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Currently, there are still no convincing clinical models predicting closed lower extremity fracture-associated deep vein thrombosis in patients treated through thromboprophylactic methods. We aimed at using two retrospective cohorts to develop and externally verify a clinical prediction model for deep vein thrombosis in patients treated with anticoagulants after suffering closed lower extremity fractures.We evaluated the patients' pre- and post-operatively, to accurately determine the predictive power of the biomarkers and clinical risk factors. Two retrospective cohorts were used for the development and external verification of a pre-operative clinical prediction model (development: n = 2,253; verification: n = 833) and post-operative clinical prediction model (development: n = 1,422; verification: n = 449), respectively.The C-indices were used to show the predicted incidence of objective thrombosis at the pre- and post-operative stage, which were then compared with the observed incidence of thrombosis in both cohorts. Biomarkers and clinical indicators were included in pre- and post-operative nomograms, which were adequately calibrated in both cohorts. The cross-validated C-indices of the pre- and post-operative clinical prediction models in the verification cohort were 0.706 (95% Cl, 0.67-0.74) and 0.875 (95% Cl, 0.84-0.91), respectively.We present our findings of novel pre- and post-operative nomograms for the prediction of deep venous thrombosis in patients who received thromboprophylaxis after suffering closed lower extremity fractures.

ABSTRACT: The rate of penetration (ROP) is directly related to the drilling cost. Accurate prediction of the ROP is of great significance to reduce the drilling cost. At present, there are two main types of methods for predicting ROP. One is based on physical mechanism analysis. However, due to many kinds of parameters affecting ROP, the prediction results are often very different from the actual ROP. The other is the data-driven prediction model of ROP. For the sample data with no obvious characteristics or "small sample" data, compared with the actual results, the prediction results of data-driven model have large errors. To solve the above problems, a new machine learning ROP prediction model based on physical mechanism constraints is proposed in this paper. Based on the data of 4 wells in X block of T oil field, the random forest model is selected from the three machine models including support vector regression, random forest, and regression tree, and the rock drillability constraint is added to predict the ROP. The prediction results that do not meet the rock drillability constraints are optimized to reduce the prediction error. The results show that the random forest model with constraints has the best performance, and the prediction error is reduced from 14.52% to 11.27%. 1. INTRODUCTION ROP prediction methods can be divided into two categories: one is the physical model based on parameter relationships, and the other is the machine learning model based on big data (Gan, 2019). Maurer (1962) proposed a model for predicting the ROP of rolling cutting tooth bit based on WOB, formation drillability, rock compressive strength, and bit size. Bingham (1965) introduced the weight index based on Maurer’s model to predict the ROP. Bourgoyne and Young (1974) considered the formation strength, formation depth, compactness, bottom hole differential pressure, bit size, bit weight, bit wear, string ROP, and bit hydraulics, and established a multiple regression ROP prediction model. Warren (1987) gave the prediction model of cone bit penetration rate based on rock compressive strength, string rate of penetration, torque, and bit size. Hareland et al. (2010) established the prediction model of ROP by considering the physical number of insertions in contact with rock, the physical number of insertions through rock, the cutting angle of formation, and the ultimate strength of rock. The ROP prediction model based on the mechanism model takes into account the limited parameters affecting the ROP, and the mechanism relationship between each parameter and the ROP is mostly given through experimental assumptions. Therefore, the accuracy of predicting the ROP based on the physical model is low.

In Fig. 1c of this Article, the x-axis scale was inadvertently duplicated from Fig. 1b. The original Article has been corrected online.

Wernekinck commissure syndrome is a rare midbrain infarction, it consists of several symptoms including bilateral cerebellar ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, and palatal tremor. Holmes tremor is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by a combination of resting, postural, and action tremors. We describe two cases of Wernekinck commissure syndrome with Holmes tremor. To the best of our knowledge, it has been rarely reported in the literature to date. Both of the cases were presented with acute onset of bilateral cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, and Holmes tremor. In the treatment, one patient was given "clonazepam and benheisol," the other was received acupuncture therapy, both of them showed a marked improvement in ataxia and tremor.

We present an erratum to our Letter [Opt. Lett.40, 4249 (2015)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.40.004249]. This erratum corrects the nuclear Lande factor gI in Eq. (2). After correcting the error, the final ground-state hyperfine splitting frequency of the

We demonstrate a three-axis atomic magnetometer capable of measuring the magnitude and direction of a magnetic field based on the spin self-sustaining method using a rubidium vapor. Vectorial capability is added by precise compensation in three components of the magnetic field since the Larmor precession frequency is stable and constant in this process. A mean sensitivity of 0.78 pT/ Hz in the measurement of the field magnitude and a sensitivity of 3.5 × 10 - 6 rad/ Hz in the measurement of direction are realized. The coherence lifetime of atomic spins is lengthened to 340 ms and the sensitivity improves with time following a much faster τ - 1 rule which enables the magnetometer to reach the quantum shot noise floor in a much shorter time.

Three dimensional (3D) MoS2/graphene hybrid aerogels have emerged as promising candidates for energy storage and conversion technologies. In this paper, a facile one-pot freeze-drying self-assembly approach combined with in-situ thermal decomposition-reduction method is proposed to construct 3D porous aerogels with MoS2 active materials anchored on graphene backbone, making a highly interconnected network with desirable structural stability. The constructed hybrid aerogels with the optimal MoS2/GS ratio delivered high specific capacities, excellent cycling stability (862.5 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g−1 with a capacity retention of 109.6%) and good rate capability (622, 563 and 480 mAh g−1 at 1, 2 and 3 A g−1, respectively), holding great promise to be used as anode materials of LIBs. More importantly, the current method is simple, low-cost, environmental friendly without any need for toxic reagents, suitable for scalable production and can be extended to prepare other graphene-based hybrid aerogels.

The current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) was successfully observed in epitaxial L10-FePt/CrxPt1−x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy with large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. With increasing Cr content, the critical switching current density ( Jc) in FePt/CrxPt1−x heterostructures exhibited a decreasing trend, where it was greatly reduced by 69% in FePt/Cr (3 d) films compared to FePt/Pt (5 d) films with strong spin–orbit coupling. Furthermore, the same switching polarities were observed for all FePt/CrxPt1−x samples, indicating that the orbital Hall effect played a dominant role in CIMS for FePt/Cr films because of opposite spin Hall angles for Cr and Pt. Our results will put forward the applications of L10-FePt in collaboration with the orbital Hall effect from 3 d metals in current-controlled magnetic random access memory and neuromorphic computing.

Objectives Talaromycosis is an invasive mycosis endemic to Southeast Asia. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, clinical features and prognostic factors of HIV-associated talaromycosis in Guangdong, China. Methods We retrospectively evaluated HIV patients hospitalized with histopathology- or culture-confirmed talaromycosis between 2011 and 2017. Factors associated with poor prognosis were identified using logistic regression. Results Overall, 1079 patients with HIV-associated talaromycosis were evaluated. Both the number and prevalence of talaromycosis among HIV admissions increased from 125 and 15.7% in 2011 to 253 and 18.8% in 2017, respectively, reflecting the increase in HIV admissions. Annual admissions peaked during the rainy season between March and August. Common clinical manifestations included fever (85.6%), peripheral lymphadenopathy (72.3%), respiratory symptoms (60.8%), weight loss (49.8%), skin lesions (44.5%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (44.3%). Common laboratory abnormalities were hypoalbuminaemia (98.6%), anaemia (95.6%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase level (AST) (76.9%), elevated alkaline phosphatase level (55.8%) and thrombocytopenia (53.7%). The median CD4 count was 9 cells/μL. Talaromyces marneffei was isolated from blood and bone marrow cultures of 66.6% and 74.5% of patients, respectively. The rate increased to 86.6% when both cultures were performed concurrently. At discharge, 14% of patients showed worsening conditions or died. Leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, elevated AST, total bilirubin, creatinine and azole monotherapy independently predicted poor prognosis. Conclusions The incidence of HIV-associated talaromycosis has increased in Guangdong with the high HIV burden in China. Skin lesions were seen in less than half of patients. Induction therapy with azole alone is associated with higher mortality. Findings from this study should help to improve treatment of the disease.

The fundamental building blocks of the proton, quarks and gluons, have been known for decades. However, we still have an incomplete theoretical and experimental understanding of how these particles and their dynamics give rise to the quantum bound state of the proton and its physical properties, such as for example its spin. The two up and the single down quarks that comprise the proton in the simplest picture account only for a few percent of the proton mass, the bulk of which is in the form of quark kinetic and potential energy and gluon energy from the strong force. An essential feature of this force, as described by quantum chromodynamics, is its ability to create matter-antimatter quark pairs inside the proton that exist only for a very short time. Their fleeting existence makes the antimatter quarks within protons difficult to study, but their existence is discernible in reactions where a matter-antimatter quark pair annihilates. In this picture of quark-antiquark creation by the strong force, the probability distributions as a function of momentum for the presence of up and down antimatter quarks should be nearly identical, since their masses are quite similar and small compared to the mass of the proton. In the present manuscript, we show evidence from muon pair production measurements that these distributions are significantly different, with more abundant down antimatter quarks than up antimatter quarks over a wide range of momentum. These results revive interest in several proposed mechanisms as the origin of this antimatter asymmetry in the proton that had been disfavored by the previous results and point to the future measurements that can distinguish between these mechanisms., 10 pages, 5 figures, 5 tables; Matches published version

The usual way to present images from a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) is to take multiple images of the same area, to then manually select the one that appears to be of the highest quality, and then to discard the other almost identical images. This is in contrast to most other disciplines where the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of a data set is improved by taking repeated measurements and averaging them. Data averaging can be routinely performed for 1D spectra, where their alignment is straightforward. However, for serial-acquired 2D STM images the nature and variety of image distortions can severely complicate accurate registration. Here, we demonstrate how a significant improvement in the resolving power of the STM can be achieved through automated distortion correction and multi-frame averaging (MFA) and we demonstrate the broad utility of this approach with three examples. First, we show a sixfold enhancement of the SNR of the Si(111)-(7 × 7) reconstruction. Next, we demonstrate that images with sub-picometre height precision can be routinely obtained and show this for a monolayer of Ti2O3 on Au(111). Last, we demonstrate the automated classification of the two chiral variants of the surface unit cells of the (4 × 4) reconstructed SrTiO3(111) surface. Our new approach to STM imaging will allow a wealth of structural and electronic information from surfaces to be extracted that was previously buried in noise.

The shortage of land resources, ecological damage and pollutant discharge pose great challenges to the sustainable development of Xiamen. In this study, a bi-level programming (BP) is developed to manage the regional ecosystem of reclamation (REM). BP can balance the trade-off between the two decision makers, including maximizing the system benefit as the upper level goal, maximizing the ecological service value as the lower level goal, and constructing the regional ecosystem management system model in Xiamen. The main research results are: (i) Carbon fixation, oxygen release and water conservation are the main ecological service value of ecosystem; (ii) The system benefits would reduce by 15.3%, while the ecological service value would increase by 17.6%; (iii) Compared with single level model, COD, NH3-N, SO2, solid waste emissions could reduce by 32.8%, 9.0%, 16.1%, 24.7% and 31.5% respectively.

Gap junctions between cells in the pineal gland have been described ultrastructurally, but their connexin constituents have not been fully characterized. We used immunofluorescence in combination with markers of pineal cells to document the cellular localization of connexin43 (Cx43). Immunofluorescence labelling of Cx43 with several different antibodies was widely distributed throughout the pineal, whereas another connexin examined, connexin26, was not found in pineal but only in surrounding leptomeninges. Labelling apparently associated with plasma membranes was visualized either as fine Cx43-puncta (1-2 μm) or as unusually large pools of Cx43 ranging up to 4-7 μm in diameter or length. These puncta and pools were highly concentrated in perivascular spaces, where they were associated with numerous cells devoid of labelling for markers of pinealocytes (e.g. tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin), and where they were minimally associated with blood vessels and lacked association with resident macrophages. Astrocytes labelled for glial fibrillary acidic protein were largely restricted to the anterior pole of the pineal gland, where they displayed only fine and sparse Cx43-puncta along their processes. Labelling for Cx43 was localized largely though not exclusively to the somata and long processes of a subpopulation of perivascular interstitial cells that were immunopositive for calbindin-D28K. These cells were often located among dense bundles or termination areas of sympathetic fibres labelled for tyrosine hydroxylase or serotonin. The results indicate that interstitial cells form abundant gap junctions composed of Cx43, and suggest that gap junction-mediated intracellular communication by these cells supports the activities of pinealocytes.

The experimental discovery and theoretical analysis of an epitaxial (2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 2) honeycomb $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{b}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ monolayer on a Au(111) surface is reported. The oxide monolayer is grown by Nb deposition and subsequent annealing in an oxidizing atmosphere. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images show that the films form a well-ordered honeycomb lattice, and low energy electron diffraction patterns confirm that the films adopt a (2 \ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{} 2) periodicity with respect to the Au(111) substrate. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the Nb atoms are located in Au(111) threefold hollow sites and the O atoms are located in on-top positions. DFT also demonstrates the existence of a strong interfacial interaction characterized by a large electron transfer towards the Au substrate, an increase of the Nb oxidation state, and substantial film rumpling. High-resolution STM images, supported by simulations, are able to discriminate between Nb atoms adsorbed in fcc or hcp hollow sites on the Au(111) substrate.

The magnetoelectric effect in the RX

Author(s): Aidala, CA; Arrington, JR; Ayuso, C; Bowen, BM; Bowen, ML; Bowling, KL; Brown, AW; Brown, CN; Byrd, R; Carlisle, RE; Chang, T; Chang, WC; Chen, A; Chen, JY; Christian, DC; Chu, X; Dannowitz, BP; Daugherity, M; Diefenthaler, M; Dove, J; Durandet, C; El Fassi, L; Erdos, E; Fox, DM; Geesaman, DF; Gilman, R; Goto, Y; Guo, L; Guo, R; Hague, T; Hicks, CR; Holt, RJ; Isenhower, D; Jiang, X; Katich, JM; Kerns, BM; Kinney, ER; Kitts, ND; Klein, A; Kleinjan, D; Kras, J; Kudo, Y; Lin, PJ; Liu, D; Liu, K; Liu, MX; Lorenzon, W; Makins, NCR; Martinez, JD; McClellan, RE; McDonald, B; McGaughey, PL; McNease, SE; Medeiros, MM; Miller, B; Miller, AJ; Miyasaka, S; Miyachi, Y; Mooney, IA; Morton, DH; Nadim, B; Nagai, K; Nakahara, K; Nakano, K; Nara, S; Obata, S; Peng, JC; Prasad, S; Puckett, AJR; Ramson, BJ; Raymond, RS; Reimer, PE; Rubin, JG; Salinas, R; Sanftl, F; Sawada, S; Sawada, T; Scott, MBC; Selensky, LE; Shibata, TA; Shiu, S; Su, D; Tadepalli, AS; Teo, M; Tice, BG | Abstract: The SeaQuest spectrometer at Fermilab was designed to detect oppositely-charged pairs of muons (dimuons) produced by interactions between a 120 GeV proton beam and liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium and solid nuclear targets. The primary physics program uses the Drell–Yan process to probe antiquark distributions in the target nucleon. The spectrometer consists of a target system, two dipole magnets and four detector stations. The upstream magnet is a closed-aperture solid iron magnet which also serves as the beam dump, while the second magnet is an open aperture magnet. Each of the detector stations consists of scintillator hodoscopes and a high-resolution tracking device. The FPGA-based trigger compares the hodoscope signals to a set of pre-programmed roads to determine if the event contains oppositely-signed, high-mass muon pairs.

The self-sustaining atomic magnetometer has the advantage of high sensitivity and long spin coherence lifetime, based on which we demonstrate a novel method to calibrate the magnetic coil constants precisely. Via non-destructive phase measurement and coherent optical pumping, the spin polarization of rubidium atoms is regenerated coherently and the Larmor precession signal is oscillating continuously. In this stable state, the calibrating capability is achieved by applying current to coils and scan the magnetic components along x- and y-direction. The magnetic field magnitude is obtained from precession frequency and the coil constants can be derived from the fitting equation directly. The constants of coils in the experiment are 246.010 ± 0.034 nT/mA and 197.452 ± 0.025 nT/mA in the x- and y-directions, respectively.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with layered structures possess excellent electrical and thermal transport properties. In this work, bulk VSe2 sample with layered structure was fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction method followed with spark plasma sintering process. The microstructure as well as thermoelectric properties were systematically studied. Bulk VSe2 possesses high electrical conductivity but relatively low Seebeck coefficient, and sample along the direction parallel to the pressing axis has a lower thermal conductivity. The maximum ZT value of 0.023 was obtained at 700 K for sample along the direction parallel to the pressing axis.

International audience; Two-dimensional materials with a honeycomb lattice, such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride, often contain local defects in which the hexagonal elements are replaced by four, five, seven, and eight-membered rings. An example is the Stone-Wales (S-W) defect, where a bond rotation causes four hexagons to be transformed into a cluster of two pentagons and two heptagons. A further series of similar defects incorporating divacancies results in larger structures of non-hexagonal elements. In this paper, we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and density functional theory (DFT) modeling to investigate the structure and energetics of S-W and divacancy defects in a honeycomb (2 × 2) Ti 2 O 3 monolayer grown on an Au(111) substrate. The epitaxial rumpled Ti 2 O 3 monolayer is pseudomorphic and in a state of elastic compression. As a consequence, divacancy defects, which induce tension in freestanding films, relieve the compression in the epitaxial Ti 2 O 3 monolayer and therefore have significantly 2 lower energies when compared with their freestanding counterparts. We find that at the divacancy defect sites there is a local reduction of the charge transfer between the film and the substrate, the rumpling is reduced, and the film has an increased separation from the substrate. Our results demonstrate the capacity of the substrate to significantly influence the energetics, and hence favor vacancy-type defects, in compressively strained 2D materials. This approach could be applied more broadly, for example to tensile monolayers, where vacancy-type defects would be rare and interstitial-type defects might be favored.

We demonstrate a vector atomic magnetometer based on spin self-sustaining method with 1/τ property. The sensitivity of magnetic field magnitude and direction measurements are H z 0.64 p T / H z and 3.5 × 10 − 6 rad / Hz, respectively.

The OH-induced reactions are the most important reactions for the degradation of pharmaceutical and personal care proucts (PPCPs) in advanced oxidation process (AOP) systems. In this work, the transformation mechanisms of a typical PPCP, ketprofen (KP), are investigated in detail by combined density functional theory (DFT) simulations and laboratory experiments. We find that Habstraction pathways are preferred in the OH-initiated reactions, and the influence of the hydrogen bond between the OH radical and the carboxyl group cannot be neglected. The subsequent decarboxylation and decomposition reactions are likely to occur. In addition, under highly acidic condition, the protonation of the carbonyl group in KP or in other benzophenone-like compounds might inhibit the decomposition reactions. Meanwhile, the simulation results are well supported by the Fenton experiments.

The atomic structures of two reconstructions, (√7 × √7)R19.1° and (√13 × √13)R13.9°, on the SrTiO3 (111) surface were determined using a combination of density functional theory and scanning tunneling microscopy data and APW + lo density functional theory minimizations and simulations. These reconstructions belong to the same structural family made up of an interconnected, single layer of edge-sharing TiO6 and TiO5[] octahedra. This family of reconstructions between 0.5 and 1.5 excess TiO2, representing the lowest-reported TiO2 coverages for reconstructions on this surface. This family is found to include the previously-solved (2 × 2)a reconstruction. They all follow a simple rule for surface composition, which serves as a tool for better understanding and predicting the structure of other reconstructions of arbitrary surface unit cell size on SrTiO3 (111). This reconstruction family and the calculations of surface energies for different hypothesis structures also shed light on the structure of Schottky defects observed on these reconstructed SrTO3 (111) surfaces.

To investigate the effect of exemestane on HHUA human endometrial carcinoma cells.The HHUA human endometrial carcinoma cells were treated with various concentrations of exemestane, and its effects on cell growth and apoptosis were investigated in vitro. The cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry and RT-PCR was used to investigate the expression of CD44s. The invasion ability of HHUA human endometrial carcinoma cells which treated with exemestane were assessed using transwell chamber model.At increasing doses of exemestane, a simultaneous increase in apoptotic subpopulations was detected when compared with group A (p0.05); the CD44s expression was found to be suppressed after the exemestane treatment. The decrease was a dose-dependent with exemestane treatment.6x10⁸ mol/L exemestane is an optimal dose to inhibit the expression of CD44s mRNA and inhibit the invasive growth of the endometrial carcinoma HHUA cells.

In this paper, a synchronization link between one ground station and one geostationary satellite is established. The ground station receives retransmitted signals from the satellite, measures phase delay along the propagation route, and actively compensates back to its sending signals, realizing real-time phase fluctuation compensation. The transmitted signal contains two frequencies to eliminate common-mode phase noise. The difference between their carrier phase delays is measured. Different modes of carrier phase variation are separated and compensated, achieving a remaining time jitter of ±200 ps. Major sources of error are analyzed, and potential methods for improvement are discussed. The proposed ground-to-satellite link and active compensation method has potential applications in frequency standard dissemination to remote receivers (including ground stations or satellites). These potential applications justify further study of this system.

The collision between tomato plug seedlings and the planting device during basket transplanter function causes the seedlings’ root lump to lose some mass. To resolve this problem, we establish a contact mechanics model using Hertzian contact theoretical and Newtonian methods, enabling us to formally derive the maximum deformation of the root lump. The equation of motion describing the collision between the tomato plug seedling and planting device is constructed using the principles of impulse and momentum. Then, we identify the optimization function of contact angle θ—which consists of the maximum deformation of the root lump, the angular velocity of the tomato plug seedling, and the absolute velocity of the root lump—via multi-objective methods. When the angular velocity of the planting device is 1.05 rad/s or 1.15 rad/s, the optimal contact angle is 67°. Further, we examine the velocity of the tomato plug seedling after collision. A small plant height reduces the root lump’s mass loss; we found that 12-cm-tall tomato plug seedlings lose less root lump mass than taller seedlings. Finally, for angular velocities of 1.05 rad/s and 1.15 rad/s, we carry out of tomato plug seedling crush tests with the optimized parameters, achieving minimum root lump mass losses of 8.76% and 7.43%, respectively.

The absolute measurement of magnetic fields can be realized by monitoring the Larmor precession of atomic spins. Yet, this spin-precession magnetometer can only be put into use in weak magnetic fields and the sensitivity is limited by the coherence time beyond which, the uncertainty decreases as τ−1/2 rate. Now we demonstrate that the dynamic range of an atomic spin magnetometer can be extended to geomagnetic field magnitude with τ−1 property maintained based on the the self-sustaining method. A mean sensitivity of 20 pT/Hz and a frequency response bandwidth of 5 kHz are realized in a magnetic field of 10000 nT. More important applications in large magnetic fields can be enabled in virtue of the superiority using this self-sustaining magnetometer.The absolute measurement of magnetic fields can be realized by monitoring the Larmor precession of atomic spins. Yet, this spin-precession magnetometer can only be put into use in weak magnetic fields and the sensitivity is limited by the coherence time beyond which, the uncertainty decreases as τ−1/2 rate. Now we demonstrate that the dynamic range of an atomic spin magnetometer can be extended to geomagnetic field magnitude with τ−1 property maintained based on the the self-sustaining method. A mean sensitivity of 20 pT/Hz and a frequency response bandwidth of 5 kHz are realized in a magnetic field of 10000 nT. More important applications in large magnetic fields can be enabled in virtue of the superiority using this self-sustaining magnetometer.

Several cell types in the pineal gland are known to establish intercellular gap junctions, but the connexin constituents of those junctions have not been fully characterized. Specifically, the expression of connexin36 (Cx36) protein and mRNA has been examined in the pineal, but the identity of cells that produce Cx36 and that form Cx36-containing gap junctions has not been determined. We used immunofluorescence and freeze fracture replica immunogold labelling (FRIL) of Cx36 to investigate the cellular and subcellular localization of Cx36 in the pineal gland of adult mouse and rat. Immunofluorescence labelling of Cx36 was visualized exclusively as puncta or short immunopositive strands that were distributed throughout the pineal, and which were absent in pineal sections from Cx36 null mice. By double immunofluorescence labelling, Cx36 was localized to tryptophan hydroxylase-positive and 5-hydroxytryptamine-positive pinealocyte cell bodies and their large initial processes, including at intersections of those processes and at sites displaying a confluence of processes. Labelling for the cell junction marker zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) either overlapped or was closely associated with labelling for Cx36. Pinealocytes thus form Cx36-containing gap junctions that also incorporate the scaffolding protein ZO-1. FRIL revealed labelling of Cx36 at ultrastructurally defined gap junctions between pinealocytes, most of which was at gap junctions having reticular, ribbon or string configurations. The results suggest that the endocrine functions of pinealocytes and their secretion of melatonin is supported by their intercellular communication via Cx36-containing gap junctions, which may now be tested by the use of Cx36 null mice.

We report progress of the self-sustaining magnetometer. The sensitivity follows a faster τ−1 rule rather than τ−1/2 rule with time, and it can be close to the shot noise limit in a much shorter time.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects motor neurons and lacks an effective treatment. The disease pathogenesis has not been clarified at present. Pathological transactive response DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ALS. Nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is found in a mutant TDP-43 transgenic cell model, but its downstream antioxidant enzyme expression is decreased. To elucidate the specific mechanism of Nrf2/ARE (antioxidant responsive element) signaling dysfunction, we constructed an ALS cell model with human mutant TDP-43 using the NSC-34 cell line to evaluate the impact of the TDP-43 mutation on the Nrf2/ARE pathway. We found the nuclear translocation of Nrf2, but the expression of total Nrf2, cytoplasmic Nrf2, and downstream phase II detoxifying enzyme (NQO1) was decreased in NSC-34 cells transfected with the TDP-43-M337V plasmid. Besides, TDP-43-M337V plasmid-transfected NSC-34 cells were rounded with reduced neurites, shortened axons, increased levels of intracellular lipid peroxidation products, and decreased viability, which suggests that the TDP-43-M337V plasmid weakened the antioxidant capacity of NSC-34 cells and increased their susceptibility to oxidative damage. We further showed that expression of the MafK protein and the Jun dimerization protein 2 (JDP2) was reduced in TDP-43-M337V plasmid-transfected NSC-34 cells, which might cause accumulation of Nrf2 in nuclei but a decrease in NQO1 expression. Taken together, our results confirmed that TDP-43-M337V impaired the Nrf2/ARE pathway by reducing the expression of MafK and JDP2 proteins, and provided information for further research on the molecular mechanisms of TDP-43-M337V in ALS.

The gyroscope based on atomic technology has the potential to provide the end user a high-performance device in a small package with low-power. Generally, the atomic gyroscope detects the rotation or angular rate of the object by measuring the Larmor precession frequency of spins. However, the precision is limited by the shorter coherence time caused by relaxation effects, and since the nuclear spin precession is often used in detection for atomic gyroscope, longer polarization time limits its application environment. Presented in this paper is a self-sustaining gyroscope based on electron spins. By non-destructively measuring the phase of the Larmor precession and regenerating the coherence via optical pumping, the Larmor precession can persist indefinitely, and the system can quickly regain polarization to environmental variations. Magnetic field measurement has been accomplished by using the self-sustaining technology. The precision of the magnetometer increases with time following a much faster \( \tau^{{{ - }1}} \) rule rather than the traditional \( \tau^{{{ - }1/2}} \) rule. The mean sensitivity is close to the shot noise in 300 ms, and the magnetometer has a quick response to sudden magnetic change. The self-sustaining technology can hopefully improve the measurement precision and the response time of the atomic gyroscope.

We demonstrate a method to stabilize laser frequency which can be continuously tuned over a range of 1.5 GHz. It is based on saturated absorption spectroscopy (SAS) generated by an external-cavity diode laser (ECDL) which is modulated by an electro-optic amplitude modulator (EO-AM). The spectra consist of not only the original peaks corresponding to resonant and crossover lines of 133Cs D2 line, but also signals introduced by sidebands from an EO-AM. Thus, the laser frequency can be locked to any point within the range of the spectra. Furthermore, the tuning range of the laser can be doubled compared to the coverage of common SAS by fixing the frequency of the pumping laser. The best stability of the locked laser induced by the EO-AM is 1.27 × 10−11 over an integrating time of 125 s. This method may be applied for more precise and flexible manipulation of atoms and molecules.

To investigate the effects of different drugs on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in spontaneously hypertensive rats under cold stress.A total of 40 male spontaneously hypertensive rats aged 10 weeks (160~200 g) were given adaptive feeding for 7 days at a temperature of 20±1°C and then randomly divided into control group, cold stress group, metoprolol group, amlodipine group, and benazepril group, with 8 rats in each group. SBP, body weight, and heart rate were measured once a week. After the rats were sacrificed by exsanguination, left ventricular weight (LVW) was measured, and left ventricular weight index (LVWI; mg/g) was calculated. Radioimmunoassay was used to measure the concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and angiotensin-II (Ang-II) in plasma and myocardium, and the chemical method was used to measure the concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) in plasma and myocardium. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of endothelin-A receptor.Compared with the cold stress group, all medication groups showed significant reductions in SBP since week 5 (P0.05). The cold stress group showed a significant increase in LVWI compared with the control group (3.38±0.27 mg/g vs 2.89±0.19 mg/g, P0.05). The amlodipine group showed a significant reduction in LVWI compared with the cold stress group (2.98±0.28 mg/g vs 3.38±0.27 mg/g, P0.05). The cold stress group showed a significant reduction in plasma NO concentration compared with the control group (104.9±19.5 μmol/L vs 129.3±17.8 μmol/L, P0.05) ; compared with the cold stress group, all the medication groups showed significant increases in blood NO concentration (P0.05). The cold stress group showed a significant increase in myocardial ET-1 concentration compared with the control group (6.3±1.5 pg/100 mg vs 4.5±1.9 pg/100 mg, P0.05) ; compared with the cold stress group, the amlodipine group showed a significant reduction in myocardial ET-1 concentration (4.4±1.0 pg/100 mg vs 6.3±1.5 pg/100 mg, P0.05). The cold stress group had significantly higher mRNA expression of endothelin-A receptor than the control group (0.86±0.23 vs 0.45±0.16, P0.01) ; compared with the cold stress group, the amlodipine group showed a significant reduction in the mRNA expression of endothelin-A receptor (0.41±0.14 vs 0.86±0.23, P0.01).Amlodipine can reduce the increase in SBP and inhibit LVH in spontaneously hypertensive rats under cold stress.

To investigate the expression of RhoA/Rho-kinase (ROCK) in penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscles in rats of hyperlipidemia-induced erectile dysfunction and its molecular mechanism.Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control and experimental groups using a random number table. Rats in the control group (n=20) were fed with regular diet for 24 weeks and those in the experimental group (n=20) with high-fat diet for the same period of time. The serum lipids profile was detected before and after the diet treatment. The ratio of intracavernosal pressure (ΔICP)/mean arterial pressure (MAP) was measured, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of total RhoA, ROCK1, and ROCK2 in penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscles, and RhoA protein in cell membrane and cytoplasm of smooth muscles after 24 weeks.After 24 weeks, the levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein were significantly higher in the experimental group compared with those before diet treatment and the control group (all P0.01). ΔICP/MAP in the experimental group was greatly lower than in the control group (P0.01). The protein expression of ROCK2 in penile corpus cavernosum smooth muscles was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (0.77±0.10 vs 0.27±0.08, P0.01) after 24 weeks, while no statistically significant differences were observed in total RhoA and ROCK 1 protein expression between the two groups (both P0.05). RhoA expression in cytoplasm was lower in the experimental than in the control group (1.66±0.09 vs 1.79±0.15, P0.05). The ratio of RhoA expression in menmbrane/cytoplasm was higher in the experimental than in the control group (0.33±0.09 vs 0.26±0.07, P0.05).Up-regulation of RhoA/ROCK may be involved in hyperlipidemia-induced erectile dysfunction in rats.

Well-aligned nanoneedles are found to form in a FeGaAs (001) epitaxial thin film when irradiated with a Ga+ ion beam normal to the sample surface at an ion dose of 3× 1017 cm2 in a focused ion beam. These nanoneedles, with their axes perpendicular to the original sample surface, are composed of GaAs nanorods with Fe nanoislands situated at the top. The GaAs nanorods, formed from the GaAs substrate, are crystalline and in the same crystal orientation as the GaAs substrate. The crystalline nature of the Fe thin film is disrupted by the ion sputtering, becoming nanocrystalline Fe islands. It is the thin Fe layer that is responsible for the formation of the nanoneedles. The ion sputtering of the Fe layer roughens the sample surface due to the uneven sputtering rate of the Fe layer. The removal of the Fe layer exposes the substrate to the incident ions, which then sputter the substrate leading to the formation of the nanoneedles. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.

A structure of Ta/MgO/NiFe/MgO/Ta was designed and synthesized, which combines the advantages of both tunnel magnetoresistance materials with high magnetic field sensitivity and anisotropic magnetoresistance materials with high directional sensitivity. The magnetoresistance ratio in the device with structure of Ta(5)/MgO(4)/NiFe(10)/MgO(3)/Ta(3) (thicknesses in nanometers) increases with an increase in annealing temperature, reaching a maximum value of 3.5% at 450 °C, and then decreases with a further increase in annealing temperature. Meanwhile, a high sensitivity of 2.1%/Oe is obtained. The higher magnetoresistance ratio and sensitivity come from the significant specular reflection of electrons at both interfaces due to the crystalline MgO layer together with the sharp interfaces with the NiFe layer.

Epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) structure was grown on the MgO substrate by molecular beam epitaxy, characterized in-situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and ex-situ by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The chemical states at the Fe/MgO interface have been investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and peak decomposition technique. The results show that there is FeO formation at interface of Fe/MgO, clearly identified by the existence of Fe 2+ and Fe 3+ peaks at 708.2 and 710.4 eV, respectively, which locate at the high-energy side of the main metallic Fe peak. The presence of FeO layer at the Fe/MgO interface proved by XPS is likely to have considerable influence on its MR value and hence on its application in spintronics.