CT‐determined low skeletal muscle mass predicts worse overall survival of gastric cancer in patients with cachexia

Abstract Background There were controversies for the association between computed tomography (CT)‐determined low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) and overall survival (OS) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, we investigated whether cachexia could be a potential confounding variable for this issue. Methods We retrospectively collected the patients of GC in our institution between July 2016 and January 2021. Preoperative SMM was determined by analyzing the skeletal muscle index of L3 with abdominal CT, and the cut‐offs for low SMM were defined as <52.4 (men) and < 38.5 cm2/m2 (women), respectively. Overall survival (OS) was the primary endpoint. Results Of the 255 included GC patients, 117 (46%) were classified as having low SMM. Those with low SMM were associated with a higher level of circulating interleukin 6 and C reactive protein but a lower level of albumin than those of normal SMM. The univariate analysis showed that low SMM, tumor‐node‐metastasis (TNM) stage, body mass index (BMI), postoperative chemotherapy, and cachexia were significantly associated with OS, while in the multivariate analysis, only low SMM and TNM stage were significantly associated with OS. Kaplan–Meier survival curves with log‐rank tests indicated that low SMM significantly predicted worse OS of GC. After grouping by cachexia, the low SMM significantly predicted worse OS in patients with cachexia instead of those without cachexia. Conclusions CT‐determined low SMM predicts worse OS of GC in patients with cachexia instead of those without cachexia, and greater attention should be paid to such patients with synchronous low SMM and cachexia

Wear properties of HFCVD diamond films on SiC substrate

Micro-diamond film, nano-diamond film and diamond-graphite composite film were deposited on silicon carbide substrate by hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The surface morphology and phase of the grown diamond films were analyzed using scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope and Raman spectrometer. The friction coefficient and the wear rate of diamond films were measured by friction experiments. The friction and wear properties of diamond films were studied by comparing the experimental results. The results show that the diamond-graphite composite film has better friction and wear properties, the surface roughness of which is 53.8 nm. The friction coefficient (0.040) is similar to that of the nano-diamond film (0.037), while the wear rate is the lowest, 2.07×10−7 mm3·N−1·m−1. Compared with those of SiC substrate, the wear rate (9.89×10−5 mm3·N−1·m−1) and the friction coefficient (0.580) of the diamond films have been greatly improved, which indicates that depositing diamond on the surface of SiC substrate significantly improves the performance of the silicon carbide in the field of friction

The Impact of Magnetic Field and Gibberellin Treatment on the Release of Dormancy and Internal Nutrient Transformation in <i>Tilia miqueliana</i> Maxim. Seeds

The seeds of Tilia miqueliana Maxim. exhibit deep dormancy, which is categorized as combinational dormancy. This study utilized a comprehensive treatment involving magnetic fields, gibberellin (GA3), and cold stratification to promote the release of seed physiological dormancy and enhance germination rates. After being soaked in 98% H2SO4 for 15 min, mature seeds of Tilia were exposed to magnetic field treatments (150 MT, 250 MT) for different durations (25 min, 45 min, 65 min, and 85 min), as well as GA3 solution soaking (concentration: 0 μmol·L−1, 1443 μmol·L−1). Subsequently, cold stratification (0–5 °C) was applied to investigate the effects of these treatments on seed dormancy release and nutrient transformation. The results indicated that the comprehensive treatment involving magnetic field, GA3 solution soaking, and cold stratification effectively released the physiological dormancy of Tilia seeds and improved germination rates. Among the treatments, M150T85G1443 (magnetic field intensity: 150 MT, magnetic field treatment time: 85 min, GA3 soaking concentration: 1433 μmol·L−1) exhibited the most favorable outcome. After 75 days of cold stratification following the comprehensive treatments, the germination rate of M150T85G1443 seeds reached 89%. Additionally, the levels of storage substances such as starches and crude fats within the seeds decreased, while the utilization of soluble sugars and soluble proteins increased. The M150T85G1443 treatment exhibited the highest degree of variation, leading to gradual increases in metabolic activities of the seeds and a transition from dormancy to germination

Hot filament chemical vapor deposition temperature field optimization for diamond films deposited on silicon nitride substrates

The influence of some key parameters of hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) on the temperature distribution during the deposition of diamond coatings on silicon nitride (Si _3 N _4 ) substrates was assessed with the help of the finite element method. Solid heat transfer, fluid heat transfer and surface radiation heat transfer mechanisms were used to calculate the substrate temperature in the steady state during the deposition process. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the simulation model with experimental measurements. The comparison shows that the deviation between the model and the actual substrate temperature measurements is within 3%. Furthermore, a Taguchi orthogonal experiment was designed (3 factors, 3 levels, L9). By changing the number of hot filaments, the distance between the filaments and the substrate, and the separation between two adjacent hot filaments, the influence trend of these parameters on the substrate temperature was assessed, leading to an optimal hot filament arrangement. A deposition experiment was carried out using the optimized parameters, and the results showed that the substrate surface temperature obtained by numerical simulation is highly consistent with the temperature measured by the infrared thermometer. The optimized deposition parameters contributed to a more suitable temperature range and more uniform temperature distribution on the Si _3 N _4 ceramic substrate. The deposited diamond film exhibited uniform crystal quality and grain morphology, thus verifying the validity of the simulation results