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Photonic sintering of Cu-particle-based printed patterns using intense pulsed light (IPL) is a promising route to the large-scale fabrication of printed electronics for commercial applications.

Negative thermal expansion materials have been studied in various types of functional materials regardless of their intriguing physical properties. In this study, by introducing Sm 3+ ions into the Y 2 Mo 3 O 12 lattice, the hygroscopicity is reduced. Y 2 Mo 3 O 12 :xSm 3+ (x = 0.000 ~ 0.300) have been synthesized by using the solid-state reaction method, and their structures have been studied by using thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectrometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, and nano-SIMS. It is found that the Y 2 Mo 3 O 12 :Sm 3+ is formed in the orthorhombic [Y 2 Mo 3 O 12 ] phase for lower Sm 3+ concentrations and samarium molybdates [Sm 2 MoO 5 ] and [Sm 2 Mo 3 O 12 ] at higher Sm 3+ concentration samples. Elemental distribution images captured by using a nano-SIMS confirm the existence of [Sm 2 MoO 5 ] and [Sm 2 Mo 3 O 12 ] phases clearly. Additional phases due to the introducing of Sm 3+ ions confirm the reduction of atmospheric moisture. Photophysical properties obtained by using absorption and emission spectra reveal that the hygroscopicity-reduced Y 2 Mo 3 O 12 :Sm 3+ can be a possible orange-red-emitting phosphor with the near ultra-violet excitation.

Gravitational Water Vortex Power (GWVP) plants are considered one of the most favourable micro-hydro extraction methods suitable for rural communities in mountain areas. Many researchers have focused on enhancing the performance of GWVP plants since it is less efficient than other commercial hydro turbines. This study mainly focuses on optimization of vortex turbine situated in conical vortex basin using the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. The basic turbine blade design was modified with inclination, height, vertical twist, and horizontal curvature. CFD results were analysed at each step concerning air-water interface, pressure, and velocity while identifying the relationship of flow behaviour with performance. A similar blade inclination with the conical basin enhanced performance, and the increasing of blade height also showed good performance. Vertical twist and horizontal curvature were investigated separately, and the horizontal curvature blade showed slightly better performance than the vertical twisted blade recording the highest efficiency as 40.4%.

A novel regularized interface integral equation for three-dimensional steady state heat conduction problems with non-homogeneous inclusions is developed. The proposed formulation only contains the fundamental solution of isotropic matrix. As a result, the fundamental solution of non-homogeneous inclusion, usually very difficult to obtain, is avoided. Domain integrals caused by the contrast of heat conductivities between the inclusions and the matrix are converted into equivalent interface integrals using the radial integration method by expressing the temperature gradient as a series of radial basis functions. Therefore, a pure interface integral equation is obtained and there is no need to discretize the inclusion into finite elements to evaluate the domain integral. For the determination of the flux and temperature, collocation points are distributed inside the inclusion to form a system of linear equations. To eliminate the geometrical errors and study the inclusions with arbitrary geometry, bivariate Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines basis functions are used to depict the boundaries of the inclusions. Numerical results are compared with available analytical solutions or finite element solutions.

Patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy often have elevated intraocular pressure. Patients and doctors are often confused about whether intraocular hypertension in thyroid associated ophthalmopathy needs to be lowered. There are several theories on the possible causes of this kind of increased intraocular pressure: restriction and compression of the globe by fibrotic and enlarged rectus muscles, increased episcleral venous pressure resulting from orbital congestion and venous outflow obstruction, and increased resistance to trabecular outflow. In addition, the patient's eye position and the device for measuring intraocular pressure also have great impacts on the accuracy of intraocular pressure measurement. At the same time, there are very few patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy combined with primary glaucoma. Therefore, whether patients with elevated intraocular pressure need to be treated depends on the specific clinical manifestations of the thyroid associated ophthalmopathy. Intraocular pressure of most patients can be lowered by active treatment for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy; antiglaucoma medical therapy may be necessary for patients whose intraocular pressure cannot be lowered; only very few cases of glaucoma require antiglaucoma drugs or surgery. (甲状腺相关眼病（TAO）常伴发高眼压，发生机制复杂，包括肥大水肿的眼外肌压迫眼球壁；眶内结缔组织及眼肌肥大水肿使眶压增加，导致房水静脉压升高，房水流出阻力增加等。此外，测量眼压的眼位及使用的仪器对眼压测量的精准度也有较大影响。同时，极少数TAO患者合并原发性青光眼。TAO高眼压是否需要降眼压治疗，本文在分析高眼压发生机制的基础上，提出应针对TAO的临床表现和特点制定不同的治疗策略，以获得最佳临床疗效。

Small intestinal epithelium homeostasis involves four principal cell types: enterocytes, goblet, enteroendocrine and Paneth cells. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to affect enterocyte differentiation. This study determined the effect of dietary EGF on goblet, enteroendocrine and Paneth cell differentiation in piglet small intestine and potential mechanisms. Forty-two weaned piglets were used in a 2 × 3 factorial design; the major factors were time post-weaning (days 7 and 14) and dietary treatment (0, 200 or 400 µg/kg EGF supplementation). The numbers of goblet and enteroendocrine cells were generally greater with the increase in time post-weaning. Moreover, the supplementation of 200 µg/kg EGF increased (P0.01) the number of goblet and enteroendocrine cells in villus and crypt of the piglet small intestine as compared with the control. Dietary supplementation with 200 µg/kg EGF enhanced (P0.05) abundances of differentiation-related genes atonal homologue 1, mucin 2 and intestinal trefoil factor 3 messenger RNA (mRNA) as compared with the control. Piglets fed 200 or 400 µg/kg EGF diet had increased (P0.05) abundances of growth factor-independent 1, SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 mRNA, but decreased the abundance (P0.01) of E74 like ETS transcription factor 3 mRNA as compared with the control. Animals receiving 400 µg/kg EGF diets had enhanced (P0.05) abundances of neurogenin3 and SRY-box containing gene 9 mRNA as compared with the control. The mRNA abundance and protein expression of lysozyme, a marker of Paneth cell, were also increased (P0.05) in those animals. As compared with the control, dietary supplementation with 200 µg/kg EGF increased the abundance of EGF receptor mRNA and the ratio of non-phospho(p)-β-catenin/β-catenin (P0.05) in villus epithelial cells at days 7 and 14. This ratio in crypt epithelial cells was higher (P0.05) on the both 200 and 400 µg/kg EGF groups during the same period. Our results demonstrated that dietary EGF stimulated goblet, enteroendocrine and Paneth cell differentiation in piglets during the post-weaning period, partly through EGFR and Wnt/β-catenin signalling.

PurposeTo systematically review studies investigating health-related quality-of-life (HrQoL) in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), to examine questionnaires used and to conduct a meta-analysis of control studies with normal ovarian function.MethodsData sources: PubMed, Embase, Web of science, CNKI, and CQVIP, searched from inception until June 2018. The search strategy was a combination of medical (e.g. POI), subjective (e.g. well-being) and methodological (e.g. questionnaires) keywords. PRISMA guidelines were used to assess outcome data quality/validity by one reviewer, verified by a second reviewer. Risk of bias within studies was evaluated. A meta-analysis compared HrQoL in patients and non-patients. Due to measurement differences in the studies, the effect size was calculated as standard mean difference.ResultsWe identified 6869 HrQoL studies. Nineteen geographically diverse studies met inclusion criteria, dated from 2006, using 23 questionnaires. The meta-analysis included six studies with 645 POI participants (age 33.3 ± 5.47) and 492 normal-ovarian control subjects (age 32.87 ± 5.61). Medium effect sizes were found for lower overall HrQoL (pooled SMD = − 0.73, 95% CI − 0.94, − 0.51;I2 = 54%) and physical function (pooled SMD = − 0.54, 95% CI − 0.69, − 0.39;I2 = 55%). Heterogeneity was investigated. Effect sizes varied for sexual function depending on the measure (SMD = − 0.27 to − 0.74), overall HrQoL (SF-36) had the largest effect size (− 0.93) in one study. The effect sizes for psychological and social HrQoL were small.ConclusionPOI is associated with low-to-medium effect size on HrQoL compared to normal ovarian controls. The greatest effects are found in general HrQoL and most sexual function areas. Condition-specific questionnaires and RCTs are recommended for further investigation.

This paper presents the characteristics comparison between an HTS air-core transformer (ACT) and an HTS partial-core transformer (PCT) by experiment and simulation. Two types of transformers were fabricated and tested in liquid nitrogen at 77 K. Fundamental characteristics were obtained by no-load, load, and short-circuit tests. The parameters of the equivalent circuits of the two transformers were also obtained. A field-circuit finite-element method was proposed to analyze the electrical characteristics. In addition, the experimental results were compared with the numerically calculated ones. The results show that the measured critical currents of the transformer with and without the iro n core are nearly the same. The measured exciting current and percent voltage regulation of the PCT is smaller than that of the ACT. The PCT has a better short-circuit current limiting function. The numerical results show that the uneven degree of circulating current of ACT is larger than that of the PCT. The loss characteristic was also discussed in this paper.

The coupling factor is a crucial parameter for a high-temperature superconductor (HTS) air-core transformer. This paper proposes a numerical method for calculating and optimizing the coupling factor, which took the influence of insulation distance into account. To verify this method, a laboratory-scale HTS air-core transformer was fabricated and tested in liquid nitrogen. GdBCO HTS tapes were used for HTS windings. The primary windings were six single pancakes (SPs) in series, and the secondary windings were three SPs in parallel. Each SP has 32 turns. The numerical calculation and the experimental measurement were consistent. Because the HTS air-core transformer has no specific path for the magnetic flux compared with the full-core transformer, more attention should be given to optimizing the coupling factor. The relationship between the windings arrangement, the insulation distance, the radial dimension, and the coupling factor was discussed by the numerical calculation method. The conclusion of this paper will guide the design of the 1-MVA/10-kV/400-V HTS power transformer, which is going to be built later this year.

Overcurrent performance of high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductor (CC) is one of the most crucial parameters for industrial applications, especially in superconducting fault current limiters (SFCLs). Thus, numerical study of overcurrent process becomes desirable in design of these superconducting devices. In this paper, a field-circuit combined model is introduced to study the overcurrent process of HTS CCs. This model is built by both MATLAB and COMSOL. Circuit parameters, electromagnetic, and temperature distributions are individually calculated by different software. Temperature (T), magnetic intensity (B), and generated heat (Q) are used as real-time intermediate exchanging variables. Accuracy of this model is verified by short-fault experiments on straight HTS CC. Further applications, such as reclosing process and superconducting coils are both performed. Results obtained in this paper prove the validity of this model; this model can be helpful in future design of superconducting devices.

Summary Two feeding trials (FTs) were conducted in 2013 and 2014, respectively, to determine the optimal L-malic acid (LMA) level for juvenile GIFT (Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia) Oreochromis niloticus. Except for the LMA level, the FT1 and FT2 had a similar diet formulation. In FT1, LMA was included at 0 (basal diet), 1, 4, 8, 16 and 32 g kg−1, respectively. After 20 weeks, daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio were improved but not differentiated with 1–8 g kg−1 LMA. Further increasing the LMA supply initially decreased the feed intake (16 g kg−1), and then decreased both feed intake and feed utilization (32 g kg−1), thus impairing the fish growth. FT2 was subsequently conducted with a smaller LMA range (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 and 8 g kg−1, respectively) but was unfortunately terminated at the end of 8 weeks because 20% of the fish were badly injured during weighing. Unexpectedly, growth and feed utilization were still improved but not differentiated with 0.5–8 g kg−1 LMA. In FT2, beneficial effects of LMA inclusion on the digestive function (pepsin, foregut amylase and foregut lipase), the activities of serum lysozyme and hepatic superoxide dismutase, and liver lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde concentration) were found. Taking the results of FT1 and FT2 together, it could be concluded that dietary LMA supplementation at low concentrations (0.5–8 g kg−1) could improve growth and feed utilization, but excess LMA (≥16 g kg−1) might compromise feed intake and/or feed utilization, thus impairing fish growth. To reduce feed costs in commercial practice, 0.5 g kg−1 LMA is recommended in the feed of juvenile GIFT tilapia based on the results of this study.

Continuous interscalene block is an approved modality for postoperative pain control, but it may cause hemidiaphragmatic paresis. In this study we aimed to determine whether continuous supraclavicular block would provide postoperative analgesia comparable to that of continuous interscalene block and reduce the incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paresis. Patients scheduled for open rotator cuff repair were randomly allocated to receive continuous interscalene (n = 38) or supraclavicular block (n = 37). Both participants and assessing clinicians were blinded to the group allocation. The primary endpoint was the mean pain intensity 24 h after the surgery. Postoperative mean (SD) pain scores at 24 h were similar in the supraclavicular and interscalene groups (2.57 (1.71) vs 2.84 (1.75) respectively; p = 0.478). The incidence of complete or partial hemidiaphragmatic paresis was lower in the supraclavicular group at 1 h after admission to the postanaesthetic care unit and 24 h after the surgery [25 (68%) vs 38 (100%); p = 0.001 and 14 (38%) vs 27 (71%) respectively; p = 0.008]. Continuous supraclavicular block provided comparable analgesia compared with interscalene block with a reduced incidence of complete or partial hemidiaphragmatic paresis for 24 h following surgery.

External orbital decompression, including medial wall, inferior wall, lateral wall and orbital fat decompression alone or in combination, has long been considered to be the standard treatment for thyroid related eye diseases. Deep lateral wall orbital decompression has better effect in the balance of eye position, correction of serious exophthalmos and severe oppression optic neuropathy. Recently, however, endoscopic orbital decompression is becoming increasingly popular with the development of endoscopic surgery technique in naso-orbit related diseases. Endoscopic orbital decompression has the advantages of avoiding an external incision scar. Nevertheless, the new method also has some disadvantages, for example, application limited to medial and inferior orbital wall orbital decompression, high incidence of esotropia, need for external lateral wall decompression and expensive cost for equipment. Both surgical approaches have advantages and disadvantages respectively for medial wall and inferior wall decompression. The operative result depends on the individualized surgical design and the experience of the surgeon rather than the choice of the surgical approach. As a result, the choice of the surgical approaches should be specifically based on the patient's conditions, patient's acceptance of the operation, experience of the surgeon and available resources.甲状腺相关眼病（TAO）眼眶减压手术包括眼眶外壁、内壁和下壁减压以及脂肪切除单独或联合手术，尤其外壁眼眶减压术在平衡眼位、矫正严重眼球突出及严重压迫性视神经病变方面具有更好的治疗效果。外部切口（经皮肤或结膜）入路长期被认为是眼眶减压手术的标准入路。然而，近年随着鼻内镜技术在鼻眼相关疾病中的应用，临床开创了新的经鼻内镜入路眼眶减压手术。本文通过比较两种手术入路的优缺点、手术效果、并发症及手术成本等，说明单就内下壁眼眶减压术而言，外部切口入路与经鼻内镜入路各具优缺点，而TAO眼眶减压手术的效果不取决于入路方式，而是取决于个体化的手术方案设计以及手术者的经验，从而指出TAO眼眶减压手术更应注重根据患者的病情、外观和对手术的接受程度，术者的经验以及可利用的手术设备等，个体化合理选择手术方式。

A multiple workfunction (multi-WF) integration technology was developed for ultra-low voltage operation in high performance FinFETs. It is essential to solve three key issues in the multi-WF process, a) short channel effect (SCE) degradation due to removing halo implants b) gate resistance increase due to multi-WF stack, and c) gate dielectric reliability degradation due to additional patterning. In this study, we resolve these issues through the combination of junction engineering and workfunction metal (WFM) boolean engineering in long channel (LC) and short channel (SC) devices for SCE, WFM stack optimization for gate resistance, and HK interface optimization for reliability. In logic devices, 15/13% N/PFET DC and 14% AC performance were improved without SCE or reliability degradation. In SRAM devices, 43% Vt mismatch (Vtmm) improvement resulted in record Vmin yield down to 0.4V on 128Mb 0.064μm2 SRAM array.

Substrates of high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires can change the magnetic field distribution of the wires, with the consequence that they can affect AC losses of the HTS wires, which is a critical issue in HTS applications. In this study, in order to investigate the effects of the substrates on the AC losses of cylindrical single layer conductors which are usually used in HTS power cables, we first experimentally and numerically evaluated self-field losses of the HTS wires and investigated the influence of the substrates on their self-field losses. Next various HTS cylindrical single layer conductors were prepared using different HTS wires and their AC loss characteristics were discussed from the perspective of magnetic substrate. The main results show that the magnetic materials in HTS wires do affect their losses and the magnetic field distribution. For our pentagonal conductors, magnetic flux does not exist outside of the conductor when the magnetic substrates are located outside. Moreover, the AC losses of the bismuth strontium calcium copper oxide (BSCCO) and yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) conductors are quite similar and the AC losses of the NY and YN conductors are larger than the losses of the other two conductors. Especially, the AC loss of the YN conductor is the greatest in the low current region.

This paper highlights a 14nm Analog and RF technology based on a logic FinFET platform for the first time. An optimized RF device layout shows excellent F t /F max of (314GHz/180GHz) and (285GHz/140GHz) for NFET and PFET respectively. A higher PFET RF performance compared to 28nm technology is due to a source/drain stressor mobility improvement. A benefit of better FinFET channel electrostatics can be seen in the self-gain (G m /G ds ), which shows a significant increase to 40 and 34 for NFET and PFET respectively. Superior 1/f noise of 17/35 f(V∗μm)2/Hz @ 1KHz for N/PFET respectively is also achieved. To extend further low voltage operation and power saving, ultra-low Vt devices are also developed. Furthermore, a deep N-well (triple well) process is introduced to improve the ultra-low signal immunity from substrate noise, while offering useful devices like VNPN and high breakdown voltage deep N-well diodes. A superior F t /F max , high self-gain, low 1/f noise and substrate isolation characteristics truly extend the capability of the 14nm FinFETs for analog and RF applications.

Background The echinocandins have shown anti–Pneumocystis jiroveci activity in nonhuman animal models; however, the corresponding human clinical experience has been rarely reported. We report a clinical picture of P jiroveci pneumonia (PJP) and determine the effects of concomitant therapy with echinocandins and trimethoprim (TMP)–sulfamethoxazole (SMZ). Methods We investigated a retrospective case series of heart transplantation (HT) recipients with PJP from July 1988 to December 2015. Recipient charts were reviewed for their demographic characteristics, underlying conditions, concomitant infections, PJP prophylaxis, TMP-SMZ dosages, adverse events, echinocandin use, oxygenation, and outcomes. Results Eleven of 451 HT recipients developed PJP after a median duration of 2.8 years after transplantation. All 11 were treated with TMP-SMZ; 5 of them were treated with echinocandins added to the standard TMP-SMZ regimen. The longest interval between transplantation and PJP development was 16.3 years. The mortality rate was 33.3% in recipients receiving TMP-SMZ alone, whereas it was 20% in those receiving echinocandins as well. The most common side effects of TMP-SMZ include nausea and vomiting, metabolic acidosis, and hyperkalemia. Five recipients developed acute psychosis after a median duration of 6 days of TMP-SMZ therapy. The incidence of psychosis increased from 25% in recipients receiving TMP at ≤15 mg/kg/d to 100% in those receiving TMP at >15 mg/kg/d. Conclusions Echinocandins along with the standard TMP-SMZ regimen may effectively alleviate PJP developed after HT. The ideal prophylaxis duration is lifelong owing to the late onset of PJP. The typically intolerable adverse effects of TMP-SMZ therapy for PJP may necessitate dosage adjustments in some cases.

Low-fat sausages with or without 10% hydrated rice flour were made from duck, chicken and pork and their physical and sensory properties were compared. Results showed that moisture content did not differ significantly among the sausage batters. However, crude protein, crude fat and total ash content were significantly lower in the group with added rice flour compared with the no flour group. Crude protein and crude fat were the highest in pork sausages without rice flour (p) increased, while redness () decreased with adding rice flour in all meat type sausages. Results showed that hardness was significantly reduced when 10% rice flour was added to pork, chicken and duck meat (p

The study was carried out to determine the effect of male planting date (MPD) and female plant population (FPP) on the grain yield (GY) performance of a three-way hybrid and to evaluate Hybrid-Maize simulation model for grain yield estimation in hybrid seed maize production. Fifteen treatment combinations of five MPD as a deviation from the female planting date and three FPP replicated three times were used. The Hybrid-Maize simulation model programme was used to forecast the possible GY outcomes for the fifteen treatments of the experiment using estimated parameters and weather data for the 2006/7 season. The field experiment produced significant (P < 0.005) main effects but non-significant interaction effects for GY, yield components and antheis-silking interval (ASI). Female seed yield was affected by time of male pollen shed relative to female silking: ASI, with highest yields associated with close synchrony (ASI= +/-3 days). ASI had a significant effect on the number of kernels per ear (KPE), with the greatest KPE (318) associated with an ASI of +/-3 days. FPP effects on yield are typical for maize, showing a curvilinear response from low to high density. The optimum population density for GY was 5.4 plants m-2. Simulation output from the Hybrid-Maize simulation model showed an overestimation of GY compare to the observed yield. Furthermore, the model was unable to predict yields for the low FPP of 2.7 plants m-2. We found that Hybrid-Maize simulation model has limited potential for simulating hybrid maize seed production, as it does not accommodate limitations that may occur during the growing season: difference in male and female planting dates, pollen density and dispersion. Hence, the fixed parameters for the Hybrid-Maize simulation model can only be used in maize commercial production.

Global warming or the increase of the surface and atmospheric temperatures of the Earth, is increasingly discernible in the polar, sub-polar and major land glacial areas. The Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau Glaciers, which are the largest glaciers outside of the Polar Regions, are showing a large-scale decrease of snow cover and an extensive glacial retreat. These glaciers such as Siachen and Gangotri are a major water resource for Asia as they feed major rivers such as the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. Due to scarcity of ground measuring stations, the long-term observations of atmospheric temperatures acquired from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) since 1979–2008 is highly useful. The lower and middle tropospheric temperature trend based on 30 years of MSU data shows warming of the Northern Hemisphere's mid-latitude regions. The mean month-to-month warming (up to 0.048±0.026°K/year or 1.44°K over 30 years) of the mid troposphere (near surface over the high altitude Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau) is prominent and statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval. Though the mean annual warming trend over the Himalayas (0.016±0.005°K/year), and Tibetan Plateau (0.008±0.006°K/year) is positive, the month to month warming trend is higher (by 2–3 times, positive and significant) only over a period of six months (December to May). The factors responsible for the reversal of this trend from June to November are discussed here. The inequality in the magnitude of the warming trends of the troposphere between the western and eastern Himalayas and the IG (Indo-Gangetic) plains is attributed to the differences in increased aerosol loading (due to dust storms) over these regions. The monthly mean lower-tropospheric MSU-derived temperature trend over the IG plains (dust sink region; up to 0.032±0.027°K/year) and dust source regions (Sahara desert, Middle East, Arabian region, Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan and Thar Desert regions; up to 0.068±0.033°K/year) also shows a similar pattern of month-to-month oscillation and six months of enhanced and a statistically significant warming trend. The enhanced warming trend during the winter and pre-monsoon months (December–May) may accelerate glacial melt. The unequal distribution of the warming trend over the year is discussed in this study and is partially attributed to a number of controlling factors such as sunlight duration, CO2 trends over the region (2003–2008), water vapor and aerosol distribution.

Global warming or the increase of the surface and atmospheric temperatures of the Earth, is increasingly discernible in the polar, sub-polar and major land glacial areas. The Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau Glaciers, which are the largest glaciers outside of the Polar Regions, are showing a large-scale decrease of snow cover and an extensive glacial retreat. These glaciers such as Siachen and Gangotri are a major water resource for Asia as they feed major rivers such as the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra. Due to scarcity of ground measuring stations, the long-term observations of atmospheric temperatures acquired from the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) since 1979–2008 is highly useful. The lower and middle tropospheric temperature trend based on 30 years of MSU data shows warming of the Northern Hemisphere's mid-latitude regions. The mean month-to-month warming (up to 0.048±0.026°K/year or 1.44°K over 30 years) of the mid troposphere (near surface over the high altitude Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau) is prominent and statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval. Though the mean annual warming trend over the Himalayas (0.016±0.005°K/year), and Tibetan Plateau (0.008±0.006°K/year) is positive, the month to month warming trend is higher (by 2–3 times, positive and significant) only over a period of six months (December to May). The factors responsible for the reversal of this trend from June to November are discussed here. The inequality in the magnitude of the warming trends of the troposphere between the western and eastern Himalayas and the IG (Indo-Gangetic) plains is attributed to the differences in increased aerosol loading (due to dust storms) over these regions. The monthly mean lower-tropospheric MSU-derived temperature trend over the IG plains (dust sink region; up to 0.032±0.027°K/year) and dust source regions (Sahara desert, Middle East, Arabian region, Afghanistan-Iran-Pakistan and Thar Desert regions; up to 0.068±0.033°K/year) also shows a similar pattern of month-to-month oscillation and six months of enhanced and a statistically significant warming trend. The enhanced warming trend during the winter and pre-monsoon months (December–May) may accelerate glacial melt. The unequal distribution of the warming trend over the year is discussed in this study and is partially attributed to a number of controlling factors such as sunlight duration, CO2 trends over the region (2003–2008), water vapor and aerosol distribution.

Regardless of high capacity and stability during lithium extraction, LiFePO4 materials have difficulty in the applications for high electrical density because of low electrical conductivities. In order to optimize this problem, we synthesized carbon coated LiFePO4 by adding humic acid using solid state reaction method. We characterized the synthesized compounds via the crystallinity, the valence states of Fe ions, and their shapes. We found the carbon coating using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). We also found that the iron ion is substituted from 3+ to 2+ through XPS measurement. We showed that the carbon coating increased the electrochemical behavior by measuring the charge-discharge characteristics.

Thin films of (Ti,Al)N with different Al contents were co-deposited using one Ti and one Al targets by radio frequency (RF) pulsed magnetron sputtering. Their composition, microstructure, nanohardness, surface morphology and deposition process were investigated by energy dispersive spectrometer system, X-ray diffraction, nanoindentation, atomic force microscopy and optical emission spectrum. A face cubic centred (fcc) TiN (B1) structure was found in the thin films when Al target power was low. When Al target power was increased, an additional hexagonal AlN (B4) structure appeared. With increasing Al content, the resulting films gradually changed from B1 structure to that of B4, accompanying with decrease of the lattice constant of B1 structure. Simultaneously, the preferred orientation of B4 structural thin films gradually transformed from (111) to (200). The mode of thin films transformed from island to fibre, subsequently to column with increasing Al target power. Optical emission spectrum anal...

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a method of determining the warm and cold edges of the Vegetation Temperature Condition Index (VTCI) drought monitoring approach, and to analyse the time series profiles of the VTCI in croplands under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. The linear correlation coefficients between the VTCI and the cumulative precipitation at one or two periods of 10-day intervals are the highest. There are significant linear correlations between the VTCI and soil moisture at the 0-10-cm layer for each 10-day interval during the winter wheat growing seasons. These results indicate that the VTCI is an effective approach for monitoring drought occurrence after the crops turn green. The time series analysis of the VTCI in the 10-day intervals shows that the VTCI profiles are different for irrigated and rainfed conditions. The time series VTCI values under rainfed conditions have a good response to recent precipitation, while those under irrigated conditions have less agreement with recent precipitation due to irrigation practices. The results show that the VTCI is a better indicator of droughts than indices developed from precipitation data.

An experiment was carried out to investigate whether variations in chill water temperature affect muscle shortening and meat quality in duck breast. Three chill water temperatures were applied to duck carcasses at 20 min postmortem for 30 min, including in ice water at 0 degrees C, in cold water at 10 degrees C, and in water at 20 degrees C. Results revealed that carcass temperatures were different (P0.05) at 50 and 120 min of postmortem with lower temperatures at the 0 degrees C treatment (P0.05). The pH over the first 24 h postmortem was not different (P0.05) among treatments, with the exception of 50 min postmortem. The pH of breast meat in the 0 degrees C treatment was higher (P0.05) than that of 20 degrees C treatment at 50 min postmortem (just after chilling). No other differences (P0.05) in pH existed among treatments. Drip loss, cooking loss, and moisture content were not different for breast meat samples that were chilled at different temperatures. Differences (P0.05) were found in CIE (L, a, and b) color values. Lightness (L) increased, whereas redness (a) decreased as the chill water temperature increased. Lower yellowness (b) was found in the breast meat samples at the 10 degrees C chill water temperature. However, shear force, sarcomere length, and protein solubility were not different (P0.05) among the breast meat samples chilled at different chill water temperatures. It may be concluded that chilling duck carcasses at different temperature ranges from 0 to 20 degrees C did not influence muscle shortening or meat quality, except in regard to breast meat color.

Background The vesicular stomatitis virus matrix protein (VSVMP) has been receiving attention as an anticancer agent because of its ability of inducing apoptosis. Materials and methods Nude mice bearing A2780s and A2780cp ovarian tumors were treated twice weekly with i.v. administration of 50 μg VSVMP/250 μg liposome complex, 50 μg empty plasmid/250 μg liposome complex, 0.9% NaCl solution or weekly with i.p. administration of cisplatin (5 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. Tumor volume and survival time were observed. TUNEL assay and CD34 vessel staining were conducted in tumor tissue. Antiangiogenesis in vivo were determined by sponge assay. Antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities of VSVMP in vitro were tested on MS1murine endothelial cells and four human ovarian cancer cell lines: A2780s, A2780cp, HO8910 and COC1. Results Administration of VSVMP resulted in significant inhibition (87%–98% maximum inhibition relative to controls) in the growth of A2780s and A2780cp tumor xenografts, and prolonged the survival of the treated mice. Complete tumor regression happened in VSVMP-treated mice in both tumor models. These antitumor responses were associated with marked increases in tumor apoptosis and reductions in intratumoral microvessel density. Conclusions Our data indicate that VSVMP may provide an effective approach to inhibit both cisplatin-sensitive and -resistant human ovarian cancer growth with minimal side-effects.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling plays a pivotal role in intracellular signal transduction pathways involved in cell growth, cellular transformation, and tumourigenesis. PI3K is overexpressed in many human cancers, including endometrial carcinomas, one of the most common female genital tract malignancies. Here, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeted to PI3K p110-β to determine whether inhibition of the β isoform could be a potential therapeutic target for endometrial carcinoma. In this study, treatment of HEC-1B endometrial cancer cells with PI3K p110-β-specific siRNA resulted in increased apoptosis and decreased tumour cell proliferation. Depletion of PI3K p110-β decreased the protein levels of AKT1, AKT2, pAKT, and mTOR—downstream targets of PI3K. Knock-down of PI3K p110-β by siRNA also induced decreased expression of cyclin E and Bcl-2, suggesting that PI3K p110-β stimulates tumour growth, at least in part by regulating cyclin E and Bcl-2. Thus, our results indicate that siRNA-mediated gene silencing of PI3K p110-β may be a useful therapeutic strategy for endometrial cancers overexpressing PI3K p110-β. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Discontinuities or joints in the rock mass have various shapes and sizes. Along with the joint orientation and spacing, the joint persistence, or the relative size of the joint, is one of the most important factors in determining the block sizes of jointed rock masses. Although the importance of joint persistence on the overall rock mass strength has long been identified, the impact of persistence on rock strength is in most current rock mass classification systems underrepresented. If joints are assumed to be persistent, as is the case in most designs, the sizes of the rock blocks tend to be underestimated. This can lead to more removable blocks than actually exist in-situ. In addition, a poor understanding of the rock bridge strength may lead to lower rock mass strengths, and consequently, to excessive expenditure on rock support. In this study, we suggest and verify a method for the determination of the block sizes considering joint persistence. The idea emerges from a quantitative approach to apply the GSI system for rock mass classification, in which the accurate block size is required. There is a need to statistically analyze how the distribution of rock bridges according to the combination of joint orientation, spacing, and persistence will affect the actual size of each individual block. For this purpose, we generate various combinations of joints with different geometric conditions by the orthogonal arrays using the distinct element analysis tools of UDEC and 3DEC. Equivalent block sizes (areas in 2D and volumes in 3D) and their distributions are obtained from the numerical simulation. Correlation analysis is then performed to relate the block sizes predicted by the empirical equation to those obtained from the numerical model simulation. The results support the concept of equivalent block size proposed by Cai et al. (2004, Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci., 41(1), 3–19).

Starting from investigation of feasibility and basic studies, KEPCO/KEPRI has carried an enterprising project for HTS cable system since 2002. The objectives of this project are to demonstrate HTS cable system and evaluate the feasibility in electricity utility's view. The installation of 100m/3phase/22.9kV/50MVA HTS cable system is undergoing in KEPCO's test yard, located in Gochang, Korea. The HTS cable system consists of 100m long cable, two terminations and a cooling system. To simulate the actual cable installation, the 55m section of the 100m long cable was installed into an underground tunnel. Commissioning test is scheduled at the end of September, 2005 and followed by long term operation test. In this paper, the installation of HTS cable system and initial results of system operation will be summarized

Background Several clinical trials have suggested that a metabolic cocktail of glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) decreases mortality rates in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It has also been reported that Fas-mediated apoptosis plays an important role in ischaemic/reperfusion injury in the rat model. This study was designed to evaluate the interaction of ischaemic/reperfusion and reperfusion therapy coadministered with high-dose GIK treatment on soluble Fas/APO-1 (sFas) and Fas ligand (sFasL) plasma concentration in patients with AMI. Materials and methods Seventy-four patients presenting with AMI who underwent reperfusion therapy were randomized into a GIK group (n = 35) receiving high-dose GIK for 24 h or a vehicle group (n = 39). Thirty-four control subjects were also enrolled in the present study. Strepavidin-biotin ELISA was used to determine the soluble sFas and sFasL plasma concentration at baseline, 24 h (h), 3 day (d), 7 d and 14 d. Results Soluble Fas and sFas-L serum concentrations ([sFas] and [sFas-L]) of patients with AMI were significantly elevated at baseline as compared with normal controls (NCs; P

A total of 80 pigs were used to investigate the effect of dietary glycine betaine( N,N,N -trimethylglycine) onpork quality during cold storage. About 70 kg pigs were randomly alloted into one of four experimental dietgroups(0%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% glycine betaine). Pigs were slaughtered at approximately 110 kg liveweight, and pH, color(CIE L* a* b*), shear force, sarcomere length, lipid oxidation and composition of fat-ty acid were measured in pork loin for 13 days of cold storage. The concentration of glycine betaine inpork loin was significantly increased(P < 0.05) with incr easing of glycine betaine level in diet. Pork loinsfrom dietary betaine groups showed significantly higher muscle pH and lower CIE b* values compared tocontrol group after 13 days of storage. There were significant differences in shear force values among porkloins from diet groups at 24 hrs postmortem. However, pork loins from control diet showed longer sarco-mere length than those of dietary betaine groups. Dietar y glycine betaine increased the ratio of saturated fattyacids and decreased unsaturated fatty acids in pork loins. Especially the ratios of linoleic and myristic acid were de-creased with increasing dietary betaine level. However, d ietary glycine betaine did not affect lipid oxidation(TBARS) and sensory evaluation during cold storage.

Thermally stimulated depolarization currents and differential scanning calorimetry are performed on thermoplastic polyesters to characterize both a and b relaxations. The influence on the different relaxations phenomena of the chemical structure (size of the naphthalene groups, presence of cyclohexane, length of the aliphatic group, ...) as well as the influence of the crystallinity are discussed. The three phases model with a crystalline part, a rigid amorphous part unable to relax and an amorphous phase able to relax at various temperatures depending on the distribution of the relaxation times is used to explain the evolution of the main α relaxation while the standard two-phases model is sufficient to explain the variations of the β relaxation mode. Elementary analysis of both α and β relaxations show that the β relaxation characterized by a continuous variation of activation energies as a function of temperature follows the activated state equation with a zero activation entropy while the cooperative a relaxation exhibits a prominent maximum of the activation energies at the glass transition temperature.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) functions as a key neuroendocrine regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. In addition to the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, GnRH and its receptor have been detected in other reproductive tissues including the gonads, placenta and tumours arising from these tissues. Recently, a second form of GnRH (GnRH-II) and type II GnRH receptor have been found in normal ovarian surface epithelium and neoplastic counterparts. The two types of GnRH may play an important role as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of reproductive functions and ovarian tumour growth. In this review, the distribution and potential roles of GnRH-I/-II and their GnRH receptors in the ovarian cells and ovarian cancer will be discussed.