Search

We conducted two three-dimensional numerical models to investigate the effects of the surrounding surface surcharge on the deformation of the retaining structure. The results obtained by the finite element model are in good agreement with the field measurements. The deflection of the diaphragm wall increased by 2-3 times owing to the surrounding surface surcharge, which implies that the surrounding surface surcharge magnifies the excavation-space effect. The maximum wall deflections were approximately 0.03-0.05 H (H is the excavation depth) in the case without surface surcharge. However, the maximum wall deflections increased up to 0.05-0.19 H when surrounding surface surcharges were applied on the surface ground around excavation. The surrounding surface surcharge leads to the increase of the maximum wall deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effect of Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy compared with standard colonoscopy is conflicting in terms of the adenoma detection rate. The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy for adenoma detection. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library were searched up to the end of June 8, 2021. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy with standard colonoscopy were included. Dichotomous data were pooled to obtain the relative risk with a 95% CI, whereas continuous data were pooled using a mean difference with 95% CI. Results: A total of 23 RCTs involving 17,999 patients were included. Compared with standard colonoscopy, use of the Endocuff was associated with a significant improvement in the adenoma detection rate (RR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.08–1.24), polyp detection rate (RR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.09–1.25), sessile serrated lesion detection rate (RR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.05–1.43), left-side lesion detection rate (RR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.08–1.43), and mean number of adenomas per patient (MD = 0.17, 95% CI 0.08–0.26). There were no significant differences between the and groups in detection of advanced adenomas, mean number of polyps per patient, right-side lesion detection rate, cecal intubation rate, cecal intubation time and withdrawal time. Conclusions: The pooled evidence suggests a significant improvement in the adenoma detection rate, and polyp detection rate using the Endocuff. On the other hand, no significant effect on the detection of advanced adenomas and mean number of polyps per patient was noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary : Fractures are associated with increased long-term mortality in patients surviving to undergo baseline DXA. Notably, excess mortality risk does not decline with increasing time since prior hip or humerus fractures, even after accounting for comorbid medical conditions and other risk factors. Introduction: Mortality risk increases following most types of fracture. In routine clinical practice, patients with prior fractures seen for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA) are "survivors;" whether they remain at increased mortality risk is unknown. We tested the association between prior fracture and all-cause mortality, stratified by time since fracture, in patients undergoing baseline DXA. Methods: We conducted a DXA registry-based cohort study and linked to population-based health services data for the Province of Manitoba, Canada. We identified women and men ≥ 40 years with minimum 10 years of prior healthcare coverage undergoing baseline DXA and ascertained prior fracture codes since 1984 and mortality to 2017. Time since prior fracture was calculated between the clinical encounter for the fracture and baseline DXA (index date). Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios for all-cause mortality in those with compared to those without prior fracture adjusted for (1) age and sex, and (2) age, sex, comorbidities, and other covariates. Results: The study cohort consisted of 74,474 individuals (mean age 64.6 years, 89.7% female). During mean follow-up 9.2 years, we ascertained 14,923 (20.0%) deaths. Except for forearm fractures, all fracture sites were associated with increased mortality risk compared to those without prior fracture, even after multivariable adjustment. Excess mortality risk tended to decline slightly with time since fracture and was no longer significant > 10 years after vertebral fracture. However, excess mortality persisted > 10 years following hip or humerus fracture. Conclusions: Prior fractures are associated with increased long-term mortality in patients surviving to undergo baseline DXA. Excess mortality risk does not decline with time since prior hip or humerus fractures, after accounting for potential confounders. Fracture prevention may have important long-term benefits preserving life expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1070328424030060 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces a new technology of the integrated forming of shape and inner hole of hollow axle. Firstly, the design of the process is described. Secondly, the range of feed angle of two sets of rolls and the principle to be followed are explained. Finally, the rolling process of hollow axle is simulated by Finite Element Method (FEM), and the variation law of load parameters and the distribution law of temperature and effective plastic strain in the rolling process are analyzed. The numerical results verify the feasibility of rolling hollow axle with this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considered three options for the synthesis of a catalyst by the precipitation method, the Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by varying the precipitation procedure and calcination temperature for the dehydrogenation of methanol was investigated. When the CuO/SiO2 catalyst precursors were prepared by the addition of a copper nitrate aqueous solution into an ammonia aqueous solution (reverse precipitation) and co-current flow addition of both aqueous solutions, after reduction with gaseous hydrogen, small-sized metallic copper nanocrystallites were formed in the reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts as compared to those prepared by the addition of an ammonia aqueous solution into a copper nitrate aqueous solution (direct precipitation). The reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by the reverse precipitation method with relatively lower acidity and basicity exhibited higher catalytic activity for the formation of methyl formate in methanol dehydrogenation. The reduced Cu/SiO2 catalysts prepared by the calcination at a lower temperature exhibited higher catalytic activity for the formation of methyl formate. The surface metallic Cu0 and Cu+ species catalyzed the methanol dehydrogenation to methyl formate, meanwhile the surface Cu+ cations enhanced the decomposition of the resultant methyl formate to CO and H2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at Distributed Permutation Flow-shop Scheduling Problems (DPFSPs), this study took the minimization of the maximum completion time of the workpieces to be processed in all production tasks as the goal, and took the multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (RL) method as the main frame of the solution model, then, combining with the NASH equilibrium theory and the RL method, it proposed a NASH Q-Learning algorithm for Distributed Flow-shop Scheduling Problem (DFSP) based on Mean Field (MF). In the RL part, this study designed a two-layer online learning mode in which the sample collection and the training improvement proceed alternately, the outer layer collects samples, when the collected samples meet the requirement of batch size, it enters to the inner layer loop, which uses the Q-learning model-free batch processing mode to proceed, and adopts neural network to approximate the value function to adapt to large-scale problems. By comparing the Average Relative Percentage Deviation (ARPD) index of the benchmark test questions, the calculation results of the proposed algorithm outperformed other similar algorithms, which proved the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new Cd(II) containing coordination polymers, namely {[Cd(Dib)(1,4-Ndc)] · H2O}n (I, Dib = 1,4-di(1H-imidazol-1-yl)butane, 1,4-H2Ndc = naphthalene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid) and [Cd(2,2′-Dsb)-(Dpe)-(DMF)(H2O)] (II, 2,2′-H2Dsb = 2,2′-disulfanediyldibenzoic acid, Dpe = (E)-1,2-di(pyridin-4-yl)ethene), have been successfully prepared under the hydrothermal or solvothermal conditions by using the carboxylic acid and N-donor linkers with different functional groups as the co-ligands. Furthermore, the CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the inhibitory effect of these two synthetic complexes on the NCI-H292 lung cancer cell line. The mechanism of the complexes anti-cancer activity was explored with Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection and western blot assay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on long short-term memory (LSTM) and policy gradient algorithm, this paper proposes a novel solution to the job-shop scheduling problems (JSPs). Firstly, two LSTM networks with identical structures were established, serving as the encoding and decoding networks, respectively. Next, a pointer network was introduced to determine the job with the highest priority in the current state, creating a job sequence. Another neural network (NN) was constructed to evaluate the current job sequence. The evaluation results were taken as the baseline of the policy gradient algorithm for reinforcement learning. Then, the job sequence was optimized and updated by gradient descent. The effectiveness of our method was demonstrated through contrastive experiments on benchmark problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The explosive behavior of neo-classical double tearing mode (NDTM) is numerically investigated by a reduced four-field-drift-magnetohydrodynamic code [Ye et al., Nuclear Fusion 59, 096044 (2019)] with the bootstrap current effect. It is numerically observed that the explosive burst of NDTM can be absolutely suppressed by diamagnetic drift flow. The dependence of the critical value of diamagnetic drift flow V 0 * c for avoiding the explosion on typical plasma parameters is numerically studied in detail. It is found that V 0 * c decreases with increasing Δ r s , while it increases with an increasing bootstrap current fraction. The plasma viscosity and resistivity can raise the threshold through their effects on the rotation of magnetic islands and the instability of system, respectively. Furthermore, the perpendicular transport and parallel transport, which are significant to the driven effects of the bootstrap current, have the opposite effects on V 0 * c . The underlying mechanisms are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the impact of an aerial chronic urban pollution (UP) on the severities of some facial signs of Chinese men living in two close but differently polluted Chinese cities. Materials and Methods: Standardized digital photographs were taken on 201 subjects from two cohorts of Chinese men (100 inhabitants of Baoding/very polluted and 101 inhabitants of Dalian/less polluted) differently aged (20–60 years) allowing a focus on 17 different facial signs. The latter were graded by 15 experts, using a clinical referential skin atlas. A questionnaire was filled by all subjects collecting their habits and uses with regard sun‐exposures and skincare products. A naïve panel of 80 Chinese women, of comparable ages, attributed a perceived age to each subject under blind conditions. Results: These confirm previous data obtained on Chinese women, with a similar protocol, i.e. that some facial signs show an increased severity in the more polluted city. However, changes in facial signs, with age, are of a different pattern according to gender. In Chinese men, most signs show early onsets with however low age‐related changes, inversely to those observed in women, at the exception of vascular disorders. Habits of sun‐exposures and uses of skincare product were found totally similar in both cohorts, reinforcing the specific role of UP in the progressive changes of facial signs. Similar to the results previously obtained on Chinese women, men living in a more polluted city were judged older than those living in a less polluted aerial environment. Conclusion: The present work confirms that a more severe UP increases the severities of some facial signs in Chinese men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnTiO3 thin films were prepared by radio frequency cosputtering of ZnO and TiO2. It was found the as-prepared film is amorphous and the cubic phase ZnTiO3 films form after annealing at temperature above 500 °C. The absorption spectra indicate that the optical band gap of the crystalline ZnTiO3 film is about 3.70 eV. A strong photoluminescence band centered at 355 nm consisting of two emission peaks was observed in 800 °C annealed ZnTiO3 thin film, and the peak positions of these two emission move to short wavelength with increasing annealing temperature. It was found the emission peak at ultraviolet zone is resulted from O2- vacancy and that in the blue zone is attributed to Zn2+ vacancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure and optical properties of MgO–TiO2 composite thin films prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering were studied. The composite films have an amorphous structure and the growth rate of the composite film increases with increasing Mg content. The refractive index almost linearly decreases with increasing Mg content in the composite films at wavelength larger than 300 nm and can be adjusted in the wide range between the refractive index of TiO2 and that of MgO. The extinction coefficient decreases with Mg content and is nearly zero at visible light region. The optical band gap of the composite films determined from the absorption spectra increases with Mg content, and has a good agreement with that obtained from spectroscopic ellipsometry simulation. A broad photoluminescence band in the visible region was observed in the composite films with high Mg content and was considered resulted from the oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nitrogen contamination of weld material affects mechanical properties and results in small change of the electric conductivity. This small difference of resistivity needs to be measured since the material property is affected by the nitrogen contamination level. A major challenge in determining the contamination level is the accurate measurement of resistivity in the presence of lift-off variation, top oxide layer and surface irregularities. In this paper, a novel approach based on Decay Time (DT) using Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) and a high sensitive magnetoresistive (MR) sensor is proposed to measure small changes in electrical conductivity of materials. The DT parameter defined herewith is linearly correlated with material conductivity allowing it to be used for estimating the conductivity from transient PEC measurements. Moreover, this method is less sensitive to lift-off variations. The operation principle of this method is demonstrated using finite element model (FEM) simulation and validated using a prototype probe comprising an excitation coil and MR sensor. Weld metal samples with varying levels of nitrogen contamination are tested using the prototype probe demonstrating the feasibility of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Despite their proven efficacy for secondary fracture prevention, long-term adherence with oral bisphosphonates is poor.Introduction: To compare the effectiveness of two interventions on long-term oral bisphosphonate adherence after an upper extremity fragility fracture.Methods: Community-dwelling participants 50 years or older with upper extremity fragility fractures not previously treated with bisphosphonates were randomized to either a multi-faceted patient and physician educational intervention (the active control arm) vs. a nurse-led case manager (the study arm). Primary outcome was adherence (taking > 80% of prescribed doses) with prescribed oral bisphosphonates at 12 months postfracture between groups; secondary outcomes included rates of primary non-adherence and 24-month adherence. We also compared quality of life between adherent and non-adherent patients.Results: By 12 months, adherence with the initially prescribed bisphosphonate was similar (p = 0.96) in both groups: 38/48 (79.2%) in the educational intervention group vs. 66/83 (79.5%) in the case manager arm. By 24 months, adherence rates were 67% (32/48) in the educational intervention group vs. 53% (43/81) in case managed patients (p = 0.13). Primary non-adherence was 6% (11 patients) in the educational intervention group and 12% (21 patients) in the case managed group (p = 0.07). Prior family history of osteoporosis (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 4.4) and being satisfied with current medical care (aOR 2.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 4.8) were associated with better adherence while lower income (aOR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.6, for patients with income < $30,000 per annum) was associated with poorer rates of adherence. There were no differences in health-related quality of life scores at baseline or during follow-up between patients who were adherent and those who were not.Conclusion: While both interventions achieved higher oral bisphosphonate adherence compared to previously reported adherence rates in the general population, primary non-adherence and long-term adherence to bisphosphonates were similar in both arms. Adherence was influenced by family history of osteoporosis, satisfaction with current medical care, and income.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01401556 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many historic masonry arch bridges experience damage due to support movements during their lifetime. This damage may influence the performance of the bridge and reduce its load carrying capacity. This paper proposes a new method to quantify past support movements by investigating distortions in bridge geometry. In this method, the bridge geometry is recorded in point cloud format and segmented into different structural components (e.g. 3D piers and barrels or 2D pier and barrel cross-sections). The geometry of each component is investigated further by fitting primitive shapes (e.g. 3D planes and cylinders or 2D lines and arcs) which represent the design intent. The discrepancy between these fitted shapes and the point clouds reveals a characteristic distortion signature. This signature is compared with theoretical distortion traces, which are obtained from kinematical analyses of the arch subjected to a range of support movements. The most likely support movement scenarios identified from these comparisons are then validated with visual indications of damage, such as crack location and size, and other geometric quantities, such as the change of the bedding joint elevations along the bridge. The proposed technique is applied to two masonry rail viaducts in the UK, which demonstrate different evidence of damage. Using the proposed method, past support movements of both bridges, which led to the observed damage, are inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The deposit and adherence of particulate matter ( PM) from aerial pollution onto the surface of human hair is a poorly studied phenomenon. Objectives (i) To reproduce in vitro the deposit of known PM on standardized hair swatches in a closed box, (ii) to compare in vitro data with those obtained under 'real-life' conditions of severe aerial pollution and (iii) to assess the changes of the hair surface properties, potentially caused by the adherence of airborne PM onto the hair. Methods In vitro: a PM was sprayed onto untreated or sebum-coated hair swatches. Real-life conditions: other swatches were exposed to a severely polluted environment, for 24 to 72 h, in Baoding ( PR China). In both cases, swatches were examined using scanning electron microscopy. The shine, the frictional properties and the level of metals were measured and compared to those same properties for the unexposed swatches. Results This work clearly indicates that, under real-life conditions, a large number of PM of various sizes are deposited onto the hair surface. This phenomenon is increased by the presence of sebum and longer exposure times. The in vitro level of PM deposited onto the hair surface is comparable to the in vivo level. The presence of sebum seems to favour the deposit of larger PM. The shine of the exposed swatches is significantly decreased, whereas their respective friction coefficients are significantly increased. Both the presence of sebum and length of exposure time increased the amount of analysed metals present on the exposed hair surface (Al, Fe, Cu, Ba and Zn). Conclusion This work indicates that a very high amount (e.g. billions) of PM can be deposited on a full head of hair for subjects living in a severely aerially polluted environment. This process can be reproduced in vitro. In real-life, pollution has a strong impact on hair surface properties, leading to a modification of the visual aspect (loss of shine) and the alteration of hair surface (increase in friction force). This work may be used to pave the way for prevention and cleansing studies in the field of hair care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a highly infectious agent that causes acute liver disease. The infection can trigger the production of antibodies against the structural and non-structural proteins of HAV. Nonetheless, vaccination with an HAV vaccine leads to the production of a primary antibody against the structural proteins. Because the non-structural proteins are only produced during active virus replication, there is no or very little antibody production against the non-structural proteins. However, the current commercial immunoassay cannot distinguish between antibodies produced during natural infection and those from vaccination against HAV. In our study, six immune-dominant epitopes from the non-structural proteins were designed, synthesized, linked together and cloned into pGEX-5X-1 plasmid. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli and purified by Ni-coated magnetic agarose beads. Then the purified recombinant protein was used as an ELISA antigen to detect antibodies for HAV non-structural proteins in serum samples. Seventy-seven attenuated and 89 inactivated vaccinated samples collected from our previous phase IV study of HAV vaccines were detected by peptide ELISA developed in this study. The mean OD value for the vaccination samples and acute infection samples were 0.529 (0.486 for the attenuated group and 0.567 for the inactivated group) and 1.187, respectively. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the sensitivity and specificity of the peptide ELISA were 93.80% and 91.00%, respectively. This peptide ELISA was confirmed to discriminate vaccine-induced immunity from natural infection of HAV in a phase IV study with high sensitivity and specificity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for a significant portion of deaths in patients with COPD; however, evidence for early detection strategies for CVD in this population remain limited. Our paper aims to summarize existing data regarding subclinical CVD in patients with COPD with a view to identifying screening strategies in these patients. Methods: A systematic review of published literature was conducted for studies examining the relationship of COPD and markers of subclinical disease such as coronary artery calcification (CAC), carotid intima media thickness (cIMT), endothelial dysfunction, arterial stiffness as measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation indices (AIx). Both MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched till October 2015. Results: A total of 22 studies were included in the review. Compared with control subjects, patients with COPD had significantly higher cIMT (SMD 0.53, 95% CI 0.16-0.90), PWV (SMD 0.91, 95% CI 0.67-1.16) and AIx (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.52-1.19). Additionally, an overall higher prevalence of subclinical CVD as assessed by CAC, ABI and FMD was noted in our review. Conclusion: Although our findings need further evaluation in prospective studies, our review presents significant evidence in support of increased subclinical CVD burden in COPD patients independent of smoking status. Further large-scale case- control studies are required to highlight the significance of subclinical CVD screening in COPD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steer-by-wire (SBW) system which is characterized by variable steering feel, better active safety, unmanned drive, has been widely studied to realize a distinctive driving experience. Control strategy acts as a key part of SBW system to achieve the goals. In this paper, a control strategy by bilateral control structure for steer-by-wire system is proposed. To make SBW system has the same function of conventional steering systems, the controller is designed to realize desired tracking control and realistic road feel feedback. The control of position and torque for each actuator is taken as two ports for the control network. Based on different control loop, two kinds of bilateral control is investigated respectively. The hardwarein- the-loop experiment platform of SBW is developed by the reconfiguration of electric power steering system. The test results are compared to show the performance of different control loops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which deposited crack-free transparent ferroelectric lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) thin films on silicon substrates using the sol-gel deposition technique. Method and materials used in preparing silicon wafer samples; Approach used in the wet chemical etching of the samples; Observation on the wave guiding properties of the PLZT.

Information about building materials plays an important role in the evaluation of military targets strikes, urban planning, disaster assessment and natural disaster compensation. This study aimed to investigate the information about building materials from hyperspectral remote sensing images based on spectral measurements. Additionally, we analysed the spectral characteristics of common building materials. Based on the spectral library and spectra measured, the building material types were identified in urban areas using the Spectral Angle Method and Spectral Information Divergence method. The information about building material types that could be extracted included the artificial paint, pine, concrete and asphalt shingles. The experimental results showed that hyperspectral remote sensing technology can extract information about building materials and that the Spectral Angle Method is more reliable than Spectral Information Divergence Method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Fluorine atoms were incorporated into the HfO2 films by octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8) dual-frequency capacitively coupled plasmas (DF-CCP). [•] Appropriate fluorine incorporation could be obtained by optimizing the LF power. [•] Great improvement on electrical properties can be obtained by C4F8 plasma treatment. [•] Both plasma parameter and the surface chemical states are measured to analysis the mechanism of the plasma surface treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A novel completely passive spent fuel pool cooling system is proposed. [•] The cooling ability of this system is 16MW. [•] High efficiency heat pipe is introduced to decay heat removal. [•] Numerical models for completely passive spent fuel pool cooling system are developed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-a secreted by macrophages and dendritic cells (DCs) plays a predominant role in arthritis. Our previous studies suggest that a small peptide, RVG-9R (29-aa peptide derived from the rabies virus glycoprotein, fused to 9R residues), can deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) to macrophages and DCs. We therefore tested whether knockdown of TNF-α expression in macrophages and DCs by RVG-9R/bound siRNA targeting TNF-α reduces the severity of collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) in mice. Method: Arthritis was induced in mice by injecting a combination of antibodies to collagen followed by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment. Mice were also injected with TNF-α siRNA complexed with RVG-9R peptide or an irrelevant peptide RVMAT-9R on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. As a positive control, dexamethasone was injected intravenously. Paw thickness was measured every 2 days and the mice were killed on day 10 for testing synovial TNF-α levels and histological analysis of joints. Results: In control mice, arthritis developed on day 4 and reached its peak between day 7 and day 9. Treatment with siTNF-α bound to RVG-9R, but not to RVMAT-9R, resulted in reducing paw thickness scores to the same level as dexamethasone treatment, associated with reduced TNF-α level in synovial fluid. Histological analysis of joints in the control RVMAT-9R/TNF-α siRNA-treated mice showed marked pannus formation and destruction of cartilage and subchondrial bone, as well as severe infiltration of inflammatory cells into the synovium. By contrast, the joint pathology was markedly reduced in RVG-9R/TNF-α siRNA-treated mice resembling the dexamethasone-treated mice. Conclusions: Suppression of TNF-α expression in macrophages and DCs by RVG-9R-mediated siRNA delivery could potentially be a clinically viable strategy for treatment of arthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Simufact FE software is used to establish a simulation model of three-roll diagonal roll piercing integrated forming flange nut blanks, elaborate its process principle, analyze its forming process through numerical simulation. The law of load change, equivalent plastic strain distribution and wall thickness uniformity during the piercing process and diameter reduction process were investigated, and verify the feasibility of this forming process for manufacturing flange nut blanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims In the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, mean updated HbA1c accounted for most of the differential risk of microvascular complications between intensive and conventional insulin therapy. We hypothesized, however, that a more precise measure of chronic hyperglycaemic exposure may be the incremental area-under-the-HbA1c-curve above the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial-standardized normal range for HbA1c (iAUCHbA1c>norm). Methods Using the Principal Diabetes Control and Complications Trial data set, we compared the following three measures of chronic glycaemic exposure for their capacity to predict retinopathy, nephropathy and neuropathy during the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial: mean updated HbA1c, iAUCHbA1c>norm, and total area-under-the-HbA1c-curve (tAUCHbA1c). For each outcome, models using each of these three glycaemic measures were compared in the following three ways: hazard or odds ratio, χ2 statistic, and Akaike information criterion. Results The three glycaemic measures did not differ in their prediction of neuropathy. iAUCHbA1c>norm was modestly superior to mean updated HbA1c for predicting nephropathy (χ2 P = 0.017, Akaike P = 0.032). In contrast, for predicting retinopathy, both iAUCHbA1c>norm (χ2 P = 0.0005, Akaike P = 0.0005) and tAUCHbA1c (χ2 P = 0.004, Akaike P = 0.004) were significantly better than mean updated HbA1c. Varying its HbA1c threshold incrementally between 37 and 53 mmol/mol (5.5-7.0%), inclusive, did not improve the prediction of retinopathy by iAUCHbA1c>threshold beyond that of tAUCHbA1c,consistent with the concept of a continuous relationship between glycaemia and retinopathy, with no glycaemic threshold. Conclusions Both iAUCHbA1c>norm and tAUCHbA1c were superior to mean updated HbA1c for predicting retinopathy. Optimal assessment of chronic glycaemic exposure as a determinant of retinopathic risk may require consideration of both the degree of hyperglycaemia and its duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new compact tri-band microstrip bandpass filter (BPF) designed based on a tri-mode stub-loaded resonator (SLR) is proposed. The SLR equivalent circuit, consisting of one even mode and two odd resonant modes, can be used to create passbands operated at 2.4, 3.5, and 5.2 GHz, corresponding to the wireless local area networks and WiMAX applications. The filter is compact in size because only two sets of resonator are employed by means of the tri-mode behaviors, and the three band can be designed independently. Furthermore, transmission zero on each passband edges can be created by using 0° feed structures, resulting in high skirt selectivity. Experimental results show good agreement with the simulated ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A common approach to screening for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is the universal testing of all pregnant women with a 1-h, 50-g glucose challenge test (GCT), followed by a diagnostic oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in those in whom the GCT is positive (≥7.8 mmol/L). More important, the GCT is performed at any time of day, but there has been limited study of the effect of time of day on test performance. Thus, using their subsequent OGTT (performed in the morning), we sought to characterize the metabolic function of women with positive GCTs in relation to the timing of their test.Research Design and Methods: A total of 927 women with positive GCTs underwent a 3-h 100-g OGTT. They were stratified into four groups by time of day (hours) of their GCT: <0900 (n = 171), 0900-1059 (n = 288), 1100-1259 (n = 189), and ≥1300 (n = 279).Results: On the OGTT, the prevalence of GDM progressively decreased across the GCT groups from <0900 h (26.9%) to 0900-1059 h (25.0%) to 1100-1259 h (21.7%) to ≥1300 h (21.5%; P = 0.0022). After adjustment for GDM risk factors, mean adjusted glucose area under the curve (AUC(gluc)) similarly decreased across the groups, while insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index) and β-cell function (Insulin Secretion-Sensitivity Index-2) progressively increased (all P < 0.0001). In particular, compared with the <0900- and 0900-1059-h groups, women whose positive GCT occurred after 1300 h had superior metabolic function, as evidenced by lower AUC(gluc), higher insulin sensitivity, and better β-cell function (all P ≤ 0.0097).Conclusions: Among women with a positive GCT, those tested in the afternoon have better metabolic function and a lower risk of GDM on subsequent OGTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First-principle calculations are performed on the dimers of 2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyridine (ANPy) and its N-oxide (2,6-diamino-3,5-dinitropyridine-1-oxide, ANPyO). The dimers as well as the monomers are fully optimized by the DFT-B3LYP and HF methods in conjunction with 6-311G**, 6-311++G**, and cc-pVDZ basis sets. The N-O bond length of the pyridine N-oxide moiety decreases in the ANPyO dimer in the dimerization process, which results in a larger deformation energy of the ANPyO submolecule. This deformation prevents the submolecules from further close contact and the formation of strong H-bonds between the nitro and amino groups. The optimized intermolecular distances of the ANPyO dimer are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental values. There is a weak C-H...O hydrogen bond in the ANPyO dimer; the B3LYP method underestimates its binding energy. On the contrary, for the ANPy dimer, the binding energy obtained at the B3LYP level is larger than that obtained at the HF level. The individual O...H strength is stronger in the ANPy dimer than that in ANPyO, which is consistent with the O...H distance. The O...H-C type of the H-bond is stronger in the ANPyO dimer than the ordinary O...H-C bond due to the N-oxide oxygen atom bearing larger negative charges. The corrected binding energy for each hydrogen bond between nitro oxygen and amino hydrogen is about −5 kJ/mol in the ANPy dimer, which is stronger than that in the ANPyO dimer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature is a major abiotic stress for rice cultivation, causing serious yield loss in many countries. To identify QTL controlling low temperature induced spikelet sterility in rice, the progeny of F2, BC1F1 and BC2F1 populations derived from a Reiziq × Lijiangheigu cross were exposed to 21/15°C for 15 days at the booting stage, and spikelet sterility was assessed. For genotyping, 92 polymorphic markers from 373 SSR and 325 STS primer pairs were used. A major QTL was initially indentified on the short arm of chromosome 10 by selective genotyping using highly tolerant and susceptible progeny from F2 and BC1F1 populations. The QTL (qLTSPKST10.1) was validated and mapped by genotyping the entire F2 (282 progeny) and BC1F1 (84 progeny) populations. The results from the F2 population showed that qLTSPKST10.1 could explain 20.5% of the variation in spikelet sterility caused by low temperature treatment with additive (a = 14.4) and dominant effect (d = −7.5). From the analysis of 98 selected BC2F1 progeny, the QTL located in the 3.5 cM interval between S10010.9 and S10014.4 was further confirmed. Based on the studies of 3 generations in 2 years, it was clear that the QTL on chromosome 10 is a major determinant of the control of low temperature induced spikelet sterility at booting stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of magnesium (Mg) in fish is located in the bone. Dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) has been reported to affect scales and vertebrae Mg dramatically in juvenile grouper, but the effect of dietary Mg on tissue Ca and P is unknown. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary Mg supplement on growth, feed efficiency, morphometry, and the ash and Ca, P, sodium (Na) content in scales and vertebrae of juvenile grouper. Seven experimental diets were formulated to contain graded levels of Mg by supplementing the basal diet with 0, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 2000 mg kg−1 Mg in the form of Mg sulphate (MgSO4·7H2O). Juvenile grouper with an initial body weight of 11.8 ± 0.1 g were fed to apparent satiation twice per day for 10 weeks. Dietary Mg supplement had no significant effect on growth, feed efficiency, and Mg concentration in scales and vertebrae of grouper, which indicates the Mg requirement of grouper was met in fish fed the basal diet. Mg supplements had significant effect on morphometry index such as body length, condition factor, viscera somatic index and mesenteric fat index. Extra dietary Mg supplement to the basal diet had no negative effect on ash, Ca and P concentrations in scales and vertebrae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Retrospective study.Objectives:To determine the characteristics of sports- and recreation-related (SR-related) spinal cord injuries (SCIs) in Beijing.Setting:Beijing, China.Methods:A review of the complete medical records of 57 consecutive SR-related SCI patients referred to four general hospitals and two rehabilitation institutions was carried out. Patients were injured between 1993 and 2006. The variables studied included demography, sports and recreation characteristics, diagnoses and outcome.Results:There were 44 males and 13 females with a ratio of 3.3:1. The mean age was 24.49±11.92 years. In 37 patients (64.9%), water sports was the single most commont cause. Of them, injury because of diving was seen in 34, which constituted 59.6% of the total. Other types of sports and recreation accounted for 35.1%. Level of cord lesion was cervical in 89.5% and thoracic in 10.5% of the injured. The lesion of C4 alone constituted 45.6% of the total. The ratio of complete to incomplete lesion was 1.2:1. In all, two patients died, and one with an injury at the C4 level recovered completely. Of the other 54 survivals, 48 (89%) remained tetraplegic and six remained paraplegic (11%). The main underlying cause was the lack of safety awareness, safety regulations and their implementation.Conclusion:SR-related SCI was most commonly seen among young male adults, predominantly as a result of diving accidents. There was a significant increase in sports injuries, other than those caused by diving, in later years. Successful prevention programs of other countries are being adopted in Beijing in recent years, hence an improvement in safety is expected in the years to come.Sponsorship:This work was sponsored by Funding Project for Academic Human Resources Development in Institutions of Higher Learning Under the Jurisdiction of Beijing Municipality(2007) and Funding Project for Science and Technology Development of Beijing Municipality(km200710029003). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) staging is currently being revised by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC). Among other changes, the revised staging system proposes the subdivision of the T1 tumor ( 2 cm but Methods: A total of 291 patients with stage IA (T1N0M0) NSCLC who had undergone surgical resection between January 1, 1991, and December 31, 2004, were identified by the cancer registry. The mean and median follow-up times were 62 and 54 months, respectively. The patients were subdivided into T1a and T1b groups. Overall survival (OS) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) periods were determined by retrospective chart review and compared for statistical significance. Patient-specific and disease-specific information was recorded in order to identify possible confounding variables.Results: When patients were subdivided into T1a (n = 193) and T1b (n = 98) groups, significant differences were observed in both OS (p = .023) and DFS (p = .014). No statistically significant difference was detected in the mean age, pack-year smoking history, or percent predicted FVC or FEV(1) between the T1a and T1b groups. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in the type of surgery or nodal staging performed on the patients in the two groups.Conclusion: The T1 descriptor should be subdivided at 2 cm to reflect the observed prognostic differences. Our findings agree with the new staging system proposed by the IASLC, revealing its profound applicability to individual institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prevent leaf senescence of petunia, the cytokinin biosynthetic gene isopentenyl transferase (ipt) was placed under the control of 35S promoter and introduced into petunia. PCR analysis showed an expected 0.5 Kb fragment of ipt gene in transgenic petunia. RT-PCR analysis indicated the expression of ipt gene in the transgenic lines. Leaves from transgenic plants remained green and healthy in normal culture condition, while the non-transformed plants turned to yellow. Transgenic plants showed a reduction in height and smaller leaf sizes. In transgenic lines, the internodes were shorter, and the roots grew slower than the non-transformed plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines factors that influence individualusers' post-adoption switching behavior between informationtechnology products that are near perfect substitutes.The introduction and popularity of Mozilla FirefoxWeb browser provided an ideal empirical setting for thisstudy. Drawing upon literature on post-adoption userbehavior, consumer behavior, and online user research,we propose a research model and validate it using crosssectionalfield data collected from 306 users on theirdecision to switch from Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE)to Mozilla Firefox. Findings suggest that user satisfactionand breadth of use of the incumbent product are negativelyassociated with switching behavior. Perceived easeof use, relative advantage, and perceived security of thesubstitute product are positively associated with switchingbehavior. In addition, the effects of perceived easeof use and relative advantage are not moderated by userexperience. This study contributes to both research andpractice by advancing our understanding of informationtechnology (IT) users' post-adoption behavior in generaland their switching behavior onWeb-related IT productsspecifically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus suis serotype 2 sequence type 7 strains emerged in 1996 and caused a streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome in 1998 and 2005 in China. Evidence indicated that the virulence of S. suis sequence type 7 had increased, but the mechanism was unknown. The sequence type 7 strain SC84, isolated from a patient with streptococcal toxic shock-like syndrome during the Sichuan outbreak, and the sequence type 1 strain 31533, a typical highly pathogenic strain isolated from a diseased pig, were used in comparative studies. In this study we show the mechanisms underlying cytokine production differed between the two types of strains. The S. suis sequence type 7 strain SC84 possesses a stronger capacity to stimulate T cells, naive T cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cell proliferation than does S. suis sequence type 1 strain 31533. The T cell response to both strains was dependent upon the presence of antigen-presenting cells. Histo-incompatible antigen-presenting cells were sufficient to provide the accessory signals to naive T cell stimulated by the two strains, indicating that both sequence type 7 and 1 strains possess mitogens; however, the mitogenic effect was different. Therefore, we propose that the difference in the mitogenic effect of sequence type 7 strain SC84 compared with the sequence type 1 strain 31533 of S. suis may be associated with the clinical, epidemiological and microbiological difference, where the ST 7 strains have a larger mitogenic effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus suis sequence type (ST) 7 has been spreading throughout China. To determine events associated with its emergence, we tested 114 isolates. In all 106 ST7 strains responsible for human outbreaks and sporadic infections, the tetracycline-resistance gene, tetM, was detected on the conjugative transposon Tn916. Horizontal transmission of tetM is suspected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since Frisch’s classical damping oscillator model has failed to explain persistent economic fluctuations very satisfactorily, we suggest a non-classical oscillator model based on Quantum Mechanics, in an attempt to explain such fluctuations in stock markets. This is based on the assumption that the value could be a wave packet which decides the probability of each price since the same stock has a price range rather than a fixed price at different times. In this case, the market is treated as an apparatus that can measure the value and produce a price as a result. Then, we apply the numerical simulation results to qualitatively explain persistent fluctuations in stock markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nanocrystalline compound thin films of ZnO-TiO2 with different Zn/Ti atomic ratios were prepared by radio frequency magnetron reactive sputtering. The optical constants and the optical band gap were investigated using spectroscopic ellipsometry and the optical absorption spectrum. It was found that the cubic ZnTiO3 phase can be obtained with the atomic ratio of Zn to Ti of about 1:1, and transforms to rhombohedral ZnTiO3 phase and a phase mixture of rhombohedral ZnTiO3 and ZnO with increasing Zn content. The refractive index decreases with the increase of Zn content, and the extinction coefficient in the visible range is near zero. The optical band gap was derived from the modeling of ellipsometry data and extinction coefficient spectra, and compared with that obtained from optical absorption spectrum, and it was found that the optical band gaps obtained by these three methods are consistent with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary iron supplement on growth, haematology and microelements of juvenile grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Casein–gelatine-based diets supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 mg kg−1 iron from ferrous sulphate were fed to grouper (mean initial weight: 21.0 ± 0.2 g) for 8 weeks. Weight gain was highest in fish fed the diet supplemented with 100 mg kg−1 iron, intermediate in fish fed diets with 50, 150, 200 and 250 mg kg−1 iron and lowest in fish fed the basal diet. Feed efficiency followed a similar trend except that the lowest value was in fish fed the basal diet and the diet supplemented with 250 mg kg−1 iron. Hepatic iron was highest in fish fed diets supplemented with iron ≥100 mg kg−1, followed by fish fed diet with 50 mg kg−1 iron and lowest in fish fed the basal diet. The whole-body iron was lowest in fish fed the basal diet but not significantly different from other groups, as judged byanova. Iron supplement to the basal diet had no significant effect on haematological parameters (red blood cell count, haematocrit and haemoglobin), hepatic copper concentration or manganese, zinc concentration in liver and whole body. Broken-line analysis of hepatic iron indicated that iron supplementation of 100 mg kg−1 satisfied the hepatic iron storage and that further supplementation did not expand the iron status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key feature of cancer chromosomes and genomes is their high level of dynamics and the ability to constantly evolve. This unique characteristic forms the basis of genetic heterogeneity necessary for cancer formation, which presents major obstacles to current cancer diagnosis and treatment. It has been difficult to integrate such dynamics into traditional models of cancer progression. In this conceptual piece, we briefly discuss some of the recent exciting progress in the field of cancer genomics and genome research. In particular, a re-evaluation of the previously disregarded non-clonal chromosome aberrations (NCCAs) is reviewed, coupled with the progress of the detection of sub-chromosomal aberrations with array technologies. Clearly, the high level of genetic heterogeneity is directly caused by genome instability that is mediated by stochastic genomic changes, and genome variations defined by chromosome aberrations are the driving force of cancer progression. In addition to listing various types of non-recurrent chromosomal aberrations, we discuss the likely mechanism underlying cancer chromosome dynamics. Finally, we call for further examination of the features of dynamic genome diseases including cancer in the context of systems biology and the need to integrate this new knowledge into basic research and clinical applications. This genome centric concept will have a profound impact on the future of biological and medical research. Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films have been grown on Si(100) and quartz substrates by reactive sputtering of a Sn target in gas mixtures of N2–O2. The structure of the nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films was studied by X-ray diffraction, and the changes in the chemical bonds and atomic binding states of the nitrogen-incorporated SnO2 thin films were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It was found that the binding energy of Sn 3d and O 1s shifts 0.65 eV and 0.35 eV, respectively, toward the lower-energy side after nitrogen was incorporated into the SnO2 thin films as a comparison with that of pure SnO2 film. The indirect optical band gap gradually decreases from 3.42 eV to 3.23 eV, i.e. from the UV to the edge of the visible-light range, with increasing nitrogen flux content in the N2–O2 gas mixtures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of multicolor-FISH and immunostaining produces a powerful visual method to analyze in situ DNA-protein interactions and dynamics. Representing one of the major technical improvements of FISH technology, this method has been used extensively in the field of chromosome and genome research, as well as in clinical studies, and serves as an important tool to bridge molecular analysis and cytological description. In this short review, the development and significance of this method will be briefly summarized using a limited number of examples to illustrate the large body of literature. In addition to descriptions of technical considerations, future applications and perspectives have also been discussed focusing specifically on the areas of genome organization, gene expression and medical research. We anticipate that this versatile method will play an important role in the study of the structure and function of the dynamic genome and for the development of potential applications for medical research. Copyright © 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]