An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farme...An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farmers in infiltrated classified and unclassified areas of Méagui. To do this, 110 producers in two localities of the said zone were individually interviewed from February to April 2022, using a declarative questionnaire. It was found that cocoa orchards in the zone are aging. Nearly 68.55% of producers were heirs and 58.33% of those interviewed were under 46 years of age, with an average age of 43 years. Nearly 84.55% of the producers surveyed mainly use chemical insecticides to control the pests of greatest concern in these localities. Regarding the frequency of insecticide treatments, 11.82% of producers make 1 to 2 applications a year, 29.09% make 3 to 5 applications a year, and 43.64% make at least 6 applications a year. The active substances of the most used products belong to 99% of the Neonicotinoid and Pyrethroid families. Regarding cocoa harvesting and post-harvest operations, 93.64% of the producers carry out a single harvest/month;all do the shelling with mini machetes. Beans are fermented mainly in black plastic tarpaulins or in bags, for a period of 3 to 5 days (65.45%). Drying is done almost entirely (91.82%) on the black plastic tarp. This study shows that cocoa farmers in the areas surveyed do not respect the recommendations issued on phytosanitary practices and post-harvest treatment of cocoa. This non-compliance with the standards of good practices prescribed is particularly more accentuated in the locality located in infiltrated classified zone. It would, therefore, be judicious to revise or redefine the phytosanitary recommendations and carry out sensitization and training-follow-up programs for producers in this important cocoa production area of C?te d’Ivoire.展开更多
An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farme...An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farmers in infiltrated classified and unclassified areas of Méagui. To do this, 110 producers in two localities of the said zone were individually interviewed from February to April 2022, using a declarative questionnaire. It was found that cocoa orchards in the zone are aging. Nearly 68.55% of producers were heirs and 58.33% of those interviewed were under 46 years of age, with an average age of 43 years. Nearly 84.55% of the producers surveyed mainly use chemical insecticides to control the pests of greatest concern in these localities. Regarding the frequency of insecticide treatments, 11.82% of producers make 1 to 2 applications a year, 29.09% make 3 to 5 applications a year, and 43.64% make at least 6 applications a year. The active substances of the most used products belong to 99% of the Neonicotinoid and Pyrethroid families. Regarding cocoa harvesting and post-harvest operations, 93.64% of the producers carry out a single harvest/month;all do the shelling with mini machetes. Beans are fermented mainly in black plastic tarpaulins or in bags, for a period of 3 to 5 days (65.45%). Drying is done almost entirely (91.82%) on the black plastic tarp. This study shows that cocoa farmers in the areas surveyed do not respect the recommendations issued on phytosanitary practices and post-harvest treatment of cocoa. This non-compliance with the standards of good practices prescribed is particularly more accentuated in the locality located in infiltrated classified zone. It would, therefore, be judicious to revise or redefine the phytosanitary recommendations and carry out sensitization and training-follow-up programs for producers in this important cocoa production area of C?te d’Ivoire.展开更多
AA2219 aluminium alloy joints were fabricated by variable polarity tungsten inert gas (VPTIG) welding process and the effects of post weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the tensile properties, microstructure and fatigu...AA2219 aluminium alloy joints were fabricated by variable polarity tungsten inert gas (VPTIG) welding process and the effects of post weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the tensile properties, microstructure and fatigue behaviour of the welded joints were investigated. The VPTIG welding process was adopted because it could meet the need of cathode cleaning and meanwhile it could reduce the deterioration of tungsten electrode furthest. The welded samples were divided into as-welded (AW) sample and PWHT sample. The PWHT method used on the samples was solution treatment (535 ℃, 30 rain), water quenching and artificial aging (175 ℃, 12 h). The experimental results show that, compared with the AW samples, the microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of the AA2219 joints after PWHT were significantly improved. The improvement of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fatigue strength are 42.6%, 43.1% and 18.4%, respectively.展开更多
Head and neck cancer(HNC) ranks as the 6th most common cancer worldwide, with the vast majority being head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC). The majority of patients present with complicated locally advanced di...Head and neck cancer(HNC) ranks as the 6th most common cancer worldwide, with the vast majority being head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC). The majority of patients present with complicated locally advanced disease(typically stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ) requiring multidisciplinary treatment plans with combinations of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Tumor staging is critical to decide therapeutic planning. Multiple challenges include accurate tumor localization with precise delineation of tumor volume, cervical lymph node staging, detection of distant metastasis as well as ruling out synchronous second primary tumors. Somepatients present with cervical lymph node metastasis without obvious primary tumors on clinical examination or conventional cross sectional imaging. Treatment planning includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or combinations that could significantly alter the anatomy and physiology of this complex head and neck region, making assessment of treatment response and detection of residual/ recurrent tumor very difficult by clinical evaluation and computed tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyD-glucose positron emission tomography/CT(18F-FDG PET/CT) has been widely used to assess HNC for more than a decade with high diagnostic accuracy especially in detection of initial distant metastasis and evaluation of treatment response. There are some limitations that are unique to PET/CT including artifacts, lower soft tissue contrast and resolution as compared to MRI, false positivity in post-treatment phase due to inflammation and granulation tissues, etc. The aim of this article is to review the roles of PET/CT in both pre and post treatment management of HNSCC including its limitations that radiologists must know. Accurate PET/CT interpretation is the crucial initial step that leads to appropriate tumor staging and treatment planning.展开更多
To determine the risk factors of severe post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (sPEP) and clarify the indication of prophylactic treatments. METHODSAt our hospital, endoscopic retrograde chol...To determine the risk factors of severe post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (sPEP) and clarify the indication of prophylactic treatments. METHODSAt our hospital, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed on 1507 patients from May 2012 to December 2015. Of these patients, we enrolled all 121 patients that were diagnosed with post endoscopic retrograde PEP. Fourteen of 121 patients diagnosed as sPEP were analyzed. RESULTSForty-one patients had contrast media remaining in the pancreatic duct after completion of ERCP. Seventy-one patients had abdominal pain within three hours after ERCP. These were significant differences for sPEP (P < 0.05). The median of Body mass index, the median time for ERCP, the median serum amylase level of the next day, past histories including drinking and smoking, past history of pancreatitis, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, whether emergency or not, expertise of ERCP procedure, diverticulum nearby Vater papilla, whether there was sphincterotomy or papillary balloon dilation, pancreatic duct cannulation, use of intra-ductal ultrasonography enforcement, and transpapillary biopsies had no significant differences with sPEP. CONCLUSIONContrast media remaining in the pancreatic duct and the appearance of abdominal pain within three hours after ERCP were risk factors of sPEP.展开更多
In local post weld heat treatment, the temperature difference is the criterion of the process. The temperature field in the main stream pipe under local post weld heat treatment is simulated by finite element method. ...In local post weld heat treatment, the temperature difference is the criterion of the process. The temperature field in the main stream pipe under local post weld heat treatment is simulated by finite element method. A close-loop control program is designed to simulate the temperature field of two different pipes. Both the skin effect of induction heating and electro-thermal coupled effect are considered in the heating model. The local heat treatment temperature difference at the inner and outer side of the pipe is analyzed and the different convection conditions are also considered. The simulation results show that in appropriate induction heating process, the temperature difference in the pipe can be controlled within 30 ℃.展开更多
In order to investigate how to enhance the teeth fracture resistance after the post and core treatment, an in vitro study was conducted to measure the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with ...In order to investigate how to enhance the teeth fracture resistance after the post and core treatment, an in vitro study was conducted to measure the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with cast post and core with two kinds of surface treatment technology and acid etching preparation on the dentinal surface. Sixty-four recently extracted human single-rooted first premolars were endodontically treated and sectioned approximately 1.5 mm above the cementoenamel junction to remove the coronal portion. Each specimen received a cast post, core build-up and a metal alloy crown restoration. All teeth were randomly divided into the smooth surface post, core repair group, the sand blasting surface post, and core repair group, each group was divided into 10 s, 30 s, 60 s acid corrosion treatment group and control group. In acid test groups, an acid etching solution was applied for 10, 30 and 60 seconds, respectively, to the root canal wall surface. Each specimen was embedded in acrylic resin block and tested in an electronic universal testing machine. Fracture loads results showed that canal acid etching could increase teeth fracture resistance strength both in smooth groups and sandblasting group, and achieved the best effect when acid etching for 30 s. Sand spray treatment on the surface of the cast metal post can improve the flexural strength of the teeth after postcrown restoration. Acid etching on the root canal wall surfaces and sand spray treatment on the surface of the cast metal post can improve the flexural strength of the root after post-crown restoration. Therefore, these two methods could be used to strengthen the tooth fracture resistance, and maintain the long-term therapeutic effect of cast post and core restoration.展开更多
Double-V butt TIG welding process was performed on two plates of AA6061-T6 using ER5356 filler. The microstructure,mechanical and nanomechanical properties of the joint were evaluated in as-welded and after post weld ...Double-V butt TIG welding process was performed on two plates of AA6061-T6 using ER5356 filler. The microstructure,mechanical and nanomechanical properties of the joint were evaluated in as-welded and after post weld heat treatment (PWHT) usingXRD, FESEM, EBSD, nanoindentation and tensile tests. The results show that PWHT led to microstructural recovery of the heataffected zone (HAZ) in addition to the appearance of β-phase (Al3Mg2) at the grain boundaries of weld zone. The hardness (Hnano) inall zones increased after PWHT while the elastic modulus (Enano) was improved from 69.93 GPa to 81 GPa in weld area. All resultsindicate that PWHT has created a homogenous microstructure in the weld zone in addition to outstanding improvement inmechanical properties for the weld zone which surpass the base metal.展开更多
Rates of fixation in chromated copper arsenate (CCA-C) treated red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and southern pine (Pinus spp) sapwood specimens using retention of 1.5, 2.0, 6.4 kg·m?3 are compared at temperature (T...Rates of fixation in chromated copper arsenate (CCA-C) treated red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and southern pine (Pinus spp) sapwood specimens using retention of 1.5, 2.0, 6.4 kg·m?3 are compared at temperature (T) ranging from 70°C to 50°C and 5 different relative humidity (RH) conditions. The samples were investigated using the expressate method to follow chromium fixation. Red pine fixes faster than southern pine under all 11 post treatment schedules. The fixation rates for both species are not significantly different while the blocks were fixed under 6 fixation/drying schedules that differed only in the order of T/RH conditions applied. The rate of fixation of all samples in any fixation stage were reduced when the blocks were fixed under lower humidity conditions in spite of no change in chamber temperature. Some of this influence can be attributed to the effect of humidity on heat transfer into the wood and cooling of the wood surface.展开更多
It has been reported by previous research work that in plasma spray process hydroxyapatite decomposes into some amorphous phases due to rapid cooling of the coated substrate during the coating process, which causes in...It has been reported by previous research work that in plasma spray process hydroxyapatite decomposes into some amorphous phases due to rapid cooling of the coated substrate during the coating process, which causes instability of coated implant. Post coating heat treatment has been expected to minimize these phases and also enhance the long term reliability of hydroxyapatite coatings on metal substrates. In this paper post coating heat treatment is carried out at different temperatures suggested by the literature to study its effect on the microstructural and mechanical properties of coating. Coated substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM/EDAX analysis.展开更多
High strength aluminium alloy AA7075(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) is a precipitate hardenable alloy widely used in the aerospace,defense,marine and automobile industries.Use of the heat treatable aluminium alloys in all these sectors...High strength aluminium alloy AA7075(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) is a precipitate hardenable alloy widely used in the aerospace,defense,marine and automobile industries.Use of the heat treatable aluminium alloys in all these sectors is ever-increasing owing to their excellent strength-toweight ratio and reasonably good corrosion resistance.The shortage in corrosion resistance,however,usually poses negative concern about their reliability and lifetime when they service in the variable marine environments.These alloys also exhibit low weldability due to poor solidification microstructure,porosity in fusion zone and lose their mechanical properties when they are welded by fusion welding techniques.Friction stir welding(FSW) is a reliable technique to retain the properties of the alloy as the joining takes place in the solid state.The welds are susceptible to corrosion due to the microstructural changes in the weld nugget during FSW.In this work,the effect of post weld treatments,viz.,peak aging(T6) and retrogression & reaging(RRA),on the microstructure,mechanical properties and pitting corrosion has been studied.Friction stir welding of 8 mm-thick AA7075 alloy was carried out.The microstructural changes of base metal and nugget zone of friction stir welds were studied using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Tensile and hardness test of base metal and welds has been carried out.Pitting corrosion resistance was determined through dynamic polarization test.It was observed that the hardness and strength of weld were observed to be comparatively high in peak aged(T6) condition but the welds showed poor corrosion resistance.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved and the mechanical properties were maintained by RRA treatment.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved in RRA condition with the minimum loss of weld strength.展开更多
Friction stir welding(FSW) of high strength aluminum alloys has been emerged as an alternative joining technique to avoid the problems during fusion welding.In recent times FSW is being used for armor grade AA7075 alu...Friction stir welding(FSW) of high strength aluminum alloys has been emerged as an alternative joining technique to avoid the problems during fusion welding.In recent times FSW is being used for armor grade AA7075 aluminum alloy in defense,aerospace and marine applications where it has to serve in non uniform loading and corrosive environments.Even though friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy possess better mechanical properties but suffer from poor corrosion resistance.The present work involves use of retrogression and reaging(RRA) post weld heat treatment to improve the corrosion resistance of welded joints of aluminum alloys.An attempt also has been made to change the chemical composition of the weld nugget by adding B4C nano particles with the aid of the FSW on a specially prepared base metal plate in butt position.The effects of peak aged condition(T6),RRA and addition of B4C nano particles on microstructure,hardness and pitting corrosion of nugget zone of the friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy have been studied.Even though RRA improved the pitting corrosion resistance,its hardness was slightly lost.Significant improvement in pitting corrosion resistance was achieved with addition of boron carbide powder and post weld heat treatment of RRA.展开更多
The effect of post weld heat treatment on the microstructure and fracture toughness of friction welded joints of Ti-6.5Al-1Mo-1V-2Zr alloy was studied. The experimental results show that equiaxial grains were formed a...The effect of post weld heat treatment on the microstructure and fracture toughness of friction welded joints of Ti-6.5Al-1Mo-1V-2Zr alloy was studied. The experimental results show that equiaxial grains were formed at the center of the weld metal while highly deformed grains were observed in the thermomechanically affected zone. The fracture toughness of the weld metal was lower than that of the thermomechanically affected zone under as-weld and post weld heat treatment conditions. With increasing temperature of post weld heat treatment, the fracture toughness of weld center and thermomechanically affected zone increased. The fractographic observation revealed that the friction welded joints fractured in a ductile mode.展开更多
This paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir weld...This paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir welded joints of precipitation hardenable high strength armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy. The tensile properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and notch tensile strength, are evaluated and correlated with the microhardness and microstructural features. The scanning electron microscope is used to characterie the fracture surfaces. The solution treatment followed by ageing heat treatment cycle is found to be marginally beneficial in improving the tensile properties of friction stir welds of AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy.展开更多
Purpose: To investigate the etiology and the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis inpatients,.especially secondary to surgery.Methods: The clinical records of 65 consecutive patients with acquired ptosis were reviewed...Purpose: To investigate the etiology and the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis inpatients,.especially secondary to surgery.Methods: The clinical records of 65 consecutive patients with acquired ptosis were reviewed from an eye center and a comprehensive hospital..Potential factors responsible for acquired ptosis were investigated..Surgical management principles and post-operative exposure keratitis are discussed.Results:.The top three causes of acquired ptosis were postsurgical ptosis(20 / 65, 30.8%), traumatic ptosis(17 / 65,26.2%) and senile aponeurotic ptosis(12 / 65, 18.5%). Twenty patients had post-surgical ptosis secondary to orbital surgery(8 / 20, 40.0%), enucleation and hydroxyapatite(HA) artificial eye implantation(4 / 20, 20%), eyelid surgery(3 / 20,15%), cataract or glaucoma surgery(2 / 20, 10%), conjunctive surgery(2 / 20, 10%).and superior oblique muscle surgery(1 / 20, 5%). The levator palpebrae superioris(LPS) muscle of ten eyes(10 / 20, 50%) was found during exploration and reattached to the tarsal plate, with shortening of the LPS. Nine eyes(9 / 20, 45%) underwent a frontalis suspension(FS) operation because the LPS muscle was missing. One(1 / 20, 5%)patient was not operated on due to a poor Bell's phenomenon.Two patients(2 / 65, 3.1%)—one patient with post-surgical ptosis and another with aponeurotic ptosis—developed exposure keratitis after ptosis correction.Conclusion: Post-surgical ptosis is one of the most common causes of acquired ptosis. It is important to explore LPS muscle during surgery. LPS reattachment is performed if the muscle is found; otherwise, a FS operation is chosen. Exposure keratitis after correction should be monitored.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion(IR) model and compare pretreatment and post-treatment use.METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group(n =8) was treated with intraperitoneal(i....AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion(IR) model and compare pretreatment and post-treatment use.METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group(n =8) was treated with intraperitoneal(i.p.) selenium 0.5 mg/kg for7 d and terminated 24 h after the IR injury. Selenium posttreatment group( n = 8) was treated with i. p. selenium0.5 mg/kg for 7d after the IR injury with termination at the end of the 7d period. Sham group(n =8) received i.p.saline injections identical to the selenium volume for 7d with termination 24 h after the IR injury. Control group(n =8) received no intervention. Main outcome measures were retina superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH),total antioxidant status(TAS), malondialdehyde(MDA),DNA fragmentation levels, and immunohistological apoptosis evaluation.RESULTS: Compared to the Sham group, selenium pre-treatment had a statistical difference in all parameters except SOD. Post-treatment selenium also resulted in statistical differences in all parameters except the MDA levels. When comparing selenium groups, the pre-treatment selenium group had a statistically higher success in reduction of markers of cell damage such as MDA and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, the post-selenium treatment group had resulted in statisticallyhigher levels of GSH. Histologically both selenium groups succeeded to limit retinal thickening and apoptosis. Pre-treatment use was statistically more successful in decreasing apoptosis in ganglion cell layer compared to post-treatment use.CONCLUSION: Selenium was successful in retinal protection in IR injuries. Pre-treatment efficacy was superior in terms of prevention of tissue damage and apoptosis.展开更多
AIM: To examine the contribution of treatment resistant depression(TRD) to mortality in depressed postmyocardial infarction(MI) patients independent of biological and social predictors.METHODS: This secondary analysis...AIM: To examine the contribution of treatment resistant depression(TRD) to mortality in depressed postmyocardial infarction(MI) patients independent of biological and social predictors.METHODS: This secondary analysis study utilizes the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease(ENRICHD) clinical trial data.From 1834 depressed patients in the ENRICHD study,there were 770 depressed post-MI patients who were treated for depression.In this study,TRD is defined as having a less than 50% reduction in Hamilton Depression(HAM-D) score from baseline and a HAM-D score of greater than 10 in 6 mo after depression treatment began.Cox regression analysis was used to examine the independent contributions of TRD to mortality after controlling for the biological and social predictors.RESULTS: TRD occurred in 13.4%(n = 103) of the 770 patients treated for depression.Patients with TRD were significantly younger in age(P = 0.04)(mean = 57.0 years,SD = 11.7) than those without TRD(mean = 59.2 years,SD = 12.0).There was a significantly higher percentage of females with TRD(57.3%) compared to females without TRD(47.4%) [χ2(1) = 4.65,P = 0.031].There were significantly more current smokers with TRD(44.7%) than without TRD(33.0%) [χ2(1) = 7.34,P = 0.007].There were no significant differences in diabetes(P = 0.120),history of heart failure(P = 0.258),prior MI(P = 0.524),and prior stroke(P = 0.180) between patients with TRD and those without TRD.Mortality was 13%(n = 13) in patients with TRD and 7%(n = 49) in patients without TRD,with a mean follow-up of 29 mo(18 mo minimum and maximum of 4.5 years).TRD was a significant independent predictor of mortality(HR =1.995; 95%CI: 1.011-3.938,P = 0.046) after controlling for age(HR = 1.036; 95%CI: 1.011-1.061,P = 0.004),diabetes(HR = 2.912; 95%CI: 1.638-5.180,P < 0.001),heart failure(HR = 2.736; 95%CI: 1.551-4.827,P = 0.001),and smoking(HR = 0.502; 95%CI: 0.228-1.105,P = 0.087).CONCLUSION: The analysis of TRD in the ENRICHD study shows that the effective treatment of depression reduced mortality in depressed post-MI patients.It is important to monitor the effectiveness of depression treatment and change treatments if necessary to reduce depression and improve cardiac outcomes in depressed post-MI patients.展开更多
In CZTSSe solar cells,a simple sodium-incorporation post-treatment method toward solution-processed Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films is presented in this work.An ultrathin NaCl film is deposited on Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor film...In CZTSSe solar cells,a simple sodium-incorporation post-treatment method toward solution-processed Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films is presented in this work.An ultrathin NaCl film is deposited on Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films by spin-coating NaCl solution.In subsequent selenization process,the introduction of Na Cl is found to be benefacial for the formation of Cu2-xSe,which can further facilitate the element transportation,leading to dense and smooth CZTSSe films with large grains and less impurity Cu2Sn(S,Se)3phase.SIMS depth profiles confirm the gradient distribution of the sodium element in Na-doped absorbers.Photoluminescence spectra show that the introduction of appropriate sodium into the absorber can inhibit the band tail states.As high as 11.18% of power conversion efficiency(PCE)is achieved for the device treated with 5 mg mL^-1 NaCl solution,and an average efficiency of Na-doped devices is 10.71%,13%higher than that of the control groups(9.45%).Besides,the depletion width and the charge recombination lifetime can also have regular variation with sodium treatment.This work offers an easy modification method for high-quality Na-doped CZTSSe films and high-performance devices,in the meantime,it can also help to further understand the effects of sodium in CZTSSe solar cells.展开更多
The effect of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure characterization of electron beam welded(EBW) joints of Ti3Al-Nb was investigated.The results show that the microstructure of the weld is predominantly meta...The effect of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure characterization of electron beam welded(EBW) joints of Ti3Al-Nb was investigated.The results show that the microstructure of the weld is predominantly metastable,the columnar crystal metastructure of B2 phase.The microstructure morphology of the weld is significantly influenced by the method of the heat treatment.The microstructure of the weld is laminar structure(Widmanstaten structure) consisted of interphase α2 and B2 after post-weld heat treatment of 1000 ℃/2 h.The mechanism of the post-weld heat treatment makes the hardness distribution of joints homogeneous,but makes the whole joint somehow softened.展开更多
Background:Hypoalbuminemia adversely affects the clinical outcomes of various cancers.The purpose of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of hypoalbuminemia 3-5 weeks after treatment in patients with metast...Background:Hypoalbuminemia adversely affects the clinical outcomes of various cancers.The purpose of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of hypoalbuminemia 3-5 weeks after treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma(mRCC) who received sorafenib or sunitinib as first-line treatment.Methods:In this single-center,retrospective study,we assessed the progression-free survival(PFS) and overall survival(OS) of 184 mRCC patients who received first-line sorafenib or sunitinib treatment.PFS and OS were compared between patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia(post-treatment albumin level <36.4 g/L) and those with normal post-treatment albumin level(albumin level≥36.4 g/L).The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center(MSKCC)risk model stratified mRCC patients into three risk categories.Prognostic values of all patient characteristics including MSKCC risk category were determined by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models.Prognostic value was further determined using the Harrell concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results:The median PFS and OS of the 184 patients were 11 months(95%confidence interval[CI]9-12 months)and 23 months(95%CI 19-33 months),respectively.Patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia had significantly shorter median PFS(6 months[95%CI 5-7 months]) and OS(11 months[95%CI 9-15 months]) than patients who had normal post-treatment albumin levels(PFS:12 months[95%CI 11-16 months],P < 0.001;OS:31 months[95%CI24-42 months],P < 0.001),respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that post-treatment hypoalbuminemia was an independent predictor of PFS(hazard ratio[HR],2.113;95%CI 1.390-3.212;P < 0.001) and OS(HR,2.388;95%CI 1.591-3.585;P < 0.001).Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia could also be combined with the MSKCC risk category for better prediction about OS.The model that included post-treatment hypoalbuminemia and MSKCC risk category improved the predictive accuracy for PFS and OS(c-index:0.68 and 0.73,respectively) compared with the basic MSKCC risk model(c-index:0.67 and 0.70,respectively).The prognostic values for PFS and OS of the integrated MSKCC risk model involving post-treatment hypoalbuminemia were significantly more accurate than the basic MSKCC risk model using likelihood ratio analysis(both P < 0.001).Conclusions:Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia can be considered an independent prognostic factor for patients with mRCC who undergo first-line treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.Additionally,integrating post-treatment serum albumin level into the basic MSKCC risk model can improve the accuracy of this model in predicting patient overall survival and progression-free survival.展开更多
文摘An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farmers in infiltrated classified and unclassified areas of Méagui. To do this, 110 producers in two localities of the said zone were individually interviewed from February to April 2022, using a declarative questionnaire. It was found that cocoa orchards in the zone are aging. Nearly 68.55% of producers were heirs and 58.33% of those interviewed were under 46 years of age, with an average age of 43 years. Nearly 84.55% of the producers surveyed mainly use chemical insecticides to control the pests of greatest concern in these localities. Regarding the frequency of insecticide treatments, 11.82% of producers make 1 to 2 applications a year, 29.09% make 3 to 5 applications a year, and 43.64% make at least 6 applications a year. The active substances of the most used products belong to 99% of the Neonicotinoid and Pyrethroid families. Regarding cocoa harvesting and post-harvest operations, 93.64% of the producers carry out a single harvest/month;all do the shelling with mini machetes. Beans are fermented mainly in black plastic tarpaulins or in bags, for a period of 3 to 5 days (65.45%). Drying is done almost entirely (91.82%) on the black plastic tarp. This study shows that cocoa farmers in the areas surveyed do not respect the recommendations issued on phytosanitary practices and post-harvest treatment of cocoa. This non-compliance with the standards of good practices prescribed is particularly more accentuated in the locality located in infiltrated classified zone. It would, therefore, be judicious to revise or redefine the phytosanitary recommendations and carry out sensitization and training-follow-up programs for producers in this important cocoa production area of C?te d’Ivoire.
文摘An important part of Ivorian cocoa production comes from infiltrated classified forests. The objective of this study is to investigate orchard maintenance and post-harvest cocoa treatment practices used by cocoa farmers in infiltrated classified and unclassified areas of Méagui. To do this, 110 producers in two localities of the said zone were individually interviewed from February to April 2022, using a declarative questionnaire. It was found that cocoa orchards in the zone are aging. Nearly 68.55% of producers were heirs and 58.33% of those interviewed were under 46 years of age, with an average age of 43 years. Nearly 84.55% of the producers surveyed mainly use chemical insecticides to control the pests of greatest concern in these localities. Regarding the frequency of insecticide treatments, 11.82% of producers make 1 to 2 applications a year, 29.09% make 3 to 5 applications a year, and 43.64% make at least 6 applications a year. The active substances of the most used products belong to 99% of the Neonicotinoid and Pyrethroid families. Regarding cocoa harvesting and post-harvest operations, 93.64% of the producers carry out a single harvest/month;all do the shelling with mini machetes. Beans are fermented mainly in black plastic tarpaulins or in bags, for a period of 3 to 5 days (65.45%). Drying is done almost entirely (91.82%) on the black plastic tarp. This study shows that cocoa farmers in the areas surveyed do not respect the recommendations issued on phytosanitary practices and post-harvest treatment of cocoa. This non-compliance with the standards of good practices prescribed is particularly more accentuated in the locality located in infiltrated classified zone. It would, therefore, be judicious to revise or redefine the phytosanitary recommendations and carry out sensitization and training-follow-up programs for producers in this important cocoa production area of C?te d’Ivoire.
基金Project(51275343)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
文摘AA2219 aluminium alloy joints were fabricated by variable polarity tungsten inert gas (VPTIG) welding process and the effects of post weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the tensile properties, microstructure and fatigue behaviour of the welded joints were investigated. The VPTIG welding process was adopted because it could meet the need of cathode cleaning and meanwhile it could reduce the deterioration of tungsten electrode furthest. The welded samples were divided into as-welded (AW) sample and PWHT sample. The PWHT method used on the samples was solution treatment (535 ℃, 30 rain), water quenching and artificial aging (175 ℃, 12 h). The experimental results show that, compared with the AW samples, the microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of the AA2219 joints after PWHT were significantly improved. The improvement of yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fatigue strength are 42.6%, 43.1% and 18.4%, respectively.
文摘Head and neck cancer(HNC) ranks as the 6th most common cancer worldwide, with the vast majority being head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC). The majority of patients present with complicated locally advanced disease(typically stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ) requiring multidisciplinary treatment plans with combinations of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Tumor staging is critical to decide therapeutic planning. Multiple challenges include accurate tumor localization with precise delineation of tumor volume, cervical lymph node staging, detection of distant metastasis as well as ruling out synchronous second primary tumors. Somepatients present with cervical lymph node metastasis without obvious primary tumors on clinical examination or conventional cross sectional imaging. Treatment planning includes surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or combinations that could significantly alter the anatomy and physiology of this complex head and neck region, making assessment of treatment response and detection of residual/ recurrent tumor very difficult by clinical evaluation and computed tomography(CT) or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxyD-glucose positron emission tomography/CT(18F-FDG PET/CT) has been widely used to assess HNC for more than a decade with high diagnostic accuracy especially in detection of initial distant metastasis and evaluation of treatment response. There are some limitations that are unique to PET/CT including artifacts, lower soft tissue contrast and resolution as compared to MRI, false positivity in post-treatment phase due to inflammation and granulation tissues, etc. The aim of this article is to review the roles of PET/CT in both pre and post treatment management of HNSCC including its limitations that radiologists must know. Accurate PET/CT interpretation is the crucial initial step that leads to appropriate tumor staging and treatment planning.
文摘To determine the risk factors of severe post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (sPEP) and clarify the indication of prophylactic treatments. METHODSAt our hospital, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed on 1507 patients from May 2012 to December 2015. Of these patients, we enrolled all 121 patients that were diagnosed with post endoscopic retrograde PEP. Fourteen of 121 patients diagnosed as sPEP were analyzed. RESULTSForty-one patients had contrast media remaining in the pancreatic duct after completion of ERCP. Seventy-one patients had abdominal pain within three hours after ERCP. These were significant differences for sPEP (P < 0.05). The median of Body mass index, the median time for ERCP, the median serum amylase level of the next day, past histories including drinking and smoking, past history of pancreatitis, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, whether emergency or not, expertise of ERCP procedure, diverticulum nearby Vater papilla, whether there was sphincterotomy or papillary balloon dilation, pancreatic duct cannulation, use of intra-ductal ultrasonography enforcement, and transpapillary biopsies had no significant differences with sPEP. CONCLUSIONContrast media remaining in the pancreatic duct and the appearance of abdominal pain within three hours after ERCP were risk factors of sPEP.
文摘In local post weld heat treatment, the temperature difference is the criterion of the process. The temperature field in the main stream pipe under local post weld heat treatment is simulated by finite element method. A close-loop control program is designed to simulate the temperature field of two different pipes. Both the skin effect of induction heating and electro-thermal coupled effect are considered in the heating model. The local heat treatment temperature difference at the inner and outer side of the pipe is analyzed and the different convection conditions are also considered. The simulation results show that in appropriate induction heating process, the temperature difference in the pipe can be controlled within 30 ℃.
基金Funded by the Construction Engineering Special Fund of Taishan Scholars(No.201511106)the Youth Scientific Research Funds of School of Stomatology,Shandong University(No.2018QNJJ01)+1 种基金Shandong Medical and Health Science and Technology Development Plan(No.2017WS112)National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFC1102705)
文摘In order to investigate how to enhance the teeth fracture resistance after the post and core treatment, an in vitro study was conducted to measure the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with cast post and core with two kinds of surface treatment technology and acid etching preparation on the dentinal surface. Sixty-four recently extracted human single-rooted first premolars were endodontically treated and sectioned approximately 1.5 mm above the cementoenamel junction to remove the coronal portion. Each specimen received a cast post, core build-up and a metal alloy crown restoration. All teeth were randomly divided into the smooth surface post, core repair group, the sand blasting surface post, and core repair group, each group was divided into 10 s, 30 s, 60 s acid corrosion treatment group and control group. In acid test groups, an acid etching solution was applied for 10, 30 and 60 seconds, respectively, to the root canal wall surface. Each specimen was embedded in acrylic resin block and tested in an electronic universal testing machine. Fracture loads results showed that canal acid etching could increase teeth fracture resistance strength both in smooth groups and sandblasting group, and achieved the best effect when acid etching for 30 s. Sand spray treatment on the surface of the cast metal post can improve the flexural strength of the teeth after postcrown restoration. Acid etching on the root canal wall surfaces and sand spray treatment on the surface of the cast metal post can improve the flexural strength of the root after post-crown restoration. Therefore, these two methods could be used to strengthen the tooth fracture resistance, and maintain the long-term therapeutic effect of cast post and core restoration.
基金the financial support for this study from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education(MOHE) through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme and Exploratory Research Grant Scheme
文摘Double-V butt TIG welding process was performed on two plates of AA6061-T6 using ER5356 filler. The microstructure,mechanical and nanomechanical properties of the joint were evaluated in as-welded and after post weld heat treatment (PWHT) usingXRD, FESEM, EBSD, nanoindentation and tensile tests. The results show that PWHT led to microstructural recovery of the heataffected zone (HAZ) in addition to the appearance of β-phase (Al3Mg2) at the grain boundaries of weld zone. The hardness (Hnano) inall zones increased after PWHT while the elastic modulus (Enano) was improved from 69.93 GPa to 81 GPa in weld area. All resultsindicate that PWHT has created a homogenous microstructure in the weld zone in addition to outstanding improvement inmechanical properties for the weld zone which surpass the base metal.
文摘Rates of fixation in chromated copper arsenate (CCA-C) treated red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and southern pine (Pinus spp) sapwood specimens using retention of 1.5, 2.0, 6.4 kg·m?3 are compared at temperature (T) ranging from 70°C to 50°C and 5 different relative humidity (RH) conditions. The samples were investigated using the expressate method to follow chromium fixation. Red pine fixes faster than southern pine under all 11 post treatment schedules. The fixation rates for both species are not significantly different while the blocks were fixed under 6 fixation/drying schedules that differed only in the order of T/RH conditions applied. The rate of fixation of all samples in any fixation stage were reduced when the blocks were fixed under lower humidity conditions in spite of no change in chamber temperature. Some of this influence can be attributed to the effect of humidity on heat transfer into the wood and cooling of the wood surface.
文摘It has been reported by previous research work that in plasma spray process hydroxyapatite decomposes into some amorphous phases due to rapid cooling of the coated substrate during the coating process, which causes instability of coated implant. Post coating heat treatment has been expected to minimize these phases and also enhance the long term reliability of hydroxyapatite coatings on metal substrates. In this paper post coating heat treatment is carried out at different temperatures suggested by the literature to study its effect on the microstructural and mechanical properties of coating. Coated substrates were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM/EDAX analysis.
文摘High strength aluminium alloy AA7075(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) is a precipitate hardenable alloy widely used in the aerospace,defense,marine and automobile industries.Use of the heat treatable aluminium alloys in all these sectors is ever-increasing owing to their excellent strength-toweight ratio and reasonably good corrosion resistance.The shortage in corrosion resistance,however,usually poses negative concern about their reliability and lifetime when they service in the variable marine environments.These alloys also exhibit low weldability due to poor solidification microstructure,porosity in fusion zone and lose their mechanical properties when they are welded by fusion welding techniques.Friction stir welding(FSW) is a reliable technique to retain the properties of the alloy as the joining takes place in the solid state.The welds are susceptible to corrosion due to the microstructural changes in the weld nugget during FSW.In this work,the effect of post weld treatments,viz.,peak aging(T6) and retrogression & reaging(RRA),on the microstructure,mechanical properties and pitting corrosion has been studied.Friction stir welding of 8 mm-thick AA7075 alloy was carried out.The microstructural changes of base metal and nugget zone of friction stir welds were studied using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Tensile and hardness test of base metal and welds has been carried out.Pitting corrosion resistance was determined through dynamic polarization test.It was observed that the hardness and strength of weld were observed to be comparatively high in peak aged(T6) condition but the welds showed poor corrosion resistance.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved and the mechanical properties were maintained by RRA treatment.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved in RRA condition with the minimum loss of weld strength.
文摘Friction stir welding(FSW) of high strength aluminum alloys has been emerged as an alternative joining technique to avoid the problems during fusion welding.In recent times FSW is being used for armor grade AA7075 aluminum alloy in defense,aerospace and marine applications where it has to serve in non uniform loading and corrosive environments.Even though friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy possess better mechanical properties but suffer from poor corrosion resistance.The present work involves use of retrogression and reaging(RRA) post weld heat treatment to improve the corrosion resistance of welded joints of aluminum alloys.An attempt also has been made to change the chemical composition of the weld nugget by adding B4C nano particles with the aid of the FSW on a specially prepared base metal plate in butt position.The effects of peak aged condition(T6),RRA and addition of B4C nano particles on microstructure,hardness and pitting corrosion of nugget zone of the friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy have been studied.Even though RRA improved the pitting corrosion resistance,its hardness was slightly lost.Significant improvement in pitting corrosion resistance was achieved with addition of boron carbide powder and post weld heat treatment of RRA.
基金Funded by the Commission of Science,Techonology and Industry for National Defense(No.AXXD1818)
文摘The effect of post weld heat treatment on the microstructure and fracture toughness of friction welded joints of Ti-6.5Al-1Mo-1V-2Zr alloy was studied. The experimental results show that equiaxial grains were formed at the center of the weld metal while highly deformed grains were observed in the thermomechanically affected zone. The fracture toughness of the weld metal was lower than that of the thermomechanically affected zone under as-weld and post weld heat treatment conditions. With increasing temperature of post weld heat treatment, the fracture toughness of weld center and thermomechanically affected zone increased. The fractographic observation revealed that the friction welded joints fractured in a ductile mode.
文摘This paper reports the effects of post weld heat treatments, namely artificial ageing and solution treatment followed by artificial ageing, on microstructure and mechanical properties of 12 mm thick friction stir welded joints of precipitation hardenable high strength armour grade AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy. The tensile properties, such as yield strength, tensile strength, elongation and notch tensile strength, are evaluated and correlated with the microhardness and microstructural features. The scanning electron microscope is used to characterie the fracture surfaces. The solution treatment followed by ageing heat treatment cycle is found to be marginally beneficial in improving the tensile properties of friction stir welds of AA7075-T651 aluminium alloy.
基金Key Projects in Science and Technology Development from Guangzhou,China(No.11BppZXaa2060017)
文摘Purpose: To investigate the etiology and the treatment of acquired blepharoptosis inpatients,.especially secondary to surgery.Methods: The clinical records of 65 consecutive patients with acquired ptosis were reviewed from an eye center and a comprehensive hospital..Potential factors responsible for acquired ptosis were investigated..Surgical management principles and post-operative exposure keratitis are discussed.Results:.The top three causes of acquired ptosis were postsurgical ptosis(20 / 65, 30.8%), traumatic ptosis(17 / 65,26.2%) and senile aponeurotic ptosis(12 / 65, 18.5%). Twenty patients had post-surgical ptosis secondary to orbital surgery(8 / 20, 40.0%), enucleation and hydroxyapatite(HA) artificial eye implantation(4 / 20, 20%), eyelid surgery(3 / 20,15%), cataract or glaucoma surgery(2 / 20, 10%), conjunctive surgery(2 / 20, 10%).and superior oblique muscle surgery(1 / 20, 5%). The levator palpebrae superioris(LPS) muscle of ten eyes(10 / 20, 50%) was found during exploration and reattached to the tarsal plate, with shortening of the LPS. Nine eyes(9 / 20, 45%) underwent a frontalis suspension(FS) operation because the LPS muscle was missing. One(1 / 20, 5%)patient was not operated on due to a poor Bell's phenomenon.Two patients(2 / 65, 3.1%)—one patient with post-surgical ptosis and another with aponeurotic ptosis—developed exposure keratitis after ptosis correction.Conclusion: Post-surgical ptosis is one of the most common causes of acquired ptosis. It is important to explore LPS muscle during surgery. LPS reattachment is performed if the muscle is found; otherwise, a FS operation is chosen. Exposure keratitis after correction should be monitored.
文摘AIM: To investigate the effects of selenium in rat retinal ischemia reperfusion(IR) model and compare pretreatment and post-treatment use.METHODS: Selenium pre-treatment group(n =8) was treated with intraperitoneal(i.p.) selenium 0.5 mg/kg for7 d and terminated 24 h after the IR injury. Selenium posttreatment group( n = 8) was treated with i. p. selenium0.5 mg/kg for 7d after the IR injury with termination at the end of the 7d period. Sham group(n =8) received i.p.saline injections identical to the selenium volume for 7d with termination 24 h after the IR injury. Control group(n =8) received no intervention. Main outcome measures were retina superoxide dismutase(SOD), glutathione(GSH),total antioxidant status(TAS), malondialdehyde(MDA),DNA fragmentation levels, and immunohistological apoptosis evaluation.RESULTS: Compared to the Sham group, selenium pre-treatment had a statistical difference in all parameters except SOD. Post-treatment selenium also resulted in statistical differences in all parameters except the MDA levels. When comparing selenium groups, the pre-treatment selenium group had a statistically higher success in reduction of markers of cell damage such as MDA and DNA fragmentation. In contrast, the post-selenium treatment group had resulted in statisticallyhigher levels of GSH. Histologically both selenium groups succeeded to limit retinal thickening and apoptosis. Pre-treatment use was statistically more successful in decreasing apoptosis in ganglion cell layer compared to post-treatment use.CONCLUSION: Selenium was successful in retinal protection in IR injuries. Pre-treatment efficacy was superior in terms of prevention of tissue damage and apoptosis.
文摘AIM: To examine the contribution of treatment resistant depression(TRD) to mortality in depressed postmyocardial infarction(MI) patients independent of biological and social predictors.METHODS: This secondary analysis study utilizes the Enhancing Recovery in Coronary Heart Disease(ENRICHD) clinical trial data.From 1834 depressed patients in the ENRICHD study,there were 770 depressed post-MI patients who were treated for depression.In this study,TRD is defined as having a less than 50% reduction in Hamilton Depression(HAM-D) score from baseline and a HAM-D score of greater than 10 in 6 mo after depression treatment began.Cox regression analysis was used to examine the independent contributions of TRD to mortality after controlling for the biological and social predictors.RESULTS: TRD occurred in 13.4%(n = 103) of the 770 patients treated for depression.Patients with TRD were significantly younger in age(P = 0.04)(mean = 57.0 years,SD = 11.7) than those without TRD(mean = 59.2 years,SD = 12.0).There was a significantly higher percentage of females with TRD(57.3%) compared to females without TRD(47.4%) [χ2(1) = 4.65,P = 0.031].There were significantly more current smokers with TRD(44.7%) than without TRD(33.0%) [χ2(1) = 7.34,P = 0.007].There were no significant differences in diabetes(P = 0.120),history of heart failure(P = 0.258),prior MI(P = 0.524),and prior stroke(P = 0.180) between patients with TRD and those without TRD.Mortality was 13%(n = 13) in patients with TRD and 7%(n = 49) in patients without TRD,with a mean follow-up of 29 mo(18 mo minimum and maximum of 4.5 years).TRD was a significant independent predictor of mortality(HR =1.995; 95%CI: 1.011-3.938,P = 0.046) after controlling for age(HR = 1.036; 95%CI: 1.011-1.061,P = 0.004),diabetes(HR = 2.912; 95%CI: 1.638-5.180,P < 0.001),heart failure(HR = 2.736; 95%CI: 1.551-4.827,P = 0.001),and smoking(HR = 0.502; 95%CI: 0.228-1.105,P = 0.087).CONCLUSION: The analysis of TRD in the ENRICHD study shows that the effective treatment of depression reduced mortality in depressed post-MI patients.It is important to monitor the effectiveness of depression treatment and change treatments if necessary to reduce depression and improve cardiac outcomes in depressed post-MI patients.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51421002, 51627803, 91733301, 51761145042, 21501183, 51402348, 53872321, and 11874402)the Knowledge Innovation Program and the Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant XDB 12010400) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘In CZTSSe solar cells,a simple sodium-incorporation post-treatment method toward solution-processed Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films is presented in this work.An ultrathin NaCl film is deposited on Cu2Zn Sn S4precursor films by spin-coating NaCl solution.In subsequent selenization process,the introduction of Na Cl is found to be benefacial for the formation of Cu2-xSe,which can further facilitate the element transportation,leading to dense and smooth CZTSSe films with large grains and less impurity Cu2Sn(S,Se)3phase.SIMS depth profiles confirm the gradient distribution of the sodium element in Na-doped absorbers.Photoluminescence spectra show that the introduction of appropriate sodium into the absorber can inhibit the band tail states.As high as 11.18% of power conversion efficiency(PCE)is achieved for the device treated with 5 mg mL^-1 NaCl solution,and an average efficiency of Na-doped devices is 10.71%,13%higher than that of the control groups(9.45%).Besides,the depletion width and the charge recombination lifetime can also have regular variation with sodium treatment.This work offers an easy modification method for high-quality Na-doped CZTSSe films and high-performance devices,in the meantime,it can also help to further understand the effects of sodium in CZTSSe solar cells.
文摘The effect of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure characterization of electron beam welded(EBW) joints of Ti3Al-Nb was investigated.The results show that the microstructure of the weld is predominantly metastable,the columnar crystal metastructure of B2 phase.The microstructure morphology of the weld is significantly influenced by the method of the heat treatment.The microstructure of the weld is laminar structure(Widmanstaten structure) consisted of interphase α2 and B2 after post-weld heat treatment of 1000 ℃/2 h.The mechanism of the post-weld heat treatment makes the hardness distribution of joints homogeneous,but makes the whole joint somehow softened.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.81402084,81472378,and 81672513)incubating program for clinical research and innovation of Renji hospital(Grant No.PYXJS16-008)the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning(Grant No.2013SY027)
文摘Background:Hypoalbuminemia adversely affects the clinical outcomes of various cancers.The purpose of this study was to estimate the prognostic value of hypoalbuminemia 3-5 weeks after treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma(mRCC) who received sorafenib or sunitinib as first-line treatment.Methods:In this single-center,retrospective study,we assessed the progression-free survival(PFS) and overall survival(OS) of 184 mRCC patients who received first-line sorafenib or sunitinib treatment.PFS and OS were compared between patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia(post-treatment albumin level <36.4 g/L) and those with normal post-treatment albumin level(albumin level≥36.4 g/L).The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center(MSKCC)risk model stratified mRCC patients into three risk categories.Prognostic values of all patient characteristics including MSKCC risk category were determined by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models.Prognostic value was further determined using the Harrell concordance index and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Results:The median PFS and OS of the 184 patients were 11 months(95%confidence interval[CI]9-12 months)and 23 months(95%CI 19-33 months),respectively.Patients with post-treatment hypoalbuminemia had significantly shorter median PFS(6 months[95%CI 5-7 months]) and OS(11 months[95%CI 9-15 months]) than patients who had normal post-treatment albumin levels(PFS:12 months[95%CI 11-16 months],P < 0.001;OS:31 months[95%CI24-42 months],P < 0.001),respectively.Multivariate analysis showed that post-treatment hypoalbuminemia was an independent predictor of PFS(hazard ratio[HR],2.113;95%CI 1.390-3.212;P < 0.001) and OS(HR,2.388;95%CI 1.591-3.585;P < 0.001).Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia could also be combined with the MSKCC risk category for better prediction about OS.The model that included post-treatment hypoalbuminemia and MSKCC risk category improved the predictive accuracy for PFS and OS(c-index:0.68 and 0.73,respectively) compared with the basic MSKCC risk model(c-index:0.67 and 0.70,respectively).The prognostic values for PFS and OS of the integrated MSKCC risk model involving post-treatment hypoalbuminemia were significantly more accurate than the basic MSKCC risk model using likelihood ratio analysis(both P < 0.001).Conclusions:Post-treatment hypoalbuminemia can be considered an independent prognostic factor for patients with mRCC who undergo first-line treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors.Additionally,integrating post-treatment serum albumin level into the basic MSKCC risk model can improve the accuracy of this model in predicting patient overall survival and progression-free survival.