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We give exact formulas for the subdifferentials of perturbed distance functions in a normed space. Our method, seemingly novel and different from existing ones, is to turn the involved problem equivalently to a parametric optimization problem and then apply variational analysis technique to the optimal value function. In the convex setting, we obtain new representations for the subdifferential of perturbed distance functions, which do not depend on the relative position of the reference point with respect to the input set, and which are described directly via the input data. Our results complement those of Wang et al. [J. Global Optim. 2010;46:489–501] and of Li and Bounkhel [Nonlinear Anal. 2014;108:173–188], which were established by different methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionTo analyze the effectiveness of acupoint stimulation combined with neurogenic bowel training on constipation in stroke patients.A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 89 stroke patients with constipation admitted to our hospital from July 2022 to January 2024. All patients met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The control group (n = 42) received neurogenic bowel training intervention, while the experimental group (n = 47) received finger acupoint stimulation combined with neurogenic bowel training intervention. Four outcome measures including intervention effects, bowel movements, Constipation Scoring System (CSS), and Scores on the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) were compared between the two groups.The total intervention effective rate in the experimental group (91.49%) was significantly higher than that in the control group (73.81%) (p < 0.05). Two weeks after intervention, the experimental group had significantly better first bowel movement time, average bowel movement time, and bowel movement interval time compared to the control group (p < 0.05). One and 2 weeks after intervention, the CSS and PAC-QOL scores in the experimental group were significantly better than those in the control group (p < 0.05).Acupoint stimulation combined with neurogenic bowel training significantly improves constipation in stroke patients. Compared to neurogenic bowel training alone, the combined application of acupoint stimulation further improves bowel movements, reduces constipation severity, and enhances the quality of life in patients. Therefore, it is worthy of clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of the tourism industry has generated a plethora of informal job opportunities. However, existing literature has not thoroughly explored the extensive involvement of local residents in rural areas in informal tourism employment. This study focuses on the Fujian Tulou villages in China and employs the fieldwork method to investigate the phenomenon of informal tourism employment among local residents in scenic-oriented rural communities. The findings indicate that the dearth of employment prospects in rural areas, coupled with China’s distinctive rural land ownership system and the support from the rural social network, are the primary drivers motivating locals to participate in informal tourism employment. Locals employ tactics such as camouflage, tacit collusion, lurking, and covert actions to engage in informal tourism employment while navigating the regulations imposed by scenic area management. In efforts to standardize management within scenic areas, both local governments and tourism management companies are implementing measures such as offering formal employment opportunities and profit-sharing arrangements to incentivize the regularization of local employment in the tourism sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have been conducted to explore medication non-adherence in persons with schizophrenia (PWS) and its influencing factors in rural China. This study aimed to investigate the medication non-adherence and its influencing factors among PWS in rural China. A total of 269 PWS and their family caregivers in Xinjin district, Chengdu, China were investigated on medication adherence and related factors. Logistic regression was employed to identify the influencing factors. The results showed that 37.6% of PWS had medication non-adherence. PWS living with family caregivers had significantly lower rate of medication non-adherence (34.7%) than those not living with family caregivers (60.0%) (p < 0.01). Family caregivers' affiliate stigma of mental illness, knowledge of mental illness and self-esteem were significantly related to patients' medication non-adherence (p < 0.05). PWS' employment status, living with family caregiver, present mental status and social support were significantly related to medication adherence. This study shows medication non-adherence is severe among PWS in rural China. Both patient- and family-related factors affect patients' medication adherence seriously. Except improving patients' treatment and mental status, development of family caregiving, social support network and intervention on reducing stigma of mental illness should be crucial for enhancing PWS' medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to identify the complications of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) associated with poor control of fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and postload plasma glucose (PPG) on the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). This retrospective study included 997 singleton pregnancy GDM patients who were assigned to poor or good glycaemic control groups. Multivariate analysis indicated that poor FPG control and poor PPG control were both independent predictors of hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy (HDCP) (odd ratio (OR) of 2.551 (95% CI [1.146–5.682], p =.022) and OR of 2.084 (95% [1.115–3.894], p =.021) compared with good glycaemic control groups, respectively). Poor PPG control promoted the rate of caesarean delivery (1.534 (95% CI [1.063–2.214]), p =.022), whereas good PPG control increased the risk of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (0.373 (95% CI [0.228–0.611]), p <.001). Conclusively, poor control FPG and PPG dissimilarly affect pregnancy complications in GDM; these findings may help clinicians in the effective implementation of measures to prevent pregnancy complications in GDM. What is already known on this subject? Previous studies displayed that GDM patients with 2-h PPG elevated at 24–28 week of gestation had a 2.254-fold increased risk of postpartum dysglycaemia. Abnormal plasma glucose in GDM mother increased the probability of childhood obesity in the offspring. With the implementation of China's second-child policy, the incidence of GDM is rising. What do the results of this study add? Our results indicated that the older patients with GDM, the greater the risk of abnormal plasma glucose control. In addition, maternal age and prenatal BMI were notably correlated with poor plasma glucose control of FPG and PPG, respectively. We also found that both poor FPG and PPG control notably increased the incidence of HDCP in pregnant women. The incidence of PROM was higher in the good PPG control group compared with the poor PPG control group. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study displayed that the effects of poor FPG and PPG control on pregnancy complications and newborn outcomes were heterogeneous, which might be related to the specificity of plasma glucose metabolism at different time points. Good glycaemic control, especially PPG control, was of great significance for improving pregnancy complications and perinatal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Primary Coolant Loop Test Facility [Primӓrkreislӓufe Versuchsanlage (PKL)] PKL I2.2 Benchmark experiment for an intermediate-break loss-of-coolant accident (IB-LOCA) with a 13% or 17% break at the cold leg was performed in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/PKL-4 project at PKL in Erlangen, Germany. Analysis of Thermal-Hydraulics of LEaks and Transients (ATHLET) 3.1A was used at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology for its posttest calculations. Crucial predicted parameters were compared with measured data. The calculated trend of the selected parameters fits well with that of the experimental data except for the phenomenon of core heatup and the value of the peak cladding temperature. A fast Fourier transform–based method was chosen to quantify the matching of the parameter trends. According to the quantitative assessment, the IB-LOCA scenario and its detailed phenomena can be predicted well by ATHLET. Additionally, some discrepancies, i.e., insufficient reliable predictions for break mass flow and for reactor pressure vessel collapsed water level, were also observed, possibly deserving another study to undergo deeper scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measurement errors and missing data are often arise in practice. Under this circumstance, we focus on using jackknife empirical likelihood (JEL) and adjust jackknife empirical likelihood (AJEL) methods to construct confidence intervals for the error variance in linear models. Based on residuals of the models, the biased-corrected inverse probability weighted estimator of the error variance is introduced. Furthermore, we propose the jackknife estimator, jackknife and adjust jackknife empirical log-likelihood ratios of the error variance and establish their asymptotic distributions. Simulation studies in terms of coverage probability and average length of confidence intervals are conducted to evaluate the proposed method. A real data set is used to illustrate the proposed JEL and AJEL methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autophagy is an important life phenomenon in eukaryotic cells. Its main role is to remove and degrade its damaged organelles and excess biological macromolecules, and use degradation products to provide energy and rebuild the cell structure, playing an important role in maintaining cell homeostasis and cell life activities. Mitophagy is a form of macroautophagy. It has the beneficial effect of eliminating damaged mitochondria, thereby maintaining the integrity of the mitochondrial pool. Autophagy and mitophagy have a dual role in the development of cancer. On one hand, autophagy and mitophagy can maintain the normal physiological function of cells. On the other hand, excessive autophagy and mitophagy can lead to diseases. The present review introduces the mechanisms of autophagy and mitophagy, and the main related proteins, and introduce the correlation with cancers, providing a basis for the treatment of cancers through the understanding of these proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the modified reinforced rubber and the hypothetical porosity of the material, the compression properties of elastic rubber with different densities were studied. The experimental results show that the elastic deformation ability within a certain range of the density of the modified rubber, and the rigidity increases with the density enhancement. At the same time, the relationship between the rubber external compression force and the deformation variable is obtained by the elastic deformation characteristic, which is beneficial to the effective control of the elastic deformation of the elastic abrasive tool when used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The helical structure is a classical framework to design high-performance organic electro-optical materials. In this work, the structure-property's relationships of helical tetraspirobenzene (1) and its oxidation (12+) and reduction (12–) products are explored. The results show that the redox brings some distinctive changes in their geometric structure and electronic property, which regulate the first hyperpolarisability (βtot). Among these structures, the 12– has the largest βtot value of 4.2 × 104, which is greatly larger than 2.0 × 102 a.u. of. 12+. Therefore, the reduction effect is more obvious than the oxidation effect. Furthermore, the UV-Vis absorption spectrum also proves this phenomenon: the oxidation product has a new red-shifted absorption peak (571 nm) and the reduction product has two new red-shifted absorption peaks (577 and 797 nm). We hope the present work can provide theoretical guidance for the search for high-performance nonlinear optical materials by using the redox effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large number of nonlinear and optimization problems can be reduced to altering point problems. This paper aims to introduce the parallel normal S-iteration technique and study its convergence rates for solving such problems in infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaces under practical assumptions. We place particular emphasis on the parallel splitting method for the sum of two maximal monotone operators and that can apply for solving a class of convex composite minimization problems. Moreover, we present applications of our iterative methods to some nonlinear problems, such as a system of variational inequalities and a system of inclusion problems. Finally, to demonstrate the applicability of the altering point technique, the performances of our proposed parallel normal S-iteration methods are presented through numerical experiments in signal recovery problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halpern's iteration method, discovered by Halpern in 1967, is an iterative algorithm for finding fixed points of a nonexpansive mapping in Hilbert and Banach spaces. Since many optimization problems can be cast into fixed point problems of nonexpansive mappings, Halpern's method plays an important role in optimization methods. This paper discusses recent advances in convergence and rate of convergence results of Halpern's method, and applications in optimization problems, including variational inequalities, monotone inclusions, Douglas-Rachford splitting method, and minimax problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractTwo new Zn(II) compounds, namely [Zn(tdc)(biimpy)]n·x(solvent) (1) and {[NH2(CH3)2]2[Zn2(tdc)3(DABCO)]}n (2) (H2tdc = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid, biimpy = 2,6-bis(1-imidazolyl)pyridine, DABCO = 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), were successfully synthesized via the solvothermal reactions of H2tdc and Zn(NO3)2 together with biimpy or DABCO as the auxiliary ligand. Single crystal X-ray structural analyses revealed that compound 1 features a 2 D layered structure with 3-connected hcb topology and these 2 D layers are further packed into a 3 D supramolecular framework with 2 D→3D polythreaded motifs directed by intermolecular π…π interactions, and compound 2 features a 2-fold interpenetrated 3 D framework with lon topology. Moreover, the thermal stabilities and luminescent properties of these two compounds were also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a neural network approach to an inverse variational inequality which is assumed to have a non-empty set of solutions. In the case of gradient mappings, we prove that every trajectory of the network converges to the solution set in the case of convex potentials and if the solution set is singleton, the network is globally asymptotically stable at the equilibrium point. We also prove that if the network has a strongly convex potential, then the network is globally exponentially stable at the equilibrium point. Another purpose of this paper is to point out certain fatal mistakes in the paper by Zou et al. [A novel method to solve inverse variational inequality problems based on neural networks. Neurocomputing. 2016;173:1163–1168]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This work aimed to investigate the influences of microRNA-340 (miR-340) on proliferation and apoptosis of retinoblastoma (RB) cells and explore its regulatory mechanism. miR-340 mimic and inhibitor were applied for up-regulating or inhibiting the expression of miR-340 in RB cell lines. Then, CCK-8 and AnnexinV-FITC/PI staining were used to measure cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. After that, luciferase assay was performed to affirm the direct targets of miR-340. Furthermore, qRT-PCR and western blotting assay were carried out to detect the levels of miR-340 and KIF14. Our results indicated that the miR-340 was lowly expressed in RB cell lines, and up-regulation of miR-340 can decrease the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of RB cells. Moreover, we verified that miR-340 controls KIF14 expression, either directly or through a subsequent molecular cascade, and inversely related to its expression. The results obtained from the rescue assays presented that over-expression of KIF14 reversed the miR-340-mediated inhibition on malignant phenotype of RB cells. Overall, we proved that miR-340 can decrease the proliferation and increase the apoptosis of RB cells, and its function in RB cells was at least partially achieved via down-regulation of KIF14, prompting that miR-340 was expected to supply a new direction for clinical therapy of RB in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this prospective observational study was to establish a suitable model for the postnatal follow-up and management of prenatal renal and urinary tract anomalies in Shanghai, China.Methods: Minhang and Changning maternal child health care hospitals were selected to establish the integrated management model. Newborns with prenatal renal and urinary tract anomalies in these two centers were eligible to participate in the study from 2015 to 2017. All newborns were classified into three groups based on prenatal findings: (1) severe/complex urinary tract dilatation (UTD) with ureterectasia, (2) other renal and urinary tract abnormalities, and (3) isolated mild to moderate UTD. The newborns underwent their first postnatal ultrasound and follow-up according to the presumed management strategy. Demographic and clinical data were collected from all institutes.Results: A total of 129 newborns fulfilled the study criteria, and 121 completed the postnatal evaluation. Ten newborns in group 1 (n = 13) were diagnosed with obstructive uropathy, including 9 with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) and one with megaureter. All 13 newborns in group 2 had consistent postnatal results and were followed under previously established procedures. Sixty-seven cases in group 3 (n = 95) had a UTD at their first scan at 42 postnatal days, and two were diagnosed with UPJO. A total of 2 infants with UPJO underwent surgery, and 71 (65.7%, 71/108) of the UTD cases were resolved.Conclusions: The majority of the patients had a favorable outcome. Close multidisciplinary collaboration among obstetricians, neonatologists, pediatricians, and pediatric nephrologists and urologists is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four truxeneones 6a-d in which three long alkoxy chains and three methoxy groups were C3-symmetrically attached to the truxenone core have been synthesised and studied with the aim to study the effect of bulky methoxy substituents on their mesomorphism and self-assembly properties. These four compounds show enantiotropic mesophase and each has a Colh phase over a 135°C temperature range. A comparison of the side chains showed that 6a-d with mixed alkoxy chains display more complex thermotropic behaviour than reported truxenones possessing six identical long alkoxy chains. Although the methoxy groups have almost no effect on their self-assembly in solution due to the staggered face-to-face arrangement of truxenone moieties, it is confirmed that replacement of three long alkoxy chains by methoxy groups may affect the packing of molecules in the crystalline state more than that within the mesophase. The presence of methoxy groups results in lowering of both the clearing point and the temperature range of the Colh phases by maintaining high melting point. Moreover, 6a self-assembles on a solid/liquid interface into a well-ordered two-dimensional architecture which was explored using high-resolution STM that closely resembles to the proposed bulk mesomorphic three-dimensional columnar phase deduced from XRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suction bucket installation in pure clay or pure sand is well established. However, in layered soils, particularly in sand over clay soils, the soil plug uplift is considered a major installation risk and feasibility of installation is often questioned. In this paper, the experience from installation of two suction bucket jackets at two offshore wind farms in layered soils is reported. The installation at both sites was successful and no excess plug uplift was observed. The transfer of suction to the clay-sand interface is believed to have contributed to the success of the installations. The two cases presented in this paper provides confidence in suction bucket foundation installation in similar soil conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drying process significantly influences the dispersion of metals, physical properties, and performance of monolithic catalysts. In this research, a cordierite-based monolithic catalyst with Co/γ-Al2O3 was prepared using the slurry and impregnation method. The impact of ambient humidity on metal dispersion, mass transfer performance, and catalytic performance was investigated. The findings revealed distinct crystallization-deliquescence curves in the saturated impregnated monolithic catalysts, with alternating crystallization and deliquescence phenomena occurring as the ambient humidity changed. When the coating adhesion was high, the simultaneous occurrence of internal crystallization and surface dissolution resulted in concentrated internal stress, which facilitated the micro-stripping of the coating, leading to the formation of a cobweb-like microstructure. This process affected the distribution of pore sizes and enhanced mass transfer performance. The Co-based catalysts prepared in this study demonstrated a high selectivity for C5+ products (73.93%) when employed in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis reaction. This research offers an optimization strategy for catalyst preparation, aiming to develop monolithic catalysts with low melting points, high crystallinity, and supersaturated supported transition metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new mesomorphic triphenylene-fused nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems, including three benzimidazole and one perimidine derivatives with extended triphenylene core of different sizes are synthesised from the condensation reaction between aromatic diamines and our developed triphenylene dicarboxylic anhydrides. These discotic mesogens self-assemble into supramolecular columnar hexagonal mesophases with high clearing transition temperatures, demonstrating a strong tendency for π-stacking aggregation in the LC state owing to their good planar molecular structures. Four triphenylene-fused mesogens exhibit strong absorption bands in the range of 262 nm to 450 nm and corresponding emission bands between 468 nm and 615 nm, respectively. Both the experimental results and computational calculations show that the mesomorphic and electronic properties of four mesogens are strongly affected by the expansion of triphenylene core and the electronic nature of the nitrogenated benzimidazole or perimidine ring. Besides, these mesogens also possess higher HOMO energies and narrower HOMO-LUMO gaps than parent anhydride. Furthermore, the solution of TDPI or TDP in THF at a concentration as low as 0.45 wt % exhibited organogel phases due to strong intermolecular π-π interactions between the large aromatic cores. All these properties qualify this new type of discotic liquid crystals as potential applications as organic semiconductor materials and sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well-known that the high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAHs) are difficult to degrade, and they can cause tremendous damaging effects in environment. In this article, a novel dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DBA)-degrading strain Amycolatopsis sp. Y1-2 was isolated and identified from the contaminated soils in the coal mining areas. The degradation of HMW-PAHs by strain Y1-2 could be improved by adopting DBA, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(a)pyrene, and benzo(g,hi)perylene as the sole carbon and energy sources. The co-metabolism substrates test revealed that the HMW-PAHs degradation efficiency of strain Y1-2 could be significantly improved under co-metabolism substrates, especially glucose (increased by 34.70%) and cyclodextrin. The optimization results of DBA-degrading conditions obtained from response surface analysis are as follows: pH 7.6, concentration of DBA 10.71 mg L−1, inoculum amount 1.58 g 100 mL−1 medium, concentration of glucose 9.98 g L−1, and concentration of cyclodextrin 2.05 g L−1. The predicted value of degradation percentage in the optimized conditions was 99.03% (very similar with the actual value of 97.84%). Based on the above results, the strain Y1-2 can degrade HMW-PAHs effectively and will be applied in treating PAHs-containing soils and industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of atmospheric particulates on the chemistry and acidity of rainwater during the washout process in areas with highly acidic rainfall, rainwater and particulates (before, during and after rain) were sampled and analyzed from June 2008 to June 2009 in the Yangtze River Delta region, China. The volume-weighted mean pH of the rainwater was only 4.44 in Hangzhou, and the average concentrations of TSP (total-suspended particulates) and PM10 (particulates with aerodynamic equivalent diameters of less than 10 μm) during the study period were 191 μg/m3 and 155 μg/m3, respectively. The measured acid buffering capacities of PM10 and TSP were 1.31 ± 0.45 and 1.61 ± 0.84 ml/mg, on average, respectively, indicating that both had a certain acid buffering capacity. Rain appeared to have a pronounced scouring effect on particulates, except for F− and Cl− in PM10. Upon combining the correlation analysis between ions in particulates and rainwater with Enrichment Factor and Principal Component Analysis of the rainwater chemistry, the results suggested that the components of rainwater were mainly derived from washout processes acting on particulates from crustal dust and building industry sources (Ca2+), marine sources (Na+, K+ (in spring), Mg2+ and Cl−) and anthropogenic sources, especially secondary aerosols emitted from agricultural land, motor vehicles and industrial plants (NO3−, SO42-, and NH4+). The F− in rainwater was mainly contributed by gaseous pollutants, such as HF from cooling systems, coal burning and surrounding factories. Implications: The interaction between particulates and rain in areas with highly acidic rainfall include the following: rain appears to have a pronounced scouring effect on most components in the particulates; the components of the rainwater are mainly derived from washout processes acting on PM contributed by crustal dust, sea salt and secondary aerosol subcloud; and the acid buffering capacities of PM10 and TSP in Hangzhou are 1.31 ± 0.45 and 1.61 ± 0.84 ml/mg, respectively, and had a certain acid buffering capacity toward rainwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we investigate estimations in varying-coefficient partially linear errors-in-variables models with covariates missing at random. However, the estimators are often biased due to the existence of measurement errors, the bias-corrected profile least-squares estimator and local liner estimators for unknown parametric and coefficient functions are obtained based on inverse probability weighted method. The asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators both for the parameter and nonparametric parts are established. Second, we study asymptotic distributions of an empirical log-likelihood ratio statistic and maximum empirical likelihood estimator for the unknown parameter. Based on this, more accurate confidence regions of the unknown parameter can be constructed. The methods are examined through simulation studies and illustrated by a real data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hermite spectral methods using Sobolev orthogonal/biorthogonal basis functions for solving second and fourth-order differential equations on unbounded domains are proposed. Some Hermite-Sobolev orthogonal/biorthogonal basis functions are constructed which lead to the diagonalization of discrete systems. Accordingly, both the exact solutions and the approximate solutions can be represented as infinite and truncated Fourier series. The convergence is analyzed and some numerical results are presented to illustrate the effectiveness and the spectral accuracy of this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the hardness variation of P92 steel during creep in multiaxial stress state, creep experiments of specimens with various notches were conducted under different stresses at 650°C. The hardness and microstructure changes were investigated after creep experiments. The factors related to the hardness of P92 steel notched specimens were discussed. The Kachanov-Robotnov constitutive model for the creep of P92 steel was used to calculate the stress state and damage of P92 steel notched specimens during creep. The results showed that the hardness of P92 steel notched specimens decreased with the decrease of stress level and the increase of multiaxiality. The relationship among hardness, secondary phase precipitates, multiaxiality and damage were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation relationship of the coordinate variables between principal stress space and deviatoric stress plane has been deduced and the isochronous creep rupture loci of disparate criteria have been described on deviatoric stress plane so as to analyze the creep behaviour under multiaxial stress state. The creep experiments of P92 steel smooth and notched specimens subjected to various stresses at 650 °C have been conducted. A modified constitutive model for the creep of P92 steel has been proposed and used to simulate the creep of P92 steel notched specimens with FEA software. The FEA results were consistent with the experimental data and the fracture morphology observation. It was found that the Hayhurst criterion had the best correlation with the experimental results of P92 steel under multiaxial stress state than other criteria through the comparison of the isochronous creep rupture loci on deviatoric plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple vehicle tracking (MVT) in the aerial video sequence can provide useful information for the applications such as traffic flow analysis. It is challenging due to the high requirement for the tracking efficiency and variable number of the vehicles. Furthermore, it is particularly challenging if the vehicles are occluded by the shadow of the trees, buildings, and large vehicles. In this article, an efficient and flexible MVT approach in the aerial video sequence is put forward. First, as the pre-step to approach the MVT problem, the superpixel segmentation-based multiple vehicle detection (MVD) is achieved by combining the two-frame difference and superpixel segmentation. The two-frame difference is utilized to reduce the search space. By scanning the search space via the centre of the superpixels, the moving vehicles are detected efficiently. Then, the deterministic data association is proposed to tackle the MVT problem. To improve the tracking accuracy, we fuse multiple types of features to establish the cost function. With respect to the variable number of the vehicles, the tracker management is designed by establishing or deleting the trackers. Furthermore, for the occlusion handling, we focus on the accurate state estimation, and it is realized by the driver behaviour-based Kalman filter (DBKF) method. In the DBKF method, we take seriously into account the driver behaviour, including the speed limit and rear-end collision avoidance with the front vehicle. Both tracker management and occlusion handling make the MVT approach flexibly cope with varieties of traffic scenes. Finally, comprehensive experiments on the DARPA VIVID data set and KIT AIS data set demonstrate that the proposed MVT algorithm can generate satisfactory and superior results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep tests were performed on P92 steel specimens with notches of three different sizes at 650 °C. The results showed that the specimens switched from exhibiting ductility to showing brittleness at their center and at the notch root under multiaxial stress, but to varying degrees. This transformation was accompanied by a decrease in the reduction in area as well as in the number of dimples in the sample cross-section. The multiaxiality had a marked impact on the precipitation of the secondary phase, with its value determining the extent of precipitation of the secondary phase at the center and the root of the notch during creep. Using finite element analysis, an elastic-plastic creep damage model is embedded into the interface program and the creep behavior of the notched specimens was simulated. The results showed that plastic deformation at the notch root can accelerate specimen damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic constants of the Lennard-Jones system and a binary repulsive particle system (in 1:13 composition) obeying the Weeks-Chandler-Andersen (WCA) potential (WCA2-AB13 system) have been computed using the stress fluctuation formalism by equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The systems are under finite fixed pressures. The evolution of the elastic moduli as a function of the temperature is characterised. In both systems, the melting transition is signalled by a jump of the shear modulus, in consistence with the behaviour of the specific volume. At zero temperature, while the elasticity is totally affine for the Lennard-Jones face-centered cubic (fcc) crystal, it clearly contains a non-affine part for the AB13 cubic superlattice. The evolution of the non-affine elasticity as a function of the temperature is investigated, and its behaviour is compared to that of a typical glass-former. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Sandaowanzi (>22t Au) and Beidagou (>5t Au) tellurium–gold deposits are located in the northeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (Heilongjiang Province, NE China). The ore-hosting volcanic rocks unconformably overly monzogranite and were intruded by adakitic granodiorite. In this study, we report new-age, geochemical, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data to elucidate the genetic link between the igneous rocks and the Te–Au mineralization. New-age data indicate that local magmatism occurred in the Early Jurassic (ca. 177.2 Ma) and Early Cretaceous (ca. 118.7 − 122.0 Ma). Geochemically, the igneous rocks are enriched in LREEs, Pb, K, and U, and depleted in Nb, P, and Ti, showing calc-alkaline affinity. The Early Jurassic monzogranite rocks are featured by87Sr/86Sr = 0.7111−0.7118;εNd(t) = −4.6 to −4.7;206Pb/204Pb = 18.098−18.102,207Pb/204Pb = 15.558−15.580, and208Pb/204Pb = 37.781−37.928, whereas the Early Cretaceous adakitic granodiorite contains:87Sr/86Sr = 0.7071−0.7073;εNd(t) = − 3.4 to −3.2;206Pb/204Pb = 17.991−18.080,207Pb/204Pb = 15.483−15.508, and208Pb/204Pb = 37.938−37.985. Initial isotopic ratios for the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks:87Sr/86Sr = 0.7061−0.7087;εNd(t) = − 3.6 to −2.9;206Pb/204Pb = 18.136−18.199,207Pb/204Pb = 15.512−15.628, and208Pb/204Pb = 38.064−38.155. The pyrite, chalcopyrite, and telluride grains yielded δ34S of −6.52 ‰ to 2.13 ‰ (mean = − 0.82 ‰) andδ13CPDBof the calcite samples are in the range of −6.64 ‰ to −5.24 ‰, implying the ore materials were derived from mantle. The geochemical and isotopic results indicate that primary melts of Late Mesozoic magmatic rocks have features by partial melting of the continental crust. The adakitic rocks may have been the products of the thickened lower crustal delamination and the subsequent asthenospheric upwelling during the intra-continental extension in NE China. Regionally, intrusive activity and molybdenum mineralization during the Jurassic was affected by subduction setting, whereas gold mineralization was controlled by the Early Cretaceous tectonothermal events associated with a superposition extension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a challenge because it still leads to unsatisfactory clinical prognosis. This is due to the toxicity and poor targeting of chemotherapeutic agents, as well as metastasis of the tumor. In this study, we designed a targeted liposome with nanostructures to overcome these problems. In the liposomes, epirubicin and curcumin were encapsulated to achieve their synergistic antitumor efficacy, while Epi-1 was modified on the liposomal surface to target epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). Epi-1, a macrocyclic peptide, exhibits active targeting for enhanced cellular uptake and potent cytotoxicity against tumor cells. The encapsulation of epirubicin and curcumin synergistically inhibited the formation of neovascularization and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) channels, thereby suppressing tumor metastasis on SKOV3 cells. The dual drug loaded Epi-1-liposomes also induced apoptosis and downregulated metastasis-related proteins for effective antitumor in vitro. In vivo studies showed that dual drug loaded Epi-1-liposomes prolonged circulation time in the blood and increased the selective accumulation of drug at the tumor site. H&E staining and immunohistochemistry with Ki-67 also showed that targeted liposomes elevated antitumor activity. Also, targeted liposomes downregulated angiogenesis-related proteins to inhibit angiogenesis and thus tumor metastasis. In conclusion, the production of dual drug loaded Epi-1-liposomes is an effective strategy for the treatment of EOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:The objective of the present work was to investigate a possible mechanism of NF-κB signaling pathway and autophagy in the regulation of osteoblast differentiation, and provide experimental basis for the study of tooth eruption disorder. Methods:Mouse osteoblast-like (MC3T3-E1) cells were inoculated with a cell density of 70%. According to the grouping experimental design, Western blot and monodansylcadaverine (MDC) detection were conducted after dosing for 24 h. The cells were divided into the following five groups: blank control group; 6.25 µg/mL SN50 group; 12.5 µg/mL SN50 group; 25 µg/mL SN50 group and 50 µg/mL SN50 group. Results:Western blot analysis revealed that the expression of LC3 protein was present in the blank control group; 6.25 µg/mL SN50 group; 12.5 µg/mL SN50 group and 50 µg/mL SN50 group, with no significant differences among these groups. However, the expression of LC3 protein was significantly lower in the 25 µg/mL SN50 group. MDC detection showed that, in the blank control group; 6.25 µg/mL SN50 group; 12.5 µg/mL SN50 group and 50 µg/mL SN50 group, there was obvious green fluorescence in the cytoplasm of the osteoblasts. However, in the 25 µg/mL SN50 group, it was found that there were significantly fewer green fluorescent particles. Conclusion:The osteoblast itself had a strong function of autophagy. The appropriate concentration of SN50 in blocking the NF-κB pathway of the osteoblast was associated with the obvious inhibition of autophagy. However, the relationship between NF-κB signaling pathway and autophagy in the process of tooth eruption requires further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This review was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of radiation therapy (RT) administered immediately after hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy in patients with high grade gliomas.Research Design and Methods: PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Cochrane databases were searched using combinations of the following search terms: radiotherapy, hyperbaric oxygenation, chemotherapy, glioma, brain tumor. Selection was limited to prospective studies involving patients given HBO followed by RT for high-grade gliomas. Data extracted from studies included the clinical research phase of the study, number of study arms, number of patients, patient age and gender, glioma type and grade, pressure and length of HBO, protocol of radiation therapy, duration of follow-up, and the outcomes.Main Outcome Measures: Overall survival, time to progression, response rate, tumor regression, and toxic effects associated with HBO plus RT treatment.Results: Literature search/screening yielded eight studies for analysis. Six of the studies were single-arm in design and enrolled a total of 203 patients, of whom 142 had grade IV gliomas and 61 had grade III gliomas. In these six studies, all patients received HBO then RT. Two studies were double-arm in design, with 24 patients treated with HBO followed by RT and 26 patients treated with RT alone. The findings from both the single- and double-arm studies indicated improved outcomes (survival rate, progression free survival, time to progression, response rate) with HBO and RT therapy. Reported toxicity included leucopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, fever, loss of appetite, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and liver dysfunction. The addition of HBO had minimal effect on toxicity or side effects; across the eight studies, only one patient with severe middle ear barotrauma had a complication directly related to HBO exposure.Conclusion: This systematic reviews suggests that the addition of HBO to RT is tolerated and may be beneficial in patients with high-grade gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels are usually tightly regulated within a narrow physiologic range. Variation of FPG levels is clinically important and is strongly heritable. Several lines of evidence suggest the importance of the oestrogen receptorα(ER-α) and osteocalcin (also known as BGP, for bone Gla protein) in determining FPG; however, whether their polymorphisms are associated with FPG variation is not well understood. Aim: To investigate whether ER-aPvuII and BGPHindIII genetic polymorphisms and their potential interaction are associated with FPG variation. Subjects and methods: The study subjects were 328 unrelated pre-menopausal Chinese women aged 21 years and over (mean age ± SD, 33.2 ± 5.9 years), with an average FPG of 4.92 (SD = 0.81). All subjects were genotyped at the ER-α PvuII and BGPHindIII loci using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results: The ER-α PvuII genotypes were significantly associated with FPG (p = 0.007). In addition, a significant interaction was observed of the ER-α PvuII polymorphism with BGPHindIII polymorphism on FPG variation (p = 0.013), although the BGPHindIII polymorphism was not shown to be individually associated with FPG. Conclusion: ThePvuII polymorphism of the ER-αgene and its potential interaction with theHindIII polymorphism of the BGP gene were associated with FPG in pre-menopausal Chinese women. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The separation system is designed to separate and concentrate the aqueous glycol solution under a low-temperature heat source. The experiment found that the pore size of the capillary wick, the verticality of the evaporator, as well as the degree of vacuum and the inlet flow rate of the working fluid are important factors for the success of the experiment. At a vacuum of 10 kpa and a flow rate of less than 5 mL/min, the ethylene glycol aqueous solution was separated and concentrated at a temperature between 90 and 105℃, and the ethylene glycol content in the condensate was less, reducing the loss of ethylene glycol. The steam side vacuum capillary evaporation system proposed in this paper utilizes the difference of the surface force between the metal porous structure and the binary solution, thereby causing excess increase of the relative volatility of the two solution components, and strengthening the separation effect of the binary solution, meanwhile, the system can uses industrial waste heat as heat source, which has great potential to be a new kind of binary solution separation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison of two posterior soft tissue repair techniques to prevent dislocation after total hip arthroplasty via the posterolateral approach. Wu et al.'s [[1]] recent publication attempts to retrospectively compare the through-bone (TB) and through-tendon (TT) techniques of soft-tissue-repair for fixing THA re-dislocation. [Extracted from the article]

A fertile rhyniophytoid is discovered from the Lower Devonian of Guangxi, southwestern China, which is characterised by small size, dichotomous branchings and terminal sporangia. This plant is similar to the genusAberlemniaGonez et Gerrienne and also, is comparable to some mesofossil morphotypes of early land plants from the Early Devonian (Lochkovian) Old Red Sandstone floras. This study adds new data to the generally zosterophyll-dominated Early Devonian floras of South China and sheds some lights on the palaeophytogeography of rhyniophytoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism and recreational second-home development has increased rapidly in peripheral and lower tier cities of China in recent years. While tourism-led real estate development has been widely accepted as an effective investment opportunity, it can increase urban segregation and stratification. This pattern is seen in the resort city of Sanya on Hainan Island, China. Sanya’s recreational second homes vary in form and can be categorized into (1) elite-vacation second homes (short stay, private homes), (2) lifestyle-migration second homes (short stay, commercial homes), and (3) retirement-migration second homes (longer term, seasonal homes). Unlike the segregated cities formed by displaced labor migrants in many of China’s cities, seasonal recreational migrants are both economically better-off and are emerging as a dominant political force. The segregated residential spaces created by Sanya’s second-home development landscape further limits interaction and social network building between indigenous local residents and part-time recreational migrants. The perceived home space and feelings of place attachment towards Sanya is under drastic change, with locals feeling increasingly displaced. The new mosaic of consumption-led amenity cities in developing economies is one where traditional models of migration-based segregation are reversed. Wealthier second-home migrants have the capacity for more political power than local residents, as well as relying more on non-localized social networks and multi-nodal home spaces. Consumption-led mobility is an important determinant in building explanations of socio-spatial segregation and stratification in global cities that are undergoing dramatic development change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is one of the most characterized Gram-positive bacteria. This species has unique characteristics that are beneficial for industrial applications, including its utilization of: cheap carbon as a substrate, a transparent genetic background, and large-scale robustness in fermentation. Indeed, the productivity characteristics of B. amyloliquefaciens have been thoroughly analyzed and further optimized through systems biology and synthetic biology techniques. Following the analysis of multiple engineering design strategies, B. amyloliquefaciens is now considered an efficient cell factory capable of producing large quantities of multiple products from various raw materials. In this review, we discuss the significant potential advantages offered by B. amyloliquefaciens as a platform for metabolic engineering and industrial applications. In addition, we systematically summarize the recent laboratory research and industrial application of B. amyloliquefaciens, including: relevant advances in systems and synthetic biology, various strategies adopted to improve the cellular performances of synthetic chemicals, as well as the latest progress in the synthesis of certain important products by B. amyloliquefaciens. Finally, we propose the current challenges and essential strategies to usher in an era of broader B. amyloliquefaciens use as microbial cell factories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium oxalate is a detergent builder candidate due to its good performance in detergent formulations. However, sodium oxalate softens water by forming precipitates, thus preventing calcium oxalates from depositing on fabrics is a key goal for sodium oxalate-based detergents. Surfactants and builders are two main ingredients in detergents. Here, six anionic surfactants were chosen to study their deposition effects on cotton fabric during washing. Ash deposition analysis was used to evaluate the amount of calcium oxalate deposition on cotton fabric. X-ray diffractometer and scan electron microscope were performed to the study crystal phase and morphological changes of calcium oxalates in the presence of the different anionic surfactants, and the total interaction energy between calcium oxalates and cotton fabric was calculated by Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) theory in each case. The results showed that different anionic surfactants have a different effect on the ash deposition, primarily that the concentration of surfactants had less influence on the deposition with the exceptions of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonates (SDBS) and sodium methyl ester sulfonates (MES). Anionic surfactants can influence both phase and morphology of calcium oxalates, which might influence the zeta potential of the calcium oxalates. When the calcium oxalates are of the same phase, the deposition amount decreased with increasing maximum total interaction energy (VTmax). The greatest decrease in calcium oxalates deposition occurred in the presence of sodium alkyl ether sulfates (AES) and disodium lauryl sulfosuccinates (AEMES), of which VTmax is the largest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and its generalization the block-iterative ART are often used to solve large scale linear systems Ax=b which arise in many applications, such as image processing. Two ingredients, i.e. stepsizes and blocks, play a key role in block-iterative ART. In this paper we address the problem of how to choose stepsizes and blocks of A so as to achieve optimal convergence rate of the block-iterative ART. We introduce a random cyclic selection method for selecting blocks for the block-iterative ART in order to reduce computational complexity. Our numerical experiments demonstrate the efficiency of our selections of stepsizes and blocks in the block-iterative ART. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of an association between acute air pollution exposure and lung function in the elderly is limited. This study is cross-sectional. We quantified the effects of air pollution exposure on lung function among 256 elderly by using a linear mixed model. The results revealed that air pollutants had lag effects on lung function after adjusting for confounders. PM2.5 (Lag03, Lag 03 was defined three-day moving average, and so forth), PM10, NO2 (Lag04-Lag05) were significantly associated with reduced FEV1. PM2.5 (Lag01-Lag02), PM10 (Lag0-Lag07), NO2 (Lag0, Lag04), and SO2 (Lag0) were significantly associated with reduced Forced vital capacity (FVC). PM2.5 (Lag04-Lag07) and NO2 (Lag01-Lag07) were significantly associated with reduced FEF25%–75%. The results showed the adverse change was stronger after adjusting for other pollutants in the PM models, and women were more susceptible to air pollutants. Therefore, we should pay attention to the problem of air pollution in the elderly, especially in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To provide a detailed review on the therapeutic efficacy of conbercept for the management of ocular vasculopathies. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of various electronic databases was performed. Results: Ocular vasculopathy is one of the major causes of visual impairment and blindness which includes a range of disorders. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulates angiogenesis, enhances vascular permeability, and drives the formation of neovascularization. Anti-VEGF therapy has been shown to prevent vision loss or potentially improve vision in patients with exudative or neovascular retinal disease. The most recent anti-VEGF drug in China is conbercept. In the USA and Europe, bevacizumab is the most recently approved anti-VEGF agent. Conclusions: Conbercept serves as another anti-VEGF option for patients with neovascular AMD and other retinal vascular disorders. There have not been many clinical trials that study conbercept as compared with other currently available anti-VEGF drugs. There is a need for large-scale, well-designed, randomized clinical trials to ensure its long-term safety and efficacy and to determine if it has any advantages over other anti-VEGF agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to optimize the tacrolimus initial dosing scheme in pediatric refractory nephrotic syndrome patients based on population pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics. Demographic characteristics, concomitant medication, laboratory data, pharmacogenomics were collected to build the model and Monte Carlo was used to simulate the optimization of initial dosing scheme. Weight, the polymorphisms of CYP3A5, and concomitant medication of wuzhi-capsule were included into the covariates affecting tacrolimus clearance. In addition, with the same weight, there was difference in tacrolimus clearance in patients who carry CYP3A5*3/*3 and no coadministration of wuzhi-capsule, patients who carry CYP3A5*1 allele and no coadministration of wuzhi-capsule, patients who carry CYP3A5*3/*3 and coadministration of wuzhi-capsule, patients who carry CYP3A5*1 allele and coadministration of wuzhi-capsule, and their clearance ratios were 1:1.5:0.697:1.0455, respectively. Based on the differences of clearance in the above cases, we simulated different dosing regimens and obtained the optimal initial dose in each case. The present study recommended the tacrolimus initial dosing scheme in pediatric refractory nephrotic syndrome patients based on CYP3A5 genotype and coadministration with wuzhi-capsule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregation behaviours of three primary reactive dyes in water were determined by molecular dynamics simulations. The aggregation equilibrium time period was determined by SASA analyses. The maximum aggregation sizes for the seven systems were not greater than that of a pentamer. For single dye solutions, the aggregation trend followed the order Y176 > B194 > R239. For two-colour mixed dye solutions, the aggregation compatibilities followed the order Y176-B194 > Y176-R239 > B194-R239. Overall, the three dyes had satisfactory aggregation compatibilities. The dye-dye and dye-water molecule interactions were analysed by RDG and aRDG methods. The results graphically showed the place, strength and type of the interactions. The main interactions between the dye anions were the VdW and π-π stacking interactions. Most parts of the dyes showed VdW interactions with water. The aggregation tendency may be affected by the number and the position of the water-soluble groups of the dyes, the molecular weight of the dye molecules and whether or not the configuration of the dyes was beneficial to the formation of π-π stacking interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Several tacrolimus population pharmacokinetic (PPK) models in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients have been set up to recommend an optimal dosage schedule. However, the PPK model of Chinese pediatric HSCT patients has not been reported. The study is to investigate whether published PPK models of HSCT patients can be used to simulate Chinese pediatric HSCT patients and establish the tacrolimus PPK model of Chinese pediatric HSCT patients. 2. Published PPK models were collected from the literature and assessed using Chinese pediatric HSCT patients via the individual prediction error method. The establishment of tacrolimus PPK model in Chinese pediatric HSCT patients was characterized with nonlinear mixed-effects modeling (NONMEM). 3. Three published HSCT PPK models were identified, two of which could be applied to our external dataset. However, these models were dissatisfactory in terms of individual prediction error and, hence, inadequate for extrapolation. Finally, a new tacrolimus PPK model in Chinese pediatric HSCT patients was established. Based on the simulation results of our model, new initial dosage suggestions were recommended. In conclusion, the tacrolimus PPK model in Chinese pediatric HSCT patients was presented and the model could be used to predict individualized dosing regimens in children with HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viscoelastic properties of dense colloids are investigated using the stress-fluctuation formalism and equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. The focus is on a two-dimensional (2D) non-additive Lennard-Jones binary mixture, which is a glass-former. Its behaviour is compared with that of a one-component Lennard-Jones system, which forms a 2D crystal with triangular lattice at low temperatures. The systems are under fixed pressure and temperature conditions. The effects of the mixing, the temperature and the pressure are studied. Calculated functions include the shear modulus relaxation function, the dynamic moduli (storage modulus and loss modulus), the complex compliance and the dynamic viscosity. Both the liquid and the solid (crystal and glass) states are investigated. Qualitative aspects are discussed in the light of simple rheological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fully cored CSDP-2 Well, drilled in the central uplift region of the South Yellow Sea, China, provides indispensable and very significant research opportunities to understand the evolution of life, paleoclimate, paleogeography, and tectonics during the Permian in the South Yellow Sea area of the Yangtze paleoblock. We here analyze 118 samples from 893.7 to 1798.8 m depth of the CSDP-2 borehole core and recognize three Permian palynological assemblages, Laevigatosporites minimus – Florinites florini (MF) for the Kungurian mid-lower Qixia Formation, Crucisaccites quadratoides – Limitisporites rhombicorpus (QR) for the Capitanian lower Longtan Formation and Macrotoispora media – Anticapipollis tornatilis (MT) for the Wuchiapingian upper Longtan Formation, in an ascending order. These palynological assemblages indicate a warm and semi-humid rainforest paleoenvironment and a drying tendency of the paleoclimate. The present study area belongs to the Yangtze paleoblock in paleogeography and is a part of the Cathaysia flora based on mega-plant fossil records. However, our palynological assemblages show similarities to those of both South China and North China subzones and, especially, their pollen contents with arid coniferous affinities highly similar to those in the north part of the South China subzone. The presence of conifers might suggest a more arid climate in the North China subzone had started to affect the Yellow Sea area in the Lopingian (Permian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study examining a uterine rupture in a setting of past tubal isthumas laparoscopic resection with successful maternal outcome and live birth. Topics discussed include maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality caused by uterine rupture, severe postpartum haemorrhage in women as an outcome of uterine rupture, and caesarean delivery (CD) and myomectomy as the most common factors of uterine rupture.

In this work, three complexes C59Co, C59Rh and C59Ir are devised by the transition metals (Co, Rh and Ir) doped into fullerenes to study the structure-property relationships of the heterofullerenes. Results show that the natural population analysis (NPA) revealed substituting one carbon atom arouse an apparent charge transfer, which can be proved by the strong electron density transfer from SOMO to LUMO. Significantly, the first hyperpolarisability (βtot) were investigated by BHandHLYP and CAM-B3LYP and got the same trend in βtot value: C59Ir > C59Rh > C59Co. Further, two-level expression was also provided to test the βtot values of C59Co, C59Rh and C59Ir. We hope our work can offer a new idea for designing high-performance NLO materials based on metal-doped fullerene. Density function theory can provide a precise calculation on the first hyperpolarisability of metal-doped fullerenes. In this work, compared to traditional fullerene, transition metal-doped fullerenes show spectacular NLO response, the three heterofullerenes: C59Co, C59Rh and C59Ir are designed to explore NLO materials. This article takes a look at initial reasons why they possess evident first hyperpolarisabilities and outlines a step to keep research on new NLO materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]