The aim of the present study was to compare the rate of preterm birth (PTB) and growth from birth to 18 years between twins conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and twins conceived by spontaneous conception (SC) in mainland China. The retrospective cohort study included 1164 twins resulting from IVF and 25,654 twins conceived spontaneously, of which 494 from IVF and 6338 from SC were opposite-sex twins. PTB and low birth weight (LBW), and growth, including length/height and weight, were compared between the two groups at five stages: infancy (0 year), toddler period (1–2 years), preschool (3–5 years), primary or elementary school (6–11 years), and adolescence (10–18 years). Few statistically significant differences were found for LBW and growth between the two groups after adjusting for PTB and other confounders. Twins born by IVF faced an increased risk of PTB compared with those born by SC (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 8.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.19, 21.13], p < .001 in all twins and aOR 10.12, 95% CI [2.32, 44.04], p = .002 in opposite-sex twins). Twins born by IVF experienced a similar growth at five stages (0–18 years old) when compared with those born by SC. PTB risk, however, is significantly higher for twins conceived by IVF than those conceived by SC.

Polycarboxylate superplasticizer (PCE) is sensitive to the clay present in concrete aggregates. In particular, Montmorillonite (Mnt), an impurity inevitably contained in the aggregate, can significantly influence the performance of concrete. In an effort to improve the compatibility of PCE, a zwitterionic PCE with cationic amide groups and shorter side-chain lengths was synthesized via free radical copolymerization. The optimal synthesis condition was verified via Box-Behnken design. In addition to characterizing the PCE, the performance of PCE in cement pastes with or without Na-Mnt was examined and the underlying mechanism was explored. The results show that, compared with commercially available PCE, the required dosage of PCE for cements containing Na-Mnt decreased. Unlike commercially available PCE, no intercalation occured on the newly manufactured clay-tolerant PCE within the layers of Mnt, resulting in a greater sorption thickness and improved dispersion of the cements containing Na-Mnt.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato has complex defence mechanisms that protect it from the anti-parasitic immune response for long periods. Echinococcus granulosus cyst fluid (EgCF) is involved in the immune escape. Nevertheless, whether and how EgCF modulates the inflammatory response in macrophages remains poorly understood. Here, real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that EgCF could markedly attenuate the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of pro-inflammatory factors including tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-6 but increase the expression of IL-10 at mRNA and protein levels in mouse peritoneal macrophages and RAW 264.7 cells. Mechanically, western blotting and immunofluorescence assay showed that EgCF abolished the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB p65, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and ERK1/2 signalling pathways by LPS stimulation in mouse macrophages. EgCF's anti-inflammatory role was at least partly contributed by promoting proteasomal degradation of the critical adaptor TRAF6. Moreover, the EgCF-promoted anti-inflammatory response and TRAF6 proteasomal degradation were conserved in human THP-1 macrophages. These findings collectively reveal a novel mechanism by which EgCF suppresses inflammatory responses by inhibiting TRAF6 and the downstream activation of NF-κB and MAPK signalling in both human and mouse macrophages, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the E. granulosus-induced immune evasion.

The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), initiated in 2001, has now become the largest twin registry in Asia. From 2015 to 2018, the CNTR continued to receive Chinese government funding and had recruited 61,566 twin-pairs by 2019 to study twins discordant for specific exposures such as environmental factors, and twins discordant for disease outcomes or measures of morbidity. Omic data, including genetics, genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics, and gut microbiome will be tested. The integration of omics and digital technologies in public health will advance our understanding of precision public health. This review introduces the updates of the CNTR, including study design, sample size, biobank, zygosity assessment, advances in research and future systems epidemiologic research.

Existing data on folate status and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis are scarce. We prospectively examined whether serum folate concentrations at diagnosis were associated with liver cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) among 982 patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated HCC, who were enrolled in the Guangdong Liver Cancer Cohort (GLCC) study between September 2013 and February 2017. Serum folate concentrations were measured using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI by sex-specific quartile of serum folate. Compared with patients in the third quartile of serum folate, patients in the lowest quartile had significantly inferior LCSS (HR = 1·48; 95 % CI 1·05, 2·09) and OS (HR = 1·43; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·99) after adjustment for non-clinical and clinical prognostic factors. The associations were not significantly modified by sex, age at diagnosis, alcohol drinking status and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage. However, there were statistically significant interactions on both multiplicative and additive scale between serum folate and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels or smoking status and the associations of lower serum folate with worse LCSS and OS were only evident among patients with CRP > 3·0 mg/l or current smokers. An inverse association with LCSS were also observed among patients with liver damage score ≥3. These results suggest that lower serum folate concentrations at diagnosis are independently associated with worse HCC survival, most prominently among patients with systemic inflammation and current smokers. A future trial of folate supplementation seems to be promising in HCC patients with lower folate status.

Leucine plays an important role in promoting muscle protein synthesis and muscle remodelling. However, what percentage of leucine is appropriate in creep feed and what proteome profile alterations are caused by dietary leucine in the skeletal muscle of piglets remain elusive. In this case, we applied isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation to analyse the proteome profile of the longissimus dorsi muscles of weanling piglets fed a normal leucine diet (NL; 1·66 % leucine) and a high-leucine diet (HL; 2·1 % leucine). We identified 157 differentially expressed proteins between these two groups. Bioinformatics analysis of these proteins exhibited the suppression of oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid β-oxidation, as well as the activation of glycolysis, in the HL group. For further confirmation, we identified that SDHB, ATP5F1, ACADM and HADHB were significantly down-regulated (P<0·01, except ATP5F1, P<0·05), whereas the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase was significantly up-regulated (P<0·05) in the HL group. We also show that enhanced muscle protein synthesis and the transition from slow-to-fast fibres are altered by leucine. Together, these results indicate that leucine may alter energy metabolism and promote slow-to-fast transitions in the skeletal muscle of weanling piglets.

The hydrogen concentration and composition of garnets in the ultrahigh pressure eclogites at Shuanghe, eastern Dabieshan, were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electron microprobe analysis. The OH absorption bands can be divided into four groups: (1) 3635–3655 cm–1; (2) 3600–3630 cm–1; (3) 3540–3580 cm–1; and (4) 3400–3450 cm–1 and the water content ranges from 45 to 2529 ppm. Based on the behaviour of the OH absorption band and the relationship between water content and the composition of garnets, the samples can be divided into two classes: samples with >400 ppm H2O and samples with ≤400 ppm H2O. The water content of the former shows an obvious positive correlation with Ca atoms and a negative correlation with the Si, Mg and Fe2+ atoms per 12 anions, whereas the water content of the latter shows no obvious linear correlation with cations. It is concluded that the major mechanism of hydroxyl incorporation in garnets with >400 ppm H2O is by the coupled substitution 4H +Z□ → □+ZSi in the tetrahedral site, and that several mechanisms are responsible for OH incorporation in garnets with ≤400 ppm H2O.

The recent development of in-situ liquid stages for (scanning) transmission electron microscopes now makes it possible for us to study the details of electrochemical processes under operando conditions. As electrochemical processes are complex, care must be taken to calibrate the system before any in-situ/operando observations. In addition, as the electron beam can cause effects that look similar to electrochemical processes at the electrolyte/electrode interface, an understanding of the role of the electron beam in modifying the operando observations must also be understood. In this paper we describe the design, assembly, and operation of an in-situ electrochemical cell, paying particular attention to the method for controlling and quantifying the experimental parameters. The use of this system is then demonstrated for the lithiation/delithiation of silicon nanowires.

Two sets of reciprocal introgression lines (ILs) and a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross between japonica cultivar Xiushui09 and indica breeding line IR2061-520-6-9 (abbreviated as IR2061) were used to identify QTL for heading date (HD). Phenotyping was conducted in Hainan Island for two winter seasons (2007 and 2009). Nine QTLs were detected in the ILs with Xiushui09 background (XS-ILs), and four of which were repeatedly mapped across 2 years. Five QTLs were identified in the ILs with IR2061 background (IR-ILs), and three of which were commonly detected in 2 years. All commonly detected QTL had the same direction of gene effect. Seven QTL for HD were identified in the RILs in 2009. Only three (25%) QTLs were commonly detected using all the three populations (XS-ILs, IR-ILs and RILs). The number of commonly identified QTLs among populations was related to degree of similarity of their genetic backgrounds, suggesting that the genetic background effect is important for detecting HD QTL. QHd7 and QHd10b stably expressed in different populations and across years thus would be exploited in rice breeding programme. Moreover, lines with both of QHd7 and QHd10b resulted in at least 3 days earlier than lines with only one of them QTL, showing evident pyramiding effect.

De-novo protein synthesis is required in the development of behavioural sensitization. A prior screening test from our laboratory has implicated heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as one of the proteins required in this behavioural plasticity. Thus, this study was designed to extend our understanding of the role of Hsp70 in the development of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure in mice. First, by employing transcription inhibitor actinomycin D (AD) and protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX), we identified a protein synthesis-dependent labile phase (within 4 h after the first morphine injection) in the development of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure. Second, Hsp70 protein expression in the nucleus accumbens correlated positively with locomotor responses of sensitized mice and, more importantly, the expression of Hsp70 increased within 1 h after the first morphine injection. Third, AD and CHX both prevented expression of Hsp70 and disrupted the development of the single morphine induced behavioural sensitization, which further implied Hsp70 was highly associated with behavioural sensitization. Finally, the selective Hsp70 inhibitor pifithrin-μ (PES) i.c.v. injected in mice prevented the development of behavioural sensitization and, critically, this inhibitory effect occurred only when PES was given within 1 h after the first morphine injection, which was within the labile phase of the development period. Taken together, we draw the conclusion that Hsp70 is crucially involved in the labile phase of the development of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure, probably functioning as a molecular chaperone.

New protein synthesis has been implicated as necessary for long-lasting changes in neuronal function. Behavioural sensitization to a single exposure to addictive drugs is a form of neuroplasticity, but little is known about the importance of new protein synthesis in the underlying mechanism. This study was designed to investigate the effects of the transcription inhibitor actinomycin D (AD) and the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX) on induction of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure in mice. In combination with behavioural experiments, changes in gene and protein expression in the mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc) were analysed by RT–PCR array and Western blot respectively. Behavioural sensitization was evident in mice pretreated only once with morphine at the doses of 20 and 40 mg/kg, but not 5 and 10 mg/kg. Mice pretreated with morphine (20 mg/kg) and challenged with a lower dose (5 mg/kg) after a period of 4–21 d washout showed sensitized locomotion. At the doses that did not affect locomotion in mice, AD or CHX significantly suppressed hyperactivity induced by acute treatment, but not challenge with morphine, and blocked induction of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure in a dose-related manner. The results from RT–PCR array and Western blot indicated that the changes of Hsp70 expression in the NAc of mice were associated with behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure. Together, these findings suggest that induction of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure requires new protein synthesis, potentially involving Hsp70 expression in the NAc of mice.

Assume that x∈[0,1) admits its continued fraction expansion x=[a1(x),a2(x),…]. The Khintchine exponent γ(x) of x is defined by when the limit exists. The Khintchine spectrum dim Eξ is studied in detail, where Eξ:={x∈[0,1):γ(x)=ξ}(ξ≥0) and dim denotes the Hausdorff dimension. In particular, we prove the remarkable fact that the Khintchine spectrum dim Eξ, as a function of , is neither concave nor convex. This is a new phenomenon from the usual point of view of multifractal analysis. Fast Khintchine exponents defined by are also studied, where φ(n) tends to infinity faster than n does. Under some regular conditions on φ, it is proved that the fast Khintchine spectrum dim ({x∈[0,1]:γφ(x)=ξ}) is a constant function. Our method also works for other spectra such as the Lyapunov spectrum and the fast Lyapunov spectrum.

We study the dynamic behavior and stability of two connected Rayleigh beams that are subject to, in addition to two sensors and two actuators applied at the joint point, one of the actuators also specially distributed along the beams. We show that with the distributed control employed, there is a set of generalized eigenfunctions of the closed-loop system, which forms a Riesz basis with parenthesis for the state space. Then both the spectrum-determined growth condition and exponential stability are concluded for the system. Moreover, we show that the exponential stability is independent of the location of the joint. The range of the feedback gains that guarantee the system to be exponentially stable is identified.

A sol-gel technique was used to prepare Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+-coated submicron silica spheres (SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+). The resulted SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ core-shell particles were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectra (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), photoluminescence (PL) spectra, as well as kinetic decays. The XRD results demonstrate that the Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ layers begin to crystallize on the SiO2 spheres after annealing at 800 °C and the crystallinity increases with raising the annealing temperature. The obtained core-shell phosphors have perfect spherical shape with narrow size distribution (average size ∼620 nm), non-agglomeration, and smooth surface. The thickness of the Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ shells on the SiO2 cores could be easily tailored by varying the number of deposition cycles (60 nm for four deposition cycles). Under the irradiation of 310 nm ultraviolet, the SiO2@Gd2Ti2O7:Eu3+ samples show strong emission of Eu3+. For the samples annealed from 600 to 800 °C, the emission is dominated by 613 nm red emission ascribed to 5D0–7F2 transition of Eu3+, while for those annealed from 900 to 1000 °C, the emission is dominated by 588 nm orange emission due to 5D0–7F1 transition of Eu3+. The PL intensity of Eu3+ increases with increasing the annealing temperature and the number of coating cycles.

In this paper, we consider the boundary stabilization of a sandwich beam which consists of two outer stiff layers and a compliant middle layer. Using Riesz basis approach, we show that there is a sequence of generalized eigenfunctions, which forms a Riesz basis in the state space. As a consequence, the spectrum-determined growth condition as well as the exponential stability of the closed-loop system are concluded. Finally, the well-posedness and regularity in the sense of Salamon-Weiss class as well as the exact controllability are also addressed.

The bone morphogenetic protein receptor IB (BMPR-IB) gene, which controls the fecundity of Booroola Merino ewes, was studied as a candidate gene for the prolificacy of Small Tail Han and Hu ewes. A single nucleotide polymorphism of the BMPR-IB gene was detected in both high (Small Tail Han and Hu) and low (Suffolk and Dorset) fecundity sheep breeds by polymerase chain reaction–single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) analysis. The results indicated the presence of the same mutation (A746G) of the BMPR-IB gene in both Small Tail Han and Hu ewes and in Booroola Merino ewes, but not in both Suffolk and Dorset ewes. In Small Tail Han ewes, frequencies of BB, B+ and ++ genotypes were 0.524, 0.383 and 0.093, respectively. In Hu ewes, these frequencies were 0.882, 0.118 and 0.000. The BMPR-IB genotype distributions were significantly different (P<0.001) among high- and low-fecundity sheep breeds. Small Tail Han ewes with genotype BB had 0.92 (P<0.01) and 1.02 (P<0.01) lambs more than those with genotype ++ in the first and second parity, respectively. These results demonstrated that the BMPR-IB gene is a major gene affecting the prolificacy in both Small Tail Han and Hu ewes, and could be used as a molecular genetic marker to select the litter size in sheep.

The wear behavior of bulk Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 metallic glasses has been studiedusing sliding wear tests and scanning electron microscopy in both as-prepared and annealed samples. It was found that the wear resistance of differently processed samples increases in the following order: crystallized state; as-prepared state; relaxed state. The thermal stability of worn samples was also investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry. Under the experiment conditions, no sliding wear-induced crystallization is observed in either as-prepared or relaxed samples indicating good thermal stability of the bulk metallic glasses.

We suggest that the broad-line regions (BLRs) of QSOs with broad emissionlines (BALs) are expanding, i.e., the clouds are undergoing radial outflow, as illustrated simply in Fig. 1. At least the following observational facts can be explained:

1. 1. Optical observations show that some moderate and high-redshift QSOs have BALs. The number of these QSOs is about 3–10% of all QSOs (Foltz et al. 1990). One can see in Fig. 2 that very low-redshift QSOs have no BALs.

2. 2. Almost all BAL QSOs exhibit zabs < zem.

3. 3. High-resolution observations reveal that the widths of the broad absorption lines are narrower than that of the corresponding emission line for all BAL QSOs, i.e. Δλ ab < Δλ em.