•Slow heating rates during sintering reduce metallic glass devitrification.•The effect of temperature gradient during SPS was reduced through parameter manipulation.•Crystallinity showed a higher ...impact on the anticorrosive behavior than porosity for this metallic glass alloy.
Due to the necessity of developing new materials with better anti-corrosive properties, bulk metallic glasses are the focus of many research projects. In this study, a metallic glass with Fe48Cr15Mo14C15B6Y2 composition was produced by high-pressure atomization spray and densified by Spark Plasma Sintering. Different sintering cycles, temperatures, and pressures were carried out to conserve the amorphous structure while increasing its density. The temperatures used for this study were below the glass transition temperature, and the uniaxial force was variated between 50 and 400 MPa. Amorphous samples with nearly 98% of relative density were obtained. The effect of the sintering cycle used on the phase transformation and microstructure of the materials was studied. Additionally, the porosity and crystallinity were related to the corrosion resistance properties through electrochemical characterization.
Abstract Background We compared clinical outcomes of associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS) against those of classical 2-stage hepatectomy in treating ...metastatic liver disease. Methods Short-term outcomes, serial changes in volume of the future liver remnant (FLR), functional FLR volume, and tumor growth activity during the treatment period, were compared between our first 11 consecutive patients treated with ALPPS and 54 patients treated with classical 2-stage hepatectomy. Results Mortality in the ALPPS group (9%) tended to be higher than in the classical 2-stage group (2%, P = 0.341). The FLR hypertrophy ratio (FLR volume after vs. before the procedure) 1 week after the first operation in the ALPPS group (1.54 ± 0.18) exceeded that in the classical 2-stage group (1.19 ± 0.29, P = 0.005), being similar to the ratio at 3 weeks after the first procedure in the classical 2-stage group (1.40 ± 0.43). However, functional volume of the FLR in the ALPPS group 1 week after the first procedure (52.1%) tended to be smaller than that in the classical group 3 weeks after the first procedure (59.2%). Conclusions ALPPS should be used with extreme caution, giving special attention to postoperative complications and grade of functional liver regeneration.
To detect and track structural changes in atomic nuclei, the systematic study of nuclear levels with firm spin-parity assignments is important. While linear polarization measurements have been ...applied to determine the electromagnetic character of gamma-ray transitions, the applicable range is strongly limited due to the low efficiency of the detection system. The multi-layer Cadmium-Telluride (CdTe) Compton camera can be a state-of-the-art gamma-ray polarimeter for nuclear spectroscopy with the high position sensitivity and the detection efficiency. We demonstrated the capability to operate this detector as a reliable gamma-ray polarimeter by using polarized 847-keV gamma rays produced by the Formula: see text(Formula: see text) reaction. By combining the experimental data and simulated calculations, the modulation curve for the gamma ray was successfully obtained. A remarkably high polarization sensitivity was achieved, compatible with a reasonable detection efficiency. Based on the obtained results, a possible future gamma-ray polarimetery is discussed.
PurposeTo determine the correlation of the degree of aniseikonia with the retinal displacements and metamorphopsia in patients that have undergone successful epiretinal membrane (ERM) ...surgery.MethodsSubjects were 28 eyes with an ERM in 28 patients. The New Aniseikonia Test (NAT) and M-CHARTS were used to quantify the degree of preoperative and postoperative aniseikonia and metamorphopsia. We also evaluated the distance between the intersections of 2 sets of retinal vessels situated vertically or horizontally by using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images in 28 patients.ResultsThe vertical score of M-CHARTS (MV) was not significantly improved, but the horizontal score of M-CHARTS (MH) was significantly improved at 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months postoperatively. The preoperative NAT score was significantly correlated with the preoperative MH. The NAT score at 3 months was significantly correlated with the MH at 3 months and the MV at 3 months. The preoperative NAT score was significantly correlated with the ratio of the vertical retinal displacement at 1 month and at 3 months after surgery. However, the NAT scores did not improve significantly at any postoperative times.ConclusionsThe degree of aniseikonia was significantly correlated with the degree of metamorphopsia and the tangential displacement of the retina after ERM surgery. Aniseikonia is difficult to improve and metamorphopsia may be a more sensitive parameter to detect the functional recovery after successful ERM surgery.
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•Backward extrusion of internal splines cup using pulsating motion was developed.•Seizure was prevented even for liquid lubricant without conversion coatings.•Inner of cup was ...re-lubricated by negative pressure with pulsating motion.
To use liquid lubricants for cold forging and extrusion operations causing severe deformation without phosphate-conversion coatings, automatic re-lubricating using pulsating motion of a servo press was enhanced. In backward extrusion of a cup with internal splines, negative pressure for supplying the lubricant to the inner surface of the cup was generated under the punch bottom by the pulsating motion. Since the punch grooves are not fully filled with metal during extrusion, the gaps are formed in the grooves, and thus the liquid lubricant is supplied through these gaps up to the punch bottom without completely taking the punch from the cup. The effects of the holding time after each punch upstroke, the viscosity of the lubricant and the number of cycles on the seizure prevention and the surface quality of the formed cup were examined from experiments of extrusion with pulsating motion. To shorten the forming time, lubricant pockets on a punch bottom and billet top and increase in punch upstroke were employed.
This study aimed to investigate the utility of low-energy virtual monochromatic imaging (VMI) combined with deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) in improving the delineation of endoleaks (ELs) ...after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) in contrast-enhanced dual-energy CT (DECT).
A total of 61 consecutive patients (mean age, 77 years; 46 men) after EVAR who underwent contrast-enhanced DECT were enrolled. Virtual monochromatic 40- and 70-keV images were reconstructed using DLIR (TrueFidelity-H) and conventional hybrid iterative reconstruction (IR). Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the EL on the venous-phase CT was calculated. Four different reconstructed image series (hybrid IR and DLIR at two energy levels, 40- and 70-keV) were displayed side-by-side and visually assessed for EL conspicuity on a 5-point comparative scale from 0 (best) to −4 (significantly inferior). Two experienced radiologists independently conducted a qualitative evaluation of the CT images.
A total of 30 out of 61 patients presented with an EL. On both 40- and 70-keV images, the CNR of the EL was significantly higher in DLIR than in hybrid IR (40-keV, 14.5 ± 7.3 vs 8.6 ± 4.2, P<0.001; 70-keV, 8.7 ± 4.5 vs 5.5 ± 2.6, P<0.001). The comparative scale of EL conspicuity in the 40-keV DLIR images (Observer1, -0.2 ± 0.4; Observer2, 0.0 ± 0.0) was significantly higher than 40-keV hybrid IR (Observer1, -0.5 ± 0.5; Observer2, -1.0 ± 0.0; P<0.05), 70-keV DLIR (Observer1, -1.8 ± 0.4; Observer2, -2.0 ± 0.0; P<0.001) and 70-keV hybrid IR images (Observer1, -1.8 ± 0.4; Observer2, -2.4 ± 0.5; P<0.001), respectively.
Using 40-keV VMI in combination with DLIR improves EL delineation after EVAR compared with the 70-keV VMI with hybrid IR or DLIR.
•Low-energy virtual monochromatic imaging (VMI) improves the contrast of iodine contrast media.•Deep-learning image reconstruction (DLIR) subdues the increase in image noise.•A 40-keV VMI with DLIR improves endoleak delineation more than the conventional method.
ADCs may help distinguish benign from malignant head and neck diseases. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of ADC for differentiating between carcinomas and lymphomas of the nasopharynx and ...oropharynx.
We retrospectively compared the ADCs between 24 histologically proved lymphomas and 32 carcinomas, including 8 NPCs and 7 lymphomas of the nasopharynx, and 24 SCCs and 17 lymphomas of the oropharynx. ADCs were determined on tumor-by-tumor (overall ADCs) and pixel-by-pixel (ADC mapping) bases by using 2 b-values (500 and 1000 s/mm(2)).
Lymphomas and oropharyngeal SCCs had unique histologic features in terms of keratinization, cell attenuation, stromal areas, and necrosis and had distinctive ADCs (0.503 ± 0.099 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for lymphomas and 0.842 ± 0.164 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for SCCs). However, NPCs and lymphomas were similar in terms of these histologic features, exhibiting comparable ADCs (0.567 ± 0.057 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for NPCs and 0.528 ± 0.094 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for lymphomas). Poorly and moderately differentiated SCCs with homogeneous T2 signals were indistinguishable from lymphomas on conventional MR images; however, ADCs of these SCC subtypes were significantly larger than those of lymphomas. ADC mapping profiles with respect to percentage of tumor areas of extremely low, intermediate, and high ADC levels were well-correlated with the histologic features of lymphomas, NPCs, and different types of SCCs.
The effectiveness of ADC-based differentiation between lymphomas and carcinomas of the nasopharynx and oropharynx depends on their histologic characteristics.
Purpose
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a role in the immunosuppressive state in pancreatic cancer patients. We aimed to evaluate the changes of immune cells population including Tregs caused by ...gemcitabine (GEM)-based chemotherapy.
Methods
Fifty-three patients with pancreatic cancer were enrolled in this study, of which 32 received GEM- based chemotherapy. Blood samples were collected before and at least 2 weeks after the last dose of chemotherapy. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were subjected to flow cytometry analysis after labeling with anti-CD4, anti-CD25, and anti-Foxp3 antibodies. Other lymphocytes and NK cell markers were also measured. The proliferative capacity of PBMCs stimulated with anti-CD3 was analyzed using H
3
thymidine.
Results
The percentage and number of Tregs were significantly decreased after chemotherapy (
p
= 0.032,
p
= 0.003, respectively). The other immune cells and the proliferative capacity did not change.
Conclusion
This study showed that GEM-based chemotherapy produced an immunomodulatory effect via the depletion of Tregs.
CD133 and CD44 are putative cancer stem cell (CSC) markers in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, their clinical significance is currently unclear. Here, we evaluated primary CRC cell isolates to ...determine the significance of several CSC markers, including CD133 and CD44, as predictors of tumourigenesis and prognosis.
CD133- and CD44-positive cells from fresh clinical samples of 77 CRCs were selected by flow cytometric sorting and evaluated for tumourigenicity following subcutaneous transplantation into NOD/SCID mice. Cancer stem cell marker expression was examined in both xenografts and a complementary DNA library compiled from 167 CRC patient samples.
CD44(+), CD133(+) and CD133(+)CD44(+) sub-populations were significantly more tumourigenic than the total cell population. The clinical samples expressed several transcript variants of CD44. Variant 2 was specifically overexpressed in both primary tumours and xenografts in comparison with the normal mucosa. A prognostic assay using qRT-PCR showed that the CD44v2(high) group (n=84, 5-year survival rate (5-OS): 0.74) had a significantly worse prognosis (P=0.041) than the CD44v2(low) group (n=83, 5-OS: 0.88).
CD44 is an important CSC marker in CRC patients. Furthermore, CRC patients with high expression of CD44v2 have a poorer prognosis than patients with other CD44 variants.
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