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Background: Previous studies have shown that monotherapy with apatinib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has promising efficacy for treating recurrent or metastatic (RM) nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients. In this study, we aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib combined with capecitabine as a second-line therapy or beyond for treating RM-NPC patients who failed the first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Methods: In this single-arm, phase II study, we enrolled RM-NPC patients who had at least one measurable lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST v1.1). The sample size was determined using Simon’s two-stage design. All patients were administered with apatinib 500 mg once daily and capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice per day on days 1–14 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR), and the secondary endpoints comprised disease control rate (DCR), duration of response (DoR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: We enrolled 64 patients from September 2018 to August 2020. The ORR and DCR were 39.1% (95% CI, 27.1–52.1) and 85.9% (95% CI, 75.0–93.4), respectively. The median DoR was 14.4 months (95% CI, 7.8–21.0). As of April 20, 2021, the median follow-up duration was 12.0 months. The median PFS was 7.5 months (95% CI, 5.0–10.0) and the median OS was 15.7 months (95% CI, 11.3–20.1). The most common toxicities of any grade were anemia (75.0%), hand-foot syndrome (65.6%), and proteinuria (64.0%). Grade 3–4 toxicities were observed in 36 (56.3%) patients, with hypertension (14.1%), mucositis (12.4%), and fatigue (10.9%) most commonly observed. Conclusions: Apatinib plus capecitabine shows promising efficacy as a second-line treatment option in pretreated platinum-refractory RM-NPC patients. Dose selection of this combination needs further investigation considering the toxicity. Trial registration: Chi-CTR1800017229. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To analyze the clinical outcomes of patients with regional persistent/recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) who received neck dissection, and to evaluate the clinical benefit of postoperative adjuvant therapy (PAT) based on patients' positive lymph node counts (PLNs), extracapsular spread (ECS) and preoperative plasma EBV DNA levels.Methods: From 2003 to 2017, 342 patients with regional persistent/recurrent NPC were included in this study. All patients were treated with neck dissection and 76 patients received PAT. Progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS) were compared between groups using propensity score matching (PSM).Results: 152 patients without PAT treatment and 76 patients with PAT treatment were selected by the PSM. There was no significant difference in 2-year PFS (52.4% vs. 61.3%, P = 0.371), 2-year OS (91.9% vs. 90.5%, P = 0.097) or 2-year LRFS (66.3% vs. 67.9%, P = 0.872) between the two groups. However, the application of PAT brought survival benefits to patients in terms of 2-year DMFS (76.5% vs. 84.7%, P = 0.020). PLN, ECS and preoperative EBV DNA level remained independent risk factors for poorer PFS. Accordingly, patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve; the 2-year PFS rates for two risk groups were 73.4% and 59.1% (P < 0.0001) respectively. The results showed that low-risk patients didn't benefit from the addition of PAT. However, the 2-year DMFS rate was significantly improved in high-risk PAT-treated patients than those treated by neck dissection alone (83.7% vs. 71.7%, P = 0.023).Conclusions: PLNs, ECS and preoperative EBV DNA level are associated with the prognosis of patients with regional persistent/recurrent NPC. High-risk patients identified by PLNs, ECS and preoperative EBV DNA level may benefit from the addition of PAT after neck dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sinus of Valsalva aneurysm (SVA) is an extremely rare condition, and its rupture causes acute symptoms such as chest pain and dyspnea. Ruptured SVA is frequently associated with other congenital defects. Case presentation: A 37-year-old male presented with SVA originating from the left coronary sinus that ruptured into the interventricular septum. SVA was diagnosed by echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and confirmed during the operation. Conclusions: SVA is a rare cardiac abnormality which can lead to severe clinical symptoms upon rupture. Immediate surgery is necessary to repair the ruptured SVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave-assisted synthesis of polyheterocyclic-fused quinoline-2-thiones through the annulation of ortho-heteroaryl anilines and CS2 was realized in water without using any catalysts and additives. The desired products were obtained in high yields through simple filtration. A remarkable E-factor of 0.45 and an EcoScale score of 85.5 were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses new deductions of the equation of motion and obtains new modes of change that differ from the authors' previous research. The blade-bending, shaft-torsion and ring-bending coupled vibration influence of a single-disk rotor whose blade subsystem was coated with a ring is investigated. In the last two years, the authors adopted two methods, the assumed mode method and finite element method, and compared both parties results. This article continues that work. In this paper, the phenomena of ring joint coupling vibrations are different and interesting. The authors defined two new types, the shaft-blade-ring (SBR) and blade-ring (BR) modes. These two coupling modes can be mutually affected by the shaft, blade, and ring, and no single subsystem predominates. The new change rules of natural frequencies of rotors with two to 15 blades and those of mode shapes are discussed. The influence of the ring thickness and rotational speed are also studied in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The catalytic direct dehydrative coupling of an alkene with an alcohol is one of the most straightforward and green strategies for the formation of Csp2−Csp2 bonds. However, previously reported studies have only dealt with achiral reactions. Here, we describe chiral Brønsted acid‐catalyzed direct catalytic asymmetric dehydrative coupling reactions of 3‐vinylindoles and 3‐indolylmethanols. Various structurally diverse indole compounds were prepared in good to excellent yields, with good to excellent stereoselectivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose Our previous results showed survival benefits of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in treating stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) compared with radiotherapy (RT) alone. Here, we present the updated 10-year survival results and late toxicity profile to assess the ultimate effectiveness of concurrent chemotherapy. Methods Patients with stage II NPC were randomly assigned to RT arm (n = 114) or to CCRT arm (n = 116) with a concurrent weekly cisplatin regimen. The primary end-point was overall survival (OS). Results With a median follow-up of 125 months, significant improvements in OS (83.6% vs 65.8%, P = 0.001), progression-free survival (76.7% vs 64.0%, P = 0.014), cancer-specific survival (86.2% vs 71.9%, P = 0.002), distant-metastasis free survival (94.0% vs 83.3%, P = 0.007) were observed in CCRT arm. In point of locoregional-relapse free survival, the impact of CCRT was not remarkable. The findings were in accordance with our previous report. The survival benefits earned by CCRT mainly reflected in T2N1 population. Although CCRT brought more acute toxic effects (P = 0.001), as presented in previous report, the late toxicities and treatment-associated deaths events were comparable between two arms. Conclusions Ten-year outcomes confirmed that CCRT could improve the OS of stage II patients without adding late toxicities compared with conventional RT. Highlights • Explore 10-year survival outcomes between radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). • Concurrent chemotherapy improved survival rates of all end-points except locoregional relapse-free survival. • Provide late treatment toxicity profile in patients with stage II NPC. • The first and only randomised controlled trial in stage II NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite improvements in the development of drugs for the treatment of cancer, drug resistance remains a major obstacle. In colon cancer, following an initially promising response, patients develop drug resistance, which impacts the efficacy and halts the response of cancerous cells towards drugs. In the present study, a phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) knockdown model of LS180 cells, doxorubicin-resistant models of LS180 cells as well as doxorubicin-resistant LS180 (PTEN) knockdown model were established. The present study demonstrated that doxorubicin resistance led to the activation of interleukin (IL)6 signalling pathway which was enhanced by knockdown of PTEN. There was also an increase in the levels of IL8 and IL2 which were further enchanced by knockdown of PTEN. Doxorubicin resistance also led to an increase in the population of cancer stem cells in LS180 and shPTEN-treated LS180 cells. Notably, doxorubicin resistance also induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition and increased the formation of mammospheres. Furthermore, the present study also reported that IL6 receptor antibody not only decreased IL6 levels but also led to a significant decreased number of cancer stem cell like population and mammosphere formation. In conclusion, in the present study it was demonstrated that doxorubicin resistance led to activation of IL6 signalling pathway which was further elevated by the knockdown of PTEN in the colon cancer cell line LS180. Thus, inhibiting the IL6 loop may provide an alternative pathway to tackle doxorubicin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper improved and developed Shaft-disk-blade (SDB) rotor system based on the previous studies of the authors in the last decade from Yang and Huang (2005) to Chiu et al. (2017). This paper also explored blade-bending, disk-transverse, and shaft-torsion coupling vibration of a multi flexible disk rotor system. Unlike the previous studies of the authors, this paper adopted three methods: (a) Assumed mode method (AMM), (b) Finite element method (FEM), and (c) experimental method. The first approach is the main method, and the two other methods are complementary. Results generated from the three methods were then compared and analyzed. Based on the previous definition of the authors, a flexible disk rotor system displays three types of coupling vibrations: Inter-blade, SDB, and diskblade modes. The system changes the rules of natural frequencies and mode shapes. This paper presents several interesting results. First, the author determined the change rules of the mode shapes and natural frequencies using the AMM, FEM (including three kinds of software), and the experimental method. Second, numerical calculation results also revealed that two phenomena regarding the distance of disk and flexible disk would be affected by the natural frequencies. Third, the experimental results would be explored in this paper. Last, the flexible disk could affect the system instability in the case study of rotation effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Comparative analysis of the affinity interaction between two typical antipsychotics and HSA. • Combined multispectral and electrochemical methods compared the binding intensity of their interactions. • The two antipsychotics caused significant perturbations to the structure of the HSA. • Molecular docking demonstrated the existence of multiple forces during the interaction. Psychiatric disorders are common diseases with a high prevalence. Currently, increasing focus on the treatment of psychiatric disorders has driven the development and investigation of antipsychotic drugs. In this paper, two classical antipsychotic drugs risperidone (RIP) and paliperidone (PIP) were selected as research subjects to explore their action mechanism with biological macromolecule human serum albumin (HSA). Combined UV spectroscopy and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy results showed that the quenching of HSA by RIP/PIP was a static process, and this result was further confirmed by temperature-dependent experiments, while hydrogen bonding, electrostatic forces and hydrophobic forces existed in the above process. Furthermore, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy, three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy experiments demonstrated the effect on HSA before and after the addition of RIP/PIP. Electrochemical experiments results determined that K a of HSA and RIP/PIP system was 1.52 × 104 M−1–2.85 × 104 M−1. According to the competition experiments and molecular docking indicating RIP/PIP bound to site I of HSA. Finally, these results provided reliable information for the development of antipsychotic drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hyperfine structure of spectral lines of neutral iodine (II) in the wavenumber region from 11 300 cm −1 to 13 000 cm −1 was studied using optical heterodyne concentration modulation absorption spectroscopy with a tunable single-mode cw Ti:Sapphire laser. The iodine atoms were produced and excited by a discharge operated in a mixture of helium and iodine vapor. A total of 89 lines were observed and the hyperfine structure of 45 of these lines was studied. For 40 lines, the hyperfine structure was not previously known. The magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole hyperfine structure constants of 18 even and 28 odd levels were extracted. The constants of one even level and of 16 odd levels are presented for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NiCoP-10 g-125℃ nanowires were prepared by molten salt method. • The strong ions interaction in NiCoP can be realized at the optimized condition. • The high metal loading, large specific surface area and fast charge transfer can be obtained. • NiCoP-10 g-125℃ can show ultrahigh activity and stability under high current density. The design and development of cheap and efficient electrocatalysts are particularly imperative for renewable energy, but still a challenge for overall water splitting (OWS). Herein, The NiCoP-10 g-125℃ with three-dimensional (3D) nanowire structures grown on nickel foam (NF) was successfully prepared by a novel molten salt method (MSM), serving as an excellent bifunctional electrocatalyst. The catalyst only needs minimal overpotential of 159 and 391 mV to gain the large current density of 400 mA cm−2 for HER and OER in 1 M KOH, respectively. Meanwhile, the alkaline electrolyzer assembled by two electrodes requires a cell voltage of 1.83 V to achieve 400 mA cm−2 for OWS and runs stably at 100 mA cm−2 for 100 h without apparent potential decay. Such impressive catalytic performance is mainly attributed to the special molten salt synthesis method which provides a liquid environment with strong ions interaction. This special reaction condition contributes to forming 3D nanowire structures with the advantage of high metal loading, large specific surface area, fast charge transfer, and good mechanical strength. Therefore, this work can offer a new avenue for the synthesis of ultrahigh activity bifunctional electrocatalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of activating transcription factor/cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate response element binding protein (ATF/CREB) family are induced by various stress signals and function as effector molecules. Consequently, cellular changes occur in response to discrete sets of instructions. In this work, we found an ATF transcription factor in Litopenaeus vannamei designated as LvATFβ. The full-length cDNA of LvATFβ was 1388 bp long with an open reading frame of 939 bp that encoded a putative 313 amino acid protein. The protein contained a basic region-leucine zipper (bZip) domain that was a common feature among ATF/CREB transcription factors. LvATFβ was highly expressed in intestines, gills, and heart. LvATFβ expression was dramatically upregulated by white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection. Pull-down assay revealed that LvATFβ had strong affinity to promoters of WSSV genes, namely, wsv059 and wsv166 . Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that LvATFβ could upregulate the expression of wsv059 and wsv166 . Knocked down LvATFβ resulted in decreased expression of wsv059 and wsv166 in WSSV-challenged L . vannamei . Knocked down expression of wsv059 and wsv166 by RNA interference inhibited the replication and reduce the mortality of L . vannamei during WSSV challenge inoculation. The copy numbers of WSSV in wsv059 and wsv166 knocked down group were significant lower than in the control. These results suggested that LvATFβ may be involved in WSSV replication by regulating the expression of wsv059 and wsv166 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel IAP antagonist-like compound IAPA was synthesized. • Multiple spectral methods and molecular docking were used in investigation of the biological effect about the compound in the interaction with BSA/HSA. • The binding constants for the interaction of both BSA-IAPA and HSA-IAPA were calculated. • The quenching mechanisms, action force, binding sites and conformation changes information were obtained in the binding of BSA/HSA with IAPA. • This study provided useful reference for the design, development and screening of novel pharmaceuticals. The development of new drugs especially novel anti-cancer drugs has become a hot-spot issue that catches scholars' attention in every field. Here a IAP antagonist analogue (IAPA) was synthesized and characterized by NMR and HRMS spectra. Its interaction with proteins, including bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA), were investigated by spectral methods and molecular simulation. Fluorescence quenching, together with UV absorption spectrum and time-resolved fluorescence spectrums indicated a static process in BSA/HSA-IAPA system. Thermodynamic parameters including Δ H and Δ S calculated by Vant't Hoff equation were all positive, showing that hydrophobic force was the major force in the interaction of compound IAPA and BSA/HSA. Site marker competitive displacement experiments proved that IAPA bound to site I at BSA/HSA. Synchronous fluorescence spectrum and three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum were also used to investigate the conformational changes of BSA/HSA after binding with compound IAPA. The above results were further verified by molecular docking. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium (K) deficiency is a major factor limiting crop development and yield. In this study, 20 traits were investigated at the seedling stage using a doubled-haploid population subjected to normal K and K deprivation treatments. Evaluation of phenotypes expressed under the two K supply conditions revealed that K deprivation was able to decrease values of ten measured traits, whereas values of the other ten traits increased. A total of 65 QTLs were detected across all 21 chromosomes, except for chromosomes 2B, 5A, and 7B. Individual QTLs in the two K supply treatments explained between 5.35 and 39.64 % of the phenotypic variation. Nine QTL clusters (C1-C9) involving 34 QTLs under the different K supply treatments were mapped to chromosomes 1A, 1B, 1D, 3B, 4A, 5B, 6A, and 7B. Our results are helpful for understanding the genetic basis of K deficiency in wheat, and provide useful information for genetic improvement of K deficiency in wheat by marker-assisted selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The photocatalytic activities of various hierarchically meso–macroporous titanias, obtained via a spontaneous self-formation process using titanium isopropoxide, have been investigated by comparing each materials’ capability to photodegrade Rhodamine B. Three synthesis routes have been developed to synthesize hierarchically meso–macroporous titania materials: (A) in water without and (B) with hydrothermal treatment and (C) in a surfactant Brij 56 aqueous solution with hydrothermal treatment, respectively. These results show that the introduction of surfactant Brij 56 and a hydrothermal treatment in the synthesis system greatly improve the crystallinity of the anatase phase in hierarchically meso–macroporous titanias and their thermal stability, resulting in a remarkable enhancement of their photocatalytic activity. Furthermore, the effect of calcination on hierarchically porous structure and their photocatalytic activity has also been investigated in detail. The properties of the products were characterized by XRD, SEM and N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: We compared the clinical characteristics and survival outcomes after radical radiotherapy between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) with early and late metastases based on a relatively large cohort, which provides valuable data for the planning of clinical surveillance strategies. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective analysis of 10,566 patients who received radical radiotherapy in China from January 2000 to December 2016. Overall survival was the primary endpoint. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests were applied to investigate the association between early or late metastasis and the endpoints. The prognostic value of clinicopathological features was identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The cutoff value for time to metastasis was based on ROC analysis. A total of 559 (5.3%) patients developed distant metastases, 297 (53.1%) of which developed early metastatic disease, with the rest (46.9%) developing late metastatic disease. The K-M analysis showed that the patients with late metastatic foci had significantly better post-metastatic OS (P = 0.0056). Multivariate analysis indicated that age, liver metastasis, the number of metastatic foci and time to metastasis (P = 0.013) are independent prognostic factors for OS. After analyzing the impact of different treatment methods, we found that local treatment was an independent protective factor for LM, while local treatment was not associated with a survival benefit for EM disease. Conclusions: The time to metastasis after radical radiotherapy affected the prognosis of NPC patients and local treatment was an independent protective factor that could improve the survival of late metastatic NPC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The novel 3-fluorooxindole derivatives were synthesised. • The typical biological macromolecular serum albumin as experimental models. • Combined multiple methods to reveal the structural pattern of 3-fluorooxindoles and corroborating each other. • Molecular docking methods to visualize the results of interactions. • The structure–activity relationship of 3-fluorooxindoles was summarized. Here we synthesized four 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and investigated their affinity interactions with serum albumin by using multi-spectral, electrochemical, and molecular docking. Fluorescence spectroscopy results revealed the affinity of 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and serum albumin. UV spectroscopy showed the type of quenching for both were static quenching, which was proved by temperature dependence experiments and time-resolved fluorescence. Electrochemical experiment results suggested the binding constant of 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and serum albumin was 103–104 by the order of magnitude. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy demonstrated the effect on the secondary structure of serum albumin in the presence of 3-fluorooxindole units. Furthermore, molecular docking and site competition experiments result determined that 3-fluorooxindole derivatives bind to site I of serum albumin. Finally, the interactions between 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and serum albumin were investigated by various methods and summarized the effects of substituents in 3-fluorooxindole derivatives on serum albumin interactions. These results provide a reference for the design of subsequent synthesis of 3-fluorooxindole derivatives and theoretical support for the development of related fluorine-containing drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elongated microvoids, internal fibrillar structure, and edge scattering from both surface refraction cause an equatorial streak in small angle X-ray scattering. A model for analyzing the edge scattering of fibers is proposed. Simulation results indicate that the intensity of edge scattering from surface refraction of a cylindrical fiber is strong and makes an important contribution to the equatorial streak. Two factors influence edge scattering intensity. One is the sample-to-detector distance (D); edge scattering intensity increases with increasing D. The equatorial streak becomes weak when D is shortened. The other factor is the refraction index. Edge scattering intensity increases as the real component of the refraction index decreases. In experiment, weak or even no equatorial streaks were found for samples measured in a roughly index-matching fluid. Edge scattering can be eliminated or weakened, and it can be calculated by comparing the intensities of a cylindrical fiber when it is measured in air and in index-matching fluid. The simulation data are basically in agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, the signaling pathway termed unfolded protein response (UPR) is activated. To investigate the role of UPR in Litopenaeus vannamei immunity, the activating transcription factor 4 (designated as LvATF4) which belonged to a branch of the UPR, the [protein kinase RNA (PKR)-like ER kinase, (PERK)]-[eukaryotic initiation factor 2 subunit alpha (eIF2α)] pathway, was identified and characterized. The full-length cDNA of LvATF4 was 1972 bp long, with an open reading frame of 1299 bp long that encoded a 432 amino acid protein. LvATF4 was highly expressed in gills, intestines and stomach. For the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) challenge, LvATF4 was upregulated in the gills after 3 hpi and increased by 1.9-fold (96 hpi) compared to the mock-treated group. The LvATF4 knock-down by RNA interference resulted in a lower cumulative mortality of L. vannamei under WSSV infection. Reporter gene assays show that LvATF4 could upregulate the expression of the WSSV gene wsv023 based on the activating transcription factor/cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate response element (ATF/CRE). Another transcription factor of L. vannamei, X box binding protein 1 (designated as LvXBP1), has a significant function in [inositol-requiring enzyme-1(IRE1) – (XBP1)] pathway. This transcription factor upregulated the expression of the WSSV gene wsv083 based on the UPR element (UPRE). These results suggest that in L. vannamei UPR signaling pathway transcription factors are important for WSSV and might facilitate WSSV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mesoporous TiO2 with a hierarchically 3D dendrimeric nanostructure comprised of nanoribbon building units has been synthesized via a spontaneous self-formation process from various titanium alkoxides. These hierarchically 3D dendrimeric architectures can be obtained by a very facile, template-free method, by simply dropping a titanium butoxide precursor into methanol solution. The novel configuration of the mesoporous TiO2 nanostructure in nanoribbon building units yields a high surface area. The calcined samples show significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity and degradation rates owing to the mesoporosity and their improved crystallinity after calcination. Furthermore, the 3D dendrimeric architectures can be preserved after phase transformation from amorphous TiO2 to anatase or rutile, which occurs during calcination. In addition, the spontaneous self-formation process of mesoporous TiO2 with hierarchically 3D dendrimeric architectures from the hydrolysis and condensation reaction of titanium butoxide in methanol has been followed by in situ optical microscopy (OM), revealing the secret on the formation of hierarchically 3D dendrimeric nanostructures. Moreover, mesoporous TiO2 nanostructures with similar hierarchically 3D dendrimeric architectures can also be obtained using other titanium alkoxides. The porosities and nanostructures of the resultant products were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. The present work provides a facile and reproducible method for the synthesis of novel mesoporous TiO2 nanoarchitectures, which in turn could herald the fabrication of more efficient photocatalysts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The behaviour of the excess entropy of the isothermal dissolution of indium in liquid gallium is examined in this article. We show the presence of a structural anomaly using the pair distribution function and excess entropy analysis when particles move from a far distance to the first coordination shell with increasing indium content, indicating that the structural anomaly depends only on what happens up to the local shell. These findings are in agreement with results of earlier studies. Moreover, the translational order parameter is introduced to quantify the disorder in liquid gallium–indium. The order mapped together with the two-body excess entropy shows that with an increase in indium content, the ‘true’ liquid changes to the liquid containing solid-like clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A novel strategy that tailors porous zirconia structures via a control of zirconium alkoxide reactivities has been developed. This control was achieved by limiting the amount of water present in the system through the use of an acetonitrile medium. Varying the amount of water present during the reaction has led to a better understanding of the self-formation phenomenon of hierarchical porosity. The choice of zirconium alkoxide precursor has also been studied. The porosity of the zirconia can be altered simply by tuning the water:acetonitrile ratio. A significant change in the porous structure has been observed with increasing water content. This revelation has led to a better understanding of the formation of hierarchically porous structures and the development of a very efficient and simple method to tailor hierarchical porosity over different length scales. The synthesized zirconia products, with differing porous structures, showed a very high adsorption capacity for dye molecules in aqueous solution. A relationship between the porous structure and the adsorption capacity of dye molecules has been evidenced, suggesting their potential application in water treatment as decontamination materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Various hierarchical porous titania with high surface area over 600m2/g have been synthesized via a spontaneous self-formation process from titanium alkoxides by a water adjusting approach using acetonitrile as reaction medium. The reactivity of metal alkoxides and the water content in acetonitrile medium on the resultant structure have been investigated. The porosities of the products were characterized by SEM, TEM and N2 adsorption–desorption measurements. The observation on the evolution of porous structure with increasing water content in reaction system is essential for a better understanding of hierarchical porous structure formation over different length scales by this self-formation process. The creation of macro/micropores in photocatalytic titania materials has been found to enhance the photocatalytic activity due to both the action of macrochannels as light harvester and the easy diffusion effect of organic molecules. The present work shows clearly that hierarchically porous titania with the presence of macroporous structure and high surface area can be very efficient photocatalysts, suggesting their potential applications in water treatment as decontamination materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Both the Taihang Mountain area in north-central China and Chaoshan area in the southeastern littoral of China are areas with high risk of esophageal cancer (EC). Our previous study confirmed that populations from the two areas might share similar matrilineal backgrounds and found that mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroup D, especially subhaplogroups D4a and D5a, might be genetic background markers of EC in Chaoshan area. Here, to further determine whether D4a, D5a, and D might be susceptibility markers for EC in the two high-risk areas, we performed a case–control study with larger samples and analyzed the distributions of these three haplogroups in subjects (controls [n =898] and patients [n =768]) from the two areas. D4a haplogroup was significantly associated with increased risk of EC in Taihang Mountain subjects, especially women. D5 haplogroup was associated with EC at the general population level in the Taihang Mountain area and in subjects ≤60years, especially women ≤60years, in the Chaoshan area. D haplogroup was associated with EC only in subjects ≤60years, especially men ≤60years, in the Chaoshan area. D4a and D5 showing positive association with EC in the Taihang Mountain area became the predominant subhaplogroups of D in Chaoshan controls. In conclusion, D, D4a, and D5 haplogroups might be susceptibility markers for EC in the two high-risk areas in China, particularly D4a and D5 for the Taihang Mountain area and D and D5 for the Chaoshan area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There are three major geographic regions in China known for their high incidences of esophageal cancer (EC): the Taihang Mountain range of north-central China, the Minnan area of Fujian province, and the Chaoshan plain of Guangdong province. Historically, waves of great population migrations from north-central China through coastal Fujian to the Chaoshan plain were recorded. To study the genetic relationship among the related EC high-risk populations, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups based on 30 EC patients from Chaoshan and used control samples from the high-risk populations, including 48, 73, and 89 subjects from the Taihang, Fujian, and Chaoshan areas, respectively. The principal component of all haplogroups, correlation analysis of haplogroup frequency distributions between populations, and haplogroup D network analysis showed that compared with other Chinese populations, populations in the three studied areas are genetically related. The highest haplogroup frequency shared by all studied populations was haplogroup D, with much higher frequency in the Chaoshan area EC patients. The majority of haplogroup D individuals among the Chaoshan area EC patients belonged to subhaplogroups D4a and D5a, with the total frequency of these two haplogroups significantly higher than that in the high-risk population in the same area (χ2 =9.017, p <0.01). In conclusion, EC high-risk populations in these three areas share a similar matrilineal genetic background, and D4a and D5a might be candidate genetic markers for screening populations susceptible to EC in the Chaoshan area. Ours is the first report to show the association between mtDNA haplogroups (D4a and D5a) and esophageal cancer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is of great significance to synergistically modulate d -band centers (ε d) of multiple transition metals (TMs) for designing and developing highly efficient hybridized-electrocatalysts. Herein, the downshift in Co ε d is realized by synthesizing Co single atoms with low nitrogen-coordination number (CoN 2) at high T during the pyrolysis step while upshifting Ru ε d is achieved via decreasing Ru precursor mass to anchor Ru nanoclusters instead of nanoparticles on CoN 2 −containing carbon substrates (CoN 2 /Ru−NC). In our strategy, the downshift in Co ε d leads to a favorable affinity between Co sites of CoN 2 /Ru−NC and H* for desorption of H 2 ; additionally, upshifting Ru ε d helps the adsorption of OH* intermediates on Ru nanoclusters for CoN 2 /Ru−NC to promote water dissociation toward accelerating alkaline producing H 2. In consequence, CoN 2 /Ru−NC demonstrates an outstanding activity with an ultralow overpotential of ∼ 9.0 mV at 10.0 mA cm−2, which suppresses activities of Pt/C (24.0 mV) and most previously-reported Ru-based electrocatalysts. [Display omitted] • Our strategy anchors Ru nanoclusters on CoN 2 −containing carbon substrates. • Downshifting Co d -band center (ε d) activates Co atoms as catalytical sites. • Upshifting Ru ε d promotes H 2 O dissociation on Ru nanoclusters for alkaline HER. • This work provides a new way to design efficient electrocatalyst by modulating ε d. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Our previous phase III randomized trial demonstrated that the addition of concurrent chemotherapy to radiotherapy (RT) could improve survival in stage II nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Based on the study, we sought to develop a nomogram for predicting the 5-year and 10-year survival of patients with stage II NPC and estimating the benefit of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for individual patients.Materials and Methods: Data of 199 enrolled patients from the original trial was analyzed to build a nomogram. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. The discrimination and calibration capacities were evaluated using Harrell Concordance Index (C-index) and calibration curves, respectively. Internal validation of the nomogram was performed by a separate cohort of 306 patients from the same cancer center.Result: In training cohort, patients in CCRT group achieved higher 5-year and 10-year OS compared with patients in RT group. Three independent prognostic factors, which were age, N stage and treatment method from multivariable analysis were extracted to enter the nomogram. T stage was also included due to its importance in clinical decisions. The Harrell C-index of the nomogram in training and validation cohort was 0.748 and 0.653 respectively. The calibration curves showed an acceptable agreement between prediction and observed probability.Conclusion: We developed and validated a nomogram to predict the 5-year and 10-year OS in stage II NPC patients. The nomogram could serve as a pragmatic tool in clinical decisions to estimate the individual risk of stage II patients and identify those who could benefit from chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignancy with unique clinical biological profiles such as associated Epstein-Barr virus infection and high radiosensitivity. Radiotherapy has long been recognized as the mainstay for the treatment of NPC. However, the further efficacy brought by radical radiotherapy has reached the bottleneck in advanced patients, who are prone to develop recurrence and distant metastasis after treatment. The application of photon therapy makes it possible for radiation dose escalation in refractory cases and may provide second chance for recurrent patients with less unrecoverable tissue damage. The concept of adaptive radiotherapy is put forward in consideration of target volume shrinkage during treatment. The replanning procedure offers better protection for the organ at risk. However, the best timing and candidates for adaptive radiotherapy is still under debate. The current tendency of artificial intelligence in NPC mainly focuses on image recognition, auto-segmentation and dose prediction. Although artificial intelligence is still in developmental stage, the future of it is promising. To further improve the efficacy of NPC, multimodality treatment is encouraged. In-depth studies on genetic and epigenetic variations help to explain the great heterogeneity among patients, and could further be applied to precise screening and prediction, personalized radiotherapy and the evolution of targeted drugs. Given the clinical benefit of immunotherapy in other cancers, the application of immunotherapy, especially immune checkpoint inhibitor, in NPC is also of great potential. Results from ongoing clinical trials combining immunotherapy with radiotherapy in NPC are expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnesium (Mg) is both an essential macro-element and a known catalyst, and it plays a vital role in various physiological activities and mechanisms in relation to chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, epidemiological evidence involving this is limited and not entirely consistent. This study aims to explore the association of serum Mg concentrations with the risk of CKD among general Chinese adults. Methods: A total of 8,277 Chinese adults were included in the wave of 2009 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS). The primary outcome was the risk of CKD, which was defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to examine the relationship of serum Mg concentrations with the risk of CKD. Results: Included were 8,277 individuals, with an overall CKD prevalence of 11.8% (n = 977). Compared with the first quartile of serum Mg, the multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for participants in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of serum Mg were 0.74 (0.58, 0.93), 0.87 (0.69, 1.11) and 1.29 (1.03, 1.61), respectively. Similar results were observed in our several sensitivity analyses. Restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated a nonlinear (similar "J"-shaped) association between serum Mg concentrations and the risk of CKD (Pnonlinearity <0.001), with a threshold at around a serum Mg value of 2.2 mg/dL. Conclusions: Our results suggested a similar "J"-shaped association between serum Mg concentration and the risk of CKD among Chinese adults. Further large prospective studies are needed to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macro-microporous silicate-1 zeolites(MFI crystalline form) were synthesized via the "dissolution-recrystallization process", utilizing monodisperse silica spheres (500 nm) as the silica source and macroporous templates, as well as tetrapropylammonium hydroxide as the microporous template, to enable in-situ formation of the macropores. The samples displayed macropore diameters ranging between 150 ~ 350 nm, a specific surface area of 350 m²/g, and a total pore volume of 0.24 cm³/g. The influence of synthetic conditions, such as crystal time, the addition of ethanol, the drying method, the amount of structure directing agent and the size of silica spheres, on the introduction of macropores was revealed. On this basis, macroporous ZSM-5 zeolites were further successfully synthesized with aluminum atoms incorporated into the pure silica zeolite framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multifunctional hard X-ray nanoprobe at Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) exhibits the excellent ability to simultaneously characterize the X-ray absorption, X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) as well as the dynamics of XEOL of materials. Combining the scanning electron microscope (SEM) into the TPS 23A end-station, we can easily and quickly measure the optical properties to map out the morphology of a ZnO microrod. A special phenomenon has been observed that the oscillations in the XEOL associated with the confinement of the optical photons in the single ZnO microrod shows dramatical increase while the X-ray excitation energy is set across the Zn K-edge. Besides having the nano-scale spatial resolution, the synchrotron source also gives a good temporal domain measurement to investigate the luminescence dynamic process. The decay lifetimes of different emission wavelengths and can be simultaneously obtained from the streak image. Besides, SEM can provide the cathodoluminescence (CL) to be a complementary method to analyze the emission properties of materials, we anticipate that the X-ray nanoprobe will open new avenues with great characterization ability for developing nano/microsized optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time‐resolved X‐ray excited optical luminescence (TR‐XEOL) was developed successfully for the 23A X‐ray nanoprobe beamline located at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS). The advantages of the TR‐XEOL facility include (i) a nano‐focused X‐ray beam (<60 nm) with excellent spatial resolution and (ii) a streak camera that can simultaneously record the XEOL spectrum and decay time. Three time spans, including normal (30 ps to 2 ns), hybrid (30 ps to 310 ns) and single (30 ps to 1.72 µs) bunch modes, are available at the TPS, which can fulfil different experimental conditions involving samples with various lifetimes. It is anticipated that TR‐XEOL at the TPS X‐ray nanoprobe could provide great characterization capabilities for investigating the dynamics of photonic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MoS 2 quantum dots (QDs) in-situ directing porous MoS 2 -QDs/ZnIn 2 S 4 heterostructures exhibit the H 2 production rate under visible light. Photocatalytic hydrogen (H 2) production based on semiconductors is important to utilize solar light for clean energy and environment. Herein, we report a visible light responsive heterostructure, designed and constructed by molybdenum disulfide quantum dots (MoS 2 -QDs) in-situ seeds-directing growth and self-assemble of zinc indium sulfide (ZnIn 2 S 4) nanosheet to ensure their full contact through a simple one-step solvothermal method for highly improved visible light H 2 production. The MoS 2 -QDs in-situ seeds-directing ZnIn 2 S 4 heterostructure not only builds heterojunctions between MoS 2 and ZnIn 2 S 4 to spatially separate the photogenerated electrons and holes, but also serves as the active sites trapping photogenerated electrons to facilitate H 2 evolution. As a result, MoS 2 -QDs/ZnIn 2 S 4 exhibits high photocatalytic activity for H 2 production, and the optimized 2 wt% MoS 2 -QDs/ZnIn 2 S 4 (2MoS 2 -QDs/ZnIn 2 S 4) heterostructure exhibits the highest H 2 evolution rate of 7152 umol·h−1·g−1 under visible light, ∼9 times of pure ZnIn 2 S 4. Our strategy here could shed some lights on developing noble-metal free heterostructures for highly efficient photocatalytic H 2 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

InSAR observation is widely used for mapping the coseismic deformation and estimating the earthquake source model. However, atmospheric delay noise reduces the accuracy of the mapped coseismic surface deformation, which results in the significant uncertainty of the InSAR-derived faulting model. Therefore, it is significant to mitigate the negative effect of atmospheric noise and improve the InSAR data inversion performance of earthquake source modeling. In this study, a new method of fault slip inversion is proposed, in which InSAR deformation differencing vector (IDV) is utilized as an independent constraint on source modeling instead of the original InSAR observation. According to the experimental result obtained from the simulated InSAR data, the proposed method significantly mitigates the negative effect of atmospheric noise, and the slip residual is reduced by up to ~ 65% when compared to the estimate based on the original InSAR observation. Then, the proposed method is applied to investigate the coseismic faulting of the 2014 Napa, California earthquake. It is found that the surface deformation predicted by the IDV-derived faulting model is more consistent with the GPS observation than the result obtained through the original InSAR-derived faulting model, and that the accuracy is improved by ~ 28%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with N2–3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma have a high risk of treatment being unsuccessful despite the current practice of using a concurrent adjuvant cisplatin–fluorouracil regimen. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of concurrent adjuvant cisplatin–gemcitabine with cisplatin–fluorouracil in N2–3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma. We conducted an open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3 trial at four cancer centres in China. Eligible patients were aged 18–65 years with untreated, non-keratinising, stage T1–4 N2–3 M0 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score of 0–1, and adequate bone marrow, liver, and renal function. Eligible patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive concurrent cisplatin (100 mg/m2 intravenously) on days 1, 22, and 43 of intensity-modulated radiotherapy followed by either gemcitabine (1 g/m2 intravenously on days 1 and 8) and cisplatin (80 mg/m2 intravenously for 4 h on day 1) once every 3 weeks or fluorouracil (4 g/m2 in continuous intravenous infusion for 96 h) and cisplatin (80 mg/m2 intravenously for 4 h on day 1) once every 4 weeks, for three cycles. Randomisation was done using a computer-generated random number code with a block size of six, stratified by treatment centre and nodal category. The primary endpoint was 3-year progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population (ie, all patients randomly assigned to treatment). Safety was assessed in all participants who received at least one dose of chemoradiotherapy. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03321539 , and patients are currently under follow-up. From Oct 30, 2017, to July 9, 2020, 240 patients (median age 44 years [IQR 36–52]; 175 [73%] male and 65 [27%] female) were randomly assigned to the cisplatin–fluorouracil group (n=120) or cisplatin–gemcitabine group (n=120). As of data cutoff (Dec 25, 2022), median follow-up was 40 months (IQR 32–48). 3-year progression-free survival was 83·9% (95% CI 75·9–89·4; 19 disease progressions and 11 deaths) in the cisplatin–gemcitabine group and 71·5% (62·5–78·7; 34 disease progressions and seven deaths) in the cisplatin–fluorouracil group (stratified hazard ratio 0·54 [95% CI 0·32–0·93]; log rank p=0·023). The most common grade 3 or worse adverse events that occurred during treatment were leukopenia (61 [52%] of 117 in the cisplatin–gemcitabine group vs 34 [29%] of 116 in the cisplatin–fluorouracil group; p=0·00039), neutropenia (37 [32%] vs 19 [16%]; p=0·010), and mucositis (27 [23%] vs 32 [28%]; p=0·43). The most common grade 3 or worse late adverse event (occurring from 3 months after completion of radiotherapy) was auditory or hearing loss (six [5%] vs ten [9%]). One (1%) patient in the cisplatin–gemcitabine group died due to treatment-related complications (septic shock caused by neutropenic infection). No patients in the cisplatin–fluorouracil group had treatment-related deaths. Our findings suggest that concurrent adjuvant cisplatin–gemcitabine could be used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of patients with N2–3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, although long-term follow-up is required to confirm the optimal therapeutic ratio. National Key Research and Development Program of China, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Guangdong Major Project of Basic and Applied Basic Research, Sci-Tech Project Foundation of Guangzhou City, Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Research 5010 Program, Innovative Research Team of High-level Local Universities in Shanghai, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province for Distinguished Young Scholar, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Postdoctoral Innovative Talent Support Program, Pearl River S&T Nova Program of Guangzhou, Planned Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province, Key Youth Teacher Cultivating Program of Sun Yat-sen University, the Rural Science and Technology Commissioner Program of Guangdong Province, and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We wished to evaluate the efficacy and safety of liposomal paclitaxel and docetaxel for induction chemotherapy (IC) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).Methods: A total of 1498 patients with newly-diagnosed NPC between 2009 and 2017 treated with IC plus concurrent chemotherapy were included in our observational study. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and grade-3-4 toxicities were compared between groups using propensity score matching (PSM).Results: In total, 767 patients were eligible for this study, with 104 (13.6%) and 663 (86.4%) receiving a liposomal paclitaxel-based and docetaxel-based taxanes, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (TPF) regimen, respectively. PSM identified 103 patients in the liposomal-paclitaxel group and 287 patients in the docetaxel group. There was no significant difference at 3 years for OS (92.2% vs. 93.9%, P = 0.942), PFS (82.6% vs. 81.7%, P = 0.394), LRFS (94.7% vs. 93.3%, P = 0.981) or DMFS (84.6% vs. 87.4%, P = 0.371) between the two groups after PSM. Significant interactions were not observed between the effect of chemotherapy regimen and sex, age, T stage, N stage, overall stage, or Epstein-Barr virus DNA level in the subgroup multivariate analysis. The prevalence of grade-3-4 leukopenia and neutropenia in the liposomal-paclitaxel group was significantly lower than that of the docetaxel group (P < 0.05 for all).Conclusions: Compared with docetaxel, liposomal paclitaxel has identical anti-tumor efficacy, but causes fewer and milder adverse reactions in IC for NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bifunctional catalysts are widely applied for many important reactions as the synergetic effect of two types of active sites remarkably improves catalysis performance. However, their bifunctionality has not been fully exploited since the proximity of bifunctional catalysts is hard to control. Herein, we demonstrate a bifunctional ZSM-5@Al 2 O 3 catalyst with a core-shell structure and a nano-scale proximity by in-situ growth of γ-Al 2 O 3 nanosheets on the surface of ZSM-5 crystals for methanol conversion. The nano-scale proximity endows the catalyst with higher reaction activity and C 2 –C 3 olefins yield (53 %) in comparison to the catalysts with micro-scale proximity (20 %) and millimeter-scale proximity (27 %), which can be attributed to the fluent transport of the reaction intermediates between two types of active sites. This strategy for constructing bifunctional catalysts with nano-scale proximity is conducive to understanding the relationship between proximity and catalytic performance in methanol conversion. [Display omitted] • Bifunctional ZSM-5@Al 2 O 3 catalysts with core-shell structure were synthesized. • The proximity of dual-active sites was precisely controlled. • The nano-scale proximity enabled catalysts with superb performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Macrophages display remarkable plasticity and can interact with surrounding cells to affect hepatic immunity and tissue remodelling during the progression of liver diseases. Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) plays a critical role in macrophage maturation, polarization and metabolism. In this study, we investigated the role of PPARγ in macrophage–hepatic stellate cell (HSC) interaction during non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) development. Methods: Wild‐type, Ppargfl/fl and PpargΔLyz2 mice were fed a methionine‐ and choline‐deficient (MCD) diet to induce NASH. Depletion of macrophages was performed using an injection of gadolinium chloride intraperitoneally. PPARγ‐overexpressing or PPARγ‐knockout macrophages were stimulated with saturated fatty acid (SFA) and cocultured with HSCs in a conditioned medium or the transwell coculture system. Results: Depletion of macrophages inhibited HSC activation and ameliorated NASH progression in MCD diet‐fed mice. Coculturing HSCs with macrophages or culturing HSCs in a macrophage‐conditioned medium‐facilitated HSC activation, and this effect was magnified when macrophages were metabolically activated by SFA. Moreover, the absence of PPARγ in macrophages enhanced metabolic activation, promoting the migration and activation of HSCs through IL‐1β and CCL2. In contrast, overexpression of PPARγ in macrophages obtained the opposite effects. In vivo, macrophage‐specific PPARγ knockout affected the phenotype of hepatic macrophages and HSCs, involving the MAPK and NLRP3/caspase‐1/IL‐1β signalling pathways. Infiltrating hepatic monocyte‐derived macrophages became the predominant macrophages in NASH liver, especially in PpargΔLyz2 mice, paralleling with aggravated inflammation and fibrosis. Conclusions: Regulating macrophage PPARγ affected the metabolic activation of macrophages and their interaction with HSCs. Macrophage‐specific PPARγ may be an attractive therapeutic target for protecting against NASH‐associated inflammation and fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change in melt structure of Cu 64 Zr 36 binary metallic glass (MG) was studied using resistivity and differential thermal analysis in continuous heating process, abnormal structural changes were observed with temperature elevating. Cu 64 Zr 36 MG ribbons with different melt temperatures were prepared using single roller spinning method, experimental results based on resistivity, DSC, and XRD indicate that the thermal stability and glass forming ability (GFA) of Cu 64 Zr 36 MGs are greatly affected by the melt temperature. With the increasing of the melt temperature, the crystallization temperature ( T x ) and supercooled liquid region (Δ T x ) shift from 780.7 K and 41.9 K of the MG with the lowest melt temperature of 1353 K towards to 800.3 K and 48.1 K of the MG with the highest melt temperature of 1653 K. The relationship of the melt temperature and GFA was further studied by injecting the melt into a cone-shape copper mould. The critical diameter can reach Ф2.5 mm of the Cu 64 Zr 36 MG with the highest melt temperature of 1653 K. However, the Ф2.5 cross section of Cu 64 Zr 36 MGs prepared with the melt temperature lower than 1653 K shows apparent Bragg peaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid polyamorphism and transitions between different states have triggered great interest, concerning which the present paper aimed to investigate the correlations of the glass formation ability (GFA) and glassy thermal stability of Cu 50 Zr 50 alloy with its original liquid states. As structurally sensitive, the resistivity (ρ) change pattern of liquid Cu 50 Zr 50 was explored as temperature (T) elevated, hereby two obvious turns of ρ-T slope were observed, and corresponding to the first turn an endothermic peak appeared on DTA curve, which suggest alterations of its liquid structural state. Based on the results, by preparing Cu 50 Zr 50 metallic glasses with different quenching temperature ( T q ), experiments were carried out to find out the above mentioned correlations. It is verified by resistivity and DSC methods that there are two crystallization stages for the melt-spun glassy ribbons with T q below the first turn, while there is only one crystallization stage for cases above the first turn. More significantly, although characteristic parameters of the glassy ribbons change indistinctively with T q below the first turn, all they change obviously with T q elevated above the first turn, i.e. T g , T x move to higher degree, and T rg , Δ T x and γ become larger. The former trend indicates a better thermal stability of glassy Cu 50 Zr 50 , and the latter trend signifies an enhanced GFA of the melt. By the copper mould cast method, it is intriguingly proved that GFA of Cu 50 Zr 50 can rise to Ф3, when its melt prepared with temperature above the second turn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional engineering training center plays an important role at the talent cultivation of technological universities as well as in the training of professional teachers and enterprise employees. The investment analysis for three different sizes of regional engineering training center construction has carried out from the construction planning, construction scale, infrastructure construction, teaching instruments and equipment, the staff, the salary and daily operation funds in this paper. The analysis results show that a large size of regional engineering training center would need 496 ~ 598 million RMB, a middle size one would need 252. 35 ~ 282. 35 million RMB. The analysis purpose is to provide a reference for government, enterprises and schools when they invest and construct regional engineering training center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Humanin (HN) is known for its anti-apoptotic functions in neuronal cells. In this study, we sought to investigate the protective effect of [Gly14]-Humanin (HNG) in high glucose (HG)-induced apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to examine cell viability, DNA chromatin morphology was assessed using Hoechst 33342 staining, and the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was assessed using the fluorescent probe dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA). The expression of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), the pro-apoptotic protein bax and the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2 were examined using western blot analysis. The mRNA level of bax and bcl-2 were detected by quantitative Real-Time PCR. Results Compared with treatment with HG 72 h, pretreatment with HNG for 3 h significantly increased cell viability ( P < 0.001), reduced nuclear fluorescence of HUVECs ( P < 0.05), the levels of cleaved PARP ( P < 0.05), ROS formation ( P < 0.05) and the ratio of bax/bcl-2 ( P < 0.05) compared with treatment with HG for 72 h. Quantitative Real-Time PCR showed that mRNA level of bax reduced ( P < 0.05) and mRNA level of bcl-2 increased ( P < 0.05) after pretreatment with HNG. Conclusions Our results imply that HNG can protect HUVECs from apoptosis induced by HG through the bax/bcl-2 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastasis is the primary cause of treatment failure in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, the current tumour-node-metastasis staging system has limitations in predicting distant metastasis and guiding induction chemotherapy (IC) application. Here, we established a transcriptomics-based gene signature to assess the risk of distant metastasis and guide IC in locoregionally advanced NPC. Transcriptome sequencing was performed on NPC biopsy samples from 12 pairs of patients with different metastasis risks. Bioinformatics and qPCR were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), while univariate and multivariate analyses were used to select prognostic indicators for the gene signature. A signature-based nomogram was established in a training cohort (n = 191) and validated in an external cohort (n = 263). Eleven DEGs were identified between metastatic and non-metastatic NPC. Four of these (AK4, CPAMD8, DDAH1 and CRTR1) were used to create a gene signature that effectively categorised patients into low- and high-risk metastasis groups (training: 91.1 versus 70.4%, p < 0.0001, C-index = 0.752; validation: 88.4 versus 73.9%, p = 0.00057, C-index = 0.741). IC with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) improved distant metastasis-free survival in low-risk patients (94.4 versus 85.0%, p = 0.043), whereas patients in the high-risk group did not benefit from IC (72.6 versus 74.9%, p = 0.946). Our transcriptomics-based gene signature was able to reliably predict metastasis in locoregionally advanced NPC and could be used to identify candidates that could benefit from IC + CCRT. • Transcriptomics identified 11 DEGs between metastatic and non-metastatic NPC. • A four-DEG signature categorised patients into low and high-risk metastasis groups. • IC improved distant metastasis-free survival in patients in the low-risk group. • The signature can reliably predict metastasis in locoregionally advanced NPC. • The signature could be used to identify candidates that could benefit from IC + CCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Heat shock transcription factors belong to the heat shock factor (HSF) protein family, which are involved in heat shock protein (HSP) gene regulation. They are critical for cell survival upon exposure to harmful conditions. In this study, we identified and characterized a HSF1 (LvHSF1) gene in Litopenaeus vannamei, with a full-length cDNA of 2841 bp and an open reading frame encoding a putative protein of 632 amino acids. Through multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, it was revealed that LvHSF1 was closed to insect HSF family, which contained a highly conserved DNA-binding domain, oligomerization domains with HR-A/B, and a nuclear localization signal. Tissues distribution showed that LvHSF1 was widely expressed in all tissues tested. And it was upregulated in hemocytes and gills after Vibrio alginolyticus or Staphylococcus aureus infection. Dual-luciferase reporter assays indicated that LvHSF1 activated the promoters of L. vannamei HSP70 (LvHSP70) and L. vannamei Cactus (LvCactus), while inhibited the expressions of Drosophila antimicrobial peptide (AMP) Atta, Mtk, and L. vannamei AMP PEN4 through NF-κB signal transduction pathway modification. Knocked-down expression of LvHSF1 by dsRNA resulted in downregulations of LvHSP70 and LvCactus, as well as cumulative mortality decreasing under V. alginolyticus or S. aureus infection in L. vannamei. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that LvHSF1 is involved in LvHSP70 regulation, therefore plays a great role in stress resistance. And it also takes part in LvCactus/LvDorsal feedback regulatory pathway modification of L. vannamei, which is in favor of V. alginolyticus or S. aureus infection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A quasi solid state crystallization transformation process was developed. [•] Micro-meso-macroporous catalysts are constructed from zeolite nanocrystals. [•] The crystallization transformation process was investigated in detail. [•] The resultant hierarchically porous materials show superior catalytic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transparent conducting films (TCFs) were fabricated for the electrodes of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); three types of film were studied. The as-prepared SWCNT TCFs displayed a relatively low sheet resistance of 82.6 Ω/sq at 80.7 T% with a relatively large surface roughness of 30 nm. The TCFs were top-coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to obtain PEDOT:PSS-coated TCFs. The PEDOT:PSS cover improved the conductivity and decreased the surface roughness to 12 nm at the cost of film transmittance. The SWCNT TCFs mixed with PEDOT:PSS (PM-TCFs) exhibited a high conductivity (70.6 Ω/sq at 81 T%) and a low surface roughness (3 nm) and were thus selected as the best TCFs for OLEDs. Blue flexible OLEDs with 4,4′-bis(2,2′-diphenylvinyl)-1,1′-biphenyl (Dpvbi) as the emitting layer were fabricated on TCFs with the same structures to evaluate the performances of the different types of SWCNT films for use in OLEDs. Of these three types of OLEDs, the PM-TCF devices exhibited the optimal performance with a maximum luminance of 2587 cd m−2 and a current efficiency of 5.44 cd A−1. This result was explored using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to further study the mechanisms that are involved in applying SWCNT TCFs to OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The combination of nab-paclitaxel, cisplatin and capecitabin (TPC) as induction chemotherapy followed by cisplatin concurrent chemoradiotherpay showed good tolarance and anti-tumor effecacy in patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma. • The MTD of nab-paclitaxel is 225 mg/m2, that combined with cisplatin and capecitabine as induction chemotherapy, followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy. • The RP2D of nab-paclitaxel is 200 mg/m2. Nab-paclitaxel is a promising albumin-bound paclitaxel with a therapeutic index superior to that of docetaxel, but the optimal dose of nab-paclitaxel combined with cisplatin and capecitabine as induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy for patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains unknown. This was an open-label, single-arm study investigating the safety and efficacy of nab-paclitaxel + cisplatin + capecitabin as IC for three cycles, followed by cisplatin CCRT, conducted by using the standard "3 + 3" design in LA-NPC. If more than one-third of the patients in a cohort experienced dose-limiting toxicity (DLT), the dose used in the previous cohort was designated the maximum tolerated dose (MTD). The recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) was defined as one level below the MTD. From 29 May 2021 to 17 March 2022, 19 patients with LA-NPC were enrolled, one patient withdrew informed consent. Two DLTs occurred in cohort 4 (grade 4 febrile neutropenia and grade 3 peripheral neuropathy), and an MTD was established as 225 mg/m2. The most frequent grade 3 or 4 adverse events were neutropenia (16.7 %), hypertriglyceridemia (16.7 %), leukopenia (5.6 %) and peripheral neuropathy (5.6 %) during IC. The RP2D is nab-paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 on day 1, combined with cisplatin 75 mg/mg2 on day 1 and capecitabin1000 mg/m2 on days 1–14, twice a day, every 3 weeks, for three cycles as an IC regimen prior to CCRT. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04850235. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Re-induction therapy could not improve tumor control of subsequent radiotherapy. • Re-induction therapy impaired locoregional relapse-free survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. • Re-induction therapy impaired progression-free survival of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. • Re-induction therapy increased grade 3–4 hematological toxicities. Unsatisfactory tumor response to induction chemotherapy (IC) is an adverse prognostic factor of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LANPC). A re-induction strategy which applies additional cycles of an alternative IC regimen prior to radiotherapy (RT) has been adopted. A total of 419 LANPC patients who attained suboptimal response (stable disease or disease progression) according to the Response Evaluation in Solid Tumors (RECIST) guideline after initial IC were retrospectively included. They were divided into those who received additional cycles of re-induction regimen prior to RT (re-induction group, n = 87) and those who had no additional chemotherapy (direct to RT group, n = 332). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to adjust for potential confounders. Tumor response and long-term survival were compared between two groups. After receiving a second IC regimen, 39.1% of the patients in re-induction group attained partial response; however, the tumor control of subsequent RT was not significantly improved when compared with direct to RT group (patients attaining complete response after RT 55.2% vs. 52.5%, P = 0.757). Patients who received re-induction therapy showed worse locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those proceeded directly to RT (3-year LRFS 75.7% vs. 83.1%, P = 0.005; 3-year PFS 62.4% vs. 68.3%, P = 0.037). The increased hematological toxicities were observed in re-induction group that included grade 3–4 anemia, thrombocytopenia and liver enzyme increase. Re-induction therapy decreased LRFS and PFS and increased toxicities among patients who attain suboptimal response to initial IC regimen, as compared with direct to RT strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]