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Anatase thin films spin coated on soda–lime–silica (SLS) glass and unpolished (001) rutile were annealed at 200–550 °C for 8 h, followed by GAXRD, Raman, XPS, SIMS, AFM, TEM, UV–Vis, ellipsometry, and MB dye degradation. Films on SLS substrates annealed at 200–350 °C were amorphous but those annealed at 450°–550 °C consisted of anatase; the rutile substrates gave epitaxial rutile films. Annealing caused diffusion of glass ions into the films and counterdiffusion of Ti into the glass substrates. The decrease in glass ion concentrations during aqueous MB testing shows that grain boundary diffusion occurred. The AFM, TEM, and UV–Vis data were affected by the substrate topographies, where SLS was smooth and rutile was rough/uneven. Decreasing Eg in the anatase films with increasing annealing temperature was attributed to increasing crystallinity (heterogeneous nucleation) while the same effect in the rutile films was attributed to the substrate topography (homogeneous nucleation). The anatase films photocatalytically outperformed the rutile films; this was attributed to the potential to form midgap states from oxygen vacancy formation and/or Ti vacancy formation (deriving from the Ti counter-diffusion). However, the deep energy levels of these defects suggest that the performance is dominated by the crystallinity and blockage of the active sites.

The present work reports data for TiO2 thin films on borosilicate glass and (001) single-crystal TiO2, annealed at 200–550 °C for 8 h. Characterization included GAXRD, laser Raman microspectroscopy, AFM, UV–Vis, XPS, SIMS, TEM, ellipsometry, and methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. The substrate determined the TiO2 polymorph that formed, while the annealing temperature and boron contamination from the substrate determined most of the associated properties. The films on glass substrates were amorphous following annealing at 200 °C but were anatase at higher temperatures. The films on rutile exhibited epitaxial growth at all annealing temperatures. Annealing caused diffusion of glass component elements into the films and counterdiffusion of Ti into the glass substrates. Since aqueous MB testing caused decreased glass ion concentrations, the diffusion mechanism is via the grain boundaries. Volatilization of boron occurred during annealing at 550 °C. The morphological features dominated the optical properties; the anatase films exhibited high transmissions and low reflectances, while the rutile films exhibited the converse. The band gap decreased slightly with increasing annealing temperatures, reflecting increasing crystallinity. The refractive indices showed an anomalous trend of decrease with increasing annealing temperature and associated crystallinity; this is attributed to the effects of boron volatilization and associated air-filled pore formation. Although the anatase films outperformed the rutile films, the effect of annealing temperature is likely to have been dominant in that it determined the relative extents of crystallinity, grain size, RMS roughness, optical indirect band gap, and oxygen vacancy concentration.

The paper describes several readily understandable and soluble plasticity models for soils, shows how these models can be used to obtain solutions of practical geotechnical engineering problems with either the limit analysis method or the finite element method, and leads to the generalization of the classical limit analysis method to the modern computer-based finite block method. Directions of further applications of these methods are also indicated.

为解决病理抗酸染色优质阳性对照来源匮乏问题，缩短阳性对照阅片时间，采用灭活的结核杆菌培养物和蛋清制成0.5 cm×0.5 cm大小的新型阳性对照，并选取抗酸染色阳性菌含量适中的归档蜡块作为传统阳性对照。将两组切片一起染色，比较阳性菌查对时间和染色质量评分。结果：传统阳性对照占位大，均可见少量紫红色阳性菌，菌查对平均时间（1 492.0±163.2）s，染色质量平均得分28.8±2.0。新型阳性对照占位小，均可见较多紫红色阳性菌，阳性菌查对平均时间（5.8±1.0）s，染色质量平均得分37.0±1.3，差异均有统计学意义（

The present work reports data for TiO2 thin films spin coated on unpolished fused silica (FS) and unpolished (001) rutile annealed at 200°, 350°, 450°, and 550 °C for 8 h in air. Characterization/testing consisted of glancing-angle X-ray diffraction, laser Raman microspectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, transmission electron microscopy, and methylene blue (MB) photodegradation. The recrystallization depended on the type of substrate, where FS substrates yielded Si-contaminated anatase films of limited crystallinity (amorphous at 200 °C) and thickness ~160–200 nm while the rutile substrates resulted in well crystallized epitaxial films of ~200–300 nm thickness. The Si grain boundary diffusion coefficients were 4.59 × 10−19 m2s (200 °C) and 5.00 × 10−19 m2s (550 °C). This diffusion mechanism was supported by the XPS data before and after MB aqueous solution testing, which suggested that Si contamination was on the grain boundaries and was leached during testing. The thickness of all films increased slightly as the annealing temperature increased, which resulted from grain rearrangement and growth. The optical transmissions of all films were low and the reflectances higher, which resulted from the roughness and unevenness of the films. The optical indirect band gaps (Eg) from transmission and reflectance spectrophotometries decreased for the anatase films but increased for the rutile films with increasing annealing temperature. These trends reflect the dominance of competing mechanisms, where recrystallization and Eg decrease are dominant for anatase but void formation and Eg increase are dominant for rutile. The photocatalytic performances of the anatase films were superior to those of the rutile films. The performances corresponded to the annealing temperatures and so were linked directly to the crystallinity and, to a lesser extent, the surface area (reflected by the roughness and unevenness) since the other factors examined were inconsistent with the performance data.

To investigate the differential diagnosis value of preoperative computed tomography (CT) features between pre/minimally invasive and invasive adenocarcinoma in pulmonary mixed ground glass nodules (mGGNs).The histopathological data and CT images of 146 mGGNs in 141 patients were reviewed retrospectively. Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed to identify the CT features differentiating between pre/minimally invasive and invasive adenocarcinoma and to evaluate their accuracy.In univariate analysis, there were significant differences (p0.05) in the nodule diameter, volume, density, mass, solid portion volume, shape, margin, air bronchogram, and pleural retraction between pre/minimally invasive and invasive adenocarcinoma. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that nodule mass and volume were statistically significant independent differentiators. ROC curve analysis was performed to evaluate the differentiators. According to the corresponding ROC curve, the optimal cut-off mass to differentiate pre/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma from invasive adenocarcinoma was 254.87 mg, with a sensitivity of 84.52%, a specificity of 88.71%, and an accuracy of 86.30%. Compared with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for mass, volume, and diameter, the differential diagnosis value of mass was higher than those of volume and diameter.Nodule mass and volume were significant differentiators of pre/minimally invasive adenocarcinoma from invasive adenocarcinoma in mGGN, and mass had a higher differential diagnosis value.

Highly-transparent V-doped TiO2 thin films were prepared by sol-gel processing, spin coated on fused silica glass substrates, and annealed in air at 450 °C for 2 h. All of the films were comprised of anatase as the sole crystalline phase. The XPS data suggested that V formed an interstitial solid solution with anatase. The formation of an unsaturated solid solution at the lowest doping level of 0.05 mol% resulted in the formation of lattice defect sites, which enhanced anatase recrystallisation, grain growth, and crystallinity. In contrast, the formation of supersaturated/oversaturated solid solutions at the higher doping levels of 0.10–1.00 mol% resulted in lattice deformation, partial amorphisation, precipitation, and liquid formation. The coexistence of multiple valence states, viz., Ti4+/3+, V4+/3+, and possibly V5+ in the doped TiO2 films was attributed to intervalence charge transfer. Dye degradation tests revealed that the 0.05 mol% V-doped films showed the best photocatalyic performance and this was attributed to the combined effects of greater anatase crystallinity and reduced band gap. In contrast, increasing V-doping levels resulted in gradual decreases in the photocatalytic performance, which are attributed principally to the decrease in areal density of the surface-active sites owing to liquid-phase densification. The greater degradation of MB solution relative to that of RhB solution is attributed principally to the cationic nature of MB, which allows greater adsorption on the photocatalyst surface in comparison to the anionic RhB.

支气管胸膜瘘（BPF）是病死率、致残率极高的疾病，随着呼吸内镜技术的发展，各式材料在治疗BPF富有极大的运用前景，包括封堵剂、气道支架、房间隔封堵器等，近年新兴的骨髓间充质干细胞（bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem-cell，BMSC）因其多谱系分化能力、免疫原性弱等优点开始用于治疗BPF。而本文致力于系统阐述BMSC近年在BPF的治疗进展，以期对临床上治疗BPF提供帮助。.

Ensuring the stability of reservoir slopes requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanical properties of rocks after the drying–wetting cycles under acidic conditions. In this work, sandstone samples were selected and subjected to cyclic drying–wetting treatments with aqueous solutions of pH 7.0, 6.0, 4.0, and 2.0. The uniaxial compression tests and P-wave velocity measurement were carried out to evaluate the variations in the physico-mechanical properties of sandstones with different treatments. The results revealed that the internal structure of sandstones is softened by the drying–wetting cycles, which deteriorate their physico-mechanical properties. As the acidity of the aqueous solution increases, porosity and Poisson’s ratio show an increasing trend, while the strength characteristics, Young’s modulus, and P-wave velocity of sandstones present a decreasing trend. The physico-mechanical properties of sandstones significantly deteriorate from neutral to weakly acidic solutions; however, the deterioration becomes slower as the acidity continues to increase. Moreover, the physico-mechanical properties of sandstones are markedly reduced under strong acidic conditions.

This chapter describes the second-order inelastic analysis on the basis of the plastic-zone theory for inplane beam-columns and portal frames. It is recognized that the analysis based on the plastic-zone theory is most accurate. It can most realistically reflect the behaviors and the ultimate load-carrying capacity of the members or structures. The chapter presents three programs: Program BCIN, Program FRAMP, and Program FRAMH. In these three programs, the members of beam and columns are divided into a number of segments, and the sections of these members are further divided into a number of strip elements parallel to the bending axis. The elastic range and resultant force in each strip can be obtained by simple mathematical procedures: the stiffness of the section is obtained by integrating the stiffness of the elastic range area of each strip, and the internal axial force and moment of the section are also obtained by integrating the resultant force of each strip.

This chapter presents a succinct encapsulation of various analysis approaches for frame design ranging from simplified member-by-member design approach to more sophisticated computer-based analysis/design approach. It provides a smooth transition from the current state-of-the-art knowledge on the analysis and design of steel frames to upcoming new technology and developments in engineering practice. The chapter addresses trends and directions of advanced analysis in steel building design. It reviews the background behind the development of the current American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC)-Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) beam-column interaction equations, and discusses the use of effective length factors for beam-column design. The chapter also reviews the recent work on the design of semi-rigid frames based on the extension of the current AISC-LRFD B1/B2 approach. It also discusses the general issues pertinent to verification and benchmarking of second-order inelastic analyses for use as advanced analysis, and provides a conclusion and directions for further research.

TiO 2 thin films with varying Mn and Fe dopant levels (0.01–5.00 mol% metal basis; single cation doping and codoping) were deposited on soda-lime-silica glass substrates by spin coating, followed by annealing in air at 450 °C for 2 h. The mineralogical, morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties of the thin films were determined. The fabricated films were ∼250 nm thick and they were comprised of grains of ∼20–30 nm size. Anatase (or amorphous titania) was the only phase in essentially all the films, with the dopants' being soluble in anatase. All of the films were transparent (∼80%) in the visible region and the optical indirect band gaps were ∼3.4 eV. Photocatalytic testing (≤24 h) showed that the extent of photodegradation decreased with increasing dopant levels. The 0.01 mol% Fe-doped sample showed the best photoactivity since, at this doping level, the negative effects of electron/hole recombination and lattice distortion probably were minimal.

The hematopoietic growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), has become one of the few growth factors approved for clinical use. It has therapeutic potential for numerous neurodegenerative diseases; however, at present the cellular effects of G-CSF on the central nervous system remain unclear and in need of investigation. In the present study, we used spinal cord ischemia, a neurodegenerative model, to examine the effects of intrathecal (i.t.) G-CSF on glial cell (microglia and astrocyte) activation and neuroprotective factor expression, including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) protein expression. Our results indicate that i.t. G-CSF could enhance ischemia-induced microglial activation and inhibit ischemia-induced astrocyte activation. Both GDNF and VEGF-A are upregulated after injury, and i.t. G-CSF could enhance GDNF and VEGF-A expressions after injury. Interestingly, our results indicate that performing i.t. G-CSF alone on normal animals could have the effect of microglial and astrocyte activation and enhanced GDNF and VEGF-A expressions. Furthermore, through laser scanning confocal microscopy, we found that astrocytes may contribute to the majority of GDNF and VEGF-A expressions of G-CSF after spinal cord ischemia. Overall, this G-CSF-induced upregulation suggests that activation of endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms could resist neurodegenerative insults. These observations demonstrate the cellular mechanism of i.t. G-CSF after spinal cord ischemia and confirm the neuroprotective effect of G-CSF after spinal cord ischemia injury.

The present study was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetics following oral and intravenous administration of Riccardin D, an anticancer drug candidate isolated from Chinese liverworts Dumortiera hirsute , in Wistar rats. An HPLC-MS/MS analytical method was developed and validated. The results demonstrated that Riccardin D’s bioavailability was 13.4%, 11.4%, and 9.8% after oral administration at 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 80 mg/kg, respectively. There was no significant difference in the elimination half-time of Riccardin D at these doses, suggesting that Riccardin D may have linear pharmacokinetic characteristics in rats. The metabolite of Riccardin D in rat was identified as the glucuronide of Riccardin D. Riccardin D showed a wide distribution in various tissues followed by a rapid elimination from most of the tissues tested. Riccardin D was found to distribute widely in the tissues 0.5 h after oral and intravenous administration. The tissue concentrations were markedly decreased 8 h and 6 h after oral and intravenous dosing, respectively. Both Riccardin D and its conjugated metabolite were detected in urine and bile samples while only Riccardin D was detected in feces. Taken together, the study provided valuable pharmacokinetic data for further drug development of Riccardin D.

The present study aimed to clarify the expression pattern and prognostic role of miR-409-3p in breast cancer patients.miR-409-3p levels in breast cancer tissues were tested by qRT-PCR. The chi-square test and Fishers exact tests were used to examine the associations between miR-409-3p expression and the clinicopathological characters. Overall survival (OS) was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The univariable and the multivariable Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate independent prognostic factors.miR-409-3p expression in breast cancer specimens was observed to be decreased compared with matched normal breast tissues (p0.01). Additionally, low miR-409-3p expression in breast cancer tissues was significantly associated with the advanced TNM stage (p = 0.004), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.001), and poorer pathological differentiation (p = 0.026). The patients in the low miR-409-3p group had a shorter overall survival than those in the high miR-409-3p group (p0.001). Furthermore, the univariate and the multivariate analyses showed that miR-409-3p expression was an independent predictor of overall survival (p0.05).Our results revealed that miR-409-3p was related to the prognosis of patients with breast cancer and might be a promising predictor of miR-409-3p recurrence.

Vibration is often a problem causing poor quality of photon beams at synchrotron radiation facilities, since beamlines are quite sensitive to vibrations. Therefore, vibration analysis and control at synchrotron radiation facilities is crucial. This paper presents investigations on mechanical vibrations at four beamlines and endstations at the Canadian Light Source, i.e. the Canadian Macromolecular Crystallography Facility 08ID-1 beamline, the Hard X-ray MicroAnalysis 06ID-1 beamline, the Resonant Elastic and Inelastic Soft X-ray Scattering 10ID-2 beamline, and the Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope endstation at the Spectromicroscopy 10ID-1 beamline. This study identifies vibration sources and investigates the influence of mechanical vibrations on beamline performance. The results show that vibrations caused by movable mechanical equipment significantly affect the data acquired from beamlines.

Summary Objective To study the effects of oral glucosamine sulfate on the development of osteoarthritis (OA) and to examine concomitant changes in the nociceptive behavior of rats. Methods OA was induced in Wistar rats by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) of the right knee; the left knee was untreated. The OA+glucosamine group received oral glucosamine sulfate (250mg/kg/day) in a 2-g wafer once a day for 10 consecutive weeks starting at week 5 after ACLT. The OA group was treated as above with 2-g wafers (placebo). The control group of naive rats received 2-g wafers only. The glucosamine alone group comprised naive rats receiving glucosamine sulfate only. Nociceptive behavior (mechanical allodynia and weight-bearing distribution of hind paws) during OA development was analyzed pre- and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 weeks post-ACLT. Macroscopic and histologic studies were then performed on the cartilage and synovia. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine the effect of glucosamine on expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in the articular cartilage chondrocytes. Results OA rats receiving glucosamine showed a significantly lower degree of cartilage degeneration than the rats receiving placebo. Glucosamine treatment also suppressed synovitis. Mechanical allodynia and weight-bearing distribution studies showed significant improvement in the OA+glucosamine group as compared to the OA group. Moreover, glucosamine attenuated p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) but increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) expression in OA-affected cartilage. Conclusion Our results indicate that treatment with oral glucosamine sulfate in a rat OA model (1) attenuates the development of OA, (2) concomitantly reduces nociception, and (3) modulates chondrocyte metabolism, possibly through inhibition of cell p38 and JNK and increase of ERK expression.

The Gaussian noise introduced into the diffusion tensor images (DTIs) can bring serious impacts on tensor calculation and fibre tracking. To decrease the effects of the Gaussian noise, many Euclidean invariant gradient (EIG) based anisotropic diffusion denoising methods have been presented. In this paper, the effects of the Gaussian noise on calculated tensors were analysed and an affine invariant gradient (AIG) based non-linear anisotropic smoothing strategy was presented. The AIG based smoothing strategy is the development of the affine invariant non-linear anisotropic diffusion (AINAD) restoration model, introduced by Guillermo Sapiro, and adopted to restore vector-valued data. To evaluate the efficiency of the AINAD model in accounting for the Gaussian noise introduced into the vector-valued data, the peak to peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and signal-to-mean squared error ratio (SMSE) metrics are used. The experiment results acquired from the synthetic and real data prove the good performan...

Mutual information (MI) technique is an effective similarity measure for the rigid registration of multimodality medical images. However, when the MI methods work with the entire image data, the computation cost is too expensive and are prone to fall into local minima. In this paper, a new concept of equivalent meridian plane (EMP) is proposed, and is determined using principal component analysis (PCA); the rough registrations of EMP is to be realized at six freedom degrees; finally, the refine registrations can be completed using MI in EMP. This method is called as EMP-based MI registration technique, which combines the feature and intensity information. The accuracy and robustness of EMP-MI approach can be verified by applying it to the simulated and real medical image data. The experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm reduces computational time distinctly and is more robust than transitional MI technology.