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Urinary incontinence is a common disease among middle-aged and elderly women, which not only affects the physical and mental health of patients, but also brings a great medical burden to society. Obesity is a known risk factor for urinary incontinence and is the most common secondary cause of hyperlipidemia. Most obese patients also suffer from hyperlipidemia in the clinic. However, few studies have explored the role of hyperlipidemia in women with urinary incontinence. Using data from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we aimed to evaluated the independent associations of high body mass index and hyperlipidemia with urinary incontinence in Americans by conducting a weighted multivariate logistic regression model. Additive interactions were also assessed using the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI), attributed proportion of interaction (AP) and synergy index (S). This study demonstrated that hyperlipidemia was associated with a higher risk of stress urinary incontinence among women with obesity (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.03–2.25), and there was a significant synergistic effect of hyperlipidemia and obesity on stress urinary incontinence(adjusted RERI: 3.75, 95% CI 0.30–7.20; adjusted AP: 0.67, 95% CI 0.54–0.80; adjusted S: 5.49, 95% CI 4.15–7.27). Moreover, fasting serum triglyceride lipids were the most relevant blood lipid indicator for the risk of stress urinary incontinence, especially among obese women younger than 50 years old, which contributes to the development of more refined lipid control protocols for patients with urinary incontinence in different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to explore the impact of aerobic exercise on the abundance and function of intestinal microbiota in the small intestine of Tan sheep in fattening period. Sixty female Tan sheep lambs with a weaning weight of (16 ± 2) kg were selected and randomly divided into three groups, with 20 lambs in each group. Tan sheep in the group 1 exercised daily for 8~10 km, Tan sheep in the group 2 exercised daily for 4~6 km, and the Tan sheep in the control group were in the barn. The experiment lasted for 130 days. The results showed that compared to the control group, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 increased. Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the duodenum and Actinobacteria in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly increased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the ileum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Ruminococcus in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 2 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the abundance of Solobacterium in the duodenum of Tan sheep in the group 1 and group 2 decreased extremely (P<0.01). Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of Bacteroides, Clostridium, and Escherichia-Shigella in the jejunum and ileum of Tan sheep in the group 1 significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the jejunum of Tan sheep in the group 2 extremely decreased (P<0.01). The study suggests that daily aerobic exercise of 8~10 km during the fattening period can enhance the diversity of intestinal microbiota in Tan sheep, increase the abundance of beneficial bacteria, reduce the abundance of harmful bacteria, and improve the overall health of the small intestine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zymomonas mobilis is regarded as a potential chassis for the production of platform chemicals. Genome editing using the CRISPR-Cas system could meet the need for gene modification in metabolic engineering. However, the low curing efficiency of CRISPR editing plasmid is a common bottleneck in Z. mobilis. In this study, we utilized a theophylline-dependent riboswitch to regulate the expression of the replicase gene of the editing plasmid, thereby promoting the elimination of exogeneous plasmid. The riboswitch D (RSD) with rigorous regulatory ability was identified as the optimal candidate by comparing the transformation efficiency of four theophylline riboswitch-based backbone editing plasmids, and the optimal theophylline concentration for inducing RSD was determined to be 2 mM. A highly effective method for eliminating the editing plasmid, cells with RSD-based editing plasmid which were cultured in liquid and solid RM media in alternating passages at 37 °C without shaking, was established by testing the curing efficiency of backbone editing plasmids pMini and pMini-RSD in RM medium with or without theophylline at 30 °C or 37 °C. Finally, the RSD-based editing plasmid was applied to genome editing, resulting in an increase of more than 10% in plasmid elimination efficiency compared to that of pMini-based editing plasmid. Key points: • An effective strategy for curing CRISPR editing plasmid has been established in Z. mobilis. • Elimination efficiency of the CRISPR editing plasmid was enhanced by 10% to 20% under the regulation of theophylline-dependent riboswitch RSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The α-SiC/SiO 2 and α-SiC/β-SiC composites were prepared by pressureless sintering. The physical properties and microstructure were characterized. Compared to SiO 2 , the in situ formation of β-SiC was more beneficial to density of α-SiC composites. The stability in magnesium metallurgy environment of different SiC composites was investigated. The SiC composites are corroded by two ways: SiC activated oxidation and grain boundary corrosion by slag. In low oxygen environment, the activated oxidation of SiC forms SiO, resulting in the destruction of SiC surface structure. The CaO and other oxides in the slag are easy to react with SiO 2 , which continuously corrodes the grain boundaries and eventually leads to the continuous shedding of SiC grains. In particular, the conversion of β-2CaO · SiO 2 to γ-2CaO · SiO 2 results in volume expansion of about 12%, resulting in grain boundary expansion and structural failure. The α-SiC/β-SiC composites had higher density and better corrosion resistance to magnesium slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To determine whether and how rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and systemic sclerosis (SSc) affect outcomes in patients admitted for hemorrhagic stroke. Methods: This study screened the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for adults aged ≥20 years admitted to US hospitals with a principal diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) between 2005 and 2018. Diagnoses were determined using the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th revisions (ICD‐9 and ICD‐10) diagnostic codes for ICH (ICD‐9: 431, 432; ICD‐10: I61, I62). Study outcomes were: (1) in‐hospital mortality; (2) unfavorable discharge, defined as transfer to nursing homes or long‐term care facilities; and (3) prolonged length of stay (LOS), defined as LOS >75th centile. Results: Associations between comorbid RA, SLE, and SSc and clinical outcomes show a significantly lower risk of in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS in RA patients. After admissions for ICH, the risk for in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS was decreased in RA patients, and the risk for unfavorable discharge (long‐term care) was reduced in SLE patients. Conclusions: Among patients admitted to US hospitals for hemorrhagic stroke, patients with RA had decreased risk for in‐hospital mortality and prolonged LOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is characterized by involuntary urine leakage in response to increased abdominal pressure, such as coughing, laughing, or sneezing. It significantly affects women's quality of life and imposes a substantial disease burden. While pregnancy and childbirth have been previously identified as risk factors for SUI, educational attainment may also play a role. Therefore, this paper investigates the causal relationship between educational attainment and SUI using two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) analysis, years of schooling (YOS), and college or university degree (CUD) as proxies. Methods: Summary statistics of YOS, CUD, and SUI were obtained from genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and TSMR analysis was applied to explore potential causal relationships between them. Causal effects were mainly estimated using the standard inverse variance weighting (IVW) method, and complementary and sensitivity analyses were also performed using multiple methods. Results: The results indicate that both YOS (OR = 0.994, 95% CI: 0.992–0.996; P = 7.764E-10) and CUD (OR = 0.987, 95% CI: 0.983–0.991; P = 1.217E-09) may have a negative causal effect on SUI. Conclusions: Improving educational attainment may go some way towards reducing the risk of SUI. Therefore, it is important to increase efforts to improve the imbalance in educational development and safeguard women's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the basic cloud service delivery model, since SaaS (Software as a Service) is located at the application layer, if a relatively complete cloud service credibility comprehensive evaluation framework can be established from the perspective of SaaS cloud service consumers and combined with their trust context, it can not only effectively solve the trust problem between cloud service consumers (CSC) and cloud service provider (CSP), but also has very important practical significance for the popularization and promotion of SaaS service applications. The credibility evaluation of SaaS services in cloud computing environment is often considered as a multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problem. In this paper, the grey relational analysis (GRA) method is extended to the single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) setting to deal with MAGDM with incomplete weight information. First, the SVNSs are reviewed. In addition, the single-valued neutrosophic number GRA (SVNN-GRA) is established for MAGDM with incomplete weight information, and the computational steps for all designs are listed. Finally, the credibility evaluation of SaaS services in cloud computing environment is given to demonstrate the SVNN-GRA model and some comparative analysis is done to demonstrate the SVNN-GRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large size high density h-BN/ZrO 2 composites (ø = 110 mm, h = 15 mm) were rapidly prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) with sintering cycle 20 min. The effects of additives on the mechanical properties, microstructure evolution, and corrosion resistance of the h-BN/ZrO 2 composites were studied. The Al 2 O 3 , MgO, SiO 2 , La 2 O 3 and ZrO 2 rapidly formed heterogeneous eutectic crystals under the action of SPS. The low eutectic compounds significantly promoted the diffusion of h-BN or ZrO 2 , also increased the density. The flexural strength of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites could reach 196.31 MPa, and the apparent porosity was only 0.42 %. The additives are combined with zirconia to form a high viscosity eutectic, whose corrosion resistance to molten steel is obviously better than that of single ZrO 2. The corrosion depth of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites was only 114 µm after corroded in molten steel at 1550 °C for 80 min. The comprehensive properties of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites were obviously improved by appropriate additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customized porous Al 2 O 3 -ZrO 2 -mullite composites were designed and prepared by reaction sintering of zircon (ZrSiO 4) and alumina (Al 2 O 3) at sintering temperatures from 1400 to 1600 °C for 3 h. The mechanical properties, microstructural evolution, and reaction mechanisms of the composites were investigated. The reactions between ZrSiO 4 and Al 2 O 3 were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The results indicate that ZrSiO 4 and Al 2 O 3 react and form ZrO 2 and mullite. Sintering temperature has an important effect on the reaction process. At 1400 °C, Al 2 O 3 reacts directly with SiO 2 of ZrSiO 4 to form mullite and ZrO 2 , which reduces the decomposition temperature of ZrSiO 4 and promotes the decomposition of ZrSiO 4. However, at 1600 °C, ZrSiO 4 first decomposes to form SiO 2 and ZrO 2 , and then generates mullite by the diffusion of Si. The migration of Si is the key factor for the formation of mullite. The thermal shock resistance of the composites can be significantly improved by phase transformation toughening of in-situ ZrO 2. Therefore, increasing the proportion of ZrSiO 4 can significantly improve the mechanical properties of sample. The residual ratio of the flexural strength after thermal shock exceeded 90%, when the mass ratio of ZrSiO 4 to Al 2 O 3 was 3:1. Besides, the addition of polymethyl methacrylate could improve the porosity of materials and has a direct effect on the thermal conductivity of composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dense h-BN/ZrO 2 (30 wt%) composites without additives were rapidly fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The relative density, apparent porosity, fracture toughness, flexural strength, phase composition and microstructure of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites were systematically investigated. Besides, the corrosion resistance of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites in molten steel was also studied in detail. Especially, the h-BN/ZrO 2 composites were sintered at 1800 °C exhibiting a relative density of 96.6% and the flexural strength of ≈ 157 MPa. The corrosion of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites was mainly due to the oxidative decomposition of BN, and the corrosion process was clarified by a parabolic law. The excellent corrosion resistance of the h-BN/ZrO 2 composites was attributed to ZrO 2 residual layer formed at the interface. The corrosion thickness of h-BN/ZrO 2 composites was only ∼116 µm even using the longest corrosion time (80 min). The composites could be a promising candidate material applied to fabricated thin strip continuous casting side sealing plates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Methylene blue (MB) is a very widely used cationic dye for color cotton and silk products. The harmful MB has a complex aromatic structure that is difficult to be degraded in natural aqueous. In this study for the first time, a novel double Z-type ternary composite long-afterglow/graphitic carbon nitride@metal–organic framework (SrAl 2 O 4 :Eu2+,Dy3+/g-C 3 N 4 @NH 2 -UiO-66, SGN) has been synthesized by solvothermal method, and was used as a new photocatalyst for removal of MB. The photocatalytic performance of the composited photocatalyst SGN was largely improved compared to that of the non-composite. After 30 min of photocatalysis, the degradation ratio of SGN was 5.86, 4.04 and 10 times more efficient than that of long-afterglow (SAO), g-C 3 N 4 and NH 2 -UiO-66, respectively. The high photocatalytic activity of the SGN could be ascribed to the double Z-type electron transfer mechanism. More importantly, due to the luminescence of SAO, the degradation ratio of ternary SGN can reach about 50 % after 5 h in the dark. Superoxide anion (·O 2 –) was verified to be the main active substance in the photocatalytic process by quenching experiments and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra analysis. The total organic matter contents (TOC) and partial degradation products were measured, which confirmed that some MB was mineralized into H 2 O and CO 2 , and some was degraded into smaller molecules. Moreover, the excellent stability and recyclability of this catalyst were also investigated. Here, a new promising material with high degradation performance for water pollution treatment is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) systems have been widely applied for gene or genome editing. Adequate checking is important to screen mutants after CRISPR-mediated editing events. Here, we report gene escape cases after the knockout by Type I-F native CRISPR system in Zymomonas mobilis. Through amplifying both the gene of interest and its flanking homologous arms, followed by curing the editing plasmid, we found different destinies for gene-editing events. Some genes were readily knocked out and followed by the easy plasmid curing. In some other cases, however, the editing plasmid was difficult to remove from the cell, or the deleted genes were transferred into the editing plasmid. For example, the targeted region of fur can be integrated into the editing plasmid after the knockout, resulting in a spurious editing event. We supposed that the transfer of the gene may be attributed to bacterial insertion sequences. Searching for literatures on the gene knockout using CRISPR in bacteria reveals that the escape event is likely underestimated due to inadequate validation in other microbes. Hence, several strategies are proposed to enhance gene knockout and plasmid curing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a letter to the editor in response to an article titled "Prospective study of functional outcomes and return to sports after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the knee." The authors of the letter express their interest in the article and provide some important questions and concerns. They suggest that the rehabilitation regimen outlined in the article may be outdated and recommend incorporating more advanced physical therapy techniques. They also highlight the omission of psychological factors in patient evaluation and suggest that including these factors could provide more insights into the decision to return to sports. Additionally, they call for a more detailed exploration of the factors influencing return to sport after ACL reconstruction. The authors of the letter also mention controversial aspects and hope that their discussion can assist future researchers. [Extracted from the article]

Calculating source composition of consumer products' utility, appearance and symbolic function innovations driven by design, and verifying acting routes of design-driven function innovations with heterogeneity, have important theoretical and practical value for the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing industry. The theoretical framework of Chinese design-driven innovation had been reconstructed, and data were obtained through questionnaire survey to complete the structural equation modeling and hypothesis test. The algorithm of Bootstrap mediating effect was applied to calculate and reveal that the quality of design organizations' relationship and the diversity of network resource both have direct or indirect effects on utility, appearance and symbolic function innovations of consumer products. Among them, joint problem solving has the largest effect on utility and appearance function innovations indirectly, and information sharing has the secondary effect on utility function innovation directly, and the diversity of network resource has the largest effect on symbolic function innovation directly. Strengthening relationship quality is more favorable for improved design innovation, and acquiring diversified network resources is relatively suitable for breakthrough design innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial–temporal graph neural networks have been a critical approach to capturing the complicated spatial–temporal dependencies inherent in traffic series for more accurate forecasting. However, the issue of graph indistinguishability demands further attention, as graphs learned by existing methods tend to converge to implicit and indistinguishable representations, deviating from the genuine distribution. This issue can be attributed to the lack of three primary factors within graphs: the intrinsic graph features, the temporal-distinct features, and the node-distinct features. Aiming to address this problem, we propose a T emporal- A ware S tructure- S emantic-Coupled G raph N etwork (TASSGN) in this paper. Firstly, we design a novel graph learning block to simultaneously learn the structural and semantic aspects of graphs, thereby capturing inherent graph features. Secondly, we propose an innovative Self-Sampling method to sample the relevant history series and present a Temporal-Aware Graphs Encoder to explicitly incorporate temporal information into graph learning and capture temporal-distinct features. Thirdly, sparse graphs are intentionally generated to capture node-distinct features. By combining these three key components together, our method is capable of overcoming the problem of graph indistinguishability and achieving state-of-the-art performances in traffic forecasting. • Graph indistinguishability prevents accurate traffic forecasting. • The Self-Sampling method effectively captures various temporal dependencies. • Structural and semantic learning helps to extract inherent graph features. • Sparse graph construction enhances interpretable and explicit graph learning. • Discriminative graph learning outperforms previous methods in forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) is a heterogeneous disease with a poor prognosis. Individualized survival prediction tool is useful for this population. We constructed the predicted nomograms for breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) and overall survival (OS) using the data identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Concordance index (C-index), the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and the calibration curves were used for the discrimination and calibration of the nomograms in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. 1962 mTNBC patients with a median follow-up was 13 months (interquartile range, 6–22 months), 1639 (83.54%) cases died of any cause, and 1469 (74.87%) died of breast cancer. Nine and ten independent prognostic factors for BCSS and OS were identified and integrated to construct the nomograms, respectively. The C-indexes of the nomogram for BCSS and OS were 0.694 (95% CI 0.676–0.712) and 0.699 (95% CI 0.679–0.715) in the training cohort, and 0.699 (95% CI 0.686–0.712) and 0.697 (95% CI 0.679–0.715) in the validation cohort, respectively. The AUC values of the nomograms to predict 1-, 2-, and 3-year BCSS and OS indicated good specificity and sensitivity in internal and external validation. The calibration curves showed a favorable consistency between the actual and the predicted survival in the training and validation cohorts. These nomograms based on clinicopathological factors and treatment could reliably predict the survival of mTNBC patient. This may be a useful tool for individualized healthcare decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics and outcomes of shared bicycle-related injuries from a large emergency medical centre in China in five years from January 2017 to December 2021. Methods. This study was conducted by reviewing the electronic medical record database of a large hospital in China for cases of shared bicycle-related injuries in five years from January 2017 to December 2021. The collected information included demographic data, injury characteristics, and outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors for fatal injury among victims. Results. Most shared bicycle-related injuries occurred in male (60.50%), aged 18–35 (38.81%). Company employees (29.28%) were the majority of victims of shared bicycle-related injuries. Riding in a motor vehicle lane was the most common unsafe riding behaviour (26.52%). The lower limb was the most frequently injured body region (25.28%). Bruising (28.73%) was the most commonly diagnosed injury type. The fatality rate was 9.53%, 72.24% of victims recovered well without permanent disability, and 18.23% of victims had permanent disabilities. The length of hospital stay of most of the victims (67.54%) was less than 7 days, and the hospitalization cost of most of the victims (51.93%) was less than 20,000 Yuan. Riding in a motor vehicle lane, running red lights, and cycling against traffic flow are risk factors for fatal injury. Conclusions. This study indicated that shared bicycle-related injuries make up a sizeable proportion of injuries presenting to the emergency department and with diverse injury characteristics and outcomes. The findings reflect that shared bicycle-related injury has become a public health problem. Therefore, it is necessary to establish injury prevention strategies for the safety of shared bicycle users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomy merging is an important work to provide a uniform schema for several heterogeneous taxonomies. Previous studies primarily focus on merging two taxonomies in a specific domain, while the merging of multiple taxonomies has been neglected. This article proposes a taxonomy merging approach to automatically merge multiple source taxonomies into a target taxonomy in an asymmetric manner. The approach adopts a strategy of breaking up the whole into parts to decrease the complexity of merging multiple taxonomies and employs a block-based method to reduce the scale of measuring semantic relations between concept pairs. In addition, for the problem of multiple inheritance, a method of topical coverage is proposed. Experiments conducted on synthetic and real-world scenarios indicate that the proposed merging approach is feasible and effective to merge multiple taxonomies. In particular, the proposed approach works well in the aspects of limiting the semantic redundancy and establishing high-quality hierarchical relations between concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Two-photon 3D printing Fabry-Perot (FP) sensor for simultaneous measurement of temperature and non-contact pressure is proposed and verified by experiments. A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) was written into a single mode fiber (SMF) core near the microprobe by femtosecond laser micromachining. FP demonstrates sensitivity to both pressure and temperature, while FBG is only responsive to temperature, so FBG can be used to compensate for temperature crosstalk. The cavity length of the FP microprobe is 45 μm, the outer diameter is 100 μm, the wavelength of the FP microprobe is near 1602 nm, and the pressure sensitivity of the FP microprobe can reach 6.6649 nm/MPa in the range of 0 –1 MPa, remaining stable at 6.4941 nm/MPa under repetitive experiments. In the range of 5 –35 °C, the temperature sensitivity of FP microcavity is 0.105 nm/°C, and the temperature sensitivity of FBG is 9.5 pm/°C. The sensitivity matrix method can realize the two-parameter accurate measurement of both non-contact pressure and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the maturity of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) technology and blockchain technology, numerous application scenarios have emerged, including urban Internet of Vehicles, Highway Internet of Vehicles, and Specific Area Internet of Vehicles. However, the urban Internet of Vehicles systems face data security and operational mode discretization challenges. To address these issues, we propose a data security cross-chain model for the urban Internet of Vehicles. Our model utilizes hash time lock contracts to exchange data between vehicles of the same brand and model but located in different urban areas. It also uses trusted relay chains to facilitate data exchange between vehicles of the same brands but varying models within the same urban area, thus solving the problem of difficult inter-system data exchange in the urban Internet of Vehicles. In the urban Internet of Vehicles, the transmitted data encompasses business and general data, which may have varying sensitivities. To ensure data confidentiality, we propose the HR-CP-ABE algorithm, which extends CP-ABE functionalities by incorporating hierarchical decryption and revocable vehicle attributes. And the fine-grained access control by setting different access tree structures and file access validity periods. This guarantees the confidentiality and security of urban data. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model effectively satisfies the standards for cross-chain transactions as outlined in the Evaluation Requirements for Blockchain Application Security Technology(DB43/T 1842–2020) and Evaluation Requirements for Blockchain Network Security Technology(DB43/T 1840–2020). Additionally, our model demonstrates enhanced resilience against man-in-the-middle and replay attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent conducting films are extensively used in optoelectronic devices. In this work, fluorine-doped zinc oxide (FZO) thin films were deposited from a ZnO:ZnF2 (3 mol%) target by radio frequency magnetron sputtering. A post-deposition rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was performed in vacuum at 400 °C for 15–120 s. Effect of RTA time on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of FZO thin films was explored. X-ray diffraction patterns showed intense (0 0 2) diffraction peaks at 2θ ~ 34.4°, corresponding to a hexagonal wurtzite structure. As the RTA time increased from 0 to 30 s, the film resistivity decreased by 36% and reached the lowest value, 7.97 × 10–4 Ω cm. Obvious absorption edges were observed in the ultraviolet region, and the average transmittance of all films in the visible region exceeded 91%. The corresponding optical bandgap increased from 3.751 to 3.804 eV after the 30 s-RTA process. The figure of merit for evaluating TCO performance increased by 91% to 1.92 × 10–2 Ω−1. For solar cell applications, the HCl-etched FZO thin films exhibited a crater-like surface structure and achieved a high average haze of 27.3% in the visible region. By utilizing the developed FZO thin film as the front electrode of the superstrate α-Si:H thin-film solar cell, the conversion efficiency increased by 20% compared with the counterpart without RTA. These results demonstrate that post-deposition RTA is an effective method to enhance the optoelectronic properties of FZO thin films. The developed RTA-treated FZO film is an effective alternative to the transparent electrode of solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence suggests that there is a close association between myeloperoxidase (MPO) gene rs2333227 G>A polymorphism with Alzheimer's disease (AD) susceptibility. We conducted a meta analysis to explore the precise association between MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism and AD susceptibility. Online databases were searched and the relevant information was collected. Crudeodds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Trial sequential analysis (TSA), heterogeneity analyses, accumulative analyses, sensitivity analyses, and publication biasestests were performed. Overall, nine publications (ten independent case-controls) were included in this meta-analysis, involving 3260 participants. Pooled results revealed no significant association between MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism and AD susceptibility was observed. TSA showed that the present meta-analysis remained inconclusive due to insufficient evidence. In summary, the current meta-analysis indicated that the MPO rs2333227 G>A polymorphism may not be acausal factor in the development of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anion zinc-based metal–organic framework [HDMA]2n[Zn2n(DMA)2n(1,4-BDC)3n]·2nDMF·6nH2O (1, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide, 1,4-H2BDC = 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid, DMA = dimethylamine) with open channels has been used as a luminescent sensor for Cd2+ detection, and was obtained by solvothermal synthesis and fully characterized. It shows excellent fluorescence stability in aqueous solution, which was further enhanced with a remarkable fluorescence shift upon introduction of Cd2+, while negligible effects occurred for Fe2+, Zn2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Mn2+ and Pb2+, respectively. The detection limit is 9.9 μM with a linear range between 50 and 600 μM for Cd2+. Furthermore, it can be used to detect Cd2+ in tap water and rice samples directly. Solid state 13C NMR spectra give direct evidence for the ion exchange between protonated dimethylamine and Cd2+ hydrates, which results in the increase of fluorescence and blue shift of the wavelength. The coordination of Cd2+ with the carboxyl groups of 1 in the interface of nano-channels can be also observed using IR spectra, where a structural model has been suggested in the confined channels. This may provide a new construction method for anion fluorescent MOF materials, where a confined sample has obvious influence on the detection of Cd2+. The maximum adsorption capacities are 10.36, 54.53, 103.06 and 8.78 mg g−1 for CH4, CO2, O2 and N2 at 30 bar respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simply fabricated, highly sensitive, and inexpensive optical fiber temperature sensor is reported with a Fabry–Perot (FP) microcavity of controlled length. The microcavity with controllable length is fabricated by single-mode fiber (SMF) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for temperature sensing. After the PDMS is cured, the SMF is connected to the supercontinuum light source (SCLS) and the optical spectrometer analyzer (OSA) for online observation of the reflection spectrum. The micro-displacement platform is used to pull the SMF to form an air cavity. After the air cavity is stabilized, ultraviolet (UV) activated glue is used for packaging outside the PDMS. The FP microcavity is formed by the end face of the SMF and the face of PDMS. The length of the FP microcavity can be controlled online by the micro-displacement platform to a minimum of 15 µm. The free spectral range (FSR) may reach 74.8 nm and the interference fringe contrast (IFC) is up to 19.8 dB to allow sensitive measurements across a wide temperature range. The experiments demonstrate a high temperature sensitivity of 5.388 nm/°C from 33 to 93 °C with high repeatability and linearity (R2=0.9937). Stability experiments showed that the maximum changes in wavelength and intensity are only 45 pm and 0.035 dB, respectively. It is anticipated that the easily constructed, compact, and inexpensive fiber-optic temperature sensor will be employed in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time and water-to-cement ratio have significant influences on rheology of cement grouts. In order to study effects of time and water-to-cement ratio on rheology of Bingham cement grouts, taking Bingham cement grouts widely used in practical engineering (cement grouts with water-to-cement ratio of 0.75–1.25) as research object, some rheological experiments of five cement grouts with water-to-cement ratio of 0.8, 0.9, 1.0, 1.1, and 1.25 were carried out at six moments of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes, respectively. Combining theoretical discussion with numerical analysis, influence of coupling effects of time and water-to-cement ratio on rheological properties of Bingham cement grouts was discussed. Results show that at the level of α = 0.05, time has a significant influence on plastic viscosity but has no significant influence on the yield stress of Bingham cement grouts. Water-to-cement ratio has a significant influence on both plastic viscosity and yield stress. Exponential models obtained by comprehensive analysis from statistical theory, practical applicability, and accuracy are the optimal models to describe quantitative change in the relationship of coupling effects of time and water-to-cement ratio on plastic viscosity and yield stress of Bingham cement grouts. The rheological equation considering coupling effects of time and water-to-cement ratio of Bingham cement grouts is constructed. Research achievements not only have certain theoretical significance to the development and improvement of fluid mechanics and theoretical system of penetration grouting but also provide theoretical support and technical reference for practical grouting engineering and also have certain practical significance for solving or improving the practical engineering problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xinjiang Qitai is constructing a 110-m fully steerable radio telescope (QiTai radio Telescope [QTT]) equipped with a phased array feeds (PAF) receiver, which will install the focal plane operating from 0.7 to 1.8 GHz. In this article, we introduce a PAF receiver model for beamforming, and the numerical model of the internal and external noise for this PAF receiver is provided using electromagnetic field simulation software. The linear constraint minimum variance (LCMV) algorithm is used to simulate the interference mitigation. The interference mitigation rate is from 0.581 to 0.921, and the signal restoration rate is from 0.998 to 1.512 within the error range of an interference arrival angle of 10°. This conclusion can be used in the signal correction of the PAF receiver for interference mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis), a critically endangered species, is the only cetacean species in the Yangtze River following the functional extinction of baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). To inform conservation actions, two important questions need to be addressed: what is the threshold value of survival rate, and what is the threshold value of population size? We calculate the instantaneous rate of population increase (r¯) for the Yangtze finless porpoise for various combinations of the calf and the non‐calf survival rates. We also test the probability of extinction for different minimum carrying capacities for 100 and 500 years using a stable population model. The threshold value of the non‐calf survival rate is never lower than 0.869, but current estimates from field data have been far below this threshold. Our model based on extinction probability and carrying capacity suggests that the threshold for the population size to persist 100 years required 113 animals, and 472 animals are required to persist 500 years. Therefore, we recommend establishing an ex situ reserve network to guarantee the minimum 100‐year carrying capacity. To ensure the long‐term population viability, we suggest establishing two in situ reserve zones in two lakes and their surrounding reserves to meet a minimum 500‐year carrying capacity. In addition, measures to avoid further habitat fragmentation should be priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel X-band 1-bit reconfigurable transmitarray with excellent polarization conversion. The basic element consists of two layers of metal patterns connected by a metal through-hole and feed structures. The top layer is used to realize a 1-bit phase response by controlling the states of two PIN diodes; the bottom layer is composed of a rectangular patch with a U-slot to realize conversion from linear polarization to cross polarization. The agreement between simulation and measurement results indicates that when the diode states are switched in turn, this unit achieves the phase difference of cross-polarized transmitted waves within 180° ± 15° and high transmittance in a broad band. The scattering patterns demonstrate that beam splitting or multi-beam generation can be achieved by controlling the different coding sequences of each column unit. The element offers low transmission loss, wide bandwidth of 1-bit phase control, and small thickness for easy integration. Thereby, it has numerous potential applications in radar and wireless communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key message: ABCE model genes along with genes related to GA biosynthesis and auxin signalling may play significant roles in male flower development inJatropha curcas. Flowering plants exhibit extreme reproductive diversity. Jatropha curcas, a woody plant that is promising for biofuel production, is monoecious. Here, two gynoecious Jatropha mutants (bearing only female flowers) were used to identify key genes involved in male flower development. Using comparative transcriptome analysis, we identified 17 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in floral organ development between monoecious plants and the two gynoecious mutants. Among these DEGs, five floral organ identity genes, Jatropha AGAMOUS, PISTILLATA, SEPALLATA 2-1 (JcSEP2-1), JcSEP2-2, and JcSEP3, were downregulated in ch mutant inflorescences; two gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis genes, Jatropha GA REQUIRING 1 and GIBBERELLIN 3-OXIDASE 1, were downregulated in both the ch and g mutants; and two genes involved in the auxin signalling pathway, Jatropha NGATHA1 and STYLISH1, were downregulated in the ch mutant. Furthermore, four hub genes involved in male flower development, namely Jatropha SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS RECEPTOR-LIKE KINASE 1, CRYPTOCHROME 2, SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CO 1 and JAGGED, were identified using weighted gene correlation network analysis. These results suggest that floral organ identity genes and genes involved in GA biosynthesis and auxin signalling may participate in male flower development in Jatropha. This study will contribute to understanding sex differentiation in woody perennial plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase equilibria and liquidus temperatures in the CaO–SiO2–Al2O3–MgO system at a CaO/SiO2 weight ratio of 0.9 in the liquid phase have been experimentally determined employing high‐temperature equilibration and quenching technique followed by electron probe X‐ray microanalysis. Isotherms at 1573, 1623, 1673, and 1773 K were determined and the primary phase fields of wollastonite, melilite, olivine, periclase, spinel, and corundum have been located. Compositions of the olivine and melilite solid solutions were analyzed and discussed. Comparisons between the newly constructed diagram, existing data, and FactSage predicted phase diagrams were performed and differences were discussed. The present study will be useful for guidance of industrial practices and further development of thermodynamic modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of tenofovir and entecavir in nucleos(t)ide analogue-naive chronic hepatitis B. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Clinical Trials and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) databases were electronically searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding the comparison between tenofovir and entecavir in nucleos(t)ide analogue-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) since the date of database inception to July 2019. Two researchers independently screened and evaluated the obtained studies and extracted the outcome indexes. RevMan 5.3 software was used for the meta-analysis. Results: Early on, tenofovir had a greater ability to inhibit the hepatitis B virus, I2 = 0% [RR = 1.08, 95% CI (1.03, 1.13), P<0.01] (96 weeks). Entecavir can normalize the ALT levels earlier, I2 = 0% [RR = 0.87, 95% CI (0.77, 0.98), P = 0.02] (48 weeks). However, there was no statistically significant difference between TDF and ETV at 144 weeks. Tenofovir was as effective as entecavir in terms of HBeAg clearance and HBeAg seroconversion, I2 = 0% [RR = 1.05, 95% CI (0.68, 1.62), P = 0.82]; I2 = 69% [RR = 0.93, 95% CI (0.54, 1.61), P = 0.80]. The difference in the incidence of elevated creatine kinase levels was not statistically significant I2 = 0% [RR = 0.66, 95% CI (0.27, 1.60), P = 0.35]. Conclusions: Tenofovir and entecavir were equally effective in the treatment of patients with nucleos(t)ide analogue-naive chronic hepatitis B. In addition, TDF has an advantage in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Additional RCTs and a large-sample prospective cohort study should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolved xCas9(3.7) variant with broad PAM compatibility has been reported in cell lines, while its editing efficiency was site-specific. Here, we show that xCas9(3.7) can recognize a broad PAMs including NGG, NGA, and NGT, in both embryos and Founder (F0) rabbits. Furthermore, the codon-optimized xCas9-derived base editors, exBE4 and exABE, can dramatically improve the base editing efficiencies in rabbit embryos. Our results demonstrated that the optimized xCas9 with expanded PAM compatibility and enhanced base editing efficiency could be used for precise gene modifications in organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of TiO 2 , binary basicity and MgO content on the liquidus temperatures of TiO 2 –CaO–SiO 2 –MgO–Al 2 O 3 slags were experimentally studied in equilibrium with carbon. The experimental techniques include high temperature equilibration, quenching and Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA). It was found that the major primary phase in the composition range investigated is M 3 O 5 (M = Ti, Mg, Al). The liquidus temperatures increase with increasing TiO 2 and MgO contents, whereas decrease with increasing CaO/SiO 2 mass ratio. The experimentally determined liquidus temperatures are much higher than the predicted ones by FactSage and the primary phases between the experiment results and predictions are also different. The mole fractions of Al 2 TiO 5 and Ti 3 O 5 in the M 3 O 5 phase decrease, but MgTi 2 O 5 increases with increasing MgO content and CaO/SiO 2 in the samples. Moreover, the proportions of Al 2 TiO 5 and MgTi 2 O 5 in the M 3 O 5 phase decrease, while Ti 3 O 5 proportion in the M 3 O 5 phase increases with increasing the reaction time. The mole ratio of Ti3+/Ti4+ in the M 3 O 5 phase decreases with MgO content and CaO/SiO 2 mass ratio in the samples but increases with increasing reaction time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate three-dimensional time-dependent quantum wave packet calculations for the N + OH reaction on the ³A' potential energy surface [Guadagnini, Schatz, and Walch, J. Chem. Phys. 102, 774 (1995)] have been carried out. The calculations show for the first time that the initial state-selected reaction probabilities are dominated by resonance structures, and the lifetime of the resonance is generally in the subpicosecond time scale. The calculated reaction cross sections indicate that they are a decreasing function of the translational energy, which is in agreement qualitatively with the quasiclassical trajectory calculations. The rate constants obtained from the quantum mechanical calculations are consistent with the quasiclassical trajectory results and the experimental measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the dynamical stereochemistry of the Cl+H[SUB2] reaction and its isotopic variants, especially the isotope effect on the product polarization, have been performed at a collision energy of 6.0 kcal/mol on two potential energy surfaces, i.e., G3 surface [T. C. Allison et al., J. Phys. Chem. 100, 13575 (1996)] and BW2 surface [W. Bian and H.-J. Werner, J. Chem. Phys. 112, 220 (2000)]. Quantum mechanical and quasiclassical trajectories calculations of the polarization-dependent differential cross sections for the Cl+H[SUB2] reaction have been carried out on the BW2 potential energy surface, and the results indicate that the quasiclassical approximation in general does as good as exact quantum mechanics. Calculations also show that the rotational alignment of the HCl product obtained on the BW2 surface for Cl+H[SUB2] reaction is stronger than that calculated on the G3 surface, which implies that the effect of van der Waals force on product polarization is quite weak. The distributions of P(θ[SUBr]) and P(θ[SUBr]) derived from the Cl+H[SUB2] and its isotopic reactions indicate that the isotope effect on the product polarization calculated on the G3 potential energy surface is distinct, whereas the isotope effect on the product polarization computed on the BW2 surface is indistinct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Little is known about the gender and age differences associated with the effects of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for cardiovascular diseases. This paper investigates the impact of economic fluctuations on hospitalization for ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, and hypertension by age and gender between January 1996 and December 2012 in Taiwan. Methods: We adopted a multiple-input time series analysis to examine the strength of the immediate and latent effects of the 17-year quarterly unemployment rates (UR), air pollution exposure (APE), gross domestic product (GDP), per capita consumption expenditure in cigarette and alcohol (ECA), and per capita healthcare expenditure (HE) on the adjusted quarterly incidence rate of hospitalization. The data used in this paper were retrieved from the National Health Insurance Research Database and the website of the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS), Executive Yuan. Results: Our findings indicate that higher UR increased IHD hospitalization in young men and women and middle-aged women but reduced stroke hospitalization in young men. Higher APE increased IHD hospitalization in young men but reduced it for young women, increased stroke hospitalization in old men and middle-aged women but reduced it for young men, and increased hypertension hospitalization in middle-aged men and young women. Higher ECA reduced IHD hospitalization in middle-aged men, increased stoke hospitalization in middle-aged and old men and middle-aged women. Higher HE reduced IHD hospitalization in old men, young and old women, reduced stroke hospitalization in old women, and reduced hypertension hospitalization in young and middle-aged women. Conclusions: Overall, we found that the economic fluctuations caused increased harmful effects in certain population subgroups but also brought some soothing effects to some groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CaO-SiO 2 -Al 2 O 3 -MgO (CSAM) system is a fundamental and significant system in geology, metallurgy and the glass industry. Herein, we firstly investigated the roles of minor elements on the microstructures of this system. By Raman spectra and deconvolutions, we found that the presence of B 2 O 3 induced an increase of the degree of polymerization (DOP) of the networks. On the contrary, the existence of Na 2 O, K 2 O and MnO had an opposite effect, i.e., the average number of bridging oxygen per Si atom decreased by 0.20, 0.07 and 0.11, respectively, with ~5 wt% of additions. Moreover, two particular minor elements, CaF 2 and CaS, resulted in a decrease of the DOP. Furthermore, the macroproperties of this CSAM system with various minor elements were connected to the present microstructural analysis and thus the micro-macro relationship was deeply discussed, based on which we elucidated the clues for modifying this system in different levels using these minor elements. Unlabelled Image • The microstructures of the CSAM glasses were clarified using Raman spectra. • Microstructural roles of various minor elements were identified. • The micro-macro relationship of the CSAM system was deepened. • The CSAM system were modified using minor elements in different levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordination polymers (CPs) of mixed-ligand lanthanide complexes [Ln2(1,3-pdta)(TPA)(H2O)2]n·nH2O [Ln = La, 1; Ce, 2; Pr, 3; Nd, 4] (1,3-H4pdta = 1,3-propanediaminetetraacetic acid; H2TPA = terephthalic acid) were hydrothermally synthesized with flexible 1,3-pdta and rigid TPA ligands. Moreover, lanthanide propanediaminetetraacetates [Ln(1,3-Hpdta)(H2O)]2n·nH2TPA·xH2O [Ln = Sm, 5; Gd, 6] with multi-layered structures were also obtained. In 1–4, both 1,3-pdta and TPA coordinate with lanthanide ions through carboxyl oxygen and nitrogen atoms. In 5 and 6, only 1,3-Hpdta coordinates with the central lanthanide ion, where one nitrogen atom in 1,3-Hpdta is protonated, and TPAs are crystallized as H2TPA with the central multi-layered structures of [Ln(1,3-Hpdta)(H2O)]2n through very strong hydrogen bonds [2.504(4) Å]. Solid-state 13C NMR analysis of 1 revealed the coordination of carboxyl groups. However, the methylene groups of 1,3-pdta showed an obvious upfield shift, which can be attributed to the effects of the phenyl ring in TPA ligand. The successful synthesis of these mixed-ligand lanthanides provides a rational design of such lanthanide CPs with flexible and rigid ligands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate whether the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), and stretched exponential model (SEM) based on histogram analyses derived from the whole-tumor volume combined with prognostic factors can be used to assess the response to chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).Materials and Methods: This study included 60 patients with LARC who underwent diffusion-weighted imaging with 9b values (0-1000s/mm2) before CRT. Histograms derived from the whole-tumor volume were used to obtain the ADC, IVIM (Dslow, Dfast, and f), and SEM parameters (distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC) and α). The histogram metrics and prognostic factors before CRT were compared between pathological complete response (pCR) and non-pCR patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) were generated to analyze the histogram metrics and prognostic factors.Results: A significant difference was only found in the tumor volume between the pCR and non-pCR groups (p = 0.033, AUC = 0.740). The ADC mean, DDC median, and most of the histogram metrics were significantly lower in the pCR group than the non-pCR group (p = 0.000-0.025), and AUC was highest for the ADC mean (0.890). Only the Dslow median differed significantly between the two groups (p = 0.023, AUC = 0.721). However, the Dfast, f, and α histogram metrics did not differ significantly between the pCR and non-pCR groups. The AUC for the ADC mean combined with the tumor volume was 0.908, with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 81%. The inter-observer agreements were good or excellent for the ADC and SEM histogram parameters but generally fair for IVIM.Conclusion: The whole-tumor ADC mean combined with the tumor volume was highly accurate for predicting pCR. The IVIM models were inferior to ADC and SEM at predicting pCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the present study, FactSage predictions were systematically compared from the present experimental results and the experimental data from the literatures in the CaO-SiO 2 -MgO-Al 2 O 3 -"TiO 2 " system. These results reveal that the discrepancies are significant between the predictions and experimental results. The predicted primary phases in CaTiO 3 and TiO 2 primary phase fields were consistent with the experimental results, but a number of inconsistent results were found in other primary phase fields including M 3 O 5 and spinel. The predicted liquidus temperatures were higher than the experimentally determined liquidus temperatures at low titanium level (<~ 20 wt% TiO 2), whereas the predicted liquidus temperatures were much lower than the experimentally determined liquidus temperatures at high titanium section (>~ 40 wt% TiO 2). In TiO 2 primary phase field, the experimentally determined liquidus temperatures can be 130 °C higher than the predicted ones. Up to 107 °C differences still exist between the experimental results and predictions for the liquidus temperatures in M 3 O 5 primary phase field. The Al 2 TiO 5 phase has a significant influence on the phase equilibria in the M 3 O 5 primary phase field but it is not included in the current FactSage database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our continued research on lanthanide citrate with ethylenediaminetetraacetate results in an isolation of a monomeric samarium complex K 4 [Sm(Hcit)(EDTA)]·10H 2 O ( 1 ) (H 4 cit = citric acid and H 4 EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) from the reaction of lanthanide ethylenediaminetetraacetate trihydrates with citric acid at pH ∼6.5, where the three coordinated water molecules of K[Sm(EDTA)(H 2 O) 3 ]·5H 2 O ( 4 ) were substituted by the α-hydroxy, α-carboxy and β-carboxy groups of citrate. When involving lanthanum element, the reaction of lanthanum ethylenediaminetetraacetate trihydrates with dimeric lanthanum complex K 4 (NH 4 ) 4 [La 2 (Hcit) 2 (EDTA) 2 ]·17H 2 O ( 2 ) gives a novel tetrameric lanthanum citrate with ethylenediaminetetraacetate K 2 (NH 4 ) 8 [[La(EDTA)(H 2 O) 2 ] 2 [La 2 (Hcit) 2 (EDTA) 2 ]]·22H 2 O ( 3 ). The main structural feature of 2 consists of a dinuclear unit deca-coordinated by citrate and EDTA, while tetramer 3 is a dinuclear unit bridged with two lanthanum ethylenediaminetetraacetates through pendent β-carboxy groups. It is interesting to note that 1 – 3 contain strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds between α-hydroxy and β-carboxy groups with very good solubilities in water. The relationships between the isolations of mixed EDTA–citrate lanthanides and modified Pechini method are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which investigated the thermal stability of cobalt silicide thin films on silicon(100). Experimental details; Results; Discussion.

Presents a study that examined the effect of different substrates and the thicknesses dependence of the antiferromagnetic layer on the exchange-bias field, created through interfacial exchange coupling between nickel-iron and iron-manganese. Kinds of substrates considered; Behaviors of the two types of films when annealed in a certain magnetic field; Temperature dependence of the films.

Investigates the electrical and material properties of cobalt silicided junctions fabricated using implant through silicide technology. Examples of metals proposed in the metallization scheme of silicide processes in metal-oxide-semiconductor technology; Advantages of alternative approaches to junction formation; Criteria for the metal that will be used in the silicide scheme.

Presents a study that investigated low-termperature reaction of thin-film platinum with silicon. Sheet resistance measurement of silicide formation sequence; Use nitrogen furnace; X-ray diffraction analysis.

Studies the capability of using platinum and platinum-silicon in the ion implantation through metal or metal silicide technique. Procedure of the experiment; Measured electrical characteristics of the sample; Results of the leakage current analysis; Conclusion.

Magnesia-chrome refractory has been used in the copper industry for decades, and the chromium in the used refractory has been proved to have the risk to harm the environment. A reliable chromium-free refractory is urged to replace the chromium-containing refractory in the future. In the present study, MgO·Al 2 O 3 spinel was systematically tested with Cu, Cu 2 O, and industrial matte respectively at 1300 °C. All samples were directly quenched into the water after the experiments and examined by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. The molten Cu and MgO·Al 2 O 3 spinel did not react and showed a low wettability, while limited reactions between the spinel and matte were detected. However, severe reactions occurred between the spinel and Cu 2 O at 1300 °C. The possible applications of the spinel in the copper-making industry are discussed based on the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniature and highly sensitive optic fiber temperature sensor using a PDMS-filled air-microbubble Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometer (PAFPI) in a hollow-core fiber (HCF) is proposed. The sensor is fabricated by fusion splicing a single mode fiber (SMF) with a HCF, which is filled with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by capillary effect, to form an air microbubble cavity. As far as we know, this is the first time that PDMS is applied to fill the hollow core fiber. There are three main reflected surfaces in the PAFPI sensor, and the superimposed interference spectrum of double FPI (a thin FPI and a thick FPI) is formed. Hence, the proposed sensor combines two advantages that are the large free spectral range (FSR) of the thin FPI and the high resolution of the thick FPI, which improve the resolution of spectral demodulation while ensuring a large dynamic range. Experimental results show that the sensor has the high temperature sensitivity of 2.7035 nm/℃ with a high linear response (R-square: 0.9962) in the range of 51.2–70.5 ℃, which is almost three orders larger than that of the conventional all-fiber air-cavity FP temperature sensors (about 10 pm/℃). The stability experiment is also carried out, and the maximal variations of the wavelength shift and the extinction ratio of the interference fringes are 20.3 pm and 0.1262 dB, respectively, for a long-term testing. Therefore, it may be applied to the surrounding temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), is a major maize borer pest and a target of transgenic maize expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) proteins in South America and the mid‐southern region of the United States. Evolution of resistance in target pest populations is a great threat to the long‐term efficacy of Bt crops. In this study, we compared the genetic basis of resistance to Cry1Ab protein in 3 resistant colonies of sugarcane borer established from field populations in Louisiana, USA. Responses of larvae to the Cry1Ab protein for the parental and 10 other cross colonies were assayed in a diet‐incorporated bioassay. All 3 resistant colonies were highly resistant to the Cry1Ab protein with a resistance ratio of >555.6 fold. No maternal effect or sex linkage was evident for the resistance in the 3 colonies; and the resistance was functionally nonrecessive at the Cry1Ab concentrations of ≤ 3.16 μg/g, but it became recessive at ≥10 μg/g. In an interstrain complementation test for allelism, the F1 progeny from crosses between any 2 of the 3 resistant colonies exhibited the similar resistance levels as their parental colonies, indicating that the 3 colonies most likely shared a locus of Cry1Ab resistance. Results generated from this study should provide useful information in developing effective strategies for managing Bt resistance in the insect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very fast transient overvoltage (VFTO) engenders great threat to gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) in ultra-high-voltage (UHV) power system. A novel conical voltage sensor was developed based on combination of the conical voltage divider and coaxial integral device to measure VFTO in UHV GIS. The results indicate that the conical structure of the voltage sensor can make the wave impedance translate smoothly from the high-voltage arm to the coaxial cable, which significantly reduces refraction and reflection of VFTO. The optimum value of the integral capacitance is between 100 and 200 pF, which is determined by the integral resistance, capacitance of the sensor, and the length of the transmission line. To avoid refraction and reflection of VFTO in the process of transmission, the length of the transmission cable should not exceed 20 cm. Calibration results show that the response time of the conical voltage sensor is <4.8 ns, the voltage attenuation ratio of the sensor can reach up to 43,402 and the frequency band is between 7.8 Hz and 73 MHz. The conical voltage sensor was tested on a steep impulse voltage equipment, and the result showed the sensor could measure VFTO up to 3 MV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]