Highly fluorescent CdTe@SiO2 core–shell‐structured spheres (see Figure) are prepared via hydrolysis and condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate in water‐in‐oil emulsions. Systematic results reveal ...that the electrostatic interactions between negatively charged CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) and silica intermediates play a critical role in determining the final structures of the resultant particles. Following this mechanism, the number of CdTe NCs encapsulated in silica spheres is successfully tuned.
The objective of this study was to assess the activity of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-13 (interleukin-13) in blocking high-fat diet-induced obesity and obesity-associated insulin resistance and ...liver steatosis.
C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet and received hydrodynamic delivery of plasmids carrying the mouse Il-13 or Gfp (control) gene. IL-13 blood protein levels, food consumption and body weight of mice were continuously monitored for 8 weeks. Fat and lean masses of treated and control animals were determined at the end of the experiment. Serum concentrations of glucose, insulin and lipids were determined, and mRNA levels of macrophage marker genes in adipose tissue and genes involved in energy metabolism were examined using real-time PCR. Glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests were performed to determine glucose homeostasis. Histochemistry and lipid assays were performed to determine the hepatic lipid accumulation.
Blood concentration of IL-13 was 20 ng ml(-1) 1 week after gene delivery and declined with time. Overexpression of Il-13 prevented high-fat diet-induced weight gain without affecting food consumption. Mice that underwent Il-13 gene transfer showed regular body weight and normal serum concentrations of glucose and insulin, and less lipid accumulation in the liver. Overexpression of Il-13 blocked macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue and suppressed high-fat diet-induced expression of inflammatory F4/80, Cd68 and Mcp1, and elevated the expression of Ucp1 (uncoupling protein 1 gene) responsible for energy expenditure.
These results suggest that suppression of diet-induced inflammation by IL-13 is an effective strategy in preventing diet-induced obesity and obesity-associated insulin resistance and fatty liver.
Purpose
GRID therapy is an effective treatment for bulky tumors. Linear accelerator (Linac)‐produced photon beams collimated through blocks or multileaf collimators (MLCs) are the most common methods ...used to deliver this therapy. Utilizing the newest proton delivery method of pencil beam scanning (PBS) can further improve the efficacy of GRID therapy. In this study, we developed a method of delivering GRID therapy using proton PBS, evaluated the dosimetry of this novel technique and applied this method in two clinical cases.
Materials/Methods
In the feasibility study phase, a single PBS proton beam was optimized to heterogeneously irradiate a shallow 20 × 20 × 12 cm3 target volume centered at a 6 cm depth in a water phantom. The beam was constrained to have an identical spot pattern in all layers, creating a “beamlet” at each spot position. Another GRID treatment using PBS was also performed on a deep 15 × 15 × 8 cm3 target volume centered at a 14 cm depth in a water phantom. Dosimetric parameters of both PBS dose distributions were compared with typical photon GRID dose distributions. In the next phase, four patients have been treated at our center with this proton GRID technique. The planning, dosimetry, and measurements for two representative patients are reported.
Results
For the shallow phantom target, the depth–dose curve of the PBS plan was uniform within the target (variation < 5%) and dropped quickly beyond the target (50% at 12.9 cm and 0.5% at 14 cm). The lateral profiles of the PBS plan were comparable to those of photon GRID in terms of valley‐to‐peak ratios. For the deep phantom target, the PBS plan provided smaller valley‐to‐peak ratios than the photon GRID technique. Pretreatment dose verification QA showed close agreement between the measurements and the plan (pass rate > 95% with a gamma index criterion of 3%/3 mm). Patients tolerated the treatment well without significant skin toxicity (radiation dermatitis grade ≤ 1).
Conclusions
Proton GRID therapy using a PBS delivery method was successfully developed and implemented clinically. Proton GRID therapy offers many advantages over photon GRID techniques. The use of protons provides a more uniform beamlet dose within the tumor and spares normal tissues located beyond the tumor. This new PBS method will also reduce the dose to proximal organs when treating a deep‐seated tumor.
In this paper, we complete the classification of the caps in
PG
(
n
,
q
)
having the property that on every tangent line
L
, there exists a unique point distinct from the tangency point though which ...there is at least one secant line. The examples include the Coxeter cap in
PG
(
5
,
3
)
related to the Mathieu group
M
12
, a set of three noncollinear points in
PG
(
2
,
q
)
and some examples related to hyperovals of projective planes.
Chinese P2P lending platforms have an astonishing default rate of 87.2% based on data available in 2019, which indicates the seriousness of the problem this industry faces. Insufficient regulation ...has resulted in generation of risky services, such as margin finance in 2015 for stock markets and zero down-payment mortgages in 2016 for real estate buyers. Such services are prone to resulting in dramatic losses to investors with the following potential causes: adverse selection caused by information asymmetry of the P2P platform operators, lack of financial knowledge or expertise of the investors, insufficient regulation on P2P platforms, and changes in policies related to stock and real estate markets.
Does “Too Big to Fail” (TBTF) apply to Peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms in China? Are platforms with large Transaction Volumes or large Total Loan Size safer? This paper aims at answering such questions and identifies other factors that have led to defaults of such P2P lending platforms. In order to generate a more robust model that covers a wider range of factors, we adopt two approaches: Failure Prediction Model and Decomposition Methods. The reason why we have adopted this approach was that the factors that caused failure of such P2P platforms were very complicated and varied in nature. Failure Prediction Model is mainly based on the disclosed transaction or financial data. However, Decomposition Method aims at identification of sources of problem from different groups of factors, such as internal operations and external business environment. Also, another contribution of our research is that the data sets that we have used are from three different sources, which provide us a more comprehensive picture about the risks faced by such P2P lending firms.
This study provides evidence that the bond yield, which reflects the liquidity level of the market, is the major reason for P2P platforms’ failure during the research period. Our results also indicate that apart from the size-related factors one also needs to answer the question - “Were platforms with larger Transaction Volumes and Total Loan Sizes safer?” The style factors like the interest rate and ownership, the timing factors like loan maturity and bond yield, and the selectivity factors like popularity are found to be even more significant. Hopefully, our findings could contribute academically to the existing literature in the credit risk estimation of online P2P lending platforms and provide practical support for development of a more effective risk monitoring system for online P2P lending platforms.
This study aims to determine the function of topotecan (TPT) in acute lung injury (ALI) induced by sepsis. The mouse sepsis model was constructed through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). The ALI ...score and lung wet/dry (W/D) weight ratio were applied to evaluate the level of lung injury. Hematoxylin–eosin staining was used to examine the role of TPT in lung tissue in a CLP‐induced ALI mouse model. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the concentrations of inflammatory factors, such as interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), IL‐1β, and tumor necrosis factor‐α. Western blot was used to detect relevant protein levels in the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) pathway. Moreover, 10‐day survival was recorded by constructing the CLP model. The results indicated that TPT could improve lung tissue damage in mice and could significantly reduce lung injury scores (p < 0.01) and the W/D ratio (p < 0.05). Treatment with ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate obtained the similar results with the TPT treatment. Both significantly reduced the inflammatory response in the lungs, including reducing the number of neutrophils and total cells in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), significantly reducing the total protein concentration of the BALF, and significantly inhibiting the activity of MPO. Both also inhibited inflammatory cytokine expression and the levels of NF‐κB pathway proteins induced by sepsis. Furthermore, TPT significantly improved survival in sepsis. TPT improves ALI in the CLP model by inhibiting the NF‐κB pathway, preventing fatal inflammation.
Nickel alloy Inconel 740H, a candidate material for use in ultra-supercritical power plants, is susceptible to solidification cracking during high power deep penetration laser welding. Here we ...examine how cracking is affected by welding variables and determine the locations where the cracks occur experimentally and theoretically. We use a solidification cracking model to calculate the effects of welding variables on cracking and the locations where the cracks form during high power laser keyhole mode welding of IN 740H. The parameters needed for the cracking model are obtained from a well-tested numerical heat transfer and fluid flow model for keyhole-mode welding. Model predictions of cracking and their locations for different welding conditions are verified by experiments.
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•Solidification cracking of nickel alloys during laser welding is poorly understood.•We propose a novel methodology to understand why, when, and where cracking occurs.•A heat and fluid flow and solidification model, and experimental data are used.•Model predictions of cracking locations and conditions are verified by experiments.•The work can be used to prevent weld failures in thick section laser keyhole welds.
Abstract The aims of this study were to investigate the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of epithelial salivary gland tumours in a northern Chinese population and to evaluate the current ...TNM classification system. A demographic and descriptive analysis of 7190 epithelial salivary gland tumours was performed. There were 4654 benign tumours and 2536 malignant tumours. The percentage of tumours located in the parotid, submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary glands was 62.66%, 9.92%, 2.57%, and 24.85%, respectively; 22.26%, 35.76%, 92.97%, and 61.89% of the tumours, respectively, were malignant. Over 90% in the tongue and maxillary sinus were malignant. Warthin tumour, salivary duct carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma were predominant in males, while basal cell adenoma, myoepithelioma, and pleomorphic adenoma were predominant in females. Further, 2.55% of the tumours were in children and adolescents: 44.81% of the tumours were malignant, as opposed to 35.02% in adults. According to the 7th TNM classification, the percentages of T3 and stage III tumours were approximately 10%. Salivary gland tumours show distribution patterns according to histological type, location, and patient age and sex. The limitations of the current TNM classification of salivary gland carcinoma should be considered and revisions made.
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•Influence of the fluid forces on the vibration characteristics of carbon nanotube is studied.•Effect of magnetic fields on vibration characteristics of single-walled nanotube is ...analyzed.•The force of the fluid on the nanotube wall is derived by Hamiltonian variation principle.•The governing equations of vibration frequency are based on the non-local beam model.•The fluid force has a significant influence on the vibration characteristics of nanotubes.
This paper studies the effects of fluid forces and magnetic fields on the vibration characteristics of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT). The force of the fluid on the SWCNT tube wall is derived by using the Hamilton’s variation principle, and the Lorentz magnetic force obtained from Maxwell's relationship. The governing equations of motion are based on the non-local beam model under the action of fluid and longitudinal magnetic field. Moreover, in the present investigation, an analytical approach is also proposed to study the effect of fluid, small-scale effect and longitudinal magnetic field on the vibration frequency of single-walled fluid-conveying carbon nanotube. The numerical results show that the fluid has a significant influence on the vibration characteristics of SWCNTs, and the effect of the high-speed fluid on the carbon nanotube (CNT) wall cannot be neglected.
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