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Steady gravity-capillary periodic waves on the surface of a thin viscous liquid film supported by an air stream on an inclined wall are investigated. Based on lubrication approximation and thin air-foil theory, this problem is reduced to an integro-differential equation. The small-amplitude analysis is carried out to obtain two analytical solutions up to the second order. Numerical computation shows there exist two distinct primary bifurcation branches starting from infinitesimal waves, which approach solitary wave configuration in the long-wave limit when the values of physical parameters are above certain thresholds. New families of solutions manifest themselves either as secondary bifurcation occurring on primary branches or as isolated solution branches. The limiting configurations of the primary solution branches with the increase of two parameters are studied in two different cases, where one and two limiting configurations are obtained, respectively. For the latter case, the approximation of the configurations is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the predictive value of ischaemic time and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) T1 mapping in acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). A total of 127 patients with STEMI treated by primary PCI were studied. All patients underwent CMRI with native T1 and extracellular volume (ECV) measurement, 61 of whom also had 4-month follow-up data. The total ischaemic (symptom onset to balloon, S2B) time expressed in minutes was recorded. CMRI cine, T1 mapping, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images were analysed to evaluate left ventricular (LV) function, T1 value, ECV, and myocardial infract (MI) scar characteristics, respectively. The correlation between S2B time and T1 mapping was evaluated. The predictive values of S2B time and T1 mapping for large final infarct size were estimated. The incidence of microvascular obstruction (MVO) increased with the prolongation of ischaemia time. Regardless of MVO or not, ECV in myocardial infarction (ECV MI) was significantly correlated with S2B time (r= 0.61, p< 0.001), while native T1 in MI (T1 MI) was not (r= –0.19, p= 0.029). In the 4-month follow-up, native T1 MI was improved (1385.1 ± 90.4 versus 1288.6 ± 74 ms, p< 0.001). Furthermore, ECV MI was independently associated with final larger infarct size (AUC = 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.81–0.98, p< 0.001) in multivariable regression analysis. ECV MI was correlated with total ischaemic time and was an independent predictor of final larger infarct size. • ECV in myocardial infarction was significantly correlated with S2B time. • In the 4-month follow-up, native T1 MI was improved. • ECV MI was an independent predictor of large final infarct size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within a tight-binding electron–phonon interaction model modified to include temperature effects, the dynamics of two oppositely charged bipolarons scattering in conjugated polymers are investigated using a nonadiabatic evolution method. In this paper, the temperature effects are introduced by the Langevin equation of motion. In order to further understand the photoelectric conversion mechanism in organic light emitting devices, the yields of the luminescent products are studied. It is found that temperature should promote the formation of luminescent element excitations under relatively weak and strong electric fields. In addition, temperature effects can affect the time of bipolarons recombination. With the increase in temperature, the time of bipolarons recombination increases. The results can provide some research ideas for designing organic light-emitting devices with high electroluminescence efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double satellite formation for gravity field exploration is a complex space virtual instrument system with high-precision, whose normal manner is threatened by the space debris environment. The normal manner of the formation based on control with prescribed performance is studied. Based on the random impact of space debris, nonlinear dynamical equations with 20 variables are established considering the relative attitude of the double satellite. The interferential characteristics and expected stability under certain disturbance conditions by the space debris in low Earth orbit are analyzed. To simplify the relative motion of the formation and the motion of the test mass (TM) relative to the cage, a prescribed performance function is introduced to constrain the relative attitude errors of transient and steady states. An adaptive attitude control design method based on a prescribed performance function is proposed. Finally, the analysis is carried out. The results show that the probability of normal manner of the formation is about 78.45% in the first year and about 45.59% in the first three years. The normal manner of the double satellite formation for gravity field exploration can be effectively simulated and analyzed based on the prescribed performance control methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), a major component of brominated flame retardants, has been detected in considerable amounts in the soil. Given that BDE-209 is toxic, ubiquitous, and persistent, it may cause toxic effects on vegetables planted in contaminated soil. In this study, Chinese cabbage seedlings cultivated in the soil contaminated by BDE-209 (5 - 20 mg kg-1) for 60 d were investigated to evaluate the phytotoxicity of BDE-209 in terms of growth, physiological responses, photosynthetic function, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that BDE-209-induced phytotoxicity was reflected in the growth suppression, the decrease of chlorophyll content and soluble protein content, and especially in the reduced photosynthetic parameters (net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance). BDE- 209 showed direct toxicities to plasma membranes causing their elevated permeability. In addition, BDE-209 induced the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), membrane lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, manifesting in the increased content of O2 •-, H2O2, malondialdehyde, and carbonyl. Chinese cabbage seedlings activated the antioxidant defence system (superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) to scavenge the ROS and counter-balance the oxidative stress caused by BDE-209, while the toxicity could not be effectively alleviated. Our study will provide valuable information for further understanding of the phytotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Highlight: Delhey, K., Valcu, M., Dale, J., & Kempenaers, B. (2022). The evolution of carotenoid‐based plumage colours in passerine birds. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2656.13791. Carotenoids, a class of colour pigments, are responsible for red, yellow and orange hues in nature. They play an important role in visual animals, and specially birds, where dietary carotenoids can act as honest sexual signals. Long‐standing interest in the function of carotenoid‐based colours has led to different hypotheses for their evolutionary drivers. Yet, comparative studies testing the generality of these hypotheses have been previously limited in phylogenetic scope or resolution. In a recent study, Delhey et al. (2022) combined sexual dichromatism, life history and environmental data to investigate the evolution of carotenoid‐based colouration in the largest avian radiation, the passerines (Order: Passeriformes). The authors show that the expression of carotenoid‐based colours depends on environmental availability, dietary content and body size. They also show that red carotenoids are more often evolutionarily and metabolically derived, and suggest different colours are favoured by natural and sexual selection. These findings shine new light on commonly held hypotheses of carotenoid‐colour evolution and contribute to our understanding of how phenotypic diversity evolves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A di-nuclear uranyl complex with the formula of [(UO2)2(L)4(H2O)2]⋅4H2O (1) (HL = quinoline-6-carboxylic acid) was synthesized hydrothermally and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Each U(VI) atom has typical pentagonal bipyramid geometry with two O atoms from uranyl, one O atom from one water molecule, and four O atoms from three L ligands. Complex 1 is linked by versatile hydrogen bonds to generate a 3D supramolecular uranyl organic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209), a major component of brominated flame retardants, has been detected in considerable amounts in the soil. Given that BDE-209 is toxic, ubiquitous, and persistent, it may cause toxic effects on vegetables planted in contaminated soil. In this study, Chinese cabbage seedlings cultivated in the soil contaminated by BDE-209 (5 - 20 mg kg-1) for 60 d were investigated to evaluate the phytotoxicity of BDE-209 in terms of growth, physiological responses, photosynthetic function, and antioxidant capacity. The results showed that BDE-209-induced phytotoxicity was reflected in the growth suppression, the decrease of chlorophyll content and soluble protein content, and especially in the reduced photosynthetic parameters (net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance). BDE-209 showed direct toxicities to plasma membranes causing their elevated permeability. In addition, BDE-209 induced the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), membrane lipid peroxidation and protein carbonylation, manifesting in the increased content of O2 •-, H2O2, malondialdehyde, and carbonyl. Chinese cabbage seedlings activated the antioxidant defence system (superoxide dismutase and peroxidase) to scavenge the ROS and counter-balance the oxidative stress caused by BDE-209, while the toxicity could not be effectively alleviated. Our study will provide valuable information for further understanding of the phytotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the cooling–heating phase transition of the Euler–Heisenberg-AdS black hole. First, the black hole thermodynamic quantities and the state equation are reviewed. Then, we research cooling–heating phase transition and further plot the inversion and isenthalpic curves in the T–P plane. Meanwhile, we find that the inversion temperature gradually decreases with the increase of Euler–Heisenberg parameter a for the inversion curves, while this parameter has no effect in the cooling region, and the isenthalpic curves gradually move to the positive direction of X-axis with the increase of Euler–Heisenberg parameter a in the heating region. In particular, the inversion temperature and pressure of this black hole are negative, we deem that this case is caused by the vacuum polarization and the quantum electrodynamics corrections, which makes the electromagnetic energy (repulsion force) produced by the black hole shield the gravity produced by the black hole mass. In addition, this explanation has been mentioned in previous studies [M. Daniela and B. Nora, Phys. Rev. D 102, 084011 (2020); R. Ruffini, Y. B. Wu and S. S. Xue, Phys. Rev. D 88, 085004 (2013)]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation has the potential to treat various neurological disorders noninvasively and safely. The "Halo coil" configuration can stimulate deeper regions of the brain with lower surface to deep-brain field ratio compared to other coil configurations. The existing "Halo coil" configuration is fixed and is limited in varying the site of stimulation in the brain. We have developed a new system based on the current "Halo coil" design along with a graphical user interface system that enables the larger coil to rotate along the transverse plane. The new system can also enable vertical movement of larger coil. Thus, this adjustable "Halo coil" configuration can stimulate different regions of the brain by adjusting the position and orientation of the larger coil on the head. We have calculated magnetic and electric fields inside a MRI-derived heterogeneous head model for various positions and orientations of the coil. We have also investigated the mechanical and thermal stability of the adjustable "Halo coil" configuration for various positions and orientations of the coil to ensure safe operation of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERCC1 rs11615 and ERCC2 rs238406 single nuclear polymorphism (SNPs) are known for their association with treatment outcome, likely related to radiosensitivity of both tumor and normal tissue in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer. This study aimed to review the effect of 1) these ERCC1/2 SNPs and 2) other SNPs of DNA repair genes on radiation pneumonitis (RP) in patients with lung cancer. SNPs of our interest included ERCC1 rs11615 and ERCC2 rs238406 and other genes of DNA repair pathways that are functional and biologically active. DNA repair SNPs reported by at least two independent studies were pooled for meta-analysis. The study endpoint was radiation pneumonitis (RP) after radiotherapy. Recessive, dominant, homozygous, heterozygous, and allelic genotype models were used where appropriate. A total of 16 studies (3080 patients) were identified from the systematic review and 12 studies (2090 patients) on 11 SNPs were included in the meta-analysis. The SNPs were ATM rs189037, ATM rs373759, NEIL1 rs4462560, NEIL1 rs7402844, APE1 rs1130409, XRCC3 rs861539, ERCC1 rs11615, ERCC1 rs3212986, ERCC2 rs238406, ERCC2 rs13181, and XRCC1 rs25487. ERCC1 rs11615 (236 patients) and ERCC2 rs238406 (254 patients) were not significantly associated with RP. Using the allelic model, the G allele for NEIL1 gene was significantly associated with a reduced odds of developing symptomatic (grade ≥2) RP compared to the C allele for rs7402844 (OR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.99, P = 0.04). Similarly, the T allele for APE1 gene was significantly associated with a reduced odds of developing symptomatic (grade ≥2) RP compared to the G allele for rs1130409 (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.81, P = 0.001). Genetic variation in the DNA repair pathway genes may play a significant role in the risk of developing radiation pneumonitis in patients with lung cancer. Further studies are needed on genotypic features of DNA repair pathway genes and their association with treatment sensitivity, as such knowledge may guide personalized radiation dose prescription. • A total of 16 studies (3080 patients) were identified from the systematic review. • Genetic variation in NEIL1 rs7402844 and APE1 rs1130409 may predict RP. • Need to further elucidate relationship between ERCC1 rs11615, ERCC2 rs238406 with RP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both polarons and excitons, which are composite particles with internal lattice structure, play an important role in the transport and light-emitting properties of conjugated polymers for the use in, e.g., polymer based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The scattering and recombination processes between a triplet exciton and a polaron are investigated using a nonadiabatic evolution method based on an extended Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model including interchain interactions. The results show that an excited polaron state can be formed, besides a triplet exciton is converted into a singlet exciton by the polaron. Moreover, the yields of both the singlet exciton and the excited polaron states increase with increasing interchain coupling strength. The excited polaron is luminescent due to radiative decay as is the singlet exciton. Therefore, our results indicate that the quantum efficiency of polymer LEDs could be enhanced by polaron-exciton recombination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within an extended Su–Schrieffer–Heeger model including interchain interactions and the extended Hubbard model, the dynamical relaxation of photoexcitations in two coupled conjugated polymer chains is investigated by using a nonadiabatic evolution method. Initially, one of the two chains is photoexcited and the other chain is in the dimerized ground state. Due to the interchain interactions, the electron and/or the hole can be transferred from one chain to the other chain. For weak interchain coupling, the dynamical evolution of the lattice on the photoexcited chain is similar to that found in an isolate single chain case. With interchain interactions increasing, the amplitude of the distortions on the photoexcited chain decreases, and simultaneously, that on the other chain gradually increases. Until stronger interchain coupling, the deformations of the two chains have almost the same amplitude. Besides intrachain polaron-excitons and intrachain oppositely charged polaron pairs as found in single chain case, interchain polaron-excitons and interchain separated charged polaron pairs are obtained. The results show that the yield of interchain products increases and that of intrachain products decreases with interchain coupling increasing. Totally, the yield of charged polarons (including intrachain oppositely charged polaron pairs and interchain oppositely charged polaron pairs) is about 25%, in good agreement with results from experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organized extremely small Ti–Sn alloy nanodots have been formed in the subsurface of SiO2 by dynamic coimplantation of isotopic 48Ti+ and 120Sn+ at a low kinetic energy of 9 keV into (0001) Z-cut quartz at different substrate temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy images show that the Ti–Sn alloy nanodots are single crystal and have been formed uniformly at room temperature. They are distributed in a two-dimensional array with similar size of ∼4 nm and constant interdot spacing between each dot. The regions beyond and below the two-dimensional array are depleted of detectable nanodots. At high temperature, the distribution and crystallinity were destroyed with much smaller amorphous nanodots in a slightly deeper region. The implantation was carried out by dynamic coimplantation, rather than the commonly used sequential implantation. These results indicate that dynamic low energy coimplantation is capable of forming well-ordered two-dimensional array of alloy nanodots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • The abnormal magnetic behavior of Fe-P-C amorphous alloys is reproduced. • Synchrotron XRD was performed to seek the structure origin. • The large Fe-Fe bond length results in the high B S of Fe 80 P 13 C 7 alloy. Abstract The magnetic properties of a series of Fe-P-C amorphous alloys were investigated. Fe 80 P 13 C 7 shows the largest saturation magnetic flux density among all the Fe 80 P 20− x C x (x = 7–9) alloys, which is supported by the hyperfine field distribution. Synchrotron X-ray diffraction was performed to explore the underlying structure mechanism. It is found that Fe 80 P 13 C 7 amorphous alloy has a larger atomic volume accompanied by a larger first peak position value of the reduced pair distribution function compared with those of Fe 80 P 12 C 8 and Fe 80 P 11 C 9. The origin of the unusual magnetic behavior of Fe 80 P 13 C 7 is thought to be the large Fe-Fe bond length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation or decomposition of thermally sprayed coatings during deposition may noticably impair the coating features and characteristics, i.e. the surface integrity of coated components, including coating porosity, phase, microhardness, elastic modulus and toughness, etc., having a profound influence on the final performance of components. Further degradations along with enhanced oxidation of the coatings were observed for an off-angle spraying scheme in industrial practice, where inconsistent results were previously reported for spray angle-dependent degradation of various thermal spray coatings, with the mechanism not being fully understood with the less controlled surface integrity. An improved off-angle HVOF thermal spray has been developed for cemented carbide coatings, using pretreated WC-Ni feedstock powders covered with a nanoscale capsulizing nickel layer. A comprehensive study on the formation of multiple surface integrity parameters and the correlative interactions between them is thus facilitated with controllable surface integrity generation using the capsulized powders. Decarburization is mainly attributed to the exposure of pristine WC grains causing enhanced porosity in inter-splats regions, and then microhardness depends mainly on porosity and partly on phase composition, while the elastic modulus depends on intra-splats cohesion and the indentation fracture toughness on inter-splats cohesion, respectively. Abrasive wear from mild to severe regime transition could be interpreted by the inter-splats and intra-splats cohesion correlation. It has been demonstrated by the improved off-angle thermal spray that a manufacturing process could be designed and optimized on the identified unique correlations between the processes, surface integrity and the final performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of resistant starch (RS) on serum cholesterol levels have been previously investigated. However, the results of those studies are inconsistent. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to determine if RS affects blood lipids based on the current literature. The methods included searching databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) up to September 2017, as well as hand-searching reference lists of articles published in English. The initial search yielded 1228 articles. Of these, 14 articles (20 trials) were included in our investigation focusing on the effects of RS on total cholesterol (TC; 19 trials), triglycerides (TG; 19 trials), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; 16 trials), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (17 trials). Methodological quality was assessed using TC, LDL-C, TGs, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Pooled effects were calculated using a random-effects model. The meta-analysis of these data showed that RS supplementation has an effect on lowering TC and LDL-C (TC: mean difference, −7.33 mg/dL [95% confidence interval −12.15 to −2.52 mg/dL]; LDL-C: mean difference: −3.40 mg/dL [95% confidence interval, −6.74 to −0.07 mg/dL]). Subgroup meta-analysis revealed that a longer time (>4 weeks) of RS supplementation can generate more obvious effects on TC and LDL-C levels, and higher dose (>20 g/d) of RS also had a lowering effect on TG level. Future research should focus on the relationship between RS type and cholesterol-lowering effects, and the effects on subjects of different health status or those with different baseline levels of serum lipids. Moreover, the mechanism for the cholesterol-lowering effects of RS should be further explored. In conclusion, RS can reduce serum TC and LDL-C levels, particularly when administered for a duration longer than 4 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Microwave radiation could increase the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in rat Sertoli cells, which may impair spermatogenesis. However, the mechanisms that microwave radiation induces the cytokine expression in Sertoli cells remain to be clarified. The activation of TLRs by their ligands can trigger a common signalling pathway to upregulate inflammatory cytokines such as IL‐1, IL‐6, IL‐12 and TNF‐α. Microwave radiation can increase the expression of TLRs in lymphocytes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of microwave radiation on the TLRs in rat testis. We focus on the effect of TLR2‐5 (which is expressed relatively highly) by microwave radiation. The results showed that the expression of TLR2‐5 and the pro‐inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, IL‐6 and TNF‐α) was increased both in mRNA and in protein. Furthermore, p‐p38, p‐ERK1/2, p‐JNK and p‐NF‐κB p65, the key factors of TLR signalling, were also elevated by microwave exposure. And the NF‐κB can be induced more dominantly. These results suggest that TLRs signalling can be activated by microwave radiation in testis, which may provide the molecular basis for the in‐depth study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we have investigated variations in the local structure and thermal stability of Fe 80 Si 8.75 B 10 Cu 1.25 amorphous ribbons after thermal cycling treatment between room temperature and 77 K. All samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, magnetometry and Transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy. It confirms that the structure of melt spun ribbons is much compacted after thermal cycling treatment. In addition, the nucleation and growth activation energies of α-Fe significantly increase after thermal cycling. Moreover, an increase of the saturation flux density from 1.46 T to 1.55 T and a decrease of coercivity from 9.21 A/m to 8.54 A/m can be achieved by the thermal cycling treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growth trial was conducted to evaluate the effects and safety of nucleotides in low fish meal diets on the growth performance, antioxidative capacity and intestinal morphology of turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus). High fish meal control diet was formulated with 500 g kg−1 fish meal. Seven levels (0.075, 0.15, 0.225, 0.300, 1.5 and 3.0 g kg−1, respectively) of nucleotides were added to a low fish meal basal diet, which was formulated with 400 g kg−1 fish meal. The eight experimental diets were fed to groups of juvenile turbot (initial weight: 6.0 ± 0.03 g) for 60 days. Results showed that compared with high fish meal control diet, low fish meal basal diet treatment had lower total antioxidative capacity (T- AOC), glutathione peroxidase activity, fold height of proximal and distal intestine, enterocyte height of all evaluated enteric section and microvillus height of mid-intestine and distal intestine ( P < 0.05). However, supplemented nucleotides in diets could significantly improve growth (specific growth rate, SGR), feed utilization, antioxidative capacity and intestinal morphology of turbot ( P < 0.05). Broken-line regression analysis of SGR and T- AOC showed that the optimal supplemental levels of dietary nucleotide for juvenile turbot were 0.366 and 0.188 g kg−1, respectively. In summary, 0.300 g kg−1 of dietary nucleotides was helpful in improving growth, feed utilization, antioxidative capacity and intestinal morphology of turbot fed with low fish meal diet. Excessive dietary nucleotides (3.0 g kg−1) might cause oxidative stress and morphological damage in intestine and then reduce the growth of turbot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose Glucocorticoids ( GCs) are the mainstay treatment of myasthenia gravis ( MG). However, wide inter-individual variability exists in the response to GCs. Methods A Chinese cohort of 257 MG patients treated with GCs was evaluated for the association between 19 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the GR gene and clinical response to the initial 3 month GC therapy. A quantitative MG score decreasing by ≥3 units or becoming zero was defined as sensitivity to GCs. Results The rs17209237* G allele was less frequent in the GC insensitive group compared with the GC sensitive group [ P = 0.013, odds ratio ( OR) 0.119]. The rs9324921* A allele was more frequent in the GC insensitive group than in the GC sensitive group ( P = 0.046, OR 1.94). Carriers of the rs17209237 G allele were less frequent in the GC insensitive group than in the GC sensitive group (dominant model, P = 0.009). Carriers of the rs9324921 A allele were more frequent in the GC insensitive group than in the GC sensitive group (dominant model, P = 0.037). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that the rs17209237 G allele carrier ( P = 0.037, OR 0.12) and disease duration before GC treatment ( P = 0.011, OR 3.45) were independent factors that contributed to GC efficacy. Conclusion rs17209237 in the GR gene was identified as an independent factor that contributes to GC efficacy in MG patients. The genetic variations of the GR gene may play a role in predicting response to GC treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs about designing better electrolytes, an indispensable component in every electrochemical device, including lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Topics include direct electron transfer while allowing working ions to transport both charges and masses across the cell reactions can proceed sustainably; and commercial success of LIBs has attracted intense interest and investments in electrolyte research with thermodynamic stability.

The yield performance of 23 barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes in sixteen test environments across a barley growing region of China was evaluated. The experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replicates, in two cropping seasons (2010-2011, in the South; 2012-2013, in the North). The GGE biplot was applied to analyze the data obtained in the multi-environment trials. The results indicated that either the North or South test sites could be grouped into three possible megaenvironments, the best- performing and candidate genotypes for the North and South were G7 (Zhongsimai1), G5 (08B26), G17 (G231M004M), and G13 (Zhe3521), respectively. Among the sixteen test environments, E6 (Shihezi) and E12 (Yancheng) had the greatest discriminating ability, while E1 (Haerbing), E4 (Shang kuli), E8 (Wuhan), and E16 (Chengdu) could be dismissed from the future trials due to the similarity of their ability of discrimination and representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changes of highway condition during highway expansion and upgrading were analyzed, such as changes in the road elements, traffic operation and safety engineering facilities. Aiming at different grades of highways, the parameters describing an area where access roads were impacted were obtained from expert survey analysis of impact on the psychology and driving behavior of drivers. The parameters were then given corresponding weight. A safety evaluation model that was access-management-oriented and based on fuzzy calculation was proposed to analyses the safety situations before and after the highway expansion and upgrading. In the evaluation model, safety situations were graded. A higher score indicated a better traffic safety situation. The model was applied to a 50km-long 2nd-grade highway to be upgraded to 1st-grade in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. As the result showed, the score of the highway's safety was consistent with the actual traffic operation. The proposed methods could be used to improve the design of highway expansion and upgrading in terms of traffic safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether seeds germinate or maintain dormancy is decided upon through very intricate physiological processes. Correct timing of these processes is most important for the plants life cycle. If moist conditions are encountered, a low dormancy level causes pre-harvest sprouting in various crop species, such as wheat, corn and rice, this decreases crop yield and negatively impacts downstream industrial processing. In contrast, a deep level of seed dormancy prevents normal germination even under favourable conditions, resulting in a low emergence rate during agricultural production. Therefore, an optimal seed dormancy level is valuable for modern mechanised agricultural systems. Over the past several years, numerous studies have demonstrated that diverse endogenous and environmental factors regulate the balance between dormancy and germination, such as light, temperature, water status and bacteria in soil, and phytohormones such as ABA (abscisic acid) and GA (gibberellic acid). In this updated review, we highlight recent advances regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of seed dormancy and germination processes, including the external environmental and internal hormonal cues, and primarily focusing on the staple crop species. Furthermore, future challenges and research directions for developing a full understanding of crop seed dormancy and germination are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-thin ZrB x O y films 5 nm in thickness were prepared by radio-frequency (rf) magnetron sputtering. The thermal stability and the barrier performance against the inter-diffusion between Cu and Si were studied via thermal annealing at different temperatures. The as-deposited amorphous ZrB x O y thin films could effectively block the inter-diffusion of Cu and Si atoms. However, the thin films became invalid at temperatures higher than 600 °C and significant atomic diffusion occurred, resulting in high-resistivity Cu 3 Si compound. Hence, ZrB x O y thin films can be exploited as diffusion barriers in Cu interconnects at temperatures lower than 600 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a nanowaveguide platform for collective atom-light interaction through evanescent field coupling. We have developed a 1 cm-long silicon nitride nanowaveguide can use evanescent fields to trap and probe an ensemble of 87Rb atoms. The waveguide has a sub-micrometer square mode area and was designed with tapers for high fiber-to-waveguide coupling efficiencies at nearinfrared wavelengths (750 nm to 1100 nm). Inverse tapers in the platform adiabatically transfer a weakly guided mode of fiber-coupled light into a strongly guided mode with an evanescent field to trap atoms and then back to a weakly guided mode at the other end of the waveguide. The coupling loss is -1 dB per facet (~80% coupling efficiency) at 760 nm and 1064 nm, which is estimated by a propagation loss measurement with waveguides of different lengths. The proposed platform has good thermal conductance and can guide high optical powers for trapping atoms in ultra-high vacuum. As an intermediate step, we have observed thermal atom absorption of the evanescent component of a nanowaveguide and have demonstrated the U-wire mirror magneto-optical trap that can transfer atoms to the proximity of the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the direct observation of a large unusual antiferromagnetic exchange interaction in Fe(001) films. By measuring the magnon dispersion relation over the entire Brillouin zone of an ultrathin Fe(001) film on Rh(001), we demonstrate that the signature of this unusual antiferromagnetic exchange interaction can be observed at the high-symmetry M point. The exchange parameters are quantified by comparing the measured magnon dispersion relation with the results of our first-principles calculations. We suggest a way of examining the existence of an antiferromagnetic exchange interaction in layered magnetic structures and also a way of quantifying its strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preoperative elevations in the levels of serum amyloid A ( SAA) or C-reactive protein ( CRP) have been reported to be prognostic indicators in several malignancies. The aim of this study is to evaluate the serum levels of SAA and CRP in the prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC). In total, 252 patients with ESCC who had undergone surgery with curative-intent were retrospectively recruited. The specificity, sensitivity, and prognostic value of SAA or CRP levels were measured as the area under the receiver operating characteristic ( ROC) curve ( AUC). The clinical value of SAA and CRP levels as prognostic indicators was evaluated using Cox's proportional hazards model. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival ( OS) rates for the entire cohort of patients with ESCC were 71.0%, 61.0%, and 43.0%, respectively. The correlation between the levels of SAA and CRP was significant ( r2 = 0. 685, P < 0.001). The ROC analysis showed that the levels of CRP were associated with a significantly lower overall accuracy than were the SAA levels ( AUC, 0.615 vs. 0.880; P < 0.001). For the complete cohort, the median OS was 52.0 months longer in patients with low preoperative serum levels of SAA (72.0 months) compared with patients who had high SAA levels (20.0 months, P < 0.001). The median OS among patients with low CRP levels was also longer compared with the patients who had high CRP levels (72.0 vs. 51.0 months, respectively; P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that the preoperative elevated levels of SAA could find significant differences in OS for stage I, stage II, and stage III ( P < 0.001, P = 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas the increased levels of CRP could only find a difference in OS for stage II cancers. After a multivariate analysis, preoperative elevated level of SAA was found to be an independently and significant prognostic factor ( P < 0.001). Our study indicates that the preoperative levels of SAA and CRP can act as prognostic factors, and that elevated levels of these proteins are associated with negative effects on the survival of patients with ESCC. SAA showed a higher prognostic value than CRP in both cohort and subgroup analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent skin disease that affects approximately 2-3% of the world's population, and can significantly impair patients' wellbeing and their physical and mental functioning. Aim To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab versus placebo for psoriasis. Methods We performed a systematic review of all the relevant published literature relating to randomized controlled trials ( RCTs) of ustekinumab from 1990 to August 2013. Relative ratios ( RRs) and 95% confidence intervals ( CIs) were calculated, and meta-analysis was conducted with Revman5.2.6 software, while GRADE Profile 3.6 was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence. Results In total, 9 RCTs involving 11 381 patients were included. The meta-analysis results were as follows. (i) At the end of 12 weeks, the ustekinumab group had a larger number of patients with improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index ( PASI) of at least 50% ( PASI50), at least 75% ( PASI75) and at least 90% ( PASI90); a larger number with improvement in Physician's Global Assessment ( PGA), and a larger number with improvement in Dermatology Life Quality Index ( DLQI) to a score of 0 or 1 (no effect at all on patient's life). (ii) There was no significant difference in efficacy between 45 mg and 90 mg ustekinumab at the end of 12 weeks. (iii) There was no obvious difference between the ustekinumab and placebo groups in the incidence of adverse events over 5 years. There was also no obvious difference between the two doses of ustekinumab after 5 years. Conclusion Our results indicate that ustekinumab is safe for patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis over a period of 5 years, and it is effective after 12 weeks. There was no significant superiority in efficacy between the 45 mg and 90 mg doses for short-term therapy. Results of the long-term safety evaluation are consistent with short-term reports of ustekinumab safety. More long-term studies and RCTs are needed to validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombinant glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger expressed in Pichia pastoris by fed-batch fermentation was purified and assessed with 1·26 purification fold to homogeneity using Q- Sepharose F. F. chromatography. The enzyme was determined by SDS- PAGE and gradient PAGE, which showed a dimeric form of 150 kDa. The purified r GOD was proved to be a glycoprotein, and the content of which was estimated to be 36·7 and 25·14% by phenol-sulfuric acid and anthrone-sulfuric acid methods. Characteristics demonstrated that the highest activity was in pH 6·0 at 40°C and was stable at a broad pH range from 4·0 to 9·0 at 55°C or below. The optimum substrate for this enzyme was d-glucose, and the Km was 21·06 mmol l−1 as well as the Vmax was 359 μmol min−1 mg−1. r GOD possessed high resistance to various chemicals except for Hg2+, Fe2+, Ag+, Cu2+, 1,4-dithiothreitol, sodium dodecyl sulfate and ascorbic acid. In addition, the inhibitors also exhibited intensive fluorescence quenching effect on r GOD. Significance and Impact of Study Glucose oxidase is a very important enzyme produced by several species. However, large-scale applications have always been postponed by its complexity in fermentation and purification. Our research focused on developing new purification strategy of recombinant GOD from A. niger expressed in P. pastoris. Here, we described this novel one-step purification method and subsequent research in the characteristics of r GOD which showed different results from previous work. These can open new opportunities to increase its application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] The crystallization of Ru thin films can be suppressed by Zr doping. [•] Amorphous RuZr thin films were fabricated by magnetron sputtering. [•] It could be used to effectively suppress the diffusion between Cu and Si. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the effect of pressure on the transport and structural properties of GaTe, InTe, and InGaTe2 is reported. All materials were found to exhibit pressure-induced structural transitions. For GaTe, the ambient structure transforms to a mixed state at 8GPa, which transforms at 15GPa to an ordered state. InTe, which crystallizes in a tetragonal structure, shows transformations at 6 and 14GPa. InGaTe2, also initially tetragonal, undergoes two transitions at 9.25GPa and 13GPa. These transitions have shown noticeable effects on the transport properties. In particular, the Seebeck coefficient for the solid solution changes sign at the first phase transition. From these results, the thermoelectric figure of merit has been evaluated for each material. For some of these materials (InTe and InGaTe2) this yields a lower efficiency than ambient conditions. However, for GaTe, this has been shown to increase the figure of merit by 14 times to 8GPa. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Isotope ratio infrared spectroscopy (IRIS) provides an in-situ technique for measuring δ13C in atmospheric CO2. A number of methods have been proposed for calibrating the IRIS measurements, but few studies have systematically evaluated their accuracy for atmospheric applications. In this study, we carried out laboratory and ambient measurements with two commercial IRIS analyzers and compared the accuracy of four calibration strategies. We found that calibration based on the 12C and 13C mixing ratios (Bowling et al., 2003) and that based on linear interpolation of the measured delta using the mixing ratio of the major isotopologue (Lee et al., 2005) yielded accuracy better than 0.06‰. Over a 7-day atmospheric measurement in Beijing, the two analyzers differed by 9.44±1.65‰ (mean ±1 standard deviation of hourly values) before calibration and agreed to within -0.02±0.18‰ after properly calibration. However, even after calibration the difference between the two analyzers showed a slight correlation with concentration, and this concentration dependence propagated through the Keeling analysis resulting in a much larger difference of 2.44‰ for the Keeling intercept. The high sensitivity of the Keeling analysis to the concentration dependence underscores the challenge of IRIS for atmospheric research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese giant salamander ( Andrias davidianus) is a rare amphibian species in the world. Microsatellite markers are a promising tool for accurate estimation population structure and genetic diversity. In this paper, we isolated novel microsatellite marker for Chinese giant salamander using fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO) method. More than 50% sequences in 132 clones had repeat number over ten times with di or trinucleeotide repeat except of (GA). Seventy pairs of primers were designed and eleven polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized for wild and cultivated Chinese giant salamander populations. The allele number was from 3 to 9 in different loci. Polymorphism information content was from 0.544 to 0.702 in cultivated population. The results implied more alleles and PIC were in the wild population than cultivated population. The observed heterozygosities in two populations were higher than 0.553. The data analysis suggested that the cultivated population has lower genetic diversity than wild population, which it's perhaps owing to inbreeding in artificial breeding. To our knowledge, it's the first time to isolated microsatellite markers for Chinese giant salamander. The result indicated that the markers were suitable for the population genetic analysis of Chinese giant salamander. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methyl vinyl silicone rubber/zinc dimethacrylate (VMQ/ZDMA) composites were prepared through in situ polymerization of ZDMA monomers during the peroxide curing. The polymerization conversion of ZDMA and morphology of the VMQ/ZDMA composites were studied. The results showed that most of the ZDMA monomers participated in the in situ polymerization during the cross-linking of the VMQ matrix and uniform nanophases were formed in the composites. The 'dissolving-diffusion' model was used to explain the micro-nano transformation of ZDMA. According to the model, a uniform nano-dispersed structure could be obtained through the in situ reaction even though the initial dispersion of ZDMA in the blends was poor. In addition, tensile tests of VMQ/ZDMA composites showed that ZDMA had a significant reinforcement on the mechanical properties of VMQ, and the best mechanical properties were obtained when the amounts of peroxide and ZDMA were 5 and 40 phr, respectively. The gross crosslink density and ionic crosslink density increased as the amount of ZDMA increased, but the covalent crosslink density decreased slightly. These results indicated that the ionic crosslink structure had a significant effect on the mechanical properties of VMQ/ZDMA composites [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications, mutual coupling is a notorious issue due to limited space available for mobile terminals. Most of theoretical analysis and simulation investigated the channel capacity and the performance of MIMO systems in the presence of antenna coupling. But in this paper, we have firstly experimentally studied the impact of the decoupling on channel capacity for MIMO radio communications. It is dem-onstrated that channel capacity can be enhanced by decoupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CoO/Ag/Fe/Ag(001 ) films were grown epitaxially and studied using magneto-optic Kerr effect and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Instead of exponential decay as reported in previous works, we find that both the exchange bias and the coercivity in the epitaxially grown films exhibit a nonmonotonous behavior with the Ag spacer layer thickness. By purposely increasing the film roughness, the nonmonotonous interlayer coupling evolves into a monotonie decrease by increasing the Ag thickness. Furthermore, we show that the interlayer coupling peak diminishes or shifts its peak position by inserting a Cr layer between CoO and Ag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FeMn/Fe/Co/Cu(1,1,10) films were grown epitaxially and investigated using the magneto-optic Kerr effect and photoemission electron microscopy. We found that FeMn/Fe/Co/Cu( 1,1,10) exhibits the same properties as FeMn/Co/Cu(l,l,10) for the ferromagnetic phase of the face centered cubic (fcc) Fe film but a different property for the non-ferromagnetic phase of the fcc Fe film. This result indicates that the characteristic property reported in the literature for FeMn/Co/Cu(001) comes from the FeMn spin structure and is independent of the ferromagnetic layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combining the one-dimensional tight-binding Su–Schrieffer–Heeger (SSH) model and the extended Hubbard model (EHM), the scattering and combination of oppositely charged bipolarons in conjugated polymers are investigated using a nonadiabatic evolution method. On the basis of this physical picture, bipolarons can scatter into a singlet biexcitonic state, in which two electrons and two holes are trapped together by a lattice distortion. This biexcitonic state can emit one photon to an exciton state, which can subsequently decay to the ground state. The results indicate that the scattering and combination of oppositely charged bipolarons may provide guidance for improving the internal quantum efficiency for electroluminescence to as high as 75% in polymer light-emitting diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyclophane ligand, 2,11-dithia[3.3](2,6)pyrazinophane (L), was synthesized by a simpler method and characterized by H NMR, which was used to synthesize coordination complexes by reactions with Cu ( I) and Co ( II) cations. Single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed that the conformation of the ligand L is syn(boat-chair), while in I and II it adopts syn(boat-chair) and syn(chair-chair), respectively. In the former coordination compound, Cu(I) is coordinated with two nitrogen and one sulfur atom of the ligand. In the latter one, Co(II) is coordinated with two nitrogen and two sulfur atoms of the ligand. In complexes I and II, the formation of three-dimensional structure depends on π-π-stacking and hydrogen bonds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strain of bacteria was isolated from the spleen tissue of moribund Amur Sturgeon ( Acipenser schrenckii) which suffered from a hemorrhagic septicemia disease. An experimental infection model was established fulfilling the Koch's postulate. In the initial artificial infection test and the regressive infection test the typical disease symptoms were experimentally reproduced by intraperitoneal injection with isolated bacterium suspension. These symptoms were identical with those observed in naturally infected fish. The result of the infection test showed the lethal dose that killed 50% of the exposed individuals (LD) was 1.17 × 10 cfu ml. Considering the results of the Gram's staining, VITEK Bacterial Automatic Identification System, sequencing of 16S rDNA gene and phylogenetic analysis, the isolated pathogen was identified as Aeromonas hydrophila. The test on the susceptibility to antibiotics revealed that the isolated pathogen was sensitive to sensitive to Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, Gentamicin, etc., and were resistant to Ampicilin, Sulbactam, Cefazolin, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchrotron x-ray diffraction experiments have been carried out on europium metal at ambient temperature to pressures as high as 92 GPa (0.92 Mbar). Following the well-known bcc-to-hcp transition at 12 GPa, a mixed-phase region is observed from 18 to 66 GPa until finally a single orthorhombic (Pnma) phase persists from 66 to 92 GPa. These results are compared to predictions from density functional theory calculations. Under pressure the relatively large molar volume Vmol of divalent Eu is rapidly diminished, equaling or falling below Vmol(P) for neighboring trivalent lanthanides above 15 GPa. The present results suggest that above 15 GPa Eu is neither divalent nor fully trivalent to pressures as high as 92 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a new reinforcement learning method using the swarm intelligence-trained neural network (SWINN) to generate solutions to various real-world problems efficiently. The swarm intelligence algorithm, particle swarm optimisation (PSO), is combined with a training resource allocator (TRA) in SWINN for specific problems. TRA, as a heuristic global search method, controls the allocation of training resources to different candidate topologies of artificial neural networks (ANNs) to expedite the system convergence, while PSO is applied as a local search algorithm to adjust the ANNs connection weights. To evaluate the performance of the SWINN algorithm, two reinforcement learning case studies: the double pole balance (a.k.a. double inverted pendulum) problem and a mobile robot localisation problem are conducted. Extensive simulation results successfully demonstrate that SWINN offers performance that is competitive with modern neuroevolutionary techniques, and is viable for real-world problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroxyapatite (HA) being the main mineral constituent of human hard tissues is highly bioactive. Good chemical bonds can be generated between HA and natural bone. However, the low strength and inherent brittleness of HA restrict its application usually to non-load-bearing conditions. In this work, production of a new kind of HA–ZrO2 composite by hot-press sintering method is described. Bioglass which has been widely used in reconstruction of damaged or diseased tissues was added into HA–ZrO2 composites. Comparing with pure HA ceramic, this type of composite possesses better mechanical strength and retains the bioactivity of HA as well. The liquid phase generated by bioglass has been effective in improving the sintering process of HA–ZrO2 composites. The phase composition of HA composite was characterized by XRD and their fracture surfaces were observed by SEM. The XRD results show that introducing a small amount of bioglass into HA–ZrO2 composite cannot enhance decomposition of HA. The SEM images show that there were fewer pores on the fracture surfaces of HA–ZrO2–bioglass composite than in the HA–ZrO2 composite. The flexural strength and toughness of HA–ZrO2 composite containing 2 wt% bioglass were 157 MPa and 1.63 MPa·m1/2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Slight deviations from the Kurdjumov–Sachs orientation relationship (KS OR) are often observed in the face-centered-cubic/body-centered-cubic (fcc/bcc) transformation systems, and some can be explained on the premise of the parallelism of either the close-packed planes (CPPs) or the close-packed directions (CPDs), as suggested in many models. This work investigates a new OR which deviates from the KS OR in both the CPPs and the CPDs. This OR is determined by requiring the habit plane to contain a single set of periodic dislocations along the invariant line lying in the CPPs. The angles of the double deviation, as a function of the lattice parameter ratio, are proved to be identical. The calculated results for a stainless steel are in good agreement with the experimental observations. The habit plane for the new OR is associated with slightly lower interfacial energy than those with the ORs of single deviation, which might explain the preference by nature in the present case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]