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Prevention of surgical site infection (SSI) after gastrectomy has received increasing attention. Prophylactic incisional wound irrigation has been advocated to reduce SSI, but the choice of solution remains under debate.To compare the efficacies of wound irrigation with normal saline (NS) and povidone-iodine (PVI) for the prevention of SSI after gastrectomy, and to identify the risk factors for SSI.This randomized, single-centre clinical trial included 340 patients with gastric cancer. They were assigned at random into two groups (ratio 1:1) to receive either 0.9% NS or 1.0% PVI solution for incisional irrigation before wound closure. The primary endpoint was postoperative SSI within 30 days of gastrectomy, and the secondary endpoint was the length of hospital stay.In total, 333 patients were included in the modified intent-to-treat group, and the SSI rate did not differ significantly between the PVI group (11/167, 6.59%) and the NS group (9/166, 5.42%) [odds ratio (OR) 1.131, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.459-3.712; P=0.655]. Moreover, the difference between the two groups in terms of length of hospital stay was not significant (P=0.301). Body mass index (BMI) (OR 2.639, 95% CI 1.040-6.694; P=0.041) and postoperative complications (OR 2.565, 95% CI 1.023-6.431; P=0.045) were identified as independent risk factors for SSI.NS and PVI had similar efficacy as prophylactic wound irrigation for the prevention of SSI after gastrectomy. The risk of SSI was higher in patients with high BMI or postoperative complications.

Current-induced spin torques provide efficient data writing approaches for magnetic memories. Recently, the spin splitting torque (SST) was theoretically predicted (R. Gonz\'alez-Hern\'andez et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 127701 (2021)), which combines advantages of conventional spin transfer torque (STT) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) as well as enables controllable spin polarization. Here we provide the experimental evidence of SST in collinear antiferromagnet RuO2 films. The spin current direction is found to be correlated to the crystal orientation of RuO2 and the spin polarization direction is dependent on (parallel to) the N\'eel vector. These features are quite characteristic for the predicted SST. Our finding not only present a new member for the spin torques besides traditional STT and SOT, but also proposes a promising spin source RuO2 for spintronics., Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev. Lett

Gastric cancer is a common digestive system malignancy. Surgical operation is the main treatment of radical treatment for gastric cancer. Pulmonary infection is a common postoperative complication of gastric cancer. Because there is no clear and unified definition of pulmonary complications, the current researches show that the incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection of gastric cancer is about 1.8%-18.1%. The incidence of postoperative pulmonary infection will prolong the hospital stay, increase the cost of hospitalization, and even develop into respiratory failure leading to early postoperative death. There are many factors affecting postoperative pulmonary infection of gastric cancer, including age, smoking history, pulmonary function, pulmonary disease history, operation method, operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, gastric tube retention time, postoperative lying time and so on. There are also many perioperative interventions. This article reviews the risk factors and perioperative interventions of postoperative pulmonary infection of gastric cancer.胃癌是常见的消化系统恶性肿瘤，目前外科手术是胃癌得到根治性治疗的主要手段。而肺部感染是胃癌术后常见的并发症，但目前肺部感染尚无明确统一的定义，目前研究显示，胃癌术后肺部感染发生率为1.8%~18.1%。术后肺部感染的发生会延长患者住院时间，增加住院费用，甚至发展成为呼吸衰竭，进而导致患者术后早期死亡。目前，研究发现影响胃癌术后肺部感染的因素有年龄、吸烟史、肺功能、肺部疾病史、手术方式、手术时长、术中出血量、胃管留置时间和术后卧床时间等，其相应的围手术期干预措施也较多。本文就胃癌术后肺部感染发生的危险因素及围手术期干预措施进行综述。.

An improved constitutive model based on Timoshenko beam theory is proposed for bond-based peridynamics. The motion and force governing equations of the bond are established by introducing Timoshenko beam element to simulate the interaction between the particles including the bond tension-rotation-shear coupling effects. Since the axial displacement, transverse displacement and relative rotation angle of the bond are considered in the model, it can overcome the limitation of Poisson’s ratio in the classical bond-based peridynamics model. Three kinds of peridynamic parameters, corresponding to the compressive, shear and bending stiffness of the bond, are introduced to keep the consistence between the strain energy of the peridynamic model and that of the continuum mechanics under arbitrary deformation field. Moreover, an energy-based failure criterion, involving the maximum stretch, shear strain and rotation angle limits of the bond, is proposed to capture the progressive failure of general quasi-brittle materials. The validation of the proposed model is verified by comparing the simulation results to the experiment observations and analytical solution. Numerical results show that this improved model can be widely used to predict the nonlinear deformation, crack propagation and progressive failure of materials with variable Poisson’s ratio under complex loading conditions.

A full understanding of the workability and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the cemented high-porosity (CHPB) material, made of surface sand, widely distributed in the western mining area, foam, and cementing materials, is important for applying in ecologically fragile mining areas of western China. In this article, the influence of solid content, density grade, sand/binder ratio, and silica fume dosage in binder on workability and strength development of CHPB samples in different curing ages is studied. Test results show that the fresh CHPB mix has good workability, due to the existence of a large number of bubbles. With the increase of density grade, the UCS of the CHPB sample increases exponentially. Workability of fresh CHPB samples significantly decreases with increasing solid content due to the reduction of interparticle distance. For a given mix proportion, the optimal solid content of CHPB samples is 83.7%. The variation of the sand/binder ratio from 3 to 4.5 results in a slight increase of workability and a significant increase of the UCS. Silica fume demonstrates improvement on workability and strength behavior, and the optimal dosage in the binder should not exceed 10%.

To investigate the regulatory role of recombinantBMDMs were captured and cultured in conditioned medium for 7 days. Then, mature BMDMs were harvested and assigned into four groups. Cells in Group A (negative control) were given 10 ng/mL IFN-γ combined with 100 ng/mL LPS, cells in Group B (positive control) were treated with IL-4 and IL-10 (at 10 ng/mL both), and cells in Group C (recombinant protein alone) were stimulated with 1 μg/mL rTs-Cys, while cells in Group D (protein co-culture) were simultaneously treated with 1 μg/mL rTs-Cys, 10 ng/mL IFN-γ and 100 ng/mL LPS. Cells and culture supernatant were collected 24 hour post-treatment, and the proportions of F4/80Flow cytometry detected no significant difference in the proportion of F4/80rTs-Cys may induce the polarization of BMDMs to antiinflammatory M2 macrophages in vitro and inhibit the activation of M1 macrophages.

To explore effects of the sDR5-Fc fusion protein on ulcerative colitis of infant mice via the TRAIL-DR5 pathway, 50 female mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., control group (group A), dextran sulfate sodium group (group B), hIgG group (group C), 10 mg/kg sDR5-Fc group (group D), and 20 mg/ kg sDR5-Fc group (group E). The acute ulcerative colitis models were established. The weights and disease activity index (DAI) of each group were monitored daily. In addition, the pathological changes of colon tissues were observed by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. The number of macrophages in colon tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry assay. Changes in the expression of inflammatory factors in colon tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of different concentrations was utilized alone or in combination with TRAIL to stimulate the NCM460 cells. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes was detected by Western blot. The apoptosis of NCM460 cells was detected by flow cytometry. The results showed that in groups B and C, the body weights decreased, the DAI increased, the colon epithelial cells were injured, the inflammatory cells were infiltrated, and the macrophages in colon tissues increased significantly. In groups D and E, the body weights increased, the DAI decreased, the inflammation was significantly improved, the macrophages decreased significantly, and the gene expression levels of NLRP3, Caspase-1, and IL-1β decreased significantly. Thus, sDR5-Fc could inhibit the activation of NLRP3 inflammasomes induced by TRAIL, thereby decreasing the apoptosis of NCM460 cells. In conclusion, the sDR5-Fc fusion protein could block the TRAIL-DR5 pathway to reduce the expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes, thereby improving ulcerative colitis.

Many breakthroughs in the field of surgical clinical researches have been achieved in China, but the overall quality is relatively limited, largely because of the insufficiency in standardization, rationality and scientificity of methodology. In consideration of the nature of surgical procedures and equipments, it is necessary to establish a set of methodological system, suitable for the high-quality clinical research in the surgical field. IDEAL collaboration has put forward a systematic methodological framework for innovation in surgical procedure and equipment. For the clinical research on surgical innovation, the IDEAL framework can be divided into five sequential stages, namely, Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment and Long-term follow-up. In different stages, the difficulties to be faced, the problems to be solved, and the research design to be adopted are diverse and progressive. Although the IDEAL framework is not perfect, it is currently the best framework for surgical clinical research. While performing surgical clinical research, we should continue to think about how to improve the surgical clinical research methodology.我国外科临床研究领域已有不少突破，但总体质量相对不高，主要体现在方法学的规范性、合理性和严谨性欠缺。因手术技术和设备应用的固有特点，在外科领域开展高质量临床研究须建立一套相适应的方法学体系。IDEAL协作网针对外科技术和设备创新提出了一套系统的方法学框架，即"IDEAL框架"。其主体分为5个序贯阶段：设计（idea）、开发（development）、探索（exploration）、评价（assessment）和长期随访（long-term follow up）。不同阶段所面临的困难、需解决的问题和采用的研究设计各有不同，须逐步推进。IDEAL框架虽然并非最完美，但仍是当前外科临床研究的最佳设计构架。在规范开展外科临床研究过程中，我们应积极思考如何改进和提高外科临床研究的方法学。.

Residual and movable porosity are significant parameters for characterising petrophysical properties, especially in tight reservoirs. Eight tight sandstone samples from the upper Paleozoic gas-bear...

As the first and rate-limiting enzyme of the peroxisomal β-oxidation pathway, acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1), which is regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated alfa (PPARα), is vital for fatty acid oxidation and deposition, especially in the lipid metabolism of very long-chain fatty acids. Alternative splicing events of ACOX1 have been detected in rodents, Nile tilapia, zebra fish and humans but not in goats. Herein, we identified a novel splice variant of the ACOX1 gene, which was designated as ACOX1-SV1, in addition to the complete transcript, ACOX1, in goats. The length of the ACOX1-SV1 coding sequence was 1983 bp, which presented a novel exon 2 variation owing to alternative 5′-splice site selection in exon 2 and partial intron 1, compared to that in ACOX1. The protein sequence analysis indicated that ACOX1-SV1 was conserved across different species. Reverse-transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis showed that these two isoforms were expressed spatially and differently in different tissue types. ACOX1 and ACOX1-SV1 were expressed at high levels in liver, spleen, brain and adipose tissue in kid goats, and they were abundantly expressed in the fat, liver and spleen of adults. Interestingly, whether in kids or in adults, in fat, the mRNA level of ACOX1 was considerably higher than that of ACOX1-SV1. In contrast, in the liver, the expression of ACOX1-SV1 was considerably higher than that of ACOX1. This differential expression patterns showed the existence of a tissue-dependent splice regulation. These novel findings for ACOX1 should provide new insights for further studies on the function of ACOX1 and its variants that should aid in the breeding of goats with improved meat quality.

冠状动脉旁路移植术（CABG）中动脉桥的近期安全性、中远期通畅率及接受多支动脉桥CABG患者的远期生存被证实明显优于大隐静脉（SVG）。2018年新英格兰医学杂志刊出全球首个桡动脉与SVG的多中心随机对照临床研究，结果显示，同SVG相比，使用桡动脉桥的患者死亡、心血管事件、再血管化发生率更低，桥中期通畅率更高。其深远意义在于表明桡动脉桥较SVG桥等减少术后死亡率、改善中远期效果，桡动脉桥或多支动脉桥的年龄应放宽，桡动脉桥对女性及肾功能正常的患者更有益。中国冠心病人群的桡动脉具有长度长、管径粗、获取及评估便捷、创口愈合快等特点，桡动脉桥可被认为是仅次于左胸廓内动脉的第二血管桥。.

BackgroundNasal irrigation is commonly performed in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. This study systematically assessed the clinical efficacy of nasal irrigation from the medical literature.MethodsThe PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched using a comprehensive strategy, limited to English-language articles, published from October 1971 to March 2017, and comprising human subjects.ResultsA total of 824 trials were identified, 5 of which, involving 331 participants, were included in this systematic review. After selection, only three trials were eligible for inclusion in a meta-analysis. Nasal irrigation using normal saline and various solutions was found to be effective in reducing symptom scores and endoscopic scores for chronic rhinosinusitis patients after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Comparison of outcome measures, such as eosinophil count reduction, revealed that various solutions are more effective than normal saline alone; however, no statistical significance was found in terms of reduced symptom or endoscopic scores.ConclusionBased on the current limited evidence, nasal irrigation is an effective therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis patients after functional endoscopic sinus surgery. However, when comparing various solutions with normal saline, no significant difference was found in symptom scores or endoscopic scores.

The mitochondrion is a crucial intracellular organelle responsible for regulating cellular energy metabolism, producing free radicals, initiating and executing the apoptotic pathways. Previous studies have shown that somatic mutations in mitochondrial DNA are associated with various tumors, which may be involved during carcinogenesis and tumor progression. To examine the mutation pattern in cancer, 625 reported somatic mutations in the mitochondrial DNA genome were analyzed. We found that, except for deletions and insertions, most somatic mutations were point mutations, accounting for 89.44% of somatic mutations. Transition was the predominant form of somatic mutation in the entire mitochondrial DNA genome, accounting for 87.12% of point mutations, most of which were homoplastic. Frequency statistics analysis of point mutations indicated that, except for 3 tRNA genes, the mutations were distributed on all resting genes and in the D-loop region, with the latter showing the highest frequency of somatic mutation (19.34%), followed by the tRNA leucine 2 gene and non-coding regions between base pairs 5892 and 5903, while 13 coding-region genes and 2 rRNA genes showed a relatively lower frequency of somatic point mutations. Nonsynonymous mutations and terminal amino acid changes were the primary point somatic mutations detected from 13 coding-region genes, which may cause mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells. We found that the somatic mutations may affect the mitochondrial DNA genome; the non-coding region should be examined to identify somatic mutations as potential diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of cancer.

To investigate the role of miR-145 silencing in the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), BCL2-Associated X(bax) and caspase-3 in avascular necrosis of femoral head (ANFH).A total of 12 healthy wild-types (the control group) and 12 miR-145 knock-out (miR-145-/-) (the experimental group) adult New Zealand white rabbits were selected to construct ANFH model with a steroid. Four weeks later, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blot were performed to measure the VEGF, bFGF, Bcl-2, bax, caspase-3, β-catenin as well as c-Myc expression. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining analysis was used to detect the apoptosis of bone cells in each group.Compared with the control group, the expression of VEGF, bFGF, Bcl-2, β-catenin and c-Myc in the miR-145-/- group raised (p0.05). Moreover, the expression level of bax and caspase-3 significantly decreased in the miR-145-/- group (p0.05). TUNEL staining showed decreased apoptosis in the miR-145-/- group.MiR-145 silencing promotes bone repair of ANFH via upregulating VEGF, bFGF and inhibiting the bone cells apoptosis through Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

The present Tarim Basin of China presents drilling chanllenges moving toward deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs, which includes more complex formation, poor bit cutting efficiency and wellbore integrity. The paper introduces the development and application of optimizer of drilling operating parameters named as Smart Driller Indicator (SDI) which worked to deliver continuous improvement in axial vibration and stick-slip mitigation for the presented field. SDI is based on a soft-closed-loop solution called NAVO real-time vibration monitoring and calculating the optimal drilling parameters for that formation by maintaining an optimum relationship between ROP and energy input. From the perspectives of rock mechanics and conservation of energy, the ideal performance in the optimum proportion among drilling parameters, ROP and MSE have been derived from comprehensive analysis of optimized drilling mechanism. An advanced damped forced torsional vibrarion model in frenquency-domain was developed. Field validation for real-time estimates produced by the model was conducted by a drilling mechanics module sub. In drlling process, if the ROP is not as good as expected, SDI will automatically evaluates the new hole conditions including the mechanical properties of the formation, bit wear condition and vibration etc, and updates the optimum drilling parameters. The drillers just adjust drilling parameters to follow them, a higher ROP (rate of penetration) and a longer bit run can be achieved. SDI has been applied for more than 20 wells with total footage of over 30,000ft and has shown about 20%-54% ROP improvement and longer bit life compared with conventional driller's drilling habits and totally 125 days and about 1 million dollars have been saved. As an effective tool for further excavating the potential of ROP, SDI might achieve satisfactory outcomes that overcome the drilling challenges of carbonate formation, gravel and igneous in deep wells.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of three different modalities in treatment of lung oligometastases from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy and to identify a more appropriate treatment modality.The clinical data of 87 cases of lung oligometastases from NPC were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 33 patients underwent local small-field irradiation+ /- chemotherapy, 28 underwent whole-lung irradiation+ chemotherapy, and 26 underwent simple chemotherapy. The survival rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. The differences among the modalities were evaluated using the log-rank test. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the influencing factors.The 3-year lung metastasis survival (LMS) rates of patients with lung metastasis undergoing the three treatment modalities (local small-field irradiation+ /-chemotherapy, whole-lung irradiation+ chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone) were 89.3%, 72.7%, and 72.4%, respectively, showing a significant difference between the groups (P=0.003). Further subgroup analysis showed that the 5-year LMS rate was significantly higher in the local small-field irradiation+ /-chemotherapy group than that in the whole-lung irradiation+ chemotherapy group and chemotherapy alone group (P=0.001). The 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of the three groups were 57.1%, 25.8% and 3.8%, respectively, showing significant intergroup differences (P=0.002 and P0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that compared with the whole lung irradiation group and the chemotherapy alone group, the local irradiation+ /- chemotherapy is an independent favorable prognostic factor for LMS and PFS (P0.05).Local radiotherapy combined with systemic chemotherapy is the best therapeutic modality for lung oligometastases derived from NPC after radiotherapy, improving the LMS and prolonging the PFS.

We report the electrical properties of the InSbN alloys fabricated by two-step implantation of nitrogen ions into InSb wafers, characterized by Hall measurements. The alloy with higher implanted dose shows lower electron concentration due to the acceptor nature of nitrogen. At temperatures below 150 K, the electron concentration does not change and follows an exponential relation at above 200 K. The Hall mobility in all samples monotonically decreases with the increase of temperature, indicating the phonon dominating scattering mechanism. The annealing results reveal that annealing temperatures up to 598 K make the carrier concentration lower due to the reduction of donor-type defects caused by ion implantation and the acceptor nature of nitrogen.

Some TLR agonists may up-regulate the activation of dendritic cells caused by viral antigenic peptides and antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which are crucial in HPV vaccine development. We investigated the ability of three TLR agonists, imiquimod, PIC and CpG, to stimulate the maturation of murine BM-DCs loaded with HPV11E7 CTL epitopes, and the subsequent effect on HPV-specific T cell responses and tumour protection in a C57BL/6 mouse model. We found that TLR agonists, mostly PIC and imiquimod, stimulated the matura- tion of BM-DCs pulsed with HPV11E7 CTL epitope peptide. In combination with the epitope peptide, the TLR agonists CPG and PIC augmented epitope-specific Th1 cytokine production in vivo, while imiquimod and CPG, but not PIC, enhanced Th1 cytokine production in vitro. However, we failed to observe in vivo CTL cytotoxicity and anti-tumour protection upon TLR ligation in our mouse model. Our results demonstrate that TLR agonists activate HPV11E7 CTL epitope pulsed BM-DCs to promote specific Th1 immunity in C57BL/6 mouse model, indicating the promise of TLR agonists as adjuvants for HPV epitope/DC-based multifaceted vaccines against HPV infections such as condyloma accuminatum.

Liquid Ga was used as a solvent to explore the phase formation between rare-earth metals (REs), Ni, and a tetrelide (Tt = Si, Ge). The reactions were performed in excess liquid Ga at 850 °C. Two new phases of general formulas RE 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Tt x and RE 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 6-x Tt x were found and structurally characterized. The Co analogues of the latter RE 0.67 Co 2 Ga 6-x Ge x (RE = Y, Gd) were also prepared. Single-crystal X-ray data: The first group of compounds RE 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Tt x crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P6 3 /mmc with a structure related to the RE 2-x Pt 4 Ga 8+y type (Sm 0.53 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Ge x , a = 4.1748(7) A, c = 16.007(4) A, V = 241.61(8) A 3 , Z = 2; Y 0.59 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Ge x , a = 4.1344(11) A, c = 15.887(6) A, V = 235.18(12) A 3 , Z = 2; Tb 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Si x , a = 4.1415(11) A, c = 15.843(6) A, V = 235.33(12) A 3 , Z = 2; Ho 0,67 Ni 2 Ga 5-x Ge x , a = 4.1491(4) A, c = 15.877(2) A, V = 236.71(5) A 3 , Z = 2). The second group RE 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 6-x Tt x crystallizes inP6m2 (Gd 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 6-x Ge x , a = 4.1856(10) A, c = 9.167(3) A, V = 139.08(7) A 3 , Z = 1; Sm 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 6-x Si x , a = 4.1976(8) A, c = 9.159(3) A, V = 139.76(5) A 3 , Z = 1) in a structure related to the ErNi 3 Al 9 structure type with disorder in the RE-Ga plane. Dy 0.67 Ni 2 Ga 6-x Ge x crystallizes in space group P31c (a = 7.2536(8) A, c = 18.308(3) A, V = 834.21(2) A 3 , Z = 6) with partial disorder in the RE-Ga plane. The structures of these two groups of compounds are related to each other and contain similar building motifs, namely Ga n [NiGa 2-x/2 Ge x/2 ] 2 slabs and RE 0.67 Ga monatomic layers which alternate along the c-direction, forming a 3D structure. The parameter x and the position of the tetrelide in the structure were determined by single-crystal neutron diffraction. Complete or partial disorder of the RE and Ga atoms is observed in the RE-Ga plane. The origin of the disorder lies in the extensive and random stacking faults of ordered RE-Ga planes, which apparently slide easily in the ab plane and create an averaged disordered picture. Electrical conductivity and thermopower measurements indicate that these compounds are metallic conductors. The magnetic measurements show antiferromagnetic ordering at ∼3-4 K and Curie-Weiss behavior at higher temperatures with the values of μ eff close to those of RE 3+ free ions. Strong 2-fold crystal field anisotropy is observed for the heavy RE analogues. The anisotropy constants K 2 para calculated from the Weiss constant anisotropy for heavy RE analogues are reported.

Many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) are difficult to be solved by those traditional evolutionary multi-objective (EMO) algorithms due to the loss of enough selection pressure. The indicator-based EMO developed for MaOPs has been proved to be effective, however, it has not been well combined with the framework of particle swarm optimization (PSO). Therefore, we here propose a hybrid indicator-based PSO for MaOPs, in which the sets of solutions are evolved as an “individual”. First, the sets-oriented PSO is designed to perform the evolution on the sets. The global and local best particles are well explored by considering the performance of the evolution and the computational cost. Then, the solutions in some selected sets are further evolved by a modified mutation to approximate to the true Pareto set in the original MaOP space. The proposed algorithm is experimentally validated on some benchmark MaOPs and its merit is empirically demonstrated by comparing to indicator-based evolutionary genetic algorithms and NSGAII.

InSb1−xNx materials were fabricated by direct nitrogen implantation into InSb wafer and they are characterized by X-ray diffraction, Hall measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In-N bonds are clearly demonstrated and other forms of nitrogen, such as antisites (NIn), interstitial N2 , also exist in the grown films. The ratio to the total nitrogen bonds formed in the materials varies with preparation conditions. The optical bandgap data confirmed bandgap narrowing due to the incorporation of nitrogen. Photoconductive and photovoltaic photodetectors are fabricated and the cut-off frequencies of up to 11.5 μm are demonstrated. Published version

Two new quaternary aluminum silicides, RE8Ru12Al49Si9(AlxSi12-x) (x ∼ 4; RE = Pr, Sm), have been synthesized from Sm (or Sm2O3), Pr, Ru, and Si in molten aluminum between 800 and 1000 °C in sealed fused silica tubes. Both compounds form black shiny crystals that are stable in air and NaOH. The Nd analog is also stable. The compounds crystallize in a new structural type. The structure, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, is cubic, space group Pm3m with Z = 1, and has lattice parameters of a = 11.510(1) A for Sm8Ru12Al49Si9(AlxSi12-x) and a = 11.553(2) A for Pr8Ru12Al49Si9(AlxSi12-x) (x ∼ 4). The structure consists of octahedral units of AlSi6, at the cell center, Si2Ru4Al8 clusters, at each face center, SiAl8 cubes, at the middle of the cell edges, and unique (Al,Si)12 cuboctohedral clusters, at the cell corners. These different structural units are connected to each other either by shared atoms, Al−Al bonds, or Al−Ru bonds. The rare earth metal atoms fill the space between various structural ...

The four new intermetallic aluminum silicides RE4Fe2+xAl7-xSi8 (RE = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) crystallize from the reaction of Si, Fe, and RE (or rare earth oxides) in molten Al at 850 °C. All compounds share the same structure type as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. They form in the space group Cmmm (No. 65) with cell constants of a = 10.909(2) A, b = 16.265(3) A, c = 4.0804(8) A, R1 = 0.0196, and wR2 = 0.0486 for the Sm analogue. The crystal structure is a complex three-dimensional network comprised of repeating layers containing Al, Si, and Fe connected by atoms between the layers. The RE3+ ions are then located within tunnels of the three-dimensional network, running parallel to the c axis with a coordination number of 14. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that the rare earth ions are in a 3+ oxidation state, whereas the Fe atoms are in an effective diamagnetic state. Electronic band structure calculations, carried out on the hypothetical analogue Y4Fe2Al7Si8, predict metal...

SmNiAl4Ge2 crystallizes from molten Al containing Sm, Ni, and Ge. The compound crystallizes in the rhomohedral space group R3m with a = 4.1121(6) A, c = 31.109(6) A, and V = 455.5(1) A3. The YNiAl4Ge2 analogue is also stable. The crystal structure consists of layers of [NiAl4Ge2]3- separated by monolayers of hexagonally close-packed Sm3+ ions. The Ni atoms are surrounded by eight Al atoms in the structure. Each Sm atom has an octahedral environment of six Ge atoms. The magnetism of SmNiAl4Ge2 is unusual, possibly reflecting the presence of geometrical spin frustration. The magnetization exhibits a well-defined hysteresis loop, without signs of ferromagnetism. It also exhibits irreversibility in the field-cooled and zero-field-cooled magnetization but without the typical characteristic spin glass behavior.

Ausgepragt metallische Verbindungen mit einer quasi-eindimensionalen Struktur sind die ternaren Verbindungen Ln2Al3Si2 (Ln = Ho, Er, Tm), die in Aluminiumschmelzen ausgehend von metallischem Lanthanoid und Silicium synthetisiert wurden. In ihnen liegt ein formales [Al3Si2]6−-Gerust aus unendlichen Al-Zickzackketten und Si-Si-Dimeren vor, das Reihen von Ln3 +-Ionen in parallelen Tunneln beherbergt. Die Verbindungen weisen bei hohen Magnetfeldstarken metamagnetische Ubergange auf.

Two ternary silicides, MNiSi3 (M = Sm, Y), have been synthesized from Sm, Ni, and Si in molten Ga at 850 °C in sealed silica tubes. Both compounds form black shiny crystals and are stable even in aqua regia. The structures, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, are orthorhombic, Cmmm (No. 65) with Z = 4, and have lattice parameters a = 3.965(2) A, b = 21.144(2) A, c = 4.007(1) A for M = Sm and a = 3.930(2) A, b = 21.021(2) A, c = 3.960(1) A for M = Y, respectively. Refinement based on Fo2 yielded R1 = 0.0319 and wR2 = 0.0712 [I > 2 σ(I)] for M = Sm and R1 = 0.0267 and wR2 = 0.0688 [I > 2σ(I)] for M = Y. The compounds adopt the SmNiGe3 structure type with zigzag Si chains and Si dimers and exhibit metallic p-type electrical conductivity. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility data suggest that Sm is 3+ and Ni has no magnetic moment. SmNiSi3 has an antiferromagnetic transition at 12 K and follows the modified Curie−Weiss law above 12 K. Band structure calculations using density functional th...

A new quaternary silicide, Sm2Ni(NixSi1-x)Al4Si6 (x = 0.18−0.27), has been synthesized from Sm2O3, NiO, and Si or Sm, Ni, and Si in Al metal flux at 800 °C. The structure, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, is tetragonal, space group P4/nmm (No. 129) with Z = 2, and lattice parameters a = b = 5.8060(3) A, c = 14.845(1) A. Refinement based upon F2 [I > 2σ(I)] yielded R1 = 0.0252 and wR2 = 0.0634. The compound exhibits a new structure type containing two different alternating layers which are linked together through Si/Ni−Si bonds to form a three-dimensional framework. One layer is formed by edge-shared (the edges parallel to c) NiAl8 cubes. The other layer is a Si-based net which consists of six-member, five-member, and square planar rings. The structure of this compound cannot be rationalized on the basis of the Zintl−Klemm concept. Extended Huckel, tight binding calculations were carried out for different hypothetical stoichiometries, besides the observed one, of the compound Sm2Ni(NixSi1-x)...

Two ternary nitrides, Sr2NbN3and BaThN2, have been synthesized by heating under flowing N2at 900°C the appropriate molar mixtures of Sr2N and NbN, and Ba2N and Th3N4, respectively. The structure of Sr2NbN3was refined by the Rietveld method from X-ray powder diffraction data. It crystallizes isotypically with Ba2TaN3and Ba2ZnO3[space groupC2/c(No. 15);a=5.9864(2) A;b=11.2271(3) A;c=12.5465(1) A;β=92.587(2)°, andZ=8]. Based on its powder X-ray diffraction pattern BaThN2is believed to be isostructural with BaCeN2and RbScO2[space groupP63/mmc(No. 194);a=3.7523(6) A;c=12.858(1) A, andZ=2]. Magnetic susceptibility data are consistent with the structural results.

Transition-metal nitrides have been synthesized by heating nanoscale metal particles under flowing N2(g) or NH3(g). In some cases reaction temperatures are significantly lower than those required by conventional heating procedures. Nanoscale metal particles of Mo, Nb, Ta, Fe−Mo, Fe−Nb, and Cu−Nb were prepared by reduction of the respective metal chloride or mixture of chlorides with the sodide, [K+(15-crown-5)2]Na-, in dimethyl ether solution. The previously characterized nitrides that were prepared (with synthesis conditions indicated) include γ-Mo2N (800 °C, N2) and Mo2N (720 °C, N2), Ta3N5 (650 °C, NH3), Fe3Mo3N (>650 °C, N2), and a mixture of niobium nitride phases (800 °C, N2). A previously unreported phase has been found in the Ba−Nb−N system.

In the integral equation method for solving electromagnetic problems with thin conducting structures, there are several unfavorable factors. The individual electric field integral equation (EFIE) and magnetic field integral equation (MFIE) may deteriorate the conditioning of matrix equations due to their degeneration when the thickness reduces. Also, there are more near-interaction evaluations in filling the impedance matrix because the near-interactions between observation points and source patches are popular. In addition, many triangular meshes could have a high aspect ratio due to the small thickness and this will present a difficulty for the accurate evaluation of self- and near-interaction elements. Aiming at these factors, we develop an efficient Nystrom method to solve the EM problems based on the combined field integral equation (CFIE) and a numerical example is presented to demonstrate its robustness.

UNLABELLED We investigated the effect of growth phase of suspension culture of insect Sf9 cells on cell cycle phase distribution, cell viability and Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) production. The cell culture showed a maximum cell viability and potential to replicate the virus at the peak of G1 phase cells in the culture, while the minimum cell viability coincided with the peak of G2/M phase cells. These results indicate that the G1 phase plays a substantial role in the ability of cells to replicate the baculovirus and may help to develop a baculovirus infection dynamics model and control the expression of foreign genes. KEYWORDS cell cycle; baculovirus; viability; flow cytometry; infection.

A new quaternary nitride, Li3Ba2TaN4, has been synthesized from Li, Ba and Ta metals under flowing N2 at high temperature. The structure, as determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, is monoclinic, space group C2c, Z=4, with lattice parameters a=11.294(2) A, b=5.678(1) A, c=11.350(2) A, and β=121.407(7)°. Refinement based upon F2 yielded R2=0.052 and wR2=0.074 (for comparison, a refinement based upon F yielded R1=0.032). The Ta and one of the two independent Li ions are tetrahedrally coordinated by N anions; the Li tetrahedra are distorted. By sharing edges, the Ta and Li tetrahedra form chains which are linked together by the remaining Li ions to form the three-dimensional structure.

The use of DNA vectors to elicit an immune response has produced a lot of interest. Unfortunately, one of the limiting factors has been the problem of gene expression. In order to obtain a strong expression of the vaccinating gene, several steps are necessary. The vector has to be delivered in such a way that it is not being degraded by the immune nor by the hepatic system; it has also to enter efficiently the targeted cells; and it must be expressed in the appropriate compartment of the cells at a high level. For these reasons, we have developed a gene expression vector that contains a T7 autogene and is being expressed in the cytoplasm of the cells (1,2). We will describe this system and two possible applications: infectious disease vaccination and tumor ablation. The latter application may be combined with DNA vaccination against cancer cells.

Background We aimed to assess the value of induction chemotherapy with cisplatin and fluorouracil plus docetaxel (TPF) plus concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) versus CCRT alone in locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Methods We did an open-label phase 3 multicentre randomised controlled trial at ten institutions in China. Patients with stage III–IVB (except T3–4N0, UICC/AJCC 7th edition) NPC were randomly assigned to receive induction chemotherapy plus CCRT (investigational group) or CCRT alone (control group). Patients in both groups received cisplatin 100 mg/m 2 every 3 weeks for three cycles, concurrently with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The investigational group received docetaxel (60 mg/m 2 on day 1), cisplatin (60 mg/m 2 on day 1), and fluorouracil (600 mg/m 2 per day by continuous intravenous infusion on days 1–5) every 3 weeks for three cycles before CCRT. Our primary endpoint was failure-free survival (FFS), and the sample size was 476 patients (238 per treatment group). This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01245959. Findings 241 patients were assigned to the investigational group and 239 to the control group. After a median follow-up of 18.6 months (range 0.8–34 months), the estimated 2-year FFS was 82.2% in the investigational group and 75.5% in the control group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39–0.97, p = 0.04). The estimated 2-year distant failure-free survival (D-FFS) was 91.3% in the investigational group and 81.7% in the control group (HR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.28–0.91, p = 0.02). No significant differences in overall survival and locoregional failure-free survival were observed between the two arms. The rates of grade 3–4 neutropenia, diarrhoea, and stomatitis during induction chemotherapy were 35.1%, 7.1%, and 6.3%, respectively. Interpretation The preliminary results suggested that compared with CCRT alone, induction chemotherapy with TPF could significantly improve FFS and D-FFS in locoregionally advanced NPC. Long-term follow-up is needed to establish an eventual efficacy of TPF induction chemotherapy.