Small particle drug-eluting beads-transarterial chemoembolization combined with targeted therapy in the clinical treatment of unresectable liver cancer

BACKGROUND Liver cancer is a highly malignant tumor with significant clinical impact.Chemotherapy alone often yields suboptimal outcomes in both the short and long term,characterized by high rates of local recurrence and distant metastasis,leading to a poor long-term prognosis.AIM To evaluate the clinical efficacy of small particle drug-eluting beads-transarterial chemoembolization(DEB-TACE)combined with targeted therapy for the treatment of unresectable liver cancer.METHODS We analyzed clinical data from 74 patients with unresectable liver cancer admitted between January 2019 and December 2020.Based on the different treatment regimens administered,patients were divided into the control(36 patients receiving sorafenib alone)and joint(38 patients receiving small particle DEB-TACE combined with sorafenib)groups.We compared liver function indicators[alanine aminotransferase(ALT),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),total bilirubin(TBIL),albumin(ALB)]and serum tumor markers[alpha fetoprotein(AFP)]before and after treatment in both groups.Short-term efficacy measures[complete response(CR),partial response,progression disease,stable disease,objective response rate(ORR),and disease control rate(DCR)]were assessed post-treatment.Long-term follow-up evaluated median overall survival(OS),progression-free survival(PFS),and adverse reaction rates between the two groups.RESULTS One month post-treatment,the joint group demonstrated significantly higher rates of CR,ORR,and DCR compared to the control group(P<0.05).Three days after treatment,the joint group showed elevated levels of ALT,AST,and TBIL but reduced levels of ALB and AFP compared to the control group(P<0.05).The median OS was 18 months for the control group and 25 months for the joint group,while the median PFS was 15 months for the control group and 22 months for the joint group,with significant differences observed(log-rank:χ2=7.824,6.861,respectively;P=0.005,0.009,respectively).The incidence of adverse reactions was not significantly different between the groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION The combination of small particle DEB-TACE and sorafenib significantly improves both short-and long-term outcomes in the treatment of unresectable liver cancer while preserving liver function.

LAGRANGIAN MODEL ON THE TURBULENT MOTION OF SMALL SOLID PARTICLE IN TURBULENT BOUNDARY LAYER FLOWS

The Lagrangian equations of motion of small particle in turbulent boundary layer flows, taking into account the effects of the drug force caused by the wall presence, the Saffman and the Magus lift forces et al., is studied. Using the spectral method, analytical expression relating to the Lagrangian power spectra of particle velocity to that of the fluid are developed and the results are used to evaluate various responses statistics. In this paper, the results clearly show that the turbulent diffusivity of the particle may be larger than that of the fluid for a period of long-time.

Behaviors of thermalization for the Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou system with small number of particles

We study the behaviors of thermalization in Fermi–Pasta–Ulam–Tsingou(FPUT) system with small number of particles using periodic boundary conditions. The total energy has initially equidistributed among some of the lowest frequency modes. The thermalization time t_(eq) depending on system's energy density ε scales as t_(eq) ∝ε^(-4) only within a certain range of nonlinearity. In this range of nonlinearity, energies can interchange between the initial excited modes and other modes continuously with time until reaching the thermalized state. With a further decreasing nonlinearity, a steeper growth than ε^(-4) will appear. In the very weakly nonlinear regime, energies on low frequency modes are found to be frozen on large time scales. Redistribution of mode energies happens through the resonances of high frequency modes.

Light scattering and surface plasmons on small spherical particles

Light scattering by small particles has a long and interesting history in physics.Nonetheless,it continues to surprise with new insights and applications.This includes new discoveries,such as novel plasmonic effects,as well as exciting theoretical and experimental developments such as optical trapping,anomalous light scattering,optical tweezers,nanospasers,and novel aspects and realizations of Fano resonances.These have led to important new applications,including several ones in the biomedical area and in sensing techniques at the single-molecule level.There are additionally many potential future applications in optical devices and solar energy technologies.Here we review the fundamental aspects of light scattering by small spherical particles,emphasizing the phenomenological treatments and new developments in this field.

Hierarchical SAPO-11 Molecular Sieve for n-Alkane Hydroisomerization Synthesized by Directing Agent Method

Silicoaluminophosphates SAPO-11 molecular sieves with small particle size and hierarchical pores were synthesized using the directing agent method.The effect of crystallization time on the particle structure,morphology,pore structure properties,and acid properties of SAPO-11 molecular sieves were investigated.Unlike the SAPO-11 molecular sieves synthesized with the conventional method,the results of XRD,SEM,BET and NH3-TPD analyses showed that the SAPO-11 molecular sieves synthesized by the directing agent method in a shorter crystallization time exhibited fine and uniform morphology.By increasing the crystallization time,the particle size of SAPO-11 molecular sieve was significantly reduced,and the mesoporous structure(intercrystalline pores)was formed.Furthermore,the external specific surface area and the total specific surface area reached 81.7 m^2/g and 192.0 m^2/g,respectively,which effectively reduced the pore mass transfer resistance and significantly increased the number of acid sites.The results of n-dodecane hydroisomerization revealed that the Pt/SAPO-11 prepared with the novel method exhibited higher catalytic activity and better hydroisomerization selectivity than that synthesized by the conventional hydrothermal method.Thus,the small particle molecular sieve showed a promising industrial application prospect to be used as catalyst support.

Discrete element modeling of the effect of particle size distribution on the small strain stiffness of granular soils

Discrete element modeling was used to investigate the effect of particle size distribution on the small strain shear stiffness of granular soils and explore the fundamental mechanism controlling this small strain shear stiffness at the particle level. The results indicate that the mean particle size has a negligible effect on the small strain shear modulus. The observed increase of the shear modulus with increasing particle size is caused by a scale effect. It is suggested that the ratio of sample size to the mean particle size should be larger than 11.5 to avoid this possible scale effect. At the same confining pressure and void ratio, the small strain shear modulus decreases as the coefficient of uniformity of the soil increases. The Poisson＇s ratio decreases with decreasing void ratio and increasing confining pressure instead of being constant as is commonly assumed. Microscopic analyses indicate that the small strain shear stiffness and Poisson＇s ratio depend uniquely on the soil＇s coordination number.

DIFFUSION OF LONG CHAINS THROUGH A POROUS THIN GEL NETWORK

Using a core （142 nm） made of linear polystyrene （PS） chains as a seed, we further polymerized a thin layer of cross-linked PS shell （7 nm） on it in water to form a core-shell particle. Such a particle swells in toluene, which enables linear PS chains inside the core to gradually diffuse out through the porous shell. Using a combination of static and dynamic laser light scattering, we examined the chain diffusion process by following the change of the scattering intensity （i.e. the average molar mass of the particles）. For the first time, we have revealed that the diffusion exhibits three stages. In the first stage, the chain diffusion through the shell is even faster than their translational diffusion in a dilute solution. The three stages respectively correspond to the change of the solution in the core from concentrated to semidilute and then from semidilute to dilute.

GV Technology for Exploration and Delineation of Lode Gold Claims

Demands for new gold deposits are increasing worldwide and the need to better define lode and placer claims is a critical environmental and economic issue. Recently, interesting results have been produced using dedicated geological information systems designed to explore for earth mineral deposits. These systems employ properties of fundamental physical fields generated by interactions of superlight elementary particles. GV technology （Geo-Vision geological direct detection radiometric and Air-Gamma technology）, a revolutionary technology for exploring the earth from outer space and from inside aircraft, has been utilized to identify and precisely locate gold deposits. All elements of the Earth＇s crust exist in an excited state and are constantly emitting what can be called their ＂intrinsic radiation＂. The melding of science and data interpretation makes GV Technology ideal for defining both lode and placer gold deposits. The use of GV technology will improve success ratios associated with the exploration for and delineation of gold deposits and provide better definition of successful core drilling locations. The technology will also decrease the cost of defining gold deposits and since GV technology is ecologically friendly, it provides considerable reductions in environmental mitigation costs. From 1995 to 2014, GV technology has been used to identify and delineate gold deposits in Russia, Mongolia, Kirghizia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Namibia, Australia, and the United States.

Optical tweezers technique and its applications

Since their advent in the 1980s,optical tweezers have attracted more and more attention due to their unique non-contact and non-invasion characteristics and their wide applications in physics,biology,chemistry,medical science and nanoscience.In this paper,we introduce the basic principle,the history and typical applications of optical tweezers and review our recent experimental works on the development and application of optical tweezers technique.We will discuss in detail several technological issues,including high precision displacement and force measurement in single-trap and dual-trap optical tweezers,multi-trap optical tweezers with each trap independently and freely controlled by means of space light modulator,and incorporation of cylindrical vector optical beams to build diversified optical tweezers beyond the conventional Gaussian-beam optical tweezers.We will address the application of these optical tweezers techniques to study biophysical problems such as mechanical deformation of cell membrane and binding energy between plant microtubule and microtubule associated proteins.Finally we present application of the optical tweezers technique for trapping,transporting,and patterning of metallic nanoparticles,which can be harnessed to manipulate surface plasmon resonance properties of these nanoparticles.

Meeting report

Succeeding the first two successful conferences, APT 2000 (Bangkok, Thailand, 2000) and APT 2003 (Penang, Malaysia, 2003), the Third Asian Particle Technology Symposium, APT 2007, was held from September 3 to 5 in Beijing. The theme of APT 2007 was Small Particle Technology, to reflect one of the most advanced sectors both in forefront fundamental research and in application of particles at the nanometer and sub-micron scales. More than 14 countries and 315 participants attended the symposium presenting about 150 papers published in two volumes of proceedings.