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The influence of laser texturing on the bonding property of 30CrMnSiA steel joints were investigated. Three patterns including dimple, groove and grid were laser textured on the 30CrMnSiA steel substrate by nanosecond fiber laser. The processed surface was characterized by surface morphology, surface roughness (Ra and Rz) and wettability. The single lap adhesive joints were fabricated and fracture surfaces were observed. The accelerated hygrothermal aging experiments were performed. The results indicated that surface roughness and wettability were both enhanced after laser texturing. The grid patterned substrate was improved pronouncedly, where Ra increased by 400% and Rz was 13 times higher than as-received specimens, and the contact angle was decreased from 65° to 24°. The shear strength of adhesive joints for dimple pattern was not improved evidently, while it was 14.6 MPa and 23.3 MPa in the groove and grid patterned specimens, which was increased by 219%, 348% compared to as-received ones, respectively. The coverage of adhesive layer on the fracture surface was increased and the fracture mode of dimple and groove patterned specimens was adhesive failure and a cohesive failure was achieved for those joints with grid pattern. The bonding property was decreased after hygrothermal aging, and the residual strength of specimens with grid pattern was the highest. The fracture mode was not changed in all adhesive joints.

Purpose We aim to construct a nomogram to predict breast cancer survival and guide postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in China. Patients and methods A total of 5,504 breast cancer patients from the Tianjin Breast Cancer Cases Cohort were included. Multivariable Cox regression was used to investigate the factors associated with overall survival (OS) and a nomogram was constructed based on these prognostic factors. The nomogram was internal and external validated and the performance was evaluated by area under the curve (AUC) and calibration curve. The partial score was also constructed and stratified them into low, moderate and high-risk subgroups for death according to the tripartite grouping method. Multivariate Cox regression analysis and the propensity score matching method were respectively used to test the association between adjuvant chemotherapy and OS in different risk subgroups. Results Age, diameter, histological differentiation, lymph node metastasis, estrogen, and progesterone receptor were incorporated into the nomogram and validation results showed this nomogram was well-calibrated to predict the 3-year [AUC =74.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 70.1-78.0%] and 5-year overall survival [AUC =72.3%; 95% CI: 69.6-75.1%]. Adjuvant chemotherapy was negatively associated with death in high risk subgroup [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.37-0.77; P

The Winner-Take-All circuit is an important part of the competition layer in the competitive neural network. Its main function is to compare the size of the output of the nodes after the weighted summation of all input vectors, and select the node with the largest output to output high power level, while other nodes output low level, that is, to find the node with the largest output. According to the characteristics of the Winner-Take-All circuit in the competitive neural network, the simulation of the Winner-Take-All circuit is carried out by the PSPICE simulation software. The physical test results show that, like the simulation diagram of the Winner-Take-All circuit, it conforms to the logic truth table, which further confirms the rationality and correctness of the Winner-Take-All circuit. Hardware realization of Winner-Take-All circuit as an important component of competitive layer in competitive neural networks has important research significance.

Recent demonstrations of metasurfaces present their great potential to implement flat and multifunctional optical elements, which are accomplished with the designs of planar optics and micro-/nano- fabrications. Integrating metasurfaces in three dimensions has manifested drastically increasing advantages in manipulating light fields by extending design freedom. However, fabricating three-dimensional metasurfaces remain a tough challenge due to the lack of stereo printing protocols. Herein, we demonstrate laser nanoprinting of floated silver nanoparticle array in transparent hydrogel films for 3D metasurface to achieve color patterning. It is found that spatially resolved nanoparticles can be produced through laser induced photoreduction of silver ions and robustly anchored to the gel backbones by a focused femtosecond laser beam within a pH-responsive smart hydrogel matrix. With the aid of expansion properties of the pH-responsive hydrogel, repetitive coloration of the patterned plasmonic nanoparticle array over a wide spectrum range is achieved via reversible regulation of nanoparticle spacing from 550 to 350 nm and vice versa. This approach allows broadband 3D color-regulation in nanoscale for applications in active spectral filtering, information encryption, security tagging and biological colorimetric sensing, etc.

We employ a nonparametric distribution dynamics approach to examine the long-run trend of particulate matter (PM2.5) air pollution in China. Analysis of the data from 288 Chinese prefectural and above (PAA) level cities over the 2001–2019 period shows evidence of convergence in the estimated long-run distribution of air pollution, which is consistent with Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis (EKC). However, presence of strong persistence suggests that convergence process takes considerable time. Conditioning analysis shows that China’s environment policy since 2013 has been successful in driving the air pollution in several cities to converge to a lower level. Furthermore, we uncover a poverty-environment trap in the estimated long-run distribution. Our analysis highlights the need for targeted environmental policies in heterogeneous city clusters in China. Lessons learned from China’s experience can also be useful to policy makers in other developing countries.

This paper examines urban environmental performance using a unique database of 286 Chinese cities for the period 2002–2014. Both the dynamics of urban total factor environmental efficiency and total factor environmental productivity are explored employing slack-based measures. The findings reveal a U-shaped trend of urban environmental performance over time during the sample period. Energy conservation and pollutant reduction were the key drivers of this transformation, while the deterioration in capital efficiency slowed down this transformation. In terms of regional and city-size heterogeneities, the eastern and large cities showed better environmental performance. In addition, environmental Kuznets relationship existed for waste water and SO2 emissions, but not for CO2 emissions.

Stimulated-emission depletion (STED) microscopy has profoundly extended our horizons to the subcellular level

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within microRNA binding sites can affect the binding of microRNA to mRNA and regulate gene expression, thereby contributing to the prognosis of cancer. We performed this study to explore the association between SNPs within microRNA binding sites and the prognosis of breast cancer.Methods: We carried out a two-stage study including 2647 breast cancer patients, with a median follow-up of 68 months (range 0-159). In stage I, we genotyped 192 SNPs within microRNA binding sites using the Illumina Goldengate platform. In stage II, we validated SNPs significantly associated with breast cancer prognosis in another dataset using the TaqMan platform. Survival times was calculated, and Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression model were used to analyze survival of breast cancer patients with different genotypes.Results: We identified 8 SNPs significantly associated with breast cancer prognosis in stage I (PConclusions: The LRKK2 rs10878441 CC genotype is associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer in a Chinese population, and it could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. Further studies are warranted.

Optical multiplexing is of great importance in information processing, and offers the opportunity to dramatically increase the capacity of information systems. For example, multiplexing among different physical dimensions of light is regarded as an efficient means to substantially increase the capacity of optical data storage (ODS). Alternatively, the capacity can also be increased by multilevel coding. In this paper, we report on the combination of multiplexing among multiple physical dimensions and multilevel coding simultaneously to dramatically boost the capacity of ODS. The physical mechanism relies on the excitation power dependent thermal reshaping of the ODS medium mediated by wavelength and polarization sensitive random hot spots in a volume of coupled disordered gold nanorods (GNRs). The resulting electric field intensity varies drastically inside the focus spot of a laser beam when different combinations of polarization and wavelength are used. Therefore, different hot spots can be selectively activated and encoded by controlling the power of the recording beam, facilitating the realization of the polychromatic and polarized multiplexing of multilevel coding in the disordered plasmonic structure. Our results might find applications in high capacity optical data storage, watermarking, etc.

Background: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within microRNA binding sites can affect the binding of microRNA to mRNA and regulate gene expression, thereby contributing to the prognosis of cancer. We performed this study to explore the association between SNPs within microRNA binding sites and the prognosis of breast cancer.Methods: We carried out a two-stage study including 2647 breast cancer patients. In stage I, we genotyped 192 SNPs within microRNA binding sites using the Illumina Goldengate platform. In stage II, we validated SNPs significantly associated with breast cancer prognosis in another dataset using the TaqMan platform. Survival times was calculated, and Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression model were used to analyze survival of breast cancer patients with different genotypes.Results: We identified 8 SNPs significantly associated with breast cancer prognosis in stage I (PConclusions: The LRKK2 rs10878441 CC genotype is associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer in a Chinese population, and it could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer. Further studies are warranted.

Intelligent fault diagnosis of rolling bearings under non-stationary and time-varying speed conditions is still a challenging task. At the same time, a reasonable explanation for an intelligent diagnosis model based on features is currently lacking. Therefore, we exploit an explainable one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) model by combining with the demodulated frequency features of vibration signals and apply it to the fault classification of rolling bearings under time-varying speed conditions. First, the speed signals obtained by the speed encoder were transformed into generalized demodulation operator (GDO). Second, combined with the sensitive frequency band and GDO, the generalized demodulation algorithm was used to extract the frequency features from the amplitude envelope of the vibration signal. Subsequently, the proposed lightweight 1DCNN was trained to classify the frequency features and identify the health states of the rolling bearing. Finally, the local interpretable model-agnostic explanations model was utilized to explain the proposed model based on the features which own weight. It is found that the internal classification mechanism of the lightweight 1DCNN is realized according to the distribution of fault features, which is consistent with the process of human brain analysis. Two kinds of time-varying speed datasets which come from the University of Ottawa and XJTU are tested and verified. The results show that compared with other intelligent fault diagnosis methods, the identification error of the proposed method is lower and the diagnosis stability is better. The average diagnostic accuracy was 96.26% and 99.82%, respectively.

Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) has proven to be downregulated in podocytes challenged with high glucose (HG), and knockout of PTEN in podocytes aggravated the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, whether podocyte-specific knockin of PTEN protects the kidney against hyperglycemia in vivo remains unknown. The inducible podocyte-specific PTEN knockin (PPKI) mice were generated by crossing newly created transgenic loxP-stop- loxP-PTEN mice with podocin-iCreERT2 mice. Diabetes mellitus was induced in mice by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin at a dose of 150 mg/kg. In vitro, small interfering RNA and adenovirus interference were used to observe the role of PTEN in HG-treated podocytes. Our data demonstrated that PTEN was markedly reduced in the podocytes of patients with DKD and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, as well as in those of db/db mice. Interestingly, podocyte-specific knockin of PTEN significantly alleviated albuminuria, mesangial matrix expansion, effacement of podocyte foot processes, and incrassation of glomerular basement membrane in diabetic PPKI mice compared with wild-type diabetic mice, whereas no alteration was observed in the level of blood glucose. The potential renal protection of overexpressed PTEN in podocytes was partly attributed with an improvement in autophagy and motility and the inhibition of apoptosis. Our results showed that podocyte-specific knockin of PTEN protected the kidney against hyperglycemia in vivo , suggesting that targeting PTEN might be a novel and promising therapeutic strategy against DKD.

Reversible tuning of localized plasmon resonance that is supported by nanometric-sized metal particles holds potentially huge benefits in terms of manipulating light for widespread photonic applications. Although the practice of altering the frequency and the amplitude of plasmon resonance on gold nanoparticles is relatively well established, dynamic tuning by all-optical approaches for coloration has long been hindered due to limited implementation approaches with which gold nanomaterials can be photosynthetically manipulated. Here, we develop a wavelength-switched photoredox approach and demonstrate bidirectional tuning of the plasmonic resonance of crystalline gold nanoparticles for reversible surface-plasmon-resonance-based coloration. The reversible plasmonic resonance control is achieved by a combination of photoreduction of gold ions and photooxidation of gold nanorods by switching the illumination between UV and near-UV-Vis light, respectively. As one example, the plasmon resonance peak of gold nanorods is reversibly tuned between 630 and 660 nm by switching the light wavelengths. Utilizing wavelength-switchable photoredox reactions, we demonstrate reversible color patterning by mask illuminating a gold nanorod sample solution. This approach offers not only an easy-to-implement method for realizing non-contact modulating plasmon-resonance based colors, but also new opportunities for reversibly tuning local plasmon resonance by all-optically shaping single nanoparticles. This holds great potential for a wide range of applications, including active-substrate-based surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), erasable optical data storage and dynamic laser color printing, among others.

Modification of reduced graphene oxide in a controllable manner provides a promising material platform for producing graphene based devices. Its fusion with direct laser writing methods has enabled cost-effective and scalable production for advanced applications based on tailored optical and electronic properties in the conductivity, the fluorescence and the refractive index during the reduction process. This mini-review summarizes the state-of-the-art status of the mechanisms of reduction of graphene oxides by direct laser writing techniques as well as appealing optical diffractive applications including planar lenses, information storage and holographic displays. Owing to its versatility and up-scalability, the laser reduction method holds enormous potentials for graphene based diffractive photonic devices with diverse functionalities.

The improvement of adhesively bonded joints of aluminum alloy and carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTP) was achieved by nanosecond laser ablation . Surface morphology , roughness and wettability of CFRTP ablated were studied. Chemical compositions were determined by FTIR and XPS. Tensile-shear tests were performed, and fractured surfaces were analyzed to determine the failure mode. The digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to observe the micro-scale full-field strain. The durability of joints in extreme conditions was also evaluated. As the laser power increased, the resin was removed, and underlying fibers were exposed, increasing the surface roughness and contact area. This improved the strength of bonded joints. The highest strength of joints was 14.3 MPa when the laser power was 24.5 W, which was approximately 2.2 times of joints without ablation. However, excessive heat input would destroy the CFRTP decreasing the strength. The wettability of CFRTP after ablation was worse due to rough surfaces and fewer polar chemical bonds. Four failure modes were confirmed, and cohesive failure was obtained when the strength of joints was the highest. DIC results revealed the rougher surface after laser ablation could decrease the strain. High residual strength after hygrothermal aging was maintained due to good interface bonding.

Purpose We assessed the feasibility and theoretical dosimetric advantages of an injectable hydrogel to increase the space between the head of the pancreas (HOP) and duodenum in a human cadaveric model. Methods and Materials Using 3 human cadaveric specimens, an absorbable radiopaque hydrogel was injected between the HOP and duodenum by way of open laparotomy in 1 case and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guidance in 2 cases. The cadavers were subsequently imaged using computed tomography and dissected for histologic confirmation of hydrogel placement. The duodenal dose reduction and planning target volume (PTV) coverage were characterized using pre- and postspacer injection stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) plans for the 2 cadavers with EUS-guided placement, the delivery method that appeared the most clinically desirable. Modeling studies were performed using 60 SBRT plans consisting of 10 previously treated patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer, each with 6 different HOP–duodenum separation distances. The duodenal volume receiving 15 Gy (V15), 20 Gy (V20), and 33 Gy (V33) was assessed for each iteration. Results In the 3 cadaveric studies, an average of 0.9 cm, 1.1 cm, and 0.9 cm HOP–duodenum separation was achieved. In the 2 EUS cases, the V20 decreased from 3.86 cm3 to 0.36 cm3 and 3.75 cm3 to 1.08 cm3 (treatment constraint Conclusions Currently, dose escalation has been limited owing to radiosensitive structures adjacent to the pancreas. We demonstrated the feasibility of hydrogel separation of the HOP and duodenum. Future studies will evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique with the potential for more effective dose escalation using SBRT or intensity-modulated radiation therapy to improve the outcomes in patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer.

The exact solution of spherical mean-field plus multi-pair interaction model with two non-degenerate j-orbits, which is an extension of the widely used standard (two-body) pairing model, is derived based on the Bethe–Richardson–Gaudin approach. The Bethe–Richardson–Gaudin equations in determining eigenstates and the corresponding eigen-energies of the model are provided and exemplified with up to three-pair interactions. With a suitable parameterization of the overall multi-pair interaction strengths, the model with one adjustable parameter and valence nucleons confined in the $$1d_{5/2}$$ and $$0g_{7/2}$$ orbits is applied to fit binding energies of $$^{102{\text {--}}112}$$Sn. It is shown that the ground-state occupation probabilities of nucleon pairs calculated from this model and those from the standard pairing model are almost the same with perfect ground-state overlap of the two models. A noticeable feature of the multi-pair interactions is that the even–odd staggering of pairing interaction strength appearing in the standard pairing model due to the Pauli-blocking is suppressed. As the result, the pairing interaction strength of the model only depends on the number of valence nucleon pairs in the system.

In this work, the $$\gamma $$-unstable Bohr Hamiltonian with quasi-exactly solvable decatic potential with a centrifugal barrier is considered to describe nuclei near the critical point of the vibrational to $$\gamma $$-unstable (shape) phase transition. Analytical expression of the wavefunctions and the corresponding eigen-energies are derived under the two quasi-exactly solvable constraints on parameters of the potential. The theoretical results are compared with those of the E(5) model and those of the same Hamiltonian with the quasi-exactly solvable sextic potential. Low-lying level energy ratios and B(E2) ratios of some nuclei near the critical point are fitted and compared with the experimental data and the fitting quality of previous models. The fitting results show that the E(5) model is indeed the best in description of nuclei near or at this critical point, while the decatic model seems a little better than the sextic one near the critical point. Furthermore, though further check on the fitting quality to the B(E2) values is needed, the fitting results for even-even $$^{118{-}128}$$Xe show that the decatic model seems the best in fitting the energy ratios, while the fitting qualities of both the decatic model and the E(5) model to the B(E2) ratios are quite the same, which are always better than the sextic model.

In this paper, the flow characteristics and energy equilibrium analysis of the effervescent atomization had been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The effect of the gas–liquid rate (GLR from 0.04 to 0.15) on the atomization stability was revealed. When the GLR was small, the atomization was unstable. The atomization was gradually stable with an increase in the GLR. The optimal atomization region can be obtained. The Sauter mean diameter (SMD) of the droplets was measured by the phase Doppler analyzer. The SMD decreases with an increase in the GLR. The energy equilibrium analysis was investigated for the swirl atomizer theoretically and experimentally. The results show that the energy dissipation terms are mainly compressed gas expansion, liquid viscosity dissipation, and resistance losses. However, the ratio of the spray kinetic energy and the surface tension energy to the total energy is small.

The purpose of this paper is to establish and assess the determinants of users’ willingness to use mobile payment: an empirical study in Tongren University, China. After conducting a rigorous literature review with theoretical underpinning, this research has come up with the proper methodology to move forward. According to the comprehensive guideline, the total number of Tongren College and Tongren Vocational College is more than 38,000, so the minimum sample is finally determined to be 380. Besides, after conducting Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), the measuring modelling was done by taking into account all the variables concurrently in order to verify the appropriateness of the overall model. All the hypotheses of this study have been tested through the application of SEM. For the overall model as a whole, the statistical result indicates a good fit. From the model, it can be seen that all the variables uphold a positive value. Findings revealed that perceived performance risk perceived financial risk and perceived privacy risk have substantial positive impacts on acceptance intention of mobile payment. Therefore, since a myriad of factors decides the attitude toward mobile payment use, further studies can also be developed by adding more constructs in the theoretical model in this paper.

Background To investigate whether women with benign breast disease (BBD) history have higher breast cancer detection rate in screening. Methods We reviewed data for 33 001 female participants in Multi-modality Independent Screening Trial (MIST). Corresponding data for 6823 breast cancer patients were retrieved from the Tianjin Breast Cancer Cases Cohort (TBCCC) and analyzed for comparison. Results The breast cancer detection rate was 2.83‰ among women with BBD history and 3.28‰ in women without. Moreover, the proportion of carcinoma in situ (CIS) was also lower in women with BBD history than women without (7.69 versus 20.31%). In contrast, analysis of TBCCC data revealed a higher proportion of CIS in patients with BBD history (5.05%) than patients without (3.26%). Our data showed that a larger proportion of women with BBD history had undergone previous breast examinations. Additionally, among participants diagnosed with both breast cancer and BBD in MIST, we found a lower proportion of CIS in women with BBD history (11.76%) compared to women without (32.14%). Conclusions Women with BBD history were not found to have higher detection rate in breast cancer screening. Women with BBD history were more likely to be proactive in seeking breast examinations and to have breast cancer be diagnosed in clinic.

Malus' law regulating the intensity of light when passed through a polarizer, forms the solid basis for image steganography based on orthogonal polarizations of light to convey hidden information without adverse perceptions, which underpins important practices in information encryptions, anti-counterfeitings, and security labels. Unfortunately, the restriction to orthogonal states being taken for granted in the common perceptions fails to advance cryptoinformation to upgraded levels of security. By introducing a vectorial compound metapixel design, arbitrary nonorthogonal polarization multiplexing of independent grayscale images with high fidelity and strong concealment is demonstrated. The Jones matrix treatment of compound metapixels consisting of double atoms with tailored in-plane orientation sum and difference allows point-by-point configuring of both the amplitude and polarization rotations of the output beam in an analytical and linear form. With this, both multiplexing two continuous grayscale images in arbitrary nonorthogonal polarization angles and concealing grayscale image on another in an arbitrary disclosure angle window are experimentally demonstrated in the visible TiO2 metasurface platform. The methods shed new light on multifarious metaoptics by harnessing the new degree of freedom and unlock the full potential of metasurface polarization optics.

The exact solution of the U(5)-O(6) transitional description in the interacting boson model with two-particle and two-hole configuration mixing is derived based on the Bethe ansatz approach. The Bethe ansatz equations are provided to determine the model's eigenstates and corresponding eigen-energies. N= 2 and N= 4 cases are considered as examples to demonstrate the solution features. As an example of the application, some low-lying level energies and B(E2) ratios of 108Cd are fitted and compared with the corresponding experimental data.

Purpose We previously have shown the feasibility of duodenum sparing using a biodegradable hydrogel spacer in pancreatic cancer radiation therapy. In this study, we propose an overlap volume histogram (OVH) prediction model to select patients who might benefit from hydrogel placement and to predict the hydrogel spacing required to achieve clinical constraints. Methods and Materials OVH metrics for the duodenum were collected from the stereotactic body radiation therapy plans of 232 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer (33 Gy in 5 fractions). OVH metrics L9cc and L3cc were defined as the tumor volume expansion distance at which 9 cm3 and 3 cm3 volumes of the duodenum overlap with tumor. D9cc and D3cc of the duodenum were defined as the dose-volume histogram dose to 9 cm3 and 3 cm3, respectively, of the duodenum. Prediction models were established by linear regression between Lx and Dx, where x = 3 cm3 and 9 cm3. OVH thresholds were obtained for predicting the target spacer thickness. The accuracy of the prediction model was then evaluated using treatment plans on pre–and post–hydrogel injection computed tomography scans from 2 cadaver specimens and 6 patients with previously treated locally advanced pancreatic cancer with simulated spacer. Results Linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between Lx and Dx (r2 = 0.51 and 0.51 for L3cc-D3cc and L9cc-D9cc, respectively; both P L ˆ 3cc = 7 mm and L ˆ 9cc = 13 mm. The observed planning doses D3cc and D9cc of duodenum from pre–and post–hydrogel injection computed tomography scans of cadaver specimens and clinical patients with simulated spacer using predicted target spacer thickness were within the OVH model prediction range. Conclusion Our model may predict which patients require placement of a hydrogel spacer before stereotactic body radiation therapy to meet predefined dose constraints. Furthermore, by predicting the required target hydrogel thickness, the spacer injection can be better guided to improve efficacy.

Two new glycosides, 8-O-β- d-glucopyranosyl-6-methyl-1-carboxylate methyl ester xanthone (1) and 4′-O-β- d-galactopyranosyl djalonensone (2), together with four known compounds, 8-hydroxy-6-methyl-9-oxo-9H-xanthene-1-carboxylate methyl ester (3), cassionllin (4), djalonensone (5) and alternariol (6), were isolated from the endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. (NO.4) of Tapiscia sinensis Oliv. The structures of compounds 1–6 were elucidated by the analysis of 1D and 2D NMR and HRMS. The cytotoxic activities of these compounds were evaluated against four cancer cell lines, as well as antimicrobial activities against two plant-pathogenic microbes. Compounds 1–6 showed moderate cytotoxicity against the A549 cancer cell line with IC50 values ranging from 6.8 to 35.8 μg mL−1 and were found to be inactive against three other cancer cell lines MCF-7, Caski and Hep G-2.

To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic monitoring of C-reactive protein (CRP) in drainage fluid in predicting early anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery.This study enrolled 172 patients, who were diagnosed as colorectal cancer before operation and underwent radical surgery, without residual tumor tissues by postoperative pathology and perioperative infection, at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital between July 2015 and January 2016. The C-reactive(CRP) protein level in drainage fluid was continuously monitored from postoperative days (POD) 1 to 5. CRP level was compared between anastomotic leakage (AL) group and non-anastomotic leakage (NAL) group. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was used to estimate the value of monitoring CRP in drainage fluid to predict anastomotic leakage after colorectal surgery.Among 172 patients, 101 cases were male and 71 cases were female, with age of (59.9±10.3) years. Anastomotic leakage occurred after colorectal surgery in 24 cases(14.0%, AL group ) and other 148 cases were defined as NAL group. Other than body mass index (BMI), differences in baseline data were not statistically significant between two groups. The CRP lever in AL group and NAL group showed rising trend from POD1 to POD4 [Day 1: (6.7±8.4) g/L vs. (8.0±10.6) g/L; Day 2: (24.8±14.6) g/L vs. (28.3±21.1) g/L, Day 3: (54.8±26.5) g/L vs. (53.8±27.6)g/L, Day 4: (62.0±32.2) g/L vs. (58.4±30.7) g/L], while the differences were not significant (all P0.05). At POD 5, the CRP lever of AL group increased continuously, while that of NAL group decreased with significant difference [(65.3±38.9) g/L vs. (44.7±39.5) g/L, t=-2.85, P=0.005]. Further stratification analysis on AL group revealed CRP level in early AL (AL occurrencePOD 10) showed rising trend from POD 1 to 5, while CRP level in late AL (AL occurrencePOD 10) showed rising trend from POD 1 to 4, then decreased slightly at POD 5, but whose differences were not significant (all P0.05). ROC curve was drawn with AL condition as state variables and CRP level as test variables. The AUC of POD 1 to 4 was 0.425, 0.487, 0.510, 0.522 respectively and the AUC of POD 5 was the largest, 0.657 (95%CI:0.537-0.777). The largest Youden Index was 0.274. The critical value of CRP was 27.15 g/L. When this value was used as the point of tangency to predict the occurrence of AL, the sensitivity was 87.5%, the specificity was 39.9%, positive predictive value was 19.1%, and negative predictive value was 95.2%.Continuous increase of CRP level in abdominal drainage fluid from POD 1 to POD 5 indicates the occurrence of AL after colorectal cancer operation, especially the detection of CRP level at POD 5 is important.

The effect of laser process parameters including single pulse energy (E), dimples per square millimetre (D) and laser incidence angle (θ) on the properties of 30CrMnSiA steel substrate and the tensile shear strength of adhesively bonded joints was investigated. The characterization of the substrate was established by surface morphology, the dimension (diameter and depth) of dimples and surface roughness (Ra and Rz). Single lap joints were fabricated and tensile tests were then performed. The fracture surfaces were observed and analyzed. The results indicated that the dimple dimension and surface roughness increased as the single pulse energy increased. The increase of dimples per square millimetre made surface roughness improve. The larger incidence angle reduced the actually absorbed energy changing the shape and size of dimples. The diameter of dimples increased while the depth decreased as incidence angle increased. The modified substrate morphology as well as increased dimple dimension expanded the contact area between the adhesive and adherend. The shear strength was enhanced and the maximum value was 24.67 MPa increasing by 363% compared to the adhesive joints without surface treatment. The mechanical interlocking between the adhesive and laser textured morphology was discovered in the fracture surface demonstrating the improvement of shear strength.

We demonstrate the plasmonic coupling in a disordered gold nanorod assembly can be used to tailor the light-matter interaction in nanoscale, which resembles a versatile platform to realize multi-dimensional optical data storage beyond the state of the art.

In this paper, we report a curvature sensor based on an LPG written in an air-clad thin-core fiber (AC-TCF). The achieved curvature sensitivity is −0.226 nm/m−1 with a good linearity with R2 value of 0.991. Unlike conventional LPGs, this AC-TCF LPG is insensitive to the variation of surrounding refractive index, due to the existence of the one ring of large air-holes in the cross section of the AC-TCF.

We demonstrate an inline Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) based on an air-clad thin-core fiber for strain and temperature sensing. The output spectrum of this MZI is insensitive to the variation of surrounding refractive index.

We propose and design a high-birefringence two-core photonic crystal fiber for simultaneous measurement of pressure and temperature. One core is centered, while the other is off-center. Both cores are made non-circular by properly modifying the sizes of some air-holes surrounding them. This introduces geometric modal birefringence to the fiber. When a broadband light launches into the centered core and transmits for a few centimeters, the output spectrum is sinusoid-like due to the intermodal coupling of the supermodes guided by the two cores. For x-polarized input light, we find it has a pressure sensitivity of 21.7 pm/MPa and a temperature sensitivity of 11.6 pm/C; for y-polarized input light, we find it has a pressure sensitivity of 18.0 pm/MPa and a temperature sensitivity of 10.7 pm/C. Hence, simultaneous measurement of pressure and temperature can be achieved by using a matrix method.

To study the prevalence and risk factors of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Heilongjiang province.This was a population-based and cross-sectional survey on prevalence of COPD in Heilongjiang province from September 2013 to March 2014. The stratified-cluster-random sampling method was performed to collect the data from 4 478 people in 5 cities (Jixi, Daqing, Suihua, Yichun and Jiagedaqi). The subjects were interviewed with questionnaires and tested with spirometry. A post-bronchodilator FEV1/FVC70% was defined as diagnostic of COPD.Completed and qualified data were obtained from 4 059 participants. The average prevalence of COPD was 7.3% (urban 6.0%; rural 8.8%; men 8.6%; women 6.5%). When using SPSS18.0 for the single factors logistic regression analysis, results indicated that sex (OR = 0.700, 95%CI:0.540-0.907), age ≥ 50 (OR = 1.236, 95%CI:0.758-2.017), lower education level (OR = 1.551, 95%CI:0.929-2.590), biomass for cooking (compared with electricity, OR = 2.744, 95%CI:1.429-5.271), biomass (compared with centralized heat supply, OR = 1.229, 95%CI:0.120-12.546)and coal (compared with centralized heat supply, OR = 4.661, 95%CI:0.474-45.840) for heating, respiratory diseases (OR = 3.594, 95%CI:2.738-4.716), combined with cardiovascular disease (OR = 1.370, 95%CI:1.058-1.776) were the risk factors of COPD in Heilongjiang province.Higher risk for COPD was related with sex, age, education level, cooking fuel, heating methods, respiratory diseases and combined with cardiovascular disease.

Penicitroamide (1), a new metabolite with a new framework, was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the PDB (Potato Dextrose Broth) medium of Penicillium sp. (NO. 24). The endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. (NO. 24) was obtained from the healthy leaves of Tapiscia sinensis Oliv. The structure of penicitroamide (1) features a bicyclo[3.2.1]octane core unit with a high degree of carbonylization (four carbonyl groups and one enol group). The chemical structure of penicitroamide (1) was elucidated by analysis of 1D-, 2D-NMR and MS data. In bioassays, penicitroamide (1) displayed antibacterial potency against two plant pathogens, Erwinia carotovora subsp. Carotovora (Jones) Bersey, et al. and Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. with MIC50 at 45 and 50 μg/mL. Compound 1 also showed 60% lethality against brine shrimp at 10 μg/mL. Penicitroamide (1) exhibited no significant activity against A549, Caski, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 > 50 μg/mL. Finally, the possible biosynthetic pathway of penicitroamide (1) was discussed.

Purpose: Scatter correction in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has obvious effect on the removal of image noise, the cup artifact and the increase of image contrast. Several methods using a beam blocker for the estimation and subtraction of scatter have been proposed. However, the inconvenience of mechanics and propensity to residual artifacts limited the further evolution of basic and clinical research. Here, we propose a rotating collimator-based approach, in conjunction with reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm, to correct scatter-induced artifacts. Methods: A rotating-collimator, comprising round tungsten alloy strips, was mounted on a linear actuator. The rotating-collimator is divided into 6 portions equally. The round strips space is evenly spaced on each portion but staggered between different portions. A step motor connected to the rotating collimator drove the blocker to around x-ray source during the CBCT acquisition. The CBCT reconstruction based on a discrete Radon transform and Tchebichef moments algorithm is performed. Experimental studies using water phantom and Catphan504 were carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed scheme. Results: The proposed algorithm was tested on both the Monte Carlo simulation and actual experiments with the Catphan504 phantom. From the simulation result, the mean square error of the reconstruction error decreases from 16% to 1.18%, the cupping (τcup) from 14.005% to 0.66%, and the peak signal-to-noise ratio increase from 16.9594 to 31.45. From the actual experiments, the induced visual artifacts are significantly reduced. Conclusion: We conducted an experiment on CBCT imaging system with a rotating collimator to develop and optimize x-ray scatter control and reduction technique. The proposed method is attractive in applications where a high CBCT image quality is critical, for example, dose calculation in adaptive radiation therapy. We want to thank Dr. Lei Xing and Dr. Yong Yang in the Stanford University School of Medicine for this work. This work was jointly supported by NSFC (61471226), Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shandong Province (JQ201516), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015T80739, 2014M551949).

Purpose: In this study, IMRT optimization based on biological related models were applied in the clinic for cervical carcinoma cases and the results were compared with the traditional physical optimization. Methods: Twenty patients of advanced stage cervical carcinoma were selected in this study. The treatment plan was generated on each patient using both biological and physical optimized model respectively. Additionally, the biological optimization was based on two basic models for bladder and rectum: Poisson (adjustable parameters: alpha/beta, gamma, D50) and Lyman-Kutcher-Burman (adjustable parameters: m, n, D50). And then each optimized biological plan was compared with the corresponding physical plan. During this comparison, all biological and physical parameters, such as NTCP,TCP, target coverage and homogeneous index(HI), were evaluated by paired T-test to verify IMRT plans quality. Results: The NTCP values by biological optimization were lower than the values from corresponding physical optimization. For the bladder and rectum, the detail of NTCP values are 0.144 and 0.178 with p=0.028 for bladder, and 0.108 and 0.186 with p= 7.97E-5 for rectum respectively. The mean dose and V40 of bladder and rectum were comparable, and there was no significant difference between these two optimizations. For PTV, both optimized models achieved similar target coverage and homogeneous index (For example, D98=53.4 Gy and 54.6 Gy from biological optimization and physical optimization respectively with p=2.94E-9), and there were no significant differences in the tumor control probability(TCP) values. Conclusion: IMRT optimization based on biological model did not decrease the plan quality, and could spare bladder and rectum with lower NTCP value much more compared with traditional physical optimization for cervical carcinoma. Our initial experiment demonstrated that the biological optimization could be a potential alternative method to the traditional physical one. We want to thank Dr. Lei Xing and Dr. Yong Yang in the Stanford University School of Medicine for this work. This work was jointly supported by NSFC (61471226), Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shandong Province (JQ201516), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015T80739, 2014M551949).

Purpose: This study investigated that how the quality of adapted plan was affected by inter-fractional anatomy deformation by using one-step and two-step optimization for on line adaptive radiotherapy (ART) procedure. Methods: 10 lung carcinoma patients were chosen randomly to produce IMRT plan by one-step and two-step algorithms respectively, and the prescribed dose was set as 60 Gy on the planning target volume (PTV) for all patients. To simulate inter-fractional target deformation, four specific cases were created by systematic anatomy variation; including target superior shift 0.5 cm, 0.3cm contraction, 0.3 cm expansion and 45-degree rotation. Based on these four anatomy deformation, adapted plan, regenerated plan and non-adapted plan were created to evaluate quality of adaptation. Adapted plans were generated automatically by using one-step and two-step algorithms respectively to optimize original plans, and regenerated plans were manually created by experience physicists. Non-adapted plans were produced by recalculating the dose distribution based on corresponding original plans. The deviations among these three plans were statistically analyzed by paired T-test. Results: In PTV superior shift case, adapted plans had significantly better PTV coverage by using two-step algorithm compared with one-step one, and meanwhile there was a significant difference of V95 by comparison with adapted and non-adapted plans (p=0.0025). In target contraction deformation, with almost same PTV coverage, the total lung received lower dose using one-step algorithm than two-step algorithm (p=0.0143,0.0126 for V20, Dmean respectively). In other two deformation cases, there were no significant differences observed by both two optimized algorithms. Conclusion: In geometry deformation such as target contraction, with comparable PTV coverage, one-step algorithm gave better OAR sparing than two-step algorithm. Reversely, the adaptation by using two-step algorithm had higher efficiency and accuracy as target occurred position displacement. We want to thank Dr. Lei Xing and Dr. Yong Yang in the Stanford University School of Medicine for this work. This work was jointly supported by NSFC (61471226), Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Shandong Province (JQ201516), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2015T80739, 2014M551949).

To evaluate the efficacy of integrated comparative omics in screening candidate biological macromolecules, three methods, namely, 2-DE + MALDI-TOF-MS, tumor-associated cDNA microarray and whole-transcriptome cDNA microarray were examined by three biotechnological companies to compare a stable transfected cell line with its control one. The results showed that the percentages of the up-regulate in three methods are largely consistent. 21.59 % of tumor-associated microarray results are the same with that of whole-transcriptome microarray. SOD2 is the unique intersection of three methods. Consulting the results of pI and Mw derived from microarray cannot increase the detection rate of target molecules during protein spot selection for mass spectrometry. Two protein spots with different regulating directions were identified to be the same protein. Conclusively, proteomic and genomic methods reveal the macromolecular changes from different aspects. Their detection ranges are complementary. The combination of different genomic methods can improve the validity and stability and reduce the noise changes. However, it is no sense to compare proteomics with genomics.