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Motivated by the Araki-Lieb-Thirring inequality tr(A1/2BA1/2)rp ≤ tr(Ar/2BrAr/2)p for p ≥ 0, r ≥ 1 (tr(A1/2BA1/2)rp ≥ tr(Ar/2BrAr/2)p for p ≥ 0, 0 ≤ r ≤ 1) for Hermitian positive semidefinite matrices and the Golden-Thompson inequality tr(exp (A + B)) ≤ tr(exp (A)exp (B)) for Hermitian matrices, in this paper, we extend these inequalities to the setting of Euclidean Jordan algebras in the form t r (P b 1 / 2 (a)) r p ≤ t r (P b r / 2 (a r)) p for p ≥ 0, r ≥ 1 ( t r (P b 1 / 2 (a)) r p ≥ t r (P b r / 2 (a r)) p for p ≥ 0, 0 ≤ r ≤ 1) for a, b ≥ 0 and tr(exp (a + b)) ≤ tr(exp (a)°exp (b)) for all a and b, where Px and x° y denote, respectively, the quadratic representation and Jordan product of x and y in Euclidean Jordan algebras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron-scale magnetic peaks (ESMPs) with spatial sizes less than one local ion gyroradius have been recently revealed to exist in the terrestrial magnetosheath and solar wind at 1 au. Whether they widely exist in the astrophysical plasma is unclear. Here, we investigate the magnetic peaks with a period of 0.1â€"100 s upstream of Mercury’s bow shock by using the magnetic field data from the MESSENGER spacecraft. Based on the distribution of their durations, these magnetic peaks can be divided into two groups: one with durations less than 0.6 s and the other with durations larger than 0.6 s. The durations in each group obey a log-normal distribution. The magnetic peaks with durations less than 0.6 s are inferred to be electron scale, suggesting that ESMPs exist in the solar wind at Mercury’s orbit. The median duration of these ESMPs is ∼0.3 s. The ESMPs have a larger occurrence rate near the bow shock and prefer to occur when the ambient interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) can be connected to the bow shock, which suggests that the foreshock could be one source region of these ESMPs. Their occurrence rate also tends to be larger when the IMF strength is weaker. Our observations also suggest that some ESMPs originate from the upstream solar wind. The properties of the ESMPs found here could help to shed light on their generation mechanisms and their roles in the astrophysical plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electron-scale magnetic holes (ESMHs) can dissipate energy and transport electrons in astrophysical plasmas. They are often observed in the solar wind at 1 au, but whether they are locally generated remains unclear. Here we investigate the ESMHs in the solar wind at 1 au based on observations of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) and Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) P1 spacecraft. There are 47 and 18 ESMH events observed by MMS1 and ARTEMIS P1, respectively, where an isolated ESMH or a train of ESMHs is regarded as an ESMH event. Our findings are as follows: (1) the occurrence rate of the ESMH events observed by MMS1 is much larger than that by ARTEMIS P1, which is located in the upstream solar wind; and (2) the proportion of the train of ESMHs in the ESMH events observed by each spacecraft is much higher in the ion foreshock than that in the undisturbed solar wind. These observations suggest that the terrestrial foreshock is an important source region of the ESMHs at 1 au, while some ESMHs come from the upstream undisturbed solar wind. The generation of these ESMHs can be explained by the electron vortex magnetic hole. Finding out the origin of the electron vortex may help to shed light on the whole chain of their generation and evolution in the foreshock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solar wind has rich wave activity and various magnetic structures. Here we report on a new type of magnetic structure in the solar wind using the unprecedented high temporal resolution data from the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission. We find that a train of magnetic peaks with a size less than 1 ion inertial length exists upstream of the terrestrial bow shock. The electron number density and the perpendicular electron temperature have a slight decrease inside the magnetic peaks, leading to a decrease of the electron thermal pressure in the structure. These structures are pressure-balanced, and they are approximately stationary in the ambient electron flow. These electron-scale magnetic peaks are identified as magnetic bottle–like, and their cross sections are roughly circular. The electron velocity has a bipolar feature relative to the ambient flow in the cross section, indicating the existence of an electron vortex. The current density is mainly contributed by electrons. The peaks occur in a marginally mirror-stable environment; thus they are not locally generated by mirror instabilities. We suggest that the origin of the electron vortex might help to shed light on the formation of electron-scale magnetic peaks in the solar wind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field‐aligned currents often appear at the neutral sheet in the tilted current sheet, however, their origins are still unclear. Here we investigate two flapping motion events using the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission data. Strong current densities mainly contributed by electrons appear near the neutral sheet in the severely titled current sheet in both events. The perpendicular current can be explained by the electron drift motions, among which the diamagnetic drift is the main contributor. We find that electrons can be non‐adiabatic at the neutral sheet, which is able to scatter their pitch angle distribution. The field‐aligned current is associated with non‐adiabatic electrons in the energy range of ∼0.2–3 keV, which curvature parameter κ is in the range of 0.9–3. By contrast, adiabatic electrons have almost no contribution to the field‐aligned current. We suggest that non‐adiabatic electrons are the key factor in generating field‐aligned currents at the neutral sheet. Plain Language Summary: Flapping motions are large‐scale movements of the current sheet in the north‐south direction. They can create magnetic pulsations with a period of 40–150 s via field‐aligned currents connecting to the ionosphere along the magnetic field line. The generation mechanism of the field‐aligned current during the flapping is unclear, although the field‐aligned current often appears at the neutral sheet. Here we investigate two flapping motion events using the data obtained from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. We find that a strong current density contributed by electrons occurs in the tilted current sheet. The perpendicular current is mainly formed by the combination of the electron drift motions. The high‐resolution data obtained from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission enable us to reveal that the electron can become chaotic or non‐adiabatic at the neutral sheet, which can scatter the pitch angle distribution. The field‐aligned currents in both events are associated with the non‐adiabatic electron. We also find that the adiabatic electron has almost no contribution to the field‐aligned current. The electron scattering can divert the perpendicular current to field‐aligned. Thus, our results suggest that the non‐adiabatic electron scattering is one possible generation mechanism of the field‐aligned current during the flapping motion. Key Points: A strong current contributed by electrons occurs in the tilted current sheet during the flapping motionElectrons are non‐adiabatic at the neutral sheet, and their pitch angle distributions undergo scatteringThe field‐aligned current is suggested to be generated by the non‐adiabatic electron at the neutral sheet during the flapping motion [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel tough bio-based polyesters poly(ethylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate-co-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate)s (PECTFs) were synthesized from 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid (TDCA), 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and ethylene glycol (EG). The microstructure, thermal and mechanical properties were investigated. Poly(ethylene 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylate) (PETF) displayed the glass transition temperature (~64 °C) and tensile strength (~72 MPa) similar to poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). However, the nonlinear structure of TDCA resulted in an angle of 148° between carboxylic acid carbons and the S atom resulted in a permanent dipole, so the thiophene ring-flipping was hindered and the low elongation at break (~24%) was observed for PETF. The peak corresponding to the secondary relaxation shifted to lower temperature due to the incorporation of CHDM, which yielded ductile copolyesters with high elongation at break. When the CHDM content was equal to or higher than 29%, a high elongation at break (>160%) was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on a flapping motion event near the substorm onset on 17 June 2017 using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission data. A strong current density with a maximum value of ~190 nA/m2 is observed during the flapping. The north‐to‐south (south‐to‐north) crossing of the neutral sheet corresponds to an increase (a decrease) of the ZGSM component of the solar wind VZ, SW. The periods (~8 min) of the flapping and variations of VZ, SW are almost equal. In addition, dVZ, SW/dt and dBX/dt observed by MMS exhibit a strong negative correlation. These observations suggest that the flapping motions are triggered by the solar wind directional change via creating a motion of the current sheet in the north‐south direction. The pressure difference between the northern and southern lobes caused by the solar wind is expected to be a possible contribution to the formation of the flapping. Plain language summary: Flapping motions are large‐amplitude waves of the magnetotail current sheet in the north‐south direction. These waves are believed to be excited in the magnetotail center and then propagate to its flanks. However, their generation mechanisms are not fully understood so far. In this study, we investigate the relation between a flapping motion event and the solar wind parameters. We find that there is a one‐to‐one correspondence between temporal variations of the flapping and the ZGSM component of the solar wind velocity VZ, SW. Moreover, the vertical movement of the ion flow is also in accordance with VZ, SW. These observations suggest that the flapping can be generated by the solar wind directional change. During the flapping, a strong current density with a maximum value of ~190 nA/m2 is generated, much larger than the current reported by previous studies. Key Points: The flapping motion of the current sheet is triggered by the solar wind directional changeVariations of the Z component of the solar wind velocity and BX show a strong negative correlationAn extremely strong current density with a maximum value of ~190 nA/m2 is observed during the flapping [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel dual-mode luminescence phosphor KBaLu(MoO4)3:Tb3+,Yb3+ has been synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reactions, and the crystal structures have been determined for the first time. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data reveal that its space groups are C2/c. The crystalline structure is constituted by K/BaO8 distorted square antiprisms, distorted LuO8 polyhedra and two kinds of distorted MoO4 tetrahedra, which form chains lying along the c-axis. Spectroscopic properties and energy transfer mechanisms are investigated by detailed analyses of emission and excitation spectra and excited-state lifetimes. The KBaLu(MoO4)3:Tb3+,Yb3+ phosphor shows dominant green emissions in the visible region, which are due to 5D4→7F5 transition of Tb3+ under excitation light in ultraviolet region as well as a 980 nm laser, and the CIE coordinates are close to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard values for primary green (0.310, 0.595). With the increasing temperature, the luminescence of KBaLu(MoO4)3:Tb3+,Yb3+ phosphor decreases almost linearly with the CIE coordinate variation from (0.326, 0.616) to (0.327, 0.530), which results in photoluminescence color variation from primary green to yellowish-green. The present results demonstrate the successful synthesis of a dual-mode luminescence material KBaLu(MoO4)3:Tb3+,Yb3+ phosphor with both up- and down-conversion luminescence properties; moreover, it can be used as a potential spectrum converter in display lighting and anti-counterfeiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We focus on the convergence rate of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) in a complex domain. First, the complex form of variational inequality (VI) is established by using the Wirtinger calculus technique. Second, the $O(1/K)$ convergence rate of the ADMM in a complex domain is provided. Third, the ADMM in a complex domain is applied to the least absolute shrinkage and selectionator operator (LASSO). Finally, numerical simulations are provided to show that ADMM in a complex domain has the $O(1/K)$ convergence rate and that it has certain advantages compared with the ADMM in a real domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel red phosphors KBaEu(XO4)3 (X = Mo, W) have been synthesized by high-temperature solid-state reactions and the crystal structures were determined for the first time. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data reveal that their space groups are C2/c. The crystalline structure is constituted of K/BaO8 distorted square antiprisms and distorted EuO8 polyhedra which form chains lying along the c-axis and two kinds of distorted XO4 tetrahedra. This high disorder of K/Ba which might lower the crystal field symmetry around Eu3+ results in the high purity of red emission around 615 nm originating from 5D0→7F2 transition under near-ultraviolet (NUV) excitation. With increasing temperature, the luminescence of KBaEu(XO4)3 (X = Mo, W) phosphors decreases almost linearly with subtle alteration for the CIE coordinate. As the temperature reaches 550 K, the red emission intensity decreases to 37.3% and 50.7% of that at 300 K for KBaEu(MoO4)3 and KBaEu(WO4)3, respectively. The analysis of the decay curves of the 5D0→7F2 emission at variable temperatures indicates the weak cross relaxation and non-radiative energy transfer between Eu3+ ions. These results demonstrate that the investigated phosphors are attractive for application in high power NUV excited white LEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff in major rivers in China has been decreasing in recent decades, mainly due to climate change and human activity. River basin managers have a critical interest in detecting and diagnosing nonstationaries in runoff time series. Here we use a rainfall runoff model-based approach to identify the human-disturbed periods of the record. The method is applied to the Kuye River catchment, located in the Loess Plateau, China. The SimHyd model performs well for simulation of monthly natural discharges, and the method suggests that discernable human influence began in 1980. Anthropogenic effects were detectable several years earlier at the downstream stations than the upstream stations, consistent with pace and timing of soil and water conservation measures implemented across the Kuye River catchment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address a recently introduced static dataflow model: the Static Dataflow with Access Patterns (SDF-AP) model. For this model we present (1) a generalization of an existing regular periodic scheduling scheme to regular 1-periodic scheduling for flexibility to achieve a smaller schedule period and additional room for optimization on communication storage; (2) a method based on Integer Linear Programming (ILP) to minimize communication buffers under periodic scheduling and user-specified throughput constraints. Experimental results on a set of test cases show that buffer sizes using this approach can be reduced dramatically when compared to the traditional SDF models. The optimal sizing result may serve as an important criterion to evaluate and fine-tune any heuristics-based buffer sizing approach for the SDF-AP model of computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a new parametric kernel function, which is a combination of the classic kernel function and a trigonometric barrier term, and present various properties of this new kernel function. A class of large- and small-update primal-dual interior-point methods for linear optimization based on this parametric kernel function is proposed. By utilizing the feature of the parametric kernel function, we derive the iteration bounds for large-update methods, O(n2/3log(n/ε)), and small-update methods, O(√n log(n/ε)). These results match the currently best known iteration bounds for large- and small-update methods based on the trigonometric kernel functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming will have direct impacts on regional water resources by accelerating the hydrological cycle. Hydrological simulation is an important approach to studying climate change impacts. In this paper, a snowmelt-based water balance model (SWBM) was used to simulate the effect of climate change on runoff in the Kuye River catchment of the Loess Plateau, China. Results indicated that the SWBM is suitable for simulating monthly discharge into arid catchments. The response of runoff in the Kuye River catchment to climate change is nonlinear, and runoff is more sensitive to changes in precipitation than to changes in temperature. The projections indicated that the Kuye River catchment would undergo more flooding in the 2020s, and global warming would probably shorten the main flood season in the catchment, with greater discharge occurring in August. Although projected changes in annual runoff are uncertain, the possibilities of regional water shortages and regional flooding are essential issues that need to be fully considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) is characterized by an impaired immune response to hepatitis B virus. Among the nucleos(t)ides used in CHB treatment, telbivudine is associated with the highest rates of hepatitis B e antigen ( HBeAg) seroconversion rates, which are similar to those observed with pegylated interferon (Peg IFN). Besides direct antiviral effect, modulation of the immune system may be an additional benefit for telbivudine-treated patients. Indeed, there is much clinical data indicating an IFN-like behaviour for telbivudine in contrast to other oral nucleos(t)ides, such as high HBeAg seroconversion, similar hepatitis B surface antigen ( HBsAg) decline and biphasic viral kinetics. Clinical studies, animal models and in vitro studies suggest that both the innate and adaptive immune system responses contribute to high HBeAg seroconversion during telbivudine treatment through modulation of the function and/or expression of CD4+/ CD8+ T cells, Th1/Th2, Treg, PD-1/ PD-L1, Th17, IL-21 and TFH. The results described in this review suggest that the antiviral effect of telbivudine may be attributable not only to direct suppression of hepatitis B virus, but also to immunoregulatory effects. Hypothetically, telbivudine shares some common signal pathways with IFN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction of "Higee" more than three decades ago, only a few commercial distillation applications have been reported. In this paper, the reasons for this situation are analyzed based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature. Several important guidelines on rotor design have been proposed in order to develop a new rotating bed that could be commercialized for distillation. A novel kind of rotating bed, the rotating zigzag bed (RZB), has been proposed, which dispenses with a liquid distributor and an inside dynamic seal and is capable of easily achieving intermediate feed and simple multi-rotor configurations. These advantages facilitate the application of the RZB for commercial continuous distillation processes. Three examples of different common processes are given to illustrate its industrial application. Because the distillation process is used widely in the chemical process industries (CPI), the RZB has very broad prospects of application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reduction of residual vibrations of the position control of a rotating flexible beam is investigated. The control scheme is achieved by combining Input Shaping Technique (IST) with a piezoceramic actuator ( PZT ) attached to the surface of the beam. IST reduces residual vibration in the beam by convolving the desired torque with a sequence of impulses. A majority of the current IST is inherently open-loop where impulse application at an inaccurate instance can lead to system performance degradation. Thus, in order to improve the control performance of a flexible manipulator, the residual vibration generated due to those or the uncertainty model was further suppressed by the PZT. The optimal control voltage was determined by the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) technique. The dynamic simulation shows that the proposed method has not only nice robustness properties for suppressing the vibration due to an inaccurate model or the instance of impulse application, but also the voltage applied on the PZT decreases 50% or more than only using PZT, in other words, the extra energy consumption is reduced significantly by the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of plasma proteins on the cellular uptake of lipophilic substrates has perplexed investigators for many years. We tested the hypothesis that an ionic interaction between the protein–ligand complex and hepatocyte surface may be responsible for supplying more ligand to the cell for uptake. The surface-charged groups on albumin were modified to yield proteins having a range of isoelectric points (ALB, ALBs, ALBm, ALBe had values of 4.8–5.0, 4.5–4.7, 3.0–3.5, 8.4–8.6, respectively). [[sup 3] H]-Palmitate uptake studies were performed with adult rat hepatocyte suspensions using similar unbound ligand fractions in the presence of the different binding proteins. Mass spectrometry, isoelectric focusing (pI), and heptane : water partitioning were used to determine protein molecular weight, pI, and protein-palmitate equilibrium binding constant, respectively. Hepatocyte [[sup 3] H]-palmitate clearance in the presence of ALBs and ALBm were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than ALB, whereas [[sup 3] H]-palmitate clearance in the presence of ALBe was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than ALB. The data were consistent with the notion that ionic interactions between extracellular protein–ligand complexes and the hepatocyte surface facilitate the uptake of long-chain fatty acids.Key words: uptake, long-chain fatty acid, hepatic, protein, albumin, surface charge, facilitation, ionic interaction.Le rôle des protéines plasmatiques dans la capture cellulaire des substrats lipophiles a laissé les chercheurs perplexes pendant des années. Dans la présente étude, nous avons vérifié l'hypothèse qu'une interaction ionique entre le complexe protéine–ligand et la surface des hépatocytes pourrait fournir plus de ligand à la cellule pour la capture. Les groupes chargés à la surface de l'albumine ont été modifiés pour produire des protéines possédant une plage de points isoélectriques (ALB, ALBs, ALBm, ALBe ont eu des valeurs de 4,8–5,0, 4,5–4,7, 3,0–3,5, 8,4–8,6, respective ment). On a examiné la capture du [[sup 3] H]-palmitate dans des suspensions d'hépatocytes de rats adultes en utilisant des fractions de ligands non liés similaires en présence de diverses protéines de liaison. On a utilisé la spectrométrie de masse, la focalisation isoélectrique (pI) et le partage heptane:eau pour déterminer le poids moléculaire de la protéine, le pI et la constante de fixation à l'équilibre protéine-palmitate, respectivement. La clairance de [[sup 3] H]-palmitate hépatocytaire en présence d'ALBs et d'ALBm a été significativement plus faible (p < 0,05) que celle observée en présence d'ALB, alors que la clairance de [[sup 3] H]palmitate en présence de ALBe a été significativement plus élevée (p < 0,05) que celle observée en présence d'ALB. Les résultats confortent l'hypothèse que les interactions ioniques entre les complexes protéine–ligand extracellulaires et la surface de l'hépatocyte facilitent la capture des acides gras à longue chaîne.Mots clés : capture, acide gras à longue chaîne, hépatique, protéine, albumine, charge surfacique, facilitation, interaction ionique.[Traduit par la Rédaction] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information a study which determined the unbound palmitate concentration at different bovine serum albumin (BSA) [3H]palmitate complex concentrations when the protein-to-ligand molar ratio is kept constant. Materials and methods; Results and discussions; Conclusions.

The impact behavior of individual biomass oil droplets was investigated on solid surfaces having different structures (flat, cylindrical, and spherical) using the high-speed video technique. This makes it possible to compare the evolution of the droplet impact on various surface structures. The impact behaviors of retraction–oscillation and adhesion are analyzed for different hydrophobic surfaces. The influence of the Weber number (We), the surface structure, and the surface curvature is further examined by focusing on the retraction and stable adhesion (thickness, adhesion, and contact angle) for different biomass oil droplets. The results show that the retraction factor gradually increases as We increases to some critical value, beyond which the increase rate slows down or the retraction factor begins to decrease. The largest retraction factor is observed on the flat surface and the smallest one appears on the spherical surface. The adhesion thickness of the liquid film oscillates periodically over time, and its oscillation amplitude gradually decreases with a constant frequency, which is smaller for the more hydrophobic surfaces. The curvatures of the cylinder and sphere have little influence on the stable adhesion behavior. For the different droplet types, the adhesion diameter on the flat surface gradually increases as We rises, whereas the adhesion thickness gradually decreases with increase in We. These results are helpful for understanding the impact behaviors of biomass oil droplets with high viscosity and small surface tension on solid surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We statistically investigate the spectral scalings of magnetic fluctuations at the upstream and downstream regions near the Venusian bow shock and perform a differentiation by shock geometry. Based on the Venus Express data, 115 quasi-parallel ( Q ‖ ) bow shock crossings and 303 quasi-perpendicular ( Q ⊥ ) bow shock crossings are selected. The statistical results suggest that the bow shock tends to modify the upstream spectra flatter to 1/f noise in the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) regime and steeper to turbulence in the kinetic regime after the magnetic fluctuations crossing the bow shock, and this modification for the Q ‖ and Q ⊥ bow shocks is basically consistent. However, the upstream spectral scalings are associated with the shock geometry. The changes of the spectral scalings of magnetic fluctuations near the Q ‖ bow shocks are not as significant as near the Q ⊥ bow shock crossings. That might result from the fluctuations generated by the backstreaming ions which can escape across the Q ‖ bow shock into the foreshock. Our results suggest that the energy cascade and dissipation near Venus can be modified by the Venusian bow shock, and the Q ‖ bow shock plays an important role on the energy injection and dissipation in the solar wind interaction with Venus. The large dispersion of spectral scalings indicates that this fluctuation environment is complicated, and the shock geometry is not the only key factor in the fluctuations across the Venusian bow shock. Other possible factors in the shock modification to the upstream fluctuations will be explored in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which developed a method for determining the magnetic critical current density on thallium strontium[sub2]calcium[sub2]barium[sub2]copper[sub3]oxygen[suby]. Experimental details; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

We adopt the tight-binding model and the mode-matching method to study the electrical modulation of the valley polarization in strained silicene constrictions. The effects of the potential energy, the external electric field, and the strain on the band structures and the transport property are investigated. The conductance shows a clear valley polarization and zero conductance in the absence of the electric field and the strain. It is found that the external electric field can open a clear bandgap and result in an extra zero conductance. However, the strain can not induce a bandgap, which only slightly change the energy band. Correspondingly, the strain has little effect on the system's conductance. The transport behavior of zero conductance is elucidated in terms of band structures of the silicene constriction. Therefore, one can realize an effective modulation of the valley-dependent transport of the silicene constriction by combining the potential energy and the electric field. The electrical modulation of the valley polarization and zero conductance can be exploited for silicene-based valleytronics devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:This study aimed to compare the diagnostic effectiveness of narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging for malignant laryngopharyngeal tumours.Methods:Between May 2010 and October 2010, 50 consecutive patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal tumour underwent endoscopic laryngopharynx examination. The morphological characteristics of laryngopharyngeal lesions were analysed using high performance endoscopic systems equipped with narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging modes. The diagnostic effectiveness of white light image, narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging endoscopy for benign and malignant laryngopharyngeal lesions was evaluated.Results:Under narrow band imaging endoscopy, the superficial microvessels of squamous cell carcinomas appeared as dark brown spots or twisted cords. Under autofluorescence imaging endoscopy, malignant lesions appeared as bright purple. The sensitivity of malignant lesion diagnosis was not significantly different between narrow band imaging and autofluorescence imaging modes, but was better than for white light image endoscopy (χ2 = 12.676, p = 0.002). The diagnostic specificity was significantly better in narrow band imaging mode than in both autofluorescence imaging and white light imaging mode (χ2 = 8.333, p = 0.016).Conclusion:Narrow band imaging endoscopy is the best option for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal tumours. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We have made the first drift wave study of particle transport in the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (Wan et al., Nucl. Fusion 49, 104011 (2009)). The results reveal that collisions make the particle flux more inward in the high collisionality regime. This can be traced back to effects that are quadratic in the collision frequency. The particle pinch is due to electron trapping which is not very efficient in the high collisionality regime so the approach to equilibrium is slow. We have included also the electron temperature gradient (ETG) mode to give the right electron temperature gradient, since the Trapped Electron Mode (TE mode) is weak in this regime. However, at the ETG mode number ions are Boltzmann distributed so the ETG mode does not give particle transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, thermoelastic damping in microbeam resonators is evaluated using the generalized thermoelasticity theory based on the dual-phase-lagging thermal conduction model with relaxation between temperature increment and thermal expansion. An explicit formula of thermoelastic damping has been derived. Influences of various affecting factors on thermoelastic damping, such as the beam height, aspect ratio, and relaxation time between temperature increment and thermal expansion, are examined. Numerical results show that the thermoelastic damping, obtained by the generalized thermoelasticity theory in the present study, exhibits distinctive features at nanoscale. This work reveals that non-Fourier thermal conduction and relaxation between temperature increment and thermal expansion may play a nonnegligible role at nanometer scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common chronic autoimmune disease characterized by symmetric polyarthritis. This study was designed to investigate the associations between HLA-DRB1 gene polymorphisms and RA in the Chinese Han population of Shaanxi province, northwest of China. In total, we identified 31 high-resolution HLA-DRB1 alleles in 109 patients with RA. Compared with the controls, the AF of HLA-DRB1*04:05 (P = 0.000, Pc = 0.007, OR = 3.462, 95%CI: 1.749-6.852) was significantly higher in patients with RA. In addition, the patients with RA had higher allele frequency (AF) of the HLA-DRB1* 04:03 (P = 0.030, Pc = NS, OR = 4.737, 95% CI: 1.012-22.180); DRB1*04:06 (P = 0.018, Pc = NS, OR = 5.288, 95%CI: 1.145-24.422) and the shared epitope (SE) alleles (P = 0.004, Pc = NS, OR = 2.166, 95%CI: 1.279-3.667), respectively. Moreover, positive possibilities of RF and anti-CCP were significant higher in SE-positive patients compared to SR-negative patients (OR = 4.787, 95%CI: 1.101-20.824; OR = 3.775, 95%CI: 1.106-12.876, respectively). Our results indicated that HLA-DRB1* 04:05, *04:03, *04:06 and SE alleles might be susceptibility allele for RA in Chinese Han population of Shaanxi province, northwest of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One Martian induced magnetosphere boundary (IMB) crossing at the subsolar region is analyzed here with multiple instruments on board MAVEN. Properties of the magnetic field and particles around the IMB are evaluated. We find different trends of variation in magnetic field components at the two sides of an interface coincident with the previously defined ion composition boundary. This case shows the IMB at the Martian dayside could be divided into three parts: two regions (denoted as R1 and R2), with different field and plasma properties, and an interface between them. Currents found in R1 and R2 are flowing in antiparallel, and the current density in R2 (at lower altitude) is significantly larger than that in R1 (at higher altitude). Results indicate the interaction between Mars and the solar wind could induce strong currents in the IMB, which are with antiparallel current directions and separated by an interface where the ion composition changes. This could be a typical feature that occurred during the interaction between the solar wind and the nonmagnetized planets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. A DNA vaccine against the hepatitis B virus (HBV), enhanced by IL-2/IFN-γ fusion protein expression from a plasmid construct and mediated by in vivo electroporation, was evaluated in a total of 39 HBeAg-positive patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). The six of 39 patients with a serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) value of 1-2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) were assigned to the open-label arm (Group01) receiving vaccine monotherapy; the remaining 33 patients with an ALT of more than two times ULN were enroled to the randomized and controlled arm (Group02) receiving lamivudine (LAM) monotherapy (LAM+placebo) or combined therapy (LAM+DNA vaccine) in 1:2 ratio. In Group01, a significant elevation of HBV-specific IFN-γ-secreting T-cell counts in comparison with baseline was observed. In Group02, the proportion of patients with HBV DNA suppression was higher with LAM+DNA vaccine than with LAM monotherapy at each visit time point after the final injection of DNA vaccine at week 36, revealing a significant difference between the two groups ( P = 0.03) at week 60. The incidence of dual-site mutations of rtM204/I/S+rtL180M was significantly lower ( P = 0.03) with an identified lower virological breakthrough (VBT) rate ( P = 0.03) in patients receiving LAM+DNA vaccine than LAM monotherapy, accompanied with a significant higher positive T-cell response rate in patients receiving LAM+DNA vaccine ( P = 0.03). In conclusion, this study provides evidence that HBV DNA vaccination is safe and immunologically effective, and that the HBV-specific T-cell responses induced by DNA vaccination under LAM chemotherapy showed a correlation with the suppression of viral replication in patients with CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. We tested the hypothesis that differences in the expression of certain molecular markers of colon cancer may account for different clinical outcomes. Tissue microarray technology was used to assay the expression of 17 biological markers [β-catenin, CD44v7, c-myc, cyclin D1, estrogen receptor β, mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase, maspin, matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7), p53, Pin1, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-gamma, survivin, T cell transcription factor 4 (TCF4), transforming growth factor beta receptor II (TGFβR II), TGFβ, TROP2, and Wnt] by immunohistochemistry in 620 colon cancer patients. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was applied to analyze the lifetime data, including time to death, time to recurrence, and time to liver metastasis. All the markers were present at significantly higher expression levels in tumor specimens than in normal colonic specimens. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that high expression of TROP2, MMP7, and survivin were related to decreased survival; TCF4 and TROP2 were related to disease recurrence; and CD44v7, cyclin D1, MMP7, p53, survivin, and TCF4 were related to liver metastasis. However, the results of the multivariate analysis only showed that expression of MMP7, survivin, and TROP2 were significant predictors of lower patient survival, while TROP2 and MMP7 were significantly related to disease recurrence and liver metastasis, respectively. We conclude that elevated survivin, MMP7, and TROP2 expression levels are related to decreased survival. In addition, elevated MMP7 and TROP2 expression levels are predictors of disease recurrence and liver metastasis, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PVC composites filled with CaCO3 particles with different diameter (about 40, 80, 500, 25000 nm) were prepared by using a single-screw extruder. The mechanical and rheological properties of the composites were investigated. The results showed that while the diameter of CaCO3 nanoparticles was smaller, the mechanical properties of composites were higher. By adding 40-nm CaCO3 nanoparticles into the PVC matrix, the single-notched impact strength of the nanocomposite at room temperature reached 82.4 kJ/m2, which was 3.5 times that of the PVC matrix without CaCO3 (23.3 kJ/m2) and 4.6 times that of the PVC blend filled with micro-CaCO3 (17.9 kJ/m2). The tensile and flexural properties of nanocomposites were also prior to those of the composites with 500-nm and 25-μm CaCO3 particles. The CaCO3 particles could make the rheological property of PVC composites worse. Moreover, the effect of mass ratio of nano-CaCO3 and micro-CaCO3 on the properties of PVC door and window profile in industry was studied. When the mass ratio was 2.5/9, the profile could obtain good mechanical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soluble Flk-1, a soluble vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis, which could restrain growth and metastasis of some experimental tumors. However, antiangiogenic agents alone cannot eradicate tumor completely, and should be combined with other therapy to enhance their effects. In this study, we evaluated the antitumor activity of the combination therapy in the immunocompetent BALB/c mice bearing H22 hepatoma and Meth A fibrosarcoma, respectively. Mice were treated with either msFlk-1 i.m. at 100 μg/mouse once every 3 days for four times from day 3 after the tumor cell injection, cisplatin cycled twice (2 mg/kg i.p. on days 4 and 11 after the tumor cell inoculation), or both agents together. Tumor growth and survival time were continually observed. Antiangiogenesis in vivo was determined by CD31 immunohistochemistry. Assessment of apoptotic cells and histological analysis was also conducted in tumor tissues. Our results showed that the combination therapy could evidently improve antitumor efficacy, including tumor growth suppression, mice survival prolongation, tumor cell apoptosis augmentation as well as neovascularization inhibition as compared with controls, without serious adverse effects. Our data suggest that the combination of DDP with msFlk-1 is more effective to suppress tumor growth in mice than either agent alone, and this combination regimen showed its potential for future clinical application.Cancer Gene Therapy (2006) 13, 940–947. doi:10.1038/sj.cgt.7700958; published online 23 June 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the value of narrow-band imaging training for differentiating between benign and malignant vocal fold leukoplakia. Method: Thirty cases of vocal fold leukoplakia were selected. Results: Narrow-band imaging endoscopy training had a significant positive effect on the specificity of the differential diagnosis of vocal fold leukoplakia. In addition, the consistency of diagnostic typing of vocal fold leukoplakia by narrow-band imaging improved to 'moderate agreement' following the combination of types I and II and the combination of types IV, V and VI in the typing of vocal fold leukoplakia. Conclusion: The narrow-band imaging training course may improve the ability of laryngologists to diagnose vocal fold leukoplakia. The new endoscopic diagnostic classification by narrow-band imaging needs to be further simplified to facilitate clinical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Members of the genus Aeromonas are opportunistic pathogen of a variety of aquatic animals that exhibits multidrug resistance, phenotypes, virulence genes and virulence. The present study described the species distribution and the potential pathogenicity of Aeromonas isolated from healthy Northern snakehead (Channa argus) in China. Molecular identification revealed that A. veronii biovar veronii (69/167; 41·3%) and A. hydrophila (41/167; 24·6%) were the most common species found in Northern snakehead intestine based on sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and DNA gyrase subunit B protein. The distribution of seven virulence factors including aer (84·4%), act (80·8%), ser (40·1%), Aha (27·5%), lip (23·4%), exu (15·0%) and LuxS (12·6%) were determined exclusively in Aeromonas isolates. All the seven virulence genes were present in 9·6% (16/167), among which 11 strains were identified as A. veronii biovar veronii. For the strains harbouring seven virulence genes, the 50% lethal doses (LD50) of isolates were lower compared to the isolates carrying two virulence genes. The challenge tests revealed that isolate W31 had the lowest lethal dose, causing 50% mortality at 4·5 × 103 colony‐forming units (CFU) per ml. Furthermore, histopathology of Northern snakehead infected with Aeromonas strains showed necrosis and congestion in liver, spleen and kidney and also damage to the intestine. This study confirms that the Aeromonas strains isolated from healthy Northern snakehead may be a cause of concern for public health. Significance and Impact of the Study: Aeromonas species are widely distributed in aquatic environments and have considerable virulence potential. The aim of this study was to identify Aeromonas strains isolated from healthy Northern snakehead, and to investigate if Aeromonas species isolated from healthy fish potential pathogenicity with special reference to virulence and epidemiology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coherent dynamic property of neodymium yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) crystal at 77 K is studied via the conventional absorption, the femtosecond fringe-resolved wave packet interferometry, and the related difference-phase spectrum. The recorded interferogram exhibits beatings in subpicosecond time scale arising from the interferences among various weakly split 4f-electronic states and the coupled vibronic optical phonon sidebands. The electron-phonon coupling in Nd:YAG can be well described by multiple Brownian oscillators model involving in each individual electronic transition. The parameters for characterizing material coherence and relaxation are determined via the theoretical modelings of both the frequency and the time-domain experimental signals. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Premedication in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for higher lesions detection rate has not been well studied so far. This study aimed to confirm whether premedication could improve the detection rate of early cancer or precancerous lesions and mucosal visibility.Method: From July 2015 to December 2015, 7200 participants from 6 centers were screened by endoscopy with one of the 4 following premedications randomly: (1) water (group D); (2) pronase (group A); (3) simethicone (group B); (4) pronase and simethicone (group C). Early cancer and precancerous lesions detection rates were taken as the primary endpoints, and mucosal visibility was taken as the secondary endpoint. They were compared among four groups to determine different premedication effects in terms of different anatomical sites. Trial was registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry; the registration number is ChiCTR-IOR-17010985.Results: The upper gastrointestinal overall precancerous lesion detection rates among four groups were 8.7, 8.4, 10.0, and 10.3%, the overall early cancer detection rates were 1.3, 1.4%, 1.5, and 1.6%, both without significant difference (p = 0.138 and 0.878). However, the visibility score distributions between control group (D) and premedication groups (A, B, and C) were all statistically significant, with all anatomical sites p values < 0.001. Subgroup analyses, from 2 centers without screening before, also showed significant difference in esophageal (3.9, 3.3, 4.5, and 8.4% with p = 0.004) and overall (7.0, 5.5, 7.3, and 12.0% with p = 0.004) precancerous lesion detection rate.Conclusions: Premedication with pronase and simethicone may not increase lesion detection rates but could significantly increase the upper gastrointestinal mucosal visibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To explore the risk factors associated with the occurrence of synchronous oesophageal cancer in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer, and to investigate the roles of image-enhanced endoscopic screening in the prediction and diagnosis of early oesophageal cancer.Methods:The clinical characteristics of patients with hypopharyngeal cancer (n = 160) were analysed. All patients underwent laryngoscopic and gastroscopic examination using image-enhanced endoscopic techniques before treatment.Results:Of 160 hypopharyngeal cancer patients, 43 (27 per cent) had synchronous oesophageal cancer. Heavy drinking (odds ratio = 4.787, p = 0.029) and local invasion of three or more anatomical sites (odds ratio = 14.391, p = 0.000) were independent risk factors for synchronous oesophageal cancer. Narrow-band imaging laryngoscopy could detect more invaded anatomical sites than ordinary white light endoscopy (t = 8.532, p = 0.000). More early oesophageal cancer cases were detected with Lugol chromoendoscopy than with non-Lugol iodine staining examination (χ2 = 4.925, p = 0.026).Conclusion:Synchronous oesophageal cancer is common in patients with hypopharyngeal cancer. The heavy drinking patients with hypopharyngeal cancer should undergo intensive monitoring. Image-enhanced endoscopic screening is helpful in the prediction and early detection of second primary oesophageal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Antisense long non-coding RNAs (AS lncRNAs) play important roles in refined regulation of animal gene expression. However, their functions and molecular mechanisms for domestic animal adipogenesis are largely unknown. Here, we found a novel AS lncRNA transcribed from the porcine PU.1 gene (also known as SPI1) by strand-specific RT-PCR. Results showed that PU.1 AS lncRNA was expressed and generally lower than the level of PU.1 mRNA in porcine subcutaneous adipose, heart, liver, spleen, lympha, skeletal muscle and kidney tissues. We further found that the levels of PU.1 mRNA and PU.1 protein were significantly lower in subcutaneous and intermuscular adipose than in mesenteric and greater omentum adipose, whereas the levels of PU.1 AS lncRNA showed no difference in porcine adipose tissues from four different parts of the body. During porcine adipogenesis, levels of PU.1 mRNA increased at day 2 and then gradually decreased. Meanwhile, PU.1 AS lncRNA exhibited an expression trend similar to PU.1 mRNA but sharply decreased after day 2. Interestingly, PU.1 protein level rose during differentiation. In addition, at day 6 after differentiation, knockdown of endogenous PU.1 promoted adipogenesis, whereas knockdown of endogenous PU.1 AS lncRNA had the opposite effect. Moreover, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) were significantly upregulated in the PU.1 shRNA treatment group (P < 0.05), whereas they were downregulated in the PU.1 AS shRNA treatment group (P < 0.05). Adipose triglyceride lipase [ATGL; also known as patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 2 (PNPLA2)] and hormone-sensitive lipase [HSL; also known as lipase, hormone-sensitive (LIPE)] contrasted with PPARG and FASN. Finally, the PU.1 mRNA/PU.1 AS lncRNA duplex was detected by an endogenous ribonuclease protection assay combined with RT-PCR. Based on the above results, we suggest that PU.1 AS lncRNA (vs. its mRNA translation) promotes adipogenesis through the formation of a sense-antisense RNA duplex with PU.1 mRNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the DFT method the 33-atom intermetalloid [M13@Bi20]- clusters (M: 3d, 4d transition metals) which are composed of Bi20 pentagonal dodecahedra surrounded by M12 icosahedra with a single M atom at the center are systematically examined to explore the possibility of the clusters being superatoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study of electronic properties of graphene on an anisotropic crystal substrate including boron nitride (BN) has raised significant interest recently due to the application of graphene based vertical hetero-devices. We have performed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy studies of single-layer graphene on hexagonal BN (h-BN) substrates with an applied perpendicular magnetic field at low temperature. Different periodic moiré superlattices can be resolved with STM, and their quantized Landau levels in high magnetic field are investigated. The renormalized Fermi velocities of massless Dirac fermions in graphene are revealed to show dependent on the moiré superlattice. Density functional theory calculation verifies that the interlayer interaction between graphene and h-BN is stronger with smaller twisting angle between lattices of graphene and h-BN, thus, leading to a reduction in the velocity of charge carriers. Our results should provide valuable insight of electronic properties and device performance of graphene on crystal substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate different strategies for displaying the hypopharynx and oesophageal entrance during laryngoscopy for hypopharyngeal cancer.Patients and methods:A total of 113 patients with hypopharyngeal cancer underwent laryngoscopy prior to surgery. The hypopharynx was displayed by: (1) pulling the anterior cervical skin; (2) having the patient perform the Valsalva balloon-blowing manoeuvre; and (3) injecting oxygen through the biopsy channel to expose the oesophageal entrance. The effect of these methods on visualisation of primary tumour size and extent was assessed.Results:During pronunciation of the letter ‘e', the hypopharynx was displayed in only 33 patients (29.2 per cent); with anterior cervical skin traction plus the balloon-blowing manoeuvre, the hypopharynx was displayed in 106 patients (93.8 per cent; p < 0.001). The combined strategy was superior especially when judging the extent of posterior pharyngeal wall and postcricoid invasion. Oesophageal entrance involvement was visible in 33 patients upon injecting oxygen through the laryngoscopic biopsy channel, and in 25 patients during radiological examination; laryngoscopy was superior to radiological examination in determining the extent of oesophageal entrance invasion (p = 0.003).Conclusion:Adequate laryngoscopic display of the hypopharynx could increase the accuracy of pre-treatment hypopharyngeal cancer staging. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the ME value, standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) of fish meal, and the effects of single cell protein (Prosin and Protide) replacing fish meal in diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology in weaned piglets. In Exp. 1, twenty-four barrows with initial BW of 30.8±2.6 kg were allotted to one of four dietary treatments. Diet 1 contained corn as the only energy source. The other three diets replaced 20% of the corn in diet 1 with one of the three protein feeds (fish meal, Prosin and Protide), and the DE and ME contents were determined by difference. In Exp. 2, eight barrows (initial BW of 25.6±3.2 kg) were fitted with ileal T-cannulas and allotted to a replicated 4×4 Latin square design. Three cornstarch-based diets were formulated using each of the protein feeds as the sole source of AA. A nitrogen-free diet was also formulated to measure endogenous losses of AA. In Exp. 3, one hundred and eighty piglets (initial BW of 7.95±1.59 kg) weaned at 28±2 d were blocked by weight and assigned to one of five treatments for a 28-d growth performance study, each treatment was fed to six pens with six pigs (three barrows and three gilts) per pen. The five treatments consisted of the control group (CON), which was a corn-soybean meal diet containing 5% fish meal, and the other four treatments, which replaced a set amount of fish meal with either Prosin (2.5% or 5%) or Protide (2.5% or 5%). The diets were formulated to provide same nutrient levels. The results showed that on a DM basis, both of the DE and ME contents were lower in Prosin and Protide than that of fish meal (p<0.05). The SID of CP and all essential AA were greater in fish meal than in Prosin and Protide (p<0.05). The pigs fed CON diet had greater weight gain and lower feed conversion rate (FCR) than pigs fed 5% Prosin and 5% Protide diets (p<0.05). The digestibility of CP was greater in pigs fed CON, 2.5% Prosin and 2.5% Protide diets than the pigs fed 5% Prosin and 5% Protide diets (p<0.05). Villus height in jejunum and ileum, and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum were higher (p<0.05) in pigs fed CON, 2.5% Prosin and 2.5% Protide diets compared with the 5% Prosin and 5% Protide diets. Pigs fed CON diet had greater villus height to crypt depth ratio in the ileum than the pigs fed 5% Prosin and 5% Protide diets (p<0.05). In conclusion, although Prosin and Protide contained lower ME content and SID of AA than fish meal, Prosin and Protide replacing 50% of fish meal in diet with identical nutrient levels could obtain similar performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal morphology in weaned pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of programmed death-1 ( PD-1) as well as cytokine/chemokine expression and its correlation with virological response in patients with chronic hepatitis B ( CHB) is unclear. This study was conducted in 29 treatment-naïve patients undergoing telbivudine treatment for 52 weeks. The results showed that PD-1 expression on both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was positively correlated with hepatitis B virus ( HBV) DNA levels ( r = 0.621, P < 0.0001; r = 0.548, P = 0.002, respectively), and in virological responders, this decrease was directly correlated with a decrease in HBV DNA levels ( r = 0.664, P = 0.002; r = 0.572, P = 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, at the end of 52 weeks, in virological responders, the decreased rate in the frequency of PD-1+ CD8+ T cells was significantly higher than in non-virological responders (58.3% vs 25.7%, P = 0.001), and at weeks 24 and 52, in virological responders, PD-1 expression on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was lower than in non-virological responders ( P = 0.01 and P = 0.035; P < 0.0001 and P < 0.0001, respectively). In 34 cytokines/chemokines detected in serum, IP-10 expression was positively correlated with viral load, level of ALT and PD-1 expression on CD8+ and CD4+ T cells at baseline ( r = 0.36, P = 0.055, r = 0.635, P < 0.0001, r = 0.414, P = 0.026, and r = 0.402, P = 0.030, respectively). Moreover, the decrease in IP-10 in serum directly correlated with a decrease in ALT levels ( r = 0.751, P < 0.0001). At weeks 24 and 25, IP-10 expression was significantly lower than baseline in virological responders (both P = 0.005); however, this was not observed in nonresponders. Based on the above findings, PD-1 and IP-10 may be used as predictors for virological response, and blockade of their pathway may improve the outcome of patients with CHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and study aims: Endoscopic resection for esophageal squamous high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGIN) or intramucosal cancer (esophageal squamous cell carcinoma [ESCC]) with the endoscopic resection cap technique is technically difficult, and requires submucosal lifting and multiple snares for piecemeal resections. Multiband mucosectomy (MBM) is an easy-to-use endoscopic resection technique and may be the modality of choice in China, where ESCC is extremely prevalent. The aim of the current study was to prospectively evaluate MBM for piecemeal endoscopic resection of squamous neoplasia of the esophagus. Methods: Patients with HGIN/ESCC and no signs of submucosal invasion or metastatic disease were included in the study. Lesions were delineated using electrocoagulation and resected using the MBM technique. Endpoints were procedure time, endoscopic radicality, complications, histology of the endoscopic resection specimens, and absence of HGIN/ESCC at the endoscopic resection scar during follow-up. Results: A total of 41 patients (26 male; mean age 61 years) underwentMBM; all lesionswere visible with white light endoscopy (median length 5cm, interquartile range [IQR] 4-6 cm; median circumferential extent 42%, IQR 25-50%). Median procedure time was 12 minutes (IQR 8-24 minutes). Median number of resections was 5 (IQR 3-6). Endoscopic complete resection was achieved in all lesions. There was one perforation, which was treated by application of clips. No other complications were observed. The worst histology was ESCC (n=19), HGIN (n=17), middle grade intraepithelial neoplasia (n=4), and normal squamous epithelium (n=1). Endoscopic follow-up at 3 months showed HGIN at the endoscopic resection scar in two patients, which was effectively treated endoscopically, and showed normal squamous epithelium in all patients at final follow-up (median 15 months, IQR 12-24 months). Conclusion: This first prospective study on MBM for piecemeal endoscopic resection of early esophageal squamous neoplasia showed that MBM was effective for the complete removal of lesions with short procedure time, few complications, effective histological assessment of resected specimens, and durable treatment effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To investigate the characteristics of the laryngeal mucosal microvascular network in suspected laryngeal cancer patients, using narrow band imaging, and to evaluate the value of narrow band imaging endoscopy in the early diagnosis of laryngeal precancerous and cancerous lesions.Patients and methods:Eighty-five consecutive patients with suspected precancerous or cancerous laryngeal lesions were enrolled in the study. Endoscopic narrow band imaging findings were classified into five types (I to V) according to the features of the mucosal intraepithelial papillary capillary loops assessed.Results:A total of 104 lesions (45 malignancies and 59 nonmalignancies) was detected under white light and narrow band imaging modes. The sensitivity and specificity of narrow band imaging in detecting malignant lesions were 88.9 and 93.2 per cent, respectively. The intraepithelial papillary capillary loop classification, as determined by narrow band imaging, was closely associated with the laryngeal lesions' histological findings. Type I to IV lesions were considered nonmalignant and type V lesions malignant. For type Va lesions, the sensitivity and specificity of narrow band imaging in detecting severe dysplasia or carcinoma in situ were 100 and 79.5 per cent, respectively. In patients with type Vb and Vc lesions, the sensitivity and specificity of narrow band imaging in detecting invasive carcinoma were 83.8 and 100 per cent, respectively.Conclusion:Narrow band imaging is a promising approach enabling in vivo differentiation of nonmalignant from malignant laryngeal lesions by evaluating the morphology of mucosal capillaries. These results suggest endoscopic narrow band imaging may be useful in the early detection of laryngeal cancer and precancerous lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Multiple-choice assays were conducted in the laboratory to examine the effect of CO2-induced changes in leaf quality on growth, nutritional indices and preferences of the gypsy moth ( Lymantria dispar) larvae. The tested tree species, one-year-old aspen ( Populus pseudo-simonii Kitag.), two-year-old birch ( Betula platyphylla) and three-year-old oak ( Quercus mongolica Fisch.) were transplanted to open-top chambers at ambient or elevated CO2 (650 ppm) concentrations in May 2005. The present study was conducted in 2006. Leaves from the upper and lower crowns of each tree species were sampled and analysed, respectively. On both measurement dates (24 July 2006 and 16 August 2006), there were significant CO2 effects on levels of condensed tannin, starch, nitrogen and C : N ratio. But only on the latter date, were the concentrations of total phenolics, soluble sugar, carbon and total non-structural carbohydrates significantly affected by elevated CO2. Leaf dry weight content and specific leaf weight were almost completely unaffected by CO2 enrichment. Gypsy moth larvae exhibited a clear selectivity for tested leaf types (leaves from the upper and lower crowns of each tree species) even in their early instar stage, with the upper leaves of P. pseudo-simonii being the most preferable and the lower leaves of Q. mongolica being the least preferred. The changes in leaf quality significantly reduced larval growth and altered partial indices of insect performance (e.g., relative growth rate and relative consumption rate). However, at least in this short-term choice feeding assay (13 days), the CO2-induced changes in leaf quality had no significant effects on food preference behaviour of the gypsy moth larvae, neither within the limited range of host plants nor within the leaves at different canopy heights of the same tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amorphous alloys of Co50Fe20Cu2V8B20 are successfully obtained by using the mechanical alloying technique. The sample is analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The DSC result of the powder sample milled for 120 h shows a complete amorphous phase and a wide supercooled liquid region (Tx - Tg ≃ 80 K). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (05CC) is a common cancer worldwide and has a very high mortality rate. Squamous dysplasia is the precursor lesion for 05CC and it can be seen during routine endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining. We aimed to examine the risk factors for squamous dysplasia and determine if a risk model could be constructed which would be useful in selecting apparently healthy subjects for endoscopic screening in a high risk population in Linzhou, People's Republic of China. Subjects and methods: In this cross sectional study, 724 adult volunteers aged 40-65 years were enrolled. All subjects completed a questionnaire regarding potential environmental exposures, received physical and dental examinations, and underwent upper endoscopy with Lugol's iodine staining and biopsy. Subjects were categorised as having or not having histologically proven squamous dysplasia/early cancer. Risk factors for dysplasia were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The utility of the final multivariate model as a screening tool was assessed using a receiver operating characteristics curve. Results: We found that 230 of 720 subjects (32%) with complete data had prevalent squamous dysplasia. In the final multivariate model, more household members (odds ratio (OR) 1.1 2/member (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99, 1.25)), a family history of cancer (OR 1.57(95% Cl 1.13-2.18)), higher systolic blood pressure OR 1.11/10 mm Hg (95% CI 1.03-1.19)), heating the home without a chimney (OR 2.22(95% CI 1.27-3.86)), and having lost more but not all of your teeth (OR 1.91 for 12-31 teeth lost (95% CI 1.17- 3.15)) were associated with higher odds of having dysplasia. Higher household income (OR 0.96/ 100 RMB (95% CI 0.91-1.00)) was associated with a lower odds of having dysplasia. Although we found several statistically significant associations, the final model had little ability to accurately predict dysplasia status, with maximum simultaneous sensitivity and specificity values of 57% and 54%, respectively. Conclusions: We found that risk factors for dysplasia were similar to those previously identified as risk factors for OSCC in this population. The final model did a poor job of identifying subjects who had squamous dysplasia. Other methods will need to be developed to triage individuals to endoscopy in this high risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) nano-SiO2 composites were prepared by melt blending and the mechanical and optical properties of the composites were investigated. The results show that the elastic modulus of the composites significantly increases with the increase of SiO2 content while the breaking elongation remains unchanged for lower contents of the SiO2 . Both the impact strength and tensile strength of composites are slightly improved with an increase of nano-SiO2 content and reach a maximum when 3 wt% nano-SiO2 is introduced. The infrared absorptivity (ranging from 7 µm to 11 µm) and the ultraviolet absorptivity of the composites increase dramatically with the introduction of a small amount of nano-SiO2 . Although the visible light transmittance of the composites declines a little compared with pure LLDPE, the haze value increases greatly. It was found also that the surface-treatment methods of the nano-SiO2 have great influence on the optical properties of the composites. The infrared (IR) absorptivity as well as the haze value of the LLDPE filled with the nano-SiO2 treated with silane coupling agent under ultrasonics are superior to those of the LLDPE filled with the nano-SiO2 treated with coupling agent when mixed in a mill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]