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AlCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy coatings were prepared on CrNi3MoVA steel by electrospark deposition technology, and their tribological behavior at different temperatures was investigated by utilizing a reciprocating friction and wear tester, and SEM, EDS and XRD were used to analyze the morphologies, composition and phase structure of AlCoCrFeNi coating. The results show that the as-deposited coating is composed of a single BCC structure with a hardness of 540±40 HV0.1. The wear resistance of AlCoCrFeNi coating at 600 °C is the best among 300 °C, 600 °C and 800 °C, and its wear rate is only 2.53×10-5 mm³/(N·m), which is one order of magnitude lower than that at the other two temperatures. At 600 °C, the main wear mechanism is oxidation wear, and a continuous compact oxide scale formed on the worn surface, which greatly improves the wear resistance of AlCoCrFeNi coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an investigation of anomalous-Hall resistance (AHR) and spin-Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) in Pt/Ir20Mn80/Y3Fe5O12 (Pt/IrMn/YIG) heterostructures. The AHR of Pt/IrMn/YIG heterostructures with an antiferromagnetic inserted layer is dramatically enhanced as compared to that of the Pt/YIG bilayer. The temperature dependent AHR behavior is nontrivial, while the IrMn thickness dependent AHR displays a peak at an IrMn thickness of 3 nm. The observed SMR in the temperature range of 10-300 K indicates that the spin current generated in the Pt layer can penetrate the IrMn layer (≤3 nm) to interact with the ferromagnetic YIG layer. The lack of conventional anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) implies that the insertion of the IrMn layer between Pt and YIG could efficiently suppress the magnetic proximity effect (MPE) on induced Pt moments by YIG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saccharum spontaneum L. is one of the most important germplasm resources for modern sugarcane breeding. Exploring the cold tolerance of S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels and screening for cold‐tolerant material can be helpful in parent selection for breeding cold‐tolerant sugarcane.Morphological indices, leaf ultrastructure and physiological indices were used to evaluate the cold tolerance of 36 S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels (2n = 40, 48, 54, 60, 64, 78, 80, 88, 92 and 96).The morphological indices of S. spontaneum clones with different ploidy levels were positively correlated with ploidy. Under low‐temperature stress, the chloroplast and mitochondrial structures of the clones with high ploidy were more severely damaged than were those of clones with low ploidy. A comprehensive evaluation of the physiological indices showed that the 36 S. spontaneum clones could be divided into four categories: strongly cold tolerant, cold tolerant, moderately cold tolerant and cold sensitive. Correlation analysis of the morphological indices and cold tolerance revealed a significant negative correlation between cold tolerance and ploidy. On the basis of the morphological and physiological indices, optimal stepwise regression equations that can be used for the selection of cold‐tolerant S. spontaneum resources were established.The S. spontaneum clones with low ploidy are more cold tolerant than those with high ploidy. Clones 12‐37, 13‐10 and 12‐23 are strongly cold‐tolerant germplasm resources, which suggests these germplasm sources have high potential for use in breeding cold‐tolerant sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huperzia serrate is a known medicinal plant that produces the Lycopodium alkaloid Huperzine A (HupA). It has been used to treat such diseases as contusions, swellings, and pain since the year of 739. Chemical structure analyses show that HupA exists as two stereoisomers, (−)-HupA and (+)-HupA. The review was aimed to summarize the recent literature data about the biological characteristics, natural sources, synthetic origins, and future prospects in order to provide enhanced understanding of the properties of Huperzine A, and to supply a fundamental framework for the future studies of H. serrata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, more and more attentions have been paid to the development and application of probiotics in aquaculture, and viable probiotics have been extensively studied, while rare information was available about inactivated probiotics in aquaculture. Therefore, in this study, a feeding trial was designed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of heat‐inactivated probiotic Bacillus clausii DE5 on growth performance, immune response and key immune genes expression in head kidney and intestine in grouper Epinephelus coioides. Fish were fed for 60 days with control diet (C) and two experimental diets containing 1.0 × 108 CFU/g live (T1) and heat‐inactivated (T2) B. clausii DE5, respectively. The probiotic treatments did not affect the final weight, weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) of E. coioides at days 30 and 60 (p > .05), while both heat‐inactivated and live B. clausii DE5 significantly decreased the feed intake and feed conversion ratio (FCR) at day 60 (p < .05). Serum lysozyme activity and complement C3 level in the two probiotic treatments were significantly higher than those in the control (p < .05). The lysozyme activity and complement C3 level at day 60 were significantly higher than those at day 30 (p < .05), while no significant interaction effect between diet and administration date was observed. Moreover, the heat‐inactivated B. clausii DE5 significantly improved the expression of TLR5, pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐8 and IL‐1β) and TGF‐β1 in head kidney and intestine (p < .05), while the live probiotic did not show any significant effect on the expression of these key immune‐related genes in head kidney and intestine. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of heat‐inactivated B. clausii DE5 effectively improved feed utilization and both the local and systemic immune responses of E. coioides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, graphene oxide (GO) based materials have shown great potential in the treatment of implant bacterial infections due to its inherent antibacterial activity. However, the effect of GO-based materials on biological systems particularly the antibacterial mechanisms is still not clear. In this study, GO, NaBH4 treated GO (GO-Y), copper decorated GO (GO-Cu, GO-Cu-GO) composited coatings were prepared on the surface of silicon dioxide (SiO2) substrate by spin-coating and chemical in-situ formation. The growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) on GO-Y, GO-Cu, and GO-Cu-GO were significantly inhibited, especially on GO-Cu and GO-Cu-GO coatings. The implied antibacterial mechanism of GO-Cu-Cu coatings was further studied and discussed. The enhanced antibacterial performance of GO-Cu-GO coatings has significant potential application in preventing clinical implant bacterial infections. Moreover, the systematic study of various antibacterial effects also enriches our knowledge of the possible antibacterial mechanisms of graphene-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, several strategies are being used to decrease the serious effects of antibiotics abuse on broilers industry and public health, among which synbiotics are one of the most promising antibiotic alternative. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of synbiotics, which composed of probiotics ( Bacillus subtilis) and prebiotics (xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide), on growth performance, intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant parameters of broilers. Four hundred and fifty one-day-old commercial Cobb48 broilers were assigned to five treatments consisting of six replicates of 15 birds each pen. Five dietary treatments include basal diets (control), basal diets plus antibiotics (4 mg/kg Xanthomycin), basal diets plus 1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108 cfu/kg), basal diets plus 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%), and basal diets plus synbiotics (1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108 cfu/kg), 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%). The results demonstrated that on 21 and 42 days, dietary supplementation of the synbiotics significantly increased daily weight gain (p < 0.05), feed efficiency (p < 0.05), the villus height and villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05), as well as intestinal mucosa sIgA content (p < 0.05), serum T- SOD activity (p < 0.05) and lysozyme content (p < 0.05), comparing with control group. In conclusion, synbiotics ( B. subtilis and xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide) is one of the safe and ideal dietary supplementations to increase broilers' growth performance by improving small intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the expression of circular RNA (circRNA) in blood corpuscles of pregnant women before 20 weeks of pregnancy and to create a new model to identify the performance of circRNA combined with protein factors for the early diagnosis of pre-eclampsia (PE). Design: Nested case-control study. Setting: University medical centre, Guangzhou, China. Population: A total of 1400 pregnant women recruited between 8 and 20 weeks of gestation. In all, 41 women with PE were included in the study, and were matched with 41 normally pregnant women based on maternal age and gestational age at same-size ratio. Methods: The samples were analysed using a human circRNA microarray in the discovery phase, then the circRNA and the plasma protein factor endoglin (ENG) were validated. Finally we combined ENG with circRNA to create a new early prediction model for PE. Main Outcome Measures: Early changes of circRNA and ENG in PE. Results: The circ_101222 levels in blood corpuscles of patients with PE were significantly higher than those in corresponding healthy women (P < 0.001). Using ENG in combination with circ_101222 resulted in a sensitivity of 0.7073, a specificity of 0.8049, and overall area under the curve of 0.876 (95% confidence interval 0.816-0.922) for the prediction of PE. Conclusion: CircRNA and plasma proteins may have some predictive value for PE (such as circ_101222 and ENG). The performance of each of these factors may be strengthened when plasma proteins are used in combination with circRNA. The results are preliminary and need to be validated in larger studies and other populations. Tweetable Abstract: Plasma protein endoglin in combination with circ_101222 strengthened the predictive power for pre-eclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Postoperative sore throat is one of the major complaints of general anesthesia in the postanesthesia care unit. This prospective study investigated the preventive effect of ketorolac tromethamine spray in postendotracheal-intubation-induced sore throat after general anesthesia. Methods. Surgical patients undergoing general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation were recruited from a medical center. Patients were randomly assigned to group K (treated with 5% ketorolac tromethamine spray) or group D (treated with distilled water spray). Before intubation, each endotracheal tube was sprayed with the appropriate solution by physicians over the 20 cm length of the cuff. Each group comprised 95 patients fitting the inclusion and exclusion criteria for whom complete data sets were collected. The intensity of the sore throat was measured at 1, 3, 6, and 24 h after surgery, and data were compared. Results. The two groups had similar characteristics. Postoperative sore throat was significantly less frequent in group K than in group D (p<0.001) and the pain intensity was significantly lower in group K than in group D at each time point (all p<0.001). Conclusions. This study demonstrated that preanesthesia 5% ketorolac tromethamine spray could effectively decrease postendotracheal-intubation-induced sore throat in patients undergoing general anesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The latency-associated transcript ( LAT) gene of herpes simplex virus ( HSV)-2 is the only detectable viral gene expressed during latent infection in neurons. LAT inhibits apoptosis and maintains latency by promoting the survival of infected neurons. However, whether LAT functions during HSV-2 infection via its encoded RNAs or via its encoded proteins remain unknown. Increasing evidence has indicated that LAT is likely to functionally promote the establishment of latent infection via LAT-encoded micro RNAs (mi RNAs). Aim To explore whether the RL1 fragment of the five adjacent mi RNAs has an effect on cell apoptosis, then provide supporting evidence to elucidate the potential role of these mi RNAs and to aid screening of their cellular targets. Methods A number of techniques, including MTT assay, flow cytometry and DNA ladder analysis, were used to verify the role of the RL1 fragment and the contribution of the individual mi RNAs to the anti-apoptotic effect. Results Five mi RNAs (miR-H3, miR-H4 -3p, miR-H4 -5p, miR-H24 and miR-H19) were detected by quantitative PCR in PC12 cells stably expressing RL1 after pEGFP- RL1 plasmid transfection in vitro. The data indicated that expression of HSV-2 LAT RL1 seems to provide protection against apoptosis of PC12 cells induced by ActD. Antisense mi RNAs specifically inhibiting these five mi RNAs could efficiently reduce their expression. Transfection of antisense-miR-H3, antisense-miR-H4 -5p and antisense-miR-H19 into PC12 cells stably expressing RL1 were able to partly reverse the anti-apoptotic effect of these mi RNAs. Conclusions These findings indicate that the apoptotic role of the RL1 fragment is likely to be related to overexpression of miR-H3, miR-H4 -5p and miR-H19 in PC12 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genotype of yellow head virus (YHV), designated as YHV-8, was found in farmed shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis suffering suspectedly from EMS/AHPNS (early mortality disease/acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease) in China in 2012. In this study, a one-step, real-time reverse-transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (rRT-LAMP) assay was developed for better detection of both genotypes of YHV-1 and YHV-8. A set of six specific primers was successfully designed targeting a conserved region of the YHV genome. The LAMP reaction was optimized to contain 8 mmol l−1 Mg2+ and 1·4 mmol l−1 dNTPs, and to be performed at 58°C for 60 min. The detection sensitivity of the rRT-LAMP method was as low as 7 × 100 copies per reaction. The specificity of the method was validated by the absence of any cross-reaction with the RNA samples extracted from other shrimp viruses (Taura syndrome virus, white spot syndrome virus, infectious hypodermal and haematopoietic necrosis virus, hepatopancreatic parvovirus) and specific pathogen-free (SPF) shrimp. The resulting standard curves showed high correlation coefficient values. Furthermore, the test of farm samples showed that YHV was detected in three of 111 Litopenaeus vannamei, six of eight Fenneropenaeus chinensis, five of 19 Macrobrachium rosenbergii and none of the nine Marsupenaeus japonicus. These results suggest that this assay is applicable widely as a new rapid and sensitive detection method in the research of YHV. Significance and Impact of the Study In this study, we designate a new genotype of yellow head virus (YHV) as YHV genotype 8 (YHV-8) which was detected in diseased shrimp in China. A rapid, sensitive and specific rRT-LAMP detecting method for both YHV-8 and YHV-1 has been established. It is anticipated that this novel assay will be instrumental for diagnosis and surveillance of the virulent genotypes of YHV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White spot syndrome virus ( WSSV) is one of the main pathogens seriously threatening penaeid shrimp farming in the world. This study designed and synthesized five specific primers based on the conserved sequences of WSSV genome, optimized the reaction system and conditions, and finally established a cross-priming amplification ( CPA)-based detection method for WSSV ( WSSV- CPA). The results indicated that the optimized reaction temperature and time of WSSV- CPA were 63°C and 60 min, respectively. The detection limit of the WSSV- CPA assay was as low as 10 copies μl−1 and shared same sensitivity with the WSSV- qPCR assay. Due to dispensing with expensive thermal cycler, time- and cost-saving, and ease of use in field, it is anticipated that the WSSV- CPA method developed in this study will be instrumental for the diagnosis and surveillance of WSSV. Significance and Impact of the Study White spot syndrome, caused by white spot syndrome virus ( WSSV), is the major disease threatening the shrimp aquaculture industry and leads to tens of billion dollars of economic losses in the world each year. This study established a CPA-based method for detecting WSSV, which is rapid, sensitive and specific. It is anticipated that this novel assay will be instrumental for diagnosis and surveillance of WSSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of dietary administration of Lactococcus lactis MM1 and Enterococcus faecium MM4, two strains of lactic acid bacteria isolated from the gut of juvenile grouper Epinephelus coioides, on the growth, feed utilization, digestive enzymes and immune response of juvenile E. coioides was evaluated. The fish were fed for 60 days with three different diets: control diet (without probiotic), diet P1 supplemented with 1.0 × 108 CFU g−1 L. lactis or diet P2 with 1.0 × 108 CFU g−1 E. faecium. Although growth and feed intake decreased slightly, significant improvement of feed utilization was observed in fish fed diet P1 and diet P2 for 60 days. The hepatopancreatic protease activities in the two probiotic treatments were significantly higher than that in the control. The phagocytic activity, serum superoxide dismutase activity and complement component 4 (C4) and IgM levels were not significantly affected by diet P1 and diet P2. Serum complement component 3 (C3) levels in the two treatments were significantly higher than that in the control. Significant increased serum lysozyme activity was observed in fish fed the diet P1, while significant decreased lysozyme activity was observed in fish fed the diet P2 compared with the fish fed the control diet. There was a significant interaction effect between diet and administration date for the complement C4. The study demonstrates potential for L. lactis MM1 and E. faecium MM4 to improve the feed utilization and modulate the immune function in E. coioides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to assess the effect of incorporating dietary Psychrobacter sp., one predominant bacterium with antagonistic activity in the gut of fast-growing grouper Epinephelus coioides, on the growth, feed utilization, digestive enzymes and immune responses of E. coioides at regular monthly intervals. The fish were fed with control diet (without probiont) or probiotic diet supplemented with 1.0 × 10 CFU g Psychrobacter sp. No significant improvement in weight gain (WG) and specific growth ratio (SGR) were observed in the probiotic group, but a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed in fish fed the probiotic diet for 60 days. Although not statistically significant, enhanced hepatopancreatic protease and lipase activities and intestinal amylase activity were observed in probiotic group at day 60. A slightly increase in phagocytic activity and phagocytic index was observed in fish fed probiotic diet for 60 days. Serum lysozyme activity showed no significant differences between the probiotic group and the control group during the whole experiment period, while an increasing trend of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the probiotic group was observed. Serum complement component 3 (C3) level of the probiotic group was higher than that of control in the whole feeding period, while complement component 4 (C4) level of the probiotic group was significantly higher than that of the control at day 60. The results of the current study firstly demonstrated potential for Psychrobacter sp. as a novel probiont to improve feed utilization, digestive enzymes and innate immunity in E. coioides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the diversity of dominant autochthonous microbiota along the digestive tract of juvenile Epinephelus coioides following the dietary administration of probiotic Bacillus pumilus for 60 days. Methods and Results: Polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) with subsequently sequencing analysis was used to assess the gut microbiota . Generally similar DGGE patterns were observed in the foregut, midgut and hindgut of E. coioides, while the similarity dendrogram clearly revealed three different clusters depending on the three compartments of the GI tract. Dietary administration of B. pumilus stimulated its colonization in each compartment of the digestive tract. Samples collected from the probiotic group and the control group showed similar DGGE patterns, and no significant difference in the total number of bands and the Shannon index were detected between the probiotic group and the control group, suggested that B. pumilus exert no significant effect on the gut microbiota. However, various potentially beneficial bacteria, such as uncultured Bacillus sp. clone QJNY94-like, Nitratireductor sp. YCSC5-like, Methylobacterium hispanicum-like and Microbacterium sp. YACS1-like bacteria were stimulated by probiotic B. pumilus, while the potential harmful Staphylococcus saprophyticus-like bacterium was depressed. Conclusions: Autochthonous gut microbiota of E. coioides was modulated to some degree, not significant, by probiotic B. pumilus, various potentially beneficial bacteria were selectively stimulated, while one potential harmful species was depressed. Significance and Impact of the Study: This work represents the first report that dietary administration of probiotic B. pumilus modulated the gut microbiota of E. coioides. These findings broaden our understanding of probiotic effects at the gut level, which is helpful in understanding the mechanisms that underpin host benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many different types of cancer originate from aberrant signaling from the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), arising through different translocation events and overexpression. Further, activating point mutations in the ALK domain have been recently reported in neuroblastoma. To characterize signaling in the context of the full-length receptor, we have examined whether ALK is able to activate Rap1 and contribute to differentiation/proliferation processes. We show that ALK activates Rap1 via the Rap1-specific guanine-nucleotide exchange factor C3G, which binds in a constitutive complex with CrkL to activated ALK. The activation of the C3G/Rap1 pathway results in neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells, which is inhibited by either overexpression of Rap1GAP or siRNA-mediated knockdown of Rap1 itself or the guanine nucleotide exchange factor C3G. Significantly, this pathway also appears to function in the regulation of proliferation of neuroblastoma cells such as SK-N-SH and SH-SY5Y, because abrogation of Rap1 activity by Rap1-specific siRNA or overexpression of Rap1GAP reduces cellular growth. These results suggest that ALK activation of Rap1 may contribute to cell proliferation and oncogenesis of neuroblastoma driven by gain-of-function mutant ALK receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Retrospective study.Objectives:To investigate prognostic factors of sacral chordomas and provide theoretical foundation for an improvement of continuous disease-free survival (CDFS).Methods:Thirty-six patients underwent initial operation for sacral chordoma between 1992 and 2007. Data regarding age, gender, tumor size, tumor location, and type of surgery, surgical margins, surrounding muscle invasion, radiation therapy, and recurrences were reviewed and analyzed statistically.Results:The average duration of follow-up was 74.4 months (range, 16–182 months). Sixteen patients developed local recurrences at the time of final follow-up. The average recurrence time was 30 months (range, 3–84 months). The 5-year and 10-year actuarial CDFS were 59.5 and 42%, respectively. CDFS was found statistically longer in patients whose tumor highest level at or below S3 compared with above S3 (P=0.047). Patients who had invasion into the surrounding muscle had a shorter CDFS than those without surrounding muscle invasion (P=0.014). Statistic analysis showed that the type of surgery was the most valuable indicator of CDFS (P=0.001). The local recurrence rate was statistically higher when an inadequate margin has been achieved (P=0.021). The Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that surrounding muscle invasion (P=0.024) was an independent adverse prognostic factor for CDFS, whereas incomplete excision (P=0.056) achieved borderline significance.Conclusions:The higher level of tumor involvement, invasion into the surrounding muscle, incomplete excision, and inadequate surgical margins are poor prognostic factors. Resecting the tumor completely with wide surgical margins may provide a better prognosis for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delay systems used to model retarded actions are relevant in many fields such as optics, mechanical machining, biology or physiology. A frequently encountered situation is that the length of the delay time changes with time. In this study, we use a simple map system to investigate the influence of the fluctuating delay time on the system dynamics. For simplicity, we start from a case with the delay time taking only the value of zero or one discrete time steps, where the system dynamics reduces to one- and two-dimensional map, respectively. We study two situations, periodic or random variation of the delay. Rich dynamics including coexisting multiple attractors, strange nonchaotic attractors and on-off intermittency are observed. For a special case we can show analytically the existence of a dense set of singularities of the Lyapunov exponent. Finally we present results for higher dimensional generalizations to show the relevance of our findings to more general situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nervous necrosis virus (NNV) infection induces host cell apoptosis by an ill-understood process. We utilized a fusion between enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and the zfBcl-x L gene in GL-av cells to select for zfBcl-xL stable cell lines and to assess the effectiveness of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL in circumventing NNV-induced cell death. Stable EGFP and EGFP-Bcl-xL-expressing clones were obtained at high purity within 2.5–3 months. In the latter, the EGFP-Bcl-xL fusion protein (approximately 58.2 kDa, as ascertained by Western blot) was predominantly targeted to mitochondria. We assayed for apoptosis in red-spotted grouper NNV Tainan no. 1 (RGNNV TN1)-infected cells with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated end labelling (TUNEL) of DNA at different virus doses. NNV infection of NNV Bcl-xL GL-av cell line revealed a protective effect, with a decrease in TUNEL-positive cells of 7%, 8% and 31.8% at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. In addition, RGNNV infection of the Bcl-xL GL-av cell line revealed a protective effect, with an enhanced viability of 3%, 40% and 73% at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. We conclude that NNV-induced apoptotic cell death can be lessened in transgenic grouper fish cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ion temperatures can be determined from H[sub α] line broadening measured by charge exchange recombination spectroscopy on Hanbit, a mirror device. Since the H[sub α] line emission from hydrogen atoms in plasma edges is much larger than that of the charge exchange recombination emission of ions, the line shape of the latter is submerged into the former when measured by an array detector such as a CCD detector. Thus, a notching filter in front of a detector is needed to block out the central region of the emission line. An optical fiber array detector, which works as a notching filter as well as an array detector, has been developed, since the transmission characteristics of commercial notching filter are not suitable for the line-broadening measurements. The design concept of the optical fiber array detector is described, and the feasibility to determine ion temperatures from the H[sub α] line broadening measurements is estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report room temperature ferromagnetism in boron-doped ZnO both experimentally and theoretically. The single phase Zn1-xBxO films deposited under high oxygen pressure by pulsed laser deposition show ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. The saturation magnetization increases monotonically from 0 to 1.5 emu/cm3 with the increasing boron component x from 0% to 6.8%. The first-principles calculations demonstrate that the ferromagnetism in the B-doped ZnO originates from the induced magnetic moment of oxygen atoms in the nearest neighbor sites to B-Zn vacancy pairs. The calculated total magnetic moment shows an increasing trend with the boron component which is consistent with experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A radio-frequency-driven hydrogen-ion source of the diagnostic neutral beam has been developed for the Hanbit magnetic mirror device at the Korea Basic Science Institute IS. M. Hwang et al., Trans. Fusion Technol. 35, 99 (1999)]. The three-electrode system with 37 apertures extracts the hydrogen-ion beam with 29.8 kev beam energy and 1.2 A beam current at a 9.6 cm diam. The ion source has the capability of varying the beam pulse width from 10 to 100 ms and also is capable of beam modulation at 50 Hz with a 10 ms flattop pulse width. The beam power and the ratio of the mixed ion species were measured by infrared thermography and Doppler shift spectroscopy, respectively. Most recent experimental results will be presented in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the first results of the ion bean extraction experiments conducted at Korea Basic Science Institute. Experimental setup; Results; Conclusion.

Fuzzy incidence graphs can be used as models for nondeterministic interconnection networks having extra node-edge relationships. For example, ramps in a highway system may be modeled as a fuzzy incidence graph so that unexpected flow between cities and highways can be effectively studied and controlled. Like node and edge connectivity in graphs, node connectivity and arc connectivity in fuzzy incidence graphs are introduced in this article. Their relationships with fuzzy connectivity parameters are discussed and results similar to Whitney’s theorems are obtained. Also, the incidence is used to model flows in human trafficking networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Unanticipated difficult laryngoscopy is associated with serious airway‐related complications. We aimed to develop and test a convolutional neural network‐based deep‐learning model that uses lateral cervical spine radiographs to predict Cormack–Lehane grade 3 or 4 direct laryngoscopy views of the glottis. We analysed the radiographs of 5939 thyroid surgery patients at our hospital, 253 (4%) of whom had grade 3 or 4 glottic views. We used 10 randomly sampled datasets to train a model. We compared the new model with six similar models (VGG, ResNet, Xception, ResNext, DenseNet and SENet). The Brier score (95%CI) of the new model, 0.023 (0.021–0.025), was lower ('better') than the other models: VGG, 0.034 (0.034–0.035); ResNet, 0.033 (0.033–0.035); Xception, 0.032 (0.031–0.033); ResNext, 0.033 (0.032–0.033); DenseNet, 0.030 (0.029–0.032); SENet, 0.031 (0.029–0.032), all p < 0.001. We calculated mean (95%CI) of the new model for: R2, 0.428 (0.388–0.468); mean squared error, 0.023 (0.021–0.025); mean absolute error, 0.048 (0.046–0.049); balanced accuracy, 0.713 (0.684–0.742); and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.965 (0.962–0.969). Radiographic features around the hyoid bone, pharynx and cervical spine were associated with grade 3 and 4 glottic views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of testicular microlithiasis ( TM) on the outcomes of in vitro fertilisation ( IVF), we retrospectively reviewed the ultrasonography results of the TM patients who underwent IVF treatment in our hospital. They were classified as classic- TM ( CTM) or limited- TM ( LTM) comparing with patients without TM (Non- TM). Semen parameters, rates of fertilisation, normal fertilisation, good embryos and clinical pregnancy were analysed. The Non- TM group showed higher percentage of morphologically normal spermatozoa than the CTM or LTM group (4.08 ± 2.07 versus 3.40 ± 2.00 versus 3.04 ± 1.66, p = .003) while the other general semen parameters were comparable. The LTM group showed higher rate of fertilisation than the CTM group (85.10% versus 81.12%, p = .044). Moreover, the rates of normal fertilisation of Non- TM (62.47%) and LTM (66.32%) group were significantly higher than the CTM (58.02%) group ( p = .027 and p = .001 respectively). There were 333 embryo transfer cycles in total (including 222 fresh and 111 frozen). The overall clinical pregnancy rate was 54.95%, 58.33% and 64.12% in the group of CTM, LTM and Non- TM respectively. However, no statistically significant difference was obtained ( p = .326). Our results suggest that TM may have influence on the IVF outcomes. The extent of microlithiasis correlates inversely with the rates of fertilisation and normal fertilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stochastic phenomena in magnetic nanowires based on domain wall (DW) motion is scientifically important thus to understand and control such behaviors are very meaningful. Here we report on the investigation of pinning and depinning of DWs in permalloy nanowires with six types of longitudinally asymmetric notches using focused magneto-optic Kerr effect (FMOKE) magnetometer and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The hysteresis loops obtained by FMOKE indicate the generation of one or two distinct depinning fields by creating one notch close to the edge of the nanowires, in comparison multiple depinning processes occur in the nanowires with two identical notches symmetrically placed along the transverse direction, indicating more remarkable stochastic DW depinning phenomena. The MFM images verify the existence of DW in each type of nanowires and the DW sizes in the latter kind of nanowires are generally larger than those in the former ones. These observations can be explained by considering the thermal perturbation and edge or surface roughness effects in nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The vast majority of current structural design codes and standards do not separately consider the wind and turbulence profiles for different storm types. Based on the 356-m-high Shenzhen Meteorological Gradient Tower, which is the tallest of its kind in Asia, this paper investigates the characteristics and vertical profiles of mean wind and turbulence for different types of strong wind events, including typhoons, monsoons, and thunderstorms, from a comparative perspective. Commonalities and differences among the vertical profiles of mean wind speed, turbulence intensity, and turbulence integral length scale for these storm events are comprehensively investigated. It is observed that the wind and turbulence profiles in typhoons and monsoons can be reasonably described by design codes and standards, while those in thunderstorms substantially deviate from typhoons and monsoons as well as code stipulations. The outcome of this study is expected to facilitate the different forms of wind and turbulence profiles for typhoons, monsoons, and thunderstorms to be taken into consideration in design codes and standards and improve the wind-resistant design of high-rise structures in regions that are prone to these storm events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind gust characteristics at wind turbine relevant height are closely tied with wind turbine design and wind power generation, however, they have not been detailed and documented. In this study, high-resolution wind data recorded by 3D sonic anemometers at a tall meteorological tower were analyzed to determine 12 descriptors of wind gusts and to identify the parent distributions that best fit these parameters. The main statistics were estimated using wind data from the 160 m height. It is found that the log-logistic distribution is most appropriate for a 10-min mean wind speed, gust magnitude, gust factor, and turbulence intensity; the gamma distribution appears to best fit peak factor, rise magnitude, lapse magnitude, lapse time, and gust length scale, while gust amplitude, rise time, and gust asymmetric factor are typically log-normally distributed. Gust factors tend to decrease with mean wind speed but increase as a function of turbulence intensity. The results also indicate that these wind gust descriptive parameters are height-dependent in which the 10-min mean wind speed, gust magnitude, gust length scale, rise time, and lapse time usually possess larger values at higher heights, whereas the remaining parameters exhibit negative correlation with height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate spin-current transport with an antiferromagnetic insulator NiO thin layer by means of the spin-Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) over a wide range of temperature in Pt/NiO/Y3Fe5O12 (Pt/NiO/YIG) heterostructures. The SMR signal is comparable to that without the NiO layer as long as the temperature is near or above the blocking temperature of the NiO, indicating that the magnetic fluctuation of the insulating NiO is essential for transmitting the spin current from the Pt to YIG layer. On the other hand, the SMR signal becomes negligibly small at low temperature, and both conventional anisotropic magnetoresistance and the anomalous Hall resistance are extremely small at any temperature, implying that the insertion of the NiO has completely suppressed the Pt magnetization induced by the YIG magnetic proximity effect (MPE). The dual roles of the thin NiO layer are, to suppress the magnetic interaction or MPE between Pt and YIG, and to maintain efficient spin current transmission at high temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the possible dietary application of live and heat-inactivated probiotic Bacillus pumilus SE5 in grouper Epinephelus coioides, juveniles (14.6 ± 0.2 g) were fed either a basal control diet (without probiotic) or the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 108 CFU g−1 live (T1) and heat-inactivated B. pumilus SE5 (T2). The heat-inactivated probiotic significantly improved the final weight, weight gain ( WG) and specific growth rate ( SGR) at day 60 and significantly decreased the feed conversion ratio ( FCR) at day 30 and 60, while the viable probiotic significantly decreased the FCR at day 60 ( P < 0.05). Phagocytic activity, serum complement C3 and IgM levels as well as SOD activity elevated significantly in fish fed the heat-inactivated probiotic for 60 days ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the heat-inactivated probiotic remarkably up-regulated expression of TLR2 and pro-inflammatory cytokines ( IL-8 and IL-1β) in head kidney ( P < 0.05), but the viable probiotic failed to do so. These results indicated that heat-inactivated B. pumilus SE5 can effectively improve the growth performance and immune responses of E. coioides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared with numerous encouraging reports of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) in treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures, there have been fewer reports on the role of PKP in the treatment of nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Even less is known about the use of PKP in treating nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with severe spinal stenosis. We reported an 87-year-old man presented with half a year back pain and numbness of both legs after back sprain 6 months ago. Nonunion of L3 with severe spinal stenosis was recognized in the preoperative films. Bone mineral analysis showed severe osteoporosis with a T-score of −4.7. He refused to receive the decompression surgery. As a result, PKP was introduced to him as an alternative option. The patient experienced complete pain relief after PKP without any complication. Meanwhile, it was an interesting finding that numbness of both legs disappeared. After 12 months follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic. This case illustrated that PKP could be considered as one of the options for nonunion of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with severe spinal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report our study on the magnetic properties of -doped thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition technique. The -doped thin films show ferromagnetism at room temperature. The saturation magnetism increases from 0 to 2.4 emu/cc with the increasing of concentration up to 2%, and then decreases with further increasing of concentration. First-principles calculation demonstrates that the origination of ferromagnetism for -doped system is the two unpaired electrons of -2p. These unpaired electrons increase the magnetic moments which are responsible for the increasing ferromagnetism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we report our study on the lithium-doped ZnO films prepared by sol-gel method. The films are polycrystalline wurtzite structure and the average particle size is about 50 nm. All the films are ferromagnetic, and the film with Li content of 8 at. % has the largest saturation magnetization of about 55 memu/g. The photoluminescence spectra show that the films have weak emission near ultraviolet region and strong emission in visible regions. The Li atoms in Zn sites can induce Zn vacancies and a low acceptor level in the energy gap, which are required for ferromagnetism. The first-principles calculations demonstrate that the ferromagnetism in the Li-doped ZnO originates from the induced magnetic moment of oxygen atoms in the nearest neighbor sites to Li-Zn vacancy pair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We have previously demonstrated that overexpression of ankyrin repeat-rich membrane spanning (ARMS) protein facilitates melanoma formation via conferring apoptotic resistance. This study aims to investigate whether ARMS contributes to melanoma progression.Method: Using immunohistochemistry, we graded the expression level of ARMS in 54 cases of primary melanoma and 46 cases of metastatic melanoma. The immunointensity of ARMS was statistically correlated with individual clinicopathological characteristics. By RNA interference, stable melanoma cell clones with ARMS-knockdown were constructed, and were used for in vitro scratch wound, transwell invasion assays, and in vivo lung metastasis experiment.Results: Stronger immunointensity of ARMS was observed mostly in melanomas with Breslow tumour thickness >1.0  mm (Fisher's exact test, P=0.002) or with nodal metastasis (Fisher's exact test, P=0.026), and was correlated with a worse overall survival in melanoma patients (log-rank test, P=0.04). Depletion of ARMS inhibited migration, invasion, and metastatic potential of melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, ARMS mediated melanoma cell migration and invasion through activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase (MEK)/ERK signalling pathway.Conclusion: Ankyrin repeat-rich membrane spanning expression, conjunctly with tumour thickness or ulceration, may serve as a prognostic factor in patients with cutaneous melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The histological architecture of major immune organs in the Malabar grouperEpinephelus malabaricuswas investigated. The novel characteristics such as melanomacrophage centres(MMCs) appeared in the thymus and lymphopoietic tissue formed as foci in the head kidney. Leukocyte distribution in organs was identified by enzyme histochemistry.β-glucuronidase(BG) reactive cells in the cortex region of the thymus were botryoidally aggregated. Both acid phosphatase(AcP) and BG reactive cells concentrated within the specialized lymphopoietic foci in the head kidney, suggesting that the foci might be functional. Primitive histological characters of immunity were observed in the spleen. Although leukocyte aggregation was demonstrated in the spleen, additional enzyme histochemistry indicated that the aggregate might not be the equivalent of white pulp found in other vertebrates. The histological evidence did not support intestinal involvement in the immune system: there was no demonstrable gut associated lymphoid tissue. The limited distribution in the cortex and medulla boundary and the condensed format of the lymphocytes suggests a functional role for the MMC in the thymus ofE. malabaricus. The MMC appearance in the thymus of a teleost was unusual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Korea superconducting tokamak advanced research (KSTAR), which is under construction at the National Fusion R&D Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, Korea, has the mission to develop a steady-state capable advanced superconducting tokamak to establish the scientific and technological bases for a fusion reactor. After an intensive R&D program, substantial progress of the KSTAR tokamak engineering had been made on major tokamak structures, superconducting magnets, in-vessel components, diagnostic system, heating system, and power supplies with industrial manufacturers by May 2002. The engineering design has been elaborated to the extent necessary to allow a realistic assessment of its feasibility, performance, and cost. Since May 2003, the project has been in the phase of procurement. The fabrication of main tokamak structure such as vacuum vessel, cryostat, and supporting structures is well progressed. The manufacturing work of superconducting coils is also proceeding favorably. The tokaniak assembly started in July 2003 after site preparation and assembly jig. The start of commissioning is scheduled for June 2006. This paper describes the key features and engineering progress of the KSTAR tokamak and elaborates the work currently underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OCI-5/Glypican 3, a member of the glypican family of proteoglycans, is the defective gene in the Simpson-Golabi-Behmel overgrowth syndrome. OCI-5 expression is developmentally regulated in the intestinal epithelium, and the mechanism of its regulation was studied in the rat intestinal epithelial cell line IEC-18. A large induction of OCI-5 transcript and protein was observed at high cell density. Among other glypican family members, κ-glypican also exhibited a confluence-dependent induction in select cell types. Nuclear run-on analysis indicated that cell-density regulation of OCI-5 occurs at the level of transcription. The rat and mouse OCI-5 promoters were cloned and found to be highly conserved, located within CpG islands and contain regions of alternating purine and pyrimidine residues. No TATA-box or recognizable INR element was observed. Consensus binding sites for AP-2, SP-1, zeste and NF-1/CTF are conserved across human, mouse and rat promoters. 5′ deletion mapping of the rat promoter identified regions which enhance and repress promoter activity, with no apparent confluence-dependence or tissue-specificity. Nuclear run-on analysis probing different regions of the gene suggests that elongation control plays a role in the induction of OCI-5 by confluence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) in disordered Fe0.5(PtxPd1-x)0.5 alloy films is investigated at room temperature. The spin orbit coupling (SOC) strength is continuously tuned by changing the composition of Pt and Pd in Fe0.5(PtxPd1-x)0.5 alloy films. It was found that the ANE voltage VANE increases with the increase of Pt composition. Meanwhile, the νN factor, which indirectly represents the anomalous Nernst efficiency, also increases with raising the composition of Pt. The enhancement of VANE and νN at larger x can be attributed to the increasing of SOC strength, which mainly comes from heavy Pt atoms. The present results will facilitate the theoretical studies of ANE and provide means of manipulating ANE for technological application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) is investigated experimentally in epitaxial fcc FexNi1-x (0≤x≤0.55) alloy thin films and bcc Fe thin film grown on MgO (001) substrates. The ANE measurements were performed at room temperature for various temperature gradients perpendicular to the film plane. The anomalous Nernst efficiency was indirectly characterized by the factor νN. It is found that both the ANE voltage VANE and the factor νN increase with raising the composition of Fe from 0 to 0.55, due to the presence of more abundant band structures. Moreover, the VANE and νN factor in bcc Fe thin film change sign and decrease sharply in magnitude compared to that of fcc FexNi1-x thin films, indicating that the tuning effects of the band filling near Fermi surface on ANE. The present results will facilitate the theoretical studies of ANE and provide means of manipulating ANE for technological application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcaligenes faecalis LJ-3 is highly efficient in degrading various azo dyes (100 mg L-1). Almost 100 % degradation was observed within 16 h at the initial Acid Scarlet 3R concentrations of 1000 mg L-1 under the optimal conditions, which were: 1 g dextrin L-1, 3 g yeast extract L-1, NaCl ≤ 30 g L-1, pH 8.0 and 35-45 ºC. Azoreductase, laccase and NADH-DCIP (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dichlorophenol indophenols) reductase were induced during the degradation of Acid Scarlet 3R. Kinetics study of degradation experiments approximated the first-order reaction. The maximum rate (Vmax) and substrate affinity constant (Ks) were found to be 115.90 mg L-1 h-1 and 1193.23 mg L-1, respectively, using Michaelis-Menten kinetics. This work provides new data characterizing Acid Scarlet 3R degradation by bacteria, as well as practical application potential in biological treatment of industrial effluents containing various azo dyes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of culture conditions and pH values on the exopolysaccharides (EPS) production by Hypsizygus marmoreus were investigated in this work. The results showed that the optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were glucose and yeast extract at concentrations of 30 g L-1 and 12.5 g L-1, respectively. In constant pH fermentation, high biomass concentration and the specific cell growth rate were achieved at pH 6.5, while high EPS concentration and the specific EPS production rate were obtained at pH 7.5, respectively. Based on kinetics analysis, a two-stage pH strategy was proposed in which pH was controlled at 6.5 to maintain high cell growth and glucose consumption in the first 48 h, and then shifted to 7.5 for increasing EPS production. The maximal EPS concentration reached 2.31 ± 0.07 g L-1 by applying this strategy. The EPS productivity (0.024 g L-1 h-1) increased 58.94 %, 172.7 % and 35.73 %, respectively, compared with that of the natural pH, and controlling pH at 6.5 and 7.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of tungsten brazing technology for the upgraded Korea superconducting tokamak advanced research divertor was launched in early 2013. ITER grade tungsten block was brazed on the CuCrZr alloy in vacuum at 980 °C for 30 min using silver free brazing alloy. An OFHC-copper was used as an interlayer between tungsten and the CuCuZr. The brazing alloy is a 0.05 mm thickness of plate of which component is a Ni–Cu–Mn. It is found that the optimal loading on mock-up is about 20 kPa. Ultrasonic test and shear strength test were carried out to check the strength between tungsten and substrate material. And the joint conditions were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Tungsten-brazed mock-ups with a cooling tube were tested at the electron beam facility, Korea heat load test facility-electron beam in Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. The high heat flux test was performed for tungsten-brazed mock-ups under heat flux of about 5 MW/ \textm^2 with more than 2000 cycles. All the tungsten-brazed mock-ups met the requirements and there was no delamination or failure at the bonding joints. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Tungsten (W) monoblock that consists of W according to ITER specifications, oxygen-free high conductive copper (Cu-OFHC), and CuCrZr has been designed in preparation for KSTAR upgrade for steady-state long-pulse operation with 27.5-MW heating power. Finite-element analysis has been performed by ANSYS Workbench. The hydraulic thermomechanical analysis is performed to investigate the optimal design parameters and the expected fatigue lifetime under the operating conditions with 5.4-MW/ \textm^2 incident heat flux at the divertor. For a single W monoblock, the optimization gives a W thickness of 5 mm, a side thickness of 2.5 mm, a thickness in the back part of 6 mm, and a Cu-OFHC interlayer thickness of 0.5 mm. For a mock-up consisting of five optimized W monoblocks, the thermal fatigue analysis is performed. As a result, the maximum value of equivalent total strain in the CuCrZr tube is found to be 0.266%, which corresponds to for a fatigue lifetime of 23 000 cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spring-back is an inevitable phenomenon in the forming process of sheet metal. Hydrodynamic torque converter blades are characterised by complex free-form surfaces in space, on which the forming defect occurs when spring-back exceeds the allowable size offset during the forming process. These forming defects directly affect the performances of hydrodynamic torque converters and power transmission systems. An accurate prediction method for the forming spring-back of hydrodynamic torque converter blades is not available. Therefore, it is necessary to perform accurate predictions and propose a rational design method of die forming surfaces for eliminating the influence of spring-back in forming precision. Based on CAE theories and methods of sheet metal forming, the forming process of a hydrodynamic torque converter was simulated, blade spring-back was predicted, and spring-back compensation and a die design were studied. Moreover, the study results were verified experimentally in two aspects: with simulation results through the forming of V-shaped pieces and the spring-back prediction and die compensation according to the performance indicators determined through the experiments of a hydrodynamic torque converter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]