Search

The mechanisms leading to high rates of malignancy and recurrence of human intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) remain unclear. It is difficult to diagnose and assess the prognosis of patients with ICC in the clinic due to the lack of specific biomarkers. In addition, long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to serve important roles in certain types of tumorigenesis however a role in ICC remains to be reported. The aim of the current study was to screen for genes and lncRNAs that are abnormally expressed in ICC and to investigate their biological and clinicopathological significance in ICC. The global gene and lncRNA expression profiles in ICC were measured using bioinformatics analysis. Carbamoyl‑phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) and its lncRNA CPS1 intronic transcript 1 (CPS1‑IT1) were observed to be upregulated in ICC. The expression of CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 was measured in 31 tissue samples from patients with ICC and a number of cell lines. The effects of CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of the ICC‑9810 cell line were measured. In addition, the clinicopathological features and survival rates of patients with ICC with respect to the gene and lncRNA expression status were analyzed. CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were co‑upregulated in ICC tissues compared with non‑cancerous tissues. Knockdown of CPS1 andor CPS1‑IT1 reduced the proliferation and increased the apoptosis of ICC‑9810 cells. Additionally, clinical analysis indicated that CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were associated with poor liver function and reduced survival rates when the relative expression values were greater than 4 in cancer tissues. The comparisons between the high CPS1 expression group and the low expression group indicated significant differences in international normalized ratio (P=0.048), total protein (P=0.049), indirect bilirubin (P=0.025), alkaline phosphatase (P=0.003) and disease‑free survival (P=0.034). In addition, there were differential trends in CA19‑9 (P=0.068), globulin (P=0.052) and total bilirubin (P=0.066). The comparisons between the high CPS1‑IT1 expression group and the low expression group indicated significant differences in lymphatic invasion (P=0.045), carbohydrate antigen 19‑9 (P=0.044), disease‑free survival (P=0.026), and non‑significant differential trends in alkaline phosphatase were observed (P=0.085). In conclusion, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 may serve an important role in ICC development by promoting the proliferation of ICC cells. Furthermore, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 were associated with poor liver function and reduced survival rates. Thus, CPS1 and CPS1‑IT1 may be potential prognostic indicators for patients with ICC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, is a disease of immune microenvironment. Chronic Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, also an immune-related disease, is the major etiological factor for HCC especially in Asia. As an immune regulator, which has pleiotropic activities on T cells, nature killer cells and dendritic cells and so on, the efficacy of thymalfasin on HCC patients has been proven by several pilot studies as an adjuvant therapy. Combination of thymalfasin significantly improved survival and prolonged the time to tumor recurrence in patients who received transcatheter arterial chemoembolization after tumor resection. An improvement in patients' immunity has also been demonstrated. However, there is no large-scale randomized controlled study so far in resectable HCC patients. To confirm the role of thymalfasin adjuvant therapy in patients with HBV-related HCC after curative resection, a large-scale multicenter randomized controlled trial has been planned in China to investigate the effect of thymalfasin (1.6 mg twice a week for 12 months) on 2-year recurrence-free survival rate and tumor immune microenvironment. Here is the first announcement of the study protocol (ClinialTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02281266).

Vinyl acetate, as an important kind of organic chemical raw materials, often adopts the distillation system to separate finished product from raw product. In addition to target products, some residues are produced in the process of distillation, which have a strong damage to the environment, therefore these residues are identified as hazardous wastes to manage and dispose in China. This paper, combined with literature analysis and site investigation, mainly studied production characteristics and particular pollutants of vinyl acetate distillation residue (solid and liquid). To conduct the analysis of the physical and chemical properties of distillation residue, and this paper applied the Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to detemine main particular pollutants, containing Acetic Acid (relative peak area value of 63.47%), 1,1-Ethanediol Diacetate, Crotonic Acid, etc. Meanwhile, this paper can draw another conclusion that treatment and disposal of resource utilization distillation can make more significantly and efficiently use of vinyl acetate distillation residues through the technological contrast of GC-MS.

Isomorphic versions of the \(L_p\) volume ratio inequalities are established. For the asymmetric cases, using the approach of isotropic embeddings, we also obtain isomorphic versions of the Ball–Barthe simplex inequalities.

Laser transmission is influenced by environment particularly large, especially in fog, rain, snow and other complex weather conditions.This article mainly from two aspects of theory research and Modtran software simulation discussed the laser transmission characteristics in the rain.Different laser is theoretically discussed mainly in a variety of transmission attenuation degree of rainfall conditions.Using Modtran simulation software to get the theoretical calculation results of simulation and error analysis.

Lei Yin,* Zheng Fang,* Ning-jia Shen, Ying-he Qiu, Ai-jun Li, Yong-jie Zhang The Second Department of Biliary Surgery, Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China *These authors contributed equally tothis work Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal disease mandating development of novel, effective therapeutic strategy. Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) is a pleiotropic cytokine with immunomodulatory, antiviral, and antitumor effects. Although IFN-γ is a promising antitumor agent, its application is limited by resistance in tumor cells. A20 is a zinc-finger protein that was initially identified as a gene product induced by tumor necrosis factor α in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In this study, we found that silencing of A20 combined with IFN-γ significantly represses cell viability, and induces apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest in HCC cells. By investigating mechanisms implicated in A20 and IFN-γ-mediated signaling pathways, we revealed that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway and antiapoptotic B-cell lymphoma 2 proteins were repressed. Moreover, we also found that phosphorylation of STAT1 and STAT3 was significantly enhanced after the downregulation of A20 in combination with treatment of IFN-γ. Inhibitor of STAT1 but not STAT3 could block the antitumor effect of IFN-γ. Therefore, targeting A20 enhances the cytotoxicity of IFN-γ against HCC cells and may present a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC. Keywords: IFN-γ, A20, hepatocellular carcinoma, PI3K/Akt, STAT1, STAT3

Bile duct hamartoma (BDH) is a rare liver disease with a rising incidence in recent years. A retrospective study on BDH patients between June 2007 and December 2015 was conducted. All the medical records, including clinical, imaging and pathological characteristics, were retrieved. Follow-up data were obtained by telephone communication. The majority of the patients had no symptoms and the laboratory tests were normal. The appearance on ultrasound examination was variable. The lesion exhibited low density on plain computed tomography and no enhancement in 4 cases, and inhomogeneous enhancement in 1 case. Magnetic resonance imaging examination revealed hypointensity on T1-weighted imaging (WI), hyperintensity on T2WI, no enhancement in 1 case, and enhancement in 4 cases. Two patients underwent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography due to jaundice and intrahepatic bile duct dilation. The preoperative diagnosis was liver cancer in 4 cases, hepatic hilar biliary obstruction in 1, chronic calculous cholecystitis in 1, suspected hepatic abscess in 1, and benign liver tumor in 2 cases. All the patients underwent surgery. Nest-like cell arrangements were observed in 2 patients, and in 1 patient the lesion transformed to intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, resulting in the patient's death 25 months after surgery. Thus, BDH may transform into a life-threatening cholangiocarcinoma and it should be surgically removed. Furthermore, the mechanism underlying carcinogenesis in BDH requires further investigation.

Long noncoding RNA taurine upregulated gene 1 (lncRNA TUG1) and microRNA‑196a (miR‑196a) have been reported to serve important roles in the development of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, their potential mechanisms have not been completely elucidated. The aim of the present study was to clarify the biological functions of lncRNA‑TUG1 and miR‑196a, in addition to investigating the interaction between lncRNA‑TUG1 and microRNA‑196a, providing a novel insight into RCC tumorigenesis. The present study comprised two parts. In the first part, lncRNA‑TUG1 was confirmed as an oncogene, via reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) analysis, MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, and migration and invasion assays. In the second part, the association between lncRNA‑TUG1 and miR‑196a, and the molecular mechanism, was illustrated via RT‑qPCR analysis, MTT assay, dual luciferase reporter assay and western blotting. The results of the present study demonstrated that lncRNA‑TUG1 was able to promote RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro by suppressing miR‑196a. Additionally, lncRNA‑TUG1 achieved its biological functions by regulating the expression levels of RAC‑α serine/threonine‑protein kinase, mitogen‑activated protein kinase and extracellular signal‑regulated kinase via inhibition of miR‑196a. In conclusion, the present findings proposed a novel potential therapeutic target, the lncRNA‑TUG1‑miR‑196a axis, which may be applicable to the treatment of RCC.

The fuzzy edge detection algorithm proposed by Pal-King has some disadvantages for extracting the low gray level edge information for the infrared images, such as high computation complexity, low threshold segmentation inaccuracy and the leakage edge information. For overcoming the disadvantages, the improved image fuzzy edge detection algorithm is proposed in this paper. First, redefining membership function to simplify computation complexity, the new conversion function enable the function transform interval is [0, 1], thus the value of the low gray level edge is not to be set to 0. Second, Ostu's algorithm is used in the selection of segmentation threshold named as transit point. The traditional threshold value is improved in order to make the segmentation accurate. The experimental results show that the lower gray infrared image edge information is preserved via proposed algorithm in this paper. The detecting results are more accurate. The run time is decreased obviously than the traditional Pal - king algorithm.

INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurring in pregnancy is quite rare. The prognosis is usually poor because of a delay in diagnosis. Reported cases of HCC in pregnancy are largely isolated with no large experience. Thus the effect of pregnancy on the prognosis of patients with HCC and the risk factors of developing HCC in pregnancy are not well documented. Our aim was to review our experience with management of four young pregnant women with HCC. PRESENTATION OF CASE Laboratory tests were performed before surgery. We analyzed the effects of age, hepatitis B surface antigens status, cirrhosis at presentation, gestational age of fetus, and maternal outcome. DISCUSSION Increase in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level was somewhat useful for diagnosis. Three patients died in 5 months, 6 months, and 24 months from HCC recurrence, and another patient is alive without disease 12 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION Surgery for HCC during pregnancy should be similar to that for non-pregnant women. Complete excision of tumor without termination of pregnancy provides the greatest chance of survival for women with HCC during pregnancy but depends on gestational age of the fetus. Adjuvant treatments are required to improve the long-term results of this type of surgery. The 28-week gestational week is a critical point of fetal maturation which is very important in deciding whether pregnancy should be terminated or not. The pregnancy was terminated in two of our patients when spontaneous rupture of HCC was diagnosed to save the mother's life.

Prone to low temperature cracking of asphalt pavement problems in cold areas, testing BBR on 70# base asphalt and 4 kinds of different dosage of SBS modified asphalt, testing TSRST on their mixture to appraisal the low temperature performance of SBS modified asphalt mixture. Results show that compared with the temperature stress of internal cracks of base asphalt and SBS modified asphalt mixture not rise significantly. But the stress of SBS asphalt mixture growing slow and the temperature of cracking reduce obviously; it means the low temperature performance improved. This shows that SBS improves the toughness and reduced the modulus of asphalt mixture in low temperature, rather than increasing the tensile strength of mixture specimens.

A method of determining expansion center and expansion order is proposed in optical pattern recognition. To the reference image, choose an expansion center of one order, and works out optimal order by means of the expansion center. If the optimal order is equal to the selected order, the selected expansion center and order are the optimum; or else do it again choosing another order. Computer simulation results show that the method yields a sharper correlation peak, higher signal-to-noise ration and better correlation discrimination compared with the circular-harmonic filter.

Along with the development of computer network technology and Internet, network courses have become an irreversible trend. When sports dance be displayed in a network platform, it can both benefit the classroom teaching and extracurricular self-study. This research combined the literatures research and experimental research, demonstrated the advantages of the application of network courses for auxiliary teaching in sports dance.

Aim:Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity limited its clinical utilization in oncology. In this study, Dox was entrapped into PEG-PLGA Nanoparticles, cardiotoxicity of Dox or PEG-PLGA-Dox was investigated in rats. Materials and methods :PEG-PLGA-Dox was prepared via modified single emulsion method. Its characterization including size, Drug loading capacity (DLC), entrapment efficiency (EE) were estimated. The cardiotoxicity of PEG-PLGA-Dox was assessed on SD rats via echocardiography and biochemical indicators compare to free Dox and physical sodium. Results:The average diameter of PEG-PLGA-Dox is around 200 nm, with DLC about 10%.After administered PEG-PLGA-Dox, the ratio of heart weight to body weight decreased not as significant as Dox group, level of serum parameters and echocardiography parameter also decreased little compared to the Dox group. Conclusions:After entrapped into PEG-PLGA nanoparticle, Dox-induced cardiotoxicity was reduced significantly.

Glucose is the required metabolic substrate for the brain. Yet the brain stores very little glucose. Therefore, the brain continuously monitors glucose availability to detect hypoglycemia and to mobilize system-wide responses to protect and restore euglycemia. Catecholamine (CA) neurons in the hindbrain are critical elements of the brain's glucoregulatory mechanisms. They project widely throughout the brain and spinal cord, innervating sites controlling behavioral, endocrine and visceral responses. Hence, CA neurons are capable of triggering a rapid, coordinated and multifaceted response to glucose challenge. This article reviews experimental data that has begun to elucidate the importance of CA neurons for glucoregulation, the functions of specific CA subpopulations in the ventrolateral medulla, and the extended circuitry through which they engage other levels of the nervous system to accomplish their essential glucoregulatory task. Hopefully, this review also suggests the vast amount of work yet to be done in this area and the justification for engaging in that effort.

2589 Background: Tumor mutation burden (TMB), calculated by whole-exome sequencing (WES) or large NGS panels, has an important association with immunotherapy responses. Elucidating the underlying biological mechanisms of high TMB might help develop more precise and effective means for TMB and immunotherapy response prediction. Meanwhile, the landscape of TMB across different cancer types and its association with other molecular features have not been well investigated in large cohorts in China. Methods: Cancer patients whose fresh tissue (n = 1556), formalin-fixed, paraffin-embed (FFPE) specimen (n = 1794), and pleural fluid (n = 84) were profiled using 295- or 520-gene NGS panel. The association of the TMB status with a series of molecular features and biological pathways was interrogated using bootstrapping. Results: TMB, measured by 295- or 520-cancer-related gene panels, were correlated with WES TMB based on in silico simulation in the TCGA cohort. We compared the TMB landscape across 11 cancer type groups and found the highest average TMB in lung squamous cell carcinoma, whereas the lowest TMB was established in sarcoma. High microsatellite instability, DNA damage response deficiency, and homologous recombination repair deficiency indicated significantly higher TMB. The independent predictive power for TMB of twenty-six biological pathways was tested in 10 cancer groups. FoxO signaling pathway most commonly correlated with low-TMB; significant association was identified in four cancer groups. In contrast, no pathway was significantly correlated with high-TMB in more than two cancer groups. Overall, we discovered that the underlying pathways which may be the main drivers of TMB status varied greatly and sometimes had an opposite association with TMB across different cancer types. Moreover, we developed a 14- and 22-gene signature for TMB prediction for LUAD and LUSC, respectively, with only 10 genes shared by both signatures, indicating a histology-specific mechanism for driving high-TMB in lung cancer. Conclusions: The findings extended the knowledge of the underlying biological mechanisms for high TMB and might be helpful for developing more precise and accessible TMB assessment panels and algorithms in more cancer types.

Mo-Cu alloy with high density can be fabricated at lower sintering temperature by high-energy ball-milling mechanical-alloying method and adding activation element. The rule of change of microstructure and its effect on the thermal expansion coefficient are studied. It is found that the holes in the Mo-Cu alloy sintered at lower temperature disappear, and Mo and Cu distribute uniformly. The Mo particles are fine-grained, and distribute uniformly in the Cu particles using the mechanical-alloying method. The change of thermal expansion coefficient with temperature is in accordance with the effect of adding activation element. There is a minor inflexion in the thermal expansion coefficient curve at 500°C. The change of thermal expansion coefficient with temperature is the same as 95% Al2O3 sealing material. Thus, the thermal property between Mo-Cu alloy and 95% Al2O3 match well.

An unmanned helicopter dynamic model identification method based on immune particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is approved in this paper. In order to improve the search efficiency of PSO and avoid the premature convergence, the PSO algorithm is combined with the immune algorithm. The unmanned helicopter model parameters are coded as particle, the error of flight test and math simulation model is objective function, and the dynamic model of unmanned helicopter is identified. The simulation result shows that the method has high identification precision and can realistically reflect the dynamic characteristics.

The aim of this study was to compare the results of surgical resection with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) in the treatment of resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) was given to both groups of patients when possible. A retrospective study of 371 patients with resectable HCC with PVTT was conducted in two tertiary referral centers. The treatment of choice for these patients in one center was surgical resection. In the other center it was 3D-CRT. In the radiotherapy group (RG, n = 185), patients received 3D-CRT to the tumor and PVTT for a total radiation dose of 30–52 Gy (median 40 Gy). In the surgical group (SG, n = 186), patients underwent surgical resection. TACE was applied after surgery or 3D-CRT and then was repeated every 4–6 weeks if the patient tolerated the treatment. The median survival was 12.3 months for RG and 10.0 months for SG. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year overall survivals were 51.6, 28.4, and 19.9 %, respectively, for RG and 40.1, 17.0, and 13.6 %, respectively, for SG (p = 0.029). Stepwise multivariate analysis showed that the extent of PVTT and mode of treatment were independent risk factors of overall survival. The most common cause of death after treatment was liver failure as a consequence of progressive intrahepatic disease. 3D-CRT gave better survival than surgical resection for HCC with PVTT.

The generalization of Minkowski problems, such as the \(L_p\) and Orlicz Minkowski problems, have caused wide concern recently. In this paper, we will establish the existence of the Orlicz Minkowski problem for polytopes. In particular, a solution to the \(L_p\) Minkowski problem for polytopes with \(p>1\) is given. By the uniqueness of this solution, we present a new proof of the \(L_p\) Minkowski inequality that demonstrates the relationship between these two fundamental theorems of the \(L_p\) Brunn–Minkowski theory.

To test high resolution and dynamic performance of star sensor, a method of consideration image motion on Modeling the motion blur of star sensor is proposed. Firstly, image motion geometric model based on the rotation of Starlight vector is studied. Secondly, with the help of the normal distribution of static star image energy model, introducing the star image motion speed, obtaining the energy distribution function of moving stars, implementing high dynamic simulation of star map. Finally, establishing the simulation environment, through adjusting input parameters such as integral time, rate of change of three attitude angle, the launch time, location, then, important simulation data of stars observed by star sensor in orbit can quickly be obtained, such as navigation stars information, value and direction of image motion, intensity distribution, signal to noise ratio. This work is very important to research and evaluate the star image motion compensation algorithm.

This paper constructs an optimization model about carbon dioxide emissions problem for production process of a large-scale iron and steel corporation in China. Then how to realize maximal profits of corporation is studied under the subjective conditions about production, raw material supply and emissions abatement amount. And the optimized production structure in accordance with production benefits and environment benefits are obtained by non linear programming methodology. Finally the carbon dioxide emissions per unit of steel production are compared with the level of whole China and developed countries, and how to utilize the byproducts of coal gas for multipurpose is also discussed.

This study analyzes the ecological effects of energy efficiency improvement for coal utilization during urbanization in China by a hybrid computable general equilibrium model. Firstly, the impacts of energy efficiency and industrial technology upgrading on total coal consumption and coal consumption intensity during the period from 2002 to 2030 are examined. Then the ecological benefits of energy efficiency related technology progress for coal utilization are also estimated. Simulation results show that resource input saving has absolutely more ecological benefits than emissions reduction for energy efficiency improvement of coal utilization in China.

Chitin nanofibers were prepared from prawn shell by a simple mechanical treatment after the removal of proteins and minerals. Since the exoskeleton of prawn is made up of a finer structure nano-fibrillation of prawn shell is easy, which allows chitin nanofibers to be prepared under neutral pH conditions. The obtained nanofibers were observed by FE-SEM and found to have a uniform width of approximately 20-40nm and high aspect ratio that more than 1000. Due to the size effect of the chitin nanofibers, the nanocomposite films had high transparency that the chitin nanofibers/epoxy resin nanocomposite transmitted 85.2% of light compared to the light transmittance of pure epoxy resin（91%）and the light transmittance of pure chitin nanofibers sheet (70.1%) at a visible wavelength of 600nm. In the study the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) from 20 to 160°C of the epoxy resin sheet was measured to be 170 ppm/K. By adding 40 wt% of chitin nanofibers, the CTE of the epoxy resin dropped to 22 ppm/K, approximately 1/8th of its original value. The novel material is a candidate for transparent substrates in the manufacturing optoelectronic devices such as flexible displays and solar cells.

In this paper, we consider the extremal problem of the lp-norm: min{lp(TK), ℴ∈TK⊆L,T∈GL(n)}, where K,L are two convex bodies in ℝn. Using the optimization theorem of John, we give necessary conditions for K to be in extremal position in terms of a decomposition of the identity. Furthermore, the weaker optimization problem, min{(lp(TK))p: TK ⊆ B2n, TK∩Sn−1 ≠ ∅, T∈GL(n)}, is also considered. As an application, the geometric distance between the unit ball B2n and a centrally symmetric convex body K is obtained.

We simulate transport in an atomtronic circuit of a Bose-Einstein condensate that flows from a source region into a drain through a gate channel. The time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) solution matches the data of a recent experiment. The atomtronic circuit is found to be similar to a variable-resistance RLC circuit, which is critically damped at early times and shows LC oscillations later. The GPE also predicts atom loss from the drain. Studies of the dependence of condensate transport upon gate parameters suggest the utility of the GPE for investigation of atomtronic circuits., Main Body: 5 pages, 4 figures, Supplemental Material: 11 pages, 4 figures

Neural sites that interact with the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) to generate rhythms of unrestricted feeding remain unknown. We used the targeted toxin, leptin conjugated to saporin (Lep-SAP), to examine the importance of leptin receptor-B (LepR-B)-expressing neurons in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) for generation of circadian feeding rhythms. Rats given Arc Lep-SAP injections were initially hyperphagic and rapidly became obese (the “dynamic phase” of weight gain). During this phase, Lep-SAP rats were arrhythmic under 12:12-h light-dark (LD) conditions, consuming 59% of their total daily intake during the daytime, compared with 36% in blank-SAP (B-SAP) controls. Lep-SAP rats were also arrhythmic in continuous dark (DD), while significant circadian feeding rhythms were detected in all B-SAP controls. Approximately 8 wk after injection, Lep-SAP rats remained obese but transitioned into a “static phase” of weight gain marked by attenuation of their hyperphagia and rate of weight gain. In this phase, Arc Lep-SAP rats exhibited circadian feeding rhythms under LD conditions, but were arrhythmic in continuous light (LL) and DD. Lep-SAP injections into the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus did not cause hyperphagia, obesity, or arrhythmic feeding in either LD or DD. Electrolytic lesion of the SCN produced feeding arrhythmia in DD but not hyperphagia or obesity. Results suggest that both Arc Lep-SAP neurons and SCN are required for generation of feeding rhythms entrained to photic cues, while also revealing an essential role for the Arc in maintaining circadian rhythms of ad libitum feeding independent of light entrainment.

This paper develops a thermodynamic input-output analysis of industrial economy for Hubei Province, which accounts for the flow of cumulative exergy consumption of primary energy. Firstly, the basic situation of energy utilization in 2007 Hubei Province is analyzed. Then two different methods are adopted for thermodynamic input-output analysis in this paper, which are named as industrial cumulative exergy consumption and ecological cumulative exergy consumption. Results show that primary energy extraction sectors and raw material processing sectors have prominent peaks on both industrial cumulative exergy consumption and ecological cumulative exergy consumption for the case of Hubei Province. In terms of primary energy extraction sectors, traditional energy which has high exergy content should be substituted for new energy which has low exergy content. In terms of raw material processing sectors, high energy efficient and clean energy utilization technology should be promoted.

There are few indicator systems available for monitoring and assessing the environmental quality of large-scale regions. We constructed an indicator system for integrated assessment of the environmental quality of the Dianchi Basin. First, the definition of regional environmental quality is determined by both the supply of materials and energy in the region and the extent to which the region is polluted. Second, the indicator categories used for assessment mainly comprise vegetation biomass and the concentrations of various pollutants. Third, owing to spatial heterogeneity of a region, evaluation of the regional environment first requires division into sub-regions, each of which should be relatively homogeneous with regard to physical conditions (e.g. marine and terrestrial) and appearance (e.g. vegetation cover). Finally, the mathematical models for assessing regional environmental quality can be built according to the relationships between the various indicators, the sub-regions and regional environmental quality. The indicator system built using this approach can reflect environmental changes over time and identifies reasons for environmental variation.

Summary Objective Based on a large series of histopathologically confirmed hepatic angiomyolipomas, we retrospectively studied the typical diagnostic features of hepatic angiomyolipoma and proposed a treatment strategy for this disease. Materials and methods From December 1997 to December 2007, 74 consecutive patients who received definitive treatment for hepatic angiomyolipoma, at a single tertiary center, were studied. Results There was a marked female predominance (54 females vs. 20 males) and the mean age was 42 years. Forty patients had no symptoms and the tumors were detected incidentally during a medical check-up. From this study, we proposed the typical diagnostic features of hepatic angiomyolipoma to be the absence of risk factors for malignancy, normal tumor marker levels, and typical imaging features on ultrasound (USG), abdominal contrast computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Only 23% of patients could have been diagnosed before surgery using these features. One patient (1.4%) had a malignant angiomyolipoma, and died with distant metastases 14 months after surgery. After a median follow-up of 64 months, there was no recurrence in the other 73 patients. Conclusion Patients with typical diagnostic features suggestive of hepatic angiomyolipoma could be observed with regular surveillance. Definitive treatment should be performed when the tumor has symptoms/complications, when the tumor is enlarging, or when a malignant lesion cannot be ruled out.

This paper analyzes the effects of clean and low-carbonized development of coal-fired power industry in China by a hybrid CGE model, which links the engineering sub-model with an energy CGE model and an energy balance sub-model. According to the calculation results, the current environmental protection target of coal-fired power industry of China should center on developing and spreading high-efficient denitrifization technology, mercury removal technology should be gradually combined with desulfurization and denitrifization technology in mid-long term, and carbon capture and storage technology should be introduced in long-term.

This study analyzes the effects of technological progress for energy intensity and energy use related carbon dioxide emissions during urbanization in China by a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The parameters about technological progress and urbanization are all exogenously given. The impacts of technological progress on economic growth, energy intensity and carbon dioxide emissions during period from 2002 to 2030 are examined. Simulation results show that gradually pushing energy efficiency related technologies through appropriate policy incentives is the key to realize low-carbonized development while promoting economic growth in China.

Let G be a simple graph with vertex set V(G) and edge set E(G), and let Z2 = {0,1}. For a given binary edge labeling f :E(G)→Z2 , the edge labeling f induces a partial vertex labeling f*:V(G)→Z2 such that f*(v) =1(0) iff the number of 1-edges (0-edges) is strictly greater than the number of 0-edges (1-edges) incident to v , otherwise f*(v) is idefined. For i∈Z2 , let v(i)=card{v∈V(G): f*(v) =i} and e(i) = card{e∈E(G) : f (e)=i}. The edge-balance index sets of a graph G,EBI(G), is defined as {|v(0) −v(1) |: the edge labeling f satisfies |e(0)−e(1) |≤1}.In this paper, we completely determine the edge-balance CnxP 6(n=3,4,5mod6).

This study analyzes the effects of technological progress for the elasticity of energy consumption from 2002 to 2030 in China by a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. The technological progress is represented by a combination of industrial technology upgrading and energy efficiency improvement. Household is divided into two groups as rural type and urban type. The parameters about technological progress and urbanization are all introduced exogenously. Simulation results show that vigorously pushing advanced energy efficiency technologies through financial policy incentives is the key to realize effective energy-saving achievement while promoting economic growth in China.

Cored wires and arc spraying were used to produce high Mg content Zn-Al-Mg alloy coatings on low carbon steel substrates. And the corrosion mechanism of the Zn-Al-Mg coatings was investigated comparing with Zn-Al alloy coatings by X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results show that, The Zn-Al-Mg coatings show higher electrochemical corrosion resistance in salt solution than Zn-Al coatings. With addition of Mg, the corrosion products can block off the pores in the Zn-Al-Mg coating, which is so-called self sealing, and thus prevent attack on the underlying steel substrate.

In this paper, we establish an extended Loomis–Whitney inequality for positive double John bases, which generalises Ball's result [1]. Moreover, a different extension of the Loomis–Whitney inequality is deduced.

In this paper, we establish Barthe's mean width inequalities for continuous isotropic measures by a direct approach rather than using the Brascamp-Lieb inequality. The following results are obtained: among the convex hulls of the support of isotropic mea- sures on S n−1 , the regular simplex inscribed in the Euclidean unit ball has maximal � -norm; in the dual situation, there is a reverse result for their polar bodies. Moreover, the case of even isotropic measures is also investigated.

Background Blood loss during liver resection and the need for perioperative blood transfusions have negative impact on perioperative morbidity, mortality, and long-term outcomes. Methods A randomized controlled trial was performed on patients undergoing liver resection comparing hemihepatic vascular inflow occlusion, main portal vein inflow occlusion, and Pringle maneuver. The primary endpoints were intraoperative blood loss and postoperative liver injury. The secondary outcomes were operating time, morbidity, and mortality. Results A total of 180 patients were randomized into 3 groups according to the technique used for inflow occlusion during hepatectomy: the hemihepatic vascular inflow occlusion group (n = 60), the main portal vein inflow occlusion group (n = 60), and the Pringle maneuver group (n = 60). Only 1 patient in the hemihepatic vascular occlusion group required conversion to the Pringle maneuver because of technical difficulty. The Pringle maneuver group showed a significantly shorter operating time. There were no significant differences between the 3 groups in intraoperative blood loss and perioperative mortality. The degree of postoperative liver injury and complication rates were significantly higher in the Pringle maneuver group, resulting in a significantly longer hospital stay. Conclusions All 3 vascular inflow occlusion techniques were safe and efficacious in reducing blood loss. Patients subjected to hemihepatic vascular inflow occlusion, or main portal vein inflow occlusion responded better than those with Pringle maneuver in terms of earlier recovery of postoperative liver function. As hemihepatic vascular inflow occlusion was technically easier than main portal vein inflow occlusion, it is recommended.

Background: Recently, microRNAs in cancer development have attracted much attention, but their roles in tumorigenesis are still largely unknown. In this study, a functional role of miR-22 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development has been identified. Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR was used to determine the level of miR-22 transcript in HCC clinical samples, and its correlation with disease-free survival was determined using Kaplan–Meier method. Restoration of miR-22 expression was carried out in HCC cell lines to assess its influence on HCC cell proliferation and tumourigenicity. Results: In the 160 paired HCC tissue samples, miR-22 expression was downregulated in HCC, and low miR-22 expression in HCC was predictive of poor survival in HCC patients. Functional studies indicated that ectopic expression of miR-22 significantly inhibits HCC cell proliferation and tumourigenicity. Furthermore, histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), known to have critical roles in cancer development, was proved to be directly targeted and regulated by miR-22. Furthermore, HDAC4 was upregulated in miR-22-downregulated HCC tissues, suggesting that downregulation of miR-22 might participate in HCC carcinogenesis and progression through potentiation of HDAC4 expression. In addition, cell proliferation was also suppressed by knockdown of HDAC4 or treatment with HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A in HCC cell lines. Conclusion: miR-22, downregulated in HCC, has an anti-proliferative effect on HCC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, miR-22 may have considerable potential in identification of the prognosis and application of cancer therapy for HCC patients.

Background & Aims Studies investigating the associations between glutathione S -transferase ( GST ) genetic polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk have reported controversial results. Thus, a meta-analysis was performed to clarify the effects of GSTM1 and GSTT1 polymorphisms on HCC risk. Methods We identified 132 relevant records through a literature search up to November 22, 2009, and 24 individual case–control studies from 23 publications were finally included, involving a total of 3349 HCC cases and 5609 controls. Subgroup analyses were performed by ethnicity, or by area according to the incidence rate and hepatitis virus status. Results Analyses of total relevant studies showed an increased HCC risk was significantly associated with null genotypes of GSTM1 (OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.03–1.54, p OR =0.027) and GSTT1 (OR=1.28, 95% CI 1.09–1.51, p OR =0.002). In addition, the GSTM1–GSTT1 interaction analysis showed that the dual null genotype of GSTM1/GSTT1 was significantly associated with increased HCC risk (OR=1.89, 95% CI 1.38–2.60, p OR p GSTM1 = 0.017, p GSTT1 = 0.001, p Dual null genotype 0.001), high-rate areas ( p GSTM1 = 0.012, p GSTT1 = 0.006, p Dual null genotype 0.001), and HBV-dominant areas ( p GSTM1 = 0.003, p GSTT 1 = 0.003, p Dual null genotype 0.001). Conclusions This meta-analysis suggests null genotypes of GSTM1 and GSTT1 are both associated with increased HCC risk in Asians, and individuals with the dual null genotype of GSTM1/GSTT1 are particularly susceptible to developing HCC.