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It is of great significance for the safe operation of oil equipment to know the influence of particle size and concentration on the time-averaged velocity of oil. The oil with different particle size and concentration were tested using particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurement technology in an exceedingly square tube, the instant velocity vector information of the oil flow field was non-inheritable, and the time-averaged velocity distributions were analyzed along the flow direction and normal direction. The results showed that the flow time-flow-averaged velocity of the oil-containing particles is a quasi-parabola shape along the normal direction, and its variation amplitude increases with the decrease of the particle concentration and reaches the highest value when the particle size is 25 μm. The normal time-flow-averaged velocity has the extreme value along the normal direction when the particle concentration is low, and the variation range is large; when the normal position ranges from 0 to 0.2 and above 0.2, the unidirectional of the normal time-flow-averaged velocity of the oil is reversed. The distribution of the flow time-normal-averaged velocity along the flow direction is also a quasi-parabolic shape, and its variation amplitude is more uneven with the decrease of particle concentration. Similarly, the distribution of the normal time-normal-averaged velocity along the flow direction increases with the decrease of particle concentration, and this trend is more obvious when the particle size is 25 μm. These changes make the motion characteristics of the oil unstable, which is not conducive to the stable realization of the function of the oil equipment, so the presence of particles in the oil has an important impact on the motion characteristics of the oil and even the accurate and reliable operation of the equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trend surface analysis is one of the important methods for processing radioactive element concentration data of airborne gamma-ray spectrum. At present, the fitting of trend surface is mainly based on the polynomial least-squares method. Due to the degree of limitation of polynomial functions, the polynomial least-squares method is imprecise in describing the trend surface. Therefore, as an alternative approach, we considered the 2D asymmetric least squares (2D-AsLS) developed under 2D tensor product of a P-spline. 2D-AsLS can make full use of the spatial characteristics of radioactive element concentration data to fit trend surfaces. 2D-AsLS can adjust the fitting effect of the trend surface by modifying smoothness, and can evaluate the fitting effect through the parameters (i.e. fitting coefficient, error variance, coefficient of variation, and degree of deviation). Gamma-ray spectrum data acquired by an unmanned aerial vehicle was used in the experiment. The results showed that 2D-AsLS can completely distinguish regional trend and residual values. Moreover, the trend surface fitted by 2D-AsLS can describe the regional radioactive background in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penile intraepithelial neoplasia (PeIN) is a histological term for precancerous penile lesions. PeIN is important due to the high morbidity and mortality associated with progression to penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSSC). But PeIN is rare, contributing to a limited evidence-base for the relative efficacy of available treatment options. To consolidate and expand knowledge about PeIN and its treatment, we describe the clinical and histological characteristics, treatments and outcomes of 345 patients with PeIN, managed by our multidisciplinary team. Our results are compared and contrasted with those in the literature, following comprehensive review. 8.7% of patients had concomitant, invasive PSCC, whilst 91.3% demonstrated PeIN alone. 84% had undifferentiated PeIN, and 10.7% differentiated PeIN (5.2%, not specified). Clinical or histological evidence of HPV alone was present in 58%; features of lichen sclerosus alone in 12%; features of both in 29.4%. Only 14.4% of patients could be treated solely with topical agents or cryotherapy, whereas the remaining 85.6% underwent some form of surgical intervention, circumcision being the mainstay. Just 2.6% progressed to PSCC. Clinical management of PeIN can be rationally optimized with excellent outcomes. Circumcision is important. Topical treatments alone are disappointing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the beginning of the Syrian war in 2011, the world has faced the most severe refugee crisis in history and 5.6 million Syrians have sought asylum in neighbouring countries or in Europe. According to recent estimates, more than 650 000 Syrian refugees are displaced in Jordan. Objectives: This article aims to assess the demographic characteristics and skin disease profile of Syrian displaced people residing in Al Za'atari camp and in communities in Jordan. Furthermore, the authors discuss the barriers to healthcare provision experienced during field missions. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of medical records collected during three medical missions in Jordan by an international dermatological team. Data on patient age, gender, country of origin and skin disease diagnoses were recorded both in Al Za'atari camp and Jordanian towns near the Syrian border. Results: A total of 1197 patients were assessed during the field missions, with 67.7% female and 37.1% under the age of 14 years. Dermatitis was the leading dermatological condition in both refugee camp and community healthcare clinics. Infectious diseases were the second most common; however, fungal presentations were more common in the community as opposed to viral in Al Za'atari. Conclusions: High dermatitis presentations were likely secondary to the environment, living conditions and lack of access to emollients. Infectious diseases were postulated secondary to poor hygiene and sharing of overcrowded spaces. Barriers to health care included limited pharmacological formulary, difficulty in continuity of care and case referrals due to lack of specialized services. Better access to health care, improvement of living conditions and hygiene, and increased availability of medications including emollients and sunscreens are all interventions that should be carried out to reduce skin disease burden. Our findings should further urge the international community to uphold their commitments and uptake engagement in improving health care for Syrian displaced people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Bonner sphere spectrometer (BSS) was developed compensating for the lack of active BSSs for intense neutron field characterization. The spectrometer combines the merits of present active and passive BSSs, namely, online data acquisition capability and intense neutron field resistance, respectively. The key elements of the development are the utilization of diamond detectors as thermal neutron sensors of BSSs and the incorporation of the air gap into the design of the diamond detector for optimizing the pulse height spectrum in order to enhance the rejection capability to γ ray backgrounds and to decrease the impacts of spectrometer instabilities. A two-step method capable of >100 times of calculation time saving compared to the whole geometry model was suggested to establish the response function for neutrons below 20 MeV whose reliability was verified by the two other models. The applicability of the BSS to intense neutron field characterization was demonstrated by the good performance in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) neutron field with an emission rate of ∼1013–1014 neutrons/s. The spectrometer is dedicated to the characterization of intense neutron fields around tokamaks. These devices may find an application in future tokamaks, such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, the Demonstration Power Station, and the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor, whose neutron emission rates will be >104 times higher than those of current tokamaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic emission signals from concrete compression damage process are non-stationary and their arrival time is unknown. Therefore, the definition on the acoustic emission event in the time series is not clear. In this paper, the acoustic emission signals associated with concrete specimen under uniaxial compression are acquired by full-digital acoustic emission system. The overlapping phenomenon of acoustic emission signal is presented and discussed by the analysis of time interval between adjacent hits. Acoustic emission signals are classified into three categories according to their waveform characteristics. And the result shows that as the loading process continues, more and more amount of continuous type of acoustic emission signals appeared, indicating the acoustic emission signal does not carry the features of burst type, which will introduce obvious errors in the calculation of acoustic emission event. In contrast, the average signal level used in the analysis of continuous type of acoustic emission signal shows a good regularity with the damage process of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to describe the global trends in the burden of lymphoma from 1990 to 2019. The data used in this study were from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study. This study described the age-standardised rates of incidence, prevalence, mortality, years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of lymphoma (non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin's lymphoma, NHL and HL, respectively) annually from 1990 to 2019, stratified by sociodemographic index (SDI) and 21 world regions. The estimated annual percentage changes in these indexes were calculated. In 2019, the age-standardised rates of HL per 100,000 population were lower than those of NHL in terms of incidence (1.1 vs 6.7 per 100,000 person-years, respectively) and prevalence (0.3 vs 5.7 per 100,000 person-years, respectively) but not mortality (21.6 vs 3.2 per 100,000 person-years, respectively). From 1999 to 2019, the global incidence of HL decreased and the incidence of NHL increased, and the prevalence of both HL and NHL increased, but the mortality rates decreased. When stratified by SDI, the incidence of HL decreased in all but middle-SDI regions, the mortality rate of HL decreased in all regions, and both the incidence and mortality rate of NHL increased in all but high-SDI regions. The prevalence of HL and NHL increased in all SDI regions, especially in middle-SDI regions. YLLs and DALYs of HL in all SDI regions and those of NHL in high-SDI regions decreased. YLDs slightly increased in middle- to high-SDI regions. Lymphoma remains a major public health issue, and better prevention, precise identification, and promising treatments are vitally important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using one-dimensional tight-binding lattices and an analytical expression based on the Green's matrix, we show that anomalous minimum of the localization length near an isolated flat band, previously found for evanescent waves in a defect-free photonic crystal waveguide, is a generic feature and exists in the Anderson regime as well, i.e., in the presence of disorder. Our finding reveals a scaling behavior of the localization length in terms of the disorder strength, as well as a summation rule of the inverse localization length in terms of the density of states in different bands. Most interestingly, the latter indicates the possibility of having two localization minima inside a band gap, if this band gap is formed by two flat bands such as in a double-sided Lieb lattice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moisture sorption isotherms (MSI) of presoaked brown rice after high-pressure (HP) treatment (100 to 500 MPa for 10 min at ~20°C) were evaluated at 20°C to 40°C, and five existing models were tested for prediction performance. Equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of HP-treated samples at various relative humidities showed a concave upward trend, with the 300 MPa treated samples yielding the lowest EMC value. Hysteresis was observed with all treated samples. All MSI models performed well, and the modified Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model gave the best fit. The mobility and distribution of water in equilibrated brown rice were studied by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. The proton distributions of the samples revealed three or four distinct water populations, which varied with equilibrium relative humidity (water activity). HP treatment resulted in a change in the water distribution and caused the water to be less mobile. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that HP treatment resulted in alteration of the surface structure of the starch granules. This study helped to develop a modified MSI model and better understanding of the water distribution in brown rice treated with HP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and Objective Research has indicated that some Chinese herb injections ( CHIs) might be beneficial in combination with chemotherapy, including remedies that might be used as effective chemosensitizers and radiosensitizers, or as palliative therapy. Here, we carried out a network meta-analysis to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of CHIs combined with oxaliplatin, 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin ( FOLFOX) for advanced colorectal cancer ( CRC). Methods PubMed, EMBASE.com, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ( CENTRAL), Chinese Biomedical Literature Database ( CBM), Wanfang Database and Chinese Journal Full-text Database were searched from inception to 31 December 2014, to identify relevant randomized controlled trails ( RCTs). The risk of bias in included RCTs was evaluated according to the Cochrane Handbook version 5.1.0. Standard pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis were performed to compare the efficacy and safety of different CHIs combined with FOLFOX. Data were analysed using STATA 12.0 and Win BUGS1.4 software. Results and discussion We identified 63 eligible studies (with 4837 patients in total), involving 9 CHIs. Pairwise meta-analysis showed that compared with FOLFOX alone, combinations with Aidi injection and compound matrine injection could significantly improve the overall response rate and quality of life and reduce the incidence of nausea and vomiting ( III- IV), diarrhoea ( III- IV), thrombocytopenia ( III- IV), leukopenia ( III- IV) and peripheral neurotoxicity ( III- IV). According to results of indirect comparison, there were no statistically significant differences for most of comparison groups. Aidi+ FOLFOX, shenqifuzheng+ FOLFOX and compound matrine+ FOLFOX had the greatest probability of being the best treatment in clinical efficacy and safety, considering the small sample size. What is new and Conclusions Most of the included studies were of low quality, and there was a scarcity of eligible trials and numbers of participants. Based on currently limited evidence, aidi, shenqifuzheng and compound matrine were superior to other CHIs in patients receiving FOLFOX chemotherapy for advanced CRC. More studies are required to confirm the efficacy of CHIs in combination with FOLFOX for advanced CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ex-situ and quasi in-situ thermal exposure experiments have been conducted to explore the coarsening behavior of γ′ phases in the Ni-Al binary model single crystal superalloy at 1000 °C. It is obtained in ex-situ experiments that the number density and volume fraction of γ′ phases decrease with the exposure time increasing, while the average size increases. The coarsening of γ′ phases in the width direction obeys the cubic law described by the LSW theory, while the average size change in length is much greater than that in width. In quasi in-situ experiments, it is observed that small γ′ phases shrink or dissolute, the large ones tend to grow up. The coalescence of γ′ phases is also observed, which induces a sharp increase in the length direction. • Ex-situ and quasi in-situ thermal exposure experiments are carried out at 1000 °C. • Shrinkage or dissolution, growth and coalescence of γ′ phases are observed. • The smaller the size is, the faster the γ′ phases decrease. • The coarsening of γ′ phases in the width direction follows the LSW theory. • The coalescence of γ′ phases leads to a deviation from the LSW theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To compare long term outcomes of the crush versus the T technique in bifurcation lesions. Design: 182 consecutive patients were identified who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions for bifurcation lesions with drug eluting stents between April 2002 and January 2004. Two techniques were used according to the operator's discretion: crush (group C, n = 121) or T (group T, n = 61). Results: In-hospital outcome differed significantly between the two groups. Angiographic follow up was available for 142 (78%) patients. Groups C and T did not differ significantly regarding late loss (0.42 (0.39) mm v 0.34 (0.35) mm, p = 0.52) and rate of restenosis (16.2% v 13.0%, p = 0.80) in both the main and the side branch without final kissing balloon post-dilatation. However, when final kissing balloon post-dilatation was performed, group C had significantly lower late lumen loss (0.23 (0.21) mm v 0.37 (0.33) mm, p = 0.02) and restenosis rate (8.6% v 26.5%, p = 0.04) in the side branch. At one year's clinical follow up, group C compared with group T had lower rates of target lesion revascularisation (14.0% v 31.1%, p = 0.01) and target vessel revascularisation (16.5% v 32.8%, p = 0.02). Conclusions: In non-selected bifurcation lesions treated with drug eluting stents, the restenosis rate remains relatively high in the side branch. Compared with the T stenting technique, crush stenting with kissing balloon post-dilatation is associated with a reduced rate of restenosis in the side branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wound closure and coverage are the biggest challenges faced by medical practitioners in treating severe burns. Fresh cadaver allografts are still considered to be the gold standard skin substitute. Unfortunately, their use is severely impeded by inadequate availability. In this report we endeavored to solve this problem by using gene-modified pig skin as a substitue for human skin. We report that adenovirus (Ad)–mediated transfer of human cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 immunoglobin (CTLA4-Ig) into pig skin in vitro is a useful approach to lower immunostimulatory ability and improve the take of pig skin for wound coverage. To optimize gene transfer efficiency, we also compared exogenous gene transfer efficiency in pig skin by Ad5F35 vector with that of the widely used Ad5. The uptake efficiency of Ad5F35 was about 1.3 times more than that of Ad5, and the survival time on rat burn wounds was prolonged by about 3 days. Our results demonstrate that CTLA4Ig gene-modified pig skin is a promising biologic dressing for wound coverage and Ad5F35 an effective viral carrier for delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auxin is an essential phytohormone that regulates many aspects of plant development. To identify new genes that function in auxin signaling, we performed a genetic screen for Arabidopsis thaliana mutants with an alteration in the expression of the auxin-responsive reporter DR5rev:GFP (for green fluorescent protein). One of the mutants recovered in this screen, called weak auxin response1 (wxr1), has a defect in auxin response and exhibits a variety of auxin-related growth defects in the root. Polar auxin transport is reduced in wxr1 seedlings, resulting in auxin accumulation in the hypocotyl and cotyledons and a reduction in auxin levels in the root apex. In addition, the levels of the PIN auxin transport proteins are reduced in the wxr1 root. We also show that WXR1 is ROOT UV-B SENSITIVE2 (RUS2), a member of the broadly conserved DUF647 domain protein family found in diverse eukaryotic organisms. Our data indicate that RUS2/WXR1 is required for auxin transport and to maintain the normal levels of PIN proteins in the root. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By combining CALPHAD technique with kinetic approach, we evaluated the glass forming ability(GFA) of nine compositions of Cu–Zr and thirteen of Cu–Zr–Ti alloys in terms of critical cooling rate and fragility. The driving forces for crystallization from the undercooled liquid alloys were calculated by using Turnbull and Thompson–Spaepen (TS) Gibbs free energy approximate equations, respectively. Time–temperature-transformation (TTT) curves of these alloys were obtained with Davies–Uhlmann kinetic equations based on classical nucleation theory. With Turnbull and TS equations, the critical cooling rates are calculated to be in the range of 9.78×103–8.23×105 K/s and 4.32×102–3.63×104 K/s, respectively, for Cu–Zr alloys, and 1.38×102–7.34×105 K/s and 0.64–1.36×104 K/s, respectively, for Cu–Zr–Ti alloys. The calculated fragility parameters are in the range of 6.32–9.3 for Cu–Zr binary and 5.7–8.24 ternary alloys, respectively. The comparison of the calculated results to the experimental data indicates that the cooling rate obtained with TS equation is more valid than that with Turnbull equation, and that obtained by other researchers for the evaluation of GFA. The fragility be used as parameter to evaluate relatively the GFA in an alloy system. This work suggests that the combined thermodynamic and kinetic modeling may provide an effective method for the prediction of GFA in Cu–Zr and Cu–Zr–Ti alloys. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present comprehensive particle image velocimetry measurements and direct numerical simulation (DNS) of physiological, pulsatile flow through a clinical quality bileaflet mechanical heart valve mounted in an idealized axisymmetric aorta geometry with a sudden expansion modeling the aortic sinus region. Instantaneous and ensemble-averaged velocity measurements as well as the associated statistics of leaflet kinematics are reported and analyzed in tandem to elucidate the structure of the velocity and vorticity fields of the ensuing flow-structure interaction. The measurements reveal that during the first half of the acceleration phase, the flow is laminar and repeatable from cycle to cycle. The valve housing shear layer rolls up into the sinus and begins to extract vorticity of opposite sign from the sinus wall. A start-up vortical structure is shed from the leaflets and is advected downstream as the leaflet shear layers become wavy and oscillatory. In the second half of flow acceleration the leaflet shear layers become unstable and break down into two von Karman-like vortex streets. The onset of vortex shedding from the valve leaflets is responsible for the growth of significant cycle-to-cycle vorticity oscillations. At peak flow, the housing and leaflet shear layers undergo secondary instabilities and break down rapidly into a chaotic, turbulent-like state with multiple small-scale vortical structures emerging in the flow. During the deceleration and closing phases all large-scale coherent flow features disappear and a chaotic small-scale vorticity field emerges, which persists even after the valve has closed. Probability density functions of the leaflet position during opening and closing phases show that the leaflet position fluctuates from cycle to cycle with larger fluctuations evident during valve closure. The DNS is carried out by prescribing the leaflet kinematics from the experimental data. The computed instantaneous vorticity fields are in very good agreement with the measurements, especially during the accelerating phase when the flow remains coherent and repeatable and instantaneous comparisons are meaningful. The computed results are analyzed to elucidate for the first time the intricate and highly three-dimensional structure of the pulsatile jet through the triple-opening orifice of the bileaflet valve and explain the rich flow phenomena documented in the two-dimensional vorticity measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using immunocytochemical and whole cell recording techniques, we examined expression of glycine receptors on bullfrog retinal cone photoreceptors. Immunofluorescence double labeling experiments conducted on retinal sections and isolated cell preparations showed that terminals and inner segments of cones were immunoreactive to both α1 and β subunits of glycine receptors. Moreover, application of glycine induced a sustained inward current from isolated cones, which increased in amplitude in a dose-dependent manner, with an EC50 (concentration of glycine producing half-maximal response) of 67.3±4.9 μM, and the current was blocked by the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine, but not 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid (DCKA) of 200 μM, a blocker of the glycine recognition site at the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. The glycine-induced current reversed in polarity at a potential close to the calculated chloride equilibrium potential, and the reversal potential was changed as a function of the extracellular chloride concentration. These results suggest that strychnine-sensitive glycine receptors are functionally expressed in bullfrog cones, which may mediate signal feedback from glycinergic interplexiform cells to cones in the outer retina. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: To compare long term outcomes of the crush versus the T technique in bifurcation lesions. Design: 182 consecutive patients were identified who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions for bifurcation lesions with drug eluting stents between April 2002 and January 2004. Two techniques were used according to the operator's discretion: crush (group C, n = 121 ) or T (group T, n = 61 ). Results: In-hospital outcome differed significantly between the two groups. Angiographic follow up was available for 142 (78%) patients. Groups C and T did not differ significantly regarding late loss (0.42 (0.39) mm v 0.34 (0.35) mm, p = 0.52) and rate of restenosis (16.2% v 13.0%, p = 0.80) in both the main and the side branch without final kissing balloon post-dilatation. However, when final kissing balloon post-dilatation was performed, group C had significantly lower late lumen loss (0.23 (0.21) mm v 0.37 (0.33) mm, p = 0.02) and restenosis rate (8.6% v 26.5%, p = 0.04) in the side branch. At one year's clinical follow up, group C compared with group T had lower rates of target lesion revascularisation (14.0% v 31.1%, p = 0.01) and target vessel revascularisation (16.5% v 32.8%, p = 0.02). Conclusions: In non-selected bifurcation lesions treated with drug eluting stents, the restenosis rate remains relatively high in the side branch. Compared with the T stenting technique, crush stenting with kissing balloon post-dilatation is associated with a reduced rate of restenosis in the side branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The peroxo titanic series refluxed sols (RS) were synthesized using titanyl sulfate (TiOSO4), ammonia as raw materials and peroxide (H2O2) as chelating agent by refluxing method from peroxo titanic acid sol. The transparent nano anatase TiO2 thin films fixed on glass slide substrates were prepared from the RS precursors by dip-coating, then dried under infrared light and calcined at 500 °C for 30 min. Several characterization techniques, such as FT-IR, XRD, TEM, TG-DTA, SEM, were applied to characterize the RS sol and TiO2 thin films. The results indicated that the RS sols were flavescent, semitransparent and alkalescent, the RS sols kept stable at room temperature, and contained needle-like TiO2 anatase crystals which were 30∼80 nm in length, 15–20 nm in diameter and well distributed in the sols. The TiO2 films were uniform, compact and transparent. The degradation of 10 mg/L methyl orange results illustrated that the RS-6 TiO2 thin films showed the best photocatalytic activities, the decoloration rate of the methyl orange solution with RS-6 TiO2 thin films reached 99% after irradiated 160 min under UV light, which proved TiO2 films prepared from RS sol showed high photocatalytic activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: The purpose of this research was to evaluate the long-term outcomes after implantation of drug-eluting stents (DES) in bifurcation lesions with the "crush" technique. Background: The long-term outcome of "crush" stenting technique has yet to be determined. Methods: We identified 181 consecutive patients who were treated with DES with the "crush" stent technique from April 2002 to April 2004. Based on the usage of final kissing balloon post-dilation (FKB), the patients were divided into an FKB group (n = 116) and a non-FKB group (n = 65). Results: Clinical follow-up at nine months was available in all patients, and angiographic follow-up in 80% of patients. Three cases (1.7%) of intraprocedural stent thrombosis and five (2.8%) cases of postprocedural stent thrombosis occurred. Restenosis rate of the main branch in the entire cohort lesions was 11.5%. Restenosis rate of the side branch was lower in the FKB group than that in the non-FKB group (11.1% vs. 37.9%, p < 0.001). The target lesion revascularization (TLR) rate for all patients was 14.9%. The lack of FKB was a predictor for TLR (hazard ratio [HR] 4.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30 to 14.3, p = 0.02). Diabetes was also a predictor for TLR (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.14 to 2.80, p = 0.01). Premature discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy (odds ratio [OR] 16.8; 95% CI 1.31 to 159.5, p = 0.03) and age (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.00 to 1.21, p = 0.048) was associated with the occurrence of postprocedural stent thrombosis. Conclusions: Compared to the absence of FKB, the "crush" stenting technique with FKB appears to be associated with more favorable long-term outcomes. When utilizing the "crush" stenting technique, FKB is mandatory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of the present report was to evaluate clinical and angiographic outcomes of drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation in saphenous vein graft (SVG) lesions. Background: The safety and efficacy of DES implantation for the treatment SVG lesions remains uncertain. Methods: We evaluated in-hospital and six-month outcomes in 61 consecutive patients treated with DES in SVG lesions from March 2002 to March 2004 (DES group), as compared to 89 consecutive patients treated with bare-metal stents (BMS) in the 24 months immediately before the introduction of DES (BMS group). Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization (TLR), and target vessel revascularization (TVR) were recorded in-hospital and at six-month follow-up. Results: The rate of in-hospital MACE was similar between the two groups (6.6% vs. 5.6%, p = 1.0). Cumulative MACE at six months was 11.5% in the DES group and 28.1% in the BMS group (p = 0.02). The DES group had a significantly lower incidence of in-segment restenosis (10.0% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.03), TLR (3.3% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.003), and TVR (4.9% vs. 23.1%, p = 0.003). By Cox regression analysis, diabetes (hazard ratio [HR]: 3.03; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33 to 6.90; p = 0.008), usage of BMS (HR: 2.53; 95% CI: 1.07 to 5.97; p = 0.03), and age of SVG (HR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.19; p = 0.02) were identified as predictors of MACE at six-month follow-up. Conclusions: Compared to BMS implantation, DES implantation in SVG lesions appears safe with favorable and improved mid-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A process/physics-based compact model (UFDG) for nonclassical MOSFETs having ultra-thin Si bodies (UTB) is overviewed. The model, in essence, is a compact Poisson–Schro¨dinger solver, including accountings for short-channel effects, and is applicable to nanoscale fully depleted (FD) SOI MOSFETs as well as generic double-gate (DG) devices. The utility of UFDG in nonclassical CMOS device design, as well as circuit design, is stressed, and demonstrated by using it in Spice3 to design UTB MOSFETs and to project extremely scaled DG and FD/SOI CMOS performances. Also, calibration of UFDG to fabricated FinFETs yields new physical insights about these potentially viable nanoscale DG devices, and about model requirements for them. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Many abiotic environmental factors elicit the production of stress-ethylene in higher plants. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of stress-ethylene production and the physiological roles played by stress-ethylene in stress responses of plants, we studied the gene expression of ACC synthase in tobacco plants that had been subjected to environmental stresses. Four new tobacco ACC synthase cDNA fragments, NT-ACS2, NT-ACS3, NT-ACS4 and NT-ACS5, were identified and sequenced. It was found that NT-ACS2 could be induced by wounding, cold temperature and, especially, sunlight. NT-ACS4 was induced at a faster kinetics by wounding. The multiple environmental stress-responsive (MESR) NT-ACS2 gene was found to contain three introns and four exons and encode a polypeptide of 484 amino acids, 54·6 kDa and pI 6·87. Computer analysis of the 3·4 kb 5′ flanking region upstream of the ACS coding region revealed the existence of a group of putative cis-acting regulatory elements potentially conferring wounding, chilling, and UV light inducibility. Phylogenetic analysis of ACC synthase genes of different plant origins indicated that the chill-inducible NT-ACS2 gene is closely related to a chilling-inducible citrus ACS gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part II. Discusses applications of a solution procedure for damage identification through measured structural response. Noise in input measurements; Initial weighing matrix; True and measured displacement; Absolute accelerations and relative velocities.

Part I. Presents a solution procedure for damage identification through measured structural response. Basis of the cost function on the regulation method for inverse problem; Jump discontinuities; Adjustable positive definite diagonal weighing matrix.

A compact microstrip dual-mode dual-band bandpass filter is presented. The filter consists of two E-shaped resonators and two T-shaped feedlines. By utilising the odd-mode and even-mode resonance properties of the proposed E-shaped resonator, the new filter is designed with two transmission poles in both passbands. Furthermore, the introduced two T-shaped feedlines and a coupling between them can result in multi-transmission zeros in the stopband, which will improve the selectivity of the filter. To validate the design theory, a dual-mode dual-band filter with two passbands located at the centre frequencies of 1.8 and 2.4 GHz, respectively, were designed and fabricated. Both experimental and simulation results are provided, with good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A compact microstrip lowpass filter with an ultra-wide stopband is proposed. To achieve wide stopband suppression and compact size, both symmetrically loaded resonant patches and meander transmission line are adopted. A demonstration filter with 3 dB cutoff frequency at 1.3 GHz has been designed, fabricated and measured. The proposed filter also exhibits a very wide stopband of 152%, and is able to suppress the eleventh-harmonic response together with a small size of 0.12λg × 0.071λg, where λg is the guided wavelength at 1.3 GHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel miniaturised microstrip lowpass filter has been studied. With triangular and high–low impedance resonators symmetrically loaded, the proposed filter has successfully achieved size reduction and performance enhancement simultaneously. A demonstrator filter with 3 dB cutoff frequency at 1.5 GHz has been designed, fabricated and measured. Results show that a roll-off of 257 dB/GHz together with a relative stopband bandwidth of 157.4% can be obtained while achieving a high figure-of-merit of 38747. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the hypothesis that lung cancer screening allows for earlier identification of ascending thoracic aortic aneurysms (aTAAs) and that growth rates for aTAAs are greatest at larger sizes. This single referral centre retrospective study manually gathered computed tomography (CT) data from 732 patients presenting from July 2002 to August 2022. Five hundred and seventeen patients with aTAA >39 mm were identified to compare presenting diameter by year of presentation. Four hundred and thirty-two patients had CT examinations >3 months apart, allowing for growth analysis. Patients were separated by initial examination date (before or after 12/31/2013) for presenting size comparison. Patients were then divided into five groups based on aTAA diameter for growth rate analysis. At identification, patients had a median aTAA diameter of 44 mm (IQR 41–47 mm). Patients with aTAAs identified prior to December 2013 (n= 129) had an average aTAA diameter 1.7 mm larger than those identified later (n= 388; p= 0.003). The growth analysis showed an average growth rate of 0.1 mm/year (p< 0.001) across the entire cohort. Patients with an aTAA diameter of ≥55 mm (n= 12) grew the fastest at 1.9 mm/year (p< 0.001). In the <40 mm group (n= 43), the aTAAs expanded at 0.2 mm/year, faster than the 0.1 mm/year of the slowest expanding 45–49 mm group (n= 130; p= 0.04). aTAA size at discovery was larger before lung cancer screening guidelines took effect in December 2013. The largest aTAAs expanded fastest, but growth rates were slowest in the medium-sized 45–49 mm diameter group. • ATAAs identified before December 2013 were larger than aTAAs discovered later. • Median aTAA size at presentation was 44.0 mm (IQR 41.0–47.0 mm) (n=517). • Average growth rate of 0.1 mm/year (n=432). • aTAAs ≥55 mm grew fastest at 1.9 mm/yr (n=12). • A U-shaped trend was observed in aTAA growth rate based on size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferromagnetic insulators on a diamond lattice are candidate materials to host exotic magnetic phenomena ranging from spin-orbital entanglement to degenerate spiral ground states and topological paramagnetism. Compared to other three-dimensional networks of magnetic ions, such as the geometrically frustrated pyrochlore lattice, the investigation of diamond-lattice magnetism in real materials is less mature. In this work, we characterize the magnetic properties of model A-site spinels CoRh2O4 (cobalt rhodite) and CuRh2O4 (copper rhodite) by means of thermomagnetic and neutron-scattering measurements, and we perform group theory analysis, Rietveld refinement, mean-field theory, and spin-wave theory calculations to analyze the experimental results. Our investigation reveals that cubic CoRh2O4 is a canonical S=3/2 diamond-lattice Heisenberg antiferromagnet with a nearest-neighbor exchange J=0.63 meV and a Néel ordered ground state below a temperature of 25 K. In tetragonally distorted CuRh2O4, competing exchange interactions between up to third-nearest-neighbor spins lead to the development of an incommensurate spin helix at 24 K with a magnetic propagation vector km=(0,0,0.79). Strong reduction of the ordered moment is observed for the S=1/2 spins in CuRh2O4 and captured by our 1/S corrections to the staggered magnetization. Our work identifies CoRh2O4 and CuRh2O4 as reference materials to guide future work searching for exotic quantum behavior in diamond-lattice antiferromagnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perovskite Ba8CoNb6O24 comprises equilateral effective spin-½ Co2+ triangular layers separated by six nonmagnetic layers. Susceptibility, specific heat, and neutron scattering measurements combined with high-temperature series expansions and spin-wave calculations confirm that Ba8CoNb6O24 is basically a two-dimensional magnet with no detectable spin anisotropy and no long-range magnetic ordering down to 0.06 K. In other words, Ba8CoNb6O24 is very close to be a realization of the paradigmatic spin-½ triangular Heisenberg model, which is not expected to exhibit symmetry breaking at finite temperatures according to the Mermin and Wagner theorem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of pre-deformation induced by the tensile fracture at room temperature on the microstructure evolution of Ni Al model single crystal superalloy during thermal exposure at 1000 °C, was investigated by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy. Recrystallization occurs near the fracture surface where the most severe plastic deformation was suffered. The average size of recrystallization grains in front of the recrystallization area is much larger than that of at the fracture surface. Far from the fracture surface, the average size of coarsened γ′ precipitates in the slip bands is larger than that of out of the slip bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the engineering of a nondispersive (flat) energy band in a geometrically frustrated lattice of micropillar optical cavities. By taking advantage of the non-Hermitian nature of our system, we achieve bosonic condensation of exciton polaritons into the flat band. Because of the infinite effective mass in such a band, the condensate is highly sensitive to disorder and fragments into localized modes reflecting the elementary eigenstates produced by geometric frustration. This realization offers a novel approach to studying coherent phases of light and matter under the controlled interplay of frustration, interactions, and dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In-situ tensile experiments of Ni-Al, Ni-Al-Re and Ni-Al-Re-Ru model single-crystal superalloys were performed in scanning electron microscope (SEM) at room temperature. The plastic deformation mechanisms of all the three model superalloys were double-oriented slipping of dislocations. Micro-cracks were often formed at the intersection of two sets of slip lines. The fracture surfaces of Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Re-Ru alloys were nearly parallel to (010) planes and that of the Ni-Al-Re alloys was nearly parallel to (1−11) plane. The dislocation configuration was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The a/2<110> dislocation pairs coupled with antiphase boundary (APB) cut into γʹ phase in the Ni-Al and Ni-Al-Re-Ru model superalloys. In addition to these dislocations, stacking faults also cut into γʹ phase in Ni-Al-Re model superalloys. The different fracture surfaces of different model single-crystal superalloys were attributed to the influence of elements Re and Ru on the dislocation configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimum and maximum void ratios provide a general basis for comparative evaluation of material properties for soils with various densities. Either the minimum or the maximum void ratio is dependent considerably upon the fines content of soil. There are a few mathematical models in the literature for predicting the variation of minimum void ratio with respect to fines content. However, mathematical models for predicting maximum void ratio with respect to fines content are very limited in the field of geotechnical engineering. This study shows that the variation of maximum void ratio with respect to fines content of a sand-silt mixture is caused by the same mechanisms that influence the variation of minimum void ratio. Consequently, the mathematical model previously proposed by the authors for predicting minimum void ratios of sand-silt mixtures is extended to be capable of predicting the maximum void ratios of sand-silt mixtures due to the influence of fines content. The applicability of this extended mathematical model is verified by data from 24 sand-silt mixtures with various fines contents. Furthermore, based on the extended mathematical model, the relationship between the maximum and the minimum void ratios of a sand-silt mixture can be derived. The derived relationship is found to be linear and is a function of fines content. The validity of the derived linear relationship between the maximum and the minimum void ratios of a sand-silt mixture is also verified by the measured results from experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a dopamine-based crosslinker-conjugated gelatin/polycaprolactone nanofibrous sheet. The nanosheet was then employed to treat stomach incisions without sutures during surgery. The mussel-inspired nanosheets, combining the advantages adhesion and tissue repair, show promise for use in treatments of fragile tissues and to avoid suture-caused stress concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To detect the blood genomic DNA methylation in coke oven workers and find a possible early screening index for occupational lung cancer, 74 coke oven workers as the exposed group and 47 water pump workers as the controls were surveyed, and urine samples and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected. Airborne benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) levels in workplace and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OH-Py) levels were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. DNA damage of PBMCs and the p14(ARK), p15(INK4b) and p16(INK4a) gene CpG island methylation in the promoter region were detected by comet assay and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction techniques, respectively. Results show that compared with the controls, concentration of airborne B[a]Ps was elevated in the coke plant, and urinary 1-OH-Py’s level and DNA olive tail moment in comet assay were significantly increased in the coke oven workers, and p14(ARK), p15(INK4b) and p16(INK4a) gene methylation rates were also significantly increased. With the working years and urinary 1-OH-Py’s level, the rates of p14(ARK) and p16(INK4a) gene methylation were significantly increased while that of p15(INK4b) gene methylation displayed no statistical change. We conclude that PBMCs’ p14(ARK) and p16(INK4a) gene methylation may be used for screening and warning lung cancer in coke oven workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several countries have developed fire spread and simulation models with little attention being paid to the evaluation of existing fire simulation tools. In this study, NASA's LANDFIRE database at 30-metre pixel resolution derived from Landsat 5 and 7 imagery was utilised over the Woodacre and Glen Ellen regions near San Francisco, California to compare fire simulation models over two Californian landscapes representing different terrain and vegetation regimes. This paper includes a brief discussion of the models, their assumptions and limitations, how to assemble data to build landscape input datasets and also outlines interpretation of outputs/results. The outputs of these models are beyond two-dimensional static maps/images, and in turn provide the fire managers and field staff with three-dimensional interactive and immersive visualisation of the spatial variation of the terrain and wind/fire speed/direction and the fire growth areas across the wildfire perimeter. The assessment of FARSITE, FlamMap and WindWizard simulations revealed that these technologies offer appropriate capabilities to predict the fire growth process and assess resources at risk which holds promise for real-time simulation of wind-driven wildland fires. Australia needs to initiate and develop a national bushfire spread forecast system to guide Authorities and communities readiness for fire suppression actions and rescue operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a resurgent pest of rice crops throughout Asia. We recently discovered that octopamine (OA) and OA2B2 operate in the BPH mating system, where it mediates a wide range of molecular, physiological and behavioural changes. Here, we report on outcomes of experiments designed to test the hypothesis that OA/OA2B2 signalling mediates responses to three abiotic stressors, starvation, high temperature (37 °C), and induced oxidative stress. We found per os RNAi‐mediated OA2B2 silencing led to significantly decreased survival, measured in days, following exposure to each of these stressors. We selected a biologically costly process, reproductive biology, as a biotic stressor. Silencing of OA2B2 led to decreased total protein content in ovaries and fat bodies, downregulated expression of vitellogenin (Vg) and Vg receptor (VgR), inhibited fat body Vg protein synthesis, shortened the oviposition period, prolonged the preoviposition period, reduced the number of laid eggs, body weight and female longevity. In addition, the silencing treatments also led to inhibited ovarian development, and ovarian Vg uptake, reduced numbers of egg masses and offspring and lower hatching rates and population growth index. These data support our hypothesis that OA2B2 acts in mediating BPH resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Ansamycins are a family of macrolactams that are synthesized by type I polyketide synthase ( PKS) using 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid ( AHBA) as the starter unit. Most members of the family have strong antimicrobial, antifungal, anticancer and/or antiviral activities. We aimed to discover new ansamycins and/or other AHBA-containing natural products from actinobacteria. Methods and Results Through PCR screening of AHBA synthase gene, we identified 26 AHBA synthase gene-positive strains from 206 plant-associated actinomycetes (five positives) and 688 marine-derived actinomycetes (21 positives), representing a positive ratio of 2·4-3·1%. Twenty-five ansamycins, including eight new compounds, were isolated from six AHBA synthase gene-positive strains through TLC-guided fractionations followed by repeated column chromatography. To gain information about those potential ansamycin gene clusters whose products were unknown, seven strains with phylogenetically divergent AHBA synthase genes were subjected to fosmid library construction. Of the seven gene clusters we obtained, three show characteristics for typical ansamycin gene clusters, and other four, from Micromonospora spp., appear to lack the amide synthase gene, which is unusual for ansamycin biosynthesis. The gene composition of these four gene clusters suggests that they are involved in the biosynthesis of a new family of hybrid PK- NRP compounds containing AHBA substructure. Conclusions PCR screening of AHBA synthase is an efficient approach to discover novel ansamycins and other AHBA-containing natural products. Significance and Impact of the Study This work demonstrates that the AHBA-based screening method is a useful approach for discovering novel ansamycins and other AHBA-containing natural products from new microbial resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compression characteristics in sands under working load are an important design consideration because they are directly related to settlement response. The compressibility of sand materials is significantly dependent on soil characteristics. Sands distributed in Jeju island's coastal areas, Korea, were derived from volcanic rock or from shells. Compression tests were conducted to assess the compression characteristics of these sands. From the test results, each sand showed different behaviors due to its composition origin. The measured settlement of Jeju harbor area shows that in addition to the initial elastic compression, a considerable additional compression occurred with time. The prediction with the oedometer compression test method was well matched with the measured data. However, the empirical methods (based on elastic approach) predicted a smaller than that actually occurred because they did not consider the crushing, shattering, and rearrangement of particles, which were real phenomena in sandy soils under loading condition. Based on these studies, we recommend that the settlement of Jeju coastal area sandy soils should be estimated by conducting compression tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main differences between low-pressure and atmospheric-pressure plasma treatments is that there is little moisture involved in the low-pressure plasma treatment, although moisture could exist at the wall of the vacuum chamber or react with the substrate after plasma treatment, while in the atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment moisture exists not only in the environment but also in any hygroscopic substrate. In order to investigate the influence of environmental moisture on the effect of atmospheric pressure plasma treatment, ultra-high-modulus polyethylene (UHMPE) fibers were treated using an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with 10 l/min helium gas-flow rate, treatment nozzle temperature of 100°C and 5 W output power. The plasma treatments were carried out at three different relative humidity levels, namely 5, 59 and 100%. After the plasma treatments, the surface roughness increased while the water-contact angle decreased with increasing relative humidity. The number of oxygen containing groups increased as the environmental moisture content increased. The interfacial shear strength of the UHMPE fiber/epoxy system was significantly increased after the plasma treatments, but the moisture level in the APPJ environment did not have a significant influence on the adhesion properties. In addition, no significant difference in single fiber tensile strength was observed after the plasma treatments at all moisture levels. Therefore, it was concluded that the environmental moisture did not significantly influence the effect of atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment in improving interfacial bonding between the fiber and epoxy. The improvement of the interfacial shear strength for the plasma-treated samples at all moisture levels was mainly due to the increased surface roughness and increased surface oxygen and nitrogen contents due to the plasma etching and surface modification effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]