Dual-doping for enhancing chemical stability of functional anionic units in sulfide for high-performance all-solid-state lithium batteries

The sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes(SEs)reactivity toward moisture and Li-metal are huge barriers that impede their large-scale manufactu ring and applications in all-solid-state lithium batteries(ASSLBs).Herein,we proposed an Al and O dual-doped strategy for Li_(3)PS_(4)SE to regulate the chemical/electrochemical stability of anionic PS_(4)^(3-)tetrahedra to mitigate structural hydrolysis and parasitic reactions at the SE/Li interface.The optimized Li_(3.08)A_(10.04)P_(0.96)S_(3.92)O_(0.08)SE presents the highestσLi+of 3.27 mS cm^(-1),which is~6.8 times higher than the pristine Li_(3)PS_(4)and excellently inhibits the structural hydrolysis for~25 min@25%humidity at RT.DFT calculations confirmed that the enhanced chemical stability was revealed to the intrinsically stable entities,e.g.,POS33-units.Moreover,Li_(3.08)Al_(0.04)P_(0.96)S_(3.92)O_(0.08)SE cycled stably in Li//Li symmetric cell over 1000 h@0.1 mA cm^(-2)/0.1 mA h cm^(-2),could be revealed to Li-Al alloy and Li_(2)Oat SE/Li interface impeding the growth of Li-dendrites during cycling.Resultantly,LNO@LCO/Li_(3.08)Al_(0.04)P_(0.96)S_(3.92)O_(0.08)/Li-In cell delivered initial discharge capacities of 129.8 mA h g^(-1)and 83.74%capacity retention over 300 cycles@0.2 C at RT.Moreover,the Li_(3.08)Al_(0.04)P_(0.96)S_(3.92)O_(0.08)SE presented>90%capacity retention over 200 and 300 cycles when the cell was tested with LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.15)Al_(0.05)O_(2)(NCA)cathode material vs.5 and 10 mg cm^(-2)@RT.

Circulating miR-21-5p level has limited prognostic value in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and is influenced by renal function

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs(miRNAs)have been suggested as biomarkers for malignant diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Specifically,hsa-miR-21-5p(miR-21)is among the most frequently deregulated miRNA in cancer.The diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-21 has been demonstrated in HCC tissue,mostly in the Asian population.Although the impact of various factors has been recently reported for circulating hsa-miR-122-5p(miR-122),at present only limited knowledge is available for miR-21.AIM To evaluate the value of miR-21 for the assessment of prognosis in HCC patients and to delineate the influence of clinical and preanalytical factors on miR-21 level in sera.METHODS Patients with confirmed HCC from our European cohort with predominantly alcohol-associated liver damage were included in the study.All subjects were characterized according to their clinical and laboratory work-up and overall survival data were obtained.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for miR-21 and spiked-in cel-miR-39-3p.The results were compared to previously reported miR-122 data.RESULTS Survival of HCC patients was comparable between patients with low and high serum miR-21 concentration.No association was observed between miR-21 level in sera and Child-Pugh score,Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system,or etiology of HCC/liver disease.Age,gender,or pretreatment had no association with miR-21 level.A positive correlation was observed between miR-21 and aspartate aminotransferase(r=0.2854,P=0.0061),serum miR-122(r=0.2624,P=0.0120),and the International Normalized Ratio(r=0.2065,P=0.0496).Negative correlation of miR-21 with serum creatinine(r=-0.2215,P=0.0348)suggests renal function as a potential influencing factor in miR-21 biogenesis in blood.CONCLUSION The results from this work do not support clinically relevant prognostic value of circulating miR-21 in HCC patients in real-life settings.Following systematic evaluation,we identified renal function and aspartate aminotransferase as potential factors that may affect miR-21 concentration in blood.This knowledge should be considered in future miRNA-based biomarker studies not only for HCC but also for other diseases.

Assessing Density Functionals for Describing Methane Dissociative Chemisorption on Pt(110)-(2×1)Surface

In this work,we explore the suitability of several density functionals with the generalized gradient approximation(GGA)and beyond for describing the dissociative chemisorption of methane on the reconstructed Pt(110)-(2×1)surface.The bulk and surface structures of the metal,methane adsorption energy,and dissociation barrier are used to assess the functionals.A van der Waals corrected GGA functional(optPBE-vdW)and a metaGGA functional with van der Waals correction(MS PBEl-rVV10)are selected for ab initio molecular dynamics calculations of the sticking probability.Our results suggest that the use of these two functionals may lead to a better agreement with existing experimental results,thus serving as a good starting point for future development of reliable machine-learned potential energy surfaces for the dissociation of methane on the Pt(110)-(2×1)surface.

Lychee seed saponins improve cognitive function and ameliorate hippocampal neuronal injury in Alzheimer disease rat model induced by Aβ_(25-35) through AKT/GSK3β pathway

OBJECTIVE Lychee seed,a famous traditional Chinese medicine,recently were reported to improve the learning and memory abilities in mice.However,it is still unclear whether lychee seed saponins(LSS)can improve the cognitive function and associated mechanisms.METHODS In present studies,we established the Alzheimer disease(AD)model by injecting Aβ25-35 into the lateral ventricle of rats.Then the spatial learning and memory abilities of LSS-treated rats were evaluated with the Morris water maze,meanwhile the protein expressions of AKT,GSK3β and Tau in the hippocampal neuron were analyzed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.RESULTS The results showed LSS can improve the cognitive functions of AD rats through shortening the escape latency,increasing the number across the platform,platform quadrant dwell time and the percentage of the total distance run platform quadrant.The protein expression of AKT was significantly up-regulated and that of GSK3β and Tau were decreased remarkably in the hippocampal CA1 area.CONCLUSION Our study is the first to show that LSS significantly improve the cognitive function and prevent hippocampal neuronal injury of the rats with AD by activation of the PI3K/AKT/GSK3βsignaling pathway,suggesting LSS may be developed into the nutrient supplement for the treatment of AD.

Interaction of Photoactive[Fe(CN)_6]^(4-) with TiO_2 Anatase(101) Surface:A Periodic Density Functional Theory Study

The plane-wave pseudopotential function method, based on density-functional theory, has been used to calculate the adsorption, electronic band structures, orbitals and optical absorption spectrum of [Fe（CN）6]^4- on TiOz anatase（101） surface. Our calculations reveal that the surface-modified anatase system has large adsorption energy and a much narrower band gap. [Fe（CN）6]^4- adsorption on the （101） surface could lead to a large red shift of the anatase optical absorption threshold, which extends into a visible region significantly. The calculated results are in agreement with the experiment and other theoretical studies reasonably. It is very important for the understanding and further development ofphotovoltaic materials that are active under visible light.

The Relationships between Serum Concentration of IGF-I and Left Ventricular Function as well as Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Objective To investigate therelationships between serum concentration of insulin -like growth factor - I (IGF-I) and left ventricular function as well as coronary collateral circulation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) . Methods In 41 patients with CAD and 15 control subjects without CAD, the concentrations of serum IGF - I were measured using radioimmunoassay. The relationships between the concentration of serum IGF - I and Leaman coronary artery score, Rentrop grade of coronary collateral circulation, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) as well as left ventricular wall motion Cortina score were assessed. Results 1. There was no significant difference in the mean level of serum IGF -I between the CAD group and the control group (107. 92±44.74 ng/ml vs 113.05 ±33. 65 ng/ml, P> 0. 05), but the IGF - I concentrations in the subgroup with collateral circulation were significantly greater than that in the control group (147. 33 ±29. 92 ng/ml vs 113. 05±33. 65 ng/ml, P < 0. 01) or in the subgroup without collateral circulation (147. 33 ±29. 92 ng/ml vs 80. 01±29. 75 ng/ml , P < 0. 01). 2. The serum concentration of IGF -I had no significant correlation to the Leaman coronary artery score. 3. The serum level of IGF -I had significantly positive correlation to both LVEF ( r = 0. 45, P < 0. 001) and the Rentrop grade of coronary collateral circulation ( r = 0. 74, P < 0. 001), and was negatively related to the left ventricular wall motion Cortina score (r = -0. 53, P < 0. 001). 4. The Leaman coronary artery score had no significant correlation to the Rentrop grade of coronary collateral circulation. 5. The Leaman coronary artery score was related to neither the LVEF nor the Cortina score in the whole CAD group. In the subgroup without coronary collateral circulation, however, the Leaman score had significantly negative correlation to LVEF ( r = - 0. 46, P < 0. 05) and positive correlation to the Cortina score (r = 0. 47, P < 0. 05) . Conclusions The serum concentration of IGF -I was associated with both left ventricular function and coronary collateral circulation in patients with CAD. IGF -I may play a role in promoting coronary collateral circulation and in protecting left ventricular function in patients with coronary artery disease.

W ^(1,p)(R^n)-BOUNDEDNESS FOR MAXIMAL FUNCTIONS

In this paper, we get W 1,p(Rn)-boundedness for tangential maximal func- tion and nontangential maximal function , which improves J.Kinnunen, P.Lindqvist and Tananka’s results.

THE EFFECT OF MOXIBUSTION ON THE CHANGES OF 5-HT AND IMMUNE FUNCTION OF RAT INFECTED WITH EHFV

Authors observated the effect of moxibustion on changes of 5-HT and immunefunction of rat infected with EHFV.The results show that moxibustion could enhance the phago-cytosis of peritoneal macrophage of rat infected with EHFV,increase the roset rate of RBC C3brecptor,decrease the content of 5-HT in plasma.There is a significant dffeerence between EHFVinfected group and moxibustion group.That suggests the moxibustion could enhance the immunefunction of body,regulate the metablic disturbance of 5-HT in plasma,maintain the internal en-vironment of body and enhance the force of body to anti EHFV.Maybe that can play an impor-tant role in the mechanism of moxibustion treating EHF.

Effect of microRNA-143-3p-mediated CTNND1 on the biological function of lung cancer cells

Lung cancer poses a serious threat to human life with high incidence and miRNA is an important biomarkerin tumors. This study aimed to explore the effect of miR-143-3p on the biological function of lung cancer cells and theunderlying mechanism. Eighty-seven samples of lung cancer tissues and 81 samples of tumor-adjacent tissues from patients undergoing radical lung cancer surgery in our hospital were collected. The lung cancer cells and lung fibroblastcells (HFL-1) were purchased, and then miR-143-3p-mimics, miR-NC, si-CTNND1, and NC were transfected into A549 and PC-9 cells to establish cell models. MiR-143-3p and CTNND1 expression levels were measured by the qRT-PCR, Bax, Bcl-2, and CTNND1 expression levels by the Western Blot (WB), and cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis by the MTT assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. Dual luciferase report assay was used to determinethe relationship between miR-143-3p and CTNND1. In this study, miR-143-3p was lowly expressed in lung cancer and CTNND1 was highly expressed in lung cancer. The overexpression of miR-143-3p inhibited cell proliferation and invasion, promoted cell apoptosis, significantly increased Bax protein expression, and decreased Bcl-2 protein expression. The inhibition of CTNND1 led to opposite biological characteristic in cells. The dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-143-3p was a target region of CTNND1. Such results suggest that miR-143-3p can inhibitthe proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells by regulating the expression of CTNND1 and promote the apoptosisof lung cancer cells, sott is expected to be a potential target for lung cancer.

Analytical potential energy function for the electronic states ~2Π_(1/2) and ~2Π_(3/2) of O_2~x (x=+1,-1)

The splitting of potential energy levels for ground state X^2∏g of O^x2 （x = ＋1,-1） under spin-orbit coupling （SOC） has been calculated by using the spin-orbit （SO） multi-configuration quasi-degenerate perturbation theory （SO-MCQDPT）. Their Murrell-Sorbie （M S） potential functions are gained, and then the spectroscopic constants for electronic states 2^∏1/2 and 2^∏3/2 are derived from the M S function. The vertical excitation energies for O^x2 （x = ＋1,-1） are v[O2＋1^（2∏3/2→X^2∏1/2）] =195.652cm^-1, and v[O2^-1（2^∏1/2 →X^2∏3/2）] =182.568cm^-1, respectively. All the spectroscopic data for electronic states 2^∏1/2 and 2^∏3/2 are given for the first time.

Comparative Studies of 1,4-Bis[2-(4-Pyridyl)ethenyl]-benzene Using Density Functional Theory

The optimized molecular structure and harmonic vibrational frequencies of a 1,4-bis [ 2-（4-pyridyl）ethenyl]- benzene（BPENB） molecule were calculated via five popular density functional theory（DFI＇） methods. On the basis of the comparison between calculated and experimental results, it is concluded that the B3PW91 and B3LYP methods are superior to the others in optimizing structures, and the BPW91 method reproduces the observed fundamental fre-quencies most satisfactorily.

Effect of TCM Combined with Chemotherapy on Immune Function and Quality of Life of Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer inStage Ⅲ-Ⅳ

Objective: To observe and compare the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) combined with chemotherapy (CT) on immune function and quality of life (QOL)of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ. Methods: One hundred cases with stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ NSCLC were randomly divided into two groups. The treated group (n=50) received CT combined with TCM, and the control group received CT alone. The percentage of T lymphocyte subset in peripheral blood and the change of natural killer (NK) cell count were observed after treatment. The QOL and tolerance of CT were also compared between the two groups after treatment. Results: In the treated group, CD3 cell count, CD4 cell count, CD4/ CDg ratio and NK cell activity were higher than those in control group, while CD8 cell count in the treated group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and QOL and tolerance of CT in the treated group were also better (P<0.05). Conclusion: TCM combined with CT could raise the patients' ability in tolerating CT in stage Ⅲ-ⅣNSCLC.

RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF N, N-DI(2-2'-METHYL-ACRYLOYLOXY-PROPYL)-PARA-TOLUIDINE FUNCTIONAL MONOMER

Functional monomer (MP)_2PT having tertiary aromatic amino group was systhesized from the reaction of N, N-di (2-hydroxypropyl)-p-toluidine with 2-methyl acryloyl chloride. In the presence of organic peroxide, the radical polymerization of (MP)_2PT in toluene took place. The kinetics of (MP)_2PT polymerization and the ESR spectra of LPO-(MP)2PT-MNP systems were determined respectively.

Effects of interferon α-2b on liver function, complement level and oxidative stress in patients with hepatitis B

Objective:To observe the effect of interferonα-2b treatment on liver function,liver fibrosis,complement protein and oxidative stress in patients with hepatitis B.Methods:A total of 100 patients with hepatitis B in our hospital were randomly divided into the control group and the observation group,with 50 cases in each group.After admission,patients in the control group were treated with entecavir,while patients in the observation group were treated with interferonα-2b combined with entecavir.The levels of serum total bilirubin(TBil),aspartate aminotransferase(AST),alanine aminotransferase(ALT),type III procollagen(PCIII),type IV collagen(CIV),complement C3 protein(C3),complement C4 protein(C4),malondialdehyde(MDA),superoxide dismutase(SOD)and nitric oxide(NO)were compared between the two groups before and after treatment.Results:After treatment,the levels of TBil,AST,ALT,PCIII,CIV,MDA and NO in serum of patients with hepatitis B in both groups were significantly lower than those before treatment,and the levels of C3,C4 and SOD were significantly higher than those before treatment(P<0.05).After treatment,the levels of TBil,AST,ALT,PC III,C IV,MDA and NO in serum of patients in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group,while the levels of C3,C4 and SOD in serum of patients in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P<0.05).Conclusions:The combination of interferonα-2b and entecavir has a good curative effect on hepatitis B.It can significantly improve the liver function and immune function of patients,delay the process of liver fibrosis and reduce oxidative stress injury.It is worthy of clinical promotion.

Correlation between serum PCT, IL-6 and CRP levels and pulmonary ventilation function in AECOPD patients

Objective: To investigate the correlation of serum calcitonin (PCT), interleukin -6 (IL-6), C reactive protein (CRP) and pulmonary ventilation function in patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). Methods: 70 patients with AECOPD in our hospital from May 2017 to May 2018 were selected to be included in the case group, and 70 healthy persons in the same period were selected as the control group. The serum levels of PCT, IL-6, CRP and lung function were compared between the two groups, and the relationship between the serum levels of PCT, IL-6 and CRP and the pulmonary ventilation function of the patients was analyzed. Results: the levels of PCT, IL-6 and CRP in the case group were significantly higher than those in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05), and the FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FEV1% in the case group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and the difference of PCT, IL-6 and CRP was significant between the patients with different pulmonary function levels, and the statistics were statistically significant. The study significance (P < 0.05), and the level of PCT, IL-6 and CRP increased gradually with the increase of lung function grade, and the level of PCT, IL-6 and CRP in AECOPD patients were negatively correlated with FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FEV1%, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: the serum levels of PCT, IL-6 and CRP in patients with AECOPD are abnormal increased and are closely related to the pulmonary ventilation function of the patients, which can be used as an important indicator of the monitoring of the patient's condition in AECOPD.

Effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy on immune function and tumor markers SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 in patients with esophageal carcinoma

Objective: To investigate the effects of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy alone on immune function and tumor markers SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 in patients with esophageal carcinoma. Method: A total of 84 patients with esophageal cancer treated in our hospital from June 2015 to April 2017 were selected and randomly divided into the observation group and the control group with 42 cases each. The control group received radiotherapy only and irradiated by medical electron linear accelerator, radiotherapy for 6 weeks. The observation group was given radiotherapy and chemotherapy concurrently, 3 weeks for 1 courses, 2 cycles of chemotherapy. The fasting venous blood of patients in two groups were collected in the morning when patients were hospitalized and after chemotherapy, using flow cytometry to detect the immune function indexes of two groups of patients with esophageal cancer before and after treatment, including natural killer cells (NK), T suppressor cells (Ts), T helper cells (Th), Th/Ts and T lymphocytes (T total). The levels of serum SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 were detected by electrochemiluminescence assay. Results: There were no significant differences in the indexes of immune function between the two groups before treatment. Total T, the proportion of Th and Th/Ts in the two groups both increased significantly;the proportion of Ts decreased significantly;the difference was statistically significant. NK was higher than treatment before but not significantly. After treatment, the levels of T total, Th, Th/Ts in the observation group were significantly higher than the control group;the levels of NK and Ts were not significantly different. Before treatment, there was no significant difference in serum SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 between the two groups. After treatment, the serum SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 levels of the two groups were both significantly decreased;the serum levels of SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 in the observation group were significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion: Radiotherapy combined with chemotherapy of cisplatin and paclitaxel can improve the immune function and reduce serum SCC-Ag and CYFRA21-1 levels of esophageal cancer patients. This therapeutic schemes can be beneficial to increase the survival rate of patients with esophageal cancer.

The plasmodesmata-associated β-1,3-glucanase gene GhPdBG regulates fiber development in cotton

Trichomes are specialized structures that originate from epidermal cells of organs in higher plants.The cotton fiber is a unique single-celled trichome that elongates from the seed coat epidermis.Cotton(Gossypium hirsutum)fibers and trichomes are models for cell differentiation.In an attempt to elucidate the intercellular factors that regulate fiber and trichome cell development,we identified a plasmodesmal β-1,3-glucanase gene(designated GhPdBG)controlling the opening and closing of plasmodesmata in cotton fibers.Structural and evolutionary analysis showed haplotypic variation in the promoter region of the GhPdBG gene among 352 cotton accessions,but high conservation in the coding region.GhPdBG was expressed predominantly in cotton fibers and localized to plasmodesmata(PD).Expression patterns of PdBG that corresponded to PD permeability were apparent during fiber development in G.hirsutum and G.barbadense.The PdBG-mediated opening-closure of PD appears to be involved in fiber development and may account for the contrasting fiber traits of these two species.Ectopic expression of GhPdBG revealed that it functions in regulating fiber and trichome length and/or density by modulating plasmodesmatal permeability.This finding suggests that plasmodesmal targeting of GhPdBG,as a switch of intercellular channels,regulates single-celled fiber and trichome development in cotton.

基于混合双层自组织径向基函数神经网络的优化学习算法

针对传统方法采用先训练后测试两阶段学习机制极易导致的过拟合或欠拟合问题,提出一种基于混合双层自组织径向基函数神经网络的优化学习(hybrid bilevel self-organizing radial basis function neural network optimization learning,Hb-SRBFNN-OL)算法。首先,将训练过程和测试过程集成到一个统一的框架中,规避过拟合或欠拟合问题。其次,基于进化学习机制,提出上下2层的交互式优化学习算法,上层基于网络复杂度和测试误差自组织调整网络结构,下层采用列文伯格-马夸尔特(Levenberg Marquardt,LM)算法作为优化器对自组织径向基函数神经网络(self-organizing radial basis function neural network,SO-RBFNN)的连接权值进行优化。最后,利用来自多个子网络的综合信息生成模型的最终输出,加速网络全局收敛。为验证所提方法的可行性,分别在多个分类和预测任务中进行了测试实验。结果表明,在与传统神经网络结构相似甚至更好的测试和分类精度下,该方法不仅能实现更快的训练收敛,而且能进化成更精简紧凑的径向基函数神经网络(radial basis function neural network,RBFNN)模型。尤其在污水处理过程中总磷的质量浓度预测实验中,测试集中均方根误差(root mean squared error,RMSE)最高可降低48.90%,实际场景实验结果验证了所提算法的精确性更佳且泛化能力更强。

14-3-3 proteins—an update

14-3-3 is a highly conserved acidic protein family, composed of seven isoforms in mammals. 14-3-3 protein caninteract with over 200 target proteins by phosphoserine-dependent and phosphoserine-independent manners. Little isknown about the consequences of these interactions, and thus are the subjects of ongoing studies. 14-3-3 controls cellcycle, cell growth, differentiation, survival, apoptosis, migration and spreading. Recent studies have revealed newmechanisms and new functions of 14-3-3, giving us more insights on this fascinating and complex family of proteins.Of all the seven isoforms, 14-3-3σ seems to be directly involved in human cancer. 14-3-3σ itself is subject to regulationby p53 upon DNA damage and by epigenetic deregulation. Gene silencing of 14-3-3σ by CpG methylation has beenfound in many human cancer types. This suggests that therapy-targeting 14-3-3σ may be beneficial for future cancertreatment.

Crust and upper mantle structures beneath Northeast China from receiver function studies

P-wave and S-wave receiver function analyses have been performed along a profile consisted of 27 broadband seismic stations to image the crustal and upper mantle discontinuities across Northeast China. The results show that the average Moho depth varies from about 37 km beneath the Daxing＇anling orogenic belt in the west to about 33 km beneath the Songliao Basin, and to about 35 km beneath the Changbai mountain region in the east. Our results reveal that the Moho is generally flat beneath the Daxing＇anling region and a remarkable Moho offset （about 4 km） exists beneath the basin-mountain boundary, the Daxing＇anling-Taihang Gravity Line. Beneath the Tanlu faults zone, which seperates the Songliao Basin and Changbai region, the Moho is uplift and the crustal thick- ness changes rapidly. We interpret this feature as that the Tanlu faults might deeply penetrate into the upper mantle, and facilitate the mantle upwelling along the faults during the Cenozoic era. The average depth of the lithosphereasthenosphere boundary （LAB） is - 80 km along the profile which is thinner than an average thickness of a continental lithosphere. The LAB shows an arc-like shape in the basin, with the shallowest part approximately beneath the center of the basin. The uplift LAB beneath the basin might be related to the extensive lithospheric stretching in the Mesozoic. In the mantle transition zone, a structurally complicated 660 km discontinuity with a maximum 35 km depression beneath the Changbai region is observed. The 35 km depression is roughly coincident with the location of the stagnant western pacific slab on top of the 660 km discontinuity revealed by the recent P wave tomography.