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The spatial distributions of single‐frequency and dual‐frequency Electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves in the subauroral ionosphere are investigated under varying geomagnetic activities, using high‐resolution magnetic field data from dual Swarm satellites spanning from 2015 to 2017. Single‐frequency EMIC waves predominantly occur in the dawn sector, whereas dual‐frequency waves exhibit peaks around both dawn and dusk. The occurrence rate of dual‐frequency waves shows a more pronounced increase with increasing geomagnetic activity. As magnetic storms evolve, both types of EMIC waves shift from dusk to dawn. The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) emerges as a high‐incidence region for ionospheric EMIC waves. Dual‐frequency EMIC waves display lower frequencies compared to other regions. Additionally, the low‐frequency components of dual‐frequency waves observed at higher latitudes demonstrate greater power density and longer durations than their high‐frequency counterparts. This suggests that higher frequency waves experience more significant damping during propagation. Most dual‐frequency EMIC waves observed in the ionosphere belong to the O‐band and He‐band waves, indicating that magnetospheric bands below the cyclotron frequency of H+ are more likely to propagate into the ionosphere. Key Points: Single‐frequency ionospheric electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) waves mainly occur in the dawn sector while dual‐frequency EMIC waves peak around dawn and duskThe occurrence rate of dual‐frequency waves increases more significantly with enhanced geomagnetic activity than single‐frequency wavesLow‐frequency components of dual‐frequency waves observed at higher latitudes exhibit greater power density and extended duration [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addressing challenges associated with behavioural decision-making in intelligent driving, a hybrid algorithm, merging fuzzy classification with neural networks (termed the FC-NN Decision-Making methodology), has been introduced. Features from the driving environment, such as vehicle speed and relative distance, were systematically extracted. Using established traffic rules and vehicular performance metrics, a database linking the driving environment to decision outcomes was formulated. Through defined classification rules, fuzzy categorisation was applied, upon which training was subsequently conducted via NNs. This led to the design of an efficient Fuzzy-NN Decision-maker. Analyses demonstrated that the introduced method yielded an accuracy rate of 94%, markedly surpassing the accuracies of both the RBF NN decision-making at 56% and the direct NN approach at 76%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune checkpoint molecule PD-1, expressed on the cell surface, impairs antigen-driven activation of T cells and thus plays a critical role in tumorigenesis, progression, and the poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In addition, increasing evidence indicates that PD-1 carried on small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) also mediates tumor immunity, although their contributions to OSCC are yet unclear. Here, we investigated the biological functions of sEV PD-1 in patients with OSCC. The cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of CAL27 cell lines treated with or without sEV PD-1 were examined in vitro. We performed mass spectrometry to investigate the underlying biological process, combined with an immunohistochemical study of SCC7-bearing mice models and OSCC patient samples. In vitro data demonstrated that sEV PD-1 induced senescence and subsequent epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in CAL27 cells by ligating with tumor cell surface PD-L1 and activating the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Comprehensive immunohistochemical analysis of the xenograft mice models and OSCC patient samples revealed a very close correlation between the level of circulating sEV PD-1 and lymph node metastasis. These results demonstrate that circulating sEV PD-1 triggers senescence-initiated EMT in a PD-L1-p38 MAPK-dependent manner, contributing to tumor metastasis. It also suggests that the inhibition of sEV PD-1 may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of OSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the modulation of interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between the ferromagnet (FM) Fe and insulating antiferromagnet (AFM) CoO and its impact on the Gilbert damping by a time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect technique. By inserting a wedge spin conductor Ag layer at the interface of Fe/CoO, it is revealed that both uniform spin precession frequency and Gilbert damping constant of Fe film decrease with increasing Ag thickness up to ∼2 nm, and above that with eliminated IEC, these two parameters reach the intrinsic values of the Fe film. The precession frequency and damping also show similar variation tendency with temperature for attenuated IEC. These results prove that the exchange coupling at the FM–AFM interface plays an essential role for the spin angular momentum transfer to the insulating AFM layer, and the spin pumping is insignificant even for the very thin spin conductor layer. Our findings may have general insights into the role of the FM/AFM interface in the magnetization dynamics and spin angular momentum transfer for future spintronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical cancer trials are designed to collect radiographic measurements of each patient's baseline and residual tumor burden at regular intervals over the course of study. For solid tumors, the extent of reduction in tumor size following treatment is used as a measure of a drug's antitumor activity. Statistical estimation of treatment efficacy routinely reduce the longitudinal assessment of tumor burden to a binary outcome describing the presence versus absence of an objective tumor response as defined by RECIST criteria. The objective response rate (ORR) is the predominate method for evaluating an experimental therapy in a single-arm trial. Additionally, ORR is routinely compared against a control therapy in phase III randomized controlled trials. The longitudinal assessments of tumor burden are seldom integrated into a formal statistical model, nor integrated into mediation analysis to characterize the relationships among treatment, residual tumor burden, and survival. This article presents a frame work for landmark mediation survival analyses devised to incorporate longitudinal assessment of tumor burden. R 2 effect-size measures are developed to quantify the survival treatment mediation effects using longitudinal predictors. Analyses are demonstrated with applications to two colorectal cancer trials. Survival prediction is compared in the presence versus absence of longitudinal analysis. Simulation studies elucidate settings wherein patterns of tumor burden dynamics require longitudinal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Esophageal cancer is a common cancer among people in the world. The molecular mechanism of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 in esophageal cancer is still unclear. This article aimed to clarify the role of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 in esophageal cancer. The expression of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 in esophageal cancer tissues was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Furthermore, short hairpin ribonucleic acid was used to knockdown the expression of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 in esophageal cancer cell lines. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide, wound healing assays and transwell assays were used to determine the role of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 in esophageal cancer cells. In our research, we found that the expression of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 was up-regulated in esophageal cancer tissues. The increased expression of complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 was significantly correlated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis. The proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer cells were inhibited after complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6-short hairpin ribonucleic acid transfection in vitro. These results suggested that complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 serves as an oncogene and promotes cell proliferation and migration in esophageal cancer. In addition, complement C1q tumor necrosis factor related protein 6 may be a potential therapeutic target for esophageal cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the neighbour joining phylogenetic trees of amplified sequences, both FS-1 and FS-2 clustered with I F. solani i species complex strains, clearly separating them from other I Fusarium i spp. (Fig. Keywords: Prunus avium; Rosaceae EN Prunus avium Rosaceae 1 4 4 09/30/22 20220701 NES 220701 Sweet cherry ( I Prunus avium i ) is an important fruit crop in China with a cultivation area of more than 13,000 km SP 2 sp (Sun I et al. i , 2017). [Extracted from the article]

We develop a Bayesian design method for a clinical program where an investigational product is to be studied concurrently in a set of clinical trials involving related diseases with the goal of demonstrating superiority to a control in each. The approach borrows information on treatment effectiveness using correlated mixture priors using an analysis procedure that is closely related Bayesian model averaging. Mixture priors are constructed by eliciting conjugate priors based on pessimistic and enthusiastic predictions for the data to be observed for each disease and then by eliciting mixture weights for all possible configurations of the pessimistic and enthusiastic priors across the diseases to be studied. The proposed approach provides a robust framework for information borrowing in settings where the diseases may have endpoints based on different data types. We show via simulation that operating characteristics based on the proposed design framework are favorable compared to those based on information borrowing designs using the Bayesian hierarchical model which is poorly suited for information borrowing when there are different data types underpinning the endpoints across which information is to be borrowed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pine saw dust as a typical forest residue is slowly pyrolyzed at 400–800 °C in a fixed bed system. The influence of pyrolysis temperature on the characteristics of bio-gas, bio-oil and bio-char is investigated and then to assess their potential uses. The result indicates that the yield of bio-gas increases as pyrolysis temperature increases, while the yield of bio-char decreases. The pyrolysis temperature does not have much effect on the yield of bio-oil. The bio-gas has high content of combustible gases (H2 + CO) and heating value with increase in pyrolysis temperature. The highest content of combustible gases is 76.96% with the highest heating value of 16.46 MJ/Nm3. The main identified compounds of bio-oil are the furfuran, alkane and phenol, respectively. Therefore, bio-oil can be used as the potential chemical materials in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical and other industries. The physiochemical properties of bio-char such as element content, and BET specific surface area have changed as pyrolysis temperature increases. Besides, bio-char could be potentially applied not only to remove Ag+ from aqueous solutions but also to produce a new value-added nanocomposite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of intense radial electric fields on a wetted disk foil of fingernail size results in the formation of a large number (up to ∼1000) of cone-jets and electrosprays (Wang et al., "Massively multiplexed electrohydrodynamic tip streaming from a thin disc," Phys. Rev. Lett., 126, 064502, 2021). This massively multiplexed electrohydrodynamic tip streaming phenomenon offers a simple and convenient way of creating quasi-monodisperse droplets at high throughput. The structure of the axisymmetric liquid film flow on the disk determines the number and distribution of the cone-jets. In this work, we quantitively study the flow of the axisymmetric thin liquid film subjected to a radial electric field. The liquid film profile is found to be concave with a circular ridge, at which multiple Taylor cones are anchored. The liquid film thickness is experimentally quantified with a fluorescence imaging method, and the results are in decent agreement with the film profile model based on the lubrication theory. The velocity field in the liquid film was experimentally obtained by particle tracking velocimetry (PTV). The results shed light on the understanding of the multiplexed electrohydrodynamic tip streaming from a thin disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate metering and transport of samples and reagents are a critical process in many microfluidic applications, such as biochemical analysis, diagnostics and drug delivery. However, as the liquid volume to be processed is usually rather small, its sensoring and metering remains a challenging problem. Though some studies on this issue have been reported so far, there is still much room for improvement regarding the metering accuracy, system simplicity and control flexibility. In this work, we propose a simple, automatic and cost-effective method for microfluidic metering and transport. To improve the accuracy, the geometric metering approach with hydrophobic valves of minimum dead volumes is adopted. Besides, an on-chip Bernoulli pump is designed to reduce the hardware requirement, and a pulse width modulation (PWM) scheme is used to facilitate the operation. Testing results show that for metering of 20 μL liquid, the averaged error is − 1.3%, the relative standard deviation is 0.42%. The liquid transport can also be well regulated via PWM method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time-resolved magneto-optical (MO) Voigt effect can be utilized to study the Néel order dynamics in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials, but it has been limited for collinear AFM spin configuration. Here, we have demonstrated that in Mn3Sn with an inverse triangular spin structure, the quench of AFM order by ultrafast laser pulses can result in a large Voigt effect modulation. The modulated Voigt angle is significantly larger than the polarization rotation due to the crystal-structure related linear dichroism effect and the modulated MO Kerr angle arising from the ferroic ordering of cluster magnetic octupole. The AFM order quench time shows negligible change with increasing temperature approaching the Néel temperature (TN), in markedly contrast with the pronounced slowing-down demagnetization typically observed in conventional magnetic materials. This atypical behavior can be explained by the influence of weakened Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction rather than the smaller exchange splitting on the diminished AFM order near TN. The temperature-insensitive ultrafast spin manipulation can pave the way for high-speed spintronic devices either working at a wide range of temperature or demanding spin switching near TN. Mn3Sn is an anti-ferromagnetic material which displays a large magneto-optical Kerr effect, despite lacking a ferromagnetic moment. Here, the authors show that likewise, Mn3Sn, also presents a particularly large magneto-optical Voigt signal, with a negligible change in the quench time over a wide temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resonant compaction method using a crisscross-shaped probe was implemented in highway engineering projects for eliminating liquefaction in the east coastal region of China. To evaluate the compaction effectiveness in the treatment of liquefiable sand deposits with clay lenses, seismic piezocone tests (SCPTUs) and standard penetration tests (SPTs) were performed, as well as excess pore water pressure measurements. The results showed that the cone stress, sleeve friction, shear wave velocity and SPT blows increased due to vibratory compaction, and the soil liquefiable potential was eliminated. The execution of projects was highly efficient due to the simple compaction procedure and the quick dissipation of excess pore water pressure. However, the existence of a clay lens reduced the compaction effectiveness, particularly the development of SPT blows. Nevertheless, the resonant compaction method was still applicable for the treatment of soils with low to mild liquefaction levels and provided an alternative soil liquefaction countermeasure with remarkable benefits in efficiency and convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the longitudinal associations of fetal growth with adverse child growth outcomes and to assess whether maternal metabolic factors modify the associations. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study, China. Population: A total of 4818 mother–child pairs. Methods: Fetal growth was assessed according to estimated fetal weight (EFW) from 22 weeks of gestation until birth and the measurement of the birthweight. Fetal growth Z‐scores were computed from random effects in the multilevel linear spline models to represent fetal size in early pregnancy (22 weeks of gestation) and growth in mid‐pregnancy (22–27 weeks of gestation), early third trimester (28–36 weeks of gestation) and late third trimester (≥37 weeks of gestation). Main outcome measures: Z‐scores for childhood stunting, low weight, overweight or obesity, length/height for age (LAZ/HAZ), weight for age (WAZ) and body mass index for age (BMIZ) at the age of 3 years. Adjusted associations were examined using multiple Poisson or linear regression models. Results: Increased Z‐scores of fetal size in early pregnancy and growth in mid‐pregnancy and early third trimester were associated with a higher risk of childhood overweight or obesity (risk ratios 1.25–1.45). Fetal growth in each period was negatively associated with stunting and low weight, with the strongest associations observed for fetal size in early pregnancy and growth in mid‐pregnancy. The results for continuous outcomes (LAZ/HAZ, WAZ and BMIZ) were similar. The associations of fetal growth with overweight or obesity in childhood were stronger among mothers who were underweight and who were overweight or obese than among mothers of normal weight. Conclusions: Accelerated fetal growth before 37 weeks of gestation is associated with children who are overweight or obese, whereas the critical period for stunting and low weight occurs before 28 weeks of gestation. Fetal growth during different periods is differentially associated with childhood stunting, underweight and overweight or obesity. Fetal growth during different periods is differentially associated with childhood stunting, underweight and overweight or obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of arrangement of micro-pillars on wetting and self-motion of droplets is numerically studied via a three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann model for multiphase flow. Substrates textured with identical pillar array density but different arrangements are considered. The results show that the prediction of Cassie-Baxter model can be improved with the modified roughness factors. In addition, transportation of droplets on the stepwise gradient structured substrates is investigated. A simple model, taking account of pillar arrangement, is developed to estimate droplet velocity. The results show that it is critical to restrain droplet spreading in the lateral direction to achieve higher velocity and longer transportation distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance ultraviolet (UV) detectors with both high responses and fast speeds are hard to make on homogeneous crystal semiconductor materials. Here, the UV response characteristics of mixed-phase MgZnO thin films with different internal structure distributions are studied. The mixed-phase MgZnO-based detector with the given crystal composition has a high response at both deep UV light (96 A W−1 at 240 nm) and near UV light (80 A W−1 at 335 nm). Meanwhile, because of the quasi-tunneling breakdown mechanism within the device, the high-response UV detector also shows a fast response speed (tr = 0.11 μs) and recovery speed (td1 = 26 μs) at deep UV light, which is much faster than both low-response mixed-phase MgZnO-based UV detectors with other structure constitutions and reported high-response UV devices on homogenous crystal materials. The Idark of the device is just 4.27 pA under a 5 V bias voltage, so the signal-to-noise ratio of the device reached 23852 at 5.5 uW cm−2 235 nm UV light. The new quasi-tunneling breakdown mechanism is observed in some mixed-phase MgZnO thin films that contain both c-MgZnO and h-MgZnO parts, which introduce a high response, signal-to-noise ratio, and fast speed into mixed-phase MgZnO-based UV detectors at weak deep UV light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quadratic magneto-optical (MO) effects can be utilized to investigate the spin order in antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials; however, the previously reported studies were all limited in antiferromagnets with collinear AFM order. Here, we develop a phenomenological theory to investigate the quadratic MO effects in hexagonal non-collinear AFM crystals with triangular spin structures. Based on the permittivity tensor up to the second-order in magnetization, we derive the formula to describe the quadratic MO responses and perform numerical calculations to obtain the MO rotation angle for different AFM spin configurations and sample orientations. For the sample with its spin plane lying perpendicular to the surface plane, we have revealed the emergence of quadratic MO response, which exhibits a strong dependence on the light incident angle. The MO rotation angle shows an approximately sinusoidal variation with a periodicity of 180° when the sample is rotated around its surface normal. The size of the MO response and its deviation from the sinusoidal form are analyzed for different values of the second-order permittivity tensor elements. This study provides important insights into the non-collinear AFM spin-induced quadratic MO effect, which may be used as a guidance for optical detections of the non-collinear AFM order, and, in particular, the ultrafast spin dynamics using the optical pump–probe technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microfluidic flow is typically laminar due to the dominant viscous effects. At Reynolds numbers far below 1 (Re ≪ 1), the fluid inertia can be neglected. For the steady flow of incompressible Newtonian fluids, it approaches linear Stokes flow. At intermediate Re, there exists a weak-inertia flow regime where secondary flows such as Dean vortices are accessible for microfluidic manipulations. Apart from the fluid inertia, other nonlinear factors such as the non-Newtonian fluid properties, concurrent flow of dissimilar fluids, compliant fluidic structures and stimuli-responsive materials can also cause intriguing flow behaviours. Through proper designs, they can be applied for a variety of microfluidic components including mixers, valves, oscillators, stabilizers and auto-regulators etc., greatly enriching the microfluidic flow control and manipulation strategies. Due to its unique working characteristics and advantages, nonlinear microfluidics has increasingly attracted extensive attention. This review presents a systematic survey on this subject. The designs of typical nonlinear microfluidic devices, their working mechanisms, key applications, and the perspective of their future developments will be discussed. The nonlinear microfluidic techniques are believed to play an essential role in the next generation of highly-integrated, automated, and intelligent microfluidics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate a stillbirth rate at 24 or more gestational weeks in 2015–2016 and to explore potentially preventable causes in China. Design: A multi‐centre cross‐sectional study. Setting: Ninety‐six hospitals distributed in 24 (of 34) provinces in China. Population: A total of 75 132 births at 24 completed weeks of gestation or more. Methods: COX Proportional Hazard Models were performed to examine risk factors for antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. Population attributable risk percentage was calculated for major risk factors. Correspondence analysis was used to explore region‐specific risk factors for stillbirths. Main outcome measures: Stillbirth rate and risk factors for stillbirth. Results: A total of 75 132 births including 949 stillbirths were used for the final analysis, giving a weighted stillbirth rate of 13.2 per 1000 births (95% CI 7.9–18.5). Small for gestational age (SGA) and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia increased antepartum stillbirths by 26.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Fetal anomalies increased antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths by 17.9% and 7.4%, respectively. Overall, 31.4% of all stillbirths were potentially preventable. Advanced maternal age, pre‐pregnant obesity, chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus were important risk factors in East China; low education and SGA were major risk factors in Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and South China; and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia and intrapartum complications were significant risk factors in Central China. Conclusions: The prevalence of stillbirth was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016. Nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. Strategies based on regional characteristics should be considered to reduce further the burden of stillbirths in China. The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basket designs are prospective clinical trials that are devised with the hypothesis that the presence of selected molecular features determine a patient's subsequent response to a particular "targeted" treatment strategy. Basket trials are designed to enroll multiple clinical subpopulations to which it is assumed that the therapy in question offers beneficial efficacy in the presence of the targeted molecular profile. The treatment, however, may not offer acceptable efficacy to all subpopulations enrolled. Moreover, for rare disease settings, such as oncology wherein these trials have become popular, marginal measures of statistical evidence are difficult to interpret for sparsely enrolled subpopulations. Consequently, basket trials pose challenges to the traditional paradigm for trial design, which assumes inter-patient exchangeability. The package basket for the R programmming environment facilitates the analysis of basket trials by implementing multi-source exchangeability models. By evaluating all possible pairwise exchangeability relationships, this hierarchical modeling framework facilitates Bayesian posterior shrinkage among a collection of discrete and pre-specified subpopulations. Analysis functions are provided to implement posterior inference of the response rates and all possible exchangeability relationships between subpopulations. In addition, the package can identify "poolable" subsets of and report their response characteristics. The functionality of the package is demonstrated using data from an oncology study with subpopulations defined by tumor histology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the growth of a Nd-doped calcium barium niobate (Nd:CBN-28) single crystal using the Czochralski method. The point group and space group of Nd:CBN-28 are determined to be tetragonal 4mm and P4bm, respectively, and the effective segregation coefficients of Nd, Ca, Ba, and Nb are 0.988, 1.029, 0.992, and 0.985, respectively. The density of the material is 5.321 g cm-3 at 19.6 °C, in good agreement with the theoretical value. Thermal expansion measurements reveal that during the heating cycle, the c-axis of Nd:CBN-28 undergoes both thermal contraction and thermal expansion, while at the same time there is only expansion along the a-axis. Specific heat measurements reveal that an anomaly appears at about 220 °C due to a phase transition. The thermal diffusivity increases slowly with increasing temperature. The thermal conductivity of the crystal has been calculated from these results, and the phonon mean free paths la and lc along the a- and c-axes of Nd:CBN-28 crystal are estimated. The transmission spectrum of Nd:CBN-28 crystal along the [001] direction has been measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of laser crystals Nd:LuxGd1-xVO4 (x=0.14,0.32,0.50,0.61,0.70,0.80) was grown by the Czochralski method. The thermal properties, including the average linear thermal expansion coefficients, thermal diffusion coefficients, specific heats, and thermal conductivities, of the mixed crystals were obtained. The material constants Ms for the thermal stress resistance figure were calculated and showed that the thermal fracture limits of the mixed crystals should be comparable with that of Nd:YVO4. The polarization absorption spectra from 240 to 1000 nm were measured at room temperature and the absorption cross sections at 809 nm were calculated. Using the Judd-Ofelt theory, the theoretical radiative lifetimes were calculated and compared with the experimental results. Continuous wave laser performances were achieved with the mixed crystals at the wavelength of 1.06 μm when they were pumped by a laser diode. Thermal, optical, and laser properties have shown variation as a function of x and proved that the mixed crystals are good laser materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strontium tungstate (SrWO4) single crystal with dimensions of [uppercase_phi_synonym] 25×40 mm2 has been grown by the Czochralski method using an iridium crucible. X-ray powder diffraction results show that as grown the SrWO4 crystal belongs to the tetragonal system in the scheelite structure. The effective segregation coefficients of elemental W and Sr in the crystal growth are measured by x-ray fluorescence, and the respective values are close to 1. The thermal properties of the SrWO4 crystal were systemically studied by measuring the thermal expansion, specific heat, and thermal diffusion coefficient. These results show that the crystal possesses a large anisotropic thermal expansion with thermal-expansion coefficients αa=8.61×10-6/K, αb=8.74×10-6/K, αc=18.78×10-6/K over the temperature range of 303.15–773.15 K. The measured value of the specific heat is 0.30–0.34 J g-1 K-1 when the temperature is increased from 323.15 to 1073.15 K. The thermal diffusion coefficient was measured over the temperature range of 303.15–543.15 K. The thermal conductivities of the SrWO4 crystal along the [100] and [001] directions are calculated to be 3.1326 W m-1 K-1 and 2.9477 W m-1 K-1, respectively, at 303.15 K. Then the thermal properties of some other Raman crystals were compared with these data, and the thermal focal lengths for these crystals were also estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yb doped KLu(WO4)2 (Yb:KLuW) single crystal was grown by the method of top-seeded-solution growth slow-cooling method. Its lattice vibrational modes were calculated by using space group theory, and polarized Raman spectra were measured at room temperature with different scattering geometry projections. The powder transmission of Fourier-transform infrared spectra was also performed as a supplement for Raman spectra to study the lattice vibration of the laser crystal. The main Raman peaks and infrared transmission bands were attributed to the internal mode WO6 octahedrons in the crystals. Two kinds of link ways of WO6 octahedrons implying large distortion had led the Raman peaks to shift to different positions. Large distortions of the WO6 octahedrons in the crystal had led to the splitting of some Raman peaks and even the activation of ν6 mode, which is originally a silent mode by the selection rule. As a self-Raman crystal, the linewidth of the Raman peaks ν1 and ν2 reached 12.5 and 16.6 cm-1, with relaxation times of 849.4 and 639.6 fs, respectively, indicating that it is a promising stimulated Raman scattering crystal. Thermal diffusion measurement of Yb:KLuW showed large anisotropy which could be explained by the different link ways of the WO6 octahedrons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At room temperature, Raman-scattering investigations of near stoichiometric lithium niobate (S-LN) crystals theoretically and experimentally reveal an effect of the lattice vacant positions on the Raman spectra. At high temperature, Raman peaks of the mode ν5 vary sensitively and intensely with the increase of the temperature. A condensed soft optical-phonon mode originates from the triply degenerate symmetric in-plane O–Nb–O bending. The paraelectric-ferroelectric structural transition occurs at about 1170 °C. The composition homogeneity and optical uniformity of the S-LN crystals are demonstrated to be excellent compared with those of the congruent lithium niobate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large single crystal of barium tungstate (BaWO4) with dimensions of 22-mm diameter×80-mm length was grown by the Czochralski method using an iridium crucible. The melting point, molar enthalpy of fusion, and molar entropy of fusion of the crystal were determined to be 1775.10 K, 96 913.80 J mol-1, and 54.60 J K-1 mol-1, respectively. The average linear thermal-expansion coefficients are αa=10.9526×10-6/K, αb=10.8069×10-6/K, and αc=35.1063×10-6/K in the temperature range from 303.15 to 1423.15 K along the three respective crystallographic axes. The density of the crystal follows an almost linear decrease from 6.393×103 to 6.000×103 kg m-3 when the temperature is increased from 303.15 to 1423.15 K. The measured specific heat are 115.56–130.96 J K-1 mol-1 in the temperature range of 323.15–1173.15 K. The thermal diffusion coefficient of the crystal was measured in the temperature range of 297.15–563.15 K. The calculated thermal conductivity is 2.256 W m-1 K-1 along the [001] direction and 2.324 W m-1 K-1 along the [100] direction at 323.15 K. The microhardness of the BaWO4 single crystal in the (001) and (100) planes is 1393 and 1814 MPa under a load of 0.050 kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray diffraction measurements on a 0.65 at. % Nd-doped GdCa[SUB4]O(BO[SUB3])[SUB3] (Nd:GdCOB) crystal revealed a noncentrosymmetric monoclinic space group Cm with lattice parameters a=8.091 ±0.001, b = 16.023±0.002, c = 3.559±0.006 Å, and β = 101.30±0.01°. The fitting primitive cell contained two Nd:GdCOB units. Raman data show that the characteristic spectra of Nd:GdCOB are mainly associated with BO[SUB3] triangles and partly by Ca(1)O[SUB6] octahedra, which implies that the structural rigidity of Nd:GdCOB is mainly associated with the B-O bond stretching and bending modes and partly by the Ca(1)-O bonds. The large distortions of the Gd/NdO[SUB6] and Ca(2)O[SUB6] octahedra intensify the polar forces and anisotropic lattice forces, which indicates excellent nonlinear properties for Nd:GdCOB. Simultaneously, the large distortions of the Gd/NdO[SUB6] octahedra also provide a suitable crystal field for the activated Nd[SUP3+] ions, with the site symmetry m lacking inversion symmetry. This condition increases the probability of the parity-forbidden f →f transitions. Also due to the greater number of anion groups in the primitive cell, this crystal would be expected to be excellent as a self-frequency doubled material. The absorption parameters calculated by Judd-Ofelt theory show that the transitions [SUP4]I[SUB9/2]→[SUP4]F[SUB5/2] and [SUP4]I[SUB9/2]→[SUP2]H[SUB9/2] have larger absorption cross sections and enable the laser-diode pumping band around 808 nm to be more than 30 nm in bandwidth. In the calculated luminescence parameters, the radiation [SUP4]F[SUB3/2]→[SUP4]I[SUB11/2] transition at wavelength of 1060 nm has the largest fluorescence branch-ratio and differential stimulated-emission cross section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the quantum electrodynamics and using Einstein’s coefficient and Planck’s energy density, the stimulated emission cross section was given. The measured absorption of 0.5 at. % Nd-doped Nd:GdVO[sub 4] crystal was compared to the Judd–Ofelt (JO) theory. When applied, the JO theory of parity-forbidden electric–dipole transitions of rare-earth ions on noncentrosymmetric site lacking inversion symmetry demonstrates good agreement. An absorption band around 808 nm is suitable to match laser diode pumping. The branching ratio of the fluorescence emission and stimulated emission cross section at the emissive wavelength of 1064 nm are of great advantage to produce a laser output. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines spectral parameters of neodymium-doped yttrium orthovanadate (NYV) crystals. Absorption spectrum of neodymium ions doped in NYV; Width of the absorption band; Line intensity of the absorption spectrum of NYV.

Presents information on a study on the Raman-scattering investigations and the optical and laser properties of Yb-doped YVO...crystal. Experimental method; Results; Discussion; Conclusions.

Vacuolar protein sorting 4 (Vps4) not only functions with its positive regulator vacuolar protein sorting 20‐associated 1 (Vta1) in the multivesicular body (MVB) pathway but also participates alone in MVB‐unrelated cellular processes. However, its physiological roles at the organism level remain rarely explored. We previously identified their respective homologues Bombyx mori Vps4 (BmVps4) and BmVta1 from the silkworm, a model organism for insect research. In this study, we performed fluorescence quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blot to globally characterize the transcription and protein expression profiles of BmVps4 and BmVta1 during silkworm development and in different silkworm tissues and organs. The results showed that they were significantly up‐regulated in metamorphosis, adulthood and embryogenesis relative to larval stages, and displayed a roughly similar tissue‐and‐organ specificity for transcriptions in silkworm larvae. Importantly, BmVps4 was down‐regulated during the early period of the fifth instar, reaching the lowest level of transcription on Day 6, then up‐regulated from Day 7 to the wandering, spinning and pupal stages, and down‐regulated again in adulthood. Moreover, knocking down BmVps4 by RNA interference significantly inhibited silk gland growth, shortened spinning time, prolonged pupation, reduced pupal size and weight, and increased moth wing defects. Together, our data demonstrate the critical and broad requirements for BmVps4 in silkworm metamorphosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thellungiella salsuginea is highly tolerant to abiotic stress, while its a close relative Arabidopsis thaliana is sensitive to stress. This characteristic makes T. salsuginea an excellent model for uncovering the mechanisms of abiotic stress tolerance. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays essential roles in plant abiotic and biotic stress tolerance.To test the changes in gene expression of T. salsuginea under ABA treatment, in this study, the transcriptomes of T. salsuginea roots and leaves were compared in response to exogenously application of ABA.The results showed that ABA treatment caused different expression of 2,200 and 3,305 genes in leaves and roots, respectively, compared with the untreated control. In particular, genes encoding transcription factors such as WRKY, MYB, NAC, GATA, ethylene‐responsive factors (ERFs), heat stress transcription factors, basic helix‐loop‐helix, PLATZ and B3 domain‐containing family members were enriched. In addition, 49 and 114 differentially expressed genes were identified as ABA‐regulated genes, separately in leaves and roots, respectively, which were related to biotic and abiotic stresses. The expression levels of some genes were validated by qRT‐PCR. Different responses of genes to ABA treatment were discovered in T. salsuginea and A. thaliana.This transcriptome analysis expands our understanding of the role of ABA in stress tolerance in T. salsuginea. Our study provides a wealth of information for improving stress tolerance in crop plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oscillatory/pulsatile flow is an important approach for mixing enhancement at micro scales. Here we report a micromixer that consists of a microfluidic oscillator and divergent chambers. The oscillator autonomously produces an oscillatory flow, which further causes efficient stretching and folding of the fluids to improve the mixing. Testing results show that the design works well at relatively high flow rates and high viscosities. At around 40 ml/min, the mixing index can reach 0.97 at 8 mPa s, and 0.89 at 12 mPa s, respectively. Efficient mixing can also be achieved at viscosity ratios of up to 10 (20 mPa s:2 mPa s). Application of the micromixer for preparation of nano sized RDX (cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine) is investigated. Using the anti-solvent crystallization method, nano-RDX particles with the size ranging from 150 to 900 nm are obtained. Its thermal decomposition characteristics are tested and compared with the raw RDX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flow passing a heated square cylinder is investigated using a hybrid LES-RANS approach on unstructured grids at a moderate Reynolds number of 22, 050. The effects of inflow turbulence on the flow field as well as surface convective heat transfer are studied by adopting a grid-based random-number method (GRM). Validation of the GRM method is carried out by generating and simulating a decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulent flow. Analysis of the turbulent quantities and comparisons with the Synthetic Coherent Eddy Method (SCEM) suggest that the cheaper GRM is able to generate good quality inflow turbulence, despite a longer transition region is required. Studies of the heated square cylinder in crossflow show that the inflow turbulence results in an early breakup of the shear layer, which leads to further effects on the vortex shedding and surface heat transfer. The surface convective heat transfer is increased with inflow turbulence, especially on the front, top and bottom surfaces, while limited influence is found on the rear surface. It is shown by the spectra that the effects of the inflow turbulence mainly focus on the turbulent shear layers, as well as heat transfer of the corresponding surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report an abrupt change in the diffusive transport of inertial objects in wave-driven turbulence as a function of the object size. In these non-equilibrium two-dimensional flows, the turbulent diffusion coefficient D of finite-size objects undergoes a sharp change for values of the object size rp close to the flow forcing scale Lƒ. For objects larger than the forcing scale (rp > Lƒ), the diffusion coefficient is proportional to the flow energy U2 and inversely proportional to the size rp. This behaviour, D ∼ U2/rp, observed in a chaotic macroscopic system is reminiscent of a fluctuation–dissipation relation. In contrast, the diffusion coefficient of smaller objects (rp) follows D ∼ U/rp0.35. This result does not allow simple analogies to be drawn but instead it reflects strong coupling of the small objects with the fabric and memory of the out-of-equilibrium flow. In these turbulent flows, the flow structure is dominated by transient but long-living bundles of fluid particle trajectories executing random walk. The characteristic widths of the bundles are close to Lƒ. We propose a simple phenomenology in which large objects interact with many bundles. This interaction with many degrees of freedom is the source of the fluctuation–dissipation-like relation. In contrast, smaller objects are advected within coherent bundles, resulting in diffusion properties closely related to those of fluid tracers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of pulsating continuous-phase flow on droplet generation at a T-junction are investigated. The pulsating perturbation produced by a microfluidic oscillator is found to govern the droplet formation. In this way, the droplet size, the generation frequency, and the fluid properties become uncorrelated. Within a wide viscosity (1–60 cP) and flow rate range [ Q d , max / Q d , min is on the order of O (10 2) ] of the discrete fluid, the droplet volume increases linearly with Q d and hence can be easily tuned. Using a single perturbation source, microdroplets of largely different viscosities and volumes can be synchronously generated, facilitating subsequent precise control and manipulations such as one-to-one coalescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigation of particle pair separation is conducted in two types of laboratory two-dimensional turbulence under a broad range of experimental conditions. In the range of scales corresponding to the inverse energy cascade inertial interval, the particle pair separation exhibits diffusive behaviour. The analysis of the pair velocity correlations suggests the existence of coherent bundles or clusters of non-diverging fluid particles. Such bundles are also detected using a recently developed topological tool based on the concept of braids. The bundles are observed as meandering streams whose width is determined by the turbulence forcing scale. In such locally anisotropic turbulence, the particle pair dispersion depends on the initial particle separation and on the width of the bundles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects in high-purity optical materials produced by high-power laser irradiation have attracted much attention, which could modify material properties and cause degradation or even laser damage of optical components. In this letter, we investigate room-temperature transient absorption properties in visible region of KDP crystals irradiated by a nanosecond ultraviolet (UV) laser at 355 nm. Both the transient absorption spectra and the absorption decay properties are presented and discussed. Transient absorption spectrum of KDP under UV laser irradiation shows a broad absorption band with maximum at about 560 nm. The observed transient absorption band in the KDP crystal is suggested to arise from laser-induced electronic defects identified as hole centers. The decay dynamics of hole center absorption is described by a model of electron tunneling recombination assisted by thermal diffusion. Generation of such defects under UV laser irradiation is considered to have a relationship with initial defects existed in the KDP crystal lattice. A defect-mediated nonlinear absorption model was proposed to explain the hole center generation processes under UV laser irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that examined the interface structure of a silicon heterolayer on sulphur-passivated GaAs. Experimental procedure; Results and discussion on the study; Conclusions.

A series of chemically treated graphene oxide (GO) samples, destined for the preparation of several composite materials, was studied by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). From their comparison, the 3‐mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane was identified as the most effective reducing agent among the used procedures. The influence of ultrahigh vacuum annealing up to 600°C on the chemical composition and carbon electronic configuration in reduced GO samples was further investigated by XPS and Auger electron spectroscopy. All the samples before and after thermal treatments were analyzed in situ by XPS and Auger electron spectroscopy, paying a particular attention to the shape of C KVV spectra described by the values of D parameter. The changes of chemical composition and carbon configuration reflected in the D parameter revealed the full reduction of GO to graphene after annealing in ultrahigh vacuum at 600°C. The successful reduction of GO to graphene was also confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Obtained bulk samples of graphene aggregates remained stable in air, testifying the irreversibility of this reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Сhitinases expressed by some beneficial fungi are crucial for the biocontrol of phytopathogens. The activity of chitinolytic strains of Trichoderma sp. may be enhanced by increasing the expression of chitinases. We describe the Trichoderma strain Mchit42 which expresses a transgenic chitinase chit42 from Metarhizium anisopliae. Inhibitory effects against plant pathogens were tested. Comparison of WT (T30) and OE (Mchit42) indicated that overexpression of M. anisopliaechit42 did not alter Trichoderma growth, while enhancing the expression of endogenous chitinase, β-1,3-glucanases, and polygalacturonase and increasing the antagonistic activity of Trichoderma against Botrytis cinerea. This work confirmed that the expression of the entomopathogenic fungi-sourced chit42 genes in Trichodermaharzianum enhances the efficiency of Trichoderma biocontrol against targeted pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study aimed to report our clinical experience with intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement (ICEB) and to find out whether ICEB could reduce the number of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement compared with extraluminal blocker placement for one-lung ventilation in children under the age of 2 years.Methods: The medical records of all children under the age of 2 years with a 5 French (F) or 4F WeiLi (WeiLi medical Inc, Guangzhou, China) endobronchial blocker for one-lung ventilation in thoracic surgery from July 2015 through July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. After November 2015, one-lung ventilation was achieved using the ICEB technique, while before November 2015, extraluminal blocker placement was used. The success rate of blocker placement, quality of lung deflation, number of hypoxemia episodes, blocker dislodgement, and successful reposition after dislodgement were compared between the two groups.Result: The incidence of hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement was lower in the ICEB group compared to the extraluminal placement group. Moreover, the success rate of blocker reposition during the operation was higher in the ICEB group than the extraluminal placement group. The success rate of endobronchial blocker placement was similar between the two groups.Conclusions: Intraluminal calculated distance for endobronchial blocker placement is a feasible method to achieve lung isolation and could reduce hypoxemia episodes during blocker placement in children under the age of 2 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluid mixing in miniaturized fluidic devices is a challenging task. In this work, the mixing enhancement through oscillatory transverse perturbations coupling with divergent circular chambers is studied. To simplify the design, an autonomous microfluidic oscillator is used to produce the oscillatory flow. It is then applied to four side-channels that intersect with a central channel of constant flow. The mixing performance is tested at high fluid viscosities of up to 16 cP. Results show that the oscillatory flow can cause strong transverse perturbations which effectively enhance the mixing. The influence of a fluidic capacitor in the central channel is also examined, which at low viscosities can intensify the perturbations and further improve the mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]