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Background: KRAS mutations in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are used as predictive biomarkers to select therapy with EGFR monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Other factors may be significant determinants of benefit. Methods: Individual patient data from randomised trials with a head-to-head comparison between EGFR mAb versus no EGFR mAb (chemotherapy alone or best supportive care) in mCRC, across all lines of therapy, were pooled. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between groups. Treatment effects within the predefined KRAS biomarker subsets were estimated by adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) and 95% confidence interval (CI). EGFR mAb efficacy was measured within the KRAS wild-type subgroup according to BRAF and NRAS mutation status. In both KRAS wild-type and mutant subgroups, additional factors that could impact EGFR mAb efficacy were explored including the type of chemotherapy, line of therapy, age, sex, tumour sidedness and site of metastasis. Results: 5675 patients from 8 studies were included, all with known mCRC KRAS mutation status. OS (HRadj 0.90, 95% CI 0.84–0.98, p = 0.01) and PFS benefit (HRadj 0.73, 95% CI 0.68–0.79, p < 0.001) from EGFR mAbs was observed in the KRAS wild-type group. PFS benefit was seen in patients treated with fluorouracil (HRadj 0.75, 95% CI 0.68–0.82) but not with capecitabine-containing regimens (HRadj 1.04, 95% CI 0.86–1.26) (pinteraction = 0.002). Sidedness also interacted with EGFR mAb efficacy, with survival benefit restricted to left-sided disease (pinteraction = 0.038). PFS benefits differed according to age, with benefits greater in those under 70 (pinteraction = 0.001). The survival benefit was not demonstrated in those patients with mutations found in the KRAS, NRAS or BRAF genes. The presence of liver metastases interacted with EGFR mAb efficacy in patients with KRAS mutant mCRC (pinteraction = 0.004). Conclusion: The benefit provided by EGFR mAbs in KRAS WT mCRC is associated with left-sided primary tumour location, younger patient age and absence of NRAS or BRAF mutations. Survival benefit is observed with fluorouracil but not capecitabine. Exploratory results support further research in KRAS mutant mCRC without liver metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Two experiments were conducted to explore the effects of an exogenous sfericase protease on the apparent ileal nutrient digestibility of soybean meal (SBM) and rapeseed meal (RSM) in broiler chickens. 2. In each experiment, a total of 256 sixteen-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were fed one of four semi-purified experimental diets, comprising two different batches (A and B) of samples for either SBM (Exp. 1) or RSM (Exp. 2) without or with an exogenous sfericase (0 or 30,000 NFP/kg). Each experimental diet was fed to eight replicate pens of broiler chickens from 16 to 21 d of age (eight birds per cage), and ileal digesta were collected for measuring the digestibility coefficients. 3. In Exp. 1, the amino acid digestibility was greater (P < 0.05) in SBM B compared with SBM A for Arg and Val, and a similar trend (P < 0.1) was observed for Tyr, Leu and Thr. Exogenous sfericase increased (P < 0.10) digestibility of most of amino acids except Gly, His and Trp. There was an interaction between SBM source and sfericase, whereby digestibility of P, N and Asp was increased by sfericase for SBM B but not for SBM A. In Exp. 2, there was no interaction (P > 0.05) between RSM source and sfericase for ileal nutrient digestibility. Digestibility was greater in RSM A compared to RSM B for all non-essential AA and most essential AA (except for Trp), while the reverse was noted for Ca and P (P < 0.05). Exogenous sfericase increased (P < 0.1) digestibility for all amino acids except Cys and Met. 4. In conclusion, the current studies showed that both SBM and RSM batches influenced amino acid digestibility. Sfericase protease supplementation increased amino acid digestibility for both SBM and RSM. The digestibility effects were greater in the SBM batch with low digestibility for N and Asp which was in line with an increase in P digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high‐resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere/ionosphere extension (WACCM‐X) is used to study the impacts of gravity waves (GWs) on the thermospheric circulation and composition. The resolved GWs are found to propagate anisotropically with stronger eastward components at most altitudes. The dissipation of these waves in the thermosphere produces a net eastward forcing that reaches peak values between 200 and 250 km at mid‐high latitudes in both hemispheres. Consequently, the mean circulation is weakened in the winter hemisphere and enhanced in the summer, which in turn impacts the thermospheric composition. Most notably, the column integrated O/N2 in both hemispheres is reduced and agrees better with observations. The mean thermospheric GW forcing in the meridional direction has comparable amplitude and acts to modify the gradient‐wind relationship. Plain Language Summary: Small‐scale waves originate from the lower atmosphere have been shown to propagate into the thermosphere. To study their effects a high‐resolution whole atmosphere model has been employed. Using this high‐resolution model, which can partially resolve the small‐scale waves, we can directly quantify the force exerted by these waves on the general circulation in the thermosphere. We found that such force is strong, and affects the thermospheric circulation in both winter and summer hemisphere. This consequently changes the distribution of important thermospheric species. One measure of the thermospheric composition is the ratio of atomic oxygen and molecular nitrogen, which is an indicator of the relative abundance of atomic and molecular species. This ratio has been grossly over‐estimated in previous modeling studies. It is reduced as a result of the circulation change, and is much better agreement with observations. Key Points: Gravity waves (GWs) resolved by high‐resolution WACCM‐X displays anisotropic propagationGW forcing alters thermospheric circulationThe circulation change leads to a much improved thermospheric O/N2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment with exogenous melatonin can raise postharvest fruit cold tolerance and alleviate cold injury. However, the mechanism, by which melatonin mediate cold tolerance, is still to be explored. So in this paper, the conjugated polyamines in tonoplast and vacuole structure were illuminated in the flesh cells of apple fruit subjected to cold stress, which were pretreated with exogenous melatonin. The results showed that under cold condition, fruit firmness decreased and flesh browning area increased, and vacuole structure changed. The cold injury could be alleviated by pretreatment with exogenous melatonin, as judged by stabilization of the vacuole structure, increased fruit firmness and reduced flesh browning area. Furthermore, the cold alleviation was coupled with the increases of the levels of covalently conjugated putrescine and non-covalently conjugated spermidine and spermine in the tonoplast. The results suggested that these conjugated polyamines in tonoplast and vacuole structure might be involved in melatonin-mediated cold tolerance. The suggestion was further verified by applications with inhibitors, phenanthroline and methylglyoxal-bis (guanylhydrazone) (MGBG). Phenanthroline and MGBG could restrain the melatonin-induced increases of covalently and non-covalently conjugated polyamines mentioned above in the tonoplast, respectively, and increase flesh browning area, decrease fruit firmness and vacuole structure stabilization. So, we can conclude that exogenous melatonin alleviates cold injury in apple fruit via elevating the contents of the polyamines conjugated to the tonoplast and thereby maintaining vacuole structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Laying performance is an important economic trait in poultry. The blood is essential in transporting nutrients to the yolk and albumen and is necessary for egg formation. 2. This study calculated the phenotypic relationships of duck egg quality, egg production efficiency and 22 serum parameters in the egg-laying stage. Using a variety of methodologies, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out to uncover the genetic foundations of the 22 serum biochemical markers of laying ducks. 3. Spearman correlation coefficients between the egg production (226–329 per day) and the serum parameters were all weak, being less than 0.3. This analysis was done on 22 serum parameters, with total protein (TP), total triglycerides (TG), calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) having the highest correlation coefficients (r = 0.56–0.88). The coefficients for blood markers, such as total cholesterol (CHOL), total bilirubin (TBIL), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) varied from 0.70–0.94. 4. Based on single-marker single-trait genome-wide analyses by a mixed linear model program of EMMAX, nine candidate genes were associated with enzyme traits (AST/ALT aspartate transaminase/glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, creatine kinase) and 19 candidate genes were associated with metabolism and protein-related serum parameters (glucose, total bile acid, uric acid (UA), albumin (ALB). 5. The mvLMM (multivariate linear mixed model) of GEMMA software was used to carry out multiple trait integrated GWAS. Two candidate genes were found in the TP-TG-CA-P analysis and seven candidate genes in the CHOL_LDL-C_HDL-C_TBIL study. There was a high genetic correlation between the two groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on an all-optical investigation of coupled spin excitation modes in a series of magnetic trilayer structures. Using time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect (tr-MOKE) magnetometry, we observe multi-mode coherent spin excitations in Ni 81 Fe 19 /Ru/ Co 49 Fe 49 V 2 multilayers even though the tr-MOKE optical detection is sensitive only to the Co 49 Fe 49 V 2 magnetization dynamics. Frequency shifts of the different modes indicate that the coupling between the Ni 81 Fe 19 and Co 49 Fe 49 V 2 layers varies from anti-ferromagnetic to ferromagnetic to uncoupled as the Ru spacer layer thickness is increased from 8 Å to 200 Å. The lifetime of the high frequency coherent oscillations in the Co 49 Fe 49 V 2 layer increases by over 200%–300% even in the case of uncoupled Ni 81 Fe 19 and Co 49 Fe 49 V 2 layers with a 200 Å thick Ru spacer. The results suggest an additional method to decrease the damping of high-moment alloys in layered magnetic nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By monitoring the surface temperature of a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sample, we designed a wet laser cleaning method to successfully remove the paint and surface epoxy resin layer without damaging the CFRP substrate. The temperature and stress distributions at the interface between the epoxy resin and CFRP were simulated by the heat conduction equation. The variation trend of temperature and stress with the average laser power was obtained and the cleaning threshold was given. A 1064 nm acoustic-optical Q-switched laser was used for cleaning by scanning the painted CFRP sample at a certain speed with different laser powers and the cleaning effect was monitored by measuring the temperature in real-time. The cleaning mechanism in the wet laser cleaning of CFRP is indicated to be the thermal stress stripping mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exogenous polyamines can enhance postharvest fruit cold resistance and alleviate cold injury. However, the mechanism underlying polyamine-mediated cold resistance remains to be eluciated. Therefore, in this research, polyamines conjugated to plasma membrane (PLM) and membrane conformation were detected in the putrescine pretreated peach fruits under cold condition. The results showed that cold stress resulted in the changes in the PLM conformation and cause the cold injury as judged by the increased plasma membrane permeability and the decreased sulphydryl content. Pretreatment with putrescine mitigated the cold injury of the fruits and resulted in the stabilization of PLM, coupled with the increased contents of non-covalently (NC)-conjugated spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm), and covalently-conjugated (C) putrescine (Put) and Spd in PLM. From the results, it could be inferred that polyamines conjugated to PLM and membrane conformation stabilization might be involved in the putrescine-mediated resistance of the harvested peach fruits to cold stress. This inference was confirmed by the complementary experiments with methylglyoxal-bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG) and phenanthroline, which inhibited S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and transglutaminase activities, respectively. MGBG restrained the putrescine-induced increases in NC-conjugated Spd and Spm and phenanthroline declined the increases in C-conjugated putrescine in PLM induced by exogenous putrescine. Furthermore, both MGBG and phenanthroline reversed the mitigation effects of putrescine on fruit cold injury, in parallel with the decrease of membrane conformation stabilization. Collectively, we could conclude that putrescine-mediated fruit cold resistance involved in the increases in the polyamines conjugated to PLM and the maintenance of membrane conformation. The relationship between the conjugated polyamines and membrane conformation stabilization was discussed in the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By monitoring the surface temperature of a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sample, we designed a wet laser cleaning method to successfully remove the paint and surface epoxy resin layer without damaging the CFRP substrate. The temperature and stress distributions at the interface between the epoxy resin and CFRP were simulated by the heat conduction equation. The variation trend of temperature and stress with the average laser power was obtained and the cleaning threshold was given. A 1064 nm acoustic-optical Q-switched laser was used for cleaning by scanning the painted CFRP sample at a certain speed with different laser powers and the cleaning effect was monitored by measuring the temperature in real-time. The cleaning mechanism in the wet laser cleaning of CFRP is indicated to be the thermal stress stripping mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show that atmospheric gravity waves can generate plasma ducts and irregularities in the plasmasphere using the coupled SAMI3/WACCM‐X model. We find the equatorial electron density is irregular as a function of longitude which is consistent with CRRES measurements (Clilverd et al., 2007, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007ja012416). We also find that plasma ducts can be generated for L‐shells in the range 1.5–3.0 with lifetimes of ∼ 0.5 hr; this is in line with observations of ducted VLF wave propagation with lifetimes of 0.5–2.0 hr (Clilverd et al., 2008, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007ja012602; Singh et al., 1998, https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-6826(98)00001-7). Plain Language Summary: Electromagnetic plasma waves, known as whistler waves, are observed to propagate in the ionosphere/plasmasphere system where the ionosphere is nominally defined as the partially ionized gas surrounding the earth in the altitude range 90–1,000 km and the plasmasphere is essentially the extension of the ionosphere 1,000s of km into space along closed geomagnetic field lines. Whistler wave propagation has been characterized as ducted and non‐ducted. Ducted propagation is guided along the magnetic field by density tubes in which the plasma density is lower or higher than the background plasma. However, the physical processes that generate these ducts has remained unclear. We show that these plasma ducts can be generated by atmospheric gravity waves that perturb the ionosphere and plasmasphere electron density using the coupled SAMI3/WACCM‐X model. Key Points: Atmospheric gravity waves can generate plasma ducts and irregularities in the plasmasphere using the coupled SAMI3/WACCM‐X modelThe electron density in the equatorial plasmasphere is irregular as a function of longitudePlasma ducts can be generated for L‐shells in the range 1.5–3.0 with lifetimes of 0.5–2.0 hr [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanical properties, including tensile and impact properties at different testing temperatures of alumina‐forming austenitic steels (25 % nickel, 20 % chromium) with different aluminum contents (0, 2.5 %, 5 % and 8 %) were investigated. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy together with tensile and impact properties tests were conducted. The results showed that the tensile strength of steels at 298 K increased obviously along with aluminum contents increasing, while plasticity decreased at the same, which attributed to the higher volume fraction and number density of spherical NiAl precipitation together with main ferrite in matrix. In addition, spherical NiAl particles dispersed easily in ferrite. In particular, the ultimate tensile strength of the sample with 8 % aluminum could reach 1398 MPa, with the elongation of 14 % at 298 K. However, NiAl precipitations would lose strengthening effects at high temperatures, but the plasticity could be improved. In addition, the sample with 5 % aluminum showed better comprehensive properties by comparison to other samples, and the ultimate tensile strength was 1018 MPa and 491 MPa at 298 K and 973 K with the elongation of 26 % and 43 %, respectively, enabling it to be promising material for industrial application in advanced nuclear systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. A new assessment method for duck footpad dermatitis (FPD) evaluation was developed, combining visual and histological characters using the images and sections of 400 ducks' feet at 340 d of age. All ducks were graded as G0 (healthy), G1 (mild), G2 (moderate) and G3 (severe) according to the degree of FPD. 2. To reveal the potential biomarkers in serum related to duck FPD, non-targeted metabolomics and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were used to explore differential metabolites in each group. 3. There were 57, 91 and 210 annotated differential metabolites in groups G1, G2 and G3 compared with G0, which meant that the severity of FPD increased in line with the number of metabolites. Four metabolites, L-phenylalanine, L-arginine, L-leucine and L-lysine, were considered potential biomarkers related to FPD. 4. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the FPD was mainly involved in glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, the pentose phosphate pathway and amino acid metabolism. These are related to production metabolism and can affect the physiological activities of ducks, which might explain the decrease in production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present all-optical studies of spin dynamics in two classes of ferrimagnets. Both sets of experiments use table-top laser-based pump–probe techniques to examine the ultrafast and longer timescale spin excitations. We use the visible/near infra-red time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (tr-MOKE) to follow the spin dynamics of a series of metallic (FeCo) 1 − x Gd x thin films with varying Gd content. Magnetic compensation in the films occurs at a Gd concentration of ≈ 26 % , and the spin dynamics of the films exhibit a non-monotonic variation in effective magnetization. We also examine spin dynamics in an insulating NiFe 2 O 4 spinel using ultrafast techniques up at extreme ultraviolet energies, which permit element-specific investigations. The element and time-resolved delay scans reveal a non-trivial interaction between spin excitations on the different magnetic sub-lattices of the magnetic insulator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the diagnostic performance of mono-exponential model-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), continuous-time random-walk (CTRW) model-derived D m , α , β and their combinations in discriminating malignancy of breast lesions, and investigate the association between model-derived parameters and prognosis-related immunohistochemical indices. A total of 85 patients with breast lesions (51 malignant, 34 benign) were analysed in this retrospective study. Clinical characteristics include oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2), and Ki-67. The ADC was fitted using a mono-exponential model (b-values = 0, 800 s/mm2), while D m , α, and β were fitted using a CTRW model. Independent Student's t -test and the Mann–Whitney U -test were used for the comparison of parameters. Discrimination performance was accomplished by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, and Spearman's correlation analysis was used to explore the association between immunohistochemical indices and diffusion parameters, the statistical significance level was p< 0.05. D m and ADC demonstrated similar performance in differentiating malignant and benign lesions (AUC = 0.928 versus 0.930), while the combination of D m , α, and β could improve the AUC to 0.969. The combined parameter generated by ADC, D m , α, and β was effective in identifying the ER+/ER– and PR+/PR– patients. Temporal heterogeneity parameter α correlated significantly with the expression of PR. Diffusion parameters derived from the CTRW model could effectively discriminate the malignancy of breast lesions. Meanwhile, the hormone receptor expression could be distinguished by combined diffusion parameters, and have the potential to reflect the prognosis. • The CTRW parameters could help distinguish the malignancy of breast lesions. • ER+/PR + patients could be identified by the combination of CTRW parameters. • There was an association between CTRW parameter and PR expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radar stealth was a remarkable technical feature of the fourth-generation fighter aircraft, the damage of the stealth coating would seriously affect the stealth performance of the aircraft. This paper focuses on the membrane treatment of coating in the process of stealth coating damage repair, the effect of laser cleaning process on the cleaning effect of stealth coating on the surface of aircraft metal construction was studied. The results show that laser pulse width has the greatest influence on the laser cleaning of stealth coating, so pulse width should be prioritized when selecting the process parameters. And during the process experiment, the relationship between the effect of laser cleaning and process parameters were respectively negative correlation with scanning speed, positive correlated first and then weakly correlation with laser power, weakly correlated first and then positive correlation with pulse width, positive correlation with scan number. Finally, the optimal laser cleaning process parameters for the stealth coating of 500 μm on the surface of the metal structures were obtained by comparing the experiments between the preferred and the solution groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report results from a self‐consistent global simulation model in which a large‐scale equatorial plasma bubble (EPB) forms during a midnight temperature maximum (MTM). The global model comprises the ionospheric code SAMI3 and the atmosphere/thermosphere code WACCM‐X. We consider solar minimum conditions for the month of August. We show that an EPB forms during an MTM in the Pacific sector and is caused by equatorward neutral wind flows. Although this is consistent with the theoretical result that a meridional neutral wind (V) with a negative gradient (∂V/∂θ < 0) is a destabilizing influence [Huba & Krall, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1002/grl.50292] (where a northward meridional neutral wind V is positive and θ is the latitude and increases in the northward direction), we find that the primary cause of the EPB is the large decrease in the Pedersen conductance caused by the equatorward winds. Plain Language Summary: The equatorial ionosphere often develops electron density irregularities at night in the altitude range 300–1,000 km. This phenomenon is known as equatorial spread F. A leading candidate to explain the generation of these irregularities is the generalized Rayleigh‐Taylor instability (GRTI). The phenomenon usually occurs after sunset but under certain conditions it can occur around midnight. In this paper, using the coupled ionosphere/thermosphere model SAMI3/WACCM‐X, we show that it can occur during a midnight temperature maximum where the neutral thermosphere temperature increases near the equator. This is associated with equatorward neutral wind flows that change the conductance of the ionosphere and leads to an increase in the growth rate of the GRTI and the development of a large equatorial plasma bubble. Key Points: An equatorial plasma bubble can develop during a midnight temperature maximum in the ionosphereEquatorward winds reduce the Pedersen conductance that enhances the growth rate of the generalized Rayleigh‐Taylor instabilityThe results are based on the coupled ionosphere/thermosphere model SAMI3/WACCM‐X [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the intermediate principal stress was considered based on the twin-shear unified strength theory. The calculation of the finite width earth pressure is treated as a plane strain problem. By using the static equilibrium method under the flat slip surface assumption, an analytical solution of the active earth pressure was obtained under the plane strain state, and the results were compared to the actual measurement results obtained by previous studies to verify the feasibility of the proposed method. The relevant parameters under different intermediate principal stress influence coefficients are discussed based on calculation examples. The earth pressure calculation, with consideration to the influence of the intermediate principal stress, has theoretical significance and considerable economic benefits in engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test the feasibility of ultra-low-dose (ULD) computed tomography (CT) combined with an artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction (AIIR) algorithm for screening pulmonary nodules using computer-assisted diagnosis (CAD). A chest phantom with artificial pulmonary nodules was first scanned using the routine protocol and the ULD protocol (3.28 versus 0.18 mSv) to compare the image quality and to test the acceptability of the ULD CT protocol. Next, 147 lung-screening patients were enrolled prospectively, undergoing an additional ULD CT immediately after their routine CT examination for clinical validation. Images were reconstructed with filtered back-projection (FBP), hybrid iterative reconstruction (HIR), the AIIR, and were imported to the CAD software for preliminary nodule detection. Subjective image quality on the phantom was scored using a five-point scale and compared using the Mann–Whitney U- test. Nodule detection using CAD was evaluated for ULD HIR and AIIR images using the routine dose image as reference. Higher image quality was scored for AIIR than for FBP and HIR at ULD (p< 0.001). As reported by CAD, 107 patients were presented with fewer than five nodules on routine dose images and were chosen to represent the challenging cases at an early stage of pulmonary disease. Among such, the performance of nodule detection by CAD on ULD HIR and AIIR images was 75.2% and 92.2% of the routine dose image, respectively. Combined with AIIR, it was feasible to use an ULD CT protocol with 95% dose reduction for CAD-based screening of pulmonary nodules. • Applied an ultralow dose CT protocol with 95% dose reduction for lung screening. • Artificial intelligence iterative reconstruction (AIIR) improved CT image quality. • A CAD software was used for pulmonary nodule detection on phantom and patients. • Comparable detectability to routine dose CT was found at ultralow dose with AIIR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human intervention and climate change jointly influence the functions and dynamics of marine ecosystems. Studying the impacts of human and climate on ecosystem dynamics is challenging. Unlike experimental studies, research on natural systems is not amendable at the scale of time, space, and biology. With confounding factors well balanced for two adjacent subtropical estuaries except urbanized disturbances, we conducted ecosystem modelling using indirect reasoning by exclusion to quantify the relative impacts of human disruption on estuarine ecosystems under climate variability. One major finding of this study is that the human intervention tends to magnify species fluctuations, complicate the species interaction network, and enhance species interaction strength combined with disclosed downscaling climate effects (indexed as North Atlantic Oscillation and Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation) on estuarine hydrology and biological communities. In addition, functional groups appeared to respond more diversely to external forcing in company with human interventions. While human perturbation was shown to destabilize the estuarine ecosystems, making them vulnerable to environmental variability under climate change, buffering effects of species diversity and trophic interaction tend to underpin the ecosystem functions. The findings of this study contribute to the holistic assessment and strategic management of estuarine ecosystems subjected to human and natural disturbances in the face of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Robotic abdominal wall reconstruction (RAWR) is one of the most significant advances in the management of complex abdominal wall hernias. The objective of this study was to evaluate long term outcomes in a cohort of patients that underwent complex RAWR in a single center. Methods: This was a longitudinal retrospective review of a cohort of 56 patients who underwent complex RAWR at least 24 months prior by a single surgeon at a tertiary care institution. All patients underwent bilateral retro-rectus release (rRRR) with or without robotic transversus abdominis release (rTAR). Data collected include demographics, hernia details, operative and technical details. The prospective analysis included a post-procedure visit of at least 24 months from the index procedure with a physical examination and quality of life survey using the Carolinas Comfort Scale (CCS). Patients with reported symptoms concerning for hernia recurrence underwent radiographic imaging. Descriptive statistics (mean ± standard deviation or median) were calculated for continuous variables. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test as deemed appropriate for categorical variables, and analysis of variance or the Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous data, were performed among the separate operative groups. A total score for the CCS was calculated and analyzed in accordance with the user guidelines. Results: One-hundred and-forty patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-six patients consented to participate in the study. Mean age was 60.2 years. Mean BMI was 34.0. Ninety percent of patients had at least one comorbidity and 52% of patients were scored ASA 3 or higher. Fifty-nine percent were initial incisional hernias, 19.6% were recurrent incisional hernias and 8.9% were recurrent ventral hernias. The mean defect width was 9 cm for rTAR and 5 cm for rRRR. The mean implanted mesh size was 945.0 cm2 for rTAR and 362.5 cm2 for rRRR. The mean length of follow-up was 28.1 months. Fifty-seven percent of patients underwent post-op imaging at an average follow-up of 23.5 months. Recurrence rate was 3.6% for all groups. There were no recurrences in patients that underwent solely bilateral rRRR. Two patients (7.7%) that underwent rTAR procedures were found with recurrence. Average time to recurrence was 23 months. Quality of life survey demonstrated an overall CCS score of 6.63 ± 13.95 at 24 months with 12 (21.4%) patients reporting mesh sensation, 20 (35.7%) reporting pain, and 13 (23.2%) reporting movement limitation. Conclusion: Our study contributes to the paucity of literature describing long term outcomes of RAWR. Robotic techniques offer durable repairs with acceptable quality of life metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon Tracker for RAdioactive nuclei Studies at SAMURAI Experiments is a new detection system under construction for quasi-free scattering (QFS) measurements at 200–250 MeV/nucleon at the RIBF facility of the RIKEN Nishina Center. It consists of a charged-particle silicon tracker coupled with a dedicated thick liquid hydrogen target (up to 150-mm long) in a compact geometry to fit inside large scintillator or germanium arrays. Its design was optimized for two types of studies using QFS: missing-mass measurements and in-flight prompt γ -ray spectroscopy. This article describes (i) the resolution requirements needed to go beyond the sensitivity of existing systems for these two types of measurements, (ii) the conceptual design of the system using detailed simulations of the setup and (iii) its complete technical implementation and challenges. The final tracker aims at a sub-mm reaction vertex resolution and is expected to reach a missing-mass resolution below 2 MeV in σ for (p, 2p) reactions when combined with the CsI(Na) CATANA array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High‐resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere/ionosphere extension is used to simulate the responses to the Hunga‐Tonga volcano eruption on 15 January 2022. Global propagation of the Lamb wave L'0 and L'1 pseudomodes are reproduced in the simulation, with the exponential growth of wave amplitudes with altitudes. The wavefront is vertical up to the lower thermosphere, and tilts outward above. These features are consistent with theoretical results. With simulated surface pressure perturbation agreeing with observations (∼100–250 Pa), thermospheric wind perturbations over 100 ms−1 are comparable with reported satellite and ground‐based observations. Traveling ionospheric disturbances in the total electron contents from the simulation show good agreement with observations, including magnitude and propagating speed and evidence of conjugacy in the first 1–2 hr after eruption. Conjugacy in E × B drift, on the other hand, is more persistent. Plain Language Summary: As one of the most powerful volcano eruptions on record, the Hunga Tonga‐Hunga Ha'apai Volcano produces waves that ripple through the atmosphere and near‐space environment. These wave signals have been recorded by observations from instruments on the ground and from satellites, and they propagate around the Earth multiple times. This event provides a rare opportunity to study the strong and direct connection of the whole atmosphere system. The challenge is for a model to be able to represent the key processes in the whole atmosphere system and to have sufficient spatial and temporal fidelity to gain a realistic global picture of the event. This is achieved in the study by using the high‐resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere/ionosphere extension. The model is able to simulate the global propagation of the waves, and the model results compare favorably with observations from the surface to the thermosphere and ionosphere. Key Points: High‐resolution Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model with thermosphere/ionosphere extension simulation of Hunga eruption shows whole atmosphere responsesSimulated wave amplitude growth and phase structure are consistent with the theoretical predictionSimulation results are comparable with thermospheric and ionospheric observations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deoxyribonucleic acid-protein (DNAP) of the cell nucleus was purified from developing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) embryo cells under drought stress, with two cultivars differing in drought tolerance as experimental materials – Longmai No. 079 (drought-tolerant) and Wanmai No. 52 (drought-sensitive). Levels of polyamines (PAs) non-covalently conjugated to the DNA and covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP were detected. After soil drought treatment for 10 days, in drought-tolerant Longmai No. 079, the increases in the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to DNA of DNAP were more statistically significant (P<0.05) than in drought-sensitive Wanmai No. 52. Treatment of Wanmai No. 52 with exogenous Spm could not only enhance the tolerance of the cultivar to drought stress, as judged by flag leaf water content, plasma membrane permeability and grain growth, but also elevate the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA of the cultivar. On the contrary, treatment of Longmai No. 079 with methylglyoxyl-bis guanylhydrazone, an inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase, could significantly (P<0.05) aggravate the drought stress to this cultivar, accompanied by a marked decreases in the levels of spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA of the cultivar. On the other hand, the content of putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP rose more markedly (P<0.05) in Longmai No. 079 than in Wanmai No. 52. The transglutaminase inhibitor, o-phenanthrolin, could markedly reduce the drought-induced increase in the level of putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP and aggravate drought stress to the two cultivars. Collectively, it could be inferred that spermine and spermidine non-covalently conjugated to the DNA and putrescine covalently conjugated to the proteins of DNAP in the developing grain embryo cell nucleus might enhance the tolerance of wheat plants to soil drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fully analytical model is established for the thermal fluctuations of the beatnote phase of an optically pumped dual-frequency vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser (VECSEL). This model starts with the resolution of the heat equation inside the semiconductor chip structure and follows with the evaluation of the induced thermo-optic phase shift. Both the fluctuations of the heat induced by the optical pumping and the thermodynamic fluctuations at room temperature are considered. On the one hand, the thermal response of the structure is investigated and a significant thermal lens effect caused by the pump is deduced. On the other hand, the power spectral density of the frequency noise is calculated in the presence of diffusion spatial anisotropy. The present model is in very good agreement with the phase noise measured for a dual-frequency VECSEL at 852 nm for application to metrology and the validity of the usual low-pass filter model is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal spontaneous combustion (CSC) has been a global hazard for decades, causing significant losses. Hydrocarbon gases, including carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), ethylene (C2H4), acetylene (C2H2), and oxygen (O2), have proved to be good inhibitors for forecasting CSC. However, the cross-interference and absorption spectrum overlaps prevent their practical applications. This study simulates the refined distribution of the absorption lines of these index gases in the infrared spectral range to solve these problems. By selecting the optimal absorption lines for each gas, their detection performance was experimentally tested, and the results were analyzed using the Allan variance method. The results reveal that the optimal absorption lines are centered at 1566.64, 1572.32, 1653.72, 1626.34, 1530.37, and 760.65 nm for CO, CO2, CH4, C2H4, C2H2, and O2, respectively. Relative detection errors are 0.62, 0.51, 3.06, 4.20, 0.58, and 1.96%, and the detection limits are 3.47 × 10−6, 4.56 × 10−6, 0.53 × 10−6, 2.85 × 10−6, 0.33 × 10−6, and 1581 × 10−6, respectively. The detection sensitivity and comprehensive detection accuracy were significantly improved. This study will provide a basis for solving the problem of the cross-aliasing interference between index gases for bituminous CSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canonical connections play important roles in studying the differential geometry properties of submanifolds in Lie groups. We define the first kind of canonical connection and the second canonical connection on Lorentzian approximations of the Heisenberg group. Moreover, we give the definitions of intrinsic curvature of a regular curve as well of intrinsic geodesic curvature of regular curves on Lorentzian and spacelike surfaces and of intrinsic Gaussian curvature of Lorentzian and spacelike surfaces away from characteristic points. Furthermore, we derive the expressions of those curvatures and prove Gauss–Bonnet Theorems for the Lorentzian and spacelike surfaces associated to canonical connections in the Lorentzian Heisenberg group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytokinin two‐component signal transduction system (TCS) is involved in many biological processes, including hormone signal transduction and plant growth regulation. Although cytokinin TCS has been well characterized in Arabidopsis thaliana, its role in tomato remains elusive.In this study, we characterized the diversity and function of response regulator (RR) genes, a critical component of TCS, in tomato. In total, we identified 31 RR genes in the tomato genome. These SlRR genes were classified into three subgroups (type‐A, type‐B and type‐C).Various stress‐responsive cis‐elements were present in the tomato RR gene promoters. Their expression responses under pesticide treatment were evaluated by transcriptome analysis. Their expression under heat, cold, ABA, salinity and NaHCO3 treatments was further investigated by qRT‐PCR and complemented with the available transcription data under these treatments. Specifically, SlRR13 expression was significantly upregulated under salinity, drought, cold and pesticide stress and was downregulated under ABA treatment. SlRR23 expression was induced under salt treatment, while the transcription level of SlRR1 was increased under cold and decreased under salt stress.We also found that GATA transcription factors played a significant role in the regulation of SlRR genes. Based on our results, tomato SlRR genes are involved in responses to abiotic stress in tomato and could be implemented in molecular breeding approaches to increase resistance of tomato to environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions are water-based lubricants and used as fire-resistant hydraulic fluids and metalworking fluids (MWFs) in industry. The (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming properties of O/W emulsions have been studied extensively in literature. Typical elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) behaviors are revealed at low rolling speeds followed by a starved EHL regime at elevated speeds. These emulsions are self-prepared and mostly stable only for a limited time ranging from hours to several days. By contrast, the film-forming behavior of water-miscible commercial MWFs (long-term stable O/W emulsions) has rarely been reported. This restricts the understanding of the lubrication status of many tribological interfaces in manufacturing processes, e.g., the chip-tool contact in cutting. In this work, the (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming property of two commercial MWFs is investigated by measuring the film thickness on two ball-on-disc test rigs using different optical interferometry techniques. For comparison, two self-prepared simple O/W emulsions with known formulation have also been investigated. Experimental results from the two test rigs agree well and show that the two self-prepared emulsions have typical EHL behaviors as reported in literature. However, for the two commercial MWFs, there is almost no (elasto-)hydrodynamic film-forming ability over the whole range of speeds used in this study. This could be explained by the cleaning and re-emulsification effects of the MWFs. The lubrication mechanism of the two MWFs is mainly boundary lubrication rather than hydrodynamic lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the composite patch was prepared by wet spreading method, with which the damaged aluminum alloy specimen was repaired by bonding. The effects of different surface processing and curing modes on the fatigue properties of the specimens were studied. The results show that the surface coating coupling agent can significantly improve the fatigue properties of the repaired specimens; compared with unrepaired specimens, the fatigue life was increased by about 6.26 times and compared with uncoated specimens, the fatigue life was increased by 13.2–32.4%. Compared with unrepaired specimens, the fatigue life of repaired specimens can be increased by 6.20 times by heating and pressure curing. The fatigue life can be increased by 7.8–18.5% compared with normal temperature curing and repairing. Finally, the fatigue fracture of the specimen was observed and analyzed by SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1,3-Dioleoyl-2-palmitoylglycerol (OPO) was synthesized by enzymatic interesterification using palm stearin rich in tripalmitin (PPP) and ethyl oleate. Enzymatic interesterification parameters such as temperature, water content, enzyme load, and substrate molar ratio were optimized. High contents of C52 (primarily OPO and its isomeric compounds) production (46.7%) and sn-2 palmitic acid (PA) content of 75.3% were detected. In addition, OPO-human milk fat substitute (HMFS) was blended with coconut, soybean, algal and microbial oils at a weight ratio of 0.70:0.18:0.11:0.004:0.007 to simulate fatty acids in human milk fat (HMF) according to the mathematical model. The main and important fatty acids in the Final-HMFS were within the ranges of those present in HMF. The Final-HMFS could promote the absorption of fats and minerals and the development of retina tissues in infants. The mixture of L-ascorbyl palmitate (L-AP) and vitamin E (VE) resulted in a synergistic antioxidant effect both in OPO-HMFS and OPO-HMFS emulsions. This finding has great significance in improving the quality and extending shelf-life of HMFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first investigate some properties of lattice-valued quasi-overlap functions, which includes the relation between quasi-overlap functions and three kinds of aggregation functions and the Lipschitz property. Then we provide two new construction methods for lattice-valued quasi-overlap functions. One applies t-conorms and negations, the other involves quasi-overlap functions and implications. Examples are presented and some analytical properties are studied as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate whether ontogenetic development over the grow-out culture period can cause geographical plasticity of carapace shape in a certain region, geometric morphometric analysis was used, in this study, to determine the ontogenetic changes in the carapace morphology of Chinese mitten crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) originating from Yangcheng Lake, China, during a year of growth from coin-sized juveniles to market-sized adults. The morphological differences in the carapace throughout the year of culture were characterized using a 35-landmark point system. We used principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis to determine morphological variation using thin-plate spline analysis and mesh deformation. During the growth process, the changes in the carapace were mainly concentrated in the third and fourth anterolateral teeth and on the M-shaped pattern. During the growth of male and female crabs throughout the year, the shape of the carapace changed considerably over the first six months. Afterwards, the shape of the carapace began to stabilize and could not be differentiated through discriminant analysis. This study is the first to use geometric morphometrics to analyze the ontogenetic changes in the carapace shape of E. sinensis crabs native to Yangcheng Lake. The results demonstrate that it takes a long time for the carapace morphology of native crabs to stabilize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of linezolid‐resistant (LR) enterococci found in food of animal origin arouses attention, but little is known about LR enterococci in fur animals. A total of 342 Enterococcus faecalis and 265 E. faecium strains isolated from fur animals in China from 2015 to 2017 were investigated to determine if LR enterococci (≥16 μg ml−1) are present. Overall, two E. faecalis and 12 E. faecium among these isolates were resistant to linezolid. In addition, all LR isolates were classified as multidrug‐resistant isolates. We further explore the resistance genes of the LR enterococci, four E. faecalis and two E. faecium isolates contained optrA gene. Two of them co‐harboured optrA and poxtA genes. We detected virulence genes in LR enterococci were the following: asa1, cylA, esp, gelE and hyl, among which the highest carrying rate gene was asa1. Besides, all of the LR enterococci we tested had the biofilm‐forming ability. It is worth noting that we detected a novel ST type ST2010 from E. faecium 82‐2. These data show LR enterococci exist in fur animals and have unique characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful use of hyperspectral imaging technology to progress precision agriculture is highly dependent on calibration on species of interest. To date, high-throughput hyperspectral imaging to predict plant growth and nutrient content has largely been limited to single-species cultivations. Therefore, this study aimed to calibrate a range of agronomic traits in mixed cultivations to hyperspectral image data. It successfully demonstrated that hyperspectral imaging can predict the plant traits biomass (g), foliar nitrogen (N) concentration (mg g−1) and N yield (mg), in grass and legume monocultures and polycultures in response to differential N and phosphorus (P) fertilization in a controlled greenhouse experiment. Visible light and near infrared (VNIR) and short wavelength infrared (SWIR) input resulted in only minor image misclassification (0.02%) for the green plants from the background regardless of species. The trained partial least square regression (PLSR) models VNIR-HH (hyper-hue) and SWIR had the lowest misclassification errors of 3.16% and 9.56% and were used for the grass–legume classification. For grass, there was good agreement between the mixed-effect models derived from the laboratory, and the PLSR models from hyperspectral measurements, except for the effect of N × P on N yield. Legume model agreement was not as precise as grass, likely because fertilizer-driven treatment effects on the measured traits were not as clear. Key wavelengths contributing to the strength of the PLSR models for predicting N content and biomass were identified from this study. Effective calibration of growth and nutrient uptake traits against hyperspectral data in mixed cultivations under controlled conditions is an important contribution towards improving remote sensing technologies for broader application in polyculture field cropping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of commodity market, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a topic of widespread concern for both enterprises and society. Cause-related marketing (CRM), as an effective marketing tool for enterprises to fulfill their social responsibility, is rapidly being applied to all stages of the supply chain. However, there is no conclusive evidence on the implementation strategy of CRM for supply chain members. In this paper, we study the decision and pricing strategies of CRM for the manufacturer and the retailer by constructing models for two scenarios: the manufacturer implements CRM, and the retailer implements CRM. We conclude that the donation percentage and the pro-sociality of consumers have a significant impact on the strategic and pricing decisions for supply chain members. The wholesale and selling prices will be higher when the manufacturer implements CRM. Our result also shows that the manufacturer and retailer are profitable in CRM only when the donation amount exceeds a certain percentage. In addition, to maximize profits, the manufacturer is more likely to allow a retailer to implement CRM, and the retailer is only optimally positioned to implement CRM when the pro-sociality of consumers is high or when the donation percentage is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let q ≥ 2 be an integer and let s q (n) be the sum-of-digitsfunction of n in base q. The function s q (n) has been studied in many directions and many properties have been obtained on the distribution of s q (n) and s q (P (n)) , where P is a suitable polynomial. In this paper we derive the generatingfunctions of s p (n d mod p k) for d ≥ 2 and prime p ≥ 2 by using the properties of Dirichlet character, and study the correlation properties of the sequences ((- 1) n 2 mod p k ) n < p k . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The following study examined the expression profiles of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) family in the developing feather follicles of Pekin ducks and Nonghua ducks at 6–9 weeks of age. The RTK subfamilies related to feather development were summarised, and other candidate genes related to feather development were enriched. 2. To reveal the potential role of all RTK members in feather development, the feather follicles of two duck breeds (Pekin and Nonghua ducks) at 6–9 weeks were isolated and chosen for RNA-Seq determination. 3. A total of 53 RTK members were confirmed in the duck genome, and 42 were expressed in duck feather follicles. Among RTK subfamilies, the VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR, EGFR, and InsR subfamilies, along with and Met and KIT genes, were the main ones regulating feather growth. 4. Genes with a similar expression pattern to the RTK were identified, and KEGG and PPI analyses were performed to explore the new potential feather development genes associated with RTK genes. Results showed that BCAR1, PXN, LAMA2, LAMC1 and LAMC3 are essential candidate genes for regulating feather growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertical position stability plays a crucial role in maintaining safe and reliable plasma operation for long-pulse fusion devices. In general, the vertical position is measured by using inductive magnetic coils installed inside the vacuum vessel; however, the integration drift effects are inherent for steady-state or long-pulse plasma operation. Developing a non-magnetic approach provides a fusion reactor-relevant steady-state solution that avoids the negative impact of integration drift. In this paper, we compare the non-inductively determined vertical position achieved by line-integrated interferometer and polarimeter measurements to that employing an inductive flux loop for a 1056 s discharge recently achieved on EAST (Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak). Experimental results show that the non-inductive measurement is more robust than flux loops after 300 s if the integrator is not reset to suppress integrator drift. Real-time vertical position control using the non-inductive system is proposed for the next EAST experimental campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CuPt ordering of the group III elements in GaxIn1-xP (x ≃ 0.5) has been observed to vary during growth by metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy of InAs quantum dots capped with GaAs in a GaInP matrix. While ordering is not affected by the insertion of a GaAs layer, the growth of InAs quantum dots capped with GaAs results in ordered, partially ordered, or fully disordered GaInP. We show that the degree of ordering depends on the deposition time of the InAs quantum dots and on the thickness of the GaAs capping layer. Our results indicate that disordered GaInP occurs in the presence of excess indium at the growth surface, which results from the growth of strained InAs quantum dots. Ordering resumes when the excess indium is consumed. Cathodoluminescence, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy are used in this study to correlate the electronic properties and the microstructure of the thin films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is a rare congenital heart defect in which all of the pulmonary veins connect to systemic veins, the right atrium of the heart or both. (c) Four-chamber view showing common pulmonary vein (arrow) behind left atrium (LA). (a,b) Two-dimensional grayscale (a) and color Doppler (b) ultrasound images of fetal heart in coronal plane showing vertical vein (VV) draining into innominate vein (IV) and then into superior vena cava (SVC). [Extracted from the article]

The effect of the divacancy defect on magnetic properties of Fe94V6 alloys was investigated using the first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The model of Fe28V2 super-lattice for a divacancy in Fe94V6 alloy was established, in comparison with the perfect Fe30V2 super-lattice. For the first time, the effect of the on-site Coulomb repulsion term was considered to correct the underestimation for the bandgap. The magnetism of the Fe, V atoms, and the super-lattice were analyzed by the electron hybridization of the atoms, and the interactions between V and four different neighboring Fe atoms were also investigated. The results show that both Fe28V2 and Fe30V2 super-lattices are ferromagnetic, which is determined mainly by the strong ferromagnetism of Fe 3d electrons, and the hybridizations between Fe 3d electrons and Fe 2p and V 3d electrons account for the weak anti-ferromagnetism. When the Fe divacancy exists, the average magnetic moments of the Fe28V2 super-lattice and Fe atoms inside increase, while that of V atoms decreases due to the change of the Fe-V charges. The variation of the magnetic moments of different neighboring Fe atoms with respect to V atoms depends on the charge transfer and the Fe-V interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine the relationship between fasting prior to contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) and adverse reaction (AR) in patients with allergies history. Patients with allergies history who underwent CECT from January 2014 to December 2020 (713 cases with iodinated contrast media (ICM)-related allergy history and 27045 cases with unrelated allergies history) were retrospectively analyzed. The occurrence of ICM-related AR and patient information were recorded. The relationship between fasting and AR and emetic complications was analyzed. There was no statistical difference in the overall incidence of AR and emetic complications between fasting group and non-fasting group (P >0.05) and fasting was not an influence factor for overall AR occurrence in patients with both ICM-related and unrelated allergies history. However, the incidence of severe AR in fasting group was higher than that in non-fasting group (P =0.01) in patients with unrelated allergies history. The AR incidence in fasting group was higher than that in non-fasting group (P =0.022) when receiving abdominal examinations in patients with unrelated allergies history. There was no statistical difference in the incidence of AR with different occurrence time between fasting group and non-fasting group (P >0.05) in patients with both ICM-related and unrelated allergies history. Fasting was associated with higher incidence of severe AR and was associated with higher AR incidence when receiving abdominal examinations in patients with unrelated allergies history. Fasting did not have effects on the occurrence time of AR in patients with allergies history. These provided new guidance for usage of ICM in patients with allergies history. • Fasting was associated with higher severe adverse reaction incidence. • Fasting increased adverse reaction incidence when receiving abdominal examinations. • Fasting did not have effects on the occurrence time of adverse reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nKEY POINTSRift basins are commonly characterised by multiple sediment sources (e.g. transverse and longitudinal) that change over time during different rifting evolution stages. Therefore, tracing sediment provenance to decipher the sedimentary source-to-sink analyses processes in rift basins is important to predict sandy reservoirs. The Xihu Sag in the East China Sea Shelf Basin, particularly its western slope, features large-scale sand bodies of unclear origin. We used petrography, heavy minerals and geochemistry to study sediment provenance in the Eocene Baoshi to Miocene Longjing formations. Our work suggests there are three distinct areas (namely zones A, B and C) affected by different source areas. Zone A, influenced by the Hupijiao uplift, primarily contains metamorphic rock minerals; Zone B, affected by the Haijiao and Hupijiao uplifts, contains igneous and metamorphic rock minerals; and Zone C, dominated by the Haijiao uplift, features igneous with some metamorphic sources, which increase over time, indicating stronger sediment input from the northern Hupijiao uplift. Rare earth element analysis suggests a continental margin and island arc setting, primarily with intermediate–acid felsic rock sources. However, a Eu negative anomaly in Eocene upper Pinghu Formation to the Miocene Longjing Formation indicates some basic source contributions, possibly from a volcanic belt east of the South Yellow Sea. This intermediate–basic volcanic rock belt is located to the northwest of the Hupijiao uplift and may provide clasts for zones A and B through axial channels. These findings indicate that varied sediment sources in the different zones and basin evolution stages with a growing extra-basinal contribution from the Eocene to Miocene, which align with the tectonic shift from the rifting to post-rift period, are essential for understanding the sedimentary filling in this area.Three distinct regions are identified, each influenced by different source areas.Rare earth elements indicate that the tectonic setting of the source terranes was active continental margin and continental island arc.From Eocene to Miocene, there was a growing influence of distal source areas entering the basin through the axial fluvial channels.Sediment provenance changes respond to the basin-scale tectonic evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. W43-main is a massive molecular complex undergoing starburst activities, located at the interaction of the Scutum arm and the Galactic bar. We aim to investigate the gas dynamics, in particular, the prevailing shock signatures from cloud to clump scales. We also look to assess the impact of shocks on the formation of dense gas and early-stage cores in OB cluster formation processes. Methods. We carried out NOEMA and IRAM-30 m observations at 3 mm towards five molecular gas clumps in W43 main located within large-scale interacting gas components. We used CH3CCH and H2CS lines to trace the extended gas temperature and CH3OH lines to probe the volume density of the dense gas components (≳105 cm−3). We adopted multiple tracers that are sensitive to different gas density regimes to reflect the global gas motions. The density enhancements constrained by CH3OH and a population of NH2D cores are correlated (in the spatial and velocity domains) with SiO emission, which is a prominent indicator of shock processing in molecular clouds. Results. The emission of SiO (2–1) is extensive across the region (~4 pc) and it is contained within a low-velocity regime, hinting at a large-scale origin for the shocks. Position-velocity maps of multiple tracers show systematic spatio-kinematic offsets supporting the cloud-cloud collision-merging scenario. We identified an additional extended velocity component in the CCH emission, which coincides with one of the velocity components of the larger scale 13CO (2−1) emission, likely representing an outer, less-dense gas layer in the cloud merging process. We find that the 'V-shaped', asymmetric SiO wings are tightly correlated with localised gas density enhancements, which is direct evidence of dense gas formation and accumulation in shocks. The dense gas that is formed in this way may facilitate the accretion of the embedded, massive pre-stellar and protostellar cores. We resolved two categories of NH2D cores: those exhibiting only subsonic to transonic velocity dispersions and those with an additional supersonic velocity dispersion. The centroid velocities of the latter cores are correlated with the shock front seen via SiO. The kinematics of the ~0.1 pc NH2D cores are heavily imprinted by shock activities and may represent a population of early-stage cores forming around the shock interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper investigates the impact behaviour of both pristine carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic (CFRP) composite laminates and repaired CFRP laminates. For the patch-repaired CFRP specimen, the pristine CFRP panel specimen has been damaged by cutting out a central disc of the CFRP material and then repaired using an adhesively bonded patch of CFRP to cover the hole. Drop-weight, impact tests are performed on these two types of specimens and a numerical elastic-plastic, three-dimensional damage model is developed and employed to simulate the impact behaviour of both types of specimen. This numerical model is meso-scale in nature and assumes that cracks initiate in the CFRP at a nano-scale, in the matrix around fibres, and trigger sub-micrometre intralaminar matrix cracks during the impact event. These localized regions of intralaminar cracking then lead to interlaminar, i.e. delamination, cracking between the neighbouring plies which possess different fibre orientations. These meso-scale, intralaminar and interlaminar, damage processes are modelled using the numerical finite-element analysis model with each individual ply treated as a continuum. Good agreement is found between the results from the experimental studies and the predictions from the numerical simulations. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The International Trauma Questionnaire—Child and Adolescent version (ITQ-CA) is a self-report measure that assesses posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD) based on the diagnostic formulation of the 11th version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This study aimed to provide a Chinese translation and psychometric evaluation of the ITQ-CA using a sample of mental-health service seeking adolescents in Mainland China. Methods: The ITQ-CA was translated and back-translated from English to simplified Chinese and finalized with consensus from an expert panel. Adolescents ages 12–17 were recruited via convenience sampling from an outpatient psychiatric clinic in Mainland China. Participants completed the ITQ-CA; measures of four criterion variables (depression, anxiety, stress, adverse childhood experiences); and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). Construct validity, concurrent validity, and comparison of PTSD caseness between ICD-11 and DSM-5 measures were assessed. Results: The final sample consisted of 111 Chinese adolescents (78% female; mean age of 15.23), all diagnosed with a major depressive disorder. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the two-factor second-order model provided optimal fit. All criterion variables were positively and significant correlated with the six ITQ-CA symptom cluster summed scores. In the present sample, 69 participants (62.16%) met symptom criteria for ICD-PTSD or CPTSD using the ITQ-CA, and 73 participants (65.77%) met caseness for DSM-5 PTSD using the PCL-5. Rates of PTSD symptom cluster endorsement and caseness deriving from both diagnostic systems were comparable. Conclusions: The Chinese ITQ-CA has acceptable psychometric properties and confers additional benefits in identifying complex presentations of trauma-related responses in younger people seeking mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the reversal effect of Fuzheng oral liquid on anlotinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells and its mechanism is the objective of the study. 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and flow cytometric assay were performed to evaluate the effects of anlotinib on the proliferation and apoptotic cycles of adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cell line A549 cells, respectively. Western blot was performed to detect the expression levels of unfolded protein response, endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, E-cadherin, vimentin, beta-catenin, transcription factor 4 and Axin in anlotinib-resistant cell line A549/AL3818 cells. Anlotinib-resistant A549 cells were successfully constructed and named as A549/AL3818. Fuzheng oral solution had proliferation inhibition, apoptosis induction and cycle blocking effects on A549/AL3818 cells. High dose of Fuzheng oral liquid was able to inhibit unfolded protein response and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, expression in A549/ AL3818 cells and suppress wingless-related integration signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression in A549/AL3818 cells. The inhibitory effect of Fuzheng oral liquid on winglessrelated integration signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression was the same as that of paired box protein 6. Fuzheng oral liquid inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression through regulating unfolded protein response-endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation signaling pathway, thereby reversing the resistance of non-small cell lung cancer cells to anlotinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining activity reduces the strength and stability of coal and can lead to frequent coal/rock instability disasters. To address this problem, the soft coal body of the 66207 working face of the Xinzhuangzi coal mine was selected as the study area and the shear strength and coal repose angle were investigated under different water content conditions. The results show that coal cohesion and repose angle initially increase with increasing water content and then decrease, with critical water contents of 20.847% and 17.659%, respectively. The internal friction angle shows negligible change over the range of investigated water contents. Ensuring an appropriate amount of water can thus strengthen a coal body and improve its stability. Upon increasing the moisture content from 0.966% to 20.847%, cohesion increases by 1020.741%, and the repose angle increases by 44.204% when the moisture content increases from dry conditions to 17.659%. From a mechanical perspective, the shape of the liquid bridge between soft coal particles is sensitive to water content. The results provide an experimental basis for the safe and efficient mining of soft coal seams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-speed railway is a major stimulant for free flow of economic factors, optimal allocation of resources, and upgrading of regional industry. This paper constructs a difference-in-differences (DID) model to analyze the panel data on the 13 cities in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region of 2003-2020, aiming to disclose how the opening of Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway affects the economic growth in BTH city cluster. The results show that the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway clearly improves the level of economic development in the BTH region; the improving effect on Hebei is faster than that on Beijing and Tianjin. Therefore, it is suggested that Hebei should step up the development of high-speed railway, so as to promote the industrial transfer from Beijing and Tianjin and attract outstanding talents to Hebei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]