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Recent studies on the experiences of gay Asian men demonstrate that members of these groups experience both subtle and blatant forms of racism within lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) communities. This study expands on previous research by examining how gay Vietnamese American men experience racism within the gay community of Southern California, how racism affects members of this group mentally and emotionally, and their responses when facing racism. Based on 17 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with self-identified gay Vietnamese American men living in Southern California, this study found that they experienced racism similarly to other gay Asian men. Race and racism shape the everyday experiences of gay Vietnamese American men through the racial paradox of gay desire as they are either deemed undesirable and rejected as a potential sexual and romantic interest, or they are racially fetishized. However, members of this group do not experience racism passively but actively respond through various acts of resistance and intra-racial and ethnic community-building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improved physical fitness is important for preventing COVID-19-related mortality. So, combined training can effectively increase peak oxygen consumption, physical fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and the healthrelated characteristics of adults; however, its impact in the elderly remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of combined training on older adults. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Medline, and Web of Science) were searched (until April 2021) for randomized trials comparing the effect of combined training on cardiorespiratory fitness, physical fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults. Combined training significantly improved peak oxygen consumption compared to no exercise (WMD = 3.10, 95% CI: 2.83 to 3.37). Combined resistance and aerobic training induced favorable changes in physical fitness (timed up-and-go = −1.06, 30-s chair stand = 3.85, sit and reach = 4.43, 6-minute walking test = 39.22, arm curl = 4.60, grip strength = 3.65, 10-m walk = −0.47, maximum walking speed = 0.15, one-leg balance = 2.71), body composition (fat mass = −2.91, body fat% = −2.31, body mass index = −0.87, waist circumference = −2.91), blood pressure (systolic blood pressure = −8.11, diastolic blood pressure = −4.55), and cardiometabolic risk factors (glucose = −0.53, HOMA-IR = −0.14, high-density lipoprotein = 2.32, total cholesterol = −5.32) in older individuals. Finally, the optimal exercise prescription was ≥ 30 min/session × 50–80% VO2peak, ≥ 3 times/week for ≥ 12 weeks and resistance intensity 70–75% one-repetition maximum, 8–12 repetitions × 3 sets. Combined training improved VO2peak and some cardiometabolic risk factors in older populations. The dose–effect relationship varied between different parameters. Exercise prescriptions must be formulated considering individual needs during exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydrate is a severe threat to the flow assurance of oil and gas transportation pipelines. For this reason, the behavior of hydrate slurry flow in the bend is investigated based on the Computational Fluid Dynamics-Population Balance Model (CFD-PBM) considering the aggregation and breakage of hydrate. Meanwhile, the effects of the bend angle, the velocity, the hydrate volume fraction, and the initial hydrate particle size on the hydrate concentration and the particle size are discussed in detail. The results show that hydrate is prone to aggregate on the outside of the elbow in the L-pipe. As the bend angle decreases, the hydrate concentration increases slightly, while the high-concentration region, the large particle size region, and the particle size decrease in the elbow. The high velocity can reduce hydrate aggregation in the elbow. However, the high hydrate concentration and the large particle size are not conducive to safe transportation. When the particle size is greater than 84 μm, there exists a blockage risk in the elbow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: SAMHD1 is a deoxynucleotide triphosphohydrolase that restricts replication of HIV-1 in differentiated leucocytes. HIV-1 is not restricted in cycling cells and it has been proposed that this is due to phosphorylation of SAMHD1 at T592 in these cells inactivating the enzymatic activity. To distinguish between theories for how SAMHD1 restricts HIV-1 in differentiated but not cycling cells, we analysed the effects of substitutions at T592 on restriction and dNTP levels in both cycling and differentiated cells as well as tetramer stability and enzymatic activity in vitro. Results: We first showed that HIV-1 restriction was not due to SAMHD1 nuclease activity. We then characterised a panel of SAMHD1 T592 mutants and divided them into three classes. We found that a subset of mutants lost their ability to restrict HIV-1 in differentiated cells which generally corresponded with a decrease in triphosphohydrolase activity and/or tetramer stability in vitro. Interestingly, no T592 mutants were able to restrict WT HIV-1 in cycling cells, despite not being regulated by phosphorylation and retaining their ability to hydrolyse dNTPs. Lowering dNTP levels by addition of hydroxyurea did not give rise to restriction. Compellingly however, HIV-1 RT mutants with reduced affinity for dNTPs were significantly restricted by wild-type and T592 mutant SAMHD1 in both cycling U937 cells and Jurkat T-cells. Restriction correlated with reverse transcription levels. Conclusions: Altogether, we found that the amino acid at residue 592 has a strong effect on tetramer formation and, although this is not a simple "on/off" switch, this does correlate with the ability of SAMHD1 to restrict HIV-1 replication in differentiated cells. However, preventing phosphorylation of SAMHD1 and/or lowering dNTP levels by adding hydroxyurea was not enough to restore restriction in cycling cells. Nonetheless, lowering the affinity of HIV-1 RT for dNTPs, showed that restriction is mediated by dNTP levels and we were able to observe for the first time that SAMHD1 is active and capable of inhibiting HIV-1 replication in cycling cells, if the affinity of RT for dNTPs is reduced. This suggests that the very high affinity of HIV-1 RT for dNTPs prevents HIV-1 restriction by SAMHD1 in cycling cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the diverse clinical and imaging features of Lhermitte–Duclos disease (LDD) and its subgroup comparison. Clinical data from 21 patients with LDD were collected, including eight patients with LDD without other tumours and 13 LDD with other tumours. Redefined diagnostic criteria are used to evaluate Cowden Syndrome. Imaging indicators were analysed retrospectively to extract typical and atypical features. Imaging findings and preoperative diagnostic accuracy were compared between the subgroups. None of these patients met the redefined diagnostic criteria. The typical "tiger stripe sign" was seen in most LDD lesions (13/29, 61.9%), with lower density (29.66 ± 2.51 versus 37.81 ± 2.76 HU, p< 0.001) and higher apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value (1.04 ± 0.05 × 10−3 versus 0.74 ± 0.03 × 10−3 mm2/s, p< 0.001) than that of the normal cerebellum. Atypically, some lesions showed abnormal vessels (8/21, 38.1%), intratumoural calcification (3/21, 14.29%), intratumoural haemorrhage (4/21, 19.05%), peritumoural oedema (6/21, 28.57%), and heterogeneous enhancement (5/21, 23.81%). The typical "tiger stripe sign" was more common in LDD with other tumours (84.62% versus 25%, p= 0.018). Although LDD without other tumours was more common with abnormal vessels (75% versus 15.38%, p= 0.018), intratumoural calcification (37.5% versus 0, p= 0.042), intratumoural haemorrhage (50% versus 0, p= 0.012), peritumoural oedema (62.5% versus 7.69%, p= 0.014) and heterogeneous enhancement (50% versus 7.69%, p= 0.047). Preoperative diagnostic accuracy was higher in LDD with other tumours than LDD without other tumours (76.92% versus 25%, p= 0.032). The "tiger stripe sign" of LDD is characteristic, but not unique. With or without other tumours, it may be associated with the imaging diversity. Combining typical and atypical signs can improve the imaging assessment of LDD. • "Tiger stripe sign" of LDD is characteristic, but not unique. • "Tiger stripe sign" is more common in LDDs with systemic tumors. • LDDs without systemic tumors are more common with atypical imaging findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the multi-objective problem of deploying wireless sensor networks with cooperative distance-based sensing coverage. This problem considers deploying a number of sensor nodes to cove multiple target points on a deployment area. Based on the locations of target points and the sensor nodes with their own inner and outer coverage radii, the distance-based sensing coverages of target nodes by sensor nodes are divided into three categories: full coverage (i.e., within the inner coverage radius), no coverage (i.e., outside the outer coverage radius), and partial coverage (i.e., between the inner and outer radii). Furthermore, this paper additionally considers the cooperative sensing coverage in which the sensing coverage of a target point is provided by more than one sensor node. The decision of sensor deployment in this paper is to select sensor nodes from potential sensor node positions so as to simultaneously maximize the collective sensing coverage of all target points and minimize the total distances between each target point and the selected sensor node(s). This paper first formulates this problem as a multi-objective optimization model, and then develops a solution procedure to determine the best non-dominated solution set for the problem model. Numerical experiments for the concerned problem by the proposed solution approach are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the requirements for the quality of steel structure welding projects in severe cold areas, reasonable and effective technical research and welding scheme improvement are carried out for welding in low temperature environments. Based on ABAQUS software to simulate different welding conditions, mainly for welding after traditional flame heating and ceramic sheet heating in low temperature environment, the corresponding temperature field is obtained. Compared with the actual welding results, it is concluded that the weldment welded after heating with ceramic sheet is of better quality, fully verify the accuracy of welding simulation, optimize process design, shorten the time required for practical inspection accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooling devices are often used with power electronics systems to allow them to operate stably over long periods of time, they help guarantee not only thermal performance but also reliability. To understand the performance of these cooling devices it is important that they are verified by various types of testing, also the test results themselves should be quantified and analyzed using recognized statistical methods. For this article, we investigated an air-cooled heat sink with heat pipes (HPS) by conducting heat load, high/low temperature storage limits test, accelerated life test (ALT), and transport vibration test (TVT). The collected experimental data were analyzed by statistical methods, such as the independent samples $T$ -test, the paired samples $T$ -test, correlation analysis, process capability analysis, and the tolerance interval analysis. A newly manufactured power conditioning system had one heat sink on which the two power electronics modules were attached while providing a heat load of up to 3.2 kW. It was found that there was no deterioration in the thermal performance of the heat sink due to vibrations while being transported from the Republic of Korea to the United States. If such a heat sink is used for more than 20 years, it is anticipated that there will be a performance degradation of 6.2% over those years with a 95% confidence level for a B10 life. Based on our accelerated life testing, the heat sink is capable of dealing with a heat load of up to 3.1 kW over the design lifetime of 20 years. Thermal engineers should eventually introduce design margins in consideration of the reduction in quality and reliability that can occur over the lifetime of a cooling device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to detect the role of glucose and insulin in cell proliferation of primary goose hepatocytes, Tianfu Meat Geese were overfed and the primary goose hepatocytes were treated with single insulin (50 nmol/l), single glucose (5 mmol/l), glucose (5 mmol/l) and insulin (50 nmol/l), respectively. The related parameters of cell proliferation and glucose transporter expression were measured. The results showed that after overfeeding, the serum concentration of insulin and glucose increased (P< 0.05), the mRNA level of Cyclin D1 (CCND1), Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and Glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) increased and the mRNA level of P21 decreased (P< 0.05). Compared with the control group and the single treatment groups of glucose or insulin, the co-treatment of glucose and insulin had more dyed green bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells, higher G2/M phase and proliferative index (PI), indicating that the cell proliferation of primary hepatocytes was more evident. Secondly, compared with the control group, the cotreatment of glucose and insulin significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of CCND1, Cyclin D2 (CCND2) and Cyclin D3 (CCND3) (P< 0.05). Compared with the control group, single treatments of glucose or insulin, and the co-treatment with glucose and insulin significantly increased the Cyclin D1 protein content (P< 0.05). Also, compared with the control group, the co-treatment of glucose and insulin increased significantly (P< 0.05) the mRNA levels of GLUT1 and GLUT2. In conclusion, the combined treatment of glucose and insulin had a stronger effect on cell proliferation, and GLUT1 and GLUT2 could indirectly induce cell proliferation of goose hepatocytes by regulating glucose uptake and insulin secretion of hepatocytes. Für die Untersuchung der Bedeutung von Glukose und Insulin bei der Zellproliferation von primären Hepatozyten bei Gänsen, wurden Tianfu-Fleischgänse überfüttert und die primären Hepatozyten jeweils nur mit Insulin (50 nmol/l) oder Glukose (5 mmol/l) bzw. mit Glukose (5 mmol/l) kombiniert mit Insulin (50 nmol/l) behandelt. Anschließend wurden relevante Parameter der Zellproliferation und die Glukosetransporter (GLUT)-Expression gemessen. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass nach der Überfütterung sowohl die Konzentrationen von Insulin und Glukose im Serum (P < 0,05) als auch die mRNA-Level von CCND1, Glukosetransporter 1 (GLUT1) und Glukosetransporter 2 (GLUT2) anstiegen und der mRNA-Level von P21 abnahm (P < 0,05). Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe und den einzelnen Behandlungsgruppen mit Glukose oder Insulin, führte eine Co-Behandlung von Glukose und Insulin zu mehr grün gefärbten Bromodeoxyuridin (BrdU)-positiven Zellen sowie einer höheren G2/M-Phase und einem höheren proliferativen Index (PI), was darauf hinweist, dass die Zellproliferation der primären Hepatozyten deutlicher war. Desweiteren erhöhte die Co-Behandlung von Glukose und Insulin im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe signifikant die mRNA-Expressionslevel von CCND1, CCND2 and CCND3 (P < 0,05). Im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe erhöhten die Einzelbehandlungen mit Glukose oder Insulin und die Co-Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin den Cyclin D1-Proteingehalt signifikant (P < 0,05). Außerdem erhöhte die Co-Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin im Vergleich zur Kontrollgruppe signifikant (P < 0,05) die mRNA-Spiegel von GLUT1 und GLUT2. Es kann geschlussfolgert werden, dass eine kombinierte Behandlung mit Glukose und Insulin einen stärkeren Effekt auf die Zellproliferation von Gänsehepatozyten ausübte. Dabei induzierten GLUT1 und GLUT2 indirekt die Zellproliferation über Regulation der Glukoseaufnahme und Insulinsekretion der Hepatozyten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to report our initial clinical experience on using a new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system on a ring gantry with dual PET-CT imaging capabilities for IMRT treatments at different anatomical sites. The study also evaluates the system's plan quality compared to an existing ring gantry-based Linac. This new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system has the potential to be used for biology-guided radiotherapy. We performed a single-institution retrospective review of patients treated on the machine since commissioning. The initial five patients treated to a thoracic site and five patients treated to a pelvic site were included in this study. The dose per fraction ranged from 1.8 to 3.0 Gy. The treatment plans for the machine used a 2-cm jaw size along the longitudinal direction and used the IMRT delivery mode. A 64-leaf binary MLC was used to modulate a flattening filter free 6-MV photon beam. A helical tomotherapy plan (HT plan) using a 2.5-cm jaw size was generated for each RFX plan to serve as the backup plan in clinical treatments. Dosimetric parameters used in institutional treatment protocols were compared between RFX plans and HT plans. Daily delivery records were reviewed, and actual beam-on time was compared between the two machine types. On average, 12 dosimetric parameters (range: 7 – 14) for critical organs and the primary PTV were used in each treatment plan as clinically relevant planning optimization parameters and were analyzed in this study. Among the critical organ dose parameters, 19 (22.4%) dosimetric parameters were lower by more than 10% in the study's plans compared to the HT plans, while 11 (12.9%) dosimetric parameters were higher by more than 10% in the study's plans compared to the HT plans. The other dosimetric parameters had less than 10% or no clinically relevant difference between the two plans. There was no statistically significant difference in integrated dose between the new machine and HT plans. All the plans were normalized so that the prescription dose covered 95% of the primary planning target volume (PTV). The average D mean of the primary PTV were 103.5±1.1% and 102.6±0.8% of the prescription dose in the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT plans, respectively, and the average D(1%) of the primary PTV (dose covering the hottest 1% of the PTV) were 107.1±2.0% and 105.2%±1.6% in the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT plans, respectively (two-tailed p-value = 0.06 in the paired t-test). The beam-on time was not significantly different between the two machines. The average daily beam-on time was 438.8±151.2 seconds and 427.6±183.1 seconds with the new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system and HT systems, respectively (two-tailed p-value = 0.76 in the paired t-test). Our initial clinical experience with the external-beam radiotherapy delivery system showed that image guided IMRT could be delivered to different anatomical sites with adequate clinical workflow efficiency. The new machine achieved clinically comparable treatment plan quality compared to helical tomotherapy. The beam-on time was comparable to that on helical tomotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glioblastoma (GBM; WHO grade IV) is the most aggressive form of glioma with a dismal 5-year survival rate. The current therapies are largely ineffective and therapy resistance is commonly encountered. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify druggable therapeutic targets in GBM. In this study we identified TRIB1, a Ser/Thr pseudokinase that functions as a scaffold to initiate Ubiquitin Proteasome System-mediated degradation of target proteins in the cell. It has also been shown to activate the MAPK and Akt signaling cascades in various cell types. Reports also suggest that TRIB1 contributes to chemotherapy resistance in various cancers. Therefore, we evaluated the role of TRIB1 in GBM cell proliferation/ survival and its contribution to therapy resistance. We utilized patient-centered reverse translational approach to identify novel therapeutic targets. To this end, TRIB1 was identified by statistical association (Cox regression analysis) of the patient-derived mRNA profiling data publicly available from TCGA GBM cohort. TRIB1 was functionally validated in vitro by generating stable overexpression cell lines by antibiotic selection. TRIB1 was conditionally knocked down by doxycycline induction. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to evaluate protein-protein interactions. Protein levels were detected by western blotting. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed to mutate specific amino acid. Patient derived primary cell lines overexpressing the wild type and mutant (W337A) Trib1 transgenes were injected intracranially to create tumors in nude mice. Changes in tumor volume and overall survival (OS) were determined. The mRNA profiling of TCGA GBM cohort revealed that increased TRIB1 gene expression was associated with worse OS of GBM patients (HR=1.3 (1.0-1.5); P=0.019). Mice bearing TRIB1 transgene overexpressing tumors had highest tumor volume and lowest OS whereas mice bearing TRIB1-W337A tumors had the highest OS and lower tumor volume when measured. We also observed that overexpression of TRIB1 caused a decrease in apoptosis of primary GBM cell lines after RT and TMZ treatments in vitro. Overexpression of TRIB1 also increased the phosphorylation/activation of Akt in patient derived primary cell lines. Akt activation was similarly decreased after TRIB1 knockdown. TRIB1 bound directly to Akt in these cells. Following PI3K inhibition, Akt phosphorylation was detected to a greater level in TRIB1 overexpressing cells. Our data suggest that heightened expression of TRIB1 in GBM cells contributes to RT/TMZ resistance by activating the prosurvival Akt signaling cascades. Therefore, targeting TRIB1 mediated Akt activation could provide a therapeutic benefit over targeting Akt directly, which may reduce Akt's oncogenic signal without risking the toxicity associated with available Akt- specific inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleocurrent reconstruction is an important aspect of basin research, playing a key role in the reconstruction of sediment development and understanding the evolution of sedimentary environments. The reconstruction of paleowind direction is an important part of the study of paleoatmospheric circulation, playing a vital role in revealing the characteristics and evolution of paleoclimate. Water flow and wind movement present similar interactions with ground objects and leave direction information. This paper summarises the current common reconstruction theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction, analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the reconstruction theories, and analyses the characteristics of reconstruction results. Based on the technical structure of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction, the development of reconstruction theories, processes and results are highlighted. The analysis shows that paleocurrent and paleowind directions can be used for paleoatmospheric circulation research, resource exploration, paleogeographic environment reconstruction and planetary geological research. The current common theories of paleocurrent and paleowind direction reconstruction are outlined. The advantages, disadvantages and scope of application of the reconstruction theory are summarised. Applications and developments in the reconstruction of paleocurrent and paleowind directions are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q235 steel components have poor corrosion resistance and are susceptible to erosion by corrosive media, so they are generally passivated before being put into service. This paper investigates the corrosion behaviour and corrosion mechanism of passivated Q235 steel in atmospheric environments through macro and micro morphological characterisation and electrochemical simulation analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interfraction anatomical changes during intensity-modulated radiotherapy for prostate cancer may lead to suboptimal patients' treatment. This study assessed the dosimetric effects of anatomical changes on pretreatment kilovoltage computed tomography (kVCT) scans of a novel dual on-board kVCT/positiron emission tomography (PET) imaging radiotherapy system. This retrospective study analyzed daily kVCT scans acquired on days 1, 5, 13, 17, and 22 of a post-prostatectomy patient treated with 44 Gy/22 fractions to the prostate bed and lymph nodes. The prostate bed CTV, pelvic lymph nodes, rectum and bladder were re-contoured on the daily kVCT, and treatment plans were subsequently created. The treatment doses were calculated using the HU density table of kVCT. Delineation and treatment plans created on the daily kVCT scans were compared with those created on the planning CT. Interfraction changes of bladder and rectum were analyzed based on median dose (Dmedian), mean dose (Dmean), maximum dose (Dmax), volume receiving 10 Gy (V10), volume receiving 30 Gy (V30), and overall volume. For bladder and rectum, the correlation coefficient between volume and Dmean was analyzed. For the kVCT days investigated in this study, mean bladder and rectum volume changes were 10.69 cc ± 10.08 cc and 1.31 cc ± 0.64 cc, respectively. Consequentially, the average changes in Dmedian, Dmean, Dmax for the bladder were 0.51 Gy ±0.32 Gy, 0.30 Gy ±0.22 Gy, and 0.75 Gy ±0.44 Gy, respectively. For the rectum, the average changes in Dmedian, Dmean, Dmax were 0.62 Gy ±0.36 Gy, 0.59 Gy ±0.49 Gy, and 0.76 Gy ±0.57 Gy, respectively. The average changes in V10, and V30 were 0.48 % ±0.56 %, and 1.1 %± 0.66 % for bladder and 1.48 % ±1.27 %, and 1.83 %± 1.34 % for rectum. The correlation coefficient (r2) for bladder-Dmean and Rectum-Dmean were 0.765 and 0.002, respectively. This study showed that with adaptive planning, the interfraction dose variation was minimal because adaptive plans were optimized based on daily kVCT images (this is one primary benefit of adaptive planning). Even with adaptive planning, there is still a correlation between bladder dose and bladder volume. The high-quality kVCT images produced could potentially be used for target and OAR delineation and consequentially for treatment planning. Treatment delivery could further be improved by kVCT adaptive planning, which will account for possible interfraction variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): Modern medical Linac equipped with multileaf collimators (MLC) are widely used for intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). This study aimed to evaluate dosimetric impact of systematic and random positioning errors with MLC leaves and to establish practical limits on MLC leaf positioning uncertainties in SRS treatments.Materials/methods: A single institution retrospective review identified 10 clinical single-target conformal arc SRS plans and 7 single- or multiple-target VMAT SRS plans treating a total of 15 PTVs. Each conformal arc SRS plan was prescribed 20 Gy in one fraction to a PTV using 2-5 arc fields with PTV volume ranging from 0.10 to 2.48 cc, and each volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) SRS plan was prescribed 20 - 27 Gy in 1 - 5 fractions to 1 - 4 PTVs, with PTV volume ranging from 0.11 to 7.73 cc. 6-MV flattening-filter free photon fields were used in all the plans. A 120-leaf MLC was used for beam modulation with a leaf width of 2.5 mm for the central 32 leaf-pairs and 5.0 mm for the peripheral 28 leaf-pairs. Systematic or random leaf positioning errors ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 mm at 0.1-mm intervals were introduced to each SRS plan. Plan dose was re-calculated with original field MUs with a 1.0 mm calculation resolution using a linear Boltzmann transport algorithm and was verified using another dose calculation engine with a convolution superposition algorithm. Variations in PTV dosimetric parameters including mean dose and D(95%) due to systematic and random leaf positioning errors were analyzed. PTV dose variation was also verified with measurement using an ion chamber in water equivalent phantom.Results: Both the PTV mean dose and D(95%) decreased linearly with increasing systematic and random positioning errors in all the SRS plans. In systematic leaf positioning errors with a 1-mm shift towards the isocenter for all MLC leaves, the PTV mean dose and D(95%) decreased by an average of 8.7% (range: 5.1 - 12.4%) and 15.2% (range: 10.4 - 20.1%) respectively in the conformal arc plans; the PTV mean dose and D(95%) decreased by an average of 18.2% (range: 11.6 - 25.0%) and 21.8% (range: 15.1 - 27.3%) respectively in the VMAT plans. The PTV volume positively correlated with the declining rate of mean PTV dose (correlation coefficient: 0.80, P-value = 0.01) with the conformal arc SRS plans. In random leaf positioning errors, with a standard deviation of up to 1 mm, the decrease of PTV mean dose and D(95%) was up to 2.4% and 3.3% respectively in the conformal arc plans, and decreased up to 2.7% and 2.8% respectively in the VMAT plans.Conclusion: Manufacturers' specifications for MLC leaf positioning accuracy are not adequate for accurate intracranial SRS dose delivery. To ensure that both the PTV mean dose and D(95%) are within 5% from plan dose, the systematic MLC leaf positioning error needs to be < 0.3 mm for conformal arc SRS plans and < 0.2 mm for VMAT SRS plans. On the other hand, random leaf positioning errors have smaller impact on dose delivery accuracy within the limits specified by manufacturers.Author Disclosure: C. Han: None. J.R. Liu: None. D. Du: None. J. Liang: None. K. Qing: None. W.T. Watkins: None. S. Zhang: None. A. Liu: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): A multi-institutional pilot study is initiated to compare two IMRT delivery techniques (volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) and helical tomotherapy (HT)) for total body irradiation as conditioning regimen in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant with an updated lung dose limit based on recently published clinical data on lung toxicities. We report comparison and initial clinical experience in dosimetric plan quality, patient setup correction techniques, and dose delivery efficiency.Materials/methods: We reviewed treatment planning and delivery record for the initial seven patients that were prospectively enrolled in this study. TBI was given to each patient in 8 fractions at 165 cGy per fraction. Patient height ranged from 154.9 to 193.5 cm. The planning target volume (PTV) is the whole body excluding the lung volume. The total lung and 15 additional normal organs were included in plan optimization and dosimetric evaluation. In planning, mean lung dose (MLD) limit was 8 Gy and maximum dose (Dmax) to normal organs was required to be < 130% of the prescribed dose with a recommended goal of < 115%. Four patients received TBI with HT and the other three on a conventional Linac. Patients treated with HT had an upper body HT plan with a rotating gantry using a 5-cm jaw and a lower extremity HT plan using static AP/PA HT fields. Patients treated on a conventional Linac had an upper body VMAT plan using 9 to 10 VMAT fields and a lower body plan with either VMAT fields or static AP/PA fields. The virtual bolus technique was used in VMAT plans to reduce dose variation due to setup uncertainty. The VMAT fields used a 6 MV photon beam with a 90° collimator angle and had an overlap of at least 2 cm between adjacent fields along the longitudinal direction. All the plans were normalized so that 85% of the PTV received at least 13.2 Gy in total dose.Results: In the upper body HT plans the average PTV dose was 13.6 Gy (range: 13.5 - 13.7 Gy), the MLD averaged at 7.71 Gy (range: 7.21 - 7.95 Gy), and Dmax was < 115% of prescribed dose for at least 14 normal organs. In the upper-body VMAT plans the average PTV dose was 13.95 Gy (range: 13.86 - 14.02 Gy), the MLD averaged at 7.12 Gy (range: 6.85 - 7.63 Gy), and Dmax was < 115% of prescribed dose with 1 to 9 normal organs. The Dmax limit of 130% of prescribed dose was achieved in all the plans. In HT treatments, an MVCT scan was used for daily patient setup corrections in both the upper and lower body treatments and the overall treatment time per fraction was 1.23 ± 0.21 hours (range: 0.90 - 1.88 hours). In VMAT treatments, both cone beam CT scans and orthogonal kilovoltage images were used for daily patient setup on a conventional Linac and the overall treatment time per fraction was 1.39 ± 0.20 hours.Conclusion: Both the HT and VMAT plans achieved adequate lung sparing under our new institutional lung dose limit in TBI. VMAT TBI is clinically feasible and could provide access to more patients for TBI treatments. The two IMRT techniques also allow selective sparing of additional organs in TBI treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, AISI 1035 steel was selected as the research object, and a single-pass thermal compression simulation experiment was carried out. Based on the true stress-strain curve obtained from the experiment, the dynamic DMM thermal processing map theory was used to draw the material under different thermal deformation conditions. and the rheological instability map based on the Prasad instability criterion, and the thermal processing map is used to predict the suitable processing interval and rheological instability interval for the thermal deformation process of the material under different process conditions. So as to provide theoretical support for the optimization of the material processing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore structure is the key factor in determining the development potential of shale reservoirs with a need for more research into mechanisms of pore system development in terrestrial shales. In this study, the pore structure and control mechanisms of typical terrestrial shale reservoirs were described by investigating porosity and permeability under overburden pressure, mercury injection capillary pressure, N2 adsorption, rock pyrolysis analysis, geochemistry and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that: (1) the main pore types in the upper section are quartz and clay intergranular pores, whereas those in the lower section are ferroan dolomite, plagioclase and quartz intergranular pores; (2) clay minerals control the intra-layer pore structure, and quartz minerals control the interlayer pore structure in the upper section, whereas ferroan dolomite provides the largest micron-scale pore size in the lower section; and (3) the micropores of samples with low organic matter content peak at the low maturation stage, whereas the micropores of samples with high organic matter content show an increasing trend from immature to mature stages. The influence of mineral composition and thermal maturity on the development of pore systems in shale reservoirs is an important indicator for future exploration in terrestrial shales. Factors influencing pore type of a typical terrestrial shale reservoir in the Permian Lucaogou Formation of the Jimsar Depression are inorganic minerals (quartz, ferroan dolomite and clays) and organic matter. Thermal maturity, which controls the development of organic nanopores, peaks at the beginning of the oil window. The pore system in terrestrial shale reservoirs comprises inorganic minerals that control primarily porosity and mature organic matter that control secondary porosity formed during late diagenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): Glioblastoma (GBM) (WHO grade IV) is the most aggressive form of glioma with a 5-year survival rate of 5%. The current therapeutic regimen involves maximal safe surgical resection followed by radiation therapy and concurrent and adjuvant TMZ (Stupp protocol). Due to dismal survival, there is an urgent need to identify druggable therapeutic targets in GBM for drug development. In this study we identified TRIB1, a Ser/Thr pseudokinase that acts as a scaffold protein to initiate Ubiquitin Proteasome System-mediated degradation of target proteins in the cell. It has also been shown to activate MAPK and Akt signaling in various cell types. Reports suggest that TRIB1 also contributes towards chemotherapy resistance in NSCLC and CRC.Materials/methods: We utilized a patient-centered reverse translational approach to identify novel therapeutic targets. TRIB1 was identified by statistical association (Cox regression analysis) and logic-based network analyses of the patient-derived methylation data generated using EPIC methylation array. TRIB1 was functionally validated in vitro by overexpression and knockdown approaches. Stable cell lines were generated by puromycin selection and cell sorting. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to create specific amino acid mutations. Co-immunoprecipitation was performed to identify protein-protein interaction. Protein levels were detected by western blotting.Results: The global methylation analysis on an institutional GBM cohort revealed that TRIB1 promoter methylation was associated with better OS of GBM patients (HR = 0.81 (0.62-1.05); P = 0.11). We also observed that overexpression of TRIB1 caused a decrease in apoptosis of patient derived GBM cell lines after radiation and TMZ treatment. Overexpression of TRIB1 also increased the phosphorylation of ERK in patient derived cell lines. TRIB1 directly bound to MEK1 in these cell lines and the disruption of its biding by site-directed mutation led to reduced TRIB1-MEK1 interaction.Conclusion: Our data suggest that TRIB1 is a potential therapeutic target for GBM therapy as targeting TRIB1 could promote treatment sensitizing glioma cells to RT/TMZ. Targeting MEK1 binding site on TRIB1 could also reduce MAPK oncogenic signaling in these cells thereby providing an additional treatment strategy for GBM.Author Disclosure: K. Singh: None. C. Han: None. J.L. Fleming: None. J. McElroy: None. E.H. Bell: None. P. Robe: None. S.J. Haque: None. A. Chakravarti: None. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease hypothesis (DOHaD) proposes that growth during the prenatal period might play a critical role in health, affecting the development of diseases, such as osteoporosis. Bone health is particularly affected by human behaviors when sports participation constitutes the main manifestation of physical exercise. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship between birth weight (BW) and bone mineral content (BMC) among adolescents, as well as to identify if sports participation and maturity can affect this relationship. The sample was composed of adolescents with ages ranging from 11 to 18 years, stratified according to normal birth weight (n = 331), low birth weight (n = 36), and macrosomia (n = 47), extracted from a wider cross‐sectional study (ABCD Growth Study). BW was self‐reported by the adolescent's parent. Sports participation was assessed by face‐to‐face interview. BMC was assessed using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry. In the multivariate models, the relationships between BW and BMC remained non‐significant, while sports participation was significantly related to BMC on lower limbs among boys (r = 0.154; p value = .001) and BMC of upper limbs among girls (r = 0.124; p value = .044). APHV was related to BMC of upper limbs among boys (r = 0.137; p value = .001). In conclusion, BMC was not affected by BW, while this phenomenon seems to be significantly affected by the positive impact of sports participation and maturation on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Q345C steel is welded under two different pre-welding heating methods of traditional flame heating and ceramic sheet heating. The finite element analysis of the butt joint weldment by ABAQUS software is used to summarize the law of welding deformation and compare the welding quality under different pre-welding heating methods according to the residual stress and deformation trend of the welding joint weld. The results show that the main stress after welding is concentrated in the weld seam and the surrounding area. The residual stress after welding after the heating and welding of the ceramic sheet is significantly less than the residual stress after the traditional flame heating welding, and the welding after the heating of the ceramic sheet can obtain better welding quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, graphene/silicone rubber (SiR) nanocomposites with filler contents of 0.001–0.005 wt% are prepared to improve electrical tree inhibiting ability under different temperature gradients. The electrical treeing test is performed under three temperature gradients by controlling the temperature of high voltage and ground sides. Experimental results indicate that the SiR sample with 0.003 wt% graphene presents the best performance on electrical tree resistance. The tree length and accumulated damage are both reduced with the increase of graphene content from 0 to 0.003 wt%, but increased with the further increase of filler content from 0.003 to 0.005 wt%. The tree outline tends to be circular in neat SiR under negative temperature gradient, while it is triangular under positive temperature gradient. However, the effect of temperature gradient is weakened when graphene exists. Based on quantum dot models, the role of graphene quantum wells (QWs) in the regulation of charge transport and electrical tree resistance in SiR is revealed. This research provides an effective method to suppress electrical trees of SiR for cable accessories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the safety, tolerability, and key pharmacodynamic effects of subcutaneous batoclimab, a fully human anti‐neonatal Fc receptor monoclonal antibody, in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis and anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Methods: A Phase 2a, proof‐of‐concept, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial is described. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive once‐weekly subcutaneous injections of batoclimab 340 mg, batoclimab 680 mg, or matching placebo for 6 weeks. Subsequently, all patients could enter an open‐label extension study where they received batoclimab 340 mg once every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. Primary endpoints were safety, tolerability, and change from baseline in total immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin G subclasses, and anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies at 6 weeks post‐baseline. Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline to 6 weeks post‐baseline for Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living, Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis, Myasthenia Gravis Composite, and revised 15‐item Myasthenia Gravis Quality of Life scores. Results: Seventeen patients were randomized to batoclimab 680 mg (n = 6), batoclimab 340 mg (n = 5), or placebo (n = 6). Batoclimab was associated with significantly greater reductions in total immunoglobulin G and anti‐acetylcholine receptor antibodies from baseline to 6 weeks post‐baseline than placebo. Reductions in immunoglobulin G subclasses were generally consistent with total immunoglobulin G. While clinical measures showed directionally favorable improvements over time, the study was not powered to draw conclusions about therapeutic efficacy. No safety issues were identified. Interpretation: The safety profile, pharmacodynamics, and preliminary clinical benefits observed in this study support further investigation of subcutaneous batoclimab injections as a potential patient‐administered therapy for seropositive generalized myasthenia gravis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-neutron-emission mass distribution is a critical physical constant in neutron-induced fission reaction. In this work, the Monte Carlo dropout neural network (MC-Dropout NN) method is applied to evaluate the pre-neutron-emission mass distributions of neutron-induced typical actinides (232Th, 235U, 238U, 237Np, 239Pu) fission. This method can reproduce precise mass distributions and give the uncertainty of predictions. Moreover, based on the MC-dropout NN learning of the existing experimental fission yields, the unknown yields and their uncertainty can be given. Finally, we predict pre-neutron-emission mass distributions of neutron-induced fission of 232Th and 238U at incident neutron energy below 45 MeV and study the influence of pre-fission neutrons on fission yields. Given the good agreements with experimental data, the neural network approach is a very useful tool in the field of nuclear data evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. A new assessment method for duck footpad dermatitis (FPD) evaluation was developed, combining visual and histological characters using the images and sections of 400 ducks' feet at 340 d of age. All ducks were graded as G0 (healthy), G1 (mild), G2 (moderate) and G3 (severe) according to the degree of FPD. 2. To reveal the potential biomarkers in serum related to duck FPD, non-targeted metabolomics and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to explore differential metabolites in each group. 3. There were 57, 91 and 210 annotated differential metabolites in groups G1, G2 and G3 compared with G0, which meant that the severity of FPD increased in line with the number of metabolites. Four metabolites, L-phenylalanine, L-arginine, L-leucine and L-lysine, were considered potential biomarkers related to FPD. 4. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the FPD was mainly involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid metabolism. These are related to production metabolism and can affect the physiological activities of ducks, which might explain the decrease in production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the major abiotic stresses restricting the development of global agriculture, saline–alkali stress causes osmotic stress, ion poisoning, ROS damage and high pH damage, which seriously restrict sustainable development of fruit industry. Therefore, it is essential to develop and cultivate saline–alkali‐resistant apple rootstocks to improve the yield and quality of apples in China.Based on transcriptome data, MhANR (LOC114827797), which is significantly induced by saline–alkali stress, was cloned from Malus halliana. The physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships and cis‐acting elements were analysed. Subsequently, the tolerance of MhANR overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, and apple calli to saline–alkali stress was verified through genetic transformation.Transgenic plants contained less Chl a, Chl b and proline, SOD, POD and CAT activity, and higher relative electrical conductivity (REC) compared to WT plants under saline–alkali stress. In addition, expression of saline–alkali stress‐related genes in overexpressed apple calli were also lower than in WT calli, including the antioxidant genes (MhSOD and MhCAT^), the Na+ transporter genes (MhCAX5, MhCAX5, MhSOS1, MhALT1), and the H+‐ATPase genes (MhAHA2 and MhAHA8), while expression of the K+ transporter genes (MhSKOR and MhNHX4) were higher.Expression of MhANR reduced tolerance of A. thaliana, tobacco, and apple calli to saline–alkali stress by regulating osmoregulatory substances, chlorophyll content, antioxidant enzyme activity, and expression of saline–alkali stress‐related genes. This research provides a theoretical basis for cultivating apple rootstocks with effective saline–alkali stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal brain function requires a tightly regulated balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmissions. γ‐Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors represent the major class of inhibitory ion channels in the mammalian brain. Dysregulation of these receptors and/or their associated pathways is strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of epilepsy. To date, hundreds of different GABAA receptor subunit variants have been associated with epilepsy, making them a prominent cause of genetically linked epilepsy. While identifying these genetic variants is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective genetic counselling, it does not necessarily lead to improved personalised treatment options. This is because the identification of a variant does not reveal how the function of GABAA receptors is affected. Genetic variants in GABAA receptor subunits can cause complex changes to receptor properties resulting in various degrees of gain‐of‐function, loss‐of‐function or a combination of both. Understanding how variants affect the function of GABAA receptors therefore represents an important first step in the ongoing development of precision therapies. Furthermore, it is important to ensure that functional data are produced using methodologies that allow genetic variants to be classified using clinical guidelines such as those developed by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. This article will review the current knowledge in the field and provide recommendations for future functional analysis of genetic GABAA receptor variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Although PRL-PRLR signalling plays important roles in regulating avian reproduction, there is a paucity of information regarding the functional significance of PRLR in goose ovarian follicle development. 2. The full-length 2,496 bp coding sequence of PRLR was obtained from Sichuan White goose (Anser cygnoides) for the first time and was seen to encode a polypeptide containing 831 amino acids. Goose PRLR shares similar sequence characteristics and conserved functional domains to other avian species and was phylogenetically clustered into the avian clade. 3. The qPCR results suggested that the mRNA levels of PRLR significantly increased in primary follicles during weeks 3 to 4 of age and were higher in secondary- than in primordial follicles at week 5 post-hatching, which suggested that the PRLR-mediated signalling could be involved in regulation of early folliculogenesis. 4. The PRLR mRNA was expressed at the highest levels in the prehierarchical 8–10 mm granulosa layers throughout goose ovarian follicle development, indicating a role for PRLR in the process of follicle selection. 5. PRLR mRNA was differentially expressed in the three cohorts of in vitro cultured granulosa cells harvested from different sized goose ovarian follicles, which suggested that PRLR was involved in regulating granulosa cell functions depending on the stage of follicle development. These data provide novel insights into the role of PRLR during goose ovarian follicle development, although the underlying mechanisms await further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapies are emerging strategies in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) treatment. Exposure to wild-type AAV can lead to development of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and blocking of AAV transduction, thereby limiting the delivery of AAV vector-based gene therapy. Therefore, it is imperative to check for the presence of AAV NAbs in a patient who is a candidate for gene therapy. We prospectively enrolled 101 genetically confirmed males with DMD (median age 11 years, 48% ambulatory and 59% on steroids) and performed AAV neutralization assays against AAV2, AAV8, AAV9, and AAVrh74 serotypes. The serotype analysis showed that AAV9 (36%) and AAVrh74 (32%) seroprevalence was lower compared with AAV2 (56%) and AAV8 (47%). Interestingly, age was not correlated with NAb titer for any of the capsids. NAb responses were observed at a higher frequency in African American participants and at a lower frequency in Caucasian participants for all four serotypes. Further analysis showed no significant differences in NAb titers regardless of serotype and whether participants were taking steroids or not. Finally, we observed higher AAV8, AAV9, and AAVrh74 seroprevalence and significantly higher AAV2 and AAV8 NAb titers in participants who were ambulatory compared with nonambulatory participants. Overall, these data identify AAV9 and AAVrh74 as the two serotypes with lower pre-existing NAb titers in this study's cohort of 101 males with DMD, possibly showing their utility in future gene therapy applications in treatment of this cohort of patients with DMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The compressed ultrafast photography (CUP) can capture non-repetitive time-evolving events at 7 × 1013 fps, which is anticipated to find a diverse range of applications in physics, biomedical imaging, and materials science. The feasibility of diagnosing ultrafast phenomenon of Z-pinch by using the CUP has been analyzed in this article. Specifically, a dual-channel CUP design has been adopted for acquiring high quality reconstructed images and the strategies of identical masks, uncorrelated masks, and complementary masks have been compared. Furthermore, the image of the first channel was rotated by 90° to balance the spatial resolution between the sweep direction and the non-sweep direction. Both five synthetic videos and two simulated Z-pinch videos were chosen as the ground truth to validate this approach. The average peak signal to noise ratio of the reconstruction results is 50.55 dB for the self-emission visible light video and 32.53 dB for the laser shadowgraph video with unrelated masks (rotated channel 1). The simulation results show that the time–space-evolving process of plasma distribution can be well retold, and the phenomenon of plasma instability can be accurately diagnosed by the dual-channel CUP with unrelated masks (rotated channel 1). This study may promote the practical applications of the CUP in the field of accelerator physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Meteorology Administration chemistry model Chinese Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment (CUACE) is online integrated into the mesoscale operational numerical weather prediction (NWP) model (GRAPES_Meso5.1) and aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interaction is achieved to establish the first version (V1) of chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted model GRAPES‐Meso5.1/CUACE CW V1. The most polluted winter 2016–2017 is selected to study the meteorology impacts on haze/fog prediction, the impact of aerosol‐radiation, aerosol‐cloud and CW interaction (ARI, ACI, CWI) on haze/fog prediction and NWP. Single way model without CWI displays reasonable PM2.5 and visibility prediction in general. However, modeled PM2.5 peaks are underestimated and visibility valleys are overestimated during haze/fog pollution, the underestimation of relative humidity (RH) contributes major to this misestimation; CWI model cut the negative bias of PM2.5 peaks and the positive bias of visibility valleys. The improvement of 5 and 3 km low visibility by CWI during severe haze/fog period is more obvious than that of 10 km, which just compensates for the largest deficiency in low visibility prediction related with severe haze/fog by single way model; The NWP including sea level pressures, RH, temperature, wind speed are also improved by CWI from surface to upper troposphere; ARI contributes larger to the predicted PM2.5,visibility and NWP improvement than that of ACI, their relative contributions varies with model vertical height and the overlapping condition of cloud and aerosols. Due to the joint contribution of RH and PM2.5, CWI's improving on visibility is larger than PM2.5. This study illustrates the importance of including CWI in air quality prediction model. Plain Language Summary: Double way atmospheric chemistry model considering complete aerosol‐radiation‐cloud interaction is the hot and difficult issue in climate, weather and air quality (AQ) modeling. Focusing on better prediction of haze/fog pollution in China, the first version (V1) of chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted model GRAPES‐Meso5.1/CUACE CW V1 is established by online coupling the Chinese Meteorology Administration CUACE chemistry model with the updated operational mesoscale weather model GRAPES_Meso5.1 and the further completion of aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interaction in it. The meteorology impacts on haze/fog prediction including PM2.5 and visibility is discussed. The impacts of aerosol‐cloud interaction (ACI), aerosol radiation interaction (ARI) and the both (CWI) on haze/fog prediction and mesoscale NWP is further studied. The study results shows that the important impacts of relative humidity on high PM2.5 and low visibility and the improving of PM2.5, low visibility prediction and NWP by ARI, ACI and CWI during haze/fog episode, indicating the importance of CW model in better AQ prediction and NWP in polluted region. Key Points: An online chemistry‐weather (CW) interacted GRAPES_Meso5.1/Chinese Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment CW V1.0 model with aerosol‐radiation‐cloud interaction is establishedSingle way model shows basic reasonable haze/fog prediction including visibility and PM2.5 in most polluted subregions in ChinaCW Interaction improves PM2.5, visibility and numerical weather prediction from surface to upper troposphere to varying degree [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The following study examined the expression profiles of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) family in the developing feather follicles of Pekin ducks and Nonghua ducks at 6–9 weeks of age. The RTK subfamilies related to feather development were summarised, and other candidate genes related to feather development were enriched. 2. To reveal the potential role of all RTK members in feather development, the feather follicles of two duck breeds (Pekin and Nonghua ducks) at 6–9 weeks were isolated and chosen for RNA-Seq determination. 3. A total of 53 RTK members were confirmed in the duck genome, and 42 were expressed in duck feather follicles. Among RTK subfamilies, the VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR, EGFR, and InsR subfamilies, along with and Met and KIT genes, were the main ones regulating feather growth. 4. Genes with a similar expression pattern to the RTK were identified, and KEGG and PPI analyses were performed to explore the new potential feather development genes associated with RTK genes. Results showed that BCAR1, PXN, LAMA2, LAMC1 and LAMC3 are essential candidate genes for regulating feather growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study examined the transcriptomic profiles of contour and flight feather follicles from two duck breeds to determine the molecular network and the candidate genes associated with contour and flight feather morphogenesis. 2. High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to compare differences in feather follicles between contour and flight feathers in two duck breeds (Heiwu and Nonghua duck). 3. Comparing the contour feather follicles with flight feather follicles, 4,757 and 4,820 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in Heiwu and Nonghua duck respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to construct a gene co-expression network of all DEGs and identify the key modules and hub genes associated with feather morphogenesis. 4. Two key modules were enriched in many pathways involved in feather morphogenesis, such as the Wnt signalling pathway, anatomical structure morphogenesis, and focal adhesion. The CCNA2, TTK, NUF2, ECT2 and INCENP (in one module), and PRSS23, LAMC1, IGFBP3, SHISA5, and APLP2 (in another module) may be essential candidate genes for influencing feather morphology. Moreover, seven transcription factors (TFs) (UBP1, MBD2, ZNF512B, SMAD1, CAPN15, JDP2, KLF10, and MEF2A) were predicted to regulate the essential genes that contribute to feather morphogenesis. 5. This work demonstrated gene expression changes of contour and flight feather follicles and is beneficial for further understanding of the complex structure of feathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A solar radio burst is the enhancement of radio emission during the release of solar magnetic energy. It is an important indicator of the level of solar activity. In this paper, we propose a solar radio-burst forecast model that takes the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) full-disk solar magnetograms as inputs. The model takes advantage of a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to automatically extract the effective feature information from the input images. Through multiple trainings, the relationship between the magnetic-field characteristics of the full-disk solar magnetograms and the solar radio bursts is established, so it is possible to predict the presence or absence of a solar radio burst on that day. The experimental results demonstrate that the forecast Accuracy of the proposed model is 0.875 ± 0.007. The True Skill Statistic (TSS) is 0.723 ± 0.026, and the Heidke Skill Score (HSS) is 0.713 ± 0.019. These results indicate the strong reliability and wide applicability of the forecast model proposed in this paper. The proposed model is also used to predict solar type-II and type-III bursts, respectively. It is found that the prediction performance for type-III bursts is better than that of type-II bursts. The result is well explained from the differences of their formation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Foreign direct investment (FDI) to China has motivated increased labor migration to export processing zones (EPZs). Work environments with high occupational stress, such as production line jobs typical in EPZs, have been associated with adverse mental health symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional survey that examined occupational stress and symptoms of poor mental health was implemented among Chinese women factory workers in three electronic factories in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. Symptoms of mental health measured in the survey were hopelessness, depression, not feeling useful or needed, and trouble concentrating. Crude and adjusted prevalence odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated with logistic regression. Results: Responses were collected from 696 women factory workers. Participants were aged 18–56 years (mean 28 ± 5.8), 66% of whom were married and 25% of whom were migrants. Nearly 50% of participants reported at least one symptom of poor mental health. After adjusting for covariates associated with each outcome in the bivariate analysis, high job strain was associated with hopelessness (OR 2.68, 95% CI 1.58, 4.56), not feeling useful (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.22, 3.43), and feeling depressed (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.16, 2.72). Conclusion: This study expands on the international body of research on the well-being of women working in the global supply chain and provides evidence on the associations between occupational stressors, migration, and social support on symptoms of poor mental health among women workers. Future research to better understand and improve psychological health and to prevent suicide among workers in China's factories is critical to improve the health of China's labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The RefleXion® X1 is a new external-beam radiotherapy delivery system on a ring gantry with dual imaging systems fan-beam kV-CT and PET. The imaging system has the potential to be used for cancer prognosis and treatment response assessment using the radiomic features obtained from daily treatment images. The scanning variability in radiomics features and the differences between scanning protocols must be evaluated to warrant the accuracy of the prediction model. This study aims to establish the technical validation of the repeatability and reproducibility of radiomic features produced by the X1 kV-CT. The Credence Cartridge Radiomics phantom was scanned 10 times on the X1 system over a 3-month time frame using the two most frequently used scanning protocols: head/medium dose/fast couch and body/medium dose/slow couch. A cylindrical region of interest of 8.0cm in diameter x 1.5cm in thickness was contoured for each of the 6 cartridges. The 6 cartridges are each comprised of different materials using acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, acrylic beads, polyvinyl chloride, hemp seeds encased in polyurethane, shredded rubber and dense cork. These materials were chosen to produce a range of radiomics feature values. 66 radiomic features were extracted using a widely available, IBSI-compliant radiomics software package. Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility over time. T-test for the difference in the mean and F-test for the difference in standard deviation was used to compare the radiomics features between scanning techniques. There was no significant variation of radiomic features over time. Based on linear regression analysis between the radiomic features and number of elapsed days since the initial scan, the fitted coefficient was less than 0.05 for all the radiomic features (scaled so that the mean value was unity). There was no strong linear relationship between radiomic features and elapsed days (R2 <= 0.02 in all regression analysis results). As reported in other studies, a comparison of radiomic features within each of the six cartridges demonstrated that up to 38 of the 66 radiomic features showed statistically significant differences between the fast scan and the slow scan protocols (two-tailed p value < 0.05 in paired t-tests) and up to 25 radiomic features had statistically significant differences in standard deviations between the fast and slow scan protocols (p value < 0.05 in F-tests), indicating the necessity of using consistent scan protocols to monitor radiomic features throughout the treatment course accurately. The clinically useful CT radiomic features produced by the X1 are reproducible over time, demonstrating its utility as a quantitative imaging platform. The CT radiomic features produced by the X1 vary significantly with the scanning protocols. Evaluating radiomics feature changes over time requires image acquisition using the same scanning protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The US risdiplam expanded access program (EAP; NCT04256265) was opened to provide individuals with Type 1 or 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who had no satisfactory treatment options access to risdiplam prior to commercial availability. The program was designed to collect safety data during risdiplam treatment. Methods: Patients were enrolled from 23 non‐preselected sites across 17 states and treated with risdiplam orally once daily. Eligible patients had a 5q autosomal recessive Type 1 or 2 SMA diagnosis, were aged ≥2 months at enrollment, and were ineligible for available and approved SMA treatments or could not continue treatment due to a medical condition, lack/loss of efficacy, or the COVID‐19 pandemic. Results: Overall, 155 patients with Type 1 (n = 73; 47.1%) or 2 SMA (n = 82; 52.9%) were enrolled and 149 patients (96.1%) completed the EAP (defined as obtaining access to commercial risdiplam, if desired). The median treatment duration was 4.8 months (range, 0.3–9.2 months). The median patient age was 11 years (range, 0–50 years), and most patients (n = 121; 78%) were previously treated with a disease‐modifying therapy. The most frequently reported adverse events were diarrhea (n = 10; 6.5%), pyrexia (n = 7; 4.5%), and upper respiratory tract infection (n = 5; 3.2%). The most frequently reported serious adverse event was pneumonia (n = 3; 1.9%). No deaths were reported. Interpretation: In the EAP, the safety profile of risdiplam was similar to what was reported in pivotal risdiplam clinical trials. These safety data provide further support for the use of risdiplam in the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with SMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-speed radiation imaging system based on an image converter of liquid scintillator filled capillary arrays has been developed, which is sensitive to x rays, gamma rays, and neutrons. This imaging system has advantages of both high spatial resolution and high sensitivity because increasing the thickness of the image converter only leads to little deterioration on imaging resolution. The capillary arrays have dimensions of 150 mm diameter and 50 mm thickness, with 100 µm diameter of each capillary. The fluorescence decay time of the filled liquid scintillator based on the mixture of p-xylene and 2,5-diphenyloxazole has been evaluated to be ∼3 ns with the single photon method under the gamma ray excitation. The spatial resolution has been experimentally evaluated to be about 1.15 and 0.6 mm, under excitation of x rays and neutrons, respectively. The imaging system has been applied for diagnosing the dynamic x-ray spot generated by the rod pinch. Two frames in single shot with 15 ns temporal resolution and 20 ns inter-frame separation time have been obtained, which show the spatiotemporal distribution of the electrons bombarding the tungsten rod, indicating the ability of this imaging system in diagnosing dynamic radiation objects. In addition, the technique of capillary arrays provides a promising path for applications of advanced liquid scintillators in the field of radiation imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease requiring long‐term therapy. Objectives: Physician‐ and patient‐reported outcomes were evaluated through week 252 in VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2. Methods: In total, 1829 patients were randomized at baseline to receive guselkumab 100 mg every 8 weeks, placebo or adalimumab. Patients receiving placebo crossed over to guselkumab at week 16. Patients receiving adalimumab crossed over to guselkumab at week 52 in VOYAGE 1, and randomized withdrawal and retreatment occurred at weeks 28–76 in VOYAGE 2; all patients then received open‐label guselkumab through week 252. Efficacy and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) endpoints were analysed through week 252. Safety was monitored through week 264. Results: The proportions of patients in the guselkumab group who achieved clinical responses at week 252 in VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2, respectively, were 84·1% and 82·0% [≥ 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)]; 82·4% and 85·0% [Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) 0 or 1]; 52·7% and 53·0% (100% improvement in PASI) and 54·7% and 55·5% (IGA 0). HRQoL endpoints were achieved as follows: 72·7% and 71·1% of patients (Dermatology Life Quality Index 0 or 1: no effect on patient's life); 42·4% and 42·0% [Psoriasis Symptoms and Signs Diary (PSSD) symptom score = 0] and 33·0% and 31·0% (PSSD sign score = 0). As measured in VOYAGE 2 only, approximately 45% of patients achieved ≥ 5‐point reduction in Short Form‐36 physical and mental component scores, and 80% reported no anxiety or depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale scores < 8). Similar findings were reported for adalimumab crossovers. These effects were maintained from week 52 in VOYAGE 1 and week 100 in VOYAGE 2. No new safety signals were identified. Conclusions: Guselkumab maintains high levels of clinical response and improvement in patient‐reported outcomes through 5 years in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. What is already known about this topic?Psoriasis is a chronic disease requiring long‐term treatment.Guselkumab has been shown to be effective in improving clinical response and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in more than 1800 patients through 4 years in the VOYAGE 1 and VOYAGE 2 trials. What does this study add?Guselkumab maintained improvements in clinical response as well as positive effects on HRQoL and general health through 5 years in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. Linked Comment: I. Kotb. Br J Dermatol 2021; 185:1087–1088. Plain language summary available online [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When calculating the AC loss of REBa2Cu3O7−x (REBCO, RE = rare earth) coated conductor cable with stacked geometry, it is often considered that the tapes in the cable is perfectly stacked (there is no transverse misalignment of the tapes). However, the actual stacked cable will have transverse misalignment. The influence of transverse misalignment of tapes on the AC loss of the whole cable needs to be studied in order to understand the actual situation. In this paper, the 2-D H formulation calculated the AC loss of the cable with 10 tapes stacked in three cases. In the first case, the cables are perfectly stacked without lateral misalignment between the tapes. In the second case, the tapes of the cable are oblique to one side. In the third case, the tapes are disordered with each other. The result shows that under the transport current at 50 Hz, when the transport current is less than 0.75Ic0, the transport loss of the cable with obliquely stacked cable is more than the perfectly stacked cable, and when the transport current is greater than 0.75Ic0, the transport loss of the perfectly stacked cable is slightly larger than the obliquely stacked cable. Moreover, the transport loss of disorderly stacked cable is more than perfectly stacked cable at 50 Hz. When the transport current amplitude and the misalignment distance between the tapes in the cable are constant, the transport loss of obliquely stacked cable and disorderly stacked cable relative to perfectly stacked cable both increases first and then decreases as the frequency increases. Under the 50 Hz magnetization field, the magnetization loss of the perfectly stacked cable is less than the cables with oblique misalignment and disorder misalignment. When the amplitude of the external magnetic field and the misalignment distance between the tapes in the cable are constant, the magnetization loss of obliquely stacked cable and disorderly stacked cable relative to perfectly stacked cable also increased first and then decreased as the frequency increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new measurement of the Λ 4 H hypernuclear lifetime using in-flight K − + 4He → Λ 4 H + π 0 reaction at the J-PARC hadron facility. We demonstrate, for the first time, the effective selection of the hypernuclear bound state using only the γ -ray energy decayed from π 0. This opens the possibility for a systematic study of isospin partner hypernuclei through comparison with data from (K − , π −) reaction. As the first application of this method, our result for the Λ 4 H lifetime, τ (H Λ 4) = 206 ± 8 (stat.) ± 12 (syst.) ps , is one of the most precise measurements to date. We are also preparing to measure the lifetime of the hypertriton ( Λ 3 H) using the same setup in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose/objective(s): The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes between black and white females treated with curative intent for vulvar squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) and identify factors that correlate with locoregional control (LRC) and survival.Materials/methods: Patients with VSCC treated with either adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy with curative intent from 2009-2020 within our multi-center academic medical system were retrospectively analyzed. Patient and treatment-specific factors were evaluated. Kaplan-Meier and Univariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate and assess factors correlated with LRC, progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Comparisons between groups were performed using the log-rank test.Results: We identified 39 patients with VSCC treated with curative intent; 43% (n = 17) received adjuvant RT and 56% (n = 22) received definitive RT to a median dose of 59.4 Gy and 64.4 Gy, respectively. Thirty-four patients received external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) alone, 5 pts received EBRT plus brachytherapy and 22 patients received concurrent chemotherapy. The cohort was comprised of 22 black patients (BP) and 17 white patients (WP) with a median age of 62 (range: 32-93) and 68 (38-98), respectively. Median follow up for the entire cohort was 12.5 months (Q1-Q3: 2.8-31.3mos) for all patients and 14.9 months (3.8-33.2) for alive patients. BP were significantly more likely to present with clinical FIGO stage I/II (73% vs 24%, P = 0.002), undergo surgical resection (68% vs 18%, P = 0.002) and to have HPV-positive tumors (55% versus 29%, P = 0.012). 6 BP were HIV-positive versus 0 WP. There was no difference between the groups in relation to smoking status (P = 0.72). The complete response rate was 86% (n = 19) among BP (FIGO stage I; n = 9, II; n = 4, III; n = 4, IVA; n = 2) versus 59% (n = 10) among WP (I; n = 1, II; n = 1, III; n = 6, IVA; n = 2), (P = 0.51). One-year estimated LRC, PFS and OS were 100% versus 66% (P = 0.001), 100% versus 50% (P < 0.001) and 95% versus 70% (P = 0.04) for BP versus WP, respectively. On univariate analysis, only complete response to treatment (P < 0.001) and race were significantly associated with LRC and survival.Conclusion: This data demonstrates high response rates and local control for early stage VSCC, which primarily included BP in this cohort. Further exploration is needed to understand the etiology behind these differences. These data suggest a potential role for therapeutic stratification to optimize outcomes and decrease late toxicity.Author Disclosure: J.S. Remick: None. N.S. McCall: Honoraria; PrecisCA.N. Khanna: None. J.W. Shelton: None. S. Hanasoge: None. P.R. Patel: None. A.B. Patel: Honoraria; American College of Radiology. T. Cole: None. A. McCook: None. A.N. Gordon: None. C. Han: None. K. Starbuck: None. J. Switchenko: None. T.Y. Eng: Stock; Amgen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]