Reprogramming of a defense signaling pathway in rough lemon and sweet orange is a critical element of the early response to‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’

Huanglongbing(HLB)in citrus infected by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus(CLas)has caused tremendous losses to the citrus industry.No resistant genotypes have been identified in citrus species or close relatives.Among citrus varieties,rough lemon(Citrus jambhiri)has been considered tolerant due to its ability to produce a healthy flush of new growth after infection.The difference between tolerance and susceptibility is often defined by the speed and intensity of a plant’s response to a pathogen,especially early defense responses.RNA-seq data were collected from three biological replicates of CLas-and mock-inoculated rough lemon and sweet orange at week 0 and 7 following infection.Functional analysis of the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)indicated that genes involved in the mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK)signaling pathway were highly upregulated in rough lemon.MAPK induces the transcription of WRKY and other transcription factors which potentially turn on multiple defense-related genes.A Subnetwork Enrichment Analysis further revealed different patterns of regulation of several functional categories,suggesting DEGs with different functions were subjected to reprogramming.In general,the amplitude of the expression of defense-related genes is much greater in rough lemon than in sweet orange.A quantitative disease resistance response may contribute to the durable tolerance level to HLB observed in rough lemon.

Mapping of QTLs and candidate genes associated with multiple phenotypic traits for Huanglongbing tolerance in citrus

Huanglongbing(HLB)is the most devastating disease for citrus worldwide.Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus(C Las),vectored by Asian citrus psyllid(ACP,Diaphorina citri Kuwayama),is the most common pathogen causing the disease.Commercial citrus varieties are highly susceptible to HLB,whereas trifoliate orange(Poncirus trifoliata)is considered highly tolerant to HLB.An F1 segregating population and their parent trifoliate orange and sweet orange,which had been exposed to intense HLB pressure for three years,was evaluated for disease symptoms,ACP colonization,C Las titer and tree vigor repeatedly for two to three years.Trifoliate orange and sweet orange showed significant differences for most of the phenotypic traits,and the F1 population exhibited a large variation.A high-density SNP-based genetic map with 1402 markers was constructed for trifoliate orange,which exhibited high synteny and high coverage of its reference genome.A total of 26 quantitative trait locus(QTLs)were identified in four linkage groups LG-t6,LG-t7,LG-t8 and LG-t9,of which four QTL clusters exhibit a clear co-localization of QTLs associated with different traits.Through genome-wide analysis of gene expression in response to C Las infection in‘Flying Dragon’and‘Larger-Flower DPI-50-7’trifoliate orange,85 differentially expressed genes were found located within the QTL clusters.Among them,seven genes were classified as defense or immunity protein which exhibited the highest transcriptional change after C Las infection.Our results indicate a quantitative genetic nature of HLB tolerance and identified candidate genes that should be valuable for searching for genetic solutions to HLB through breeding or genetic engineering.

Genome resequencing and transcriptome profiling reveal structural diversity and expression patterns of constitutive disease resistance genes in Huanglongbing-tolerant Poncirus trifoliata and its hybrids

Huanglongbing(HLB)is the most destructive bacterial disease of citrus worldwide.While most citrus varieties are susceptible to HLB,Poncirus trifoliata,a close relative of Citrus,and some of its hybrids with Citrus are tolerant to HLB.No specific HLB tolerance genes have been identified in P.trifoliata but recent studies have shown that constitutive disease resistance(CDR)genes were expressed at much higher levels in HLB-tolerant Poncirus hybrids and the expression of CDR genes was modulated by Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus(CLas),the pathogen of HLB.The current study was undertaken to mine and characterize the CDR gene family in Citrus and Poncirus and to understand its association with HLB tolerance in Poncirus.We identified 17 CDR genes in two citrus genomes,deduced their structures,and investigated their phylogenetic relationships.We revealed that the expansion of the CDR family in Citrus seems to be due to segmental and tandem duplication events.Through genome resequencing and transcriptome sequencing,we identified eight CDR genes in the Poncirus genome(PtCDR1-PtCDR8).The number of SNPs was the highest in PtCDR2 and the lowest in PtCDR7.Most of the deletion and insertion events were observed in the UTR regions of Citrus and Poncirus CDR genes.PtCDR2 and PtCDR8 were in abundance in the leaf transcriptomes of two HLB-tolerant Poncirus genotypes and were also upregulated in HLB-tolerant,Poncirus hybrids as revealed by real-time PCR analysis.These two CDR genes seem to be good candidate genes for future studies of their role in citrus-CLas interactions.

Effect of drying-wetting cycles on pore characteristics and mechanical properties of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation-reinforced sea sand

Enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation(EICP)is an emanating,eco-friendly and potentially sound technique that has presented promise in various geotechnical applications.However,the durability and microscopic characteristics of EICP-treated specimens against the impact of drying-wetting(D-W)cycles is under-explored yet.This study investigates the evolution of mechanical behavior and pore charac-teristics of EICP-treated sea sand subjected to D-W cycles.The uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)tests,synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography(micro-CT),and three-dimensional(3D)recon-struction of CT images were performed to study the multiscale evolution characteristics of EICP-reinforced sea sand under the effect of D-W cycles.The potential correlations between microstructure characteristics and macro-mechanical property deterioration were investigated using gray relational analysis(GRA).Results showed that the UCS of EICP-treated specimens decreases by 63.7% after 15 D-W cycles.The proportion of mesopores gradually decreases whereas the proportion of macropores in-creases due to the exfoliated calcium carbonate with increasing number of D-W cycles.The micro-structure in EICP-reinforced sea sand was gradually disintegrated,resulting in increasing pore size and development of pore shape from ellipsoidal to columnar and branched.The gray relational degree suggested that the weight loss rate and UCS deterioration were attributed to the development of branched pores with a size of 100-1000 m m under the action of D-W cycles.Overall,the results in this study provide a useful guidancee for the long-term stability and evolution characteristics of EICP-reinforced sea sand under D-W weathering conditions.

Role of bitter contributors and bitter taste receptors:a comprehensive review of their sources,functions and future development

Bitterness,one of the 5“basic tastes”,is usually undesired by humans.However,abundant literature reported that bitter fruits and vegetables have beneficial health effects due to their bitter contributors.This review provided an updated overview of the main bitter contributors of typical bitter fruits and vegetables and their health benefits.The main bitter contributors,including phenolics,terpenoids,alkaloids,amino acids,nucleosides and purines,were summarized.The bioactivities and wide range of beneficial effects of them on anti-cancers,anti-inflammations,anti-microbes,neuroprotection,inhibiting chronic and acute injury in organs,as well as regulating behavior performance and metabolism were reported.Furthermore,not only did the bitter taste receptors(taste receptor type 2 family,T2Rs)show taste effects,but extra-oral T2Rs could also be activated by binding with bitter components,regulating physiological activities via modulating hormone secretion,immunity,metabolism,and cell proliferation.This review provided a new perspective on exploring and explaining the nutrition of bitter foods,revealing the relationship between the functions of bitter contributors from food and T2Rs.Future trends may focus on revealing the possibility of T2Rs being targets for the treatment of diseases,exploring the mechanism of T2Rs mediating the bioactivities,and making bitter foods more acceptable without getting rid of bitter contributors.

Optimized NPK fertilizer recommendations based on topsoil available nutrient criteria for wheat in drylands of China

The optimized management of crop fertilization is very important for improving crop yield and reducing the consumption of chemical fertilizers.Critical nutrient values can be used for evaluating the nutritional status of a crop,and they reflect the nutrient concentrations above which the plant is sufficiently supplied for achieving the maximum potential yield.Based on on-farm surveys of 504 farmers and 60 field experimental sites in the drylands of China,we proposed a recommended fertilization method to determine nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P),and potassium(K)fertilizer input rates for wheat production,and then validated the method by a field experiment at 66 different sites in northern China.The results showed that wheat grain yield varied from 1.1 to 9.2 t ha^(-1),averaging 4.6 t ha^(-1),and it had a quadratic relationship with the topsoil(0-20 cm)nitrate N and soil available P contents at harvest.However,yield was not correlated with the inputs of N,P,and K fertilizers.Based on the relationship(exponential decay model)between 95–105%of the relative yield and topsoil nitrate N,available P,and available K contents at wheat harvest from 60 field experiments,the topsoil critical nutrient values were determined as 34.6,15.6,and 150 mg kg^(-1)for soil nitrate N,available P,and available K,respectively.Then,based on five groups of relative yield(>125%,115–125%,105–115%,95–105%,and<95%)and the model,the five groups of topsoil critical nutrient levels and fertilization coefficients(Fc)were determined.Finally,we proposed a new method for calculating the recommended fertilizer input rate as:Fr=Gy×Nr×Fc,where Fr is the recommended fertilizer(N/P/K)input rate;Gy is the potential grain yield;Nr is the N(N_(rN)),P(N_(rP)),and K(N_(rK))nutrient requirements for wheat to produce 1,000 kg of grain;and Fc is a coefficient for N(N_c)/P(P_c)/K(K_c)fertilizer.A 2-year validated experiment confirmed that the new method reduced N fertilizer input by 17.5%(38.5 kg N ha^(-1))and P fertilizer input by 43.5%(57.5 kg P_(2)O_(5) ha^(-1))in northern China and did not reduce the wheat yield.This outcome can significantly increase the farmers’benefits(by 7.58%,or 139 US$ha^(-1)).Therefore,this new recommended fertilization method can be used as a tool to guide N,P,and K fertilizer application rates for dryland wheat production.

Design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated with extreme working performances——a comprehensive review

Fluid lubricated bearings have been widely adopted as support components for high-end equipment in metrology,semiconductor devices,aviation,strategic defense,ultraprecision manufacturing,medical treatment,and power generation.In all these applications,the equipment must deliver extreme working performances such as ultraprecise movement,ultrahigh rotation speed,ultraheavy bearing loads,ultrahigh environmental temperatures,strong radiation resistance,and high vacuum operation,which have challenged the design and optimization of reliable fluid lubricated bearings.Breakthrough of any related bottlenecks will promote the development course of high-end equipment.To promote the advancement of high-end equipment,this paper reviews the design and optimization of fluid lubricated bearings operated at typical extreme working performances,targeting the realization of extreme working performances,current challenges and solutions,underlying deficiencies,and promising developmental directions.This paper can guide the selection of suitable fluid lubricated bearings and optimize their structures to meet their required working performances.

Fuel recycling feedback control via real-time boron powder injection in EAST with full metal wall

A feedback control of fuel recycling via real-time boron powder injection,addressing the issue of continuously increasing recycling in long-pulse plasma discharges,has been successfully developed and implemented on EAST tokamak.The feedback control system includes four main parts:the impurity powder dropper(IPD),a diagnostic system measuring fuel recycling level represented by D_(α)emission,a plasma control system(PCS)implementing the Proportional Integral Derivative(PID)algorithm,and a signal converter connecting the IPD and PCS.Based on this control system,both active control and feedback control experiments have recently been performed on EAST with a full metal wall.The experimental results show that the fuel recycling can be gradually reduced to lower level as PCS control voltage increases.In the feedback control experiments,it is also observed that the D_(α)emission is reduced to the level below the target D_(α)value by adjusting boron injection flow rate,indicating successful implementation of the fuel recycling feedback control on EAST.This technique provides a new method for fuel recycling control of long pulse and high parameter plasma operations in future fusion devices.

Intelligent extraction of road cracks based on vehicle laser point cloud and panoramic sequence images

In light of the limited efficacy of conventional methods for identifying pavement cracks and the absence of comprehensive depth and location data in two-dimensional photographs,this study presents an intelligent strategy for extracting road cracks.This methodology involves the integration of laser point cloud data obtained from a vehicle-mounted system and a panoramic sequence of images.The study employs a vehicle-mounted LiDAR measurement system to acquire laser point cloud and panoramic sequence image data simultaneously.A convolutional neural network is utilized to extract cracks from the panoramic sequence image.The extracted sequence image is then aligned with the laser point cloud,enabling the assignment of RGB information to the vehicle-mounted three dimensional(3D)point cloud and location information to the two dimensional(2D)panoramic image.Additionally,a threshold value is set based on the crack elevation change to extract the aligned roadway point cloud.The three-dimensional data pertaining to the cracks can be acquired.The experimental findings demonstrate that the use of convolutional neural networks has yielded noteworthy outcomes in the extraction of road cracks.The utilization of point cloud and image alignment techniques enables the extraction of precise location data pertaining to road cracks.This approach exhibits superior accuracy when compared to conventional methods.Moreover,it facilitates rapid and accurate identification and localization of road cracks,thereby playing a crucial role in ensuring road maintenance and traffic safety.Consequently,this technique finds extensive application in the domains of intelligent transportation and urbanization development.The technology exhibits significant promise for use in the domains of intelligent transportation and city development.

江西省分宜县龙头坑铁矿床地质特征及成因探讨

龙头坑铁矿床大地构造位置处于钦杭成矿带南部,通过浅部地表工程和深部钻探工程,查明主矿体1层。矿体呈层状、似层状产出,矿体与围岩产状基本一致,层控作用明显。矿体赋存于南华系杨家桥群下坊组硅铁岩段,其形态受地层和构造双重因素的影响。综合考虑区域地质背景、矿床地质特征以及矿石矿物特征,判断该矿床属于沉积变质型。

A Cogwheel WGM Resonator Based on Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons

The optical WGM resonator plays an important role in modern physics due to its ultra-high quality factor and small volume mode. In optics, SPPs modes can effectively confine electromagnetic waves at the interface between metal and dielectric, providing extremely high sensitivity. New interesting WGM phenomena will emerge when the WGM is combined with the SPPs. In this paper, a cogwheel resonator based on spoof SPPs was designed, which can generate multi-order WGM modes. The transmission coefficients, dispersion relations and resonance modes of the WGM resonator were analyzed. The proposed resonator extends the WGM mode from optical band to microwave band, providing a new perspective for the applications of WGM mode at microwave band.

Influence of UVB-Irradiation on the Structures and Solid Particle Erosion Resistance for CF/PC Composites

The service life and properties of Carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate (CF/PC) composites are seriously affected by ultraviolet radiation from outdoor exposure during aging. In this work, the changes of structure and solid particle erosion resistance for CF/PC composites after ultraviolet irradiation were studied. It was shown that ultraviolet irradiation causes photo-oxygen aging and photo-fries re-arrangement of the composite, and the result was confirmed by FTIR. We correlated the solid particle erosion resistance with aging time, and found that the solid particle erosion resistance of CF/PC composites greatly decreased by UVB irradiation during 15 hours. Furthermore, the eroded material surface was analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). It suggests that ultraviolet aging leads to plasticization and degradation, resulting in reduction of erosion resistance of the composite.

Warpage prediction of the injection-molded strip-like plastic parts

For most strip-like plastic injection molded parts, whose cross section size is much smaller than their length, the traditional Hele-Shaw model and three-dimensional model do not work well in the prediction of the warpage be- cause of their special shape. A new solution was suggested in this work. The strip-like plastic part was regarded as a little-curved beam macrnscopically, and was divided into a few one-dimensional elements. On the section of each elemental node location, two-dimensional thermal finite element analysis was made to obtain the non- uniform thermal stress caused by the time difference of the solidification of the plastic melt in the mold. The stress relaxation, or equivalently, strain creep was dealt with by using a special computing model. On the bases of in-mold elastic stress, the final bending moment to the beam was obtained and the warpage was predict- ed in good a^reement with practical cases.

Core Outcome Set for Clinical Trials on Coronavirus Disease 2019(COS-COVID)

自2019年12月新型冠状病毒肺炎(Coronavirus Disease 2019, COVID-19)暴发以来,已有大量相关临床研究完成注册或已启动。然而,不同研究间临床结局指标存在显著的异质性,同时一些不关键的指标会造成研究资源的浪费。本研究旨在构建COVID-19临床试验核心结局指标集(core outcome set, COS),为相关临床研究方案设计、开展和证据转化提供参考。本研究的实施参照《有效性试验核心结局指标(COMET)手册》(1.0版),研究组成员包括呼吸系统和危重医学、中医学、循证医学、临床药理学、统计学专家以及医学杂志编辑等。通过检索临床试验注册网站(chictr.org.cn和clinicaltrials.gov)中COVID-19相关临床研究方案,提取方案中的结局指标,形成指标池。78个COVID-19临床试验方案纳入研究,收集结局指标259个,合并规范后确定132个结局指标,涉及7个指标域。经遴选,形成了包括58个结局指标在内的初始指标清单。经过两轮德尔菲调查和一轮共识会议,最终确立针对COVID-19不同临床分型的核心指标集(COS-COVID)。COS-COVID包括1个轻型指标(病毒核酸检测转阴时间)、4个普通型指标(住院时间、复合事件发生率、临床症状积分和病毒核酸检测转阴时间)、5个重型指标(复合事件发生率、住院时间、PaO2/FiO2、机械通气时间和病毒核酸检测转阴时间)、1个危重型指标(全因死亡率)及1个康复期指标(肺功能)。COS-COVID作为目前临床评价COVID-19干预效果最具临床价值及操作性的指标集合,对证据评估和决策具有重要意义。随着对疾病认知的不断深入和COS-COVID应用的反馈,课题组将对本核心指标集进行进一步完善并更新。

Field implementation of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation technology for reinforcing a bedding layer beneath an underground cable duct

A suitable bearing capacity of foundation is critical for the safety of civil structures.Sometimes foundation reinforcement is necessary and an effective and environmentally friendly method would be the preferred choice.In this study,the potential application of enzyme-induced carbonate precipitation(EICP)was investigated for reinforcing a 0.6 m bedding layer on top of clay to improve the bearing capacity of the foundation underneath an underground cable duct.Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the optimal operational parameters for the extraction of crude urease liquid and optimal grain size range of sea sands to be used to construct the bedding layer.Field tests were planned based on orthogonal experimental design to study the factors that would significantly affect the biocementation effect on site.The dynamic deformation modulus,calcium carbonate content and longterm ground stress variations were used to evaluate the bio-cementation effect and the long-term performance of the EICP-treated bedding layer.The laboratory test results showed that the optimal duration for the extraction of crude urease liquid is 1 h and the optimal usage of soybean husk powder in urease extraction solution is 100 g/L.The calcium carbonate production rate decreases significantly when the concentration of cementation solution exceeds 0.5 mol/L.The results of site trial showed that the number of EICP treatments has the most significant impact on the effectiveness of EICP treatment and the highest dynamic deformation modulus(Evd)of EICP-treated bedding layer reached 50.55 MPa.The area with better bio-cementation effect was found to take higher ground stress which validates that the EICP treatment could improve the bearing capacity of foundation by reinforcing the bedding layer.The field trial described and the analysis introduced in this paper can provide a practical basis for applying EICP technology to the reinforcement of bedding layer in poor ground conditions.

Nerve bundle formation during the promotion of peripheral nerve regeneration:collagenⅥ-neural cell adhesion molecule 1 interaction

The formation of nerve bundles,which is partially regulated by neural cell adhesion molecule 1(NCAM1),is important for neural network organization during peripheral nerve regeneration.However,little is known about how the extracellular matrix(ECM)microenvironment affects this process.Here,we seeded dorsal root ganglion tissue blocks on different ECM substrates of peripheral nerve ECM-derived matrixgel,Matrigel,laminin 521,collagen I,and collagen IV,and observed well-aligned axon bundles growing in the peripheral nerve ECM-derived environment.We confirmed that NCAM1 is necessary but not sufficient to trigger this phenomenon.A protein interaction assay identified collagen VI as an extracellular partner of NCAM1 in the regulation of axonal fasciculation.Collagen VI interacted with NCAM1 by directly binding to the FNIII domain,thereby increasing the stability of NCAM1 at the axolemma.Our in vivo experiments on a rat sciatic nerve defect model also demonstrated orderly nerve bundle regeneration with improved projection accuracy and functional recovery after treatment with 10 mg/m L Matrigel and 20μg/m L collagen VI.These findings suggest that the collagen VI-NCAM1 pathway plays a regulatory role in nerve bundle formation.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Guangzhou Medical University(approval No.GY2019048)on April 30,2019.

In-package cold plasma treatment of braised chicken: voltage effect

This study investigated the effect of different dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma(DBD-CP) treatment voltages on the microbiological growth and quality characteristics of braised chicken during storage at(4 ± 1) ℃. Argon-packed samples were subjected to DBD-CP treatment for 3 min at voltages of 50, 60 and 70 k V. As a result, there was no significant(P > 0.05) difference in L*, a*, b* and p H of braised chicken between control and treatment groups at the same storage time. However, the development of lipid oxidation in DBD-CP treatment samples was slower than that in air-packed samples. Compared to air-packed samples, the reduction of total viable count, yeasts and molds, lactic acid bacteria and Pseudomonads spp. in 70 k V treated samples on day 15 were 3.21, 2.41, 2.44 and 1.96 lg(CFU/g), respectively. The results indicate that DBD-CP treatment could extend the shelf life of braised chicken without negative impacts on quality characteristics.

Oxidation combined with Maillard reaction induced free and protein-bound N^ε-carboxymethyllysine and Nε-carboxyethyllysine formation during braised chicken processing

The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of oxidation and Maillard reaction on free and protein-bound N^ε-carboxymethyllysine(CML)and Nε-carboxyethyllysine(CEL)formation during braised chicken processing.It was found that a positive correlation was observed between carbonyl,fat oxidation,Maillard reaction,CML and CEL(P<0.05).The sulfhydryl groups could be used as potential indicators to evaluate the compounds’interaction levels between Maillard reaction and protein oxidation.Frying promoted the formation of lysine(Lys),glyoxal(GO)and methylglyoxal(MGO)(P<0.05);boiling enhanced the formation of GO and MGO(P<0.05)while inhibited the levels of Lys(P<0.05);sterilizing blocked the formation of MGO and Lys(P<0.01)but improved GO levels(P<0.05).Finally,a perspective was concluded that the Maillard reaction combined with oxidation is one of the main reasons for the formation of free and protein-bound CML and CEL during braised chicken processing.

Light-triggered interfacial charge transfer and enhanced photodetection in CdSe/ZnS quantum dots/MoS_(2)mixed-dimensional phototransistors

Mix-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures(vdWHs)have inspired worldwide interests and efforts in the field of ad-vanced electronics and optoelectronics.The fundamental understanding of interfacial charge transfer is of vital import-ance for guiding the design of functional optoelectronic applications.In this work,type-Ⅱ0D-2D CdSe/ZnS quantum dots/MoS_(2)vdWHs are designed to study the light-triggered interfacial charge behaviors and enhanced optoelectronic performances.From spectral measurements in both steady and transient states,the phenomena of suppressed photolu-minescence(PL)emissions,shifted Raman signals and changed PL lifetimes provide strong evidences of efficient charge transfer at the 0D-2D interface.A series of spectral evolutions of heterostructures with various QDs overlapping concentrations at different laser powers are analyzed in details,which clarifies the dynamic competition between exciton and trion during an efficient doping of 3.9×10^(13)cm^(−2).The enhanced photoresponses(1.57×10^(4)A·W^(-1))and detectivities(2.86×10^(11)Jones)in 0D/2D phototransistors further demonstrate that the light-induced charge transfer is still a feasible way to optimize the performance of optoelectronic devices.These results are expected to inspire the basic understand-ing of interfacial physics at 0D/2D interfaces,and shed the light on promoting the development of mixed-dimensional op-toelectronic devices in the near future.

Validation and evaluation of clinical prediction systems for first and repeated transarterial chemoembolization in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A Chinese multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND The treatment outcome of transarterial chemoembolization(TACE)in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)varies greatly due to the clinical heterogeneity of the patients.Therefore,several prognostic systems have been proposed for risk stratification and candidate identification for first TACE and repeated TACE(re-TACE).AIM To investigate the correlations between prognostic systems and radiological response,compare the predictive abilities,and integrate them in sequence for outcome prediction.METHODS This nationwide multicenter retrospective cohort consisted of 1107 unresectable HCC patients in 15 Chinese tertiary hospitals from January 2010 to May 2016.The Hepatoma Arterial-embolization Prognostic(HAP)score system and its modified versions(mHAP,mHAP2 and mHAP3),as well as the six-and-twelve criteria were compared in terms of their correlations with radiological response and overall survival(OS)prediction for first TACE.The same analyses were conducted in 912 patients receiving re-TACE to evaluate the ART(assessment for re-treatment with TACE)and ABCR(alpha-fetoprotein,Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer,Child-Pugh and Response)systems for post re-TACE survival(PRTS).RESULTS All the prognostic systems were correlated with radiological response achieved by first TACE,and the six-and-twelve criteria exhibited the highest correlation(Spearman R=0.39,P=0.026)and consistency(Kappa=0.14,P=0.019),with optimal performance by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.71[95%confidence interval(CI):0.68-0.74].With regard to the prediction of OS,the mHAP3 system identified patients with a favorable outcome with the highest concordance(C)-index of 0.60(95%CI:0.57-0.62)and the best area under the receiver operating characteristic curve at any time point during follow-up;whereas,PRTS was well-predicted by the ABCR system with a C-index of 0.61(95%CI:0.59-0.63),rather than ART.Finally,combining the mHAP3 and ABCR systems identified candidates suitable for TACE with an improved median PRTS of 36.6 mo,compared with non-candidates with a median PRTS of 20.0 mo(logrank test P<0.001).CONCLUSION Radiological response to TACE is closely associated with tumor burden,but superior prognostic prediction could be achieved with the combination of mHAP3 and ABCR in patients with unresectable liver-confined HCC.