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Pot experiments were conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization rate on the photosynthetic efficiency of 'Huangguogan' (Citrus reticulata × Citrus sinensis). We observed that plant growth increased with increasing N. Maximum values for parameters evaluated were recorded for an N addition rate of 120 g per year. Leaf chlorophyll content was positively correlated with the leaf N content. The relative reduction in photosynthetic rate (PN) at high N (150 and 180 g) correlated with the parallel decreases in the leaf N content. Rubisco activity was positively correlated with the initial slope of the PN/Ci response curve.indicating that N supplement improved photosynthesis by enhancing carboxylation and CO2 diffusion, photosynthetic capacity increased with N supply up to 120 g. Thereafter, the rate of increase declined with any further increase in N supply. These results provide a reference for a rational application of nitrogen fertilizer in orchards of 'Huangguogan'.

We report a study of the e+e−→D+D−π+π− process using e+e− collision data samples with an integrated luminosity of 2.5fb−1 at center-of-mass energies from 4.36 to 4.60GeV, collected with the BESIII detector at the BEPCII storage ring. The D1(2420)+ is observed in the D+π+π− mass spectrum. The mass and width of the D1(2420)+ are measured to be (2427.2±1.0stat.±1.2syst.)MeV/c2 and (23.2±2.3stat.±2.3syst.)MeV, respectively. In addition, the Born cross sections of the e+e−→D1(2420)+D−+c.c.→D+D−π+π− and e+e−→ψ(3770)π+π−→D+D−π+π− processes are measured as a function of the center-of-mass energy.

Silkworm silk has been considered to be a luxurious textile for more than five thousand years. Native silk fibroin (SF) films have excellent (ca. 90%) optical transparency and exhibit fluorescence under UV light. The silk dyeing process is very important and difficult, and methods such as pigmentary coloration and structural coloration have been tested for coloring silk fabrics. To functionalize silk that exhibits fluorescence, the in vivo and in vitro assembly of functional compounds with SF and the resulting amplification of fluorescence emission are examined. Finally, we discuss the applications of SF materials in basic optical elements, light energy conversion devices, photochemical reactions, sensing, and imaging. This review is expected to provide insight into the interaction between light and silk and to inspire researchers to develop silk materials with a consideration of history, material properties, and future prospects. : Fibrous Material; Materials Property; Optical Materials Subject Areas: Fibrous Material, Materials Property, Optical Materials

Fine structure in the α decay of 223U was observed in the fusion-evaporation reaction 187Re(40Ar, p3n) by using fast digital pulse processing technique. Two α-decay branches of 223U feeding the ground state and 244 keV excited state of 219Th were identified by establishing the decay chain 223U →α1 219Th →α2 215Ra →α3 211Rn. The α-particle energy for the ground-state to ground-state transition of 223U was determined to be 8993(17) keV, 213 keV higher than the previous value, the half-life was updated to be 62−10+14 μs. Evolution of nuclear structure for N = 131 even-Z isotones from Po to U was discussed in the frameworks of nuclear mass and reduced α-decay width, a weakening octupole deformation in the ground state of 223U relative to its lighter isotones 219Ra and 221Th was suggested. Keywords: Fine structure, α decay, Spin and parity, Reduced α-decay width, Quadrupole-octupole deformation

Excited states in 63,65,67Mn were studied via in-beam γ-ray spectroscopy following knockout reactions from 68Fe. Similar level schemes, consisting of the 11/2−, 9/2−, 7/2− and 5/2g.s.− level sequence, connected by I→I−1 transitions, were established, the first time for 65,67Mn. Their level structures show features consistent with strongly-coupled rotational bands with K=5/2. State-of-the-art shell-model calculations with the modified LNPS effective interaction reproduce the observed levels remarkably well and suggest the dominance of 4-particle-4-hole neutron configurations for all the states. The data on the low-lying excited states of odd-mass 53−67Mn provide a textbook example of nuclear structure evolution from weak coupling through decoupling to strong coupling along a single isotopic chain on the n-rich side of the β stability line. These results help to deepen our understanding of the N=40 “island of inversion”. Keywords: In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy, “Island of inversion” around N=40, Strong coupling, Structure evolution

The four decay modes D0→ϕπ0, D0→ϕη, D+→ϕπ+, and D+→ϕK+ are studied by using a data sample taken at the centre-of-mass energy s=3.773 GeV with the BESIII detector, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.93 fb−1. The branching fractions of the first three decay modes are measured to be B(D0→ϕπ0)=(1.168±0.028±0.028)×10−3, B(D0→ϕη)=(1.81±0.46±0.06)×10−4, and B(D+→ϕπ+)=(5.70±0.05±0.13)×10−3, respectively, where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. In addition, the upper limit of the branching fraction for D+→ϕK+ is given to be 2.1×10−5 at the 90% confidence level. The ratio of B(D0→ϕπ0) to B(D+→ϕπ+) is calculated to be (20.49±0.50±0.45)%, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction based on isospin symmetry between these two decay modes. Keywords: BESIII, D meson, Hadronic decays, Branching fractions

The N=130 short-lived isotope 223Np was produced as evaporation residue (ER) in the fusion reaction 40Ar + 187Re at the gas-filled recoil separator Spectrometer for Heavy Atom and Nuclear Structure (SHANS). It was identified through temporal and spatial correlations with α decays of 215Ac and/or 211Fr, the third and fourth members of the α-decay chain starting from 223Np. The pileup signals of ER(223Np)–α(223Np)–α(219Pa) were resolved by using the digital pulse processing technique. An α decay with half-life of T1/2=2.15(52100) μs and energy of Eα=9477(44)keV was attributed to 223Np. Spin and parity of 9/2− were tentatively proposed for the ground state of 223Np by combining the reduced α-decay width and large-scale shell-model calculations. This assignment together with the proton separation energy disprove the existence of a Z=92 subshell closure. Keywords: New isotope, Short-lived α radioactivity, Proton separation energy, Subshell closure

Excited states in neutron-rich nuclei located south-east of 132Sn are investigated by shell-model calculations. A new shell-model Hamiltonian is constructed for the present study. The proton–proton and neutron–neutron interactions of the Hamiltonian are obtained through the existing CD-Bonn G matrix results, while the proton–neutron interaction across two major shells is derived from the monopole based universal interaction plus the M3Y spin–orbit force. The present Hamiltonian can reproduce well the experimental data available in this region, including one-neutron separation energies, level energies and the experimental B(E2) values of isomers in 134,136,138Sn, 130Cd, and 128Pd. New isomers are predicted in this region, e.g. in 135Sn, 131Cd, 129Pd, 132,134In and 130Ag, in which almost no excited states are known experimentally yet. In the odd–odd 132,134In and 130Ag, the predicted very long E2 life-times of the low-lying 5− states are discussed, demanding more information on the related proton–neutron interaction. The low-lying states of 132In are discussed in connection with the recently observed γ rays. The predicted 19/2− isomer in 129Pd could decay by both electromagnetic transitions and neutron emission with comparable partial life-times, making it a good candidate for neutron radioactivity, a decay mode which is yet to be discovered.

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), a pleiotropic cytokine, plays an important role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation; however, the upstream regulation of MIF in atrial myocytes remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether and how MIF is regulated in response to the renin-angiotensin system and oxidative stress in atrium myocytes (HL-1 cells). MIF protein and mRNA levels in HL-1 cells were assayed using immunofluorescence, real-time PCR, and Western blot. The result indicated that MIF was expressed in the cytoplasm of HL-1 cells. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), but not angiotensin II, stimulated MIF expression in HL-1 cells. H2O2-induced MIF protein and gene levels increased in a dose-dependent manner and were completely abolished in the presence of catalase. H2O2-induced MIF production was completely inhibited by tyrosine kinase inhibitors genistein and PP1, as well as by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF109203X, suggesting that redox-sensitive MIF production is mediated through tyrosine kinase and PKC-dependent mechanisms in HL-1 cells. These results suggest that MIF is upregulated by HL-1 cells in response to redox stress, probably by the activation of Src and PKC.

Our objective is to evaluate the accuracy of three algorithms in differentiating the origins of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias (OTVAs). This study involved 110 consecutive patients with OTVAs for whom a standard 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG) showed typical left bundle branch block morphology with an inferior axis. All the ECG tracings were retrospectively analyzed using the following three recently published ECG algorithms: 1) the transitional zone (TZ) index, 2) the V2 transition ratio, and 3) V2 R wave duration and R/S wave amplitude indices. Considering all patients, the V2 transition ratio had the highest sensitivity (92.3%), while the R wave duration and R/S wave amplitude indices in V2 had the highest specificity (93.9%). The latter finding had a maximal area under the ROC curve of 0.925. In patients with left ventricular (LV) rotation, the V2 transition ratio had the highest sensitivity (94.1%), while the R wave duration and R/S wave amplitude indices in V2 had the highest specificity (87.5%). The former finding had a maximal area under the ROC curve of 0.892. All three published ECG algorithms are effective in differentiating the origin of OTVAs, while the V2 transition ratio, and the V2 R wave duration and R/S wave amplitude indices are the most sensitive and specific algorithms, respectively. Amongst all of the patients, the V2 R wave duration and R/S wave amplitude algorithm had the maximal area under the ROC curve, but in patients with LV rotation the V2 transition ratio algorithm had the maximum area under the ROC curve.

We develop single-photon detectors comprising single-mode fiber-coupled superconducting nanowires, with high system detection efficiencies at a wavelength of 940 nm. The detector comprises a 6.5-nm-thick, 110-nm-wide NbN nanowire meander fabricated onto a Si substrate with a distributed Bragg reflector for enhancing the optical absorptance. We demonstrate that, via the design of a low filling factor (1/3) and active area (Φ = 10 μm), the system reaches a detection efficiency of ∼60% with a dark count rate of 10 Hz, a recovery time

We evaluated serum total bilirubin levels as a predictor for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and investigated the relationship between serum total bilirubin levels and MetS prevalence. This cross-sectional study included 1728 participants over 65 years of age from Eastern China. Anthropometric data, lifestyle information, and previous medical history were collected. We then measured serum levels of fasting blood-glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and total bilirubin, as well as alanine aminotransferase activity. The prevalence of MetS and each of its individual component were calculated per quartile of total bilirubin level. Logistic regression was used to assess the correlation between serum total bilirubin levels and MetS. Total bilirubin level in the women who did not have MetS was significantly higher than in those who had MetS (P

Collision detection, which refers to the computational problem of finding the relative placement or con-figuration of two or more objects, is an essential component of many applications in computer graphics and robotics. In image-guided robotic surgery, real-time collision detection is critical for preserving healthy anatomical structures during the surgical procedure. However, the computational complexity of the problem usually results in algorithms that operate at low speed. In this paper, we present a fast and accurate algorithm for collision detection between Oriented-Bounding-Boxes (OBBs) that is suitable for real-time implementation. Our proposed Sweep and Prune algorithm can perform a preliminary filtering to reduce the number of objects that need to be tested by the classical Separating Axis Test algorithm, while the OBB pairs of interest are preserved. These OBB pairs are re-checked by the Separating Axis Test algorithm to obtain accurate overlapping status between them. To accelerate the execution, our Sweep and Prune algorithm is tailor-made for the proposed method. Meanwhile, a high performance scalable hardware architecture is proposed by analyzing the intrinsic parallelism of our algorithm, and is implemented on FPGA platform. Results show that our hardware design on the FPGA platform can achieve around 8X higher running speed than the software design on a CPU platform. As a result, the proposed algorithm can achieve a collision frame rate of 1 KHz, and fulfill the requirement for the medical surgery scenario of Robot Assisted Laparoscopy.