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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain how enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation evolves by cloud computing in different industries with different delivery models of cloud ERP. This paper also investigates infrastructure as a service (IaaS) as a delivery approach for cloud ERP. Case research on IaaS is rarely found in the literature. In addition, this paper intends to reveal how this transformation from on-premises to the cloud would influence the ERP implementation process. Design/methodology/approach A multiple-case study is conducted to identify the different deployed models of cloud ERP systems in the implementation projects. The influences of emerging cloud computing technology on ERP implementation are investigated by interviewing consultants related to the projects. Findings The findings illustrate that not only software as a service (SaaS) but also IaaS and platform as a service cloud computing services are widely applied in cloud ERP implementation. This study also indicates that certain technical limitations of cloud ERP might have a positive effect on the outcome of ERP implementation. Originality/value This study investigates how cloud computing influences ERP implementation from different aspects. The result identifies both SaaS and IaaS as two different approaches widely adopted in cloud ERP implementation. Besides, this study has discussed in-depth and analyzed these two cloud ERP paradigms in five factors, including functionality, performance, portability, security, cost and customization. The classification and suggestions are original to the literature.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore the protective effects and the regulatory mechanisms of bariatric surgery on kidney injury in diabetic rats.MethodsWe established a useful type 2 diabetic rat model using high-fat and high-sugar diet feeding following low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) treatment. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control (Con) group, diabetic nephropathy (DN) group, and duodenal–jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery group. The food intake and body weight of rats were monitored and the glucose tolerance test (OGTT) test was performed every 2 weeks. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAFR) were measured to assess renal function. Hematoxylin–eosin (H&E), periodic acid–Schiff (PAS), and Masson staining were used to evaluate renal histopathological changes. TUNEL assay was performed to detect cell apoptosis. The expressions of oxidative stress factors and inflammatory factors in the renal tissues of rats were detected by ELISA. The expressions of PPARα, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and NF-κB were detected by immunofluorescence. For in vitro experiment, HK2 cells cultured with high glucose were treated with PPARα agonist, PPARα antagonist, and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) agonist. The expressions of AMPK/PPARα/NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot.ResultsBariatric surgery improved the glucose tolerance of DN rats. The GFR was decreased, the promotion of urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) was inhibited, and the renal injury was alleviated. The extracellular matrix fraction was decreased and the renal function was improved. Meanwhile, bariatric surgery activates PPARα, inhibits ROS release, reduces oxidative stress injury, and reduces renal cell apoptosis. In vitro experiment results showed that the AMPK activator could activate PPARα, downregulate NF-κB, and inhibit inflammatory response. The phosphorylation of AMPK was inhibited by PPARα antagonism.ConclusionBariatric surgery can activate PPARα, inhibit oxidative stress injury, and improve glucose metabolism and renal function in DN rats.

The suitable preload design of cylindrical roller bearing with triple-lobe raceway can avoid effectively bearing sliding damage. To realize the preload characteristics analysis of bearing, the quasi-static numerical model of cylindrical roller bearing with triple-lobe raceway is established and solved by the improved Newton-Raphson method. Taking a cylindrical roller bearing with triple-lobe raceway as an example, the effects of mounting radial clearance, outer raceway waveform value, radial load and rotational speed on maximum contact load and preload of the bearing are analyzed. The results show that the preload of cylindrical roller bearing with triple-lobe raceway can be controlled by adjusting the mounting radial clearance and outer triple-lobe raceway waveform value according to the radial load and rotational speed conditions. The bearing temperature trend predicted by the preload characteristic is verified by the test. It indicates the numerical model can effectively guide the preload quantitative design of cylindrical roller bearing with triple-lobe raceway.

One of the goals in the field of extrusion technology is to simplify the process and increase shear deformation in order to improve the grain refining capacity. This article innovatively tries to design a split punch structure and makes them alternate downward loading, so alternate extrusion (AE) method is proposed. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are employed to characterize the microstructure of AZ31 magnesium alloy during AE. Compared with the conventional extrusion (CE) under the same conditions, the microscopic experiment results show that the grain is more refined and the microstructure is more homogeneous. AE produces a large number of different direction dislocations and entangle with each other. The reasons for the above phenomenon are the plastic zone’s range of AE significantly increased. And between interface of double punch and die form a range of shear zone, which provides fully refined grain source power in the extrusion process. The tensile test results show that the mechanical properties of AE were better than CE, which is consistent with the results of our microscopic experiment results.

In this study, a new extrusion process, alternate extrusion (AE), is proposed. We evaluated the reliability and superiority of this process in practical applications by conducting a simulation using the finite element method, which confirmed the experimental results. The microstructure characteristics of an AZ31 magnesium alloy produced by conventional extrusion (CE) and AE were investigated by electron backscattered diffraction and optical microscopy, and the effects of the microstructures on the mechanical properties were studied across the extruded specimens. The main advantage of AE is that the load is reduced to less than half that in the CE process; this results from the reduced cross-section of the split punches. Additionally, the grain size with AE is more refined than with CE because of the additional shear force, which improves the mechanical properties of the alloys. Furthermore, AE can also weaken the intensity of the basal plane texture.

Genetic factors play important roles in colorectal carcinogenesis. This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of gene expression-related copy number variations (CNVs) on the risk of colorectal cancer in Chinese. Expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) mapping was conducted to explore the most regulatable gene expressions by CNVs among the whole genome based on publicly available data. Then a case-control study was performed to evaluate the associations between copy numbers of the most regulatable genes and colorectal cancer. The influence of the target CNVs on the expression of corresponding gene and protein was verified in colorectal tissue, and the biological effects of these CNVs on cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of colon cancer cell lines were further detected. The eQTL revealed the most significant association between CNV of HM3_CNP_342 and gene expressions of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQA1 and HLA-DQB1 among the whole genome. The later case-control study found that amplified HLA-DQB1 was inversely associated with colorectal cancer risk (odds ratio = 0.73; 95% confidence interval: 0.58-0.93), especially among those with a family history of cancer. The positive association between amplified HLA-DQB1 and upregulation of gene and protein was validated in colorectal tissue. In addition, overexpression of HLA-DQB1 in dendritic cells promoted cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of cocultured SW480 and HCT116 cell lines, and vice versa. Our study suggests that the amplified copy number of HLA-DQB1 is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer and able to induce the apoptosis of colon cancer cells, which implies the potential of HLA class II in cancer predisposition and immunotherapy.

Energy saving and improving product performance are long-term concerns in extrusion process. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel extrusion process called alternate extrusion (AE). The proposed process uses split punches alternately instead of the overall structure to apply the downward load, but receives an unexpected load-saving and grain refinement effect. Experimental and finite element method (FEM) methods were used to investigate the effects of different extrusion ratios on microstructure and mechanical properties. Results indicate that load value is significantly reduced, grain size is considerably refined, and tensile strength and elongation of material are improved after AE processing. The fractography shows that the fracture mode of AZ31 magnesium alloy changes from brittle to ductile. Although the actual extrusion ratio decreases in AE process, additional shear forces produced by different punch-alternating loads at the interface improve microstructure and mechanical properties. Therefore, AE can achieve grain refinement and load saving and improve strength and plasticity of magnesium alloys.

Background Both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are common age-associated disorders and T2DM patients show an increased risk to suffer from AD, however, there is currently no marker to identify who in T2DM populations will develop AD. Since glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) activity, ApoE genotypes and olfactory function are involved in both T2DM and AD pathogenesis, we investigate whether alterations of these factors can identify cognitive impairment in T2DM patients. Methods The cognitive ability was evaluated using Minimum Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was diagnosed by Petersen's criteria. GSK-3β activity in platelet, ApoE genotypes in leucocytes and the olfactory function were detected by Western/dot blotting, the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS) PCR and the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center (CCCRC) test, respectively. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of the biomarkers for MCI diagnosis were calculated by logistic regression. The diagnostic capability of the biomarkers was evaluated by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analyses. Findings We recruited 694 T2DM patients from Jan. 2012 to May. 2015 in 5 hospitals (Wuhan), and 646 of them met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. 345 patients in 2 hospitals were assigned to the training set, and 301 patients in another 3 hospitals assigned to the validation set. Patients in each set were randomly divided into two groups: T2DM without MCI (termed T2DM-nMCI) or with MCI (termed T2DM-MCI). There were no significant differences for sex, T2DM years, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary disease, complications, insulin treatment, HbA1c, ApoE ε2, ApoE ε3, tGSK3β and pS9GSK3β between the two groups. Compared with the T2DM-nMCI group, T2DM-MCI group showed lower MMSE score with older age, ApoE ε4 allele, higher olfactory score and higher rGSK-3β (ratio of total GSK-3β to Ser9-phosphorylated GSK-3β) in the training set and the validation set. The OR values of age, ApoE ε4 gene, olfactory score and rGSK-3β were 1.09, 2.09, 1.51, 10.08 in the training set, and 1.06, 2.67, 1.47, 7.19 in the validation set, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of age, ApoE ε4 gene, olfactory score and rGSK-3β were 0.76, 0.72, 0.66, 0.79 in the training set, and 0.70, 0.68, 0.73, 0.79 in the validation set, respectively. These four combined biomarkers had the area under the curve (AUC) of 82% and 86%, diagnostic accuracy of 83% and 81% in the training set and the validation set, respectively. Interpretation Aging, activation of peripheral circulating GSK-3β, expression of ApoE ε4 and increase of olfactory score are diagnostic for the mild cognitive impairment in T2DM patients, and combination of these biomarkers can improve the diagnostic accuracy., Highlights • ApoE ε4 gene, platelet GSK-3β activation, olfactory dysfunction and aging are non-invasive, affordable and accessible biomarkers for diagnosing mild cognitive impairment in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, and the combination of these non-invasive, affordable and accessible biomarkers can improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. Epidemiological studies show that type 2 diabetes mellitus is an independent risk factor of Alzheimer disease, and a large proportion of diabetic patients will develop Alzheimer disease, but no early diagnostic tool to identify them. We find that ApoE ε4 gene, platelet GSK-3β activation, olfactory dysfunction and aging are early markers for dementia in type 2 diabetes patients, and combination of these non-invasive markers can improve the diagnostic accuracy. These findings shed light on the early identification in type 2 diabetes population who will develop Alzheimer disease and thus enable early intervention to this currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder.

Studies concerning the association between arsenic exposure and hepatitis B virus (HB V) infection have been lacking. The present study aimed to examine the association between total urinary arsenic (TUA) and infection of HBV. A total of 5186 participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2014 were included in the analysis. We used logistic regression to evaluate the association. We defined two measures of TUA. TUAI was the sum of arsenous acid, arsenicacid, monomethylarsonic acid and dimethylarsenic acid. TUA2 was defined as TUA minus arsenobetaine and arsenocholine. The results showed that the weighted overall prevalence of HBV infection was 6.08%. For NHANES 2003-2014, the medians (interquartile range) of TUAI and TUA2 were 5.60 μg/L (3.97-8.09 μg/L) and 4.91 μg/L (2.36-9.11 μg/L), respectively. Comparing the highest quartile to the lowest quartile after multivariable adjustment showed that the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for TUAI and TUA2 were 2.44 (1.40-4.27) and 2.84 (1.60-5.05), respectively. In conclusion, elevated urinary arsenic was associated with the risk of HBV infection. Further studies, especially prospective studies, are needed to confirm the causal relationship between arsenic exposure and HBV infection.

Hypoxia is a common characteristic of solid tumors. Previous studies have reported that the tumor invasion-associated factor, AMPK-related protein kinase 5 (ARK5), is associated with a poor prognosis in colon cancer. However, whether or not ARK5 is involved in hypoxia is unclear. The aim of present study was to investigate the association between the expression of ARK5 and that of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α (HIF1-α). Samples from 60 patients with colon cancer were collected and immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of ARK5 and HIF1-α within them. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of ARK5 in an SW480 cell line under hypoxic conditions. Cell Counting kit-8 and Transwell assays were used to study the function of ARK5 under hypoxic conditions. According to the immunohistochemistry results, ARK5 and HIF1-α staining was significantly associated with Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage, tumor grade, lymph node metastasis and liver metastasis. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed a correlation between the expression of ARK5 and that of HIF1-α. This finding was also verified under hypoxic conditions in the SW480 cell line, in which the expression of ARK5 increased over time. Further cellular function experiments revealed that suppression of ARK5 inhibited cell viability and migration under hypoxic conditions. The present study has suggested that ARK5 expression in colon cancer cells is upregulated by HIF1-α under hypoxic conditions and that ARK5 serves an important role in cell proliferation and migration under hypoxic stress.

Context: Inflammation plays a critical role in the development and progression of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) activation is involved in the pathophysiology of inflammatory process-related disorders. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether serum soluble LOX-1 (sLOX-1) levels are associated with the presence and severity of OSA. Materials and Methods: A total of 137 OSA patients and 78 controls were recruited in this study. Serum sLOX-1 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The severity of OSA was assessed by the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI). Results: OSA patients had significantly higher serum sLOX-1 levels compared with controls. Serum sLOX-1 levels elevated with the increment of OSA severity. sLOX-1 was the independent predictor of OSA. Serum sLOX-1 levels were significantly correlated with AHI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels. Conclusions: Serum sLOX-1 levels were independently correlated with the presence and severity of OSA. These findings revealed that sLOX-1 might function as a potential biomarker for monitoring the development and progression of OSA.

In this work, liquid oxalic acid was drawn into flaws of electro-polished aluminium foil during the immersion process by the capillary effect. When the foil was heated up, the volume expansion pushed liquid out of the flaws, forming Leidenfrost droplets on the foil because of surface tension. The spontaneous motion of the long-lasting Leidenfrost droplet influences one another and a trace of alumina is left behind on the reactive surface. Multi-scale self-assembly alumina nanowires were therefore formed on the surface of aluminium foil by the thermodynamics of the self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets. This novel surface nanostructuring method may have the potential for surface modification and coating.

The paper studies three-dimensional food-chain model with variable consumption rate in Chemostat. Assume the prey population's consumption rate of the nutrients is quadratic function, and the predator's consumption rate of the prey population is linear function. Use qualitative theory of ordinary differential equation to analyze the equilibrium solution of the model, especially the existence and stability of positive equilibrium solutions and Hopf bifurcation solutions. Finally,several numerical simulations illustrating the theoretical analysis are also given.

Single crystals of YbOs2Al10 and LuOs2Al10 were grown for the first time using an aluminum self-flux method. The compounds crystallized into a cagelike structure in space group Cmcm, similar to the prototype compound YbFe2Al10. YbOs2Al10 exhibited a mixed-valent nature, as determined by magnetic susceptibility measurements over a wide temperature range from 2 to 900 K, in which the inter-configuration-fluctuation model revealed a broad peak around 400 K. In contrast, LuOs2Al10 displayed Pauli-like paramagnetic behavior over the same temperature range. Both compounds were metallic in nature between 2 and 300 K. The electronic specific heat coefficient of 21.3(2) mJ mol(-1) K(-2) for YbOs2Al10 was determined to be larger than that for LuOs2Al10 [8.9(1) mJ mol(-1) K(-2)], reflecting the mixed-valent nature of the former. First-principles calculations predicted the presence of a mixed-valent state in YbOs2Al10, in agreement with the experimental observations. The novel compound YbOs2Al10 elucidates the evolution of the mixed-valent nature of the Yb-based ternary transition metal aluminides from the 3d to 5d elements.

An integrated evaluation system under randomness and fuzziness was developed in this work to systematically assess the risk of groundwater contamination in a little town, Central China. In this system, randomness of the parameters and the fuzziness of the risk were considered simultaneously, and the exceeding standard probability of contamination and human health risk due to the contamination were integrated. The contamination risk was defined as a combination of “vulnerability” and “hazard”. To calculate the value of “vulnerability”, pollutant concentration was simulated by MODFLOW with random input variables and a new modified health risk assessment (MRA) model was established to analyze the level of “hazard”. The limit concentration based on environmental-guideline and health risk due to manganese were systematically examined to obtain the general risk levels through a fuzzy rule base. The “vulnerability” and “hazard” were divided into five categories of “high”, “medium-high”, “medium”, “low-medium” and “low”, respectively. Then, “vulnerability” and “hazard” were firstly combined by integrated evaluation. Compared with the other two scenarios under deterministic methods, the risk obtained in the proposed system is higher. This research illustrated that ignoring of uncertainties in evaluation process might underestimate the risk level.

This paper establishes a two-period production optimization model of the closed-loop supply chain with remanufacturing incorporating the consumers’ different preferences for the new product and the remanufactured product. Through theoretical analysis, we obtain the optimum production and pricing strategies, and analyze the impact of the consumers’ acceptance for the remanufactured product on production quantity and product pricing, which provides a basis for the manufacturer’s production decisions.

The magnetic pulse joining (MPJ) between 3A21 aluminum alloy and steel 20 tubes was experimentally investigated with a solenoid coil assisted by a field shaper. The mechanical properties and microstructure of MPJ joints were tested and observed. The results show that the metallurgical joints can be obtained at a voltage of 15 kV, a radial gap of 1.2–1.4 mm, and a slope angle of 3°–7° in the lapping area. The joint comprises a transition zone with different widths, two matrix metals and two interfaces between the zone and the two metals. The interface presents a typical wavy pattern and mutual diffusion of Fe and Al elements happens in the zone. The transition zone is composed of Fe–Al intermetallics, micro cracks and micro pores. The microhardness of the transition zone is much higher than that of the matrix metals.

Boron doped diamond (BDD) films were deposited on porous Ti substrates by direct current plasma chemical vapor deposition (DC-PCVD) system. For improve adhesion between diamond and porous Ti, and shorten diamond nucleation period, appropriate pretreatments were carried out. Micro diamond particles were mechanical embedded in the holes of porous Ti substrates and then nanodiamond powders were seeded on substrates by ultrasound sonication prior to deposition. The samples were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-Raman spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. It was found that BDD films covered the whole porous Ti substrate surface, and exhibited the good electrochemical property.

In this study we report on the synthesis and characterization of thermally stable polycrystalline diamond (PCD) using Ni-based alloys catalyst as a sintering aid and the B-doped diamond powder in the infiltrating way. The samples were treated at 5.6 GPa and 1200–1480 °C for 10 min in China-type cubic high pressure apparatus. Scanning electron microscopy showed significant intergrowth of the diamond particles sintered in the presence of Ni-based alloy. X-ray diffraction showed the phase change of the samples sintered at the different temperature. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG) showed the sample was significantly more heat-resisting compared to conventional PCD. The results showed that the appropriate conditions of thermally stable PCD sintered were 5.6GPa and 1200–1480 °C.

Based on game theory, this paper constructs closed-loop supply chain system with retailer recycling used products from the consumers incorporating difference between new product and remanufactured product. The optimal pricing decisions and the optimal profits of centralized coordinated and decentralized closed-loop supply chain are obtained. It is found that the efficiency of decentralized closed-loop supply chain decreases by 25%. Finally, the coordination mechanism is designed to solve the profit conflict in the decentralized closed-loop supply chain by the profit sharing contract.

This paper constructs a closed-loop supply chain system with the manufacturer recycling waste products from the retailer based on game theory in heterogeneous market in which the price of the new product is different from that of the remanufactured product. The optimal pricing decisions of the supply chain without remanufacturing and the closed-loop supply chain with remanufacturing are obtained. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, we obtain the optimum production and pricing strategies, and analyze the impact of the consumers’ acceptance for the remanufactured product on product pricing, which provides a basis for the closed-loop supply chain’s production decisions.

Modified potential ecological risk index (MRI) was proposed based on the potential ecological risk index (RI) and risk assessment code (RAC) by modifying an index. The modified index was relevant to the chemical speciation of heavy metals. Xiawan Port, a typical region contaminated by industrial production, was selected as a case study area. The total concentrations and chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Xiawan Port were analyzed. The experimental data indicate that Xiawan Port is seriously polluted by heavy metals, especially by Cd. The risks of heavy metals are evaluated by RI, RAC and MRI, respectively. The resluts of MRI show that the risks of heavy metals are in the decreasing order of Cd>Pb>Cu>Zn. Comparison of results by different methods reveals that MRI integrates the characters of RI and RAC. MRI is recognized to be useful for risk managemnt of heavy metals in sediments.

Via a large population-based survey conducted in rural, southwestern China, we aim to evaluate the effect of visual inspection with acetic acid/Lugol’s iodine (VIA/VILI) on diagnosing cases of cervical cancer and of pre-cancerous lesions while exploring the mode of cervical prevention and control in low-resource settings in China. Women aged 30–59 years from Chongqing, China were recruited from 2006 to 2009. Participants underwent VIA/VILI, and, if positive, received colposcopy-directed or random biopsies. Women with negative VIA/VILI or biopsy-confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 lesions diagnosed in the first round of screening were re-screened in the following year with the same procedure. In total, 10,269 women received VIA/VILI. The average age of participants was 40.9 ± 7.6 years. Overall, 0.85% (87/10,269) of women were diagnosed via pathology-confirmed biopsy with CIN1, 0.25% (26/10,269) with CIN2, 0.27% (28/10,269) with CIN3, and 0.02% (2/10,269) with cervical cancer. Over half (57.7%) of CIN2 lesions, the majority of CIN3 lesions (89.3%), and all cancer cases (100%) were detected in the first round of screening. In a rural, low-resource setting in China, one-time VIA/VILI screening detected more than a half of CIN2 cases, most CIN3 cases and all the cervical cancer cases. Detection rates of CIN2 lesions significantly increased with a 1-year follow-up VIA/VILI screen. Therefore, if multiple cervical cancer screenings are not feasible logistically or financially, a one-time VIA/VILI may be the most efficient strategy to detect cervical cancer and most CIN3 lesions in women in low-resource settings.

With awareness of environmental protection strengthens and constraints of regulations and laws to environmental protection increasing, more and more enterprises focus on the closed-loop supply chain management. Considering difference between new product and remanufactured product, this paper constructs closed-loop supply chain system with manufacturers recycling used products directly from the consumers based on game theory. The optimal pricing decisions and the optimal profit of centralized and decentralized closed-loop supply chain are obtained. It is found that the efficiency of decentralized closed-loop supply chain decreases by 25%. At last, the coordination mechanism is designed to solve the profit conflict in the decentralized closed-loop supply chain by the two-part tariff contract.

The order of nanopores in anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) membrane formed by multi-step anodization in oxalic acid solution under a constant voltage of 40 V was studied. The average pore diameter increases slightly from 70 nm after two-step anodizing to 75 nm by six-step anodizing. The wall between neighboring pores becomes thinner from 40 nm after two-step anodization to 25 nm by six-step anodization. The interpore distance keeps a constant 105 nm. The orderly domain size is limited to micron size and increases for the two-step and three-step anodization, but the average size of the ordered domains remains constant after three-step anodization under the same working voltage. Moreover, surprisingly, “microflower-like” structures are observed over the surface of highly ordered AAO membrane after six-step anodic oxidation. We assume that they generate with the formation of the nanopores in the anodizing process.

A large area of hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanowires has been successfully synthesized by thermal oxidation of iron foil in an atmosphere environment. The effects on the growth of nanowires have been systematically studied by adjusting the oxidizing environment as well as the reacting temperature and annealing time. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Optimum condition was obtained by annealing sample at 600°C for four hours in oxygen-poor environment. Nanowires with dense, high aspect ratio and sharp tips were observed. The average diameter and length of the nanowires was 80 nm and 5μm, respectively.

A set of boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes were deposited on silicon substrates by direct current plasma chemical vapor deposition (DC-PCVD) system using different carbon source concentrations. The influence of carbon source concentration on characterization of BDD electrodes was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy and phenol degradation. It was found that BDD films with different carbon source concentrations were polycrystalline films with (111) dominant orientation. The films grew well when carbon source concentration was less than 2.5%, while graphite phase began to form when carbon source concentration was increased to 3%. Boron atoms were located at the substitutional site or interstitial sites in the crystalline lattice of diamond films, and didn’t damage the structure of diamond crystal. Within 4 h, 100 mg/L phenol solution in 80 ml could be oxidized by all the electrodes with removal efficiency higher than 90%.

A number of studies have shown that TiN film is correlated with corrosion resistance. In this study, we used a reactive direct current magnetron sputtering system to prepare TiN coating on Mg-Li alloys at low temperature. The intermediate TiN layer of thickness was about 1.6 μm from Ti target (99.99% purity). The structures of the resulting nanocatalysts were investigated, using X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The surface morphology of the coating was observed by Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). In the corrosive compare experiment the samples of Mg-Li alloys with and without titanium nitride film were put in solution with 5% NaCl respectively. We fund that the Mg-Li alloys with TiN coating has a lower rate of liberation of hydrogen, and the eroded surface morphology was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), it prove that the TiN deposition on the surface of Mg-Li alloys has improved the corrosion resistance performance.

A new kind of A-B-A block copolymers with good biocompatibility and adjustable degradability was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization, in which DL-lactide polymerized and grew from the two ends of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The well-defined triblock structures of copolymers were characterized by GPC, 1H NMR, FTIR and DSC. There were two pronounced glass transition temperatures which showed apparent microphase separations between hydrophilic PVP segment and hydrophobic poly(dl-lactide) (PDLLA) segments. The hydrolytic degradation of PDLLA and copolymers in phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH = 7.4) showed that the degradation rate of copolymers apparently became faster in comparison with that of PDLLA homopolymer, and increased with increasing PVP content. The measurements through 1H NMR and FTIR showed that the degraded fragments contained PDLLA oligomers, lactates and soluble chains composed of PVP blocks attached with short PDLLA ones.

Oral mucositis is a common side effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the significance of and the relationship between hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression and the corresponding protein levels in irradiated rat mucosa.A Sprague-Dawley rat model of irradiation-induced oral mucositis was generated. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to evaluate the HIF-1alpha and COX-2 mRNA level in rat buccal mucosa exposed to a fractionated irradiation regime. The Streptavidin-Biotin-Complex method was applied to delineate the in situ localization, intensity, and distribution of both proteins. The right buccal mucosa was not irradiated and used as control tissue.The RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that, upon irradiation, HIF-1alpha and COX-2 expression was significantly induced in the left buccal mucosa in contrast to control buccal mucosa. Based on immunohistochemical analyses, the HIF-1alpha and COX-2 level, in situ localization, and the type of cells exhibiting the highest HIF-1alpha and COX-2 amounts appear to correlate.The expression and protein levels of HIF-1alpha and COX-2 are substantially enhanced in irradiated rat mucosa and correlate with each other and with the severity of irradiation-induced oral mucositis.

Bio-oils and bio-chars were obtained from sewage sludge (SS) by liquefaction with ethanol (or acetone) as the solvent at the temperature of 280, 320 and 360 °C. The migration and transformation of HMs as Pb, Zn, Cu and Ni during liquefaction were thoroughly investigated. Meanwhile, the environmental risk of HMs in the bio-oils and bio-chars was assessed according to the risk assessment code (RAC). The results showed that the liquefaction solvent and temperature significantly affected the redistribution of HMs. HMs distributed mainly into the bio-chars, with less than 10% into the bio-oils. Increasing liquefaction temperature would promote a higher HM content in bio-oils. The environmental risk of HMs in bio-chars was mitigated compared to SS, especially for Ni. However, the environmental risk of Zn and Ni in bio-oils was undesirably high in comparison with bio-chars. It was suggested that the bio-oil should be pretreated before utilization.