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Wheat refers to a critical grain crop in China, and ensuring the stable, high quality, high yielding production of wheat is of significance to China’s food security. Chitosan oligosaccharide (COS), i.e., amino-oligosaccharide, is a bio-pesticide readily absorbed by crop plants, capable of improving nutrient absorption and reproductive growth. This study aimed to determine the effects of COS on promoting wheat growth and its effect on the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as common antioxidant enzymes frequently related to plant tolerance. As indicated from the results, COS treatment (50–800 μg/mL) led to the significant (P < 0.05) increase in the height, root length, fresh and dry weight of all the tested wheat cultivars (Bainong 4199, Zhengyu 11 and Bainong 207). Moreover, the physiological analysis indicated that the activity of four antioxidant enzymes, i.e., catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in leaves, achieved the similar improvements, and MDA accumulation was reduced significantly (P < 0.05). The above results confirmed that COS can significantly promote the growth of wheat, and under the condition of increased antioxidant enzyme activity, it can reduce lipid peroxidation and may also improve stress resistance. Thus, using COS in commercial wheat production may be noticeably conducive to sustaining future wheat yields and food security in China.

Herein, an efficient approach towards obtaining molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) film for the detection of 17β-estradiol (E2) with water-compatible properties using a reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) via photo-initiation is described. 2-Methyl-2-[(dodecylsulfanylthiocarbonyl)sulfanyl]propanoic acid (DDMAT) as the sole control agent in the absence of additional photoinitiators or catalysts was utilized for the synthesis of MIP film. The MIP film was characterized using contact angle measurements, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Analysis of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectra showed that the imprinted film displayed good sensitivity and selectivity to E2 when compared to other competitors and non-imprinted polymer (NIP) film. The response of the E2 ranged from 10−14 to 10−6 mol L−1 with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.15 × 10−15 mol L−1 (S/N = 3) in PBS buffer (pH 7.4). This sensor showed good reusability and stability, and retained about 84.8% of its original response after 45 days of storage under dry and ambient conditions. Finally, the sensor was applied to determine the concentration of E2 in tap water and underground water samples in the range from 10−13 mol L−1 to 10−7 mol L−1, and the LODs were obtained as 7.4 × 10−15 mol L−1 and 1.12 × 10−14 mol L−1, respectively.

Summary This experiment investigated the effects of supplementing the maternal diet with linseed oil (LSO) and soya bean oil (SBO) on immunoglobulins, the fatty acid composition and hepatic expression of lipid metabolism-related genes in piglets. Multiparous sows (twenty-four per diet) were fed on diets containing a supplement of either SBO or LSO during last week of gestation and lactation. The results indicated that supplementation of maternal diet with LSO could improve the weaning weight of piglets and average daily gain (ADG) (p

Nitrite in the aquatic environment is highly toxic to aquatic animals. However, the mechanism by which the mud crab responds to nitrite-induced stress remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the physiological response and molecular mechanism in the mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) exposed to the acute nitrite exposure (20 mg/L) for 24h. The results showed that nitrite exposure induced significant changes in antioxidant enzyme activity and MDA content. Severe cytological damage was observed in the hepatopancreas. After 24h exposure to nitrite, 11,638 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by transcriptome analysis. These DEGs were involved in many pathways related to oxidative stress and immune responses. Our results also found that FoxO signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway, and NF-kB signaling pathway participated in the anti-stress defense against nitrite stress. The study provides new insight into the understanding of nitrite-induced toxicity in the mud crab.

Diclofenac (DCF) is one of the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals in various water samples. This paper studied the effects of aquatic environmental factors (pH, temperature and dissolved organic matter) on photodegradation of DCF under simulated sunlight. The results demonstrate that degradation pathways proceed via pseudo first-order kinetics in all cases and the photodegradation of DCF by simulated sunlight. Thermodynamic study indicated that the photodegradation course is spontaneous, exothermic and irreversible. The rate constant gradually increased when the pH increased from 3 to 5, then decreased when the pH increased from 5 to 8, and finally increased when the pH further increased from 8 to 12. Humic acid inhibited the photodegradation of DCF. Three kinds of main degradation products were observed by high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and the degradation pathways were suggested. A toxicity test using Photobacterium phosphoreum T3 Sp indicated the generation of some more toxic products than DCF.

In this work, a hydrophilic and high sensitivity sensor was fabricated based on BMS (MAA : HEMA = 3 : 1, molar ratio) molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) film for 17β-estradiol (E2) detection in aqueous media combined with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technique. In-situ UV polymerization method was used to synthesize the MIPs film on the gold surface which was modified with dodecyl mercaptan. Afterwards, the MIPs film was characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle measurements. The results showed that the MIPs film was successfully prepared on the surface of the sensor chip with good hydrophilicity and permeability. The analysis of SPR spectroscopy indicated that the MIPs film displayed greater selectivity to E2 than other competitors and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) film and showed better adsorption performance than one kind of monomer for the same E2 concentration. The response of E2 sensor ranged from 2.5×10−16 to 2.5×10−8 mol/L with an ultra-low detection limit of 9.14×10−18mol/L in PBS buffer (pH 7.4). In addition, this sensor performed good reusability and stability. Finally, the sensor was successfully applied to detect E2 in tap water and human urine and had wide detection ranges and low detection limits in backgrounds.

Red mud (RM) is a large quantity waste product in the production of alumina. There is still no efficient way to deal with it in the world. Using RM as a raw material to synthesise Mg–Al–Fe ternary layered double hydroxide (LDH) is a feasible way to solve this global problem. The synthesised LDH was characterised by X-ray diffraction. The flame retardant and thermal degradation properties of ethylene-vinyl acetate/layered double hydroxide/graphite powder (EVA/LDH/GP) composites have been studied using cone calorimeter test (CCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetry–Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TG–IR). The CCT data indicate that heat release rates of EVA/LDH/GP composites decrease greatly in comparison with those of EVA, EVA/RM and EVA/LDH composites. The morphological structures of charred residues observed by SEM give positive evidence that the compact char residue layers formed from EVA/LDH/GP composites. The TG–IR is used to characterise volatilised products form...

Flame retardant ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) composites were prepared based on different contents of hollow glass beads (HGBs) and aluminium hydroxide (ATH) in this paper, and the flame retardant properties were studied using limiting oxygen index, UL-94 test and cone calorimeter test respectively. The results showed that EVA-4 with 1·0 wt-%HGBs has the lowest heat release rate, total heat release and smoke production rate among all samples, and HGBs could promote to form a compact char layer on the surface of the sample. It indicates that there is an obvious synergistic flame retardant effect between HGBs and ATH in this composite.

The synergistic effects of zinc oxide (ZnO) with intumescent flame retardant (IFR; based on phosphorus acid, melamine and pentaerythritol) in silicone rubber (SR) composites have been studied using limiting oxygen index, UL-94, cone calorimeter test and digital photographs. The results showed that 2·0 wt-% loading ZnO in the flame retardant SR composites could greatly reduce the peak values of heat release rate and smoke production rate, and form a compact char layer on the surface of the sample. Thus, a suitable amount of ZnO plays a synergistic effect with IFR in flame retardant SR composites system.

The synergistic effects of Fe organic modified montmorillonite (Fe-OMMT) with layered double hydroxides (LDHs) in ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer/LDH (EVA/LDH) composites have been studied using thermal analysis [thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)], limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 test and cone calorimeter test (CCT). The results showed that the addition of a given amount of Fe-OMMT apparently increased the LOI value and the rating in the UL-94 test. The results from the LOI and UL-94 tests show that Fe-OMMT can act as flame retardant synergistic agents in EVA/LDH composites. The CCT data indicated that the addition of Fe-OMMT in the EVA/LDH system can greatly reduce the heat release rate. The TGA data show that Fe-OMMT, as an excellent flame retardant synergist of LDH, cannot increase the thermal degradation temperature and the charred residues.

In this study, antioxidant capability and protective effect of probiotics on reproductive damage induced by diet oxidative stress were investigated. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups with 10 rats in each group. The control group consumed a normal standard diet (5% fat, w/w). The other two treatment groups were fed with a high-fat diet (20% fat, w/w), and a high-fat diet supplemented with 2% probiotics (w/w), respectively. At the end of the experimental period, that is, after 6 weeks, rats were killed. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), contents of nitric oxide (NO) free radical and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and sperm suspension were examined. Sperm parameters including sperm concentration, viability, motility and DNA integrity were analyzed. The results showed that high-fat diet could induce oxidative stress, shown as significant increases in lipid peroxidation, NO free radical, significant decrease in activities of SOD, GSH-Px, significant reduction in sperm concentration, viability and motility, and damage in sperm DNA (P < 0.05), compared with the control group. These alterations were significantly reversed in the probiotics-supplemented group and had no significant difference in antioxidant capability, lipid peroxidation and sperm parameters compared with the control group. The percentage of sperm with DNA damage was significantly lower than the high-fat diet group and still higher than the control group, which means that probiotics could attenuate sperm damage to some extent. The present results indicated that dietary probiotics had antioxidant activity and the protective effect against sperm damage induced by high-fat diet to some extent.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been demonstrated to induce apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells, however, mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not fully understood. In the present study, we determined whether ATO induced apoptosis by abnormal expression of microRNA. In an apoptosis model of retinoblastoma cells subjected to 4 μM ATO for 72 hours, we found 14 miRNAs changed more than 2-fold by using miRNA microarray analysis. Most of these aberrantly expressed miRNAs were confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. MiR-376a, a significantly down-regulated miRNA, was selected for further study. The overexpression of miR-376a resulting from miR-376a mimic transfection significantly inhibited ATO-induced apoptosis. By contrast, miR-376a deficiency resulting from miR-376a inhibitor transfection aggravated ATO-induced apoptosis. Using bioinformatic algorithms, caspase-3, a key apoptosis executioner, was predicted as a putative target of miR-376a. The quantitative RT-PCR showed no effects of miR-376a mimic or inhibitor on caspase-3 mRNA level. However, the amount of caspase-3 proteins was reduced by miR-376a mimic, whereas increased by miR-376a inhibitor. Furthermore, the luciferase reporter assay confirmed caspase-3 to be a target of miR-376a, and the apoptosis caused by miR-376a inhibitor were abolished by a caspase-3 inhibitor. These results suggest that ATO -induced apoptosis in retinoblastoma cells is part mediated by decreasing expression of miR-376a, which subsequently increased caspase-3 expression.

Isolation of high-quality RNA is important for assessing sperm gene expression, and semen purification methods may affect the integrity of the isolated RNA. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the sperm swim-up method for seminal RNA isolation. Frozen semen samples in straws from three bulls of proven fertility were purified by the swim-up method. RNA extraction was carried out using the E.Z.N.A.(TM) Total RNA kit II, with non-swim-up sperm as a control. Total sperm RNA was analyzed by UV spectrophotometry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and agarose gel electrophoresis, and expression of the sex-determining region on the Y chromosome (SRY), leptin (LEP), and ribosomal protein subunit 23 (RPS23) genes, were determined. 18S RNA was used as a positive control. Fewer somatic cells were found in sperm swim-up samples than in the non-swim-up counterparts (0 x 10(3) vs 17.33 ± 2.52 x 10(3) sperm, P < 0.05). In addition, high-quality RNA was obtained in about 2 h, with no significant difference between groups. Interestingly, the yields of RNA fragments containing ≥200 nucleotides were significantly reduced in sperm swim-up samples (0.92 ± 0.41 x 10(7) sperm) compared with the non-swim-up samples (1.36 ± 0.33 x 10(7) sperm, P < 0.05). After RT-PCR, clear bands representing SRY, LEP, and RPS23 in sperm cDNA were observed on agarose gel electrophoresis. Finally, no bands corresponding to 18S RNA were found in RNA samples from the sperm swim-up group. Our findings suggest that small amounts of sperm RNA can be efficiently extracted from frozen straw semen samples using the swim-up technique.

Chorispora bungeana Fisch. and C.A. Mey (Chorispora bungeana) is a rare alpine subnival plant species that is highly tolerant to environmental stress. Phospholipase D (PLD) is a key enzyme involved in membrane phospholipid catabolism during plant growth, development and stress responses. We have isolated and partially characterized a full-length cDNA encoding PLD from the calluses of Chorispora bungeana (C. bungeana), with the aim of furthering our understanding of the role of PLD at the molecular level. The C. bungeana PLD was found to encode a 903-amino acid protein with moderate to high nucleotide sequence similarity to previously reported plant PLD beta genes. The predicted CbPLD sequence showed the characteristic C2 domain and the phospholipase domains conferring calcium sensitivity and the enzyme activity, respectively. The transcripts of CbPLD accumulated highly when Chorispora bungeana was treated with cold (4 and −4°C), abscisic acid (ABA), salinity, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and heat. These results indicate that the CbPLD may play an important role in response to stresses in Chorispora bungeana.

In this study, apical meristems from adventitious buds of three lily (Lilium L.) cultivars were successfully cryopreserved by droplet-vitrification. The most effective techniques were as follows. Excised meristems from in vitro plantlets which had been sub-cultured for about 2 months were cold-hardened at 4 °C for 1 week, precultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.3 mol L−1 sucrose for 2 days, osmoprotected in loading solution for 20–40 min at room temperature and then soaked in PVS2 solution for 90–120 min at 0 °C, frozen in microdroplets of vitrification solution placed on aluminium foils, which were immersed rapidly in liquid nitrogen. The meristems were then rapidly rewarmed by dilution solution, transferred to regeneration medium and stored in the dark for two weeks at 20 °C, and then cultured under white fluorescent light at an intensity of 2000 lux, with a 16 h photoperiod at 20 °C. The highest post-thaw survival percentages of three cultivars ‘Siberia’ (Lilium × siberia), Lilium lancifolium Thunb. and ‘Snow Queen’ Lilium × longiflorum were 65.0%, 83.8% and 43.3%, and regeneration percentages were 62.0%, 67.6% and 35.0%, respectively. The study demonstrated that cryopreservation by droplet-vitrification increased survival and regeneration percentages of certain lily cultivars compared with vitrification. Thus to cryopreserve lily meristems, droplet-vitrification method is preferable to the vitrification method.

Impact of enriched atmospheric NH 3 in combination with low and high N medium on growth, total C and N accumulation (C tot A and N tot A) and photosynthetic characteristics of two maize cultivars i.e. SD19 (cult. 1) and NE5 (cult. 2) with low N and N high use efficiency, respectively, was investigated. Plants were exposed to 10 nl/L and 1000 nl/L NH 3 fumigation, respectively, for 30 days in open-top chambers (OTCs). Under exposure to the low N medium, increase of the atmospheric NH 3 concentration to 1000 nl/L from the ambient level significantly ( P < 0.05) increased dry matter (DM) (by 18% in cult. 1 and 14% in cult. 2 respectively), C tot A, N tot A, net photosynthetic rate (P n ), stomatal conductance (G s ) and apparent quantum yield (AQY) but decreased intercellular CO 2 concentration (C i ) in both cultivars. These effects were more pronounced in cult. 1 as compared to those in cult. 2. In contrast, in the high N solution, enriched atmospheric NH 3 led to a decrease in DM, C tot A, N tot A, P n , G s and AQY but an increase in C i of cult. 2 only. Dark respiration rate remained unaffected by enrichment of NH 3 in each treatment. Therefore, it is concluded that appropriately enriched atmospheric NH 3 can improve plant growth of maize by enhancing C tot A, N tot A, and photosynthesis in the low N medium, especially for low N use efficiency cultivars.

The flammability characterisation and synergistic flame retardant mechanism of La2O3 in the ethylene vinyl acetate/Mg(OH)2 blends were studied by limiting oxygen index, UL 94 test and cone calorimeter test. The results showed that the addition of a given amount of La2O3 decreased the limiting oxygen index value somewhat but enhance the UL 94 test. The data obtained from the cone calorimeter test indicated that the addition of La2O3 greatly reduced the heat release rate and prolonged the ignition time.

We investigated the effect of enhanced atmospheric ammonia (NH(3)) in combination with low and high nitrogen (LN and HN, respectively) growth medium on photosynthetic characteristics of two maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars (NE5 with high- and SD19 with low N-use efficiency) across long-term growth period and their diurnal change patterns exposed to 10 nl l(-1) and 1,000 nl l(-1) NH(3) fumigation in open-top chambers (OTCs). Regardless of the level of N in medium, increased NH(3) concentration promoted maximum net photosynthetic rate (P (max)) and apparent quantum yield (AQY) of both cultivars at earlier growth stages, but inhibited P (max) of NE5 from silking to maturity stage and that of SD19 at maturity stage only above the ambient concentration. Greater positive/less negative responses were predominant in the LN than in the HN treatment, especially for SD19. Dark respiration rate (R (D)) remained more enhanced in the LN than in the HN treatment for SD19 as well as increased in the LN while decreased in the HN treatment for NE5 at their silking stage, following exposure to elevated NH(3) concentration. Additionally, enhanced atmospheric NH(3) increased net photosynthetic rate (P (N)) and stomatal conductance (g (s)) but reduced intercellular CO(2) concentration (C (i)) of both cultivars with either the LN or HN treatment during the diurnal period at tasseling stage. The diurnal change patterns of P (N) and g (s) showed bimodal curve type and those of C (i) presented single W-curve type for NE5, when NH(3) concentration was enhanced. As for SD19, single-peak curve type was showed for both P (N) and g (s) while single V-curve type for C (i). All results supported the hypothesis that appropriately enhanced atmospheric NH(3) can increase assimilation of CO(2) by improving photosynthesis of maize plant, especially at earlier growth stages and after photosynthetic "noon-break" point. These impacts of elevated NH(3) concentration were more beneficial for SD19 as compared to those for NE5, especially in the LN supply environment.

A synergistic effect on flame retardancy was found when hydroxy silicone oil (HSO) was incorporated into ethylene vinyl acetate/aluminum hydroxide (EVA/ATH) composite. The fire performance of EVA and EVA composites was studied by using limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL 94, and cone calorimeter test (CCT). Compared with the EVA/ATH binary composite, the LOI values of the EVA/ATH/HSO ternary composites at the same additive loading are all decreased. The CCT data indicated that the addition of HSO in EVA/ATH system not only reduces the heat release rate, but also prolonged the ignition time of the composite. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that ATH accelerated the loss of acetic acid, but hydroxy silicone oil assisted to reduce ATH's accelerating effect.

The Al–10Ti and Al–64Ti (wt-%) powders were synthesised by mechanical milling. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results show that aluminium and titanium powders are refined rapidly and mixed uniformly, and finer particles result from the increase in milling time. The average particle size reached 5 μm after 100 h of milling. The structure of a metastable Ti(Al) hexagonal close packed (hcp) supersaturated solid solution was obtained after 140 h of milling. With increasing milling time (t=300 h), an amorphous phase occurred in Al–64Ti powders. Thermodynamic results of various competitive phases in the process were calculated and compared according to the Miedema model, which revealed how these phases proceeded. The milled Al–10Ti and Al–64Ti powders were consolidated by cold pressing (15 MPa) and sintering. The longer the milling time, the more energy stored in the composite powders. Correspondingly, the activation energy of the reaction for Al–Ti intermetallics dec...

Highly efficient separation and purification of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) from PHA-containing cell mass is essential to production of the bioplastics from renewable resources in a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way. Based on selective dissolution of non-PHA cell mass (NPCM) by protons in aqueous solution and crystallization kinetics of PHA biopolymers, a simple process is developed and demonstrated to recover PHAs from cell mass to high purity (>97 wt %) with high yield (>95 wt %). The average molecular weight of biopolyesters is controlled, which follows an exponential function of process severity, a combined factor of processing conditions. Compared with conventional chemical treatment such as sequential surfactant and hypochlorite treatment, this new technology substantially reduces the chemical cost for PHA recovery and purification from PHA-containing cell mass.

Abiotic hydrolysis of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) was investigated in acid and base media by monitoring the formation of two monomeric hydrolytic products, 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) and crotonic acid (CA) from three types of PHB matrix, native amorphous granules, precipitates and solvent-cast films. Control experiments were also performed with five esters of 3-hydroxybutyric acid. The monomeric products were not released from the PHB specimens in acidic solutions (0.1–4 N H+), but were measured as the major hydrolytic products from alkaline hydrolysis (0.1–4 N OH−). The amorphous PHB granules decomposed 30 times faster than the crystallized PHB precipitates and solvent-cast films. Formation of both CA and 3HB followed the quasi-0th-order kinetics and their mass ratio (CA/3HB = 0.42–0.68) increased with temperature because of the different activation energies, 88.4 kg/mol for CA formation and 78.9 kJ/mol for 3HB formation. Kinetic analysis and hydrolysis results revealed that dehydration of the 3-hydroxyl group is not a favorable reaction, compared to ester bond hydrolysis, under the chosen experimental conditions. A transient six-membered ring structure involving two neighboring monomers is most likely needed for crotonate formation.

Poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate)], P(3HB), is the most common member of polyhydroxyalkanoates, the natural biopolyesters of intrinsic biodegradability and biocompatibility. Abiotic hydrolysis of P(3HB) was investigated in acid and base media by monitoring the formation of two monomer products, 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3HB) and crotonic acid (CA), from three types of P(3HB) samples, amorphous granules, irregular precipitates and solvent cast films. The soluble monomeric products were not detected in acid solutions (0.1 to 4 N H + ), but measured as the major hydrolytic products in base solutions (0.1 to 4 N OH'). Unlike the protons as catalyst in both hydrolysis and esterification, hydroxyl anions were consumed during formation of carboxylate anions. The amorphous granules of P(3HB) were decomposed 80- to 100-fold faster than the precipitates and solvent cast films. The latter two had around 71% crystallinity. The hydrolysis of amorphous grannules exhibited a quasi 0 th -order reaction rate and the activation energy of saponification was 82.2 kJ/mol, silimar to those of the biotic hydrolysis of P(3HB) by enzymes and living cells.

The quality of SiC crystals grown by the physical vapour transport (PVT) method was studied by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations with the aid of etching by molten KOH. New types of defects were found, including triangular etching pits, shallow hexagonal etching pits and dendritic silicon inclusions in 4H-SiC. The triangular etching pits usually appear on the C face with a size comparable with the irregular dark etching pits due to the micropipes, while the shallow hexagonal etching pits were observed on the Si face with a size comparable with that due to the micropipes. The silicon inclusions exhibit dendritic shape up to several microns like those usually observed in metal alloys. In addition, 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC domains with different polarities in the growth surface were found to develop from the same seed. The interface of 4H-SiC and 6H-SiC was one of the sources for inducing the micropipes.

A new compound α-SrGaBO4 has been synthesized by solid state reaction at high temperatures, and its structure has been solved by direct methods from powder X-ray diffraction. α-SrGaBO4 has an orthorhombic system, Pccn space group, with lattice parameters a = 15.3154(7) A, b = 8.9186(4) A, c = 5.8130(3) A, and Z = 8. The structure consists of infinite chains run parallel to the c axis and built up of GaO4 tetrahedral and BO3 triangles. The basic unit of these chains is a six - membered Ga2BO8 ring formed by two GaO4 tetrahedra and one BO3 triangles. The Sr atom is bonded to eight oxygen atoms. The strontium atoms serve to hold the chains together through co-ordination with oxygen atoms. DTA curve of noncrystalline glassy SrGaBO4 was discussed. The XRD results show no phase transition occurs between -173 °C and 127 °C. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have been extensively studied as environmentally friendly biodegradable thermoplastics. The major obstacle to wide acceptance of PHAs is their high price, mainly attributed to the costs of raw materials and polymer recovery. A large amount of organic solids are discarded from food production and consumption and may be used as carbonaceous raw materials for production of PHAs. A novel technology was investigated at bench-top scale to produce PHAs from food scraps. The harvested cell mass had a high PHA content (72.6% of dry cell mass), the same as obtained from pure glucose and organic acids. The organic solid was first digested in an acidogenic reactor in which about 60% solid was converted to fermentative products, including short-chain fatty acids. The four major acids were acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids at concentrations of 6, 2, 27, and 33 g/L, respectively. The acids were transported through a membrane barrier via molecular diffusion to an airlift bioreactor, where the acids were utilized by an enriched culture of Ralstonia eutropha for PHA synthesis. Purification of fermentative acids was not performed in this molecular diffusion–based integration of acidogenesis and polymerization. By using a dialysis membrane as the barrier, the dry cell mass concentration and PHA content reached 22.7 g/L and 72.6%, respectively. The PHA was a copolymer of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with 2.8 mole % of hydroxyvalerate.

The Na 2 O-rich portion of the ternary diagram Ln 2 O 3 –Na 2 O–B 2 O 3 (Ln=Y, Gd) has been investigated. A ternary phase of composition Na 3 Ln(BO 3 ) 2 has been found for Ln=Y, Gd. These compounds crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /c . The structure has been determined for the compound Na 3 Y(BO 3 ) 2 from powder X-ray diffraction. The structure can be described as being made up of isolated BO 3 triangles held together by the yttrium and sodium ions. The yttrium atoms have seven-fold coordination in a covalent BO 3 matrix. The sodium atoms have seven-, six- and four-fold coordination.

In this work, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is introduced to improve the properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/magnesium hydroxide (MH) composites. The thermal stability, flame retardancy and mechanical properties of HDPE/EVA/MH composites are investigated and discussed. With increasing content of EVA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the composites increases. The thermal stability analysis shows that the initial decomposition temperature begins at a low temperature; however, the residues of the composites at 600°C increase when HDPE is replaced by small amounts of EVA. The early degradation absorbs heat, dilute oxygen and residue. During this process, it protects the matrix inside. Compared with the HDPE/MH and EVA/MH composites, the ternary HDPE/EVA/MH composites exhibit better flame retardancy by increasing the LOI values, and reducing the heat release rate (HRR) and total heat release (THR). With increasing content of EVA, the mechanical properties can also be improved, which is attributed to the good affinity between EVA and MH particles.

X. L. Chen,1 A. L. Harris,2 J. M. Li,1 T. P. Esposito,2 J. K. Deng,1 and C. G. Ning1,3,* 1Department of Physics, State Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Physics, Tsinghua University Beijing 100084, China 2Physics Department, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 61790, USA 3Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing, China (Received 27 June 2014; published 1 October 2014)

A total of 160 Rongchang pigs (26.76±1.78 kg) were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatment groups until their body weight (BW) reached 90 kg. The diets were supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Our results showed that the 1.0 to 2.0% CLA-fed pigs had less back fat deposition when their BW reached 90 kg than the pigs that received less than 1% CLA. During the 30 to 60 kg growing period, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0% CLA treatments improved pork quality by significantly reducing the pork pH (P

Cubic GaN nanoparticles were synthesized directly from reactions of metal Ga and NH4I in liquid ammonia in an autoclave at about 300 degreesC. The influence of the reacting temperature, the kind, and content of mineralizer on the synthesis of pure cubic GaN was studied. Dielectric properties of the GaN nanoparticles were measured on LRC meters under the frequency range of 120 Hz to 10 MHz and the temperature range of 23 to 650 degreesC. It is found that there are three characteristics of the dielectric behavior for the nanoparticles of cubic GaN. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new compound CaGaBO4 was synthesized by solid state reaction at high temperature and its structure was solved by direct methods from X-ray powder diffraction data. The refinement was carried out using the Rietveld method, and the final refinement converged with R-p=10.2% and R-wp=14.5%. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with the space group Ccc2 and lattice parameters a=15.473(1) Angstrom, b=8.2940(8) Angstrom, c=5.8392(6) Angstrom, and Z=8. The crystal structure of CaGaBO4 is formed by BO3-triangle groups, GaO4-tetrahedron groups that are linked to chains along the c-axis, and six-coordinated calcium groups, in which there is a channel of similar to5 Angstrom in diameter along the c-axis. The XRD results show that no phase transition occurs between -173 and 227 degreesC. The lattice parameters and expansion coefficients were calculated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The crystal structure of the compound Ca3La3(BO3)(5) refined from powder XRD data has space group P6(3)mc with cell parameters a = 10.5319(3) Angstrom, c = 6.4077(1) Angstrom and z = 2. The structure consists of a three-dimensional network made up of BO3 triangles as well as irregular oxygen polyhedra of lanthanum and calcium atoms. The infrared spectra (IR) of this Compound have been investigated and confirm that the boron atoms have three-fold coordination. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) revealed that a reversible decomposition reaction takes place in Ca3La3(BO3)(5) at 1165 degreesC and it completely melts above 1300 degreesC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Phase relations of the ternary system SrO-TiO2-B2O3 have been investigated by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). This system can be divided into eight three-phase regions. Seven binary compounds are observed in this system, which are SrTiO4, Sr3Ti2O7, SrTiO3,, Sr3B2O6, Sr2B2O5, SrB2O4, SrB4O7, but no ternary compound is found. The Rietveld refinement method was used to determine the structure of the compound Sr3B2O6 and found it to be calcium-orthoborate structure. The cell parameters are determined to be a=b=9.0405(2) Angstrom, c=12.5665(2) Angstrom, and Sr. B, and O occupy the 18e. 12c, 36f positions, respectively. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

The subsolidus phase relations of the system Y2O3 -CaO-B2O3 are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. There are six binary compounds and three ternary compounds in this system. The phase diagram comprises 13 three-phase regions. The ternary compound CaYBO4 is refined from powder XRD data by the Rietveld method. It has a warwickite-like structure with cell parameters a=10.4354(3) Angstrom, b=9.6126(2) Angstrom, c=3.5880(1) Angstrom and space group Nam. The rationality of the CaYBO4 structure is examined by Brown bond valence model and IR spectra. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BY. All rights reserved.

The exchange anisotropy in NiFe/NiMn bilayers was studied by using the planar Hall effect. The sputtered NiFe/NiMn films were patterned into strips of 1 mm in length and 200 mum in width and with six terminals for anisotropy magnetoresistance and planar Hall voltage measurements by a photolithographic process. It is shown that the planar Hall effect is an effective method to characterize the exchange anisotropy in ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (AF) systems. It can be used to accurately determine the exchange field and describe the magnetization reversal processes. The effective uniaxial anisotropy field H-K eff, the effective unidirectional anisotropy field H-ud, and AF domain wall energy H-w can be obtained by fitting the experimental results. We found that in the NiFe/NiMn bilayer system, the parameters H-K eff, H-ud, and H-w have the same values in reversible and irreversible measurements, and the domain wall energy in AF layer is larger than interfacial unidirectional anisotropy. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Low-dimensional GaN materials, including nanorings, nanoribbons and smooth nanowires have been synthesized by reacting gallium and ammonia using Ag particles as a catalyst on the substrate of MgO single crystals. They were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). EDX, XRD indicated that the low-dimensional nanomaterials were wurtzite GaN. New features are found in Raman scatterings for these low-dimensional GaN materials, which are different from the previous observations of GaN materials.

In this paper, the subsolidus phase relations of the ternary system MgO-Ga2O3-B2O3 were investigated. There are five binary compounds and one ternary compound. The ternary phase diagram consists of eight ternary phase regions. The ternary compound, GaMgBO4, is isostructural to Y2BeO4. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic system with the space group Pnam and lattice parameters a=9.1847(1) Angstrom, b=9.2942(1) Angstrom, c=3.0779(1) Angstrom, Z=4 and rho (cal.) = 4.267 g/cm(3). The Mg2+ and Ga3+ ions are distributed between the two cation sites: 77.8% Ga3+ and 22.2% Mg2+ occupy the cation site I, others (22.2% Ga3+ and 77.8% Mg2+) occupy the cation site II. In this structure the Mg2+ and Ga3+ ions are surrounded octahedrally by oxygen atoms, the berate ion is a single triangle (BO3). The most important feature of this structure is the way these octahedra are linked together by sharing edges to form ribbons, which are one octahedron thick and four octahedra wide in the ab plane and extend infinitely along the direction of the c axis. The XRD results show no phase transition occurs between -173 degreesC and 227 degreesC. The lattice parameters and the volume expansion coefficient were calculated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. Al rights reserved.

The subsolidus phase relations of the system La2O3-CaO-B2O3 are investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. There are seven binary compounds and five ternary compounds in this system. The phase diagram comprises eighteen three-phase regions. A new ternary compound Ca4LaO(BO3)(3) (CLOB) is identified. It has a monoclinic structure with cell parameters a=8.1732(1) Angstrom, b=16.0860(3) Angstrom, c=3.6268(1) Angstrom, beta =101.40(1)degrees and space group Cm. At low temperature, the XRD patterns of the CLOB compound indicate that a phase transition in the low temperature range is absent. The expansion coefficients in the three major directions are different, the value of alpha (c) being the largest. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

In this brief paper, wt: address the problem of the radial growth dynamics of a nanowire due to the vapor-solid (VS) process while at the same time it grows along its axial direction due to vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process. We show that there exists a critical radius at a certain saturation and that the nanowire will thicken if its initial radius is larger than the critical radius and vice versa. Only when its initial radius is equal to the critical radius will the radius of the nanowire be uniform along its axial direction. In all other cases, the nanowire is tapered with a certain slope. The slope is relevant to the initial radius. The closer it is to the critical radius, the smaller is the slope and vice versa. Although the slope may be generally very small, it still does exist. This suggests that it is difficult to grow long nanowires with a uniform radius. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

A new oxidation method, chemical oxidation under hydrothermal conditions, is introduced to insert oxygen into La2CuO4 compounds. X-ray powder diffraction and magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the oxidized La2CuO4+δ with orthorhombic space group becomes a superconductor with a superconducting transition up to 42 K, which indicates the method is effective in inserting oxygen into La2CuO4. In addition, the oxidation mechanism and the unique properties of the closed system are discussed.

Microhardness measurements have been performed on porous silicon (PSi) films. The dependence of the hardness on porosity, morphology and the underlying silicon substrate has been established. A model which determines the intrinsic film hardness has been developed and experimentally validated. The load dependence of hardness was measured as an index of the disorder in porous silicon. Hardness analysis also provided information on the nature of the PSi surface. Finally, several PSi-polymer nanocomposites have been fabricated and characterized. An improvement in hardness is observed, with no apparent change in the PL characteristics.

57Co was produced with high pure nature iron irradiated by 8.5MeV deuterons. TBP-benzene extraction method and anion-exchange method were used to separate and purify it. The purified57Co was prepared into standard solution of about 30 to 50 μg Co2+/ml carrier concentration and about 0.1 mol/l HCl. The specific activity of the standard solution was measured with 4 π β (ppc)-γ coincidence counting method. The final result was 476.82(1±0.42%)Bq/mg.

We report observation of photoinduced electron transfer between two n-conjugated polymers in binary mixtures. Picosecond transient absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies of mixtures of n-type (electron accepting) poly (benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL) and p-type (electron donating) poly (p- phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT) or poly(p-(2-hydroxy)-phenylene berizobisoxazole) (HPBO) evidence intermolecular electron transfer when BBL is selectively photoexcited. The results suggest that blends of n-conjugated polymers are supramolecular materials which have novel features such as delocalized radical ion pairs or diion pairs, - novel properties, and- implications for organic p-n junction devices, photodiodes, photovoltaic cells, photoreceptors, and molecular electronic devices.

The magnetostrictive properties and microstructure of Tb 0.27 Dy 0.73 Fe 2 B x ( x =0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2) have been investigated. Measurement of magnetic properties, X-ray diffraction and magnetostriction were made on Tb 0.27 Dy 0.73 Fe 2 B x polycrystalline samples prepared by arc melting. With the increase of boron content x , the iron-rich phase which leads to the detriment of magnetostrictive properties, decreases. The matrix phase of these alloys also has the MgCu 2 structure. The lattice constant and Curie transition temperature change only slightly. The doping of boron in the Tb 0.27 Dy 0.73 Fe 2 alloy can restrain the emergence of the iron-rich phase. The peritectic region probably shifts slightly with the addition of boron.

ZnO nanorods with diameters of 10–200 nm were fabricated through a simple gas reaction method. They were characterized by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). FE-SEM and TEM images showed that the product was composed of nanorods with lengths from several to tens microns. XRD and EDX indicated that the nanorods were hexagonal ZnO.