A free-standing, phase-change liquid metal mold for 3D flexible microfluidics

This paper describes a method to fabricate the 3D microfluidic channel using the free-standing, phase-change gallium mold. Three approaches to prepare the free-standing gallium molds are described. The solid metal framework is strong enough to stand against the gravity. After casting, the embedded gallium molds are melted from solid to liquid and then extracted from the encasing elastomer to form the 3D microfluidic channel due to the phase change property. Since this method is compatible with many encasing materials (e.g., elastomers, gels, resins, ceramics), the encasing materials will bring novel functionalities to the microfluidic chip. Two proof-of-concept experiments have been demonstrated. Firstly, a soft, sticky, on-skin microfluidic cooler is developed based on this method to deliver the focused, minimal invasive cooling power at arbitrary skins of human body with temperature control. Secondly, an ultra-stretchable viscoelastic microchannel with the ultra-soft base is fabricated to continuously tune the viscoelastic particle focusing with a large dynamic range. This proposed technique suggests the new possibilities for the development of lab-on-a-chip applications

One Possible Mechanism of Pulsed Dye Laser Treatment on Infantile Hemangioma: Induction of Endothelial Apoptosis and Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) Level Changes

Introduction: Pulsed dye laser (PDL) is an important treatment for superficial infantile hemangioma, but few studies report on its cellular mechanism. The aim of this study was to evaluate alterations of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in infantile hemangioma (IH) patients after laser treatment and effects of PDL irradiation on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro, as well as to explore the biomolecular mechanisms and ultrastructure changes of the PDL effect.Methods: 74 children with infant hemangioma including 45 patients in proliferating phase, 18 patients in involuting phase, 11 patients in involuted phase and 10 healthy children were engaged in this study. The plasma VEGF levels of children were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 24 hours after, HUVECs cultured in vitro were irradiated with PDL, cell apoptosis, mRNA levels of VEGF, and changes of ultrastructure were evaluated using flow cytometry, real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and transmission electron microscopy, respectively.Results: The serum VEGF concentrations in children with proliferating hemangiomas were significantly higher than in patients with involuting / involved hemangiomas and healthy patients. After receiving 3 laser treatments, the plasma VEGF levels of IH patients in proliferating hemangiomas decreased significantly. PDL irradiation could down-regulate VEGF mRNA expression of HUVECs, and increase cell apoptosis rate. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that PDL irradiation imparts apoptosis induction effects on HUVECs in vitro. Furthermore, our results suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor may be of particular importance in pathophysiology and PDL treatment of hemangiomas, also serum VEGF levels may be used as an aid in the follow up of IH. This provides valuable evidence of the PDL effect on infantile hemangioma

Overexpression of a MYB Family Gene, OsMYB6, Increases Drought and Salinity Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Rice

MYB transcription factors have been demonstrated to play key regulatory roles in plant growth, development and abiotic stress response. However, knowledge concerning the involvement of rice MYB genes in salinity and drought stress resistance are largely unknown. In the present study, we cloned and characterized the OsMYB6 gene, which was induced by drought and salinity stress. Subcellular localization of OsMYB6-YFP fusion protein in protoplast cells indicated that OsMYB6 was localized in the nucleus. Overexpression of OsMYB6 in rice did not suggest a negative effect on the growth and development of transgenic plants, but OsMYB6-overexpressing plants showed increased tolerance to drought and salt stress compared with wild-type plants, as are evaluated by higher proline content, higher CAT and SOD activities, lower REL and MDA content in transgenic plants under drought and salt stress conditions. In addition, the expression of abiotic stress-responsive genes were significantly higher in OsMYB6 transgenic plants than that in wild-type plants under drought and salt stress conditions. These results indicate that OsMYB6 gene functions as a stress-responsive transcription factor which plays a positive regulatory role in response to drought and salt stress resistance, and may be used as a candidate gene for molecular breeding of salt-tolerant and drought-tolerant crop varieties

Helicobacter pylori infection increases the risk of thyroid nodules in adults of Northwest China

BackgroundThyroid nodules (TNs) are very common in the adults of Northwest China. The role of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection in TNs is poorly investigated and even with controversial conclusions. Our study aimed at highlighting the relationship between H. pylori infection and the risk of TNs.Methods9,042 individuals were enrolled with thyroid ultrasonography and 14C-urea breath test (14C-UBT). Baseline characteristics and relevant covariates were obtained, including basic and laboratory indicators. After applying the exclusion criteria, 8,839 patients were included and divided into 2 groups: a cross-sectional study of single follow-up (n=8,711) and a retrospective cohort study of multiple follow-ups for 5 years (n=139).ResultsThe prevalence of H. pylori infection and TNs was 39.58% and 47.94% in the adults of Northwest China, respectively. The prevalence of TNs was significantly higher among H. pylori-positive individuals than those without infection (52.55% vs. 44.92%, p<0.01). The result of binary logistic regression revealed that the crude odds ratio (OR) was 1.624 (95% CI 1.242~2.123) in Model 1 without adjustment compared to H. pylori-negative group, and was also positive in Model 2, 3, and 4 (Model 2: OR=1.731, 95% CI 1.294~2.316; Model 3: OR=2.287, 95% CI 1.633~3.205; Model 4: OR=2.016, 95% CI 1.390~2.922) after the adjustment. The data of 5-year follow-up showed that the annual incidence of TNs was significantly higher in individuals with persistent H. pylori infection than non-infected counterparts (all p<0.05).ConclusionsH. pylori is an independent risk factor for TNs in the adults of Northwest China

DEVELOPMENT OF ADAPTIVE ROBUST SCHEMES FOR NONLINEAR UNCERTAIN SYSTEMS

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Precision pressing technology of four-column press

In order to improve the forming accuracy of grinding wheel, the pressing method of the four-column press for grinding wheel was investigated, tested, carded and analyzed. It was found that the traditional press generally had the phenomena of three centers with different shafts, easy unbalance loading pressure and uneven guidance during pressing. Based on the principle of linear transmission of force, a new scheme of pressure-center pressing was proposed, and a new test press was made and subjected to pressing tests. The new press removes the four-column guiding function, improves the system rigidity, redefines the position of the pressure-center, and completely eliminates the interference of all additional moments. The results of the batch forming test of grinding wheel show that the thickness difference of grinding wheel blank is reduced by 10.3% to 16.5%. The pressure-center pressing method is obviously superior to the traditional press pressing method, and is suitable for the near-net-size forming of small size products

Image1_A free-standing, phase-change liquid metal mold for 3D flexible microfluidics.pdf

This paper describes a method to fabricate the 3D microfluidic channel using the free-standing, phase-change gallium mold. Three approaches to prepare the free-standing gallium molds are described. The solid metal framework is strong enough to stand against the gravity. After casting, the embedded gallium molds are melted from solid to liquid and then extracted from the encasing elastomer to form the 3D microfluidic channel due to the phase change property. Since this method is compatible with many encasing materials (e.g., elastomers, gels, resins, ceramics), the encasing materials will bring novel functionalities to the microfluidic chip. Two proof-of-concept experiments have been demonstrated. Firstly, a soft, sticky, on-skin microfluidic cooler is developed based on this method to deliver the focused, minimal invasive cooling power at arbitrary skins of human body with temperature control. Secondly, an ultra-stretchable viscoelastic microchannel with the ultra-soft base is fabricated to continuously tune the viscoelastic particle focusing with a large dynamic range. This proposed technique suggests the new possibilities for the development of lab-on-a-chip applications.</p

Characterization of the complete chloroplast genome of Trailliaedoxa gracilis (Rubiaceae)

Trailliaedoxa gracilis (Rubiaceae) is a Chinese endemic monotypic genus distributed in southwestern China. This study reported the complete chloroplast genome of T. gracilis assembled from Illumina sequencing reads. The chloroplast genome size is 152,407 bp, containing a single large copy (LSC) region of 82,957 bp, a short single copy (SSC) region of 17,936 bp, and a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,757 bp. A total of 127 genes were found, including 82 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. A phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood algorithm revealed that T. gracilis belonged to the subfamily Ixoroideae and had the closest relationship with Scyphiphora hydrophyllacea

High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy for nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Abstract Background Nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is treated with a series of methods. High-energy extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an option with promising mid-term outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the long-term outcomes of ESWT for ONFH. Methods Fifty-three hips in 39 consecutive patients were treated with ESWT in our hospital between January 2005 and July 2006. Forty-four hips in 31 patients with stage I–III nontraumatic ONFH, according to the Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) system, were reviewed in the current retrospective study. The visual analog pain scale (VAS), Harris hip score, radiography, and magnetic resonance imaging were used to estimate treatment results. The progression of ONFH was evaluated by imaging examination and clinical outcomes. The results were classified as clinical success (no progression of hip symptoms) and imaging success (no progression of stage or substage on radiography and MRI). Results The mean follow-up duration was 130.6 months (range, 121 to 138 months). The mean VAS decreased from 3.8 before ESWT to 2.2 points at the 10-year follow-up (p < 0.001). The mean Harris hip score improved from 77.4 before ESWT to 86.9 points at the 10-year follow-up. The clinical success rates were 87.5% in ARCO stage I patients, 71.4% in ARCO stage II patients, and 75.0% in ARCO stage III patients. Imaging success was observed in all stage I hips, 64.3% of stage II hips, and 12.5% of stage III hips. Seventeen hips showed progression of the ARCO stage/substage on imaging examination. Eight hips showed femoral head collapse at the 10-year follow-up. Four hips in ARCO stage III and one hip in ARCO stage II were treated with total hip arthroplasty during the follow-up. Three were performed 1 year after ESWT, one at 2 years, and one at 5 years. Conclusions The results of the current study indicated that ESWT is an effective treatment method for nontraumatic ONFH, resulting in pain relief and function restoration, especially for patients with ARCO stage I–II ONFH

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Elderly with Gastric Cancer, and the Risk Factors of Postoperative Complications

Purpose: In China, gastric cancer (GC), which is one of the most common malignant tumors, has an increasing incidence in elderly population due to aging process. Since a considerable number of elderly patients with GC accepting surgical treatments developed postoperative complications, it is necessary to evaluate risk factors for postoperative complications. Materials and methods: In the present study, the clinicopathologic characteristics of 3,024 elderly patients (aged ≥65 years) with GC, who underwent surgery between 1996 and 2006, were examined and contributing factors for postoperative complications were analyzed. A total of 2,915 non-elderly patients (aged .05). Surgical property and method in elderly patients were similar to that in non-elderly patients (p >.05). Regression analysis showed that diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease, preoperative anemia, preoperative hypoalbuminemia, combined organ excision, and blood transfusion were independent factors for complications in elderly patients (p <.05), with some differences from non-elderly group. Conclusions: Elderly group with GC had distinctive clinicopathologic characteristics. Surgery remains principal treatment for elderly, and proper preoperative measures are required to decrease postoperative complications