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The morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases are exceedingly high worldwide. Pathological heart remodeling, which is developed as a result of mitochondrial dysfunction, could ultimately drive heart failure. More recent research target exercise modulation of mitochondrial dysfunction to improve heart failure. Therefore, finding practical treatment goals and exercise programs to improve cardiovascular disease is instrumental. Better treatment options are available with the recent development of exercise and drug therapy. This paper summarizes pathological states of abnormal mitochondrial function and intervention strategies for exercise therapy.

The presence of nearby conformal field theories (CFTs) hidden in the complex plane of the tuning parameter was recently proposed as an elegant explanation for the ubiquity of "weakly first-order" transitions in condensed matter and high-energy systems. In this work, we perform an exact microscopic study of such a complex CFT (CCFT) in the two-dimensional $O(n)$ loop model. The well-known absence of symmetry-breaking of the $O(n>2)$ model is understood as arising from the displacement of the non-trivial fixed points into the complex temperature plane. Thanks to a numerical finite-size study of the transfer matrix, we confirm the presence of a CCFT in the complex plane and extract the real and imaginary parts of the central charge and scaling dimensions. By comparing those with the analytic continuation of predictions from Coulomb gas techniques, we determine the range of validity of the analytic continuation to extend up to $n_g \approx 12.34$, beyond which the CCFT gives way to a gapped state. Finally, we propose a beta function which reproduces the main features of the phase diagram and which suggests an interpretation of the CCFT as a liquid-gas critical point at the end of a first-order transition line., 5 pages, 4 figures

Landau Fermi liquid theory is a fixed point theory of metals that includes the forward scattering amplitudes as exact marginal couplings. However, the fixed point theory that only includes the strict forward scatterings is non-local in real space. In this paper, we revisit the Fermi liquid theory using the field-theoretic functional renormalization group formalism and show how the scale invariant fixed point emerges as a local theory. The local low-energy effective field theory for Fermi liquids includes not only the forward scatterings but also non-forward scatterings with small but non-zero momentum transfers. In the low-energy limit, the non-forward scattering amplitude takes a scale invariant form if the momentum transfer is scaled along with the energy. If the bare coupling is attractive beyond a critical strength, the coupling function exhibits a run-away flow, signifying potential instabilities in particle-hole channels. What drives those instabilities is the non-trivial renormalization group flow of the non-forward scattering amplitudes. The pairing interaction also obeys a scaling relation if the center of mass momentum of Cooper pairs is comparable with energy., Comment: 26 pgs. Notations simplified

In the current study, we propose that power distance belief (PDB) increases consumers' variety seeking tendency, and this effect will be attenuated by the background color.

Central air-conditioning systems account for the largest share of energy consumption in public buildings, wherein the chiller room is the main source. The current empirical strategies of chiller room group control have difficulty realizing integrity, timeliness, and equipment adjustment accuracy and lead to energy wastage. Therefore, the operation strategy optimization model is of great value for achieving energy savings. This study proposed a stepwise optimization method for central air-conditioning systems, which is divided into the chilled side (the chiller and chilled water pump) and the cooling side (the chiller, cooling water pump, and cooling tower). The optimal points of the two sides are calculated sequentially and integrated as the global optimization result. To construct the stepwise optimization model, mathematical power models of the equipment in use were established to provide mathematical support for objective functions, and a short-term load prediction model with a matching optimization step size was established for energy constraints. The TRNSYS simulation model was developed to verify the energy-saving effects of the stepwise optimization model according to the energy-saving rates of 6.41% and 13.56% attained in both cases. The stepwise optimization strategy can more effectively guide practical applications and provide another way of thinking with respect to the group control optimization of chiller rooms in public buildings.

The effect of cooling rate on the microstructure of SGLX82A steel was systematically investigated by coupling of experimental characterizations and thermodynamic/ kinetic calculations. The as-received casting ingots were heated and hot-deformed using a Gleeble simulator before being subjected to continuous cooling with rates of 5, 10, 15 and 20 K s-1. The microstructure of the SGLX82A steel was analyzed by using laser scanning confocal microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The homogeneous microstructure with different proeutectoid ferrite fraction, pearlite colony size as well as pearlite lamellar spacing was examined at varied cooling rate. The calculation of the para-equilibrium phase diagram was performed by using Thermo-Calc software, while the DICTRA module was applied to calculate the diffusion-controlled ferrite formation and pearlite growth. Based on the calculations, the deviation between equilibrium and realistic eutectoid point was well explained, and the detected small amount of proeutectoid ferrite was attributable to the short duration before pearlite transformation. For the calculated pearlite lamellar spacings, good agreement was obtained compared with the experimental determinations. In addition, the present thermodynamic/kinetic method was also valid for a Crmodified steel SWRS87B, indicating the composition, processing parameters and microstructure of pearlitic steels can be reasonably designed with the aid of the present computational techniques.

The higher spin Kitaev model prominently features the extensive locally conserved quantities the same as the spin-$1/2$ Kitaev honeycomb model, although it is not exactly solvable. It remains an open question regarding the physical meaning of these conserved quantities in the higher spin model. In this Letter, by introducing a Majorana parton construction for a general spin-$S$ we uncover that these conserved quantities are exactly the $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge fluxes in the general spin-$S$ model, including the case of spin-$1/2$. Particularly, we find an even-odd effect that the $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge charges are fermions in the half integer spin model, but are bosons in the integer spin model. We further prove that the fermionic $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge charges are always deconfined; hence the half integer spin Kitaev model would have non-trivial spin liquid ground states regardless of interaction strengths in the Hamiltonian. The bosonic $\mathbb Z_2$ gauge charges of the integer spin model, on the other hand, could condense, leading to a trivial product state, and this is indeed the case at the anisotropic limit of the model., Comment: 5+4 pages, 3+3 figures, published version

This thesis was scanned from the print manuscript for digital preservation and is copyright the author. Researchers can access this thesis by asking their local university, institution or public library to make a request on their behalf. Monash staff and postgraduate students can use the link in the References field.

Manufacturing process of pearlitic steel wires involves multiple steps, generating numerous influencing parameters for tensile strength. Therefore, it is difficult to build globally-optimized tensile strength model by costly, time-consuming experimental trials or physical theoretical calculations. Here, a new strategy combining machine learning with multiscale calculation was promoted to construct tensile strength model based on high-dimension, small-size industrial datasets. Process space was transformed to microscopic structure space by thermodynamic, kinetic and finite element calculations, which was then fed to machine learning algorithms. Gradient Tree Boosting and Gaussian Process models show excellent prediction accuracy with maximum relative error less than 2.0 %.

The influence of direct current interference on the corrosion behavior of HRB400 and HRB400M steel bars in simulated concrete solution was studied using methods such as weight loss experiment, electrochemical experiment, surface technology and product analysis. The research results showed that with the increase of DC interference voltage, the corrosion rates of HRB400 and HRB400M steel bars would increase. The corrosion resistance of HRB400M steel bars was better than HRB400 steel bars under the experimental conditions. In addition, direct current interference could cause damage to the corrosion product layer on the surface of HRB400 steel bars and HRB400M steel bars. And the corrosion form and corrosion product types of HRB400 and HRB400M steel bars would be affected by direct current interference. The main corrosion products of HRB400 steel bars included γ-FeOOH and Fe2O3 when it was not interfered by DC. When DC interference was applied, the main corrosion products included Fe3O4 and Fe2O3. The corrosion products on the surface of HRB400M steel bars were mainly Fe3O4 and Fe2O3, and the types of products increased to form Cr2O3 and MnFe2O4.

BACKGROUND: Nail pigmentation can be a clinical manifestation of malignant melanoma and a variety of benign diseases. Nail matrix biopsy for pathologic examination, the gold standard for diagnosis of subungual melanoma, is a painful procedure and may result in nail damage. Therefore, there is a great need for non-invasive methods and long-term follow-up for nail pigmentation. The objective of this study is to establish an intelligent precursor system to provide convenient monitoring for nail pigmentation, early warning subungual melanoma, and reduce nail biopsies to the minimum necessary. METHODS: Dermoscopic images of nail lesions were obtained from outpatients between 2019 and 2020. The images were divided into the training set and the test set using k-fold cross validation at a ratio of 10:1. The deep learning model is developed based on the Pytorch framework. The model structure is optimized using the image segmentation model U-Net. An image segmentation module analyzed the contours of the whole nail plate and pigmented area according to the boundary features of the input images and a rule calculation module used the output information of the segmentation model to automatically analyze specific indicators referring to the “ABCDEF” rule. The model’s results were compared with those of clinical experts. RESULTS: From 550 dermoscopic images of nail lesions obtained, 500 were selected randomly as the training set, and the remaining 50 as the test set. Our image segmentation module realized automatic segmentation of the pigmented area and the whole nail plate with dice coefficient to be 0.8711 and 0.9652, respectively. Five qualitative indicators were selected in the interpretability analysis system and the models showed a certain degree of consistency with the evaluation by clinical experts, i.e., R(2) for area ratio vs. breadth score was 0.8179 (P

This paper examines the local labor spillover effect of mergers and acquisitions (M&As). By focusing on M&As in the manufacturing sector, I find that, in the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) where target firms reside, the negative effect of M&As on employment growth spills over from the manufacturing sector to the non-tradable sector through shrinking local consumer demand. Further tests with household-level data confirm this finding. The spillover effect is stronger when M&A transactions are horizontal and when an MSA relies more heavily on the manufacturing sector. Finally, lower minimum wage requirements may absorb the negative pressure from M&As on the non-tradable sector employment growth.

Cognitive strategies are preferred among nurses who have limited opportunities in the workplace to use behavioral strategies to cope with negative life events. To explore whether different cognitive emotion regulation profiles could be distinguished in nurses exposed to workplace violence, and to investigate whether such profiles had differential associations with depressive symptoms. An online survey was conducted among nurses exposed to workplace violence (N = 399). Latent profile analysis was performed to identify discrete profiles based on the use of cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars method was applied to compare the latent profiles on the depressive symptoms. Seven latent profiles were identified: Low Regulators, Medium Regulators, High Regulators, Intensely Adaptive Regulators, Moderately Adaptive Regulators, Intensely Maladaptive Regulators, and Moderately Maladaptive Regulators. High Regulators had the highest level of depressive symptoms. Although using less adaptive strategies, Low Regulators did not report significantly more depressive symptoms than Medium Regulators, Intensely Maladaptive and Moderately Maladaptive Regulators. The adaptability of cognitive emotion regulation strategies depends on the conjunction of different strategies one person has at his disposal. Cognitive emotion regulation skill training should focus on flexible implementation of strategies and decreasing use of maladaptive strategies.

We study the famous example of weakly first order phase transitions in the 1+1D quantum Q-state Potts model at Q>4. We numerically show that these weakly first order transitions have approximately conformal invariance. Specifically, we find entanglement entropy on considerably large system sizes fits perfectly with the universal scaling law of this quantity in the conformal field theories (CFTs). This supports that the weakly first order transitions is proximate to complex fixed points, which are described by recent conjectured complex CFTs. Moreover, the central charge extracted from this fitting is close to the real part of the complex central charge of these complex CFTs. We also study the conformal towers and the drifting behaviors of these conformal data (e.g., central charge and scaling dimensions)., published version

In order to investigate shape distortion of small light beam at different convective Mach number ( Mc ), the technique of CCD camera imaging has been used. The theoretical analysis presents the relation between growth rate of diameter of small beam light (passing through the compressible mixing layer) and flow characteristic parameters (such as convective Mach number, free stream velocity, free stream density ratio and so on). The experimental results show that Airy spark diameter increases fast with the increase of convective Mach number, which implies more indistinct image. In addition, the theoretical results also point out the direction of further experimental design.

In a planar configuration, multiple electrical connections to a single molecule require an atomic scale precision of the wiring and an atomically flat supporting surface. Current nanofabrication techniques cannot achieve this on the same surface of a wafer. A double sided interconnection process flow adopted from sensor technology is presented using silicon on insulator substrates. The top part of the wafer is exclusively reserved for atomic scale interconnect and constructions. The back side is reserved for all the other interconnection steps. To ensure the passage between the back and the top side of the wafer, nanoscale vias are fabricated through the full thickness of the wafer. The top end of each via is boron and phosphorus doped, and the interconnection leakage current-voltage characteristics are measured. At low voltage and for top inter-via distances in the 30–50 nm range, a high gigaohm range resistance is obtained.

Using a field emission microscope (FEM), the first image ever of isolated individual molecules was reported in the 1950s. At that time, the Cu-Phthalocyanine (Cu-Pc) molecule was imaged in different configurations, namely two- and four-leaf patterns. These various apparent shapes were linked to the location of the molecule on particular atomic planes of the relatively quite large FEM tip apex used at that time. We report here on how the fabrication of an extremely sharp FEM tip with an apex of the size of the molecule to be imaged provides a unique opportunity to study the behavior of one molecule at a time on the tip apex. Preliminary data are presented where two adsorption states have been observed according to the electronic cloud FEM images of the molecule. Since the atomic structure of the tip can be determined first from a field ion microscope image, the interaction of the molecule with tip apex surface atoms, and thus the molecule adsorption conformation can be readily determined.

The formation and local symmetry of spin-lattice polaron has been investigated semiclassically in the planar Holstein t-J-like models within the exact diagonalization method. Due to the interplay of strong correlations and electron-lattice interaction, the doped hole may either move freely or lead to the localized spin-lattice distortion and form a Holstein polaron. The formation of polaron breaks the translational symmetry by suppression of antiferromagnetic correlations and inducement of ferromagnetic correlations locally. Moreover, the breaking of local rotational symmetry around the polaron has been shown. The ground state is generically a parity singlet and the first excited state maybe a parity doublet. Further consequences of the density of states spectra for comparison with future STM experiments are discussed., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures

An antenna with omnidirectional E-plane pattern is developed for Ka band applications. The omnidirectional pattern is achieved by illuminating an inverted cone with an open-end circular waveguide operating in TE 01 mode. A converter which transfers TE 10 mode of a rectangular waveguide to TE 01 mode of the circular waveguide is also designed as part of the antenna. Simulated results show that the proposed antenna achieves Return Loss levels less than −10dB and omnidirectional radiation patterns in the frequency band form 27GHz to 33 GHz.

The hydrophobicity of vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was improved through the creation of a parallel array of microwalls via a laser pruning technique. Changes to the hydrophobic nature of the patterned MWCNTs due to artificially induced roughness through variations in both the widths of the walls and the distance between adjacent walls, channel width, were investigated. The sample became more hydrophobic whenever water droplets landed on one microwall 7 or 13 microm in width. However, when a droplet bridged two microwalls, the surface became less hydrophobic. The optimal superhydrophobic MWCNT surface corresponded to a parallel array of microwalls with a width of 13 microm and a channel width of approximately 50 microm. Such findings could possibly serve as value-add for further developments in the creation of water-repelling CNT surfaces via micropatterning.

We present studies on a Ag/ HS–(CH2) 4 –T 3 –H (T3C4SH)/ Au diode using nanometer scale resolution, ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM). Images show spatially non-uniform carrier injection. A WKB calculation is carried out and compared with the experimental data. The results indicate that molecular levels are being accessed in the BEEM experiment, since the measured currents are larger than purely tunneling contribution. Our results are consistent with previously published results on a similar molecule [ 1]. Physical origins of the non-uniform carrier injection and its implications are discussed.

Using dimensional analysis and experimental technique, the aero-optical effect at the second stage of a compressible mixing layer has been investigated. The theoretical analysis focuses on the relation between two-dimensional large-scale structure of a mixing layer and its corresponding aero-optical effects. Results show that the time-averaged bore-sight error (BSE) has nonlinear variability with the convective Mach number (Mc). Moreover, we also present the relation among time-averaged BSE and turbulent kinetic energy, Reynolds shear stress at the interface between the mixing layer and free stream. Experimental results from a thin beam light passing through the compressible mixing layer verifly the theoretical result between time-averaged BSE and Mc.

Using dimensional analysis and experimental technique, the aero-optical effect for a compressible mixing layer around optical side window is investigated. According to the theoretical analysis, we find that time-averaged boresight error increases with the increase of convective Mach number (Mc). Moreover, we also present the relations between time-averaged boresight error (BSE) and Reynolds number, shear stress at interface between mixing layer and free stream, free stream velocity ratio and density ratio. The experimental results from a thin beam light passing through compressible mixing layer verify the theoretical result between time-averaged BSE and Mc.

Objectives To explore the effect of trimetazidine (TMZ) on the myocardial injury related to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and left heart function after PCI. Methods 132 patients with unstable angina pectoris admitted for elective PCI were randomly assigned to two groups to receive or not an acute load dose of 60 mg of TMZ prior to the intervention and routine dose of 20 mg tid after it. The frequency and the increase in the level of cTnI after successful PCI were measured before and 16–18 h after PCI. Heart function evaluated by echocardiography and major adverse cardiac events (MACE, including death, re-infarction and target vessel revascularisation) at 12 months after the procedure were also compared. Results 106 patients who successfully undergoing elective PCI were finally enrolled, 51 in TMA group and 55 in control group. Post-procedural cTnI levels were significantly reduced in the TMZ group at 16–18 h (p Conclusions Trimetazidine can limit the post-PCI cTnI release and improve left heart function after PCI.

We present for the first time TEM cross-section studies of Au nanowires fabricated with nanostencil membranes. Au metallic nanowires from 100 to 20 nm in width are fabricated on metallic, semiconducting and insulating substrates. The observed profiles require consideration of wetting for a satisfactory understanding. This length scale is easily accessible by simulations, thereby making it possible to model the cross-section profiles. In addition, the fabrication capabilities of the nanostencil technique are thus critically evaluated for the fabrication of metallic nanowires on different substrates up to 20 nm linewidths. We find a clear separation between spreading-dominated and wetting-dominated behaviour. Substrates such as HOPG and mica aid spreading. The 1:1 geometrical reproduction rule is well respected in the wetting case down to the 20 nm limit, before the clogging of the mask on all other substrates.