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The colour of a star is a critical feature to reflect its physical property such as the temperature. The colour index is usually obtained via absolute photometry, which is demanding for weather conditions and instruments. In this work, we present an astrometric method to measure the catalogue-matched colour index of an object based on the effect of differential colour refraction (DCR). Specifically, we can observe an object using only one filter or alternately using two different filters. Through the difference of the DCR effect compared with reference stars, the catalogue-matched colour index of an object can be conveniently derived. Hence, we can perform DCR calibration and obtain its accurate and precise positions even if observed with Null filter during a large range of zenith distances, by which the limiting magnitude and observational efficiency of the telescope can be significantly improved. This method takes advantage of the DCR effect and builds a link between astrometry and photometry. In practice, we measure the colour indices and positions of Himalia (the sixth satellite of Jupiter) using 857 CCD frames over 8 nights by two telescopes. Totally, the mean colour index BP − RP (Gaia photometric system) of Himalia is 0.750 ± 0.004 mag. Through the rotational phased colour index analysis, we find two places with their colour indices exceeding the mean ± 3σ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The release of Gaia catalogue is revolutionary to the astronomy of Solar system objects. After some effects such as atmospheric refraction and CCD geometric distortion have been taken into account, the astrometric precision for ground-based telescopes can reach the level of tens of milli-arcseconds (mas). If an object approaches a reference star in a small relative angular distance (less than 100 arcsec), which is called close approach event in this work, the relative positional precision between the object and reference star will be further improved since the systematic effects of atmospheric turbulence and local telescope optics can be reduced. To obtain the precise position of a main-belt asteroid in an close approach event, a second-order angular velocity model with time is supposed in the sky plane. By fitting the relationship between the relative angular distance and observed time, we can derive the time of maximum approximation and calculate the corresponding position of the asteroid. In practice, five nights' CCD observations including 15 close approach events of main-belt asteroid (702) Alauda are taken for testing by the 1 m telescope at Yunnan Observatory, China. Compared with conventional solutions, our results show that the positional precision significantly improves, which reaches better than 4 mas, and 1 mas in the best case when referenced for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) ephemeris in both right ascension and declination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. The purpose of this work is to investigate an astrometric method to accurately measure the precise position of the center of mass of the dwarf planet Haumea and its satellites, based on the unresolved images taken by ground-based telescopes. Methods. A total of 29 nights of CCD observations are reported of the dwarf planet Haumea, taken during the period from February 7 to May 25, 2022 by three telescopes located in Yunnan Province, China. The pixel centroid of the unresolved image of Haumea and its satellites is measured with respect to its reference stars in the Gaia EDR3 star catalog. The new theoretical position of Haumea (the center of mass of Haumea and its satellites is assumed) is computed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Horizon System. The observed minus computed (OC) positional residuals of Haumea in right ascension and in declination show a significant and periodic variation. Furthermore, when the ephemeris position of Hi'iaka, the larger and brighter satellite of Haumea, with respect to Haumea itself is taken from the Miriade ephemeris service of the Institut de mécanique céleste et de calcul des éphémérides (IMCCE) website, the observed positional measurements of the center of mass of Haumea and Hi'iaka are derived precisely after using a new method. Results. The (OC) positional residuals are confirmed to be caused mainly by the motion of Hi'iaka around its primary. The final mean (OC) residuals of Haumea and its satellites are found with respect to the most recent version of the JPL ephemeris. As a by-product, a parameter that connects the mass ratio to the light ratio of Haumea and Hi'iaka (by Eq. (2) in the text), is introduced to derive the final mean (OC) residuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Growth performance of Yangzhou geese hatched from eggs with turning angles of 50° or 70° was evaluated in association with serum hormones and somatotrophic gene mRNA expression. 2. Egg turning at 70° significantly (P< 0.05) increased hatchability, gosling quality and hatching weight. Gosling post-hatch body weight, leg and breast muscle weight in the 70° turning group was significantly heavier until 50 d of age. 3. Serum concentrations of GH were significantly higher until 30 d of age in the 70° turning group goslings, and those of IGF-I and T3 were higher from hatching to 50 d of age. 4. The mRNA expression of GHRH, pituitary GH, liver and leg muscle IGF-I were all significantly higher at 1 and 30 d of age after hatch, but not at 70 d after hatch, in the 70° turning group. 5. Egg turning at 70° during incubation improves embryo and gosling quality and growth performance through up-regulation of gene expression and secretion of somatotrophic axis hormones, GHRH, GH and IGF-I, as well as T3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Explore the mental health status and its influencing factors of local community residents under the post-epidemic era of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. Methods The basic information scale, self-rating depression scale and self-rating anxiety scale were used to carry out an online questionnaire survey among community residents in Jiangsu Province, China, and the influencing factors of depression and anxiety were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results A total of 993 residents completed the mental health survey. It was found that the incidence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was 37.06% and 22.86%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that women [odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 26.239 (14.743–46.698)], college degree and above [OR (95% CI) = 1.843 (1.085–3.130)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 2.222 (1.441–3.425)] were risk factors for depressive symptoms, urban residents had lower risk [OR (95% CI) = 0.655 (0.394–0.829)]. Women [OR (95% CI) = 33.595 (15.812–71.381)] and ordinary residents [OR (95% CI) = 3.017 (1.602–5.680)] were risk factors for anxiety symptoms while the incidence was reduced in professional and technical personnel [OR (95% CI) = 0.271 (0.123–0.597)], workers [OR (95% CI) = 0.383 (0.168–0.876)], soldiers or policemen [OR (95% CI) = 0.200 (0.042–0.961)], married residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.463 (0.230–0.931)] and urban residents [OR (95% CI) = 0.531 (0.251–0.824)]. Conclusion The incidence of symptoms of depression and anxiety among residents was relatively high under the post-epidemic era of COVID-19, which could be affected by various factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the factors associated with depression in residents in the post-epidemic era of COVID-19. Methods A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a questionnaire survey among community residents through self-designed questionnaires and self-rating depression scale (SDS). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the influencing factors of depressive symptoms. Results A total of 1993 residues completed the survey of depression status. The incidence of depressive symptoms was 27.04%. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that female (odds ratio (OR): 6.239, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.743–10.698), body mass index (BMI) > 24 (OR: 2.684, 95% CI: 1.059–3.759) and drinking (OR: 1.730, 95% CI: 1.480–3.153) were the risk factors for developing depressive symptoms. Married (OR: 0.417, 95% CI: 0.240–0.652), monthly income (3001–5000 yuan, OR: 0.624, 95% CI: 0.280–0.756; >5000 yuan, OR: 0.348, 95% CI: 0.117–0.625), ordinary residents (OR: 0.722, 95% CI: 0.248–0.924) and urban residents (OR: 0.655, 95% CI: 0.394–0.829) were the protective factors of depressive symptoms. Conclusions Under the post-epidemic era of COVID-19, depressive symptoms are still common among community residents in China. Gender, BMI, drinking, marriage, monthly income and nature of personnel and residential area are associated with the incidence of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epiphytic Tillandsia mainly absorbs moisture and nutrients from the air through its leaves. However, the drought resistance of epiphytic Tillandsia is strong, the drought response mechanism and regulatory network are poorly understood. This study adopted metabolomics combined with transcriptomics sequencing technology to analyze the metabolites and their content changes in seedlings of epiphytic Tillandsia variety 'Cotton candy' under dehydration. In total, 635 metabolites were identified, of which 102 were significantly different and belonged to 17 categories. Among them, phenylpropanine, lipids, amino acids and derivatives contained the most types of compounds, 17, 17, 14 respectively. Transcriptome sequencing acquired a total of 6710 differentially expressed genes, of which 2335 and 4375 were up-regulated and down-regulated separately. After the differentially expressed genes were annotated to the GO, the binding, cell and cell part, cellular process dominate the molecular function, cellular component, and biological process, respectively. Correlation analysis of metabolome and transcriptome showed that amino acids and their derivatives in Cotton candy under water privation were the most accumulated metabolites, followed by organic acids and their derivatives. The major metabolites and pathways of Cotton candy in response to drought stress acquired in this investigation, laying a foundation for the research on mechanisms of drought resistance and metabolic regulation in epiphytic Tillandsia plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate low noise random alloy (RA) Al0.85Ga0.15AsSb (hereafter AlGaAsSb) avalanche photodiodes (APDs) nearly lattice-matched to InP substrates. In contrast to digital alloy (DA), RAs are manufacturable due to the ease of growth. The 910 nm-thick RA AlGaAsSb was grown at a low temperature around 450 °C to mitigate phase separation by suppressing surface mobility of adatoms. The high quality of the RA AlGaAsSb material was verified by x-ray diffraction, Nomarski, and atomic force microscope images. Capacitance–voltage measurement found that the background doping concentration was 6–7 × 1014 cm−3, indicating very low impurity density in the RA AlGaAsSb material. Current–voltage measurements were carried out under dark condition and 455 nm laser illumination at room temperature. The breakdown occurs at −58 V. The dark current density at a gain of 10 was found to be 70 μA/cm2. This value is three orders of magnitude lower than previously reported DA AlAs0.56Sb0.44 APDs [Yi et al., Nat. Photonics 13, 683 (2019)], one order of magnitude lower than DA AlGaAsSb [Lee et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 081106 (2021)], and comparable to RA AlInAsSb APDs [Kodati et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 118, 091101 (2021)]. In addition, the measured excess noise shows a low k (the ratio of impact ionization coefficients) of 0.01. These noise characteristics make the RA AlGaAsSb multiplier suitable for commercial applications, such as optical communication and LiDAR systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affected by the Earth's atmosphere, the image of a primary and satellite system may appear unresolved, such as the dwarf planet Haumea system. It is found by experiments that neither the two-dimensional Gaussian nor modified moment centering algorithms can accurately measure the photocenter of an image of unresolved primary and satellite system observed. This work investigates a specific centering algorithm to accurately measure the photocenter, which would be helpful to derive some physical parameters (e.g. orbital parameters and mass). Taking the dwarf planet Haumea and its brighter satellite Hi'iaka as an example, we simulate the motion of the photocenter with different seeings. We find that the photocenter of system changes significantly with seeings (∼0.074″ with the different seeings of 1″ and 3″) when using the two-dimensional Gaussian centering algorithm. However, the modified moment centering algorithm can accurately measure the photocenter of system without noises, but when noises are added its accuracy will be greatly influenced by noises. In this work, a new centering algorithm is proposed, which can accurately measure the photocenter with less influence of seeings and noises. Observations of dwarf planet Haumea taken over 25 nights are used to test the effectiveness of our proposed method. Compared with using two-dimensional Gaussian centering algorithm, the fitted parameter is slightly more accurate with less positional fitting errors when using the proposed method in this work. This method can also be applied to the centering of binary stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital alloy Al0.85Ga0.15As0.56Sb0.44 and random alloy Al0.79In0.21As0.74Sb0.26 avalanche photodiodes with a 1-μm multiplication layer exhibit low excess noise under 543-nm laser illumination comparable to Si avalanche photodiodes. This has motivated a study of the optical characteristics of these materials. The absorption coefficients and complex refractive indices were extracted via variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry. Features of three semiconductor layer fitting approaches are compared, and a Kramers–Kronig-consistent basis spline function was chosen due to its flexibility and accuracy of approximating optical constants of quaternary materials. The external quantum efficiency has been calculated based on the extracted absorption coefficients and is shown to agree well with the measured external quantum efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a full convolutional neural network is trained on a large database of experimental EAST data to classify disruptive discharges and distinguish them from non-disruptive discharges. The database contains 14 diagnostic parameters from the ∼104 discharges (disruptive and non-disruptive). The test set contains 417 disruptive discharges and 999 non-disruptive discharges, which are used to evaluate the performance of the model. The results reveal that the true positive (TP) rate is ∼ 0.827, while the false positive (FP) rate is ∼0.067. This indicates that 72 disruptive discharges and 67 non-disruptive discharges are misclassified in the test set. The FPs are investigated in detail and are found to emerge due to some subtle disturbances in the signals, which lead to misjudgment of the model. Therefore, hundreds of non-disruptive discharges from training set, containing time slices of small disturbances, are artificially added into the training database for retraining the model. The same test set is used to assess the performance of the improved model. The TP rate of the improved model increases up to 0.875, while its FP rate decreases to 0.061. Overall, the proposed data-driven predicted model exhibits immense potential for application in long pulse fusion devices such as ITER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the non-image forming (NIF) effects of dynamic light on alertness, cognitive performance and mood on mental fatigue, as well as moderation of task difficulty in lighting perception. Sixteen participants completed a psychomotor vigilance test (PVT) and two complex cognitive tasks (multi-attribute task battery-II (MATB-II) and n -back) with low, medium and high difficulty levels under dynamic (4000 to 12 000 K, melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (EDI) = 224 lx to 420 lx) and static (4000 K, melanopic EDI = 224 lx) lighting with illuminance set at 500 lx on the desk. Psychological, behavioural, biochemical and electrophysiological responses to light were assessed. The results showed that exposure to dynamic light had significant benefits on subjective sleepiness, positive mood and task performance, which may be moderated by task difficulty. The intervention effect of dynamic light on fatigue was also found during an electrophysiological activity due to increase in the amount of attentional resources allocated to the tasks by dynamic light, but was not observed in biochemical measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic scarring is a skin collagen disease that can occur following skin damage and is unlikely to heal or subside naturally. Since surgical treatment often worsens scarring, it is important to investigate the pathogenesis and prevention of hypertrophic scarring. Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) is a matrix glycoprotein that can affect fibrosis by activating TGF-β1, which plays a key role in wound repair and tissue regeneration; therefore, we investigated the effects of THBS1 on the biological function of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. THBS1 expression was measured in hypertrophic scars and adjacent tissues as well as normal fibroblasts, normal scar fibroblasts, and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. In addition, THBS1 was overexpressed or silenced in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts to determine the effects of THBS1 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration, as well as TGF-β1 expression. Finally, the role of THBS1 in hypertrophic scarring was confirmed in vivo using a mouse model. We found that THBS1 expression was increased in hypertrophic scar tissues and fibroblasts and promoted the growth and migration of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts as well as TGF-β1 expression. Interestingly, we found that si-THBS1 inhibited the occurrence and development of bleomycin-induced hypertrophic scars in vivo and downregulated TGF-β1 expression. Together, our findings suggest that THBS1 is abnormally expressed in hypertrophic scars and can induce the growth of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts by regulating TGF-β1. Consequently, THBS1 could be an ideal target for treating hypertrophic scarring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic scarring is a skin collagen disease that can occur following skin damage and is unlikely to heal or subside naturally. Since surgical treatment often worsens scarring, it is important to investigate the pathogenesis and prevention of hypertrophic scarring. Thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) is a matrix glycoprotein that can affect fibrosis by activating TGF-β1, which plays a key role in wound repair and tissue regeneration; therefore, we investigated the effects of THBS1 on the biological function of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. THBS1 expression was measured in hypertrophic scars and adjacent tissues as well as normal fibroblasts, normal scar fibroblasts, and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts. In addition, THBS1 was overexpressed or silenced in hypertrophic scar fibroblasts to determine the effects of THBS1 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration, as well as TGF-β1 expression. Finally, the role of THBS1 in hypertrophic scarring was confirmed in vivo using a mouse model. We found that THBS1 expression was increased in hypertrophic scar tissues and fibroblasts and promoted the growth and migration of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts as well as TGF-β1 expression. Interestingly, we found that si-THBS1 inhibited the occurrence and development of bleomycin-induced hypertrophic scars in vivo and downregulated TGF-β1 expression. Together, our findings suggest that THBS1 is abnormally expressed in hypertrophic scars and can induce the growth of hypertrophic scar fibroblasts by regulating TGF-β1. Consequently, THBS1 could be an ideal target for treating hypertrophic scarring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explosive welding is a useful method for joining similar or dissimilar metal alloys that are not easily joined by any other means of welding. Insertion of an interlayer between two-parent plates is beneficial to control the welding parameters and improve the welding quality. In order to investigate the importance of interlayer during the explosive welding process, this paper presents the numerical simulation of explosive welding of Ti6Al4V-SS304 in the presence of different interlayer materials, i.e. SS304, Ti6Al4V, CP-Ti, Cu, Al. To understand the whole welding process with efficient computational time, coupled smoothed particle hydrodynamics -Euler -Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian formulation was opted. Results were analyzed on the basis of different material interlayers. Welding parameters, i.e. pressure, temperature, plastic strain and interface morphology revealed that interlayer improved the welding quality. Furthermore, as an interlayer, the materials with high strength showed high welding strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a novel method to accurately determine the flux of neutrinos and antineutrinos, one of the dominant systematic uncertainty affecting current and future long-baseline neutrino experiments, as well as precision neutrino scattering experiment. Using exclusive topologies in ν (ν ¯) -hydrogen interactions, ν μ p → μ − p π + , ν ¯ μ p → μ + p π − , and ν ¯ μ p → μ + n with small hadronic energy, we achieve an overall accuracy on the relative fluxes better than 1% in the energy range covering most of the available flux. Since we cannot rely on simulations nor model corrections at this level of precision, we present techniques to constrain all relevant systematic uncertainties using data themselves. The method can be implemented using the approach we recently proposed to collect high statistics samples of ν (ν ¯) -hydrogen interactions in a low-density and high-resolution detector, which could serve as part of the near detector complex in a long-baseline neutrino experiment, as well as a dedicated beam monitoring detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results are reported for Si p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (pMOSFETs) subjected to a combination of tensile and compressive strains in different directions. This combination strain is reported and discussed. Results are reported for both partially depleted and bulk architectures. The maximum increase in effective mobility μeff attained in bulk pMOSFETs was 120.19% and the corresponding increase in saturation current Isat was 120.08% for 1.6% strain. Partially depleted devices were strained up to 2.2%, giving an increase in effective mobility μeff of 138.40% and increase in saturation current Isat of 147.74%. Tensile stress was applied orthogonal to the carrier transport direction (transverse) and compressive stress was induced along the channel, resulting in unprecedented increases in both output and effective mobility. Our straining technique involves thinning die and wafer sections of commercially fabricated devices until they are ultrathin (<10 μm); stress is then applied mechanically. Measurements were performed on devices “as fabricated” and also after thinning and layer transfer. Stress was applied at predefined values and characterization was carried out. The “strain and characterization” sequence was repeated until the applied stress exceeded the elastic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of the (d, p) reaction, which has been proven a powerful spectroscopic tool, is believed to be reasonably well understood. However, the 16O(d, p)17O reaction leading to the ground state in 17O seems to be a possible exception. It was found in the previous experiments that the 16O(d, p)17O angular distribution exhibits a rapid decline below the peak at the angle of 15 degrees. To date this abnormal behavior has not been reproduced by theoretical models. In this work we present a re-measurement of the 16O(d, p) O g. s. 17 angular distribution by using a high-precision magnetic spectrograph. Our new angular distribution shows a slower decline than the previous data do. A comparative analysis with the distorted Born approximation (DWBA), the adiabatic distorted wave approximation (ADWA) and the continuum discretized coupled channels (CDCC) method suggests that the drop of the differential cross sections at the forward angles is due to the deuteron breakup coupling effects. In addition, we extracted the spectroscopic factor (SF) and the asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) for the 17O ground state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel method, the so-called magneto-optical interaction, is gaining increasing interest for realizing the localization of the electromagnetic radiation to subwavelength scales and enhancement of the local electric fields. We investigate spin-polarized edge magnetoplasmons based on the spin-dependent quantum hydrodynamic model, in a bounded two-dimensional electron gas with perpendicular magnetic field and an electromagnetic wave. The effects of the Fermi pressure associated with Pauli exclusion principle and quantum force due to the Bohm potential, and the effect of the spin-induced ponderomotive force, are taken into consideration. Full spin-polarized edge state exists at the boundary of the two-dimensional electron gas. Spin rotation occurs due to the magneto-optical kerr effect. The existence of the electromagnetic field could reduce the spin amplitude and increase the spin rotation time, since their magnitude oscillates between positive and negative values and hinders the spin precession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Bilinear pairing over elliptic curves is the key technology to construct identity based encryption schemes. An appropriate hardware design can significantly speed up pairing computation. In this paper, we present a highly-parallel hardware design for optimal ate pairing over Barreto-Naehrig curves. The proposed design exploits parallelism at different levels of the pairing algorithm, including F p and F p 2 operations as well as the operations based on F p 2 . Especially the proposed architecture of dual F p 2 units at the top level makes the pairing computation more efficient. Finally, we implement a system on chip (SoC) that contains Microblaze CPU, AXI-Lite bus and the pairing computation unit. The design is verified on a Virtex-7 FPGA device with the parameters of pairing chosen according to the Identity-Based Cryptographic Algorithms SM9 enacted by China. The results show that our design computes the optimal ate pairing of 128-bit security within 394,806 cycles, which is about 3.4 ms under the working frequency of 115 MHz, and consumes about 28 k Slices and 128 DSPs. Highlights • We design an SoC with a complete hardware unit that can compute optimal ate pairing efficiently on FPGA platform. • The proposed design exploits parallelism at different levels of the pairing algorithm. • The proposed architecture of dual F p 2 units makes the pairing computation more efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tunable transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) wave splitter using one-dimensional plasma dielectric photonic crystal which consists of plasma arranged periodically in a host dielectric medium is proposed. We performed a detailed study to explore the phenomena of reflection and transmission that occurs on obliquely incident electromagnetic wave propagating in the proposed plasma dielectric photonic crystal. We exactly calculated the transmittance based on the transfer matrix method. We find that if the parameters are selected appropriately, in the TE-stop or TM-stop frequency region, the other polarized component TM or TE wave is totally transmitted. The results also show that the dielectric constant, plasma thickness, incident angle and the applied magnetic field have significantly changed the properties of the TE/TM wave splitter. Moreover, the external magnetic field can be used as a kind of tunable method once the splitter is fabricated. Parameter dependence of the effects for the TE/TM wave splitter is calculated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium–carbon clusters are investigated by collision induced dissociation (CID) using our newly designed triple quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled with a laser vaporization source. Their fragmentation patterns are determined under various collision conditions. It is observed that the Met–Car Ti8C+12 mainly loses a neutral metal atom in the primary dissociation step and several metal atoms in sequential dissociation processes. The dissociation threshold of the Met–Car Ti8C+12 is estimated to be about 9 eV. In addition, several of the larger TixC+y cluster ions, including those containing nine or ten metal atoms, are found to fragment directly to Ti8C+12 during single step dissociation. Product channels for dissociation of Ti9C+12 establishes the ionization potential for Ti8C12 to be equal to, or less than the IP of the titanium atom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemistry and kinetics of size-selected Co+n cluster-ion (n=2–8) reactions with CO are studied using a selected ion drift tube affixed with a laser vaporization source operated under well-defined thermal conditions. All reactions studied in the present work are found to be association reactions. Their absolute rate constants, which are determined quantitatively, are found to have a strong dependence on cluster size. Similar to the cases of reactions with many other reactants such as H2 and CH4, Co+4 and Co+5 display a higher reactivity toward the CO molecule than do clusters of neighboring size. The multiple-collision conditions employed in the present work have enabled a determination of the maximum coordination number of CO molecules bound onto each Co+n cluster. It is found that the tetramer tends to bond 12 CO molecules, the pentamer 14 CO, hexamer 16 CO, and so on. The results are interpreted in terms of Lauher’s calculation and the polyhedral skeletal electron pair theory. All the measured maximum coordination numbers correlate extremely well with the predictions of these theories, except for the trimer where the measured number is one CO less than the predicted value. The good agreement between experiment and theory enables one to gain some insight into the geometric structure of the clusters. Based on the present findings, the cobalt tetramer cation is interpreted to have a tetrahedral structure, the pentamer a trigonal bipyramid, and the hexamer an octahedral structure. Other cluster structures are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fully epitaxial Fe3O4/ZnO heterostructures were fabricated by reactive dc sputtering (Fe3O4) and rf sputtering (ZnO) on c-Al2O3 substrates. The epitaxial relationship is verified to be Fe3O4(111)<110>∥ZnO(0002)<1120> by φ scans. The nonlinear and rectifying properties of I-V curves were observed in the heterostructures. The transport mechanism across the interface between Fe3O4 and ZnO is thermal emission and the Schottky barrier is calculated to be 0.51 eV. The magnetoresistance of the heterostructures is symmetric and depends on current. The spin polarization of the transport electrons from Fe3O4 into ZnO is determined to be 28.5% at 30 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) is a transport phenomenon which shows a small spatial shift perpendicular to the refractive index gradient for a linearly polarized light passing through an interface. In this paper, we have demonstrated a three-layer structure (glass–graphene metamaterial–air) to explore the characteristics of the spin Hall effect of reflected light at the glass–graphene metamaterial interface. The effects of temperature and Fermi energy of graphene and the thickness of graphene metamaterial on the horizontal and vertical displacements of SHEL are calculated and discussed. The results show that the behavior of SHEL is very slightly temperature dependent at higher wavelength while Fermi energy has significantly changed it. We also find that the thickness of graphene metamaterial has greatly modified the horizontal beam shifts, but has slightly influence on the vertical beam shifts. Moreover, different Fermi energy lead to two dispersion regions, elliptic and hyperbolic cases. The behavior of SHEL behave differently in these two cases and can be tuned by chemical doping or gate voltage. We may find a tunable way to enhance or weaken the behavior of SHEL with our will by using the proposed simple three-layer structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study presents the clinical and biochemical profiles of patients with PHPT between 2005 and 2016 at our center. Most PHPT patients in China show symptomatic features. The number of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients increased during that time, and the number of individuals with parathyroid carcinoma is now increasing.Introduction: Over the last decade, the prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has increased sharply, and the number of individuals with parathyroid cancer is still trending upward. Little is known about the clinical outlook of the disease over the last decade in China. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of PHPT patients at our center from January 2005 to December 2016.Methods: Two hundred sixty patients with PHPT visiting Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital were enrolled retrospectively. The clinical manifestations and biochemical abnormalities of these patients were analyzed.Results: Among all patients, 73.1% had symptomatic PHPT, while the number of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients increased 1 to 2.5 times and 1.5 to 3 times, respectively, from 2005 to 2016. Bone pain and single adenoma were the most frequent signs and pathological results. The patients with parathyroid carcinoma over the last 5 years accounted for 90% (9/10) of all parathyroid carcinoma patients from 2005 to 2016, and parathyroid carcinoma patients had higher levels of serum calcium, parathyroid hormone (PTH), and serum creatinine (P < 0.05) than parathyroid hyperplasia and parathyroid adenoma patients.Conclusions: Most patients with PHPT in China still exhibit classic clinical and biochemical features. Both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients have increased over the last 12 years. Although the proportion of parathyroid carcinoma was small, a noticeable upward tendency was observed at our center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genomics era has led to an explosion in the study of gene expression in production animals. Intramuscular fat (IMF) content (both high and low) and composition are major quality attributes of meat, and more than 90 transcriptomic studies of IMF deposition have been undertaken in the ruminants and pigs since 2001, with the majority since 2008. The studies have implicated many genes involved in the control of adipogenesis, lipogenesis, and deposition of IMF, but there is relatively little consistency between the different studies. However, the genes encoding the synthesis enzymes acetyl-CoA carboxylase a, fatty acid synthase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase; the fatty acid binding protein 4; the potential signaling protein thyroid hormone responsive; and the regulators C/EBPα, PPARγ, and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 are supported by 5 or more of the 90 studies. By combining the results of all the studies, complete pathways for long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) and triacylglyceride (TAG) synthesis are identified, as are a number of genes encoding proteins probably associated with the storage of TAG and genes encoding a number of known and potential adipokines. In contrast, support for the association of lipolytic pathways with IMF percentage is less strong. Differences in experimental design--in particular, the age of the animals, the rate of IMF deposition at sampling, the past nutritional history of the animals used, and the complexities of using a tissue with mixed cell types--have contributed to the differences in results and interpretation. Biomarkers predictive of future IMF percentage, facilitating reaching optimal IMF content at slaughter, may have industry utility, but to be useful in animal biopsy and postslaughter samples, where multiple cell types are present, genes must be carefully chosen to ensure that they are informative about the expected processes. Despite these problems, candidate biomarkers for estimation of de novo intramuscular adipocyte LCFA synthesis, LCFA uptake rate by intramuscular adipocytes, and IMF deposition rate have been identified and examples of their utility have been published. However, further work is required to demonstrate how best to apply the assays for the benefit of the relevant livestock production industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The characteristics of slow light in a magnetized plasma hyperbolic metamaterial waveguide are analyzed in detail. Compared with a conventional waveguide filled with hyperbolic metamaterial cladded by dielectric or a dielectric waveguide cladded by hyperbolic metamaterial, the characteristics of slow light in a magnetized plasma hyperbolic metamaterial waveguide are actively tunable. The results show that plasma filling factor, dielectric constant of background materials, plasma density, and external magnetized field have significantly changed the characteristics of slow light. Parameter dependence of the effects is examined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of numerical simulations were performed to investigate the influence of side free surface on the rock fragmentation induced by single TBM disc cutter. The JH-2 model combined with a Rankine tensile cracking softening model was adopted to define the rock constitutive model to simulate the rock dynamic fracture process. The distance that allows for cracks just to extend to side free surface under a given penetration is defined as the critical distance, which distinguishes the rock fragmentation patterns between induced by disc cutter close to side free surface and conventional single cutter. The former rock fragmentation pattern is that rock chips in the form of wedge-shaped block spalling from rock specimen due to tensile cracks intersection. From the mean rolling force and the rock debris mass, the specific energy to reflect cutting efficiency was calculated for different distances to side free surface. The cutting efficiencies of former patterns are far higher that by conventional single cutter. The rock macro-fracture patterns and cutting efficiency were then compared with those obtained from linear cutting experiments. The critical distance for Baiyun granite is about 100 mm obtained from experiments, in good agreement with that deduced from numerical simulations. The height difference between the inner and outer cutterhead of the two-stage cutterhead should be more than 220 mm and the distance from first disc cutter on the inner cutterhead to free surface should be less than 100 mm for granite ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with 5-(4-Aminophenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin]Mn(III) (MnNH 2 TPP) and graphene oxide (GO) composite materials (GO-MnNH 2 TPP) was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and successfully employed for the determination of uric acid (UA). Electrochemical behaviors of UA at various electrodes including the glassy carbon electrode, GO/GCE, MnNH 2 TPP/GCE and GO-MnNH 2 TPP/GCE were measured, respectively, which showed GO-MnNH 2 TPP/GCE had better electrocatalytic activities than other electrodes under the present experimental conditions. The experimental conditions of the UA determination including the effects of scan rate, pH value and the modified amount of GO-MnNH 2 TPP on the surface of GCE were optimized when the GO-MnNH 2 TPP/GCE was used to detect UA. The electrochemical response properties of UA were studied by two electrochemical methods including the differential pulse voltammograms (DPV) and the amperometric i-t curve technique under above optimized experimental conditions. The response of GO-MnNH 2 TPP/GCE towards UA was excellent line relationship in the concentration ranges from 0.5 to 500 μM and the lowest detection limit was 0.30 μM (S/N = 3) by DPV; the amperometric i-t curve techniques also exhibited excellent line relationship in the concentration ranges from 20 to 290 μM and the lowest detection limit was 1.74 μM (S/N = 3). These results showed the GO-MnNH 2 TPP/GCE hold excellent electrocatalytic activity, good stability and high selectivity towards UA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the course of investigating dehydrogenation reactions induced by transition metals, we find that using a carrier gas containing hydrocarbons and ammonia instead of pure helium, in conjunction with a laser vaporization device, enables the facile production of metal–carbon and metal–nitrogen clusters in both the neutral and ionic forms. With only a change in the nature of the carrier gas, a variety of new classes of clusters can be produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining the risk posed by PFAS leaching from soil to groundwater requires quantification of the magnitude and temporal/spatial variability of PFAS mass discharge from the vadose zone, which is governed in part by the concentrations of PFAS in soil porewater. Porewater concentrations are impacted and mediated by the properties of the PFAS and soil, multiple transport and fate processes, and site conditions. The objective of this research was to delineate the relationship between soil porewater concentrations and soil concentrations, based on a comprehensive model of PFAS mass distribution within a soil sample volume. Measured parameters representing solid-phase sorption and air-water interfacial adsorption are used to illustrate the impact of soil and PFAS properties on the distribution of representative PFAS between soil and soil porewater. Literature data reported for soil and soil porewater concentrations of several PFAS obtained from outdoor lysimeter experiments are used to test the distribution model. Soil-to-porewater concentration ratios predicted with the model compared very well to the measured concentration ratios. The nondimensional distribution coefficient that describes the distribution of PFAS mass amongst all domains within a soil sample was observed to be a function of PFAS molecular size. Numerical simulations conducted for a model fire-training source area were used to illustrate the ranges in magnitude of soil versus porewater concentrations for representative field conditions. The results of the measured and simulated data sets demonstrated the importance of air-water interfacial adsorption for the distribution of the longer-chain PFAS within soil samples. PFAS soil porewater concentrations are anticipated to range from ng/L to mg/L depending upon soil concentrations, which in turn depend upon the nature of the site. [Display omitted] • A comprehensive distribution model is developed for PFAS porewater concentration (C p). • The ratio between soil concentration (C t) and C p is a function of soil & PFAS properties. • The C t / C p may change during long-term leaching due to nonlinear adsorption processes. • The C t / C p changes during infiltration events due to changes in air-water interfacial area. • Air-water interfacial adsorption has a significant impact on C t / C p behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our previous work [B. Guo and M. Q. Xie, Optik 125 , 2137 (2014)], we found that plasma photonic crystal (PC), which proposed is a multilayer stack of alternating plasma layer and dielectric, can show negative refraction not only at the frequency edge of the band gap but also at some other frequencies which do not belong to any band gaps when the frequency of oblique incidence is below the plasma frequency by analyzing the dispersion relations. Here, in this paper, we investigate further the negative refraction in plasma PCs at below plasma frequency by studying the group and phase indices. The negative group and positive phase indices of refraction are observed at below plasma frequency for oblique incidence, which denotes the occurrence of negative refraction. Moreover, the results show that the proposed plasma PCs exhibit negative refraction in two frequency regions which is same to our previous work and the frequency regions of negative refraction can be tunable. Parameter dependence of the effects is examined and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Receptor crosstalk: reprogramming B cell receptor signalling to an alternate pathway results in expression and secretion of the autoimmunity-associated cytokine, osteopontin (Review). J Intern Med 2009; 265: 632-643.Intracellular signalling emanating from the B-cell antigen receptor is considered to follow a discrete course that requires participation by a set of mediators, grouped together as the signalosome, in order for downstream events to occur. Recent work indicates that this paradigm is true only for naïve B cells. Following engagement of the IL-4 receptor, a new, alternate pathway for B-cell receptor (BCR)-triggered intracellular signalling is established that bypasses the need for signalosome elements and operates in parallel with the classical, signalosome-dependent pathway. Reliance on Lyn and sensitivity to rottlerin by the former, but not the latter, distinguishes these two pathways. The advent of alternate pathway signalling leads to production and secretion by B cells of osteopontin (Opn). As Opn is a polyclonal B-cell activator that is strongly associated with a number of autoimmune diseases including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, this novel finding is likely to be clinically relevant. Our results highlight the potential role of B-cell-derived Opn in immunity and autoimmunity and suggest that stress-related IL-4 expression might act to strengthen immunoglobulin secretion at the risk of autoantibody formation. Further, these results illustrate receptor crosstalk in the form of reprogramming, whereby engagement of one receptor (IL-4R) produces an effect that persists after the original ligand (IL-4) is removed and results in alteration of the pathway, and outcome, of signalling via a second receptor (BCR) following its activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In this paper, the dynamic tensile properties of brittle materials were studied by using the dynamic Brazilian tests. Combined with a high-speed photographic system, a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) was used to conduct dynamic Brazilian tests on three brittle materials: Al2O3 ceramic, granite and poly(methyl methacrylate). Based on the images recorded by a high-speed camera, the displacement and strain fields were obtained by the digital image correlation method. The dynamic deformation and failure of the brittle materials were analysed. The rate-related dynamic tensile strength of the three brittle materials was also determined and analysed. The results show that the dynamic Brazilian test is an effective method to study the dynamic tensile properties of brittle materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispersion relations for electromagnetic wave propagation in chiral plasmas are derived using a simplified method and investigated in detail. With the help of the dispersion relations for each eignwave, we explore how the chiral plasmas exhibit negative refraction and investigate the frequency region for negative refraction. The results show that chirality can induce negative refraction in plasmas. Moreover, both the degree of chirality and the external magnetic field have a significant effect on the critical frequency and the bandwidth of the frequency for negative refraction in chiral plasmas. The parameter dependence of the effects is calculated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fabrication of environmental-friendly Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) thin films with pure kesterite phase is always a challenge to researchers in the field of solar cells. We introduce a simple non-vacuum sol-gel method to fabricate kesterite CZTS films. Ethylenediamine is used as the chelating agent and stabilizer and plays an important role in preparing stable precursor. X-ray diffraction, Raman and scanning electron microscopy studies suggest that the microstructure and optical properties of CZTS films depend strongly on annealing temperatures. The temperature dependence of conductivity of 500 C annealed CZTS film shows that the Mott law dominates in the low temperature region and thermionic emission is predominant at high temperatures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intramuscular fat content (IMF%) in cattle influences the value of individual animals, especially for higher marbling markets. IMF is triacylglyceride (TAG) in lipid droplets in the intramuscular adipocytes. However, there are many different pathways from feed intake to the final common process of TAG synthesis and storage as IMF. To evaluate the relative importance of different pathways we compared changes in the expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the TAG and fatty acid (FA) synthesis pathways in the longissimus muscle of Piedmontese x Hereford (PxH) and Wagyu x Hereford (WxH) crosses. Based on these changes we have estimated the relative contributions of FA synthesised de novo in the intramuscular adipocyte and the uptake of circulating FA (both free and from TAG), from the diet or synthesised de novo in other tissues, to TAG deposition as IMF. We have analysed the impact of different developmental times and different diets on these processes. Increased de novo FA synthesis in intramuscular adipocytes appeared to contribute more than increased FA uptake from circulation to the additional TAG deposition in WxH compared with PxH cattle between 12 and 25 months (forage diet). Changing diet from forage to concentrate appeared to increase the importance of FA uptake from circulation relative to de novo FA synthesis for TAG synthesis in intramuscular adipocytes. These results are consistent with the literature based on analysis of lipid composition. Gene expression appears to provide a simple assay for identification of the source of FA for the deposition of IMF. Intramuscular fat in beef is an important factor in its flavour and texture, and hence price. We have used the analysis of the expression of genes in muscle to identify the source of the fat; either synthesised in the muscle fat cells, or taken up from circulation. We have shown that age, diet and breed affect the amount and source of the fat and predict consequential impacts on fat composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a general Control Volume model for electric field simulation in wire-plate type electrostatic precipitators, along with a new injection law for charge density. The model is validated against empirical equations and experimental data in the literature when applied to the wire-plate and point-plate configurations. The voltage current characteristics and detailed distribution of field and charge density are characterized, particularly for the case of barbed wire electrode. The effects of geometric variations, such as the sharpness of the tip and the direction of the needles with respect to the plate, are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rehabilitation is crucial to improve the health status of people with disabilities. Previous studies mainly analysed the impact of health insurance on utilisation of general health services; the relationship between health insurances and rehabilitation services utilisation among Chinese people with disabilities has been long neglected. This study aimed to analyse the association between health insurance programs and rehabilitation services utilisation among disabled people. This was a cross-sectional study. The data used in this study were derived from 2021 National Household Income Survey of Disabled People and National Basic Database of People with Disabilities conducted by China Disabled Persons' Federation. Logistic regression model was used to analyse the relationship between health insurance and rehabilitation services utilisation, and the propensity score matching method was used to check the robustness of the results. (1) Disabled people insured by the Basic Medical Insurance System for Urban Employees (BMISUE) and the Basic Medical Insurance System for Urban and Rural Residents (BMISURR) were positively associated with rehabilitation service utilisation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.852, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.268, 2.707; OR = 1.375, 95% CI: 0.962, 1.966). (2) The utilisation level of rehabilitation service among disabled people insured by BMISUE was significantly higher than those insured by BMISURR (OR = 1.355, 95% CI: 1.161, 1.581). (3) The supply of rehabilitation services at the community level was positively correlated with the utilisation by people with disabilities. Health insurance can improve the financial accessibility of using rehabilitation services, and the utilisation level will increase as the benefits level of health insurance increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To improve efficacy of current titanium and its alloys, in bioactivity and speed of osseointegration, of orthopaedic implants. Materials and methods A novel triple-layered functional graded coating, consisting of a porous hydroxyapatite ( HA) outermost layer, fluoro-HA ( FHA) intermediate layer and titanium oxide (TiO2) innermost layer, was created on a titanium substrate by a multistep sol-gel method. X-ray diffraction analysis showed TiO2 anatase and apatite crystallization in the coating. Results Morphological analysis performed by scanning electron microscopy showed excellent bonding between coating and substrate, with a thickness of ~2 μm. Scratch testing found favourable adhesion strength of the composite coating. In addition, optical microscope images suggested good biocompatibility. Considering thet in vitro cell response, osteoblasts on the coating exhibited higher cell proliferation and ALP activity compared to pure titanium and HA coating, and demonstrated excellent coating bioactivity. Conclusions Current results indicated that the novel TiO2/ FHA/ HA coating has promising clinical applications in orthopaedic and dental implantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All the 16F levels are unbound by proton emission. To date the four low-lying 16F levels below 1 MeV have been experimentally identified with well established spin-parity values and excitation energies with an accuracy of 4 - 6 keV. However, there are still considerable discrepancies in their level widths. The present work aims to explore these level widths through an independent method. The angular distributions of the 15N(7Li,6Li)16N reaction leading to the first four states in 16N were measured using a high-precision Q3D magnetic spectrograph. The neutron spectroscopic factors and the asymptotic normalization coefficients for these states in 16N were then derived based on distorted wave Born approximation analysis. The proton widths of the four low-lying resonant states in 16F were obtained according to charge symmetry of strong interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have theoretically explored the negative refraction (NR) in one-dimensional plasma photonic crystals (PCs) consisting of plasma and dielectric materials. By using the transfer matrix method and Bloch theorem, we have studied the group velocity and we have obtained the NR in plasma PCs with the help of the group velocity. The results show that plasma PCs can also exhibit the NR although they have a periodically modulated positive permittivity ɛ and permeability μ. It is also shown that the NR in plasma PCs exhibits difference behaviour in different frequency regions, ω < ω p and ω > ω p , respectively. The parameter dependence of the effects is also examined and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]