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Introduction: To compare the effect of bowel resection vs stripping on the clinical outcomes of patients with FIGO II–IV ovarian cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients with FIGO II–IV ovarian cancer who suffered from bowel involvement and underwent cytoreductive surgery between January 2014 and March 2022. Patients' survival was compared by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Four hundred and twelve patients were included. 48 patients underwent bowel resection (BR), and 364 patients underwent bowel tumor stripping (BTS). The BR group had longer operative duration, hospital stay, time to post-operative chemotherapy, and more intraoperative bleeding. The median PFS was 37 months (95% CI 12–62) in BTS compared to 25 months (95% CI 10–40) in BR among patients who achieved R0 resection (p = 0.590). Among those with R1 resection, the median PFS in BST was 23 months (95% CI 16–30) and that in BR was 15 months (95% CI 12–18, p = 0.136); moreover, a favorable median PFS was observed in BTS with residual bowel lesions (23 months, 95% CI 14–32), compared to BR (15 months, 95% CI 12–18, p = 0.144). Multivariate analysis indicated that FIGO stage, PCI, cytoreduction time and residual lesions were independent prognostic factors of PFS. Conclusion: For patients with FIGO stage II–IV ovarian cancer with bowel implicated, bowel resection is necessary to achieve complete removal to improve the survival. If complete resection was judged unfeasible, cautious decision of bowel resection is required. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy might reduce the ratio of bowel resection for some with mesenteric involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating the popularization and application of new energy vehicles (NEVs) is one of the important measures for the transportation industry to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction targets. The "dual carbon goal" (carbon peaking and carbon neutrality) further clarifies the NEVs as the direction of the automobile industry and presents more requests for the transportation. Aiming at the problems of uneven development of the new energy vehicle market and imbalance of supply and demand in the integrated market, a tripartite evolutionary game model was constructed based on the evolutionary game theory. In this model, the MATLAB simulation experiments is applied to explore the interaction mechanism among the government, automobile manufacturing enterprises and consumers under the dual credit policy, and the evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) of the model was obtained in this study. The results demonstrate that under the dual credit policy (corporate average fuel consumption and new energy vehicle credits), the results of the behaviour evolution game of the government, automobile manufacturers and consumers tend to choose the strategy of "strict regulation, production of NEVs, purchase of NEVs". At the same time, the cost of strict government regulation, the profit from reducing carbon emissions, the fact that small companies have to pay the government for producing fuel vehicles, and the profit consumers derive from taking a positive attitude are important factors affecting tripartite decision-making. The conclusions obtained in this study offer significantly references for targets for saving energy and reducing emissions and carbon neutrality in the transportation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Puerarin (Pue) and tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) are often used in combination in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Objective: To investigate the neuroprotective effect and synergic mechanism of Pue-Tan IIA on the treatment of ischaemic stroke (IS). Materials and methods: IS was induced in rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Rats were intraperitoneally injected with Pue (36 mg/kg), Tan IIA (7.2 mg/kg), or Pue-Tan IIA (36 and 7.2 mg/kg) for five times [30 min before ischaemia, immediately after reperfusion (0 h), 24, 48, and 72 h after reperfusion]. After administration, neurological function assessment and histological changes in the brain were performed. S-100b and NSE levels were measured to determine the severity of brain injury. Oxidative stress parameters and inflammatory mediators were measured. The proteins involved in Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway were determined by qRT-PCR and western blot. Results: After administration, the neurological function scores, infarct volume, S-100b, and NSE levels were significantly reduced in MCAO rats, especially with Pue-Tan IIA treatment (p<0.05). All treatments increased T-AOC, CAT, SOD, and GSH activities and reduced GSSG activity and MDA, TNF-a, IL-6, ICAM-1, and COX-2 levels in MCAO rats. Pue-Tan IIA significantly increased Nrf2 expression in the nucleus (1.81-fold) and decreased its expression in the cytoplasm (0.60-fold). Pue-Tan IIA significantly increased the expressions of HO-1 (1.87-fold) and NQO1 (1.76-fold) and decreased Keap1 expression (0.39-fold). Discussion and conclusions: The combination of Pue and Tan IIA could alleviate ischaemic brain injury by activating Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway, providing an experimental basis for clinical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TGF-β signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in controlling organogenesis during fetal development. Although the role of TGF-β signaling in promoting lung alveolar epithelial growth has been determined, mesenchymal TGF-β signaling in regulating lung development has not been studied in vivo due to a lack of genetic tools for specifically manipulating gene expression in lung mesenchymal cells. Therefore, the integral roles of TGF-β signaling in regulating lung development and congenital lung diseases are not completely understood. Using a Tbx4 lung enhancer-driven Tet-On inducible Cre transgenic mouse system, we have developed a mouse model in which lung mesenchyme-specific deletion of TGF-β receptor 2 gene (Tgfbr2) is achieved. Reduced airway branching accompanied by defective airway smooth muscle growth and later peripheral cystic lesions occurred when lung mesenchymal Tgfbr2 was deleted from embryonic day 13.5 to 15.5, resulting in postnatal death due to respiratory insufficiency. Although cell proliferation in both lung epithelium and mesenchyme was reduced, epithelial differentiation was not significantly affected. Tgfbr2 downstream Smad-independent ERK1/2 may mediate these mesenchymal effects of TGF-β signaling through the GSK3β-β-catenin-Wnt canonical pathway in fetal mouse lung. Our study suggests that Tgfbr2-mediated TGF-β signaling in prenatal lung mesenchyme is essential for lung development and maturation, and defective TGF-β signaling in lung mesenchyme may be related to abnormal airway branching morphogenesis and congenital airway cystic lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substitutional solute atom induced local lattice distortion (LLD) in dilute metal solid solution was believed to be uniform because the solute atom was supposed to occupy the high symmetry lattice site without breaking the point group symmetry of the crystal lattice. Contrary to this conventional picture, we report in this paper that substitutional Mo atom in Ti-Mo solid solution occupies an off-center position instead of the high symmetry lattice site and leads to highly non-uniform LLD, as evidenced by our first principles calculations. The physics underlying the off-center occupation and non-uniform LLD are shown to be the Jahn-Teller splitting of the degenerated d states of Mo atom. With which, the solid-solutions suffering from non-uniform LLD are predicted. The non-uniform LLD challenges the application of classical solid solution hardening model based on uniform LLD and spherical stress tensor assumption to this kind of solid solutions. This work also questions the traditional view that elementary substitutional solute atoms in metal solid solutions should not induce anelastic relaxation and internal friction. Image, graphical abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the engineering materials are alloys (solid solutions) and inevitably contain some impurities or defects such as vacancies. However, theoretical predictions of the hardness of this kind of materials have rarely been addressed in literature. In this paper, a hardness formula for multicomponent covalent solid solution is proposed based on the work of Sˇimunek and Vackárˇ [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 085501 (2006)]. With this formula, the composition dependence of the hardness is investigated for titanium nitrogencarbide (TiN1-xCx), off-stoichiometric transition-metal nitrides (TiN1-x and VN1-x), and B-doped semiconductors. The predicted hardness is in good agreement with experiments. To investigate the most frequently quoted correlation between hardness and elastic modulus, the elastic moduli of the systems involved in this paper have also been calculated. The results show that the elastic moduli cannot be used for rigorous predictions of the hardness of the solid solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an effective and low-cost way of Na-incorporation was used for grain-growth promotion in CIGSe films. If the CIGSe film was selenized with SLG as both substrate and cover, large-grained CIGSe film without fine grains was obtained. The PCE of corresponding CIGSe solar cell showed highest PCE of 11.5%, which is quite higher than our previous reported 9.5%. • Element precursor solution method was used to fabricate CIGSe solar cells. • The SLG cover was used as Na-incorporation way for grain-growth. • The SLG cover is beneficial for impure CISe phase elimination. • The SLG cover can promote the crystal growth of CIGSe film. • The fabricated CIGSe solar cells showed highest PCE of 11.5%. Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGSe) based solar cells have received considerable interests because they have reached the commercialization stage. High efficiency CIGSe based solar cells are often fabricated via post deposition treatment (PDT) with alkali metal element incorporation. In this work, we present an effective and low-cost way of Na-incorporation for photoelectric conversion efficiencies (PCE) promotion of CIGSe solar cells. Soda-lime glass (SLG) was used as both substrate and cover during the PDT procedure for Na doping. The effects of different substrate and cover on the grain size and phase composition of CIGSe films were studied in detail. The Na- incorporation from SLG significantly improved the grain growth, charge carrier density and V oc of CIGSe solar cells. At last, a best 11.53% PCE CIGSe solar cell was achieved at optimal condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors comment on a study that presents a physics-informed machine-learning approach for screening alloys with low thermal expansion coefficient within the iron-cobalt-nickel-chromium and iron-cobalt-nickel-chromium-copper composition space. They discuss a methodology developed by the researchers for training a machine-learning algorithm and used it to search for Invar materials, which have a very low coefficient of thermal expansion, among high-entropy alloys (HEA).

The article discusses research by Rao et al. reported in the October 7th Science issue, on the use of machine learning to identify materials with low thermal expansion coefficients within the iron-cobalt-nickel-chromium and iron-cobalt-nickel-chromium-copper composition space.The researchers used an artificial neural network to train a learning algorithm to generate a large number of candidate compositions with low thermal coefficients, leading to the discovery of 17 high-entropy alloys.

Background: Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) are a newly identified cell population with the potent capability to produce Th2-type cytokines in a non-antigen specific manner. Previous study demonstrated that enhanced circulating ILC2s in cat-allergic patient after experimental allergen challenge, whereas the effects of natural allergen exposure on peripheral ILC2s are still unclear. We therefore examined the variations in circulating ILC2s among asthmatic patients sensitized to different allergens in- and outside- pollen season. Methods: 10 patients sensitized to mugwort, 10 patients sensitized to house dust mites (HDM) and 12 healthy controls were recruited into this study. Blood samples were collected from the patients in- and outside- pollens season, 2-3 months apart. ILC2s (Lin-CD127+ CRTH2+) were enumerated by flow cytometry, as well as intracellular IL-5 and IL-13 expression. The levels of IL-5 and IL-13 in supernatants of Lineage- and Lineage+ cells stimulated with IL-25 and/ or IL-33 in the presence of IL-2 were measured using a Milliplex human cytokine array kit. Results: An obvious seasonal increases in percentages of total and IL-13+ ILC2s were observed in patients with mugwort sensitization during natural pollen exposure, however, the percentages of peripheral ILC2s in HDM-allergic patients were not affected significantly. A positive correlation between FeNO and IL-13+ILC2s was found in patients sensitized to mugwort. A mixture of IL-33 and IL-25 induced a significant production of IL-13 and IL-5 from Lineage- cells of both mugwort-allergic and HDM-allergic asthmatics. Stimulation with IL-33 alone induced a significantly greater quantity of IL-13 by Lineage-cells from mugwort-allergic asthmatic compared with that from HDM-allergic asthmatics, whereas IL-25 induced a significantly greater amount of IL-5 by the Lineage-cells from mugwort-allergic asthmatic compared with that from HDM-allergic asthmatics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In avian cooperative breeding systems, many benefits obtained by social pairs from the presence of helpers have been uncovered. However, until now, the factors that determine the type of assistance helpers provide and the responses of social pairs have not been well illustrated. We examined the contribution of helpers to cooperative groups and the relevant responses of dominant pairs in the azure-winged magpie Cyanapica cyana which breeds on the Tibetan Plateau. We used the capture-mark-recapture method to identify helpers. Results showed that helpers were mostly the yearling sons of dominant pairs. They mainly contributed to the cooperative group in three ways, courtship-feeding the incubation female, provisioning the brood, and defending the nest. For responses of dominant pairs, we unexpectedly found that clutch size was not influenced by the presence of helpers at the nest. However, cooperative groups had higher brood feeding rates than biparental nests and their feeding pattern also differed to that of the latter. Consequently, nestlings in cooperative groups had larger fledging body mass than that in biparental nests. By examining reasons for nest failure, we revealed that conspecific nest-raiding contributed to more nest failure than any other natural predators. Because of the contribution of helpers in defending against both predators and conspecific nest-raiders, cooperative groups had higher survival rate than biparental nests. Thus, our findings suggest that in a highly-clumped nesting pattern, factors concerning the risk of nest predation, rather than that influencing food supply, play an important role in determining helper effects and responses of aided dominant pairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a first-principles method is used to calculate the oxidation energies of Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 as well as the formation energy of oxygen vacancy in TiO 2 containing various alloying elements, in order to shed some light on the alloying effects on the oxidation resistance of γ -TiAl. Our calculations demonstrate that almost all alloying elements increase the oxidation energies of Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 . The alloying elements with number of d electrons from 2 to 5 in the forth and fifth rows of the periodic table (e.g., Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, Ta, W) increase significantly the oxidation energy difference between Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 , i.e., reduce the relative stability of Al 2 O 3 to TiO 2 . On the other hand, these alloying elements increase the formation energy of oxygen vacancy in TiO 2 . The effects of other alloying elements are less significant or opposite. Observing the experimental mass gains of TiAl alloys and unalloyed TiAl due to oxidation, we find that the elements reducing the relative stability of Al 2 O 3 to TiO 2 and increasing the formation energy of oxygen vacancy enhance the oxidation resistance of TiAl whereas others do not. Such correlations are rationalized by analyzing the alloying effects on the internal oxidation of Al in the γ -TiAl matrix and the diffusion of oxygen in TiO 2 surface scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dihydroisoxazole derivatives are well known as important nitrogen-containing five-membered heterocyclic compounds with various bioactivity. 3,5-Diphenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazole was synthesized by using CaO as solid basic catalyst. It was found that 72.1% yield of 3,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydroisoxazole was obtained at ratio of hydroxylamine/chalcone of 1.2:1 after 3h under reaction temperature of 65?. The reaction efficiency was greatly enhanced with the yield reaching to 88.2% when the CaO was modified by benzyl bromide in a simple way. The effects of modification and reaction conditions on yields as well as the mechanism were studied thoroughly. From the results of Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and Thermogravity analysis (TG) characterization, the modifier was found to bond on CaO surface chemically and almost no Ca(OH)2 formed during the modification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value range of fuzzy weighting exponent m is larger than 1 in the possibilistic C-means clustering (PCM). Through analysis and discussion on the PCM algorithm, we set the weighting exponent m as multiple independent variables, and extend the value ranges of the weighting exponents, thus obtaining a new clustering algorithm, named general possibilistic C-means clustering (GPCM). The new value scope of the GPCM's weighting exponents is proved theoretically, and the fuzzy membership of the samples is estimated by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The GPCM algorithm breaks the restriction of the PCM on parameter m, and simulation results demonstrate its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using first principles in combination with atomistic spin dynamics calculational methods, we determine the temperature-dependent free energies of the L21-and L10-Ni2(Mn1-xFex) Ga (0 ≤ x ≤ 1), including phonon vibrational and magnetic energies. The x-dependent martensitic phase transformation (MPT) temperature (TM) and the Curie temperature (TC) are well represented. It is found that, the abnormal nonmonotonic behavior of TM similar to x mainly originates from the phonon vibrational free energy. The magnetic energy, which does not change the trend of TM ~ x but decreases the driving force of the MPT, is indispensable as well to get reasonable TM values. This insight provides a good understanding of the physical mechanisms driving the MPT of Ni2(Mn1-xFex)Ga, and promotes the improvement of their magnetic shape memory properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined a possible mediating mechanism between servant leadership and the affective commitment in Chinese employees. Servant leadership, perceived organizational support, and affective commitment was assessed among 239 full-time employees in the Chinese public sector in three rounds of surveys. Servant leadership influenced affective commitment through perceived organizational support. The effect of servant leadership exists in Chinese culture as well as Western cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of cubic β/β0 phase improves significantly the ductility and workability of TiAl-based alloys. However, the ductility deteriorates with the precipitation of the ordered hexagonal ω0 phase in the β/β0 phase. To avoid the formation of the ω0 phase in alloy design, fundamentals about the β/β0 to ω0 phase transition and its alloying element dependence have to be known. In the present work, we investigated the phase transition and phase stability in Ti4Al3Nb and Ti4Al3Mo alloys using a first-principles method based on density functional theory. Our calculations indicate that for the β0 to ω0 transition, the "collapse-diffusion" pathway is easier than the "diffusion-collapse" one; however, both pathways are quite difficult due to the high-energy barriers. The pa to co" transition occurs through the "diffusion-collapse" pathway without an energy barrier (except for the activation energy for the short-range diffusion needed for atomic rearrangement). Comparing the total energies of different phases, we find that the ω0 phase of Ti4Al3Nb is more stable than β0 and vice versa for Ti4Al3Mo whereas the relative stability of ω" to β0 for Ti4Al3Nb is stronger than that for Ti4Al3Mo, indicating that the addition of Mo inhibits the transition from the β0- to the ω-related phases in Ti4Al3Nb. Our calculations demonstrate that ω" is more stable than ω0 for both Ti4Al3Nb and Ti4Al3Mo, in contrast to the previously proposed picture based on some experimental observations, the possible origins of which are discussed in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dichloromethane liquid droplets containing a cobalt dipyrromethene trimer deposited on a graphite surface were found to form coffee ring, toroid ring, or volcano dot structures due to the redistribution of the solute during solvent evaporation. The shapes and size distributions of the ring structures depended on the drying temperature. The shape differences were attributed to the fact that the solvent evaporation rate controlled the self-assembly process that yielded the coffee stain and pinhole structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrathin multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) films with self-assembled surface nano-islands on La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/(100) SrTiO3 substrates are fabricated by a one-step pulsed laser deposition process using the Bi-rich BFO target. It is revealed that these surface nano-islands mainly consist of conductive Bi2O3 outgrowths, which serve as top electrodes for the nanoscale BFO capacitor cells with lateral size of 10-30 nm. The ferroelectric BFO layer underneath these Bi2O3 nanoislands prefers certain complex domain structure with vertical and antiparallel polarization components (the so-called "anti-domain structure") and reduced domain switching fields. Moreover, these nanoscale capacitor cells exhibit the resistive switching IV behavior, offering opportunities for application in ultrahigh density non-volatile memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important unresolved problem associated with actomyosin motors is the role of Brownian motion in the process of force generation. On the basis of structural observations of myosins and actins, the widely held lever-arm hypothesis has been proposed, in which proteins are assumed to show sequential structural changes among observed and hypothesized structures to exert mechanical force. An alternative hypothesis, the Brownian motion hypothesis, has been supported by single-molecule experiments and emphasizes more on the roles of fluctuating protein movement. In this study, we address the long-standing controversy between the lever-arm hypothesis and the Brownian motion hypothesis through in silico observations of an actomyosin system. We study a system composed of myosin II and actin filament by calculating free-energy landscapes of actin-myosin interactions using the molecular dynamics method and by simulating transitions among dynamically changing free-energy landscapes using the Monte Carlo method. The results obtained by this combined multi-scale calculation show that myosin with inorganic phosphate (Pi) and ADP weakly binds to actin and that after releasing Pi and ADP, myosin moves along the actin filament toward the strong-binding site by exhibiting the biased Brownian motion, a behavior consistent with the observed single-molecular behavior of myosin. Conformational flexibility of loops at the actin-interface of myosin and the N-terminus of actin subunit is necessary for the distinct bias in the Brownian motion. Both the 5.5–11 nm displacement due to the biased Brownian motion and the 3–5 nm displacement due to lever-arm swing contribute to the net displacement of myosin. The calculated results further suggest that the recovery stroke of the lever arm plays an important role in enhancing the displacement of myosin through multiple cycles of ATP hydrolysis, suggesting a unified movement mechanism for various members of the myosin family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ab initio alloy theory, formulated within the exact muffin-tin orbitals method in combination with the coherent-potential approximation, is used to determine the elastic properties of Ni-Fe alloys with Fe:Ni ratio 1:3. The interplay between magnetic and chemical effects is investigated by computing the lattice parameters and the single- and polycrystal elastic moduli for different partially ordered structures in the ferro- and paramagnetic states. It is found that the influence of long-range chemical order on the bulk properties strongly depends on the magnetic state. The largest magnetic-order-induced changes are obtained for the chemically ordered L12 phase. The ferromagnetic L12 system possesses ~5.4% larger elastic Debye temperature than the paramagnetic L12 phase, which in turn has a similar ΘTD as the chemically disordered face-centered cubic phase in either the ferro- or paramagnetic state. It is concluded that magnetic ordering has a substantially larger impact on the bulk parameters of Ni3Fe than chemical ordering. The calculated trends are explained based on the electronic structure of nonmagnetic, ferromagnetic, and paramagnetic ordered and disordered phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic ordering and its effect on the physical stability of X2Mn1+xSn1−x (0≤x≤0.5, and X=Ru, Os, Co, Rh, Ni, Pd, Cu, and Ag) Heusler alloys are investigated systematically by the use of first-principles method. It is found that the ferromagnetic (FM) coupling between Mn on Mn sublattice (Mn1) and Mn on Sn sublattice (Mn2) is favorable over the antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling for X with the number of valence electrons [Nv(X)] of 8 and 9, and vice versa for X with Nv(X)=10 and 11, originated from the competition of the exchange interactions between X-Mn2 and Mn1-Mn2. In comparison with the FM Mn1-Mn2 coupling, the AFM coupling decreases significantly the shear elastic constant C′ but increases slightly C44, which results in increasing elastic anisotropy (A=C44/C′) and consequently may facilitate the tetragonal shear lattice deformation. The hybridization of the minority electronic states between X d and Sn p plays a dominant role on the orientation of the magnetic coupling. The smaller change of the density of states in the Fermi level, induced by the lattice distortion for C′, corresponds to the softer C′ as well as the larger A in the AFM state than the FM one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ab initio calculations are employed to determine the lower and upper bounds of the interfacial energy and work of separation of a fcc-Ag/bcc-Fe interface. The strain-free interfacial energy of the coherent interface is taken as the lower bound and the interfacial energy of the commensurate incoherent interface as the upper bound of the interfacial energy of a realistic semicoherent interface. The latter is estimated by applying an averaging scheme based on the interfacial energies obtained for the coherent interfaces. Similar calculations are performed for determining the bounds of the work of separation. We justify the use of the averaging scheme by carrying out large supercell calculations for a semicoherent interface. For a Fe(110)/Ag(111) semicoherent interface, we show that taking either Fe or Ag as the underlying lattice, our averaging scheme can yield a reasonable estimation of the work of separation of the semicoherent interface. However, when taking Ag as the underlying lattice, the averaged interfacial energy of the semicoherent interface is significantly underestimated due to the magnetism. The structure and magnetism at the coherent and semicoherent interfaces are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stacking fault energy (SFE) plays an important role in the plastic deformation of metals. As compared to those of face-centered cubic metals, the SFEs of hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals are less reported in literature. In this paper, we derive the expressions of four types (I 1, I 2, E and T 2) of basal plane SFEs of hcp metals in terms of the interlayer interaction energies within the framework of the Ising model. The SFEs of 14 kinds of hcp metals are then evaluated with the interlayer interaction energies extracted from the total energies of four prototypes calculated by using the first-principles full-potential augmented plane-wave method. We show that the hcp metals can be divided into three types according to their interlayer interaction energies. For all the hcp metals involved in this study, I 1 has the lowest SFE, whereas E has the highest. The metals (Mg, Co, Zn and Cd) with principal slip system (0001) generally have low basal plane SFEs. The I 1 and T 2 SFEs increase linearly with the energy difference between double hexagonal close-packed and hcp structures, whereas the I 2 and E SFEs increase linearly with the energy difference between the short-period twin and hcp structures, indicating a trivial contribution of the interaction energy between atomic layers over third nearest neighbors to the SFEs. The SFEs also correlate with the cohesive energy density (cohesive energy of unit volume) with the exception of Be, Co, Tc and Re. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The traditional Chinese medicine bufalin, extracted from toad's skin, has been demonstrated to exert anticancer activities in various kinds of human cancers. The mechanisms of action lie in its capacity to induce apoptosis, or termed type I programmed cell death (PCD). However, type II PCD, or autophagy, participates in cancer proliferation, progression, and relapse, as well. Recent studies on autophagy seem to be controversial because of the dual roles of autophagy in cancer survival and death. In good agreement with previous studies, we found that 100 nM bufalin induced extensive HepG2 cell apoptosis. However, we also noticed bufalin triggered autophagy and enhanced Beclin-1 expression, LC3-I to LC3-II conversion, as well as decreased p62 expression and mTOR signaling activation in HepG2 cells. Blockage of autophagy by selective inhibitor 3-MA decreased apoptotic ratio in bufalin-treated HepG2 cells, suggesting a proapoptotic role of bufalin-induced autophagy. Furthermore, we investigated the underlying mechanisms of bufalin-induced autophagy. Bufalin treatment dose-dependently promoted AMPK phosphorylation while AMPK inhibition by compound C significantly attenuated bufalin-induced autophagy. Taken together, we report for the first time that bufalin induces HepG2 cells PCD, especially for autophagy, and the mechanism of action is, at least in part, AMPK-mTOR dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and -β2 are correlated with poorer prognosis in gastric cancer (GC), which act in both tumor and immune cells. However, their expressions in precancer and tumor-cell interactions with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) remain unclear. Protein levels of TGF-β1 and -β2 were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and corresponding mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 93 surgical and biopsy specimens. Serum TGF-β concentration was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. AGS and MKN45 cell lines were directly or indirectly cocultured with PBMCs in vitro. TGF-β and Smad molecules were detected after cocultures and the growths of GC cells and PBMCs were assessed by cell proliferation assay. The results showed positive staining for TGF-β1 was detected in 20% of control samples, 52.3% of precancer, 59.1% of early GC and 66.7% of advanced GC samples, correlated with lesion progression (χ² = 9.487, P = 0.002). All tissues were positive for TGF-β2. TGF-β1 mRNA levels were increased in advanced cancers, while TGF-β2 increased earlier. TGF-β1 mRNA levels were higher in tumor than in peritumor, which positively correlated with Smad2 and Smad7. Serum TGF-β levels were significantly higher in patients with early and advanced cancers compared to controls (TGF-β1 :50.08±4.38 and 45.76±5.00 vs. 27.78±6.11 ng/mL; TGF-β2:133.61±21.90 and 111.346±15.76 vs. 59.41±15.42 ng/mL, both P<0.05). The levels of TGF-β1 mRNA and cytokine secretion were higher in GC cells after direct coculture compared to indirect culture. TGF-β1 was decreased and TGF-β2 was increased in PBMCs after cocultures. Moreover, TGF-β1 inhibited the viability of PBMCs but not cancer cells. Collectively, neoplastic transformation may be an early event involving the increase of TGF-β1 in the general and local environment. TGF-β1 production is promoted by the direct interaction between GC cells and PBMCs, which might facilitate cancer development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure searches for new high-pressure phases of Y metal have been performed by using evolutionary algorithms in conjunction with a first-principles, pseudopotential plane-wave method based on density functional theory. The oFl6-Fddd and hP3-P3\2\ phases are predicted to be energetically favorable at pressures over 97 GPa. These two phases are shown to be dynamically stable by computing their phonon dispersions. We thus propose that oF\6-Fddd and hP3-P3]2l are the most probable crystal structures Y may take in the 97-206 GPa range. The superconducting critical temperatures (Tc) of the new phases are estimated using the Allen-Dynes formula. The Tc is predicted to decrease with increasing pressure over about 100 GPa, in sharp contrast to its observed monotonie increase under lower pressure. The electronic origins of the stabilities of the proposed high-pressure phases have also been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Entrepreneurial Attitude Orientation (EAO) scale is a multidimensional self-report measure of attitudes toward entrepreneurship. Few studies have tested the validity and reliability of the EAO scale in different social and cultural situations. the present study examined the generalizability of the EAO scale in a Chinese context using a two-wave survey. Exploratory factor analysis with the first wave data revealed a four-factor solution consistent with the original scale with 5 items removed. Confirmatory factor analysis of the secondary wave data verified the hypothesized model with a group of parameters and an overall satisfactory it. The analysis indicated that the Cronbach's a of the four subscales were similar to the values reported by the developers of the scale. However, the results of the test-retest r of the four subscales were lower than the original reports. The findings generally support the generalizability of the four-dimensional model of the EAO. Further research questions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitochondrial phosphate transporter (MPT) plays crucial roles in ATP production in plant cells. Three MPT genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report that the mRNA accumulations of AtMPTs were up-regulated by high salinity stress in A. thaliana seedlings. And the transgenic lines overexpressing AtMPTs displayed increased sensitivity to salt stress compared with the wild-type plants during seed germination and seedling establishment stages. ATP content and energy charge was higher in overexpressing plants than those in wild-type A. thaliana under salt stress. Accordingly, the salt- sensitive phenotype of overexpressing plants was recovered after the exogenous application of atractyloside due to the change of ATP content. Interestingly, Genevestigator survey and qRT-PCR analysis indicated a large number of genes, including those related to gibberellin synthesis could be regulated by the energy availability change under stress conditions in A. thaliana. Moreover, the exogenous application of uniconazole to overexpressing lines showed that gibberellin homeostasis was disturbed in the overexpressors. Our studies reveal a possible link between the ATP content mediated by AtMPTs and gibberellin metabolism in responses to high salinity stress in A. thaliana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ni2(Mn1-xFex)Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloy shows unusual composition-dependent martensitic transformation temperature (TM), namely, TM decreases with increasing e/a ratio. In hope of understanding this unusual behavior, we investigated the composition dependence of the heat of formation (Hf) and shear elastic modulus (C) of the cubic austenite as well as the stability of the five-layer modulated (5M) tetragonal martensite relative to the austenite, using first-principles exact muffin-tin orbital method in combination with coherent potential approximation. Our calculations demonstrated that Hf of the austenite increases with the Fe content x. C' increases slightly with x up to 0.05 but decreases thereafter. The composition dependence of both Hf and C' cannot fully account for the trend of TM against x although such correlations have been proposed in literature for other Ni-Mn-Ga based alloys. The structure of 5M martensite phase of Ni2(Mn1-xFex)Ga with 0 < x < 0.2 is determined by optimizing both the shear (changing c/a) and wavelike shuffle of atoms in (110) planes along [110] direction adopting the experimentally determined modulation function. The energy difference &Dgr;EAM between the austenite and 5M phases decreases with increasing x up to 0.05, following the lower &Dgr;EAM corresponding to lower TM rule. However, with x larger than 0.05, &Dgr;EAM increases, against the experimental TM ∼ x behavior. We propose that, if taking the temperature effect and the spin-orbital coupling into account, the &Dgr;EAM ∼ x curve might be altered and may explain the unusual composition dependence of Ni2(Mn1-xFex)Ga. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although the stacking fault energy (SFE) is a fundamental variable determining the minimum grain size (d min) obtainable in severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes, its accurate measurement is difficult. Here we establish the SFEs of binary Pd–Ag, Pd–Cu, Pt–Cu and Ni–Cu solid solutions using the axial interaction model and the supercell model in combination with first-principles theory. The two models yield consistent formation energies. For Pd–Ag, Pd–Cu and Ni–Cu, the theoretical SFEs agree well with those from the experimental measurements. For Pt–Cu no experimental results are available, and thus our calculated SFEs represent the first reasonable predictions. We discuss the correlation of the SFE and d min in SPD experiments and show that the d min values can be evaluated from first-principles calculations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening emergency if untreated. Consistent pulmonary hypertension also leads to arteries and ventricular remodeling. The clinical therapeutic strategy for pulmonary hypertension and the corresponding remodeling mainly interacts with NO, angiotensin II (Ang II) and elevated endothelin (ET) targets. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of polydatin on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension. It was observed that polydatin attenuated hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, reversed remodeling, and regulated NO, Ang II, ET contents in the serum and lung samples. However, forced activation of PKC signaling by its selective activator thymeleatoxin (THX) could abate the effects of polydatain. These results suggest that polydatin might be a promising candidate for hypoxic pulmonary treatment through interaction with PKC mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: On the basis of resistively-shunted junction dynamics, we study vortex dynamics in two-dimensional Josephson junction arrays with asymmetrically single and bimodulated periodic pinning potential for the full range of vortex density f. The ratchet effect occurring at a certain range of temperature, current, and f, is observed in our simulation. We explain the microscopic behavior behind this effect by analyzing the vortex distribution and interaction. The reversal of the ratchet effect can be observed at several f values for a small driven current. This effect is stronger when the asymmetric potential is simultaneously introduced in two directions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Genistein, a major phytoestrogen of soy, is considered a potential drug for the prevention and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis. Mounting evidence suggested a positive correlation between genistein consumption and bone health both in vivo and in vitro. Earlier studies have revealed that genistein acted as a natural estrogen analogue which activated estrogen receptor and exerted anti-osteoporotic effect. However, it remains unclear whether PTH, the most crucial hormone that regulates mineral homeostasis, participates in the process of genistein-mediated bone protection. In the present study, we compared the therapeutic effects between genistein and nilestriol and investigated whether PTH and its specific receptor PTHR1 altered in response to genistein-containing diet in the animal model of ovariectomy. Our results showed that genistein administration significantly improved femoral mechanical properties and alleviates femoral turnover Genistein at all doses (4.5 mg/kg, 9.0 mg/kg and 18.0 mg/kg per day, respectively) exerted improved bending strength and b-ALP limiting effects than nilestriol in the present study. However, genistein administration did not exert superior effects on bone protection than nilestriol. We also observed circulating PTH restoration in ovariectomized rats receiving genistein at the dose of 18 mg/kg per day. Meanwhile, PTHR1 abnormalities were attenuated in the presence of genistein as confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry. These findings strongly support the idea that besides serving as an estrogen, genistein could interact with PTH/PTHR1, causing a superior mineral restoring effect than nilestriol on certain circumstance. In conclusion, our study reported for the first time that the anti-osteoporotic effect of genistein is partly PTH/PTHR1-dependent. Genistein might be a potential option in the prevention and treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis with good tolerance, more clinical benefits and few undesirable side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influences of doping elements (Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Ta, Cr, Mo, W and Al) on the heats of formation of Nb, Nb5Si3 and Nb3Si have been studied using first-principles pseudopotential plane-wave method based on density functional theory. Site preferences of dopants in Nb5Si3 and Nb3Si intermetallics are first determined by comparing the heats of formation of the systems with different site occupations of the doping atoms. The partitionings of dopants between the equilibrium phases Nb and Nb5Si3 of Nb-Si in situ composites are then discussed and compared with experimental results. Phase partitioning behaviours of the alloying elements are found to depend strongly on the number of their valence electrons. By calculating the enthalpy of reaction regarding the eutectoid decomposition of Nb3Si phase, we conclude that Ta is a Nb3Si stabiliser while other dopants destabilise Nb3Si at the investigated concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural phase transitions of yttrium under high pressure up to 300 GPa have been studied by using the first-principles, pseudopotential plane-wave method based on density functional theory. The experimental rare-earth structure sequence with increasing pressure is successfully reproduced. The yet unknown distorted lace-centered cubic (dfcc) phase is determined to be of the R3̄m space group. In addition, the P6222 phase is predicted to be energetically more stable beyond the pressure range for dfcc. Accurate phonon-dispersion calculations demonstrate that the P6222 phase is dynamically stable beyond pressure of about 206 GPa. The corresponding projected band structures, density of states, and charge density differences are given in order to clarify the electronic origins of the stability of the P6222 phase under pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The alloying effects of Mn, Co and Nb on the stacking fault energy (SFE) of austenitic stainless steels, Fe–Cr–Ni with various Ni contents, are investigated via quantum–mechanical first-principles calculations. In the composition range (c Cr =20%, 8⩽ c Ni ⩽20%, 0⩽ c Mn, c Co, c Nb ⩽8%, balance Fe) studied here, it is found that Mn always decreases the SFE at 0K but increases it at room temperature in high-Ni (c Ni ≳16%) alloys. The SFE always decreases with increasing Co content. Niobium increases the SFE significantly in low-Ni alloys; however, this effect is strongly diminished in high-Ni alloys. The SFE-enhancing effect of Ni usually observed in Fe–Cr–Ni alloys is inverted to an SFE-decreasing effect by Nb for c Nb ≳3%. The revealed nonlinear composition dependencies are explained in terms of the peculiar magnetic contributions to the total SFE. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The origin of the superior high temperature strength of Ti-rich γ-TiAl with addition of Nb is a highly controversial issue. In this paper, we calculated the interaction energies between point defects in these alloys using a first-principles plane-wave pseudopotential method. It is found that, the nearest neighbouring Nb atoms on Al-sublattice (NbAl) repel whereas the next nearest neighbouring NbAl atoms attract each other, indicating that NbAl atoms may form short-range ordered structure. Based on this finding, we propose that the short-range order may be responsible for the high strength of the Ti-rich TiAl-Nb alloys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

For a given bounded domain Ω in RN with smooth boundary ∂Ω, we give sufficient conditions on f so that the m-Laplacian equation △mu = f(x, u, ∇u) admits a boundary blow-up solution u ∈ W1,p(Ω). Our main results are new and extend the results in J.V. Concalves and Angelo Roncalli [Boundary blow-up solutions for a class of elliptic equations on a bounded domain, Appl. Math. Comput. 182 (2006), pp. 13-23]. Our approach employs the method of lower-upper solution theorem, fixed point theory and weak comparison principle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

novel series of nonionic bolaamphiphiles-polyurethane amphiphilic block copolymers were synthesized by addition polymerization. Their chemical structures were characterized using FTIR and H-NMR spectra. The critical micelle concentration was determined by surface tensiometer and UV-vis absorption spectra. The surface behaviors of copolymers at air/water interface were also investigated including the effects of concentration, molecular structure, electrolytes, and rest time. The results show that these bolaform polyurethane amphiphilic block copolymers exhibited excellent surface activity: PU could attain surface tension as low as 35.6 mN m. According to the images of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), the copolymers could self-assemble star-like aggregates comprised of hydrophobic block PPO surrounded by hydrophilic block PEO. Moreover, variation of concentration, the weight fraction of the hydrophilic block (f), and the molecular weight of the copolymers could lead to the transformation of micelle (or premicelle) morphology. This provides a new and simple way to obtain nanoparticles with control over structure on the nanometer scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the entropy density near the event horizon, the result has been obtained that the thermal radiation of the black hole satisfies the generalized Stenfan-Boltzmann law. The derived generalized Stenfan-Boltzmann coefficient is no longer a constant, but a proportional coefficient related to the black hole mass, the black hole charge, the average radial effusion velocity of the radiation particles near the event horizon, the cut-off distance and the thin film thickness. For an extreme Reissner-Nordström black hole, radiation energy flux and radiation power are all equal to zero. Then, the generalized Stenfan-Boltzmann law will lead to a black hole remnant. In this paper, we have put forward a thermal particle model in curved space-time. By this model, the thermal radiation of the Reissner-Nordström black hole has been studied. The result shows that when the thin film thickness and the cut-off distance are both fixed for the Reissner-Nordström black hole, the radiation energy flux received by observer far away from the Reissner-Nordström black hole is proportional to the average radial effusion velocity of the radiation particles, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the observer and the black hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying the entropy density near the event horizon, we obtained the result that the radiation energy flux of the black hole is always proportional to the quartic of the temperature of its event horizon. That is to say, the thermal radiation of the black hole always satisfies the generalized Stefan–Boltzmann law. The derived generalized Stefan–Boltzmann coefficient is no longer a constant. When the cut-off distance and the thin film thickness are both fixed, it is a proportional coefficient which is related to the black hole mass, the kinds of radiation particles and space–time metric near the event horizon. In this paper, we have put forward a thermal particle model in curved space–time. By this model, the result has been obtained that when the thin film thickness and the cut-off distance are both fixed, the radiation energy flux received by observer far away from the Schwarzschild black hole is proportional to the average radial effusion velocity of the radiation particles in the thin film, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between the observer and the black hole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the existence of solutions for the quasilinear elliptic equation [image omitted] under Dirichlet boundary conditions, where Ω⊂RN is a bounded domain with smooth boundary. The most important fact here is that either g or f (or both of them) is singular at 0 if g(t), [image omitted] . By means of a direct variational approach, we establish the existence of a solution with [image omitted] -norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A causal model of a mechanism related to entrepreneurial decision making was built using information obtained from psychological questionnaires (the Entrepreneurial Alertness Questionnaire, Miao, 2006; The Prior Knowledge Questionnaire, derived from Shane, 2000, and 2 questionnaires developed by Miao - The Entrepreneurial Opportunity and Entrepreneurial Decision Making Questionnaire). Based on data from 327 entrepreneurs, the hypothesized structural equation model was validated. Results indicated that the individual psychological factors (entrepreneurial alertness and prior knowledge) were the antecedents of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition and influenced entrepreneurial decision-making criteria. Therefore, it was evident that opportunity recognition played a key mediating role in the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the framework of elastic theory, we study the vortex-lattice melting transitions in magnesium diboride for magnetic fields both parallel and perpendicular to the anisotropy axis. Using the parameters from experiments, the vortex-lattice melting lines in the H–T diagram are located systematically by various groups of Lindemann numbers. It is observed that the theoretical result for the vortex melting with parallel and perpendicular fields agrees well with the experimental data. Therefore, it is suggested that the phenomenological elastic theory is universal to various type-II superconductors, including two- and multi-band superconductors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The interaction energies between substitutional rare earth (RE) atoms, between RE and interstitial C, N, O, H atoms, as well as between RE and vacancies in α-Ti are calculated via first-principles density-functional theory with projector augmented-wave (PAW) pseudopotentials. The results show that the RE–vacancy and RE–RE interactions are attractive due to the weaker RE–Ti bond than the host Ti–Ti bond. All of the RE atoms investigated in this paper are repulsive to C and N, but attractive to H. RE–O interactions are repulsive for the light RE atoms, though the interactions are very weak for the heavy RE atoms. The mechanism underlying the interactions and their possible influence on the properties of Ti alloys are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Applying quantum tunneling method, this paper has studied the Hawking radiation of Garfinkle-Horowitz-Stromingen dilaton black hole. In this way, the emission rates of massless particles and massive particles tunneling across the event horizon of black holes is obtained. The result shows that the radiation spectrum of these two different kinds of outgoing particles is related to the change of Bekenstein-Hawking entropy, which is no longer precisely thermal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets with a thickness of about 2mm were prepared by using a unique hot rolling process which was featured by heating the rolls during rolling. Two different rolling routes were used to achieve the final thickness through 6 passes of rolling. The major rolling parameters were chosen as the same for both rolling routes except that the roll temperature was set to be 400°C for route A and the 1st to 4th passes of route B, but lowered to 350°C for the 5th and 6th passes of route B. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the alloy sheets were comparatively investigated. The results showed that dynamic recrystallization occurred during hot rolling, and by choosing the processing parameters appropriately the grain size could be refined steadily with increasing rolling passes. The final alloy sheet prepared by 6 passes of rolling via the rolling route B was featured by a very fine microstructure, with the grain size being 5μm in average. Correspondingly, it presented very high strength and tensile elongation, with its yield strength and tensile elongation achieving 206MPa and 26.4% in the transverse, and 196MPa and 27.6% in the rolling direction, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The composition-dependent elastic properties and electronic structure of off-stoichiometric TiNi with a B2 structure are investigated by using the first-principles exact muffin-tin orbitals method in combination with coherent potential approximation and first-principles plane-wave pseudopotential method (for computing bonding charge densities). The Zener anisotropy, c 44/c′, increases with increasing Ni contents, but is quite small, indicating a strong correlation between the softening of c 44 and c′ with decreasing temperature during martensitic transformation (MT). For the Ni-rich TiNi, c 44 increases with increasing Ni content whereas c′ decreases. On the Ti-rich side, both c 44 and c′ are insensitive to the composition. It was observed that larger c 44 corresponds to higher MT temperature, and the composition dependence of elastic modulus is discussed on the basis of the bonding charge densities and electronic density of states. We propose that the strong composition dependence of the elastic modulus of the Ni-rich TiNi can be attributed to the Coulomb static electronic repulsion between the antisite Ni atoms and their surroundings. The insensitivity of the elastic modulus of the Ti-rich TiNi to the composition is due to the absence of such repulsion between the Ti antisites and their nearest neighbors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]