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Mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) including famous catenanes show switchable physical properties and attract continuous research interest due to their potential application in molecular devices. The advantages of using spin crossover (SCO) materials here are enormous, allowing for control through diverse stimuli and highly specific functions, and enabling the transfer of the internal dynamics of MIMs from solution to solid state, leading to macroscopic applications. Herein, we report the efficient self-assembly of catenated metal-organic frameworks (termed catena-MOFs) induced by stacking interactions, through the combination of rationally selected flexible and conjugated naphthalene diimide-based bis-pyridyl ligand (BPND), [MI(CN)2]− (M = Ag or Au) and Fe2+ in a one-step strategy. The obtained bimetallic Hofmann-type SCO-MOFs [FeII(BPND){Ag(CN)2}2]·3CHCl3 (1Ag) and [FeII(BPND{Au(CN)2}2]·2CHCl3·2H2O (1Au) possess a unique three-dimensional (3D) catena-MOF constructed from the polycatenation of two-dimensional (2D) layers with hxl topology. Both complexes undergo thermal- and light-induced SCO. Significantly, abnormal increases in the maximum emission intensity and dielectric constant can be detected simultaneously with the switching of spin states. This research opens up SCO-actuated bistable MIMs that afford dual functionality of coupled fluorescence emission and dielectricity. Incorporating spin crossover motifs into mechanically interlocked molecules offers various switchable properties. Here, the authors report two FeII catenated metal-organic frameworks that exhibit spin dependent luminescence and dielectric switching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Portland cement (PC) is ubiquitously used in construction for centuries, yet the elucidation of its early-age hydration remains a challenge. Understanding the initial hydration progress of tricalcium aluminate (C3A) at molecular scale is thus crucial for tackling this challenge as it exhibits a proclivity for early-stage hydration and plays a pivotal role in structural build-up of cement colloids. Herein, we implement a series of ab-initio calculations to probe the intricate molecular interactions of C3A during its initial hydration process. The C3A surface exhibits remarkable chemical activity in promoting water dissociation, which in turn facilitates the gradual desorption of Ca ions through a metal-proton exchange reaction. The dissolution pathways and free energies of these Ca ions follow the ligand-exchange mechanism with multiple sequential reactions to form the ultimate products where Ca ions adopt fivefold or sixfold coordination. Finally, these Ca complexes reprecipitate on the remaining Al-rich layer through the interface-coupled dissolution-reprecipitation mechanism, demonstrating dynamically stable inner-sphere adsorption states. The above results are helpful in unmasking the early-age hydration of PC and advancing the rational design of cement-based materials through the bottom-up approach. The hydration of tricalcium aluminate is an important initial step in the structural build-up of Portland cement. Here the authors use ab initio and accelerated dynamics to describe the reactions and dynamics of this process at the molecular level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: We developed a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to predict treatment outcomes of transforaminal epidural steroid injection (TFESI) for controlling cervical radicular pain due to cervical foraminal stenosis. Methods: We retrospectively recruited 293 patients with cervical TFESI due to cervical radicular pain caused by cervical foraminal stenosis. We obtained a single oblique cervical radiograph from each patient. We cut each oblique cervical radiograph image into a square shape, including the foramen that was targeted for TFESI, the intervertebral disc, the facet joint of the corresponding level with the targeted foramen, and the pedicles of the vertebral bodies just above and below the targeted foramen. Therefore, images including the targeted foramen and structures around the targeted foramen were used as input data. A favorable outcome was defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in the numeric rating scale (NRS) score at 2 months post TFESI compared to the pretreatment NRS score. A poor outcome was defined as a < 50% reduction in the NRS score at 2 months post TFESI vs. the pretreatment score. Results: The area under the curve of our developed model for predicting the treatment outcome of cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis was 0.823. Conclusion: A CNN model trained using oblique cervical radiographs can be helpful in predicting treatment outcomes after cervical TFESI in patients with cervical foraminal stenosis. If the predictive accuracy is increased, we believe that the deep learning model using cervical radiographs as input data can be easily and widely used in clinics or hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soft theorem states that scattering amplitude in gauge theory with a soft gauge-boson emission can be factorized into a hard scattering amplitude and a soft factor. In this paper, we present calculations of the soft factor for processes involving two hard colored partons, up to three loops in QCD. To accomplish this, we developed a systematic method for recursively calculating relevant Feynman integrals using the Feynman-Parameter representation. Our results constitute an important ingredient for the subtraction of infrared singularities at N4LO in perturbative QCD. Using the principle of leading transcendentality between QCD and N = 4 super Yang-Mills theory, we determine the soft factor in the latter case to three loops with full-color dependence. As a by-product, we also obtain the finite constant f 2 3 in the Bern-Dixon-Smirnov ansatz analytically, which was previously known numerically only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe chronic interstitial lung disease with high mortality, and there is currently a lack of definite and effective treatment methods. Studies have found that gentiopicroside, a secoiridoid glycoside compound derived from plants of the Gentiana genus, can significantly improve pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis lesions in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. However, the mechanism of its anti-fibrotic effect is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we employed network pharmacology's virtual computer technology to investigate the potential mechanism underlying the anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect of Gentianae Radix et Rhizome (Longdan in Chinese, GRR). Our findings offer valuable theoretical insights and serve as a guiding reference for future experimental investigations. A total of 10 active compounds and 920 drug-target proteins were identified from the TCMSP database. The compound-target-pathway-disease network showed that GRR could potentially treat PF by regulating the MDM2, ERBB2 and VEGFA, signaling pathways through its key targets, including AKT1, TNF, and MAPK1. The protein‒protein interaction network revealed that these targets had strong interactions with each other, indicating a potential synergistic effect of GRR in treating PF. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses further supported the potential anti-pulmonary fibrosis mechanisms of GRR, including regulating the inflammatory response, ECM-receptor interaction, and TGF-beta signaling pathways. Our study provides a systematic analysis of the potential anti-pulmonary fibrosis mechanisms of GRR based on network pharmacology. These findings could contribute to the development of novel treatments for PF and provide a basis for further experimental studies.Article highlights: The anti-pulmonary fibrosis mechanism of GRR was investigated using network pharmacology methods An effective pathway involving the interaction of compound-target-pathway-disease was identified Several key target proteins were successfully identified, providing a basis for subsequent pharmaceutical experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Using chemical penetration enhancers to improve the penetration effect is one kind of important strategies in transdermal drug delivery system. Azone is a widely used transdermal absorption enhancer for transdermal drug delivery. To shed light on the permeation-promoting mechanism of azone, we selected ternary systems formed by azacyclopentane-2-one and N-methylolacetamide (1: 2) and explored the synergetic effect of hydrogen-bonding interactions among them and their thermodynamic properties. The findings indicate that the synergetic effects can enhance the ability of azone to change the original conformation of ceramides and even break the original hydrogen bonds, which is more beneficial for azone to destroy the 3D network structure of ceramides. When azone interacts with ceramide, the order of action tends to interact with one molecule of ceramide first and then with another molecule of ceramide. Methods: The synergetic effects of hydrogen-bonding interactions in ternary systems were computed at the B3LYP/6–311 + + G** and MP2(full)/6–311 + + G** levels. Thermodynamic parameters for two ternary-complex routes were worked out at the B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ level. The shift of the electron density occurring simultaneously with trimer formation was analyzed at the MP2(full)/6–311 + + G** level. The above calculations were carried out using the Gaussian 03 program packages. Atoms in molecules (AIM) method and the AIMPAC program showed the topological charge density at the MP2(full)/6–311 + + G** level. The synergetic effects of hydrogen-bonding interactions and thermodynamic property in the 1: 2 (azacyclopentane-2-one: N-methylolacetamide) ternary systems were investigated using the B3LYP and MP2(full) methods [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their high theoretical energy density, lithium metal batteries have generated great research interest. However, the development and utilization of lithium metal batteries is mainly hindered by the key issues (e.g., large volume change, dendrites growth, safety issues) from the Li anode. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop a protective layer with hydrophobic and high elastic properties for stable Li metal anode. Herein, a hydrophobic styrene–isoprene–styrene block copolymer protective layer with high elasticity for stable Li anode has been fabricated. Under the protection of the highly elastic water-repellent protective layer, Li anode showed 'dendrite-free' characteristics and exhibited a long cycle life of 1000 h in Li/Li symmetric batteries and a significant capacity retention rate enhancement of 23% in Li/LiFePO4 full batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To minimize surgical complications and staged procedures halo-traction is often used during deformity corrections. But the use of halo-traction in the treatment of refractory cervical kyphosis secondary to infections has never been reported. This study investigated the role of halo-traction in the treatment of cervical infection patients associated with refractory kyphosis. We retrospectively reviewed 48 patients with cervical infection associated with refractory kyphosis who were treated in our spine department. Patients were divided into two groups, the traction group (A) and the non-traction group (B). Group A underwent preoperative halo-traction followed by surgery, while group B underwent surgery alone. Between the two groups, we analyzed the kyphosis deformity correction, level of fusions, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), functional improvement by Neck disability index (NDI) score, and complications. Group A had a better correction of kyphosis deformity compared to group B (27.01 ± 11.54)0 versus (18.08 ± 10.04)0 (P = 0.01, Z = − 2.44). No statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of functional improvement, level of fusions, ESR and CRP. Group B had 3 revision surgery cases. Preoperative halo-traction followed by surgery is superior in kyphosis correction in the treatment of patients with cervical infections with refractory kyphosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The components made out of hypereutectic high-chromium cast iron (HCCI), featured with high abrasion resistance and hardness, are usually subjected to destabilization treatment before use, to improve their hardness and wear resistance by destabilizing the retained austenite which transforms to martensite. This study investigates the effects of destabilization and tempering heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of an HCCI with and without modification of primary carbides. For the unmodified HCCI, the destabilization simultaneously increased both hardness and the transverse rupture strength (TRS). Increasing the destabilization temperature from 970 to 1090 °C led to a marginal decrease in hardness and slight increase in TRS. Destabilization at 1090 °C increased the transverse rupture strength (TRS) by 54% compared to the as-cast HCCI without reduction in wear resistance due to the coarsening of the secondary carbides. In addition, tempering within a temperature range from 200 to 280 °C after destabilization at 1090 °C led to a slight decrease in hardness, but an increase in TRS and wear resistance. Further increasing the tempering temperature to 310, 340 and 400 °C did not vary the properties. Tempering at 280 °C after destabilization at 1090 °C enabled more than 85% increase in TRS compared to the as-cast HCCI. The influence of destabilization temperature on the TiB2-modified HCCI is similar to the unmodified alloy. But, tempering after destabilization at 1090 °C decreased both hardness and TRS without significant variation of wear resistance even though a TRS peak was obtained at 310 °C tempering. Hence, to achieve the best performance an optimized heat treatment for the unmodified HCCI is destabilization at 1090 °C followed by tempering at 280 °C. For the TiB2-modified HCCI, tempering is not needed. Rationalizations of the mechanical properties are also discussed in terms of microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive manufacturing (AM) creates digitally designed parts by successive addition of material. However, owing to intrinsic thermal cycling, metallic parts produced by AM almost inevitably suffer from spatially dependent heterogeneities in phases and mechanical properties, which may cause unpredictable service failures. Here, we demonstrate a synergistic alloy design approach to overcome this issue in titanium alloys manufactured by laser powder bed fusion. The key to our approach is in-situ alloying of Ti−6Al−4V (in weight per cent) with combined additions of pure titanium powders and iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles. This not only enables in-situ elimination of phase heterogeneity through diluting V concentration whilst introducing small amounts of Fe, but also compensates for the strength loss via oxygen solute strengthening. Our alloys achieve spatially uniform microstructures and mechanical properties which are superior to those of Ti−6Al−4V. This study may help to guide the design of other alloys, which not only overcomes the challenge inherent to the AM processes, but also takes advantage of the alloy design opportunities offered by AM. Additively manufactured Ti alloys exhibit spatially dependent microstructures and mechanical properties owing to the intrinsic thermal cycling. Here the authors develop new Ti alloys with uniform mechanical properties through a rational alloy design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dissolution of minerals in water is ubiquitous in nature and industry, especially for the calcium silicate species. However, the behavior of such a complex chemical reaction is still unclear at atomic level. Here, we show that the ab initio molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations enable quantitative analyses of reaction pathways, thermodynamics and kinetics of the calcium ion dissolution from the tricalcium silicate (Ca3SiO5) surface. The calcium sites with different coordination environments lead to different reaction pathways and free energy barriers. The low free energy barriers result in that the detachment of the calcium ion is a ligand exchange and auto-catalytic process. Moreover, the water adsorption, proton exchange and diffusion of water into the surface layer accelerate the leaching of the calcium ion from the surface step by step. The discovery in this work thus would be a landmark for revealing the mechanism of tricalcium silicate hydration. Dissolution of minerals in water is ubiquitous in nature, its mechanism at the atomic level still under debate. Here, the authors investigate the dissolution mechanism of tricalcium silicate at early stage by ab initio molecular dynamics and metadynamics simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work investigates the effect of different solutes on the formation of primary carbides in high chromium cast irons (HCCI) through thermodynamic modeling. Growth restriction factor, Q, for the growth of primary carbide in a multicomponent HCCI is evaluated with the assistance of the CALPHAD method. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that modification of the primary carbide by growth restriction through solute addition is ineffective because commonly used solutes in ferrous alloys such as Ti, Nb, and Mn, form carbides or other intermetallic compounds in the melt prior to the formation of primary carbide and non-reactive solutes, such as Cu, Ni, Si, and Co, cannot lead to the formation of sufficient constitutional undercooling zone at the front of the growing carbide to enable the new nucleation event. Hence, it is suggested that external addition or in-situ formation of inoculants to promote heterogeneous nucleation of primary carbides is a more effective approach to refine or modify the primary carbides in HCCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Schottky barrier at the interface between the semiconductor phase and the metal phase has excellent rectification effect which can greatly facilitate the formation of the electron accumulation region. The interface electronic modulation can promote the formation of electron depletion layer in the gas sensing process, which is a powerful strategy to improve the sensing performance. In this work, ZnO–TiC composites were successfully prepared. XRD, TEM, BET and XPS characterizations of the ZnO–TiC composites were proformed to investigate the compositions and structures. The as-synthesized samples were applied to fabricate gas sensors to investigate their gas sensing performance. Compared to pure ZnO and TiC, the composites achieved high sensitivity (232 for 100 ppm aniline) and linear detection (R2 = 0.986) of aniline. The improvement of sensor performance is mainly attributed to the electronic modulation of Schottky barrier at the interface between ZnO and TiC. Our results indicate that the construction of ZnO-TiC Schottky barrier is a promising strategy for enhancing the performance of gas sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design is a goal-oriented planning activity for creating products, processes, and systems with desired functions through specifications. It is a decision-making exploration: the design outcome may vary greatly depending on the designer's knowledge and philosophy. Integrated design is one type of design philosophy that takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach. In civil engineering, structural design is such an activity for creating buildings and infrastructures. Recently, structural design in many countries has emphasized a performance-based philosophy that simultaneously considers a structure's safety, durability, serviceability, and sustainability. Consequently, integrated design in civil engineering has become more popular, useful, and important. Material-oriented integrated design and construction of structures (MIDCS) combine materials engineering and structural engineering in the design stage: it fully utilizes the strengths of materials by selecting the most suitable structural forms and construction methodologies. This paper will explore real-world examples of MIDCS, including the realization of MIDCS in timber seismic-resistant structures, masonry arch structures, long-span steel bridges, prefabricated/on-site extruded light-weight steel structures, fiber-reinforced cementitious composites structures, and fiber-reinforced polymer bridge decks. Additionally, advanced material design methods such as bioinspired design and structure construction technology of additive manufacturing are briefly reviewed and discussed to demonstrate how MIDCS can combine materials and structures. A unified strength-durability design theory is also introduced, which is a human-centric, interdisciplinary, and holistic approach to the description and development of any civil infrastructure and includes all processes directly involved in the life cycle of the infrastructure. Finally, this paper lays out future research directions for further development in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hypereutectic high chromium cast iron (HCCI) is featured with high abrasion resistance and hardness, making it one of the most widely used materials in mining, minerals and cementation industries. However, the alloy is also naturally brittle partially due to the coarse needle-shaped primary M7C3 carbides. The present work challenges one of the long-term issues associated with HCCIs to modify the primary carbide through addition of a newly discovered additive, TiB2. Addition of 300 ppm such particles led to a significant decrease in the fraction of needle-shaped primary carbides by 35% and reduction in average size of the carbide by 32% in length for the needle-shaped carbide and by 32% in diameter for the equiaxed carbide. As a result, the transverse rupture strength (TRS) of the alloy after heat treatment was increased by 37% together with no noticeable loss in wear or hardness. Although excess TiB2 addition up to 8000 ppm continued reducing the amount of needle-shaped carbide, the improvement in TRS was annulled by the embrittlement of TiB2. Detailed microstructural examination showed that upon addition, TiB2 decomposed in the melt, leading to the formation of TiN particles with fresh surfaces, which acted as M7C3 carbide refiner through promotion of the heterogenous nucleation of the carbide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) function as molecular chaperones in multiple physiological processes and are active during thermal stress. sHSP expression is controlled by heat shock transcription factor (HSF); however, few studies have been conducted on HSF in agricultural pests. Liriomyza trifolii is an introduced insect pest of horticultural and vegetable crops in China. In this study, the master regulator, HSF1, was cloned and characterized from L. trifolii, and the expression levels of HSF1 and five sHSPs were studied during heat stress. HSF1 expression in L. trifolii generally decreased with rising temperatures, whereas expression of the five sHSPs showed an increasing trend that correlated with elevated temperatures. All five sHSPs and HSF1 showed an upward trend in expression with exposure to 40 ℃ without a recovery period. When a recovery period was incorporated after thermal stress, the expression patterns of HSF1 and sHSPs in L. trifolii exposed to 40 °C was significantly lower than expression with no recovery period. To elucidate potential interactions between HSF1 and sHSPs, double-stranded RNA was synthesized to knock down HSF1 in L. trifolii by RNA interference. The knockdown of HSF1 by RNAi decreased the survival rate and expression of HSP19.5, HSP20.8, and HSP21.3 during high-temperature stress. This study expands our understanding of HSF1-regulated gene expression in L. trifolii exposed to heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we calculate analytically the perturbative matching coefficients for unpolarized quark and gluon Transverse-Momentum-Dependent (TMD) Parton Distribution Functions (PDFs) and Fragmentation Functions (FFs) through Next-to-Next-to-Next-to-Leading Order (N3LO) in QCD. The N3LO TMD PDFs are calculated by solving a system of differential equation of Feynman and phase space integrals. The TMD FFs are obtained by analytic continuation from space-like quantities to time-like quantities, taking into account the probability interpretation of TMD PDFs and FFs properly. The coefficient functions for TMD FFs exhibit double logarithmic enhancement at small momentum fraction z. We resum such logarithmic terms to the third order in the expansion of αs. Our results constitute important ingredients for precision determination of TMD PDFs and FFs in current and future experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique was used to examine the microstructure of a widely used A517GrQ low-carbon low-alloy steel after different heat treatments. Three distinguishable microstructures were studied. Slow cooling in the furnace after austenitization led to the formation of a granular structure that consisted of massive ferrite and randomly distributed M–A constituents. Medium rate cooling in air produced granular bainite that was composed of lath ferrite, and M–A constituents were distributed between the laths. Lath martensite was formed by fast cooling into ice brine. EBSD analysis revealed that, in one austenite grain, the massive ferrite in the granular structure and the lath ferrite in the granular bainite were predominately separated by high-angle boundaries, whilst the ferrite laths in the martensite were separated by low-angle boundaries. The specimens with granular bainite formed by medium rate cooling had higher strength (both yield strength and tensile strength), and also almost 5 times higher Charpy impact energy than that of the specimens containing granular structure obtained at the slow cooling. The strength of the specimens with lath martensite after quenching into ice brine was slightly higher than the granular bainite but were associated with much lower Charpy impact energy. The present work indicates that it is critical to control the cooling rate after austenitization in order to simultaneously achieve high strength and high toughness of low-carbon low-alloy steels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a category of crucial wear-resistant alloys, high-chromium cast irons (HCCIs) are widely used in mining, minerals and cementation industries. The large volume fraction of coarse primary M7C3 carbides (PC) imparts excellent wear resistance. However, coarse carbides also induce brittleness, resulting in high cracking susceptibility, and early failure of components, particularly under impact. To minimize the brittleness and increase the service life of HCCI parts, different techniques have been developed through modifying the carbide morphology and refining its size. This paper comprehensively reviews the currently available methods that have either been used in industry production or in laboratory development to modify the primary M7C3 carbides in various HCCIs. The possible mechanisms that govern the refinement of primary carbides are also discussed in-depth. Based on previously published work, the mechanical performance of HCCIs is correlated with the microstructure of the matrix, and with the size, shape, volume fraction and distribution of primary carbides. This may provide solid fundamental to develop more effective techniques and/or new alloys to further improve the properties of this type of materials, increasing their engineering service life and to tailor their wider applications. In addition, the present work also seeks theoretical feasibility to apply the recently well-established theories/models of grain refinement for cast metals to refinement of the primary carbides in HCCIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel packed-powder diffusion coating (PPDC) technique for pure Ti and Ti alloys was developed to improve their oxidization resistance and wear resistance. The treatment led to the formation of a controllable Al3Ti intermetallic-based composite coating, of which the thickness varied from 100 µm to 1295 µm depending on the treatment temperature and time. Cyclic oxidization tests in a static air within the temperature range from 800°C to 1000°C for 24 cycles indicated that the PPDC treatment significantly increased the oxidization resistance of Ti alloys, which enabled this type of light alloy to be comparable with some Ni-based superalloys. Furthermore, the PPDC-treated Ti alloys also showed a reduced friction coefficient and increased wear resistance compared with the substrates. Hence, it is reasonable to consider that, after the PPDC treatment, the lightweight Ti alloys had strong potential to partially replace Ni-based superalloys for high-temperature applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eutectic modification through minor addition of boron was firstly proposed to improve the malleability of brittle eutectic high-entropy alloys (EHEAs). The proposed approach involves adding small amounts of eutectic modifier, boron (0.2–1.6 at.%), to a brittle dual-phase [face centred cubic (FCC) and σ phase] Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA. Here, we report the role of boron additions in improvement of the mechanical properties of a Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA. It was found that with the increase in boron additions up to 1 at.%, the lamellar eutectic structure consisting of FCC and σ intermetallic phase gradually transited to a dendrite-like eutectic structure. As a result, the compressive fracture strain of the alloy was increased about 3 times with a slight reduction in strength. The mechanisms of eutectic morphology transition induced by boron additions in the Fe35Ni25Cr25Mo15 EHEA and their effects on mechanical properties were studied through microstructural characterization and thermodynamic analyses. The transition of eutectic morphology from lamellar eutectic to dendrite eutectic is believed to be resulted from the increased constitutional undercooling caused by B additions. The solute redistribution of B in the liquid ahead of the solid/liquid interface resulted in a B concentration gradient, which led to the formation of a constitutionally undercooled zone at the front of the σ phase, which destabilized the coupled growth conditions necessary for the formation of the lamellar eutectic structure. As a result, the eutectic morphology was transformed from lamellar eutectic to a dendritic-like eutectic structure. This type of structure exhibits a lower fraction of phase boundaries leading to improved malleability of the brittle EHEA. This insight can be used to design new advanced EHEAs through adjustment of the eutectic morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroacupuncture (EA) relieves visceral hypersensitivity (VH) with underlying inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanism by which EA treats ileitis-induced VH is not clearly known. To assess the effects of EA on ileitis-induced VH and confirm whether EA attenuates VH through spinal PAR-2 activation and CGRP release, goats received an injection of 2,4,6-trinitro-benzenesulfonic-acid (TNBS) solution into the ileal wall. TNBS-injected goats were allocated into VH, Sham acupuncture (Sham-A) and EA groups, while goats treated with saline instead of TNBS solution were used as the control. Goats in EA group received EA at bilateral Hou-San-Li acupoints for 0.5 h at 7 days and thereafter repeated every 3 days for 6 times. Goats in the Sham-A group were inserted with needles for 0.5 h at the aforementioned acupoints without any hand manipulation and electric stimulation. Visceromotor responses to colorectal distension, an indicator of VH, were recorded by electromyography. The terminal ileum and thoracic spinal cord (T11) were sampled for evaluating ileitis at days 7 and 22, and distribution and expression-levels of PAR-2, CGRP and c-Fos on day 22. TNBS-treated-goats exhibited apparent transmural-ileitis on day 7, microscopically low-grade ileitis on day 22 and VH at days 7–22. Goats of Sham-A, VH or EA group showed higher (P < 0.01) VH at days 7–22 than the Control-goats. EA-treated goats exhibited lower (P < 0.01) VH as compared with Sham-A or VH group. Immunoreactive-cells and expression-levels of spinal PAR-2, CGRP and c-Fos in the EA group were greater (P < 0.01) than those in the Control group, but less (P < 0.01) than those in Sham-A and VH groups on day 22. Downregulation of spinal PAR-2 and CGRP levels by EA attenuates the ileitis and resultant VH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly conserved heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) contributes to survival at a cellular level and greatly enhances stress tolerance in many organisms. In this study, we isolate and characterize Cshsp702, which encodes an inducible form of HSP70 in the rice stem borer, Chilo suppressalis. Cshsp702 does not contain introns; the translational product is comprised of 629 amino acids with an isoelectric point of 5.69. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed that Cshsp702 was expressed at maximal levels in hemocytes and was minimally expressed in the midgut. Expression of Cshsp702 in response to a range of temperatures (−11 to 43 °C) indicated significant induction by extreme cold and hot temperatures, with maximum expression after 2 h at 42 °C. The induction of Cshsp702 in response to the endoparasite Cotesia chilonis was also studied; interestingly, Cshsp702 expression in C. suppressalis was significantly induced at 24 h and 5 days, which correspond to predicted times of C. chilonis feeding and growth, respectively. The potential induction of Cshsp702 as an inflammatory response due to parasitic stress is discussed. In conclusion, Cshsp702 is induced in response to both environmental and biotic stress and plays an important role in the physiological adaptation of C. suppressalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle reinforced metal matrix composites have many problems such as complicated preparation process, high production costs, weak interface bonding between the ceramic and metal matrix, uneven distribution of ceramic particles and so on. To solve these problems, the method of "shoot mixing + pressure compositing" (SM-PC) and a mixed regulation model of ceramic particles with molten steel were proposed. In the shoot mixing process, the special designed die casting equipment was used to make the particles with the molten metal mixed in the runner at a certain ejection speed (150 mm·s-1). After the mixture is filled with the mold, the pressure is maintained until the end of solidification. In order to optimize this method to obtain the more uniform particle distribution, the parameters (ejection speed, preheating temperature of particles, the shape and size of runner) in the model were selected for sample preparation. Taking the distribution index of particles as the evaluation criterion, it is concluded that the uniform distribution of particles can be promoted with the increase of ejection velocity, the increase of particle preheating temperature, and the small change of gate size. When the preheating temperature of particles was 1,100 °C, and the shape of the runner was trumpet, the optimal particle distribution composite parts was obtained. Meanwhile, the particles and the matrix achieved strong interface bonding - "Class I interface " under the pressure compositing, even though they're non-wetting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Color rendering index and color temperature are the key factors for the LEDs application. The two points are closely related to the emission spectrum shape of phosphors. As the key factors for the LEDs application, both the above aspects are closely dependent on the emission spectrum shape of phosphors. In this study, the emission spectrum shape has been adjusted via a home designed route. A combination of structural, morphological, and optical characterization techniques has been used to study the shape evolution mechanism. The structural results show that the Sr2SiO4 phase has not been changed with the sintering temperature increasing, but the emission spectrum shape has changed dramatically, meanwhile, the colorimetric coordinate moves from blue-green to green region. Gaussian fitting method has been used to treat the emission spectrum, and the as-obtained results indicate the emission spectrum contains two single bands, which come from the 4f7(7S7/2)-4f6(7FJ)5d1 transition of Eu2+ on the different Sr sites in the Sr2SiO4 crystal. The intensity of the two single bands is driven by sintering temperature, because of the difference between the energy barrier of the Eu2+ occupying the different Sr sites in the matrix crystal. Moreover, the mechanism of the above phenomenon has also been studied by means of first principles method, and the obtained results agree well with the former deduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve automatic adjustment of the double-nut ball screw preload, a magnetostrictive ball screw preload system is proposed. A new cylindrical giant magnetostrictive actuator (CGMA), which is the core component of the preload system, is developed using giant magnetostrictive material (GMM) with a hole. The pretightening force of the CGMA is determined by testing. And the magnetic circuit analysis method is introduced to calculate magnetic field intensity of the actuator with a ball screw shaft. To suppress the thermal effects on the magnetostrictive outputs, an oil cooling method which can directly cool the heat source is adopted. A CGMA test platform is established and the static and dynamic output characteristics are respectively studied. The experimental results indicate that the CGMA has good linearity and no double-frequency effect under the bias magnetic field and the output accuracy of the CGMA is significantly improved with cooling measures. Although the output decreased with screw shaft through the actuator, the performance of CGMA meets the design requirements for ball screw preload with output displacement more than 26 μm and force up to 6200 N. The development of a CGMA will provide a new approach for automatic adjustment of double-nut ball screw preload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) constitute a large, diverse, and functionally uncharacterized family of heat shock proteins. To gain insight regarding the function of sHSPs in insects, we identified genes encoding two sHSPs, Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3, from the rice pest Chilo suppressalis. The cDNAs of Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 encoded proteins of 206 and 216 amino acids with isoelectric points of 5.79 and 9.28, respectively. Further characterization indicated that both Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 lacked introns. Real-time quantitative PCR indicated that Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 were expressed at higher levels within the fat body as compared to other tissues (head, epidermis, foregut, midgut, hindgut, Malpighian tubules, and hemocytes). Expression of Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 was lowest in the hindgut and Malpighian tubules, respectively. Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 showed identical patterns in response to thermal stress from −11 to 43 °C, and both genes were up-regulated by hot and cold temperatures. The mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) expression levels of Cshsp22.9b (KY701308) and Cshsp24.3 (KY701309) were highest after a 2-h exposure at 39 °C and started to decline at 42 °C. In response to cold temperatures, both Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 showed maximal expression after a 2-h exposure to −3 °C. The two Cshsps were more responsive to hot than cold temperature stress and were not induced by mildly cold or warm temperatures. In conclusion, Cshsp22.9b and Cshsp24.3 could play a very important role in the regulation of physiological activities in C. suppressalis that are impacted by environmental stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geogrid has been extensively used in geotechnical engineering practice due to its effectiveness and economy. Deep insight into the interaction between the backfill soil and the geogrid is of great importance for proper design and construction of geogrid reinforced earth structures. Based on the calibrated model of sand and geogrid, a series of numerical pullout tests are conducted using PFC under special considerations of particle angularity and aperture geometry of the geogrid. In this work, interface characteristics regarding the displacement and contact force developed among particles and the deformation and force distribution along the geogrid are all visualized with PFC simulations so that new understanding on how geogrid-soil interaction develops under pullout loads can be obtained. Meanwhile, a new variable named fabric anisotropy coefficient is introduced to evaluate the inherent relationship between macroscopic strength and microscopic fabric anisotropy. A correlation analysis is adopted to compare the accuracy between the newly-proposed coefficient and the most commonly used one. Furthermore, additional pullout tests on geogrid with four different joint protrusion heights have been conducted to investigate what extent and how vertical reinforcement elements may result in reinforcement effects from perspectives of bearing resistance contribution, energy dissipation, as well as volumetric response. Numerical results show that both the magnitude and the directional variation of normal contact forces govern the development of macroscopic strength and the reinforcing effects of joint protrusion height can be attributed to the accelerated energy dissipation across the particle assembly and the intensive mobilization of the geogrid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel multifunctional materials, the composites AlOOH-NaYFTb5 and AlOOH-NaYFTb10, containing AlO(OH) and β-NaYF:5%Tb, have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal route and a simple grinding method. The boehmite [AlO(OH)], yttrium nitrate [Y(NO)·6HO], terbium nitrate, [Tb(NO)·6HO], sodium citrate (NaCHO·2HO) and sodium fluoride (NaF) were used as starting materials. The composition, electrorheological (ER) performance, and luminescence property of the functional materials were studied. Our results show that the composites not only have good electrorheological (ER) performance, but also have good optics property. The relative shear stress τ ( τ = τ / τ , τ and τ are the shear stresses at the electric field strength E = 4 and 0 kV/mm, respectively) values of the suspension (25 wt.%) of AlOOHNaYFTb5 material in silicone oil are all larger than 50 in a shear rate ranging from 0.06 to 26 s, the τr value reaches 1333 at a shear rate of 0.06 s. The material with such high ER activity and favorable luminescence performance is advantageous in its application as a multifunctional material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this note, we study the Q-cut representation by combining it with BCFW deformation. As a consequence, the one-loop integrand is expressed in terms of a recursion relation, i.e., n-point one-loop integrand is constructed using tree-level amplitudes and m- point one-loop integrands with m ≤ n - 1. By giving explicit examples, we show that the integrand from the recursion relation is equivalent to that from Feynman diagrams or the original Q-cut construction, up to scale free terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MiRNA expression was determined in both proliferating and differentiated cardiac stem cells (CSCs) through a comprehensive miRNA microarray analysis. We selected miR218 for functional follow-up studies to examine its significance in CSCs. First, we observed that the expression of miR218 was altered in CSCs during differentiation into cardiomyocytes and transfection of an miR218 mimic or miR218 inhibitor affected the myocardial differentiation of CSCs. Furthermore, we observed that a negative regulator of Wnt signaling, sFRP2, was a direct target of miR218 and the protein levels of sFRP2 were increased in cells transfected with the synthetic miR218 inhibitor. In contrast, transfection with the miR218 mimic decreased the expression of sFRP2 and potentiated Wnt signaling. The subsequent down-regulation of sFRP2 by shRNA potentiated Wnt signaling, contributing to a gene expression program that is important for CSC proliferation and cardiac differentiation. Specifically, canonical Wnt signaling induced miR218 transcription. Thus, miR218 and Wnt signaling were coupled through a feed-forward positive feedback loop, forming a biological regulatory circuit. Together, these results provide the first evidence that miR218 plays an important role in CSC proliferation and differentiation through the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiAl alloys with Al contents of 30.7, 37, 46.5, and 54.2 at.% were carburized. Corrosion resistance of the untreated and the carburized TiAl alloys was comparatively analyzed. The phase and microstructure of the carburized TiAl alloys were studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Electrochemical corrosion behavior of the untreated and the carburized TiAl alloys was investigated using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Experimental results indicate that different Al contents bring about distinct microstructure of the carburized layers. The lower Al content leads to the formation of the thicker binary carbides and the thinner TiAlC phase. Additionally, the lower Al content leads to higher corrosion resistance in the untreated and the carburized states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universal quantum logic gates are important elements for a quantum computer. In contrast to previous constructions on one degree of freedom (DOF) of quantum systems, we investigate the possibility of parallel quantum computations dependent on two DOFs of photon systems. We construct deterministic hyper-controlled-not (hyper-CNOT) gates operating on the spatial-mode and the polarization DOFs of two-photon or one-photon systems by exploring the giant optical circular birefringence induced by quantum-dot spins in one-sided optical microcavities. These hyper-CNOT gates show that the quantum states of two DOFs can be viewed as independent qubits without requiring auxiliary DOFs in theory. This result can reduce the quantum resources by half for quantum applications with large qubit systems, such as the quantum Shor algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A difficult problem in quantum network communications is how to efficiently transmit quantum information over large-scale networks with common channels. We propose a solution by developing a quantum encoding approach. Different quantum states are encoded into a coherent superposition state using quantum linear optics. The transmission congestion in the common channel may be avoided by transmitting the superposition state. For further decoding and continued transmission, special phase transformations are applied to incoming quantum states using phase shifters such that decoders can distinguish outgoing quantum states. These phase shifters may be precisely controlled using classical chaos synchronization via additional classical channels. Based on this design and the reduction of multiple-source network under the assumption of restricted maximum-flow, the optimal scheme is proposed for specially quantized multiple-source network. In comparison with previous schemes, our scheme can greatly increase the transmission efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large and sudden increase in radiocarbon (14C) aroundAD773 are documented in coral skeletons from the South China Sea. The 14C increased by ~15%during winter, and remain elevated for more than 4 months, then increased and dropped down within two months, forming a spike of 45%high in late spring, followed by two smaller spikes. The 14C anomalies coincide with an historic comet collision with the Earth's atmosphere on 17 January AD 773. Comas are known to have percent-levels of nitrogen by weight, and are exposed to cosmic radiation in space. Hence they may be expected to contain highly elevated 14C/12C ratios, as compared to the Earth's atmosphere. The significant input of 14C by comets may have contributed to the fluctuation of 14C in the atmosphere throughout the Earth's history, which should be considered carefully to better constrain the cosmic ray fluctuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) are the most diverse but also the most poorly known family of molecular chaperones, and they play essential roles in various biological processes. The striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), is one of the most serious pests of rice, causing extensive damage and yield loss. In this study, we isolated and characterized five members of the sHSPs family— Cshsp19. 8, Cshsp21. 4, Cshsp21. 5, Cshsp21. 7a, and Cshsp21. 7b—from C. suppressalis. The cDNAs of these genes encoded proteins of 177, 187, 191, 191, and 191 amino acids with isoelectric points of 7.0, 5.6, 6.1, 6.3, and 6.3, respectively. While Cshsp19. 8, Cshsp21. 5, and Cshsp21. 7b had no introns, Cshsp21. 4 and Cshsp21. 7a contained one and two introns, respectively. Structural analysis indicated that all five Cshsps possessed conserved arginine and a V/IXI/V motif, which is related to hydrophobic characteristics of sHSPs. The five heat shock proteins can be classified into two main groups: an orthologous type ( Cshsp21. 4 and Cshsp21. 7a) and a species-specific type ( Cshsp19. 8, Cshsp21. 5, and Cshsp21. 7b). Real-time quantitative PCR analyses revealed that Cshsp19. 8, Cshsp21. 5, Cshsp21. 7a, and Cshsp21. 7b all exhibited their highest expression levels within Malpighian tubules or the hindgut, while such levels were found in the head for Cshsp21. 4. The expression of Csshsps at different developmental stages revealed that the mRNA levels of Cshsp19. 8, Cshsp21. 4, Cshsp21. 5, and Cshsp21. 7b peaked in adults, whereas the highest level of Cshsp21. 7a was observed in first instar larvae. Cshsp19. 8 and Cshsp21. 7b were both upregulated dramatically by heat and cold, and Cshsp21. 5 could be induced by cold stress. Neither Cshsp21. 4 nor Cshsp21. 7a responded to heat or cold. These results demonstrated that different Csshsps play distinctive roles in the regulation of the physiological activities in C. suppressalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diapause is a complex and dynamic process. Chilo suppressalis, an important rice pest in Asia enters facultative diapause as larvae. Our results demonstrated in Yangzhou, China, diapause was initiated between September 4 and 12, 2010. After diapause termination, C. suppressalis remained in quiescence in the field for as long as three months. The average time between collection of field larvae of C. suppressalis and their pupation decreased as the season progressed from fall to next spring. Unexpectedly, the pupated ratio of female to male in the initiation of diapause was 0.22. The abundance of hsp90, hsp70, hsp60 and CsAQP1 all peaked on January 8 or 15, 2011. Nitric oxide (NO) is a secondary messenger that is positively correlated with the diapause of C. suppressalis. Among several geographically separated populations of C. suppressalis, there are no significant differences in the mRNA levels of hsp70, hsp60 or CsAQP1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecule-based electrorheological (ER) materials with luminescence property, based on β-cyclodextrin [(COH), β-CD] inclusion compounds between β-CD (host) and the rare earth (RE) (RE=Tb, Eu) complex (guest), have been synthesized as a novel type of ER materials using β-CD, Tb(NO), Eu(NO), sulphosalicylic acid (CHOS·2HO, SSA) and m-phthalic acid (CHO, MPA) as original materials. The composition, ER performance, luminescence property and dielectric property of the materials have been studied. The results show that the rare earth complex in the cavity of β-CD may enhance the ER performance of β-CD, and the complex (Tb-SSA) of Tb can improve more effectively the ER activity of β-CD than that (Eu-MPA) of Eu among both of the complexes. The composition and structure are the dominant factors in improving the ER effect. The fluorescence intensity, fluorescence lifetime and emission quantum yield of the particle materials and their suspensions in silicone oil have been tested, and fine luminescence performance has been detected. The material with ER activity and luminescence performance is a novel multifunctional material which would have wide application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was designed to evaluate DNA methylation and the expression of DNA methyltransferases (Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b and Dnmt3L) in metaphaseII (MII) oocytes and the DNA methylation of pre-implantation embryos during mouse aging to address whether such aging-related changes are associated with decreased reproductive potential in aged mice. Methods: Oocytes (MII) from 6 to 8 weeks old female mice are referred to as the 'young group'; oocytes from the same group that were maintained until 35-40 weeks old are referred to as the 'old group.' The oocytes were fertilized both in vitro and in vivo to obtain embryos. The DNA methylation levels in the oocytes (MII) and pre-implantation embryos were assessed using fluorescence staining. The expression levels of the Dnmt genes in the oocytes (MII) were assessed using Western blotting. Results: The DNA methylation levels in the oocytes and pre-implantation embryos (in vivo and in vitro) decreased significantly during the aging of the mice. The expression levels of all of the examined Dnmt proteins in the old group were lower than young group. Both the cleavage and blastocyst rate were significantly lower in the oocytes of the older mice (69.9 % vs. 80.9 %, P < 0.05; 33.9 % vs. 56.4 %, P < 0.05). The pregnancy rate of the old mice was lower than that of the young mice (46.7 % vs. 100 %, P < 0.05). The stillbirth and fetal malformation rate was significantly higher in the old group than in the young group (17.2 % vs. 2.9 %, P < 0.05). Conclusions: The decreased expression of Dnmt1, Dnmt3a, Dnmt3b and Dnmt3L in oocytes (MII) and the change of genome-wide DNA methylation in oocytes and pre-implantation embryos due to aging may be related to lower reproductive potential in old female mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The procedure of preadipocyte differentiation to mature adipocytes is controlled by various transcription factors; these factors activate and regulate the fat formation genes through a series of complex steps. To investigate the time line of gene expression of several potential genes and make a observation, we isolated preadipocytes from subcutaneous adipose tissue of 2-d old piglets by collagenase digestion approach and extracted total RNA from the cells, then measured mRNA expression level of AdipoR1, IGFBP3, PPARγ, PPARGC1, FASN, FABP4, and C/EBPα at 10 different time points via real-time quantitative RT-PCR method. The results revealed that the expression of AdipoR1 and IGFBP3 was both upregulated to the maximum at 8 h, the expression of PPARγ, PPARGC1, FASN, FABP4, and C/EBPα was all upregulated to the maximum at 9 d, and these genes were in significant correlation. We present tentatively conclusions that, the gene expression of AdipoR1 and IGFBP3 is upregulated in the early stage of preadipocyte differentiation, and the gene PPARγ, PPARGC1, FASN, FABP4, and C/EBPα reached a high expression in the later period. The expression variation tendency of these genes suggests that they may influence on each other in a sort of way. However, the specific mechanism that AdipoR1, IGFBP3, PPARγ, and the related genes how to cooperate or interact with each other still remains to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis of >100° via posterior-only surgery with strong halo-femoral traction and posterior wide release. From December 2003 to August 2006, 121 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were treated in our hospital; among them, 29 patients with curves over 100° were included in this study. From December 2003 to June 2005, group A included the first 12 patients who underwent combined anterior release followed by two-week halo-femoral traction and then posterior instrumentation. From July 2005 to August 2006, 17 patients in group B underwent posterior surgery alone with strong halo-femoral traction and posterior wide release. All of the patients were followed-up for a minimum of 31 months (mean, 36 months; range, 31-41 months). There were no severe complications. All of the patients achieved bony fusion without instrumentation breakage or pseudarthrosis. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in gender, age, type of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, preoperative coronal major curve values, major curve flexibility, or final follow-up major curve correction rate. The average operative time, blood loss and hospital stay in group B were less than those in group A. In adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with Cobb >100°, posterior-only surgery with strong halo-femoral traction and posterior wide release can provide comparable curve correction with shorter operative time, less blood loss and shorter hospital stay when compared to combined anteroposterior surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The piggyBac transposon has been long used to integrate foreign DNA into insect genomes. However, undesirable transgene expression can result from random insertions into the genome. In this study, the efficiency of chimeric Gal4- piggyBac transposase in directing integration onto a DNA target plasmid was evaluated in cultured silkworm Bombyx mori Bm-12 and fruit fly Drosophila Schneider 2 (S2) cells. The Gal4- piggyBac transposase has a Gal4 DNA-binding domain (DBD), and the target plasmid has upstream activating sequences (UAS) to which the Gal4 DBD can bind with high affinity. The results indicate that, in the Bm-12 and S2 cells, transpositional activity of Gal4- piggyBac transposase was increased by 4.0 and 7.5 times, respectively, compared to controls, where Gal4-UAS interaction was absent. Moreover, the Gal4- piggyBac transposase had the ability of directing piggyBac element integration to certain sites of the target plasmid, although the target-directing specificity was not as high as expected. The chimeric piggyBac transposase has the potential for use in site-directed transgenesis and gene function research in B. mori. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a novel kind of compound permanent magnet synchronous machine (CPMSM), which is applicable in low-speed and high-torque situations. We first explain the structure of the CPMSM. Based on theoretically deducing the calculation formulae of the CPMSM electromagnetic parameters, we analyze the operating characteristics of the CPMSM, and obtain the power-angle curves and working curves. The no-load magnetic field distribution and the cogging torque are analyzed by applying the finite element method of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic fields, to determine the no-load leakage coefficient and the waveform of the cogging torque. Furthermore, the optimal parameters of the permanent magnet for reducing the cogging torque are determined. An important application target of the CPMSM is in direct-drive pumping units. We have installed and tested a directdrive pumping unit in an existing oil well. Test results show that the power consumption of the direct-drive pumping unit driven by CPMSM is 61.1% of that of the beam-pumping unit, and that the floor space and weight are only 50% of those of a beam-pumping unit. The noise output does not exceed 58 dB in a range of 1 m around the machine when the machine is 1.5 m from the ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice water weevil (RWW) Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) is an invasive insect pest of rice Oryza sativa L. in China. Little is known about the interactions of this weevil with indigenous herbivores. In the present study, adult feeding and population density of the weevil, injury level of striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and pink stem borer Sesamia inferens (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) to rice, as well as growth status of their host plants were surveyed in a rice field located in Southeastern Zhejiang, China, in 2004 with the objective to discover interspecific interactions on the rice. At tillering stage, both adult feeding of the weevil and injury of the stem borers tended to occur on larger tillers (bearing 5 leaves) compared with small tillers (bearing 2–4 leaves), but the insects showed no evident competition with each other. At booting stage, the stem borers caused more withering/dead hearts and the weevil reached a higher density on the plants which had more productive tillers and larger root system; the number of weevils per tiller correlated negatively with the percentage of withering/dead hearts of plants in a hill. These observations indicate that interspecific interactions exist between the rice water weevil and the rice stem borers with negative relations occurring at booting or earlier developmental stages of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electroenzymatic glucose sensor based on a simple enzyme immobilization technique was constructed and tested. The glucose sensor measures glucose concentrations as changes of oxygen concentrations induced by enzymatic reactions. The immobilizing procedure was developed with the purpose of producing wearable biosensors for clinical use. Two types of biocompatible polymers, 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) copolymerized with dodecyl methacrylate (PMD) and MPC copolymerized with 2-ethylhexyl methacrylat, were compared as a sensitive membrane of biosensors. The PMD enzyme membrane had a better response time. Linearity, reproducibility, effect of the concentrations of immobilized enzyme and drifts of sensor characteristics in long-term tests were also investigated. The linear characteristics were confirmed with glucose concentration from 0.01 to 2.00 mmol/l, with a coefficient of determination of 0.9999. The average output current for 1 mmol/l and the standard deviation were 0.992 and 0.0283 μA. Significant changes in the sensor's characteristics were not observed for 2 weeks when it was kept in a refrigerator at 4 °C. Because of the simple procedure, the enzyme immobilization method is not only useful for wearable devices but also other devices such as micro total analysis systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The present paper summarizes the results from a long-term experiment setup in 1980 in the Taihu Lake region, China, to address the yield sustainability, the dynamic changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, and soil fertility in the rice–wheat ecosystem. Treatments in three replicates comprising manure-treated and chemical fertilizer-treated groups (two factors), each having seven sub-treatments of different combinations of inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and rice straw, were randomly distributed. Results showed that the treatments of manure (pig manure from 1980 to 1996 and oil rape cake thereafter) N P K (MNPK) and chemical fertilizer N P K (CNPK) produced the highest and the most stable yields for both rice and wheat within the respective fertilizer treatment group. Potassium fertilization was necessary for yield sustainability in the ecosystem. Treatments of straw (as rice straw) N (CRN) and manure straw N (MRN) produced more stable yield of rice but less stable of wheat. It was therefore recommended that straw should be only incorporated during the rice season. SOC contents in all treatments showed increasing trends over the period, even in the control treatment. Predicted SOC in chemical fertilizer-treated plots (mostly yet attainable) ranged from 16 to 18 g C kg−1, indicating the high carbon (C) sequestration potential of the soil as compared to the initial SOC. SOC in manure- or straw-treated plots ranged from 17 to 19 g C kg−1, which had been attained roughly 10 years after the experiment was initiated. Nutrient balance sheet showed that there was P surplus in all P-treated plots and a steady increase in Olsen-P over a 24-year period in 0–15 cm soil, which contributed little to crop yield increases. It was therefore suggested that P fertilization rate should be decreased to 30–40 kg P ha−1 year−1. Comparison of yields among the treatments showed that wheat was more responsive to P fertilizer than rice. Thus P fertilizer should be preferably applied to wheat. Soil pH decrease was significant over the 24-year period and was not correlated with fertilizer treatments. The overall recommendation is to incorporate straw at 4,500 kg ha−1 year−1 during the rice season only, with additional 190 kg N ha−1 year−1, 30–40 kg P ha−1 year−1 mainly during the rice season, and 150–160 kg K ha−1 year−1. Further research on the unusual P supply capacity of the soil is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, has two generations in southern Zhejiang, China. To determine oogenesis in first-generation females (summer females) and its relations to temperature, females were collected from a rice field in early and mid-July and reared on young rice plants at 28, 31 and 34°C in the laboratory. Percentage of females having oocytes, number of oocytes of different stages (stage-I, from early previtellogenesis to middle vitellogenesis; stage-II, late vitellogenesis; and mature-oocyte stage), and length of ovarioles were determined every 10 d of feeding. At each temperature, oogenesis took place in over 40% of females after 20–40 d of feeding, but 0.0–3.3 stage-I, 0.0–0.8 stage-II and 0.0–1.1 mature oocytes were observed at each observation date. Temperature had significant effect on number of stage-I oocytes but not on number of stage-II and mature oocytes in early July females; temperature had no significant effect on number of oocytes of either stage in mid-July females. Conclusively, in southern Zhejiang, summer L. oryzophilus females have great potential to become reproductive on rice, but their oogenesis activity is very low, with the overall procedures little affected by temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We initiate the study of signed majority total domination in graphs. Let G = (V, E) be a simple graph. For any real valued function f: V ? R and S V, let . A signed majority total dominating function is a function f: V ? {-1, 1} such that f(N(v)) = 1 for at least a half of the vertices v ? V. The signed majority total domination number of a graph G is = min{f(V): f is a signed majority total dominating function on G}. We research some properties of the signed majority total domination number of a graph G and obtain a few lower bounds of . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]