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A fundamental property of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is their radial expansion, which determines the increase in the CME radial size and the decrease in the CME magnetic field strength as the CME propagates. CME radial expansion can be investigated either by using remote observations or by in situ measurements based on multiple spacecraft in radial conjunction. However, there have been only few case studies combining both remote and in situ observations. It is therefore unknown if the radial expansion in the corona estimated remotely is consistent with that estimated locally in the heliosphere. To address this question, we first select 22 CME events between the years 2010 and 2013, which were well observed by coronagraphs and by two or three spacecraft in radial conjunction. We use the graduated cylindrical shell model to estimate the radial size, radial expansion speed, and a measure of the dimensionless expansion parameter of CMEs in the corona. The same parameters and two additional measures of the radial-size increase and magnetic-field-strength decrease with heliocentric distance of CMEs based on in situ measurements are also calculated. For most of the events, the CME radial size estimated by remote observations is inconsistent with the in situ estimates. We further statistically analyze the correlations of these expansion parameters estimated using remote and in situ observations, and discuss the potential reasons for the inconsistencies and their implications for the CME space weather forecasting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the effectiveness, recurrence, and adverse reaction rates of isotope phosphorus‐32 dressings combined with diprospan and mucopolysaccharide polysulphate cream in the treatment of keloids. Methods: A total of 80 patients with keloids admitted to the Dermatology Clinic of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University between June 2019 and June 2021 were included in the present study and randomly divided into three groups: Control Group 1 (n = 27), Control Group 2 (n = 25), and the treatment group (n = 28). Patients in Control Group 1 were treated with diprospan combined with mucopolysaccharide polysulphate cream, patients in Control Group 2 were treated with an isotopic phosphorus‐32 dressing combined with mucopolysaccharide polysulphate cream, and patients in the treatment group were treated with an isotopic phosphorus‐32 dressing combined with diprospan and mucopolysaccharide polysulphate cream. The effectiveness, recurrence, and adverse reaction rates were observed in all three groups. Results: The treatment group had the most significant decrease in the itching scores. The respective effectiveness, recurrence, and adverse reaction rates were 81.4%, 43.6%, and 74.1% in Control Group 1; 56%, 38.7%, and 64% in Control Group 2; and 96.7%, 11.2%, and 41% in the treatment group. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: An isotope phosphorus‐32 dressing combined with diprospan and mucopolysaccharide polysulphate cream keloid treatment delivers a fast onset, good effectiveness, and low recurrence and adverse effect rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The important role played by magnetic reconnection in the early acceleration of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) has been widely discussed. However, as CMEs may have expansion speeds comparable to their propagation speeds in the corona, it is not clear whether and how reconnection contributes to the true acceleration and expansion separately. To address this question, we analyze the dynamics of a moderately fast CME on 2013 February 27, associated with a continuous acceleration of its front into the high corona, even though its speed had reached ∼700 km sâˆ'1, which is faster than the solar wind. The apparent acceleration of the CME is found to be due to its expansion in the radial direction. The true acceleration of the CME, i.e., the acceleration of its center, is then estimated by taking into account the expected deceleration caused by the drag force of the solar wind acting on a fast CME. It is found that the true acceleration and the radial expansion have similar magnitudes. We find that magnetic reconnection occurs after the eruption of the CME and continues during its propagation in the high corona, which contributes to its dynamic evolution. Comparison between the apparent acceleration related to the expansion and the true acceleration that compensates the drag shows that, for this case, magnetic reconnection contributes almost equally to the expansion and to the acceleration of the CME. The consequences of these measurements for the evolution of CMEs as they transit from the corona to the heliosphere are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suprathermal ions in the corona are thought to serve as seed particles for large gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with fast and wide coronal mass ejections (CMEs). A better understanding of the role of suprathermal particles as seed populations for SEP events can be made by using observations close to the Sun. We study a series of SEP events observed by the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (IS⊙IS) suite on board the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) from 2020 May 27 to June 2, during which PSP was at heliocentric distances between ∼0.4 and ∼0.2 au. These events were also observed by the Ahead Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO-A) near 1 au, but the particle intensity magnitude was much lower than that at PSP. We find that the SEPs should have spread in space as their source regions were distant from the nominal magnetic footpoints of both spacecraft and the parent CMEs were slow and narrow. We study the decay phase of the SEP events in the ∼1â€"2 MeV proton energy range at PSP and STEREO-A, and discuss their properties in terms of both continuous injections by successive solar eruptions and the distances where the measurements were made. This study indicates that seed particles can be continuously generated by eruptions associated with slow and narrow CMEs, spread over a large part of the inner heliosphere, and remain there for tens of hours, even if minimal particle intensity enhancements were measured near 1 au. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scenario of twin coronal mass ejections (CMEs), i.e., a fast and wide primary CME (priCME) preceded by preceding CMEs (preCMEs), has been found to be favorable to a more efficient particle acceleration in large solar energetic particle (SEP) events. Here we study 19 events during 2007â€"2014 associated with twin-CME eruptions but without large SEP observations at the L1 point. We combine remote-sensing and in situ observations from multiple spacecraft to investigate the role of magnetic connectivity in SEP detection and the CME information in three-dimensional (3D) space. We study one-on-one correlations of the priCME 3D speed, flare intensity, suprathermal backgrounds, and height of CMEâ€"CME interaction with the SEP intensity. Among these, the priCME speed is found to correlate with the SEP peak intensity at the highest level. We use the projection correlation method to analyze the correlations between combinations of these multiple independent factors and the SEP peak intensity. We find that the only combination of two or more parameters that has a higher correlation with the SEP peak intensity than the CME speed is the CME speed combined with the propagation direction. This further supports the dominant role of the priCME in controlling the SEP enhancements and emphasizes the consideration of the latitudinal effect. Overall, the magnetic connectivity in longitude as well as latitude and the relatively lower priCME speed may explain the existence of the twin-CME SEP-poor events. The role of the barrier effect of preCME(s) is discussed for an event on 2013 October 28. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The survival time of patients with early pancreatic cancer (PC) is still disappointing, even after surgical resection. PC has an extremely poor prognosis. Herein, we aimed to investigate the survival effect of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) on resected stage I to II PC. Material and methods: A large eligible sample of patients was identified from 2010 to 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry. Survival analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of PORT. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was used to reduce selection bias and to make the groups comparable. Results: A total of 3219 patients with resected stage I to II PC was included after rigid screening. The median overall survival (OS) was 26 months with PORT (n = 1055) versus 21 months with non-PORT (n = 2164) before matching (p<0.001). By multivariable analysis, PORT remained a favorable prognostic predictor for OS. In PSM analysis, receiving PORT was associated with improved OS (median, 26 months vs. 23 months; at 2 years, 51.7% vs. 46.7%; at 5 years, 23.3% vs. 17.4% (P = 0.006). After further meticulous exploration, only the stage IIB subgroup benefited from PORT (p<0.001). This result was due to the positive lymph node state (N+), whose mortality risk was cut by 23.4% (p<0.001) by PORT. Conclusion: Addition of PORT to the treatment of patients with resected stage I to II PC conveys a survival benefit, particularly among those with N-positive or stage IIB disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gradual and large solar energetic particle (SEP) events (flux of ions with energy >10 MeV above 10 pfu) are primarily produced in shocks driven by fast and wide coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Past research, both in theory and statistics, has found that the situation where a fast primary CME (priCME) is preceded by previous CMEs (preCMEs) is favorable to a more efficient particle acceleration. However, the physical causes of this association is still a matter of debate, including the association of the acceleration and release of SEPs with the interaction of successive CMEs. Taking advantage of the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory spacecraft, we study 41 large SEP events in solar cycle 24 by multi-viewpoint observations. Although 21 events (∼51%) have a preCME identifiable in the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph, we determine that the priCMEs overlap the preCMEs in three dimension (3D) for only 11 events (∼27%). We further investigate the acceleration (using type II radio bursts) and release (using velocity dispersion analysis) of the particles for all potential instances of CME–CME interaction in 3D. We find that, for six of 11 events, the priCME is far away from catching up with the preCME when the particles are released. However, for the limited samples, the SEP peak intensity is significantly higher in the events in which the priCME is closest to impacting the preCME, indicating the potential for the increased seed population or more enhanced turbulence levels occurring closer to the preCME. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus, a major opportunistic pathogen in aerobic vaginitis (AV), can potentially invade the host and occasionally cause infections. Estrogen is associated with an altered immune response of vaginal epithelial cells and prevention of certain vaginal infectious diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms involving estrogen and S. aureus adhesion to vaginal epithelial cells remain unclear. Thus, here, VK2/E6E7 vaginal epithelial cells were infected with S. aureus, and the role of the estrogen receptor α-associated signaling pathway (ERα/FAK/Src/iNOS axis) in S. aureus adhesion was evaluated. The estrogen-associated phosphorylation status of ERα, FAK, and Src and the protein level of iNOS were assessed by western blotting. We used a specific ERα inhibitor to validate the involvement of the ERα-associated signaling pathway. The results showed that with exposure to 1 nM estrogen for 24 h, transient ERα-associated pathway activation was observed, and the protein expression upregulation was accompanied by a dose-dependent increase in 17-β-estradiol (E2) content and increased S. aureus adherence to vaginal epithelial cells. Estrogen-induced activation of the ERα/FAK/Src/iNOS axis was notably inhibited by the specific ERα inhibitor (ICI 182780). Simultaneously, a significant decrease in the number of adherent S. aureus was observed. However, this inhibitory effect diminished after inhibitor treatment for 24 h. Our findings suggested that the ERα-associated signaling pathway might be involved in S. aureus adherence to vaginal epithelial cells, which appeared to be linked to enhanced cell adhesion leading to AV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has demonstrated that distorted images caused by turbid media can be reconstructed by turbid lens imaging (TLI) method. In this way, it’s critical to accurately obtain the transmission matrix (TM) of turbid media. In this letter, we propose an improved method which is still based on Hilbert transform to get the transmission matrices, but it will use four images for each transmission matrix element to eliminate the influence of speckle intensity variation. In addition, a Hanning window filter is introduced to reduce the white Gaussian noise of original images to improve the result of TLI method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparisons were made among the evaluation models of fatigue crack growth in various codes, standards, and guidelines, to illustrate the significance of transition point in accuracy. A new bilinear model was established with transition point and fatigue threshold fully considered, and was found more accurate than existing codes and standards for evaluation of fatigue crack growth behavior in both Paris and near-threshold regimes. • Conservativeness in existing codes and standards for fatigue crack growth assessment was compared. • Transition point in fatigue crack growth was found significant in assessment accuracy. • A new bilinear model for fatigue crack growth evaluation was developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully integrated and automated microsystem consisting of low-cost, disposable plastic chips for DNA extraction and PCR amplification combined with a reusable glass capillary array electrophoresis chip in a modular-based format was successfully developed for warfarin pharmacogenetic testing. DNA extraction was performed by adopting a filter paper-based method, followed by “in situ” PCR that was carried out directly in the same reaction chamber of the chip without elution. PCR products were then co-injected with sizing standards into separation channels for detection using a novel injection electrode. The entire process was automatically conducted on a custom-made compact control and detection instrument. The limit of detection of the microsystem for the singleplex amplification of amelogenin was determined to be 0.625 ng of standard K562 DNA and 0.3 μL of human whole blood. A two-color multiplex allele-specific PCR assay for detecting the warfarin-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) 6853 (–1639G＞A) and 6484 (1173C＞T) in the VKORC1 gene and the *3 SNP (1075A＞C) in the CYP2C9 gene was developed and used for validation studies. The fully automated genetic analysis was completed in two hours with a minimum requirement of 0.5 μL of input blood. Samples from patients with different genotypes were all accurately analyzed. In addition, both dried bloodstains and oral swabs were successfully processed by the microsystem with a simple modification to the DNA extraction and amplification chip. The successful development and operation of this microsystem establish the feasibility of rapid warfarin pharmacogenetic testing in routine clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A plastic microfluidic device that integrates a filter disc as a DNA capture phase was successfully developed for low-cost, rapid and automated DNA extraction and PCR amplification from various raw samples. The microdevice was constructed by sandwiching a piece of Fusion 5 filter, as well as a PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) membrane, between two PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) layers. An automated DNA extraction from 1 μL of human whole blood can be finished on the chip in 7 minutes by sequentially aspirating NaOH, HCl, and water through the filter. The filter disc containing extracted DNA was then taken out directly for PCR. On-chip DNA purification from 0.25–1 μL of human whole blood yielded 8.1–21.8 ng of DNA, higher than those obtained using QIAamp® DNA Micro kits. To realize DNA extraction from raw samples, an additional sample loading chamber containing a filter net with an 80 μm mesh size was designed in front of the extraction chamber to accommodate sample materials. Real-world samples, including whole blood, dried blood stains on Whatman® 903 paper, dried blood stains on FTA™ cards, buccal swabs, saliva, and cigarette butts, can all be processed in the system in 8 minutes. In addition, multiplex amplification of 15 STR (short tandem repeat) loci and Sanger-based DNA sequencing of the 520 bp GJB2 gene were accomplished from the filters that contained extracted DNA from blood. To further prove the feasibility of integrating this extraction method with downstream analyses, “in situ” PCR amplifications were successfully performed in the DNA extraction chamber following DNA purification from blood and blood stains without DNA elution. Using a modified protocol to bond the PDMS and PMMA, our plastic PDMS devices withstood the PCR process without any leakage. This study represents a significant step towards the practical application of on-chip DNA extraction methods, as well as the development of fully integrated genetic analytical systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• m -ln C relationship was correlated well with transition behavior of FCG curve. • A master curve for transition behavior of FCG curve was found. • Crack closure was considered for transition point modeling for the first time. • A new model for transition point prediction was established. The transition behavior of fatigue crack growth was investigated using data from a CrNiMoV steel welded joint. The m -ln C was linearly correlated under a given stress ratio in both Paris and near-threshold regimes, where the coordinate of transition point was found as slope and intercept of m -ln C relationship. All m -ln C curves tended to pass through one fixed point, (m 0 , lnC 0), and a master curve for transition point was determined. A new model for transition point prediction was established which had significance in accurate fatigue life assessment on the basis of the bilinear approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ultrapure green emissions of glass-stabilized CsPb(Br/I) 3 PeQDs are fabricated. • Quantum yields of CsPb(Br/I) 3 @glass composites are highly dependent on halogen content. • The emissive profiles and FWHMs can be well modified by varying Br-to-I ratio in glass. • The issues of instability, adverse anion-exchange and phase separation of colloidal PeQDs can be solved by glass protection. • Prototypical white LEDs are constructed and applied in backlit display, covering up 92% color gamut of Rec. 2020 standard. CsPbX 3 (X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) have potential application in backlit display. However, they generally suffer from instability and shortage of ultrapure tunable green emissions owing to halogen phase separation. This work reports the realization of elaborately tunable green emissions in glass-protected CsPb(Br/I) 3 PeQDs, which show the advantage of superior long-term stability and enable them to find promising application in ultra-high definition televisions. CsPbX 3 @glass composites are fabricated by a facile in-situ glass crystallization strategy and their emissions within the spectral range of 506–532 nm along with narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of ~21 nm can be well modified by simply varying Br-to-I ratio in precursor glass. Benefited from the protection of tight glass network, CsPbX 3 @glass retains 90% luminescence after immersing in water for one month, shows no any loss of luminescence after irradiation by 450 nm LED light and prevents anion-exchange and phase separation completely. As a proof-of-concept experiment, CsPbX 3 @glass-based on-chip white LED devices are constructed and applied in backlit display, covering up 123% and 92% color gamut of NTSC and Rec. 2020 standards in the CIE 1931 color space, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) are seen as the credible alternative to traditional QDs ascolor converter in liquid crystal display (LCD). Unfortunately, PeQDs sufferfrom instability and color separation, and the prepared PeQDs enhanced films(PQDFs) need the protection of expensive barrier layers, which significantly increases price and limits their application. Herein, large‐area yellow monolithic PQDF is fabricated with both green CsPbBr3 and red CsPbBr1I2QDs encapsulated in the dual matrices of inorganic glass and polypropylene (PP) via an industrialized melt extruding & rolling method. The PQDF shows high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 92% and narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 19 nm (green) and 33 nm (red). Importantly, the bare PQDF without barrier layers can pass harsh aging test at 85 °C/85% RH and reach anoperating T90 lifetime over 1000 h. Finally, a white backlit unit is designed by coupling yellow monolithic PQDF with blue light guide panel, and the constructed prototype display shows superior color rendering performance forits narrow green/red emissions, reaching a color gamut of 110% National Television System Committee (NTSC). This work provides a novel and easy‐to‐industrialize route to prepare PQDFs to realize their commercial application in backlit display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser‐driven projection display puts forward urgent demand for color converter materials to simultaneously achieve balanced‐spectrum properties and strong heat dissipation. Herein, this work develops a novel optofunctional composite by coupling Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ transparent ceramics (TC) with CaAlSiN3:Eu2+ phosphor‐in‐glass film (PiGF) for the first time. Remarkably, this new material architecture design enables a balance between the spectrum properties and heat dissipation ability, and can yield high‐quality white light with brightness of over 2500 lm, luminous efficacy (LE) of over 200 lm W−1, correlated color temperature (CCT) of 3700–4100 K, and improved color rendering index (CRI) of 60–70. Furthermore, the PiGF@TC‐converted laser projection system is also successfully designed, showing natural and real color restoration. Additionally, the combined action of thermal quenching and optical excitation intensity quenching is confirmed for the luminescence saturation upon high‐power blue laser driven. The main mechanism of optical quenching is identified to be energy upconversion dominated by second‐order nonlinear processes. The findings described here suggest a step toward developing the admirable laser‐driven color converters for next‐generation lighting sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robust amorphous glass protected CsPbBr3 (CsPbBr3@glass) perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) with ultra‐pure green emission and superior long‐term stability are highly desirable for developing wide‐color‐gamut liquid crystal displays. However, most of the reported CsPbBr3@glass nanocomposites are subject to low external quantum efficiency (EQE). This work demonstrates that ZrO2 additive has an "accumulation" effect on the borosilicate glass network structure to promote in situ nucleation/growth of PeQDs inside glass rather than self‐crystallization. This effect is beneficial in reducing surface defects, improving the quality of PeQDs, and thus boosting radiative recombination of excitons. As a consequence, the as‐prepared CsPbBr3@glass shows a record EQE of up to 75% and can pass the accelerated aging tests at 85 °C/85% RH for 1000 h and blue light irradiation over 2000 h. Finally, a prototype display using CsPbBr3@glass‐based straight‐down backlit unit is designed and gains more favorable responses in blind selection tests for its high brightness of 2647 cd m−2 and high color purity of 88%. The findings will pave the way for realizing the commercial application of CsPbBr3@glass nanocomposite in PeQDs‐converted backlit display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex and high‐precision patterning of perovskite quantum dots (PeQDs) is of vital importance for exploring their new functionalities and device applications. In this work, a strategy based on the combination femtosecond (fs) laser‐irradiation and humidity‐control is reported to construct patterns of cyan CsPb(Cl/Br)3 PeQDs in a transparent glass medium. Benefiting from their ionic crystal feature and low formation energy, CsPb(Cl/Br)3 PeQDs can be locally crystallized and decomposed via fs laser irradiation without further heat‐treatment. More notably, it is found that a water molecule is able to affect the growth of CsPb(Cl/Br)3 PeQDs in glass. By modulation of relative humidity in air, the selectively decomposed perovskite structure is spontaneously regenerated, and the highly emissive CsPb(Cl/Br)3 PeQDs can be in situ manufactured in the confined glass region. This allows for reversible luminescence from the same patterns of laser printing‐erasing‐recovering, and the process can be repeated for multiple cycles without destruction of optical performance and robustness. The results provide a flexible method to develop new encryption/decryption technology for information security and anti‐counterfeiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, lanthanide (Ln3+) doped Pb‐free double perovskites (DPs) suffer from competitive emissions of the self‐trapped exciton (STE) and Ln3+. Herein, a new type of Nd3+‐doped Cs2AgInCl6 DPs with Na+/Bi3+ co‐alloying is developed. Benefiting from Na+/Bi3+‐induced local structural modification, both STE broadband visible luminescence and Nd3+ near‐infrared (NIR) emissions are boosted via free exciton sensitization. Specifically, a total 648‐fold enhancement in emitting intensities compared to the Na+/Bi3+‐free counterpart is realized, with a significantly improved NIR photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) from 0.16% to 30.3%. First‐principles density functional theory calculations, Raman spectra, and steady/transient‐state PL spectra verify the modification of local site symmetry, breakdown of parity‐forbidden absorption, and reduction of electron‐phonon coupling via Na+/Bi3+ doping. Finally, a compact vis–NIR broadband light‐emitting diode (LED) is designed by coupling the Na/Bi/Nd: Cs2AgInCl6 DP with a commercial ultraviolet LED chip, which shows promising applications in spectroscopic analyses and multifunctional lighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 28 October 2021, solar eruptions caused intense and long‐lasting solar energetic particle (SEP) flux enhancements observed by spacecraft located over a wide longitudinal range in the heliosphere. SEPs arriving at Earth caused the 73rd ground level enhancement (GLE) event recorded by ground‐based neutron monitors. In particular, this is also the first GLE event seen on the surface of three planetary bodies, Earth, Moon, and Mars, by particle and radiation detectors as shown in this study. We derive the event‐integrated proton spectrum from measurements by near‐Earth spacecraft and predict the lunar and martian surface radiation levels using particle transport models. Event doses at the lunar and martian surfaces of previous GLE events are also modeled and compared with the current event. This statistical and comparative study advances our understanding of potential radiation risks induced by extreme SEP events for future human explorations of the Moon and Mars. Plain Language Summary: Human beings are considering going back to the Moon and eventually to Mars within the next decades. However, we are still facing one major hurdle "space radiation" which is a significant and unavoidable risk for crews' health, especially for long‐term stays at future lunar or martian stations. In particular, sporadic solar energetic particles (SEPs) generated via extreme solar eruptions may enhance the lunar or martian surface radiation levels to potentially hazardous values. Recent lunar and martian surface and orbital radiation detectors have advanced our understanding of the radiation environment of both planetary bodies. On 28 October 2021 a SEP event occurred and had energies high enough to trigger ground‐level‐enhancement (GLE) events on the surface of Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Combining both measurements and modeling approaches, we study this first GLE event seen on three planetary surfaces and demonstrate its potential SEP radiation risk to humans on the Moon and Mars together with the results of previous GLE events. Key Points: This is the first ground level enhancement event simultaneously measured on Earth, Moon, and MarsWe analyze the radiation measurements at 3 locations and compare with our model predictions based on detected solar energetic particle (SEP) fluxWe show that extreme SEP events can induce much higher (∼100 times) radiation doses on the Moon than on Mars [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have successfully developed an integrated microsystem that combines two plastic microchips for DNA extraction and PCR amplification with a glass capillary array electrophoresis chip together in a compact control and detection instrument for automated forensic short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. DNA extraction followed by an “in situ PCR” was conducted in a single reaction chamber of the microchip based on a filter paper-based extraction methodology. PCR products were then mixed with sizing standards by an injection electrode and injected into the electrophoresis chip for four-color confocal fluorescence detection. The entire STR analysis can be completed in about two hours without any human intervention. Since the 15-plex STR system has a more stringent requirement for PCR efficiency, we optimized the structure of the plastic DNA extraction and amplification chip, in which the reaction chamber was formed by sandwiching a hollow structure layer with two blank cover layers, to reduce the adsorption of PCR reagents to the surfaces. In addition, PCR additives, bovine serum albumin, poly(ethylene glycol), and more magnesium chloride were included into the on-chip multiplex STR system. The limit-of-detection study demonstrated that our microsystem was able to produce full 15-plex STR profiles from 3.75 ng standard K562 DNA. Buccal swab and whole blood samples were also successfully typed by our system, validating the feasibility of performing rapid DNA typing in a “sample-in-answer-out” manner for on-site forensic human identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A binary phase-only modulation technique was proposed to focus and scan light through a multimode fiber (MMF) based on spatial light modulator (SLM). For the same number of modulation modes, the number of iterations using this method is only 1/256 of that using phase-only iterative optimization or 1/3 of that using phase-only computation optimization, and the modulation time is at least one to two orders of magnitude shorter than previous wavefront shaping systems. Focusing and scanning light through an MMF with a 105 μm core diameter and 5 m length was achieved experimentally. This method can be extended to focus and scan light at multiple planes along the axial direction by modifying the input wavefront accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial expansion of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is known to occur from remote observations, from the variation of their properties with radial distance, and from local in situ plasma measurements showing a decreasing speed profile throughout the magnetic ejecta (ME). However, little is known on how local measurements compare to global measurements of expansion. Here, we present results from the analysis of 42 CMEs measured in the inner heliosphere by two spacecraft in radial conjunction. The magnetic-field decrease with distance provides a measure of their global expansion. Near 1 au, the decrease in their bulk speed provides a measure of their local expansion. We find that these two measures have little relation with each other. We also investigate the relation between characteristics of CME expansion and CME properties. We find that the expansion depends on the initial magnetic-field strength inside the ME, but not significantly on the magnetic field inside the ME measured near 1 au. This is indirect evidence that CME expansion in the innermost heliosphere is driven by the high magnetic pressure inside the ME, while by the time the MEs reach 1 au, they are expanding due to the decrease in the solar-wind dynamic pressure with distance. We also determine the evolution of the ME tangential and normal magnetic-field components with distance, revealing significant deviations as compared to the expectations from force-free field configurations as well as some evidence that the front half of MEs expand at a faster rate than the back half. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microfluidic chips offer significant speed, cost, and sensitivity advantages, but numerous parameters must be optimized to provide microchip electrophoresis detection. Experiments were conducted to study the factors, including sieving matrices (the concentration and type), surface modification, analysis temperature, and electric field strengths, which all impact the effectiveness of microchip electrophoresis detection of DNA samples. Our results showed that the best resolution for ss DNA was observed using 4.5% w/v (7 M urea) lab-fabricated LPA gel, dynamic wall coating of the microchannel, electrophoresis temperatures between 55 and 60°C, and electrical fields between 350 and 450 V/cm on the microchip-based capillary electrophoresis (μ CE) system. One base-pair resolution could be achieved in the 19-cm-length microchannel. Furthermore, both 9947A standard genomic DNA and DNA extracted from blood spots were demonstrated to be successfully separated with well-resolved DNA peaks in 8 min. Therefore, the microchip electrophoresis system demonstrated good potential for rapid forensic DNA analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selenization is a key process to prepare Cu 2 ZnSnS x Se 4-x (CZTSSe) thin films from sulfide for high efficient solar cell. To explore the effect of annealing atmosphere on the substitution of S by Se in Cu 2 ZnSnS 4 (CZTS) thin films, different selenization atmosphere (Vacuum or Ar) are used. By examining the annealed sample, it is found that selenization under Ar atmosphere replaces S with Se more efficiently, resulting large grain and small band-gap. The reaction kinetics has been studied to explore such phenomena. It demonstrates that the substitution reaction is enhanced when the flowing Ar carries off S gas. Finally, the effect of annealing atmosphere on oxide-based CZTSSe devices has also been studied. The Vacuum selenized CZTSSe device shows a higher efficiency of 4.4%, due to the more appropriate band-gap. To the best of our knowledge, this is the best device performance in oxides nanoparticles-derived CZTSSe solar cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring new optical thermometric materials is important to realize highly accurate temperature detecting. Herein, Yb/Er activators are successfully doped into Cs 2 Ag(In/Bi)Cl 6 lead-free double perovskite (DP) semiconductor, providing dual-modal photoluminescence originated from self-trapped exciton recombination and 4f-4f transitions of Yb/Er dopants as well as Er3+ upconversion emissions. Remarkably different temperature-dependent emissive behaviors from DP host and Yb/Er activators are experimentally demonstrated, which enables to design novel fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) between DP and Yb/Er based thermometric technology. In addition, upconversion FIR-based temperature sensing via thermal population between the 2H 11/2 level and 4S 3/2 one of Er3+ dopants in DP host is also realized. It is believed that the present Yb/Er: Cs 2 Ag(In/Bi)Cl 6 DP with excellent long-term stability and dual-functional temperature detecting is a suitable candidate as the self-calibrated optical thermometric material. The combination of the exciton recombination of Cs 2 AgInCl 6 lead-free double perovskite with Ln3+ (Ln = Yb, Er) dopants induces dual-modal light-emitting channel to produce a novel thermometric material. [Display omitted] • Yb/Er: Cs 2 Ag(In/Bi)Cl 6 lead-free double perovskite is successfully prepared. • The product exhibits both self-trapped exciton recombination and Ln3+: 4f-4f emissions. • Different temperature-dependent emissive behaviors from host and Ln3+ activators are demonstrated. • A novel DP/Ln3+ fluorescence intensity ratio thermometric channel is developed. • The product is a promising candidate for dual-modal optical temperature sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rare earth (RE)—3d transition metal (TM) films were codeposited in low temperature urea–acetamide–NaBr–KBr–RECl3–TMCl2 baths by potentiostatic electrolysis. Cyclic voltammetry is used to investigate the electrochemical behavior of RE(III) and TM(II) in baths on a Pt electrode. The reduction of TM(II) is an irreversible process. RE(III) cannot be reduced alone, but it can be inductively codeposited with TM(II). Some kinetic parameters are measured, e.g., the transfer coefficient α and the diffusion coefficient D 0 for TM(II). It is reasonably suggested that the RE-induced codeposition ability and efficiency is dominated by the electronegativity difference between RE and TM atoms. Moreover, it is found that the surface morphologies, the magnetic anisotropy and preferring orientation of the as-deposited RE–TM films depend strongly on the composition and potential. At last, it is observed that, there exists a clear anisotropy with easy magnetization along the plane of the RE–TM films. The magnetic anisotropy in amorphous RE–TM films should be due to the competing contributions from several factors, such as spin–orbit coupling, stress, etc. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To search for the origin of nutrition in the amnion, we focused attention on both endocytotic and autophagic pathways. Using ultrastructural and biochemical methods, we examined 20 human amnions at term gestation. The uptake of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was used for the detection of endocytosis. Transfection of the LC3-GFP plasmid and staining with monodansylcadaverine (MDC) and LysoTracker red (LTR) were used to demonstrate the formation of autophagic vacuoles. In addition, two autophagic genes, beclin 1 and Atg5, were assayed by RT-PCR. Within the amniotic epithelial (AE) cells, autophagic vacuoles contained organelles and cytoplasmic components and were enclosed by a double membrane. They contained autophagosomes with transfected LC3-GFP that stained positive for MDC and autolysosomes that stained positive for LTR. Endocytosis was an extremely active process in the cellular uptake of fluid and fluid contents and led to formation of vesicles and endosomes, which were found to be positive by HRP test. Many uniform vesicles were collected in the multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Finally, both endosomes and autophagosomes were fused and degraded by lysosomes. The data also demonstrated that large autophagosomes engulfed some endosomes or MVBs. Transcription of beclin 1 and Atg5 occurred in the amnion at term gestation. Taken together, these results show that AE cells have active endocytotic and autophagic capacities and that lysosomes are involved in the intracellular degradation of endosomes and autophagosomes. Sometimes the autophagic and endocytotic pathways converge. This study suggests that of endocytosis and autophagy activities in AE cells can be induced by nutrient limitation and are probably also evoked in response to some hormones in the amniotic fluid. Activation of both endocytotic and autophagic pathways plays different roles in the ability of the cell to acquire nutrients needed for its survival. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The inhomogeneity distribution of applied magnetic field along longitudinal direction above permanent magnetic guideway (PMG) reduces the levitation stability of the high- T c superconductor (HTS) maglev system. In order to explore and reveal the inhomogeneity distribution of magnetic field along longitudinal direction above PMG and its causes, as well as its influence on the static levitation force of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7- x (YBCO) bulk, the theoretical model is built by COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate the longitudinal distribution of magnetic field above the PMG and the static levitation force of the YBCO bulk. Furthermore, a three-axis motion experimental platform is designed and built to measure the longitudinal distribution of magnetic field, upper surface profile of the PMG and static levitation force of the YBCO bulk by the corresponding testing equipment. It is shown in this study that, in the assembly processing of PMG, the surface of permanent magnet (PM) is sloping along the longitudinal direction, and there are gaps and damage between adjacent PMs. The simulation and experimental results show that these multiple defects lead to inhomogeneity distribution of magnetic field along the longitudinal direction and the attenuation at the joints, resulting in the difference in the static levitation force of YBCO bulk at different longitudinal positions of the PMG. The results could provide a reference for the further design and practical application of higher performance PMG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a binary amplitude-only modulation parallel coordinate algorithm for focusing and scanning light through a multimode fiber (MMF) based on the digital micro-mirror device (DMD) in a reference-free multimode fiber imaging system. In principle, our algorithm is capable of efficiently calculating the masks to be added to DMD for yielding a series of tightly focused spots; and for the same number of modulation sub-regions, our method is more than M (the number of focused spots) times faster than the amplitude iterative optimization algorithm. In the experiment, efficient light focusing and scanning at the distal end of the MMF are demonstrated. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the proposed method can also be extended to focus and scan light at multiple planes along the axial direction by just modifying the input wavefront accordingly; and our algorithm can be applied not only in multimode optical fiber focusing but also to other disordered media. Particularly, it will be valuable in fast multimode fiber calibration for endoscopic imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]