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Background The benefit of endoscopic treatment (ET) and esophagectomy for early esophageal cancer (EC) has been sufficiently recognized. Radiotherapy (RT) is the main treatment modality for patients who do not undergo surgery. The effectiveness of adding chemotherapy (CT) to RT remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and RT alone on overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) in early EC patients not undergoing surgery. Methods Data collected between 2004 and 2015 were obtained from the national Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. All the samples were randomly grouped into the training cohort or the verification cohort. The training cohort was split into subgroups by stage, age, and histology. Stage was based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 6th edition published in 2004. The Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox proportional hazards modeling were used to compare OS and CSS. The performance of the nomogram was measured by a concordance index (C‐index) and the calibration curve. Results Data for a total of 5332 patients were obtained from the SEER database. A total of 3736 patients (stage I: n = 1277; stage IIA: n = 1484; stage IIB: n = 975) were used for the training cohort. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that age, sex, histology, grade, therapy, reasons for no surgery, and year of diagnosis were independent predictors of OS. The survival curve of patients treated with CRT showed a significant survival benefit compared to that in patients treated by RT alone in stage I, stage IIA, and stage IIB. CRT was also found to be related to better survival than RT in patients at a younger age (, Chemoradiotherapy results in a better OS and CSS in early esophageal cancer patients who do not undergo surgery.

To obtain high reliability and accuracy of the zenith tropospheric delay more quickly, this study describes a parameter estimation method that uses an epoch-differenced and undifferenced function model to estimate the clock of the BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS)/global positioning system (GPS) satellites using a quasi-real-time process. Forty-five MGEX tracking stations distributed globally were selected for study. The initial orbit information of the clock estimation used the ultra-rapid orbit products released by the German Research Center for Geosciences and post-products as reference values. The experimental results showed that the accuracy of the GPS satellite clock was better than 0.06 ns. The precision of clock for three kinds of BDS satellites was between 0.04 and 0.08 ns, slightly worse than the GPS. The estimated BDS clock appears to meet the demands for computing the quasi-real-time zenith tropospheric delay.

The crack initiation and life prediction of fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete (FRAC) surfacing for steel bridge decks under a cyclic vehicle load are analyzed from the perspective of damage mechanics. The damage field and the stress and strain field evolution rule of a composite beam in fatigue test are studied, and a fatigue failure criterion is proposed for steel deck FRAC surfacing. Bending fatigue tests are performed on composite beams composed of a steel deck and polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-fiber-reinforced Gussasphalt (GA), i.e., GA-PAN, concrete surfacing under different fiber content and temperature conditions. The damage evolution characteristics of GA-PAN concrete surfacing over the steel deck with different fiber lengths and volume ratios are predicted by analyzing the fatigue life equations. The results show that the steel bridge deck FRAC surfacing model can reflect the comprehensive influence of the fiber content and length on the fatigue performance of steel bridge AC. Specifically, a lower temperature results in the fiber more synergistically affecting the fatigue resistance of AC. Theoretically, the service performance of asphalt concrete increases with the increase of fiber length and content. The optimum fiber length and volume ratio of GA-PAN are found to be 9 mm and 0.46%&ndash, 0.48%, respectively, considering the construction workability.

Background/Aims: Avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) is the focus and difficulty of orthopedic diseases. Recently, tissue engineering bone for this disease has shown a good therapeutic effect. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) as cytokines transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in constructing tissue-engineered bone for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Methods: The FGF-2 gene overexpressed lentivirus-transfected rBMSCs with xenogeneic antigen-extracted cancellous bone (XACB) to construct tissue engineered bone, and the model of early avascular necrosis of the femoral head was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with hormone. The models were randomly divided into five groups: A (control), B (XACB), C (XACB+rBMSCs), D (XACB+rBMSCs+Lv-GFP), and E (XACB+rBMSCs+Lv-FGF-2/GFP) groups. The therapeutic effect of the tissue engineered bone for the avascular necrosis of the femoral head was evaluated by gross anatomy, X-ray examination, immunohistochemistry and H&E staining. Results: The FGF-2 gene was transfected into rBMSCs (Multiplicity of infection [MOI] = 100) by lentivirus, and its efficiency was above 95%. The rBMSCs were successfully transfected overexpressing FGF-2 by qPCR and western blot. After tissue engineering bone implantation, X-ray examination and gross specimen observation revealed that the repair area in the E group was > 80% at six weeks, the defect was completely repaired at 12 weeks, and osteogenesis was stronger, when compared with the other groups. For the X-ray score, vascular area density and new bone formation area were higher, when compared with the other groups, and the difference was statistically significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: FGF-2 gene overexpression lentivirus transfection BMSCs combined with XACB to construct tissue engineered bone can effectively promote vascular regeneration, and improve the repair effect of avascular necrosis of the femoral head.

Excessive proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells(VSMCs) and delayed proliferation and migration of endothelial cells(ECs) were the main cause of restenosis after endovascular interventional therapy. Since tacrolimus has proved to be more sensitive to inhibiting VSMCs’ proliferation,and platelet-derived growth factor-BB(PDGF-BB) benefitted ECs’ and VSMCs’ proliferation, this study was aimed to identify combined effect of tacrolimus and PDGF-BB, investigate any mechanisms underneath and demonstrate combined effect of two drugs in vivo. As the results showed we confirmed differential effect of PDGF-BB and tacrolimus on ECs and VSMCs. On the concentration level of 2–5 μg/ml tacrolimus plus 10 ng/ml PDGF-BB, combination of drugs could effectively promote ECs proliferation and migration, and meanwhile inhibit VSMCs proliferation and migration, and the inhibition of p-mTOR’s expression within VSMCs played an important role in this differentiated effect. Raising concentration level of PDGF-BB would weaken inhibitory effect of tacrolimus on both kinds of cell. For injured intima, the mix solution of two drugs could promote intima healing and suppress excessive intimal hyperplasia.

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of the transplantation of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) gene-transfected mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and xenogeneic antigen-cancellous bone (XACB) on tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression with avascular necrosis of the femoral head (ANFH) in rabbits. Methods: The models of steroid-induced osteonecrosis in rabbits were randomly divided into five groups: A (model), B (XACB), C (XACB + MSCs), D (XACB + MSCs + LV), and E (XACB + MSCs + LV-FGF-2) groups. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) staining. Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR assays were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α in the femoral head, respectively. Results: At 12 weeks after the operation, the defect in rabbits in group E was completely repaired, while defects in rabbits in the other groups were not completely repaired, and the area of new bone formation was higher, when compared with the other groups (P

Interventional therapies, such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and endovascular stent implantation, are used widely for the treatment of diabetic peripheral vascular complications. Reendothelialization is an essential process in vascular injury following interventional therapy, and hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus (DM) plays an important role in damaging endothelial layer integrity, leading to the retardance of reendothelialization and excessive neointimal formation. Notoginsenoside Fc (Fc), a novel saponin isolated fromPanax notoginseng, effectively counteracts platelet aggregation. Nevertheless, the potential effects and molecular mechanisms of Fc on reendothelialization have yet to be explored. In this study, we present novel findings that show the benefit of Fc in accelerating reendothelialization and alleviating excessive neointimal formation following carotid artery injury in diabetic Sprague–Dawley ratsin vivo. Simultaneously, the decreased autophagy of the injured carotid artery in diabetic rats was restored by Fc treatment. Ourin vitroresults also demonstrated that Fc promoted endothelial cell proliferation and migration under high-glucose treatment by increasing autophagy. In summary, this study supported the notion that Fc could accelerate reendothelialization following vascular injury in diabetic rats by promoting autophagy, suggesting that Fc may exert therapeutic benefits for early endothelial injury and restenosis following intervention in diabetes-associated vascular diseases.

Communication network has been focused by a lot of researchers for years. The communication network solution is used to solve the bottleneck of the on chip communication between processors, to improve the performance of overall system, and to promote the development of high performance computer. In order to improve the efficiency of communication network design and reduce the time-to-market of communication network product, it is important to develop a useful tool to evaluate the communication network performance. Moreover, since the communication network is limited by the on-chip resources, area and power consumption, it is crucial to research the optimization method with various constraint conditions to enhance the communication network performance. This paper demonstrates on the multiple attribute decision making problems to testify the comprehensive performance of communication network with the fuzzy number intuitionistic fuzzy information. Some operations on the fuzzy number intuitionistic fuzzy sets are provided in advance. Afterwards, we propose the fuzzy number intuitionistic fuzzy Hamacher correlated geometric (FNIFHCG) operator. Then, we apply the FNIFHCG operator to tackle the multiple attribute decision making with the fuzzy number intuitionistic fuzzy information. At last, an example to test the performance of communication network is proposed.

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is used to treat unresectable bone and soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and as a pre-surgical adjuvant treatment. However, its efficiency for advanced STS is undetermined. This study evaluated TACE’s efficiency in treating advanced STS and prognostic factors for patient survival. We enrolled 39 patients with unresectable STS who underwent TACE as an alternative treatment during 2010–2014, with overall survival (OS) as the primary end point. Cancer pain was evaluated by visual analogue scores (VAS) before and after TACE procedures. Factors that affect survival were evaluated by multivariate analyses (Cox proportional hazard model). Mean OS after TACE was 23.7 ± 2.1 months, with 1-year OS 71.5 %, 2-year OS 45.8 %, and 3-year OS 32.5 %. Lesion number and tumor stage were key predictors of survival. TACE was found to decrease cancer pain VAS and increase relapse interval. Size of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particle diameter (P = 0.03) and imaging response (P = 0.044) were also found to affect relapse interval. TACE was an effective treatment for advanced STS, with a 32.5 % 3-year OS rate, and led to lower cancer pain VAS and longer relapse intervals than chemoinfusion only. Smaller PVA particles are preferable during the TACE procedure.

Hypertension can alter the vascular structure, mechanics, and function of small arteries and arterioles. It remains unknown whether microvascular changes are associated with brain metabolism. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between the reduction in small arteries and changes in brain metabolism in patients with hypertension.The study population comprised 50 patients with hypertension and 50 volunteers without hypertension. The two groups underwent 3-T 3D time-of-flight MR angiography, and the numbers of lenticulostriate arteries (LSAs) were determined for both groups. Single-voxel proton MR spectroscopic data on the basal ganglia regions were also acquired. The ratios of N-acetylaspartate to creatine (NAA/Cr), myo-inositol to creatine (Mi/Cr), and choline to creatine (Cho/Cr) were measured. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the differences between the two groups with respect to metabolite ratios.The average total number of LSA stems on both sides in patients with hypertension was 5.12 ± 0.98 compared with 6.10 ± 0.95 in volunteers without hypertension (p0.0001). The NAA/Cr ratio decreased according to a reduction in the number of LSAs in the hypertension group, which was significantly reduced when the number of LSAs was 3 or fewer.Hypertension can lead to a statistically significant reduction in NAA/Cr ratio in the basal ganglia regions when the number of LSAs decreases to a certain extent. Reduced numbers of LSAs correlated with brain metabolism changes caused by hypertension, which can provide important insights for understanding the pathophysiologic mechanism of hypertension and may be valuable in evaluating this disease.

Spatial spread of infectious diseases among populations via the mobility of humans is highly stochastic and heterogeneous. Accurate forecast/mining of the spread process is often hard to be achieved by using statistical or mechanical models. Here we propose a new reverse problem, which aims to identify the stochastically spatial spread process itself from observable information regarding the arrival history of infectious cases in each subpopulation. We solved the problem by developing an efficient optimization algorithm based on dynamical programming, which comprises three procedures: i, anatomizing the whole spread process among all subpopulations into disjoint componential patches; ii, inferring the most probable invasion pathways underlying each patch via maximum likelihood estimation; iii, recovering the whole process by assembling the invasion pathways in each patch iteratively, without burdens in parameter calibrations and computer simulations. Based on the entropy theory, we introduced an identifiability measure to assess the difficulty level that an invasion pathway can be identified. Results on both artificial and empirical metapopulation networks show the robust performance in identifying actual invasion pathways driving pandemic spread., 14pages, 8 figures; Accepted by IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics

Opioid use has been limited in the treatment of chronic pain due to their side effects, including analgesic tolerance. Previous studies demonstrated that glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) may be involved in the development of chronic morphine tolerance; however, the mechanism remains unknown. It was hypothesized that the expression of spinal phosphorylated mitogen‑activated protein kinase [MAPK; phosphorylated extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK)] is regulated through the spinal GRs, following chronic treatment with morphine. In the first experiment, the experimental rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control, morphine, morphine+GR antagonist mifepristone (RU38486) and morphine+GR agonist dexamethasone (Dex). Each group was treated with continuous intrathecal (IT) injection of the drugs for 6 days. The expression of GRs and MAPK 3/1 (p‑ERK 1/2) in the spinal dorsal horn was detected by western blot analysis and immunofluorescence staining. In the second experiment, the MAPK inhibitor PD98059 was added and the rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control, morphine, PD98059+morphine and PD98059+morphine+Dex. The continuous IT injection lasted for 7 days in each group. For all experiments, the tail flick test was conducted 30 min following administration every day to assess the thermal hyperalgesia of the rats. The experimental results demonstrated that there was a co‑existence of GRs and p‑ERK 1/2 in the spinal cord dorsal horn by double immunofluorescence staining. The GR antagonist RU38486 attenuated the morphine analgesia tolerance by inhibiting the expression of GR and increasing the expression of p‑ERK. The MAPK inhibitor PD98059 increased the effect of morphine tolerance and prolonged the duration of morphine tolerance. The present results suggest that spinal GRs may serve an important role in the development of morphine tolerance through the ERK signaling pathway.

Mono‑unsaturated free fatty acids (FFAs) can serve as a predictive indicator of vascular restenosis following interventional therapy, particularly in individuals with high‑fat diet‑induced type 2 diabetes. However, the pathogenic mechanism remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the levels of tyrosine 3‑monooxygenase/tryptophan 5‑monooxygenase activation protein β (YWHAB; also known as 14‑3‑3β), in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) treated with different concentrations of oleic acid (OA) were examined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. The migration of VSMCs was examined using wound‑healing and Transwell migration assays. The protein distribution of B‑cell lymphoma 2 (BCL‑2)‑associated death promoter (BAD) in VSMCs treated with OA was examined by immunofluorescence and western blot analyses. In in vivo experiments, the carotid artery morphology of rats in different groups was assessed at 14 days post‑injury by non-invasive ultrasonographic imaging and confirmed by histological staining. The expression of YWHAB was upregulated by OA in a concentration‑dependent manner in VSMCs. In the in vivo experiments, carotid stenosis was more serious among high‑FFA diabetic rats. However, silencing of YWHAB significantly alleviated carotid neointimal hyperplasia among the diabetic rats with elevated FFA levels. In addition, YWHAB silencing alleviated the migration of OA‑treated VSMCs and increased translocation of the BAD protein from the cytoplasm to the mitochondria. In conclusion, the results showed that FFA‑induced upregulation of YWHAB was involved in neointimal hyperplasia by enhancing the migration of VSMCs following carotid artery injury. The inhibition of YWHAB may serve as a novel potential pharmacological target for preventing vascular restenosis following interventional therapy in diabetic individuals with high FFA levels.

The activity of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1R) is essential for preventing restenosis following vascular injury; however, the mechanism of dysfunctional GLP-1R glycosylation and ways to enhance the activity of GLP-1R on vascular surfaces in diabetic patients are poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the N-glycosylation level and role of stress-associated endoplasmic reticulum protein 1 (SERP1) in preventing restenosis following carotid injury in diabetic rats. Our results showed that N-glycosylation levels in both rat aortic endothelial cells (RAOECs) and rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) decreased gradually following glucose treatment in a concentration dependant manner. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) analyses indicated that SERP1 could interact with GLP-1R in RAOECs and VSMCs. Moreover, SERP1 enhanced GLP-1R N-glycosylation and increased the production of phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) as well as proliferation of RAOECs. SERP1 also increased phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased the migration of VSMCs. Importantly, intima media thickness (IMT) and neointimal hyperplasia were alleviated in the carotid artery of diabetic rats injected with SERP1 following balloon injury. We also found an increase in re-endothelialization and a decrease in VSMC proliferation in the carotid artery of diabetic rats injected with SERP1. In summary, the remarkable effects of SERP1 on reducing restenosis following vascular injury may contribute to future advancements in the treatment of diabetic vascular complications.

Background The interaction between tumor cells and inflammatory cells has not been systematically investigated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether preoperative the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR), the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) could predict the prognosis of ESCC patients undergoing esophagectomy. Materials and methods Records from 218 patients with histologically diagnosed ESCC who underwent attempted curative surgery from January 2007 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Besides clinicopathological prognostic factors, we evaluated the prognostic value of the LMR, the NLR, and the PLR using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression models. Results The median follow-up was 38.6 months (range 3-71 months). The cut-off values of 2.57 for the LMR, 2.60 for the NLR and 244 for the PLR were chosen as optimal to discriminate between survival and death by applying receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of patients with low preoperative LMR demonstrated a significant worse prognosis for DFS (p=0.004) and OS (p=0.002) than those with high preoperative LMR. The high NLR cohort had lower DFS (p=0.004) and OS (p=0.011). Marginally reduced DFS (p=0.068) and lower OS (p=0.039) were found in the high PLR cohort. On multivariate analysis, only preoperative LMR was an independent prognostic factor for both DFS (p=0.009, HR=1.639, 95% CI 1.129-2.381) and OS (p=0.004, HR=1.759, 95% CI 1.201-2.576) in ESCC patients. Conclusions Preoperative LMR better predicts cancer survival compared with the cellular components of systemic inflammation in patients with ESCC undergoing esophagectomy.

Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a novel jack-of-all-trades in cancer. Here we quantify the prognostic impact of this biomarker and assess how consistent is its expression in solid tumors. A comprehensive search strategy was used to search relevant literature updated on October 3, 2014 in PubMed, EMBASE and WEB of Science. Correlations between HDGF expression and clinicopathological features or cancer prognosis was analyzed. All pooled HRs or ORs were derived from random-effects models. Twenty-six studies, primarily in Eastern Asia, covering 2,803 patients were included in the analysis, all of them published during the past decade. We found that HDGF overexpression was significantly associated with overall survival (OS) (HROS=2.35, 95%CI=2.04-2.71, p

Characteristics of the subway project is complex, concealed, lot of potential risks. Aiming these features, in order to reduce the risk of the project and improve the rationality and accuracy of subway risk assessment, the main risk factors in the subway are analyzed and identified by methods of expert investigation and checklists, and the risk index system is established, based on research of the subway construction risk mechanism. Then the membership of each evaluation factor is determined by the expert experience method, and the weight of each risk factor is determined through the method of analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Eventually, the subway engineering risk assessment model is established based on the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method. Finally, the project example verifies the rationality of the risk assessment model.

To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy for herpes zoster. A total of 43 patients with herpes zoster were randomly divided into two groups, 23 cases in the treatment group and 20 cases in the control group. The treatment group was given EA plus pricking-cupping bloodletting therapy. The control group was given oral administration of Aciclovir Tablets, Diclofenac Sodium Dual Release Enteric-coated Capsules, Methylcobalamin Dispersible Tablets, and Vitamin B12. The total effective rate was 87.0% in the treatment group and 70.0% in the control group, with a statistical significance in difference of the total effective rate between the two groups (P

Oxidative stress and inflammation are involved in the pathogenesis in renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. It has been demonstrated that polydatin processed the antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and nephroprotective properties. However, whether it has beneficial effects and the possible mechanisms on renal I/R injury remain unclear. In our present study I/R models were simulated bothin vitroandin vivo. Compared with vehicle control, the administration of polydatin significantly improved the renal function, accelerated the mitogenic response and reduced cell apoptosis in renal I/R injury models, strongly suppressed the I/R-induced upregulation of the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, prostaglandin E-2, and nitric oxide levels, and dramatically decreased contents of malondialdehyde, but it increased the activity of superoxide dismutase, glutathione transferase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, and the level of glutathione. Further investigation showed that polydatin upregulated the phosphorylation of Akt in kidneys of I/R injury dose-dependently. However, all beneficial effects of polydatin mentioned above were counteracted when we inhibited PI3K/Akt pathway with its specific inhibitor, wortmannin. Taken together, the present findings provide the first evidence demonstrating that PD exhibited prominent nephroprotective effects against renal I/R injury by antioxidative stress and inflammation through PI3-K/Akt-dependent molecular mechanisms.

For the volatility and intermittency of intermittent new energy like wind power, traditional dispatch model and technology are severely challenged. According to the characteristics that the prediction accuracy of wind power increases as time scale increases, this paper presents a multi-time scale active power dispatch model based on the traditional dispatch model, and proposes an active power dispatch hierarchical predicting control method on the base of model predictive control and multilevel hierarchical control during industrial control course. Finally, it gets the online rolling dispatch model and strategy for the access of intermittent energy.

An important factor affecting the integration of large-scale wind power is whether there is sufficient peaking capacity. If the peaking capacity is insufficient, we cannot make full use of wind power. Therefore it’s of great significance to study the peaking gap of the power system. This paper defined the peak-load regulating demand continuous curve and proposed the calculation method of the peaking gap based on non-sequential Monte Carlo simulation method. Taking wind power’s random fluctuation and the unit forced outage rate into consideration, the calculation method effectively reflect the peaking capacity needs of the system, which is helpful for determining the appropriate wind power integration.

Background: Spinal metastases are the most common type of metastatic bone tumors. Various therapeutic approaches have been used to treat spinal metastases, but traditional treatments are often limited and ineffective. Minimally invasive interventional technology has been successfully performed in the clinical setting. Objectives: This study is designed to evaluate the curative effect of spinal metastases treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) and transcatheter arterial infusion/chemoembolization (TAI/TACE). Patients and Methods: A prospective study was performed for 18 consecutive patients with spinal metastases justified by imaging findings and pathology, including 12 men and 6 women, with the mean age of 64.56 ± 11.07 years (range, 50 - 90 years). All patients first underwent PVP and then TAI/TACE. The degree of pain relief was assessed with visual analogue scale (VAS) and WHO standard. The rating of the activity of daily life (ADL) was utilized to evaluate the quality of life. The activities of daily life (ADL) were evaluated with modified Barthel index system. The size of tumor and further bone invasion were evaluated three months after surgery. Results: We achieved a 100% success rate of all interventional operations. The effective rates of pain relief were respectively 94%, 94%, 89%, and 78% for one-day post-op, one-week post-op, one-month post-op, and three-months post-op. VAS for back pain was 7.7 ± 0.8, 5.3 ± 0.6, 3.4 ± 0.8, 2.0 ± 0.6, and 1.5 ± 0.6 for pre-operative, one-day post-op, one-week post-op, one-month post-op, and three-months post-op, respectively. The improvement of VAS was respectively 2.3 ± 0.6, 4.3 ± 0.9, 1.4 ± 0.8, and 1.8 ± 0.7. Preoperative and postoperative 3 months Barthel index was 45.3 ± 12.5 and 85.6 ± 14.2, respectively. There were significant difference in pain relief and the ability of daily life between pre-operation and post-operation time points (P < 0.05). There were no severe clinical or radiographic complications after interventions. Conclusion: PVP combined with TAI/TACE is a safe and effective technique for treatment of spinal metastases. PVP is effective for pain relief but has a limited antitumor effect, while TACE kills tumors more thoroughly compared to PVP. The combination of two therapies can make up for the shortcomings of each other and obtain definite effect, which markedly improves the patients’ living quality.

In order to promote the ability of independent research of Movable Scaffold System (MSS for short), this article studied the mechanical characteristic and the structure optimization about the main girder of MSS from a company. The FEM model for the main girder was established by ANSYS to study its static mechanical properties. Considering the cross section is discrete in the real projects, the genetic algorithm (GA) is used based on MATLAB by calling ANSYS, which effectively reduce the structural weight by 8.5% and 9.6%, separately. The results of modal analysis indicate that the natural frequency of the main girder ranges from 4Hz~12Hz, which satisfy the need of crane design. The conclusion of this article and the optimization method of exploration research have certain reference significance for similar products.

We select the straight truck which install the engine brake (Jacobs)without water spray,carrying out braking performance limit parameter test on the 26km length,2.57% average longitudinal grade of the mountain highway.The test shows that when the truck passes downhill and open the engine brake (Jacobs),the brake drum temperature maintained at 150 °C or less.So it can solve the straight truck pass the long downhill sections of mountain highway fundamentally and the brake without spraying water.

In order to study the optimal network of feeder bus lines for rail stations, this paper established an optimization model with the objective of minimizing the consume time and operating costs of unit traveler, and proposed an iterative algorithm to solve the model and then used an example to describe the practicality of the model and the algorithm.

By analyzing the current domestic situation of non-motorized traffic and referring to European and other foreign advanced experience, the paper takes comprehensive consideration of time and distance. Division curve model is used to forecast and analyze non-motorized traffic demand. The paper studies and explores the effective combination way of the motorized and non-motorized traffic deeply. Transportation planning and traffic organization mode about the transport way in the CBD, scenic spots are proposed in the paper.

Enzymes have been used for a long time as catalysts in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral intermediates needed in the production of therapeutic drugs. However, this alternative to man-made catalysts has suffered traditionally from distinct limitations, namely the often observed wrong or insufficient enantio- and/or regioselectivity, low activity, narrow substrate range, and insufficient thermostability. With the advent of directed evolution, these problems can be generally solved. The challenge is to develop and apply the most efficient mutagenesis methods which lead to highest-quality mutant libraries requiring minimal screening. Structure-guided saturation mutagenesis and its iterative form have emerged as the method of choice for evolving stereo- and regioselective mutant enzymes needed in the asymmetric synthesis of chiral intermediates. The number of (industrial) applications in the preparation of chiral pharmaceuticals is rapidly increasing. This review features and analyzes typical case studies.

The robust designs of broadband extreme ultraviolet multilayers based on the multiobjective genetic algorithm are validated experimentally. In order to reduce the influence of random layer thickness fluctuations on the great deformation of the experimental reflection of extreme ultraviolet multilayer with a wide angular band, the multiobjective genetic algorithm has been improved to optimize the multilayer system composed by the layer thicknesses which can be controlled precisely. The robust designs of broadband Mo/Si multilayers were fabricated, and the experimental results were presented and analyzed, and then the advantage of robust multilayer designs was demonstrated.The robust designs of broadband extreme ultraviolet multilayers based on the multiobjective genetic algorithm are validated experimentally. In order to reduce the influence of random layer thickness fluctuations on the great deformation of the experimental reflection of extreme ultraviolet multilayer with a wide angular band, the multiobjective genetic algorithm has been improved to optimize the multilayer system composed by the layer thicknesses which can be controlled precisely. The robust designs of broadband Mo/Si multilayers were fabricated, and the experimental results were presented and analyzed, and then the advantage of robust multilayer designs was demonstrated.

As the rapid growth of national economy and further development of city construction, the exploitation of high-rise buildings and underground buildings is augmenting gradually, and leading to more and more deep foundation excavation that embrace difficult design, complicated construction technology, vulnerability to circumstance and other complex characteristics. A lot of accidents happen to deep foundation excavation in China every year, which severely affected our daily life and brought great losses to the corporations. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out effective risk management on the deep foundation excavation based on on-site surveys. This paper ascertains the main risks by the way of RBS, and with the help of adjudication by the experts and AHP methods, calculates the weights and makes sequence, then determines different corresponding risks followed by strategies put forward, so as to lay foundation for risk management in the construction corporation to effectively reduce the risk possibility and losses.

Nowadays countries in the world are committed to the energy conservation and emission reduction, and the construction is the most energy consumption stage in the life cycle of the building. Green construction will be a key link to realize energy conservation and emission reduction in the construction field. A green construction evaluation index system is established in this paper, which includes five-level aspects such as construction management, materials and material resource utilization, water conservation and utilization, energy efficiency and utilization, and land utilization and protection. These aspects are further divided into 20 indices of green construction management system.

In order to improve the safety and stability of dredger crane (DC), three dimensional finite element models for the DC were established. By applied loads and boundary conditions, the area of stress concentrations, the axis force of jib cylinder and the reaction force of the king structure was obtained under four typical working conditions. Meanwhile, the related theoretical calculations were accomplished to comparing finite element results and at last some suggestions were given. The conclusions can provide a theoretical reference for the further structure design and optimization of DC.

Due to the fluctuations and intermittency of wind power, large-scale wind farms integration will cause adverse impact on the safety and stability of the system,such as harmonic pollution, bad power quality, system stability destruction.On the basis of multiple constraints, including hydropower’s and thermal power’s operating characteristics, determination of reserve capacity considering wind power forecasting bias, climbing speed constraints, and maximum output constraints, this paper proposed a control strategy of joint coordination of wind, hydropower and thermal power, which suppressed the fluctuations of wind power effectively. At last, the article give a simulation to verify the feasibility of the control strategy to stabilize system frequency.

In order to improve the design method for resisting crack, this paper analyzed the dynamic characteristics of steel deck asphalt thin surfacing with cracks. The model analysis and harmonic response analysis were included to the steel bridge deck thin surfacing. Impact coefficients were calculated with different load cases, road roughness and crack damage. The conclusions can provide a theoretical reference for the assessments of the dynamic failure and long-term performance of the steel bridge deck thin surfacing.

Realization of accurate real-time predictions of infectious diseases is an important but challenging task, because spatial transmission among networked populations is stochastic and time-varying. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to predict the susceptible subpopulations which will be infected in the next time step at the early stage of an epidemic on a metapopulation network by using data of infection and topology. We first estimate the epidemic infection rate, which helps us to infer the increment of newly infected individuals during a unit time. Then we predict the possible infected subpopulations by ranking the infected likelihoods of corresponding susceptible subpopulations. The simulation results on the Barabasi-Albert scale-free metapopulation network verify the performance of our algorithm.

The analgesic effects of gastrodin (GAS), an active component derived from the Chinese herb Tian ma (Gastrodia elata Blume), on chronic inflammatory pain of mice and the involved molecular mechanisms were investigated. GAS significantly attenuated mice chronic inflammatory pain induced by hindpaw injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and the accompanying anxiety-like behaviors. GAS administration reduced CFA-induced up-regulation of GluR1-containing α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors, GluN2A- and GluN2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II-alpha (CaMKII-α) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The GluN2A and GluN2B subunits of NMDA receptors, the GluR1 type of AMPA receptor, and CaMKII-α are key molecules responsible for neuroplasticity involved in chronic pain and the accompanying anxiety. Moreover, GAS administration reduced the activation of astrocyte and microglia and the induction of TNF-α and IL-6 in the ACC of the CFA-injected mice. Therefore, GAS administration relieved chronic pain, exerted anxiolytic effects by regulating neuroplasticity molecules, and attenuated the inflammatory response by reducing the induction of TNF-α and IL-6 in the ACC of the CFA-injected mice.

Polydatin, a glucoside of resveratrol, recently has been demonstrated possibly to exert its biological effects by targeting sonic hedgehog (Shh). However, whether Shh signaling pathway is involved in the therapeutic effects of polydatin for renal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has not been evaluated. Our results showed that I/R induced the secretion of Shh, upregulated Patched and Smoothened, and enhanced the nuclear translocation and target gene transcription of Glioblastoma 1 in renal I/R injury models, which were further upregulated after the administration of polydatin significantly and in turn exerted prominent nephroprotective effects against cell apoptosis and oxidative stress. The treatment with cyclopamine (a specific inhibitor of Smoothened) or 5E1 (an anti-Shh antibody) not only markedly inhibited the activation of the Shh pathway, but also dramatically suppressed the nephroprotective effects of polydatin above-mentioned. These results advance our knowledge that polydatin can provide protection for kidneys against I/R injury by enhancing antioxidant capacity and decreasing cell apoptosis through activating Shh signaling pathway.

To determine whether string-like lumina (SLs) on contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) predict better outcomes in diabetic patients with below-the-knee (BTK) chronic total occlusions (CTOs). This study involved 317 long-segment (>5 cm) BTK CTOs of 245 patients that were examined using CE-MRA and treated using endovascular angioplasty. An SL with a CTO was slowly filled with blood on conventional CE-MRA. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of procedural success, recanalisation method and immediate blood flow restoration. The target-lesion patency and limb-salvage rates were assessed. SL-positive CTOs (n = 60) achieved a higher technique success rate, preferred intraluminal angioplasty and better blood flow restoration than SL-negative CTOs (n = 257, P

To expand the bandgap's width of the one-dimensional photonic crystal, a crystal named SiO2/Metal/MgF2is formed by joining some metals into the crystal SiO2/MgF2. Furthermore the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method is used to explore the metals' influence on the crystal's transmission characteristics. The simulation results show that the metals joined could expand the width of the one-dimensional photonic crystal's bandgap effectively and the bandgap's width increases when the metals' thickness increases. Meanwhile the bandgap's characteristic is affected by the metals' material-characteristic. The higher the plasma frequency is, the wider the bandgap's width will be and the more the number of the bandgaps will be. On the other hand, the metals' damping frequency has no significant effect on the bandgap, but would make the bandgap-edge's transmittance decrease slightly.

The three common frequency selective surface (FSS) structure, i.e. ring, crosses and Y-aperture which have the same center frequencies are designed, then the three FSS structures are placed at absorbing materials to form complex absorbing structures which are simulated by means of spectral domain approach. Therefore, the effects of different FSS on the characteristics of absorbing materials are studied and the influence laws are given. This research offers reference to element selection for the application of common FSS to absorbing materials.

We use multiple MRI modalities to measure cerebral edema and intracerebral hemorrhage quantitatively after TBI in rabbits and to acquire the early prognostic MRI information. Multiple MRI modalities (DCE-MRI, DWI and SWI) were used to assess cerebral edema and intracerebral hemorrhage quantitatively at different time points within a month after TBI in 15 rabbits. The functional outcomes were evaluated at 1 and 30 days after TBI. The relationships between the quantitative MRI information at different time points and functional outcome at 30 days were analyzed. The volume transfer coefficient (K (trans)) in the focal lesion area and the perifocal lesion area at the acute phase correlated with the functional outcome at 30 days (p < 0.05). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value at 7 days in the focal lesion area correlated with the functional outcome at 30 days (p < 0.01) and had a trend to correlate at 3 days (p = 0.08). In the perifocal lesion area, the ADC values at both acute and subacute phase correlated with the functional outcome at 30 days (p < 0.05). The volume of hemorrhage correlated with functional outcome at 30 days (p < 0.05). The cerebral edema assessed by DCE-MRI (K (trans)) and DWI (ADC) and intracerebral hemorrhage assessed by SWI may have predictive values.

We describe the output performances of the 1030 nm transition in Yb:YAG under in-band pumping with diode laser at the 968 nm wavelength. An end-pumped Yb:YAG crystal yielded 1.93 W of continuous-wave (CW) output power for 9.1 W of absorbed pump power. The slope efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power was 23.6%. Furthermore, 205 mW 515 nm green light was acquired by frequency doubling, resulting in an optical-to-optical efficiency with respect to the absorbed pump power of 2.7%. Comparative results obtained for the pump with diode laser at 940 nm are given in order to prove the advantages of the in-band pumping.

Object Placement of covered stents has emerged as a promising therapeutic option for cerebrovascular diseases. However, the medium- and long-term efficacy and safety of covered stents in the treatment of these diseases remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the medium-term clinical and angiographic outcomes of covered stent placement for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Methods The authors' institutional review board approved the study. Thirty-four patients (13 females and 21 males; mean age 41.9 years) with 38 intracranial aneurysms were treated with the Willis covered stent. Clinical and angiographic follow-up were performed at 3 months, at 6–12 months, and annually thereafter. The initial procedural and follow-up outcomes were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results Forty-two covered stents were successfully implanted into the target artery in 33 patients with 37 aneurysms, and 1 covered stent navigation failed in 1 patient. A complete aneurysm exclusion was initially achieved in 24 patients with 28 aneurysms, and a minor endoleak occurred in 9 patients with 9 aneurysms. Postoperatively, 2 patients died of complications related to the procedure. Angiographic and clinical follow-up data are available in 30 patients. The angiographic follow-up (17.5 ± 9.4 months [mean ± SD]) exhibited complete occlusion in 28 patients with 31 aneurysms, and incomplete occlusion in 2 aneurysms, with an asymptomatic in-stent stenosis in 3 patients (10%). The clinical follow-up (26.7 ± 13 months [mean ± SD]) demonstrated that 16 patients (53.3%) experienced a full recovery, and 14 patients (46.7%) improved. No aneurysm rupture, thromboembolic events, or neurological deficits resulting from closure of a perforating vessel by covered stent placement occurred. Conclusions Endovascular reconstruction with the Willis covered stent represents a safe, durable, and curative treatment option for selected intracranial aneurysms, yielding an excellent medium-term patency of the parent artery and excellent clinical outcomes.

We designed a small randomized clinical trial to prospectively test the hypothesis that batroxobin is more effective than aspirin alone to prevent restenosis in patients with diabetes undergoing angioplasty of infrapopliteal arteries.After a successful angioplasty, a total of 52 diabetic patients with symptomatic infrapopliteal obstructions were randomized to either the treated group (n = 26) or the control group (n = 26). Patients in the treated group received 5 IU batroxobin through an intravenous drip once every alternate day, for a total of six doses. The primary end point was restenosis and reocclusion, which was documented by magnetic resonance angiography or duplex scanning at 12-month follow-up. The clinical symptoms relief and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were compared before and after the procedure, and during follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to evaluate restenosis or reocclusion-free, limb salvage, and amputation-free rates.Restenosis and reocclusion occurred in 22.0% and 34.5% lesions in the treated and the control group, respectively (p = 0.0307). Statistical differences were observed between the ABI before the angioplasty procedure(p0.05) and the ABI at the 12-month follow-up (p = 0.0094) of the two groups. Clinical symptoms improvement and tissue healing occurred in 23 and 19 patients in the batroxobin group and the control group, respectively (p = 0.0544). Twelve months after angioplasty, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the restenosis and reocclusion-free rate was 74.0% and 54.8%, the limb salvage rate was 96.2% and 92.3%, and the amputation-free rate was 84.6% and 84.6%, in the treated and control group, respectively.This pilot trial revealed that batroxobin usage was effective in preventing restenosis and reocclusion after infrapopliteal arterial angioplasty, and it might provide better clinical symptoms relief; however, it did not report preferable limb salvage or amputation-free rates.

Introduction Nous avons concu une petite etude clinique randomisee pour evaluer de facon prospective l’hypothese que la batroxonine est plus efficace que l’aspirine seule pour empecher la restenose chez les patients presentant un diabete subissant une angioplastie des arteres sous-poplitees. Methodes Apres une angioplastie reussie, un total de 52 patients diabetiques presentant des stenoses sous-poplitees symptomatiques etaient randomises en groupe traite ( n = 26) ou groupe controle ( n = 26). Les patients du groupe traite recevaient 5 unites internationales de batroxonine par injection intraveineuse un jour sur deux, pour un total de six doses. Le critere primaire etait la restenose et la reocclusion, qui etait documentee par une angioIRM ou un echodoppler au cours d’un suivi de douze mois. Le soulagement clinique des symptomes et l’index de pression systolique (IPS) etaient compares avant et apres la procedure, et pendant le suivi. Les courbes de Kaplan-Meier etaient realisees pour evaluer la survie sans restenose ou reocclusion, le sauvetage de membre, et les taux de survie sans amputation. Resultats Des restenose et reocclusion se sont produites dans 22,0% et 34,5% des lesions du groupe traite et du groupe controle, respectivement ( p = 0,0307). On observait des differences statistiques entre les IPS avant la procedure d’angioplastie ( p p = 0,0094) entre les deux groupes. L’amelioration des symptomes cliniques et la cicatrisation se produisaient pour 23 et 19 patients dans le groupe avec batroxonine et le groupe controle, respectivement ( p = 0,0544). Pendant les douze mois apres l’angioplastie, l’analyse de Kaplan-Meier prouvait que le taux de survie sans restenose ou reocclusion etaient de 74,0% et 54,8%, le taux de sauvetage de membre etait de 96,2% et 92,3% a un an, et le taux de survie sans amputation etait de 84,6% et 84,6%, dans les groupes traite et controle, respectivement. Conclusion Cet etude pilote indique que l’utilisation de batroxonine est efficace pour empecher la restenose et la reocclusion apres angioplastie arterielle sous-poplite, et qu’elle pourrait permettre d’obtenir une amelioration des symptomes cliniques ; cependant, elle ne rapporte pas des taux de sauvetage de membre ou de survie sans amputation superieurs.

Order arrangement is always the headache thing for manufacturers even in this high-tech modern society. Hence, this paper manages to construct a nonlinear 0-1 programming mathematical model in search of optimal solution of minimizing the cost of default. And we make an attempt to apply Genetic Algorithm in accordance with this NP-hard problem. In designing the algorithm, we propose an encoding method based both on orders and working procedure, adopt Roulette Wheel method to select the next generation, and embed crossover and mutation to avoid the common defect of premature convergence. Noticing that firms would have various psychological preferences towards different orders, we introduce Membership Function to characterize the priority of orders by comprehensively concern processing complexity, urgency and revenue of orders.

We designed a carotid siphon (CS) aneurysm model in dogs to test a new stent graft (the Willis covered stent) and compared tissue reaction over 12-month follow-up versus a comparison group with stents implanted in straight vessels. Twenty-four saccular sidewall aneurysms (group A) and 12 CS aneurysms (group B) were created surgically. A Willis stent graft was implanted in each aneurysm. Angiography was performed immediately and at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month post-implantation to investigate aneurysm isolation, endoleak, stent angulation, parent artery (PA) patency and restenosis. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used to identify aneurysmal sac thrombi, intima hyperplasia and endothelial progress. Immediate angiography demonstrated mild endoleak in two aneurysms and three stent angulations in group B. Follow-up at 12 months revealed resolved endoleaks, occlusion in one PA and mild stenosis in three in group B. In group A, occlusion occurred in one PA and mild stenosis in two. Light microscopy revealed new intima, and all aneurysm sacs were filled with thrombi. In group B, endothelial progress was complete at 12 months, and closely correlated with haemodynamic changes. Application of a Willis stent graft is a feasible method of treating CS aneurysms, and it exhibits a prolonged endothelial progress compared with that in straight vessels.

PURPOSE To assess the feasibility and efficacy of subintimal angioplasty (SA) in the treatment of below-the-ankle arterial occlusion in diabetic patients with chronic critical limb ischemia (CLI). METHODS SA was applied in 37 diabetic patients (24 men; mean age 70.9+/-8.5 years, range 52-88) with chronic CLI and occlusive disease of the dorsalis pedis artery (DPA) and/or plantar artery (PA) but were poor candidates for intraluminal angioplasty or bypass surgery. Tissue loss was present in 31 (54.4%) of 57 afflicted limbs, and rest pain was reported in 51 (89.5%) limbs. SA was performed to create continuous arterial flow to the foot for limb salvage. The clinical symptoms, DPA or PA pulse volume scores, and ankle-brachial index (ABI) were compared before and after SA. Wound healing, amputation, and restenosis of target vessels were also evaluated at follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves were constructed to evaluate limb salvage, survival, and freedom from amputation. RESULTS Below-the-ankle SA was performed successfully in 55 (83.3%) of 66 arteries in 57 limbs. Median pulse volume scores and ABIs were 0.33+/-0.55 and 0.31+/-0.19 before SA and 2.04+/-1.05 and 0.80+/-0.14 after SA, respectively (p