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Coalbed methane (CBM) is an increasingly important unconventional natural gas. Production logging can provide important information about the production status of each layer in a CBM well, which is crucial for developing and adjusting development plans. However, currently, only open-hole logging is done for CBM wells, and there is no mature technology for production testing of wells that produce low amounts of gas. To address this issue, a new method has been proposed in this paper for measuring the production profile of CBM wells. This method is based on the pressure difference method and measures the gas–liquid two-phase flow in a 125 mm vertical rising circular tube. The researchers established a simulation model of the CBM wellbore pressure difference method and obtained four flow patterns: bubble flow, slug flow, churn flow, and annular flow. We studied the relationship between the pressure difference and gas and water flow rates at different positions and spacing between measuring points in the wellbore. A differential pressure flowmeter without a throttling device was developed, and gas–liquid dynamic experiments were carried out through a simulation experiment platform to verify the feasibility of the flowmeter. Two well field tests were conducted in Shanxi CBM fields using differential pressure flowmeters, which accurately and quantitatively measured the stratified gas production of CBM wells. This technology can help improve the productivity and development efficiency of CBM wells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Helium, a rare gas widely applied in high-tech fields, is a significant strategic resource in China. The foreign-trade dependence ratio of helium in China is 95%. The work reviewed the applications and market analysis of helium and reservoir modeling and distribution of helium in Changqing Gas Field as well as the helium extraction techniques from natural gases. According to the analysis of the component test and the dynamic monitoring of exploited gas wells and gas-gathering stations, the average helium content in Changqing Gas Field was 0.028%. Helium was rich in the northwest of Changqing Gas Field, but poor in the central and eastern regions. The helium volume contents in Qingyang Gas Field, Huanglong Gas Field, and the central, western, and southern regions of Sulige Gas Field have reached the industrial development standard. PetroChina performed the economic-feasibility evaluation and production-factor matching research on helium development and selected Changqing Gas Field as the demonstration for development. A large helium plant was established in Changqing Gas Field using the cryogenic method with/without membrane separation for helium extraction. Then, a helium development scheme was formulated and implemented to build the industry chain of helium in China. Changqing Gas Field is rich in helium resources. Developing helium has entered a strategic period with the technological advancement in extracting helium from natural gases and the increased prosperity of the international helium market. There are broad prospects and great benefits to exploiting helium resources in Changqing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large single-column billboards are vulnerable to wind hazards. The current building codes for the wind-resistant design of single-sided billboard structure is not applicable to multisided billboards. Therefore, there is a need to carry out comprehensive studies of the wind-resistant design of multisided billboards. This paper presents a comprehensive study of the wind loads and wind-induced responses of monopole three-sided billboard structures based on a series of wind tunnel tests. The aerodynamic testing was performed on a rigid billboard model to measure the wind-induced pressure on the rectangular billboard plates. The wind loads on the billboard in alongwind, crosswind, and torsional components were quantified. In addition, aeroelastic testing was performed for an aeroelastic model of the same structure to measure the dynamic wind-induced responses at the base of the supporting column. The stress at the base of the supporting column was calculated based on the measured responses. The result shows that the normal stress under the alongwind bending moment has a significant contribution to total normal stress, and the shear stresses caused by torsion and shear force can be ignored when calculating von Mises stress. The most unfavorable wind direction is 0° in terms of maximum von Mises stress. A theoretical framework is proposed to estimate the alongwind response in the 0° wind direction with the consideration of aerodynamic damping, and the framework was validated using the measurements. The results revealed the importance of the consideration of the aerodynamic damping and the resonant component. This study provides a comprehensive discussion of the wind loads and the analytical approach for the prediction of the wind-induced responses of monopole three-sided billboard structures, which can be used to design and assess the vulnerability of monopole three-sided billboard structures to wind hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The value of a cementation exponent, usually obtained by rock and electricity experiments, significantly affects the calculation of water saturation, thickness of the hydrocarbon reservoir, and recovery rate. The determination of the cementation exponent for porous-media reservoirs has been a challenge because of the limited core sampling. A new method was proposed to determine the value of cementation exponent for complex triple-porosity media reservoirs in the work. Firstly, the work discussed the effects of fractures and nonconnected vugs on the cementation exponent of the reservoir as well as the calculation method of the cementation exponent of the dual-porosity media reservoir. Then, a new model for calculating the cementation exponent of triple-porosity media reservoirs was derived by combining the Maxwell-Garnett theory and series-parallel theory, which matched with the real physical-experiment data of rocks. The results showed that the fractures decreased the cementation exponent of the reservoir but the vugs increased. The mixture of matrix pores, fractures, and vugs made the value of the cementation exponent of the triple-porosity media reservoir vary around 2.0. The conductivity of the triple-porosity media reservoir was the external macroscopic expression of the microscopic conductive network. The new calculation model of the cementation exponent proposed in the work could reasonably predict the cementation exponent of the strongly inhomogeneous triple-porosity media reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vascular adventitia contains numerous cell types including fibroblasts, adipocytes, inflammatory cells, and progenitors embedded within a complex extracellular matrix (ECM) network. In response to vascular injury, adventitial progenitors and fibroblasts become activated and exhibit increased proliferative capacity and differentiate into contractile cells that remodel the ECM. These processes can lead to vascular fibrosis and disease progression. Our previous work established that the ECM protein aortic carboxypeptidase-like protein (ACLP) promotes fibrotic remodeling in the lung and is activated by vascular injury. It is currently unknown what controls vascular adventitial cell differentiation and if ACLP has a role in this process. Using purified mouse aortic adventitia Sca1+ progenitors, ACLP repressed stem cell markers (CD34, KLF4) and upregulated smooth muscle actin (SMA) and collagen I expression. ACLP enhanced myocardin-related transcription factor A (MRTFA) activity in adventitial cells by promoting MRTFA nuclear translocation. Sca1 cells from MRTFA-null mice exhibited reduced SMA and collagen expression induced by ACLP, indicating Sca1 cell differentiation is regulated in part by the ACLP-MRTFA axis. We determined that ACLP induced vessel contraction and increased adventitial collagen in an explant model. Collectively these studies identified ACLP as a mediator of adventitial cellular differentiation, which may result in pathological vessel remodeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flow boiling of R1233zd(E) under counter-flow interconnected minichannel heat sink was studied experimentally. • Significant neighboring channel cooling dramatically alters flow pattern evolution. • The interconnected structure commendably improves the temperature uniformity of the heat sink. • Effective heat flux of 230.4 W/cm2 with 51.2% enhancement of heat transfer coefficient shown. • Reduction of pressure drop up to 48.5% and remarkable enhancement in coefficient of performance up to 56%. Two-phase mini/micro-channel heat sink is one of the most effective solutions to the heat dissipation of high-power electronic devices in a narrow space. Flow boiling instability and wall temperature nonuniformity are however the two notorious problems of two-phase mini/micro-channel heat sink that have hindered their practical applications to a large degree. This study proposed a counter-flow interconnected minichannel (CFIM) to improve the flow boiling stability and the temperature uniformity of a mechanically machined copper minichannel heat sink. Firstly, a comprehensive comparative study of CFIM and co-current minichannel (CCM) was carried out concerning two-phase flow patterns, boiling heat transfer characteristics, and wall temperature uniformity. Secondly, the effects of mass flux, subcooling and saturation temperature on the boiling heat transfer performance of the two kinds of heat sinks were further investigated. Experiments were carried out at a saturated temperature of 40 ∼ 50°C, mass flux of 291∼ 618 kg/(m2·s), and subcooling of 15 ∼ 30°C, using a new generation of environment-friendly coolant with a low boiling point, R1233zd(E). In particular, no backflow or partial dry-out is observed in the channel throughout all the tested conditions. Due to the mixing of fluid between adjacent channels with counter flow caused by interconnected slots in CFIM, low upstream vapor quality and high downstream vapor quality were avoided. Therefore, this counter-flow interconnected mechanism in the current design can be significantly enhanced in flow boiling stability and temperature uniformity, up to an effective heat flux of 230.4 W/cm2 with 51.2% increment of heat transfer coefficient, 56% increment of coefficient of performance (COP) and 48.5% reduction of pressure drop when compared with those of traditional CCM design. Overall, the research results have good guidance and reference for the application and research of two-phase minichannel heat sinks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overhead transmission line system is a typical wind-sensitive structure with high flexibility, light weight, and low structural damping. Wind-induced dynamic reaction of the transmission line system is a determining factor in structural design of the supporting tower. In this study, we employ a closed-form solution and a series of wind tunnel tests to investigate three-dimensional dynamic reaction of transmission lines bundled with an insulator in three types, including I-type, V-type, and strain-type. The response comprises the background and resonant component. It is found that the background component constitutes a major part of the response, and the resonant component is closely related to the first symmetric out-of-plane mode. Furthermore, the closed-form solution is discussed and validated by the aeroelastic wind tunnel testing in the frequency domain. Based on the experimental data, this study provides a theoretical method for predicting wind-induced loads on transmission tower structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the well logging requirements of horizontal stripper wells, the flow characteristics of the oil-water two-phase flow in the invisible horizontal tri-electrode capacitive sensor (HTCS) measurement pipeline are studied. First, an experimental device and a numerical validation model of a horizontal 20 mm glass pipeline are established to study the flow characteristics of the oil-water two-phase flow. Then, the flow characteristics of the horizontal oil-water two-phase flow in the measurement pipeline under different horizontal inclination angles are studied and the flow patterns and inclination angles suitable for the new tri-electrode capacitive sensor are discussed. Finally, using the horizontal oil-water two-phase flow loop platform of the largest oil and gas testing center in China, the dynamic response of the new capacitive sensor is studied under different inclination angles, flow rates, and water-cut conditions, and the dynamic response law is analyzed based on the simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind tunnel studies are conducted to investigate the wind load effect of a representative single-column-supported two-plate billboard structure. Firstly, synchronous pressure measurement on the billboard of a rigid model in wind tunnel is carried out. The alongwind, acrosswind and torsional loads at different wind directions are analyzed. Simplified pressure distributions causing alongwind and torsional loads at the most unfavorable wind directions are presented. Secondly, an aeroelastic model test is conducted and the response at the base of supporting column is obtained from force balance measurement. The measured responses are also compared with the analytical predictions to validate the effectiveness of analytical approach. This analysis sheds new insight on the aerodynamic admittance function and aerodynamic damping. A simplified approach for the analysis of torsional response is introduced in terms of effective eccentricity coefficient. This study provides comprehensive wind load testing data and analytical approach for prediction of wind-induced response of two-plate billboard structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Downbursts wind are believed to be responsible for most of weather-related transmission line failures worldwide. Based on a theoretical model of a hinged single-span transmission line structure under moving downbursts, this paper studies downburst -induced vibration of a multi-span transmission line-insulator system (MSTLIS). Firstly, a nonlinear analytical framework for quasi-static responses of the MSTLIS under moving downbursts is established, and linearized equations of the MSTLIS under moving downbursts with time-varying mean wind speeds are derived. Then, the influence line functions of the insulator tension and displacement of the MSTLIS are derived, based on which the quasi-static responses of the MSTLIS under fluctuating wind is calculated. A case study on a six-span transmission line-insulator subsystem is conducted. The proposed nonlinear analytical model and the approximate linearization approach is verified by finite element model (FEM) results. The proposed analytical framework with linear approximation is accurate and more efficient than FEM, and hence has a great potential for real application. • An analytical framework for quasi-static responses of the transmission lines under moving downbursts is established. • Approximate linearized longitudinal stiffness is used to develop a more efficient tension under time-varying mean wind. • The linearized influence line functions of the insulator tension and displacement under fluctuating wind are derived. • The proposed analytical framework with linear approximation is accurate and more efficient than finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses analysis of dynamic buffeting response of a hinged transmission line (conductor) under nonstationary wind excitations. The nonstationary wind speed is characterized by deterministic time-varying mean and stochastic fluctuating components. The wind load on the conductor is quantified using quasi-steady theory. The wind-induced response of the conductor is decomposed into deterministic time-varying mean and stochastic dynamic components. The time-varying mean response is determined by nonlinear static analysis with an analytical solution. The stochastic dynamic response is determined through quasi-static analysis in terms of influence function around the time-varying mean equilibrium. A closed-form formulation is presented for calculating time-varying standard derivation of response. The cumulative distribution function of the extreme response over a given time duration is then calculate using mean upcrossing rate theory of nonstationary random process. The effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed analytical framework are verified through response time history analysis using a nonlinear finite element model. The response characteristics of conductor under various nonstationary winds are examined through a parametric study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the estimation of buffeting response of overhead conductor based on random vibration theory with closed-form formulations. Special attention is placed on the determination of static deformation with consideration of geometric nonlinearity, and its influence on the dynamic modal properties, aerodynamic modal damping and buffeting response. The dynamic response around the static equilibrium is separated into background and resonant components, which are calculated by using influence function and modal analysis, respectively. The aerodynamic modal damping ratios are estimated in closed-form formulations in which the influence of static swing of the conductor plane is explicitly accounted. Example studies presented in this study illustrate the accuracy and effectiveness of this linear buffeting analysis framework through comparison with nonlinear finite element model (FEM) analysis in the time domain. The importance of consideration of static deformation is revealed for the prediction of alongwind displacement and tension, especially, the resonant response component. The contributions of modal responses to various resonant responses are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:: To describe a case of leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1 antibody-encephalitis presenting with psychosis.Methods:: Case report.Results:: A young man with leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1-antibody encephalitis initially presented with acute psychotic symptoms, short-term memory loss and faciobrachial dystonic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed hippocampal lesions. Electroencephalography revealed frontotemporal slowing of background activity.Conclusion:: Increased awareness of leucine-rich, glioma inactivated 1-antibody encephalitis may promote early recognition and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Rh(III)-catalyzed aromatic C–H bond carbenoid functionalization of triazenes by α-diazomalonates has been developed, with features of mild reaction condition and high efficiency. Furthermore, the functionalized triazenes could be subject to divergent synthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Rh(III)-catalyzed aldehyde C–H bond functionalization of salicylaldehydes with arylboronic acids has been developed, with features of mild reaction condition and high efficiency. Furthermore, the functionalized 2-hydroxybenzophenone could be subject to divergent synthesis of heterocycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of novel 3-triazolyl-quinolin-2-(1 H )-ones were synthesized in a one-pot, five-component condensation. In this event, a set of α-acylamino-amides were assembled from o-acylanilines, aldehydes, isocyanides and 2-azidoacetic acid. Subsequently, a Cu(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition on these azido-decorated Ugi products generated a triazole moiety and activated the neighboring methylene group, inducing an intramolecular Knoevenagel cyclization to finish the heterocyclic scaffold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain aphid ( Sitobion avenae F.) is the most dominant and destructive pest of wheat, which causes significant yield loss of cereal plants each year by inflicting damage both through the direct effects of feeding and by vectoring debilitating plant viruses. In this study, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing of grain aphid via Roche 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing. A total of 1,106,696 reads were obtained and assembled into 32,277 unigenes, of which 25,389, 21,635, and 16,211 unigenes matched the Nt, Nr, and Swiss-Prot databases, respectively. Functional annotation of these unigenes revealed not only the presence of genes that encode the key components of RNAi machinery such as Dicer and Argonaute but also the genes encoding the TAR RNA binding protein (TRBP) and the SID-1 protein, which function in assisting the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) formation in microRNA (miRNA) pathway and mediating a systemic RNA interference (RNAi) effect though a cellular uptake mechanism. Furthermore, among a set of 66 unigenes selected for a double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) artificial diet assay, four novel effective RNAi targets, which led to high mortality of aphids due to the down-regulation of the expression of the respective target gene, were identified. Moreover, the expansion of systemic RNAi effect in grain aphid was observed by adding the fluorescently labeled dsRNA in an artificial diet assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ca2+ channels are involved in the regulation of vascular functions. Angiotensin II is implicated in the development of atherosclerosis and vascular remodeling. In this study, we demonstrated that angiotensin II preferentially increased the expression of α1G, a T-type Ca2+ channel subunit, via AT1 receptors in endothelial cells. Angiotensin II-induced expression of α1G was inhibited by pretreatment with atorvastatin and the MEK1/2 inhibitor, PD98059. The effect of atorvastatin was reversed by mevalonate and farnesyl pyrophosphate which implicates the activation of the small GTP-binding protein, Ras. Our data indicate that angiotensin II induces α1G expression in endothelial cells via AT1 receptors, Ras and MEK. Angiotensin II-induced migration of endothelial cells in a wound healing model was inhibited by incubation with mibefradil, a T-type Ca2+ channel blocker. Our data indicate that angiotensin II induces T-type Ca2+ channels in endothelial cells, which may play a role in the development of vascular disorders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Patients receiving PD-(L)1 inhibitors frequently encounter unusual side effects known as immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, the correlation of irAEs development with clinical response in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is unknown. Method: This retrospective study enrolled 244 stage IV SCLC patients who receiving PD-(L)1 inhibitors from 3 cancer centers. The correlation of irAEs with objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results: 140 in 244 (57%) patients experienced irAEs, with 122 (87.1%) experiencing one and 18 (12.9%) experiencing two or more. Compared to patient without irAEs, those developing irAEs had higher ORR (73.6% vs. 52.9%, P < 0.001) and DCR (97.9% vs. 79.8%, P < 0.001), as well as prolonged median PFS (8.8 vs. 4.5 months, P < 0.001) and OS (23.2 vs. 21.6 months, P < 0.05). Among the different spectra of irAEs, thyroid dysfunction, rash, and pneumonitis were the most powerful indicator for improved PFS. When analyzed as a time-dependent covariate, the occurrence of irAEs was associated with significant improvement in PFS rather than in OS. Furthermore, patients experiencing multisystem irAEs displayed a longer PFS and OS compared with single-system irAEs and the irAE-free ones. IrAEs grade and steroid use did not impact the predictive value of irAEs on PFS. Conclusion: The presence of irAEs predicts superior clinical benefit in SCLC. Patients who develop multi-system irAEs may have an improved survival than those developed single-system irAEs and no-irAEs. This association persists even when systemic corticosteroids were used for irAEs management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The glandular trichomes of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) can efficiently produce secondary metabolites. They act as natural bioreactors, and their natural products function to protect plants against insect-pests and pathogens and are also components of industrial chemicals. To clarify the molecular mechanisms of tobacco glandular trichome development and secondary metabolic regulation, glandular trichomes and glandless trichomes, as well as other different developmental tissues, were used for RNA sequencing and analysis. Results: By comparing glandless and glandular trichomes with other tissues, we obtained differentially expressed genes. They were obviously enriched in KEGG pathways, such as cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis, flavonoid and isoflavonoid biosynthesis, terpenoid biosynthesis, and plant–pathogen interaction. In particular, the expression levels of genes related to the terpenoid, flavonoid, and wax biosynthesis pathway mainly showed down-regulation in glandless trichomes, implying that they lack the capability to synthesize certain exudate compounds. Among the differentially expressed genes, 234 transcription factors were found, including AP2-ERFs, MYBs, bHLHs, WRKYs, Homeoboxes (HD-ZIP), and C2H2-ZFs. These transcription factor and genes that highly expressed in trichomes or specially expressed in GT or GLT. Following the overexpression of R2R3-MYB transcription factor Nitab4.5_0011760g0030.1 in tobacco, an increase in the number of branched glandular trichomes was observed. Conclusions: Our data provide comprehensive gene expression information at the transcriptional level and an understanding of the regulatory pathways involved in glandular trichome development and secondary metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel HAp porous skeleton material with high pore homogeneity is prepared via nonaqueous precipitation method combined with medium-temperature induced intermolecular polycondensation. The obtained porous skeleton HAp material, which has characteristics of highly uniform hexagonal pore, is characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Pb2+ removal performance test. The results show that the porous skeleton material presents with a highly uniform hexagonal pore. Both of the pore sizes and pore wall particles sizes have the average values of about 350 nm, with a different sizes range of 120–680 nm and 120–780 nm, respectively. HAp porous skeleton material has Pb2+ ions removal performance almost equivalent to that of nano porous sheets, because of its very uniform distribution of elements and three-dimensional structure caused by the uniform connection of the penetrating structure, group assembly, and intermolecular condensation. HAp porous skeleton material has much better separation performance and can effectively avoid problems of secondary pollution and difficulty for separation. HAp porous skeleton material is expected to be a novel excellent adsorbent for Pb 2+ ions purifying in industrial wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of cores types on non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation synthesis of core-shell structured materials were investigated via taking case study on effects of carbon sources on C@ZrSiO 4 preparation. The influencing mechanism of carbon sources was investigated via XRD, FE-SEM, TEM and the CIELAB colorimeter. The results show that the optimized carbon source for non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation synthesis of C@ZrSiO 4 is amorphous and isolated spheroid-like carbon source. Neither layer-structured particle nor sheet-like particle can be effectively encapsulated through non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation method. The shell layer is difficult to be effectively encapsulated on the edges of the around of corresponding particle. In comparison with the higher crystallinity core, the amorphous core is more favorable for encapsulation. The core materials selection principles discovered in this work are expected to be widely referred in the preparation of other core-shell structural materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The aim of this study is to identify whether low lupus disease activity status (LLDAS) and clinical remission (CR) of belimumab plus standard of care (SoC) therapy are achievable goals in childhood-onset SLE (cSLE). Methods This multicentre, one arm pre-post intervention study was conducted at 15 centres in China. The primary end point was to describe the proportion of patients who achieved LLDAS and CR after 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment with belimumab plus SoC therapy. A multiple regression model was used to impute missing data. A Poisson regression model was used to calculate the effect of belimumab treatment on the reduced risk of serious diseases and the incidence of new damage. Result A total of 193 (92.2% female) with active cSLE from 15 centres were included. At 3, 6 and 12 months, the proportion of LLDAS (CR) was 12.4% (1.0%), 25.6% (4.5%) and 70.3% (29.7%), respectively. The mean SELENA-SLEDAI score decreased from 11.0 at baseline to 3.7, 2.9 and 1.7 at 3, 6 and 12 months. At baseline, all patients received steroids at a mean (s. d.) prednisone equivalent dose of 31.0 (18.2) mg/day, which decreased to 19.4 (10.8) mg/day at month 3, 12.6 (7.2) mg/day at month 6 and 6.7 (5.3) mg/day at month 12. The symptoms and immunological indicators were also significantly improved. Conclusion This is the first and largest sample size prospective clinical intervention study of cSLE patients treated with belimumab in China. LLDAS and CR were attainable treat-to-target of belimumab plus SoC therapy in cSLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel highly foldable HAp ceramic paper with fire retardancy but without fiber was fabricated via novel non-solvent displacement nonaqueous precipitation strategy. The obtained HAp ceramic paper, characterized by highly smooth and glossy, is characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), curlability test, moisture absorbency and Pb2+ removal performance test. The results show that the ceramic paper is very straight, uniform, and smooth with high curlability and low moisture absorption. No fiber is detected in the ceramic paper. No defect is either detected except for at the edge area. The HAp ceramic paper is grown along the (002) crystal plane of the hydroxyapatite phase from hexagonal plate like single crystal sheets. The ceramic paper loaded for four times has formed a clear four-layer-structured, with a total thickness of about 832 nm. The thickness of each layer is very uniform, with an average thickness of about 208 nm per layer. HAp ceramic paper has excellent Pb2+ ions removal performance, curling performance, moisture absorption performance and flame retardant performance. These performances confirm this novel HAp ceramic paper has superior properties over the traditional ceramic paper with fibers and shows great application prospect in various fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flow boiling under non-uniform heat flux is different from that under uniform heat flux. • Typical flow patterns of R245fa were studied and transition models were evaluated. • Effects of parameters on heat transfer coefficient were analyzed. • A new correlation of heat transfer under non-uniform heat flux was provided. The direct vapor generation with parabolic trough solar collector utilizing organic working fluids has a significant potential of large-scale application. In such a system, the non-uniform heat flux commonly exists outside the collector tube which would result in the unique characteristics of two-phase flow and moreover boiling heat transfer. However, few studies pay attention to the effects of the non-uniform heat flux on flow pattern transitions and flow boiling, which have important influence on the long-term stable operation of the system. Therefore, in this study, an experimental system was established to study the two-phase flow boiling of R-245fa in a horizontal tube under the condition of the non-uniform heat flux. The experiment was performed with the mass flow rate from 192.9 to 385.8 kg/(m2 s), heat fluxes from 9.95 to 35.9 kW/m2 and saturation temperatures from 40 to 60 °C. Using a high-speed camera and the image processing, the differences between the flow pattern with non-uniform and uniform heating were analyzed. A comparison study on four available flow pattern I/A transition lines in the literature has been demonstrated as well. The effects of vapor quality, mass velocity, saturation temperature and heat flux on the two-phase heat transfer coefficient were analyzed. Furthermore, based on the experimental data, the correlation of boiling heat transfer of R245fa under non-uniform heat flux was developed. The results indicate that under the same heat addition, the vapor quality where the non-uniform I/A phase transition is lower than the uniform one. Furthermore, the non-uniform heat flux makes R245fa in the tube easier to form nucleation sites, therefore the nucleation boiling can be significantly enhanced. Taking account of the strengthening factor "S" of nucleate boiling, the new correlation of boiling heat transfer can reproduce 94% of data sets under non-uniform heat flux within the uncertainty of ±20%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flow is a type of highly dangerous geological hazard, which can pose significant threat to the safety of various infrastructures including power transmission tower system. However, the performance of piled power transmission tower system against debris flow has yet to be well investigated. A validated coupled SPH-FEM method was employed to investigate the behavior of a typical piled power transmission tower system subjected to various debris flows, accounting for influencing factors of slope angle, sliding distance, and density and thickness of debris flow. The findings revealed that the incorporation of power transmission tower was important to accurately estimate the impact force and horizontal displacement of the pile and the frontal piles undertook more than 70% of the total impact force; among the factors considered, the slope angle and density were found to be more influential. After examining the performance of existing prediction methods, two semi-empirical equations were proposed for respectively estimating the maximum impact force and horizontal displacement of pile based on multivariate regression analysis. Furthermore, it was found that debris flows did not likely cause steel tower to directly experience structural damages; however, its pile foundation could suffer moderate to severe damages depending on the debris flow conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents chemical equations related to the article "Rh(III)-Catalyzed Aromatic C-H Bond Carbenoid Functionalization of Triazenes by α-Diazomalonate" by Dahai Wang and others, published in the journal "Tetrahedron" in 2016.

The reaction tolerates various functional groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling using β-nitroalkanes as the vinylating agents proceeds through a radical pathway under nitro group cleavage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various ketones are transformed into donor-donor diazo compounds, which sequentially incorporate benzamides under Rh(III) catalysis to generate N-substituted quaternary isoindolinones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the operating Chegongzhuang heat-supplying tunnel in Beijing, the reliability of its lining structure under the action of large thrust and thermal effect is studied. According to the characteristics of a heat-supplying tunnel service, a three-dimensional numerical analysis model was established based on the mechanical tests on the in-situ specimens. The stress and strain of the tunnel structure were obtained before and after the operation. Compared with the field monitoring data, the rationality of the model was verified. After extracting the internal force of the lining structure, the improved method of subset simulation was proposed as the performance function to calculate the reliability of the main control section of the tunnel. In contrast to the traditional calculation method, the analytic relationship between the sample numbers in the subset simulation method and Monte Carlo method was given. The results indicate that the lining structure is greatly influenced by coupling in the range of six meters from the fixed brackets, especially the tunnel floor. The improved subset simulation method can greatly save computation time and improve computational efficiency under the premise of ensuring the accuracy of calculation. It is suitable for the reliability calculation of tunnel engineering, because “the lower the probability, the more efficient the calculation.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequency analysis of tornadoes is very important for risk analysis and disaster control. In this paper, the annual frequency of tornadoes that occurred in the United States from 1967 to 2016 is analyzed. The simple analysis shows that frequencies of tornadoes of different sites are spatially correlated and over-dispersed. To explain the two characteristics of the data, the Bayesian hierarchical model is proposed. For comparison purposes, the Bayesian model with negative binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, Polya distribution, and first-order, non-negative, integer-valued autoregressive model with Bell innovations(BL-INAR(1)) are considered to fit the frequency of tornado. The distribution parameters of all sites are assumed to be spatially correlated, and the corresponding Bayesian hierarchical models were established. MCMC (Markov Chain Monte Carlo) method is applied to parameter estimations and relative statistical inference. By comparison of the analysis results, the negative binomial distribution is recommended to analyze the overdispersion and spatial correlation among the sites of the data. The comparison between the simulated frequencies based on the proposed model and the actual frequencies also verifies that the proposed method is a better model for the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Transthyretin was a better predictor of internal organ damage in IgAV than NLR. • IgAV patients with renal involvement had significant lower serum transthyretin level. • Low plasma transthyretin concentration was an independent risk for IgAVN. IgA vasculitis is characterized by inflammation of the blood vessels, which can result in microvascular destruction and consequently renal damage. Transthyretin is a newly discovered angiogenesis regulator in promoting microvascular regeneration. This indicates that transthyretin may act as a potential predictor of IgAV as well as IgAVN. This retrospective study included 125 patients newly diagnosed as IgAV with demographic and laboratory parameters. Of these, 78 patients had demonstrated internal organ damage and 47 patients with only skin and joint injury. Of 78 patients with organ impairment, 27 were diagnosed of renal involvement. Then we evaluated the relationship between NLR, total protein, albumin, globulin, transthyretin, B lymphocyte counts and the severity of IgAV. For patients with internal organ or renal involvement, the level of transthyretin were lower than non-internal organ damage group (p < 0.001 for both group). Remarkably, the NLR was only higher in patients with internal organ damage group (p = 0.019). Logistic regression analysis showed that NLR and transthyretin both were risk factors for internal organ involvement (OR = 1.768, 0.973 separately), and only transthyretin is the independent risk for renal involvement (OR = 0.981, p < 0.05). The ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.626 for NLR, 0.815 for transthyretin in predicting organ damage, 0.755 for transthyretin in patients with renal involvement (p < 0.05, to all parameters). Transthyretin is a better predictor in predicting internal organ or renal involvement than NLR, and low plasma transthyretin concentration can increase the risk of renal involvement in IgAV patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full aeroelastic model with one tower two lines to simulate electrical transmission tower-line system was established. Displacements and accelerations of the aeroelastic model of the tower with and without lines under various wind speeds were investigated through boundary layer wind tunnel tests, and the maximum wind loads on, and wind-induced destroyed mode of, the tower-line model were also observed. Meanwhile, the static and dynamic loads on electrical transmission tower transferred from lines were acquired by measuring the strains of the insulators at the ends of lines. The effects of coupling between electrical transmission tower and line on wind-induced vibrations of electrical transmission towers were investigated, and the pattern of wind induced responses along with wind speeds, as well as the characteristics of spectra of wind induced dynamic responses, of the aeroelastic model of the tower with and without line were analyzed. The experimental results indicate that the effects of coupling between transmission tower and line on wind-induced responses of the tower, as well as the across-wind vibration of the tower, must take into consideration in the wind-resistant design of electrical transmission tower; and the reinforcement at the weak parts of electrical transmission tower could effectively increase the survival ability of the tower under strong wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer adhesives have emerged as a promising dielectric passivation layer in hybrid bonding for 3D integration, but they raise misalignment problems during curing. In this work, the synergistic effect of oxygen plasma surface activation and wetting is utilized to achieve bonding between completed cured polyimides. The optimized process achieves a void-less bonding with a maximum shear strength of 35.3 MPa at a low temperature of 250 °C in merely 2 min, significantly shortening the bonding period and decreasing thermal stress. It is found that the plasma activation generates hydrophilic groups on the polyimide surface, and the wetting process further introduces more −OH groups and water molecules on the activated polyimide surface. The synergistic process of plasma activation and wetting facilitates the bridging of polyimide interfaces to achieve bonding, providing an alternative path for adhesive bonding in 3D integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to reduce the estimation uncertainty for the wind energy output, the accurate assessment of the wind speed distribution plays an important role. Due to the influence of the complex terrain, the wind speed data in mountainous area may show the heavy tail. The tail has an important effect on the annual energy production of the wind turbine because of the power output being the cubic of the wind speed. Hence the heavy tail should be highlighted before choosing the proper distributions. To characterize the heavy tail, the box plot, QQ plot and conditional mean exceedance are used. In addition, the wind climate in the mountainous area is very complicated and typically mixed by local storms and large-scale wind flows. The distribution of the wind speed is prone to exhibit bimodal or even multi-modal nature. The conventional unimodal distributions such as Weibull may not well portray these distributions. The mixture distribution has more flexibilities to handle this challenge. Both generalized extreme value distribution and generalized Pareto distribution are considered to formulate the mixture distribution in modeling the tail. The maximum likelihood method and the constrained maximum likelihood method are used to estimate distribution parameters. The comprehensive evaluation criteria are adopted to determine the most appropriate distribution of four sets of wind speed in the mountainous area of Yunnan, China. Graphical tools, such as histogram density curve and QQ plot, are also used for evaluation. Results show that heavy tail distribution should be considered for the wind data in mountainous areas and the proposed mixture model with the constrained maximum likelihood method for the parameter estimation will be superior for the wind energy potential estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shale gas exploration requires studies on the enrichment mechanism of sedimentary organic matter. The Lower Cambrian shale is taken as a study object to analyze the effect of organic matter on gas content using TOC content and porosity analyses, isothermal adsorption experiments, and FIB-HIM scanning electron microscopy observations. Then, we selected typical wells to determine the presence of excessive silica in the siliceous minerals by quantitative calculations. Besides, we analyzed the genesis of excessive siliceous minerals using elements including Al, Fe, and Mn, thus speculating the controlling factors of the redox environment and biological productivity. Results show that total organic carbon content controls the content of free and adsorbed gas, while shale gas mainly exists in organic pores and is developed in large numbers and with high roundness, showing the characteristics of "small pores inside big pores." In the Lower Yangtze region during the Early Cambrian, the excessive siliceous minerals were of hydrothermal origin, and there were frequent hydrothermal activities due to its closeness to plate boundaries. These activities can intensify the reducibility of the waterbody's bottom and improve the biological productivity on its surface, resulting in the enrichment of this matter. Most excessive silicon in this region is biogenic, while only a small part is of hydrothermal and biogenic mixed origin. The enclosed waterbody of the Upper Yangtze region was far from plate boundaries and close to the semiclosed "gulf," resulting in its delamination. The waterbody's surface was abundant with oxygen, thus increasing the biological productivity, while the high reducibility at the waterbody's bottom was conducive to preserving sedimentary organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong wind is one kind of the most destructive natural disasters devastating transmission towers. The damage and even collapse of transmission towers caused by strong winds occur frequently. Wind-induced fragility assessment of the transmission tower is of great significance for the safety and economy of transmission tower. It provides not only a basis for the disaster mitigation and risk assessment of the government, but the reference for the design, maintenance and retrofit of the transmission tower as well. In this paper, wind-induced fragility analysis and failure probability evaluation of the transmission tower with considering wind directionality are addressed. Firstly, the wind-induced fragility analysis method including two variants are presented. Then an engineering case is used to illustrate the fragility analysis of the transmission tower: the random finite element model of the transmission tower and the fluctuating wind speed and related wind load are simulated; the static non-linear buckling analysis under different wind attack angles is conducted to determine the threshold displacements in damage and collapse state of the tower; the incremental dynamic analysis is carried out to obtain the maximum displacement at the tower top and the fragility curve of the transmission tower is determined accordingly. Furthermore, the failure probability of the tower is determined considering wind directionality. Finally, the procedure to determine the optimal layout of the transmission tower is proposed, which is based on the overall damage and collapse probability of transmission tower under any layout in one year. The results show that the most unfavorable wind attack angle is 45°, then 0°, 60° and 90°, and the most favorable layout is 90° in damage and collapse state for the illustrated tower. • The wind-induced fragility analysis method including two variants are addressed and compared. • An approach to calculate the damage and collapse probability of the tower considering the wind directionality is proposed. • Given the wind speed statistical information, the layout optimization of the tower is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on synchronous surface pressure scanning of rigid model in wind tunnel test, three dimensional wind load models of high-rise buildings were obtained. Furthermore, the random internal force responses of buildings in along-wind, across-wind and torsional directions were obtained by applying modal acceleration method, which express the restoring force solution in terms of quasi-static force item and inertia force item. Accordingly the calculation methods of equivalent static wind loads, in which the contributions of the higher mode can be considered, of symmetrical high-rise buildings in along-wind, across-wind and torsional directions were deduced based on internal forces equivalence. Finally by analyzing the three dimensional equivalent static wind loads of an actual symmetrical high-rise buildings obtained by this method, and comparing with the along-wind equivalent static wind loads obtained by the national load code, it is indicated that three dimensional equivalent static wind loads should be considered for the wind resistant design of high-rise buildings, and that the contributions of the second mode to the equivalent static wind loads of high-rise buildings cannot be neglected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cell therapy is an important topic in the field of regeneration medicine that is gaining attention within the scientific community. However, its potential for treatment in coronary heart disease (CHD) has yet to be established. Several various strategies, types of cells, routes of distribution, and supporting procedures have been tried and refined to trigger heart rejuvenation in CHD. However, only a few of them result in a real considerable promise for clinical usage. In this review, we give an update on techniques and clinical studies of cell treatment as used to cure CHD that are now ongoing or have been completed in the previous five years. We also highlight the emerging efficacy of stem cell treatment for CHD. We specifically examine and comment on current breakthroughs in cell treatment applied to CHD, including the most effective types of cells, transport modalities, engineering, and biochemical approaches used in this context. We believe the current review will be helpful for the researcher to distill this information and design future studies to overcome the challenges faced by this revolutionary approach for CHD. [Display omitted] ● Cell types and delivery techniques are reviewed for cardiac regeneration. ● Preclinical cell-based therapy is effective and has yielded encouraging results. ● Stem cells prevent cell death, promote angiogenesis, and improve cardiac function. ● Many fundamental puzzles for optimal drug delivery approach remain to be resolved. ● Limited cell engraftment, survival, and cell monitoring are not yet understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High hardness and corrosion resistance of SiC (silicon carbide) bulk materials have always been a difficult problem in the processing of an all-SiC piezoresistive pressure sensor. In this work, we demonstrated a SiC sealing cavity structure utilizing SiC shallow plasma-etched process (≤20 μm) and SiC–SiC room temperature bonding technology. The SiC bonding interface was closely connected, and its average tensile strength could reach 6.71 MPa. In addition, through a rapid thermal annealing (RTA) experiment of 1 min and 10 mins in N2 atmosphere of 1000 °C, it was found that Si, C and O elements at the bonding interface were diffused, while the width of the intermediate interface layer was narrowed, and the tensile strength could remain stable. This SiC sealing cavity structure has important application value in the realization of an all-SiC piezoresistive pressure sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explored a method to remove the contamination and impurities left on SiC surface after plasma-etched process. The stubborn contamination is resulting from fluorochemical caused by plasma-etched process, residue left after stripping Ni metal mask, Ni–O compounds formed by the metal mask with SiC Si surface oxide film and carbon-containing contamination introduced by the process environment. By adding a layer of SiO2 mask between SiC and the original metal mask together with ultrasonic cleaning and oxygen plasma cleaning process, the sample surface roughness was effectively reduced from 1.090 to 0.055 nm. Moreover, this method supplies a valuable reference for solving the problem of surface contamination caused by plasma etched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inverse kinematics of redundant manipulators is one of the most important and complicated problems in robotics. Simultaneously, it is also the basis for motion control, trajectory planning, and dynamics analysis of redundant manipulators. Taking the minimum pose error of the end-effector as the optimization objective, a fitness function was constructed. Thus, the inverse kinematics problem of the redundant manipulator can be transformed into an equivalent optimization problem, and it can be solved using a swarm intelligence optimization algorithm. Therefore, an improved fruit fly optimization algorithm, namely, the hybrid mutation fruit fly optimization algorithm (HMFOA), was presented in this work for solving the inverse kinematics of a redundant robot manipulator. An olfactory search based on multiple mutation strategies and a visual search based on the dynamic real-time updates were adopted in HMFOA. The former has a good balance between exploration and exploitation, which can effectively solve the premature convergence problem of the fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA). The latter makes full use of the successful search experience of each fruit fly and can improve the convergence speed of the algorithm. The feasibility and effectiveness of HMFOA were verified by using 8 benchmark functions. Finally, the HMFOA was tested on a 7-degree-of-freedom (7-DOF) manipulator. Then the results were compared with other algorithms such as FOA, LGMS-FOA, AE-LGMS-FOA, IFOA, and SFOA. The pose error of end-effector corresponding to the optimal inverse solution of HMFOA is 10 − 14 mm, while the pose errors obtained by FOA, LGMS-FOA, AE-LGMS-FOA, IFOA, and SFOA are 10 2 mm, 10 − 1 mm, 10 − 2 mm, 10 2 mm, and 10 2 mm, respectively. The experimental results show that HMFOA can be used to solve the inverse kinematics problem of redundant manipulators effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ledinegg instability in solar collectors is predicted. • Effects of design and operation parameters are both analyzed. • The parameter representing the possibility of Ledinegg instability is discussed. • Pathways to avoid Ledinegg instability are proposed for direct vapor generation. Compared with direct steam generation (DSG), direct vapor generation (DVG) system based on organic working fluid has better application potential in low and medium temperature distributed system. However, there is a lack of understanding of the two-phase flow instability that commonly occurs in DVG systems and can cause fatal damage to the system. In this paper, Ledinegg instability is considered as a common flow instability, and its occurrence characteristics and avoidance strategies are presented. First, a theoretical model was established to study Ledinegg instability of organic working fluid. Then, the effects of heat flux q , inlet subcooling T c , length-to-diameter ratio L/D and fluid properties are analyzed. Particularly, a characteristic parameter R L representing the possibility of Ledinegg instability is proposed for the first time in performance evaluation of Ledinegg instability. The results show that as L/D decreases from 200 to 100, R L reduces from 0.88 to 0.25. As q increases from 10 kW/m2 to 30 kW/m2, R L increases from 0.54 to 1.03. When T c is less than 3 °C, R L approaches 0 and Ledinegg instability disappears. With the increase of surface tension σ and the latent heat of vaporization r , the decreases of vapor-liquid density ratio ρ sv / ρ sl and the decreases of vapor-liquid viscosity ratio μ sv / μ sl , R L increases. The physical equation describing R L of Ledinegg instability is helpful to guide DVG system to reduce or avoid Ledinegg instability in design and operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying individuals at increased genetic risk for schizophrenia may generate important theories regarding the emergence of the illness. In this investigation, genetic high-risk individuals (GHR, n = 37) were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging and compared to individuals in the first episode of schizophrenia (FESZ, n = 42) and healthy comparison subjects (HCS, n = 59). Measures of functional connectivity and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) were obtained in a global, data-driven analysis. The functional connectivity measure, termed degree centrality, assessed each voxel's connectivity with all the other voxels in the brain. GHR and FESZ displayed increased degree centrality globally and locally. On ALFF measures, GHR were indistinguishable from HCS in the majority of areas but resembled FESZ in insula, basal ganglia and hippocampus. FESZ evidenced reduced amplitude of the global neural signal as compared to HCS and GHR. Results support the hypothesis that schizophrenia diathesis involves functional connectivity and ALFF abnormalities. In addition, they further an emerging theory suggesting that increased connectivity and metabolism may be involved in schizophrenia vulnerability and early stages of the illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract A new series of 3,6-diaryl-1 H -pyrazolo[3,4- b ]pyridine compounds have been discovered as potent anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors. The 4-hydroxyphenyl in the 6-position of 1 H -pyrazolo[3,4- b ]pyridine were crucial and a fluorine atom substitution could give promising inhibitory activity. The IC 50 of compound 9v against ALK was up to 1.58 nM and a binding mechanism was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the dysfunction of serum lipoproteins, which triggers lipid metabolism abnormalities in the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is involved in ROS modifications, triggering lipid peroxidation and aldehyde formation. However, the relationship between the entirety of the MPO reaction system and oxidative modification of serum lipoproteins in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension remains unclear. Methods: We measured MPO activity (peroxidation and chlorination), 4-hydroxynonenal-modified low-density lipoprotein (HNE-LDL), malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), H2O2, reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) using a corresponding commercial kit in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension and healthy participants. We used Spearman's correlation analysis to investigate the correlation between MPO activity and the levels of these oxidative and anti-oxidative stress-related indices and performed response surface regression to investigate the relationship between the MPO reaction system and the levels of HNE-LDL, MDA-LDL, and the GSH/GSSG ratio. Results: Our results showed no association between the levels of MPO peroxidation activity, MPO chlorination activity, H2O2, and Cl- and those of HNE-LDL, MDA-LDL, GSH, and GSSG, and the GSH/GSSG ratio in healthy participants. In addition, no effects of the peroxidation reaction system of MPO (PRSM) and the chlorination reaction system of MPO (CRSM) on GSH/GSSG were found in this investigation. However, we found that the PRSM rather than the CRSM correlated with progressive low-density lipoprotein (LDL) modifications by HNE-LDL and MDA-LDL in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension. Conclusion: The PRSM rather than the CRSM correlated with progressive LDL modifications via reactive aldehydes in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate whether the PRSM may serve as a potential index for monitoring LDL function in atherosclerosis and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is often difficult to differentiate major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) merely according to clinical symptoms. Similarities and differences in neural activity between the two disorders remain unclear. In current study, we use amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) to compare neural activation changes between MDD and BD patients.Methods: One hundred and eighty-three adolescents and young adults (57 MDD, 46 BD and 80 healthy controls, HC) were scanned during resting state. The ALFF for each participant was calculated, and were then compared among all groups using voxel-based analysis.Results: There was a significant effect of diagnosis in the core regions of cortico-limbic-striatal neural system. Furthermore, MDD showed left-sided abnormal neural activity while BD showed a bilateral abnormality in this neural system.Limitations: This study was underpowered to consider medications, mood states and neural developmental effects on the neural activation.Conclusions: Differences in lateralization of ALFF alterations were found. Alterations predominated in the left hemisphere for MDD, whereas alterations were bilateral for BD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White matter (WM) neuroimaging studies have shown varied findings at different stages of schizophrenia (SZ). Understanding these variations may elucidate distinct markers of genetic vulnerability and conversion to psychosis. To examine the similarities and differences in WM connectivity between those at-risk for and in early stages of SZ, a cross-sectional diffusion tensor imaging study of 48 individuals diagnosed with first-episode SZ (FE-SZ), 37 nonpsychotic individuals at a high genetic risk of SZ (GHR-SZ), and 67 healthy controls (HC) was conducted. Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the corpus callosum (CC), anterior cingulum (AC), and uncinate fasciculus (UF) was observed in both the GHR-SZ and FE-SZ groups, while decreased FAs in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and the fornix were only seen in the FE-SZ participants. Additionally, both GHR-SZ and FE-SZ showed worse executive performance than HC. The left SLF III FA was significantly positively correlated with hallucinations, and right SLF II was positively correlated with thought disorder. The presence of shared WM deficits in both FE-SZ and GHR-SZ individuals may reflect the genetic liability to SZ, while the disparate FA changes in the FE-SZ group may represent symptom-generating circuitry that mediates perceptual and cognitive disturbances of SZ and ultimately culminates in the onset of psychotic episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]