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Hydrogen bonds are ubiquitous in nature and of fundamental importance to the chemical and physical properties of molecular systems in the condensed phase. Nevertheless, our understanding of the structural and dynamical properties of hydrogen-bonded complexes in particular in electronic excited states remains very incomplete. Here, by using formic acid (FA) dimer as a prototype of DNA base pair, we investigate the ultrafast decay process initiated by removal of an electron from the inner-valence shell of the molecule upon electron-beam irradiation. Through fragment-ion and electron coincident momentum measurements and

Circularly polarized (CP) γ-ray sources are versatile for broad applications in nuclear physics, high-energy physics, and astrophysics. The laser-plasma based particle accelerators provide accessibility for much higher flux γ-ray sources than conventional approaches, in which, however, the circular polarization properties of the emitted γ-photons are usually neglected. In this Letter, we show that brilliant CP γ-ray beams can be generated via the combination of laser plasma wakefield acceleration and plasma mirror techniques. In a weakly nonlinear Compton scattering scheme with moderate laser intensities, the helicity of the driving laser can be transferred to the emitted γ-photons, and their average polarization degree can reach ∼61% (20%) with a peak brilliance of ≳ 10 21 photons/(s · mm2 · mrad2 · 0.1% BW) around 1 MeV (100 MeV). Moreover, our proposed method is easily feasible and robust with respect to the laser and plasma parameters.

Dense high-energy monoenergetic proton beams are vital for wide applications, thus modern laser-plasma-based ion-acceleration methods are aiming to obtain high-energy proton beams with energy spread as low as possible. In this work, we put forward a quantum radiative compression method to postcompress a highly accelerated proton beam and convert it to a dense quasimonoenergetic one. We find that when the relativistic plasma produced by radiation-pressure acceleration collides head on with an ultraintense laser beam, large-amplitude plasma oscillations are excited due to quantum radiation reaction and the ponderomotive force, which induce compression of the phase space of protons located in its acceleration phase with negative gradient. Our three-dimensional spin-resolved quantum electrodynamics (QED) particle-in-cell simulations show that hollow-structure proton beams with a peak energy approximately GeV, relative energy spread of few percents, and number Np ∼1010 (or Np ∼109 with a 1% energy spread) can be produced in near-future laser facilities, which may fulfill the requirements of alternative applications, such as, for radiography of ultrathick dense materials, or as injectors of hadron colliders.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is highly prevalent among older men, impacting on their quality of life, sexual function, and genitourinary health, and has become an important global burden of disease. Transurethral plasmakinetic resection of prostate (TUPKP) is one of the foremost surgical procedures for the treatment of BPH. It has become well established in clinical practice with good efficacy and safety. In 2018, we issued the guideline "2018 Standard Edition". However much new direct evidence has now emerged and this may change some of previous recommendations. The time is ripe to develop new evidence-based guidelines, so we formed a working group of clinical experts and methodologists. The steering group members posed 31 questions relevant to the management of TUPKP for BPH covering the following areas: questions relevant to the perioperative period (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative) of TUPKP in the treatment of BPH, postoperative complications and the level of surgeons' surgical skill. We searched the literature for direct evidence on the management of TUPKP for BPH, and assessed its certainty generated recommendations using the grade criteria by the European Association of Urology. Recommendations were either strong or weak, or in the form of an ungraded consensus-based statement. Finally, we issued 36 statements. Among them, 23 carried strong recommendations, and 13 carried weak recommendations for the stated procedure. They covered questions relevant to the aforementioned three areas. The preoperative period for TUPKP in the treatment of BPH included indications and contraindications for TUPKP, precautions for preoperative preparation in patients with renal impairment and urinary tract infection due to urinary retention, and preoperative prophylactic use of antibiotics. Questions relevant to the intraoperative period incorporated surgical operation techniques and prevention and management of bladder explosion. The application to different populations incorporating the efficacy and safety of TUPKP in the treatment of normal volume ( 80 ml) and large-volume (≥ 80 ml) BPH compared with transurethral urethral resection prostate, transurethral plasmakinetic enucleation of prostate and open prostatectomy; the efficacy and safety of TUPKP in high-risk populations and among people taking anticoagulant (antithrombotic) drugs. Questions relevant to the postoperative period incorporated the time and speed of flushing, the time indwelling catheters are needed, principles of postoperative therapeutic use of antibiotics, follow-up time and follow-up content. Questions related to complications incorporated types of complications and their incidence, postoperative leukocyturia, the treatment measures for the perforation and extravasation of the capsule, transurethral resection syndrome, postoperative bleeding, urinary catheter blockage, bladder spasm, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence, urethral stricture, rectal injury during surgery, postoperative erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation. Final questions were related to surgeons' skills when performing TUPKP for the treatment of BPH. We hope these recommendations can help support healthcare workers caring for patients having TUPKP for the treatment of BPH.

High-energy spin-polarized electron, positron, and $\gamma$-photon beams have many significant applications in the study of material properties, nuclear structure, particle physics, and high-energy astrophysics. Thus,efficient production of such polarized beams attracts a broad spectrum of research interests. This is driven mainly by the rapid advancements in ultrashort and ultraintense laser technology. Currently available laser pulses can achieve peak intensities in the range of $10^{22}-10^{23}$ Wcm$^{-2}$, with pulse durations of tens of femtoseconds. The dynamics of particles in laser fields of the available intensities is dominated by quantum electrodynamics (QED) and the interaction mechanisms have reached regimes spanned by nonlinear multiphoton absorbtion (strong-field QED processes). In strong-field QED processes, the scattering cross sections obviously depend on the spin and polarization of the particles, and the spin-dependent photon emission and the radiation-reaction effects can be utilized to produce the polarized particles. An ultraintense laser-driven polarized particle source possesses the advantages of high-brilliance and compactness, which could open the way for the unexplored aspects in a range of researches. In this work, we briefly review the seminal conclusions from the study of the polarization effects in strong-field QED processes, as well as the progress made by recent proposals for production of the polarized particles by laser-beam or laser-plasma interactions.

Background: Mycoplasma is an opportunistic pathogen causing both urogenital and extragenital infections. The lack of cell wall renders Mycoplasma difficult to culture and identify with ordinary methods. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) is a new technology helping a lot in the diagnosis of infective diseases. In this case, NGS played a key role in the diagnosis of Mycoplasma infection. Case presentation: A mid-aged man suffering from renal cyst underwent cyst incision followed by invasive treatments to eliminate hematoma caused by renal artery hemorrhage. After the cyst incision operation, the patient had a persistent high temperature. The persistent increase of blood neutrophile granulocyte count and C-reaction protein suggested an unresolved infection. The empirically chosen anti-infective agents were meropenem and linezolid since the ordinary bacterial cultures of surgical site drainage and blood yielded a negative result. At postoperation day (POD) 17, NGS result of his drainage clearly indicated the pathogen was Mycoplasma hominis. At POD 24, the drug sensitivity test showed resistance to quinolones, clarithromycin and erythromycin, but intermediate to azithromycin. Since then, the antimicrobial agents were changed into azithromycin and kept unchanged until the patient was fully recovered and discharged at POD 39. Conclusion: When the ordinary laboratory diagnostic methods failed, NGS diagnosis could reduce the hospitalization expenses and shorten the lengths of hospital stay.

The hydrodynamic behavior of a cylindrical solid target, heated by the intense heavy-ion beams, was simulated. The target was of the LAboratory PlAnetary Science (LAPLAS)-type geometry, as described by Tahir (LAPLAS). An iron target irradiated by the intense heavy-ion beams, with parameters available from the planned High Intensity Accelerator Facility or Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research, Society for Heavy Ion Research, Darmstadt, Germany, will transform to the warm-dense state, similar to the situation that exists in the planet interior. The dependence of the achievable state of iron on the outer-shell material and beam location was investigated with Medusa-code simulations. The simulation results show that the compression of inner iron is significantly influenced by the density-to-mass ratio of the outer-shell material and the location of the beam heating. Using the LAPLAS geometry, a uranium beam of 800 MeV/u, and 1.5 × 10 11 particles per pulse, our simulations show that the warm-dense-matter regime for iron is obtained. Details depend on the yet unknown equation of state and will be measured when this beam intensity is available in a couple of years.

Generation of arbitrarily spin-polarized lepton (here refer in particular to electron and positron) beams has been investigated in the single-shot interaction of high-energy polarized $\gamma$ photons with an ultraintense asymmetric laser pulse via nonlinear Breit-Wheeler (BW) pair production. We develop a fully spin-resolved semi-classical Monte Carlo method to describe the pair creation and polarization in the local constant field approximation. In nonlinear BW process the polarization of created pairs is simultaneously determined by the polarization of parent $\gamma$ photons, the polarization and asymmetry of scattering laser field, due to the spin angular momentum transfer and the asymmetric spin-dependent pair production probabilities, respectively. In considered all-optical method, dense GeV lepton beams with average polarization degree up to about $80\%$ (adjustable between the transverse and longitudinal components) can be obtained with currently achievable laser facilities, which could be used as injectors of the polarized $e^{+}e^{-}$ collider to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model.

The interaction of an unpolarized electron beam with a counterpropagating ultraintense linearly polarized laser pulse is investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. We employ a semiclassical Monte Carlo method to describe spin-resolved electron dynamics, photon emissions and polarization, and pair production. Abundant high-energy linearly polarized γ photons are generated intermediately during this interaction via nonlinear Compton scattering, with an average polarization degree of more than 50%, further interacting with the laser fields to produce electron-positron pairs due to the nonlinear Breit-Wheeler process. The photon polarization is shown to significantly affect the pair yield by a factor of more than 10%. The considered signature of the photon polarization in the pair's yield can be experimentally identified in a prospective two-stage setup. Moreover, with currently achievable laser facilities the signature can serve also for the polarimetry of high-energy high-flux γ photons.

Generation of circularly polarized (CP) and linearly polarized (LP) $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays via the single-shot interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with a spin-polarized counterpropagating ultrarelativistic electron beam has been investigated in nonlinear Compton scattering in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. For the process simulation, a Monte Carlo method is developed which employs the electron-spin-resolved probabilities for polarized photon emissions. We show efficient ways for the transfer of the electron polarization to the high-energy photon polarization. In particular, multi-GeV CP (LP) $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays with polarization of up to about 95% can be generated by a longitudinally (transversely) spin-polarized electron beam, with a photon flux meeting the requirements of recent proposals for the vacuum birefringence measurement in ultrastrong laser fields. Such high-energy, high-brilliance, high-polarization $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays are also beneficial for other applications in high-energy physics, and laboratory astrophysics.

With the rapid development of deep learning techniques in computer vision, emotion detection has been an emerging topic for different industries, including healthcare, mobile entertainment, and even securities. These organizations leverage emotion detection and apply it to both real-time cameras and offline videos to provide more interactivity between users and devices. In this study, we provide a lightweight personalized accompanying system for home security using emotion detection and IoT devices. We implement our design and demonstrate a practical scenario using Nvidia Jetson Nano. According to our design, we hope the system can benefit the health monitoring and interactivity for those elderly living alone.

Stochasticity effects in the spin (de)polarization of an ultrarelativistic electron beam during photon emissions in a counterpropoagating ultrastrong focused laser pulse in the quantum radiation reaction regime are investigated. We employ a Monte Carlo method to describe the electron dynamics semiclassically, and photon emissions as well as the electron radiative polarization quantum mechanically. While in the latter the photon emission is inherently stochastic, we were able to identify its imprints in comparison with the new developed semiclassical stochasticity-free method of radiative polarization applicable in the quantum regime. With an initially spin-polarized electron beam, the stochastic spin effects are seen in the dependence of the depolarization degree on the electron scattering angle and the electron final energy (spin stochastic diffusion). With an initially unpolarized electron beam, the spin stochasticity is exhibited in enhancing the known effect of splitting of the electron beam along the propagation direction into two oppositely polarized parts by an elliptically polarized laser pulse. The considered stochasticity effects for the spin are observable with currently achievable laser and electron beam parameters.

Relativistic spin-polarized positron beams are indispensable for future electron-positron colliders to test modern high-energy physics theory with high precision. However, present techniques require very large scale facilities for those experiments. We put forward a novel efficient method for generating ultrarelativistic polarized positron beams employing currently available laser fields. For this purpose, the generation of polarized positrons via multiphoton Breit-Wheeler pair production and the associated spin dynamics in single-shot interaction of an ultraintense laser pulse with an ultrarelativistic electron beam is investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. The pair production spin asymmetry in strong fields, significantly exceeding the asymmetry of the radiative polarization, produces locally highly polarized particles, which are split by a specifically tailored small ellipticity of the laser field into two oppositely polarized beams along the minor axis of laser polarization. In spite of radiative de-polarization, a dense positron beam with up to about 90% polarization can be generated in tens of femtoseconds. The method may eventually usher high-energy physics studies into smaller-scale laser laboratories. Keywords: Strong field QED, Polarized positrons, Multiphoton Breit-Wheeler pair production, Nonlinear Compton scattering

By using experimental results and taking into account the characteristics of shaping in the focal region, we theoretically demonstrate the plasma ellipsoid model and calculate the breakdown threshold and the directivity of the sound filed. It is found that the predictions in our theoretical model well agree with the results of experiments.

For vacuum electron acceleration by a Gaussian beam, the energy gain of the electron is sensitively influenced by the initial parameters of the electron and the laser beam. It is necessary to find a group of optimized initial parameters to achieve the highest energy gain. The relationships between the initial parameters and the energy gains are investigated comprehensively by the global optimization method, and the global maximum as well as the local maxima is obtained. Via employing the global optimization of the initial parameters, more efficient electron acceleration has been achieved. Keywords: Electron acceleration, Gaussian beam, Global optimization

In this paper, an intelligent wireless sensor which is controlled by a single-chip microcomputer (SCM) is designed. This intelligent wireless sensor includes host and slave module. The device has the advantages of low cost, simple fabrication, high readability and accurate measurement, etc.

The impact of the carrier-envelope phase (CEP) of a long relativistic tightly focused laser pulse on the dynamics of a counterpropagating electron beam has been investigated theoretically in the, so-called, electron reflection regime. Our semiclassical Monte Carlo simulations show that the electrons are reflected at the rising edge of the laser pulse due to the ponderomotive force of the focused laser beam, and an asymmetric electron-momentum distribution emerges along the laser polarization direction, which sensitively depends on the CEP of the driving laser pulse for weak radiative stochasticity effects. The CEP signatures can be determined in the electron-momentum distribution at laser intensities of the order or larger than ${10}^{19}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{W}/{\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ and for the pulse lengths up to 10 cycles. The CEP detection resolution is proportional to the electron beam density and can achieve approximately $0.{1}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ at an electron density of about ${10}^{15}\phantom{\rule{4pt}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. The method is applicable for currently available ultraintense laser facilities with the laser peak power ranging from tens of terawatt to multipetawatt.

The impact of stochasticity effects (SEs) in photon emissions on the proton energy spectra during laser-plasma interaction is theoretically investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime, which may facilitate SEs experimental observation. We calculate the photon emissions quantum mechanically and the plasma dynamics semiclassically via two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. An ultrarelativistic plasma generated and driven by an ultraintense laser pulse head-on collides with another strong laser pulse, which decelerates the electrons due to radiation-reaction effect and results in a significant compression of the proton energy spectra because of the charge separation force. In the considered regime the SEs are demonstrated in the shift of the mean energy of the protons up to hundreds of MeV. This effect is robust with respect to the laser and target parameters and measurable in soon available strong laser facilities.

Dynamics of an electron beam head-on colliding with an ultraintense focused ultrashort circularly polarized laser pulse are investigated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. Generally, the ponderomotive force of the laser fields may deflect the electrons transversely, to form a ring structure in the cross section of the electron beam. However, we find that when the Lorentz factor of the electron $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is approximately one order of magnitude larger than the invariant laser field parameter $\ensuremath{\xi}$, the stochastic nature of the photon emission leads to electron aggregation abnormally inwards to the propagation axis of the laser pulse. Consequently, the electron angular distribution after the interaction exhibits a peak structure in the beam propagation direction, which is noticeably distinguished from the ``ring'' structure of the distribution in the classical regime and, therefore, can be recognized as a proof of the fundamental quantum stochastic nature of radiation. The stochasticity signature is robust with respect to the laser and electron parameters and observable with current experimental techniques.

The motion of two interactional solitons is investigated in nonlinear media with an exponential nonlocal response. A differential equation describing the motion trajectories of soliton center is proposed. Some numerical simulations are performed to illustrate the characteristics of the motion trajectories. The results show that the trajectories always oscillate periodically. However, if the two solitons are launched with a relative inclined angle which is larger than a critical value, they do not collide any more but diverge from each other. The critical angle is also given.

Generation of high-flux vortex γ -ray pulses is investigated in the interaction of ultraintense Bessel–Bessel laser bullets colliding head-on with ultrarelativistic electron bunches in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. In the simulations, a semiclassical Monte–Carlo method is used, based on the radiation probabilities in the local constant field approximation, to describe the electron motion and emission of radiation. Characteristics of the driving laser pulse (orbital angular momentum and nondiffracting spatial and temporal structures) are transferred to the emitted γ rays by nonlinear Compton scattering.

Gamma-ray beams with a large angular momentum may affect astrophysical phenomena, which calls for appropriate earth-based experimental investigations. For this purpose, we investigate the generation of well-collimated γ-ray beams with a very large orbital angular momentum using nonlinear Compton scattering of a strong laser pulse of twisted photons at ultrarelativistic electrons. Angular momentum conservation among absorbed laser photons, quantum radiation, and electrons is numerically demonstrated in the quantum radiation-dominated regime. We point out that the angular momentum of the absorbed laser photons is not solely transferred to the emitted γ photons, but due to radiation reaction shared between the γ photons and interacting electrons. The efficiency of the angular momentum transfer is optimized with respect to the laser and electron beam parameters. The accompanying process of electron-positron pair production is furthermore shown to enhance the orbital angular momentum gained by the γ-ray beam.

Sensory navigation device is an important trend in the field of machine learning and data science. Nowadays, more and more sensory navigation devices are built for blind people. The core of such sensory navigation devices for blind people usually is implemented by an Image Recognition Method. To build an image recognition model, many tools and online machine learning platforms are proposed. However, these tools or platforms are not able to completely satisfy the requirements for sensory navigation device. To build a sensory navigation device with satisfying requirements for blind people, an ability of reducing the cost of model training and a capability of user-centric image recognition are the two main issues. Therefore, to address the above issues, we propose a novel approach, namely, DLSNF (Deep-Learning-based Sensory Navigation Framework). Our proposed DLSNF is built based on the YOLO architecture to deal with the reducing cost of model training and NVIDIA Jetson TX2 to take the user-centric image recognition into account. Based on our proposed DLSNF, the real-time image recognition can be trained well and conduct a sensory navigation to help blind people. At the same time, the train model is embedded in NVIDIA Jetson TX2 which is the fastest, most power-efficient embedded AI computing device. For the experiments, we evaluated our proposed DLSNF with a real-world dataset consisting of 4,570 images collected by part-time workers. The extensive experimental results show that our proposed DLSNF more effectively and efficiently beyond the existing baselines.

Direct laser acceleration of ions by short frequency chirped laser pulses is investigated theoretically. We demonstrate that intense beams of ions with a kinetic energy broadening of about 1% can be generated. The chirping of the laser pulse allows the particles to gain kinetic energies of hundreds of MeVs, which is required for hadron cancer therapy, from pulses of energies in the order of 100 J. It is shown that few-cycle chirped pulses can accelerate ions more efficiently than long ones, i.e., higher ion kinetic energies are reached with the same amount of total electromagnetic pulse energy.

Signatures of stochastic effects in the radiation of a relativistic electron beam interacting with a counterpropagating superstrong short focused laser pulse are investigated in a quantum regime when the electron’s radiation dominates its dynamics. We consider the electron-laser interaction at near-reflection conditions when pronounced high-energy gamma-ray bursts arise in the backward-emission direction with respect to the initial motion of the electrons. The quantum stochastic nature of the gamma-photon emission is exhibited in the angular distributions of the radiation and explained in an intuitive picture. Although, the visibility of the stochasticity signatures depends on the laser and electron beam parameters, the signatures are of a qualitative nature and robust. The stochasticity, a fundamental quantum property of photon emission, should thus be measurable rather straightforwardly with laser technology available in near future.

We demonstrate the feasibility of generation of bright ultrashort gamma-ray pulses and the signatures of stochastic photon emission via the interaction of a relativistic electron bunch with a counterpropagating tightly-focused superstrong laser beam in the quantum-radiation-dominated regime. We consider the electron-laser interaction at near-reflection conditions when pronounced high-energy gamma-ray bursts arise in the backward-emission direction with respect to the initial motion of the electrons. The Compton scattering spectra of gamma-radiation are investigated using a semiclassical description for the electron dynamics in the laser field and a quantum electrodynamical description for the photon emission. We demonstrate the feasibility of ultrashort gamma-ray bursts of hundreds of attoseconds and of dozens of megaelectronvolt photon energies in the near-backwards direction of the initial electron motion. The tightly focused laser field structure and radiation reaction are shown to be responsible for such short gamma-ray bursts, which are independent of the durations of the electron bunch and of the laser pulse. Moreover, the quantum stochastic nature of the gamma-photon emission is exhibited in the angular distributions of the radiation and explained in an intuitive picture. Although, the visibility of the stochasticity signatures depends on the laser and electron beam parameters, the signatures are of a qualitative nature and robust. The stochasticity, a fundamental quantum property of photon emission, should thus be measurable rather straightforwardly with laser technology available in near future.

In this study, we sequenced plastid DNA to investigate the interspecific relationships of Stemona species . In total, 34 individuals from 23 populations were studied, covering the geographical range of Stemona in China plus eight individuals from Indonesia. Our results show that seven Stemona species cluster into three major clades; S. parviflora is closest to S. javanica of the species studied; it is reasonable to treat S. shandongensis as a synonym of S. sessilifolia , whereas S. japonica is close to S. sessilifolia ; the geographically widespread species S. tuberosa possesses a high degree of differentiation and contains three subgroups.

The real-time monitoring technologies of smart civil structure based on detecting picometer-scale wavelength shift of fiber Bragg grating (FBG), including the wavelength demodulation technology of FBG, are researched extensively at home and abroad. In the paper, using the technologies of wavelength division multiplex (WDM) and time division multiplex (TDM), fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor network was built for monitoring smart structure health condition. Based on SOPC (System on Programmable Chip) technology and fiber comb filter, a high-speed and high-precision wavelength demodulation scheme of FBG sensor network was proposed. The optical system and hardware circuit for demodulation system were designed specifically. To improve the accuracy of demodulation system of FBG, a constant temperature channel of the demodulation system connected with a fiber comb filter, which offered reference points to calibrate the Bragg grating center wavelength. Based on 32-bit soft-core processor NoisⅡ, the embedded system collected and processed the photoelectric signal voltage transformed to rectangular voltage pulse. The upper computer displayed dynamically the FBG wavelength demodulation process and calibrated the Bragg grating center wavelength. The experiments of FBG wavelength demodulation and health monitoring of smart structural embedded fiber Bragg gratings were done. Experimental results show that, the FBG wavelength demodulation method can be used to demodulate the FBG wavelength with high speed and high precision (± 2 pm), which can be used extensively in large-scale multipoint monitor engineering, and the strains of the smart structure can be measured accurately.

The sequence of aeolian red clay and loess deposited in northern China since late Neogene is an ideal palaeoclimate recorder. A profile consisting of loess, lacustrine deposits and red clay was found at Wuqi County in the northern Chinese Loess Plateau. Preliminary investigations were carried out on the typical Tufosi section in order to provide the age constraints of the lacustrine deposits (namely the Wuqi paleolake). Rock magnetic results demonstrate that the magnetic carriers of the characteristic remanent magnetization of lacustrine deposits are mainly magnetite and hematite. The correlation between the magnetic polarity sequence of the Tufosi section and geomagnetic polarity time scale is very well. The age of the bottom of the section is 4.28 Ma B. P. approximately. The Wuqi paleolake formed at about 3.0 Ma B. P. and died out around 1.2 Ma B. P. The regional environment became colder and drier during this period as implied by the variations of lithology, magnetic susceptibility, grain size and sedimentation rates. The evolution history of the Wuqi paleolake can be divided into three stages: the paleolake was formed during the period of 3.0~2.5 Ma B. P. and the water body was relatively deep; the lake became shallow markedly as the result of paleoclimate change during 2.50~2.05 Ma B. P.; during 2.05~1.20 Ma B. P., reduction of the water body led to the extinction of the lake. Climatic deterioration in this region around 1.2 Ma B. P. was the main reason for the end of the Wuqi paleolake. Besides, the headward erosion of the North Luo River caused by regional tectonism was probably a factor, too.

Background We investigated the difference between left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy caused by primary hypertension and physiological LV hypertrophy in athletes as seen in left atrial (LA) function by real-time tri-plane strain rate imaging. Hypothesis A real-time tri-plane imaging technique using the same phase of the same cardiac circle was used to synchronously demonstrate the section of apical 4-chamber, 2-chamber, and apical left ventricle long axis. Methods We measured standard Doppler echocardiographic quantitative analysis and the strain rate peak values of each LA wall in the systolic phase, in the early stage of diastole, and in the advanced stage of diastole and made a comparison of these values. Results The alteration of configuration and function of the left atrium in hypertensive patients is an early sign of the myocardial damage caused by hypertension. Strain rate imaging could sensitively reflect LA function changes in the early stages of hypertension. While physiological, myocardial hypertrophy is a benign reaction, LA function is significantly different from that of hypertension. Conclusions Real-time tri-plane strain rate imaging techniques could simultaneously analyze 3 sections, which shortens scanning time and depletes the influence of variations of different cardiac cycles on quantitative analysis of local myocardial segments of the left atrium. This would improve the comparability of myocardial movement of different segments so that we could more comprehensively and accurately evaluate the systolic and diastolic function of the left atrium in primary hypertension and physiological LV hypertrophy in athletes. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Objectives: To analyze the risk factors for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and to quantitatively predict the probability of SIRS after PCNL. Methods: Medical records on 209 patients who underwent PCNL were retrospectively analyzed. The χ2 test, the t-test and a logistic regression model were used to identify key risk factors of SIRS after PCNL. A predictive equation was then formulated to assess the risk of SIRS according to the results from the logistic model. Subsequently, the accuracy of the equation by calculating sensitivity, specificity, overall correct percentage, and positive and negative predictive values was tested. Results: The incidence of SIRS after PCNL was 23.4%. The key risk factors for SIRS following PCNL were: the number of tracts, receipt of a blood transfusion, stone size, and presence of pyelocaliectasis. Other factors added no independent risk to the development of SIRS. The calculated values for sensitivity, specificity, overall percentage correct, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 44.9%, 95.0%, 83.3%, 73.3%, and 84.9%, respectively. Conclusions: Number of tracts, receipt of a blood transfusion, stone size and presence of pyelocaliectasis are identified as the key risk factors for SIRS after PCNL. The predictive equation allows for an individualized and quantitative assessment of the probability of SIRS after PCNL.

To compare the efficacy and safety of tubeless percutaneous nephrolithotomy (tubeless-PCNL) and ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URL) in treatment of impacted upper-ureteral calculi ≥ 1.5 cm in size.Patients with ureteral stones sized ≥ 1.5 cm and lodged above the fourth lumbar vertebra who were treated between September 2009 and July 2013 in Peking University People's Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. In the study, 182 patients underwent tubeless-PCNL or URL treatment respectively, and the operation success rates were compared. The duration of operation, intraoperative blood loss(average hemoglobin decrease), complications, mean hospital stay and residual stone rates were also compared.Fifty-four patients underwent tubeless-PCNL treatment,the average stone size was (1.9 ± 0.4) cm,nephrostomy tubes were placed in two patients,and the operation success rate was 96.3%(52/54). In the rest of the 52 patients,and the mean operation time was (30.1 ± 14.8) minutes with an average postoperative hemoglobin decrease of (10.2 ± 6.1) g/L, and the mean hospital stay was (3.0 ± 1.4) days. Only one of the patients had residual fragments (2%). The main complications included minor perirenal hematoma in 1 patient, fever in 2 patients,elevated blood WBC in 11 patients,and analgesics requirement in 3 patients. In the study, 128 patients were treated with URL,the average stone size was (1.7 ± 0.3) cm. 19 procedures failed,and 10 patients were converted to PCNL,extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy was executed subsequently after double-J stent placement in 5 patients,and migration of calculi or stone fragments happened in 4 patients. The mean operative time was (51.3 ± 25.5) minutes for the remaining 109 patients with a hemoglobin reduction of (5.2 ± 7.2) g/L. The mean hospital stay was (2.9 ± 1.3) days, and residual stones were found in 13 of the 109 patients (11.9%). The main complications included fever in 3 patients, elevated blood WBC in 42 patients, analgesics requirement in 13 patients because of pain in the urethra or flank. The size of the stones between the two group didn't show significant difference,but the success rate of the tubeless-PCNL procedure was significantly higher. Except that hemoglobin decrease was slightly higher in the tubeless-PCNL group,the mean operative time, the rate of residual stones and rate of complications of the tubeless-PCNL group were lower significantly.Treating stones above 4th lumbar vertebra larger than 1.5 cm were challenging. It is difficult to treat these stones with URL because of a high probability to fail, but on the contrary, tubeless-PCNL was more likely to be performed successfully. For surgeons experienced with the PCNL technology, treating stones ≥ 1.5 cm with tubeless-PCNL procedure may turn out to be more efficient and with a higher operation success rate, and the risk of complications was lower without lengthening the postoperative hospital stay.

A vacuum auto-resonance accelerator scheme for electrons, which employs terahertz radiation and currently available magnetic fields, is suggested. Based on numerical simulations, parameter values, which could make the scheme experimentally feasible, are identified and discussed.

We investigate the beam width evolution of astigmatic hollow Gaussian beams propagating in highly nonlocal nonlinear media. The input-power-induced different evolutions of the beam width are illustrated: (i) the beam widths in two transverse directions are compressed or broadened at the same time; (ii) the beam width in one transverse direction keeps invariant, and the other is compressed or broadened; (iii) furthermore, the beam width in one transverse direction is compressed, whereas it in the other transverse direction is broadened. Keywords: Optical beam, Nonlinear propagation, Beam width

In this paper, we focus on the on-axis intensity evolutions of hollow beams in nonlinear media with a high nonlocality. It is found that, the evolutions of on-axis intensity with different beam powers are always periodic during propagation, whereas, depending on different beam powers, the evolution curves of on-axis intensity in each period may exhibit themselves as three different types, namely, a concave, a platform, or a convex shape. The critical power, the extreme values of on-axis intensity and their corresponding positions are all given analytically. Keywords: Nonlocal nonlinearity, Beam propagation, Hollow beams, On-axis intensity

To find the causes of retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) failure in renal calculi treatment and evaluate the efficacy and morbidity of remedial measures.All the patients with renal stone who had undergone RIRS in the last two years were reviewed and the failure cases screened out according to operating records.Within the 132 patients, 19 RIRS procedures failed. The causes of failure included ureteral (42.1%), intrarenal (36.8%), stone (10.5%) and operating reason (5.3%).The caculi of 11 patients were cleaned by remedial percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), seven patients had secondary RIRS one week later, and only one patient left the renal stone for observation and dietary regulation. Sixteen patients were stone-free after remedial treatment and the complications included ureteral perforation in one case and high fever in 4 cases.The main causes of RIRS failure are ureteral incompatibility and intrarenal disadvantageous anatomy. PCNL and secondary RIRS are the effective remedial measure after RIRS failure.

To investigate the bacteriology and drug sensitivity of upper urinary tract calculi patients, and to provide information for choosing suitable antibiotics.In the study, 21 patients who suffered from lithiasis in upper urinary tract and required an emergency drainage for acute obstruction and infection were the "acute group"; 64 patients with calculi in upper urinary tract and accompanied with no infectious symptoms were the "common group". The bacteriology and drug sensitivity of the two groups were investigated.Gram-negative bacteria infected the most common of upper urinary tract calculi patients with infection, accounting for 71.4% in the acute group and 65.7% in the common group, among which Escherichia coli were the predominant ones (35.7% in the acute group and 32.9% in the common group). No difference was found between these two groups in bacterial distribution (P0.05). Although the average drug resistance rate of Gram-negative bacteria in the acute group was higher than that in the common group, it revealed no significant difference (P0.05). The drug resistance rate to semisynthetic penicillin, cefuroxime and ceftriaxone were more than 50%, 60%, and 50%, respectively. Quinolones, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, got a 45% drug resistance. Aminoglycoside, carbapenema were sensitive to Gram-negative bacteria. Cefoperazone/sulbactam and piperacillin/tazobactam were more effective than ceftriaxone and piperacillin, respectively.There was no significant difference between upper urinary tract calculi patients with acute infection and common infection in bacteriology and drug sensitivity. Semisynthetic penicillin, the second generation of cephalosporin and quinolone were no longer the good choices of empirical use. Antibiotics combined with β-lactamase inhibitors would be an ideal empirical therapeutic choice.

To investigate the risk factors of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) after one-phase treatment for apyrexic calculous pyonephrosis by percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL).Clinical data of consecutive apyrexic calculous pyonephrosis patients who underwent one-stage PCNL from January 2008 to December 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. The data collected included white blood cells in urine analysis before surgery, midstream urine culture, preoperative renal function, using antibiotics time before surgery, operative time, the number of tracts, intraoperative irrigation peak flow, blood transfusion, and stone composition. Chi-square, t test and Logistic regression methods were used for analysis of each factor and SIRS.A total of 182 patients were enrolled in this study and 38 patients developed SIRS (20.88%). There were no statistically significant differences among white blood cells in urine analysis (P = 0.483), urine culture positive (P = 0.136), and struvite (P = 0.324) in terms of the incidence of postoperative SIRS. Multivariate Logistic regression model indicated that risk factors of SIRS for apyrexic calculous pyonephrosis after one-phase PCNL were renal insufficiency (OR = 5.41, 95% CI 1.84 to 22.64, P = 0.014), operative time (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02, P = 0.024), operative tracts (OR = 3.37, 95% CI -1.92 to 32.55, P = 0.077), intraoperative irrigation peak flow ≥500 mL/min (OR = 45.87,95% CI 4.39 to 231.68, P = 0.007), and blood transfusion (OR = 5.98, 95% CI 1.12 to 46.66, P = 0.043). The protective factor was antibiotics use for more than 3 days (OR = 0.34, 95% CI -3.92 to 12.55, P = 0.047).The incidence of SIRS after one-phase PCNL treatment for apyrexic calculous pyonephrosis was similar to that of other patients. It is relatively safe and reliable to do this. Preoperative antibiotics should be used for more than 3 days before surgery. Careful manipulation is needed to avoid blood transfusion. It is better to shorten the operative time and to reduce multiple tracts operation. Particularly, irrigation peak flow ≥500 mL/min should be avoided in the circumstance of bleeding or turbid urine.

To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of renal pelvic tumor combined with renal urinary calculi and hydronephrosis.Five patients with renal pelvic tumor who underwent relief of the upper urinary obstruction were reviewed.One of the cases lost the opportunity of surgical therapy when pelvic tumor was detected at the advanced stage, and the other 4 cases had received surgery and were followed up.As pelvic tumor progresses rapidly after the renal blood flow is improved, and renal urinary calculi with hydronephrosis relieved; the patients with renal pelvic tumor need early diagnosis, aggressive treatment and close follow-up.