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BackgroundLong-distance running can be a form of stress to the heart. Technological improvements combined with the public’s gradual turn toward mobile health (mHealth), self-health, and exercise effectiveness have resulted in the widespread use of wearable exercise products. The monitoring of dynamic cardiac function changes during running and running performance should be further studied. ObjectiveWe investigated the relationship between dynamic cardiac function changes and finish time for 3000-meter runs. Using a wearable device based on a novel cardiac force index (CFI), we explored potential correlations among 3000-meter runners with stronger and weaker cardiac functions during running. MethodsThis study used the American product BioHarness 3.0 (Zephyr Technology Corporation), which can measure basic physiological parameters including heart rate, respiratory rate, temperature, maximum oxygen consumption, and activity. We investigated the correlations among new physiological parameters, including CFI = weight * activity / heart rate, cardiac force ratio (CFR) = CFI of running / CFI of walking, and finish times for 3000-meter runs. ResultsThe results showed that waist circumference, smoking, and CFI were the significant factors for qualifying in the 3000-meter run. The prediction model was as follows: ln (3000 meters running performance pass probability / fail results probability) = –2.702 – 0.096 × [waist circumference] – 1.827 × [smoke] + 0.020 × [ACi7]. If smoking and the ACi7 were controlled, contestants with a larger waist circumference tended to fail the qualification based on the formula above. If waist circumference and ACi7 were controlled, smokers tended to fail more often than nonsmokers. Finally, we investigated a new calculation method for monitoring cardiac status during exercise that uses the CFI of walking for the runner as a reference to obtain the ratio between the cardiac force of exercise and that of walking (CFR) to provide a standard for determining if the heart is capable of exercise. A relationship is documented between the CFR and the performance of 3000-meter runs in a healthy 22-year-old person. During the running period, data are obtained while participant slowly runs 3000 meters, and the relationship between the CFR and time is plotted. The runner’s CFR varies with changes in activity. Since the runner’s acceleration increases, the CFR quickly increases to an explosive peak, indicating the runner’s explosive power. At this period, the CFI revealed a 3-fold increase (CFR=3) in a strong heart. After a time lapse, the CFR is approximately 2.5 during an endurance period until finishing the 3000-meter run. Similar correlation is found in a runner with a weak heart, with the CFR at the beginning period being 4 and approximately 2.5 thereafter. ConclusionsIn conclusion, the study results suggested that measuring the real-time CFR changes could be used in a prediction model for 3000-meter running performance.

The influence of different multi-stage aging heat treatment on microstructure and corrosion resistance of 7056 alloy was investigated by the measurements of transmission electron microscope(TEM), scanning electron microscope(SEM),mechanical properties and electrical conductivity, exfoliation corrosion, slow strain rate testing(SSRT), Tafel cyclic polarization. The results show that after over-aging and re-aging heat treatment, the solute atoms precipitate again, and the volume fraction of the precipitate in the matrix increases, the grain boundary precipitates coarsen and become discontinuous, the precipitate-free zone becomes wider. Compared with 120℃/24h pre-aging,120℃/6h has advantage in terms of dissolution of finer precipitates and the growth of large coarse phase. Re-aging heat treatment can improve the strength and conductivity of over-aging alloys;compared with peak aging and retrogression and re-aging, the loss of tensile strength of the alloy is not significant, while the conductivity increases obviously. After over-aging and re-aging heat treatment, continuous anodic dissolution is avoided effectively, and the exfoliation corrosion resistance and stress corrosion cracking is enhanced.

The effect of trace Ge on the microstructure and quenching sensitivity of 7056 aluminum alloy was studied by mechanical tensile and end quenching experiments, combined with some analysis methods such as metallographic observation, hardness test, conductivity test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).The results show that the trace element can refine the alloy grain sizes,the grain size is reduced from 137μm to 114μm; the addition of trace Ge formes coarse Mg2Ge phase on the grain boundary and inhibits the formation of the T phase.In addition, compared with the Ge-free alloy, the width of the precipitation free zone of the Ge-bearing alloy becomes narrow, and is decreased from 190nm to 90nm, and the size of the precipitated phase at the grain boundary is reduced.The trace addition of Ge could reduce the quench sensitivity of alloy, increased the quenching depth of the alloy about 25%,which may be caused by the addition of Ge which changes the number and size of η equilibrium phase during slow cooling; the addition of Ge reduces the free vacancy concentration in the alloy, non-uniform nucleation and growth of the η equilibrium phase at the defect are suppressed, which increases the number of strengthening η' precipitates after aging.Thus the drop in the strength is decreased during slow quenching,which increases the hardenability of the alloy.

Genetic co-expression network (GCN) analysis augments the understanding of breast cancer (BC). We aimed to propose GCN-based modeling for BC relapse-free survival (RFS) prediction and to discover novel biomarkers. We used GCN and Cox proportional hazard regression to create various prediction models using mRNA microarray of 920 tumors and conduct external validation using independent data of 1056 tumors. GCNs of 34 identified candidate genes were plotted in various sizes. Compared to the reference model, the genetic predictors selected from bigger GCNs composed better prediction models. The prediction accuracy and AUC of 3 ~ 15-year RFS are 71.0–81.4% and 74.6–78% respectively (rfm, ACC 63.2–65.5%, AUC 61.9–74.9%). The hazard ratios of risk scores of developing relapse ranged from 1.89 ~ 3.32 (p < 10–8) over all models under the control of the node status. External validation showed the consistent finding. We found top 12 co-expressed genes are relative new or novel biomarkers that have not been explored in BC prognosis or other cancers until this decade. GCN-based modeling creates better prediction models and facilitates novel genes exploration on BC prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High rates of posttreatment discomfort, infection, recurrence, and increased time to return to work have been noted after nail plate avulsion resulting from epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor(EGFR‐TKI)‐induced paronychia, which may even interrupt the course of treatment for EGFR‐TKI therapy. Thus, we conducted this study to determine how effectively a topical β‐blocker, betaxolol, prevents EGFR‐TKI‐induced paronychia. Methods: This case–control cohort study included a total of 131 non‐small‐cell lung cancer patients. The prevention group comprised 40 patients treated with topical betaxolol 0.25% solution to prevent paronychia while they received EGFR‐TKI therapy. The control group comprised 91 patients who did not preventively use topical betaxolol 0.25% solution while receiving EGFR‐TKI therapy. The patients' age, gender, antineoplastic regimen, duration of antineoplastic treatment before the appearance of lesions, number of involved digits (fingernails or toenails) with lesions, grading of paronychia, and pain score were recorded. Results: In terms of the cumulative incidence of paronychia, significant differences (P < 0.01) were noted at both the 2nd and 3rd months after starting EGFR‐TKIs. Furthermore, the average visual analogue scale scores were 3.125 and 6.29 in the prevention group and control group, respectively (P < 0.01). The average grades of paronychia were 1.5 and 2.12 in the prevention group and control group, respectively (P < 0.01). The average numbers of involved digits were 2.25 (range: 1–5 digits) in the prevention group and 3.03 (range: 1–7) in the control group (P = 0.07). Conclusions: Preventively using topical betaxolol can significantly decrease the incidence, VAS score, and grading of EGFR‐TKI‐induced paronychia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]