[en] We investigate a tight-binding model of the ruby lattice with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We calculate the band structure of the lattice and evaluate the Z₂ topological indices. According to the Z₂ topological indices and the band structure, we present the phase diagrams of the lattice with different filling fractions. We find that topological insulators occur in some range of parameters at 1/6, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3 and 5/6 filling fractions. We analyze and discuss the characteristics of these topological insulators and their edge states. (condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties)

[en] Highlights: • ZnSb-doping can effectively enhance thermal stability of Sb_2Te_3 films. • Sb-rich changes crystal phase but their grain size is refined with Zn addition. • The Sb-rich increases the speed while maintaining enhancing crystallization temperature. • High Sb/Te ratio reveals the improvement in cycle ability. - Abstract: Crystallization process and amorphous state stability of pseudobinary ZnSb-Sb_2Te_3 materials have been studied for application in phase change memory. The effects of Zn concentration and Sb content on crystalline resistance, crystallization temperature, crystallization activation energy and amorphous state stability of films have been studied. The microstructures of Sb-rich Zn-Sb-Te films were analyzed through X-ray diffraction. Different crystalline phases have been observed in annealed Sb-rich Zn-Sb-Te films. Low Zn-doping concentration Zn-Sb-Te films crystallized into rhombohedral Sb_2Te_3 phase while high Zn-doping concentration Zn-Sb-Te films crystallized into rhombohedral Sb phase. The crystallization activation energy (E_a) of Zn_1_._1Sb_4_5_._7Te_5_3_._2 and Zn_5_._2Sb_4_6_._3Te_4_8_._5 films were confirmed to be 2.0 and 2.93 eV, while E_a of Zn_1_6_._0Sb_4_7_._3Te_3_6_._7 film increased to 3.2 eV and further reached to 3.3 eV for Zn_1_9_._7Sb_4_8_._1Te_3_2_._2 film. Zn addition increased the crystallization temperature and crystalline resistance of Zn-Sb-Te films largely, and enhanced the amorphous thermal stability and data retention ability of the films, while high Sb/Te ratio reveals the improvement in crystallization speed and good cycle ability. Therefore, Sb-rich Zn-Sb-Te film seems to be a good way to solve the contradiction between thermal stability and fast crystallization speed

[en] Objective: To discuss the influencing factors of complications occurring in CT-guided percutaneous pulmonary biopsy. Methods: Under CT guidance percutaneous lung puncture biopsy with PRECISA 18 G biopsy needle was carried out in 110 patients. The influencing factors included sex, age, size of lesion, number of cutting tissue block, times of pleural puncturing, operation time, depth of lesion, inflammation around lesion, chronic lung disease, etc. The above data were divided into different grades. The difference in the incidence of complications between the groups with different grades was determined by using χ² test, while logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent risk factors of the complications. Results: Of the 110 patients,postoperative bleeding was seen in 28(25.5%) and pneumothorax in 27(24.5%). Analysis with χ² test showed that for the occurrence of bleeding the differences in the sizes of lesion, the depth of lesion, puncturing time and inflammation around lesion between the groups with different grades were statistically significant (P < 0.05), while for the occurrence of pneumothorax significant differences in the number of pleural biopsy, puncturing time, the depth of lesion and the presence of chronic lung disease existed between the groups with different grades (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that the size of lesion, depth of lesion and inflammation around the lesion were the independent risk factors for postoperative bleeding, while the puncturing time, the number of pleural biopsy and the presence of chronic lung disease were the independent risk factors for pneumothorax. Conclusion: The occurrence of complications caused by CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic lung biopsy are related to the size of lesion, the number of pleural biopsy, puncturing time, the depth of lesion, inflammation around lesions and the chronic lung disease. (authors)

[en] The Zn-doped Sb_2Te_3 films have been investigated systematically during the phase transformation process. It was found that, the increase of crystallization temperature in the Zn-doped Sb_2Te_3 films leads to its enhanced amorphous stability, and Zn incorporation can increase electrical resistance, widen optical band gap and refine crystalline grain size. The crystallization mechanism can be tuned into nucleation-dominated from growth-dominated type. Moreover, Sb_2Te_3 film with high Zn-doping concentration such as Zn_3_8_._8(Sb_2Te_3)_6_1_._2 film was found to exhibit a higher crystallization temperature (233 °C), better data retention ability (keeping the amorphous state at 146.5 °C for ten years), and wider band gap (0.839 eV). A lower threshold of crystallization (~ 25 ns) can be realized in the Zn_3_8_._8(Sb_2Te_3)_6_1_._2 film irradiated at the laser power of 70 mW in comparison with that in the conventional Ge_2Sb_2Te_5 film. We confirm that the Zn doping is responsible for a fast switching and the Zn_3_8_._8(Sb_2Te_3)_6_1_._2 compound is stable against segregation with cycling. - Highlights: • Zn-doping can effectively enhance thermal stability of Sb_2Te_3 films. • Zn-doping can effectively refine their grain size. • A short crystallization time (~ 25 ns) can be realized in the Zn_3_8_._8(Sb_2Te_3)_6_1_._2 film. • A reversible phase change process can be realized in Zn_3_8_._8(Sb_2Te_3)_6_1_._2 film

[en] We investigate the thermal entanglement in the Lipkin-Meshkov-Glick (LMG) model which consists of spin-1/2 particles with XXZ-type exchange interactions between any pair of them. The ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) cases are completely analyzed at both finite temperature and zero temperature. According to the results obtained by accurate numerical calculation, several interesting physic phenomena and characteristics of thermal entanglement in the LMG model are found. Not only do we evaluate the entanglement of the LMG model, but also discover the correlations between macroscopic physical quantities and thermal entanglement. (general)

[en] Objective: To investigate the clinical application of superselective renal artery embolization in the treatment of iatrogenic renal hemorrhage. Methods: A total of 17 patients with severe hematuria due to iatrogenic renal hemorrhage, who were encountered in authors' hospital during the period from Sep. 2003 to Feb. 2011, were enrolled in this study. Selective renal arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) was performed in all patients, which was followed by superselective renal artery embolization with gelatin sponge and coils. All patients were followed up for a mean period of 6 months. Results: DSA demonstrated contrast extravasation within the diseased kidney in 16 patients, and embolization was successfully accomplished with a single processing. The remaining one patient received two times of embolization procedure. The blood urine ceased in all patients. The most part of the renal tissue and the renal function was reserved in all 17 patients. No severe complications occurred. No recurrence of hematuria was observed during the following-up period. Conclusion: For the treatment of iatrogenic renal hemorrhage, superselective renal artery embolization is instantly effective and minimally invasive with higher success rate and fewer complication. Besides, it can protect the normal renal tissue to the greatest possible advantage. Therefore, this technique should be regarded as the treatment of first choice. (authors)

[en] This study aimed to explore the nitrogen and phosphorus removal performance of the horizontal submerged constructed wetland (HSCW) with Ti-bearing blast furnace slag (T). Another two HSCWs, with the converter steelmaking slag (G) and the stone (S) as wetland substrates, respectively, were simultaneously running as control. The results showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus removal capacities of the T-HSCW were generally better than those of another two HSCWs. When the hydraulic retention time (HRT) was 6 days, the effluent concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) and total nitrogen (TN) were 6.66 mg L⁻¹ and 14.02 mg L⁻¹, respectively, and the removal rates of NH₄⁺-N and TN reached 77.54% and 71.07%, respectively. The T-HSCW had better removal efficiency of phosphorus. The effluent concentration of total phosphorus (TP) was lower than 0.3 mg L⁻¹, and the maximum removal rate could reach 98%. Through the characterization of the three substrates before and after experiments, it was found that the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus by T and G mainly relied on chemical adsorption, while S mainly relied on physical adsorption. Ti could also promote the absorption of nitrogen by plants and increase the nitrogen removal capacity of T-HSCWs.

[en] Antibiotic residues pose a threat to the health of aquatic organisms. The effects and accumulation of antibiotic ciprofloxacin (CIP) in a floating macrophyte (Eichhornia crassipes) under hydroponic conditions were investigated. It was found that E. crassipes exposure to CIP (< 1000 μg L⁻¹) could maintain a stable photosynthesis efficiency. In response to CIP stress, catalase and peroxidase activities of leaves were 7.24–37.51 nmol min⁻¹ g⁻¹ and 98.46–173.16 U g⁻¹, respectively. The presence of CIP did not inhibit the growth of the plant. After 14 days of exposure, tender leaves became white and withered, ascribed to the decline of chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The CIP concentrations, absorbed by E. crassipes, were highest in the roots, followed by white aerial parts and green aerial parts at CIP concentrations of 100 and 1000 μg L⁻¹. These findings demonstrated that E. crassipes could absorb and tolerate CIP in a limited time-scale and imply an alternative solution for phytoremediation in water bodies contaminated with antibiotics.

[en] PurposeTo appraise the efficacy and safety of prophylactic uterine artery embolization in pregnancy termination with placenta previa.MethodsA cohort of 54 consecutive patients with placenta previa underwent prophylactic uterine artery embolization before vaginal delivery from February 2012 to March 2015. Vaginal delivery was attempted in all patients. Cesarean section or hysterectomy was introduced when vaginal delivery failed.ResultsVaginal delivery succeeded in 50 patients (93.6%) and failed in 4 patients (6.4%), thereupon converted to cesarean delivery. No patients resorted to hysterectomy. Six patients (11.1%) underwent blood transfusion. None of clinical characteristics, including maternal age, gestational age, history of abortion, history of cesarean delivery, and volume of vaginal bleeding, was significantly associated with complete placenta previa (P > 0.05). However, patients with complete placenta previa had a significantly lower successful rate of vaginal delivery than did patients without complete placenta previa (81 vs 100%, P = 0.038). The rate of complications was 3.7%. No major complications were observed.ConclusionUterine artery embolization is an effective and safe technique to assist pregnancy termination with placenta previa, which may lower the risk of cesarean section, hysterectomy, and blood transfusion.

[en] Ag-doped Sb–Te films were deposited by magnetron co-sputtering and the structure, electrical, optical and thermal properties were analyzed. The results show that Ag-doping restrains crystal grain size, and changes a preferred orientation of the crystalline phase. The crystallization temperature is increased due to the Ag addition. Both amorphous resistance and crystalline resistance are enhanced and the resistance ratio reaches ∼10⁴. Compared with Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, Ag_26.82(Sb₃Te)_73.18 film exhibits a better amorphous thermal stability, a higher crystallization temperature (∼166 °C), a wider optical band gap (0.515 eV), a larger crystallization activation energy (3.17 eV) as well as a better 10 years data retention at 92 °C. (paper)