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Lushan Yunwu tea quality is limited by soil acidity and sterility. This article examined a 3-year localization experiment at 1100 m altitude to demonstrate the sustainable management of conditioners, calcium magnesium phosphate (P), rapeseed cake (C), and combination application (P + C) by one-time application on the soil-tea system in Mount Lushan. The study found that conditioners (P, C, P + C) reduced soil acidification and maintained a pH of 4.75–5.34, ideal for tea tree development for 3 years. Phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC), nitrogen activation coefficient (NAC), and organic matter (OM) content were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the first year after conditioner treatment, with P + C being the best. After P + C, PAC, NAC, and OM rose by 31.25%, 47.70%, and 10.06 g kg−1 compared to CK. In comparison to the CK, tea's hundred-bud weight (BW), free amino acids (AA), tea polyphenols (TPC), and chlorophyll (Chl) content of P + C treatment got 29.98%, 14.41%, 22.49%, and 28.85% increase compared to that of the CK, respectively. In the second year, the three treatments of P, C and P + C still had significant moderating effects on the physicochemical properties of the soil and the quality indexes of the tea leaves. The PAC of the soil under the three treatments increased by 0.06%, 0.07% and 0.18%, respectively, as compared to the control.P + C increased BW, AA, TPC and Chl of tea for 2 years. Three conditioners had 2-year regulatory impacts on soil fertility indicators, tea output, and quality. C and P + C both increased soil OM by 18.59% and 21.78% compared to CK in the third year, outperforming P treatment. Redundancy analysis revealed that the primary physicochemical factors influencing tea output and quality were soil OM and pH, with available phosphorus, urease, acid phosphatase, and available nitrogen following closely afterwards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat load prediction is crucial to the heat regulation of district heating systems (DHS). In heat load forecasting tasks, deep learning can frequently achieve more accurate model building. A deep learning algorithm, the temporal convolutional network (TCN), has been used for DHS heat load prediction. However, there are many hyperparameters for TCN. Manually tuning the TCN parameters cannot make the model have good performance. This study presents a hybrid method based on sand cat swarm optimization (SCSO) and TCN. The SCSO is used to optimize the hyperparameters (number of filters, filter size, dropout rate, and batch size) of TCN. To verify the effectiveness of SCSO-TCN, another two hybrid models, particle swarm optimization with TCN and the sparrow search algorithm with TCN, are established for comparison. The historical heat load data of three heat exchange stations in Tianjin is utilized for the testing experiments. The findings demonstrate that SCSO-TCN has higher predictive accuracy and better generalization ability than the PSO-TCN and SSA-TCN models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kondo effect, deriving from a local magnetic impurity mediating electron-electron interactions, constitutes a flourishing basis for understanding a large variety of intricate many-body problems. Its experimental implementation in tunable circuits has made possible important advances through well-controlled investigations. However, these have mostly concerned transport properties, whereas thermodynamic observations - notably the fundamental measurement of the spin of the Kondo impurity - remain elusive in test-bed circuits. Here, with a novel combination of a 'charge' Kondo circuit with a charge sensor, we directly observe the state of the impurity and its progressive screening. We establish the universal renormalization flow from a single free spin to a screened singlet, the associated reduction in the magnetization, and the relationship between scaling Kondo temperature and microscopic parameters. In our device, a Kondo pseudospin is realized by two degenerate charge states of a metallic island, which we measure with a non-invasive, capacitively coupled charge sensor. Such pseudospin probe of an engineered Kondo system opens the way to the thermodynamic investigation of many exotic quantum states, including the clear observation of Majorana zero modes through their fractional entropy. Previous work on charge Kondo circuits, in which a spin is formed by two degenerate charge states of a metallic island, has been limited to transport measurements of multi-channel Kondo problems. Piquard et al. use thermodynamic measurements via a charge sensor to study the evolution of a single Kondo impurity. [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]

Accurate heat load prediction is essential for heat production and refined management of district heating systems (DHSs). More advanced technology can often achieve more accurate forecasts. This paper suggests using temporal convolutional network (TCN) and categorical boosting (CatBoost) for heat load prediction. To test the performance of TCN and CatBoost in heat load prediction missions, two additional benchmark models, the decision tree model (DT) and the statistically based multiple linear regression (MLR), are built for comparison. A DHS in Tianjin, China, is used as the study case. Two historical operational characters (day-ahead heat load and hour-ahead heat load) and four meteorological characters (outdoor temperature, relative humidity, wind scale, and air quality index) are selected as input features for the models. The prediction results of every model on the test set are displayed and discussed. The experimental findings indicate that the prediction results of TCN and CatBoost are more accurate than the traditional prediction models, while the modeling process of CatBoost is simpler. Overall, TCN and CatBoost are potential heat load prediction methods. [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]

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]

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]

Purpose: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most diagnosed cancers in men worldwide. Several studies have identified that circular RNAs (circRNAs) have a crucial impact on the biological processes in PCa. Therefore, it is necessary to study the molecular mechanism of circRNAs in tumor progression and metastasis. Methods: RNA interference was used to decrease circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Overexpression vector was used to increase circHIPK3 and MTDH expression. Luciferase reporter assay were used to detect the relationship between circHIPK3 and miR-448 or between miR-448 and MTDH. MTT assay, colony formation assay and transwell assay were used to measure proliferation and migration of PCa cells. Results: Circular RNA circHIPK3 was significantly increased in PCa tissues and cell lines. And overexpression of circHIPK3 promoted the migration, proliferation, and invasion of PC-3 and 22Rv1 cells, while knockdown of circHIPK3 markedly repressed the above-mentioned series of biological processes. Furthermore, circHIPK3 promoted metadherin (MTDH) expression by sponging miR‐448. In vivo experiments, it was also found that overexpression of circHIPK3 significantly promoted tumor growth. Conclusions: Our research shows that circHIPK3 plays a carcinogenic effect in PCa by regulating the miR-448/MTDH axis, indicating that circHIPK3 may be a potential therapeutic target for PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The study examines the function of hypoxia-mediated down-regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) (mir-30c, mir-135a, and mir-27a) in the process of bladder cancer immune escape. Methods: Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was carried out to determine gene expression levels of Drosha and Dicer under hypoxia treatment, while western blotting and flow cytometry were used to determine protein expression. Seven reported miRNAs were identified via qRT-PCR assay. Flow cytometry detection of CD3/CD4/CD8-positive expression and statistics. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected cellular immune factors content. Cell apoptosis was checked via flow cytometry assay. Luciferase report assay and western blot assays were both used to verify the relationship between miRNAs and Casitas B-lineage lymphoma proto-oncogene b (Cbl-b). The animal model was established and Hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining, TdT-mediated dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) staining, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays were separately used to verify the conclusions. Results: The CD3 + /CD4 + expression was increased in the hypoxia group, while CD3 + /CD8 + expression, the cellular immune factors content Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNFα) along with the cell apoptosis were suppressed. The protein expression of Cbl-b was found to be up-regulated in the hypoxia group. After constructing the overexpression/ knockdown of Cbl-b in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC), Cbl-b has been found to promote tumor immune escape in bladder cancer. Furthermore, Cbl-b had been identified as the co-targets of mir-30c, mir-135a, and mir-27a and down-regulation of miRNA biogenesis promotes Cbl-b expression and deactivating T cells in vitro/in vivo. Conclusion: Hypoxia-mediated down-regulation of miRNAs' biogenesis promotes tumor immune escape in bladder cancer, which could bring much more advance to the medical research on tumors. [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]

Purpose: Paeonol is a natural chemical medicine derived from the bark of peony root, which has been found to inhibit tumor activity in various tumor cell lines, and can play a synergistic anti-tumor effect with chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Methods: We used paeonol to act on human bladder cancer T24 and 5637 cells, and established xenograft tumor in nude mice by subcutaneous injection of T24 cells. Results: CCK-8 assay and plate cloning experiments showed that paeonol could inhibit the proliferation of T24 and 5637 cells in vitro. The results of flow cytometry and the detection of BAX, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins suggested that paeonol can induce apoptosis of T24 and 5637 cells in vitro. Tumor formation, TUNEL detection and immunohistochemical results of Ki67, BAX, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 in nude mice showed that paeonol could inhibit T24 cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in vivo, thus inhibiting tumor growth. Further research revealed that paeonol could reduce phosphorylation expression of PI3K and AKT in T24 and 5637 cells. Conclusion: We confirmed that paeonol could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human bladder cancer T24 and 5637 cells in vitro and in vivo, inhibit the growth of T24 tumor-forming nude mice, and possibly play a role by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, so as to provide a potential therapeutic drug for bladder cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a supersymmetric type-I seesaw framework with non-universal scalar masses at the GUT scale to explain the long-standing discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. We find that it is difficult to accommodate the muon g-2 while keeping charged-lepton flavor violating processes under control for the conventional SO(10)-based relation between the up sector and neutrino sector. However, such tension can be relaxed by adding a Georgi-Jarlskog factor for the Yukawa matrices, which requires a non-trivial GUT-based model. In this model, we find that both observables are compatible for small mixings, CKM-like, in the neutrino Dirac Yukawa matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exoskeleton robots are being studied and developed in various forms according to user. Among them, the most concentrated area is the lower limb exoskeleton robot for "walking," which is the basic exercise of paralyzed patients. In this study, we utilize the gait cycle, speed, and stride, which are important dependent factors of gait, and not the control technique that uses the predefined gait pattern using the average value of the gait data of the general person used by the existing rehabilitation exoskeleton robot. By creating an end-point reference using a walking element and inverse kinematics, and by using a dynamic movement primitive technique to learn the gait data of the general public, generating the gait patterns of various walking environments without storing them in advance is possible. In this paper, we applied this method to the exoskeleton robot and show robot to generate various strides gait pattern by experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—In this study, WC-reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings were fabricated on the surface of ASTM 1045 steel by vacuum cladding. The microstructure, hardness, and wear resistance of coatings with different tungsten carbide (WC) content and dissolution mechanisms for WC at different cladding temperatures were studied. The bonding phase was mainly composed of austenite (Ni2.9Cr0.7Fe0.36, FeNi), and the reinforced phases consisted of WC, carbides (Cr7C3, (Cr,Fe)7C3), borides, and silicides. The dissolution of WC became severe with increasing cladding temperature, and the reaction products mainly included rounded block-shaped WC particles, lath-shaped rich tungsten carbide, and fine granular carbides. The Ni-based coating with 30% WC sintering at 1225°C performed better wear resistance, six times greater than that of matrix steel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed germination is a new beginning for the crop life cycle, which is closely related to seed sprouting and subsequent plant growth and development, and ultimately affects grain yield and quality. Salt stress is one of the most important abiotic stress factors that restrict crop production. Therefore, it is highly important to improve crop salt tolerance and sufficient utilization of saline-alkali land. In this study, we identified the phosphorylated proteins involved in salt stress response by combining SEM, 2-DE, Pro-Q Diamond staining and tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that salt stress significantly inhibited seed germination and starch degradation. In total, 14 phosphorylated protein spots (11 unique proteins) in the embryo and 6 phosphorylated protein spots (4 unique proteins) in the endosperm were identified, which mainly involved in stress/defense, protein metabolism and energy metabolism. The phosphorylation of some proteins such as cold regulated proteins, 27K protein, EF-1β and superoxide dismutase could play important roles in salt stress tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structures of salts (C18H22N3)(NO3) (I) and (C8H24N4)[ZnCl4]Cl2(II), based on protonated polyamines (diethylenetriamine and N,N′-bis(2-aminoethyl)piperazine) are studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Salt I exhibits a wave-like 1D chain formed by N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds from monoprotonated (C18H22N3)+ cations and NO3− anions. In salt II, multi-protonated N,N′-bis(2-aminoethyl)piperazinium ions are connected into two types of infinite subloop chains through N-H⋯Cl and C-H⋯Cl halogen bonding contacts from (C8H24N4)4+ cations and [ZnCl4]2− and Cl− anions. The analysis of the Hirshfeld surfaces shows the intermolecular interactions involved in the crystal structures. The corresponding quantitative information is presented by fingerprint plots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A combination method of beneficial wrinkle and preform shape is proposed to solve the problem of non-uniform thickness distribution during hydroforming of a variable diameter tubular component. The effect of loading path for the hydroform part and the preform shape are simulated by LS-DYNA. At the same time, the wall thickness deviation of the maximum and minimum of the hydroformed part is considered as the optimal target and the loading path for the preform shape is optimized to obtain the beneficial wrinkles by response surface methodology. Simultaneously, hydroforming experiments were conducted to verify the simulation results. Study shows that the loading path plays an important role in the forming of the beneficial wrinkles, which influence the cracking and the wrinkling defects. Only the loading path is appropriate can the beneficial wrinkles be formed and the wrinkles are flattened in the subsequent calibrating process. Response surface methodology is an effective way to obtain the optimal loading path, and the desired loading path can be achieved by controlling the relationship of the axial feeding and the internal pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large diameter thin-walled tubes are prone to wrinkle due to a low stability of anti-wrinkles, non-uniform material flow, and contact sequence to the die cavity during hydroforming process. Although wrinkling defects can be controlled by reducing the diameter of the initial tube to some extent, the severe thinning will occur. A method of using local constraints was proposed to eliminate wrinkling defects that occurred on thin-walled hydroformed tubes. The effect of axial constraint, hoop constraint, and axial-and-hoop constraint on wrinkling behavior of large diameter thin-walled tubes has been investigated by using numerical simulation and experiment methods. In addition, the trajectory of principal stress of the wrinkling zones with different local constraints has been discussed. The results show that axial compressive stress of the two wrinkling zones can be reduced by 6.8 and 23.0% by using axial constraint, respectively. Hoop constraint reduces axial compressive stress by 11.7% at the two wrinkling zones. And the axial compressive stress remarkably decreased by 22.3 and 31.8% using axial-and-hoop constraint. The results reveal that the application of local constraints can effectively restrict the occurrence of wrinkle by decreasing axial compressive stress during hydroforming of large diameter thin-walled tubes. Finally, a desired part without defects has been manufactured successfully by axial-and-hoop constraint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyzed the effects of 1 year of engagement in ≥ 300 min/week of organized sports on inflammatory levels and vascular structure in adolescents. The sample was composed of 89 adolescents (11.6 ± 0.7 years old [43 boys and 46 girls]), stratified according to engagement in ≥ 300 min/week of sport practice during at least 12 months of follow-up (n = 15, sport practice; n = 74, non-sport practice). Arterial thickness (carotid and femoral) was assessed by ultrasound scan, while high sensitive C-reactive protein levels were used to assess inflammatory status. Trunk fatness (densitometry scanner), biological maturation (age at peak height velocity), blood pressure, and skipping breakfast were treated as covariates. Independently of body fatness and biological maturation, the group engaged in sports presented a higher reduction in C-reactive protein (mean difference -1.559 mg/L [95%CI -2.539 to -0.579]) than the non-sport group (mean difference -0.414 mg/L [95%CI -0.846 to 0.017]) (p = 0.040). There was a significant relationship between changes in C-reactive protein and changes in femoral intima-media thickness in the non-sport group (r = 0.311 [95%CI 0.026 to 0.549]).Conclusion: Inflammation decreased in adolescents engaged in organized sports, independently of trunk fatness and biological maturation. Moreover, inflammation was related to arterial thickening only in adolescents not engaged in sports. What is Known: • Intima media thickness is a relevant marker of cardiovascular disease in pediatric groups, being affected by obesity and inflammation. • The importance of monitoring inflammatory markers from childhood is enhanced by the fact that alterations in these inflammatory markers in early life predict inflammation and alterations in carotid IMT in adulthood. What is New: • Anti-inflammatory properties related to physical exercise performed at moderate intensity, on inflammation and alterations in IMT are not clear in pediatric groups. • Due to the importance that sport participation has assumed as a promoter of improvements in health and quality of life, it is necessary to understand its potential benefits for cardiovascular health during human growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation and experimental methods were conducted to study the non-uniform thickness during hydroforming of a rectangular cross-sectional component by using a bent tube, which is thickened inside and thinned outside. A method of changing the contact sequence of the tube to the die surface is proposed to improve thickness distribution of hydroformed part. There are four contact sequences, Side-and-Side (SS), Side-and-Fillet (SF), Fillet-and-Side (FS) and Fillet-and-Fillet (FF), that are proposed through the preform shape for a rectangular section. The effect of contact sequence on thickness distribution was studied. The results show that SF or FF contact sequence makes the fillet corner contact with the die surface first and suppresses the further thinning in hydroforming. On the contrary, SF or SS contact sequence makes the straight side of the bend inside contact with the die surface first and benefits the full deformation of the thickening region in hydroforming. Among them, the SF contact sequence is the best for the uniformity of thickness, and SF and FF contact sequences are useful to ensure the minimum thickness of the section and help to avoid cracking defects. On the basis of it, two contact sequences, SS and FF, were applied to an instrument panel bar, respectively. There is a cracking defect in the circular section for the SS sequence, while there is no defect in the straight and circular sections for the FF sequence. And the sound part is successfully developed and applied to the assembly of the instrument panel bar of Chrysler 300C car in mass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel magnetically recoverable, visible light active TiO-WO composite (FeO@SiO@TiO-WO) was prepared to enable the photocatalyst recovery after the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) under simulated solar light. For comparison, the photocatalytic activity of other materials such as non-magnetic TiO-WO, FeO@SiO@TiO, TiO, and the commercial TiO P25 was also evaluated under the studied experimental conditions. The structure and morphology of the synthesized materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and electron dispersion spectroscopy (EDS). Moreover, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and magnetic properties of the samples were determined. The FeO@SiO@TiO-WO and TiO-WO led to a BPA degradation of 17.50 and 27.92 %, respectively, after 2 h of the simulated solar light irradiation. Even though their activity was lower than that of P25, which degraded completely BPA after 1 h, our catalysts were magnetically separable for their further reuse in the treatment. Furthermore, the influence of the water matrix in the photocatalytic activity of the samples was studied in municipal wastewater. Finally, the identification of reaction intermediates was performed and a possible BPA degradation pathway was proposed to provide a better understanding of the degradation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bending springback plays an important role in hydroforming of curved hollow components, and the effect will be more apparent with the increase of the strength of the material. In order to predict and eliminate the effect of springback on hydroforming process, springback of DP590 welded tube was investigated in computer numerical control (CNC) bending process using theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and experimental methods. The effects of the bending angles, the diameter-thickness ratio d/t, and the relative bending radius R/d on springback are studied, and the influence factor of the weld position is considered. The theoretical and experimental results show that the springback of the DP590 welded tube with 65 mm in diameter and 2.6 mm in thickness varies within the range from 4.0 to 4.9 % and the amount of springback is influenced by the tube diameter and thickness. The springback reduces from 7.0 to 3.5 % when the diameter-thickness ratio is increasing from 10 to 40. On the contrary, the springback increases from 3.7 to 7.2 % when the relative bending radius is increasing from 1.2 to 4.0. The effect of weld position on springback is very little, but it has a negative effect on defects of hydroforming and wall thickness distribution. It is liable to crack when hydroforming if the weld locates on the outside or neutral layer of the bend. Finally, springback rules and weld effect are applied to form a control arm. A sound part had been successfully manufactured to avoid flash and crack defects considering the appropriate springback compensation and weld position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnMoO: xEu ( x = 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25) and ZnMoO:0.15Eu,0.05M (M = Li, Na, K) phosphors were synthesized by the conventional solid state method in air. The XRD patterns of the phosphors indicate that the Eu and M ions have successfully been introduced into the lattice. The luminescence intensity of ZnMoO:Eu phosphor decreases when the concentration of Eu exceeds x = 0.15, the optimum dopant ion concentration. The charge compensator ions Li, Na, and K can improve the emission intensity of the ZnMoO:Eu phosphor with excitation at 394 nm and that of the Li-doped system is greatest. The observed lifetimes for Eu emission at 614 nm are 2.15, 3.46, 2.70 and 0.91 μs in ZnMoO:Eu and ZnMoO:Eu,M (M = Li, Na, K), respectively. Hence, the Li co-doped ZnMoO:Eu phosphor has the longest lifetime. Under 394 nm excitation, the CIE coordinates of ZnMoO:Eu,Li and ZnMoO:Eu,Na are closer to those of ideal red light (0.67, 0.33) than those of commercial YO:Eu (0.625, 0.338). These experimental results are helpful in developing novel and high-efficiency red phosphors for white light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing use of advanced high strength steel for automotive components, hydro-formed hollow components have the advantage of both high strength and high stiffness. In order to manufacture a 780 MPa torsion beam satisfied with both improved safety and lightweight, hydro-forming process of 780 MPa torsion beam was studied by experimental research and numerical simulation. Pre-form design according to central composite method was carried out to avoid forming flash and bursting during hydro-forming. Response surface model of the effect of pre-form structure on thickness distribution was developed, and significance of structural parameters on the response value was discussed. According to the genetic algorithm, an optimum pre-form shape has been obtained. An experiment was carried out on the basis of the optimum pre-form shape, and the effect of loading paths was deeply discussed on hydro-forming process. It is shown that the axial feeding within acceptable range can significantly improve the thickness distribution and forming accuracy. Finally, a well hydro-formed torsion beam is manufactured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the last decade, the approach to the management of brain tumours and the understanding of glioblastoma tumour biology has advanced and a number of therapeutic interventions have evolved, some of which have shown statistically significant effects on overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival in glioblastoma. The aim of this study is to compare survival in glioblastoma patients over a 10-year period (1999-2000 and 2009-2010).Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Identification of all histologically confirmed glioblastoma in a single centre in years 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2010, and production of survival analysis comparing 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 were achieved.Results: A total of 317 patients were included in the analysis (133 in year 1999-2000, and 184 in year 2009-2010). Cox regression analysis showed that the survival was significantly longer in patients in years 2009-2010 than those in 1999-2000 at P<0.001 with HR=0.56, confidence interval (CI) (0.45-0.71). The 1- and 3-year survival rates were 20.7% and 4.4%, respectively, for patients in 1999-2000, improving to 40.0% and 10.3%, respectively, for patients in 2009-2010. The comparisons between the two groups in survival at 1, 2 and 3 years are all statistically significant at P<0.001, respectively. The median OS was 0.36 and 0.74 in 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 groups, respectively.Conclusions: Over this period, OS from glioblastoma has increased significantly in our unit. We believe this is due to the institution of evidence-based surgical and oncological strategies practised in a multidisciplinary setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of oral moxifloxacin for aerobic vaginitis (AV). We also identified factors that are associated with therapeutic efficacy. This prospective study enrolled general gynecological outpatients at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital between September 2012 and May 2014. Women diagnosed with AV ( n = 102) were recruited. All enrolled women were treated with oral moxifloxacin, 400 mg once daily for 6 days (one course). Therapeutic efficacy was evaluated based on microscopic criteria, and cure rates were calculated. Women who were microscopically improved (but not cured) received a second course of therapy. Women classified with microscopic failure were treated using other strategies. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that may be associated with a cure after one course of therapy. After one course of therapy, 65.7 % (67/102) of women were cured, 29.4 % (30/102) of women were improved (but not cured), 4.9 % (5/102) of women failed to respond to the therapy. After two courses of therapy, 85.3 % (87/102) of women were cured, 9.8 % (10/102) of women were improved, 4.9 % (5/102) of women failed to respond to the therapy, and clinical improvement was achieved in additional women. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, women with a baseline vaginal pH value of <5.0 had a 3.5-times higher chance of being cured, compared with those with a baseline vaginal pH value of ≥5.0 (OR, 3.503; 95 % CI, 1.278-9.601). Moxifloxacin is an effective therapeutic option for patients with AV. Most women with AV were cured with one course of moxifloxacin. For those with a higher vaginal pH value of ≥5.0 before treatment, two courses of therapy should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid organic/inorganic coatings provide effective barriers to gas transmission and therefore find utility in a variety of application areas, including surface treatment of foams for thermal insulation purposes. Blends of aqueous latexes with select smectite clays are particularly attractive, in that the efficient formation of layered interconnecting networks occurs upon drying. The plate-like structure of clays enables this behavior at relatively low volumetric content of inorganic material. A variety of both natural and synthetically derived high purity clays are evaluated for their ability to form low permeability films, with effects of loading, aspect ratio, and refinement technique described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three different torque control algorithms are compared and evaluated for rear wheel drive electric vehicle (EV COMS) with in-wheel motors on split-mu road. The performance of direct yaw moment control, slip ratio control and integral control of both direct yaw moment and slip ratio control are studied by applying these control algorithms to electric vehicle for a straight motion on a split-mu road. The split-mu road disturbs the straight motion and vehicle will deviate from straight path with some error. In simulation, driver model is applied and driver effort of steering wheel angle eliminates this error in all the three cases. The simulation results show that the integral torque control schemes exhibit better performance as compared to direct yaw moment control and slip ratio control as it needs very little driver effort for vehicle straight motion. The three torque control schemes are also compared experimentally on a split-mu road using EV COMS. The desired yaw rate is set to zero in the software and the vehicle trajectory with reference to the desired straight path is recorded and compared. The integral control showed little deviation of test vehicle yaw rate from the desired zero yaw rate as compared to the other two control algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydro-pressing method was proposed to solve the problems in tube hydroforming process, such as too high pressure, nonuniform thickness distribution, and difficult forming of section corners. The process of hydro-pressing a tube seems like pressing of a solid bar. Theoretical analysis was performed, and the calculation formulas of hydro-pressing process parameters were given. Experimental research was conducted on hydro-pressing process of rectangular cross section with curved sides and bowtie cross-sectional components. The effects of supporting pressure, displacement of the pressing on section shape, and thickness distribution were investigated. The difference was compared between the hydro-pressing forming and the conventional mechanical pressing. It is demonstrated that the supporting pressure and pressing displacement are the essential parameters that influence cross-sectional shape and thickness. The dent defect disappears gradually as the supporting pressure increases and the thickness varies unobvious during hydro-pressing process of a rectangular cross section with curved sides. When the supporting pressure is 15 MPa, the maximum thinning of the rectangular cross section with curved sides is only 1.92 %. For a bowtie cross section, the required pressure is far less than that of conventional hydroforming for the same corner radius. Thickness distribution of section corner zone is more uniform than that formed by conventional hydroforming. Compared with conventional hydroforming, the hydro-pressing is a valid method to form the closed section tubular parts with the same perimeter and different cross-sectional shapes, which remarkably improves thickness distribution and reduces the forming pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The zona pellucida 3 (ZP3) plays a crucial role in reproductive immunology. We obtained a full-length cDNA encoding Chinese zokor ZP3, using rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction (RACE-PCR). The cDNA contains an open reading frame of 1269 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 422 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence has a high degree of homology with those of hamster (78%), mouse (76%), and rat (74%). XhoI and SacI sites after restriction give an1158 bp fragment of zokor ZP3 cDNA, excluding the signal sequence and transmembrane-like domain, which was cloned under the phage T7 promoter-lac operator control in the pET-28a(+) vector. Recombinant pET-zokorZP3(r-ZP3) was expressed as a poly-histidine fusion protein in E. coli strain BL21 (DE3). Optimum expression of r-ZP3 was observed at 28°C, 1 mM IPTG and 2 h of inducing. The purified protein was tested by Western blot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pipeline is the most important transmission way of oil and gas. Rockfall impact is one of the factors that result in above ground oil-gas pipelines accidents. Deformation of oil-gas pipeline caused by rockfall impacts were investigated using finite element method. Pipeline deformation caused by spherical and cube rockfalls were discussed under radial impact, inclined impact, and eccentric impact. The results show that crater depth of spherical rockfall impact is bigger than the cube rockfall with the same volume. The smaller curvature radius of rockfall's contact zone has a greater harm to oil-gas pipeline. Angle part impact of irregular rockfall is very harmful for oil-gas pipeline. Under inclined impact, the maximum plastic strain of spherical rockfall impact crater appears when incidence angle α is 45°. Pipeline is prone to rupture when α is small under cube rockfall impact. The plastic strain distribution of the impact crater is more uneven with the increasing of the incidence angle. Plastic strain zone of pipeline decreases with the increasing of eccentricity k under eccentric impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To perform a quantitative review of the evidence on the diagnostic value of inflammatory markers in maternal serum or umbilical cord blood for the diagnosis of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS).Study Design:We searched multiple databases for studies published through March 2013 that evaluated the diagnostic performance of procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and leukocyte count (white blood cell, WBC) in either umbilical cord blood or maternal serum for diagnosis of EONS. We summarized test performance characteristics with the use of forest plots, hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic curves and bivariate random effects models.Result:Our search identified 3874 citations, of which 15 studies evaluating 2178 episodes of suspected neonatal infection were included for analysis. IL-6 in cord blood with a pooled-positive likelihood ratio (LR+) of 9.47 (95% confidence interval: 3.86 to 23.3), PCT in cord blood with a LR+ of 5.72 (1.56 to 21.0) and IL-6 in maternal serum with a LR+ of 5.47 (2.10 to 14.2) can be qualified as a valid rule-in test. IL-6 in cord blood with a LR− of 0.10 (0.05 to 0.21) and PCT in cord blood with a LR− of 0.20 (0.12-0.37) can be qualified as a useful rule-out test. Either CRP or WBC was inadequate for diagnosis of EONS.Conclusion:For cord blood sample, IL-6 or PCT can be used as reliable rule-in and rule-out tool. For maternal serum, only IL-6 appeared to be sufficient for rule-in diagnosis. An interventional study may be needed to answer whether the addition of these tests will improve the outcome of patients with EONS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is a key enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) metabolism. This study provides important evidence for inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth by 15-PGDH through the 15-keto-prostaglandin E2 (15-keto-PGE2)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ)/p21WAF1/Cip1 signaling pathway. Forced overexpression of 15-PGDH inhibited HCC cell growth in vitro, whereas knockdown of 15-PGDH enhanced tumor growth parameters. In a tumor xenograft model in severe combined immunodeficiency mice, inoculation of human HCC cells (Huh7) with overexpression of 15-PGDH led to significant inhibition of tumor growth, whereas knockdown of 15-PGDH enhanced tumor growth. In a separate tumor xenograft model in which mouse HCC cells (Hepa1-6) were inoculated into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, intratumoral injection of adenovirus vector expressing 15-PGDH (pAd-15-PGDH) significantly inhibited xenograft tumor growth. The antitumor effect of 15-PGDH is mediated through its enzymatic product, 15-keto-PGE2, which serves as an endogenous PPARγ ligand. Activation of PPARγ by 15-PGDH-derived 15-keto-PGE2 enhanced the association of PPARγ with the p21WAF1/Cip1 promoter and increased p21 expression and association with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Depletion of p21 by short hairpin RNA reversed 15-PGDH-induced inhibition of HCC cell growth; overexpression of p21 prevented 15-PGDH knockdown-induced tumor cell growth. These results show a key 15-PGDH/15-keto-PGE2-mediated activation of PPARγ and p21WAF1/Cip1 signaling cascade that regulates hepatocarcinogenesis and tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) is a key enzyme in prostaglandin (PG) metabolism. This study provides important evidence for inhibition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) growth by 15-PGDH through the 15-keto-prostaglandin E2 (15-keto-PGE2)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ)/p21WAF1/Cip1 signaling pathway. Forced overexpression of 15-PGDH inhibited HCC cell growth in vitro, whereas knockdown of 15-PGDH enhanced tumor growth parameters. In a tumor xenograft model in severe combined immunodeficiency mice, inoculation of human HCC cells (Huh7) with overexpression of 15-PGDH led to significant inhibition of tumor growth, whereas knockdown of 15-PGDH enhanced tumor growth. In a separate tumor xenograft model in which mouse HCC cells (Hepa1-6) were inoculated into syngeneic C57BL/6 mice, intratumoral injection of adenovirus vector expressing 15-PGDH (pAd-15-PGDH) significantly inhibited xenograft tumor growth. The antitumor effect of 15-PGDH is mediated through its enzymatic product, 15-keto-PGE2, which serves as an endogenous PPARγ ligand. Activation of PPARγ by 15-PGDH-derived 15-keto-PGE2 enhanced the association of PPARγ with the p21WAF1/Cip1 promoter and increased p21 expression and association with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), CDK4 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Depletion of p21 by short hairpin RNA reversed 15-PGDH-induced inhibition of HCC cell growth; overexpression of p21 prevented 15-PGDH knockdown-induced tumor cell growth. These results show a key 15-PGDH/15-keto-PGE2-mediated activation of PPARγ and p21WAF1/Cip1 signaling cascade that regulates hepatocarcinogenesis and tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of total replacement of fish oil (FO) with pork lard (PL), soybean oil (SO), or tea seed oil (TO) on growth and fatty acid compositions of hybrid tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus × O. aureus). Four diets were formulated to contain 4.5 % of each of the different lipid sources. Each diet was assigned to triplicate groups of 15 hybrid tilapia with the same initial body weight (4.6 ± 0.5 g). After a 10-week feeding, the FO, SO, and TO groups had similar final body weight. The mean hepatosomatic index in the FO group was significantly lower than the other groups (2.5 vs 2.9-3.0; P < 0.05). Whole-body lipid levels were highest in the TO group (5.2 ± 0.4 %) and lowest in the FO group (4.3 ± 0.5 %). Total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentrations were greater in the SO and FO groups (5.5 ± 0.1 and 7.1 ± 0.2, respectively) than in the PL and TO groups (1.7 ± 0.1 and 1.4 ± 0.1, respectively). The FO group had a 2- to 4-fold reduction in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio relative to the other groups. The concentrations of both docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were significantly ( P < 0.05) higher in the FO group than in the other groups. Our data demonstrate that total replacement of dietary FO with SO or TO has little effects on growth of hybrid tilapia but reduces the contents of health-benefiting DHA and EPA in fish body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of composite nitrogen and fluorine co-doped titanium dioxide (NF-TiO) for the removal of contaminants of concern in wastewater under visible and solar light. Monodisperse anatase TiO nanoparticles of different sizes and Evonik P25 were assembled to immobilized NF-TiO by direct incorporation into the sol-gel or by the layer-by-layer technique. The composite films were characterized with X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy, and porosimetry analysis. The photocatalytic degradation of atrazine, carbamazepine, and caffeine was evaluated in a synthetic water solution and in an effluent from a hybrid biological concentrator reactor (BCR). Minor aggregation and improved distribution of monodisperse titania particles was obtained with NF-TiO-monodisperse (10 and 50 nm) from the layer-by-layer technique than with NF-TiO + monodisperse TiO (300 nm) directly incorporated into the sol. The photocatalysts synthesized with the layer-by-layer method achieved significantly higher degradation rates in contrast with NF-TiO-monodisperse titania (300 nm) and slightly faster values when compared with NF-TiO-P25. Using NF-TiO layer-by-layer with monodisperse TiO (50 nm) under solar light irradiation, the respective degradation rates in synthetic water and BCR effluent were 14.6 and 9.5 × 10 min for caffeine, 12.5 and 9.0 × 10 min for carbamazepine, and 10.9 and 5.8 × 10 min for atrazine. These results suggest that the layer-by-layer technique is a promising method for the synthesis of composite TiO-based films compared to the direct addition of nanoparticles into the sol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate how cholesterol induces hepatocytic steatosis, we investigated the effect of cholesterol on hepatic lipogenesis and the assembly and secretion of very-low-density lipoprotein-triglycerides (VLDL-TGs) in goose primary hepatocytes. We found that cholesterol at 20 μg/ml increased the concentrations of extracellular VLDL, intracellular cholesterol, and intracellular TGs, while cholesterol at 30 μg/ml had a reduced effect ( p < 0.05). Additionally, cholesterol at 20 μg/ml, but not at 10 or 30 μg/ml, increased the extracellular TG concentration. Cholesterol increased the fatty acid synthase (FAS) enzyme activity in a dose-dependent manner. Incubation with cholesterol increased the mRNA level of genes involved in lipogenesis, including sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs), FAS, acetyl-CoA carboxylase-α (ACCα), and liver X receptors. The mRNA level of the acyl-CoA: diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene changed in response to cholesterol treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Similar to the regulation of extracellular VLDL and intracellular TG accumulation, the mRNA levels of the microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, forkhead box O1, and DGAT2 increased with treatment with 10 or 20 μg/ml of cholesterol, but decreased with treatment with 30 μg/ml of cholesterol ( p < 0.05). Cholesterol had no evident effect on the mRNA level of the apolipoprotein B gene. Incubation with cholesterol at 20 and 30 μg/ml increased the nuclear SREBP-1 protein level ( p < 0.05) and the binding affinity of the nuclear SREBP-1 to ACCα SRE probes. In conclusion, cholesterol not only activates the transcription of genes involved in fatty acid synthesis and TG accumulation, but also activates the transcription of genes involved in the assembly and secretion of VLDL-TG in goose primary hepatocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On a Riemannian manifold, a solution of the Killing equation is an infinitesimal isometry. Since the Killing equation is overdetermined, infinitesimal isometries do not exist in general. A completely determined prolongation of the Killing equation is a PDE on the bundle of 1-jets of vector fields. Restricted to a curve, this becomes an ODE that generalizes the Jacobi equation. A solution of this ODE is called an infinitesimal isometry along the curve, which we show to be an infinitesimal rigid variation of the curve. We define Killing transport to be the associated linear isometry between fibers of the bundle along the curve, and show that it is parallel translation for a connection on the bundle related to the Riemannian connection. Restricting to dimension two, we study the holonomy of this connection, prove the Gauss-Bonnet theorem by means of Killing transport, and determine the criteria for local existence of infinitesimal isometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]