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Background: Multiple studies have indicated that patients with high body mass index (BMI) may have favourable survival outcomes following treatment with an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI). However, this evidence is limited by several factors, notably the minimal evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the use of categorised BMI with inconsistent cut point definitions, and minimal investigation of contemporary combination ICI therapy. Moreover, whether overweight and obese patients gain a larger benefit from contemporary frontline chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. Methods: This secondary analysis pooled individual patient data from the intention-to-treat population of the IMpower130 and IMpower150 RCTs comparing chemoimmunotherapy versus chemotherapy. Co-primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The potentially non-linear relationship between BMI and chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect was evaluated using Multivariable Fractional Polynomial Interaction (MFPI). As a sensitivity analysis, chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect (chemoimmunotherapy versus chemotherapy) on survival was also estimated for each BMI subgroup defined by World Health Organisation classification. Exploratory analyses in the respective chemoimmunotherapy and chemotherapy cohort were undertaken to examine the survival outcomes among BMI subgroups. Results: A total of 1282 patients were included. From the MFPI analysis, BMI was not significantly associated with chemoimmunotherapy treatment effect with respect to either OS (p = 0.71) or PFS (p = 0.35). This was supported by the sensitivity analyses that demonstrated no significant treatment effect improvement in OS/PFS among overweight or obese patients compared to normal weight patients (OS: normal BMI HR = 0.74 95% CI 0.59–0.93, overweight HR = 0.78 95% CI 0.61–1.01, obese HR = 0.84 95% CI 0.59–1.20). Exploratory analyses further highlighted that survival outcomes were not significantly different across BMI subgroups in either the chemoimmunotherapy therapy cohort (Median OS: normal BMI 19.9 months, overweight 17.9 months, and obese 19.5 months, p = 0.7) or the chemotherapy cohort (Median OS: normal 14.1 months, overweight 15.9 months, and obese 16.7 months, p = 0.7). Conclusion: There was no association between high BMI (overweight or obese individuals) and enhanced chemoimmunotherapy treatment benefit in front-line treatment of advanced non-squamous NSCLC. This contrasts with previous publications that showed a superior treatment benefit in overweight and obese patients treated with immunotherapy given without chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Betting on the various codes of football in Australia accounts for the majority of sports betting, with Australian rules football (AFL) by far the most popular sport in Australia. Several studies have revealed the heavy presence of gambling advertising during AFL broadcasts, and a frequently used advertising strategy involves the use of well-known AFL commentators outlining their tips and betting suggestions. To date, no research has examined the hypotheses that skill may help in predicting AFL matches and monetary outcomes from AFL betting. Rather than merely discounting such ideas, it is important to test them empirically. The aims of this study were therefore, to examine if (1) expert AFL tipsters made better predictions than random picks, (2) expert AFL tipsters gained greater monetary reward than random selection, and (3) expert tipsters' prediction accuracy improved with betting experience. To this end, six seasons of AFL matches, odds data, and expert tipster data were analysed retrospectively, totalling 1141 matches. Random selections were calculated for each match using an inbuilt random number generator within Microsoft Excel and a $2 simulated wager was applied for each AFL match. The results of mixed-effects modelling showed that experts picked more correct outcomes than random selection; experts' correct predictions were partially mediated by home-game selections; no difference in monetary outcome was observed for experts compared to random selection; experts' predictions did not improve over time. The results of this study may be used to inform both psychological interventions that target gamblers' illusions of control, and public health gambling harm prevention messaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research was conducted to extend the theoretical construct of positive orientation (PO) to psychiatric outpatients. This research also examined the effect of PO on alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression among psychiatric outpatients. Methods: This cross-sectional survey recruited 301 psychiatric outpatients online. As these respondents have a short attention span, short measures were used to measure PO-related variables (life satisfaction, optimism, self-esteem) and indicators of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress). These outpatients are at the legal age to provide consent for themselves (M = 30.12, SD= 8.11). The majority of them have been identified as male (80.07%). Similarly, the ethnic distribution was unequal, with the majority of these outpatients identified as Malay (85.05%), followed by those who were identified as Chinese (7.31%), Indian (4.32%), and from other ethnic groups (3.32%). Results: Generalized structured component analysis (GSCA) supported that satisfaction with life, optimism, and self-esteem reflect the construct of PO. Furthermore, PO predicted depression, anxiety, and depression negatively. Conclusion: It is possible to replicate the construct of PO with psychiatric outpatients using single item measures for life satisfaction, optimism, and self-esteem. PO is beneficial to psychiatric outpatients as it reduces the severity of depression, anxiety, and stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, the theoretical studies on dry abrasion on surfaces with microscopic roughness are based on JKR or DMT contact theory. Superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings with low surface energy and microscopic surface roughness have extremely low real contact area and adhesion to the abrasive when subjected to contact and friction, making the above theories inapplicable. To date, there lack of theoretical studies on the dry abrasion characteristics of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coating surfaces. In response to this problem, a numerical understanding of the frictional force on superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings is proposed based on Hertz contact theory, and the abrasion mechanisms of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings and its influencing factors are analyzed from the perspective of microscopic torque balance. The abrasion process is divided into three stages, and there exists a minimum value of bonding strength between the microstructure on the coating surface and the polymer matrix of the coating that determines whether abrasion will occur. This minimum bonding force is determined by Young's modulus of the polymer matrix, the radius of the microstructure, and the applied load. The conclusions can be a guide for the improvement of the anti-dry-abrasion property of superhydrophobic nanocomposite coatings from the perspective of coating preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) are the two most common forms of activated carbon with varying particle size range. The goal of this study was to analyze the key factors (particle size and activation temperature) affecting the surface characteristics of GAC and PAC derived from palm kernel shell (PKS). The surface morphology suggested that the pore network in PKS-PAC is more developed than that in PKS-GAC owing to the presence of a micropore structure when prepared at lower activation temperatures. This study also demonstrated that activation performed on different PKS particle size range influenced the mesopore domain of the activated carbon produced. The PKS-GAC was found to have more mesopores than PKS-PAC, which made it more reliable for dye adsorption in water treatment. Overall, this study demonstrated that applying different particle size range of PKS during the activation process can have a significant influence on the surface characteristics, thus having a direct impact on the application of activated carbon. An accurate particle size range will ensure that the most cost-effective activated carbon is selected to achieve the desired performance objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the global public health system, which is already overwhelmed by the increasing statistics of comorbidities and burden due to obesity. The number of individuals with obesity and obesity-associated diseases are rising in many regions that could attribute to the growing obesogenic environment and the lockdown implemented to curb COVID-19. This review focuses on the aspects of the obesity epidemic, chronic inflammatory effects of obesity, positive outcomes of obesity interventions and the worsening effects observed in obese COVID-19 patients. The chronic inflammatory effects of obesity are apparent by the increase of pro-inflammatory signals by immune cells in the adipose tissue and reactive species populations. The reduction of antioxidants exacerbates the effects of oxidative stress on genomic and tissue levels. The public must be made aware of the importance of practising a healthier lifestyle, even more now as we are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has led to vast amounts of data being accumulated on a patient's history, diagnosis, prescriptions, and lab tests. Advances in recommender technologies have the potential to utilize this information to help doctors personalize the prescribed medications. However, existing medication recommendation systems have yet to make use of all these information sources in a seamless manner, and they do not provide a justification on why a particular medication is recommended. In this work, we design a two-stage personalized medication recommender system called PREMIER that incorporates information from the EHR. We utilize the various weights in the system to compute the contributions from the information sources for the recommended medications. Our system models the drug interaction from an external drug database and the drug co-occurrence from the EHR as graphs. Experiment results on MIMIC-III and a proprietary outpatient dataset show that PREMIER outperforms state-of-the-art medication recommendation systems while achieving the best tradeoff between accuracy and drug-drug interaction. Case studies demonstrate that the justifications provided by PREMIER are appropriate and aligned to clinical practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This pilot study assessed the impact of a structured lifestyle intervention combined with mobile health application on chronic disease risk in a healthcare-based university. Methods: A total of 24 overweight/obese university employees participated in a 12-week intervention that included group nutrition education and exercise sessions, a structured low-calorie meal plan, meal replacements, and a mobile health application. Results: A pre- and post-intervention analysis showed that the participants had weight loss (p < 0.001), a reduction in blood triglyceride (p = 0.010), and a reduction in systolic blood pressure (p < 0.001). There was an increase in the proportion of participants who achieved their clinical targets for systolic blood pressure from 16.7% at baseline to 58.3% after the intervention (p = 0.004). A focus group discussion demonstrated good acceptability of the intervention that was driven by the use of practical nutrition knowledge gained from the group education sessions and structured meal plans, and timely feedback on eating behaviour from use of the mobile heath application. Conclusion: A structured lifestyle intervention combined with mobile health application supports significant clinical improvements including weight loss and reductions in blood triglyceride and blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined the relationships of social network sites (SNS) intensity, parasocial interaction (PSI), and the propensity to imitate idols or celebrities. Conceptual model that depicts the indirect effect of the measured PSI on the relationship of SNS usage and the tendency to imitate idols was tested. 194 undergraduate students were recruited to complete the Celebrity-Persona Parasocial Interaction Scales, the modified Facebook Intensity Scale, and a set of five items that reflect on the inclination to imitate idols. Results revealed the significant indirect effect of the measured PSI, supporting that SNS intensity facilitate parasocial experience, which in turn, induce the tendency to impersonate idols. Findings supported one of the theorems of the uncertainty reduction theory, which posited the facilitative effect of perceived intimacy on similarity. Theorem that posited the importance of engagement level in inducing similarity was negated by the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of additional water-soluble additives was studied relative to the physical and mechanical properties of particleboards produced from oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB). Polyethylene glycol, acrylamide, and acrylic resin were selected as water-soluble additives for use in the OPEFB particleboard production process. The effects of the three additives at two different concentrations (2% and 4% of dry OPEFB mass) on the particleboard properties were evaluated. Addition of water-soluble additives increased the performance of the OPEFB particleboard. The additive concentration has a significant effect on the properties of the particleboard. With the increase of additive concentration, the internal bonding and modulus of rupture value increased while the thickness swelling and water absorption decreased. Particleboards with an additional 4% of acrylamide or polyethylene glycol achieved the highest modulus of rupture (22 MPa), highest internal bonding strength (1 N/mm2), and lowest thickness swelling (9%). All the particleboards produced with 4% of water-soluble additive achieved the standard requirements of JIS A 5908:2003 for physical and mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erosion resistance of electrode materials is one of the key factors affecting the performance and working life of gap switches. In order to explore whether the electrode material with added nanoscale metalloid particles has better erosion resistance under the strong pulse current, a strong current discharge platform was built, and W80/Cu and W80/Cu–Al2O3 were selected as the research objects. The experimental study was carried out under a strong pulse current with a peak value of over 100 kA. By comparing the mass change, the microtopography, and surface roughness of the erosion area, it was found that the addition of nano-Al2O3 particles improved the erosion resistance of the W–Cu alloy. The anode loss was down about 14.7% slightly after adding Al2O3, and the cathode loss of W80/Cu–Al2O3 was down about half. The addition of Al2O3 will increase the working life by 25.3%. Besides, the microstructure of the erosion area became flatter and the roughness was reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the gas discharge theory involving distorted E-field enhancement, a physical model is proposed to estimate the switching delay for gas-insulated trigatron spark gaps with a trigger pin inside the main electrode. Two discovered breakdown modes, i.e., fast-breakdown mode (FBM) and slow-breakdown mode (SBM), can be unified in this model. Raether criterion can distinguish these two modes. If the main E-field and enhanced E-field near the trigger pin tip are great enough, FBM forms easily. Otherwise, if streamer development needs to rely on the second ionization process and relevant distorted E-field enhancement, the breakdown of the main gap would turn into SBM. The enhanced E-field near the trigger pin tip may affect the threshold main E-field of FBM. The distorted E-field enhancement may affect the switching delay length of SBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to ascertain the conceptual basics underlying the design of the Seven Epitomes, the first library catalog to establish the bibliographic model in imperial China. The analytical framework for the study consists of a reconstructed version of the catalog and its historical contexts. In analyzing the surviving text of the catalog, the study identifies its bibliographic objectives as the identification, choice, finding, and collocating objectives. Further deduced from these objectives, the study reasons out four general purposes that might be intended by the catalog's compiler Liu Xin: the catalog was to be a guide to literature, a plan for knowledge organization, a retrieval tool, and a library inventory. Ru classicism (or Confucianism) was the catalog's guiding philosophy. In classicism-dominated imperial China, generations of bibliographers followed this model and focused their attention primarily on making bibliography both a classicist guide to literature and a plan for organizing knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the concept and functions of collection from the perspective of the user. In-depth interviews with ten professors from a social science discipline and a natural science department provided descriptions of their information seeking involving material sources and their perceptions of the library collection. Participants used the following parameters in perceiving the library collection: instant availability, selectivity, physical collocation, catalog representation, user privilege, material stability, and further parameters for subcollections, including subject and format. Additional components that were important in the users' information environment were personal collections, the Internet, and other institutions' collections. Analysis revealed that collections provided valuable functions, such as collocating sources for convenience and saving time and money, selectivity, narrowing the search scope to increase precision and ease of use, presenting choices, and assisting in clarification of information need. The user's perspective demonstrates the need for user-centered and flexible, rather than library-centered and fixed, collection structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A protection inductor used in the energy system of the laser fusion facility as the protection component is designed and its reliability is proved by the finite element simulation and experimental testing. • The structure of the protection inductor is introduced and the inductor is of low production cost and processing difficulty. • The design method of inductor parameters is presented based on temperature constraint and the design method is simplified by using the material with low temperature coefficient of resistance. High energy density capacitor banks are used in pump power supplies of the laser fusion facility. The capacitor bank works in the state of high voltage and enormous energy, so it is vital to protect the capacitor bank from faults, especially capacitor internal insulation breakdown. In that case, the discharge circuit will be a huge short-circuit current and cause serious structure and fire damage to the capacitor and nearby components. In this paper, a protection inductor is designed to protect the capacitor bank applied to the 100 kA/1 MJ discharge condition. The solenoid inductor coil is made of manganin wire and installed in the epoxy resin cylinder. The design process of the coil is simplified by using the material with low temperature coefficient of resistance, and the design method of inductor parameters is presented based on temperature constraint. It is found that the von Mises stress in the designed inductor is below the ultimate tensile strength of the materials by finite element simulation. A simulated fault current discharge platform was built to test the inductor, and the inductor keeps structure integrity after the test. The inductor design method can provide guidance for the protection design of the capacitive power supply system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compressed air is used in spark gap switches as an insulating gas. Triggered by nanosecond pulsed voltage, the streamer bridges the electrode gap in the switch. During the streamer-arc transition, the spatial distribution of the arc changes drastically. The nitrogen and oxygen in the compressed air will react with each other under high temperatures. Damaging effects in the switch are caused by arc reaction. In this paper, by adjusting the parameters of the high-energy pulse discharge circuit, the arc is produced with different current waveform in the spark gap switch, while the gaseous product is analyzed. The results show that, when current pulse-width remains constant, the amount of transferred charge is approximately linear with the production of nitrogen oxides. The proportion of NO is higher when the current pulse-width is shorter. The concentration of nitrogen oxides is determined by the chemical reaction, which relies on the dynamic change of the impulse arc. During the arcing time, there is the collision dissociation reaction in the local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) plasma, leading to the production of gas atoms and excitation molecules. In the boundary of the arc channel, the nitrogen oxides formation reactions mainly occur in the arc quenching period. According to the characteristics of the high-current arc, a simplified analysis of chemical kinetics on the reactions of nitrogen and oxygen is implemented to expound the effect of pulsed arc on the gas composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable amount of literature has widely discussed the issue in regard to the prediction of social networking sites (SNS) addiction with personality traits. One of the existing issues is the small effect sizes that showed that the traits outlined by the Five-Factor model are lacking the required specificity to predict specific behaviours such as SNS addiction. In light of this issue, the present research attempted to predict SNS addiction with the Dark Triad traits that have been linked to impulsivity that is central to the development of SNS addiction. In this study, a sample of 204 (Male = 77, 38%; Female = 124, 60%; Not mentioned = 3, 2%; Mage = 22.94, SDage = 3.43) university students in Malaysia completed the Big Five Inventory, the Short Dark Triad, and the adapted Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. Results indicated that SNS addiction was significantly predicted by the measured psychopathy of the Dark Triad. In predicting SNS addiction, the inclusion of the Dark Triad traits contributed significant amount of variance after controlling the Five-Factor model. Finally, the implications of the results were discussed in this manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable amount of literature has widely discussed the issue in regard to the prediction of social networking sites (SNS) addiction with personality traits. One of the existing issues is the small effect sizes that showed that the traits outlined by the Five-Factor model are lacking the required specificity to predict specific behaviours such as SNS addiction. In light of this issue, the present research attempted to predict SNS addiction with the Dark Triad traits that have been linked to impulsivity that is central to the development of SNS addiction. In this study, a sample of 204 (Male = 77, 38%; Female = 124, 60%; Not mentioned = 3, 2%; Mage = 22.94, SDage = 3.43) university students in Malaysia completed the Big Five Inventory, the Short Dark Triad, and the adapted Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale. Results indicated that SNS addiction was significantly predicted by the measured psychopathy of the Dark Triad. In predicting SNS addiction, the inclusion of the Dark Triad traits contributed significant amount of variance after controlling the Five-Factor model. Finally, the implications of the results were discussed in this manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study reports on an analysis of a chosen corpus in the emergent domain of digital humanities (DH). In contrast to other studies of the DH literature that focus on publications in the west, this study examines 129 papers published in the proceedings of the International Conferences of Digital Archives and Digital Humanities that were held in Taiwan between 2009 and 2016. In all, 236 individual authors from 15 countries contributed at least one paper; 50 domains were represented. Three East Asian countries (Taiwan, China, and Japan) show a dominating presence, and top three domains (computer science, history, and Chinese) have the highest numbers of participants and highest numbers of first authors. Unlike their counterparts in the humanities, the papers in the study have a much higher percentage of collaborative works. More than half of the papers that are collaborative works are interdisciplinary, but only one-fifth involve international collaboration. Proportionally, computer scientists' participation rate decreases and humanists' rate increases, however modestly, from 2012 onward. The study also investigates digital technology's impact on DH in various stages of the information lifecycle. More than two-thirds of the papers discuss technology's impact in the area of consuming data from digital collections for various purposes, with the impact on building retrieval systems/online platforms coming in second at 26.6%. Among different years, the first year is exceptional in showing high interest in the impact on building digital collections, building knowledge organization systems, and building retrieval systems but low interest in the impact on data consumption. Humanists in general are more attentive to the impact on consumption than technologists, while the latter lean toward the impact on building retrieval systems. Without any claim to comprehensiveness or representativeness, the study provides a snapshot of the DH literary output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of retaining wall methods for deep excavation is to keep the construction site safe from the earth pressure acting on the backfill during the construction period. Currently used retaining wall methods include the common strut method, anchor method, slurry wall method, and raker method. However, these methods have drawbacks such as reduced workspace and intrusion into private property, and thus, efforts are being made to improve them. The most advanced retaining wall method is the prestressed wale system, so far, in which a load corresponding to the earth pressure is applied to the wale by using the tension of a prestressed (PS) strand wire. This system affords advantages such as providing sufficient workspace by lengthening the strut interval and minimizing intrusion into private properties adjacent to the site. However, this system cannot control the tension of the PS strand wire, and thus, it cannot actively cope with changes in the earth pressure due to excavation. This study conducts a preliminary numerical analysis of the field applicability of the controllable prestressed wale system (CPWS) which can adjust the tension of the PS strand wire. For the analysis, back analysis was conducted through twodimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical analyses based on the field measurement data of the typical strut method, and then, the field applicability of CPWS was examined by comparing the lateral deflection of the wall and adjacent ground surface settlements under the same conditions. In addition, the displacement and settlement of the wall were predicted through numerical analysis while the prestress force of CPWS was varied, and the structural stability was analysed through load tests on model specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat shock response (HSR), in terms of transcription regulation of two heat shock proteins genes hsp70 and hsp90 ), was analysed in a widespread tropical copepod Pseudodiaptomus annandalei . The mRNA transcripts of both genes were quantified after copepods at a salinity of 20 underwent an acclimation process involving an initial acclimation temperature of 29 °C, followed by gradual thermal ramping to the target exposure temperature range of 24–36 °C. The respective cellular HSR and organismal metabolism, measured by respiratory activity at exposure temperatures, were compared. The fold change in mRNA expression for both hsp70 and hsp90 (8–9 fold) peaks at 32 °C, which is very close to 32.4 °C, the upper thermal optimum for respiration in the species. Unexpectedly, the modelled HSR curves peak at only 3 °C ( hsp90 ) and 3.5 °C ( hsp70 ) above the mean water temperature (29.32 °C) of the copepod in the field. We propose that copepods in tropical waters adopt a preparative HSR strategy, early at the upper limit of its thermal optimum, due to the narrow thermal range of its habitat thus precluding substantial energy demand at higher temperatures. However, the model suggests that the species could survive to at least 36 °C with short acclimation time. Nevertheless, the significant overlap between its thermal range of hsp synthesis and the narrow temperature range of its habitat also suggests that any unprecedented rise in sea temperature would have a detrimental effect on the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the ultra high voltage (UHV)‐DC and UHV‐AC transmission lines, their contamination characteristics are different. Thus, researching the contamination polluted degree of UHV‐AC and UHV‐DC lines by geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor method is an ingenious method. This study analyses and compares the chemical composition of contamination on parallel energised UHV‐DC (800 kV) and UHV‐AC (1000 kV) overhead transmission lines. The results indicate that the major cations of insulator contamination are Ca2+, and NH4+, and the major anions of insulator contamination are SO42− and NO3− both on UHV‐DC and UHV‐AC lines. For the UHV‐DC line, the concentrations of the same cations on the insulator bottom surface are higher than that of on the top surface. However, on the UHV‐AC line, the same cation concentrations on the bottom surface close to the one on the top surface. The metallic elements of Ca2+ and Zn2+ are in seriously polluted degree. Also, the polluted degree of contamination on UHV‐DC insulator is more serious than UHV‐AC insulator. This study considers that field charging plays an important role in accumulating contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose two approaches—hot-embossing and dielectric-heating nanoimprinting methods—for low-cost and rapid fabrication of periodic nanostructures. Each nanofabrication process for the imprinted plastic nanostructures is completed within several seconds without the use of release agents and epoxy. Low-cost, large-area, and highly sensitive aluminum nanostructures on A4 size plastic films are fabricated by evaporating aluminum film on hot-embossing nanostructures. The narrowest bandwidth of the Fano resonance is only 2.7 nm in the visible light region. The periodic aluminum nanostructure achieves a figure of merit of 150, and an intensity sensitivity of 29,345%/RIU (refractive index unit). The rapid fabrication is also achieved by using radio-frequency (RF) sensitive plastic films and a commercial RF welding machine. The dielectric-heating, using RF power, takes advantage of the rapid heating/cooling process and lower electric power consumption. The fabricated capped aluminum nanoslit array has a 5 nm Fano linewidth and 490.46 nm/RIU wavelength sensitivity. The biosensing capabilities of the metallic nanostructures are further verified by measuring antigen–antibody interactions using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and anti-BSA. These rapid and high-throughput fabrication methods can benefit low-cost, highly sensitive biosensors and other sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study examines the effects of listening to meditative music on state anxiety and heart rate variability (HRV) of patients during the uptake phase before positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Methods: A two-group randomized experimental design was used. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. All patients received baseline assessments of state anxiety using Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) and HRV before receiving an intravenous injection of radiopharmaceutical fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose in the uptake room. The experimental group (n=35) listened individually to 30 min of meditative music, integrating Chinese “Chi” and western frequency resonation in the uptake room. The control group (n=37) lay on bed quietly for 40min in the uptake room without music. All patients were assessed for their anxiety level and HRV again, before receiving PET scanning as post-test. Results: The results indicated that patients in the experimental group showed a significant reduction in state anxiety and heart rate, and increase on high frequency norm of HRV (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant reduction on anxiety level (p<0.001), heart rate (p<0.001) and high frequency norm (p=0.001) in the experimental group compared with those of the control group. Conclusion: Listening to meditative music as a noninvasive and cost-effective strategy can help maximize efforts to promote comfort and relaxation for patients awaiting stressful procedures, such as PET scans. Meditative music can be effective in alleviating state anxiety of patients during the uptake phase before PET scans. Advances in knowledge: The study provides scientific evidence of the effects of listening to meditative music for reducing state anxiety in patients during the uptake phase before PET scans. It may have the potential to lower the risk of unwanted false-positive fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose uptake in normal organs and to further improve image quality and image interpretation. Listening to meditative music is a safe and inexpensive intervention which can be incorporated into routine procedures to reduce anxiety of patients undergoing PET scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under natural application conditions, water in the forms of condensates and high-speed raindrops tend to form Wenzel contact with the surface of superhydrophobic coatings, and in this case, the effect of the standing water on the abrasion mechanisms of superhydrophobic coatings is not clear. To investigate the issue, comparative tests of abrasion-induced aging on the surface of the superhydrophobic coating under dry, and water infiltration conditions are conducted. A theoretical prediction model of the friction magnitude on the surface of the superhydrophobic coating under the above two conditions is established, and the experimental phenomenon is analyzed based on the theoretical results of the model. The results show that once water wets superhydrophobic surfaces in Wenzel mode, the microscopic rough structures on the surfaces are more likely to fall off under external friction due to the presence of Laplace pressure, which means that the presence of water makes the superhydrophobic surfaces more prone to abrasion-induced aging in this condition. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the sky burials and vultures on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China, including the distribution, population, and main food of the vultures.

This paper proposes an active resonance circuit based on multiple series gaps (MSG) with voltage-dividing network and self-charging trigger device. The working principle of active resonance circuit, MSG, and triggering device is described in detail. To determine the optimal parameter setting of MSG, the effects of the voltage frequency, equalizing resistance, and voltage-dividing capacitance on the voltage distribution of MSG are analyzed by simulation. To realize the interrupting process of short fault current and determine the operation requirements of the main devices of precharge direct current (dc) circuit breaker, a simulation model of interrupting short fault current is performed. Furthermore, an experiment of four-series gaps is presented to verify the turn-on characteristic of the MSG and an experiment of artificial current zero is set up to testify the feasibility of the active resonance circuit. The simulation and experimental results show that the active resonance circuit proposed in this paper can generate an artificial zero current and is suitable for precharge dc circuit breaker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been increasing interest in the study of Blastocystis in the last two decades. Many studies have been carried out in human and animal hosts including environmental sources, but there is little or no information on the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed at assessing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources across the world from 2005 to 2022, noting the method of detection and the distribution of the subtypes from various water sources. A literature search was performed on internet-based databases including Google search, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Upon application of the criteria for inclusion, 25 articles revealing the occurrence of Blastocystis in water sources in 15 countries were included in the review. Blastocystis occurrence varies across water sources ranging from 0% in a drinking water source in Venezuela to 100% in rivers; well water, stored water, and fishpond in Nepal and Malaysia; and fountain water, irrigation water, and rainwater in Italy, Spain, and Thailand. The occurrence of the parasite was significantly associated with the coliform count, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, total dissolved solids, and chemical oxygen demand. A total of 11 Blastocystis subtypes were identified in water sources worldwide, namely, ST1–ST8, ST10, ST23, and ST26 in which ST1 and ST3 were the most prevalent subtypes. Considering the importance of Blastocystis as a waterborne parasite, the subtype distribution and morphological distinction in water sources need to be carried out using molecular and electron microscopic techniques. Existing studies have covered only about 10% of the world's countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents the monsoonal and lunar effects on species composition and abundance of microzooplankton in a tropical estuary. We investigated microzooplankton abundance in relation to the various environmental and biotic parameters, sampled in the Matang mangrove (Malaysia) from April 2013 to February 2014. A total of 39 microzooplankton taxa comprising four major groups, i.e. loricate ciliates (37.72%), aloricate ciliates (29.46%), dinoflagellates (24.33%) and meroplanktonic nauplii (8.49%) were identified. The loricate ciliates were the most diverse group with 31 taxa recorded. Four major species of loricate ciliates were identified, i.e.Tintinnopsis beroidea,Tintinnopsis rotundata,Stenosemella avellanaandTintinnidium primitivum, while Strombidiidae and Strobilidiidae dominated the aloricate ciliates. Although small loricate ciliates were ubiquitous, redundancy analysis shows marked shifts in microzooplankton community structure, from one that was dominated by loricate ciliates during the drier SW monsoon, to aloricate ciliates at the onset of the wet NE monsoon, and then to dinoflagellates towards the end of the drier NE monsoon period. These shifts were associated with rainfall, dissolved inorganic nutrients, salinity, temperature and microbial food abundance. There was no clear lunar effect on abundance of microzooplankton except forFavella ehrenbergiiand copepod nauplii, which were more abundant during neap than spring tides. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As a rule, the site pollution severity (SPS) is determined by the ESDD and NSDD of cap and pin standard disc insulator (reference insulator) under de-energized conditions. But now standard disc insulators are seldom used on transmission lines. In order to determine the SPS of certain districts, it is essential to figure out the coefficient of conversion from ESDD and NSDD of reference insulators to that of other profiles of insulators. Moreover, pollution condition prediction may require the quantification of insulator pollution characteristics. For the reasons above, a one-year-period natural pollution experiment of de-energized insulators was carried out in Henan, China. For the first time, the Dixon test is introduced to detect the outliers among the natural contamination data, which contributes to unveiling the data's law. The coefficient of conversion is defined as the relative contamination coefficient in the paper, which is based on the ratio of the contamination data of a certain type of insulator to that of the reference insulator. The Shapiro-Wilk test and normal quantile (Q-Q) plot testify the normality of the relative contamination values. Based on the normality of relative contamination values obtained in the experiment, the insulator pollution characteristic is quantified. Via the relative contamination coefficients, it is easy to judge the contamination accumulation difficulty between insulators and predict the pollution condition of most profiles of insulators. Moreover, a determination method of SPS is raised in the paper, which helps to reckon the pollution condition of one type of insulator on the basis of the known pollution condition of insulators of other types. Besides, the pollution discrepancy between the top and bottom surfaces of insulators is analyzed by the relative contamination values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polyamide 66 (PA66) fabrics are hard to be colored or glued in industrial production due to the poor hydrophily. Diffuse plasma is a kind of non-thermal plasma generated at atmospheric pressure in air. This paper proposes that large-scale diffuse plasma generated between wire electrodes can be employed for improving the hydrophily of PA66 fabrics. A repetitive nanosecond-pulse diffuse-discharge reactor using a cylindrical wire electrode configuration is presented, which can generate large-scale non-thermal plasmas steadily at atmospheric pressure without any barrier dielectric. Then the reactor is used to treat PA66 fabrics in different discharge conditions. The hydrophilicity property of modified PA66 is measured by wicking test method. The modified PA66 is also analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to prove the surface changes in physical microstructure and chemical functional groups, respectively. What's more, the effects of treatment time and treatment frequency on surface modification are investigated and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Copepods are planktonic organisms that play a major role in the marine food chain. Studying the community structure and abundance of copepods in relation to the environment is essential to evaluate their contribution to mangrove trophodynamics and coastal fisheries. The routine identification of copepods can be very technical, requiring taxonomic expertise, experience and much effort which can be very time-consuming. Hence, there is an urgent need to introduce novel methods and approaches to automate identification and classification of copepod specimens. This study aims to apply digital image processing and machine learning methods to build an automated identification and classification technique. Results: We developed an automated technique to extract morphological features of copepods' specimen from captured images using digital image processing techniques. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was used to classify the copepod specimens from species Acartia spinicauda, Bestiolina similis, Oithona aruensis, Oithona dissimilis, Oithona simplex, Parvocalanus crassirostris, Tortanus barbatus and Tortanus forcipatus based on the extracted features. 60% of the dataset was used for a two-layer feed-forward network training and the remaining 40% was used as testing dataset for system evaluation. Our approach demonstrated an overall classification accuracy of 93.13% (100% for A. spinicauda, B. similis and O. aruensis, 95% for T. barbatus, 90% for O. dissimilis and P. crassirostris, 85% for O. similis and T. forcipatus). Conclusions: The methods presented in this study enable fast classification of copepods to the species level. Future studies should include more classes in the model, improving the selection of features, and reducing the time to capture the copepod images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the predictors of glycemic control in adolescents of various age groups with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is crucial for nurses to cultivate developmental-specific interventions to improve glycemic control in this age group. However, research has rarely addressed this issue, particularly in the context of Asian populations. Purpose: We explored the predictive influence of demographic characteristics, self-care behaviors, family conflict, and parental involvement on glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels 6months after the baseline measurement in adolescents of various age groups with T1D in Taiwan. Methods: A prospective survey design was applied. At baseline, adolescents with T1D completed a self-care behavior scale. Parents or guardians finished scales of parental involvement and family conflict. The HbA1C levels 6 months after baseline measurement were collected from medical records. Two hundred ten adolescent--parent/guardian pairs were enrolled as participants. Multiple stepwise regressions examined the significant predictors of HbA1C levels 6 months after the baseline measurement in the three adolescent age groups: 10-12, 13-15, and 16-18 years. Results: Family conflict was a significant predictor of HbA1C level within the 10-12 years of age group 6 months after the baseline measurement. Self-care behaviors were a significant predictor of HbA1C level within the 13-15 years of age group 6 months after the baseline measurement. Being female and self-care behaviors were each significant predictors of HbA1C level in the 16-18 years of age group 6months after the baseline measurement. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Nurses should design specific interventions to improve glycemic control in adolescents of various age groups with T1D that are tailored to their developmental needs. For adolescents with T1D aged 10-12 years, nurses should actively assess family conflict and provide necessary interventions. For adolescents with T1D aged 13-18 years, nurses should exert special efforts to improve their self-care behaviors. In addition, female adolescents aged 16-18 years should be considered an at-risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 700-kA gas switch with graphite electrodes for pulsed power supply module has been developed. This paper describes the design, construction, and testing of the high-current gas switch and its trigger system. The two-electrode gas switch is selected, which suffers high peak and fast rise time currents. The trigger generator based on resonant charging of a pulse transformer is constructed to trigger the gas spark. An electrodynamic force model of switch electrodes is established. The electrodynamic force of connecting wires is also calculated. By comparison of the mechanical strengths of polyformaldehyde, epoxy, and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) rods, where FRP rods are selected as switch rods, the experimental results show that the mechanical strength of the switch increases by 200%. Extensive electric testing has proven the operating parameters of the switch and its trigger system. The experimental results show that the measured discharge current waveform is demonstrated to be over a 700-kA peak current and a 500- \mu \texts pulsewidth. The transfer charge per shot is more than 500 C. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Fault diagnosis of power transformers is crucial to the healthy operation of transformers. In order to enhance its accuracy and reliability, a new fault diagnosis method based on Set Pair Analysis (SPA) and association rules was proposed in this paper. Via analyzing the relationship of fault symptoms and fault types, the corresponding association rules could be established. Via computing the support degrees and confidence degrees of the association rules, the constant weight coefficient of each symptom and the variable weight coefficient of each type could be obtained. The diagnosis method could avoid the subjective defects effectively. Via introducing the concept of subordinate degree, the connection degrees of each fault type and the whole running state of transformer could be obtained. This method could also improve the accuracy of uncertainty factors of transformer fault diagnosis. Experimental results of the test substation proved this method had a higher accuracy by comparing with both association rules and SPA. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Air-core Tesla transformer combined with semiconductor devices can generate repetitive high-voltage pulses effectively. Air-core Tesla transformer of spiral type is suitable for repetitive operation since its primary voltage is relatively low. Based on the double resonance circuit of air-core Tesla transformer, the expressions of secondary voltage, primary current, and the maximum rise-rate of primary current are deduced. The effects of tuning characteristic on the output voltage and energy efficiency are simulated, and further verified by experiments. An air-core Tesla transformer prototype of spiral type is developed. To achieve repetitive operation, a resonant charging and discharging circuit based on air-core Tesla transformer is designed. The repetitive system based on this prototype can generate microsecond pulses with an average peak voltage of -140 kV at 300 Hz repetition rate. In repetitive mode, the tuning ratio is recommended to range in 1.0-2.0 to achieve high energy efficiency. The output voltage could be higher by increasing the charging voltage or tuning ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite the widespread use of social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook, an adequate understanding of their impact on the users' mental health is still lacking. The present study intends to expand on the current understanding of the linkage between social networking site use and mental health. Our study explored how Facebook use may be associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), with the inclusion of obsessive-compulsive beliefs as a mediator. One hundred and fifty-six undergraduate students completed the questionnaire given. Overall, Facebook use contributed to OCD severity through obsessive-compulsive beliefs as the mediator. The present study also yielded other relevant results for cyberpsychology that may help pave the way for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the RKKY interaction mediated by the helical edge states of a quantum spin Hall insulator in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbital coupling induced by an external electric field and the electron-electron interaction. We show that in the presence of the Rashba coupling, the RKKY interaction induced by the helical edge states contains not only the Heisenberg-like and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moria terms, but also the nematic-type term that is not present in the absence of the Rashba coupling. Moreover, the range functions depend on the strength of the Rashba coupling. We also show that the electron-electron interaction changes the strength of the RKKY interaction by modifying the power of the 1//x/ dependence of the range functions. In particular, by varying the strength of the interaction or the Rashba coupling, there is an (impurity) quantum phase transition involving the sign change of the RKKY interaction at the value of the Luttinger liquid parameter K=1/2. Since both the strength of the Rashba coupling and the chemical potential of the helical edge states are electrically controllable by external gate voltages, our results not only shed light on the nature of magnetic impurity correlations in the edge of a two-dimensional topological insulator, but also pave a way to manipulate the qubits in quantum computing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-hourly zooplankton samplings encompassing tidal (semi-diurnal), diel (24 h), and lunar (4 phases) cycles during the dry (July 2003) and wet (November 2003) monsoon periods were conducted in the Matang estuary to investigate the vertical distribution and behavior of five different groups of copepods (estuarine, euryhaline, marine euryhaline, stenohaline and nocturnal pontellids) in response to the tidal and light regime. Diel vertical migration (DVM) was evident for all copepod groups but the observed patterns differed among species and sampling period (wet or dry and neap or spring tide). Tidally-induced vertical migration (TVM), superimposed by DVM, was observed for estuarine, marine euryhaline and stenohaline copepods but not for euryhaline and nocturnal pontellid copepods. Estuarine copepods tended to ascend during night-flood tide and descent to the bottom during day-ebb tide; this suggests a selective mechanism to penetrate upstream and maintain position in the estuary. In contrast, the marine euryhaline and stenohaline copepods remained at the bottom especially during day-flood tide and ascended into the water column during night-ebb tide; this suggests a selective mechanism to avoid upstream transport. Euryhaline copepods did not respond to tidal advection probably due to their wide range of salinity tolerance, while the large nocturnal pontellid copepods have strong swimming ability. Adaptive vertical migration appears to be a major factor structuring the copepod community in tropical estuaries, and its occurrence in most copepods suggests that neritic marine zooplankton tidally-advected into estuaries and nearshore waters can survive better than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article it is proved that carbon pastes with ionic liquids (ILs) are a promising material for transducers of reference electrodes, which favors their miniaturization. Two ILs were used: 1‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL1) and 1‐(2‐methoxyethyl)‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (IL2). They acted both as a binder of carbon paste and potential‐determining component. ILs were also used in polymeric membrane of reference electrodes what ensured continuity of IL phase between carbon paste and the polymeric membrane and resulted in enhancement of electrode potential stability. It was shown that application of IL as a carbon paste binder is superior to conventional plasticizer and allows for significant increase of reference electrode potential stability. Different types of carbon materials were also tested during research: commercialy available graphite powder and graphene oxide obtained from waste biomass – palm kernel shells. It was observed that both the type of carbon paste material and IL influences reference electrode work parameters. Utilization of IL with less lipophilic cation resulted in higher potential stability of the reference electrodes. Application of graphite paste‐based transducers resulted in higher potential stability of reference electrodes in sodium perchlorate and TMA chloride solutions while using palm kernel shell graphene oxide paste – based transducers caused enhancement of reference electrode long‐term potential stability. The results indicate biomass‐derived graphene oxide can be successfully applied as a construction material of reference electrode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of a study conducted in Singapore that examined the use of oral antivirals (OAVs) among older adults with COVID-19 in primary care during the Omicron waves. The study revealed that a small percentage of older adults received OAVs, with nirmatrelvir-ritonavir being the most commonly prescribed medication. The study also identified factors such as primary care characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators that influenced the likelihood of receiving OAVs. The authors emphasize the importance of addressing disparities in OAV access among older adults and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. They recommend targeted efforts to improve access for individuals with lower SES. [Extracted from the article]

King cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah) venom l-amino acid oxidase (LAAO), a heat-stable enzyme, is an extremely potent antiproliferative agent against cancer cells when compared with LAAO isolated from other snake venoms. King cobra venom LAAO was shown to exhibit very strong antiproliferative activities against MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma) and A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma) cells, with an IC50 value of 0.04 ± 0.00 and 0.05 ± 0.00 μg/mL, respectively, after 72-hr treatment. In comparison, its cytotoxicity was about 3-4 times lower when tested against human non-tumourigenic breast (184B5) and lung (NL 20) cells, suggesting selective antitumour activity. Furthermore, its potency in MCF-7 and A549 cell lines was greater than the effects of doxorubicin, a clinically established cancer chemotherapeutic agent, which showed an IC50 value of 0.18 ± 0.03 and 0.63 ± 0.21 μg/mL, respectively, against the two cell lines. The selective cytotoxic action of the LAAO was confirmed by phycoerythrin (PE) annexin V/7-amino-actinomycin ( AAD) apoptotic assay, in which a significant increase in apoptotic cells was observed in LAAO-treated tumour cells than in their non-tumourigenic counterparts. The ability of LAAO to induce apoptosis in tumour cells was further demonstrated using caspase-3/7 and DNA fragmentation assays. We also determined that this enzyme may target oxidative stress in its killing of tumour cells, as its cytotoxicity was significantly reduced in the presence of catalase (a H2O2 scavenger). In view of its heat stability and selective and potent cytotoxic action on cancer cells, king cobra venom LAAO can be potentially developed for treating solid tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the quantum point contact between the topological superconductor and the helical Luttinger liquid. The effects of the electron-electron interactions in the helical Luttinger liquid on the low-energy physics of this system are analyzed by the renormalization group. Among the various couplings at the point contact which arises from the tunneling via the Majorana edge channel, the induced backscattering in the helical Luttinger liquid is the most relevant for repulsive interactions. Hence, at low temperatures, the helical Luttinger liquid is effectively cut into two separated half wires. As a result, the low-temperature physics is described by a fixed point consisting of two leads coupled to the topological superconductor, and the electrical transport properties through the point contact at low temperature and low bias are dominated by the tunneling via the Majorana edge channel. We compute the temperature dependence of the zero-bias tunneling conductance and study the full counting statistics for the tunneling current at zero temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Condition assessment for power transformer requires not only integrating the known artificial intelligence (AI) technology, but also exploiting the interrelation of the measured data. According to the association rule of information data and the variable weight synthesizing theory of factor spaces, an assessment method of transformer condition was proposed in this paper. Via analyzing the interrelation of the independent status parameters (ISP) and transformer fault types, the set of synthetic status parameters (SSP) can be built up. For avoiding interference from subjective experience, association rule theory was used to calculate the constant weight coefficients (CWC) of the ISPs. Since the true transformer condition may not always be accurately reflected under the condition of CWCs of a few SSPs, the method of variable weight synthesizing was used for computing the variable weight coefficients (VWC) of the SSPs. Then, combining with the existing maintenance procedures, a preferable condition assessing system of power transformer was proposed. Operational example proved the condition assessing system may reflect the real operation condition of power transformer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Diffuse discharge in atmospheric air can generate extremely high power density and large-scale non-thermal plasma. An achievable method of generating diffuse discharge is reported in this paper. Based on the resonance theory, a compact high-voltage repetitive nanosecond pulse generator (HRNPG) has been developed as discharge excitation source. The HRNPG mainly consists of repetitive charging circuit, Tesla transformer and sharpening switch. With the voltage lower than 1.0 kV, the primary repetitive charging circuit comprises two fast thyristors as low-voltage switches. A spiral Tesla transformer is designed to provide a peak transformation ratio of more than 100. The HRNPG prototype is capable of generating a pulse with over 100 kV peak voltage and ∼30 ns rise-time at the repetition frequency of 500 Hz. Using the copper line electrodes with a diameter of 0.4 mm, the gaps with highly non-uniform electric field are structured. With the suitable gap spacing and applied pulse, the glow-like diffuse discharge has been generated in line-type and ring-type electrode pairs. Some typical images are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a quantum dot coupled to two edge states of a quantum spin Hall insulator through electron tunnelings in the presence of a Rashba spin-orbital interaction induced by an external electric field. We show that if the electron interactions on the edge states are repulsive, there are two possible phases, depending on the Luttinger liquid parameter K. For 1/2

Starting from the updated requirements of an advanced laser system, a switch–trigger system for a 2.0-MJ pulsed power supply (PPS) module is developed. This paper discusses the design, construction, and testing of this switch–trigger system. The two-electrode construction for the spark gap switch is selected because of its superiority in terms of long working life, high peak currents, and fast rise time of currents. The trigger generator based on resonant charging of a pulse transformer is constructed. A magnetic isolator and a pressure controller are the auxiliary equipment of this system. In the section based on mathematical principles, the equations of the lifetime and stability of this spark gap switch with graphite electrodes are given. These expressions can be regarded as the design basis of the same type of switch. As for the trigger generator, the analysis states that an appropriate ratio can be obtained when using the resonant charging based on a core-type pulse transformer. The charging time is dependent on the leakage inductance and the capacitance of the primary and secondary capacitors. Extensive testing proves the operating parameters of the switches and the trigger generator. The measured discharge current waveform of the 2.0-MJ capacitive PPS module is demonstrated to be over 500 kA peak current and 500 \mus pulse width. The life test proves that the switch–trigger system can support more than 200 kC transfer charge. By replacing the electrodes, the lifetime of this switch can be extended furthrer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: Individuals deal with dying and death differently and may not experience the same journey. We investigated Kübler-Ross' Five Stages of Grief on terminally ill patients to review the current applicability of the model among this population. The aims of this paper is to share information regarding the Five Stages of Grief, the emotions associated with the stages, and the challenges that terminally ill patients, namely those diagnosed with cancer, experience. Methods: Non-structured interviews were conducted among terminally ill patients located at the palliative ward for two years. Results: We found that terminally ill patients at the palliative ward were undergoing the Five Stages of Grief, and that the emotions associated with the stages were reported to be similar to the emotions proposed in the model and among the patients. Conclusion: Kübler-Ross' Five Stages of Grief is still applicable among terminally ill patients. The thoughts regarding dying and death still remain negative, therefore, the change in the myths of dying and death are required to help improve the journey towards death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate theoretically the nonequilibrium finite-frequency current noise in a four-terminal quantum point contact of interacting helical edge states at a finite bias voltage. Special focus is put on the effects of the single-particle and two-particle scattering between the two helical edge states on the fractional charge quasiparticle excitations shown in the nonequilibrium current noise spectra. Via the Keldysh perturbative approach, we find that the effects of the single-particle and the two-particle scattering processes on the current noise depend sensitively on the Luttinger liquid parameter. Moreover, the Fano factors for the auto- and cross correlations of the currents in the terminals are distinct from the ones for tunneling between the chiral edge states in the quantum Hall liquid. The current noise spectra in the single-particle-scattering-dominated and the two-particle-scattering-dominated regime are shown. Experimental implications of our results on the transport through the helical edges in two-dimensional topological insulators are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]