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Transport properties of silicate melts control magma ocean dynamics on the early terrestrial planets and rocky exoplanets. Here we calculate the viscosity (transport of momentum) of peridotite liquid at potential magma ocean conditions (0–159 GPa, 2,200–6,000 K) using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We find that, unlike MgSiO3 or basaltic melts, the viscosity of the highly depolymerized peridotite liquid (a) increases monotonically with pressure without an anomalous drop and (b) is lower than those of other melts over the entire mantle pressure range. Low viscosity would promote fractional crystallization in a less polymerized magma ocean and thus contribute to mantle heterogeneity from its earliest stage. Given the compositional dependence of magma ocean properties, emphasis on multicomponent bulk silicate Earth‐like composition, instead of simple end‐members, are rendered necessary, in order to better understand high‐energy planetary accretion processes and their aftermaths. Plain Language Summary: In the aftermath of impacts, widely envisaged scenarios taking place on early terrestrial planets, the silicate mantle (i.e., rocks) experiences extreme temperatures that lead to extensive melting (i.e., magma ocean) on those planets. According to our supercomputer simulations, the viscosity of a magma depends on its composition, which can be as fluid as water for a silicate Earth‐like composition. Low viscosity entails vigorous convection, promoting fractional crystallization in the magma ocean. In light of this early differentiation process, mantle heterogeneity observed in the present‐day Earth may be remnants of the solidified magma ocean that survived over geologic time. Key Points: The viscosity of peridotite liquid is calculated at probable magma ocean conditions up to 159 GPa and 6,000 KIsothermal viscosities of peridotite liquid increase monotonically with pressure and are constantly lower than those of MgSiO3 liquidLow viscosity points to turbulent mixing in a magma ocean and favors fractional crystallization during its solidification [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic measurements made on Mars indicate that the liquid iron‐nickel core is rich in light elements; however, the effects of these light components on the elasticity of Mars' core remain poorly constrained. Here, we calculate elastic properties of various liquid Fe‐X (X = Ni, S, C, O and H) mixtures using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We find that, at martian core conditions, the addition of S and O most effectively decreases the density of liquid iron, followed by C and H, while Ni has a minimal effect. As for compressional sound velocity (Vp), C increases Vp of liquid Fe throughout Mars' core, while both S and O reduce Vp, the intensity of which diminishes with increasing pressure. Assuming a martian core made of a binary mixture, the seismically‐inferred density would require the presence of at least 30 wt% S. Plain Language Summary: Planetary structure and chemical constitution is a product of the material from which it formed. As a planet assembles material and continues to grow, it undergoes melting, enabling heavy elements like Fe and Ni to settle toward the center of the planet to form a core. During core formation, liquid metals can incorporate light elements (LEs) such as S, C, O and H that lower the density of the core relative to pure Fe. The amounts of these LEs can be inferred from geophysical measurements such as seismology, an approach used to deduce the composition of Earth's core. Similar seismic measurements have been obtained for Mars with the InSight mission, which have allowed us to place limits on the mean density of Mars' core and its chemical make‐up. Relative to Earth's core, Mars' core is significantly less dense, requiring the presence of considerable amounts of LEs. We performed simulations based on first principles to determine the elastic properties of various Fe‐Ni‐rich‐LE mixtures that can be compared with those obtained from for example, InSight to place further constraints on its core composition, but can also be used for other planets such as Mercury and mid‐sized exoplanets. Key Points: Unlike S, the densities of Ni, C, O and H mix ideally with liquid Fe at Mars' core conditionsOf the light elements (LEs), C and S have the largest effects on the bulk sound velocity of liquid FeTo match the density of Mars' core, any Fe‐X binary requires a substantial amount of LE (e.g., >30 wt% S) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A giant negative electrocaloric (EC) effect in a PbZrO3/(0.88BaTiO3-0.12 Bi(Mg1/2,Ti1/2)O3) (PZ/(BT-BMT)) multilayered composite ferroelectric (MCFE) thin film which is grown on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by the sol-gel method is investigated in this work. The negative EC effect in the PZ/(BMT-BT) MCFE thin film is greatly higher than that in the PZ AFE thin film with an adiabatic temperature change (ATC) ΔT = 1.5 K. The ATC ΔT of the PZ/(BMT-BT) MCFE thin film is -32 K under the applied electric field change ΔE = 1151 kV/cm. The result is conducive to enhance the EC refrigeration efficiency greatly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is a major ingredient of the atmosphere, but a trace component in the silicate Earth. Its initial inventory in these reservoirs during Earth's early differentiation requires knowledge of N speciation in magmas, for example, whether it outgasses as N2 or is sequestered in silicate melts as N3−, which remains largely unconstrained over the entire mantle regime. Here we examine N species in anhydrous and hydrous pyrolitic melts at varying P‐T‐redox conditions by ab‐initio calculations, and find N‐N bonding under oxidizing conditions from ambient to lower mantle pressures. Under reducing conditions, N interacts with the silicate network or forms N‐H bonds, depending on the availability of hydrogen. Redox control of N speciation is demonstrated valid over a P‐T space encompassing probable magma ocean depths. Finally, if the Earth accreted from increasingly oxidized materials toward the end of its accretion, an N‐enriched secondary atmosphere might be produced and persist until later impacts. Plain Language Summary: Earth's atmosphere was likely formed by the spontaneous release of gases, either from magma oceans during early Earth's accretion, or through later volcanic activity. Although our present‐day atmosphere (attributed to the latter) is rich in nitrogen (N) (78%), whether this held true for the early Earth is unclear, and is determined by the species (that control the solubility) of nitrogen in the silicate melt (i.e., magma ocean). In this study, we investigate the speciation of nitrogen in silicate melts during Earth's accretion, and find that N is dissolved as N2 at oxidizing conditions, regardless of the magma ocean's depth, promoting nitrogen degassing from the magma ocean. Our results suggest that, if Earth's building blocks were sufficiently oxidized at later times, magma ocean outgassing might produce an N‐enriched atmosphere. Given the violent impact history on the early Earth, as inferred from that recorded on the surface of the Moon, atmospheric loss of N by impact erosion may provide an explanation for Earth's "missing" nitrogen. Key Points: Strong N‐N bonding found stable in magmas under oxidizing conditions over the entire mantle regimeRedox conditions superimpose P and T in controlling nitrogen speciation (thus solubility) in deep magma oceansNitrogen‐enriched secondary atmosphere might form if the Earth accreted from sufficiently oxidized materials [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electrocaloric (EC) effect in PbTiO3 ferroelectric thin films (FETFs) with an array of partially compensated head-to-head (HH) and tail-to-tail (TT) 90° charged domain walls (CDWs) has been studied by using a phase field method. The calculation results indicate that the magnitude of the adiabatic temperature change ΔT increases with the diminution of the charge density (ρ*), in which ρ* is provided by charged defects or band bending. In particular, a negative EC effect caused by the direction difference between the applied electric field and the dipole is found near the HH and TT domain walls when ρ*>2.0. The EC strength |ΔT|/|ΔE| is 0.020 K cm kV-1 with the positive ΔT = 2.03 K at the external dimensionless electric field Eb*=0.08 (ΔE=104kV cm-1). These results indicate that the CDWs can provide an efficient way to adjust the EC effect of FETFs for refrigeration applications at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standard of care for non-operative management of human papillomavirus-related oropharynx cancer (HPV-OPC) consists of concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy with radiotherapy (RT) to a total dose of 70 Gy. While the oncologic outcomes of this treatment approach have been excellent, there are considerable acute and late toxicities. Here, we report the 5-year survival and toxicity outcomes of 2 prospective HPV-OPC response-adapted de-escalation trials, in which low-risk (LR) patients were treated with dose-reduced RT to 50 Gy, without concurrent chemotherapy. Patients with LR HPV-OPC and ≥50% response to induction by RECIST 1.1 treated per 2 prospective phase II trials as well as on a prospective cohort registry were included for analysis. Patients were considered LR if the following criteria were met: T1-T3, N0-N2b (AJCC 7th edition), and ≤20 pack-year smoking history. Patients were treated with induction chemo- or chemoimmunotherapy followed by RT alone to 50 Gy. In the early trial iteration, patients underwent a planned neck dissection following RT to confirm pathologic clearance of lymph nodes. Clinicodemographic characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and local control (LC) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. From January 2015 through March 2020, 73 patients met LR criteria, of which, 54 (74%) had ≥50% response by RECIST and were de-escalated to RT alone. The median follow-up was 58 (range 10-92) months. The median age was 58 (range 38-84) years, and 92.6% were male. 57.4% of patients never smoked, and 42.6% smoked no more than 20 pack-years. The primary site was tonsil for 53.7% and base of tongue for 46.3%. 24.1% were T1, 53.7% were T2, and 22.2% were T3. 1.9% were N0, 5.6% were N1, 11.1% were N2a, and 81.5% were N2b. The 5-year OS, PFS, and LC were 96.3% (95% CI 91.3%-100%), 96.2% (95% CI 91.2%-100%), and 98.1% (95% CI 94.6%-100%), respectively. 2 (3.7%) patients required a G-tube during RT and none at 1 year following completion of RT. Of the 30 patients with a planned neck dissection, 2 (6.7%) had residual pathologic nodal disease. With a median follow-up of 5 years, this analysis demonstrates excellent long-term local control, survival, and swallowing function among patients with low-risk HPV+ oropharynx cancer treated with induction systemic therapy followed by radiotherapy to 50 Gy without concurrent chemotherapy, including a large proportion of patients with N2b disease. Chemo-selection provides a means of identifying a favorable cohort of HPV+ oropharynx cancer patients who can safely receive RT dose de-escalation. Further work is needed to identify this population by other means, including radiographic and genomic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the mechanism of secreted frizzled‐related protein I (sFRP1) involvement in the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) under inflammatory conditions. Methodology: hPDLCs were cultured in an osteogenic differentiation‐inducing medium (odi) and subjected to the stimulation of Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P. gingivalis LPS) with or without the inhibition of sFRP1. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay were carried out to evaluate the expression of osteogenic markers as well as the classic Wnt signalling pathway. Periapical periodontitis was induced in Wistar rats to further confirm the effect of sFRP1 inhibitor on bone loss in vivo. After the Shapiro–Wilk normality test, data were analysed by Student's paired t‐test or one‐way Anova test with a P value less than 0.05 as the level of statistical significance. Results: Significantly decreased mRNA and protein expression of osteogenic markers were detected in hPDLCs treated with P. gingivalis LPS during osteogenic induction (P < 0.001). Increased expression of sFRP1 was observed (P < 0.01), whilst Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway was inhibited by the addition of P. gingivalis LPS (P < 0.01). After the addition of the sFRP1 inhibitor, the decrease of osteogenic markers (P < 0.05) and the inhibition of Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway (P < 0.05) were reversed significantly. The animal experiment further confirmed that the sFRP1 inhibitor significantly reduced bone loss of periapical lesions in vivo (P < 0.0001). Conclusions: Wnt antagonist sFRP1 was involved in the osteogenic differentiation of hPDLCs under inflammation. Modulation of the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway through the inhibition of sFRP1 may offer a new perspective on the treatment of chronic apical periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to overcome the problem that the accuracy of the traditional historical traffic accident data modeling method is not high, this paper proposes a historical traffic accident data modeling method based on state observer. The road traffic accident database is established, and the IOT terminal function module and traffic accident monitoring device are designed and constructed in combination with the Internet of things technology, and the invalid data are filtered by cosine similarity in the database to improve the reliability of data modeling. The statistical feature analysis method is used to fuse and cluster the historical traffic accident data, and the distribution concept set of historical traffic accident data is obtained. Based on the obtained data set, a state observer is designed to optimize the modeling parameters, so as to realize the modeling analysis of historical traffic accident data. The experimental results show that the method can still maintain the high accuracy of the data modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nonreciprocal photonic devices play a significant role in regulating the propagation of electromagnetic waves. Here we theoretically investigate the nonreciprocal properties of transverse magnetic modes in a multilayered graphene-dielectric crystal under an applied DC bias. We find that drifting electrons driven by the external DC electric field can give rise to extremely asymmetric dispersion diagrams. Furthermore, when the drifting electrons travel antiparallel to the normal component of the incident wave vector, negative refraction can be strongly suppressed, causing the energy of light to flow along the direction of the electric current. Our theoretical findings can be used to design nonreciprocal optoelectronic devices and enable light to propagate without refraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evolution of the surface streamer and the discharge mode transition from the corona discharge to the surface flashover were investigated by pulse sequence resolved electrical and optical measurements under long-term repetitive nanosecond pulses (RNP). The test sample was a cylindrical epoxy resin insulator attached with a needle electrode in 0.1–0.4 MPa nitrogen. Under positive RNP, the inception phase of subsequent streamer discharges decreases with increasing the pulse repetition frequency (PRF), and a periodical streamer stagnation phenomenon appears at high gas pressure. Under negative RNP, the surface streamer does not illustrate symbolic decreasing tendencies in light intensity and corona inception phase in gas gap. The dependence of the evolution of surface streamer velocity on PRF is correlated with the repulsive force from surface charges and the accessibility of seed electrons. Statistical characteristics of back discharges under negative RNP are qualitatively explained by the local electric field around the triple junction. The reversal phenomenon of polarity effect of the allowable repetitive working coefficient is probably resulted from the corona stabilization effect, the surface electron detrapping process, and the assistance of background electric field. Principal results qualitatively support that behaviors of surface streamer and flashover are dominated by the electric field distribution, volume and surface memory effects as well as their interactions and bidirectional transformations, which are different from the monotonically facilitative tendency predicted by the metastable-species-dominated memory effect mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streamer dynamics under repetitive nanosecond pulse (RNP) is of great importance to understand the streamer essence and breakdown phenomenon in non-equilibrium-plasma-based applications. However, the evolution of streamer dynamics, discharge mode transition, and influential mechanisms in high-pressure gas under long-term RNP were not sufficiently clear and required further investigations. We presented the pulse-sequence resolved analysis on streamer dynamics, discharge mode transition, and polarity effect in high-pressure nitrogen under long-term RNP of pulse width from 15 to 800 ns and RNP superimposed by DC sweep voltage. Under positive RNP, the corona discharge probability in a pulse train was affected by the pulse repetition frequency (PRF) and a transformation from the intermittent mode to continuous mode appeared under high PRF. The envelope curve of the number of applied pulses before breakdown followed the shape transformation from capital 'L' to 'U' with pressure from 0.1 to 0.4 MPa. The streamer channel contraction and the spatial shift of streamer initiation position under high PRF were observed. Under negative RNP, the corona discharge would be in the continuous mode from a low PRF. The average inception voltage and phase of following corona discharges were lower and earlier than those of the first one, respectively. The auxiliary sweep voltage illustrated dramatic and nonlinear effects on discharge characteristics under RNP, which was determined by the sweep voltage amplitude, pulse polarity, and PRF. The inception oscillation stage and steady-state stage were distinct under short-width RNP. An influential mechanism in high-pressure nitrogen was proposed with emphasis on the spatial electric field distortion caused by remaining space charges, which was affected by the pressure-dependent nonlinear diffusion and time-dependent space charge drift under a sweep voltage. The evolution of streamer dynamics and discharge mode transition would help in better understanding of the streamer essence and insulation capability criteria under long-term RNP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, extremely small Ge nanodots embedded in SiO2, i.e., Ge–SiO2 quantum dot composites, have been formed by ion implantation of 74Ge+ isotope into (0001) Z-cut quartz at a low kinetic energy of 9 keV using varying implantation temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images and micro-Raman scattering show that amorphous Ge nanodots are formed at all temperatures. The formation of amorphous Ge nanodots is different from reported crystalline Ge nanodot formation by high energy ion implantation followed by a necessary high temperature annealing process. At room temperature, a confined spatial distribution of the amorphous Ge nanodots can be obtained. Ge inward diffusion was found to be significantly enhanced by a synergetic effect of high implantation temperature and preferential sputtering of surface oxygen, which induced a much wider and deeper Ge nanodot distribution at elevated implantation temperature. The bimodal size distribution that is often observed in high energy implantation was not observed in the present study. Cross-sectional TEM observation and the depth profile of Ge atoms in SiO2 obtained from x-ray photoelectron spectra revealed a critical Ge concentration for observable amorphous nanodot formation. The mechanism of formation of amorphous Ge nanodots and the change in spatial distribution with implantation temperature are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cervical cancer (CC) is a tumor disease that threatens the health of women. As an important treatment of CC, radiotherapy has been widely used in clinic. With the rapid development of radiotherapy technology, adaptive radiotherapy has received much attention. Adaptive radiotherapy means more accurate radiation dose and more accurate radiation area, which can effectively protect normal tissue. It is significant to improve the local control rate of tumor and the quality of life of patients. However, the Cone-Beam CT (CBCT) images collected during radiotherapy are of poor quality and cannot provide real-time radiation effect information, resulting in timely and effective adjustment of radiation dose and radiation area in the process of radiotherapy for cervical cancer. To alleviate this issue, this study will establish a model to leverage CC CBCT images to synthetize pseudo computed tomography (CT) images with high quality, so as to achieve the purpose of quality improvement. This study included the data of 20 patients with CC in ** hospital. The planning CT and CBCT scan data of each patient before radiotherapy were collected, and the interval between the two kinds of image data was required to be less than one week. After data preprocessing, a total of 1206 pairs of images were trained and tested. The generative adversarial network (GAN) is constructed. In order to ensure the similarity between the input image and the output image, the L1 loss function is leveraged. And the full supervision method is used to train the model to achieve a better effect of image synthesis and improve the quality of CBCT image. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM) were used as evaluation indexes. Using five-fold cross-validation, the values of PSNR between the pseudo-CT (sCT) and the planning CT (pCT) image and between the CBCT and the pCT image are calculated. The results are 26.9 and 22.6, respectively. The sCT obtained from the GAN model increases the peak signal-to-noise ratio by 19% compared with the original CBCT, which means that the proposed model built in this study can improve the useful information of the CBCT image. The SSIM values between sCT and pCT and between CBCT and pCT are also calculated, and the average values of them are 0.89 and 0.63, respectively. Therefore, in this experiment, the structure of the sCT obtained by the proposed model is closer to pCT. And the SSIM increases by 41.2% compared with the original CBCT, which means that the sCT by the proposed model is more similar to the pCT in structure. These results could make a more accurate judgment on the effect of radiotherapy. In this study, the pseudo-CT synthesis method based on GAN can improve the quality of CC CBCT image. The results show this method makes the structure clearer and could assist doctors to adjust the radiation dose and radiation area in time. This study is able to facilitate the development of adaptive radiotherapy for CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HPV-associated oropharyngeal cancers (HPV+OPC) have a favorable prognosis with ongoing efforts to reduce long term toxicity while maintaining oncologic outcomes. One method under investigation includes lowering the elective radiation dose or in some cases omitting radiation to elective lymphatic nodal stations. Furthermore, pre-clinical evidence demonstrates that elective nodal irradiation blunts the anti-tumor immune response in head and neck cancer. This is a pooled secondary analysis reporting patterns of failure in patients (pts) with HPV+OPC enrolled on consecutive induction chemo- or chemoimmunotherapy (IC) based response-adaptive de-escalation trials and treated with involved-site radiotherapy (ISRT). Pts treated on two prospective phase II trials as well as on a prospective cohort registry were included for analysis. Pts with ≥ 50% response to IC based on RECIST 1.1 who received de-escalated definitive radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiation (CRT) with ISRT were evaluable. Pts with locally advanced low risk or high-risk HPV+OPC (LR and HR, respectively) were eligible for enrollment. Pts were considered to have HR if at least one of the following criteria was met: T4 primary, N2c-N3 disease (AJCC 7th ed.), or > 10-20 pack years smoking. In the first trial, pts with ≥ 50% response to IC received RT to gross disease plus a 1.5 cm margin (PTV1) and to the next echelon of uninvolved nodes (PTV2). Pts with LR received 50 Gy in 2 Gy daily fractions without chemotherapy; pts with HR received 30 Gy in 1.5 Gy BID fractions to PTV2 with a 15 Gy sequential boost to PTV1 with CRT. In the subsequent trial, pts with ≥ 50% response received RT to PTV1 alone to 50 Gy in 2 Gy daily fractions; concurrent CRT was included if pts had HR. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan Meier method for progression free survival (PFS), locoregional PFS (LRPFS), and overall survival (OS). Patterns of failure analysis was performed by comparing RT plans to radiographic surveillance scans. Of 172 evaluable pts, 119 (69.2%) achieved a ≥ 50% response to IC and received definitive ISRT. 45 (37.8%) pts evaluated received RT to gross disease only plus margin without the next nodal echelon included. With a median follow up of 46 (IQR 34-65) months, 3-year PFS, LRPFS, and OS with their 95% confidence intervals were 96.2% (90.1-98.5%), 97.1% (91.1-99.0%), and 96.2% (90.3-98.6%), respectively. All locoregional failures were in-field and in the high dose region. No failures were observed in the RT omitted neck. This prospective experience demonstrates feasible volume de-escalation using IC response-based selection with progressively smaller elective volumes over time. Notably, despite a marked reduction in elective treatment volume, there were no regional out-of-field failures. IC may allow for selection of pts with favorable tumor biology and microscopic disease sterilization in the regional nodes. Further efforts at elective nodal de-escalation are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gadolinium-doped ceria (Ce0.8Gd0.2O2-δ) thin films were grown on single-crystal (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) substrates by a pulsed laser ablation. The transmission electron microscope observation reveals a unique type of periodic film distortion along the film/substrate interface. Each distorted film area is associated with a few substrate-surface steps and the spacing between these distorted areas is about 50 μm. The distortion starts at the substrate-surface steps and extends into the film along one of the {111} planes at the step-forward direction. The {111} planar defects induced by the nearby steps can interact with each other to form a planar defect network. The structure of the (001) LAO surface, the structure of the film/substrate interface, and the mechanism of the formation of these {111} planar defects have been analyzed using a high-resolution electron microscopy. Structural models for these planar defects and their interaction are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of sharp intense peaks was observed in the low-temperature photoluminescence spectrum of unintentionally doped GaN in the photon energy range between 3.0 and 3.46 eV. We attributed the majority of these peaks to excitons bound to unidentified structural and surface defects. Most of the structural- and surface-related peaks (at 3.21, 3.32, 3.34, 3.35, 3.38, and 3.42 eV) were observed in Ga polar films. In N polar GaN, we often observed the 3.45 eV peak attributed to excitons bound to the inversion domain interfaces. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To scan novel candidate genes associated with osteoporosis, a two-stage transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) of bone mineral density (BMD) was conducted. The BMD-associated genes identified by TWAS were then compared with the gene expression profiling of BMD in bone cells, B cells, and mesenchymal stem cells. We identified multiple candidate genes and gene ontology (GO) terms associated with BMD. Introduction: Osteoporosis (OP) is a metabolic bone disease characterized by decrease in BMD. Our objective is to scan novel candidate genes associated with OP. Methods: A transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) was performed by integrating the genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary of bone mineral density (BMD) with two pre-computed mRNA expression weights of peripheral blood and muscle skeleton. Then, another independent GWAS data of BMD was used to verify the discovery results. The BMD-associated genes identified between discovery and replicate TWAS were further subjected to gene ontology (GO) analysis implemented by DAVID. Finally, the BMD-associated genes and GO terms were further compared with the mRNA expression profiling results of BMD to detect the common genes and GO terms shared by both DNA-level TWAS and mRNA expression profile analysis. Results: TWAS identified 95 common genes with permutation P value < 0.05 for peripheral blood and muscle skeleton, such as TMTC4 in muscle skeleton and DDX17 in peripheral blood. Further comparing the genes detected by discovery-replicate TWAS with the differentially expressed genes identified by mRNA expression profiling of OP patients found 18 overlapped genes, such as MUL1 in muscle skeleton and SPTBN1 in peripheral blood. GO analysis of the genes identified by discovery-replicate TWAS detected 12 BMD-associated GO terms, such as negative regulation of cell growth and regulation of glycogen catabolic process. Further comparing the GO results of discovery-replicate TWAS and mRNA expression profiles found 6 overlapped GO terms, such as membrane and cell adhesion. Conclusion: Our study identified multiple candidate genes and GO terms for BMD, providing novel clues for understanding the genetic mechanism of OP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper adopts a meshless method that combines the moving least-squares approximation and Galerkin weak form to investigate the mechanical properties of unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites under a lateral load. The degree of nonuniformity is adopted to quantify the spatial distribution of randomness during simulation, and then the numerical implementation is developed to generate a representative volume element (RVE) model with random distribution of fibers. A statistical analysis is carried out by using three descriptors, that is, inter-fiber distance, second-order intensity function and radial distribution function. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the proposed multiscale meshless method, and excellent agreement is achieved in comparison with experiments and the finite element method. Finally, the performance of the proposed numerical technique is evaluated by considering the effects of RVE size, node influence domain, degree of nonuniformity and fiber volume fraction separately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper, the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of a novel system FeZnMo3O8 with a polar crystal structure are investigated using GGA + U (Generalized gradient approximation taking into account Coulomb correlations) calculations. It is shown that Fe ions preferably occupy octahedral and Zn ions tetrahedral positions. This structural feature is caused by different ionic radii of these ions and not by the exchange coupling. The calculated exchange constants naturally explain magnetic structure observed in this material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What Is Known and Objective. To reevaluate the benefits and risks of corticosteroid treatment in adult patients with septic shock. Methods. This study was performed based on PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of corticosteroids versus placebo were retrieved from PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Central RCTs, and ClinicalTrials.gov from January 1980 to April 2018. We also conducted a trial sequential analysis to indicate the possibility of type I or II errors and calculate the information size. Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach (GRADE) was applying to assess the certainty of evidence at the primary outcome level. Results. Twenty-one RCTs were identified and analyzed. Patients treated with corticosteroid had a 7% reduction in relative risk in 28-day all-cause mortality compared to controls (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99). However, there were no significant differences for the intensive care unit (ICU) mortality (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.09) or in-hospital mortality (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.11). Corticosteroids shortened the length of ICU stay by 1.04 days (RR -1.04, 95% CI -1.72 to -0.36) and the length of hospital stay by 2.49 days (RR -2.49, 95% CI -4.96 to -0.02). Corticosteroids increased the risk of hyperglycemia (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.16) but not gastroduodenal bleeding (RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.37) or superinfection (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.15). However, some date on secondary outcomes were unavailable because they were not measured or not reported in the included studies which may cause a lack of power or selective outcome reporting. The information size was calculated at 10044 patients. Trial sequential analysis showed that the meta-analysis was conclusive and the risk of type 2 error was minimal. What Is New and Conclusion. Corticosteroids are likely to be effective in reducing 28-day mortality and attenuating septic shock without increasing the rate of life-threatening complications. TSA showed that the risk of type II error in this meta-analysis was minimal and the result was conclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on a study which investigated the lattice damage and the nature of the atomic intermixing of aluminum and gallium induced by As[sup++] implantation and thermal annealing in AlAs/GaAs multiple quantum-well structures. Basis for the photoluminescence spectra; Way that the depth profiles of intermixing were obtained; Techniques that introduce defects; Cause of the reduction of the radiation damage.

Focuses on a study which measured the dielectric function of YBa[sub2]Cu[sub3]O[sub7-δ] by spectroscopic polarization modulation ellipsometry. Properties of superconductor yttrium-barium-copper-oxygen; Effect of critical or plasma energy in crystal orientation; Magnitude of the dialectric functions.

Presents a study on diamond particles that were produced by microwave-assisted combustion of acetylene in oxygen. Experimental procedures; Results and discussion.

Presents a study which examined the oscillations in the photoreflectance spectra in the energy range below band gap of gallium arsenide on samples containing gallium arsenide/aluminum gallium arsenide quantum wells and other multilayers grown on silicon-doped gallium arsenide substrates.

Focuses on a study which analyzed the properties of undoped and lightly silicon-doped gallium arsenide[sub1-x] antimony [subx] bulk layers that was molecularly beam epitaxy-grown on gallium arsenide substrates with antimony (Sb) composition. Findings from photoluminescence and absorption measurements; Observations in absorption spectra; Effect of higher quality epilayers.

Presents information on a study which analyzed the photoreflectance (PR) spectra of bulk aluminum[subx] gallium (Ga)[sub1-x] arsenide (As) alloys. Advantages of PR over other techniques; Experimental procedures; Absoprtion spectrum of pure bulk Ga As; Depth profiling by the nuclear resonant reaction analysis technique; Factors determining PR line shape.

Provides information on the measurement of low-temperature optical transmission spectra of several indium-gallium-arsenic/gallium arsenide strained multiple quantum wells. Transitions related to the nth conduction and mth valence heavy hole subbands; Application of standard single-band Kronig-Penney model; Energy band configuration for light holes.

BACKGROUND The effect of procalcitonin-guided use of antibiotics on treatment for suspected lower respiratory tract infection is unclear. METHODS In 14 U.S. hospitals with high adherence to quality measures for the treatment of pneumonia, we provided guidance for clinicians about national clinical practice recommendations for the treatment of lower respiratory tract infections and the interpretation of procalcitonin assays. We then randomly assigned patients who presented to the emergency department with a suspected lower respiratory tract infection and for whom the treating physician was uncertain whether antibiotic therapy was indicated to one of two groups: the procalcitonin group, in which the treating clinicians were provided with real-time initial (and serial, if the patient was hospitalized) procalcitonin assay results and an antibiotic use guideline with graded recommendations based on four tiers of procalcitonin levels, or the usual-care group. We hypothesized that within 30 days after enrollment the total antibiotic-days would be lower -- and the percentage of patients with adverse outcomes would not be more than 4.5 percentage points higher -- in the procalcitonin group than in the usual-care group. RESULTS A total of 1656 patients were included in the final analysis cohort (826 randomly assigned to the procalcitonin group and 830 to the usual-care group), of whom 782 (47.2%) were hospitalized and 984 (59.4%) received antibiotics within 30 days. The treating clinician received procalcitonin assay results for 792 of 826 patients (95.9%) in the procalcitonin group (median time from sample collection to assay result, 77 minutes) and for 18 of 830 patients (2.2%) in the usual-care group. In both groups, the procalcitonin-level tier was associated with the decision to prescribe antibiotics in the emergency department. There was no significant difference between the procalcitonin group and the usual-care group in antibiotic-days (mean, 4.2 and 4.3 days, respectively; difference, -0.05 day; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.6 to 0.5; P = 0.87) or the proportion of patients with adverse outcomes (11.7% [96 patients] and 13.1% [109 patients]; difference, -1.5 percentage points; 95% CI, -4.6 to 1.7; P<0.001 for noninferiority) within 30 days. CONCLUSIONS The provision of procalcitonin assay results, along with instructions on their interpretation, to emergency department and hospital-based clinicians did not result in less use of antibiotics than did usual care among patients with suspected lower respiratory tract infection. (Funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences; ProACT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02130986.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: To gain an understanding of the mechanisms by which Leydig cell steroidogenic function degenerates with ageing, we explored steroidogenic gene expression in relation to antioxidation status and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during the ageing of mice. Expression of StAR, P450scc and other steroidogenic enzymes decreased starting at middle age (12‐month‐old) compared to that of the young control (3‐month‐old) mice. The immunohistochemical staining intensity of 3β‐HSD for Leydig cells was significantly weaker in the aged (24‐month‐old) group than that in the young control group. The number of Leydig cells showed no significant difference between the groups. A progressive reduction in antioxidants MnSOD and GPx4 was observed in the testicular tissue with down‐regulated SIRT1 protein level in the middle‐aged and aged (24‐month‐old) mice. The number of testicular macrophages was significantly higher in the aged group than that in the middle‐aged and young mice. Age‐associated up‐regulation of ER stress markers such as GRP78 and Chop was observed. These results suggested that oxidative stress and ER stress might play a role in the deficit of Leydig cell steroidogenic function during ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) is one of the major public health challenges in the world. Due to a strong interplay between specific T-cell immunity and elimination of hepatitis B virus ( HBV), efforts to develop novel immunotherapeutics are gaining attention. TG1050, a novel immunotherapy, has shown efficacy in an animal study. To support the clinical development of TG1050 in China, specific immunity to the fusion antigens of TG1050 was assessed in Chinese patients. One hundred and thirty subjects were divided into three groups as CHB patients, HBV spontaneous resolvers, and CHB patients with HBsAg loss after antiviral treatment. HBV-specific T-cell responses to pools of HBV Core or Polymerase genotype D peptides included in TG1050 were evaluated. HBV Core- or Polymerase-specific cells were detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMCs) from the different cohorts. The frequencies and intensities of HBV Core-specific immune responses were significantly lower in CHB patients than in HBsAg loss subjects. In CHB patients, a dominant pool derived from Polymerase (Pol1) was the most immunogenic. CHB patients with low viral loads (<106 IU/ mL) were more likely to have a positive response specific to the Core peptide pool. Overall, genotype D-derived peptides included in TG1050 could raise broad and functional T-cell responses in PBMCs from Chinese CHB patients infected with genotype B/C isolates. Core-specific immunogenic domains appeared as 'hot spots' with the capacity to differentiate between CHB vs HBsAg loss subjects. These observations support the extended application and associated immune monitoring of TG1050 in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient probabilistic approach for the assessment of transmission capital project impact is presented. The approach employs a subsystem based technique and takes advantage of the calculation accuracy of widely used commercial program for power flow analysis and accounts for equipment failure probability, variation in bus load, outage consequences and other system specific characteristics such as remedial action plan, specific operating procedures, tapped line and common mode failures. The approach also uses efficient computing techniques such as the breadth-first search algorithm and the recursive invocation method to facilitate the evaluation process. The proposed method is illustrated by evaluating and comparing several actual utility projects. The approach proposed in this paper will facilitate more realistic evaluation of large practical power systems using probabilistic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problems of location and travel choices for strategic land use and transport planning. Conventionally, the interaction between location choices and travel choices is investigated through the iteration operation in a nested set of land-use model and transport model. However, these choices and associated utilities (or costs) may not be consistent within that assumed in the iteration process. This paper proposes a combined activity-based network equilibrium model for location and travel choices so as to avoid the consistency problems. The activity-based approach is developed to interpret both location and travel choice behaviors. A solution algorithm is presented for solving the proposed location and travel choice problem. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed model and solution algorithm under various conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents three-dimensional elasticity solutions for an annular sector plate made of transversely isotropic functionally graded material (FGM) subjected to concentrated forces $$\left( X,Y,0 \right) $$ or couples $$\left( M_X,M_Y,M_Z\right) $$ applied at one of its radial edges. The elastic coefficients can vary arbitrarily through the plate thickness. The analysis was based on the assumed forms of displacements for bending of an FGM plate (Mian and Spencer in J Mech Phys Solids 4:2283-2295, 1998), in which the four analytical functions were constructed properly. Appropriate boundary conditions and end conditions similar to those in the classic plate theory were employed to determine the unknown constants contained in the analytical functions so as to accomplish the analysis. When the material coefficients are all constant, the obtained analytical solutions can be degenerated into those for a homogeneous transversely isotropic annular sector plate, which have never been reported before. The solutions may be further reduced to those for a homogeneous isotropic annular sector plate, among which the ones for concentrated couples $$\left( M_X ,M_Y,0 \right) $$ are also new to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new ignition method of the spark gap based on plasma ejection is proposed in this paper, as the conventional trigatron spark gap performs poorly under the low working coefficient (the ratio of the charging voltage to the self-breakdown voltage) in air. The plasma is generated by the capillary discharge, which has high pressure, high temperature and high velocity. The capillary discharge device is placed inside the low voltage electrode. As long as the triggering signal is sent to the device, a column of the plasma flow is ejected in axial direction and develops rapidly towards the high voltage electrode. Subsequently, the gap is broken down and a high resistive channel is formed, where the thermal ionization takes place and the arc across the whole gap is generated and develops into a well conductive channel. The process of the thermal ionization of the high resistive channel varies with the change of the spark gap distance. The breakdown delay and the delay jitter of the spark gap increase with the spark gap distance, as both parameters are mainly determined by the developing process of the plasma ejection. The characteristics of the plasma flow determine the possibility of the breakdown of the spark gap under the low working coefficient. The ignition method based on capillary plasma ejection has been proved by the preliminary experiments, which indicate that under the gap length of 8 cm and the working coefficient of less than 3%, the effective ignition is still achievable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case-control study was designed to investigate the safety of the AID technology. The health status of the offspring conceived by 1620 couples who underwent 7272 AID cycles in our Center for Reproductive Medicine between June 2006 and December 2012 was retrospectively analysed. The control group included 1018 women who naturally conceived and delivered in the same period. Twin birth rate was significantly higher in the AID group (no triplet birth) than in the control group (2.01% versus 0.39%, P < 0.01). In the AID group, Caesarean delivery was used in 1299 cases (81.65%), spontaneous vaginal delivery (18.04%) and forceps-assisted vaginal delivery (0.31%).There was no significant difference in male/female ratio of the offspring between AID and control groups (113.55 : 100 versus 113.36 : 100, P > 0.05). Compared to natural pregnancy, a pregnancy through AID resulted in higher multiple birth rate, premature delivery rate and neonatal congenital malformation rate. Increased multiple birth rate was attributable to ovulation induction, and increased rate of low-birthweight infants was related to multiplets and premature delivery. Caesarean delivery was preferred in couples who received AID treatment. The male/female ratio of the AID offspring was similar between natural pregnancy and AID pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study wherein a type of domain structure observed in the annealed bismuth aluminum manganese silicon oxide films was described. Methods; Results; Discussion.

Investigates the L-related indirect transitions in GaAs/GaAlAs multiquantum wells under hydrostatic pressure. Characteristics of the semiconductor quantum wells (QWs);

Reports the effect of aluminum doping into MnBiSi films on the structure and magneto-optical properties of the parent. Background to the study; Experimental details; Results and discussion.

Purpose/objective(s): Radiation courses generally involve multiple visits over the course of weeks, depending on the disease site and treatment technique. Therefore, radiation therapy (RT) may be discontinued prior to planned treatment completion. The purpose of this analysis is to identify any clinical or socioeconomic factors that could serve as predictors of RT discontinuation.Materials/methods: Using the National Cancer Database (NCDB) data from 2017, we identified 7,561 cases treated with RT, chemoradiation (CRT), surgery with RT (S+RT), or surgery with CRT (S+CRT) that had information on radiation discontinuation. The variables that we assessed include age (18- < 50, 50- < 70, 70+), gender (male, female), race (White, Black, other), insurance status (private, Medicare, Medicaid/uninsured, other government), income level (< $30,000, $30,000- < $35,000, $35,000- < $46,000, $46,000+), Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Score (0, 1, ≥2), treatment type (RT, CRT, S+RT or S+CRT), disease site, and distance from patient residence to treatment facility. RT discontinuation was compared to socioeconomic and clinicopathologic characteristics using chi-square analysis for categorical predictors and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for continuous predictors.Results: Of the 7,561 patients with information on RT discontinuation, 7,349 (97.2%) patients completed RT, whereas RT was discontinued in 212 (2.8%) patients. The reasons for discontinuation are shown in Table 1. Patients who are 70+ years old (3.7%, P = 0.008), male (3.4%, P = 0.014), Black (3.2%, P = 0.030), Medicaid/uninsured (3.9%, P < 0.0001), income < $30,000 (4.9%, P < 0.0001) and Charlson-Deyo Comorbidity Score ≥2 (3.9%, P = 0.005) had the highest percentages of RT discontinuation in their respective categories. By treatment type, CRT (5.94%) had the highest discontinuation rates, followed by RT (3.1%), S+CRT (2.1%), and S+RT (1.8%), P < 0.0001. Disease site correlated with RT discontinuation (P < 0.0001) with the highest rates of RT discontinuation for cancers of the urinary tract (8.8%), head and neck (6.2%), and respiratory tract (6.0%). The median distance between patient residence and treatment facility was 11.2 and 9.6 miles for patients in the RT completion and RT discontinuation groups, respectively (P = 0.294).Conclusion: In this NCDB analysis, both clinical and socioeconomic characteristics, including age, gender, race, insurance status, income level, comorbidities, treatment type, and disease site, correlated with RT discontinuation rates. While toxicity of treatment was reported, patient decision was the most common reason for RT discontinuation. Table 1. Reasons for RT discontinuation (N = 212). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electroplating and subsequent above-pack aluminisation were used to prepare a single-phase (Ni,Pt)Al coating on the second generation Ni-based single crystal superalloy. Corrosion behaviour of the (Ni,Pt)Al coating with and without pre-oxidation have been evaluated at1000 °C under simulated marine-environment. The results indicated that the pre-oxidised coating exhibited improved corrosion resistance compared with the one without pre-oxidation, due to the formation of stable and exclusive α-Al 2 O 3 layer. The synergistic effect of NaCl and water vapour plus oxygen on the corrosion mechanism of (Ni,Pt)Al coating was intensively discussed. [Display omitted] • Corrosion behaviour of (Ni,Pt)Al coating under environment of NaCl plus O 2 /H 2 O vapour is investigated. • Failure of (Ni,Pt)Al is related to formation of volatile metal chlorides and internal oxidation. • NaCl promotes α-Al 2 O 3 formation and induces formation of nodule-like oxide scale. • Pre-oxidation treatment can retard degradation and failure of (Ni,Pt)Al coating to some extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacokinetics and elimination of florfenicol and florfenicol amine in grouper held in sea water at 23.3 ± 0.8 °C were studied using HPLC method after they were given a single peroral dose of florfenicol at 24 mg kg−1 body weight. Florfenicol was rapidly absorbed from intestine and distributed extensively to all the tissues examined. The maximum concentrations ( Cmax, μg g−1 or μg mL−1) in plasma and tissues were observed at 2-6 h (the time to reach maximum concentration, Tmax) except for bile ( Tmax = 24 h) and were in the order of intestine (52.02 ± 25.07) > bile (49.41 ± 28.16) > gill (45.12 ± 11.10) > plasma (28.28 ± 5.43) > liver (21.97 ± 12.08) > muscle (21.63 ± 6.12) > kidney (20.88 ± 11.28) > skin (19.10 ± 5.88). The drug distribution level was higher in plasma than in extravascular tissues except for bile, based on the ratios of the area under concentration-time curve between tissue and plasma (AUCtissue/plasma). The elimination of florfenicol was rapid in fish, and the corresponding half-lives ( T1/2β) in the order of magnitude were bile (13.92 h) > muscle or liver (12.31 h) > skin (11.77 h) > plasma (11.57) > gill (11.04 h) > intestine (10.55 h) > kidney (10.05 h). The delayed Tmax, lower Cmax and longer T1/2β for florfenicol amine compared with florfenicol were measured in grouper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is endogenously generated from L-cysteine (L-Cys) by the enzymes cystathionine- β-synthase ( CBS) and cystathionine- γ-Lyase ( CSE). Hydrogen sulfide is also produced from D-cysteine (D-Cys) by D-Amino acid oxidase ( DAO). Methods The H2S production was measured by the methylene blue assay. The expression of DAO was investigated by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The short-circuit current ( Isc) was recorded using the Ussing chamber technique. Key Results The epithelium in rat jejunum possesses DAO, and generates H2S. D-cysteine, originally used as a negative control for L-Cys, significantly increases the H2S release, which is inhibited by I2 CA, an inhibitor of DAO. In vitro study by Ussing chamber technique reveals that D-Cys decreases the Isc across the epithelium of the rat jejunum and enhances the Na+-coupled L-alanine transport. Conclusions & Inferences A novel pathway for the production of H2S by DAO exists in rat jejunum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]