For hybrid-excited doubly salient synchronous machine, both the field excitation current and the d -axis current can be utilized to adjust the flux-linkage, which provides more flexible control ...parameters for flux-weakening operation. In this paper, three flux-weakening control methods, i.e., utilizing field excitation current alone (Method I), utilizing armature current alone (Method II), and optimal method (Method III), are proposed and compared. All three methods can achieve similar torque performance in the constant-torque region. In the flux-weakening region, Method I exhibits low torque and limited operating speed range. The operating speed range can be further extended by Methods II and III. In addition, Method III can provide a higher efficiency in flux-weakening region than Method II since the copper loss of field winding can be decreased in proportion to the reduction of field excitation current. Those flux-weakening control methods are verified by experimental results.
Neutrophils are the most abundant peripheral immune cells and thus, are continually replenished by bone marrow-derived progenitors. Still, how newly identified neutrophil subsets fit into the bone ...marrow neutrophil lineage remains unclear. Here, we use mass cytometry to show that two recently defined human neutrophil progenitor populations contain a homogeneous progenitor subset we term “early neutrophil progenitors” (eNePs) (Lin−CD66b+CD117+CD71+). Surface marker- and RNA-expression analyses, together with in vitro colony formation and in vivo adoptive humanized mouse transfers, indicate that eNePs are the earliest human neutrophil progenitors. Furthermore, we identified CD71 as a marker associated with the earliest neutrophil developmental stages. Expression of CD71 marks proliferating neutrophils, which were expanded in the blood of melanoma patients and detectable in blood and tumors from lung cancer patients. In summary, we establish CD117+CD71+ eNeP as the inceptive human neutrophil progenitor and propose a refined model of the neutrophil developmental lineage in bone marrow.
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•Mass cytometry reveals a very early unipotent human bone marrow neutrophil progenitor•The eNeP discovery provides a complete, unified model of human neutrophil development•eNePs are defined by the distinct surface protein markers CD71 and CD117•CD71+ neutrophils are expanded in blood and tumor of cancer patients
Human neutrophils are produced by bone marrow progenitors that were recently identified, but their developmental lineage remains unclear. Dinh et al. discover an early neutrophil progenitor population (termed “eNeP”) marked by CD117+CD71+ in human bone marrow and provide evidence for neutrophil progenitor expansion in human cancers.
This paper investigates the torque production and the torque ripple reduction of a six-stator/seven-rotor-pole (6/7) variable flux reluctance machine (VFRM). As a main advantage, the 6/7 VFRM ...produces higher torque density, but less torque ripple compared with the 6/4 VFRM. The instantaneous torque equation of the 6/7 VFRM is derived by considering the spectra of the winding inductance and current. Based on the derived equation, the average torque is found to be mainly produced by the mutual inductance between the field and armature windings. The even-order harmonics of self-inductance and odd-order harmonics in mutual inductance between the field and armature windings are eliminated due to the opposite polarity connection of the armature coils in each phase. This results in the elimination of the third harmonic torque ripple, while a multiple of the sixth harmonic torque ripple exists. In order to mitigate the sixth harmonic torque ripple, the harmonic current injection method is implemented into the field winding. The field harmonic current is calculated from the analytical torque ripple equation. The performance of the proposed methods is verified by both finite element analysis (FEA) and experiment.
The effects of exogenous silicon (Si) on time dependent changes of the activities of major antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, SOD; guaiacol peroxidase, GPX; ascorbate peroxidase, APX; ...catalase, CAT; dehydroascorbate reductase, DHAR; and glutathione reductase GR) and of lipid peroxidation (LPO) were investigated in leaves of salt-stressed cucumber (
Cucumis sativus L.). Four treatments with three replicates were investigated consisting of a control (basal nutrients with neither NaCl nor Si added), 1.0
mM Si, 50
mM NaCl and 50
mM NaCl with 1.0
mM Si. Cucumber leaves were harvested 5 and 10 days after treatment and assayed for electrolytic leakage percentage (ELP), hydrogen peroxide (H
2O
2) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content, and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes. Compared with the plants treated with salt alone, added Si significantly decreased ELP and H
2O
2 and TBARS content, and significantly enhanced the activities of SOD, GPX, APX, DHAR and GR in salt-stressed leaves of both cultivars. There was no significant difference in CAT activity between the “NaCl” treatment and “Si + NaCl” treatment for both cultivars. This Si effect was time-dependent and became stronger as the experiments continued. It could be concluded that higher activities of SOD, GPX, APX, DHAR and GR in salt-stressed leaves induced by Si addition may protect the plant tissues from membrane oxidative damage under salt stress, thus mitigating salt toxicity and improving the growth of cucumber plants. The results of the present experiment coincided with the conclusion that Si may be involved in the metabolic or physiological changes in plants.
Consumption of food crops contaminated with heavy metals is a major food chain route for human exposure. We studied the health risks of heavy metals in contaminated food crops irrigated with ...wastewater. Results indicate that there is a substantial buildup of heavy metals in wastewater-irrigated soils, collected from Beijing, China. Heavy metal concentrations in plants grown in wastewater-irrigated soils were significantly higher (
P
≤
0.001) than in plants grown in the reference soil, and exceeded the permissible limits set by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) in China and the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, this study highlights that both adults and children consuming food crops grown in wastewater-irrigated soils ingest significant amount of the metals studied. However, health risk index values of less than 1 indicate a relative absence of health risks associated with the ingestion of contaminated vegetables.
Long-term wastewater irrigation leads to buildup of heavy metals in soils and food crops.
ABSTRACT The events recorded by ARGO-YBJ in more than five years of data collection have been analyzed to determine the diffuse gamma-ray emission in the Galactic plane at Galactic longitudes 25° < l ...< 100° and Galactic latitudes . The energy range covered by this analysis, from ∼350 GeV to ∼2 TeV, allows the connection of the region explored by Fermi with the multi-TeV measurements carried out by Milagro. Our analysis has been focused on two selected regions of the Galactic plane, i.e., 40° < l < 100° and 65° < l < 85° (the Cygnus region), where Milagro observed an excess with respect to the predictions of current models. Great care has been taken in order to mask the most intense gamma-ray sources, including the TeV counterpart of the Cygnus cocoon recently identified by ARGO-YBJ, and to remove residual contributions. The ARGO-YBJ results do not show any excess at sub-TeV energies corresponding to the excess found by Milagro, and are consistent with the predictions of the Fermi model for the diffuse Galactic emission. From the measured energy distribution we derive spectral indices and the differential flux at 1 TeV of the diffuse gamma-ray emission in the sky regions investigated.
Breast cancer is the most common female malignant disease, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is a pivotal reason ...that leads to worse treatment outcome of breast cancer. Therefore, it is urgent to elucidate the mechanism of drug resistance in breast cancer.
To investigate the underlying molecular basis of the acquired resistant cells to paclitaxel in breast cancer, we used multiple methods including real-time RT-PCR, western blotting analysis, migration and invasion assays, wound healing assay, and transfection.
We found that epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in paclitaxel-resistant (PR) breast cancer cells. The resistant cells with EMT features exhibit increased migration and invasion activities. Mechanistically, high expression of Skp2 was found to be associated with EMT in PR cells. Notably, depletion of Skp2 in PR cells led to partial reversal of EMT phenotype.
These findings suggest that Skp2 was critically involved in PR-mediated EMT. Skp2 could be a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.
Background
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in patients with resectable gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas (G‐NECs) or mixed ...adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (G‐MANECs).
Methods
The study included patients with G‐NECs or G‐MANECs who underwent surgery in one of 21 centres in China between 2004 and 2016. Propensity score matching analysis was used to reduce selection bias, and overall survival (OS) in different treatment groups was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method.
Results
In total, 804 patients with resectable G‐NECs or G‐MANECs were included, of whom 490 (60·9 per cent) received adjuvant chemotherapy. After propensity score matching, OS in the chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no‐chemotherapy group. Among patients with G‐NECs, survival in the fluorouracil (5‐FU)‐based chemotherapy group and the non‐5‐FU‐based chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no‐chemotherapy group. Similarly, etoposide plus cisplatin or irinotecan plus cisplatin was not associated with better OS in patients with G‐NECs. Among patients with G‐MANECs, OS in the non‐5‐FU‐based chemotherapy group was worse than that in the no‐chemotherapy group. Patients with G‐MANECs did not have better OS when platinum‐based chemotherapy was
used.
Conclusion
There was no survival benefit in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for G‐NECs or G‐MANECs.
Antecedentes
El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si la quimioterapia adyuvante mejoraba la supervivencia en pacientes con carcinomas gástricos resecables neuroendocrinos (gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, G‐NECs) y carcinomas adenoneuroendocrinos mixtos (mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas, G‐MANECs).
Métodos
Se incluyeron pacientes con G‐NECs y G‐MANECs tratados quirúrgicamente en 21 centros en China entre 2004 y 2016. Se utilizó un análisis de emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión para reducir el sesgo de selección y el método de Kaplan‐Meier para estimar la supervivencia global (overall survival, OS) de los pacientes en los diferentes grupos de tratamiento.
Resultados
En total, se incluyeron en el estudio 804 pacientes con G‐NECs y G‐MANECs resecables y 490 pacientes (60,9%) recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante. Después del emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. En los pacientes con G‐NECs, la supervivencia en los grupos con quimioterapia basada en 5‐FU (fluorouracilo) y de quimioterapia sin 5‐FU fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Asimismo, la combinación de etopósido y cisplatino o de irinotecán y cisplatino no se asoció con una mejor OS en pacientes con G‐NECs. En pacientes con G‐MANECs, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia sin 5‐FU fue peor que la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Los pacientes con G‐MANECs no presentaron una mejor OS cuando se administró quimioterapia basada en platinos.
Conclusión
La administración de quimioterapia adyuvante en pacientes con G‐NECs y G‐MANECs no mejoró la supervivencia.
This multicentre study enrolled 804 patients with resectable gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas and gastric mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas. In propensity score matching analysis, there were no associations between the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and improved overall survival. Similar results were obtained in stratified analysis according to different chemotherapy regimens.
No benefit
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent form of age-related dementia in the world, and its main pathological features consist of amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque deposits and neurofibrillary tangles ...formed by hyperphosphorylated tau protein. So far, only a few AD treatments approved have been applied in the clinic, but the effects of these drugs are limited only for partial symptomatic relief to patients with AD and are unable to alter AD progression. Later, all efforts for AD treatments with targeting the pathogenic factors were unsuccessful over the past decades, which suggested that the pathogenesis of AD is complex. Recently, disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) that can change the underlying pathophysiology of AD, with anti-Aβ monoclonal antibodies (mabs) (e.g., aducanumab, bapineuzumab, gantenerumab, solanezumab, and lecanemab) have been developed successively and conducted in clinical trials based on the theory that a systemic failure of cell-mediated Aβ clearance contributes to AD occurrence and progression. In the review, we summarized recent studies on the therapeutic effects and clinical trial results of these mabs in patients with AD. Specifically, we focused on the discussion of the impact of aducanumab and lecanemab on AD pathology and clinical profiles. The review provides a possible evidence for applying immunotherapy with anti-Aβ mabs in AD and analyzes lessons learned from these clinical trials in order to further study the therapeutic and adverse effects of these anti-Aβ mabs on AD.
This study revealed that cellulose enzymatic saccharification response curves of
lignocellulosic
substrates were very different from those of
pure cellulosic
substrates in terms of optimal pH and pH ...operating window. The maximal enzymatic cellulose saccharification of lignocellulosic substrates occurs at substrate suspension
pH 5
.
2
–
6
.
2
, not between
pH 4
.
8
and
5
.
0
as exclusively used in literature using
T. reesi
cellulase. Two commercial cellulase enzyme cocktails, Celluclast 1.5L and CTec2 both from Novozymes, were evaluated over a wide range of pH. The optimal ranges of measured suspension pH of 5.2–5.7 for Celluclast 1.5L and 5.5–6.2 for CTec2 were obtained using six lignocellulosic substrates produced by dilute acid, alkaline, and two sulfite pretreatments to overcome recalcitrance of lignocelluloses (SPORL) pretreatments using both a softwood and a hardwood. Furthermore, cellulose saccharification efficiency of a SPORL-pretreated lodgepole pine substrate showed a very steep increase between pH 4.7 and 5.2. Saccharification efficiency can be increased by 80 % at cellulase loading of 11.3 FPU/g glucan, i.e., from approximately 43 to 78 % simply by increasing the substrate suspension pH from 4.7 to 5.2 (buffer solution pH from 4.8 to 5.5) using Celluclast 1.5L, or by 70 % from approximately 51 to 87 % when substrate suspension pH is increased from 4.9 to 6.2 (buffer solution pH from 5.0 to 6.5) using CTec2. The enzymatic cellulose saccharification response to pH is correlated to the degree of substrate lignin sulfonation. The difference in pH-induced lignin surface charge, and therefore surface hydrophilicity and lignin–cellulase electrostatic interactions, among different substrates with different lignin content and structure is responsible for the reported different enhancements in lignocellulose saccharification at elevated pH.