An algorithm for computing the centered Hausdorff measure of self-similar sets

We provide an algorithm for computing the centered Hausdorff measure of self-similar sets satisfying the strong separation condition. We prove the convergence of the algorithm and test its utility on some examples

A prospective phase II study of L-asparaginase- CHOP plus radiation in newly diagnosed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type

Purpose: To explore the efficacy and safety of L-asparaginase in newly-diagnosed extranodal nature killer (NK)/T -cell lymphoma (ENKTL), we conducted a prospective phase II study of L-asparaginase, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, doxorubicin and dexamethasone (CHOP-L) regimen in combination with radiotherapy. Patients and methods: Patients with newly diagnosed ENKTL and an ECOG performance status of 0 to 2 were eligible for enrollment. Treatment included 6-8 cycles of CHOP-L (cyclophosphamide, 750 mg/m(2) day 1; vincristine, 1.4 mg/m(2) day 1 (maximal dose 2 mg), doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2) day 1; dexamethasone 10 mg days 1-8; L-asparaginase 6000 u/m(2) days 2-8). Radiotherapy was scheduled after 4-6 cycles of CHOP-L regimen, depending on stage and primary anatomic site. The primary endpoint was complete response (CR) rate. Results: A total of 38 eligible patients were enrolled. The median age was 40.5 years (range, 15 to 71 years). Their clinical characteristics were male to female ratio, 24: 14; Ann Arbor stage I, 20; II, 11; III, 3; IV, 4. CR and overall response rates were 81.6% (95% CI, 69.3% to 93.9%) and 84.2%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 25 months, the 2-year overall survival, progression-free survival and disease-free survival rates were 80.1% (95% CI, 73.3% to 86.9%), 81% (95% CI, 74.5% to 87.5%) and 93.6% (95% CI, 89.3% to 97.9%), respectively. The major adverse events were myelosuppression, liver dysfunction, and digestive tract toxicities. Grade 3 to 4 leukopenia and neutropenia were 76.3% and 84.2%, respectively. No treatment-related death was observed. Conclusion: CHOP-L chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy is a safe and highly effective treatment for newly diagnosed ENKTL.OncologyHematologySCI(E)9ARTICLEnull

Combination of Decitabine and a Modified Regimen of Cisplatin, Cytarabine and Dexamethasone: A Potential Salvage Regimen for Relapsed or Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma After Second-Line Treatment Failure

ObjectiveThe prognosis for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R-DLBCL) after second-line treatment failure is extremely poor. This study prospectively observed the efficacy and safety of decitabine with a modified cisplatin, cytarabine, and dexamethasone (DHAP) regimen in R/R-DLBCL patients who failed second-line treatment.MethodsTwenty-one R/R-DLBCL patients were enrolled and treated with decitabine and a modified DHAP regimen. The primary endpoints were overall response rate (ORR) and safety. The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS).ResultsORR reached 50% (complete response rate, 35%), five patients (25%) had stable disease (SD) with disease control rate (DCR) of 75%. Subgroup analysis revealed patients over fifty years old had a higher complete response rate compared to younger patients (P = 0.005), and relapsed patients had a better complete response rate than refractory patients (P = 0.031). Median PFS was 7 months (95% confidence interval, 5.1-8.9 months). Median OS was not achieved. One-year OS was 59.0% (95% CI, 35.5%-82.5%), and two-year OS was 51.6% (95% confidence interval, 26.9%-76.3%). The main adverse events (AEs) were grade 3/4 hematologic toxicities such as neutropenia (90%), anemia (50%), and thrombocytopenia (70%). Other main non-hematologic AEs were grade 1/2 nausea/vomiting (40%) and infection (50%). No renal toxicity or treatment-related death occurred.ConclusionDecitabine with a modified DHAP regimen can improve the treatment response and prognosis of R/R-DLBCL patients with good tolerance to AEs, suggesting this regimen has potential as a possible new treatment option for R/R-DLBCL patients after second-line treatment failure.Clinical Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT03579082

Arylboronic Acids Catalyzed Upgrade of Glucosamines for Deoxyfructosazine and Insights on Reaction Mechanism

Chitin is the most abundant N-containing polysaccharides in nature and D-glucosamine is one of most successful commercial monomer products in current market. Here we reported an arylboronic acids catalyzed upgrade of glucosamines in aqueous solution for deoxyfructosazine which is an important high-value compound in pharmaceutical and food industries, as well as a promising bio-based platform molecule for speciality chemicals and sustainable functional materials. Such direct integration of deoxyfructosazine into development of renewable chemicals/functional materials might be a practical way for utilization of chitin as a renewable nitrogen source. A mechanism focusing on catalytic cycle of arylboronic acid via a boron transfer was also proposed

The expression of Smad signaling pathway in myocardium and potential therapeutic effects

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a lifethreatening disease. The expression of Smad proteins in the ischemic myocardium changes significantly following myocardial infarction, suggesting a close relationship between Smad proteins and heart remodeling. Moreover, it is known that the expression of Smads is regulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP). Based on these findings, regulating the expression of Smad proteins by targeting TGF-β and BMP in the ischemic myocardium may be considered to be a possible therapeutic strategy for the treatment of myocardial infarctio

Mechanical behaviors and damage characteristics of excavated jointed rocks within 3D printed structures

The presence of structural planes in rock masses reduces their mechanical properties and greatly affects their failure mode, resulting in physical and mechanical anisotropy. This study investigated the mechanical behaviors and damage characteristics of excavated jointed rocks in three-dimensional (3D) printed structures. A digital fracture network model based on the fractal principle was also developed to simulate a complex and rough network of fractures. Using 3D printing technology, rock specimens within a single rough structure surface, different dip angles, and rough fracture network models were established, considering different excavation sizes. Uniaxial compression was performed experimentally to investigate the mechanical response of rock masses. The failure processes of the jointed specimens were analyzed based on the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The uniaxial compressive strength and elastic modulus were compared considering different excavation sizes. The results show that the geometric characteristics of the joints significantly influence the strength and failure mode of the rock mass. The strength of the layered rock mass shows a significant linear correlation with increasing excavation sizes. This research could provide a reference for studying the mechanical behavior of jointed rock masses using 3D printing technology

An experimental study on the fractal characteristics of the effective pore structure in granite by thermal treatment

In order to analyze the change rule of the pore structure of different thermal treated granites and quantitatively characterize the distribution characteristics of effective pores, the pore structure characteristics of high-temperature granites under different cooling modes are tested based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. It is found that when the temperature is 150 °C, water-cooling will reduce the number of rock pores, and the phenomenon of “thermal hardening” is obvious. When the temperature is 300 °C, the micropore diameter increases and part of it changes into mesopore pores. When the temperature is 450 °C, the mesopore pores occupy the dominant position, and the pore types are relatively concentrated. When the temperature is 600 °C, exceeding the quartz phase change temperature (573 °C), the number and pore diameter of rock pores increase dramatically, and even macropores appear. The pore size of rocks under different heat treatments has fractal characteristics, and fractal dimension models related to pore size can be established. Based on the fractal dimension model, the thermal storage properties of different thermal treated granites are discussed, and the optimal temperature conditions (450 °C and 600 °C) for the thermal storage properties of macroporous and mesoporous pores are found

Tri-Layered Vascular Grafts Guide Vascular Cells’ Native-like Arrangement

Bionic grafts hold great promise for directing tissue regeneration. In vascular tissue engineering, although a large number of synthetic grafts have been constructed, these substitutes only partially recapitulated the tri-layered structure of native arteries. Synthetic polymers such as poly(l-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) possess good biocompatibility, controllable degradation, remarkable processability, and sufficient mechanical strength. These properties of PLCL show great promise for fabricating synthetic vascular substitutes. Here, tri-layered PLCL vascular grafts (TVGs) composed of a smooth inner layer, circumferentially aligned fibrous middle layer, and randomly distributed fibrous outer layer were prepared by sequentially using ink printing, wet spinning, and electrospinning techniques. TVGs possessed kink resistance and sufficient mechanical properties (tensile strength, elastic modulus, suture retention strength, and burst pressure) equivalent to the gold standard conduits of clinical application, i.e., human saphenous veins and human internal mammary arteries. The stratified structure of TVGs exhibited a visible guiding effect on specific vascular cells including enhancing endothelial cell (EC) monolayer formation, favoring vascular smooth muscle cells’ (VSMCs) arrangement and elongation, and facilitating fibroblasts’ proliferation and junction establishment. Our research provides a new avenue for designing synthetic vascular grafts with polymers