Search

Single-screw extruders and injection molding machines are essential equipment in polymer processing. It is of great importance for the optimization of operating parameters and the design of extrusion screw to predict the throughput of an extruder and the metering time of an injection molding machine according to the geometric parameters of the screw, operating parameters, and the rheological behavior of materials. Most polymer melts exhibit non-Newtonian behavior. The lattice Boltzmann method has many advantages in simulating the flow of non-Newtonian fluids. Herein, the dimensionless velocity profiles and dimensionless volumetric flow rate of generalized Newtonian fluids in a screw channel have been studied using the two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method (TRT–LBM). The numerical results of power-law fluids are in good agreement with the analytical solutions, which verifies the validity of TRT–LBM. Through research, the change rule of the dimensionless volumetric flow rate of Bingham fluids with dimensionless pressure gradient has been obtained. It was found that the rheological properties of polymer melts and the dimensionless pressure gradient significantly affect the dimensionless velocity profiles and dimensionless volumetric flow rate. The dimensionless volume flow rate has some unexpected changes with the increase of the dimensionless pressure gradient. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the optimization of operating parameters and the design of extrusion screws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Posttranslational modifications (PTMs) could influence many aspects of protein behavior and function in organisms. Protein glycosylation is one of the major PTMs observed in bacteria, which is crucial for functional regulations of many prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine has been recognized as an indispensable tool in the global fight against tuberculosis (TB) worldwide over several decades. Nevertheless, analysis of glycoprotein profiles of BCG has not been clearly investigated. In this study, we performed O‐mannosylated protein analysis in BCG bacteria using gel‐based and gel‐free approaches. In total, 1,670 hexosylated peptides derived from 754 mannosylated proteins were identified. Furthermore, 20 novel protein products supported by 78 unique peptides not annotated in the BCG database were detected. Additionally, the translational start sites of 384 proteins were confirmed, and 78 proteins were validated through the extension of translational start sites based on N‐terminus‐derived peptides. The bioinformatic analysis of the O‐mannosylated proteins was performed and the expression profiles of four randomly selected proteins were validated through Western blotting. A number of proteins involved in metabolic pathways, including the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, oxidative phosphorylation, and two‐component system, are discussed. Taken together, these results offer the first O‐mannosylated protein analysis of a member of mycobacteria reported to date by using complementary gel‐based and gel‐free approaches. Some of the proteins identified in this study have important roles involved in metabolic pathways, which could provide insight into the immune molecular mechanisms of this recognized vaccine strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To provide available quantitative evidence of efficacy and safety of acupuncture treatments for improving sacroiliac joint malposition. Methods. Databases such as the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (CQVIP), Wanfang Database (Wanfang), China Biology Medicine disc (CBMdisc), PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library were searched by computer to collect the reports on acupuncture treatment of sacroiliac joint malposition from the database creation to July 20, 2021. The selection of included studies, data extraction and coding, and bias risk assessment were conducted independently by two reviewers. RevMan5.4 software was used for meta-analysis, and the results were expressed as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD), with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. Results. A total of 10 randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) with 1019 participants were included. Their overall quality of methodology was not high, and there may be publication bias. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of the treatment group was higher than that of the control group (OR = 2.74 , 95% CI 2.00 to 3.74, P < 0.00001). The treatment group was better than the control group in improving VAS score (WMD = − 1.56 , 95% CI -2.18 to -0.94, P < 0.00001). The ODI score of the treatment group was lower than that of the control group (WMD = − 6.04 , 95% CI -7.05 to -5.02, P < 0.00001). With the improvement of the JOA score, the difference of iliac transverse diameter of sacroiliac joint dislocation and the index of sacroiliac joint malposition in the treatment group were better than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was no significant heterogeneity among the studies. Conclusion. Acupuncture may have therapeutic advantages in improving sacroiliac joint malposition. Acupuncture and acupotomy provide a safe way to improve the related clinical symptoms and functional disorders in activity of sacroiliac joint dislocation. However, due to the low quality of the included literature, this conclusion still needs to be further verified by more high-quality and large-sample RCTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the overall weakening of the macroeconomic situation, the investment growth in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei continued to slow down. This article focuses on the reform and innovation of investment and financing models in the vertical and horizontal collaborative construction of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei infrastructure. Under the framework of the PPP model, this article discusses how to design a market-oriented platform of infrastructure investment and financing model, introduce and use private capital, build remote capital access and exit mechanism, measure the government's financial capacity and financial risks in the PPP model, set up PPP institutions, and improve relevant laws and regulations to make the infrastructure construction and operation more efficient, thus promoting the coordinated development of infrastructure construction in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is one of the primary causes of death worldwide. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of TB is one of the most direct means to reduce the incidence of TB. In this study, urinary proteomic profiling of TB patients and non‐TB individual controls (HCs) was performed, and differentially expressed urinary proteins between TB and HCs were compared and exclusively expressed proteins in TB patients were selected to establish a clinically useful disease marker panel. In total, these top 11 targeted proteins with 265 peptides were scheduled for multiple reaction monitoring validation analysis by using urine samples from 52 TB patients and 52 HCs. The result demonstrated that a three‐protein combination out of the five‐protein panel (namely P22352, Q9P121, P15151, Q13291, and Q8NDA2) exhibited sensitivity rate of 82.7% in the diagnosis of TB. Furthermore, the three‐protein combination could differentiate TB from the latent tuberculosis (LTB) effectively, which exhibited specificity rate of 92.3% for the diagnosis of TB from the LTB category. Although more numbers of clinical samples are required for further verification, the results provided preliminary evidence that this "three‐protein combination" out of the five‐protein panel could probably be a novel TB diagnostic biomarker in clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysfunction of Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), an NAD+-dependent histone deacetylase, impairs varied mitochondrial metabolic pathways in human cancer. Here, we explored suppressive activity of SIRT3 in the progression of gallbladder cancer (GBC). Expression levels of SIRT3 in patients with GBC were lower than those in the adjacent normal tissue. In addition, decreased expression of SIRT3 in these patients was correlated with poor overall survival. Knockdown of SIRT3 gene in GBC cell lines induced mitochondrial respiration and energy metabolism, but inhibited oxidative ROS. Silence of SIRT3 gene also suppressed AKT-dependent ferroptosis, an iron-dependent and lipid peroxide-mediated cell death. Blockade of AKT activity in sh-SIRT3 cells induced ACSL4 expression that drives ferroptosis, and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal (EMT) markers and invasive activity. In contrast, overexpression of SIRT3 led to the opposite effects on mitochondrial metabolism and EMT. Finally, transplantation of sh-SIRT3 cells in nude mice resulted in rapid tumor growth and larger tumors that expressed lower E-cadherin and lipid peroxide 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) than those observed in control tumors. Collectively, our studies indicate that SIRT3 functions to inhibit AKT-dependent mitochondrial metabolism and EMT, leading to ferroptosis and tumor suppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this letter, a novel eighth‐mode ridged substrate integrated waveguide (EMRSIW) is proposed by bisecting the RSIW resonator along the virtual magnetic walls. The EMRSIW shows a size of nearly one‐eighth of a conventional RSIW resonator and a significant size reduction compared to the conventional eighth‐mode SIW resonator. A prototype of a third‐order bandpass filter with transmission zeros has been designed and tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum interleukin (IL)-17A level is associated with higher microvessel density and poor prognosis in liver cancer. However, the specific mechanism underlying the role of IL-17A in liver cancer remains controversial. In the present study, the effect of IL-17A on liver cancer cells was examined. IL-17A had no evident impact on vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) production in HepG2 and Huh7.5 cells as determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and ELISA, but it did stimulate angiogenic CXC chemokine secretion, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL6 and CXCL8 in Huh7.5 cells and CXCL2 in HepG2 cells. In addition, the production of angiostatic chemokines such as CXCL10 was not affected. The supernatant of Huh7.5-IL17A cells promoted endothelial cell chemotaxis, which was attenuated by the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CXCR2) inhibitor SB225002. Although there was no role of IL-17A in promoting in vitro cell proliferation, IL-17A markedly increased the tumor growth of Huh7.5 cells in both subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models with increased vascularization. Taken together, these results demonstrated that IL-17A may stimulate chemokine-induced angiogenesis and promote tumor progression, independent of VEGF signaling. The CXCL-CXCR2 axis may be a novel target for the anti-angiogenesis treatment of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aims of this study were to determine the effect of curcumin on osteosarcoma (OS) cells due to inactivation of the p-JAK2/p-STAT3 pathway and evaluate the prognostic value of this pathway in OS. Materials and methods: We exposed a human OS cell line (MG-63) to different concentrations of curcumin. Then, we characterized the effects on MG-63 cells using assays (cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle, wound healing, invasion), flow cytometry, Western blot, immunohistochemical analyses, and tumor xenograft. Results: The half-maximal inhibitory of curcumin for MG-63 cells at 24 hours was 27.6 µM. The number of colonies of MG-63 cells was decreased obviously upon curcumin (10 and 20 µM) treatment. We also found increased accumulation of MG-63 cells in the G2/M phase upon curcumin (10 and 20 µM) treatment. Apoptosis was increased in 10 and 20 µM curcumin-treated MG-63 cells. After incubation of physically wounded cells for 24 hours, the percentage wound width increased upon curcumin exposure. Curcumin obviously decreased the expression of pJAK-2 and pSTAT-3 in MG-63 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Curcumin dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MG-63 cells and induced arrest of the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis by inhibiting the p-JAK2/p-STAT3 pathway. The linear correlativity between expression of p-JAK2 and STAT3 was very prominent, and both were closely associated with lung metastasis. In vivo study suggested that curcumin suppressed tumor growth through JAK2/STAT3 signaling. Conclusion: Curcumin-mediated inhibition of the proliferation and migration of MG-63 cells was associated with inactivation of JAK/STAT signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive carbon emissions and environmental pollution from electric power industries make China accelerate the promotion of renewable energy power. Since then, Tradable Green Certifications (TGCs) and Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) systems have been adopted as a main energy policy to deepen the current power sector reform. A recursive computable general equilibrium model will be constructed to explore the impacts of TGC and RPS policies under 4 scenarios. The simulation results show that the implementation of TGC and RPS policies will reduce 1.12 Bt-CO2 emissions and 1040.31 Mtce energy consumptions at most in 2030. Moreover, the TGC and RPS policies will help to rebuild a sustainable economic structure by the limitation of fossil energy consumption and output; especially in coal and oil industries, the spread of TGC and RPS makes renewable energy electricity become fungible for other energy generation. Nevertheless, this policy will also cause a lot of economic loss in gross domestic product through the huge deterioration of fossil energy-related industries, which will be expressed in the dramatic decline of output, consumption, and import and export trade. Additionally, we discover that the RPS level will have a significant influence on TGC prices: the higher the RPS level, the more the expensive TGC price. Overall speaking, the RPS level of 30% would be a better choice for the balance between the development of renewable energy and the negative impact on macroeconomics. It is recommended that the implementation of the TGC and RPS level should be with other economic policies to reduce the negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is associated with a heterozygous inherited mutation of the menin 1 (MEN1) gene; however, the molecular pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, whole exome sequencing was performed on two pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs), termed T1 and T2, peri-tumoral tissue (PT) and a blood sample obtained from a patient with MEN1. The cells in T1 and T2, but not PT, showed loss of chromosome 11 where MEN1 was located, confirming that the loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of MEN1 was a crucial event in tumorigenesis. PT exhibited chromosome copy number variations (CNVs), suggesting that CNVs may occur ahead of MEN1-associated tumorigenesis. The ploidy, CNVs and somatic point mutations were completely different in T1 and T2, showing the first evidence that multiple PNETs in patients with MEN1 are heterogeneous and arise from polyclonal origins. With the except of one recurrent and possibly benign mutation, no other suspicious driver mutations were identified in the tumors. By contrast, accompanying several chromosome losses, germline heterozygous mutations in the tumor suppressor genes, mucin 6, oligomeric mucus/gel-forming (MUC6), and G protein-coupled receptor 17 (GPR17) showed loss of heterozygosity in the two tumors, or in T2, respectively. These data demonstrated that chromosome instability may aggravate inherited mutations other than MEN1, thus contributing to the tumorigenesis in MEN1-associated PNETs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High performance supercapacitors are promising to address the rising energy conversion and storage challenges. Revealing the role of heteroatom incorporation and nanoparticle anchoring in modifying the capacitive properties of graphene-based electrodes is scientifically important to boost the supercapacitor performance, but technically challenging. We demonstrate a simple, but efficient route to fabricate porous graphene with effective heteroatom incorporation and metal nanoparticles anchoring by laser direct writing metal-coated polyimide films. Silver (Ag), copper (Cu), titanium (Ti), and tellurium (Te) are introduced into the porous laser-induced graphene (LIG) as dopants and nanoparticles. Compared to Ti and Te, Ag and Cu exhibit high incorporation efficiency. Incorporation of Ag and Cu into the LIG sheets results in high level disorder and structure expansion, which contributes to the enhanced capacitive performance. All-solid-state micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) made from the metal-incorporated LIGs (M-LIGs) were assembled. The capacity performance of M-LIG-based MSCs exhibits a similar variation trend with respect to the metal type. Besides, the M-LIG-based MSCs exhibit excellent capacitance stability at a bending angle beyond 150°. The results suggest that the effective metal doping and the metal nanoparticle modification could elevate the structural defect density in graphene, therefore contributing to high carrier density and enhanced capacitive performance. [Display omitted] Brief Summary: we demonstrate a rapid laser direct writing method to fabricate LIGs doped with various metal atoms. Flexible all-solid-state micro-supercapacitors (MSCs) using the metal-doped LIG electrodes were assembled. According to the morphological and structural characterization of the metal-modified LIGs, the mechanism about the effect of metal doping and nanoparticle modification on graphene property is discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-translational modifications regulate many aspects of protein behavior and provide options for expanding protein functionality in organisms. Protein phosphorylation is one of the major PTMs observed in bacteria, which are involved in regulating a myriad of physiological processes. Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) has been recognized as an important weapon in the fight against tuberculosis (TB) worldwide for over 80 years. In this study, we conducted phosphoproteomic analysis in BCG bacteria using gel-based and gel-free complementary approaches and high-resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry. In total, 501 phosphopeptides derived from 398 phosphoproteins were identified, representing the first phosphoproteomic analysis of BCG reported to date. Thirty-three novel protein products supported by 36 unique phosphorylated peptides were detected. Additionally, the translational start sites of 28 proteins were confirmed, and 31 proteins were validated through the extension of translational start sites based on N-terminus-derived peptides. The expression of three randomly selected phosphoproteins was validated through Western blotting. A number of proteins involved in metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation and two-component system, are discussed. We believe some of the proteins identified in this study may represent potential targets for the development of novel antibiotics for treating TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) is a common and regulated process of gram-negative bacteria. Nonetheless, the processes of Shigella flexneri OMV production still remain unclear. S. flexneri is the causative agent of endemic shigellosis in developing countries. The Congo red binding of strains is associated with increased infectivity of S. flexneri . Therefore, understanding the modulation pattern of OMV protein expression induced by Congo red will help to elucidate the bacterial pathogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the proteomic composition of OMVs and the change in OMV protein expression induced by Congo red using mTRAQ-based quantitative comparative proteomics. mTRAQ labelling increased the confidence in protein identification, and 148 total proteins were identified in S. flexneri -derived OMVs. These include a variety of important virulence factors, including Ipa proteins, TolC family, murein hydrolases, and members of the serine protease autotransporters of Enterobacteriaceae (SPATEs) family. Among the identified proteins, 28 and five proteins are significantly up- and down-regulated in the Congo red-induced OMV, respectively. Additionally, by comprehensive comparison with previous studies focused on DH5a -derived OMV, we identified some key node proteins in the protein–protein interaction network that may be involved in OMV biogenesis and are common to all gram-negative bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An invisible radome is presented and realized by using an unprecedented technique, which is transparent at the operating frequency and is invisible at frequencies ranging from 4.5 to 12.5 GHz. In order to prevent undesired reflection of the incoming power, ultra-thin wideband metamaterial absorbers loaded with LLumar glass are employed for the first time, which can avoid the need for the complex and unstable manufacture of resistive surfaces. Convoluted crossed slot arrays are utilized so as to obtain the pass-band at the frequency 2 GHz in a limited unit cell. Furthermore, the experimental prototype is manufactured and measured. From the results obtained by both numerical simulations and measurements, the properties of the radome are verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since 1921, Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) has been recognized as an important vaccine to prevent tuberculosis worldwide. Nonetheless, a global analysis of BCG proteome has not been clearly investigated. In this study, we performed an in-depth proteomic analysis of BCG under an in vitro cultivation condition using SDS-PAGE and high resolution Fourier transform mass spectrometry. In total, 3434 proteins (35,259 unique peptides) including 512 transmembrane proteins were identified, covering ~87% of the predicted BCG proteome. Seven pseudogene protein products were also obtained and validated by RT-PCR at gene transcript level. Additionally, translational start sites of 832 proteins were confirmed and 186 were extended using N-terminus-derived peptides. The physicochemical characteristics of all identified proteins were determined. Some predominant proteins, including PE and PPE family proteins, lipoproteins, heat shock proteins, transport proteins and low molecular weight protein antigens, are discussed, which represent potential prominent antigens in the humoral and cellular immune response. This study represents the most comprehensive BCG proteome to date, which will likely facilitate the design of vaccination and immunodiagnostic strategies against TB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lipases are important enzymes for various biotechnological applications. By using functional expression screening, lipZ03, a novel lipase gene, was isolated from a soil-derived metagenomic library. The gene was supposed to encode a protein of 617 amino acids with a C-terminal targeting signal region and four potential N-linked glycosylation sites. The protein sequence shared a conserved GXSXG motif (X represents any amino acid residue) with other microbial lipases. Gene lipZ03 was expressed in Pichia pastoris and the molecular weight was estimated to be approximately 65 kDa by electrophoresis. The optimum reaction temperature and pH value for LipZ03 was 50°C and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme was highly stable in the temperature range of 40-60°C and under alkaline conditions (pH 8-10). Lipolytic activity was significantly enhanced by Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions, but dramatically inhibited by Cu2+, Ni2+ and Hg2+ ions and EDTA. The purified enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed relatively long-chain triacylglycerols and was a true lipase rather than an esterase. Using a multi-stepwise methanol supply, the purified LipZ03 achieved a conversion yield of biodiesel production up to 74% after 36 h. Some interesting characteristics described here showed that the recombinant lipase may have potential to be a useful enzyme in industrial applications. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for survival and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a cohort of Chinese HCC patients after hepatectomy and to compare 6 developed staging systems. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 165 consecutive patients. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate survival. Postoperative prognostic factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. The overall predictive power of each staging system was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The overall survival rates of 1, 3, and 5 years were 81.2%, 58.6%, and 56.7%, respectively, and the corresponding disease-free survival rates were 52.9%, 23.3%, and 15.5%, respectively. α-fetoprotein level and blood transfusion were correlated significantly with patients'' overall survival, and portal vein thrombosis and tumor size (>5 cm) were correlated significantly with poor disease-free survival. Conclusions: The French staging system is better for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients receiving surgical treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease with high infection and mortality rates. 5%–10% of the latent tuberculosis infections (LTBI) are likely to develop into active TB, and there are currently no clinical biomarkers that can distinguish between LTBI, active TB and other non-tuberculosis populations. Therefore, it is necessary to develop rapid diagnostic methods for active TB and LTBI. In this study, urinary metabolome of 30 active TB samples and the same number of LTBI and non-TB control samples were identified and analyzed by UPLC-Q Exactive MS. In total, 3744 metabolite components were obtained in ESI- mode and 4086 in ESI + mode. Orthogonal partial least square discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) showed that there were significant differences among LTBI, active TB and non-TB. Six differential metabolites were screened in positive and negative mode, 3-hexenoic acid, glutathione (GSH), glycochenodeoxycholate-3-sulfate, N -[4′-hydroxy-(E)-cinnamoyl]- l -aspartic acid, deoxyribose 5-phosphate and histamine. The overlapping pathways differential metabolites involved were mainly related to immune regulation and urea cycle. The results showed that the urine metabolism of TB patients was disordered and many metabolic pathways changed. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that GSH and histamine were selected as potential molecular markers, with area under curve of receiver operating characteristic curve over 0.75. Among the multiple differential metabolites, GSH and histamine changed to varying degrees in active TB, LTBI and the non-TB control group. The levels of GSH and histamine in 48 urinary samples were measured by ELISA in validation phase, and the result in our study provided the potential for non-invasive biomarkers of TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobial therapy remains one of the major global challenges, particularly in the absence of effective treatment strategies for drug‐resistant bacteria. In this study, a comprehensive treatment approach is proposed for drug‐resistant bacterial wound infections based on the development of thermal‐cascade multifunctional therapeutic systems (MTSs), spanning from the design of functional nanoscale materials to macroscopic smart hydrogel. Within the MTSs, functional antibiotic‐loaded hybrid nanoclusters enable targeted therapeutic delivery and synergistic mild hyperthermia‐antibiotic treatment, strongly suppressing drug‐resistant bacteria while demonstrating excellent biocompatibility with normal cells and tissues. Furthermore, near‐infrared irradiation can trigger the photothermal effects of hybrid nanoclusters to induce gelation of thermal‐sensitive hydrogel, forming MTSs to serve as highly adaptable, drug‐enriched protective dressings for infected wounds. Both in vitro and in vivo results substantiate that MTSs enhance the bioavailability of therapeutic agents (including bacterial internalization and tissue penetration), exert synergistic effects to completely eradicate drug‐resistant bacteria, promoted wound healing and revascularization, and demonstrate excellent biocompatibility. This work offers an innovative demonstration to address drug‐resistant bacterial infections through the advancement of sophisticated material systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alarming settlement has been observed during the operation of transport infrastructures built on soft clay areas. Considering the long duration of traffic load, analyzing the long-term cyclic behavior of saturated soft clay considering different drainage conditions is of considerable significance. In this study, a series of cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on undisturbed soft clay from Wenzhou under the partially drained and undrained conditions, respectively. The test results reveal that: (a) more permanent strain was generated of the soft clay specimen under partially drainage condition, which is due to the volume change caused by both the decrease of void ratio and the shape deformation of specimens; (b) under partially drained condition, the resilient strain and hysteretic loops both exhibit a sudden increase in strain due to transient softening induced by excess pore water generated in the early stage followed by a reduction until a steady value is attained; (c) it is obvious that the allowable cyclic stress ratio (CSR) under undrained condition is larger than that under partially drained condition, indicating that considering partially drained condition is necessary in practical engineering design. • A series of cyclic triaxial tests were performed to investigate the cyclic behavior of saturated soft clay under different drainage conditions. • Considering the long-term nature of the traffic load, analyzing the long-term (30,000 cycles) cyclic behavior of saturated soft clay considering partially drained conditions is of considerable significance. However, in most previous studies, the drainage condition were usually defaulted to non-drainage. • Results from the stress-strain hysteresis loops imply that there is a transitory strain softening under partially drained condition, but not under undrained condition. • The soft clay under partially drained condition has lower allowable cyclic stress ratio (CSR) value, which makes the development of permanent strain more sensitive than that under undrained condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our previous genomic whole-exome sequencing (WES) data identified the key ErbB pathway mutations that play an essential role in regulating the malignancy of gallbladder cancer (GBC). Herein, we tested the hypothesis that individual cellular components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in GBC function differentially to participate in ErbB pathway mutation-dependent tumor progression. We engaged single-cell RNA-sequencing to reveal transcriptomic heterogeneity and intercellular crosstalk from 13 human GBCs and adjacent normal tissues. In addition, we performed WES analysis to reveal the genomic variations related to tumor malignancy. A variety of bulk RNA-sequencing, immunohistochemical staining, immunofluorescence staining and functional experiments were employed to study the difference between tissues with or without ErbB pathway mutations. We identified 16 cell types from a total of 114,927 cells, in which epithelial cells, M2 macrophages, and regulatory T cells were predominant in tumors with ErbB pathway mutations. Furthermore, epithelial cell subtype 1, 2 and 3 were mainly found in adenocarcinoma and subtype 4 was present in adenosquamous carcinoma. The tumors with ErbB pathway mutations harbored larger populations of epithelial cell subtype 1 and 2, and expressed higher levels of secreted midkine (MDK) than tumors without ErbB pathway mutations. Increased MDK resulted in an interaction with its receptor LRP1, which is expressed by tumor-infiltrating macrophages, and promoted immunosuppressive macrophage differentiation. Moreover, the crosstalk between macrophage-secreted CXCL10 and its receptor CXCR3 on regulatory T cells was induced in GBC with ErbB pathway mutations. Elevated MDK was correlated with poor overall survival in patients with GBC. This study has provided valuable insights into transcriptomic heterogeneity and the global cellular network in the TME, which coordinately functions to promote the progression of GBC with ErbB pathway mutations; thus, unveiling novel cellular and molecular targets for cancer therapy. We employed single-cell RNA-sequencing and functional assays to uncover the transcriptomic heterogeneity and intercellular crosstalk present in gallbladder cancer. We found that ErbB pathway mutations reduced anti-cancer immunity and led to cancer development. ErbB pathway mutations resulted in immunosuppressive macrophage differentiation and regulatory T cell activation, explaining the reduced anti-cancer immunity and worse overall survival observed in patients with these mutations. [Display omitted] • Epithelial subtype 1, 2 and 3 were mainly found in the adenocarcinoma and subtype 4 was present in adenosquamous carcinoma. • Tumors with ErbB pathway mutations harbored a larger population of subtype 1 and 2 epithelial cells, Tregs, and M2 macrophages. • Increased MDK in these tumors interacted with its receptor LRP1 to promote immunosuppressive macrophage differentiation. • Crosstalk between macrophage-secreted CXCL10 and its receptor CXCR3 on Tregs was induced in GBC with ErbB pathway mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The progression of gallbladder cancer (GBC) is accompanied by abnormal fatty acid β-oxidation (FAO) metabolism. Different types of lipids perform various biological functions. This study aimed to determine the role of acyl carnitines in the molecular mechanisms of GBC progression. Methods: Distribution of lipids in GBC was described by LC–MS-based lipidomics. Cellular localization, expression level and full-length of lncBCL2L11 were detected using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays, subcellular fractionation assay and 5′ and 3′ rapid amplification of the cDNA ends (RACE), respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments were used to verify the biological function of lncBCL2L11 in GBC cells. Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation (MeRIP) was performed to detect the methylation levels of lncBCL2L11. RNA pull-down assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used to identify lncBCL2L11 interacting proteins. Co-Immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and Western blot assay were performed to validate the regulatory mechanism of lncBCL2L11 and THO complex. Results: Acylcarnitines were significantly up-regulated in GBC tissues. High serum triglycerides correlated to decreased survival in GBC patients and promoted tumor migration. LncBCL2L11 was identified in the joint analysis of highly metastatic cells and RNA sequencing data. LncBCl2L11 prevented the binding of THOC6 and THOC5 and causes the degradation of THOC5, thus promoting the accumulation of acylcarnitines in GBC cells, leading to the malignant progression of cancer cells. In addition, highly expressed acylcarnitines stabilized the expression of lncBCL2L11 through N6-methyladenosine methylation (m6A), forming a positive feedback regulation in tumor dissemination. Conclusions: LncBCL2L11 is involved in gallbladder cancer metastasis through FAO metabolism. High lipid intake is associated with poor prognosis of GBC. Therefore, targeting lncBCL2L11 and its pathway-related proteins or reducing lipid intake may be significant for the treatment of GBC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A frequency selective surface with absorptive/ transmissive property is represented. It allows waves at high frequency around 10 GHz to transmit with very low insertion loss by using the resonance between a parallel microstrip LC structure. It also possesses a wide absorption over lower band by inserting lumped resistors into elements. The absorption band is over 3–9 GHz. A prototype is fabricated and its absorptive/ transmissive performance is measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a commonly diagnosed digestive malignancy worldwide. Ras-related protein 1A (RAP1A) is a member of the Ras superfamily of small GTPases and has been recently identified as a novel oncoprotein in several human malignancies. However, its specific role in CRC remains unclear. Method: In this study, we firstly analyzed its expression and clinical significance in a retrospective cohort of 144 CRC patients. Then, cellular assays in vitro and in vivo were performed to clarify its biological role in CRC cells. Finally, microarray analysis was utilized to investigate the molecular mechanisms regulated by RAP1A in CRC progression. Results: Firstly, RAP1A expression was abnormally higher in CRC tissues as compared with adjacent normal tissues, and significantly correlated tumor invasion. High RAP1A expression was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor for CRC patients. Combining RAP1A expression and preoperative CEA level contributed to a more accurate prognostic stratification in CRC patients. Secondly, knockdown of RAP1A dramatically inhibited the growth of CRC cells, while it was opposite for RAP1A overexpression. Finally, the microarray analysis revealed RAP1A promoted CRC growth partly through phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/forkhead box O3(FOXO3)/cyclin D1(CCND1) signaling pathway. FOXO3 overexpression could partly mimic the inhibitory effect of RAP1A knockdown in CRC growth. Moreover, FOXO3 overexpression inhibited CCND1 expression, but had no impact on RAP1A and PTEN expression. Conclusion: RAP1A promotes CRC development partly through PTEN/FOXO3 /CCND1 signaling pathway. It has a great potential to be an effective clinical biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Myelin protein 0-like 1 (MPZL1) has been reported to have a role in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies on the function and molecular mechanism of MPZL1 gene in gallbladder carcinoma. The present study confirmed that MPZL1 was upregulated in four gallbladder carcinoma tissues according to the mRNA microarray analysis. The results of the immunohistochemical analysis of tissues from 82 patients with gallbladder carcinoma demonstrated that patients with advanced tumor stages (both T and N stage) had higher positive expression of MPZL1. Moreover, a total of 20 cases of gallbladder carcinoma and matched paired paracarcinoma tissues along with 20 samples of healthy gallbladder tissue from patients with cholecystitis were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. The results demonstrated that the expression of MPZL1 in gallbladder carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that of paired paracarcinoma tissues and randomly matched normal gallbladder epithelial tissues. According to the Tumor-Node-Metastasis classification, the expression level of MPZL1 protein in stage IV gallbladder carcinoma was significantly higher than that in stage III gallbladder carcinoma. The enhanced expression of MPZL1 gene appeared to improve the migration ability of GBC-SD cells. Conversely, GBC-SD cells that transfected with MPZL1 siRNA exhibited decreased migration ability. The results of proliferation experiments showed that the knockdown of MPZL1 siRNA caused impairments in GBC-SD cell proliferation. On the contrary, the overexpression of MPZL1 increased the proliferation ability of GBC-SD cells. The results of flow cytometry analyses indicated that the upregulation of MPZL1 had an anti-apoptotic effect on GBC-SD cells. In conclusion, the present study showed that the expression and protein levels of MPZL1 were significantly higher in gallbladder carcinoma tissues, especially in patients diagnosed with advanced tumor stages. Overexpression of MPZL1 may have promoted the invasion, metastasis, proliferation and survival of GBC-SD cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Aneurysm rupture is often a fatal complication of giant intradural aneurysm (GIA) treatments. The purpose of this study was to review aneurysm rupture in GIA treatment.Materials and Methods: We performed a systematic review on aneurysm rupture related to GIA treatment. For each reported case, we collected the following information: aneurysm location, size and rupture status, the mode of treatment, timing of the hemorrhage, anatomical, and hemodynamic factors.Results: We identified 56 aneurysm ruptures related to treatment in 38 published studies. Of the nine intraoperative ruptures, eight occurred during endovascular procedures and one in surgical treatment. Of the 47 delayed ruptures, 72.3% occurred within 2 weeks. The prognosis of intraoperative and delayed ruptures was poor, with 83.9% experiencing death. Of these aneurysms, 75% were initially unruptured. Of the delayed ruptured aneurysms, 21.3% had prior surgical treatment, 74.4% had prior endovascular treatment, and 4.3% had prior combined surgical and endovascular treatments. Vertebrobasilar artery (VBA) location was significantly associated with aneurysm rupture after treatment, occurring at 57.2%. Flow diverter (FD) treatment seemed to elevate the delayed rupture proportion of giant paraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms from 22.0% to 42.9%. FD treatment did not lower the rupture risk of giant VBA aneurysms and the corresponding death rate.Conclusion: Intraoperative and delayed aneurysm ruptures were the most challenging in endovascular treatment of GIAs. Giant VBA aneurysm had the highest rupture risk after treatment. FD seemed to elevate the delayed rupture proportion of giant paraclinoid aneurysms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To improve minimally invasive outcomes, we designed a new procedure, lower abdominal laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LALC). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of LALC versus classical (CLC) and single-incision (SILC) laparoscopic cholecystectomy on reducing systemic acute inflammatory response, improving cosmesis, and postoperative pain relief. Material and methods: Beginning from July 2014, 105 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to three groups: LALC, CLC, and SILC. The primary endpoint was the determination of systemic inflammatory response to the surgery. Other outcome measures included cosmesis, postoperative pain, and perioperative indices. Results: Each of the three groups consisted of 35 patients. The duration of the operation was significantly longer in the SILC group (p = .005). The rates of adverse events were similar. Changes in interleukin-6 (p = .001) and tumor-necrosis factor-α (p = .016) measured before and after surgery differed significantly; patients who underwent LALC had the smallest change in inflammatory response. Cosmesis scores at one (p = .002) and 12 (p = .004) weeks after surgery favored LALC and SILC. Significant differences in pain scores at four (p = .011) and 12 h (p = .024) postoperatively were also observed. Conclusions: In selected patients, LALC shows more advantages in terms of lower systemic inflammatory response, improved cosmesis, and a favorable postoperative pain profile when compared with CLC and SILC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common human malignancy worldwide and increasing studies have attributed its malignant progression to abnormal molecular changes in cancer cells. Nuclear division cycle 80 (NDC80) is a newly discovered oncoprotein that regulates cell proliferation and cycle in numerous malignancies. However, its clinical significance and biological role in CRC remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we firstly analyze its expression in a retrospective cohort enrolling 224 CRC patients and find its overexpression is significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis in CRC patients. In addition, our result reveals it is an independent adverse prognostic factor affecting CRC‐specific and disease‐free survival. The subgroup analysis indicates NDC80 expression can stratify the clinical outcome in stage II and III patients, but fails in stage I and IV patients. In cellular assays, we find knockdown of NDC80 dramatically inhibits the proliferative ability, apoptosis resistance, cell cycle progression, and clone formation of CRC cells in vitro. Using xenograft model, we further prove knockdown of NDC80 also inhibits the tumorigenic ability of CRC cells in vivo. Finally, the microarray analysis is utilized to preliminarily clarify the oncogenic molecular mechanisms regulated by NDC80 and the results suggest it may promote CRC progression partly by downregulating tumor suppressors such as dual specificity phosphatase 5 and Forkhead box O1. Taken together, our study provides novel evidences to support that NDC80 is not only a promising clinical biomarker but also a potential therapeutical target for CRC precise medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEH) is extremely rare, and CT features have never been analyzed in a large group of patients. Methods: A retrospective study was designed to review the contrast-enhanced CT images of HEH patients. Intrahepatic lesions were categorized into three types: nodular, locally coalescent (coalescent lesion contained in one segment) or diffusely coalescent (coalescent lesion occupied more than one segment). CT features were compared among lesions of different sizes and patients with different lesion types. Results: A total of 93 HEH patients were included in this study, and 740 lesions were analyzed. The results of per-lesion analysis showed that medium lesions (2–5 cm) had the highest rate of lollipop sign (16.8%) and target-like enhancement (43.1%), while lesions in large group (> 5 cm) had the highest rate of capsular retraction (38.8%) and vascular invasion (38.8%). The differences on enhancement pattern and the rates of lollipop sign and capsular retraction were significant among lesions of different sizes (p < 0.001, respectively). The results of per-patient analysis showed that patients in locally coalescent group had the highest rates of lollipop sign (74.3%) and target sign (94.3%). All patients in diffusely coalescent group had capsular retraction and vascular invasion. CT appearances of capsular retraction, lollipop sign, target sign and vascular invasion differed significantly among patients with different lesion types (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, p = 0.006 and p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: CT features variated among HEH patients with different lesion types, and radiological appearances of HEH should be classified into nodular type, locally coalescent type and diffusely coalescent type. Key points: CT appearances of HEH differed significantly among lesions of different sizes. HEH lesions were categorized into three types: nodular, locally and diffusely coalescent. CT characteristics of HEH variated greatly among the three lesion types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

T-cell leukemia/lymphoma-1A (TCL1A) as a stem cell marker is abundantly expressed in embryonic stem cells and has been identified as an oncogene in various hematological malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia and B-cell lymphoma. However, with regard to its role in solid tumors, few studies are available and less are for colorectal cancer (CRC). In this study, we aim to investigate the expression and clinical significance of TCL1A in a cohort of 278 stage II/III CRC patients. As a result, we find TCL1A expression is higher in CRC tissues than that in adjacent normal tissues, and significantly correlated with tumor differentiation, TNM stage and Ki-67 positive rate. The prognostic analysis suggests that TCL1A expression is an independent factor affecting CRC-specific and disease-free survival of these patients. Furthermore, we find stage II/III patients with high TCL1A expression have a significantly higher rate of postoperative local recurrence and metastasis than those with low TCL1A expression. Finally, through subgroup analysis, we find TCL1A expression can stratify the outcome of stage II/III patients who received standard adjuvant chemotherapy. Taken together, our findings suggest TCL1A is not only a useful biomarker for prognostic evaluation in stage II/III CRC patients, but also a promising therapeutic target for improving their clinical outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of our chemically synthesized TT-00420, a novel spectrum-selective multiple protein kinase inhibitor, in cultured cells and animal models of gallbladder cancer (GBC) and explore its potential mechanism. Methods: Multiple GBC models were established to assess the anti-tumor efficiency, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics of TT-00420. Integrated transcriptomic, proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis was conducted to identify potential downstream effectors of TT-00420. Western blotting, qRT-PCR, nuclear-cytoplasm separation, and immunofluorescence were performed to confirm the multi-omic results and explore the molecular mechanism of TT-00420. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect FGFR1 and p-FGFR1 expression levels in GBC samples. Autodock software was utilized to investigate the potential binding mode between the TT-00420 and the human FGFR1. Results: We found that TT-00420 exerted potent growth inhibition of GBC cell lines and multiple xenograft models. Treatment of mice with 15 mg/kg TT-00420 via gavage displayed a half-life of 1.8 h in the blood and rapid distribution to the liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen, and tumors at 0.25 h, but no toxicity to these organs over 2 weeks. Multi-omic analysis revealed c-Jun as a potential downstream effector after TT-00420 treatment. Mechanistically, TT-00420 showed rigorous ability to block FGFR1 and its downstream JNK-JUN (S63/S73) signaling pathway, and induce c-Jun S243-dependent MEK/ERK reactivation, leading to FASLG-dependent tumor cell death. Finally, we found that FGFR1 and p-FGFR1 expression was elevated in GBC patients and these levels correlated with decreased patient survival. Conclusions: TT-00420 shows potent antitumor efficacy and may serve as a novel agent to improve GBC prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of maximizing the utilization of resources through reasonable deployment under limited resources, this paper studies from two aspects: one is to establish the mathematical model of maximum coverage of space detection, and the other is to improve the harmony algorithm. The exploration performance and convergence performance of the harmony search algorithm are analyzed theoretically, and the more general formulas of exploration performance and convergence performance are proved. Based on theoretical analysis, the algorithm called opposition-based learning parameter adjusting harmony search is proposed. By using the algorithm to test the functions of different properties, the value range of key control parameters of the algorithm are given. The proposed algorithm is applied to optimize the problem of radar deployment. This paper takes a certain area of the Shandong Peninsula as the deployment scope. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is effective and practical. Although there is a large amount of calculation, it provides ideas and ways for other problems, such as the site selection of new observation and communication post, the deployment of maneuvering radar stations, and the track planning of fleet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Soy isoflavones are natural tyrosine kinase inhibitors closely associated with decreased morbidity and mortality of various tumors. The activation of tyrosine kinases such as ERBB2 is the mechanism by which cholecystitis transforms into gallbladder cancer (GBC), therefore, it is important to investigate the relationship between long-term exposure to soy isoflavones and the occurrence and progression of GBC. This case-control study (n = 85 pairs) found that the high level of plasma soy isoflavone—genistein (GEN) was associated with a lower risk of gallbladder cancer (≥326.00 ng/mL compared to ≤19.30 ng/mL, crude odds ratio 0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.59; P for trend = 0.016), and that the level of GEN exposure negatively correlated with Ki67 expression in GBC tissue (n = 85). Consistent with these results, the proliferation of GBC cells was inhibited in the long-term exposure models of GEN in vitro and in vivo. The long-term exposure to GEN reduced the tyrosine kinase activity of ERBB2 and impaired the function of the PTK6-AKT-GSK3β axis, leading to downregulation of the MCM complex in GBC cells. In summary, long-term exposure to GEN associated with soy products intake might play a certain role in preventing GBC and even inhibiting the proliferation of GBC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is among the most common malignancies of biliary tract system due to its limited treatments. The immunotherapeutic targets for T cells are appealing, however, heterogeneity of T cells hinds its further development. We systematically construct T cell atlas by single-cell RNA sequencing; and utilized the identified gene signatures of high_CNV_T cells to predict molecular subtyping towards personalized therapeutic treatments for GBC. We identified 12 T cell subtypes, where exhausted CD8+ T cells, activated/exhausted CD8+ T cells, and regulatory T cells were predominant in tumors. There appeared to be an inverse relationship between Th17 and Treg populations with Th17 levels significantly reduced, whereas Tregs were concomitantly increased. Furthermore, we first established subtyping criterion to identify three subtypes of GBC based on their pro-tumorigenic microenvironments, e.g., the type 1 group shows more M2 macrophages infiltration, while the type 2 group is infiltrated by highly exhausted CD8+ T cells, B cells and Tregs with suppressive activities. Our study provides valuable insights into T cell heterogeneity and suggests that molecular subtyping based on T cells might provide a potential immunotherapeutic strategy to improve GBC treatment. • Providing a valuable resource in unveiling the diverse T cell heterogeneity in GBCs. • Three molecular subtypes were established from the characteristics of T cells. • The type 1 group shows substantial infiltration of M2 macrophages. • The type 2 group displays infiltration by highly exhausted CD8+ T, B and Treg cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A vehicle model with active suspension system is built, and the LQG control algorithm is adopted with both road roughness and the roll moment of car body as disturbance signals of vehicle system, the optimal control force for vehicle steering operation is calculated. Then a co-simulation on the coordinated control of the ride comfort and handling stability of vehicle running on A-class road and C-class road is conducted with step and single-cycle sine wave inputs of steering wheel respectively. The results show that compared with passive suspension, the coordinated control strategy proposed for active suspension can enhance the handling stability of vehicle without impeding the improvement of ride comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dilute sulfuric acid was used to pretreat eucalyptus chips prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. After both pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis processes. Attention is paid to sugar recovery. The maximum total sugars yield (combined xylose and glucose, 47.69 g/100 g raw material, representing 82% of total sugars in the eucalyptus biomass) was obtained at 160 °C, 0.75% acid concentration and 10 min residence time, which is consider to be the best reasonable conditions for the dilute acid pretreatment of eucalyptus, corresponding concentrations of acetic acid, HMF, and furfural in the prehydrolysate were about 2.01 g/L, 0.13 g/L and 1.37 g/L, respectively. Under this optimal pretreatment condition, the acid-insoluble lignin recovery in the insoluble solid resulting from enzymatic hydrolysis, was 22.7 g/100 g raw material, representing 80% of acid-insoluble lignin in the eucalyptus biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) image, the underwater shipwreck targets are often buried by sediment or badly damaged. Only a part of the characteristics of artificial objects is retained. In this paper, firstly, based on the analysis of the ocean buried background, the Meanshift filtering is used to smooth the original image and convert the color image into binary one. Secondly, the residual contour of artificial target is extracted through the modified Canny edge detection algorithm. Thirdly, the Region Growing method is taken to remove the discrete interference and keep the intact edge of the line. Consideration with the principle of line alignment, the contours of shipwreck targets are gradually connected and aggregated. Finally, a large amount of measured practical SAS images are tested. The experimental results verified that the proposed algorithm can accurately detect the shipwreck target based on residual contour information, meanwhile with an acceptable timeliness for large size sonar image data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is the most common cancer type of the biliary tract, and an association has been found between chronic calculous cholecystitis (CCC) and an increased incidence of GBC mortality. An understanding of the relationship between CCC and its carcinogenesis may enable us to prevent and cure GBC. In this study, we attempted to explore changes in the microbiome profile that take place during the transition from chronic cholecystitis mucosa to malignant lesions. Results: Seven paired human GBC and CCC samples were provided by patients who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy or radical cholecystectomy. Mucosal DNA extraction and metagenomic sequencing were performed to evaluate changes in the microbiota between the two groups. We found that GBC patients and CCC patients shared similar stable and permanent dominant species and showed apparent differences in their biliary microbial composition and gene function. Peptostreptococcus stomatis and Enterococcus faecium may potentially play a role in GBC progression. In addition, the metagenomic species profiles, co‐abundance and co‐exclusion correlations, and CAZyme prevalence showed significant differences between the CCC and GBC groups. Conclusion: Our data suggested that changes in the microbiota between CCC and GBC may help deepen our understanding of the complex spectrum of different microbiotas involved in the development of GBC. Although the cohort size was small, this study has presented the first evidence of the existence of an altered biliary microbiota in GBC, which is clearly different from that in CCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although guidelines recommend extended surgical resection, radical resection and lymphadenectomy for patients with tumor stage (T)1b gallbladder cancer, these procedures are substantially underutilized. This population‐based, retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate treatment patterns and outcomes of 401 patients using the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2013. Results showed that median overall survival (OS) was 69 months for lymphadenectomy patients and 37 months for those without lymphadenectomy. Lymphadenectomy also tended to prolong cancer‐specific survival (CSS), although the differences were not statistically significant. OS and CSS were similar for patients who received simple cholecystectomy and extended surgical resection. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed survival advantages in patients with stage T1bN0 gallbladder cancer compared to those with stage T1bN1, and patients who received simple cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy compared to those who did not receive lymph node dissection. In further analyses, patients undergoing simple cholecystectomy who had five or more lymph nodes excised had better OS and CSS than those without lymph node dissection. In conclusion, survival advantages are shown for patients with T1b gallbladder cancer undergoing surgeries with lymphadenectomy. Future studies with longer follow‐up and control of potential confounders are highly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite of the high lethality of gallbladder cancer (GBC), little is known regarding molecular regulation of the tumor immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we determined tumor expression levels of YKL-40 and the molecular mechanisms by which YKL-40 regulates escape of anti-tumor immune surveillance. We found that elevated expression levels of YKL-40 in plasma and tissue were correlated with tumor size, stage IV and lymph node metastasis. Single cell transcriptome analysis revealed that YKL-40 was predominantly derived from M2-like subtype of infiltrating macrophages. Blockade of M2–like macrophage differentiation of THP-1 cells with YKL-40 shRNA resulted in reprogramming to M1-like macrophages and restricting tumor development. YKL-40 induced tumor cell expression and secretion of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), thus coordinating to promote PD-L1 expression mediated by PI3K, AKT and/or Erk activation. Interestingly, extracellular GDF15 inhibited intracellular expression of GDF15 that suppressed PD-L1 expression. Thus, YKL-40 disrupted the balance of pro- and anti-PD-L1 regulation to enhance expression of PD-L1 and inhibition of T cell cytotoxicity, leading to tumor immune evasion. The data suggest that YKL-40 and GDF15 could serve as diagnostic biomarkers and immunotherapeutic targets for GBC. • Increased YKL-40 in plasma were correlated with tissue expression of YKL-40 and GBC progression. • Blockade of YKL-40 in M2-like macrophages resulted in M1-like macrophage reprogramming. • YKL-40 promoted GDF15 secretion, which in turn inhibited intracellular GDF15 function that suppressed PD-L1 expression. • YKL-40 and GDF15 induced PD-L1 expression and abrogated cytotoxicity of infiltrating CD8+ T lymphocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) was cyclized by heating in an inert atmosphere and then dissolved in sulfuric acid and oxidized by nitric acid, resulting in product named OCPAN. The OCPAN was dissolved along with PAN and spun into fibers, getting modified PAN fiber (MPAN), to realize self-crosslinking and direct carbonization. The chemical structure of the OCPAN and its compatibility and co-carbonization effects with PAN were characterized through characterization methods of optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The structure and properties of the resultant carbon fibers were investigated by scanning electron microscope and monofilament strength tester. The results show that ketone aromatic heterocycles are produced in OCPAN, which are able to promote the formation of a stable structure of carbon network and produce crosslinking with PAN molecules. The carbon yield of the MPAN fiber after direct carbonation under 900 °C temperature in nitrogen is 23% higher than that of the PAN fiber without oxidation carbonized under the same condition, while the strength of the final carbon fiber is a bit lower than that derived from the PAN fiber through pre-oxidation. Therefore, the direct carbonation of PAN fiber is basically realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of this study was to report the prevalence of liver haemangioma and describe growth rates by age. Methods A retrospective study of people undergoing a health examination. The collected data included gender, age, presence or absence and size of liver haemangioma. A second database of liver haemangioma patients with a minimum follow up period of 5 years was analysed. The collected data included gender, initial age at diagnosis, follow-up period, initial and final size. Results Patients were divided into four age groups: 20–29 years, 30–39 years, 40–49 years and ≥50 years. Patients in the 20–29 years group had the lowest prevalence of liver haemangioma (1.78%) and the smallest size (1.3 ± 0.7 cm), while 40–49 years group had the highest prevalence (3.94%) and largest size (1.9 ± 1.3 cm). Patients between 30 and 39 years had the greatest increase in haemangioma size (4.0 cm, (3.0, 6.0) cm), while patients of ≥50 years had the least (1.4 cm (0.5, 3.8) cm). The proportion of patients without an increase in haemangioma size increased with age (P = 0.031). Conclusion Age is an important factor affecting the prevalence and growth rate of liver haemangioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Failure to differentiate benign and malignant hilar bile duct stenosis may lead to inappropriate treatment. We retrospectively analyzed the methods for differentiation. Materials and methods A total of 53 patients with hilar bile duct stenosis were included, comprising 41 malignant cases (hilar cholangiocarcinoma) and 12 benign cases (six primary sclerosing cholangitis and six IgG4-associated sclerosing cholangitis). Data of clinical histories, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and liver pathologies were collected, and comparison was made between benign and malignant groups. Results Compared with malignant group, patients in the benign group were more likely to have multiorgan involvement of clinical histories ( P < 0.001). There was no difference on bilirubin, liver enzyme, and serum tumor marker between the two groups, whereas serum IgG4 levels were higher in the benign group ( P = 0.003). Patients in the benign group were more likely to have pancreatic changes ( P < 0.001) and multiple-segmental bile duct stenosis ( P < 0.001) on imaging. Compared with the malignant group, patients in the benign group were more likely to show severe periportal inflammation in noninvolved liver ( P < 0.001), fibrosis around intrahepatic bile duct ( P < 0.001), and more IgG4-positive plasma cells ( P < 0.001) on liver pathology. Conclusions Benign lesion should be considered for patients with history of multiorgan involvement, pancreas changes, or multiple-segmental bile duct stenosis on imaging. Liver biopsy could be helpful for differential diagnosis before surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium permanganate, nitrate and acetate acid precursors of manganese were used to as precursors of manganese to prepare dispersed manganese oxides on MCM-41 catalysts (MnO x /MCM-41), in order to compare the structure and activity. MnO x /MCM-41 were synthesized by impregnation method and calcined at different temperatures. The catalytic properties of these materials were investigated for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol using hydrogen peroxide as oxygen source. Catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N 2 adsorption, H 2 temperature programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectra. It was observed that the varieties of manganese precursors and calcination temperature affect the oxidation state and reducibility of MnO x , which play significant role in the catalytic process. The catalysts prepared from the potassium permanganate and acetate precursors exhibited the outstanding catalytic activity, which could be related to the reducibility of the surface Mn δ+ oxo species. It was found that the Mn 4+ and Mn 3+ oxo species present a higher intrinsic activity than that of Mn 2+ oxo species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although radiotherapy (RT) provides potential benefits for patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) that are unsuitable for operation, the specific role of adjuvant RT in HCC after hepatectomy remains ill defined. The current study's aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of adjuvant RT for centrally located HCCs after narrow-margin (<1 cm) hepatectomy. Study Design: The study included 119 patients with centrally located HCCs who underwent narrow-margin hepatectomy between July 2007 and March 2012. Patients were prospectively randomized to receive adjuvant RT (n = 58) or were assigned to a control group (n = 61). Surgical outcomes, safety, and survival rates were evaluated. Results: Hepatectomy was successfully performed in all patients. No cases of radiation-induced liver disease were observed. One-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 78.1%, 56.5%, and 36.9% in the adjuvant RT group and 72.4%, 40.1%, and 16.0% in the control group, respectively (p = 0.06, log-rank test). Corresponding overall survival rates were 96.2%, 72.6%, 48.4%, and 89.6%, 74.5%, 37.2%, respectively (p = 0.48, log-rank test). One-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates in patients with small-diameter tumors (≤5 cm) were 88.8%, 67.4%, 42.9% in the adjuvant RT group and 82.3%, 42.9%, 21.5% in the control group (p = 0.03, log-rank test). Corresponding overall survival rates were 97.5%, 75.3%, 75.3%, and 94.7%, 84.1%, 65.4%, respectively (p = 0.92, log-rank test). Conclusions: Adjuvant RT for centrally located HCCs after narrow-margin hepatectomy was technically feasible and relatively safe. No significant between-group difference was observed in recurrence-free and overall survival. The post-hoc subgroup comparison showed that adjuvant RT improved recurrence-free survival considerably, but not overall survival, in patients with small HCCs (≤5 cm). More in-depth studies are needed to validate this finding. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]