Our understanding of when and how humans adapted to living on the Tibetan Plateau at altitudes above 2000 to 3000 meters has been constrained by a paucity of archaeological data. Here we report data ...sets from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau indicating that the first villages were established only by 5200 calendar years before the present (cal yr B.P.). Using these data, we tested the hypothesis that a novel agropastoral economy facilitated year-round living at higher altitudes since 3600 cal yr B.P. This successful subsistence strategy facilitated the adaptation of farmers-herders to the challenges of global temperature decline during the late Holocene.
We report results on the searches of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with sub-GeV masses (mχ) via WIMP-nucleus spin-independent scattering with Migdal effect incorporated. Analysis on ...time-integrated (TI) and annual modulation (AM) effects on CDEX-1B data are performed, with 737.1 kg day exposure and 160 eVee threshold for TI analysis, and 1107.5 kg day exposure and 250 eVee threshold for AM analysis. The sensitive windows in mχ are expanded by an order of magnitude to lower DM masses with Migdal effect incorporated. New limits on σχNSI at 90% confidence level are derived as 2×10−32∼7×10−35 cm2 for TI analysis at mχ∼50–180 MeV/c2, and 3×10−32∼9×10−38 cm2 for AM analysis at mχ∼75 MeV/c2–3.0 GeV/c2.
A Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN) containing 43 monitoring sites was established in China to measure gaseous NH3, NO2, and HNO3 and particulate NH4+ and NO3− in air and/or ...precipitation from 2010 to 2014. Wet/bulk deposition fluxes of Nr species were collected by precipitation gauge method and measured by continuous-flow analyzer; dry deposition fluxes were estimated using airborne concentration measurements and inferential models. Our observations reveal large spatial variations of atmospheric Nr concentrations and dry and wet/bulk Nr deposition. On a national basis, the annual average concentrations (1.3–47.0 μg N m−3) and dry plus wet/bulk deposition fluxes (2.9–83.3 kg N ha−1 yr−1) of inorganic Nr species are ranked by land use as urban > rural > background sites and by regions as north China > southeast China > southwest China > northeast China > northwest China > Tibetan Plateau, reflecting the impact of anthropogenic Nr emission. Average dry and wet/bulk N deposition fluxes were 20.6 ± 11.2 (mean ± standard deviation) and 19.3 ± 9.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 across China, with reduced N deposition dominating both dry and wet/bulk deposition. Our results suggest atmospheric dry N deposition is equally important to wet/bulk N deposition at the national scale. Therefore, both deposition forms should be included when considering the impacts of N deposition on environment and ecosystem health.
An anomaly in differential scanning calorimetry has been reported in a number of metallic glass materials in which a broad exothermal peak was observed between the glass and crystallization ...temperatures. The mystery surrounding this calorimetric anomaly is epitomized by four decades long studies of Pd-Ni-P metallic glasses, arguably the best glass-forming alloys. Here we show, using a suite of in situ experimental techniques, that Pd-Ni-P alloys have a hidden amorphous phase in the supercooled liquid region. The anomalous exothermal peak is the consequence of a polyamorphous phase transition between two supercooled liquids, involving a change in the packing of atomic clusters over medium-range length scales as large as 18 Å. With further temperature increase, the alloy reenters the supercooled liquid phase, which forms the room-temperature glass phase on quenching. The outcome of this study raises a possibility to manipulate the structure and hence the stability of metallic glasses through heat treatment.
We present improved germanium-based constraints on sub-GeV dark matter via dark matter-electron (χ-e) scattering using the 205.4 kg·day dataset from the CDEX-10 experiment. Using a novel calculation ...technique, we attain predicted χ-e scattering spectra observable in high-purity germanium detectors. In the heavy mediator scenario, our results achieve 3 orders of magnitude of improvement for m_{χ} larger than 80 MeV/c^{2} compared to previous germanium-based χ-e results. We also present the most stringent χ-e cross-section limit to date among experiments using solid-state detectors for m_{χ} larger than 90 MeV/c^{2} with heavy mediators and m_{χ} larger than 100 MeV/c^{2} with electric dipole coupling. The result proves the feasibility and demonstrates the vast potential of a new χ-e detection method with high-purity germanium detectors in ultralow radioactive background.
Abstract Our aim was to differentiate IgG4-related sialadenitis, primary Sjögren syndrome, and chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis by analysing clinical, radiographic, and pathological ...features. Fifty-five patients, 50, and 50 were enrolled, respectively and their baseline characteristics and serological, sialographic, and pathological findings compared. The male:female ratio for IgG4-related sialadenitis was 1:1.2 for primary Sjögren syndrome 1:15.7, and for chronic obstructive submandibular sialadenitis1:0.92. Numbers with enlarged salivary glands were 55, 16, and 50; with xerostomia 26, 48, and 0; with a history of allergy 26, 4, and 6, and with coexisting systemic disease 12, 19, and 0 (p = 0.14). Mean (SD) serum IgG4 concentrations were 109.1 (97.9), 4.9. (1.9) g/L, and 5.3 (1.6) g/L, p < 0.001 in all cases. Sialography showed enlargement of the gland, dilatation of the duct, and slightly decreased secretory function in IgG4-related disease; obvious sialectasia and decreased secretory function in Sjögren syndrome; and dilatation of Wharton’s duct and filling defects in obstructive sialadenitis. Histopathological examination showed lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with storiform fibrosis, lymphoplasmacytic inflammation and lymphoepithelial lesions, and dilatation of the duct with epithelial metaplasia in the three groups, respectively. The number of IgG4-positive plasma cells was 123 (45)/HPF, 8 (3)/HPF, and 5 (4)/HPF, while the IgG4-/IgG-positive cell ratio was 71.7 (13.9)%, 4.6 (2.5)%, 18.9 (19.7)%, respectively (p < 0.001). The three conditions have different clinical, radiographic, and pathological features that provide important clues to the differential diagnosis. Serological and histological tests are important, and comprehensive consideration is necessary.
Aim
Gastroparesis is a common non‐motor system symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanism responsible for the gastric motor abnormality is not clear. We previously reported on the ...impaired gastric motility in 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) rats, which were treated with a bilateral microinjection of 6‐OHDA in the substantia nigra (SN). We hypothesize that the enhanced dopamine system and reduced acetylcholine (Ach) in gastric tissues might contribute to the delayed gastric emptying observed in PD.
Methods
A strain gauge force transducer, digital X‐ray imaging system, Western blot, immunofluorescence and Radio Immunoassay were used in this study.
Results
Dopaminergic neurones in the SN were greatly reduced following the bilateral microinjection of 6‐OHDA. 6‐OHDA rats exhibited impaired gastric motility and delayed gastric emptying, accompanied by increased dopamine content and the overexpression of D2 receptors in the stomach. The administration of the D2 receptor antagonist domperidone relieved gastric dysmotility in 6‐OHDA rats, but the D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 failed to do so. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy prevented the increase in the gastric dopamine content and D2 receptor expression and improved gastric dysmotility in 6‐OHDA rats.
Conclusion
Dopaminergic deficiency in the SN results in impaired gastric motility, possibly as a result of the enhanced activity of dopamine system and reduced Ach in gastric tissue. The vagus nerve plays an important role in peripheral gastric motility disorder.
The adsorption of 1-naphthylamine, 1-naphthol and phenol on as-prepared and oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been investigated. The results illustrated that both as-prepared and ...oxidized MWCNTs showed high adsorption capacity for the three ionizable aromatic compounds (IACs) studied. Oxidation of MWCNTs increased the surface area and the pore volume, and introduced oxygen-containing functional groups to the surfaces of MWCNTs, which depressed the adsorption of IACs on MWCNTs. Both Langmuir and Freundlich models described the adsorption isotherms very well and the adsorption thermodynamic parameters (Δ
G°, Δ
H° and Δ
S°) were measured. The adsorption for 1-naphthylamine, 1-naphthol and phenol is general spontaneous and thermodynamically favorable. The adsorption of phenol is an exothermic process, whereas the adsorption of 1-naphthylamine and 1-naphthol is an endothermic process. Results of this work are of great significance for the environmental application of MWCNTs for the removal of IACs from large volume of aqueous solutions.
•Simple, robust, efficient and fully explicit algorithm for phase field fracture model.•The explicit algorithm overcomes difficulties concerning the convergence.•The explicit algorithm facilitates ...the calculation of the anisotropic material tensor.•Introduction of the concept of phase field modulus.•New linear tetrahedra element with displacement gradient average scheme.
In this paper, we propose an explicit phase field model for dynamic brittle fracture. The mechanical field is integrated with a Verlet-velocity scheme, while the phase field is incremented with sub-steps at each step. The sub-stepping is adaptive based on the phase field residual and fast convergence is obtained in a few sub-steps. The numerical difficulty in convergence and the calculation of anisotropic stiffness tensor in the implicit phase field model are avoided in the explicit scheme. The explicit phase field model uses the phase field modulus, rather than the conventional phase field viscosity. The proposed scheme can achieve the same result by the implicit dynamic scheme phase field model. Several numerical examples are presented to validate the explicit method.
In this article, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) was grafted on poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) by virtue of reactive blending in the extrusion process and thermoplastic starch (TPS) was prepared
via
a ...melt blend process with anhydroxylitol tripelargonate (AXP) as a bio-based plasticizer and starch as a polymer matrix. A ternary blend of fully biodegradable polymers, namely PBS-
g
-GMA, thermoplastic starch and poly(butylene adipate-
co
-terephthalate) (PBAT), was successfully fabricated in an attempt to achieve novel entirely biodegradable composites with good comprehensive properties. The mechanical properties, rheological behavior, thermal behavior, crystallization properties and microscopic morphology of PBS-
g
-GMA/TPS/PBAT composites were investigated in detail. The incorporation of 30 wt% TPS into the PBS-
g
-GMA/TPS composite promoted a dramatic increase of 47% in the Izod impact strength of the PBS, which indicated that our work proposed an efficient route to fabricate PBS composites with good properties by a simple, eco-friendly, and low-cost processing methodology. DMA results showed that the loss factor of the composite was dependent on the TPS amount, meanwhile, with the increase of PBAT, the glass transition temperature (
T
g
) was more affected. The change in storage modulus indicates that the addition of TPS can improve the elasticity and the degradation of elastic properties due to the addition of PBAT. Analysis of the rheological results showed that the storage modulus (
G
′), loss modulus (
G
′′) and complex viscosity increased significantly with increasing PBAT and TPS amount which could enhance their processability. SEM indicated that PBAT was compatible with the system, and the appearance of particles at a high TPS amount confirmed the occurrence of phase separation.
A ternary blend of biodegradable polymers, namely PBS-
g
-GMA, thermoplastic starch (TPS) and poly(butylene adipate-
co
-terephthalate) (PBAT), was successfully fabricated attempt to achieve novel biodegradable composites with comprehensive properties.