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Our earth is immersed in the near-earth space plasma environment, which plays a vital role in protecting our planet against the solar-wind impact and influencing space activities. It is significant to investigate the physical processes dominating the environment, for deepening our scientific understanding of it and improving the ability to forecast the space weather. As a crucial part of the National Major Scientific and Technological Infrastructure–Space Environment Simulation Research Infrastructure (SESRI) in Harbin, the Space Plasma Environment Research Facility (SPERF) builds a system to replicate the near-earth space plasma environment in the laboratory. The system aims to simulate the three-dimensional (3-D) structure and processes of the terrestrial magnetosphere for the first time in the world, providing a unique platform to reveal the physics of the 3-D asymmetric magnetic reconnection relevant to the earth's magnetopause, wave–particle interaction in the earth's radiation belt, particles' dynamics during the geomagnetic storm, etc. The paper will present the engineering design and construction of the near-earth space plasma simulation system of the SPERF, with a focus on the critical technologies that have been resolved to achieve the scientific goals. Meanwhile, the possible physical issues that can be studied based on the apparatus are sketched briefly. The earth-based system is of great value in understanding the space plasma environment and supporting space exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of China's dairy farming industry, it becomes difficult to breed and manage the increasing number of dairy cows. The smart agricultural enabled by edging techniques such as smart sensor, IoT, machine learning, etc. shows great potential to improve the scientific breeding and management of dairy cows. Using machine learning assisted computer vision to identify and classify the behavior of dairy cows can quickly determine the health status of dairy cows and improve management efficiency. However, there are still some challenges need to be addressed in the current behavior recognition of dairy cows. Due to the more complex background of dairy farms, the increase in the number of cows makes the mutual shading problem of dairy cows serious, which leads to the low efficiency of dairy cow behavior recognition. To address this challenge, this paper collected and labeled four types of 1,660 dairy daily behavior datasets and proposed a residual neural network (ResNet)-based dairy daily behavior recognition model. Experiments show that the proposed method is far superior to the baseline method in accuracy performance, and it provides inspiration for the behavior recognition of cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni–Mn–Ti Heusler alloys have gained a great consideration recently due to their important magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric properties. Herein, the structure, martensitic transition (MT), and magnetocaloric effect (MCE) of Ni 50- x Zn x Mn 35 Ti 15 (x = 0, 2, 4, and 6) Heusler alloys have been studied. XRD results show that the studied alloy with x = 0 display a monoclinic (5 M) martensite phase. Besides, the examined alloy with x = 2 presents a combination of monoclinic (5 M) martensite and cubic (B2) austenite phases, whereas the alloys with x = 4 and x = 6 exhibit only a cubic (B2) austenite phase. By increasing Zn content x up to 6, the Curie temperature of austenite decreases from 283 K to 132 K, and the MT temperatures decrease from ferromagnetic austenite to weak-magnetic martensite, which is apparently due to the exchange interaction of Mn–Mn and the low power of d - d hybridization between the A/C and B(D) sites. The best maximum magnetic entropy change (ΔS M, max) and refrigeration capacity (RC) are for the studied alloy with x = 4 (5.22 J kg−1K−1 and 217 J kg−1 at 120 kOe, respectively). The Zn addition not only facilitates the formation of B2-type Heusler phases but also offer the possibility to tune the MT and establish strong ferromagnetic coupling. [Display omitted] • Synthesized Ni(Zn)-Mn-Ti series with varying Ni:Zn ratio. • XRD patterns confirmed that the introduction of Zn stabilizes the austenite phase B2. • Martensitic transition and the Curie temperature of austenite shift to the lower temperatures. • All- d -metal Ni 50-x Zn x Mn 35 Ti 15 (x = 0, 2, 4, and 6) alloys are capable of undergoing a magneto-structural coupling transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have performed the martensitic phase transition, inverse magnetocaloric effect, and magnetostrain in Ni50Mn37-xFexIn13 (x = 1-4) Heusler alloys. Experimental results indicate that the martensitic phase transition temperature in these materials decreases dramatically with increasing Fe substitution for Mn, which can be explained by the hybridization between Ni and Mn atoms. Large magnetic entropy for Ni50Mn35Fe2In13 could be achieved above room temperature under the applied magnetic field up to 80 kOe. In addition, an enhanced magnetostrain (0.28%) at 110 K associated with the phase transition in Ni50Mn33Fe4In13 was observed after the martensitic phase transformation induced by demagnetization at 100 K. The reason for the enhanced strain has been discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients treated with maintenance hemodialysis experience significant symptom burden resulting in impaired quality of life. However, the association of patient reported symptom burden and the risk of healthcare use for patients with end stage kidney disease on hemodialysis has not been fully explored. To investigate if higher symptom burden, assessed by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System-revised (ESASr), is associated with increased healthcare use in patients with end stage kidney disease on hemodialysis. Prospective, single-center, study of adult patients on HD. Participants completed the ESASr questionnaire at enrollment. Baseline demographic, clinical information as well as healthcare use events during the 12-month following enrollment were extracted from medical records. The association between symptom burden and healthcare use was examined with a multivariable adjusted negative binomial model. Mean (SD) age of the 80 participants was 71 (13) years, 56% diabetic, and 70% male. The median (IQR) dialysis vintage was 2 (1–4) years. In multivariable adjusted models, higher global [incident rate ratio (IRR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.04, p =.025] and physical symptom burden score [IRR 1.03, CI 1.00–1.05, p =.034], but not emotional symptom burden score [IRR 1.05, CI 1.00–1.10, p =.052] predicted higher subsequent healthcare use. Our preliminary evidence suggests that higher symptom burden, assessed by ESASr may predict higher risk of healthcare use amongst patients with end stage kidney disease on hemodialysis. Future studies need to confirm the findings of this preliminary study and to assess the utility of ESASr for systematic symptom screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydromechanical transmission (HMT) is a continuously variable transmission that transmits power both mechanically and hydraulically. A typical HMT consists of a pair of hydraulic pump/motors and a mechanical transmission in parallel, making it bulky and costly. The Hondamatic transmission is a compact alternative HMT design that uses an inline configuration such that the rotation of the piston barrels of the pump and motor is dual-used for mechanical transmission. This is achieved using a two-shafted pump that plays the role of a planetary gear (PG) and a distributor valve mechanism that replaces the valve plates. This paper provides the operating principle of this inline HMT (iHMT) and analyzes its performance through a combination of modeling and experimentation. Specifically, ideal and lossy average models are developed, and the performance of the Hondamatic is characterized experimentally. The lossy model, fitted with seven empirically determined parameters, is capable of predicting the mechanical and volumetric losses at different ratios and operating conditions. The dominant losses are found to be compressibility losses and no-load viscous friction losses, especially on the motor side. These losses are attributed to be the main causes for the unity transmission ratio to be less efficient than expected. The overall efficiency is between 74 and 86% at the conditions tested experimentally and is predicted to be over 70% under most operating conditions and transmission ratios. This analytical and experimental study is the first study in the open literature on this innovative compact inline HMT configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of strain behavior associated with martensitic transition in polycrystalline Ni45Co5Mn37In13 Heusler alloy. A spontaneous phase transition strain with the value of about 0.4% in this alloy can be acquired by applying and removing magnetic field, exhibiting a large two-way metamagnetic shape memory effect (MSME) with nonprestrain. This effect is originated from magnetoelastic coupling due to a large difference in Zeeman energy between austenitic and martensitic phases. In addition, it was also found that even after three magnetic field cycles at 320 K, the two-way MSME is still reproducible. Such characteristic could be ascribed to a random orientation of martensite variants in present alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The layered structure plays an important role in Vickers hardness of superhard materials. However, the Vickers hardness of transition metal borides with layered structure is influenced by the defect. By means of first-principles approach, we studies the influence of vacancy on the Vickers hardness, elastic modulus and thermodynamic properties of TM 2 B 3 (TM = Ru and Os). Two vacancy types: B-vacancy (B -va) and TM-vacancy (TM -va) are considered. The result shows that B -va and TM -va are thermodynamically stable in Ru 2 B 3 and Os 2 B 3. The TM -va vacancy is more thermodynamically stable than that of the B -va vacancy. It is found that B -va and TM -va vacancies weaken the deformation resistance of TM 2 B 3. However, B -va vacancy enhances the Vickers hardness of Ru 2 B 3 and Os -va vacancy improves the Vickers hardness of Os 2 B 3. In addition, we find that TM -va and B -va vacancies improve the thermodynamic properties of TM 2 B 3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tungsten disilicide (WSi 2) is an attractive advanced functional material, which is regarded as the potential thermoelectric devices, energy storage system and aerospace etc. However, the correlation between structure and the related performances of WSi 2 is not well understood. To solve those problems, we apply first-principles calculations to study crystal structure, electronic properties, elastic properties and electronic structure of four possible WSi 2. We demonstrate the WSi 2 with C54 TiS 2 -type orthorhombic structure (Fddd , No.70) is a dynamically stable. These results show that MoSi 2 -type C11 b tetragonal structure is more thermodynamically stable than that of the other structures. Importantly, MoSi 2 -type C11 b , TiSi 2 -type C49 and HfSi 2 -type C54 structures show electronic properties because of band overlap between the valence band and the conduction band near the Fermi level. However, NbSi 2 -type C40 structure shows a semiconductor property with a band gap of 0.049 eV. We further find that MoSi 2 -type C11 b structure shows the strong shear deformation resistance and high elastic stiffness due to the pyramidal bonding state. WSi 2 with TiSi 2 -type C54 structure exhibits better ductile in comparison to the other structures. • The structural, mechanical and electronic properties of WSi 2 are studied. • One new WSi 2 orthorhombic structure (C 54) is predicted. • WSi 2 with hexagonal structure (C40) shows a semiconductor property within a band gap of 0.049eV. • WSi 2 with C11 b structure shows the strong mechanical properties compared to other structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The martensitic transformation (MT), magnetic phases, and exchange bias (EB) effect in Mn50Ni25 + xIn25−x (x = 14.5∼18) Heusler alloys have been investigated. The MT and magnetic state can be tuned significantly by modifying the Ni/In ratio, while the Curie temperature (TC) remains almost unchanged. With increase of the Ni/In ratio, the ferromagnetic components in the studied samples decrease continuously, while the antiferromagnetic components increase and it therefore enhances the exchange interaction as well. All of the samples exhibit negative horizontally shifted loops after field-cooled procedure. In addition, the samples with the compositional range of 15 ≤ x ≤ 16 also present the EB effect in zero field-cooled condition. To evaluate the causes of this scenario, EB field and coercive field as a function of temperature and cooling field have been investigated. The experimental results imply that the spin reconfiguration of superspin glass (SSG) clusters and the competition between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic interactions can account for the behavior of EB effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an index case of histiocytic sarcoma arising in a 70-year-old patient with long-standing chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL). The patient presented in 2017 with painful, enlarging swelling of the left neck. He had remote history of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma with no sign of recurrence, and his CLL/SLL was thought to be in remission. Computed tomography showed mild splenomegaly and multifocal lymphadenopathy including a 3-cm left neck mass. Biopsy of the left neck mass showed CLL/SLL with associated histiocytic sarcoma. Flow cytometry demonstrated a B cell neoplasm with CLL/SLL phenotype. Despite radiation therapy, he expired 3 months after presentation. Two similar cases (CLL/SLL and histiocytic sarcoma, follicular lymphoma and Langerhans cell sarcoma) from another institution are also illustrated. The pathological features of combined tumors in lymphoid neoplasms, a general framework to the work-up to determine interrelatedness of tumor components, and the clinical relevance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spontaneous strains during martensitic transformation and magnetic-field-induced transformation have been systemically studied for Ni46Cu4Mn38Sn12 Heusler alloy, respectively. A large spontaneous strain with the value of about 0.12% upon martensitic transformation has been observed in this alloy, which is almost three times larger than that in ternary Ni–Mn–Sn alloy. In addition, such a value of strain can be obtained through a fully reverse martensitic transformation induced by a field of about 45 kOe, exhibiting a considerable metamagnetic shape memory effect without any prestrain. This behavior can be attributed to magnetoelastic coupling between stable martensite and metastable fraction of austenite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure based wakefield acceleration may provide a viable approach for accelerating sufficiently large numbers of electrons and positrons at the high gradient needed to meet the luminosity, efficiency, and cost requirements of a future linear collider. An important step in proving its viability is the demonstration of acceleration in multiple stages. Here we show the results of the first experimental demonstration of staged two beam wakefield acceleration, conducted at the Argonne Wakefield Accelerator Facility (AWA), in which a 0.5 nC electron bunch gained equal amounts of energy in two stages ( ∼ 2.4 MeV per stage, corresponding to an average acceleration gradient of ∼ 70 MeV/m). Meanwhile 150MeV/m of acceleration in a single stage has been achieved. The demonstration experiment should be scalable to staged-acceleration at gradients of the order of 200 to 300 MeV/m. Such a development would considerably reduce both the cost and footprint of both a future high-energy physics (HEP) collider, as well as future X-ray light sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, nanoscale zero valent iron I-NZVI was investigated as a remediation strategy for uranium contaminated groundwater from the former Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site in Oklahoma, USA. The 1 L batch-treatment system was applied in the study. The result shows that 99.9% of uranium in groundwater was removed by I-NZVI within 2 h. Uranium concentration in the groundwater stayed around 27 μg/L, and there was no sign of uranium release into groundwater after seven days of reaction time. Meanwhile the release of iron was significantly decreased compared to NZVI which can reduce the treatment impact on the water environment. To study the influence of background pH of the treatment system on removal efficiency of uranium, the groundwater was adjusted from pH 2–10 before the addition of I-NZVI. The pH of the groundwater was from 2.1 to 10.7 after treatment. The removal efficiency of uranium achieved a maximum in neutral pH of groundwater. The desorption of uranium on the residual solid phase after treatment was investigated in order to discuss the stability of uranium on residual solids. After 2 h of leaching, 0.07% of the total uranium on residual solid phase was leached out in a HNO 3 leaching solution with a pH of 4.03. The concentration of uranium in the acid leachate was under 3.2 μg/L which is below the EPA's maximum contaminant level of 30 μg/L. Otherwise, the concentration of uranium was negligible in distilled water leaching solution (pH = 6.44) and NaOH leaching solution (pH = 8.52). A desorption study shows that an acceptable amount of uranium on the residuals can be released into water system under strong acid conditions in short terms. For long term disposal management of the residual solids, the leachate needs to be monitored and treated before discharge into a hazardous landfill or the water system. For the first time, I-NZVI was applied for the treatment of uranium contaminated groundwater. These results provide proof that I-NZVI has improved performance compared to NZVI and is a promising technology for the restoration of complex uranium contaminated water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium (U) has been released to surface soil and groundwater through military and industrial activities. Soluble forms of U transferred to drinking water sources and food supplements can potentially threaten humans and the biosphere due to its chemical toxicity and radioactivity. The immobilization of aqueous U onto iron-based minerals is one of the most vital geochemical processes controlling the transport of U. As a consequence, much research has been focused on the use of iron-based materials for the treatment of U contaminated waters. One material currently being tested is nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI). However, understanding the removal mechanism of U onto nZVI is crucial to develop new technologies for contaminated water resources. This review article aims to provide information on the removal mechanism of U onto nZVI under different conditions (pH, U concentration, solution ion strength, humic acid, presence of O 2 and CO 2 , microorganism effect) pertinent to environmental and engineered systems, and to provide risk or performance assessment results with the stability of nZVI products after removal of U in environmental restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multipactor is a major issue limiting the gradient of rf-driven Dielectric-Loaded Accelerating (DLA) structures. Theoretical models have predicted that an axial magnetic field applied to DLA structures may completely block the multipactor discharge. However, previous attempts to demonstrate this magnetic field effect in an X-band traveling-wave DLA structure were inconclusive, due to the axial variation of the applied magnetic field, and showed only partial suppression of the multipactor loading [Jing et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 213503 (2013)]. The present experiment has been performed under improved conditions with a uniform axial magnetic field extending along the length of an X-band standing-wave DLA structure. Multipactor loading began to be continuously reduced starting from 3.5kG applied magnetic field and was completely suppressed at ~8 kG. Dependence of multipactor suppression on the rf gradient inside the DLA structure was also measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decade, Mn rich Ni-Mn based alloys have attained considerable attention due to their abundant physics and potential application as multifunctional materials. In this paper, polycrystalline Ni50Mn38-xPdxSn12 (x = 0, 2,4, 6) Heusler alloys have been prepared, and the martensitic phase transformation (MPT) together with the shape memory effect and the magnetocaloric effect has been investigated. The experimental result indicates that the MPT evidently shifts to a lower temperature with increase of Pd substitution for Mn atoms, which can be attributed to the weakness of the hybridization between the Ni atom and excess Mn on the Sn site rather than the electron concentration. The physics properties study focused on the sample of Ni50Mn34Pd4Sn12 shows a good two-way shape memory behavior, and the maximum value of strain ΔL/L reaches about 0.13% during the MPT. The small of both entropy change ΔST and magnetostrain can be ascribed to the inconspicuous influence of magnetic field induced MPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The melting temperature of probe-target nucleic acid hybrids plays an important role in sensor performance. This study employed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) techniques to investigate the hybridization of both DNA and RNA targets to their complementary surface-bound DNA oligonucleotide and the corresponding melting temperatures. The target molecule was a 26 nucleotide strand of RNA selected because of its utility in detecting the tobacco mosaic virus, a common plant pathogen with an RNA genome. The melting temperatures of duplexes with immobilized probes were determined by hybridization of the DNA and RNA targets with the bound DNA probe at different temperatures using a custom-built thermostated dual-channel SPR cell. Hybridization conditions and binding efficiencies were compared for both DNA and RNA binding to the gold-coated surface-bound DNA probe. The melting temperature for the DNA–DNA duplex was approximately 15 °C higher than the DNA–RNA in the solid state. The melting temperature in solution was also measured for comparison to the surface values. For both RNA and DNA, the melting transitions were substantially lower (∼20 °C) for solid state binding relative to solution. Particularly for surface immobilized DNA–RNA hybrids, the melting temperature was reduced to room temperature or below. Since most biosensor platforms operate at room temperature, they may consequently exhibit poor sensor performance due to weakened probe-target interactions. This result emphasizes that for optimal sensor performance, the hybrid melting temperature should be considered. The ability to study and optimize the binding of complementary strands of genomic materials to bound DNA probes could facilitate the rapid detection and identification of plant viruses having genomic RNA using various biosensor rapid analytical techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of DL-selenomethionine (SM) with 2 routinely used Se sources, sodium selenite (SS) and seleno-yeast (SY), on relative bioavailability based on antioxidant activity and tissue Se content. Six hundred thirty 131- day-old brown laying hens were randomly assigned to 7 treatments for 168 d (24 wks) with 6 replicates of 15 hens per replicate. The SS and SY animals were supplemented a cornmeal and soybean diet that supplied a total Se 0.3 mg/kg whereas SM was added at 4 different levels to the total Se at 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 mg/kg. All hens fed the Se-supplemented diet showed higher glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity (P < 0.01), higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (P < 0.05), lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05) in plasma, and greater Se contents in egg yolks, albumen, leg muscle, breast muscle, liver, and plasma compared with those fed the control diet (P < 0.01). The organic sources (SY and SM) exhibited a greater ability to increase the GSH-Px activity (P < 0.01) and Se content in albumen (P < 0.01), leg, and breast muscles (P = 0.0099 and P = 0.0014, respectively) than the SS that was added at 0.3 mg Se/kg. The higher SM added levels increased the GSH-Px activity until the dose of 0.5mg Se/kg (P < 0.01).The greater Se concentrations in albumen, muscle and liver appeared in the higher SM-added level, as well as above the dose of 0.1 mg Se/kg (P < 0.01). In addition, hens fed the diet with SM accumulated more Se in albumen, leg, and breast muscle than those fed diets with SY (P < 0.05). These results confirmed the higher ability of organic Se sources to increase the antioxidant activity and Se deposition in egg albumen, leg, and breast muscles compared with SS, and demonstrated a significantly better efficiency of SM compared with SY for albumen and muscle Se enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The synthesis and characterization of tetranuclear silver triazole metallomesogens, [Ag4(L4-Cn)6][BF4]4 (L4-Cn = 4-alkyl-1,2,4-triazoles where Cn stands for CnH2n+1 with n = 12, 14, 16, and 18), are reported. Upon heating, a phase transition sequence of Cr → SmC → Cub → SmA → isotropic liquid is observed for all of these compounds. Depending on the alkyl chain length, two types of cubic phases are found in this series of compounds. Those with shorter alkyl chains (n = 12 and 14) exhibit a micellar cubic phase, whereas long alkyl chains (n =16 and 18) show a bicontinuous cubic phase. Superior ionic conductivity at the bicontinuous cubic mesophase for [Ag4(L4-C16)6][BF4]4 is observed because of the presence of a three-dimensional ion-transporting channel. Doping a small amount of AgBF4 enhances the ionic conduction dramatically, presumably via promotion of the migration of AgI ions in the channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enormous spontaneous exchange bias (EB) was obtained after zero-field cooling in Ni50Mn36Co4Sn10 Heusler alloy. It can be attributed to the enhancement of antiferromagnetism, which induces a strong interaction with superferromagnetism, superspin glass, and superparamagnetism. In addition, the EB with an abrupt drop below the lower temperature of 5K was observed, which can be interpreted as the fact that the rotation of the antiferromagnetic spins from a disordered state to a more ordered state is hindered by domain wall pinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efforts by a number of institutions to develop a Dielectric-Loaded Accelerating (DLA) structure capable of supporting high gradient acceleration when driven by an external radio frequency source have been ongoing over the past decade. Single surface resonant multipactor has been previously identified as one of the major limitations on the practical application of DLA structures in electron accelerators. In this paper, we report the results of an experiment that demonstrated suppression of multipactor growth in an X-band DLA structure through the use of an applied axial magnetic field. This represents an advance toward the practical use of DLA structures in many accelerator applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Autophagy, the bulk intracellular degradation of cytoplasmic constituents, can be a pro-survival or a pro-death mechanism depending on the context. A recent study showed that autophagy was activated in the phase of early brain injury following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, whether autophagy activation after SAH is protective or harmful is still elusive. This study was undertaken to determine the potential role of autophagy pathway activation in early brain injury following SAH. The rats were pretreated with intracerebral ventricular infusion of either the autophagy inducer rapamycin (RAP) or inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) before SAH onset. The results from electron microscopic examinations showed that RAP administration caused the formation of autophagosomal vacuoles, and 3-MA induced neuronal apoptosis. RAP treatment significantly increased the expression of autophagic proteins Atg5 and Beclin 1, the ratio of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II to LC3-I and reduced caspase-3 activity, the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells, brain edema and neurological deficits after SAH. Conversely, 3-MA treatment exacerbated early brain injury. RAP treatment significantly increased the expression of the autophagic proteins Atg5 and Beclin 1, the ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I and reduced caspase-3 activity, the number of TUNEL-positive cells, brain edema and neurological deficits after SAH. Conversely, 3-MA treatment reversed these changes and exacerbated early brain injury. To further clarify the mechanism of autophagy protection, we investigated the expression levels of key apoptosis-related molecules. The results showed that RAP administration decreased Bax translocation to the mitochondria and downstream cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol. Taken together, our study indicates that activation of autophagic pathways reduces early brain injury after SAH. This neuroprotective effect is likely exerted by anti-apoptotic mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report the observation of a strong wakefield induced energy modulation in an energy-chirped electron bunch passing through a dielectric-lined waveguide. This modulation can be effectively converted into a spatial modulation forming microbunches with a periodicity of 0.5-1 ps and, hence, capable of driving coherent terahertz radiation. The experimental results agree well with theoretical predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles with an internal structure forming a gel-like matrix. These nanoparticles are composed of low molecular weight liquid crystal (LC) 4-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) encapsulated in an LC-based polymer network. Using nanoscopic mechanical analysis, we demonstrate the ability to independently tune the shape anisotropy and stiffness by varying, respectively, the 5CB concentration and the extent of the polymer cross-linking. Based on these data, a model is introduced to account for the effect of the polymer network on the mechanical properties, thus providing novel insight into the nanomechanics of these soft particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Microtubule (MT) protein filaments were used as templates for fabricating Au nanowires as a bottom-up approach for fabricating building blocks for future integrated circuits. Photochemical reduction methods were employed to form Au nanoparticles which bind and uniformly cover the MT filaments. Synthesis of the MT-templated Au nanowires was characterized using UV/vis spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, binding between the MT filaments and Au nanoparticles was investigated using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to establish the nature of the binding sites. A variety of functional groups were identified by SERS to interact with the Au including imidazole, sulfur, aromatic rings, amine, and carboxylate. The imidazole ring in the histidine is the most prominent functional group for Au binding. The results from these studies provide better understanding of the binding between Au and the biotemplate and give insight concerning methods to improve Au coverage for MT-templated Au nanowires. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The electronic and magnetic structures of both bcc and fcc ordered NixMn1-x alloys, with x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1, are performed using the first principle linearized augmented plane-wave (LAPW) method within the framework of local spin-density functional approximation (LSDA). It is shown that fcc NixMn1-x with x = 1, 0.75 is ferromagnetic ordering, which is in good agreement with the experiments. At the equiatomic composition of NixMn1-x with x = 0.5, it is antiferromagnetic ordering. With the lower Ni composition, it presents ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic ordering, respectively. For bcc NixMn1-x with both rich Ni and rich Mn composition, however, it presents ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic ordering, respectively. At the equiatomic NixMn1-x with x = 0.5, it presents ferromagnetic ordering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We presented the martensitic transition and magnetocaloric effect of the substituted Heulser alloy Ni50-xCoxMn38Sn12 (x = 2, 4, and 6). A large magnetic entropy change of 37.1 J/kg K above room temperature for a magnetic field change of 50 kOe is obtained in Ni48Co2Mn38Sn12 alloy. With the increase of Co concentration, the martensitic transition shifts to lower temperature and the magnetic entropy change decreases. This behavior could be ascribed by the fact that the FM exchange coupling is enhanced much more with increasing Co content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An ab initio linearized augmented plane-wave method has been employed to calculate the electronic and magnetic structures of both face-centered-cubic and body-centered-cubic Mn1-xPdx alloys with x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1, respectively. The calculated result for fcc Mn1-xPdx alloys at different concentrations shows that fcc Mn1-xPdx alloys with x=0.5, 0.75 is ferromagnetic ordering. With low Pd concentration and pure Mn, it presents ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic ordering, respectively. As expected, pure Pd is paramagnetic ordering. For bcc Mn1-xPdx alloys with x=0, 0.5 and 0.75, the calculated result indicates that these alloys are ferromagnetic. For the Mn-rich alloy and pure Pd, however, it presents ferrimagnetic and paramagnetic ordering, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The electronic structure and magnetism of ordered Fe1 −x Ni x and Fe1 −x Co x alloys were calculated by using the first-principles linearized augmented plane-wave (LAPW) method with the local spin density approximation (LSDA). The results indicate that the magnetic properties of both Fe1 −x Ni x and Fe1 −x Co x are sensitive to their compositions as well as their structures. The FCC structured Fe1 −x Ni x alloys with , 0.5, 0.75, 1 are ferromagnetic ordered, while Fe1 −x Ni x at is ferrimagnetic ordered. For both BCC and FCC structured Fe1 −x Co x alloys, however, they present ferromagnetic ordering in all compositions. With the increase of Fe compositions for Fe1 −x Co x , the average magnetic moments increase abruptly and then decrease smoothly, which is in good agreement with experimental results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have directly measured THz wakefields induced by a subpicosecond, intense relativistic electron bunch in a diamond loaded accelerating structure via the wakefield acceleration method. We present here the beam test results from the diamond based structure. Diamond has been chosen for its high breakdown threshold and unique thermoconductive properties. Fields produced by a leading (drive) beam were used to accelerate a trailing (witness) electron bunch, which followed the drive bunch at a variable distance. The energy gain of a witness bunch as a function of its separation from the drive bunch describes the time structure of the generated wakefield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, polycrystalline Ni50-xCuxMn38Sn12 alloys (x = 0, 2, 4, 6) were prepared. The influence of Cu doping on the martensitic transformation and magnetic properties were investigated in these alloys. Experimental results indicate that the martensitic transformation temperature decreases and the Curie temperature increases with the increasing of substitution of Cu for Ni. Therefore, the magnetic properties in both austenitic and martensitic phases could be tuned by Cu content in these alloys. In addition, magnetoresistance were also performed and discussed in detail. A large magnetoresistance (up to 39%) was obtained by the magnetic field induced reverse martensitic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus sellar abscess is a very rare form of fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS). In this report, we describe the successful treatment of a patient with aspergillus sellar abscess. A 65-year-old woman presented with headache, nasal discharge and decreased visual acuity. The diagnosis of sellar mass was made on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination. The computed tomography (CT) scan revealed sellar enlargement and sellar floor bony destruction. After hospitalization the patient underwent transsphenoidal surgery. Histopathological examination of the sellar mass revealed aspergillosis. Postoperatively, amphotericine-B and itraconazole therapy was started. During a six-month follow-up, the patient's headache and inertia disappeared, visual acuity improved. Aspergillus sellar abscess must be considered in the differential diagnosis of a sellar mass. The correct diagnosis of pituitary aspergillosis can only be achieved by histopathological examination. Surgical intervention and antifungal therapy should be considered the optimal treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate operative and economic outcomes of patients who underwent gastrectomy with ultrasonic surgical and electrosurgical system (USES group) versus conventional ultrasonic scalpel (CUS group) in real-world situation of China. Though the cost of USES is 2,000 RMB higher than CUS, it can result in less operative time and shorter LOS as well as lower procedure-related medical costs, which led to total cost saving 1,287.7 RMB. [Extracted from the article]

In order to improve the overall output characteristics of far-infrared (FIR) lasers, recent development at UCLA has concentrated on the use of a metallic overmoded waveguide (smooth bore and corrugated) instead of a conventional smooth-bore dielectric waveguide. The metallic waveguide has substantially lower propagation losses, especially at frequencies below 500 GHz, and also supports the desired HE[sub 11] mode. Laboratory results show a substantial increase in output power using a corrugated metallic waveguide, with 37 mW being obtained at 1.22 mm using [sup 13]CH[sub 3]F (isotopic methyl fluoride) while maintaining the same mode quality and polarization. This represents an improvement of 100% over a smooth-bore dielectric waveguide. Comparison of far-infrared output using the three types of waveguide will be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]