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A rapid identification method for flue-cured tobacco quality was proposed based on Raman spectroscopy. Considering the critical quality factors of flue-cured tobacco-like oil content, softness, and glossiness, four statistical methods, random forest, K-nearest neighbor, logistic regression, and partial least squares, can effectively improve the accuracy of quality identification. We randomly collected 149 flue-cured tobacco samples from multiple producing areas in China. After Raman spectroscopy analysis, Savitzky–Golay convolution smoothing and multi-scatter correction were done. The functional groups were analyzed to select characteristic peaks as features for discriminant analysis. The results show that the Raman spectroscopic information can distinguish the quality of flue-cured tobacco with an accuracy greater than 95%, whereas the partial least-squares approach delivers an accuracy of 100%. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy can be considered a vital avenue for identifying the quality of flue-cured tobacco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial soft actuators, featured with non-equilibrium internal circumstance and fast, programmable shape transformations, have attracted strong research interest recently due to their flexibility, highly controllable, and designability. However, wireless soft actuators, achieving the locomotion on different large slopes with multiple energy conversion, have been rarely reported. Herein, we create a asymmetric bilayer strategy to construct autonomous soft crawler via "breathing" moisture to motivate the mechanical deformation. The soft crawlers present conspicuous performances including periodic tumbler locomotion predicted via improved Timoshenko's equation, multiple reversible shape-morphing (circle, helix, despiralization, etc.) determined by their fiber orientation, controlled drive mode (front drive and rear drive) and rapid climb speed (4.76 cm/min) at wide slope angles. Through architecture design, they can be series-wound or shunt-wound to construct multi-joint complex actuators. Besides climbing, a intelligent soft ring-pull with admirable cycle performance for preventing overheating or something untouchable, has been proposed. The soft crawlers also realize multiple energy conversion to be actuated by light irradiation. We envision that this soft crawler system has an enormous potential in intelligent machine, microscopic diagnosis and treatment, biosensing, energy harvesting and conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tuning of turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard (RB) convection in a box is realized numerically by designed rough element arrangement. Considering the nonlinear dynamics of the thermal turbulence system, five models with rough elements of different widths and the same height are proposed to tune the fluid flow heat-transport capacity. Numerical simulations are performed using spectral element method for Rayleigh number in the range 106 ≤ Ra ≤ 109 and a fixed Prandtl number Pr = 0.7. It is found that heat transport is enhanced for large roughness widths as the interaction between the large-scale circulation and secondary flows inside the cavity regions between the rough elements promotes the eruptions of thermal plumes, but is suppressed for small ones as more heat are trapped inside the cavities. In all the rough models studied, different scaling exponents for the heat transport are identified and the influences of roughness arrangement on flow structure are studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During tunnel construction, water and mud inrush disasters from completely weathered granite usually lead to the serious casualties and economic losses. Predicting these disasters are vital to the safety construction. Considering the critical erosion condition and flow pattern variation at the three stages (Darcy, rapid, and stable flow stages), a seepage erosion model is developed to perform the coupling analysis of water and mud inrush evolution. The model is shown to have favorable accuracy in real-time predicting the erosion region, ground settlement region, and the main hydraulic parameters (i.e., permeability, water inflow, and mud inflow) by comparison with the laboratory tests and field investigations. Then, effects of the model parameters (i.e., particle diameter, erosion coefficient, and ground permeability) on the water and mud inrush are investigated. Results show that (1) with the decreasing particle diameter, the permeability and the water and mud inflow increase gradually. (2) The erosion coefficient mainly affects the evolution rate and time of the water and mud inrush disaster. (3) The water and mud inrush can be controlled when the ground permeability decreased to the 0.2 time of the initial value. The research findings and the proposed model can provide the reference for the water inrush prevention in a similar project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose an experimentally feasible scheme for generating genuinely tripartite entanglement in a hybrid quantum system which consists of topologically protected particle-like excitations (magnetic vortices), cavity microwave photons, and solid-state spins (NV centers in diamond). The magnetic vortices and solid-state spins are simultaneously coupled to the microwave cavity photons via magnetic dipole interaction. By introducing a microwave modulation to the collective spins and under appropriate parameter regimes, we find that the steady state of the system is a genuinely tripartite entangled state where vortices, cavity photons, and spins are entangled with each other. The effect of the introduced modulation on the produced entanglement is analyzed, and we also show that the entanglement is robust against dissipation. This work may offer a promising platform for studying macroscopic quantum effects and quantum information processing with the vortex–photon–spin system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin (Ig) G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare and chronic progressive clinical entity, characterized by elevated serum IgG4 along with tissue infiltration by IgG4 + plasma cells. It is an immune-mediated fibro-inflammatory condition that can affect virtually any organ and tissue. IgG4-related lung disease (IgG4-RLD) occupies 14% of all IgG4-RD, with nonspecific symptoms and various abnormal radiographic patterns. Published data on IgG4-related hypertrophic pachymeningitis (IgG4-RHP), an increasingly recognized central nervous system manifestation of IgG4-RD, is also limited. Both lung and cranial dura involvement have not yet been reported until now. We further entail a review of the literature on the clinicopathologic features and differential diagnosis of this uncommon disease. We herein report an interesting case of a 70-year-old male patient admitted due to headache and fever. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed extensive dural thickening with marked enhancement. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed nodular or mass-like consolidation and focal interstitial change. Thoracoscopic lung biopsy and lumbar puncture were conducted. After careful histopathological observation and consideration of alternative differential diagnoses, he was diagnosed with IgG4-related disease with lung and cranial dural involvement based upon significant elevation of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IgG4 concentration. The patient was started on oral prednisolone 60 mg/day (1.0 mg/kg/day) for 14 days, and a tapering dose of 5 mg every 2 weeks followed by maintenance therapy at low dose for 3 months. His clinical manifestations, and serologic and imaging findings improved with steroid treatment. Currently, the patient remains well without disease progression. IgG4-RD should be considered as a differential when diagnosing other similar multisystemic lesions. Clinical examination, careful histological observation, and immunostaining for appropriate markers are essential in establishing the diagnosis. Clinicians should become familiar with this alternative differential diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re–Os radiometric dating of crude oil can be used to constrain the timing of hydrocarbon generation, migration or charge. This approach has been successfully applied to marine petroleum systems; however, this study reports on its application to lacustrine-sourced natural crude oils. Oil samples from multiple wells producing from the Cretaceous Nantun Formation in the Wuerxun-Beier depression of the Hailar Basin in NE China were analysed. Subsets of the Re–Os data are compatible with a Cretaceous hydrocarbon generation event (131.1 ± 8.4 Ma) occurring within 10 Myr of deposition of the Nantun Formation source rocks. In addition, two younger age trends of 54 ± 12 Ma and 1.28 ± 0.69 Ma can be regressed from the Re–Os data, which may reflect the timing of subsequent hydrocarbon generation events. The Re–Os geochronometer, when combined with complementary age dating techniques, can provide direct temporal constraints on the evolution of petroleum system in a terrestrial basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to choose the appropriate time for the dynamic reinforcement, the time effect of stress field evolution of the surrounding rock was first analyzed in this study. Then the deep soft rock roadway in Xinhu Coal Mine, China was taken as a typical example with regard to how the rheology-affected stress field of the surrounding rock evolved. The calculation algorithm of stress field evolution was given together with the corresponding program developed. Calculation results showed that the peak point of the surrounding rock in the early phase moved faster, where the turn appeared on the 60th day when the peak point lied 6.96 m away from the center of the roadway. Then the peak point moved at a slower pace, and finally, on the 124.8th day, the stress peak point was basically stabilized 7.21 m away from the center. In this way, the appropriate dynamically-reinforced supporting time of the No. 2 North rail-crosscut in Xinhu Mine was determined as 60 days after the primary support. In addition, a dynamic reinforcement technical plan was developed. The primary supporting system was bolt + W-shaped strip + diamond mesh + shallow hole grouting bolt + cable + shotcrete, and the reinforcement support system was bolt + M4 strip + diamond mesh + grouting cable. In-situ observation showed that both the maximum deformation and its maximum velocity in the roof and both walls of the roadway were small. The results indicated that both the reinforced supporting time and the parameters are appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unloading effect of the excavation of deep roadways has been considerably studied, but most research methods have been limited to numerical simulations and field measurements. Only a few have adopted experimental methods for similar simulations. On the basis of the theory of mechanics, the testing system is designed considering initial geostress and dynamic unloading. The system includes an impact unloading gear and in-situ stress loading equipment, and a designed three-link structure and the impact hammer can effectively realize the dynamic excavation of roadways. Meanwhile, a cyclic excavation similar simulation experiment on a deep roadway is conducted in a laboratory. The testing system and the relevant monitoring facilities are utilized, and the unloading effect inside the surrounding rock under the cyclic dynamic excavation is studied. Results show that the cyclic dynamic excavation causes significant unloading only in the nearby rock mass, and the unloading indicators show nonlinear changes. Moreover, when the lateral pressure coefficient is 1.2, the damage is concentrated on both roadsides due to the excavation unloading. Meanwhile, the damage gradually decays as the span increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three structurally related ligands 3-chloro-6-(benzoimidazol-1-yl)pyridazine ( L ), 3-chloro-6-(1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)pyridazine ( L ) and 3,6-bis(imidazol-1-yl)pyridazine ( L ) were designed and synthesized, and six new Zn(II), Co(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) complexes, namely, [M( L )Cl] [M = Zn ( 1) and Co ( 2)], [Cu( L )(NO)(HO)] ( 3), [Cu( L )Cl] ( 4), [Cu L (CHCOO)] ( 5) and [Cd L (SCN)] ( 6) were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The analysis reveals that complexes 1, 2 and 3 have a mononuclear structure, 1 and 2 have a similar structure. Complex 3 features a 1D structure with intermolecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding interactions. Complex 4 shows a 1D chain structure with bridging Clˉ ions. Complex 5 exhibits a 1D ladder structure. The 2D framework of 6 features are rectangular grid with a (4, 4) topology. Additionally, photoluminescence properties of ligands L , L and complexes 1, 2 and 6 have been studied and discussed. Graphical Abstract: Six new metal-organic complexes were synthesized and structurally characterized, complexes 1, 2 and 3 have a mononuclear structure, complexes 4 and 5 show 1D chain structure, the 2D framework of 6 has a rectangle grid with a (4, 4) topology, moreover, photoluminescence properties of ligands L , L and complexes 1, 2 and 6 have been studied and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effect of decarburization annealing temperature and time on the carbon content, microstructure, and texture of grain-oriented pure iron was investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with electron-backscatter diffraction. The results showed that the efficiency of decarburization dramatically increased with increasing decarburization temperature. However, when the annealing temperature was increased to 825°C and 850°C, the steel's carbon content remained essentially unchanged at 0.002%. With increasing decarburization time, the steel's carbon content generally decreased. When both the decarburization temperature and time were increased further, the average grain size dramatically increased and the number of fine grains decreased; meanwhile, some relatively larger grains developed. The main texture types of the decarburized sheets were approximately the same: {001}<110> and {112~115}<110>, with a γ-fiber texture. Furthermore, little change was observed in the texture. Compared with the experimental sheets, the texture of the cold-rolled sheet was very scattered. The best average magnetic induction ( B ) among the final products was 1.946 T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ferrites-bismuth ferrite is an intriguing option for medical diagnostic imaging device due to its magnetoelectric and enhanced near-infrared fluorescent properties. However, the embedded XFO nanoparticles are randomly located on the BFO membranes, making implementation in devices difficult. To overcome this, we present a facile bio-approach to produce XFeO-BiFeO (XFO-BFO) (X = Cr, Mn, Co, or Ni) membranes using Shewanella oneidensis MR-1. The perovskite BFO enhances the fluorescence intensity (at 660 and 832 nm) and surface potential difference (−469 ~ 385 meV and −80 ~ 525 meV) of the embedded spinel XFO. This mechanism is attributed to the interfacial coupling of the X-Fe (e or h) and O-O (h) interfaces. Such a system could open up new ideas in the design of environmentally friendly fluorescent membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, many enterprises provide cloud services based on their own Hadoop clusters. Because the resources of a Hadoop cluster are limited, the Hadoop cluster must select some specific tasks to allocate limited resources in order to get the maximal profit. In this paper, we study the maximal profit problem for a given candidate task set. We describe the candidate task set with a valid sequence and propose a sequence-based scheduling strategy. In order to improve the efficiency of finding a valid sequence, we design some pruning strategies and give the corresponding scheduling algorithm. Finally, we propose a timeout handling algorithm when some task runs timeout. Experiments show that the total profit of the proposed algorithm is very close to the ideal maxima and is obviously bigger than related scheduling algorithms under different experimental settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equilibrium reaction between CaO-AlO-SiO-MgO slag and 28MnCr5 molten steel was calculated to obtain the suitable slag composition which is effective for decreasing the oxygen content in molten steel. The dissolved oxygen content [O] in molten steel under different top slag conditions was calculated using a thermodynamic model and was measured using an electromotive force method in slag-steel equilibrium experiments at 1873 K. The relations among [O], the total oxygen content (T.O), and the composition of the slag were investigated. The experimental results show that both [O] and T.O decrease with decreasing SiO content of the slag and exhibit different trends with the changes in the CaO/AlO mass ratio of the slag. Increasing the CaO/AlO mass ratio results in a decrease in [O] and an increase in T.O. To ensure that T.O ≤ 20 ppm and [O] ≤ 10 ppm, the SiO content should be controlled to <5wt%, and the CaO/AlO mass ratio should be in the range from 1.2 to 1.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Previous studies confirmed that genotyping uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1*28 polymorphisms could predict the side effects in cancer patients using irinotecan (IRI) and then reduce IRI-induced toxicity by preventative treatment or decrease in dose. However, the association between UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms and IRI-induced severe toxicity in Asian patients is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms and IRI-induced severe neutropenia as well as diarrhea in Asian patients. Methods: We searched all papers on PubMed and Embase from February 1998 to August 2013. Then we assessed the methodologies quality, extracted data and made statistics analysis using STATA software. To uncover the sources of heterogeneity, subgroup meta-analysis was conducted according to the dosage of IRI. Results: Eleven papers were included according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria after searching Pubmed and Embase. Overall, an increased risk of severe toxicity in Asian patients with UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms was found. Patients with heterozygous variant of UGT1A1*6 showed an increased risk [odds ratio (OR) = 1.98, 95 % confidence intervals (CI) 1.45-2.71, P < 0.001], and homozygous mutation showed an even higher risk (OR = 4.44, 95 % CI 2.42-8.14, P < 0.001) for severe neutropenia. For severe diarrhea, heterozygous variant of UGT1A1*6 showed no significant risk, while the homozygous variant performed a notable risk (OR = 3.51, 95 % CI 1.41-8.73, P = 0.007). Subgroup meta-analysis indicated that for patients harboring either heterozygous or homozygous variant, low dose of IRI also presented comparably increased risk in suffering severe neutropenia. Conclusion: In this meta-analysis, UGT1A1*6 polymorphisms were revealed as potential biomarkers, predicting IRI-induced severe toxicity in patients from Asia, and increased incidences of severe neutropenia could occur in both high/medium and low doses of IRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nkx2-1 (Nkx homeobox-1 gene), also known as TTF-1 (thyroid transcription factor-1), is a tissue-specific transcription factor of the thyroid, lung, and ventral forebrain. While it has been shown to play a critical role in lung development and lung cancer differentiation and morphogenesis, molecular mechanisms mediating Nkx2-1 cell- and tissue-specific expression in normal and cancerous lungs have yet to be fully elucidated. The recent identification of prognostic biomarkers in lung cancer, particularly in lung adenocarcinoma (ADC), and the different reactivity of patients to chemotherapeutic drugs have opened new avenues for evaluating patient survival and the development of novel effective therapeutic strategies. The function of Nkx2-1 as a proto-oncogene was recently characterized and the gene is implicated as a contributory factor in lung cancer development. In this review, we summarize the role of this transcription factor in the development, diagnosis, and prognosis of lung cancer in the hope of providing insights into the utility of Nkx2-1 as a novel biomarker of lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteotomy of the fibula is a common orthopedic procedure performed for various indications, including harvesting fibula for grafting purposes. The effect of fibular osteotomy and need for tibiofibular syndesmotic fixation fusion at different levels on tibiotalar joint is matter of debate. We performed a biomechanical analysis of the impact of fibular osteotomies at different levels and whether the fixation of distal tibiofibular joint mitigates instability caused by the osteotomy. Materials and Methods: Six lower limb specimens from fresh adult cadavers were used to prepare leg-foot models. The specimens were assigned to six status according to the level of osteotomy and whether fixation of distal tibiofibular joint was performed or not. Each specimen was then loaded axially to 700 N by the material testing machine, and the tibiotalar joint contact area and peak pressure were measured using an electronic pressure sensor. Results: The contact area and the pressure of tibiotalar joint showed significant changes when compared to the normal specimen. All osteotomy specimens had a decreased tibiotalar contact area and an increased peak pressure. This positively correlated with proximity of level of osteotomy to the lateral malleolus. Conclusions: Through this study, we found that fibular osteotomy had an adverse effect in terms of decreasing the contact surface of tibiotalar joint that led to increased peak pressure in the joint. However, bone fusion and screw fixation of the distal tibiofibular joint reduced these adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of the SASH1gene on the growth, proliferation, apoptosis, invasiveness, and metastatic potential of lung cancer cells and explore the potential use of SASH1 for the treatment of human lung cancer. The SASH1 gene was cloned into the pcDNA3.1 eukaryotic expression vector, and SASH1 shRNA were designed and constructed. The resulting constructs were transfected into A549 human lung cancer cells, and the changes in the relevant biological characteristics of the cells overexpressing SASH1 and cells with downregulated expression of SASH1 were analyzed using the MTT assay, transwell invasion assay, and flow cytometry. The effects of the SASH1 gene on the expression of cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and MMP-2/9 were also concurrently examined. In the A549 cells from the pcDNA3.1-SASH1 transfected group, cell viability, proliferation, and migration were significantly reduced compared to the control cells ( p = 0.039, p = 0.013), and a cell cycle arrest in G1 was observed. The A549 cells transfected with the SASH1 shRNA demonstrated significantly higher cell viabilities, proliferation, and migration compared to the control cells ( p = 0.012, p = 0.045). Additionally, the percentage of A549 cells undergoing apoptosis was significantly higher in the pcDNA3.1-SASH1 transfected cells and significantly lower in the SASH1 shRNA transfected cells compared to the control cells ( p = 0.010, p = 0.000). The cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and MMP-9/2 protein expression levels were significantly lower in the pcDNA3.1-SASH1-transfected cells and were significantly higher in the SASH1 shRNA-transfected cells than that in the control cells. The SASH1 gene may inhibit A549 cell growth and proliferation as well as promote cellular apoptosis. The overexpression of the SASH1 gene may also be related to the decreased migration of A549 human lung cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive studies suggest direct links between cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), high-density lipoproteins-cholesterol level and cardiovascular diseases. Many therapeutic approaches are aimed at the CETP. A series of N, N-disubstituted-trifluoro-3-amino-2-propanol analogues are among the most highly potent and selective inhibitors of CETP described to date. For in-depth investigation into the structural and chemical features responsible for exploring the binding pocket of these compounds, as well as for the binding recognition mechanism concerned, we performed a series of automated molecular docking operations. Moreover, the docking results were quite robust as further validated by molecular dynamics. The docking results reveal that the binding site mainly consists of two hydrophobic regions (P1 and P2 site) which are able to accommodate the lipophilic arms of the compounds investigated. Val421 in P1 site and Met194 in P2 site could be considered to be two important residues in forming the two hydrophobic regions. The presence of residues Phe197 and Phe463 in P2 site may be responsible for the binding recognition through π-π stacking interactions. The hydrophobic 3-phenoxy substituent may be important in creating the preferable inhibitive capability for increasing the binding potency. The hydrophobic character of the tetrafluoroethoxybenzyl group at position 3 displays better hydrophobicity than a shorter hydrophobic substituent. An interaction model of CETP-inhibitors is derived that can be successfully used to explain the different biologic activities of these inhibitors. It is anticipated that the findings reported here may provide very useful information or clues for designing effective drugs for the therapeutic treatment of CETP-related cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The valence electron structure (VES) of ZrB was set up with the bond length difference (BLD) method based on empirical electron theory (EET) of solids and molecules, and there were 43 potential hybridization combinations. Based on the calculation result of the melting point, the 16th hybridization step of Zr atom and fifth hybridization step of B atom are ascertained as the final hybridization combination. Therefore, the covalent electron number and the bonding energy of the strongest bond (the B-B bonds), the theoretical melting point, and the crystal cohesive energy of the ZrB compound can be figured out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  We investigate four novel negative-differential-resistance (NDR) circuits using the combination of the standard Si-based n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (NMOS) and SiGe-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). By suitably designing the parameters, we can obtain the Λ- or N-type current–voltage (I–V) curve. Especially, the peak current of the combined I–V curve could be easy adjusted by the external voltage. In application, we utilize the NDR circuit to design an inverter circuit based on the monostable–bistable transition logic element. The fabrication of these NDR circuits and applications could be completely implemented by the simple and standard Si-based CMOS or SiGe-based BiCMOS process without using the complex and expensive process such as metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the generalized linear complementarity problem (GLCP) over a polyhedral cone. To solve the problem, we first equivalently convert the problem into an affine variational inequalities problem over a closed polyhedral cone, and then propose a new type of method to solve the GLCP based on the error bound estimation. The global and R-linear convergence rate is established. The numerical experiments show the efficiency of the method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  A novel multiple-selected and multiple-valued memory (MSMVM) design using the negative differential resistance (NDR) circuits is demonstrated. The NDR circuits are made of Si-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOS) and SiGe-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). During suitably designing the parameters and connecting three MOS–HBT–NDR circuits, we can obtain the three-peak current–voltage (I–V) curves with different peak currents in the combined I–V characteristics. For the traditional resonant-tunneling-diode (RTD) memory circuit, one can only obtain four-valued memory states using a constant current source to bias the three-peak NDR circuit. However in this paper, we utilize two switch-controlled current sources to bias the three-peak NDR circuit at different current levels. By controlling the switches on and off alternatively, we can obtain the four-valued, three-valued, two-valued, and one-valued memory levels under the four different conditions. Our design is based on the standard 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study was performed on two-phase pressure drop of gas/non-Newtonian liquid systems in co-current horizontal flow. The effects of superficial velocities and polymer concentrations on two-phase pressure drop were investigated. A total of 180 experimental tests were conducted for the following conditions: superficial liquid velocity from 0.18 m/s to 1.42 m/s, and superficial gas velocity from 0.13 m/s to 2.59 m/s. The results show that the drag reduction will occur when the value of flow behavior index, n, is smaller than 0.6, and the lower the value of n is, the greater the effect of drag reduction will be. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rubrerythrin (Rr) is a non-heme iron protein isolated from anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria. Rr is a dimeric molecule, each monomer contains a Fe(SCys)4 center in the C-terminal domain and a binuclear metal center in the N-terminal domain. Rr structures with different protein sources and/or preparation procedures have been studied. Two Rr crystal structures have been solved with significant differences in their binuclear metal centers. The first structure, which was obtained from expressed protein under aerobic conditions, has a diiron–oxo center. The second structure, which was obtained from native protein of Desulfovibrio vulgaris under aerobic conditions, has an Fe–Zn center with the zinc position differing from the corresponding iron position in the former structure by approximately 2 Å. The crystal structures of Rr isolated from D. vulgaris (Hildenborough, NCIB 8303), the same as the second structured but prepared under anaerobic conditions, are reported in this paper. The binuclear metal center in these structures is an Fe–Zn center. When the crystal was exposed to air, the zinc atom moved gradually, approximately 2 Å, accompanied by the entrance of a water molecule (or hydroxyl group) and changes in the binuclear metal center microenvironment. This finding can explain the differences between the two different structures. The results suggest that the zinc movement may be related to the enzymatic activity of Rr. Electronic supplementary material is available if you access this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00775-002-0400-0. On that page (frame on the left side), a link takes you directly to the supplementary material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has not been fixed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactoferrin (LTF), an important first line defense molecule against infection, is a common target for humoral autoimmune reactions in humans. Since LTF is a multifunctional protein capable of activating innate immune cells via various surface receptors, we hypothesized that LTF-containing immune complexes (ICs) (LTF-ICs), likely formed in patients with high titer anti-LTF autoantibodies, could possess unique monocyte/macrophage-activating properties compared with other ICs. ELISA analysis on serum samples from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (n = 80) and healthy controls (n = 35) for anti-LTF autoantibodies confirmed a positive correlation between circulating LTF-specific IgG and RA. ICs between human LTF and LTF-specific IgG purified from patient sera or immunized rabbits and mice, but not control ICs, LTF or Abs alone, elicited strong production of TNF-α and IL-1β by freshly fractionated human peripheral blood monocytes and monocytes-derived macrophages. Furthermore, LTF-ICs utilized both membrane-anchored CD14 and CD32a (FcγRIIa) to trigger monocyte activation in an internalization-, Toll-like receptor (TLR)4- and TLR9-dependent manner, and also that LTF-IC-induced cytokine production was blocked by specific inhibitors of caspase-1, NF-κB and MAPK. These results uncover a possible pathway for LTF-ICs perpetuating local inflammation and contributing to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases by triggering activation of infiltrating monocytes or tissue macrophages in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]