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Solar-driven interfacial evaporation technology has great potential in solving the global challenge of freshwater shortage. However, the selection of excellent photothermal conversion materials is a challenging task. To achieve efficient solar interface evaporation materials, we developed a new material loaded with Fe/Fe3C nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHSs). As an interfacial evaporation material, Fe/Fe3C@MCHS-x has an evaporation rate of 1.633 kg m−2 h−1 and an energy conversion efficiency of 94.17% (Fe/Fe3C@MCHS-2). The innovative introduction of magnetic particles into the evaporation unit allows the metal nanoparticles to absorb light at their resonance wavelength. This absorption leads to the excitation of electrons from the occupied state to the unoccupied state, and the diffusion of thermoelectrons leads to an increase of carriers, which makes the interface temperature rise rapidly. The composite material has a certain degree of organic pollution treatment capability along with high-efficiency water evaporation, which provides new ideas for interfacial evaporation material technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pseudomonas otitidis is a species of Pseudomonas bacteria discovered in the early 2000s and has been studied systematically by many researchers. P. otitidis has been isolated from various infected parts of diseases, such as otitis, recurrent pneumonia, necrotizing fasciitis, peritonitis, foot cleft, or burns. It has been found to produce a variety of enzymes to decompose pollutants in the environment such as petroleum, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dyes, sodium dodecyl sulfate, zearalenone, etc. Furthermore, it can produce some ingredients for application in agriculture and health industries such as digestive enzymes, melanin, and L-asparaginase. Some scholars used P. otitidis as a model organism to investigate environmental degradation, biobattery, plant growth promotion, and biodegradable plastic polyhydroxyalkanoate production. The biofilm of P. otitidis consists of rhamnolipid. The research has provided the basis to produce rhamnolipid and the effective removal methods of P. otitidis. P. otitidis is prone to resistance to lactam antibiotics, and its resistance is caused by its unique metallo-𝛽-lactamase, a polyoxometalate enzyme. In other words, P. otitidis is a very interesting bacterium candidate to be used in different research fields. Hence, in this paper, the discovery, mechanisms, and potential biotechnological applications of P. otitidis are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid and effective fabrication of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogels with good mechanical properties is of great significance yet remains a huge challenge. The preparation of PVA hydrogels via the conventional cyclic freeze–thaw method is intricate and time-intensive. In this study, a pioneering approach involving the utilization of low-temperature continuous freezing is introduced to produce a novel PVA-ethylene glycol (EG) gel. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm that with the assistance of EG, PVA molecular chains can self-assemble to generate an abundance of microcrystalline domains at low temperatures, thus improving the mechanical properties of PVA-EG gel. Remarkably, when the mass ratio of H2O/EG is 4:6, the gel's maximum tensile strength can reach 2.5 MPa, which is much higher than that of PVA gels prepared via the freeze–thaw method. The preparation process of PVA-EG gel is simple, and its properties are excellent, which will promote the wide application of PVA tough gel in many fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the impact of a multiple epoxy chain extender (ADR) on the rheological behavior, crystallization, and mechanical properties of polyglycolic acid (PGA). Tests of the torque and melt mass flow rate and dynamic rheological analysis were conducted to study the rheological behavior of PGA modified with ADR. The rheological results of the modified PGA showed a significantly increased viscosity and storage modulus with an increase in the ADR amount, which could be attributed to the chain extension/branching reactions between PGA and ADR. It was proved that ADR could be used as an efficient chain extender for tailoring the rheological performance of PGA. The Han plot of the modified PGA showed a transition of viscous behavior to elastic behavior, while the ADR content was increased from 0 to 0.9 phr. The formation of long-chain branches (LCBs) was confirmed via the Cole–Cole plot and weighted relaxation spectrum, wherein the LCBs substantially changed the rheological behavior of the modified PGA. The vGP plots predicted a star-type topological structure for the LCBs. The results of non-isothermal crystallization kinetics suggested that the crystallization of the modified PGA was predominantly homogeneous nucleation and three-dimensional growth. The crystallinity decreased slightly with the increase in the ADR amount. Compared to neat PGA, the modified PGA samples exhibited better tensile and flexural performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed fiber optic sensing (DFS) systems are an effective method for long-distance pipeline safety inspections. Highly accurate vibration signal identification is crucial to DFS. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end high-accuracy fiber optic vibration signal detection and identification algorithm by extracting features from the time domain and frequency domain by a one-dimensional convolutional neural network and two-dimensional convolutional neural network, respectively, and introducing a self-attentive mechanism to fuse the features of multiple modes. First, the raw signal is segmented and normalized according to the statistical characteristics of the vibration signal combined with the distribution of noise. Then, the one-dimensional sequence of vibration signal and its two-dimensional image generated by short-time Fourier transform are input to the one-dimensional convolutional neural network and two-dimensional neural network, respectively, for automatic feature extraction, and the features are combined by long and short-time memory. Finally, the multimodal features generated from the time and frequency domains are fused by a multilayer TransformerEncoder structure with a multiheaded self-attentive mechanism and fed into a multilayer perceptron for classification. Experiments were conducted on an urban field database with complex noise and achieved 98.54% accuracy, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mixed obstacles have a great influence on the deflagration process of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-air premixed combustible gas with concentration gradient. The arrangement of mixed obstacles may further stimulate overpressure and flame propagation. In this work, based on experimental and numerical simulations, this paper analyzes the flame and overpressure, and mainly studies the coupling relationship among the explosion overpressure characteristics, the structure of flame and the speed of flame propagation. The result shows that when the rectangular obstacle is 100 mm away from the ignition source, not only the speed of flame is the fastest, but also the time required to reach the maximum over-pressure is the shortest. In this configuration, an elongated flame is formed between a rectangular obstacle and a flat obstacle, and an obvious backflow structure appears. In addition, the average growth rate of overpressure has a minimum value, reaching at −35 MPa/s. The existence of rectangular obstacles further stimulates the overpressure. When the rectangular obstacle is 400 mm away from the ignition source, the maximum overpressure value is the highest among the four configurations. Besides, the time when the maximum area of flame appears in the simulation is almost the same as the time when the maximum overpressure is obtained. In addition, the average growth rate of overpressure increases significantly after touching the rectangular obstacle, which coincides with the mutation time of the front tip of the flame, overpressure and area of flame after the flame encounters the rectangular obstacle. This research has an important theoretical guiding significance for preventing LPG leakage and explosion accidents in a long and narrow space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arrangement of obstacles can significantly impact the deflagration behavior of combustible gases. In the actual pipeline accident site, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other gases often show non-uniform distribution after leakage owing to diffusion and gravity, and the deflagration mechanism is also more complex. In this paper, based on the non-uniform distribution of combustible gases, the flame behavior and overpressure characteristics of LPG–air combustible gas deflagration are carried out by a combination of experiments and numerical simulations with obstacles arranged in increasing and decreasing blockage height. The results show that in the increasing blockage height arrangement, the flame forms a "straw hat" cavity, finally forming an elliptical region. In the decreasing blockage height arrangement, the flame appears as a "ribbon-shaped" narrow, blank area, which gradually becomes longer with time. By observing the overpressure and the structure of flame propagation in the coupled state, it is found that the explosion overpressure is maximum when the height of the obstacle is consistent, and the moment of the maximum area of flame appears slightly earlier than the appearance of the maximum overpressure peak. At the same time, without considering the change in height of the obstacle, the three arrangements all have an accelerating effect on the flame of deflagration. And the decreasing blockage height arrangement condition has the most obvious effect on the flame acceleration, which makes the peak of area of flame and the overpressure peak appear at first, and finally leads to the formation of a positive feedback mechanism among the speed of flame propagation, the area of flame and overpressure. In addition, in the case of the non-uniform distribution of combustible gases, the acceleration obtained by the flame at the initial stage is very important for the overall acceleration of the flame. The results of this paper can provide a reference for the placement of equipment and facilities in long and narrow spaces such as various pipe galleries, and to make predictions about the impact of the shape of some objects on the explosion and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of gas explosions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, low-temperature Schottky source/drain (S/D) MOSFETs are investigated as the top-tier devices for 3D sequential integration. Complementary Schottky S/D FinFETs are successfully fabricated with a maximum processing temperature of 500 °C. Through source/drain extension (SDE) engineering, competitive driving capability and switching properties are achieved in comparison to the conventional devices fabricated with a standard high-temperature (≥1000 °C) process flow. Schottky S/D PMOS exhibits an ON-state current (ION) of 76.07 μA/μm and ON-state to OFF-state current ratio (ION/IOFF) of 7 × 105, and those for NMOS are 48.57 μA/μm and 1 × 106. The CMOS inverter shows a voltage gain of 18V/V, a noise margin for high (NMH) of 0.17 V and for low (NML) of 0.43 V, with power consumption less than 0.9 μW at VDD of 0.8 V. Full functionality of CMOS ring oscillators (RO) are further demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanocarriers hold great promise for the controlled release of therapeutic payloads to target organs/tissues and extended duration of anticancer agents in the bloodstream. However, limited data on their in vivo pharmacokinetics and delivery process hamper clinical applications. Here we report a series of micellar nanocarriers self-assembled from new-generation thiophenthiadiazole (TTD)-based NIR-II fluorophores HLAnP (n = 1–4) for simultaneous bioimaging and drug delivery. The NIR-II HLA4P nanocarrier displays exceptional non-fouling performance, minimal immunogenicity, ultralong blood half-life, and high tumor accumulation even with different administration routes. When used as a drug carrier, HLA4P with encapsulated doxorubicin (DOX) realized accurate tumor targeting and continuous real-time in vivo NIR-II tracking of drug delivery and therapy, showing a sustained release rate, improved therapeutic effect, and diminished cardiotoxicity as compared to free DOX. This study provides a new perspective on the design of dual-functional NIR-II fluorophores for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. An ultralow fouling NIR-II probe HLA4P self-assembled into micelles with long-circulation persistence and ultrahigh signal-background ratio for routine preoperative tumor assessment and trackable drug delivery. [Display omitted] • A new TTD-based NIR-II dye (HLA4P) with a high fluorescence QY, exceptional nonfouling performance and low immunogenicity. • HLA4P exhibited ultralong blood circulation, super-contrast ratio and long tumor retention by various injection routes. • HLA4P could be simultaneously used for long-term in vivo NIR-II tracking of drug delivery and therapy. • HLA4P@DOX showed sustained DOX release behavior, enhanced therapeutic effect and diminished toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissection is a severe cardiovascular disease characterized by rapid onset and high mortality. Traditionally, urgent open aortic repair is performed after admission to prevent aortic rupture and death. However, when combined with malperfusion syndrome, the low perfusion of the superior mesenteric artery can further lead to intestinal necrosis, significantly impacting the surgery's prognosis and potentially resulting in adverse consequences, bringing. This presents great significant challenges in treatment. Based on recent domestic and international research literature, this paper reviews the mechanism, current treatment approaches, and selection of surgical methods for poor organ perfusion caused by acute type A aortic dissection. The literature review findings suggest that central aortic repair can be employed for the treatment of acute type A aortic dissection with inadequate perfusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The superior mesenteric artery can be windowed and (/or) stented, followed by delayed aortic repair. Priority should be given to revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery, followed by central aortic repair. During central aortic repair, direct blood perfusion should be performed on the distal true lumen of the superior mesenteric artery, leading to resulting in favorable therapeutic outcomes. The research results indicate that even after surgical aortic repair, intestinal ischemic necrosis may still occur. In such cases, prompt laparotomy and necessary necrotic bowel resection are crucial for saving the patient's life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute type A aortic dissection is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease characterized by rapid onset and high mortality. Emergency surgery is the preferred and reliable treatment option. However, postoperative complications significantly impact patient prognosis. Hypoxemia, a common complication, poses challenges in clinical treatment, negatively affecting patient outcomes and increasing the risk of mortality. Therefore, it is crucial to study and comprehend the risk factors and treatment strategies for hypoxemia following acute type A aortic dissection to facilitate early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maoping tungsten deposit is located in the Nanling W–Sn metallogenic belt in South China. Greisen and quartz vein types of mineralization developed in this deposit. Protolithionite occurs in the granite. Zinnwaldite is occurs mainly in greisen and wolframite–quartz veins whereas phengite is found in the underground quartz veinlets. In granite and greisen, protolithionite, and zinnwaldite are partly replaced by Li-phengite. LA-ICP-MS trace element analyses of micas and wolframite are employed to characterize the ore-forming source and evolution of ore-forming fluids. Micas show compositional variation trend in vertical directions with a decrease of W, Sn, Nb, and Ta and an increase of MgO, V, Ni, and Co. Wolframite in greisen has higher Mo, Sn, Nb, Ta, and REEs than those in quartz veins. All wolframites show similar REE patterns with enrichment of HREE. Wolframites in greisen and quartz veins have negative Eu anomalies, while wolframites in quartz veinlet display positive Eu anomalies. Compositions of mica and wolframite from different mining levels of the Maoping deposit suggest that the ore-forming fluids are dominated by magmatic hydrothermal fluids in the deep with a slight addition of meteoric water in the shallow. Brittle fracture-induced depressurization and fluid mixing controlled the evolution of ore-forming fluids and possibly lead to the wolframite deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the development of Microsoft XiaoIce, the most popular social chatbot in the world. XiaoIce is uniquely designed as an artificial intelligence companion with an emotional connection to satisfy the human need for communication, affection, and social belonging. We take into account both intelligent quotient and emotional quotient in system design, cast human–machine social chat as decision-making over Markov Decision Processes, and optimize XiaoIce for long-term user engagement, measured in expected Conversation-turns Per Session (CPS). We detail the system architecture and key components, including dialogue manager, core chat, skills, and an empathetic computing module. We show how XiaoIce dynamically recognizes human feelings and states, understands user intent, and responds to user needs throughout long conversations. Since the release in 2014, XiaoIce has communicated with over 660 million active users and succeeded in establishing long-term relationships with many of them. Analysis of large-scale online logs shows that XiaoIce has achieved an average CPS of 23, which is significantly higher than that of other chatbots and even human conversations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guinea pig represents a highly suitable animal model for study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Mtb)infection, as it demonstrates similarities to Mtb pulmonary infection in humans. It is known that guinea pigs can be efficiently infected by the respiratory or subcutaneous exposure to Mtb. However, information on Mtb infection through oral route is almost absent in the literature. Here, we examined whether guinea pigs can be infected by drinking Mtb containing water. Our findings confirmed that the guinea pigs could be infected with Mtb via drinking virulent water. The infected guinea pigs developed uniform oval-craterform ulcers at the 30th day after infection. Bacterial cultures showed Mtb growth in the lungs and spleens from the guinea pigs infected with high dose of Mtb. In addition, the infected animals had histopathological granulomatous lesions in lungs, spleens and mesenteric lymph nodes. We provide the compelling evidence that the guinea pigs could be infected by drinking Mtb containing water. The clinical and pathological observations in the infected animals were similar to those found in guinea pigs infected via the respiratory or subcutaneous routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "new‐new" trade theory has dramatically shifted the focus of international economics research to heterogeneous firms and the margins by which firms participate in international trade. However, few studies have examined the dynamics of agricultural trade at the firm level. This paper employs China Customs data comprising the universe of Chinese firm‐level agricultural import transactions over the period 2000–2009 and develops an empirical strategy to decompose the growth of Chinese agri‐food imports of its four major suppliers, Canada, the United States, Brazil, and Argentina. Our findings reveal that China's growth in agricultural imports is highly concentrated among a small group of firms, where the top 10% of Chinese agricultural importers account for nearly 90% of its agricultural imports. We also find evidence of a significant turn‐over of importers of agri‐food products. Over 40% of new firms entering China's agricultural import market during our sample exited after just 1.7 years. Finally, decomposing import growth patterns for Canada and its competing suppliers reveals significant differences in the intensive and extensive margins of trade that hold important implications for trade policies aimed at enhancing Canada's position as a major agri‐food supplier in the Chinese market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The world's W and Sn reserves are about 3.1 and 12 million tons, among which South China accounts for around 45% and 11%, respectively. • W-Sn deposits are concentrated in the Nanling region of central South China and the Yangtze River region of northeastern South China. • Recent studies of W-Sn mineral deposits in South China have advanced our understanding of the distribution and origin of these deposits. • This special issue brings together the latest information in 23 papers that deal with many aspects of the Mesozoic W-Sn mineral deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xinqiao deposit is one of several polymetallic deposits in the Tongling ore district. There are two types of mineralization in the Xinqiao: skarn-type and stratiform-type. The skarn-type mineralization is characterized by iron oxides such as magnetite and hematite, whereas stratiform-type mineralization is characterized by massive sulfides with small amounts of magnetite and hematite. We defined three types of ores within the stratiform-type mineralization by the mineral assemblages and ore structures. Type I ore is represented by magnetite crosscut by minor calcite veins. Type II is a network ore composed of magnetite and crosscutting pyrite. Type III is a massive ore containing calcite and hematite. Type I magnetite is characterized by highly variable trace element content, whereas Type II magnetite has consistently higher Si, Ti, V, and Nb. Type III magnetite contains more In, Sn, and As than the other two types. Fluid-rock interaction, oxygen fugacity (fO2), and temperature (T) are the main factors controlling element variation between the different magnetite types. Type I magnetite was formed by more extensive fluid-rock interaction than the other two types at moderate fO2 and T conditions. Type II magnetite is thought to have formed in relatively low fO2 and high-T environments, and Type III in relatively high fO2 and moderate-T environments. Ca + Al + Mn and Ti + V discrimination diagrams show that magnetite in the Xinqiao deposit is hydrothermal in origin and is possibly linked with skarn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium (Ti) is a crucial metal with wide-ranging applications in various industries. Ilmenite minerals are the main source of Ti metal. As a valuable petrogenetic indicator and geochronometer, ilmenite mineral occurs commonly in igneous and metamorphic rocks and different types of deposits (e.g., Fe–Ti oxide, diamonds, and placer deposits). Ilmenite U–Pb geochronology started by isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry thirty years ago and by in situ methods recently due to low U and Pb concentrations. A constrained calibration method has been established using rutile TB-1 due to the lack of reference material (RM). However, rutile (e.g., RMJG) cannot be a primary standard in all our analyses. Thus, a new primary standard and accurate calibration method for further applications is urgently needed. By laser ablation sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-SF-ICP-MS), optimizing ablation settings and adding N2 (∼3.0 mL min−1) have been employed to minimize the matrix effects between zircon 91500 and ilmenite. Thus, zircon 91500 can be utilized as a RM to measure the Pb/U ratio in ilmenite. Zircon 91500 has a similar U–Pb fractionation and average normalized Pb/U ratio with ilmenite BC269, instead of rutile RMJG, probably owing to the different ablation settings used by us compared to the two previous studies. More accurate ages with much smaller age offsets of ≤1.6% were obtained for the five ilmenite samples calibrated by zircon 91500 compared to those calibrated by Ti- and Fe-bearing minerals, including rutile RMJG, garnet PL-57, and wolframite YGX. These results demonstrate that the direct calibration method used here with 91500 as an external standard is effective for in situ U–Pb dating of ilmenite samples under a wide range of ablation settings, i.e., spot sizes varying from 44 to 120 μm, repetition rate from 5 to 10 Hz, and laser fluences from 3 to 4 J cm−2. HG79, XL32333, and BC269 have high U and Pb contents and can be utilized as potential RMs for ilmenite minerals. This approach offers new insights into understanding the diagenetic and ore-forming processes related to ilmenite minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Rural households adopt a broad range of strategies to cope with adverse weather shocks. Previous studies have examined the effectiveness of individual coping strategies in mitigating the impact of adverse weather shocks, but no study to date has presented a comprehensive evaluation of alternative coping strategies. We employ household panel data spanning 15 years to estimate the impact of weather shocks on consumption and poverty dynamics in rural Ethiopia, along with the effectiveness of household coping strategies in alleviating the impact of shocks. We find that rainfall increases are positively associated with per adult equivalent consumption, while high temperatures are negatively associated with consumption. In terms of household coping strategies, formal social safety net transfers mitigate the impact of adverse rainfall shocks on consumption and off-farm employment mitigates the impact of high-temperature shocks. Simulations suggest that rainfall shocks and formal social safety net transfers significantly influence household poverty dynamics. By contrast, high-temperature shocks and off-farm employment have less impact on poverty dynamics. The results highlight the need for social protection programs that support existing household coping strategies and that can rapidly respond to weather shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a comprehensive investigation on the influence of TiN thickness and stress on the ferroelectric properties of Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 thin films. TiN top electrode layers with varying thicknesses of 2, 5, 10, 30, 50, 75, and 100 nm were deposited and analyzed. It was observed that the in-plane tensile stress in TiN films increased with the thickness of the TiN top electrode. This is expected to elevate the tensile stress in the Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 film, consequently leading to an enhancement in ferroelectric polarization. However, the effect of stress on the ferroelectric behavior of Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 films exhibited distinct stages: improvement, saturation, and degradation. Our study presents novel findings revealing a saturation and degradation phenomenon of in-plane tensile stress on the ferroelectric properties of polycrystalline Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 films, thereby partially resolving the discrepancies between experimental observations and theoretical predictions. The observed phase transformation induced by tensile stress in Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 films played a crucial role in these effects. Furthermore, we found that the impact of the TiN top electrode thickness on other factors influencing ferroelectricity, such as grain size and oxygen vacancies, was negligible. These comprehensive results offer valuable insights into the influence of stress and TiN top electrode thickness on the ferroelectric behavior of Hf 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 (HZO) is a promising candidate for low-power non-volatile memory due to its nanoscale ferroelectricity and compatibility with silicon-based technologies. Stress and oxygen vacancy (VO) are key factors that impact the ferroelectricity of HZO. However, their combined effects have not been extensively studied. In this study, we investigated the impact of the VO content on HZO thin films' ferroelectricity under different electrode stresses by using TiN and tungsten (W) top electrodes and controlling ozone dose time during HZO deposition. The HZO thin films with W top electrodes exhibit elevated stress levels and a greater abundance of orthorhombic/tetragonal phases, and the HZO thin films with TiN top electrode shows an increase in the monoclinic phase with increasing ozone dose time. The residual polarization (Pr) of the capacitors with TiN and W top electrodes displayed different or even opposing trends with increasing ozone dose time, and the VO content decreases with increasing ozone dose time for both sets of capacitor samples. We propose a model to explain these observations, considering the combined influence of electrode stresses and VO on the free and formation energy of the crystalline phase. Increasing the VO content promotes the transformation of the tetragonal phase to the orthorhombic phase in HZO films with TiN top electrodes, and with W top electrodes, a higher VO content prevents the tetragonal phase from transforming into the orthorhombic/monoclinic phase. Additionally, an alternative explanation is proposed solely from the perspective of stress. These findings provide valuable insights into the regulation of ferroelectricity in HZO thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is associated with a state of low-grade inflammation that leads to insulin resistance under sustained high-fat and glucose (HFG) stress. Mitochondria from pancreatic beta cells play an essential role by metabolizing nutrients and generating signals required for both triggering and amplifying pathways of insulin secretion responding to HFG. However, the underlying pathway linking mitochondrial function to initiate and integrate inflammatory responses within the pancreatic beta cells under HFG stress remains poorly defined. Here, we demonstrated that HFG induced Ca 2+ -mediated deleterious effects on mitochondrial rho GTPase 1 (Miro1), a protein allowing mitochondria to move along microtubules to regulate mitochondria dynamics. This redistribution of Miro1 by HFG led to aggravation of proinflammatory responses in rat islets due to damaged mitochondria-producing reactive oxygen species (ROS). In addition, HFG-induced Ca 2+ -mediated increased expression of mitochondrial dynamin-like protein (DLP1) was assembled on the outer membrane of mitochondria to initiate fission events. Higher expression of DLP1 induced mitochondria fragmentation as expected but was not essential for ROS-induced proinflammatory responses, while Miro1-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction induced proinflammatory responses under HFG stress. Combined, we proposed in this study that HFG stress caused mtROS release mainly through Miro1-mediated effects on mitochondria in pancreatic beta cells triggering the NLRP3-dependent proinflammatory responses and, subsequently, damaged insulin secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• W/Ta multilayers (1:0.25) presents a high spin Hall angle (θ SH , 2nd) and the relatively low resistivity simultaneously. • The spin Hall angle (θ SH, J c) obtained by the critical current density is measured to explore the influence from the spin Hall angle on the magnetization switching. • θ SH, J c has strong correlation with θ SH , 2nd in large dimension sample, whereas pinning effect and domain wall surface tension plays important role in θ SH, J c at the small dimension. We obtain varying spin Hall angle (θ SH, 2nd) values measured by the 2nd harmonic methods in W/Ta multilayers system with relatively low resistivity by doping Ta into mixed-phase W with both α and β phases (α- W , β- W). A remarkably increased value of θ SH, 2nd is observed from 0.04 (W) to 0.47 (W 1 /Ta 0.25), which is attributed to the formation of β -W 3 Ta. The influences of θ SH, 2nd on the critical switching current density (J c) were investigated by the spin Hall angle (θ SH, J c). It is found that the θ SH, J c has strong correlations with θ SH, 2nd in large dimension samples, indicating the J c can be lowered by the enhancement of θ SH, 2nd. This correlation gradually disappears in smaller dimension samples, due to the pinning effect and domain wall (DW) surface tension, which are confirmed by microsimulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature Schottky barrier (SB) metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) were investigated as top-level devices for monolithic three-dimensional (M3D) integration. P-channel SB silicon-on-insulator (SOI) FinFETs were fabricated with all the process steps below the typical thermal budget limit, i.e., 550 °C, for M3D top-tier fabrication. By developing a source/drain extension (SDE), a competitive driving capability and switching property were demonstrated relative to the conventional high-temperature SOI pFinFETs, with an ON-state current (I ON) of 55.49 μA/μm and an ON-state to OFF-state current ratio (I ON /I OFF) of 7 × 105 at V DS = −0.8 V. The effects of the SDE process and thermal budget on the device performance were investigated. [Display omitted] • P-channel SB SOI FinFETs are successfully fabricated with all process steps below 550 °C for M3D top tier fabrication. • Competitive driving capability and switching property are demonstrated in comparison to the conventional high temperature SOI pFinFETs by developing a source/drain extension (SDE), with I ON of 55.49 μA/μm and I ON /I OFF ratio of 7 × 105 at V DS = −0.8 V obtained. • Lowering SDE thermal budget will degrade I ON in SDElast scheme, and SDE1st prevails to SDElast in driving capability at a lower thermal budget level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of exposure to high-altitude (HA) hypoxia on the expressions of endothelin-1 (ET-1), endothelin type A (ETA) and endothelin type B (ETB) receptors in broiler chickens, immunohistochemistry studies were performed in the lungs. Six hundred 1-day-old male broiler chickens were randomly divided into two groups: group A, birds maintained under rich oxygen conditions (oxygen content 21%); and group B, birds exposed to HA hypoxia (oxygen content 13%). Our data showed that exposure to altitude elevated ET-1 and ETA gene expressions at 21 and 28 days of age when compared with the rich oxygen group. Meanwhile, a marked decline in ETB expression was observed at 28 days of age in the course of HA, although there were no significant changes (P>0.05) at 7, 14 and 21 days of age. The increased response was accompanied by adverse effects on weekly body weight gain and ascites mortality. These observations suggested that ET-1, ETA and ETB genes are normally expressed in the lungs of birds. Increased levels of ET-1 and ETA and decreased ETB gene expression in the lungs are probably involved in the lung dysfunction of broiler chickens with developmental ascites. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A La0.8Sr0.2Cr0.5Fe0.5O3−δ (LSCF)–Zr0.8Y0.2O2−δ (YSZ) based multilayer membrane was fabricated by a combination of dual-layer phase inversion tape casting, slurry coating and co-sintering. LSCF–YSZ was adopted as the oxygen separation layer. A porous YSZ substrate with a continuous transitional finger-like pore structure was prepared, and a LSCF–YSZ active layer with a fine sponge-like pore structure was introduced between the functional LSCF–YSZ oxygen separation layer and YSZ substrate. The asymmetric membrane exhibits good chemical stability and acceptable oxygen permeation under stringent conditions. An oxygen permeation flux of 0.041, 0.068 and 0.15ml(STP)cm−2 min−1 was gained at 900°C for operation under air/argon, CO2/CH4 and CO2/H2 gradient, respectively. The apparent activation energy for oxygen permeation was 175.61±18.45, 97.21±2.94 and 79.41±6.26kJ/mol under air/argon, CO2/CH4 and CO2/H2 gradients respectively. The preliminary results show that the membrane may be promising for applications in the recycling of CO2 and treatment of hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We investigate the heavy ions irradiation effect on the spin transfer torque film stacks with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. • The results exhibit that magnetic properties of the synthetic antiferromagnet layer and the ferromagnetic exchange coupling between reference layer and synthetic antiferromagnet layer have changed significantly. • We analysis the irradiation damage by SRIM simulation and give a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. • Our work demonstrates that perpendicular spin transfer torque MRAM technology itself, the memory element construction, is subject to damage from heavy ions irradiation. We investigate the heavy ions irradiation effect on the spin transfer torque film stacks with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Samples are exposed to 175 MeV Cl ion and 235 MeV Ge ion at the fluence of 1x105 ions/cm2 and 1x106 ions/cm2. Measurements of magnetization vs. magnetic field are performed on the film stacks before and after irradiation. The results exhibit that magnetic properties of free layer (CoFeB) in the spin transfer torque film keeps unchanged while magnetic properties of the synthetic antiferromagnet layer (Co/Pt) and the ferromagnetic exchange coupling between reference layer (CoFeB) and synthetic antiferromagnet layer through W layer have changed significantly when the fluence of the two kinds of ions reach 1x106 ions/cm2. We analysis the irradiation damage of the film stacks by SRIM simulation and give a reasonable explanation for this phenomenon. Thus, our work demonstrates that perpendicular spin transfer torque MRAM technology itself, the memory element construction, is subject to damage from heavy ions irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, monomer N-(4-hydroxyphenyl-1) 4-alkyloxybenzamide was obtained by the Williamson reaction, acylation, and aminolysis. Side-chain polysiloxane liquid crystal was then successfully synthesized by a grafting reaction of the monomer. The monomer and liquid crystal were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy,1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and polarization microscopy. The results showed that both monomer and polymer exhibited thermotropic smectic A behavior, and they were very stable within the studied temperature range. They may be very sensitive to both electric and magnetic fields because of their liquid crystalline properties. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3−δ (BZCY) electrolyte has been extensively studied as novel electrolyte for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs). In this short communication, we report our progress on the fabrication and characterization of the high performance anode supported BZCY cell. Maximum power density of 650mW/cm2 at 700°C is obtained for the single cell with configuration of Ni-BZCY/BZCY (20um)/SSC-BZCY. Further, significant performance enhancement is observed during long-term stability test at 600°C under constant voltage of 0.5V, indicating excellent stability of BZCY under fuel cell operating condition. Those results indicate that BZCY based cell is very promising for practical applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports a modified digestion method for the determination of platinum group elements (PGEs) in geological samples. Samples are first digested by HF in a custom made 120 ml PTFE beaker on a hot plate to remove silicates. The dried residue is then digested with HF + HNO3 at 190 °C for about 48 h after the beaker is sealed in a stainless steel pressure bomb. Although only HF + HNO3 are used for sample digestion at relatively low temperature, ultramafic rocks with refractory minerals can be effectively decomposed by this method. Analytical results for CCRMP (CANMET, Ottawa, Canada) certified reference materials WGB-1 (gabbro), UMT-1 (ultramafic ore tailings), WPR-1 (peridotite) and WMS-1(Massive Sulphide), agree well with the certified values. The proposed method significantly simplifies the sample digestion procedures for PGE analysis compared to those used previously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture on cell proliferation and differentiation in young rat hippocampus, postnatal day-14 rats were assigned randomly to control, ketamine anesthesia, nonacupoint, or acupoint electroacupuncture groups. Electroacupuncture was applied at bilateral acupoints (Quchi, Waiguan, Huantiao, and Zusanli) 30 min daily for 7 successive days. The proliferation and neuronal differentiation of proliferated surviving cells in the dentate gyrus were evaluated at 4 weeks after last stimulation. The stimulatory effect of electroacupuncture on cell proliferation had a long-lasting effect, as indicated by the increased phosphor-histone H3-positive cells. The number of proliferated and survival cells, indicated by BrdU labeling, was highest in the electroacupuncture group. The number of newly differentiated neurons, as indicated by BrdU/NeuN double labeling, was significantly higher in the electroacupuncture group than in any of the other groups. This finding provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of acupuncture to cerebral injury rehabilitation in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effect of magnetic fields on the brain is a matter of debate. The objective of this study was to investigate whether repeated exposure to strong magnetic fields, such as during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), could elicit changes in the developing rat brain. Embryonic day 15 (E15) and postnatal day 14 (P14) rats were exposed to MRI using a 7.05T MR system. The animals were anesthetized and exposed for 35min per day for 4 successive days. Control animals were anesthetized but no MRI was performed. Body temperature was maintained at 37°C. BrdU was injected after each session (50mg/kg). One month later, cell proliferation, neurogenesis and astrogenesis in the dentate gyrus were evaluated, revealing no effects of MRI, neither in the E15, nor in the P14 group. DNA damage in the dentate gyrus in the P14 group was evaluated on P18, 1day after the last session, using TUNEL staining. There was no difference in the number of TUNEL-positive cells after MRI compared with controls, neither in mature neurons, nor in newborn progenitors (BrdU/TUNEL double-labeled cells). Novel object recognition was performed to assess memory function 1month after MRI. There was no difference in the recognition index observed after MRI compared with the control rats, neither for the E15, nor for the P14 group. In conclusion, repeated exposure to MRI did not appear to affect neurogenesis, cell death or memory function in rats, neither in late gestation (E15–E18) nor in young postnatal (P14–P17) rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Both tubular and button solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with configuration NiO–YSZ/YSZ/PNSM–YSZ were assembled and compared in their performance. A refined particle suspension coating technique was used for preparing thin dense YSZ electrolyte layer on the two types of anode supports, and the thickness of YSZ membrane was controlled by the time of tubular anode dipped into YSZ suspension and the suspension volume dropped onto the button anode, respectively. Current–voltage tests and AC impedance measurements were carried out to characterize the performance and ohmic resistances in the two cells. Compared with tubular cell, higher peak power density values of 933 mW cm−2 at 850 °C was achieved, which is 2.2 times higher than the value of tubular cell. AC impedance indicated that lower performance of tubular cell was restricted by the ohmic loss at the operating temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A porous NiO/yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode substrate for zirconia-based tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) was prepared by the gelcasting. The effect of the impregnation of SDC in the substrate was studied. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and I–V and I–P curves of the cells were measured. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the microstructures. The results indicate that the performance of the cell can be significantly improved by incorporating the nano-structured SDC particles in the substrate. The peak power density of the cell is increased by about 60% and the area specific resistance (ASR) decreased by about 47% at 700°C, compared with the unmodified cells. It is explained as the extended triple-phase boundary (TPB) in the anode substrate and the excellent electrocatalytic property of SDC. It is also found that the nano-scale SDC particles change a lot during the reduction of the anode substrate, and the morphology of the resultant SDC particles on the metal Ni is significantly different from that on the YSZ. After the long-term operation, the morphology of the SDC particles on the Ni changes again, but that on the YSZ keeps almost unchanged. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Twenty five coal samples from the Late Permian coal-bearing strata in Weining, Nayong, and Zhijin, western Guizhou Province, SW, China, were analyzed for platinum group elements (PGEs). The coal ashes were digested by the Carius tube technique and accurately measured by isotope dilution-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS) for all PGEs. The results are much lower than the previous reported values. Our study suggested that the previously reported PGE values are incorrect and may due to the polyatomic interferences in ICP-MS measurements. In our study, samples from the Weining coalfield have the lowest PGE contents (from 0.019 Ir to 0.42 ng/g Pd), which represent the PGE background value in coal in western Guizhou province. Some of the coals have Pt and Pd contents about 20-times higher than the background value, indicating PGEs are concentrated. We also reported new and reliable PGE data and background value of coal in western Guizhou province, SW, China, and suggested to rework the PGE background values of Chinese coals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A microwave-induced monomer gelation and gel combustion synthesis process was successfully developed to synthesize well-dispersed Pr0.35Nd0.35Sr0.3MnO3−δ (PNSM)/YSZ composite cathode powders for tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The thermo-gravimetric (TG) analysis of as-prepared ash indicated the decomposition process of most of metal nitrates during gel combustion. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the powders calcined at 1000°C showed only pure PNSM and YSZ phase. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the morphology of powders was characterized with the YSZ particles enwrapped by fine PNSM particles so that PNSM/YSZ composite powders were much better-dispersed compared with the powders made simply by mechanical mixing process. The cell made from PNSM/YSZ composite powder showed lower cathode ohmic resistance and polarization resistance, and produced higher power density subsequently. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: LaCrO3 thin films on electrolyte yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates were prepared by spray pyrolysis technique in the temperature range of 600–750 °C using lanthanum and chromium nitrates as precursors. Thin films obtained at 600–650 °C appear to be a mixture of cubic La(OH)CrO4 and cubic LaCrO4 phases, which transforms to pure cubic LaCrO4 with the substrate temperature increasing to 700–750 °C. After being annealed at 900 °C for 2 h, all films convert to a single cubic LaCrO3 phase. The change of Cr2p spectra in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis shows the similar phase transformation process. Reaction processes with respect to the substrate temperature were proposed according to X-ray diffraction (XRD) and XPS analysis. The surface morphology of the films was found to depend strongly on the substrate temperature, which would be the deciding factor of the film growth mechanisms. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A gelcasting process has been developed to fabricate tubular NiO/YSZ anode-support for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) successfully. The rheological behaviors of the ceramic particle suspensions for gelcasting were investigated as a function of the process parameters, such as the amount of pore former, pH value, dispersant concentration, monomer concentration, ball-mill time and solid loading. The sintering shrinkage, microstructure, bending strength and electrical conductivity of the sintered specimens were examined. The tubular Ni/YSZ anode-support obtained under the optimized preparation conditions exhibited a porosity of 39.6%, mean pore size of below 0.9μm, 482scm−1 in electrical conductivity at 700°C, and the bending strength of 112.8MPa, which can well meet the requirements for SOFCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With Y(DPM)3 and Zr(DPM)4 as precursors, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were deposited onto NiO-SDC substrates using a modified aerosol-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (AAMOCVD) apparatus, where high power halogen lights were used as assisted heaters. Cubic structured YSZ was obtained when the films were deposited at 650 °C. The cubic YSZ transformed to tetragonal structure after annealed at 1100 °C for 3 h, possibly due to crystallite growth. Y/Zr mole ratio of the deposited film depends on the Y/Zr ratio of the precursors, indicating that the thin film composition can be effectively controlled. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed a strong bonding between the films and substrates. Thickness of the film was estimated to be about 9 μm with a high growth rate of 50 nm/min, which inferring the AAMOCVD is very effective in synthesis of YSZ films. AC impedance analyses showed that the ionic conductivity of the YSZ film is 0.034 S/cm at 800 °C, which is slightly less than that of bulk YSZ, and the conduction activation energy (E a) changed from 80.8 kJ/mol to 138.8 kJ/mol at 640 °C with decreasing temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The preparation of high-quality yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte films on porous substrates is critical to the fabrication of high-performance solid-state ionic devices such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and gas sensors. In this paper, stable, fully dispersed YSZ suspensions were prepared. Particles zeta-potential and relative viscosity of suspensions were investigated. Thin YSZ films were deposited on NiO–YSZ anode supports with the YSZ suspensions and then heated to 1400 °C in air. Dense and crack-free films were obtained with thickness in the range of 20–30 μm. La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM) paste was printed on the YSZ electrolyte/anode to assemble single fuel cell and tested in the temperature range of 650–800 °C. The open circuit voltage (OCV) of the cells reached 0.98 V and maximum power density 190 mW/cm2 at 800 °C, showing a reasonable performance. The deposited thin films could be considered for electrolyte application in intermediate temperature SOFCs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were prepared by conventional and modified dip-coating techniques followed by heating to an appropriate temperature in air. Scanning electron microscopy showed that films of the thickness ranging from 20 to 30 μm were dense and crack-free. The electrical properties of the films were investigated by ac impedance spectroscopy. La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 paste was printed on to a YSZ electrolyte/anode assembly to create single fuel cells which were tested in the temperature range 650–800 °C. The results showed that both open circuit voltage (OCV) and maximum power density values of the cells with electrolytes produced by the modified dip coating were higher than those fabricated by conventional processing. At 800 °C, the OCV reached 0.98 V and a maximum power density of 190 mW cm-2 was attained, demonstrating that the modified dip coating process is a simple and cost-effective fabrication technique for IT-SOFCs, though further improvement is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite-type compounds Ln0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ (Ln=Ce, Sm, Gd, Dy) used as the cathodes of intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) were studied. The cells consisted of anode supported Sm-doped-ceria electrolyte bi-layer and cathode with 0.65 cm2 effective area. Open-circuit voltage (OCV), V–I and P–I curves of the cells were measured over a temperature range from 400 to 800 °C, using H2–3%H2O as fuel and air as oxidant. Polarization potential of electrodes were measured with asymmetry three-electrode method during cell discharging. The results indicated that, Dy-SCF material cathode behaved with high catalytic activity for oxygen dissociation at low temperatures. For each cell with a particular cathode, there was a transition temperature, at which OCV of the cell reached the highest value. When temperature was higher than the transition temperature, OCV of the cell increases with decreasing temperature, whereas as temperature was lower than that, OCV decreased with lowering temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We propose a data-mining approach that produces generalized query patterns (with generalized keywords) from the raw user logs of the Microsoft Encarta search engine (http://encarta.msn.com). Those query patterns can act as cache of the search engine, improving its performance. The cache of the generalized query patterns is more advantageous than the cache of the most frequent user queries since our patterns are generalized, covering more queries and future queries — even those not previously asked. Our method is unique since query patterns discovered reflect the actual dynamic usage and user feedbacks of the search engine, rather than the syntactic linkage structure of web pages (as Google does). Simulation shows that such generalized query patterns improve search engine's overall speed considerably. The generalized query patterns, when viewed with a graphical user interface, are also helpful to web editors, who can easily discover topics in which users are mostly interested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porous Y1−xCaxFeO3 (YCF) ceramics were successfully fabricated by a gelcasting process followed by sintering the gelled mixture of Y2O3, CaCO3 and Fe2O3. A pure YCF ceramic was obtained when the gelcast with x≤0.10 was calcined at 1250 °C in air for 5 h. Results showed that the specimen with x=0.10 had the lowest porosity. This contributed to the formation of a solid solution, which might greatly facilitate the sintering process of specimens. The Y0.9Ca0.1FeO3 specimens calcined at 1200–1275 °C for 5 h have an open porosity of 66.2–16.4% and mean pore size of 1.91–0.69 μm. The electrical conductivity of the porous specimens was investigated by the DC four-probe method. The results showed that Ca2+ doping greatly improves the conductivity of YCF specimen and dramatically reduces the activation energy for conductivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bphs controls Bordetella pertussis toxin (PTX)—induced vasoactive amine sensitization elicited by histamine (VAASH) and has an established role in autoimmunity. We report that congenic mapping links Bphs to the histamine H[sub 1] receptor gene (Hrh1/H1R) and that H1R differs at three amino acid residues in VAASH-susceptibLe and -resistant mice. Hrh1[sup -/-] mice are protected from VAASH, which can be restored by genetic complementation with a susceptible Bphs/Hrh1 allele, and experimental allergic encephalomyelitis and autoimmune orchitis due to immune deviation. Thus, natural alleles of Hrh1 control both the autoimmune T cell and vascular responses regulated by histamine after PTX sensitization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Thermal stability of both SAF and reference layer change inversely when varying the thickness of tungsten bridge layer, • Thicker tungsten bridge layer induces the decoupling of SAF and reference. • Increasing tungsten bridge layer can indirectly damage the anisotropy of free layer. • The damage generated by bridge layer depends on the orange-peeling coupling of MgO. We investigated the thermal stability of spin-orbit torque magnetic tunnel junction (SOT-MTJ) thin films by tuning multiple interlayer couplings among synthetic anti-ferromagnetic layer (SAF), reference layer and free layer. We find that the bridge layer (here we use W) can influence the thermal stability of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) in all the magnetic layers through the interlayer couplings. Increasing the thickness of bridge layer decouples the SAF and reference layer, resulting in higher PMA of SAF layer and lower PMA of reference layer. The reference layer further adjusts the PMA of free layer by orange-peel coupling via the tunneling barrier layer MgO such that we find another way to optimize the anisotropy without changing ferromagnetic layers. This work is helpful for engineering the interlayer coupling of SOT-MTJ thin films to achieve SOT devices with high thermal stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii ( T. gondii ), a zoonotic parasite infects almost all warm-blooded animals and causes significant economic losses. To date, however, it is still unclear whether yaks from the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of China are exposed to T. gondii. On the present study, a survey was conducted for the first time, to investigate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in yaks ( Bos grunniens ) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Qinghai, Tibet, Hongyuan area of Sichuan province). A total of 905 and 736 serum samples were collected from yaks in these areas in 2012 and 2013, respectively and assayed for T. gondii antibodies by an indirect hemagglutination test (IHA). The results showed that seroprevalence on plateau was 21.7% and 29.1% in 2012 and 2013, respectively with the prevalence of 22.4%, 19.4% and 25.5% in 2012 for Qinghai, Tibet and Hongyuan of Sichuan, respectively and of 26.4%, 27.0% and 33.7% for these three regions in 2013, respectively. The present survey indicated that the infection with T. gondii in yaks was widely spread in recent years on the plateau causing a high risk factor for animals and humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Cenozoic, the Tibetan Plateau has experienced large‐scale uplift and outgrowth due to the India–Asia collision. However, the mechanism and timing of these tectonic processes still remain debated. Here, using apatite fission track dating and inverse thermal modeling, we explore the mechanism of different phases of rapid cooling for different batholiths and intrusions in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. In contrast to previous views, we find that the coeval granitic batholith exposed in the same tectonic zone experienced differential fast uplift in different sites, indicating that the present Tibetan Plateau was the result of differential uplift rather than the entire lithosphere uplift related to lithospheric collapse during Cenozoic times. In addition, we also suggest that the 5–2 Ma mantle‐related magmatism should be regarded as the critical trigger for the widely coeval cooling event in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, because it led to the increase in atmospheric CO2 level and a hotter upper crust than before, which are efficient for suddenly fast rock weathering and erosion. Finally, we propose that the current landform of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau was the combined influences of tectonic and climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After more than five decades, Moore's Law for transistors is approaching the end of the international technology roadmap of semiconductors (ITRS). The fate of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) architecture has become increasingly unknown. In this era, 3D transistors in the form of gate-all-around (GAA) transistors are being considered as an excellent solution to scaling down beyond the 5 nm technology node, which solves the difficulties of carrier transport in the channel region which are mainly rooted in short channel effects (SCEs). In parallel to Moore, during the last two decades, transistors with a fully depleted SOI (FDSOI) design have also been processed for low-power electronics. Among all the possible designs, there are also tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs), which offer very low power consumption and decent electrical characteristics. This review article presents new transistor designs, along with the integration of electronics and photonics, simulation methods, and continuation of CMOS process technology to the 5 nm technology node and beyond. The content highlights the innovative methods, challenges, and difficulties in device processing and design, as well as how to apply suitable metrology techniques as a tool to find out the imperfections and lattice distortions, strain status, and composition in the device structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Acute lung injury (ALI) or its more severe form, known as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), is characterized by an initial exudative phase, expression of proinflammatory mediators, activation of inflammatory leukocytes, and impairment of the lung endothelium and epithelium. Despite numerous, novel therapeutic strategies have been developed regarding the pathophysiology of ALI, current treatment is mainly supportive, as specific therapies have not been established in the past few decades. The MAP kinase-interacting kinases (MNK1 and MNK2) are serine threonine kinases which are activated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), regulate protein synthesis by phosphroylating eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Although studies have shown that MAPKs pathway is involved in anti-inflammatory and preventing tissue injury processes, the role of MNKs in ALI has, until now, remained relatively unexplored. Here, we investigated whether partial inhibition of MAPKs pathway by targeting MNKs was effective in the prevention and treatment of ALI. C57BL6 mice were pretreated with MNK1 and MNK2 inhibitor (CGP57380, 30 mg/kg) for 30 min and then challenged with 5 mg/kg LPS for 6 h. The results showed that pretreatment with CGP57380 not only significantly attenuated LPS-induced lung wet/dry ratio, as well as protein content, total cells and neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), but also decreased the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and keratinocyte-derived chemoattractant (KC). In addition, CGP57380 was observed to significantly suppress LPS-stimulated phosphorylation of eIF4E and MAPKs in the mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). The involvement of MNK2 in lung injury was further evident by MNK2 knockout mice. MNK2 deficiency resulted in the attenuated lung histopathological changes, as also reflected by reductions in neutrophil counts, and the less LPS-induced the production of IL-6, TNF-α and KC in mouse BALF. Taken together, these findings demonstrated for the first time that MNK inhibition could effectively reduce the LPS-induced ALI in mice, suggesting a novel and potential application for MNK-based therapy to treat this serious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]