We report on the highest energy photons from the Crab Nebula observed by the Tibet air shower array with the underground water-Cherenkov-type muon detector array. Based on the criterion of a muon ...number measured in an air shower, we successfully suppress 99.92% of the cosmic-ray background events with energies E>100 TeV. As a result, we observed 24 photonlike events with E>100 TeV against 5.5 background events, which corresponds to a 5.6σ statistical significance. This is the first detection of photons with E>100 TeV from an astrophysical source.
There are limited data comparing the prognosis and fertility outcomes of the patients with early cervical cancer treated by trans-vaginal radical trachelectomy (VRT) or abdominal radical ...trachelectomy (ART).The objective of this study was to compare the surgical and pathologic characteristics, the prognosis and fertility outcomes of the patients treated by VRT or ART.
Matched-case study based on a prospectively maintained database of patients underwent radical trachelectomy in 10 centres of China was designed to compare the prognosis and fertility outcomes of the patients treated by VRT or ART.
Totally 150 cases, 77 in the VRT and 73 in the ART group, were included. VRT and ART provide similar surgical and pathological outcomes except larger specimens obtained by ART. In the ART group, no patient developed recurrent diseases, but, in the VRT group, 7 (9.8%) patients developed recurrent diseases and 2 (1.6%) patients died of the tumours (P=0.035). The rate of pregnancy in the VRT group was significantly higher than those of ART (39.5% vs 8.8%; P=0.003). The patients with tumour size >2 cm showed significant higher recurrent rate (11.6% vs 2.4%, P<0.05) and lower pregnant rate (12.5% vs 32.1%, P=0.094) compared with the patients with tumour size <2 cm.
Patients treated by ART obtained better oncology results, but their fertility outcomes were unfavourable compared with VRT. Tumour size <2 cm should be emphasised as an indication for radical trachelectomy for improving the outcome of fertility and prognosis.
One of the most promising approaches to reach a high gain in inertial confinement fusion is the fast ignition scheme. In this scheme, a relativistic electron beam is generated; this passes through ...the imploded plasma and deposits parts of its energy in the core. However, the large angular spread of the relativistic electron beam and the poorly controlled compression of the target affect realization of the fast ignition technique. Here, we demonstrate that indirectly driven (that is, driven by X-rays generated inside a gold hohlraum) implosions with a ‘high-foot’ and a short-coast time of less than 200 ps allow us to tightly compress the shell. Furthermore, we show the ability to optimize the symmetry of the imploding shell by changing the hohlraum length, successfully tuning a suitable tube-shaped shell to compensate for the large angular spread of the relativistic electron beam and to enhance the electron-to-core coupling efficiency via resistive magnetic fields. Benefiting from those experimental techniques, a significant enhancement in neutron yield was achieved in our indirectly driven fast ignition experiments. These results pave the way towards high-coupling fast ignition experiments with indirectly driven targets similar to those at the National Ignition Facility.Experiments realizing the indirect-drive fast ignition scheme for inertial confinement fusion are reported. Enabled by a tightly compressed target, an increase of neutron yield is observed.
The effect of serpentine natural mineral powder as additive on the friction and wear of tin bronze against steel under oil lubrication was investigated by four-factor and three-level orthogonal ...experiments using SRV4 sliding wear tester. Results show that the tribological properties of tin bronze were remarkably improved by the addition of serpentine powder into the oil. The importance order that affects the friction reducing performance was load, serpentine content, reciprocating frequency, and sliding time. The order of the antiwear property was frequency, content, load, and time. During the friction process, a non-conductive tribofilm consisting of metal oxides, oxide ceramic particles, graphite, and organics was formed on the tin bronze worn surface by serpentine mineral. The nanohardness and elastic modulus of the film demonstrated the gradient variation that low in the surface and high in the sub-surface, which is favorable for the improvement of the tribological behaviors.
•Tribological behavior of serpentine as additive was studied by orthogonal tests.•Friction and wear of steel/bronze pair in oil lubrication was improved.•Chemical state and mechanical behaviors of the tribofilm was studied.•The wear mechanism of serpentine additive to bronze was revealed.
Abstract Objectives To research the crystal structure and surface morphology of anodic films on titanium metal in different electrolytes under various electrochemical conditions and investigate the ...effect of the crystal structure of the oxide films on apatite-forming ability in simulated body fluid (SBF). Methods Titanium oxide films were prepared using an anodic oxidation method on the surface of titanium metal in four different electrolytes: sulfuric acid, acetic acid, phosphoric acid and sodium sulfate solutions with different voltages for 1 min at room temperature. Results Anodic films that consisted of rutile and/or anatase phases with porous structures were formed on titanium metal after anodizing in H2 SO4 and Na2 SO4 electrolytes, while amorphous titania films were produced after anodizing in CH3 COOH and H3 PO4 electrolytes. Titanium metal with the anatase and/or rutile crystal structure films showed excellent apatite-forming ability and produced a compact apatite layer covering all the surface of titanium after soaking in SBF for 7 d, but titanium metal with amorphous titania layers was not able to induce apatite formation. Significance The resultant apatite layer formed on titanium metal in SBF could enhance the bonding strength between living tissue and the implant. Anodic oxidation is believed to be an effective method for preparing bioactive titanium metal as an artificial bone substitute even under load-bearing conditions.
Highlights • The defeated mice showed increased anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors. • The defeated mice showed impaired cognition. • A significantly increased expression in phospho-DARPP-32 ...was observed in the PFC or AMY of defeated mice.
Objective To determine whether the novel avian influenza H7N9 virus can transmit from person to person and its efficiency. Design Epidemiological investigations conducted after a family cluster of ...two patients with avian H7N9 in March 2013. Setting Wuxi, Eastern China. Participants Two patients, their close contacts, and relevant environments. Samples from the patients and environments were collected and tested by real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR), viral culture, and haemagglutination inhibition assay. Any contacts who became ill had samples tested for avian H7N9 by rRT-PCR. Paired serum samples were obtained from contacts for serological testing by haemagglutination inhibition assays. Main outcomes measures Clinical data, history of exposure before the onset of illnesses, and results of laboratory testing of pathogens and further analysis of sequences and phylogenetic tree to isolated strains. Results The index patient became ill five to six days after his last exposure to poultry. The second patient, his daughter aged 32, who provided unprotected bedside care in the hospital, had no known exposure to poultry. She developed symptoms six days after her last contact with her father. Two strains were isolated successfully from the two patients. Genome sequence and analyses of phylogenetic trees showed that both viruses were almost genetically identical. Forty three close contacts of both patients were identified. One had mild illness but had negative results for avian H7N9 by rRT-PCR. All 43 close contacts tested negative for haemagglutination inhibition antibodies specific for avian H7N9. Conclusions The infection of the daughter probably resulted from contact with her father (the index patient) during unprotected exposure, suggesting that in this cluster the virus was able to transmit from person to person. The transmissibility was limited and non-sustainable.
Background. Seven persons in one family living in eastern China developed fever and thrombocytopenia during May 2007, but the initial investigation failed to identify an infectious etiology. In ...December 2009, a novel bunyavirus (designated severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome bunyavirus SFTSV) was identified as the cause of illness in patients with similar clinical manifestations in China. We reexamined this family cluster for SFTSV infection. Methods. We analyzed epidemiological and clinical data for the index patient and 6 secondary patients. We tested stored blood specimens from the 6 secondary patients using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), viral culture, genetic sequencing, micro-neutralization assay (MNA), and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Results. An 80-year-old woman with fever, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia died on 27 April 2007. Between 3 and 7 May 2007, another 6 patients from her family were admitted to a local county hospital with fever and other similar symptoms. Serum specimens collected in 2007 from these 6 patients were positive for SFTS viral RNA through RT-PCR and for antibody to SFTSV through MNA and IFA. SFTSV was isolated from 1 preserved serum specimen. The only shared characteristic between secondary patients was personal contact with the index patient; none reported exposure to suspected animals or vectors. Conclusions. Clinical and laboratory evidence confirmed that the patients of fever and thrombocytopenia occurring in a family cluster in eastern China in 2007 were caused by a newly recognized bunyavirus, SFTSV. Epidemiological investigation strongly suggests that infection of secondary patients was transmitted to family members by personal contact.
Porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), also known as porous coordination polymers, represent a new class of porous materials, and one of their striking features lies in their tunable, designable, ...and functionalizable nanospace. This nanospace within MOFs provides virtually plenty of room for imagination, allowing designed incorporation of different size, shape, and functionalities for targeted gas storage and separation applications. Furthermore, the features of high porosities, tunable framework structures and pore sizes, and immobilized functional sites enable MOF materials to fully make use of their nanopore space for gas storage, to optimize their sieving effects, and to differentiate their interactions with gas molecules for gas separation. In this review article, we highlight some recent significant advances in developing microporous MOFs for some of the most important gas storage and separation applications.
The nanospace within metal–organic frameworks provides virtually plenty of room for imagination, allowing designed incorporation of different size, shape, and functionalities for targeted gas storage and separation applications. Display omitted
•The nanospace within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) provides virtually plenty of room for targeted gas storage and separation.•The high-pressure gravimetric gas storage capacities of MOFs are proportional to the nanospace pore volume.•Porous MOFs for high volumetric gas storage should have balanced porosities and framework densities.•Fine-tuning of nanospace size enables us to optimize their sieving effects for gas separation.•Functionalization of the nanopores in MOFs can recognize the specific gas molecules.
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