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Insulin-like-growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is the ligand for insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and the roles of IGF-1/IGF-1R in diabetic nephropathy (DN) are well-characterized previously. However, the biological functions of AG1024 (an IGF-1R inhibitor) in DN remain unknown. This study investigates the roles and related mechanisms of AG-1024 in DN. The experimental DN was established via intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and STZ-induced diabetic rats were treated with AG1024 (20 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks. The 24 h proteinuria, blood glucose level, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen were measured for biochemical analyses. The increase in 24 h proteinuria, blood glucose level, serum creatinine, and blood urea of DN rats were conspicuously abated by AG1024. After biochemical analyses, the renal tissue specimens were collected, and as revealed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson staining, AG-1024 mitigated typical renal damage and interstitial fibrosis in DN rats. Then, the anti-inflammatory effect of AG-1024 was assessed by western blotting and ELISA. Mechanistically, AG-1024 upregulated SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression and decreased phosphorylated JAK2, STAT1, and STAT3, as shown by western blotting. Collectively, AG-1024 (an IGF-1R inhibitor) ameliorates renal injury in experimental DN by attenuating renal inflammation and fibrosis via the SOCS/JAK2/STAT pathway [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimated the symptomatic, PCR-confirmed secondary attack rate (SAR) for 2,382 close contacts of 476 symptomatic persons with coronavirus disease in Yichang, Hubei Province, China, identified during January 23-February 25, 2020. The SAR among all close contacts was 6.5%; among close contacts who lived with an index case-patient, the SAR was 10.8%; among close-contact spouses of index case-patients, the SAR was 15.9%. The SAR varied by close contact age, from 3.0% for those <18 years of age to 12.5% for those >60 years of age. Multilevel logistic regression showed that factors significantly associated with increased SAR were living together, being a spouse, and being >60 years of age. Multilevel regression did not support SAR differing significantly by whether the most recent contact occurred before or after the index case-patient's onset of illness (p = 0.66). The relatively high SAR for coronavirus disease suggests relatively high virus transmissibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the flexibility and high degrees-of-freedom of flexible cables, their dynamic modeling and precise control are challenging. In this paper, the dynamic modeling and control of flexible cables with human-like dual manipulators are studied to deploy them on a plane and form the desired shapes automatically. First, we establish a dynamic model of flexible cables based on a discrete elastic rod model. This model can simulate their stretching, bending, and twisting deformations. Then, we consider the collisions, contacts, and frictions between the flexible cables and the plane, add kinematic constraints to the model, and finally obtain an implementable dynamic solution of the model. Next, we propose dynamic control schemes including parallel dual-arm control and coordinated dual-arm control to deploy the flexible cables on a plane and form the desired shapes for dual-arm controls. Finally, experimental and simulation studies are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness of the dynamic model and the validity of the control schemes. The results show that the model can successfully demonstrate the deformations of flexible cables, and the proposed control schemes can successfully manipulate flexible cables in different tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental study on the dynamic thermal environment and the occupant's overall thermal sensation of the vehicle cabin in automatic air conditioning mode under different driving states respectively in summer and winter is conducted. Experimental results show: The temperature and humidity's change with time of the passenger compartment will be affected by the driving state under the same set temperature as well as occupant's skin temperature and overall thermal sensation. Convective and radiative heat transfer in both seasons and evaporative heat transfer in summer change dramatically over time and are affected by the driving state while other forms of heat transfer keep basically stable. The total heat storage rate is mainly affected by the difference in metabolic rate under different driving conditions of body rather than the difference in total heat transfer. Overall thermal sensation and mean skin temperature have a good linear correlation but different linear coefficients in different conditions, which are less affected by driving states in winter. PMV can accurately reflect real OTS under idle condition in both seasons and under driving condition in summer. But PMV has a large deviation under driving condition in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urinary angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is significantly increased in diabetes and diabetic nephropathy. While studies on its clinical significance are still underway, its urinary expression, association with metabolic and renal parameters has been in the recent past considerably studied. The recent studies have demystified urine ACE2 in many ways and suggested the roles it could play in the management of diabetic nephropathy. In all studies the expression of urinary ACE2 was determined by enzyme activity assay and/with the quantification of ACE2 protein and mRNA by methods whose reliability are yet to be evaluated. This review summarizes recent findings on expression of urinary ACE2, examines its relationship with clinical parameters and highlights possible applications in management of diabetic nephropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to clarify the regular pattern of community succession of planktonic diatoms and the relationship between the diatoms and the physic-chemical parameters, the species, abundance, and biomass of planktonic diatoms, and environmental factors in Baiguishan Reservoir (BGR) were investigated in Baiguishan Reservoir from February to November in 2016. Trophic state index (TLI) was used to evaluate the trophic state, and factors affecting the dynamics of planktonic diatom community were analyzed by Redundancy analyses (RDA). The results showed that Baiguishan Reservoir belonged to mesotrophic water body, and all observed phytoplankton belonged to 69 genera of 25 families. The sampling points were divided into the same 2 groups in the clustering analysis based on environmental factors and Non-metric Multi-Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis, indicating that the community structure of planktonic diatoms had the same change trends with the changes of environmental factors. RDA showed that the main factors affecting community structure were total phosphorus (TP), water temperature (WT) and the ratio of ammonia nitrogen to total phosphorus (NH3-N/TP). Therefore, TP was the most important factor influencing the dynamics of planktonic diatom community in mesotrophic reservoir. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the wedge self-locking nut, a special anti-loosening product, is receiving more attention because of its excellent reliability in preventing loosening failure under vibration conditions. The key characteristic of a wedge self-locking nut is the special wedge ramp at the root of the thread. In this work, the effect of ramp angle on the anti-loosening ability of wedge self-locking nuts was studied systematically based on numerical simulations and experiments. Wedge self-locking nuts with nine ramp angles (10 deg, 15 deg, 20 deg, 25 deg, 30 deg, 35 deg, 40 deg, 45 deg, and 50 deg) were modeled using a finite element (FE) method, and manufactured using commercial production technology. Their anti-loosening abilities under transversal vibration conditions were analyzed based on numerical and experimental results. It was found that there is a threshold value of the initial preload below which the wedge self-locking nuts would lose their anti-loosening ability. This threshold value of initial preload was then proposed for use as a criterion to evaluate the anti-loosening ability of wedge self-locking nuts quantitatively and to determine the optimal ramp angle. Based on this criterion, it was demonstrated, numerically and experimentally, that a 30 deg wedge ramp resulted in the best anti-loosening ability among nine ramp angles studied. The significance of this study is that it provides an effective method to evaluate the anti-loosening ability of wedge self-locking nuts quantitatively, and determined the optimal ramp angle in terms of anti-loosening ability. The proposed method can also be used to optimize other parameters, such as the material properties and other dimensions, to guarantee the best anti-loosening ability of wedge self-locking nuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences has been focusing on high-field all-superconducting magnet project for many years. No-insulation (NI) winding technology, despite of its charging delay time, makes the magnet of much higher current density, and more important, self-protected. Based on the NI dry-winding technology, a 25 T/32mmbore superconducting magnet was designed as a combination of 15 T/160 mm bore low temperature superconductor magnet and a 10 T/32 mm bore high temperature superconductor insert. A prototype coil, composed of 15 double pancakes (DPs), was tested at 4.2 K. Test results show that the REBCO insert can generate a 9 T central field in a 15 T background field, and 11.2 T, self-field. While fully evaluation of this insert shows that bad splice joints and premature quenches occurred during the test. We have repaired the bad splice joint, replaced some broken DPs, and rebuilt some double-wound DPs to lower the current density at the top/bottom of the insert to improve the operation margin. After that, we will retest themagnet system. The latest design, construction, and test results of the 25 T all-superconducting magnet will be fully introduced in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the lowest multiplication complexity, self-recursive, radix-2 DCT II/III algorithms for any n = 2t (t ≥ 1) with implementations in signal-flow graphs and image compression. These algorithms are derived mainly using a matrix factorization technique to factor DCT II/III matrices into sparse and scaled orthogonal matrices. Although there are small length DCT II algorithms available only for n = 8 and n = 16, there is no existing self-recursive fast radix-2 DCT II/III algorithms for any n. To fill this gap, this paper presents the lowest multiplication complexity radix-2 self-recursive DCT II/III algorithms. We also attain the lowest theoretical multiplication bound for n = 8 with the new DCT II algorithm and establish new lowest bounds for DCT III for any n and for DCT II for any n ≥ 32. The paper also establishes a novel relationship between DCT II an DCT IV having sparse factors. This enables one to see the connection of most traditional factorization of DCT II/III matrices with the proposed DCT II/III matrices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assembly variation should be predicted accurately in the design process of a product to ensure the performance of the assembled parts. One important issue in predicting assembly variation is to search propagation paths along which variation accumulates. In this paper, a new searching algorithm of multibranch propagation paths of assembly variation for rigid body assemblies is proposed. First, the concepts of feature set and relation set are proposed to express the information of geometric tolerances and assembly constraints among features. Second, the actual constraint directions of a reference relation considering the precedence level are obtained. Third, the search of multibranch propagation paths is conducted by intersecting the actual constraint directions of different reference relations. Finally, the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method are validated by comparing with the commercial computer-aided tolerancing (CAT) software package, 3DCS, for predicting assembly variation of the body structure of an aircraft. The outcomes of the paper can treat geometric tolerances, which overcome the drawback of traditional dimension-chain-based methods in predicting assembly variation. It is expected that a synthetic use of the proposed method and the dimension-chain-based methods can provide a computationally efficient substitute for the classical Monte Carlo simulation in predicting assembly variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, multifunctional B,N codoped carbon dots (B/N-C-dots) were synthesized from a facile hydrothermal treatment of branched polyethylenimine and 4-formylphenylboronic acid. The obtained B/N-C-dots had a very narrow size distribution and showed excitation-wavelength-dependent photoluminescence properties with a high fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 15.85%. The B/N-C-dots showed temperature and pH (3-13) dual responses. Additionally, the B/N-C-dots showed a good sensitivity and selectivity to Fe3+ with a detection limit of 1.62 μM. What is more, the as-prepared B/N-C-dots exhibited low toxicity and good biocompatibility and could be used for cell imaging. Considering these good properties, the obtained B/N-C-dots have good potential for temperature, pH, and ion sensors and cellular imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a novel route using immobilized α-amylase from Aspergillus oryzae as a catalyst for the preparation of alkyl glycosides (AGlys) from canna starch and methanol in water has been demonstrated. The effects of the experimental conditions on the conversion yield of AGlys were investigated. The optimized conditions were a canna starch concentration of 100 g/L, an enzyme concentration of 82.8U/mL, and a reaction time of 24 h. A crude yield of 2.01% of AGlys was obtained under the optimal experimental conditions corresponding to an in-between situation of a donor-limiting and an acceptor-limiting regime. The products were then characterized by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that methyl-maltoside was the major product of the alcoholysis reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphoryl oligosaccharides (POs) are a new type of functional oligosaccharide that promote the absorption of calcium. Canna edulis Ker (edible canna) starch contains a small amount of phosphorus and may be a source in the production of POs. Herein, the POs fraction was separated from Canna edulis Ker starch for the first time using enzymatic reactions that produce isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMOs). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and high-performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) were used to determine the presence and composition of the isolated POs. The POs that were obtained from Canna edulis Ker starch were mainly composed of phosphoryl maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, maltohexaose, and maltoheptaose. These findings provide new insight into the simultaneous production of IMOs and POs from Canna edulis Ker starch by enzymatic reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Bufalin, the main component of a Chinese traditional medicine chansu, shows convincing anticancer effects in a lot of tumor cell lines. However, its in vivo behavior is still unclear. This research aimed to evaluate how bufalin was dynamically absorbed after intravenous injection in animal models. We developed a radiosynthesis method of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin to noninvasively evaluate the tissue biodistribution and pharmacokinetics in hepatocellular carcinoma-bearing mice. Methods: [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin was synthesized with conjugation of 18F-CH2CH2OTs and bufalin. The radiochemical purity was proved by the radio-high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The pharmacokinetic studies of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin were then performed in Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice. Furthermore, the biodistribution and metabolism of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 tumor-bearing nude mice were studied in vivo by micro-positron emission tomography (micro-PET). Results: The radiochemical purity (RCP) of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin confirmed by radio-HPLC was 99%±0.18%, and [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin showed good in vitro and in vivo stabilities. Blood dynamics of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin conformed to the two compartments in the ICR mice model. The pharmacokinetic parameters of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin were calculated by DAS 2.0 software. The area under concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) and the values of clearance (CL) were 540.137 μg/L·min and 0.001 L/min/kg, respectively. The half-life of distribution (t1/2α) and half-life of elimination (t1/2β) were 0.693 and 510.223 min, respectively. Micro-PET imaging showed that [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin was quickly distributed via the blood circulation; the major tissue biodistribution of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 tumorbearing mice was liver and bladder. Conclusion: [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin was accumulated rapidly in the liver at an early time point (5 min) post injection (pi) and then declined slowly, mainly through both the hepatic pathway and the renal pathway. Our study showed the biodistribution of [18F]fluoroethyl bufalin in micro- PET images and provided visible information for demonstrating the bioactivities of bufalin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inaccuracies in conventional tolerance characterization methods, which are based on worst-case and root-square-error methods, as well as inefficiencies in Monte Carlo computational methods of statistical tolerance analysis, require an accurate and efficient method of statistical analysis of geometric tolerances. Here, we describe a unified error distribution model for various types of geometric tolerance to obtain the distribution of the deviations in different directions. The displacement distributions of planes, straight lines, and points are analyzed based on distributions within tolerance zones. The distribution of the displacements of clearance fits is then determined according to the precedence of the assembly constraints. We consider the accumulated assembly variations and displacement distributions, and an analytical model is constructed to calculate the distribution of the deviations of the control points and the process capability index to validate the functional requirements. The efficiency of the method is shown by applying it to the assembly of a single-rod piston cylinder. The results are compared with other statistical methods of tolerance analysis. We find an improvement of approximately 20 % in tolerance analysis, and the process capability index of the assembly procedure was reduced by 10 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the combined impacts of temperature increases and fluctuating radiation regimes on the photosynthetic capability of marine diatoms. We incubated Phaeodactylum tricornutum cells under normal (18°C) vs elevated temperature (+6°C) in semicontinuous cultures and exposed them to fixed and fluctuating radiation conditions. Photosynthetic performance was determined based on the effective quantum yield of open photosystem II (PSII; F' v/F'M, the maximum relative electron transport rate (rETRmax), the light saturation parameter (Ek) and the photosynthetic efficiency parameter (α). These photophysiological parameters were affected more by irradiance than by the increase of temperature when P. tricornutum cells were exposed to fixed light regimes, and there was no significant difference between temperature treatments. In contrast, under fluctuating radiation regimes, the impact of temperature was clearly evident. Cells incubated at high temperature showed higher F' v/F'M, rETRmax and α but lower Ek when exposed to fast cycling in irradiance (20 min per cycle). In addition, cells grown at high temperature possessed a smaller value of effective target size for photoinactivation of PSII (σ i, particularly for cells exposed to fast cycling in irradiance. This indicated that they were more resistant to PSII photoinactivation. These results showed that the photosynthetic capacity of P. tricornutum cells could be favoured by the increase of temperature, and fast cycling in irradiance increased the ability of cells to use the light and provoked much less photoinactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) status in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to evaluate whether abnormalities in expression were associated with patient prognosis. ALK status was investigated using immunohistochemistry (IHC), reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays in 342 HCC patients. In addition, rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends-coupled PCR sequencing was performed, in order to confirm the presence of ALK abnormalities in patients exhibiting ALK messenger RNA (mRNA) overexpression. The correlation between ALK expression and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of the HCC patients was statistically analyzed. The results of the present study revealed overexpression of ALK protein and mRNA; furthermore, ALK gene copy number gains were observed via IHC (44.7%; 153/342), RT-qPCR (47.4%; 162/342) and FISH (32.7%; 112/342) analyses, although ALK rearrangement or mutation was not demonstrated in the results of any of these assays. ALK protein expression levels were significantly associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) status (P<0.001) and the presence of micrometastases (P=0.011). Within the entire patient cohort, ALK expression was associated with poor progression-free survival (PFS; P=0.041). Subsequent analysis in patient subgroups that demonstrated hepatitis B surface antigen positivity, HCV negativity, stage III-IV disease, recurrence and micrometastasis positivity revealed that overall survival (OS) and PFS were significantly reduced in those patients exhibiting ALK expression compared with those patients who were negative for ALK expression. Multivariate analysis revealed that ALK expression was an independent risk factor for OS (P=0.042) and PFS (P=0.033), particularly for patients with stage III-IV tumors. Thus, ALK may serve as a novel indicator for the metastatic behavior and prognosis of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most malignant type of gynecological tumor due to its high recurrence rate following initial treatment. Previous studies have indicated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) may be a potential cause underlying the high proportion of recurrence. Side population (SP) cells isolated from cancer cell lines have been shown to exhibit characteristics associated with CSCs, but studies on SP cells in human ovarian SK-OV-3 cell line are limited. In the present study, the SP cell fraction (4.83% of the total cell population) was isolated using flow cytometry, and analyzed by immunocytochemical analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that SP cells exhibited a high mean fluorescence intensity for CD44, a CSC marker, in addition to elevated expression of the CSCs-associated genes, ATP-binding cassette sub-family G member 2 and Nestin. These findings indicated the stem cell-like features of the SP cells. Furthermore, a colony formation test showed that the isolated SP cells possessed a marked capacity for self-regeneration and proliferation. In addition, a cell cycle assay involving cisplatin indicated that the SP cells were strongly resistant to chemotherapy. In conclusion, the present results suggested that SP cells isolated from the SK-OV-3 cell line exhibited properties typically associated with CSCs. Therefore, the isolated SP cells may be used to provide novel insight into potential therapies against OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Altered kallikrein-related peptidase activity and bradykinin are associated with skin disorders in humans and mice under chronic inflammation conditions. The bradykinin B1 receptor (B1R), also known as one of the G-protein-coupled receptor family and usually absent in intact tissues and upregulated during tissue injury, is responsible for vasodilation, capillary permeability, nociceptor sensitization, and pain; it is indispensable for physiopathological progress in chronic inflammation conditions, but its roles and effectors in the itching sensation of the allergic contact dermatitis model are poorly defined. Results: We focused on incurable itching in a diphenylcyclopropenone (DCP) chronic inflammation experimental model. Preventive treatment with the B1R antagonist R892 significantly suppressed spontaneous scratching, while the B2R selective antagonist did not. B1R expression in the skin tissues of this model was detected using a quantitative, real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry; B1R mRNA and protein levels were increased compared with a sham-treated control group. A higher B1R IHC staining signal was observed in the keratinocytes in DCP-treated mice compared with a vehicle-treated group, so we studied the B1R function when superimposed on a protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) background, establishing B1R as a pivotal mediator of PAR2 function in HaCaT cell lines. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence that B1R facilitates the chronic itching sensation related to keratinocytes in a DCP-treated chronic inflammation experimental model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A three-dimensional finite element model used to simulate the bolted joint is created using ABAQUS package. The stress concentration factors at the roots of the thread are first studied with a preload of 38.4 kN. Under harmonic transverse shear displacement, not only the stress variations at ten specified points of the first thread but also contact conditions between the contacting surfaces are studied. By changing the preload value, relative displacement, the coefficient of friction between the two clamped plates successively and the loading frequency, their effects on the hysteresis loops of the transverse load versus the relative displacement of the joint are then analyzed. Finally the hysteresis loops are produced by the Masing model. It is found that due to the greatest stress concentration factor, fatigue failure will occur at the root of the first thread. With the increase of preload value, the amplitude of displacement and the coefficient of friction, frictional energy dissipation of the joint increases. Very good agreement is achieved between the hysteresis loops produced from the fourth-order Masing model and the detailed ABAQUS model and therefore the fourth-order Masing model can replace the time-consuming finite element model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The heat and mass transfer performance are investigated under vacuum environment. • The air-side sensible heat transfer performance is insensitive to air inlet humidity. • The air-side mass transfer performance is closely related to air inlet humidity. • The total heat transfer performance is investigated under vacuum environment. • A simplified model is investigated under vacuum environment. Air-side heat and mass transfer performance of plain fin-tube heat exchangers at different vacuum degree have been experimentally investigated. In this experiment, influence of air inlet humidity on air-side heat and mass transfer under vacuum environment is studied by controlling vacuum degree and air inlet humidity. Results show that: variation trend of air-side sensible heat transfer coefficient (h a), heat transfer j-factor (j h), mass transfer coefficient (h m) and mass transfer j-factor (j m) are not all time remain the same. Variation trend of h a , j h are the same with increase of vacuum degree when air inlet humidity changes, h a is gradually decreased and j h is gradually increased. Variation trend of h m is opposite with the increase of vacuum degree when the air inlet humidity changes. Under constant air inlet relative humidity conditions, h m is gradually increased. Under constant air inlet moisture content conditions, h m is gradually decreased. However, variation trend of j m is the same with increase of vacuum degree when air inlet humidity changes, both are increased. But slope of j m is greater under constant air inlet relative humidity conditions. Overall heat transfer performance is greatly affected by air inlet humidity changes. Under constant air inlet relative humidity conditions, when air inlet relative humidity increases from 50% to 70% and then to 90%, proportion of latent heat transfer increases from 30.98%∼53.99% to 36.53%∼56.95% and then increases to 44.19%∼64.04% with vacuum degree increases. As proportion of latent heat transfer increases, air-side total heat transfer performance is not obviously reduced. Under constant air inlet moisture content conditions, when air inlet moisture content increases from 15 to 20 g/kg, proportion of latent heat transfer is basically unchanged with increase of vacuum degree, at about 36% and 37%, respectively. So, total heat transfer performance on air side decreases obviously. In order to model air-side heat and mass transfer performance of the complex structure fin-tube heat exchangers, a simplified model is investigated under vacuum environment. Results show that influence of pressure changes on heat and mass transfer based on theory is basically consistent with the results of regression analysis based on experimental results. This study can provide guiding suggestions for the design of heat exchangers under vacuum environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultures of Arthrospira platensis were exposed to ultraviolet (UV, 280-400 nm, 7.9 W m-2) radiation alone, or ultraviolet radiation (UVR) supplemented with different levels of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm). Cells showed high primary susceptibility to photoinactivation of Photosystem II (PSII) when exposed to UVR alone, while UVR supplemented with PAR led to the enhancement of the PSII activity. Both UVR and PAR initiated the protein repair; the highest D1 protein amount was shown under the radiation treatment of UVR plus 2.6 W m-2 PAR, which was consistent with the highest PSII activity. We concluded that PAR interacted with UVR, resulting in synergistically enhanced protein repair capacity but the extent of the relative protective effect depended on the irradiance level of PAR and the total solar radiation that cell received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contours of polygons generated by the image segmentation technique show jagged outlines and a large number of redundant points. Therefore, the original segmentation contours hardly conform to geographic information system (GIS) data-producing standards without generalization. With the complexity of high spatial resolution remote sensing imagery data, with variable sizes of geographic features and their different distributive patterns, it is hard to build a global contour optimization parameter model to guide parameter settings in large regions effectively. Furthermore, it is also difficult to automatically give a unique set of parameters per object simultaneously. In order to meet the actual requirements of GIS data production, we present an adaptively improved algorithm based on the Douglas-Peucker (DP) algorithm, named AIDP, that integrates the criteria of vertical and radial distance restriction, and design a corresponding parameter-adaptive acquisition method. The proposed AIDP method is evaluated by comparing it with the most widely used DP algorithm implemented in the ArcGIS through visual inspection, quantitative measurements, and applications to water body contours. The experimental results show that AIDP can not only acquire generalization parameters automatically but also greatly speed up the data processing workflow with acceptable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal and distributed provisioning of high coverage capacity in mobile sensor networks is known as a fundamental but hard problem. The situation is exacerbated in a mobile wireless setting due to the dynamic coverage of a mobile sensor network resulting from continuous movement of sensors. In this paper, we propose an optimization framework for maximizing the coverage capacity in mobile sensor networks that comprise both stationary sensors (SSs) and mobile sensors (MSs). Both the intracoverage capacity and the intercoverage capacity are jointly optimized by considering the control of the power and distance between MSs and SSs and the interference among MSs. We propose a new noncooperative control algorithm that iteratively solves intracoverage capacity optimization between MSs and SSs. We also further formulate intercoverage capacity as evolutionary coalition game and present a new cooperative interference control algorithm that iteratively solves intercoverage capacity optimization among MSs. We prove the existence of a solution for iteration control equation of the power and distance and the interference to maximize the coverage capacity. Finally, we assess the performance of the proposed algorithm and show that proposed control scheme can effectively improve the average coveragecapacity in mobile sensor networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma is an extremely rare neoplasm that arises from the pericardial mesothelial cell layers. Clinical symptoms and signs are frequently nonspecific, and the diagnosis is usually made after surgery or at autopsy. There is no standard treatment for pericardial mesothelioma; nonetheless, radical surgery is the mainstay of therapy for localized disease. The neoplasm is highly aggressive and carries a dismal prognosis with an overall survival of less than six months. This paper presents a case study of a 68-year-old patient with a primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma. Radiologic evaluation revealed a small nodule in the posterior pericardium with pericardial and bilateral pleural effusions. The diagnosis was established after surgery by histological and immunohistochemical studies. The patient remained alive and free of disease for about 24 months; however, due to rapid local recurrence, the patient died 27 months after the surgical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beta 3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) is a G-protein coupled receptor encoded by ADRB3 gene and involved in regulation of lipolysis and homeostasis. The objective of this study was to detect the genetic variation existed in this gene in eight domestic and wild pig populations. The polymorphism of partial sequences of ADRB3 gene in 336 pigs was analysed by single strand conformation polymorphism technique based on PCR (PCR-SSCP). Fst statistic and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) were used to measure the genetic differentiation. The genetic distances between populations were computed and a phylogenic tree was reconstructed by the unweighted pair group method using the arithmetic mean. Five haplotypes named A, B, C, D and E were detected with the frequencies ranging from 0.060 for E to 0.324 for A. The reliability of all haplotype frequencies reached 0.95. The haplotypes involved four polymorphic sites, of which one located in exon 2 with a thymine insertion, and the remaining three in non-coding regions with G/A and G/T substitutions, respectively. The thymine insertion resulted in the absence of two amino acids in the sequence of receptor protein. The haplotype diversity ranged from 0.579±0.057 in pure wild Liaoning to 0.792±0.024 in Mashen pigs, indicating abundant genetic diversity to exist in the populations. The fist estimates showed that the degree of population differentiation between domestic and wild pigs was moderate, but at a lower level within domestic populations. About 94.38% of the genetic variation originated from within the populations by AMOVA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture has a reflex regulation in gastrointestinal functions, which is characterized with segment. In the present study, the neural pathway of electroacupuncture (EA) at orofacial acupoints (ST2) on gastric myoelectric activity (GMA) in rats was investigated. The results indicated that EA at ST2 facilitated spike bursts of GMA, which is similar to EA at limbs and opposite to EA at abdomen. The excitatory effect was abolished by the transaction of infraorbital nerves, dorsal vagal complex lesion, and vagotomy, respectively. In addition, microinjection of L-glutamate into the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) attenuated the excitatory effect. All these data suggest that the dorsal vagal complex is involved in the reflex regulation of EA at orofacial acupoints on gastric functions and NTS-dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) inhibitory connections may be essential for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-related adiposity has been linked to chronic inflammatory diseases in late life. To date, the studies on adipose tissue leukocytes and aging have not taken into account the heterogeneity of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs), nor have they examined how age impacts other leukocytes such as T cells in fat. Therefore, we have performed a detailed examination of ATM subtypes in young and old mice using state of the art techniques. Our results demonstrate qualitative changes in ATMs with aging that generate a decrease in resident type 2 (M2) ATMs. The profile of ATMs in old fat shifts toward a proinflammatory environment with increased numbers of CD206-CD11c- (double-negative) ATMs. The mechanism of this aging-induced shift in the phenotypic profile of ATMs was found to be related to a decrease in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ expression in ATMs and alterations in chemokine/chemokine receptor expression profiles. Furthermore, we have revealed a profound and unexpected expansion of adipose tissue T cells in visceral fat with aging that includes a significant induction of regulatory T cells in fat. Our findings demonstrate a unique inflammatory cell signature in the physiologic context of aging adipose tissue that differs from those induced in setting of diet-induced obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression, a common neurological condition, is one of the leading causes of disability and suicide worldwide. Standard treatment, targeting monoamine transporters selective for the neurotransmitters serotonin and noradrenaline, is not able to help many patients that are poor responders. This study advances the development of sazetidine-A analogues that interact with α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) as partial agonists and that possess favorable antidepressant profiles. The resulting compounds that are highly selective for the α4β2 subtype of nAChR over α3β4-nAChRs are partial agonists at the α4β2 subtype and have excellent antidepressant behavioral profiles as measured by the mouse forced swim test. Preliminary absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) studies for one promising ligand revealed an excellent plasma protein binding (PPB) profile, low CYP450-related metabolism, and low cardiovascular toxicity, suggesting it is a promising lead as well as a drug candidate to be advanced through the drug discovery pipeline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to advance therapeutic applications of nicotinic ligands, continuing research efforts are being directed toward the identification and characterization of novel nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ligands that are both potent and subtype selective. Herein we report the synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of members of a new series of 3-alkoxy-5-aminopyridine derivatives that display good selectivity for the α4β2-nAChR subtype based on ligand binding and functional evaluations. The most potent ligand in this series, compound 64, showed high radioligand binding affinity and selectivity for rat α4β2-nAChR with a Kivalue of 1.2 nM and 4700-fold selectivity for α4β2- over α3β4-nAChR, and ∼100-fold selectivity for functional, high-sensitivity, human α4β2-nAChR over α3β4*-nAChR. In the mouse forced swim test, compound 64exhibited antidepressant-like effects. Structure−activity relationship (SAR) analyses suggest that the introduction of additional substituents to the amino group present on the pyridine ring of the N-demethylated analogue of compound 17can provide potent α4β2-nAChR-selective ligands for possible use in treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders including depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anodic oxide films were fabricated on titanium alloy Ti-10V–2Fe–3Al in ammonium tartrate solutions at the concentrations: 1, 3, 5, 10 and 15 g L−1. The morphological characteristics and microstructures of the films of the alloy were studied by optical microscopy (OM) and Raman spectroscopy (Raman), respectively. The electrochemical impedances of the films in 0.5 mol L−1 H2SO4 solution were investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). It was showed that different electrolyte concentrations led to different change rates of anodizing forming voltage. The change rate significantly affected the morphology, microstructure and electrochemical impedance of anodic oxide film. When electrolyte concentration was 5 g L−1, anodic oxide film was the most uniform, exhibited by the least and smallest breakpoints on the film. In addition, the amount of crystal phase of the film was the largest at 5 g L−1, showed by the highest intensity of Raman peaks. Furthermore, the electrochemical impedance of the film of the alloy was the greatest at 5 g L−1, demonstrated by the highest values of polarization resistances and lowest values of capacitances. These phenomenon were associated with the minimum value of the change rate of anodizing forming voltage at 5 g L−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a method used to calculate the magnetic field in a thin clearance between superconducting blocks, this paper analyzes the force characteristics of the superconducting suspension system. The superconducting suspension system is stable even without feedback control. Linear feedback control is still introduced to improve the suspension stiffness. Then, the corresponding controller is designed, and many details about the operating conditions are also analyzed. Simulation results show the feasibility of this model. This paper provides a theoretical guidance for the next experiment and also has reference meaning to the supporting system of the superconducting accelerometer, gradient meters, flywheel, and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lambda Red recombination system has been used to inactivate chromosomal genes in various bacteria and fungi. The procedure consists of electroporating a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fragment containing antibiotic cassette flanked by homology regions to the target locus into a strain that can express the lambda Red proteins (Gam, Bet, Exo). Results: Here a scarless gene modification strategy based on the Red recombination system has been developed to modify Pseudomonas genome DNA via sequential deletion of multiple targets. This process was mediated by plasmid pRKaraRed encoding the Red proteins regulated by PBAD promoter, which was functional in P. aeruginosa as well as in other bacteria. First the target gene was substituted for the sacB-bla cassette flanked by short homology regions (50 bp), and then this marker gene cassette could be replaced by the PCR fragment flanking itself, generating target-deleted genome without any remnants and no change happened to the surrounding region. Twenty genes involved in the synthesis and regulation pathways of the phenazine derivate, pyocyanin, were modified, including one single-point mutation and deletion of two large operons. The recombination efficiencies ranged from 88% to 98%. Multiple-gene modification was also achieved, generating a triple-gene deletion strain PCA (PAO1, ΔphzHΔphzMΔphzS), which could produce another phenazine derivate, phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), efficiently and exclusively. Conclusions: This lambda Red-based technique can be used to generate scarless and sequential gene modification mutants of P. aeruginosa efficiently, using one-step PCR product flanked by short homology regions. Single-point mutation, scarless deletion of genes can be achieved easily in less than three days. This method may give a new way to construct genetically modified P. aeruginosa strains more efficiently and advance the regulatory network study of this organism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acylated (octanoylated) ghrelin stimulates food intake and growth hormone secretion and is deacylated into desacyl ghrelin by butyryicholinesterase. Acylated and desacyl ghrelin both promote adipogenesis. Ghrelin concentrations decrease with hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinism. We hypothesized that 1) acylated ghrelin increases during pregnancy, contributing positively to energy balance, but is lower in women with gestational diabetes and 2) butyrylcholinesterase activity is inversely correlated with acylated ghrelin concentrations. In a first group of subjects, using two-site sandwich ghrelin assays that specifically detect full-length forms, we investigated women with and without gestational diabetes (n = 14/group) during pregnancy and after delivery. We examined whether changes in ghrelin during a test meal were correlated with changes in pituitary growth hormone [assessed through calculation of the area under the curve (AUC) during the test meal. In postpartum subjects, the percent of total ghrelin that is acylated was four to five times higher than previously observed using single antibody assays. During pregnancy, acylated ghrelin concentrations (mean ± SE) were lower compared with the postpartum period throughout the meal (AUC 1.2 ± 0.2 vs. 10.2 ± 1.9 ng·ml-1·90 min-1, P < 0.001). In the postpartum, acylated ghrelin and growth hormone were positively correlated (r = 0.50, P = 0.007). Desacyl (but not acylated) ghrelin was increased in subjects with gestational diabetes during and after pregnancy (AUC 15.4 ± 1.9 vs. 8.6 ± 1.2 ng·ml-1·90 min-1, P = 0.005). In a second group of subjects (n = 13), acylated ghrelin was similarly suppressed during pregnancy. Circulating octanoate concentrations (3.1 ± 0.5 vs. 4.5 ± 0.6 μg/ml, P = 0.029) and cholinesterase activity (705 ± 33 vs. 1,013 ± 56 U/ml, P < 0.001) were lower during pregnancy compared with the postpartum period. In conclusion, acylated ghrelin markedly decreases during pregnancy, likely because of a decrease in the acylation process. Desacyl ghrelin increases in gestational diabetes, possibly reflecting resistance to the inhibitory effect of insulin on ghrelin secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) can be used to support high-data-rate transmissions over time-dispersive fading channels. Many OFDM-based communication systems use packet-based transmission, where channel estimation is needed for the detection of information-carrying symbols. The finite impulse response (FIR) channel model is simple and effective for some simulations of channel estimation for the OFDM-based communication systems over the time-dispersive channels; yet, it is only an approximate channel model that cannot be used in the case of accurate channel estimation. Unfortunately, many researchers have overlooked this issue and have been devising channel-estimation algorithms squarely based on the FIR channel model. While the channel estimation results from these algorithms can be impressive for the FIR channels, the algorithms can hardly be applied in real-world applications. This paper explains in detail the reason the FIR channel model is only an approximate channel model for the OFDM-based communication systems, trying to discourage the inappropriate usage of this model, which can lead to fruitless efforts. This paper also presents a realistic channel model for OFDM-based communication systems, which can be used to realistically access the channel parameter-estimation algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type Ni-P hollow material with rod-shape is prepared by electroless deposition method and heat treatment based on the shape of Nocadia, a kind of bacteria. The material is characterized and its magnetic, electromagnetic and mechanical properties are measured. It is found that the Ni-P coating transforms from a disordered structure before hollowing to an ordered arrangement of face centered cubic (FCC) Ni after hollowing at 673 K and body centered tetragonal Ni3P occurs. After hollowing no change of the surface morphology has been found. But the cytoplasm disappears and the Ni-P layer becomes more compact. A new type hollow material with shell thickness of 150-200 nm is obtained. The saturation magnetization (Ms), remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercivity (Hc) are enhanced to 20 emu/g, 2.7 emu/g and 117.5 Oe, respectively. The dielectric and magnetic loss are improved to 14 and 0.4, respectively. The hardness and the elastic modulus are raised to 1.80 GPa and 23.79 GPa, respectively. All show great improvement compared with those before hollowing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multifunctional polythiol based on hyperbranched polyester Boltorn™ H40 (thioglycolic actate of H40), and two multi-ene hyperbranched polyesters based on Boltorn™ H20 and P1000 (allyl ether terminal functionalized H20 and norbornene end-capped P1000) were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR spectral analysis. The UV-induced photopolymerization behavior of multifunctional thiol–ene system, including those oligomers synthesized above, a tri-functional thiol, a tetra-allyl ether and a tri-norbornene, was real-time monitored with Photo-DSC in air. The polymerization rate (Rp) and functional group conversion were evaluated according to the Photo-DSC exotherms. It was found that the Rp and the conversion decreased with decreasing the molar ratio of [SH]/[C=C] from 1:1 to 1:10. Moreover, the photopolymerization behavior of thiol–ene system was greatly influenced by the type of ene group and the functionality of the oligomers and monomers. The norbornene monomer exhibited much higher reactivity than allyl ether monomers even with less functionality. And for the same type of thiol–ene system, the functionality of a monomer determined its reactivity. The apparent rate constant for photopolymerization (kapp) was also calculated from the equation Rp = kapp [SH]x[C=C]y to generally evaluate the integrative effect of all complex factors affecting thiol–ene photopolymerization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Medium-frequency magnetron sputtered PVD ZrN coatings were deposited on YG6 (WC+6wt% Co) cemented carbide. Microstructural and fundamental properties of the ZrN coatings were examined. Sliding wear tests against hardened steel using the ring-block method and dry machining tests on hardened steel were carried out with these coated materials. The friction coefficient and wear rates were measured. The wear surface features of the coatings were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Results showed that the PVD ZrN coatings onto the cemented carbide substrate show high hardness and good adhesion with the substrate. The friction coefficient of the sliding couples increased with the applied load and the sliding distance. Failures of the ZrN coating occur down to the carbide substrate under high load conditions or with long sliding distance in sliding wear tests, and are accompanied by the extensive abrasive wear on the substrate owing to the wear debris. The ZrN coated tools showed much better cutting performance compared to the YG6 uncoated carbide, which is connected with their large hardness increase, and good abrasive wear resistance. Abrasive wear was found to be the predominant flank wear mechanism for the ZrN coated tools. While the mechanisms responsible for the rake wear were determined to be adhesion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rodent models of solid organ transplantation have been used for many decades. Standardized operative techniques resulting in highly reproducible survival rates have been developed for several organs. This allowed scientists to investigate many clinically relevant problems, test new drugs and establish novel treatment regimens. Recently, many studies used these models to explore novel issues such as graft modification by pharmaceutical, surgical or genetic engineering methods, post-transplant regeneration, leukocyte trafficking or interactions between the innate and allo-specific aims of the immune response. The results from these studies clearly facilitate a more complex and comprehensive understanding of existing problem. The long-established methods of rodent organ transplantation, combined with the newest achievements in surgical techniques, biotechnology and imaging, will remain indispensable tools of transplantation biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel route for the synthesis of hyperbranched polyamine containing imidazolidine rings was developed, proceeding by the step‐growth polymerization of acrolein with ethylene diamine. The reaction kinetics and polymerization mechanism were studied with NMR and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The influence of the reaction temperature and the concentration and feed ratio of the reactants on the structural characteristics of the obtained products was investigated. To obtain stable hyperbranched polyamines as analogues of hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) or dendrimeric poly(propylene imine), sodium borohydride was used to reduce the synthesized hyperbranched polyamines to open the imidazolidine rings. The molecular weights, degrees of branching, and glass‐transition temperatures of the hyperbranched polyamines before and after reduction were compared. The polymerization behaviors of acrolein with other amines such as ethanol amine, propylene diamine, and 1,6‐hexane diamine were also investigated. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 699–708, 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several essential components of NADPH oxidase, including p22phox, gp91phox (nox2) and its homologs noxl and nox4, p47phox, p67phox, and rac1, are present in the vasculature. We previously reported that p67phox is essential for adventitial fibroblast NADPH oxidase O(Multiple line equation(s) cannot be represented in ASCII text) production. Thus we postulated that inhibition of adventitial p67phox activity would attenuate angioplasty-induced hyperplasia. To test this hypothesis, we treated the adventitia of carotid arteries with a control adenovirus (Ad-control), a virus expressing dominant-negative p67phox (Ad-p67dn), or a virus expressing a competitive peptide (gp91ds) targeting the p47phox-gp91phox interaction (Ad-gp91ds). Common carotid arteries (CCAs) from male Sprague-Dawley rats were transfected with Ad-control, Ad-p67dn, or Ad-gp91ds in pluronic gel. After 2 days, a 2-F (Fogarty) catheter was used to injure CCAs in vivo. After 14 days, CCAs were perfusion-fixed and analyzed. In 13 experiments, digital morphometry suggested a reduction of neointimal hyperplasia with Ad-p67dn compared with Ad-control; however, the reduction did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.058). In contrast, a significant reduction was achieved with Ad-gp91ds (P = 0.006). No changes in medial area or remodeling were observed with either treatment. Moreover, adventitial fibroblast proliferation in vitro was inhibited by Ad-gp91ds but not by Ad-p67dn, despite confirmation that Ad-p67dn inhibits NADPH oxidase in fibroblasts. These data appear to suggest that a multicomponent vascular NADPH oxidase plays a role in neointimal hyperplasia. However, inhibition of p47phox may be more effective than inhibition of p67phox at attenuating neointimal growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximum-likelihood detector (MLD), also called the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) detector, for single differential modulation is easy to derive. On the other hand, the MLD problem associated with double differential modulation is much more complicated and solving it was deemed to require a computationally unattractive nonlinear search. Consequently, a simple heuristic detector was usually preferred to the MLD, on computational grounds. In this correspondence, we prove the somewhat unexpected result that the aforementioned heuristic detector coincides with the exact MLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two algorithms for double-differential detection of multiple phase-shift keying modulation are proposed, based on a least-squares criterion and a generalized-likelihood ratio test, respectively. While both algorithms take advantage of the performance gain obtained by observing the received signal over an observation interval longer than that required for symbol-by-symbol detection, the former has the important advantage of reduced implementation complexity, whereas the latter offers better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes a coding and modulation scheme referred to as the differential space-code modulation (DSCM), which is interference resistant. Bit error rate (BER) versus signal-to-noise ratio for DSCM for different interference-to-noise ratios (INR) when the channel is time invariant; BER versus Doppler frequency for DSCM for different INR.

Shows that drc1/cps1, which encodes a 1,3-beta-glucan synthase, is essential for assembly of the division septum, but not for cell elongation and cell growth. Five steps in the cytokinesis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe; Description of temperature-sensitive mutation that prevents division septum assembly; Links between Drc1p and other cytokinesis regulators.

A phenomenological concentration of reactive radical is proposed to take the role of curing light intensity in explicit proportion to the reaction rate for the conventional reaction-diffusion model. This revision rationally eliminates the theoretical defect of null reaction rate in modeling of the postcuring process, and facilitates the applicability of the model in the whole process of holographic photopolymerizations in photocurable monomer and nematic liquid crystal blend system. Excellent consistencies are obtained in both curing and postcuring processes between simulated and experimentally measured evolutions of the first order diffraction efficiency of the formed composite Bragg gratings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have successfully reached the world record 32.35 T direct-current magnetic field by using a homemade all-superconducting magnet. The magnet has consisted of a 15 T low temperature superconductor outsert coil and two high temperature superconductor no-insulation (NI) insert coils using a conductor tape coated of REBCO (REBa2Cu3Ox, where RE = Y, Gd). This result proves the feasibility of reaching a strong magnetic field up to 32 T by using the NI process as well as the superconductor magnet with insulation. This magnet is one of the essential parts of the 'Synergetic Extreme Condition User Facility' project, which provides expertize, instrumentation, and infrastructure for investigating matter science under extreme physical conditions. We thought that such a strong superconductor magnet would bring the possibility to explore more mystery in physics, medicine, pharmacy, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experimental study of the frictional pressure drop characteristics of flow boiling heat transfer of CO2 in a horizontal minichannel with an inner diameter of Φ1.5 mm was carried out. Experimental conditions: heat flux (7.5 ~ 30 kW•m−2), mass flow rate (50 ~ 600 kg•m−2•s−1), saturation temperature (−40 ~ 0 °C), vapor quality (0 ~ 1). The comparison between the experimental results and theoretical flow pattern diagrams shows that the change of heat flux has little effect on the frictional pressure drop at high vapor quality area, but it has a decisive effect on the dryout and mist flow areas. The mass flow rate is the most important factor affecting the frictional pressure drop which has a decisive effect on the flow pattern experienced during the heat transfer process. The saturation temperature has an important influence on the flow pattern transition characteristics and the friction pressure drop decreases with the increase of saturation temperature. The influence of vapor quality on the frictional pressure drop is mainly caused by the flow pattern change in the minichannel. The flow visualization study shows that the theoretical flow pattern diagram can better reflect the flow pattern of CO2 in the phase-change heat transfer process and the transition trend of flow pattern under different working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]