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To improve the production yield rate, reliability is one of the important indicators of electronic packaging products. In past research, however, the influence of the fabrication process was rarely taken into consideration. In this thesis, mold flow analysis software Moldex3D is used to develop a series analysis procedure for IC package products. The effects of many factors, including process, structure, and materials were being taken into account. Especially for epoxy molding compound, namely EMC, is studied on its properties during the molding and post-mold cure (PMC) processes. This paper adopted P–V-T-C equations, which consider both volume shrinkage due to thermal mismatch and chemical shrinkage to predict the amount of warpage and residual stresses after the mold filling process. Next, dual shift factor model for viscoelastic analysis was used to model the PMC process and predict the amount of warpage and residual stresses after PMC. And the influence of different PMC process conditions and loading conditions on the warpage results is discussed. The residual stresses after PMC simulation are set as the initial conditions for reliability analysis and then the stress distribution after two thermal cycles is analyzed. It is observed that the deformed shape of the simulation and experiment results after PMC were consistent. Both are concave downwards. In comparison with experiment results, the error of warpage simulation results was between 10% and 50%. The biggest error was found in the short direction. During two thermal cycles, it is can be found that the maximum stress of the lead frame is 505.7 MPa and the location of the possible failure is at the top left of the die. In addition, when considering or not considering the process-induced residual stress in the thermal cycle analysis, the stress states are very different.

Supplementary Figures S1-S2 from Loss of p53 and MCT-1 Overexpression Synergistically Promote Chromosome Instability and Tumorigenicity

MCT-1 oncoprotein accelerates p53 degradation by means of the ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. Our present data show that induction of MCT-1 increases chromosomal translocations and deregulated G2-M checkpoint in response to chemotherapeutic genotoxin. Remarkably, increases in chromosome copy number, multinucleation, and cytokinesis failure are also promoted while MCT-1 is induced in p53-deficient cells. In such a circumstance, the Ras–mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase–mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling activity and the expression of metastatic molecules are amplified. Given a p53-silencing background, MCT-1 malignantly transforms normal breast epithelial cells that are satisfactory for stimulating cell migration/adhesion and tumorigenesis. Detailed analyses of MCT-1 oncogenicity in H1299 p53-null lung cancer cells have shown that ectopically expressed MCT-1 advances xenograft tumorigenicity and angiogenesis, which cannot be completely suppressed by induction of p53. MCT-1 counteracts mutually with p53 at transcriptional levels. Clinical validations confirm that MCT-1 mRNA levels are differentially enriched in comparison between human lung cancer and nontumorigenic tissues. The levels of p53 mRNA are comparatively reduced in a subset of cancer specimens, which highly present MCT-1 mRNA. Our results indicate that synergistic promotions of chromosomal imbalances and oncogenic potency as a result of MCT-1 expression and p53 loss play important roles in tumor development. (Mol Cancer Res 2009;7(4):536–48)

Supplementary Figures S1-S4 and Supplementary Tables S1-S2.

Purpose: SOX9 is an important transcription factor required for development and has been implicated in several types of cancer. However, SOX9 has never been linked to lung cancer to date. Here, we show that SOX9 expression is upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma and show how it is associated with cancer cell growth.Experimental Design: Data mining with five microarray data sets containing 490 clinical samples, quantitative reverse transcription-PCR validation assay in 57 independent samples, and immunohistochemistry assay with tissue microarrays containing 170 lung tissue cores were used to profile SOX9 mRNA and protein expression. Short interference RNA suppression of SOX9 in cell lines was used to scrutinize functional role(s) of SOX9 and associated molecular mechanisms.Results: SOX9 mRNA and protein were consistently overexpressed in the majority of lung adenocarcinoma. Knockdown of SOX9 in lung adenocarcinoma cell lines resulted in marked decrease of adhesive and anchorage-independent growth in concordance with the upregulation of p21 (CDKN1A) and downregulation of CDK4. In agreement with higher SOX9 expression level in lung adenocarcinoma, the p21 mRNA level was significantly lower in tumors than that in normal tissues, whereas the opposite was true for CDK4, supporting the notion that SOX9 negatively and positively regulated p21 and CDK4, respectively. Finally, whereas SOX9-knockdown cells showed significantly attenuated tumorigenicity in mice, SOX9 transfectants consistently showed markedly stronger tumorigenicity.Conclusions: Our data suggest that SOX9 is a new hallmark of lung adenocarcinoma, in which SOX9 might contribute to gain of tumor growth potential, possibly acting through affecting the expression of cell cycle regulators p21 and CDK4. Clin Cancer Res; 16(17); 4363–73. ©2010 AACR.

In this study, a water-soluble polysaccharide from Eucommia folium was extracted by hot water and purified using Sephadex G-200 gel columns. The results showed that the purified fraction (EFP) has a molecular weight of 9.98 × 10

Many literatures have been reported edible fungi with high protein, high carbohydrates, low fat and a variety of biological activities, while Leucopaxillus giganteus was rarely studied. In this study, in order to obtain high yield polysaccharides from L. giganteus, the best extraction process of polysaccharides was optimized by single factor and orthogonal experiments. The polysaccharide extracted by optimized method was characterized and its antioxidant activities were further investigated. The results showed that the optimum extraction conditions were as follows: ratio of material to water of 1:35, extraction temperature of 80 °C, extraction time of 4.5 h, ultrasound assisted and extraction times of 3. Under the optimal extraction conditions, the yield of polysaccharides from L. giganteus was 6.79 ± 0.15% (n = 3). High Performance Gel Permeation Chromatography showed that molecular weight of partially purified polysaccharide was about 92.4 KDa. The results of TGA and Congo red test indicated that polysaccharides from L. giganteus had great thermal stability and contained triple-helix structure. The antioxidant results in vitro suggested that the polysaccharide from L. giganteus had excellent antioxidant activity on DPPH· (91.76%), OH· (67.22%) and ABTS + (81.03%) at the concentration of 2 mg/mL. This result provided a theoretical basis for the polysaccharide from L. giganteus as a potential natural antioxidant in the future.

Intravenous ports serve as vascular access and are indispensable in cancer treatment. Most studies are not based on a systematic and standardized approach. Hence, the aim of this study was to demonstrate long-term results of port implantation following a standard algorithm. A total of 2950 patients who underwent intravenous port implantation between March 2012 and December 2018 were included. Data of patients managed following a standard algorithm were analyzed for safety and long-term outcomes. The cephalic vein was the predominant choice of entry vessel. In female patients, wire assistance without use of puncture sheath was less likely and echo-guided puncture via internal jugular vein (IJV) with use of puncture sheath was more likely to be performed, compared to male patients (p &lt, 0.0001). The procedure-related complication rate was 0.07%, and no pneumothorax, hematoma, catheter kinking, catheter fracture, or pocket erosion was reported. Catheter implantations by echo-guided puncture via IJV notably declined from 4.67% to 0.99% (p = 0.027). Mean operative time gradually declined from 37.88 min in 2012 to 23.20 min in 2018. The proposed standard algorithm for port implantation reduced the need for IJV echo-guided approach and eliminated procedure-related catastrophic complications. In addition, it shortened operative time and demonstrated good functional results.

Microstructure damage and evolution in 4H-SiC under He-ion implantation and post-annealing have been investigated by the combination of fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), Raman scattering spectroscopy and high resolution X-ray diffractometer (HRXRD). After implantation, the 4H-SiC specimen exhibits a heavy damage and some amorphous state appear. With increasing annealing temperature, to some extent recovery in damaged lattices was observed, as a result of the peaks of Raman and HRXRD regain their intensities. However, the reverse annealing behavior in damaged peaks was displayed after annealed at 973K. This reverse annealing effect was revealed to be due to the formation and the growth of He bubbles above 973K.

Most ectotherms are able to increase their tolerance to heat stress via the acclimation response. However, there is ongoing debate about whether the acclimation response is associated with fitness costs, and what factors can affect the consequences of acclimation are still unclear. To elucidate this, we sought to determine whether fitness costs varied with acclimation conditions in two cereal aphids, Sitobion avenae and Rhopalosiphum padi. Thus, the basal and inducible thermal tolerances (maximum critical temperature [CTmax]) and fitness traits (proportion of adult emergence, adult longevity, fecundity, and population parameters) of adult aphids were measured under three conditions of developmental acclimation: 1) 22 °C constant temperature (no acclimation), 2) 22 °C + 34 °C for 2 h per day (low daytime temperature), and 3) 22 °C + 38 °C for 2 h per day (high daytime temperature). We found that the thermal tolerances of both species were significantly higher following developmental acclimations, where higher basal and inducible thermal tolerances were observed in R. padi than in S. avenae. Low daytime temperature acclimation conditions (34 °C) resulted in negligible reproductive costs and improved the intrinsic rates of population increase in both species. In contrast, substantial fitness costs were detected in both species in response to high daytime temperature acclimation (38 °C), especially for S. avenae. Our results indicate that the effects of acclimation conditions on fitness costs differ between the two aphid species. These findings will not only enhance our understanding of species dynamics in the context of climate change but could also potentially improve pest control efforts.

Release of individuals is an effective conservation approach to protect endangered species. To save this small isolated giant panda population in Liziping Nature Reserve, a few giant pandas have been released to this population. Here we assess genetic diversity and future changes in the population using noninvasive genetic sampling after releasing giant pandas. In this study, a total of 28 giant pandas (including 4 released individuals) were identified in the Liziping, China. Compared with other giant panda populations, this population has medium-level genetic diversity; however, a Bayesian-coalescent method clearly detected, quantified, and dated a recent decrease in population size. The predictions for genetic diversity and survival of the population in the next 100 years indicate that this population has a high risk of extinction. We show that released giant pandas can preserve genetic diversity and improve the probability of survival in this small isolated giant panda population. To promote the recovery of this population, we suggest that panda release should be continued and this population will need to release 10 males and 20 females in the future.

Background: The role of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for predicting the recurrence of cancer in lung cancer patients after surgery remains unclear. Methods: A negatively selected protocol of CTC identification was applied. For all the enrolled patients, CTC testing was performed before and after surgery on the operation day (day 0), postoperative day 1, and day 3. The daily decline and trend of CTCs were analyzed to correlate with cancer relapse. The mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) adjusted by cancer characteristics was applied for statistical significance. Results: Fifty patients with lung mass undergoing surgery were enrolled. Among 41 primary lung cancers, 26 (63.4%) were pathological stage Tis and I. A total of 200 CTC tests were performed. MMRM analysis indicated that surgery could contribute to a CTC decline after surgery in all patients with statistical significance (p = 0.0005). The daily decrease of CTCs was statistically different between patients with and without recurrence (p = 0.0068). An early rebound of CTC counts on postoperative days 1 and 3 was associated with recurrence months later. Conclusion: CTC testing can potentially serve as a tool for minimal residual disease detection in early-staged lung cancer after curative surgery.

Radiation-induced defects are responsible for solar cell degradation. The effects of radiation and annealing on the defects of a GaAs/Ge solar cell are modeled and analyzed in this paper. The electrical performance and spectral response of solar cells irradiated with 150 keV proton are examined. Then, thermal annealing was carried out at 120°C. We found that the proportion of defect recovery after annealing decreases with increasing irradiation fluence. The minority carrier lifetime increases with decreasing defect concentration, which means that the electrical performance of the solar cell is improved. We calculated the defect concentration and minority carrier lifetime with numerical simulation and modeled an improved annealing kinetic equation with experimental results.

To explore the regularity of traditional Chinese patent medicines for the treatment of hyperlipidemia recorded in Newly Edited National Chinese Traditional Patent Medicines,the Composition Principles of Chinese Patent Drugs,New Drug Conversion Standard,the Compilation of National Standard for Traditional Chinese Medicines and Chinese Pharmacopoeia. Researchers extracted the information of prescriptions from these cases according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Then microsoft excel 2010 was used to conduct frequency statistics and count the frequency of traditional Chinese medicine. SPSS Clementine( ver.12. 0) and SPSS( ver. 18. 0)were adopted respectively for frequency analysis,association rules analysis,cluster analysis and factor analysis. Besides,KMO test and Bartlett spherical test were performed for factor adaptation test. Finally,a total of 173 traditional Chinese medicines were included,involving 94 Chinese patent medicine prescriptions. The frequency results of traditional Chinese medicine showed that there were 33 kinds of high-frequency traditional Chinese medicine,mainly including those for tonifying medicine,activating blood and resolving stasis and blood-stasis,and clearing damp. The association rules analysis found out 12 association rules of drug pairs,3-herb pairs of 25 and4-herb pairs of 6. Totally 11 medicine groups with relevance were respectively extracted by cluster analysis. KMO test and Bartlett spherical test indicated that the method was suitable for factor analysis and 11 common factors were respectively extracted by factor analysis. The association rules reflected the therapeutic method for tonify the liver and kidney,activating blood and resolving stasis. Cluster analysis and factor analysis showed the therapeutic method of Qi-enriching and Yin-nourishing,and the factor analysis focused more on removing blood stasis and dampness. The decision tree with hawthorn as the dependent variable reflects the importance of alisma orientalis and fructus schisandrae in the drug matching. In conclusion,data mining technique can comprehensively analyze the regularity of prescriptions of traditional Chinese patent medicine for hyperlipidemia,and is helpful for guiding the development of Chinese patent medicines and the clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine.

Effects of pre-damage by 500 keV argon ion implantation on deuterium-induced blistering in tungsten has been investigated. After low-energy (40 eV) and high-flux (∼1024 D/m2s) deuterium plasma exposure with short exposure duration (100 s), a large increase of deuterium retention is found in the pre-damaged tungsten, while surface blistering is significantly suppressed as compared to the un-damaged one. According to elastic recoil detection analysis, a local deuterium concentration peak is observed at a depth of ∼100 nm for the un-damaged tungsten, which is supposed to be related to the surface blistering with nanometer size. Comparison of deuterium retention in the near surface (within 300 nm) and in the bulk suggests that deuterium inward diffusion is more significant in the pre-damaged tungsten. It is speculated that the creation of deuterium trap-sites and enhancement of deuterium inward diffusion give rise to an increase of critical deuterium concentration for blistering and contribute to the suppressed deuterium-induced blistering on pre-damaged tungsten under the present exposure conditions.

© 2017, Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India). Biofortification of crops with exogenous iodine is a novel strategy to control iodine deficiency disorders (IDD). The bioaccessibility of iodine (BI) in the biofortified vegetables in the course of soaking, cooking and digestion, were examined. Under hydroponics, the concentration of iodine in leafstalks of the celery and pakchoi increased with increasing exogenous iodine concentration, 54.8–63.9% of the iodine absorbed by pakchoi was stored in the soluble cellular substance. Being soaked in water within 8 h, the iodine loss rate of the biofortified celery was 3.5–10.4% only. More than 80% of the iodine in the biofortified celery was retained after cooking under high temperature. The highest BI of the biofortified vegetables after digestion in simulated gastric and intestinal juice amounted to 74.08 and 68.28%, respectively. Factors influencing BI included pH, digestion duration, and liquid-to-solid ratio. The high BI of the biofortified vegetables provided a sound reference for the promotion of iodine biofortification as a tool to eliminate the IDD.

The mode of agricultural operation affects the ecological environment, and the pollution of land by chemical pesticides also affects the environmental balance. The death of many bees affects pollination, and the animals in the upper layers of the food chain die. The pheromones are formulated with synthetic pheromones as bait and then trapped with appropriate insect traps to reduce the chance of pest mating. Table game matches the props of the garden and pests by moving the insects to the traps. The model constructed by the relationship between the shape of the bottom of the insect and the track. Augmented reality provides an interactive experience of an event-driven where the objects reside in the real world with computer-generated information. Users can use the QR codes to trigger online media. When students complete a specific task, they scan the QR Code with their mobile phone and get more exciting instructions and task guidance. Students satisfied to more in-depth knowledge of pheromones with AR too.

Background Comorbidity has a great impact on lung cancer survival. Renal function status may affect treatment decisions and drug toxicity. The survival outcome in lung cancer patients with coexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD) has not been fully evaluated. We hypothesized that CKD is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with lung cancer. Methods A retrospective, propensity-matched study of 434 patients diagnosed between June 2004 and May 2012 was conducted. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate

Iodine is an essential trace element for human health. Its deficiency in biogeochemical environment affects about two billion people worldwide. Besides universal salt iodization, the biofortification of crops with iodine has been proposed as a strategy for improving human nutrition. This study aims at exploring the effects of iodine biofortification on the fruit quality of the pepper plants. The contents of iodine, ascorbic acid, soluble sugar and total acidity of the pepper fruits grown in solution at various iodide concentration levels were measured. Furthermore, in order to reveal the mechanism of fruit quality change, the variations in Chl-a, malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) of the pepper leaves at various growth periods in response to various iodine treatments were determined. The results indicated that the iodine content of the pepper fruits grown in 0.25–5.0 mg L −1 KI solutions can amount to 350–1330 μg kg −1 FW, matching the 150 μg d −1 dietary iodine allowance recommended by WHO. Thus, the pepper can be used as a candidate crop for iodine biofortification. In addition, low-moderate levels (0.25–1.0 mg L −1 ) of iodine application improved the fruit quality by enhancing the ascorbic acid and soluble sugar contents, and by reducing the total acidity of pepper fruits as well. Generally, after iodine treatments, the Chl-a concentration, and CAT, POD, SOD activities of the pepper leaves increased, while the MDA concentration decreased. The changes in photosynthetic and antioxidant capacities of the plants promoted the improvement of the pepper fruit quality.

Wheatgrass, Thinopyrum elongatum (2n = 2x = 14, EE), is an important wild relative of wheat with many excellent traits, including resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), that can be used for durum wheat improvement. Through hybridization of the durum cultivar “Langdon” with the amphiploid 8801 (AABBEE), a disomic alien addition line (2n = 30) with a pair of Th. elongatum 7E chromosomes was obtained and confirmed using chromosome-specific molecular markers of Th. elongatum and genomic in situ hybridization (GISH). This line is meiotically and reproductively stable, generally forming 15 bivalents at meiosis including 14 pairs from Langdon and 1 from Th. elongatum with 2 chiasmata each as revealed by GISH analysis. At the adult growth stages under field conditions, this addition line shows high resistance to FHB, with less than 16% infection on visual observation in 2 years (2014 and 2015). This addition line is shorter in height and has narrower leaves and shorter spikes as compared to its parent Langdon. So the linkage group 7E might be a further source of wheat improvement by targeted introgression approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical value of serum neuroglobin in evaluating hypoglycemic brain injury in neonates. METHODS: A total of 100 neonates with hypoglycemia were enrolled as subjects. According to amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) findings and/or clinical manifestations, they were divided into symptomatic hypoglycemic brain injury group (n=22), asymptomatic hypoglycemic brain injury group (n=37) and hypoglycemic non-brain injury group (n=41). The three groups were compared in terms of blood glucose, duration of hypoglycemia, levels of neuroglobin and neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and modified aEEG score. The correlation of neuroglobin with NSE and modified aEEG score was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted. RESULTS: Compared with the asymptomatic hypoglycemic brain injury and hypoglycemic non-brain injury groups, the symptomatic hypoglycemic brain injury group had significantly lower blood glucose and modified aEEG score, significantly higher neuroglobin and NSE levels, and a significantly longer duration of hypoglycemia (P < 0.05). Compared with the hypoglycemic non-brain injury group, the asymptomatic hypoglycemic brain injury group had significantly lower blood glucose and modified aEEG score, significantly higher neuroglobin and NSE levels, and a significantly longer duration of hypoglycemia (P < 0.05). Neuroglobin was positively correlated with NSE and duration of hypoglycemia (r=0.922 and 0.929 respectively; P < 0.05) and negatively correlated with blood glucose and modified aEEG score (r=-0.849 and -0.968 respectively; P < 0.05). The areas under the ROC curve of neuroglobin, NSE and modified aEEG score were 0.894, 0.890 and 0.941 respectively, and neuroglobin had a sensitivity of 80.8% and a specificity of 95.8% at the optimal cut-off value of 108 mg/L. CONCLUSIONS: Like NSE and modified aEEG score, serum neuroglobin can also be used as a specific indicator for the assessment of brain injury in neonates with hypoglycemia and has a certain value in clinical practice.

Intraoperative bleeding is the most crucial safety concern of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for a major pulmonary resection. Despite the advances in surgical techniques and devices, intraoperative bleeding is still not rare and remains the most common and potentially fatal cause of conversion from VATS to open thoracotomy. Therefore, to guide the clinical practice of VATS lung surgery, we proposed the International Interest Group on Bleeding during VATS Lung Surgery with 65 experts from 10 countries in the field to develop this consensus document. The consensus was developed based on the literature reports and expert experience from different countries. The causes and incidence of intraoperative bleeding were summarised first. Seven situations of intraoperative bleeding were collected based on clinical practice, including the bleeding from massive vessel injuries, bronchial arteries, vessel stumps, and bronchial stumps, lung parenchyma, lymph nodes, incisions, and the chest wall. The technical consensus for the management of intraoperative bleeding was achieved on these seven surgical situations by six rounds of repeated revision. Following expert consensus statements were achieved: (I) Bleeding from major vascular injuries: direct compression with suction, retracted lung, or rolled gauze is useful for bleeding control. The size and location of the vascular laceration are evaluated to decide whether the bleeding can be stopped by direct compression or by ligation. If suturing is needed, the suction-compressing angiorrhaphy technique (SCAT) is recommended. Timely conversion to thoracotomy with direct compression is required if the operator lacks experience in thoracoscopic angiorrhaphy. (II) Bronchial artery bleeding: pre-emptive clipping of bronchial artery before bronchial dissection or lymph node dissection can reduce the incidence of bleeding. Bronchial artery bleeding can be stopped by compression with the suction tip, followed by the handling of the vascular stump with energy devices or clips. (III) Bleeding from large vessel stumps and bronchial stumps: bronchial stump bleeding mostly comes from accompanying bronchial artery, which can be clipped for hemostasis. Compression for hemostasis is usually effective for bleeding at the vascular stump. Otherwise, additional use of hemostatic materials, re-staple or a suture may be necessary. (IV) Bleeding from the lung parenchyma: coagulation hemostasis is the first choice. For wounds with visible air leakage or an insufficient hemostatic effect of coagulation, suturing may be necessary. (V) Bleeding during lymph node dissection: non-grasping en-bloc lymph node dissection is recommended for the nourishing vessels of the lymph node are addressed first with this technique. If bleeding occurs at the site of lymph node dissection, energy devices can be used for hemostasis, sometimes in combination with hemostatic materials. (VI) Bleeding from chest wall incisions: the chest wall incision(s) should always be made along the upper edge of the rib(s), with good hemostasis layer by layer. Recheck the incision for hemostasis before closing the chest is recommended. (VII) Internal chest wall bleeding: it can usually be managed with electrocoagulation. For diffuse capillary bleeding with the undefined bleeding site, compression of the wound with gauze may be helpful.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Aidi Injection (艾迪注射液) on overexpression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) induced by vinorelbine and cisplatin (NP) regimen in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and study the difference between intravenous administration and targeting intratumor administration of Aidi Injection with thoracoscope.

Iodine deficiency is an environmental health problem affecting one-third of the global population. An iodine biofortification hydroponic experiment was conducted to explore the iodide and iodate uptake characteristics of strawberry plants, to measure the dosage effects of iodine on plant growth and to evaluate the influence of I? or IO3? application on fruit quality. RESULTS After biofortification, the iodine contents of the fresh strawberry fruits were 600?4000 µg kg?1, covering the WHO dietary iodine allowance of 150 µg · day?1 for adults. The iodine uptake of the strawberry plants increased with increasing I? or IO3? concentration of the culture solution. At the same iodine concentration, the iodate uptakes of various plant organs under I? treatments were apparently more than those under IO3? treatments. Low-level exogenous iodine (I? ≤ 0.25 mg L?1 or IO3? ≤ 0.50 mg L?1) not only promoted plant growth and increased biomass per plant, but also improved fruit quality by enhancing the vitamin C and soluble sugar contents of the strawberry fruits. Nevertheless, excessive exogenous iodine inhibited plant growth and reduced biomass per plant. IO3? uptake apparently increased the total acidity and nitrate content of the fruits, reducing the quality of the strawberry fruits. Conversely, I? uptake obviously decreased the total acidity and nitrate content of the strawberry fruits, improving the fruit quality. CONCLUSION The strawberry can be used as a target crop for iodine biofortification. Furthermore, applying an appropriate dose of KI can improve the fruit quality of the strawberry plants. ? 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

Background A subxiphoid surgical approach to thoracic cavity operations has potential advantages such as preventing injuries to intercostal nerves and vessels due to the bypass of the intercostal space during thoracic surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the feasibility and efficacy of the subxiphoid and standard transthoracic approaches for anatomic pulmonary lobectomy in a canine model. Methods Nineteen dogs were assigned for pulmonary lobectomy using either the subxiphoid ( n = 10) or standard transthoracic approaches ( n = 9). Each group underwent thoracic exploration and anatomic pulmonary lobectomy. Subxiphoid thoracoscopy was performed with a flexible bronchoscope via a 3-cm incision over the xiphoid process. In the conventional thoracoscopy group, approach to the thoracic cavity was obtained through a 3-cm incision over the seventh intercostal space. Physiological parameters (respiratory rate and body temperature) and blood samples (white blood cell counts and arterial blood gases) were collected during the preoperative and postoperative periods. Surgical outcomes data (operating time, operative complications, and body weight gain) were also collected and compared between the groups. The animals were sacrificed 14 d after surgery for necropsy evaluations. Results Anatomic pulmonary lobectomy was successfully performed without intraoperative and postoperative complications in all animals. There were no significant differences in the mean operating times or weight gain after surgery between the subxiphoid and the standard transthoracic approach groups. In terms of physiological and pulmonary parameters, there were no observed differences between the two surgical groups for respiratory rate, body temperature, white blood cell counts, and arterial blood gases at any time during the study. Necropsy confirmed the success of lobectomy without complication in all studied animals. Conclusions This study demonstrated that the subxiphoid approach was comparable with the standard transthoracic approach for anatomic pulmonary lobectomy, in terms of feasibility and effectiveness.

The effects of the reflection of electrons and negative ions in magnetized electronegative and collisional plasma sheath on the Bohm criterion and the sheath structure are numerically investigated. The Bohm criterion expression of the sheath with considering the reflection of electrons and negative ions is derived theoretically. The lower limit of ion Mach number versus parameters and the distribution curve of charged particle density in sheath are obtained by numerical simulation when Boltzmannian model and reflection model are applied to electrons and negative ions. The results show that the upper limit of ion Mach number is identical to that of Boltzmannian model, but their lower limit expressions are different. The lower limit of ion Mach number in the reflection model is also related to the wall potential, and with the increase of the wall potential, ion Mach number first increases and then remains unchanged after reaching the same value as that from Boltzmannian model, and the speeds of their reaching the maximum values are different due to the difference in sheath edge negative ion concentration and temperature. In both Boltzmannian and the reflection model, the lower limit of the ion Mach number decreases with the concentration of the negative ion at the sheath edge increasing and the negative ion temperature decreasing, but the maximum value is smaller in the reflection model. The lower limit of ion Mach number for each of the two models increases with sheath edge electric field increasing, but increases faster and the final value is larger in Boltzmannian model. The lower limit of ion Mach number for each of the two models decreases with the increase of collision parameter or magnetic field angle, but decreases faster in Boltzmannian model with the increase of collision parameter or magnetic field angle. The lower limits of ion Mach number in the two models tend to be the same with the increase of magnetic field angle. When the wall potential is small, the reflection of electrons and negative ions has a great influence on the sheath structure. When the wall potential is large, the reflection of electrons and negative ions have little effect on the density distribution of charged particles in the sheath.

Background Single-port transumbilical surgery is a well-established platform for minimally invasive abdominal surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the hemodynamics and inflammatory response of a novel transumbilical technique with that of a conventional transthoracic technique in thoracic exploration and lung resection in a canine model. Methods Sixteen dogs were randomly assigned to undergo transumbilical thoracoscopy (n = 8) or standard thoracoscopy (n = 8). Animals in the umbilical group received lung resection via a 3-cm transumbilical incision in combination with a 2.5-cm transdiaphragmatic incision. Animals in the standard thoracoscopy group underwent lung resection via a 3-cm thoracic incision. Hemodynamic parameters (e.g., mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance, and global end-diastolic volume index) and inflammatory parameters (e.g., neutrophil count, neutrophil 2′,7′ -dichlorohydrofluorescein [DCFH] expression, monocyte count, monocyte inducible nitric oxide synthase expression, total lymphocyte count, CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte counts, the CD4+/CD8+ratio, plasma Creactive protein level, interleukin-6 level) were evaluated before surgery, during the operation, and on postoperative days 1, 3, 7, and 14. Results Lung resections were successfully performed in all 16 animals. There were 2 surgery-related mortality complications (1 animal in each group). In the transumbilical group, 1 death was caused by early extubation before the animal fully recovered from the anesthesia. In the thoracoscopic group, 1 death was caused by respiratory distress and the complication of sepsis at 5 days after surgery. There was no significant difference between the two techniques with regard to the hemodynamic and immunologic impact of the surgeries. Conclusion This study suggests that the hemodynamic and inflammatory changes with endoscopic lung resection performed by the transumbilical approach are comparable to those after using the conventional transthoracic approach. This information is novel and relevant for surgeons interested in developing new surgical techniques in minimally invasive surgery.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of thorascopic administration of ginseng polysaccharides (GPS) plus dendritic cells (DC) on T helper cell type 1/T helper cell type 2 (Th1/Th2) balance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).MethodsA total of 96 NSCLC patients were divided evenly into two groups. The control group was treated with DCs alone and the treatment group was treated with DCs plus GPS. After DCs and GPS were administered thoracoscopically, once a week, 4 times for 30 days, the patients' quality of life was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Lung (FACT-L) questionnaire before and after treatment. Serum interferon-γ (INF-γ), interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-2 and IL-5 were examined before and after treatments.ResultsThe level of Th1 cytokines (INF-γ, IL-2) and the ratio of Th1/Th2 cytokines (INF-γ/IL-4, IL-2/IL-5) increased in both treatment groups, while Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5) and FACT-L scores decreased (P

Single-crystalline Mn3O4 nanoflakes were grown on manganese sheets by one-step thermal oxidation process at 360–500 °C in ambient atmosphere. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The nanoflakes with a size of 15–20 nm in thickness, ~60 nm in width, and ~210 nm in length are obtained at 360 °C for 24 h. A surface diffusion mechanism is proposed to explain the growth of manganese oxide nanostructures via thermal oxidation, which includes two steps: manganese oxide (MnO/Mn3O4) layers form firstly, and then Mn3O4 nanostructures grow above the upper metal oxide layer to form multi-layered structures, MnO/Mn3O4/Mn3O4–nanoflakes. The nucleation and growth of Mn3O4 nanostructures are related to the surface energy and different growth rates along different crystal directions, which are controlled by the diffusion of the metal and gas molecule.

In order to explore phytoremediation and physiological effect of plant to heavy metal, physiological and biochemical changes of tall fescue seedlings were comparatively analyzed when they were contaminated by lead at different times and concentrations. The results showed that: At three lead concentrations, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activity in tall fescue increased initially and then decreased overall with stress times. Change of POD is slower. It indicated that lead can rapid induce tall fescue protecting enzyme activity at low concentrations or in a short period. Malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were positively correlated with stress time and stress concentrations, which indicated that with the increase of stress concentration and time, membrane lipid peroxidation strengthen. Changes of chlorophyll total concentration increased first and then decreased at low concentration (500 and 1000 mg·L-1), and continued to decline at high concentration. It indicated tall fescue may adapt low lead stress by increasing chlorophyll to, and lose regulation at high concentrations.Proline content decreased initially and then increased with time at 500,1000 mg·L-1, however, it was opposite at 1500 mg·L-1. They were higher than controls, indicating that osmotic adjustment ability enhanced after lead stress. Changes of soluble sugar content were down - up - down with times at three concentrations, eventually they reduced significantly. Therefore, in the process of lead stress, changes of physiological characteristics in tall fescue showed their actively adapt and resistance at low stress, and tolerance and injury at high stress.

Radical lymph node dissection (LND) along the bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) is a surgically challenging procedure with a high rate of morbidity. Here, we assessed in a retrospective manner the adequacy of LND along the RLN performed with robot-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy (RATE) versus video-assisted thoracoscopic esophagectomy (VATE) in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This was a single-center, retrospective, propensity-matched study. ESCC patients who underwent McKeown esophagectomy and bilateral RLN LND with a minimally invasive approach were divided into two groups according to the use of robot-assisted surgery or not (RATE vs VATE, respectively). Using propensity score matching, 34 balanced matched pairs were identified. The number of dissected nodes as well as the rates of RLN palsy and perioperative complications served as the main outcome measures. No conversion to open thoracotomy occurred in either group. Intraoperative blood loss and the need of blood transfusions did not show significant intergroup differences. The mean number of dissected nodes was similar in the two study groups, the only exception being the left RLN area. Specifically, the mean number of nodes removed from this region was 5.32 in the RATE group and 3.38 in patients who received VATE (p = 0.007). Notably, the RATE and VATE groups did not differ significantly with regard to rates of both RLN palsy (20.6 vs 29.4%, respectively, p = 0.401) and pulmonary complications (5.9 vs 17.6%, respectively, p = 0.259). Compared with VATE, RATE resulted in a higher lymph node yield along the left RLN without increasing morbidity.