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Authors proposed to use low-bond high-strength reinforcement (LBHSR) as the longitudinal reinforcement of reinforced concrete (RC) columns to develop the self-centering RC engineering structures based on the experimental conclusions that the LBHSR minimized residual deformation of test columns because of the low-bond high-strength property. Because the structural form of the proposed RC column was simple and the technology was low-cost, author proposed to use this type of RC column to fabricate the bridge column system. Two bridge archetypes with single and double columns reinforced by LBHSRs and high-bond normal-strength reinforcements (HBNSRs) were designed for numerical analysis using OpenSees program. A modified Young’s modulus of steel rebar was used to simulate the steel-bond slip behavior of the proposed RC column with LBHSRs, and the comparison results proved the applicability of this method. Based on the proposed OpenSees element model, seismic fragility and post-earthquake reparability of the designed bridge archetypes with LBHSRs and HBNSRs were compared based on the incremental dynamic analysis results. It was found that the use of LBHSR could greatly improve the post-earthquake reparability and reduce the collapse probability of bridge archetypes. The equations of the FEMA and JRA codes (FEMA, 2009; Tarfan et al., 2019) were used to predict the residual lateral drifts of bridge archetypes, and the comparison results indicated that both codes much overestimated the residual lateral drifts.

Objective To describe our simplified technique for falloposcopic tuboplasty (FT) and demonstrate its principle and results. Design A step-by-step description of the technique and demonstration of its principle using a clay model. Setting Private infertility clinics in Osaka and Tokyo operated by 10 physicians. Patient(s) A total of 431 infertile women with a diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral proximal tubal occlusion (6 cm from the uterotubal ostia), between October 2013 and February 2019 were included. These patients underwent routine work-ups for infertility, including a semen analysis, hysterosalpingography, antimullerian hormone, basal luteinizing hormone/follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin concentrations during menstruation, postcoital test in the periovulatory period, and estradiol and progesterone concentrations in the middle of the luteal phase. Physicians performed hysterosalpingography to evaluate tubal patency and uterine shape. Saline infusion sonography was not conducted because it does not accurately identify regions of tubal occlusion and/or stenosis. Intervention(s) The principle of our simplified technique for FT is that a hole is located at the side of the FT catheter tip. Therefore, the balloon and fiberscope move away from the catheter line ( Fig. 1 ). The uterotubal ostium is located at the tip-end of the triangle of the uterine cavity. When a balloon is inserted while visualizing the uterotubal ostium at the nearest position to the ostium, the balloon hits the uterine wall. When a balloon is inserted 5–10 mm from the uterotubal ostium without visualization, the balloon may be easily placed in the ostium through its convex angle, allowing it to slide into the uterine wall ( Figs. 2 and 3 ). Step 1: Confirm anteflexion or retroflexion of the uterus by ultrasound. Step 2: Confirm the direction of the uterotubal ostia by hysteroscopy. Step 3: Adjust the angle of the FT catheter according to steps 1 and 2, insert the catheter into the end of the uterus, pull it back 5–10 mm (without visualizing the uterotubal ostia), and then fix it to the forceps. Catheter placement away from the tubal ostium is confirmed by the residual length of the moving part of the catheter. An attending instructor should ask the operator about the feeling of rigidity when the catheter does not advance and then suggest whether to proceed or stop. In the latter case, the catheter is not moved, saline is infused for 1 minute for lubrication, the balloon is pulled back using the fiberscope to remove the bunching of the balloon, and balloon pressure is changed as follows: 6→8→6→10→6 mmHg. Our institutional review board stated that approval was not required because the video describes the technique of our routine procedure. Main Outcome Measure(s) A description of the FT technique using a clay model and a demonstration of its application in our clinic. Result(s) The average operative time was 15.4 minutes, and the clinical pregnancy rate was 24.4% (natural conception and intrauterine insemination without in vitro fertilization). No significant differences were observed in the operative time or pregnancy rate among physicians. Approximately 17 FT procedures may be performed using one fiberscope. Conclusion(s) Our simplified technique, which was described and demonstrated in this video article, is a feasible and practical approach for performing FT. It provides excellent cost performance by saving fiberscopes. The most important point is “Introduce the balloon and fiberscope 5–10 mm away from the uterotubal ostia without visualizing it.” To facilitate learning this technique, we recommend watching the video and then practicing FT without searching for the uterotubal ostia. Physicians master FT without any assistance by an attending instructor in ≤3 attempts.

This paper proposes the use of concrete with a high water/cement ratio of 0.65, 455 kg/m3 of mixed fly ash and low-bond high-strength (LBHS) rebar to develop resilient circular columns confined by bolted steel tubes. The test results indicated that the proposed bolted steel tube-confined fly ash concrete columns with LBHS rebar had great self-centering (SC) capacity and stable lateral load resistance until reaching a large drift value. Low bonds resulted in delayed yielding of the longitudinal rebar; therefore, the column had better deformability and durable SC capacity compared with a column with normal high-bond steel rebar. Furthermore, the anchorage tie plate at the contraflexure section of double curvature columns was necessary to prevent the steel rebar from slipping. Shortening the anchorage length of the longitudinal rebar within the beam-column joint had little influence on the seismic behavior of the test column. Bolted steel tubes could provide better safety for testing columns compared with that of welded steel tubes, especially at the large deformation stage. The proposed OpenSees model can evaluate the seismic behavior of the test columns with good agreement. The lateral behavior of the test columns can be reasonably predicted by using an equivalent stress block and calculation method considering steel bond slip. The literature indicated that the combination of LBHS rebar and fly ash concrete as well as bolted steel tubes is a good alternative for the development of SC RC columns.

Advances in technology have made it possible to use loudspeakers to generate the perception in a listener of a “virtual” image of a source of sound that appears to be at a position other than that of the loudspeakers. This paper deals with the challenge of simultaneously generating the perception of the same virtual sound image at the ears of multiple listeners. The basis of the analysis is the so-called Optimal Source Distribution (OSD) that enables well-conditioned crosstalk cancellation at the ears of a single listener. This consists of a hypothetically continuous distribution of monopole acoustic strength which has a remarkable frequency independent radiation pattern. This directivity pattern enables crosstalk cancellation at a series of defined listener positions in the far field. However, in any practical application using current technology, the sources will be discrete loudspeaker elements. Previous work already shows the promise of this technique and the work described here aims to evaluate a number of methods for determining the strength of such discrete sources while still ensuring crosstalk cancellation at a number of listener positions.

EuCo2Ge2 with the tetragonal structure is a Eu-divalent antiferromagnet with the Neel temperature T N = 23 K. The magnetic easy-axis corresponds to the [100] direction (a-axis), while the [001] direction (c-axis) is a hard-axis. The magnetization for H ∥ [ 100 ] indicates a metamagnetic transition at 25 kOe and saturates above 75 kOe. On the other hand, the hard-axis magnetization increases approximately linearly and saturates above 110 kOe. The magnetic phase diagram was constructed. A characteristic feature in EuCo2Ge2 is known as a valence transition under pressure, from Eu 2 + δ to Eu 3 − δ ′ ( δ , δ ′ 1 ). We also clarified the valence transition by measuring the electrical resistivity under pressure. The valence transition occurs at 3 GPa, with a hysteresis, and terminates at about 4.5 GPa. Further increasing pressure, the electronic state is changed into a moderate heavy fermion state and approaches the nearly trivalent electronic state.

The spread of grasslands in the Miocene and of C4 grasses in the late Miocene-Pliocene represents a major development in terrestrial plant evolution that affected the climate system and faunal evolution. The macrofossil record of grasses is sparse, likely due to the limited preservation potential of grasses. Diagnosis of the C3 or C4 photosynthetic pathway depends on preservation of both cellular structures and organic carbon for isotope analysis. Here we analyze the anatomical and isotopic composition of newly-collected grass fossils from the Dove Spring Formation, Red Rock Canyon State Park, California, USA, located in the El Paso Basin on the western side of the Basin and Range Province, a site previously identified as one of the earliest known C4 grass fossil bearing localities. We analyzed the anatomical and geochemical characteristics of these new grass fossils dated to 12.01–12.15 Ma. The fossils analyzed in this study include grass shoots and in cross-section display anatomy indicative of the C3 photosynthetic pathway. We isolated organic carbon from the stem fossils and determined the carbon isotopic composition to be − 24.8 ± 0.5‰. Together, the anatomical and geochemical analyses confirm that these plants used the C3 photosynthetic pathway. Our findings are consistent with dietary evidence based on tooth enamel from grazing mammals of available C3 resources in the same sections. These newly reported Miocene-age C3 grass fossils contribute to a sparse macrofossil record of grass evolution. Overall, paleoecological reconstructions at this site indicate more humid conditions during the Miocene compared to the modern Mojave Desert with C3 grasses and diverse grazing mammals.

The minimization of electronics makes heat dissipation of related devices an increasing challenge. When the size of materials is smaller than the phonon mean free paths, phonons transport without internal scatterings and laws of diffusive thermal conduction fail, resulting in significant reduction in the effective thermal conductivity. This work reports, for the first time, the temperature dependent thermal conductivity of doped epitaxial 6H-SiC and monocrystalline porous 6H-SiC below room temperature probed by time-domain thermoreflectance. Strong quasi-ballistic thermal transport was observed in these samples, especially at low temperatures. Doping and structural boundaries were applied to tune the quasi-ballistic thermal transport since dopants selectively scatter high-frequency phonons while boundaries scatter phonons with long mean free paths. Exceptionally strong phonon scattering by boron dopants are observed, compared to nitrogen dopants. Furthermore, orders of magnitude reduction in the measured thermal conductivity was observed at low temperatures for the porous 6H-SiC compared to the epitaxial 6H-SiC. Finally, first principles calculations and a simple Callaway model are built to understand the measured thermal conductivities. Our work sheds light on the fundamental understanding of thermal conduction in technologically-important wide bandgap semiconductors such as 6H-SiC and will impact applications such as thermal management of 6H-SiC-related electronics and devices.

Introduction De nombreux patients (pts) atteints de polyarthrite rhumatoide (PR) presentent une reponse inadequate aux bDMARDs. L’objectif de cette analyse est de determiner si la prise prealable d’un bDMARD affecte l’efficacite du FIL, inhibiteur selectif per os de JAK1. Patients et methodes L’etude internationale de phase 3 FINCH2 (NCT02873936) a inclus 448 pts atteints de PR active prealablement traites par bDMARD 1. Les pts ont ete randomises 1:1:1 pour recevoir FIL 200 ou 100 mg ou un placebo (PBO), 1×/j pendant 24 semaines. Le pourcentage de pts atteignant une faible activite de la maladie (LDA) ou une remission, mesures par le CDAI et le DAS28-CRP, a ete evalue a S24. Les resultats ont ete stratifies selon le nombre et le type de bDMARD prealablement recus. Resultats Sur les 448 pts inclus dans l’etude, 106 (23,7 %) avaient deja pris ≥ 3 bDMARDs. A S24, plus de pts recevant FIL ont atteint une LDA vs PBO, quel que soit le nombre et le type de bDMARD prealable. Pour les patients du bras FIL 200 (vs PBO), un score DAS28-CRP ≤ 3,2 a ete atteint a S24 respectivement par 52 % vs 26 %, 50 % vs 22 % et 40 % vs 9 % des pts ayant prealablement recu 1, 2 ou ≥ 3 bDMARD, et par respectivement 49 % vs 21 % et 46 % vs 16 % des pts ayant prealablement recu un anti-TNF ou un anti-IL6. A S24, les taux de remission etaient superieurs dans les bras FIL vs PBO. Pour le bras FIL 200 (vs PBO), un score DAS28-CRP Fig. 1 ). Les effets indesirables apparus sous traitement dans les sous-groupes etaient concordants avec ceux observes dans la population totale. Conclusion FIL a permis d’atteindre des taux de LDA et de remission plus eleves vs PBO chez les pts ayant prealablement recu un anti-IL-6 ou un anti-TNF ou 1, 2 ou ≥ 3 bDMARD, avec un profil de tolerance similaire a celui observe dans la population globale. La superiorite du FIL vs PBO chez des patients en echec de bDMARDs montre l’interet de l’inhibition selective de JAK1.

Burnout is a growing problem among healthcare workers. Whereas there are numerous predictors of burnout, this article explores the compounding effects of job and family demands among nurses and Patient Care Associates (PCA). This study used the 2018 survey data of the Boston Hospital Health Workers Study (BHWHS) to assess the relationship of job and family demands, workplace flexibility, and burnout (N = 874). In addition, it aimed to evaluate the moderating effect of workplace flexibility and job and family demands on burnout. Results of the study demonstrate that active and high strained healthcare workers are associated with higher odds of experiencing burnout as well as workers who reported perceived low workplace flexibility. In addition, workplace flexibility is associated with reduced odds of experiencing burnout. Workplace flexibility moderated the relationship of childless married healthcare workers and burnout. The study shows that workplace flexibility plays a critical role in potentially reducing odds of burnout in the healthcare worker population. Assessing the perception and accessibility to workplace flexibility among workers is imperative to improve worker well-being and the quality of care provided to patients especially the current effects to worker's health during a pandemic.

The stable carbon isotope ratios of tooth enamel from 89 herbivores from the Dove Spring Formation (DSF) of the El Paso Basin, western Mojave Desert, California, were analyzed to determine if C4plants may have been present in the late Miocene of southern California. Taxa analyzed include antilocaprids, castorids, camelids, equids, gomphotheriids, merycoidodontids, and rhinocerotids. The atmospheric CO2-δ13C value has varied significantly in the geologic past, leading to changes in the δ13C values of plants and tooth enamel. The estimated δ13C value of atmospheric CO2in the middle to late Miocene is −5.8±0.2‰, making the pure C3diet cutoff value higher than the modern by ~2‰. Given this, much of the evidence of an early spread of C4, which inappropriately uses the modern C3diet cutoff value, may be a false signal from water-stressed C3plants and the amount of C4biomass in the geologic past may have been over-estimated. The enamel-δ13C values of all taxa sampled are −10.1±1.1‰ (n=89). Accounting for the changes in the δ13C values of atmospheric CO2, enamel-δ13C values from the DSF indicate that herbivores from that area had C3diets and lived in an environment dominated by C3plants. Serial enamel isotope data from the DSF revealed negligible intra-tooth variations in the δ13C values, confirming that these herbivores consumed C3plants year-round. If the C4photosynthetic pathway did spread to southern California prior to the rapid, global rise in C4in the late Miocene, the taxa sampled did not incorporate C4biomass into their diets. The results of the stable carbon isotope analysis, along with the evidence from the rock record and the life habits of the fossil taxa present, indicate that the El Paso Basin consisted of diverse habitats including C3grasslands, wooded C3grasslands, and riparian forests.

DeSantis et al. respond to the concerns raised by Van Valkenburgh et al. on their original study.

Introduction Baricitinib, un inhibiteur oral selectif des Janus Kinases (JAK)1/JAK2, indique dans le traitement de patients adultes atteints de polyarthrite rhumatoide (PR) active moderee a severe. Ce travail a eu comme objectif de decrire le profil de tolerance de ce medicament a partir de donnees allant jusqu’a 8,4 ans d’exposition au traitement. Patients et methodes Le profil de tolerance a long terme de baricitinib a ete evalue a partir de 9 essais randomises termines (5 de phase 3, 3 de phase 2, 1 de phase 1b) et d’une etude d’extension a long terme en cours. Les taux d’incidence pour 100 patients–annees ont ete calcules pour tous les patients atteints de polyarthrite rhumatoide traites avec ≥ 1 dose de baricitinib jusqu’au 1er septembre 2019 (ensemble d’analyse « bari-PR-toute-dose »). Les taux d’incidence pour la thrombose veineuse profonde, l’embolie pulmonaire et la combinaison thrombose veineuse profonde et/ou embolie pulmonaire ont egalement ete calcules pour des groupes de patients recevant 2 mg ou 4 mg de baricitinib dans la population d’analyse « bari-PR-toute-dose ». Les evenements cardiovasculaires majeurs (MACE) ont ete adjudiques dans les 5 etudes de phase 3 et l’etude d’extension a long terme. Resultats Dans le cadre de cette analyse, 3770 patients ont recu baricitinib, representant une exposition totale de 13 148 patients–annees avec une duree d’exposition mediane et maximale de 4,2 et 8,4 ans, respectivement. Les taux d’incidence globaux pour 100 patients–annees etaient : pour les evenements indesirables apparus sous traitement (25,8) ; evenements indesirables graves (y compris les deces) (7,2) ; interruption temporaire due a un evenement indesirable (9,5) ; arret permanent du traitement a l’etude en lien avec un evenement indesirable (4,8) ; deces (0,52) ; infection grave (2,7) ; infection opportuniste (excluant la tuberculose, mais incluant le zona multimetamerique) (0,46) ; tuberculose (0,15) ; zona (3,0) ; evenements cardiovasculaires majeurs (MACE) (0,50) ; thrombose veineuse profonde (0,31) ; embolie pulmonaire (0,24) ; thrombose veineuse profonde/embolie pulmonaire (0,46) ; cancers (hors cancers cutanes non melanome) (0,91) ; cancers cutanes non melanome (0,33) ; lymphome (0,07) ; et perforation gastro-intestinale (0,04). Pour les groupes de patients recevant baricitinib 2 mg (1077) et baricitinib 4 mg (3400), les taux d’incidences [intervalles de confiance a 95 %] etaient respectivement de (0,38) [0,18 ; 0,73] et de (0,30) [0,21 ; 0,43] pour la thrombose veineuse profonde, de (0,26) [0,09 ; 0,56] et de (0,25) [0,16 ; 0,36] pour l’embolie pulmonaire, et de (0,47) [0,23 ; 0,84] et de (0,46) [0,34 ; 0,61] pour la thrombose veineuse profonde/embolie pulmonaire. Le taux d’incidence des deces a eu tendance a augmenter au cours des derniers intervalles de temps (au-dela de 192 semaines). Aucune cause particuliere de deces n’a contribue a cette augmentation. Pour tous les autres evenements indesirables d’interet, sur des intervalles de traitement de 48 semaines, les taux d’incidence sont restes stables dans le temps. Pour tous les evenements indesirables, les taux d’incidence sont restes coherents avec les analyses rapportees precedemment [1] , [2] . Conclusion Dans cette mise a jour de l’analyse integree de la tolerance avec une exposition additionnelle de 3021 patients–annees, le profil de tolerance de baricitinib etait similaire a celui rapporte precedemment [1] , [2] , sans augmentation des taux d’incidence des evenements indesirables pour une duree d’exposition maximale au traitement allant jusqu’a 8,4 ans.

Introduction Dans la PR, l’EULAR recommande une approche « treat-to-target » avec pour objectif d’atteindre une faible activite ou une remission [1] . Pour les patients, la reduction de la douleur, de la fatigue, la preservation des fonctions physiques et l’amelioration de la qualite de vie (HRQoL) sont egalement des objectifs importants [2] . L’etude FINCH 2 ( NCT02873936 ) a montre que FIL, inhibiteur selectif per os de JAK1, associe a un medicament antirhumatismal synthetique conventionnel (csDMARD) a ameliore de maniere significative (vs PBO) les signes et symptomes de la PR chez des patients presentant une reponse insuffisante a ≥ 1 bDMARD [3] . De plus, une amelioration significative (vs PBO) du HAQ-DI a ete observe a S12 et S24 avec FIL 100 ou 200 mg [3] . Le but de cette analyse est d’evaluer par des questionnaires patients (PRO), l’amelioration de la douleur, de la fatigue et de la qualite de vie sous FIL dans l’etude FINCH 2. Patients et methodes Les patients inclus dans cette etude randomisee en double aveugle ont recu FIL 200 mg (n = 147), FIL 100 mg (n = 153) ou PBO (n = 148) en plus de leur traitement par csDMARD. Les PRO ont ete recueillis de maniere prospective a j1, S2, S4, S8, S12, S14, S16, S20 et S24 pour evaluer la douleur (EVA) ; a j1, S4, S12 et S24 pour evaluer la fatigue (FACIT–Fatigue) et la qualite de vie (SF-36). Resultats Au total, 448 patients ont ete randomises et traites, 381 (85,0 %) ont fini l’etude ( Fig. 1 ). Les valeurs moyennes (ET) des PRO a l’inclusion etaient : 67 (21,0) pour l’EVA douleur, 31 (7,89) pour la composante physique (PCS) du SF-36 et 44,3 (11,6) pour sa composante psychologique (MCS) et 24,4 (11,6) pour le FACIT. Une amelioration significative de l’EVA douleur a debute a S2 et s’est maintenue jusqu’a S24 pour les bras FIL vs PBO. Le score FACIT s’est significativement ameliore a S4, S12, S24 dans le bras FIL 200 mg et a S4 et S12 dans le bras 100 mg. Le sous-score PCS du SF-36 s’est significativement ameliore a S4, S12 et S24 dans les bras FIL vs PBO et le sous-score SF-36 MCS s’est significativement ameliore a S4 et S12 dans le bras FIL 200 vs PBO. Conclusion Associe a un csDMARD, le FIL a permis, chez des patients presentant une reponse insuffisante sous bDMARD, d’ameliorer rapidement et durablement la douleur, la qualite de vie et la fatigue evaluees a l’aide de scores patients valides.

Introduction Dans le cadre d’un programme clinique compose de 4 essais de Phase 3 (FINCH 1-4 : NCT02889796 , NCT02873936 , NCT02886728 , NCT03025308 ) et 3 essais de Phase 2 (DARWIN 1–3 : NCT01668641 , NCT01894516 , NCT02065700 ), FIL, inhibiteur selectif de JAK1 per os, a entraine une amelioration statistiquement et cliniquement significative des signes et symptomes, de la fonction physique, de la progression radiographique et de la qualite de vie de patients [pts] atteints de PR active 1–3. Patients et methodes Les evenements indesirables apparus sous traitement [EIAST] ont ete integres et presentes pour les pts ayant recu FIL 200 mg 1 fois/j ou FIL 100 mg 1 fois/j (y compris les pts qui ont switche du placebo [PBO], du methotrexate [MTX] ou de l’adalimumab [ADA] ou d’une autre dose de FIL au FIL 100 ou 200 mg/j) ainsi que les pts ayant recu PBO, MTX et ADA dans les 7 etudes. Les taux d’incidence ajustes a l’exposition [TIAE] pour 100 patients-annee [p-a] ont ete calcules pour les evenements indesirables [EI] d’interet de chaque traitement. Resultats Dans les 7 essais, 4057 pts atteints de PR (2227 pts FIL 200 mg, 1600 pts FIL 100 mg, 325 pts ADA, 416 pts MTX et 781 pts PBO) ont recu > 1 dose de traitement pour une exposition totale de 5493 p-a. Les TIAE des EI graves et des EIAST entrainant le deces chez les patients ayant recu FIL ont ete comparables a ceux des patients ayant recu PBO, ADA ou MTX, sans effet dose-dependant. Le TIAE du zona a ete globalement faible, numeriquement superieur sous FIL a ADA et PBO, similaire au MTX : TIAE FIL 200 mg : 1,7 ; intervalle de confiance [IC] a 95 % : 1,3-2,3, FIL 100 mg : 1,1 ; IC : 0,7-1,8, ADA : 0,7 ; IC : 0,2-2,8, MTX : 1,1 ; IC : 0,4-3,0, PBO : 1,0 ; IC : 0,3-3,1. Les TIAE des infections graves ont ete comparables entre FIL 100 mg (3,3 ; IC : 2,2-4,9) et ADA (3,4 ; IC : 1,9-6,4), et numeriquement inferieurs pour FIL 200 mg (1,7 ; IC : 1,3-2,3) et MTX (2,2 ; IC : 1,1-4,5). Les taux d’infections opportunistes (y compris la tuberculose active) ont ete globalement faibles ; les TIAE pour FIL 100 mg (0,3 ; IC : 0,1-0,7) et FIL 200 mg (0,1 ; IC : 0,0-0,3) ont ete comparables au PBO et numeriquement inferieurs a ADA (0,7 ; IC : 0,2-2,8) ou MTX (0,6 ; IC : 0,1-2,2). Les taux d’evenements cardiovasculaires indesirables graves et de thromboembolie veineuse ont ete numeriquement inferieurs sous FIL vs PBO. Les tumeurs malignes, y compris les cancers de la peau hors melanomes, ont ete globalement rares, et les taux ont ete faibles chez les patients ayant recu FIL. Conclusion FIL a ete bien tolere et aucune nouvelle toxicite n’a ete identifiee. Les resultats de tolerance sont concordants avec l’inhibition selective de JAK1 et mettent en avant le profil de tolerance favorable du FIL chez les patients atteints de PR.

Introduction Chromosomal abnormalities are the most common reason for spontaneous abortion. Conventional cytogenetic analysis by G-banded karyotyping is generally performed for chromosomal analysis, but it has a problem with low-resolution, and is needed long term cell culture and enough experience for diagnosis. More recently, next generation sequencing has been introducing and improving for chromosomal analysis as an accurate, high resolution and throughput method. In this study we aimed to compare the consistency between conventional G-banding and NGS-based chromosomal copy number analysis for chorionic villus from spontaneous abortion. In addition, the frequency of each chromosomal aneuploidy was evaluated. Materials and methods From February, 2018, to April, 2018, chromosomal analysis for 7 chorionic villus samples from spontaneous abortions (from 7 to 9 weeks) were carried out both conventional G-banding and NGS (VeriSeq-PGS, Illumia). The frequency of each chromosomal aneuploidy was investigated for 110 cases from February, 2018 to December, 2018. Results NGS was able to analyze all 7 cases, but G-banding was able to detect 6 cases, and one case was cell growth failure. In 6 cases analyzed by G-banding, the results of 5 cases were consistent with the results of NGS, but one case suspected maternal cell contamination. Among 7 cases analyzed by the NGS, 2 cases were normal male karyotype (46, XY) and 5 cases were autosomal trisomy, implying that there were no cases suspected of maternal cell contamination. Among 110 cases, chorionic villus was not observed under microscope from 18 samples, NGS result was obtained from 92 cases. Seventy-one cases were found to have abnormal chromosomes (71/92, 77.2%), and 21 cases were normal karyotype (21/92, 22.8%). Aneuploidy of chromosome 22 (21.8%), chromosome 16 (17.9), chromosome 15 (11.9%), chromosome 21 (10.3%) and Chromosome X (10.3%) were more frequently, consistent with previous report. Conclusions Chromosome analysis using NGS not only obtained comparable results to conventional G-banding, but also is able to analyze more accurately and quickly.

Due to its lofty height, the Tibetan Plateau features some of the harshest environments in the world with extreme coldness, low oxygen, high UV radiation, and in places, severe aridity. These harsh environments have served as the main driver of vertebrate evolution during the Cenozoic that produced a low productivity, low diversity, high endemicity community — environmental forcing seems to be a dominant mechanism for mammalian evolution in marginal habitats. Mammals have acquired special adaptations for thermal insulation, oxygen transport, DNA damage repair, and others. While broadly similar to faunal assemblages in North China and Central Asia, Tibetan faunas often show initiation of cold-adapted lineages that predate Ice Age megafauna. Our “out of Tibet” hypothesis thus postulates that cold-tolerant species in Pliocene high Tibet were pre-adapted to conditions that were to become widespread during the subsequent Pleistocene Ice Age and Tibet had thus become a cradle for Ice Age megafauna. The best examples of the “out of Tibet” scenario include the Tibetan woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta thibetana), Tibetan bharal (Pseudois), Asian hunting dog (Sinicuon), and ancestral snow leopard (Panthera blytheae). Our “Third Pole to North Pole” linkage of an extinct Pliocene Tibetan fox, Vulpes qiuzhudingi, with the late Pleistocene and extant arctic fox, Vulpes lagopus, is a subset of the “out of Tibet” hypothesis. One of the iconic Tibetan mammals, the endemic Tibetan antelope (Pantholops) has the longest residence in Tibet going back to the late Miocene, suggesting a long history of perfecting its adaptations to cold environments. Stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of fossils from the Tibetan Plateau reveal significant spatial and temporal variations in the evolution of herbivores' diets and environments during the late Cenozoic. The diets of modern Tibetan herbivores consist primarily of C3 plants, reflecting the present-day C3 dominance in high-elevation cold habitats. The available carbon isotope data, however, show that warm-climate C4 grasses were a significant dietary component of ancient herbivores in the Gyirong Basin (central Himalayas) in the late Miocene and in Shangri-La (southeastern Tibetan Plateau) in the Pliocene, and likely in the Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) from late Miocene to early Pliocene and in Kunlun Pass Basin (northeastern Tibetan Plateau) in the Pliocene. This suggests that C4 grasses spread into the Tibetan Plateau in the late Miocene and had persisted in some places to early Pleistocene, but have since disappeared or become insignificant in the region. The retreat of C4 grasses from the Tibetan Plateau is most likely driven by decreases in local temperatures to below the cross-over temperature unfavorable to C4 grasses, as a result of tectonic uplift and/or global climate change. The available isotope data also show that high-elevation cold climatic conditions that favor C3 over C4 grasses arrived earlier in southwestern Tibetan Plateau than in southeastern and northeastern parts of the plateau. This would imply that the Tibetan Plateau had not uniformly reached its present height as recent as early Pleistocene. Future research should focus on determining intra-regional patterns of ecological and climatic changes in order to tease apart the effects of tectonic uplift and global climate change on local and regional environmental changes and to better understand the linkage between tectonics and climatic and biotic changes.

We have developed a new germanium (Ge) detector unit for hypernuclear γ-ray spectroscopy at J-PARC, which comprises a new Ge detector array Hyperball-J. A compact pulse-tube refrigerator is coupled to a coaxial Ge detector in order to achieve lower crystal temperatures as a means to increase radiation hardness. The obtained crystal temperature is 72 K, while an energy resolution is maintained at (FWHM) 3.1(1) keV for 1.33 MeV γ rays using a gate-integrated shaping amplifier (ORTEC 973U). Gain shifts with changing crystal temperature are also confirmed for the Ge detector.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) conducted an international expert meeting on the potential food safety implications of the application of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors in June 2009. The present report reviews national, regional and international activities on the risk assessment and risk management of nanomaterials in the food and agriculture sectors that have been carried out between 2009 and 2012. The full report of the work is presented in a FAO/WHO paper available at http://www.fao.org/food/food-safety-quality/a-z-index/nano . Information and data have been collected on national and international approaches that identify and implement strategies to address potential hazards associated with the use of nanotechnology-related products or techniques. Selected activities by international governmental and nongovernmental organizations were reviewed and the significant achievements are noted. Meta-analysis of scientific reviews addressing risk assessment of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors was conducted and key principles for the safety assessment of nanomaterials were identified. It was concluded that although the concepts of potential use of nanomaterials in food and the implied benefits for stakeholders including consumers have not changed significantly since 2009, there are new products being developed and claimed to enter the market and national and international interests in considering the needs for applying regulations on engineered nanomaterials are increasing. The number of published risk assessment of products used in foods that are nanomaterials or contain particles that fall within applicable definitions is growing slowly. Several data gaps with respect to interaction between nanomaterials and food matrices, behaviours of nanomaterials in the human body, methods to determine such interactions and behaviours, and the relevance of such data for risk assessment continue to exist. The international collaboration in the area of nanomaterials and nanotechnology in food and agriculture must be strengthened. International efforts on risk assessment and risk communication may benefit from the experience gained at the national and regional levels. Should a sufficient number of case studies of risk assessment of commercial products become available with time, a review of approaches applied and results obtained could support the development of risk assessment procedures acceptable at the international level.

A female 4-month-old Holstein-Friesian calf was presented in heart failure. Microscopical examination of samples of the cardiac wall taken at necropsy examination revealed numerous aggregates of Purkinje fibres, particularly in the perivascular areas. Some Purkinje fibres were stained strongly with phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin and immunohistochemically were shown to express alpha smooth muscle actin, indicating an embryonic-like Purkinje fibre phenotype. A diagnosis of congenital multifocal increase of Purkinje fibres was made. The histological features of this case resemble multifocal cardiac Purkinje cell tumour of the heart in man.

Summary The fossils preserved in the Rancho La Brea “tar” seeps in southern California span the past ∼50,000 years and provide a rare opportunity to assess the ecology of predators (e.g., the American lion, sabertooth cats, cougars, dire wolves, gray wolves, and coyotes), including clarifying the causes and consequences of the terminal Pleistocene extinction event. Here, a multi-proxy approach elucidates dietary responses of carnivorans to changing climates and megafaunal extinctions. Using sample sizes that are unavailable anywhere else in the world, including hundreds of carnivoran and herbivore specimens, we clarify the paleobiology of the extinct sabertooth cats and dire wolves—overturning the idea that they heavily competed for similar prey. Canids (especially the dire wolf) consumed prey from more open environments than felids, demonstrating minimal competition for prey throughout the latest Pleistocene and largely irrespective of changing climates, including just prior to their extinction. Coyotes experienced a dramatic shift in dietary behavior toward increased carcass utilization and the consumption of forest resources (prey and/or plant resources) after the terminal Pleistocene megafaunal extinction. Extant predators’ ability to effectively hunt smaller prey and/or utilize carcasses may have been a key to their survival, especially after a significant reduction in megafaunal prey resources. Collectively, these data suggest that dietary niches of carnivorans are not always static and can instead be substantially affected by the removal of top predators and abundant prey resources.

The electrical properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) epitaxial films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using high-energy H 2 O generated by H 2 –O 2 reactions on Pt nanoparticles were evaluated. High-energy ZnO precursors formed by the reaction between dimethylzinc gas molecules and H 2 O molecules were supplied to the substrate surface. The ZnO epitaxial films were grown directly on a-plane sapphire (a-Al 2 O 3 ) substrates at 773 K without any buffer layer. The electron mobility (μ H ) at room temperature increased from 30 to 190 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 with increasing film thickness from 100 nm to 2800 nm. The μ H increased significantly with decreasing temperature to approximately 100–150 K, but it decreased at temperatures less than 100 K for films thicker than 500 nm. The μ H of the ZnO film (189 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 ) at 290 K increased to 660 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 at 100 K. In contrast, μ H hardly changed with temperature for films thinner than 500 nm. According to a two-layer Hall-effect model, the μ H and electron concentration of the upper layer were corrected based on the above results, assuming that the degenerate layer had a thickness of 100 nm.

article i nfo The Pliocene (5.3-2.6 Ma) of Tibet witnessed the drying of the northern Tibetan Plateau and the approach to the Pleistocene Ice Age within the background of intensifying Indian and East Asian monsoons. Yet little is known about Pliocene mammals living on the high Tibetan Plateau despite the fact that fossil mammals elsewhere consti- tute an important knowledge base for terrestrial environments. The late Miocene to Pleistocene Zanda Basin at the northern foothills of the Himalayas affords a welcome opportunity to evaluate the biological response to environ- mental change at high elevations. Abundant, well-preserved fossil mammals and fish from an 800-m continuous section of fine- to coarse-grained sediments thus open a rare window into a past biological world. For example, the discovery of an ancestral wooly rhino from Zanda Basin that was the precursor of its late Pleistocene megafaunal descendants leads to our "out-of Tibet" hypothesis, suggesting that the high Tibetan Plateau was a Pliocene cradle for Ice Age cold adaptations. In this paper, we document in detail the mammalian biostratigraphy, chronology, and paleozoogeography based on Zanda Basin fossil mammals. Our high-resolution biostratigraphy and biochronology offer for the first time independent constraints that both support and modify recent magnetostratigraphic correlations. Using charac- teristic Pliocene and Pleistocene mammals, particularly the small mammal assemblages in the lower part of the section and monodactylid Equus from the upper section, we propose a correlation to C1n to C3An.1r, with an age range of ~400 Ka to 6.4 Ma. Within the 800-m Zanda section, the lower 0-150 m is of latest Miocene age, spanning 6.4-5.3 Ma. Sparsely fos- siliferous, the lower section has produced five taxa so far: Ochotona, Panthera, Qurliqnoria, Palaeotragus ,a nd Hipparion—all are consistent with a late Miocene age. The middle 150-620 m section spans the entire Pliocene. This section is by far the most fossiliferous, including such typical Pliocene small mammals as Prosiphneus, Mimomys, Apodemus ,a ndTrischizolagus, as well as large mammals such as Coelodonta thibetana, Hipparion zandaense, Chasmaporthetes, Nyctereutes, Meles, Antilospira, and others. In the upper 620-800 m section the fos- sils are rare, but do include characteristic Pleistocene taxa such as Equus. Zoogeographically Zanda Basin mammals are a mixture from two major sources. Taxa such as Mimomys, Prosiphneus, Trischizolagus, Chasmaporthetes, Nyctereutes, Meles ,a ndXenocyon are commonly found in north China or east Asia. In contrast, several forms, such as unique species of pikas (Ochotona), squirrels (Aepyosciurus), and ancestral Tibetan antelope (Qurliqnoria), seem to belong to an indigenous Tibetan fauna evolved within the plateau. A lack of shared taxa with the Oriental Realm suggests a formidable barrierby the Himalayas despite a short distance (~100 km) between Zanda Basin and the Indian subcontinent.

A robust socioeconomic gradient in health is well-documented, with higher socioeconomic status (SES) associated with better health across the SES spectrum. However, recent studies of U.S. racial/ethnic minorities and immigrants show complex SES-health patterns (e.g., flat gradients), with individuals of low SES having similar or better health than their richer, U.S.-born and more acculturated counterparts, a so-called “epidemiological paradox” or “immigrant health paradox”. To examine whether this exists among Asian Americans, we investigate how nativity and occupational class (white-collar, blue-collar, service, unemployed) are associated with subjective health (self-rated physical health, self-rated mental health) and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders (any mental disorder, anxiety, depression). We analyzed data from 1530 Asian respondents to the 2002–2003 National Latino and Asian American Study in the labor force using hierarchical multivariate logistic regression models controlling for confounders, subjective social status (SSS), material and psychosocial factors theorized to explain health inequalities. Compared to U.S.-born Asians, immigrants had worse socioeconomic profiles, and controlling for age and gender, increased odds for reporting fair/poor mental health and decreased odds for any DSM-IV mental disorder and anxiety. No strong occupational class-health gradients were found. The foreign-born health-protective effect persisted after controlling for SSS but became nonsignificant after controlling for material and psychosocial factors. Speaking fair/poor English was strongly associated with all outcomes. Material and psychosocial factors were associated with some outcomes – perceived financial need with subjective health, uninsurance with self-rated mental health and depression, social support, discrimination and acculturative stress with all or most DSM-IV outcomes. Our findings caution against using terms like “immigrant health paradox” which oversimplify complex patterns and mask negative outcomes among underserved sub-groups (e.g., speaking fair/poor English, experiencing acculturative stress). We discuss implications for better measurement of SES and health given the absence of a gradient and seemingly contradictory finding of nativity-related differences in self-rated health and DSM-IV mental disorders.

English proficiency is increasingly recognized as an important factor that is related to the mental health of immigrants and ethnic minorities. However, few studies have examined how the association between English proficiency and mental health operates and whether the pattern of association is similar or different among various ethnic minority groups. This paper investigates how limited English proficiency directly and indirectly affects psychological distress through pathways of discrimination for both Latinos and Asian Americans in the United States. Findings suggest that, for Asian Americans, limited English proficiency has an independent relationship with psychological distress over and above demographic variables, socioeconomic and immigration-related factors and discrimination. For Latinos, however, socio-demographic variables and discrimination show a stronger association than limited English proficiency in affecting psychological distress. Different forms of discrimination - everyday discrimination and racial/ethnic discrimination - are equally important for both ethnic groups. Findings underscore the differential role of limited English proficiency for the mental health of Asian Americans and Latinos and suggest the distinctive racial experiences and backgrounds of these two ethnic groups.

The timing history and driving mechanisms of C4 expansion and Tibetan uplift are hotly debated issues. Paleoenvironmental evidence from within the Tibetan Plateau is essential to help resolve these issues. Here we report results of stable C and O isotope analyses of tooth enamel samples from a variety of late Cenozoic mammals, including deer, giraffe, horse, rhino, and elephant, from the Qaidam Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The enamel-delta C-13 values are < -89 parts per thousand for modern samples and

An effective way to improve the superconducting properties in REBa 2 Cu 3 O y (REBCO) films under a magnetic field is to dope artificial pinning centers (APC). The pinning performance depends on the content of the APC materials. Usually, the optimal APC content is explored by preparing films one at a time from the REBCO target using different APC material content, which is an extremely time-consuming process. The combinatorial-PLD (C-PLD) method allowed us to prepare films that continuously changed in composition across a single substrate. In this study, we used the C-PLD method to prepare BaSnO 3 (BSO)-doped YBCO films. The films were deposited on SrTiO 3 substrate using a fourth-harmonic Nd:YAG laser. From the results of the J c – B curves at 77 K and B // c , the film that contained 3.2 vol.% of BSO exhibited the best pinning performance in this study. We showed that the C-PLD method was efficient for quick screening of the optimal APC content with only one deposition. We also used the C-PLD method to explore new APC materials, and proved that it can quickly evaluate the new APC materials Ba 3 Cu 3 In 4 O 12 and BaTbO 3 .

This paper uses the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication to estimate effects of recent psychiatric disorder on employment, hours worked, and earnings. We employ methods proposed in Altonji et al. (2005a) which use selection on observable traits to provide information regarding selection along unobservable factors. Among males, disorder is associated with reductions in labor force participation and employment. When selection on observed characteristics is set equal to selection on unobserved characteristics, the magnitudes of these effects for males are 9 and 14 percentage point reductions for participation and employment, respectively. Among females, we find negative associations between disorder and labor force participation and employment, but these estimates are more sensitive to assumptions about selection. There are no effects of disorder on earnings or hours worked among employed individuals.