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As the plasma beta (β) increases in high-performance tokamaks, electromagnetic turbulence becomes more significant, potentially constraining their operational range. To investigate this turbulence, a cross-polarization scattering (CPS) diagnostic system is being developed on the HL-3 tokamak for simultaneous measurements of density and magnetic fluctuations. In this work, a quasi-optical system has been designed and analyzed for the Q-band CPS diagnostic. The system includes a lens group for beam waist size optimization, a rotatable wire-grid polarizer for polarization adjustment, and a reflector group for measurement range regulation and system response enhancement. Laboratory tests demonstrated a beam radius of order 4 cm at the target measurement location (near the plasma pedestal), cross-polarization isolation exceeding 30 dB, and poloidal and toroidal angle adjustment ranges of ±40° and ±15°, respectively. These results verify the system's feasibility through laboratory evaluations. The quasi-optical system has been installed on the HL-3 tokamak during the 2023 experimental campaign to support the development of CPS diagnostics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on High Magnetic field Helicon eXperiment, considering the parabolic distribution and Gaussian distribution of radial plasma density, HELIC code was used to study the influence of temperature and pressure gradient on power deposition, electric field, and current density of Helicon Wave Plasma. Three different gradients (positive, negative, and zero gradient) were selected. The results show that positive temperature gradient is beneficial to increase the relative absorption power at the center of plasma. Compared with negative and zero pressure gradients, positive pressure gradient increases the relative absorption power and weakens the current density at the center of plasma, and increases the electric field intensity at the edge of plasma. Larger edge heating will cause the relative absorption power at edge to rise rapidly, which is not conducive to the coupling at the center of plasma. In practical experiments, it is particularly important to reduce the heating effect at edge by cooling the antenna itself. Three different gradients of temperature and pressure have little effect on electric field intensity and current density in plasma, and the variation trend is basically similar, which proves the stability of the antenna mode: m = 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have proved that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi infection and phosphate transporters are particularly important for phosphorus uptake by plants. Early laboratory studies found that LbPT7 played a role in Pi uptake and it was affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. In order to verify the phosphorus uptake function of LbPT7 gene and the effect of interaction with arbuscular mycorrhiza on plants, we constructed LbPT7 overexpression vector with Nicotiana tabacum and obtained T1 generation overexpression positive plants as test material. Under the condition of pot experiment, we designed three factors: Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi treatment, genotype treatment, phosphorus concentration treatment. After 4 weeks of treatment, we measured the biomass and phosphorus content of tobacco, and determined the colonization. The results showed that overexpression of LbPT7 can promote plant phosphorus uptake and inoculation of AM fungi further promote plant phosphorus uptake in phosphorus deficiency condition, but this effect of them can't superpose in phosphorus adequate conditions. Overexpression of LbPT7 promoted the absorption of phosphorus, but impeded the utilization of phosphorus of N. tabacum in phosphorus deficiency condition. Overexpression of LbPT7 had little effect on the colonization of AM fungi in N. tabacum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research on a novel preparation method for functional scaffolds from natural cellulose has attracted widespread attention in science and engineering. In order to obtain cellulose board which is similar to wood board in structure and mechanical properties, ice template, phase inversion under low temperature, and hot pressing were employed to fabricate board from natural cellulose. During preparation, ice template was used to control cellulose molecules arrange forming excellent orientation in the scaffold. Then, prepared scaffold was immersed in ethanol under −20 °C to remove salt ions used in cellulose resolve process, and keep the direction arrange of molecules in scaffold. Finally, prepared scaffold was treated by hot pressing for pushing off air in pores to form density board. Scanning electron microscopy image showed that prepared scaffold has directional cellulose arrange structure which was similar to that of wood. After hot pressing, the density of scaffold is increased. The mechanical properties of cellulose boards are enhanced with the increase of cellulose concentration, and the tensile strength can reach about 45 MPa, which has great potential in replacing natural wood boards. Our study provides new tactics for the use of natural cellulose in our life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-underreamed anchors (MUAs) are widely used in areas with soft soils owing to their high ultimate capacity. To explore the bearing mechanism of MUAs in soft soil, this paper performs a model test of MUAs in silty clay and draws the following conclusions. With an increase in the underream number of MUAs, the ultimate capacity of the anchors significantly increases. The strength of MUAs develops faster and more efficiently than that of non-underreamed anchors but is lost faster after the load reaches its peak value. There are two failure modes of MUAs, namely arch-shaped and cylindrical failure modes. Both of them involve three processes: initial cracking, crack deflection, and crack penetration. The ultimate capacity of ground anchors is composed of end and side bearing capacity. For MUAs, both the side and end resistance effects are improved. Owing to the superposition of the two kinds of effects, the ultimate capacity of MUAs is higher than that of non-underreamed anchors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An effective numerical analysis process was carried out to simulate an impact event based on the Hashin failure criterion and the Camanho degradation rule. The middle and shoulder of a cylinder were impacted by the edge of square-shaped impactors, and the remaining burst pressure was predicted. The accuracy of the numerical analysis was verified by results of two experiments that proved that the numerical analysis was reliable. The impact damage at different impact energies (20-200 J) was evaluated. According to the analysis carried out, the impact damage of gas cylinders intensified with increasing impact energy, and there existed a critical value of this energy. The damaged area of gas cylinders under the same impact energy first decreases and then increases from the inner to outer layer, and the maximum increase in the residual bursting pressure could reach 9.6%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluorescence-enhanced probe was synthesized based on 4-aminoantipyrine and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthalaldehyde. The structure was characterized by NMR, ESI-MS, IR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. The fluorescent probe HL1 synthesized in this thesis have recognition performance for Hg2+ and Ag+ in acetonitrile solution, with HL1 allowing visual detection of Hg2+. Their recognition properties and mechanisms were examined and investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The binding ratios between the probe and the response ions were 1:1, while the detection limits for the response ions both reached 10–8 M and below, with the potential to detect actual samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced oxygen vacancy (VO) has been designated as an effective strategy to prepare high-performance MnO2 nanocatalysts for the oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOC) for thereof unbalanced electronic structure, and rapid electron transfer which may even reduce the reaction temperature down to room temperature. Herein, the effects of the VO on the catalytic performance of nano-sized MnO2 were discussed by classifying the VO into surface-anchored and bulk-involved ones. Currently used introducing and modulating methods for VO including elemental doping, energetic particle bombardment, atmosphere heat treatment, mechanical chemistry, and redox methods are detailly reviewed. Corresponding regulating mechanisms for VO are expounded. Commonly used characterization methods including ESR, XPS, HRTEM, and UV-vis are reviewed. Furtherly, the unveiled question which is highly expected to be answered on VO of MnO2 nanocatalysts is proposed. The purpose of this review is to present the current status of research on MnO2 nanoparticles and to provide researchers with basic research ideas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe cadmium (Cd) pollution of soil adversely affects food safety and human health. To prevent phytotoxicity and Cd accumulation in agricultural products, effective steps must be taken immediately. In the study, we added different concentrations (10, 50, and 250 mg/kg) of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) into Cd-contaminated soil, investigating the effects of α-Fe2O3 NPs on Cd toxicity. The various physiological indicators, such as antioxidant system, the distribution of Cd and the content of active ingredients in different parts of muskmelon were detected. The results revealed that α-Fe2O3 NPs greatly reduce Cd transport in plants and minimize Cd toxicity. Specifically, 250 mg/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs treatment reduced the root Cd content by 30.19% and 50 mg/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs treatment reduced the stem Cd content by 38.75%. For the content of active ingredients, 50 mg/kg α-Fe2O3 NPs treatment increased root polysaccharide content and leaf saponin content by 14.45 and 27.71%, respectively. Overall, α-Fe2O3 NPs can reduce Cd stress in muskmelon. The current work gave a unique notion for Cd remediation in soil using α-Fe2O3 NPs as amendments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CdxZn1-xS (x=0~1) solid solution photocatalyst with different morphologies was synthesized by solvothermal method using ethylenediamine as solvent. The light absorption of the photocatalyst was varied by changing the morphology and electronic band structure to allow strong visible light response for hydrogen generation. The results showed that the optimum sample Cd0.5Zn0.5S showed a high hydrogen production rate of 2531.3 µmol·g-1 ·h-1 with lactic acid as sacrificial agent. Loading with NiS by solvothermal method further improves the hydrogen production performance. The photocatalytic hydrogen evolution rate of NiS/Cd0.5Zn0.5S is 4547.5 µmol·g-1 ·h-1, which is 1.80 times that of pure Cd0.5Zn0.5S. The mechanism of hydrogen production by NiS/Cd0.5Zn0.5S is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high brightness and low energy spread (∆E) ion source is essential to the production of a high-quality primary ion beam applied in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). A compact 13.56 MHz radio-frequency (RF) ion source with an external planar spiral antenna has been developed as a candidate ion source for the production of negative oxygen ion beams for SIMS application. This ion source is designed with a three-and-a-half-turn water-cooled planar antenna for RF power coupling, a multi-cusp magnetic field for effective plasma confinement, and a three-electrode extraction system. The experimental results show that more than 50 µA negative oxygen ion beams have been extracted, which consist of 56% O−, 25% O2−, and 19% O3−. The ion energy distribution of the negative oxygen ion beam exhibits a Gaussian distribution with a minimum ∆E of 6.3 eV. The brightness of the O− beam is estimated to be 82.4 A m−2 Sr−1 V−1. The simulation, design, and experimental study results of this RF ion source will be presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fuel tank of the advanced heavy launch vehicle is made of 2219 aluminum alloy with a thickness of 18 mm. Friction stir welding (FSW) technology is used to achieve the welding of the fuel tank. The increase of thickness directly affects welding temperature field, which ultimately affects the welding quality. At present, the temperature distribution law of FSW thick 2219 aluminum alloy is still blank, which is a bottleneck to ensure high welding quality. In this paper, a temperature field measurement and analyses system based on K-type thermocouple and LabVIEW for friction stir welding is developed first. Then experiments are carried out and the temperature data in welding and thickness directions are measured and the temperature law is analyzed. The comparison of temperature distribution of FSW thick and thin 2219 aluminum alloy is made, and the influence of welding thickness on the temperature field is studied. Based on temperature field, weld strength and microstructure, the influence of different process parameters on welding quality is explored. The research results lay a foundation for optimization of the welding process parameters and realization of constant temperature control of FSW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporins are highly conserved water channel proteins involved in the transport of solutes across membranes. The few aquaporins identified to date play major roles in excretion in insects. Excretion is a major source of indoor allergens from the house dust mite species, but, to date, aquaporins have not been well studied in these species. We used RNA sequencing to study the transcriptome of the house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus to identify putative aquaporin family members. RNA was isolated from more than 2000 mites for 5΄-RACE and 3΄-RACE. Putative aquaporins were identified through BLAST alignments, and primers were designed to amplify the five identified sequences. These cDNA fragments were then inserted into bacterial plasmids for molecular cloning and sequencing of DerpAQP1, DerpAQP2, DerpAQP3, DerpAQP4, and DerpAQP5 (GenBank accessions nos. KY305293, KY305294, KY305295, KY305296, and KY305298, respectively). Phylogenetic analysis of cloned sequences revealed the clustering of these putative aquaporins into two groups with human aquaporins (hAQPs): DerpAQP3 was clustered with hAQP8, hAQP11, and hAQP12; and DerpAQP1, DerpAQP2, DerpAQP4, DerpAQP5 were clustered with hAQP3, hAQP7 hAQP9, and hAQP10. This study provides a foundation for future studies of the importance of these proteins to dust mite functions and allergenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy spread (ΔE) of an ion source is an important parameter in the production of a finely focused primary ion beam applied in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). A variable-focusing retarding field energy analyzer (RFEA) has been developed and tested with an Ar+ beam and an oxygen ion beam extracted from a 2.45 GHz microwave ion source, which is developed as a candidate ion source for SIMS applications. The simulation results show that the relative resolution ΔE/E of the designed RFEA reaches 7 × 10−5. The experimental results indicate that a focusing electrode can improve the ΔE measurement results, which is consistent with the simulation results. The ion energy distributions of the Ar+ beam and oxygen ion beam are of Gaussian distribution with the value of ΔE of 3.3 and 2.9 eV, respectively. These results indicate that the designed RFEA is reliable for measuring the ion beam energy spread. The developed RFEA is also used to study the plasma behavior in different settings, which reveals that plasma stability is critical to making a low energy spread ion beam. This paper will present the simulation, design, and test of the variable-focusing RFEA. Preliminary ion beam quality studies with this instrument will also be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) provides a unique opportunity for the signal readout of magnetic ordering, especially for magnetic insulators. However, the magnitude of SMR signals is quite small, generally lower than one in a thousand, which is a persistent challenge in the field of spintronics. Here, we investigate SMR at room temperature in α-Fe2O3/Pt and γ-Fe2O3/Pt bilayers as well as the α-Fe2O3/Pt/γ-Fe2O3 trilayer, where α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3 are antiferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic materials, respectively. In contrast to the positive SMR in the γ-Fe2O3/Pt bilayer, an unprecedentedly large negative SMR with the magnitude of ∼0.35% is observed in the α-Fe2O3/Pt bilayer due to the spin-flop. The α-Fe2O3/Pt/γ-Fe2O3 trilayer shows features of a combination of positive and negative SMR. A comparative study of SMR in the Fe2O3 family not only enriches spin physics, but also makes Fe2O3 a versatile candidate in spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on ten-stage interband cascade light-emitting diodes (ICLEDs) using an InAs/GaAsSb superlattices active region with a peak emission wavelength of 4.9 μm at the temperature of 80 K. The ICLED devices integrated with an immersion lens achieve a wall-plug quantum efficiency of 6.6% and an emittance of 1.9 W/cm2 under 80 K and 7.7 A/cm2, which is seven times larger than the basic device without the immersion lens. We present a detailed analysis of the recombination rates and their relationship with the quantum efficiency. The Shockley–Read–Hall and Auger recombination rates were measured using carrier-density dependent time-resolved photoluminescence spectra. The band structure of InAs/GaAsSb superlattices is calculated to study their relationship with the Auger recombination rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of the suitability of water colour products for the reliability of subsequent applications, or improvements of the algorithm at later stages, is important. We used three types of water bodies: Type 1 (Southern Ocean and Qinghai Lake) clean oceanic water bodies dominated by chlorophyll and clean inland water bodies dominated by chlorophyll and coloured dissolved organic matter; Type 2 (Taihu Lake and Chagan Lake) turbid inland water bodies dominated by suspended matter and chlorophyll and Type 3 (Xiaoxingkai Lake and Daxingkai Lake) turbid inland water bodies dominated by suspended matter. The accuracies of two Chl a concentration products data for synchronous Sentinel-3 OLCI Neural Network (NN) and ocean colour 4 band ratio (OC4Me) algorithms were verified using two metrics combined with in situ data (to compare the applicability of Chl a concentration algorithms for the three types of water bodies). The optimal Chl-a concentration algorithm was selected to analyse the spatial and temporal variation characteristics of monthly concentrations of Chl a. Based on the analysis, (1) the NN algorithm had better applicability to Type 1 water bodies ; the NN algorithm had better applicability to Type 2 water bodies, ; and both algorithms had poor applicability to Type 3 water bodies, (2) Limitations: An overall low derivation value was obtained for the Sentinel-3 OLCI NN algorithm with water concentrations of Chl a, higher than 25 mg m−3. The OC4Me Chl a concentration product only applies to the concentrations of Chl a in Type 2 during the summer. (3) When the Sentinel-3 OLCI Chl a concentration product was compared with the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) and visible infrared imaging radiometer (VIIRS) Chl a concentration products, the distribution trends of the Chl a concentrations were consistent. Furthermore, the Sentinel-3 OLCI Chl a concentration product was more dominant in spatial resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiofrequency (RF)-induced tissue fusion shows great potential in sealing intestinal tissue without foreign materials. To improve the performance of RF-induced tissue fusion, a novel self-cooling jaw has been designed to minimize thermal damage during the fusion. The prototype of self-cooling jaws was developed and manufactured. A total number of 60 mucosa-to-mucosa fusions were conducted using ex-vivo porcine intestinal segments with the proposed design and conventional bipolar jaws. The effects of intestinal fusion were evaluated based on temperature curves, burst pressure, thermal damage, and histological appearances. The self-cooling jaws showed significant decrease in temperature during the fusion process. An optimal burst pressure (5.7 ± 0.5 kPa) and thermal damage range (0.9 ± 0.1 mm) were observed when the applied RF power was 100 W. The thermal damage range of the prototype has almost decreased 36% in comparison with the conventional bipolar jaws (1.4 ± 0.1 mm). The histological observation revealed that a decrease of thermal damage was achieved through the application of self-cooling jaws. The self-cooling jaws were proved to be effective for reducing the thermal damage during RF-induced tissue fusion, which could potentially promote the clinical application of tissue fusion techniques in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severe electric and thermal environments may cause localized deterioration of the contact behavior of thermoelectric devices. The contact responses of the thermoelectricity under the joint effect of the finite size and the friction are analyzed. The law of the Coulomb friction is adopted. The obtained Fredholm kernel functions reveal the influence of the thickness and the friction. The known Jacobi polynomials are employed to discretize the obtained singular integral equation. The effects of the thermoelectric loadings (the total electric current and the total energy flux), friction coefficient, the thermoelectric strip thickness, and the elastic and thermoelectric material constants on the distribution of the normal traction and the surface in-plane stress are demonstrated in detail. The smaller thermal expansion coefficient and shear modulus will contribute to the lower stress concentration at both contact edges. The surface in-plane tensile stress behind the trailing edge can be alleviated as the thermoelectric strip becomes thinner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) involves multiple pathogens, shows diverse lung lesions, and is a major concern in calves. Pathogens from 160 lung samples of dead cattle from 81 cattle farms in Northeast China from 2016 to 2021 were collected to characterize the molecular epidemiology and risk factors of BRDC and to assess the major pathogens involved in bovine suppurative or caseous necrotizing pneumonia. The BRDC was diagnosed by autopsy, pathogen isolation, PCR, or reverse transcription-PCR detection, and gene sequencing. More than 18 species of pathogens, including 491 strains of respiratory pathogens, were detected. The positivity rate of bacteria in the 160 lung samples was 31.77%, including Trueperella pyogenes (9.37%), Pasteurella multocida (8.35%), Histophilus somni (4.48%), Mannheimia haemolytica (2.44%), and other bacteria (7.13%). The positivity rate of Mycoplasma spp. was 38.9%, including M. bovis (7.74%), M. dispar (11.61%), M. bovirhinis (7.94%), M. alkalescens (6.11%), M. arginini (0.81%), and undetermined species (4.68%). Six species of viruses were detected with a positivity rate of 29.33%, including bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1; 13.25%), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV; 5.50%), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV; 4.89%), bovine parainfluenza virus type-3 (BPIV-3; 4.28%), bovine parainfluenza virus type-5 (1.22%), and bovine coronavirus (2.24%). Mixed infections among bacteria (73.75%), viruses (50%), and M. bovis (23.75%) were the major features of BRDC in these cattle herds. The risk analysis for multi-pathogen co-infection indicated that BoHV-1 and H. somni ; BVDV and M. bovis , P. multocida , T. pyogenes , or Mann. haemolytica ; BPIV-3 and M. bovis ; BRSV and M. bovis , P. multocida , or T. pyogenes ; P. multocida and T. pyogenes ; and M. bovis and T. pyogenes or H. somni showed co-infection trends. A survey on molecular epidemiology indicated that the occurrence rate of currently prevalent pathogens in BRDC was 46.15% (6/13) for BoHV-1.2b and 53.85% (7/13) for BoHV-1.2c, 53.3% (8/15) for BVDV-1b and 46.7% (7/15) for BVDV-1d, 29.41% (5/17) for BPIV-3a and 70.59% (12/17) for BPIV-3c, 100% (2/2) for BRSV gene subgroup IX, 91.67% (33/36) for P. multocida serotype A, and 8.33% (3/36) for P. multocida serotype D. Our research discovered new subgenotypes for BoHV-1.2c, BRSV gene subgroup IX, and P. multocida serotype D in China's cattle herds. In the BRDC cases, bovine suppurative or caseous necrotizing pneumonia was highly related to BVDV [odds ratio (OR) = 4.18; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.6–10.7], M. bovis (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.1–4.9), H. somni (OR = 8.2; 95% CI: 2.6–25.5), and T. pyogenes (OR = 13.92; 95% CI: 5.8–33.3). The risk factor analysis found that dairy calves <3 mo and beef calves >3 mo (OR = 5.39; 95% CI: 2.7–10.7) were more susceptible to BRDC. Beef cattle were more susceptible to bovine suppurative or caseous necrotizing pneumonia than dairy cattle (OR = 2.32; 95% CI: 1.2–4.4). These epidemiological data and the new pathogen subgenotypes will be helpful in formulating strategies of control and prevention, developing new vaccines, improving clinical differential diagnosis by necropsy, predicting the most likely pathogen, and justifying antimicrobial use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cheyletus, including Cheyletus malaccensis and Cheyletus eruditus and other species, is a predatory mite at genus level. Some studies have reported distribution rates of Cheyletus in dust samples, but their results are inconsistent. The aim of this meta analysis was to comprehensively evaluate the distribution rates of Cheyletus in dust samples. Articles concerning the distribution rates of Cheyletus species in dust samples were searched and screened in electronic databases. The pooled distribution rate with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Thirteen articles were included in this meta-analysis. A total of 15 studies reported the rates of Cheyletus in all mites from dust and the pooled rate was 2.62% (95% CI: 2.32%–2.92%). A total of three studies reported the rates of dust samples with Cheyletus in all dust samples and their pooled rate was 19.82% (95% CI: 5.10%–34.54%). Heterogeneities existed within included studies and source of heterogeneities could not be found though subgroup analyses by species, publication year, sample size of all mites were conducted. There is a low rate of Cheyletus in all mites from dust and a low rate of dust samples with Cheyletus in all dust samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manufactured soils are created as replacements for topsoils and are mixtures of organic wastes (e.g. green waste, bark and sawdust (composts) and inorganic materials such as sand or crushed rock. They are applied in bulk for landscaping purposes and in rehabilitation of wasteland, brownfield sites and mined areas. Specialized uses include soilless media for container-grown plants and bag and pot culture of glasshouse vegetable crops where high macroporosity is required to prevent waterlogging. For use in landscaping and rehabilitation, composted municipal green waste is the most commonly used base material. Small amounts (e.g. 10–30% v/v) of mineral material (e.g. sand, rock crushing grit, subsoil) are often added. The main ingredient for structural manufactured soils (which can provide support for large footpaths, small buildings, etc.) is coarse stone aggregate while sand can be the basis for high-traffic turf such as sports fields and putting greens. There is little interaction between organic and inorganic components in most manufactured soils. Use of a greater proportion of waste inorganic materials with chemically reactive surfaces such as blast furnace slag, steel furnace slag, bauxite residue, fly ash and water treatment residuals could result in greater linkage between components, greater aggregation into a newly-formed material and greater stabilization of the organic components. This would be desirable where sustainable long-term use of the material is required (e.g. in landscaping and rehabilitation) and future research in this area is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To develop and evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based radiomics models for predicting residual myoma regrowth within 1 year after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation of uterine myomas.Methods: A retrospective analysis of residual myoma regrowth within 1 year was performed on 428 myomas in 339 patients who were diagnosed with uterine myoma and treated with HIFU ablation in two hospital centers. In total, 851 radiomics features were extracted from T2-weighted images (T2WI) obtained 1 day after HIFU ablation, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator in the training cohort (n = 243) was employed to select radiomics features. Support vector machines were adopted to develop radiomics, clinicoradiological and combined radiomics-clinical models to predict residual myoma regrowth, defined as an increase in residual myoma volume of > 10% between that at day 1 post HIFU and that at follow-up MRI within 1 year. These models were validated in both internal (n = 81) and external (n = 104) test cohorts. The predictive performance and clinical application of these models were assessed using receiver-operating-characteristics-curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) and decision-curve analysis.Results: The AUCs of the T2WI-based radiomics prediction model in the internal and external test cohorts were 0.834 (95% CI, 0.747-0.920) and 0.801 (95% CI, 0.712-0.889), respectively, and those of the clinicoradiological model were 0.888 (95% CI, 0.816-0.960) and 0.912 (95% CI, 0.851-0.973), respectively. The combined model had better predictive performance than either the radiomics or the clinicoradiological model, with AUC values of 0.922 (95% CI, 0.857-0.987) and 0.930 (95% CI, 0.880-0.980) in the internal and external test cohorts, respectively. Decision-curve analysis also indicated that application of the combined model has clinical value, this model achieving more net benefits than the other two models.Conclusion: T2WI-based radiomics features can predict effectively the occurrence of residual myoma regrowth within 1 year after HIFU ablation of uterine myomas, which serves as an accurate and convenient reference for clinical decision-making. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Question: Does anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) induce preantral follicle atresia in mice?Summary Answer: The present findings suggest that AMH-mediated follicle atresia only occurs in early follicles before they become sensitive to FSH.What Is Known Already: Most prior studies have investigated the ability of AMH to inhibit primordial follicle activation. Our previous study showed that AMH-overexpressing mice had fewer preantral follicles than expected after accounting for primordial follicle inhibition but the reason for this was not determined.Study Design, Size, Duration: Cross-sectional-control versus transgenic/knockout mouse studies were carried out.Participants/materials, Setting, Methods: Studies were conducted on female wild-type (Amh+/+), AMH-knockout (Amh-/-) and AMH overexpressing (Thy1.2-AMHTg/0) mice on a C57Bl/6J background (age: 42-120 days). The follicle counts were conducted for primordial, transitioning, primary, secondary and antral follicles in Amh-/- and Amh+/+ mice. After confirming that follicle development speeds were identical (proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemistry), the ratio of follicles surviving beyond each stage of folliculogenesis was determined in both genotypes. Evidence for increased rates of preantral follicle atresia was assessed by active caspase-3 immunohistochemistry in wild-type and Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 mice.Main Results and the Role Of Chance: Amh -/- mice at 100-120 days of age had lower primordial follicle counts but higher primordial follicle activation rates compared to Amh+/+ mice. These counteracting effects led to equivalent numbers of primordial follicles transitioning to the primary stage in Amh+/+ and Amh-/- mice. Despite this, Amh+/+ mice had fewer primary, secondary, small antral and medium antral follicles than Amh-/- mice indicating differing rates of developing follicle atresia between genotypes. Cleaved caspase-3 immunohistochemistry in Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 ovaries revealed high rates of granulosa cell and oocyte apoptosis in late primary/early secondary follicles of Thy1.2-AMHTg/0 mice.Large Scale Data: N/A.Limitations, Reasons For Caution: The findings were shown only in one species and additional research will be required to determine generalizability to other species.Wider Implications Of the Findings: This study is consistent with prior studies showing that Amh-/- mice have increased primordial follicle activation but these new findings demonstrate that AMH-mediated preantral follicle atresia is a predominant cause of the increased small antral follicle counts in Amh-/- mice. This suggests that the role of AMH is not to conserve the ovarian reserve to prolong fertility, but instead to prevent the antral follicle pool from becoming too large. While this study may demonstrate a new function for AMH, the biological purpose of this function requires further investigation, particularly in mono-ovulatory species.Study Funding/competing Interest(s): This study was funded by the Health Research Council of New Zealand and the University of Otago. No competing interests to declare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention and approval of innovative anticancer therapies in the last decade have revolutionized oncology treatment. Radiotherapy is one of the three traditional pillars in oncology treatment with surgery and systemic therapies. Some standard-of-care combinations of chemoradiotherapy widened the therapeutic window of radiation, while some other chemotherapies such as gemcitabine caused unacceptable toxicities when combined with radiation in lung cancers. Fast-paced progress are specially focused on immunotherapies, targeted-therapies, anti-angiogenic treatment, DNA repair inhibitors, hormonotherapy and cell cycle inhibitors. New anticancer therapeutic arsenals provided new possibilities of combined oncological treatments. The interactions of the radiotherapy with other systemic treatments, such as non-anticancer immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive medications are sometimes overlooked even though they could offer a real therapeutic benefit. In this review, we summarize the new opportunities and the risks of historical and novel combined therapies with radiation: non-anticancer immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive drugs, systemic reoxygenation, new therapies such as nanoparticles and SMAC mimetics. Key biological mechanisms, pre-clinical and available clinical data will be provided to demonstrate the promising opportunities in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Narrow bandgap p-type semiconducting metal oxide nanowires (NWs), such as copper oxide (CuO), have gained significant attention for their potential in the development of electrical nano-devices. Tailoring the mechanical and electrical properties of CuO NWs is crucial for optimizing their functionality in specific applications. In this study, we employ nanosecond laser irradiation to precisely modify the properties of individual CuO NWs by inducing point and line defects, including oxygen vacancies and dislocations. Through controlled laser irradiation, we observe a gradual enhancement in the concentration of oxygen vacancies within CuO NWs until reaching a saturation point. The accumulation of vacancies leads to a substantial residual stress, resulting in lattice distortion and misfit. This high residual stress serves as a catalyst for the nucleation of dislocations, subsequently leading to a meaningful enhancement in plasticity. Remarkably, the density of dislocations demonstrates a strong correlation with the duration of laser irradiation. Prolonged irradiation leads to a thermally activated restoration process, where the dislocation configuration transitions from a random distribution to ordered dislocation loops. Mechanical characterization tests indicate that pristine CuO NWs exhibit brittleness, while laser irradiation renders them ductile with improved plasticity. Furthermore, the laser processing of CuO NWs demonstrates an enhancement in their electrical conductivity and optical absorbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current research, the influence of filling on the failure mechanism of nonpersistent joints under applied shear stress has been scrutinized using particle flow code (PFC2D). Additionally, the effects of nonpersistent joints on tunnel stability in jointed samples have been investigated. First, to reproduce the concrete specimen, PF2D was calibrated. The modeled samples with dimensions of 100×100 mm were numerically solved. The notch lengths were 15, 10, and 5 mm. The circular filling was situated in the middle part of the model, and the filling diameter was 30 mm. Gypsum materials have been employed to study the filling of modeled samples. The flat joint model was used for calibration. The tensile strengths of the concrete and gypsum samples were 3.4 and 1.4 MPa, respectively. Finally, shear tests were carried out on nine models. A shear load of 0.001 mm/sec was applied until the model's failure occurred. The results indicated that for fixed notch lengths and under normal loading conditions, shear cracks were induced in the filling layer. The tensile cracks were initiated from the original crack (joint) tips and extended within the model until coalescence with other joints and extended toward the model's boundaries. The maximum shear displacements accompanied by the shear strengths of the models increased with decreasing joint filling for the fixed notch lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Residual stress often generates during preparation, processing and use of silicon carbide (SiC) single crystal, which seriously affects the quality and service life of materials. Objective: This work aimed at evaluating the stress states in 6H-SiC single crystal wafers with different crystallographic orientations. Methods: The principle of determining the stress state of the hexagonal crystal system material through a multiple regression method was derived by modifying the related theory. Then the in-plane residual stress states of 6H-SiC samples grown along the [0001], 10 1 ¯ 0 and 11 2 ¯ 0 orientations were calculated, respectively. And the effect of the number of diffraction planes on the stress measurement results was studied. Finally, the stress results of SiC-6H materials grown in different crystallographic orientations were compared. Results: We found that the plane stress errors were gradually decreased with increase of the number of crystallographic planes, and were much lower than the ones estimated when the stress-free interplanar spacing was known; The residual stress states in single-crystal 6H-SiC of different crystallographic orientations were significantly different. Single-crystal 6H-SiC with 11 2 ¯ 0 growth direction had the smallest stress values, which was associated with the primary slip system {0001} ⟨ 11 2 ¯ 0 ⟩ . Conclusions: The improved methodology based on the multiple regression analysis can be applied to the stress measurement of single-crystal 6H-SiC. At least 6 planes should be used for stress detection to ensure the accuracy of residual stress results. Crystallographic orientation significantly influences the in-plane residual stress state in silicon carbide single crystal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the gradually deteriorating relationship between traffic supply and demand, in order to solve the problems of low accuracy and long time-consuming of traditional methods for evaluating the effect of urban public transportation restriction policy, an evaluation algorithm of urban public transportation restriction policy based on genetic algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the characteristics of the public transport network are analyzed from the three aspects of traffic demand, traffic flow and the capacity of public transport sections, and the evaluation indicators are selected according to the results of the analysis. The knowledge rule theory is introduced to optimize the evaluation weight of the model, thereby improving the evaluation accuracy. Analysis of the experimental results shows that this method has the characteristics of high accuracy of evaluation results and low evaluation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an earlier work, we found that an electrical soft-breakdown region in wide-bandgap oxides, such as hafnium dioxide, silicon dioxide, etc., could be reversed when illuminated by white light. The effect is evidenced by a decrease in the breakdown leakage current, termed as a negative photoconductivity response. This finding raises the prospect for optical sensing applications based on these traditionally non-photo-responsive but ubiquitous oxide materials. In this study, we examine the statistical distribution for the rate of breakdown reversal as well as the influence of factors such as wavelength, light intensity, oxide stoichiometry (or oxygen content) and temperature on the reversal rate. The rate of breakdown reversal is shown to be best described by the lognormal distribution. Light in the range of ∼400–700 nm is found to have relatively little influence on the reversal rate. On the other hand, light intensity, oxygen content and temperature, each of them has a clear impact; a stronger light intensity, an oxide that is richer in oxygen content and a reduced temperature all speed up the reversal process substantially. These experimental results are consistent with the proposed phenomenological redox model involving photo-assisted recombination of the surrounding oxygen interstitials with vacancy defects in the breakdown path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato yellow leaf curl disease which is caused by Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is economically important and a widely spread tomato disease in China. Rapid and accurate detection methods are important in the control TYLCV. Here, a rapid method was developed to identify TYLCV on the basis of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) that can be visualized in 5 min using lateral flow dipsticks. The sensitivity and the specificity of this method were evaluated. This method can detect 0·5 pg DNA after 30 min at 37°C without any expensive instrumentation. In addition, it showed higher sensitivity than a PCR method when purified DNA was used. Moreover, the TYLCV was specifically detected, whereas other viruses infecting tomato produced negative results. The crude tomato extracts used in this assay has potential application in minimally equipped plant clinic laboratories. This method will facilitate the early and rapid detection of TYLCV for the timely application of control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To compare the diagnostic performance and safety of fluoroscopy computed tomography (FCT)-guided to cone-beam CT (CBCT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) in patients with nodules in the lung base.Materials and Methods: The clinical data of 379 patients (228 in the FCT group and 151 in the CBCT group) with nodules in the lung base who underwent FCT-guided or CBCT-guided PTNB from September 2009 to March 2020 were analysed retrospectively. Study outcomes included patient demographics, nodule characteristics, technical success, pathological diagnosis, complications, and radiation exposure.Results: PTNB technical success rates were 98.2% in the FCT group and 98.7% in the CBCT group (p=0.548). For larger lesions (>2 cm in diameter), PTNBs under FCT had similar diagnostic accuracy (95.5% versus 93.64%), incidence of pneumothorax (31.5% versus 21.3%) and radiation exposure (16.8 ± 6.1 versus 15.2 ± 4 mSv) compared to those under CBCT guidance. For smaller lesions (≤2 cm in diameter), the diagnostic accuracy was similar (92.86% versus 100%), but there was a higher incidence of pneumothorax (66.7% versus 31%, p=0.030) and more radiation exposure (19.9 ± 8.4 versus 15.3 ± 5 mSv, p=0.040) under FCT guidance than CBCT.Conclusion: PTNBs under FCT and CBCT guidance had similar performance for larger lesions in lung base. CBCT guidance performed better for smaller lesions in terms of radiation dose and complications. Radiologists could optimise the technological resources based on equipment availability and lesion characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the risk stratification of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and overall malignancies in different contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) categories, and to explore the diagnostic performance of LR-5 for HCC and LR-M for non-HCC malignancies.Materials and Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched from 2016 to February 2021 for studies on CEUS LI-RADS v2016 and v2017. The proportion of HCC and overall malignancy in each LI-RADS category and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of LR-5 and LR-M categories were determined using a random effects model.Results: A total of 113 studies were retrieved and 10 studies were included. A total of 5,543 patients with 6,124 lesions were included, including 4,492 HCC. There was no HCC in LR-1, and the proportion of HCC in LR-2-5 increased with the increase of category. The proportion of HCC in LR-5 was 97%, and that in LR-M was 44%. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS LR-5 for HCC were 0.76, 0.95, and 0.82, respectively, and the area under the SROC curve was 0.83. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CEUS LR-M for non-HCC malignancies were 0.81, 0.92, and 0.91, and the area under the SROC curve was 0.89.Conclusion: The risk of HCC increases gradually from LR-1 to LR-5, in which there was no HCC lesion in LR-1 and the proportion of HCC in LR-3 was 22%, lower than that reported in earlier studies. The proportion of HCC in LR-5 was 97% and that in LR-M was 44%. LR-5 has a high specificity of 95% for the diagnosis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the association of baseline metabolic tumor volume (MTV) with overall survival (OS) and to explore its potential role in optimization of existing risk-adapted therapy in ENKTCL. A total of 133 ENKTCL patients mainly treated by radiotherapy (RT) alone (33.8%) or RT combined with chemotherapy (combined-modality therapy [CMT]) (60.9%) were prospectively included. The impacts of MTV, SUVmax derived from 18F-FDG PET/CT image and clinical factors on OS were investigated. Survival analyses were conducted using Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to identify multivariate predictors of OS. Regression-based mediation analysis estimated the hazard ratio (HR) of death for direct effect (not through distant metastasis or locoregional recurrence) and indirect effect (through distant metastasis or locoregional recurrence) of the pathway MTV→distant metastasis→OS and pathway MTV→locoregional recurrence→OS. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis was employed to make covariate adjustments. MTV and SUVmax were correlated with LDH, PTI, Ann Arbor stage, and NRI score. In univariable analysis, SUVmax, MTV, ECOG PS, PTI and Ann Arbor stage were statistically significantly prognostic factors for OS. Multivariate analysis showed that MTV was the only independent factor of short OS (HR 4.98, 95% CI (1.85 - 13.42), p = 0.002). Mediation analysis showed that distant metastasis played a complete mediating role in the increased death caused by higher MTV (HR of indirect effect 3.15, 95% CI (1.34 - 7.41), p = 0.009; HR of direct effect 2.88, 95% CI (0.80 - 10.32), p = 0.767), with proportion of mediation 76.7%, while locoregional recurrence was not a mediating factor (HR of indirect effect 1.16, 95% CI (0.90 - 1.48), p = 0.255; HR of direct effect 4.48, 95% CI (1.30 - 15.44), p = 0.017). After adjusting the clinical factors by IPTW between RT alone group and CMT group in early intermediate and high risk ENKTCL, CMT had no PFS and OS benefits compared with RT alone in the low-MTV group (MTV < 49.6ml), while in the high-MTV group (MTV ≥ 49.6ml), the use of CMT compared with RT alone prolonged PFS and OS. Baseline metabolic tumor volume is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival and distant metastasis rather than locoregional recurrence mediated increased risk of death in patients with MTV higher than 49.6ml. For early-stage intermediate and risk ENKTCL patients with MTV lower than 49.6ml, omission of chemotherapy may not result in loss of PFS and OS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of the gradually deteriorating relationship between traffic supply and demand, in order to solve the problems oflow accuracy and long time-consuming of traditional methods for evaluating the effect of urban public transportation restriction policy, an evaluation algorithm of urban public transportation restriction policy based on genetic algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the characteristics of the public transport network are analyzed from the three aspects of traffic demand, traffic flow and the capacity of public transport sections, and the evaluation indicators are selected according to the results of the analysis. The knowledge rule theory is introduced to optimize the evaluation weight of the model, thereby improving the evaluation accuracy. Analysis of the experimental results shows that this method has the characteristics of high accuracy of evaluation results and low evaluation time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heilongjiang province is the main cattle-producing area in China, and molecular epidemiological studies of bovine viral diarrhea viruses (BVDV) in cattle have not been performed in the province. Aims: The objective of this research was to determine the genetic and clinical characteristics of BVDV in cattle. Methods: Fifty-three BVDV-positive clinical samples were collected from 22 cattle farms in Heilongjiang, and the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) was used to carry out a phylogenetic analysis of the viruses. Results: The similarity of the 5'-UTR sequences among these BVDVs was 84.2%-100%, and the phylogenetic analysis showed that all viruses belong to the BVDV-1 species, which is classified into five subtypes: BVDV-1b (47.17%, n=25), 1c (15.09%, n=8), 1d (16.98%, n=9), 1 m (3.77%, n=2), and 1o (16.98%, n=9). The statistical results showed that the BVDV-1b subtype had a positive correlation with gastrointestinal disease (P<0.05; 95% CI: 1.19 to 3.34). There were up to three or four BVDV-1 subtypes in some dairy cattle farms, but farms with a single subtype were prevalent (5/10). Conclusion: BVDV-1b is predominant in cattle herds of Heilongjiang province, China, and shows a positive correlation with gastrointestinal disease. BVDV-1o was found for the first time in Chinese cattle, which increased the complex distribution of BVDV-1 subtypes in cattle herds of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of Confucius Institutes (CIs) is a great endeavor by the Chinese government to spread Chinese language and culture in neighboring countries. It is commonly regarded by foreign countries as part of China's soft power initiative. With the implementation of BRI, it becomes a platform to promote systematic connections with countries along the route. Based on the examination of CIs' programmes run in Thailand, this article finds that CIs made extensive efforts in these respects and garnered the support of the Thai government, Thai royal family and local business. In this sense, CIs also serve as a soft power for the Thai government and royalty to cement their Sino-Thai relationship. Within the local community, there are varying voices. While some supported the Chinese language and cultural programme, others have expressed some dissatisfaction over the role of the CIs in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Since most phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) also produce 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate (ACC) deaminase, we investigated if there was an association between these two plant growth‐promoting properties under in vitro conditions. Methods and Results: A total of 841 bacterial isolates were obtained using selective and enrichment isolation methods. ACC deaminase was investigated using in vitro methods and by sequencing the acdS gene. The effect of ACC deaminase on P solubilization was investigated further using five efficient PSB. ACC deaminase production ability was found amongst a wide range of bacteria belonging to the genera Bacillus, Burkholderia, Pseudomonas and Variovorax. The amount of ACC deaminase produced by PSB was significantly associated with the liberation of Pi from Ca‐P when ACC was the sole N source. Ca‐P solubilization was associated with the degree of acidification of the medium. Additionally, the P solubilization potential of PSB with (NH4)2SO4 was determined by the type of carboxylates produced. An in‐planta experiment was conducted using Burkholderia sp. 12F on chickpea cv. Genesis‐863 in sand : vermiculite (1 : 1 v/v) amended with rock phosphate and inoculation of this efficient PSB significantly increased growth, nodulation and P uptake of chickpea fertilized with rock phosphate. Conclusion: ACC deaminase activity influenced the capacity of PSB to solubilize P from Ca‐P when ACC was the sole N source and Burkholderia sp. 12F promoted the chickpea‐Mesorhizobium symbiosis. Significance and Impact of the Study: ACC deaminase activity could enhance the P solubilizing activity of rhizobacteria that improve plant growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a structure that employs a Faraday shield between the Shoji antenna and the dielectric tube, which aims to reduce the dielectric wall sputtering, is investigated for the helicon wave plasma (HWP) sources. Faraday shield is usually used between the antenna and the reaction chamber to reduce the radiation from the high electromagnetic field generation, as well as to prevent the sputtering of the antenna material from polluting the reaction chamber during the discharge. Here, the influence of the Faraday shield on the longitudinal and radial electric field of the antenna is analysed through COMSOL MultiphysicsTM. Significant attenuations of both the longitudinal and radial fields are observed in the presence of the shield. In addition, by comparing the electric field distribution under two different shielding parameters, it is found that the shielding effects are not the same. Therefore, a detailed study of two kinds of design (pitch and gap) for the shield was carried out. The results show that the pitch has a little impact on the overall shielding effect when the gap is unaltered. The best shielding performance appears when we set the pitch at T of 8 and 10. In addition, the shielding effect also becomes worse as the gap increases while the pitch remains unchanged. A relatively good shielding effect can be produced by setting the gap to the value of 4–8 mm (a gap/pitch ratio of 2/15–4/15). This work provides a theoretical basis for designing a Faraday shield structure between the antenna and the dielectric tube, which is helpful to realize stable and controllable HWP discharges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A triamine aryl pyrazole-based NIR fluorescent probe with good water solubility has been developed for detecting and imaging Aβ aggregates in Alzheimer's disease. In vitro studies have demonstrated that the probe high affinity to Aβ aggregates with an increase of fluorescence intensity have been due to the intramolecular charge transfer effect. The probes can specifically image Aβ plaques in brain sections of triple transgenic AD mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Previous studies reported that overweight older adults had a lower mortality after cardiovascular diseases attack, indicating being thinner might not always be better. However, there is an ongoing debate about what is the optimal range of body mass index (BMI) for the aged population. We aimed to evaluate the value of BMI for the prediction of incident diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Chinese elderly population. Methods. A total number of 6,911 Chinese elderly people (4,110 men and 2,801 women, aged 71 ± 6.0 years) were included in this cohort study. BMI was measured at baseline (Jan 1, 2014, to Dec 31, 2014). All the participants were further classified into six groups: <18.5 kg/m2, 18.5 to <22.5 kg/m2, 22.5 to <25.0 kg/m2, 25.0 to <27.5 kg/m2, 27.5 to <30.0 kg/m2, and ≥30.0 kg/m2. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) were annually measured during follow-up (Jan 1, 2015-May 31, 2019). DM was confirmed if either FBG ≥ 7.0 mmol / L or HbA 1 c ≥ 6.5 %. We used the Cox proportional hazard regression model to evaluate the association between BMI and the prediction of incident DM. Results. Comparing individuals with a BMI range of 18.5 to <22.5 kg/m2 (reference), the hazard ratio for incident DM was 2.13 (95% CI: 1.54~2.95), 2.14 (95% CI: 1.53~3.00), 3.17 (95% CI: 2.19~4.59), 3.15 (95% CI: 1.94~5.09), and 3.14 (95% CI: 1.94~5.09) for the group with a BMI range of 22.5 to <25.0 kg/m2, 25.0 to <27.5 kg/m2, 27.5 to <30.0 kg/m2, and ≥30.0 kg/m2 after adjusting for baseline age, sex, blood pressure, lipid profiles, and eGFR (P trend < 0.001), after adjusting for the abovementioned confounders. The association tended to be closer in men and young participants, compared with their counterparts. Conclusions. High BMI was associated with a high risk of developing DM in the Chinese aged population. Thus, it is optimal for the aged population to maintain their body weight within a reasonable range to prevent chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the key genes and pathways involved in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC). Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were obtained using GEO2R. Function and pathway enrichment analysis of DEGs were performed using DAVID database.Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of DEGs was established by STRING database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Module analysis and hub genes selection of the PPI network was performed using Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) and cytoHubba plug-in of Cytoscape software, respectively. Overall survival analysis of hub genes was performed by the Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool. Results: Totally, 98 DEGs were picked out, of which, 31 up-regulated genes were mainly involved in extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and focal adhesion, while 67 down-regulated DEGs were enriched in gastric acid secretion, collecting duct acid secretion and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. Top 3 modules and top 10 hub genes with high centrality degree were selected from PPI network. Among these hub genes, high expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), fibronectin1 (FN1) and collagen type I alpha 1 chain (COL1A1) were significantly associated worse overall survival for gastric cancer patients. Conclusions: The present study identified several key genes and pathways which may play an important role in the initiation and development of gastric cancer and could provide us potential targets for gastric cancer diagnosis and prognostic prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1T1) isoforms are involved in adipogenesis. RUNX1T1 is mediated by the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO). However, the extent to which RUNX1T1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with obesity risk or metabolic abnormalities in a community population basis is unknown. Methods Samples were obtained from the Australian Crossroads study bio-bank. SNPs located in the coding region and 3′untranslated regions of RUNX1T1 with minor allele frequency ≥0.05 were analysed using Taqman genotyping assays. Results Eight candidate SNPs were genotyped successfully in 1440 participants. Of these SNPs only rs34269950 located in the 'RRACH' motif, the most common N6-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation modification site (recognized by FTO), was significantly associated with obesity risk and metabolic abnormalities. Specifically, compared to AA genotype, rs34269950 del/del genotype was associated with a 1.47 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01–2.14, P  =   0.042] fold higher rate of obesity risk. Additionally, the del/del genotype was associated with a 60% increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) [odds ratio (OR) = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.10–2.32, P  =   0.015], in comparison to the AA genotype. Finally, rs34269950 del/del increased the risk of a larger waist circumference (OR = 1.65, 95% CI: 1.15–2.36, P  =   0.007), but not other components of MetS. Conclusion Our study demonstrates that RUNX1T1 rs34269950, located in a potential FTO recognition motif, is significantly associated with waist circumference. This provides novel evidence to suggest SNPs located in RRACH motif may be involved in RNA m6A modification and mechanistic pathways that influence abdominal obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, laser-processed multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/Cu conductors are introduced as potential passive components to mitigate the skin effect of Cu at high frequencies (0-10 MHz). Suppressed skin effect is observed in the MWCNT/Cu conductors compared to primitive Cu. At an AC frequency of 10 MHz, a maximum AC resistance reduction of 94% was observed in a MWCNT/Cu conductor after being irradiated at a laser power density of 189 W/cm2. The reduced skin effect in the MWCNT/Cu conductors is ascribed to the presence of MWCNT channels which are insensitive to AC frequencies. The laser irradiation process is observed to play a crucial role in reducing contact resistance at the MWCNT-Cu interfaces, removing impurities in MWCNTs, and densifying MWCNT films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the behaviour of backward stimulated Raman scattering (BSRS) in inhomogeneous plasma with a transverse external magnetic field via 1D and 2D particle-in-cell simulations and theoretical analysis. The external magnetic field causes nonlinear damping of large-amplitude electron plasma waves (EPWs), and significantly limits the reflectivity of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) even if is very weak. For a single resonance point, limits the kinetic nonlinear frequency shift, impedes the autoresonance behaviour of SRS, and narrows the resonance region. We also exhibit distorts the distribution function of electrons evidently, and alters the wavefronts of EPWs in high dimensional cases. The simulation results indicate a moderate can significantly reduce the trapped electron induced gain of SRS reflectivity, and make the BSRS reflectivity stay at its linear convective saturation level steadily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the value of computed tomography (CT) texture analysis (TA) and imaging features for evaluating suspected surgical superior mesenteric-portal vein (SMPV) invasion in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).Materials and Methods: Fifty-four patients with PDAC in the pancreatic head or uncinate process with suspected SMPV involvement were analysed retrospectively. SMPV invasion status was identified by surgical exploration. For each patient, 396 texture features were extracted on pretreatment CT. Non-parametric tests and minimum redundancy maximum relevance were used for feature selection. A CTTA model was constructed using multivariate logistic regression, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of the model was calculated. Two reviewers evaluated qualitative imaging features independently for SMPV invasion and interobserver agreement was investigated. The diagnostic performance of the imaging features and the CTTA model for SMPV invasion was compared using the McNemar test.Results: Of the 54 patients with PDAC, SMPV invasion was detected in 23 (42.6%). The CTTA model yielded an AUROC of 0.88 (95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.97) and achieved significantly higher specificity (0.90) than the two reviewers (0.61 and 0.65; p=0.027 and 0.043). Interobserver agreement was moderate between the two reviewers (κ = 0.517). Of the 13 cases with disagreement between the two reviewers, 11 cases were predicted accurately by the CTTA model.Conclusion: CTTA can predict suspected SMPV invasion in PDAC and may be a beneficial addition for qualitative imaging evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fast and slow waves in multi-ion species collisionless plasmas have been widely studied, but the collision effect on ion acoustic waves is a difficult problem. In this paper, plasmas with azimuthal symmetry velocity distribution in different collisional regimes are studied by eigenvalue solution of the linearized Fokker–Planck equation. The frequency, damping rate and distribution function from the solutions are consistent with the analytical result in collisionless limit. For the fast wave, the damping rate agrees well with the prediction of both fluid theory in collision limit and kinetic theory in collisionless limit. But for the slow wave, the frequency and damping rate predicted by fluid theory are not accurate. In two-ion species plasmas, the light and heavy ion density perturbation phases of two-ion species are the same for the fast wave, but opposite for the slow wave. Polytropic index of C5H12 plasmas is also calculated, which is simply affected by mean-free paths of ions for the fast wave, but affected by multiple factors, such as mean-free paths, heat transfer and the opposite phases for the slow wave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic spin and valley transport properties of a monolayer MoS2 are investigated using the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with density functional theory. Due to the presence of strong Rashba spin orbit interaction (RSOI), the electronic valence bands of monolayer MoS2 are split into spin up and spin down Zeeman-like texture near the two inequivalent vertices K and K' of the first Brillouin zone. When the gate voltage is applied in the scattering region, an additional strong RSOI is induced which generates an effective magnetic field. As a result, electron spin precession occurs along the effective magnetic field, which is controlled by the gate voltage. This, in turn, causes the oscillation of conductance as a function of the magnitude of the gate voltage and the length of the gate region. This current modulation due to the spin precession shows the essential feature of the long sought Datta-Das field effect transistor (FET). From our results, the oscillation periods for the gate voltage and gate length are found to be approximately 2.2V and 20.03aB (aB is Bohr radius), respectively. These observations can be understood by a simple spin precessing model and indicate that the electron behaviors in monolayer MoS2 FET are both spin and valley related and can easily be controlled by the gate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]