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The commissioning of CSNS front end has been finished. The 15 mA beam intensity is obtained at the end of RFQ. For CSNS ion source, it is a type of penning surface plasma ion source, similar to ISIS ion source. To improve the operation stability and reduce spark, sonic improvements have been made, including Penning field and extraction optics. The codes PBGUNS and CST are applied to simulate the beam extraction. With these simulation results, various extracted structures are modified, including the jaw gap of extractor and the gap of between plasma slit and extractor. The running results show the stability of ion source is improved further.

A Radio Frequency (RF) H-minus source with external antenna is under construction to improve the performance of China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), which requires a H-minus beam of 40 mA peak current, 25 Hz repetition rate, and 1 ms pulse length. The plasma chamber is made of Si3N4 ceramic to endure high thermal shock. The water-cooled antenna is brazed on the outer wall of the plasma chamber to enhance heat dissipation of the chamber. The antenna is powered with a solid-state amplifier of maximum 80 kW via an isolation transformer and an impedance transformer. To produce a flat-top H-minus current, we aim to program the amplitude of RF input signal,so that the fluctuation of the beam current is compensated with the change of the RF power within a pulse. Up to now the mechanical construction of the source is finished, and the RF match network is ready for test. The source is scheduled to produce plasma in the end of 2017.

SmCo7-based compounds are prototypical rare-earth based hard magnetic materials that are the backbone of numerous devices and applications. We have found that by doping the SmCo7 phase with Niobium (e.g. SmCo6.7Nb0.3), the enhanced coercivity being measured. Using a combination of microstructural and compositional characterization techniques with ab initio calculations, we find that the Nb-doping stabilizes the nanocrystalline nature of the material by residing at the 2e site of the SmCo7 structure, decreases the average grain size, and substantially increases the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant (K) (e.g. from 1.25 × 107 erg/cm3 for SmCo7 to 1.40 × 107 erg/cm3 for SmCo6.7Nb0.3). A significant enhancement in coercivity with Nb doping is attributed to the increased K and the reduced grain size.

This paper describes a novel method to non-destructively determine the thickness of thin layer in a non-contact way. A model of wave interference was established based on the multireflection of shear wave in layered system. Furthermore, its expression of reflection coefficient phase was deduced to provide the principle of thickness measurement. A formed laser source by focusing a line on the layer surface was used to generate shear wave, while an electromagnetic acoustic testing (EMAT) sensor was proposed to receive the wave. An example of the method and experimental measurement for comparison is given for a thin steel sheet with the thickness of approximate 0·4 mm. The relative error between the present method and metallography method is less than 4%, which shows laser-EMAT technique is very suitable to non-destructive assess the thickness of the layer.

Traditional airplane magnetic field models simplify geomagnetic field values as constants, overlooking changes to the model coefficient brought by gradually variational magnetic field which reduces the model accuracy. This paper puts forward an aircraft magnetic field model under geomagnetic gradient change. The geomagnetic gradient change is adopted the truncated singular value decomposition (TSVD) to solve multicollinearity in the model solving. It is proposed to use the coefficient obtained from the truncated singular value as initial conditions and utilize recursive damped least square (RDLS) to conduct adaptive adjustment to model coefficients aiming at the coefficient variation of induction field and Eddy Current Field caused by the geomagnetic field. The simulation outcome indicates that the method boasts a high magnetic compensation effect.

The purpose of the paper is aiming to improve the medical supply distribution routing. From the empirical data, we examine four major issues which are multiple replenishments, unidentifiable distribution spot, implementation of wrong information in the system, and matching issues. Repetition, delay, and cross-district sequence of delivery cause extra transportation cost. We proposed a clustering approach to improve the efficiency. We group all the points into several clusters, then routing the path. A distribution centre inside the hive-shaped formation can significantly shorten the distance and reduce the time by allocating to the surrounding individual point separately. Lastly, the objective of logistics is to satisfy the requirements of the end consumers with high quality service, as a special and integrated activity, logistics plays a focal position in modern society, routing optimization is the main focus of VRP. The most significant improvement is the distribution distance reduced from 52 km to 29.4 km, 43.46%. The cost improvement in terms of time decreased from 130 minutes to 61 minutes, 53.08%.

China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) phase-I project currently uses a Penning surface plasma H− ion source, which has a life time of several weeks with occasional sparks between high voltage electrodes. To extend the life time of the ion source and prepare for the CSNS phase-II, we are trying to develop a RF negative hydrogen ion source with external antenna. The configuration of the source is similar to the DESY external antenna ion source and SNS ion source. However several changes are made to improve the stability and the life time. Firstly, Si3N4 ceramic with high thermal shock resistance, and high thermal conductivity is used for plasma chamber, which can endure an average power of 2000W. Secondly, the water-cooled antenna is brazed on the chamber to improve the energy efficiency. Thirdly, cesium is injected directly to the plasma chamber if necessary, to simplify the design of the converter and the extraction. Area of stainless steel exposed to plasma is minimized to reduce the sputtering and degassing. Instead Mo, Ta, and Pt coated materials are used to face the plasma, which makes the self-cleaning of the source possible.

Background The phase III RAISE trial (NCT01183780) demonstrated that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor (VEGFR)-2 binding monoclonal antibody ramucirumab plus 5-fluororuracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) compared with placebo + FOLFIRI as second-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treatment. To identify patients who benefit the most from VEGFR-2 blockade, the RAISE trial design included a prospective and comprehensive biomarker program that assessed the association of biomarkers with ramucirumab efficacy outcomes. Patients and methods Plasma and tumor tissue collection was mandatory. Overall, 1072 patients were randomized 1 : 1 to the addition of ramucirumab or placebo to FOLFIRI chemotherapy. Patients were then randomized 1 : 2, for the biomarker program, to marker exploratory (ME) and marker confirmatory (MC) groups. Analyses were carried out using exploratory assays to assess the correlations of baseline marker levels [VEGF-C, VEGF-D, sVEGFR-1, sVEGFR-2, sVEGFR-3 (plasma), and VEGFR-2 (tumor tissue)] with clinical outcomes. Cox regression analyses were carried out for each candidate biomarker with stratification factor adjustment. Results Biomarker results were available from >80% (n = 894) of patients. Analysis of the ME subset determined a VEGF-D level of 115 pg/ml was appropriate for high/low subgroup analyses. Evaluation of the combined ME + MC populations found that the median OS in the ramucirumab + FOLFIRI arm compared with placebo + FOLFIRI showed an improvement of 2.4 months in the high VEGF-D subgroup [13.9 months (95% CI 12.5–15.6) versus 11.5 months (95% CI 10.1–12.4), respectively], and a decrease of 0.5 month in the low VEGF-D subgroup [12.6 months (95% CI 10.7–14.0) versus 13.1 months (95% CI 11.8–17.0), respectively]. PFS results were consistent with OS. No trends were evident with the other antiangiogenic candidate biomarkers. Conclusions The RAISE biomarker program identified VEGF-D as a potential predictive biomarker for ramucirumab efficacy in second-line mCRC. Development of an assay appropriate for testing in clinical practice is currently ongoing. Clinical trials registration NCT01183780.

The commissioning of CSNS front end has been finished. Above 15 mA beam intensity is obtained at the end of RFQ. For CSNS ion source, it is a type of penning surface plasma ion source, similar to ISIS ion source. To improve the operation stability and reduce spark rate, some modifications have been performed, including Penning field, extraction optics and post acceleration. PBGUNS is applied to optimize beam extraction. The co-extraction electrons are considered at PBGUNS simulation and various extracted structure are simulated aiming to make the beam through the extracted electrode without loss. The stability of ion source is improved further.

The expression of avian β-defensins (AvBDs), Toll-like receptors (), and vitamin D receptor (VDR) following in vivo vitamin D 3 injection was studied . Healthy 90-day Silky Fowls were abdominally injected with vitamin D 3 or untreated. Real-time PCR analyses revealed that injection of vitamin D 3 significantly ( P < 0.05) up-regulated the expression of TLRs (TLR2, TLR5), VDR, AvBDs (AVBD-6 , GAL-1), and 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) in the tissues (liver, spleen, and kidney) at various times 8-24 h post injection. These results sug - gest that expression of VDR, AvBDs, and TLRs seems to be induced by vitamin D and it was concluded that the tissues expressing TLRs and VDR respond to vitamin D 3 and in turn upregulate these tissues cellular func - tions to synthesize AvBDs. Intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D 3 likely resulted in enhancing the expression of AvBDs, TLRs, and VDR, which provided insight into factors important for the control of the innate immune response in the chickens.

To evaluate the value of parameters derived from intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating histopathological subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).Between May 2014 and December 2015, a total of 69 patients who were surgically and pathologically diagnosed as renal cell carcinoma were recruited for the study. We examined 61 clear cell RCC (ccRCC), and 8 non-clear cell carcinoma (non-ccRCC, including 7 chromophobe RCC and 1 papillary RCC). All the ccRCC were divided into well differentiated group (n=46), moderately differentiated group (n=8), and poorly differentiated group (n=7). In addition to routine renal magnetic resonance imaging examination performed on a 3.0-Tesla MR system, all patients were imaged with axial intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging. Using biexponential model, we calculated the diffusion coefficient (D), pseudodiffusion coefficient (D(*)), and perfusion fraction (f).The D and f values of the ccRCC were higher (each P0.05) than that for non-ccRCC [D (1.29±0.30)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, D(*) (42.92±20.21)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, and f (35.71±6.61)% versus D (0.78±0.23)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, D(*) (32.60±11.33)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, and f (21.52±8.44)% ]. In the well differentiated group of ccRCC, we found D of (1.36±0.29)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, D(*) (38.39±18.51)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, and f (36.40±6.96)%. The D, D(*,) f values of moderately differentiated lesions were (1.10±0.24)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, (59.90±20.23)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, and (32.88±4.02)%, respectively, those of the poorly differentiated group were (1.03±0.16)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, (53.28±18.74)×10(-3)mm(2)/s, and (34.42±6.21)%. The well differentiated group of ccRCC showed a higher D value than the moderately differentiated and poorly differentiated groups (each P0.05). D(*) values were significantly lower for the well differentiated group than for the moderately differentiated group (P0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of D values were 90.2% and 87.5% when focusing on the differentiation of ccRCC. For the diagnosis of ccRCC, the sensitivity and specificity of f values were 98.4% and 75.0%, respectively.IVIM-DWI can provide certain reliable value in evaluating pathological subtype and differentiation degree of renal cell carcinomas. D and f values are useful to distinguish ccRCC from non-ccRCC. D value is also promising for estimating the differentiation degree of ccRCC, and to indicate the biological behavior of RCC.

The effects of a rail vibration absorber on suppressing short pitch rail corrugation are studied. Firstly, a rail vibration field test is carried out to analyze the vibration response of the rail with and without the vibration absorbers. Secondly, based on the hypothesis that friction-induced self-excited vibration of a wheel-rail system causes rail corrugation; two finite element models of a wheel-rail system and a wheel-rail-absorber system are established and analyzed. Both sets of rail vibration test results and theoretical results show that the rail absorbers can effectively reduce the friction-induced self-excited vibration of the wheel-rail system in the frequency range of 200-800 Hz, which corresponds to frequencies of short pitch rail corrugation. This may be a main reason that the rail vibration absorber can suppress the formation of short pitch rail corrugation.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides in length that regulate gene expression by binding to the 3'-untranslated regions of target mRNAs. It is now clear that miRNAs are involved in many biological processes, including proliferation, differentiation and regulation of gene expression during early embryonic development. The miRBase 16.0 (2010) shows that there are 175, 673, 408 and 1048 annotated miRNAs for Caenorhabditis elegans, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus and Homo sapiens, respectively. However, there are only 211 miRNAs described for Sus scrofa. In particular, the full set of miRNAs and their expression patterns are still poorly understood in the embryo. Therefore, we combined Solexa sequencing with computational techniques to analyse the sequences and relative expression levels of S. scrofa miRNAs at embryonic day 33 (E33). Of the distinct miRNAs identified, 76 previously known miRNAs and 194 candidate miRNAs were identified in head, and 77 known miRNAs and 130 predicted candidate miRNAs were identified in organ region. Furthermore, we performed additional investigation for identifying the potential target mRNAs using PicTar and TargetScan. Concurrent function analysis suggested that highly expressed miRNAs are mostly involved in the development of nerves, cerebrum, muscle and organs. Our results provide useful information for the investigation into embryonic miRNAs of pig and provide a valuable resource for investigators interested in the regulation of embryonic development in pigs and other animals.

Polycrystalline ceramic samples of magnesia doped GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 have been prepared by conventional solid state reaction method using high purity oxides. The influence of magnesia dopant content on densification, microstructure and electrical properties of GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 ceramics are investigated. Magnesia doping promotes the sintering densification behaviour of GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 ceramics. GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 (x = 0, 0·05, 0·10) ceramics have a single phase of the pyrochlore type structure, while GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 (x = 0·15, 0·20) ceramics consist of the pyrochlore type structure and a small amount of magnesia as the second phase. The total conductivity of GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 ceramics obeys the Arrhenius relation, and gradually increases with increasing temperature from 723 to 1173 K. GdSm1–xMgxZr2O7–x/2 ceramics are oxide-ion conductors in the oxygen partial pressure range of 1·0×10–4 to 1·0 atm at each test temperature. The maximum value of the total conductivity is 1·29×10–2 S cm–...

The Dark Matter Time Projection Chamber (DMTPC) collaboration is developing a low-pressure gas TPC for detecting WIMP-nucleon interactions. DMTPC detectors use optical readout with CCD cameras to search for the daily modulation of the directional signal of the dark matter wind. An analysis of several charge readout channels has been developed to obtain additional information about ionization events in the detector. In order to reach sensitivities required for the WIMP detection, the detector needs to minimize backgrounds from electron recoils. This article shows that by using the readout of charge signals in addition to CCD readout, a preliminary statistics-limited 90% C.L. upper limit on the γ and e[superscript −] rejection factor of 5.6 × 10[superscript −6] is obtained for energies between 40 keV[subscript ee] and 200 keV[subscript ee]., United States. Dept. of Energy (Grant DE-FG02-05ER41360), United States. Dept. of Energy. Advanced Detector Research Program (Contract 6916448), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. James H. Ferry Fund for Innovation in Research Education, MIT Department of Physics Pappalardo Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Charles E. Reed Faculty Initiative Fund), Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics, Bates Linear Accelerator Center

To investigate the value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting the efficacy of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer.From 2007 to 2012, 86 patients with histopathologicaIly proven rectal cancer who underent pre-CRT were enrolled in this study prospectively. Diffusion-weighted MRl was performed in all patients before pre-CRT, while it was performed in part of the patients during and after pre-CRT as well.ADC values of the tumors were calculated on the workstation. Patients were assigned to the tumor downstaged group or the tumor nondownstaged group on the basis of T staging. The change in ADC following treatment and the difference in ADC between groups were analyzed.Of the 86 patients after surgery, 20 were diagnosed with T0, 2 with T1, 17 with T2, 44 with T3 and 3 with T4. 39 patients were classified as the downstaged group, of which 18 were of pCR. The remaining 47 patients were classified as the nondownstaged group. Of the total of 86 patients, the mean ADC values before, during, and after pre-CRT (pre-ADC, during-ADC, and post-ADC) were (1.03±0.17)×10(-3), (1.39±0.28)×10(-3), and (1.61±0.27)×10(-3) mm(2)/s and there was a significant difference (P0.001). However, the pre-CRT ADC of the downstaged group did not differ significantly from that of the nondownstaged group (P=0.615). Of the 43 patients who underwent MRI before, during and after pre-CRT, the mean ADC values were (1.05±0.16)×10(-3), (1.39±0.29)×10(-3)and (1.67±0.30)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively, showing a significant difference (P0.001)as well.The mean ADC value of rectal cancer is gradually increasing along with the course of chemotherapy. Pre-ADC is not a good parameter to be used to predict the efficacy of pre-CRT for locally advanced rectal cancer.

To explore the multidisciplinary therapeutic mode, clinical effect and prognostic factors of pancreatic cancer with liver metastases (PCLM).We retrospectively selected 497 consecutive patients with PCLM who were pathologically diagnosed and treated at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, from January, 2000 to December, 2012. Clinical characteristics, treatment modality, survival condition and factors associated with prognosis of these cases were analyzed, and efficacy of multidisciplinary treatment model was evaluated.Of these patients, the male/female ratio was 1.85∶1, with a median age of 59. A total of 358 (72.0%) cases had synchronous liver metastases, and 173 (34.8%) cases complicated with extrahepatic metastases. The 0.5, 1, 3, 5 year survival rates of 497 patients were 44.1%, 19.7%, 3.2% and 2.2%, respectively, with a median survival (MS) of 5.4 months. Patients who were treated with 3 or more approaches (including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, interventional therapy, and physiotherapy) had a longer median survival time than patients treated with 2 or only 1 approach (MS: 8.6 vs 5.2 vs 4.6 months, P0.001). Multivariate analysis for clinical features and treatment modality showed that age, weight loss, ascites, karnofsky performance score (KPS), primary site resection, albumin, carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, resection of liver metastases, radiation therapy and systemic chemotherapy were prognostic variables with statistical significance.PCLM is a refractory malignant tumor. Age60, weight loss (≥10% within 3 months), ascites, KPS80, albumin35 g/L, and CA19-9 ≥500 U/ml were the most relevant predictors of poor survival. Multimodal treatment using curative resection of pancreatic cancer and/or liver metastases, systemic chemotherapy and radiation therapy may improve the prognosis and survival rate sufficiently.

Exchange bias in [Pt/Co]/NiO multilayers were studied as a function of film thickness and [Pt/Co] layer repetition. A strong temperature dependence of the coercivity, H c ,and exchange bias field, H ex, was observed for the thick and thinnest [Pt/Co]/NiO multilayers. While the thinnest [Pt(3 nm)/Co(1.25 nm)] 4 /NiO multilayers exhibits no in-plane exchange bias field, a perpendicular H ex⊥ ∼ -150 Oe at 80 K was measured. By contrast, the thickest [Pt(12 nm)/Co(10 nm)] 1 /NiO multilayers exhibited an in-plane H ex// ∼ -600 Oe (with H ex// ∼ -1300 Oe at 5 K) with no measurable perpendicular exchange bias field. The estimated interfacial exchange coupling energy implies the effective Co layer thickness contributing to the exchange bias is effective only in Co layer in contact with NiO bottom layer. AC susceptibility and the temperature dependence of H ex show that the a 1.25 nm thick Co component enables perpendicular exchange bias with a reduced blocking temperature T B ∼200 K, compared to that (T B ∼250 K) for the thick [Pt/Co]/NiO multilayers. This is attributed to disordered CoPt phases that formed due to intermixing between Co and Pt during deposition.

We have investigated the structures and magnetic properties of as-deposited and annealed [Pt(20 A)/Fe(15 A)]10/Pt(30 nm) multilayers under different End-Hall voltages (VEH = 0 ∼ 150 V). The films deposited with no End-Hall voltage consisted of Fe (a = 2.91 A), Pt (3.96 A), and disordered FePt (a = 3.82 A) phases. Increasing VEH helps compact the individual Fe and Pt layers, while preventing FePt intermixing. However, increasing the annealing temperature to 550 °C resulted in an ordered f.c.t. FePt (a = 3.85 A, c = 3.73 A) phase for films deposited with VEH = 0V, and a mixture of Fe and Pt phases with grain coarsening was found for films prepared with VEH = 150 V. A drastic increase in coercivity (Hc ∼ 4600 Oe) in the annealed sample (VEH = 0 V) is attributed to the formation of FePt phases. A decrease in Hc with increasing VEH indicates that FePt formation may be suppressed via more energetic ion beam bombardment that resulted in the activation barrier of diffusion increasing dramatically. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A series of [Pt(2 nm)/Co(2 nm)]10/Pt(30 nm) multilayers were deposited by using an ion-beam technique. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results have shown that as-deposited samples consist of h.c.p. Co and f.c.c. Pt phases. Disordered CoPt3 phases were developed with increasing End-Hall voltage (VEH) that induces greater ion-beam bombardment energy during deposition. This indicates that intermixing of Co and Pt increases with ion-beam bombardment. The coercivities (ranging from 100 Oe to 300 Oe) of Co/Pt multilayers decreased with increasing VEH. After annealing, the formation of CoPt3 was observed in these ion-beam bombarded samples, resulting in lower coercivities (Hc ∼ 50 Oe). The depressed transition temperature of CoPt3 for films deposited with the largest VEH was attributed to distorted CoPt3 structures that appeared with annealing. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

In this study, the structural and magnetic properties of exchange coupled nanocomposite FePt-FePt 3 films were investigated. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy results showed that after rapid thermal annealing (600 °C for 6 minutes), a phase transformation from [Pt+Fe] into composite FePt-FePt 3 phases was obtained. Annealing created an ordered FePt phase that resulted in a large room temperature coercivity (H c ∼ 3200 Oe) compared to the as-deposited film (H c ∼ 20 Oe). While no exchange bias field (H ex ∼ 0 Oe) was measured at room temperature, the annealed sample showed significant H ex ∼ -500 Oe at lower temperatures (150 K ≤ T ≤ 250 K), indicative of exchange coupling between FePt and FePt3. The high blocking temperature (∼ 250 K) indicates FePt 3 exhibits an enhanced Neel temperature. Further increasing the annealing temperature to 700 °C resulted in a reduction of Hex which is attributed to the transformation of FePt3 into the FePt phase at this higher annealing temperature.

We have investigated the structural and magnetic properties of ion-beam deposited polycrystalline NiFe (25 nm)/Fe-oxide (35 nm) bilayers. A film prepared with an assist beam O2 to Ar gas ratio of 0% during deposition had a bottom layer that consisted of pure b.c.c. Fe (a = 2.87 Å) whereas films prepared with 19%O2/Ar and 35%O2/Ar had either Fe3O4(a = 8.47 Å) or α-Fe2O3 (a = 5.04 Å, c = 13.86 Å) bottom layers, respectively. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed a smooth interface between the top nano-columnar NiFe and bottom nano-columnar Fe-oxide layer for all films. At room temperature, the observed coercivity (Hc ∼ 25 Oe) for a film prepared with 19%O2/Ar indicates the existence of a magnetically hard ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 phase that is enhancing the plain NiFe (Hc ∼ 2 Oe) by way of exchange coupling. A significant amount of exchange bias is observed below 50 K, and at 10 K the size of exchange bias hysteresis loops shift increases with increasing oxygen in the films. Furthermore, the strongest exchange coupling (Hex ∼ 135 Oe at 10 K) is with α-Fe2O3 (35%O2/Ar) as the bottom film layer. This indicates that the pure antiferromagnetic phases work better than ferrimagnetic phases when in contact with ferromagnetic NiFe. Hex(T) is well described by an effective AF domain wall energy that creates an exchange field with a (1 − T/Tcrit) temperature dependence. Hc(T) exhibits three distinct regimes of constant temperature that may indicate the existence of different AF spin populations that couple to the FM layer at different temperatures.

It has been well known that alterations in DNA methylation - an important regulator of gene transcription - lead to cancer. Therefore a change in the level of DNA methylation of whole genome has been considered as a biomarker of carcinogenesis. Previously, a large number of experimental results in genetic toxicology have showed that benzo[a]pyrene could cause DNA mutation and fragmentation. However, there was little to no studies on alterations in DNA methylation of genome directly result from exposure to benzo[a]pyrene. In this paper, possible mechanisms of alterations in whole genomic DNA methylation by benzo[a]pyrene were investigated using ICR mice after benzo[a]pyrene exposure. The blood, liver, pancreas, skin, lung and bladder of ICR mice were removed and checked after a fixed time interval (6 hours) of benzo[a]pyrene exposure, and whole genomic DNA methylation level was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results exhibited tissue specificity, that is, the level of whole genomic DNA methylation decreases significantly in blood and liver, rather than pancreas, lung, skin and bladder of ICR mice. This study investigated the direct relationship between aberrant DNA methylation level and benzo[a]pyrene exposure, which might be helpful to clarify the toxicological mechanism of benzo[a]pyrene in epigenetic perspectives.

PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected simultaneously in Beijing, China, and analyzed by INAA and ICP-MS. Seasonal variations of the concentrations of ambient particles and their elemental compositions were found. The main sources of PM10 and PM2.5 in spring were the crust, coal burning and vehicle exhaust, in which the former was significant. During a strong dust storm, the concentrations of the crustal elements in PM10 and PM2.5 increased remarkably, but the concentrations of some anthropogenic elements decreased. The enrichment factors of these anthropogenic elements also decreased sharply during the dust storm, which indicated that they were mostly originated from local anthropogenic pollution and diluted by the huge amount of dust.

The Fe-B/FePt-type nanocomposite ribbons with strong exchange-coupling and high permanent magnetic properties have been developed by the melt-spinning method. For ternary (Fe 0.5+y Pt 0.5-y ) z B 100-z (y=0–0.2; z=82 and 84), multiple phases, namely γ 1 , Fe 2 B and Fe 3 B, with nanoscaled grain sizes (25–35 nm) can readily form in ribbons after an isothermal annealing at 500 °C. Strong exchange-coupling between grains was found in these ribbons, giving rise to an enhancement of not only the remanence but also the maximum energy product. An i H c of more than 12 kOe has been obtained in (Fe 0.6 Pt 0.4 ) 82 B 18 (B r = 6.6 kG, (BH) max =8.9 MGOe), and a B r of 9.4 kG, ft of 7.5 kOe and (BH) max of 14.0 MGOe can be achieved in (Fe 0.675 Pt 0.325 ) 84 B 16 . Magnetically soft Fe 2 B and Fe 3 B were found to present in the matrix, as evidenced by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. Because of the higher saturation magnetization of Fe 3 B than Fe 2 B, the coexistence of Fe 3 B with Fe 2 B and γ 1 phases was believed the main cause to result in the improved remanence and magnetic energy product of the (Fe 0.675 Pt 0.325 ) 84 B 16 ribbons.

The robust control of networked predictive control systems with random network delay in the feedback channel is studied in this paper. The stabilisation of systems with constant time-delay is discussed by converting the corresponding Lyapunov inequality to a non-linear inequality. To obtain the maximum domain of uncertainties, the non-linear inequality is evolved as a non-linear optimisation control problem. After the optimisation problem is solved, it yields a controller that can stabilise the system and the domain of uncertainties. Furthermore, for the case of random network induced time-delay, robust stabilisation problem can be formulated as a set of inequalities, which are related to the corresponding constant time-delay, respectively. This result is verified by a numerical example.

Summary Acupuncture has been practiced empirically in China for several millennia, and is being increasingly accepted by practitioners and patients worldwide. Functional gastrointestinal disorders are common in clinical gastroenterology. The prevalence of one or more functional gastrointestinal disorders is estimated to be as high as 70% in general population using Rome diagnostic criteria. Since functional gastrointestinal disorders are diagnosed based on symptoms and the exact aetiologies for most of functional gastrointestinal disorders are not completely known, it is not unusual that the treatment for these disorders is unsatisfactory and alternative therapies are attractive to both patients and practitioners. During the latest decades, a considerable number of studies have been performed on acupuncture for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders and underlying mechanisms. In this article, we reviewed available data in the literature on the applications and mechanisms of acupuncture for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders, including functional oesophageal disorders, nausea and vomiting, functional dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, etc. A summary is provided based on the quality and quantity of published studies regarding the efficacy of acupuncture in treating these various disorders. In addition, the methodology of acupuncture is also introduced.

The aim was to investigate the effects of electrical field stimulation (EFS) with long and short pulses on gastric emptying, gastric contractility and vagal activity in dogs. Sixteen dogs were equipped with a duodenal cannula, electrodes and strain gauges (10 dogs) in the stomach. Each dog was fed with Ensure and gastric effluent was collected from the cannula. Electrical stimulation was applied via two electrodes (about 12 cm apart, one in the corpus and the other in the antrum) with long pulses (a frequency of 6 cycles min-1, pulse amplitude of 6 mA and width of 100 ms) in 10 dogs and with short pulses (frequency of 30 Hz and pulse width of 300 micros) in six dogs. The electrocardiogram was also recorded and heart rate variability was derived to assess the vagal activity. It was found that: (i). EFS with long pulses did not alter gastric emptying during stimulation but increased gastric emptying during the 45 min immediately after stimulation; (ii). EFS with long pulses increased gastric contractility in both proximal and distal antrum during and after the stimulation; (iii). EFS with long pulses resulted in an increase in vagal tone during the 45 min immediately after stimulation. However, there is no difference during the 45 min period of stimulation; (iv). EFS with short pulses had no effect on gastric emptying. We concluded that long pulse gastric electrical field stimulation with one electrode in the corpus and the other electrode in the antrum has postponed effects on gastric emptying of liquid, gastric contractility and vagal activity.

We report on the optical absorption, adhesion, and microstructure of radio-frequency magnetron sputtered films of hydrogenated amorphous and microcrystalline GaAs films for the 1 to 25 μm infrared wavelength range. Sputtering parameters which were varied include sputtering power, temperature and pressure, and hydrogen sputtering-gas concentration. Transmission electron microscopy results show a sharp transition from purely amorphous GaAs to a mixture of microcrystalline GaAs in an amorphous matrix at a substrate-holder temperature of 34±2 °C. By optimizing the sputtering parameters, the optical-absorption coefficient can be decreased below 100 cm−1 for wavelengths greater than about 1.25 μm. These results represent the lowest reported values of optical absorption for sputtered films of GaAs directly measured by spectrophotometry for the near-infrared wavelength region.

Increased microRNA-10b (miR-10b) expression in the cancer cells in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a marker of disease aggressiveness. In the present study, we determined that plasma miR-10b levels are significantly increased in PDAC patients by comparison with normal controls. By gene profiling, we identified potential targets downregulated by miR-10b, including Tat-interacting protein 30 (TIP30). Immunoblotting and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that TIP30 was a direct miR-10b target. Downregulation of TIP30 by miR-10b or siRNA-mediated silencing of TIP30 enhanced epidermal growth factor (EGF)-dependent invasion. The actions of miR-10b were abrogated by expressing a modified TIP30 cDNA resistant to miR-10b. EGF-induced EGF receptor (EGFR) tyrosine phosphorylation and extracellular signal–regulated kinase phosphorylation were enhanced by miR-10b, and these effects were mimicked by TIP30 silencing. The actions of EGF in the presence of miR-10b were blocked by EGFR kinase inhibition with erlotinib and by dual inhibition of PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase) and MEK. Moreover, miR-10b, EGF and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) combined to markedly increase cell invasion, and this effect was blocked by the combination of erlotinib and SB505124, a type I TGF-β receptor inhibitor. miR-10b also enhanced the stimulatory effects of EGF and TGF-β on cell migration and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and decreased the expression of RAP2A, EPHB2, KLF4 and NF1. Moreover, miR-10b overexpression accelerated pancreatic cancer cell (PCC) proliferation and tumor growth in an orthotopic model. Thus, plasma miR-10b levels may serve as a diagnostic marker in PDAC, whereas intra-tumoral miR-10b promotes PCC proliferation and invasion by suppressing TIP30, which enhances EGFR signaling, facilitates EGF–TGF-β cross-talk and enhances the expression of EMT-promoting genes, whereas decreasing the expression of several metastasis-suppressing genes. Therefore, therapeutic targeting of miR-10b in PDAC may interrupt growth-promoting deleterious EGF–TGF-β interactions and antagonize the metastatic process at various levels.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) in monitoring response to radiotherapy in high-risk prostate cancer (PC).This retrospective study included 78 patients with high-risk PC undergoing 3.0-T MRI (supplemented by DWI) before and after intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Based on follow-up clinical examinations, patients were divided into two groups: the recurrence group (patients who suffered biochemical/clinical recurrence within 3 years, n = 13) and the non-recurrence group (patients who were recurrence free for over 3 years, n = 65). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values before and after IMRT were compared between these two groups. The receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was carried out to investigate the discriminatory capability for pre- and post-IMRT ADC values.The overall ADC values were 1.04 ± 0.18 × 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) for PCs before IMRT and 1.45 ± 0.15 × 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) after IMRT (p 0.001). A statistically significant difference in post-IMRT ADC values was noted between patients with and without recurrence (1.27 ± 0.14 × 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) vs 1.49 ± 0.12 × 10(-3)mm(2) s(-1); p 0.001), although there was no statistical difference between them in pre-IMRT ADC values (1.00 ± 0.17 × 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1) vs 1.05 ± 0.18 × 10(-3) mm(2) s(-1); p = 0.31). The ROC curve analysis revealed that the post-IMRT ADC values could help identify patients suffering recurrences (area under the curve, 0.88; p 0.001).Marked increase in ADC values was observed in PC after radiotherapy, especially in good responders. DWI is a valuable tool for monitoring the response to radiotherapy.This study examined the relationship between ADC changes and tumour response to treatment of PC.

Microstructure and tribological properties of low-pressure plasma-sprayed (LPPS) ZrO2–CaF2–Ag2O (ZFA) composite coating were studied by means of optical microscope, scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA), electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and high-temperature reciprocating wear tester. Coating selected for this investigation was 8 wt.% Y2O3 partially stabilized zirconia coating doped with CaF2 and Ag2O as the solid lubricants. The as-sprayed ZFA coating exhibits a typical lamellar structure of ZrO2 and CaF2 constituents, and some amounts of isolated Ag2O particles. ZFA coating possesses a distinct improvement in wear resistance and frictional characteristics as compared to yttria partially stabilized zirconia (YPSZ) coating at elevated temperatures. At 300–700°C, the ZFA coating exhibits lower friction and wear than at room temperature, 200 or 800°C. Ag2O and CaF2 acting as solid lubricants effectively at 300–400 and 600–700°C, respectively, reduce the friction of the composite. But with the increase of temperature up to 800°C, the severe adhesive sliding causes more material transfer and tearing-out of coating, and finally leads to a high friction and wear. The change or wear transition from a microcrack- or microfracture-controlled wear at room temperature and 200°C to plastic deformation- and adhesion-controlled wear at elevated temperatures is quite distinct and is accompanied by a great change in both friction coefficient and wear loss (such as those at 300 or 800°C).

The microstructure and high-temperature tribological properties of low-pressure plasma-sprayed Cr2O3 ceramic coatings undoped or doped with different additives, such as CaF2, Ag2O and ZrO2 were studied. Under the identical plasma-spray condition, the composite coatings doped with additives exhibited a larger thickness and distinctly lower hardness than pure Cr2O3 coating. Within the as-sprayed composites, ZrO2 and Cr2O3 constituents were observed as fine lamellar structures and Ag2O as isolated particles with different gray levels in the back-scattered electron (BSE) mode, while CaF2 appeared as a darker region with a great volume fraction. Some resolidified structure of ZrO2 crystals featured by fine equiaxed or dendritic grains were clearly observed in the ZrO2 lamellae on the cross-section or the polished surface. Friction coefficients of the composite coatings doped with additives were quite high at room temperature and gradually decreased with increasing of temperature. The situation was reversed for the pure Cr2O3 coating. Among the three kinds of Cr2O3-based coatings, Cr2O3–CaF2–Ag2O (CFA) composite coating exhibited the lowest friction and wear characteristics at above 500°C and reached a minimum value of friction coefficient at 800°C. The Ag2O additive was beneficial to improve the adherence and wettability of the CaF2 transfer film to the counterface, while the ZrO2 additive was detrimental to the formation of a complete CaF2 transfer film because of crushing and microfracture debris of ZrO2 crystals on the worn surface at elevated temperature.

The unlubricated friction and wear behavior of low pressure plasma-sprayed (LPPS) ZrO 2 coating were studied by using a standard SRV wear test system with reciprocating motion against sintered Al 2 O 3 ceramic sphere from room temperature to 800°C. Microstructural observations showed that ZrO 2 splats appeared as fine lamellae structures together with small amounts of Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 inclusions with different gray levels in the back-scattered electron (BSE) mode. The friction and wear of ZrO 2 coating showed a strong dependence on temperature, changing from a low to a high wear regime with the increase of temperature. ZrO 2 coating exhibited low friction and wear at room temperature and 200°C. However, when temperature was increased to above 400°C, friction and wear of the coating increased rapidly and reached a maximum at 600°C together with significant noise and distinct vibration caused by severe surface fracture. Intersplat fracture and surface fatigue of ZrO 2 splats were demonstrated to be the dominated wear mechanism at room temperature. Delamination caused by subsurface crack propagation and inclusion cracking was the dominated wear mechanism at 600°C. Above 700°C, recrystallization and abrasive wear in the form of removal of fine ZrO 2 grains became the dominated wear mechanism together with local plastic flow and viscous deformation.

The friction and wear characteristics of low-pressure plasma-sprayed (LPPS) ZrO2-Cr2O3-CaF2 from room temperature to 800°C were studied by using a high-temperature reciprocating wear tester. At room temperature, friction of ZrO2-Cr2O3-CaF2 composite coating against Al2O3 sphere was quite high, and exhibited a decrease trend with the increase of load from 30 N to 80 N. At 700°C, the composite exhibited the lowest friction and wear among all selected temperature conditions. Brittle fracture and delamination with large wear sheets were considered as the dominant wear mechanism at room temperature. At 400°C, microfracture dropping become more dominated. However, plastic deformation, formation of CaF2 lubrication films and particle removal of Cr2O3 appeared as the main wear mechanisms at elevated temperatures. CaF2 acting as an effective lubricant at 600°C and 700°C reduced the friction and wear of the composite. Cr2O3 particles played a very important role on controlling the size and type of microcracks and preventing or deflecting the microcrack propagation during 700°C test. Cr2O3 particles also acted as hard barriers to resist the scratching and high-temperature deformation of ZrO2-CaF2 matrix without increasing the friction. To a great extent, wear mainly depended on the degree of debonding and removal of Cr2O3 particles at 700°C.

Effect of annealing time on the magnetic properties and microstructure of (Fe0.675Pt0.325)84B16 ribbon has been studied. For the as-quenched ribbons (Vs=45 m/s) annealed isothermally at 500 °C, iHc increases from 0.05 kOe for the quenched ribbons to the optimal value of 7.5 kOe after 5 h annealing, but Br increases from 1.2 kG for the as-quenched ribbons to 7.5 kG after 5 h annealing at first, then decreases when the annealing time is over 6 h. From thermal magnetic analyzer (TMA) and high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM), magnetically soft Fe2B and Fe3B were found to coexist with magnetically hard γ1-FePt phase in the ribbons after suitable annealing. The existence of sufficient fine Fe3B with Fe2B phases and the well exchange coupling effect between hard and soft phases are the main cause of the improved remanence and magnetic energy product of the ternary (Fe0.675Pt0.325)84B16 ribbons.

We show that the magnetism of core-shell nanoparticles (made of maghemite, $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-Fe${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$, cores and transition-metal and metal-oxide shells) is altered substantially by the interface, which is a doped iron-oxide layer formed naturally during the seed-mediated synthesis process, a route used typically to produce core-shell nanoparticles. Characteristics fundamental to useful applications, such as the anisotropy and superparamagnetic blocking temperature, were altered substantially with Cu, CoO, MnO, and NiO shells. To ascertain the origin of this behavior, the prototype $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-Fe${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$/CoO core-shell nanoparticles are described in detail. We show that the magnetism originates essentially from an interfacial doped iron-oxide layer formed via migration of shell ions, e.g., Co${}^{2+}$, into octahedral site vacancies in the surface layers of the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-Fe${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$ core. For this system, an overall Fe ${m}_{\mathrm{orb}}/{m}_{\mathrm{spin}}=0.15\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ is measured (${m}_{\mathrm{orb}}\ensuremath{\sim}0$ for the Fe-oxides) and an enhanced Co ${m}_{\mathrm{orb}}/{m}_{\mathrm{spin}}=0.65\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ elucidates the origin of the unexpectedly high overall anisotropy of the nanoparticle. This interfacial layer is responsible for the overall (e.g., bulk) magnetism and provides a perspective on how the magnetism of core-shell nanoparticles manifests from the selected core and shell materials.