Impact of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) on postoperative long-term survival in patients with nonsmall hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was to compare the effects of preoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and non-TACE on the long-term survival of patients who undergo radical hepatectomy. METHODS: PSM analysis was performed for 387 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (single > 3 cm or multiple) who underwent radical resection of HCC at our centre from January 2011 to June 2018. The patients were allocated to a preoperative TACE group (n = 77) and a non-TACE group (n = 310). The main outcome measures were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) since the treatment date. RESULTS: After PSM, 67 patients were included in each of the TACE and non-TACE groups. The median PFS times in the preoperative TACE and non-TACE groups were 24.0 and 11.3 months, respectively (p = 0.0117). The median OS times in the preoperative TACE and non-TACE groups were 41.5 and 29.0 months, respectively (p = 0.0114). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that preoperative TACE (hazard ratio, 1.733; 95% CI, 1.168-2.570) and tumour thrombosis (hazard ratio, 0.323; 95% CI, 0.141-0.742) were independent risk factors significantly associated with OS. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative TACE is related to improving PFS and OS after resection of HCC. Preoperative TACE and tumour thrombus volume were also found to be independent risk factors associated with OS.

Comparing Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound to contrast-enhanced CT and MRI for differentially diagnosing renal lesions: a prospective multicenter study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced (CE) ultrasound using Sonazoid (SNZ-CEUS) by comparing with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) for differentiating benign and malignant renal masses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 306 consecutive patients (from 7 centers) with renal masses (40 benign tumors, 266 malignant tumors) diagnosed by both SNZ-CEUS, CE-CT or CE-MRI were enrolled between September 2020 and February 2021. The examinations were performed within 7 days, but the sequence was not fixed. Histologic results were available for 301 of 306 (98.37%) lesions and 5 lesions were considered benign after at least 2 year follow-up without change in size and image characteristics. The diagnostic performances were evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and compared by McNemar's test. RESULTS: In the head-to-head comparison, SNZ-CEUS and CE-MRI had comparable sensitivity (95.60 vs. 94.51%, P = 0.997), specificity (65.22 vs. 73.91%, P = 0.752), positive predictive value (91.58 vs. 93.48%) and negative predictive value (78.95 vs. 77.27%); SNZ-CEUS and CE-CT showed similar sensitivity (97.31 vs. 96.24%, P = 0.724); however, SNZ-CEUS had relatively lower than specificity than CE-CT (59.09 vs. 68.18%, P = 0.683). For nodules > 4 cm, CE-MRI demonstrated higher specificity than SNZ-CEUS (90.91 vs. 72.73%, P = 0.617) without compromise the sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: SNZ-CEUS, CE-CT, and CE-MRI demonstrate desirable and comparable sensitivity for the differentiation of renal mass. However, the specificity of all three imaging modalities is not satisfactory. SNZ-CEUS may be a suitable alternative modality for patients with renal dysfunction and those allergic to gadolinium or iodine-based agents.

Extended lymphadenectomy based on the TRIANGLE for pancreatic head cancer: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: This study was to compare the safety and efficacy of different lymphadenectomy methods in patients with pancreatic head cancer undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 150 patients were included in this study. Patients were divided into Group A (n = 79), Group B (n = 44), and Group C (n = 27) according to the different lymphadenectomy methods. The clinical endpoint was time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS). Postoperative complications of different lymphadenectomy methods were compared respectively. TTP and OS of the three groups were compared by Kaplan-Meier curves. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the three groups in operative time (P = 0.300), death in the hospital (P = 0.253), postoperative hemorrhage (P = 0.863), postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) B/C (P = 0.306), bile leakage (P = 0.215), intestinal fistula (P = 0.177), lymphatic leakage (P = 0.267), delayed gastric emptying [(DGE) (P = 0.283)], ICU stay (P = 0.506), and postoperative hospital stay [(PHS) (P = 0.810)]. Median TTP in Groups B and C was significantly longer than in Group A (log-rank test, A vs B: P = 0.0005, A vs C: P = 0.0001). Median OS between the three groups has no statistical difference (P = 0.1546). CONCLUSIONS: Extended lymphadenectomy methods based on the TRIANGLE do not increase perioperative complications significantly and can effectively delay tumor progression in patients with pancreatic head cancer.

A novel nomogram based on the number of positive lymph nodes can predict the overall survival of patients with pancreatic head cancer after radical surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to construct a novel nomogram based on the number of positive lymph nodes to predict the overall survival of patients with pancreatic head cancer after radical surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 2271 and 973 patients in the SEER Database were included in the development set and validation set, respectively. The primary clinical endpoint was OS (overall survival). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen independent risk factors of OS, and then independent risk factors were used to construct a novel nomogram. The C-index, calibration curves, and decision analysis curves were used to evaluate the predictive power of the nomogram in the development and validation sets. RESULTS: After multivariate Cox regression analysis, the independent risk factors for OS included age, tumor extent, chemotherapy, tumor size, LN (lymph nodes) examined, and LN positive. A nomogram was constructed by using independent risk factors for OS. The C-index of the nomogram for OS was 0.652 [(95% confidence interval (CI): 0.639-0.666)] and 0.661 (95%CI: 0.641-0.680) in the development and validation sets, respectively. The calibration curves and decision analysis curves proved that the nomogram had good predictive ability. CONCLUSIONS: The nomogram based on the number of positive LN can effectively predict the overall survival of patients with pancreatic head cancer after surgery.

Reconfigurable mechano-responsive soft film for adaptive visible and infrared dual-band camouflage.

Learning from nature in terms of the camouflage used by species has enabled the continuous development of camouflage technologies for the visible to mid-infrared bands to prevent objects from being detected by sophisticated multispectral detectors, thereby avoiding potential threats. However, achieving visible and infrared dual-band camouflage without destructive interference while also realizing rapidly responsive adaptivity to the varying background remains challenging for high-demand camouflage systems. Here, we report a reconfigurable mechano-responsive soft film for dual-band camouflage. Its modulation ranges for visible transmittance and longwave infrared emittance can be up to 66.3% and 21%, respectively. Rigorous optical simulations are performed to elucidate the modulation mechanism of dual-band camouflage and identify the optimal wrinkles required to achieve the goal. The broadband modulation capability (figure of merit) of the camouflage film can be as high as 2.91. Other advantages, such as simple fabrication and a fast response, make this film a potential candidate for dual-band camouflage that can adapt to diverse environments.

Many-body near-field radiative heat transfer: methods, functionalities and applications.

Near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) governed by evanescent waves, provides a platform to thoroughly understand the transport behavior of nonradiative photons, and also has great potential in high-efficiency energy harvesting and thermal management at the nanoscale. It is more usual in nature that objects participate in heat transfer process in many-body form rather than the frequently-considered two-body scenarios, and the inborn mutual interactions among objects are important to be understood and utilized for practical applications. The last decade has witnessed considerable achievements on many-body NFRHT, ranging from the establishment of different calculation methods to various unprecedented heat transport phenomena that are distinct from two-body systems. In this invited review, we introduce concisely the basic physics of NFRHT, lay out various theoretical methods to deal with many-body NFRHT, and highlight unique functionalities realized in many-body systems and the resulting applications. At last, the key challenges and opportunities of many-body NFRHT in terms of fundamental physics, experimental validations, and potential applications are outlined and discussed.

High-throughput screening of a high-Q mid-infrared Tamm emitter by material informatics.

Narrowband mid-infrared emitters, quantified by the Q-factor, have garnered a lot of attention due to their emerging applications from chemical and biosensing to efficient thermal utilization. Previous studies reported high Q-factor emitters within several selected wavelengths, still lacking a large database of emitter structures with very high Q-factors. In this Letter, we utilized the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm under the framework of material informatics to optimize the Tamm emitters at the infrared range (from 3 to 10 µm) for achieving a high Q-factor and high emissivity simultaneously, providing a large database of high and sharp emission peaks in the infrared. Through the MCTS algorithm, the structure with a Q-factor of 508 and an emissivity peak of 0.92 at 4.225 µm is obtained, far surpassing the previous results, and the underlying mechanism is discussed by electric field simulations. The high Q-factor emitters in the database show good monochromatism and high emissivity, accelerating the selection of proper perfect emitters for desired wavelengths. This Letter also paves a feasible avenue for the emitter and absorber design with ultrahigh monochromatism.

Radiative metasurface for thermal camouflage, illusion and messaging.

Thanks to the conductive thermal metamaterials, novel functionalities like thermal cloak, camouflage and illusion have been achieved, but conductive metamaterials can only control the in-plane heat conduction. The radiative thermal metamaterials can control the out-of-plane thermal emission, which are more promising and applicable but have not been studied as comprehensively as the conductive counterparts. In this paper, we theoretically investigate the surface emissivity of metal/insulator/metal (MIM, i.e., Au/Ge/Au here) microstructures, by the rigorous coupled-wave algorithm, and utilize the excitation of the magnetic polaritons to realize thermal camouflage through designing the grating width distribution by minimizing the temperature standard deviation of the overall plate. Through this strategy, the hot spot in the original temperature field is removed and a uniform temperature field is observed in the infrared camera instead, demonstrating the thermal camouflage functionality. Furthermore, thermal illusion and thermal messaging functionalities are also demonstrated by resorting to using such an emissivity-structured radiative metasurface. The present MIM-based radiative metasurface may open avenues for developing novel thermal functionalities via thermal metasurface and metamaterials.

Metamaterials-Enabled Sensing for Human-Machine Interfacing.

Our modern lives have been radically revolutionized by mechanical or electric machines that redefine and recreate the way we work, communicate, entertain, and travel. Whether being perceived or not, human-machine interfacing (HMI) technologies have been extensively employed in our daily lives, and only when the machines can sense the ambient through various signals, they can respond to human commands for finishing desired tasks. Metamaterials have offered a great platform to develop the sensing materials and devices from different disciplines with very high accuracy, thus enabling the great potential for HMI applications. For this regard, significant progresses have been achieved in the recent decade, but haven't been reviewed systematically yet. In the Review, we introduce the working principle, state-of-the-art sensing metamaterials, and the corresponding enabled HMI applications. For practical HMI applications, four kinds of signals are usually used, i.e., light, heat, sound, and force, and therefore the progresses in these four aspects are discussed in particular. Finally, the future directions for the metamaterials-based HMI applications are outlined and discussed.

Explosive bouncing on heated silicon surfaces under low ambient pressure.

Droplet impingement on heated surfaces has been investigated by varying the surface textures, temperature, and droplet properties with demonstration of various phenomenological behaviors, such as evaporation, boiling, splashing, and Leidenfrost bouncing. However, the ambient pressure dependence has not been well explored, especially for ambient pressures lower than 5 kPa. By examining the ambient pressure (from 0.2 to 20 kPa) and surface temperature (from 20 to 200 °C) simultaneously, we found a novel explosive bouncing behavior which is different from Leidenfrost bouncing and only occurs at extremely low ambient pressure (≤6 kPa). Through experimental validation and mechanical analysis, we found that the explosive bouncing is caused by the dramatic explosion of the local vapor bubble and reducing the ambient pressure benefits the formation and explosion of the vapor bubble.

Phosphor modeling based on fluorescent radiative transfer equation.

The behaviors of the light propagation in the phosphor play a vital role in determining the optical performance of the phosphor-converted light-emitting diodes (pc-LEDs). In this paper, we presented a general model based on the radiative transfer equation integrated with fluorescence (FRTE) to describe the overall light propagating properties in the phosphor layer in terms of light absorption, strong forward scattering, and fluorescence. The model was established by accounting for general boundary conditions including the LED Lambertian incidence, the diffuse reflection at the substrate/reflector, and the Fresnel reflection at the phosphor-air interface. The spectral element method (SEM) was extended to numerically solve FRTE. The radiant intensity at any location and direction of blue and yellow light was iteratively calculated, in which case the angular properties could be further evaluated. The model was validated by comparing the light extraction efficiency (LEE) and angular correlated color temperature (CCT) calculated by the presented model with the experimental results. Good agreements were achieved between model predictions and measurements with the corresponding maximum deviation of 4.9% and 3.7% for LEE and CCT, respectively. We also conducted a comparison between our model and the previous Kubelka-Munk (KM) theory. It has been revealed that the KM theory may overestimate the phosphor heating due to lacking of the blue light scattering effect.

Realization of wide circadian variability by quantum dots-luminescent mesoporous silica-based white light-emitting diodes.

Human comfort has become one of the most important criteria in modern lighting architecture. Here, we proposed a tuning strategy to enhance the non-image forming photobiological effect on the human circadian rhythm based on quantum-dots-converted white light-emitting diodes (QDs-WLEDs). We introduced the limiting variability of the circadian action factor (CAF), defined as the ratio of circadian efficiency and luminous efficiency of radiation. The CAF was deeply discussed and was found to be a function of constraining the color rendering index (CRI) and correlated color temperatures. The maximum CAF variability of QDs-WLEDs was found to be dependent on the QDs' peak wavelength and full width at half maximum. With the optimized parameters, the packaging materials were synthesized and WLEDs were packaged. Experimental results show that at CRI > 90, the maximum CAF variability can be tuned by 3.83 times (from 0.251 at 2700 K to 0.961 at 6500 K), which implies that our approach could reduce the number of tunable channels, and could achieve wider CAF variability.

Structural optimization for remote white light-emitting diodes with quantum dots and phosphor: packaging sequence matters.

White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) with quantum dots (QDs) and phosphor have attracted tremendous attentions due to their excellent color rendering ability. In the packaging process, QDs layer and phosphor-silicone layer tend to be separated to reduce the reabsorption losses, and to maintain the stability of QDs surface ligands. This study investigated the packaging sequence between QDs and phosphor on the optical and thermal performances of WLEDs. The output optical power and PL spectra were measured and analyzed, and the temperature fields were simulated and validated experimentally by infrared thermal imager. It was found that when driven by 60 mA, the QDs-on-phosphor type WLEDs achieved luminous efficiency (LE) of 110 lm/W, with color rendering index (CRI) of Ra = 92 and R9 = 80, while the phosphor-on-QDs type WLEDs demonstrated lower LE of 68 lm/W, with Ra = 57 and R9 = 24. Moreover, the QDs-on-phosphor type WLEDs generated less heat than that of another, consequently the highest temperature in the QDs-on-phosphor type was lower than another, and the temperature difference can reach 12.3°C. Therefore, in terms of packaging sequence, the QDs-on-phosphor type is an optimal packaging architecture for higher optical efficiency, better color rendering ability and lower device temperature.

Design of a brightness-enhancement-film-adaptive freeform lens to enhance overall performance in direct-lit light-emitting diode backlighting.

In this study, a brightness-enhancement-film- (BEF) adaptive method is proposed to design freeform lenses for enhancing brightness performance in a direct-lit light-emitting diode (LED) backlight system. A detailed design algorithm is presented based on the analysis of the output optical properties of the BEF. By introducing a constriction factor, we can control the light intensity distribution curve at will to adapt to the characteristics of the BEF and make more light transmit through the BEF. Compared with an LED backlight system without a freeform lens, the BEF-adaptive lens method can improve axial luminance by 20.67% and output efficiency by 6.02%.

[Pollen viability, stigma receptivity and fruiting characteristics of botanical origin of Jinxianlian].

The viability and life span of pollen were evaluated by TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazlium chloride) and the peroxidase solution, the stigma receptivity were estimated by benzidine-H2O2 method and the fruiting characteristics were investigated. The results showed that (1) Anoectochilus roxburghii and A. formosanus appeared the same up-and-down trend of the pollen viability, increased and then decreased. The storage temperature and storage time had significant impact on the pollen viability. With the extension of storage time, the pollen activity decreased. 4 degrees C refrigerator storage may be extended the pollen vitality. (2) The stigma had receptivity in 1st day and reached the highest level in the 4th day after blooming. A. roxburghii lost receptivity in the 8th day while A. formosanus lost receptivity in the 10th day after blooming. (3) The different pollination had significant impact on seed setting rate. The seed setting rate of artificial cross-pollination was higher than that of the artificial self-pollination. Collecting pollen in the 3rd day and carrying out artificial cross-pollination in the 4th day after blooming can significantly improve seed setting rate. The results provided technical assurance for A. roxburghii and A. formosanus breeding of new varieties and seed breeding.

[Molecular action mechanism of desoxyrhaponticin and serum albumin characterized by spectroscopy combined with molecular modelling].

OBJECTIVE: To study the molecular action mechanism of active constituents desoxyrhaponticin (DES) and human serum albumin (HSA). METHOD: Under the simulated physiological condition, computer analog technology, fluorescent spectrometry and ultraviolet spectrum were combined to study the binding mechanism between drug and protein. RESULT: Molecular modeling was adopted to establish the binding model between DES and HSA, suggesting that the interaction force maintaining drug and protein is mainly the hydrophobic interaction with a hydrogen-bond interaction. The results from spectroscopy indicated that the interaction between DES and HSA is a dynamic binding process with a high intensity. The value of the binding distance (r) between DES and HSA was low, which demonstrate the occurrence of energy transfer. DES made an impact on HSA' structural domain microcell conformation, which resulted in hydrophobic changes in binding areas. According to the fluorescent phase diagram technical analysis, the changes in the DES-HSA reaction conformational pattern showed a "two-state" model. According to the obtained thermodynamic parameters for the DES-HSA interaction, the interactional force between DES and HSA was mainly a hydrophobic interaction. The fluorescence polarization proved that a non-covalent compound was generated during the interaction between DES and HSA. CONCLUSION: The spectrum experiment showed consistent results with the computer analog technology, which could provided certain reference for studies on the interaction between DES and HSA.

[Biological characteristics of Fusarium oxysporum and inhibitory effects of five fungicides].

The mycelium growth and sporulation in different temperature, pH value and light conditions were detected by using the crossing and haemocytometer method. The toxicity of five fungicides to Fusarium oxysporum was tested by mycelia growth method, so as to provide the reference for prevention and control against F. oxysporum. The optimum temperature and pH value of F. oxysporum to grow and spore were 28 degrees C and 6-7. Alternating light and darkness promoted growth and sporulation of bacterial colony. As for five fungicides, the EC50 of tebuconazole was 10.02 mg x L(-1), 92.50 times as much as carbendazim. The EC50 of myclobutanil and Fuxing was 91.23, 96.68 mg x L(-1), respectively. Tebuconazole showed the most tremendous inhibitory effect and control efficiency on F. oxysporum.

[Studies on methods of in vitro evaluation of soft rot-resistance in jinxianlian].

Compared with living spray method, it focused on the investigation of different inoculation methods, various inoculation concentration and the influence of different seeding age on soft rot-resistance in Jinxianlian. The results showed that (1) Inoculated with dropping connection, the difference of disease index between A. roxburghii and A. formosanus was grate, so that the disease-resistance could be obviously distinguished. (2) When the inoculation concentration was 1.0 x 10(7) cfu x mL(-1), the difference of disease index was relatively obvious and the disease-resistance could be differentiated well. (3) At the moment of 4-month seeding inoculation, a certain difference of the disease index between A. roxburghii and A. formosanus was existed, so, relatively, it could accurately reflect the resistance difference between various species. With the inoculation of dropping connection, A. roxburghii and A. formosanus of 4-month seeding age was put in the bacteria suspension of inoculation concentration of 1.0 x 10(7) cfu x mL(-1). The identification was taken up after 5 days in the incubator under the condition of 14 h daylight and 28 degrees C. The identification result was conformed with that of the living spray method. To investigate the identification method of in vitro evaluation of soft rot-resistance of Jinxianlian so as to provide the foundation for germplasm utilization and excellent cultivars breeding.

[Multiple analysis of relationship between morphologic traits and yield formation of Anoectochilus roxburghii].

Nine morphologic traits, plant height, ground diameter, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area of plant, leaf fresh weight, blades, length/width ratio, plant fresh weight of Anoectochilus roxburghii from 13 different areas were determined for correlation analysis, path analysis and principal components analysis. Different source of morphological trait variation coefficient of A. roxburghii was 2.96% -12.59%, plant fresh weight was significant positively correlated with ground diameter, plant height and leaf number, and positively correlated with leaf fresh weight. Path analysis showed that plant height had the largest positive direct effect on plant fresh weight, the leaf fresh weight and blades number had indirect effects on the plant fresh weight. Through principal component analysis, morphological traits of A. roxburghii can be divided into "Determinants of high-yielding morphology" and "Determinants of leaf production". In the actual process of production and breeding of A. roxburghii, we should pay attention to plant height, leaf fresh weight, blades numbers and other traits.