Topological materials with exotic quantum properties are promising candidates for quantum spin electronics. Different classes of topological materials, including Weyl semimetal, topological ...superconductor, topological insulator and Axion insulator, etc., can be connected to each other via quantum phase transition. For example, it is believed that a trivial band insulator can be twisted into topological phase by increasing spin-orbital coupling or changing the parameters of crystal lattice. With the results of LDA calculation and measurement by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), we demonstrate in this work that the electronic structure of SrSn2As2 single crystal has the texture of band inversion near the critical point. The results indicate the possibility of realizing topological quantum phase transition in SrSn2As2 single crystal and obtaining different exotic quantum states.
We report a successful observation of pressure-induced superconductivity in a topological compound Bi 2 Te 3 with T c of ∼3 K between 3 to 6 GPa. The combined high-pressure structure investigations ...with synchrotron radiation indicated that the superconductivity occurred at the ambient phase without crystal structure phase transition. The Hall effects measurements indicated the hole-type carrier in the pressure-induced superconducting Bi 2 Te 3 single crystal. Consequently, the first-principles calculations based on the structural data obtained by the Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns at high pressure showed that the electronic structure under pressure remained topologically nontrivial. The results suggested that topological superconductivity can be realized in Bi 2 Te 3 due to the proximity effect between superconducting bulk states and Dirac-type surface states. We also discuss the possibility that the bulk state could be a topological superconductor.
Laccase, a member of a group of proteins collectively known as multicopper oxidases, is hypothesized to play an important role in insect cuticle sclerotization by oxidizing catechols in the cuticle ...to their corresponding quinones, which then catalyze protein cross-linking reactions. Laccase 2 has been proved as the gene required for beetle cuticle tanning through RNA interference (RNAi) experiments on red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. The pine sawyer beetle, Monochamus alternatus (Coleoptero: Cerambycidae) is the insect serving as a major vector of the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, which is the causative agent for pine wilt disease. The cDNA of MaLac2 was cloned from the insect in this study. The conceptual amino-acid sequence deduced was much conserved with other known insect laccases, particularly with the enzyme of Tribolium castaneum. Injection in hemolymph of pine sawyer larva of dsRNA targeting the laccase 2 mRNA leads to important alterations of the tanning, hardening and sclerotization of the pupal and adult cuticles. Defaults appear in a dose-dependent manner and high loads of dsRNA are lethal. The decrease of the endogenous laccase 2 mRNA affects the procuticle which is thinner and without the characteristic piling up of successive layers. The observations reinforce the role of laccase 2 as an essential phenoloxidase for making cuticle.
Summary
The two most commonly used airway management techniques during general anaesthesia are supraglottic airway devices and tracheal tubes. In older patients undergoing elective non‐cardiothoracic ...surgery under general anaesthesia with positive pressure ventilation, we hypothesised that a composite measure of in‐hospital postoperative pulmonary complications would be less frequent when a supraglottic airway device was used compared with a tracheal tube. We studied patients aged ≥ 70 years in 17 clinical centres. Patients were allocated randomly to airway management with a supraglottic airway device or a tracheal tube. Between August 2016 and April 2020, 2900 patients were studied, of whom 2751 were included in the primary analysis (1387 with supraglottic airway device and 1364 with a tracheal tube). Pre‐operatively, 2431 (88.4%) patients were estimated to have a postoperative pulmonary complication risk index of 1–2. Postoperative pulmonary complications, mostly coughing, occurred in 270 of 1387 patients (19.5%) allocated to a supraglottic airway device and 342 of 1364 patients (25.1%) assigned to a tracheal tube (absolute difference −5.6% (95%CI −8.7 to −2.5), risk ratio 0.78 (95%CI 0.67–0.89); p < 0.001). Among otherwise healthy older patients undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia with intra‐operative positive pressure ventilation of their lungs, there were fewer postoperative pulmonary complications when the airway was managed with a supraglottic airway device compared with a tracheal tube.
Earthquakes usually produce a complex disaster chain including fires, landslides, floods, plague, and social panic, which eventually leads to disastrous consequences. In such situations, earthquake ...emergency management is vital for reducing the risks and the disastrous consequences. Scenario-based methods have often been used by decision makers in different fields as an instrument to manage the uncertainty of the effects of earthquakes. This paper adopts a scenario-based model to evaluate the effectiveness of earthquake emergency management. The model extracts the key elements of earthquake emergency management, simulates possible earthquake disaster scenarios, and obtains an evaluation according to the real situation. It is verified by comparing it with the real situation of the Wenchuan earthquake in China through scenario deduction and simulation. It shows that the scenario-based model can be used to reproduce the development process of an earthquake, identify the key factors which can effectively reduce earthquake losses and then help policy makers to have a better understanding of the earthquake disaster from which to put forward practical measures for emergency management.
•A scenario-based model to evaluate earthquake emergency management is presented.•The model is built through the combination of CIA-SIM and Delphi method.•Wenchuan earthquake in China is used to verify the model through scenario analysis.•Key factors in earthquake emergency management can be identified using this model.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of residual feed intake (RFI) on rumen function in finishing lambs. A total of 60 male Hu lambs (average initial BW = 25.2 ± 2.5kg) were used ...and were offered a pelleted high-concentrate diet, of which the forage to concentrate ratio was 25:75. Individual feed intake was recorded over a period of 42 d, then 10 lambs with the lowest RFI and the highest RFI were selected, respectively. The rumen fluid used for fermentation variables and relative abundance of bacteria measurement was obtained on d 10 and 20 after RFI measurement. At the end of this experiment, the selected lambs were slaughtered and rumen epithelium and liver tissues were collected for RNA extraction. Low-RFI lambs had lower ( < 0.01) DMI and greater ( < 0.05) G:F than the high-RFI ones, while the RFI groups did not differ in ADG and BW ( > 0.05). Additionally, RFI was positively ( = 0.57; < 0.01) correlated with DMI and negatively ( = -0.53; < 0.05) correlated with G:F. Total VFA and individual VFA decreased ( < 0.05) over time. The concentrations of total VFA, acetate, valerate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, and rumen pH ( > 0.05) were not affected by RFI classification. Nonetheless, low-RFI group lambs had a greater ( < 0.05) concentration of propionate, a lower ( < 0.05) concentration of butyrate, and a lower ( < 0.05) acetate to propionate ratio compared with the high-RFI group. There was a significant ( < 0.05) effect of RFI on the relative abundance of and . The relative abundance of , , and decreased ( < 0.05) over time in high-RFI group. And the relative abundance of in high-RFI group was greater ( < 0.05) than its low-RFI counterpart. Furthermore, RFI had no effect ( > 0.05) on gene expression associated with intracellular pH regulation (, , , , , , , and ) in rumen epithelium and β-hydroxybutyrate metabolism () in both rumen epithelium and liver tissues. In conclusion, even though low-RFI lambs had lower DMI, however, the number of was lower. Additionally, there was no difference in gene expressions level associated with intracellular pH regulation in rumen epithelium between RFI groups.
Abstract Background Posttransplantation diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a common, serious complication of kidney transplantation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of and risk ...factors for PTDM in relationship to Fok1 vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms. Methods One hundred five kidney transplant recipients with normal glucose values before transplantation were recruited for this study. All patients underwent fasting plasma glucose (FPG) determinations followed by oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTTs) among normal FPG recipients. Every recipient underwent Fok1 VDR polymorphism analysis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Results Among 105 recipients, 16 (15.24%) developed new-onset PTDM within 6 months after kidney transplantation. Compared with 89 non-PTDM recipients, the mean age was significantly higher among recipients with PTDM: 47.81 ± 15.54 vs 36.62 ± 11.43 years ( P = .001). Patients treated with tacrolimus were more susceptible to PTDM (56.25% vs 28.09%; P = .027). The distribution frequencies of Fok1 genotypes in this cohort followed the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The frequencies of 3 genotypes (FF/Ff/ff; P = .040) and 2 alleles (F/f; P = .009) differed between the 2 groups. Multivariate analysis by logistic regression showed age older than 40 years (odds ratio, 7.774; P = .005), VDR Fok1 f allele (odds ratio, 11.765; P = .012), and tacrolimus therapy (odds ratio, 7.499; P = .007) to be related to the development of PTDM. Conclusions The incidence of newly diagnosed PTDM in this study was 15.24%. Fok1 VDR polymorphism was a genetic marker predicting PTDM risk. Age older than 40 years and tacrolimus were independent risk factors for PTDM.
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