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Rapid manufacturing of medical devices during unforeseen pandemics is imperative. In striving for manufacturing efficiency, photopolymerization has emerged as a viable approach for diverse healthcare applications in recent decades. Photopolymerization‐based 3D printing offers significant potential with a range of biocompatible materials (e.g., poly(ethylene glycol), cellulose, etc.) while minimizing waste generation. However, prevalent commercial photoinitiators used in this process are synthetic and environmentally unfriendly. Therefore, the naturally occurring and derived photoinitiators have drawn tremendous research interest due to their bioactivities and inherent environmental safety. This review comprehensively outlines the medical applications implemented by these photoinitiators, highlighting their inherent photoinitiation abilities. Moreover, it delves into the impact of substituent effects on the photoinitiation abilities of naturally derived photoinitiators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is presently reported to have the highest incidence of cancer in females globally. Several imaging methods are available for early BC diagnosis and for improving its treatment outcomes. The present meta-analysis compared the effectiveness of breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI), mammography, and ultrasound for diagnosing BC. Material and Methods: Relevant studies on this topic were retrieved from the PubMed, Scopus, and EMBASE databases. Pooled sensitivity and specificity as well as the area under the curve (AUC) value of a summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve of the three imaging modalities were compared. Results: Ten studies were retrieved, which included 2621 lesions from 2482 patients. The pooled sensitivity values of BSGI, ultrasound, and mammography were 0.90, 0.88, and 0.75, respectively (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.88-0.91, 0.86-0.89, and 0.72-0.77, respectively). The pooled specificity values of BSGI, ultrasound, and mammography were 0.83, 0.67, and 0.76, respectively (95% CI: 0.81-0.85, 0.64-0.69, and 0.74-0.78, respectively). The AUC values of BSGI, ultrasound, and mammography were 0.9355, 0.8644, and 0.8221, respectively. Conclusions: Compared to ultrasound and mammography, BSGI has the best diagnostic performance to discern malignant and benign breast lesions and could play a crucial role in diagnosing BC in women who have dense breasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional invisible finned-tube is a kind of high-efficiency enhanced tube which is widely used at present. In order to study and analyze advantages and disadvantages of heat transfer and flow performance of the three-dimensional invisible finned-tube, other enhanced tube heat exchangers are introduced and compared through experiments. After analysis and research, it is found that the total heat transfer coefficient K is not the only indexes for evaluating the performance of the heat exchanger, and the resistance is also one of the indexes. According to the evaluation standard of the comprehensive performance of the heat exchanger, the comprehensive performance factor η of the tube side and shell side of the three-dimensional invisible finned-tube heat exchanger is better than that of the other enhanced tube heat exchanger, and the enhanced tube standard is reached under certain conditions, which shows that the three-dimensional invisible finned-tube heat exchanger has excellent performance. The analysis results in this paper have certain guiding significance for engineering design and application of three-dimensional invisible finned-tube heat exchanger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effects of birinapant, a mimetic of the second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC), on invasion and proliferation of MGC-803 gastric cancer cells and the molecular mechanisms underlying these processes. The expression of cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 1 (cIAP1) and TNF receptor-associated factor 3 (TRAF3) in gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 and normal gastric mucosa GES-1 cells were analyzed by Western blotting and cell immunofluorescence assay. After pretreatment of MGC-803 cells with birinapant, a Transwell invasion assay was used to evaluate the cell invasion ability. MGC-803 cells were implanted under the skin of BALB/c nude mice. The tumors were removed 10 days later and its size was measured. Protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in the subcutaneous tumors was analyzed by immunohistochemical method. In addition, the expression of cIAP1, TRAF3, pNF-κB, and NF-κB in control and birinapant-treated cells was compared by Western blotting and the rate of cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. In untreated MGC-803 gastric cancer cells, the expression of cIAP1 was higher and the expression of TRAF3 was lower than in normal gastric mucosa cell line GES-1. Pretreatment with birinapant inhibited the invasion and proliferation of MGC-803 cells and promoted cell apoptosis. Birinapant also promoted the expression of TRAF3 and inhibited the expression of cIAP1 and pNF-κB in MGC-803 cells. Thus, birinapant inhibited the expression of cIAP1, prevented degradation of TRAF3, and suppressed invasion and proliferation of MGC-803 cells by promoting cell apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the association between age at menarche and risk of vasomotor menopausal symptoms (VMS) and whether midlife body mass index (BMI) modified the association. Design: A pooled analysis of six cohort studies. Setting: The International collaboration on the Life course Approach to reproductive health and Chronic disease Events (InterLACE). Population: 18 555 women from the UK, USA and Australia. Methods: VMS frequency data (never, rarely, sometimes and often) were harmonised from two studies (n = 13 602); severity data (never, mild, moderate and severe) from the other four studies (n = 4953). Multinominal logistic regression models were used to estimate relative risk ratios (RRRs) and 95% CIs adjusted for confounders and incorporated study as random effects. Main outcome measures: Hot flushes and night sweats. Results: Frequency data showed that early menarche ≤11 years was associated with an increased risk of 'often' hot flushes (RRR 1.48, 95% CI 1.24–1.76) and night sweats (RRR 1.59, 95% CI 1.49–1.70) compared with menarche at ≥14 years. Severity data showed similar results, but appeared less conclusive, with RRRs of 1.16 (95% CI 0.94–1.42) and 1.27 (95% CI 1.01–1.58) for 'severe' hot flushes and night sweats, respectively. BMI significantly modified the association as the risk associated with early menarche and 'often' VMS was stronger among women who were overweight or obese than those of normal weight, while this gradient across BMI categories was not as strong with the risk of 'severe' VMS. Conclusions: Early age at menarche is a risk factor for VMS, particularly for frequent VMS, but midlife BMI may play an important role in modifying this risk. Overweight and obesity exacerbate the risk of vasomotor symptoms associated with early menarche. Overweight and obesity exacerbate the risk of vasomotor symptoms associated with early menarche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finite-temperature phases of many-body quantum systems are fundamental to phenomena ranging from condensed-matter physics to cosmology, yet they are generally difficult to simulate. Using an ion trap quantum computer and protocols motivated by the quantum approximate optimization algorithm (QAOA), we generate nontrivial thermal quantum states of the transverse-field Ising model (TFIM) by preparing thermofield double states at a variety of temperatures. We also prepare the critical state of the TFIM at zero temperature using quantum-classical hybrid optimization. The entanglement structure of thermofield double and critical states plays a key role in the study of black holes, and our work simulates such nontrivial structures on a quantum computer. Moreover, we find that the variational quantum circuits exhibit noise thresholds above which the lowest-depth QAOA circuits provide the best results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the dynamic responses of the on board hydrogen storage system with commercially available metal hydride tanks are investigated based on the database collected from fuel cell electric vehicles operation experiments. A mathematical model considering the heat transfer measured by the temperature control system is developed to analyze the absorption and desorption reaction during operation. As a seal container filled with unknown metal hydride, the practical used hydrogen storage tank is a gray box in the embedded storage system. Without the information about characteristics of material, current operation state and degradation degree, the parameters of the model are uncertain. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied to search for the optimal parameter set. The simulation results of the hydrogen storage system model using these parameters show great agreements with the real operating data under different temperature conditions; the maximal error is lower than 9%. • The applied system is constituted of metal hydride tank and heat exchange. • A dynamic modeling process is proposed for the embedded hydrogen storage system. • PSO algorithm is used to identify the parameters of the proposed dynamic model. • The dynamic model is validated by the database of real operation FC vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High energy consumption is one of the disadvantages of hose-drawn travelers due to the use of water turbines. This study proposes a photovoltaic-powered electric motor instead of a water turbine to achieve high transmission efficiency. A stand-alone photovoltaic generation system (PVGS) was designed for a hose-drawn traveler. To achieve cost savings, a sizing optimization model was built for the PVGS. In the optimization model, the minimum annual cost of the system, which includes the initial capital, replacement, installation, operation, and maintenance costs, is taken as the objective function. The constraints include the battery's state of charge (SOC) and the power supply reliability, which is composed of the load loss of power supply probability (LPSP) and the energy excess percentage (EXC). The total power produced by the PV panels and the total battery capacity are the decision variables. The optimization model of the PVGS is solved through a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm based on a penalty function. The model is then applied to calculate the optimal configuration of a JP75-300 hose-drawn traveler. Comparisons between the optimal configuration and other six configuration schemes were conducted to verify the optimal solution results. Furthermore, field experiments were performed to test the performance. Finally, the effects of meteorological conditions, driving velocity, and LPSP on the optimal configuration and the annual cost of the PVGS are discussed. The results show that the optimal configuration of this PVGS are 432 W total power from PV panels and 172 Ah total battery capacity, and the optimization model results are the optimal configuration based on comparisons. The optimal configuration met the power requirements of the hose-drawn traveler for four days of field experiments, indicating that the optimal configuration is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The smelting behavior of direct reduction iron powder containing Ni and Cu from co-reduction followed by a magnetic separation of copper slag and nickel laterite was investigated in this paper. The results show that the perfect ternary alloy with 90.66% Fe, 5.24% Ni, 1.20% Cu and minor impurities can be prepared by smelting under optimum conditions at 1550 °C for 30 min with 1.1 slag basicity. The corresponding recoveries of Fe, Ni, and Cu were 92.77%, 96.27% and 96.24%, respectively. In addition, basicity has a significant effect on slag fluidity. The optimum basicity of slag is approximately 1.1, which is beneficial for both metal recovery and desulfuration. Compared with the direct reduction iron powder, the Fe-NiCu ternary alloy contains a higher metal content and less sulfur from the smelting process and is a superior material for producing weathering steel. Hence, it is very feasible to use an electric arc furnace to smelt direct reduction iron powder to produce a high quality Fe-Ni-Cu ternary alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic pre-strain may decrease the yield strength of metallic materials when stressed in the opposite direction, known as Bauschinger's effect, which could considerably influence the performance of the materials. However, various processes on microscopic level associated with the Bauschinger's effect are still not clear. In this study, defect generation, movement and annihilation in single crystal copper during cyclic tension-compression loading processes were simulated using the molecular dynamics method. It was observed that Bauschinger's effect was asymmetrical and the strain hardening was more profound during compression. After plastic compression, the tensile fracture strain was increased. The absorbed energy was self-adjusted during the tension-compression cycles and kept relatively stable during the loading cycles. Efforts were made to understand the mechanisms responsible for these phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The substitution of barium and strontium for calcium in the pseudo-charge exchange (CE)-type charge ordered manganite Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3 has been reinvestigated for low substitution levels (<10%). It is shown that Ba or Sr substitution exhibits a greater ability to induce ferromagnetism, metallicity and sharp magnetization, and resistivity multisteps at low temperature (2.5 K) in this phase, than in the CE-type manganite Pr0.5Ca0.5MnO3. The crucial role of the size of the A-site impurity is emphasized, the larger Ba2+ cation being much more efficient than Sr2+ to induce such effects. This study demonstrates that the multistep-like behavior, previously observed for Mn-site substitution in Pr0.6Ca0.4MnO3, can be obtained by A-site substitution, Ba substitution being as efficient as Cr substitution, and Sr substitution having a similar effect to Ga substitution. In the framework of the martensitic mechanism, it is suggested that the introduction of larger cations on the Ca sites, or of non-Jahn–Teller cations on the Mn3+ sites, induces “locally” around them the formation of more symmetric domains within the distorted antiferromagnetic matrix. This structural phase separation would induce the electronic phase separation, favoring the formation of ferromagnetic metallic regions in the antiferromagnetic insulating matrix. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the anomalous positive magnetoresistance (PMR) in Co[sub x]–C[sub 1-x] granular films prepared on Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition method. A much larger positive MR, up to 22% at magnetic field B=1 T and x=2 at. %, is observed at room temperature than at low temperature. Interestingly, the room-temperature response has a B[sup 2/3] dependence when B<1 T and a B[sup 1/2] dependence when B>1 T. Different from the low-temperature PMR, the room-temperature PMR are related with the Si(100) substrates. Furthermore, we show that the intrinsic positive MR at low temperature arise from shrinkage of the wave functions of localized electronic states, while the extrinsic MR effects of the Co[sub x]–C[sub 1-x]/Si structure are obviously determined by another mechanism, which may exist in other similar structures. This in turn has important implications for the optimization of such materials. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies the structural and luminescence properties of quantum dots grown by cycled submonolayer on gallium arsenide (GaAs) using a cycled submonolayer indium (In)As/GaAs deposition technique. Experimental framework; Comparison of structural parameters and luminescence characteristics of cycled submonolayer deposition dots with the conventional quantum dots; Measurement of the photoluminescence spectra of the quantum dot samples.

Chiral honeycomb structures have been developed in recent years, showing excellent mechanical properties, including in-plane deformation and out-of-plane bearing and vibration isolation. In this study, the 65Mn chiral structure with three ligaments was modeled and analyzed using the finite element (FE) method. The effects of the dimensionless ligament length and dimensionless ligament thickness on the in-plane equivalent elastic modulus, equivalent Poisson's ratio, and out-of-plane shear modulus were studied. The numerical results indicate that increase of the dimensionless ligament length leads to decrease of the equivalent elastic modulus and increase of the equivalent Poisson's ratio, whereas the out-of-plane equivalent shear modulus decreases. The results also indicate that increase of the dimensionless ligament thickness leads to increase of the equivalent elastic modulus, whereas the equivalent Poisson's ratio remains nearly unchanged and the out-of-plane equivalent shear modulus shows a linear increase. The numerical results are verified by comparison with published experimental data. These results will provide a reference for the application of chiral structures with three ligaments in the aerospace field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This note investigates the reliability of undrained slopes by the random finite-element method. The focus of this note is on the worst-case spatial correlation length, namely the correlation length at which the probability of slope failure reaches a maximum. It is shown that the worst-case phenomenon is most pronounced when the mean factor of safety is relatively low or the coefficient of variation is relatively high. Knowledge of the worst-case spatial correlation length is valuable, as it can be employed for conservative design in the absence of substantial soil field data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shaft grain size and uniformity play an important role in improving its mechanical properties. Using DEFORM-3D finite element software, the effects of broadening angle and forming angle on the micro performance of the GH4169 alloy shaft parts were studied systematically. The results show that grain refinement is mainly completed in the stretching section. As the broadening angle increases, the grain size expands constantly, and the fluctuation value decreases and then increases, while as the forming angle increases, the grain size and the fluctuation value decrease and then increase. The accuracy of the finite element model was verified through cross wedge rolling experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur dioxide is a widespread air pollutant and it also acts as a signaling molecule in various processes in mammals. However, the role of SO2 in programmed cell death (PCD) in plants is unclear. Here we studied the role of SO2 in gibberellin (GA)-treated wheat aleurone layers. The results showed that 100 μM SO2 donor (NaHSO3/Na2SO3) could effectively delay PCD and inhibit the coalescence of small protein storage vacuoles (PSVs) in aleurone cells treated with GA. Also, SO2 could reduce the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion in GA-treated aleurone layers. In this process, SO2 could sustain higher activities of catalase, guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase and lower activities of lipoxygenase and polyphenol oxidase by comparing with GA alone. In addition, an induction of endogenous H2S and NO was observed in SO2-treated aleurone layers. The application of NO scavenger cPTIO could accelerate PCD in SO2 or H2S treated aleurone cells, suggesting that NO alleviated PCD by acting downstream of SO2 and H2S. In conclusion, these results imply that SO2 could delay PCD in GA-treated wheat aleurone layers by enhancing cellular antioxidative capacity, and H2S/NO signals act downstream of SO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: In this paper, we propose and demonstrate an improved fluorescence emission difference microscopy (FED) method, exploiting programmable phase modulation for image enhancement. The main novelty of the proposed approach lies in the matched size and intensity of two excitation spots. The proposed method improves the FED performance on image quality via artefact elimination. We demonstrate the feasibility of this method through theoretical studies and experimental tests. The experimental results of nanobeads and cells validate the practical performance of this method, which can enable reliable observations at superresolution in biomedical studies. Lay Description: In this paper, we propose a method to improve the imaging quality of regular fluorescence emission difference (FED) microscopy. In regular FED imaging, a solid and a doughnut excitation beam are successively used to acquire two images which are then subtracted with each other to improve the resolution of confocal microscopy. The doughnut beam can be generated by modulating the excitation beam with a vortex phase mask. Note that both of the excitation beam and the vortex phase mask must have the same handed direction in regular FED microscopy. However, some negative values may be produced and some information may be lost due to the subtraction process in regular FED imaging, which is mainly caused by the mismatched size and intensity of these two excitation spots. To address this issue, we propose conjugated FED (cFED) microscopy which additionally uses a conjugated vortex phase mask to modulate the solid beam to extend its focal spot size to be matched with the doughnut spot, which means the handed direction of the solid beam and the vortex phase mask is different. Besides, in order not to damage the resolution, the doughnut beam needs to be saturated to some degree. The experiment results show that, at the same resolution level, the negative values and the information loss in cFED image are all less than that of regular FED image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium/silicon-carbide-fibre composites offer an excellent combination of weight-specific properties that make them ideal for many components in aeroengines. However, potential industrial applications are hampered by the need to fabricate semi-circular micro-grooves on the titanium alloy foils. Through-mask electrochemical micromachining (EMM) has been developed to fabricate micro-grooves on the surface of titanium alloy. The distribution of current density affects the micro-groove profile, and different mask aspect ratios can form different distributions of current density in through-mask EMM. Therefore, micro-grooves with semi-circular profiles can be fabricated by controlling the aspect ratio of the mask groove. In this paper, the effect of mask aspect ratio on the micro-groove profile during through-mask EMM is investigated by electric field simulation. From simulation results obtained in a series of experiments, the appropriate mask aspect ratio is found for fabricating semi-circular micro-grooves. Ultimately, a group of micro-grooves is fabricated successfully with the required accuracy by through-mask EMM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which employed metal vacuum arc ion source to synthesize titanium silicides by titanium implantation directly intro silicon or through a deposited titanium film on silicon wafers. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

Provides information on a study that synthesized refractory metal silicides by using a metal vapor vacuum arc ion source to implant the respective metal ions with high current density silicon and silicon wafers. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study; Conclusion.

Focuses on a study which synthesized iron silicide layers on silicon wafers by iron (Fe) ion implantation technique using metal vapor vacuum arc ion source. Materials and procedure; Description of the formation of Fe silicides; Discussion on the formation mechanism in terms of the beam heating effect.

Summary: Duck hepatitis A virus (DHAV) is the most common aetiologic agent of duck virus hepatitis (DVH), causing substantial economic losses in the duck industry worldwide. In China, officially approved DHAV‐1 live‐attenuated vaccines have been used widely to vaccinate breeder ducks since 2013. However, following the reports of DVH outbreaks, it has become necessary to assess the epidemiological situation of this virus in China. We conducted molecular epidemiological analyses of 32 DHAV field isolates while analysing the samples from ducks suspected of having hepatitis collected from commercial duck farms in China between May 2010 and December 2015. Considerable changes were observed in the epidemiology of DHAV‐1 and DHAV‐3 in China over time. A higher number of DHAV‐1 strains were isolated during 2010–2012, coinciding with the widespread use of officially approved DHAV‐1 live vaccine strains beginning in 2013. In contrast, a higher rate of DHAV‐3 causing DHAV infections was observed between 2013 and 2015. Phylogenetic analyses based on the full‐length VP1 gene were performed on these field isolates and using reference strains available in GenBank. DHAV‐1 field isolates were evaluated in two groups: one group closely related to prototype strains and circulating in China between 2010 and 2012 and another group exhibiting genetic and serological differences from prototype strains. All DHAV‐3 strains isolated in this study were grouped as monophyletic, which has become the predominant viral type, particularly in Shandong and Sichuan provinces, since 2013. In conclusion, these data provide updated information on the genetic and serological diversity of DHAV‐1 and DHAV‐3, and our findings may serve as a foundation for the prevention of, and vaccine development for, DHAV in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clutaraldehyde cross-linked magnetic chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized and used as an adsorbent for the dispersive solid-phase extraction of palladium in active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) prior to analysis by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, and TEM were used to characterize the adsorbent. Various parameters of experimental performance, such as adsorbent amount, pH, adsorption time, desorption solutions, coexisting ions, and adsorbent reusability, were investigated and optimized. Under the optimized conditions, good linearity was achieved in the 5.0-500 μg/L concentration range, with correlation coefficients of 0.9989. The limit of detection is 2.8 μg/L and the recoveries of spiked samples ranged from 91.7 to 97.6%. It was confirmed that the GMCNs nanocomposite was a promising adsorbing material for extraction and preconcentration of Pd in APIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on recently published deterministic solutions as a benchmark, the random finite-element method is used here to investigate the influence of spatial variability on the undrained stability of normally consolidated random slopes, where the mean strength increases linearly with depth while the coefficient of variation remains constant. Results are presented in the form of charts that give the mean and standard deviation of a dimensionless stability number. Using the charts presented in this note, engineers can obtain a preliminarily assessment of the probability of failure of normally consolidated clay slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over half of lung transplant recipients (LTRs) develop chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) within 5 years post-transplant. While donor-derived cell-free DNA (dd-cfDNA) is a well-validated biomarker in acute cellular rejection (ACR) and antibody mediated rejection (AMR), it is less studied in CLAD. Our aim was to determine if dd-cfDNA correlated with freedom from CLAD in LTRs more than 3 years post-transplant. We performed a retrospective, observational study of LTRs more than 3 years post-transplant. We analyzed dd-cfDNA in LTRs with and without CLAD. We then examined factors that could contribute to elevated dd-cfDNA in LTRs with CLAD, such as history of ACR, elevated donor specific antibodies (DSAs), and history of pulmonary infection post-transplant. There were 39 LTRs more than 3 years post-transplant with dd-cfDNA testing completed. Mean time of collection was 5.87 (SD=3.74) years post-transplant. Mean dd-cfDNA was 2.04% (SD=2.64%) in LTRs with CLAD and 0.697% (SD=0.533%) in LTRs without CLAD (p=0.0254). In subgroup analyses of dd-cfDNA in LTRs with CLAD, there was significant difference in dd-cfDNA in LTRs who had DSAs with mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) > 4000 (mean 4.19%, SD 4.19%) compared to LTRs who had DSAs with MFI < 4000 (mean 1.14%, SD 0.870%, p=0.0243). There was also significant difference in dd-cfDNA in LTRs who had history of pulmonary infection post-transplant (mean 1.09%, SD 0.652%) compared to LTRs who did not (mean 4.31%, SD 4.19%, p=0.0165). Conversely, there was no significant difference in dd-cfDNA in LTRs who had history of ACR (mean 1.87%, SD 2.33%) compared to LTRs who did not (mean 2.82%, SD 4.41%, p=0.590). Plasma dd-cfDNA inversely correlated with freedom from CLAD more than 3 years post-transplant. In this study, elevated DSAs and history of pulmonary infection post-transplant were significant factors affecting dd-cfDNA in LTRs with CLAD, with positive and negative correlations respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H-related defects have been investigated in Ga-doped ZnO thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering at room temperature in Ar+H2ambient. When the flow ratio of H2/(Ar+H2) increases from 0 to 4%, the resistivity significantly decreases from 1·94 × 10−2to 5·69 × 10−4 Ω cm. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show that it should not be ascribed to the films’ crystalline quality, the chemical states and substitutional situation of Ga and Zn. It is suggested that there are a large number of acceptors in the films, the major role of H is to passivate the acceptors but H-donors themselves do not play a significant role. These acceptor-like defects are located at grain boundaries (dangling bonds) and in bulk (VZnand/or GaZn–VZn). Post-growth annealing experiment and optical transmittance results exhibit that the passivated acceptors are mainly at grain boundaries rather than in bulk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Electromagnetic vibration energy harvesters including magnetically levitated devices where opposing magnets are used to form the spring have been well documented. The strength of the magnets naturally has a large influence on the dynamic characteristics and output power of such harvesters. However, it can be affected by ambient temperatures which vary from applications to applications. This paper presents investigation into the performance of a magnetically levitated electromagnetic energy harvester under various ambient temperatures. Parameters investigated include magnetic flux density, resonant frequency, damping ratio, open circuit output voltage, velocity of the relative motion and the load resistance. Both simulation and experimental results show that these properties vary with ambient temperatures. The magnetic flux density reduces as the temperature increases which results in lower resonant frequency, lower relative velocity, lower open circuit output voltage and higher damping ratio. Varying resonant frequencies with temperature can lead to harvesters being de-tuned from the target vibration frequency. Decreasing magnetic field strength and increased damping ratios will also reduce output power even if the harvester’s resonant frequency still matches the environmental vibration frequency. The power transferred to the electrical load will be reduced due to the variation in the optimal load resistance with temperature. This means the harvester is no longer matched to achieve the maximum harvested power. The specified maximum operating temperature of the magnets was found to lead to partial demagnetisation. When cycling from room to the maximum specified temperature, the magnetic field was initially found to fall but remained constant thereafter. Harvesters were found to operate beyond the specified maximum operating temperature of the magnet, but suffer from a reduced magnetic strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The granulation behaviour of specularite fines which possess poor ballability was studied with limonite fines as a function of nuclei particles and adhering fines. The results show that the permeability of granules deteriorated as the ratio of specularite fines increased in the mixture, and the optimal granulation moisture content also decreased. The granulation kinetics results demonstrate that the adhering load of specularite fines increased rapidly within 3 minutes and then levelled off. With increasing specularite fines ratio, the adhering rate accelerated but the granulation duration needed to be longer to reach adhering balance. The microstructure of granule quasi-particles indicates that the fine limonite particles act as binders to bond together the specularite particles which are dispersed in the adhering layers. This can improve the adhering strength of the granules. Hence, the granulation behaviour of specularite fines can be improved by blending them with fine limonite ores which have high adhering capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The outstanding photochemical properties of thiazolothiazole and its derivatives make them attractive as potential photoinitiators. Two homosubstituted thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole derivatives, 2,5-di(furan-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole and 2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole, were investigated as photoinitiators for both the free radical and the cationic polymerization upon the light irradiation from LED@410 nm. In particular, steady-state photolysis, fluorescence quenching experiments, and electron paramagnetic resonance spin-trapping techniques were used to study their photochemical mechanisms in generating active species. When coupled with one or two additives, these thiazolothiazole-based photoinitiating systems showed effective photoinitiation abilities on both the free radical and the cationic photopolymerization. Specifically, 2,5-di(furan-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole- and 2,5-di(thiophen-2-yl)thiazolo[5,4- d ]thiazole-based photoinitiating systems were found to be of similar efficiency on the free radical photopolymerization of trimethylolpropane triacrylate and the dental resin (the blend of bisphenol A glycidyl methacrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate) with minor shrinkage but presented different performance in cationic photopolymerization of 3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyl 3,4-epoxycyclohexanecarboxylate. Moreover, the curing depth of the samples and 3D printing capability were also investigated to determine their potential applications. [Display omitted] • Thiazolothiazole derivative-based photoinitiators can initiate both free radical and cationic photopolymerization. • Different substituents in thiazolothiazole derivative-based photoinitiators can affect the depth of photocuring. • 2,5-Di(thiophene-2-yl)thiazolo [5,4-d]thiazole can be successfully applied to 3D printing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by an application in neuroimaging, we consider the problem of establishing global minimax lower bound in a high order tensor model. In particular, the methodology we describe provides the global minimax bound for the integral curve estimator proposed in [O. Carmichael and L. Sakhanenko, Linear Algebra Appl., 473 (2015), pp. 377-403] under a semiparametric estimation setting. The theoretical results in this paper guarantee that the estimator used for tracing the complex fiber structure inside a live human brain obtained from high angular resolution diffusion imaging (HARDI) data is not only optimal locally but also optimal globally. The global minimax bound on the asymptotic risk of the estimators thus will provide a quantification of uncertainty for the estimation method in the whole domain of the imaging field. In addition to theoretical results, we also provide a detailed simulation study in order to find the optimal number of gradient directions for the imaging protocols, which we further illustrate with a real data analysis of a live human brain scan to showcase the uncertainty quantification of the estimation method in [O. Carmichael and L. Sakhanenko, Linear Algebra Appl., 473 (2015), pp. 377-403]. Furthermore, based on the global minimax bound, we propose a method for comparing the relative accuracy of several commonly used neuroimaging protocols in diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare antibiotic susceptibility of community-acquired respiratory bacteria in China during 2009-11 and 2013-14.Methods: Susceptibility was determined by Etest(®) (bioMérieux) or disc diffusion according to CLSI, EUCAST and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) breakpoints, except for azithromycin where Etest(®) breakpoints (in CO2 incubation) were used in place of standard CLSI breakpoints. Statistical significance of differences in susceptibility across time periods was evaluated using Fisher's exact test.Results: During 2009-11, 434 Streptococcus pneumoniae, 307 Haemophilus influenzae and 140 Moraxella catarrhalis were collected from eight centres and during 2013-14, 208 S. pneumoniae, 185 H. influenzae and 80 M. catarrhalis were collected from five centres. Penicillin-non-susceptible isolates remained stable at ∼66% over both time periods but susceptibility decreased significantly for amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (or amoxicillin) and cefaclor. For H. influenzae, the proportion of β-lactamase-positive isolates and β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant strains (CLSI definition) was higher in 2013-14 (25.4% and 7.0%, respectively) than in 2009-11 (16.3% and 3.6%, respectively), with decreased ampicillin and cephalosporin susceptibility. By 2009-11 and 2013-14, only amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (amoxicillin), levofloxacin, penicillin (intravenously) and chloramphenicol inhibited >70% of S. pneumoniae. During 2013-14, M. catarrhalis showed increasing resistance, with cefaclor and levofloxacin susceptibility decreasing significantly. However, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cefuroxime and levofloxacin continued to inhibit >90% of isolates.Conclusions: On the whole, antimicrobial susceptibility decreased in China between 2009-11 and 2013-14. In 2013-14, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, levofloxacin and chloramphenicol were the most active antibacterial agents tested against community-acquired respiratory pathogens when assessed by CLSI, EUCAST or PK/PD breakpoints. Resistance to other antibacterials in China was generally high. Our data demonstrate the need to harmonize breakpoints for these pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Looped pipe networks are commonly used in water delivery systems due to their improved performance and reliability. Some irrigation systems (e.g., subsurface drip irrigation systems) are often designed as looped systems. The proper design of the submain units can significantly affect investment cost and crop yield. Therefore, the hydraulic performance of looped submain units should be explored. This article presents a comprehensive finite element based formulation for hydraulic analysis of looped microirrigation submain units. The proposed equations are solved iteratively using Gaussian elimination, and the results correlated well with experiment data. A custom computer software program was developed to implement the method for large irrigation submain units. The data obtained show that a looped submain unit can achieve better water application uniformity when compared with a branched system. On the condition of satisfying certain design criteria (EU > 0.8), the looped submain unit can be much larger with a slight increase in total cost. It may also be possible to use a smaller pipe diameter with lower cost when the submain unit size is determined. Uniformity of the looped submain unit is relatively insensitive to changes in the flow exponent (x), indicating that lower-cost, nonpressure- compensating emitters could be used. The optimal system design usually relates to a trade-off between reliability and cost, considering that a looped microirrigation submain unit seems to be a suitable alternative to a branched system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study aims to explore how feuD mutation triggered the increase in nisin immunity of Lactococcus lactis L58, which was proven to be a feuD::Em-Mu mutant of Lc. lactis N8. Methods and Results The significant difference genes of Lc. lactis L58 and Lc. lactis N8 were compared at transcription and protein levels. Analysis revealed that the feuD mutation induced decrease in histidine-containing phosphocarrier protein PtsH ( HPr) and increase in thioredoxin reductase TrxB ( TR). Determination of iron concentration and cytoplasmic membrane potential ( MP) showed the iron concentration decreased around 10% and the MP decreased approx. 14% in Lc. lactis L58. Conclusions The increase in nisin immunity was dominated by TR up-expression by two main mechanisms in Lc. lactis L58. First, the TR- TRX (thioredoxin reductase) system changed the composition of cytoplasmic membrane by regulating the lipid metabolism to enhance the cells' resistance to nisin. Second, iron starvation stress induced decrease in MP; hence, the binding affinity of nisin to lipid II of Lc. lactis L58 decreased, which, in turn, increased the nisin immunity. Significance and Impact of the Study The knowledge on regulation mechanism of nisin immunity was enriched, and the theoretical basis for improving nisin production in engineering strain could be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of surface hillocks (also known as pancake defects) on GaN-on-Si wafers grown by MOVPE has been investigated. FIB/TEM observations confirmed that the appearance of the hillocks is due to the formation of Ga-rich precipitates within the AlGaN buffer layer. XRD (002) FWHM measurements also show that the surface hillocks are associated with a high degree of crystal tilt in the AlN nucleation layer. Two factors are considered to be the cause of such a phase separation: (1) a high density of surface steps associated with the regions of large crystal tilt which act as nucleation centers and (2) a lower mobility of Al adatoms at the growth surface compared with Ga, leading to a preferential incorporation of Ga in the precipitates. The impact of these precipitates on the wafer bow of the structures is considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Well TS1 reveals many uncemented pores and vugs at depths of more than 8000 m in a deep Cambrian dolomite reservoir in the Tarim Basin, northwestern China. The fluid environment and mechanism required for the preservation of reservoir spaces have yet not been well constrained. Carbon, oxygen, and strontium isotope compositions and fluid inclusion data suggest two types of fluids, meteoric water and hydrothermal fluid, affecting the Lower Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin. Based on simulation using a thermodynamic model for H2O- CO2-NaCl-Ca CO3 system, meteoric water has the ability to continuously dissolve carbonate minerals during downward migration from the surface to deep strata until it reaches a transition depth, below which it will begin to precipitate carbonate minerals to fill preexisting pore spaces. In contrast, hydrothermal fluid has the ability to dissolve carbonate in deep strata and precipitate carbonate in shallow strata during upward migration. Based on the dissolution-precipitation characteristics of the two types of fluids, the ideal fluid environment for the preservation of preexisting reservoir spaces occurs when carbonate reservoir is neither in the Ca CO3 precipitation domain of meteoric water nor in the Ca CO3 precipitation domain of hydrothermal fluid. Taking the Lower Paleozoic carbonate reservoirs in the north uplift area as an example, the spaces in the deep Cambrian dolomite reservoir near well TS1 were seldom filled because thick Ordovician deposits blocked meteoric water from migrating downward into the Cambrian dolomite reservoir and because the Cambrian dolomite reservoir has been in the domain of hydrothermal dissolution since the Permian. The deep carbonate layers in basins elsewhere with a similar fluid environment may have high uncemented porosity and consequently have good hydrocarbon exploration potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40 °N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work functions of Cu-2.7Be and Cu-2.0Be (wt%) alloys were measured using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, and their dependence on secondary phase characteristics (composition and distribution) was investigated. The work function properties were significantly altered when the Be content was increased from 2.0 to 2.7 wt%, which was attributed to the introduction of secondary phases ( β and γ) in the alloys with higher Be content. Furthermore, the distribution of secondary phases may also have influenced the gradients of the work function curves measured by UPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes that describe the distribution of vegetation and ecosystem succession after disturbance are an important component of dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs). The vegetation dynamics module (ORC-VD) within the process-based ecosystem model ORCHIDEE (Organizing Carbon and Hydrology in Dynamic Ecosystems) has not been updated and evaluated since many years and is known to produce unrealistic results. This study presents a new parameterization of ORC-VD for mid- to high-latitude regions in the Northern Hemisphere, including processes that influence the existence, mortality and competition between tree functional types. A new set of metrics is also proposed to quantify the performance of ORC-VD, using up to five different data sets of satellite land cover, forest biomass from remote sensing and inventories, a data-driven estimate of gross primary productivity (GPP) and two gridded data sets of soil organic carbon content. The scoring of ORC-VD derived from these metrics integrates uncertainties in the observational data sets. This multi-data set evaluation framework is a generic method that could be applied to the evaluation of other DGVM models. The results of the original ORC-VD published in 2005 for mid- to high-latitudes and of the new parameterization are evaluated against the above-described data sets. Significant improvements were found in the modeling of the distribution of tree functional types north of 40° N. Three additional sensitivity runs were carried out to separate the impact of different processes or drivers on simulated vegetation distribution, including soil freezing which limits net primary production through soil moisture availability in the root zone, elevated CO2 concentration since 1850, and the effects of frequency and severity of extreme cold events during the spin-up phase of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of Chlamydophila psittaci-negative ocular adnexal extranodal marginal zone lymphomas (OAEMZLs) is poorly understood. OAEMZLs are monoclonal tumors expressing a biased repertoire of mutated surface immunoglobulins. Antigenic activation of the B-cell receptor (BCR) may have a role in the pathogenesis of these lymphomas. We have analyzed the reactivity of recombinant OAEMZL immunoglobulins. OAEMZL antibodies reacted with self-human antigens, as demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, HEp-2 immunofluorescence and human protein microarrays. All the analyzed recombinant antibodies (rAbs) exhibited polyreactivity by comprehensive protein array antibody reactivity and some rAbs also demonstrated rheumatoid factor activity. The identity of several reactive antigens was confirmed by microcapillary reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography nano-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry. The tested rAbs frequently reacted with shared intracellular and extracellular self-antigens (for example, galectin-3). Furthermore, these self-antigens induced BCR signaling in B cells expressing cognate surface immunoglobulins derived from OAEMZLs. These findings indicate that interactions between self-antigens and cognate OAEMZL tumor-derived BCRs are functional, inducing intracellular signaling. Overall, our findings suggest that self-antigen-induced BCR stimulation may be implicated in the pathogenesis of C. psittaci-negative OAEMZLs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]