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Proximal pulmonary artery masses are exceedingly rare, and their diagnosis and therapy are important and challenging for clinicians. This study reviews our experience exploring the value of a combination of transthoracic echocardiography and contrast echocardiography for the differential diagnosis of proximal pulmonary artery masses. Between January 2018 and June 2021, 44 patients diagnosed with a mass attached to the major pulmonary artery and straddling the bilateral pulmonary arteries or pulmonary valve on transthoracic echocardiography were referred to this study. Contrast echocardiography was performed in 17 patients. Masses were diagnosed based on their site of attachment, shape, size, mobility, hemodynamic consequences on transthoracic echocardiography, and tissue perfusion on contrast echocardiographic perfusion imaging. Pathological data were collected from medical records and analyzed. The most frequent location of proximal pulmonary artery masses was the major pulmonary artery trunk. Twelve patients underwent complete mass resection, whereas nine patients underwent percutaneous pulmonary artery biopsy puncture and had a pathological diagnosis. Another 24 patients were confirmed with the validation methods. Contrast echocardiography has good sensitivity and specificity for differentiating thrombi from pulmonary artery sarcomas (PAS). The mass types were distributed as follows: thrombi (19, 43%), PAS (15, 34%), metastatic tumors (6, 14%), vegetations (3, 7%), and primary benign lesions (1, 2%). The majority of proximal pulmonary artery masses were thrombi or PAS. A combination of transthoracic echocardiography and contrast echocardiography offers advantages in the early identification of proximal pulmonary masses and provides clinically important information about the characteristics of masses, especially for differentiating thrombi from PAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The deep and ultra-deep oil and gas has been a prominent exploration direction in the field of petroleum industry in recent years. The deep oil and gas resources are mainly distributed in the carbonate rocks, clastic rocks and igneous rocks, of which the carbonate rock reservoirs account for about 40% of global oil and gas reserves for their superior reservoir properties. Currently, a number of large oil and gas fields have been discovered in the deep marine carbonate rocks in China, especially in the Sichuan and Tarim Basin, thus showing a broad oil and gas exploration potential in the deep marine carbonate rocks. In this paper, the genesis and source of deep natural gas in the Tarim and Sichuan Basin has been systematically studied. The results show that the natural gas in the deep marine carbonate rock reservoirs is not only sourced from the deep-source rocks, but the substantial crack of crude oil in the reservoir under the condition of high burial depth and high geotemperature can provide abundant natural gas sources for the deep reservoir. Accordingly, the contribution of gas from oil cracking should be concerned in evaluation on deep natural gas resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of Sr3Gd1−xLi(PO4)3F: xSm3+ (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08) phosphors were synthesized by a high-temperature solid state method. The Sm3+ activated Sr3GdLi(PO4)3F phosphors can be efficiently excited by the wavelengths in the range from 350 to 450 nm, which matches perfectly with that of the commercial near-UV LED chips. The optimal doping concentration of Sr3Gd1−xLi(PO4)3F: xSm3+ phosphors was determined to be x = 0.04, corresponding to the quantum efficiency of 2.23%, and the CIE chromaticity coordinates (x = 0.5172, y = 0.4641). The concentration quenching mechanism of Sm3+ in Sr3GdLi(PO4)3F host is mainly attributed to the dipole-dipole interaction, which was confirmed by the fluorescent lifetimes. The effect of temperature on the photoluminescence property of Sr3GdLi(PO4)3F: Sm3+ was investigated. 90% of the intensity is preserved at 150 °C. In addition, a white light emitting diode (WLED) lamp was fabricated by a 405 nm n-UV LED chip coated with Sr3Gd0.96Li(PO4)3F:0.04Sm3+ phosphor and commercial yellow phosphor (YAG: Ce3+) of a certain mass ratio. The present work indicates that the Sr3GdLi(PO4)3F: Sm3+ orange-red-emitting phosphors tend to be potential application in n-UV WLED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of a systematic paleomagnetic study are reported based on Late Carboniferous to Early Permian sedimentary rocks on the north slope of the Tanggula Mountains, in the northern Qiangtang terrane (NQT), Tibet, China. Data revealed that magnetic minerals in limestone samples from the Zarigen Formation (CP^ z)are primarily composed of magnetite, while those in sandstone samples from the Nuoribagaribao Formation (P nr) are dominated by hematite alone, or hematite and magnetite in combination. Progressive thermal, or alternating field, demagnetization allowed us to isolate a stable high temperature component (HTC) in 127 specimens from 16 sites which successfully passed the conglomerate test, consistent with primary remnance. The tilt-corrected mean direction for Late Carboniferous to Early Permian rocks in the northern Qiangtang terrane is D =30.2°, I =- 40.9°, k =269.0, α =2.3°, N=16, which yields a corresponding paleomagnetic pole at 25.7°N, 241.5°E (d p/d m=2.8°/1.7°), and a paleolatitude of 23.4°S. Our results, together with previously reported paleomagnetic data, indicate that: (1) the NQT in Tibet, China, was located at a low latitude in the southern hemisphere, and may have belonged to the northern margin of Gondwana during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian; (2) the Paleo-Tethys Ocean was large during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian, and (3) the NQT subsequently moved rapidly northwards, perhaps related to the fact that the Paleo-Tethys Ocean was rapidly contracting from the Late Permian to Late Triassic while the Bangong Lake-Nujiang Ocean, the northern branch of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, expanded rapidly during this time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallium-Indium co-substituted yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG:Yb,Tm) phosphors were synthesized by co-precipitation method. It can be seen that gallium and indium ions co-substitution didn't change the phase of YAG. The upconversion luminescence (UCL) properties of the Gallium-Indium co-substituted (YAG:Yb,Tm) samples were measured under 980 nm excitation. The effects of different Inconcentration on the luminescence properties of Gallium-Indium co-substituted (YAG:Yb,Tm) were also investigated. The fluorescence-lifetime investigation shows that the substitution of Ga and In has a significant influence on energy transfer between Yb and Tm in the YAG samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prerequisite for effective prognostics, the goodness of the features affects the complexity of the prognostic methods. Comparing to features quality evaluation in diagnostics, features evaluation for prognostics is a new problem. Normally, the monotonic tendency of feature series can be used as the visual representation of equipment damage cumulation so that forecasting its future health states is easy to implement. Through introducing the concept of ranking mutual information in ordinal case, a monotonicity evaluation method of monitoring feature series is proposed. Finally, this method is verified by the simulating feature series and the results verify its effectivity. For the specific application in industry, the evaluation results can be used as the standard for selecting prognostic feature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal therapy (PTT) for cancer treatment is the use of heat between 41 and 45 °C to damage cancer cells. As a new type of transducer agent for PTT of cancer, CuS nanoparticles have several advantages. The most favorable features are the low cost, simple, and easy preparation and small size for targeting. However, the CuS nanoparticle PTT efficacy needs to be improved for practical applications. In this study, the CuS nano-PTT efficiency is enhanced via the local field enhancement from Ag nanoparticle surface plasmon coupling. The results show that absorbance of CuS nanoparticles in Ag/CuS nanocomposites is enhanced about four times by Ag nanoparticle surface plasmon coupling. Consequently, the PTT efficacy is enhanced and a power of 0.6 W/cm with a 980-nm laser is sufficient for Ag/CuS nano-PTT activation for cancer treatment in vitro observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report paleomagnetic results from the Late Carboniferous-Late Permian strata in eastern Tibet (China), and aim to clarify the tectonic and paleogeographic evolution of the northern Qiangtang-Qamdo block, which is the key to the study of plate boundary between the Gondwanaland and the Eurasia during the late Paleozoic. Two hundred and nineteen samples-including limestone, muddy siltstone, basalt, lava, and tuff-were collected at 24 sites in the Upper Carboniferous and Middle-Upper Permian successions. A systematic study of rock magnetism and paleomagnetism yields three reliable paleomagnetic pole positions. Both hematite and magnetite occurred in the Late Carboniferous limestone samples. The demagnetization curve shows a characteristic double-component, with the remanent magnetization (ChRM) exhibiting a positive polarity (negative inclination). In the Late Permian limestone, tuff, and basalt, magnetic information were recorded primarily in magnetite, although a small fraction of them was found in hematite in basalt. The demagnetization curve illustrates a double or single component, with the ChRM showing a negative polarity (positive inclination), which has passed the classic fold test successfully. The single polarity features of the ChRM directions of the Late Carboniferous and Middle-Late Permian rocks are respectively related to the Kiaman positive and reversed polarities under the stratigraphic coordinates. This, in turn, indicates that both ChRMs directions represent the original remanence directions. By comparison with the previously published paleomagnetic results from the late Paleozoic rocks in the northern Qiangtang Range, we suggest that: (1) Qamdo and northern Qiangtang block were independent of each other during the Late Carboniferous to the Early Permian periods. The north Lancangjiang ocean basin between the two blocks may have closed before the Middle Permian and been involved in the continent-continent collision stage in the Late Permian-Early Triassic periods. (2) The northern Qiangtang-Qamdo Block paleogeographically was situated at low to intermediate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere in the Late Carboniferous-Late Permian periods, and began to displace northward in the Early Triassic, with an amount of more than 5000 km northward transport from its current location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraweak intrinsic bioluminescence of cancer cell is a noninvasive method of assessing bioenergetic status of the investigated cells. This weak biophoton emission generated by prostate cancer cells (PC) was measured in the presence of Ag nanoparticles and its correlation with singlet oxygen production was investigated. The comparison between nanoparticles concentration, bioluminescence intensity, and cell survival showed that Ag nanoparticles do not significantly affect cell survival at used concentration but they increase cell bioluminescent processes. It was also confirmed that singlet oxygen contributes to biophoton emission, that Ag nanoparticles increase this contribution, and that there are secondary mechanisms independent of singlet oxygen by which Ag nanoparticles contribute to increased cellular bioluminescence, possibly through plasmon resonance enhancement of intrinsic fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel autofocus algorithm for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) based on total variation is presented in this paper. The method, which starts with a complex phasedegraded SAR image, after the phase errors model is introduced into the range-compressed phase-history domain, carries out phase errors correction by changing the focus till the total variation of the azimuth profile is maximized. Compared with the minimum entropy autofocus algorithm, the autofocus algorithm has less computational complexity and is easier to implement. The simulation and the processing results of the measured data show the validity of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dual-functional ZnWO4:Dy3+, Bi3+ were synthesized via high-temperature solid-state reaction method. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectra and photocatalytic properties. The ZnWO4:Dy3+, Bi3+ phosphor shows photoluminescence with a broad band and the feature Dy3+ emission, and a high photocatalytic activity in degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) under simulated UV irradiation. The result shows that doping Bi3+ in ZnWO4:Dy3+ can enhance light harvest capability to generate more electron-hole pairs, and acted as a trap center by decreasing the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. All of the results obtained by the work suggest that ZnWO4:Dy3+, Bi3+ phosphors are promising materials for the photocatalytic decomposition of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a noninvasive molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique based on the chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer mechanism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of APT MRI in detecting intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages by comparing with susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI). APT MRI and SWI were performed on 33 included patients with ICH by using a 3-T MRI unit. A two-sided Mann-Whitney U test was used to detect differences in APT-weighted (APTw) and SWI signal intensities of ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to assess the diagnostic utilities of APT MRI and SWI. Our results showed that APT MRI could detect ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Therefore, APTw signal intensity may serve as a reliable, noninvasive imaging biomarker for detecting ICH at hyperacute, acute and subacute stages. Moreover, APT MRI could provide additional information for the ICH compared with SWI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]