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Background: In DIC studies, positional parameters and speckle size are commonly used to characterise speckle images. The influence of edge parameters is ignored. This leads to a great difference between the DIC calculation results of simulated and real images. And some contradictory results are also produced. Objective: The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of edge parameters. As well as to give more reasonable parameters to describe the speckle characteristics. Methods: Firstly, this paper proposes a series of more reasonable parameters to describe the speckle features based on the mathematical expression of the speckle image. Subsequently, the effect of different edge functions on the computational error of DIC is investigated. The effect of different edge functions on pre-filtering is also investigated. Finally, real speckle images are produced using Gaussian and step functions to study the difference between the simulated and real speckle images. Results: Generally, it is believed that prefiltering can reduce the computational error of DIC, but for Gaussian edges, prefiltering hardly reduces the error, whereas hybrid edges correctly exhibit this phenomenon. Although the Gaussian edge perform well in the simulation, the actual speckle images taken show that the DIC error corresponding to the camera-acquired Gaussian speckle is much larger than that of the step speckle. Conclusions: The introduction of edge parameters to describe speckle images is necessary for DIC studies. Pre-filtering always reduces the DIC error, but for Gaussian edges this property cannot be demonstrated. The most suitable edges in reality are step edges, not Gaussian edges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation of tectonic controls on CH4 and CO2 emissions was conducted by measuring the fluxes of the gases in the different tectonic units along the northwestern margin of the Ordos Block in China, a region renowned for its intricate tectonic configuration. The mean fluxes of CH4 ranged from −1.5 to 1.1 mg m−2 d−1, while CO2 fluxes spanned from 2.0 to 29.2 g m−2 d−1. Notably, the Minqin, Ordos, and Haiyuan blocks primarily exhibited absorption characteristics for CH4. In contrast, within the Hetao and Yinchuan grabens, both degassing and absorption processes coexist. A striking observation was that blocks with high internal deformation exhibited significantly higher CH4 and CO2 fluxes compared to those in the stable blocks. Additionally, regions experiencing extensional deformation demonstrated greater gas emission than those undergoing compressional deformation. The spatial distribution of CH4 and CO2 fluxes at the study points exhibited a similar trend to faults in the Yinchuan Graben. Our findings revealed that CH4 and CO2 are mainly of biogenic origin, accompanied by abiotic emissions from underground. And the gas source, migration pathway, and tectonic stress were the primary factors influencing gas emission, with tectonic stress playing a pivotal role. This stress controlled the formation of tectonic structures, changed the degassing pathway, and served as the driving force for gas migration. The results of this study offer valuable insights into the mechanisms governing CH4 and CO2 emission in faulted regions. Furthermore, our results may contribute to future assessments aimed at quantifying the contribution of geological sources to greenhouse gas emissions. Key Points: Tectonic controls on CH4 and CO2 emissions were investigated along the western margin of the Ordos Block in ChinaExtensional deformation regions demonstrated greater gas degassing than compressional deformation regionsSpatial distribution of gas fluxes mirrored fault patterns in the Yinchuan Graben [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) remain a promising class of materials owing to several attractive mechanical properties, their corrosion performance is also unique. In this concise review, we present an emerging overview of some of the general features related to MPEA corrosion, following a decade of work in the field. This includes highlighting some of the key aspects related to the electrochemical phenomena in MPEA corrosion, and the relevant future works required for a holistic mechanistic understanding. In addition, a comprehensive database of the reported corrosion performance of MPEAs is presented—based on works reported to date. The database is assembled to also allow users to undertake machine learning or their own data analysis, with a parsed representation of alloy composition, test electrolyte, and corrosion-related parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decrease liquid ammonia leakage-induced casualties of ammonia chemical enterprises, a simulation comparison method of liquid ammonia toxicity leakage and crowd evacuation was proposed, a spatial model was constructed with Pyrosim software, using 8 liquid ammonia tanks as a layout example. The ammonia diffusion path under eight leakage scenes was analysed with FDS software by setting eight ammonia leakage points. The personnel evacuation model was built with the Pathfinder software, obtaining the crowd evacuation time under the eight scenes. Finally, the optimal site for liquid ammonia tanks in this case was determined through a comparison of ammonia diffusion path and evacuation time. Results show that among the eight candidate sites for ammonia tanks, the Leakage Scene 4 shows the longest time (78 s) for diffusion to the two evacuation exits, which is longer than the crowd emergency evacuation time (73 s) in the scene. Therefore, the Leakage Scene 4 can be used for the setting of liquid ammonia tanks. The obtained conclusions provide a safe suggestion for the scientific planning of the liquid ammonia storage sites of chemical enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring hit positions of recorded events can help to understand and suppress backgrounds in rare event searches. We propose a pulse shape analysis method to discriminate single-site events (SSEs) in the inner and outer layer of a small contact P-type germanium detector (HPGe). SSEs in the inner and outer layer have different pulse shape features, of which the rise time of the (T Q) and current pulse (T I) are selected for discrimination. A 500 Bq Thorium-228 (Th-228) source is used to determine the boundaries between the two layers. The double escape peak events from 2614.5 keV γ -ray are selected as typical SSEs, their numbers in the two layers are used to calculate the volumes and shapes of those layers. Considering the statistical and systematic uncertainties, the inner layer volume is evaluated to be 47.2% ± 0.26%(stat.) ± 0.18%(sys.) ± 0.22%(sys.) of the total sensitive volume. Selecting the inner layer as the analysis volume can reduce the external background in the signal region of Ge-76 neutrinoless double beta (0 ν β β) decay. We use the Th-228 data to validate the inner layer model and evaluate the background suppression power in the 0 ν β β signal region (Q β β = 2039 keV). The virtual segmentation further reduces the background from the external Th-228 source by about 10%. The virtual segmentation could be used to efficiently suppress surface background like electrons from Ar-42 decay in 0 ν β β experiments using germanium detectors immersed in liquid argon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the characteristics of complex structure, strong coupling and different multi-modal safety levels of more electric aircraft starter generator system, a safety analysis method based on the operating process and a multi-modal failure rate calculation method are proposed. This paper analyses the architecture, operating process and modals of more electric aircraft starter generator system and decomposes the system into eight operating modals. Based on the construction of SafetyLab, a domestic safety analysis platform, the structural models and failure rate calculation models of eight modals of starter generator system are established, and the top event failure rate of each modal, the highest transient failure rate and the steady state failure rate of the system are calculated for a complete safety analysis, taking a typical starter generator system as an example. The method proposed in this paper helps to solve the problem of multi-modal failure rate analysis of complex systems with different equipment involved in the operating process. The multi-modal failure rate calculation method proposed in this paper is also applicable to the safety analysis of other multimodal complex systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron magnetic chiral dichroism (EMCD) is a high-resolution technique currently in development for quantitative magnetic measurements using transmitted electrons. However, the inevitable electron damage to materials can be a significant yet easily overlooked factor affecting the quantification accuracy. This work experimentally investigated the electron knock-on damage effects on EMCD of magnetic metals using metallic cobalt as a model. Three issues are involved in the metal-surface damage process. It was revealed that under sustained electron irradiation during spectra acquisition, gradual removal of the thin surface oxidation layer, rather than a simple continuous thickness reduction that changes the diffraction and plural scattering conditions, can lead to notable residual nonmagnetic components in EMCD spectra and may make the quantified result of the orbital-to-spin moment ratio remarkably higher than the actual value. It was, thus, proposed to pay great attention to the surface oxidation and to minimize the effect of the oxidation layer by performing electron irradiation on the target area prior to EMCD experiments. A further experiment was additionally proposed to quantify the impact of thickness reduction on the magnetic components of momentum-resolved electron energy-loss spectra and the EMCD quantification. This study advances the application of EMCD in magnetic metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of interactions between 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (PCM) and cucurbit[7]uril (Q[7]) was determined via UV-vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that PCM and Q[7] were able to formed a 1 : 1 host–guest inclusion complex (PCM@Q[7]) with a binding constant of 2.9×108 L/mol. These interactions significantly increased the aqueous solubility of PCM by 2.4 fold, leading to an extended release duration of PCM in both artificial gastric and intestinal juices. However, the stability of PCM in artificial gastroenteric juices remained unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder. Pyridostigmine (PYR), an acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor, has been shown to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress in several animal models for inflammation-associated conditions. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of PYR on pristane-induced (PIA) in Dark Agouti (DA) rats. DA rats were intradermally infused with pristane to establish the PIA model, which was treated with PYR (10 mg/kg/day) for 27 days. The effects of PYR on synovial inflammation, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota were evaluated by determining arthritis scores, H&E staining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and biochemical assays, as well as 16S rDNA sequencing. Pristane induced arthritis, with swollen paws and body weight loss, increased arthritis scores, synovium hyperplasia, and bone or cartilage erosion. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in synovium was higher in the PIA group than in the control group. PIA rats also displayed elevated levels of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, superoxide dismutase, and catalase in plasma. Moreover, sequencing results showed that the richness, diversity, and composition of the gut microbiota dramatically changed in PIA rats. PYR abolished pristane-induced inflammation and oxidative stress, and corrected the gut microbiota dysbiosis. The results of this study support the protective role of PYR in PIA in DA rats, associated with the attenuation of inflammation and correction of gut microbiota dysbiosis. These findings open new perspectives for pharmacological interventions in animal models of RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the concept of spin–orbit-torque-magnetic random access memory (SOT-MRAM) based physical unclonable function (PUF). The secret of the PUF is stored into a random state of a matrix of perpendicular SOT-MRAMs. Here, we show experimentally and with micromagnetic simulations that this random state is driven by the intrinsic nonlinear dynamics of the free layer of the memory excited by the SOT. In detail, a large enough current drives the magnetization along an in-plane direction. Once the current is removed, the in-plane magnetic state becomes unstable evolving toward one of the two perpendicular stable configurations randomly. In addition, we propose a hybrid CMOS/spintronics model to simulate a PUF realized by an array of 16 × 16 SOT-MRAM cells and evaluate the electrical characteristics. Hardware authentication based on this PUF scheme has several characteristics, such as CMOS-compatibility, non-volatility (no power consumption in standby mode), reconfigurability (the secret can be reprogrammed), and scalability, which can move a step forward the design of spintronic devices for application in security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new software ray tracing solution that efficiently computes visibilities in dynamic scenes. We first introduce a novel scene representation: ray‐aligned occupancy map array (ROMA) that is generated by rasterizing the dynamic scene once per frame. Our key contribution is a fast and low‐divergence tracing method computing visibilities in constant time, without constructing and traversing the traditional intersection acceleration data structures such as BVH. To further improve accuracy and alleviate aliasing, we use a spatiotemporal scheme to stochastically distribute the candidate ray samples. We demonstrate the practicality of our method by integrating it into a modern real‐time renderer and showing better performance compared to existing techniques based on distance fields (DFs). Our method is free of the typical artifacts caused by incomplete scene information, and is about 2.5×–10× faster than generating and tracing DFs at the same resolution and equal storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a fast method to compute large‐scale problems in real‐time finite element simulations in the presence of contact and friction. The approach uses a precondition‐based contact resolution that performs a Cholesky decomposition at low frequency. On exploiting the sparsity in assembled matrices, we propose a reduced and parallel computation scheme to address the expensive computation of the Schur‐complement arisen by detailed mesh and accurate contact response. An efficient GPU‐based solver is developed to parallelise the computation, making it possible to provide real‐time simulations in the presence of coupled constraints for contact and friction response. In addition, the pre‐conditioner is updated at low frequency, implying reuse of the factorised system. To benefit a further speedup, we propose a strategy to share the resolution information between consecutive time steps. We evaluate the performance of our method in different contact applications and compare it with typical approaches on CPU and GPU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rheological behavior of soil–water mixtures can affect the flow dynamics of natural processes such as flow-type landslides and sediment transport. In this study, an experimental investigation was carried out on soil–water mixtures containing particles up to 0.425 mm with volumetric solid concentrations of 0.05≤CV≤0.35 using a wide-gap rotational viscometer, and the contributions of particle–fluid, collisional, and colloidal interactions to their rheological behavior were evaluated thoroughly. The torque-scaling method was applied to identify the flow regime and extract the effective rheological parameters from turbulent flows. A transition between dilute and concentrated mixtures can be identified based on their sediment type, CV , and the predominance of particle–fluid and interparticle interactions. For dilute mixtures (CV<0.25–0.28) the particle-fluid interaction is dominant. The colloidal interactions induce another force scale that is independent of the shear rate. Thus, the Bingham model can be applied to such mixtures (debris or mud flood). For concentrated mixtures (CV>0.25–0.28), the shear-thickening rheology can be applied for granular mixtures (debris flows), because the collisional interactions are dominant, whereas shear-thinning rheology can be applied for fine-grained mixtures (mudflows), because colloidal interactions are dominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To introduce a novel endo-luminal balloon-assisted drainage (EBAD) and compare postoperative complication rates between EBAD and diverting stoma (DS) groups. Methods: The single center prospective non-random cohort study included a total of 163 patients in convenience patients with rectal cancer between January 2019 and January 2021. Out of 163 patients, 83 underwent DS and 80 EBAD. Primary endpoints were postoperative complication rate. Results: The total number of complications was 28 in the DS group vs. 22 in the EBAD group (P = 0.388). 18 patients (21.7%) in the DS group and 14 patients (17.5%) in the EBAD group developed postoperative complication (P = 0.501). There were no differences identified for anastomotic leak rates between the two groups (P = 0.677). The rate of the pelvic abscess was lower in the EBAD group (1/80, 1.3%) than in the DS group (4/83, 4.8%) but with no statistical significance (P = 0.386). Compared with the DS group, the median operative time was shorter in the EBAD group (225 vs. 173.5 min, P < 0.001). Regarding incomplete small bowel obstruction, a higher prevalence was observed in the DS group compared to the EBAD group (7.2% vs 2.5%, P = 0.301). 7 patients (11.3%) in the DS group developed a para-stomal hernia, while no patient suffered a catheter-related complication. The median postoperative hospital stay was shorter in the DS groups than in the EBAD group (7 vs 8 days, P = 0.009). The median residence time of endo-luminal balloon-assisted drainage was 5.41 days. The median average and total volume of drainage were 51.57 ml/day and 255 ml, respectively. Conclusion: EBAD is feasible and safe with similar postoperative complications when compared with a DS. EBAD may replace DS after rectum resection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exit flow equilibrium method based on crowd evacuation dynamics theory was applied in this study to clarify the reasons that hinder the evacuation of aircraft cabin passengers as well as reduce the evacuation time using the A-configuration cabin layout of a B737-800 as an example. Pathfinder simulation software was utilized to simulate and compare the evacuation efficiency of three scenarios: no command scenario, exit equilibrium scenario, and evacuation sequence arrangement; reveal the key reasons causing the evacuation congestion of aircraft cabin; and propose the evacuation strategy with the minimum amount of time. Results show that the evacuation time is 99 s under the condition of no command and 86.8 s under the condition of balanced exit utilization. The evacuation efficiency in the case of balanced use of emergency exits reaches the maximum when passengers near the aisle are evacuated first at an evacuation time of 79.3 seconds. The obtained conclusions provide a significantly reference and method support for efficient emergency evacuation strategies of civil aircrafts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to progressive population aging, a new dementia case occurs at every 3 seconds, placing a heavy burden of disease. Identifying potential risk or preventive factors is emphasized owing to a lack of effective treatment for dementia. There has been emerging evidence on the link of certain dietary components, particularly polyphenols, to brain wellness and cognitive outcomes. Findings from animal and in vitro studies appear more consistent and conclusive. However, such an association has not been investigated in depth in human beings. In this review, we examined studies on the effect of dietary polyphenols (including flavonoids, curcumin, and resveratrol) on cognitive function. Intervention in early stages of dementia/Alzheimer's disease might be a target to slow down age-related cognitive decline before disease onset. We summarized 28 epidemiological studies (8 cross-sectional and 20 cohort studies) and 55 trials in this review. Preliminary evidence from epidemiological data provides the necessity for intervention trials, even though the measures of polyphenol intake tend to be less precise. Clinical trials are in favor of the role of some polyphenols in benefiting specific domains of cognition. This review also describes the divergence of results and current limitations of research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poly-(ADP-Ribose)-Polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) were reported as radiosensitizers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with wide-type epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), but the effects of radiation combined with PARPi were not investigated in EGFR-mutated NSCLC. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms were not well examined. This study aimed to study the efficacy of radiation combined with niraparib in EGFR-mutated NSCLC and explore their influence on the immune system. Methods: Clone formation and apoptosis assay were conducted to explore the effects of niraparib and radiation. Immunofluorescence was conducted to detect the double-strand DNA breaks. Real-time PCR and immunoblotting were employed to evaluate the activation of STING/TBK1/TRF3 pathway and the expression levels of interferon β, CCL5 and CXCL10. Immunocompetent mice model bearing with subcutaneous Lewis lung cancer was established to confirm the results in vivo. Results: Niraparib and radiation were synergistic to inhibit tumor both in vitro and in vivo. Radiation plus niraparib could activate anti-tumor immunity, which appeared as increased CD8+ T lymphocytes and activated STING/TBK1/IRF3 pathway. Conclusion: PARPi not only as a radiosensitizer inhibited EGFR-mutated NSCLC tumor growth, but also cooperated with radiation to promote anti-tumor immune responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with spin injection were investigated for the epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 heterostructure rotated from H//c to H//ab in magnetic fields up to 14 T. It is found that all the I-V curves in various magnetic fields can be scaled with a three dimensional (3D) vortex glass model, and the spin injection can induce a better 3D scaling behavior, which is closely related to the decrease of the anisotropy parameter. A vortex phase diagram for the evolution of vortex glass transition field (Hg) and upper critical field (Hc2) indicates that both Hg and Hc2 are suppressed by spin injection, and this effect becomes more obvious in the case of H//ab, which probably originates from the different suppression on the superconducting pairing strength by different injected spins' orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor for Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients undergoing Coronary arteriography (CAG)/percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is the gold standard to measure blood glucose control, which has important clinical significance for evaluating blood glucose control in diabetic patients in the past 3 months. This study aimed to assess whether preoperative HbA1c levels in diabetic patients who received CAG/PCI impacted the occurrence of postoperative CIN.Methods: We reviewed the incidence of preoperative HbA1c and postoperative CIN in 670 patients with CAG/PCI from January 1, 2020 to October 30, 2020 and divided the preoperative HbA1c levels into 5 groups. Blood samples were collected at admission, 48 h and 72 h after operation to measure the Scr value of patients. Categorical variables were compared using a chi-square test, and continuous variables were compared using an analysis of variance. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the percentages when the expected frequency was less than 5. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to exclude the influence of confounding factors, and P for trend was used to analyze the trend between HbA1c levels and the increased risk of CIN.Results: Patients with elevated HbA1c had higher BMI, FBG, and LDL-C, and they were more often on therapy with hypoglycemic agents, Insulin and PCI. They also had higher basal, 48 h and 72 h Scr. The incidence of CIN in the 5 groups of patients were: 9.8, 11.9, 15.2, 25.3, 48.1%. (p < 0.0001) The multivariate analysis confirmed that in the main high-risk subgroup, patients with elevated HbA1C levels (≥8.8%) had a higher risk of CIN disease. Trend test showed the change of OR (1.000,1.248,1.553,2.625,5.829).Conclusions: Studies have shown that in diabetic patients undergoing CAG/PCI, elevated HbA1c is independently associated with the risk of CIN, and when HbA1c > 9.5%, the incidence of CIN trends increase. Therefore, we should attach great importance to patients with elevated HbA1c at admission and take more active measures to prevent CIN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1070328424030023 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spintronic diodes are emerging as disruptive candidates for impacting several technological applications ranging from the Internet of things to artificial intelligence. Here, an overview of the recent achievements on spintronic diodes is briefly presented, underlying the major breakthroughs that have led these devices to have the largest sensitivity measured to date for a diode. For each class of spintronic diodes (passive, active, resonant, nonresonant), we indicate the remaining developments to improve the performances as well as the future directions. We also devoted the last part of this Perspective to ideas for developing spintronic diodes in multiphysics systems by combining two-dimensional materials and antiferromagnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NiTi thin sheets were ultrasonic spot welded with a Cu interlayer, where different welding vibration amplitudes were applied to study the influence on the surface and interface microstructural characteristics, phase transformation behavior and mechanical response of the joints, which aimed to enhance the joint performance by proper optimization of the process parameters. An excellent bonding interface was achieved when an optimized vibration amplitude was applied, with a recrystallized microstructure formed in the Cu foil side near the bonding interface, which helped to improve the mechanical performance of the joints. Joints made with vibration amplitude of 55 μm had an improved strength compared to the NiTi base material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic transport properties of molecular bridges constructed by C60 and B80 molecules which have the same symmetry are investigated by first principles calculations combined with a non-equilibrium Green's function technique. It is found that, like C60, monomer B80 is a good conductor arising from the charge transfer from the leads to the molecule, while the dimer (B80)2 and (C60)2 are both insulators due to the potential barrier formed at the molecule-molecule interface. Our further study shows that, although both the homogeneous dimer (B80)2 and (C60)2 display poor conductivity, the heterogeneous dimer B80C60 shows a very high conductance as a result from the decreased HOMO-LUMO gap and the excess charge redistribution. Finally, we find that the conductivity of both (B80)2 and (C60)2 can be significantly improved by electron doping, for example, by doping C in (B80)2 and doping N in (C60)2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ferroelectric properties of the BiFeO3/La0.625Ca0.375MnO3 (BFO/LCMO) heterostructures were investigated using different bottom electrode configurations at different magnetic fields and temperatures. It is found that the apparent coercive voltage (Vac) increases linearly with the increase of LCMO resistances for different electrodes, and the extrinsic relative contribution from different LCMO electrodes to the variation of Vac caused by magnetic field can be quantitatively analyzed based on the scenario of voltage drop model. The magnetic field and temperature dependences of the heterostructure coercive voltage (Vac0) obtained by subtracting the voltage drop on LCMO from Vac are closely related to the interface behaviors. These findings not only further elucidate the physics of magnetoelectric coupling in multiferroic heterostructures but also are helpful for designing artificial prototype device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In austral winter, biological productivity at the Angolan shelf reaches its maximum. The alongshore winds, however, reach their seasonal minimum suggesting that processes other than local wind-driven upwelling contribute to near-coastal cooling and upward nutrient supply, one possibility being mixing induced by internal tides (ITs). Here, we apply a three-dimensional ocean model to simulate the generation, propagation, and dissipation of ITs at the Angolan continental slope and shelf. Model results are validated against moored acoustic Doppler current profiler and other observations. Simulated ITs are mainly generated in regions with a critical/supercritical slope typically between the 200- and 500-m isobaths. Mixing induced by ITs is found to be strongest close to the coast and gradually decreases offshore thereby contributing to the establishment of cross-shore temperature gradients. The available seasonal coverage of hydrographic data is used to design simulations to investigate the influence of seasonally varying stratification characterized by low stratification in austral winter and high stratification in austral summer. The results show that IT characteristics, such as their wavelengths, sea surface convergence patterns, and baroclinic structure, have substantial seasonal variations and additionally strong spatial inhomogeneities. However, seasonal variations in the spatially averaged generation, onshore flux, and dissipation of IT energy are weak. By evaluating the change of potential energy, it is shown, nevertheless, that mixing due to ITs is more effective during austral winter. We argue that this is because the weaker background stratification in austral winter than in austral summer acts as a preconditioning for IT mixing. Plain Language Summary Tropical eastern boundary upwelling regions (e.g., on the Angolan shelf and Peruvian shelf) usually have high biological productivity. Unlike further poleward, tropical eastern boundary upwelling regions are often characterized by weak winds. Maximum biological productivity on the Angolan shelf is observed in austral winter during periods of weak winds. Therefore, other factors must contribute to the seasonality in the productivity. Mixing induced by internal tides is one of these possible factors. We have designed numerical simulations to explore the generation, propagation, and dissipation of internal tides on the Angolan continental slope and shelf. It is found that the internal tides on the Angolan shelf indeed promote the appearance of cold water at the surface near the coast. Furthermore, we explore the seasonal variations of the internal tides taking into account the seasonally varying stratification at the continental slope and shelf. The results show that seasonal variations in the tidal energy available for mixing on the shelf are weak, but mixing by the internal tides is, nonetheless, more effective when the stratification is weak during austral winter. Therefore, a stronger impact of internal tide mixing on sea surface temperature and biological productivity is suggested to occur in austral winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Diseases caused by pathogenic fungi was a major constrain in increasing productivity and improving quality of Panax notoginseng. The aim of this research was to evaluate the inhibitory activity of essential oils (EOs) from Asteraceae family, Chrysanthemum indicum and Laggera pterodonta, against pathogenic fungi of P. notoginseng. Methods and Results: The antifungal activity was investigated using multiple methods, disclosing that the EOs from C. indicum and L. pterodonta are active against hypha growth of different fungi but with different degrees of potency. Checkerboard testing indicated that the combination of EOs with hymexazol had synergistic effect against Pythium aphanidermatum, and exhibited additive effects against bulk of targeted pathogenic fungi. Besides, we found that the baseline sensitivity of Fusarium oxysporum to L. pterodonta EOs was higher than those of C. indicum by means of mycelium growth rate method. Finally, the practicability of those EOs as plant pesticide was confirmed by in vivo model showing that EOs can significantly inhibit the occurrence of root rot of P. notoginseng caused by F. oxysporum. Conclusion: Those studies suggest that the EOs from C. indicum and L. pterodonta had the potential to develop into new pollution‐free pesticides for the protection of precious Chinese herbal medicines. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study provided a new way of biological control for overcoming the frequent diseases occurrence of P. notoginseng. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We reported microwave measurements on a nanoscale MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction having an elliptical shape with large aspect ratios to obtain enough in-plane shape anisotropy to ensure free layer magnetization along the long axis. Combined with the magnetization of a synthetic antiferromagnet pinned layer along the short axis, this results in the perpendicular configuration between the magnetizations of free and pinned layers. A steady high frequency oscillation up to 5 GHz was achieved in such devices at zero magnetic field. Meanwhile, a large frequency tunability of 0.11 Hz·cm2/mA (2.67 GHz/mA) was obtained. The micromagnetic simulations confirm the origin of the high oscillation frequency of our spin transfer nano-oscillators (STNOs). These results suggest the great possibility of improved integration and potential application of STNOs for developing the next-generation of on-chip oscillators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pidotimod (PTD) is a synthetic immunomodulatory dipeptide widely used for immune regulation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of PTD on growth performance, immune function, intestinal epithelial barriers and microbiota in piglets. In total, 120 piglets with a weight of 25.26 ± 5.96 kg and genetic makeup were selected and randomly divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates per group and 10 piglets per replicate. All piglets were weighed, and from 3 piglets from each replicate (9 piglets per group) tissues were collected. Piglets were fed for 44 days basal diet alone or supplemented with 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg PTD. It was found that the PTD addition increased the average daily weight gain of piglets (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01 for dose 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively). So, for further studies only dose 50 mg/kg PTD was used. It was found that such dose decreased serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6 (P < 0.05) and interferon (IFN)-γ (P < 0.01), but increased antiinflammatory cytokine IL-10 level (P < 0.05). Transmission electron micrographs further revealed that supplementation with PTD at a dose of 50 mg/kg enhanced intercellular connectivity, characterized by longer tight junction (TJ) proteins, thicker adhesive tapes (AB) and desmosomes (D) in the jejunum. This phenomenon was validated by the up-regulated protein expression of occludin and ZO-1 in the jejunum. Furthermore, supplementation with PTD at a dose of 50 mg/kg altered the a diversity of intestinal microbiota in piglets (Observed_species, Chao1, PD_whole_tree, Ace). Particularly, the abundance of Spirochaetes, Verrucomicrobia, Succinispira and Treponema was decreased, but that of Lactobacillus and Collinsella was increased. Overall, dietary supplementation with 50 mg/kg PTD improves the growth performance of piglets by enhancing immune function, intestinal epithelial barrier and regulating microbiota composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure magnesium (Mg) develops a strong basal texture after conventional processing of hot rolling or extrusion. Consequently, it exhibits anisotropic mechanical properties and is difficult to form at room temperature. Adding appropriate alloying elements can weaken the basal texture or even change it, but the improvement in formability and mechanical properties is still far from expectations. Over the past 20 years, considerable efforts have been made and significant progress has been made on wrought Mg alloys at the fundamental and technological levels. At the fundamental level, textures formed in sheets and extrusions of different alloy compositions and produced under different strain paths or thermomechanical processing conditions are relatively well established, with the assistance of the advanced characterization technique of electron backscatter diffraction. At the technological level, room temperature formability of sheet has been significantly improved, and tension–compression yield asymmetry of extrusion is also remarkably reduced or eliminated. This paper starts with an overview of dislocations, stacking faults and twins, and deformation of single crystals of pure Mg along different orientations and under different loading conditions, followed by a review of microstructure (texture and grain size) and deformation of polycrystalline pure Mg with different textures, grain sizes, and loading conditions. With this information as a base, texture, grain size, and deformation of polycrystalline Mg alloy sheets and extrusions produced under different processing conditions are systematically examined and compared. Remaining and emerging scientific and technology issues are then highlighted and discussed in the context of texture and grain size. The need for better-resolution diffraction and spectroscopy techniques is also discussed in the relationship between texture change and grain boundary solute segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that pure transanal endoscopic surgery is safe and feasible in the treatment of rectal cancer. However, the role of pure transanal endoscopic colectomy in ascending colon cancer (ACC) treatment has not been evaluated. We report a case of transanal endoscopic surgery for ACC. Methods: A 35-year-old woman was treated for ACC, using a transanal endoscopic surgery device as the operation platform, and pure transanal endoscopic right hemicolectomy without transabdominal assistance was safely performed. An instrument suture, side-to-side, ileocolic anastomosis was performed. Operative time was 245 min and intraoperative blood loss was 60 ml. Results: The patient recovered well from the surgery. Compared with the traditional approach, this approach was less invasive and resulted in satisfactory outcomes and cosmesis (no scar). Conclusions: Application of pure transanal endoscopic colectomy without abdominal assistance to ACC appears to be feasible and safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In honeybee (Apis mellifera), odorant receptors (Ors) play a crucial role in special recognition of sex pheromones in honeybee mating activities. Four candidate sex pheromone Ors (AmOr10, AmOr11, AmOr18 and AmOr170) have been identified and found to be preferentially expressed in drone antennae. However, few studies have investigated the regulation of these four drone Ors on drone mating behaviour. This study characterised the expression patterns of these Ors across different sexual developmental stages (immature and sexually mature) and different physiological statuses (flying and crawling), using both the antennae and brains of drones. qRT-PCR results indicated that the expression of four Ors were not significantly different in drone antennae between flying and crawling statuses at immature stage. However, all four Ors expression levels in brains of flying drones were significantly higher than those of crawling drones at mature stage. Moreover, only the expression level of Or170 was significantly higher in antennae of mature flying drones than crawling ones. Therefore, this study demonstrated a link between four candidate sex pheromone Ors transcriptional expression in the brains of honeybee drones and behaviour associated with sexual maturity and mating flight. In addition, Or170 might be involved in the maturation of honeybee drones’ olfactory system, and in the organisation of odour-mediated mating behaviours [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lithospheric mantle structure of the Antarctic continent is of great significance of studying the polymerization and fragmentation mechanism of Gondwana and the plate movement law. Long-period magnetotelluric (LMT) is an important method to study the electrical structure of earth crust and mantle. However, been limited by the bad natural environment and logistics supply difficulties, there is no LMT record of Antarctica before. In 2018, China's 34th Antarctic scientific expedition carried out the LMT survey at the eastern edge of the Antarctic continent with a frequency range of 0.00015 Hz to 0.1 Hz. After the processing and analysis, we get three points as fellow: (1) The lithospheric mantle of Antarctica has a three-dimensional resistivity structure; (2) There are low resistivity regions in the Antarctic mantle, which may be related to thermal activity. (3) It is possible to carry out LMT measurements in eastern Antarctic and more can be done in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, under the background of government policy and the development of social economy, land use in hilly region of central Sichuan has changed drastically. Especially the Changzhi soil erosion control project that has been carried out since 1989 and the policy of converting from farm land to forest which has been carried out after flooding disaster in 1998, have seriously affected the land use in hilly region of central Sichuan between 1989 and 2009. In order to detect these changes and acquire the land use information, this study was conducted in Lizixi basin which is the typical area in hilly region of central Sichuan. Supervised classification was applied to the processing procedure of TM, SPOT data in 1989, 1999 and Rapideye data in 2009. The results were further improved by visual interpretation. The overall classification accuracy reaches 88.33% and the kappa is 0.8350. The elevation was classified into five grades to detect the land use distribution in different elevation gradients in 2009. Post-classification comparisons of the classified images indicated that the major change consists that the cultivated land is decreasing and forest is increasing. The force factor of these changes may be the policy of converting from farmland to forest. Because of the labor shortage, 53.29% of the decreased cultivated land has changed to abandoned arable land which is covered by lush grass and mainly distribute on the halfway up to the hill. The urban area has enlarged 7 times due to the large number of migrants from rural to urban. Overall these changes reflect the regional policies and human activities are the major and important force factors of changes in the hilly region of central Sichuan during last two decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

9-Oxo-2-decenoic acid (9-ODA, the predominant component of honeybee queen mandibular pheromones) acts as a sex pheromone attracting drones during mating flights in midair. Odorant receptor 11 (Or11), which is located on the membrane of antennal olfaction receptor neurons in bees, can specifically recognize 9-ODA. At present, the molecular pathway of honeybee drones responding to 9-ODA is still unclear. Studies have demonstrated that 9-ODA could downregulate the expression of Krüppel-homolog1 (Kr-h1, a transcription factor related to the regulation of reproduction and division of labor mediated by juvenile hormone) gene in the mushroom of honeybee brain. We speculate that Kr-h1 may be the downstream gene of Or11, which is involved in the pathway of drones responding to 9-ODA. Therefore, we analyzed the influence of 9-ODA on the expression of Or11 and Kr-h1 in the antennae of sexually immature (4 days) and mature (14 days) male honeybees (Apis mellifera) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The results demonstrated that 9-ODA significantly downregulated the expression of Or11 and Kr-h1 in the antennae of sexually immature and mature drones. Additionally, siRNA-Or11 was injected into the antennae and brain tissues of 8-day-old drone pupae, and the expression patterns of Or11, Kr-h1 and Broad-Complex (Br–c, downstream gene of Kr-h1) were determined by qPCR at 72 h. The RNAi-induced knockdown of Or11 significantly decreased the expression of Or11, Kr-h1 and Br–c in the antennae and brains of drones. This study suggests that the transcription factor Kr-h1 is downstream of Or11, Kr-h1, which may play an important role in the signal transduction process of drones responding to 9-ODA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hypertension is a global public issue, and sleep status was regarded as its risk factor; however, the results were inconsistent. This study aims to deeply investigate the correlation between sleep status and hypertension. Methods: The electronic databases Cochrane Library, Pubmed, and Embase updated to May 31, 2019, were retrieved. Studies were selected according to the predefined screening criteria, and their qualities were assessed by using quality check scales. Based on Stata 15.1 software, the associations between sleep status and hypertension were analyzed by meta-analyses, using odds ratio and 95% confidence interval as effect indexes. Furthermore, publication bias and small study bias were evaluated using Begg and Egger's test. In addition, sensitivity analysis was conducted through ignoring one study per time and then observing its influences on the pooled results. Results: A total of 54 studies (involving 1,074,207 subjects) were eligible for this meta-analysis. Six factors were included in this study. Raised blood pressure was associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), oxygen desaturation index (ODI), short sleep duration, and long sleep duration. The differences in ≤ 5 h, 6 h, ≥ 9 h, and 10 h groups had statistical significances, while there was no significant difference in ≥ 8 h group. Snoring is a risk factor of hypertension (OR = 1.94, 95%CI 1.41–2.67). Subgroup analysis was conducted and results were varied. Conclusions: The hypertension risk might be reduced by treated OSA, ODI, and snoring, as well as appropriate sleep duration. More studies with large sample sizes and high qualities should be included to support the findings further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial data from the Formosa Satellite‐7/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2, hereafter C2), a recently launched equatorial constellation of six satellites carrying advanced radio occultation receivers, exhibit high signal‐to‐noise ratio, precision, and accuracy, and the ability to provide high vertical resolution profiles of bending angles and refractivity, which contain information on temperature and water vapor in the challenging tropical atmosphere. After an initial calibration/validation phase, over 100,000 soundings of bending angles and refractivity that passed quality control in October 2019 are compared with independent data, including radiosondes, model forecasts, and analyses. The comparisons show that C2 data meet expectations of high accuracy, precision, and capability to detect superrefraction. When fully operational, the C2 satellites are expected to produce ~5,000 soundings per day, providing freely available observations that will enable improved forecasts of weather, including tropical cyclones, and weather, space weather, and climate research. Plain Language Summary: This paper describes an initial quality assessment of satellite observations from a recently launched (25 June 2019) constellation of six satellites that orbit Earth over the tropics. The approximately 5,000 vertical profiles per day, obtained using a relatively new technique called radio occultation, provide information of unprecedented quality on the temperature and water vapor in the tropics. These observations, which are freely available to forecasters and researchers worldwide, will be useful in improving forecasts of weather, including tropical cyclones, and supporting weather and climate research. Key Points: First operational tropical constellation of radio occultation (RO) satellites is collecting atmospheric bending angles and refractivity profiles of unprecedented qualitySix advanced Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) RO receivers provide up to 5,000 high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) profiles per day in the tropicsFirst publicly available RO data from GLONASS (GLObal Navigation Satellite System) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial data from the Formosa Satellite‐7/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2, hereafter C2), a recently launched equatorial constellation of six satellites carrying advanced radio occultation receivers, exhibit high signal‐to‐noise ratio, precision, and accuracy, and the ability to provide high vertical resolution profiles of bending angles and refractivity, which contain information on temperature and water vapor in the challenging tropical atmosphere. After an initial calibration/validation phase, over 100,000 soundings of bending angles and refractivity that passed quality control in October 2019 are compared with independent data, including radiosondes, model forecasts, and analyses. The comparisons show that C2 data meet expectations of high accuracy, precision, and capability to detect superrefraction. When fully operational, the C2 satellites are expected to produce ~5,000 soundings per day, providing freely available observations that will enable improved forecasts of weather, including tropical cyclones, and weather, space weather, and climate research. Plain Language Summary: This paper describes an initial quality assessment of satellite observations from a recently launched (25 June 2019) constellation of six satellites that orbit Earth over the tropics. The approximately 5,000 vertical profiles per day, obtained using a relatively new technique called radio occultation, provide information of unprecedented quality on the temperature and water vapor in the tropics. These observations, which are freely available to forecasters and researchers worldwide, will be useful in improving forecasts of weather, including tropical cyclones, and supporting weather and climate research. Key Points: First operational tropical constellation of radio occultation (RO) satellites is collecting atmospheric bending angles and refractivity profiles of unprecedented qualitySix advanced Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) RO receivers provide up to 5,000 high signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) profiles per day in the tropicsFirst publicly available RO data from GLONASS (GLObal Navigation Satellite System) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic transport properties of carbon dumbbells, a new type of carbon hybrid nanostructures formed by connecting carbon atomic chains to two fullerenes C60, are investigated by using nonequilibrium Green's functions in combination with the density-functional theory. Specifically, the transport properties as a function of the carbon chain length n are examined. An obvious metal-insulator-like oscillation has been achieved with the increase of the carbon chain length. When n is even, the device behaves as a metal. In contrast, when n is odd, it behaves as an insulator. It is quite different to the carbon chains directly sandwiched between metallic leads where the low conductance states are observed for even n while the high conductance states are observed for odd n. Such a difference arises from the screening effect of C60s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic structure and lattice dynamical properties of solid methane under high pressure have been studied based on density functional theory. We identify a cubic structure with space group of I[formula]3m below 14 GPa, the Pmn21 structure in the range of 14-21 GPa, and the P21/c structure from 21 to 65 GPa. Our obtained Raman spectra of the P21/c structure agree well with the typical Raman active modes in the available experimental data. At 65 GPa, methane undergoes a phase transition from P21/c to Pnma. The structures with P21/c and Pnma symmetries are insulating, and under any pressure studied methane always remains in molecular form. For Pnma phase, the orientational ordering of CH4 molecules varies significantly at 79, 88, and 92 GPa, and by further increasing pressure the rotation of the molecules freezes and orientational ordering remains unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tuning effects of substitutional B and N dopings on the electron transport properties of a C60 dimer bridge [(C60)2] are investigated by nonequilibrium Green's functions in combination with density functional theory. It is found that, unlike C60, the equilibrium conductance of (C60)2 is very small. However, it can be controlled by electron (N) doping or hole (B) doping, which shifts the molecular energy levels so that the LUMOs or HOMOs align well with the Fermi level and results in LUMO-mediated transport or HOMO-mediated transport. The conductance increases accordingly with a certain number of N or B atoms doped in the C60s. Interestingly, when one C60 is doped with N atoms and the other is doped with B atoms, new transport behaviors arise and rectification is achieved due to the special alignment of the energy levels of the individual C60s with the Fermi level. It suggests that cluster or molecule assembling can often realize specific functions which are not available by single molecules and should be taken into consideration in the design of molecular devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barrier shapes and its detailed microstructures in the double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions were intensively investigated by both high resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron holography. Two broad (>2 nm) potential wells (i.e., shapes of AlOx layers) with slanted interfaces were observed in the electron hologram of the as-deposited samples. However, in the hologram of the annealed samples, two narrowed (down to 1.18 nm) and almost equal (height) potential wells with sharp and steep interfaces were acquired. This indicates that the value of tunnel magnetoresistance can be increased from 12.8% to 29.4% at room temperature by annealing treatment where the sharpness and height of the barriers played a critical role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural and electronic properties of AumAgn binary clusters (2≤=m+n≤=8) have been investigated by density functional theory with relativistic effective core potentials. The results indicate that Au atoms tend to occupy the surface of AumAgn clusters (n>=2 and m>=2). As a result, segregation of small or big bimetallic clusters can be explained according to the atomic mass. The binding energies of the most stable AumAgn clusters increase with increasing m+n. The vertical ionization potentials of the most stable AumAgn clusters show odd-even oscillations with changing m+n. The possible dissociation channels of the clusters considered are also discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]