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The study aimed to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing ureterorenoscopy (URS) after failed shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL) (Salvage URS) with those undergoing URS without any history of SWL (Primary URS).PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL databases were searched up to 10th January 2021 for studies comparing outcomes of salvage URS vs. primary URS. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for procedure success and complications. Operating time was summarized using mean difference (MD).Seven retrospective studies were included. Meta-analysis indicated no statistically significant difference in the success rates of URS between the salvage URS and primary URS groups (OR: 0.83 95% CI: 0.65, 1.06 I2=0% p=0.13). On subgroup analysis, the success rate was significantly reduced in the salvage URS group for renal stones (OR: 0.55 95% CI: 0.34, 0.91 I2=0% p=0.02) but with no difference for ureter stones OR: 0.90 95% CI: 0.67, 1.21 I2=0% p=0.49). Pooled analysis demonstrated a tendency of longer operating time in the salvage URS group as compared to the primary URS group, albeit with a statistically non-significant difference (MD: 8.91 95% CI: -0.56, 18.38 I2=98% p=0.07). Meta-analysis indicated significantly increased complications in the salvage URS group as compared to the primary URS group (OR: 1.83 95% CI: 1.34, 2.49 I2=0% p=0.0001).Evidence from retrospective studies suggests that patients undergoing salvage URS for renal stones have significantly lower success rates which is not the case for ureteral stones. There is a non-significant tendency of increased operating times for salvage URS. Complication rates are significantly higher for salvage URS as compared to primary URS. Future studies with propensity-score matching are required to strengthen current conclusions.

Objective A 28-d trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of diets with different energy and lipase levels on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum profiles, gut health, and carcass quality in broilers. Methods A total of 720 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers (45.4±0.5 g) were randomly assigned to one of the following four treatments: i) RET, reduced energy treatment (metabolizable energy = 2,950 and 3,100 kcal/kg for starter and finisher diet), ii) BDT, basal diet treatment (metabolizable energy = 3,050 and 3,200 kcal/kg for starter and finisher diet, iii) RET015, RET+0.15 g/kg lipase, and iv) RET03, RET+0.3 g/kg lipase. There were 10 replications (cages) per treatment with 18 birds per cage. Results During d 1 to 14, broilers fed BDT, RET015, and RET03 diets had higher (pl0.05) body weight gain than those fed RET diet. During d 1 to 14, 15 to 28 and the overall experiment, feed conversion ratio in RET03 treatment was lower (pl0.05) compared with RET treatment. On d 14, the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter (DM), ether extract (EE), and gross energy in RET03 treatment was higher (pl0.05) than those in RET treatment, while the ATTD of N was increased (pl0.05) by RET03 treatment. On d 28, broilers fed RET03 diet had higher (pl0.05) ATTD of DM than those fed RET and RET015 diets, while the ATTD of EE in BDT and RET03 treatments was increased (pl0.05) compared with RET and RET015 treatments. Broilers fed RET03 diet had higher villus height (VH) and VH:crypt depth (CD) ratio than those fed RET and BDT diets. The activity of pancreatic lipase in BDT and RET03 treatments was higher (pl0.05) than that in RET treatment. Conclusion Taken together, lipase supplementation (3,000 U/kg feed) increased growth performance, nutrient digestibility, VH, VH:CD ratio and lipase activity, but decreased triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the abdominal fat percentage in broilers fed reduced energy diet.

[EN] Coccidiosis is a major disease caused by various Eimeria species in rabbits. The aim of the present study was to investigate the haematological and pathological changes in rabbits infected with E. magna. Moreover, the localisation of coccidial antigens was examined in the intestines of rabbits with two kinds of serum as primary antibodies. In the present study, forty-five 28-day-old weaned rabbits were randomly divided into three groups and reared in three separate places. Group A was infected with 20×103 sporulated oocysts of E. magna, group B was only used to produce anti-E. intestinalis serum by infecting them with 3×103 sporulated oocysts of E. intestinalis, and group C was designated as the control group. According to histopathological evaluation of group A, the epithelial cells of the jejunum and ileum were parasitised with a large number of oocysts and other stages of E. magna. The haematological results showed that red blood cell counts, haemoglobin counts, haematocrit levels and the percentage of lymphocytes were significantly decreased in group A compared with group C (P, This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation Project of China (nos.31960688 and 31360592) and the Natural Science Foundation Project of Jiangxi Province (no. 20181BAB204016).

Improving the thickness of superconducting layer in coated conductors is an effective way to enhance its critical current. In this work, tri-layer YBCO/YBCO/YDyBCO films were successfully deposited on buffered Hastelloy substrate using the multi-coating lowfluorine metal-organic decomposition (LF-MOD) method and the thickness of the films can be up to 2.4 μ m. The effects of high-temperature annealing time on microstructures and superconducting properties of the films were systematically studied. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) results reveal that there remains a large amount of F element in the upper layer of the film when the annealing time is too short. With increasing the annealing time, the fluoride-containing precursor converts to YBCO grains completely. But the coarsening of grains appeared, and the critical current density (J c) of the film dropped slightly when the annealing time is too long. The cross-sectional scanning electron microscope (SEM) image and EDS plane analysis were applied to investigate the microstructure and element distribution of the final triple-layer YBCO films, respectively. The critical current of the final YBCO superconducting film could reach 316 A (77 k, self-field) for 1.2-cm-wide tapes with the optimal annealing conditions.

Various artificial multilayers consisting of YDy0.2 Ba2Cu3O7−e /RE2O3/YDy0.2Ba2Cu3O7−e films (RE = Y, Gd, Eu, etc.) about 1 μm in a sandwich-type structure are fabricated on oxide-buffered Hastelloy substrates using low-fluorine metalorganic deposition (MOD) method. Superconducting and microscopic performances are studied on composite YDyBaCuO multilayer films with and without intercalated Y2O3, Gd2O3, and Eu2O3 ultrathin films. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) are used to investigate growth orientation and surface morphology, revealing that multiple superconducting YDyBaCuO thin films separated by an ultrathin RE2O3 interlayer have better c-axis orientation, better in-plane and out-plane textures, as well as superior surface morphology. Using this interlayer technology, a significant enhancement of critical current density (J c) both in self-field and under applied magnetic field is obtained.

The emergence of advertising images in Chinese medicine works during the period of China is the inevitable outcome of the development of commercial society. In the 237 advertising images, there are 106 pictures, 130 ink lines and 1 color photograph. It can be divided into 8 categories: chemist's shop, hospital, medical products, Chinese medicine school and organizations, book, book publishers, commodity and public service. It can reflect the popular themes of the society and social atmosphere at that time, having vivid characteristics of the times and artistry. Advertising image is a unique phenomenon in the books of the Republic of China.民国时期中医药著作中广告图的出现是商业社会发展的必然产物。在237幅广告图中，照片106幅，墨线图130幅，彩图1幅。可分为药店广告、诊所医院广告、医药产品广告、中医学校社团广告、书籍广告、书局广告、商品广告、公益广告8类。广告图绝大部分与医药相关，具有照片数量多、反映社会流行题材及社会风气、具有很强的时代特征和艺术性等特点，是为民国书籍中一种奇特的现象。.

The RC-IGBT is integrated IGBT and fast recovery diode (FRD) on the same chip. RC-IGBT has smaller size, higher power density, lower cost, and higher reliability. However, due to the snap-back effect, the traditional test circuit and method cannot accurately measure the thermal resistance of RC-IGBT. In this paper, a thermal resistance test circuit based on series compensation of two devices is proposed, and the voltage drop Vec of the body diode is taken as the temperature sensitive parameter of RC-IGBT. The thermal response curve is obtained basing on the change of Vec with temperature. By comparing the traditional method with the new method, it can be seen that the new method can greatly improve the test accuracy.

YEuxBa2Cu3.6O7−δ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) thin films were prepared on buffered substrates by trifluoroacetate metal organic deposition (TFA-MOD). The europium-doped film showed better out- and in-plane texture than the pure YBa2Cu3.6O7−δ thin film and special topography. In the meantime, the superconducting transition temperature T c was improved with the increase of europium content and spanned a small range when x= 0.5 doping levels. Besides, the J c value was obviously enhanced with europium addition, and YEu0.3Ba2Cu3.6O7−δ showed the best superconducting properties under self-field. Furthermore, the J c value was obviously improved under magnetic field, and the enhanced flux-pinning properties was also observed in europium-substituted samples which may be attributed to the good grain connections and the effective flux pinning centers introduced by europium addition. The thickness of prepared film samples were approximately 400 nm. The structure of samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectrum was used to investigate the crystallization and growth orientation, and the surface morphology of films were got by field-emission scanning electronic microscopy (FE-SEM). Moreover, energydispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was utilized to determine element composition. Spatial distribution of J c of the film was obtained by mapping analysis of inductive measurement at 77 K. And the superconducting properties under magnetic fields were measured by magnetic property measurement system with a SQUID magnetometer.

Pure, 5% Ti-doped and 10% Ti-doped WO3 thin films were prepared by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering and characterised by a SEM, an electrochemical workstation and an UV–VIS–NIR spectrophotometer. Research results showed that Ti doping had no apparent influence on the surface morphology and optical band gap. It could also be found that the addition of Ti has little interference with the electrochromic property of WO3 in both bleached and coloured states at initial cycles from electrochemical and optical test results, while there were apparent differences in the optical transmittance and inserted and extracted charge with increasing cycles. This is attributed that Ti-doped WO3 thin films allow facile ion interaction/extraction and have less ion residues, which can stabilise the electrochemical cycling performance. Furthermore, the data we have obtained indicate that 5% Ti-doped WO3 film has the best electrochromic property.

This study aimed to investigate developmental changes of the thymus and intra- thymic IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α expression in weaned Sprague-Dawley rats induced by lipopolysac- charide.Forty healthy weaned rats aged 26 days and weighing 83±4 g were randomly and equally divided into two groups. The lipopolysaccharide group was treated daily with a single injection of lipopolysaccharide for 10 consecutive days, and the saline group was treated with an equal volume of sterilized saline. On the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th day, histological changes and distribu- tion of IL-1β-, IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells were detected in the thymus by hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemistry staining, respectively. Subsequently, the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were evaluated in the thymus by the ELISA method.Thymus weight and index were significantly smaller in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats than in saline-treated rats (p⟨0.05), but no substantial changes were found in the thymus microstructure after lipopolysaccharide induction. Moreover, a large number of IL-1β-, IL-6- and TNF-α-positive cells were observed with brownish-yellow color and mainly distributed in the thy- mus parenchyma, both integrated optical density and average optical density increased signifi- cantly in lipopolysaccharide-treated rats than those in saline-treated rats. Compared with the saline group, most of the thymic homogenates had higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in the lipopolysaccharide group on different days.These findings indicate that the thymus atrophied after lipopolysaccharide induction in weaned Sprague-Dawley rats, and excessive production of intrathymic IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α was probably involved in the atrophic process.

Xerostomia is an important problem affecting oral health and quality of life, and effective assessment is the basis of management of xerostomia. This review summarizes the subjective and objective assessment tools for xerostomia, so as to provide references for the evaluation and management of xerostomia.口干燥症（xerostomia）是影响患者口腔健康和生活质量的重要问题，有效的评估是口干燥症管理的基础。本文旨在对国内外口干燥症常用的主观和客观评估工具进行综述，为评估和管理患者口干燥症提供参考。.

A surprising inverse (positive) MR effect was observed in thin film of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) grown on Si substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements show a highly (111)-textured growth and single phase nature of Fe 3 O 4 thin film. X-Ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) were employed to exclude the existence of γ-Fe 2 O 3 . The surface morphology of the film was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Based on the aforementioned studies, we proposed a spin dependent conduction mechanism to explain the observed anomalous MR effect.

To develop a measurement software of lung compression degree to calculate the lung compression ratio in pneumothorax patients accurately and quickly, and then provide an objective assessment of damage degree in forensic clinical identification.A volume calculation software was established according to the working principle of the CT instrument. CT data of 15 pneumothorax patients were selected as research objects. The lung compression ratio of pneumothorax patient was calculated by the lung compression volume calculation software of the CT instrument. Meanwhile, the lung compression ratio was also calculated by the developed volume calculation software. The lung compression ratio and operation time calculated by the two methods were analyzed statistically. Scatter plot graphs were draw based on related data, and the developed volume calculation software was verified.The difference between the lung compression ratios calculated by the two methods was not statistically significant, but showed a linear correlation （The volume calculation software developed in this study can calculate the lung compression degree of pneumothorax more conveniently and rapidly with easy accessibility, which shows an application value in the forensic practice.

Blastocystis is one common protist inhabiting in gastrointestinal tracts of animals and humans. Examining the subtypes has important implications for assessing the zoonotic potential of Blastocystis and intestinal health of hosts. In the present study, a total of 497 fecal samples collected from 37 wild animal species in Qinling Mountains were investigated for the presence and subtypes of Blastocystis. Of them, 200 (40.2%) were positive for Blastocystis and 13 subtypes were found, including eight known subtypes (STs1-3, 5, 10, 12-14) and five possible novel subtypes (temporarily named as STs18-22), with ST10 as the predominate subtype and the subtype ST5 was detected in an ostrich for the first time. These findings indicated the wide distribution and specific subtype characteristics of Blastocystis in wild animals of Qinling Mountains.

The parameters Sr/Cu, Sr/Ba, and the lake-level changes of the oil shale and mudstone from the oil shale measures reveal that the oil shale mainly formed in the humid climate and fresh water-brackish water environment in the lake-level rising stage. However, mudstone mainly formed in the arid climate and brackish water-salt water environment in the lake-level decline stage. In addition, the lake sealing of the oil shale measures is better.

The idea is tested that the evolution of the Chalk’s clay mineral assemblage during diagenesis can be deduced by examining the relationships between its clay mineralogy, particle size distribution pattern, and the timing and trace element chemistry of the calcite cement. The preliminary results from five different examples of cementation developed at different stages of diagenesis in chalks with smectite-dominated clay assemblages suggest that this is a promising line of investigation. Soft chalks with minor amount of anoxic series calcite cement poor in Mg, Fe and Mn are associated with neoformed trioctahedral smectite and/or dioctahedral nontronite and talc. Hard ground chalk with extensive anoxic series calcite cement enriched in Mg and relatively high Fe, Mn and Sr are associated with neoformed glauconite sensu lato, berthierine and dioctahedral smectite, possibly enriched in Fe. The chalk associated with large ammonites shows extensive suboxic series calcite cement enriched in Mg, Mn and Fe that show no obvious correlation with its clay mineralogy. Nodular chalks with patchy suboxic series calcite cement enriched in Fe are associated with neoformed dioctahedral smectite, possibly enriched in Al, and berthierine. Regionally hardened chalk with extensive suboxic calcite cement and relatively high trace element contents contain pressure dissolution seams enriched in kaolin and berthierine. Laser-based particle-size distribution patterns suggest that each type of lithification has a typical complex clay mineral population, indicating that subtleties in mineralogy are not being identified and that there could be some control on the size and shape of the clay crystals by the different types of cementation.

Detrital, volcanic and diagenetic origins have been used to explain the smectite clay assemblage that characterizes the Upper Cretaceous Chalk of Europe. To further the understanding of how clays of different origins may have converged to this characteristic clay mineral assemblage a new approach is put forward for their investigation. This is based upon (1) the correlation that exists between the trace element and stable isotope geochemistry of the calcite cements preserved within Chalk brachiopods and the various diagenetic phases of early lithification and cementation recognized in the Chalk, and (2) an understanding of the process of late diagenetic cementation that has caused regional differences in the hardness of the Chalk. It is suggested that each phase of lithification and associated calcite cementation may preserve the different clay assemblages at various stages in their convergence to the characteristic Chalk smectite assemblage.

Remaining useful life (RUL) prediction of cutting tools is critical to effective condition based maintenance for reducing downtime, ensuring quality and avoiding accidents. In this paper, a RUL prognostic method based on support vector regression (SVR) is proposed for predicting cutting tool’s life. The proposed method consists of two main phases: an off-line phase and an on-line phase. In the first phase, the signal features are extracted from raw data, and then the SVR models with considering different length of signals at past times are established to reflect the relationship between monitoring data and tool life. In the second phase, the constructed models are used to predict cutting tool’s RUL, and the best signal length for accurate prediction result is obtained. The proposed method is applied on experimental data taken from a computer numerical control (CNC) rotor slot machine in a factory. The result shows the validity and practicability of this method.

There were errors in Fig. 1 of the originally published article. Correct fig. 1 is presented here.

A novel selective separation method for organic compounds, especially thermosensitive substances, has been proposed using unsubstituted β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) as a host and some alcohols and aldehydes as model guests in aqueous solution. The separation factors were evaluated from the extraction of an equimolar mixture of alcohol and aldehyde compounds. The inclusion equilibrium constants for several alcohols and aldehydes over β-CD have been calculated through their UV-vis spectra. The Gibbs free energy changes of β-CD/substrates complexes (ΔG) have been calculated combined B3LYP/6-31G(d)//ONIOM2(B3LYP/6-31G(d):PM3) with semicontinuum solvation model. The difference of Gibbs free energy changes (ΔΔG) for the inclusion complexes formed via the intermolecular weak interactions e.g., hydrogen bond and electrostatic interaction was the reason why alcohol and aldehyde compounds could be selectively separated. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011

Doxorubicin (DOX) selection of CCRF-CEM leukaemia cell line resulted in multidrug resistance (MDR) CEM/A7R cell line, which overexpresses MDR, 1 coded P-glycoprotein (Pgp). Here, we report for the first time that oncoprotein Cripto, a founding member of epidermal growth factor-Cripto-FRL, 1-Criptic family is overexpressed in the CEM/A7R cells, and anti-Cripto monoclonal antibodies (Mab) inhibited CEM/A7R cell growth both in vitro and in an established xenograft tumour in severe combined immunodeficiency mice. Cripto Mab synergistically enhanced sensitivity of the MDR cells to Pgp substrates epirubicin (EPI), daunorubicin (DAU) and non-Pgp substrates nucleoside analogue cytosine arabinoside (AraC). In particular, the combination of anti-Cripto Mab at less than 50% of inhibition concentrations with noncytotoxic concentrations of EPI or DAU inhibited more than 90% of CEM/A7R cell growth. Cripto Mab slightly inhibited Pgp expression, and had little effect on Pgp function, indicating that a mechanism independent of Pgp was involved in overcoming MDR. We demonstrated that anti-Cripto Mab-induced CEM/A7R cell apoptosis, which was associated with an enhanced activity of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase and inhibition of Akt phosphorylation, resulting in an activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway as evidenced by dephosphorylation of Bad at Ser136, Bcl-2 at Ser70 and a cleaved caspase-9.

Over the past few years bulk pyrochlore iridates of the form $A_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ (where $A$ is a rare earth element, Ir is iridium, and O is oxygen) have been studied as model systems for investigating the interplay of electronic correlations and strong spin-orbit coupling, particularly with the aim of finding correlation-driven topological phases. In this work, we use cellular dynamical mean field theory (CDMFT) to study effects of electronic correlations beyond Hartree-Fock theory in thin films of pyrochlore irradiates grown along the $[111]$ direction. We focus on the bilayer and trilayer systems, and compute the phase diagrams of these systems as a function of electron-electron interaction strength, which is modeled by an on-site Hubbard interaction. By evaluating the $Z_2$ invariant and Chern number using formulas based on the single-particle Green's function and the quasi-particle effective Hamiltonian, we show that on-site correlations can drive an interaction-induced topological phase transition, turning a time-reversal invariant topological insulator and a nearly flat band metal to a correlated Chern insulator (CI) in bilayer and trilayer systems, respectively. By comparing with the Hartree-Fock results, the CDMFT results show that quantum fluctuations enhance the robustness of the interaction-driven CI phase in the thin films. Furthermore, our numerical analysis of the quasiparticle spectrum reveals that the topological phases we find in our many-body calculations are adiabatically connected to those in the single-particle picture., 11 pages, 8 figures

In this study, we evaluated the associations between the V4 (rs2787094 G>C) polymorphism in a disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain 33 (ADAM33) gene and asthma risk. We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, and CBM databases from inception through August 2013, without language restrictions. Meta-analysis was performed using the STATA 12.0 software. Crude odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Eight case-control studies were included, with a total of 2128 asthma patients and 3134 healthy controls. Our results suggest that the ADAM33 V4 polymorphism increases the risk of asthma. Subgroup analysis according to the source of controls revealed significant associations between the ADAM33 V4 polymorphism and risk of asthma in population- and hospital-based subgroups under allele and dominant models (all P < 0.05). Further subgroup analysis using the genotyping method suggested that the ADAM33 V4 polymorphism is correlated with asthma risk in the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism subgroup. However, no association was found in the non-polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism subgroup. Meta-regression analyses showed that the genotyping method may be a main source of heterogeneity (P = 0.003). Our meta-analysis suggests that the ADAM33 V4 polymorphism contributes to the risk of asthma and may be utilized as a biomarker for the early diagnosis of asthma.

We report a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) growth of VMn/CoCrPt bilayer with a magnetic coercivity ( H c ) of 2.2 kOe and a grain size of 12 nm. The effects of VMn underlayer on magnetic properties of CoCrPt layer were studied. The coercivity, H c , and squareness, S , of VMn/CoCrPt bilayer, is dependent on the thickness of VMn. The grain size of the CoCrPt film can also be modified by laser parameters. High laser fluence used for CoCrPt deposition produces a smaller grain size. Enhanced H c and reduced grain size in VMn/CoCrPt is explained by more pronounced surface phase segregation during deposition at high laser fluence.

A method for pinning synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) based spin-valves is presented, which allows pinning to be established perpendicular to the setting field H. As the SAF (AP1/Ru/AP2) magnetizes, its layer moments undergo a spin-flop transition for a magnetic field H = HSF, and align with H for H = HSat. The magnetization of layer AP1 is perpendicular to H for a field H = HGold. This field corresponds to the maximum GMR on HSF

We report here the reflection of electromagnetic waves in self-similar Thue-Morse dielectric multilayers, which presents the features of multiple omnidirectional photonic bandgaps (PBGs). The number and the width of omnidirectional PBG depend on the ratio of the refraction indexes and the thicknesses of the dielectric materials. The theoretical result is partly verified by optical observation in Thue-Morse TiO2/SiO2 multilayers with visible and near-infrared light. Our investigations provide a new approach to achieve the omnidirectional reflection in multiple frequency ranges. With this progress, the application of dielectric reflection mirrors can be further widened.

For the forging process of the swash plate, the author designed a kind of multi-index orthogonal experiment. Based on the Archard wear model, the influences of billet temperature, die temperature, forming speed, top die hardness and friction coefficient on forming load and die wear were numerically simulated by DEFORM software. Through the analysis of experimental results, the best forging process parameters were optimized and determined, which could effectively reduce the die wear and prolong the die service life. It is significant to increase the practical production of enterprise, especially to reduce the production cost and to promote enterprise profit.

Pluronic F127/chitosan blend microspheres were prepared via emulsification and cross-linking process using glutaraldehyde as a cross-linker. Compared with chitosan microspheres fabricated under the same experimental conditions, blend microspheres exhibited better physical stability and higher swelling capacity. Puerarin, a traditional Chinese medicine, was incorporated into microparticlesas the model drug. The in vitro release of puerarin from blend microspheres was reduced because of the improved compatibility of the drug with the matrices. According to the results from in vitro adhesion experiments, mucoadhesive behavior of blend microspheres on a mucosa-like surface was similar to that of chitosan microspheres, despite their good ability of anti-protein absorption in solution.

Topological phases have attracted much interest in recent years. While there are a number of three-dimensional materials exhibiting topological properties, there are relatively few two-dimensional examples aside from the well-known quantum Hall systems. Here we make materials-specific predictions for topological phases using density functional theory combined with Hartree-Fock theory that includes the full orbital structure of the relevant iridum $d$-orbitals and the strong but finite spin-orbit coupling strength. We find Y$_2$Ir$_2$O$_7$ bilayer and trilayer films grown along the [111] direction can support topological metallic phases with a direct gap of up to 0.02 eV, which could potentially bring transition metal oxides to the fore as a new class of topological materials with potential applications in oxide electronics., 10 pages, 8 figures

The mechanism of dc-electric-field-induced second-harmonic (EFISH) generation at weakly nonlinear buried $\mathrm{Si}(001)\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ interfaces is studied experimentally in planar $\mathrm{Si}(001)\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{Cr}$ MOS structures by optical second-harmonic generation spectroscopy with a tunable Ti:sapphire femtosecond laser. The spectral dependence of the EFISH contribution near the direct two-photon ${E}_{1}$ transition of silicon is extracted. A systematic phenomenological model of the EFISH phenomenon, including a detailed description of the space-charge region (SCR) at the semiconductor-dielectric interface in accumulation, depletion, and inversion regimes, has been developed. The influence of surface quantization effects, interface states, charge traps in the oxide layer, doping concentration, and oxide thickness on nonlocal screening of the dc-electric field and on breaking of inversion symmetry in the SCR is considered. The model describes EFISH generation in the SCR using a Green's-function formalism which takes into account all retardation and absorption effects of the fundamental and second-harmonic (SH) waves, and multiple reflection interference in the ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ layer. The optical interference between field-dependent and -independent contributions to the SH field is considered as an internal homodyne amplifier of the EFISH effects. Good agreement between the phenomenological model and our EFISH spectroscopic results is demonstrated. Finally, low-frequency electromodulated EFISH is demonstrated as a useful differential spectroscopic technique for studies of the $\mathrm{Si}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ interface in silicon-based metal-oxide-semiconductor structures.

D.c. electric field induced second-harmonic generation (SHG) spectroscopy of the Si(001)–SiO2 interface was studied both experimentally and theoretically. To describe the experimental results the general phenomenological model of d.c. induced SHG in centrosymmetric semiconductors is developed, taking into account surface and bulk field dependent as well as field independent contributions to the non-linear polarization. The solution of an inverse problem within this model of d.c. induced SHG allows all surface and bulk contributions to the non-linear response from an Si(001)–SiO2 interface to be distinguished.

The current-induced motion of magnetic domain walls (DWs) confined to nanostructures is of great interest for fundamental studies as well as for technological applications in spintronic devices. Here, we present magnetic images showing the depinning properties of pulse-current-driven domain walls in well-shaped Permalloy nanowires obtained using photoemission electron microscopy combined with x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. In the vicinity of the threshold current density (Jth = 4.2 × 1011 A.m−2) for the DW motion, discontinuous DW depinning and motion have been observed as a sequence of “Barkhausen jumps”. A one-dimensional analytical model with a piecewise parabolic pinning potential has been introduced to reproduce the DW hopping between two nearest neighbour sites, which reveals the dynamical nature of the current-driven DW motion in the depinning regime.

We investigate electronic delocalization and magnetic-flux-induced persistent current in the mesoscopic ring, which is constructed according to the nonsymmetric-dimer (NSD) model. The flux-dependent energy spectra, electronic wavefunctions, and persistent currents are theoretically obtained. It is demonstrated that due to the localization-delocalization transition of electrons, the electronic state in the NSD ring can be localized, extended, and the intermediate case between extended states and localized ones. The persistent current (PC) approaches the behavior of free electrons if the Fermi level is around the near-resonant energy. Otherwise, the PC is depressed dramatically. This conclusion could be generalized to other correlated-disordered systems.

We theoretically study a multi-band Hubbard model of pyrochlore oxides of the form A$_2$B$_2$O$_7$, where B is a heavy transition metal ion with strong spin-orbit coupling, in a thin film geometry orientated along the [111] direction. Along this direction, the pyrochlore lattice consists of alternating kagome and triangular lattice planes of B ions. We consider a single kagome layer, a bilayer, and the two different trilayers. As a function of the strength of the spin-orbit coupling, the direct and indirect $d$-orbital hopping, and the band filling, we identify a number of scenarios where a non-interacting time-reversal invariant Z$_2$ topological phase is expected and we suggest some candidate materials. We study the interactions in the half-filled $d$-shell within Hatree-Fock theory and identify parameter regimes where a zero magnetic field Chern insulator with Chern number $\pm1$ can be found. The most promising geometries for topological phases appear to be the bilayer which supports both a Z$_2$ topological insulator and a Chern insulator, and the triangular-kagome-triangular trilayer which supports a relatively robust Chern insulator phase., 12 pages, 14 figures, with one figure added and references updated

We study a tight-binding model on the two-dimensional ruby lattice. This lattice supports several types of first and second neighbor spin-dependent hopping parameters in an $s$-band model that preserves time-reversal symmetry. We discuss the phase diagram of this model for various values of the hopping parameters and filling fractions, and note an interesting competition between spin-orbit terms that individually would drive the system to a $Z_2$ topological insulating phase. We also discuss a closely related spin-polarized model with only first and second neighbor hoppings and show that extremely flat bands with finite Chern numbers result, with a ratio of the band gap to the band width approximately 70. Such flat bands are an ideal platform to realize a fractional quantum Hall effect at appropriate filling fractions. The ruby lattice can be possibly engineered in optical lattices, and may open the door to studies of transitions between quantum spin liquids, topological insulators, and integer and fractional quantum Hall states., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, updated figures, updated references, updated acknowledgement, some details in calculation added

The magnetic nanowires have attracted great interests recently for their potential applications in novel logic and memory devices. The magnetization reversal of the magnetic nanowires is realized by the nucleation and the propagation of domain walls (DWs) along the wires. Both current and magnetic field driven DW motion have been proposed and investigated widely. One of the techniques to manipulate the DW is to introduce artificial defects to the nanowire structure such as different shapes of notches. Asymmetric notches have been reported to act as an asymmetric energy barrier for the DW and the depinning field and critical depin current depend on the direction of DW propagation, which is related to the slope of notch. The “Magnetic ratchet effect” has been addressed since the DW depins and moves easier in one direction than the other. Magnetic diodes were also proposed based on the asymmetric notch structure in magnetic nanowires. However, rather than constriction, the previous reports were based on the protruding shape of asymmetric notch. In this paper, we present a study on the depinning behaviour of the DW inside magnetic nanowires with a single inward asymmetric notch.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of injecting glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) on the small intestinal weight, morphology, and nutrient transporter expression in pharmacologically stressed broiler chickens. A total of 144 seven-day-old birds were fed either a basal diet (CTRL) or a basal diet plus 30 mg of corticosterone (CORT)/kg of diet for a total of 14 d. Half of the birds from each group were injected daily with GLP-2 (6.7 nmol/kg of BW) or saline for 14 d. The average final BW, ADG, ADFI, and the ratio of feed intake to weight gain (F:G) was recorded over 21 d for the 4 groups of 36 birds, namely CTRL + saline, CTRL + GLP-2, CORT + saline, and CORT + GLP-2. In addition, the absolute and relative small intestinal weight, villus height (VH), and crypt depth (CD) of the duodenum and jejunum, as well as the abundance of sodium and glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT-1), vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein-28,000 molecular weight (CaBP-D28k), and peptide transporter 1 (PepT-1) mRNA in the duodenum and of liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) mRNA in the jejunum. The total DNA, RNA, and protein content in small intestinal mucosa were also determined. The results showed that CORT administration significantly lowered average final BW, ADG, ADFI, absolute small intestinal weight, VH, and CD of duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05) while increasing the relative small intestinal weight, F:G, relative abundance of SGLT-1, CaBP-D28k, PepT-1, and L-FABP mRNA (P < 0.05). Glucagon-like peptide 2 injection increased the average final BW, ADG, VH, and CD in duodenum and jejunum and relative abundance of SGLT-1, CaBP-28k, PepT1, and PepT1 mRNA of broiler chickens, respectively (P < 0.05), and decreased F:G (P < 0.05). In chickens fed basal diet plus CORT, injecting GLP-2 decreased F:G (P < 0.05); increased VH and CD of duodenum and CD of jejunum; and increased relative abundance of SGLT-1, CaBP-D28k, PepT-1, and L-FABP mRNA, RNA, and total protein content in small intestine compared with the injection of saline (P < 0.05). In birds fed the basal diet, GLP-2 injection decreased F:G (P < 0.05) and increased final BW, ADG, small bowel weight, CD of jejunum, and relative abundance of CaBP-D28k and PepT-1 mRNA compared with injecting saline (P < 0.05). In conclusion, GLP-2 injection reversed the negative effect of stress on the weight and morphology and the absorptive function of small bowel of broiler chickens. Glucagon-like peptide 2 injection also had a positive effect on the growth performance of healthy broiler chickens.

Biocontrol is an emerging trend aimed at reducing chemical input while increasing plant fitness, productivity and resistance to diseases in sustainable agriculture. An antagonist, pY11T-3-1, was herein characterized for potential applications against soil-borne plant diseases.In vitro antagonistic assays, the antagonist pY11T-3-1 was demonstrated able to obviously reduce the occurrence of the soft rot disease on Pinellia ternata, potato, pepper, tomato, cucumber and eggplant tubers or fruits, with higher prevention (90%) on P. ternata. It showed a broad antagonistic spectrum against 23 tested bacterial and fungal phytopathogens, which were distributed in 14 genus and 17 species. However, it inhibited only two of the seven bacterial nonpathogens. Phenotypic characterizations showed that the antagonist pY11T-3-1 was similar to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Its major fatty acids were 18:1 w7c (22.17%), 16:0 (20.21%), 12:0 2OH (12.45%), 16:1w7c/15 iso2OH (10.95%) and 10:0 3OH (10.79%), which is a different profile from that of Ps. aeruginosa. The 16S rRNA and gyr B gene sequences shared 100 and 99% similarity with Ps. aeruginosa, respectively. The phylogenetic trees showed that it was clustered with Ps. aeruginosa.The antagonist pY11T-3-1 was characterized as Ps. aeruginosa with a unique fatty acid profile.With broad antagonistic spectrum and host selectivity, the antagonist pY11T-3-1 may provide a more environmental and economical alternative to the control of soil-borne disease on P. ternata, which needs further investigation.