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To determine the factors controlling variations in the biomass (B), abundance (A), and mean individual biomass (B/A) of mesozooplankton in a subtropical eutrophic bay, a random forest model was used to analyze the effects of physicochemical factors and phytoplankton biomass, size, and taxonomic composition on the variations in B, A, and B/A of mesozooplankton using 100 samples from all four seasons of 2015 in Xiangshan Bay, China. Variations in the B and A of mesozooplankton were related to both physicochemical and phytoplankton factors, while physicochemical factors were the best predictors of variation in the B/A of mesozooplankton. Phytoplankton biomass was too high to limit mesozooplankton growth, leading to a weak relationship between mesozooplankton and phytoplankton biomasses. The mesozooplankton were sensitive to temperature, and an increase in temperature increased mainly the number of small mesozooplankton. Temperature, suspended solids (SS), and nutrients indirectly affected the A and B/A of mesozooplankton by changing the abundance, size, and species composition of phytoplankton. Size mismatches between phytoplankton and mesozooplankton sometimes occur with changes in the physicochemical environment, which might reduce trophic transfer efficiency in planktonic ecosystems. This study implies that we should pay attention to the impact of warming on the planktonic ecosystem in the context of global warming, especially in subtropical bays with intensive human activity.

Additional file 1. Community Resilience Evaluation System based on Earthquake disasters from the perspective of Nursing---English Version.

Additional file 2. Weights of three levels in the Community Resilience Evaluation System.

Aim: This study evaluates the effect of an integrated supportive programme on xerostomia and saliva characteristics at a one-year follow-up of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) undergoing radiotherapy (RT).Methods: Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n=47) or a control group (n=45). The intervention group received usual care and an integrated supportive programme, which included three steps: face-to-face education; face-to-face coaching at one-month post RT; and four telephone coaching sessions at 2-, 3-, 6-, and 9-months post RT. The face-to-face education consisted of oral hygiene instruction, oral self-care strategies, facial and tongue muscle exercises, and salivary gland massage. Adherence to the intervention was evaluated using a questionnaire completed during the nine-month follow-up. The control group received usual care. The unstimulated saliva flow rate, saliva pH, buffering capacity, and xerostomia were assessed in both groups.Results: A total of 79 participants (40 in the intervention group and 39 in the control group) completed the 12-month follow-up. There were statistically significant differences between the groups in level of xerostomia at the 3- and 12-month follow-up (P=0.027 and PP=0.035), with better outcome in the intervention group. The adherence of the intervention was good but decreased slightly during the follow-up. Conclusion: This integrated supportive programme with good adherence relieved xerostomia and had a positive effect on unstimulated saliva flow rate among patients with HNC during the 12-month follow-up.

In this study, sodium lignosulfonate (LS) was used as raw material, acrylamide (AM) and acryloyloxye thyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (DAC) as monomers, and N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as cross-linking agent, the potassium persulfate (KPS)/tetramethylethyl enediamine (TEMED) as oxidation/ reduction initiation system. Synthesis of a functional biomass terpolymer lignin-based hydrogel adsorbent (LAD) with excellent adsorption properties by free radical graft copolymerization. The structure and properties of the prepared LAD were characterized by FT-IR and SEM, and the relationship between structure and properties was studied. The effects of solution pH, adsorption time, hydrogel dosage, initial concentration of dye and temperature on the adsorption of AR 73 by LAD were investigated. LAD adsorbed AR 73 solution with initial concentration of 100mg/L for 2h to reach equilibrium, with equilibrium adsorption capacity and adsorption rate of 47.59mg/g and 95.18%, respectively. The prepared LAD hydrogel has good swelling and deswelling properties, the swelling ratio of water absorption for 2h was 25g/g, and the water loss rate of 120 min in ethanol solvent was 93.51%. The adsorption of AR 73 by LAD was consistent with the Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. It was single-molecule adsorption with a maximum adsorption capacity of 409.84mg/g. The adsorption was a process of spontaneous heat release and entropy reduction.The adsorption kinetics was in accordance with Pseudo-second-order kinetic equation, and the adsorption activation energy was 2.501 kJ/moL. In addition, the mechanism of adsorption is mainly electrostatic, and there are also comprehensive effects of physical, chemical adsorption and hydrogen bond.The LAD hydrogel adsorbent has a significant adsorption effect on AR 73, and can be used as an efficient and recyclable biomass adsorbent for the treatment of anionic dye wastewater.

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345211000629 for 3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Reinforced Hydrogel as an Artificial TMJ Disc by N. Jiang, Y. Yang, L. Zhang, Y. Jiang, M. Wang and S. Zhu in Journal of Dental Research

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-2-jdr-10.1177_00220345211000629 for 3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Reinforced Hydrogel as an Artificial TMJ Disc by N. Jiang, Y. Yang, L. Zhang, Y. Jiang, M. Wang and S. Zhu in Journal of Dental Research

Supplemental material, sj-pdf-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345211000629 for 3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Reinforced Hydrogel as an Artificial TMJ Disc by N. Jiang, Y. Yang, L. Zhang, Y. Jiang, M. Wang and S. Zhu in Journal of Dental Research

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345211031446 for Response to Letter to the Editor, “3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Reinforced Hydrogel as an Artificial TMJ Disc” by N. Jiang, Y. Yang and S. Zhu in Journal of Dental Research

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-jdr-10.1177_00220345211031446 for Response to Letter to the Editor, “3D-Printed Polycaprolactone Reinforced Hydrogel as an Artificial TMJ Disc” by N. Jiang, Y. Yang and S. Zhu in Journal of Dental Research

We examined the planktonic protistan community in Xiangshan Bay during spring 2015 using 18S rDNA sequencing. We found significant spatial heterogeneity in α-diversity, β-diversity (Bray–Curtis and Jaccard indices) and the relative abundance of dominant taxa. The spatial heterogeneity of the protistan community was due more to variation in species (operational taxonomic units) than abundance, and the spatial variation in species was dominated by variation in rare biota. Salinity was the most important driver of spatial heterogeneity in the total community and the abundant subcommunity, but environmental factors could not explain the variation in the rare subcommunity. For α-diversity, spatial heterogeneity was mainly associated with the rare biota; α-diversity was positively correlated with water mass complexity but negatively correlated with temperature and nutrients. Of the dominant protistan phyla, the more abundant Cryptophyta, Chlorophyta and Haptophyta were correlated with lower salinity and higher nutrient concentrations, while the more abundant mixotrophs (e.g. Dinoflagellata and Protalveolata) were associated with lower nutrient concentration. Our study suggests that rare taxa are important for preserving the spatial heterogeneity of the protistan community, whose structural variation might be influenced by biotic interactions.

The challenging post-surgery management of bone metastasis sees the needs for multi-functional bone scaffolds that offer multi-modal therapeutic functions. Through a nature-inspired layer-by-layer assembly process, we developed a unique multi-functional tissue scaffold that consists of porous polyurethane substrate and nanoscale chitosan/ graphene oxide hybrid coating. Alternative layers of drug laden chitosan and graphene oxide nanosheets were held together through strong electrostatic interaction, giving rise to a robust multilayer architecture with control over structural element orientation and chemical composition at nanoscale. For the first time, proof-of-concept on combining pH-controlled co-delivery of multiple therapeutic agents and photothermal therapy have demonstrated, in the context of malignant bone cancer treatment. Our scaffold system can be tailored to the patient’s specific needs through loading of bespoke therapeutic agents and offering on-demand photothermal therapy. The methodology can also be generalized to create functional surfaces for a wide range of biomedical devices as well as for applications beyond healthcare technology.

A broad range of organic micropollutants (OMPs), including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, are present in drinking water sources and effluent of wastewater treatment plants (Kolpin et al., 2002; Stackelberg et al., 2004). The presence of OMPs in water significantly threatens public health and thus calls for effective treatment technologies (Alan et al., 2008; Pal et al., 2010). Zeolites are highly structured minerals with uniform micropores (pore diameters < 2nm) (McCusker and Baerlocher 2001). The pores of zeolites allow for the adsorption of OMPs and potentially avoid the negative influence of natural organic matter (NOM) (de Ridder et al., 2012; Hung and Lin 2006; Knappe and Campos 2005). High-silica zeolites have hydrophobic surfaces, which could prevent water competition with OMP adsorption (Maesen 2007; Rakic et al., 2010; Tsitsishvili 1973). High-silica zeolites are thus expected to be potential alternative adsorbents for activated carbon in water treatment.

In this paper we study a limit connecting a scaled wave map with the heat flow into the unit sphere 𝕊2. We show quantitatively how the two equations are connected by means of an initial layer correction. This limit is motivated as a first step into understanding the limit of zero inertia for the hyperbolic-parabolic Ericksen–Leslie’s liquid crystal model.

Achieving long-persistent phosphorescence in polymers is a challenge even at low temperatures. In this work, long-persistent phosphorescence (>1 s) is observed in nonconjugated polyurethane derivatives at 77 K, which is among the longest reported phosphorescent lifetimes for an organic polymer. The mechanism for this unusual behavior has been shown by steady-state photophysical characterization and time-resolved emission spectra to arise from the formation of intra- and/or intermolecular carbonyl clusters at low temperature. The lifetime of long-persistent phosphorescence is increased by the introduction of an aromatic monomer into the nonconjugated polyurethane chains. This is attributed to intra- and/or intermolecular n−π* transitions from electron-rich carbonyl groups to the conjugated aromatic units, thereby enhancing the intersystem crossing rate. Coating an ultraviolet InGaAsN light-emitting diode with a polyurethane derivative as the emitter gives cryogenic afterglow with long-persistent phosphorescence that is observed for up to 7 s with the naked eye.

We have investigated anomalous Hall effect and magnetoresistance in a noncentrosymmetric itinerant magnet Cr$_{11}$Ge$_{19}$. While the temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent anomalous Hall conductivity is just proportional to the magnetization above 30 K, it is more enhanced in the lower temperature region. The magnitude of negative magnetoresistance begins to increase toward low temperature around 30 K. The anisotropic magnetoresistance emerges at similar temperature. Because there is no anomaly in the temperature dependence of magnetization around 30 K, the origin of these observations in transport properties is ascribed to some electronic structure with the energy scale of 30 K. We speculate this is caused by the spin splitting due to breaking of spatial inversion symmetry., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures

GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs core-shell nanowires were grown by metal organic chemical vapour deposition with Au-catalysed GaAs cores. Cross-section transmission electron microscope bright field images show that the tapering at bottom of the nanowires is mainly caused by GaAs cap growth. Time-resolved photo-luminescence measurements of single nanowires were taken at room temperature and a minority carrier lifetime of (1.02±0.43) ns was obtained for single nanowires with AlxGa1-xAs shell grown at 750°C. A close correlation between the shell growth temperature and minority carrier lifetime has also been observed. © 2012 IEEE.

We present an overview of our work on improving the crystal quality and carrier lifetimes of our GaAs-based nanowires. These two properties are crucial for optoelectronic device applications and which we report by showing two examples of nanowire lasers and nanowire solar cells. © The Electrochemical Society.

Probiotics have potential as prevention strategies or therapies for multiple diseases in chickens, such as Newcastle Disease (ND), heat stress, and Coccidiosis, but the mechanism still partially understood. It is an important and warranted issue for further investigation that how probiotics modulated gene expression in disease. In this study, 80 Specific-pathogen-free (SPF) broilers were treated with probiotics, and inoculated La Sota vaccine, then detected the changes of the number of antibody-producing cells (IgA+, IgM+, and IgG+) and the expression of IL-7 mRNA in mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT: Harder’s gland, cecal tonsils, duodenum and ileum Peyer’s patch), and the content of Immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, and IgG) in local humor (tear, trachea fluid, bile and intestinal fluid) by immunohistochemistry staining, RT-qPCR, and IELISA, respectively. Results showed that the contents of IgA, IgM and IgG in local humor, the number of IgA+, IgM+, and IgG+ and the expression of IL-7 mRNA in MALT of inoculated birds were significantly higher than control birds (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) after 7 days post-inoculation (PI), and chickens showed higher immunity response after treated with probiotics. These results indicated that probiotics could enhance the humoral immunity in the respiratory and digestive tracts of chickens, and the immunological response to ND vaccine, and ND vaccine in combining with probiotics will get a better effect on humoral immunity. Both the probiotics and ND vaccine could increase the expression of IL-7 mRNA, and then improve the humoral immunity in the chickens, and the IL-7 maybe one of the ways by which the probiotics improve the humoral immunity.

BACKGROUND The safe and appropriate use of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) for the treatment of asthma has been widely debated. In two large clinical trials, investigators found a potential risk of serious asthma-related events associated with LABAs. This study was designed to evaluate the risk of administering the LABA salmeterol in combination with an inhaled glucocorticoid, fluticasone propionate. METHODS In this multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial, adolescent and adult patients (age, ≥12 years) with persistent asthma were assigned to receive either fluticasone with salmeterol or fluticasone alone for 26 weeks. All the patients had a history of a severe asthma exacerbation in the year before randomization but not during the previous month. Patients were excluded from the trial if they had a history of lifethreatening or unstable asthma. The primary safety end point was the first serious asthma-related event (death, endotracheal intubation, or hospitalization). Noninferiority of fluticasone–salmeterol to fluticasone alone was defined as an upper boundary of the 95% confidence interval for the risk of the primary safety end point of less than 2.0. The efficacy end point was the first severe asthma exacerbation. RESULTS Of 11,679 patients who were enrolled, 67 had 74 serious asthma-related events, with 36 events in 34 patients in the fluticasone–salmeterol group and 38 events in 33 patients in the fluticasone-only group. The hazard ratio for a serious asthmarelated event in the fluticasone–salmeterol group was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.64 to 1.66), and noninferiority was achieved (P = 0.003). There were no asthma-related deaths; 2 patients in the fluticasone-only group underwent asthmarelated intubation. The risk of a severe asthma exacerbation was 21% lower in the fluticasone–salmeterol group than in the fluticasone-only group (hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70 to 0.89), with at least one severe asthma exacerbation occurring in 480 of 5834 patients (8%) in the fluticasone–salmeterol group, as compared with 597 of 5845 patients (10%) in the fluticasone-only group (P

© 2014 American Chemical Society. Spectroscopy and imaging in the terahertz (THz) region of the electromagnetic spectrum has proven to provide important insights in fields as diverse as chemical analysis, materials characterization, security screening, and nondestructive testing. However, compact optoelectronics suited to the most powerful terahertz technique, time-domain spectroscopy, are lacking. Here, we implement single GaAs nanowires as microscopic coherent THz sensors and for the first time incorporated them into the pulsed time-domain technique. We also demonstrate the functionality of the single nanowire THz detector as a spectrometer by using it to measure the transmission spectrum of a 290 GHz low pass filter. Thus, nanowires are shown to be well suited for THz device applications and hold particular promise as near-field THz sensors.

Hyperventilation (HV) is often considered part of a defense response, implying an unpleasant emotion (negative valence) combined with a strong action tendency (high arousal). In this study, we investigated the importance of arousal and valence as triggers for HV responses. Forty women imagined eight different scripts varying along the arousal and valence dimensions. The scripts depicted relaxation, fear, depressive, action, and desire situations. After each trial, the imagery was rated for valence, arousal, and vividness. FetCO2, inspiratory and expiratory time, tidal volume, and pulse rate were measured in a nonintrusive way. FetCO2 drops and decreases in inspiratory and expiratory time occurred in all but the depressive and the relaxation scripts, suggesting that a defense conceptualization of hyperventilation is not always appropriate. ispartof: Psychophysiology vol:38 issue:6 pages:961-968 ispartof: location:United States status: published

DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) has an important role in the repair of DNA damage and regulates the radiation sensitivity of glioblastoma cells. The VCP (valosine-containing protein), a chaperone protein that regulates ubiquitin-dependent protein degradation, is phosphorylated by DNA-PK and recruited to DNA double-strand break sites to regulate DNA damage repair. However, it is not clear whether VCP is involved in DNA-PKcs (DNA-PK catalytic subunit) degradation or whether it regulates the radiosensitivity of glioblastoma. Our data demonstrated that DNA-PKcs was ubiquitinated and bound to VCP. VCP knockdown resulted in the accumulation of the DNA-PKcs protein in glioblastoma cells, and the proteasome inhibitor MG132 synergised this increase. As expected, this increase promoted the efficiency of DNA repair in several glioblastoma cell lines; in turn, this enhanced activity decreased the radiation sensitivity and prolonged the survival fraction of glioblastoma cells in vitro. Moreover, the VCP knockdown in glioblastoma cells reduced the survival time of the xenografted mice with radiation treatment relative to the control xenografted glioblastoma mice. In addition, the VCP protein was also downregulated in ~25% of GBM tissues from patients (WHO, grade IV astrocytoma), and the VCP protein level was correlated with patient survival (R(2)=0.5222, P

Lampreys are representatives of an ancient vertebrate lineage that diverged from our own ~500 million years ago. By virtue of this deeply shared ancestry, the sea lamprey (P. marinus) genome is uniquely poised to provide insight into the ancestry of vertebrate genomes and the underlying principles of vertebrate biology. Here, we present the first lamprey whole-genome sequence and assembly. We note challenges faced owing to its high content of repetitive elements and GC bases, as well as the absence of broad-scale sequence information from closely related species. Analyses of the assembly indicate that two whole-genome duplications likely occurred before the divergence of ancestral lamprey and gnathostome lineages. Moreover, the results help define key evolutionary events within vertebrate lineages, including the origin of myelin-associated proteins and the development of appendages. The lamprey genome provides an important resource for reconstructing vertebrate origins and the evolutionary events that have shaped the genomes of extant organisms.

Resumen del trabajo presentado al 26th Symposium on Surface Science (3S), celebrado en Åre, Sweden del 3 al 9 de marzo de 2013.

The development of erythroid progenitor cells depends upon exposure to the glycoprotein hormone, erythropoietin (EPO). Binding of EPO to its transmembrane receptor leads to the rapid tyrosine phosphorylation of several cellular targets including Shc, Raf-1, Gap120, the cloned EPO receptor (EPOR), pp100/97, and a M(r) 130,000 EPO-activated receptor-associated Janus protein tyrosine kinase, Jak2. A membrane-proximal cytosolic region of the EPOR recently has been shown to be essential for the activation of Jak2 and sufficient for EPO-induced mitogenesis. This cytosolic region includes 8-12 amino acid box 1 and box 2 subdomains, which are conserved in certain class I receptors as well as a more distal 10-40 amino acid subdomain (extended box 2 subdomain, ExBx2), which likewise is implicated in mitogenic signaling. Through the expression of EPOR carboxyl-terminal truncation mutants in FDC-P1 cells, we presently show that an EPOR form truncated within the ExBx2 domain efficiently activates Jak2, yet is deficient in mitogenesis. Efficient expression of this mutant receptor at the cell surface and its ability to activate Jak2 indicate that poor mitogenic activity does not result from aberrant transport or folding. Rather, failure of this mutant to support proliferation above nominal rates underlines an apparent role for the EPOR ExBx2 subdomain in the activation of a distinct primary mitogenic effector.

This article 'Discovery of a Recessive Tall Somatic Mutant with Wide Compatibility in Oryza sativa L' appeared in the International Rice Research Notes series, created by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to expedite communication among scientists concerned with the development of improved technology for rice and rice-based systems. The series is a mechanism to help scientists keep each other informed of current rice research findings. The concise scientific notes are meant to encourage rice scientists to communicate with one another to obtain details on the research reported.

The purpose of this study is to examine the subjective factors; brand trust, self-image congruence and usage satisfaction toward repeat purchase intention of smartphones among the Gen-Y consumers in Malaysia. A total of 182 respondents participated in this research. Most of the respondents purchased a smartphone within the last 12 months and a large number of the respondents are active users of text messaging and smartphone applications. Results indicate that self-image congruence is the main antecedents for repeat purchase of smartphones. This is the followed by usage satisfaction as the second predictor and lastly would be brand trust. This paper provides some discussion and recommendations for practitioners.

Single image super-resolution (SISR) deals with a fundamental problem of upsampling a low-resolution (LR) image to its high-resolution (HR) version. Last few years have witnessed impressive progress propelled by deep learning methods. However, one critical challenge faced by existing methods is to strike a sweet spot of deep model complexity and resulting SISR quality. This paper addresses this pain point by proposing a linearly-assembled pixel-adaptive regression network (LAPAR), which casts the direct LR to HR mapping learning into a linear coefficient regression task over a dictionary of multiple predefined filter bases. Such a parametric representation renders our model highly lightweight and easy to optimize while achieving state-of-the-art results on SISR benchmarks. Moreover, based on the same idea, LAPAR is extended to tackle other restoration tasks, e.g., image denoising and JPEG image deblocking, and again, yields strong performance. The code is available at https://github.com/dvlab-research/Simple-SR., Comment: NeurIPS2020