Concurrent Weekly Docetaxel Chemotherapy in Combination with Radiotherapy for Stage III and IVA-B Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Wei, Wei-Hong,Cai, Xiu-Yu,Xu, Tao,Zhang, Guo-Yi,Wu, Yong-Feng,Feng, Wei-Neng,Lin, Li,Deng, Yan-Ming,Lu, Qiu-Xia,Huang, Zhe-Li Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.3

Background and Purpose: Cisplatin is the most common chemotherapeutic agent for loco-regionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC); however, toxicity is a limiting factor for some patients. We retrospectively compared the efficacy and toxicity of weekly docetaxel-based and cisplatin-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy in loco-regionally advanced NPC. Methods and Materials: Eighty-four patients with Stage III and IVA-B NPCs, treated between 2007 and 2008, were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty received weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemotherapy, and 43 were given weekly cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. Radiotherapy was administered using a conventional technique (seven weeks, 2.0 Gy per fraction, total dose 70-74 Gy) with 6-8 Gy boosts for some patients with locally advanced disease. Results: Median follow-up time was 42.3 months (range, 8.6-50.8 months). There were no significant differences in the 3-year loco-regional failure-free survival (85.6% vs. 92.3%; p=0.264), distant failure-free survival (87.0% vs. 92.5%; p=0.171), progression-free survival (85.7% vs. 88.4%; p=0.411) or overall survival (86.5% vs. 92.5%, p=0.298) of patients treated concurrently with docetaxel or cisplatin. Severe toxicity was not common in either group. Conclusions: Weekly docetaxel-based concurrent chemoradiotherapy is potentially effective and has a tolerable toxicity; however, further investigations are required to determine if docetaxel is superior to cisplatin for advanced stage NPC.

Relationships of uPA and VEGF Expression in Esophageal Cancer and Microvascular Density with Tumorous Invasion and Metastasis

Jiang, Jian-Tao,Zhang, Lan-Fang,Zhou, Bin,Zhang, Shun-Qun,Li, Shao-Min,Zhang, Wei,Zhang, Jin,Qiao, Zhe,Kong, Ran-Ran,Ma, Yue-Feng,Chen, Sheng Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.7

Objective: To investigate uPA and VEGF expression in esophageal cancer and relations with tumorous invasion and metastasis. Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect uPA and VEGF expression in the normal epithelial tissue of esophageal mucosa and cancer tissue and detect CD34 labeled micrangium and analyze the relationships with clinical pathological features and tumor angiogenesis. Results: Positive rates for uPA and VEGF protein expression were significantly greater in esophageal cancer than normal epithelial tissue (P < 0.05), the two being linked (P <0.05). In addition, uPA and VEGF protein expression of the high microvessel density (MVD) group was significantly lower than in the low MVD group (P < 0.05), with relation to clinical pathological staging, differentiation and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In esophageal cancer tissue, uPA and VEGF proteins are overexpressed and promote tumor angiogenesis, indicative of a poor prognosis.

Flatbands and Emergent Ferromagnetic Ordering in Fe3Sn2 Kagome Lattices

Lin, Zhiyong,Choi, Jin-Ho,Zhang, Qiang,Qin, Wei,Yi, Seho,Wang, Pengdong,Li, Lin,Wang, Yifan,Zhang, Hui,Sun, Zhe,Wei, Laiming,Zhang, Shengbai,Guo, Tengfei,Lu, Qingyou,Cho, Jun-Hyung,Zeng, Changgan,Zhan American Physical Society 2018 Physical Review Letters Vol.121 No.9

Distributed Fixed-time Attitude Synchronization Control for Multiple Rigid Spacecraft

Wei-Shun Sui,Guang-Ren Duan,Ming-Zhe Hou,Mao-Rui Zhang 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2019 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.17 No.5

This paper investigates the distributed fixed-time attitude synchronization control problem for multiplerigid spacecraft system with external disturbances. Based on sliding-mode estimators, the authors remove therequirement of neighbours’ input control information. Using the fixed-time-based terminal sliding mode, the distributedadaptive control laws are developed to guarantee the attitude tracking errors converge to the regions in fixedtime independent of initial conditions, and adaptive laws are employed to deal with external disturbances. Finally,numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed controllers.

A New Boiler-turbine-heating Coordinated Control Strategy to Improve the Operating Flexibility of CHP Units

Wei Wang,Guangming Zhang,Yuguang Niu,Zhenyu Chen,Peiran Xie,Zhe Chen 제어·로봇·시스템학회 2022 International Journal of Control, Automation, and Vol.20 No.5

The operating flexibility of the power units is getting increasing attention from power systems especially those with large-scale fluctuating renewable energies. However, the combined heat and power (CHP) units are getting a bottleneck because their electricity productions are restricted by heat productions. This study aims to develop an electric-heat coordinated control strategy to make the CHP units more flexible. First of all, the dynamic model for a 300 MW CHP unit is set up, and its linear state-space description is obtained. A control strategy based on linear quadratic regulator (LQR) is then developed to satisfy different heat-power demands in various operating conditions. The control weights Q and R are optimized by particle swarm optimization. Moreover, the improved coordinated control strategy based on precise energy balance is put forward to increase the CHP power ramp rate considering electricity priority strategy and recovery control of the heat source. Finally, the simulation results show that the improved strategy is suitable for various CHP operating scenarios, and the case for electricity priority and heat recovery control significantly improves the unit power rate on the premise of stable heat supply. This work provides a reliable and flexible control mode for CHP units, which can support the power system stability and renewable energy integration.

In Vivo Detection of Lipid-Core Plaques by Coronary CT Angiography: A Head-to-Head Comparison with Histologic Findings

Wei-hua Yin,Yan Zhang,Xiang-nan Li,Hong-yue Wang,Yun-qiang An,Yang Sun,Zhi-hui Hou,Yang Gao,Bin Lu,Zhe Zheng 대한영상의학회 2020 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.21 No.2

Objective: We sought to distinguish lipid plaques using a CT quantitative pixel density histogram, based on the pathological diagnosis of lipid cores as the gold standard. Materials and Methods: Eight patients awaiting heart transplantation due to end-stage coronary heart disease underwent coronary CT angiography (CCTA) spectroscopy prior to heart transplantation; coronary artery pathological analysis was performed for all patients. Lipid-core plaques were defined pathologically as manifesting a lipid core diameter > 200 μm, a circumference > 60 degrees, and a cap thickness < 450 μm. The percentage distributions of CT pixel attenuation ≤ 20, 30, 40, and 50 HU were calculated using quantitative histogram analysis. Results: A total of 271 transverse sections were co-registered between CCTA and pathological analysis. Overall, 26 lipid cores and 16 fibrous plaques were identified by pathological analysis. There was no significant difference in median CT attenuation between the lipid and fibrous plaques (51 HU [interquartile range, 46–63] vs. 57 HU [interquartile range, 50–64], p = 0.659). The median percentage of CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU accounted for 11% (5–17) of lipid-core plaques and 0% (0–2) of fibrous plaques (p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the method for diagnosing lipid plaques by the average CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU were 80.8% and 87.5%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve was 0.898 (95% confidence interval: 0.765–0.970; 3.0% was the best cut-off value). The diagnostic performance was significantly higher than those of the average pixel CT attenuation percentages ≤ 20, 40, and 50 HU and the mean CT attenuation (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In in vivo conditions, with the pathological lipid core as the gold standard, quantification of the percentage of average CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU in the histogram can be useful for accurate identification of lipid plaques.

New ZVZCT Bidirectional DC-DC Converter Using Coupled Inductors

Wei Qian,Xi Zhang,Zhe Liu,Wenqiang Jin,Jochen Wiedemann 전력전자학회 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.1

In this study, a novel zero voltage zero current transition (ZVZCT) bidirectional DC-DC converter is proposed by employingcoupled inductors. This converter can turn the main switch on at ZVZCT and it can turn it off with zero voltage switching (ZVS)for both the boost and buck modes. These characteristics are obtained by using a simple auxiliary sub-circuit regardless of thepower flow direction. In the boost mode, the auxiliary switch achieves zero current switching (ZCS) turn-on and ZVS turn off. Due to the coupling inductors, this converter can make further efficiency improvements because the resonant energy in thecapacitor or inductor can be transferred to the load. The main diode operates with ZVT turn-on and ZCS turn-off in the boostmode. For the buck mode, there is a releasing circuit to conduct the currents generated by the magnetic flux leakage to the output. The auxiliary switch turns on with ZCS and it turns off with ZVT. The main diode also turns on with ZVT and turns off withZCS. The design method and operation principles of the converter are discussed. A 500 W experimental prototype has been builtand verified by experimental results.

Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system-based therapies for early- stage endometrial cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Hongyi Wei,Ningning Pan,Wen Zhang,Guangwu Xiong,Wenping Guo,Zhe Dong,Caihong Ma 대한부인종양학회 2023 Journal of Gynecologic Oncology Vol.34 No.2

Objective: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies evaluating the oncological and fertility outcomes of early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) treated with the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LIUS)-based regimens. Methods: The Meta-analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement for meta-analyses was followed. Searches were conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Preprints, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 1990 to August 4, 2022. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist was used for quality assessment. The primary endpoint was the complete response (CR) rate and the secondary endpoints were relapse, pregnancy, and live birth rate. Results: A total of 25 studies (821 women) were included. The CR rate of LIUS-based regimens was 63.4% (95% confidence interval [CI]=52.3%–73.2%), with 29.6% (95% CI=23.3%–36.8%) of cases experiencing recurrence during follow-up. In sensitivity analyses, patients younger than 45 years of age with a body mass index <30 kg/m2 who were treated with LIUS-based regimens achieved a high CR rate of 84.6% (95% CI=80.3%–88.1%) over a median follow-up of more than 24 months. Overall pregnancy and live birth rates were 37.9% (95% CI=24.1%–53.9%) and 39.3% (95% CI=24.0%–57.0%), respectively. No statistical differences were apparent in CR or relapse rates among the LIUS+GnRH agonist, LIUS+oral progesterone, or hysteroscopic resection followed by LIUS subgroups. Conclusion: LIUS-based therapies are viable for the conservative management of early-stage endometrioid EC on CR and fertility outcome.

The Compact Pulsed Hadron Source: A Design Perspective

Jie Wei,Huaibi Chen,Cheng Cheng,Qiang Du,Zhe Feng,Xialin Guan,Xiaoxue Han,Tuchen Huang,Renkai Li,Chun K. Loong,Beibei Shao,Chuanxiang Tang,Qingzi Xing,Yigang Yang,Hao Zha,Huayi Zhang,Shuxin Zheng,Bin 한국물리학회 2010 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.56 No.61

During the past decades, large-scale national neutron sources have been developed in Asia, Europe,and North America. Complementing such efforts, compact hadron beam complexes and neutron sources intended to serve primarily universities and industrial institutes have been proposed,and some have recently been established. Responding to the demand in China for pulsed neutron/proton-beam platforms that are dedicated to fundamental and applied research for users in multiple disciplines from materials characterization to hadron therapy and radiography to accelerator-driven sub-critical reactor systems (ADS) for nuclear waste transmutation, we have initiated the construction of a compact, yet expandable, accelerator complex-the Compact Pulsed Hadron Source (CPHS). It consists of an accelerator front-end (a high-intensity ion source, a 3-MeV radio-frequency quadrupole linac (RFQ), and a 13-MeV drift-tube linac (DTL)), a neutron target station (a beryllium target with solid methane and room-temperature water moderators/reflector),and experimental stations for neutron imaging/radiography, small-angle scattering, and proton irradiation. In the future, the CPHS may also serve as an injector to a ring for proton therapy and radiography or as the front end to an ADS test facility. In this paper, we describe the design of the CPHS technical systems and its intended operation.

New ZVZCT Bidirectional DC-DC Converter Using Coupled Inductors

Qian, Wei,Zhang, Xi,Li, Zhe,Jin, Wenqiang,Wiedemann, Jochen The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2019 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.19 No.1

In this study, a novel zero voltage zero current transition (ZVZCT) bidirectional DC-DC converter is proposed by employing coupled inductors. This converter can turn the main switch on at ZVZCT and it can turn it off with zero voltage switching (ZVS) for both the boost and buck modes. These characteristics are obtained by using a simple auxiliary sub-circuit regardless of the power flow direction. In the boost mode, the auxiliary switch achieves zero current switching (ZCS) turn-on and ZVS turn off. Due to the coupling inductors, this converter can make further efficiency improvements because the resonant energy in the capacitor or inductor can be transferred to the load. The main diode operates with ZVT turn-on and ZCS turn-off in the boost mode. For the buck mode, there is a releasing circuit to conduct the currents generated by the magnetic flux leakage to the output. The auxiliary switch turns on with ZCS and it turns off with ZVT. The main diode also turns on with ZVT and turns off with ZCS. The design method and operation principles of the converter are discussed. A 500 W experimental prototype has been built and verified by experimental results.