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During 2010 to 2020, Northeast Pacific (NEP) sea surface temperature (SST) experienced the warmest decade ever recorded, manifested in several extreme marine heatwaves, referred to as "warm blob" events, which severely affect marine ecosystems and extreme weather along the west coast of North America. While year-to-year internal climate variability has been suggested as a cause of individual events, the causes of the continuous dramatic NEP SST warming remain elusive. Here, we show that other than the greenhouse gas (GHG) forcing, rapid aerosol abatement in China over the period likely plays an important role. Anomalous tropospheric warming induced by declining aerosols in China generated atmospheric teleconnections from East Asia to the NEP, featuring an intensified and southward-shifted Aleutian Low. The associated atmospheric circulation anomaly weakens the climatological westerlies in the NEP and warms the SST there by suppressing the evaporative cooling. The aerosol-induced mean warming of the NEP SST, along with internal climate variability and the GHG-induced warming, made the warm blob events more frequent and intense during 2010 to 2020. As anthropogenic aerosol emissions continue to decrease, there is likely to be an increase in NEP warm blob events, disproportionately large beyond the direct radiative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to prepare epoxy/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/glass fiber (GF) composites (EPGs) with the unique characteristics of low friction and high wear resistance based on triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC). The tribological properties of composites with different filler ratios under different working conditions were systematically studied. At the maximum filler content of 40 wt% PTFE, the minimum coefficient of friction (COF) and wear rate reached 0.079 and 0.45 - 10°6 mm³/N-m. The hardness decreased by 44.2% and the density increased by 18.3%. The worn surfaces and transfer films were observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon-rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films. It is proved that the tribological properties of TGIC-based epoxy composites are higher than those of other types of epoxy composites. This study offers great insight into the tribological applications of TGIC-based epoxy composites. Highlights • Epoxy/PTFE/GF composites (EPGs) were prepared using TGIC as the base material. • EPGs have good mechanical and tribological properties. • The COF of EPG3 reaches 0.079 and the wear rate becomes 0.45 x 10°6 mm3/(N-m). • The increasing tendency of velocity and amplitude is beneficial to reduce the carbon-rich region and further enhance the formation of transfer films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context • Researchers have associated insomnia with many disorders, making insomnia a serious public health issue in China. Sleep quality in older adults isn’t well characterized in China. Objective • The study intended to explore the sleep quality and subjective duration of sleep in a community-dwelling older population in China and identify potential risk factors for poor sleep. Design • The research team performed a cross-sectional survey using the convenience sampling method. Setting • The study took place in a community in Wuhu, Anhui, China in 2015. Participants • Participants were 1075 members of the community from Wuhu city. Outcome Measures • The research team collected self-reported information on sleep quality. Results • The overall prevalence of self-reported insomnia among older adults were 40.8%. The prevalence of insomnia in females, 259 (59.00%), was significantly higher than in males, 180 (41.00%), with P=.00. For income status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for participants with less than 10 000 RMB per year income for a family, 191 participants (43.51%), than for participants with higher family incomes, with P=.00. For marital status, the prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher for the widowed participants, 121 participants (24.56%), with P=.01. Conclusions • Sleep quality for females, low-income families, and widowed people were significantly worse than for people in other categories among older adults in China. Older adults in China need proper interventions for the factors causing poor sleep hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robotic on-orbit servicing (OOS) is expected to be a key technology and concept for future sustainable space exploration. This paper develops a novel semi-analytical model for OOS system analysis, responding to the growing needs and ongoing trend of robotic OOS. An OOS infrastructure system is considered whose goal is to provide responsive services to the random failures of a set of customer modular satellites distributed in space (e.g., at the geosynchronous orbit). The considered OOS architecture comprises a servicer that travels and provides module-replacement services to the customer satellites, an on-orbit depot to store the spares, and a series of launch vehicles to replenish the depot. The OOS system performance is analyzed by evaluating the mean waiting time before service completion for a given failure and its relationship with the depot capacity. By uniquely leveraging queueing theory and inventory management methods, the developed semi-analytical model is capable of analyzing the OOS system performance without relying on computationally costly simulations. The effectiveness of the proposed model is demonstrated using a case study compared with simulation results. This paper is expected to provide a critical step to push the research frontier of analytical/semi-analytical model development for complex space systems design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branch development is related to the formation of wood knots and affects timber quality and future market value of plantations and native forests alike. This study provides a theoretical basis and reference for knot-free timber production in a Mytilaria laosensis plantation. The branch diameter, length, angle, status (alive or dead), azimuth, and branch height under 12 m were measured for 60 dominant or co-dominant trees in response to five planting density treatments (625, 833, 1111, 1667, and 2500 stems ha-1). With increasing planting density from 625 to 2500 stems ha-1, the mean branch diameter and branch length decreased by 7.09% and 8.70% respectively. Dead and live branch angle decreased by 10.54% and 9.66% respectively, while number of living branches increased by 31.67% from 625 to 2500 stems ha-1. Analyzing the spatial distribution using branch azimuth, we discovered that branches pointing north were more abundant and had larger diameter, larger branch length, and higher branch angle than branches pointing south. Branch diameter, length, and number were positively related to the relative branch height. Our results underline that increasing the planting density from 625 to 2500 stems ha-1 considerably affect branch growth. Thus, optimizing planting density when establishing Mytilaria laosensis plantations according to the forest management targets and future pruning can improve the timber quality and future value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1:2 B-site cation ordered Ba(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 ceramic was synthesized using conventional solid-state reaction at 1600 °C for 12 h. The structure parameters were obtained through Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction data. The Raman peak frequencies were obtained by Lorenz fitting on Raman spectrum. Four-parameter semiquantum model was used to fit the infrared (IR) reflectivity spectrum, and the fitted parameters were used to calculate the dielectric permittivity e and dielectric loss tand. A total of 9 active Raman and 16 active IR modes were obtained using first-principle calculations based on density functional theory with local density approximation. All of the vibrational modes were assigned and represented by linear combinations of the symmetry coordinates deduced using group theory analysis. The Raman mode with the highest frequency A1g (4) (789 cm-1) can be described as the breathing vibration of NbO6. The IR modes Eu (1) (149 cm-1) and A2u (2) (212 cm-1), which can be described as the twisting vibrations of Ba-MgO6/Ba-NbO6 on the a-b plane and the stretching vibrations of Ba-MgO6/Ba-NbO6 along the c direction, respectively, are the dominant contributing modes to e and tand. The dielectric property parameters obtained using IR spectrum fittings, first-principal calculations, and microwave measurements were compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel hybrid superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic copper surface was fabricated using a lift-off process to integrate the benefits of dropwise and filmwise condensation together. The superhydrophilic surface was comprised of microflower like CuO and nanorod Cu(OH)2 with a diameter in the range of 200-600-nm and the superhydrophobic surface was fabricated by chemical modification with Cytop on the hierarchically structured surface of CuO/Cu(OH)2. Wetting condition effect on the hybrid surface was investigated experimentally with a high-speed camera attached to a microscope and an environmental scanning electrical microscope (ESEM). Out-of-plane droplet jumping motion on superhydrophilic region and gravity effect on the droplet motion were examined. Experiment results showed that effective heat transfer coefficients of hybrid superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces were improved as compared with those of pure superhydrophobic surface. Comparison results between two hybrid surfaces with 2 and 4-mm pattern pitches indicated that the distance reduction between two neighboring superhydrophilic areas can enhance the condensation performance because short distance can promote the microcondensate coalescence and droplets removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has long been recognized that stomatal movement modulates CO2 availability and as a consequence the photosynthetic rate of plants, and that this process is feedback-regulated by photoassimilates. However, the genetic components and mechanisms underlying this regulatory loop remain poorly understood, especially in monocot crop species. Here, we report the cloning and functional characterization of a maize (Zea mays) mutant named closed stomata1 (cst1). Map-based cloning of cst1 followed by confirmation with the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/ CRISPR associated protein 9 system identified the causal mutation in a Clade I Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporters (SWEET) family gene, which leads to the E81K mutation in the CST1 protein. CST1 encodes a functional glucose transporter expressed in subsidiary cells, and the E81K mutation strongly impairs the oligomerization and glucose transporter activity of CST1. Mutation of CST1 results in reduced stomatal opening, carbon starvation, and early senescence in leaves, suggesting that CST1 functions as a positive regulator of stomatal opening. Moreover, CST1 expression is induced by carbon starvation and suppressed by photoassimilate accumulation. Our study thus defines CST1 as a missing link in the feedback-regulation of stomatal movement and photosynthesis by photoassimilates in maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the anti-asthmatic effect of laurotetanine on allergic asthma rat model. Methods: Laurotetanine was extracted from the roots of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. Asthma was induced in rats by ovalbumin injection. Laurotetanine (20, 40, or 60 mg/kg) was administered orally to the rats for 21 days. Inflammatory cells and cytokines released by T-cell subsets Th1 and Th2 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were determined. Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) and histamine, in addition to expression of mucin 5AC (MUC-5AC), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and an inhibitor of NF-κB (IκB) in lung tissues were also evaluated. Results: Laurotetanine treatment (20, 40, 60 mg/kg) significantly reduced inflammatory cells, including eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and macrophages in treated rats compared with control animals (p < 0.01). Inflammatory cytokines, viz, interleukin (IL) -4, IL-6, IL-13 were also significantly (p < 0.01) decreased by laurotetanine treatment (20, 40, 60 mg/kg), whereas interferon gamma (IFN-κ) was increased (p < 0.01). Serum IgE and histamine were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) by laurotetanine (20, 40, 60 mg/kg). Furthermore, MUC5AC expression in lung tissues was significantly (p < 0.01) downregulated by laurotetanine (20, 40, and 60 mg/kg, but NF-κB and IκB were significantly (p < 0.01) upregulated by laurotetanine (20, 40, and 60 mg/kg). Conclusion: Laurotetanine exerts an anti-asthmatic effect in rats by inhibition of IgE, histamine, and inflammatory reactions via down-regulating MUC5AC and NF-κB signaling pathways. This finding justifies the need for further development of laurotetanine as a potential anti-asthmatic drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The leading edge film cooling of a rotating twist turbine blade is studied with TLC. • Rotation can affect the distribution of the leading edge film cooling effectiveness. • Influence of M on the leading edge film cooling effectiveness is also studied. • A new photo testing technology in rotating state is introduced in this paper. Abstract An experimental investigation has been performed to investigate the effects of the rotation and blowing ratio on the film cooling effectiveness distributions of the leading-edge regions of a twist gas turbine blade using a thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) technique. The experiments were carried out at three rotating speeds, including 400 rpm (positive incidence angle), 550 rpm (zero incidence angle), and 700 rpm (negative incidence angle). The averaged blowing ratio ranged from 0.5 to 2.0. CO 2 was used as the coolant to ensure that the coolant-to-mainstream ratio was equal to 1.56. The Reynolds number, based on the mainstream velocity of the turbine outlet and the rotor blade chord length, was 6.08 × 104. The effects of the rotating speed and the blowing ratio were analyzed based on the film cooling effectiveness distribution. The results show that rotating speed plays an indispensable role in determining the film cooling effectiveness of distributions on the leading edge. The position of the stagnation line moves from the pressure side (PS) to the suction side (SS) via an increase in rotating speed. Under the same blowing ratio, the area-averaged film cooling effectiveness increases monotonously with an increase in rotating speed. Under the same rotating speed, the area-averaged film cooling effectiveness increases with the increase in blowing ratio. More details about the effects of the rotation speed and blowing ratio on the spanwise averaged film cooling effectiveness of the leading-edge region are shown in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The leading edge film cooling of a rotating twist turbine blade is studied with TLC. • The injection angle and M can affect the leading edge film cooling effectiveness. • A new photo testing technology in rotating state is introduced in this paper. Abstract Experimental investigations were performed to study the effects of the injection angle of cylindrical holes and the blowing ratio on the leading-edge-region film cooling of a twisted turbine blade under rotating conditions. The experiments were carried out at a test facility with a 1-stage turbine using the thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) technique. All experiments were performed at a rotating speed of 574 rpm with an average blowing ratio ranging from 0.5 to 2.0. The Reynolds number was fixed at 6.3378 × 104 based on the mainstream velocity of the turbine outlet and the rotor blade chord length. CO 2 was used as the coolant to achieve a coolant-to-mainstream density ratio of 1.56. The film-hole injection angles tested were 30°, 45° and 60°. The results show that both the injection angle and the blowing ratio have significant impacts on film cooling effectiveness. For α = 30° and α = 45°, the radial average film cooling effectiveness increases as the blowing ratio increases in all regions. For α = 60°, this effectiveness first increases and then decreases as the blowing ratio increases, with the case of M = 1.5 yielding the best average cooling performance. At each blowing ratio, the α = 30° case always yields the highest streamwise average film cooling effectiveness in the region of −4.3 < X/D < 2. For 2.75 < X/D < 3.75, the effectiveness first increases and then decreases as the injection angle increases. For α = 30° and α = 45°, the area average film cooling effectiveness monotonously increases as the blowing ratio increases. For α = 60°, this effectiveness first increases and then decreases as the blowing ratio increases from 0.5 to 2.0, with the best blowing ratio M = 1.5. Under the same blowing ratio, the α = 30° case always yields the highest area average film cooling effectiveness in the leading edge region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The leading edge film cooling of a rotating twist turbine blade is studied with TLC. • The mainstream Re and DR can affect the leading edge film cooling effectiveness. • Influence of M on the leading edge film cooling effectiveness is also studied. • A new photo testing technology in rotating state is introduced in this paper. Abstract This paper reports on an experimental investigation of the influences of mainstream Reynolds number and coolant density on film cooling characteristics on the leading edge of a twisted turbine blade under rotational conditions. The experiments were carried out at a test facility with a 1-stage turbine using the thermochromic liquid crystal (TLC) technique. The mainstream Reynolds number varied from 4.4201 × 104 to 7.1797 × 104. All tests were carried out at three rotational speeds of 400 r/min, 500 r/min and 650 r/min to fix the rotation number at 0.0018. The coolant-to-mainstream density ratios were fixed at 1.04 and 1.56 with N 2 and CO 2 as coolants, respectively. The blowing ratio effect was also considered. The results showed that under the same blowing ratio, the averaged film cooling effectiveness on the measurement area increased with increasing mainstream Reynolds number for both coolant gases. Under the same Reynolds number, the span-wise averaged film cooling effectiveness increased as the blowing ratio increased for both coolant gases. Under the same Reynolds number and blowing ratio, higher-density coolant jets (CO 2) provided higher averaged film cooling effectiveness than lower-density coolant jets (N 2) on the measurement area. Overall, mainstream Reynolds number, blowing ratio and coolant density played significant roles in the film cooling characteristics of the leading edge under rotational conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For centuries, the Chinese herb Cuscuta chinensis has been applied clinically for abortion prevention in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Total flavones extracted from Cuscuta chinensis (TFCC) are one of the active components in the herb and also display anti-abortion effect similar to the unprocessed material. However, how TFCC exerts the anti-abortion effect remains largely unknown. In this study, we aim at characterizing the anti-abortion effects of TFCC and its underlying molecular mechanism in vitro and in vivo using human primary decidua cells and a mifepristone-induced abortion model in rat, respectively. The damage to the decidua caused by mifepristone in vivo was reversed by TFCC treatment in a dosage-dependent manner. High dosage of TFCC significantly upregulated the expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in decidua tissue but downregulated the expression of p-ERK. Furthermore, we detected higher level of p-ERK and p-p38 in primary decidua cells from spontaneous abortion while treatment by TFCC downregulated their expression. Our results suggest TFCC mediates its anti-abortion effect by interfering with MAPK signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mammalianYchromosome plays a critical role in spermatogenesis. However, the exact functions of each gene on the Y chromosome have not been completely elucidated, due, in part, to difficulties in gene targeting analysis of the Y chromosome. The zinc finger protein, Y-linked (ZFY) gene was first proposed to be a sex determination factor, although its function in spermatogenesis has recently been elucidated. Nevertheless, ZFY gene targeting analysis has not been performed to date. In the present study, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to generate ZFY-interrupted Hu sheep by injecting short hairpin RNA (shRNA) into round spermatids. The resulting spermatozoa exhibited abnormal sperm morphology, including spermatozoa without tails and others with head and tail abnormalities. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that ZFY mRNA expression was decreased significantly in Hu sheep with interrupted ZFY compared with wild-type Hu sheep. The sex ratio of lambs also exhibited a bias towards females. Together, the experimental strategy and findings of the present study reveal that ZFY also functions in spermatogenesis in Hu sheep and facilitate the use of RNAi in the control of sex in Hu sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To promote high-quality economic development, China continues to strengthen its network infrastructure, but it is unclear how this affects the regional ecosystem. To clarify the impact direction, based on the weekly data of river pollution in China from 2004 to 2018, this paper regards the Broadband China (BC) strategy as a quasi-natural experiment and uses a difference-in-difference (DID) model for empirical analysis. The study found that network infrastructure construction significantly exacerbates river pollution. After a series of robustness tests, such as the placebo test and propensity score matching DID (PSM-DID), this research conclusion still holds. The impact of network infrastructure construction on river pollution is more visible in economically developed regions as well as cities with a higher level of digital economy development. The mechanism analysis confirms that during the sample period, network infrastructure construction led to secondary industry agglomeration but did not have a significant impact on innovation ability or environmental regulation, thus leading to the continuous intensification of river pollution. This paper not only provides empirical evidence for the study of the environmental effects of network infrastructure construction but also provides suggestions on how to better weigh the relationship between economic development and the environment in the digital economy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a connection problem of the first Painlev\'e equation (PI), trying to connect the local behavior (Laurent series) near poles and the asymptotic behavior as the variable t tends to the negative infinity for real PI functions. We get a classification of the real PI functions in terms of (p, H) so that they behave differently at the negative infinity, where p is the location of a pole and H is the free parameter in the Laurent series. Some limiting-form connection formulas of PI functions are obtained for large H. Specifically, for the real tritronqu\'ee solution, the large-n asymptotic formulas of pn and Hn are obtained, where pn is the nth pole on the real line in the ascending order and Hn is the associated free parameter. Our approach is based on the complex WKB method (also known as the method of uniform asymptotics) introduced by Bassom et al. in their study on the connection problem of the second Painlev\'e transcendent [Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal., 143 (1998), pp. 241--271]. Several numerical simulations are carried out to verify our main results. Meanwhile, we obtain the phase diagram of P\I solutions in the (p, H) plane, which somewhat resembles the Brillouin zones in solid-state physics. The asymptotic and numerical results obtained in this paper partially answer Clarkson's open question on the connection problem of the first Painlev\'e transcendent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new approach to the synthesis of 2-phosphinoylindoles through photoredox catalysis without external oxidants has been developed. Promoted by a ruthenium photoredox catalyst, a broad scope of 2-phosphinoylindoles can be synthesized through phosphinoylation/cyclization of diphenylphosphine oxide at room temperature under irradiation without external oxidants. The estrone skeleton isocyan is also an amenable substrate for this cyclization, yielding a molecule that has potential medicinal applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The retardation of polybutene-1 form II to form I transition in the late stage has been investigated by means of time-resolved wide-angle X-ray diffraction. Form II samples with different lamellar thickness and constituent in amorphous phase were generated via varying crystallization temperature and molecular weight and aged at room temperature for the form II to form I transition. The II to I polymorphic transition in polybutene-1 undergoes two stages, where slow nucleation and rapid growth proceed in the first stage and extremely slow secondary nucleation and growth take place in the late stage. The degree of transition reaches a plateau value in the late stage of transition, which depends highly on crystallization temperature and molecular weight that low molecular weight and high crystallization temperature always contribute to a greater degree of transition, but is less affected by the kinetics in the first stage. According to the crystal unit cell parameters of form II and form I, there should be an extension in the normal direction of lamellae and a shrinkage in the lateral direction during phase transition, which thus would induce an additional pressure in the normal direction and the tendency to expansion in the lateral direction on the residual from II crystallites. As a result, the nucleation and further growth of the II to I transition are retarded. Low molecular weight and high crystallization temperature lead to larger content of chain ends and higher chain mobility in the amorphous phase; hence, the samples are more likely to release the unfavorable factors restraining generation of form I nuclei to some extent. The transition degree in late stage is thus an intrinsic property of PB-1 samples determined by their microstructures and would not be influenced by the transition behavior in the first stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) γ-to-α/β phase transition was investigated using temperature-dependent synchrotron wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement. The sPS γ form samples, which were obtained from acetone solvent induced crystallization followed by annealing at various temperatures (Ta), exhibited a regular manner on the selection of the α or β crystal modification during the phase transition process. As the Ta was increased from 25 to 150 °C, the weight fraction of β form in bulk sPS decreased from 55% to 0%, but that of the α form increased from 45% to 100%. In other words, the α form became the dominating crystalline modification at higher Ta. The lamellar thickness (dc) of the γ form at the initial state (before heating) ranged from 4.4 to 5.8 nm, and the weight crystallinity (Xc) was between 0.52 and 0.64. However, the dc values of the γ form at the final state (before γ-to-α/β phase transition) were very close for the samples pretreated at different Tas, which were in the range 7.0-7.4 nm. Therefore, the most plausible interpretation for the crystal modification selection during the γ-to-α/β phase transition was that the nucleation of β form was suppressed totally in the γ form with higher initial dc value (>5.8 nm). With the elevated Ta and increase of initial dc, the promoted nucleation of α form in the γ form resulted in the enhanced growth of the α crystalline phase during the γ-to-α/β phase transition. As a result, after the phase transition the crystalline phase in bulk sPS had a gradually increased weight fraction of the α form and turned out to be pure α form when Ta was increased from 25 to 150 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/Purpose This study investigates the research profile of the papers published in Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge, and Management (IJIKM) to provide silhouette information of the journal for the editorial team, researchers, and the audience of the journal. Background Information and knowledge management is an interdisciplinary subject. IJIKM defines intersections of multiple disciplinary research communities for the interdisciplinary subject. Methodology A quantitative study of categorical content analysis was used for a thematic analysis of IJIKM. One hundred fifty nine (159) papers published since the inauguration of the journal in 2006 were coded and analyzed. Contribution The study provides synopsized information about the interdisciplinary research profile of IJIKM, and adds value to the literature of information and knowledge management. Findings The analysis reveals that IJIKM disseminates research papers with a wide range of research themes. Among the research themes, Organizational issues of knowledge/information management, Knowledge management systems/tools, Information/knowledge sharing, Technology for knowledge/information management, Information/knowledge application represent the five main research streams of IJIKM. The total number of papers on organizational issues of knowledge/information management increased from 16% to 28% during the past6 years. Statistical method was the most common research methodology, and summarization was the most common research design applied in the papers of IJIKM. The paper also presents other patterns of participant countries, keywords frequencies, and reference citations. Recommendations for Practitioners Innovation is the key to information and knowledge management. Practitioners of information and knowledge management can share best practices with external sectors. Recommendations for Researchers Researchers can identify opportunities of cross-disciplinary research projects that involve experts in business, education, government, healthcare, technology, and psychology to advance knowledge in information and knowledge management. Impact on Society Information and knowledge management is still a developing field, and readers of this paper can gain more understanding of the dissemination of the literature of information and knowledge management involved in all relevant disciplines. Future Research A longitudinal study could follow up in the future to provide updated and comparative information of the research profile of the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Icaritin on the proliferation and decidualization of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). A total of 20 specimens of endometrium were collected during hysterectomy at the Gynecology Department of Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital (Shenzhen, China) between August 2014 and December 2015. The endometrium was digested with high concentrations of collagenase and DNase and filtered with meshes, and then the glandular epithelial and stromal cells were separated by the adhesion purification method. The purity of stromal cells was identified by vimetin and cytokeratin 7 immunostaining. The estradiol + progesterone (E2+P4) and/or cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) were added to induce an in vitro decidualization model, which was used to analyze the effect of Icaritin on the decidualization ability of the human ESCs. The decidualization markers of human ESCs, prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 1 (IGFBP-1), was analyzed by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of the mRNA levels, PRL immunostaining and ELISA analysis of the IGFBP-1 protein levels in the cells or cell culture supernatant separately. The results demonstrated that treatment with E2+P4 and/or cAMP for 96 h was able to induce decidualization in ESCs, and that the cells demonstrated polygon-shaped epithelioid changes. The cell nuclei revealed multinuclear changes, and the cells were also observed to be large and round in shape. The PRL expression and upregulated IGFBP-1 mRNA and protein levels in the E2+P4+cAMP treatment group indicated successful decidualization of the in vitro model. However, the addition of Icaritin inhibited the expression of PRL and IGFBP-1 mRNA, as well as IGFBP-1 protein in the induced ESCs compared with groups without Icaritin. These results suggest that Icaritin was able to inhibit the expression of decidualization-related genes in ESCs in vitro. However, the exact mechanisms require further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is the most common organism causing osteomyelitis, and Staphylococcus aureus protein A (SpA) is an important virulence factor anchored in its cell wall. However, the precise mechanisms underlying the bone loss caused by SpA have not been well understood. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of SpA on osteoclast differentiation, and the probable mechanism was investigated. Raw264.7 cells were treated with SpA in the absence or presence of receptor‑activated (NF)‑κB ligand for 5 days, and morphological and biochemical assays were used to assess osteoclastogenesis and explore the underlying mechanisms. Data demonstrated that SpA induced osteoclast differentiation and promoted bone resorption in a dose‑dependent manner in the absence or presence of RANKL. In addition, the expression of osteoclast‑specific genes, such as the tartrate resistant acid phosphatase, matrix metalloproteinase‑9, cathepsin K, calcitonin receptors and d2 isoform of the vacuolar ATPase Vo domain, were enhanced by SpA. Furthermore, the SpA‑induced osteoclast differentiation was associated with the degradation of inhibitor of κB‑α, phosphorylation of NF‑κB p65 and increased expression of nuclear factor of activated T‑cells. However, by treatment with JSH‑23, an NF‑κB inhibitor, the formation of osteoclast‑like cells and resorption pits was significantly reduced, and the expression of osteoclast‑specific genes was also inhibited. Collectively, in the present study SpA induced osteoclast differentiation, promoted bone resorption, and the NF‑κB signaling pathway was involved in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the previous report we proposed, on the basis of the detailed X-ray diffraction data analysis, the crystal structure of PLLA/PDLA stereocomplex (SC) with the space group P3, which is different from the R3c or R3c models proposed in the literature. The most important point of the change of the structure model is to explain the experimental data that the SC can be formed in the region of the L/D ratio of 70/30-30/70, not only for the L/D = 50/50 ratio. In our P3 structural model, one crystal site is occupied by the Ru and Ld (or Rd and Lu) (3/1) helices at the statistical probability determined by the L/D ratio, where R and L indicate the right-handed and left-handed helical chains and u and d show the upward and downward directionality along the chain axis, respectively. In other words, the D and L chain stems can coexist in a heterogeneous way in the SC crystalline lattice. This structural model has been supported experimentally from the totally different point of view on the basis of the vibrational circular dichroism IR spectral measurement. When the right-handed (r) and left-handed (l) circularly polarized IR beams are incident to the optically active chemical species, the ratio between the r and l band intensity changes depending on the relative content of the R and L species (IR circular dichroism). The IR circular dichroism of PLLA/PDLA blend sample was found to change its dichroic ratio depending on the L/D content in the sample. The most important finding is that the dichroic ratio change was detected not only for the amorphous IR bands but also for the crystalline bands, indicating definitely that the D and L chain stems can coexist in the crystalline region at the various L/D ratios as proposed by the X-ray structure analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International Journal of Arts and Sciences (IJAS) is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary academic journal, and is closely related to a continuing series of academic multidisciplinary conferences held in many historic cities across the world. This study investigates the research profile of the papers recently published in IJAS through a qualitative thematic analysis. Three hundred sixty (360) papers published in the journal in 2015 and 2016 were coded and analyzed. The analysis reveals that IJAS disseminates research papers with a wide range of research themes. Among the research themes, Regional Issues, Education, Language/Literature represent the main research stream of IJAS. Case Study is the most common research methodology and Literature/Document Review is the most common data collection method applied in the papers of IJAS. The paper also presents other facts about participant countries, keywords frequencies, and references. The analysis results presented in this paper clearly proves that IJAS is a premier reference source for international and multidisciplinary research communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bufadienolides are the major pharmacologic constituents of traditional Chinese medicine Chan'su, which is frequently used clinically for cancer treatment in China. Motivated by reducing or avoiding the cardiac toxicity of bufadienolides, we have designed, synthesized, and evaluated the fibroblast activation protein α (FAPα) activated tripeptide arenobufagin prodrugs with the purpose of improving the safety of arenobufagin (a representative bufadienolide). Among these FAPα-activated prodrugs, 3f exhibited the best hydrolytic efficiency by recombinant human FAPα (rhFAPα) and was activated in tumors. The LD50 of 3f was 6.5-fold higher than that of arenobufagin. We also observed that there are nonapparent changes in echocardiography, pathological section of cardiac muscle, and the lactate dehydrogenase activities (LDH) in 3f-treatment tumor-bearing mice, even when the dose reached 3 times the amount of parent drug arenobufagin that was used. Compound 3f also exhibits significant antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo. The improved safety profile and favorable anticancer properties of 3f warrant further studies of the potential clinical implications. Our study suggests that FAPα prodrug strategy is an effective approach for successful increasing the therapeutic window of bufadienolides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karyotype analysis was carried out on gill cells of three species of octopods using a conventional air-drying method. The karyotype results showed that all the three species have the same diploid chromosome number, 2n=60, but with different karyograms as 2n=38M+6SM+8ST+8T, FN (fundamental number)=104 (Cistopus chinensis Zheng et al., 2012), 2n=42M+6SM+4ST+8T, FN=108 (Octopus minor (Sasaki, 1920)) and 2n=32M+16SM+12T, FN=108 (Amphioctopus fangsiao (d'Orbigny, 1839-1841)). These findings were combined with data from earlier studies to infer the genetic relationships between nine species via cluster analysis using the karyotype evolutionary distance (De) and resemblance-near coefficient (λ). The resulting tree revealed a clear distinction between different families and orders which was substantially consistent with molecular phylogenies. The smallest intraspecific evolutionary distance (De=0.2013, 0.2399) and largest resemblance-near coefficient (λ=0.8184, 0.7871) appeared between O. minor and C. chinensis, and Sepia esculenta Hoyle, 1885 and S. lycidas Gray, 1849, respectively, indicating that these species have the closest relationship. The largest evolutionary gap appeared between species with complicated karyotypes and species with simple karyotypes. Cluster analysis of De and λ provides information to supplement traditional taxonomy and molecular systematics, and it would serve as an important auxiliary for routine phylogenetic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To deeply understand the effects of support properties on the performance of Mo-based slurry-phase hydrocracking catalysts, four Mo-based catalysts supported on amorphous silica alumina (ASA), γ-Al2O3, ultra-stable Y (USY) zeolite and SiO2 were prepared by the incipient wetness impregnation method, respectively, and their catalytic performances were compared in the vacuum residue (VR) hydrocracking process. It is found that the Mo/ASA catalyst exhibits the highest VR conversion among the different catalysts, indicating that both the appropriate amount of acid sites, especially B acid sites and larger mesoporous volume of ASA can enhance the VR hydrocracking into light distillates. Furthermore, Mo catalysts supported on the different supports show quite different product distributions in VR hydrocracking. The Mo/ASA catalyst provides higher yields of naphtha and middle distillates and lower yields of gas and coke compared with other catalysts, it is attributed to the highest MoS2 slab dispersion, the highest sulfuration degree of Mo species, and the most Mo atoms located at the edge sites for the Mo/ASA catalyst, as observed by HRTEM and XPS analyses. These features of Mo/ASA are beneficial for the hydrogenation of intermediate products and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to restrict the gas and coke formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive dataset from 594 fracturing wells throughout the Duvernay Formation near Fox Creek, Alberta, is collected to quantify the influences of geological, geomechanical, and operational features on the distribution and magnitude of hydraulic fracturing-induced seismicity. An integrated machine learning-based investigation is conducted to systematically evaluate multiple factors that contribute to induced seismicity. Feature importance indicates that a distance to fault, a distance to basement, minimum principal stress, cumulative fluid injection, initial formation pressure, and the number of fracturing stages are among significant model predictors. Our seismicity prediction map matches the observed spatial seismicity, and the prediction model successfully guides the fracturing job size of a new well to reduce seismicity risks. This study can apply to mitigating potential seismicity risks in other seismicityfrequent regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periampullary diverticulum (PAD) may make the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with choledocholithiasis more difficult and may increase complication rates. The present study evaluated the effects of PAD on first-time ERCP in patients with choledocholithiasis. Methods: Outcomes were compared in patients with and without PAD and in those with four types of PAD: papilla located completely inside the diverticulum (type I), papilla located in the inner (type II a) and outer (type II b) margins of the diverticulum; and papilla located outside the diverticulum (type III). Parameters compared included cannulation time and rates of difficult cannulation, post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) and perforation. Results: The median cannulation times in patients with types I, II a, II b, III PAD and in those without PAD were 2.0 min, 5.0 min, 0.67 min, 3.5 min, and 3.5 min, respectively, with difficult cannulation rates in these groups of 7.4%, 31.4%, 8.3%, 18.9%, and 23.2%, respectively. The rates of PEP in patients with and without PAD were 5.3% and 5.1%, respectively. Four patients with and one without PAD experienced perforation. Conclusions: The division of PAD into four types may be more appropriate than the traditional division into three types. Cannulation of type I and II b PAD was easier than cannulation of patients without PAD, whereas cannulation of type II a PAD was more challenging. PAD may not increase the rates of PEP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crystal structure of poly(l-lactic acid) β form has been reinvestigated on the basis of the 2-dimensional X-ray diffraction diagram measured for the sample obtained by stretching the highly crystalline α form at a high temperature. The six helical chains of (3/1) conformation are packed in a rectangular unit cell of the space group P1 with the complicated but systematic packing mode of the upward and downward chains. This structural model is different from the previously reported trigonal model [Puiggali; Polymer 2000, 41, 8921]. The structural phase transition mechanism from the α form to the β form via the δ form has been proposed by assuming the cooperative displacements of the upward and downward helical chains as well as the conformational change. To support this mechanism, the two types of experiments were performed: (i) The highly oriented regular α form was stretched at about 165 °C to the various drawing ratios and cooled to the room temperature with the sample length fixed constantly. The X-ray diffraction data of these samples revealed the transition from the α to the mechanically deformd α (αd), to the δ form, and then to the β form depending on the drawing ratio. (ii) The α sample was suspended vertically with a constant load in the heating process, and the X-ray diffraction pattern was measured as a function of time (temperature). The original α form was found to melt at about 200 °C via the transition to the αd form and then to the δ form, followed by the recrystallization into the highly oriented β form. From these two experiments, the tension-induced structural transition from the α to the β form was found to occur via the disordering of the α form to the αd and to δ form under tension. The structural change process was derived on the basis of all of the knowledge collected from the X-ray structure analysis and the ex-situ and in-situ X-ray diffraction measurements: the molecular chains experience the cooperative translational slippage along the diagonal directions in the ab-plane to give the complicatedly mixed packing of the upward and downward chains to give the characteristic structure of the β form. At the same time, the chain conformational changes from the regular (10/3) to the disordered (10/3) and then to the (3/1) form during the disordering in the chain packing mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Retrospective study of instrumentation failure after posterior vertebral column resection (pVCR) in adult spinal deformity (ASD) patients.Objective: The morbidity and related risk factors of the instrumentation failure.Summary Of Background Data: Instrumentation failure is another common complication after pVCR. But no report about it has been published before. The safety of titanium mesh cages (TMCs) for this failure is still unknown so far.Methods: A total of 35 consecutive ASD patients (18 females and 17 males), who underwent pVCR between May 2005 and December 2014 in our hospital, were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age and follow-up period were 37.8 ± 12.8 years and 45.5 ± 27.3 months. Proportion was used to describe the morbidity of instrumentation failure. Potential risk factors were compared between patients with and without instrumentation failures by using Student t test or χ tests (Fisher exact tests). Risk factors related to TMCs were analyzed in TMC group.Results: There were 70 vertebra resected in total, with the mean of 10.3 segments instrumented. The mean correction rates of main curve (n = 25) and segmental kyphosis (n = 35) were 68.8% and 67.9%, respectively. Five patients (14.3%) suffered rod breakage. The failure was noted an average of 6.8 months after surgery. The risk factors included BMI (>27, P = 0.026), comorbidity (Achondroplasia, P = 0.047), and anterior column defect (ACD>20 mm, P = 0.045). TMC subsidence of ≥5 mm was the risk factor related to TMC in TMC group (P = 0.041).Conclusion: It is safe to reconstruct with a TMC after pVCR in ASD, but the height should be as low as possible to reduce ACD. For those patients with risk factors, autologous bone graft and a satellite rod should be considered. If TMC subsidence ≥5 mm, a frequent follow-up should be performed.Level Of Evidence: 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a high-resolution time-to-digital converter (TDC) based on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) device is proposed and tested. During the implementation, a new architecture of TDC is proposed which consists of a measurement matrix with 1024 units. The utilization of routing resources as the delay elements distinguishes the proposed design from other existing designs, which contributes most to the device insensitivity to variations of temperature and voltage. Experimental results suggest that the measurement resolution is 7.4 ps, and the INL (integral nonlinearity) and DNL (differential nonlinearity) are 11.6 ps and 5.5 ps, which indicates that the proposed TDC offers high performance among the available TDCs. Benefitting from the FPGA platform, the proposed TDC has superiorities in easy implementation, low cost, and short development time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of heat treatment and sensitized corrosion on the 5383-H116 Al-Mg alloy were investigated for temperatures ranging from 100 to 450 °C. The results show that the heat treatment temperature is the main factor that causes changes to the microstructure and mechanical strength of the 5383-H116 Al-Mg alloy, inducing β-phase (Al3Mg2) precipitation in the form of a continuous layer along the grain boundaries. Intergranular corrosion was caused by the β-phase of the grain boundary precipitation, and the corrosion susceptibility of the recrystallized structure was significantly higher than the corrosion susceptibility of the recovered structure. According to the conductivity values detected, β -phase precipitation can enhance the 5383-H116 Al-Mg alloy conductivity, with the response due to structural dislocation density being higher than that due to the recrystallized structure. As such, the β-phase precipitation after sensitization is more significant than the β-phase precipitation prior to the sensitization, such that after sensitization, the conductivity rises to a significantly higher level than that exhibited by the recrystallization structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A modified method for better superpixel generation based on simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) is presented and named BSLIC in this paper. By initializing cluster centers in hexagon distribution and performing k-means clustering in a limited region, the generated superpixels are shaped into regular and compact hexagons. The additional cluster centers are initialized as edge pixels to improve boundary adherence, which is further promoted by incorporating the boundary term into the distance calculation of the k-means clustering. Berkeley Segmentation Dataset BSDS500 is used to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the proposed BSLIC method. Experimental results show that BSLIC achieves an excellent compromise between boundary adherence and regularity of size and shape. In comparison with SLIC, the boundary adherence of BSLIC is increased by at most 12.43% for boundary recall and 3.51% for under segmentation error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By the multiple reflections and transmissions in a dielectric on a ferromagnetic metal, color and Kerr rotation correlate with each other. It is revealed that the real refractive index of dielectric plays a major role on the variations of color and Kerr signal, while the absorbing term adjusts the intensive color exhibition and Kerr enhancement at much thinner dielectric thickness. The intensive Kerr signal variation is always accompanied by the color transition with the dielectric thickness changing. Experimental results observed in silicon(or silica)/iron samples are well consistent with calculations. Nanometer dielectric optical coating can not only enhance Kerr effect but also endow magnetic surface with chromatics, which has promising potential applications in anti-fake brands, colorful decorations, camouflages, and even bionics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapy using acellular spinal cord (ASC) scaffolds seeded with bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) has previously been shown to restore function of the damaged spinal cord and improve functional recovery in a rat model of acute hemisected spinal cord injury (SCI). The aim of the present study was to determine whether BMSCs and ASC scaffolds promote the functional recovery of the damaged spinal cord in a rat SCI model through regulation of apoptosis and immune responses. Whether this strategy regulates secondary inflammation, which is characterized by the infiltration of immune cells and inflammatory mediators to the lesion site, in SCI repair was investigated. Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scores revealed that treatment with BMSCs seeded into an ASC scaffold led to a significant improvement in motor function recovery compared with treatment with an ASC scaffold alone or untreated controls at 2 and 8 weeks after surgery (P<0.05). Two weeks after transplantation, the BMSCs seeded into an ASC scaffold significantly decreased the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells, as compared with the ASC scaffold only and control groups. These results suggested that the use of BMSCs decreased the apoptosis of neural cells and thereby limited tissue damage at the lesion site. Notably, the use of BMSCs with an ASC scaffold also decreased the recruitment of macrophages (microglia; P<0.05) and T lymphocytes (P<0.05) around the SCI site, as indicated by immunofluorescent markers. By contrast, there was no inhibition of the inflammatory response in the control and ASC scaffold only groups. BMSCs regulated inflammatory cell recruitment to promote functional recovery. However, there was no significant difference in IgM-positive expression among the three groups (P>0.05). The results of this study demonstrated that BMSCs seeded into ASC scaffolds for repair of spinal cord hemisection defects promoted functional recovery through the early regulation of inflammatory cell recruitment with inhibition of apoptosis and secondary inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of piezoresistive sensors has been undergoing a significant revolution in terms of design methodology, material technology and micromachining process. However, the temperature dependence of sensor characteristics remains a hurdle to cross. This review focuses on the issues in thermal-performance instability of piezoresistive sensors. Based on the operation fundamental, inducements to the instability are investigated in detail and correspondingly available ameliorative methods are presented. Pros and cons of each improvement approach are also summarized. Though several schemes have been proposed and put into reality with favorable achievements, the schemes featuring simple implementation and excellent compatibility with existing techniques are still emergently demanded to construct a piezoresistive sensor with excellent comprehensive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a novel vehicle stability control (VSC) scheme using adaptive neural network sliding mode control technique for Steer-by-Wire (SbW) equipped vehicles. The VSC scheme is designed in two stages, i.e., the upper and lower level control stages. An adaptive sliding mode yaw rate controller is first proposed as the upper one to design the compensated steering angle for enabling the actual yaw rate to closely follow the desired one. Then, in the implementation of the yaw control system, the developed steering controller consists of a nominal control and a terminal sliding mode compensator where a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is adopted to adaptively learn the uncertainty bound in the Lyapunov sense such that the actual front wheel steering angle can be driven to track the commanded angle in a finite time. The proposed novel stability control scheme possesses the following prominent superiorities over the existing ones: (i) No prior parameter information on the vehicle and tyre dynamics is required in stability control, which greatly reduces the complexity of the stability control structure. (ii) The robust stability control performance against parameter variations and road disturbances is obtained by means of ensuring the good tracking performance of yaw rate and steering angle and the strong robustness with respect to large and nonlinear system uncertainties. Simulation results are demonstrated to verify the superior control performance of the proposed VSC scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gas phase anion photoelectron spectrum of the Cl − ⋯N 2 complex is presented, allowing determination of the electron binding energy, and is compared to CCSD(T) calculations. The calculations reveal three stationary points on the neutral complex surface; a linear C ∞ v and two C 2 v symmetry geometries. For the anion complex, two geometries are predicted, similar to the C 2 v symmetry conformations determined for the neutral. Comparing both computational and experimental results with those from previous work we show trends between anion complex stability and electron stabilisation energy and also the neutral complex stability with respect to the polarisability of the halogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was performed to evaluate the comparative efficacy and safety of axitinib and sorafenib in the therapy of metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Materials and methods: Eligible studies were searched from PubMed, Embase, and Future Medicine databases. The pooled hazard ratios and relative risk ratios (RRs) were calculated by using Stata 12.0 software. Results: A total of 1,011 patients qualified to participate in this Phase III study that included randomized controlled trials. Meta-analysis results showed that axitinib was more highly and significantly associated with a survival benefit in the independently assessed progression-free survival in comparison to sorafenib. The values of RR of the objective response rate and disease control rate were also significantly different. Results of the analysis of adverse events concerning hypertension and hypothyroidism demonstrated that the values of RR were significantly higher in the axitinib group and lower risks were established in the patients treated with axitinib. Conclusion: Therefore, axitinib was a better treatment option for metastatic renal cell carcinoma treatment than sorafenib, especially after failure of prior systemic therapies. This analysis revealed that axitinib had higher risks of hypertension and hypothyroidism and lower risks of rash and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many epidemiological studies have conducted to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels and the risk of kidney stone. The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies between them.Methods: Pertinent studies were identified by a search of PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and China Biology Medical literature up to July 2015. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was conducted to combine the results. Random-effect model was used. Publication bias was estimated using Egger's regression asymmetry test.Results: Seven articles involving 451 kidney stone cases and 482 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Our pooled results suggested that kidney stone patients had a significantly higher serum vitamin D level compared with controls [summary SMD = 0.65, 95 % CI = 0.51, 0.79, I(2) = 97.0 %]. The associations were also significant both in Europe [SMD = 0.35, 95 % CI = 0.17, 0.53] and in Asia [SMD = 1.00, 95 % CI = 0.76, 1.25]. No publication bias was found.Conclusions: Our analysis indicated that serum vitamin D level in kidney stone patients was significantly higher than that in non-kidney stone controls, both in Europe and Asia populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Optimization of shade avoidance response (SAR) is crucial for enhancing crop yield in high-density planting conditions in modern agriculture, but a comprehensive study of the regulatory network of SAR is still lacking in monocot crops. Results: In this study, the genome-wide early responses in maize seedlings to the simulated shade (low red/far-red ratio) and also to far-red light treatment were transcriptionally profiled. The two processes were predominantly mediated by phytochrome B and phytochrome A, respectively. Clustering of differentially transcribed genes (DTGs) along with functional enrichment analysis identified important biological processes regulated in response to both treatments. Co-expression network analysis identified two transcription factor modules as potentially pivotal regulators of SAR and de-etiolation, respectively. A comprehensive cross-species comparison of orthologous DTG pairs between maize and Arabidopsis in SAR was also conducted, with emphasis on regulatory circuits controlling accelerated flowering and elongated growth, two physiological hallmarks of SAR. Moreover, it was found that the genome-wide distribution of DTGs in SAR and de-etiolation both biased toward the maize1 subgenome, and this was associated with differential retention of various cis-elements between the two subgenomes. Conclusions: The results provide the first transcriptional picture for the early dynamics of maize phytochrome signaling. Candidate genes with regulatory functions involved in maize shade avoidance response have been identified, offering a starting point for further functional genomics investigation of maize adaptation to heavily shaded field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, motivated by the Einstein operations and Bonferroni mean, we investigate the multiple attribute decision making problems for evaluating the enterprise risk with the hesitant fuzzy linguistic information. Then, we propose the hesitant fuzzy linguistic Einstein Bonferroni mean (HFLEBM) operator. Then, we have utilized the HFLEBM operator to develop an approach for evaluating the enterprise risk with the hesitant fuzzy linguistic information. Finally, a practical example for evaluating the Enterprise risk is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flux modulation scheme (FMS) is the standard readout technique of dc SQUIDs, where a step-up transformer links the SQUID to the preamplifier. The transformer's primary winding shunts the SQUID via a large capacitor while the secondary winding connects it to the preamplifier. A modulation flux having a frequency of typically 100 kHz generates an ac voltage across the SQUID, stepped up by the transformer. The SQUID with FMS is customarily operated in the current bias mode, because a constant dc bias current flows only through the SQUID due to the capacitor isolation. With FMS, however, the transformer ac shunts the SQUID so that in reality the operating mode is neither purely current-biased nor voltage-biased but rather nominal currentbiased or "mixed biased." Our objective is to experimentally investigate the consequences of ac shunting of the dc SQUID in FMS and the transformer's transfer characteristics. For different shunt values we measure the change in the SQUID bias current due to the ac shunt using another SQUID in the two-stage readout scheme, and simultaneously monitor the SQUID output voltage signal. We then explain our measurements by a simplified graphic analysis of SQUID intrinsic current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. Since the total current flowing through the SQUID is not constant due to the shunting effect of the transformer, the amplitude of SQUID flux-to-voltage characteristics V(U) is less as compared to the direct readout scheme (DRS). Furthermore, we analyze and compare V(U) obtained by DRS and FMS. We show that in FMS, the transfer characteristics of the SQUID circuit also depend on the isolation capacitance and the dynamic resistance of the SQUID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infected bone defect poses a great challenge for orthopedists because it is difficult to cure. Tissue-engineered bone based on the human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), has currently taken a promising treatment protocol in clinical practice. In a previous study, a porous hydroxyapatite/fibronectin/alginate (PHA/FN/ALG) composite scaffold displayed favorable biological properties as a novel scaffold, which was considered better than single-material scaffolds. In addition, Wnt11 has been demonstrated to play an important role in the development of osteoblasts, but until recently, its role in the osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs in infectious environment remained unclear. Methods: In this study, we constructed a PHA/FN/ALG composite scaffold with layer-by-layer technology. Furthermore, we also constructed Wnt11-silenced (RNAi) and -overexpressing hMSCs by lentiviral transduction. The gene transduction efficacy was confirmed by quantitative PCR assay and Western blot analysis. Tissue-engineered bone was constructed with hMSCs and PHA/FN/ALG composite scaffolds, and then was implanted into an infected bone defect model for evaluating the osteogenic capacity by quantitative PCR, gross observation, micro-CT and histology analysis. Results: All those cells showed similar adhesion abilities and proliferation capacities in scaffolds. After tissue-engineered bone implantation, there were high levels of systemic inflammatory factors in vivo, which significantly declined three days after antibiotic therapy. One or two months after implantation, the results of osteogenic-related gene analyses, gross observation, micro-CT and histology consistently showed that the Wnt11 over-expression hMSC group displayed the strongest osteogenesis capacity, whereas the Wnt11-RNAi hMSC group displayed inferior osteogenesis capacity, when compared with the other cell-containing groups. However, the blank control group and the only composite scaffold without cell implantation group both showed extremely weak osteogenesis capacity. Conclusion: Our results revealed that the Wnt11 gene plays an important role in hMSCs for enhancing the osteogenesis in an infectious environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As for the crystal structure of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) a-form, the methyl group was said to locate at an abnormally short distance from the oxygen atom of C-O unit, resulting in the formation of CH3···O-C hydrogen bond. This idea was proposed on the basis of infrared spectra detecting a band of antisymmetric methyl C-H stretching mode [Vas(CH3)] at anomalously high frequency position and the too short CH3···O-C interatomic distances calculated from the atomic coordinates derived from the previously reported X-ray structure analysis. However, the crystal structure analyzed by the X-ray method, even the C and O atomic positions, has not yet been established confirmatively because of the appreciably small number of the observed X-ray diffraction spots. We have reinvestigated the crystal structure of PHB a-form by collecting the observed X-ray diffraction spots of about twice larger total number than before, and confirmed the positions of the C, O and H atoms in the unit cell at enough high accuracy. The finally obtained crystal structure gave the reliability factor of 14.5% for the X-ray data at 23 °C (the total number of observed reflections 70) and 16.0% (94 at -140 °C). The thus-established crystal structure was found to exhibit the shortest H···O distance of 2.62 Å, which is shorter than the value expected from the normal van der Waals distance. In order to clarify the relation of this geometry with the observed higher-frequency shift of Vas(CH3) band from the viewpoint of space group symmetry, the factor-group analysis and the normal modes calculation were performed for the PHB a-crystal by referring to the presently analyzed crystal structure information. Among the plural possibilities to cause the high-frequency shift of originally doubly degenerated Vas(CH3) mode, the normal coordinates calculation has revealed that the vibrational coupling due to the intermolecular interactions between the adjacent molecular chains may be the most significant factor rather than the effect of lowering of C3v symmetry of regular CH3 groups coming from the site group symmetry. Once the crystal structure was established well, then the 3D anisotropic elastic constants matrix was calculated for the first time about the PHB a crystal. The ultimate Young's modulus along the chain axis was only 5 GPa, which was comparable to the moduli in the direction perpendicular to the chain axis. In other words, the mechanical property of this crystal is mostly isotropic as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: To detect the protein expression level of Cx43, smad4 and PCNA in normal and gastric carcinoma tissue by immuno-histochemistry, western blotting and RTPCR method. We intend to reveal the relationship between their expression in occurrence and development. Simultaneously through analyzing experimental data we have obtained the correlation among them. Materials and Methods: Immuno-histochemistry and western blotting were adopted to detect the expression of Cx43, smad4 and PCNA protein in normal and carcinomatous gastric tissue, expression levels mRNA of Cx43, smad4 and PCNA were detected by RT-PCR in normal and carcinomatous gastric tissue. Experimental data were analyzed by combining clinical pathology data using statistical approach. Results: The expression levels of Cx43, and smad4 in carcinomatous gastric tissue were lower than they were in normal gastric tissue. The expression level of PCNA in carcinomatous gastric tissue was higher than that in normal gastric tissue. The expression levels of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA in groups of age and gender is not significant. The expression of Cx43, Smad4 and PCNA in different clinicopathologic features of carcinomatous gastric tissue including degrees of pathological differentiation, lymph node metastasis condition, depth of tumor invasion and TNM stages is statistically significant. With the progression of gastric carcinoma, the expression levels of Cx43 and Smad4 were decreased, conversely PCNA showed a high expression level. Based on the analysis Cx43 negatively correlated with PCNA, Cx43 positively correlated with Smad4, Smad4 negatively correlated with PCNA. Conclusions: The protein and mRNA expressions of Cx43, smad4 and PCNA were significant differences between normal gastric tissue and gastric carcinoma, also were concerned with differentiation degree, lymph node metastasis, TNM stages and depth of invasion, while not significant with age and gender. This suggests that they may play an important role in occurrence and development of gastric carcinoma, but also may have some interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Origami geometric design is fundamental to many engineering applications of origami structures. This paper presents a new method for the design of three-dimensional (3D) origami structures suitable for engineering use. Using input point sets specified, respectively, in the x-z and y-z planes of a Cartesian coordinate system, the proposed method generates the coordinates of the vertices of a folded origami structure, whose fold lines are then defined by straight line segments each connecting two adjacent vertices. It is mathematically guaranteed that the origami structures obtained by this method are developable. Moreover, an algorithm to simulate the unfolding process from designed 3D configurations to planar crease patterns is provided. The validity and versatility of the proposed method are demonstrated through several numerical examples ranging from Miura-Ori to cylinder and curved-crease designs. Furthermore, it is shown that the proposed method can be used to design origami structures to support two given surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]