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3D indoor mapping is becoming increasingly critical for a variety of applications such as path planning and navigation for robots. In recent years, there is a growing interest in how low-cost sensors, such as monocular or depth cameras, can be used for 3D mapping. In our paper, we present an octree-based approach for real-time 3D indoor mapping using a handheld RGB depth camera. One benefit of the generated octree map is that it requires less storage and computational resources than point cloud models. Moreover, it explicitly represents free space and unmapped areas, which are essential for the robot's navigation tasks. In this work, on the basis of the ORB-SLAM3 system (Campos et al., 2021), we developed an octree mapping system, which directly calls the keyframes and estimated poses provided by ORB-SLAM3 algorithms. Furthermore, we used point cloud library (PCL) for the dense point cloud mapping and then OctoMap for the point cloud to octree map conversion. Finally, we implemented an efficient probabilistic 3D mapping in the robot operating system (ROS) environment. We used the TUM RGB-D dataset to evaluate the estimated trajectories of the camera. The evaluation shows an average translational RMSE of 5.9 cm on the TUM RGB-D dataset. Besides, we also compared the ground truth point clouds and our generated point clouds. The result shows the mean cloud-to-cloud distance in the corridor scene is about 6 cm. All the evaluation results show our proposed approach is a promising solution for advanced indoor voxel mapping and robotic navigation systems.

Carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite has been increasingly used in constructions, which is subjected to external loads that cause severe nonlinear vibrations and final structural failure. In this work, a machine learning approach is adopted to investigate nonlinear vibrations of CFRP composite. A dataset about nonlinear frequency ratios of CFRP composite under different load levels, sizes, and boundary conditions is established, which is used to train prediction model. Using developed model, attribute importance of nonlinear vibration and nonlinear frequency ratios under various conditions are investigated. The finding of this work contributes to predicting long-term vibration properties of CFRP composite., Paper 77

The use of multi-branch architectures in off-the-shelf light-weight residual series neural networks can significantly improve their performance in remote sensing scene classification tasks. However, such architectures come at the expense of an increased number of parameters and calculations. In this paper, we propose the Decoupling Multi-branch Pointwise Convolutions (DMPConv), which works without a corresponding increase in parameters and calculations during inferencing, and at the same time, can maintain the same performance improvement ability as the multi-branch architectures. DMPConv can be decoupled into two states, the training-time DMPConv and the inferencing-time DMPConv. The training-time DMPConv enhances the expressivity of the network by using weighted multi-branch 1×1 convolutions. After training, we use structural reconstruction to convert the training-time DMPConv to the inferencing-time DMPConv, which has the same form as vanilla 1×1 convolution, so as to realize the inferencing-free. Extensive experiments were conducted on multiple remote sensing scene classification benchmarks, including Aerial Image data set and NWPU-RESISC45 data set to demonstrate the superiority of DMPConv.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) was designed to conduct a survey covering 14,000 deg$^2$ over five years to constrain the cosmic expansion history through precise measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO). The scientific program for DESI was evaluated during a five month Survey Validation (SV) campaign before beginning full operations. This program produced deep spectra of tens of thousands of objects from each of the stellar (MWS), bright galaxy (BGS), luminous red galaxy (LRG), emission line galaxy (ELG), and quasar target classes. These SV spectra were used to optimize redshift distributions, characterize exposure times, determine calibration procedures, and assess observational overheads for the five-year program. In this paper, we present the final target selection algorithms, redshift distributions, and projected cosmology constraints resulting from those studies. We also present a `One-Percent survey' conducted at the conclusion of Survey Validation covering 140 deg$^2$ using the final target selection algorithms with exposures of a depth typical of the main survey. The Survey Validation indicates that DESI will be able to complete the full 14,000 deg$^2$ program with spectroscopically-confirmed targets from the MWS, BGS, LRG, ELG, and quasar programs with total sample sizes of 7.2, 13.8, 7.46, 15.7, and 2.87 million, respectively. These samples will allow exploration of the Milky Way halo, clustering on all scales, and BAO measurements with a statistical precision of 0.28% over the redshift interval $z, Comment: 42 pages, 16 figures, submitted to AJ

The recent report of pressure-induced structure transition and signature of superconductivity with Tc = 80 K above 14 GPa in the La3Ni2O7 crystals has garnered considerable attention. To further elaborate this discovery, we carried out comprehensive resistance measurements on the La3Ni2O7 crystals grown with the optical-image floating zone furnace under oxygen pressure (15 bar) by using the diamond anvil cell (DAC) and cubic anvil cell (CAC), which employs the solid and liquid pressure transmitting medium, respectively. For the sample #1 measured in DAC, it exhibits a semiconducting-like behavior with large resistance at low pressures and becomes metallic gradually upon compression. At the pressures P >= 13.7 GPa, we observed the appearance of resistance drop as large as ~50% around 70 K, which evolves into a kink-like anomaly at pressures above 40 GPa and shifts to lower temperatures gradually with increasing magnetic field. These observations are consistent with the recent report mentioned above. On the other hand, the sample #2 measured in CAC retains the metallic behavior in the investigated pressure range up to 15 GPa. The hump-like anomaly in resistance around ~130 K at ambient pressure disappears at P >= 2 GPa. In the pressure range from 11 to 15 GPa, we observed the gradual development of a shoulder-like anomaly in resistance at low temperatures, which evolves into a pronounced drop of resistance by 98% below 62 K at 15 GPa, reaching a temperature-independent resistance of 20 uOhm below 20 K. Similarly, this resistance anomaly can be shifted to lower temperatures progressively by applying external magnetic fields, resembling a typical superconducting transition., 4 Figures

Wetlands are important ecosystems on the planet, undertaking a large number of functions in water regulation, climate mediation and maintaining ecological balance. However, social development and changes in natural conditions have severely affected the Ecosystem Service Value (ESV) of wetlands. Identifying and assessing the drivers of ESV change is important for sustainable social development and human well-being. This study selects the Yellow River Delta as a case study, which is the most extensive, ideal and youngest wetland ecosystem in the warm temperate region of the world, and is an important area for studying wetland ecosystems. This paper first uses a deep learning approach (CNN) to classify the land use of the Yellow River Delta and then obtains the changes in various ESV in the Yellow River Delta through ecological economics methods. The LDMI method is then used to analyze the influence of selected factors such as population, industrial development, local rainfall, upstream water use and ecological recharge projects on the changes in ESV in the Yellow River Delta. Finally, this study discusses the current problems in water management and possible directions for future improvement. This study aims to provide a scientific reference for the study of the factors influencing similar wetlands and the future management of water resources., The 28th IUGG General Assembly (IUGG2023) (Berlin 2023)

Decoration with feather was a universal phenomenon in human history. Objects decorated with feathers were regarded as fine artworks and hence were enormously prized. In ancient China, dotting a surface with kingfisher-feather blue was the most famous, complex and delicate feather decoration technique, called diancui. Although various ancient diancui artworks appear in many museums around the world and some researches have achieved significant results on the history, technique and conservation of diancui, but some key historical details are still not clear. In this research, by the opportunity of restoration, an important collection of the Palace Museum - the “Feather Decoration Hanging Screen with Birds and Flowers Pattern” was rounded analyzed by various scientific technologies. This object is a Chinese royal artwork of Qing dynasty (17th-18th century), decorated with kingfisher and several other bird’s feathers, and present the highest level of this period. As a typical and valuable case, the result provides important clues for solving unclear questions for related academic field.

The purpose of this study is to build a relatively complete human walking kinematic model. This model is combined with the rolling-foot model (lower limb) and multi-rod swinging model (upper limb) connected by COM. We calculated the velocity of COM and other critical joints of the upper limb by marker point capture experiment using the high-speed camera. This research shows that the hand joint velocity measured through the experiment can achieve high coincidence with that calculated by the theoretical model given specific inputs. Moreover, the common pattern of upper limb angles is also studied for an accurate description. The proposed kinematic model is expected to forecast desired motion intention for better compliance by the rehabilitation and assistive robots.

Safety parameters determined using modern codes have a direct impact from nuclear data uncertainties. Evaluation of these uncertainties will lead to a better understanding of their impact on reactor core design and identification of the design safety limits. In this study, “Best Estimate Plus Uncertainty” approach is applied to LFR to propagate nuclear data uncertainties through multiple scales of core modelling. Nuclear Data library ENDF/B-VII.0 with variance-covariance library COMMARA-2.0 is used in this work. For steady state, uncertainties are propagated to selected neutron feedback coefficients using perturbation theory code PERSENT. The evaluated response parameters include Doppler coefficient, core radial expansion coefficient, and fuel/coolant/structure density worth coefficients. Main contributors of uncertainty were traced back to a number of common nuclide reaction pairs including U-238 inelastic, U-238 gamma, Pu-239 gamma, etc. The nuclear data uncertainty was then propagated through transient safety analysis for evaluating core safety performance. This is accomplished by modelling the reactor system in Mini SAS coupled with DAKOTA for uncertainty quantification based on stochastic sampling approach.

Background: The utility of extracellular vesicle long RNAs (exLRs) as noninvasive biomarkers in breast cancer remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential of exLRs as clinically actionable biomarkers for breast cancer diagnosis, classification, and neoadjuvant therapy efficacy prediction. Methods: One hundred and seventy-two participants, including 112 breast cancer patients, 19 benign patients and 41 healthy controls, were enrolled in this case-control study. The exLR profile of the plasma samples was analyzed by exLR sequencing. The d-signature was identified using a support vector machine algorithm with a training cohort (n=120) and was validated using an internal validation cohort (n=52). Treatment efficacy prediction was conducted with 48 patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Results: We constructed a breast cancer diagnostic signature that showed high accuracy with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.960 in the training cohort and 0.900 in the validation cohort. The signature was able to identify early stage BC (I/II) with an AUC of 0.940. Integrating the signature could increase the diagnosis accuracy by up to 91.9% for breast cancer patients with the corresponding predictive results based on the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System classification of 4 or 5. Moreover, the exLRs could provide a strong indication of the breast cancer subtypes, and exMSMO1 is employable as a predictive biomarker in response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Conclusions: This study demonstrated the value of exLR profiling to provide potential biomarkers for early detection and treatment efficacy prediction of breast cancer.

The efficacy of ustekinumab, an antagonist of the p40 subunit of interleukin-12 and interleukin-23, as induction and maintenance therapy in patients with ulcerative colitis is unknown.We evaluated ustekinumab as 8-week induction therapy and 44-week maintenance therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. A total of 961 patients were randomly assigned to receive an intravenous induction dose of ustekinumab (either 130 mg [320 patients] or a weight-range-based dose that approximated 6 mg per kilogram of body weight [322]) or placebo (319). Patients who had a response to induction therapy 8 weeks after administration of intravenous ustekinumab were randomly assigned again to receive subcutaneous maintenance injections of 90 mg of ustekinumab (either every 12 weeks [172 patients] or every 8 weeks [176]) or placebo (175). The primary end point in the induction trial (week 8) and the maintenance trial (week 44) was clinical remission (defined as a total score of ≤2 on the Mayo scale [range, 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating more severe disease] and no subscore1 [range, 0 to 3] on any of the four Mayo scale components).The percentage of patients who had clinical remission at week 8 among patients who received intravenous ustekinumab at a dose of 130 mg (15.6%) or 6 mg per kilogram (15.5%) was significantly higher than that among patients who received placebo (5.3%) (P0.001 for both comparisons). Among patients who had a response to induction therapy with ustekinumab and underwent a second randomization, the percentage of patients who had clinical remission at week 44 was significantly higher among patients assigned to 90 mg of subcutaneous ustekinumab every 12 weeks (38.4%) or every 8 weeks (43.8%) than among those assigned to placebo (24.0%) (P = 0.002 and P0.001, respectively). The incidence of serious adverse events with ustekinumab was similar to that with placebo. Through 52 weeks of exposure, there were two deaths (one each from acute respiratory distress syndrome and hemorrhage from esophageal varices) and seven cases of cancer (one each of prostate, colon, renal papillary, and rectal cancer and three nonmelanoma skin cancers) among 825 patients who received ustekinumab and no deaths and one case of cancer (testicular cancer) among 319 patients who received placebo.Ustekinumab was more effective than placebo for inducing and maintaining remission in patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. (Funded by Janssen Research and Development; UNIFI ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02407236.).

Background: The built environment (BE) has been proved to be the factors affecting physical activity(PA) and health level of residents. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of BE with PA and health of Chinese women living in Lianhu District, Xi 'an. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 202 Chinese women aged 15-69 years old. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire-long version (IPAQ-L) was used to evaluate PA. BE was measured by the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale - Abbreviated (NEWS-A). General linear regression models were created to assess the relationship among BE, PA and health related variables, including body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BFP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure(DBP). All the models were controlled for age. Results: Transportation PA were negatively associated with residential density( P 0.05). In the High-PA group, traffic safety was positively correlated with BFP ( P 0.05). Conclusion: The results suggest BE is related to the level of PA and health of Chinese women in living in Xi’an. Higher residential density was negatively associated with transportation PA and BMI, while traffic safety is positively correlated with BFP. The associations between BE and health were mixed in different PA groups. Further research is necessary to dig out the exact impact of BE on PA and health in this population.

Background Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) are required for many patients. No recent studies that concentrate on the costs for each of the payment items both for TKA and THA when comparing simultaneous bilateral procedures with staged arthroplasty. This study aimed to evaluate the medical costs, length of stay(LOS), blood transfusion, and in-hospital complications in patients undergoing simultaneous TKA or THA and staged TKA or THA. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted by analyzing 1,579 patients from a single institution. All patients who underwent primary bilateral TKA or THA from 2013 to 2018 were divided into simultaneous bilateral and staged bilateral groups. These two sub-groups were compared between three groups(TKA, THA, and pooled groups). Results All categories of medical costs, except for materials fees which were higher in the simultaneous bilateral THA and pooled groups but with no statistical significance, were lower in the simultaneous TKA, THA and pooled simultaneous groups. The total average medical costs in simultaneous and staged bilateral TKA groups were $15,535.621($12,362.542,$16,450.131)and $16,747.192($14,670.273, $18,036.289), (p

Background Residual alveolar bone volume is a critical factor for the dental implants’ survival [1]. When the volume of alveolar bone in the posterior maxillary region is less than 4mm, the maxillary sinus floor elevation (MSFE) with lateral approach is an effective way to solve this problem [2]. Traditionally, this standard approach is usually delivered 4 months after the extraction of the tooth. However, the defective dentition due to the extraction would cause impaired masticatory function during the long period of the bone regeneration, especially when molars on both sides are severely periodontal compromised and need to be extracted. So, as periodontists, we start to wonder if we can maintain a compromised tooth so that we perform the sinus floor elevation before the extraction (the modified MSFE) to take fully advantage of residual strength of the teeth. Methods/Design The proposed study is designed as a prospective single-center, split-mouth design, randomized controlled trial. We plan to recruit 10 patients whose molars on both sides are severely periodontal compromised and in need of dental implant treatment in the atrophied posterior maxilla. The two sides of each patients will be divided into two groups randomly using Randomizer for Clinical Trials (Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical Univ. Graz). Test group: sinus floor augmentation before tooth extraction (the modified MSFE); Control group: sinus floor augmentation after tooth extraction (the standard MSFE). Implant survival rates, mucosal conditions around the implants, complications, treatment time and postoperative discomfort (visual analogue scale for intraoperative pain and postoperative pain/discomfort) will be recorded. The volume of the alveolar bone will be measured 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the MSFE surgery by means of CBCT. Histological and histomorphometic analysis will be performed on biopsies retrieved from both side of grafting sites. Discussion The current study will explore the effectiveness of the modified MSFE on minimizing the discomfort period caused by defected dentition. To determine whether the modified MSFE will promote the grafting outcomes, the quality and the quantity of the osteogenesis on the sinus floor will also be compared. Depending on the result of the current study, we will determine all the protocols and details about the modified MSFE, including indications, detailed methods, post-operational complications and managements.

Background: To investigate the frequency of rectal tenesmus in urolithiasis patients presented with renal colic, and describe the clinical characteristics of these patients. Methods: A retrospective study across three large hospitals in Guangzhou was conducted, and all Emergency Department (ED) visits with renal colic during 2016 were included. Finally a total of 4758 patients were enrolled, and we collected then analyzed their medical histories, including general information, characteristics of renal colic, accompanying symptoms, as well as the signs, the typical examination results and the therapeutic effects. Results: The frequency of tenesmus in the patients with renal colic was 72.5%, higher than urinary irritation symptoms (23.4%) and the upper gastrointestinal symptoms (54.9%). Patients with tenesmus tended to suffer from renal colic during morning time (0:00-12:00) and at sleep or rest status. Higher likelihood of stones located in lower ureter (p

Sutherlandia frutescens(S. frutescens) has been traditionally used as an herbal medicine to ameliorate symptoms associated with cancer, infectious diseases, as well as inflammation. The objective of this investigation was to explore the impact of S. frutescenson the expression of genes in a murine macrophage cell line (i.e., RAW 264.7). We found that treatment with an ethanolic-extract of S. frutescens(SFE) 1 h prior to the stimulation with LPS and IFNγ for 24 h significantly affected the expression of 715 genes in RAW 264.7 cells. When the post-stimulation period was shortened to 8 h, the number of genes that were significantly impacted by SFE diminished to 50. Pathway analysis revealed that inflammatory signaling pathways, such as NF-κB, MAPK, and TNF, as well as signaling pathways associated with immune-related responses, were inhibited by SFE treatment. These findings are consistent with previously reported anti-inflammatory activity of SFE and enable better understanding of the immune-modulating properties of this botanical. To our knowledge, this represents the first report on the impact of S. frutescenson global gene expression in an immune cell population.

Current deep learning methods for action recognition rely heavily on large scale labeled video datasets. Manually annotating video datasets is laborious and may introduce unexpected bias to train complex deep models for learning video representation. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised deep learning method which employs unlabeled local spatial-temporal volumes extracted from action videos to learn midlevel video representation for action recognition. Specifically, our method simultaneously discovers mid-level semantic concepts by discriminative clustering and optimizes local spatial-temporal features by two relatively small and simple deep neural networks. The clustering generates semantic visual concepts that guide the training of the deep networks, and the networks in turn guarantee the robustness of the semantic concepts. Experiments on the HMDB51 and the UCF101 datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method, even over several supervised learning methods.

© 2017 American Chemical Society. In this work, spatial patterning of a thin, dense, zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) pattern was generated using photolithography and nanoscale (60 nm) dopamine coating. A bioinspired, unique, reversible, two-color iridescent pattern can be easily obtained for potential applications in sensing and photonics.

Compared with the burgeoning literature on social media use in business organisations, few studies have investigated how social media can aid non-profit organisations such as universities to achieve engagement objectives. Engagement and community building are important for universities in the context of student recruitment, retention, and satisfaction, as well as staff relations and public relations. To advance understanding of this under-studied area, this research examined the use of social media in a New Zealand university. Based on in-depth interviews and content analysis, this study explored the reported tension between the interactive participatory culture of social media and the promotional use for one-way information transmission and persuasion – in short, the shift from passive spectatorship to active co-production. Given the young and social media-savvy nature of universities’ key audience – students – this analysis argues that social media can play a facilitative role in university engagement and community building, but that a participatory co-production approach must be used rather than running social media as a ‘spectator sport’ platform for all but professional content production.

PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of prophylactic laparoscopic appendectomy in obese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective study was performed in obese patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) along (66 patients, TLH group) or in combination (55 patients, THL+LA group) with laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) between 2007 and 2012. Operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative exhaust time, analgesic use, and the incidence of major complications, hospital stay and cost of hospitalization were compared. RESULTS The operation time was longer in THL+LA group than in TLH group (p < 0.05), while the intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative exhaust time, postoperative morbidity, the incidence of major postoperative complications, and hospitalization time were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION It is safe and feasible for obese patients to undergo simultaneous LA and prophylactic appendectomy, and the combined procedure does not increase the risk of infection of hysterectomy and avoids reoperation of patients due to the recurrence of appendicitis.

To compare the effect of intravitreal bevacizumab vs intravitreal triamcinolone for the treatment of non-ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).The comparative nonrandomized retrospective clinical interventional study included 72 patients with non-ischaemic CRVO, divided into a bevacizumab group of 30 patients (1.25 mg bevacizumab) and a triamcinolone group of 42 patients (4.0 mg triamcinolone). All patients were consecutively included. At baseline, both study groups did not vary significantly in visual acuity, macular thickness, and duration of symptoms (191+/-300 days vs 222+/-256 days). The minimal follow-up was 3 months (mean: 7.8+/-4.3 months; range: 3-12 months). During follow-up, 1.3+/-0.4 re-injections of the triamcinolone group (range:1-2 injections) and 2.7+/-1.8 re-injections of bevacizumab (range:1-6 injections) were administered.In both study groups, the mean visual acuity increased significantly (P0.001) from baseline during follow-up. The differences in gain in visual acuity were not statistically significant (P0.40) between both study groups at any time during follow-up. The mean macular thickness decreased significantly (P0.001) in both study groups, with the reduction being significantly (P=0.006) more pronounced in the triamcinolone group. Intraocular pressure increased significantly (P0.001) in the triamcinolone group.In long-standing non-ischaemic CRVO, intravitreal bevacizumab and intravitreal triamcinolone are both associated with a comparable gain in visual acuity. The reduction in macular oedema was more marked in the triamcinolone group. In view of the potential complications of intravitreal triamcinolone in terms of intraocular pressure rise and cataractogenesis, bevacizumab may be preferred compared with triamcinolone for intravitreal use in non-ischaemic CRVO.

We report on searching for Classical B-type emission-line (CBe) stars from the first data release (DR1) of the Large Sky Area Multi-Object fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST; also named the Guoshoujing Telescope). A total of 192 (12 known CBes) objects were identified as CBe candidates with prominent He~I~$\lambda4387$, He~I~$\lambda4471$, and Mg~II~$\lambda4481$ absorption lines, as well as H$\beta$~$\lambda4861$ and H$\alpha$~$\lambda6563$ emission lines. These candidates significantly increases current CBe sample of about 8\%. Most of the CBe candidates are distributed at the Galactic Anti-Center due to the LAMOST observing strategy. Only two of CBes are in the star clusters with ages of 15.8 and 398~Myr, respectively., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, accepted by RAA

We use the Herschel SPIRE color-color diagram to study the spectral energy distribution (SED) and the redshift estimation of high-z galaxies. We compiled a sample of 57 galaxies with spectroscopically confirmed redshifts and SPIRE detections in all three bands at $z=2.5-6.4$, and compared their average SPIRE colors with SED templates from local and high-z libraries. We find that local SEDs are inconsistent with high-z observations. The local calibrations of the parameters need to be adjusted to describe the average colors of high-z galaxies. For high-z libraries, the templates with an evolution from z=0 to 3 can well describe the average colors of the observations at high redshift. Using these templates, we defined color cuts to divide the SPIRE color-color diagram into different regions with different mean redshifts. We tested this method and two other color cut methods using a large sample of 783 Herschel-selected galaxies, and find that although these methods can separate the sample into populations with different mean redshifts, the dispersion of redshifts in each population is considerably large. Additional information is needed for better sampling., 17 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

To determine if carcinogenic events in vulvar skin precede the onset of morphologic atypia, the authors investigated for derangements in DNA content, cell proliferation, and cell death in vulvar carcinomas and surrounding skin in 140 samples of tumor and surrounding skin collected from 35 consecutive vulvectomy specimen for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) 3. Vulvar non-cancer excisions were used as controls. Investigations consisted of histologic classification and measurement of 9 variables--epidermal thickness (acanthosis and rete ridge length), immunolabeling index (LI) for 3 proteins (p53 protein, Ki-67, and mdm-2), pattern of p53 expression (dispersed vs. compact), DNA content index, and presence of aneuploidy by image analysis and apoptotic rate by Apotag labeling. Significant positive correlations were found for all nine variables studied versus increasing histologic severity in two proposed histologic stepwise models of vulvar carcinogenesis (lichen sclerosus (LS) and VIN 3 undifferentiated associated SCC groups). High p53 LI (>25) and the compact pattern of p53 expression (suspected oncoprotein) significantly correlated with LS and its associated vulvar samples compared with samples not associated with LS (P < or = 0.001). Furthermore, p53 LI, mdm-2 LI, and pattern of p53 expression were concordant between patient matched samples of LS and SCC. In addition, mdm-2 LI significantly correlated with dispersed pattern p53 LI suggesting a response to wild-type p53 protein accumulation. These findings support the hypothesis that neoplastic transformation occurs in sequential steps and compromises proteins involved in the cell cycle control. Concordance of p53 and mdm-2 protein expression in LS and adjacent SCC provides evidence that LS can act as a precursor lesion in the absence of morphologic atypia. Overexpression of mdm-2 with stabilization and inactivation of p53 protein may provide an alternate pathway for vulvar carcinogenesis.

Runoff samples of the Shanghai elevated inner highway were collected and analyzed during the rainy season of 2012 to investigate the pollution characteristics of 16 USEPA priority pollutant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total PAHs concentrations ranged from 1.585 to 7.523 microg.L-1. The sources of PAHs in the runoff were determined by using 2 source apportionment models, positive matrix factorization (PMF) and principal component analysis with multivariate linear regression (PCA/ MLR). Source profiles and contributions obtained from the two models were comparable. For PMF, PAHs mainly came from vehicle emissions (37. 7% ), followed by petroleum products (21. 9% ) , combustive gas (26. 4%), and other sources (14.0% ). As for PCA/MLR, it was 44. 3% , 28.9% , 18. 3% , 8.5% , respectively. The relation between the modeled total PAH concentrations and the measured concentrations was strong, with the correlation coefficient of 0. 961 for PMF and 0. 997 for PCA/MLR.

BACKGROUND Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the BRAF kinase inhibitor vemurafenib (PLX4032) have shown response rates of more than 50% in patients with metastatic melanoma with the BRAF V600E mutation. METHODS We conducted a phase 3 randomized clinical trial comparing vemurafenib with dacarbazine in 675 patients with previously untreated, metastatic melanoma with the BRAF V600E mutation. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either vemurafenib (960 mg orally twice daily) or dacarbazine (1000 mg per square meter of body-surface area intravenously every 3 weeks). Coprimary end points were rates of overall and progression-free survival. Secondary end points included the response rate, response duration, and safety. A final analysis was planned after 196 deaths and an interim analysis after 98 deaths. RESULTS At 6 months, overall survival was 84% (95% confidence interval [CI], 78 to 89) in the vemurafenib group and 64% (95% CI, 56 to 73) in the dacarbazine group. In the interim analysis for overall survival and final analysis for progression-free survival, vemurafenib was associated with a relative reduction of 63% in the risk of death and of 74% in the risk of either death or disease progression, as compared with dacarbazine (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). After review of the interim analysis by an independent data and safety monitoring board, crossover from dacarbazine to vemurafenib was recommended. Response rates were 48% for vemurafenib and 5% for dacarbazine. Common adverse events associated with vemurafenib were arthralgia, rash, fatigue, alopecia, keratoacanthoma or squamous-cell carcinoma, photosensitivity, nausea, and diarrhea; 38% of patients required dose modification because of toxic effects. CONCLUSIONS Vemurafenib produced improved rates of overall and progression-free survival in patients with previously untreated melanoma with the BRAF V600E mutation. (Funded by Hoffmann-La Roche; BRIM-3 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01006980.)

Graphene has attracted a lot of research interests due to its exotic properties and a wide spectrum of potential applications. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from gaseous hydrocarbon sources has shown great promises for large-scale graphene growth. However, high growth temperature, typically 1000{\deg}C, is required for such growth. Here we demonstrate a revised CVD route to grow graphene on Cu foils at low temperature, adopting solid and liquid hydrocarbon feedstocks. For solid PMMA and polystyrene precursors, centimeter-scale monolayer graphene films are synthesized at a growth temperature down to 400{\deg}C. When benzene is used as the hydrocarbon source, monolayer graphene flakes with excellent quality are achieved at a growth temperature as low as 300{\deg}C. The successful low-temperature growth can be qualitatively understood from the first principles calculations. Our work might pave a way to undemanding route for economical and convenient graphene growth., Comment: This paper has been withdrawn by the authors

An accurate simulation of Green's function and self-energy function of non-interacting electrons in disordered graphenes are performed. Fundamental physical quantities such as the elastic relaxation time {\tau}e, the phase velocity vp, and the group velocity vg are evaluated. New features around the Dirac point are revealed, showing hints that multi-scattering induced hybridization of Bloch states plays an important role in the vicinity of the Dirac point., Comment: 4 figures

The puzzle of recently observed insulating phase of graphene at filling factor $��=0$ in high magnetic field quantum Hall (QH) experiments is investigated. We show that the magnetic field driven Peierls-type lattice distortion (due to the Landau level degeneracy) and random bond fluctuations compete with each other, resulting in a transition from a QH-metal state at relative low field to a QH-insulator state at high enough field at $��=0$. The critical field that separates QH-metal from QH-insulator depends on the bond fluctuation. The picture explains well why the field required for observing the insulating phase is lower for a cleaner sample., 4 pages, 4 figures

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) was deposited with the Expanding Thermal Plasma-CVD (ETP CVD) method utilizing pulse-shaped substrate biasing to induce controlled ion bombardment during film growth. The films are analyzed with in-situ real time spectroscopic ellispometry, FTIR spectroscopy, as well as reflection-transmission and Fourier transform photocurrent spectroscopy (FTPS) measurements. The aim of this work is to investigate the effect ion bombardment with well defined energy on the roughness evolution of the film and the material properties.We observe two separate energy regimes with material densification and relatively constant defect density below ˜ 120-130 eV and a constant material density at increasing defect density > 120-130 eV substrate bias. We discuss our results in terms of possible ion – surface atom interactions and relate our observations to reports in literature.

We observe an obvious anomalous line-shape of the $e^+e^- \to {\rm hadrons}$ total cross sections in the energy region between 3.700 and 3.872 GeV from the data samples taken with the BES-II detector at the BEPC Collider. Re-analysis of the data shows that it is inconsistent with the explanation for only one simple $\psi(3770)$ resonance with a statistical significance of $7\sigma$. The anomalous line-shape may be explained by two possible enhancements of the inclusive hadron production near the center-of-mass energies of 3.764 GeV and 3.779 GeV, indicating that either there is likely a new structure in addition to the $\psi(3770)$ resonance around 3.773 GeV, or there are some physics effects reflecting the $D\bar D$ production dynamics., Comment: 6 pages, 3figures

The electronic structures of boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) doped by organic molecules are investigated with density functional theory. Electrophilic molecule introduces acceptor states in the wide gap of BNNT close to the valence band edge, which makes the doped system a $p$-type semiconductor. However, with typical nucleophilic organic molecules encapsulation, only deep occupied molecular states but no shallow donor states are observed. There is a significant electron transfer from BNNT to electrophilic molecule, while the charge transfer between nucleophilic molecule and BNNT is neglectable. When both electrophilic and nucleophilic molecules are encapsulated in the same BNNT, large charge transfer between the two kinds of molecules occurs. The resulted small energy gap can strongly modify the transport and optical properties of the system.

By adopting the chemical evolution model of the Milky Way disk, we have studied the star formation and chemical evolution history for M31 galaxy disk. We mainly concentrated on the global properties of the M31 disk. The model has been scaled to the related disk parameters, mainly the disk scale length and total disk baryon mass of M31, which we have adopted to be $r_d$=5.5kpc and $M_{tot} = 7\times 10^{10}$ \ms. It is found that, when the classical Kennicutt star formation law was applied, the obtained radial profiles of gas surface density and star formation rate (SFR) have great difference from the observed results in M31 disk. Then we have adopted modified SFR as we did for the Milky Way galaxy, that is the SFR is radial dependent. Detailed calculations show that by adjusting the star formation efficiency, it is possible to get reasonable gas and abundance profiles, but the total disk SFR is a factor of 2-3 higher than that estimated from observations. And also the predicted SFR radial profile is also much higher than what GALEX observed in the outer part. Possible reasons could be that the M31 disk has been interacted by other factors which seriously altered the star formation history, or the observed SFR is underestimated due to inappropriate extinction correction., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, To appear in the proceedings of IAU Symposium 254 "The Galaxy disk in a cosmological context", Copenhagen, June 2008

Stimulated by recent advances in isolating graphene, we discovered that quantum dot can be trapped in Z-shaped graphene nanoribbon junciton. The topological structure of the junction can confine electronic states completely. By varying junction length, we can alter the spatial confinement and the number of discrete levels within the junction. In addition, quantum dot can be realized regardless of substrate induced static disorder or irregular edges of the junction. This device can be used to easily design quantum dot devices. This platform can also be used to design zero-dimensional functional nanoscale electronic devices using graphene ribbons., Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures

In this paper, we analytically investigate the electronic structure of Bernal stacking (AB stacking) graphene evolving from monolayer (a zero-gap semiconductor with a linear Dirac-like spectrum around the Fermi energy) to multi-layer (semi-metal bulk graphite). We firstly derive a real space analytical expression for the free Green's function (propagator) of multi-layer graphene based on the effective-mass approximation. The simulation results exhibit highly spatial anisotropy with three-fold rotational symmetry. By combining with the STM measurement of d2I/dV2 (the second derivative of current), we also provide a clear high-throughput and non-destructive method to identify graphene layers. Such a method is lacking in the emerging graphene research., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

Based on the disk galaxy formation theory within the framework of standard LCDM hierarchical picture, we selected modelled DLAs, according to their observational criterion, by Monte Carlo simulation with the random inclinations being considered, to examine their observed properties. By best-fitting the predicted metallicity distribution to the observed ones, we get the effective yield for DLAs about 0.25Z_sun, which is comparable to those for SMC and LMC. And the predicted distribution is the same as that of observation at the significant level higher than 60%. The predicted column density distribution of modelled DLAs is compared with the observed ones with the corresponding number density, gas content being discussed. We found that the predicted number density n(z) at redshift 3 agree well with the observed value, but the gas content ��_DLA is about 3 times larger than observed since our model predicts more DLA systems with higher column density. It should be noted that the predicted star formation rate density contributed by DLAs is consistent with the most recent observations if the star formation timescale in DLAs is assumed to be 1 to 3 Gyr. Meanwhile, the connection between DLAs and LBGs is discussed by comparing their UV luminosity functions which shows that the DLAs host galaxies are much fainter than LBGs. We also predict that only few percent of DLAs can host LBGs which is also consistent with current observations. However, there is a discrepancy between model prediction and observation in the correlation between metallicity and HI column density for DLAs. We suggest that this could result from either the inadequacy of Schmidt-type star formation law at high redshift, the diversities of DLA populations, or the model limitations., 31 pages including 7 figures, will appear in ApJ

We calculate the structural and electronic properties of OsB2 using density functional theory with or without taking into account spin-orbit (SO) interaction. Our results show that the bulk modulus with and without SO interaction are 364 and 365 Gpa respectively, both are in good agreement with experiment (365-395 Gpa). The evidence of covalent bonding of Os-B, which plays an important role to form a hard material, is indicated both in charge density, atoms in molecules analysis, and density of states analysis. The good metallicity and hardness of OsB2 might suggest its potential application as hard conductors., Comment: Figures improved

We have examined some basic properties of damped Ly$\alpha$ systems(DLAs) by semi-analytic model. We assume that DLA hosts are disk galaxies whose mass function is generated by Press-Schechter formulism at redshift 3. Star formation and chemical evolution undergo in the disc. We select modelled DLAs according to their observational criterion by Monte Carlo simulation using random line of sights and disk inclinations. The DLA ages are set to be 1 to 3 Gyr. By best-fitting the predicted metallicity distribution to the observed ones, we get the effective yield for DLAs about $0.25Z_{\odot}$. On the basis of this constrain, we further compared our model predictions with observations at redshift 3 in the following items: number density; gas content; HI frequency distribution; star formation rate density; relationship between metallicity and HI column density. We found that the predicted number density at redshift 3 agree well with the observed value, but the gas content $\Omega_{DLA}$ is about 3 times larger than observed since our model predicts more DLA systems with higher column density. The frequency distribution at higher HI column density is quite consistent with observation while some difference exists at lower HI end. The predicted star formation rate density contributed by DLAs is consistent with the most recent observations. Meanwhile, the connection between DLAs and Lyman Break galaxies(LBGs) is discussed by comparing their UV luminosity functions which shows that the DLAs host galaxies are much fainter than LBGs. However, there is a discrepancy between model prediction and observation in the correlation between metallicity and HI column density for DLAs. Further investigations are needed for the star formation mode at high redshift environments., Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, To appear in "Probing Galaxies through Quasar Absorption Lines", Proceedings IAU Colloquium 199, 2005, Eds. P. R. Williams, C. Shu, and B. Menard

Hexagonal [0001] nonpassivated ZnO nanowires are studied with density functional calculations. The band gap and Young's modulus in nanowires which are larger than those in bulk ZnO increase along with the decrease of the radius of nanowires. We find ZnO nanowires have larger effective piezoelectric constant than bulk ZnO due to their free boundary. In addition, the effective piezoelectric constant in small ZnO nanowires doesn't depend monotonously on the radius due to two competitive effects: elongation of the nanowires and increase of the ratio of surface atoms.

We report a first-principles projector augmented wave (PAW) study on Na$_{0.5}$CoO$_2$. With the sodium ion ordered insulating phase being identified in experiments, pure density functional calculations fail to predict an insulating ground state, which indicates that Na ordering alone can not produce accompanying Co charge ordering, if additional correlation is not properly considered. At this level of theory, the most stable phase presents ferromagnetic ordering within the CoO$_2$ layer and antiferromagnetic coupling between these layers. When the on-site Coulomb interaction for Co 3d orbitals is included by an additional Hubbard parameter $U$, charge ordered insulating ground state can be obtained. The effect of on-site interaction magnitude on electronic structure is studied. At a moderate value of $U$ (4.0 eV for example), the ground state is antiferromagnetic, with a Co$^{4+}$ magnetic moment about 1.0 $\mu_B$ and a magnetic energy of 0.12 eV/Co. The rehybridization process is also studied in the DFT+U point of view., Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures

We investigate some basic properties of Damped Lyman alpha systems based on the Semi-Analytical model of disk galaxy formation theory. We derive the DLA metallicity, column density, number density, gas content and cosmic star formation rate by assuming that disks form at the center of dark halos, and the modelled DLAs are selected by Monte Carlo simulation according to the distributions of halo properties. We find that DLA hosts are dominated by small galaxies and biased to extended galaxies. In terms of model results, DLAs could naturally arise in a $\Lambda$CDM universe from radiatively cooled gas in dark matter halos. However, model predicts a reverse correlation between metallicity and the column density when compared with observations, regardless of the proposed observational bias. We argue that this could be resulted from the model limitations, or the inadequacy of Schmidt-type star formation mode at high redshift, or/and the diversities of DLA populations., Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures, to appear in `Recycling Intergalactic and Interstellar Matter', IAU Symp. Ser., vol. 217, eds. P.-A. Duc, J. Braine and E. Brinks, 2004

In this paper we point out a previously unnoticed anticorrelation between the observed abundance ratio [X/Zn] (where Zn is assumed to be undepleted and X stands for the refractories Fe, Cr and Ni) and metal column density ([Zn/H]+log(N{HI})) in DLAs. We suggest that this trend is an unambiguous sign of dust depletion, since metal column density is a measure of the amount of dust along the line of sight. Assuming that DLAs are (proto-)galactic disks and using detailed chemical evolution models with metallicity dependent yields we study chemical evolution and dust depletion patterns for alpha and iron-peak elements in DLAs. When observational constraints on the metal column density of DLAs are taken into account (as suggested in Boisse et al. 1998) we find that our models reproduce fairly well the observed mild redshift evolution of the abundances of 8 elements (Al, Si, S, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Ni) as well as the observed scatter at a given redshift. By considering the aforementioned dependence of abundance ratios on metal column density, we further explore the general dust depletion pattern in DLAs, comparing to our model results and to a solar reference pattern. We suggest that further measurements of the key elements, i.e. Zn, S and Mn, will help to gain more insight into the nature of DLAs. In any case, the presently uncertain nucleosynthesis of Zn in massive stars (on which a large part of these conclusions is based) should be carefully scrutinised., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Astronomy and Astrophysics, in press