The total precipitation of previous August to current July was reconstructed on the basis of the Pinus tabulaeformis ring widths from three sites in Chifeng and Weichang regions, China, for the past 236 years. The explained variance of reconstruction is 47.4%. The intervals with below‐average precipitation (1768–2003) comprise 1779–1806, 1853–1883, 1926–1972, and 1980–1989. The intervals with above average precipitation consist of 1807–1852, 1884–1925, 1973–1979, and 1990–1999. Precipitation in the study area is dependent on the East Asian summer monsoon strength. The reconstructed series is significantly correlated with the average dryness/wetness index series of Datong and Beijing, as well as with previous results from Baiyinaobao, Helan Mountains, and even the state of Mongolia. A significant negative correlation (r = −0.63, p < 0.0001) is also found between the reconstruction and our previously reconstructed temperatures of Weichang for the period 1884–2002. Our result suggests that the variations of the East Asian summer monsoon on a decadal scale are coincident with the other regions within the environmentally sensitive zone of northern China as well as Mongolia for the past 236 years, and our reconstruction is representative of regional climate patterns.

Background The calculation of the tumor burden score (TBS) is not perfect because the bilobar spread of colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is neglected. The identification of an ideal prognostic scoring system for CRLM remains controversial. Materials and Methods Patients who underwent curative intent liver resection for CRLM from one medical center were enrolled in cohort 1 (787 patients) and cohort 2 (162 patients). Tumor relapse‐free survival (RFS) was the main outcome. A Cox regression model was used to identify independent predictors of prognosis. The time‐dependent area under the curve, calibration curve, and C‐index were employed to validate the predictive ability of the survival model. Results Modified TBS (mTBS) was established by a mathematical equation with parameters including CRLM size, CRLM number, and unilobar or bilobar metastasis. Five preoperative predictors of worse RFS were identified in cohort 1 and incorporated into the Comprehensive Evaluation of Relapse Risk (CERR) score: KRAS/NRAS/BRAF‐mutated tumor (1 point); node‐positive primary (1 point); extrahepatic disease (1 point); carcinoembryonic antigen level > 200 ng/mL or carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 (CA19‐9) >200 U/mL (1 point); and mTBS between 5 and 11 (1 point) or 12 and over (2 points). Patients in cohort 1 were stratified by their CERR score into risk groups: the high‐risk group (CERR score 4 or more), the medium‐risk group (CERR score 2–3), and the low‐risk group (CERR score 0–1). Importantly, internal validation in cohort 1 and further validation in cohort 2 both showed the superior discriminatory capacity of the CERR score. Conclusion mTBS should be promoted. The CERR score is a powerful prognostic tool that can help determine optimal clinical management strategies. Implications for Practice This work resulted in the successful modification of the tumor burden score and development of a comprehensive and practical prognostic scoring system—the Comprehensive Evaluation of Relapse Risk (CERR) score. The CERR score, with a better prognostic discriminatory ability, outperformed the Fong score. Perhaps more importantly, the CERR score is a powerful prognostic tool because it unified the most consistently reported prognostic factors. Therefore, the CERR score can assist doctors in determining optimal clinical management strategies.

The physical, chemical, and bioactive cues provided by biomaterials are critical for spinal cord regeneration following injury. In this study, we investigated the bioactivity of a silk-based scaffold for nerve tissue remodeling that featured morphological guidance in the form of ridges as well as bioactive molecules. Multichannel/laminin (LN) silk scaffolds stimulated growth, development, and the extension of primary hippocampal neurons after 7 days of culture in vitro. And then, the multichannel/LN silk scaffolds were implanted into 2-mm-long hemisection defects in Sprague-Dawley rat spinal cords for 70 days to evaluate their bioactivities of spinal cord remolding. Our results demonstrated that animal behavior was significantly improved in the multichannel/LN group, as evaluated by Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan score, whereas the implantation of multichannels and random pores groups resulted in recurring limps. Moreover, histology and immunohistochemical staining revealed an increase in blood vessels and expression of growth associated protein-43 and neurofilament-200 as well as reduced expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the multichannel/LN group, which contributed to the rebuilding of spinal cord defects. Thus, multichannel/LN silk scaffolds mediated cell migration, stimulated blood capillary formation, and promoted axonal extension, suggesting the utility of these scaffolds for spinal cord reconstruction. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 3045-3057, 2016.

A tree ring (Sabina przewalskiiKom.) based millennial precipitation reconstruction on the south slope of the middle Qilian Mountains in the northeastern margin of Tibetan Plateau, China, was completed, which explains 48.5% of the variance in the instrumental precipitation from 1958 to 2004. The long‐term precipitation variation patterns were confirmed on the basis of the duration, magnitude, and intensify of the multidecadal dry (wet) events. There are several stronger multidecadal dry periods, 1092–1172, 1441–1517, and 1564–1730, whereas there is only one outstanding severe wet event of 1352–1440. The variations of the precipitation reconstruction are accordant with the glacier accumulation and dust contents of Dunde ice core and also with the variations of the precipitation, runoff, Palmer Drought Severity Index, and tree ring width series in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The spatial extent of the great drought in the latter half of the 15th century also concentrated on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The moisture variations in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau are synchronous over a large spatial and temporal range in multidecadal scale for the last millennium, especially during dry periods. Wavelet analyses and comparisons with the minimal solar activity show that the precipitation variations for the last millennium may have some association with the solar activity on multidecadal to centennial scales.

A residue depletion study was performed to investigate the tissue kinetics and tissue-plasma correlation of methyl-3-quinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid (MQCA), the marker residue of olaquindox (OLA), in pigs. Twenty-five pigs were randomly divided into a test and a control group. The former group was treated with 100 mg/kg OLA in its feed for 30 consecutive days, and the latter was given blank feed for the same period. One control and four treated animals were slaughtered at 0.5, 3, 10, 17, and 28 days post-medication. Muscle, liver, kidney, fat, and plasma samples were collected and analyzed using the validated high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC). Results showed that the tissue concentration of MQCA in the liver > kidney > fat > muscle, at almost all time points. The half-lives of MQCA in the muscle, liver, kidney, fat, and plasma were 12, 8, 15, 8, and 6 days, respectively. A withdrawal period of 38 days was calculated using the statistical method recommended by the European Medical Evaluation Agency (EMEA). Good correlations between tissue and plasma MQCA levels were found in the present study with correlation coefficients of more than 0.92. These correlations would be helpful in the routine monitoring of OLA in porcine tissues, without sacrificing the animals.

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In this paper we consider the Schrödinger type operators H 2 = (− ) 2 + V 2 , where the nonnegative potential V belongs to the reverse Hölder class B q 1 for q 1 ≥ n 2 , n ≥ 5. The L p and weak type (1, 1) estimates of higher order Riesz transform ∇ 2 H − 1 2 2 related to Schrödinger type operators H 2 are obtained. In particular, ∇ 2 H − 1 2 2 is a Calderón-Zygmund operator if V ∈ B 2n or V ∈ B n 2 and there exists a constant C such that V(x) ≤ Cm(x, V) 2 .