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A major goal in the discovery and characterization of exoplanets is to identify terrestrial-type worlds that are similar to (or otherwise distinct from) our Earth. Recent results underscore the importance of applying devolatilization – i.e. depletion of volatiles – to the chemical composition of planet-hosting stars to constrain bulk composition and interiors of terrestrial-type exoplanets. In this work, we apply such an approach to a selected sample of 13 planet-hosting Sun-like stars, for which high-precision photospheric abundances have been determined in the first paper of the series. With the resultant devolatilized stellar composition (i.e. the model planetary bulk composition), as well as other constraints including mass and radius, we model the detailed mineralogy and interior structure of hypothetical, habitable-zone terrestrial planets ('exo-Earths') around these stars. Model output shows that most of these exo-Earths are expected to have broadly Earth-like composition and interior structure, consistent with conclusions derived independently from analysis of polluted white dwarfs. Exceptions are the Kepler-10 and Kepler-37 exo-Earths, which we predict are strongly oxidized and thus would develop metallic cores much smaller than Earth. Investigating our devolatilization model at its extremes as well as varying planetary mass and radius (within the terrestrial regime) reveals potential diversities in the interiors of terrestrial planets. By considering (i) high-precision stellar abundances, (ii) devolatilization, and (iii) planetary mass and radius holistically, this work represents essential steps to explore the detailed mineralogy and interior structure of terrestrial-type exoplanets, which in turn are fundamental for a quantitative understanding of planetary dynamics and long-term evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optical design and performance of the recently opened 13A biological small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) beamline at the 3.0 GeV Taiwan Photon Source of the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center are reported. The beamline is designed for studies of biological structures and kinetics in a wide range of length and time scales, from angstrom to micrometre and from microsecond to minutes. A 4 m IU24 undulator of the beamline provides high‐flux X‐rays in the energy range 4.0–23.0 keV. MoB4C double‐multilayer and Si(111) double‐crystal monochromators (DMM/DCM) are combined on the same rotating platform for a smooth rotation transition from a high‐flux beam of ∼4 × 1014 photons s−1 to a high‐energy‐resolution beam of ΔE/E ≃ 1.5 × 10−4; both modes share a constant beam exit. With a set of Kirkpatrick–Baez (KB) mirrors, the X‐ray beam is focused to the farthest SAXS detector position, 52 m from the source. A downstream four‐bounce crystal collimator, comprising two sets of Si(311) double crystals arranged in a dispersive configuration, optionally collimate the DCM (vertically diffracted) beam in the horizontal direction for ultra‐SAXS with a minimum scattering vector q down to 0.0004 Å−1, which allows resolving ordered d‐spacing up to 1 µm. A microbeam, of 10–50 µm beam size, is tailored by a combined set of high‐heat‐load slits followed by micrometre‐precision slits situated at the front‐end 15.5 m position. The second set of KB mirrors then focus the beam to the 40 m sample position, with a demagnification ratio of ∼1.5. A detecting system comprising two in‐vacuum X‐ray pixel detectors is installed to perform synchronized small‐ and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering data collections. The observed beamline performance proves the feasibility of having compound features of high flux, microbeam and ultra‐SAXS in one beamline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a line-by-line differential analysis of a sample of 16 planet-hosting stars and 68 comparison stars using high-resolution, high signal-to-noise ratio spectra gathered using Keck. We obtained accurate stellar parameters and high-precision relative chemical abundances with average uncertainties in T eff, log  g , [Fe/H], and [X/H] of 15 K, 0.034 cm s−2 , 0.012 dex, and 0.025 dex, respectively. For each planet host, we identify a set of comparison stars and examine the abundance differences (corrected for Galactic chemical evolution effect) as a function of the dust condensation temperature, T cond, of the individual elements. While we confirm that the Sun exhibits a negative trend between abundance and T cond, we also confirm that the remaining planet hosts exhibit a variety of abundance– T cond trends with no clear dependence upon age, metallicity, or T eff. The diversity in the chemical compositions of planet-hosting stars relative to their comparison stars could reflect the range of possible planet-induced effects present in these planet hosts, from the sequestration of rocky material (refractory poor) to the possible ingestion of planets (refractory rich). Other possible explanations include differences in the time-scale, efficiency and degree of planet formation, or inhomogeneous chemical evolution. Although we do not find an unambiguous chemical signature of planet formation among our sample, the high-precision chemical abundances of the host stars are essential for constraining the composition and structure of their exoplanets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-stranded DNA can form efficient hybrid catalysts for asymmetric catalysis upon binding of small metal complexes, which has attracted significant interest. Catalytic microenvironment and chiral transfer are still a matter of concern. Here, we introduced peptide nucleic acid (PNA) chains to design oligo-dsPNA and hybrid PNA/DNA as chiral scaffolds to catalyze Friedel–Crafts reaction. Though with the same sequence as DNA control, dsPNA and hybrid duplexes are less suited for use in asymmetric catalysis due to ligand-Cu2+ complex does not form highly active and enantioselective hybrid catalysts with PNA-containing scaffolds. CD and UV titration assays indicated that the complex bound to suitable groove and the resulting preferential conformation are the key to catalytic performance, rather than just binding affinity. The negative charge of backbone and the resulting groove size of DNA are the key to act as a more active and highly selective catalyst than PNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article studies the secondary's rotation in a synchronous binary asteroid system in which the secondary enters the 1:1 spin-orbit resonance. The model used is the planar full two-body problem, composed of a spherical primary plus a triaxial ellipsoid secondary. Compared with classical spin-orbit work, there are two differences: (1) influence of the secondary's rotation on the mutual orbit is considered and (2) instead of the Hamiltonian approach, the approach of periodic orbits is adopted. Our studies find the following. (1) The genealogy of the two families of periodic orbits is the same as that of the families around triangular libration points in the restricted three-body problem. That is, the long-period family terminates on to a short-period orbit travelling N times. (2) In the limiting case where the secondary's mass is negligible, our results can be reduced to classical spin-orbit theory, by equating the long-period orbit with free libration and the short-period orbit with the forced libration caused by orbit eccentricity. However, the two models show obvious differences when the secondary's mass is non-negligible. (3) By studying the stability of periodic orbits for a specific binary asteroid system, we are able to obtain the maximum libration amplitude of the secondary (which is usually less than 90°) and the maximum mutual orbit eccentricity that does not break the secondary's synchronous state. We also find an anti-correlation between the secondary's libration amplitude and the orbit eccentricity. The (65803) Didymos system is taken as an example to show the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parts of a product may be changed over the product life cycle for the purpose of enhancing profits, that is to say, product part change has a direct impact on production efficiency and customer satisfaction. The analysis of product part change can provide producers with related components/part suppliers by analysing the product's configuration. Before performing the physical assembly of a specific product, selected part suppliers are connected and have to verify their ability to assemble. This paper proposes an assessment model consisting of three major phases: (1) analysis of the assembly relationship among the parts; (2) preliminary selection of the appropriate parts and their suppliers; and (3) solution selection for supplier association. The proposed model solves the product part change problem for a given related quality level, operation and cost data. The liaison graph, fuzzy theory and value engineering approaches are employed in phases 1 and 2 to analyse the product's configuration and assembly relationships, to deal with production data and to carry out the preliminary analysis. To solve the solution selection model of phase 3, a genetic algorithm based heuristic approach was developed. Finally, the configuration of the stand module of TFT-LCD is used as an example to demonstrate the application and working of the proposed approach. The results of the illustrated example are used to demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness in solving the part change problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which examined the strain effects on the structural and magnetotransport properties of praseodymium-strontium-manganese oxide thin films. Characteristic feature of doped manganites; Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusions.

Study Question: Can of Clinical Genetics, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht kisspeptin and its analogues regulate the motility of human decidual stromal cells and what intracellular signaling pathways are involved?Summary Answer: Kisspeptin analogue-mediated cell motility in human decidual stromal cells via the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-steroid receptor coactivator (Src) pathway suggesting that kisspeptin may modulate embryo implantation and decidual programming in human pregnancy.What Is Known Already: The extravillous trophoblast invades the maternal decidua during embryo implantation and placentation. The motile behavior and invasive potential of decidual stromal cells regulate embryo implantation and programming of human pregnancy.Study Design, Size, Duration: Human decidual stromal cells were isolated from healthy women undergoing elective termination of a normal pregnancy at 6- to 12-week gestation, after informed consent.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Kisspeptin analogues were synthetic peptides. Cell motility was estimated by an invasion and migration assay. Immunoblot analysis was performed to investigate the expression of kisspeptin receptor and the effects of kisspeptin analogues on the phosphorylation of FAK and Src. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knock down the expression of kisspeptin receptor, FAK, Src, matrix metallo-proteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9, and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) 1/2.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: The kisspeptin receptor was expressed in human decidual stromal cells. Kisspeptin agonist decreased, but antagonist increased, cell motility. Kisspeptin agonist decreased the phosphorylation of FAK and Src tyrosine kinases, whereas antagonist increased it. These effects on phosphorylation were abolished by kisspeptin receptor siRNA. The activation of cell motility by kisspeptin analogues was suppressed by siRNA knockdown of endogenous FAK (decreased 66%), Src (decreased 60%), kisspeptin receptor (decreased 26%), MMP-2 (decreased 36%), MMP-9 (decreased 23%), and ERK 1/2 inhibitor (decreased 27%).Limitations, Reasons For Caution: Human decidual stromal cells were obtained from women having terminations after 6-12 weeks of pregnancy and differences in timing could affect their properties.Wider Implications Of the Findings: Kisspeptin acting within the endometrium has a potential modulatory role on embryo implantation and decidual programming of human pregnancy.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This work was supported by grant NSC-104-2314-B-182A-146-MY2 (to H.-M.W.) from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, and grants CMRPG3E0401 and CMRPG3E0402 (to H.-M.W.). This work was also supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to P.C.K.L. P.C.K.L. is the recipient of a Child & Family Research Institute Distinguished Investigator Award. The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.Trial Registration Number: N/A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated the critical current and the use of the magnetron sputtering method for fabricating YBa[sub2]Cu[sub3]O[sub7-y] superconducting thin films. Details of the experiment; Conclusion.

In vector landcover database, there are a lot of complex polygons with many holes, even nesting holes. In the incremental updating (i.e., using the change-only information to update the land cover database), a new changed parcel usually has 2-dimensional intersections (e.g., overlap, cover, equal and inside, etc.) with several existing regions, automatic updating operations need to identify the affected objects for the new changes at first. If the existing parcels include complex polygons (i.e., the polygon with holes), it is still needed to determine if there are 2-dimensional intersections between the new changed polygon and each holes of the involved complex polygons. The relation between the complex polygon and its holes has not been presented in the current spatial data indexing methods, only the MBB (Minimum Bounding Box) of the exterior ring of the complex polygon has been stored, the non-involved holes can not be filtered at the first step of spatial access methods. As the refinement geometric operation is costly, therefore the updating process for the complex polygons is very complicated and low efficient using the current spatial data indexing methods. In order to solve this problem, an improved quadtree spatial index method is presented in this paper. In this method, the polygons is divided to two categories according to the relations with the quadrant axes, i.e., disjoint to the axes and intersect with the axes. The intersect polygons are still divided to 5 cases according to the intersection position among the polygons and the different level quadrant axes. The intersection polygons are stored in the different level root nodes in our index tree, and five buckets denoted as XpB, XnB, YpB, YnB, XYB are used to store the polygons intersecting the different level quadrant axes respectively. The polygons disjoint to all quadrant axes are stored in the leaf nodes in this method. The authors developed the spatial index structure with inclusion relations and the algorithms of the corresponding index operations (e.g., insert, delete and query) for the complex polygons. The effectiveness of the improved index is verified by an experiment of land cover data incremental updating. Experimental results show that the proposed index method is significantly more efficient than the traditional quadtree index in terms of spatial query efficiency, and the time efficiency of the incremental updating is increased about 3 times using the proposed index method than that using the traditional quadtree index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vector landcover database, there are a lot of complex polygons with many holes, even nesting holes. In the incremental updating (i.e., using the change-only information to update the land cover database), a new changed parcel usually has 2-dimensional intersections (e.g., overlap, cover, equal and inside, etc.) with several existing regions, automatic updating operations need to identify the affected objects for the new changes at first. If the existing parcels include complex polygons (i.e., the polygon with holes), it is still needed to determine if there are 2-dimensional intersections between the new changed polygon and each holes of the involved complex polygons. The relation between the complex polygon and its holes has not been presented in the current spatial data indexing methods, only the MBB (Minimum Bounding Box) of the exterior ring of the complex polygon has been stored, the non-involved holes can not be filtered at the first step of spatial access methods. As the refinement geometric operation is costly, therefore the updating process for the complex polygons is very complicated and low efficient using the current spatial data indexing methods. In order to solve this problem, an improved quadtree spatial index method is presented in this paper. In this method, the polygons is divided to two categories according to the relations with the quadrant axes, i.e., disjoint to the axes and intersect with the axes. The intersect polygons are still divided to 5 cases according to the intersection position among the polygons and the different level quadrant axes. The intersection polygons are stored in the different level root nodes in our index tree, and five buckets denoted as XpB, XnB, YpB, YnB, XYB are used to store the polygons intersecting the different level quadrant axes respectively. The polygons disjoint to all quadrant axes are stored in the leaf nodes in this method. The authors developed the spatial index structure with inclusion relations and the algorithms of the corresponding index operations (e.g., insert, delete and query) for the complex polygons. The effectiveness of the improved index is verified by an experiment of land cover data incremental updating. Experimental results show that the proposed index method is significantly more efficient than the traditional quadtree index in terms of spatial query efficiency, and the time efficiency of the incremental updating is increased about 3 times using the proposed index method than that using the traditional quadtree index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resistance related to magnetic domain walls in compressive-strained epitaxial manganite ultrathin films has been studied. The samples were demagnetized in different ways to induce either multidomain or single domain states. Very large difference in resistance was observed between the two states, which was attributed to the domain wall resistance. The magnitude of the domain wall resistance was found to be different in different manganite compounds. We have shown that large domain wall resistance can be obtained in strained ultrathin manganite films and the result cannot be simply explained by the existing models. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in strained Pr[sub 0.67]Sr[sub 0.33]MnO[sub 3] thin films has been studied by measuring the resistance as a function of the angle between the applied magnetic field direction and the film normal with the current always perpendicular to the magnetic field. The results show that both compressive- and tensile-strained ultrathin films (50–150 Å) exhibit unusually large AMR, but with opposite signs. In contrast, the almost strain free films show much smaller AMR over all the temperature and field ranges studied. The AMR decreases rapidly as the film thickness increases due to the gradual release of strain. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain effect on the low-field magnetoresistance (LFMR) in epitaxially grown Pr[sub 0.67]Sr[sub 0.33]MnO[sub 3] thin films has been studied. Very large LFMR and MR hysteresis have been found in compressive-strain ultrathin films grown on LaAlO[sub 3] (001) substrates when a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the film plane. The LFMR ratio as high as 360% at H=1600 Oe and T=30 K was obtained from the MR hysteresis curve. The large LFMR depends strongly on the applied magnetic field direction as well as the film thickness. It is reduced to less than 10% when the film thickness is about 20 nm. In comparison, tensile-strain films on SrTiO[sub 3](001) show positive LFMR, and almost strain free films on NdGaO[sub 3] (110) show very small LFMR (<2%), at comparable magnetic fields and temperatures. These effects were found to be closely related to the strain-induced magnetic anisotropy. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic studies and studies in rodents point to potential risks from developmental exposure to BPA on cardiometabolic diseases. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly evident that the manifestation and severity of adverse outcomes is the result of interaction between developmental insults and the prevailing environment. Consistent with this premise, recent studies in sheep found prenatal BPA treatment prevented the adverse effects of postnatal obesity in inducing hypertension. The gene networks underlying these complex interactions are not known. mRNA-seq of myocardium was performed on four groups of four female sheep to assess the effects of prenatal BPA exposure, postnatal overfeeding and their interaction on gene transcription, pathway perturbations and functional effects. The effects of prenatal exposure to BPA, postnatal overfeeding, and prenatal BPA with postnatal overfeeding all resulted in transcriptional changes (85-141 significant differentially expressed genes). Although the effects of prenatal BPA and postnatal overfeeding did not involve dysregulation of many of the same genes, they affected a remarkably similar set of biological pathways. Furthermore, an additive or synergistic effect was not found in the combined treatment group, but rather prenatal BPA treatment led to a partial reversal of the effects of overfeeding alone. Many genes previously known to be affected by BPA and involved in obesity, hypertension, or heart disease were altered following these treatments, and AP-1, EGR1, and EGFR were key hubs affected by BPA and/or overfeeding. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:4-18, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, porous glass was prepared by phase-separated method and silver-loaded porous glass (SPG) was prepared by ion-exchange method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was measured to characterise the antibacterial property of SPG. Porous glass with average pore diameter of 13 nm was obtained by acid etaching the Na–Si–B phase away. Then, silver ions were loaded in these pores by ion exchange. Impacts of the ion-exchange factors, such as silver nitrate solution concentration, pH value and bathing temperature, on the absorptivity of silver ions and silver-loaded amount were explored in this article. Silver-loaded amount of SPG determined its antibacterial property, namely that MIC decreased with the increase of silver-loaded amount. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Survival of odontoblasts during infection and inflammation determines prognosis of the dental pulp. CD47 is a "self"-label surface marker on viable cells. The aim of the present study is to investigate the interaction between CD47, autophagy, and apoptosis in inflamed human dental pulp and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mDPC6T cells. We identified activation of autophagy and apoptosis in the odontoblasts due to inflammation of the human dental pulp. Furthermore, downregulation of CD47 correlated with increased autophagy and apoptosis in dental pulp of the patients afflicted with either caries and/or pulpitis. We also detected colocalization of CD47 and LC3 in the inflamed odontoblasts. In addition, functional study indicated that loss of CD47 activates autophagy and increases apoptosis, indicating that CD47 plays a key role in the LPS-induced autophagy and apoptosis of odontoblasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potential field due to line sources residing on slender heterogeneities is involved in various areas, such as heat conduction, potential flow, and electrostatics. Often dipolar line sources are either prescribed or induced due to close interaction with other objects. Its calculation requires a higher-order scheme to take into account the dipolar effect as well as net source effect. In the present work, we apply such a higher-order line element method to analyze the potential field with cylindrical slender heterogeneities. In a benchmark example of two parallel rods, we compare the line element solution with the boundary element solution to show the accuracy as a function in terms of rods distance. Furthermore, we use more complicated examples to demonstrate the capability of the line element technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gender difference and caffeine supplementation to maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and submaximal voluntary isometric contractions (Tlim). 10 male (age: 20.10± 2.18 years, BMI: 22.23 ±1.96 kg/m²) and 10 female (age: 19.90±0.99 years, BMI: 21.76±2.65kg/m²) elite collegiate athletes were recruited. Subjects ingested caffeine (6mg/kg) or a placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control, and counter-balanced fashion. MVIC and Tlim were measured after supplementations. Tlim result was calculated based on the time to exhaustion of iso metric contraction with 50% MVIC. Fatigue index (FI%) referred to the MVIC tested 20 s after the cessation of Tlim test, and was indexed by the percentage of MVIC decline. No significant interaction effect was found between the gender factor and the supplementation factor for all dependent variables. Compared to the placebo, caffeine supplementation significantly increased MVIC (5.9%) and Tlim (15.5%) (p<0.05) whereas it had no significant effect on FI%. This study demonstrates that caffeine supplementation at a 6mg/ kg dosage facilitates performances in MVIC and Tlim. The ergogenic effect of caffeine on muscle power and muscle endurance does not show a gender bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Adipose afferent reflex ( AAR) contributes to sympathetic activation and hypertension. Paraventricular nucleus ( PVN) plays an important role in AAR and sympathetic outflow. The aim of the present study was to determine whether PVN mediates AAR response to insulin in a rat model of insulin resistance ( IR). Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Control and IR groups. Insulin resistance was induced by supplementing fructose (125 g L−1, 12 weeks) in the drinking water. Renal sympathetic nerve activity ( RSNA) and mean arterial pressure ( MAP) were recorded in anesthetized rats. AAR was evaluated by the RSNA and MAP responses to injection of capsaicin into four sites of right inguinal white adipose tissue. Results Rats in IR group showed a rise in plasma noradrenaline ( NE), glucose, insulin and triglyceride levels, left ventricular weight, systolic blood pressure, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( HOMA- IR) and PVN glucose and insulin levels, melanocortin 4 type receptors ( MC4Rs) protein expression, but not MC3Rs and insulin receptors. Compared with Control group, AAR in IR group was significantly enhanced, which contributed to the elevation of NE level; and insulin microinjection into the PVN or the third ventricle significantly strengthened AAR, which was attenuated by pre-treatment with MC4Rs antagonist HS024 and anti-insulin affibody, respectively, but not insulin receptors antagonist S961. Conclusion The enhanced AAR participates in sympathetic activation in IR, which can be strengthened by PVN insulin. PVN MC4Rs mediate the AAR response to insulin in IR, but not MC3Rs and insulin receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the adsorption of carbon atoms on Ni and Co models including Ni38/Co38 clusters and Ni/Co (100), (111) and (110) surfaces using the density functional theory is described. The carbon atoms adsorbed on Ni models and those on Co models were compared in terms of binding energy and bond length. Also, the density of electronic states and the electron density distributions in carbon atoms adsorbed on the Ni and Co surfaces were investigated. The preferred sites for carbon adsorption were obtained, while the reconstruction of Ni and Co during the process of carbon adsorption was observed. The results revealed that the (100) hollow sites in Ni and Co models were preferred for carbon adsorption, while the adsorption capacity of the Ni38 cluster was higher than that of the Co38 cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow and heat transfer across a circular cylinder with uniform volumetric energy dissipation under unconfined condition was numerically investigated using Ansys Fluent 12.0. The fluid was water with Prandtl number 7. The Reynolds number varied from 10 to 40. The results were compared with constant surface temperature and constant heat flux at the surface of the cylinder. It was found that the average Nusselt numbers with uniform energy dissipation (UED) in the cylinder were about 11% lower than those with constant heat flux (CHF) boundary condition and approximately 4% higher than those with constant surface temperature (CST) boundary condition. The average Nusselt numbers under different boundary conditions were also correlated with the Reynolds numbers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although surgery is the gold standard treatment for anal fissure, the main concern remains its side effects and complications. Botulinum toxin injection and lateral internal sphincterotomy are technical options for patients suffering from chronic anal fissure. However, little is known about the efficacy of these two techniques. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the outcomes of botulinum toxin injection versus lateral internal sphincterotomy for chronic anal fissure. Methods: Original studies in English were searched from the MEDLINE database, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library database. Randomized control trials that compared botulinum toxin injection with lateral internal sphincterotomy were identified. Data were independently extracted for each study, and a meta-analysis was performed using fixed and random effects models. Results: Four hundred and eighty-nine patients from seven trials met the inclusion criteria. Patients undergoing lateral internal sphincterotomy had a higher-healing and incontinence rate. No statistically significant differences were noted in total complications between botulinum toxin injection and lateral internal sphincterotomy. Patients treated with lateral internal sphincterotomy had a significantly lower recurrence rate than the patients treated with botulinum toxin injection. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis shows that lateral internal sphincterotomy was superior to botulinum toxin injection in terms of healing rate and lower recurrence rate. Botox, however, is safe associated with a lower rate of incontinence and could be used in certain situations. Further studies with a long-term follow-up are required to confirm our observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication of graphene/YBa2Cu3O7-δ contacts and their superconducting proximity effect. Both the temperature dependence of resistance and the current bias dependence of resistance for the contacts are investigated, respectively. The results are compared with that of pure YBCO Hall bar. It is found that the differential resistance transits from a non-zero value to zero at high bias across graphene/YBCO junction below the transition temperature of YBCO, the phenomena indicate the tunneling of Cooper pairs from YBCO to graphene. As the YBCO film deposited by pulsed laser deposition has a rough surface, the graphene layer can contact with the edge of CuO2 planes. It allows that Cooper pairs could leak into graphene along the CuO2 planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo document the etiology, clinical presentation, and visual prognosis of optic neuritis in Taiwanese children.MethodsRetrospectively reviewed children younger than 18 years old with optic neuritis in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung Children's Hospital from 1998 to 2009.ResultsThere were 24 children (38 eyes) with optic neuritis in that period. Overall, 14 patients (58.3%) were female and 10 patients (41.7%) were male. In total, 14 patients (58.3%) had bilateral involvement, and 10 patients (41.7%) had unilateral involvement. Out of 38 eyes, 24 (63.2%) had disc swelling. Out of 24 patients, 21 (87.5%) underwent intravenous steroid therapy (10 to 30 mg/kg/day) for 3-5 days, and followed by an oral taper. Out of 24 patients, 20 (83.3%) achieved final visual acuity (VA) of 20/40 or better. However, a poor visual outcome (four patients) (VA<20/40) was correlated with pale disc at presentation (P=0.002, Pearson χ2-test) and age older than 10 years (P=0.012, Fisher's exact test). Five patients were diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) (21%), and three patients were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) (12.5%). Patients with ADEM did not have a better visual outcome than patients with MS (P=0.643, Fisher's exact test).ConclusionsVisual recovery from optic neuritis was favorable in Taiwanese children. A poor visual outcome was correlated with pale disc at presentation and patients' age older than 10 years. ADEM is the most common associated systemic disease; MS is relatively rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The −460T → C polymorphism of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene significantly increases its promoter activity. A pilot study was conducted to assess the influence of this polymorphism on clinicopathological features of patients with colorectal carcinoma. In total, 228 patients were enrolled, including 100 with stage II/III colorectal carcinoma receiving curative surgery and 128 with metastatic disease. An excellent correlation in VEGF −460 genotypes based on white blood cells and tumor tissues existed, but there was no between-group difference in patients with or without colorectal carcinoma. A marked increase in intratumor and circulating VEGF levels were observed in patients with the T/C or C/C genotypes (P<0.01), which was associated with increased extent of invasion, nodal involvement, poor histological differentiation, subsequent metastasis and shorter survival in stage II/III patients treated with curative surgery (P<0.01). For patients with metastatic disease, this polymorphism was associated with a lower response rate to FOLFOX-4 (P=0.03) and shorter survival (P<0.001). By multivariate analysis, this polymorphism was identified as an independent prognostic factor (P=0.01). These data suggest that −460T → C polymorphism of VEGF gene, by increasing VEGF expression and subsequent angiogenesis, could be a key determinant for increased tumor recurrence and a poor prognosis of patients with colorectal carcinoma. However, this study is exploratory and is not adjusted for multiple comparisons, requiring independent replication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A linear relationship between concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and optical parameter (OP) is established using the Beer–Lambert law. The SO2 measuring system is set up to measure the concentration of sulfur dioxide in the wavelength range 275–315 nm. Experimental results indicate that the detection limit of the sulfur dioxide measuring system is below 0.2 ppm per meter of path length, and the measurement precision is better than ±1%. The proposed SO2 measuring method features limited interference from other gases and dust, and high stability and short response time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halbach cylinder magnet has been widely used as field source due to its great features. However, the existence of the magnetic moment in the Halbach cylinder magnet limits its application in some fields. To eliminate the dipole moment of the whole magnet system, a method is presented here that incorporates permanent magnets to provide an opposite dipole moment. Both the FEM simulation and the experimental results demonstrate that this method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of a new type slotted leakywave coaxial cable with good coupling loss performance and multiple operating frequency bands is presented, in which FDTD simulation is utilized to obtain the electric and magnetic fields' distribution on a specified surface enclosing a segment of the cable, and then Huygens' Principle is applied to calculate the far field radiation. Coupling effect between slots has also been studied, which is verified to have significant effect on the radiation field at higher frequency band. Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the spacing between the slots inside a fundamental cell and the period of the fundamental cells to get better coupling loss performance. Measured results agree well with the simulation data, indicating that the methodology is effective for the design of such cables with multi-bands requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By comparing surgical outcomes between primary and delayed resection, we addressed whether and how surgical strategies impacted prognosis of patients with left-sided colorectal cancer underwent emergency curative resection. Between January 1980 and December 2002, a total of 143 patients were identified who presented with obstructive left-sided colorectal cancer and received emergency curative resection in Taipei Veterans General Hospital. Patients were stratified according to the timing of tumor resection into two groups: primary resection and delayed resection. Demographic data of the patients, characteristics of the tumors, and short-term and long-term outcomes were analyzed and compared between the two groups. The demographic data and tumor characteristics did not differ between the two groups except for more rectal cancers in the delayed resection group ( P = 0.021). Primary resection group had a higher anastomotic leakage rate ( P = 0.017) and a trend toward a higher mortality rate, which did not reach statistical significance ( P = 0.063). The median follow-up intervals were similar (60.4 vs. 58.3 months; P = 0.79). The median survival tended to be longer in delayed resection group (66 vs. 105 months; P = 0.088). Overall five-year and ten-year survival for primary resection were 43.7 and 31.9 percent, respectively, compared with 67.2 and 53.2 percent, respectively, for delayed resection. Delayed resection seems to be a safer procedure and provided a better oncologic outcome compared with primary resection in obstructive left-sided colorectal cancer under emergency situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high population density of insects is often a stress factor. Insects synthesize heat shock proteins (Hsps) in response to the impacts of stress through molecular chaperone activity. Locust solitary and gregarious phases occur at low and high population density, respectively. In this study, we compare the expression profiles of the Hsp genes in the two phases of the migratory locust in an attempt to examine the role of Hsps in adaptation to high density populations. The full length cDNAs of Hsp20.5, 20.6, 20.7, 40, 70 and Hsp90 of the migratory locust were cloned and sequenced. The expressional differentiation of the six Hsps in mRNA levels between solitary and gregarious locusts was observed. Results from real-time PCR indicate that the six Hsps are expressed throughout all developmental stages except in the early stage embryo. The expression levels of the six Hsps were significantly upregulated in gregarious locusts. The expressional variations among certain organs, such as the head, thorax and leg of fifth instar nymphs in gregarious locusts were also higher than those in solitary ones. These observations suggest that population density may be an important factor in determining Hsp expression in the locust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combustion exhaust monitoring was simulated by measurement on a sulfur dioxide flow at different temperatures using broadband absorption spectroscopy and electrochemical analysis. A linear relationship with varying rates of slope for different temperatures was found between the gas concentrations obtained using the two methods, attributed to the influence of gas volume increase and absorption line broadening. By utilizing the differential absorption at an on/off pair combined with an experimentally determined temperature correction coefficient, the sulfur dioxide concentration was evaluated with the spectroscopic method yielding a measurement precision of 4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paclitaxel (Taxol) is an antineoplastic agent that specifically targets microtubules and arrests cells at the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. In addition to mitotic arrest, the activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway has been demonstrated to be involved in the process leading to apoptosis. In an attempt to explore what genes are transcriptionally regulated by the activated JNK signaling pathway upon paclitaxel treatment, we used cDNA microarrays to analyse the changes of gene expression in human ovarian cancer cells that were treated with paclitaxel and/or the JNK inhibitor SP600125. Among 20 genes that were specifically regulated by the paclitaxel-activated JNK pathway, interleukin (IL)-6 was shown to elicit function through the JAK–STAT signaling pathway in an autocrine and/or paracrine fashion. Subsequently, we identified that 87.5% of eight tested ovarian cancer lines secreted detectable levels of IL-6, which could be further upregulated 2-3.2 fold by 1 μM paclitaxel. Dissection on regulatory pathways for IL-6 indicated that (i) when ovarian cancer cells were treated with paclitaxel at low but clinically achievable concentrations (exemplified by 1 μM in this study), the JNK signaling pathway was the major stimulator of IL-6 gene regulation and (ii) at suprapharmacologically high concentrations (exemplified by 50 μM), paclitaxel exerted lipopolysaccharide-like effects, most likely through the Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway. Collectively, these results suggest that paclitaxel upregulates functional IL-6 expression in human ovarian cancer cells through multiple signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of InGaAsN/GaAs single-quantum wells (SQWs) with N contents varied from 0% to 5.3% were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy using a solid As and a nitrogen plasma sources. The impact of nitrogen concentration on the optical properties, as determined by the temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL), of a 6 nm SQW was investigated. In the low-temperature region, a pronounced temperature-dependent S-shaped peak position was observed in PL spectra while increasing the nitrogen concentration. Quenching behavior reveals that the defect-related nonradiative processes might be enhanced in the highly nitrogen incorporated samples and thus influence the recombination dynamics. In addition, the evolution of the peak position of the InGaAsN/GaAs samples was in agreement with the empirical Varshni model in the high-temperature region. A significant reduction in the temperature dependence of the emission peak position is analyzed as well, and further confirms the prediction of proposed band anticrossing model of the electronic structure of III-N-V alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theory has been developed for the mechanical stabilisation of plastically deformed austenite by balancing the force which drives the transformation interface against the resistance from dislocation debris in the austenite. The work has been used to explain why very large strains are required to mechanically stabilise certain stainless steels, and also to interpret the subunit mechanism of bainite growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting with 190&ThickSpace;µm diameter wire of 316L stainless steel, ultra-thin wire just 8&ThickSpace;µm in diameter has been made and characterized. There was no intermediate heat treatment used in the process of drawing, and the amount of true stain was about 6.3. A specimen preparation method for the cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of ultra-fine wires of 316L stainless steel has been developed. The ultra-fine wire was sandwiched between silicon chips and the bonded assembly then sliced to produce longitudinal and transverse sections of the wire in a form suitable for further processing into electron transparent samples. TEM reveals that the heavily deformed wire consists of nanoscale fine elongated structures along the drawing direction. The diffraction patterns indicate that a substantial amount of austenite has transformed into martensite. The TEM dark field images show nanosized patches of martensite distributed among the debris of austenite along the drawing direction. The evidence strongly suggests that severe deformation leads to mechanical stabilization of austenite against the growth of martensite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure of 8 μm diameter wire produced by the severe deformation of 316L austenitic stainless steel has been examined using TEM and X-ray diffraction. The deformation imparted amounts to a true strain of 6·3. Data from previous studies on strain induced transformation of this steel have been combined with new results to show that true strains >2 are required in order to observe mechanical stabilisation, i.e. the cessation of martensitic transformation when the martensite/austenite interfaces are unable to propagate through the dislocation debris created in the austenite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of Ή∞ optimal control theory to global positioning system receiver tracking loops is investigated. The design of an Ή∞ controller for the receiver tracking-loop is presented. The Ή∞ controller is particularly attractive because it is a robust design in the sense that small disturbances lead to small tracking errors. Furthermore, it easily accommodates the inclusion of plant uncertainties as part of the plant model. By adding unstructured or structured perturbations to the plant model, it is possible to design controllers that ensure stability robustness and performance robustness of the closed-loop system. In order to apply the Ή∞ optimal design, the GPS receiver tracking loop is rewritten into a two-input two-output generalised plant model. Various levels of disturbances are derived using a software-based GPS L5 signal generator which are then used as test inputs to evaluate the performance of the proposed tracking loop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To study the difference between pyridoxine (PN) and its active form, pyridoxal phosphate, (PLP) in control of idiopathic intractable epilepsy in children. Methods: Among 574 children with active epilepsy, 94 (aged 8 months to 15 years) were diagnosed with idiopathic intractable epilepsy for more than six months. All received intravenous PIP 10 mg/kg, then 10 mg/kg/day in four divided doses. If seizures recurred within 24 hours, another dose of 40 mg/kg was given, followed by 50 mg/kg/day in four divided doses. For those patients whose seizures were totally controlled, PLP was replaced by the same dose of oral PN. lithe seizure recurred, intravenous PLP was infused followed by oral PLP 50 mg/kg/day. Results: Filly seven patients had generalised seizures (of whom 13 had infantile spasms) and 37 had focal seizure. Eleven had dramatic and sustained responses to PLP; of these, five also responded to PN. Within six months of treatment with PLP or PN, five of the 11 patients were seizure free and had their previous antiepileptic medicine tapered off gradually. Two were controlled with pyridoxine and the other three needed PLP to maintain seizure freedom. The remaining six responders needed PLP exclusively for seizure control. Six of the 11 responders to PLP had infantile spasms (46%); four of them needed PIP exclusively. The other five responders were in the remaining 81 patients with other seizure type. Conclusions: PIP could replace PN in the treatment of intractable childhood epilepsy, particularly in the treatment of infantile spasms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study has been conducted to investigate the effects of operating conditions, which include gas flowrate, tuyere size, tuyere number, and height of iron phase, on the extent of mixing between molten iron and molten slag in the direct iron ore smelting reduction process. A transparent acrylic water model, 30% of the size of the actual smelter, was constructed to study the mass transfer phenomena. In the water model, water and spindle oil were used to simulate molten iron and molten slag, respectively, while air was used to replace the bottom blown nitrogen gas. In addition, thymol (C[sub 10]H[sub 14]O[sub 6]) was used as a tracer material in the water model, added to the water at the beginning of the experiment. As mixing between water and spindle oil proceeded owing to stirring by the bottom blown gas, the concentration of thymol in the water decreased and that in the spindle oil increased. Water samples were taken from the bottom and 12 cm above the bottom of the water model at various operating times. Concentrations of thymol were then measured using a diode array ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer. By analysing the concentration data, the mass transfer rate k[sub w]A, which is a direct index for evaluating the mixing efficiency, could be derived. The process conditions under investigation included 40-500 L min[sup -1] gas flowrate, 0·3[sup -1] cm tuyere size, four or five tuyeres, and 20-30 cm height of the water phase. The test results indicate that when the gas flowrate increases, the value of k[sub w]A increases, which indicates better mixing between oil and water phases. However, as the gas flowrate approaches 40 L min[sup -1], the improvement becomes less obvious. The smaller tuyere gives better mixing, and the design of five tuyeres results in better mixing compared with four tuyeres when they are blown with the same total gas flowrate. However, mixing efficiency decreases with increased height of the water phase. Also, as the gas flowrate of bottom blowing approaches 40 L min[sup -1], gas blowing from the top has little effect on the mixing behaviour in the liquid bath. For a four tuyere system, the process conditions of height of oil phase 5 cm, height of water phase 25 cm, diameter of tuyere 0·75 cm, and gas flowrate for each tuyere 40 L min[sup -1], appear to be the optimal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structures of Pr[sub 0.7]Ca[sub 0.3]MnO[sub 3] thin films on LaAlO[sub 3] (001) and NdGaO[sub 3] (001) substrates were investigated using transmission electron microscopy. These substrates induce a significant compressive strain and a slight tensile strain respectively on the film, and quite different microstructures were found in the two cases. Many complex tangles of dislocations were found in the film on LaAlO[sub 3], and it had a two-domain structure where both domains have a [110] axis perpendicular to the film plane. The film on NdGaO[sub 3] was mostly defect free, apart from occasional precipitates, which appeared to be NaCl-structure MnO, and displayed a single domain structure with the [001] axis perpendicular to the film. The difference in domain structure was explained on the grounds of misfit minimization, and the possible consequences of such a dependence of the domain structure on the substrate for the magnetic properties were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]