Abstract-We apply the full-wave electromagnetic theory to study electromagnetic scattering by a small cylindrical particle with radial anisotropy for normally incident light with transverse magnetic (TM) polarization. The scattering coefficients are derived, when the radial anisotropies in both the permittivity and permeability tensors are taken into account. It is shown that the surface and volume plasmon resonances can be identified by the sign of dε t /dq, in which ε t is the permittivity element in a direction tangential to the local r-axis, and q is the size parameter. The near field distributions for surface and volume modes are illustrated by finite element method. It is found that small changes of anisotropy can affect the scattering efficiencies significantly. Moreover, the quadrupole and octupole resonant peaks may be much higher and sharper than those of dipole resonance in the scattering efficiency spectra.

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Purpose Biological therapies targeting eosinophils have been shown to be effective in treating patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Benralizumab (Fasenra ® , AstraZeneca) is a humanized monoclonal antibody binding to the alpha subunit of the interleukin-5 receptor, which rapidly depletes eosinophils via antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The aim of this Phase 1 study was to assess the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of benralizumab in healthy Chinese individuals. Materials and Methods In this randomized, single-blind study (NCT03928262), healthy Chinese adult participants aged 18 to 45 years, weighing 50 to 100 kg, were randomized 1:1:1 to receive a single subcutaneous (SC) injection of benralizumab 10 mg, 30 mg, or 100 mg in the upper arms on Day 1. Safety was monitored throughout the study (up to Day 85), and blood samples were taken to determine serum benralizumab concentrations and for detection of anti-drug antibody. A non-compartmental analysis was conducted to estimate the pharmacokinetic parameters. Results Thirty-six healthy participants were enrolled, 12 in each dose group (mean [SD] age 26 [6] years). Following a single SC injection of benralizumab, 13 adverse events were reported by 10 participants (28%), with one mild injection-site reaction assessed as related. The mean serum benralizumab concentrations increased in a dose proportional manner, followed by exponential decreases. The mean terminal half-lives were 15.1 days for the 10 mg dose, 14.4 days for the 30 mg dose, and 15.4 days for the 100 mg dose. All doses resulted in near-complete depletion of eosinophils on Day 2, which was maintained throughout the study to Day 85. Conclusion A single SC injection of benralizumab was well tolerated by healthy Chinese participants, with no new or unexpected safety findings. The pharmacokinetics of benralizumab in Chinese participants was dose-proportional and consistent with those of non-Chinese participants observed in previous studies. Clinical Trial Registration NCT03928262 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03928262 )

Negative pressure irrigation (NPI) is an important water management strategy that can improve crop yields and water use efficiency (WUE). However, because NPI is affected by vital factors, such as negative pressure values, soil properties, and fertilization dosages, there is a lack of systematic analyses of the application effects of NPI on various crops. Hence, this study collected the results of 44 published studies and established the validity of 142 crop yields, 121 WUEs, 138 crop qualities, and 138 crop nutrient statuses in a database for NPI systems. The meta-analysis method was used to analyze NPI in comparison to conventional irrigation (CI) conditions. The results showed that the NPI yields and WUEs significantly improved by 17% and 63% compared to those of CI, respectively. Meanwhile, the negative pressure values were −2~−5 kPa; the improvement effects on yields were the best; and the WUEs exhibited the highest performance with negative pressure values of −6~−10 kPa. NPI promoted crop quality and plant nutrient uptakes under the appropriate NPI conditions. The synergistic impacts for sandy loam, alkalescent soils, and leafy vegetables were greater than for clay loam, neutral soils, and fruit vegetables under NPI conditions. Simultaneously, it was shown that the soil available phosphorus content and application of P fertilizer have a greater impact on NPI and CI crop yields. Therefore, the meta-analysis demonstrated the impacts of NPI on crop yields, WUEs, quality, and nutrient absorption, and quantified the effects of NPI on crop growth under various conditions, which provides an important water-saving technology for greenhouse production.