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This paper proposed a three-loop physical parameter identification method considering physical feasibility and nonlinear friction model. The full physical parameters can be obtained with physical feasibility by constructing an optimization problem. And the nonlinear friction model which considered Stribeck effect is employed to improve identification accuracy. In the first loop, the physical parameters are identified with a regression model. In the second loop, the nonlinear friction model is identified with a nonlinear optimization method. And in the third loop, the obtained friction parameters are updated and the identification results are to be further optimized. Different from traditional methods like the least squares (LS), weight least squares (WLS) and other optimization methods which can only get base parameters and do not consider Stribeck effect, the proposed scheme can get physical parameters with physical constraints. It is useful in many robotic applications, like model-based control. The Stribeck effect is also employed to improve identification accuracy. The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonlinear optical rectification (NOR) coefficients in symmetric double-graded quantum wells with different geometrical configurations under non-resonant laser field in the presence of electric and magnetic fields are theoretically investigated. The quantum states under the applied external fields are obtained under effective mass approximation and using diagonalization method. Our calculated results indicate that the above-mentioned external fields play a significant role in manipulating the resonant peak values and peak positions of nonlinear optical rectification coefficients of the quantum system dynamically. Considerable NOR coefficient can be achieved, not only by choosing appropriate laser dressing parameter as well as the electric and magnetic fields, but also by choosing appropriate well and barrier widths. Our results show great advantages in dynamically tuning NOR coefficient of symmetric double-graded quantum wells using multi-physic fields, paving the way for possible application for tunable infrared detector and signal processing based on symmetric double-graded quantum wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regular admittance controller cannot be easily transferred to the physical human–robot interaction scenario because of the dynamic stiffness of the human arm. The dynamic interaction of humans can cause high frequency and unsafe oscillation of the robot arm. Based on the adaptive control scheme, this paper presents an online sensory-based analytical approach to recognize and quantify the “stability index" named as a robust haptic observer. The observer performs the Fast Fourier Transform on the interaction force signal within a sliding window and quickly detects system oscillation through a simple mathematical transformation. Compared with the existing methods, it can calculate a normalized system stability index more accurately and faster. This quantified index is employed in a linearized adaptive law to tune the parameters of the admittance controller. Experimental validation of the proposed strategy is performed and compared with state-of-the-art work in a task of human-guided drawing. The results show that our proposed approach can effectively detect oscillation, and the drawing time is shortened by 15% with the same tracking accuracy. In addition, the energy consumption is 44.4% less on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong coupling between plasmons and multiple different exciton states (MESs) enables the creation of multiple hybrid polariton states under ambient conditions. These hybrid states possess unique optical properties different from those of their separate identities, making them ideal candidates for exploiting room-temperature multimode hybridization and multiqubit operation. In this study, we revealed the static spectral response properties of plasmon-MES strong coupling via a fully quantum mechanics approach. These theoretical predictions were experimentally demonstrated in plasmonic nanocavities containing two and three different exciton species. Additionally, the dynamical absorption processes of such strong coupling systems were investigated, and results indicated that the damping of the hybrid polariton states induced by the strong coupling could be markedly modulated by the acoustic oscillations from the plasmonic nanocavities. Our findings contribute a theoretical approach for accurately describing the plasmon-MES interactions and a platform for developing the high-speed active plasmonic devices based on multiqubit strong coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is rare but intractable. Anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis and cryptogenic etiologies are the two major causes of NORSE with distinct clinical features. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, 6 patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis NORSE and 5 with cryptogenic NORSE (C-NORSE) were enrolled. Five patients of cerebrovascular disorders were used as controls. Quantitative proteomic analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of the patients revealed 101 and 56 proteins were changed, respectively. The average fold-change of the upregulated proteins, namely up-proteomic score in this study, was positively correlated with the severity and prognosis of the diseases, including ICU stay (r = 0.9308, P = 0.0035 in NMDAR group; r = 0.8977, P = 0.0193 in C-NORSE group), mRS score at discharge (r = 0.9710, P = 0.0111 in NMDAR group; r = 0.7071, P = 0.2000 in C-NORSE group), and time taken for patients awaking from a coma (r = 0.8823, P = 0.0100 in NMDAR group; r = 0.7906, P = 0.2000 in C-NORSE group). Pathways involved in humoral immune response, wound healing, and epigenetic regulation of transcription were upregulated in anti-NMDAR encephalitis NORSE. Pathways of innate and lymphocyte mediated immune response, synaptic functions, ubiquitination, and cell apoptosis were up-regulated in C-NORSE, which was consistent with a mouse model of status epilepticus. Fc receptor and B cell mediated immunity signaling pathways were downregulated in C-NORSE. Immunome microarray analysis demonstrated high autoantibody targeting 48 proteins in CSF samples of anti-NMDAR encephalitis NORSE. While the reaction was kept at a very low level in C-NORSE. There is no significant difference in inflammatory cytokine level between each group. The level of IL-4 (r = 0.7435, P = 0.0451), IL-13 (r = 0.7643, P = 0.0384), IFN-γ (r = 0.7973, P = 0.0287) and TNF-α (r = 0.8598, P = 0.0141) in NMDAR group, and IL-6 (r = 0.8479, P = 0.0348), IL-8 (r = 0.9076, P = 0.0166) in C-NORSE group were positively correlated with the up-proteomic score. The present study suggests that the up-proteomic score of CSF could be a promising indicator for assessment of the severity of anti-NMDAR encephalitis NORSE and C-NORSE. The distinct CSF proteomes imply different pathogenic mechanisms of the two diseases, and immunotherapy strategies as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 6-DOF cooperative manipulator is used for human spinal deformity detection. In order to ensure the scanning quality of spinal deformity and improve the solution rate and speed of inverse motion solution of the manipulator, an inverse kinematics analytical method based on spherical geometry is proposed in this paper. We take the AUBO-i5 collaborative manipulator as the research object, which combines the rapidity of analytical solution with the flexibility of spherical solution. In the Robot Operating System, the simulation experiment solves the inverse kinematics of 10 000 sets of randomly generated postures. The success rate and time-consuming of the solution are calculated. Compared with the two commonly used inverse kinematics solving algorithms, TRAC-IK and KDL, this method has obvious advantages in terms of success rate and average time-consuming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solidification and corrosion behavior of the Ti/B added Zn-Al-Mg alloys were experimentally investigated by means of microstructure characterization and electrochemical test. The basic calculations were carried out to predict the characteristics of the Ti-added Zn-Al-Mg alloys. The Zn-Al-Mg ingots with minor doping of Ti/B were prepared and solidified under different cooling rate, including air cooling, water quenching and furnace cooling. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the X-ray diffraction method (XRD) were used to determine the microstructures and phase types of the alloy samples. It could be discovered that trace TiAl3 particles were dispersed in the Ti/B added alloy samples which provide the heterogeneous nucleation sites to refine the size of the dendrites and the eutectic microstructures. More fined microstructures with the addition of both Ti and B were obtained compared with those with the merely addition of Ti, and the water cooled alloys presented the finest microstructures due to the fastest cooling rate. It could also be noticed that with the increasing solidification rate, the percentage of the MgZn2 phase turned out to be higher because of the Mg2Zn11↔MgZn2 transition, which is in consistent with the results in the actual hot-dip galvanizing process. Electrochemical experiments in the previous work included methods the of the Tafel polarization test and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test (EIS). Results show that the quenched Zn-Al-Mg alloy with the addition of both Ti and B takes on best corrosion resistance. Consequently, the addition of certain amount of Ti/B elements and the appropriate elevation of the cooling rate will be the practicable approaches to optimize the microstructure and the corrosion resistance of the Zn-Al-Mg coatings in the actual galvanizing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parametric interpolation has been widely used in robot control because of its advantages over traditional linear or circular interpolation. The NURBS interpolation based on S-shaped feedrate scheduling can realize the smooth continuous motion of robots, but it also faces two challenges. One challenge is that when the NURBS curve is split into multiple blocks, if one or more blocks are too short, the final feedrate profile is often discontinuous. The other challenge is that the NURBS curve cannot be obtained entirely due to calculation errors. In this paper, a high-precision NURBS interpolator based on S-shaped feedrate scheduling is proposed. In this interpolator, a bidirectional velocity scanning scheme is developed to effectively handle the too short split blocks of the NURBS curve. Meanwhile, an optimization algorithm is proposed to ensure the precision of NURBS curves. The feasibility and advantages of the proposed method are verified through case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a general formalism beyond Weisskopf–Wigner approximation to efficiently calculate the coupling matrix element, evolution spectrum and population evolution of two quantum emitters in arbitrary metallic nanostructures. We demonstrate this formalism to investigate the radiative coupling and decay dynamics of two quantum emitters embedded in the two hot spots of three silver nano-spheroids. The vacuum Rabi oscillation in population evolution and the anti-crossing behavior in evolution spectrum show strong radiative coupling is realized in this metallic nanostructure despite its strong plasmon damping. Our formalism can serve as a flexible and efficient calculation tool to investigate the distant coherent interaction in a large variety of metallic nanostructures, and may be further developed to handle the cases for multiple quantum emitters and arbitrary dielectric–metallic hybrid nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, are severe lung diseases that require effective treatments. In search for new medicines for these diseases, there is an unmet need for predictive and translatable disease-relevant in vitro/ex vivo models to determine the safety and efficacy of novel drug candidates. Here, we report the use of precision cut lung slices (PCLS) as a potential ex vivo platform to study compound effects in a physiologically relevant environment. PCLS derived from an elastase-challenged mouse model display key characteristics of increased inflammation ex vivo, which is exacerbated further upon challenge with LPS, mimicking the immune insult of a pathogen triggering disease exacerbation. Such LPS-induced inflammatory conditions are significantly abrogated by immunomodulatory agents targeting specific inflammatory signaling pathways in the absence of cytotoxic effects in lung slices. Thus, an ex vivo model of PCLS with a simulated pathogenic insult can replicate proposed in vivo pharmacological effects and thus could potentially act as a valuable tool to investigate the underlying mechanisms associated with lung safety, therapeutic efficacy and exacerbations with infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the phase variation compensation theory, we realize an angle-insensitive mid-infrared photonic bandgap (PBG) in a one-dimensional photonic crystal (1DPC) containing single-material semiconductor hyperbolic metamaterial layers. Under proper design, the bandwidth of the angle-insensitive (omnidirectional) mid-infrared PBG can reach 2.438 μ m . The designed 1DPC is a simple single-material system composed of undoped and doped InAs, which can be fabricated by the molecular beam epitaxy technology under the current experimental conditions. Besides, the angle-insensitive property of the designed mid-infrared PBG is quite robust against the layer thickness. This broadband angle-insensitive mid-infrared PBG would possess potential applications for mid-infrared quantum cascade lasers, mid-infrared gas detectors, mid-infrared photothermal imaging, and protein analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hypothyroidism (HT) is associated with accelerated atherosclerosis (AS). The efficacy of traditional strategies of hypothyroid AS remains controversial. Here, we aimed to deepen the understanding of the HT-induced acceleration of AS, to decrease the residual risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and to find a new therapeutic target. Methods: We collected peripheral venous blood samples from 20 patients and divided them into 4 groups, namely, the normal group, the HT group, the CAD group and the HT + CAD group. Then we performed mRNA microarray analysis and bioinformatics analysis to screen the differentially expressed genes and pathways, and we also conducted validations on ApoE knockout mice models and Raw264.7 cell models. Results: In short, (1) in the analysis between the CAD group and the HT + CAD group, we found a total of 1218 differentially expressed genes, 11 upregulated pathways and 40 downregulated pathways. (2) We validated that patients with HT and CAD had a significantly decreased expression of MAP3K7 (encoding transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1, TAK1) gene than normal subjects. (3) In animal and cell experiments, we found the decreased expression of TAK1 and the reduced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) under the hypothyroid and atherosclerotic condition. (4) Changes in the expressions of TAK1 may affect the progression of AS. Conclusion: Taken together, these data suggest that the accelerated AS in hypothyroid patients may be due to the suppression of TAK1-AMPK pathway in macrophages. This new finding may become a novel therapeutic target in hypothyroid AS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) is an intracellular enzyme, which is widely expressed in central nervous system (CNS), pancreas, and other organs. GAD antibodies (GAD-Abs) are linked to various neurological disorders. However, the significance of GAD-Abs in neurocritical patients is undetermined. Materials and methods: Patients with serologically positive GAD-Abs and requiring neurocritical care were included. The clinical, laboratory, and outcome data were retrospectively collected. Results: We included 9 patients with serologically positive GAD-Abs. Clinical manifestations involved both CNS and peripheral nervous system (PNS). Six (66.7%) patients had other specific autoimmune antibodies. Non-specific autoimmune responses were observed in 8 (88.9%) patients. All patients clinically responded well to immunotherapy. The titers of GAD-Abs decreased in 7 (77.8%) patients but remained unchanged in the other 2 patients. One (11.1%) patient awoke before the negative conversion of GAD-Abs, and 3 (33.3%) patients remained unconscious and/or under mechanical ventilation for several weeks after the vanishing of GAD-Abs. Conclusions: Most neurocritical patients with serologically positive GAD-Abs had other specific autoimmune antibodies. All patients responded well to immunotherapy, but not parallel to the titers of GAD-Abs. These results indicated that GAD-Abs might be more a bystander than a culprit in neurocritical patients, suggesting that an underlying autoimmune disease should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transmittance and chromaticity are essential requirements for optical performance of thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays. However, it is still a challenge to get high transmittance and excellent chromaticity at the same time. In this paper, optimized optical design by using antireflection film theory and optical phase modulation is demonstrated in low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) TFT arrays. To realize high transmittance, the refractive index difference of adjacent films is modified by using silicon oxynitride (SiOxNy) with adjustable refractive index. To realize excellent chromaticity, the thicknesses of multilayer films are precisely regulated for antireflection of certain wavelength light. The results show that the transmittance and chromaticity have been improved by about 6% and 18‰, respectively, at the same time, which is a big step forward for high optical performance of TFT arrays. The device characteristics of the TFT arrays with the optimal design, such as threshold voltage and electron mobility, are comparable to those of conventional TFT arrays. The optimized optical design results in enhanced power-conversion efficiencies and perfects the multilayer film design on the basic theory, which has great practicability to be applied in TFT arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pholis fangi is an ecologically important fish species inhabiting Chinese coastal waters of Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. To investigate the genetic diversity and population genetic structure of P. fangi, a fragment of 487 bp in the first hypervariable region (HVR-1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region was sequenced for 181 individuals collected from Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea. A total of 18 polymorphic sites were detected, which defined 25 haplotypes. A moderate level of haplotype diversity (h = 0.7052) and a low level of nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0028) were detected. Both the phylogenetic tree and the haplotype network showed no significant genealogical structure difference among sampling locations. Pairwise FST comparison and hierarchical molecular variance analysis (AMOVA) revealed that no significant genetic structure difference existed throughout the investigated regions, suggesting a high gene exchange among different populations. The results of neutrality test and mismatch distribution analysis indicated that a late Pleistocene population expansion (38000–127000 years ago) happened. Seasonal schooling migration may contribute to the genetically homogeneous population structure of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth direction, morphology and microstructure of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) play key roles for their potential applications in electronic and energy storage devices. However, effective synthesis of CNTs in high crystallinity and desired microstructure still remains a tremendous challenge. Here we introduce an electric field for controlling the microstructure formation of CNTs. It reveals that the electric field not only make CNTs aligned parallel but also improve the density of CNTs. Especially, the microstructures of CNTs gradually change under electrical field. That is, graphite sheets are transformed from the "herringbone" structure to a highly crystalline structure, facilitating the transportation of electrons. Due to the improved aligned growth direction, high density and highly crystalline microstructure, the electrochemical performance of CNTs is greatly improved. When the CNTs are applied in supercapacitors, they present a high specific capacitance of 237 F/g, three times higher than that of the CNTs prepared without electrical field. Such microstructure modulation of CNTs by electric field would help to construct high performance electronic and energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the influence of time-varying roller bearing stiffness on gear-bearing system vibration. An isolated bearing model established by a finite element/contact mechanics approach is introduced to analyze the variation of bearing stiffness due to the continuous change of roller circumferential locations. Then, dynamic gear-bearing models with constant and time-varying bearing stiffness are built by analytical and finite element methods. Comparisons are conducted among the dynamic response of the different gear-bearing models to verify their accuracy and to indicate the special features introduced by the time-varying bearing stiffness. Additional resonances (or parametric instabilities) are caused by the time-varying bearing stiffness, and modulation between the mesh frequency and the bearing ball pass frequency is observed in the dynamic response. Theoretical explanations of the parametric instabilities of the system with simultaneous mesh and bearing stiffness fluctuations are derived using perturbation analysis and verified with Floquet theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strict requirements for concentricity of the multistage high pressure rotor of an aero-engine are employed to guarantee performances such as vibration. Tedious and time-wasting trial assembly by adjusting the installation angles of stages is needed to meet the requirements due to the lack of effective analysis methods. Furthermore, there is no quick way to find out where the problem is and how to repair the parts when the installation-angle-adjusting method fails. This article focuses on a solution to optimize the installation angle of each stage and to make repair decisions in the assembly process. The run-out data are processed by least square method to get the spatial positions and attitudes of flanges and a deviation propagation analysis model is built by virtue of homogeneous coordinate transformation theory to predict the accumulative errors of each stage. The eccentricities of stages are evaluated with reference to the common axis and the installation angles of stages are optimized by minimizing the sum of eccentricities. Sensitivities of eccentricity, eccentric angle and parallelism of each stage are analyzed and repair decisions for parts are made to meet more strict requirements. An example of a three-stage subassembly is presented to demonstrate the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Regular exercise is confirmed as a lifestyle treatment option for all obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. It has beneficial effects other than weight loss, although the mechanisms remain unclear. Autonomic function imbalance plays an important role in OSA, so that it is meaningful to observe the effect of exercise on autonomic function.Methods: Seventy mild to moderate OSA patients were divided into two groups. The exercise group received a 12-week exercise program prescribed according to their first cardiopulmonary exercise tests, while the control group kept previous lifestyle. All patients underwent blood tests, cardiopulmonary exercise tests, and polysomnography studies at enrollment and at the 12-week’s follow-up.Results: At the end of 12 weeks, three patients of the exercise group did not complete the program due to lack of adherence. The current study showed 12-week aerobic exercises could improve body mass index (27.6 ± 4.7 kg/m2 vs. 24.5 ± 4.2 kg/m2, P < 0.05), exercise capacities, apnea-hypopnea index (total AHI 20.2 ± 7.5 vs. 16.4 ± 5.2, P < 0.05; supine AHI 22.1 ± 6.3 vs. 18.3 ± 4.9, P < 0.05), average oxyhemoglobin saturation (AverSpO2), time/percentage SpO2 below 90%, and heart rate recovery (HRR) of OSA patients. Moreover, AverSpO2 change was significantly associated with HRR change in the exercise group.Conclusions: Our findings suggested regular aerobic exercise had beneficial effects on body mass index, functional capacity, intermittent hypoxia, and parasympathetic tone of OSA patients, and whether parasympathetic tone modification plays a role in improving intermittent hypoxia or not deserves further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of high-speed and high-precision machine tool spindle is quite sensitive to the variation of system parameters. How to accurately predict the influences of key parameters on spindle characteristics is important for designers to achieve required machining accuracy. In the assembly of spindle system, the interference fit, which is always used to connect bearing and shaft, affects the performances of spindle system directly. Therefore, the quantitative investigation on the effects of interference fit on spindle characteristics are of great practical significance. In this paper, the effect mechanism of interference fit on spindle bearing system is explored and used to modify the analytical spindle bearing model. Firstly, the internal geometric relationships among the assembly bearing parts and shaft is analyzed under the influence of assembly deformation and centrifugal expansion. Then, the static and dynamic characteristics of spindle bearing system, including the bearing stiffness, maximum loosing speed, spindle stiffness as well as modal characteristics, are predicted under different interference fit values based on the modified spindle bearing model. The results show that the interference fit will stiffen the bearing and spindle system and result in obvious increments on bearing stiffness, spindle stiffness as well as the natural frequencies. A specially designed spindle test rig is built to verify the simulation results, and the variation of spindle stiffness and natural frequencies are measured under different interference fit values. The maximum error of the system natural frequencies between the analytical results and the experimental data is 7.36%, which confirmed the accuracy of the proposed analytical model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a novel method to solve the problem of distortion in commercial lithium-ion pouch cells is introduced. The new approach mainly involves the application of poly(vinylidenefluoride- co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP) binder onto the surface of the separator in a pretreatment process. This binder enhances the strength of the adhesion between the positive electrode and the separator during the hot pressing process. The resulting lithium-ion pouch cell exhibits improved cycle performance and reduced cell thickness swelling. The relationship between the amount of binder coated onto the PP (polypropylene) substrate and the cycle performance was explored, and the optimal amount of binder coating was estimated to be 0.15 mg/cm. Including a composite separator in commercial lithium-ion pouch cells reduces the internal stress between the electrode and the separator and can improve the stability of the jelly-roll structure during cycling, as it balances out the internal stress distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to reveal a potential key gene network associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). The microarray data GSE50101 downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus were used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between SAR patients and healthy controls. Then, functional enrichment analysis was conducted using Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. Afterwards, the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of DEGs were obtained from STRING, and the PPI network was constructed. In addition, the PPI network module was analyzed. In total, 98 up-regulated and 63 down-regulated DEGs were identified from the SAR samples, comparing the healthy controls. The up-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in the Gene Ontology terms about cell death (e.g., DUSP1 and JUN) and pathways related to immune (e.g., FOS and JUN). The down-regulated DEGs were mainly enriched in regulation of transcription (e.g., CEBPD and SCML1). In the PPI network, a set of genes was predicted to interact with each other, such as FOS, JUN, and CEBPD. Furthermore, genes in the network module (e.g., FOS, JUN and CEBPD) was mainly enriched in regulation of transcription, and pathways about immune, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, and toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Several genes related to immunity and regulation of transcription, such as FOS, JUN, and CEBPD, may play crucial roles during the process of SAR through the interactions with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunable white light was realized in samples BaTiPO:2 xEu ( x = 0-0.80) by introducing orange-red light emitting Eu in self-activated blue-green light emitting matrix BaTiPO. The sample BaTiPO:2 xEu is a multiphase system consisting of BaTiPO, EuPO and TiO when x is greater than or equal to 0.20. The tunable light from blue-green to bluish-white, to white, and eventually to pinky-white of samples BaTiPO:2 xEu under UV light excitation is attributed to the light mixture of tunable blue-green light from Ti-O charge transfer transition in BaTiPO and orange-red light from Eu 4f-4f transition mostly in EuPO. The Commission International de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates, correlated color temperature and color rendering index were tuned from (0.262, 0.339), 9492 K and 74 for matrix sample BaTiPO to (0.324, 0.346), 5876 K and 87 for sample BaTiPO:2 xEu ( x = 0.40) under UV light excitation. Therefore, a kind of promising UV-excited white light emitting multiphase phosphor was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acids, neurotransmitters, purines, and pyrimidines are bioactive molecules that play fundamental roles in maintaining various physiological functions. Their metabolism is closely related to the health, growth, development, reproduction, and homeostasis of organisms. Most recently, comprehensive measurements of these metabolites have shown their potential as innovative approaches in disease surveillance or drug intervention. However, simultaneous measurement of these metabolites presents great difficulties. Here, we report a novel quantitative method that uses hydrophilic interaction ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-UPLC-MS/MS), which is highly selective, high throughput, and exhibits better chromatographic behavior than existing methods. The developed method enabled the rapid quantification of 37 metabolites, spanning amino acids, neurotransmitters, purines, and pyrimidines pathways, within 6.5 min. The compounds were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC® BEH Amide column. Serum and brain homogenate were extracted by protein precipitation. The intra- and interday precision of all of the analytes was less than 11.34 %, and the accuracy was between −11.74 and 11.51 % for all quality control (QC) levels. The extraction recoveries of serum ranged from 84.58 % to 116.43 % and those of brain samples from 80.80 % to 119.39 %, while the RSD was 14.61 % or less for all recoveries. This method was used to successfully characterize alterations in the rat brain and, in particular, their dynamics in serum. The following study was performed to simultaneously test global changes of these metabolites in a serotonin antagonist p-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA)-induced anxiety and insomnia rat model to understand the effect and mechanism of PCPA. Taken together, these results show that the method is able to simultaneously monitor a large panel of metabolites and that this protocol may represent a metabolomic method to diagnose toxicological and pathophysiological states. [Figure not available: see fulltext.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to obtain the effect of forming parameters on multi-stage cold forging with 20MnTiB steel by performing a series of physical simulation and then verified by producing experiment of high-strength bolt. Physical simulation was performed through Gleeble 3500 compression tests; the mainly forming parameters such as strain rate (10∼10), deformation degree (20∼80 %), and number of stages were discussed. The results showed that the strain rate has little effect on the microstructure and the mechanical property. However, the number of stages and the deformation degree have an appreciable effect on the sample microstructure, of which the pearlite grain is fined and ferrite grain is elongated as fiber. The adiabatic thermal temperature rises from 20 to 142 °C with a 60 % deformation degree at a strain rate of 10 s. Finally, the deformation properties of bolts can compare with the physical simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon amounts of simulated syngases with different compositions were calculated in this study. The degradation and carbon deposition behavior of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with an active area of 4 cm × 4 cm were then investigated under the simulated syngases at work conditions. Carbon deposition occurred over time with a little or no HO and CO in these gasses, which significantly degraded the single cells. The cell stabilized within 1 h under a gas mixture of 70 % H-30 % CO because of the chocking of inlet pipelines of the testing house by carbon deposition. Addition of proper HO and CO in the simulated syngas effectively suppressed carbon deposition in the pipelines. However, carbon was still deposited gradually in the single cell anode when HO and CO were insufficient. The mechanisms of carbon deposition were different when the cells were exposed under different syngases. Single cells steadily thrived under 50 % H-20 % CO-10 % CO-20 % HO and 50 % H-20 % CO-20 % CO-10 % HO gas mixtures for about 2000 h without carbon deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fine particulate matter samples for 24 h were carried out at the Environment Monitoring Station (EMS) and Shandong Jianzhu University (SJU) sites during 2010 in Jinan City, China. Eight water-soluble ion species were analyzed by ion chromatography, while organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) were determined with the IMPROVE thermal optical reflectance method, and 20 inorganic elements were measured by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy. The annual average mass concentration of PM was 168.85 μg m at EMS and 148.67 μg m at SJU. The coefficient of divergence was 0.14, 0.19, 0.23, and 0.23 in spring, summer, fall, and winter, respectively, indicating that there was no obvious spatial difference at the two sampling sites. The highest PM, OC, and OC/EC ratio were in winter because of the enhanced emissions from coal combustion for heating and poor atmospheric dispersion. By the method of enrichment factors, the 20 inorganic elements were divided into three types owing to their sources. Al, Si, and Ti were mainly contributed by crustal sources. Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ba, and Sr were from both natural emissions and anthropogenic sources. Cu, Zn, Pb, and Sn mainly originated from anthropogenic sources such as vehicular exhaust and industrial emission. Chemical mass closure calculation estimated that SO was the largest contributor and explained 29.66 % of PM mass at EMS, while 31.64 % was at SJU. The organic matter, crustal matter, and NO, respectively, accounted for 15.12, 12.87, and 13.77 % to PM at EMS, while it accounted for 13.46, 13.96, and 14.93 % at SJU, respectively. By the positive matrix factorization analysis, the coal combustion and biomass burning, secondary sulfate, soil dust, secondary nitrate, and vehicle emissions were identified as the major emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One-dimensional LuSiO:Ce (LPS:Ce) luminescent fibers were prepared by the sol-gel process combined with electrospinning with polyvinyl butyral as polymer in this study. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and kinetic decays were used to characterize the resulting samples. After calcinated at 1200 °C, pure crystalline phase of LuSiO was obtained with well maintenance of the fiber morphology. The excitation and emission curves of LPS:Ce samples are influenced by cerium-doping concentrations. LPS:0.5%Ce fibers show the most intense emission among the samples. A fast decay time of tens of nanosecond was also observed in LPS:Ce fibers. Furthermore, LPS:0.5%Ce powders and Y co-doped LPS:0.5%Ce fibers were also prepared in a similar way for comparison. As a result, LPS:0.5%Ce fibers present a much stronger emission and higher quantum efficiency than that of LPS:0.5%Ce powders, and a close efficiency compared with YLuSiO:0.5%Ce fibers. In addition, a facile and efficient fiber molding process can be realized to assemble one-dimensional LPS:Ce fibers into three-dimensional (3D) fibers structures with different shapes like bracelet and spool. Such 3D fiber structures are dense enough and well-shaped even if after high temperature calcination. The high performance LPS:Ce fibers and LPS:Ce 3D fibers may have great potential applications for luminescent clad sensors, optoelectronic devices, or scintillating detectors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a low-cost photovoltaic technology, dyesensitized solar cell (DSSC) has attracted widespread attention in the past decade. During its development to commercial application, decreasing the production cost and increasing the device stability take the most importance. Compared with conventional sandwich structure liquid-state DSSCs, monolithic all-solid-state mesoscopic solar cells based on mesoscopic carbon counter electrodes and solid-state electrolytes present much lower production cost and provide a prospect of long-term stability. This review presents the recent progress of materials and achievement for all-solid-state DSSCs. In particular, representative examples are highlighted with the results of our monolithic all-solid-state mesoscopic solar cell devices and modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A monobasal solid-state dye-sensitized solar cell (ssDSC) with mesoporous TiO 2 beads was developed and an efficiency of 4% was achieved under air mass (AM) 1.5 illumination. Scattering properties and electron diffusion coefficients of TiO 2 mesoporous beads and P25 nanoparticles were investigated. The results show that TiO 2 mesoporous beads display higher scatterance than P25 nano-particles, and TiO 2 mesoporous beads have higher electron diffusion coefficients (2.86 × 10 −5 cm 2·s −1) than P25 nano-particles (2.26 × 10 −5 cm 2·s −1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently identified class of microRNAs (miRNAs) provided a new insight in cancer research. As the member of miRNAs family, miR-34a, miR-155 and miR-200c abnormalities have been found in various types of cancer. However, the relationship between these three miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-155 and miR-200c) and colorectal cancer is unclear. In this study, we applied stem-loop real-time PCR to quantitatively detect miR-34a, miR-155 and miR-200c expression in 109 pair-matched human colorectal cancers and the corresponding normal mucosa. MiR-34a (2.2-fold), miR-155 (2.3-fold) and miR-200c (3.1-fold) were all expressed at higher levels in colorectal cancer ( P = 0.001, 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). In rectum, miR-34a and miR-200c were significantly upregulated ( P = 0.006 and 0.007), while the miR-155 overexpression was not statistically significant ( P = 0.083). In colon, the higher expression of three miRNAs was seen, however, without significant difference ( P > 0.05). We also found that the miR-34a expression was higher in rectal cancer having more advanced TNM stage (III + IV, P = 0.03). Then miR-200c expression was positively correlated with and sera CEA level of rectal cancer patients ( P = 0.04). In conclusion, our results thus suggest that the overexpression of miR-34a, miR-155 and miR-200c be associated with the development of colorectal cancer, meanwhile miR-34a may be involved in the development and progression of rectal cancer. The more deeply and larger scale research are required to prove the correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jasmonate and related signalling compounds have a crucial role in both host immunity and development in plants, but the molecular details of the signalling mechanism are poorly understood. Here we identify members of the jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ) protein family as key regulators of jasmonate signalling. JAZ1 protein acts to repress transcription of jasmonate-responsive genes. Jasmonate treatment causes JAZ1 degradation and this degradation is dependent on activities of the SCFCOI1 ubiquitin ligase and the 26S proteasome. Furthermore, the jasmonoyl–isoleucine (JA–Ile) conjugate, but not other jasmonate-derivatives such as jasmonate, 12-oxo-phytodienoic acid, or methyl-jasmonate, promotes physical interaction between COI1 and JAZ1 proteins in the absence of other plant proteins. Our results suggest a model in which jasmonate ligands promote the binding of the SCFCOI1 ubiquitin ligase to and subsequent degradation of the JAZ1 repressor protein, and implicate the SCFCOI1–JAZ1 protein complex as a site of perception of the plant hormone JA–Ile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two G. somalense monosomic alien addition lines were identified from the derived backcross progenies of allohexaploid between G. hirsutum and G. somalense through cytological and morphological observation. Furthermore, the alien addition chromosome was identified and distinguished by RAPD analysis. A total of 160 RAPD primers were used for PCR amplification. Primer SBSG11 could produce a specific molecular marker (600 bp) for monosomic alien addition line I (MAAL I). Primer SBSC03 could produce a specific molecular marker (700 bp) for monosomic alien addition line Il (MAAL II). SBSE07 and SBSE08 could respectively produce common molecular marker for monosomic alien addition lines I and II. G. somalense alien addition lines could be important for cotton improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the convergence properties of Powell's UOBYQA method. A distinguished feature of the method is its use of two trust region radii. We first study the convergence of the method when the objective function is quadratic. We then prove that it is globally convergent for general objective functions when the second trust region radius ρ converges to zero. This gives a justification for the use of ρ as a stopping criterion. Finally, we show that a variant of this method is superlinearly convergent when the objective function is strictly convex at the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the simultaneous removal of NOx and particulate matter (Pm) exhausted from a diesel engine with a diesel particulate filter (DPF) on which a mixed metal oxide catalyst was loaded. How the NOx reduction was observed in the same temperature range of the CO2 formation, implying the occurrence of the simultaneous removal of NOx and PM in an oxidizing atmosphere; Demonstration that SOF and soot in PM are attributed to the reduction of NOx at lower and higher temperatures, respectively.

In this paper, we analyze the global convergence of the least-change secant method proposed by Dennis and Wolkowicz, when applied to convex objective functions. One of the most distinguished features of this method is that the Dennis-Wolkowicz update doesn't necessarily belong to the Broyden convex family and can be close to the DFP update, but it still has the self-correcting property. We prove that, for convex objective functions, this method with the commonly used Wolfe line search is globally convergent. We also provide some numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a new nonmonotone conjugate gradient method is introduced, which can be regarded as a generalization of the Perry and Shanno memoryless quasi-Newton method. For convex objective functions, the proposed nonmonotone conjugate gradient method is proved to be globally convergent. Its global convergence for non-convex objective functions has also been studied. Numerical experiments indicate that it is able to efficiently solve large scale optmization problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new nonmonotone BFGS algorithmfor unconstrained optimization is introduced. Under mild conditions,the global convergence of this new algorithm on convex functions isproved. Some numerical experiments show that this new nonmonotoneBFGS algorithm is competitive to the BFGS algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine tuberculosis is a disease caused by Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) that leads to great economic losses in cattle production. The discovery of a reasonable bioagent to reduce M. bovis infection risk and environment contamination becomes significant and urgent. Previous study reported that human β-defensin-3 (HBD3) participated in Mycobacterial immunity and was recognized as a suitable candidate reagent. However, its minimal inhibitory concentration to M. bovis is not yet reported. In this study, we first purified HBD3 protein by recombinant-DNA technology and prokaryotic expression system. Subsequently, anti-bacterial tests were used to evaluate the basic bioactivity of the protein. Results revealed that recombinant HBD3 (rHBD3) protein inhibits Staphylococcus multiplication but not the host Escherichia coli. The growth curve of M. bovis showed that rHBD3 protein controls the proliferation of M. bovis in 20 μg/ml concentration. In addition, rHBD3 protein-incubated M. bovis exhibited reduced infectivity to alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages. In conclusion, the expression of rHBD3 protein is a potential ideal bio-regent for reducing M. bovis infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are highly expected in future low-cost energy systems. We have successfully prepared crumpled, sheet-like, sulfur-doped graphene by magnesiothermic reduction of easily available, low-cost, nontoxic CO2 (in the form of Na2CO3) and Na2SO4 as the carbon and sulfur sources, respectively. At high temperature, Mg can reduce not only carbon in the oxidation state of +4 in CO32− to form graphene, but also sulfur in SO42− from its highest (+6) to lowest valence which was hybridized into the carbon sp2 framework. Various characterization results show that sulfur-doped graphene with only few layers has an appropriate sulfur content, hierarchically robust porous structure, large surface area/pore volume, and highly graphitized textures. The S-doped graphene samples exhibit not only a high activity for ORR with a four-electron pathway, but also superior durability and tolerance to MeOH crossover to 40% Pt/C. This is mainly ascribed to the combination of sulfur-related active sites and hierarchical porous textures, facilitating fast diffusion of oxygen molecules and electrolyte to catalytic sites and release of products from the sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Detection of synovitis is essential for assessing the activity and predicting the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in RA patients with high, moderate, and low activity.One hundred four patients with active RA were selected from the hospital between May 2022 and August 2023. The study observed the correlation between bone erosion of the carpal joint, joint cavity effusion, thickness of synovial hyperplasia of the carpal joint, positivity rate of synovial blood vessels, and their semiquantitative scores with the clinical disease activity of RA using SMI examination.The detection of synovial hyperplasia thickness and joint effusion in the high-activity group was higher than that in the low-activity group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The quantitative SMI test demonstrated that the synovial blood flow grading and semiquantitative grade increased gradually with activity level (P<0.05). During the high, moderate, and low-activity groups, the vascular index (VI) value of the hyperplastic synovial membrane decreased gradually, showing statistical significance both between and within the groups (P<0.05).SMI technology exhibited high sensitivity and accuracy in assessing disease activity in RA. It holds significant clinical application value as a reliable auxiliary tool for assessing disease activity in RA and treatment.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: Detection of synovitis is essential for assessing the activity and predicting the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in RA patients with high, moderate, and low activity.One hundred four patients with active RA were selected from the hospital between May 2022 and August 2023. The study observed the correlation between bone erosion of the carpal joint, joint cavity effusion, thickness of synovial hyperplasia of the carpal joint, positivity rate of synovial blood vessels, and their semiquantitative scores with the clinical disease activity of RA using SMI examination.The detection of synovial hyperplasia thickness and joint effusion in the high-activity group was higher than that in the low-activity group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The quantitative SMI test demonstrated that the synovial blood flow grading and semiquantitative grade increased gradually with activity level (P<0.05). During the high, moderate, and low-activity groups, the vascular index (VI) value of the hyperplastic synovial membrane decreased gradually, showing statistical significance both between and within the groups (P<0.05).SMI technology exhibited high sensitivity and accuracy in assessing disease activity in RA. It holds significant clinical application value as a reliable auxiliary tool for assessing disease activity in RA and treatment.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Results: Detection of synovitis is essential for assessing the activity and predicting the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in RA patients with high, moderate, and low activity.One hundred four patients with active RA were selected from the hospital between May 2022 and August 2023. The study observed the correlation between bone erosion of the carpal joint, joint cavity effusion, thickness of synovial hyperplasia of the carpal joint, positivity rate of synovial blood vessels, and their semiquantitative scores with the clinical disease activity of RA using SMI examination.The detection of synovial hyperplasia thickness and joint effusion in the high-activity group was higher than that in the low-activity group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The quantitative SMI test demonstrated that the synovial blood flow grading and semiquantitative grade increased gradually with activity level (P<0.05). During the high, moderate, and low-activity groups, the vascular index (VI) value of the hyperplastic synovial membrane decreased gradually, showing statistical significance both between and within the groups (P<0.05).SMI technology exhibited high sensitivity and accuracy in assessing disease activity in RA. It holds significant clinical application value as a reliable auxiliary tool for assessing disease activity in RA and treatment.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Conclusion: Detection of synovitis is essential for assessing the activity and predicting the prognosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) in RA patients with high, moderate, and low activity.One hundred four patients with active RA were selected from the hospital between May 2022 and August 2023. The study observed the correlation between bone erosion of the carpal joint, joint cavity effusion, thickness of synovial hyperplasia of the carpal joint, positivity rate of synovial blood vessels, and their semiquantitative scores with the clinical disease activity of RA using SMI examination.The detection of synovial hyperplasia thickness and joint effusion in the high-activity group was higher than that in the low-activity group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The quantitative SMI test demonstrated that the synovial blood flow grading and semiquantitative grade increased gradually with activity level (P<0.05). During the high, moderate, and low-activity groups, the vascular index (VI) value of the hyperplastic synovial membrane decreased gradually, showing statistical significance both between and within the groups (P<0.05).SMI technology exhibited high sensitivity and accuracy in assessing disease activity in RA. It holds significant clinical application value as a reliable auxiliary tool for assessing disease activity in RA and treatment.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.Key Points• Super micro-vascular imaging (SMI) demonstrated higher detection rates of microvessels in RA patients with high disease activity compared to those with low activity, showing statistical significance.• The quantitative SMI test revealed a clear correlation between synovial blood flow grading and disease activity levels in RA patients, highlighting the potential of SMI as a valuable tool for disease activity and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]