In the paper, the result on femtosecond laser cutting of alumina substrate is reported. The effects of various conditions such as different focus position, traverse speed, water soluble PVA coating, ...on the cutting quality in terms of kerf width, taper, surface cleanness, cracks, and delamination were studied. The quality of laser cut alumina substrates was evaluated with optical microscope, SEM/EDX, and X-ray micro-CT analysis. The optimum laser cutting conditions were identified. High quality laser cutting of alumina substrates were demonstrated. The developed process has potential application in manufacturing of alumina substrate based electronic devices.
A considerable amount of adiabatic shear bands (ASBs) were obtained by means of the thick-walled cylinder (TWC) external explosive collapse technique. Two types of shear bands with different ...morphologies are distinguished on the cross-section of the tube, which are called deformed band and transformed band, respectively. Cracks are confirmed to develop from the transformed bands rather than the deformed band. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigation indicates that ultrafine grains, with average size less than 100
nm, are produced at the center of the transformed band. At the edge of the transformed band the grains are elongated in the shearing direction. The grains in the matrix are two orders of magnitude larger than those in the transformed band. The precipitation within the shear band and the matrix is quite different. Calculation estimates that the temperature in the shear band exceeds the recrystallization temperature of the 7075 aluminum alloy. It is proposed that dynamic recrystallization occurs in the transformed band and produces the ultrafine grains. Microhardness test results show that the transformed band is much “harder” than the matrix.
• The evolution of shear bands in the Ti-1300 titanium alloy is characterized. • The spacing characters are analyzed. • The effect of orientation on self-organization of shear bands is investigated.
...The distribution characteristics of shear bands were investigated in the Ti-1300 titanium alloy by the thick-walled cylinder (TWC) technique. Self-organization of shear bands was observed and investigated in the single β phase, larger size and content of α phase as well as smaller size and content of α phase in α+β phase. The experimental results indicated obvious differences in the morphology and self-organization behavior of shear bands in these specimens. At the early stage, the spacings of shear bands in the specimens are close. Cracks occur early in the shear bands of the specimen with less α phase. At the later stage, the shear bands in the specimen composed of the single β phase propagate faster than that in the other specimens. The specimen with more α phase has the maximum average nucleation rate. The spacing of shear bands in it is smaller than that in the other specimens. As cracks appear early with heavy unloading, the specimen with less α phase has the largest shear band spacing in the three specimens.
This multicenter, double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, non-inferiority study compared the efficacy and safety of morinidazole with those of ornidazole in women with pelvic inflammatory disease. ...Women from 18 hospitals in China received a 14-day course of either intravenous morinidazole, 500 mg twice daily (
n
= 168), or intravenous ornidazole, 500 mg twice daily (
n
= 170). A total of 312 of 338 patients in the full analysis set (FAS) (92.3%) were included in the per protocol set (PPS) analyses, 61 (19.6%) of whom were included in the microbiologically valid (MBV) population. The clinical resolution rates in the PPS population at the test of cure (TOC, primary efficacy end point, 7–30 days post-therapy) visit were 96.86% (154/159) for morinidazole and 96.73% (148/153) for ornidazole (95% CI: −3.79% to 4.03%). The bacteriological success rates in the MBV population at the TOC visit were 100% (32/32) for morinidazole and 89.66% (26/29) for ornidazole (95% CI: −16.15% to 11.21%). Drug-related adverse events occurred less frequently with morinidazole (32.74%, 55/168) than with ornidazole (47.06%, 80/170) (
p
< 0.01). For women with pelvic inflammatory disease, twice-daily morinidazole for 14 days was clinically and bacteriologically as efficacious as twice-daily ornidazole for 14 days, while the former was associated with fewer drug-related adverse events than the latter.
The capacity of small birds to sustain periods of food shortage largely depends on their ability to adaptively regulate expenditure in response to reduced food supply. To investigate changes in ...thermoregulation during periods of food restriction, we measured changes in the body mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR), organ mass, thyroid hormone levels, and several physiological and biochemical markers, of silky starlings (Sturnus sericeus) subject to 16 days food restriction. Birds in the control group were provided with food ad libitum whereas those in the food restriction (FR) group were provided with half of the usual quantity of food. Oxygen consumption was measured using an open-circuit respirometry system. Mitochondrial state-4 respiration and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) activity in the liver and pectoral muscle were measured with a Clark electrode. The concentrations of T
3
and T
4
in plasma were determined by radioimmunoassay. Starlings in the FR group had lower body mass and BMR compared to the control group. Starlings in the FR group also had lower state-4 respiration and COX activity in the liver and muscle, and lower T
3
/T
4
ratio in plasma, relative to the control group. BMR was positively correlated with body mass, state-4 respiration and COX activity, in liver and muscle tissue. These results indicate that silky starlings can decrease their energy metabolism during periods of food shortage by making a suite of adjustments from the organismal to the biochemical level. These morphological, physiological and biochemical responses could be adaptations that allow starlings to adjust to seasonal changes in food abundance, such as the typically lower food abundance over winter.
The Constrained Molecular Dynamics (CoMD) model is used to describe the properties of nuclear systems near the ground state. A procedure for global optimization of the initial configurations of the ...nuclei is developed. In addition, the neutron skins of various nuclear systems are calculated. Finally, the GDR and GMR spectra of medium-mass nuclear systems are studied. The effect of the model parameters to the spectra is explored. We conclude that an increased compressibility of
K
= 308
MeV
results in increased GDR energy and decreased skin, while the total energy and the GMR energy remain almost unaltered.
Although stable mixed‐hematopoietic chimerism induces robust immune tolerance to solid organ allografts in mice, the translation of this strategy to large animal models and to patients has been ...challenging. We have previously shown that in MHC‐matched nonhuman primates (NHPs), a busulfan plus combined belatacept and anti‐CD154‐based regimen could induce long‐lived myeloid chimerism, but without T cell chimerism. In that setting, donor chimerism was eventually rejected, and tolerance to skin allografts was not achieved. Here, we describe an adaptation of this strategy, with the addition of low‐dose total body irradiation to our conditioning regimen. This strategy has successfully induced multilineage hematopoietic chimerism in MHC‐matched transplants that was stable for as long as 24 months posttransplant, the entire length of analysis. High‐level T cell chimerism was achieved and associated with significant donor‐specific prolongation of skin graft acceptance. However, we also observed significant infectious toxicities, prominently including cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation and end‐organ disease in the setting of functional defects in anti‐CMV T cell immunity. These results underscore the significant benefits that multilineage chimerism‐induction approaches may represent to transplant patients as well as the inherent risks, and they emphasize the precision with which a clinically successful regimen will need to be formulated and then validated in NHP models.
This study refines a regimen of nonmyeloablative conditioning and costimulation blockade plus rapamycin‐based immunomodulation to induce stable, multilineage mixed chimerism for the first time in rhesus macaques, but finds a significant risk of cytomegalovirus reactivation and disease.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in Asia and Africa. Existing antivirals cannot cure HBV or eliminate risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. ...Glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) can inhibit HBV replication, but promote virion secretion and hepatocellular cancer cell invasion. For these reasons, the overall effect of GRP78 on HBV production and whether to utilize the HBV replication-inhibitory effect of GRP78 up-regulation or the hepatocellular cancer cell invasion-inhibitory effect of its down-regulation were further investigated in order to improve the efficacy of current antiviral therapy.
GRP78 regulations in HepG2.2.15 cells were conducted by transfections of expressing vector and small interfering RNA, respectively. The changes in HBV replication, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) synthesis and hepatoma cell motility were monitored.
GRP78 overall decreased HBV production due to its HBV replication-inhibitory effect time-dependently overwhelming virion secretion-promoting effect in HepG2.2.15 cells. Unlike the parental cells (HepG2), HepG2.2.15 cells demonstrated decreased expressions of the major genes in the interferon-β1-dependent pathway. Moreover, the expressions of these genes were not affected by GRP78 regulations. However, GRP78 was found to inhibit HBeAg secretion and to increase the retro-transportation of capsid assembly-interfering HBeAg precursor from the endoplasmic reticulum into the cytosol where new viral nucleocapsids formed. Furthermore, GRP78 overexpression promoted wound healing process (the motility) of HepG2.2.15 cells. In contrast, GRP78 knockdown enhanced HBV replication and HBeAg secretion, but they were abolished by entecavir and furin inhibitor, respectively.
GRP78 mainly demonstrates anti-HBV effects, reducing HBV production and HBeAg secretion. With due regard to the hepatocellular cancer invasion risk of the overexpression and the rectifiability of the unpleasant effects of the knockdown, GRP78 down-regulation may be more suitable to serve as an additive strategy to cover the hepatocellular cancer prevention shortage of current antiviral therapy in the future.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
During endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA), a needle is commonly used with a stylet, although recently the stylet has been omitted. This prospective study ...aimed to compare the quality of specimens obtained by EBUS-TBNA performed with and without a stylet. Between November 2013 and November 2014, 131 patients with lung cancer underwent EBUS-TBNA, with a total of 148 mediastinal or hilar lymph nodes sampled both with and without an inner-stylet, yielding 296 cytological specimens. Specimens were scored cytologically using five parameters: background blood or clot, amount of cellular material, degree of cellular degeneration, degree of cellular trauma, and retention of appropriate architecture. The procedure with a stylet required significantly longer operation time than without a stylet (14.5±0.8 vs 12.7±1.1 min, P<0.001). Excellent specimens were obtained in 261/296 and 260/296 samples in the procedures with and without a stylet, respectively (P=0.9), while the remaining 35 and 36 samples, respectively, were adequate. The diagnosing and staging of lung cancer using EBUS-TBNA did not differ significantly between the groups. In conclusion, specimen collection by EBUS-TBNA without a stylet is easier and faster than the procedure using a stylet and absence of a stylet did not alter specimen quality or diagnostic accuracy.
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