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The wide field view (WFV) sensor on-board GF-1 satellite can acquire multi-spectral data with moderate spatial resolution, which holds great potential for monitoring the Earth's surface. This study assesses WFV data through cross-comparison of spectral band reflectances and vegetation indices with Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) data. The four vegetation indices considered in this study are the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), the ratio vegetation index (RVI), and the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI). The R2 between the WFV and ETM+ data were 0.82, 0.89, 0.92, and 0.80 for the blue, green, red, and near-infrared bands reflectance, and 0.90, 0.84, 0.83, and 0.91 for NDVI, EVI, RVI, and SAVI, respectively. The results displayed a high correlation between the spectral reflectances and vegetation indices of the two sensors’ data, which indicated the reliability of the WFV data. Furthermore, the WFV data were better than the ETM+ data with regards to spatial and temporal resolutions.

We present limits on spin-independent dark matter-nucleon interactions using a $10.6$ $\mathrm{g}$ Si athermal phonon detector with a baseline energy resolution of $\sigma_E=3.86 \pm 0.04$ $(\mathrm{stat.})^{+0.19}_{-0.00}$ $(\mathrm{syst.})$ $\mathrm{eV}$. This exclusion analysis sets the most stringent dark matter-nucleon scattering cross-section limits achieved by a cryogenic detector for dark matter particle masses from $93$ to $140$ $\mathrm{MeV}/c^2$, with a raw exposure of $9.9$ $\mathrm{g}\cdot\mathrm{d}$ acquired at an above-ground facility. This work illustrates the scientific potential of detectors with athermal phonon sensors with eV-scale energy resolution for future dark matter searches., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, this version includes ancillary files from official data release

Solid-state for high power RF application is an attracting and interesting technology which is now become popular in accelerator field. To adopt and master such technique, a 500MHz, 80kW solid-state amplifier is thus developed in NSRRC. The amplifier is consisted of 100 900W amplifier modules which are driving by identical modules. Each module contains input and output directional couplers and status monitoring circuits. To have longer life time and better performance, the RF power transistors are integrated with water cooled heat sink directly. In such a way, the transistors have higher output power and better efficiency. The RF power of each module is combined through coaxial combiner while its DC power is provided by parallel connected DC power supplies which can provide better redundancy and reliability. The home-made solid-state amplifier is demonstrated to have quite high quality RF power and reliability with acceptable power combination efficiency.

Background Establishing a stand-alone cryogenic test stand is of vital importance to ensure the highly reliable and available operation of superconducting radio-frequency module in a synchrotron light source. Operating a cryogenic test stand relies strongly on a capability to deliver two-phase helium along long cryogenic transfer lines. A newly constructed cryogenic test stand with flexible cryogenic transfer lines of length 220 m at National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center is required to support a superconducting radio-frequency module operated at 126.0 kPa with a 40-W dynamic load for a long-term reliability test over weeks. It is designed based on a simple analytical approach with the introduction of a so-called tolerance factor that serves to estimate the pressure drops in transferring a two-phase helium flow with a substantial transfer cryogenic heat load. Tolerance factor 1.5 is adopted based on safety factor 1.5 commonly applied in cryogenic designs to estimate the total mass flow rate of liquid helium demanded. A maximum 60-W dynamic load is verified with experiment measured with heater power 60 W instead after the cryogenic test stand has been installed. Results Aligning the modeled cryogenic accumulated static heat load with the results measured in situ, actual tolerance factor 1.287 is obtained. The feasibility and validity of our simple analytical approach with actual tolerance factor 1.287 have been scrutinized by using five test cases with varied operating conditions. Calculated results show the discrepancies of the pressure drops between the estimated and measured values for both liquid helium and cold gaseous helium transfer lines have an underestimate 0.11 kPa and an overestimate 0.09 kPa, respectively. A discrepancy is foreseen, but remains acceptable for engineering applications from a practical point of view. Conclusions The simple analytical approach with the introduction of a tolerance factor can provide not only insight into optimizing the choice of each lossy cryogenic piping element of the transfer lines in the design phase but also firm guidance for upgrading the present cryogenic transfer lines for its subsequent application.

Objective To report our experience in the management of catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in Hong Kong Chinese children. Methods This case series study was conducted in a tertiary paediatric cardiology centre in Hong Kong. All paediatric patients diagnosed at our centre with catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia from January 2008 to October 2014 were included. Results Ten patients (five females and five males) were identified. The mean age at presentation and at diagnosis were 11.0 (standard deviation, 2.9) years and 12.5 (2.8) years, respectively. The mean delay time from first presentation to diagnosis was 1.5 (standard deviation, 1.3) years. They presented with recurrent syncope and six patients had a history of aborted cardiac arrest. Four patients were initially misdiagnosed to have epilepsy. Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia was diagnosed by electrocardiogram at cardiac arrest (n=2), or provocation test, either by catecholamine infusion test (n=6) or exercise test (n=2). Mutations of the RyR2 gene were confirmed in six patients. Nine patients were commenced on beta-blockers after diagnosis. Despite medications, three patients developed aborted or resuscitated cardiac arrest (n=2) and syncope (n=1). Left cardiac sympathetic denervation was performed in five patients and an implantable cardioverter defibrillator was implanted in another. There was no mortality during follow-up. Conclusions Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia should be considered in children who present with recurrent syncope during exercise or emotional stress. Despite beta-blocker treatment, recurrent ventricular arrhythmias occur and may result in cardiac arrest.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors for new symptomatic vertebral compression fractures after vertebroplasty at the thoracolumbar junction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 53 patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty at the thoracolumbar junction (T12, L1). The follow-up period was 15–27 months. The occurrence of new symptomatic vertebral compression fractures was recorded after vertebroplasty. We evaluated patient age and sex, amount of injected cement, vacuum clefts in the collapsed bodies, initial wedge angle of the compression fracture, change of the wedge angle after vertebroplasty, intradiskal cement leak, and percentage of height restoration of the vertebral body. In this report, we surveyed the possible risk factors for new symptomatic vertebral compression fractures. RESULTS: Thirty-nine (74%) of the 53 patients had fluid and/or air in the compression fracture at the thoracolumbar junction (T12, L1). Eight (20.5%) of the 39 patients with vacuum clefts had new symptomatic compression fracture after vertebroplasty between 1 month and 4 days after surgery to 23 months and 4 days after surgery. The patients with new symptomatic compression fracture had higher initial wedge angle and wedge angle change (more than 7°) after vertebroplasty than those without fractures; these data were considered statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of vacuum clefts in the compression fracture at the thoracolumbar junction is high (74%). The severity of initial wedge angle and wedge angle change affects the incidence of new symptomatic compression fracture.

Tris(8-hydroxyquinolato) aluminum ( Alq 3), a prototypical molecule for organic light-emitting devices, has been studied via synchrotron radiation photoemission to investigate (1) the surface electronic structure of the molecules at room temperature and at elevated temperatures, (2) adsorption onto the inorganic Si (001)-2×1 surface, and (3) doping with the alkaline metal Mg . For case (1), three chemical environments of carbon are resolved. Moreover, the shake-up satellite structures are detected in all the N 1s, C 1s, O 1s, and Al 2p core-level spectra, but with different magnitudes. Annealing allows for a charge redistribution within Alq 3 itself. As to case (2), the organic molecules not only passivate the dangling bonds, but also rupture the dimer bonds. The wave function of the surface dangling bonds and of the pyridyl side of an 8-quinolinol ligand overlaps greatly so that charge is polarized towards, the organic adlayer. However, the polarization diminishes at greater coverage. With regard to case (3), the N 1s core-level spectra appear as an Mg -induced charge-transfer component with a binding energy lower than the original component. This new component grows gradually in intensity with increasing concentration of the dopant. Moreover, Mg also affects the O 1s core, as manifested by a component lying at a +1.09 eV higher binding energy than the original component. The Mg 2p core-level spectra, although rather broad, exhibit a shift toward a lower binding energy with increasing Mg vapor. Upon examining all these experimental results, we propose that Mg in the surface Alq 3 molecules forms clusters. Each cluster attaches to a pyridyl ring, affecting not only the nitrogen atom at that ring, but also the oxygen atom in the adjacent phenoxide ring. The depleted charge in the affected oxygen then flows about its adherent ligand and resides on the pyridyl ring at that ligand, resulting in a high Alq 3 anion state.

(BrXP-50), was conducted. Morphological analyses and mechanical tests were combined to evaluate the toughening mechanisms of modified PA-6 and the fracture mechanism of unmodified PA-6. We conclude that the fracture mechanism of unmodified PA-6 in the impact test is crazing-cracking under the dilatational stress created by the plastic constraint, while that of the BrXP-50 elastomer modified PA-6 is plastic tearing limited by the ultimate tensile strain. Cavitation of BrXP-50 elastomer particles occurred in the impact test, and is proposed as a controlling step in toughening: it relieves the plastic constraint so that the cracking process is postponed and additional plastic deformation can occur, leading to higher impact toughness.

A new test of peripheral color contrast is described. A high-definition color monitor driven by a personal computer with a graphics interface card displays an annulus subtending 25 degrees at the eye. The color contrast between the annulus and the background can be varied. Forty-five degrees of the annulus is randomly removed in one of four quadrants. Patients are asked to identify the position of the gap while fixating a central spot. The minimum color contrast between annulus and background at which the identification is possible is between 13-16% for the protan, deuteran, and tritan axis in normal subjects. This threshold value changes little with age, refractive error, or pupillary aperture, and test-retest variability is low. Testing one eye takes only 1-2 min. The test was applied to ocular-hypertensive and glaucomatous patients. All patients with glaucoma had thresholds greater than two standard deviations (SD) above the normal mean. In addition, 97% of glaucoma patients had thresholds greater than four SDs, and 95% had thresholds more than five SDs above the normal mean. Most patients with ocular hypertension and clinical signs indicating a low or medium risk of conversion to glaucoma had thresholds under the upper limit of normal. High-risk patients with ocular hypertension fell into two groups. One approximated to normal; the other had elevated thresholds, which in many cases were more than four SDs above the normal mean. The epidemiologic consequences of this test are discussed.

The validity of the 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) procedure for the measurement of oxidative rancidity by the determination of malonaldehyde (MA) as the red pigment with an absorption max at 532 mµ has been questioned [J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc.39, 34 (1962)]. Side reactions were reported to occur yielding degradation of TBA to products which absorb at the same wave length as the TBA-MA complex and at 450 mµ.

Rheological behavior of dispersed two-phase polymer melts has been investigated by means of a capillary rheometer. The two-phase systems chosen for study were blends of two polymers: high-density polyethylene and polystyrene, which are incompatible in the molten state. In order to investigate the state of dispersion, photographs were taken of the microstructure of extrudate samples, showing that the polystyrene forms long fibers or droplets as a discrete phase dispersed in the polyethylene which forms a continuous phase. Measurements were made of the axial pressure distributions of the two-phase molten polymers flowing through circular tubes, which permit one, according to the theory advanced by Han, to determine viscous and elastic properties of the melts. Also measured was melt die swell ratio. It has been found from the two independent experimental techniques that there exist a maximum and/or minimum elastic property at a certain blending ratio, and that the elastic property decreases first with L/D ratio of a capillary and then levels off.

An improved 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) method suitable for routine testing of autoxidative changes of fish oil and other polyunsaturated lipids has been developed. Air oxidation of the lipid during the TBA reaction was found to produce misleading results. The air oxidation may be controlled by addition of antioxidants to the reaction system. Other factors causing inconsistent TBA results and methods of prevention are also described. A comparison of peroxide and TBA values in autoxidized menhaden oil is presented.