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To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of fused CBCT images for patients with condylar bone resorption of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthrosis.Forty-two TMJs from twenty-one patients were included. Bone resorption of condyles evaluated by three experts was used as the reference standard. Three oral and maxillofacial radiology residents evaluated the resorption of condyles with a five-point scale for the four sets of images (two consecutive CBCT images without fusion, fused 2D cross-sectional images, fused 3D images, and combining fused 2D cross-sectional images and fused 3D images) randomly and independently. Each set of images was evaluated at least 1 week apart, and a second evaluation was performed 4 weeks later. Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the intra- and inter-observer agreement. The areas under the ROC curves (AUCs) were compared among the four image sets using the Z test.Twenty-four TMJs were determined as condylar bone resorption, and eighteen were determined as no obvious change. The average AUC values from the three observers for the three fused image sets (0.94, 0.93, 0.93) were significantly higher than the image set without fusion (p 0.01). The intra- and inter-observer agreement on the three fused image sets (0.70-0.89, 0.91-0.92) was higher than the image set without fusion (0.37-0.63, 0.75).Fused CBCT images of TMJ osteoarthrosis patients can intuitively display the condylar bone resorption and significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy.Fused CBCT images can help clinicians intuitively observe bone changes of the condyle in TMJ osteoarthrosis patients.

The signal integrity (SI) analysis of a high-speed signal interconnect channel composed of through silicon vias (TSVs) and horizontal re-distribution layers (RDL) is carried out, and the problems of SI, such as transmission loss, crosstalk and coupling effect in the transmission channel, are analyzed and studied. These signal integrity issues are considered in this paper, a signal interconnect channel model is proposed and the equivalent circuit model is deduced as well. Compared with the traditional one, this interconnect channel model has better performance in SI. Further sweep frequency analysis is carried out for different material parameters to achieve signal transmission performance optimization aimed at this model. Test samples of the proposed signal interconnect channel model are designed and fabricated according to the process index, and measured to verify the actual transmission performance. The design and optimization rule of high-speed signal interconnect channel are summarized which proved that the proposed structure has more advantages in signal transmission performance, and has important guiding significance for practical design.

Purpose: The relative potency of norepinephrine and phenylephrine given as boluses to treat hypotension during spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery has been reported but few data are available for infusions. This study aimed to determine the relative potency of norepinephrine and phenylephrine when given by infusion for preventing hypotension during combined spinal-epidural anesthesia for cesarean delivery.Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, up-and-down sequential allocation study. Patients were randomly allocated to receive a prophylactic infusion of norepinephrine or phenylephrine started immediately after induction of anesthesia. The first patients received either norepinephrine 0.1 μg/kg/min or phenylephrine 0.5 μg/kg/min. An effective infusion rate was defined when no hypotension occurred before delivery. For each subsequent patient, the norepinephrine infusion rate was decreased or increased by 0.01 μg/kg/min or the phenylephrine infusion rate was decreased or increased by 0.05 μg/kg/min according to whether the infusion was effective or ineffective respectively in the previous patient. Values for the infusion rate that was effective in preventing hypotension in 50% of patients (ED50) for norepinephrine and phenylephrine were estimated using up-and-down sequential analysis and relative potency was estimated. Probit regression was used as a backup and sensitivity analysis.Results: The ED50 values for norepinephrine and phenylephrine calculated by the up-and-down method were 0.061 (95% CI 0.054–0.068) μg/kg/min and 0.368 (95% CI 0.343–0.393) μg/kg/min respectively. The estimated relative potency ratio for ED50 for norepinephrine to phenylephrine was 6.03:1 (95% CI 5.26:1 to 6.98:1).Conclusion: Under the conditions of this study, norepinephrine given by infusion was about 6 times more potent than phenylephrine. This information is useful for clinical practice and further comparative studies of norepinephrine versus phenylephrine.Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx, identifier [ChiCTR2200056237]

In this paper, the stability of an elastic column, one end of the column fixed and the other end supported by a spring, is studied under the Euler critical load with Koiter stability theory. The potential energy of the system is written as a functional of tangent angle, and the disturbance quantity is expanded into the Fourier series. The quadratic matrix of second-order variation of potential energy is obtained, and all order principal minor determinants are transformed into elementary expressions. The second-order variation is semi-positive definite. And the stability of the critical point depends on the higher-order variations of potential energy. The results show that the stability of the critical state of the flexible restrained column is related to the relative stiffness of the constraint. The post-buckling behavior is analyzed according to Koiter’s initial post-buckling theory. The post-buckling path is upward or downward corresponding to stable or unstable equilibrium, respectively. The critical loads of stability and instability under different relative stiffness values are solved accurately.

Background Major depression is the fourth leading cause of disability worldwide and poses a socioeconomic burden worldwide. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) is a promising noninvasive clinical device that may reduce the severity of major depression. However, the neural mechanism underlying continuous tVNS has not yet been elucidated. Objective We aimed to explore the effect of hypothalamic subregion functional connectivity (FC) changes during continuous tVNS treatment on major depressive disorder (MDD) patients and to identify the potential biomarkers for treatment outcomes. Methods Forty-one mild to moderate MDD patients were recruited and received either real or sham tVNS treatment for 4 weeks. We used a seed-to-whole brain approach to estimate the FC changes of hypothalamic subregions and their surrounding control areas during continuous tVNS treatment and explored their association with clinical outcome changes after 4 weeks of treatment. Results Of the thirty-six patients that completed the study, those in the tVNS group had significantly lower scores on the 24-item Hamilton Depression (HAM-D) Rating Scale compared to the sham tVNS group after 4 weeks of treatment. The FC between the bilateral medial hypothalamus (MH) and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) was significantly decreased during tVNS but not during sham tVNS. The strength of this FC was significantly correlated with HAM-D improvements after 4 weeks of tVNS. Conclusion The FC between the bilateral MH and rACC may serve as a potential biomarker for the tVNS state and predict treatment responses. Our results provide insights into the neural modulation mechanisms of continuous tVNS and reveal a potential therapeutic target for MDD patients.

Chelants are known to enhance metal translocation in plants; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the distribution and speciation of Cu in ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in both absence and presence of the biodegradable chelant [S,S']-ethylenediamine disuccinic acid (EDDS). The results showed that EDDS increased the Cu translocation factor from root to shoot by 6-9 folds under CuEDDS in comparison with free Cu (50-250μM). Synchrotron-based microscopic X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) mapping revealed that EDDS alleviated Cu deposition in the root meristem of root apex and the junction of lateral root zone, and facilitated Cu transport to root stele for subsequent translocation upwards. X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis found that free Cu was sequestered in plants as a mixture of Cu-organic ligands. In the EDDS treatment, Cu was primarily present as CuEDDS (49-67%) in plants with partial chemical transformation to Cu-histidine (21-36%) and Cu(I)-glutathione (0-24%). These results suggest that EDDS improves internal Cu mobility through forming CuEDDS, thus decreasing the root sequestration of Cu, and ultimately facilitating Cu transport to plant shoots.

To explore the correlation between blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) signal and neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration in the prefrontal cortex area after acupuncture or Von Frey filament stimulation (epidermal stimulation) at the right Hegu (LI4).A total of 76 healthy volunteers (23 men and 53 women, 24.5±1.4 years in age) were recruited in the pre-sent study. Each volunteer received two sessions of fMRI magnetic resonance scanning (MRS) examinations, with an interval of one week between two sessions. The MRI scan sequences included pre-task MRS, resting state BOLD and task MRS, BOLD. A region of Interest (ROI) of 35 mmExtensive deactivations were induced by both stimulations, mainly involving the midline regions as the medial prefrontal lobe, and limbic lobe. The deactivation effect of manual acupuncture stimulation was more extensive and intensive than that of Von Frey filament stimulation, especially in the medial prefrontal lobe. Data from 66 volunteers (after exclusion of 10 participants due to bigger standard deviation of GABA/Glx) showed no marked correlation between the GABA concentration and BOLD activation in the anterior cingulate cortex area in both groups(manual acupuncture stimulation group:Acupuncture of LI4 elicits a stronger and broader negative activation effect in the limbic-paralimbic-neocortical network including the medial prefrontal cortex in comparison with Von Frey filament stimulation, but no apparent correlation was found between the GABA concentration and BOLD activation in the anterior cingulate cortex after manual acupuncture and Von Frey stimulation.

Calorie restriction can modulate the gut microbiota and protect against many diseases including ischemic stroke. However, the role of calorie-restriction-induced microbiota alteration remained unknown in ischemic stroke rehabilitation. Here we conducted 30% reduction of caloric intake on mice for four weeks, to evaluate its role on ischemic stroke rehabilitation. Significantly, this calorie restriction led to better long-term rehabilitation in comparison of normal control. Notably, the transplantation of gut microbiome from calorie-restriction-treated mice to post-stroke mice was eligible to obtain better long-term rehabilitation of stroke mice. Bifidobacterium identified by 16 S ribosomal RNA sequencing were enriched in those of calorie-restriction mice. Then we administrated Bifidobacterium to stroke mice and found Bifidobacterium treatment could successfully improve the long-term rehabilitation of cerebral ischemia mice. Furthermore, the metabolomics analysis revealed a panel of upshifting metabolites, suggesting that calorie restriction greatly altered the gut microbiota composition and its metabolism. Hence, we discovered the novel effect of CR on long-term rehabilitation of ischemic stroke and the underlying role of gut microbiota, which might provide novel thoughts for the clinical post-stroke rehabilitation.

The biodegradable S,S-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) is a promising chelant for chelant-assisted phytoextraction of trace metals in polluted soil. The interactions between EDDS and trace metals/major elements in the soil affect the metal bioavailability and their subsequent phytoextraction efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the macroscopic and molecular-level interactions of EDDS with Cu in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere of a Cu-polluted agricultural soil. A multi-interlayer rhizobox planted with ryegrass was used to simulate the transport of EDDS and Cu from the non-rhizosphere to rhizosphere soils. The results showed that EDDS (5 mM kg−1) significantly dissociated Cu (285–690 fold), Fe (by 3.47–60.2 fold), and Al (2.43–5.31 fold) from the soil in comparison with a control group. A combination of micro-X-ray fluorescence, X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy, and sequential extraction analysis revealed that EDDS primarily chelated the adsorbed fraction of Cu by facilitating the dissolution of goethite. Moreover, as facilitated by ryegrass transpiration, CuEDDS was moved from the non-rhizosphere to rhizosphere and accumulated in ryegrass. In situ processes of Cu extraction and transport by EDDS in the rhizosphere were further elucidated with chemical speciation analysis and geochemical modeling methods.

Contaminated mining sites require ecological restoration work, of which phytoremediation using appropriate plant species is an attractive option. Our present study is focused on one typical contaminated mine site with indigenous plant cover. The X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis indicated that Cu (the major contaminant) was primarily associated with goethite (adsorbed fraction), with a small amount of Cu oxalate-like species (organic fraction) in mine affected soil. With growth of plant species like Miscanthus floridulus and Stenoloma chusanum, the Cu-oxalate like organic species in rhizosphere soil significantly increased, with corresponding decrease in Cu-goethite. In the root cross-section of Miscanthus floridulus, synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) microscopy and micro-XANES results indicated that most Cu was sequestered around the root surface/epidermis, primarily forming Cu alginate-like species as a Cu-tolerance mechanism. From the root epidermis to the cortex and vascular bundle, more Cu(I)-glutathione was observed, suggesting reductive detoxification ability of Cu(II) to Cu(I) during the transport of Cu in the root. The observation of Cu-histidine in root internal cell layers showed another Cu detoxification pathway based on coordinating amino ligands. Miscanthus floridulus showed ability to accumulate phosphorous and nitrogen nutrients in rhizosphere and may be an option for in situ phytostabilization of metals in contaminated mining area.

To investigate gender differences of the associations between hyperuricemia and diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on electronic health records (EHR).A total of 20,207 older diabetic patients (mean age 71±7years) were investigated based on the EHR from 2012 to 2013 in the Minhang District of Shanghai-China. The status of hyperuricemia, albuminuric DKD and the odds ratios of DKD relative to hyperuricemia were analyzed among 8541 men and 11,666 women.The overall rate of hyperuricemia was 20.5% (males: 17.2%, females: 23.0%) and that of albuminuric DKD was 36.2% (males: 32.2%, female: 39.1%) in these diabetic patients. Hyperuricemia was independently associated with increased risk of reduced renal function and albuminuria (p0.001) in both genders. After adjustment of traditional DKD risk factors, hyperuricemia had a stronger association with albuminuric DKD in males (OR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.48-1.88) than in females (OR 1.23, 95% CI: 1.12-1.35).This study showed an independent association of hyperuricemia with albuminuric DKD that was stronger in elderly males for the first time in China based on EHR. The level of uric acid should be monitored and managed in older diabetic patients.

A series of experiments, including post-aged tensile tests, charpy impact tests, Vickers hardness test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations, were carried out to investigate the microstructure evolution and high-temperature mechanical properties of P92 steel. Experimental results show that martensitic lath structure gradually recovers during long-term aging; meanwhile, the content and size of spheroidal M23C6 together with Laves phase distributed mainly along prior austenite grain boundaries and subgrain boundaries increase with extending the aging time, but MX in grain interior seems to be stable. The strength parameters (σys and σult), the ductile parameters (δ and Φf) and high-temperature impact absorbed energy all show an initially slight increase followed by a decrease with the increase of the aging time up to 500 h. After aging for 2000 h at 650°C, this degradation behaviour becomes stable, although the Vickers hardness is not strong...

Strain controlled uniaxial low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests of P92 steel were conducted at strain amplitudes of 0.4%, 0.6% and 0.8% in fully reversed manner with strain rate of 1.0×10-3s-1 at high temperature of 650 °C. Cyclic softening behavior was studied and time-independent cyclic plasticity model was used to represent the cyclic mechanical behavior of this steel. Material parameters were determined step by step at higher strain amplitude of 0.8%, experimental data with lower strain amplitude were used to validate the extrapolation of the model. Comparison of the simulated and experimental results shows that the proposed model can give a reasonable prediction of stress-strain hysteresis loop for P92 steel at high temperature.

In this study, experimental and the finite element (FE) methods are utilized to investigate residual stresses of a multi-pass butt-welded 12Cr1MoV/P91 dissimilar pipe. X-ray technique is used to validate the FF results. Both methods show that residual stresses are significantly unsymmetrical distributed with respect to weld center line (WCL), and peak stresses exist on the inner surface of P91 part. The simulated results are especially in good greement with experimental ones within the weldment and its vicinity. Results for repair welds covering different circumferential angular are also presented to investigate the influence of repair length on residual stresses. It shows the shorter repair develops higher residual stresses, and this effect is more significant within the repairing area than the other regions.

From the beginning of the fourth national census of traditional Chinese medicine resources in 2011, a large amount of data have been collected and compiled, including wild medicinal plant resource data, cultivation of medicinal plant information, traditional knowledge, and specimen information. The traditional paper-based recording method is inconvenient for query and application. The B/S architecture, JavaWeb framework and SOA are used to design and develop the fourth national census results display platform. Through the data integration and sorting, the users are to provide with integrated data services and data query display solutions. The platform realizes the fine data classification, and has the simple data retrieval and the university statistical analysis function. The platform uses Echarts components, Geo Server, Open Layers and other technologies to provide a variety of data display forms such as charts, maps and other visualization forms, intuitive reflects the number, distribution and type of Chinese material medica resources. It meets the data mapping requirements of different levels of users, and provides support for management decision-making.

The behaviour of arsenic (As) from geogenic soil exposed to aerobic conditions is critical to predict the impact of As on the environment, which processes remain unresolved. The current study examined the depth profile of As in geologically derived subsoil cores from Hong Kong and investigated the mobilization, plant availability, and bioaccessibility of As in As-contaminated soil at different depths (0-45.8 m). Results indicated significant heterogeneity, with high levels of As in three layers of soil reaching up to 505 mg/kg at a depth of 5 m, 404 mg/kg at a depth of 15 m, and 1510 mg/kg at a depth of 27-32 m. Arsenic in porewater samples was11.5 μg/L in the study site. X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicated that main As species in soil was arsenate (As(V)), as adsorbed fraction to Fe oxides (41-69% on goethite and 0-8% on ferrihydrite) or the mineral form scorodite (30-57%). Sequential extraction procedure demonstrated that 0.5 ± 0.4% of As was exchangeable. Aerobic incubation experiments exhibited that a very small amount (0.14-0.48 mg/kg) of As was desorbed from the soil because of the stable As(V) complex structure on abundant Fe oxides (mainly goethite), where indigenous microbes partly (59 ± 18%) contributed to the release of As comparing with the sterilized control. Furthermore, no As toxicity in the soil was observed with the growth of ryegrass. The bioaccessibility of As was27% in the surface soil using simplified bioaccessibility extraction test. Our systematic evaluation indicated that As in the geogenic soil profile from Hong Kong is relatively stable exposing to aerobic environment. Nevertheless, children and workers should avoid incidental contact with excavated soil, because high concentration of As was present in the digestive solution (0.1-268 μg/L).

Low Reynolds number aerodynamics is important for various applications including high altitude unmanned vehicles, wind turbines and propellers. Few researches were concerned on this area. Low Reynolds number (60000,100000,300000,460000) flows around Eppler387 airfoil of different angles of attack (0°~12°) were simulated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Transition shear-stress transport (SST) model which combined with the SST model and the model was demonstrated. Simulation results show good agreement with the experimental data. The model is able to predict the position of low Reynolds laminar separation bubbles and display the complex phenomenon of the flows, which can form the basis for solving boundary layer separation problem and designing of airfoil.

Background Calorie restriction (CR) is a therapeutically effective method for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the compliance of the CR method is relatively poor. New CR methods are needed. Methods and results Each week, mice are given a 5-day high-fat diet (HFD) ad libitum plus 2 days of an intermittent calorie restriction (ICR) diet (50% calorie restriction) consisting of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables, for 16 weeks. The effect of the ICR diet model on the fatty liver of mice is examined. Compared with continuous HFD-fed mice, the mice feeding HFD+ICR have lower body weight and hepatic steatosis, reduced serum lipid and transaminase levels, increased fatty acid oxidation gene of Cpt1a, and decreased hepatic lipid synthesis gene of Pparγ and Srebf-1c, as well as improved insulin resistance and lower level of inflammation. Moreover, ICR reverses the dysbacteriosis in HFD group, including the lower Shannon diversity indexes and lower abundance of Lactobacillus. Conclusion An ICR diet consisting of yogurt, fruit, and vegetables attenuates the development of HFD-induced hepatic steatosis in mice. Furthermore, HFD+ICR diet is associated with a different fecal microbiota that tends to be more similar to normal diet controls.

OBJECTIVES:: To present a method for image fusion of cone beam CT (CBCT)/CT and MRI and to explore whether the image data sets fused in such a way could aid the detection of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) anatomical structures and lesions. METHODS:: There were five cases included in this study. One case was space occupying lesion giant cell tumour of tendon sheaths, one case was chronic inflammation in the condyle, one case was articular disc calcification of the bilateral TMJs, and the other two cases were TMJ disorders (anterior disc displacement without reduction). The digital imaging and communications in medicine format data of CT/CBCT and MRI of the cases were collected, and then imported to the Amira visual software where the registration process was conducted. Based on the different scan model, the registration process could be separated into automatic registration of CT/CBCT with quadrature slice MR images and the semi-automatic registration of CT/CBCT with oblique slice MR images by altering the registration parameters. Rigid transform model and the similarity metric of normalization mutual information was used for registration in the present study. RESULTS:: The relationship between the soft mass and hard tissue was shown clearly in the fused images when compared to sole observation of CBCT/CT or MR images. The fused images could define the tumour outline and the destructive bone clearly in the same image. The fused results helped the observers to ensure uncertain defects which could not be confirmed only by one image data set. CONCLUSIONS:: The CT/CBCT and MR images could be fused to aid detection of TMJ anatomical structures and related lesions. ispartof: DENTOMAXILLOFACIAL RADIOLOGY vol:48 issue:3 ispartof: location:England status: published

In this paper, we propose a novel source localization method to estimate parameters of arbitrary field sources, which may lie in near-field region or far-field region of array aperture. The proposed method primarily constructs two special spatial-temporal covariance matrixes which can avoid the array aperture loss, and then estimates the frequencies of signals to obtain the oblique projection matrixes. By using the oblique projection technique, the covariance matrixes can be transformed into several data matrixes which only contain single source information, respectively. At last, based on the sparse signal recovery method, these data matrixes are utilized to solve the source localization problem. Compared with the existing typical source localization algorithms, the proposed method improves the estimation accuracy, and provides higher angle resolution for closely spaced sources scenario. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm.

This letter presents a new mixed-order MUSIC algorithm for far-field and near-field sources localization using a sparse symmetric array. By exploiting the special array geometry, the proposed algorithm constructs a cumulant matrix to estimate the directions of arrival (DOAs) of both far-field and near-field sources using the conventional MUSIC method. With the estimated DOAs and the covariance matrix of the sparse array, the far-field and near-field sources are identified and the range parameters of near-field sources are also obtained by defining the range spectrum. Compared with the traditional algorithms, the proposed algorithm has moderate computation complexity, and provides higher resolution, and also improves the parameters estimation accuracy. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the performance improvement of the proposed method.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel colorimetric method for detecting the tumor biomarker vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) based on aptamer and magnetic beads. METHODS: The capture aptamer was hybridized to urease functionalized single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and immobilize on the surface of magnetic beads by specific biotin-avidin binding. In the presence of VEGF, aptamers bound to VEGF to form a specific stem-loop structure to release the urease functionalized ssDNA. After separation, the supernatant was transferred to a tube and urea and phenol red were added. Urease hydrolyzed urea to produce ammonia to cause an increase of the pH value and a color change of phenol red. The results were inspected with either the naked eyes or by a UV spectrophotometer. RESULTS: Under optimized conditions, the detection system showed a good linear relationship for VEGF detection in the range of 0.1 to 10 pmol/L with a detection limit as low as 0.06 pmol/L. The results of VEGF detection in the serum of patients with lung cancer were consistent with those using an ELISA Kit. The results of examination of 10 serum samples with this aptamer-based method and ELISA kit showed that the accuracy of this method was 90%. CONCLUSION: This aptamer-based system provides an simple and convenient method for VEGF detection with a high sensitivity and selectivity.

In this paper, the differential equations of the steel rope shock absorber are established under the basic excitation, using the Fourier series expansion method and the Harmonic balance method, the corresponding frequency response equations are derived, then their numerical solutions is got, and the influence of the mass, damping, stiffness, and hysteretic force on the frequency response characteristic is analyzed under the basic excitation. It can be drawn by analyzing and comparing. Under the basic excitation, with the basic simplified mass increasing, the natural frequency will decrease, while the resonance amplitude will increase. With the steel rope damping, stiffness and the foundation damping increasing, the natural frequency will not change significantly, while the resonance amplitude will decrease. With the foundation stiffness increasing, the natural frequency and the resonance amplitude will increase significantly. The equipment mass and steel rope hysteretic force have no significant effect on the frequency response characteristics.

To investigate the effect of decitabine (DAC) alone or in combination with arsenic trioxide (AsThe inhibitory effect of DAC and AsThe inhibitory effect of DAC or AsDAC or As

The experimental advanced superconducting Tokamak has two suits of ion cyclotron radio frequency heating systems, in which the two antennas are of different structures. Their performance is assessed and compared by CST microwave studio. The radiating capacity of antennas and the arcing around them are estimated. The impurity release is analyzed by the radio frequency (RF) potential in the plasma sheath. The simulation results show that the radiating capacity for the folded antenna (I-port) is better than those for the double loops antenna (B-port). However, the folded antenna is worse than the double loops antenna in terms of breakdown. Moreover, the impurity production is relevant to spectrum shaping. The RF potential at (0, π, π, 0) phasing with the peak of spectrum k // = 8.5 m−1 is lower than the one with other phases. The impurity is reduced obviously when the folded antenna is powered with (0, π, π, 0) phasing.

Interrupt handling in out-of-order execution processors requires complex hardware schemes to maintain the sequential state. By managing the interaction with external systems through effective use of interrupts can dramatically improve system efficiency and the use of processing resources. The actual process of determining a good handling method can be complicated, challenging and fun. Numerous actions are occurring simultaneously at a single point and these actions have to be handled fast and efficiently. The paper will provide a practical guide to designing an interrupt handler and discuss the various trade-offs between the different methods. The interrupt handling process of S3C2410X is described, normally, S3C2410X interrupt controller requests interrupt from kernel interrupt FIQ or IRQ of S3C2410X after the interrupt arbitration. The experiment purpose and experiment equipment is detailed listed. Finally, the author explored into the experiment principle and experiment procedure.

LabVIEW is a graphical programming environment used by millions of engineers and scientists to develop sophisticated measurement, test, and control systems using intuitive graphical icons and wires that resemble a flowchart. It offers unrivaled integration with thousands of hardware devices and provides hundreds of built-in libraries for advanced analysis and data visualization, all for creating virtual instrumentation.The paper discussed the main features of virtual instrumetation and listed the main industrial applications. The research and analysis is the key function of LabVIEW software and has been detailed summarized. Finally, the author discussed the future development of LabVIEW software.

Under laboratory conditions, simulated Bell-type annealing technology , researched the annealing temperature on the SPCC cold-rolled steel sheet mechanical properties. The results indicate that when the time of annealing is shorter (1h), the hardness of steel that used to test decreased with the annealing temperature increased; when the time of annealing is longer (5h), the microhardness is increase slightly with the annealing temperature increased, while the lower plastic decreased.

This study simulated Bell-type annealing technology under laboratory conditions, and researched the effect of annealing time on the mechanical properties of SPCC cold-rolled steel sheet. The results indicate that the yield strength decreased with the extending of time; the plastic strain increases with the elongation of annealing time till a given time, and then decreased with the time extending; the cold-rolled specimen brittle fractured in tension while the annealed specimen shear fractured. Key words: microstructure mechanical properties Bell-type annealing SPCC cold-rolled steel sheet

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiographic features of osteoarthrosis (OA) of the temporomandibular joints (TMJOA) in human adolescents and young adults. Study design Patients (n = 4883) with temporomandibular disorders (age, 11 to 30 years) underwent clinical and radiographic examinations. The radiographic findings were classified as erosive bony changes, proliferative changes mainly, including flattening with uneven sclerosis, and osteophytes of the condyle, and bilaterally short condylar processes. In addition, we interpreted the reassessment radiographs of 156 of the patients. Results Seven hundred eleven patients had radiographic signs of OA. The frequency of OA was higher in women (563/3360, 16.8%) than in men (148/1523, 9.7%). Most patients (541/711, 76.1%) with signs of OA showed proliferative changes of OA. Moreover, 56.4% of patients with TMJOA (88/156) remained stable. Conclusions These results suggest that although OA is an age-related disease, aging is not the crucial factor in the pathogenesis of OA.

A novel chitosan- graft -polyethylenimine (CHI- g -PEI) copolymer with biocleavable disulfide linkages between chitosan chains and PEI grafts was synthesized, characterized, and examined as a potential nonviral gene vector. The chemical structure of the obtained product was characterized by 1 H NMR, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, respectively. Agarose gel retardation assay, dynamic light scattering, and scanning electron microscopy experiments revealed that CHI- g -PEI had a good ability of condensing plasmid DNA into spherical nanoparticles in the size range of 200–300 nm. In the imitative physiological environment the polymer/pDNA complexes are relatively stable, meanwhile, an efficient release of pDNA was detected in the presence of 25 mM DTT, mimicking the intracellular reductive environment. These results show that the bioreducible CHI- g -PEI copolymer, thus obtained, can be used as a promising nonviral gene carrier due to its excellent properties.

Clinical trials with partial liquid ventilation demonstrate improvement in oxygenation, as well as some adverse side effects linked to the application of liquid perfluorocarbons (PFCs) during liquid ventilation. Thus, we examined the effects of systemic administration of PFC on acute lung injury (ALI) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and its effects on heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a compound that provides potent cytoprotection against lung injury. Rats were assigned to one of six groups (n = 8). Thirty minutes after they were challenged with LPS aerosol inhalation, perfluorohexane was given intraperitoneally every two hours. Ten hours after LPS inhalation, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were obtained for enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, histologic, and Western-blot analyses. The results showed that perfluorohexane significantly decreased the wet to dry weight ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA) production, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the lung tissue. Also, perfluorohexane reduced the total protein content and levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) but increased the levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in the BALF, resulting in decreased pulmonary edema and the infiltration of neutrophils into the lung tissues of LPS-treated rats. Furthermore, perfluorohexane increased HO-1 protein production and stimulated HO-1 activity in the lung tissue. Pre-treatment with Zinc protoporphyrin IX, an inhibitor of HO-1, decreased the protective effects of perfluorohexane in rats. In summary, systemic perfluorohexane alleviates LPS-induced lung injury in rats, and HO-1 may be involved in the mechanism of this reduction.

SUMMARY 1 The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of spinal nitric oxide (NO) to the antinociceptive effects of emulsified isofluane in rats. 2 The formalin test was used to assess nociceptive responses. Immunocytochemistry and histochemistry were performed to determine the effects of emulsified isoflurane on formalin-induced changes in Fos-like immunoreactive (Fos-LI)- and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphatediaphorase (NADPH-d)-positive neurons, respectively. 3 The results showed that emulsified isofluane, administered intraperitoneally, significantly decreased the formalin-induced paw licking time and that this was attenuated by pretreatment with intrathecal injection of the NO precursor l-arginine. Furthermore, Fos-LI- and NADPH-d-positive neurons were mainly found in the ipsilateral dorsal horn after injection of formalin, some of which were Fos-LI/NADPH-d double-labelled neurons. 4 Administration of emulsified isofluane significantly decreased Fos-LI- and NADPH-d-positive, as well as Fos-LI/NADPH-d double-labelled, neurons. Finally, emulsified isofluane produced a significant reduction of NOS activity and a decrease of NO production in the spinal cord of formalin-treated rats. 5 In conclusion, the results suggest that inhibition of spinal NO production contributes to the antinociceptive effects of emulsified isofluane on formalin-induced pain in rats.

Potentiation of GABAA receptor-mediated inhibitory neurotransmission contributes to the anesthetic action of thiopental. However, the inhibiting action of general anesthetic on excitatory neurotransmission also purportedly underlies its effects. The aim of the study was to elucidate the role of glutamate receptors (NMDA and AMPA receptors) in thiopental-induced anesthesia. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) NMDA (50 ng) significantly increased the induction time of loss of righting reflex and decreased sleep time induced by intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of thiopental (50 mg/kg). Furthermore, NMDA at 50 ng i.c.v. increased the 50% effective dose values for thiopental to produce loss of righting reflex and immobility in response to noxious tail clamp by 25% and 21% (p < 0.05), respectively. However, intrathecal (IT) administration of NMDA or both of i.c.v. or IT administration of AMPA did not show such antagonizing effects on thiopental action at subconvulsive dose. Finally, thiopental (25 mg/kg i.p.) inhibited convulsions induced by NMDA (0.4 µg i.c.v.) or bicuculline (0.6 µg i.c.v.). However, i.p. muscimol (1 mg/kg) blocked the convulsions induced by bicuculline, but not those induced by NMDA at 3 mg/kg. Similarly, i.p. MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) antagonized NMDA-induced convulsions, but not bicuculline-induced convulsions at 0.3 mg/kg. Therefore, we suggest that the effects of the selective GABAA and NMDA receptors on convulsive behavior are special to their sites of action, and that the inhibitory action of thiopental on NMDA receptors is possibly not mediated by secondary effects of its GABAA receptors agonism. These results above indicate the involvement of NMDA receptors in thiopental-induced anesthesia in mice.

A magnetic energy harvester to collect the energy in an alternating magnetic field is proposed in this contribution. The multiferroic energy harvester presented here consists of a functionally graded piezomagnetic cylindrical layer for collecting magnetic energy and a functionally graded piezoelectric cylindrical layer for conversion to electric energy. A theoretical analysis is performed using the linear equations of piezomagnetic, piezoelectric, and elastic materials. The ME effect and output power of the magnetic energy harvester are investigated. The effects of various physical and geometricl parameters are also examined.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a noninvasive neuromodulation technique that has been used to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions. Although results of rTMS intervention are promising, so far, little is known about the rTMS effect on brain functional networks in clinical populations. In this study, we used a whole-brain connectivity analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to uncover changes in functional connectivity following rTMS intervention and their association with motor symptoms in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). Patients were randomized to active rTMS or sham rTMS groups and completed a 10-session 5-Hz rTMS treatment over the left primary motor area. The results showed significant rTMS-related changes in motor symptoms and functional connectivity. Specifically, (1) significant improvement of motor symptoms was observed in the active rTMS group, but not in the sham rTMS group; and (2) several functional links involving the default mode, cerebellar, and limbic networks exhibited positive changes in functional connectivity in the active rTMS group. Moreover, the positive changes in functional connectivity were associated with improvement in motor symptoms for the active rTMS group. The present findings suggest that rTMS may improve motor symptoms by modulating functional links connecting to the default mode, cerebellar, and limbic networks, inferring a future therapeutic candidate for patients with MSA.

The nanocrystalline SiC films were prepared on Si (111) substrates by rf magnetron sputtering and then annealed at 800°C and 1000°C for 30 minutes in a vacuum annealing system. The crystal structure and crystallization of as-annealed SiC films were determined by the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectra and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Measurement of photoluminescence (PL) of the nanocrystalline SiC (nc-SiC) films shows that the blue light with 473 nm and 477 nm wavelengths emitted at room temperature and that the PL peak shifts to shorter wavelength side and the PL intensity becomes stronger as the annealing temperature decreases. The time-resolved spectrum of the PL at 477 nm exhibits a bi-exponential decay process with lifetimes of 600 ps and 5 ns and a characteristic of the direct band gap. The strong blue light emission with short PL lifetimes suggests that the quantum confinement effect of the SiC nanocrystals resulted in the radiative recombination of the direct optical transitions.

The microstructures of the rare-earth-based AB 5 -type Mm(NiMnSiAl) 4.3 Co 0.6− x Fe x ( x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6) hydrogen storage alloys were analysed by XRD, SEM and TEM, and electrochemical characteristics of the as-cast and quenched alloys were measured. The effects of substituting Co with Fe on microstructures and electrochemical characteristics of the as-cast and quenched alloys were investigated in detail. The obtained results show that the effects of substituting Co with Fe on the phase structures of the as-cast and quenched alloys are imperceptible, but its effects on electrochemical characteristics of the alloys are notable. The discharge capacities decrease, but the cycle lives of the alloys were improved with the increase of the amount of Fe substitution. Especially, substituting Co with Fe can significantly enhance the cycle lives of the as-quenched alloys, which is mainly attributed to the grain refinement caused by substituting Co with Fe.

To study the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in gingival carcinoma and their correlation in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.Sixty-six gingival cancer patients were determined by pathological examination, among which 31 were well-differentiated, 20 were moderately differentiated and 15 were poorly differentiated. 15 adjacent normal tissues were chosen as control group. The expression of VEGF and PTEN was examined by immunohistochemical method. Correlation analysis was performed with SPSS13.0 software package.The positive rate of PTEN in control group was significantly higher than other groups (P0.05). The expression of VEGF in poorly differentiated group was significantly higher than other groups (P0.05). Correlation analysis showed that the expression of VEGF was positively correlated to recurrence and lymph node metastasis (P0.05); PTEN was negatively correlated to recurrence and lymph node metastasis (P0.05); VEGF and PTEN in gingival carcinoma was negatively correlated (P0.05).The increased expression of VEGF and decreased expression of PTEN in gingival carcinoma may play a mutual role in the development of gingival cancer.

Background The prognostic significance of long-term visit-to-visit blood pressure variability (BPV) has not yet been validated in "real world" hypertensive patients. The aim of the current study is to explore the prognostic value of BPV on stroke in hypertensive patients. Methods This was a dynamic prospective cohort study based on electronic medical records in Shanghai, China. Hypertensive patients (N=122,636) without history of stroke at baseline, were followed up from 2005 to 2011. The cohort comprised of 4522 stroke patients and 118,114 non-stroke patients during a mean follow-up duration of 48months. BPV was measured by standard deviation (SD) and the coefficient of variation (CV) of blood pressure. Results The visit-to-visit variability of both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was independently associated with the occurrence of stroke [SD: the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of SBP and DBP were 1.042 (1.021 to 1.064) and 1.052 (1.040 to 1.065); CV: the hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) of SBP and DBP were 1.183 (1.010 to 1.356) and 1.151 (1.005 to 1.317), respectively]. The hazard ratio values increased along with an increase of the BPV levels of SBP and DBP. The increment effect remained significant after controlling the blood pressure control status of subjects. Conclusions Increased BPV of both SBP and DBP, independent of the average blood pressure, is a predictor of stroke among community hypertensive patients in real-world clinical practice. The risk of stroke increased along with increased BPV. Stabilizing BPV might be a therapeutic target in hypertension.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is an inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis. PsA is often confused with other diseases such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. PsA involving temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are uncommon: only 19 articles with 43 cases have been documented in the literature. TMJ ankylosis caused by PsA is rare, with only six cases having been reported. The authors present four cases of ankylosis of the TMJ secondary to PsA and review the literature. The findings of this study suggest that more attention should be paid to psoriasis patients with TMJ symptoms and proper treatment should be taken to prevent irreversible TMJ damage.

An ion cyclotron range of frequency (ICRF) heating experiment was conducted in the third campaign of LHD in 1999. 1.35 MW of ICRF power were injected into the plasma and 200 kJ of stored energy were obtained, which was maintained for 5 s by ICRF power only after the termination of ECH. The impurity problem was so completely overcome that the pulse length was easily extended to 68 s at a power level of 0.7 MW. The utility of a liquid stub tuner in steady state plasma heating was demonstrated in this discharge. The energy confinement time of the ICRF heated plasma has the same dependences on plasma parameters as those of the ISS95 stellarator scaling with a multiplication factor of 1.5, which is a high efficiency comparable to that of NBI. Such an improvement in performance was obtained by various means, including: (a) scanning of the magnetic field intensity and minority concentration, (b) improvement of particle orbits due to a shift of magnetic axis and (c) reduction of the number of impurity ions by means of titanium gettering and the use of carbon divertor plates. In the optimized heating regime, ion heating turned out to be the dominant heating mechanism, unlike in CHS and W7-AS. Owing to the high quality of the heating and the parameter range being extended far beyond that of previous experiments, the experiment can be regarded as the first complete demonstration of ICRF heating in stellarators.

A new technique for wall conditioning that will be especially useful for future larger superconducting tokamaks, such as ITER, has been successfully developed and encouraging results have been obtained. Solid carborane powder, which is non-toxic and non-explosive, was used. Pulsed RF plasma was produced by a non-Faraday shielding RF antenna with RF power of 10 kW. The ion temperature was about 2 keV with a toroidal magnetic field of 1.8 T and a pressure of 3 × 10-1 Pa. Energetic ions broke up the carborane molecules, and the resulting boron ions struck and were deposited on the first wall. In comparison with glow discharge cleaning boronization, the B/C coating film shows higher adhesion, more uniformity and longer lifetime during plasma discharges. The plasma performance was improved after ICRF boronization.

Increased applications of rare earth elements (REEs) have led to scattering and bio-accumulation in the environment. This study shows that the environmental residue of cerium as a representative for REEs could enter into sugarcane plants via the leaves that were exposed to atmospheric contaminants and REEs could also enter into sugarcane plants via the roots in substrate soils that were contaminated by REEs or applied with fertilizers containing REEs. In either case, the absorbed REEs could be distributed to and accumulate in various parts of the plant. REEs in soil could be concentrated and accumulated in sugarcane at a concentration ratio above 1.10 times regardless of REE concentration in the substrate soil. While officially permitted residual concentrations of mixed REE nitrates in foodstuff are not available, high REE concentrations in the substrate soil on which sugarcane grows could lead to harmful effects for humans consuming sugarcane-related products.