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Soil transfer and loss on the surface of terrain with karst topography due to fissures or caves in carbonate rocks, together with rainwater infiltration is a universal phenomenon. The degree of soil loss increases with increases in combined geological conformation movement, physical and chemical weathering, and corrosion. The combined action of underground soil leakage and surface erosion can lead to changes in the karst ecosystem and degeneration of soil and vegetation. Establishment of a grading standard for underground soil leakage is essential for assessing and analyzing degradation of karst ecosystems. For this purpose, a field study was conducted in Karst Mountain located in Liannan County, covering eight surfaces fractured by mining and road building, over 40 quadrats in Karst Hill, and the needle area of Yanbei town, Jiulong town, and Yingde city, north of Guangdong province. Based on field survey, we had got basic data, including data on 56 fissures, 40 doline funnels, and some karst caves in fractured surfaces, in addition,together with research results and survey data collected over 10 years in the Karst Mountains, hill, and needle Karst landscape, a grading standard for underground soil leakage, and a reference index for landscape characteristics of Karst mountain surfaces were set and discussed. (1) Three primary indices (fissure, karst cave, and doline funnel) and nine secondary indicators (connecting fissures between Karst caves, area ratio of fissures to fracture surfaces, fissure density, type of Karst cave, quantity of Karst caves, Karst cave location, doline funnel depth to width ratio, doline funnel shape, and fissure development surrounding a doline funnel) were selected. Underground leakage was stratified into four levels: no soil leakage, light soil leakage, moderate soil leakage, and serious soil leakage. The pathway of soil leakage, stage, relevance among all indicators, survey data from all fracture surfaces, and easily obtained index data were fully considered before selecting indices and standard data. Indicators were quantized to the extent possible, but were also combined with some qualitative indices to ensure practical grading of underground leakage. (2) Key features of karst landscape and data, including rock type, geomorphic features, landform, extent of uncovered rock, vegetation form, vegetation structure, vegetation coverage, and soil depth were selected to construct a reference index for determining landscape characteristics of the Karst mountain surface as an auxiliary index to the grading standard for underground leakage. A combination of these two sets of evaluation criteria will contribute to the development of an intact karst ecosystem evaluation method that is fully integrated with the assessment systems for rocky desertification. (3) This new evaluation criterion system for underground soil leakage will contribute to the overall assessment of karst ecosystems, especially for assessments of water and soil loss in road building, mining, and ecological environment construction, and can help us to draft a scientifically sound environmental governance policy for karst ecosystem resource utilization. These results will support further studies on karst ecosystems and more comprehensive evaluation of degraded karst environments.

Network security is subject to malicious attacks from multiple sources, and intrusion detection systems (IDS) play a key role in maintaining network security. During the training of intrusion detection models, the detection results generally have relatively large false detection rates due to the shortage of training data caused by data imbalance. To address the existing sample imbalance problem, this paper proposed a network intrusion detection algorithm based on enhanced random forest and Synthetic Minority Over-Sampling Technique (SMOTE) algorithm. Firstly, the method used a hybrid algorithm combining the K-means clustering algorithm with the SMOTE sampling algorithm to increase the number of minor samples and thus achieved a balanced data set, by which the sample features of minor samples could be learned more effectively. Secondly, preliminary prediction result was obtained by using enhanced random forest, and then the similarity matrix of network attacks was used to correct the prediction results of voting processing by the analysis of the type of network attacks. In this paper, the performance was tested using the NSL-KDD dataset with a classification accuracy of 99.72% on the training set and 78.47% on the test set. Compared with other related papers, our method has some improvement in the classification accuracy of detection.

The outbreak of COVID‐19 coronavirus disease around the end of 2019 has become a pandemic. The preferred method for COVID‐19 detection is the real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR)‐based technique; however, it also has certain limitations, such as sample‐dependent procedures with a relatively high false negative ratio. We propose a safe and efficient method for screening COVID‐19 based on Raman spectroscopy. A total of 177 serum samples are collected from 63 confirmed COVID‐19 patients, 59 suspected cases, and 55 healthy individuals as a control group. Raman spectroscopy is adopted to analyze these samples, and a machine learning support‐vector machine (SVM) method is applied to the spectrum dataset to build a diagnostic algorithm. Furthermore, 20 independent individuals, including 5 asymptomatic COVID‐19 patients and 5 symptomatic COVID‐19 patients, 5 suspected patients, and 5 healthy patients, were sampled for external validation. In these three groups—confirmed COVID‐19, suspected, and healthy individuals—the distribution of statistically significant points of difference showed highly consistency for intergroups after repeated sampling processes. The classification accuracy between the COVID‐19 cases and the suspected cases is 0.87 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85–0.88), and the accuracy between the COVID‐19 and the healthy controls is 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89–0.91), while the accuracy between the suspected cases and the healthy control group is 0.68 (95% CI: 0.67–0.73). For the independent test dataset, we apply the obtained SVM model to the classification of the independent test dataset to have all the results correctly classified. Our model showed that the serum‐level classification results were all correct for independent test dataset. Our results suggest that Raman spectroscopy could be a safe and efficient technique for COVID‐19 screening., The outbreak of COVID‐19 coronavirus disease around the end of 2019 has become a pandemic. We propose a safe and efficient method for screening COVID‐19 based on Raman spectroscopy. Raman spectroscopy is adopted to analyze these sealed serum samples, and a machine learning support‐vector machines (SVMs) method is applied to the spectrum dataset to build a diagnostic algorithm. Our results suggest that Raman spectroscopy could be safe and efficient technique for COVID‐19 screening.

This paper examines how AI at work impacts on-the-job learning, shedding light on workers’ reactions to the groundbreaking AI technology. Based on theoretical analysis, six hypotheses are proposed regarding three aspects of AI’s influence on on-the-job learning. Empirical results demonstrate that AI significantly inhibits people’s on-the-job learning and this conclusion holds true in a series of robustness and endogeneity checks. The impact mechanism is that AI makes workers more pessimistic about the future, leading to burnout and less motivation for on-the-job learning. In addition, AI’s replacement, mismatch, and deskilling effects decrease people’s income while extending working hours, reducing their available financial resources and disposable time for further learning. Moreover, it has been found that AI’s impact on on-the-job learning is more prominent for older, female and less-educated employees, as well as those without labor contracts and with less job autonomy and work experience. In regions with more intense human–AI competition, more labor-management conflicts, and poorer labor protection, the inhibitory effect of AI on further learning is more pronounced. In the context of the fourth technological revolution driving forward the intelligent transformation, findings of this paper have important implications for enterprises to better understand employee behaviors and to promote them to acquire new skills to achieve better human–AI teaming.

The formation of new blood vessels is an important physiological process that occurs during development. When the body is injured, new blood vessel formation helps the body recuperate by supplying more oxygen and nutrients. However, this mechanism can have a negative effect. In ophthalmologic diseases, such as corneal new blood vessels, neonatal vascular glaucoma, and diabetes retinopathy, the formation of new blood vessels has become a critical component in patient survival. Connexin is a protein that regulates the cellular and molecular material carried by cells. It has been demonstrated that it is widely expressed in vascular endothelial cells, where it forms a slit connection between adjacent cells to promote cell-cell communication via hemichannels, as well as substance exchange into intracellular environments. Numerous studies have demonstrated that connexin in vascular endothelial cells plays an important role in angiogenesis and vascular leakage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect between the angiogenesis-associated factor and the connexin. It also reveals the effect of connexin on ophthalmic neovascularization.

Monolithic integration of multiband (1.4~ 6.0 GHz) RF acoustic devices were successfully demonstrated within the same process flow by using the lithium niobate (LN) thin film on silicon carbide (LNOSiC) substrate. A novel surface mode with sinking energy distribution was proposed, exhibiting reduced propagation loss. Surface wave and Lamb wave resonators with suppressed transverse modes and leaky modes were demonstrated, showing scalable resonances from 1.4 to 5.7 GHz, electromechanical coupling coefficients (k2) between 7.9% and 29.3%, and maximum Bode-Q (Qmax) larger than 3200. Arrayed filters with a small footprint (4.0 x 2.5 mm2) but diverse center frequencies (fc) and 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBW) were achieved, showing fc from 1.4 to 6.0 GHz, FBW between 3.3% and 13.3%, and insertion loss (IL) between 0.59 and 2.10 dB. These results may promote the progress of hundred-filter sub-6 GHz RF front-end modules (RF-FEMs)., 6 pages, 19 figures

Purpose This paper aims to explore the damage mechanism of a lubricating film on the worn surface of solid self-lubricating composites under different loads. Design/methodology/approach By comparing the actual stress with the strength, it is possible to determine the approximate wear state of the lubricating film. To prove the validity of the mathematical model that can predict the initiation of micro cracks or even the failure of the lubricating film, M50-5 Wt.% Ag self-lubricating composites (MA) was prepared. Tribological tests of the composites against Si3N4 ceramic balls were conducted at room temperature from 2 to 8 N. The electron probe microanalysis images of the lubricating film verify the wear state of the lubricating film. Findings The study found that the back edge of the contact area is the most vulnerable to destruction. The tensile stress and the equivalent shear stress have a positive correlation with load and friction coefficient. When the load is 4 N, an intact lubricating film covers the worn surface because the tensile stress and the equivalent shear stress are below the tensile strength and the shear strength, respectively; under other working conditions, the lubricating film is destroyed. Originality/value This paper has certain theoretical guidance for the study of tribological properties of solid self-lubricating composites. Moreover, this mathematical model is appropriate to be applied for the other composites.

Data-driven method has been used to carry out distribution transformer connectivity verification. The imbalanced dataset always results in bad performance of machine learning algorithms. In order to solve this problem, two kinds of over-sampling methods have been studied in this paper. Voltage curves of 3967 distribution transformer which belong to 197 10kV feeders have been collected. The performance of over-sampling methods under different sampling rate has also been studied. Pareto optimality has been carried out in order to obtain the best sampling rate. Results show that with the increase of sampling rate, the value of true negative (TN) increase and the value of true positive (TP) and accuracy decrease. The performance of synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) is a little better compared with simple copy method (SCM). When the lower limits of TN, TP and accuracy are set as 0.93, the best sampling rate of SCM is 17 and the values for SMOTE are 16, 17 and 18.

The co-evolution between black holes and galaxies suggests that feedback of active galactic nuclei influence host galaxies through ejecting radiative and kinetic energies to surroundings. Larger scale outflow in local universe are frequently observed by spatially resolved spectroscopy, while smaller scale outflow cannot be directly resolved by current observations. At the scale of the dusty torus, radiative and kinetic energies ejected from the central active nucleus interact with the materials. However, observations of such outflow are rarely reported due to the lack detection of unambiguously gas emission. Here we report the detection of clear and rich emission lines origin from the scale of dusty tours in an partially obscured quasar. The lines share a common intermediate width with full width at half maximum about 1900 \kmps\ and are shown in two systems: a major system is unshifted and a minor system has a blue-shifts of about 2600 \kmps. The line intensity ratios, combining photo-ionization simulations, indicates an ultradense line-emitting region with the density as high as $\sim$ $10^{13}~\rm cm^{-3}$. We interpret this as the lines being excited by a shock induced by the high-density and high-temperature gases at the scale of dusty torus, rather than photo-ionized by the central accretion disk. We speculate that the outflow, launched from the accretion disk, collides onto the inner wall of the dusty torus and shock-heat the gases to cause the major emission lines. The outflowing gases may also collide onto surrounding isolated clouds, and give rise to blue-shifted minor emission lines.

Ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber has been successfully applied in transoceanic transmission, which is considered as a promising candidate for 100 Gbit/s and beyond 100 Gbit/s coherent long-haul terrestrial optical networks. Several theoretical and experimental investigations have been reported, including provincial terrestrial field trial. To support long-haul terrestrial application, it is urgent to prove that the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber after terrestrial deployment can significantly enhance the performance of long-haul transmission over 1000 km compared with the conventional single mode fiber. In this paper, we extended our previous work and summarized design methods for complex terrestrial environment. To verify the fiber characteristics in long-haul terrestrial transmission, we installed the longest terrestrial ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber link in the world with a total length of 1539.6 km. The results show that the transmission performances of wavelength-division-multiplexed signals with per-channel data rates of 100 Gbit/s, 200 Gbit/s, and 400 Gbit/s over the ultra-low-loss and large-effective-area fiber are all obviously improved, demonstrating that this fiber is more suitable for ultrahigh-speed long-haul terrestrial transmission.

This paper describes a new method for fabrication of tailorable elastomeric gratings with tunable groove density gradients based on stretching of the grating sample in a direction perpendicular to the grating line within the grating surface. The advantage of this method is that the tunable groove density gradient can be achieved by tailoring of the shape of a grating sample with uniform thickness. The groove density gradient changes as a specific function of its spatial position on the tailored surface of the elastomeric grating. The resulting tailorable elastomeric gratings can be used in the fabrication of devices such as optical position sensors and tunable optical filters.

Quasars are high-luminosity active galactic nuclei believed to be powered by accretion of interstellar matter onto a super-massive black hole (SMBH) therein. Most of the observed energy is released in an accretion disk of inspiralling gas surrounding the SMBH. An enormous amount of fueling material is expected to be transported inwards. However, basic questions remain unanswered as to whether and how the accretion disks are supplied with external gas, since no disk-feeding inflow has hitherto been observed clearly. Here we report the discovery of highly redshifted broad absorption lines arising from neutral hydrogen and helium atoms in a small sample of quasars. Their absorption troughs show a broad range of Doppler velocities from zero extending continuously inward up to as high as $\sim 5,000$ km s$^{-1}$. We thus see through streams of cold gas moving with a radially inward velocity component that spans an immense gradient---a result of gravitational acceleration by the central SMBH. Extensive photo-ionization modeling for the archetypical object SDSS J103516.20+142200.6 indicates the inflowing gas to be dense, thick and moderately ionized, with a characteristic distance to the SMBH of $\sim 1,000$ gravitational radii, possibly overlapping or close to the outer accretion disk. Our results present the first compelling evidence for the long-sought inflow directly feeding quasars' accretion disks with external materials, likely originating from the dusty torus at a parsec scale. Our approach provides a new tool to probe the bulk of the so far elusive fueling inflows in quasars. Their studies may help address some of the fundamental questions concerning accretion physics, the onset and sustainment of quasar activity, and the SMBH growth at centers of most galaxies., 38 pages, 15 figures, pre-print of an article published in Nature

The operation data, such as voltage data whose similarity has been analyzed to verify distribution network connectivity. However, many influence factors will affect voltage data, such as voltage loss, measuring errors, clocks asynchrony and so on. This will result in the inaccuracy of similarity calculation and make trouble to verify Distribution network topology (DNT). This paper mainly focuses on the influence of voltage loss on similarity calculation. Correlation analysis, morphology similarity distance and dynamic time warping are used to calculate similarity. The results of the three methods which used to calculate similarity have been analyzed and compared. Results show that in order to avoid obtaining wrong similarity calculation results, the correlation analysis is recommended compared with morphology similarity distance (MSD) and dynamic time warping (DTW).

IRAS F11119+3257 is a quasar-dominated Ultra-Luminous InfraRed Galaxy, with a partially obscured narrow-line seyfert 1 nucleus. In this paper, we present the NIR spectroscopy of F11119+3257, in which we find unusual Paschen emission lines, and metastable He I* $��$10830 absorption associated with the previously reported atomic sodium and molecular OH mini-BAL (Broad Absorption Line) outflow. Photo-ionization diagnosis confirms previous findings that the outflows are at kilo-parsec scales. Such large-scale outflows should produce emission lines. We indeed find that high-ionization emission lines ([O III], [Ne III], and [Ne V]) are dominated by blueshifted components at similar speeds to the mini-BALs. The blueshifted components are also detected in some low-ionization emission lines, such as [O II] $��$3727 and some Balmer lines (H$��$, H$��$, and H$��$), even though their cores are dominated by narrow ($FWHM_{\rm NEL} = 570\pm40$km s$^{-1}$) or broad components at the systemic redshift of $z=0.18966\pm0.00006$. The mass flow rate (230-730$~M_\odot \rm yr^{-1}$) and the kinetic luminosity ($\dot{E}_k \sim 10^{43.6-44.8} $erg s$^{-1}$) are then inferred jointly from the blueshifted emission and absorption lines. In the NIR spectrum of F11119+3257, we also find that the Paschen emission lines are unique, in which a very narrow ($FWHM=260\pm20~$km s$^{-1}$) component is shown in only Pa$��$. This narrow component most probably comes from heavily obscured star formation. Based on the Pa$��$ and Pa$��$ emissions, we obtain an extinction at the $H$ band, $A_H~>~2.1$ (or a reddenning of $E_{B-V}~>~$3.7), and a star formation rate of $SFR~>~130\rm M_\odot yr^{-1}$ that resembles the estimates inferred from the FIR emissions ($SFR_{\rm FIR} = 190\pm90$ $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$)., 29 pages (single column), 11 figures

As hybrids of narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies and blazars, ��-ray emitting NLS1s are important probes of jet physics in the high Eddington-ratio regime. Only very few of them are known to date; the majority of them below redshift z = 0.5. Here we present the identification of the ��-ray emitting AGN TXS 0943+105 (SDSS J094635.06+101706.1) as a high-redshift NLS1 galaxy. It turns out to be one of the radio-loudest NLS1s known, highly variable at all wavelengths, and shows widely extended radio emission at a (projected) > 100 kpc scale. It is a known strong ��-ray emitter with a luminous flare reported previously. At redshift z=1.004, this is the most distant ��-NLS1 known to date., 6 pages, 5 figures, MNRAS Letters in press

In this letter, a tunable and polarization-independent guided-mode resonance filter that has two-dimensional crossed grating on a wedged waveguide layer of Ta 2 O 5 is fabricated and analysed for the communication band. The wedged waveguide layer is etched by the ion beam etching technique with a triangle-shaped mask, and the two-dimensional grating is made by holographic exposure technique. The measured spectra show that the filter can realize the property of polarization-independence at normal incidence. By the thickness gradient of the wedged layer, the filter is tunable in a range of 1599.9-1621.5 nm over a distance of 9 mm.

Rationale: Neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1) is a multisystem autosomal dominant disease characterized by pigmentation and the growth of tumors along nerves in the skin, brain, and other parts of the body. It is caused by a mutation in the NF-1 tumor suppressor gene. NF-1 vascular disease is an important complication of the disease. Patient concerns: The study reports a unique case of a patient with NF-1 with 2 simultaneous vascular abnormalities, involving tiny spiral venous changes (corkscrew retinal vessels) and retinal arterial macroaneurysms. Our patient was diagnosed with NF-1 as she met the following National Institutes of Health consensus criteria for the diagnosis of NF-1: more than 6 cafe au lait macules, of a maximum diameter ≥15mm, 2 neurofibromas within the dermis, and Lisch nodules on the iris. Diagnoses: Retinal arterial macroaneurysm in the left eye, corkscrew retinal vessels related to NF-1 and Neurofibromatosis type I. Interventions: Due to the possibility of automatic involution of macroaneurysms, recovery may not affect vision (4). A cardiologist advised the patient to take nifedipine tablets (30mg/d) to treat her high blood pressure while continuing observation of the macroaneurysms. Outcomes: Preretinal, intraretinal, and subretinal hemorrhage near the retinal artery aneurysm in the patient showed partial absorption at 3 months of follow-up. Lessons: Our analysis suggests that retinal macroaneurysm formed in the patient's body are due to neurofibroma type I secondary hypertension. The case study also indicated the symptoms of newly discovered neurofibroma type I which led to retinal microvascular abnormalities. We believe that such changes in eye blood vessels are rare and this case provides an insight to the field of neurology and ophthalmology.

In this paper, we present an intercomparison study of two quasars, SDSS J145618.32+340037.2 and SDSS J215331.50-025514.1, which have proximate damped Lya systems (PDLAs) with residual flux upon the Lya absorption trough. Though they both have residual flux as luminous as $10^{43}erg/s$, their PDLAs are quite different in, e.g., HI column density, metal line absorption strength, high-ionization absorption lines as well as residual flux strength. For J1456, the HI column density is $20.6\pm0.2$, with za=2.3138, nearly identical to the quasar redshift (z=2.3142) determined from the [OIII] emission line. The metallicity of this system is typical of DLAs and there is high ionization therein, suggesting that the PDLA system is multiphase, putting it in the quasar environment. For J2153, we measure the HI column density to be $21.5\pm0.1$ at za=3.511, slightly redshifted with respect to the quasar (z=3.490) measured from CIII]. The metallicity of this system is quite low and there is a lack of significant high-ionization absorption lines therein, suggesting that the system is beyond the quasar host galaxy. The residual flux is wide (1000 km/s) in J1456, with a significance of $8��$, while also wide (1500 km/s) but with a smaller significance of $3��$ in J2153. Among many explanations, we find that Lya fuzz or resonant scattering can be used to explain the residual flux in the two sources while partial coverage cannot be excluded for J1456. By comparing these two cases, together with similar cases reported previously, we suggest that the strength of the residual flux is related to properties such as metallicity and high-ionization absorption lines of PDLAs. The residual flux recorded upon the PDLA absorption trough opens a window for us to see the physical conditions and processes of the quasar environment, and their profile and strength further remind us of their spatial scales., 11 pages, ApJ in press, comments welcome

We report on the identification of a new ��-ray-emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy, SDSS J211852.96-073227.5 (hereinafter J2118-0732). The galaxy, at a redshift of 0.26, is associated with a radio source of flat/inverted spectrum at high radio frequencies. The analysis of its optical spectrum obtained in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) revealed a small linewidth of the broad component of the H�� line (full width at half-maximum = 1585 km s^{-1}), making it a radio-loud NLS1 galaxy -- an intriguing class of active galactic nuclei with exceptional multiwavelength properties. A new ��-ray source centred at J2118-0732 was sporadically detected during 2009--2013 in form of flares by the Fermi-LAT. Our XMM-Newton observations revealed a flat X-ray spectrum described by a simple power law, and a flux variation by a factor of ~2.5 in five months. The source also shows intraday variability in the infrared band. Its broad-band spectral energy distribution can be modelled by emission from a simple one-zone leptonic jet model, and the flux drop from infrared to X-rays in five months can be explained by changes of the jet parameters, though the exact values may be subject to relatively large uncertainties. With the NLS1-blazar composite nucleus, the clear detection of the host galaxy, and the synchronous variations in the multiwavelength fluxes, J2118-0732 provides a new perspective on the formation and evolution of relativistic jets under the regime of relatively small black hole masses and high accretion rates., 13 pages, 7 figures, Final version, Published in MNRAS

We present the cold neutral content (H I and C I gas) of 13 quasar 2175 ��$ $ dust absorbers (2DAs) at $z$ = 1.6 - 2.5 to investigate the correlation between the presence of the UV extinction bump with other physical characteristics. These 2DAs were initially selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Surveys I - III and followed up with the Keck-II telescope and the Multiple Mirror Telescope as detailed in our Paper I. We perform a correlation analysis between metallicity, redshift, depletion level, velocity width, and explore relationships between 2DAs and other absorption line systems. The 2DAs on average have higher metallicity, higher depletion levels, and larger velocity widths than Damped Lyman-$��$ absorbers (DLAs) or subDLAs. The correlation between [Zn/H] and [Fe/Zn] or [Zn/H] and log$��$V$_{90}$ can be used as alternative stellar mass estimators based on the well-established mass-metallicity relation. The estimated stellar masses of the 2DAs in this sample are in the range of $\sim$ 10$^9$ to $\sim$2 $\times$ 10$^{11}$ $M_{\odot}$ with a median value of $\sim$2 $\times$ 10$^{10}$ $M_{\odot}$. The relationship with other quasar absorption line systems can be described as (1) 2DAs are a subset of Mg II and Fe II absorbers, (2) 2DAs are preferentially metal-strong DLAs/subDLAs, (3) More importantly, all of the 2DAs show C I detections with logN(C I) $>$ 14.0 cm$^{-2}$, (4) 2DAs can be used as molecular gas tracers. Their host galaxies are likely to be chemically enriched, evolved, massive (more massive than typical DLA/subDLA galaxies), and presumably star-forming galaxies., 12 pages, 11 figures; accepted for publication in MNRAS

Peripheral ulcerative keratitis (PUK) is type of crescent-shaped inflammatory damage that occurs in the limbal region of the cornea. PUK is always combined with an epithelial defect and the destruction of the peripheral corneal stroma. PUK may have a connection to systemic conditions, such as long-standing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Wegener granulomatosis (WG), relapsing polychondritis, classic polyarteritis nodosa and its variants, microscopic polyangiitis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome. However, the most common connection is with RA, which is also the focus of this review. The pathogenesis of PUK is still unclear. It is thought that circulating immune complexes and cytokines exert an important influence on the progression of this syndrome. Treatment is applied to inhibit certain aspects of PUK pathogenesis.

We measured the influence of fibre length and wavelength separation on the nonlinear coefficient measurement based on continuous-wave dual-frequency method. Besides, the nonlinear coefficients of various types of single mode fibres are presented.

Sustainable agriculture is an important global issue. The use of organic fertilizers can enhance crop yield and soil properties while restraining pests and diseases. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of long-term use of chemical and organic fertilizers on tea and rhizosphere soil properties in tea orchards. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and high-throughput sequencing technology analyses were used to investigate heavy metals content and bacterial composition in rhizosphere soils. Our results indicated that organic fertilizer treatment significantly decreased Cu, Pb and Cd contents in rhizosphere soil sample. The results also showed that treatment with organic fertilizer significantly decreased the contents of Cd, Pb and As in tea leaves. Furthermore, organic fertilizer significantly increased the amino acids content of tea and the pH of the soil. The use of organic fertilizer significantly increased in the relative abundance of Burkholderiales, Myxococcales, Streptomycetales, Nitrospirales, Ktedonobacterales, Acidobacteriales, Gemmatimonadales, and Solibacterales, and decreased the abundance of Pseudonocardiales, Frankiales, Rhizobiales, and Xanthomonadales. In conclusion, organic fertilizer can help to shape the microbial composition and recruit beneficial bacteria into the rhizosphere of tea, leading to improved tea quality and reduced heavy metals content in rhizosphere soil and tea leaves.

SDSS J095253.83+011422.0 (SDSS J0952+0114) was reported by Hall et al. (2004) as an exotic quasar at $z_{\rm em}=3.020$. In contrast to prominent broad metal--line emissions with FWHM~9000 km/s, only a narrow Ly \alpha emission line is present with FWHM~1000 km/s. The absence of broad Ly alpha emission line has been a mystery for more than a decade. In this paper, we demonstrate that this is due to dark Proximate Damped Ly alpha Absorption (PDLA) at $z_{\rm abs}=3.010$ by identifying associated Lyman absorption line series from the damped Ly beta up to Ly9, as well as the Lyman limit absorption edge. The PDLA cloud has a column density of $\log N_{\rm H\,I}({\rm cm}^{-2})=21.8\pm0.2$, a metallicity of [Zn/H]$>-1.0$, and a spatial extent exceeding the Narrow Emission Line Region (NELR) of the quasar. With a luminosity of $L_{{\rm Ly}\alpha}\sim10^{45}$ erg s$^{-1}$, the residual Ly alpha emission superposed on the PDLA trough is of two orders of magnitude stronger than previous reports. This is best explained as re-radiated photons arising from the quasar outflowing gas at a scale larger than the NELR. The PDLA here, acting like a natural coronagraph, provides us with a good insight into the illuminated gas in the vicinity of the quasar, which are usually hard to resolve due to their small size and "seeing fuzz" of bright quasars. Notably, SDSS J0952+0114 analogs might be easily omitted in the spectroscopic surveys of DLAs and PDLAs, as their damped Ly alpha troughs can be fully filled by additional strong Ly alpha emissions. Our preliminary survey shows that such systems are not very rare. They are potentially a unique sample for probing strong quasar feedback phenomena in the early universe., Comment: Several references have been added

SDSS J072910.34+333634.3 is a reddened quasar at z=0.96. The archivel Keck/ESI spectrum and our new P200/TripleSpec spectrum reveal an absorption line system in He I*, Ca II H\&K and Na ID. The absorption line system has a width of $\sim$600 km/s and a blueshift velocity of $\sim$800 km/s relative to the core of narrow emission lines, indicating an outflow. Using the Ca II doublet, we determined that the outflowing gas covers $\sim$70\% of the continuum. On the other hand, the HST/ACS image which taken in rest-frame 4130 \AA\ show that the fraction of the quasar emission in ESI aperture was $$8 kpc$^2$. The strong Na\&Ca absorption suggests that the absorbing gas is thick and mostly neutral, which is also supported by dust extinction $A_V\sim3$. Using the best-estimated hydrogen column density $N_H\sim3\times10^{22}$ cm$^{-2}$, the total mass of the outflowing gas is $>3\times10^9 M_\odot$. The outflow is likely to be driven by AGN because of the $\sim$800 km/s blueshift velocity, suggesting SDSS J072910.34+333634.3 is undergoing one of the most violent AGN feedback we have seen. In the future, one can find more such massive neutral gas outflows in other reddened quasars using similar method, and this can shed new light on the study of AGN feedback., Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures

We report the design and the fabrication of a low-DMGD and low loss 6-LP-mode fiber adapted to strongly-coupled mode-division-multiplexed systems that allows to multiply the capacity.

Purpose Corneal fibroblasts contribute to collagen remodeling in the corneal stroma in part by mediating collagen degradation. Given that corneal structure is influenced by sex hormone status, we examined the effects of sex hormones on collagen degradation by corneal fibroblasts. Methods Rabbit corneal fibroblasts were cultured in three-dimensional collagen gels with or without sex hormones including 17β-estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Collagen degradation was determined by measurement of hydroxyproline after acid hydrolysis. The expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were evaluated by immunoblot analysis and gelatin zymography. The phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) inhibitor NF kappa B Inhibitor-alpha (IκB-α) in corneal fibroblasts was examined by immunoblot analysis. Cell proliferation and viability were evaluated by measurement of bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and the release of lactate dehydrogenase, respectively. Results 17β-Estradiol and progesterone each inhibited interleukin (IL)–1β–induced collagen degradation by corneal fibroblasts in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas testosterone and DHEA had no such effect. MMP expression and activation in corneal fibroblasts exposed to IL-1β were also inhibited by 17β-estradiol and progesterone. These female sex hormones did not affect cell proliferation or viability. Both 17β-estradiol and progesterone inhibited the IL-1β–induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK without affecting that of the MAPKs extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase (ERK) or c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). 17β-Estradiol also inhibited the IL-1β–induced phosphorylation of IκB-α. Conclusions 17β-Estradiol and progesterone inhibited MMP expression and activity in IL-1β–stimulated corneal fibroblasts and thereby suppressed collagen degradation by these cells.

Purpose The polymorphisms of the Fc receptor-like 3 gene (FCRL3), a novel immunoregulatory gene, have been shown to be associated with certain autoimmune diseases. This study was designed to examine whether the polymorphisms of FCRL3 are associated with susceptibility to Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome in a Chinese population. Methods A case-control study was performed in 230 Chinese VKH patients and 301 healthy controls. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; −169C/T, −110A/G, +358C/G, and +1381A/G) in FCRL3 were detected using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). human leukocyte antigen -DR4 (HLA-DR4) and HLA-DRw53 genotyping was performed using PCR techniques. Results The results showed that the frequency of haplotype CACG was significantly lower in patients when compared with that in controls (p=0.0018, corrected p [pc]=0.0288). A significantly higher frequency was found for haplotype CGGG in HLA-DR4 negative patients than in HLA-DR4 negative controls (p=9.94×10−8, Pc=1.59×10−6). There were no significant differences in the allele and genotype frequencies of the four investigated SNPs between VKH patients and controls. HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 were significantly associated with VKH syndrome (p=3.21×10−16 and p=7.08×10−5, respectively). Stratification analysis according to HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 did not show any association of FCRL3 polymorphisms with VKH syndrome. Conclusions Our study confirms the previous association of HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 with VKH syndrome but fails to demonstrate an association between FCRL3 polymorphisms and VKH syndrome. Haplotype CACG might be a protective haplotype for VKH syndrome, and haplotype CGGG may be a risk haplotype in HLA-DR4 negative individuals.

Purpose To analyze the potential association of programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome in a Chinese Han population. Methods Three single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), PD-1.3G/A, PD-1.5C/T, and PD-1.6G/A, were genotyped in 247 VKH patients and 289 age-, sex-, and ethnically-matched healthy controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. The associations of genotypes and alleles with VKH syndrome were analyzed. Results All genotype distributions in healthy controls were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The genotype and allele frequencies of PD-1.3, PD-1.5, and PD-1.6 were not different between patients with VKH syndrome and healthy controls. No significant difference was observed according to the status of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR4 and HLA-DRw53. Compared to the controls, lower frequencies of the PD-1.5C genotype and allele frequencies were observed in VKH patients with extraocular findings. Conclusions PD-1.3 and PD-1.6 polymorphisms are not associated with the susceptibility to VKH syndrome in the Chinese Han population. However, PD-1.5 may be negatively associated with the occurrence of extraocular manifestations of VKH syndrome.

Purpose To examine whether small ubiquitin-like modifier 4 (SUMO4) polymorphisms were associated with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome in the Chinese Han population. Methods Genotyping for SUMO4 polymorphisms at G-847A, A-504G, A+163G, and C+438T loci was performed on 231 VKH patients and 302 controls using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results A decreased frequency of SUMO4 +438 TT genotype was found in VKH patients compared with healthy controls (p=0.009). However, the significance was lost after Bonferroni correction. Human leukocyte antigens (HLA)-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 were significantly associated with susceptibility to VKH syndrome (p=3.21×10−16 and 7.08×10−5, respectively). Stratification analysis based on HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 did not show any associations between SUMO4 polymorphisms and VKH syndrome, although there was a big difference in the percentage of certain allele and genotype frequencies between HLA-DRw53 negative patients and controls. There was no significance in clinical findings and gender stratification analysis. Conclusions HLA-DR4 and HLA-DRw53 are strongly associated with the susceptibility to VKH syndrome in the Chinese Han population. However, none of the currently known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SUMO4 are associated with this syndrome.

Purpose To investigate the frequency and phenotypic and functional characteristics of S-antigen (S-Ag) specific T cells in patients with Behcet’s disease (BD). Methods Blood was taken from 23 active BD patients, 12 inactive BD patients, and 14 healthy controls. The clinical features of the patients were summarized. T cell response against 40 mixed S-Ag peptides was identified by interferon gamma (IFN-γ) enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT). CD69 and CD45RO were used to characterize the phenotype of S-Ag specific T cells. The functional property of S-Ag specific T cells was investigated by measuring the production of cytokines. Results Response to the mixed S-Ag peptides was found in 56.5% and 25% of active and inactive BD patients, respectively. The responsiveness to S-Ag peptides was unrelated to the clinical features of the patients. About 65.8% of IFN-γ+ CD4+ T cells in active BD patients expressed CD69 and CD45RO concomitantly. S-Ag peptides significantly induced a production of IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α but not interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, and IL-17 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in active BD patients with a response to S-Ag. Conclusions S-Ag specific T cells are present in certain active BD patients, and most of them are activated memory CD4+ T cells. These T cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of BD via producing Th1-dominant cytokines.

Purpose To examine the expression of Foxp3 on CD8+ T cells in the spleen during anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID). Methods Ovalbumin (OVA) was injected into the anterior chamber (AC) of C57BL/6 mice, and the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response was measured to evaluate the development of ACAID. The suppressive effect of CD8+ T cells in ACAID mice was determined by a local adoptive transfer (LAT) assay. Flow cytometry was used to assay the frequency of CD8+Foxp3+ T cells from normal mice, ACAID mice, and control mice receiving an AC injection of PBS (PBS-AC-injected mice). These frequencies were also tested after polyclonal or specific antigen stimulation. The mRNA level of Foxp3 in CD8+ splenocytes from different groups with or without stimulation were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results OVA injection into the AC induced ACAID, and CD8+ T cells from ACAID mice inhibited the ear-swelling response by OVA-primed responder cells in LAT assay. Flow cytometry analysis showed that the frequency of CD8+Foxp3+ cells in splenocytes was upregulated in ACAID mice following polyclonal or specific antigen stimulation. Foxp3 mRNA was only detected in CD8+ T cells from ACAID mice after polyclonal stimulation. Conclusions An upregulated Foxp3 expression in CD8+ T cells is associated with the development of ACAID, suggesting an involvement of CD8+Foxp3+ T cells in this model of immune tolerance.

Purpose To study the phenotypes, distribution, and morphologies of different antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in the murine cornea. Methods Intravitreal injection of fluorescently tagged ovalbumin (OVA) or antibodies to MHC-II (I-Ad), F4/80, CD11c, B7-1, and B7-2 was performed to label cells in the murine cornea. Light and transmission electron microscopy were used to examine corneal histology. Intravital microscopy, epifluorescence microscopy, and confocal microscopy were used to evaluate the labeled cells. In vitro staining was performed to validate the in vivo staining and localize the labeled cells. Three-dimensional rotatable images were taken to evaluate relationships between two differently labeled cells. Results Histological examination revealed no observable change in the cornea following intravitreal injection. In vivo staining showed that OVA+ cells and cells positive for MHC-II, F4/80, CD11c, B7-1, or B7-2 were noted throughout the cornea with a decreasing density from limbus toward the central cornea. Two populations with distinct morphological features were identified among these APCs. Labeled cells were found beneath the epithelium or in the shallow stroma in the central and paracentral cornea, but in all layers in the peripheral cornea. A number of F4/80+ and CD11c+ cells were also positive for OVA, MHC-II, B7-1, or B7-2. Rotatable images showed a close contact between two differently labeled cells. Conclusions Intravitreal injection of labeled antibodies can be adapted to visualize labeled cells in the cornea. APCs with distinct morphologies, phenotypes, and distribution may contribute to the immunologically privileged feature of the cornea.

We report on the identification of a new $��$-ray-emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxy, SDSS J122222.55+041315.7, which increases the number of known objects of this remarkable but rare type of active galactic nuclei (AGN) to seven. Its optical spectrum, obtained in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey-Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, reveals a broad H $��$ emission line with a width (FWHM) of 1734$\pm$104 km s$^{-1}$. This, along with strong optical Fe II multiplets [$R_{4570}=0.9$] and a weak [O III] $��5007$ emission line, makes the object a typical NLS1. On the other hand, the source exhibits a high radio brightness temperature, rapid infrared variability, and a flat X-ray spectrum extending up to $\sim$200 keV. It is associated with a luminous $��$-ray source detected significantly with {\it Fermi}/LAT. Correlated variability with other wavebands has not yet been tested. The spectral energy distribution can be well modelled by a one-zone leptonic jet model. This new member is by far the most distant $��$-ray-emitting NLS1, at a redshift of $z=0.966$., 5 pages, published on MNRAS

To determining the postmortem interval (PMI) through quantitative analysis of the DNA degradation of cell nucleus in human brain and spleen by using image analysis technique (IAT). The brain and spleen tissues from 32 cadavers with known PMI were collected, subjected to cell smear every 1 h within the first 5-36 h after death, stained by Feulgen-Van's staining, Three indices reflecting DNA in brain cells (astrocytes) and splenic lymphocytes, including integral optical density (IOD), average optical density (AOD), average gray (AG) were measured by employing the mage analysis instrument. The results showed that IOD and AOD declined and AG increased with the prolongation of dead time within 5-36 h. A correlation between the PMI and gray parameters (IOD, AOD and AG) was identified and the corresponding regression equation was obtained. The parameters (IOD, AOD and AG) were proved to be effective quantitative indicators for accurate estimation of PMI within 5-36 h after death.

We report the discovery of excess broad band absorption near 2250 A (EBBA) in the spectra of seven broad absorption line (BAL) quasars. By comparing with the statistical results from the control quasar sample, the significance for the detections are all above the > 4�� level, with five above > 5��. The detections have also been verified by several other independent methods. The EBBAs present broader and weaker bumps at smaller wavenumbers than the Milky Way, and similar to the Large Magellanic Cloud. The EBBA bump may be related to the 2175 A bump seen in the Local Group and may be a counterpart of the 2175 A bump under different conditions in the early Universe. Furthermore, five objects in this sample show low-ionization broad absorption lines (LoBALs), such as Mg II and Al III, in addition to the high-ionization broad absorption lines (HiBALs) of C IV and Si IV. The fraction of LoBALs in our sample, ~70%, is surprisingly high compared to that of general BAL quasars, ~10%. Although the origin of the bump is still not clear, the coexistence of both BALs and bumps and the significantly high fraction of LoBALs may indicate the bump carriers is closely related to the early evolution phase of quasars., 14 pages, 4 Tables, 9 figures, Submit to The ApJ

Coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir with Lower Young's Modulus, higher Poisson's ratio, and lower permeability is different from conventional sandstone reservoir in composition, structure, tectonic and mechanical property, therefore, the fracturing technique and mechanism are much more different. Qinshui Basin located in the southeast of Shanxi Province is of simple synclinorium structure, less of faults, and it has up to 10 layers of coal seams, total thickness 1.2–23.6m and the maximum 6.5m. By far, No.3 and No.15 coal seam of Qinshui Basin have been developed for CBM production, depth from 600m to 900m, and the rank of the coal are mainly meager-lean coal and anthracite. No.3 coal seam of Shanxi Formation is 0.53–7.84m thick, gas content 11.94m3 / t on average, mainly semi-bright coal and semi-dull coal, reservoir pressure gradient 0.7149MPa/100m on average, well-testing permeability 1.589mD on average, Langmuir volume 39.03m3/t on average, Langmuir pressure 2.902 MPa. No.15 coal seam of Taiyuan Formation is 0.6– 9.9m thick, gas content 12.45m3/t on average, mainly bright coal and semi-bright coal, reservoir pressure gradient 0.7727MPa/100m on average, well-testing permeability 1.14mD on average, Langmuir volume 40.91m3/t, Langmuir pressure 2.5417 MPa. Through optimizing the fracturing designs, evaluating fracturing fluid systems and implementing control measures, a set of ‘network fracturing’ treatments with casing injection, high displacement and activated water fracturing fluid as key techniques were developed and applied successfully for coalbed methane in Qinshui Basin with the rate of success more than 95%. The study also showed that the multi-fracture treatment by plugging perforation with plastic ball can be used in separate layer treatment of coalbed methane reservoir. Furthermore, variable injection rate and slug injection of proppant can also be used to achieve the purpose of controlling extension of fractures. In five years,1264 layers (at 1096 wells) were treated by using this fracturing technology in QinShui Basin, and the gas production rate is over 2000 m3/d in 60% fracturing wells.

C11H9N5, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 14.15(1) Å, b = 3.783(3) Å, c = 18.09(2) Å, β = 92.28(2)°, V = 968.0 Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0517, wRref(F2) = 0.1504, T = 296 K.

The feasibility of co-producing activated carbon and bio-oil from rice stalk through molten salt pyrolysis is reported in this work. The results indicated that: (1) mixed ZnCl2-KCl molten salt could considerably improve the solid and liquid yield as well as the ratio of H2 and CH4 selectively (compared to the traditional ZnCl2 method), (2) an increase of pyrolysis temperature had the same impact on the yield as mixed molten salt, except for a decrease of the liquid yield, which may have a negative effect on the adsorption ability of activated carbon, and (3) the adsorption capability of activated carbon varied significantly with the activation temperature and, to a lesser degree, with the pyrolysis temperature. The conclusion can be drawn that pyrolysis in molten salt is a potential technology for agricultural residue utilization because of its capability of co-production, especially in activated carbon and bio-oil.

Striking similarities have been seen between accretion signatures of Galactic X-ray binary (XRB) systems and active galactic nuclei (AGN). XRB spectral states show a V-shaped correlation between X-ray spectral hardness and Eddington ratio as they vary, and some AGN samples reveal a similar trend, implying analogous processes at vastly larger masses and timescales. To further investigate the analogies, we have matched 617 sources from the Chandra Source Catalog to SDSS spectroscopy, and uniformly measured both X-ray and optical spectral characteristics across a broad range of AGN and galaxy types. We provide useful tabulations of X-ray spectral slope for broad and narrow line AGN, star-forming and passive galaxies and composite systems, also updating relationships between optical (Ha and [OIII]) line emission and X-ray luminosity. We further fit broadband spectral energy distributions with a variety of templates to estimate bolometric luminosity. Our results confirm a significant trend in AGN between X-ray spectral hardness and Eddington ratio expressed in X-ray luminosity, albeit with significant dispersion. The trend is not significant when expressed in the full bolometric or template-estimated AGN luminosity. We also confirm a relationship between the X-ray/optical spectral slope aox, and Eddington ratio, but it may not follow the trend predicted by analogy with XRB accretion states., 12 pages, 10 figures, submitted to ApJ. Full online table will be provided via ApJ

We report detections of 39 2175-�� dust extinction bump candidates associated with strong Mg II absorption lines at z$\sim$ 1--1.8 on quasar spectra in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR3. These strong Mg II absorption line systems are detected among 2,951 strong Mg II absorbers with the rest equivalent width $W_r\lambda2796 >$ 1.0�� at $1.0 < z < 1.86$, which is part of a full sample of 7,421 strong Mg II absorbers compiled by Prochter et al. (2006). The redshift range of the absorbers is chosen to allow the 2175-�� extinction features to be completely covered within the SDSS spectrograph operation wavelength range. An upper limit of the background quasar emission redshift at z$=$2.1 is set to prevent the Ly$��$ forest lines from contaminating the sensitive spectral region for the 2175-�� bump measurements. The FM90 (Fitzpatrick & Massa 1990) parameterization is applied to model the Optical/UV extinction curve in the rest frame of Mg II absorbers of the 2175-�� bump candidates. The simulation technique developed by Jiang et al. (2010a, b) is used to derive the statistical significance of the candidate 2175-�� bumps. A total of 12 absorbers are detected with 2175-�� bumps at a 5$��$ level of statistical significance, 10 are detected at a 4$��$ level and 17 are detected at a 3$��$ level. Most of the candidate bumps in this work are similar to the relatively weak 2175-�� bumps observed in the Large Magellanic Clouds (LMC) LMC2 supershell rather than the strong ones observed in the Milky Way (MW). This sample has greatly increased the total number of 2175-�� extinction bumps measured on SDSS quasar spectra. Follow-up observations may rule out some of possible false detections and reveal the physical and chemical natures of 2175-�� quasar absorbers., 71 pages, 6 tables, 49 figures, accepted by ApJ, Table 1 is available entirely at http://home.ustc.edu.cn/~jpaty/dataset/qso_dr7.dat ;Table 2 is available entirely at http://home.ustc.edu.cn/~jpaty/dataset/rejected.list

Background: To investigate the clinical features of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) disease presenting as acute angle closure glaucoma at onset. Design: Retrospective non-comparative case series. Participants: Four hundred and eighty-six VKH patients seen from February 2001 to March 2010. Methods: The history and clinical findings of all patients were reviewed. Auxiliary examinations, including ultrasound biomicroscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography, were performed in certain cases. Corticosteroids with or without cyclosporine A were used to treat these patients. Main Outcome Measure: Patients' demographics, clinical presentation and auxiliary examination findings. Results: Eight out of 486 VKH patients were misdiagnosed as acute angle closure glaucoma. The mean age of these eight patients was 55.6 years. Six patients were female. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) at disease onset was 32.9 mmHg. All of these patients had a shallow anterior chamber and a narrow or closed angle at their first visit. The complaints of these patients were mostly headache and sudden decreased vision in both eyes. Alterations shown on ultrasound biomicroscopy included detachment of the ciliary body and peripheral choroid. The increased IOP did not respond to anti-glaucoma therapy, but resolved following treatment with corticosteroids. The eye of one patient was enucleated after failed trabeculectomies prior to referral to our uveitis centre. Conclusion: VKH disease presenting with a bilateral increased IOP mostly occurs in older women. The strikingly decreased visual acuity associated with mild to moderate increased IOP is a clue to the diagnosis. The increased IOP responded well to corticosteroids but not to anti-glaucoma treatment.

With steel structural system, existing congregated apartments are restricted by the conflicts between quality and economy, technology and humanism, form and function, architecture and environment, so sustainability lies lower level in China. In order to improve the sustainability of 3S Congregated Apartments in China, this paper will discuss the problems how to incorporate the sustainability throughout all levels of 3S Congregated Apartments, and put forward tectonic strategies such as serialized supporting technology, integrated design, variable architectural space, humanistic architectural detail and architectural form, constructing and management system involving users, and so on.

We identified a large sample of radio quasars, including those with complex radio morphology, from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Faint Images of Radio Sky at Twenty-cm (FIRST). Using this sample, we inspect previous radio quasar samples for selection effects resulting from complex radio morphologies and adopting positional coincidence between radio and optical sources alone. We find that 13.0% and 8.1% radio quasars do not show a radio core within 1.2 and 2 arcsecs of their optical position, and thus are missed in such samples. Radio flux is under-estimated by a factor of more than 2 for an additional 8.7% radio quasars. These missing radio extended quasars are more radio loud with a typical radio-to-optical flux ratio namely radio loudness RL >100, and radio power P >10^{25} W/Hz. They account for more than one third of all quasars with RL>100. The color of radio extended quasars tends to be bluer than the radio compact quasars. This suggests that radio extended quasars are more radio powerful sources, e.g., Fanaroff-Riley type 2 (FR-II) sources, rather than the compact ones viewed at larger inclination angles. By comparison with the radio data from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS), we find that for sources with total radio flux less than 3 mJy, low surface brightness components tend to be underestimated by FIRST, indicating that lobes in these faint radio sources are still missed.

We have conducted a systematic investigation of the origin and underlying physics of the line--line and line--continuum correlations of AGNs, particularly the Baldwin effect. Based on the homogeneous sample of Seyfert 1s and QSOs in the SDSS DR4, we find the origin of all the emission-line regularities is Eddington ratio (L/Ledd). The essential physics is that L/Ledd regulates the distributions of the properties (particularly column density) of the clouds bound in the line-emitting region., to appear in the proceedings of "The Starburst-AGN Connection Conference",ASP Conference Series. Ver2: An appendix of ``Not Baldwin Effect, but ell Effect?'' is added, with two more figures to unveil the nature of the Baldwin effect of AGNs

We have conducted a series of investigations on the geometry of the reddening material in AGNs, which have important implications to the AGN unification and SMBH demography. According to our statistics of partially obscured quasars, we found that SMBHs in partially obscured type/phase (i.e., intermediate type) are at least as abundant as normal quasars in the local Universe; the reddening material in most objects are located in between the BLR and NLR. According to our comparison of narrow lines in type 1 and 2 AGNs, we found that for high-ionization or high-critical density narrow lines (e.g. OIII 5007, Balmer lines and FeII) a significant fraction of the emission arises from the inner dense part of the NLR; this inner NLR is located very close to the central engine and thus can be covered by the torus., 3 pages, 2 figures, to appear in the proceedings of "The Starburst-AGN Connection Conference", Shanghai, China, 27 Oct - 1 Nov 2008, ASP Conference Series