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Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is the most common and aggressive tumor worldwide, and the long-term survival of ESCA patients remains poor. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) hypothesis has been mostly applied in the study of molecular biological mechanisms of cancer occurrence and progression. However, studies on comprehensive analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA prognostic regulatory network of ESCA based on high-throughput sequencing and the large-scale sample size is limited. Here, the expression profiles of lncRNAs and mRNAs were retrieved from both 555 Esophagus Mucosa (GTEx) as normal and 162 ESCA samples (TCGA). We applied the limma and edgeR packages to identify differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs. We also applied the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to identify differentially expressed pattern of mRNAs and lncRNAs. Then we further used MiRcode, starBase, miRTarBase, miRDB, and TargetScan to predict interactions between lncRNAs, miRNAs, and target mRNAs. Importantly, the 275 overlapped genes were analyzed by univariate and multivariate cox proportional hazard regression, and we set up a survival model for 5-year OS with 8 genes (SH3BP4+RUNX3+IGF2+COX20+TIAM2+BCAT1+NME2+HOXC8), of which the AUC was only 0.853 at 5th year. Finally, we constructed a ceRNA network including 99 lncRNAs, 4 miRNAs, and 6 mRNAs through these 8 genes. Consequently, these 6 hub genes might act as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of ESCA. Furthermore, BCAT1 may be involved in regulating immune cell infiltration and macrophage polarization, Ultimately, We verified that the expression of BCAT1 was significantly increased in Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma tissues, and its expression was correlated with DFS, which may provide new treatment strategies for ESCA.

Aphis glycines Matsumura is an important pest of soybean in Asia and North America. Hymenoptera parasitoids play a key role in the control of the soybean aphid. The correct identification of parasitoids is a critical step that precedes the assessment of their potential biological control agents. Accurate identification of the majority of the species attacking the soybean aphid often requires elaborate specimen preparation and expert taxonomic knowledge. In this study, we facilitated the identification of soybean aphid parasitoids by applying a DNA barcoding approach following a preliminary morphological identification. We generated DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial COI gene and the D2 region of 28S rDNA to assess the genetic variation within and between parasitoid species emerging from the soybean aphid in China. Fifteen Hymenoptera parasitoid species belonging to 10 genera of five families were identified with little intra-specific variation (0.09% ± 0.06% for 28S and 0.36% ± 0.18% for COI) and large inter-specific divergence (30.46% ± 3.42% for 28S and 20.4% ± 1.20% for COI).

Effects of TiO2 on crystalline phase of mold fluxes were studied by the mineral phase microscope and the XRD. The results showed that on the experimental condition, the main crystalline phase of mold fluxes were cuspidine, wollastonite and melilite. When TiO2 added into the mold fluxes, perovskite would be found. TiO2 promoted Perovskite to crystallization and limited Cuspidine to growth. The morphologies and content of wollastonite and melilite were greatly affected by TiO2 adding, especially, as 20% TiO2 added into the mold fluxes.

Basic tundish covering flux is widely used in continuous casting production of high quality steel because of good heat insulation function and the properties of absorbing inclusions. However, there is a serious problem of incrustation caused by basic tundish covering flux in process of pouring and it could be dramatically influenced by the crystallization behaviors of covering flux. In the paper, the crystallization time and ratio of basic tundish covering fluxes were investigated by high temperature electrical resistance furnace and single hot thermocouple apparatus. Based on the crystallization kinetic knowledge and experimental results, Avrami equation was modified, the non-isothermal crystallization equation that could quantitatively describe the crystallization behaviors of basic tundish covering fluxes was established.

Effects of TiO2 on the viscous characteristic of mold fluxes for the stainless steel were investigated by the rotary viscometer, TEM and XRD. The results showed that with the increasing amount of additive TiO2, the viscosity and solidification temperature of mold fluxes could decrease gradually, and then increase rapidly. The viscosity and solidification temperature of mold fluxes were minimum of 0.30Pa.s (1300°С ) and 1198°С respectively, as amount of additive TiO2 was 10mass%. The viscosity of mold fluxes could be decreased by the additive TiO2 which played the role of network modifier, and could be increased by the precipitation of perovskite (CaTiO3) crystals as amount of additive TiO2 was more than the critical value. The growth of cuspidine and wollastonite crystals could be restrained, and the precipitation of perovskite and melilite crystals could be promoted by the additive TiO2. In this study, the solubility of additive TiO2 was more than 20mass% in mold fluxes at 1350°С .

Under the experimental condition,the crystal phases of mold fluxes contained cuspidine, wollastonite and melilite. The addition of TiO2 could stimulate Perovskite to be precipitated in mold fluxes whilst the growth of cuspidine and wollastonite were inhibited. At 1300°C mold fluxes existed mainly in glass phase, with few melilite phases existed in several sections while after TiO2 was added, perovskite was precipitated and melilite was dissolved.

Aphis glycines Matsumura is an important pest of soybean in Asia and North America. Hymenoptera parasitoids play a key role in the control of the soybean aphid. The correct identification of parasitoids is a critical step that precedes the assessment of their potential biological control agents. Accurate identification of the majority of the species attacking the soybean aphid often requires elaborate specimen preparation and expert taxonomic knowledge. In this study, we facilitated the identification of soybean aphid parasitoids by applying a DNA barcoding approach following a preliminary morphological identification. We generated DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial COI gene and the D2 region of 28S rDNA to assess the genetic variation within and between parasitoid species emerging from the soybean aphid in China. Fifteen Hymenoptera parasitoid species belonging to 10 genera of five families were identified with little intra-specific variation (0.09% ± 0.06% for 28S and 0.36% ± 0.18% for COI) and large inter-specific divergence (30.46% ± 3.42% for 28S and 20.4% ± 1.20% for COI).

In this paper, we study the problem of unrelated parallel machine scheduling with controllable processing times and deteriorating maintenance activity. The jobs are nonresumable. The processing time of each job is a linear function of the amount of a continuously divisible resource allocated to the job. During the planning horizon, there is at most one maintenance activity scheduled on each machine. Additionally, if the starting time of maintenance activity is delayed, the length of the maintenance activity required to perform will increase. Considering the total completion times of all jobs, the impact of maintenance activity in the form of the variation in machine load and the amounts of compression, we need to determine the job sequence on each machine, the location of maintenance activities and processing time compression of each job simultaneously. Accordingly, a polynomial time solution to the problem is provided.

To evaluate the effect of endourethrotomy with thulium laser as a minimally invasive treatment for urethral stricture.We treated 36 cases of urethral stricture or atresia by endourethrotomy with thulium laser, restored the urethral continuity by vaporization excision of the scar tissue, and observed the clinical effects and complications.The mean operation time was 35 min, ranging from 10 to 90 min. Smooth urination was achieved after 2-6 weeks of catheter indwelling, with no urinary incontinence. The patients were followed up for 4-24 (mean 12) months, during which 27 did not need any reintervention, 5 developed urinary thinning but cured by urethral dilation, 3 received another laser urethrotomy for previous negligence of timely urethral dilation, and the other 1 underwent open urethroplasty.Thulium laser urethrotomy is a safe and effective minimally invasive option for short urethral stricture, which is also suitable for severe urethral stricture and urethral atresia. Its short-term outcome is satisfactory, but its long-term effect remains to be further observed.

To compare the effects of greenlight photoselective vaporization prostatectomy (PVP) and thulium laser vaporesection of the prostate (TmLRP) in the treatment of aged high-risk BPH patients with the prostate weighing80 g.We included in this study 118 high-risk BPH patients aged 62-96 (mean 76) years with the prostate heavier than 80 g, 82 treated by PVP and the other 36 by TmLRP. Then we compared the operation time, intraoperative bleeding, complications, short-term effectiveness, and surgical cost between the two groups.All the patients tided over the perioperative period without blood transfusion and serious complications. The mean operation time, postoperative bladder irrigation time and surgical cost were significantly less in the TmLRP than in the PVP group (P0.05). Both the procedures remarkably improved the international prostatic symptom score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL), post void residual urine (PVR) and Qmax of the patients (P0.05), but with no significant differences between the two groups (P0.05).Both PVP and TmLRP are effective and safe for the treatment of aged high-risk BPH patients with the prostate heavier than 80 g, but the latter is superior for its shorter operation time and lower surgical cost.

For problems of matrix effect and correction method in EDXRF technique, three kinds of bogus binary system of NiCu, Ni-Zn and Cu-Zn were chosen as research analyte. Firstly, Lachance-Trail algorithm was employed to get binary influence coefficient. Then, experimental measurement was taken to achieve qualitative analysis of binary influence effect, and good coherence was obtained after comparison. Meanwhile, exponential fitting and logarithm fitting correction equation were established to correct the effects in (bogus) binary sample. Three groups of Ni-Cu duality samples were used to test the fitting method. Compared to the actual results, the relative error of Ni and Cu was less than 4% except the one influenced by branch-ratio deduction method.

How to get the position, direction and width of buried fault effectively is still very difficult when finding buried faults by measuring 222 Rn radioactivity. In this paper we established a technique to carry out buried fault investigation. It was based on Fick’s fist law, Darcy’s law and theory of clusters to analyze radon transportation and simulate 222 Rn transportation in ideal conditions. The feasibility indicates that measuring or investigating the concentration of radon to find abnormal region can help people find buried faults. 218 Po and 214 Po, daughter products of 222 Rn, are generally considered to be proportional to initial concentration of 222 Rn. 218 Po and 214 Po have short half-life of 3.05 min and 164us respectively which is very suitable for actual measure work. So in order to accumulate alpha particles effectively, soil gas sampling period is set about twice half-life of 218 Po. The established model is applied to analyze two buried fault areas in Southwest China and the results are really much better.Copyright © 2010 by ASME