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A first-of-a-kind optimized stellarator for confining plasma has been designed and is being constructed with planar circular coils and permanent magnets composed of identical elements. The equilibrium is optimized to be quasi-axisymmetric for good particle confinement. The combination of permanent magnets and planar coils is significantly simpler to construct than fabricating three-dimensionally shaped coils, yet they are able to produce lower helical magnetic ripple than existing devices by two orders of magnitude in ϵ eff 3 / 2 , a characteristic neoclassical transport metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When plasma is confined by a levitated superconducting current ring, the turbulent radial particle flux changes the direction depending upon the gradient of the particle number within tubes of equal magnetic flux [Garnier et al., Phys. Plasmas 24, 012506 (2017)]. When the density profile is highly peaked, the particle flux is outward. When the density profile is less peaked, turbulence drives an inward "particle pinch." This change in the direction of particle flux coincides with a reversal of the mean toroidal propagation direction of turbulent fluctuations. Previously, only the mean wavenumber of the fluctuations was reported. The mean wavenumber was computed from the ensemble correlation between two probes. Here, the full frequency-wavenumber power spectrum of the saturated turbulence is calculated by applying Capon's "maximum likelihood method" to floating potential measurements from an array of probes. The power spectrum shows that the highest intensity modes are due to unstable entropy modes, and the less intense modes coincide with weakly damped convective cells, which rotate toroidally in the direction opposite to the unstable modes. Because the weakly damped modes make up a significant fraction of the fluctuating power, these measurements imply that saturated turbulence in a dipole-confined plasma involves the excitation of weakly damped rotating convective cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the magnetic and electronic properties of Eu1-xSrxCoO3 with 0/16≤x≤12/16. In the Sr doping range from 2/16 to 11/16, the ferromagnetic clusters coexist spatially with an antiferromagnetic matrix. The magnetization at low temperatures strongly depends on the Sr concentration x, exhibiting a maximum near half doping, which is described in term of the double-exchange mechanism. The semiconductor-metal transition at low temperatures occurs at x between 4/16 and 5/16, which indicates that the ferromagnetic clusters coalesce, leading to a percolative metallic conduction up to the composition of x=10/16. As compared with those of La1-xSrxCoO3 and Nd1-xSrxCoO3, Eu1-xSrxCoO3 shows a larger critical Sr concentration for semiconductor-metal transition and lower ferromagnetic transition temperatures, which is attributed to the enhanced global and local lattice distortion due to the smaller cation radius of the Eu3+ ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and transport properties of Sm[sub 1-x]Ca[sub x]MnO[sub 3] with 0.4<=x<=0.8 were investigated. With decreasing temperature from 350 K, cooperative Jahn–Teller (JT) distortion develops, leading to the formation of a charge ordered (CO) state and anomalies in the lattice parameters and resistivities. At low temperature the magnetoresistance effect originates from the polarization of the localized t[sub 2g] spins under the magnetic field and decreases with the increase in Ca[sup 2+] content x, whereas the stability of the CO state at the CO transition temperature T[sub CO] strongly depends on both Ca[sup 2+] content and cooperative JT distortion. These interesting phenomena sufficiently confirm the close relationship among charge, lattice, spin, and orbital degrees of freedom. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective The aim of this work was to investigate the transplantation efficacy of microencapsulated young market pig islets in a diabetic rat model. Methods Islets were isolated and purified from young market pigs obtained from a local slaughterhouse. The islets were encapsulated in barium alginate and subjected to a glucose-induced insulin release functional assay in culture. Microencapsulated islets were transplanted into diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats and removed after 30 days for histologic examination. Results The mean islet equivalent (IEQ) yield per gram of digested tissue was 3,125 ± 617 IEQ/g after isolation and 2,618 ± 917 IEQ/g after purification, respectively. Host rats' blood glucose concentrations normalized (from 22.3 ± 2.7 mmol/L to 5.1 ± 0.67 mmol/L) following encapsulated islet transplantation. After graft removal, hyperglycemia recurred in the rats, indicating that the grafts were responsible for maintaining euglycemia. Histology revealed viable islets in the capsules 30 days after graft removal. Immunolabeling of insulin verified that β-cells within the capsules remained well granulated. No fibrosis or immune cells were found in histopathology. Conclusions Barium alginate encapsulation of young market pig islets can normalize glucose regulation in diabetic rats without fibrosis or an immunologic response. Highlights • This is the first time using 118-day-old pigs for islet isolation and purification. • Transplantation of purified encapsulated pig islets show the ability to correct the diabetic rat hyperglycemia. • The barium-based microencapsulation protects islets from immunologic attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective Therapeutic effects of anti- VEGF agents, corticosteroids and laser therapy have been previously examined for treating macular oedema secondary to branch and central retinal vein occlusion ( BRVO and CRVO). However, anti- VEGF efficacy has not been previously compared to corticosteroid or laser therapy efficacy. We performed a meta-analysis to compare these treatments. Methods Pertinent publications were identified through comprehensive literature searches. Therapeutic effects were estimated using best-corrected visual acuity ( BCVA), central retinal thickness ( CRT) and intraocular pressure ( IOP). The Review Manager (version 5.3.5) was used to perform searches. Results and discussion Eleven randomized, controlled trials that included 1045 RVO patients were identified. For eyes with BRVO, anti- VEGF therapy improved BCVA significantly more than corticosteroid/laser therapy at 3 ( P=.0002), 6 ( P<.00001) and 12 months ( P<.00001). For eyes with CRVO, this difference was only significant at 6 months ( P=.002). The same was true when efficacy was examined using CRT at 3 and 6 months ( BRVO: both P<.00001, CRVO 6 months: P=.02). Long-term efficacy of anti- VEGF agents was limited in eyes with BRVO and CRVO. Improvements in BCVA were similar at 1 and 3 months ( P=.74), but BCVA decreased between 3 and 6 months ( P=.03). In contrast, BCVA progressively decreased 1 and 6 months following corticosteroid/laser therapy (both P<.00001). Lastly, eyes that had been treated with anti- VEGF agents had significantly lower IOP changes than eyes treated with corticosteroids/laser 3 and 6 months after initiating therapy (both P<.00001). What is new and conclusion Anti- VEGF agents improve BCVA and reduce CRT more effectively and longer than corticosteroid/laser in eyes with RVO. Anti- VEGF agents also have a lower risk of elevating IOP. Additionally, anti- VEGF agents are more effective for treating BRVO than CRVO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Radiation-induced sensorineural hearing loss is a common complication after radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) that significantly affects their quality of life. The goal of this study was to compare SmartArc-based volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT-S) with step-and-shoot intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC with regard to the sparing effect on middle ear, vestibule and cochlea. Methods: 20 patients with non-metastatic Stage III or IV NPC were selected to have planning with VMAT-S and IMRT [using Philips Pinnacle Planning System (Philips, Fitchburg, WI) for Varian accelerator] for dosimetric comparison. Mean middle ears, vestibule and cochlea doses for the two planning techniques were compared using a paired t-test. Target coverage and dose homogeneity were evaluated by calculating conformity index (CI) and homogeneity index (HI) values. Results: VMAT-S had significantly improved homogeneity and conformity compared with IMRT. Mean HI of planning target volume of gross tumour volume (PGTV) was better with VMAT-S (1.05 ± 0.02) than IMRT (1.09 ± 0.03) (p < 0.001). Mean CI of PGTV is also better with VMAT-S (0.59 ± 0.12) than IMRT (0.54 ± 0.12) (p < 0.001). Mean doses to the left cochleas were 43.8 ± 3.6 and 47.8 ± 4.0 (p < 0.001) for VMAT-S and IMRT plans, respectively. Mean doses to the right cochleas were 42.7 ± 4.7 and 47.6 ± 5.4 (p < 0.001) for VMAT-S and IMRT plans, respectively. VMAT-S also significantly reduced the mean doses to middle ears (p < 0.001 for both) and vestibule (p < 0.001 for both). Conclusion: Our results indicate that VMAT-S provides better sparing of hearing apparatus in locoregionally advanced NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses generalization bounds for complex data learning which serve as a theoretical foundation for complex support vector machine (SVM). Drawn on the generalization bounds, a complex SVM approach based on the Szegő kernel of the Hardy space H2(픻) is formulated. It is applied to the frequency-domain identification problem of discrete linear time-invariant system (LTIS). Experiments show that the proposed algorithm is effective in applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the temperature evolution of the detailed electronic band structure in FeSe single crystals measured by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), including the degeneracy removal of the dxz and dyz orbitals at the Γ/Z and M points, and the orbital-selective hybridization between the dxy and dxz/yz orbitals. The temperature dependences of the splittings at the Γ/Z and M points are different, indicating that they are controlled by different order parameters. The splitting at the M point is closely related to the structural transition and is attributed to orbital ordering defined on Fe-Fe bonds with a d-wave form in the reciprocal space that breaks the rotational symmetry. In contrast, the band splitting at the Γ/Z points remains at temperature far above the structural transition. Although the origin of this latter splitting remains unclear, our experimental results exclude the previously proposed ferro-orbital ordering scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aims of this paper was to modify the photosynthesis model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry (FvCB) to be able to predict light dependency of the carboxylation capacity (V c ) and to improve the prediction of temperature dependency of the maximum carboxylation capacity (V cmax) and the maximum electron transport rate (J max). The FvCB model was modified by adding a sub-model for Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) activation and validating the parameters for temperature dependency of V cmax and J max. Values of parameters for temperature dependency of V cmax and J max were validated and adjusted based on data of the photosynthesis response to temperature. Parameter estimation was based on measurements under a wide range of environmental conditions, providing parameters with broad validity. The simultaneous estimation method and the nonlinear mixed effects model were applied to ensure the accuracy of the parameter estimation. The FvCB parameters, V cmax, J max, α (the efficiency of light energy conversion), θ (the curvature of light response of electron transport), and R d (the non-photorespiratory CO2 release) were estimated and validated on a dataset from two other years. Observations and predictions matched well (R 2 =0.94). We conclude that incorporating a sub-model of Rubisco activation improved the FvCB model through predicting light dependency of carboxylation rate; and that estimating V cmax, J max, α, θ, and R d requires data sets of both CO2 and light response curves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Semi-closed greenhouses have been developed to reduce the energy consumption in horticulture. In these greenhouses, CO2 concentration is higher than in the conventional modern greenhouses due to the reduction of window ventilation. Photosynthetic and morphological acclimation to elevated CO2 has been found in many plant species with feedback inhibition being the main mechanism to explain this. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of photosynthetic and morphological acclimation to elevated CO2 concentration in the semi-closed greenhouse. Our hypothesis was that photosynthetic and morphological acclimation to elevated CO2 concentration only occurred in plants with low sink strength. Experiments were carried out with tomato plants with varying fruit loads in a semi-closed greenhouse and a conventional modern greenhouse. Our results showed that photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 concentration only occurred when the number of fruits was considerably reduced. Elevated CO2 as well as fruit removal reduced specific leaf area. Reduction in photosynthesis rate was associated with, but not caused by reduced stomatal conductance. The increase of dry matter production in the semi-closed greenhouse was mainly explained by a higher CO2 concentration compared to the open greenhouse. We suggested that elevated CO2 concentrations in the semi-closed greenhouse do not cause feedback inhibition in high producing crops, because the plants have sufficient sink organs (fruits) to utilise the extra assimilates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We report a systematic angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study on Ba(Fe1-xRux)²As² for a wide range of Ru concentrations (0.15 ≤ x ≤ 0.74). We observed a crossover from two dimensions to three dimensions for some of the holelike Fermi surfaces with Ru substitution and a large reduction in the mass renormalization close to optimal doping. These results suggest that isovalent Ru substitution has remarkable effects on the low-energy electron excitations, which are important for the evolution of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in this system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have performed an angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the iron-based superconductor (SC) Sr2VFeAsO3. While V 3d orbitals are found to be in a Mott-insulating state and show an incoherent peak at ∼1 eV below the Fermi level, the dispersive Fe 3d bands form several hole- and electronlike Fermi surfaces (FSs), some of which are quasinested by the (π,0) wave vector. This differs from the local-density approximation (LDA) calculations, which predict non-nested FSs for this material. However, LDA + U with a large effective Hubbard energy U on V 3d electrons can reproduce the experimental observation reasonably well. The observed fermiology in SC Sr2VFeAsO3 strongly supports that (π,0) interband scattering between quasinested FSs may play an important role for SC in pnictides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The helix-loop-helix inhibitor of differentiation and DNA binding (Id1) is well known as an oncogene in various tumors. Although it has been reported that Id1 promotes several oncogenic processes, it is still unclear whether Id1 functions through epigenetic transcriptional regulation. In this study, we examined the effect of Id1 on polycomb group (PcG) proteins, which are crucial epigenetic gene silencers, and found that Id1 regulated the expression of Mel-18 and Bmi-1, both of which belong to polycomb repressive complex 1. We also confirmed that Id1 induced Mel-18 downregulation, which was mediated by the Akt pathway, and consequently upregulated the transcription of its target gene, c-Myc. Using a promoter-reporter, we demonstrated that Id1 regulated Bmi-1 transcription through c-Myc binding to its E-box in the promoter. Finally, we examined the activity of E3 ligase RING1b, whose catalytic activity is increased by binding with the RING finger protein Bmi-1, and found that Id1 overexpression enhanced RING1b E3 ligase activity leading to accumulation of H2A ubiquitination and ubiquitin/proteasome-mediated degradation of geminin. Taken together, our study provided a novel link between Id1 and PcG proteins and suggested that Id1 may contribute to tumor development through PcG-mediated epigenetic regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Insufficient water uptake by cut flowers and foliage species is often due to stem end occlusion and poor stem hydraulic conductance that involve bacterial growth and/or wound healing. S-carvone has putative antibacterial and anti-wound healing activity. S-carvone (0, 0.318 and 0.636mM) was evaluated as a vase solution for Acacia holosericea (Mimosaceae), Baeckea frutescens (Myrtaceae), Chamelaucium uncinatum cv. ‘Mullering Brook’ (Myrtaceae) and Chrysanthemum sp. cv. ‘Dark Splendid Reagan’ (Asteraceae). S-carvone was also tested in vitro for activity against a vase solution bacterium. S-carvone at 0.318 and 0.636mM showed significant (P <0.05) positive effects on relative fresh weight, solution uptake and/or vase life for B. frutescens foliage and C. uncinatum flowering stems, but did not have positive effects for A. holosericea and Chrysanthemum sp. S-carvone did not suppress vase solution bacterial populations. Moreover, there was no in vitro activity at vase solution concentrations against the specific vase water bacterium, Bacillus cereus. For the two Myrtaceous genotypes, B. frutescens and C. uncinatum, S-carvone apparently extended vase life by inhibiting wound healing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We give an elementary proof of the Paley-Wiener theorem in several complex variables using Clifford algebra. Thanks to the extension of the exponential function ei(x,ξ), where x is extended to Rm+1 = R1m, and ξ - is extended to Cm, the proof of the theorem in one complex variable based on analytic continuation is closely followed to give a proof for several complex variables. This shows that with the help of Clifford algebras multi-variable cases may be treated similarly as the single variable case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY DESIGN::Prospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE::Although Bracken et al have demonstrated a significant neuroprotective effect of high-dose intravenous (i.v.) methylprednisolone (MP) within 8?h post spinal cord injury (SCI), this practice has recently been challenged. We hypothesized it is possible that acute corticosteroid myopathy (ACM) may occur secondary to the MP. This pilot study was performed to test this hypothesis. SETTING::University of Miami School of Medicine/Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami VA Medical Center, FL, USA. METHODS::Subjects included five nonpenetrating traumatic SCI patients, who received 24?h MP according to National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Studies (NASCIS) protocol, and three traumatic patients who suffered SCI and did not receive MP. Muscle biopsies and electromyography (EMG) were performed to determine if myopathic changes existed in these patients. RESULTS::Muscle biopsies from the SCI patients who received 24?h of MP showed muscle damage consistent with ACM in four out of five cases. EMG studies demonstrated myopathic changes in the MP-treated patients. In the three patients who had SCI but did not receive MP, muscle biopsies were normal and EMGs did not reveal evidence of myopathy. CONCLUSION::Our data suggest that MP in the dose recommended by the NASCIS may cause ACM. If this is true, part of the improvement of neurological recovery showed in NASCIS may be only a recording of the natural recovery of ACM, instead of any protection that MP offers to the injured spinal cord. SPONSORSHIP::American Academy of Physical Medicine& Rehabilitation Education& Research Fund, and the VA Rehabilitation Research& Development, Center of Excellence in Functional Recovery and Chronic Spinal Cord Injury.Spinal Cord (2005) 43, 199-203. doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101681; Published online 9 November 2004 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, structures of null solutions of the polynomial Dirac operators D -λ D k , are studied, where D is the Dirac operator in is the identity operator. Explicit decompositions of null solutions of the polynomial Dirac operators in the respectively relevant subspaces are obtained which are used to derive their Taylor series expansions. The solutions of inhomogeneous equation p ( D ) f = g are discussed for a special class of R ( m )-valued continuous functions g . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic and transport properties of La1−xCaxMnO3 (0≤x<0.4) have been systematically studied. The magnetoresistance (MR) maximum appears at x=0.2–0.25 and the temperature dependence of MR for x>0.25 shows a much broader profile than that of samples for x=0.2–0.25. Based on a scenario in which there is a short-range charge ordering (CO) state coexisting in the ferromagnetic state matrix for x>0.25, and the least or even no short-range CO state exists in samples for x=0.2–0.25, the above observations can be understood. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Calculates the degradation and life expectancy of five boron trifluoride detectors and a helium detector, using a method developed to measure the degradation of neutron detectors in neutron and gamma fields. Uses of boron trifluoride and helium detectors; Findings of the neutron and gamma ray tests; Discussion and analysis of the findings.

GX is a code designed to solve the nonlinear gyrokinetic system for low-frequency turbulence in magnetized plasmas, particularly tokamaks and stellarators. In GX, our primary motivation and target is a fast gyrokinetic solver that can be used for fusion reactor design and optimization along with wide-ranging physics exploration. This has led to several code and algorithm design decisions, specifically chosen to prioritize time to solution. First, we have used a discretization algorithm that is pseudospectral in the entire phase space, including a Laguerre–Hermite pseudospectral formulation of velocity space, which allows for smooth interpolation between coarse gyrofluid-like resolutions and finer conventional gyrokinetic resolutions and efficient evaluation of a model collision operator. Additionally, we have built GX to natively target graphics processors (GPUs), which are among the fastest computational platforms available today. Finally, we have taken advantage of the reactor-relevant limit of small $\rho _*$ by using the radially local flux-tube approach. In this paper we present details about the gyrokinetic system and the numerical algorithms used in GX to solve the system. We then present several numerical benchmarks against established gyrokinetic codes in both tokamak and stellarator magnetic geometries to verify that GX correctly simulates gyrokinetic turbulence in the small $\rho _*$ limit. Moreover, we show that the convergence properties of the Laguerre–Hermite spectral velocity formulation are quite favourable for nonlinear problems of interest. Coupled with GPU acceleration, which we also investigate with scaling studies, this enables GX to be able to produce useful turbulence simulations in minutes on one (or a few) GPUs and higher fidelity results in a few hours using several GPUs. GX is open-source software that is ready for fusion reactor design studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of cooling field HFC on the exchange bias field HEB in a spontaneous lamellar ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic phase separated Y0.2Ca0.8MnO3 has been studied. It is found that with increasing HFC from 1 to 6 T the value of HEB decreases by 37% at 2 K and is inversely proportional to the ferromagnetic layer thickness tFM. This suggests that the tuning of HEB by HFC in Y0.2Ca0.8MnO3 arises from the variation of tFM with HFC. This phenomenon is essentially different from other types of magnetic tunings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the feasibility of a break-even-class mirror referred to as BEAM (break-even axisymmetric mirror): a neutral-beam-heated simple mirror capable of thermonuclear-grade parameters and $Q\sim 1$ conditions. Compared with earlier mirror experiments in the 1980s, BEAM would have: higher-energy neutral beams, a larger and denser plasma at higher magnetic field, both an edge and a core and capabilities to address both magnetohydrodynamic and kinetic stability of the simple mirror in higher-temperature plasmas. Axisymmetry and high-field magnets make this possible at a modest scale enabling a short development time and lower capital cost. Such a $Q\sim 1$ configuration will be useful as a fusion technology development platform, in which tritium handling, materials and blankets can be tested in a real fusion environment, and as a base for development of higher- $Q$ mirrors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wisconsin high-temperature superconductor axisymmetric mirror experiment (WHAM) will be a high-field platform for prototyping technologies, validating interchange stabilization techniques and benchmarking numerical code performance, enabling the next step up to reactor parameters. A detailed overview of the experimental apparatus and its various subsystems is presented. WHAM will use electron cyclotron heating to ionize and build a dense target plasma for neutral beam injection of fast ions, stabilized by edge-biased sheared flow. At 25 keV injection energies, charge exchange dominates over impact ionization and limits the effectiveness of neutral beam injection fuelling. This paper outlines an iterative technique for self-consistently predicting the neutral beam driven anisotropic ion distribution and its role in the finite beta equilibrium. Beginning with recent work by Egedal et al. (Nucl. Fusion , vol. 62, no. 12, 2022, p. 126053) on the WHAM geometry, we detail how the FIDASIM code is used to model the charge exchange sources and sinks in the distribution function, and both are combined with an anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium solver method to self-consistently reach an equilibrium. We compare this with recent results using the CQL3D code adapted for the mirror geometry, which includes the high-harmonic fast wave heating of fast ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author of the comment objects to the characterization and the interpretation of magnetoresistance (MR) effects observed by us in La1-xCaxMnO3 (0≤x<0.4) samples. In this reply, arguments are used to show that the samples'' characterization and explanation of the MR by considering the role of the short-charge ordering (CO) regions and magnetic domains are reasonable and acceptable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

BACKGROUND: Ginsenosides such as Rb1, Rg3 and Rh2 are major bioactive components of Panax ginseng. This in vivo study investigates the metabolic pathways of ginsenosides Rb1, Rg3 and Rh2 orally administered to rats. METHODS: High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) techniques, particularly liquid chromatography electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS), were used to identify the metabolites. RESULTS: Six metabolites of Rb1, six metabolites of Rg3 and three metabolites of Rh2 were detected in the feces samples of the rats. Rh2 was a metabolite of Rb1 and Rg3, whereas Rg3 was a metabolite of Rb1. Some metabolites such as protopanaxadiol and monooxygenated protopanaxadiol are metabolites of all three ginsenosides. CONCLUSION: Oxygenation and deglycosylation are two major metabolic pathways of the ginsenosides in rat gastrointestinal tracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the spin texture of surface Fermi arcs in the recently discovered Weyl semimetal TaAs using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental results demonstrate that the Fermi arcs are spin polarized. The measured spin texture fulfills the requirement of mirror and timereversal symmetries and is well reproduced by our first-principles calculations, which gives strong evidence for the topologically nontrivial Weyl semimetal state in TaAs. The consistency between the experimental and calculated results further confirms the distribution of chirality of the Weyl nodes determined by firstprinciples calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We compared quality properties of tomatoes grown during five months using different climate control. [•] Climate control affected firmness maturity at harvest considerably. [•] Differences in sugar and acids levels (greenhouse type and growing season) were unlikely to affect taste. [•] Monthly variation in carbohydrate levels may cause variation in turgor generated firmness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to improve the advantages and the reliability of the second derivative method in tracking the position of extrema from experimental curves, we develop a novel analysis method based on the mathematical concept of curvature. We derive the formulas for the curvature in one and two dimensions and demonstrate their applicability to simulated and experimental angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy data. As compared to the second derivative, our new method improves the localization of the extrema and reduces the peak broadness for a better visualization on intensity image plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Case report.Objective:Report rapid neurological changes in a complete tetraplegic following a cell injection procedure.Setting:Beijing, China.Methods:ASIA/IMSOP neurological scale. Immunostaining of cell cultures. Cellular transplantation to effect functional restoration following spinal cord injury (SCI) has been hypothesized to cause improvements through axonal regeneration, increased plasticity, or axonal remyelination. Several human trials are in preliminary phases. We report a rapid improvement in motor and sensory functions in the segment adjacent to the level of complete SCI within days following cellular transplantation of cultured fetal olfactory bulb-derived cells. The patient was an 18-year-old C3 ASIA A complete tetraplegic 18 months post-injury who had been neurologically stable for more than 6 months.Results:Within 48 h of cell transplantation, the patient improved one ASIA motor grade in the left elbow flexors and began to show right wrist extensor function. Descent of the sensory level occurred within 4 days and then the rate of change slowed. He is now a C5 motor and C4 sensory complete tetraplegic. Cellular cultures prepared in the same facility showed viable human cells that labeled for nestin and GFAP.Conclusion:We hypothesize that improved transmission in intact fibers subserving the zone of partial preservation accounts for these early improvements. We emphasize the need for further independent analysis of the outcomes of this and other preliminary cell transplant studies.Spinal Cord (2006) 44, 135–142. doi:10.1038/sj.sc.3101820; published online 6 September 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human hereditary disorder Dent's disease is linked to loss-of-function mutations of the chloride channel ClC-5. Many of these mutations involve insertion of premature stop codons, resulting in truncation of the protein. We determined whether the functional activity of ClC-5 could be restored by coexpression of the truncated protein (containing the NH[sub 2]-terminal region) with its complementary "missing" COOH-terminal region. Split channel constructs for ClC-5, consisting of complementary N and C protein regions, were created at an arbitrary site in the COOH-terminal region (V655) and at four Dent's disease mutation sites (R347, Y617, R648, and R704). Coexpression of complementary fragments for the split channel at V655 produced currents with anion and pH sensitivity similar to those of wild-type ClC-5. Channel activity was similarly restored when complementary split channel constructs made for Dent's mutation R648 were coexpressed, but no ClC-5 currents were found when split channels for mutations R347, Y617, or R704 were coexpressed. Immunoblot and immunofluorescence studies of COS-7 cells revealed that N or C protein fragments could be transiently expressed and detected in the plasma membrane, even in split channels that failed to show functional activity. The results suggest that ClC-5 channel activity can be restored for specific Dent's mutations by expression of the missing portion of the ClC-5 molecule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propagating fingers of synclinic liquid crystalline phase were observed to invade the anticlinic phase for applied electric fields E larger than a characteristic threshold field E[sub th]. The front velocity was found to be highly non-linear in E, with enormous velocities of at least 10 cm s[sup -1], and perhaps as high as 400 cm s[sup -1] for the maximum applied field. These are by far the largest velocities ever observed for a liquid crystal. The results are discussed theoretically, including the possibilities of a field-dependent molecular interaction coefficient and shear thinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probing of the evolution of electronic structure in magnetic field is a key issue for the design and realization of manganite-based devices. Here, the shift of the maximum (or minimum) position in unusual magnetoresistance (MR) versus V curves of the heterojunctions composed of La1-xCaxMnO3 (LCMO, x=0.18 and 0.3) and 0.5 wt % Nb-doped SrTiO3 (SNTO) was used to investigate the change of band gaps of LCMO with magnetic field. Negative and positive MRs which depend on temperature, bias current (or voltage), and Ca concentration observed in these heterojunctions are directly determined by the band structure at the LCMO-SNTO interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the coexistence of Dirac nodal surfaces and nodal lines in the bulk electronic structures of ZrSiS through the use of angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). Topics discussed include the results showing that nodal lines constitute Fermi surfaces and are the only feature near the Fermi level, and thus proving ZrSiS quasiparticles are entirely contributed by Dirac fermions.

Aim: To compare the simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) and integrated slice-by-slice shimming (iShim) single-shot echo planar imaging (ssEPI) for diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the kidneys.Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, six healthy volunteers and 22 patients with renal diseases underwent SMS and iShim DWI of the kidney with five b-values (0, 80, 400, 800, 1,600 s/mm2) at 3 T. The subjective image quality, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and ADC values were evaluated. The subjective image quality scores, SNR, CNR, ADC values and scan time of SMS and iShim DWI were compared.Results: Scan time of SMS DWI (1 minute 38 seconds) was significantly reduced compared to iShim ssEPI (3 minutes 33 seconds). No statistically significant differences in the SNR or subjective image quality were observed on the b=0 images, but the SNR and overall image quality scores were significantly higher on the other four b-value images at SMS DWI. Image distortions were also comparable, but there were fewer artefacts on the b=80 and b=800 images in SMS DWI. CNR was significantly higher on the b=0 and b=1,600 images in SMS DWI. SNR and subjective image-quality scores of ADC maps were significantly higher in SMS DWI, whereas CNR showed no significant difference. The ADC value of renal parenchyma was similar in SMS and iShim DWI (1.54±0.11 × 10-3 versus 1.52±0.16×10-3 mm2/s, p=0.343).Conclusion: SMS can substantially reduce imaging time of kidney DWI with slightly improved image quality and comparable ADC values of renal parenchyma compared to iShim ss-EPI sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tri-band cross-coupling bandpass filter (BPF) with rectangular defected ground structure (DGS) array is proposed in this paper. Cross-coupling paths comprised of five resonators are employed to achieve general Chebyshev filtering frequency responses. Besides changing gaps among resonators, a novel rectangular DGS array is proposed to exactly meet coupling coefficients for specific demands for different passband in multi-band BPF. The centre frequency of the tri-band filter that is selected at 2.4, 3.4, 5.5 GHz are for LTE, Bluetooth, WiMAX and WLAN. The 3 dB bandwidth of the three passbands are 5, 3.23 and 3.45%, respectively, meanwhile, more transmission zeros are generated, leading to enhanced selectivity and high out of band isolation. The proposed tri-band filter is completed with a few simple calculations and several brief processes. Measured results of the fabricated filter demonstrate the theory prediction and proposed method well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a comprehensive angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy study of the electronic band structure of LaOFeAs single crystals. We found that samples cleaved at low temperature show an unstable and highly complicated band structure, whereas samples cleaved at high temperature exhibit a stable and clearer electronic structure. Using in situ surface doping with K and supported by first-principles calculations, we identify both surface and bulk bands. Our assignments are confirmed by the difference in the temperature dependence of the bulk and surface states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We design a monolayer film of FeSe on SrTiO3(110) substrate [FeSe/STO(110)], with a C2 symmetry induced by epitaxial strain. Compared to FeSe on SrTiO3(001) substrate [FeSe/STO(001)], one of the in-plane lattice constants is reduced by 6%, to ~3.67 Å. FeSe/STO(110) exhibits a large nearly isotropic superconducting gap of 16 meV filled around 60 K, similar to those obtained on FeSe/STO(001) films. Our results strongly suggest that the lattice C4 symmetry is not essential for reaching high Tc's in Fe-based superconductors and pose a new challenge to theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) and B cells present in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) are both implicated in the resolution of colitis. However, how the functions of these cells are coordinated remains elusive. We used the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model combined with gene-modified mice to monitor the progression of colitis, and simultaneously examine the number of Tregs and B cells, and the production of IgA antibodies. We found that DSS-treated mice exhibited more severe colitis in the absence of B cells, and that the adoptive transfer of B cells attenuated the disease. Moreover, the transfer of IL-10−/− B cells also attenuated colitis, suggesting that B cells inhibited colitis through an interleukin-10 (IL-10)-independent pathway. Furthermore, antibody depletion of Tregs resulted in exacerbated colitis. Intriguingly, the number of GALT Tregs in B cell-deficient mice was significantly decreased during colitis and the adoptive transfer of B cells into these mice restored the Treg numbers, indicating that B cells contribute to Treg homeostasis. We also found that B cells induced the proliferation of Tregs that in turn promoted B-cell differentiation into IgA-producing plasma cells. These results demonstrate that B cells and Tregs interact and cooperate to prevent excessive immune responses that can lead to colitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate, using first-principles calculations, that the electronic structure of FeSe1-xTex (x = 0.5) is topologically nontrivial and characterized by an odd Z2 invariant and Dirac cone type surface states, in sharp contrast to the end member FeSe (x = 0). This topological state is induced by the enhanced three-dimensionality and spin-orbit coupling due to Te substitution (compared to FeSe), and characterized by a band inversion at the Z point of the Brillouin zone, which is confirmed by our ARPES measurements. The results suggest that the surface of FeSe0.5Te0.5 may support a nontrivial superconducting channel in proximity to the bulk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1929, H. Weyl proposed that the massless solution of the Dirac equation represents a pair of a new type of particles, the so-called Weyl fermions. However, their existence in particle physics remains elusive after more than eight decades. Recently, significant advances in both topological insulators and topological semimetals have provided an alternative way to realize Weyl fermions in condensed matter, as an emergent phenomenon: when two non-degenerate bands in the three-dimensional momentum space cross in the vicinity of the Fermi energy (called Weyl nodes), the low-energy excitations behave exactly as Weyl fermions. Here we report the direct observation in TaAs of the long-sought-after Weyl nodes by performing bulk-sensitive soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. The projected locations at the nodes on the (001) surface match well to the Fermi arcs, providing undisputable experimental evidence for the existence of Weyl fermionic quasiparticles in TaAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining photoemission spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and first-principles calculations, we characterize superconducting TlNi2Se2 as a material with weak electronic Coulomb correlations leading to a bandwidth renormalization of 1.4. We identify a camelback-shaped band, whose energetic position strongly depends on the selenium height. While this feature is universal in transition metal pnictides, in TlNi2Se2 it lies in the immediate vicinity of the Fermi level, giving rise to a pronounced van Hove singularity. The resulting heavy band mass resolves the apparent puzzle of a large normal-state Sommerfeld coefficient [H. Wang et al., Phys. Rev. Lett 111, 207001 (2013)] in this weakly correlated compound. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]