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A high-intensity compact D–D/D–T neutron generator with a thick adsorption target is designed with an intensity of 1012 n/s. In this work, a radio-frequency (RF) ion source ignited by an internal antenna is designed with magnetic mirror fields in both axial and radial directions, which can facilitate the confinement of high-density plasma and prolong the service life of the ion source. According to the finite element method software COMSOL Multiphysics, a high-current low-energy D+ beam transport line is simulated and designed with the deuterium beam of 200 keV/6 mA. In particular, the adsorption target is fixed at an angle of 45° with respect to the beam direction, which is beneficial to reduce the beam power density of the target. The simulation results show that the maximum temperature of the target surface is 171.0 °C, which would reduce deuterium or tritium release from the adsorption target. According to the Multi-layer computing model, neutron energy spectra, angular distributions and integrated yields of the compact D–D/D–T neutron generator are calculated and evaluated, corresponding to a thick adsorption target at the deuterium beam of 200 keV/6 mA. The compact D–D/D–T neutron generator can produce quasi-mono-energetic neutrons with energy of 2.45 or 14.1 MeV, respectively, corresponding to the neutron yields up to 6.06 × 109 and 1.18 × 1012 n/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the immune effects of vitamin D in people with MS are not well understood. We analyzed transcriptomic datasets generated by RNA sequencing of immune cell subsets (CD4+, CD8+ T cells, B cells, monocytes) from 33 healthy controls and 33 untreated MS cases. We utilized a traditional bioinformatic pipeline and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to determine genes and pathways correlated with endogenous vitamin D. In controls, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells had 1079 and 1188 genes, respectively, whose expressions were correlated with plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D level (P < 0.05). Functional enrichment analysis identified association with TNF-alpha and MAPK signaling. In CD4+ T cells of controls, vitamin D level was associated with expression levels of several genes proximal to multiple sclerosis risk loci (P = 0.01). Genes differentially associated with endogenous vitamin D by case–control status were enriched in TNF-alpha signaling via NF-κB. WGCNA suggested a blunted response to vitamin D in cases relative to controls. Collectively, our findings provide further evidence for the immune effects of vitamin D, and demonstrate a differential immune response to vitamin D in cases relative to controls, highlighting a possible mechanism contributing to MS pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research aimed to assess the 179 BC2 population of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Huaiyin) and PL34HQ multifoliate leaves and their parents to select genotypes based on morphological traits for future alfalfa breeding programs. A backcross breeding was carried out between the recurrent male parent and alfalfa PL34HQ as the nonrecurrent female parent of alfalfa. In the pod setting stage, morphological traits were measured in the BC2 populations. Data were analyzed for descriptive statistics, correlation, principal component (PCA), and agglomerative hierarchical cluster analyses. The result of descriptive statistics revealed high variation in the means, minimum, and maximum values for most of the morphological traits. Therefore, high variability was observed in plant height (PH) 26-98 cm, number of branches per plant (NBP) 6-74, stem diameter (SD) 1.46-5.46 mm, second branch length SBL 0-62 cm, number of multifoliate leaves per plant (NMFLP) 0-95.7%, number of multifoliate leaves on the main branch (NMFLMB) 0-90.6%, number of nodes (NN) 12-24, fresh shoot weight (FSW) 3.10-359.4 g, and dry shoot weight (DSW) 0.40-108.6 g. The results showed that the comprehensive traits of the BC2 population tended to the recurrent parent, about 32.40% of the total population. However, many plants tended to the non-recurrent parent, about 67.40% of the total population, with a high multifoliate rate. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive association of plant height with stem diameter, fresh shoot weight, dry shoot weight, second branch length, number of nodes, and branch number. Principal component analysis (PCA) discovered the first three components with an eigenvalue greater than one, contributing 78.98% of total variability for different traits. The PC1 showed favorable factor loading for all morphological traits. The contribution of dry shoot weight, fresh shoot weight, stem diameter, and plant height was highest in principal component 1. The average hierarchical cluster analysis method grouped all the genotypes into four main clusters. Alfalfa multifoliate leaf genotype clustering based on morphological traits would help identify potential genotypes for future breeding research and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pre-neutron-emission mass distribution is a critical physical constant in neutron-induced fission reaction. In this work, the Monte Carlo dropout neural network (MC-Dropout NN) method is applied to evaluate the pre-neutron-emission mass distributions of neutron-induced typical actinides (232Th, 235U, 238U, 237Np, 239Pu) fission. This method can reproduce precise mass distributions and give the uncertainty of predictions. Moreover, based on the MC-dropout NN learning of the existing experimental fission yields, the unknown yields and their uncertainty can be given. Finally, we predict pre-neutron-emission mass distributions of neutron-induced fission of 232Th and 238U at incident neutron energy below 45 MeV and study the influence of pre-fission neutrons on fission yields. Given the good agreements with experimental data, the neural network approach is a very useful tool in the field of nuclear data evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case of a woman in her 60s who was admitted to the hospital with sudden chest pain and difficulty breathing after a quarrel with her daughter-in-law. The woman's electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a distinctive pattern known as the "shark fin sign," characterized by a triangular QRS-ST-T waveform. This pattern is typically associated with injury due to occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, but in this case, it was found to be related to Takotsubo syndrome, also known as stress cardiomyopathy. The article highlights the importance of recognizing this pattern and the increased risk of adverse events associated with it. [Extracted from the article]

With the increasing performance and appearance requirements of electronic products, higher standards have been put forward for the machining accuracy and quality of the precision copper electrode for product molds. The precision copper electrode is large in material plasticity and small in size. Burrs are easily generated during the cutting process, and subsequent cleaning is difficult. In this paper, according to the geometric features of the copper electrode, the distribution type and formation mechanism of burrs are deeply analyzed. The influence of cutting-edge geometry on burrs lateral dimension is investigated by simulation. Further, the new left-handed fillet milling cutter is designed that takes into account the simultaneous cutting of the end edge and the circumferential edge. Finally, based on the new milling cutter, burrs suppression machining process adapted to different geometric features is planned. Experiments show that the new cutter and process can greatly reduce the size of burrs and basically realize burrs-free machining compared with the conventional process of the ordinary right-handed milling cutter, and the service life of the new cutter is longer, which can meet the actual machining needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing performance and appearance requirements of electronic products, higher standards have been put forward for the machining accuracy and quality of the precision copper electrode for product molds. The precision copper electrode is large in material plasticity and small in size. Burrs are easily generated during the cutting process, and subsequent cleaning is difficult. In this paper, according to the geometric features of the copper electrode, the distribution type and formation mechanism of burrs are deeply analyzed. The influence of cutting-edge geometry on burrs lateral dimension is investigated by simulation. Further, the new left-handed fillet milling cutter is designed that takes into account the simultaneous cutting of the end edge and the circumferential edge. Finally, based on the new milling cutter, burrs suppression machining process adapted to different geometric features is planned. Experiments show that the new cutter and process can greatly reduce the size of burrs and basically realize burrs-free machining compared with the conventional process of the ordinary right-handed milling cutter, and the service life of the new cutter is longer, which can meet the actual machining needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing performance and appearance requirements of electronic products, higher standards have been put forward for the machining accuracy and quality of the precision copper electrode for product molds. The precision copper electrode is large in material plasticity and small in size. Burrs are easily generated during the cutting process, and subsequent cleaning is difficult. In this paper, according to the geometric features of the copper electrode, the distribution type and formation mechanism of burrs are deeply analyzed. The influence of cutting-edge geometry on burrs lateral dimension is investigated by simulation. Further, the new left-handed fillet milling cutter is designed that takes into account the simultaneous cutting of the end edge and the circumferential edge. Finally, based on the new milling cutter, burrs suppression machining process adapted to different geometric features is planned. Experiments show that the new cutter and process can greatly reduce the size of burrs and basically realize burrs-free machining compared with the conventional process of the ordinary right-handed milling cutter, and the service life of the new cutter is longer, which can meet the actual machining needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous work on studying FCC/BCC martensite transformations using molecular dynamics (MD) was mainly adopting an atomistically flat interface between the two transforming phases as initial structural model, whereas recent HRTEM observations show that martensitic interfaces are comprised of atomic terraces with regularly distributed steps reticulated by interfacial defects. In this work, migration behavior of stepped FCC/BCC martensitic interface aided by disconnections is studied using MD simulation method, and two typical orientation relationships (ORs), i.e., Kurdjumov–Sachs (KS) and Nishiyama–Wassermann (NW) ORs, commonly found in ferrous alloys are considered. For both ORs, the stepped interfaces maintain a macroscopically planar morphology as they advance in constant velocities by the collective motion of disconnections in the absence of homogeneous nucleation. The migration velocities of interfaces as obtained are 550 and 90 m·s−1 for the NW and KS ORs, respectively, showing good agreement with published experimental measurements. The disconnections under the NW OR exhibit edge defect character and move laterally along the terrace plane at a velocity approaching the speed of sound, while remaining straight along their dislocation lines, whereas the disconnections under the KS OR possess screw defect character and migrate in a zigzag and sluggish manner through cross-slipping on two nonparallel planes of { 101 } BCC by a kink pair mechanism. By implementing a thin slab of atoms as tracing marker in the simulation model, the transformation shear accompanying the interface motion can be quantified and the so-determined transformation shear angles show good agreement with experimental measurements. The results provide a physical insight into the interrelations between interface structure and transformation process, which is crucial for understanding the atomic mechanism of martensitic transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a man in his 30s with acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) who was treated with arsenic trioxide and experienced recurrent loss of consciousness. The patient's electrocardiogram (ECG) showed a prolonged QTc interval and a distinct beat-to-beat alternating of opposite T-wave polarity, known as macrovolt T-wave alternans (TWA). The patient later developed torsades de pointes (TdP), a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia. The article concludes that the treatment of relapsed APL with arsenic trioxide can prolong the QTc interval and increase the spacial heterogeneity of repolarization, leading to the occurrence of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "Physical design of a high-intensity compact D–D/D–T neutron generator based on the internal antenna RF ion source" published in the European Physical Journal A. The correction states that there was an error in the original article, where S. Y. Zhang was incorrectly identified as the corresponding author instead of Y. Zhang. The correction has been made, and the publisher apologizes for any inconvenience caused. The authors of the article are X. H. Bai, Z. Wei, K. Wu, S. Y. Zhang, P. Q. Zhang, Y. N. Han, M. Li, J. Y. Wang, Z. Y. Wei, Z. E. Yao, J. R. Wang, and Y. Zhang. [Extracted from the article]

Background: The damage and failure behavior of ductile metals depends on the stress state as well as on the loading history. Biaxial experiments with suitable specimens can be used to targeted generate different loading conditions, thus allowing the investigation of a wide variety of load cycles with different stress states.In the biaxial experiments with the newly presented HC-specimen cyclic shear loads are superimposed by various constant compressive and tensile loads. Buckling during compressive loading in both axes is avoided by an additional newly introduced downholder.The strain fields at the surfaces of the biaxial specimens are evaluated by digital image correlation (DIC), and after failure the corresponding fracture surfaces are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Associated numerical simulations employing the presented material model provide information on the current stress states.The introduced downholder successfully prevents buckling during compressive loading. The strain fields detect a clear influence of the shear direction and a tensile superposition of the cyclic shear load leads to more brittle and a compressive superposition to more ductile behavior. The accompanying numerical calculations reveal the associated, different stress states.The new experimental program with biaxially loaded specimens for the investigation of damage and failure behavior under cyclic loading enables the targeted examination of a wide variety of load cycles and is thus suitable for the comprehensive analysis of these phenomena.Objective: The damage and failure behavior of ductile metals depends on the stress state as well as on the loading history. Biaxial experiments with suitable specimens can be used to targeted generate different loading conditions, thus allowing the investigation of a wide variety of load cycles with different stress states.In the biaxial experiments with the newly presented HC-specimen cyclic shear loads are superimposed by various constant compressive and tensile loads. Buckling during compressive loading in both axes is avoided by an additional newly introduced downholder.The strain fields at the surfaces of the biaxial specimens are evaluated by digital image correlation (DIC), and after failure the corresponding fracture surfaces are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Associated numerical simulations employing the presented material model provide information on the current stress states.The introduced downholder successfully prevents buckling during compressive loading. The strain fields detect a clear influence of the shear direction and a tensile superposition of the cyclic shear load leads to more brittle and a compressive superposition to more ductile behavior. The accompanying numerical calculations reveal the associated, different stress states.The new experimental program with biaxially loaded specimens for the investigation of damage and failure behavior under cyclic loading enables the targeted examination of a wide variety of load cycles and is thus suitable for the comprehensive analysis of these phenomena.Methods: The damage and failure behavior of ductile metals depends on the stress state as well as on the loading history. Biaxial experiments with suitable specimens can be used to targeted generate different loading conditions, thus allowing the investigation of a wide variety of load cycles with different stress states.In the biaxial experiments with the newly presented HC-specimen cyclic shear loads are superimposed by various constant compressive and tensile loads. Buckling during compressive loading in both axes is avoided by an additional newly introduced downholder.The strain fields at the surfaces of the biaxial specimens are evaluated by digital image correlation (DIC), and after failure the corresponding fracture surfaces are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Associated numerical simulations employing the presented material model provide information on the current stress states.The introduced downholder successfully prevents buckling during compressive loading. The strain fields detect a clear influence of the shear direction and a tensile superposition of the cyclic shear load leads to more brittle and a compressive superposition to more ductile behavior. The accompanying numerical calculations reveal the associated, different stress states.The new experimental program with biaxially loaded specimens for the investigation of damage and failure behavior under cyclic loading enables the targeted examination of a wide variety of load cycles and is thus suitable for the comprehensive analysis of these phenomena.Results: The damage and failure behavior of ductile metals depends on the stress state as well as on the loading history. Biaxial experiments with suitable specimens can be used to targeted generate different loading conditions, thus allowing the investigation of a wide variety of load cycles with different stress states.In the biaxial experiments with the newly presented HC-specimen cyclic shear loads are superimposed by various constant compressive and tensile loads. Buckling during compressive loading in both axes is avoided by an additional newly introduced downholder.The strain fields at the surfaces of the biaxial specimens are evaluated by digital image correlation (DIC), and after failure the corresponding fracture surfaces are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Associated numerical simulations employing the presented material model provide information on the current stress states.The introduced downholder successfully prevents buckling during compressive loading. The strain fields detect a clear influence of the shear direction and a tensile superposition of the cyclic shear load leads to more brittle and a compressive superposition to more ductile behavior. The accompanying numerical calculations reveal the associated, different stress states.The new experimental program with biaxially loaded specimens for the investigation of damage and failure behavior under cyclic loading enables the targeted examination of a wide variety of load cycles and is thus suitable for the comprehensive analysis of these phenomena.Conclusions: The damage and failure behavior of ductile metals depends on the stress state as well as on the loading history. Biaxial experiments with suitable specimens can be used to targeted generate different loading conditions, thus allowing the investigation of a wide variety of load cycles with different stress states.In the biaxial experiments with the newly presented HC-specimen cyclic shear loads are superimposed by various constant compressive and tensile loads. Buckling during compressive loading in both axes is avoided by an additional newly introduced downholder.The strain fields at the surfaces of the biaxial specimens are evaluated by digital image correlation (DIC), and after failure the corresponding fracture surfaces are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Associated numerical simulations employing the presented material model provide information on the current stress states.The introduced downholder successfully prevents buckling during compressive loading. The strain fields detect a clear influence of the shear direction and a tensile superposition of the cyclic shear load leads to more brittle and a compressive superposition to more ductile behavior. The accompanying numerical calculations reveal the associated, different stress states.The new experimental program with biaxially loaded specimens for the investigation of damage and failure behavior under cyclic loading enables the targeted examination of a wide variety of load cycles and is thus suitable for the comprehensive analysis of these phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of studying the effect of rare earth elements on hot tearing susceptibility (HTS) of Mg–Zn alloys, further exploring effective ways to reduce HTS of Mg–Zn–Y alloys are very important for the development and application of magnesium alloys. In this paper, the effects of 2 at% Y on HTS of MgZn1 alloy and several grain refiners on HTS of MgZn1Y2 alloy were studied. The modified Clyne–Davies model is used to predict the HTS of the investigated alloys, which are found in the descending order: MgZn1 > MgZn1Y2 > MgZn1Y2–0.5 wt% Na2CO3 > MgZn1Y2–0.5 wt% Ti > MgZn1Y2–0.5 wt% Zr. By means of XRD, SEM, TEM and EBSD, the evolution of the microstructure during solidification is revealed. The results show that the addition of 2 at% Y can not refine α-Mg grains, but it can change the precipitation type of the second phase. When the precipitation type of the second phase changes from Mg7Zn3 to Mg12ZnY (LPSO phase) and Mg3Zn3Y2 (W-phase), the solidification end temperature of the alloy increases by more than 100 °C, and the coherent lattice of LPSO and α-Mg has a better bridging effect on the grain boundary, which reduces the HTS by 28.4%. Moreover, the addition of 0.5 wt% Na2CO3, 0.5 wt% Ti or 0.5 wt% Zr is an effective method for α-Mg grain refinement, equiaxation and dendrite coherent delay of MgZn1Y2 alloy. In particular, the addition of 0.5 wt% Zr can reduce the α-Mg grain size of MgZn1Y2 alloy by 89.1% and increase the solid fraction by 45% when dendrites are coherent, which results in a 77.1% reduction in HTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the basis and implementation effects of differential toll rate formulation for expressways, reduce the financial burden of expressway operators, and scientifically guide traffic flow, this study proposes an expressway differential toll rate optimization model. The model is demonstrated using two pilot sections of G25 and G1112 expressways in J province of China, where differential tolling is implemented. Based on the change characteristics of traffic flow and toll amount of the two pilot sections before and after differential tolling, we propose an optimization model of differential toll rate for expressways that maximizes the net revenue of expressway operators while minimizing individual travel impedance. The optimization model is solved using MATLAB, and an optimal differential toll rate scheme by road section, time period, and vehicle type is obtained. The evaluation of the model is based on the net revenue of highway operators and individual travel impedance. The findings reveal that the proposed optimal rate scheme improves the net revenue of road operators while reducing individual travel impedance compared to the original toll rate scheme. Specifically, the differential toll pilot sections of G25 and G1112 can increase net revenue by approximately Rmb25,000,000 and Rmb16,000,000 per month, respectively, and reduce vehicle travel impedance by about Rmb37 and Rmb32 per vehicle. The proposed model balances highway operator revenue with individual travel costs, leading to more sustainable and efficient expressway use, which benefits expressway transportation sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutron-gamma discrimination is a tough and significative in experimental neutrons measurements procedure, especially for low-energy neutrons signal discrimination. In this work, based on the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) and Back-Propagation (BP) artificial neural networks, a neutron-gamma discrimination method is developed to broaden the lower limit of energy threshold with the hidden layer of 20 neurons. Compared with neutron-gamma discrimination method based on PSD only, the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method based on the PSD and BP-ANN can discriminate neutron and gamma-ray signals with low energy threshold, which can discriminate signals up to 99.93%. Moreover, this work can reduce the energy threshold from 350 keV to 70 keV, as well as the acquired data utilization increased from 60% to more than 99.9%, which overcome the hardware limitations and distinguish neutron and gamma-ray signals, effectively. The developed neutron-gamma discrimination method and the trained neural network can be directly used to other experimental neutrons measurements. • Based on the Pulse Shape Discrimination (PSD) and Back-Propagation (BP) artificial neural networks, a neutron-gamma discrimination method is developed to broaden the lower limit of energy threshold from 350 keV to 70 keV, and the acquired data utilization increases from 60% to more than 99.9%. • Compared with neutron-gamma discrimination method based on PSD only, the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method based on the PSD and BP-ANN can discriminate neutrons and gamma rays with low energy threshold, which can discriminate signals up to 99.93%. • In experiment, the inverse-time-of-flight spectroscopy technology is introduced to verify reliability of the developed neutron-gamma discrimination method. • The experiment verify that the trained neural network can also be used to other experimental measurements for neutron-gamma discrimination with low energy threshold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy to the prediction of sample content is strongly limited by signal peak overlap. To analyze the spectral information directly related to the target components and to make the chemometric model more explanatory, an independent characteristic projection algorithm is proposed. The algorithm was applied to the independent spectral analysis of a single sample using corn as a representative example. Moisture, oil, protein, and starch, which are the four main components of corn, were the target components. The pure component spectra were used the projection directions to decompose the near-infrared spectrum of a single corn sample; then four decomposed spectra corresponding to the four pure component spectra were obtained. Their corresponding relationship was determined using their correlation coefficients and by comparing their characteristic peaks, and the molecular absorption patterns corresponding to the characteristic absorption peaks of each decomposed spectrum were analyzed in detail. The theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that the independent characteristic projection algorithm can be applied to single-sample spectral analysis to extract more complete physicochemical information about the target components and provide a theoretical basis for establishing a robust near-infrared spectral chemometric model with great extrapolation capability and stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural transitions, magnetic properties, and electronic structures of Co(Fe)-doped MnNiSi compounds are investigated by x-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), magnetic measurements, and first-principles calculations. Results indicate that all samples undergo a martensitic transition from the Ni2In-type parent phase to TiNiSi-type orthorhombic phase at high temperatures. The substitution of Co(Fe) for Mn in Mn1-xCoxNiSi (x=0.2, 0.3, and 0.4) and Mn1-yFeyNiSi (y=0.26, 0.30, 0.36, 0.46, and 0.55) samples decreases the structural transition temperature and Curie temperature of martensite. The martensite phases show a typical ferromagnetic behavior with saturation field being basically unchanged with increasing Co(Fe) content, while the saturation magnetization shows a decreasing tendency. The theoretically calculated moments are in good agreement with the experimentally measured results. The orbital hybridizations between different 3d elements are analyzed from the distribution of density of states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerical simulation is an important method for revealing the working principle and optimizing the design of drip emitters. The hydraulic performance of pressure-compensating (PC) emitters is determined by the interaction between the elastic diaphragm and the flow field; therefore, correct deformation of the elastic diaphragm is one of the factors determining the accuracy of numerical simulation of PC emitters. This study investigated the effects of three constraint methods of the elastic diaphragm on the numerical simulation of PC emitters. The three methods were fully fixed constraint (FFC), upper surface fixed constraint (UFC), and contact constraint (CC). Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) simulation was used to analyze the deformation characteristics of the elastic diaphragm, the flow field characteristics, and the flow rate of the PC emitter. The simulated diaphragm deformation and flow rates were compared with the results of a visual experiment and a hydraulic performance experiment, respectively. The simulation results showed that the constraint method affected the diaphragm deformation and flow field of the PC emitter. In comparing the simulation results with the experimental results, the CC method had the highest accuracy among the three constraint methods, but an extremely long computation time was required. The FFC method had the lowest accuracy but required less computation time. The accuracy of the UFC method was lower than CC and higher than FFC, but its computation time decreased by 60.03% compared with CC. This study provides a foundation for further research on the numerical simulation and design of PC emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, lanthanum was applied to strip cast Ce−Fe−B alloy to improve its phase composition and microstructure. The results reveal that lanthanum doping can significantly enhance the proportion of 2 : 14 : 1 phase and improve the microstructure of Ce−Fe−B alloy. Besides, the influence of the starting alloys structure on the microstructure and magnetic properties of final multi‐phases cerium‐containing magnets was also systematically investigated. Compared to the multi‐phases magnet without lanthanum addition, a pronounced coercivity increment could be distinguished in lanthanum‐doping multi‐phases magnet, which could be attributed to the finer grain size together with ideal grain boundary. In this work, the superior performance of Hcj = 701.28 kA/m Br = 1.30 T, and (BH)max = 313.70 kJ/m3 were obtained by blending Nd−Fe−B alloy with (La0.35Ce0.65)‐Fe−B alloy to meet 25.0 wt.% lanthanum‐cerium utilization content, suggesting that the possibility to develop high abundant rare earth permanent magnetic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hyperthermia upregulates DNAJA4, a member of heat shock proteins (HSPs) 40 family, in human keratinocytes and HPV‐infected tissue. DNAJA4 deficiency enhances growth arrest induced by hyperthermia. Clusterin (CLU) and phosphorylated ERK (p‐ERK) play a role in regulating cell proliferation and apoptosis, under environmental stress. Objectives: To examine the downstream molecules and signalling pathways of DNAJA4 and assess their roles in cell cycle and apoptosis of keratinocytes in response to hyperthermia. Methods: Wild‐type and DNAJA4‐knockout (KO) HaCaT cells were exposed to either 44 °C (hyperthermia) or 37 °C (control) for 30 min. The expression levels of CLU and p‐ERK were determined by RT‐PCR and Western blotting. RNAi and PD98059 were used to inhibit the expression of CLU and p‐ERK, respectively. Cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis were analysed by MTS assay and flow cytometry. Fresh biopsy samples of human normal foreskin or condyloma acuminatum (CA) were utilized to examine the expression of CLU and p‐ERK after ex vivo culture at 44 °C. Results: The expression of CLU and p‐ERK was significantly increased by hyperthermia treatment at 44 °C in HaCaT cells, foreskin and HPV‐infected tissues. In HaCaT cells subjected to hyperthermia, DNAJA4 deficiency further augmented the expression of CLU and p‐ERK. CLU deficiency enhanced the p‐ERK expression. Hyperthermia‐induced CLU and p‐ERK exerted protective roles mainly through inhibiting apoptosis and maintaining cell cycle, respectively. Conclusions: In keratinocytes, CLU and p‐ERK are induced by hyperthermia, an effect which can be further enhanced by DNAJA4 deficiency. CLU deficiency also increases p‐ERK expression. Both CLU and p‐ERK are critical protective factors of human keratinocytes from hyperthermia‐induced injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The force prediction is the precondition of improving equipment utilization ratio and optimizing process for CNC machining. Cutter-workpiece engagement (CWE) and in-cut cutting edge (ICCE) are the keys. In this article, a new analytic method of CWE and ICCE is proposed for ball end milling of sculptured surface and the prediction model of milling force is established. The sculptured surface is discretized into a series of infinitesimal inclined planes corresponding to cutter location points. The geometry relationships of cutter axis, feed direction and inclined plane are defined parametrically. The boundary curves and the boundary inflection points of the CWE are obtained by intersecting spatial standard curved surfaces with rotation transformation of coordinate system. The effective intersection points of the CWE and the cutter edge curve in Xc-Yctwo-dimensional plane are the upper and lower boundary points of ICCE. Based on the instantaneous chip thickness considering arbitrary feed direction, the force prediction model for ball end mill of three-axis surface milling is established. Simulation and experiment show that CWE and ICCE calculated by analytic method are well consistent with those of solid method. The predicted cutting forces match well with the measurements both in magnitude and variation trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra taken on two different kinds of GaInAsN quantum dots (QDs), having different In and N compositions and thicknesses, have been investigated both experimentally and theoretically. It is found that the temperature dependence of the spontaneous emissions from both samples behaves differently. Adopting a localized-state luminescence model, the quantitative reproduction of the measured variable-temperature PL spectra reveals a dissimilarity in luminescence mechanisms of the two samples. These results enrich the present understanding of the luminescence mechanisms in the GaInAsN QD systems and are important for design and improvement of GaInAsN QDs based light-emitting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the disruption of liquid-crystal order caused by photoisomerization of the rodlike molecules, solids containing light-sensitive molecules such as nematic liquid-crystal elastomers can undergo large reversible shape changes when stimulated by light. In this paper, we study surface deformation of such solids illuminated by light based on a phenomenological model. Numerical computation shows that the deformation topography of the surface depends remarkably on the spot radius of light. The result is expected helpful to practical applications related to the creation of surface patterns, such as guidance of microfluids and manipulation of nanostructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of Si-doped self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots (QDs) with and without GaAs cap layers were measured. Narrow and strong emission peak at 1075 nm and broad and weak peak at 1310 nm were observed for the buried and surface QDs at low temperature, respectively. As large as 210 meV redshift of the PL peak of the surface QDs with respect to that of the buried QDs is mainly due to the change of the strain around QDs before and after growth of the GaAs cap layer. Using the developed localized-state luminescence model, we quantitatively calculate the temperature dependence of PL peaks and integrated intensities of the two samples. The results reveal that there exists a large difference in microscopic mechanisms of PL thermal quenching between two samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the stress-induced martensitic transformation behaviors and the associated elastocaloric effect (eCE) for non-textured polycrystalline all-d-metal Heusler alloys of Ni50Mn32Ti18 and Ni35Co15Mn35Ti15 by a combination of Digital Image Correlation (DIC) and Infrared (IR) thermography techniques. A large but irreversible adiabatic temperature change (ΔTad) of 10.7 K at a strain level of 3.9% is observed for Ni50Mn32Ti18, whereas Ni35Co15Mn35Ti15 exhibits a reversible eCE with ΔTad = 9.0 K at a strain level of 4.6%. At lower strain levels (<2.4%), both specimens exhibit full superelasticity without residual strain. While in a higher strain range (>3.2%), Ni50Mn32Ti18 is plastically deformed with small strain variation in space from the DIC map. In contrast, Ni35Co15Mn35Ti15 can be deformed superelastically accompanied by large strain variation in space, which can be ascribed predominately to the crystalline orientation dependence of both the transformation strain and the Young's modulus from different orientated grains under mechanical loading. The improved reversibility of eCE for Ni35Co15Mn35Ti15 is supposed to be associated with the enhancement of d-d hybridization by the introduction of the element Co. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are a number of concave circular blending surfaces with minor curvature radius in the corner of curved surface part, like complex mold cavity. Pencil-cut machining has shorter path and completer material remove than other strategies of clean-up machining which make it high efficiency, high precision, and high utilization rate of equipment. In this paper, contact between cutter and concave crescent cylinder (CCC) including cutter workpiece engagement (CWE) and in-cut cutter edge (ICCE) is studied based on an analytic method, and a prediction model of the cutting force for pencil-cut machining with the ball-end mill is established. The cutter, the CCC, and the feed direction for pencil-cut machining are parametrically defined. In cutter contact normal coordinate system, the analytic expressions of tool geometry, CCC, and the cutter sweep surface of the cutter are derived, and then the CWE is obtained by the intersection of the space surfaces, which the CWE in the tool coordinate is realized by the three-dimensional rotation transformation. The cutter edge curve is discreted into a series of infinitesimal element, based on the criteria of the cutter edge element in the CWE, an analytic algorithm to calculate the ICCE is proposed, and the precision of the boundary points can be further improved by the dichotomy. Combining ICCE with instantaneous chip thickness considering cutter run-out and micro-element milling force theories of ball-end mill, the prediction model of cutting force for pencil-cut machining of CCC with ball-end mill is established. A series of pencil-cut machining experiments and simulations were arranged. The performance of pulling milling is better than that of pushing milling. The CWE and ICCE obtained by the analytical method agree well with that of experiment and solid modeling simulation. The cutting force experiments verify the correctness of the milling force predictive model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a high efficient machining technology, five-axis flat end milling is applied to free-form surface more widely. Cutter workpiece engagement (CWE) is an important issue for studying the milling mechanics. In this paper, milling force prediction model for five-axis flat end milling of free-form surface is presented based on a new analytical CWE model. Free-form surface is discretized into a series of tiny inclined plane. Three-axis flat end milling of inclined plane being study object, considering that the depth of cut is stacked by a series of thin cutting layers, the parametric formulas of CWE boundary curves can be obtained by calculating the intersection between cutter geometry and each thin cutting layer. The CWE of five-axis flat end milling of inclined plane can be transformed from three-axis flat end milling of inclined plane. The effective boundary points of in-cut cutting edge are derived by intersecting the analytical boundary curves of CWE with the parameter formula of cutting edge. Then combined with elemental cutting theory, this paper establishes force model of five-axis flat end milling of inclined plane as well as free-form surface. The experiments and simulations of CWE of five-axis milling show that the results of analytical method are in reasonable agreement with those of experiments and only a slight error with those of solid modeling method. Further, the influence rules of curvature radius of tool path on the accuracy of analytical CWE model are explored. Arranged milling experiments show that predicted milling forces are in reasonable agreement with measured forces in trend and amplitude, validating the effectiveness of force model for five-axis flat end milling of free-form surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a high precision and high efficiency cutting method, CNC milling of five axis is the first choice for manufacturing parts with complex sculptured surface. Milling force is one of the most important physical parameters in machining which affects the cutting vibration, cutting deformation, cutting heat, and surface quality directly. Aiming at the five-axis ball end milling of sculptured surface, a force predictive model with arbitrary cutter axis vector and feed direction is established. The conditions of micro-cutting edge of three-axis ball end mill involved in cutting are determined by space region limitation at the first. Then, after space rotation transformation, an analytic in-cut cutting edge (ICCE) method for five-axis ball end milling of oblique plane is proposed by judging micro-cutting edge one by one. Based on the idea of differential discretization, the machining of general complex surface can be regarded as a combination of a series of tiny oblique planes. Drawing on the idea to sculptured surface and combining micro-element milling force model and undeformed chip thickness model that is suitable for five-axis ball end milling with arbitrary feed direction, a milling force predictive model for five-axis ball end milling of sculptured surface is established. The results of simulations and experiments show that the ICCE determined by the space region limitation is consistent with the traditional Z-map method and the solid modeling method with high efficiency and precision. The measured force and the predictive force of the five-axis milling on sculptured surface are in good agreement in amplitude and trend, which proves the effectiveness of the milling force predictive model of five-axis ball end milling of sculptured surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octahedral anatase particles (OAPs) were modified with silver nanoparticles (NPs) by photodeposition method. The properties of OAPs influenced the properties of silver deposits, and thus the photocatalytic activity of the obtained silver-modified OAPs. Photocatalytic activities were tested under UV and vis irradiation for oxidative decomposition of acetic acid and oxidation of 2-propanol, respectively. The properties of silver-modified OAPs were investigated by XRD, STEM, DRS, XPS and time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) method. It was found that electron traps (ETs) worked as nucleation sites for silver, resulting in formation of smaller silver NPs on smaller OAPs with larger content of ETs. The modification with silver resulted in enhanced photocatalytic activity under both UV and vis irradiation. It was found that larger crystallite size of silver NPs, and thus larger polydispersity of silver deposits resulted in broad and intense plasmon resonance peak causing enhanced visible activity. The correlation between photocatalytic activity and TRMC data, e.g., slower decay of TRMC signal for more active samples, allowed discussion on property-governed photocatalytic activities of silver-modified titania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objectives: Population prevalence studies of migraine report prevalence rates of between 2.6 and 21.7%, with an average of ~12%. However, migraine prevalence among neurologists is reported to be significantly higher, between 27.6% and 48.6%. Increasing knowledge of the protean manifestations of migraine may explain this difference. Similarly, under‐recognition of migraine in control groups may explain the lack of genetic and biomarker findings in this disorder. We therefore sought to determine the prevalence of migraine in an admixed group of individuals with varied knowledge of migraine symptomatology. Methods: Attendees at the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists Annual Scientific Meeting (ANZAN ASM) 2017 were surveyed anonymously. Those surveyed included three groups: neurologists, neurology trainees, and others including nonclinical researchers, members of lay organizations, and representatives of the pharmaceutical industry. Results: In total, 313 of 606 attendees responded (51.7%). 65.9% of neurologist, 57.4% of trainee, and 52.5% of others respondents had a personal history of migraine, with the difference between neurologists and others being statistically significant (p = .03). Migraine in migraineurs and nonmigraine headache in nonmigraineurs were nearly all self‐diagnosed. Among neurologist migraineurs, 51.2% experienced migraine with aura and 43% migraine without aura. Conclusions: Migraine prevalence is significantly higher in neurologists compared to non‐neurologists and at least 2–3 times higher than reported in population prevalence studies. This may be due to significant under‐recognition of migraine in non‐neurologists. This under‐recognition of migraine may significantly influence the search for genetic predictors and biomarkers of migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Milling force, closely related to machining efficiency and machining quality, is the most important technical parameter in computer numerical control machining. Aiming at five-axis flat-end milling, this paper proposes a milling force prediction model with arbitrary feed direction and cutter workpiece engagement (CWE). CWE, defining the interaction region between cutter and workpiece, is the basis for studying statics and dynamics of cutting. The efficiency of traditional solid modeling method is low and not suitable for large complex sculptured surface. Z-map method is also difficult to apply in five-axis flat-end milling. In response to this issue, analytic CWE model for five-axis flat-end milling of inclined plane is established by calculating the intersection of spatial surfaces; then, an algorithm is proposed to investigate the in-cut cutting edge. Different from the conventional slot cutting and half slot cutting processing, non-slot cutting processing with changing arbitrarily of cutter axis direction is used to calibrate the coefficients which are more suitable for five-axis machining. Combined with the instantaneous chip thickness considering cutter run-out, the cutting force coefficients which have quartic polynomial relationship with instantaneous chip thickness and the cutter run-out parameter identification model are established. The validity of this analytic model has been proved by experimental tests. The results also show that the measured milling force and predicted milling force are in good agreement in the aspect of the amplitude and trend in the different cutting depth, path interval, feed per tooth, and slope inclination angle, which verifies the efficiency of the coefficient identification model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zn-Doped SnO2 (Zn–SnO2) nanorod arrays with different morphologies have been directly grown on a copper substrate by a simple organic-free hydrothermal process. The effect of synthesis conditions including the Zn+ concentration and ethanol volume ratio in the solvent on the morphology and field emission (FE) properties of Zn–SnO2 was investigated. It was found that the aspect ratio of the products increases with the increase of Zn+ concentration. The ethanol-to-water ratio also played an important role in the shaping morphology of Zn–SnO2. Under the optimized hydrothermal conditions, sword-like Zn–SnO2 nanorods with the highest aspect ratio (∼11.25) were obtained. Moreover, the sword-like nanorods possess the best FE properties, including the lowest turn-on field of ∼2.75 V μm−1, the highest field-enhancement factor of ∼1970 and excellent stability with fluctuations within 11%. These results are attributed to the sturdy structure of the sword-like nanorods as well as the fortified junction formed between the emitter and the highly conductive copper substrate interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy conversion from vortical flows using flapping wings is widely observed in nature flyers and has great potential for improving energy efficiency of micro aerial vehicles. Therefore, it has recently gained a significant research attention. The interactions between the incoming vortices and wings have previously been studied, but the mechanism inducing such interactions and its impact on energy-conversion efficiency has only marginally been discussed. To bridge this gap, this paper carries out a numerical study on the response of a two-dimensional heaving airfoil in a vortical wake generated by an upstream oscillating D-shaped cylinder. The study first emphasizes the influence of the leading- and trailing-edge vortices on energy conversion. The formation of these vortices is then linked to two major interaction modes observed between the airfoil and the incoming vortices: the suppressing mode and the reinforcing mode. Furthermore, a model of vortex-airfoil interactions is developed from potential theory of fluid dynamics to further understand the mechanism of inducing different interaction modes. The potential theory demonstrates that the topology of vortices surrounding the airfoil is crucial for triggering different interaction modes. The effects of the interaction modes on the energy-conversion efficiency are also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant high-frequency component of ground motion for most seismic events in Australia comes from the crustal Lg phase that can commonly propagate efficiently to considerable distances across the continent. Using results from recent tomography for the attenuation of Lg, we are able to build the pattern of transmission of ground motion from events within the continent. The effects are readily displayed in terms of a distribution of effective magnitude. The same approach can also be used to look at the cumulative effects across the continent from 1840 to date as a useful complement to other ways of assessing earthquake potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a potentiometric E-tongue was employed for comprehensive evaluation of water quality and goldfish population with the help of pattern recognition methods. Four water quality parameters, i.e., pH and concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrite (NO2-N), and ammonium (NH3-N), were tested by conventional analysis methods. The differences in water quality parameters between samples were revealed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The cultivation days and goldfish population were classified well by principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA), and the distribution of each sample was clearer in CDA score plots than in PCA score plots. The cultivation days, goldfish population, and water parameters were predicted by a T-S fuzzy neural network (TSFNN) and back-propagation artificial neural network (BPANN). BPANN performed better than TSFNN in the prediction, and all fitting correlation coefficients were >0.90. The results indicated that the potentiometric E-tongue coupled with pattern recognition methods could be applied as a rapid method for the determination and evaluation of water quality and goldfish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octahedral anatase particles (OAPs) were prepared by hydrothermal (HT) reaction of titanate nanowires (TNWs). OAPs were modified with noble metals (Au, Ag, Cu and Pt) by two photodeposition methods: in the absence and in the initial presence of oxygen in the system. Photocatalytic activities for oxidative decomposition of acetic acid and anaerobic dehydrogenation of methanol under UV/vis irradiation and for oxidation of 2-propanol under visible light irradiation were investigated. Antibacterial activities for bacteria (Escherichia coli) and fungi (Candida albicans) were investigated in the dark and under UV irradiation and/or visible light irradiation. It was found that the kind of metal deposition significantly influenced the properties of photocatalysts obtained and thus their photocatalytic and antimicrobial activities. Modification of OAPs with metallic deposits resulted in enhanced photocatalytic activities for all tested systems. Pt-modified OAPs showed the highest activity for dehydrogenation of methanol due to their highest work function and lowest activation overpotential of hydrogen evolution. Cu-modified OAPs exhibited the highest activity for oxidative decomposition of acetic acid under UV/vis irradiation, probably due to the heterojunction between Cu oxides and TiO2. On the other hand, Au-modified OAPs showed the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation due to their plasmonic properties. Bare OAPs, prepared with various durations of the HT reaction, did not have any antibacterial properties in the dark, while their activity under UV/vis irradiation was correlated with their photocatalytic activities for dehydrogenation of methanol and decomposition of acetic acid. Antimicrobial activity of modified OAPs in the dark and under visible light irradiation was the highest for Ag-modified OAPs. Under UV irradiation, Cu-modified OAPs showed the highest activity for inactivation of both bacteria and fungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the one-dimensional tight-binding Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model, and using the molecular dynamics method, we discuss the dynamics of electron and hole polarons propagating along a polymer chain, as a function of the distance between side radicals and the magnitude of the transfer integrals between the main chain and the side radicals. We first discuss the average velocities of electron and hole polarons as a function of the distance between side radicals. It is found that the average velocities of the electron polarons remain almost unchanged, while the average velocities of hole polarons decrease significantly when the radical distance is comparable to the polaron width. Second, we have found that the average velocities of electron polarons decrease with increasing transfer integral, but the average velocities of hole polarons increase. These results may provide a theoretical basis for understanding carriers transport properties in polymers chain with side radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, laser induced optical, electrical parameter degradation and morphological damage have been observed in silicon-based positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) photodiode. Temperature evolution, surface morphology, damaged area and responsivity are monitored for permanent laser induced change. The 1064 nm laser pulses are reported for values of pulse length τ ranging from 1 ms to 3 ms. The loss of responsivity is corresponding to the temperature and damaged area increased on the upper surface, with the increase of laser fluence, the damaged area is increased, resulting in an increase in decline proportion of responsivity. The damage behavior indicated that the millisecond laser-induced electrical and optical parameter degradation in silicon-based PIN photodiode mainly contributed to the removal of the Si 3 N 4 coating destroyed, redistribution of dopant and the introduction of defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Octahedral anatase particles (OAPs) were prepared by hydrothermal reaction (HT) with various experimental conditions, including different amounts of titanate nanowires (TNWs), different water volumes and different pH values, to obtain products with high contents of OAPs. The properties of photocatalysts were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS and time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC). Photocatalytic activities for oxidative decomposition of acetic acid (CO 2 system) and anaerobic dehydrogenation of methanol (H 2 system) were tested. It was found that a larger amount and concentration of TNWs, as well as higher pressure during HT, resulted in the formation of smaller crystallites with higher density of mobile electrons. Enhanced photocatalytic activity, achieved for samples with the best morphology (higher content of OAPs), correlated with slower TRMC signal decay, i.e., slower recombination of charge carriers (e − /h + ) probably due to lower content of deep electron traps. It was found that properties of platinum nanoparticles, deposited in-situ in the H 2 system in the absence or presence of pre-sparged oxygen, and their connection with OAPs were decisive factors for photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase unwrapping is a key step in retrieving digital elevation models (DEMs) from across-track interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data. The coherence of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data set is an effective indicator for the quality of phase unwrapping. However, the coherence of different regions usually distributes unevenly in SAR images monitoring heterogeneous areas. Errors in low-coherence areas are prone to pollute the whole image. In order to mitigate propagation error, a new phase unwrapping algorithm based on region recognition and region expansion is proposed. In the region recognition step, optical images are incorporated to recognize low-coherence regions by virtue of supervised classification technique. Low-coherence regions and the ones that are not of interest for the application are then discarded. In the region expansion step, stable pixels of high coherence are selected as growing seeds, and then phase unwrapping grows from high-quality regions to low-quality ones guided by coherence information and weighted numbers of neighbouring unwrapped pixels. The ambiguity number of a wrapped pixel is estimated from its neighbouring pixels under the criteria of pixel distance and phase gradient. Iterative examination continues until the whole image is unwrapped. Experiments on PALSAR and ASAR data demonstrate its validity and advantages over other classical methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The all-d-metal Mn2-based Heusler ferromagnetic shape memory alloys Mn50Ni40-xCoxTi10 (x = 8 and 9.5) are realized. With a generic comparison between d-metal Ti and main-group elements in lowering the transformation temperature, the magnetostructural martensitic transformations are established by further introducing Co to produce local ferromagnetic Mn-Co-Mn configurations. A 5-fold modulation and (3, -2) stacking of [00 10] of martensite are determined by X-ray diffraction and HRTEM analysis. Based on the transformation, a large magneto-strain of 6900 ppm and a large volume change of -2.54% are observed in polycrystalline samples, which makes the all-d-metal magnetic martensitic alloys of interest for magnetic/pressure multi-field driven applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the limited therapeutic option for hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC), immunotherapy as a promising approach points out a new direction to the cure of tumours through specific recognition and elimination of tumour cells by the immunity-enhanced autologous immunocytes of patients. Few effective tumour antigens, however, are alternative in addition to alpha fetoprotein or tumour cell lysates. Recent studies have demonstrated that glypican-3 ( GPC3) is not only a promising diagnostic marker, but also ideal therapeutic target to HCC. In this study, potential HLA-A*0201 GPC3 peptides were screened with three epitope prediction software, the binding affinity of 13 predicted epitopes with high scores was determined by T2 cells binding assay and four optimal epitopes were identified. This is the first study in which the optimal HLA-A*0201 GPC3 epitopes were screened from a large number of candidates predicted by three software. The optimized HLA-A*0201 GPC3 peptides will provide new epitope candidates for HCC immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of Internet of Things and mobile computing platforms, many intelligent applications are implemented as mobile services, such as pattern recognition algorithms. This paper proposes two kinds of multiple granularity feature-based person recognition algorithms for forensics applications, which fuse biometric feature and face recognition algorithms into two kinds of strategies. A bionic pattern recognition based face recognition algorithm is also proposed. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm has a satisfied recognition precision and low time complexity in many forensics scenarios, which could be conducted on mobile forensics devices with high efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For computational microfluidics, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) may present some advantages, including physical representation of microscopic interactions, a uniform algorithm for multiphase flows, and ease in dealing with complex boundaries. In addition, LBM algorithms have been developed to solve microfluidics-related processes and phenomena, such as heat transfer, electric/magnetic fields, and diffusion. This article investigates the unsteady flow inside the complex 3D geometry of an irrigation drip emitter by employing LBM. Grid convergence analysis is performed to obtain adequate mesh resolution. The numerical results obtained by LBM are validated in comparison with PIV measurements and the results of a commercial finite volume solver. The results indicate that LBM can calculate a reliable simulation in comparison with the finite volume solver. The LBM results are also consistent with the experimental results. LBM offers an alternative to continuum-based CFD in simulating the fluid dynamics of drip emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we obtained a ferromagnetic (FM) Mn0.36Fe0.6Ni0.98Si compound in which magnetic and structural transitions are coupled together. By combining Fe doping and Mn depletion, the magnetostructural coupling was realized, with a magnetostructural transition happening at 337 K from paramagnetic hexagonal phase to FM orthorhombic phase. The magnetocaloric effect was measured across the transition, showing a wide temperature span and a zero magnetic hysteresis loss. The maximum values of magnetic entropy change and refrigeration capacity near reverse martensitic transition ( \sim 367 K) are −2.52 J kg ^{\mathrm {-1}}~\text{K}^{\mathrm {-1}} and 108 J kg ^{\mathrm {-1}}$ , respectively, under a field change of \Delta H = 0 {\sim } 50 kOe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains emerged at a hospital, and was tracked in order to understand the spread of these infectious pathogens. A total of 66 K. pneumoniae strains were collected from sterile samples in 2012. The MICs of 20 antimicrobial agents were determined for all strains. Molecular typing was performed with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Twelve bla KPC -producing K. pneumoniae strains isolated from ten patients were selected for whole genome sequencing. Phylogenetic reconstruction of these 12 strains was performed by the use of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) row sequences of each draft genome sequence. Plasmids from the 12 strains were separated by S1 digestion and PFGE. The 12 K. pneumoniae strains isolated from the ten patients were deemed to be representative of the hospital outbreak, owing to their similar PFGE patterns. These 12 bla KPC -producing strains conferred multidrug resistance, which contrasted with the remaining 54, more susceptible, strains in the hospital. Differences in SNPs between each draft genome of the bla KPC -producing strains partitioned the 12 outbreak strains into three separate clades. The patients with each clade shared close hospital units. All 12 strains harboured at least one multidrug resistance plasmid. Strains showing high-level resistance may facilitate nosocomial dissemination and result in an infectious pathogen outbreak. Although the 12 bla KPC -producing K. pneumoniae strains possessed similar PFGE patterns, SNP variations throughout the genome allowed the strains to be divided into three clades. These results suggest that three independent transmission events led to hospital-wide dissemination of the outbreak strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial titania photocatalysts were modified with 2 wt% of silver by photodeposition. The properties of the samples were characterized by DRS, XPS, XRD, FE-SEM and STEM. The modified samples exhibited activity under visible light and enhanced activity under UV irradiation for 2-propanol and acetic acid oxidation, respectively. The time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) analysis indicated that enhanced activity (2.5–8-fold enhancement depending on titania) under UV irradiation was caused by an electron storage in metallic nanoparticles (NPs), and therefore decreasing the recombination between charge carriers. The action spectrum (AS) analysis proved that localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of silver NPs induced the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. The increase of antimicrobial properties under visible light irradiation indicated that not only intrinsic properties of silver in the dark, but also plasmonic properties of Ag@TiO 2 were responsible for overall bacteria killing. The evolution of carbon dioxide under both irradiation ranges indicated mineralization of bacteria cells, and therefore possible application of silver-modified titania for decomposition of chemical and biological pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heusler ferromagnetic shape-memory alloys (FSMAs) normally consist of transition-group d-metals and main-group p-elements. Here, we report the realization of FSMAs in Heusler phases that completely consist of d metals. By introducing the d-metal Ti into NiMn alloys, cubic B2-type Heusler phase is obtained and the martensitic transformation temperature is decreased efficiently. Strong ferromagnetism is established by further doping Co atoms into the B2-type antiferromagnetic Ni-Mn-Ti austenite. Based on the magnetic-field-induced martensitic transformations, collective multifunctional properties are observed in Ni(Co)-Mn-Ti alloys. The d metals not only facilitate the formation of B2-type Heusler phases but also establish strong ferromagnetic coupling and offer the possibility to tune the martensitic transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]