Radiomic signatures associated with tumor immune heterogeneity predict survival in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of traditional clinical indicators for locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (lrNPC) is limited due to their inability to reflect intratumor heterogeneity. We aimed to develop a radiomic signature to reveal tumor immune heterogeneity and predict survival in lrNPC. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective study included 921 patients with lrNPC. A machine learning signature and nomogram based on pretreatment MRI features were developed for predicting overall survival (OS) in a training cohort and validated in two independent cohorts. A clinical nomogram and an integrated nomogram were constructed for comparison. Nomogram performance was evaluated by concordance index (C-index) and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Accordingly, patients were classified into risk groups. The biological characteristics and immune infiltration of the signature were explored by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis. RESULTS: The machine learning signature and nomogram demonstrated comparable prognostic ability to a clinical nomogram, achieving C-indexes of 0.729, 0.718, and 0.731 in the training, internal, and external validation cohorts, respectively. Integration of the signature and clinical variables significantly improved the predictive performance. The proposed signature effectively distinguished patients between risk groups with significantly distinct OS rates. Subgroup analysis indicated the recommendation of local salvage treatments for low-risk patients. Exploratory RNA-seq analysis revealed differences in interferon response and lymphocyte infiltration between risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: An MRI-based radiomic signature predicted OS more accurately. The proposed signature associated with tumor immune heterogeneity may serve as a valuable tool to facilitate prognostic stratification and guide individualized management for lrNPC patients.

Optimizing Cervical Target Volume in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Cancer Based On Nodal Drainage Distance.

PURPOSE: To determine the potential nodal drainage distances of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) by investigating spatial distribution of metastatic lymph nodes (LN). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Patients with NPC harboring at least two ipsilateral metastatic LNs were enrolled. LN spreading distances were analyzed in nonrestricted direction, cranial-to-caudal direction, and between the two most caudal LNs. Euclidean distance (ED) and vertical distance (VD) between any two LNs were computed. The nearest-neighbor ED and VD covering 95% of LNs or patients (p95-ED and p95-VD) were considered drainage distances, and were further validated by independent internal and external cohorts with recurrent LNs. RESULTS: In all, 5,836 metastatic LNs in 948 patients were contoured. Corresponding to the three scenarios, per-LN level, the p95-EDs were 2.83, 3.28, and 3.55 cm, and p95-VDs were 2.17, 2.32, and 2.63 cm, respectively. Per-patient level, the p95-EDs were 3.25, 3.95, and 3.81 cm, and p95-VDs were 2.67, 2.81, and 2.73 cm, respectively. In internal validation, over 95% of recurred LNs occurred within ED of 2.91 cm and VD of 0.82 cm to the neighbor LN, and the corresponding distances in external validation were 2.77 and 0.67 cm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In NPC, the maximum LN drainage distance was 3.95 cm without considering the direction. Specifically, in cranial-to-caudal direction, the sufficient vertical drainage distance was 2.81 cm, indicating that a 3-cm extension from the most inferior node may be rational as caudal border of the prophylactic clinical target volume (CTV). These findings promote in-depth understanding of nodal spreading patterns, uncovering paramount evidence for individualized CTV.

Radiomic signatures reveal multiscale intratumor heterogeneity associated with tissue tolerance and survival in re-irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Post-radiation nasopharyngeal necrosis (PRNN) is a severe adverse event following re-radiotherapy for patients with locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LRNPC) and associated with decreased survival. Biological heterogeneity in recurrent tumors contributes to the different risks of PRNN. Radiomics can be used to mine high-throughput non-invasive image features to predict clinical outcomes and capture underlying biological functions. We aimed to develop a radiogenomic signature for the pre-treatment prediction of PRNN to guide re-radiotherapy in patients with LRNPC. METHODS: This multicenter study included 761 re-irradiated patients with LRNPC at four centers in NPC endemic area and divided them into training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts. We built a machine learning (random forest) radiomic signature based on the pre-treatment multiparametric magnetic resonance images for predicting PRNN following re-radiotherapy. We comprehensively assessed the performance of the radiomic signature. Transcriptomic sequencing and gene set enrichment analyses were conducted to identify the associated biological processes. RESULTS: The radiomic signature showed discrimination of 1-year PRNN in the training, internal validation, and external validation cohorts (area under the curve (AUC) 0.713-0.756). Stratified by a cutoff score of 0.735, patients with high-risk signature had higher incidences of PRNN than patients with low-risk signature (1-year PRNN rates 42.2-62.5% vs. 16.3-18.8%, P < 0.001). The signature significantly outperformed the clinical model (P < 0.05) and was generalizable across different centers, imaging parameters, and patient subgroups. The radiomic signature had prognostic value concerning its correlation with PRNN-related deaths (hazard ratio (HR) 3.07-6.75, P < 0.001) and all causes of deaths (HR 1.53-2.30, P < 0.01). Radiogenomics analyses revealed associations between the radiomic signature and signaling pathways involved in tissue fibrosis and vascularity. CONCLUSIONS: We present a radiomic signature for the individualized risk assessment of PRNN following re-radiotherapy, which may serve as a noninvasive radio-biomarker of radiation injury-associated processes and a useful clinical tool to personalize treatment recommendations for patients with LANPC.

Induction chemotherapy plus re-irradiation versus re-irradiation alone in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A model-based analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of additional induction chemotherapy (IC) prior to re-irradiation in locally recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (lrNPC). METHODS: A total of 480 patients from three cancer treatment centers who received re-irradiation between 2012 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Overall survival (OS) was determined using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with log-rank method. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was performed to match the patients in pairwise treatment groups. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards regression method identified predictors of OS. The risk stratification model was defined by the risk score calculated with the sum of coefficients. RESULTS: In the entire cohort, the addition of IC was associated with similar OS compared with radiotherapy alone (P = 0.58) or with concomitant chemoradiation (P = 0.76). A risk stratification model was constructed and validated based on significant prognostic factors (coefficient) including male (0.6), age ≥ 60 years (0.9), volume of recurrence gross tumor volume ≥ 16 cc (0.7), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)-ratio ≥ 0.5 (0.4). In the intermediate-risk group (sum of coefficient: 0.9---1.6), patients with IC plus re-irradiation had a significantly better OS than those who received re-irradiation (P = 0.03). After adjustments for several potentially confounding variables with IPTW, survival benefit of IC was also observed (P = 0.031). However, no significant difference in OS for the additional IC prior to re-irradiation was demonstrated in the low- (sum of coefficient: <0.9) and high-risk group (sum of coefficient: > 1.6). CONCLUSION: Additional IC prior to re-irradiation was associated with improved OS in the intermediate-risk group of lrNPC, whereas there was no difference for the low-risk and high-risk group. Prospective validation is required to validate these findings.

Comprehensive analysis of angiogenesis pattern and related immune landscape for individual treatment in osteosarcoma.

Postoperative recurrence and metastasis are the main reasons for the poor prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS). Currently, an ideal predictor for not only prognosis but also drug sensitivity and immunotherapy responses in OS patients is urgently needed. Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in tumour progression, which suggests its immense potential for predicting prognosis and responses to immunotherapy for OS. Angiogenesis patterns in OS were explored in depth in this study to construct a prognostic model called ANGscore and clarify the underlying mechanism involved in the immune microenvironment. The efficacy and robustness of the model were validated in multiple datasets, including bulk RNA-seq datasets (TARGET-OS, GSE21257), a single-cell RNA-seq dataset (GSE152048) and immunotherapy-related datasets (GSE91061, GSE173839). OS patients with a high ANGscore had a worse prognosis, accompanied by the immune desert phenotype. Pseudotime and cellular communication analyses in scRNA-seq data revealed that as the ANGscore increased, the malignant degree of cells increased, and IFN-γ signalling was involved in tumour progression and regulation of the tumour immune microenvironment. Furthermore, the ANGscore was associated with immune cell infiltration and the response rate to immunotherapy. OS patients with high ANGscore might be resistant to uprosertib, and be sensitive to VE821, AZD6738 and BMS.345541. In conclusion, we established a novel ANGscore system by comprehensively analysing the expression pattern of angiogenesis genes, which can accurately differentiate the prognosis and immune characteristics of OS populations. Additionally, the ANGscore can be used for patient stratification during immunotherapy, and guide individualized treatment strategies.

Unraveling the patterns and pathways of local recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: evidence for individualized clinical target volume delineation.

BACKGROUNDS: Despite publication of international guidelines, there are notable controversial points of clinical target volume (CTV) delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Recently, scholars proposed a novel way of delineation of CTV in NPC-individualization of CTV delineation based on T classification and spread patterns, which yielded excellent long-term local control with limited late toxicities. The aim of this study was to clarify the anatomic patterns and pathways of local recurrence of NPC and provide a clinical reference for the delineation of CTV. METHODS: A total of 869 patients with non-metastatic NPC were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) at our institution between 2009 and 2010. Among the 57 cases of local/locoregional recurrence, 52 cases with traceable radiotherapy plans and magnetic resonance imaging at the time of the first diagnosis of recurrence were included. Anatomical structures and gross tumor volume of local recurrence were contoured. The incidence of relapse of each anatomic structure, route of local recurrence, and their correlation were analyzed. RESULTS: Locally advanced disease had a significantly increased risk of recurrence in the posterior nasal cavity and a trend towards higher risk of recurrence in the clivus, lateral pterygoid muscle, and hypoglossal canal. Based on the incidence of local recurrence, we constructed a high-risk map for the early and locally advanced stages. Local recurrences were classified into five routes, where anterior extension accounted for the majority (30.8%), and caudal tumor extension pathway had the lowest incidence (5.8%). There was a significant correlation between the local recurrences of neural foramina and neighboring anatomical structures along each pathway. All cases relapsed at unilateral cavernous sinus, most at the same side of primary tumor. Based on our findings, we proposed some suggestions on delineations of CTV, based on T classification and local extension pattern. CONCLUSIONS: Local recurrence of NPC varied according to T classification, followed a stepwise pattern, spread via neural foramina, and recurred at ipsilateral cavernous sinus. This provides meaningful clinical evidence for delineation of CTV, especially individualized delineation.

Prognostic value of pre-treatment FDG PET/CT SUVmax for metastatic lesions in de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma following chemotherapy and locoregional radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To explore the prognostic role of FDG PET/CT maximal standard uptake values of metastatic lesions (SUVmax-M) in patients with de novo metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (mNPC) following palliative chemotherapy and locoregional radiotherapy (LRRT). METHODS: We retrospectively collected the information of 86 eligible patients between Jan 2012 and Oct 2020. All the parameters involving SUVmax and serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) at diagnosis were evaluated and cutoff values were determined by the maximum log-rank statistic method. The multivariate analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression to identify the independent prognostic factors associated with overall survival (OS). All estimated survival rates were conducted with Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Median survival and progression time in the cohort were 38.2 and 13.9 months, respectively. The univariable analysis showed that male, number of metastatic sites ≥ 4, presence of liver, serum LDH ≥ 229, SUVmax-M ≥ 10, SUVmax-M-sum ≥ 10, and SUVmax-M-mean ≥ 8.8 were significant prognostic factors. Five variables were identified after LASSO regression and entered into the multivariate analysis. Furthermore, liver involvement (P = 0.039), elevated LDH (≥ 229) (P = 0.05) and higher SUVmax-M (≥ 10) (P = 0.004) were significantly associated with worse OS. CONCLUSION: The high SUVmax of metastatic lesions (≥ 10), liver involvement, and elevated serum LDH (≥ 229) at diagnosis could independently predict poor survival for de novo mNPC patients treated with palliative chemotherapy following LRRT.

A nomogram involving immune-inflammation index for predicting distant metastasis-free survival of major salivary gland carcinoma following postoperative radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) is beneficial in the improvement of local-regional control and overall survival (OS) for major salivary gland carcinomas (SGCs), and distant metastasis remained the main failure pattern. This study was designed to develop a nomogram model involving immune-inflammation index to predict distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) of major SGCs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 418 patients with major SGCs following PORT were randomly divided into a training (n = 334) and validation set (n = 84). The pre-radiotherapy neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) were calculated and transformed as continuous variables for every patient. Associations between DMFS and variables were performed by univariate and multivariable analysis using Log-rank and Cox regression methods. A nomogram was constructed based on the prognostic factors identified by the Cox hazards model. The decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted with the training and validation set. RESULTS: The estimated 3-, 5-, and 10-year DMFS were 79.4%, 71.8%, and 59.1%, respectively. The multivariate analysis revealed that age (p = 0.033), advanced T stage (p = 0.003), positive N stage (p < 0.001), high-risk pathology (p = 0.011), and high PLR (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with worse DMFS. The nomogram showed good calibration and discrimination in the training (AUC = 80.9) and validation set (AUC = 87.9). Furthermore, the DCA demonstrated favorable applicability, and a significant difference (p < 0.001) was observed for the DMFS between the subgroups based on the nomogram points. CONCLUSION: The nomogram incorporating clinicopathological features and PLR presented accurate individual prediction for DMFS of the patients with major SGCs following PORT. Further external validation of the model is warranted for clinical utility.

Postoperative Chemoradiotherapy versus Radiotherapy Alone in Major Salivary Gland Cancers: A Stratified Study Based on the External Validation of the Distant Metastasis Risk Score Model.

BACKGROUND: The role of additional chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for distant metastasis (DM) on the resected malignancy of the major salivary gland (SGM) remained unknown. We conducted this study to externally validate a recently reported DM risk score model and compare the survival outcome between adjuvant CRT and RT alone. MATERIALS: We retrospectively reviewed the patients with SGM following postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). The cumulative incidence of DM was assessed using a competing risk method. Multivariate analysis was performed with Cox proportional-hazards regression to identify significant predictors for DM. Patients were classified as high- and low-risk subgroups with the cutoff value of the DM risk score model. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was conducted to minimize the bias of the groups. RESULTS: A total of 586 eligible patients were analyzed and 67 cases underwent adjuvant CRT. The 5-year incidence of DM was 19.5% (95% CI 16.0-23.0%). The model reasonably discriminated the DM risk between the high- and low-risk subgroup in our cohort, and the c-index was 0.75. No survival benefit was observed for the CRT group compared with RT alone in the entire cohort after IPTW (p = 0.095). After subgroup analysis, increased mortality was identified with the administration of CRT in the low-risk subset (p = 0.002) while no significant difference in OS was illustrated in the high-risk subgroup (p = 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: This external validation provides further exploration of the DM risk score model in major SGM. Our results demonstrated no support for the utility of additional chemotherapy to PORT in the major SGM, especially in the low-risk subgroup of patients with DM.

Elevated preradiotherapy serum lactate dehydrogenase predicts distant metastasis for lymphoepithelial carcinoma of major salivary gland following postoperative radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the predicting factors associated with distant metastasis (DM) for lymphoepithelial carcinoma of salivary gland (LECSG) following postoperative radiotherapy (PORT). METHODS: We retrospectively collected 160 eligible patients from two cancer institutions. The DM rate was evaluated using competing risk method. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 65.6 months. Elevated preradiotherapy serum LDH (ratio >0.5) (p = 0.006) and N classification (N2-3) (p = 0.001) were independently associated with DM for the LECSG. After the risk stratification, the high-risk subgroup was defined as the patients presented higher risk score (score >0), whereas 5-year cumulative incidence of DM in the high- and low-risk group was 30.9% and 6.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). Moreover, a significantly worse overall survival (OS) was observed in the high-risk patients compared with the low-risk subgroup (5-year OS: 83.9% vs. 97.8%, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Elevated preradiotherapy serum LDH could serve as a predictive factor for DM in the LECSG following PORT.

Clinical value and application of a novel nomogram containing inflammatory, nutritional and clinical markers in predicting overall survival of stage II/III gastric cancer patients after radical resection: a bi-centered retrospective study of 2,443 patients.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify nutritional, inflammatory and clinical indicators associated with stage II/III gastric cancer in patients, and construct a nomogram model for accurate prediction of prognosis of patients. METHODS: We retrospectively recruited stage II/III gastric cancer (GC) patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, from 2012 to 2019. The patients were randomly divided into training and internal validation sets, and then the Maximum log-rank statistic method was used to determine the optimal cut-off value. Next, we performed univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify independent risk factors associated with overall survival (OS). These were subsequently used to develop a nomogram model. We validated this model in patients with stage II/III gastric cancer (from 2010 to 2019) at Guangxi Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital. RESULTS: A total of 2,443 patients met our inclusion criteria and were therefore included in our study. Patients from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center were randomly divided into training (n=1725) and internal validation (n=430) sets, while those from Guangxi Medical University Affiliated Tumor Hospital were used as the external validation set (n=288). Results from univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that age (adjusted HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05-1.44; P=0.012), TNM stage (adjusted HR, 3.62; 95% CI, 2.79-4.68; P<0.001), CEA (adjusted HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.14-1.71; P<0.001), CA199 (adjusted HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.21-1.79; P<0.001), and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI, adjusted HR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.98; P=0.026) were independent prognostic factors for OS in the training set. The established nomogram model, with a C-index of 0.67, had 3- and 5-year Area under Curve (AUC) values of 0.719 and 0.714, respectively. Notably, the model effectively distinguished patients' OS in both the internal (P<0.001) and external (P<0.001) datasets. CONCLUSIONS: PNI is an independent prognostic factor for stage II/III GC patients after radical resection. The established novel nomogram model, based on nutritional, inflammatory and clinical indicators, can accurately and efficiently predict prognosis of stage II/III GC patients.

Improving the Shape Memory Effect of a Fe-Mn-Si-Cr-Ni Alloy through Shot Peening.

To improve the shape memory effect, the solutionized Fe-24Mn-6Si-9Cr-6Ni alloy was shot peened and subsequently annealed. The phase constituent was examined using the X-ray diffraction method. Microstructure evolution was characterized using an optical microscope and the electronic backscatter diffraction method, and the shape memory effect was evaluated using a bending test. The results show that α'-martensite and ε-martensite were introduced into the shot-peened surface layer. The α'-martensite remained after annealing even at 850 °C. Microstructure of the surface layer was refined through shot peening and subsequent annealing. Compared with those of the solutionized specimen, the shape recovery ratio and recovery strain of the specimens that are shot peened and subsequently annealed are significantly improved at different prestrains.

Dissecting the heterogeneity of the microenvironment in primary and recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinomas using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a 10-15% recurrence rate, while no long term or durable treatment options are currently available. Single-cell profiling in recurrent NPC (rNPC) may aid in designing effective anticancer therapies, including immunotherapies. For the first time, we profiled the transcriptomes of ∼60,000 cells from four primary NPC and two rNPC cases to provide deeper insights into the dynamic changes in rNPC within radiation fields. Heterogeneity of both immune cells (T, natural killer, B, and myeloid cells) and tumor cells was characterized. Recurrent samples showed increased infiltration of regulatory T cells in a highly immunosuppressive state and CD8+ T cells in a highly cytotoxic and dysfunctional state. Enrichment of M2-polarized macrophages and LAMP3+ dendritic cells conferred enhanced immune suppression to rNPC. Furthermore, malignant cells showed enhanced immune-related features, such as antigen presentation. Elevated regulatory T cell levels were associated with a worse prognosis, with certain receptor-ligand communication pairs identified in rNPC. Even with relatively limited samples, our study provides important clues to complement the exploitation of rNPC immune environment and will help advance targeted immunotherapy of rNPC.

Influence of the Mechanical Properties of Elastoplastic Materials on the Nanoindentation Loading Response.

The nanoindentation loading response of elastoplastic materials was simulated by the finite element method (FEM). The influence of the Young's modulus E, yield stress σy, strain hardening exponent n and Poisson's ratio ν on the loading response was investigated. Based on an equivalent model, an equation with physical meaning was proposed to quantitatively describe the influence. The calculations agree well with the FEM simulations and experimental results in literature. Comparisons with the predictions using equations in the literature also show the reliability of the proposed equation. The investigations show that the loading curvature C increases with increasing E, σy, n and ν. The increase rates of C with E, σy, n and ν are different for their different influences on the flow stress after yielding. It is also found that the influence of one of the four mechanical parameters on C can be affected by the other mechanical parameters.

Soil microbial carbon utilization, enzyme activities and nutrient availability responses to Bidens pilosa and a non-invasive congener under different irradiances.

Two Bidens species (Bidens pilosa and B. bipinnata) that originate from America have been introduced widely in pan-tropics, with the former regarded as a noxious invasive weed whereas the latter naturalized as a plant resource. Whether the two species exhibit different effects on the belowground system remains rarely studied. This study was conducted to investigate soil microbial carbon (C) utilization, enzyme activities and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium contents under the two species in a subtropical garden soil of southern China under different levels of light intensity. Results showed that the microbial C utilization and enzyme activities were not significantly different under the two species, implying that the strong invasiveness of B. pilosa could not be due to the plant-soil microbe interactions, at least plant-induced alterations of microbial community function to utilize C substrates. Alternatively, available soil nitrogen and potassium contents were significantly higher under B. pilosa than under B. bipinnata in full sun, indicating that the strong invasiveness of B. pilosa could result from rapid nutrient mobilizations by B. pilosa. However, the differences turned non-significant as light intensity decreased, suggesting that light availability could substantially alter the plant effects on soil nutrient mobilizations.

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of a series of lanthanide thiostannates(IV): the first examples of inorganic-organic hybrid cationic lanthanide thiostannates(IV).

A series of new lanthanide thiostannates(IV), [Y(2)(dien)(4)(µ-OH)(2)]Sn(2)S(6) (1, dien = diethyl-enetriamine), (tetaH)(2)[Ln(2)(teta)(2)(tren)(2)(µ-Sn(2)S(6))]Sn(2)S(6) [Ln = Eu (2), Sm (3); teta = triethylenetetramine; tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine] and [Eu(2)(tepa)(2)(µ-OH)(2)(µ-Sn(2)S(6))](tepa)(0.5)·H(2)O (4, tepa = tetraethylene-pentamine) were solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. 1 consists of a binuclear [Y(2)(dien)(4)(µ(2)-OH)(2)](4+) cation and a discrete dimeric [Sn(2)S(6)](4-) anion. Both 2 and 3 are isostructural and composed of [Ln(2)(teta)(2)(tren)(2)(µ-Sn(2)S(6))](2+) cations, protonated triethylenetetramines (tetaH), and discrete dimeric [Sn(2)S(6)](4-) anions. A Sn(2)S(6)(4-) anion bridges two [Ln(teta)(tren)](3+) cations via the trans-S(t) (t = terminal) atoms to form the first examples of inorganic-organic hybrid thiostannate cations [Ln(2)(teta)(2)(tren)(2)(µ-Sn(2)S(6))](2+). 4 consists of one-dimensional (1-D) neutral chains [Eu(2)(tepa)(2)(µ-OH)(2)(µ-Sn(2)S(6))](n) built up from the linkage of dinuclear complex cations [Eu(2)(tepa)(2)(µ(2)-OH)(2)](4+) and bridging anions [Sn(2)S(6)](4-), free tepa molecules, and lattice water molecules. The present compounds exhibit wide-band gap semiconducting properties with absorption band edges between 2.40 and 2.91 eV.

Four dimensional superconformal index from q-deformed two dimensional Yang-Mills theory.

We show that the superconformal index (the partition function on the three-sphere times a circle) of a certain class of 4D supersymmetric field theories is exactly equal to a partition function of q-deformed nonsupersymmetric 2D Yang-Mills theory.

3-(2-Bromo-eth-oxy)-4-(4-bromo-phen-yl)furan-5(2H)-one.

In the title compound, C(12)H(10)Br(2)O(3), the dihedral angle between the furan-5(2H)-one ring and the benzene ring is 1.2 (3)°. Two intra-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions occur in the mol-ecule, both of which generate S(6) rings. The bromo-ethyl fragment is disordered over two sets of sites in a 0.773 (8):0.227 (8) ratio. In the crystal, inversion dimers linked by pairs of C-H⋯π inter-actions occur.

A tyrosinase biosensor based on ZnO nanorod clusters/nanocrystalline diamond electrodes for biosensing of phenolic compounds.

An amperometric biosensor was constructed by using ZnO nanorod clusters as platforms for immobilizing tyrosinase on the nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) electrodes. The results showed that ZnO nanorod clusters provided an advantageous microenvironment due to their favorable isoelectric point (IEP) for tyrosinase loading; immobilized tyrosinase generally retained its activity. The tyrosinase/ZnO/NCD electrode showed a linear response range of 1-210 and sensitivity of 179.9 microA mmol(-1) cm(-2) for p-cresol. The corresponding values were 1-190 and 90.2 for phenol, and 1-250 and 121.3 for 4-chlorophenol. The low detection limits were estimated to be 0.2 microM for p-cresol, 0.5 microM for phenol, and 0.4 microM for 4-chlorophenol (S/N = 3). The prepared enzyme electrode could keep 85% of its original activity after intermittent use for 4 weeks when stored in a dry state at 277 K. Therefore, the ZnO nanorod cluster thin films have potential applications as platforms to immobilize other enzymes and bioactive molecules in biosensors.

Simultaneous determinations of paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride in Shangshi Aerosols by HPLC method.

A simple and rapid HPLC method was described for the simultaneous determination of paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride in Shangshi Aerosols. The optimum separation for these analytes was achieved using the mixture of 0.025 M sodium dihydrogen phosphate-acetonitrile-diethylamine (64:35:1, v/v/v) as the mobile phase and a Nova-Pak((R)) C8 column. The linear ranges of paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride were 0.2-80 and 0.06-60 microg/ml with the regression equations being Y=11716.4+2.96 x 10(6)X (R=0.99969), Y=-6388.8+1.89 x 10(5)X (R=0.99976), and limit of quantifications (LOQ) for paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride were 0.2 and 0.06 microg/ml, respectively (n=6). Other validation parameters: intra-day precision (R.S.D.: 0.71-1.65%) and inter-day precision (R.S.D.: 0.89-2.11%), and reproducibility (recoveries values: 94.6-98.2% for paeonol, 94.85-97.58% for palmatine hydrochloride) were found to be satisfactory. The proposed HPLC method had been applied for the determination of paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride in Shangshi Aerosols; R.S.D. values were 1.45 and 1.13%, respectively. In short, this method was rapid and convenient, which could be used for the routine control of paeonol and palmatine hydrochloride in Shangshi Aerosols.