Direct writing of Au nanoneedles array on glass by confined laser spinning

Generation of gold nanoneedles on glass by confined laser spinning was explored by using a nanosecond pulsed laser. When the coated Au thin film was irradiated under the confinement of glass, gold nanoneedles were formed by spreading the molten liquid of gold under high pressure. The mechanism of the confined laser spinning process is studied. The maximum velocity and instability of molten liquid during confined laser spinning were estimated. The diameter of nanoneedles can be controlled by changing the thickness of coated gold thin film. Large scale of gold nanoneedles can be formed by this direct writing method and collected by confined glass. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4746427

Do built environment effects on travel behavior differ between household members? A case study of Nanjing, China

Although built environment effects on travel behavior have become a popular research topic globally, studies on the subject have rarely examined how built environment effects may differ between household members. The distinction between household members may be especially important in countries like China where the household registration system and the culture encourage a clear designation of the household head. Using data from Nanjing, China, this paper applies a cluster analysis method to characterize three distinct types of residential built environment and applies the propensity score technique to control for self-selection when examining the travel behavior effects of the three built environment types. Results show that, after controlling for self-selection, built environment effects on travel behavior differ significantly between the household head and other household members. Changes in the built environment do not affect car travel duration or car trip frequency of the household head, but affect significantly car travel behavior of other household members. Moving from the outer area to core or inner urban area is associated with an increased number of leisure trips for the household head, an increased number of maintenance trips for other household members, and increased walking and bicycling travel for both the household head and other household members. The study provides unique evidence on intra-household differences when it comes to the built environment and travel behavior connection. Overlooking infra-household differences may lead to inequitable and/or inefficient urban planning and transportation policy decisions in the context of Chinese cities

Laser Shock Peening Apparatuses and Methods

Methods and apparatuses for processing materials to enhancing the material\u27s surface strength, improving the material\u27s cyclic and thermal stability of microstructures, and extend the material\u27s fatigue performance. Embodiments include laser shock peening at material temperatures that are moderately elevated (from the material\u27s perspective) above room temperature. Alternate embodiments include laser shock peening at very cold (cryogenic) material temperatures. Still further embodiments include laser shock peening while covering the surface of the material being processed with an active agent that interacts with the laser energy and enhances the pressure exerted on the surface

SSVEP response is related to functional brain network topology entrained by the flickering stimulus.

Previous studies have shown that the brain network topology correlates with the cognitive function. However, few studies have investigated the relationship between functional brain networks that process sensory inputs and outputs. In this study, we focus on steady-state paradigms using a periodic visual stimulus, which are increasingly being used in both brain-computer interface (BCI) and cognitive neuroscience researches. Using the graph theoretical analysis, we investigated the relationship between the topology of functional networks entrained by periodic stimuli and steady state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) using two frequencies and eleven subjects. First, the entire functional network (Network 0) of each frequency for each subject was constructed according to the coherence between electrode pairs. Next, Network 0 was divided into three sub-networks, in which the connection strengths were either significantly (positively for Network 1, negatively for Network 3) or non-significantly (Network 2) correlated with the SSVEP responses. Our results revealed that the SSVEP responses were positively correlated to the mean functional connectivity, clustering coefficient, and global and local efficiencies, while these responses were negatively correlated with the characteristic path length of Networks 0, 1 and 2. Furthermore, the strengths of these connections that significantly correlated with the SSVEP (both positively and negatively) were mainly found to be long-range connections between the parietal-occipital and frontal regions. These results indicate that larger SSVEP responses correspond with better functional network topology structures. This study may provide new insights for understanding brain mechanisms when using SSVEPs as frequency tags

Effectiveness Evaluation of Low-dose Spiral Computed Tomography for Lung Cancer Screening in Minhang District of Shanghai

Background and objective Low-dose spiral computed tomography (LDCT) has been recommended for lung cancer screening in high-risk populations. However, evidence from Chinese populations was limited due to the different criteria for high-risk populations and the short-term follow-up period. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness in Chinese adults based on the Lung Cancer Screening Program in Minhang District of Shanghai initiated in 2013. Methods A total of 26,124 subjects aged 40 years or above were enrolled in the Lung Cancer Screening Program during the period of 2013 and 2017. Results of LDCT examination, and screen-detected cancer cases in all participants were obtained from the Reporting System of the Lung Cancer Screening Program. The newly-diagnosed cases and their vital status up to December 31, 2020 were identified through a record linkage with the Shanghai Cancer Registry and the Shanghai Vital Statistics. Standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and 95%CI were calculated using the local population at ages of 40 or above as the reference. Proportions of early-stage cancer (stage 0-I), pathological types, and 5-year observed survival rates of lung cancer cases were estimated and compared between the cases derived from the screened and non-screened populations. Cox regression models were applied to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI of LDCT screening with all-cause death of the lung cancer cases. Results The crude and age-standardized incidence of lung cancer in screened population were 373.3 (95%CI: 343.1-406.1) and 70.3 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, with an SIR of 1.8 (95%CI: 1.6-1.9), which was observed to decrease with following-up time. The early-stage cancer accounted for 49.4% of all lung cancer cases derived from the screened population, significantly higher than 38.4% in cases from the non-screened population during the same period (P<0.05). The proportion of lung adenocarcinoma (40.7% vs 35.9%) and 5-year survival rate (53.7% vs 41.5%) were also significantly higher in the cases from the screened population (all P<0.05). LDCT screening was associated with 30% (HR=0.7, 95%CI: 0.6-0.8) reduced all-cause deaths of the cases. Conclusion The participants of the screening program are at high-risk of lung cancer. LDCT favors the early-detection of lung cancer and improves 5-year survival of the screened cases, indicating a great potential of LDCT in reducing the disease burden of lung cancer in Chinese populations

The correlation between the mean functional connectivity of Network 0 and SNRs across subjects.

<p>(A) 12.5 Hz, (B) 16.6 Hz. The red lines indicate the fitted linear trend. The <i>r</i> denotes correlation coefficients, <i>p</i> denotes significant level of correlation coefficients.</p

The SNRs of the two frequencies of different subjects.

<p>The SNRs of the two frequencies of different subjects.</p

The relationship between topological properties of Networks 1 and the SNRs of two flickering frequencies.

<p><i>r</i> denotes correlation coefficients, <i>p</i> denotes significant level of correlation coefficients.</p>***<p><i>p</i><0.001,</p>**<p><i>p</i><0.01.</p

The relationship between topological properties of Networks 2 and the SNRs of two flickering frequencies.

<p><i>r</i> denotes correlation coefficients, <i>p</i> denotes significant level of correlation coefficients.</p>***<p><i>p</i><0.001,</p>**<p><i>p</i><0.01.</p

The relationship between network topological properties of Networks 0 and the SNRs of two flickering frequencies.

<p><i>r</i> denotes correlation coefficients, <i>p</i> denotes significant level of correlation coefficients.</p>***<p><i>p</i><0.001.</p