Efficacy and safety of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma in the real world: a single-arm meta-analysis

Abstract Background Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab was approved in 2020 as a first-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to assess the curative effect and tolerability of the combination treatment in advanced HCC. Methods Web of Science, PubMed and Embase were retrieved for qualified literatures on the treatment of advanced HCC with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab until September 1, 2022. The outcomes included pooled overall response (OR), complete response (CR), partial response (PR), median overall survival (mOS), median progression-free survival (mPFS), and adverse events (AEs). Results Twenty-three studies, comprising 3168 patients, were enrolled. The pooled OR, CR, and PR rates of the long-term (more than six weeks) therapy response based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) were 26%, 2%, and 23%, respectively. The pooled OR, CR, and PR rates of the short-term (six weeks) therapeutic response evaluated with RECIST were 13%, 0%, and 15%, respectively. The pooled mOS and mPFS were 14.7 months and 6.66 months, respectively. During the treatment, 83% and 30% of patients experienced any grade AEs and grade 3 and above AEs, respectively. Conclusions Atezolizumab in combination with bevacizumab showed good efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of advanced HCC. Compared with short-term, non-first-line, and low-dose therapy, atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in long-term, first-line, and standard-dose treatment for advanced HCC showed a better tumor response rate

Characterization of in situ SiNx thin film grown on AlN/GaN heterostructure by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

We report an investigation of in situ SiNx gate dielectric grown on AlN/GaN heterostructures by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. It is revealed that the in situ SiNx is Si-rich, with a N/Si ratio of 1.21 and a relatively high effective dielectric constant of similar to 8.3. The 7nm in situ SiNx film exhibited a large resistivity of >10(14) Omega . cm and a breakdown field of 5.7 MV/cm. Furthermore, interface trapping effects in the in situ SiNx/AlN/GaN heterostructures were investigated by frequency dependent conductance analysis. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC

Could an isolated human body lower limb model predict leg biomechanical response of Chinese pedestrians in vehicle collisions?

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether an isolated human body lower limb FE model could predict leg kinematics and biomechanical response of a full body Chinese pedestrian model in vehicle collisions. Methods: A human body lower limb FE model representing midsize Chinese adult male anthropometry was employed with different upper body weight attachments being evaluated by comparing the predictions to those of a full body pedestrian model in vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions considering different front-end shapes. Results: The results indicate that upper body mass has a significant influence on pedestrian lower limb injury risk, the effect varies from vehicle front-end shape and is more remarkable to the femur and knee ligaments than to the tibia. In particular, the upper body mass can generally increase femur and knee ligaments injury risk, but has no obvious effect on the injury risk of tibia. The results also show that a higher attached buttock mass is needed for isolated pedestrian lower limb model for impacts with vehicles of higher bonnet leading edge. Conclusions: The findings of this study may suggest that it is necessary to consider vehicle shape variation in assessment of vehicle pedestrian protection performance and leg-form impactors with adaptive upper body mass should be used for vehicles with different front-end shapes, and the use of regional leg-form impactor modeling the local anthropometry to evaluate the actual lower limb injury of pedestrians in different countries and regions

In situ growth of SiNx as gate dielectric and surface passivation for AIN/GaN heterostructures by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

SiNx grown in situ by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) has shown great potential as a high-quality gate dielectric and surface passivation for AIN/GaN heterostructure transistors. In this paper, we present a thorough study on how the growth conditions affect the film quality of SiNx, and correlate the observed material properties with the electrical characteristics of the heterostructures. Lowering the growth pressure and SiH4/NH3 ratio can improve the SiNx/AIN interface roughness, leading to a reduced interfacial trap state density. The gate leakage current can be suppressed by increasing the resistivity of SiNx, which can be tailored with growth temperature and SiH4/NH3 ratio. (C) 2014 The Japan Society of Applied Physic

Optimizing the Stand Density of Robinia pseudoacacia L. Forests of the Loess Plateau, China, Based on Response to Soil Water and Soil Nutrient

Improving low-efficiency artificial forests represents a popular forest hydrological issue, and exploring the optimal stand density (OSD) of low-efficiency artificial forests is an effective method for improving the soil conditions of forestland to prevent the deterioration of ecological function. Water and nutrients were the main limiting factors for vegetation growth. However, relatively few studies addressed the optimization of stand density based on these two factors at the same time. In this study, a total of 176 standard plots (20 × 20 m2) with six stand densities (~500, ~1000, ~1500, ~2000, ~2500 and ~3000 plants·hm−2) were established to investigate the water resources (soil moisture content (SMC), soil evaporation rate (SER), and vegetation transpiration rate (VTR)) and soil nutrient resources (total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), calcium (CaCO3), organic matter content (OMC)) in low-efficiency Robinia pseudoacacia forestland on the Loess Plateau in western Shanxi, China from June to September each year from 2017 to 2018. The relationships between stand density and water and nutrient resources were analysed with the response surface method (RSM). The RSM results indicated that the OSD averaged 1594 plants·hm−2 and ranged from 940 to 2386 plants·hm−2. The percentage of standard plots with an unreasonable stand density was 35.29%, and 65% of these plots had a value that was higher than the maximum in the range while 35% had a value that was lower than the minimum. These results indicate that the current stand density should be manipulated to fall within the identified OSD range to ensure the normal functions of soil and water conservation in R. pseudoacacia forests. The results of this study serve as a guide for optimizing the stand density of low-efficiency R. pseudoacacia forests in China

The effects of flipped classrooms on undergraduate pharmaceutical marketing learning: A clustered randomized controlled study.

BackgroundRecently, flipped classrooms (FCs) have gradually been used in Chinese higher education settings. However, few studies have focused on the effects of FCs on interdisciplinary curricula. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of an FC on the engagement, performance, and perceptions of students and on teacher-student interaction in a pharmaceutical marketing course.DesignA clustered randomized controlled study was conducted, with 137 junior-year pharmacy undergraduates using an FC serving as the intervention group, in contrast to students using lecture-based learning (LBL) as the control group. Flanders' interaction analysis system (FIAS) was used to measure teacher-student interaction, and questionnaires regarding attitudes toward and satisfaction with the teaching model were administered.ResultsThe students in the FC group scored significantly higher than those in the LBL group (88.21±5.95 vs. 80.05±5.59, t = -8.08, p = 0.000) on pharmaceutical marketing. The multiple linear regression results showed that the FC model had a significant impact on student performance (β = 8.16, pConclusionCompared with LBL methods, implementing the FC model improved student performance, increased teacher-student interaction and generated positive student attitudes toward the experience. As an effective pedagogical model, it can also stimulate pharmacy students' learning interest and improve their self-learning abilities

An Efficient, Eco-friendly and Sustainable One-Pot Synthesis of 3,4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones Directly from Alcohols Catalyzed by Heteropolyanion-Based Ionic Liquids

Efficient, eco-friendly and sustainable access to 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones directly from alcohols under microwave and solvent-free conditions has been reported. The practical protocol involves heteropolyanion-based catalyzed oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes with NaNO3 as the oxidant followed by cyclocondensation with dicarbonyl compounds and urea or thiourea in a two-step, one-pot manner. Compatibility with different functional groups, good to excellent yields and reusable catalysts are the main highlights. The utilization of alcohols instead of aldehydes is a valid and green alternative to the classical Biginelli reaction

The effects of extruded corn flour on rheological properties of wheat‐based composite dough and the bread quality

The effects of extruded corn flour (ECF) on the rheological properties of the wheat‐based composite dough and quality of the bread were investigated. The RVA results of the composite flour with ECF showed weak thermal viscosity and resistance to starch retrogradation. Mixolab tests revealed that the water absorption capacity increased with the increasing amount of ECF, while dough development time (DT) and dough stability (ST) showed a downward trend, and the composite dough became more resistant to retrogradation. The microstructure of the composite dough showed that the presence of both ECF and unextruded corn flour (UECF) resulted in a more broken gluten matrix. The breads made from the composite flour with ECF had significantly softer texture, lower hardening percentage with storage time, darker crust color, larger specific volume, and higher sensory scores than the UECF ones. It is concluded that the extrusion of corn flour is an effective way to improve the quality of the composite bread and retard staling during storage