number of perfect absorption bands is closely related to the α-MoO3 nanoribbon/dielectric layers. When the proposed absorber is composed of three α-MoO3 nanoribbon/dielectric layers, electromagnetic simulations show that triple-band perfect absorption can be achieved for polarization along [100], and [001] in the direction of, α-MoO3, respectively. Moreover, the calculation results obtained by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are consistent with the effective impedance of the designed absorber. The physical mechanism of multi-band perfect absorption can be attributed to resonant grating modes and the interference effect of Fabry–Pérot cavity modes. In addition, the absorption spectra of the proposed structure, as a function of wavelength and the related geometrical parameters, have been calculated and analyzed in detail. Our proposed absorber may have potential applications in spectral imaging, photo-detectors, sensors, etc.

Psoriasis is a chronic proliferative skin disorder characterised by abnormal epidermal differentiation. The Fuzhenghefuzhiyang (FZHFZY) formula created by Chuanjian Lu, a master of Chinese medicine in dermatology, has been external used in the Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine for the treatment of psoriasis, but its mechanisms of action against psoriasis remain poorly understood. This study involved an exploration of the effects of FZHFZY on epidermal differentiation and its underlying mechanisms in interleukin (IL)-17A/IL-22/interferon (IFN)-γ/tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α–stimulated HaCaT cells and in a mouse model of imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay. Epidermal differentiation was detected by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Histological evaluation of the skin tissue was performed via haematoxylin and eosin staining, and the Akt/mTORC1/S6K1 pathway was analysed by western blotting. FZHFZY inhibited proliferation and improved epidermal differentiation in IL-17A/IL-22/IFN-γ/TNF-α–induced HaCaT cells. FZHFZY ameliorated symptoms of psoriasis, regulated epidermal differentiation and inhibited phosphorylation of the Akt/mTORC1/S6K1 pathway in the skin of mice with imiquimod-induced psoriasis. Our results suggest that FZHFZY may exhibit therapeutic action against psoriasis by regulating epidermal differentiation via inhibition of the Akt/mTORC1/S6K1 pathway.

Objective This study aimed to quantify the effect of the dwell time deviation constraint (DTDC) on brachytherapy treatment for cervical cancer. Methods A retrospective study was carried out on 20 patients with radical cervical cancer. The DTDC values changed from 0.0 to 1.0 by a step size of 0.2. We adjusted the optimization objectives to ensure that all plans were optimized to a high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV) D90 (the dose to 90% of the HRCTV) = 6 Gy, while keeping the dose to the organs at risk as low as possible. The dose–volume histogram parameters and the dwell time data were compared between plans with different DTDC values. Results The HRCTV volume covered by 150% of the prescription dose gradually increased with increasing DTDC values. As the DTDC value increased from 0.0 to 1.0, the effective dwell point proportion increased from 61.78% to 90.30%. The mean dwell time initially decreased with an increase in the DTDC value, reached the minimum value at DTDC = 0.8, then slightly increased at DTDC = 1.0. Conclusions When using inverse planning simulated annealing optimization for radical cervical cancer cases, the recommended DTDC value is approximately 0.6 if the organ dose needs to be limited.

Methamphetamine (METH) use disorder is highly prevalent among people with HIV (PWH) and is a significant public health problem. HIV and METH use are each associated with immune system dysfunction, however, the combined effects on the immune system are poorly understood. This cross-sectional project measured soluble immune biomarkers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from a control group, people with a history of a METH use disorder (METH+), PWH with no history of METH use disorder (HIV+), and PWH with a history of METH use disorder (HIV+/METH+). HIV, METH, and immune dysfunction can also be associated with affective and cognitive deficits, so we characterized mood and cognition in our participants. Two factor analyses were performed for the plasma and CSF biomarkers. Plasma IL-8, Ccl2, VEGF, and 8-isoprostane loaded onto one factor that was highest in the HIV+/METH+ group (p &lt, 0.047) reflecting worse inflammation, vascular injury, and oxidative stress. This plasma factor was also negatively correlated with delayed recall (R = −0.49, p = 0.010), which was worst in the HIV+/METH+ group (p = 0.030 compared to the control group). Overall, these data implicate that combined HIV-1 infection and METH use may exacerbate inflammation, leading to worse cognition.

Surgery for pituitary adenomas (PAs) with cavernous sinus (CS) invasion in Knosp grade 4 is a great challenge and whether to adopt a conservative or aggressive surgical strategy is controversial. The aim of this study is to provide the outcomes and complications of an aggressive resection strategy for Knosp grade 4 PAs with transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery. Outcomes and complications were retrospectively analyzed in 102 patients with Knosp grade 4 PAs. Among them, primary PAs were seen in 60 patients and recurrent PAs were seen in 42 cases. Gross total resection (GTR) of the entire tumor was achieved in 72 cases (70.6%), subtotal tumor resection (STR) in 18 cases (17.6%), and partial tumor resection (PTR) in 12 cases (11.8%). Additionally, GTR of the tumor within the CS was achieved in 82 patients (80.4%), STR in 17 patients (16.7%), and PTR in 3 patients (2.9%). Statistical analyses showed that both recurrent tumors and firm consistency tumors were adverse factors for complete resection (Pvia transsphenoidal endoscopic surgery may be an effective and safe option for Knosp grade 4 PAs.

Garbage can is a common daily necessities in our life, so garbage can is indispensable. It can not only keep the living environment comfortable and tidy, but also make us feel relaxed and happy. The function of garbage bin is to store garbage temporarily, and sanitation workers collect, transport and carry garbage in garbage bin every day for centralized destruction or secondary waste utilization. For part of the garbage fluffy, large volume, easy to overflow, is not conducive to garbage collection, transportation and handling. The degree of automation of the existing compressed trash can is not very high. In some links (such as opening the lid or starting compression), it is usually necessary to manually click and press the twist operation, so it is difficult to match with the robot to complete the garbage picking task in special scenarios. Based on the shortcomings and shortcomings of the prior art, we design an intelligent compressed garbage can based on STM32. The trash can is divided into garbage input room and garbage waiting room. When the garbage in the garbage input room reaches a certain height, the garbage carries on a series of operations to compress the garbage and push it into the garbage waiting room. The garbage waiting room is equipped with garbage height detection device and pressure detection device. When there is garbage in the waiting room, the indicator light is on. When the garbage in the waiting room reaches a certain height, the indicator light begins to flicker. The trash can be connected to Internet devices such as mobile phones. Users can always check the status of the trash can. When the trash can indicator lights flicker, it will give a reminder to the mobile phone. In order to achieve the trash bin automation, intelligence, in line with the concept of green development. Our design can not only realize the automation and intelligence of the trash can, but also in line with the concept of green development.

Adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma (ACP) is considered a benign intracranial tumor, but it can also exhibit aggressive characteristics. Due to its unique location in the suprasellar, which brings it close to important nerves and vascular structures, ACP can often lead to significant neuroendocrine diseases. The current treatments primarily include surgical intervention, radiation therapy or a combination of the two, but these can lead to serious complications and adversely affect the quality of life of patients. Thus, it is important to identify effective and safe alternatives. Recently, studies have focused on the tumor genome, transcriptome and proteome in an attempt to identify potential therapeutic targets for clinical use. However, studies on this region of the CP are limited; thus, the present study focused on this region. The GSE94349 and GSE68015 datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and analyzed. In the in vitro studies, the effect of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)12 inhibitor, MMP408, on cell proliferation and protein expression was assessed. The results demonstrated that MMP408 effectively inhibited cell proliferation and migration of ACP cells, and decreased the expression levels of the related proteins. Thus, MMP12 may be used as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of ACP.