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Foods that make up a typical diet are characterized by a rich set of sensory qualities that are perceived through multiple different modalities. It is well known that multisensory aspects of food are integrated to create our perception of flavor, which in turn affects our behavioral responses to food. However, the principles underlying multisensory integration of flavor-related sensory signals and how they inform perceptual judgments remain poorly understood, partly due to lack of control over flavor experience in human subjects. Here, we used rats as a model to overcome this limitation and tested the hypothesis that taste can enhance discriminability of retronasal odor cues. In a series of two-bottle tests, animals chose between two odorized solutions after learning to associate one of the odors with saccharin. When odors were highly similar, animals showed little preference for the saccharin-associated odor. When adding saccharin to both bottles—rendering one of the solutions' congruent—animals' preference for the saccharin-associated odor was significantly enhanced. No effect of taste was observed when using dissimilar odor pairs or novel taste stimuli. These findings suggest that congruent taste stimuli selectively enhance odor identity representations, aiding in the discriminability of perceptually similar flavors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how walking in occupational footwear (OF) affects slip outcome and slip recovery strategies in response to an unexpected slip. Participants walked along a walkway while either barefoot (BF; n = 13) or in OF (n = 12). The first five walking trials consisted of the no-slip condition, where a high friction sheet was placed halfway down the walkway to ensure a low probability of a slip. Prior to the sixth walking trial and without the participant's knowledge, the sheet was replaced with a low friction surface to induce an unexpected slip. Results obtained during the no-slip trials indicated that compared to the BF group, the OF group walked with a 15% smaller required coefficient of friction (p = 0.04), a 12° greater dorsiflexion at heel strike (p = 0.007) and a 7° more extended knee position at 100 ms following heel strike (p = 0.008). The OF group also demonstrated greater electromyographic (EMG) activity in the hamstrings of the stance limb and the gastrocnemius of the contralateral limb prior to and after heel strike. When the low friction surface was unexpectedly encountered, a slip was induced in both groups. But compared to the BF group, the OF group experienced a less severe slip, with the slip being 42% shorter (p = 0.004) and 75% slower (p < 0.001), and exhibited a 19–71% lesser EMG activation when responding to the slip. Although these results provide initial evidence for the benefits of wearing OF to minimise the consequence of a slip in the workplace, further research is needed to determine whether the altered walking patterns associated with wearing OF (e.g., greater dorsiflexion, reduced knee range of motion, etc.) may have contributed to the decrease in slip severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new strategy to distribute two different materials for multi-material topology optimization. Extended from the bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO) method for a single material, the multi-material bidirectional evolutionary structural optimization (MBESO) method has been developed, which can effectively handle the topology optimization problems involving two materials like steel and concrete. However, in some special cases, overloading of part of the compressed material occurs in the multi-material structures designed by using the MBESO method. Aimed to solve this critical problem, a simple but effective strategy is proposed in this paper. In steel-concrete composite structures, for instance, the overloaded compressed concrete elements with exceedingly high stress are replaced with steel material. The small amount of steel material added to the highly compressed region can effectively reduce the maximum compressive stress of the concrete material to a safe level. The comparison between the original MBESO method and the improved strategy based on a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional examples clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in enhancing the structural safety and strength of the topologically optimized composite structures. This distinctly different material distribution strategy shows its potential and value in multi-material topology optimization research and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When both inversion and time-reversal symmetries are broken, the critical current of a superconductor can be nonreciprocal. In this work, we show that, in certain classes of two-dimensional superconductors with antisymmetric spin-orbit coupling, Cooper pairs acquire a finite momentum upon the application of an in-plane magnetic field, and, as a result, critical currents in the direction parallel and antiparallel to the Cooper pair momentum become unequal. This supercurrent diode effect is also manifested in the polarity dependence of in-plane critical fields induced by a supercurrent. These nonreciprocal effects may be found in polar SrTiO3 film, few-layer MoTe2 in the Td phase, and twisted bilayer graphene in which the valley degree of freedom plays a role analogous to spin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we successfully synthesize Mn2O3 multishelled hollow nanospheres through simply oxidizing Mn-based metal-organic framework microspheres. The number of the shells reaches 4. Many cavities and nanograins are hidden underneath the shell. The multishelled hollow structure brings about a wide hierarchical mesopore size range, large pore volume (0.26 cm3 g−1) and high specific surface area (117.6 m2 g−1). The superior zinc-ion storage performance may be achieved. The reversible capacity reaches 453 mAh g−1 at current density of 0.1 A g−1. After 500 cycles at 1 A g−1, the discharge capacity of 152.8 mAh g−1 is still delivered. The discharge capacity at 1.5 A g−1 stabilizes at 107 mAh g−1. The zinc storage process is further studied through kinetics analyses. It is found that in the zinc storage process, ion diffusion process and capacitive process occur simultaneously, and the capacitive process is dominant. The excellent electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the multishelled hollow nanosphere structure of Mn2O3. This structure promotes contact of electrode materials/electrolyte, offers more active sites, facilitates infiltration of electrolyte, buffer volume change of Mn2O3, improving electrochemical activity, reaction kinetics and cycling performance of Mn2O3. Overall, Mn2O3 multishelled hollow nanosphere is an excellent cathode material for aqueous zinc-ion batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray continuum emission from AGNs originates from their coronae and accretion disks. When a black hole accretes the surrounding gas at the super-Eddington accretion rate, its disk becomes thick enough to shadow the corona and the inner part of itself. In this paper, we study the flux and polarization properties of the X-ray emission from the geometrically thick and optically thick disks. It is found that at the high inclination, the shadowing effect makes the corona invisible and the X-ray emission faint, but the polarization degree (PD) of the X-ray emission becomes large significantly. Therefore, the polarization properties of the X-ray emission can be used to identify the existence of the invisible coronae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, 3D honeycomb hierarchical porous network scaffold carbon is synthesized by a unique PVP-SiO2-boiling method with the boiling bubbles as soft template and SiO2 nanospheres as hard template. Then MnO2 nanosheets intimately grow on the carbon matrix and are further decomposed to Mn3O4 nanocrystalline with size of 7–9 nm. The obtained Mn3O4 nanocrystalline@3D honeycomb hierarchical porous network scaffold carbon has abundant mesopores and large specific surface area (92 m2 g−1). When used as a cathode material for zinc-ion batteries, the synthesized composites exhibit high reversible capacity (546.2 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1), remarkable cycling stability (discharge capacity of 97.8 mAh g−1 at 3 A g−1 after 600 cycles) and superior rate capability (15.7 mAh g−1 at 10 A g−1). The kinetics analyses indicate zinc storage mechanism includes diffusion process and capacitive process of Zn2+ and H+ ions, and the capacitive storage is dominant. The outstanding zinc storage performance benefits from the structural advantages. The unique carbon matrix improves electronic conductivity of Mn3O4, facilitates penetration of electrolyte, and well supports Mn3O4 nanocrystalline. The small size and large specific surface area of Mn3O4 nanocrystalline induce significant capacitive storage effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of continuum model, we study the projective representation of emergent D6 point group in twisted bilayer graphene. We then construct tight-binding models of the lowest bands without and with external electromagnetic fields, based on the projective representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate-like C@TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres have been synthesized through two simple steps: formation of TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres and the coating of polypyrrole followed by carbonization. TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres are of large specific surface area of 153 m2 g−1 and contain abundant mesopores, which leads to high electrochemical activity and good kinetic performance of TiO2. A layer of amorphous carbon shell with the thickness of 30–40 nm tightly encapsulates a TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb sphere, forming a novel pomegranate-like small sphere, which significantly improves electronic conductivity and structural stability of TiO2. Benefiting from the unique pomegranate-like structure, C@TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres exhibit high specific capacity, stable long-term cycling performance and good rate capability as an anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). After 500 cycles at 1 C, the discharge capacity still reaches 184 mAh g−1. The electrochemical performance is superior to pure TiO2 mesoporous honeycomb spheres and most of the reported high-performance TiO2-based composites. This work provides a new high-performance TiO2-carbon-based composite material for LIBs as well as a new valuable research strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low electronic conductivity and large volume variation result in inferior lithium storage performance of ZnO. To overcome these shortcomings of ZnO, herein ZnO nanoparticles are encapsulated in resorcinol–formaldehyde resin-derived hard carbon and then further assembled into a 3-dimensional mesoporous framework structure using a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-derived soft carbon network. The synthesis methods include the polymerization of resorcinol–formaldehyde resin and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-boiling method. ZnO@dual carbon has af large specific surface area (153.7 m2 g−1) and high porosity. It exhibits excellent cycling performance and high rate capability. After 350 cycles at 500 mA g−1, the ZnO@dual carbon still delivers a discharge capacity of 701 mAh g−1 while the actual discharge capacity of ZnO reaches 950.9 mAh g−1. At 2 A g−1, ZnO@dual carbon delivers the average discharge capacity of 469.6 mAh g−1. The electrochemical performance of ZnO@dual carbon is remarkably superior to those of ZnO@single carbon, pure carbon and pure ZnO nanoparticles, demonstrating the superiority of the dual carbon-assembly structure. This composite structure greatly improves the structural stability of ZnO, enhances its electron conductivity and overall electron transport capacity; which facilitates electrolyte penetration and Li ion diffusion, leading to improved cycling stability and good rate capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the structural, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties of Ge-doped Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Pd 1 − x Ge x (x = 0.1, 0.2) compounds. Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction shows that all the investigated samples are single phase and crystallize in a tetragonal Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Si -type structure with the space group I 4 /mcm. The magnetic properties of the intermetallic Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Pd 1 − x Ge x compounds have been investigated by the physical property measurement system (PPMS). The magnetic transition temperatures (T tr ) from the ferromagnetic (FM) to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) states are determined to be 123 and 111 K for x = 0.1, 0.2, respectively, which shifted to lower temperatures compared with the Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Pd compound. For a field change of 5 T, the peak values of | Δ S M | for the Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Pd 0. 9 Ge 0. 1 and Nd 6 Fe 1 3 Pd 0. 8 Ge 0. 2 compounds are estimated to be 3.73 and 1. 9 2 J kg − 1 K − 1 with the corresponding refrigeration capability (RC) values of 271.7 and 1 8 4. 5 J kg − 1 , respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a novel Lagrangian–Eulerian numerical scheme to model the dynamics of dense hard-disk suspensions with many-body hydrodynamic interactions in an incompressible Newtonian solvent. A simple derivation of analytical solution of lubrication force between disks is given. Reasonable agreement of viscosity calculated by lattice–gas cellular automata and our method is obtained, despite the lack of Brownian forces in our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monte Carlo simulations of self-avoiding walks with nearest-neighbor attractions have been performed on a diamond lattice for n≤210, where n is the number of steps. The data are compared with the scaling analysis of Daoud and Jannink and de Gennes, and, as found by previous simulation studies, a crossover exponent greater than the theoretical value is required for a good fit in the good solvent regime, though the theory works much better on the poor solvent side. For good solvent conditions it was found that the results do not accord too well with two-parameter theory, and the theoretical expression of Muthukumur and Nickel fit the data rather poorly. The Domb–Barrett interpolation formulas fit somewhat better. This lends weight to the view that lattice corrections to two-parameter theory are important. Finally the results are compared with a self-consistent field theory over the whole range of solvent conditions. Provided an n-dependent excluded volume parameter was used, fair agreement for many properties could be obtained for both good and poor solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The two stars of stellar binaries can be tidally disrupted by supermassive black holes (SMBHs) or supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) in sequence. In this contribution, we review our recent study about double tidal disruption events (DTDEs) with SMBHBs. With the help of scattering experiments, we find that the time interval between two successive tidal disruption events (TDEs) depend on the semimajor axis of incident stellar binaries. For stellar binaries with 1 M⊙ for each companion star and a semimajor axis less than 100 au, the maximum time interval is about 150 days when the stellar binary is tidally disrupted by an SMBH. However, for an SMBHB, the time intervals can be very large, and the maximum can exceed 10,000 years. Moreover, we also compare the probabilities of a DTDE with the time interval larger than 150 days by the SMBHB and of two separate TDEs by the SMBH with the same time interval. We find that, for the time interval of 150 days to 15 years, the probability of DTDEs by the SMBHB with a large mass ratio (i.e., qbhb ≳ 0.1) is larger than that of the SMBH scenario. Finally, according to our results, we suggest that DTDEs with the time interval of 150 days to 15 years could be useful tools for finding SMBHB candidates with the mass ratio qbhb ≳ 0.1 at galactic centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most studies on composites assume that the constituent phases have different values of stiffness. Little attention has been paid to the effect of constituent phases having distinct Poisson's ratios. This research focuses on a concurrent optimization method for simultaneously designing composite structures and materials with distinct Poisson's ratios. The proposed method aims to minimize the mean compliance of the macrostructure with a given mass of base materials. In contrast to the traditional interpolation of the stiffness matrix through numerical results, an interpolation scheme of the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio using different parameters is adopted. The numerical results demonstrate that the Poisson effect plays a key role in reducing the mean compliance of the final design. An important contribution of the present study is that the proposed concurrent optimization method can automatically distribute base materials with distinct Poisson's ratios between the macrostructural and microstructural levels under a single constraint of the total mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new fine beam model of vector form intrinsic finite element is proposed to conduct elastoplastic analysis of beams with different depth–span ratios. Vector form intrinsic finite element is a new structural analysis method to compute large deformation, collision, and fracture problems. The presented fine beam model is different from Euler beam or Timoshenko beam. The coupled effects of multifactor are considered in this new model, such as shear deformation, additional axial displacement induced by additional rotation of cross section, and additional transverse displacements considering bending stiffness reduction due to shear deformation. Applying to vector form intrinsic finite element analysis, the formula of strain and internal force of this new beam model is derived. The plane cross-sectional assumption is also modified when the material is at plastic stage. Using the proposed model, computer programs are developed by Fortran. Comparison between the computational results by present method and numerical or experimental results in the literature shows that the present fine beam model of vector form intrinsic finite element is more efficient and accurate when the analyzed beam has a large depth–span ratio and material is at plastic stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graves' disease ( GD) is a complex autoimmune disorder in which genetic and environmental factors are both involved in the pathogenesis. Early-onset patients have a shorter exposure time to environmental factors and are, therefore, good models to help understand the genetic architecture of GD. Based on previous studies of early-onset GD, 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) and their related SNPs ( R2 > .6), SNPs located within a ±1-Mb region of the FOXP3 gene, and 20 validated GD-risk SNPs were selected and screened for genotyping in 3735 GD and 4893 control patients to investigate whether early-onset GD is a subtype of GD with distinct susceptibility genes. Ultimately, we did not confirm the reported genetic markers of early-onset GD in our Chinese Han population but found that a GD-risk SNP located in the human leukocyte antigen class I region-rs4947296-was more strongly correlated with early-onset GD than non-early-onset GD. In addition, heterogeneity analysis of GD patients suggests that it may be more reasonable to define early-onset GD as an onset age ≤20 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiCo2S4@PPy core–shell nanotube arrays have been successfully prepared through three facile steps: solvothermal synthesis, solvothermal sulphurisation and subsequentin situelectropolymerisation of polypyrrole (PPy). Their structure and morphology were studied by XRD, FTIR, SEM and TEM. The results suggest that a thin layer of PPy with 8 nm in thickness is wrapped on the surface of NiCo2S4nanotubes. The coating PPy strong promotes pseudo-capacitance reaction of NiCo2S4nanotube arrays. NiCo2S4@PPy shows lower charge plateau and IR drop, higher discharge plateau and Coulombic efficiency. Rate performance is improved remarkably. Average specific capacitance at 24 mA cm−2is even two times that of the uncoated NiCo2S4. The galvanostatic cycling tests at 4 mA cm−2indicate NiCo2S4@PPy exhibit the highest specific capacitance of 1524 F g−1and improved capacitance retention to 78.5% after 3000 cycles. The corresponding values of the uncoated NiCo2S4nanotube arrays are only 1410 F g−1and 22%. The improved electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to unique core–shell nanotube array structure and the key assistant effect of the coating PPy which remarkably improves the conductive property of NiCo2S4long nanotubes and effectively enhances structure stability and cycling stability of NiCo2S4nanotubes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The annealed In2Te5 films were prepared by the magnetron sputtering method and thermal treatment with thickness from 44 nm to 369 nm. The XRD results reveal that all the films were polycrystalline with preferred orientation in (002) and (-131) plane. The transmittance exhibits high in near-infrared region. The absorption edge of the films shifts toward longer wavelength with the thickness increase. A Spectroscopic Ellipsometer was employed to measure the optical constants of the sample films. In the meantime, the nonlinear optical characterization of the films was studied by the open-aperture Z-scan technique. The change from SA into RSA as the film thickness increases which should be related with the unsaturated defects decreases and the free carrier absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Li+ ions were introduced into a hydrothermal system as surfactants to tailor the growth of perovskite tetragonal PbTiO3 (PT) nanocrystals, giving rise to single-crystal octahedrons with {111} facets exposed. Systematic investigations reveal that single-crystal PT octahedrons were formed via a three-dimensional (3D) aggregation growth process. In the initial stage, the intermediate phase primary nanoparticles, with a size of 2–5 nm, aggregated to form an octahedral shaped particle agglomeration with a size of 20–50 nm; then, the particle crystallized via an oriented attachment (OA) mechanism, resulting in the observed single-crystal PT octahedrons. During this process, the interplay of Li+ ions and the electrostatic force of the primary nanoparticles are essential for octahedral aggregation and subsequent crystallization. Moreover, the concentration of Li+ ions has been demonstrated to significantly modify the growth of PT, leading to nanostructures with various shapes from hexahedral particles to cubic conglomerates to cuboids. These nanostructures demonstrate shape-dependent visible light photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rubber tree ( Hevea brasiliensis) is an important tropical crop with a high economic value that has been successfully cultivated in Xishuangbanna, China. Xishuangbanna has a long dry season (November-February) with cold nights and frequent fog events. Thus, it is important to select chilling-tolerant cultivars in order to understand better the role of fog in protecting rubber tree from chilling-induced photodamage. In this study, we examined the photosynthetic responses of six rubber tree cultivars (Lan 873, Yunyan 77-2, Yunyan 77-4, GT1, Reken 523, and Reyan 733-97) to night-chilling stress (0, 5, and 10°C) and two different irradiances (100 and 50% of full sunlight). Our results showed that all six cultivars could withstand nights at 10°C for three days, while night chilling at 0 and 5°C impaired photosynthesis, which was indicated by photoinhibition, decrease of soluble protein content, and accumulation of malondialdehyde. Reken 523 and Reyan 733-97 were more sensitive to night chilling than other cultivars. Low irradiance (50% of full sunlight) after the chilling treatment apparently mitigated the effect of night-chilling stress. It indicates that frequent fog events after cold nights might greatly contribute to the success of rubber tree cultivation in Xishuangbanna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel method for topology optimization with more than two materials is proposed. • The optimized multi-material structures show excellent structural performance and cost reduction. • Three-material sandwich structures are topologically optimized using the proposed method. A novel method is proposed to optimize the topology of composite structures made of more than two materials with different mechanical properties in tension and compression. In this method, the design domain of the structure is divided into tensile and compressive regions according to the first invariant of the stress tensor. Then two groups of materials suitable for tension and compression are arranged in the tensile and compressive regions of the structure, respectively. Using a bridge-type beam with a concentrated force as an example, the study of the four-material topologically optimized structures reveals the effects of the volume fractions and material mechanical properties on the optimization results. Further, the three-material topology optimization method, which is derived from the four-material topology optimization method, is used to design a series of novel sandwich structures. Application examples demonstrate that the proposed method can achieve a balance between enhancing structural stiffness and saving material costs, providing solutions competitive in various aspects and exploiting the performance and potential of different materials better than previous single- or dual-material topology optimization methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This meta-analysis revealed that bisphosphonates could not provide a better clinical outcome in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) when compared with placebo. Introduction: Bisphosphonates have been recommended to treat ONFH. However, the exact clinical outcomes after treatment are still controversial. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases was undertaken, and only randomized control trials were included. The clinical outcomes consisted of progression to collapse, total hip arthroplasty (THA) incidence, and improvement of Harris hip score (HHS). The heterogeneities between the trials were assessed with the I statistic, and random effects models were used for the meta-analysis. Results: Five eligible trials were identified involving 329 subjects with 920.9 patient-years of follow-up. The clinical outcomes of patients with ONFH was not significantly improved by bisphosphonate therapy (progression to collapse: risk ratio = 0.71 (0.41, 1.24), p = 0.23; THA incidence: risk ratio = 0.61 (0.33, 1.15), p = 0.13; HHS improvement: mean difference = 3.26 (−5.12, 11.64), p = 0.45). The I statistic showed the existence of considerable heterogeneity (all I ≥ 50 %), which was explained by one trial where bisphosphonate alone was used with no additional therapy. However, when this trial was excluded, the clinical outcomes after bisphosphonate therapy were still not significantly improved compared with placebo. Conclusions: The current analysis does not support the use of bisphosphonates for ONFH. As potential serious adverse effects are associated with these drugs, only limited use can be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the different compositions of Al2O3 ceramics and Al2O3-SiC composite ceramics, studying the effects of ceramic compositions on the surface morphology of laser direct etching, and discussing the impacts of the complex etching of water jet and laser on Al2O3 ceramics and Al2O3-SiC composite ceramics. The results show that: In the process of laser etching, Al2O3 ceramics melt evenly because of the high purity, but for Al2O3-SiC composite ceramics, Al2O3 achieves the melt firstly, SiC is difficult to decompose because of the high decomposing temperature, so it is observed that the powdered SiC without decomposing covers the surface of groove in the SEM; In the process of the composite etching of water jet and laser, water jet can wash a lot of slag covered on the surface of groove and improve the surface morphology of laser etching significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total glucoside of paeony(TGP), extracted from the root ofPaeonia Lactiflora, has been known to show anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, hepato-protective and immuno-regulatory activities. The aim of this present study was to determine the anti-tumor effect of TGP against N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats, and to find the related mechanisms. Rat HCC model was established by intragastrically administrating with DEN (8 mg/kg). We found the number of tumor nodules and the index of liver and spleen were increased in the model group compared with the normal group, and was significantly decreased by TGP. Additionally, TGP obviously improved the hepatic pathological lesions induced by DEN, and decreased the elevated levels of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) by DEN. Moreover, TGP decreased the level of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and the proportion of IL-10-producing regulatory B cells (Bregs), and the decrease of BAFF by TGP is positively correlated to the decrease of IL-10-producing Bregs by TGP. These results suggest that TGP had a good therapeutic action on DEN-induced HCC rats, which might be due to its down-regulation of Bregs through reducing the level of BAFF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The upper critical field Hc2 anisotropy of Ca10(PtnAs8)(Fe2-xPtxAs2)5 (n=3, 4) single crystals with long FeAs interlayer distance (d) was studied by angular dependent resistivity measurements. A scaling of the angular dependent resistivity was realized for both single crystals using the anisotropic Ginzburg-Landau (AGL) approach with an appropriate anisotropy parameter γ. The AGL scaling parameter γ increases with decreasing temperature and reaches a value of about 10 at 0.8Tc for both single crystals. These values are much larger than those of other iron-based superconductors (FeSCs). Remarkably, the values of γ² show an almost linear increase with the FeAs/FeSe interlayer distance d for FeSCs. Compared to cuprates, FeSCs are less anisotropic, indicating that two dimensionality of the superconductivity is intrinsically weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deficient (d) DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is a biomarker predictive of better response to PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in solid tumors. dMMR can be caused by mutations in MMR genes or by protein inactivation, which can be detected by sequencing and immunohistochemistry, respectively. To investigate the role of dMMR in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), MMR gene mutations and expression of MSH6, MSH2, MLH1, and PMS2 proteins were evaluated by targeted next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry in a large cohort of DLBCL patients treated with standard chemoimmunotherapy, and correlated with the tumor immune microenvironment characteristics quantified by fluorescent multiplex immunohistochemistry and gene-expression profiling. The results showed that genetic dMMR was infrequent in DLBCL and was significantly associated with increased cancer gene mutations and favorable immune microenvironment, but not prognostic impact. Phenotypic dMMR was also infrequent, and MMR proteins were commonly expressed in DLBCL. However, intratumor heterogeneity existed, and increased DLBCL cells with phenotypic dMMR correlated with significantly increased T cells and PD-1+ T cells, higher average nearest neighbor distance between T cells and PAX5+ cells, upregulated immune gene signatures, LE4 and LE7 ecotypes and their underlying Ecotyper-defined cell states, suggesting the possibility that increased T cells targeted only tumor cell subsets with dMMR. Only in patients with MYC¯ DLBCL, high MSH6/PMS2 expression showed significant adverse prognostic effects. This study shows the immunologic and prognostic effects of genetic/phenotypic dMMR in DLBCL, and raises a question on whether DLBCL-infiltrating PD-1+ T cells target only tumor subclones, relevant for the efficacy of PD-1 blockade immunotherapy in DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a simple approach for force finding analysis of suspended-domes based on the superposition principle. First, the feasibility of the superposition principle in a suspended-dome during tension is validated using an experimental model and the corresponding numerical model. Following that, a simplified computational method for force finding based on the superposition principle is presented. Taking a suspended-dome as an illustrative example, the initial strain at zero state is calculated by force finding, and the difference between the simplified computational method and the iterative method is investigated. The results show that the superposition principle is nearly feasible during tension and the proposed simple approach is accurate and can easily obtain the actual initial pre-stress of a suspended-dome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) has attracted much interest in recent years due to its potential applications in a new generation of electronic devices. Recently, it was shown that thin films of MoS2 can become superconducting with a highest Tc of 10 K when the material is heavily gated to the conducting regime. In this work, using the group theoretical approach, we determine the possible pairing symmetries of heavily gated MoS2. Depending on the electron-electron interactions and Rashba spin-orbit coupling, the material can support an exotic spin-singlet p+ip-wavelike, an exotic spin-triplet s-wavelike, and a conventional spin-triplet p-wave pairing phase. Importantly, the exotic spin-singlet p+ip-wave phase is a topological superconducting phase that breaks time-reversal symmetry spontaneously and possesses nonzero Chern numbers where the Chern number determines the number of branches of chiral Majorana edge states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the effect of thinning of overstorey trees and planting of native trees will be helpful to better understand the vegetation restoration. A stand conversion experiment was conducted in a 12-year-old Acacia auriculiformis plantation in 1996. Treatments were thinning and underplanting, underplanting, thinning, and control. Results showed that thinning enhanced the establishment and growth of underplanted and regenerated native seedlings. The thinning and underplanting treatment reduced soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, soil bulk density and soil water content but increased soil phosphorus and potassium contents. The establishment and growth of underplanted native species depended on their responses to light and soil resources. Thinning increased recolonisation by native species. Since some of the underplanted native trees grow rapidly, the regenerating canopy cover can become dense after thinning, and the density of the new canopy inhibits regeneration of other native tree species. Therefore, moderate thinning should be periodically performed as part of the long-term management of plantation and different thinning intensities can be used to increase spatial variability in the overstorey. The shade tolerance of native species was the most important characteristic in determining the response of the native trees to the treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Dual active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at kpc scales that originated from galaxy mergers have been found, but the dynamics of the mergers are insufficiently understood, especially the relevant observational consequences. We present evolutionary models of dual AGNs in two cases driven by different friction laws with their surroundings, which are characterized by forces with F∝ V* and . The evolutionary behaviours show that there is a minimum time-scale of ∼108 yr to accomplish a merger. Since the total friction and moment acting on dual AGNs with unequal masses do not vanish, the centre of mass moves with a velocity of Vc∼ a few ten km s−1 and makes an offset of Δ S∼ sub-kpc of the merged AGNs with respect to the centre of their host galaxies. The relative motion of the two cores along the line joining the centre of mass is of VR∼ a few ten km s−1, which determines the merger time-scales. Dissipation of the orbital kinetic energy of dual AGNs either enhances stellar velocity dispersion or heats up the interstellar medium in its revirialization to form a soft X-ray cocoon enshrouding them with a typical luminosity of ∼1042 erg s−1. We predict that galaxies with offset AGNs are likely to host binary supermassive black holes at sub-kpc scales, shedding light on searching candidates from AGNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, Green's functions for unbounded elastic domain in a functionally graded material with a quadratic variation of elastic moduli and constant Poisson's ratio of 0.25 are derived for both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cases. The displacement fields caused by a point force are derived using the logarithmic potential and the Kelvin solution for 2D and 3D cases, respectively. For a circular (2D) or spherical (3D) bounded domain, analytical solutions are provided by superposing the above solutions and corresponding elastic general solutions. This closed form solution is valuable for elastic analysis with material stiffness variations caused by temperature, moisture, aging effect, or material composition, and it can be used to perform early stage verification of more complex models of functionally graded materials. Comparison of theoretical solution and finite element method results demonstrates the application and accuracy of this solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Thin films of anatase TiO2 nanotube arrays (TiO2 NTs) were prepared in this study. Pt and Ag were coated on the TiO2 NTs films, which intend to increase the photocatalytic activity under ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) irradiation. The phase and structure of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Photocatalytic activity was tested by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and showed that UV-vis light absorption of the films was remarkably improved by coated Ag and Pt by 72% and 183% respectively. The photocatalytic activities of the films towards degraded methyl orange and HCHO were compared and were all found to follow the sequence Pt/TiO2 NTs>Ag/TiO2 NTs>TiO2 NTs. It was also found that the kinetics of HCHO photocatalytic degradation by the films fits the first order reaction model better and has higher efficiency than that of the methyl orange photocatalytic degradation by the same films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow of polymer solutions in microfluidic devices is inherently three-dimensional, especially in the non-linear flow regime, and often results in flow phenomena that might not even be encountered in macro-devices. Using a multi-mode Phan-Thien–Tanner model, three-dimensional (3-D) simulations of a semi-dilute polyethylene oxide (PEO) solution through 8:1 planar contraction micro-channels with various depths have been carried out to systematically study the effect of the aspect ratio on the flow fields. Vortex dynamics in the upstream flow section and excess pressure drop are quantified in detail. A transition from a salient-corner vortex mechanism to a lip vortex mechanism is observed as the aspect ratio is varied from 1 to 1/4, which corresponds to the elasticity numbers El = 36.3 to 48.3. The numerical results show that varying the aspect ratio of microfluidic channels has similar effects to varying other parameters, such as fluid properties, which influence the elasticity number. Thus, our results support the view that vortex growth mechanism is determined by the elasticity number, which is fixed for a given fluid and geometry. The principle is of significance to the design of new microfluidic chips for a wide range of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous numerical and experimental evidence suggest that shear banding behavior looks like first-order phase transitions. In this paper, we demonstrate that this correspondence is actually established in the so-called non-local diffusive Johnson-Segalman model (the DJS model), a typical mechanical constitutive model that has been widely used for describing shear banding phenomena. In the neighborhood of the critical point, we apply the reduction procedure based on the center manifold theory to the governing equations of the DJS model. As a result, we obtain a time evolution equation of the flow field that is equivalent to the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equations for modeling thermodynamic first-order phase transitions. This result, for the first time, provides a mathematical proof that there is an analogy between the mechanical instability and thermodynamic phase transition at least in the vicinity of the critical point of the shear banding of DJS model. Within this framework, we can clearly distinguish the metastable branch in the stress-strain rate curve around the shear banding region from the globally stable branch. A simple extension of this analysis to a class of more general constitutive models is also discussed. Numerical simulations for the original DJS model and the reduced TDGL equation is performed to confirm the range of validity of our reduction theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The immune processes involved in the development of alloantibodies against the human platelet antigens in alloimmune disorders remain unclear. Antibody recognition of the platelet antigens on their respective platelet glycoproteins has been shown to be dependent on glycoprotein conformation. Furthermore, the post-translational modification of glycoproteins adds complexity to the alloantigenic determinants. Methods Nine anti-HPA-3a sera along with several control sera were tested for reactivity to an 11-mer peptide straddling the HPA-3a/b polymorphism. Sera found to specifically recognize the 3a peptide were further assessed by platelet pre-exposure and immunoblotting. Results Three of the nine antisera were found to specifically recognize an 11-mer synthetic 3a peptide by ELISA. Further analysis of all anti-HPA-3a sera by Western blot showed that only those reactive to the 3a peptide were able to bind both reduced and non-reduced GPIIb. Conclusion The results presented in this study provide the first known evidence for the identification of an antibody population capable of recognizing a linear and non-glycosylated form of the HPA-3a epitope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproduction is a complex trait, controlled by genetic and environmental factors. Genetic improvement of this trait is important for animal breeders to improve the animal's production efficiency. Apart from genetic factors, animal production can be affected by environmental factors, i.e. the nursing ability of the sow, which is in turn affected directly by effective teat number (teats producing milk normally, TN) and number of piglets born alive (NBA). The objective of this study was to find new mutations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Zona Pellucida glycoprotein gene ( ZP3) using Single Strand Chain Polymorphism (SSCP) and nucleotide sequencing and to investigate association between genetic variations and sow reproductive traits. We identified 13 new SNPs from exon 1, two new SNPs from intron 2, one SNP from intron 6 and a 18 bp (GCACGTGGTCCTCCTGG)-deletion/insertion from intron 2 of the ZP3 gene. Five out of these mutations were selected to genotype in five different breeds (Small Meishan, Qingping, Duroc, Landrace and Large White) and association with reproductive traits in European breeds (Duroc, Landrace and Large White). The sows with genotype AA had more 1.11 piglets NBA than of the sows with genotype AB (p < 0.05) in the 18 bp deletion/insertion of intron 2, while non-significant associations between the other mutations and reproductive traits (NBA and TN) were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a devastating viral pathogen of cultured shrimp worldwide. Previous studies have shown that the intact virion consists of at least 39 structural proteins and, among them, six were identified as envelope proteins involved in the virus infection. In this paper, the structural proteins VP36A, VP36B and VP31 (J Virol 2004; 78: 11360–11370), containing the RGD motif, were expressed in Escherichia coli and used to produce specific antibodies. Western blot confirmed that VP36A is a newly reported envelope protein. A neutralization assay with these three antibodies demonstrated that VP36A, VP36B and VP31 could significantly delay the initial infection of crayfish, but mortality still reached 100% at day 11 post-injection. However, a neutralization assay with the combination of antibodies against different envelope proteins showed that a combination of VP36B and VP31 antibodies could strongly inhibit WSSV infection in crayfish. These results revealed that multiple envelope proteins are involved in WSSV infection in crayfish and that VP36B and VP31 play a key role during this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amino acid residues 90–120 of the prion protein (PrP) are likely to be critical for the conversion of PrPc to PrPsc in the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. We raised 10 monoclonal antibodies against the 90–120 amino acid region, mapped the epitope specificity of these anti-PrP antibodies, and investigated the expression of epitopes recognized by the antibodies in both PrPc and PrPsc. Four out of five of the anti-PrP antibodies raised in a prion knockout mouse immunized with the linear peptide of PrP90–120 could detect PrPsc in ‘native’ and denatured forms and PrPc in normal cells, as well as recognize epitopes within PrP93–112 residues. In contrast, the other six anti-PrP reagents, including five raised from the two knockout mice immunized with conformationally modified PrP90–120 peptide, could detect PrPc and recognize epitopes within PrP93–107 residues. Four of these reagents could also detect denatured PrPsc on western blots but not PrPsc plaques in brain tissue. The results indicate that residues PrP93–102 are exposed in PrPc but are buried upon conversion to the PrPsc isoform. Furthermore, PrP103–107 residues are partially buried in PrPsc while only the PrP107–112 epitope remains exposed, suggesting that the region PrP93–112 undergoes conformational changes during its conversion to PrPsc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymorphisms of human Fc γ-receptor IIA ( FcγRIIA) and mannose-binding lectin ( MBL) genes have been associated with susceptibility to or severity of some infectious diseases. In order to investigate whether these genetic factors might influence susceptibility to infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-Cov) as well as the course and severity of the infection, we evaluated polymorphisms of FcγRIIA and MBL genes in DNA samples from a group of approximately 180 people from Hong Kong who were infected with SARS-Cov. These included 132 patients who had moderate course of SARS infection (home subgroup), 26 patients with a severe course requiring treatment in an intensive care ward (ICU subgroup) and a subgroup of 22 patients who died from SARS (deceased subgroup). A total of 200 normal blood donors from the same region were used as controls. A significant association was found between the FcγRIIA-R/R131 genotype and a severe course of SARS, with higher frequency of homozygosity for FcγRIIA-R/R131 in the ICU subgroup of SARS patients when compared with controls ( P = 0.03; odds ratio: 3.2; 95% confidence interval: 1.1–9.1). In comparison with controls, a significant difference in linear trend distribution of FcγRIIA genotypes was seen among the severe SARS patients (ICU and deceased subgroups) without co-morbidity, and the incidence of FcγRIIA-H/H131 was lower in these patients as well. There were no significant differences in MBL genotypes and allele frequencies among SARS patients and controls. The study reveals that in addition to age and co-morbidity, FcγRIIA polymorphism of individuals may also influence outcome after infection with the SARS-Cov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mu DNA transposition proceeds through a series of higher-order nucleoprotein complexes called transpososomes. The structural core of the transpososome is a tetramer of the transposase, Mu A, bound to the two transposon ends. High-resolution structural analysis of the intact transposase and the transpososome has not been successful to date. Here we report the structure of Mu A at 16-Å and the Type 1 transpososome at 34-Å resolution, by 3D reconstruction of images obtained by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) at cryo-temperatures. Electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI) of the DNA-phosphorus was performed in conjunction with the structural investigation to derive the path of the DNA through the transpososome and to define the DNA-binding surface in the transposase. Our model of the transpososome fits well with the accumulated biochemical literature for this intricate transposition system, and lays a structural foundation for biochemical function, including catalysis in trans and the complex circuit of macromolecular interactions underlying Mu DNA transposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low muscle mass is associated with numerous adverse outcomes independent of other associated comorbid diseases. We aimed to predict and understand an individual's risk for developing low muscle mass using proteomics and machine learning. We identified eight biomarkers associated with low pectoralis muscle area (PMA). We built three random forest classification models that used either clinical measures, feature selected biomarkers, or both to predict development of low PMA. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each model was: clinical-only = 0.646, biomarker-only = 0.740, and combined = 0.744. We displayed the heterogenetic nature of an individual's risk for developing low PMA and identified two distinct subtypes of participants who developed low PMA. While additional validation is required, our methods for identifying and understanding individual and group risk for low muscle mass could be used to enable developments in the personalized prevention of low muscle mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of natural ventilation potential for effective sustainable options and innovative green building design strategies is of great interest to architects, researchers and governments. From a retrospective review, we found that the potential evaluation of natural ventilation (NV) cooling effectiveness in the same category based on similar meteorological uncertainty, research objectives and objects showed significant differences. Uncertainties added and uncertainty propagation (both model form uncertainties and parameter uncertainties) could result in large discrepancies between simulation outcomes and real scenarios, especially in the design performance modeling (DPM) phase. In this conceptual design stage, a few parameters are available and therefore decisive. It is necessary to review and identify the key performance indicators and explore the extent to which deviations are caused by inconsistencies or biases in model information. As a basis for more concrete research, we propose statistical tests based on quantitative evaluations to explore the rule of natural ventilation potential volatility and identify whether there is a significant potential improvement resulting from the critical parameter enhancement with the optimal relationship. The showcase is applied in China, where there has been a significant amount of criticism regarding the current building climate zoning due to the perceived coarseness of the system and where there has been an active exploration into the possibility of redefining building climate zoning with a view toward improving its accuracy and effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing exergy transfer process of the low temperature heat exchangers operating below the surrounding temperature, the concept of exergy transfer coefficient is put forward and the expressions which involving relevant variables for the exergy transfer coefficient, the heat transfer units number and the ratio of cold to hot fluids heat capacity rate, etc. are derived. Taking the parallel flow, counter flow and cross flow low temperature heat exchangers as examples, the numerical results of exergy transfer coefficient are given and the comparison of exergy transfer coefficient with heat transfer coefficient is analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the epidemiology of primary bacterial meningitis in North East Thames, England. Introduction of vaccine for Hemophilus influenza type B; Impact of the immunization program on the occurrence of the disease; Identification of pathogens responsible for the disease. INSET: Epidemiological implications.

In monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), electrons in opposite K valleys are subject to opposite effective Zeeman fields, which are referred to as Ising spin-orbit coupling (SOC) fields. The Ising SOC, originating from in-plane mirror symmetry breaking, pins the electron spins to the out-of-plane directions, and results in Ising superconducting states with strongly enhanced upper critical fields. Here, we show that the Ising SOC generates equal-spin-triplet Cooper pairs with spin polarized in the in-plane directions. Importantly, the spin-triplet Cooper pairs can induce superconducting pairings in a half-metal wire placed on top of the TMD and result in a topological superconductor with Majorana end states. Direct ways to detect equal-spin triplet Cooper pairs and the differences between Ising superconductors and Rashba superconductors are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has led to drastic land-use/cover changes (LUCCs) and urban heat islands (UHIs), negatively altering the urban climate and air quality. LUCC's significant impacts on human health and energy consumption have inspired researchers to develop nature-based solutions to mitigate UHIs and improve air quality. However, integrating GIS-CFD modeling for urban heat mitigation towards climate change adaptation was largely neglected for eco-sustainable urban design in rapidly urbanizing areas. In this study, (1) long-term LUCC and meteorological analysis were conducted in the Wuhan metropolitan area from 1980 to 2016; (2) to mitigate the adverse effects of LUCC under a speedy development process, the role and relevance of optimizing building morphology and urban block configuration were discussed; (3) and particular design attention in strategy towards climate change adaptation for environmental performance improvement was paid in Wuhan's fast-growing zones. The results show that UHII in 1980 was less severe than in 2016. Air temperature (Ta) increased by 0.4 °C on average per decade in developing areas. This increases the severity of UHII in urban fringes. It is found obligatory for a nature-based design to adopt urban morphology indicators (UMIs) such as average building height (μBH), sky view factors (ψSVF), and building density (BD/λp = % of built area) towards these changes. Further, on-site measurement revealed that λp is the most effective indicator for increasing urban heat around the buildings and boosting UHII. Using UMIs and a combined three-in-one regulation strategy based on μBH of common building types of high-rise (BHA), mid-rise (BHB), and low-rise (BHC) buildings can effectively contribute to regulating Ta and air movement within block configuration. As a result of this study's strategy, urban heat is mitigated via reinforcing wind in order to adapt to climate change, which impacts the quality of life directly in developing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an adaptive tracking control of flexible joint robots (FJR) is presented. By providing a simple error modification term in the neural networks (NNs) based adaptive backstepping design procedure, it is shown that the L∞ performance of system tracking error can be achieved and some restrictions on FJR in stability analysis of previous works are also removed. Besides, the dynamic surface control technique (DSC) and the minimal learning algorithm (MLP) are used to reduce the design procedure and the computational burden. The application of this scheme to a single-link robot system shows the efficiency of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the dielectric loss tangent (tan δ) of a series of strain sensors, fabricated from an epoxy nanocomposite with multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) content varying at 1 wt. % - 5 wt. %, was characterized experimentally. The effects of four parameters including frequency, strain of nanocomposite, MWCNT content, and loading voltage were investigated extensively. Moreover, an alternative current gauge factor KAC was developed. The largest value of KAC was found to be 256 for the nanocomposite strain sensor with 1 wt. % MWCNT content at 0.6% tensile strain, which indicates the ultra-sensitivity of the present strain sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the result of a study conducted by S.-S. Wang and colleagues which revealed the disturbed balances in the receptors that control the production of corticotropin-releasing factor. This finding indicates that a new avenue for systematic analyses of seesaw genes that are involved in depression.