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Probiotics have been documented to promote growth, immunity, and disease resistance in farmed fish. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate single or conjoint effects of some lactic acid bacteria (LAB), namely, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and Enterococcus faecalis on the growth performance, immune response, and disease resistance of Carassius auratus. Fish were fed a basal diet supplemented with L. lactis (group B), L. rhamnosus (group C), E. faecalis (group D), L. lactis + L. rhamnosus (group E), L. rhamnosus + E. faecalis (group F), L. lactis + E. faecalis (group G), and L. lactis + L. rhamnosus + E. faecalis (group H) at 5.0 × 108 CFU/g diet for 34 days. After feeding, the final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and survival had significantly increased (p < 0.05) for group E. The results indicated that single or conjoint administration of LAB induced high levels of IgM, LZM, AKP, and SOD activity in serum, which may effectively induce humoral immunity, and group E induced even higher levels. At the same time, when compared to the basal diet (group A), the results of qPCR showed that probiotic administration significantly upregulated (p < 0.05) the expression of IL-10, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IFN-γ in the spleen, kidney, liver, and intestine of C. auratus. After challenge with the Aeromonas hydrophila, the survival rates in all probiotic-fed groups were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of group A, and the relative protection rates of groups B, C, D, E, F, G, and H were 27%, 30.7%, 40.94%, 42.32%, 39.38%, 33.61%, and 37.5%, respectively. Our data indicated that probiotics could promote growth, enhance immune indicators, and enhance immune capacity. In summary, combined administration of probiotics had a better effect on C. auratus. This experiment could provide a reference for the optimal combination of probiotic additives for aquatic animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Battery thermal management is studied with phase-change materials and heat pipes; • Phase change materials improve the temperature uniformity of the battery pack; • Phase change-heat pipe cooling reduces by 22.3% battery temperature than using air; • Phase change material RT31 reduces by 11.8 % battery temperature at 5–50 W·m−2·K−1; • Short circuit of combination cooling reduces by 29.9% temperature than air cooling. Lithium-ion battery packs generate high-level heat under harsh and rigorous conditions. The inadequate heat dissipation results in high pack temperature above the safe operating range. This study investigates an efficient and cost-effective battery thermal management system based on phase change materials and a micro heat pipe array. The battery is treated as a single domain. A battery pack with six series stacked batteries is analyzed using the Newman-Tiedemann-Gu-Kim model. The thermal performance of a battery thermal management system is analyzed using phase change materials with various melting temperature values, ambient temperature, and convective heat transfer coefficients of micro heat pipe arrays. Results show that the maximum temperature of the cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays and phase change materials is 33.8 °C, which is reduced by 22.3 % and 7.8 % compared to the air-cooled and cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays. At forced convection of 50 W·m−2·K−1, the maximum battery temperature values for the phase change material RT31, RT35, and RT42 are reduced by 11.8 %, 8.9 %, and 5.4 % compared to those at forced convection of 5 W·m−2·K−1. Under short-circuit conditions, the cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays and cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays − phase change materials reduce the maximum battery temperature by 12.4 % and 29.9 % compared to the air-cooled system. Results show that the developed model for the battery thermal management system provides a reference for designing phase change materials with micro heat pipe arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For ultra-high-resolution (UHR) squint spotlight airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR), the severe range-azimuth coupling caused by squint mode and the spatial and frequency dependence of the motion error brought by ultra-wide bandwidth both make it difficult to obtain satisfactory imaging results. Although some autofocus methods for squint airborne SAR have been presented in the published literature, their practical applicability in UHR situations remains limited. In this article, a new 2D wavenumber domain autofocus method combined with the Omega-K algorithm dedicated to UHR squint spotlight airborne SAR is proposed. First, we analyze the dependence of range envelope shift error (RESE) and range defocus on the squint angle and then propose a new spectrum modification strategy, after which the spectrum transforms into a quasi-side-looking one. The accuracy of estimation and compensation can be improved significantly in this way. Then, the 2D phase error can be calculated with the 1D estimated error by the mapping relationship, and after that the 2D compensation is performed in the wavenumber domain. Furthermore, the image-blocking technique and range-dependent motion error compensation method are embedded to accommodate the spatial-variant motion error for UHR cases. Simulations are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone metastases from solid tumors and multiple myeloma (MM) represent an important source of morbidity. The present meta-analysis was performed with the purpose of comparing the efficacy and tolerability of denosumab versus zoledronic acid (ZA) in the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with bone metastases secondary to solid tumors or bone lesions in multiple myeloma. We searched PubMed, PubMed Central, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for relevant studies published until April 23, 2020. We included randomized, controlled trials that investigated the efficacy and tolerability of denosumab 120 mg SC versus ZA 4 mg IV, given every 4 weeks, in patients with bone lesions in multiple myeloma or bone metastases secondary to advanced solid tumors. Two reviewers independently identified studies, assessed the risk for bias, and extracted the data. Times to event outcomes were analyzed using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We analyzed tolerability outcomes using risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs, with a fixed-effects model. Four randomized, controlled trials (7379 patients) were identified as suitable for analysis. The pooled data indicated that denosumab was more favorable than ZA in delaying the time to first on-study SRE (HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80–0.93; P = 0.0001) as well as the time to first and subsequent on-study SREs (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76–0.90; P < 0.0001); however, the results on overall survival and disease progression were similar between the 2 drugs. Additionally, denosumab was associated with lower risks for bone pain (risk ratio [RR] = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80–0.97; P = 0.01), osteonecrosis of the jaw (RR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61–0.93; P = 0.007), and acute-phase reactions (RR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40–0.56; P < 0.00001). Compared with ZA, denosumab demonstrated efficacy in significantly delaying on-study SREs. Furthermore, it showed a better tolerability profile, despite being associated with potential yet manageable adverse events. This study was registered with PROSPERO (identifier: CRD42019126390). • Bone health is a crucial component in cancer care. The present study was focused on bone-targeted agents [denosumab versus zoledronic acid (ZA)] for preventing skeletal-related events (SREs) in vulnerable cancer patients. • Considering the NCCN clinical guidelines for bone health, denosumab represents a potential novel treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This study included the recent findings of MM and included an RCT of 1718 patients. • In this paper, febrile neutropenia, pyrexia and myalgia were first added in the discussion of safety profile of the two bone-targeted agents. These outcomes are meaningful to patients' clinical situation. • Compared with ZA, denosumab demonstrated superior efficacy in significantly delaying the first and subsequent on-study SREs. Further, it showed a better safety profile in bone pain, osteonecrosis of the jaw and acute-phase reactions. The results suggested a clinical potential to apply denosumab in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Erbium-doped fiber lasers are normally actively mode-locked through amplitude modulation or phase modulation. In this paper, we demonstrate that the laser can also be mode-locked by employing polarization modulation with a polarization-dependent cavity loss. We obtain a nearly transform-limited mode-locked pulse train at 10GHz repetition rate with timing jitter as low as 164fs. The timing jitter is only limited by the timing jitter of the driving signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic illness involving the central nervous system (CNS) that is characterised by inflammation, demyelination, and degenerative changes. Dalfampridine is one of the available treatments for MS symptoms and comorbidities. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the safety and benefits of dalfampridine versus placebo in MS by summarising data deriving from previously published clinical randomised controlled studies (RCTs).Results: A total of 9 RCTs were included in this meta-analysis, involving 1691 participants. There were significant differences between dalfampridine and placebo in terms of decreased 12-item Multiple Sclerosis Walking Scale score (weighted mean difference [WMD] =  - 3.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] [- 5.55, - 1.80], p = 0.0001), improved response to the timed 25-foot walk test (relative risk [RR] = 2.57, 95% CI [1.04, 6.33], p = 0.04), increased 6-min walk test (WMD = 18.40, 95% CI [1.30, 35.51], p = 0.03), increased 9-Hole Peg Test score (WMD = 1.33, 95% CI [0.60, 2.05], p = 0.0004), and increased Symbol Digit Modalities Test score (WMD = 4.47, 95% CI [3.91, 5.02], p < 0.00001). Significant differences in the incidence of side effects were also observed (RR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.04, 1.21], p = 0.002).Conclusion: Dalfampridine exerts positive effects on walking ability, finger dexterity, and cognitive function. Treatment should be administered under the guidance of a physician or pharmacist given the higher incidence of adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microwave photonic synthetic aperture radar (MWP-SAR) offers a larger signal bandwidth than conventional SAR, and its theoretical resolution can be improved to centimeter level. To achieve same order of magnitude resolution in the azimuth direction, long synthetic aperture is always required, which results in extremely high requirements for the accuracy of imaging procedure. Compared with the conventional SAR imaging algorithms, two major problems should be considered: 1) the scattering characteristics of target might vary from the frequency of signal and the angle of incidence, which seriously affects the coherence of received echo and 2) the imaging of the MWP-SAR system is more sensitive to motion errors and therefore requires higher accuracy of motion compensation processing. To solve the above issues, a high-precision imaging method for MWP-SAR is proposed. First, based on the attribute scattering center (ASC) model, this article analyzes the target scattering characteristics with different frequencies and incident angles. Then, according to the influence of scattering phase on MWP-SAR imaging, an optimal subaperture division algorithm is proposed to guarantee the coherence of each subaperture data and better imaging results. Furthermore, to compensate for the effects of high-order motion errors, this article proposes a motion error estimation algorithm based on subimage registration, where the full-aperture high-order motion errors can be divided into multiple linear components, and the flight trajectory of platform can be accurately reconstructed. Finally, a full-aperture time-domain high-precision imaging method is presented, and the effectiveness of the proposed formation is verified by both simulation and actual airborne MWP-SAR data processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and graphene were studied with first-principles calculations. Both SWNTs and single-layer graphene (SLG) or double-layer graphene (DLG) display more remarkable deformations with the increase of SWNT diameter, which implies a stronger interaction between SWNTs and graphene. Besides, in DLG, deformation of the upper-layer graphene is less than in SLG. Zigzag SWNTs show stronger interactions with SLG than armchair SWNTs, whereas the order is reversed for DLG, which can be interpreted by the mechanical properties of SWNTs and graphene. Density of states and band structures were also studied, and it was found that the interaction between a SWNT and graphene is not strong enough to bring about obvious influence on the electronic structures of SWNTs. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonant Raman spectroscopy can only detect on‐resonance single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) within the laser resonance window. In principle, surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy can expand the resonance window. However, detection of off‐resonance SWNTs by SERS remains challenging due to the difficulties in locating the SWNTs exactly at the hot spots with enormous SERS enhancements. Here, polyhedral gold nanocrystals (AuNCs) are in situ prepared on SWNTs for SERS detection via a facile ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method. The fact that the edges of the AuNCs attach to the SWNTs ensures the location of SWNTs perfectly at the SERS hot spots. Consequently, the enormous SERS enhancement enables a maximum enhancement factor of (3.4 ± 0.6) × 104 for an individual SWNT, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than the maximum reported in literatures. The detection ratio of SWNTs is also dramatically increased from 33% without SERS to 76% with SERS. The existence of the polyhedral AuNCs suppresses the antenna effects of the SWNTs and allows effective enhancements of the SWNTs under various polarization conditions. The enormous enhancements also enable the detection of several new Raman bands of the SWNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to assess the lung toxicity induced by the inhalation of different hard metal constituents and silica powder and screen for potential toxicity biomarkers. Rats were randomly divided into saline, cobalt, tungsten carbide, silica, and hard metal (HM) groups and were administered a single 10-mg dose of the respective treatments. After 8 weeks, the lung tissue structure in the HM group was deformed, numerous nucleated giant and epithelial-like cells appeared in the stroma, and the computed tomography scanning images appeared abnormal. Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, and TGF-β2 expression in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) significantly differed between the groups (p < 0.05). Serum KL-6 and TGF-β1, but not TGF-β2, levels significantly differed between some groups (p < 0.05). We observed multinucleated giant cells in the rat lung tissue. While the serum and BALF levels of KL-6 and TGF-β2 are not highly specific, TGF-β1 may be a valuable reference diagnostic marker in HM lung disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular nanoclusters containing Fe and Mo atoms have been used as catalyst precursors for the growth of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on stable temperature (ST)-cut quartz substrates by chemical vapor deposition. Attribute to the uniform catalyst nanoparticles and the confinement effect of the crystalline substrates, well-aligned SWNTs with narrow diameter distribution have been synthesized. Atomic force microscopy measurements show that the mean diameter of the nanotubes obtained by thermal decomposition of ethanol at 900°C is 0.76 ± 0.16 nm, which is the smallest among all reported results for aligned SWNTs. The mean diameter of the nanotubes increases with growth temperature. In addition to using identical nanoclusters as the catalyst precursors, the avoidance of annealing treatment of catalyst precursors is also a key point for obtaining SWNTs with controlled diameters. Using these identical nanoclusters as catalyst precursors and carefully tuning the growth parameters make us closer to the ultimate goal of controlling the chirality of SWNTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]