Charged polar interfaces such as charged ferroelectric walls or heterostructured interfaces of ZnO/(Zn,Mg)O and LaAlO3/SrTiO3, across which the normal component of electric polarization changes ...suddenly, can host large two-dimensional conduction. Charged ferroelectric walls, which are energetically unfavourable in general, were found to be mysteriously abundant in hybrid improper ferroelectric (Ca,Sr)3Ti2O7 crystals. From the exploration of antiphase boundaries in bilayer-perovskites, here we discover that each of four polarization-direction states is degenerate with two antiphase domains, and these eight structural variants form a Z4 × Z2 domain structure with Z3 vortices and five distinct types of domain walls, whose topology is directly relevant to the presence of abundant charged walls. We also discover a zipper-like nature of antiphase boundaries, which are the reversible creation/annihilation centres of pairs of two types of ferroelectric walls (and also Z3-vortex pairs) in 90° and 180° polarization switching. Our results demonstrate the unexpectedly rich nature of hybrid improper ferroelectricity.
Objectives
Talaromycosis is an invasive mycosis endemic to Southeast Asia. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology, clinical features and prognostic factors of HIV‐associated talaromycosis ...in Guangdong, China.
Methods
We retrospectively evaluated HIV patients hospitalized with histopathology‐ or culture‐confirmed talaromycosis between 2011 and 2017. Factors associated with poor prognosis were identified using logistic regression.
Results
Overall, 1079 patients with HIV‐associated talaromycosis were evaluated. Both the number and prevalence of talaromycosis among HIV admissions increased from 125 and 15.7% in 2011 to 253 and 18.8% in 2017, respectively, reflecting the increase in HIV admissions. Annual admissions peaked during the rainy season between March and August. Common clinical manifestations included fever (85.6%), peripheral lymphadenopathy (72.3%), respiratory symptoms (60.8%), weight loss (49.8%), skin lesions (44.5%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (44.3%). Common laboratory abnormalities were hypoalbuminaemia (98.6%), anaemia (95.6%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase level (AST) (76.9%), elevated alkaline phosphatase level (55.8%) and thrombocytopenia (53.7%). The median CD4 count was 9 cells/μL. Talaromyces marneffei was isolated from blood and bone marrow cultures of 66.6% and 74.5% of patients, respectively. The rate increased to 86.6% when both cultures were performed concurrently. At discharge, 14% of patients showed worsening conditions or died. Leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia, elevated AST, total bilirubin, creatinine and azole monotherapy independently predicted poor prognosis.
Conclusions
The incidence of HIV‐associated talaromycosis has increased in Guangdong with the high HIV burden in China. Skin lesions were seen in less than half of patients. Induction therapy with azole alone is associated with higher mortality. Findings from this study should help to improve treatment of the disease.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplemental Zinc (Zn) source and level on antioxidant ability and fat metabolism-related enzymes of broilers. Dietary ...treatments included the Zn-unsupplemented corn-soybean meal basal diet (control) and basal diets supplemented with 60, 120, or 180 mg Zn/kg as Zn sulfate, Zn amino acid chelate with a weak chelation strength of 6.5 quotient of formation (Qf) (11.93% Zn) (Zn-AA W), Zn proteinate with a moderate chelation strength of 30.7 Qf (13.27% Zn) (Zn-Pro M), or Zn proteinate with an extremely strong chelation strength of 944.0 Qf (18.61% Zn) (Zn-Pro S). The results showed that dietary supplemental Zn increased (P < 0.01) Zn contents in the liver, breast, and thigh muscles of broilers, and up-regulated mRNA expressions of copper and Zn containing superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) and metallothioneins (MT) in the liver (P < 0.01) and thigh muscle (P < 0.05), and also enhanced (P < 0.05) CuZnSOD activities in the breast and thigh muscles, which exerted antioxidant ability and a decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the liver (P < 0.01) and breast and thigh muscles (P < 0.05) of broilers. Furthermore, supplemental Zn increased activities of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) in the abdominal fat (P < 0.05), and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) and LPL in the liver (P < 0.01), which were accompanied with up-regulation (P < 0.01) of the mRNA expressions levels of these enzymes in the abdominal fat and liver of broilers. Dietary Zn source, and an interaction between Zn source and level, had no effects on any measurements. It is concluded that dietary Zn supplementation improved Zn status and resulted in promoting antioxidant ability and activities and gene expressions of fat metabolism-related enzymes of broilers regardless of Zn source and level, and the addition of 60 mg Zn/kg to the corn-soybean meal basal diet (a total dietary Zn of approximately 90 mg/kg) was appropriate for improving the above aspects of broilers.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Mechanical ventilation comprises a significant proportion of the total energy consumed in buildings. Sufficient natural ventilation in buildings is critical in reducing the energy consumption of ...mechanical ventilation while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment for occupants. In this paper, a new computerized framework based on building information modelling (BIM) and machine learning data-driven models is presented to analyze the optimum thermal comfort for indoor environments with the effect of natural ventilation. BIM provides geometrical and semantic information of the built environment, which are leveraged for setting the computational domain and boundary conditions of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. CFD modelling is conducted to obtain the flow field and temperature distribution, the results of which determine the thermal comfort index in a ventilated environment. BIM–CFD provides spatial data, boundary conditions, indoor environmental parameters, and the thermal comfort index for machine learning to construct robust data-driven models to empower the predictive analysis. In the neural network, the adjacency matrix in the field of graph theory is used to represent the spatial features (such as zone adjacency and connectivity) and incorporate the potential impact of interzonal airflow in thermal comfort analysis. The results of a case study indicate that utilizing natural ventilation can save cooling power consumption, but it may not be sufficient to fulfil all the thermal comfort criteria. The performance of natural ventilation at different seasons should be considered to identify the period when both air conditioning energy use and indoor thermal comfort are achieved. With the proposed new framework, thermal comfort prediction can be examined more efficiently to study different design options, operating scenarios, and changeover strategies between various ventilation modes, such as better spatial HVAC system designs, specific room-based real-time HVAC control, and other potential applications to maximize indoor thermal comfort.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract This research employs China’s steel restriction policy as a backdrop to investigate environmental policies’ unintended and counterproductive effects. Using high-resolution satellite-derived ...data and panel Difference-in-Differences regression, we found that the air pollution concentration in cities implementing the steel restriction policy is 5.688 μ g/m 3 higher than in control group cities. Additionally, the growth rate of air pollution in these cities is 6.577% faster. This quantitative evidence substantiates the backfire effect of the anticipation of environmental policy, where the delay between a policy’s announcement and its enforcement leads to a short-term surge in pollution levels. For China and other emerging economies, the development of a thorough and deliberate intergovernmental cooperation strategy is critical when formulating environmental policies. It involves synchronizing the efforts of different government levels in applying pollution controls and diminishing the interval of potential intense pollution in the pre-implementation phase.
Plate impact experiments are conducted on the carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforced 2024Al composite fabricated by flake powder metallurgy and hot extrusion, to investigate the effects of microstructural ...anisotropy on its dynamic deformation and damage, as well as the role of CNTs. Three loading directions are explored with the loading axis being parallel to the extrusion, transverse or normal direction. Free-surface velocity histories are measured to evaluate the mechanical properties and damage processes, including the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL; ∼0.8 GPa) and dynamic spall strengths (1.4−1.9 GPa). Postmortem samples are characterized with synchrotron X-ray computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy. The microstructural anisotropy of the composite (in terms of the orientation of lamellar microstructures) has a negligible effect on HEL but induces an anisotropy in spall strengths; spall strength is the highest for loading along the extrusion direction, the long axis of the lamellar microstructures. CNTs appear to increase the spall strengths of the 2024Al matrix, in contrast to other reinforcing fibers/particles. The crack propagation direction and damage features can be correlated with collinear propagation of microcracks following the lamellar microstructures.
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•Plate impact of CNT-reinforced AMCs has been firstly investigated.•The spall strength of CNT/2024Al composite is ∼50% higher than that of 2024Al alloy.•Microstructural anisotropy has a momentous effect on spall strength and damage degree.•CNTs are pulled out slightly and fractured because of high strain rates involved.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Sewage sludge ash has been widely applied to cementitious materials. In this study, in order to determine effects of nano-SiO2 additives on properties of sludge/fly ash mortar, different amounts of ...nano-SiO2 were added to sludge/fly ash mortar specimens to investigate their physical properties and micro-structures. A water-binding ratio of 0.7 was assigned to the mix. Substitution amounts of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% of sludge/fly ash (1:1 ratio) were proposed. Moreover, 0%, 1%, 2%, and 3% of nano-SiO2 was added to the mix. Tests, including SEM and compressive strength, were carried out on mortar specimens cured at 3, 7, and 28 days. Results showed that sludge/fly ash can make the crystals of cement hydration product finer. Moreover, crystals increased after nano-SiO2 was added. Hence, nano-SiO2 can improve the effects of sludge/fly ash on the hydration of mortar. Further, due to the low pozzolanic reaction active index of sludge ash, early compressive strengths of sludge/fly ash mortar were decreased. Yet, nano-SiO2 could help produce hydration crystals, which implies that the addition of nano-SiO2 to mortar can improve the influence of sludge/fly ash on the development of the early strength of the mortar.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
49.
Determination of the number of ψ(3686) events at BESIII Ablikim, M.; An, F. F.; Baldini Ferroli, R. ...
Chinese Physics C, High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics/Chinese physics C,
02/2018, Volume:
42, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
The numbers of psi(3686) events accumulated by the BESIII detector for the data taken during 2009 and 2012 are determined to be (107.0 +/- 0.8)x10(6) and (341.1 +/- 2.1)x10(6), respectively, by ...counting inclusive hadronic events, where the uncertainties are systematic and the statistical uncertainties are negligible. The number of events for the sample taken in 2009 is consistent with that of the previous measurement. The total number of psi(3686) events for the two data taking periods is (448.1 +/- 2.9) x 10(6).
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were quantified in 30 soil profiles from the Yangtze River Delta Region, in east China. Relative concentrations of PAH compounds with different benzene rings ...and ratios of fluoranthene to fluoranthene plus pyrene and benz(a)anthracene to benz(a)anthracene plus chrysene were used to identify the possible sources of soil PAHs. Total concentrations of 15 PAHs in topsoils ranged from 8.6 to 3881
μg
kg
−1 with an average of 397
μg
kg
−1. Half of the soil samples were considered to be contaminated with PAHs (>200
μg
kg
−1) and two sampling sites were heavily polluted by PAHs with concentrations >1000
μg
kg
−1. Phenanthrene was found in soils below a depth of 100
cm in half of the sampling sites, but the detectable ratio of benzo(a)pyrene decreased sharply from 100% in topsoil to 0 in the 4th horizon.
The information was provided on levels, distributions, and possible sources of PAHs in the soils of Yangtze River Delta area.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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