Malignant melanoma of the penis and urethra: one case report

We present a case of a patient with malignant melanoma of the glans penis and urethra, which was found in a 53-year-old man with nonhealing ulcerative penile lesion and bilateral, clinically palpable inguinal lymphadenopathies at diagnosis. A diagnostic biopsy showed the characteristics of a melanoma. We treated the patient with total penectomy and bilateral inguinal lymph node dissection. After surgery, chemotherapy with bleomycin, vincristine and cisplatin and immunotherapy with thymosin injection were started. No recurrence or metastasis occurred during the 3 years after the operation. Melanoma of the penis is very rare, and early diagnosis is important because the patient prognosis is very poor

Role of HMGB1 in apoptosis-mediated sepsis lethality

Severe sepsis, a lethal syndrome after infection or injury, is the third leading cause of mortality in the United States. The pathogenesis of severe sepsis is characterized by organ damage and accumulation of apoptotic lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and other organs. To examine the potential causal relationships of apoptosis to organ damage, we administered Z-VAD-FMK, a broad-spectrum caspase inhibitor, to mice with sepsis. We found that Z-VAD-FMK–treated septic mice had decreased levels of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a critical cytokine mediator of organ damage in severe sepsis, and suppressed apoptosis in the spleen and thymus. In vitro, apoptotic cells activate macrophages to release HMGB1. Monoclonal antibodies against HMGB1 conferred protection against organ damage but did not prevent the accumulation of apoptotic cells in the spleen. Thus, our data indicate that HMGB1 production is downstream of apoptosis on the final common pathway to organ damage in severe sepsis

A High-Performance Coniform Helmholtz Resonator-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Acoustic Energy Harvesting

Harvesting acoustic energy in the environment and converting it into electricity can provide essential ideas for self-powering the widely distributed sensor devices in the age of the Internet of Things. In this study, we propose a low-cost, easily fabricated and high-performance coniform Helmholtz resonator-based Triboelectric Nanogenerator (CHR-TENG) with the purpose of acoustic energy harvesting. Output performances of the CHR-TENG with varied geometrical sizes were systematically investigated under different acoustic energy conditions. Remarkably, the CHR-TENG could achieve a 58.2% higher power density per unit of sound pressure of acoustic energy harvesting compared with the ever-reported best result. In addition, the reported CHR-TENG was demonstrated by charging a 1000 μF capacitor up to 3 V in 165 s, powering a sensor for continuous temperature and humidity monitoring and lighting up as many as five 0.5 W commercial LED bulbs for acoustic energy harvesting. With a collection features of high output performance, lightweight, wide frequency response band and environmental friendliness, the cleverly designed CHR-TENG represents a practicable acoustic energy harvesting approach for powering sensor devices in the age of the Internet of Things

Effect of production process parameters on high temperature stability of rubber asphalt mixture

498-506This study aims to improve the high-temperature stability of rubber asphalt mixtures. Single factor analysis was used to compare and analyze the results of rutting test before and after rubber asphalt equipment reformation and indoors. The influence rule of various production process parameters on high-temperature stability was determined and analyzed through gray correlation theory. The dynamic stability of rubber asphalt mixtures significantly improved after reformation. Prolonged mixing time benefitted mixing uniformity and swelling reactions. With increasing developing temperature and time, the dynamic stability first increased and then decreased. In actual production, the optimal temperature and time are 185-190°C and 1-1.5 h, respectively. Under horizontal axis stirring, the dynamic stability increased by 16% relative to that under vertical shaft stirring. The dynamic stability improved with increasing rubber powder content, and the optimal rubber powder content in terms of construction workability is 20-22%. Experimental results of mass production after reformation are consistent with the laboratory test results. The gray correlation analysis results show that rubber powder content, developing temperature, developing time, and stirring technique are key control parameters. Furthermore, control accuracy should be enhanced, and fluctuation should be reduced

Fluctuation in operational energy efficiency of ships and its implications for performance appraisal

This paper develops a dynamic regression model to quantify the contribution of key external factors to operational energy efficiency of ships. On this basis, kernel density estimation is applied to explore distribution patterns of fluctuations in operational performance. An empirical analysis based on these methods show that distribution of fluctuations in Energy Efficiency Operational Indicator (EEOI) is leptokurtic and fat tailed, rather than a normal one. Around 85% of fluctuations in EEOI can be jointly explained by capacity utilization and sailing speed, while the rest depend on other external factors largely beyond control. The variations in capacity utilization and sailing speed cannot be fully passed on to the energy efficiency performance of ships, due to complex interactions between various external factors. The application of the methods is demonstrated, showing a potential approach to develop a rating mechanism for use in the legally binding framework on operational energy efficiency of ships

Regulation of Interferon-β-Modified Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in Proliferation and Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells

ABSTRACTProstate cancer (PCa) poses a serious burden to men. Interferon-β (IFN-β) is implicated in cancer cell growth. This study hence explored the regulation of IFN-β-modified human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hUCMSC-Exos) in PCa cells. In vitro-cultured hUCMSCs were transfected with pcDNA3.1-IFN-β plasmid or IFN-β siRNA. hUCMSC-Exos were extracted by ultracentrifugation and identified. PCa cells (PC3 and LNCap) were treated with Exos. Cellular internalization of Exos by cells was detected by uptake assay. Cell proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis were evaluated by CCK-8, EdU staining, and flow cytometry. Levels of cell cycle-related proteins (cyclin D/cyclin E) were determined by Western blot. The effect of IFN-β-modified hUCMSC-Exos in vivo was analyzed. IFN-β-modified hUCMSC-Exos (Exooe-IFN−β or Exosi-IFN−β) were successfully isolated. IFN-β was encapsulated in Exos, and PCa cells could uptake Exos. After treating with Exooe-IFN−β, PCa cell proliferation was impeded, the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase, cyclin D/cyclin E levels, and cell apoptotic rate were elevated, while cells treated with Exooe-IFN−β exhibited contrary trends. IFN-β-modified hUCMSC-Exos reduced PCa tumor size and weight in vivo. Conjointly, IFN-β-modified hUCMSC-Exos suppress PCa cell proliferation and facilitate apoptosis

Application of First-Order Shear Deformation Theory on Vibration Analysis of Stepped Functionally Graded Paraboloidal Shell with General Edge Constraints

The paper introduces a semi-analytical approach to analyze free vibration characteristics of stepped functionally graded (FG) paraboloidal shell with general edge conditions. The analytical model is established based on multi-segment partitioning strategy and first-order shear deformation theory. The displacement components along axial direction are represented by Jacobi polynomials, and the Fourier series are utilized to express displacement components in circumferential direction. Based on penalty method about spring stiffness technique, the general edge conditions of doubly curved paraboloidal shell can be easily simulated. The solutions about doubly curved paraboloidal shell were solved by approach of Rayleigh–Ritz. Convergence study about boundary parameters, Jacobi parameters et al. are carried out, respectively. The comparison with published literatures, FEM and experiment results show that the present method has good convergence ability and excellent accuracy

Study on Acoustic Characteristics of a Flexible Plate Strongly Coupled with Rectangular Cavity

This paper presents a method to predict the acoustic characteristics and steady-state responses of a flexible plate strongly coupled with rectangular cavity based on energy principle theory and Legendre polynomial series. First, the displacement of the plate and the sound pressure in the cavity are constructed in the form of two-dimensional and three-dimensional Legendre polynomial series, respectively. The unknown expansion coefficients are obtained using the Rayleigh–Ritz technique based on the energy expressions for the strongly coupled plate-cavity system. The accuracy, convergence, and efficiency of the present method are verified by comparing with the results available in the FEM and literature. Finally, the effects of the structural boundary conditions, cavity depth, and structural length-width ratio on the coupling natural frequency and the steady-state responses under three excitation conditions are analyzed

A New Treatment Strategy for Inactivating Algae in Ballast Water Based on Multi-Trial Injections of Chlorine

Ships’ ballast water can carry aquatic organisms into foreign ecosystems. In our previous studies, a concept using ion exchange membrane electrolysis to treat ballast water has been proven. In addition to other substantial approaches, a new strategy for inactivating algae is proposed based on the developed ballast water treatment system. In the new strategy, the means of multi-trial injection with small doses of electrolytic products is applied for inactivating algae. To demonstrate the performance of the new strategy, contrast experiments between new strategies and routine processes were conducted. Four algae species including Chlorella vulgaris, Platymonas subcordiformis, Prorocentrum micans and Karenia mikimotoi were chosen as samples. The different experimental parameters are studied including the injection times and doses of electrolytic products. Compared with the conventional one trial injection method, mortality rate time (MRT) and available chlorine concentration can be saved up to about 84% and 40%, respectively, under the application of the new strategy. The proposed new approach has great potential in practical ballast water treatment. Furthermore, the strategy is also helpful for deep insight of mechanism of algal tolerance