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A subgroup of a finite group is -permutably embedded in if each Sylow subgroup of is a Sylow subgroup of some -permutable subgroup of . In this paper, we study the structure of the finite groups some of whose subgroups are -permutably embedded. Our results improve and generalize many available results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with portal hypertension. Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library (in English, until 1 October 2020) were searched for eligible studies. Data were pooled by the random-effects model using the Stata 13.0 software. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistic and subgroup analyses. Ten studies (all case series) meeting the inclusion criteria were enrolled, including 655 HCC patients in whom TIPS was performed. The portosystemic pressure gradient reduction was statistically significant (standardized mean difference [SMD] –2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI]: –3.51, –2.47). The technical success rate was 99.7%. The response rates of oesophagogastric variceal bleeding (OGVB) and refractory ascites were 99.5% and 88.2%, respectively. The 30-day, 90-day, and 365-day overall survival (OS) rates were 91.9%, 61.1%, and 46.3%, respectively. During follow-up, hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 29% of the patients, while TIPS dysfunction was observed in 23% of the patients. Few technique-related complications were reported, including tumour rupture (n= 5), abdominal bleeding (n= 8), and acute liver failure (n= 2). TIPS is a safe and effective treatment in HCC patients. Portal vein tumour thrombosis (PVTT) and cavernous transformation are the major cause of procedural failure and contribute to poor survival. Searching for the presence of PVTT and cavernous transformation is essential for assessing the safety and effectiveness of TIPS in HCC patients. • TIPS is a safe and effective treatment in HCC patients with portal hypertension. • PVTT and cavernous transformation are the major cause of procedural failure. • The presence of PVTT or cavernous transformation indicates poor survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Telomere length (TL) in blood cells is commonly used as a proxy for TL in other tissue types. The source of DNA of adequate quality and quantity is important for TL analysis. Compared to blood cells, buccal cells easy for genomic DNA preparation would facilitate the rapid and reliable TL analysis. However, the feasibility of buccal cells for TL analysis remains yet unestablished. We characterized TL of buccal cells and blood cells collected from 52 individuals using buccal cell swabs and fingertip sticks. Relative TL (RTL) determined by quantitative PCR showed that there is a strong correlation between buccal RTL and blood RTL (r=0.877, p<0.001), suggesting that buccal cells are adequate sources of DNA for TL analysis. The validity of sampling using buccal cell swabs provides simple operation and good reproducibility for TL analysis, that overcomes the discomfort and risk of infection caused by blood sampling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Base pairs involving protonated nucleobases play important roles in the DNA republication. Xanthine is an oxidative product of guanine. In this work, we employ density functional theory to investigate the protonation properties of xanthine (X), adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). With regard to the proton affinity, we study the protonated base pairs between X and A, C, G, T. The quantum theory of atoms in molecule and the natural bond orbital analysis are employed to elucidate the interaction characteristics. The interaction energy and structural parameters show the relative stability of the protonated base pairs: X:AH+ > X:CH+ > X:GH+ > XH+:T. The occurrence of X(syn):AH+(anti) structure may lead to a G:C → T:A transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monascus pigments (MPs) are a group of secondary metabolites produced by the filamentous fungus Monascus. In this study, the dominant MPs in the submerged cultures of Monascus ruber M7, rubropunctatin and monascorubrin, were found to be produced both intracellularly in the cell-bound state and extracellularly in the form of free crystals. To prepare and quantify the extracellular and intracellular water-insoluble MPs (wiMPs), separation of the extracellular crystalline MPs (ecMPs) and mycelia from the fermentation broth was carried out by filtration using filter papers (FPs), nylon mesh filters (NMFs), and sand core funnels (SCFs). Subsequently, the collected ecMPs and mycelia were subjected to microscopic observation and MPs quantitative analysis to evaluate the separation efficiency. Results showed that 200 to 300 mesh/inch NMFs were the optimum filters for separating the ecMPs and the mycelia. This study is the first comparative analysis of different filters for the preparation of extracellular and intracellular wiMPs. It would lead further investigations on the production and secretion of wiMPs by Monascus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demand for automatic management of agricultural production and real-time remote monitoring has increased the need for smart devices, wireless technologies, and sensors. The internet of things (IoT) has emerged as a common technology for the management of multiple devices by multiple users. Some professional solutions are relatively difficult to implement for researchers who are interested in agricultural IoT but do not have requisite skills in computers and electronics. The unfriendliness of the user software limits the practical application of agricultural IoT in China. This article presents a simple solution based on an SoC (system-on-chip) and WeChat mini-program that focuses on low-cost hardware, rapid development, user-friendly application design, and helping developers get a quick start in building a DIY monitoring system. The ESP8266, a high-performance SoC, is used as the microcontroller and Wi-Fi module to transfer the sensor data to a remote server. A WeChat mini-program provides the graphical user interface, enabling users to manage devices and access data by clicking. Users can log into the system using their WeChat accounts and bind devices by scanning QR codes on the devices. Thus, the complex management and device binding in conventional systems can be overcome. The system is easy to be expand and has great potential for greenhouse environmental monitoring in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The miR399 is a conserved microRNA (miRNA) family, and it has been characterized as an essential regulator of phosphorus transport in plants. However, the biological function of miR399 in Cunninghamia lanceolata is still largely unclear. In this study, the comparison of mature miR399 sequence revealed a high similarity between Arabidopsis thaliana and C. lanceolate, and the pre-miR399 was capable of forming a typical stem-loop hairpin structure. A gene PHOSPHATE 2 (PHO2) was identified as a target of cln-miR399 using 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends. Furthermore, the relationship between cln-miR399 and PHO2 was further confirmed through a transient co-expression of both genes in Nicotiana benthamiana. To examine the function of miR399 in Arabidopsis, miR399-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana was acquired using Agrobacterium-mediated approach. Real-time PCR showed that the amount of cln-MIR399 transcripts was higher in miR399-overexpressing plants than in wild-type plants, which was accompanied with down-regulation of expression of its target gene AtPHO2. The P content was 1.40 to 1.56-fold higher in the leaves of three transgenic lines than in wild type plants. However, the P content in the roots of the three transgenic lines was 24.5 - 37.2 % less than that in wild type plants. Moreover, the transcriptions of three phosphate transporter genes (PHT1, PHT2, and PHT3) were up-regulated in roots of miR399-overexpressing Arabidopsis plants. Interestingly, the transgenic lines exhibited retarded growth under normal P conditions compared with the wild type. Our findings demonstrate that cln-miR399 may play crucial roles in P transport and plant growth via regulation of its target gene PHO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soft tick Argas japonicus mainly infests birds and can cause human dermatitis; however, no pathogen has been identified from this tick species in China. In the present study, the microbiota in A. japonicus collected from an epidemic community was explored, and some putative Rickettsia pathogens were further characterized. The results obtained indicated that bacteria in A. japonicus were mainly ascribed to the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. At the genus level, the male A. japonicus harboured more diverse bacteria than the females and nymphs. The bacteria Alcaligenes, Pseudomonas, Rickettsia and Staphylococcus were common in nymphs and adults. The abundance of bacteria belonging to the Rickettsia genus in females and males was 7.27% and 10.42%, respectively. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA gene of Rickettsia was amplified and sequenced, and phylogenetic analysis revealed that 13 sequences were clustered with the spotted fever group rickettsiae (Rickettsia heilongjiangensis and Rickettsia japonica) and three were clustered with Rickettsia limoniae, which suggested that the characterized Rickettsia in A. japonicus were novel putative pathogens and also that the residents were at considerable risk for infection by tick‐borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which examined the antiferromagnetic coupling between two magnetic layers across intervening nonmagnetic layers found in iron/chromium sandwiches. Growth and characterization of the sandwiches; Basic principles of magnetic coupling; Oscillation of the magnetic coupling in the sandwiches.

Presents a study which conducted a M&oumi;ssbauer analysis of fine iron particles. Preparation of fine particles; Discussion of the recoilless fraction or Debye-Waller factor f; Thermally induced superparamagnetic excitation.

This study aimed to identify factors influencing axillary pathological complete response (pCR) and to develop a predictive nomogram to evaluate axillary pCR rate in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). A total of 2368 patients who received NAC and mastectomy between 2000 and 2014 from 12 grade A tertiary hospitals in China were analyzed retrospectively. The patients treated in three cancer hospitals (training set, n = 1629) were used to construct the nomogram based on multivariate logistic regression analyses. The nomograph was validated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve in patients from 9 other general hospitals (validation set, n = 739). The nomogram incorporated seven predicting factors including NACT cycles, response to NACT, clinical T stage, clinical N stage, grade, LVI, and molecular subtype. The AUC for the training set and validation set were 0.762 and 0.802, respectively. In addition, the calibration curve also showed good agreement between the nomogram-based predictions and the actual observations. A nomogram was established to predict the status of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients after NAC. The predictive model performed well both in the training set and external validation set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Casuarina equisetifolia is widely planted in coastal areas of tropical and subtropical regions as windbreaks or to stabilize dunes against wind erosion due to its high salt tolerance and nitrogen-fixing ability. To investigate the mechanisms responsible for its salt tolerance, we examined growth, mineral composition, expression of genes for sodium (Na+) and potassium (K+) transport proteins, and antioxidant responses under NaCl treatments. Increasing NaCl concentrations inhibited lateral root elongation and decreased plant height, length of internodes, and numbers of branches and twigs. The Na+ content significantly increased whereas the K+ content significantly decreased in both shoots and roots with increasing external NaCl concentration, resulting in a significant increase in Na+/K+ ratio. Most of the Na+/H+ antiporter genes (NHXs) were obviously upregulated in roots after 24 and 168 h of salt stress, and NHX7 was especially induced after 168 h. Almost all salt overly sensitive (SOS) genes were induced after 168-h treatment. Additionally, activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase were significantly changed in shoots and roots under salt stress. Hence, we conclude that salinity tolerance of C. equisetifolia mainly relied on sequestering excess Na+ into vacuoles and on induced expression of NHX and SOS genes in roots and thus the maintenance of sufficient K+ content in shoots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The miR171 is a conserved microRNA (miRNA) family and has been shown to participate in plant growth and development. However, the precise function of miR171 in Pinus densata remains largely unclear. Mature miR171 sequence comparison reveals high similarity between Arabidopsis thaliana and P. densata and the pre-miR171 could fold into a characteristic stem-loop hairpin structure. Genes encoding GRAS (GAI-RGA-SCR) family transcription factors and actin binding protein were identified as targets of pde-miR171 using a modified RNA ligase mediated 5’ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RLM-RACE). Furthermore, the interaction between pde-miR171 and Arabidopsis SCL6 (SCARECROW-LIKE6) was further validated through transient co-expression of both genes in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves. Next, results of real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that the expression of pde-miR171 was significantly up-regulated in miR171-overexpressing plants than in wild-type plants, which was inversely correlated with the expression of Arabidopsis SCL6 genes. In addition, overexpression of pde-miR171 in Arabidopsis induced larger leaves and earlier flowering under long-day conditions compared with the wild type. The findings presented here suggest that miR171 derived from a P. densata precursor together with its target gene SCL6 may play important roles in the regulation of primary root growth, leaf shape, and flowering time in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Divertor Tokamak Test (DTT) facility is proposed for studying power exhaust solutions as well as integrated physics and technology aspects for the demonstration power plant. To illuminate the richness of new novel plasma physics that can be explored in this device, linear stability properties and shear Alfvén fluctuation spectra of a typical DTT reference scenario are investigated by self-consistent hybrid magnetohydrodynamic-gyrokinetic simulations. The DTT core plasmas can be divided into two regions, characterized by reverse shear Alfvén eigenmode in the central core and by toroidal Alfvén eigenmode in the outer core region. The non-perturbative effect of energetic particles (EPs) and the wave-EP resonance condition as well as power transfer is analyzed in great detail, demonstrating the peculiar role played by EPs in multi-scale dynamics. The most unstable mode numbers of dominant Alfvénic fluctuations are shown to be of the order of 10, consistent with the typical orbit widths of the EPs normalized to the plasma minor radius and the DTT target design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Neutral alpha‐1,4‐glucosidase (NAG) is a crucial biomarker for the function of epididymis and is reported to be associated with semen quality. However, the correlation between NAG and Chinese semen quality has never been reported. This study aimed to investigate the level of NAG in the seminal plasma of Chinese men. A total of 394 cases of seminal plasma samples from normal, subfertile and infertile men were enrolled in this study. Male subfertility was caused by teratozoospermia, asthenospermia, severe oligozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenospermia and oligoasthenoteratozoospermia. Male infertility was resulted from azoospermatism. The level of NAG was detected by spectrophotometry. Results showed that the level of NAG in normal men was significantly higher than that in subfertile and infertile men (p = .000). Meanwhile, the level of NAG in subfertile men was significantly greater than that in infertile men (p = .000). In addition, a significant difference was observed in normozoospermia, teratozoospermia, asthenospermia, severe oligozoospermia, asthenoteratozoospermia, oligoasthenospermia, oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and azoospermatism (p < .05). In conclusion, these data indicate that NAG is a crucial marker for assessing seminal plasma quality in Chinese men, which might be helpful for the assistant diagnosis of male infertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is widely used in gene expression analysis for its accuracy and sensitivity. Reference genes serving as endogenous controls are necessary for gene normalization. In order to select an appropriate reference gene to normalize gene expression in Casuarina equisetifolia under salt stress, 10 potential reference genes were evaluated using real time qPCR in the leaves and roots of plants grown under different NaCl concentrations and treatment durations. GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper analyses reveal that elongation factor 1-alpha ( EF1α) and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 ( UBC) were the most appropriate reference genes for real time qPCR under salt stress. However, β-tubulin ( βTUB) and actin 7, which were widely used as reference genes in other plant species, were not always stably expressed. The combination of EF1α, UBC, uncharacterized protein 2, DNAJ homolog subfamily A member 2, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase should be ideal reference genes for normalizing gene expression data in all samples under salt stress. It indicates the need for reference gene selection for normalizing gene expression in C. equisetifolia. In addition, the suitability of reference genes selected was confirmed by validating the expression of WRKY29-like and expansin-like B1. The results enable analysis of salt response mechanism and gene expression in C. equisetifolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study that investigated how coupling between magnetic bilayer components control the spin dynamic properties of iron (110)/gold (111) heterostructures. Analysis of the temperature dependence of the hyperfine field of the heterostructures; Examination of the temperature dependence of the magnetization the heterostructures; Methodology.

Discusses a study that investigated iron-silver heterostructures made by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). Spin-wave excitations in MBE iron-silver multilayers; Linear temperature dependence of the magnetization; Use of transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy in the study.

Discusses a study on the effects of iron doping on the superconducting and magnetic properties of GdBaCuO superconductors. Effect of iron doping on global superconducting transition temperature and superconductivity on small regions around iron dopants; Origin of the magnetic hyperfine structure for samples doped; Evolution of the short-range spin correlations upon oxygen depletion.

Presents a study which examined the structural and superconducting properties of bismuth-strontium-calcium-copper superconductors. Sample preparation; Results of the Mössbauer measurements; Results and discussion.

Presents a study that examined the effect of iron on iron-doped superconductors. Analysis of the Mössbauer spectra of the superconductors; Determination of the superconducting transition temperature; Examination of the structural phase transition of the superconductors.

Examines spin-wave excitations on the surface of two coupled semi-infinite ferromagnets. Details on the calculation model and the Green's function; Deviation of spin; Conclusion.

Presents information on a study which doped iron into the ground YBa[sub2]Cu[sub3]O[sub7] and discovered that the iron goes primarily into one of two copper sites. Results of x-ray diffraction; Discussion on the coexistence of magnetic ordering and superconductivity; Discussion of the room temperature Mössbauer spectrum.

Presents a study that discussed the growth of epitaxial (110)[sup56] samples on (111) silver and then covered with manganese difluoride (MnF[sub2]) in ultrahigh vacuum. Motive for probing the surface regions of iron at an MnF[sub2] interface; Difference of excitations from bulk; Implication of the fact that iron surfaces are reactive.

To get a sufficient swath width and the higher resolution, most spaceborne cameras acquire the ground information by multiple time delay integration charge-coupled devices. Owing to the special imaging mechanism, TDI charge-coupled devices (CCD) is required to adjust the integration time dynamically. If the offset between two adjacent chips in the along-track direction is large enough, integration time adjustment will generate innegligible pixel offsets in different integration segments. Under this circumstance, if the PRCs are solved by traditional terrain-independent strategy, which uses the rigorous sensor model to generate evenly distributed object-image points, system errors are inevitably introduced and thus the rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs) cannot obtain the high fitting accuracy. In this paper, we derived the quantitative relationship between integration time and pixel offsets. The RPCs fitting technology based on integration time equalisation for improving the fitting accuracy was then discussed. The potential for this method to yield high fitting accuracy and the ability to keep raw object-image relations are illustrated with the experimental results obtained with four high-resolution imageries of Mapping Satellite-1 (TH-1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that play crucial regulatory roles in diverse developmental processes via cleavage or translational inhibition of their target mRNAs. Although a growing number of miRNAs and their targets have been predicted and discovered via experimentation in many plants, little is known about conserved miRNAs and their target genes in Pinus densata. In the present study, the conserved miRNAs, miR171 and miR482, from Pinus densata were characterized. Analysis of miR171 and miR482 reveal that these miRNAs were highly conserved in other plant species. In addition, the precursors of miR171 and miR482 were validated by real time-PCR and sequencing. Using real-time quantitative PCR, miR171 and miR482 as well as their corresponding targets were found to be differentially expressed in needles, stems, and roots of Pinus densata. Furthermore two target genes, one GRAS family transcription factor protein gene and one nucleotide-binding site leucine-rich repeat (NBS-LRR) resistance protein gene, were experimentally verified to be the targets of pde-miR171 and pde-miR482, respectively, using RNA ligase-mediated 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RLM-RACE). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation of zonal flow (ZF) by energetic particle (EP) driven toroidal Alfvén eigenmode (TAE) is investigated using nonlinear gyrokinetic theory. It is found that nonlinear resonant EP contribution dominates over the usual Reynolds and Maxwell stresses due to thermal plasma nonlinear response. ZF can be forced driven in the linear growth stage of TAE, with the growth rate being twice the TAE growth rate. The ZF generation mechanism is shown to be related to polarization induced by resonant EP nonlinearity. The generated ZF has both the usual meso-scale and micro-scale radial structures. Possible consequences of this forced driven ZF on the nonlinear dynamics of TAE are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cefquinome is a fourth-generation cephalosporin with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, including activity against enteric gram-negative bacilli such as Riemerella anatipestifer. The pericarditis model was used to examine the pharmacodynamic characteristics of cefquinome against R. anatipestifer. Serum levels of cefquinome following the administration of different doses were determined by LC- MS/ MS. Ducks with ca. 106 CFU/ mL at the initiation of therapy were treated with cefquinome at doses that ranged from 0.0156 to 2 mg/kg of body weight/day (in 3, 6, 12, or 24 divided doses) for 24 h. The percentage of a 24-h dosing interval that the unbound serum cefquinome concentrations exceeded the MIC ( fT > MIC) were the pharmacokinetic ( PK)-pharmacodynamic ( PD) parameter that best correlated with efficacy ( R2 86.3% for R. anatipestifer, compared with 58.9% for the area under the concentration-time curve/ MIC and 10.6% for peak/ MIC). A sigmoid Emax model was used to estimate the magnitudes of the % fT > MIC associated with net bacterial stasis, a 1-log10 CFU reduction from baseline, and a 2-log10 CFU reduction from baseline; the corresponding values were (22.5 ± 1.3) %, (35.2 ± 4.5) %, and (42.4 ± 2.7) %. These data showed that treatment with cefquinome results in marked antibacterial effects in qvivo against R. anatipestifer and that the host's immunity may also play a key role in the anti-infective therapy process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil microorganisms play an important role in recycling and transformation of nutrients. Soil microbiological parameters and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) have been suggested as possible indicators of soil quality. Soil microorganisms and MBC in different continuous cropping soils were investigated. Results showed that bacterial population was the highest, followed by actinomycetes, and fungi were the lowest at 0–30 cm soil depth. The amount of soil microorganisms decreased with increasing soil depth (0–10 > 10–20 > 20–30 cm). Soil microbial ratios at different depths proved to be responsive to time (year) variations in continuous monocropping tomato, except those at 0–10 to 10–20 cm depth for fungi and 10–20 to 20–30 cm depth for bacteria. Soil MBC for 12 years of continuous cropping was significantly lower than those for 5, 8, and 10 years (P < 0.05). Continuous cropping years, soil depth, and the interaction of these two parameters significantly influenced soil fungal, bacterial, and actinomycetes populations and MBC. Bacterial population at the 0–10 cm soil layer was a sensitive indicator of continuous cropping of tomato. Soil fungal count increased with increasing monocropping time within 5–8 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a new active control algorithm based on discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for both stationary and non-stationary noise control. First, the Mallat pyramidal algorithm is introduced to implement the DWT, which can decompose the reference signal into several sub-bands with multi-resolution and provides a perfect reconstruction (PR) procedure. To reduce the extra computational complexity introduced by DWT, an efficient strategy is proposed that updates the adaptive filter coefficients in the frequency domainDeepthi B.B using a fast Fourier transform (FFT). Based on the reference noise source, a ‘Haar’ wavelet is employed and by decomposing the noise signal into two sub-band (3-band), the proposed DWT-FFT-based FXLMS (DWT-FFT-FXLMS) algorithm has greatly reduced complexity and a better convergence performance compared to a time domain filtered-x least mean square (TD-FXLMS) algorithm. As a result of the outstanding time-frequency characteristics of wavelet analysis, the proposed DWT-FFT-FXLMS algorithm can effectively cancel both stationary and non-stationary noise, whereas the frequency domain FXLMS (FD-FXLMS) algorithm cannot approach this point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABAQUS is used to create a detailed finite element model for a 10-layer unbonded flexible riser to simulate the riser’s mechanical behavior under three load conditions: tension force and internal and external pressure. It presents a technique to create detailed finite element model and to analyze flexible risers. In FEM model, all layers are modeled separately with contact interfaces; interaction between steel trips in certain layers has been considered as well. FEM model considering contact interaction, geometric nonlinearity, and friction has been employed to accurately simulate the structural behavior of riser. The model includes the main features of the riser geometry with very little simplifying assumptions. The model was solved using a fully explicit time-integration scheme implemented in a parallel environment on an eight-processor cluster and 24 G memory computer. There is a very good agreement obtained from numerical and analytical comparisons, which validates the use of numerical model here. The results from the numerical simulation show that the numerical model takes into account various details of the riser. It has been shown that the detailed finite element model can be used to predict riser’s mechanics behavior under various load cases and bound conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spin-current injection into an organic semiconductor κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br film induced by the spin pumping from an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film. When magnetization dynamics in the YIG film is excited by ferromagnetic or spin-wave resonance, a voltage signal was found to appear in the κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br film. Magnetic-field-angle dependence measurements indicate that the voltage signal is governed by the inverse spin Hall effect in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br. We found that the voltage signal in the κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br/YIG system is critically suppressed around 80 K, around which magnetic and/or glass transitions occur, implying that the efficiency of the spin-current injection is suppressed by fluctuations which critically enhanced near the transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial and temporal evolution of parametrically excited geodesic acoustic mode (GAM) initial pulse is investigated both analytically and numerically. Our results show that the nonlinearly excited GAM propagates at a group velocity which is, typically, much larger than that due to finite ion Larmor radius as predicted by the linear theory. The nonlinear dispersion relation of GAM driven by a finite amplitude drift wave pump is also derived, showing a nonlinear frequency increment of GAM. Further implications of these findings for interpreting experimental observations are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a tramp ship routing model of fleet deployment in a hub-and-spoke network is presented. This model simultaneously determines the selection of hubs, the assignment of spokes to hubs, the deployment of feeder-containerships as well as containership routing between spokes and spokes, hubs and spokes, and hubs and hubs. Even though some parts have been studied, this complex combination of shipping problems has never been addressed. Because the problem is NP-hard, a genetic algorithm (GA) with local search is proposed. In the algorithm, a cut-off procedure is applied to fleet deployment in a sub-route strategy. A number of randomly generated problem instances are solved by both a mathematical program and the GA with local search. A simple but realistic heuristic algorithm is also developed. Both the GA with local search and the heuristic algorithm are used to solve a number of real case instances. A comparison of the results shows the efficiency of the GA with local search. The developed model can be used as a route-decision support tool for shipping companies that provide long-haul shipping services in a hub-and-spoke network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the physiological mechanisms of salt stress mitigated by exogenous sucrose, Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown on Murashige and Skoog medium were treated with 3 % (m/v) sucrose combined with 75, 150, and 225 mM NaCl for 3 d. Our results show that increased salinity significantly decreased the survival rate, fresh mass, content of proteins, chlorophyll a (Chl a), and chlorophyll b (Chl b), and activities of antioxidant enzymes, whereas enhanced the content of malondialdehyde. However, the treatment with sucrose significantly enhanced salt stress tolerance in the Arabidopsis seedlings by decreasing lipid peroxidation and increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, the content of proteins, Chl a, Chl b, anthocyanins, and the transcription of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis. Thus, sucrose might reduce ROS-induced oxidative damage by enhancing activities of antioxidant enzymes and the content of anthocyanins, thereby preventing membrane peroxidation and denaturation of biomolecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaskets made of acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) coating and metal plate were one of the classified seals used in automotive engine. In the present study, NBR foam-metal composite gaskets were prepared by liquid NBR overlain metal plate. The foam coating was thinner and more uniform compared with solid rubber forms usually used. Two different curing systems of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) system and a combined system of sulphur with DCP (S/DCP system) were investigated for curing NBR foam coating. The effects of curing system and agent content on cell structure, mechanical properties and resistance to fluid and heat of NBR foam, and the interfacial adhesion between NBR foam coating and metal plate, were examined. It was found that the S/DCP system gave NBR foam coating with bigger cell size, higher porosity and cross-link density compared with the DCP system. Furthermore, the S/DCP system had better tensile property and played a better role in the protection of the gasket seals against fuel B and hot air. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyamine water-based drilling fluid has been used around the world in recent years. The authors investigated the key additive SDJA-1 as polyamine shale hydration inhibitor. Results indicate that SDJA-1 can suppress clay hydration effectively and provide a pH buffer effect. Polyacrylamide and nano-emulsion ZX-8 were selected as shale encapsulator and lubricant, respectively. The properties of polyamine water-based drilling fluid including inhibition, lubrication and toxicity were evaluated compared with other inhibitive water-based drilling fluids and conventional oil-based drilling fluid. Results show the fluid outperforms other water-based drilling fluids and approaches to the performance of oil-based drilling fluid. Furthermore, the system is non-toxic and environmental friendly, superior to oil-based drilling fluid. This system was successfully applied on well Tian 310 in Shengli oilfield. A caliper log was run which indicated the highest quality wellbore ever recorded in the entire block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of system nonuniformities and kinetic dispersiveness on the spontaneous excitation of Geodesic Acoustic Mode (GAM) by Drift Wave (DW) turbulence are investigated based on nonlinear gyrokinetic theory. The coupled nonlinear equations describing parametric decay of DW into GAM and DW lower sideband are derived and then solved both analytically and numerically to investigate the effects on the parametric decay process due to system nonuniformities, such as nonuniform diamagnetic frequency, finite radial envelope of DW pump, and kinetic dispersiveness. It is found that the parametric decay process is a convective instability for typical tokamak parameters when finite group velocities of DW and GAM associated with kinetic dispersiveness and finite radial envelope are taken into account. When, however, nonuniformity of diamagnetic frequency is taken into account, the parametric decay process becomes, time asymptotically, a quasi-exponentially growing absolute instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyoxypropylene diamine has been used as shale hydration inhibitor in drilling fluid and exhibited outstanding performance. The authors describe the inhibition characteristics of KCl and polyoxypropylene diamine and provided a comparative assessment. Through bentonite inhibition test, bulk hardness test, hot-rolling dispersion test, slake durability test, fluid loss test, linear swelling test and X-ray diffraction test, the inhibitive properties of potassium chloride, and polyoxypropylene diamine were evaluated. The results indicate that polyoxypropylene diamine is superior to potassium chloride in shale stabilization, which can effectively suppress the hydration and swelling of clay and play an important role in permanent stabilization with a relatively low concentration. Moreover, the mechanisms of the two inhibitors are briefly analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Intermittent treatment with high-dose parathyroid hormone (PTH) enhances the quantity and quality of the fusion callus and reduces healing time of posterolateral spinal fusion with autologous iliac bone grafts in ovariectomized osteoporotic female Sprague-Dawley rats. Intermittent PTH (1-34) could be an appropriate adjunctive therapy for osteoporotic patients undergoing posterolateral intertransverse process fusion. Introduction: The study was designed to test the hypothesis that intermittent administration of PTH improves spinal fusion rates in a randomized controlled, ovariectomized osteoporotic rat spinal fusion model. Methods: Thirty-six 10-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were ovariectomized and underwent bilateral posterolateral L4-L5 spinal fusion with autologous iliac bone graft 6 weeks later. The experimental (PTH) group (18 rats) received daily subcutaneously administered injections of PTH (1-34) at 30 μg/kg/day starting on the day of operation. The control group (18 rats) received a subcutaneously administered injection of normal saline of the same volume. Nine rats from each group were sacrificed at 4 and 6 weeks. After sacrifice, the L4-L5 vertebral segments were removed and analyzed by plain radiographs, μ-CT, histomorphometry, and serum bone metabolism marker. Results: The PTH group had a significantly higher fusion rate and X-ray fusion score than the control group at 4 and 6 weeks ( p < 0.05). μ-CT and histological analysis showed that the fusion bone volume and cortical thickness for the PTH group were significantly higher than those for the control group at 4 and 6 weeks ( p < 0.05). Metabolic marker analysis also showed significant difference between the two groups. The serum osteocalcin was significantly higher in the PTH group at 4 and 6 weeks, and levels of N-terminal peptide of type I collagen were significantly higher at 4 weeks ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Intermittent treatment with high-dose PTH enhances the quantity of the fusion callus and reduces the healing time of posterolateral spinal fusion with autologous iliac bone grafts in ovariectomized osteoporotic female Sprague-Dawley rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide (HMP) copolymers based on octadecyl dimethyl allyl ammonium chloride (C18DMAAC) were synthesized by homogeneous polymerization. The sealing performance of the HMP as sealing agent in drilling fluid was studied. The results showed that HMP-3 containing 0.66% (molar ratio) hydrophobic monomer gave the best sealing property. Compared with the traditional sealing agent, HMP-3/clay could seal the cores of different permeabilities effectively by forming a low-permeability barrier with the help of bridge material. Permeability recovery test indicated that the recovery rate of cores treated by HMP-3 systems was over 90%. The particle size analysis showed that the grain distribution of drilling fluid system can be changed by HMP-3, and the system containing HMP-3 component covered a much wide distribution, so it can be used in a wide range of pore sizes and permeabilities without foreseeing the size of pore throat definitely. This work has provide a new idea to solve the seepage losses of microfractured formations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A platinum (Pt)/yttrium iron garnet (YIG) bilayer system with a well-controlled interface has been developed; spin mixing conductance at the Pt/YIG interface has been studied. A clear interface with good crystal perfection is experimentally demonstrated to be one of the important factors for an ultimate spin mixing conductance. The spin mixing conductance is obtained to be 1.3 × 1018 m-2 at the well-controlled Pt/YIG interface, which is close to a theoretical prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aluminum-based shale stabilizer used in drilling fluid composed of humic acid and aluminum (HA-Al) was synthesized. The expansion rate of shale sample in HA-Al solution was 12.87% (23.21% in pure water) in linear expansion test. Shale stability index values of high water content and low water content samples were 73.00 and 55.94, respectively, indicating HA-Al had good inhibition performance by absorbing between clay particles. The pore pressure transmission test indicated that after 20 h, the result was 0.4 MPa in glycols solution, 0.15 MPa in sodium silicate solution, and 0.07 MPa in HA-Al solution. Obviously, the last one was the best. So HA-Al had excellent performance to reduce pore pressure transmission. By scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectrometer analysis, it was confirmed that HA-Al could precipitate in the shale pores. As a result, the pore pressure transmission reduced and the shale stability increased. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Increasingly, polyether diamine has been extensively used as a shale hydration inhibitor with splendid performance. In this article, a series of evaluation methods, including a bentonite inhibition test and tertiary cutting rolled dispersion test, were conducted to compare inhibition diversity between quaternary ammonium salt NW-1 and polyether diamine. Also, the compatibility with bentonite and several anionic and amphoteric additives was investigated. Results indicate that polyether diamine exhibits superior clay stabilization to NW-1 and provides a more permanent effect. Contrary to NW-1, polyether diamine is compatible with most conventional additives and bentonite, which alleviate the compatibility problems of cationic fluid systems. Furthermore, the novel amine is environmentally accepted and evaluated by toxicity test. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study deals with the scalability problems induced by high complexity of integrated scheduling for high-speed switches, and presents a simple two-stage integrated scheduling algorithm that supports both unicast and multicast traffic simultaneously. The first stage of the switching fabric performs switching for unicast traffic and load-balancing for multicast traffic, whereas the second stage performs switching for multicast traffic with a new multicast scheduling algorithm to reduce the multicast head-of-line (HoL) blocking problem. Considering the tradeoff balancing complexity and performance, the proposed integrated algorithm performs without iteration, and reduces the scheduling overhead from traditional O(kN) to O(N) with a two-phase (request-grant) scheduling for unicast and multicast traffic at each stage. Simulation results show that the proposed integrated algorithm exhibits a good performance in terms of throughput and average delay, at different traffic compositions under various traffic patterns, especially with non-uniform traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper we describe an innovation for the intensified synthesis of biodiesel, exploiting a two-disk spinning disk reactor. The reactor comprises two flat disks, located coaxially and parallel to each other with a small gap between the disks. The upper disk is located on a rotating shaft while the lower disk is stationary. The feed liquids are introduced coaxially along the center line of each disk, with mixing commencing in the center of the inter-disk gap. The mixed phases flow radially outwards for ejection and coalescence on the inner containment wall of the reactor. Performance results in the reactor for the continuous synthesis of biodiesel from canola oil and methanol in the presence of a sodium hydroxide catalyst are presented. The effects of disk speed, volumetric flowrate, temperature, disk design, and the gap width between the two disks in the reactor were evaluated. The results show potentially a 20–40-fold decrease in residence time for the attainment of equilibrium compared with that determined for a stirred batch reactor used as a “control”. The mathematical modeling of the fluid flow conditions in the reactor is described. This provides further understanding of the potential importance of mixing in determining the reactor performance, pointing to some explanation of the relationship between conversion, flowrate, disk speed and geometry. The inter-disk gap, the reaction temperature, and the surface topology of the disks were the most important factors influencing reactor performance. Surprisingly, reactor performance increased as the inter-disk gap width was reduced. The results of the simulations gave an accurate fit with the experimental reactor performance data using true rate constants which were significantly higher than those reported in the literature. This suggests that some literature data may have not taken full account of mass transfer limitation during experimental determination of rate constants for biodiesel synthesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

5,6-Dihydrothymine (DHT) is a nucleobase lesion induced by the action of ionizing radiation on thymine residue in DNA. In this work, we present the hydrogen bonding base pairs involving 5,6-dihydrothymine bound to four bases in DNA: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G), and thymine (T). Full geometry optimizations are performed for the studied complexes by the B3LYP method. Interaction energies are corrected for the basis set superposition error, using the full Boys-Bernardi counterpoise correction scheme. Hydrogen bonding patterns of these base pairs are characterized using NBO and AIM analysis. According to the calculated binding energies and structural parameters, the stability of the base pairs decrease in the following order: DHT:G ∼ DHT:A > DHT:C > DHT:T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global radial eigenmodes of energetic-particle-induced geodesic acoustic mode are systematically studied, and their properties are found to depend on the nonuniformities of both the geodesic acoustic mode continuous spectrum and the energetic particle (EP) radial density profile. For a broad EP drive, the eigenmode equation valid for arbitrary EP drift orbit width is derived, and the excited energetic-particle-induced geodesic acoustic mode is shown to be strongly coupled to the geodesic acoustic mode continuous spectrum; resulting in a finite drive threshold in EP density. The cross-scale couplings between micro-, meso-, and macro-scales, discussed in this work, are mediated by the EP dynamics and have many interesting similarities with complex behaviors, expected in burning plasmas of fusion interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Targeting specific locations within agricultural watersheds for installing vegetative buffers has been advocated as a way to enhance the impact of buffers and buffer programs on stream water quality. Existing models for targeting buffers of Hortonian, or infiltration-excess, runoff are not well developed. The objective was to improve on an existing soil survey-based approach that would provide finer scale resolution, account for variable size of runoff source area to different locations, and compare locations directly on the basis of pollutant load that could be retained by a buffer. The method couples the Soil Survey Geographic database with topographic information provided by a grid digital elevation model in a geographic information system. Simple empirical equations were developed from soil and topographic variables to generate two indexes, one for deposition of sediment and one for infiltration of dissolved pollutants, and the equations were calibrated to the load of sediment and water, respectively, retained by a buffer under reference conditions using the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Model. The resulting index equations and analytical procedures were demonstrated on a 67 km2 (25.9 mi2) agricultural watershed in northwestern Missouri, where overland runoff contributes to degraded stream water quality. For both indexes, mapped results clearly mimic spatial patterns of water flow convergence into subdrainages, substantiating the importance of size of source area to a given location on capability to intercept pollutants from surface runoff. A method is described for estimating a range of index values that is appropriate for targeting vegetative buffers. The index for sediment retention is robust. However, the index for water (and dissolved pollutant) retention is much less robust because infiltration is very small, compared to inflow volumes, and is relatively insensitive to the magnitude of inflow from source areas. Consequently, an index of inflow volume may be more useful for planning alternative practices for reducing dissolved pollutant loads to streams. The improved indexes provide a better method than previous indexes for targeting vegetative buffers in watersheds where Hortonian runoff causes significant nonpoint pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work deals with the interaction between urea and DNA bases (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine). The optimized geometries, binding energies, and harmonic vibrational frequencies are calculated using the DFT/B3LYP functional combined with the 6-31+G( d,p) basis set. Their interactions are studied aiming to understand more about the nature of the intercalation binding forces between urea and DNA. Fourteen stable complexes are found on the potential energy surface. The structures are cyclic; they are stabilized by NH...O/N and CH...O interactions. The binding energies range from −19.9 kJ·mol to −74.0 kJ·mol. The obtained formation energies indicate that Urea:G and Urea:C are more favorable than Urea:T and Urea:A. In addition, the Atoms in Molecules theory is performed to study the hydrogen bonds in the complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]