Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a cancer with extremely high mortality. Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play an important role in the occurrence, invasion and prognosis of HCC; however, ...its relationship with immunity in HCC has not yet been studied. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic and prognostic values of EMT and explored its potential connections with tumorigenic immune infiltrates in HCC. We first proposed a quantitative metric of EMT activity, the EMT score. After applying this metric to 20 datasets from the Integrative Molecular Database of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, the Cancer Genome Atlas, and the Gene Expression Omnibus, we explored the ability of the EMT score to stratify across sample types. We then applied the EMT score for survival analysis and to differentiate patients with/without vascular invasion to test its prognostic value. We also collected and calculated data on the abundance of immune cells and immune cell markers in HCC and investigated their correlations with EMT scores. Finally, we synthesized and analyzed 20 datasets and constructed an EMT‐gene‐immune linkage network. The results showed higher EMT scores in HCC samples than in cirrhotic and normal livers. The cases with higher EMT scores also showed poorer performance in terms of prognostic factors such as vascular invasion and overall survival time. Our research demonstrated a broad correlation between EMT and the tumor immune microenvironment, and we uncovered multiple potential linkers associated with both EMT and immunity. Studying EMT has clinical relevance and high diagnostic and prognostic value for HCC.
Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play an important role in the occurrence, invasion, and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, its relationship with immunity in HCC has not yet been studied. Therefore, we investigated the diagnostic and prognostic values of EMT and explored its potential connections with tumorigenic immune infiltrates in HCC.
Waste heat recovery technique is of great importance to improve the coefficient and reduce the emission of greenhouse gas for ship power system. This paper builds the model of a waste heat recovery ...system of single pressure Rankine cycle with heat current method. Combining with the thermo‐electrical analogy method, the global heat current model of waste heat recovery system is obtained, which indicates the direction of heat flow, the distribution of thermal resistance and the relationship of temperatures. Applying the law of Kirchhoff builds a mathematical model of a system with no intermediate nodes temperatures. Considering the variation of physical property and distribution of thermal resistance in phase change heat exchanger, a double nested iteration solving algorithm is proposed. The results show that the heat transfer rates of economizer, superheater evaporator, condenser, and steam receivers are 9.1, 70.42, 143.89, 19.03, 171.98, and 17.28 kW, respectively. With the objective of maximum output of turbine, applying the genetic algorithm obtains the optimal mass flow rate of cycle water, which is 0.53 kg/s and improves the output of turbine from 53.25 to 147.45 kW. Discussions on the optimization model show that decreasing extraction ratio and increasing the mass flow rates of air discharge of compressor will increase the output work of turbine. Both the optimal mass flow rate of cycle water and maximum output work decrease rapidly at first and then change little while the circulation ratio increases. Particularly, the relative variations of mass flow rate and output work are less than 2% while the circulation ratio is larger than 4.
This paper builds the heat current model of a waste heat recovery system of single pressure Rankine cycle. Applying the law of Kirchhoff builds a mathematical model of a system with no intermediate nodes Temperatures. Combining the genetic algorithm establishes the optimization model with the objective of maximum output power of turbine and obtains the optimal mass flow rate of cycle water.
Background： MicroRNA-506（miR-506） has been reported to function in several tumors as a tumor suppressor gene or oncogene. However, the expression and role of miR-506 in pancreatic ductal ...adenocarcinoma（PDAC） remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the phenotype of miR-506 in PDAC.Methods： Using mi RNA in situ hybridization, we examined the expression of miR-506 in 113 PDACs and 87 paired normal pancreatic tissues. We evaluated mi R-506 expression in PDAC cells, normal pancreatic ducts, and acinus/islands, and we analyzed the associations between miR-506 expression and the clinicopathologic characteristics of PDAC patients.Results： miR-506 expression was higher in PDAC than in matched normal pancreatic ductal cells（P 〈 0.001）. On the other hand, the combined group of well and moderately diferentiated PDACs showed higher levels of mi R-506 than the poorly diferentiated ones（P = 0.023）. Moreover, mi R-506 expression was negatively associated with pathologic T category（P = 0.004） and lymph node metastasis（P = 0.033）, suggesting that mi R-506 might inhibit the progression of PDAC.Conclusions： Our results suggest that mi R-506 either plays a role as an oncogene in the tumorigenesis and a tumor suppressor in the progression or serves as a house-keeping, tumor-suppressing mi RNA, whose expression can be activated by oncogenic signals in early development to hinder the progression of PDAC.
The deep and perforating lymphatic anatomy of the upper limb still remains the least described in medical literature.
Six upper limbs with the axillary tissue were harvested from three unembalmed ...human cadavers amputated at the shoulder joint. A small amount of 6% hydrogen peroxide was employed to detect the lymphatic vessels around the deep palmar arch, radial and ulnar neurovascular bundles. A 30-gauge needle was inserted into the vessels and they were injected with a barium sulphate compound. Each specimen was dissected, photographed and radiographed to demonstrate deep lymphatic distribution of the upper limb.
Continuing from the deep lymph vessels of the hand, single or multiple deep collecting lymph vessels have been found along the radial, ulnar, anterior and posterior interosseous neurovascular bundles in the forearm, brachial and deep branchial neurovascular bundles in the upper arm. During their courses, lymph nodes were found setting in the trunk of the radial, ulnar and brachial lymph vessels near or in the cubital fossa, and in the axillar. Perforating lymph vessels have been found near the wrist and in the cubital fossa, which linked the superficial and deep lymph vessels. The direction of lymphatic drainage was from the deep to superficial or superficial to deep vessels.
The deep lymphatic anatomy of the upper limb has been described. The results will provide an anatomical basis for clinical management, educational reference and scientific research.
A new theoretical model for equivalent elastic modulus of MMTC was developed based on the uniform strain assumption while the cobblestone is assumed to be perfectly spherical or ellipsoidal. The ...equivalent elastic modulus derived from the triaxial experiments and theoretical models matched rather closely. To a certain extent, the theoretical models can predict the equivalent elastic modulus of MMTC. Display omitted
Cobblestone–soil mixed ground is a composite comprising cobblestones surrounded by soil. It is typical mixed-face ground encountered during tunnel boring machine (TBM) tunneling, and it may result in cutter wear, jamming of the roller cutterhead, poor TBM performance and cost overruns. The present paper investigates the deformation problem of cobblestone–soil mixed-face ground during TBM excavation. The ground under study is composed of two components (soil matrix and cobblestones) usually firmly bonded together at the interface, and can be regarded as a continuum. Previous studies have proposed many theoretical models for a composite material with two components. Representative models include the parallel model, series model, and effective medium theory model. Nonetheless, these models are limited by their assumptions and preconditions. In the present study, under an assumption of uniform strain, analytical solutions were derived for the equivalent elastic modulus while the cobblestone is assumed to be perfectly spherical or ellipsoidal. Triaxial compression tests were carried out to validate the analytical solutions. The equivalent elastic modulus derived from the triaxial experiments and theoretical models matched rather closely. The analytical solutions are helpful in clarifying the deformation of such ground and enhancing TBM performance.
Background
To determine the relationship between the perforating and deep lymphatic vessels in the knee region for clinical implications.
Methods
Four lower limbs from two unembalmed human cadavers ...were used. Under a surgical microscope, 6% hydrogen peroxide was employed to detect lymph vessels accompanying the small saphenous vein, anterior tibial, posterior tibial and fibular blood vessels all commencing from distal ends of specimens. Each lymphatic vessel was inserted by a 30‐gauge needle and injected with a barium sulphate mixture. Each specimen was dissected, radiographed and photographed to determine the perforating and deep lymphatic vessels in the region.
Results
A perforating lymph vessel was observed in the popliteal fossa of each specimen. It arose from the superficial popliteal lymph node and terminated in the deep popliteal lymph node. The anterior tibial, posterior tibial and peroneal lymph vessels were discovered in the region travelling with the corresponding vascular bundles. After penetrating the vascular aperture of the interosseous membrane between the tibia and fibula, the anterior tibial lymph vessel entered directly into the deep popliteal lymph node or converged to either the posterior tibial or fibular lymph vessel, before entering the node. The posterior tibial and peroneal lymph vessels entered the deep popliteal lymph node. The efferent lymph vessel of the deep popliteal lymph node travelled with the femoral vascular bundle.
Conclusion
The perforating and deep lymphatic vessels in the knee region has been presented and discussed. The information advances our anatomical knowledge and the results will benefit clinical management.
This work highlights to develop an in-situ process to disperse uniformly graphene possessing good interfacial bonds with the matrix of Mg alloy. A homogeneous distribution of graphene in the matrix ...has been successfully obtained through in-situ reduction of graphene oxide (RGO) by sintering process after the graphene oxide (GO) was uniformly dispersed in AZ91 powders. The interface product nano-sized MgO can significantly improve the interfacial bonding strength between RGO and α-Mg with analysis by transmission electron microscopy. The orientation relationships of 2¯00MgO//1¯102¯α‐Mg and 011MgO//24¯23¯α‐Mg with the semi-coherent interface characteristics were clarified for the first time at the interface of MgO/α-Mg, suggesting a good lattice space matching. By employing such process, a composite containing 0.5 wt% of GO shows an 85.7% and 61.4% increase in yield strength and elongation, respectively, over unreinforced AZ91 alloy. The underlying strengthening mechanisms of in-situ reduced graphene oxide are discussed in detail.
•An in-situ process was developed to synthesize magnesium alloy composite reinforced by graphene.•Microstructure and phase composition of oxide films were investigated by OM, SEM, EDS and XRD analysis.•The interfacial structure of Mg composites reinforced with reduced graphene oxide was characterized.•The interfacial reaction mechanisms between GO (graphene oxide) and the Mg metal was studied.
To examine the effects of bone tissue from osteonecrosis of femoral head on the proliferation and differentiation of canine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in vitro culture.
A canine model of ...femoral head osteonecrosis was induced by liquid nitrogen freezing. BMSC were isolated from dog ilium bone marrow by a combination of gradient centrifugation and adherent wall culture. Different bone tissues and BMSC were cultivated indirectly in vitro by co-cultured in Transwell plate. According to the culture media, 3 groups were established: blank group (10%FBS/DMEM), control group (10%FBS/DMEM+ bone tissue from natural femoral head) and experimental group (10%FBS/DMEM+ bone tissue from osteonecrosis of femoral head). Cell proliferation was measured by methyl-thiazol tetrazolium (MTT) method. Cell differentiation was examined by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and its concentration examined. Alizarin red staining method was used to study the calcification effects and Oil red O staining method was used to detect
► A rapid, high throughput method to evaluate zeaxanthin levels in Chinese wolfberry fruit was developed and validated. ► Distinct Chinese wolfberry samples from different locations in China were ...investigated as potential sources for zeaxanthin. ► The fruit produced in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region had the highest level of zeaxanthin reported to date. ► The zeaxanthin content was not always positively correlated to the fruit size. ► Lack of correlation suggests that small fruits may be an economical source for zeaxanthin extraction.
A rapid, high-throughput method was developed to evaluate zeaxanthin levels in Chinese wolfberry fruit, based on the official AOAC (970.64) method. The sample preparation was optimized from the AOAC method with supporting material added to disperse the sample thoroughly. An HPLC method was adopted to replace the time-consuming column separation and spectrophotometric method used previously. Dried Chinese wolfberry fruit was extracted and saponified, simultaneously, in a volumetric flask with a four-solvent blend of hexane:ethanol:acetone:toluene (10:6:7:7); and 40% methanolic potassium hydroxide in order to convert the extracted zeaxanthin dipalmitate to free zeaxanthin in a single step. The flask was placed in a 56°C water bath and shaken at 200rpm for 20min. A normal-phase HPLC method was developed on a silica gel column with an isocratic mobile phase of hexane and ethyl acetate (70:30, v:v). Zeaxanthin was determined to be the dominant carotenoid in Chinese wolfberry fruit. This method was found to be rapid, sensitive and cost-effective for quantitating zeaxanthin in wolfberries compared to the column separation and the spectrophotometric methods traditionally used.
Using the developed method, a total of 30 Chinese wolfberry samples from different growers/locations of China were investigated as potential sources of zeaxanthin. The fruit produced in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region had the highest level of zeaxanthin at greater than 1500mg/kg. The zeaxanthin content was not positively correlated to the size of fruit; suggesting that the low cost, smaller fruits may be an economical source for zexanthin extraction.
This study obtains the analytical inverse system of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) model based on the traditional magnetic field orientation decoupling control mode by analyzing the ...inverse quality of the PMSM. Using the neural network’s excellent approximation ability and well learning functions, a neural network inverse system (NNIS) of the decoupling control system was established by identifying and offline training the back propagation neural network (BPNN) and radial basis function neural network (RBFNN). The data collected from the analytical inverse system of the PMSM model are used to analyze and compare the prediction accuracy and running time of the neural network, so as to optimize the structure and parameters of the neural network. The simulation results of three PMSM decoupling control systems show that the PMSM decoupling control system based on RBF NNIS has good dynamic and static decoupling performance, and robustness.
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