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This is the first report on the coating of diamond dicing blades with metallic glass (MG) coating to reduce chipping when used to cut Si, SiC, sapphire, and patterned sapphire substrates (PSS). The low coefficient-of-friction (CoF) of Zr-based MG-coated dicing blades was shown to reduce the number and size of chips, regardless of the target substrate. Overall, SiC, sapphire and PSS were most affected by chipping, due to the fact that higher cutting forces were needed for the higher hardness of SiC, sapphire and PSS. Compared to the bare blade, the MG coating provided the following reductions in chipping area: Si (~ 23%), SiC (~ 36%), sapphire (~ 45%), and PSS (~ 33%). The proposed coating proved particularly effective in reducing chips of larger size (> 41 µm in chipping width), as indicated by an ~ 80% reduction when cutting sapphire. Small variations in kerf angle and depth demonstrate the durability of the coated blades, which would no doubt enhance consistency in dicing performance and extend the blade lifespan. Finite-element modeling revealed significant reductions in tensile stress and elastic–plastic deformation during dicing, thanks to a lower CoF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Vesicovaginal fstulae (VVF) have a signifcant negative impact on quality of life, with failed surgical repair resulting in ongoing morbidity. Our aim was to characterize the rate of VVF repair and repair failures over time, and to identify predictors of repair failure. Methods We completed a population-based, retrospective cohort study of all women who underwent VVF repair in Ontario, Canada, aged 18 and older between 2005 and 2018. Risk factors for repair failure were identifed using multivariable cox proportional hazard analysis; interrupted time series analysis was used to determine change in VVF repair rate over time. Results 814 patients underwent VVF repair. Of these, 117 required a second repair (14%). Mean age at surgery was 52 years (SD 15). Most patients had undergone prior gynecological surgery (68%), and 76% were due to iatrogenic injury. Most repairs were performed by urologists (60%). Predictors of VVF re-repair included iatrogenic injury etiology (HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3–3.45, p=0.009), and endoscopic repair (HR 6.1, 95% CI 3.1–11.1, p<0.05,); protective factors included combined intra-abdominal/trans-vaginal repair (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.3–0.8, p=0.009), and surgeon years in practice (21+years—HR 0.5, 95% CI 0.3–0.9, p=0.005). Age adjusted annual rate of VVF repair (ranging from 0.8 to 1.58 per 100,000 women) and re-repair did not change over time. Conclusions VVF repair and re-repair rates remained constant between 2005 and 2018. Iatrogenic injury and endoscopic repair predicted repair failure; combined intra-abdominal/trans-vaginal repair, and surgeon years in practice were protective. This suggests surgeon experience may protect against VVF repair failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solid-liquid method was used to prepare the continuous casting of copper cladding aluminium by liquid aluminum alloy and solid copper, and the interfacial phase formation of Al-Cu bimetal at different pouring temperatures (700, 750, 800 °C) was investigated by means of metallograph, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) methods. The results showed that the pouring temperature of aluminum melt had an important influence on the element diffusion of Cu from the solid Cu to Al alloy melt and the reactions between Al and Cu, as well as the morphology of the Al-Cu interface. When the pouring temperature was 800 °C, there were abundant Al-Cu intermetallic compounds (IMCs) near the interface. However, a lower pouring temperature (700 °C) resulted in the formation of cavities which was detrimental to the bonding and mechanical properties. Under the conditions in this study, the good metallurgical bonding of Al-Cu was achieved at a pouring temperature of 750 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron is generally regarded as an unavoidable impurity in Al-Si casting alloys. The acicular Al3Fe and β-Al5FeSi (or Al9Si2Fe2) are common iron-containing intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in conventional structure which have a detrimental impact on the mechanical properties. In this paper, ultrasonic field (USF) was applied to modify acicular iron phases in Al-12%Si-2%Fe and Al-2%Fe alloys. The results show that the USF applied to Al-Fe alloys caused the morphological transformation of both primary and eutectic Al3Fe from acicular to blocky and granular without changes in their composition. In the case of Al-Si-Fe alloys, ultrasonic treatment led to both morphological and compositional conversion of the ternary iron IMCs. When the USF was applied, the acicular β-Al9Si2Fe2 was substituted by star-like α-Al12Si2Fe3. The modification rate of both binary and ternary iron IMCs relates to the USF treatment duration. The undercooling induced by the ultrasonic vibration contributes to the nucleation of intermetallics and can explain the transformation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike existing pulse-width modulation (PWM) techniques, such as sinusoidal PWM and random PWM, the wavelet PWM (WPWM) technique based on a Harr wavelet function can achieve a high fundamental component for the output voltage, low total harmonic distortion, and simple digital implementation. However, the original WPWM method lacks output voltage control. Thus, the practical application of the WPWM technique is limited. This study proposes an improved WPWM technique that can regulate output voltage amplitude with the addition of a parameter. The relationship between the additional parameter and the output voltage amplitude is analyzed in detail. Experimental results verify that the improved WPWM exhibits output voltage control in addition to all the merits of the WPWM technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wavelet PWM (WPWM) technique has been applied in two-level inverters successfully, but directly applying the WPWM technique to three-level inverters is impossible. This paper proposes a WPWM technique suitable for a single-phase three-level inverter. The work analyzes the control strategy with the WPWM and obtains the design of its parameters. Compared with the SPWM technique for a single-phase three-level inverter under the same conditions, the WPWM can obtain high magnitudes of the output fundamental frequency component, low total harmonic distortion, and simpler digital implementation. The feasibility experiment is given to verify of the proposed WPWM technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficient electrocatalysts for many heterogeneous catalytic processes in energy conversion and storage systems must possess necessary surface active sites. Here we identify, from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations, that controlling charge density redistribution via the atomic-scale incorporation of heteroatoms is paramount to import surface active sites. We engineer the deterministic nitrogen atoms inserting the bulk material to preferentially expose active sites to turn the inactive material into a sufficient electrocatalyst. The excellent electrocatalytic activity of N-In2O3 nanocrystals leads to higher performance of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) than the DSCs fabricated with Pt. The successful strategy provides the rational design of transforming abundant materials into high-efficient electrocatalysts. More importantly, the exciting discovery of turning the commonly used transparent conductive oxide (TCO) in DSCs into counter electrode material means that except for decreasing the cost, the device structure and processing techniques of DSCs can be simplified in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanisms underlying the retention of inorganicNin acidic forest soils in southern China are not well understood. Here, we simultaneously quantified the gross N transformation rates of various subtropical acidic forest soils located in southern China (southern soil) and those of temperate forest soils located in northern China (northern soil). We found that acidic southern soils had significantly higher gross rates ofN mineralization and significantly higher turnover rates but a much greater capacity for retaining inorganicN than northern soils. The rates of autotrophic nitrification and NH3 volatilization in acidic southern soils were significantly lower due to low soil pH. Meanwhile, the relatively higher rates of NO3 - immobilization into organic N in southern soils can counteract the effects of leaching, runoff, and denitrification. Taken together, these processes are responsible for the N enrichment of the humid subtropical forest soils in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pancreaticojejunostomy is the key procedure of pancreaticoduodenectomy. Our study introduced a new pancreaticojejunal (PJ) anastomosis named "papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated" pancreaticojejunostomy. Nighty-two patients underwent pancreaticojejunostomy with either conventional duct-to-mucosa pancreaticojejunostomy or the new "papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated" techniques were analyzed retrospectively from January 2010 to September 2012. The incidence of pancreatic fistula was 15.7% (8/51) for the "papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated" group and 19.5% (8/41) for the duct-to-mucosa fashion respectively. It is noteworthy that the rate of grade B/C postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) in the "papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated" group was significantly lower than that of the duct-to-mucosa group (P = 0.039). There were no differences in the incidence of postoperative morbidity and mortality such as postoperative hemorrhage, delayed gastric emptying or remnant pancreatitis. The "papillary-like main pancreatic duct invaginated" pancreaticojejunostomy could provide a feasible option to pancreatic surgeons for patients with normal soft pancreas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anastomotic leakage is the most significant complication after low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal carcinoma, and it is the major cause of postoperative mortality and morbidity. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the use of a transanal tube as an alternative endoluminal diversion technique for rectal carcinoma can reduce the 30-day leakage rate after LAR. Methods: From June 2003 to December 2009, a total of 398 patients were randomized to a transanal tube or not after LAR. Inclusion criteria for randomization were biopsy-proven carcinoma of the rectum located ≤15 cm above the anal verge, measured with a rigid rectoscope; age ≥ 18 years; informed consent; ability to understand the study information; estimated survival of >6 months; anterior resection for the lesion; final negative air leakage test; intact anastomotic stapler rings; and the absence of major intraoperative adverse events. Results: Patient demographics, tumor size and location, Duke's stage, preoperative co-morbidity, and operative details were comparable between the two groups in general analysis and subgroup analysis (double-staple technique and handsewn technique). The overall rate of symptomatic leakage was 6.78% (27 of 398 patients). Patients randomized to a transanal tube ( n = 200) had leakage in 4.0% (8 of 200 patients) and those without a tube ( n = 198) in 9.6% (19 of 198 patients) ( p = 0.026). With regard to the double-staple technique subgroup, 3.7% (7 of 188) patients with a tube presented with a symptomatic anastomotic leakage, compared with 9.3% (17 of 182) of those without a tube ( p = 0.028). Of the patients with anastomotic leakage in the double-staple technique subgroup, the need for urgent abdominal reoperation was 28.6% (two of seven patients) in those randomized to a transanal tube and 82.4% (14 of 17) in those without ( p = 0.021). The 30-day mortality after LAR was nil. In the double-staple technique subgroup, a quicker resumption of gastrointestinal motility manifested by a smaller ratio of patients with flatus > postoperative day (POD) 3 ( p = 0.019) and a smaller ratio of poor gastrointestinal electromyogram on POD 3 ( p < 0.001) was associated with use of a transanal tube. Additionally, patients with a tube appeared to have a lower rectal resting pressure by POD 3 (4.0 ± 2.2 vs. 5.0 ± 2.2 kPa; p < 0.001) or POD 5 (4.3 ± 2.3 vs. 5.6 ± 2.3 kPa; p < 0.001), compared to the resting pressures patients without the device, respectively. A shorter length of hospital stay was associated with use of a transanal tube both in the double-staple technique subgroup ( p < 0.001) and the handsewn technique subgroup ( p = 0.011). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that body mass index > 25 kg/m and a poor gastrointestinal electromyogram on POD 3 were found to be independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage in the low anastomosis subgroup. Conclusions: The presence of a transanal tube is effective and safe in decreasing the rate of clinically significant anastomotic leaks and in mitigating the clinical consequences of leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer with the technique of total mesorectal excision and double-staple anastomosis. The potential benefits of transanal tube placement are multifactorial, including drainage, reduction of endoluminal pressure, and promotion of gastrointestinal motility. Obesity and poor gastrointestinal electromyogram on POD 3 are independent risk factors for anastomotic leakage in patients with low anastomosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) syndrome is rare, and its diagnosis is a significant challenge in clinical practice. Our aim was to explore application of the loud sound stimulation test for diagnosing SCD syndrome. Eight cases of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD), among them two patients had bilateral dehiscences and one case of lateral semicircular canal dehiscence (LSCD). A total of 11 dehiscences were studied retrospectively. Loud sounds (pure tones, 100 dB, 110 dB nHL) at frequencies of 500, 1,000, and 2,000 Hz were used to stimulate both ears for 5 s. A temporal bone computed tomography (CT) scan with semicircular canal reconstruction was performed in all patients. Vertigo was present in seven of nine cases following loud sound stimulation. In addition, the patient with LSCD demonstrated horizontal eye movement following loud sound stimulation, whereas six patients with SSCD showed rotational eye movement. Among them, two patients with bilateral superior canal dehiscence showed a positive response to the loud sound stimulation in only one ear. The diagnoses of all patients were confirmed with a high-resolution temporal bone CT with corresponding multi-planar reconstruction of the affected semicircular canals with various size dehiscences. We conclude that the characteristic eye movement following loud sound stimulation is valuable for diagnosing SCD syndrome. In addition, the loud sound stimulation test has unique advantages, especially for confirming the affected ear and the corresponding semicircular canal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To elucidate the effect of IFN-α treatment on tumor growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: IFN-α administration was conducted in nude mice using an orthotopic implantation model of human HCC, and the key molecular markers in the IFN-α treatment was detected by immunohistochemistry staining and PCR array. Results: Up to 12 weeks of IFN-α treatment significantly suppressed tumor growth of HCC, but relatively increased the number of circulating tumor cells, which might be due to the enhanced tumor hypoxia as well as up-regulation of metastasis-related genes, such as HIF-1α, c-met, u-PA, PDGF-A, and IL-8. However, IFN-α had no direct effect on migration and invasion of HCC cells. Conclusions: IFN-α has janus face of consistently suppressing HCC growth, however, promoting tumor metastasis capacity, which is of clinical indication for the scientific administration of IFN-α and the similar antiangiogenesis drugs for their dual effect on tumor growth and metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosanases are lytic enzymes involved in the degradation of chitosan, a component of fungal cell walls. The phytopathogenic fungus Fusarium solani produces an extracellular chitosanase, CSN1, the role of which in the physiology and virulence of the fungus remains to be expounded. Here, we studied the expression of the CSN1 gene through gene silencing and examined its effect on fungal pathogenicity. A vector construct encoding a hairpin RNA (hpRNA) of CSN1 was constructed and introduced into the F. solani 0114 strain. The results revealed that majority of the transformants exhibited a significant reduction in chitosanase activity compared with the wild-type strain. Further, transformants with silenced CSN1 exhibited no change in mycelial growth and spore formation. However, pea pod and seedling bioassays indicated that transformants with silenced CSN1 were more virulent compared with the wild-type strain, and in sharp contrast to strains in which overexpression of the CSN1 gene resulted in virulence reduction. Although the mechanism remains unclear, our findings did suggest that F. solani chitosanase has a negative effect on fungal pathogenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity of food-grade soybeans is critical for utilization of genetic resources in cultivar development, germplasm enhancement, and end-product commercialization. The objective of this study was to assess seed quality attributes and phenotypic variability among 54 U.S. and 51 Asian food-grade cultivars and breeding lines. The results showed greater genetic diversity of protein content, calcium content, seed hardness, and seed size uniformity than other quality traits in both small- and large-seeded genotypes evaluated in this study. Among the small-seeded soybeans, the U.S. genotypes were more diverse and exhibited higher swell ratio and oil content but lower stone seed ratio and protein content than Asian accessions. Among the large-seeded accessions, U.S. genotypes had higher stone seed ratio and oil content but lower swell ratio and protein content, and were less diverse than Asian genotypes. The characterization of diverse food-grade soybeans will facilitate parent selection in specialty soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanolubricants are dispersed nano-scales solid particles in a base fluid. Due to high demand for higher efficiency in thermal application systems, nanolubricants is an ideal option to meet the particular demand. As the result a numerous scientist have been investigating to replace the base fluid in the vapor compression refrigeration (VCR) system with nanolubricants. This paper elaborates the major factors that influence the VCR system performance mechanism through thermal conductivity enhancement, solubility and homogenous solution, stability, viscosity and tribological improvement of nanolubricants, respectively. The two common methods in preparing nanolubricants are one-step and two-step method which have been discussed in this paper. The current development of nanolubricants and hybrid nanolubricants have been elaborated. The findings show that the viscosity and thermal conductivity escalated with the improved of nanolubricants volume concentration. The studies revealed that introducing nanoparticles into lubricant has a major effect in improving viscosity, thermal conductivity and tribological improvement that led to the improvement of heat transfer enhancement mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Three independent techniques have been used to investigate the interaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and xanthoxylin (XT). UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy measurements showed that there is a XT-BSA complex formed with an overall binding constant of K=1.01×105 L⋅mol−1. Spectroscopic techniques including synchronous fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) were used to assess the structural effects of XT binding on BSA. The FT-IR experiments showed that there is a decrease of the amount of α-helix from 50.2 to 48.1% and an increase of the β-sheet from 32.9 to 36.9% in the XT-BSA complex. In addition, XT binds to site I of the protein with a distance of 2.07 nm between tryptophan residues and XT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of NCEP/NCAR version I daily reanalysis data from 1971 to 2000 and by the methods of inverse calculation, correlation analysis and comparative analysis, the influences of atmospheric heat source (AHS) over the Tibetan Plateau on the large-scale AHS and the general circulation in summer are studied in this paper. The results show that AHS over the plateau in summer may trigger a heat source wavetrain propagating northeastward along the coast from the East Asian continent and West Pacific to Bering Strait-Arctic or even North Amend. In addition, if AHS over the eastern plateau is intense, South Asian High moves to southeast and West Pacific subtropical high moves to southwest; on the contrary, if AHS over the eastern plateau is weak, South Asian High moves to northwest and West Pacific subtropical high moves to northeast. Therefore, South Asian High and West Pacific sub tropical high move in the horizontally-opposite directions in terms of interannual variation, for which AHS over the e stern plateau seems to be thermodynamically responsible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Na+/H+ antiporter plays key roles in maintaining low cytoplasmic Na+ level and pH homeostasis, while little is known about the Carboxyl-terminal hydrophilic tails of prokaryotic antiporters. In our previous study, the first Na+/H+ antiporter gene nhaH from moderate halophiles was cloned from Halobacillus dabanensis D-8 by functional complementation. A topological model suggested that only nine amino acid residues (395PLIKKLGMI403) existed in the hydrophilic C-terminal domain of NhaH. The C-terminal truncated mutant of NhaH was constructed by PCR strategy and designated as nhaHΔC. Salt tolerance experiment demonstrated that the deletion of hydrophilic C-terminal nine amino acid residues significantly inhibited the complementation ability of E. coil KNabc, in which three main Na+/H+ antiporters nhaA, nhaB and chaA were deleted. Everted membrane vesicles prepared from E. coil KNabc/nhaHΔC decreased both Na+/H+ and Li+/H+ exchange activities of NhaH, and also resulted in an acidic shift of its pH profile for Na+, indicating a critical role of the short C-terminal domain of NhaH antiporter in alkali cation binding/translocation and pH sensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking account of the metallicity dependence of the s-process nucleosynthesis in the AGB stars, we adopted the wind accretion model with the condition of total angular momentum conservation and used the Monte-Carlo method to study the variations and the distributions of the orbital elements of the mild and strong Ba stars. The calculated results show that the level of heavy-element overabundance in a Ba star depends on the orbital period. Since there is a strong dependence of s-process yields on the initial stellar metallicity of the AGB star and a strong increase of the s-process yields in AGB stars with decreasing metallicity, the calculated results strongly suggest that the initial metallicity of the Ba star systems is another important parameter for the level of heavy-element overabundance in a Ba star. The strong Ba stars generally have lower metallicities than mild Ba stars. The masses of AGB progenitor and Ba star are other two parameters which also have some impact on the heavy-element overabundance in the Ba star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal communities in decaying sapwood and heartwood of K. evelyniana were demonstrated through construction of four 18 S rRNA gene libraries. The 210 sequenced clones were clustered into 11 subgroups, belonging to Basidiomycota (71.9%) and to Ascomycota (22.4%) and unclassified (1 subgroup; 5.7%). The heartwood displayed higher species richness than the sapwood. Basidiomycota were dominant in either the heartwood or the sapwood. Phylogenetically diverse Homobasidiomycetes were detected in the heartwood, contrary to the sapwood, where Heterobasidiomycetes were detected. Clones close to Spongipellis unicolor dominated in the heartwood (21 of 99 clones), while those close to Hydnochaete olivacea dominated in the sapwood (41 of 111 clones). The common species between the two parts were those related to S. unicolor, Calocera cornea, Debaryomyces hansenii, Davidiella tassiana, and Nomuraea rileyi and those from Chaetothyriomycetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering two assumptions on the molecular state, i.e. the S-wave Λ̄–K- and S-wave Σ̄0–K- molecular states, we study the possible decays of N̄X(1625) that include N̄X(1625)→K-Λ̄,π0p̄,ηp̄,π-n̄. Our results indicate that (1) if N̄X(1625) is the Λ̄–K- molecular state, K-Λ̄ is the main decay mode of N̄X(1625), and the branching ratios of the rest decay modes are tiny; (2) if N̄X(1625) is the Σ̄0–K- molecular state, the branching ratio of N̄X(1625)→K-Λ̄ is one or two orders smaller than that of N̄X(1625)→π0p̄,ηp̄,π-n̄. Thus the search for N̄X(1625)→π0p̄,ηp̄,π-n̄ will be helpful to shed light on the nature of N̄X(1625). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus Aureus Filtrate Preparation (SAFP) is a preparation of low-virulence strain of Staphylococcus aureus. In our study, we aimed to determine the anti-tumor activity of SAFP in vivo and explore the potential mechanism. Our study evaluated the anti-tumor activity of SAFP in four cancer cell models in vivo and determined its up-regulatory effects on mice immune system in vivo. It showed that 7.2 ng/10 g SAFP could inhibit the progression of murine hepatoma H22 and sarcoma S180, and the tumor inhibition rates achieved 48.1 and 35.7%, respectively. In human non-small cell lung cancer A549 and hepatoma BEL7402 xenograft athymic mice models, T/C of 7.2 ng/10 g SAFP group reached 41.0% in A549 model and 21.0% in BEL7402 model. Meanwhile, SAFP also significantly increased the proliferation of cultured mice splenocytes to 162.1%, and 7.2 ng/kg SAFP significantly ( P < 0.001) raised the activity of NK cells, elevated the serum level of IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ in mice. SAFP exhibited high efficiency in inhibiting the growth of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, which possibly attributed to its regulatory effects of immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) which was surface-modified with melamine (MA) and 2,4-toluene diisocyanate(TDI) in turn was used as flame-retardant in linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Its water resistance in LLDPE was respectively evaluated with its water-solubility, the limited oxygen index(LOI) changes and P content changes of the LLDPE which being immersed in water 180 h at room temperature. Its compatibility with LLDPE was observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM). As a result, the water-solubility of the surface-modified APP reduced. When the LLDPE was treated with surface-modified APP, its LOI and P content changes were less than that treated with unmodified-APP after being immersed in water. The surface-modified APP was better compatible with LLDPE than unmodified APP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine bacterial community composition in rhizosphere of plants colonizing on mine tailings and phylogenetic differences between subcommunities resistant to different metals, we constructed four clone libraries of 16S rDNA sequences. One was amplified directly from tailing microbial DNA (named as Ci library) and three from cultures on the plates containing of 0.5 mM CdCl2 (Cd library), 2 mM Pb (NO3)2 (Pb library), and without any metals (Cw library). In total, nine bacterial divisions and two unclassified groups were identified from 352 clones of these libraries. Ci clones covered eight divisions, whereas all cultivable clones only covered four divisions. Thus, Ci library provided more phylogenetic diversity than cultivable libraries. However, the microbes represented by the cultivable clones were more similar to previously described bacteria than those represented by Ci clones. All Ci clones were not found in three cultivable libraries. Cd library were exclusively Gram-negative bacteria of Acinetobacter, Ralstonia, Comamonas, and Chryseobacterium. Meanwhile, dominant Gram-positive bacteria in Pb library, Paenibacillus and Bacillus, were also not found in Cd library. Our data indicate that phylogenetic structure was very different from those in acid mine drainage. Meanwhile, tailings harbored phylogenetically distinct subcommunities resistant to Pb and Cd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently the Babar Collaboration reported a new cs̄ state, DsJ(2860), and the Belle Collaboration observed DsJ(2715). We investigate the strong decays of the excited cs̄ states using the 3 P 0 model. After comparing the theoretical decay widths and decay patterns with the available experimental data, we are inclined to conclude that: (1) DsJ(2715) is probably the 1-(13 D 1) cs̄ state, although the 1-(23 S 1) assignment is not completely excluded; (2) DsJ(2860) seems unlikely to be the 1-(23 S 1) and 1-(13 D 1) candidate; (3) to consider DsJ(2860) either as a 0+(23 P 0) or as a 3-(13 D 3) cs̄ state is consistent with the experimental data; (4) the experimental search of DsJ(2860) in the channels Dsη, DK*, D*K and Ds *η will be crucial to distinguish the above two possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult stem cells can be identified by label-retaining cell (LRC) approach based on their ability to retain nucleoside analog, such as bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). We hypothesized that mouse nasopharynx contains a small population of epithelial stem/progenitor cells that may be detected by the LRC technique. To identify LRCs in mice nasopharyngeal epithelia, neonatal mice were intraperitoneally injected with BrdU twice daily for 3 consecutive days. After an 8-week chase, long-term BrdU-labeled LRCs (∼2% of cells) were detected in the adult mice nasopharyngeal epithelia by immunostaining with BrdU antibody and some of LRCs (∼12% of cells) were found to be recruited into the S phase of cell cycle with an additional radioactive thymidine-labeling technique, indicating that the stem cells also divide, most likely asymmetrically. To further investigate whether the LRCs existed in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues, three NPC cell lines (5-8F, 6-10B and TMNE) were labeled with BrdU in vitro and then individually engrafted into the back of nude mice, which developed tumors. Again, label-retaining stem cells were found in all the three kinds of NPC xenograft tumors (∼0.3% of cells), around 16% of which were also labeled with radioactive thymidine. Thus, this study has demonstrated for the first time the presence of epithelial LRCs in mouse nasopharyngx and human NPC tissues and these stem-like LRCs are not completely quiescent, as they will be recruited into the cell cycle to participate physiological or pathological process at any moment. More importantly, our data showed that NPC also contained stem cells, which are most likely the cause for NPC spread, metastasis and recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By using Southern blot hybridization and inverse polymerase chain reaction, a 5.5-kb DNA fragment was obtained from the genomic DNA of Halobacillus trueperi DSM10404T. Sequence analysis revealed that it contained a potential operon with high levels of sequence similarity to the opuA operon encoding glycine betaine transporter from Bacillus subtilis, which is a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) substrate binding the protein-dependent transporter superfamily. The potential operon, designated as qatA (quaternary amine transporter), consists of three structural genes, which are predicted to encode an ATP-binding protein (QatAA), a membrane-associated protein (QatAB), and an extracellular substrate-binding protein (QatAC). Moreover, the putative promoter region of the operon was found with close homology to the σA-dependent promoter of B. subtilis. Reverse transcription (RT)–PCR analysis revealed that qatAA, qatAB, and qatAC genes were transcribed in cells of H. trueperi. Cells of Escherichia coli mutant MKH13 harboring qatA on pAY41 were able to grow on selective M9 salt medium containing glycine betaine and accumulated glycine betaine in the cytoplasm, showing that qatAA, qatAB, and qatAC genes together encode a functional glycine betaine transporter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferritin catalyzes the oxidation of Fe2+ by O2 to form a reconstituted Fe3+ oxy-hydroxide mineral core, but extensive studies have shown that the Fe2+ to O2 stoichiometry changes with experimental conditions. At Fe2+ to horse spleen ferritin (HoSF) ratios greater than 200, an upper limit of Fe2+ to O2 of 4 is typically measured, indicating O2 is reduced to 2H2O. In contrast, a lower limit of Fe2+ to O2 of approximately 2 is measured at low Fe2+ to HoSF ratios, implicating H2O2 as a product of Fe2+ deposition. Stoichiometric amounts of H2O2 have not been measured, and H2O2 is proposed to react with an unknown system component. Evidence is presented that identifies this component as amine buffers, including 3- N-morpholinopropanesulfonic acid (MOPS), which is widely used in ferritin studies. In the presence of non-amine buffers, the Fe2+ to O2 stoichiometry was approximately 4.0, but at high concentrations of amine buffers (0.10 M) the Fe2+ to O2 stoichiometry is approximately 2.5 for iron loadings of eight to 30 Fe2+ per HoSF. Decreasing the concentration of amine buffer to zero resulted in an Fe2+ to O2 stoichiometry of approximately 4. Direct evidence for amine buffer modification during Fe2+ deposition was obtained by comparing authentic and modified buffers using mass spectrometry, NMR, and thin layer chromatography. Tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, MOPS, and N-methylmorpholine (a MOPS analog) were all rapidly chemically modified during Fe2+ deposition to form N-oxides. Under identical conditions no modification was detected when amine buffer, H2O2, and O2 were combined with Fe2+ or ferritin separately. Thus, a short-lived ferritin intermediate is required for buffer modification by H2O2. Variation of the Fe2+ to O2 stoichiometry versus the Fe2+ to HoSF ratio and the amine buffer concentration are consistent with buffer modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substance P, a neuropeptide, exerts proinflammatory effects and transmits the sensation of pain. Substance P immunoreactive fibers of the synovial tissue were examined to investigate the significance of Substance P in the traumatic joint. Biopsy specimens from 15 patients (eight female and seven male) with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury were examined immunohistochemically with semi-quantitative counting to correlate Substance P positive fibers of the synovial tissue with clinical data, pain intensity on a visual analog scale, and serous inflammatory indicators. The total (sum of the three compartments) expression of Substance P in females of 571.9±255.1 cm−2 was significantly greater than that of males of 241.2±126.6 cm−2. In the female group, the total number of Substance P immunoreactive fibers was significantly correlated with pain intensity ( r=0.804); in the male group, there was no significant correlation with pain intensity. The expression of Substance P in the female infrapatellar fat pad was statistically significantly correlated with pre- and postoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate as inflammation indicators. In the male group, there was no such correlation. Substance P was well- correlated with pain and inflammatory reaction in the female joint. Neural inflammation and neural pain occur more strongly in female joints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study on the problem of controllability in infinite delay systems. A fixed point theorem is used to study the controllability in the system. A compact map or homotopy is constructed to illustrate if there is an a priori bound, established by means of a Liapunov functional or applying an integral inequality, on all possible solutions of the companion control system. Such a delay factor can essentially improve the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the system in many aspects.

We compared the urothelial injury to the bladder caused by four agents capable of dissolving calcium salts. The solutions were administrated in an antegrade way through left ureterostomies in 54 rabbits for periods of 24, 48 and 72 h. The bladders were then removed and three routine histological sections were made for each. The following six solutions were used: physiological sodium chloride solution (Phys), artificial urine (Art), 0.03 M disodium EDTA buffered to pH 8.5 with triethanolamine (EDTA), 10% Renacidin (R), test solution 2 (S2, using D-gluconic acid-lactone and other compounds that differ from R in terms of ingredients or quantity), and test solution 1 (S1, using D-gluconic-acid instead of D-gluconic acid-lactone in S2 but keeping the other ingredients the same) for irrigation. At 24 h there was no observable urothelial damage caused by perfusion with Phys or Art; solutions R, S1 and S2 caused approximately the same level of injury to the rabbit bladder mucosa; however, irrigation with disodium-EDTA caused more serious urothelial injury than R, S1 and S2 ( P<0.05, χ2-test) and may be unacceptable. The damage to bladder tissues treated with S1 and S2 was less than that caused by R, but this was not significant ( P>0.05, χ2-test). Following a prolonged irrigation time, all of these solutions cause further urothelial damage, but EDTA caused the most, followed by R, S1, S2, Phys or Art, respectively, at 48 and 72 h. In view of the better solubility effect of solutions S1 and S2 compared with R, it might be justified in accepting the more pronounced urothelial irritation caused these solutions, but in order to enhance their effectiveness and reduce urothelial injury further study will be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model based on the Biot theory for simulating coupled hydro-dynamic behavior in saturated-unsaturated porous media was utilized with integration of the inertial coupling effect between the solid-fluid phases of the media into the model. Stationary instability and dispersivity of wave propagation in the media in one-dimensional problem were analyzed. The effects of the following factors on stationary instability and dispersivity were discussed. They are the viscous and inertial couplings between the solid and the fluid phases, compressibility of the mixture composed of solid grains and pore fluid, the degree of saturation, visco-plastic (rate dependent inelastic) constitutive behavior of the solid skeleton under high strain rate. The results and conclusion obtained by the present work will provide some bases or clues for overcoming the difficulties in numerical modelling of wave propagation in the media subjected to strong and shock loading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dehiscence of the lateral semicircular canal (LSCD) has been reported much but mainly in association with cholesteatoma and canal wall down mastoidectomy, while idiopathic LSCD was rarely reported. Bassim reported one case with lateral semicircular canal dehiscence, but presented no vestibular or auditory symptoms. The patient in this study complained significant sound-induced vertigo and autophony in his right ear. The axis of nystagmus was orthogonal to the lateral semicircular canal, and no torsional or vertical motions were observed, so pathology of the lateral semicircular canal was preferentially considered. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was excluded since vertigo attacks had no relation to the change of head position. The dehiscence of the right lateral semicircular canal was then confirmed through the high-resolution temporal bone computer tomography scan and the reconstructed images. The cause of the LSCD is poorly understood, since no history of head trauma, otological infection or surgery was documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the signal transmission mechanism of the arbuscular mycorrhizal network against root rot of Salvia miltiorrhiza. In this experiment, the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network was established among Salvia miltiorrhiza plants, and a two plant three-compartment culture model was established. The root of the donor Salvia miltiorrhiza was inoculated with the pathogenic fungi Fusarium solani. The changes of hormone signals such as jasmonic acid and salicylic acid and the expression of related defense genes in the recipient Salvia miltiorrhiza plants in different periods were measured, to study the underground disease resistance signal transmission mechanism among medicinal plants. Salvia miltiorrhiza can transmit the signal of resistance to root rot through the jasmonic acid pathway; When plants suffer from disease stress, the content of JA increases significantly, and the increase of JA content will inhibit the content of SA in plants; The gene expression of PR-10 gene in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza with arbuscular mycorrhizal network infected by pathogenic fungi was 17.56 times higher than that inoculated only with pathogenic fungi; Changes in hormone content will also cause changes in the expression of related defense genes, such as SnRK2 is inhibited by ABA in the signal transduction pathway, while JA and ABA show antagonistic changes after inoculation of pathogenic fungi in Salvia miltiorrhiza, so JA may positively regulate the expression of SnRK2 gene. Plants can transmit signals through AM hyphal network after being stressed by the pathogen Fusarium solani. In the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network, JA has important significance for the signal transmission of resistance to root rot and disease resistance of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which can make Salvia miltiorrhiza ready for stress resistance and improve the stress resistance of Salvia miltiorrhiza. This experiment is of great significance to further analyze the signal transmission mechanism of the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the signal transmission mechanism of the arbuscular mycorrhizal network against root rot of Salvia miltiorrhiza. In this experiment, the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network was established among Salvia miltiorrhiza plants, and a two plant three-compartment culture model was established. The root of the donor Salvia miltiorrhiza was inoculated with the pathogenic fungi Fusarium solani. The changes of hormone signals such as jasmonic acid and salicylic acid and the expression of related defense genes in the recipient Salvia miltiorrhiza plants in different periods were measured, to study the underground disease resistance signal transmission mechanism among medicinal plants. Salvia miltiorrhiza can transmit the signal of resistance to root rot through the jasmonic acid pathway; When plants suffer from disease stress, the content of JA increases significantly, and the increase of JA content will inhibit the content of SA in plants; The gene expression of PR-10 gene in the roots of Salvia miltiorrhiza with arbuscular mycorrhizal network infected by pathogenic fungi was 17.56 times higher than that inoculated only with pathogenic fungi; Changes in hormone content will also cause changes in the expression of related defense genes, such as SnRK2 is inhibited by ABA in the signal transduction pathway, while JA and ABA show antagonistic changes after inoculation of pathogenic fungi in Salvia miltiorrhiza, so JA may positively regulate the expression of SnRK2 gene. Plants can transmit signals through AM hyphal network after being stressed by the pathogen Fusarium solani. In the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network, JA has important significance for the signal transmission of resistance to root rot and disease resistance of Salvia miltiorrhiza, which can make Salvia miltiorrhiza ready for stress resistance and improve the stress resistance of Salvia miltiorrhiza. This experiment is of great significance to further analyze the signal transmission mechanism of the arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphal network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the disadvantages of inhomogeneous microstructures and poor mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloys, a novel technique of hybrid deposition and synchronous micro-rolling is proposed. The micro-rolling leads to equiaxed prior β grains, thin discontinuous intergranular a, and equiaxed primary α, in contrast to the coarse columnar prior β grains without the application of micro-rolling. The recrystallization by micro-rolling results in discontinuous intergranular α via the mechanism of strain and interface-induced grain boundary migration. The evolution of α globularization, driven by a solute concentration gradient, starts from the sub-boundary until the formation of equiaxed primary α. Simultaneous strengthening and toughening are achieved, which means an increase in yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, fracture elongation, and work hardening rate. The formation of α recrystallization leads to more fine grain boundaries to strengthen the yield strength, and the improvement of ductility is due to the better-coordinated deformation ability of discontinuous intergranular α and equiaxed primary α. As a result, the fracture mode in micro-rolling changes from intergranular type to transgranular type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, vibrational, and electronic properties of GaAs nanowires have been studied in the metastable wurtzite phase via Resonant Raman spectroscopy and synchrotron X-ray diffraction measurements in diamond anvil cells under hydrostatic conditions between 0 and 23 GPa. The direct band gap E0 and the crystal field split-off gap E0 + Δ of wurtzite GaAs increase with pressure and their values become close to those of zinc-blende GaAs at 5 GPa, while being reported slightly larger at lower pressures. Above 21 GPa, a complete structural transition from the wurtzite to an orthorhombic phase is observed in both Raman and X-ray diffraction experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The effect of paraspinal muscles atrophy and fat infiltration (FI) on the complications of spinal surgery has not been established. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted from a search of the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from inception through January 2021. The literature was searched and assessed by independent reviewers based on criteria that included an assessment of preoperative paraspinal muscle morphology in addition to measuring its relationship to surgical complications. All relevant papers were assessed for risk of bias according to the modified Newcastle Ottawa Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Tools. A narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: The initial search yielded 5632 studies, of which 16 studies were included in the analysis. All included studies were at a low risk of bias. There existed strong evidence that the atrophy and FI of paraspinal muscles had an association with the development of bone nonunion (two high quality studies), pedicle screw loosening (two high quality studies), adjacent segment degeneration (three high quality studies) and proximal junctional kyphosis (five high quality studies) after lumbar surgery. Besides, there is also limited evidence for association between atrophy and FI of paraspinal extensor muscles and less local and global curve improvement. Conclusions: Strong evidence was found for an association between preoperative paraspinal muscle degeneration and multiple postoperative complications after lumbar surgery. However, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small quantity of the available literature and high heterogeneity among studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional crystalline β-MnO2 usually exhibits poor electrochemical activities due to the narrow tunnels in its rutile-type structure. In this study, we synthesized a novel 2D β-MnO2 network with long-range order assembled by β-MnO2 nanowires and demonstrated that the novel 2D β-MnO2 network exhibits enhanced electrochemical performances. The 2D network is interwoven by crossed uniform β-MnO2 nanowires and the angle between the adjacent nanowires is about 606. Such a novel structure makes efficient contact of β-MnO2 with electrolyte during the electrochemical process, decreases the polarization of the electrode and thus increases the discharge capacity and high-rate capability. The specific capacitance of the obtained 2D β-MnO2 network is 453.0 F/g at a current density of 0.5 A/g [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relationship between diabetes and pancreatic cancer has been established by more than several decades of research. However, serum levels of CEA and CA 19-9 in diabetic pancreatic cancer has not been shown. Methods: Preoperative serum levels of CEA and CA 19-9 and clinicopathological characteristics were retrospectively analyzed in 79 with or 229 without diabetes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) patients. Results: Of the 308 PDA patients enrolled, 79 (25.6%) patients had diabetes. The percentage of new-onset diabetes (i.e. <24 months in duration) was 57% (45/79) in PDA patients coupled with diabetes. Among diabetic PDA patients, mean total bilirubin and fasting blood glucose significantly increased in comparison with control groups (8.54 ± 14.88 vs. 4.16 ± 6.12; 170.22 ± 106.96 vs. 95.84 ± 15.76; P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in mean levels of serum CA 19-9 and CEA levels between two groups. However, when the value of CEA and CA 19-9 was analyzed as a dichotomous variable, elevated CEA (≥5 ng/ml) and CA 19-9 (≥500 U/ml) levels were strongly correlated with the presence of diabetes in PDA patients. Conclusion: Elevated CEA (≥5 ng/ml) and CA19-9 (≥500 U/ml) levels have an association with diabetic pancreatic cancer. New-onset diabetes combined with higher CA 19-9 and/or CEA might be regarded as a useful tool to screen early pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design, measurement, and characterization of a low-loss Lange coupler on Si-substrate up to 170 GHz are presented in this paper. How to determine the value of the even number of the strip lines according to the process design rules is illustrated carefully based on odd- and even-mode impedance theory and calculation. The deembedding procedures of GSG pads and 50 Ω termination resistors are illustrated in details. Simulation and measurement results indicate that the fabricated on-chip 50 Ω resistors can be used for characterization of four-port Lange coupler by two-port network analyzer within expected measurement errors. Measurement results show that the minimum insertion loss of 0.7 dB at central frequency of 140 GHz is achieved, which is in excellent agreement with simulated data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

coaxial Bragg resonator can be performed in four kinds of structures: it is constructed by inserting a regular waveguide between two selective Bragg reflectors (being called the upstream reflector and downstream reflector, respectively), or it consists of only two Bragg reflectors without regular waveguide section between them, where connection of these two reflectors is smooth with phase difference Δ ϕ = 0 or is step-changed with corrugation phase difference Δ ϕ = + π or − π, respectively. The present paper is devoted to a comparative study for the response of reflectivity and quality factor on frequency in these four kinds of coaxial Bragg resonators, including the influences of the location and corrugation-phase difference of the step-changed connection of the two reflectors. Results show that a coaxial Bragg resonator possesses most attractive properties when the corrugation-phase difference is Δ ϕ = + π at the point of connection and the upstream reflector is longer than the downstream reflector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B7-H3, a member of the B7-family molecules, plays an important role in adaptive immune responses, and was shown to either promote or inhibit T-cell responses in various experimental systems. B7-H3 was expressed in some human cancers and correlated with poor outcome of cancer patients. However, its exact role in cancer is not known. In the present study, we studied the expression of B7-H3 in the pathologic specimens of 102 patients treated for colorectal carcinoma (CRC) by immunohistochemistry. Strong B7-H3 expression was found in cancer tissues from 54.3% CRC patients, while minimal expression was found in adjacent normal colorectal tissues. Higher B7-H3 expression in tumor positively correlated with a more advanced tumor grade. In addition, consistent with a role of B7-H3 in suppressing tumor immune surveillance, the expression of B7-H3 in cancer cells negatively correlated with the intensity of tumor infiltrating T lymphocytes in both tumor nest and tumor stroma. Furthermore, we found that the level of soluble B7-H3 in sera from CRC patients was higher than healthy donors. TNF-α, an important cancer-promoting inflammatory molecule, was subsequently found to significantly increase the release of soluble B7-H3 in colon cancer cell lines. Therefore, our data suggest that both soluble and membranous B7-H3 proteins are involved in colon cancer progression and evasion of cancer immune surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots modified with ethylenediamine were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, and labeled onto the probe DNA owing to the electrostatic interaction between the amino group and the negatively charged phosphate skeleton of the DNA molecule. The surface of a chitosan-entrapped carbon paste electrode was modified with gold nanoparticles. The target DNA was immobilized on the gold nanoparticle membrane electrode and hybridized with the probe DNA labeled with CdSe. Then, CdSe was dissolved by the HNO3 solution. The target DNA was detected by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry of cadmium. Sequence-specific DNA of the 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus gene was successfully determined with a dynamic detection range from 5.0 × 10−12 to 5.0 × 10−7 mol•L−1, with a detection limit of 6.5 × 10−13 mol•L−1. Complementary DNA could be recognized by this method with good selectivity over non-complementary DNA and 2-base mismatched DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose  To evaluate the survival benefits and safety of D2 plus para-aortic lymphadenectomy (D2 + PALD) for gastric carcinoma. Methods  Patients with gastric carcinoma, who agreed to undergo D2 + PALD between February 2001 and December 2003, were allocated to the D2 + PALD group, and compared with a control group who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy. Patients were followed up until August 2007. Results  Sixty-two patients were allocated to the D2 + PALD group, and a concurrent 55 patients were allocated to the D2 group. The mean follow-up period was 57.6 (range 43.0—77.6) months, with 11.1% lost to follow-up. The morbidity and mortality rates were 24.2% and 0% in the D2 + PALD group, and 27.3% and 1.8% in the D2 group, respectively. The overall 3- and 5-year survival rates were 77.5% and 65.8% in the D2 + PALD group, and 73.2% and 66.1% in the D2 group, respectively, without a significant difference. The frequency of metastasis to the para-aortic lymph nodes (PALN) was 8.1%. The logistic regression revealed that PALN metastasis was correlated to metastasis of No. 8a and No. 9 lymph nodes (P = 0.021 and P = 0.030, respectively). Conclusion  Although D2 + PALD can be performed safely with an acceptable incidence of complications when performed by well-trained gastrointestinal surgeons, its survival benefits are not significantly greater than those of D2 lymphadenectomy. Therefore, routine D2 + PALD should not be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mercaptoacetic acid (MAA)-modified cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticle was synthesized in aqueous solution and used as an oligonucleotide label for the electrochemical detection of nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator gene sequence. The carboxyl groups on the surface of the CdS nanoparticle can be easily covalently linked with NH2-modified NOS oligonucleotide probe sequences. The target ssDNA sequence was fixed onto the electrode surface by covalently linking to a mercaptoethanol self-assembled gold electrode, and the DNA hybridization of target ssDNA with probe ssDNA was accomplished on the electrode surface. The CdS nanoparticles anchored on the hybrids were dissolved in the solution by the oxidation with HNO3 and further detected by a sensitive differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetric method. The detection results can be used for monitoring the hybridization, and the NOS target sequence was satisfactorily detected in the approximate range from 8.0 × 10−12 to 4.0 × 10−9 mol L−1 with a detection limit of 2.75 × 10−12 mol L−1 (3 σ). The established method extended the nanoparticle-labeled electrochemical DNA analysis to genetically modified organisms (GMOs) specific sequence samples with higher sensitivity and selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) forward modeling algorithm of surface-to-borehole transient electromagnetic (SBTEM) fields based on an unstructured vector finite-element method to analyze the characteristics of SBTEM responses for complex geoelectrical models. To solve the double-curl diffusion equation for the electric field, we use an unstructured tetrahedral mesh to discretize the model domain and select the unconditionally stable backward Euler scheme to discretize the time derivative. In our numerical experiments, we use a grounded wire as a transmitting source. After validating the algorithm's effectiveness, we first analyze the diffusion characteristics and detectability of the electromagnetic field. After that, we focus our attention on the distribution and the cause of zero bands for Ex and dBy/dt components with the hope of guiding future field surveys. Finally, by simulating different models, we analyze the capability of the SBTEM method in detecting typical mineral veins so that we can provide a reference for mineral resource exploration in the deep earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the effect of thermal-treatment under an Ar atmosphere on the structural evolution of silicon oxycarbide-derived carbons (SiOC-DCs) by adjusting the temperature from 1200 to 2100°C , which will be characterized by means of N2 adsorption, X-ray diffraction, Raman and transmission electron microscopy techniques, and studied their CO2 capture performances. The results show that the structure of SiOC-DCs varied regularly with treatment temperature. The porosity and crystallinity of the as-received sample are almost stable when the thermal-treatment temperature is < 1500°C . Subsequently, increasing the temperature (especially up to 1800°C ) will lead to an obvious improvement in the carbon crystallinity at the cost of pore structure breakage, which can be characterized by a quick decrease in the surface area and total pore volume of SiOC-DCs. Interestingly, the as-received SiOC-DC sample exhibits good CO2 capture performance at 0°C under ambient pressure, up to 3.16 mmol g–1. The thermal-treatment process under an Ar atmosphere in the range of 1200–1500°C could further help in increasing the CO2 adsorption ability by increasing the ultra-micropore ( d < 0.6 nm ) volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean sprouts, a traditional vegetable in Asia, are gaining popularity in the United States. Soybean sprout demand has been supplied by natto (a Japanese soyfood) cultivars that share some seed characteristics with sprout cultivars. However, natto seeds do not meet all requirements of sprouts and are rejected by sprout manufacturers. The objectives of this study were to evaluate important seed and sprout traits as potential selection criteria in breeding sprout soybeans and to study the storage effect on soybean sprout quality. Almost all genotypes produced thicker and longer hypocotyls and higher fresh-sprouts than ‘MFS-561’, a commercial soybean sprout variety. Hypocotyl length ranged from 13.8 to 16.2 cm. Four fungi genera Bipolarissp., Cercospora sp., Botrytissp. and Caethomium sp. were isolated from seeds. Cracked cotyledons and abnormal seedlings were the two main constraints affecting soybean sprout quality. Correlation coefficients among all traits indicated that percentage and weight of high- and average-quality sprouts would determine sprout yield. Acceptable yield and several traits were recommended to be used simultaneously while breeding superior sprout soybean cultivars. Good sprout varieties should produce high-quality sprouts [48%, average-quality sprouts\38%, low-quality sprouts\14%, sprout yield [5.7 g/g seed, hypocotyl thickness [1.6 cm and hypocotyl length [13 cm. One-year seed storage at room temperature reduced sprout quality. V09-3876 and V12-1939 had superior seed and sprout traits and are promising lines for further evaluation for sprout production. Seed storage over time affects seed germination and seedling vigor, and fungi on seed can cause reduced seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]