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Objective: Hounsfield units (HU), vertebral bone quality (VBQ), and bone mineral density (BMD) can all serve as predictive indicators for thoracolumbar fragility fractures. This study aims to explore which indicator provides better risk prediction for thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Methods: Patients who have received medical attention from The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University for thoracolumbar fragility fractures were selected. A total of 78 patients with thoracolumbar fragility fractures were included in the study. To establish a control group, 78 patients with degenerative spinal diseases were matched to the fracture group on the basis of gender, age, and body mass index. The lumbar vertebral HU, the VBQ, and the BMD were obtained for all the 156 patients through computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The correlations among these parameters were analyzed. The area under curve (AUC) analysis was employed to assess the predictive efficacy and thresholds of lumbar vertebral HU, VBQ, and BMD in relation to the risk of thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Results: Among the cohort of 156 patients, lumbar vertebral HU exhibited a positive correlation with BMD (p < 0.01). Conversely, VBQ showed a negative correlation with HU, BMD (p < 0.05). HU and BMD displayed a favorable predictive efficacy for thoracolumbar fragility fractures (p < 0.01), with HU (AUC = 0.863) showcasing the highest predictive efficacy, followed by the DEXA-measured BMD (AUC = 0.813). VBQ (AUC = 0.602) ranked lowest among the 3 indicators. The thresholds for predicting thoracolumbar fragility fractures were as follows: HU (88), VBQ (3.37), and BMD (0.81). Conclusion: All 3 of these indicators, HU, VBQ, and BMD, can predict thoracolumbar fragility fractures. Notably, lumbar vertebral HU exhibits the highest predictive efficacy, followed by the BMD obtained through DEXA scanning, with VBQ demonstrating the lowest predictive efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to commemorate the late scholar Loet Leydesdorff for his great academic contribution on the basis of data from Web of Science. In the span of more than 40 years, he had 526 publications, with the years 2004-2021 being the most productive (394 publications). His international collaborations spread widely across 36 countries, with Germany, the USA, the UK, China, Russia, and South Korea being the most significant. His most frequent collaboration partners included Lutz Bornmann (Germany), Staša Milojević (USA), Caroline Wagner (USA), Henry Etzkowitz (USA), Jonathan Adams (UK), Ronald Rousseau (Belgium), and Ping Zhou (China). With a broad and deep knowledge background, Leydesdorff's research extended across multiple disciplines and fields, but he was most active in library and information science and computer science. He made profound contributions to the study of bibliometrics, innovation systems (the Triple Helix model), and communications. Leydesdorff had a remarkable and extensive citation impact, with citations in 221 WoS subject categories from 120 countries. His publications in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2006, and 2012 are highly cited, and those on university-industry-government relations (the Triple Helix model) are the most cited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total ionizing dose (TID) irradiation impacts the device leakage currents or threshold voltage, which affects the single event transient (SET) vulnerability of electronics under radiation environment. SET response of SOI FinFET at 14 nm technology node after TID exposure is carried out at different dose level. Results show that the drain current peak presents a slight fluctuant with total dose, while the collected charge and the bipolar amplification coefficient first decrease with total dose and then increase. The potential reason is also discussed from competing mechanisms associated with decreasing threshold voltage from TID irradiation and increasing the drain diffuse current from the potential of the channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To retrieve the right collection of publications in interdisciplinary research, we have developed a search strategy with four progressive steps and take the area of public affairs (PA) as a case study. A set of seed publications in PA is first identified, followed by the construction of a pool set of publications with wider coverage for refinement in the next step, which is critical and in which an expanded set of publications is established on the basis of the references and text semantic information, thus generating two respective subsets. One of these subsets is obtained on the basis of the number of references shared between each publication pair between the seed set and the pool set. To optimize the results, we construct two models, viz. a support vector machine (SVM) and a fully connected neural network (FCNN), and find that the FCNN model outperforms the SVM model. The second subset of publications are collected by selecting the publications with high topic similarity to the seed publications collected in the first step. The final step is to integrate the seed publications with the expanded publications collected in steps 1 and 3. The results show that PA research involves an extremely wide range of disciplines (n = 45), among which public administration, environmental sciences, economics, management, and health policy and services, among others, play the most significant roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Whether combination administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), and beta-blockers (BBs) has a "reversal" effect on cardiac structure and function for first-diagnosed idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (FSIDCM) patients with unclear etiologies and inducements is unknown. Materials and Methods: We studied the effect of the protocol on FSIDCM patients. The effect was investigated in 26 FSIDCM patients. The criteria of "complete reversal" included left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD) ≤50 mm for females or ≤55 mm for males and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥45%; the criteria of "partial reversal" was the decreased rate of LVEDD (ΔLVEDD) >10% or the increase rate of LVEF (ΔLVEF) >10%; the criteria of "no reversal" included LVEDD >50 mm for females or >55 mm for males and ΔLVEDD <10%, and LVEF <45% and ΔLVEF <10%. Results: Within the follow-up period, nine patients showed "complete reversal," eight "partial reversal," and nine "no reversal." Improvements in echocardiogram parameters were the most significant in "complete reversal" patients (P < 0.001), followed by "partial reversal" and "no reversal" patients (P < 0.05). The QRS (Q wave, R wave, S wave) duration and symptoms duration in "complete reversal" patients were the shortest, followed by "partial reversal" and "no reversal" patients. Conclusion: ACEIs or ARBs and BBs have a "complete reversal" effect on the left ventricular size and function of some FSIDCM patients. Patients with a narrow QRS and short symptom duration may have a good response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the feasibility of CROPGRO_cotton model in the optimization of cotton irrigation management under different climatic conditions, the empirical values corresponding to 25%, 50% and 75% of the empirical frequencies of precipitation were obtained by ranking the frequency fitness line of precipitation data during 20 years of cotton fertility at the experimental site, and then the years corresponding to three empirical frequencies were selected as typical years: 2015 (abundant water year), 2001 (flat water year), and 2006 (dry water year). By combining cotton fertility stages, irrigation frequency and irrigation amount, 21 irrigation regimes (T1~T21) were identified and simulated using the calibrated DSSAT model for cotton irrigation regimes under the three precipitation year types, and the results showed that under the best combination of irrigation usage, yield and water utilization, 2015 (abundant water year), 2001 (flat water year), and T20 irrigation management should be selected in 2006 (dry water year).Under the three typical years, the effect of temperature change on cotton yield and water utilization was investigated, and it was found that the increase of temperature would reduce cotton yield and water utilization, but a reasonable irrigation management would reduce the negative effect of climate change on cotton yield and water utilization, According to the simulation results under different situations, T20 irrigation management can minimize the yield variation range under temperature change, and has a high water utilization rate, which has good applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to use high-frequency ultrasound guidance to compare the efficacy of percutaneous release combined with intra-tendon sheath injection (PR-ITSI) and percutaneous release only (PR-ONLY) in the treatment of adult trigger finger (TF) patients. Materials and methods: A total of 48 patients were randomly divided into PR-ITSI group and PR-ONLY group. The thickness of the A1 pulley was measured prior to surgery and 1-year after surgery. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scale score of affected fingers were evaluated at 1 day, 1 month, and 1 year after surgery. Results: The overall difference of VAS score between the two groups after treatment was statistically significant (p<0.001), while the VAS scores gradually decreased in both groups at different time-points after treatment. The VAS scores in the PR-ITSI group at 1 day and 1 month after surgery were 1.475 and 0.904 (p<0.001), respectively, which were lower than those in the PR-ONLY group. Different treatment methods had no effect on the VAS score at 1 year after surgery (p=0.055). The thickness of the A1 pulley at 1 year after surgery was lower than that before surgery (p<0.001), whereas there was no significant difference in A1 pulley thickness between the two groups (p=0.095). The rate of PGI-I scale improvement by one grade at 1 day, 1 month, and 1 year after surgery in the PR-ITSI group was 15.322 times (95%CI: 4.466-52.573, p<0.001), 14.807 times (95%CI: 2.931-74.799, p=0.001), and 15.557 times (95%CI: 1.119-216.307, p=0.041), respectively, than that in the PR-ONLY group. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided PR-ITSI is superior to PR-ONLY in the VAS score and PGI-I scale for adult TF patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chlorination titanium blast furnace slag belongs to industrial waste, but after grinding, they can be used to prepare cementing fluids to realize the secondary utilization of solid waste resources. As a common additive, fluid loss additives are mostly used in oil well cement systems, and there is still a lot of room for development when applied to chlorination titanium blast furnace slag systems. In this paper, the AMPS/DN-1/DMC/AA tetramer fluid loss additive was synthesized by free radical polymerization and named as ADDA. After testing its adsorption, hydration and plugging experiments, the TOC results showed that with the increase of ADDA, the organic carbon absorption increased from 5.68 mg/L to 34.59 mg/L; the BET results showed that, with the increase of ADDA, the specific surface area decreased from 15.3976m³/g to 8.4157m³/g. Combined with the microscopic morphology and other tests, it is shown that ADDA can effectively adsorb slag particles due to the electrostatic interaction of the sulfonic and carboxyl group in its molecular structure and the steric effect of the quaternary amine group. In addition, ADDA can promote the hydration reaction of the slag and entangle with the hydration products to form a complex network structure, thereby changing the filter cake structure to produce a dense and uniform filter cake; Polymer macromolecules can also effectively block the "gap" and "holes" in the structure, greatly reducing the flow path of free water, thereby realizing the control of water loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Robot-assisted (RA) techniques have been widely investigated in thoracolumbar spine surgery. However, the application of RA methods on cervical spine surgery is rare due to the complex morphology of cervical vertebrae and catastrophic complications. Thus, the feasibility and safety of RA cervical screw placement remain controversial. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of RA screw placement on cervical spine surgery. Methods: A comprehensive search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase Database, Web of Science, Chinese National Knowledge Databases, and Wanfang Database was performed to select potential eligible studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), comparative cohort studies, and case series reporting the accuracy of cervical screw placement were included. The Cochrane risk of bias criteria and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale criteria were utilized to rate the risk of bias of the included literatures. The primary outcome was the rate of cervical screw placement accuracy with robotic guidance; subgroup analyses based on the screw type and insertion segments were also performed. Results: One RCT, 3 comparative cohort studies, and 3 case series consisting of 160 patients and 719 cervical screws were included in this meta-analysis. The combined outcomes indicated that the rates of optimal and clinically acceptable cervical screw placement accuracy under robotic guidance were 88.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.1%-91.4%; p = 0.073; I2 = 47.941%) and 98.4% (95% CI, 96.8%-99.5%; p = 0.167; I2 = 35.954%). The subgroup analyses showed that the rate of optimal pedicle screw placement accuracy was 88.2% (95% CI, 83.1%-92.6%; p = 0.057; I2 = 53.305%); the rates of optimal screw placement accuracy on C1, C2, and subaxial segments were 96.2% (95% CI, 80.5%-100.0%; p = 0.167; I2 = 44.134X%), 89.7% (95% CI, 80.6%-96.6%; p = 0.370; I2 = 0.000X%), and 82.6% (95% CI, 70.9%-91.9%; p = 0.057; I2 = 65.127X%;), respectively. Conclusion: RA techniques were associated with high rates of optimal and clinically acceptable screw positions. RA cervical screw placement is accurate, safe, and feasible in cervical spine surgery with promising clinical potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteosarcoma is a highly metastatic malignant bone tumor, necessitating the development of new treatments to target its metastasis. Recent studies have revealed the significance of VAMP8 in regulating various signaling pathways in various types of cancer. However, the specific functional role of VAMP8 in osteosarcoma progression remains unclear. In this study, we observed a significant downregulation of VAMP8 in osteosarcoma cells and tissues. Low levels of VAMP8 in osteosarcoma tissues were associated with patients' poor prognosis. VAMP8 inhibited the migration and invasion capability of osteosarcoma cells. Mechanically, we identified DDX5 as a novel interacting partner of VAMP8, and the conjunction of VAMP8 and DDX5 promoted the degradation of DDX5 via the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Moreover, reduced levels of DDX5 led to the downregulation of β-catenin, thereby suppressing the epithelial-- mesenchymal transition (EMT). Additionally, VAMP8 promoted autophagy flux, which may contribute to the suppression of osteosarcoma metastasis. In conclusion, our study anticipated that VAMP8 inhibits osteosarcoma metastasis by promoting the proteasomal degradation of DDX5, consequently inhibiting WNT/β-catenin signaling and EMT. Dysregulation of autophagy by VAMP8 is also implicated as a potential mechanism. These findings provide new insights into the biological nature driving osteosarcoma metastasis and highlight the modulation of VAMP8 as a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting osteosarcoma metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb) in water, soil and forages have strikingly increased in the Balikun xijiao ranches, Xinjiang, China for the latest 10 years. The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb in soil in polluted ranches were 6.76, 3.37, 6.77,5.76 and 11.67 times higher than those in healthy ranches. The impact of fertilized Nano-K2MoO4 on toxicity of heavy metal have been studied in polluted the ranches. Our findings showed that the concentrations of Mo, Se and N in forage from fertilized ranches were strikingly higher than those in the control ranches (P<0.01). The harvest and digestibility of forage in fertilized ranches were strikingly higher than those in the control ranches (P<0.01). The CP and EE in forage in fertilized the ranch were also increased strikingly (P<0.01). The concentrations of Mo and Se in blood and liver in the Altai sheep from fertilized ranches were strikingly higher than those in control ranches (P<0.01). The concentrations of Cu and Pb in blood and liver in the Altai sheep from fertilized ranches were strikingly lower than those in control ranches (P<0.01). The levels of Hb, PLT and RBC in animals from fertilized ranches were strikingly higher than those in control ranches (P<0.01). In conclusion, The fertilization of Nano-K2MoO4 not only strikingly increased the contents of Mo and Se in blood, but also markedly reduced the contents of Cu and Pb in blood and liver, and remarkably relieved damage from heavy metal pollution in the Altai sheep. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with basilar invagination (BI) had high incidences of vertebral variations and high-riding vertebral artery (HRVA) that might restrict the use of pedicle or pars screw and increase the use of translaminar screw on axis. Here, we conducted a radiographic study to investigate the feasibility of translaminar screws and the bone quality of C2 laminae in patients with BI, which were compared with those without BI as control to provide guidelines for safe placement. Methods: In this study, a total of 410 patients (205 consecutive patients with BI and 205 matched patients without BI) and 820 unilateral laminae of the axis were included at a 1:1 ratio. Comparisons with regard to insertion parameters (laminar length, thickness, angle, and height) for C2 translaminar screw placement and Hounsfield unit (HU) values for the assessment of the appropriate bone mineral density of C2 laminae between BI and control groups were performed. Besides, the subgroup analyses based on the Goel A and B classification of BI, HRVA, atlas occipitalization, and C2/3 assimilation were also carried out. Furthermore, the factors that might affect the insertion parameters and HU values were explored through multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The BI group showed a significantly smaller laminar length, thickness, height, and HU value than the control group, whereas no significant difference was observed regarding the laminar angle. By contrast, the control group showed significantly higher rates of acceptability for unilateral and bilateral translaminar screw fixations than the BI group. Subgroup analyses showed that the classification of Goel A and B, HRVA, atlas occipitalization, and C2/3 assimilation affected the insertion parameters except the HU values. Multiple linear regression indicated that the laminar length was significantly associated with the male gender (B = 0.190, p < 0.001), diagnoses of HRVA (B = -0.109, p < 0.001), Goel A (B = -0.167, p < 0.001), and C2/3 assimilation (B = -0.079, p = 0.029); the laminar thickness was significantly associated with the male gender (B = 0.353, p < 0.001), diagnoses of HRVA (B = -0.430, p < 0.001), Goel B (B = -0.249, p = 0.026), and distance from the top of odontoid to the Chamberlain line (B = -0.025, p = 0.003); laminar HU values were significantly associated with age (B = -2.517, p < 0.001), Goel A (B = -44.205, p < 0.001), Goel B (B = -25.704, p = 0.014), and laminar thickness (B = -11.706, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with BI had narrower and smaller laminae with lower HU values and lower unilateral and bilateral acceptability for translaminar screws than patients without BI. Preoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography were needed for BI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has high flexibility and controllability, and has attracted extensive attention in the biomedical field. However, the scaffolds prepared only by 3D bioprinting have poor mechanical properties, and they cannot effectively carry the required drugs. At the same time, compared with the size of cells, the pore size of 3D printed scaffolds is relatively large, and the efficiency of cell inoculation and tissue formation are still limited by the pore resolution of scaffolds. Therefore, a new method of forming 3D printing trachea composites is proposed. When combined, 3D bioprinting and electrospinning (ESP) can overcome the issues associated with scaffolds prepared by 3D bioprinting alone. Nanofibers create a suitable environment for cell growth. In terms of material use, Polycaprolactone (PCL) is commonly used as an ideal material source for 3D printing, but its biomechanical properties are insufficient. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) can effectively improve the properties of polymers such as PCL. Therefore, the inner layer of the scaffold used in tracheal surgery is created from PCL/CNC composite by 3D bioprinting, and the outer nano-cellulose film is deposited on the inner surface by electrospinning. Mechanical properties and cell adhesion/growth of scaffolds prepared by 3D bioprinting combined with electrospinning were found to be superior to those of scaffolds prepared by 3D bioprinting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a letter to the editor regarding a research article titled "Feasibility of C2 Pedicle Screw Fixation with the 'in-out-in' Technique for Patients with Basilar Invagination." The authors of the letter express their interest in the topic and acknowledge the effort put into the research. However, they point out some shortcomings in the study, including the lack of description of vascular and osseous anomalies in patients with basilar invagination and the absence of subgroup analysis based on these anomalies and Goel classification. They also criticize the inappropriate statistical analysis methods used in the study. The authors conclude by complimenting the original authors and expressing hope that readers will benefit from the research. [Extracted from the article]

Lapping has a history of hundreds of years, yet it still relies on the experience of workers. To improve the automaticity and controllability of the lapping process, a modeling method of friction and wear is developed to predict the surface profile evolution of the workpiece and lapping plate in the lapping process. In the proposed method, by solving the balance equations of resultant force and moment, the inclination angles of the workpiece can be calculated; thus, a more accurate contact pressure distribution of the workpiece/lapping plate interface can be calculated. Combined with the material removal rate model, the continuous evolution process of the workpiece and lapping plate can be predicted in the lapping process. The modeling method was validated by a lapping test of a flat optical glass workpiece (Φ 100 mm) with a composite copper plate. The results show that the proposed method can predict the evolution of the surface profile of the workpiece and lapping plate with high accuracy. Consequently, the lapping plate can be dressed at the right time point. Benefit from this, in the validation test the Peak to Valley (PV) value of the workpiece (with 5 mm edge exclusion) was reduced from 5.279 µm to 0.267 µm in 30 min. The proposed surface profile evolution modeling method not only improves the lapping efficiency but also provides an opportunity to understand the lapping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to develop a novel tumor-bearing tissue phantom model that can be used for US/CT/MR-guided tumor puncture and thermal ablation. Methods: The phantom model comprised two parts: a normal tissue-mimicking phantom and a tumor-mimicking phantom. A normal tissue phantom was prepared based on a polyacrylamide gel mixed with thermochromic ink. Moreover, a spherical phantom containing contrast agents was constructed and embedded in the tissue phantom to mimic a tumor lesion. US/CT/MR imaging features and thermochromic property of the phantom model were characterized. Finally, the utility of the phantom model for imaging-guided microwave ablation training was examined. Results: The tumor phantom containing contrast agents showed hyper-echogenicity, higher CT numbers, and lower T2 signal intensity compared with the normal tissue phantom in US/CT/MR images. Consequently, we could locate the position of the tumor in US/CT/MR imaging and perform an imaging-guided tumor puncture. When the temperature reached the threshold of 60 (C, the phantom exhibited a permanent color change from cream white to magenta. Based on this obvious color change, our phantom model could clearly map the thermal ablation region after thermotherapy. Conclusions: We developed a novel US/CT/MR-imageable tumor-bearing tissue model that can be used for imaging-guided tumor puncture and thermal ablation. Furthermore, it allows visual assessment of the ablation region by analyzing the obvious color change. Overall, this phantom model could be a good training tool in the field of thermal ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought events and their impacts on terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) is crucial for drought mitigation and environmental protection. This study, by taking the Pearl River basin as the case region, investigated drought duration, severity, intensity, affected area, and centroids during 1960-2015 based on the Standardized Evapotranspiration Deficit Index and three-dimensional clustering algorithm and then revealed how these drought characteristics have affected NPP. Results showed that there were altogether 32 severe drought events lasting at least 3 months in the basin, with half lasting longer than 6 months. The total NPP loss significantly correlated with drought severity and intensity. Most drought events caused a reduction in NPP across more than half of the drought-affected area; specifically, the February-December drought in 2011 has cut NPP by 31.85 Tg C, accounting for 11.7% of the regional annual mean NPP, while the September 2009-September 2010 drought caused a decrease of 20.26 Tg C in NPP. Our research improves the insight into the relationship between NPP and drought, which helps decision-makers manage droughts and provides guidance for drought-related studies across other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on research which described the use of a machine-learning technique to identify small molecules that correct gene networks dysregulated in a human pluripotent stem cell disease model of an aortic heart valve disease. A targeted RNA-seq strategy assaying expression of 119 signature genes designed to map the gene network disrupted by N1 haploinsufficiency is described. Reduction of aortic valve disease in vivo by network-correcting molecules is discussed in detail.

Study Design: A meta-analysis.Objective: Through meta-analysis, whether RA techniques are superior to conventional freehand (FH) techniques was determined in terms of cranial facet joint protection and four other clinical indexes, namely, the accuracy of pedicle screw placement, the number of surgical revision due to malposition, intraoperative radiation dose, and operative time.Summary Of Background Data: Cranial facet joint violation (FJV) is an important risk factor for adjacent segment degeneration. Some studies recommended the use of robot-assisted (RA) pedicle screw placement in reducing the rate of cranial FJV instead of conventional FH pedicle screw placement. However, the superiority of RA techniques to FH techniques remains controversial.Methods: A comprehensive search on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, CNKI, and WanFang was conducted for the selection of potential eligible literature. The outcomes were evaluated in terms of odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). The meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan 5.3. The subgroup analyses of the violation of the cranial facet joint and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement were performed on the basis of robot type.Result: Three randomized controlled trials, two prospective cohort study, and one retrospective cohort study consisting of 783 patients and 2694 cranial pedicle screws were included in the meta-analysis. RA pedicle screw placement was associated with significantly fewer cranial FJVs than FH screw placement. Subgroup analyses showed that the Renaissance (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.07-0.56) and TINAVI (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.09-0.38) robots under RA techniques were associated with significantly fewer cranial FJVs than FH techniques. Furthermore, the RA techniques showed more accurate pedicle screw placement and lower intraoperative radiation dose, equivalent number of surgical revision due to malposition, but longer operative time than the FH techniques.Conclusion: The RA (Renaissance and TINAVI) techniques are superior to conventional FH techniques in terms of protecting the cranial facet joint. RA techniques are accurate and safe in clinical application.Level Of Evidence: 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the biomedicine field, three-dimensional (3-D) printing of biomaterials can construct complex 3-D biological structures such as personalized implants, biodegradable tissue scaffolds, artificial organs, etc. Therefore, nanocellulose/gelatin composite hydrogels are often selected as bio-printing materials in the 3-D printing of biological scaffolds. Process parameters of 3-D printed bio-scaffolds were studied in this work because formation accuracy of scaffolds is an important part of the molding process. Firstly, the mixing proportion of nanocellulose and gelatin was explored, and the optimum proportion was selected. Then, the printing effects of different printing pressures, temperatures, speeds, and nozzle diameters were used in the 3-D printing. The filament widths were used to evaluate the molding effects. Finally, through the calculation and analysis of the grey correlation coefficient and grey correlation degree, the multi-objective optimization of the parameters was carried out. The combined effects of the process parameters and the influence degree order on the evaluation index were obtained. Using these parameters, the 3-D porous biological scaffolds were printed with high precision. Furthermore, using a microscope, the morphologies of CCK-8 cells were observed and the cell proliferation were analyzed. The results demonstrated that the printed bio-scaffolds had good biocompatibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the efficiency of flat optics fabrication, a global correction method with the patterned polishing pad is developed in this paper. Through creating grooves on a polishing pad, the contact pressure distribution on the optics surface can be adjusted to change the material removal rate (MRR) distribution during polishing. Using the patterned pad, the selective removal ability of the polishing process is greatly enhanced. The predictability and stability of the MRR distribution are the preconditions to efficiently implement the proposed global correction method. Relying on the MRR distribution prediction method proposed and validated in this paper, the pad pattern can be designed based on the original surface figure of the workpieces. The designed groove pattern is created on the polishing pad using the custom-developed equipment. Then, the optical glass is polished on the designed pad with the optimized polishing time. A flat optical glass sample (F 100 mm) is polished with the global correction method to show its feasibility and advantage. The correction instance shows that the peak-to-valley (PV) value of the surface profile (with 3 mm edge exclusion) dropped from 1.17 µm to 0.2 µm in 14 min using a polyurethane pad with two ring grooves. Comparing with the conventional polishing process, which usually takes hours or days, the global correction method proposed in this paper can improve the efficiency of the optics manufacturing significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a random resistor network (RRN), we study the electrical frequency response, including the unusual frequency dependent conductivity and multiple zero crossing of the dielectric function of highly conducting polymers. The electronic transport properties can be studied by modeling the system as a chain-linked granular network, with metallic regions randomly distributed in an amorphous host. Taking into account the contributions of coherent and incoherent transport channels, and the percolation effect of conducting polymers in our RRN model, we can well explain the negative value of [variant_greek_epsilon] and the low-energy structure of conducting polymers. The calculated [variant_greek_epsilon](ω) and σ(ω) reproduce the main features of recent broadband optical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of resistor network on the characteristic features of tunneling magnetoresistance of half-metallic granular materials is studied by using a numerical simulation method. We assume the nanosized magnetic particles are well separated by insulating and nonmagnetic grain boundaries and that they are distributed in an n-dimensional resistor network. The value of the tunneling magnetoresistance is found to depend sensitively on the value of n, which is more obvious for higher spin-polarization materials. This phenomenon was also observed in experiments. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stoichiometric gadolinium oxide thin films have been grown on silicon (100) substrates with a low-energy dual ion-beam epitaxial technique. Gadolinium oxide shares Gd[sub 2]O[sub 3] structures although the ratio of gadolinium and oxygen in the film is about 2:1 and a lot of oxygen deficiencies exist. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements have been carried out within a temperature range of 5–300 K. The detailed characters of the PL emission integrated intensity, peak position, and peak width at different temperature were reported and an anomalous photoluminescence behavior was observed. The character of PL emission integrated intensity is similar to that of some other materials such as porous silicon and silicon nanocrystals in silicon dioxide. Four peaks relative to α band and β band were observed also. Therefore we suggest that the nanoclusters with the oxygen deficiencies contribute to the PL emission and the model of singlet-triplet exchange splitting of exciton was employed for discussion. © 2003 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Study on steel fibers reinforced steel reinforcement concrete composite beams under four point bending. • Adding steel fiber can slightly improve flexural capacity. • The higher the volume of steel fiber, the slower and more stable the descending segment of curve would be. • Steel fibers can be an alternative to shear reinforcement for SRC beams. • Formulas for predicting the bearing capacity of SFSRC beams are proposed. Abstract In this paper, an innovative method to replace steel reinforcement cage by steel fiber to form a steel shape and steel fiber reinforced concrete has been proposed to solve the problems of steel reinforced concrete structure during construction, such as position conflict between shape steel and steel bars, or difficulty of concrete placement, etc. Eighteen beams were tested under a four-point bending configuration to study the effectiveness of steel fibers on shear and flexural strengths, failure mechanisms, crack control, and ductility. The major factors considered were shear span depth ratio (λ = 2.5, 3.5), with or without longitudinal reinforcement and web reinforcement (none, stirrups and/or steel fibers). The response of Steel Fiber Steel Reinforcement Concrete (SFSRC) beams were assessed depending on the results of crack patterns, load at yielding, failure and ultimate bearing capacity, failure modes, ductility and displacement increment of plastic development, The experimental results showed that the addition of steel fibers improves the mechanical response, specifically speaking, flexural and shear strengths and ductility of the tested specimens. The longitudinal reinforcement can greatly enhance the bearing capacity, and the stirrups and steel fibers can make the reinforcement effect more prominent. The stitching effect of steel fiber between cracks leads to stable bearing capacity of the specimens always stable after the peak load. Increasing the content of steel fiber contributes to delay or even avoid bond failure. Steel fibers can be an alternative to shear reinforcement. A formula was proposed to predict the bearing capacity of SFSRC specimens, and the comparison between predictions and experiment results proved the reasonable of the formula. A formula was proposed to predict the bearing capacity of SFSRC specimens, and the comparison between predictions and experiment results proved the the formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain depth-of-cut, which is the predominant factor determining the surface morphology, grinding force, and subsurface damage, has a significant impact on the surface quality of the finished part made of hard and brittle materials. When the existing analytical models are used to predict the gain depth-of-cut in ultra-precision grinding process of silicon wafer, the results obtained become unreasonable due to an extremely shallow grain depth-of-cut, which is inconsistent with the theory of the contact mechanics. In this study, an improved model for analyzing the grain depth-of-cut in ultra-fine rotational grinding is proposed, in which the minimum grain depth-of-cut for chip formation, the equivalent grain cutting tip radius, elastic recovery deformation in cutting process, and the actual number of effective grains are considered in the prediction of the ultrafine rotational grinding of brittle materials. The improved model is validated experimentally and shows higher accuracy than the existing model. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the grain depth-of-cut to three introduced factors is analyzed, presenting the necessity of the consideration of these factors during the prediction of grain depth-of-cut in ultrafine grinding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the asymmetric supernova remnant (SNR) W49B has been a matter of debate: is it produced by a rare jet-driven core-collapse (CC) supernova, or by a normal supernova that is strongly shaped by its dense environment? Aiming to uncover the explosion mechanism and origin of the asymmetric, centrally filled X-ray morphology of W49B, we have performed spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy and a search for potential point sources. We report new candidate point sources inside W49B. The Chandra X-ray spectra from W49B are well-characterized by two-temperature gas components (~0.27 keV + 0.6–2.2 keV). The hot component gas shows a large temperature gradient from the northeast to the southwest and is over-ionized in most regions with recombination timescales of 1–10 × 1011 cm−3 s. The Fe element shows strong lateral distribution in the SNR east, while the distribution of Si, S, Ar, Ca is relatively smooth and nearly axially symmetric. Asymmetric Type-Ia explosion of a Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf (WD) well-explains the abundance ratios and metal distribution of W49B, whereas a jet-driven explosion and normal CC models fail to describe the abundance ratios and large masses of iron-group elements. A model based on a multi-spot ignition of the WD can explain the observed high MMn∕MCr value (0.8–2.2). The bar-like morphology is mainly due to a density enhancement in the center, given the good spatial correlation between gas density and X-ray brightness. The recombination ages and the Sedov age consistently suggest a revised SNR age of 5–6 kyr. This study suggests that despite the presence of candidate point sources projected within the boundary of this SNR, W49B is likely a Type-Ia SNR, which suggests that Type-Ia supernovae can also result in mixed-morphology SNRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multibeam echosounder system is a dynamic measurement under the continuous motion of measurement platform. Contaminated sporadic outliers are inevitably generated during bathymetric data acquisition due to the interference of underwater environmental effects, such as ocean waves, wind, and tides. A filtering model of robust multi-quadric method based on median parameter was proposed in this study to detect and eliminate the outliers in bathymetric datasets. The submarine topography trend surface model was constructed by the multi-quadric function. Known node parameters in the function were obtained by the threshold extraction method of joining angle, chord with dispersion. The robust iterations of residual error initials and the weight-weakening process of outliers were studied by median parameters and IGGIII equivalent weight function. The validity of the proposed filtering model was verified by experimental datasets of offshore waters, which were collected by BV5000 multibeam side scan sonar. Results demonstrate that the known node selection strategy in this study can remove redundancy information in point set and extract regional characteristic points to the maximum extent. The fitting errors at normal bathymetric points are all below 0.06 m, which are decreased compared with the corresponding magnitude of other schemes (0.16 m, 0.12 m). The residual initial value of robust iteration based on median parameters exhibites relatively high estimation accuracy and detection efficiency. The errors of bathymetric points are relatively small (0.019 m), and the detection number of outliers (150) is efficient in the entire detection region. This work can improve the accuracy and efficiency of underwater terrain detection and lay a foundation for later scientific research and marine exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rocks may exhibit time-dependent behaviors. Long-term strength criterion significantly dominates creep failure of rocks. Rocks contain many microcracks, which lead to degrade of long-term strength. In this paper, it is assumed that there exist three-dimensional penny-shaped microcracks in rocks. The mode II stress intensity factors at tips of three-dimensional pennyshaped microcracks in Burgers viscoelastic rock matrix is derived. A novel micromechanics-based three-dimensional long-term strength criterion is established to consider the effects of time and the intermediate principal stress on creep failure of rocks. By comparison with the previous experimental data, it is found that the novel micromechanics-based threedimensional long-term strength criterion is in good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wetting property of nanomaterials is of great importance to both fundamental understanding and potential applications. However, the study on the intrinsic wetting property of nanomaterials is interfered by organic capping agents, which are often used to lower the surface energy of nanomaterials and avoid their irreversible agglomeration. In this work, the wetting property of the nanostructured polyaniline that requires no organic capping agents is investigated. Compared to hydrophilic granular particulates, polyaniline nanofibers are amphiphilic and have an excellent capability of creating Pickering emulsions at a wide range of pH. It is suggested that polyaniline nanofibers can be easily wetted by water and oil. Furthermore, the amphiphilic polyaniline nanofibers as building blocks can be used to construct filtration membranes with a small pore size. The wetting layer of the continuous phase of emulsions in the porous nanochannels efficiently prevents the permeation of the dispersed phase, realizing high-efficiency on-demand emulsion separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with schizophrenia have many cognitive deficits. Gamma oscillations exist in the human brain and are closely related to neurocognition. Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSRs) is an electroneurophysiological index that could reflect gamma oscillations. It was found that the energy evoked by 40 Hz ASSRs in schizophrenic patients was significantly lower than that in healthy subjects. However, the correlation between ASSRs phase index and clinical symptoms and neurocognitive deficits has yet to be systematically studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dysfunction of neural activity of gamma rhythmdys function and its association with clinical symptoms and neurocognition in patients with schizophrenia. Aims: To compare and verify the difference in energy and phase coherence of 20 Hz and 40 Hz ASSRs between schizophrenia and healthy participants, and to explore the correlation between schizophrenia ASSRs and neurocognitive deficits. Method: Auditory steady-state evoked potentials by repeated auditory stimuli in 24 patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls were recorded. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the clinical symptoms of the patients. MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for the assessment of neurocognitive function. The correlation between indices, such as ASSRs energy, phase locking factor and phase coherence, and clinical and cognitive assessment was also systematically compared between two groups. Results: Compared with the control group, the patient group had differences in cognitive domains including information processing speed (t=-2.39, p=0.021), attention/vigilance (t=-2.36, p=0.023), verbal learning (t=-3.11, p=0.003), and reasoning and problem solving (t=-2.60, p=0.012). The energy of 40 Hz ASSRs in the patient group was significantly lower than that in the control group (t=-2.291, p=0.032), and their phase locking factor and inter-trial phase coherence index were lower than control group (t=-3.017, p=0.004 and t=3.131, p=0.003), which was also significantly correlated to reasoning and problem solving function deficits. Conclusion: Patients with schizophrenia had defects in multiple cognitive domains, and their 40 Hz ASSRs energy was low. Specifically, their phase locking characteristics and phase coherence were poor, which was to some extent related to reasoning ability and thinking disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the relationship between finite element (FE) solution and mesh size, a new approach based on mesh depending on the material properties is proposed to make the finite element analysis results more efficient and more close to the optimal solution. This optimal solution is often evaluated either by experiment or by finite element method (FEM). At the opposite of the accuracy obtained by sensitivities analysis of the FEM which requires time-consuming, our approach allows getting the optimal meshing based on the material properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal examinations, including serological screening and ultrasound screening, are the methods determining a risk of fetal chromosomal disease. The current study is aimed to assess whether ultrasound screening can effectively assist the screening for fetal chromosomal disease among pregnant women with a single abnormal serum marker. Following serologic screening, pregnant women at 18‑32 weeks underwent systematic fetal ultrasound analysis. In this study, 99 pregnant women with an abnormal serum marker and fetal ultrasound abnormalities underwent prenatal diagnosis of amniotic fluid or umbilical cord blood, with confirmation by pathological examination performed following birth or induced labor. A total of 95 cases with an abnormal serum marker but no fetal ultrasound abnormalities were used as the control group, and underwent prenatal karyotype analysis. The rate of fetal chromosomal abnormalities of women with ultrasound abnormalities was significantly higher than in the control group. The fetal chromosomal abnormalities rate in pregnant women with a history of abnormal gestation/birth was higher than in pregnant women with a normal history. The present results suggest that ultrasound examination can facilitate screening for fetal chromosome abnormalities in pregnant women with a single abnormal serum marker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In blast furnace ironmaking operation, the molten iron temperature and the silicon content ([Si]) are two key molten iron quality (MIQ) indices. The measurement, modelling and control of these indices have always been of importance in metallurgic engineering and automation. In this study, data-driven methods for online prediction and control of multivariate MIQ indices are proposed by integrating hybrid modelling and control techniques together. First, a data-driven hybrid method that combines canonical correlation analysis and correlation analysis is proposed to identify the most influential controllable variables as the modelling inputs from multitudinous factors. Then a data-driven online model for prediction of MIQ is established by recursive subspace identification (R-SI) with forgetting factor. Unlike the conventional SI modelling, the proposed R-SI-based online modelling only identifies subspace matrices for a data-driven input--output model without explicitly estimating the system matrices, which can reduce the computation complexity. Finally, a predictive controller is designed to maintain the MIQ indices at an expected level by using the developed MIQ prediction model as an online predictor. Since the parameters of the predictor are updated adaptively by the latest process data, the predictive controller can produce more reliable and stable control performance. Experiments using industrial data have verified the superiority and practicability of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GABA is the key inhibitory neurotransmitter in the cortex but regulation of its synthesis during forebrain development is poorly understood. In the telencephalon, members of the distal-less (Dlx) homeobox gene family are expressed in, and regulate the development of, the basal ganglia primodia from which many GABAergic neurons originate and migrate to other forebrain regions. The Dlx1/Dlx2 double knock-out mice die at birth with abnormal cortical development, including loss of tangential migration of GABAergic inhibitory interneurons to the neocortex (Anderson et al., 1997a). We have discovered that specific promoter regulatory elements of glutamic acid decarboxylase isoforms (Gad1 and Gad2), which regulate GABA synthesis from the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate, are direct transcriptional targets of both DLX1 and DLX2 homeoproteins in vivo. Further gain- and loss-of-function studies in vitro and in vivo demonstrated that both DLX1 and DLX2 are necessary and sufficient for Gad gene expression. DLX1 and/or DLX2 activated the transcription of both Gad genes, and defects in Dlx function disrupted the differentiation of GABAergic interneurons with global reduction in GABA levels in the forebrains of the Dlx1/Dlx2 double knock-out mouse in vivo. Identification of Gad genes as direct Dlx transcriptional targets is significant; it extends our understanding of Dlx gene function in the developing forebrain beyond the regulation of tangential interneuron migration to the differentiation of GABAergic interneurons arising from the basal telencephalon, and may help to unravel the pathogenesis of several developmental brain disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metastatic malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive malignancies and its treatment remains challenging. Recent studies demonstrate that the melanoma metastasis has correlations with the heightened activations of protein kinase C ζ (PKCζ) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) signaling pathways. Targeted inhibitions for PKCζ and COX-2 have been considered as the promising strategies for the treatment of melanoma metastasis. Thus, the PKCζ inhibitor J-4 and COX-2 inhibitor Celecoxib were combined to treat melanoma metastasis in this study. Methods: The Transwell assay, Wound-healing assay and Adhesion assay were used to evaluate the inhibition of combined therapy of J-4 and Celecoxib on melanoma cells invasion, migration and adhesion in vitro, respectively. The impaired actin polymerization was observed by confocal microscope and inactivated signal pathways about PKCζ and COX-2 were confirmed by the Western blotting assay. The B16-F10/C57BL mouse melanoma model was used to test the inhibition of combined therapy of J-4 and Celecoxib on melanoma metastasis in vivo. Results: The in vitro results showed that the combination of J-4 and Celecoxib exerted synergistic inhibitory effects on the migration, invasion and adhesion of melanoma B16-F10 and A375 cells with combination index less than 1. The actin polymerization and phosphorylation of Cofilin required in cell migration were severely impaired, which is due to the inactivation of PKCζ related signal pathways and the decrease of COX-2. The combined inhibition of PKCζ and COX-2 induced Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transition (MET) in melanoma cells with the expression of E- Cadherin increasing and Vimentin decreasing. The secretion of MMP-2/MMP-9 also significantly decreased after the combination treatment. In C57BL/6 mice intravenously injected with B16-F10 cells (5 x 104 cells/mouse), co-treatment of J-4 and Celecoxib also severely suppressed melanoma lung metastasis. The body weight monitoring and HE staining results indicated the low toxicity of the combination therapy. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the combination therapy of PKCζ and COX-2 inhibitors can significantly inhibit melanoma metastasis in vitro and in vivo, which will be an efficient strategy for treatment of melanoma metastasis in clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsurface damage (SSD) and grinding damage-induced stress (GDIS) are a focus of attention in the study of grinding mechanisms. Our previous study proposed a load identification method and analyzed the GDIS in a silicon wafer ground (Zhou et al., 2016, "A Load Identification Method for the GDIS Distribution in Silicon Wafers," Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf., 107, pp. 1-7.). In this paper, a more concise method for GDIS analysis is proposed. The new method is based on the curvature analysis of the chip deformation, and a deterministic solution of residual stress can be derived out. Relying on the new method, this study investigates the GDIS distribution feature in the silicon wafer ground by a #600 diamond wheel (average grit size 24 µm). The analysis results show that the two principal stresses in the damage layer are closer to each other than that ground by the #3000 diamond wheel (average grit size 4 µm), which indicates that the GDIS distribution feature in a ground silicon wafer is related to the depth of damage layer. Moreover, the GDIS distribution presents a correlation with crystalline orientation. To clarify these results, SSD is observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that the type of defects under the surface is more diversified and irregular than that observed in the silicon surface ground by the #3000 diamond wheel. Additionally, it is found that most cracks initiate and propagate along the slip plane due to the high shear stress and high dislocation density instead of the tensile stress which is recognized as the dominant factor of crack generation in a brittle materials grinding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coal tar was purified by the addition of quinoline and Zn(OH)2, in order to decrease the content of carbon and inorganic oxide particles. The effect on the viscosity and ash content of the coal tar were investigated by altering temperature, time, and the amount of quinolone and Zn(OH)2. When the volume ratio between quinolone and coal tar was 20:1 and the static time was 24 h. The viscosity of three layers decreased with rising temperature. When the static temperature and time was 45 °C and 24 h, respectively. The viscosity of three layers decreased with the arising amount of quinoline. And when the volume ratio between quinolone and coal tar was 20:1 and the temperature was 45 °C. The viscosity of three layers decreased first and then increased with the prolonging of static time. And when the static time of coal tar was 24 h, the viscosity of coal tar is the lowest. Because of the lower viscosity of coal tar, decreasing the content of carbon and ash particles in upper and middle layer, the ash content decreased from 0.168% to 0.092%. The addition of Zn(OH)2 can lead ash content in middle layer decrease to 0.058%. Zn2SiO4 and ZnAl2O4 maybe produced due to the reaction between Zn (OH) 2 and SiO2 or Al2O3, which can settle down easily. The results show that the content of carbon and inorganic oxide particles in upper-middle-class (the middle 4/5 of the whole volume) decreased with the addition of quinolone and Zn(OH)2. When the volume ratio between quinolone and coal tar was 50:2, quality ratio between coal tar and Zn(OH)2 was 20000:1, the mixture were heated up to 45 °C at atmospheric pressure and keeping this constant temperature for 24 h, the ash content in upper-middle-class can decreased to 0.058%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve an important role in the regulation of gene expression. In the present study, differential expressions of miRNAs were compared between esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) tissues and normal esophageal tissues. In combination with miRNA target prediction databases, a significantly increased expression of miR-612 was discovered in ESCC. The relationship between miR-612 and TP53 gene expression and their roles in ESCC invasion and metastasis was further studied by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting in EC109 cells and cancer tissues. The EC109 cell invasion and migration were significantly reduced after miR-612 expression was inhibited. The levels of wild type TP53 protein and mRNA were lower in ESCC tissues compared to the normal esophageal epithelium. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels were reported as downregulated further in tumors with metastasis than in tumors without. In conclusion, miR-612 is identified as associated with ESCC development and metastasis, likely through the regulation of TP53 expression, which could be a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking the advantage of high temporal and spatial resolutions of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations, we study a solar corona extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave associated with the coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2014 January 7. Our main purpose is to investigate the driving mechanism of this EUV wave, by analyzing the relation between the CME and the onset time and initial location of the EUV wave. Our result indicates that the EUV wave should be driven by the associated CME. By analyzing the time-slice images, we find that the wave has a speed of over 1 200 km·s −1 . The observed fast EUV wave can be interpreted by the hybrid model proposed by Chen et al. (2002), and it corresponds to the fast component in Chen's model, i.e., the coronal Moreton wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a novel meshless numerical method, termed general particle dynamics (GPD), to simulate crack initiation, propagation, and coalescence in rock-like materials subjected to impact loads was developed. In the GPD code, interaction among discrete particles was formulated with use of the virtual-bond method. Fractures of virtual bonds among particles were determined through a damage evolution law of rock-like materials. An elastobrittle damage model was applied to reflect the initiation and growth of cracks and the macrofailure of the rock-like materials. A damage coefficient, determined by the number of fractures of virtual bonds around one particle, was introduced into the constitutive equations to modify the damaged particles. The damaged virtual bonds were considered the initiation of cracks. The growth path of cracks was captured through the sequence of the damaged virtual bonds. Three numerical cases are presented here. The numerical results were in good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dividing wall Columns (DWC) are being an important breakthrough in distillation technology due to the energy consumption and capital cost reduction they provide. There is an increasing amount of research papers devoted to DWCs although most of them present different applications and DWC setups like extractive DWC, azeotropic DWC or reactive DWC. These units have strong interactions in their operation and to achieve a good control is of great importance to guarantee a smooth and stable performance. Although control of standard DWCs has been presented somewhere else, in this work we present the control of an extractive and a reactive DWC. We establish the decentralized structure as well as a model predictive control and compare both approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the growth of meromorphic solutions of homogeneous and non-homogeneous linear difference equations and linear differential-difference equations. When there exists only one coefficient having the maximal iterated order or having the maximal iterated type among those having the maximal iterated order, and the above coefficient satisfies certain conditions on its poles, we obtain estimates on the lower bound of the iterated order of the meromorphic solutions. The case p = 1 is also discussed and corresponding results are obtained by strengthening some conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study suggested that SEB exposure in pregnant rats could lead to the change of T cells subpopulation in both peripheral blood and thymus of the offspring rats. However, rarely is known about the influence of SEB exposure in pregnant rats on T cell subpopulation in the spleens of offspring rats. Results: SEB was intravenously administered to the pregnant rats at gestational day 16 in this study. The percentages, in vivo and in vitro responses of CD4 and CD8 T cells were investigated with flow cytometry. The prenatal SEB exposure obviously increased splenic CD4 T cell percentages of both neonates and adult offspring rats, and obviously reduced splenic CD8 T cell percentages of both the fifth day neonates and adult offspring rats. After spleens in the adult offspring rats were re-stimulated with SEB in vivo or in vitro, in vivo SEB stimulation could lead to the marked decrease of splenic CD4 T cell percentage and the marked increase of splenic CD8 T cell percentage. While in vitro SEB stimulation to the cultured splenocytes markedly decreased the proliferation of the splenic lymphocytes and the CD4 T cell percentage, and had no influence on CD8 T cell percentage. Conclusion: The prenatal SEB exposure could alter the percentages of CD4/CD8 T cell subpopulation and the response of CD4 and CD8 T cells to the in vivo and in vitro secondary SEB stimulation in the splenocytes of adult offspring rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title compound, C17H13Br2N3O·C4H5NO2, is a co-crystal of N-(7-dibromomethyl-5-methyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl)benzamide and pyrrolidine-2,5-dione (succinimide). The benzamide molecule exhibits pseudo-mirror symmetry, with an r.m.s. deviation of the non-H atoms of 0.09 Å (except for the two Br atoms). The angle between the least-squares planes of the two molecules is 26.2 (2)°. In the crystal, the two molecules are mutually linked by N-H…O and N-H…N hydrogen bonds. The packing is consolidated by C-H…(O,N) hydrogen bonds and π-π stacking interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major obstacle in the effective chemotherapeutic treatment of cancers. Triptolide (TPL) is a diterpenoid isolated from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f., a traditional Chinese medicine. It was demonstrated in our previous study that TPL exerts anti-MDR cancers on various MDR cell lines (including A549/Taxol, MCF-7/ADR and Bel7402/5-Fu). The present study was designed to investigate its anti-proliferative activity on A549/Taxol cells, and explore the underlying mechanism of action. The anti-proliferative activity of TPL on A549/Taxol cells was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Its pro-apoptosis and cell cycle arrest activities were analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was employed to investigate the levels of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and apoptosis-related proteins in cells. TPL efficiently suppressed the proliferation of A549/Taxol cells. Co-treatment with MAPK inhibitors in the MTT assay indicated that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways were involved in the process. Upregulation of p-p38, p-ERK, p-GSK-3β, Bax and cleaved caspases-3 and -9, and downregulation of p-JNK, p-Akt and Bcl-2 were observed upon treatment with TPL in the A549/Taxol cells. The results from flow cytometry assay revealed that TPL induced apoptosis and S-phase arrest in A549/Taxol cells. This occurred as a result of the upregulation of p-ERK and p-GSK-3β, and the downregulation of p-JNK and p-Akt, and was responsible for the subsequent anti-proliferative activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teleoperation rendezvous and docking (RVD) in the lunar orbit may not reach the required RVD accuracy because of the inherent time delay in the communication link and the measurement error. To solve this problem, the shared control strategy for teleoperation RVD based on the potential field function was studied in this work. On the basis of the relative dynamic equations, a predictive display model to depict the predictive ability of the operator was established to overcome the time delay effect. The automatic mode was designed based on the potential field function, which regarded the relative distance and speed with respect to the safe corridor as reference quantities. In addition, this article outlines the concept of shared control weighting coefficient and its derivation on the basis of the influencing factors. Finally, a validation experiment was conducted on a nine-degree teleoperation RVD simulator. Results showed that the shared control method can overcome the influence of time delay in the communication loop and effectively improve the RVD accuracy compared with manual and automatic control modes. The control performance and success probability of RVD tasks were also enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]