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Purpose: While a pathologic complete response (pCR) is regarded as a surrogate endpoint for pos-itive outcomes in breast cancer (BC) patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), fore-casting the prognosis of non-pCR patients is still an open issue. This study aimed to create and evaluate nomogram models for estimating the likelihood of disease-free survival (DFS) for non-pCR patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 607 non-pCR BC patients was conducted (2012–2018). After converting continuous variables to categorical variables, variables entering the model were progressively identified by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and then pre-NAC and post-NAC nomogram models were developed. Regarding their discrimination, ac-curacy, and clinical value, the performance of the models was evaluated by internal and external validation. Two risk assessments were performed for each patient based on two models; patients were separated into different risk groups based on the calculated cut-off values for each model, including low-risk (assessed by the pre-NAC model) to low-risk (assessed by the post-NAC model), high-risk to low-risk, low-risk to high-risk, and high-risk to high-risk groups. The DFS of different groups was assessed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: Both pre-NAC and post-NAC nomogram models were built with clinical nodal (cN) status and estrogen receptor (ER), Ki67, and p53 status (all p < 0.05), showing good discrimination and calibration in both internal and external validation. We also assessed the performance of the two models in four subtypes, with the tri-ple-negative subtype showing the best prediction. Patients in the high-risk to high-risk subgroup have significantly poorer survival rates (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Two robust and effective nomo-grams were developed to personalize the prediction of DFS in non-pCR BC patients treated with NAC.

Breast cancer (BC) is a lethal malignancy with a poor prognosis. Necroptosis is critical in the progression of cancer. However, the expression of genes involved in necroptosis in BC and their association with prognosis remain unclear. We investigated the predictive potential of necroptosis-related genes in BC samples from the TCGA dataset. We used LASSO regression to build a risk model consisting of twelve necroptosis-related genes in BC. Using the necroptosis-related risk model, we were able to successfully classify BC patients into high- and low-risk groups with significant prognostic differences (p = 4.872 × 10 −7). Additionally, we developed a matched nomogram predicting 5, 7, and 10-year overall survival in BC patients based on this necroptosis-related risk model. Our next step was to perform multiple GSEA analyses to explore the biological pathways through which these necroptosis-related risk genes influence cancer progression. For these twelve risk model genes, we analyzed CNV, SNV, OS, methylation, immune cell infiltration, and drug sensitivity in pan-cancer. In addition, immunohistochemical data from the THPA database were used to validate the protein expression of these risk model genes in BC. Taken together, we believe that necroptosis-related genes are considered potential therapeutic targets in BC and should be further investigated.

This study is aimed at exploring the potential mechanism of the PPAR signaling pathway in breast cancer (BRCA) and constructing a novel prognostic-related risk model. We used various bioinformatics methods and databases to complete our exploration in this research. Based on TCGA database, we use multiple extension packages based on the R language for data conversion, processing, and statistics. We use LASSO regression analysis to establish a prognostic-related risk model in BRCA. And we combined the data of multiple online websites, including GEPIA, ImmuCellAI, TIMER, GDSC, and the Human Protein Atlas database to conduct a more in-depth exploration of the risk model. Based on the mRNA data in TCGA database, we conducted a preliminary screening of genes related to the PPAR signaling pathway through univariate Cox analysis, then used LASSO regression analysis to conduct a second screening, and successfully established a risk model consisting of ten genes in BRCA. The results of ROC curve analysis show that the risk model has good prediction accuracy. We can successfully divide breast cancer patients into high- and low-risk groups with significant prognostic differences (P=1.92e−05) based on this risk model. Combined with the clinical data in TCGA database, there is a correlation between the risk model and the patient’s N, T, gender, and fustat. The results of multivariate Cox regression show that the risk score of this risk model can be used as an independent risk factor for BRCA patients. In particular, we draw a nomogram that can predict the 5-, 7-, and 10-year survival rates of BRCA patients. Subsequently, we conducted a series of pancancer analyses of CNV, SNV, OS, methylation, and immune infiltration for this risk model gene and used GDSC data to investigate drug sensitivity. Finally, to gain insight into the predictive value and protein expression of these risk model genes in breast cancer, we used GEO and HPA databases for validation. This study provides valuable clues for future research on the PPAR signaling pathway in BRCA.

The complexity of plant antioxidative systems gives rise to many unresolved questions. One relates to the functional importance of dehydroascorbate reductases (DHARs) in interactions between ascorbate and glutathione. To investigate this issue, we produced a complete set of loss-of-function mutants for the three annotated Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) DHARs. The combined loss of DHAR1 and DHAR3 expression decreased extractable activity to very low levels but had little effect on phenotype or ascorbate and glutathione pools in standard conditions. An analysis of the subcellular localization of the DHARs in Arabidopsis lines stably transformed with GFP fusion proteins revealed that DHAR1 and DHAR2 are cytosolic while DHAR3 is chloroplastic, with no evidence for peroxisomal or mitochondrial localizations. When the mutations were introduced into an oxidative stress genetic background (cat2), the dhar1 dhar2 combination decreased glutathione oxidation and inhibited cat2-triggered induction of the salicylic acid pathway. These effects were reversed in cat2 dhar1 dhar2 dhar3 complemented with any of the three DHARs. The data suggest that (1) DHAR can be decreased to negligible levels without marked effects on ascorbate pools, (2) the cytosolic isoforms are particularly important in coupling intracellular hydrogen peroxide metabolism to glutathione oxidation, and (3) DHAR-dependent glutathione oxidation influences redox-driven salicylic acid accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature vacuum dehydration could avoid heat injury because of high drying temperature, as well as prevent mechanical damage due to ice crystal during freezing. However, it is not clear for the effect of different temperatures and vacuum degrees on the dehydration process. The object of this work was to investigate the drying behavior of broad bean seed and to analyze the effect of moisture diffusion on the structure during low-temperature vacuum drying process. For this purpose, a test bench for low-temperature vacuum dehydration was designed and established. The nine dehydration operating conditions at temperatures of 0°C, 4°C, and 8°C and vacuum degrees of 95, 97, and 99 kPa were conducted. The key parameters including dehydration time, dehydration rate, shrinkage, effective moisture diffusivity were analyzed. Results showed that by increasing temperature and vacuum degree, the dehydration time obviously shortened, and the dehydration rate was significantly increased. The vacuum degree has an obvious influence on product shrinkage, especially in the thickness of broad bean seed. The average effective moisture diffusivity varied from 0.65 to 2.97 × 10−10 m2 s−1 under the tested drying conditions. And the high temperature and low vacuum degree were a better way for reducing the shrinkage of broad bean seed. To avoid structure collapse and cell rupture, the end moisture content of broad bean seed should be higher to 0.05 ~ 0.11.

BackgroundBreast cancer patients who achieve pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) have favorable outcomes. Reliable predictors for pCR help to identify patients who will benefit most from NAC. The pretreatment serum albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) has been shown to be a prognostic predictor in several malignancies, but its predictive value for pCR in breast cancer is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the predictive role of AAPR in breast cancer patients and develop an AAPR-based nomogram for pCR rate prediction.MethodsA total of 780 patients who received anthracycline and taxane-based NAC from January 2012 to March 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the predictive value of AAPR and other clinicopathological factors. A nomogram was developed and calibrated based on multivariate logistic regression. A validation cohort of 234 patients was utilized to further validate the predictive performance of the model. The C-index, calibration plots and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the discrimination, calibration and clinical value of the model.ResultsPatients with a lower AAPR (

Recent studies have shown that the mediator complex (MED) plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and development, but the role of MED16 (mediator complex subunit 16) in breast cancer (BC) is not clear. Increasing evidence has shown that the mTOR pathway is important for tumour progression and therapy. In this study, we demonstrated that the mTOR signalling pathway is regulated by the expression level of MED16 in ER+ breast cancer. With the analysis of bioinformatics data and clinical specimens, we revealed an elevated expression of MED16 in luminal subtype tumours. We found that MED16 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted G1 phase cell cycle arrest in ER+ BC cell lines. Downregulation of MED16 markedly reduced the sensitivity of ER+ BC cells to tamoxifen and increased the stemness and autophagy of ER+ BC cells. Bioinformatic analysis of similar genes to MED16 were mainly enriched in autophagy, endocrine therapy and mTOR signalling pathways, and the inhibition of mTOR-mediated autophagy restored sensitivity to tamoxifen by MED16 downregulation in ER+ BC cells. These results suggest an important role of MED16 in the regulation of tamoxifen sensitivity in ER+ BC cells, crosstalk between the mTOR signalling pathway-induced autophagy, and together, with the exploration of tamoxifen resistance, may indicate a new therapy option for endocrine therapy-resistant patients.

BackgroundHepatocyte growth factor (HGF) signaling plays a plethora of roles in tumorigenesis and progression in many cancer types. As HGF activator inhibitors, serine protease inhibitor, Kunitz types 1 and 2 (SPINT1 and SPINT2) have been reported to be differentially expressed in breast cancer, but their prognostic significance and functioning mechanism remain unclear.MethodsIn our study, multiple databases and bioinformatics tools were used to investigate SPINT1/2 expression profiles, prognostic significance, genetic alteration, methylation, and regulatory network in breast carcinoma.ResultsSPINT1/2 expression was upregulated in breast cancer, and was relatively higher in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and node positive patients. Elevated SPINT1/2 expression was significantly correlated with a poorer prognosis. Genetic alterations and SPINT1/2 hypomethylation were observed. In breast carcinoma, SPINT1/2 were reciprocally correlated and shared common co-expressed genes. Gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that their common co-expressed genes were primarily involved in regulating cell attachment and migration.ConclusionsOur study identified the expression profiles, prognostic significance and potential roles of SPINT1/2 in breast carcinoma. These study results showed that the SPINT1/2 were potential prognostic biomarker for patients with breast cancer.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess the prognostic influence of Ki67 index changes in patients with primary triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), and to evaluate whether the combination of Ki67 index changes and residual disease (RD) tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) provides additional prognostic information for this group.Materials and MethodsData from 109 patients with primary TNBC and RD after NAC were analyzed retrospectively. Ki67 changes and RD TIL levels were investigated for associations with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) using Kaplan–Meier and Cox analyses.ResultsKi67 index decreased after NAC in 53 patients (48.6%) and high RD TIL levels (≥30%) were observed in 54 patients (49.5%). In multivariate Cox analyses, no Ki67 decrease status and low RD TIL levels were significantly associated with reduced RFS (hazard ratio (HR): 2.038, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.135–3.658, P = 0.017; HR: 2.493, 95% CI: 1.335–4.653, P = 0.004), and OS (HR: 2.187, 95% CI: 1.173–4.077, P = 0.014; HR: 2.499, 95% CI: 1.285–4.858, P = 0.007), respectively. Notably, low RD TIL levels were significantly associated with reduced RFS (HR: 3.567, 95% CI: 1.475–8.624, P = 0.005) and reduced OS (HR: 3.873, 95% CI: 1.512–9.918, P = 0.005) in only the no Ki67 decrease group. The differences in 3-year RFS and OS between patients with no Ki67 decrease and low or high RD TIL levels were 24.4% vs 79.1% (P = 0.0001) and 33.1% vs 87.5% (P = 0.0001), respectively.ConclusionKi67 index changes and RD TIL levels were associated with the prognosis of patients with primary TNBC with RD after NAC. RD TIL levels had greater prognostic significance in the no Ki67 decrease group.

Breast cancer patients show significant heterogeneity in overall survival. Current assessment models are insufficient to accurately predict patient prognosis, and models for predicting treatment response are lacking. We evaluated the relationship between various immune cells and breast cancer and confirmed the association between immune infiltration and breast cancer progression. Different bioinformatics and statistical approaches were combined to construct a robust immune infiltration-related gene signature for predicting patient prognosis and responses to immunotherapy and chemotherapy. Our research found that a higher immune infiltration-related risk score (IRS) indicates that the patient has a worse prognosis and is not very sensitive to immunotherapy. In addition, a new nomogram was constructed based on the gene signature and clinicopathological features to improve the risk stratification and quantify the risk assessment of individual patients. Our study might contribute to the optimization of the risk stratification for survival and the personalized management of breast cancer.

Abstract Background Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can cause vision loss or blindness in elderly. The associations between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and AMD in Chinese Tujia ethnic minority group are still unclear. Methods A total of 2122 Tujia volunteers were recruited and 197 of them were diagnosed with AMD (either dry or wet type).Then the blood specimens of these 197 AMD patients and 404 controls from the remaining 1925 normal Tujia volunteers were collected to detect the frequencies of 39 chosen SNPs. The Bonferroni method was used to correct the P values from the Fisher’s exact test. Results The mean age of the 197 AMD patients(113 males and 84 females) was 68.4197 years old. No significant differences in allelic and genotypic frequencies were found for all the 39 SNPs between the patients and controls. However, weak correlations between 10 SNPs (CFH rs1329428 TT genotype, CFH rs3753394 CC genotype and T allele, CFH rs1410996 AA genotype, CFH rs800292 AA genotype, CFH rs800292 A allele, VEGF rs833061 TT genotype and C allele, VEGF rs2010963 CG genotype, VEGFR2 rs1531289 TT genotype, ARMS2 rs10490924 TT genotype, KCTD10 rs238104 GC genotype, rs1531289 T allele and ARMS2 rs10490924 T allele) and AMD were shown. Conclusions The effects of 39 SNPs have found no associations with the morbidity of AMD in Chinese Tujia ethnic minority group.

Curved multi-frame box-girder bridges with hinges are widely used in the United States due to the large spanning capacity, construction simplification and construction cost economy. This type of bridge frequently has the characteristics of column height asymmetry, adjacent bridge frames vibrating discrepancy. The combination of curved shape and random seismic excitation angles could aggravate the irregularity of the structural seismic response. In this study, an OpenSees model is established for an example bridge, and the hinge is taken as a key component to observe. The impacts of seismic excitation angles and column height layouts on fragility are investigated through the comparison of the fragility curves. The conclusions list the most unfavorable seismic excitation angles corresponding to the fragilities of bridge system, plug-type concrete elements in hinges, hinge restrainers, columns, abutment bearings as well as the secondary components, respectively. The symmetrical column height layout is proved to be beneficial to mitigate the damage risks of restrainers in intermediate hinges and reduce the fragility of the bridge system. This study can provide a reference for the rapid assessment of the fragile position and damage degree of bridges through structural configuration and shape, as well as the seismic excitation angle.

This study aimed to find the prognostic value of Beta-lactamase-like (LACTB) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) patients. The mRNA expression of LACTB was upregulated in PAAD and was correlated with vital status (P = 0.0199). The immunoreactive scores of LACTB protein in human PAAD tissues were significantly higher than those in adjacent noncancerous pancreatic tissues. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessment showed that LACTB mRNA expression has high diagnostic value in PAAD. Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox analyses suggested that patients with high LACTB mRNA expression have a poor prognosis, indicating that LACTB mRNA is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.72, P = 0.015, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.106-2.253] and disease-specific survival (HR = 1.97, P = 0.004, 95% CI = 1.238-3.152) of PAAD patients. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) revealed that hallmark_g2m_checkpoint, hallmark_myc_targets_v1, hallmark_e2f_targets, and kegg_cell_cycle were differentially enriched in phenotypes with high LACTB expression. In addition, CDC20, CDK4, MCM6, MAD2L1, MCM2 and MCM5 were leading genes intersecting in these four pathways, and a positive correlation between mRNA expression and LACTB was observed in most normal and cancer tissues. Finally, elevated LACTB mRNA expression was significantly related to multiple immune marker sets. Our results elucidate that LACTB is involved in the development of cancer, and that high LACTB expression in patients with PAAD can predict a poor prognosis. High LACTB expression was significantly correlated with cell cycle-related genes and multiple immune marker sets.

Multiframe PC box-girder bridge with intermediate hinges is a kind of bridge having complex structural characters, which is very quintessential in California. In this study, a typical bridge was adopted to establish a nonlinear dynamic model through OpenSees platform. Intermediate hinge and inhibiting devices in it were elaborately simulated. Meanwhile, pushover analysis was used to reinstate a specimen of column test, which has the similar ratio of reinforcement to the typical bridge, and the hysteretic model parameters of the longitudinal steels inside columns were obtained. The damage indexes of column and hinge, which are primary components, under different limit states were acquired by moment-curvature analysis. Taking into account the uncertainty, nonlinear time-history analysis of the bridge was carried out through a suite of synthetic ground motions. Subsequently, a probabilistic seismic demand model was developed, and fragility curves were further focused on. According to fragility assessment, the conclusion shows that columns and hinge restrainers exhibit high fragility, and bridge system fragility is gradually determined by column fragility along with aggravating of the damage state. Unseating of girder can hardly occur at abutments and intermediate hinges. Moderate limit state could be exceeded in the positions of plug-type concrete structures in intermediate hinges, which tends to create transverse and vertical cracks, furthermore causing reinforcements yield. It indicates that it would severely underestimate the seismic fragility of intermediate hinges without considering the elaborate simulation of hinges.

Centrosome amplification (CA) is a common feature of human tumors, but it is not clear whether this is a cause or a consequence of cancer. The centrosome amplification observed in tumor cells may be explained by a series of events, such as failure of cell division, dysregulation of centrosome cycle checkpoints, and de novo centriole biogenesis disorder. The formation and progression of breast cancer are characterized by genomic abnormality. The centrosomes in breast cancer cells show characteristic structural aberrations, caused by centrosome amplification, which include: an increase in the number and volume of centrosomes, excessive increase of pericentriolar material (PCM), inappropriate phosphorylation of centrosomal molecular, and centrosome clustering formation induced by the dysregulation of important genes. The mechanism of intracellular centrosome amplification, the impact of which on breast cancer and the latest breast cancer target treatment options for centrosome amplification are exhaustively elaborated in this review.

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was characterized by breast cancers that do not express estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), or human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 genes. TNBC patients are associated with a shorter median time to relapse and death for the lack of available treatment targets. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) have been reported to play an important role in the development of TNBC. We identified a novel breast-specific long non-coding RNA LINC00993, but less was known about its expression pattern and functional role in TNBC.Methods: LINC00993 RNA expression was detected across different types of clinical breast cancer samples by using qRT-PCR. Bioinformatic methods “guilt by association” and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to predict LINC00993 functions. Subcellular localization of LINC00993 in cells was detected by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Effect of LINC00993 on cell growth was measured by plate colony formation assays, typical growth curve, and an in vivo tumor model. Cell cycle analysis was done by flow cytometry analysis. Key cell cycle regulators were detected by Western blot.Results: LINC00993 was largely downregulated in TNBC, and higher expression indicated better outcome. LINC00993 located mainly in the nucleus. LINC00993 suppressed TNBC growth both in vitro and in vivo. LINC00993 was predicted to be involved in cell cycle pathways by using “guilt by association” and GSEA methods. Key cell cycle regulators like p16INK4A, p14ARF, p53, and p21 were affected by LINC00993 overexpression.Conclusions: A new breast-specific lincRNA LINC00993 was identified with a tumor-suppressive feature and with prognostic value. This is the first research on LINC00993 function. Our results suggest that controlling LINC00993 level may be beneficial for breast cancer treatment.

Abstract Background Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to have potential diagnostic and prognostic values for numerous cancers. However, the plasma expression of lncRNA BLACAT1 and its clinical value in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remain unknown. Methods The expression profile of BLACAT1 in 87 PTC patients (case group) and 36 patients with nodular goiter (control group) were investigated by qRT-PCR. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for RFS curves, and the univariate survival differences were analyzed by the log-rank test. Results BLACAT1 expression was downregulated in the plasma of case group compared with control group (P = 0.003). We also found that low plasma BLACAT1 expression was correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (P

Structure and crystalline behavior of the ternary system ZnO-BO-PO glasses were investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared Raman spectra. The research showed that number of the planar [BO] units increases with the increase of BO content. When the BO content is above ≥10 mol %, the relative content of planar [BO] units increases rapidly and causes weakening of the glass structure and decrease in the chemical stability. In the crystallized glasses the predominant crystal phase ZnPO decreases with the increase of BO content, while the crystal phase BPO increases with it, which cause the declining of chemical stability and the decrease of thermal coefficients of expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To establish a successful in vitro plant regeneration system in Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb, an orthogonal design was used to investigate the effects of three factors (plant growth regulators, explant types and dark treatment in initial-stage), each having three levels. The effects of these factors and levels on callus induction and shoot regeneration were quantitatively evaluated by analysis of variance. The experimental results showed that the callus induction was significantly affected by 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D), and shoot differentiation from subcultured pieces of callus was enhanced mostly by dark treatment in initial-stage. The optimal conditions for callus induction are obtained from the stem explants cultured on semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium plus 2.2 μM BA and 2.2 μM 2, 4-D, with 20 days dark treatment in initial-stage. The highest frequency of shoot regeneration is obtained from the calli cultured on semi-solid MS medium plus 8.8 μM BA, without dark treatment in initial-stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Immature embryos have been used frequently as target tissues in the genetical transformation of wheat. However, obtaining a large number of high quality immature embryos throughout the year is a laborious and delicate process, because of the need to cultivate the plants under controlled conditions. To circumvent this, we have employed mature embryos rather than immature ones as starter explants for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of an elite wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar EM12. The neomycin phosphotransferase ІІ (npt ІІ) and β-glucuronidase (gus) genes were used as selectable and screenable marker genes, respectively, to assess and optimize the performance of T-DNA delivery. With the aid of an orthogonal design, the effect of four factors in combination on transfer DNA (T-DNA) delivery was studied. These factors were preculture duration, different kinds of inoculation, length of inoculation and co-culture condition. Optimal conditions for T-DNA delivery were obtained for mature embryos precultured for 14 days, followed by immersing in inoculation suspension with full strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) salts in darkness at 23–25°C for 3 h, and then co-culturing with Agrobacterium under desiccating condition in the dark at 23–24°C for 2–3 days. Complete analysis of transgene insertion demonstrated that the optimized method for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of mature embryos of wheat was efficient and practicable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A real-time interrogation technology for a large-scale fiber laser sensor array is proposed and experimentally investigated by employing a hybrid topological structure based on the wavelength- and frequency-division multiplexing techniques. In this system, a 2-D n × m sensor array is established by using a 1 × n coupler and n 1 × m couplers. All sensors are divided into n units by the 1 × n coupler. In each unit, there are m fiber-ring laser sensors with approximately the same wavelength and different beat frequencies due to different laser cavity lengths. Meanwhile, different units are characteristic of different operating wavelengths by splicing different fiber Bragg grating (FBG) as a reflector. Therefore, each sensor has a unique wavelength- and frequency-encoded information. All sensors can be interrogated by the combination of wavelength and frequency multiplexing technology. In the paper, a 4 × 4 sensor array is set up experimentally to verify the interrogation ability, and the sensing information of the strain and temperature has been successfully extracted. The experimental results show that the proposed interrogation system has the ability of real-time monitoring for a large-scale fiber laser sensor array.

There is great interest in slow wave propagation for a variety of applications. Here, Zhu et al. present a dispersion-free helical-structured metamaterial that implements acoustic wave deceleration at broad bandwidth and demonstrates specially designed phase modulation to incident sound through helicity tuning.

A novel lateral stress sensor based on a compact in-fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and Fourier analysis is proposed and demonstrated. The in-fiber MZI is formed by cascading two offset splicing joints. The interference occurs between the copropagating fundamental core and cladding modes. The influence of offset value on the performance of modal interferometer, including the extinction ratio and insertion loss, has been experimentally investigated. The spatial spectra of the proposed in-fiber interferometers with different interference lengths are analyzed by Fourier transform. An in-fiber interferometer with an interference length of 30 mm has been fabricated for lateral stress measurement. The performance of the lateral stress sensor is investigated in a spatial frequency domain by Fourier transform of the corresponding transmission wavelength spectra. The responses of intensity peaks to different lateral stresses are analyzed in the spatial frequency domain. The sensitivity of the in-fiber MZI-based lateral stress sensor is as high as 0.00455/μm.The proposed lateral stress sensor possesses the advantages of simple and compact structure, high sensitivity, ease of manufacture, and low cost, and it will provide a simple and effective method for detecting the slight fiber deformation induced by lateral stress.

A new method to fabricate the multiwavelength DFB semiconductor laser array (MLA) is proposed for the first time based on sampled grating and s-bent waveguide. According to the detailed precision analysis, the lasing wavelength accuracy of the proposed structure is significantly improved. Because the common holography exposure and micrometer photolithography are used to fabricate the sampled grating and the bent waveguide in this method, the fabrication cost is very low. Therefore, it offers a suitable method for massive fabrication.

Arrays of nanostructure that are capable of broadband antireflection and light trapping properties are implemented in photovoltaic and photonic devices. However, most of the existing antireflection films have been hindered by a complicated fabricated method and structurally rigid. Here, we report a simple preparation method for self-erasable nanocone antireflection films using the surface replication method. Arrays of nanocone with sub-100 nm surface features could be replicated easily on the shape memory polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, and are erased by thermal stimulation. The reflectivity of self-erasable antireflection film can be switched from the 4.5% to 0.6% averaged over the visible spectral range by controlling the temperature below or above 80 °C. Theoretical simulations have been demonstrated. The unique smart film is expected to be used to further extend the application of smart optical windows and digital screens.

BackgroundIn previous decades, chromogranin A (CgA) has been demonstrated to be the most promising biomarker for the diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), but its diagnostic value is still controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the potential diagnostic value of circulating CgA for NETs.MethodsWe collected relevant studies from several electronic databases as well as from reference lists. Diagnostic indices of CgA were pooled with random effects models. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curves for the diagnosis of NETs were used to estimate the overall diagnostic efficiency.ResultsThrough a search strategy, 13 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. These studies contained 1260 patients with NETs and 967 healthy controls in the total sample. As a result, the overall sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were 0.73 (95% CI: 0.71 to 0.76), 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93 to 0.96) and 56.29 (95% CI: 25.27 to 125.38), respectively, while the summary positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were 14.56 (95% CI: 6.62 to 32.02) and 0.26 (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.38), respectively. In addition, the area under the curve (AUC) of the circulating CgA in the diagnosis of NETs was 0.8962.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that circulating CgA is an efficient biomarker for the diagnosis of NETs with high sensitivity and specificity, which indicates that it may be helpful for the clinical management of NETs. However, further studies are needed to clarify this issue.

BACKGROUND: Several case-control studies have suggested that passive smoking may increase the incidence of female breast cancer. However, the results of cohort studies have been inconsistent in establishing an association. The present study evaluated the association between passive smoking and incidence of female breast cancer through a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. METHODS: Relevant articles published before August 2012 were identified by searching the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Pooled relative risks (RRs) were determined with either a fixed or random effects model and were used to assess the strength of the association. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses according to ethnicity, menopausal status, and the period and place of exposure to passive smoking were also performed. RESULTS: Ten prospective cohort studies involving 782 534 female non-smokers were included in the meta-analysis and 14 831 breast cancer cases were detected. Compared with the women without exposure to passive smoking, the overall combined RR of breast cancer was 1.01 (95% confidence interval: 0.96 to 1.06, P = 0.73) among women with exposure to passive smoking. Similar results were achieved through the subgroup analyses. No evidence of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that passive smoking may not be associated with increased incidence of breast cancer. However, the present conclusion should be considered carefully and confirmed with further studies.