Primary glomus tumor of the thymus in a 66-year-old patient.

We report a unique case of a 66-year-old man who was incidentally identified to have a mass in the thymus region by computerized tomography scan. CT revealed a well-defined 1.6 × 1 × 0.9 cm thymus mass with moderate uniform enhancement. Thoracoscopic thymectomy was performed, and the pathological diagnosis was primary glomus tumor of the thymus. There were no atypia or malignant histological features, and no primary tumors in other sites. To our knowledge, this is the first case of primary thymic glomus tumor reported in the literature.

Error analysis and correction of multi-sensor cluster methods for acoustic emission source localization.

The existing multi-sensor cluster acoustic emission (AE) source localization method has good positioning performance, but the parallel assumption in this method could cause positioning error. This paper focused on the analysis of the positioning error of multi-sensor cluster methods with sensor arrangements of isosceles right-angled triangle and triangular pyramid. Meanwhile, two and three-dimensional amendment algorithms for the two sensor arrangements were proposed. Pencil lead break experiments and numerical examples were used to verify the rationality of error source analysis and the accuracy of the amendment algorithms. Results show that the multi-sensor cluster methods can only accurately locate the AE sources in special positions, such as the AE sources satisfying θi = π/4 in the multi-sensor cluster method with a sensor arrangement of isosceles right-angled triangle and the AE sources satisfying cosθij=3/3 in the multi-sensor cluster method with a sensor arrangement of triangular pyramid. The results of pencil lead break experiment show that the two-dimensional amendment algorithm can accurately locate the AE sources in two-dimensional isotropic structure. For the two-dimensional anisotropic structure, the positioning result of the two-dimensional amendment algorithm is 27.8% higher than that of the multi-sensor cluster method with a sensor arrangement of isosceles right-angled triangle. The results of numerical examples show that the positioning errors of the multi-sensor cluster method with a sensor arrangement of triangular pyramid and the three-dimensional amendment algorithm are 24.6 mm and 0, respectively. Due to the correction of the positioning error caused by the parallel assumption, the latter has better positioning performance. Therefore, the amendment algorithms of the multi-sensor cluster methods have certain engineering application value in AE monitoring of two and three-dimensional structures.

Bioinspired Metal-Intermetallic Laminated Composites for the Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Responsive Wettability.

Hundreds of copper and titanium foils were applied to prepare biomimetic metal-intermetallic laminated composites by diffusion bonding. The cross sections of the obtained diffusion bonded bulks were etched selectively with FeCl3 solution to get regular microarray structures. This kind of microstructure was controlled accurately and promptly by simple parameter adjustment. The etched surfaces were modified with 1-dodecanethiol, and the water contact angles (WCAs) were measured. The relationship between the microstructure and wettability of the achieved material was discussed, and the reason for the anisotropic wettability was also analyzed. Then etched surfaces were anodized in different electrolyte solutions to obtain different nanostructures. The morphology and chemical compositions of the surfaces were analyzed. The surfaces with CuO nanostructures by modification show superhydrophobicity with self-cleaning, on which the WCA and water sliding angle are 160.9° and 0.8°, respectively. The surfaces with TiO2 nanostructures without modification show ultraviolet light-responsive wettability. After modification with 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and 1-decanethiol, the surfaces also exhibit pH-responsive wettability. The superhydrophobic surfaces with responsive wettability have potential applications in biotechnology and microfluidics.

Underwater manipulation of oil droplets and bubbles on superhydrophobic surfaces via switchable adhesion.

An ultraviolet light-responsive superwetting surface was produced by wire electrical discharge machining of a TC4 alloy. The processed surface remained superoleophobic and superaerophobic in water, when it was either superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic in air. The surface exhibited an adhesion switching of oil droplets and bubbles underwater. The switching provides a new method to manipulate oil droplet or bubble motion and transportation underwater.

Transcriptional profile of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells transfected by Toxoplasma rhoptry protein 16.

Toxoplasma rhoptry protein 16 (ROP16) is crucial in the host-pathogen interaction by acting as a virulent factor during invasion. To improve understanding of the molecular function underlying the effect of ROP16 on host cells, the present study analyzed the transcriptional profile of genes in the ROP16­transfected SH­SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line. The transcriptional profile of the SH­SY5Y human neuroblastoma cell line overexpressing ROP16 were determined by microarray analysis in order to determine the host neural cell response to the virulent factor. Functional analysis was performed using the Protein Analysis Through Evolutionary Relationships classification system. The ToppGene Suite was used to select candidate genes from the differentially expressed genes. A protein­protein interaction network was constructed using Cytoscape software according to the interaction associations determined using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins. Reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT­qPCR) analysis of the selected genes confirmed the results of the microarray. The results showed that 383 genes were differentially expressed in response to ROP16 transfection, of which 138 genes were upregulated and 245 genes were downregulated. Functional analysis indicated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in several biological processes, including developmental process, biological regulation and apoptotic process. A total of 15 candidate genes from the DEGs were screened using the ToppGene Suite. No significant differences in expression were observed between the RT­qPCR data and the microarray data. Transfection with ROP16 resulted in alterations of several biological processes, including nervous system development, apoptosis and transcriptional regulation. Several genes, including CXCL12, BAI1, ZIC2, RBMX, RASSF6, MAGE­A6 and HOX, were identified as significant DEGs. Taken together, these results may contribute to understanding the mechanisms underlying the functions of ROP16 and provide scope for further investigation of the pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii.