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Hall thrusters are electric propulsion devices that are widely used in modern spaceflight. To obtain the critical corrosion data effectively and accurately during long-life tests of Hall thrusters, this paper proposes an automated corrosion measurement method based on three-dimensional point cloud technology. This method uses binocular structured light scanning method to obtain surface point cloud data. The point cloud topology relationship of these disordered data is also established by KD-tree and radius filtering. The base plane is determined according to the average of the outer circle plane in the discharge chamber, and the original point cloud data is sliced transversely and longitudinally. The point cloud of section data is extracted and the corrosion width data is obtained according to the round hole feature extraction and center of circle calculation. The corrosion angle is calculated according to the angle between the straight line and the normal of the section. The proposed method has been verified and the results show that the overall error accuracy is within 60 μm, which meets the requirements for automatic measurement of Hall thruster corrosion. It is a real and effective method to obtain the critical corrosion data during long-life tests of Hall thrusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-assembly of π-conjugated compounds into supramolecular polymers has received considerable attention because of their intrinsic scientific interests and technological applications. As compared to π-conjugated rods, discotics, and macrocycles, propeller-shaped π-conjugated molecules have been less exploited to form long-range-ordered supramolecular polymers. Herein a novel type of supramolecular polymers has been constructed on the basis of propeller-shaped triphenylamine cyanostilbenes. The designed compound adopts nucleation—elongation cooperative mechanism for the supramolecular polymerization process, because of the participation of three-fold hydrogen bonds between the neighbouring monomers. The supramolecular polymeric state displays amplified chirality and enhanced emission than those in the monomeric state. The resulting supramolecular polymers exhibit severe emission quenching upon addition of 2,6-dinitrotoluene, ascribed to photoinduced electron transfer from the triphenylamine cyanostilbenes to the explosive analyte. The current study proves the feasibility to supramolecular polymerize propeller-like π-conjugated molecules, serving as a promising type of explosive sensor owing to their guest encapsulation and signal amplification capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intratumoral IL-12 gene therapy in an HCC-hu-PBL-NOD/SCID mouse model. Materials and methods: The HCC murine model was generated in NOD/SCID mice, and mice with grafted tumors were injected intraperitoneally with 2 × 107 human peripheral blood lymphocytes 14 days after modeling. After 4 days, mice were randomly divided into the 9597/IL-12 group, the 9597/plasmid group and the PBS group. The changes of tumor volume were measured and mouse peripheral blood was sampled post-treatment for ELISA and CBA analyses, and the grafted tumors were collected 28 days post-treatment for immunohistochemistry, ELISA, CBA and detection of cell cycle and apoptosis. Results: The tumor volume was smaller in the 9597/IL-12 group than in the 9597/plasmid and PBS groups on days 7, 14, 21, and 28 post-treatment (P < 0.05). Higher IL-12 levels were detected in the peripheral blood and the supernatants of grafted tumor homogenates in the 9597/IL-12 group than in the 9597/plasmid and PBS groups 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-treatment (P < 0.05). IHC revealed higher counts of CD3+T cells, CD4+T helper cells, IFN-γ Th1 cells+ and S-100 protein positive dentric cells and lower MVD in the 9597/IL-12 group than in the 9597/plasmid and PBS groups (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed a significantly higher proportion of HCC cells at the G0/G1 phase and a significantly lower proportion of HCC cells at the S phase in the 9597/IL-12 group than in the PBS group (P < 0.05) and a greater apoptotic rate of HCC cells in the 9597/IL-12 group than in the 9597/plasmid and PBS groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Intratumoral IL-12 gene therapy may inhibit tumorigenesis with mild adverse effects in a HCC-hu-PBL-NOD/SCID murine model through inhibiting angiogenesis, arresting cells in G0/G1 phase and inducing apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil autotrophic bacteria are important for sequestrating atmospheric CO 2 and thus contribute to the global carbon cycle. However, information is limited on how chemical fertilization can alter the composition of soil autotrophic bacteria. In this study, the cbbL gene (a key gene in the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle that encodes the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, RubisCO) was used to study the abundance and composition of autotrophic bacteria in an entisol with 26 years of continuous fertilization. In this process, five chemical fertilization regimes were examined: without fertilization control (CT), nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization (NP), N and potassium fertilization (NK), PK fertilization (PK), and NPK fertilization (NPK). The results showed that after the 26-year (1991–2017) period, the CT with a neutral pH (7.55) had a higher RubisCO activity than did the chemical fertilizer treatments, but the cbbL abundance was the lowest under CT. Soil RubisCO activity positively correlated with soil pH (R 2 = 0.67, P < 0.001); soil cbbL abundance significantly positively correlated with soil available N (R 2 = 0.54, P < 0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with pH (R 2 = 0.30, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the soil RubisCO activity significantly negatively correlated with cbbL abundance (R 2 = 0.67, P < 0.001). In addition, the alpha -diversity of cbbL was lowest under CT, indicating a positive effect of fertilization on the soil cbbL diversity. In conclusion, a 26-year long-term chemical fertilization changed the community structure of soil cbbL -carrying bacteria, and soil pH and available N played crucial roles in controlling the ecological properties of soil cbbL -carrying bacteria. • The soil cbbL -carrying bacteria in an entisol under long-term fertilization were studied. • Long-term fertilization inhibited soil RubisCO activity by its acidification effect. • Long-term fertilization increased the abundance and diversity of cbbL gene. • Available N and pH were crucial factors for cbbL -carrying bacterial composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has previously been confirmed that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could be degraded by soil microbes coupling with denitrification, but the relationships among soil denitrifiers, PAHs, and nitrate under obligate anaerobic condition are still unclear. Here, co-effects of pyrene and nitrate on the activity and abundance of soil denitrifiers were investigated through a 45-day incubation experiment. Two groups of soil treatments with (N) and without (N) nitrate (30 mg kg dry soil) amendment were conducted, and each group contained three treatments with different pyrene concentrations (0, 30, and 60 mg kg dry soil denoted as P, P, and P, respectively). The pyrene content, abundances of denitrification concerning genes ( narG, periplasmic nitrate reductase gene; nirS, cd -nitrite reductase gene; nirK, copper-containing nitrite reductase gene), and productions of NO and CO were measured at day 3, 14, 28, and 45, and the bacterial community structures in four represented treatments (NP, NP, NP, and NP) were analyzed at day 45. The results indicated that the treatments with higher pyrene concentration had higher final pyrene removal rates than the treatments with lower pyrene concentration. Additionally, intensive emission of NO was detected in all treatments only at day 3, but a continuous production of CO was measured in each treatment during the incubation. Nitrate amendment could enhance the activity of soil denitrifiers, and be helpful for soil microbes to sustain their activity. While pyrene seemed had no influence on the productions of NO and CO, and amendment with pyrene or nitrate both had no obvious effect on abundances of denitrification concerning genes. Furthermore, it was nitrate but not pyrene had an obvious influence on the community structure of soil bacteria. These results revealed that, under anaerobic condition, the activity and abundance of soil denitrifiers both were insensitive to pyrene, but nitrate could improve the activity of soil denitrfiers and induce the shifts in soil bacterial community structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The responses of soil ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to mercury (Hg) stress were investigated through a short-term incubation experiment. Treated with four different concentrations of Hg (CK, Hg25, Hg50, and Hg100, denoting 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg Hg/kg dry soil, respectively), samples were harvested after 3, 7, and 28 day incubation. Results showed that the soil potential nitrification rate (PNR) was significantly inhibited by Hg stress during the incubation. However, lower abundances of AOA (the highest in CK: 9.20 × 10 7 copies/g dry soil; the lowest in Hg50: 2.68 × 10 7 copies/g dry soil) and AOB (the highest in CK: 2.68 × 10 7 copies/g dry soil; the lowest in Hg50: 7.49 × 10 6 copies/g dry soil) were observed only at day 28 of incubation ( P < 0.05). Moreover, only the community structure of soil AOB obviously shifted under Hg stress as seen through DGGE profiles, which revealed that 2–3 distinct AOB bands emerged in the Hg treatments at day 28. In summary, soil PNR might be a very useful parameter to assess acute Hg stress on soil ecosystems, and the community structure of soil AOB might be a realistic biological indicator for the assessment of heavy metal stress on soil ecosystems in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thermal annealing has often been used to reduce residual stress and improve mechanical properties and performance of hard coatings. In this work, nanocomposite TiSiN coatings were engineered onto steel substrates by reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering. Following deposition, thermal annealing was performed at temperatures up to 900°C. A marked decrease in residual stress was observed in the coatings with the increase of thermal annealing temperature. To ascertain the role of residual stress in the response of the coatings to contact damage, nanoindentation was used to probe the damage resistance of the coatings and Rockwell-C test used to evaluate their adhesion strength, as a function of thermal annealing temperature. A combination of high damage resistance and good adhesion strength was observed for the coating annealed at an intermediate temperature of 600°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• CircRNA_102179 expression is significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. • 2.CircRNA_102179 promotes NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. • 3.CircRNA_102179 directly interacted with miR-330−5p. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for 85 % of all lung cancer was one of the main causes of death worldwide. In this study, we investigated the role of circRNA_102179 in NSCLC development. The levels of circRNA_102179 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR assay (qRT-PCR). CCK8 and colony formation assays were applied to explore the effect of circRNA_102179 on the growth of NSCLC cells in vitro. Transwell assay was utilized to analyze the impact of circRNA_102179 on the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Target prediction and luciferase reporter assay were used to identify the interacting miRNA of circRNA_102179. The interaction among circRNA_102179/ miR-330−5p/HMGB3 was further validated by colony formation and Transwell invasion assays. Finally, the mouse xenograft NSCLC model was used to explore the role of circRNA_102179 in the tumor growth of NSCLC cells in vivo. CircRNA_102179 was overexpressed in NSCLC tissues and cells compared with normal lung tissues and human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEs). The down-regulation of circRNA_102179 markedly reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Moreover, down-expression of circRNA_102179 significantly increased the level of miR-330−5p/HMGB3 in NSCLC cells. Further functional experiments indicated that over-expression of miR-330−5p reversed the inhibitory effect of circRNA_102179 on NSCLC cells growth, migration, and invasion. Our results reveal that circRNA_102179 facilitates the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cell via modulating miR-330−5p/ HMGB3 axis in NSCLC cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gaming behavior can induce cerebral changes that may be related to the neurobiological features of gaming disorder (GD). Additionally, individuals with higher levels of depression or impulsivity are more likely to experience GD. Therefore, the present pilot study explored potential neurobiological correlates of GD in the context of depression and impulsivity, after accounting for video gaming behavior. Methods: Using resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a cross‐sectional study was conducted with 35 highly involved male adult gamers to examine potential associations between GD severity and regional homogeneity (ReHo) in the entire brain. A mediation model was used to test the role of ReHo in the possible links between depression/impulsivity and GD severity. Results: Individuals with greater GD severity showed increased ReHo in the right Heschl's gyrus and decreased ReHo in the right hippocampus (rHip). Furthermore, depression and impulsivity were negatively correlated with ReHo in the rHip, respectively. More importantly, ReHo in the rHip was found to mediate the associations between depression/impulsivity and GD. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that GD severity is related to ReHo in brain regions associated with learning/memory/mood and auditory function. Higher levels of depression or impulsivity may potentiate GD through the functional activity of the hippocampus. Our findings advance our understanding of the neurobiological differences behind GD symptoms in highly involved gamers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quaternary sputtered TiAlSiN coatings were investigated for their high temperature structural stability, surface morphology, mechanical behaviors, surface chemical bonding states, solar absorptance and thermal emittance for possible solar selective surface applications. The TiAlSiN films were synthesized, via unbalanced magnetron sputtered technology, on AISI M2 steel substrate and annealed at 500 °C - 800 °C temperature range. SEM micrographs show nanocomposite-like structure with amorphous grain boundaries. Nanoindentation analyses indicate a decrease of hardness, plastic deformation and constant yield strength for the coatings. XPS analysis show mixed Ti, Al and Si nitride and oxide as main coating components but at 800 °C the top layer of the coatings is clearly composed of only Ti and Al oxides. Synchrotron radiation XRD (SR-XRD) results indicate various Ti, Al and Si nitride and oxide phases, for the above annealing temperature range with a phase change occurring with the Fe component of the substrate. UV–Vis spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy studies determined a high solar selectivity, s of 24.6 for the sample annealed at 600 °C. Overall results show good structural and morphological stability of these coatings at temperatures up to 800 °C with a very good solar selectivity for real world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel polybutadiene rubbers (CVBR) carrying 88–97% of long cis -1,4 polybutadiene segments (cis -PB, cis -1,4 content >98.3%) and 3–12% of long syndiotactic1,2-polybutadiene segments (s PB, 1,2 content >87.0%) could be successfully synthesized via in-situ coordination polymerizations of butadiene in hexanes in our lab and also be scaled up via continuous polymerization process in pilot (scale: 200 t/a). The natural rubber (NR)-based compound formulations containing different contents of CVBR, and carbon black (CB) fillers were developed and the optimized NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates with 40% of CVBR were manufactured for the sidewall of all-steel giant off-the-road tire. The storage modulus of NR/CVBR/CB compounds and the elastic modulus, tensile strength and tear strength of NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates could be remarkably increased by increasing CVBR content. The crack generation and growth could be effectively restricted due to both the fast relaxation, the rigid polymer-filler interface and synergistic effect of high cis -polybutadiene and crystalline 1,2-polybutadiene particles on the strain-induced crystallization behaviors of rubber matrix. The heat build-up of NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates could be greatly reduced by introduction of cis -PB segments in CVBR for the easy mobility and low hysteresis of macromolecular chains. The NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates with high strength and elastic modulus, good flex fatigue crack resistance and low heat build-up would meet the requirement for high performance sidewall in manufacturing giant all-steel off-the-road tires. The tensile strength and tear strength of NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates could be remarkably increased by increasing CVBR content. The crack generation and growth could be effectively restricted due to both the fast relaxation, rigid polymer-filler interface and synergistic effect of high cis -polybutadiene and crystalline 1,2-polybutadiene particles on the strain-induced crystallization behaviors of rubber matrix. The heat build-up of NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates could be greatly reduced by introduction of cis -PB segments in CVBR for the easy mobility and low hysteresis ofmacromolecular chains. The NR/CVBR/CB vulcanizates with high strength and elastic modulus, good flex fatigue crack resistance and low heat build-up would meet the requirement for high performance sidewall in manufacturing giant all-steel off-the-road tires. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The temperature dependence of phase composition and lattice parameters, for TiAl x N thin film coating, are experimentally investigated by in-situ synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction (SR-XRD), at temperatures between 25 °C and 700 °C. Mechanical properties, such as: Young's modulus (E), hardness (H) and plastic deformation index (PDI) – were experimentally determined by nanoindentation, at 25 °C. Crystalline structural analysis, of SR-XRD results, indicates the major phases are TiN and AlN; with Ti 2 O and TiO 2 phases also present above 600 °C. The lattice constants increased with an increase in temperature. Atomic and phase compositions, at 25 °C, were also verified by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images display an increase in surface roughness and reduction in grain size, with increasing Aluminium percentage (Al%). Nanoindentation analysis showed a maximum hardness of 25.1 ± 1.5 GPa (sample containing 12% Al), which was subsequently reduced upon addition of more Aluminium. Finite element modelling (FEM), including von Mises stress distribution, indicates lower mechanical integrity, for samples with high Al% content. Highlights • Hardness increase upon the addition of small amounts of Aluminium doping. • Significant increase in resistance of plastic deformation with increasing doping. • High temperature in-situ analysis detected an increase in lattice parameters. • Film coatings with different doping exhibited different oxidation states. • Finite element modelling evaluated mechanical integrity of films under load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In the present study, molybdenum doped chromium nitride coatings deposited onto silicon substrates via unbalanced magnetron sputtering, in as-deposited and annealed conditions, at 500–800 °C in steps of 100 °C, were studied to reveal their temperature dependent structural, morphological, optical and mechanical behaviors. An analysis of these features was carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), ultraviolet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, nanoindentation and finite element modeling (FEM) techniques. XRD results exhibited a significant improvement in the crystallinity of the Molybdenum (Mo)-doped chromium nitride (CrN) coatings along (111) and (200) diffraction planes, as the annealing temperatures increased. The lattice parameters gradually decreased from 4.20 to 4.12 Å as the temperature increased. The same tendency was also observed for lattice microstrains and residual stresses. Smooth grain-like surfaces were observed by FESEM imaging techniques. At an annealing temperature of 700 °C, the spectral absorptance of Mo:CrN films attained its peak value (86%), whereas the energy band-gaps were reduced from 2.48 to 1.14 eV. The other optical parameters such as complex dielectric constants, Urbach energy values, and steepness parameters of these coatings were also discussed. The hardness and elastic modulus of the as-deposited Mo:CrN films were estimated to be 18.4 and 287 GPa, respectively. At a film thickness of 1.0 μm, the highest stress of 20 GPa was evaluated, via FEM studies, at the interface between the film and the substrate. As the film thickness was enhanced, the stress level decreased. At higher annealing temperatures, both the mechanical hardness (H) and the elastic modulus (E) of Mo-doped CrN coatings dwindled. Highlights • Mo:CrN sputtered films were studied for the opto-dielectric, and mechanical properties. • A high solar absorptance of 86% was attained by Mo:CrN coating annealed at 700 °C. • Mechanical studies show that hardness & elastic modulus increases with annealing. • Substrates with higher elastic modulus induces higher level of coating's stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Ce/Ti mixed metal oxide thin films have well known optoelectrical properties amongst several other physio-chemical properties. Changes in the structural and mechanical properties of magnetron sputtered Ce/Ti oxide thin films on Si (100) wafers with different Ce:Ti ratios are investigated experimentally and by modelling. X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirm the primary phases as trigonal Ce 2 O 3 and rutile form of TiO 2 with SiO 2 present in all prepared materials. FESEM imaging delivers information based on the variation of grain size, the mixed Ce/Ti oxides providing much smaller grain sizes in the thin film/substrate composite. Nanoindentation analysis concludes that the pure cerium oxide film has the highest hardness value (20.1 GPa), while the addition of excess titanium oxide decreases the hardness of the film coatings. High temperature in-situ XRD (up to 1000 °C) results indicate high thermal phase stability for all materials studied. The film with Ce:Ti = 68%:32% has a new additional minor oxide phase above 800 °C. Contact angle experiments suggest that the chemical composition of the surface is insignificant affecting the water contact angle. Results show a narrow band of 87.7–95.7° contact angle. The finite element modelling (FEM) modelling of Ce/Ti thin film coatings based on Si(100); Si(110); silica and steel substrates shows a variation in stress concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the reaction gas composition during the DC magnetron sputtering process on the structural, chemical and optical properties of Ce-oxide thin films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed that all thin films exhibited a polycrystalline character with cubic fluorite structure for cerium dioxide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses revealed that cerium is present in two oxidation states, namely as CeO 2 and Ce 2 O 3 , at the surface of the films prepared at oxygen/argon flow ratios between 0% and 7%, whereas the films are completely oxidized into CeO 2 as the aforementioned ratio increases beyond 14%. Various optical parameters for the thin films (including an optical band gap in the range of 2.25–3.1 eV) were derived from the UV–Vis reflectance. A significant change in the band gap was observed as oxygen/argon flow ratio was raised from 7% to 14% and this finding is consistent with the high-resolution XPS analysis of Ce 3d that reports a mixture of Ce 2 O 3 and CeO 2 in the films. Density functional theory (DFT+U) implemented in the Cambridge Serial Total Energy Package (CASTEP) was carried out to simulate the optical constants of CeO 2 clusters at ground state. The computed electronic density of states (DOSs) of the optimized unit cell of CeO 2 yields a band gap that agrees well with the experimentally measured optical band gap. The simulated and measured absorption coefficient ( α ) exhibited a similar trend and, to some extent, have similar values in the wavelength range from 100 to 2500 nm. The combined results of this study demonstrate good correlation between the theoretical and experimental findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium nitride (CrN) coatings were deposited by magnetron sputtering onto Si(100) substrates. The coatings were then annealed at different temperatures (500–800 °C in steps of 100 °C) in air for 1 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV–Vis spectroscopy, nanoindentation tests and finite element modeling (FEM) were conducted in order to investigate their structural, morphological, optical and mechanical properties. XRD patterns show that the crystallinity of the CrN phase increases with the rise in annealing temperatures together with its preferred orientations along (111) and (200) diffraction planes. The lattice constants were slightly reduced from 4.19 to 4.11 nm at 800 °C. The lattice micorstrains and residual stresses were also reduced as the annealing temperatures rose as a result of reduced defects, dislocations and vacancies. Smooth grain-like surfaces with grain sizes ranging between ∼50 and 250 nm were confirmed by FESEM micrographs. XPS studies indicated the existence of Cr and N on the coating systems. Optical studies showed that with the rise in annealing temperature of up to 700 °C, the solar absorptance of CrN coatings is increased from 61% to 89% and slightly decreased at 800 °C, while the optical band-gap energy dropped from 2.62 to 1.38 eV and slightly increased to 1.48 eV at 800 °C. A gradual increase of dielectric constants of CrN films were realized with the subsequent annealing progression. Nanoindentation results indicated that as the annealing progresses, the hardness and elastic modulus values are lowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CrN, CrTiN and CrAlN coatings were deposited on Si (100) via co-sputtering chromium, titanium and aluminum targets by using unbalanced magnetron sputtering, respectively. And the relevant microstructure and composition were characterized. The influences of the doping elements on the microstructural and electrochemical properties of CrN coatings in the artificial seawater were analyzed via the open circuit potential (OCP), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests. As a result, the CrN coating exhibits the favorable corrosion resistance. On the contrary, the easy occurrence of hydration reaction for AlN would lower the compactness of CrAlN, subsequently deteriorate its corrosion resistance. Thus, the CrAlN coating presents the worst electrochemical properties in spite of its highest electrical resistivity. In particular, the CrTiN coating exhibits the outstanding corrosion resistance with relatively higher charge transfer resistance (R ct ), polarization resistance (R P ) due to its great compactness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromium nitride (CrN)-based materials display broad applications as protective coatings for automotive, power generation and aerospace industries, in which surfaces are often subjected to wear and corrosion. By using an appropriate choice of dopant, one can further increase the mechanical hardness, corrosion and oxidation resistance of these coatings. In order to identify the effect of dopants on the structural evolution and surface electronic properties of CrN coatings, Cr 1- z (Al/Si) z N coatings were prepared by magnetron sputtering and then characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD) and soft X-ray synchrotron radiation Near-edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) studies around N K -edge. Higher degree of crystallinity of the coatings were identified through XRD studies. The bonding structure, of the doped CrN coating, was analyzed by Near-edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) measurements performed around the N K -edge (390–450 eV) in the Auger electron yield (AEY) and total fluorescence yield (TFY) modes. NEXAFS analysis revealed Cr 3d (Al3 p /Si3 p )N2 p hybridizations in Cr 1- z (Al/Si) z N compositions and complex structure splitting via spin–orbit interaction of the Cr3 d levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution investigates the phase composition of CrN and CrAlN coatings by in-situ high temperature synchrotron radiation (SR-XRD), with the coatings deposited on steel substrate by closed field unbalance magnetron sputtering. Rietveld refinement on the SR-XRD spectra indicated CrN as the major phase, over the temperature range of 25 °C – 700 °C, for both coatings. At the high temperature of 700 °C, a Cr 2 N phase was observed in the CrN coating while the CrAlN coating also had a Cr phase. Williamson–Hall plots, from the refined data, afforded estimating variations of the strain and crystallite size of the major phase, up to 700 °C. The crystallite size (10 nm) for the CrAlN coating, at 25 °C, agrees very well with previous GI-XRD and TEM results obtained at room temperature Li et al. (2012). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early detection and precise diagnosis are critical for the patients with lung cancer. Increasing evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the diagnosis of lung cancer. To evaluate the overall diagnostic performance of sputum miRNAs for the detection of lung cancer, a meta-analysis was performed. Methods: A systematic search for published literature evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of sputum miRNAs in lung cancer was performed to determine pooled sensitivity and specificity. A summary receiver operating characteristic curve was constructed to assess the overall test performance. Subgroup analysis was utilized to explore potential sources of heterogeneity in the included studies. Results: Eight studies with a total of 514 patients and 491 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Sputum miRNAs had a pooled sensitivity of 0.70 (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 0.66-0.70) and a pooled specificity of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86-0.91) for the detection of lung cancer, with an area under the summary receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.83. Significant interstudy heterogeneity for specificity was observed, with miRNA profiles being a possible source. Conclusion: Sputum miRNAs are potentially useful noninvasive markers for diagnosis of lung cancer. The diagnostic specificity of sputum miRNAs may be influenced by the miRNA profiles. It would be important for further work to evaluate the generalizability of our results by methodologically rigorous studies on a well-defined patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, the closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtered CrNiN, CrNiSiN, and CrNiAlN coatings are studied to gain insights into their structural, morphological, optical, and mechanical properties. Detailed characterizations of the thin films have been carried out through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet–visible–near infrared (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, nanoindentation, finite element modeling (FEM), and water contact angle measurements. XRD confirmed the hexagonal close-packed hcp-Cr 2 N (211) phase and face-centered cubic fcc-CrN (200) phase. The SEM images confirmed the compact, dense, and uniform distribution of gains in the coating structures. The average crystallite size of CrNiN coatings was 515 nm. The addition of substituents (Si and Al) to the CrNiN coatings resulted in increasing the crystallite sizes to 605 nm (for CrNiSiN) and 811 nm (for CrNiAlN) as well as grain size from 1.32 to 2.335 μm. XPS analysis was conducted to estimate the atomic constituents and measure the high-resolution XPS spectra of Ni2 p photoelectron lines. The elastic modulus and hardness of the coatings are between 361 and 459 GPa, and 23.1–26.8 GPa, respectively. The Si, and Al additions enhanced both Young's modulus and the hardness of the coatings. Results of FEM modeling demonstrated the stress distribution within the coatings on steel and silicon substrates at different film thicknesses. The maximum stress level was increased by 30% at the coatings' upper portion, while that of the interface was reduced by 60%. The water contact angle values lay within the range of 102.4°–112.4°. [Display omitted] • Hexagonal close packed CrN phase was detected and existence of Cr, Ni, Al, Si, and N were confirmed via XPS analysis. • An average grain size of 515 nm was recorded for CrNiN thin films. • The doublet separation energy of 10.8 eV between the Cr2 p 3/2 and Cr2 p 1/2 levels was detected. • A very high Young's modulus of 458.7 GPa was attained by CrNiN thin films. • Water contact angle of CrNiN thin films lies within the range of 102.4–112.4°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the clinical significance of the expression of MHC class I chain-related gene A (MICA) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer and explore the relationship between MICA expression and the efficacy of cytokine-induced killer cell (CIK) therapy for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Methods: We obtained data on 222 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, including data on MICA expression, age, gender, ECOG score, pathological type, stage, treatment history (including 38 patients who were given autologous CIK cell infusion), and overall survival (OS). MICA expression in lung cancer tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. Analyses of MICA expression, and CIK therapy association with survival outcomes were performed using Cox proportional models, Kaplan-Meier methods, and the log-rank test. Result: s MICA was expressed in both membrane and cytoplasm. MICA expression correlated with the stage of lung cancer, ECOG score, gender and age. Multivariate COX regression analysis showed that the expression of MICA was an independent prognostic factor of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (p = 0.002). In subgroup analysis, we divided the 222 patients into CIK and control groups. In the CIK group, the medium OS (mOS) of patients with a high expression of MICA was longer than in those with low expression of MICA (27 months vs. 13 months). In the control group, the mOS in patients with a high expression of MICA was shorter than in patients with low MICA expression (9 months vs. 18 months). COX regression analysis showed that the MICA expression affects the effect of CIK therapy (p<0.0001). Conclusion: 1) The high expression of MICA is one of the indicators of a poor prognosis for advanced non-small cell lung cancer patients. 2) The high expression of MICA might be one of the predictive factors for successful CIK therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One of the toughest challenges that hinders the application of ceramic coatings is their poor damage tolerance. Addressing this problem requires the development of novel micro- or nanostructures that would impart to these coatings both high hardness and high toughness. In this paper, CrAlN coatings, with varying Al contents up to 30at.%, were engineered onto steel substrates using the magnetron sputtering technique. Whilst the addition of Al does not significantly alter the columnar microstructure, it does change the preferred grain orientation and increase the compressive residual stress. Moreover, the hardness, elastic strain to failure (H/E) and plastic deformation resistance (H 3/E 2) of the resultant CrAlN coating with the highest Al content were found to increase ∼47, ∼29 and ∼140%, respectively, as compared to CrN. Evidence collected from transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments shows that AlN, existing in an amorphous state at the columnar CrN grain boundaries, has a crucial role in providing the unusual combination of high hardness and exceptional damage resistance. The results provide a new pathway to developing durable ceramic coatings suitable for applications involving severe loading conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: High quality InN films are deposited with an interlayer of high c-orientation (002) AZO (Aluminium-doped Zinc Oxide; ZnO:Al) films on glass substrates by electron cyclotron resonance plasma-enhanced metal organic chemical vapor deposition (ECR-PEMOCVD) at low temperature. AZO films used as a buffer layer are effective for the epitaxial growth of InN films. The influence of Trimethyl Indium (TMIn) flux on the properties of InN films is systematically investigated by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and optical transmittance spectra. The results indicate that high quality InN films with high c-orientation and small surface roughness are successfully achieved at an optimized Trimethyl Indium (TMIn) flux of 5.5 sccm. The InN/AZO structures have great potential for the development of full spectra solar cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nanocomposite TiSiN coatings were deposited on tool steels. Detailed mechanisms that govern the corrosion of these coated steels were revealed, following immersion tests in a 70% nitric acid solution. Pitting originated preferentially from coating defect sites and expanded with increasing immersion time. Both Young’s modulus and hardness measured by nanoindentation decreased as the corrosion damage intensified. A thin oxide layer formed from the thermal annealing of the as-deposited samples at 900°C was found to be effective against corrosive attack. In addition, compressive residual stress was noted to suppress the propagation of corrosion-induced cracks. The role of residual stress in controlling the corrosion resistance of these ceramic-coated steels is clarified by finite element analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation under methanogenesis is an ideal approach to remediating PAH-polluted soil, the contribution of methanogenesis to soil PAH elimination and the relationships between microbial ecological characteristics and PAH degradation during this process remain unclear. Here, we conducted a short-term (60 days) incubation using a paddy soil amended with phenanthrene and examined the effects of a specific methanogenic inhibitor (2-bromoethanesulfonate, BES) on this process. As treatment assessments, the methane production activity (MPA), phenanthrene degradation rate (PDR), and microbial ecological characteristics were determined. The results indicated that BES significantly inhibited both soil MPA and PDR, and we detected a positive relationship between MPA and PDR. Furthermore, BES significantly altered the soil microbial community structure, and it was the microbial community structure but not α -diversity was significantly correlated with soil MPA and PDR. BES decentralized the co-occurrence of bacterial genera but intensified the co-occurrence of methanogens. Moreover, certain bacterial taxa, including Bacteroidetes -vadinHA17, Gemmatimonas , and Sporomusaceae , were responsible for the MPA and PDR in this paddy soil. Collectively, these findings confirm the role of methanogenesis in PAH elimination from paddy soil, and reveal the importance of microbial co-occurrence characteristics in the determination of soil MPA and pollutant metabolism. [Display omitted] • Methanogenesis plays an important role in phenanthrene elimination in paddy soil. • The role of microbial community structure in PAH degradation is reconfirmed. • Microbial co-occurrence is crucial for PAH elimination under methanogenesis. • Remediation of PAH-contaminated soil via methanogenesis is a promising measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and rapid isocratic LC/MS coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) method for simultaneous separation and determination of adenine, hypoxanthine, adenosine and cordycepin in Cordyceps sinensis (Cs) and its substitutes was developed. 2-Chloroadenosine was used as internal standard for this assay. The optimum separation for these analytes was achieved using the mixture of water, methanol and formic acid (85:14:1, v/v/v) as a mobile phase and a 2.0×150 mm Shimadzu VP-ODS column. Selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode ([M+H]+ at m/z 136, 137, 268, 252 and 302) was used for quantitative analysis of above four active components. The regression equations were liner in the range of 1.4–140.0 μg ml−1 for adenine, 0.6–117.5 μg ml−1 for hypoxanthine, 0.5–128.5 μg ml−1 for adenosine and 0.5–131.5 μg ml−1 for cordycepin. The limits of quantitation (LOQ) and detection (LOD) were, respectively 1.4 and 0.5 μg ml−1 for adenine, 0.6 and 0.2 μg ml−1 for hypoxanthine, 0.5 and 0.1 μg ml−1 for adenosine and cordycepin. The recoveries of four constituents were from 93.5 to 107.0%. The nucleoside contents of various types of natural Cs and its substitutes were determined and compared with this developed method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective To understand the degree of vaccination knowledge and influencing factor among floating children's parents in Futian district of Shenzhen, so as to provide scientific basis for floating children immune prevention strategies. Method The unified questionnaire was used to survey 652 floating children's parents. Results The vaccination knowledge among floating children's parents in Futian district was mastered better, Logistic regression analysis showed that influencing factors included the children's age, number of family children, parents age, educational level of parents and family income. Conclusions Various forms of health education should be strengthened, according to the characteristics of the floating population, to improve the vaccination knowledge awareness and guarantee the implementation of the floating children vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effect of Mo target power on vacuum sputtered Mo doped Cr nitride coatings. • The crystallite size of coatings increases with Mo target power and Mo content. • Coatings are transparent in the visible region with direct optical band gap. • Computational modelling provides insight to the electronic and optical properties. • Good solar selectivity of chromium nitride with high mechanical properties. In this study, Cr−Mo−N thin films with different Mo contents were synthesised via closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating. The effects of Mo content on the microstructure, chemical bonding state, and optical properties of the prepared films were investigated by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry. XRD results determined the face centered cubic (fcc) structure of pure CrN film. The incorporation of molybdenum (Mo) in the CrN matrix was confirmed by both XRD and XPS analyses. The CrMoN coatings demonstrate various polycrystalline phases including CrN, γ -Mo 2 N, Cr with oxides layers of MoO 3 , CrO 3 , and Cr 2 O 3. Microstructural results of the Cr-Mo-N coatings show that the grain size increased with an increase in Mo content due to the formation of MoN phase, in which the Mo atoms interact with N atoms around the grain boundaries of the CrN phase. XPS investigations confirmed the presence of Cr, Mo, N, C and O elements in the studied coatings. The optical results revealed that the synthesised coatings exhibit low reflection magnitudes in the visible region of the solar spectrum indicating good antireflection surfaces. Mo doped thin coatings improve the solar absorptance by ~76% in the wavelength range of 200–800 nm with a low thermal emittance of ~ 20% in the infrared range (up to 4000 nm). Furthermore, by applying density functional theory, the computational simulation provides similar trends as the experimental finding of absorption coefficient in the wavelength range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]