PLA and TPU were melt-blended to form shape memory bio-based blends in order to improve the shape memory effect of PLA. The shape memory behaviors of PLA/TPU blends predeformed under three different ...predeformation temperatures (25, 80, 120 °C) were investigated at various recovery temperatures. At the predeformation temperature of 25 °C, the addition of TPU significantly increased the shape recovery ratio of PLA up to 93.5 ± 0.4 % at 160 °C for the PLA/TPU (50/50) blends. With the increase of predeformation temperatures, the shape fixing ability enhanced, but the ability of shape recovery decreased. In order to consider both fixing and recovery ratios together, an additional denotation of shape memory index to couple both ratios by the multiplication of fixing ratio (R
f
) and recovery ratio (R
r
) was also considered. The sharp increases in the shape memory index curves against recovery temperatures for blends predeformed near the glass transition temperature of PLA were observed in comparison with the gradual, and earliest or latest, increases in the shape recovery curves for those predeformed at room temperature or high temperature. The recovery stress peak temperatures largely corresponded to the predeformation temperatures and increased with increasing the predeformation temperatures, indicating a unique “memory” effect for this type of bio-based blends in terms of recovery stress.
We present high angular resolution observations of the massive star-forming core DR21(OH) at 880 mu m using the Submillimeter Array (SMA). The dense core exhibits an overall velocity gradient in a ...Keplerian-like pattern, which breaks at the center of the core where SMA 6 and SMA 7 are located. The dust polarization shows a complex magnetic field, compatible with a toroidal configuration. This is in contrast with the large, parsec-scale filament that surrounds the core, where there is a smooth magnetic field. The total magnetic field strengths in the filament and in the core are 0.9 and 2.1 mG, respectively. We found evidence of magnetic field diffusion at the core scales, far beyond the expected value for ambipolar diffusion. It is possible that the diffusion arises from fast magnetic reconnection in the presence of turbulence. The dynamics of the DR 21 (OH) core appear to be controlled energetically in equal parts by the magnetic field, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, and the angular momentum. The effect of the angular momentum (this is a fast rotating core) is probably causing the observed toroidal field configuration. Yet, gravitation overwhelms all the forces, making this a clear supercritical core with a mass-to-flux ratio of Asymptotically = to6 times die critical value. However, simulations show that this is not enough for the high level of fragmentation observed at 1000 AU scales. Thus, rotation and outflow feedback are probably the main causes of the observed fragmentation.
Background
Whether continued oral feeding may have a negative impact on healing of postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) is unclear. The aim was to test the hypothesis that oral feeding is ...non‐inferior to enteral feeding in closure of POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy, and to clarify the effects of oral feeding on the duration and grade of POPF.
Methods
This multicentre, non‐inferiority randomized trial of oral or enteral feeding of patients with POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy recruited patients between August 2013 and September 2016. The primary efficacy outcome was the 30‐day fistula closure rate. The prespecified non‐inferiority margin was 15 per cent. Other efficacy outcomes included grade of fistula, and hospital stay and costs.
Results
A total of 114 patients were included, and received oral (57) or enteral (57) feeding. The two groups were balanced in baseline characteristics and no patient was lost to follow‐up. In intention‐to‐treat analysis, oral feeding was non‐inferior to enteral feeding in terms of 30‐day fistula closure rate (88 versus 89 per cent respectively; difference –1·8 per cent, lower limit of 95 per cent c.i. –14·4 per cent; P = 0·020 for non‐inferiority). Compared with enteral feeding, oral feeding significantly reduced hospital costs and duration of stay. No significant differences were noted in the number of patients whose POPF evolved into grade B/C, or other outcomes.
Conclusion
Oral feeding in patients with POPF after pancreatoduodenectomy did not increase the duration or grade of POPF, and was associated with reduced duration of stay and hospital costs. Registration number: NCT01755260 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
Both routes equivalent
Summary
Background
Little is known about the validity of numeric rating scales (NRS) and verbal rating scales (VRS) for itch and itch frequency for assessing itch severity in atopic dermatitis (AD). ...We evaluated the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS®) Itch Questionnaire (PIQ) – itch severity assessment, including multiple NRS, VRS and frequency of itch assessments, in adults with AD and compared their performance.
Methods
Self‐administered questionnaires and skin examinations were performed in 410 patients with AD (aged 18–90 years) in a dermatology practice setting.
Results
PIQ NRS, VRS and frequency of itch had good content validity, strong correlations with one another (Spearman correlations P < 0·001) and weak‐to‐moderate correlations with patient‐oriented eczema measure (POEM), Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), objective SCORing AD (SCORAD) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (P < 0·001) and very good discriminant validity. Changes from baseline in NRS, VRS and frequency of itch were moderately to strongly correlated with one another, and weakly to moderately correlated with other patient‐reported (POEM, SCORAD itch, DLQI) and clinician‐reported outcomes (EASI, objective SCORAD). NRS and VRS worst itch and average itch showed moderate‐to‐good test–retest reliability. There were no floor or ceiling effects for NRS or VRS itch, but there were ceiling effects for itch frequency. Each assessment was completed in < 1 min by all patients.
Conclusions
NRS, VRS and frequency of itch items from PIQ – itch severity showed good content and construct validity, reliability, and/or responsiveness in adults with AD, and were feasible for use in clinical trials and practice.
What is already known about this topic?
Numeric rating scales (NRS), verbal rating scales (VRS) and frequency of itch have been used to assess the burden of itch.
However, there have been limited results demonstrating their validity, responsiveness, interpretability and feasibility, particularly in atopic dermatitis (AD).
What does this study add?
This study demonstrated that NRS, VRS and frequency of itch items from the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS®) Itch Questionnaire (PIQ) – itch severity assessments had good construct validity, responsiveness, reliability and feasibility in the assessment of adult AD.
PIQ NRS, VRS and frequency of itch all appear to have sufficient validity, reliability and feasibility for use as assessments of itch in adults with AD in clinical practice and trials.
What are the clinical implications of this work?
PIQ NRS and VRS are all simple, valid, reliable and feasible for use in clinical practice and trials to assess itch in adults with AD.
Linked Comment: Oosterhaven. Br J Dermatol 2020; 183:802–803.
What is already known about this topic?
Numeric rating scales (NRS), verbal rating scales (VRS) and frequency of itch have been used to assess the burden of itch.
However, there have been limited results demonstrating their validity, responsiveness, interpretability and feasibility, particularly in atopic dermatitis (AD).
What does this study add?
This study demonstrated that NRS, VRS and frequency of itch items from the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS®) Itch Questionnaire (PIQ) – itch severity assessments had good construct validity, responsiveness, reliability and feasibility in the assessment of adult AD.
PIQ NRS, VRS and frequency of itch all appear to have sufficient validity, reliability and feasibility for use as assessments of itch in adults with AD in clinical practice and trials.
What are the clinical implications of this work?
PIQ NRS and VRS are all simple, valid, reliable and feasible for use in clinical practice and trials to assess itch in adults with AD.
Linked Comment: Oosterhaven. Br J Dermatol 2020; 183:802–803.
Plain language summary available online
Significance We used massively parallel sequencing to study the size profiles of plasma DNA samples at single-base resolution and in a genome-wide manner. We used chromosome arm-level z -score ...analysis (CAZA) to identify tumor-derived plasma DNA for studying their specific size profiles. We showed that populations of aberrantly short and long DNA molecules existed in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The short ones preferentially carried the tumor-associated copy number aberrations. We further showed that there were elevated amounts of mitochondrial DNA in the plasma of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Such molecules were much shorter than the nuclear DNA in plasma. These findings have shed light on fundamental biological characteristics of plasma DNA and related diagnostic applications for cancer.
The analysis of tumor-derived circulating cell-free DNA opens up new possibilities for performing liquid biopsies for the assessment of solid tumors. Although its clinical potential has been increasingly recognized, many aspects of the biological characteristics of tumor-derived cell-free DNA remain unclear. With respect to the size profile of such plasma DNA molecules, a number of studies reported the finding of increased integrity of tumor-derived plasma DNA, whereas others found evidence to suggest that plasma DNA molecules released by tumors might be shorter. Here, we performed a detailed analysis of the size profiles of plasma DNA in 90 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 67 with chronic hepatitis B, 36 with hepatitis B-associated cirrhosis, and 32 healthy controls. We used massively parallel sequencing to achieve plasma DNA size measurement at single-base resolution and in a genome-wide manner. Tumor-derived plasma DNA molecules were further identified with the use of chromosome arm-level z -score analysis (CAZA), which facilitated the studying of their specific size profiles. We showed that populations of aberrantly short and long DNA molecules existed in the plasma of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The short ones preferentially carried the tumor-associated copy number aberrations. We further showed that there were elevated amounts of plasma mitochondrial DNA in the plasma of hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Such molecules were much shorter than the nuclear DNA in plasma. These results have improved our understanding of the size profile of tumor-derived circulating cell-free DNA and might further enhance our ability to use plasma DNA as a molecular diagnostic tool.
Abstract
We present a large sample of 2.5–38
μ
m galaxy spectra drawn from a cross-archival comparison in the AKARI–Spitzer Extragalactic Spectral Survey, and investigate a subset of 113 star-forming ...galaxies with prominent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission spanning a wide range of star formation properties. With AKARI’s extended 2.5–5
μ
m wavelength coverage, we self-consistently model for the first time
all
PAH emission bands using a modified version of
Pahfit
. We find
L
PAH
3.3
/
L
IR
∼ 0.1%, and the 3.3
μ
m PAH feature contributes ∼1.5%–3% to the total PAH power—somewhat less than earlier dust models have assumed. We establish a calibration between 3.3
μ
m PAH emission and star formation rate, but also find regimes where it loses reliability, including at high luminosity and low metallicity. The 3.4
μ
m aliphatic emission and a broad plateau feature centered at 3.47
μ
m are also modeled. As the PAH feature with the shortest wavelength, the one at 3.3
μ
m is susceptible to attenuation, leading to differences of a factor of ∼3 in the inferred star formation rate at high obscuration with different assumed attenuation geometries. Surprisingly,
L
PAH
3.3
/
L
Σ
PAH
shows no sign of decline at high luminosities, and the low-metallicity dwarf galaxy II Zw 40 exhibits an unusually strong 3.3
μ
m band; both results suggest either that the smallest PAHs are better able to survive under intense radiation fields than presumed, or that PAH emission is shifted to shorter wavelengths in intense and high-energy radiation environments. A photometric surrogate for 3.3
μ
m PAH luminosity using JWST/NIRCam is provided and found to be highly reliable at low redshift.
Background & Aims: Recent studies have emphasized causative links between microRNA (miRNA) deregulations and cancer development. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), information on differentially ...expressed miRNA remained largely undefined. Methods: Array-based miRNA profiling was performed on HCC cells that were derived from chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), and nonviral-associated patients. Specific microRNA (miR)-223 and miR-222 deregulations were verified in an independent series of tumors. The functional effect of miR-223 was examined further. An integrative analysis of messenger RNA (mRNA) array with in silico predictions defined potential downstream targets of miR-223. A luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm target association. Results: Distinct up-regulations of miR-222, miR-221, and miR-31, and down-regulations of miR-223, miR-126, and miR-122a were identified. Further investigations suggested the highly deregulated miR-223 and miR-222 could unequivocally distinguish HCC from adjacent nontumoral liver, irrespective of viral associations ( P ≤ .0002). Re-expression of miR-223 in HBV, HCV, and non-HBV non-HCV–related HCC cell lines revealed a consistent inhibitory effect on cell viability ( P < .01). Integrative analysis further implicated Stathmin 1 ( STMN1 ) as a downstream target of miR-223. A strong inverse relationship between STMN1 mRNA and miR-223 expressions was shown ( P = .006). A substantial reduction in STMN1 protein was further demonstrated upon restoration of miR-223 expression in HCC cell lines. We further showed that miR-223 readily could suppress the luciferase activity in reporter construct containing the STMN1 3' untranslated region ( P = .02). Conclusions: Our study revealed specific miRNA differential expressions in HCC and underscores the potential importance of miR-223 down-regulations in the development of HCC.
Plasma consists of DNA released from multiple tissues within the body. Using genome-wide bisulfite sequencing of plasma DNA and deconvolution of the sequencing data with reference to methylation ...profiles of different tissues, we developed a general approach for studying the major tissue contributors to the circulating DNA pool. We tested this method in pregnant women, patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and subjects following bone marrow and liver transplantation. In most subjects, white blood cells were the predominant contributors to the circulating DNA pool. The placental contributions in the plasma of pregnant women correlated with the proportional contributions as revealed by fetal-specific genetic markers. The graft-derived contributions to the plasma in the transplant recipients correlated with those determined using donor-specific genetic markers. Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma showed elevated plasma DNA contributions from the liver, which correlated with measurements made using tumor-associated copy number aberrations. In hepatocellular carcinoma patients and in pregnant women exhibiting copy number aberrations in plasma, comparison of methylation deconvolution results using genomic regions with different copy number status pinpointed the tissue type responsible for the aberrations. In a pregnant woman diagnosed as having follicular lymphoma during pregnancy, methylation deconvolution indicated a grossly elevated contribution from B cells into the plasma DNA pool and localized B cells as the origin of the copy number aberrations observed in plasma. This method may serve as a powerful tool for assessing a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions based on the identification of perturbed proportional contributions of different tissues into plasma.
Background
Approximately one-quarter of patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) suffer from tumor relapse within the first year after surgical ...resection. Little data is available for inflammatory indices, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI), in predicting the clinical outcome of patients with very early/early stage HCC who underwent curative surgery.
Methods
A retrospective cohort study of 324 patients with BCLC stage 0/A primary HCC undergoing surgical resection was conducted to investigate the prognostic impacts of NLR, PLR, and PNI.
Results
The low-PNI group (<45) had an adverse overall survival (1-year survival rate of 92 vs. 97 %; 5-year survival rate of 57 vs. 82 %;
p
< 0.001) and disease-free survival (1-year survival rate of 69 vs. 85 %; 5-year survival rate of 39 vs. 63 %;
p
< 0.001). It was an independent predictor for disease-specific death, and early and late tumor relapses, with hazard ratios of 2.78 (
p
< 0.001), 1.82 (
p
= 0.011), and 2.55 (
p
= 0.013), respectively. Neither NLR nor PLR had any prognostic significance.
Conclusions
The PNI is a significant prognostic factor for OS and DFS of patients with very early/early stage HCC receiving curative surgery.
Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) originate as circulating monocytes, and are recruited to gliomas, where they facilitate tumor growth and migration. Understanding the interaction between TAM and ...cancer cells may identify therapeutic targets for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is a cytokine-induced adhesion molecule expressed on the surface of cancer cells, which is involved in interactions with immune cells. Analysis of the glioma patient database and tissue immunohistochemistry showed that VCAM-1 expression correlated with the clinico-pathological grade of gliomas. Here, we found that VCAM-1 expression correlated positively with monocyte adhesion to GBM, and knockdown of VCAM-1 abolished the enhancement of monocyte adhesion. Importantly, upregulation of VCAM-1 is dependent on epidermal-growth-factor-receptor (EGFR) expression, and inhibition of EGFR effectively reduced VCAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion activity. Moreover, GBM possessing higher EGFR levels (U251 cells) had higher VCAM-1 levels compared to GBMs with lower levels of EGFR (GL261 cells). Using two- and three-dimensional cultures, we found that monocyte adhesion to GBM occurs via integrin α4β1, which promotes tumor growth and invasion activity. Increased proliferation and tumor necrosis factor-α and IFN-γ levels were also observed in the adherent monocytes. Using a genetic modification approach, we demonstrated that VCAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion were regulated by the miR-181 family, and lower levels of miR-181b correlated with high-grade glioma patients. Our results also demonstrated that miR-181b/protein phosphatase 2A-modulated SP-1 de-phosphorylation, which mediated the EGFR-dependent VCAM-1 expression and monocyte adhesion to GBM. We also found that the EGFR-dependent VCAM-1 expression is mediated by the p38/STAT3 signaling pathway. Our study suggested that VCAM-1 is a critical modulator of EGFR-dependent interaction of monocytes with GBM, which raises the possibility of developing effective and improved therapies for GBM.
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