Dear Editor,This letter addresses the synchronization problem of a class of delayed stochastic complex dynamical networks consisting of multiple drive and response nodes.The aim is to achieve mean square exponential s...Dear Editor,This letter addresses the synchronization problem of a class of delayed stochastic complex dynamical networks consisting of multiple drive and response nodes.The aim is to achieve mean square exponential synchronization for the drive-response nodes despite the simultaneous presence of time delays and stochastic noises in node dynamics.展开更多
BACKGROUND Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and biological molecules such as DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids in exosomes are a group of molecules that can act as biomarkers. Currently, there are many reports on exosomal ...BACKGROUND Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and biological molecules such as DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids in exosomes are a group of molecules that can act as biomarkers. Currently, there are many reports on exosomal microRNAs, which are ideal biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. However, there are few reports on the role of exosomal microRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To understand the mechanism of exosomal microRNA-224(miR-224) in the development of HCC and evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value.METHODS Cell culture and transfection of exosomal miRNA-224, real-time quantitative PCR, luciferase reporter assay, and other methods were used to find new biomarkers related to the development of HCC that can be used to diagnose HCC and predict HCC prognosis.RESULTSBy targeting glycine N-methyltransferase, incubating exosomes with miR-224 mimic resulted in a significant increase in cell proliferation compared to that of the control group, while incubation with the miR-224 inhibitor significantly reduced cell proliferation. The same results were obtained for the cell invasion assay. Serum exosomal miR-224 did have some ability to differentiate patients with HCC from healthy controls, with an area under the curve of 0.910, and HCC patients with higher serum exosomal miR-224 expression had lower overall survival.CONCLUSION Exosomal miR-224 is a tumor promotor and can be a marker of diagnosis and prognosis of HCC patients, however, its ability to distinguish liver diseases needs further verification.展开更多
Steel fiber reinforced cementitous composites （SFRCC） is a promising material with high strength in both compression and tension compared with normal concrete. The ductility is also greatly improved because of 6% vo...Steel fiber reinforced cementitous composites （SFRCC） is a promising material with high strength in both compression and tension compared with normal concrete. The ductility is also greatly improved because of 6% volume portion of straight steel fibers. A steel beam-column connection with Steel fiber reinforced cementitous composites （SFRCC） slab diaphragms is proposed to overcome the damage caused by the weld. The push-out test results suggested that the application of SFRCC promises larger shear forces transferred through headed studs allocated in a small area in the slab. Finite element models were developed to simulate the behavior of headed studs. The failure mechanism of the grouped arrangement is fiarther discussed based on a series of parametric analysis. In the proposed connection, the SFRCC slab is designed as an exterior diaphragm to transfer the beam flange load to the column face. The headed studs are densely arranged on the beam flange to connect the SFRCC slab diaphragms and steel beams. The seismic performance and failure mechanism of the SFRCC slab diaphragm beam-column connection were investigated based on the cyclic loading test. Beam hinge mechanism was achieved at the end of the SFRCC slab diaphragm by using sufficient studs and appropriate rebars in the SFRCC slab.展开更多
We have calculated the ground state energies and rotational constants for the Ne2 Kr and Ne2 Xe systems, as well as their corresponding isotopes using the hyperspherical method. We used B-splines as basis function to ...We have calculated the ground state energies and rotational constants for the Ne2 Kr and Ne2 Xe systems, as well as their corresponding isotopes using the hyperspherical method. We used B-splines as basis function to expand channel functions and make the knot distribution of B-splines characterize the behavior of the channel function precisely. As a result, the extremely slow convergence of quantum mechanic calculation for these van der Waals trimers containing heavy element is improved greatly. The convergent rotational constants and the isotope shifts are obtained and compared with other theoretical and experimental values. Our results using newly proposed Tang-Toennies （TT） pair-wise potentials are consistent with that of Ernesti and Hutson’s calculation using HFD-B potentials, and give an improved agreement with experimental data.展开更多
BACKGROUND The effectiveness of regorafenib plus programmed cell death-1(PD-1)inhibitor in treating microsatellite stable(MSS)metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)remains controversial.AIM To investigate the benefits of ...BACKGROUND The effectiveness of regorafenib plus programmed cell death-1(PD-1)inhibitor in treating microsatellite stable(MSS)metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)remains controversial.AIM To investigate the benefits of regorafenib combined with PD-1 inhibitor in treating MSS mCRC and explore indicators predicting response.METHODS This retrospective study included a total of 30 patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer treated with regorafenib combined with programmed cell death-1 inhibitor at Henan Provincial People’s Hospital between December 2018 and December 2020.During a 4-wk treatment cycle,regorafenib was performed for 3 continuous weeks.PD-1 inhibitor was intravenously injected starting on the first day of the oral intake of regorafenib.We reviewed tumor response,progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival,and treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs)and evaluated association between platelet-tolymphocyte ratio(PLR)and outcomes in this retrospective study.RESULTS Stable disease and progressive disease were found in 18(60.0%)and 12(40.0%)patients,respectively.The disease control rate was 60.0%.The median follow-up time was 12.0 mo,and median PFS was 3.4 mo[95%confidence interval(CI):2.2-4.6 mo].Of the 12 patients with progressive disease,10(83.3%)had liver metastasis before starting the combined treatment.Among the 18 patients with SD,10(55.6%)did not have liver metastases.One patient without liver metastases at baseline was found with a substantially prolonged PFS of 11.2 mo.The liver metastasis,the choice of programmed cell death-1 inhibitor other than nivolumab or pembrolizumab and previous exposure to regorafenib was’t associated with treatment outcome.The median PFS in the low-PLR group was 4.2 mo(95%CI:3.5-4.9 mo),compared with 2.8 mo(95%CI:1.4-4.2 mo)in the high-PLR group(P=0.005).The major TRAEs included hand-foot syndrome(33.3%),hypertension(23.3%),malaise(20.0%),and gastrointestinal reaction(16.7%).The incidence of grade 3 TRAEs was 13.3%(4/30),which comprised abnormal capillary proliferation(n=1),transaminase elevation(n=1),and hand-foot syndrome(n=2).No grade 4 or higher toxicity was observed.CONCLUSION Regorafenib combined with PD-1 inhibitor could lead to a longer PFS in some patients with MSS mCRC.The PLR might be a prediction of the patient response to this therapy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Minimally invasive or noninvasive,sensitive and accurate detection of colorectal cancer(CRC)is urgently needed in clinical practice.AIM To identify a noninvasive,sensitive and accurate circular free DNA mar...BACKGROUND Minimally invasive or noninvasive,sensitive and accurate detection of colorectal cancer(CRC)is urgently needed in clinical practice.AIM To identify a noninvasive,sensitive and accurate circular free DNA marker detected by digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)for the early diagnosis of clinical CRC.METHODS A total of 195 healthy control(HC)individuals and 101 CRC patients(38 in the early CRC group and 63 in the advanced CRC group)were enrolled to establish the diagnostic model.In addition,100 HC individuals and 62 patients with CRC(30 early CRC and 32 advanced CRC groups)were included separately to validate the model.CAMK1D was dPCR.Binary logistic regression analysis was used to establish a diagnostic model including CAMK1D and CEA.RESULTS To differentiate between the 195 HCs and 101 CRC patients(38 early CRC and 63 advanced CRC patients),the common biomarkers CEA and CAMK1D were used alone or in combination to evaluate their diagnostic value.The area under the curves(AUCs)of CEA and CAMK1D were 0.773(0.711,0.834)and 0.935(0.907,0.964),respectively.When CEA and CAMK1D were analyzed together,the AUC was 0.964(0.945,0.982).In differentiating between the HC and early CRC groups,the AUC was 0.978(0.960,0.995),and the sensitivity and specificity were 88.90%and 90.80%,respectively.In differentiating between the HC and advanced CRC groups,the AUC was 0.956(0.930,0.981),and the sensitivity and specificity were 81.30%and 95.90%,respectively.After building the diagnostic model containing CEA and CAMK1D,the AUC of the CEA and CAMK1D joint model was 0.906(0.858,0.954)for the validation group.In differentiating between the HC and early CRC groups,the AUC was 0.909(0.844,0.973),and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.00%and 83.30%,respectively.In differentiating between the HC and advanced CRC groups,the AUC was 0.904(0.849,0.959),and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.00%and 75.00%,respectively.CONCLUSION We built a diagnostic model including CEA and CAMK1D for differentiating between HC individuals and CRC patients.Compared with the common biomarker CEA alone,the diagnostic model exhibited significant improvement.展开更多
As a novel coupling beam for coupled shear wall structures,the bending-type frictional steel truss coupling beam(BFTCB)concentrates the deformation and energy dissipation in friction dampers at the bottom chord,allowi...As a novel coupling beam for coupled shear wall structures,the bending-type frictional steel truss coupling beam(BFTCB)concentrates the deformation and energy dissipation in friction dampers at the bottom chord,allowing the main body to remain elastic during earthquakes.As the preparatory work for resilient structure design based on the BFTCB,this work concentrates on developing the hysteretic model for BFTCB.Firstly,the BFTCB stiffness-strength decoupling mechanism was introduced,i.e.,the shear strength is provided by friction dampers while webs control its initial stiffness.Secondly,a hysteretic model that reflects the BFTCB two-stage sliding characteristic was proposed.The model consists of a trilinear backbone curve and the unloading and reverse loading rules.The model has eight control parameters,of which two core parameters(initial stiffness and limiting shear strength)are derived from the BFTCB stiffness-strength decoupling mechanism,whereas the remaining parameters are obtained by theoretical analysis and empirical calibration.The hysteretic model was then compared with the test curves and demonstrated good accuracy.Finally,a series of FE prototypes of BFTCB with different design stiffnesses and strengths was adopted to verify the hysteretic model.The results showed that the proposed model fitted well with the FE prototypes,indicating its applicability to BFTCB with varying core design parameters.Therefore,the hysteretic model can be adopted for BFTCB to support the resilient shear wall structure design.展开更多
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11771001)the Key Natural Science Research Project of Universities of Anhui Province,China(2022AH050108)。
文摘Dear Editor,This letter addresses the synchronization problem of a class of delayed stochastic complex dynamical networks consisting of multiple drive and response nodes.The aim is to achieve mean square exponential synchronization for the drive-response nodes despite the simultaneous presence of time delays and stochastic noises in node dynamics.
基金Supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Project of Henan Province,No.162102310024
文摘BACKGROUND Exosomes contain proteins, lipids, and biological molecules such as DNA and RNA. Nucleic acids in exosomes are a group of molecules that can act as biomarkers. Currently, there are many reports on exosomal microRNAs, which are ideal biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. However, there are few reports on the role of exosomal microRNAs in the diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To understand the mechanism of exosomal microRNA-224(miR-224) in the development of HCC and evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value.METHODS Cell culture and transfection of exosomal miRNA-224, real-time quantitative PCR, luciferase reporter assay, and other methods were used to find new biomarkers related to the development of HCC that can be used to diagnose HCC and predict HCC prognosis.RESULTSBy targeting glycine N-methyltransferase, incubating exosomes with miR-224 mimic resulted in a significant increase in cell proliferation compared to that of the control group, while incubation with the miR-224 inhibitor significantly reduced cell proliferation. The same results were obtained for the cell invasion assay. Serum exosomal miR-224 did have some ability to differentiate patients with HCC from healthy controls, with an area under the curve of 0.910, and HCC patients with higher serum exosomal miR-224 expression had lower overall survival.CONCLUSION Exosomal miR-224 is a tumor promotor and can be a marker of diagnosis and prognosis of HCC patients, however, its ability to distinguish liver diseases needs further verification.
文摘Steel fiber reinforced cementitous composites （SFRCC） is a promising material with high strength in both compression and tension compared with normal concrete. The ductility is also greatly improved because of 6% volume portion of straight steel fibers. A steel beam-column connection with Steel fiber reinforced cementitous composites （SFRCC） slab diaphragms is proposed to overcome the damage caused by the weld. The push-out test results suggested that the application of SFRCC promises larger shear forces transferred through headed studs allocated in a small area in the slab. Finite element models were developed to simulate the behavior of headed studs. The failure mechanism of the grouped arrangement is fiarther discussed based on a series of parametric analysis. In the proposed connection, the SFRCC slab is designed as an exterior diaphragm to transfer the beam flange load to the column face. The headed studs are densely arranged on the beam flange to connect the SFRCC slab diaphragms and steel beams. The seismic performance and failure mechanism of the SFRCC slab diaphragm beam-column connection were investigated based on the cyclic loading test. Beam hinge mechanism was achieved at the end of the SFRCC slab diaphragm by using sufficient studs and appropriate rebars in the SFRCC slab.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11004225)
文摘We have calculated the ground state energies and rotational constants for the Ne2 Kr and Ne2 Xe systems, as well as their corresponding isotopes using the hyperspherical method. We used B-splines as basis function to expand channel functions and make the knot distribution of B-splines characterize the behavior of the channel function precisely. As a result, the extremely slow convergence of quantum mechanic calculation for these van der Waals trimers containing heavy element is improved greatly. The convergent rotational constants and the isotope shifts are obtained and compared with other theoretical and experimental values. Our results using newly proposed Tang-Toennies （TT） pair-wise potentials are consistent with that of Ernesti and Hutson’s calculation using HFD-B potentials, and give an improved agreement with experimental data.
基金Supported by the Henan Provincial Department of Science and Technology,No. 212102310047
文摘BACKGROUND The effectiveness of regorafenib plus programmed cell death-1(PD-1)inhibitor in treating microsatellite stable(MSS)metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)remains controversial.AIM To investigate the benefits of regorafenib combined with PD-1 inhibitor in treating MSS mCRC and explore indicators predicting response.METHODS This retrospective study included a total of 30 patients with microsatellite stable metastatic colorectal cancer treated with regorafenib combined with programmed cell death-1 inhibitor at Henan Provincial People’s Hospital between December 2018 and December 2020.During a 4-wk treatment cycle,regorafenib was performed for 3 continuous weeks.PD-1 inhibitor was intravenously injected starting on the first day of the oral intake of regorafenib.We reviewed tumor response,progression-free survival(PFS),overall survival,and treatment-related adverse events(TRAEs)and evaluated association between platelet-tolymphocyte ratio(PLR)and outcomes in this retrospective study.RESULTS Stable disease and progressive disease were found in 18(60.0%)and 12(40.0%)patients,respectively.The disease control rate was 60.0%.The median follow-up time was 12.0 mo,and median PFS was 3.4 mo[95%confidence interval(CI):2.2-4.6 mo].Of the 12 patients with progressive disease,10(83.3%)had liver metastasis before starting the combined treatment.Among the 18 patients with SD,10(55.6%)did not have liver metastases.One patient without liver metastases at baseline was found with a substantially prolonged PFS of 11.2 mo.The liver metastasis,the choice of programmed cell death-1 inhibitor other than nivolumab or pembrolizumab and previous exposure to regorafenib was’t associated with treatment outcome.The median PFS in the low-PLR group was 4.2 mo(95%CI:3.5-4.9 mo),compared with 2.8 mo(95%CI:1.4-4.2 mo)in the high-PLR group(P=0.005).The major TRAEs included hand-foot syndrome(33.3%),hypertension(23.3%),malaise(20.0%),and gastrointestinal reaction(16.7%).The incidence of grade 3 TRAEs was 13.3%(4/30),which comprised abnormal capillary proliferation(n=1),transaminase elevation(n=1),and hand-foot syndrome(n=2).No grade 4 or higher toxicity was observed.CONCLUSION Regorafenib combined with PD-1 inhibitor could lead to a longer PFS in some patients with MSS mCRC.The PLR might be a prediction of the patient response to this therapy.
基金Supported by the Henan Medical Science and Technology Research Program,No.LHGJ20210045.
文摘BACKGROUND Minimally invasive or noninvasive,sensitive and accurate detection of colorectal cancer(CRC)is urgently needed in clinical practice.AIM To identify a noninvasive,sensitive and accurate circular free DNA marker detected by digital polymerase chain reaction(dPCR)for the early diagnosis of clinical CRC.METHODS A total of 195 healthy control(HC)individuals and 101 CRC patients(38 in the early CRC group and 63 in the advanced CRC group)were enrolled to establish the diagnostic model.In addition,100 HC individuals and 62 patients with CRC(30 early CRC and 32 advanced CRC groups)were included separately to validate the model.CAMK1D was dPCR.Binary logistic regression analysis was used to establish a diagnostic model including CAMK1D and CEA.RESULTS To differentiate between the 195 HCs and 101 CRC patients(38 early CRC and 63 advanced CRC patients),the common biomarkers CEA and CAMK1D were used alone or in combination to evaluate their diagnostic value.The area under the curves(AUCs)of CEA and CAMK1D were 0.773(0.711,0.834)and 0.935(0.907,0.964),respectively.When CEA and CAMK1D were analyzed together,the AUC was 0.964(0.945,0.982).In differentiating between the HC and early CRC groups,the AUC was 0.978(0.960,0.995),and the sensitivity and specificity were 88.90%and 90.80%,respectively.In differentiating between the HC and advanced CRC groups,the AUC was 0.956(0.930,0.981),and the sensitivity and specificity were 81.30%and 95.90%,respectively.After building the diagnostic model containing CEA and CAMK1D,the AUC of the CEA and CAMK1D joint model was 0.906(0.858,0.954)for the validation group.In differentiating between the HC and early CRC groups,the AUC was 0.909(0.844,0.973),and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.00%and 83.30%,respectively.In differentiating between the HC and advanced CRC groups,the AUC was 0.904(0.849,0.959),and the sensitivity and specificity were 93.00%and 75.00%,respectively.CONCLUSION We built a diagnostic model including CEA and CAMK1D for differentiating between HC individuals and CRC patients.Compared with the common biomarker CEA alone,the diagnostic model exhibited significant improvement.
基金supported by the Scientific Research Fund of MultiFunctional Shaking Tables Laboratory of Beijing University of Civil Engineering and Architecture(2022MFSTL06)Science&Technology Foundation of Liaoning Province,China:General Program(2021-MS131).
文摘As a novel coupling beam for coupled shear wall structures,the bending-type frictional steel truss coupling beam(BFTCB)concentrates the deformation and energy dissipation in friction dampers at the bottom chord,allowing the main body to remain elastic during earthquakes.As the preparatory work for resilient structure design based on the BFTCB,this work concentrates on developing the hysteretic model for BFTCB.Firstly,the BFTCB stiffness-strength decoupling mechanism was introduced,i.e.,the shear strength is provided by friction dampers while webs control its initial stiffness.Secondly,a hysteretic model that reflects the BFTCB two-stage sliding characteristic was proposed.The model consists of a trilinear backbone curve and the unloading and reverse loading rules.The model has eight control parameters,of which two core parameters(initial stiffness and limiting shear strength)are derived from the BFTCB stiffness-strength decoupling mechanism,whereas the remaining parameters are obtained by theoretical analysis and empirical calibration.The hysteretic model was then compared with the test curves and demonstrated good accuracy.Finally,a series of FE prototypes of BFTCB with different design stiffnesses and strengths was adopted to verify the hysteretic model.The results showed that the proposed model fitted well with the FE prototypes,indicating its applicability to BFTCB with varying core design parameters.Therefore,the hysteretic model can be adopted for BFTCB to support the resilient shear wall structure design.
