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Aiming at the reasonable width of the narrow coal pillar of a fully mechanized caving face and the safety support of roadway, taking the coal pillar in the section between 110503 and 110505 face of the Yushuling Coal mine as the research background, a model of the hard basic roof fracture structure of fully mechanized caving face is established through theoretical analysis, and the roadway with narrow coal pillar is analyzed mechanically. Combined with the geological conditions of the working face, it is concluded that the low‐stress area is less than 3.29 m. When the internal stress field of the low‐stress environment is considered in the roadway layout, the influence of mining and the essential roof hardness should be considered. The reasonable size of the narrow coal pillar is 3 ~ 6 m, thinking that the load borne by the coal pillar is less than the ultimate strength of the coal pillar. The limit equilibrium theory calculates that the reasonable width of a coal pillar is at least 4 m. The stress and displacement of coal pillars with different widths of 3, 4, 5 and 6 m are analyzed by numerical simulation, and the 4 m narrow coal pillars are simulated and verified. Field industrial tests show that coal pillar and roadway surrounding rock deformation are small under asymmetric surrounding rock control. The research results have been successfully applied to engineering practice and can provide a reference for the research method of narrow coal pillar width under a hard basic roof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional connectivity (FC) network characterizes the functional interactions between brain regions and is considered to root in the underlying structural connectivity (SC) network. If this is the case, individual variations in SC should cause corresponding individual variations in FC. However, divergences exist in the correspondence between direct SC and FC and researchers still cannot capture individual differences in FC via direct SC. As brain regions may interact through multi-hop indirect SC pathways, we conceived that one can capture the individual specific SC--FC relationship via incorporating indirect SC pathways appropriately. In this study, we designed graph propagation network (GPN) that models the information propagation between brain regions based on the SC network. Effects of interactions through multi-hop SC pathways naturally emerge from the multilayer information propagation in GPN.We predicted the individual differences in FC network based on SC network via multilayer GPN and results indicate that multilayer GPN incorporating effects of multi-hop indirect SCs greatly enhances the ability to predict individual FC network. Furthermore, the SC--FC relationship evaluated via the prediction accuracy is negatively correlated with the functional gradient, suggesting that the SC--FC relationship gradually uncouples along the functional hierarchy spanning from unimodal to transmodal cortex. We also revealed important intermediate brain regions along multi-hop SC pathways involving in the individual SC--FC relationship. These results suggest that multilayer GPN can serve as a method to establish individual SC--FC relationship at the macroneuroimaging [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Membrane with ordered channels is the key to controlling ion sieving and proton conductivity in flow batteries. However, it remains a great challenge for finely controlling the nanochannels of polymeric membranes. Herein, two types of acid-stable Zr-metal organic framework (MOF-801 and MOF- 808) with variable pore structures and channel properties are introduced as fillers into a non-fluorinated sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). The membrane incorporated with MOF-801 of a smaller triangular window (≈3.5 Å) successfully translates the molecular sieving property into the flow battery membrane, resulting in enhanced coulombic efficiency (98.5-99.2%) at 40-120 mA cm-2 compared with the pristine SPEEK membrane (97.1-98.5%). In contrast, more protophilic internal interconnected channels of MOF-808 yield faster proton highway, leading to a significant increase of voltage efficiency (93.7-84.1%) at 40-120 mA cm-2 compared with the pristine SPEEK membrane (91.7-78.9%). By regulating the ion sieving and proton conductivity, MOF-801/MOF-808 binary composite membrane exhibits synchronously improved performance in the vanadium redox flow battery system. The revealed structure -- property relationship in the Zr-MOFs-based membranes provides a general guideline to design new proton exchange membranes with ordered channels for flow battery application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of copper/zinc-loaded montmorillonite (Cu/Zn-Mt) on growth performance, intestinal barrier and gut microbiota of weaned pigs were investigated in the present study. A total of 108 piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire; 6.36 kg; weaned at 21 ± 1 d age) were used in this experiment. The pigs were randomly assigned to three treatments with six replicates, six pigs in each replicate. The three treatments were as follows: (1) control group: basal diet; (2) Cu/Zn-Mt group: basal diet supplemented with 39 mg/kg Cu and 75 mg/kg Zn as Cu/Zn-Mt; and (3) Cu +Zn +Mt group: basal diet supplemented with the mixture of copper sulphate, zinc sulphate and montmorillonite (equivalent to the copper and zinc in the Cu/Zn-Mt treatment). The results indicated that, compared with the pigs from control group, average daily gain and gain: feed ratio were increased and the faecal score on days 7 and 14 after weaning was decreased by supplementation of Cu/Zn-Mt; intestinal transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and expressions of tight junction protein claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1 were increased, and intestinal permeability of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran 4 kDa was decreased by supplementation with Cu/Zn-Mt. According to the Illumina-based sequencing results, Cu/Zn-Mt supplementation increased the relative abundance of core bacteria (Lactococcus, Bacillus) at genus level and decreased the potentially pathogenic bacteria (Streptococcus and Pseudomonas) in colon of weaned piglets. However, the piglets fed with the mixture of copper sulphate, zinc sulphate and montmorillonite showed no effects in above parameters in comparison with the pigs from control group. In conclusion, dietary Cu/Zn-Mt could improve growth performance, decrease the diarrhoea and improve intestinal barrier and bacterial communities of weaned pigs. The results indicated that 'loading' of montmorillonite with Zn and Cu changed not only its chemical but also its nutritional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play multifaceted roles in plant growth, development, and stress response. Previously, we found that SlWRKY81 negatively regulates tomato tolerance to drought; however, the mechanisms of stomatal regulation in response to drought remain largely unclear. Here, we showed that droughtinduced upregulation in the SlWRKY81 transcripts induced photoinhibition and reduced the net photosynthetic rate in tomato leaves. However, silencing SlWRKY81 alleviated those inhibitions and minimized the drought-induced damage. A timecourse of water loss showed that SlWRKY81 silencing significantly and consistently reduced leaf water loss, suggesting a role for SlWRKY81 in stomatal movement. Further analysis using light microscopy revealed that SlWRKY81 silencing significantly decreased stomatal aperture and increased the ratio of length to width of stomata under drought. Both biochemical assay and confocal laser scanning microscopy demonstrated that drought-induced upregulation in SlWRKY81 expression inhibited the nitric oxide (NO) accumulation in the guard cells, which was attributed to the simultaneous declines in the activity of nitrate reductase (NR) and NR expression in tomato leaves. The inspection of 3-kb sequences upstream of the predicted transcriptional start site of the NR identified three copies of the core W-box (TTGACC/T) sequence in the promoter region, indicating possible targets of SlWRKY81. Taken together, these data suggest that SlWRKY81 potentially represses NR transcription and thus reduces NO accumulation to attenuate stomatal closure and subsequent drought tolerance. These findings provide an improved understanding of the mechanism of WRKY-induced regulation of stomatal closure, which can be exploited in the future to enhance drought tolerance in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Recent animal studies showed that isoflurane exposure may lead to the disturbance of hippocampal neurogenesis and later cognitive impairment. However, much less is known about the effect of isoflurane exposure on the neurons generated form tertiary dentate matrix, even though a great increase of granule cell population during the infantile period is principally derived from this area. Methods: To label the new cells originated from the tertiary dentate matrix, the mice were injected with BrdU on postnatal day 6 (P6). Then, the mice were exposed to isoflurane for 4 hr at 1, 8, 21, and 42 days after BrdU injection, and the brains were collected 24 hr later. The loss of newly generated cells/neurons with different developmental stage was assessed by BrdU, BrdU + DCX, BrdU + NeuN, or BrdU + Prox‐1 staining, respectively. Results: We found that the isoflurane exposure significantly decreased the numbers of nascent cells (1 day old) and mature neurons (42 days old), but had no effect on the immature (8 days old) and early mature neurons (8 and 21 days old, respectively). Conclusion: The results suggested isoflurane exposure exerts the neurotoxic effects on the tertiary dentate matrix‐originated cells with an age‐defined pattern in mice, which partly explain the cognitive impairment resulting from isoflurane exposure to the young brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) with different types of mutations exhibit different clinical characteristics and prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of mutations in KIT and PDGFRA in a large‐scale cohort of GIST patients with current therapy including surgery and imatinib. Methods: A total of 1163 patients diagnosed with GISTs between January 2006 and December 2018 were enrolled in this study. Mutation analysis was performed for exons 9, 11, 13, and 17 of KIT and exons 12 and 18 of PDGFRA. Mutations were grouped into 12 categories according to the gene, exon, and involved codons; they were analyzed considering the clinical characteristics, disease‐free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) of patients with GISTs. Results: In low‐risk GISTs, we identified two predictors of worse DFS: tumor origin in the rectum and KIT exon 11 deletion involving two or more codons. In high‐risk GISTs treated with R0 resection and imatinib, patients with KIT exon 11 homozygous mutations and KIT intron 10/exon 11 junction deletions demonstrated the highest recurrence rate, indicating that these mutations can be independent prognostic factors of DFS. The presence of KIT exon 11 homozygous mutations also independently influenced OS. Conclusion: Low‐incidence mutations such as KIT exon 11 homozygous mutations or intron 10/exon 11 junction deletions in GISTs should be carefully evaluated to explore novel treatment strategies, as tumors with these mutations have a high recurrence rate and a very poor prognosis after surgery followed by imatinib adjuvant treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash sintering has recently been used to sinter various bulk ceramics under reduced sintering temperatures and sintering time by applying an electric field across the sample. In this work, we have demonstrated field‐assisted heating of 10 mol% Gd‐doped CeO2 thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition. Microstructure analysis revealed the elongated grains aligned in the out‐of‐plane direction which is perpendicular to the direction of electric field. The overall microstructure of the flash‐heated thin film also contained a matrix of porous and clustered regions, which are distributed throughout the thin film from the anode to cathode electrode regions. The flash‐heated thin film showed significantly different conductivity and optical permittivity compared to the as‐grown thin films. This demonstration suggests a feasible approach for post‐deposition synthesis of thin films using field‐assisted heating toward novel morphologies and properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are one of the most agile flyers in nature, and studying the kinematics of their wings can provide important data for the design of insect-like wing-flapping micro aerial vehicles. This study integrates high-speed photogrammetry and three-dimensional (3D) force measurement system to explore the kinematics of Cyrtotrachelus buqueti during the wing-flapping flight. The tracking point at the wing tip of the hind wing was recorded using high-speed videography. The lift-thrust force characteristic of wing-flapping motion was obtained by the 3D force sensor. Quantitative measurements of wing kinematics show that the wing-flapping pattern of the hind wing of C. buqueti was revealed as a double figure-eight trajectory. The kinematic modelling of the wing-flapping pattern was then established by converting the flapping motion into rotational motion about the pivoting wing base in the reference coordinate system. Moreover, the lift force generated by C. buqueti during the wing-flapping flight is sufficient to support its body weight without the need to use thrust force to compensate for the lack of lift force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is concerned with a joint localisation and tracking problem for autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), subject to asynchronous clock and stratification effect in cyber channels as well as the model disturbances in physical channels. The authors first construct an integrated state and clock model, which allows the co-design of communication and control strategies. Then, an asynchronous localisation algorithm is developed to estimate the position of AUV, where the asynchronous clock and the stratification effect are both considered. With the estimated position information, a reinforcement learning based tracking controller is developed for the AUV to track the reference point. Particularly, the multivariate probabilistic collocation method is adopted to evaluate the model uncertainty. Moreover, the convergence analyses for the localisation algorithm and tracking controller are also given. Finally, simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. It is demonstrated that the communication energy consumption and tracking error can be significantly reduced, through the codesign of localisation and tracking strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated approach for real-time oscillatory stability assessment (OSA) based on mutual information theory is proposed in this study. An advanced maximum-relevance minimum-redundancy (MRMR) ensemble scheme is designed to explore the internal relations between operation variables and the oscillatory stability margin (OSM). Multiple MRMR procedures are generated in parallel to select multiple different feature subsets, in which each feature presents a relevant and complementary description of OSM. The functional expression of the relationships is obtained by curve fitting. The 21-bus system and 1648-bus system are implemented to test the performance of the proposed approach. A compared investigation is made with some other data mining methods. The impacts of the number of feature sets, size of feature sets, size of training set, invalid data and computation time are studied. Experimental results reveal that the proposed approach provides faster and more accurate assessment results and is a real-time adaptive approach for OSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the efficiency, power quality and reliability for large-scale renewable energy sources (RESs), a transformerless energy storage system (ESS) based on cascaded H-bridge converter (CHB) is presented in this study. Furthermore, the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control is investigated to make ESS integrated to grid friendly. This study points out and discusses that the primary frequency regulation (PFR) of ESS will be deteriorated by the damping link in VSG due to the coupling problem, and to this end, the proposed virtual transient damping link (TDL) is introduced to simulate the transient and steady-state characteristics of synchronous generators (SGs) accurately without affecting the frequency regulation of ESS. In addition, the small-signal dynamic model of VSG with TDL is established, besides, the influence of VSG control parameters on system stability is analysed by the generalised root locus method and the parameters are quantitatively designed. Furthermore, a direct voltage-phase discrimination-based pre-synchronising control strategy is proposed to realise the seamless transfer between islanded and grid-connected modes for ESS. The simulation and 10 kW prototype experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategies and the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a study that examines the selection of host microbiota in arid desert lichen crusts. The researchers focused on a specific type of lichen called Endocarpon and analyzed the bacterial communities in four different layers of the lichen. The study found that the bacteria in the lichen primarily come from the soil, indicating a clear preference for specific hosts. These findings provide valuable insights into how lichen symbionts maintain a balanced relationship and how the lichen community forms in desert environments. The study also identified important bacterial species that contribute to the lichen microbiota. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of how lichens function and interact with their environment. [Extracted from the article]

A method to estimate frequency domain soil parameters of horizontally multilayered earth is developed. Cole-Cole model of complex conductivity form is adopted to describe the frequency dependence of soil parameters. The estimation of frequency domain soil parameters includes two stages. In the first stage, soil-layered structure is determined under the DC field by the interpretation of resistivity sounding data. The obtained model parameters in this stage include the DC soil conductivity and thickness of soil layers. In the second stage, Cole-Cole model parameters are estimated based on the soil-layered model obtained in the first stage. The theoretical formula of complex apparent resistivity is derived from Green's function with considering dynamic-state field theory. Since dynamic-state field is considered in the inversion algorithm, this method can be extended into high-frequency domain. Discrete complex image method is used to calculate Sommerfeld integral quickly. In order to remove electromagnetic (EM) coupling between cables at high frequencies, a new electrode configuration method is proposed. Genetic algorithm is improved by combining with parallel computing. The parallel genetic algorithm is applied to the optimisation of model parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Contemporary species' distributions are shaped by both geography and historical events, such as extinction, diversification in specific areas and long‐distance dispersals. In the most diverse family of lichen‐forming fungi, Parmeliaceae, the Hypogymnioid clade, is an example of an evolutionary lineage comprised of species occurring in temperate to subpolar regions in both hemispheres. Here, we elucidate the timing of diversification events and the impact of historical events on the species distribution in this lineage. Location: Worldwide. Taxon: Genera Arctoparmelia, Brodoa, Hypogymnia and Pseudevernia (Parmeliaceae). Methods: Our sampling focused on the most diverse genus of the clade, Hypogymnia, including c. 70% of the described species. We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships using a multi‐locus data set, estimated divergence times, and inferred ancestral distributions. Results: Our analyses suggest that the ancestor of the Hypogymnioid clade occurred in the Holarctic. In each of the four genera, all recovered as monophyletic here, diversification have occurred largely during the Miocene and Pliocene. A number of currently accepted species did not form monophyletic groups, especially in cases where specimens were collected from distinct geographic areas, with multiple, distinct clades corresponding to the geographic region of origin. Our results suggest that only a very few species in the Hypogymnioid clade have cosmopolitan distributions, all of which reproduces using vegetative propagules including both symbiotic partners. Main conclusions: While the diversification occurred predominantly in the Northern Hemisphere during the Miocene, a long‐distance dispersal event from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere, resulted in diversification of a clade of species largely restricted to the Southern Hemisphere. Similar to other groups in this diverse family, our study highlights the need for re‐evaluation of species boundaries among members of the Hypogymnioid clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ING5 is the last member of the Inhibitor of Growth (ING) candidate tumor suppressor family that has been implicated in multiple cellular functions, including cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, and chromatin remodeling. Our previous study showed that ING5 overexpression inhibits lung cancer aggressiveness and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), with unknown mechanisms. Methods: Western blotting was used to detect total and phosphorylated levels of β‐catenin and EMT‐related proteins. Immunofluorescent staining was used to observe E‐cadherin expression. Proliferation and colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to study the proliferative and invasive abilities of cancer cells. Results: ING5 overexpression promotes phosphorylation of β‐catenin at Ser33/37, leading to a decreased β‐catenin protein level. Small hairpin RNA‐mediated ING5 knockdown significantly increased the β‐catenin level and inhibited phosphorylation of β‐catenin S33/37. Treatment with the WNT/β‐catenin inhibitor XAV939 inhibited ING5‐knockdown promoted proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer A549 cells, with increased phosphorylation of β‐catenin S33/37 and a decreased β‐catenin level. XAV939 also impaired ING5‐knockdown‐induced EMT, as indicated by upregulated expression of the EMT marker E‐cadherin, an epithelial marker; and decreased expression of N‐cadherin, a mesenchymal marker, and EMT‐related transcription factors, including Snail, Slug, Twist, and Smad3. Furthermore, XAV939 could inhibit the activation of both IL‐6/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Conclusion: ING5 inhibits lung cancer invasion and EMT by inhibiting the WNT/β‐catenin pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field‐assisted processing techniques can enhance the kinetics of powder synthesis, accelerate sintering processes, and drive phase transformations at significantly lower temperatures compared to conventional methods. However, the exact nature of this nonthermal interaction between field and matter remains vastly speculative. A 2‐day workshop on "Electromagnetic Effects in Materials Synthesis" was organized at Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, USA) in June 2017, jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Office of Naval Research. This workshop gathered the scientific community working on field‐assisted techniques of materials processing. Inspired by the discussions held at the workshop, this paper summarizes the advancements to date and opens scientific questions and research opportunities in the three major field‐assisted sintering techniques (laser, microwave, and flash sintering). Significant challenges remain in (a) experimental design, measurements, and computational simulations to distinguish the nonthermal effects of the externally applied fields from conventional thermal phenomena; and (b) identifying fundamental mechanisms behind low temperature, nonthermal effects that produce phase transitions and microstructural evolution in materials under externally applied fields. We also present the recent developments in multiscale characterization techniques and the theory and modeling efforts, which aim to tackle the aforementioned grand multidisciplinary challenges facing researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method to estimate soil parameters of horizontally multilayered earth model in frequency domain is developed with considering high-frequency field. The theoretical formula of complex apparent resistivity with considering high-frequency field is derived from Green's function. To avoid time-consuming numerical integration, complex image method is introduced to solve Sommerfeld integral. Simulated annealing algorithm is applied to optimise soil parameters. The accuracy of this method is confirmed by interpreting field data under the DC field. As the inversion results of this method are different from other literature's results in a four-layer model, the posterior analysis is made. Then this method is applied to the inversion of frequency domain soil parameters under both quasi-static field and high-frequency field. The differences of complex apparent resistivity distribution between quasi-static field and high-frequency field are compared at different frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A difference-equalisation based method is presented to estimate timing skew adaptively in time-interleaved analogue-to-digital converters (ADCs). By digital zero-crossing detection and calculating the mean of the absolute difference between adjacent sub-ADC's outputs, the timing mismatch information for each channel can be identified easily. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can estimate timing skew accurately. Furthermore, the proposed method requires far fewer samples to estimation than the previous methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) continue to be a significant contributor to global mortality, imposing a substantial burden and emphasizing the urgent need for disease control to save lives and prevent disability. With advancements in technology and scientific research, novel mechanisms underlying CVDs have been uncovered, leading to the exploration of promising treatment targets aimed at reducing the global burden of the disease. One of the most intriguing findings is the relationship between CVDs and gut microbiota, challenging the traditional understanding of CVDs mechanisms and introducing the concept of the gut-heart axis. The gut microbiota, through changes in microbial compositions and functions, plays a crucial role in influencing local and systemic effects on host physiology and disease development, with its metabolites acting as key regulators. In previous studies, we have emphasized the importance of specific metabolites such as betaine, putrescine, trimethylamine oxide, and N,N,N-trimethyl-5-aminovaleric acid in the potential treatment of CVDs. Particularly noteworthy is the gut microbiota-associated metabolite succinate, which has garnered significant attention due to its involvement in various pathophysiological pathways closely related to CVDs pathogenesis, including immunoinflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and energy metabolism. Furthermore, we have identified succinate as a potential biomarker, highlighting its therapeutic feasibility in managing aortic dissection and aneurysm. This review aims to comprehensively outline the characteristics of succinate, including its biosynthetic process, summarize the current evidence linking it to CVDs causation, and emphasize the host-microbial crosstalk involved in modulating CVDs. The insights presented here offer a novel paradigm for future management and control of CVDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors have proposed a new solution for the problem of pose estimation from a set of matched 3D model and 2D image lines. Traditional line-based pose estimation methods utilising the finite information of the observations are based on the assumption that the noises for the two endpoints of the image line segment are statistically independent. However, in this study, the authors prove that these two noises are negatively correlative when the image line segment is fitted by the least-squares technique from the noisy edge points. Moreover, the authors derive the noise model describing the probabilistic relationship between the 3D model line and their finite image observations. Based on the proposed noise model, the maximumlikelihood approach is exploited to estimate the pose parameters. The authors have carried out synthetic experiments to compare the proposed method to other pose optimisation methods in the literature. The experimental results show that the proposed methods yield a clear higher precision than the traditional methods. The authors also use real image sequences to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular breeding can complement traditional breeding approaches to achieve genetic gains in a more efficient way. In the present study, genetic mapping was conducted in a sorghum recombinant inbred line (RIL) population developed from Tx436 (a non-stay-green high food quality inbred) × 00MN7645 (a stay-green high yield inbred) and evaluated in eight environments (location and year combination) in a hybrid background of Tx3042 (a non-stay-green A-line). Phenotyping was conducted for agronomic traits (grain yield and flowering time), physiological traits of stay-green (chlorophyll content [SPAD] and chlorophyll fluorescence [Fv/Fm] measured on the leaves), and green leaf area visual score (GLAVS). This population was genotyped with genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) technology. Data processing resulted in 7144 high quality single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were used in a genome-wide single marker scan with physical distance. A selected subset of 1414 SNPs was used for composite interval mapping (CIM) with genetic distance. These complementary methods revealed fifteen QTLs for the traits studied. In addition, QTL mapping for individual environments and year-wise combinations revealed 42 QTLs. A consistent QTL for grain yield under normal and stressed conditions was identified in chromosome 1 that explained 8 to 16% of the phenotypic variation. QTLs for flowering time were identified in chromosomes 2, 6, and 9 that explained 6 to 11% of the phenotypic variation. Stay-green QTLs in chromosomes 3 and 4 explained 8 to 24% of the phenotypic variation. These identified QTLs with flanking SNPs of known genomic positions could be used to improve grain yield, flowering time, and stay-green in sorghum molecular breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a new model for the form factor of a star polymer consisting of self-avoiding branches. This new model incorporates excluded volume effects and is derived from the two-point correlation function for a star polymer. This model is compared with small-angle neutron scattering measurements from polystyrene stars immersed in a good solvent, tetrahydrofuran. It is shown that this model provides a good description of the scattering signature originating from the excluded volume effect, and it explicitly elucidates the connection between the global conformation of a star polymer and the local stiffness of its constituent branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relation between pregnancy outcome and single- or double-positivity of anticardiolipin ( aCL) and β2 glycoprotein I (aβ2GPI) in antiphospholipid syndrome ( APS) has yet to be clearly documented. In this article, a total of 191 lupus anticoagulant-negative pregnant women with primary APS were retrospectively divided into three groups: aCL+/aβ2GPI−; aCL+/aβ2GPI+; aCL−/aβ2GPI+. All women had received medical therapy consisting of prednisone (10-15 mg/day), low-dose aspirin (50 mg/day), and low molecular weight heparin (40 mg/day). The miscarriage rate in the double-positive group was significantly higher than that in the aCL+/aβ2GPI− group (46.2% vs. 22.1%, p < 0.05); the miscarriage rate in the aCL−/aβ2GPI+ group (36.4%) was not significantly different from the rates of the other two groups ( p > 0.05). Thus, double-positivity may be a risk factor for pregnancy loss and aβ2GPI antibody may be a better prognostic marker than aCL antibody for pregnancy outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key points Gap junctions (GJs) composed of two hemichannels are intercellular channels that provide a direct pathway for the exchange of ions and signalling molecules between adjoining cells., GJ conductance is regulated by transjunctional voltage ( Vj, the voltage difference between the interiors of adjoining cells), known as Vj-dependent gating., The GJs made up of two identical hemichannels show mirror symmetrical Vj-dependent gating to positive and negative Vj polarities; GJs formed by two non-identical hemichannels show novel Vj-gating properties that cannot be simply ascribed to the predicted functional properties of the component hemichannels., We provide experimental evidence at both macroscopic and single channel levels that two hemichannels interact with each other in a complex manner for the Vj-dependent gating phenotype of a GJ., The results help reveal the molecular mechanisms of the gating properties of GJs formed by two non-identical hemichannels., Abstract To investigate transjunctional voltage ( Vj)-dependent gating mechanisms of connexin50 (Cx50) gap junction (GJ) channels and to elucidate the relative contribution of each hemichannel of a heterotypic GJ channel to Vj-dependent gating, we performed dual voltage-clamp recordings on heterotypic GJ channels formed by Cx50 and a mutant, Cx50N9R or a chimera, Cx50-Cx36N. Our results provide evidence that the two component hemichannels interact with each other during Vj-dependent gating. Cx50/Cx50N9R heterotypic GJ channels exhibited asymmetrical Vj-dependent gating which cannot be ascribed to the function of an individual hemichannel for a certain polarity of voltage; instead it can only be ascribed to the combined effects of both hemichannels. Single GJ channel open dwell-time analyses showed that homotypic Cx50 channels adopted short-lived and long-lived open states. Heterotypic combinations of Cx50/Cx50N9R gave rise to shorter mean dwell-times when Cx50-expressing cells received relatively positive Vj, and longer mean dwell-times when positive Vj was applied at the Cx50N9R side. In contrast, Cx50/Cx50-Cx36N heterotypic channels showed asymmetrical Vj-dependent gating, which appears to be caused by enhanced and reduced Vj-gating sensitivity of Cx50-Cx36N and Cx50 hemichannels, respectively. Unitary conductance of the main open state of both types of heterotypic GJ channel cannot be simply predicted by assuming a Vj redistribution across the two hemichannels arranged in series in heterotypic GJ channels. Our data also reveal reasons for the invisibility of fast Vj-gating transitions from open to substate in homotypic Cx50N9R and Cx50-Cx36N channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to search for potent antifungal agents, a series of novel 1-substituted phenyl-4-[ N-[(2′-morpholinothoxy)phenyl]aminomethyl]-1 H-1,2,3-triazoles 5a-m was designed and synthesized via Huisgen cycloaddition reaction between various (2-morpholinoethoxy)- N-(prop-2-ynyl)aniline and different azidobenzene. Their chemical structures were characterized by 1H NMR and elemental analysis. A cleaner reaction with milder conditions and satisfactory yields was observed in the micorwave-assisted synthesis of 4a-c. The fungicidal activity of some target compounds were evaluated in vitro against Fusarium omysporum, Physalospora piricola, Alternaria solani, Cercospora arachidicola and Gibberella zeae at 50 μg/mL. The bioassay results indicated that some compounds exhibited moderate fungicidal activities. Furthermore, compound 5h displayed equal activity to the positive control compounds against Alternaria solani. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full frozen phonon multislice simulation of high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF STEM) images from the M1 phase of the Mo-V-Nb-Te-O propane oxidation catalyst has been performed by using the latest structural model obtained using the Rietveld method. Simulated contrast results are compared with experimental HAADF images. Good agreement is observed at ring sites, however significant thickness dependence is noticed at the linking sites. The remaining discrepancies between the model based on Rietveld refinement and image simulations indicate that the sampling of a small volume element in HAADF STEM and averaging elemental contributions of a disordered site in a crystal slab by using the virtual crystal approximation might be problematic, especially if there is preferential Mo/V ordering near the (001) surface. Excellent agreement for most of the cation sites in the M1 structure was found between image simulations using the latest Rietveld-refined structure and experimental high angle annular dark field (HAADF) images. Discrepancies may be due to surface enrichment of Mo or V at certain cation sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a systematic study of the single-particle small-angle scattering functions (SF) of the five Platonic solids namely, tetrahedron, hexahedron, octahedron, dodecahedron and icosahedron. The authors derived the Debye spatial autocorrelation function, pair distance distribution function and intraparticle structure factor for each solid. They found an empirical relationship between the dodecahedral and icosahedral structural characteristics. They also compared the SF of icosahedral and spherical shells with identical volume.

This paper examines the influence of SiO2 doping on densification and microstructure evolution in Nd3xY3-3xAl5O12 (Nd:YAG) ceramics. Nd:YAG powders were doped with 0.035-0.28 wt% SiO2 and vacuum sintered between 1484° and 1750°C. 29Si magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance showed that Si41 substitutes onto tetrahedrally coordinated Al3+ sites. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed no grain boundary second phases for all silica levels in samples sintered at 1600°-1750°C. Coarsening was limited by a solute drag mechanism as suggested by cubic grain growth kinetics and transmission electron microscopy energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy observations of increased Nd31 concentration near grain boundaries. Increasing SiO2 content increased both densification and grain growth rate and led to increasingly coarsening-dominated sintering trajectories. Fine-grained (< 3 μm), highly transparent (> 82% real in-line transmission) ceramics were produced by sintering 0.035 wt% SiO2-doped ceramics at 1750°C for 8 h. Coarse-grained (18 μm), transparent samples were obtained with 0.28 wt%SiO2-doped Nd:YAG when sintered at 1600°C for 8 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li X, Du W, Liu W, Li X, Li H, Huang S-A. Comprehensive flow cytometry phenotype in acute leukemia at diagnostic and at relapse. APMIS 2010; 118: 353–59. Multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) plays a vital role in the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) and diagnosis of relapse in acute leukemia. However, application of a limited panel of antibodies in MFC leads to high rates of false-negative and false-positive results. Thirteen patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and 12 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) were immunophenotyped by MFC at diagnosis and at relapse using a comprehensive panel of monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) to 27 antigens and CD45/SSC gating. In 23 of 25 patients (92.3%), changes in at least one of progenitor-associated, myeloid and lymphoid antigens between diagnosis and relapse were observed. Antigen changes were observed in 92 of 239 antigens (38.5%) expressed in 25 patients, in 49 of 117 antigens (41.9%) expressed in 13 ALL patients, and in 43 of 122 antigens (35.2%) expressed in 12 AML patients. Phenotypic changes were characterized by the expression of cross-lineage antigens. The intralineage change was observed in the majority of patients. However, myeloid lineage shift was identified by MFC in two patients with T-ALL. Multiple panels of three or more McAbs are likely to be required in the monitoring of MRD and diagnosis of relapse in acute leukemia by MFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) IV activity and/or structure homologues (DASH) are serine proteases implicated in tumourigenesis. We previously found that a DASH protease, fibroblast activation protein (FAP), was involved in osteoclast-induced myeloma growth. Here we further demonstrated expression of various adhesion molecules in osteoclasts cultured alone or cocultured with myeloma cells, and tested the effects of DASH inhibitor, PT-100, on myeloma cell growth, bone disease, osteoclast differentiation and activity, and expression of adhesion molecules in osteoclasts. PT-100 had no direct effects on viability of myeloma cells or mature osteoclasts, but significantly reduced survival of myeloma cells cocultured with osteoclasts. Real-time PCR array for 85 adhesion molecules revealed upregulation of 17 genes in osteoclasts after coculture with myeloma cells. Treatment of myeloma/osteoclast cocultures with PT-100 significantly downregulated 18 of 85 tested genes in osteoclasts, some of which are known to play roles in tumourigenesis and osteoclastogenesis. PT-100 also inhibited osteoclast differentiation and subsequent pit formation. Resorption activity of mature osteoclasts and differentiation of osteoblasts were not affected by PT-100. In primary myelomatous severe combined immunodeficient (SCID)-hu mice PT-100 reduced osteoclast activity, bone resorption and tumour burden. These data demonstrated that DASH proteases are involved in myeloma bone disease and tumour growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of metastatic cells is clinically demanded to diagnose metastasis in the early stage and access the therapeutic response to anticancer drugs. We applied phage display technology to cultured cells with different metastasis potentials and obtained four metastasis-associated peptides. The association between peptides and metastatic cells was validated by ELISA as well as biosensor studies. The selected phage-peptides not only bound SW620, the metastatic cell against which the peptides were screened, but were also able to capture breast cancer cells of high metastasis. The phage-peptide-modified LAPS (light-addressable potentiometric sensor) was able to distinguish metastatic cells from non-metastatic cells and detect as few as 100 metastatic cells per ml of blood. Thus LAPS modified with specific phage-peptides may be developed to provide a new diagnostic approach that can aid the treatment of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the study which explores the connection between prostaglandin and osteoarthritis (OA) in human adult articular chondrocytes. The study measured cell survival, proliferation and total proteoglyean synthesis in alginate beads by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting. The study represents effective therapeutic agents for the treatment of OA on human adult articular cartilage in vitro and receptor antagonist.

Pretreatment with exogenous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) mitigated the water loss of wheat leaves exposed to 4°C for 24 h. The same treatment also partially reduced the increases of electrolyte leakage and H2O2 production of the chilled plants. These observations suggest that H2O2 pretreatment could effectively induce chilling tolerance. The capacity of the alternative respiratory pathway and the expression of the gene encoding the alternative oxidase (AOX1) were substantially elevated by H2O2 treatment under either normal or chilling conditions. Salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM, an inhibitor of the alternative respiratory pathway) decreased the tolerance of plants to chilling conditions and reversed the chilling tolerance induced by exogenous application of H2O2. These observations indicate that the tolerance of plants to chilling might be related to an enhanced alternative respiratory pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pain-related neuropeptides released from synovial fibroblasts, such as substance P, have been implicated in joint destruction. Substance P-induced inflammatory processes are mediated via signaling through a G-protein-coupled receptor, that is, neurokinin-1 tachykinin receptor (NK1-R). We determined the pathophysiological link between substance P and its receptor in human adult articular cartilage homeostasis. We further examined if catabolic growth factors such as basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF or FGF-2) or IL-1β accelerate matrix degradation via a neural pathway upregulation of substance P and NK1-R. We show here that substance P stimulates the production of cartilage-degrading enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), and suppresses proteoglycan deposition in human adult articular chondrocytes via NK1-R. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that substance P negates proteoglycan stimulation promoted by bone morphogenetic protein-7, suggesting the dual role of substance P as both a pro-catabolic and anti-anabolic mediator of cartilage homeostasis. We report that bFGF-mediated stimulation of substance P and its receptor NK1-R is, in part, through an IL-1β-dependent pathway. J. Cell. Physiol. 215: 452–463, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Populus euphratica stress responsive zinc-finger protein gene PSTZ, which encodes a protein including typical Cys2/His2 zinc finger structure, was isolated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction from P. euphratica. Northern hybridization revealed that its expression was induced under drought and salt stress conditions. To examine its function, cDNA of the PSTZ gene, driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter, was cloned into a plant expression vector pBin438 and introduced into tobacco plants. Transgenic tobacco showed an enhanced salt tolerance, suggesting that PSTZ may play a role in plant responsiveness to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, C11H17NO6, was prepared by the reaction of 1-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid with monochloroacetic acid. In the molecule one of three carboxy groups is deprotonated while the N atom is protonated, thus the molecule exists as an inner salt in the crystal structure. The crystal packing is stabilized by intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding; an intramolecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bond is also present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of clinically relevant human myeloma cell lines is central for our understanding of myeloma pathogenesis and development of novel therapies for the disease. Unfortunately, most available lines were generated from extramedullary sites, harbored multiple genetic abnormalities and categorized as non-hyperdiploid. In contrast, hyperdiploid myeloma cell lines, which represent more than 50% of patients, are rare. We established procedures for establishment of stroma-dependent myeloma lines by passaging primary myeloma cells, in severe combined immunodeficient-human (SCID-hu) or SCID-rab mice followed by maintenance in co-culture with stromal cells. We described the establishment and characterization of two hyperdiploid (LD and CF) and two non-hyperdiploid (JB and BN) cell lines. Using our animal models, we also established bortezomib-sensitive and -resistant BN lines. These cell lines were cellularly, phenotypically and molecularly characterized using flow cytometry immunophenotyping, DNA content, G-band and multicolor spectral karyotyping (SKY) and global gene expression profiling. All four cell lines were infected with lentiviral-expressing luciferase for detection of tumour cells at high sensitivity level and for monitoring myeloma growth in co-cultures and in vivo by live animal imaging. These myeloma cell lines and the procedures used for their establishment provide essential tools for studying myeloma biology and therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the modeling of interchannel dependency and its application into removing additive noise from corrupted color images. We start from an ad hoc spatially invariant linear interpolative model for characterizing color-difference and demonstrate how it can be jointly used with a variational intrachannel dependency model to suppress noise by alternating projections. Then we present two nonlinear diffusion-based models in the color-difference domain and suggest their spatial adaptation property better matches the class of images with strong chromatic edges. The diversity of interchannel dependency models also motivates us to fuse multiple denoised images from different models to obtain better denoised results. Experimental results are reported to justify the importance of matching the hypothesized dependency model with observation data as well as the benefit of multihypothesis fusion. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 17, 163–173, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borrelia burgdorferi survives in an enzootic cycle, and Dps proteins protect DNA against damage during starvation or oxidative stress. The role of a Dps homologue encoded by Borrelia in spirochaete survival was assessed. Dps-deficient spirochaetes were infectious in mice via needle-inoculation at the dose of 105 spirochaetes. Larval ticks successfully acquired Dps-deficient spirochaetes via a blood meal on mice. However, after extended periods within unfed nymphs, the Dps-deficient spirochaetes failed to be transmitted to a new host when nymphs fed. Our data suggest that Dps functions to protect the spirochaetes during dormancy in unfed ticks, and in its absence, the spirochaetes become susceptible during tick feeding. dps is differentially expressed in vivo– low in mice and high in ticks – but constitutively expressed in vitro, showing little change during growth or in response to oxidative stress. Borrelia Dps forms a dodecameric complex capable of sequestering iron. The Dps-deficient spirochaetes showed no defect in starvation and oxidative stress assays, perhaps due to the lack of iron in spirochaetes grown in vitro. Dps is critical for spirochaete persistence within ticks, and strategies to interfere with Dps could potentially reduce Borrelia populations in nature and thereby influence the incidence of Lyme disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel mathematical model for accurately calculating the currents flowing along the conductors of grounding system below high voltage a.c. substations and nearby floating metallic structure buried in horizontal multilayer earth model has been developed in this paper. Not only the mutual conductive and capacitive coupling influences of leakage currents, but also mutual inductive coupling influence of network currents flowing along the conductors of grounding system and nearby floating metallic structure in the horizontal multilayer earth model have been considered in this model, and only propagation effect of electromagnetic wave within limited area of the substation has been neglected. The quasi-static complex image method and closed form of Green's function are introduced into this model to accelerate the calculation. The model is then implemented in a computer program, which can be used to calculate currents distribution along the conductors of any configuration of grounding system, and with or without floating metallic structure under some hundreds of kHz frequency harmonic wave. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shaping technique is proposed to remedy the attenuation-factor error in the split capacitor-digital-to-analogue converter (CDAC) of a successive-approximation-register (SAR) ADC. By feeding back the previous quantised value of the least significant bit part to the most significant bit part, the inaccurate attenuation-factor error caused by mismatches and parasitic components is shaped to high frequency. The in-band dynamic performance is significantly improved without any calibration. Simulation results show that the proposed attenuation-factor shaping technique improves the spurious-free-dynamic-range by 10 dB, whereas the number of capacitors increases only 1.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scalar wave 3D dielectric rough-surface scattering problem solved by a UV method with multilevel partitioning (UV-MLP) is developed in this paper. For a 3D dielectric rough-surface scattering problem, the scattering structure is partitioned into a multilevel block. By looking up the rank in the static problem, the impedance matrix for a given transmitting and receiving block is expressed into a product of U and V matrices. The UV method is illustrated by applying a 3D scattering problem to a random dielectric rough surface in this paper. The coupled scalar integral equations for dielectric rough-surface boundary conditions are treated. Numerical simulation results are illustrated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1313–1317, 2006;Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).DOI 10.1002/mop.21613 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic mice carrying mutant Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) recapitulate the motor impairment of human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease is neurotoxic. To investigate the potential role of Aβ in ALS development, we generated a double transgenic mouse line that overexpresses SOD1G93A and amyloid precursor protein (APP)-C100. The transgenic mouse C100.SOD1G93A overexpresses Aβ and shows earlier onset of motor impairment but has the same lifespan as the single transgenic SOD1G93A mouse. To determine the mechanism associated with this early-onset phenotype, we measured copper and zinc levels in brain and spinal cord and found both significantly elevated in the single and double transgenic mice compared with their littermate control mice. Increased glial fibrillary acidic protein and decreased APP levels in the spinal cord of C100.SOD1G93A mice compared with the SOD1G93A mice agree with the neuronal damage observed by immunohistochemical analysis. In the spinal cords of C100.SOD1G93A double transgenic mice, soluble Aβ was elevated in mice at end-stage disease compared with the pre-symptomatic stage. Buffer-insoluble SOD1 aggregates were significantly elevated in the pre-symptomatic mice of C100.SOD1G93A compared with the age-matched SOD1G93A mice, correlating with the earlier onset of motor impairment in the C100.SOD1G93A mice. This study supports abnormal SOD1 protein aggregation as the pathogenic mechanism in ALS, and implicates a potential role for Aβ in the development of ALS by exacerbating SOD1G93A aggregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proteus mirabilis is a common uropathogen in patients with tong-term catheterization or with structural or functional abnormalities in the urinary tract. The mannose-resistant, Proteus-like (MRJP) fimbriae and flagellum are among virulence factors of P.mirabilis that contribute to its colonization in a murine model of ascending urinary tract infection. mrpJ, the last of nine genes of the mrp operon, encodes a 107 amino acid protein that contains a putative helix-turn-helix domain. Using transcriptional lacZ fusions integrated into the chromosome and mutagenesis studies, we demonstrate that MrpJ represses transcription of the flagellar reguton and thus reduces flagella synthesis when MR/P fimbriae are produced. The repression of flagella synthesis by MrpJ is confirmed by electron microscopy. However, a gel mobility shift assay indicates that MrpJ does not bind directly to the regulatory region of the flhDC operon. The isogenic mrpf null mutant of wild-type P.mirabilis strain H14320 is attenuated in the murine model. Our data also indicate that PapX encoded by a pap (pyetonephritis- associated pilus) operon of uropathogenic Escherichia coli is a functional homotog of MrpJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autosomal recessive achromatopsia is a rare disorder characterized by total absent color vision, nystagmus, photophobia, and visual impairment, frequently leading to ‘legal blindness’. The primary defect is at the photoreceptor level, with retinal cones being absent or defective. The first locus for this disorder was mapped to chromosome 2q11. Here, we confirm the genetic mapping of a locus discovered in our studies of a kindred with Irish ancestry, but no known consanguinity, in which 5 of 12 children are affected. We have mapped the locus in this disorder in this family to chromosome 8q. Available data now narrow the region containing the putative gene to 1.2 cM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple genetic loci have been implicated in the search for schizophrenia susceptibility genes, none having been proven as causal. Genetic heterogeneity is probable in the polygenic etiology of schizophrenia. We report on two unrelated Caucasian women with paranoid schizophrenia (meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV) criteria) who have an Xp22.3 overlapping deletion characterized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Patient 1 was previously reported by us (Wyandt HE, Bugeau-Michaud L, Skare JC, Milunsky A. Partial duplication of Xp: a case report and review of previously reported cases. Amer J Med Genet 1991: 40: 280–283) to have a de novo partial duplication of Xp. At that time, she was a 24-year-old woman with short stature, irregular menses, other abnormalities suggestive of Turner syndrome, and paranoid schizophrenia. Recently, FISH analysis demonstrated that she has an inverted duplication (X)(p22.1p11.2) and a microscopic deletion (X)(p22.2p22.3) between DXS1233 and DXS7108 spanning approximately 16–18 cM. Patient 2 is a 14-year-old girl with short stature, learning disabilities, and paranoid schizophrenia. High-resolution chromosome analysis revealed a de novo deletion involving Xp22. FISH analysis showed that the deletion (X)(p22.2p22.3) spanned 10–12 cM between AFMB290XG5 and DXS1060. Given that deletions of Xp22 are not common events, the occurrence of two unrelated schizophrenia patients with an overlapping deletion of this region would be extraordinarily rare. Hence, the deletion within Xp22.3 almost certainly contains a gene involved in the pathogenesis of paranoid schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a highly stable relaxation iterative algorithm for solving the ionized fields of unipolar HVDC transmission lines in the absence or in the presence of wind. The finite element method is employed to solve Poisson’s equation, and the upwind finite volume method is applied to solve the current continuity equation. The algorithm has been tested up to a wind velocity of 45 m/s. Results obtained for a unipolar HVDC transmission line model show that the application of the upwind method increases the stability and convergence of the iterative algorithm when wind is stronger, while the implementation of a relaxation technique makes it possible for the iterative algorithm to cover a wide range of wind velocities, geometric parameters and ratios of the applied voltage to the corona onset value. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modified Gaussian algorithm is introduced for solving the ionized fields of unipolar HVDC lines including the effect of wind. Specific techniques of incorporating in the algorithm the special structure of the optimization problem of the ionized field have been developed to economize the requirements for the computer memory and CPU time. Numerical tests are carried out on a coaxial cylindrical geometry and on a line-plane geometry both in the absence and in the presence of wind. Comparison with available experimental data shows good agreement. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a finite element method for solving ionized fields is developed based on a novel solution philosophy. Employing the Galerkin finite element method, the solution problem of an ionized field has been formulated as an optimization problem, i.e. as a problem of minimizing an objective function whose minimum gives the solution. The effect of wind is taken into account by introducing a scalar potential of its velocity. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]