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Circular RNAs are implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. In this work, we explored the modulation and potential mechanisms of action of circ_0005585 in ischemic stroke. Expression of circ_0005585 and miR-16-5p was assessed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR. Ischemic stroke was modeled in mice by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The infarct volume was assessed by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. Neurological deficits were evaluated according to Neurological Severity Score. The permeability of the blood—brain barrier was assessed by Evan's blue leakage and brain water content. Apoptosis in brain tissues was measured by the TUNEL test. Relative expression of apoptosis-related proteins was evaluated by Western blotting. The direct interaction between circ_0005585 and miR-16-5p was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression of circ_0005585 was lower in mice with MCAO. Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of circ_0005585 ameliorated the neurological deficits and decreased the infarction volume in MCAO mice. The brain water content and Evan's blue leakage through the blood—brain barrier were reduced. In addition, overexpression of circ_0005585 inhibited apoptosis in the cerebral tissues. Our results revealed direct interaction between circ_0005585 and miR-16-5p. Hence, circ_0005585 protects mouse brain during ischemic stroke by targeting miR-16-5p, which uncovers the pathogenesis of this pathology and opens new vitas for its therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present an approach to study the electrical and spectral degradation properties of InxGa1-xAs (x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.53) solar cell under 150 keV proton irradiation based on numerical simulation. First, the structures of InxGa1-xAs solar cell were optimized by adjusting the doping concentration of base layer and modifying the thickness of base and emitter layer. The structural parameter related to providing higher conversion efficiency was figured out. Then, the degradation of electrical parameters such as short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), maximum output power (Pmax), fill factor (FF), as well as the spectral response were obtained. The degradation correlation with radiation-induced defects was built to reveal the damage mechanism under 150 keV proton irradiation. This study provides constructive model of InxGa1-xAs to be applied in multi-junction solar cells, and the predicted degradation behavior could contribute to design the radiation-hardened space devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An AgBiS2/BiOI composites with different proportions were prepared by precipitation method, and their catalytic activity was studied by degrading RhB (100 mg/L) under simulated light conditions. The results showed that the photocatalytic activity of AgBiS2/BiOI composite was the best when the doping amount of AgBiS2 was 4 wt. % (the degradation rate was about 94%). Compared with pure BiOI, the degradation rate of RhB increased by 24%. After 5 cycles of experiments, the degradation rate of the material can still reach 94%, indicating that the AgBiS2/BiOI composite has good stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digestive tract development in goat kids around weaning is vital to the establishment of digestion and absorption function, growth, and health of adults. The objective was to explore the effects of age and solid feed on the anatomical and morphological development of the gastrointestinal tract of Laiwu Black goat kids. Forty-eight female Laiwu Black goats at 8 ages (1, 7, 14, 28, 42, 56, 70, and 84 d; 6 goats per group) were selected and killed for anatomical and morphological analysis. The goats experienced the following 4 diet phases: maternal colostrum (MC; d 1, d 7), maternal milk (MM; d 14, d 28), maternal milk plus solid diet (MMSD; d 42, d 56) and only solid diet (OSD; d 70, d 84). The body and carcass weights were not significantly changed during MC and MM phases but changed during the MMSD phase. The absolute growth of body and carcass weights were higher in the MMSD phase than in MM phase. In addition, the dressing percentage was the highest in the MMSD phase. The body size indices evolved progressively and increased over time. The percentage of internal and external organs to body weight decreased over time, whereas the percentage to complex stomach percentage increased. The rumen and omasum weight experienced synchronous absolute growth over time, especially in the OSD phase. In contrast, the absolute growth of the reticulum and abomasum was the highest in MMSD and MC phases, respectively. After weaning, the goats showed the highest papillae height, lamina propria, muscle layer thickness, and epithelial thickness. The OSD phase showed the highest colonic mucosa thickness, ileal villus height, and ileal muscle layer thickness. The crypt depth was higher in the MMSD phase than in the MM phase. Moreover, the crypt depth and muscle layer thickness of jejunum increased over time. Furthermore, duodenal crypt depth, muscle layer thickness, and epithelial thickness increased in the OSD phase compared with other stages. In conclusion, the histological investigation supports the improvement of the morphological development of the digestive tract and the growth performance in the solid feed phase. It is recommended to add solid food as early as 4 wk old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathodoluminescence (CL) hyperspectral imaging has been performed on GaN nanorods containing a single InGaN quantum disk (SQD) with controlled variations in excitation conditions. Two different nanorod diameters (200 and 280 nm) have been considered. Systematic changes in the CL spectra from the SQD were observed as the accelerating voltage of the electron beam and its position of incidence are varied. It is shown that the dominant optical transition in the SQD varies across the nanorod as a result of interplay between the contributions of the deformation potential and the quantum-confined Stark effect to the transition energy as consequence of radial variation in the pseudomorphic strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A CQDs/CoO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite used for photocatalytic degradation was designed and fabricated in this paper. The effects of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) content and synthesis temperature on photocatalytic properties of nanocomposites were studied. The results show that the solar energy utilization efficiency of CQDs/CoO/g-C3N4 nanocomposite is twice that of pure g-C3N4 when the content of CQDs is 4.5 wt%. The improvement of photocatalytic performance of nanocomposite is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the junction/interface between g-C3N4, CoO and CQDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well known that the crystallization temperatures of metallic glasses show strong dependence on the heating rate. The right relationship between the crystallization temperatures and the heating rate are very important in illustrating crystallization behavior and in evaluating thermal stability of the metallic glasses. Up to now, the dependence is usually illustrated using Kissinger equation, Ozawa equation, Augis–Bennett equation, Lasocka equation, and Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann (VFT) nonlinear equation. The paper aims to exam the relationship between the crystallization temperature and the heating rates for several metallic glasses, mainly rare earth-based and Zr-based metallic glasses. The validity of the relationship has been evaluated using additional experimental data at even lower or/and higher heating rates as well as the continuous heating transformation diagrams for the metallic glasses. The difference of the five equations has been compared in the paper. Among the five equations, the Kissinger, Ozawa, and Augis–Bennett equations show similar trends for the studied metallic glasses. The VFT equation is considered as a better model to describe the heating rate dependence of the crystallization temperature for the metallic glasses investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) combined with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in patients with pulmonary metastases after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Twenty-five patients with lung metastases after OLT for HCC who underwent HFRT using helical tomotherapy concomitantly with TKIs (sorafenib or lenvatinib) were retrospectively. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), local control rate (LCR), objective response rate (ORR), and treatment-related side effects. The median follow-up time was 35.5 months, with a median interval from OLT to lung metastasis of 15.3 months. The median PFS and OS were 9.9 and 32.7 months, respectively. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year PFS and OS rates were 36.0%, 16.0%, and 12.0%, and 84.0%, 52.0%, and 20.0%, respectively. The LCR of pulmonary metastases at 1 year was 100%, whereas the two-year LCR was 76.9%. The 1- and 2- year ORRs were 95.2% and 69.2%, respectively, with no grade > 2 adverse events. Radiation pneumonitis was observed in 17 patients (68.0%). Grade 1 pneumonitis occurred in 15 patients (60.0%), and grade 2 pneumonitis occurred in 2 patients (8.0%). The combination therapy of HFRT with TKIs is a feasible, safe, and promising approach in the treatment of pulmonary metastases for HCC after OLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The glass transition behavior and crystallization kinetics of Zr[sub 48]Nb[sub 8]Cu[sub 14]Ni[sub 12]Be[sub 18] bulk metallic glass have been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The activation energies of both glass transition and crystallization events have been obtained using the Kissinger method. Results indicate that this glass crystallizes by a three-stage reaction: (1) phase separation and primary crystallization of glass, (2) formation of intermetallic compounds, and (3) decomposition of intermetallic compounds and crystallization of residual amorphous phase. The pressure effect on crystallization is studied by in situ high-pressure and high-temperature XRD using synchrotron radiation. Two crystallization temperatures, observed by in-situ XRD, behave differently with varying pressure. The onset crystallization temperature increases with pressure with a slope of 9.5 K/GPa in the range of 0 to 4.4 GPa, while the another crystallization temperature keeps almost unchanged in the applied pressure range. The results are attributed to the competing processes between the thermodynamic potential barrier and the diffusion activation energy under pressure. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new synchronous fluorimetric method for the analysis of bisphenol A has been developed based on procaine hydrochloride as a self-quenching fluorescence probe. In acidic solution, procaine hydrochloride could be diazotized with sodium nitrite; then the diazotized product could react with bisphenol A in NH3-NH4Cl buffer and produce the quenching of fluorescence of diazotized procaine hydrochloride-NH3-NH4Cl solution. Based on this observation, an inhibitory fluorimetric method is reported for the determination of trace bisphenol A. The synchronous spectral peaks of the reaction system are at 225 and 270 nm. The spectra of the two peaks can be separated, and bisphenol A can be determined directly. The possible mechanism of the reaction has also been discussed. Under optional conditions, bisphenol A can be determined over the concentration range of 0.10 to 1.4 μg/mL with a correlation coefficient of 0.99. The detection limit is 0.04 μg/mL at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. The relative standard deviation (RSD) for 11 repetitive determinations of 1.0 μg/mL b isphenol A is 0.32%. The utility of this method was demonstrated by determining bisphenol A in hot water in contact with commercially available table-water bottle samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a simplified finite-element model, based on which the arching in highway piled embankments subjected to moving vehicle loads is investigated. The analyses demonstrated that the pile spacing was a more sensitive factor than embankment height, whose increase from 2·0 to 3·0 m led to a 60–68% increase of the normalised maximum settlement at the base of the embankment. The effect of moving vehicle loads was of particular interest, increasing the normalised maximum settlement and vertical stress at the base of the embankment by approximately 23% and 19%, respectively, compared to the static situation. The influence height of soil arching related to the pile spacing and embankment height was investigated, and showed that the vertical extent of arching was within a normalised distance of 2·0 from the base of the embankment. Factors of the embankment properties – that is, elastic modulus, friction angle, dilation angle and cohesion – were examined and showed that the cohesion was a most sensitive factor, whose increase from 1 to 10 kPa reduced the normalised maximum settlement and vertical stress by approximately 56% and 42%, respectively. Also shown was that the increase in the velocity of a moving vehicle from 30 to 120 km/h slightly increased the normalised maximum settlement and vertical stress by approximately 9% and 10%, respectively. Finally, a modified analytical method was developed by considering the additional vertical stress induced by moving vehicle loads based on the Boussinesq equation, whose solution was found to be in good agreement with the finite-element results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on an experimental investigation of asphaltene deposition in a vertical transparent microchannel. Heptane-induced asphaltene precipitation is utilized to precipitate dissolved asphaltene in crude oil into asphaltene particles at ambient temperature and standard atmospheric pressure. These asphaltene particles deposit gradually on the surface of microchannels. The key parameters that influence the mechanism of asphaltene deposition are the ratio of crude oil to n-heptane and experimental elapsed time. At a constant flowrate, the amount of asphaltene deposited on a transparent channel wall is quantified using a new flow visualization technique based on reflected light intensity and image analysis. Asphaltene precipitation and deposition strongly affect the reflected light intensity through the change of mixture color in the recorded images. Experimental results show that asphaltene deposition process follows three stages, (i) slow asphaltene particle deposition at the beginning of the experiment, (ii) a rapid and continuous deposition occurring after few hours and (iii) a slower deposition (decreasing deposition rate) at the end of the experimentation. The experimental results for different crude oil to n-heptane ratios illustrate that deposition increases with this ratio, i.e. increasing concentration of n-heptane. An empirical equation is developed to correlate the intensity of the light absorption to the thickness of the deposited asphaltene in a transparent microchannel. Non-uniform deposition along the longitudinal direction of the microchannel is characterized. Deposits decrease with increasing longitudinal distance from the inlet. This non-uniform deposition distribution is due to local mass transport limitations and asphaltene aggregation size effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetic anisotropy Hk>200 Oe was observed from bar-shaped Permalloy strips. The film was deposited on sputtered Cr seed layer by electroplating under ∼800 Oe external magnetic field. Tiny degradation of Hk was observed after 30 min postannealing at 400 °C in the absence of external magnetic field. The Permalloy strip with in-plane aspect ratio of 40:1 showed the ferromagnetic resonance at ∼5.3 GHz. The ferromagnetic resonance frequency and magnetic anisotropy decreased to ∼1 GHz and ∼50 Oe, respectively, as the in-plane aspect ratio reduced from 40:1 to 10:1. In comparison, Permalloy strips plated on combined Ti/TiN seed layers did not show clear anisotropy features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This phase 1, randomized, open‐label study assessed the absolute bioavailability and pharmacokinetic comparability of sirukumab, a human anti–interleukin‐6 monoclonal antibody, following subcutaneous (SC) administration via Prefilled Syringe‐UltraSafe Passive® Delivery System (PFS‐U) or Prefilled Syringe‐SmartJect® Autoinjector (PFS‐AI; Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Spring House, Pennsylvania). A total of 144 healthy male subjects were randomized to 5 single‐dose treatment groups: sirukumab 50 mg and 100 mg (each by PFS‐U and PFS‐AI) and sirukumab 100 mg intravenous (IV) infusion. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated using noncompartmental analysis. Following SC administration, maximum serum concentrations (Cmax) and area under the concentration‐vs‐time curve (AUC) increased in an approximately dose‐proportional manner. Median time to reach Cmax was 5 days, and mean half‐life ranged from 16 to 19 days. Mean absolute bioavailability of sirukumab by PFS‐AI and PFS‐U, respectively, was estimated at 92.4% and 81.4% with 100 mg and 88.4% and 94.7% with 50 mg. Ratios of geometric means (90% confidence intervals) of Cmax and AUC0‐77d for PFS‐AI:PFS‐U were 1.13 (1.03, 1.25) and 1.14 (1.05, 1.24), respectively, indicating comparable systemic exposures of sirukumab following a single 100‐mg SC dose by PFS‐U or PFS‐AI. The incidence of antibodies to sirukumab was low (1.4%). No new safety concerns associated with sirukumab were identified at either dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A granular NiFe thin film with large in-plane magnetic anisotropy and high ferromagnetic-resonance frequency developed for radio-frequency integrated circuit (IC) applications is presented. During the deposition, three-dimensional (3D) growth occurs, yielding NiFe grains (ϕ∼1.0 μm). Nanonuclei (ϕ∼30-50 nm) are observed in single NiFe grains by atomic-force microscopy (AFM). The in-plane magnetic anisotropy is estimated to be ∼50 mT. The frequency-dependent complex permeability is extracted. By taking the NiFe film as a magnetic core, solenoid-type inductors are fabricated and demonstrated and show a high operating frequency (∼5.5 GHz) with a maximum quality factor (∼3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the degradation behavior of flexible GaInP/GaAs/InGaAs (IMM3J) solar cells and their metamorphic subcells under 1 MeV electron irradiation was investigated. The remaining factors such as short-circuit current density (Jsc), open-circuit voltage (Voc), and maximum power (Pmax) were 95.62, 85.52, and 79.73%, respectively, at an irradiation fluence of 2 × 1015 e/cm2. The spectral responses of the InGaAs and GaAs subcells degraded significantly, and the InGaAs subcell experienced greater degradation than the GaAs subcell after irradiation. In addition, the current-limiting unit was switched from GaInP to InGaAs after irradiation. Defect analysis by deep-level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) revealed that with increasing irradiation fluence, the defects that had the greatest impact on the performance of GaAs subcells were EV + 0.36 and EV + 0.42 eV. For InGaAs subcells, the defects that had the greatest impact on the performance were EV + 0.29 and EV + 0.24 eV. The decrease in the minority carrier lifetime is the main reason for the decrease in the electrical performance of solar cells, and the variation in the effective minority carrier lifetime (τeff) in the subcells with the irradiation fluence was calculated based on the DLTS results. At a fluence of 2 × 1015 e/cm2, the τeff of the GaAs and InGaAs subcells decreased from 2.93 × 10−10 and 9.10 × 10−10 s to 1.56 × 10−11 and 1.60 × 10−12 s, respectively. These results provide a reference for predicting the degradation of short-circuit current and open-circuit voltage of flexible IMM3J. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The secrets behind the exceptional mechanical properties of high entropy alloys (HEAs) at cryogenic temperatures have drawn much attention in recent years. In this work, the negative stacking fault energy of FCC CrNiCo and FeCrNiCo alloys are disclosed by first-principles calculations. We found that the negative SFEs originate from the thermodynamic metastability of FCC stacking sequence and heavily influenced by the local atomic environment, which in turn affects the formation of stacking faults and nano-twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a finite-element (FE) analysis of the effect of subsoil in a reinforced piled embankment and compares the findings with predictions from a theoretical method. It shows that the subsoil can carry as much as 75% arching embankment load for the present standard model (pile spacing of 2.5 m, geogrid stiffness of 6 MN/m, embankment height of 6 m, and subsoil compression index of 0.7). Also, the proportion is much larger for the lower value of pile spacing, geogrid stiffness, embankment height, and subsoil compression index. The maximum settlement of subsoil is found to be more sensitive to the pile spacing than to the geogrid stiffness. The theoretical method shows reasonable agreement with the FE results and can therefore be used to predict the effect of subsoil in reinforced piled embankments. The geogrid has a significant role in carrying the entire embankment load without the subsoil support. However, this effect may lead to intolerable geogrid strain due to relatively large settlement. Two case studies are assessed by the theoretical method. They show that stiff subsoil can carry a significant portion of the embankment load, whereas very soft subsoil support may result in intolerable strain on the geogrid. The effect of the subsoil, therefore, should be considered in the design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes a novel experimental approach to directly measure the thicknesses of asphaltene deposits in micro-channels. The thickness of the asphaltene deposit is estimated using a visualization technique based on 3D digital microscopy. The working fluid is a mixture of n-heptane and dead oil. Induced by the addition of n-heptane, the asphaltenes present in crude oil phase separate at ambient temperature to form aggregates of asphaltene-rich phase. Part of the asphaltene aggregates deposit on the walls of the transparent micro-channel. A two-dimensional profile of the deposit across the channel at selected axial sections is measured. The influences of injection mixture volume on the growth of the thickness of deposited asphaltenes is investigated using two experimental conditions, (i) varying elapsed time at constant flow rate and (ii) increasing the flow rate at a constant elapsed time. In both cases the deposit thickness of asphaltene ( δ ) increases with the total injection volume ( V ). The experimental results obtained in this work provide new insights into the deposition process at the micro-scale level, which can be used to facilitate the development of more accurate numerical model for this application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Site condition and construction technology are described in detail, as well as the solutions to common problems encountered during the construction phase of such a project. A numerical model is established based on the case study and validated by the actual field measurements. The differences between modeled results and field measurements were 2.4-49.4%, which validate the accuracy of the numerical model. Settlement at the surface of soft soils was found to increase when the length and permeability coefficient of prefabricated vertical drains were increased, and decreased as the spacing increased. The estimated degree of consolidation at the final stage of vacuum preloading was 93.4% based on the degree of settlement, and 88.3% based on pore water pressure measurements. Thus, vacuum preloading with vertical drains was found to be an effective method by which to improve the strength of soft soils prior to construction on them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2014, the authors of this paper considered predictions of reinforcement tension in a piled embankment from British standard BS 8006 published in 2010 and the 2012 amended version, and compared the results with finite-element model predictions. In keeping with BS 8006, any contribution from the subsoil beneath the embankment was ignored. The present paper extends that earlier work by also considering the potentially beneficial contribution of a lightly overconsolidated clay subsoil layer, both in the finite-element predictions and as a simple modification to the BS 8006 predictive method. It is assumed that there is no 'working platform' (granular) material below the pile cap level, and that the water table in the subsoil does not drop, since either of these factors would be likely to significantly reduce the ability of the subsoil to carry load from the embankment. As anticipated, the subsoil support reduces reinforcement tension. When compared to the finite-element results the proposed modified BS 8006 prediction is quite accurate. The BSI 2012 modified prediction is 'best' (but sometimes slightly unconservative), whereas the BSI 2010 modified prediction is conservative in all cases considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biaxial geogrid in current research is oversimplified, and the three-dimensional orthotropic nature of the biaxial geogrid has not been fully understood in numerical investigations. A comparative study on three modeling approaches for the biaxial geogrid is presented in this paper, including the isotropic membrane model, the orthotropic membrane model, and the truss element model. It shows that the orthotropic membrane model yields practically identical results of the maximum geogrid tension when compared with the truss element model, whereas the isotropic membrane model tends to yield values that are approximately 33% larger. A parametric study shows that the pile spacing has the strongest influence on the maximum geogrid tension. The comparison of four analytical methods with the orthotropic membrane model shows that the British standard (BS) 8006 (published in 2010) and EBGEO (published in 2011) methods greatly overestimate the geogrid tension, while the method presented by Zhuang et al. (published in 2014) results in closer agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1/f noise in NPN transistors as a function of total ionising dose and dose rate are investigated in this article. The results show that the base current noise increase with accumulated total dose both at dose rate of 0·1 and 10 rad(Si) s−1, and the transistors exhibit more degradation at low-dose rate (0·1 rad(Si) s−1). The radiation-induced oxide charges near the SiO2-Si interface and interface traps at the interface can contribute to the fluctuation of the base current noise. The surface base current noise model combined with the space charge model can explain the noise performance degradation and the enhanced low-dose rate sensitivity of the NPN transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1/f noise in NPN transistors as a function of total ionising dose and dose rate are investigated in this article. The results show that the base current noise increase with accumulated total dose both at dose rate of 0·1 and 10 rad(Si) s−1, and the transistors exhibit more degradation at low-dose rate (0·1 rad(Si) s−1). The radiation-induced oxide charges near the SiO2-Si interface and interface traps at the interface can contribute to the fluctuation of the base current noise. The surface base current noise model combined with the space charge model can explain the noise performance degradation and the enhanced low-dose rate sensitivity of the NPN transistors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British 'Code of practice for strengthened/reinforced soils and other fills' (BS 8006) was substantially revised in 2010, with a further 'Corrigendum' in 2012. Historically, BS 8006 considered arching in a piled embankment, based on an interpretation of the 'Marston' equation. The 2010 revision included an alternative method related to the analysis of arching in a piled embankment, which was proposed by Hewlett and Randolph in 1988, and later itself amended in the 2012 Corrigendum. This contribution considers BS 8006 predictions of reinforcement tension using these methods as a basis for embankment load on the reinforcement, for a wide range of piled embankment geometries. The predictions are compared with results from three-dimensional finite-element analysis, demonstrating encouraging correspondence with the Hewlett and Randolph approach (but noting that the 2010 revision overpredicts the data whereas the 2012 revision underpredicts it). Good predictions of maximum reinforcement sag are also achieved by slight modification of the BS 8006 method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The FexCoNiCuCr ( x = 0·2, 0·5, 0·8, 1 and 2) high entropy alloys were prepared by arc melting in an argon atmosphere. The effects of the Fe content and heat treatments on the microstructure and hardness of the alloys were investigated using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and hardness tests. The as cast alloys consist of two FCC solid solution structures, and display a typical dendrite microstructure with Cu-rich in the interdendrite (ID) region. The heat treatment has no obvious effect on the phase constituents of the alloys, meaning that the alloys have very good thermal stability. At the annealing temperature of 1000°C, the submicrometre-size particles were observed in the dendrite region, while a further high annealing temperature of 1200°C results in the formation of the discontinuous ID phase and ball shape Cu-rich particles. The hardness of the alloys become smaller after being heated at the temperature from 400-1000°C for 5 h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A model of column stability at non-uniform elevated temperature is proposed. [•] Lateral stiffness of column at non-uniform elevated temperature is derived. [•] A procedure to evaluate frame buckling strength at elevated temperature is presented. [•] Results obtained from the proposed method are verified by finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of determining the elastic buckling strengths of unbraced steel frames subjected to variable loadings can be expressed as a pair of maximization and minimization problems with stability constraints based on the concept of storey-based buckling which accounts for the lateral stiffness interaction among columns in a storey while resisting applied loads. The maximization and minimization problems can be solved by either linear programming method or nonlinear programming method depends on whether an approximation on the column stiffness being applied or not. Compared with the nonlinear programming method, the linear programming method based on Taylor series approximation on column stiffness is considerably simpler and more suitable for engineering practice but the frame buckling strengths may be overestimated in some cases, which may result in unconservative designs. In this study, a secant approximation of the column stiffness is introduced. Then, a modified linear programming method based on the secant approximation is proposed. Four unbraced steel frames are investigated to illustrate that the linear programming method in light of the secant approximation can yield conservative results and maintain simplicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Behavior of an eccentric PVA brush is investigated during post-Cu chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) brush cleaning. It is observed that the measured contact pressure and contact area of the eccentric brush vary significantly under different brush orientations. Moreover, the eccentric brush behaves differently from the good (i.e. concentric) brush in both the variance of shear force as well as the force spectra during cleaning. This study provides a rapid detection method to screen out eccentric brushes before they are used in semiconductor manufacturing, thereby potentially reducing wafer defects as well as chemical, water, and energy consumption associated with using eccentric PVA brushes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The evaluation of the lateral stability of steel frames subject to elevated temperatures is different from that at ambient temperature. This is because the degradation of the Young''s Modulus of steel associated with elevated temperature will lead to the loss of column lateral stiffness. In this study, the lateral stability of unbraced steel frames subjected to elevated temperature is investigated based on the concept of storey based buckling. First, to simulate a steel column exposed to the elevated temperature, an analytical model was proposed to examine the effects of axial loading, elevated temperature, and thermal boundary restraints on the lateral stiffness of steel columns in unbraced frames. Then, a method of evaluating the stability capacity of unbraced steel frames at elevated temperature is proposed. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the evaluation procedure of the proposed method and investigate the frame stability subjected to different scenarios of frame members exposed to the elevated temperature. The validity of the proposed method is verified by the numerical analysis with the use of finite element analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Currently, infectious syphilis has been resurgent in China and has become a significant public health problem. The rapid expansion of syphilis screening programs is urgently required. In the present study, the performance of the Determine Syphilis TP assay (Determine TP assay) for the detection of antibodies against Treponema pallidum ( T. pallidum) for syphilis serodiagnosis was evaluated. In total, 300 serum samples were tested for the presence of treponemal-specific antibodies using the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) assay, the Determine TP assay, and the InTec immunochromatography assay (InTec assay). The Determine TP assay detected 99, 11, and 5 positive results, whereas the InTec assay detected 97, 3, and 3 positive samples from group I (100 TPPA-positive sera), group II (13 TPPA 1:80 +/− sera), and group III (187 TPPA-negative sera), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and the rate concordant with TPPA for the Determine TP assay were 97.35, 98.91, and 97.33%, respectively. In comparison to the TPPA, the Determine TP assay is simple to perform and time-saving, making it a favorable alternative for the detection of T. pallidum-specific antibodies where other T. pallidum-specific confirmatory tests are not available. In addition, this rapid treponemal test promotes prompt treatment for syphilis by providing early laboratory diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum spirochaete bacterium. The killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene family encodes cell surface receptors that are found on natural killer (NK) cells and certain T-cell subsets. NK cells are fast-acting effector lymphocytes of innate immunity that respond to infection. The activity of NK cells depends on the dynamic balance of activating and inhibitory signals that are transmitted through respective receptors including KIRs. KIR2DS4 is the only activating KIR gene in KIR haplotype A. KIR1D is a partial deletion KIR2DS4 variant encoding protein devoid of transmembrane region. Up to now, there is no knowledge of association of KIR2DS4 and its variant KIR1D with syphilis in a population that belongs to KIR gene haplotype A. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) method was used to genotype KIR genes in 190 patients with syphilis and 192 healthy controls. The gene frequencies of KIR2DS4 and KIR1D were analysed for the association with syphilis in patients and healthy controls who belong to KIR gene haplotype A. The gene frequency of KIR1D/ KIR1D in patients with syphilis classified as haplotype A was 16.85% and was significantly higher than that in the control group (6.59%) ( P = 0.032). However, there was no significant difference for the gene frequencies of KIR2DS4/ KIR2DS4 and KIR2DS4/ KIR1D between the two groups ( P > 0.05). KIR1D/ KIR1D was found in association with susceptibility to syphilis in the Chinese Han population that belongs to KIR gene haplotype A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) can regulate the activation of NK and T cells in response to infection. Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum spirochete bacterium. The objective of this study was to explore whether KIR genotypes and haplotypes were associated with syphilis in a Chinese Han population. Polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP) was used to identify the KIR genotypes in 190 patients with syphilis and 192 healthy controls. The frequency of genotype P was higher in healthy controls than that in patients with syphilis ( P = 0.002), and its OR was 0.304, while the frequencies of genotypes AE and AG were higher in patients with syphilis than those in healthy controls. The frequency of haplotype 17 was lower, and its OR was 0.321, whereas the frequencies of haplotype 1 and 6 were higher in patients with syphilis than those in healthy controls. KIR haplotypes A and B have distinctive centromeric ( Cen) and telomeric ( Tel) gene content motifs. The frequency of Tel-B/B was higher in patients with syphilis than that in healthy controls ( P = 0.024). Based on these findings, it seems that individuals with the genotype AE, AG or Tel-B/B, or haplotypes 1 and 6 are susceptible to syphilis, whereas individuals with genotype P or haplotype 17 are protective from syphilis in the Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Advancement in tissue engineering provides a promising approach to recover the functionality of the degenerated intervertebral disc. In our study, a nucleus pulposus (NP) cell-seeded collagen II/hyaluronan/chondroitin-6-sulfate (CII/HyA/CS) tri-copolymer construct was implanted into the disc space directly after nucleotomy in a rabbit model. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the NP cell-seeded CII/HyA/CS tri-copolymer constructs could regenerate the degenerated disc in vivo after implantation into the rabbit nucleotomy model. Summary Of Background Data: Nucleotomy is one of the most prevalent surgical modalities to treat degenerative disc disease, which could achieve good short-term effects of pain relieve, whereas removal of the entire or partial NP changes the biomechanical characteristics of the remaining disc and the adjacent vertebral segments and a series of long-term complications such as accelerated annulus and the facet joints degeneration may ensue. Therefore, it is necessary to think about possible procedures immediately after the primary nucleotomy surgery to avoid these complications. Methods: NP cells isolated from thoracic and lumbar spines of New Zealand White rabbits of approximately 3 weeks of age and 1 kg in weight were labeled with a 5- (and-6) -carboxyflurescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFDA-SE) fluorescent dye and seeded within the CII/HyA/CS scaffold by a centrifugation method. After in vitro culture for 1 week, NP cell-seeded CII/HyA/CS tri-copolymer constructs were allografted into the disc defects of recipient rabbit immediately after nucleotomy of the lumbar spine. The Bradner Disc Index and the T2-weighted signal intensity index were determined using lateral plane radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging at 4, 12, and 24 weeks after the operation. Finally, the operated discs were explanted for gross morphological observation, histological evaluation, and cell viability assessment. Animals with only nucleotomy and cell-free CII/HyA/CS scaffold implantation served as controls. Results: In our study, we could demonstrate that the T2-weighted signal intensity index of the operated discs decreased in all three groups 1 month after surgery and the index of the cell-containing scaffold insertion group was significantly higher than that of the other two groups. After 24 weeks, the index of the cell-containing scaffold insertion group increased significantly. However, further decline was observed in both the noninsertion group and the scaffold insertion group. In radiographic analysis, the narrowing of the intervertebral disc space was significantly retarded by the cell-scaffold hybrids implantation up to 24 postoperative weeks. Furthermore, the gross morphology and histological evaluation indicated that the allografted NP cells were viable and showed extracellular matrix production. Conclusion: In our study, we had constructed rabbit NP cell-seeded CII/HyA/CS tri-copolymer implants in vitro. Immediately after nucleotomy of the recipient rabbit, we allografted the precultured cell-scaffold hybrids into the lacuna of the disc. Results documented survival of the allografted NP cells and extracellular matrix deposition, which finally resulted in maintenance of disc height and restoration of T2-weighted signal intensity on magnetic resonance imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to construct tissue-engineered composite intervertebral disc (IVD) consisting of demineralized bone matrix gelatin (DBMG) and collagenII/hyaluronate/chondroitin-6-sulfate (CII/HyA–CS) scaffolds seeded with anulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, respectively. The cell-scaffold hybrids were implanted in the subcutaneous space of the dorsum of athymic mice and harvested at 4, 8, and 12weeks. At each time point, the gross and histological morphology and biochemical properties were evaluated. Our results are as following: the gross morphology and histology of the composite resembled those of native IVD. Morphological studies revealed progressive tissue formation and junction integration between AF and NP regions. Biochemical composition detection indicated that the content of DNA, proteoglycan and hydroxyproline increased with time, and were similar to native tissue at 12weeks. All these results demonstrated the feasibility of creating a tissue-engineered composite IVD with similar morphological and biochemical properties to the native tissue. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a novel method for enhancing near-field nanophotolithography using negative-refractive-index slabs. In our method, a negative-refractive-index-metal film (NIF) is attached to the plane surface of an aplanatic solid immersion lens (SIL), and the polymer layer is coated on the negative-refractive-index film. The intensity of the transmitted light is enhanced by the surface plasmon polaritons excited in the NIF-polymer composite layer. The numerical results based on the vector diffraction theory show that under the illumination of the SIL-NIF-polymer composite by a sharp focused radially polarized beam, the composite configuration under investigation can substantially increase the spot intensity, suppress the spot expansion along the distance from the interface, and improve the depth of focus, in comparison with conventional focusing systems using bare SILs. In the case where a photoresist film is placed near the composite configuration, a subtle deep-etching pattern with high resolution can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have evaluated the possibility that the action of voluntary exercise on the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a molecule important for rat hippocampal learning, could involve mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. We focused the studies on the Bdnf promoter IV, as this region is highly responsive to neuronal activity. We have found that exercise stimulates DNA demethylation in Bdnf promoter IV, and elevates levels of activated methyl-CpG-binding protein 2, as well as BDNF mRNA and protein in the rat hippocampus. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that exercise increases acetylation of histone H3, and protein assessment showed that exercise elevates the ratio of acetylated : total for histone H3 but had no effects on histone H4 levels. Exercise also reduces levels of the histone deacetylase 5 mRNA and protein implicated in the regulation of the Bdnf gene [N.M. Nat. Neurosci., , 519-525], but did not affect histone deacetylase 9. Exercise elevated the phosphorylated forms of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and cAMP response element binding protein, implicated in the pathways by which neural activity influences the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, i.e. Bdnf. These results showing the influence of exercise on the remodeling of chromatin containing the Bdnf gene emphasize the importance of exercise on the control of gene transcription in the context of brain function and plasticity. Reported information about the impact of a behavior, inherently involved in the daily human routine, on the epigenome opens exciting new directions and therapeutic opportunities in the war against neurological and psychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a series of linearly elastic-perfectly plastic plane strain finite-element (FE) analyses are reported, investigating the arching of a granular embankment supported by pile caps over a soft subsoil. The objective of the research was to contribute further to generic understanding of arching in a piled embankment, and the contribution of tensile reinforcement near the base of the embankment. The stress state in the embankment and load on the subsoil were examined. The analyses demonstrate that the ratio of the embankment height to the centre-to-centre pile spacing is a key parameter in determining the behaviour. The potential contribution of tensile reinforcement near the base of the embankment was also considered. It was found that arching in the embankment occurred at relatively small settlement of the underlying subsoil, whereas much more settlement was required for sag of the reinforcement to have significant effect in further reducing the stress on the subsoil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In copper chemical mechanical planarization process, stains are often generated on the pad surface due to the build-up of polishing by-products. Pad staining is a major concern because it might affect defect, non-uniformity across the wafer, and removal rate variation during polishing. In this study, the characteristics of stains formed on an IC1000 XY grooved pad obtained under various polishing conditions were investigated. In addition, wafers were polished on an IC1000 plain pad to determine the effect of hydrodynamic pressure on staining pattern. Experiments were performed on a table-top axisymmetric polishing system consisting of a 300-mm non-rotating platen and 100-mm rotating wafers. Stains were successfully generated on the pad surface and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirmed that the stains contained copper polishing by-products. As the stains deposited on the pad land areas were darker in the direction of wafer rotation as well as in the pad radial direction, it was believed that staining agents were produced during polishing and subsequently advected downstream by the slurry flow. Although staining increased with polishing pressure, wafer rotation rate, polishing time and slurry flow rate, it did not seem to affect removal rate. The white light interferometric analysis indicated that the stains did not physically change the pad surface topography. It was observed that the hydrodynamic pressure significantly impacted the staining pattern on an IC1000 plain pad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pad flattening ratio (PFR) was investigated as a non-destructive pad surface analysis method on the IC1000 K-groove pad during silicon dioxide chemical mechanical planarization. The PFR defines as the ratio of the bright area to the total image area. A series of marathon polishing runs were performed under ex-situ diamond disc pad conditioning, ex-situ high-pressure micro jet (HPMJ) pad conditioning and no pad conditioning methods where PFR analysis was performed to estimate the amount of pad surface flattening or glazing under these conditions. With no conditioning, PFR increased rapidly to 40% indicating severe glazing. With ex-situ diamond disc pad conditioning, PFR remained relatively constant below 12%, suggesting a rough and stable pad surface for polishing, while with ex-situ HPMJ conditioning it increased gradually and stabilized at the value of about 23%. Real-time analysis of friction force and silicon dioxide removal rate showed a clear correlation among the PFR, the coefficient of friction and the removal rate during the silicon dioxide chemical mechanical planarization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is followed by an energy crisis that compromises the capacity of the brain to cope with challenges, and often reduces cognitive ability. New research indicates that events that regulate energy homeostasis crucially impact synaptic function and this can compromise the capacity of the brain to respond to challenges during the acute and chronic phases of TBI. The goal of the present study is to determine the influence of the phenolic yellow curry pigment curcumin on molecular systems involved with the monitoring, balance, and transduction of cellular energy, in the hippocampus of animals exposed to mild fluid percussion injury (FPI). Young adult rats were exposed to a regular diet (RD) without or with 500 ppm curcumin (Cur) for four weeks, before an FPI was performed. The rats were assigned to four groups: RD/Sham, Cur/Sham, RD/FPI, and Cur/FPI. We found that FPI decreased the levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK) and cytochrome c oxidase II (COX-II) in RD/FPI rats as compared to the RD/sham rats. The curcumin diet counteracted the effects of FPI and elevated the levels of AMPK, uMtCK, COX-II in Cur/FPI rats as compared to RD/sham rats. In addition, in the Cur/sham rats, AMPK and uMtCK increased compared to the RD/sham. Results show the potential of curcumin to regulate molecules involved in energy homeostasis following TBI. These studies may foster a new line of therapeutic treatments for TBI patients by endogenous upregulation of molecules important for functional recovery. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The locations of WiFi access points (APs) are important for WiFi positioning, especially when a propagation model is used. The parameters for the propagation model, such as the pathloss exponent and noise variance, usually are not available when localising APs in a new environment. A crowdsourcing‐based prototype system is introduced that automatically generates WiFi databases using the uploaded data during normal usage of smartphones. In this system, the adjustment algorithm is originally used for the estimation of AP localisation and propagation parameters. Preliminary experiments show that the average AP localisation error of the prototype system is about 4.0 m in a typical indoor environment with considerably reduced time and labour costs compared with traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the reproductive organs of maize (Zea mays L.), the changes in transcription that occur during meiosis at early stage of water deficit were characterized. We used oligo microarray analysis, which included 57452 transcripts representing more than 30 000 genes, and combined this with reverse Northern blot analysis. After 1 d stress, 1 809 transcripts were differentially expressed (by 2-fold or greater) with 34 % of them being upregulated in the tassels, while in the ears 861 transcripts were differentially expressed with 41 % being upregulated. Of these, 33 transcripts were upregulated in both organs, including those involved in protective functions, reactive oxygen species detoxification, nitrogen metabolism and gibberellin metabolism. In contrast, the transcripts involved in polyamine and sugar metabolism were downregulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Integrated radio-frequency solenoids with micro-patterned magnetic cores for reduced dimensions and compatibility with CMOS/BiCMOS process technology are presented and discussed. It is demonstrated that the use of a ferromagnetic (FM) core leads to a more than 20-fold enhanced inductance per area. This is achieved by tailoring the anisotropy of the FM core and the design of the metal coil structure. Both a higher operating frequency and a larger inductance are obtained by increasing the shape aspect ratio of the FM core and by depositing the magnetic film under an external magnetic field. A reference to an optimum shape anisotropy has been created by measuring the FM core inductors with an external DC magnetic field. An optimum practical trade-off of inductance and operating frequency results from patterning of the FM core. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

CD40, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is an important costimulatory molecule during the immune response. Here, we report a blocking mouse antihuman CD40 monoclonal antibody, mAb 3G3, of which the specificity was verified by flow cytometry and Western blot. It was shown by competition test that 3G3 bound to a different site (epitope) of CD40 from the reported CD40 mAbs, including clone mAb89, 3B2, and 5C11. It was also found that mAb 3G3 could inhibit homotypic aggregation of Daudi cells induced by the agonistic anti-CD40 mAb 5C11. Furthermore, mAb 3G3 effectively inhibited the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction assay. Finally, a sensitive and specific soluble CD40 (sCD40) ELISA kit was established by matching mAb 3G3 with 5C11, and it was found that the levels of sCD40 in sera from patients with immune disorders such as hyperthyroidism, chronic nephritis, and rheumatoid arthritis were obviously higher than those from normal individuals. Thus, this blocking anti-CD40 mAb provides a novel tool for the study of CD40. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The elastic strain relaxation in a series of dry-etched periodic multilayer Si/SiGe wire samples with different etching depths was investigated systematically by means of grazing incidence diffraction (GID). The samples were patterned by holographic lithography and reactive ion etching from a Si/SiGe superlattice grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were employed to obtain information on the shape of the wires. The inhomogeneous strain distribution in the etched wires and in the non-etched part of the multilayers was derived by means of finite element calculations which were used as an input for simulations of the scattered X-ray intensities in depth dependent GID. The theoretical calculations for the scattered intensities are based on distorted-wave Born approximation. The unperturbed scattering potential was chosen with a reduced optical density corresponding to the ratio of wire width and wire period, in order to reflect the main interaction between the incident X-rays and the patterned samples. The calculations are in good agreement with the experimental data demonstrating the variation of strain relaxation with depth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents a study which investigated the formation of phosphine and methane in anaerobic incubation systems. Details on anaerobic fermentation experiments; Phosphine and methane levels in the headspace of fermentors; Sequential fractionation of reactive phosphorus.

Background: Treatment options for pre-treated patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) remain limited. This is the first study to assess the real-world safety and efficacy of sacituzumab govitecan (SG) in the UK. Methods: Data was retrospectively collected from 16 tertiary UK cancer centres. Pts had a diagnosis of mTNBC, received at least two prior lines of treatment (with at least one being in the metastatic setting) and received at least one dose of SG. Results: 132 pts were included. Median age was 56 years (28–91). All patients were ECOG performance status (PS) 0-3 (PS0; 39, PS1; 76, PS2; 16, PS3;1). 75% (99/132) of pts had visceral metastases including 18% (24/132) of pts with CNS disease. Median PFS (mPFS) was 5.2 months (95% CI 4.5–6.6) with a median OS (mOS) of 8.7 months (95% CI 6.8-NA). The most common adverse events (AEs) were fatigue (all grade; 82%, G3/4; 14%), neutropenia (all grade; 55%, G3/4; 29%), diarrhoea (all grade; 58%, G3/4, 15%), and nausea (all grade; 38%, G3/4; 3%). SG dose reduction was required in 54% of pts. Conclusion: This study supports significant anti-tumour activity in heavily pre-treated pts with mTNBC. Toxicity data aligns with clinical trial experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogen detection in respiratory specimens has the potential to improve our understanding of febrile illness aetiologies in tropical climates. B Background: b Febrile illness is a common cause of hospitalization worldwide, but the disease aetiology is often not diagnosed routinely. Given that reports on respiratory pathogens from sub-Saharan African countries are few and that there is a knowledge gap on febrile illness aetiologies, we sought to describe the prevalence of respiratory pathogens in a cohort of febrile inpatients in northern Tanzania. [Extracted from the article]