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A way to achieve negative refraction of elastic anti-plane shear waves is a transmission across an interface between a homogeneous substrate and a periodic transverse laminate. To achieve pure negative refraction, the frequency of the source should be lower than the upper limit of the second transition zone (TZ) of the harmonic spectrum of the laminate. An effective way to control the location of TZ is to consider a canonical configuration for the laminate, a concept that originates from the properties of quasi-crystalline sequences among which the Fibonacci one is a particular case. Based on the universal structure of frequency spectrum, we provide a method based on the reduced torus to study the effect of a change in canonical ratio on the limits of the TZ. A further contribution consists in the analytical estimate of the angle of refraction for a linear relationship between frequency and longitudinal wavenumber. This is achieved by determining the components of the in-plane Poynting vector. The outcome provides a tool for the selection of a suitable laminate-substrate combination to accomplish a particular angle of the refracted wave. Finally, it is shown that for some particular configurations, the transmitted energy displays a peak that can be exploited to maximize the amount of energy travelling across the laminate. This article is part of the theme issue 'Wave generation and transmission in multi-scale complex media and structured metamaterials (part 2)'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the propagation of harmonic flexural waves in periodic two-phase phononic multi-supported continuous beams whose elementary cells are designed according to the quasicrystalline standard Fibonacci substitution rule. The resulting dynamic frequency spectra are studied with the aid of a trace-map formalism which provides a geometrical interpretation of the recursive rule governing traces of the relevant transmission matrices: the traces of three consecutive elementary cells can be represented as a point on the surface defined by an invariant function of the square root of the circular frequency, and the recursivity implies the description of a discrete orbit on the surface. In analogy with the companion axial problem, we show that, for specific layouts of the elementary cell (the canonical configurations), the orbits are almost periodic. Likewise, for the same layouts, the stop-/pass-band diagrams along the frequency domain are almost periodic. Several periodic orbits exist and each corresponds to a self-similar portion of the dynamic spectra whose scaling law can be investigated by linearising the trace map in the neighbourhood of the orbit. The obtained results provide a new piece of theory to better understand the dynamic behaviour of two-phase flexural periodic waveguides whose elementary cell is obtained from quasicrystalline generation rules. • We investigate canonical configurations for multi-supported quasicrystalline flexural waveguides. • Dispersion diagrams are computed; they can be approximated as periodic. • Scaling factors governing the self-similarity of stop and pass bands are calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser ablation of chromium with nanojoule energy UV femtosecond pulses under background pressure conditions between 0.3 Torr and 700 Torr is studied and the corresponding plasma plume images at different times after irradiation are measured. The ablation focal spot is less than or the order of a micron when 170 nJ of laser pulse energy is used. This low pulse energy leads to short lifetimes of the plasma of the order of tens of nanoseconds. The plume shape changes with ambient pressure due to the collision with background gas. An axially stretched plume changes to a more circular plume as the pressure increases. In addition, a separation of the ionic and atomic components is observed at lower pressure. These two components move at significantly different velocities as well. The plasma plume expands at almost constant velocity at very low pressure but exhibits significant deceleration at higher pressure reaching an asymptotic stopping distance. Plume images are also obtained near the ablation threshold pulse energy. The plume characteristics are compared to different models of plume expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastic anti-plane shear waves can be refracted negatively when they are transmitted across an interface between a homogeneous substrate and a transverse periodic laminate. To achieve pure negative refraction, the frequency of the source should be lower than the upper limit of the second transition zone of the harmonic spectrum of the laminate. An effective way to control the location of transition zones is to consider a canonical configuration for the laminate, a concept that originates from the properties of quasicrystalline sequences among which the Fibonacci one is a particular case. We give a detailed account of the classification in three families of canonical configurations and the role of canonical frequency. We exploit the knowledge of the scaling factor of the self-similar structure of the layout of transition zones for laminates of this kind to provide a quantitative tool to predict the relevant frequencies to accomplish negative refraction. We also investigate how the change of other parameters of the elementary cell may affect the values of those frequencies. The obtained results show that the features of quasicrystalline sequences may be profitably exploited for the realisation of elastic metamaterials. • Canonical quasicrystalline laminates are defined and studied. • Their role in the problem of negative refraction is investigated. • Pass- and stop-band layouts are governed by scaling factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a laminated ultrasonic motor operating in face expanding and face bending modes was designed, and a 5-layered ultrasonic motor prototype was fabricated and tested. By applying a sinusoidal electric field, the stator of the ultrasonic motor would produce the expanding/bending microscopic movement, then this microscopic movement was transformed into linear movement by friction force. Experimentally, the proposed ultrasonic motor revealed excellent performance under a relatively low driving voltage, where the maximum achievable output force and linear speed were respectively 1.5 N and 100 mm/s, under a sinusoidal driving voltage of 20 V pp and 44.5 kHz. Compared with the previously reported ultrasonic motor, the proposed ultrasonic motor reveals many advantages, such as simple structure, excellent performance, and low driving voltage, demonstrating its promising applications in precise driving, high accuracy positioning, non-magnetic interference driving, etc. [Display omitted] • The proposed ultrasonic motor has a simple structure. • The proposed ultrasonic motor reveals excellent performance under a low driving voltage. • The proposed ultrasonic motor can be used in compositive low-voltage precise driving, high accuracy positioning system, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a piezoelectric linear motor made of a single Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 square-plate, which operates in two orthogonal and isomorphic face-diagonal-bending modes to produce precision linear motion. A 15 ? 15 ? 2 mm prototype was fabricated, and the motor generated a driving force of up to 1.8 N and a speed of 170 mm/s under an applied voltage of 100 Vpp at the resonance frequency of 136.5 kHz. The motor shows such advantages as large driving force under relatively low driving voltage, simple structure, and stable motion because of its isomorphic face-diagonal-bending mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fas-associated death domain (DD) adaptor (FADD), a member of the DD superfamily, contains both a DD and a death effector domain (DED) that are important in mediating FAS ligand-induced apoptotic signaling. P45 is a unique member of the DD superfamily in that it has a domain with sequence and structural characteristics of both DD and DED. We show that p45 forms a complex with FADD and diminishes Fas-FADD mediated death signaling. The DED of FADD is required for the complex formation with p45. Following spinal cord injury, transgenic mice over-expressing p45 exhibit increased neuronal survival, decreased retraction of corticospinal tract fibers and improved functional recovery. Understanding p45-mediated cellular and molecular mechanisms may provide insights into facilitating nerve regeneration in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtosecond laser micromachining together with Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) allows us to drill precise hole in materials to internal buried layers as well as characterize the materials while drilling. We report detection of a metal layer buried deep inside silicon by creating an access hole through the semiconductor. We used 800 nm femtosecond laser pulses to carry out the drilling while monitoring the plasma emission with a spectrometer system. Higher drilling rates of 1 μm per shot were achieved using a Gaussian laser beam profile with peak fluences of 42 J/cm. Lower drilling rates of 30 nm per pulse with better accuracy could be achieved using lower intensity flat top beam profiles at fluences of 1.4 J/cm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, piezoelectric ultrasonic linear actuators operate in longitudinal and bending combination (degenerate) modes for producing an elliptic motion which drives a slider moving linearly. With the increasing temperature, the degenerate mode will split into two separated modes again, resulting in piezoelectric actuators working to fail. Here, we report a miniature piezoelectric ultrasonic linear actuator made of Mn modified (1-x)BiScO3-xPbTiO3 piezoelectric ceramics operating in two orthogonal first bending modes (B1-B1). The B1-B1 mode linear actuator showed much better load and speed temperature stability than piezoelectric actuators operating in different combination mode in the investigated temperature range of room temperature to 200 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel square-plate piezoelectric ultrasonic linear motor operated in two orthogonal first bending vibration modes (B1) is proposed. The piezoelectric vibrator of the linear motor is simply made of a single PZT ceramic plate (sizes: 15 x 15 x 2 mm) and poled in its thickness direction. The top surface electrode of the square ceramic plate was divided into four active areas along its two diagonal lines for exciting two orthogonal B1 modes. The achieved driving force and speed from the linear motor are 1.8 N and 230 mm/s, respectively, under one pair orthogonal voltage drive of 150 Vp-p at the resonance frequency of 92 kHz. The proposed linear motor has advantages over conventional ultrasonic linear motors, such as relatively larger driving force, very simple working mode and structure, and low fabrication cost. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We report a miniature piezoelectric ultrasonic linear motor that is made of four Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) piezoelectric ceramic layers for low-voltage work. The 4-layer piezoelectric laminate works in two orthogonal first-bending modes for producing elliptical oscillations, which are then used to drive a contacting slider into continuous linear motion. Experimental results show that the miniature linear motor (size: 4 ? 4 ? 12 mm, weight: 1.7 g) can generate a large driving force of 0.48 N and a linear motion speed of up to 160 mm/s, using a 40 Vpp/mm voltage drive at its resonance frequency of 64.5 kHz. The maximum efficiency of the linear motor is 30%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

β-Amyloid (Aβ) has adverse effects on brain cells, but little is known about its effects on the peripheral nervous system in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several lines of in vitro evidence suggest that the neurotrophin receptor p75 mediates or exacerbates Aβ- induced neurotoxicity. Here, we show that p75-deficient sympathetic neurons are more sensitive to Ap-induced neurite growth inhibition. To investigate the role of p75 in the sympathetic nervous system of AD, p75 mutant mice were crossed with a mouse line of AD model. The majority of p75-deficient AD mice died by 3 weeks, of age. The lethality is associated with severe defects in sympathetic innervation to multiple organs. When 1 copy of the BACE1 gene encoding a protein essential in Aβ production was deleted in p75-deficient AD mice, sympathetic innervation was significantly restored. These results suggest that p75 is neuroprotective for the sympathetic nervous system in a mouse model of AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To perform fast and sensitive trace metal analysis in aqueous solutions by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) based on only one single-pulse laser system, a wood slice has been used as a liquid absorber to transform liquid sample analysis to solid sample analysis using LIBS. High detection sensitivity and good reproducibility can be achieved with this approach. Calibration curves for five metal elements, Cr, Mn, Cu, Cd, and Pb under trace concentrations, have been obtained, and the limits of their detection were determined to be in the range of 0.029–0.59 mg L−1, 2–3 orders better than those obtained by directly analyzing liquid samples where the laser was focused on a liquid surface. The wood slice was very easy to handle and thus, the whole analysis process took only 4–5 min for each sample. This approach provides a more practical approach for fast and sensitive metal element analysis in aqueous solutions using LIBS, which is especially useful for monitoring toxic heavy metals in water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report on the design and testing of glass nozzles used to produce liquid sheets. The sheet nozzles use a single converging channel chemically etched into glass wafers by standard lithographic methods. Operation in ambient air and vacuum was demonstrated. The measured sheet thickness ranges over one order of magnitude with the smallest thickness of 250 nm and the largest of 2.5 μm. Sheet thickness was shown to be independent of liquid flow rate, and dependent on the nozzle outlet area. Sheet surface roughness was dependent on nozzle surface finish and was on the order of 10 nm for polished nozzles. Electron transmission data is presented for various sheet thicknesses near the MeV mean free path and the charge pair distribution function for D2O is determined from electron scattering data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapeutic outcome for the treatment of glioma was often limited due to drug resistance and low permeability of drug across the multiple physiological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and the blood-tumor barrier (BTB). In order to overcome these hurdles, we designed T7 andDA7R dual peptides-modified liposomes (abbreviated as T7/DA7R-LS) to efficiently co-delivery doxorubicin (DOX) and vincristine (VCR) to glioma in this study. T7 is a seven-peptide ligand of transferrin receptors (TfR) capable of circumventing the BBB and then targeting glioma.DA7R is ad-peptide ligand of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR 2) overexpressed on angiogenesis, presenting excellent glioma-homing property. By combining the dual-targeting delivery effect, the dual-modified liposomes displayed higher glioma localization than that of single ligand-modified liposomes or free drug. After loading with DOX and VCR, T7/DA7R-LS showed the most favorable antiglioma effectin vivo. In conclusion, this dual-targeting, co-delivery strategy provides a potential method for improving brain drug delivery and antiglioma treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To utilize the discrepancies of different TIRADS, including ACR-TIRADS, Kwak-TIRADS, C-TIRADS, and EU-TIRADS, to explore methods for improving ultrasound diagnostic accuracy. Methods: In total, 795 nodules with cytological or surgical pathology were included. All nodules were screened by the four TIRADS according to their diagnostic concordance (Screening procedures, SP). Discriminant strategy (DS) derived from predictor variables was combined with SP to construct the evaluation method (SP+DS). The diagnostic performance of the SP+DS method alone and its derivational methods and two-TIRADS combined tests was evaluated. Results: A total of 86.8% (269/310) malignant nodules and 93.6% (365/390) benign cases diagnosed by the four TIRADS simultaneously were pathologically confirmed, while 12.0% (95/795) nodules could not be consistently diagnosed by them. The criteria of DS were that iso- or hyper-echogenicity nodules should be considered benign, while hypo- or marked hypo-echogenicity nodules malignant. For 95 inconsistently diagnosed nodules screened by at least two TIRADS, DS performed best with an accuracy of 79.0%, followed by Kwak-TIRADS (72.6%). In the overall sample, the sensitivity and AUC were highest for the SP+DS method compared to the four TIRADS (91.3%, 0.895). Combining ACR-TIRADS and Kwak-TIRADS via parallel test resulted in significant improvements in the sensitivity and AUC compared to ACR-TIRADS (89.2% vs. 81.4%, 0.889 vs. 0.863). Combining C-TIRADS and DS in serial resulted in the highest AUC (0.887), followed by Kwak-TIRADS (0.884), while EU-TIRADS was the lowest (0.879). Conclusions: For undetermined or suspected thyroid nodules, two-TIRADS combined tests can be used to improve diagnostic accuracy. Otherwise, considering the inconsistent diagnosis of two TIRADS may require attention to the echo characteristics to differentiate between benign and malignant nodules. Key Points: • The discrepancies in the diagnostic performance of different TIRADS arise from their performance on inconsistently diagnosed nodules. • ACR-TIRADS improves sensitivity via combining with Kwak-TIRADS in parallel (from 81.4 to 89.2%), while C-TIRADS increases specificity via combining with EU-TIRADS in serial (from 80.9 to 85.7%). • If the diagnostic findings of two TIRADS are inconsistent, echo characteristics will be helpful for the differentiation of benign and malignant nodules with an accuracy of 79.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sepsis-induced brain dysfunction (SIBD) is often the first manifestation of sepsis, and its pathogenesis is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the roles of the tyrosine kinase Src and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in brain mitochondrial dysfunction using a rat model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis. We found that there was a gradual and significant increase of PTP1B levels in the rat brain after sepsis induction. In contrast, brain Src levels were reduced in parallel with the PTP1B increase. Sepsis led to significantly reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes I, II and III. Pretreatment of mitochondrial proteins with active PTP1B significantly inhibited complexes I and III activities in vitro, whereas Src enhanced complexes I, II, and III activities. PTP1B and Src were each co-immunoprecipitated with OXPHOS complexes I and III, suggesting direct interactions between both proteins and complexes I and III. Src also directly interacted with complex II. Furthermore, pretreatment of mitochondrial proteins with active PTP1B resulted in overproduction of reactive oxygen species and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Pretreatment with active Src produced the opposite effect. These results suggest that brain mitochondrial dysfunction following LPS-induced sepsis in rats is partly attributed to PTP1B and Src mediated decrease in mitochondrial protein tyrosine phosphorylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponential increase of cyber security has led to an ever-increasing accumulation of big network data for cyber security applications. The big data analysis for cyber security management presents challenges in data capturing, storing and processing. To address these challenges, in this paper we develop a cloud computing based system for cyber security management to fasten the analysis process of big network data. Our developed system is built on theMapReduceframework and consists of end-user devices, cloud infrastructure and a monitoring centre. To make our proposed system efficient, we introduce two key function modules of our system: data storage module and task scheduling module. We conduct the system implementation using Apache Hadoop, and our implemented system consists of data collection, data normalisation, data computation and data visualisation. Using ranking and aggregation as primitives for performing cyber security management, we conducted extensive experiments to show the effectiveness of our developed system. We also discuss how to extend our proposed system to other applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the ability of the currently used ultrasound-based malignancy risk stratification systems for thyroid neoplasms (ATA, AACE/ACE/AME, K-TIRADS, EU-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and C-TIRADS) in distinguishing follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) from follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA). Additionally, we evaluated the ability of these systems in correctly determining the indication for biopsy. Methods: Three hundred twenty-nine follicular neoplasms with definitive postoperative histopathology were included. The nodules were categorized according to each of six stratification systems, based on ultrasound findings. We dichotomized nodules into the positive predictive group of FTC (high and intermediate risk) and negative group of FTC based on the classification results. Missed biopsy was defined as neoplasms that were diagnosed as FTCs but for which biopsy was not indicated based on lesion classification. Unnecessary biopsy was defined as neoplasms that were diagnosed as FTAs but for whom biopsy was considered indicated based on classification. The diagnostic performance and missed and unnecessary biopsy rates were evaluated for each stratification system. Results: The area under the curve of each system for distinguishing follicular neoplasms was < 0.700 (range, 0.511–0.611). The missed biopsy rates were 9.0–22.4%. The missed biopsy rates for lesions ≤ 4 cm and lesions sized 2–4 cm were 16.2–35.1% and 0–20.0%, respectively. Unnecessary biopsy rates were 65.3–93.1%. In ≤ 4 cm group, the unnecessary biopsy rates were 62.2–89.7%. Conclusion: The malignancy risk stratification systems can select appropriate nodules for biopsy in follicular neoplasms, while they have limitations in distinguishing follicular neoplasms and reducing unnecessary biopsy. Specific stratification systems and recommendations should be established for follicular neoplasms. Key Points: • Current ultrasound-based malignancy risk stratification systems of thyroid nodules had low efficiency in the characterization of follicular neoplasms. • The adopted stratification systems showed acceptable performance for selecting FTC for biopsy but unsatisfactory performance for reducing unnecessary biopsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of a p45-p75 heterodimer overrides p75’s inhibition of nerve regeneration by stopping p75 homodimers from forming and creating a complex with the Nogo receptor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cyanophycin synthesis-degradation genes were found in 21 of 23 Raphidiopsis strains. • N fluctuation was the factor triggerring cyanophycin accumulation in R. raciborskii. • Proposed a N threshold determining the N substrate used for cyanophycin synthesis. • The first attempt to elucidate the role of stored N in cyanobacterial dominance. Nutrient storage is considered a critical strategy for algal species to adapt to a fluctuating nutrient supply. Luxury phosphorus (P) uptake into storage of polyphosphate extends the duration of cyanobacterial dominance and their blooms under P deficiency. However, it is unclear whether nitrogen (N) storage in the form of cyanophycin supports persistent cyanobacterial dominance or blooms in the tropics where N deficiency commonly occurs in summer. In this study, we examined genes for cyanophycin synthesis and degradation in Raphidiopsis raciborskii , a widespread and dominant cyanobacterium in tropical waters; and detected the cyanophycin accumulation under fluctuating N concentrations and its ecological role in the population dynamics of the species. The genes for cyanophycin synthesis (cphA) and degradation (cphB) were highly conserved in 21 out of 23 Raphidiopsis strains. This suggested that the synthesis and degradation of cyanophycin are evolutionarily conserved to support the proliferation of R. raciborskii in N-fluctuating and/or deficient conditions. Isotope 15N-NaNO 3 labeling experiments showed that R. raciborskii QDH7 always commenced to synthesize and accumulate cyanophycin under fluctuating N conditions, regardless of whether exogenous N was deficient. When the NO 3 −-N concentration exceeded 1.2 mg L−1, R. raciborskii synthesized cyanophycin primarily through uptake of 15N-NaNO 3. However, when the NO 3 −-N concentration was below 1.0 mg L−1, cyanophycin-based N was derived from unlabeled N 2 , as evidenced by increased dinitrogenase activity. Cells grown under NO 3 −- N < 1.0 mg L−1 had lower cyanophycin accumulation rates than cells grown under NO 3 −- N > 1.2 mg L−1. Our field investigation in a large tropical reservoir underscored the association between cyanophycin content and the population dynamics of R. raciborskii. The cyanophycin content was high in N-sufficient (NO 3 −- N > 0.45 mg L−1) periods, and decreased in N-deficient summer. In summer, R. raciborskii sustained a relatively high biomass and produced few heterocysts (< 1%). These findings indicated that cyanophycin-released N, rather than fixed N, supported persistent R. raciborskii blooms in N-deficient seasons. Our study suggests that the highly adaptive strategy in a N 2 -fixing cyanobacterial species makes mitigating its bloom more difficult than previously assumed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uranium, as a naturally radioactive actinide element, plays a significant role in the nuclear industry. It is reasonably necessary to develop a fast and efficient approach for uranyl ions detection. In consideration of the practical application, fluorescent film sensor exhibits great advantages of convenience, ease of being made into portable devices, etc. Herein, a new film senor towards uranyl ion has been designed and fabricated via drawing into an AIE-active (aggregation-induced emission) tetraphenylethene moiety and a carbamoylphosphine oxide chelate moiety through a self-assembled monolayer on quartz glass. Fluorescence spectra measurements demonstrated that the film sensor could be used for detecting UO 2 2+ in a simple way with the range of 0–0.5 μM, and the calculated limit of detection was as low as 32 nM. On the basis of the results from XPS, NMR, MS, time-resolved fluorescence spectra and absorption spectra measurements, the fluorescence quenching was arising from the UO 2 2+ located around the tetraphenylethene molecules under the ground state. Furthermore, the film sensor exhibit higher selectivity toward UO 2 2+ than the other metal ions. These results suggest that the film sensor can be applied as a convenient sensor for the UO 2 2+ detection. [Display omitted] • A novel fluorescent film sensor via self-assembled monolayer is reported for the uranyl ion detection. • The fluorescent film sensor exhibits high sensitivity and good selectivity. • The fluorescent film sensor has been successfully used in the detection of UO 2 2+ ion in the actual sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most of acute pancreatitis (AP) are mild and self‐limiting, however, 15%–20% of patients develop severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) or moderately acute pancreatitis (MSAP) with local or systemic complications. Infection complications (ICs) result in 40%–70% morbidity and high mortality rates among SAP and MSAP patients. It is more important to early recognize of ICs of MSAP or SAP. Several studies have indicated that serum soluble programmed cell death protein (sPD‐1) or programmed cell death 1 ligand (sPD‐L1) levels were higher in patients with severe sepsis than in healthy volunteers and have a predictive capacity for mortality. However, the role of serum sPD‐1/sPD‐L1 in AP remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether the ICs of AP patients is associated with their sPD‐1 and sPD‐L1 levels, which were determined via enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay of peripheral blood samples from 63 MSAP and SAP patients and 30 healthy volunteers. Results: The serum sPD‐1 levels in AP patients on Days 1, 3, and 10 after onset were significantly increased in a time‐dependent manner compared with that in healthy volunteers. Moreover, the AP patients with ICs had significantly higher serum sPD‐1 levels than the AP without ICs. While serum sPD‐L1 levels in AP were similar to that in healthy volunteers. Besides, serum levels of sPD‐1/sPD‐L1 were negatively correlated with circulating lymphocytes. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that the upregulated serum sPD‐1 level was an independent risk factor for ICs in AP. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve indicated that combination with Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score and serum sPD‐1 level had a high accuracy in predicting ICs in AP. Conclusion: Serum sPD‐1/sPD‐L1 may be involved in the immunosuppressive process in AP. Moreover, the serum sPD‐1 level may be an independent risk factor for predicting ICs in AP patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Defect clusters in ion-irradiated tungsten are characterized by X-ray diffuse scattering. Single crystal tungsten samples are irradiated at 300 K by 0.5–5 MeV copper ions with total doses of 0.2, 0.6, 2, and 5 displacements per atom (DPA). Analysis of the diffuse scattering intensities allows the determination of the concentration of vacancy- and interstitial-type dislocation loops as a function of loop radius for each sample. More vacancies than interstitials are observed in each sample, and the radius of the vacancy loops increases with irradiation dose. For the 0.2DPA sample the average vacancy loop radius is 10.1 ± 3.0 Å with a defect density (counting all atoms in the loops) of (10.2 ± 1.5) × 10 − 4 per tungsten atom, increasing to an average loop radius of 16.1 ± 3.1 Å at a density of (8.5 ± 1.0) × 10 − 4 per tungsten atom for the 5DPA sample. Highlights • Size-distribution of defect clusters are obtained via X-ray diffuse scattering. • More vacancies than interstitials are observed at each irradiation level. • The diameter of vacancy loops increases with irradiation dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the fabrication of diamond-like carbon (DLC) thin films using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). PLD is a well-established technique for deposition of high-quality DLC thin films. Carbon tape target was ablated using a KrF (248 nm, 25 ns, 20 Hz) excimer laser to deposit DLC films on soap-coated substrates. A laser fluence between 8.5 and 14 J/cm 2 and a target to substrate distance of 10 cm was used. These films were then released from substrates to obtain freestanding DLC thin foils. Foil thicknesses from 20 to 200 nm were deposited using this technique to obtain freestanding targets of up to 1-inch square area. Typically, 100-nm-thick freestanding DLC films were characterized using different techniques such as AFM, XPS, and nano-indentation. AFM was used to obtain the film surface roughness of 9 nm rms of the released film. XPS was utilized to obtain 74 % sp 2, 23 % sp 3, and 3 % C–O bond components. Nano-indentation was used to characterize the film hardness of 10 GPa and Young’s modulus of 110 GPa. Damage threshold properties of the DLC foils were studied (1,064 nm, 6 ns) and found to be 7 × 10 10 W/cm 2 peak intensity for our best ultrathin DLC foils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a piezoelectric standing wave linear ultrasonic motor with double driving tips for generating precision motion. The motor's piezoelectric actuator was made of a simple Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 square-plate (15 × 15 × 2 mm3) operating in a single face-diagonal-bending standing wave mode to produce symmetric, bi-directional linear motion. The motor generated a driving force of 3.0 N and a moving speed of up to 165 mm/s under a relatively low applied electric field of 75 Vpp/mm at a resonance frequency of 141.5 kHz. This motor is superior to those previously reported because of the double friction-tip standing wave driving mechanism and the operating mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric-field-induced strains of BiScO3–PbTiO3 (BS-PT) ceramics and actuation performance in multilayer configuration were investigated in the temperature range from 25°C to 250°C. Experimental results confirmed that BS-PT ceramics showed better piezoelectric temperature stability than PZT-5H ceramics, and larger strain than PZT-4 and PZT-8 ceramics at temperatures above 50°C. The strain of a BSPT multilayer actuator prepared by the silicate-cement-glue method was comparable to that of a single-layer BS-PT ceramic. Under ±7.5 kV/cm electric field, the strain of a BS-PT multilayer actuator reached 0.115% at 200°C. Our work shows that BS-PT ceramics are suitable for high-temperature actuation applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A miniature piezoelectric ultrasonic linear motor (piezoelectric vibrator sizes: 4.7 × 13.5 × 2 mm3) has been studied for precise actuation at 200 °C high-temperature. This piezoelectric linear motor was made of (1-x)BiScO3-xPbTiO3 piezoelectric ceramic with a high curie temperature (428 °C) and it was operated in first longitudinal and the second bending double-mode. Our experimental results showed that the linear motor moves smoothly at the temperature as high as 200 °C with a driving force of 0.35 N and a speed up to 42 mm/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2) infection can result in life-long recurrent genital disease, asymptomatic virus shedding, and transmission. No vaccine to date has shown significant protection clinically. Here, we used a mouse model of genital HSV-2 infection to test the efficacy of a vaccine consisting of whole, formalin-inactivated HSV-2 (FI-HSV2) formulated with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and alum adjuvants. Vaccine components were administered alone or as a prime-boost immunization together with DNA vaccines encoding a truncated glycoprotein D2 (gD2t) and two conserved HSV-2 genes necessary for virus replication, UL5 (DNA helicase) and UL30 (DNA polymerase). Our results show: (1) compared with mock immunized controls, mice immunized with FI-HSV2 plus MPL/alum consistently showed protection against disease burden and total viral shedding while the mice immunized with gD2t protein with MPL/alum did not; (2) protection against genital disease and viral replication correlated with the type of boost in a prime-boost immunization with little advantage afforded by a DNA prime; (3) intramuscular (i.m.) immunization with FI-HSV2 in MPL/Alhydrogel adjuvant provided nearly complete protection against vaginal HSV-2 shedding after a lethal intravaginal (i.vag.) short-term challenge and long-term rechallenge; (4) single formulation immunization with DNA vaccines, FI-HSV2, and MPL in an aluminum phosphate (Adju-Phos) adjuvant did not increase protection relative to FI-HSV2/MPL/Adju-Phos alone; and (5) addition of MPL/alum to the FI-HSV2 was required for optimal protection against disease, viral replication, and latent virus load in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Most notably, an optimized vaccine formulation of FI-HSV2 MPL/Alhydrogel given i.m. completely protected against detectable vaginal HSV-2 shedding in the majority of animals and HSV-2 latent DNA in the DRG of all animals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A single ring-shape ceramic plate piezoelectric actuator operated in shear-bending mode was proposed for high-temperature operation. The actuator was formed from BiScO3-PbTiO3 ceramic and polarized in the radial direction. A large bending displacement at the center of the actuator was piezoelectrically generated under an applied voltage in the thickness direction due to axial-symmetric shear strain of the ring-shape configuration. The displacement obtained at 200 °C was about 20 μm, 11-14 times that of a normal piezoelectric plate of identical size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]