Precipitation variations deduced from speleothem stable oxygen isotopes (δ18O) have long been debated in monsoonal China. The magnetic property in speleothems is interpreted to be related to regional ...precipitation and can therefore offer reliable information of regional precipitation variations. Here we present a speleothem from southern China to explore the magnetic signals in speleothems and to reconstruct regional precipitation in hominin‐occupational area in southern China during MIS5. Saturation magnetization (Ms), which represents the magnetic mineral concentrations, is used as an indicator of effective rainfall variations. The precipitation inferred from Ms increased sharply in the period prior to 80.3 ka before present, followed by a drop to precipitation anomaly afterward, indicating that regional precipitation varied greatly during the hominin‐occupied interval in southern China. Power spectrum analysis of Ms values shows significant ~205‐, ~90‐, ~77‐, and ~64‐year periodicities, suggesting that the solar activity may play an important role in precipitation variations in southern China during the MIS5a/4 transition.
Plain Language Summary
Precipitation variations exert great influence on past human settlement, migration, and dispersal. However, the precipitation variations in monsoonal China during late Quaternary have been a focus of an ongoing debate. Moreover, there is a shortage of precipitation data in hominin occupational area in southern China. In this study, we analyze the magnetic property in a speleothem from southern China. Concentration parameter, saturation magnetization, is used to trace the precipitation changes in southern China during ~82.3 to ~77.9 ka before present. Two wet intervals and one dry interval can be derived from the saturation magnetization profile. Saturation magnetization values varied sharply, suggesting that precipitation varied greatly during the hominin occupation period in southern China.
Key Points
Saturation magnetization in speleothem can serve as an index for regional precipitation
Precipitation increased sharply with high‐frequent variations in the period prior to 80.3 ka BP and dropped to precipitation anomaly afterward
Solar activity may play great influence on precipitation variations in southern China during MIS5a/MIS4 transition
We report on the reversible manipulation of room temperature ferromagnetism in Fe (5%) doped In2O3 polycrystalline magnetic semiconductor. The X-ray diffraction and photoemission measurements confirm ...that the Fe ions are well incorporated into the lattice, substituting the In3+ ions. The magnetization measurements show that the host In2O3 has a diamagnetic ground state, while it shows weak ferromagnetism at 300K upon Fe doping. The as-prepared sample was then sequentially annealed in hydrogen, air, vacuum and finally in air. The ferromagnetic signal shoots up by hydrogenation as well as vacuum annealing and bounces back upon re-annealing the samples in air. The sequence of ferromagnetism shows a close inter-relationship with the behavior of oxygen vacancies (V o). The Fe ions tend to a transform from 3+ to 2+ state during the giant ferromagnetic induction, as revealed by photoemission spectroscopy. A careful characterization of the structure, purity, magnetic, and transport properties confirms that the ferromagnetism is due to neither impurities nor clusters but directly related to the oxygen vacancies. The ferromagnetism can be reversibly controlled by these vacancies while a parallel variation of carrier concentration, as revealed by resistance measurements, appears to be a side effect of the oxygen vacancy variation.
Culex pipiens complex mosquitoes are widely distributed throughout China and are known to be important disease vectors. Two pyrethroid resistance associated mutations have been identified in Cx. ...pipiens complex (Diptera: Culicidae), but there is little information on the diversity and distribution of kdr alleles in pyrethroid resistance in Cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes in China. In the present study, we report on a modified three tube allele‐specific (AS)‐PCR method for detecting the 1014F and 1014S alleles. The new technique was applied to identify the distribution of the two alleles in natural Cx. pipiens complex populations in China. The results confirmed that the new method is both sensitive and specific. The 1014F allele was found in all 14 of the field populations tested (frequency ranged from 6.8 to 76.2%) and the 1014S allele was found in almost two‐thirds (frequency from 2.4 to 28.6%), indicating that the genotypes known to be associated with pyrethroid resistance are widespread in China. The resistance‐associated alleles were more common in southern Chinese sampling sites than in northern sites. The coexistence of the two resistant mutations in individual mosquitoes was also observed in five of the field populations. Two alternative mutations within the L1014 codon were identified in Culex pipiens molestus Forskal, 1775, including a non‐synonymous mutation resulting in a 1014C substitution.
The magnetic profile of the Si(100)/NiO(35nm)/NiFe(10nm)/Ta(1nm) sample has been obtained by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and the X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). Two experimental ...procedures were used. In the procedure 1, the magnetic depth profile has been determines using samples deposited with different NiFe thicknesses, Si(100)/NiO(35nm)/NiFe(t)/Ta(1nm), t=1,3,5,7,10nm. In procedure 2, the sample (NiFe=10nm), was thinned by several in situ sputtering cycles with Ar+ ions, followed by XAS and XMCD analysis. In both procedures, the calculated magnetic moments values tend to decrease close to interface with the NiO antiferromagnetic (AF) layer, however, this decreasement is more evidenced in the sputtered sample. There is no charge transfer between Ni and Fe in the inner part of the NiFe layer, a reduction of the morb/mspineff has been found at the NiFe/NiO interface. Procedure 1 emerged as the most indicated to analyse the interface region.
•The magnetic profile of the Si(100)/NiO(35nm)/NiFe(10nm)/Ta(1nm) has been obtained by X-ray absorption spectroscopy.•Evidence that the magnetic moments, for thick NiFe layers, are comparable with the bulk values.•There is no charge between Ni and Fe in the inner part of the NiFe layer.•A reduction of the morb/mspineff has been found at the NiFe/NiO interface.
(1) Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, & Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao Special Administrative ...Region, People's Republic of China; (2) Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China; (3) Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China; (4) The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorder & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; (5) School of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China; (6) School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China, Nanjing, People's Republic of China; (7) Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA USA; (8) Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA; 'Department of Psychiatry, The Melbourne Clinic and St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Richmond, Victoria, Australia These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence: Sha Sha, The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders Beijing Anding Hospital & the Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, School of Mental Health, Beijing, People's Republic of China, Email sarahbon@163.com; Chee H Ng, Department of Psychiatry, The Melbourne Clinic and St Vincent's Hospital, University of Melbourne, Richmond, Victoria, Australia, Email cng@unimelb.edu.au Background: A high proportion of clinicians experienced common anxiety, insomnia and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the item-level association of comorbid anxiety and insomnia symptoms among clinicians who suffered from depressive symptoms during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic using network analysis (NA). Methods: Clinicians with depressive symptoms (with a Patients Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) total score of 5 and above) were included in this study. Anxiety and insomnia symptoms were measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale - 7-item (GAD-7) and Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), respectively. Network analysis was conducted to investigate the network structure, central symptoms, bridge symptoms, and network stability of these disturbances. Expected influence (EI) was used to measure the centrality of index. Results: Altogether, 1729 clinicians were included in this study. The mean age was 37.1 standard deviation (SD)=8.04 years, while the mean PHQ-9 total score was 8.42 (SD=3.33), mean GAD-7 total score was 6.45 (SD=3.13) and mean ISI total score was 8.23 (SD=5.26). Of these clinicians, the prevalence of comorbid anxiety symptoms (GAD-7>5) was 76.8% (95% CI 74.82-78.80%), while the prevalence of comorbid insomnia symptoms (ISI>8) was 43.8% (95% CI: 41.50-46.18%). NA revealed that nodes ISI7 ("Interference with daytime functioning") (EI=1.18), ISM ("Sleep dissatisfaction") (EI=1.08) and ISI5 ("Noticeability of sleep problem by others") (EI=1.07) were the most central (influential) symptoms in the network model of comorbid anxiety and insomnia symptoms in clinicians. Bridge symptoms included nodes PHQ3 ("Sleep") (bridge EI=0.55) and PHQ4 ("Fatigue") (bridge EI=049). Gender did not significantly influence the network structure, but "having the experience of caring for COVID-19 patients" significantly influenced the network structure. Conclusion: Central symptoms and key bridge symptoms identified in this NA should be targeted in the treatment and preventive measures for clinicians suffering from comorbid anxiety, insomnia and depressive symptoms during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Keywords: depression, anxiety, sleep, network analysis, health personnel
► Effects of 200MeV Ag15+ ion irradiation of nanocrystalline Mn–Ca ferrite investigated using utmost techniques. ► Characterization results confirmed formation of cubic spinel structure and spherical ...morphology consistent with the crystalline diameter. ► After irradiation, the saturation magnetization, coercivity, and blocking temperature enhance appreciably. ► SHI irradiation induced modifications in surface states of the nanoparticles and cationic re-distribution identified as probable reasons. ► Irradiation caused increase in dielectric constant, attributed to surface modifications through slight crystal growth.
The effects of 200MeV Ag15+ ion irradiation on structural, magnetic and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline Mn–Ca ferrite have been investigated. The specimens characterized using XRD confirmed the formation of cubic spinel structure. The TEM images revealed the spherical morphology consistent with the crystalline diameter. After irradiation by 200MeV Ag ions, saturation magnetization, coercivity, and blocking temperature were enhanced appreciably which could be attributed to swift heavy ion (SHI) irradiation induced modifications in surface states of the nanoparticles, slight increase in crystallite size and cationic re-distribution. The dielectric measurements revealed that both dielectric constant (ɛr) and the loss tangent (tanδ) disperse normally as a function of frequency of the externally applied electric field. The increase in ɛr and tanδ on irradiation could be attributed to the surface modifications through slight crystal growth and hence the availability of sufficient number of Fe2+/Mn3+ ions particularly at the octahedral site on grain boundaries showing a fair agreement with the magnetization results.
To assess the efficacy, safety, and related prognostic factors associated with the P-GemDOx regimen as a first-line treatment for patients with early-stage extranodal natural killer (NK) /T cell ...lymphoma (ENKTL) .
A retrospective analysis was performed on sixty early-stage ENKTL patients treated with the P-GemDOx regimen who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between August 2015 and May 2021. The Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare group differences, and the Log-rank test was used to compare the differences in survival. Survival outcomes and prognostic factors were examined.
After completing 4 to 6 cycles of P-GemDOx chemotherapy, the overall response rate (ORR) was 88.3%, with forty-six patients (76.7% ) achieving complete response (CR). The 4-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were (66.3±7.1) % and (79.5±6.0) %, respectively. According to the PINK/PINK-E model, there was no significant difference in survival o
Through simple hydrogen annealing treatment, we observed robust inducement of room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in ZnO:Co (5%) pellets. The hydrogen mediated magnetic transition is accompanied ...by electronic structure plus bonding modifications with no structural deviations or creation of secondary phases, as evidenced by XRD and photoemission investigations. Our findings reveal a route correlation of oxygen vacancies with the observed RTFM. In particular, we systematically investigated the time controlled re-heating consequences on hydrogenated sample. The H-induced RTFM and subsequent modifications
viz. electronic structure, transport properties and bonding effect gradually retrace back upon evaporating the hydrogen.
The ribosomal maturation factor P (RimP) is a highly conserved protein in bacteria and has been shown to be important in ribosomal assembly in Escherichia coli. Because of its central importance in ...bacterial metabolism, RimP represents a good potential target for drug design to combat human pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, to date, the only RimP structure available is the NMR structure of the ortholog in another bacterial pathogen, Streptococcus pneumoniae. Here, we report a 2.2 Å resolution crystal structure of MSMEG_2624, the RimP ortholog in the close M. tuberculosis relative Mycobacterium smegmatis, and using in vitro binding assays, we show that MSMEG_2624 interacts with the small ribosomal protein S12, also known as RpsL. Further analyses revealed that the conserved residues in the linker region between the N- and C-terminal domains of MSMEG_2624 are essential for binding to RpsL. However, neither of the two domains alone was sufficient to form strong interactions with RpsL. More importantly, the linker region was essential for in vivo ribosomal biogenesis. Our study provides critical mechanistic insights into the role of RimP in ribosome biogenesis. We anticipate that the MSMEG_2624 crystal structure has the potential to be used for drug design to manage M. tuberculosis infections.
Efficient conversion of beer lees wastes into biohydrogen gas by microorganisms was reported for the first time. Batch tests were carried out to analyze influences of several environmental factors on ...yield of H
2 from beer lees wastes. The maximum yield of H
2 68.6
ml
H
2/g TVS was observed, the value is about 10-fold as compared with that of raw beer lees wastes. The hydrogen content in the biogas was more than 45% and there was no significant methane observed in this study. In addition, biodegradation characteristics of the substrate were also discussed. The results indicated that the HCl pretreatment of the substrate plays a key role in the conversion of the beer lees wastes into biohydrogen by the cow dung composts.
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