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To improve the cutting speed and reduce burned layer caused by the accumulation of discharge products during high energy high-speed wire electrical discharge machining (HSWEDM), it is necessary to further study the discharge characteristics. Based on not changing the original high-frequency pulse power supply and servo feed system, an interpulse voltage power supply module is designed to improve the electrolysis effect. Comparative results show that under the same experimental conditions, the interpulse voltage can improve machining stability and cutting speed during high-energy rough cutting. The thickness of the recast layer can be reduced by 37.1%. The recast layer can be greatly reduced by the rough cutting and trimming process. The interpulse voltage has a major influence on the finishing process. The thickness of the recast layer can be further reduced from 16.65 µm to 6.23 µm by optimizing the order of interpulse voltage applied to the process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Platelet secretion requires Soluble N-ethylmaleimide Sensitive Attachment Protein Receptors (SNAREs). Vesicle SNAREs/Vesicle-Associated Membrane Proteins (v-SNAREs/VAMPs) on granules and t-SNAREs in plasma membranes mediate granule release. Platelet VAMP heterogeneity has complicated the assessment of how/if each is used and affects hemostasis. To address the importance of VAMP-7 (V7), we analyzed mice with global deletions of V3 and V7 together or platelet-specific deletions of V2, V3, and global deletion of V7. We measured the kinetics of cargo release, and its effects on three injury models to define the context-specific roles of these VAMPs. Loss of V7 minimally affected dense and a granule release but did affect lysosomal release. V3-/-7-/- and V2Δ3Δ7-/- platelets showed partial defects in a and lysosomal release; dense granule secretion was unaffected. In vivo assays showed that loss of V2, V3, and V7 caused no bleeding or occlusive thrombosis. These data indicate a role for V7 in lysosome release that is partially compensated by V3. V7 and V3, together, contribute to a granule release, however none of these deletions affected hemostasis/thrombosis. Our results confirm the dominance of V8. When it is present, deletion of V2, V3, or V7 alone or in combination minimally affects platelet secretion and hemostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) is a novel nano-carbon material with excellent mechanical properties. It can be used in cement-based materials to induce cement hydration and enhance the strength and the toughness of cement-based material. However, during the practical application, due to high calcium ion concentration and the highly alkaline environment of the cement pore solution, GO has a serious agglomeration problem, which does not improve hydration and cement paste mechanical properties. Therefore, three typical structural models of GO are initially discussed in this article followed by a summary of the primary GO modification methods. Finally, prospects of GO modification strategies, classified based on local structures, are put forward for GO-cement composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the poor cell compatibility, capsular contracture is usually accompanied by the implantation of Silicone Rubber (SR). In this study, synthetical carboxyl grafted polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-COOH) was incorporated into SR to prepare a composite filling material, namely POSS-COOH/SR. in vivo implantation showed that the occurrence of capsular formation around POSS-COOH/SR was inhibited, in vitro experiment showed cell improved proliferation and adhesion capability on POSS-COOH/SR. Through proteomics analysis, the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulatory protein in the cells on the surface of POSS-COOH/SR changed significantly. In summary, POSS-COOH/SR could be a better biomaterial to scaffold for soft tissue filling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting economic crops in soil with salt imbalances can improve land use efficiency. Hemp, which can be planted in low-salinity soil, is a crop with a very high economic value. To reveal the salt tolerance mechanism of hemp, the leaves of Longma #3 and #9 were collected at 0, 2, 4, and 6 days after salt stress in this study, and transcriptome and metabolome joint analysis were performed. The concentration of glutamic acid, succinic acid and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was 12 times that of the control group. The large increase in succinic acid led to the maintenance of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase levels at normal values and a decrease in H2O2 and catalase. The enriched KEGG pathway citrate cycle (TCA cycle) contains the metabolic regulation of succinic acid. Succinic acid was positively correlated with the MAPK gene. The MAPK pathway is a key pathway of plant tolerance in a high-salt environment. This study provides a reference for research on NaCl tolerance in plants and can also provide an important reference for the cultivation of NaCl-tolerant hemp varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SIRT1 epigenetic regulator is involved in hepatic lipid homoeostasis. However, the role of SIRT1 in regulating intramuscular fat deposition as well as the pathways and potential epigenetic targets involved remain unknown. Herein, we investigate SIRT1 function, its genome-wide epigenetic target profile, and transcriptomic changes under SIRT1 overexpression during yak intramuscular preadipocytes differentiation. To this end, we analysed the relationship between SIRT1 and intramuscular fat content as well as lipid metabolism-related genes in longissimus dorsi tissue. We found that SIRT1 expression negatively correlates with intramuscular fat content as well as with the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis, while positively correlating with that of fatty acid oxidation-involved genes. SIRT1 overexpression in intramuscular preadipocytes significantly reduced adipose differentiation marker expression, intracellular triacylglycerol content, and lipid deposition. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with high-throughput sequencing of H3K4ac (a known direct target of SIRT1) and high-throughput mRNA sequencing results revealed that SIRT1 may regulate intramuscular fat deposition via three potential new transcription factors (NRF1, NKX3.1, and EGR1) and four genes (MAPK1, RXRA, AGPAT1, and HADH) implicated in protein processing within the endoplasmic reticulum pathway and the MAPK signalling pathway in yaks. Our study provides novel insights into the role of SIRT1 in regulating yak intramuscular fat deposition and may help clarify the mechanistic determinants of yak meat characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The relationship between microbiota and HPSCC recurrence and metastasis remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the role of the tumour microbiota in the disease-free survival (DFS) of HPSCC patients. Materials and methods: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumour tissues were collected from 103 patients with HPSCC for 16S rRNA sequencing. We analysed the tumour microbiota in HPSCC patients with recurrence/metastasis and nonrecurrence/metastasis. The linear predictor score (LPS) was calculated based on the Cox regression model to assess the risk of recurrence and metastasis. Then, a time-dependent ROC curve was used to evaluate the prognostic power of the LPS. Results: The phyla Bacteroidota, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the most abundant bacterial taxa in the tumour tissues. Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.289, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.137–0.608, p= 0.001) and Prevotella (HR = 3.744, 95% CI 1.439–9.738, p= 0.007) were independent predictors of DFS. The predicting classifier for recurrence and metastasis risk yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.838 at 3 years and 0.860 at 5 years. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated the relationship between tumour microbiota and recurrence and metastasis in patients with HPSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an integrated study on the effects of human activity, climate change and crustal movement on the changes of the middle reaches of the Tarim River in China. Remote sensing images and rainfall data from 38 stations from 1970 to 2021 were used for the research. The precise point positioning (PPP) approach was applied to ascertain the crustal movement of the study area using 256 Global Positioning System (GPS) station data of the recent 20 years. The results show that in the past 50 years the studied reaches of the river has moved north at maximum 2940 m or 57.9 m on average, and human activity may have played a dominant role in this change though extreme events of climate may have also taken a part in it. However, before the Anthropocene, its northeast migration is likely associated with crustal movement as the basin bottom inclines to northeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and growth of a series of Lu-doped germanium clusters, LuGen q (n = 2–14, q = 0, −1) have been investigated by previous photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The ground states of the anionic LuGen – clusters obtained from DFT calculations are verified by comparing simulated PES with experimental results. The simulated PES for smaller clusters LuGen – (n ≤ 6) display relatively simple spectral patterns, suggesting high symmetry structures. It is observed that the pentagonal bipyramid shape is the basic framework for the nascent growth process of LuGen – (n = 2–8). The structures of LuGen – (n = 2–13) clusters are all exohedral structures with the Lu atom adsorbed at the surface of the bare Gen – clusters, while LuGe14– is the smallest endohedral Lu-doped germanium cluster with the Lu atom completely fallen into the germanium frame. It is found that the LuGen – clusters with even n are more stable than those with odd n and in the LuGen clusters there is an opposite trend. Especially, the LuGen q (n = 9, 12, q = 0, −1) clusters are extremely stable compared to other size clusters. HOMO–LUMO gap shows that the chemical stability of bare Gen – (n = 2–14) clusters are stronger than that of LuGen q (n = 2–14, q = 0, −1) clusters owing to the doping of a Lu atom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bessel-Legendre inequality plays an important role in stability analysis of linear systems with time-varying delays. However, various integral vectors inherited from the Bessel-Legendre inequality bring some challenging issues, such as the construction of suitable augmented Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals (LKFs); high-degree polynomial estimation on the derivative of the chosen LKF. This paper offers an overview of recent developments on these issues. First, an instructive review on the construction of suitable augmented LKFs catering for the use of the Bessel-Legendre inequality is given in detail. Second, an in-depth analysis and insightful understanding of high-degree polynomial inequalities on closed intervals are made. Third, recent results on reciprocally convex combination inequalities are briefly discussed. Finally, several challenging problems are presented for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This multicenter prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial compared the clinical performance of supraglottic airway device (SAD) BlockBusterTM and laryngeal mask airway (LMA) Supreme for airway maintenance in anesthetized, paralyzed adult patients. A total of 651 adult patients scheduled for elective surgery in 13 hospitals were randomly allocated into BlockBuster group (n = 351) or Supreme group (n = 300). The primary outcome was oropharyngeal leak pressure (OLP). Duration and ease of insertion, fiberscopic view of positioning, airway manipulations, and complications were also assessed. The OLP was significantly higher in BlockBuster group compared with Supreme group (29.9 ± 4.2 cmH2O vs 27.4 ± 4.3 cmH2O, p < 0.001). Success rate of insertion at the first attempt (90.2% vs 85.1%, p = 0.027), rate of optimal fiberscopic view (p = 0.002) and satisfactory positioning of SAD (p < 0.001) were significantly increased in BlockBuster group. Both SAD BlockBusterTM and LMA Supreme are safe, effective, and easy-to-use devices for airway maintenance in anesthetized, paralyzed adult patients, but the SAD BlockBusterTM is superior to LMA Supreme in terms of OLP, success rate at the first attempt, and fiber-optic view of positioning. The trial is registered at (ChiCTR-ONC-16009105). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel layered Zn hydroxide nitrate adsorbent (LZH-NO3) for rapid adsorption of MO was synthesized by TEA (triethanolamine)-assisted hydro-thermal synthesis technology and characterized by the SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, solid-state UV/vis spectra and TG. The maximum adsorption capability was 529.3 mg/g. The adsorption process reached equilibrium rapidly only 10 min. The pseudo-second-order kinetic equation fitted the adsorption process. The equilibrium adsorption isotherm data followed the Langmuir model. The regeneration ability was achieved using 0.5% NaOH solution. The results showed that LZH-NO3 could be employed as an efficient adsorbent for the removal of MO from dye waste water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the efficacy of positive feedback closed-loop management system (PFCMS) protocol in influencing parents’ decision about pregnancy continuation in pregnancies diagnosed with omphalocele. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who were diagnosed with fetal omphalocele prior to 20 weeks’ gestation by ultrasound and were referred to Fetal Care Center at a mainland Chinese medical center during an 11-year period. Two management strategies were offered during the two stages of the study period: a single consultant with a routine protocol and a multidisciplinary support team with PFCMS, respectively. We analyzed the two protocols influencing parents’ decision about pregnancy continuation. Results Forty-nine patients diagnosed with fetal omphalocele were included in this study. In Group A including 16 patients with routine protocol during the first stage of the study period, the majority opted for termination, and only five continued the pregnancy. In Group B including 33 patients with PFCMS during the second stage of the study period, less than one third chose TOP, and 23 ended in live births. There was a significantly lower TOP rate in patients treated with the PFCMS protocol. Conclusion The PFCMS protocol may be an efficient approach in managing pregnancies complicated by omphalocele, which may help in preventing unnecessary pregnancy terminations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) might be the last resort for some patients with cardiac or cardiorespiratory failure. Although ECMO has improved survival rates, it is associated with neurocognitive complications post-recovery. Neurocognitive complications, including verbal, learning, and memory deficits, decrease quality of life and increase burden on society and families. Enormous evidence has proven that neuronal plasticity of the central nervous system accounts for neurocognitive complications. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity in ECMO remain unclear. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) is inevitable after ECMO therapy. SIRS in cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has been proven to be associated with nerve injury. Moreover, inflammatory mediators mediate the activation of microglia, astroglia, and other cells that affect synaptic plasticity. This review discusses the presumptive effects of upregulated inflammatory factors and activation in non-neuronal cells on neuronal structural and functional plasticity in ECMO. Additionally, the review improves our understanding of these neuronal mechanisms and identifies potential targets that can enhance the ability of prophylaxis and treatment for neurocognitive complications after ECMO therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-well imaging plays an increasingly important role in the exploration and production of hydrocarbon in horizontal wells. Depending on the scattering strength, reflections from lateral sections below heterogeneous regions around the borehole suffer signal distortion and amplitude loss, which complicates the imaging of deeper structures. Thus, the understanding of scattering phenomena and their impact on single-well imaging is of significant interest for hydrocarbon exploration. This paper establishes a complex horizontal well numerical model with which the effects of heterogeneous overburden on deep reflection imaging are studied using dipole acoustic logging. Synthetic data were analyzed with respect to the observed reflectivity in the heterogeneous layer and along the deep reflection. The results show that strong velocity fluctuations increase the severity of the scattering effect when correlation distances are in the order of the dominant wavelength. The reflection images migrate and reveal additional structural details of the medium. Low frequency band imaging enables the extraction of undistorted real reflectors by using the Reflection Image Spectroscopy method. The results explain the influence of the heterogeneous overburden on single-well imaging results and provide theoretical guidance for logging interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial cultivars of kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) can have green-fleshed or yellow-fleshed fruit depending on their chlorophyll degradation ability. In recent years, an increasing number of yellow-fleshed cultivars have been bred in China. However, the mechanisms underlying the flesh colouration of these new cultivars remain elusive. In this study, the pigment contents of the yellow-fleshed cultivar 'Jinshi NO.1' were determined during fruit development, and RNA sequencing was conducted to screen for differentially expressed genes and identify potential candidates for pigment metabolism. The chlorophyll content continuously decreased from 0 days after full bloom (DAFB) (T1) to 189 DAFB (T4), resulting in a more than 30-fold change, while the contents of anthocyanins and carotenoids showed sharp decreases from T1 to 44 DAFB (T2) and remained stable thereafter. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated that the chlorophyll contents were highly correlated with chlorophyll-degradation-related genes, especially three chlorophyll a/b-binding protein (CAB) genes and one stay-green gene (AcSGR1), but no carotenoid-related genes. Furthermore, these genes were found to be highly correlated with 15 transcription factors and 11 hub genes. These results indicate the important role of chlorophyll degradation in the colouration of 'Jinshi NO.1' and provide candidates for further functional characterisation and transcriptional regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most post-stroke patients experience upper limb functionality challenges. Emergent therapies using upper limb-based robot machines present opportunities to resolve the limitations inherent in Occupational therapy such as increased therapist-patient exhaustion, monotonous methods, and so forth. The aim of this parallel trial was to compare the effects of the upper limb robotic training with matched Occupational therapy training on upper limb function and independence-related quality of life in post-stroke patients within the Brunnstrom arm motor recovery stages 1 to 4. During one-year (2018–2019), 50 post-stroke patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to 2 groups; robot and Occupational therapy (n = 25) and Occupational therapy (n = 25). Both groups were trained for 50–70 minutes per day, 5 days a week for 6 weeks. The Chinese-adapted Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) was the primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measures were the Brunnstrom Recovery Stages Scale (BRS) and the Chinese-adapted Barthel Index (BI). The treatment effect sizes of both groups were large in the following variables; transfers (1), BI total score (2.2), FMA-UE upper limb (1.1), wrist (1.8), elbow (1), fingers (0.9), and FMA-UE total scores (1.4). The treatment group in comparison to the control group had larger BRS changes, significant improvements in upper limb function, and partial independence in activities of daily living during the baseline to post-treatment period. Robotic-assisted training with occupational therapy may improve the upper limb movement foundation blocks; however, it does not translate into complete functional independence and improved quality of life. This study has been registered at the ISRCTN registry, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CerSs (ceramide synthases), a group of enzymes that catalyze the formation of ceramides from sphingoid base and acyl-CoA substrates. As far, six types of CerSs (CerS1-CerS6) have been found in mammals. Each of these enzymes have unique characteristics, but maybe more noteworthy is the ability of individual CerS isoform to produce a ceramide with a characteristic acyl chain distribution. As key regulators of sphingolipid metabolism, CerSs highlight their unique characteristics and have emerging roles in regulating programmed cell death, cancer and many other aspects of biology. However, the role of CerSs in lung cancer has not been fully elucidated. In this study, there was no significant change in the sequence or copy number of CerSs gene, which could explain the stability of malignant tumor development through COSMIC database. In addition, gene expression in lung cancer was examined using the OncomineTM database, and the prognostic value of each gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. The results showed that high mRNA expression levels of CerS2, CerS3, CerS4 and CerS5 in all NSCLC patients were associated with improved prognosis. Among them, CerS2 and CerS5 are also highly expressed in adenocarcinoma (Ade), but not in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). In contrast, high or low expression of CerS1 and CerS6 no difference was observed in patients with NSCLC, Ade and SCC. Integrated the data of this study suggested that these CerSs may be a potential tumor markers or drug target of new research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The various pathological types of non-squamous cell carcinomas (nSCCs) of the larynx accounted for about 5% laryngeal malignancies, but the knowledge regarding these pathological behaviors, therapeutic models and prognostic factors was limited. Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics and the survival outcomes of nSCCs of the larynx. Material and methods: A total of 106 patients diagnosed with laryngeal nSCC between 2003 and 2014 were retrospectively investigated from a cohort of 4,796 patients with laryngeal malignancies. Results: Spindle cell carcinoma, malignant salivary gland carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, and carcinosarcoma accounted for the majority of the nSCCs of the larynx. In laryngeal nSCCs (excluding non-Hodgkin lymphomas), there was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) by tumor subsite (p = .818), clinical-stage (p = .051) or T stage (p = .412), but the difference in OS by N stage was statistically significant (p = .001). Upon comparison of propensity score-matched groups, the OS was longer in SCCs of the larynx (p = .0004). Conclusions and significance: Primary nSCC of the larynx is rare, and its diagnosis depends on comprehensive immunohistochemical examination, as the clinical characteristics are non-specific compared with SCC. The overall prognosis of nSCC is relatively poor compared with that of SCC in the larynx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The advanced geosynchronous radiation imager (AGRI) is a geostationary sensor whose reflective solar band is calibrated by a solar diffuser (SD). The SD bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) degrades over time in the space environment. This degradation can be measured through the SD reflectance degradation monitor (SDRDM). The SDRDM calibration data are normally collected by three filtered detectors, covering wavelengths from 0.45µm to 0.90µm. The SD reflectance degradation can be derived by trending the ratio of the background-subtracted solar-angle corrected SDRDM sun and SD view responses. The conventional monitoring methods rely on geometry factors of the sun view port and the relative BRDF of the SD, and these parameters can cause uncertainties. Aiming at these uncertain factors, the present study collects calibration data at the same solar angle. This method compares the detector digital counts obtained at different times but with the same solar angle. Consequently, it cancels out the angle-dependent parameter to obtain the ratio of the BRDF degradation factors. The obtained results show that monitoring uncertainty of the proposed method is less than 0.18%, while the corresponding monitoring error is less than 0.66%. This method can be applicated in SD's BRDF monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimonanthus praecox, a deciduous shrub tree, is endemic to China and widely cultivated in the world as a popular garden and ornamental plant. Here, we have reported its complete chloroplast genome with a length of 153,181 bp, containing a large single copy (LSC) region of 86,916 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 19,767 bp and two identical inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 23,249 bp. The overall GC contents of the plastome were 39.27%. A total of 114 unique genes were successfully annotated consisting of 80 protein-coding genes, 30 tRNA genes and four rRNA genes. Sixteen genes each possessed one intron and three genes had two introns. The ML phylogenetic analysis supports Chimonanthus as sister to Calycanthus. This result will be helpful for genetic breeding and population genetics of C. praecox, DNA barcoding of Chimonanthus, and phylogenetic studies of Calycanthaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our study, we have established a novel liquid-driven co-flow focusing (LDCF) process to fabricate curcumin (CUR)-loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microparticles (CPMs). LDCF-CPMs of size 20.26 ± 2.37 μm have high encapsulation efficiency (>70%) and were intended for application in ovarian cancer by intraperitoneal (IP) administration. LDCF-CPMs have smooth surface with narrow size distribution and a core-shell structured verified by confocal microscopy which can be precisely controlled by changing the flow rates of focusing, outer and inner phases. The LDCF-CPMs reveal the physiochemical stability with sustained release profile corresponding to 95% CUR release over a period of 14 days in an in vitro release medium. Moreover, LDCF-CPMs were testified for cytotoxicity against SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cell lines and peritoneal delivery advantages by animal experiments. The pharmacokinetics of LDCF-CPMs in rats following IP injection shows slow systemic absorption with mean residence time (MRT) of 13.54 h in comparison with 9.82 and 6.74 h for SE-CPMs and free CUR, respectively. In addition, IP delivery of CUR can expose the ovarian tumour to higher concentration for a longer duration by programming the thickness of the shell. The study provides compelling evidence for LDCF-CPMs having high therapeutic opportunity in the treatment of peritoneal cancers, such as ovarian, that reside in the peritoneal cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The study investigated the feasibility of seeding adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) onto a poly(∈- caprolactone)/chitosan (PCL/CS) scaffold for bladder reconstruction using a rat model of bladder augmentation. Materials & methods: In the experimental group, the autologous ASCs were seeded onto the PCL/CS scaffold for bladder augmentation. An unseeded scaffold was used for bladder augmentation as control group. The sham group was also set. Result: 8 weeks after implantation, more densely smooth muscles were detected in the experimental group with a larger bladder capacity and more intensive blood vessels. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that some of the smooth muscle cells were transdifferentiated from the ASCs. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that ASC-seeded PCL/CS may be a potential scaffold for bladder tissue engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mortise-tenon joints (MTJs) have been playing a crucial role in traditional timber structures to resist service and earthquake loading. In the present work, an experimental study was carried out to investigate the seismic performance of joints of ancient timber structure. Five types of joints from Fu-Jiu Zhou house, a historical building in Yangzhou city, were selected as the test prototype. All of the members of the test specimens were directly extracted from the aged building and were manufactured according to traditional methods. Based on the cyclic loading tests, efforts have been made to investigate the hysteresis curves, backbone curves and energy dissipation of the MTJs. The test results indicate that the bearing bracket in the tenon can improve pulling-out resistance capacity, rotational stiffness and energy dissipation of MTJs, and reduce the bending capacity. It is suggested that the dovetail MTJ may be one of the best connection configurations for pulling-out resistance and bending capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidatively generated damage to nucleic acids may play an important role in the pathophysiological processes of a variety of diseases. 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGsn) and 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanosine (8-oxo-Gsn) are oxidatively generated products of DNA and RNA, respectively. Our previous studies have suggested that the amounts of 8-oxo-dGsn and 8-oxo-Gsn in urine were considerably higher than other body fluid or tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate whether 8-oxo-dGsn and 8-oxo-Gsn levels in random urine samples are consistent with those in 24 h urine samples in healthy subjects and patients with renal disease. A total of 16 healthy subjects and 104 renal disease patients were enrolled in this study, and their random and 24 h urine samples were collected. The levels of urinary 8-oxo-dGsn and 8-oxo-Gsn were quantified by LC-MS/MS and corrected by creatinine. Regardless of healthy subjects or renal disease patients, the levels of oxidised nucleosides in random urine samples were consistent with 24 h urine samples. Regardless of the age bracket, there is no significant difference between random samples and 24 h urine samples. In conclusion, 8-oxo-dGsn and 8-oxo-Gsn levels in random urine samples could replace those in 24 h urine samples, and were considered as the representative of the level of systemic oxidative stress for the whole day. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A series of four novel azobenzene liquid crystals (LCs) with high birefringence were synthesized by coupling of intermediate molecules with a phenylacetylene fragment. The chemical structures of synthetic intermediates and compounds were confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H-NMR. The LC behavior including transition temperatures and phase sequences were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscope (POM). as a very important parameter, the birefringence was also measured using polarizing light interferometry method. Moreover, the characteristics of selective reflection which was associated with the birefringence of the N*-LC dropped with azobenzene LCs and the effect of trans-cis photoisomerization of these compounds on selective reflection were studied in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete chloroplast genome of Populus deltoides was characterized by reference-based assembly using whole-genome sequencing data. The total chloroplast genome size of Populus deltoides included a pair of inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 27,649 bp each, a small single-copy region (SSC) of 16,563 bp, and large single-copy region (LSC) of 85,096 bp, which was 156,957 bp in length. A total of 109 genes were predicted from the chloroplast genome, including 83 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, and four rRNA genes. The GC content of chloroplast genome for Populus deltoides was 36.68%. The phylogenetic analysis based on the reported chloroplast genomes of Populus showed that the chloroplast of the Populus deltoides is most closely related to the Populus fremontii. The complete chloroplast genome of Populus deltoides provides new insights into Populus evolutionary and genomic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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A convenient method for the preparation of hydrazone derivatives from condensation reaction of [3-phenoxymethyl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-5-yl-thio]acetyl hydrazine with various substituted benzaldehydes under conditions of microwave irradiation has been developed. This method has many merits including high yields, short reaction times, ease of work-up, and simple operation. All of the compounds have been characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR spectra and elemental analysis. In addition, the preliminary biological activity tests showed that some of the title compounds remarkably enhanced the root elongation of rape seedings; moreover, some compounds possessed antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis. Supplemental materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of Phosphorus, Sulfur, and Silicon and the Related Elements to view the free supplemental file. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper provides an explanation for a puzzling aspect of China's nascent sovereign wealth system, namely the ever-more obvious competition between China's officially designated sovereign wealth fund (SWF), the China Investment Corporation (CIC), and the foreign exchange reserve management agency, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). We outline an analytical framework which illuminates the various pathways by which state leaders seek to address a principal-agent problem common to all sovereign wealth funds. We suggest that state leaders select corporate governance regimes that mesh with what we call the state's 'governance endowments'. We then substantiate the claim that China's particular governance endowments have led China's leaders to embrace a corporate governance model premised on competition among the state's sovereign wealth investors. We trace the intense bureaucratic conflicts that shaped the creation of CIC and then show how SAFE was subsequently drawn into competition with CIC in the area of high risk, high yield investment. Although China's SWF tournament emerged as a quite unintended consequence of bureaucratic politics, China's leadership has since tacitly endorsed this rivalry because it has supplied the government with valuable carrot and stick mechanisms with which to discipline fund managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using first-principles density functional theory and classical molecular dynamics (MD), the structural, electronic and mechanical properties of the energetic material β-HMX have been studied. The crystal structure optimised by the local density approximation calculations compares reasonably with the experimental data. Electronic band structure and density of states indicate that β-HMX is an insulator with a band gap of 3.059 eV. The pressure effect on the crystal structure and physical properties has been investigated in the range of 0-40 GPa. The crystal structure and electronic properties change slightly as the pressure increases from 0 to 2.5 GPa; when the pressure is above 2.5 GPa, further increment of the pressure results in significant changes in crystal structure. There is a larger compression along the b-axis than along the a- and c-axes. Isothermal-isobaric MD simulations on β-HMX were performed in the temperature range of 5-400 K. Phase transition at 360 K, corresponding to a volume interrupt, was found. The computed thermal expansion coefficients show anisotropic behaviour with a slightly larger expansion along the b- and c-axes than along the a-axis. In the temperature range of 5-360 K, β-HMX possesses good plasticity and its stiffness decreases with increasing the temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, vibrational and thermodynamic properties of β-octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (β-HMX) crystal have been studied using the isothermal-isobaric molecular dynamics (NPT-MD) simulations. The variations of cell volume, lattice constants and molecular geometry of solid β-HMX are presented and discussed at different pressure and temperature. It was found that the N-N bond is significantly lengthened with increasing temperature, which suggests that it is relevant to the initial decomposition. An abrupt change at 27 Gpa for the volume and internal geometrical parameters was observed. This is in good accord with the experimental observation that there is a phase transition at 27 GPa, which is clearly due to conformational change, not chemical reaction. The vibrational frequencies at ambient conditions agree well with experimental results, and the pressure/temperature-induced frequency shifts of these modes are discussed. Frequency discontinuity was also observed at pressure when the phase transition occurred. The Gruneisen parameter was obtained using the vibrational frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In terms of the coupled mode theory, formulas of the transfer function and the output power gain are presented for an Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped parallel-cascaded double microring resonator. Around the pump wavelength of 0.98 μm and the central signal wavelength of 1.55 μm, analysis is performed for the dependence of the output power gain on the pump power, signal power, dopant concentration, amplitude coupling ratio, and ring spacing. The results show that the output power gain of this device is much larger than that of the Er3+/Yb3+ co-doped waveguide amplifier with identical waveguide lengths. In the case of the amplitude coupling ratio κ = 0.064, ring spacing L2 = 10π R, pump power Pp0 = 8 mW, signal power Ps0 = 37.2 μW, Er3+ ion concentration NEr = 1 × 26 m-3, and Yb3+ ion concentration NYb = 3 × 27 m-3, the device can produce higher signal power gain from 11.9 dB even up to 70 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A packaged polymer electro-optic switch using double-section reversed electrodes based on the Y-fed coupler structure is investigated in terms of the conformal transforming method, image method, coupled mode theory and electro-optic modulation theory. The structure and principle are described, and unique formulations are proposed for simulating the device, including the amplitude transfer matrix, propagation powers and output powers. Design and optimization are performed, and characteristics are analyzed. Under the central operation wavelength of 1550 nm, the coupling region length is 4391.5 µm, the driving voltages of the upper and lower branches are as low as +0.633 and -0.633 V, respectively; the insertion loss and crosstalk are less than 2.04 and -30 dB, respectively, within the relative large ranges of fabrication error and wavelength shift. The proposed analysis and formulations are proved to be sufficiently accurate by comparison with the beam propagation method (BPM). The designed switch with the above waveguide and electrode structure shows lower switching voltage compared to our previous reported switches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to determine the cardioprotective effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), at doses of 2, 4 or 8 mg/kg, extracted from the flower of the safflower plant, Carthamus tinctorius L. (Asteraceae), on acute myocardial ischemia induced by left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) ligation in rats. The myocardial infarction size (MIS), creatine kinase (CK-MB) activity, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and nitric oxide (NO) content were measured. The results showed that administration with hydroxysafflor yellow A at doses of 4 or 8 mg/kg resulted in a reduction in myocardial infarction size. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (4 or 8 mg/kg) inhibited not only the elevation of creatine kinase activity and malondialdehyde content but also the reduction of superoxide dismutase activity, endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity and nitric oxide content. The findings suggested that hydroxysafflor yellow A (4 or 8 mg/kg) exerted cardioprotective effects against acute myocardial ischemic injury by regulating superoxide dismutase activity and endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two integrated 1 × 2 and 1 × 4 polymer electro-optic switches based on Y-fed directional couplers are designed and optimized in terms of the coupled mode theory, electro-optic modulation theory, conformal transforming method and image method. The principle of the 1 × 2 electro-optic switch is described. Parameters including the core size, buffer layer thickness, electrode thickness, electrode width and electrode gap are optimized. Simulation results show that the length of the designed 1 × 2 switch is about 3.126 mm, the driving voltages of the two branches are as low as 0.891 and -0.891 V, respectively, the crosstalk and insertion loss are less than -30 and 1.42 dB, respectively, within the operation wavelength from 1527 to 1574 nm. Under the same driving voltages, the 1 × 4 optical switch with a total length of less than 7 mm can be switched by altering the voltages applied on the electrodes of the three Y-fed directional couplers. Simulation results from the beam propagation method (BPM) indicate that the two designed devices exhibit favorable switching functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) parameters (the anisotropic g factors, the hyperfine structure parameters and the quadrupole coupling constant Q) and local structure for Cu2+ in BeO are theoretically investigated from the perturbation formulas of these parameters for a 3d9 ion under trigonally distorted tetrahedra. The ligand orbital and spin-orbit coupling contributions are included in the basis of the cluster approach, in view of the strong covalency of the [CuO4]6- cluster. From the calculations, the impurity Cu2+ is suggested not to occupy exactly the ideal Be2+ site but to suffer a slight inward displacement (≈0.024 Å) toward the ligand triangle along the C3 axis. The theoretical EPR parameters show good agreement with the experimental data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article concerns the stability and stabilisation of a linear system with both state and input delays. First, the combination of an augmented Lyapunov functional and the free-weighting-matrix technique yields a new delay-independent stability criterion that includes the widely used one as a special case. This criterion is then extended to a new delay-dependent stability criterion by employing an integral inequality. Based on that, a stabilisation approach to design a state feedback controller is presented that requires no parameter tuning, as is needed with some existing methods. Finally, numerical examples illustrate that the method is effective and is an improvement over existing ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing studies on footwear biomechanics rely on limited experimental analyses such as kinetics and kinematics, plantar pressure and muscle electromyography. Because of the complexity of foot-shoe interface and individualized subject response with different footwear, consistent results regarding the biomechanical performance of footwear or its components can yet be achieved. The use of computer-aided engineering (CAE) approach considering comprehensive computational footwear model can be an efficient and economic alternative to allow objective and economic evaluations and optimization of its performance. Numerical simulation technique such as the finite element (FE) method can allow realistic simulations of foot and footwear interface and offer in-depth biomechanical information such as internal stress and strain distributions of modeled structures. In this paper, existing FE studies on footwear are reviewed and recent FE applications in footwear industry are presented. The current methods for establishing the CAE procedures for footwear design and evaluation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between ambient PM2.5 and PM10 and arrhythmia and the effect modification by cigarette smoking were investigated. Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality monitors and an established national-scale, log-normal kriging method were used to spatially estimate daily mean concentrations of PM at addresses of 57,422 individuals from 59 examination sites in 24 U.S. states in 1999-2004. The acute and subacute exposures were estimated as mean, geocoded address-specific PM concentrations on the day of, 0-2 d before, and averaged over 30 d before the electrocardiogram (ECG) (Lag0; Lag1; Lag2; Lag1-30). At the time of standard 12-lead resting ECG, the mean age (SD) of participants was 67.5 (6.9) yr (84% non-Hispanic White; 6% current smoker; 15% with coronary heart disease; 5% with ectopy). After the identification of significant effect modifiers, two-stage random-effects models were used to calculate center-pooled odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) of arrhythmia per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM concentrations. Among current smokers, Lag0 and Lag1 PM concentrations were significantly associated ventricular ectopy (VE)—the OR (95% CI) for VE among current smokers was 2 (1.32-3.3) and 1.32 (1.07-1.65) at Lag1 PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. The interactions between current smoking and acute exposures (Lag0; Lag1; Lag2) were significant in relationship to VE. Acute exposures were not significantly associated with supraventricular ectopy (SVE), or with VE among nonsmokers. Subacute (Lag1-30) exposures were not significantly associated with arrhythmia. Acute PM2.5 and PM10 exposure is directly associated with the odds of VE among smokers, suggesting that they are more vulnerable to the arrhythmogenic effects of PM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural, vibrational and electronic properties of β-octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (β-HMX) crystal under high pressure up to 40 GPa have been studied using density functional theory (DFT). The pressure dependences on the cell volume, lattice constants, and molecular geometry of solid β-HMX are presented and discussed. It is found that the N-N bonds are significantly reduced under compression, which may be of importance for initial decomposition. Based on the optimized crystal structures, the vibrational frequencies for the internal and lattice modes of the β-HMX crystal at ambient and high pressures are computed, and the pressure-induced frequency shifts of these modes are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electron paramagnetic resonance g factors and the local structure for Ni3+ in LaAl0.9Ni0.1O3 (LAN), La0.75Y0.25Al0.99Ni0.01O3 (LYAN) and YAl0.9Ni0.1O3 (YAN) are theoretically studied from the perturbation formulas of the g factors for a 3d7 ion of low spin (S = 1/2) in tetragonally elongated octahedra. In these formulas, the contributions to the g factors from the tetragonal distortion, characterized by the tetragonal field parameters Ds and Dt are taken into account. According to the calculations, the ligand octahedra around Ni3+ are suggested to suffer 2% relative elongation along the [001] (or C4) axis due to the Jahn-Teller effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an original work aimed at rationally designing a molecularly imprinted polymer capable of a high specific recognition. Assembling with Bisphenol A as template and acrylamide as functional monomer, the imprinted polymer was prepared. The results indicate that the use of stoichiometric self-assembly plays an obvious role on significantly increasing the specificity of prepared material, so as to better discriminate the template from its analogue. A higher or lower extent of molecular self-assembly would result in a dramatic decrease in this specificity. Related information indicates that this, logically, can be a result of the increasing match between binding sites and the template, which makes the polymer capable of specifically recognizing the imprint species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of thiosemicarbazone derivatives of benzo-15-crown-5 were synthesized efficiently at room temperature using hydrogenchloride acid (HCl) as catalyst. Their anion recognition properties of a, b and c were studied, the result show they exhibit highly selective binding and sensing of F-, MeCO2- and n-C3H7CO2- in CH3CN (F- > n-C3H7CO2- > MeCO2- > > Cl-, Br- and I-). Especially receptor c shows different UV-Vis spectrum of F- from MeCO2-and C3H7CO2-, in addition to the color of the solution change from colorless to yellow upon the addition of F-, these two points make it suitable to be used as colorimetric anion sensor to identify fluoride anion from other halide anions and carboxylate anions by naked-eye. The connection between receptor and anion is by hydrogen bonding interactions, the binding ratio is 1:1, which have been confirmed by UV-vis inspection spectra in CH3CN and 1HMR in DMSO-d6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three title compounds were designed and synthesized in high yields as novel and simple anion receptors. They had a higher selectivity for F- over AcO-. The binding properties for anions of the receptors were examined by UV-Vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The spectrographic data indicate that a 1:1 stoichiometry complex is formed between the receptors and the anions through hydrogen bonding interactions in DMSO solution. In addition, these molecular tweezers receptors have more binding points of anions, larger association constant, and better recognition ability. They can be used as better recognition receptors for F- and CH3COO-. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study was carried out to investigate the effects of WIN55,212-2, a potential cannabinoid receptor agonist, on voltage-gated sodium currents INa in cultured trigeminal ganglion neurons of rats, and to investigate whether the anti-nociceptive effects of cannabinoid receptor subtype 1 (CB1) were produced through its modulation on INa. Methods: Whole cell patch clamp techniques were used to record INa before and after WIN55,212-2 was perfused in cultured trigeminal ganglion neurons of rats. Results: WIN55,212-2 (0.01 μmol/l) could enhance INa slightly by 11.5 ± 4.7% (n=7, p<0.05), and this effect could not be blocked by AM251, the CB1 receptor antagonist. However, WIN55,212-2 could inhibit INa in concentration dependent manner at concentrations from 0.1 to 100 μmol/l. The inhibitory rates were 17.4 ± 6.0, 22.5 ± 7.8, 43.9 ± 9.4 and 73.9 ± 6.7% respectively by 0.1, 1, 10, 100 μmol/l WIN55,212-2, and the EC50 was 17.8 μmol/l (n=7, p<0.05 or p<0.01). This inhibitory effect could be blocked partly by 1 μmol/l AM251 (n=7, p<0.05). WIN55,212-2 (0.01 μmol/l) shifted the active curve of INa leftward slightly (n=7, p<0.05), but had no effect on its stable inactive curve (n=7, p>0.05). WIN55,212-2 (10 μmol/l) did not affect the active and stable inactive curves of INa (n=7, p>0.05). Conclusion: WIN55,212-2 had bidirectional (two phases) effects on INa in trigeminal ganglion neurons. It might act on different receptors, and the CB1 receptor participated in its modulation on INa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]