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Preimplantation Genetic Testing - Aneuploidy (PGT-A) for embryo selection has undergone significant advancements in the last 2 decades and yet many studies still fail to demonstrate any clinical benefits over traditional embryo morphology selection (Mo-S). To understand this conundrum, we performed a multi-center clinical study of PGT-A patients, where Mo-S and euploid selection (Eu-S) outcomes were directly compared.All suitable blastocysts were biopsied and analyzed for chromosome copy number. Outcomes (positive beta hCG, implantation, ongoing pregnancy, and live birth rates) for Eu-S were compared to Mo-S using single embryo transfers.Compared to Eu-S embryos, Mo-S embryos resulted in significant reduction of outcomes for positive beta hCG (p = 0.0005), implantation (p = 0.0008), ongoing pregnancy (p = 0.0046), livebirth (p = 0.0112), babies per transfer (p = 0.0112), and babies per embryo transferred (p = 0.0112). Morphology selection resulted in patients of all age groups having non-euploid embryos chosen for transfer. Post-hoc evaluation of individual clinic performances showed variable transfer outcomes that could potentially confound the true benefits of PGT-A.Embryo chromosome status is central to improved embryo transfer outcomes and sole reliance on current morphology-based selection practices, without Eu-S, will always compromise outcomes. Often overlooked but a major effector of successful PGT-A outcomes are individual clinic performances.

Hepcidin is a master regulator of iron utilization and takes part in the pathophysiology of anemia in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. Hepcidin is a moderate-molecular-weight substance and partially binds to plasma proteins in the circulation, which theoretically might be removed efficiently by hemoperfusion (HP). This study aimed to compare the effect of different dialysis modalities on hepcidin removal and discuss its effect on the iron and anemia status in MHD patients.In a longitudinal interventional study of 26 stable MHD patients, the serum hepcidin, β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), and intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) were measured before and after one treatment session of hemodialysis (HD), hemodiafiltration (HDF), HD + HP, and HDF + HP, separately. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to identify the effect of dialysis modalities on the intra-dialysis clearance ratios.The combined dialysis modalities (HD + HP and HDF + HP) achieved greater clearance ratios of serum hepcidin than HD and HDF alone, HD + HP vs. HD (16 ± 15% vs. 4 ± 13%, p 0.001), HDF + HP vs. HDF (18 ± 5% vs. 10 ± 13%, p = 0.0036). Similarly, the combined dialysis modalities also performed better than HD and HDF alone in removing β2-MG. There was no significant difference in iPTH clearance among these four modalities, except that HDF + HP achieved a greater clearance ratio than HD. Furthermore, the anemia was improved after the 6-month treatment with regular HD/HDF plus HP, which was indicated by increasing hemoglobin (p = 0.0004) and reduction of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) resistance index (ERI) (p = 0.0431).Our findings suggest that the combined dialysis modalities of HD/HDF plus HP could achieve better clearance ratios of hepcidin than HD/HDF alone, thereby, might improve iron utilization, and benefit anemia management in MHD patients. Further studies with larger sample-size patients and longer follow-up duration are still needed.

The tea plant, Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, is an economically important, perennial woody plant rich in catechins. Although catechins have been reported to play an important role in plant defences against microbes, their roles in the defence of tea plants against herbivores remain unknown. In this study, we allowed the larvae of Ectropis grisescens, a leaf-feeding pest, to feed on the plants, and alternatively, we wounded the plants and then treated them with E. grisescens oral secretions (WOS). Both approaches triggered jasmonic acid-, ethylene- and auxin-mediated signalling pathways; as a result, plants accumulated three catechin compounds: (+)-catechin, epicatechin and epigallocatechin. Not only was the mass of E. grisescens larvae fed on plants previously infested with E. grisescens or treated with WOS significantly lower than that of larvae fed on controls, but also artificial diet supplemented with epicatechin, (+)-catechin or epigallocatechin gallate reduced larval growth rates. In addition, the exogenous application of jasmonic acid, ethylene or auxin induced the biosynthesis of the three catechins, which, in turn, enhanced the resistance of tea plants to E. grisescens, leading to the coordination of the three signalling pathways. Our results suggest that the three catechins play an important role in the defences of tea plants against E. grisescens.

A universal strategy is developed to construct a cascade Z‐Scheme system, in which an effective energy platform is the core to direct charge transfer and separation, blocking the unexpected type‐II charge transfer pathway. The dimension‐matched (001)TiO2‐g‐C3N4/BiVO4 nanosheet heterojunction (T‐CN/BVNS) is the first such model. The optimized cascade Z‐Scheme exhibits ≈19‐fold photoactivity improvement for CO2 reduction to CO in the absence of cocatalysts and costly sacrificial agents under visible‐light irradiation, compared with BVNS, which is also superior to other reported Z‐Scheme systems even with noble metals as mediators. The experimental results and DFT calculations based on van der Waals structural models on the ultrafast timescale reveal that the introduced T as the platform prolongs the lifetimes of spatially separated electrons and holes and does not compromise their reduction and oxidation potentials., A cascade Z‐Scheme system composed of a dimension‐matched (001)TiO2‐g‐C3N4/BiVO4 heterojunction is proposed, in which the energy platform (001)TiO2 is used to direct charge transfer and separation, thus blocking the unexpected type‐II charge transfer pathway. The role of TiO2 is thus not only to facilitate the Z‐Scheme charge transfer but also to maintain the strong redox potentials for CO2 photoreduction and water splitting.

Objectives Children with Kawasaki disease (KD) often develop impaired arterial function. The aim of the study was to assess the feasibility and efficacy of two-dimensional speckle tracking technique (2DSTI) for the evaluation of carotid artery elasticity in children with early-stage KD. Methods Children with KD (n = 97), age and sex-matched children with fever (n = 18), and healthy controls (n = 24) were included. Children with KD were subsequently divided into a coronary artery lesion group (CAL group, 27 cases) and a noncoronary artery lesion group (nCAL group, 70 cases) based on the results of echocardiography. The carotid circumferential peak strain (CCS) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) for the children in each group were measured, and the laboratory indicators for each group were collected. Results The CCS of children with KD was lower than that of children with fever and healthy controls (P = .001 and .008), whereas CIMT was not significantly different among the groups. Moreover, the CCS of children in the CAL group was lower than that of children in the nCAL group and healthy controls (P = .001 and .000, respectively), whereas the CIMT of children in the CAL group was higher than that of children in the nCAL group (P = .014). In children with KD, CCS was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (r = -.419, P = .001; and r = -.305, P = .003). However, CCS was negatively correlated with CRP (r = -.508, P = .007) but not ALT (r = -.176, P = .379) in children in the CAL group. Conclusion CCS determined based on 2DSTI can reflect changes in the carotid artery elasticity function in the early stage of KD.

We investigate a family of dinuclear dysprosium metallocene single-molecule magnets (SMMs) bridged by methyl and halogen groups [Cp'2 Dy(μ-X)]2 (Cp'=cyclopentadienyltrimethylsilane anion; 1: X=CH3- ; 2: X=Cl- ; 3: X=Br- ; 4: X=I- ). For the first time, the magnetic easy axes of dysprosium metallocene SMMs are experimentally determined, confirming that the orientation of them are perpendicular to the equatorial plane which is made up of dysprosium and bridging atoms. The orientation of the magnetic easy axis for 1 deviates from the normal direction (by 10.3°) due to the stronger equatorial interactions between DyIII and methyl groups. Moreover, its magnetic axes show a temperature-dependent shifting, which is caused by the competition between exchange interactions and Zeeman interactions. Studies of fluorescence and specific heat as well as ab initio calculations reveal the significant influences of the bridging ligands on their low-lying exchange-based energy levels and, consequently, low-temperature magnetic properties.

A sensitive, reproducible, and specific liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated to simultaneously determine the concentration of berberine (BBR) and irbesartan in Sprague-Dawley rat plasma, and applied to study the pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction (DDI) between BBR and irbesartan in rats. In this method, diphenhydramine was used as the internal standard, and the liquid-liquid extraction method using ethyl acetate as the extraction agent was used for sample preparation. After extraction, the prepared samples were run on an Agilent Welchrom C18 column with the mobile phase consisting of methanol-acetonitrile-water solution with 0.5% formic acid (45:50:5, v/v/v) at a flow rate of 0.8 mL·min-1 . The analytes BBR, irbesartan, and diphenhydramine (IS) were detected using multiple reactions monitoring mode, with the ion transitions being m/z 336.1 → m/z 320.0, m/z 429.1 → m/z 206.9, and m/z 256.2 → m/z 167.0, respectively. In the rats' plasma, BBR had good linearity in the range of 0.5-100 ng·mL-1 with the lower limit of quantitation of 0.5 ng·mL-1 , and the accuracy, intra-day, and inter-day precision were less than 12.33%. Irbesartan had good linearity in the range of 20-1200 ng·mL-1 with the lower limit of quantification of 20 ng·mL-1 , and the accuracy, intra-day, and inter-day precision were less than 13.55%. The validated method was verified to meet the determination requirements of biological samples. It was the first time to study the pharmacokinetics of DDI between BBR and irbesartan successfully, which would be necessary and beneficial to explore the clinical safety and efficacy of the combination of BBR and irbesartan in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Objective This study aimed to identify and evaluate the mechanism by which apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were induced by dinaciclib in lymphoma Raji cells. Methods The colony formation assay was used to detect cell proliferation of Raji cells. Cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis were determined by flow cytometry and TUNEL assays, respectively. Protein expression related to the Raji cell state was evaluated by Western blot. The Raji/Dinaciclib drug‐resistant cell line was established, where the regulating functions of CDK1‐involved pathway were verified. In addition, the effect of dinaciclib in vivo was examined in orthotopically implanted tumors in nude mice. Results Cell apoptosis was induced, and DNA synthesis ability was decreased in a time‐dependent manner in dinaciclib‐treated lymphoma Raji cells. Furthermore, the cell cycle was found to be blocked in the G2/M Phase. Further study indicated that CDK1‐involved pathway played a key regulatory role in this process. It was revealed by cell transfection that the expression of cell cycle proteins was downregulated after treatment with dinaciclib through a CDK1‐involved pathway, which eventually led to apoptosis. Knockdown of CDK1 restored the sensitivity of the Raji/Dinaciclib cells to dinaciclib. Xenograft model of nude mice showed that dinaciclib treatment in vivo could effectively inhibit tumor growth, consistent with the experiment results mentioned before. Conclusion In this study, we clarified the mechanisms through which dinaciclib induces Raji cell apoptosis and blocks the cell cycle through a CDK1‐involved pathway, which supported that dinaciclib had potential values in the treatment of lymphoma.

A polysaccharide of Irpex lacteus, a white-rot fungus with lignocellulose-degrading activities, has been used as a commercial medicine for nephritis treatment. Previously, a low-intensity electromagnetic field (LI-EMF) was found to increase the biomass and polysaccharide content of Irpex lacteus and induce twists on the cell surface. In this study, RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technology was used to analyze the underlying mechanism of LI-EMF's influence on Irpex lacteus. We identified 3268, 1377, and 941 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the LI-EMF-treated samples at recovery times of 0 h, 3 h, and 6 h, respectively, indicating a significant decline in the influence of the LI-EMF treatment on Irpex lacteus with the passage of recovery time. Moreover, 30 upregulated and 14 downregulated DEGs overlapped in the LI-EMF-treated samples at the recovery times of 0 h, 3 h, and 6 h, implying the important lasting effects of LI-EMF. The reliability of the RNA-seq data were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The DEGs related to transcription factors, cell proliferation, cell wall, membrane components, amino acid biosynthesis and metabolism, and polysaccharide biosynthesis and metabolism were significantly enriched in the LI-EMF-treated samples. The experiments confirmed that the LI-EMF treatment significantly increased the content of amino acids with a considerable increase in the content of essential amino acids. Therefore, the global gene expression changes explained the pleiotropic effects of Irpex lacteus induced by the LI-EMF treatment. These findings provide the requisite data for the appropriate design and application of LI-EMF in the fermentation of microorganisms to increase production. Bioelectromagnetics. 40:104-117, 2019. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

BACKGROUND The outcomes of in vitro fertilization and/or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) are contradictory among individuals with chromosomal polymorphisms. OBJECTIVES To assess whether chromosomal polymorphisms affect the outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies. SEARCH STRATEGY Four online databases were searched from inception to September 18, 2017, using terms including "chromosomal polymorphisms" and "In vitro fertilization." SELECTION CRITERIA The meta-analysis included studies published in any language on IVF/ICSI outcomes in relation to male and/or female chromosomal polymorphisms (n=8). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Data were extracted using a predesigned form. The IVF/ICSI outcomes were then pooled and their heterogeneity assessed. MAIN RESULTS Male chromosomal polymorphisms showed lowered values for fertilization rate (odds ratio [OR] 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.54; P=0.004); cleavage rate (OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.88-3.72; P

How complex interactions of genetic, environmental factors and aging jointly contribute to dopaminergic degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD) is largely unclear. Here, we applied frequent gene co‐expression analysis on human patient substantia nigra‐specific microarray datasets to identify potential novel disease‐related genes. In vivo Drosophila studies validated two of 32 candidate genes, a chromatin‐remodeling factor SMARCA4 and a biliverdin reductase BLVRA. Inhibition of SMARCA4 was able to prevent aging‐dependent dopaminergic degeneration not only caused by overexpression of BLVRA but also in four most common Drosophila PD models. Furthermore, down‐regulation of SMARCA4 specifically in the dopaminergic neurons prevented shortening of life span caused by α‐synuclein and LRRK2. Mechanistically, aberrant SMARCA4 and BLVRA converged on elevated ERK‐ETS activity, attenuation of which by either genetic or pharmacological manipulation effectively suppressed dopaminergic degeneration in Drosophila in vivo. Down‐regulation of SMARCA4 or drug inhibition of MEK/ERK also mitigated mitochondrial defects in PINK1 (a PD‐associated gene)‐deficient human cells. Our findings underscore the important role of epigenetic regulators and implicate a common signaling axis for therapeutic intervention in normal aging and a broad range of age‐related disorders including PD., Using bioinformatics analysis of large‐scale human transcriptomic data and Drosophila disease models, Sun et al. identified novel Parkinson's disease (PD) genes and revealed a potential common pathogenic signaling pathway consisting of the chromatin‐remodeling factor SMARCA4 and the ERK‐ETS signaling axis in normal aging and age‐related disorders such as PD. The cancer drug Trametinib, previously shown to have lifespan extending capacity, was found to have therapeutic potency in multiple PD disease models.

The non-peripherally substituted 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25-octa(butoxy)-phthalocyanine-involved unsymmetrical heteroleptic bis(phthalocyaninato) terbium double-decker, Tb(Pc){H[Pc(α-OC4 H9 )8 ]} (Pc=unsubstituted phthalocyanine) (1), was revealed to exhibit typical single ion magnet (SIM) behavior with effective energy barrier, 180 K (125 cm-1 ), and blocking temperature, 2 K, due to the severe deviation of the terbium coordination polyhedron from square-antiprismatic geometry. Fabrication of this double-decker compound into the novel tetrakis(phthalocyaninato) terbium pseudo-quadruple-decker Na2 {Tb(Pc)[Pc(α-OC4 H9 )8 ]}2 (2) single molecule magnet (SMM) not only optimizes the coordination polyhedron of terbium ion towards the square-antiprismatic geometry and intensifies the coordination field strength, but more importantly significantly enhances the molecular magnetic anisotropy in the unsymmetrical bis(phthalocyaninato) double-decker unit, along with the change of the counter cation from H+ of 1 to Na+ of 2, leading to an significantly enhanced magnetic behavior with spin-reversal energy barrier, 528 K (367 cm-1 ), and blocking temperature, 25 K. The present result is surely helpful towards developing novel tetrapyrrole lanthanide SMMs through rational design and self-assembly from bis(tetrapyrrole) lanthanide single ion magnet (SIM) building block.

Objectives The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of the ASD closure by occluder device on right ventricular acute and long-term changes in longitudinal systolic strains, by evaluating right ventricular wall deformation in children using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Methods and materials We enrolled 30 children with ASDs and 40 controls in our study. The Amplatzer atrial defect occluder was used to close the ASDs. Transthoracic echocardiographic examinations were performed at 3 points in time: the day before closure, 1 day after closure, and 3 months after closure. The dimensions of the right atrium (RA) and the right ventricle (RV) were measured in apical four-chamber view. RV segmental longitudinal systolic strains (SLSs) and global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) were obtained by two-dimensional STE. Results Before ASD closure, the RV SLSs and GLS were significantly higher than those of the controls. At 1 day after closure, the diameters of RA and RV decreased. All the RV SLSs and GLS decreased accordingly and were lower than the control values. At 3 months after closure, the apical free wall strain, all segments of septal strains, and GLS increased significantly compared with the values obtained at 1 day after closure. The diameters of the RA and RV decreased further as well. There were no significant differences in the strains compared with the control values, except for the free wall basal strain. Conclusions Transcatheter device closure of ASDs improves RV strain indices and RV function recover to normal over 3 months.

Gambogic acid (GA) has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and enhance reactive oxygen species accumulation. However, whether GA could improve multidrug resistance through modulating autophagy has never been explored. We demonstrated that the combination of GA and cisplatin (CDDP) resulted in a stronger growth inhibition effect on A549 and NCI-H460 cells using the MTT assay. Furthermore, treatment with GA significantly increased autophagy in these cells. More importantly, GA-induced cell death could be largely abolished by 3-methyladenine (3-MA) or chloroquine (CQ) treatment, suggesting that GA-induced cell death was dependent on autophagy. Western blot analysis showed that GA treatment suppressed the activation of Akt, mTOR, and S6. In addition, using a GA and rapamycin combination induced more cell death compared to either GA or rapamycin alone. In summary, GA may have utility as an adjunct therapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients through autophagy-dependent cell death, even when cancer cells have developed resistance to apoptosis.

A series of organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites ABX3 (A=diprotonated 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane or piperazine; B=Na+ or K+ ; X=ClO4- or BF4- ) has been synthesized. They feature a cubic cage-like host-guest structures of which A is the cationic guest residing in the anionic cage B8 X12 , B is the vertex of the cage with variable coordination numbers between six and twelve, and X is the bridging ligand with mono- and/or bidentate coordination modes. The extended Goldschmidt tolerance factor t is used to describe the phase stability of the compounds. Differential scanning calorimetry, variable-temperature structural analyses, and dielectric measurements reveal that order-disorder transitions of the A guest and/or X bridging ligand are supposed to be responsible for structural phase transitions and dielectric switching in the compounds.

Aims/objectives To synthesise concepts of distinct depressive-symptom trajectories in published studies by establishing a measurable standard and estimate the prevalence of recategorised trajectories for bereaved families of chronically ill patients. Background Grieving is a dynamic/individualised process. In studies treating depressive-symptom trajectories as heterogeneous, different criteria were used to identify distinct trajectories, resulting in inconsistent findings. Design A systematic review of research guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses criteria. Methods Five databases were systematically searched since each one's launch through June 2015. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using the QualSyst evaluation tool. Distinct depressive-symptom trajectories were narratively synthesised based on depressive-symptom level, duration, and improvement over time. The prevalence of recategorised depressive-symptom trajectories was recalculated from published data. Results We identified six studies, published in 1994-2012, that followed 56-301 bereaved families from 8 months to 5 years. We synthesised five new distinct trajectories (prevalence in synthesised sample): ‘endurance’ (54.2%), ‘resilience’ (8.8%), ‘transient reaction’ (7.7%), ‘chronic grief’ (19.4%), and ‘chronic depression’ (9.9%). The ‘endurance’ group experienced low depressive symptoms throughout the bereavement process. The ‘resilience’ group had severe depressive symptoms when they first transitioned into bereavement, but quickly recovered. The ‘transient reaction’ group's distress lasted 7-12 months post-bereavement, gradually returning to pre-bereavement levels. After bereavement, the chronic grief and depression groups experienced prolonged periods of depressive symptoms, which improved gradually only in the ‘chronic grief’ group. Conclusions Most bereaved families endured their grief and adjusted, returning to pre-bereavement depressive-symptom levels within 1 year postloss (represented by our synthesised ‘endurance,’ ‘resilience,’ and ‘transient reaction’ groups), with only 9.9% suffering ‘chronic depression.’ Relevance to clinical practice Guided by the synthesised distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms, clinicians should identify bereaved families’ depressive-symptom trajectories and provide suitable interventions to facilitate adjustment of those with chronic depressive symptoms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

As a new type of HVDC technology based on voltage source converter, VSC-MTDC has many technical advantages and broad application prospects. The paper describes a mathematical model of VSC-HVDC system in dq synchronous rotating coordinate system, but the currents of active and reactive are coupling. Here, the use of internal control principle to achieve a decoupling of the current inner loop, independence control of active and reactive power, the inner current loop controller is designed and the basis of the controller parameter setting indicators is given. Moreover, the proposed strategy was simulated by MATLAB. The results show that the method can achieve decoupling control of active and reactive power and have good dynamic quality and robustness, which verify the correctness and validity of the control strategy in a three-terminal VSC-HVDC.

This article integrates search-based models of marriage and money. We think about households as organizations, the way Coase thinks about firms, as alternatives to markets that become more attractive when transactions costs increase. In the model, individuals consume market- and home-produced goods, and home production is facilitated by marriage. Market frictions, including taxes, search, and bargaining problems, increase the marriage propensity. The inflation tax encourages marriage because being single is cash intensive. Microdata confirm singles use cash more than married people. We use macrodata over many countries to investigate how marriage responds to inflation, taxation, and other variables.

A novel extrinsic resistance extraction method of MOSFET at Vgs=Vds=0V from S-parameter measurements is presented in this paper. Simulated and measured results of 90-nm gatelength MOSFET device with a 8×0.6×12µm gatewidth number of gate finger×unit gate width×cells are compared, and good agreement has been obtained up to 50GHz. Furthermore, comparisons between the proposed approach and other three methods published are also made in this paper. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A dual-band, low-profile, vertically-polarized annular ring slot antenna is presented. The antenna consists of an annular ring slot structure and a ring-shaped structure. The ring-shaped structure is attached on the back of the annular ring slot structure using two sets of conductive vias to avoid increasing the size of the proposed antenna. Dual-band characteristic is realized by adjusting the radius of the annular ring slot structure and the ring-shaped structure. Analysis of the dual-band characteristic of the proposed antenna is discussed. The proposed antenna is vertically polarized and provides a monopole-like radiation pattern on both the frequency bands. The ground size of the proposed antenna is the same size as the antenna radius. The ground plane is relatively small comparing with most of the other vertically polarized patch antennas. The edge of the proposed antenna is shorted by a set of conductive vias. The proposed antenna is insensitive to the surrounding environment and thus can be embedded in a metallic unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). A prototype with a height of 3.048 mm (0.03λ) and radius of 55 mm (0.45λ) is designed, fabricated, and measured. The proposed antenna works at 2.38 and 2.58 GHz. In addition, the proposed antenna embedded in a metallic UAV is simulated. The results show that the metallic UAV has small effect on the performance of the antenna. The proposed antenna is suitable for the operations of being controlled by a ground control station (GCS) and transmitting data to the GCS simultaneously for a small UAV. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:323–328, 2016

The influence of the gate-drain distance on high frequency and noise performance of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) is investigated in this article. AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with three different gate-drain separation structures are fabricated using 0.25 μm gatelength process, and a detailed comparative study on their device performances is performed. Small signal model parameters are determined from S-parameter on-wafer measurement up to 40 GHz, and the noise parameters are determined up to 18 GHz based on 50 Ω noise figure on-wafer measurement system. The variation of intrinsic small signal model parameters and noise model parameters with different gate-drain separation is studied. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:2020–2023, 2015

Primary pleural lymphoma is rare and has been described in association with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or pyothorax. We report a rare case of primary pleural lymphoma in a 73-year-old man who presented with chest pain and no history of HIV infection or pyothorax. Chest imaging showed pleural thickening and pleural effusion. Thoracoscopic pleural biopsy was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations conformed to that of a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Physicians should be aware of this rare location of primary lymphoma and implement thoracoscopy as soon as possible.

A new circularly polarized magnetic dipole antenna with shallow and embedded structure is designed for operation at the global positioning system (GPS) L2 band. The antenna consists of two pairs of orthogonal magnetic dipoles and a simple microstrip feed structure. The four sides of the antenna are grounded with sheet metals, leading to the antenna being insensitive to the surrounding environment. It forms a closed and firm box. The proposed antenna can be integrated with the metallic aircraft without any gaps. It has a low profile of only 0.04 , where is the free-space wavelength of the GPS L2 band (1227.5 MHz). A prototype has been designed, fabricated and found to have an impedance bandwidth of 5.92% and a 3-dB axial-ratio bandwidth of about 2.61% at GPS frequency of 1227.5 MHz. In addition, a model which includes the proposed antenna and a metallic aircraft is simulated. The results show that the metallic aircraft has small effect on the antenna. The antenna is suitable for airborne GPS applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:902–906, 2015

The tea green leafhopper, Empoasca vitis Gothe (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is a serious pest of tea crops in China. The effectiveness of five aromatic non-host plants, Corymbia citriodora (Hook.) (Myrtaceae), Ocimum basilicum L. (Lamiaceae), Lavandula pinnata L. (Lamiaceae), Ruta graveolens L. (Rutaceae), and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae), was investigated to determine their ability to suppress E. vitis on tea plants. Volatile organic compounds derived from L. pinnata, R. officinalis, and C. citriodora were found to repel leafhoppers and to mask the host's odors. Intercropping L. pinnata and C. citriodora with tea plants significantly reduced the E. vitis population levels in the tea plantation associated with higher population densities of generalist predators. The volatile compounds from the five non-host plants were collected by headspace absorption under field conditions, and the 10 major components were identified. Qualitative and quantitative differences were found among the five odor profiles. Moreover, the emission dynamics of non-host volatiles were monitored. Non-host volatile emissions showed two peak periods, one in the spring and one in the autumn period. These peaks were almost consistent with the population dynamics of E. vitis. Our findings suggested that this newer approach to ecologically based, sustainable pest management implemented via intercropping with non-host aromatic plants such as L. pinnata and C. citriodora offers a promising alternative to chemical control of the leafhopper population.

Three molecules HArF@BNNT(5,0), HArF@BNNT(6,0), and HArF@BNNT(7,0) have been formed by HArF encapsulated in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) with different sizes. Due to the interaction between the HArF and the BNNTs, the HAr bond lengths are in a decrease trend, while the ArF bond lengths are in an increase trend compared with those of HArF. To investigate the nature of the interaction between H and Ar and the interaction between Ar and F, the quantum theory of “atoms in molecules” was carried out. The Laplacian (▿2ρb) values of HAr suggest that the covalent interaction plays a key role in the H-Ar interaction. For ArF, the results indicate that the Ar-F interaction has a dominant noncovalent character. Moreover, the results obtained from the ratio of the kinetic-energy density (Gb) and the potential-energy density (Vb) (−Gb/Vb) and the total energy density (Hb) are in good agreement with that of ▿2ρb values. In addition, the results of natural bond orbital charge and electron density difference between the HArF and BNNTs show that less electrons transfer away from the HArF to BNNTs with the gradual increase in the diameters of the BNNTs. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.