Prognostic implication of p27Kip1, Skp2 and Cks1 expression in renal cell carcinoma: a tissue microarray study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>p27^Kip1plays a major role as a negative regulator of the cell cycle. The regulation of p27^Kip1degradation is mediated by its specific ubiquitin ligase subunits S-phase kinase protein (Skp) 2 and cyclin-dependent kinase subunit (Cks) 1. However, little is known regarding the prognostic utility of p27^Kip1, Skp2 and Cks1 expression in renal cell carcinoma.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Immunohistochemistry was performed for p27^Kip1, Skp2 and Cks1 in tissue microarrays of 482 renal cell carcinomas with follow-up. The data were correlated with clinicopathological features. The univariate and multivariate survival analyses were also performed to determine their prognostic significance.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Immunoreactivity of p27^Kip1, Skp2 and Cks1 was noted in 357, 71 and 82 patients, respectively. Skp2 and Cks1 expression were not noted in chromophobe cancers. A strong correlation was found between Skp2 and Cks1 expression (P < 0.001), both of which were inversely related to p27^Kip1levels (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001), especially in primary and clear-cell cancers. Low p27^Kip1expression and Skp2 expression were correlated with larger tumor size and higher stage, as well as tumor necrosis. Cks1 expression was only correlated with tumor size. In univariate analysis, low p27^Kip1expression, Skp2 and Cks1 expression were all associated with a poor prognosis, while in multivariate analysis, only low p27^Kip1expression were independent prognostic factors for both cancer specific survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with RCC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results suggest that immunohistochemical expression levels of p27^Kip1, Skp2 and Cks1 may serve as markers with prognostic value in renal cell carcinoma.</p

Analysis on the Correlation Degree between the Driver’s Reaction Ability and Physiological Parameters

In this paper, the correlation degree between driver’s reaction time and the physiological signal is analyzed. For this purpose, a large number of road experiments are performed using the biopac and the reaction time test systems to collect data. First, the electroencephalograph (EEG) signal is processed by using the fast Fourier and the inverse Fourier transforms. Then, the power spectrum densities (PSD) of α, β, δ, and EEG wave are calculated by Welch procedure. The average power of the power spectrum of α, β, and θ is calculated by the biopac software and two ratio formulas, (α+θ)/β and α/β, are selected to be the impact factors. After that the heart rate and the standard deviation of RR interval are calculated from the electrocardiograph (ECG) signal. Lastly, the correlation degree between the eight impact factors and the reaction time are analyzed based on the grey correlation analysis. The results demonstrate that α/β has the greatest correlation to the reaction time except EEG-PSD. Furthermore, two mathematical models for the reaction time-driving time and the α/β-driving time are developed based on the Gaussian function. These mathematical models are then finally used to establish the functional relation of α/β-the reaction time

Modeling the Perceptions and Preferences of Pedestrians on Crossing Facilities

Pedestrian’s street-crossing behaviour has a significant effect on traffic performance and safety. The crossing behaviour is determined by human factors and environmental factors. Aiming at examining the pedestrian perceptions toward crossing facilities and preferences for crossing locations, an observational study of pedestrian crossing behaviour at urban street is conducted. The perceptions and preferences of pedestrians are collected using stated preference technique. A specific questionnaire is designed to conduct the stated preference survey. A multinomial logit model is proposed to describe the perceptions and preferences of pedestrians on crossing facilities and locations. The sensitivity analysis is performed to discuss the influence of various factors on crossing behaviour. Then the relationship between crossing locations and crossing distances is analyzed by a new proposed method. With the theoretical analysis, the engineering solutions considering pedestrian behaviour are suggested. The results are helpful to design human-centered crossing facilities in urban traffic

Investigation on hydrodynamic characteristics, wave-current interaction, and sensitivity analysis of submarine hoses attached to a CALM buoy

There is an increase in the utilisation of the floating offshore structure (FOS) called Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM) buoys and the attached marine hoses due to the increasing demand for oil and gas products. These hoses are flexible and easier to use but have a short service life of about 25 years. They are adaptable in ocean locations of shallow, intermediate, and deep waters. In this research, the numerical model was developed using a coupling method modelled by utilising ANSYS AQWA and Orcaflex dynamic models of the CALM buoy hoses. Two cases were compar-atively studied: Lazy-S and Chinese-lantern configurations, under ocean waves and current. Comparisons were also made between coupled and uncoupled models. This research presents the hydrodynamic characteristics with sensitivity analysis on the influence of waves, current attack angle, soil gradient, soil stiffness, and environmental conditions that influence the performance of marine hoses. The study comparatively looked at the configurations from dynamic amplification factors (DAF) on marine hoses. The results show that marine hoses can be configured easily to suit the designer’s need, seabed soil type, seabed topography, and the profiles are useful for manu-facturers. The sensitivity analysis also shows the effect of hose parameters on its hydrodynamic behaviour from wave-current interaction (WCI)

A review of floating semisubmersible hull systems:Column stabilized unit

Abstract Column stabilized semisubmersible is one of the most commonly used hull systems for the design and development of drilling and production platforms used for offshore deep water operations. Recent reconfiguration and design alterations have improved its hydrodynamic behaviour in rough weather conditions and, thus, its application and functionality in ocean engineering. Semisubmersible dry-trees applications and large wind turbine foundation systems in ultra-deep waters require high payload integration for reduced motion responses in all degrees of freedom. This paper presents a review of recent industrial and academic contributions to the development of column stabilized semisubmersible hulls used for deep water operations. It also provides an overview of the motion and structural attachments of semisubmersibles. The type and formation of dry-trees semisubmersibles are discussed. The dynamic behaviour and comparative advantages of them are also explained