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In near surface electrical exploration, it is often necessary to estimate the Cole-Cole model parameters according to the measured multi-frequency complex resistivity spectrum of ore and rock samples in advance. Parameter estimation is a nonlinear optimization problem, and the common method is least square fitting. The disadvantage of this method is that it relies on initial value and the result is unstable when data is confronted with noise interference. To further improve the accuracy of parameter estimation, this paper applied artificial neural network (ANN) method to the Cole-Cole model estimation. Firstly, a large number of forward models are generated as samples to train the neural network and when the data fitting error is lower than the error threshold, the training ends. The trained neural network is directly used to efficiently estimate the parameters of vast amounts of new data. The efficiency of the artificial neural network is analyzed by using simulated and measured spectral induced polarization data. The results show that artificial neural network method has a faster computing speed and higher accuracy in Cole-Cole model parameter estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time domain induced polarization (TDIP) and frequency domain induced polarization (FDIP) synthetic models, incorporating three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic medium, were tested. In TDIP modeling, both resistivity and chargeability of the medium were anisotropic, and the apparent chargeability values were calculated by carrying out two resistivity forward calculations using resistivity with and without an IP effect. We analyzed the TDIP response of a 3D isotropic cube model embedded in the anisotropic subsurface half-space. In FDIP modeling, the complex resistivity of the medium at various frequencies was anisotropic. The complex resistivity was determined by a Cole-Cole model with anisotropic model parameters. We then analyzed the FDIP response of a 3D anisotropic cube model embedded in an isotropic subsurface half-space. Both of the TDIP and FDIP simulation results suggest that IP responses acquired in two orthogonal directions on the surface are different when the same arrays are used and acquisition in orthogonal directions helps resolve the presence of anisotropy. The anisotropy should be taken into account in practice for TDIP and FDIP exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges for the hypersonic vehicle is its thermal protection, more specifically, the cooling of its leading edge. To investigate the feasibility of a platelet heat-pipe-cooled leading edge structure, thermal/stress distributions for steady-state flight conditions are calculated numerically. Studies are carried on for IN718/Na, C-103/Na and T-111/Li compatible material combinations of heat pipe under nominal operations and a central heat pipe failure cases, and the influence of wall thickness on the design robustness is also investigated. And the heat transfer limits (the sonic limit, the capillary limit and the boiling limit) are also computed to check the operation of platelet heat pipes. The results indicate that, with a 15 mm leading edge radius and a wall thickness of 0.5 mm, C-103/Na and T-111/Li combinations of heat pipe is capable of withstanding both nominal and failure conditions for Mach 8 and Mach 10 flight respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To demonstrate the value of a whole-genome high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array for the elucidation of genetic causes underlying pregnancy loss. Methods: The SNP array combined with SNPs and oligonucleotide probes was used to examine 60 samples of products of conception, including chorionic villi, fetal parts, and fetal blood. Results: The SNP array yielded a 38.3% (23/60) abnormality rate. In addition to the most common aneuploidy, it detected 16.7% additional aberrations involving copy number variation, triploidy, loss of heterozygosity or low-level mosaicism. Conclusion: This whole-genome highresolution SNP array not only provides copy number information but also identifies the heterozygosity status, which facilitates the discovery of the novel genetic alterations associated with pregnancy failure and improves the management of subsequent pregnancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prenatal diagnosis of subjects with complete uniparental isodisomy of chromosome 4 (iUPD4) has rarely been reported and poses a great challenge for genetic counseling. In this study, a prenatal case with a high (1 in 58) risk of Down syndrome was diagnosed with iUPD4 by combined chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), whole exome sequencing (WES) and ultrasound morphology scan. Results: By CMA, a pathogenic copy number variant was not detected; however, a complete maternal iUPD4 was identified in this fetus after analyzing the parental genotype results. To detect potentially autosomal recessive variants, WES was performed. Two missense and two frameshift variants were identified but were predicted with uncertain significance; none of the mutations were definitively associated with congenital abnormality or inherited disease. In addition, a detailed ultrasound morphology scan did not identify any structural abnormalities, facial dysmorphisms or intrauterine growth restriction. The family history was unremarkable. The couple was counseled with the prenatal diagnostic results, and they opted to give birth to the child. No phenotypic abnormalities were observed in this child after the first year of life. Conclusion: This study provides further evidence that iUPD4 can result in a healthy live birth and demonstrates that the combined use of CMA, WES and ultrasound technology provides additional information for the prenatal diagnosis and clinical management of rare UPD events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Biomechanical study using a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model.Objective: To analyze biomechanical changes with three prostheses based on two-level arthroplasty and to verify the biomechanical efficiency of dynamic cervical implants (DCIs) with a stand-alone U-shaped structure.Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have compared biomechanical behavior of various prostheses as they relate with clinical results after two-level total disc replacement.Methods: Three arthroplasty devices Mobi-C, porous coated motion (PCM), and DCI were inserted at the C4-C6 disc space and analyzed. Displacement loading was applied to the center of the endplate at the C3 level to simulate flexion and extension motions.Results: The motion distributions in extension with DCI and in flexion with DCI and Mobi-C were relatively close to that in the intact model. Mobi-C and PCM obviously increased the combined extension range of motion at the index levels, but both resulted in about 45% decrease in extension moment. DCI showed a trend in strain energy similar to that of healthy discs. PCM exhibited a facet joint stress distribution almost similar to that of the intact model. DCI did not generate significant overloading at cartilage between the index levels, whereas the maximum facet joint stress increased with Mobi-C was about 39%. The maximum stress on a ultrahigh molecular-weight-polyethylene core was above the yield stress (42.43 MPa for Mobi-C and 30.94 MPa for PCM).Conclusion: Each prosthesis shows its biomechanical advantages and disadvantages. However, DCI has the capacity to preserve motion and store energy under external loading, similar to the behavior of normal discs. Compared with Mobi-C, both DCI and PCM showed a lower stress at cartilage between index levels, which may avoid facet joint degeneration to some extent. Such a well-controlled arthroplasty device with a stand-alone structure may be a potential candidate and needs to be investigated in future studies.Level Of Evidence: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to cover the shortage of dipole magnetic field in the magnetohydrodynamic(MHD) heat shield system, physical model of a multipolar magnetic field with central and peripheral solenoids is constructed. By employing the governing equations of three dimensional thermochemical nonequilibrium flow with electromagnetic source terms based on the low magneto-Reynolds assumption, the flow control performance of the dipole and multipolar magnetic fields are numerically simulated. To make the results comparable, two groups of cases are designed by first assuming equal stagnation magnetic induction strength and secondly assuming equal ampere-turns. Results show that, the five-magnet system, whose central polar orientation is the same with the peripheral ones, have stronger work capability and better shock control and thermal protection performance. Moreover, the five-solenoid systems are the best when the ampere-turns of the central solenoid are twice and fourth of the peripheral ones under those two circumstances respectively. Compared with the dipole magnetic field, the stagnation non-catalytic heat fluxes are decreased by a factor of 47.5% and 34.0% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a postinfectious autoimmune neuropathy and anti-ganglioside antibodies (Abs) are strongly associated with this disorder. Several studies have implied that specific anti-ganglioside Abs induce neuropathy in patients with axonal forms of GBS. To study the mechanisms of anti-ganglioside Abs-induced neuropathy, we established a new passive transfer mouse model by L5 spinal nerve transection (L5SNT; modified Chung's model) and systemic administration of anti-ganglioside Abs. L5SNT causes degeneration of a small proportion of fibers that constitute sciatic nerve and its branches, but importantly breaks the blood-nerve barrier, which allows access to circulating Abs and inflammatory cells. Our studies indicate that, in this mouse model, anti-ganglioside Abs induce sequential nodal and axonal injury of intact myelinated nerve fibers, recapitulating pathologic features of human disease. Notably, our results showed that immune complex formation and the activating Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs) were involved in the anti-ganglioside Abs-mediated nodal and axonal injury in this model. These studies provide new evidence that the activating FcγRs-mediated inflammation plays a critical role in anti-ganglioside Abs-induced neuropathy (injury to intact nerve fibers) in GBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the genetic basis and selective forces acting on longevity, it is useful to examine lifespan variation among closely related species, or ecologically diverse isolates of the same species, within a controlled environment. In particular, this approach may lead to understanding mechanisms underlying natural variation in lifespan. Here, we analyzed 76 ecologically diverse wild yeast isolates and discovered a wide diversity of replicative lifespan (RLS). Phylogenetic analyses pointed to genes and environmental factors that strongly interact to modulate the observed aging patterns. We then identified genetic networks causally associated with natural variation in RLS across wild yeast isolates, as well as genes, metabolites, and pathways, many of which have never been associated with yeast lifespan in laboratory settings. In addition, a combined analysis of lifespan-associated metabolic and transcriptomic changes revealed unique adaptations to interconnected amino acid biosynthesis, glutamate metabolism, and mitochondrial function in long-lived strains. Overall, our multiomic and lifespan analyses across diverse isolates of the same species shows how gene-environment interactions shape cellular processes involved in phenotypic variation such as lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats are responsible for the zoonotic transmission of several major viral diseases, including those leading to the 2003 SARS outbreak and likely the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While comparative genomics studies have revealed characteristic adaptations of the bat innate immune system, functional genomic studies are urgently needed to provide a foundation for the molecular dissection of the viral tolerance in bats. Here we report the establishment of genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) and CRISPR libraries for the screening of the model megabat, Pteropus alecto. We used the complementary RNAi and CRISPR libraries to interrogate P. alecto cells for infection with two different viruses: mumps virus and influenza A virus, respectively. Independent screening results converged on the endocytosis pathway and the protein secretory pathway as required for both viral infections. Additionally, we revealed a general dependence of the C1-tetrahydrofolate synthase gene, MTHFD1, for viral replication in bat cells and human cells. The MTHFD1 inhibitor, carolacton, potently blocked replication of several RNA viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. We also discovered that bats have lower expression levels of MTHFD1 than humans. Our studies provide a resource for systematic inquiry into the genetic underpinnings of bat biology and a potential target for developing broad-spectrum antiviral therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical stability of spark plasma sintering (SPS) anisotropic Nd-Fe-B magnets as well as the conventional sintered magnets in different electrolytes was studied by means of anodic potentiodynamic polarization experiments. In an alkaline solution, both magnets exhibit evident passive behavior, indicating that they possess good corrosion resistance in such an environment. In saline and weak acid solutions, however, no passivation occurred and SPS Nd-Fe-B has displayed a more positive corrosion potential Ecorr and a lower corrosion current density Icorr than that of the conventional sintered Nd-Fe-B with same composition. Then, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests were carried out to investigate their corrosion kinetics in different solutions. According to Nyquist and Bode diagrams, a convenient equivalent circuit was modeled and the values of the proposed equivalent circuit components were calculated. It was found from the EIS plot formats that the electrochemical reaction of SPS Nd-Fe-B magnets was controlled by the step of surface charge transfer, i.e., activation polarization in alkaline solution, while controlled by the step of active substances adsorption on the magnet surface in saline and acidic solutions. Compared with conventional sintered Nd-Fe-B magnets, SPS Nd-Fe-B magnets possess better chemical stability in saline and weak acidic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objectives] This study was conducted to optimize the extraction process of Sipunculus nudus polysaccharide and study the antioxidant activity of S. nudus polysaccharide. [Methods] S. nudus polysaccharide was extracted by ultrasonic microwave assisted method, during which univariate factors including solid-liquid ratio, time, temperature, ultrasonic power, microwave power were investigated, to select optimal extracting conditions, which were also verified by an response surface optimization experiment (an four-factor three-level test); and the antioxidant activity of S. nudus polysaccharide was studied by determining its DP-PH radical scavenging capacity. [Results] Through univariate factor investigation and response surface optimization test, it was found that the response surface results were consistent with univariate results. The optimized conditions were as follows: solid-liquid ratio at 1:15, ultrasonic temperature at 60 °C, ultrasonic power of 360 W and microwave power of 200 W, and the predicted polysaccharide extracting amount was 4.35 mg/g. Under the optimized extracting conditions, the average extracting amount of S. nudus polysaccharide was 4.38 mg/g, which is close to the theoretical predicted value (4.35 mg/g). And the results of this study also showed that different concentrations of polysaccharide solutions have different scavenging effects on DPPH free radical. At the polysaccharide concentration of 0.16 mg/ml, the maximum value of DPPH radical scavenging rate was 7.22%, indicating that polysaccharide has certain antioxidant capacity. [Conclusions] This method is a new trial with satisfactory results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Design: Biomechanical analysis using a validated nonlinear finite element (FE) model.Objective: The aim of this study was to combine the strategy of two-level hybrid surgery (HS) to explore how prostheses affect cervical biomechanics.Summary Of Background Data: Few FE studies have explored differences in biomechanical behavior between combined and stand-alone structured prostheses with HS. No FE studies have considered whether the prosthesis type and hybrid strategy influence two-level HS.Methods: Three prostheses-Prodisc-C, PCM, and DCI-were analyzed in flexion and extension during HS at C4-C6. There were two HS constructs: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) conducted at the C4-C5 levels and anterior cervical disc replacement (ACDR) conducted at C5-C6 levels (ACDF/ACDR); ACDR/ACDF.Results: Flexion motion at adjacent levels was greater than that of intact spine. A maximum increase of 80% was observed with PCM in the ACDF/ACDR group. Extension motion at adjacent levels for both hybrid strategies with PCM, however, was similar to that of intact spine (<10% change), whereas it increased by 14% to 32% with DCI. The strain energy-storing capability with DCI tended to be similar to that of normal discs. Facet stress at the infra-adjacent level, however, significantly increased with DCI in both groups, whereas it increased with PCM and Prodisc-C only in the ACDR/ACDF group. All prostheses produced overloads on cartilage at the arthroplasty level. Prodisc-C and PCM cores showed stress above the yield stress of ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene.Conclusion: Each prosthesis had advantages and disadvantages. In extension, DCI (vs. Prodisc-C and PCM) exhibited more compensation at adjacent levels in terms of motion, moments, and facet stress. The biomechanical performance of Prodisc-C was easily affected by the hybrid strategy. Thus, if only a combined-structure prosthesis is available for two-level HS (C4-C6 level), the hybrid strategy should be carefully evaluated and the ACDF/ACDR construct is recommended to avoid accelerating degeneration of adjacent segments.Level Of Evidence: 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys are widely used in biomedical devices. As biomaterials, the blood compatibility of Ti and its alloys is important and needs to be further improved to provide better functionality. In this work, we studied the suitability of zirconia (ZrO2) particle reinforced poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) coatings on Ti6Al4V substrates for blood-contacting implants. The wettability, surface roughness and elastic modulus of the coatings were examined. Blood compatibility tests were conducted by erythrocytes observation, hemolysis assay and clotting time of recalcified human plasma, to find out correlations between the microstructure of the ZrO2-filled PEEK composite coatings and their blood compatibilities. The results suggested that adding ZrO2 nanoparticles increased the surface roughness and improved the wettability and Derjaguin-Muller-Toporov (DMT) elastic modulus of PEEK coating. The PEEK composite matrix coated Ti6Al4V specimens did not cause any aggregation of erythrocytes, showing morphological normal shapes. The hemolysis rate (HR) values of the tested specimens were much less than 5% according to ISO 10993-4 standard. The values of plasma recalcification time (PRT) of the tested specimens varied with the increasing amount of ZrO2 nanoparticles. Based on the results obtained, 10 wt % ZrO2 particle reinforced PEEK coating has demonstrated an optimum blood compatibility, and can be considered as a candidate to improve the performance of existing PEEK based coatings on titanium substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a common problem that can contribute to motor dysfunction. Previous studies reporting the changes in kinematic characteristics caused by LBP present conflicting results. This study aimed to apply the multisegmental spinal model to investigate the kinematic changes in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) during five activities of daily living (ADLs).Methods: Twenty-six healthy subjects and 7 LDH patients participated in this study and performed level walking, stair climbing, trunk flexion, and ipsilateral and contralateral pickups. The angular displacement of the thorax, upper lumbar (ULx), lower lumbar (LLx), pelvis, hip, and knee was calculated using a modified full-gait-model in the AnyBody modeling system.Results: In the patient group, the ULx almost showed no sagittal angular displacement while the LLx remained part of the sagittal angular displacement during trunk flexion and the two pickups. In the two pickups, pelvic tilt and lower extremities' flexion increased to compensate for the deficiency in lumbar motion. LDH patients exhibited significantly less pelvic rotation during stair climbing and greater pelvic rotation in other ADLs, except in contralateral pickup. In addition, LDH patients demonstrated more antiphase movement in the transverse plane between ULx and LLx, during level walking and stair climbing, between thorax and pelvis in the two pickups.Conclusions: LDH patients mainly restrict the motion of LLx and ULx in the spinal region during the five ADLs. Pelvic rotation is an important method to compensate for the limited lumbar motion. Furthermore, pelvic tilt and lower extremities' flexion increased when ADLs were quite difficult for LDH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The microstructure, crystal structure, and magnetic properties were studied for (Nd,Tb)2Fe14B nanoflakes prepared by surfactant-assisted high-energy ball milling (HEBM). Effects of ball-milling time on the c-axis crystallographic alignment, morphology, and magnetic properties of (Nd,Tb)2Fe14B nanoflakes were systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the average crystal grain size of the nanoflakes decreases from 60 nm of 1 hour milling to 33 nm of 7 hours milling. The nanoflakes milled for 3 hours bear an average thickness of 100 nm and an average diameter of 2 μm leading to a high aspect ratio of 20. In addition, the intensity ratio of I(006)/I(105) indicates that the degree of c-axis crystal texture increases first, peaks for 3 hours, then drops with increasing the milling time. Meanwhile, the coercivity (Hc) of the nanoflakes drops monotonically. The remanence (Mr) of nanoflakes milled for 3 hours in the easy axis direction is 11 kG, while the Mr in the hard axis direction is 1.8 kG, indicating a strong magnetic anisotropy. The optimal magnetic properties of Mr of 11 kG, and Hc of 7 kOe, (BH)max of 24.7 MGOe have been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the biomechanical characters of three-level anterior cervical fusion and hybrid constructs by measuring coupled motion changes of the cervical spine, Eighteen adult human cadaveric cervical spines were biomechanically investigated under eccentric displacement control in lateral bending and axial rotation by measuring vertebral motion (X, Y, Z -axis).The 3DPD condition displayed similar coupled motion compared to the intact condition both in lateral bending and in axial rotation, while the 3PDP condition was similar only in lateral bending. However, the coupled motion of the cervical spine under 3P conditions markedly changed in both lateral bending and axial rotation. Considering the coupled motion characteristics, the 3DPD hybrid construct is biomechanically advantageous in three types of reconstructions (3DPD, 3PDP, 3P). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, more and more people suffer from low back pain triggered by lumbar degenerative disc disease. The mechanical factor is one of the most significant causes of disc degeneration. This study aims to explore the biomechanical responses of the intervertebral disc, and investigate the process of disc injury by the theory of continuum damage mechanics. A finite element model of the L4–L5 lumbar spine was developed and validated. The model not only considered changes in permeability coefficient with strain, but also included physiological factors such as osmotic pressure. Three loading conditions were simulated: (A) static loads, (B) vibration loads, (C) injury process. The simulation results revealed that the facet joints shared massive stresses of the intervertebral discs, and prevented excessive lumbar spine movement. However, their asymmetrical position may have led to degeneration. The von Mises stress and pore pressure of annulus fibrosus showed significantly different trends under static loads and vibration loads. The von Mises stress of nucleus pulposus was not sensitive to vibration loads, but its pore pressure was conspicuously influenced by vibration loads. The injury first appeared at the posterior centre, and then, it gradually expanded along the edge of the intervertebral disc. With an increase in the loading steps, the damage rate of the intervertebral disc increased logarithmically. The variation in the biomechanical performance of the intervertebral disc could be attributed to the periodic movement of internal fluids. This study might be helpful for understanding the mechanism of intervertebral disc degeneration. • The injury process of the intervertebral disc was investigated. • The injury first appeared at the posterior center, and then gradually expanded along the edge. • The mechanical response of the lumbar intervertebral disc was investigated. • The fluid movement in the intervertebral disc was studied. • The damage rate increased logarithmically with an increase in loading steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) is a water channel protein expressed in endothelial and epithelial cells of many tissues, including the vasculature, where it serves to increase water permeability of the cell membrane. Prior studies have also reported that AQP1 plays a central role in tumor angiogenesis by promoting endothelial cell migration. To investigate whether AQP1 might also influence vascular angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium, the expression level of AQP1 for 21 days post myocardial infarction in rabbit hearts was observed. Aquaporin-1 mRNA and protein levels in day 3, and peaked on day 7 post surgery. This correlated well with the pattern of neovascularization and increased water content of infarct border tissue, and suggested that AQP1 may be involved in myocardial angiogenesis in response to ischemia injury. These AQP1-induced changes were tempered by acetazolamide, a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, which acted by downregulating AQP1 expression. Acetazolamide treatment did not significantly affect the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in the tissues studied. Our findings indicate a novel role for AQP1 in postnatal angiogenesis, which has implications in diverse pathophysiological conditions including wound healing, tumor metastasis, and organ regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outmost layer of the surface of any land plant is covered with wax, which protects the inner tissues of plants. The Arabidopsis ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter, Cer5, was found to be an exporter of wax molecules. Full-length wheat tacer5 cDNA, a sequence homologous to cer5, was isolated. Similar to other transporters of the ABCG subfamily, TaCer5 also has a typical basic structure of NBD-MSD (nucleotidebinding folds domain — membrane-spanning domain). Although the identity scores of TaCer5 and other ABCG transporters are not very high, amino acid residues of NBDs and MSDs are highly conserved among them. Tacer5 is a tissue-specific gene. The transcripts of tacer5 were found in leaf tissues and predominantly in stem tissues but were hardly detectable in root tissues. Stress inhibited the expression of tacer5. The expression was significantly decreased by salinity, low temperature, and 48-hour-darkness and also by exogenous phytohormone abscisic acid and salicylic acid, although not significantly. Exposure to polyethylene glycol either increased the expression or decreased it, depending on the duration of exposure. All the above factors also decreased the extent of wax deposited on wheat leaves. It is therefore concluded that transport of wax molecules is affected by environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shaping technique is proposed to remedy the attenuation-factor error in the split capacitor-digital-to-analogue converter (CDAC) of a successive-approximation-register (SAR) ADC. By feeding back the previous quantised value of the least significant bit part to the most significant bit part, the inaccurate attenuation-factor error caused by mismatches and parasitic components is shaped to high frequency. The in-band dynamic performance is significantly improved without any calibration. Simulation results show that the proposed attenuation-factor shaping technique improves the spurious-free-dynamic-range by 10 dB, whereas the number of capacitors increases only 1.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hcj of (MMxNd1−x)–Fe–B sintered magnets decreases distinctly with x increasing when misch metal (MM) content (x) ranges from 0.3 to 1. Practical application is taken into consideration so that the (MM0.6Nd0.4)–Fe–B components are chosen to analyze the changes in behavior of the magnetic properties. Both Magnet II and Magnet III belong to (MM0.6Nd0.4)–Fe–B sintered magnets, however, it should be noted that Magnet II is prepared by the single alloying method (SAM) and Magnet III is prepared by the double main phase alloy method (DMPAM). Core–shell structures of the magnets prepared by DMPAM can result in the higher Hcj and lower knee-point coercivity (Hk) compared with that by SAM. Furthermore, for Magnet II, the abnormal grain growth contributes to a better grain alignment and smaller distribution coefficient (σ) defined as the degree of grain alignment, which will enforce a higher tendency of the Hcj decreasing and Hk increasing. The expression of their normalized coercivity h(σ) is deduced by combining Gao’s starting field model with Kronmüller’s nucleation mechanism. Based on the overall h(σ) ~ σ curve, the best desirable h(σ) value is calculated when σ  =  0.09. Theoretically, for Magnet III, the resultant larger σ should be attributed to the more uniform grain alignment. In addition, the deviations of grain size distributions on the c-plane become more remarkable with more MM concentrates, which can be presented by SEM images. Meanwhile, by means of the pole figures, it is also verified that the grain alignment distribution becomes much more diverse with x increasing. Therefore, it can be predicted whether the grain alignment distribution is significant for Hk and Hcj of (MMxNd1−x)–Fe–B sintered magnets (x  ≠  0.6) prepared by SAM/DMPAM or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines derived from poor quality embryos usually have either normal or abnormal karyotypes. However, it is still unclear whether their biological characteristics are similar.Methods: Seven new hESC lines were established using discarded embryos. Five cell lines had normal karyotype, one was with an unbalanced Robertsonian translocation and one had a triploid karyotype. Their biological characteristics, short tandem repeat loci, HLA typing, differentiation capability and imprinted gene, DNA methylation and X chromosome inactivation status were compared between different cell lines.Results: All seven hESC lines had similar biological characteristics regardless of karyotype (five normal and two abnormal), such as expression of stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)-4, tumor-rejection antigen (TRA)-1-81 and TRA-1-60 proteins, transcription factor octamer binding protein 4 mRNA, no detectable expression of SSEA-1 protein and high levels of alkaline phosphatase activity. All cell lines were able to undergo differentiation. Imprinted gene expression and DNA methylation were also similar among these cell lines. Non-random X chromosome inactivation patterns were found in XX cell lines.Conclusions: The present results suggest that hESC lines with abnormal karyotype are also useful experimental materials for cell therapy, developmental biology and genetic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]