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Scanning x-ray microbeam topography and fluorescence experiments were conducted in situ to study the electromigration behavior of a 0.5 μm thick, 10 μm wide, and 200 μm long Al(0.25 at. % Cu) conductor line with 1.5 μm-thick SiO2 passivation on a single crystal Si substrate. The strain sensitivity of x-ray topography measurement allowed detailed examination of the electromigration-induced stress distribution and evolution in the conductor line in response to the depletion of Cu solute early in the electromigration process. Upon electromigration at 0.4 MA/cm2 and 303 °C, a short-range stress gradient was quickly induced by Al migration in the Cu-depleted cathode region to counteract further Al flow. The stress gradient was fully developed during the 5.3 h incubation time, extending over the critical Blech length of about 66 μm from the cathode end. Plastic deformation then occurred at the downstream end of the Cu-depleted region. The preferential electromigration of Cu did not cause detectable stress change outside the Cu-depleted region, except for the significant stress development from the Al2Cu precipitation at the anode end which appeared to initiate the fracture in the passivation. Preliminary finite difference modeling was undertaken to simulate the experimental observations, from which important parameters dictating electromigration in Al(Cu) line were extracted: an apparent effective valence of −5.6 and −1.9 for Cu and Al in Al(Cu), respectively, and a critical Cu concentration of 0.16 at. % above which Al grain boundary diffusion is effectively blocked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexoelectricity, referring to the electrical polarization generated by strain gradients, is an electromechanical coupling phenomenon in all dielectric materials. Based on the Kirchhoff plate theory, this paper investigates the influence of flexoelectricity on the electromechanical coupling response of piezoelectric circular nanoplates with different electric boundary conditions. Using the variational principle and Gibbs free energy, the governing equations and boundary conditions of piezoelectric nanoplates are derived. The analytical solutions of the deflection, polarization, and induced electric potential are obtained. The results show that the flexoelectric effect is size-dependent and has a more significant influence on the electrostatic responses than the piezoelectric effect at the nanoscale. The results also show that the induced electric potential due to the flexoelectric effect may be helpful for sensing or energy harvesting designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydraulic column is the key component of the hydraulic support in the mining environment. To improve a hydraulic column's reliability and service life, the Fe-based laser clad layer was prepared on 27SiMn steel substrate using a high power diode laser (HPDL). The results show that the best process parameters are the laser power of 3000 W, the scanning speed of 5 mm/s, the feeding fraction of 16 g/min and the lapping rate of 50%. The macroscopic morphology of the laser clad layer has no cracks, pits and other defects. The laser clad layer has a fine and uniform microstructure and can form a metallurgical bonding with the 27SiMn steel substrate. Elements distribution is uniform and it appears fluctuation around the melting line. The cladding hardness is 1.3 times higher than the substrate and the wear resistance is 7.7 times higher than the substrate. The self-corrosion potential of the laser clad layer is significantly shifted positively and has a significant passivation region. After 96 hours of salt pray corrosion test, the surface of the laser clad layer is still smooth. The laser clad layer has better corrosion resistance and performance than the substrate, which can meet the requirements of hydraulic support in the mining environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An explanation using nonlocal quantum electrodynamics (QED) for lepton g − 2 anomalies is provided that is a simple extension of the standard model. This solution is based on the same gauge symmetry as QED without introducing any new particles and interactions. The correlation functions in the nonlocal strength tension and lepton–photon interaction make it possible to explain the discrepancies of both Δ a μ and Δ a e . With the same approach, the discrepancy of the anomalous magnetic moment of τ leptons from the standard model is estimated in the range from 1.19 × 10−5 to 3.21 × 10−3, which is covered by the current experimental uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hydraulic column is the key component of the hydraulic support in the mining environment. To improve a hydraulic column’s reliability and service life, the Fe-based laser clad layer was prepared on 27SiMn steel substrate using a high power diode laser (HPDL). The results show that the best process parameters are the laser power of 3000 W, the scanning speed of 5 mm/s, the feeding fraction of 16 g/min and the lapping rate of 50%. The macroscopic morphology of the laser clad layer has no cracks, pits and other defects. The laser clad layer has a fine and uniform microstructure and can form a metallurgical bonding with the 27SiMn steel substrate. Elements distribution is uniform and it appears fluctuation around the melting line. The cladding hardness is 1.3 times higher than the substrate and the wear resistance is 7.7 times higher than the substrate. The self-corrosion potential of the laser clad layer is significantly shifted positively and has a significant passivation region. After 96 hours of salt pray corrosion test, the surface of the laser clad layer is still smooth. The laser clad layer has better corrosion resistance and performance than the substrate, which can meet the requirements of hydraulic support in the mining environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lane detection is a key link in intelligent assisted driving systems. In order to improve the accuracy and realtime performance of lane line detection, the paper proposes an new lane detection method of intelligent assisted driving system based on convolutional neural networks. Firstly, along the scanning line of the LiDAR, a sliding window is used to extract road surface points. Secondly, based on the extraction results of road surface points, the edge of lane lines is enhanced through prior features of lane lines, and lane segments are extracted using line operation functions. Finally, normalize the extracted lane segments and establish a lane detection model through layer by layer training based on convolutional neural networks. The experimental results show that this method can improve the accuracy of lane detection, shorten detection time with maximum detection time 0.5 seconds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce a LabVIEW-based control program that significantly improves the efficiency and flexibility in positioning and shooting solid targets in laser–plasma experiments. The hardware driven by this program incorporates a target positioning subsystem and an imaging subsystem, which enables us to install up to 400 targets for one experimental campaign and precisely adjust them in six freedom degrees. The overall architecture and the working modes of the control program are demonstrated in detail. In addition, we characterized the distributions of target positions of every target holder and simultaneously saved the target images, resulting in a large dataset that can be used to train machine learning models and develop image recognition algorithms. This versatile control system has become an indispensable platform when preparing and conducting laser–plasma experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zanthoxylum armatum DC. is an economic tree species sensitive to waterlogging. Melatonin can improve the waterlogging tolerance of plants. In this study, we investigated the effects of different waterlogging times (including 0, 1, 2 and 3 d) and melatonin concentration (including 0, 400 and 800 μmol/L) on photosynthetic pigments, photosynthetic capabilities and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters of Z. armatum seedlings under waterlogging stress. Our results showed that waterlogging stress decreased the chlorophyll contents, photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm), quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (Y(II)), effective photochemical quantum yield of PSII (), as well as efficiency of electron transfer (ETR) with the increase of waterlogging time. On the contrary, the intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), photochemical quenching (qP) and nonphotochemical quenching coefficient (NPQ) increased under waterlogging stress. However, melatonin could mitigate waterlogging-induced reductions in photosynthetic capacity. Melatonin improved photosynthesis by enhancing the chlorophyll and carotenoid content and photosynthesis rate. In addition, melatonin promotes stomatal function, electron transport in PSII and photosynthesis efficiency. Melatonin had a concentration-dependent effect on Z. armatum seedlings under waterlogging stress, and the optimum concentration is 400 μmol/L. It indicated that exogenous melatonin application could effectively ameliorate the repression of photosynthesis caused by waterlogging, and thus enhance the seedling tolerance to waterlogging stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global population continues to grow, so does the demand for food. However, the conventional agricultural practices that have sustained us for decades are now facing unprecedented challenges. Climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss are threatening our ability to feed the world's population. In response to these challenges, eco-friendly farming practices are gaining momentum as a way to promote sustainable agriculture. In this article, we will explore the concept of ecofriendly farming, its benefits, and some innovative practices that are revolutionizing the agricultural industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films were fabricated on (011)- and (001)-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)1 − xTixO3 (PMN-PT) substrates to investigate the mechanism of electric field regulation. Both (011)- and (001)-LSMO/PMN-PT heterostructures exhibit electric-field-dependent resistance curves with an asymmetric butterfly shape under a bipolar electric field (±10 kV/cm). Confirmed through a mathematical method, the "butterfly" and "asymmetric" characteristics indicate the volatile strain and non-volatile ferroelectric field effects, respectively. However, by applying a unipolar electric field, the electric-field-dependent resistance curves of the (011)-LSMO/PMN-PT heterostructures present a larger loop shape than those in the (001)-LSMO/PMN-PT heterostructure, which is related to the non-volatile strain effect. The volatile strain, non-volatile strain, and ferroelectric field effects on the resistance of the LSMO films are associated with the enhanced or weakened double exchange coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological advancements lead to the development of a home energy management system (HEMS) to perform demand side management (DSM) in residential houses. The current study proposes a DSM strategy to minimize electricity bills in a DC residential house considering the predictions of electrical load consumption and solar photovoltaic (PV) power based on long short-term memory networks. A simulation study compares the proposed DSM strategy against four alternate scenarios, the result shows that the proposed DSM strategy has the lowest annual energy cost increment (5.81%) compared to the benchmark scenario where it is assumed to have the ideal predictions of the load consumption and solar PV power. It also shows that the predictions of the load consumption and solar PV power are essential for economically sensible DSM, however further analysis reveals that the prediction errors do not correlate with the differences in daily energy costs (or daily peak powers) resulting from the proposed DSM strategy and benchmark scenario. Finally, the proposed DSM strategy is experimentally validated on a small-scale hardware-in-the-loop test platform to demonstrate the feasibility of its practical implementation in a HEMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between processing parameters, microstructure, and mechanical properties of Al-8.3Fe-1.3V-1.8Si alloy processed by laser powder bed fusion is seldom studied. Therefore, fully dense alloys with two parameters were selected to investigate this key issue. The results show that the alloy with low power and scanning speed (S200) shows fan-shell-shaped melt pools and laser tracks while another (S350) shows a deeper and wider melt pool. Both alloys obtain a heterogeneous microstructure without a secondary phase in melt pool (MP) and a nano-sized phase in melt pool boundary (MPB). The difference between solid-solution strengthening and Orowan strengthening in MP and MPB contributes to the difference in compressive yield strength (S200: 380 ± 14 MPa and S350: 705 ± 16 MPa), and heterogeneous nano-hardness results in different crack behaviours and failure strains. This work indicates that adjusting processing parameters is an effective method to control microstructure and mechanical properties of this alloy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polarized radio emission of RRAT J1854+0306 is investigated with single pulses using Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. Its emission is characterized by nulls, narrow and weak pulses, and occasional wide and intense bursts with a nulling fraction of 53.2 per cent. Its burst emission is typically of one rotation, and occasionally of two or three or even five rotations at the most, but without significant periodicity. The integrated pulse profile has an 'S'-shaped position angle curve that is superposed with orthogonal modes, from which geometry parameters are obtained. Individual pulses exhibit diverse profile morphology with single, double, or multiple peaks. The intensity and width of these pulses are highly correlated, and bright pulses generally have wide profiles with multiple peaks. These nulling behaviours, profile morphology, and polarization demonstrate that a rotating radio transient has the same physical origins as the normal pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 38-year-old woman experienced a persistent dry cough and progressively worsening dyspnoea for 2 years. Spirometry testing revealed a moderate-to-severe restrictive abnormality. High-resolution chest computed tomography showed diffuse reticulonodular opacities. A lung biopsy disclosed alveolar parenchymal inflammation and fibrosis with bronchiolocentric features, prompting consideration of interstitial pneumonia. Following a thorough investigation of her occupational history and an on-site inspection, it was discovered that the patient had been grinding drill bits designed for printed circuit boards for 8 years, exposing her to hard metals. Mineralogical analyses confirmed excessive tungsten in urine, serum and hair, leading to a diagnosis of hard metal lung disease due to tungsten carbide–cobalt exposure. After discontinuing exposure and commencing corticosteroid therapy, her symptoms, pulmonary function and imaging showed modest improvement. This case highlights the significance of assessing occupational history in patients with interstitial pneumonia and understanding industrial hazards for accurate diagnosis and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Male germ cells are connected by intercellular bridges (ICBs) in a syncytium due to incomplete cytokinesis. Syncytium is thought to be important for synchronized germ cell development by interchange of cytoplasmic factors via ICBs. Mammalian ADP-ribosylation factor 6 (ARF6) is a small GTPase that is involved in many cellular mechanisms including but not limited to regulating cellular structure, motility, vesicle trafficking and cytokinesis. ARF6 localizes to ICBs in spermatogonia and spermatocytes in mice. Here we report that mice with global depletion of ARF6 in adulthood using Ubc -CreERT2 display no observable phenotypes but are male sterile. ARF6-deficient males display a progressive loss of germ cells, including LIN28A-expressing spermatogonia, and ultimately develop Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. Specifically, intercellular bridges are lost in ARF6-deficient testis. Furthermore, germ cell-specific inactivation using the Ddx4 -CreERT2 results in the same testicular morphological phenotype, showing the germ cell-intrinsic requirement of ARF6. Therefore, ARF6 is essential for spermatogenesis in mice and this function is conserved from Drosophila to mammals. [Display omitted] • Arf6 null adult male mice were infertile, exhibiting a Sertoli-cell-only phenotype. • Germline-specific Arf6 deletion results in similar progressive loss of germ cells. • ARF6 is a component of intercellular bridges in male germ cells. • Arf6 deletion resulted in disruption of germ cell intercellular bridges. • ARF6 plays an essential germ-cell-autonomous role in spermatogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the 2018 outburst of the black hole transient H 1743 − 322 with a series of Insight-HXMT, NICER , and NuSTAR observations, covering the 1–120 keV band. With our broad-band X-ray spectral modelling, we confirm that the source remained in the low/hard state throughout the month-long outburst, although it became marginally softer at peak flux. We detected Type-C quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) and followed the evolution of their properties. The QPO frequency increased from ∼0.1 to ∼0.4 Hz during the rising phase of the outburst and decreased again in the decline. Continuum X-ray flux, power-law photon index, QPO frequency, and QPO root-mean-square amplitude were positively correlated. The QPO amplitude was slightly higher in the soft X-ray band (typical values of 12–16 per cent, compared with 8–10 per cent in the hard band). Our spectral-timing results shed light on the initial rising phase in the low/hard state, which has rarely been monitored with such high cadence, time resolution, and broad-band coverage. Combining spectral and timing properties, we find that 'failed' (hard state only) and 'successful' outbursts follow the same initial evolutionary track, although the former class of outburst never reaches the threshold for a transition to softer (thermally dominated) accretion regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional longwall layout (CLL) for mining coal, trona, etc. is still fraught with problems including low resource recovery, wavy ground surface subsidence, bumps or rockbursts, gateroad support and maintenance, poisonous air hazard, spontaneous combustion in coal mines, instability of equipment at inclined, or steeply inclined working face, etc. In order to improve longwall mining, a novel alternate longwall panel layout that has been employed for over 20 years in China, Australia, and Russia, etc. is proposed termed "split-level longwall layout" (SLL). Gateroads on either end of the same SLL panel are split level, i.e., placed in different levels. This paper provides a review of existing research literature and insights on the problems encountered in CLL and the improvement of the new approach. Theoretical, numerical analysis, and field observation results of the new strategy demonstrate that the problems mentioned above in CLL are mitigated, and the development entries using the improved longwall system have a better stress environment with associated reduction in large roadway convergence, coal bumps or outbursts, and many other issues on ground control. Based on the current development of SLL and the future requirement of mining industry, the prospects as well as its applications, limitations, and concerns for SLL are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current–voltage characteristics and low-frequency (LF) noise of industrial-quality AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs pseudomorphic high-electron-mobility transistors are evaluated as a function of bias stress and temperature. A small positive shift of threshold voltage Vth and negligible degradation in peak transconductance GM are observed under ON-state bias conditions at elevated temperatures. The Vth measurements suggest activation of an acceptor-like defect or impurity center. The GM measurements demonstrate that newly activated defects are not located close enough to the two-dimensional electron gas to scatter carriers strongly. First-principles calculations and comparisons with previous work suggest that OAs impurity centers, other oxygen-related defects, isolated AsGa antisites, and dopant-based DX centers may contribute significantly to low-frequency (LF) noise in as-processed devices. LF noise is relatively unaffected by voltage stress at elevated temperatures, consistent with the small changes in Vth and peak GM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) combined with chemotherapy has been widely used in the first-line treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. However, the efficacy of ICIs for patients with brain metastases (BMs) of SCLC is limited. There are no effective factors to predict the efficacy. We developed and validate a model to predict intracranial efficacy for ICIs in patients with BMs from SCLC by using MRI radiomics. In this study, we collected 101 SCLC patients with BMs treated with ICIs. They clinical characteristics and pre-treatment Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) were collected. Seventy cases collected from our hospital as training cohort and 31 cases collected from another hospital as an independent validation cohort. Brain metastatic lesions were contoured on ITK-SNAP software and 3748 radiomic features capturing both intra- and peritumoral texture patterns were extracted. The primary endpoint of this study was intracranial overall response rate (ORR). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and random forest (RF) model were used to select radiomic features. The top 10 selected radiomic features were adopted to build prognostic models by using logistic regression. Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) was chosen as the metric to assess model performances. We also performed a nomogram based on a multivariate logistic regression model includes radiomic and clinical features to predict ICIs intracranial efficacy. The clinical characteristics including number of treatment lines and concurrent brain radiotherapy, ten intratumoral signatures and one peritumoral signatures were found significantly associated with ICIs intracranial efficacy. Predictors contained in the individualized prediction nomogram included the radiomics signature, and clinical features. The model showed favorable discrimination with a C-index of 0.861[95% CI: 0.779-0.943] and AUC of 0.861[95% CI: 0.778- 0.944] in training cohort and with a C-index of 0.812[95% CI: 0.647-0.978] and AUC of 0.812[95% CI:0.646-0.979] in the test cohort. Radiomic features from pre-treatment MRI images were predictive for intracranial efficacy in SCLC patients with BMs. Pre-treatment radiomics may allow early prediction of benefit and expedite more aggressive treatment for high-risk patients and it has to be further explored as predictor of outcome in a larger series of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multilayered thermoelectric material bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is widely used in engineering owing to its exceptional thermoelectric performance at room temperature. However, Bi2Te3 is prone to cracks, voids, or other defects due to its multilayered structure, leading to decreased device lifetime and reliability. Objective: This paper aims at stably and precisely measuring the interlaminar fracture toughness (IFT) of multilayered Bi2Te3 for the reliability evaluation of Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric devices. In addition, we seek a method to stably measure the IFT even for very brittle materials. Methods: We developed a tapered cantilever bending (TCB) experiment to obtain the IFT. The experimental specimens were fabricated using a focused ion beam (FIB) technique at the micro scale, and the initial interlaminar crack was introduced by the notch method. Results: By performing the TCB experiment, we created an ideally sharp pre-crack and observed stable crack propagation. The critical energy release rate (ERR) for crack propagation obtained in the present paper is around 0.51–0.53 J/m2, which agrees reasonably with theoretical van der Waals (vdW) interlaminar interaction energy. Conclusions: The proposed method can be well-applied in assessing IFTs of multilayered materials, even for very brittle multilayered 2D materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The klystron-based Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) was initially proposed with a low center-of-mass energy of 380 GeV, primarily due to potential cost-effectiveness. To enhance overall cost-efficiency, reliability, and stability, a novel RF module for klystron-based CLIC main linac has been designed and studied. This RF module utilizes two X-band klystrons to feed eight traveling wave accelerating structures, resulting in a beam energy increase of 138 MeV. A key innovation of the new RF module is the integration of double-height waveguides, which contributes to a 30% reduction in surface fields and a 40% decrease in RF loss. To meet the double-height requirement, a majority of the RF components responsible for transmitting the high RF power underwent a redesign. Two solutions, based on the choke mode flange and the L-shape waveguide, were proposed to facilitate the adjustment of the accelerating structures for beam-based alignment. Additionally, bent damping waveguides and HOM loads and a high order Magic-T, were designed for the accelerating structure named CLIC-K. The paper will comprehensively present and describe both the RF design and the integration of the klystron-based CLIC module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high frequency impact vibration stress relief (HFIVSR) technology is studied. The S355 steel specimens with large tensile residual stress were prepared by laser surface treatment with a fibre laser, which is used to simulate the welding process. Then the effects of the HFIVSR on residual stress and microstructure for the S355 steel specimens were discussed. In addition, the multi-degree of freedom (DOF) system model of metal particles was developed to reveal the mechanism of the HFIVSR. The experimental results indicate that the tensile residual stress can be effectively eliminated and homogenized by the HFIVSR. The HFIVSR will not change the microstructure of the materials and there are no considerable changes in the grain size for the S355 steel before and after the HFIVSR; furthermore, the HFIVSR can slow down the lattice distortion energy and thus the tensile residual stresses in the S355 steel specimens can be eliminated. The HFIVSR process is expected to be widely used in field of the mechanical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exponential time differencing (ETD) formulation for the stretched coordinate perfectly matched layer (PML) is proposed through the Taylor expansion. This general D and B formulation can be used to truncate arbitrary media in the FDTD simulations. The numerical experiments validate the effectiveness of the ETD schemes. The computational efficiency of the ETD algorithm is identical to that of simple auxiliary differential equation method. The ETD is superior to any other implementation of the stretched coordinate and uniaxial PMLs. The optimum value of the effective relative permittivity for the inhomogeneous media can reduce the peak relative reflection error of the PML by about 15 dB relative to the average value. The performance of the PML is improved remarkably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum chromodynamics is the fundamental theory to describe strong interaction, where quarks and gluons have the color degrees of freedom. However, a single quark or gluon cannot be separated out and all observable particles are color singlet states. Color confinement or quark confinement conjecture can be proved by considering not only the strong interaction but also the electroweak interaction, which is the SU (3) c invariant. Any measurable state that has to be a color singlet is the direct consequence of the common symmetry of the standard model. Color non-singlet objects are created from the big bang when the interaction breaks SU (3) c symmetry based on the non-local Lagrangian. There is nearly no interaction between colored objects and the color singlet Universe when the momentum transfer is not large enough. Colored objects are reasonable candidates of dark matter and the missing anti-matter in the Universe can also be easily explained. Dark matter can be produced in a laboratory, which can be tested by measuring the energy loss and baryon number change in the extremely high energy collisions of particles and anti-particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of aromatic antioxidants 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT) and diphenylamine (DPA) on the thermal-oxidative degradation of base oils 150N was studied by using the hot oil oxidation test (HOOT) with temperatures varying from 100 to 200°C and times ranging from 1–24 h. Qualitative as well as quantitative analyses of the base oils and their fractions were done using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) and spectroscopic (FTIR, UV–visible) techniques to gain a better understanding of their compositional and structural details. Oxidization processes were also studied and structural changes resulting from thermal oxidation were identified. The results indicate that the addition of antioxidants causes an obvious enhancement in the resistance of base oils to thermal-oxidative degradation. Moreover, the mixture of antioxidants shows better thermal-oxidative resistance than the phenolic or diphenylamine antioxidants alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain mediated structure, magnetic, and transport properties of spinel ferrites were investigated by growing epitaxial LuxFe3–xO4 (LFO, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0:26) films on SrTiO3 and MgO substrates with inplane compressive and tensile strains, respectively. The lattice parameter of LFO films decreases on SrTiO3 substrates, while increases on MgO substrates with the increasing Lu content. The LFO films on SrTiO3 substrates exhibit larger saturation magnetization and smaller exchange bias and coercive field. Phase shift of anisotropic magnetoresistance is also observed in the LFO films on SrTiO3 substrates. In addition, the nonmagnetic Lu3+ ions in spinel ferrites enhance the spin canting, which further increases the exchange bias and coercive field and strengthens the four-fold symmetry of anisotropic magnetoresistance and the two-fold symmetry of planar Hall effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain mediated structure, magnetic, and transport properties of spinel ferrites were investigated by growing epitaxial LuxFe3-xO4 (LFO, 0 ≤ x ≤ 0:26) films on SrTiO3 and MgO substrates with inplane compressive and tensile strains, respectively. The lattice parameter of LFO films decreases on SrTiO3 substrates, while increases on MgO substrates with the increasing Lu content. The LFO films on SrTiO3 substrates exhibit larger saturation magnetization and smaller exchange bias and coercive field. Phase shift of anisotropic magnetoresistance is also observed in the LFO films on SrTiO3 substrates. In addition, the nonmagnetic Lu3+ ions in spinel ferrites enhance the spin canting, which further increases the exchange bias and coercive field and strengthens the four-fold symmetry of anisotropic magnetoresistance and the two-fold symmetry of planar Hall effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timing observations are crucial for determining the basic parameters of newly discovered pulsars. Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) with the L-band 19-beam receiver covering the frequency range of 1.0–1.5 GHz, the FAST Galactic Plane Pulsar Snapshot (GPPS) Survey has discovered more than 600 faint pulsars with flux densities of only a few or a few tens of μJy at 1.25 GHz. To obtain accurate position, spin parameters and dispersion measure of a pulsar, and to calculate derived parameters such as the characteristic age and surface magnetic field, we collect available FAST pulsar data obtained either through targeted follow-up observations or through coincidental survey observations with one of the 19 beams of the receiver. From these data we obtain time of arrival (TOA) measurements for 30 newly discovered pulsars as well as for 13 known pulsars. We demonstrate that the TOA measurements acquired by the FAST from any beams of the receiver in any observation mode (e.g. the tracking mode or the snapshot mode) can be combined to get timing solutions. We update the ephemerides of 13 previously known pulsars and obtain the first phase-coherent timing results for 30 isolated pulsars discovered in the FAST GPPS Survey. Notably, PSR J1904+0853 is an isolated millisecond pulsar, PSR J1906+0757 is a disrupted recycled pulsar, and PSR J1856+0211 has a long period of 9.89 s that can constrain pulsar death lines. Based on these timing solutions, all available FAST data have been added together to obtain the best pulse profiles for these pulsars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet volume has been shown to prognostic value in patients with colorectal cancer. However, the changes of other platelet-associated biomarkers in rectal cancer patients, before and after the neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT), remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the prognostic value of platelet-associated biomarkers in rectal cancer patients with NACRT. A total of 75 patients with locally advanced (T3–4 or N+) rectal cancer (LARC) cancer were selected and followed up from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2013 and September 2016. The data of platelet-associated biomarkers, including the platelet count, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte to monocyte ratio (LMR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) both pre- and post- NACRT, were collected. The associations between these platelet-associated biomarkers and the overall survival (OS), as well as disease-free survival (DFS) of patients, were analysed. Patients were divided into groups with high or low values of the platelet-associated biomarkers, and the outcomes were compared by using Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier analysis. We found that pre-PLR (HR: 4.104; 95%CI: 1.411–11.421; P = 0.009) and pre-LMR (HR: 0.384; 95%CI: 0.124–1.185; P = 0.066) could predict the OS in LARC patients after NACRT by multivariate Cox regression analysis, a cut-off value of pre-PLR > 7.02 and pre-LMR ≤ 7.10 could be used as independent prognostic factors for OS by Kaplan–Meier method. The pre-MPV value could be used as an independent prognostic factor for DFS by Kaplan–Meier analysis (P = 0.037). Moreover, post-CEA was correlated with OS and DFS in LARC patients with NACRT. In LARC patients with NACRT, the pre-PLR and pre-LMR are independent prognostic factors for OS, while pre-MPV has predictive value for DFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of the rotating vector model in the case of magnetars are calculated. Magnetars may have twisted magnetic field compared with normal pulsars. The polarization position angle of magnetars will change in the case of a twisted magnetic field. For a twisted dipole field, we found that the position angle will change both vertically and horizontally. During the untwisting process of the magnetar magnetosphere, the modifications of the position angle will evolve with time monotonously. This may explain the evolution of the position angle in magnetar PSR J1622-4950 and XTE J1810-197. The relation between the emission point and the line of sight will also change. We suggest every magnetospheric models of magnetars also calculate the corresponding changes of position angle in their models. Order of magnitude estimation formula for doing this is given. This opens the possibility to extract the magnetic field geometry of magnetars from their radio polarization observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of a stay-green mutation on photosynthetic efficiency in hybrid offspring of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), the parameters of photosynthesis and chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence were compared between a new stay-green variety Jinda Zhilv No. 1 (Z1) and one of its parents Jinda No. 74 (JD74). During leaf natural senescence, the Chl degradation attenuated in Z1. The net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were consistently higher in Z1 than that in JD74 after flowering. The decreases of maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII, actual photochemical efficiency of PSII, and photochemical quenching coefficient were greater in JD74 than in Z1. Transcriptional levels of most genes involved in photosystems were much higher in Z1. All these effectively contributed to maintained photosystem stability and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and yield in Z1. We also revealed that the STAY-GREEN gene mutation was responsible for inhibiting Chl degradation in Z1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modulus is an important factor in developing biomedical Ti-implants, and the high modulus of commercial TC4 alloy manufactured by laser powder bed fusion technology (LPBF) limits its applications in biomedical sector. This work proposed a low-cost and low-modulus 5 vol% Mo particles reinforced TC4 composites by LPBF with powder mixture. The results showed a phase transformation, which is the α′ phase to β phase via X-ray phase analysis due to the addition of Mo particles in the TC4 matrix, obtaining decreased modulus from 100±14 GPa to 64 ± 3 GPa and a significantly increased elongation from 14 ± 2% to 29 ± 1%. The fracture surface shows that the Mo particles' plastic deformation can effectively improve the plasticity of Mo (p) /TC4 composites. This work may pave the way for developing low-modulus Ti-based composites for biomedical implants. • Novel Mo (p) /TC4 composites is successfully fabricated by laser powder bed fusion. • Mo addition leads to a phase transformation of the α′ phase into β phase in the TC4 matrix. • Mo (p) /TC4 composites exhibit a higher elongation and lower Young's modulus than conventional TC4 for biomedical implant. • Plastic deformation of Mo particles with good plasticity hinders the propagation pave of the river pattern of TC4 matrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In lung cancer radiation therapy, clinicians must outline the gross tumor volume (GTV) precisely on the planning computed tomography (pCT) for accurate radiation dose delivery. However, due to the limited contrast between tumor and normal tissues in lung parenchyma, accurate delineation of tumor boundaries is difficult leading to large inter-observer variation. In this study, we develop an anatomy-guided lung GTV deep segmentation model using a training cohort of multi-center datasets. The quantitative segmentation performance is evaluated on an independent dataset, where the inter-observer delineation variation is also assessed. We collected and curated four publicly available lung datasets with GTV annotations (Lung-PET-CT-Dx, LIDC-IDRI, NSCLC-Radiogenomics and RIDER-CT) for deep learning model development. A total of 871 CT scans of patients, who were diagnosed with T1-T4 NSCLC, were available for training after data curation. The GTV annotations of primary tumor were examined and edited by two experienced radiation oncologists following the RTOG 1106 protocol. An anatomy-guided deep learning model was proposed, which consisted two deep networks. The first deep network used CT scan as input and segmented 4 anatomic organs (airway, heart, pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein), while the second deep network took both CT scan and these pre-segmented 4 organs as input and segmented the lung GTV. With the help of anatomic priors from 4 pre-segmented organs, the second deep network could more easily locate the GTV. We used nnUNet as the deep segmentation network. For evaluation, we used NSCLC-Radiomics as the testing dataset, which contains 20 CT scans each annotated by 5 radiation oncologists. The auto-segmented GTV were compared against each of the manual GTV reference. Inter-observer variation was also assessed using the 5 manual GTV references. The proposed anatomic-guided lung GTV segmentation model achieved a mean Dice score of 82.4% and 95% Hausdorff distance (HD95) of 6.9mm when averaged cross 20 patients and 5 GTV references (Table 1), which outperformed the basic deep GTV segmentation model by markedly reducing 19.4% HD95 error. The performance of proposed model was also comparable to the inter-observer variation (Dice score: 82.4% vs. 81.9%, HD95 6.9 vs. 6.4mm), indicating that our model had similar reproducibility as human observers. We developed and tested an anatomy-guided deep learning model for segmenting GTV in NSCLC patients. The model achieves high quantitative segmentation performance, which is comparable to the human observer variation. It can be potentially used in radiotherapy practice to improve GTV delineation consistency and reduce workloads of radiation oncologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been proven effective in patients with advanced NSCLC, controversial therapeutic responses are seen in brain metastatic lesions. There are no robust biomarkers that predict benefit from this regimen. We evaluated the utility of novel imaging biomarkers (radiomics) to distinguish NSCLC patients with brain metastases (BMs) who will benefit from ICIs from those likely to progress despite therapy. One-hundred and seventy-four NSCLC Patients with BMs treated with ICIs from June 2019 – June 2022 were identified. We collected patient clinical outcomes and pre-treatment MRI images. Images were split into training and test sets. Brain metastatic lesions were contoured on ITK-SNAP software and 3748 radiomic features capturing both intra- and peritumoral texture patterns were extracted. The primary endpoint of this study was intracranial progression-free survival (iPFS) and the secondary objective were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We used the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model to build the radiomic signature for ORR. Based on the support vector machine (SVM) model, we construct the Clinical-radiomics nomogram (CRN). Multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate the effect of each factor on iPFS. We performed Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and log-rank tests to assess prognostic value of the features. We identified 174 patients who fit our criteria with available MRI images. 122 patients treated in our center were divided into a training set and 52 patients treated in another center were divided into a test set. The intratumoral radiomic signatures(IRS), peritumoral radiomic signatures(PRS) and CRN showed favorable predictive effects for ORR with the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of (IRS: 0.845 (95% CI: 0.776–0.914); PRS: 0.799 (95% CI:0.720–0.879); CRN:0.907 (95% CI: 0.855–0.959))in the training set and (IRS: 0.809 (95% CI: 0.693–0.926); PRS: 0.749 (95% CI:0.616–0.883); CRN:0.888(95% CI:0.798–0.979)) in the test set. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed a significantly longer iPFS in the high-CRN group versus the low-CRN group (P < 0.001). The CRNs were also found significantly associated with PFS (P < 0.001), but not OS. Radiomic biomarkers from pre-treatment MRI images in NSCLC patients with BMs were predictive of iPFS to ICIs. Pre-treatment radiomics may allow early prediction of benefit and expedite more aggressive treatment for high-risk patients. Additional validation of these imaging biomarkers is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Efgartigimod (EFG), a human IgG1 antibody Fc-fragment, blocks the neonatal Fc receptor, which decreases recycling of IgG and reduces pathogenic autoantibody levels. Clinically meaningful improvement in generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) was observed in the ADAPT/ADAPT+ study. This study is the first report on the efficacy and safety of Efgartigimod in Chinese patients with AChR Ab + gMG. EFG, 10 mg/kg, was administered intravenously in once-weekly infusions for 4 weeks as one treatment cycle. Follow-up visits were scheduled on D8, D15, D22, D29, and last to D57 after first infusion(D1). The primary endpoint was the mean average change in MG-ADL total score from baseline to D29. Changes of QMG, MG-QoL 15r, and EQ-5D-5L VAS were measured as secondary endpoints. By the end of March 2023, 6 patients received one cycle infusions. 5 of them finished the 57 days observations but 1 patient has just finished D29 visit. The median age was 59.8 and half of them were female. The average years since MG diagnosis was 5 years. 5 Patients were MGFA class II and 1 was Ⅲ at screening. All patients achieved MG-ADL response while 5 patients achieved clinically meaningful improvement early at D8 visit, and 4 patients maintained to D57. The mean maximum improvements observed (mean[SE]): MG-ADL, -7.8[2.8]; QMG, -9[4.7]; MG-QoL15r, -10.7[4.9]; EQ-5D-5L VAS, +30.5[22.2]). There were mean maximum reductions of 63.5%in IgG. No AE was identified. This analysis on the first 6 cases showed that efgartigimod is efficacious and well-tolerated in Chinese gMG patients. No safety signal was identified. This study is ongoing, and the further results will be reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the so-called REDIM–DTF sub-grid scale combustion model is proposed to improve the well-known dynamically thickened flame (DTF) combustion model by combining the DTF modeling strategy with the reaction-diffusion manifold (REDIM) chemistry table, which is generated from a detailed reaction mechanism. The new model is then used to calculate two lean premixed swirling flames in the PRECCINSTA combustor via large eddy simulation. The radial profiles of velocity, temperature, and species concentration, as well as the flame surface area and vortex structure are analyzed. The results are in good overall agreement with the corresponding experiment, and the performance of the REDIM–DTF model is very similar to that of the DTF model. The predicted CO mass fraction profiles, however, show a relatively larger discrepancy between the original DTF model and the proposed REDIM–DTF model, which is thought to be due to different reaction mechanisms used. As a smaller number of species transport equations are solved in the REDIM–DTF model, its computational efficiency is about 15% higher than that of the original DTF model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on Insight-HXMT data, we report on the pulse fraction evolution during the 2017–2018 outburst of the newly discovered first Galactic ultraluminous X-ray (ULX) source Swift J0243.6+6124. The pulse fractions of 19 observation pairs selected in the rising and fading phases with similar luminosity are investigated. The results show a general trend of the pulse fraction increasing with luminosity and energy at supercritical luminosity. However, the relative strength of the pulsation between each pair evolves strongly with luminosity. The pulse fraction in the rising phase is larger at luminosity below 7.71 × 1038 erg s−1, but smaller at above. A transition luminosity is found to be energy independent. Such a phenomenon is first confirmed by Insight-HXMT observations and we speculate that it may have relation with the radiation-pressure-dominated accretion disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solid-liquid phase transitions in single crystal Cu during shock and subsequent release are studied with large-scale classical molecular dynamics simulations. During shock compression, although the equilibrium states far behind shock front converge to the same Hugoniot, the pathways from metastable states right behind the shock front to the final equilibrium states and the resulting microstructures are orientation-dependent. Premelting is followed by recrystallization of supercooled melt into a polycrystalline solid for the [110] and [111] shocks, and a superheated, more ordered, solid is observed prior to shock melting for the [100] shock. The differences in the microstructure in the behind-shock region in turn give rise to different release melting behaviors (including premelting and superheating) along different release paths for these loading orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering both the nonlocal scale and material length scale effects, we investigate vibration and stability behaviors of functionally graded nanoplates with axial motion in order to model the two-dimensional nanobelt in nanoengineering. The nonlocal strain gradient theory is applied and the differential nonlocal strain gradient constitutive relation is adopted. Using the physical neutral plane of a functionally graded thin plate, we derive the governing equation of motion for the functionally graded nanoplate with axial motion via Hamilton's principle, where the kinematic characteristics are introduced into the dynamic behaviors. The governing equation is numerically solved using the Galerkin method. Effects of the nonlocal scale and material length scale parameters, axial velocity, gradient index, biaxial pre-tensions and aspect ratio are discussed. The results demonstrate that complex frequencies of the functionally graded nanoplate with axial motion decrease with an increase of axial velocity in the subcritical region, while the moving nanoplate experiences a divergent instability or flutter instability in the supercritical region. Natural frequency and critical speed decrease with the increase of the nonlocal scale parameter while increase with the increase of the material length scale parameter, reflecting the nonlocal softening and strain gradient hardening mechanisms, respectively. Besides, natural frequency and critical speed increase with the increase of the biaxial pre-tensions and aspect ratio, but decrease with the increase of the gradient index. In particular, the influences of the gradient index and size or weight of functionally graded nanoplates on the critical speed are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel high frequency vibration weld conditioning (HFVWC) method for relieving the residual stress in fibre laser welded 304 stainless steel is proposed herein. The HFVWC experiments were carried out based the high frequency vibrator system and the mechanism of the residual stress relaxation by the HFVWC method was discussed. The results show that the residual stress of the laser welded 304 stainless steel specimens can be effectively eliminated and homogenized by the HFVWC method; moreover, improving the high frequency vibration energy imposed into the materials can improve the effect of the residual stress relief and homogenization. The residual stress relief mechanism of the HFVWC method can be attributed to the stirring effect induced by the high frequency mechanical vibration and the dislocation activation motion. The findings confirm that the HFVWC method can be used to the industrial application to improve the quality of welded structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the spectral image acquisition of cucumber downy mildew, the study proposed the optimal selection method of spectral imaging characteristic wavelengths combining the mean-variance analysis and analysis of variance. In this study, the variation degree and range of reflection spectrum was quantitatively measured for both healthy leaves and disease spots in cucumber plants. The analysis showed that the three sensitive wavebands (493 - 533 nm, 561 - 653 nm, and 689 - 698 nm) could properly reflect the inter class difference in spectral reflectance between the dorsal part of lesion and healthy leaves. When the selected combination of spectrum was used as the reference for disease spectral imaging acquisition, it showed that the choice of sensitive wavebands can better reflect the difference in the characteristics between lesion and healthy leaves. It has laid the foundation for obtaining the effective spectral images of disease and simplifying the algorithm for image identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Total ionizing dose effects are investigated on a physically unclonable function (PUF) based on CMOS breakdown. Devices irradiated to 2 Mrad(SiO2) show less than 11% change in current ratio at 1.2 V. The read-out window of programmed PUFs decreases significantly at high-dose proton irradiation, and then recovers back to the original value after annealing. The proton test results for the pFET selector, the unbroken nFET, and the broken nFET indicate that the threshold-voltage shift of the pFET selector contributes mainly to the degradation of the PUF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transverse vibration of a circular cross sectional micro-rod subjected to a new kind of boundary constraints with elastic torsional springs is presented based on nonlocal elasticity. A nonlocal strengthening beam model is utilized and the effect of temperature changing is taken into consideration. The variational method and Hamilton's principle are applied to derive the governing equation of motion and corresponding boundary conditions. A higher-order partial differential equation that is a typical characteristic of nonlocal strengthening model is developed, and the boundary conditions contain not only classical conditions but also non-classical higher-order conditions. Unlike previous studies which were only concerned with some conventional boundary constraints, we consider more general boundary conditions named elastic torsional spring supports. Such boundary conditions are between the simply supported and clamped ones, and they are closer to the actual constraints of existing engineering structures. Natural frequencies of micro-rods with new boundary constraints are determined via an eigenvalue method and compared with other results in the literature. It is shown that the nonlocal scale factor, thermal parameter, rigidity parameter and torsional spring coefficient play significant roles in free vibration of micro-rods. The research can provide a reference for a large class of boundary conditions ranging from simply supported to clamped micro-rods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A method is described to solve the transient thermoelectric coupling problem. • The heat flux concentration rises as the crack's thermal permeability falls. • The crack's electrical permeability has a limited effect on the TE performance. • As thermal permeability of the crack goes up, the efficiency falls significantly. Thermoelectric (TE) materials have a broad range of application in engineering such as cooling for thermal protection. Due to the brittle nature, TE semiconductors are prone to crack/voids under thermal shock. The investigation of the transient problem in cracked thermoelectric materials is essential for engineering applications. This paper describes a thermal-mechanical coupling method to analyze the transient response of the TE medium of finite size with an arbitrarily located inner crack. Based on the Fourier and Laplace transform, the crack problem is simplified into a system of singularity integral equations which can be solved by simple allocation. Besides, the results of this paper are verified through the finite element method (FEM). Furthermore, the effects of the crack position, crack's thermal and electrical permeability are discussed. Also, the effect of crack on the thermoelectric energy conversion efficiency is studied. Results show that the field concentrations at the crack tip become more significant when the crack is centrally located in the vertical direction. The electrical permeability of the crack has a limited influence on the energy conversion efficiency. However, as thermal permeability of the crack goes up, the efficiency falls significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The expanded repeat length in ATXN1 negatively correlates with age at onset (AAO) of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) but can explain only part of it, indicating that other factors affect AAO. Some studies have explored the influence of non‐causative CAG repeats on the AAO of SCA patients. However, studies on Chinese SCA1 patients regarding candidate modifier factors involved in the variability in AAO are rare. Methods: In all, 152 Chinese SCA1 patients who were genotyped for ATXN1 and nine other (CAG)n‐containing genes were enrolled. Regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of the expanded allele of ATXN1 (linear and quadratic effects) on AAO. Then, different models were used to explore the modulatory effect of nine other (CAG)n‐containing genes. Results: Our results verified the negative effect of the expanded allele in ATXN1 by regression analysis. Some (CAG)n‐containing genes including TBP,ATN1 and HTT modified AAO with variance ranging from 0.8% to 3.8% and tended to decrease or delay AAO. However, no modifier effects of ATXN2,ATXN3,CACNA1A,ATXN7,KCNN3,RAI1 and normal ATXN1 alleles in trans were detected. Conclusion: By using interaction analyses, TBP,ATN1 and HTT were determined to have modifying effects. Our study revealed that differences in modulation may be due to ethnic and geographic diversity across different populations. Furthermore, the variability of AAO was not completely explained by the genetic modifiers examined here, suggesting that other genetic or environmental factors are involved in these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The need or otherwise for lateral pelvic node dissection (LPND) in rectal cancer patients with clinical lateral pelvic node metastasis (LPNM) after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) is controversial. This study was designed to explore the predictive factors for pathological LPNM in rectal cancer patients with clinical LPNM after nCRT. Method: From January 2010 to February 2018, a consecutive series of patients with rectal cancer and clinical LPNM after nCRT who underwent total mesorectal excision and LPND were reviewed. Patient demographics, operative and pathological outcomes were collected and analysed. Results: A total of 76 consecutive cases were included in this study: 53 (69.7%) patients underwent unilateral LPND and 23 (30.3%) bilateral LPND. The pathological results showed that LPNM was found in 13 (17.1%) patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the post‐nCRT lateral pelvic node size ≥ 5 mm (OR = 7.67, 95% CI = 1.45–40.63, P = 0.017) and mucinous/signet‐ring adenocarcinoma (OR = 4.60, 95% CI = 1.11–19.08, P = 0.035) were independent risk factors for pathological LPNM. Conclusion: Post‐nCRT lateral pelvic node size ≥ 5 mm and mucinous/signet‐ring adenocarcinoma were independent predictive factors of pathological LPNM for rectal cancer patients with clinical LPNM after nCRT, and patients with these characteristics may benefit from LPND. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CeF3 nanoplates with hexagonal shape have been successfully synthesized by an ultrasound vibration assisted hydrothermal process. In situ high pressure angle-dispersive synchrotron x-ray diffraction (ADXD) measurements for of CeF3 nanoplates were carried out up to 24 GPa using diamond anvil cell. The ADXD results show that a hexagonal-to-orthorhombic phase transition occurred around 6.8 GPa which is about 13 GPa lower than that reported in bulk CeF3 materials. The bulk modulus (B0) of orthorhombic structure CeF3 nanoplates is close to that of the corresponding bulk. The novel high pressure behaviors of CeF3 nanoplates possibly are due to their unique 2D morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]