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In this experiment, the novel color developing agent 4-nitroazobenzenesalicylidene fluorescence ketone was used as raw material to determine Sn(IV) by coordination fluorescence method. At the maximum excitation and emission wavelengths (λex/λem= 455 nm/552 nm), the Sn(IV) concentration in the range of 1.50–3.50 µg/mL showed a good linear relationship with the relative fluorescence intensity. The optimum experimental conditions and possible reaction mechanism were studied. The linear regression equation is ΔF= 83.4032–19.7658ρ(µg/mL), r= 0.9992. The detection limit was 0.0771 µg/mL andKa= 3.66 × 104M−1. After shielding the interfering ions, trace amounts of Sn(IV) were detected in synthetic water samples, laboratory wastewater, and canned asparagus. The recoveries were 101.64%, 99.42% and 103.48%, respectively. Satisfactory results were obtained.

This article discusses the current AI research being conducted at Mississippi State University in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. The faculty members are applying AI, machine learning, and deep learning to various agricultural applications. The research includes topics such as robotic manipulators for agricultural operations, optical remote sensing for agriculture, spectroscopic sensing of soils and plants, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and robotics for agriculture, and autonomous systems for precision agriculture. The researchers believe that AI has the potential to greatly benefit agriculture and food security by utilizing large datasets and making accurate predictions and decisions based on complex data. [Extracted from the article]

OBJECTIVE--The aim of this study was to determine the influence of birth weight, a marker of fetal growth, on the development of later impaired glucose metabolism throughout the life span [...]

The end of the millennium brought with it a boom in Euromarket securitization. It was not only the scale of cross-border deals that impressed, but also the more complicated structures [...]

This article compares the two policy narratives that have recently become prominent among Chinese political and expert circles regarding the Sino-Russian relationship: "no limits" and "endogenous drives". While the two policy discourses convey a certain degree of internal tension, they converge on portraying Sino-Russian relations as operating on a level distinct, and higher than that of the "axis of convenience" or the "revisionist challenger to liberal order" conceptualizations of the relationship that are prevalent in Western discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACTApplied a non-radical non-oriented Slack Based Measure (SBM) model of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to measure the linkage efficiency between the two sectors from 2009 to 2016. The paper analyzes the current situation of manufacturing and logistics efficiency, presents a way to improve the linkage efficiency of manufacturing and logistics industry, and using Tobit regression to analyze the environmental factors that affect the linkage efficiency. The results show that: Totality, the two industries in the three northeast provinces show a steady development trend in the period from 2009 to 2016, but the development of the two industries in northeast China is still insufficient. Unexpected pollutant output is the main reason for the decline of manufacturing efficiency in the regions. The redundancy of input factors is the main reason that affects the efficiency decline of the logistics industry. The results of Tobit regression analysis show that the investment of science and technology and opening to the outside world have a positive influence on the efficiency of the two industries, and government consumption has a negative effect on the efficiency of the two industries. This is to correctly understand and grasp the status of two industry linkage development in three northeast provinces. And it provides a certain basis for the development policy of the two-industry linkage development.Implications: Due to the availability of data, reference to the relevant achievements of the research on the linkage between manufacturing industry and logistics industry. The transportation industry, warehousing, and postal and telecommunications industry data are generally used as logistics industry data. Manufacturing data replaced by industrial data. The manufacturing industry is the core industry in the industrial system. Its output value accounts for more than 90% of industrial output value, so it can reflect the development trend of the manufacturing industry in general.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is a commonly detected cancer worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is emerging as an important risk factor affecting SCCHN prognosis. Therefore, identification of HPV status is essential for effective therapies in SCCHN. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of HPV-associated RNA biomarkers for SCCHN. The clinical data, survival data, and RNA-seq data of SCCHN were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Before the differential expression analysis, the heterogeneity between the 2 groups (HPV+ vs HPV−) of samples was analyzed using principal component analysis. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HPV+ and HPV− SCCHN samples were analyzed using the R edgeR package. The Gene Ontology functional annotations, including biological process, molecular function and cellular component (CC), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes And Genomes pathways enriched by the DEGs were analyzed using DAVID. The obtained matrix was analyzed by weighed gene coexpression network analysis. A total of 350 significant DEGs were identified through differential analysis, and these DEGs were significantly enriched in functions associated with keratinization, and the pathway of neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Moreover, 72 hub genes were identified through weighed gene coexpression network analysis. After the hub genes and DEGs were combined, we obtained 422 union genes, including 65 survival-associated genes. After regression analysis, a HPV-related prognostic model was established, which consisted of 8 genes, including Clorf105, CGA, CHRNA2, CRIP3, CTAG2, ENPP6, NEFH, and RNF212. The obtained regression model could be expressed by an equation as follows: risk score = 0.065 × Clorf105 + 0.012 × CGA + 0.01 × CHRNA2 + 0.047 × CRIP3 + 0.043 × CTAG2–0.034 × ENPP6 − 0.003 × NEFH − 0.068 × RNF212. CGA interacted with 3 drugs, and CHRNA2 interacted with 11 drugs. We have identified an 8 HPV-RNA signature associated with the prognosis of SCCHN patients. Such prognostic model might serve as possible candidate biomarker and therapeutic target for SCCHN.

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The excess arsenic content in groundwater sources threatens more than 50 million people worldwide. Current water treatment projects use polysulfone nanofiltration membranes (NFM). However, the inherent hydrophilicity of polysulfone nanofiltration membranes causes the membrane fouling problem. This study addresses this problem by improving the hydrophilic and anti-pollution properties by doping graphene oxide (GO) particles in polysulfone(PSF) membranes. Microstructure, morphology, and hydrophilicity of PSF/GO membranes were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscope (FEFEM), contact angle, and BET surface area analysis. X-ray diffraction (XRD), zeta potential, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the results of the phase structure and element distribution. Permeation tests and adsorption of arsenic experiments were used to study the filtration performance of PSF/GO membranes. The results showed that PSF/GO with high porosity enlarged the specific surface area significantly. The contact angle decreased by only about 7 °. Still, the water flux increased from 33.26L/m2/h to 183.62L/m2/h, which weakened the effect caused by membrane contamination of the arsenate solution and GO doping on the arsenate adsorption rate of PSF/GO nanofiltration membrane was discussed. The results showed that solution pH was crucial in As (V) adsorption onto PSF/GO and obtaining higher adsorption capacity at higher pH. In an alkaline environment, The adsorption rate increased from 26.71% of pure PSF fiber membrane to 79.83%.

Objective To analyze the pathogenic community diversity of dental caries patients from Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han Chinese ethnic groups.Methods Forty saliva samples were collected from the following patients with dental caries: Tu from Huzhu County (n = 10), Hui from Ping’an County (n = 10), Han from Xining city (n = 10), and Tibetan from Yushu (n = 10). High-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes (V3-V4) was performed using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing platform.Results Based on 97% similarity clustering, operational taxonomic units of Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han ethnic groups were 181, 210, 38, and 67, respectively. In Tu patients, 11 phyla, 19 classes, and 89 genera were identified, compared with 13 phyla, 21 classes, and 113 genera in Hui patients, two phyla, four classes, and 21 genera in Tibetan patients, five phyla, nine classes, and 34 genera in Han patients, and four phyla, five classes, and 12 genera from the control group. The main pathogens of dental caries included Veillonella, Aggregatibacter, Leptotrichia, Bacteroides, Granulicatella, Streptococcus, and Prevotella.Conclusion The pathogenic microorganisms of dental caries differ greatly among Tu, Hui, Tibetan, and Han ethnic groups. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the effective prevention and treatment of dental caries in different Chinese populations.

The article focuses on maintaining data warehouses over changing information sources. It discusses the task of integrating data from different sources to serve it up to users. A need is felt for a suitable integration tools that allows the users to make effective use of distributed and diverse data sets. Data warehousing offers higher availability and better query performance as all information can be retrieved from a single location. The data warehouse store is a centralized repository that must support complex decision support queries at high performance. A data warehouse store utilizes relational database technology due to the maturity of this technology. For this reason, there is a wrapper associated with each information source connecting the source to the system. The wrapper is in charge of the translation between the native model of the source to the common model of the data warehousing system. Integrating data from dynamic information sources raises new challenges in the maintenance and evolution of data warehouse systems. Given that sources are dynamic, algorithms must be developed for the evolution of the metaknowledge itself to continue to correctly reflect the underlying information space.

A new kind of electrophilic alkynylthiolating reagent, called N-alkynylthio phthalimide, is designed and synthesized herein. This electrophilic sulfenylating reagent can be easily prepared in three steps from commercially available phthalimide and corresponding silver acetylide. Furthermore, the N-alkynylthio phthalimides are demonstrated to be efficient alkynylthio transfer reagents that can react with various C-nucleophiles, including β-ketoesters, aryl boronic acids, and Grignard reagents to afford a diverse range of alkynyl thioethers under mild conditions.

The BP neural network PID algorithm torque distribution control strategy for electric vehicle with in-wheel motor is proposed, in which the constraint conditions of motor torque characteristic and road adherence are taken into concerned. The model-matching control is adopted using double parameters of yaw rate and body slip angle which is adjusted according to weight factor. In addition, the more effective 3-freedom vehicle model is implemented to determine the desired vehicle yaw rate and body slip angle by considering the variation of the tire lateral slip stiffness which is affected by wheel vertical load transfer when vehicle is accelerating and steering. The simulation results show the effectiveness of the torque distribution control strategy. The driver’s driving task is performed in the way that vehicle high dynamic performance is satisfied under the condition of ensured vehicle stability.

Based on existing three‐dimensional (3‐D) thunderstorm electrification and discharge model, this work coupled with a classical parameterization scheme of aerosol activation is used to simulate a case of tropical convection in Changchun. The study shows that the change of aerosol concentration has an important influence on the microphysics, electrification and discharge processes of thunderstorm clouds. The results show that: (1) As the aerosol concentration increases in the polluted thunderclouds, the increase of the number of cloud droplets and the updraft cause the increase of the number of ice crystal and graupel, but the decrease of the scale; (2) Compared to the clean thunderclouds, the non‐induced electrification process is weak, while the induction electrification process is strong, and the duration of electrification become longer in polluted thunderclouds; (3) The first charge time of the polluted thunderclouds delays, but the total lightning frequency increases and duration is longer. Meanwhile, the frequency of the cloud‐to‐ground flash in the polluted thunderclouds increases, and the increase of the positive cloud‐to‐ground flash is more obvious.

Hearing impairment, or deafness (in its most severe form), is one of the most common human sensory disorders. There have been several reports of autosomal dominant mutations in the POU4F3gene, which is associated with non-syndromic hearing loss. In this study, we identified a novel heterozygous mutation (c.602delT, p.L201fs) in the gene POU4F3by taking advantage of whole-exome sequencing, which was validated by Sanger sequencing and completely co-segregated within a large hearing impaired Chinese family. We have focused on this pedigree since 2002, and we have mapped a deafness locus named DFNA42 (which has been renamed DFNA52, OMIM entry 607683) via a genome-wide scan. Furthermore, we analyzed this mutational variant and found that it was located at the beginning of the first functional domain of POU4F3, which could theoretically impair the function of POU4F3. We have identified a novel frameshift mutation in the POU4F3gene. Further functional studies of variants of this specific gene are needed to illustrate the pathogenic mechanism(s) that underlie hearing impairment.

Biological matrices differ significantly in their composition and in the nature and relative abundance of common components such as phospholipids. These differences can have substantial effects on LC-MS/MS methods. In addition to typical considerations such as removal of chromatographic interferences, minimising ion suppression or disrupting protein binding, more subtle differences between matrices often require matrix-specific modifications that are not always obvious. This manuscript details the extraction and analysis of THC, THC-OH and THC-COOH from plasma, oral fluid (OF), whole blood and urine using a novel solid-phase extraction sorbent in a µElution format, followed by direct analysis by UHPLC-MS/ MS. Matrix-appropriate sample pretreatment, SPE protocol refinement and chromatographic column choice were all investigated and optimised to ensure consistent analyte recoveries and to minimise the specific matrix effects arising from the diverse matrices analysed. In addition to the discussion of matrix specific modifications, the final method for urinary cannabinoids is compared to a pre-existing validated forensic toxicology method in the analysis of a set of authentic urine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusariumhead blight (FHB) caused byFusarium graminearumis a devastating disease that results in extensive yield losses to wheat and barley. A green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing plasmid pRP22-GFP was constructed for monitoring the colonization of two biocontrol agents,Brevibacillus brevisZJY-116, on the spikes of barley and their effect on suppression of FHB. Survival and colonization of theBrevibacillus brevisZJY-1 andBacillus subtilisZJY-116 strains on spikes of barley were observed by tracking the bacterial transformants with GFP expression. Our field study revealed that plasmid pRP22-GFP was stably maintained in the bacterial strains without selective pressure. The retrieved GFP-tagged strains showed that the bacterial population fluctuation accorded with that of the rain events. Furthermore, both biocontrol strains gave significant protection against FHB on spikes of barley in fields. The greater suppression of barley FHB disease was resulted from the treatment of barley spikes with biocontrol agents before inoculation withF. graminearum.

To investigate the inhibitory effect of Yiguanjian decoction (YD) on DNA damage in Concanavalin A (Con A)-induced liver injury mice model and to explain the possible mechanism.

AbstractThe characteristics of the summer precipitation diurnal cycle over South Asia and East Asia during 2001–13 are investigated based on the high spatiotemporal resolution estimates of the CPC (Climate Prediction Center) Morphing (CMORPH) technique. The results show that summer precipitation over South Asia and East Asia possesses a remarkable diurnal cycle, with obvious regional differences. Over the coastal areas, plateau, and high mountains, summer precipitation peaks in the late afternoon; while over low altitude areas, such as valleys, basins, and inshore seas, it peaks during midnight to early morning. In addition to these general features consistent with previous studies, the high resolution CMORPH technique can depict finer regional details, such as the less coherent phase pattern over a few regions. Besides, through comparative analysis of the diurnal cycle strength and precipitation fields, the authors find that for humid areas the summer precipitation diurnal cycle is especially significant over Southeast China, the Sichuan Basin, Hainan Province, Taiwan Province, the Philippines, and Indonesia. And it is relatively weak over the south of Northeast China, central East China, Yunnan Province, the central Indian Peninsula, and most oceanic areas. Comparisons between two satellite datasets — those of the CMORPH and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B42 products — are also presented. For summer precipitation and the main diurnal cycle features, the results from both products agree over most regions, except a few areas, e.g., the Tibetan Plateau.

Ningxia Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) is a traditional Chinese herb. In the present study, the nutritional and phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacities of Ningxia wolfberry tissues (fruit, pollen, leaf and flower) were investigated. As results, the contents of nutritional components in the different tissues were significantly different. The ratios of essential amino acids/total amino acids and ratios of essential amino acids/non-essential amino acids for the leaf, pollen and flower were all higher than the criteria provided by FAO/WHO. The pollen and the fruit contained highly unsaturated fatty acids. All the tissues were good sources of mineral elements, polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. Furthermore, all the tissues showed strong or moderate antioxidant activity. The results indicate that the Ningxia wolfberry pollen, leaf and flower can be a potential resource of nutrients for humans and animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a high-efficient travel mode in modern city, the metro can not only relieve the ground traffic pressure, but also become the exhibition hall of the urban culture showing us the soul and value of the city. Metro visual communication design of developed countries in the world is almost closely related to the origin of urban culture, then the metro culture with local specialties has been formed. Therefore, comparative study on status quo of metro visual communication design both at home and abroad can direct the integration and regeneration of urban metro visual communication design and urban culture of China, as well as the formation and development of the metro culture.

Total steroid saponins isolated from Dioscorea zingiberensis have shown a variety of beneficial bioactivities. However, there are no reports about their neuroprotective effects, until now. Therefore, in the present study, we explored the neuroprotective effects of the total steroid saponins from D. zingiberensis on rats against transient focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion and their underlying mechanisms. Healthy adult Sprague- Dawley rats were randomly assigned to six groups. After pretreatment with D. zingiberensis total steroid saponins intragastrically for six days, the rats were subjected to an ischemia injury by surgery on the middle cerebral artery occlusion for 90min. Compared to the ischemia-reperfusion group, the D. zingiberensis total steroid saponin group of rats, especially those given a 30-mg/ kg dose, showed not only a marked reduction in neurological deficit scores, cerebral infarct volume, and brain edema, but also an increase in neuron survival (Nissl bodies) in the hippocampal cornuammons 1 and cortex hemisphere of the ipsilateral ischemia. At the same time, the inflammatory cytokines in serum induced by themiddle cerebral artery occlusion were significantly decreased by the preadministration of D. zingiberensis total steroid saponins. Furthermore, the increase of caspase-3 was evidently reduced in the hippocampal cornuammons 1 and cortex of the hemisphere injured brain. Finally, the downregulating antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and upregulating proapoptotic Bax proteins were obviously suppressed. Taken together, the current findings suggest that D. zingiberensis total steroid saponins played a potential neuroprotective role against a severe injury induced by transient focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion in a rat experimental model, and this role may be mediated by its anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All aspects of our social activities and living are changing with current economic globalization, the web design is the fastest and most convenience way to transmit global information to the users through network. Meanwhile, with the development, web design has been more matured gradually focusing on individualization to show certain cultural contents. As a result, web designers in Wuhan City shall make an endless attempt on cultural innovation and pay more attention to the application and thinking of “Jiangcheng culture”.

The catalytic performance on HZSM-5/SAPO-34 catalyst in ethanol to propylene was tested in continuous-flow fixed-bed reactor. Coke on HZSM-5/SAPO-34 catalyst for ethanol to propylene was studied by O2-TPO, N2 isothermal adsorption–desorption and NH3-TPD.The result showed that the strong and medium acid sites were the active centers of coke deposition; Coke mainly deposited in mesoporous and some coke blocked microporous orifice; In the initial stage of reaction, the high yield of propylene may be benefited from coke deposition, which adjusted the acidity and structure of HZSM-5/SAPO-34.

Dark energy might interact with cold dark matter in a direct, nongravitational way. However, the usual interacting dark energy models (with constant w) suffer from some catastrophic difficulties. For example, the Q ∝ ρc model leads to an early-time large-scale instability, and the Q ∝ ρde model gives rise to the future unphysical result for cold dark matter density (in the case of a positive coupling). In order to overcome these fatal flaws, we propose in this paper an interacting dark energy model (with constant w) in which the interaction term is carefully designed to realize that Q ∝ρc at the early times and Q ∝ ρc in the future, simultaneously solving the early-time superhorizon instability and future unphysical pc problems. The concrete form of the interaction term in this model is Q = 3β..., where β is the dimensionless coupling constant. We show that this model is actually equivalent to the decomposed new generalized Chaplygin gas (NGCG) model, with the relation β = -αw. We calculate the cosmological perturbations in this model in a gauge-invariant way and show that the cosmological perturbations are stable during the whole expansion history provided that β > 0. Furtheimore, we use the Planck data in conjunction with other astrophysical data to place stringent constraints on this model (with eight parameters), and we find that indeed β > 0 is supported by the joint constraint at more than 1σ level. The excellent theoretical features and the support from observations all indicate that the decomposed NGCG model deserves more attention and further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to show that how a contactless power transmission system via electromagnetic (EM) resonantly coupling power transmission (RCPT) technology may be analyzed in-depth by using a detailed T-type two-port network model with leakage inductance variable. Design/methodology/approach – Through the introduction of coupling coefficient and quality factor, the influence of different physical parameters on the system performance is taken into consideration and validated by power transmission experiment. Findings – It is shown that system performance is mainly subject to coupling coefficient and quality factor from the two-port network model in this paper. Moreover, there are three working status of dynamic transmission, which are over coupling, critical coupling and under coupling. Originality/value – Two-port network model applied to practical RCPT system design considering impedance loss on resonators, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable tourism development in historic towns has received widespread attention, but the distribution pattern and layout rules of the tourism businesses in it are not clear. This study taking the ancient city of Pingyao as an example explores the distribution patterns and verifies the influence factors of the tourism businesses by a series of multivariate analyses. A spatial database of tourism businesses are established based on points of interest (POIs) data, including tourism attractions, tourism shopping, tourism catering, tourism entertainment, and tourism accommodation, totaling 1126 location information. Spatial distribution characteristics of tourism businesses are analyzed through the standard deviation ellipse and Getis-Ord Gi*. Street networks and tourism attractions are two factors that affect the distribution of tourism businesses and are verified by space syntax and tourist recommendations. The result shows that the priority location roads attract tourism attraction, tourism shopping, tourism catering, and tourism entertainment, except for tourism accommodation. Tourism attractions successively attract tourism shopping, tourism catering, and tourism entertainment, but there is no obvious influence on tourism accommodation. The influence characteristics of street networks and tourism attractions on the distribution of tourism businesses are summarized as ‘global’ and ‘local’, ‘select’ and ‘grade’, ‘stable’ and ‘changeable’. Three suggestions on the layout of tourism businesses in historic towns are put forward. The findings have important implications for both destination management and commercial business operation.

An inflationary model in the framework of noncommutative space-time may generate a nontrivial running of the scalar spectral index, but usually induces a large tensor-to-scalar ratio simultaneously. With the latest observational data from the Planck mission, we reexamine the inflationary scenarios in a noncommutative space-time. We find that either the running of the spectral index is tiny compared with the recent observational result, or the tensor-to-scalar ratio is too large to allow a sufficient number of e-folds. As examples, we show that the chaotic and power-law inflation models with the noncommutative effects are not favored by the current Planck data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet of things is a worldwide network which based on mass micro-devices, using the new generation as the backbone, and will be used in traditional and emerging industries. The possibility of seamlessly merging the real and the virtual world, through the massive deployment of embedded devices, opens up new exciting directions for both research and business. In this survey article, we provided an overview of the key issues such as security problems related to the development of IoT technologies and services.

This paper experimentally study on CH4 / air co-flow diffusion combustion on the upper surface of porous media packed beds. The flame height and flame shape were reconstructed from the upper and the side of the combustor. The influence of the height of the packed bed on the flame height and flame shape is reported. It is shown that the flame height decreases rapidly and the circular diameter increases rapidly with increase the height of the packed beds.

In recent years, the proportion of the wind power in the grid is increasing rapidly. In addition, the penetration of wind power in grid has been rising. It will lead adverse effect to grid, if the wind turbine off-grid during the fault of network. Wind power technology-leading countries have issued the quantitative standards of fault through which requires on-line operation .In this paper, the influence of wind turbines off-grid on the grid and turbines during the fault of grid is analyzed firstly. Meanwhile, the control objective of the low voltage ride through (LVRT) is proposed. Several types of LVRT technology for the Permanent Magnetic wind Power System are summarized and evaluated respectively. Finally, the developing direction of this technology is drawn from the above discussion.

Astilbin is a flavonoid compound isolated from the rhizome of Smilax china L. The effects and possible mechanisms of astilbin on hyperuricemia and nephropathy rats were elucidated in this study. Different dosages of astilbin (1.25, 2.5, and 5.0mg/kg) were administered to 10% fructose-induced hyperuricemic rats. The results demonstrated that astilbin significantly decreased the serum uric acid (Sur) level by increasing the urinary uric acid (Uur) level and fractional excretion of urate (FEUA) but not inhibiting the xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. In addition, kidney function parameters such as serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were recovered in astilbin-treated hyperuricemic rats. Further investigation indicated that astilbin prevented the renal damage against the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and also exerted a renal protective role by inhibiting formation of monosodium urate (MSU) and production of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and interleukin-1 (IL-1). These findings provide potent evidence for astilbin as a safe and promising lead compound in the development of a disease-modifying drug to prevent hyperuricemia and nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present a wide variety of mixed products with small batch sizes is one of the manufacturing modes in modern production. It is difficult to apply traditional Shewhart’s control charts efficiently and effectively in such environments. In this paper, we propose a t chart for monitoring a process which has the characteristics of not only being short run but also with mixed product. This new t chart is used to monitor the process mean for two illustrative examples and it is shown that this chart can work effectively in short run manufacturing for mixed product.

Terahertz radiation (0.1-10 THz) sits in the electromagnetic spectrum between microwave and mid infrared region. Imaging technologies utilizing this frequency range have recently attracted interests of many scientists considering their potential applications in various areas, such as non-invasive security screening, chemical identification, pharmaceutical and biological sensing. In this paper, we review recent advances and patents in Terahertz imaging technologies, especially, the progress of Terahertz imaging system integration and applications.

An allergenic protein from tatary buckwheat seeds, designated TBt, was purified by salting out, anion exchange chromatography and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Analysis by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and SEC showed that the allergenic protein was composed of two subunits linked by disulfide bonds, which we named TBa and TBb. TBa, TBb and TBt have estimated molecular weights of 24, 34 and 56 kDa, and isoelectric points of 6.85, 5.85 and 7.00, respectively. The immunological characteristics of the three proteins as analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that TBa and TBb have comporable IgE binding activity, both higher than that of TBt. Determination of sulfhydryl (-SH) and disulfide (-S-S-) groups in TBt showed that most cysteine residues exist as disulfide linkages rather than free -SH groups. We calculated that TBt has an -S-S- content of 1.978 M/M protein, indicating that TBt contains one disulfide bond and could be the precursor of a 24 kDa allergenic protein from tatary buckwheat seeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with lung cancer are at risk of radiation pneumonia (RP) after receiving radiotherapy. We established a prediction model according to the critical indicators extracted from radiation pneumonia patients.Materials and Methods: 74 radiation pneumonia patients were involved in the training set. Firstly, the clinical data, hematological and radiation dose parameters of the 74 patients were screened by Logistics regression univariate analysis according to the level of radiation pneumonia. Next, Stepwise regression analysis was utilized to construct the regression model. Then, the influence of continuous variables on RP was tested by smoothing function. Finally, the model was externally verified by 30 patients in validation set and visualized by R code.Results: In the training set, there was 40 patients suffered≥ level 2 acute radiation pneumonia. Clinical data (diabetes), blood indexes (lymphocyte percentage, basophil percentage, platelet count) and radiation dose (V15 > 40%, V20 > 30%, V35 >18%, V40 > 15%) were related to radiation pneumonia (P< 0.05). Particularly, stepwise regression analysis indicated that the history of diabetes, the basophils percentage, platelet count and V20 could be the best combination used for predicting radiation pneumonia. The column chart was obtained by fitting the regression model with the combined indicator. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the AUC in the development term was 0.853, the AUC was 0.656 in the validation term. And calibration curves of both groups showed the high stability in efficiently diagnostic. Furthermore, the DCA curve showed that the model had a satisfactory positive net benefit.Conclusion: The combination of the basophils percentage, platelet count and V20 is available to build a predictive model of radiation pneumonia for patients with advanced lung cancer.

We report a novel correlated background in the antineutrino detection using the inverse beta decay reaction. Spontaneous fissions and (α,n) reactions in peripheral materials of the antineutrino detector, such as borosilicate glass of photomultipliers, produce fast neutrons and prompt gamma rays. If the shielding from the material to the detector target is not thick enough, neutrons and gammas could enter the target volume and mimic antineutrino signals. This paper revisits the yields and energy spectra of neutrons produced in B(α,n)N and F(α,n)Na reactions. A Geant4 based simulation has been carried out using a simplified detector geometry for the present generation reactor neutrino experiments. The background rates in these experiments are estimated. If this background was not taken into account, the value of the neutrino mixing angle sin²2θ13 would be underestimated. We recommend that Daya Bay, RENO, Double Chooz, and JUNO, carefully examine the masses and radiopurity levels of detector materials that are close to the target and rich in boron and fluorine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six new eremophilane sesquiterpenes, including a novel nortrieremophilane carbon skeleton, were isolated from the roots of LIGULARIA VIRGAUREA. Their structures were elucidated as 3 ?,4 ?-epoxy-6 ?-(2'-methylacryloyl)oxy-8 ?-methoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8 ?,12-olide ( 1), 3 ?,4 ?-epoxy-6 ?-(2'-methylacryloyl)oxy-8 ?-ethoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8 ?,12-olide ( 2), 1 ?,10 ?-epoxy-6 ?-(2'-methylacryloyl)oxy-8 ?-methoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8 ?,12-olide ( 3), 1 ?,10 ?-epoxy-6 ?-angeloyloxy-8 ?-methoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8 ?,12-olide ( 4), 6 ?-methoxyeremophil-7(11)-en-8 ?,12-olide ( 5), and 5 ?-angeloyloxy-3a,4,5,6,7,7a-hexahydro-3a ?-methyl-1 H-indene-2,4 ?-dioic acid methyl ester ( 6) by spectral methods, including IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR techniques. All of compounds were evaluated for their IN VITRO cytotoxic activities against human hepatoma (SMMC-7721), human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60), and human hepatocyte (L-02) cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we describe a self-assembly approach for generation of nanostructured Au sponges with Au nanoparticles as starting building blocks. It is found that the hydrothermal condition is essential to detach surfactants and thus trigger the self-assembly of Au nanoparticles. The resultant Au sponges are comprised of finely branched nanowires whose diameters can be selected in the range of 15−150 nm. The sponge morphology can be further controlled by manipulating surfactant population, concentration of metallic nanoparticles, amount and type of alcohol solvent, process temperature and time, etc. In principle, this template-free approach can also be extended to large-scale three-dimensional organizations of other surfactant-capped transition/noble metal nanoparticles.

The article discusses the abstract of the article "Scalability of an ad hoc on-demand routing protocol in very large-scale mobile wireless networks," by Xin Zhang and George F. Riley, published in the February 2006 issue of "Simulation."

Abstract: A novel route for preparing PbWO4–TiO2 nanofilms on a glass substrate is firstly proposed. The collodion is used as a dispersant and film-forming agent. The nanofilms are characterized through SEM, XRD, TG/DTA, PL and IR, respectively. The results of XRD indicate PbWO4 particles with tetragonal scheelite structure and TiO2 particles with Anatase phase, and SEM shows they are well dispersed in the substrate. Compared with nanoparticles, when TiO2 nanoparticles are added in 5% ratio, the PL intensities at 395 nm of PbWO4 nanofilms are enhanced obviously. IR spectrum reveals a large absorption band between 750 and 870 cm−1, which is the W–O stretching vibration in WO4 tetrahedron.

Abstract: The reverse micelle system composed of four phases of Hexamethylene/Triton-100/n-pentanol/water (containing 1 ml 0.1 M Sb3+ or 1 ml 0.1 M S2−), which ratio is 28:3:1:1, is prepared. Sb2S3 quasi-nanospheres with diameters between 160 and 240 nm are synthesized by above reverse micelle soft-template system. The result shows that the fluorescence peaks have a blue shift about 19 nm when it is excited at 219 nm, and the UV–Vis absorption peaks shift about 453 nm (2.74 eV).

Terahertz process tomography (PT) is a new technology for multiphase flow measurement. T-ray PT prototype based on analysis of the T-ray's merits was proposed and an NIR PT simulation system was developed in this paper. The architecture, algorithm and characteristics of the simulation system were studied through experimental test. Evaluations of the simulation system performance and corresponding promotional approach were made. It was shown that the solution of simulation system could be adapted for THz PT technology, and that the experimental results proved that the simulation system itself is suitable for parameter measurement of two-phase flow.

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss moving-average process , where is a doubly infinite sequence of identically distributed negatively associated random variables with zero means and finite variances, and is an absolutely summable sequence of real numbers. We prove the complete moment convergence of under some suitable conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was designed to determine the effects of the recombinant adeno-associated virus vector containing sense CD151 gene (rAAV-CD151) and antisense CD151 gene (rAAV-antiCD151) on the migration of Tca8113 cell. Functional fragment of CD151 gene was amplified by RT-PCR, and inserted into the vector pAAV in the sense direction and antisense direction, respectively. The rAAV-CD151 and rAAV-antiCD151 were produced and the titers were determined by dot blot. The CD151, at protein level, was detected by Western blot. The Transwell chamber was used to detect the effects of the rAAV-CD151 and rAAV-antiCD151 on the tumor cell migration. The titers of the rAAV-CD151 and rAAV-antiCD151 were 2×1011pfu/ml and 1.0×1011pfu/ml, respectively. The expression of CD151 was increased by 108% in the cells transfected with rAAV-CD151 and decreased by 79% in the cells transfected with rAAV-antiCD151, as compared with non-transfected cells, respectively. The number of the migrating cells was significantly increased in the cells transfected with rAAV-CD151 (93.56±11.59) and decreased in the cells transfected with rAAV-antiCD151 (24.00±4.36) as compared with non-transfected and rAAV-GFP transfected cells (53.00±6.56 and 46.00±7.00,P<0.05). It is an important molecular mechanism of the tumor metastasis that the overexpression of CD151 promotes the migration of the tumor cells. The rAAV-antiCD151 is a novel tool, which can reduce the expression of CD151 and inhibit the migration of the tumor cells, and brings us a new approach of anti-sene gene therapy targeted at CD151 in human carcinoma.

We have grown resonant tunnelling diodes (RTDs) with different sized emitter prewells and without a prewell. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of them in different magnetic fields were investigated. Two important phenomena were observed. First, a high magnetic field can destroy the plateau-like structure in the I–V curves of the RTD. This phenomenon is ascribed to the fact that the high magnetic field will demolish the coupling between the energy level in the main quantum well and that in the emitter quantum well or in the prewell. Secondly, the existence and size of the prewell are also important factors influencing the plateau-like structure.

A gravity-insensitive mutant was isolated from rice (Oryza sativaL. cv. Zhonghua 11) transformed byAgrobacterium tumefaciens. The mutant’s shoot growth (prostrate growth) was insensitive to gravity; whereas root growth displayed a normal positive gravitropism. Histological observation of root caps and leaf sheaths indicated that there was no significant difference in the number and size of amyloplasts in cells of the mutant and cells of the wild type.