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Apparent viscosity is an important parameter for glucose syrup production, which is greatly affected by particle size and concentration of samples. In order to analyze the factors influencing the apparent viscosity, the particle size distribution, steady shear flow behavior, temperature, and time sweep test of native degerminated maize grits (NDMG), extruded degerminated maize grits (EDMG), and enzymatically extruded degerminated maize grits (EEDMG) with different particle sizes (passed through 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mesh sieves) and concentrations (water-sample ratios: 2:1, 3:1, 5:1, 10:1, and 20:1) were investigated. All samples passed through different mesh sieves showed a gradient and a relatively concentrated distribution, and slurries had typical shear-thinning properties. Apparent viscosity increased with increasing particle size and concentration. The lowest apparent viscosity was attained from the samples obtained at 100+ mesh and 20:1 water-sample ratio. Moreover, the sample with a 20:1 water-sample ratio showed the most stable apparent viscosity in the temperature sweep test. In the time sweep test, the power law equation with high determination coefficients (7-2=0.9446, 0.9382) and low root mean square error (RMSE=0.0002) had the best fit to the experimental data of the EDMG and EEDMG samples passed through 100+ mesh. Overall, the lower apparent viscosities of the EDMG and EEDMG samples obtained at 100+ mesh and 20:1 watersample ratio can improve the activity and accessibility of enzymes for glucose syrup production. This study provides critical insight into decreased apparent viscosity and expands the uses of EDMG and EEDMG in the glucose syrup sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of left ventricular (LV) remodeling and its association with mineral and bone disorder (MBD) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) have not been systematically studied. We aimed to evaluate LV remodeling changes one year after kidney transplantation (KT) and identify their influencing factors. Methods: Ninety-five KTRs (68 males; ages 40.2±10.8years) were followed before and one year after KT. Traditional risk factors and bone metabolism indicators were assessed. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) were measured using two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. The relationship between MBD and LV remodeling and the factors influencing LV remodeling were analyzed. Results: One year after KT, MBD was partially improved, mainly characterized by hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hyperparathyroidism, 25-(OH) vitamin D deficiency, elevated bone turnover markers, and bone loss. LVMI, the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and the prevalence of LVDD decreased, while LVEF increased. LVH was positively associated with postoperative intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) and iPTH nonnormalization. ∆LVMI was positively associated with preoperative type-I collagen N-terminal peptide and postoperative iPTH. LVEF was negatively associated with postoperative phosphorous. ∆LVEF was negatively associated with postoperative iPTH. LVDD was positively associated with postoperative lumbar spine osteoporosis. Preoperative LVMI was negatively associated with ∆LVMI and positively associated with ∆LVEF. Advanced age, increased BMI, diabetes, longer dialysis time, lower albumin level, and higher total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels were associated with LV remodeling. Conclusions: LV remodeling partially improved after KT, showing a close relationship with MBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an experimental study on radiant floor cooling integrated with underfloor ventilation (RFCUV) system was conducted. Indoor environment temperatures, radiant floor cooling system parameters and underfloor ventilation system parameters were measured. Humane thermal comfort was analyzed experimentally. And the effects of disturbance variables and manipulated variables on controlled variables were analyzed. The results illustrated that operative temperature (OT), predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percent dissatisfied (PPD) decrease in the first two hours and then become stable in ISO7730 recommended value range. IAT and OT increase with the increasing of the disturbance variables and manipulated variables. The increasing ratio of indoor air temperature (IAT) and OT are relatively small when comprehensive outdoor air temperature is relatively high and indoor heat quantity or average water temperature is relatively low. IAT and OT increase approximately linearly with the increasing of supply air temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the theory of regional heat and mass balance, a stratified air-conditioning load calculation model suitable for large-space buildings was established. A test of a large-space building under summer conditions was conducted to verify the calculation results of indoor vertical temperature distribution. The stratified air-conditioning cooling load calculated by the model was compared with the actual air-conditioning cooling capacity. The calculation results showed that the difference between the actual air-conditioning cooling load and the model calculation result was 14%. Based on the model, the vertical temperature distribution under variable operating conditions was predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to reveal the atomization features of nozzles for humidification chambers. Targeted at three commonly used nozzles (TF6, TF8 and AM4), the author investigated into the effect of nozzle backpressure on droplet size, and examined the diameters and distribution spans of the droplets at different distances to the nozzle. The results show that the droplet diameters decreased with the increase in spray pressure. However, there was a critical value of the pressure. The location of secondary atomization was determined by analysing the atomization features at different locations below the nozzle. It is concluded that the location is 7cm below the nozzle for TF6 nozzle, 12cm below the nozzle for TF8 nozzle, and 10cm below the nozzle for AM4 nozzle. Moreover, the least square method was used to fit an empirical correlation for the droplets atomized by the nozzle in the secondary atomization area. The empirical correlation was then converted to a functional relation of the Weber number and Reynolds number. The research findings make it possible to predict the particle diameters from the nozzle exit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power system transient stability is a challenge when integrating large-scale wind turbines into weak grids. This paper addresses the issue of transient stability in such situations by optimizing a wind turbine's active current behavior. A wind turbine's active current reference controller and its setting optimization method are proposed based on analyses of two associated problems: the mechanism for improving transient stability of a single (synchronous) machine infinite bus (SMIB) system, as well as the various physical factor dependencies dictating how active and reactive wind turbine currents affect the swing dynamics of synchronous machines. Analysis of the first problem guided the design of the controller's main structure. Analysis of the second problem guided selection of the control object within a wind turbine's active and reactive currents, as well as helped recognition of the influential physical factors that must be considered in the parameter setting process. The efficiency of the controller and the validity of the analyses were verified by case studies using Kundur's two-area system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A computationally efficient isogeometric collocation (IGA-C) method based on nonuniform rational B-splines (NURBS) is adopted to analyze the large amplitude, low frequency, and self-excited vibrations of an iced conductor. Governing partial differential equations (PDEs) involving the axial, horizontal, vertical, and torsional motion of the iced conductor are developed by employing the Hamilton's variational principle. Taking advantage of the high-continuity properties of NURBS basis functions and Greville collocation points, the authors employ the IGA-C method to discretize the exact PDEs without neglecting high-order nonlinear terms. The Newmark-β incremental method and Newton-Raphson nonlinear iteration algorithm are adopted to solve that discretized system of dynamic equations of the iced conductor. The accuracy of the present model scheme and numerical implementation is demonstrated through two illustrative examples. Comparing with conventional finite element methods, the present IGA-C method has less calculation points so that it opens the door to a higher-order accurate analysis for galloping problems with a minimum computational effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Running rails used as a return conductor and ungrounded scheme have been widely adopted in DC traction power systems. Due to the longitudinal resistance of running rails and insulation resistance of rail-to-ground, there will be a potential rise between running rails and the ground when return current flows through the running rails, which is known as rail potential. At present, abnormal rise of rail potential exists widely in DC traction power systems. The present rail potential model still cannot simulate and explain the abnormal rail potential in the system. Based on the analysis of power distribution with multiple trains running in multiple sections, a dynamic simulation model of rail potential in the whole line is proposed. The dynamic distribution of rail potential and stray current in DC traction power systems when multiple trains run in multiple sections is analyzed, and the impact of traction current distribution on rail potential is evaluated. Simulation results show that the abnormal rise of rail potential during the dynamic operation of the system can be evaluated effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China-the largest developing country in the world-is experiencing both rapid economic maturation and large-scale urbanization. These situations have led to waste disposal problems, and the need to identify alternative energy sources. Waste-to-energy (WTE) conversion processes, a source of renewable energy, are expected to play an increasingly important role in China's sustainable management of municipal solid waste (MSW). The purpose of this research is to investigate the key problems and opportunities associated with WTE, to provide recommendations for the government. This paper begins by describing China's current MSW management situation and analyzing its waste disposal problems. The major challenges associated with China's WTE incineration are then discussed from economic, environmental and social points of view. These include the high costs associated with constructing necessary facilities, the susceptibility of facilities to corrosion, the lower heating value of China's MSW, air pollutant emissions and especially public opposition to WTE incineration. Since discarded waste can be used to produce energy for electricity and heat-thus reducing its volume and the production of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions-with government policies and financial incentives, the use of WTE incineration as a renewable energy source and part of a sustainable waste management strategy will be of increasing importance in the future. The paper concludes by summarizing the management, economic and social benefits that could be derived from developing the country's domestic capacity for producing the needed incineration equipment, improving source separation capabilities, standardizing regulatory and legal responsibilities and undertaking more effective public consultation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) has high ornamental value. Replanting problems occur when seedlings are replanted into previous holes. We studied the root system and soil environment of the 'Dongjingnvlang' variety under a continuous planting regime of one, four, and seven years, and a replanting regime of one and four years. Under the condition of continuous planting, with the increase of number of years, pH, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate nitrogen decreased in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils, whereas organic matter, available phosphorus and potassium, enzyme activities, and the number of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes increased. Under the condition of replanting, with the increase of number of years, fungi and actinomycetes in both soils increased, while pH, organic matter, nutrients, enzyme activities, and bacterial number decreased. pH, organic matter, nutrient content, enzyme activity and the number of bacterial were lower in soil replanted for four years, whereas the abundance of fungi and actinomycetes was higher, altering the soil from "bacterial high-fertility" to "fungal low-fertility" with increasing years of replanting. The activity of antioxidant enzymes and MDA content in roots of peony in replanting were higher than those in continuous planting, while the content of osmotic regulatory substances in replanting was lower than that in continuous planting. The results showed that there were no obvious adverse factors in soil during seven years of continuous planting, and herbaceous peony could maintain normal growth and development. However, soils after four years of replanting were not suitable for herbaceous peony growth. Benzoic acid increased with years of replanting, which potentially caused replanting problems. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the mechanism of replanting problems in the herbaceous peony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a serious problem that progresses rapidly and often goes untreated. Current traumatic treatments may be replaced by safe and effective reminer- alization at very early stages. Objective: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the remineralization effects of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) paste on enamel lesions by assessing ultrastructure, nanomechanical properties, and compound and elemental analysis. Methods: Enamel specimens from 6-year-old children were divided into groups: (1) native enamel; (2) water as negative control; (3) 500 ppm NaF as positive control; and (4-7) CPP-ACP paste for 4, 8, 12, and 24 h, as test groups. Ultrastructure and roughness were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM); nanohardness and elastic modulus were measured by nanoindentation; compound and crystal size of enamel surface patterns were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD). An electron microprobe (EPMA) was used for element analysis. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Results: The CPP-ACP paste repaired the microstructure of enamel, including prism and interprism, through significantly increased hydroxyapatite crystal size (12.06 0.21 nm) and Ca/P molar ratios (1.637 0.096) as compared with NaF (8.56 0.13 nm crystal size and 1.397 0.086 Ca/P, p < 0.01). Both CPP-ACP and NaF decrease roughness, and increase the nanohardness and elastic modulus, with no significant differences between the materials. Conclusions: The CPP-ACP paste is more suitable for children than NaF, due to advantages for remineralization. The AFM, nanoindentation, EPMA, and XRD are very helpful methods for further understanding of microscale and nanoscale remineralization mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hair loss is seen as an irreversible process. Most research concentrates on how to elongate the anagen,reduce the negative factors of obstructing hair growth and improve the hair number and size. Aim: In our experiment, we tried to prove that the cow placenta extract can promote hair growth by elongating hair shaft and increasing hair follicle number. Materials and Methods: Cow placenta extract (CPE), water and minoxidil applied separately on the back of depilated B57CL/6 mice for the case, negative and positive control respectively. We checked the proliferation of cells which are resident in hair sheath, and the expression of a few growth factors which stimulate hair growth. Results: Result shows that placenta extract more efficiently accelerates cell division and growth factor expression, by raising the insulinlike growth factor (IGF-1) mRNA and protein level to increase HF size and hair length. Conclusions: The extract is not a purified product; so, it is less effective than minoxidil, which is approved by the US FDA for the treatment of male pattern baldness. If refinement is done, the placenta extract would be a good candidate medicine for hair loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High nucleation density diamond films were grown on silicon substrates with a high-density nano-diamond suspension crystal seed. By keeping other parameters constant and varying the amounts of oxygen and nitrogen added, diamond films were grown using MPCVD equipment. The composition, structure, and properties of the diamond films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the average grain size of samples grown with added oxygen and nitrogen as assisting gases significantly decreased, exhibiting improved crystallinity and fewer defects. However, there was a certain increase in the relative content of graphite, along with the presence of trans -polyacetylene. Furthermore, as the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen increased, the samples exhibited better crystallinity, fewer defects, and overall higher growth quality. The relative content of graphite initially increased, then decreased, and increased again. • High nucleation density diamond films were grown on silicon substrates with a high-density nano-diamond suspension crystal seed. • The results show that the average grain size of samples grown with added oxygen and nitrogen as assisting gases significantly decreased, exhibiting improved crystallinity and fewer defects. • However, there was a certain increase in the relative content of graphite, along with the presence of trans-polyacetylene. • Furthermore, as the ratio of oxygen to nitrogen increased, the samples exhibited better crystallinity, fewer defects, and overall higher growth quality. • The relative content of graphite initially increased, then decreased, and increased again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy dissipation rate in a nonequilibrium reaction system can be determined by the reaction rates in the underlying reaction network. By developing a coarse-graining process in state space and a corresponding renormalization procedure for reaction rates, we find that energy dissipation rate has an inverse power-law dependence on the number of microscopic states in a coarse-grained state. The dissipation scaling law requires self-similarity of the underlying network, and the scaling exponent depends on the network structure and the probability flux correlation. Existence of the inverse dissipation scaling law is shown in realistic biochemical systems such as biochemical oscillators and microtubule-kinesin active flow systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicone foam (SF) is a porous silicone rubber with a lower density, higher elasticity, and good thermal stability. In this work, we selected aluminum spheres and carbon fiber (CF) as thermally conductive fillers to prepare hybrid SF. After optimization, we found that Al and CF hybrid SF (Al-CF-SF) has a higher thermal conductivity (1.37 W·m-1·K-1) than the single-filler filled SF (CF-SF, 1.2 W·m-1·K-1 or Al-SF, 0.52 W·m-1·K-1) under the same filling amount of 60 wt%. The finite element simulation was used further to explore the thermal conductive mechanism of the hybrid SF. Meanwhile, the compressive and tensile modulus of the material (CF-SF) was increased to 10.8 and 3.3 MPa compared with pure SF, respectively, and the mechanical properties were improved. In addition, infrared thermography further demonstrated that Al-CF-SF has a faster heat transfer rate under relaxation and applied pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After a brief historical review of ergodicity and mixing in dynamics, particularly in quantum dynamics, we introduce definitions of quantum ergodicity and mixing using the structure of the system's energy levels and spacings. Our definitions are consistent with the usual understanding of ergodicity and mixing. Two parameters concerning the degeneracy in energy levels and spacings are introduced. They are computed for right triangular billiards and the results indicate a very close relation between quantum ergodicity (mixing) and quantum chaos. At the end, we argue that, besides ergodicity and mixing, there may exist a third class of quantum dynamics which is characterized by a maximized entropy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2) has a vital role in osteogenesis. However, the mechanism underlying the regulation of ROR2 in osteogenic differentiation is still poorly comprehended. A previous study by our research group showed that a novel compound heterozygous ROR2 variation accounted for the autosomal recessive Robinow syndrome (ARRS). This study attempted to explore the impact of the ROR2: c.904C>T variant specifically on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Methods: Coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP)-western blotting was carried out to identify the interaction between ROR2 and Wnt5a. Double-immunofluorescence staining was used for determining the expressions and co-localization of ROR2 and Wnt5a in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Western blot (WB) analysis and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were conducted to identify the expression levels of ROR2 in the BMSCs transfected with LV-shROR2 or LV-ROR2- c.904C>T. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was detected, and Alizarin Red S staining was done for evaluating the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. RT-qPCR was employed to identify the expression of the sphingomyelin synthase 1 (SMS1) mRNA in the BMSCs transfected with LV-shROR2 or LV-ROR2-c.904C>T and the mRNA expression levels of Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), osteocalcin (OCN), and osteopontin (OPN). WB was performed to confirm the protein expressions of extracellular regulated protein kinases1 (ERK), P-ERK, Smad family member1/5/8 (Smad1/5/8), P-Smad1/5/8, P-P38, P38, RUNX2, OCN, and OPN in the BMSCs transfected with LV-shROR2/LV-ROR2-c.904C>T and sphingomyelin (SM). Results: The ROR2: c.904C>T mutant altered the subcellular localization of the ROR2 protein, which caused an impaired interaction between ROR2 and Wnt5a. The depletion of ROR2 restricted the osteogenic differentiation capability of BMSCs and downregulated the expression of SMS1. SM treatment could reverse the inhibition of osteoblastic differentiation in ROR2-depleted BMSCs. Conclusion: The findings of this work revealed that the ROR2: c.904C>T variant led to the loss of function of ROR2, which impaired the interaction between ROR2 and Wnt5a and also controlled the osteogenic differentiation capability of BMSCs. Furthermore, SM was revealed to be engaged in the osteoblastic differentiation of BMSCs regulated by ROR2, which renders SM a potential target in the therapy for ARRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PMTS (Parallel Microscopic Traffic Simulation) is a large-scale microscopic traffic network simulation system using a real traffic network of Shanghai, China. It describes traffic events in object oriented mode, uses MPI (Message Passing Interface) as communicate middleware, partitions the simulation traffic network into subnetworks, and runs simulations of subnetworks concurrently on a cluster of processors connected by high-speed Ethernet. To optimize the performance of PMTS, a number of challenges need to be solved, including traffic network partition, subnetworks communication and synchronization, and workload balance. The parallelization of PMTS is domain decomposition, which means that the geographical region for simulation is decomposed into several domains of similar size and each processor of the PC cluster is responsible for a different geographical area. The partition method needs to fulfill two conditions to make it efficient: minimize the communication overhead and partition the subnetworks of the equal computation load. The goals of maximizing the parallelization and minimizing the communication overhead is conflict, and the tradeoff should be made. PVTM simulates the vehicles activities on the traffic network, and the computation overhead for one vehicle is certain. The time overhead on one processor depends on the number of vehicles for simulation. The individual simulation of vehicle activity includes: vehicle generation, vehicle running, and the vehicle going through the boundary zone. The derivation of the predictive performance is demonstrated and the calculation of the time cost for one processor with a certain number of vehicles is provided. In order to be efficient, the load on different processors should be as similar as possible. The load depends on the actual vehicle number on the respective processor that also varies as the simulation run. In each time step, the workload is collected for each processor. For the next iteration, the information will be fed back to the load-balancer, which will move the boundary of the grid to balance the vehicle numbers among the domains. The performance metrics of the simulation system mainly depend on the load balance, scalability, speedup, and efficiency. The performance optimization of PMTS has been proved to be effective when it is put into use and the experiment results are also provided which match the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is a critically endangered scale‐covered mammal belonging to the order Pholidota. Wild pangolins are notably susceptible to pathogen infection and are typically characterized by impoverished health. However, little is currently known regarding the viruses prevalent among pangolins. In this study, we report the detection of two subtypes of canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV‐2), namely CPV‐2a and CPV‐2c, both of which caused severe diarrheal disease in two post‐rescue pangolins with fatal consequences. As in CPV‐2‐infected dogs, intensive lesion of the mucosal layer of the small intestines is a prominent feature in infected pangolins. Moreover, the immunochemistry results demonstrated that CPV‐2 antigens were distributed in the crypts of small intestine. Additionally, typical parvovirus‐associated CPV‐2 were detected after four passages in F81 cells, and typical parvovirus‐like particles, approximately 20 nm in diameter, were observed in the cell supernatants. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the VP2 viral protein sequences (GenBank accession number OP208805) isolated from one pangolin (termed P1) were classified as CPV‐2c, with 99.8% identity to a CPV‐2c strain (MN832850) isolated from a Taiwanese pangolin found in Taiwan Province. In contrast, VP2 sequences (#OP208806) obtained from the second pangolin (P2) were classified as CPV‐2a, with 99.8% identity to a CPV‐2a strain (KY386858) isolated from southern China. In this study, we thus confirmed the infection of pangolins with CPV‐2c in mainland China and demonstrated that CPV‐2a also can infect pangolins. Based on these findings, we recommend that further investigations should be conducted to establish the interspecies transmission of these viruses among wild pangolins, wild carnivores, and stray dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Branching atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene and acrylonitrile was attempted in the presence of divinylbenzene targeting toward soluble branched copolymer. The kinetics and the development of branching with monomer conversion were studied in detail. Gas chromatography (GC), gel permeation chromatography (GPC) coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy and intrinsic viscosity determination were used to monitor the polymerization process and characterize the obtained copolymer. Analysis of conversion of reactants, the growth manner of molecular weight with monomer conversion and GPC traces proved that the primary chains with low polydispersity formed mainly at the early stage and then were linked in a statistical manner to start the branching at the middle or late stage. The more the branching agent was used, the earlier the branching occurred, and too much higher level of branching agent resulted in gelation. For the selected ratio of [t-BBiB]/[DVB]/[St]/[AN]=1/0.9/15/15, with monomer conversion less than 40%, primary chains with low polydispersity formed from the polymerization of St, AN and DVB, and only a part of the primary chains contained pendent vinyl group. When monomer conversion was up to 40%, the pendent vinyl groups participated in polymerization, resulting in the linking of the primary chains statistically to start the branching. The branching became significant at monomer conversion up to 50%, giving rise to a steep increase in molecular weight and width in molecular weight distribution. As the polymerization proceeded, the polymer composition gradually approached the feed composition, identifying the obtained branched copolymer provided some gradients are in its primary chains. Finally, branched copolymer bearing about six primary chains was prepared at monomer conversion near to 80%, its absolute weight average molecular weight was about 8.87×104. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of an AB* monomer, N-(4-α-bromobutyryloxy phenyl)maleimide (BBPMI), was conducted using the complex of CuBr/2,2′-bipyridine as catalyst. The study of kinetics of polymerization and the growth behavior of macromolecules show that the polymerization proceeds rapidly in first 1h and then slows down. The decrease in the rate of polymerization is ascribed to the poor reactivity of maleimide radicals from A* to initiate the polymerization of maleimide double bonds. The molecular weight of the resulting polymer also increases with the dosage of catalyst. The coincidence of molecular weight determined by hydrogen proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) proves that the resulting polymer is of linear structure, which is further verified by 13C NMR measurement and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the hydrolysate of the resulting polymer. The stabilization modification of the halogen end groups of the resulting polymer by free-radical chain transfer reaction was attempted under ATRP condition. Isopropyl benzene was employed as the chain transfer agent. Indeed, the modified polymer with carbon–bromine bonds conversion of 40.7% shows enhanced thermal stability. The initial weight loss temperature has been increased from 193 to 243°C. On the other hand, the atom transfer radical copolymerization of BBPMI with styrene resulted in the formation of hyperbranched polymer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Type XI collagen plays a fundamental role in fibrillogenesis, through formation of cartilage collagen fibrils and contributions to the cohesive properties of cartilage. The α-1 chain of type XI collagen is encoded by the COL11A1. Pathogenic variants of COL11A1, have been identified in several genetic conditions, including Marshall syndrome (MRSHS), Stickler syndrome type II, and Fibrochondrogenesis 1. We investigated genetic etiology of an induced labor fetus displaying micrognathia, cleft palate, hypertelorism and polydactyly. Whole-exome sequencing was performed in DNA samples of the proband and parents. Sanger sequencing was then performed as a confirmatory experiment and in silico evaluation was conducted on suspected variant. A novel de novo missense variant in exon62 of the COL11A1, NM_001854.3 COL11A1: c.4583G>T (p.Gly1528Val), was identified and verified by Sanger sequencing. In silico analysis demonstrated that the amino-acid p.Gly1528 was evolutionarily conservative, and that p.Gly1528Val was potentially damaging. This data provided reliable evidence for the subsequent genetic counseling to the affected family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mesh-less method abandons the idea of traditional mesh method. In numerical calculation, it only needs the node information, and it's not necessary to connect nodes into mesh cells. Aiming at the problem of non-equilibrium chemical reaction flows in a three-dimensional muzzle with moving boundaries, this paper proposed a three-dimensional least squares mesh-less (3D-LSM) algorithm, and the ALE (Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian) form multi-component Euler governing equations were adopted for fluid dynamics modeling; then, a finite-rate reaction model was used to deal with the chemical reactions in the flow field, a time-division method was applied to solve the stiff problem of chemical reactions, and multi-component AUFS (artificially upstream flux vector splitting) format was introduced to calculate the convective flux term of the governing equation. In addition, the weighted-point filling strategy and the dynamic point cloud method were employed to deal with the topological structure changes in the point clouds caused by the large displacement movement of the projectile in the three-dimensional muzzle flow field. Finally, the proposed mesh-less method was applied to calculate the muzzle of a 12.7mm gun, and accurately captured the bottle-shaped shock wave structure in the complex muzzle flow field and the second muzzle flame phenomenon; the calculation results were compared with the experimental results and obtained a good match, which had proved the feasibility of the proposed 3D-LSM method. The research findings of this paper provided a new solution for the simulation of high-speed non-equilibrium reaction jets with multi-component and large-displacement moving boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental investigation has shown that semiexible polymers can wrap orderly around a cylinder. Recent Monte Carlo simulations also show that semiexible polymers can develop linear or helical or random phase structures, depending on the rigidity or length of the polymer. Here, we use wormlike chain model and self-consistent field theory with Onsager interac-tion to study the micro-phase structure of polymers with local rigidity. We first give the modified diffusion equation for a wormlike chain on cylindrical surface, and then solve the equilibrium e-quations of the self-consistent field. A time splitting scheme is developed to solve the modified diffusion equation. However, only two kinds of nematic structures (N1 and N2) are detected in our simulation. In N1, the polymers are mainly oriented perpendicular to the axis of the cylin-der; while in N2, the polymers are mainly oriented parallel to the axis of the cylinder. N1 is a metastable structure with free energy higher than N2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ADAR1 (adenosine deaminase acting on double-stranded RNA 1) is an RNA-editing enzyme that mediates adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing events, an important post-transcriptional modification mechanism that can alter the coding properties of mRNA or regulate microRNA biogenesis. ADAR1 also regulates the innate immune response. Here, we have demonstrated that ADAR1 expression increased in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Silencing ADAR1 by using small interfering RNA in macrophages resulted in the pronounced polarization of macrophages to M1, whereas ADAR1 overexpression promoted M2 polarization, which indicated that ADAR1 can inhibit macrophage hyperpolarization and prevent immune hyperactivity. The RNA-RNP immunoprecipitation binding assay demonstrated a direct interaction between ADAR1 and miR-21 precursor. Significant up-regulation in IL-10 and down-regulation in miR-21 were observed in ADAR1-overexpressing macrophages. We evaluated miR-21 target mRNAs and macrophage polarization signaling pathways and found that forkhead box protein O1 (Foxo1) was up-regulated in cells that overexpressed ADAR1. In a mouse allogeneic skin transplantation model, grafts in the ADAR1-overexpressed group survived longer and suffered less immune cell infiltration. In ADAR1-overexpressed recipients, splenic macrophages were significantly polarized to M2, and levels of sera IL-10 were markedly higher than those in the control group. In summary, ADAR1 modulates macrophage M2 polarization via the ADAR1-miR-21-Foxo1-IL-10 axis, thereby suppressing allogeneic graft rejection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present electrically injected GaAs/GaAsBi single quantum well laser diodes (LDs) emitting at a record long wavelength of 1141 nm at room temperature grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The LDs have excellent device performances with internal quantum efficiency of 86%, internal loss of 10 cm-1 and transparency current density of 196 A/cm2. The LDs can operate under continuous-wave mode up to 273 K. The characteristic temperature are extracted to be 125 K in the temperature range of 77~150 K, and reduced to 90Kin the range of 150~273 K. The temperature coefficient of 0.3 nm/K is extracted in the temperature range of 77~273 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radical solvent-free suspension polymerization of styrenewith 3-mercapto hexyl-methacrylate (MHM) as the branching monomer has been carried out using 2,20-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as the initiator to prepare branched polymer beads of high purity. The molecular weight and branching structure of the polymers have been characterized by triple detection size exclusion chromatography (TD-SEC), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The glass transition temperature and rheological properties have been measured by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rotational rheometry. At mole ratios of MHM to AIBN less than 1.0, gelation was successfully avoided and branched polystyrene beads were prepared in the absence of any solvent. Branched polystyrene has a relatively higher molecular weight and narrower polydispersity (Mw.MALLS = 1,036,000 g·mol-1,Mw/Mn = 7.76) than those obtained in solution polymerization. Compared with their linear analogues, lower glass transition temperature and decreased chain entanglement were observed in the presently obtained branched polystyrene because of the effects of branching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Band structure, electron distribution, direct-bandgap light emission, and optical gain of tensile strained, n-doped Ge at different temperatures were calculated. We found that the heating effects not only increase the electron occupancy rate in the Γ valley of Ge by thermal excitation, but also reduce the energy difference between its Γ valley and L valley. However, the light emission enhancement of Ge induced by the heating effects is weakened with increasing tensile strain and n-doping concentration. This phenomenon could be explained by that Ge is more similar to a direct bandgap material under tensile strain and n-doping. The heating effects also increase the optical gain of tensile strained, n-doped Ge at low temperature, but decrease it at high temperature. At high temperature, the hole and electron distributions become more flat, which prevent obtaining higher optical gain. Meanwhile, the heating effects also increase the free-carrier absorption. Therefore, to obtain a higher net maximum gain, the tensile strained, n-doped Ge films on Si should balance the gain increased by the heating effects and the optical loss induced by the free-carrier absorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minks (Neovison vison) farming is under a threat of a variety of viral infections with increasingly growing number of breeding in Northeastern and Western China. While interferon is effective in controlling viral infection, IFN among different species rarely share high homology enough to provide cross protective effect on inhibition of virus replication. We cloned, sequenced, phlogenetically analyzed and expressed the miIFN-γ gene in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The anti-vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) activity of miIFN-γ protein was tested in MDCK cells using in vitro cytopathic inhibition assay. The recombinant miIFN-γ could inhibit VSV replication in MDCK cells, which was confirmed by that pre-incubation of rabbit anti-miIFN-γ antibodies with miIFN-γ abrogated the miIFN-γ protective effect. Our findings implicated that the miIFN-γ gene may be a potential counter measure against viral infection in the mink farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of plant foods and dietary supplements are able to modify the functioning of the central nervous system. In the present study, we observed that oral administration of ginsenoside Rh2 (10 mg/mL) for 3 weeks significantly improved spatial learning and memory. Spatial memory and learning was evaluated in mice by hippocampus-dependent tasks (Morris water maze test) and immunohistochemical marker of cell genesis bromodeoxyuridine. Ginsenoside Rh2 treatment (30 days) promoted cell survival and genesis. Further, ginsenoside Rh2 treatment in enriched condition had no significant effects on cell survival compared with standard condition exposure. These results revealed that ginsenoside Rh2-mediated spatial learning and memory improvement was associated with cell genesis and survival and may be parallel to the mechanism of environmental enrichment. Therefore, ginsenoside Rh2 may have efficacy as a dietary supplement for spatial learning and memory improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Novel hyperbranched copolymers were prepared by the atom transfer radical copolymerization of N-(4-α-bromobutyryloxy phenyl) maleimide (BBPMI) with styrene in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) using the complex of CuBr/2,2′-bipyridine as catalyst. The copolymerization behavior was investigated by comparison of the conversion of double bond of BBPMI determined by 1H NMR with that of styrene. The hyperbranched structure of resulting copolymers was verified by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) coupled with multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS). The influences of dosage of catalyst and monomer ratio on the polymerization rate and structure of the resulting polymers were also investigated. The glass transition temperature of the resulting hyperbranched copolymer increases with increasing mole fraction of BBPMI, f BBPMI. The resulting copolymers exhibit improved solubility in organic solvents; however, they show lower thermal stabilities than their linear analogues. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]