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At present, fiber reinforce plastic (FRP) sucker rod has the advantages of high tensile strength, light weight and strong corrosion resistance which gradually applied and popularized in offshore oil and gas field. However, the bonded joint of FRP sucker rod is particularly prone to break and fall off. Current research works mainly focus on the mechanical properties of FRP sucker rod and less consideration was given to adhesive performance. This paper proposed a finite element model (FEM) of bonded joint. The maximum predicted load of bonded joint was acquired and the axial distribution of adhesion stress and slip distance in the bonding interface was studied, which can provide theoretical basic of bonded joint and extend the service life of downhole pumping operation.

The global sharp decline of pollinators is one of the hot issues concerned by ecologists, mainly driven by global climate change, land use change, habitat fragmentation and harmful substances such as pesticides brought by industrial and agricultural production. In contrast, the potential impact of soil heavy metal pollution on pollinators is lack of in-depth evaluation. Heavy metals in soil would enter plant tissues, such as flowers,传粉昆虫急剧下降是当前全球生态学家最为关注的热点问题之一,全球气候变化、土地利用改变、生境破碎化以及工农业生产带来的有害物质如杀虫剂等均有重要影响。相比而言,土壤重金属污染对传粉昆虫的潜在影响缺乏深入评价。土壤重金属会进入植物组织如花部,在传粉过程中传递到传粉者体内,并通过影响传粉者行为改变植物雌雄适合度,全面梳理相关研究进展和存在的问题,有助于提升对重金属污染带来的生态后果的全面认识,了解动植物相互关系对环境变化的响应。本文结合前期的研究成果,从重金属在植物花部中的积累模式、花部重金属积累对植物雌雄适合度的影响、经花部报酬介导的重金属积累对蜂类传粉者传粉行为、生活史关键环节的影响等进行综述,以期为理解花部重金属积累对植物与传粉昆虫互惠关系的影响,进而拓展关于土壤重金属污染与传粉昆虫数量减少之间的内在联系的科学认识。.

Shen Gui capsule (SGC) has been demonstrated to have a significant treatment effect for coronary heart disease (CHD). Nevertheless, the holistic therapeutic mechanism of SGC in vivo remain poorly interpreted. We aimed to systematically explore the preventive effect and mechanism of SGC on CHD rats using plasma metabolomics strategy. Rat CHD model was established by left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (LAD). Echocardiography, histological analyses of the myocardium and biochemical assays on serum were used to confirm the successful establishment of the CHD model and therapeutic effects of SGC. Then, UHPLC-MS/MS-based plasma metabolomics was combined with multivariate data analysis to screen potential pharmaco biomarkers associated with SGC treatment in the LAD-induced rat CHD model. After SGC treatment, 12 abnormal metabolites considered as potiential pharmaco biomarkers recovered to near normal levels. These biomarkers were involved in several metabolic pathways, including fat and protein metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, androgen receptor signaling pathway, and estrone metabolism.These results suggested that SGC achieves therapeutic action on CHD via regulating various aspects of the body such as energy metabolism, neurological disturbances and inflammation, and thus plays a significant role in the treatment of CHD and its complications. The study is useful to systematically understand and analyze the mechanism of SGC's "multipie pathways, multiple levels, multiple targets" prevention and treatment of CHD.

Background Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (TNFR2) promotes tumor cell proliferation, activates immunosuppressive cells, and supports immune escape. However, its role in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been reported. Methods Quantitative real‐time PCR and Western blotting were used to evaluate TNFR2 in three NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1299, H1975) and normal lung epithelial cells (BEAS‐2B). TNFR2 was evaluated in 71 tumor tissues and 25 adjacent normal lung tissues by immunohistochemistry and analyzed with respect to clinical parameters. Results The messenger RNA and protein levels of TNFR2 were significantly higher in A549, H1299, and H1975 cells than in BEAS‐2B cells (P

Background Shen Gui capsule (SGC) is a new national drug in China that is widely used in clinical practice and has significant therapeutic effects on coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its active ingredients and mechanism of action for treating coronary heart disease remain unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to systematically explore the mechanism and efficacy of SGC in the “multicomponent-multitarget- multipathway” treatment for CHD using network pharmacology technology. Methods The potential active ingredients of SGC were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and screened by pharmacokinetic parameters. Their possible targets were predicted using the TCMSP and DrugBank database. The CHD-related targets were identified from Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), UniProt, and PharmGKB database. The compound-target-disease network was constructed using Cytoscape for visualization. Additionally, the protein functional annotation and identification of signaling pathways of potential targets were performed by Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis using the Metascape platform. Results The 61 active ingredients of SGC were found to regulate neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, estrogen signaling pathway and other pathways through 62 targets. SGC is involved in regulating the circulatory system, nervous system and immune system and other aspects of the body, and thus plays a significant role in the treatment of CHD and its complications, showing the mechanism of SGC's “multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway” prevention and treatment of CHD. In addition, three predictive components were first found to have potential biological activity by this method. Conclusion The studies we have performed successfully predict the effective components and potential targets of SGC in the prevention and treatment of CHD, which helped to systematically clarify its mechanism of action and provided a direction for future research on the modern mechanism of SGC in the treatment of CHD.

The presence of cleistogamous and chasmogamous flowers on the same plant individual is considered to represent a “mixed” reproductive strategy. If a cleistogamous species also exhibits clonal propagation, then competition for limited resources is assumed to exist among the three reproductive modes. To date, however, the relationships and interactions among cleistogamous, chasmogamous, and clonal modes of reproduction have received little attention. In this study, we performed manipulative experiments to investigate the interactions among these different types of reproduction in the perennial herbaceous plant species Pseudostellaria heterophylla. The results showed that 66.4%–87.6% of individuals produce chasmogamous flowers and that the fruiting rates of these flowers in each surveyed population were between 23.5% and 77.4%. Furthermore, we found that 8.3% of the individuals of this species show inbreeding depression. We also detected significant negative correlations between the production of chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers and between cleistogamous flower production and root tuber mass. However, chasmogamous flower production in an individual plant was found to have little influence on its subsequent clonal propagation. We propose that the plasticity of reproductive strategies observed in P. heterophylla is due to changes in the resource pool and resource allocation.

Plants growing in heavy-metal-rich soils can accumulate metals into their nectar. Nectar chemical composition can alter foraging behavior of floral visitors (including pollinators and floral antagonists) and further affect plant reproductive fitness. The role of nectar heavy metals in deterring pollinators (e.g., shortening foraging time) has been recently studied, but their effects on plant reproduction via changes in behaviors of both pollinators and floral antagonists (e.g., nectar robbers) are less understood. We experimentally manipulated four nectar heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, and Pb) in a native ornamental plant, Hosta ensata F. Maekawa, to investigate the effect of nectar metals on plant reproductive success. We also recorded nectar robbing as well as foraging time and visitation rate of pollinators to assess whether nectar metals could alter the behavior of antagonists and mutualists. Although metals in nectar had no significant direct effects on plant reproduction via hand-pollination, we detected their positive indirect effects on components of female fitness mediated by pollinators and nectar robbers. Matching effects on female plant fitness, nectar robbers responded negatively to the presence of metals in nectar, robbing metal-treated flowers less often. Pollinators spent less time foraging on metal-treated flowers, but their visitation rate to metal-treated flowers was significantly higher than to control flowers. Moreover, pollinators removed less nectar from flowers treated with metals. Our results provide the first direct evidence to date that heavy metals in nectar are capable of deterring nectar robbers and modifying pollinator foraging behavior to enhance plant reproductive fitness.

A combination between modification with porous layer and grafting of polyethyleneimine (PEI) on the inner face of capillary was for the first time developed for boronate affinity in-tube solid-phase microextraction (SPME) material to enhance the extraction capacity for cis-diol-containing polyphenols. The successful synthesis of boronate-decorated polyethyleneimine-grafted porous layer open tubular (BPPLOT) capillary was confirmed by scanning electron micrograph, Fourier transform-infrared spectra and absorption experiments. The porous layer, PEI and boronate affinity provided high specific surface area, more binding sites for boronate groups and specific selectivity of BPPLOT capillary, respectively. The maximum binding quantity of BPPLOT capillary greatly improved, and ranged from 143 to 170 μg m−1 for cis-diol-containing polyphenols (catechin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid and epicatechin). A green method based on boronate affinity in-tube SPME was developed for separation and enrichment polyphenols, and some parameters of in-tube SPME were optimized. After in-tube SPME, HPLC with UV detection was used for quantitative determination of polyphenols. Recoveries of standard spiked cis-diol-containing polyphenols from fruit juice were between 80.9% and 102%, with intra-day and inter-day coefficient of variation ranging from 4.8% to 7.3% and 5.0% to 8.6%, respectively. Conversely, recovery of non-cis-diol-containing ferulic acid was no greater than 3.0%. These results suggested that the BPPLOT capillary could effectively separate and enrich cis-diol-containing polyphenols from real samples.

Mistletoe, V. coloratum, produces mature fruits of two different colors. To characterize the fruit color dimorphism and its geographic variation, we surveyed 23 populations spanning 10 latitudes in Northeast China and recorded 41 species of host plant, 2896 individual hosts, and 6641 individual fruiting mistletoes. The proportions of different color-morphs were counted in each population. In addition, we examined the variation in spectral features of the two color-morphs within and between populations, finding more red-morphs at high latitudes and more yellow-morphs at low latitudes, instead of the expected 1:1 ratio. A strong correlation was detected between the proportions of color-morphs and latitude of the population. The spectral values of the red-morph fruits were significantly correlated with the latitude of the population, while the yellow-morph showed no such correlation. We propose two unexclusive hypotheses—the food-finding strategies hypothesis and the ecological fitting hypothesis—to explain the maintenance of fruit color dimorphism and geographic variation of patterns in this species.

A phytochemical study on the rhizomes of Smilax riparia led to the isolation of 16 saponin compounds, including nine furostanol steroidal saponins (1–4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14), six spirostanol steroidal saponins (5, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15) and one 20-carboxylic acid γ-lactone steroidal saponin (16). The structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic methods and comparison of their data with those reported in the literature. This is the first report of compounds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11–16 from the genus Smilax . The chemotaxonomic significance of the isolated compounds has also been summarized.

Single-event effects (SEEs) induced by medium-energy protons in a 28 nm system-on-chip (SoC) were investigated at the China Institute of Atomic Energy. An on-chip memory block was irradiated with 90 MeV and 70 MeV protons, respectively. Single-bit upset and multi-cell upset events were observed, and an uppermost number of nine upset cells were discovered in the 90 MeV proton irradiation test. The results indicate that the SEE sensitivities of the 28 nm SoC to the 90 MeV and 70 MeV protons were similar. Cosmic Ray Effects on Micro-Electronics Monte Carlo simulations were analyzed, and it demonstrates that protons can induce effects in a 28 nm SoC if their energies are greater than 1.4 MeV and that the lowest corresponding linear energy transfer was 0.142 MeV cm2 mg−1. The similarities and discrepancies of the SEEs induced by the 90 MeV and 70 MeV protons were analyzed.

Allopurinol is a commonly used medication to treat hyperuricemia and its complications. Pallidifloside D, a saponin glycoside constituent from the total saponins of Smilax riparia, had been proved to enhanced hypouricemic effect of allopurinol based on uric acid metabolism enzyme XOD. In this study, we evaluated whether Pallidifloside D (5mg/kg) enhanced hypouricemic effect of allopurinol (5mg/kg) related to others uric acid metabolism enzymes such as PRPS, HGPRT and PRPPAT. We found that, compared with allopurinol alone, the combination of allopurinol and Pallidifloside D significantly up-regulated HGPRT mRNA expression and down-regulated the mRNA expression of PRPS and PRPPAT in PC12 cells (all P

The occurrence of nectarlessness flowers in nectar‐producing plants is a common and stable phenomenon in many species, but their occurrence is still not well understood. The aim of this study is to examine a question from both the plant and pollinator perspectives: why do nectar‐producing species produce some nectarless flowers within a plant? We investigate the distribution patterns of nectarless flowers in natural populations and their variation among the populations and years in a spring‐flowering self‐incompatible perennial herb plant, Corydalis ambigua Chem. & Schlecht (Fumariaceae), we observed the foraging behavior of bumblebees to nectariferous and nectarless inflorescences. We also examined the differences in reproductive success between inflorescence types and the effect of nectar production on flower production of the next flowering season. The results indicated that the frequencies of nectarless flowers varied among inflorescences, individuals, and populations and between years. Plants can revise or keep their inflorescence types or change nectar production status in the next growing season. Bumblebees visited both types with equal frequency but different foraging behavior, which resulted in lower seed production in nectarless inflorescences. However, nectarless inflorescences may save more energy and result in larger bulbs, which produce more flowers in the next flowering season. We found that although nectarless flowers resulted in lower seed set in nectarless inflorescence or individuals, they could affect bumblebees’ foraging behavior and further promote the effective output of pollen. In addition, the resource savings could enhance plant reproductive success in the next flowering season.

In order to improve the efficiency of the single event effect (SEE) experiments on the 100 MeV proton cyclotron of China Institute of Atomic Energy, a binary energy degrader that can lower the initial proton energy to other values rapidly is designed for the 100 MeV protons provided by the accelerator. The energy degrader is comprised of six aluminum plates of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 mm at thickness, where the thickness of the latter plate is twice that of the previous one. We introduce the concept of relative thickness, which can also represent the order of the energy of the produced protons, and the state or operation of the degrader. The energy interval of 61 protons with energy above 9.69 MeV, produced by the degrader, is between 0.84 MeV and 4.09 MeV. And their energy straggling degree is less than 10%, and full width at half maximum of the scattering angle is less than 45 mrad. So the energy degrader basically meets the requirements of the proton SEE experiments. The influence of the initial proton energy accuracy of the protons directly provided by the accelerator on the residual energy after they have passed through the degrader is discussed. It is found that the lower the residual energy, the greater the influence is. In addition, the degrader is also suitable for protons in the 70－100 MeV energy range that the accelerator can directly provide, and more continuous energy can be obtained by using more plates designed with this method. The design method of the energy reducer proposed in this paper is simple and effective, and has a strong reference value.

Pallidifloside D, a saponin glycoside constituent from the total saponins of Smilax riparia, had been proved to be effective in hyperuricemic control. Allopurinol is a commonly used medication to treat hyperuricemia and its complications. In this study, we evaluated whether Pallidifloside D could enhance allopurinol's effects by decreasing the serum uric acid level in a hyperuricemic mouse model induced by potassium oxonate. We found that, compared with allopurinol alone, the combination of allopurinol and Pallidifloside D significantly decreased the serum uric acid level and increased the urine uric acid level (both P0.05), leading to the normalized serum and urine uric acid concentrations. Data on serum, urine creatinine and BUN supported these observations. Our results showed that the synergistic effects of allopurinol combined with Pallidifloside D were linked to the inhibition of both serum and hepatic xanthine oxidase (XOD), the down-regulation of renal mURAT1 and mGLUT9, and the up-regulation of mOAT1. Our data may have a potential value in clinical practice in the treatment of gout and other hyperuricemic conditions.

The roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia are called "Niu-Wei-Cai" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This botanical has been used in treating the symptoms of gout and other hyperuricemic-related conditions in TCM. Allopurinol is a commonly used medication to treat hyperuricemia and its complications. In this study, we evaluated whether Smilax riparia could enhance allopurinol׳s effects by decreasing the serum uric acid level in a hyperuricemic mouse model induced by potassium oxonate.We examined the effects of allopurinol (5mg/kg) administration alone or in combination with Smilax riparia saponins (SRS, 500 mg/kg) on the serum uric acid (SUA), serum creatinine (SCr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels in a hyperuricemic mouse model. The effects of allopurinol alone or those of allopurinol plus SRS on the XOD activities were measured. Western blot analysis was used to measure the levels of mURAT1, mGLUT9 and mOTA1 in the mice.Compared with allopurinol alone, the combination of allopurinol and SRS significantly decreased the serum uric acid level and increased the urine uric acid level (both P0.05), leading to the normalized serum and urine uric acid concentrations. Data on serum and urine creatinine and BUN supported these observations. The attenuation of hyperuricemia-induced renal dysfunction was linked to the inhibition of both serum and hepatic xanthine oxidase (XOD), the down-regulation of renal mURAT1 and mGLUT9, and the up-regulation of mOAT1.The anti-hyperuricemia effects of allopurinol are improved by Smilax riparia co-administration. The results were supported by the measurement of uric acid, creatinine, BUN, XOD, mURAT1, mGLUT9 and mOAT1. Our data may have a potential value in clinical practice in the treatment of gout and other hyperuricemic conditions.

Novel CuS–Bi2S3 heterojunctions were fabricated by a one-step solvothermal method using glycol as solvent and L-lysine as structure-directing reagent. By varying the sulfur sources, CuS–Bi2S3 composites of different morphologies were obtained. Novel microspheres composed of ultrathin nanosheets and radial nanoneedles were synthesized using potassium thiocyanate (PT) and thiourea (TU) as sulfur sources, respectively. Based on the experimental and characterization results, we proposed a step-by-step mechanism for the growth of the CuS–Bi2S3 hierarchical architectures based on the different release rates of S2− in the preparation process. It was observed that the CuS–Bi2S3 nanocomposites show high photocatalytic activity for the degradation of dyes (Rh-B and CV, as well as both of them in an aqueous solution) under visible light (λ ≥ 400 nm), showing performance much higher than those reported in the literature. In terms of sulfur precursors, the degradation rates can be arranged in the following order: TU > PT > ST > SS, and the optimal conditions for composite preparation are a crystallization time of 6 h and a Bi/Cu molar ratio of 10:1. The good photocatalytic activity is attributed to the matching of the CuS and Bi2S3 band-gap energies as well as the CuS/Bi2S3 interfaces that facilitate transfer and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. With high stability, the CuS–Bi2S3 composites have high potential for the photodegradation of dyes in water-treatment processes.

Metals and metalloids in soil could be transferred into reproductive organs and floral rewards of hyperaccumulator plants and influence their reproductive success, yet little is known whether non-hyperaccumulator plants can translocate heavy metals from soil into their floral organs and rewards (i.e., nectar and pollen) and, if so, whether plant reproduction will be affected. In our studies, summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L. cv. Golden Apple) was exposed to heavy-metal treatments during bud stage to investigate the translocation of soil-supplemented zinc, copper, nickel and lead into its floral organs (pistil, anther and nectary) and rewards (nectar and pollen) as well as floral metal accumulation effects on its reproduction. The results showed that metals taken up by squash did translocate into its floral organs and rewards, although metal accumulation varied depending on different metal types and concentrations as well as floral organ/reward types. Mean foraging time of honey bees to each male and female flower of squash grown in metal-supplemented soils was shorter relative to that of plants grown in control soils, although the visitation rate of honeybees to both male and female flowers was not affected by metal treatments. Pollen viability, pollen removal and deposition as well as mean mass per seed produced by metal-treated squash that received pollen from plants grown in control soils decreased with elevated soil-supplemented metal concentrations. The fact that squash could translocate soil-supplemented heavy metals into floral organs and rewards indicated possible reproductive consequences caused either directly (i.e., decreasing pollen viability or seed mass) or indirectly (i.e., affecting pollinators' visitation behavior to flowers) to plant fitness.

In this paper, the far field of GaN based laser diode is discussed by using numerical simulation method. Results show that, the divergence angle θ⊥of far field increased with the thickness of the waveguide layer as exponential decay and the divergence angle θ//of far field increased with the thickness of the waveguide layer. The aspect ratio of far field distribution increased with increasing the thickness of the waveguide layer as exponential decay.

The roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia, called ‘Niu-Wei-Cai’ in traditional Chinese medicine, are believed to be effective in treating the symptoms of gout. However, the active constituents and their uricosuric mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we isolated two steroidal glycosides, named smilaxchinoside A and smilaxchinoside C, from the total saponins obtained from the ethanol extract of the roots of S. riparia. We then examined if these two compounds were effective in reducing serum uric acid levels in a hyperuricemic mouse model induced by potassium oxonate. We observed that these two steroidal glycosides possess potent uricosuric activities, and the observed effects accompanied the reduction of renal mURAT1 and the inhibition of xanthine oxidase, which contribute to the enhancement of uric acid excretion and the reduction of hyperuricemia-induced renal dysfunction. Smilaxchinoside A and smilaxchinoside C may have a clinical utility in treating gout and other medical conditions caused by hyperuricemia. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The surface of hot-dip galvanized high strength low alloy (HSLA) steel easily occurs orange peel in the deformation process. On the other hand, the defects possess a specific directivity and sits at approximately a 45-degree angle to the sheet steel rolling direction. The microstructures and properties of steel specimens with the orange peel defects and the normal were analyzed, which results showed that their microstructures consist of ferrite and few granular pearlite. The yield point elongation of the HSLA steel resulted in the orange peel defects on the surface of sheet stamping and it is associated with skin rolling and stretch rolling process. Further studied on the fine microstructures by means of SEM and electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques, which was apparent for the defect steel that the orange peel defects were resulted from weak favorable {111} texture might be the key factors aggravating the formation of orange peel defects. It can be concluded that the formation of Cottrell atmospheres caused the yield point elongation by the interaction between dislocation and diffusive solute atoms as basic reason and the directivity of the orange peel defects was related with the LUDERS slip forming. The yield point elongation can be eliminated to avoid the orange peel defects beyond to 1.8% skin-rolling and stretch rolling method with an appropriate annealing technology.

The painting effect of products would be affected if the bright spots happen on the surface of electro-zinc coated sheet. The defects of bright spots are researched by macroscopical observation, scanning electronic microscope, X-ray energy spectrometer, metallography microscope and the electron back-scatter diffraction (EBSD). The result shows that the defects of bright spots are inherited by mixed-grains on the surface of primary steel sheet. It could be solved by controlling the annealing temperature of cold-rolled steel sheets, increasing the rolling reduction or strain rate when the sheets are rolled and uniform heat treatment to the original austenite grains in the continuous metal casting blank. Electro-zinc coated steel sheets are widely used in automobile and apparatus industry. The appearance is more instruct besides its mechanical and corrosion resistant property. Some tiny defects would affect the painting effect of products. Once the bright spot defects were found on the surface of electro-zinc coated steel sheet in some steel works and the appearance of electro-zinc coated steel sheets become bad. In order to finding how the bright spots happened and how to eliminate the defects in the end, rounded analysis is made by some inspections.

Varied nutrient sources can influence the plasticity of reproductive strategies in monoecious species differently. We examined the plasticity of sexual and clonal reproductive components in distinct nutrient sources in a monoecious species, Sagittaria graminea Michx. The results showed that for aboveground reproductive components, in rich-phosphorus and low-nitrogen conditions, the species produced more male flowers, whereas female flowers did not significantly increase in number compared to low-phosphorus and low-nitrogen conditions (control). In rich-nitrogen and low-phosphorus conditions, the species produced more flowers, particularly female, and more seeds, compared to the control conditions. In the rich-nitrogen and rich-phosphorus conditions, plants increased male flowers, female flowers, total flower number, synchronously, as well as seed production. For the belowground reproductive components, in the rich-phosphorus conditions, the plants produced bigger corms than in the rich-nitrogen and control conditions, which further enhanced their competitiveness against companion species. In rich-nitrogen conditions, the plants produced more medium and small corms, and relatively more and longer stolons, which were useful in expansion and invasion of more space. Furthermore, the species displayed trade-off relationships between the aboveground and belowground reproductive components in unbalanced nutrient conditions (add-N or add-P). However, in low nutrient levels (control) or in nutrient abundant (add-N + P) conditions, there were no significant trade-off relationships between the aboveground and belowground reproductive components, based on quantities.

Summary A pollination system whereby nectar resources are shared by nectar robbers, legitimate pollinators and nectar thieves, with interactions among the various types of flower visitors, was studied in a self-incompatible ephemeral perennial herb, Corydalis ambigua, in north-east China. We conducted a three-year study in nine populations, using a combination of observations, cages to exclude different combinations of flower visitors, and collars, on flowers to prevent nectar robbing. The results showed that queens of the bumblebee Bombus hypocrita sapporensis, a robberlike pollinator, had higher pollination efficiency in C. ambigua than the legitimate bee pollinators, Apis cerana and Anthophora melanognatha, which served as pollinators for inflorescences that had nectar thieves. Midges of the genus Scatopse (nectar thieves) frequently entered host flower spurs to forage for nectar and also mated there. Because nectar robbers avoided visiting nectar-thieved flowers or inflorescences, the nectar-thieved inflorescences experienced lower seed productivity. Furthermore, there was a negative relationship between the frequencies of nectar-thieved and nectar-robbed inflorescences in the nine natural populations investigated. Results of controlled experiments showed that the varied flower-visiting modes by different visitors influenced the plant's seed production. Synthesis. Although nectar theft is not uncommon, its consequences for pollination have not been well studied, particularly in the context of an interaction web. Our results demonstrate that, especially in systems that include a mix of legitimate pollinators, nectar robbers and nectar thieves, an experimental approach is required to dissect their various effects on plant fitness.

Effects of Si3+ and H+ irradiation on tungsten were investigated by internal friction (IF) technique. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis revealed that sequential dual Si+H irradiation resulted in more serious damage than single Si irradiation. After irradiation, the IF background was significantly enhanced. Besides, two obvious IF peaks were initially found in temperature range of 70~330 K in the sequential Si+H irradiated tungsten sample. The mechanism of increased IF background for the irradiated samples was suggested to originate from the high density dislocations induced by ion irradiation. On the other hand, the relaxation peak PL and non-relaxation peak PH in the Si+H irradiated sample were ascribed to the interaction process of hydrogen atoms with mobile dislocations and transient processes of hydrogen redistribution, respectively. The obtained experimental results verified the high sensitivity of IF method on the irradiation damage behaviors in nuclear materials.

Demographic variation of gender expression among four natural populations and one cultivated in a monoecious species, Schisandra chinensis (Schisandraceae), was studied over three consecutive years in a bid to clarify its sexual system and to better understand reproductive strategies in monoecious plants. We found that gender expression was more variable in the natural populations than in the cultivated one. In the natural populations, plant size was positively correlated with flower production (total, male and female) but not with the female ratio, whereas shade intensity was negatively correlated with the female ratio. In the cultivated population, plant age was positively correlated with flower production and the female ratio within an age range. Hence, gender expression and reproductive output in Schisandra chinensis was found to be age-dependent. The female ratio varied with age; young and old plants had lower female ratios. Our study confirmed the sexual system in the species to be monoecy as opposed to dioecy, and supported the hypothesis that monoecious plants can regulate gender expression by altering quantities of pistillate and staminate flowers at the individual plant level to maximize fitness.

The aim of this study was to explore the etiology and diagnosis of multiple intracranial hemorrhages (ICHs) following severe burns, with a retrospective review of 16 cases of severe burns further complicated by multiple ICHs. Using cranial CT scans of the brains, we identified that all patients presented with low platelet counts and coagulation abnormalities prior to intracranial hemorrhaging. Following conventional treatment and various supporting treatments, five cases succumbed following a progressive reduction in blood platelet levels and the ICHs were cured in 11 cases following the restoration of normal platelet levels. We conclude that low platelet counts and coagulation abnormalities may cause multiple ICHs following severe burns and early diagnosis and treatment is the key to successful treatment.

Objective To observe the expression changes in substance P (SP) and c-fos in rat spinal cord after acute millimeter-wave (MMW) exposure, and explore the mechanism of thermal hyperalgesia at the spinal level. Methods The back skin of SD rats was exposed to 35 GHz MMW (40W/cm2) for 0s (control group), 30s, 1min, or 3min. The corresponding segment of the spinal cord was taken at 0min, 5min, 10min, 1h and 3h after MMW irradiation for total RNA and protein extraction. The expressions of SP and c-fos mRNA were measured by real-time RT-PCR, and the expression of c-fos protein was detected by Western blotting. Results No significant difference was found between the control group and irradiation groups in SP and c-fos mRNA expression in the corresponding segment of spinal cord after MMW irradiation for 30s. After MMW irradiation for 1min, the SP and c-fos mRNA expressions in the corresponding segment of spinal cord increased significantly at 10min time point, and then decreased to the level of control group. After MMW irradiation for 3min, the SP and c-fos mRNA expression in the corresponding segment of spinal cord increased significantly at 5min, 10min and 1h time points, and decreased to the level of control group at 3h. No significant change was found in c-fos protein expression in the corresponding segment of spinal cord after MMW irradiation for 30s and 1min. After MMW irradiation for 3min, the c-fos protein expression in the corresponding segment of spinal cord increased significantly at 5min and 10min time point, and then decreased to the level of control group. Conclusion The increase of SP expression in rat skin after MMW irradiation may be related to the increase of SP and c-fos expressions in the corresponding segment of the spinal cord induced by thermal pain stimulation.

Nitrate radical (NO 3 ) is reported to be one of the initial decomposition products of RDX, while it has never been detected in experiment studies. This study for the first time theoretically investigated the reactions of H X CN ( X = 1,2) with NO 3 by computational chemistry methods. The calculated results demonstrate that the barrier height of H abstraction reaction of H 2 CN with NO 3 is close to 0 kcal mol −1 , implying that the reaction may be responsible for the disappearance of NO 3 during the decomposition process of RDX. The study encourages further experimental investigation in future.

The aging behaviors of irradiated tungsten by high energy Si3+ and H+ ions are mainly investigated using internal friction (IF) method combined with SEM technology. The SEM analysis indicates that more severe irradiation damage appears in the surface of simultaneous dual Si3+ + H+ irradiated specimen than that in the sequential dual Si3+ + H+ irradiated specimen or the single Si3+ irradiated specimens because of the synergistic effect of Si and H irradiation. The IF background of the irradiated sample is about one order of magnitude higher than that of the unirradiated sample owing to the existence of high density fresh dislocations induced by Si/H irradiation. In the sequential dual Si3+ and H+ irradiated specimen, the hydrogen Snoek-Ke-Koster (SKK) peak associated with the movement of dislocations dragging hydrogen atoms is observed and its height decreases with aging time at room temperature. As for the simultaneous dual Si3+ + H+ irradiated specimen, however, there is no such hydrogen SKK peak. The reason can be explained as hydrogen diffusion and pinning effect of dislocations.

Ultrasonic fatigue testing was conducted for 3000 MPa-class mould steel to investigate the fatigue behavior. The fatigue specimen is designed particularly due to the ultra-high strength. Ultrasonic fatigue tests are conduced using two types of specimen sizes and the test results are compared to investigate the size effect on the fatigue property.

Floral color changes are common in Weigela and the retention of post-change flowers has been interpreted as a mechanism to increase attractiveness from a long distance and shorten pollinators’ lingering time on the inflorescence(s) of individual plants. In the present study, we investigated the temporal pattern of floral color change and time required for pollen tube growth in the shrub Weigela japonica var. sinica. Over the 4-day anthesis, the color of the corolla in this species changes from white to red and the color cue changes from yellow to purple. The duration of both the white phase and the intermediate phase is approximately 1 day and the duration of the red phase is approximately 2 days. Our studies showed that color change in Weigela japonica var. sinica is age-dependent but independent of pollinator visits and flower pollination. Post-change flowers lost most of both the male and female residual reproductive ability and retained no rewards for pollinators. It took at least 3 days for a pollen tube to grow to the ovules and achieve fertilization. Thus, retention of post-change flowers is necessary for the completion of pollen tube growth. Our results indicate that the temporal pattern of color change and time requirement for pollen tube growth are most likely related events.

By employing atomistic simulations based on empirical potential and density-functional theory, we study the irradiation of single-walled carbon nanotubes with a carbon ion. According to different impact locations on the surface of the nanotube, the incident threshold energies of defects formation are predicted to be 19, 35 and 45 eV, respectively. Moreover, the displacement threshold energy is investigated by using the collision dynamical method, and a reasonable value 17.59 eV is clarified by eliminating the thermal effect induced by the collision. Finally, the formation energy of a single vacancy is calculated by the ab initio method.

A new two-dimensional (2D) polymer, [Ag(2-Clnic)]n (2-Clnic = 2-chloronicotinate) (1), has been synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and luminescence spectroscopy. X-ray crystal analysis reveals that complex 1 is constructed through π-π stacking and Ag…O interactions, which provide important roles in the assembly of intriguing structures and specific photophysical properties. In the solid state at room temperature, 1 is found to be luminescent with a purple emission band at 411 nm upon excitation at 360 nm.

Based on the perspective of the linear expansion coefficient, an anti-oxidation coating on billet heating for silicon steel was prepared. The anti-oxidation coating can be used at 1400oC and it has good property of automatic pelling off, and the oxidation burning loss was decreased by 80.65%. The microstructure of the coating was observed by scanning electron microscope. The results indicate that the high-temperature anti-oxidation mechanism of the coating on the surface of steel billet is cavity clogged by molten slag, and the service life of anti-oxidation coating is relied on the resistance to permeation and erosion of molten slag.

OBJECTIVE To prepare traditional Chinese pharmaceutical film which can be absorbed through derma and have an effect of topical antibacterial , and take examinations of its film performance. METHODS The active ingredients extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine such as Aloe are blended in a certain proportion as the dressing of chitosan and casted into films. The thickness of the films were measured by the thickness measurement instrument, and the performance of the films was tested and compared such as film forming, swelling and solubility, water holding capacity and permeability. RESULTS Aloe compound film as external applied agent has a desired film performance. CONCLUSION Aloe compound film which could be transdermally absorbed presents a promising potential in adjuvant therapy of ulcers, bedsores and other skin of mucous membrane infections.

The photoabsorption edge shifting from UV to visible region accompanied with increased intensity and Raman features change was observed for N+ implanted TiO2 . Raman spectra prove the formation of TiN x and oxygen vacancies in the implanted TiO2 , which is considered as the origin of absorption edge shifting. The work may give a hint to increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in the visible region at the molecule level.

We investigate the rotational wave packet modified by femtosecond laser pulses. The calculations are performed by solving numerically the full time-dependent Schrodinger equation for the N2 molecule at finite rotational temperature. It is demonstrated that the rotational wave packet induced by the first laser pulse can be controlled exactly just by selecting the optimal time at which the second laser pulse is introduced. Whether the pulse duration of the two lasers is equal or not, the molecular alignment induced by the first laser pulse can be enhanced or degraded by precisely inserting the peak of the second laser pulse at the maximum or minimum position of the slope curve for the alignment parameter by the first laser. Furthermore, the already enhanced alignment by the two lasers can be enhanced or degraded by precisely inserting the peak of the third laser at the maximum or minimum position of the slope curve for the alignment by the two lasers. The already degraded alignment by the two lasers can be increased again from the isotropic distributed ensemble by precisely inserting the peak of the third laser at the peak position of the slope curve by the two lasers. PACS: 33.80.Rv, 42.50.Hz, 33.90.+h

Powdering and desquamation is prone to happen when galvannealed sheet steel is stampinged and Powdering or desquamation often happens at the fragile phase where Fe content is high. The fragile phase thickness of the coating of galvannealed steel sheet is correlative nearly to the coating anti-pulverization ability.So it is very important to measure the fragile phase thickness with the research of galvannealed sheet steel process. The fragile phase thickness of the same batch galvannealed sheet steel made by some steel plant is about 560~590nm when it is measured by glow ischarge spectrometer , fracture observation methods by SEM and metallographic microscope, the error is very little.

This article chose three different types of carbon materials as objects, through analyzing the various factors influencing the thermal conductivity; we were to raise the basic mathematical model between the thermal conductivity and graphitization degree. At the same time the correct value in some articles was chosen to establish the corresponding mathematical model of three kinds of carbon materials. After inspection by test results, This model’s relative error was within 7%.The model brought up by this paper has the vital significance to predict the thermal conductivity of the carbon materials and guide the deep application research.

The duration of sexual phases in dichogamous plants are affected by many factors. Using both experimental and observational studies, we investigated natural patterns of pollen removal and deposition, visiting frequency of pollinators, patterns of nectar secretion, and effects of pollen removal and stigmatic pollen deposition on the duration of sexual phases in a protandrous plant, Glechoma longituba. We found that visiting frequency of pollinators correlated with the nectar secretion pattern. The nectar volume during the male phase was higher than during the female phase. In the morning, the main pollinator, the bee Anthophora plumipes, mainly foraged for nectar and showed no preference for flowers in male or female phase, despite male phase flowers producing higher amounts of nectar. However, in the afternoon, they changed their behavior and foraged mainly for pollen, and then showed a preference for flowers in male phase. Furthermore, the rates of pollen removal and stigmatic pollen deposition can affect the starting time and the duration of the female phase. When pollen removal and pollination rates are low due to scarcity of pollinator services, the sexual phase can be prolonged, leading to an overlap, and thereby enhance the chance for sexual reproduction through pollinator-facilitated self-pollination. We consider the variation of sexual phases in Glechoma longituba an adaptive mechanism prepared for both cross-pollination enhancement and reproductive assurance depending on the available pollination services.

The photoabsorption edge shifting from UV to visible region accompanied with increased intensity and Raman features change was observed for N+ implanted TiO2. Raman spectra prove the formation of TiNx and oxygen vacancies in the implanted TiO2, which is considered as the origin of absorption edge shifting. The work may give a hint to increase the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in the visible region at the molecule level.

The roots and rhizomes of Smilax riparia, called "Niu-Wei-Cai" in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), are believed to be effective in treating gout symptoms. However, it is not clear if the uricosuric mechanisms of S. riparia support its therapeutic activities. In this study, we examined the efficacy of S. riparia in reducing serum uric acid levels in a potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemia mouse model. We observed that the total saponins of S. riparia could down-regulate renal mURAT1, resulting in the enhancement of urate excretion in the kidney of hyperuricemic mice. These results suggest that S. riparia could be an active anti-gout herbal medicine, which would contribute to the enhancement of uric acid excretion in the kidney.