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The Covid-19 pandemic has forced governments to halt public transport operations. A consequence of such disruption is the reduction in access to critical facilities by individuals who rely on public transport for their daily mobility. We investigate the impact disparities caused by the restriction of public transportation on the access of healthcare workers and patients to healthcare facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic. Metro Manila is an appropriate case study site because the duration of suspension of public transport in the mega-city is one of the longest in the world. The prolonged duration of the lockdown could have devastating impacts on the well-being of individuals who are reliant on public transport to access essential services. Guided by the Yin-Eisenhardt approach to qualitative research, we examined the data from 55 individuals using within-case and cross-case analyses iteratively for the purpose of building a model on the impact of change in access due to public transport disruption on well-being. We mobilized constructs and concepts known in the literature, such as well-being, access, disruption, resistance, resilience, and vulnerability, in developing our two-step conceptual model. Given the profound impact of the prolonged and system-wide suspension of public transport on the well-being of individuals, it is necessary to provide sufficient public transport and active transport infrastructure and services that can cover their mobility needs. The two-step conceptual model from this study can provide guidance on specific policy interventions.

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, state governments all over the world were forced to respond to the crisis, prioritizing not only inbound activities but also their citizens abroad. Our study focused on the reasons for the differences in the evacuation operations, procedures, and outcomes in each country. This study focused on Asian countries/territories that experienced the pandemic earlier than other regions, to compare their prompt evacuation processes between January and May, 2020. Data on the evacuation missions and COVID-19 situation in each studied country/territory were collected. The evacuation operations were reviewed and analyzed using the Business Process Model and Notation to identify the differences that made some of the operations more effective. The insight can contribute to future adaptation and development to implement more effective operations during the emergency response to a pandemic.

SummaryAbnormally high circulating androgen levels have been considered a causative factor for benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer. Recent studies suggested that gut bacteria can alter sex steroid profile of host; however, the underlying mechanisms and bacterial taxa remain elusive.Thauerasp. strain GDN1 is an unusual betaproteobacterium capable of aerobic and anaerobic androgen catabolism in environmental conditions (37°C) resembling the mammalian gut. The strain GDN1 administration to C57BL/6J mice through oral gavage profoundly affected gut bacterial community, along with an approximately 50% reduction in serum androgen level in male mice. Our RT–qPCR results revealed the differential expression of aerobic and anaerobic androgen catabolic genes in the mouse ileum (microaerobic) and caecum (anaerobic), respectively. Furthermore, androgenic ring-cleaved metabolites were detected in the mouse fecal extract. This study discovered that androgen serves as a carbon source of gut microbes and that androgen-catabolizing gut bacteria can modulate host circulating androgen levels.HighlightsThauerasp. strain GDN1 administration through oral gavage regulated mouse serum androgen levels.The biochemical, genetic, and metabolite profile analyses revealed the occurrence of bacterial androgen catabolism in the mouse gut.Androgen catabolism proceeds through the O2-dependent and O2-independent catabolic pathways in mouse ileum and caecum, respectively.A possibility to harnessThauerasp. strain GDN1 as a functional probiotic to treat hyperandrogenism.Graphical AbstractIn briefHsiao et al. found that oral administration of androgen-catabolizingThaueraspecies regulated mouse serum androgen level. They characterized the gut microbe–mediated androgen catabolism through genetic and biochemical analyses. Their discovery portends a possibility of harnessing androgen-catabolic gut bacteria as functional probiotics to treat hyperandrogenism.

Background β-1,4-endoglucanase (EG) is one of the three types of cellulases used in cellulose saccharification during lignocellulosic biofuel/biomaterial production. GsCelA is an EG secreted by the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus sp. 70PC53 isolated from rice straw compost in southern Taiwan. This enzyme belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 5 (GH5) with a TIM-barrel structure common among all members of this family. GsCelA exhibits excellent lignocellulolytic activity and thermostability. In the course of investigating the regulation of this enzyme, it was fortuitously discovered that GsCelA undergoes a novel self-truncation/activation process that appears to be common among GH5 enzymes. Results Three diverse Gram-positive bacterial GH5 EGs, but not a GH12 EG, undergo an unexpected self-truncation process by removing a part of their C-terminal region. This unique process has been studied in detail with GsCelA. The purified recombinant GsCelA was capable of removing a 53-amino-acid peptide from the C-terminus. Natural or engineered GsCelA truncated variants, with up to 60-amino-acid deletion from the C-terminus, exhibited higher specific activity and thermostability than the full-length enzyme. Interestingly, the C-terminal part that is removed in this self-truncation process is capable of binding to cellulosic substrates of EGs. The protein truncation, which is pH and temperature dependent, occurred between amino acids 315 and 316, but removal of these two amino acids did not stop the process. Furthermore, mutations of E142A and E231A, which are essential for EG activity, did not affect the protein self-truncation process. Conversely, two single amino acid substitution mutations affected the self-truncation activity without much impact on EG activities. In Geobacillus sp. 70PC53, the full-length GsCelA was first synthesized in the cell but progressively transformed into the truncated form and eventually secreted. The GsCelA self-truncation was not affected by standard protease inhibitors, but could be suppressed by EDTA and EGTA and enhanced by certain divalent ions, such as Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cu2+. Conclusions This study reveals novel insights into the strategy of Gram-positive bacteria for directing their GH5 EGs to the substrate, and then releasing the catalytic part for enhanced activity via a spontaneous self-truncation process.

Objectives The aim of this study was to validate the feasibility of a novel structural and computational fluid dynamics–based fractional flow reserve (FFR) algorithm for coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), using alternative boundary conditions to detect lesion-specific ischemia. Background A new model of computed tomographic (CT) FFR relying on boundary conditions derived from structural deformation of the coronary lumen and aorta with transluminal attenuation gradient and assumptions regarding microvascular resistance has been developed, but its accuracy has not yet been validated. Methods A total of 338 consecutive patients with 422 vessels from 9 Chinese medical centers undergoing CTA and invasive FFR were retrospectively analyzed. CT FFR values were obtained on a novel on-site computational fluid dynamics–based CT FFR (uCT-FFR [version 1.5, United-Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China]). Performance characteristics of uCT-FFR and CTA in detecting lesion-specific ischemia in all lesions, intermediate lesions (luminal stenosis 30% to 70%), and “gray zone” lesions (FFR 0.75 to 0.80) were calculated with invasive FFR as the reference standard. The effect of coronary calcification on uCT-FFR measurements was also assessed. Results Per vessel sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies of 0.89, 0.91, and 0.91 with uCT-FFR, 0.92, 0.34, and 0.55 with CTA, and 0.94, 0.37, and 0.58 with invasive coronary angiography, respectively, were found. There was higher specificity, accuracy, and AUC for uCT-FFR compared with CTA and qualitative invasive coronary angiography in all lesions, including intermediate lesions (p 0.80; p = 0.397) and in patients with “gray zone” versus FFR ≤0.75 (p = 0.633) and versus FFR >0.80 (p = 0.364), respectively. No significant difference in the diagnostic performance of uCT-FFR was found between patients with calcium scores ≥400 and Conclusions This novel computational fluid dynamics–based CT FFR approach demonstrates good performance in detecting lesion-specific ischemia. Additionally, it outperforms CTA and qualitative invasive coronary angiography, most notably in intermediate lesions, and may potentially have diagnostic power in gray zone and highly calcified lesions.

This article presents a study on the influence of selective laser melting (SLM) process on microstructure and property of a cemented carbide system containing high entropy alloy. Analysis along the building direction indicated variation of chemical composition and microstructure, and this was influenced by two effects, firstly the dilution effect due to elemental diffusion from the baseplate and secondly the elements evaporation caused by high-power laser. At the lower half of the specimen, high fraction of η-carbide formed near the level of baseplate, and there were chemical gradients of major binder elements along the building direction. At the upper half of the specimen, there were relatively less variation in chemical composition and more homogeneously distributed phases including WC, W2C, η-carbide and FCC metal binder. The hardness of the lower half specimen varied from 711.7 HV1 (bottom of the specimen) to 1178.6 HV1 at 1 mm height. For the upper half of the specimen, hardness values could range from 1306.8 HV1 to 1413.4 HV1 and fracture toughness varied from 9.74 MPa m1/2 to 13.29 MPa m1/2.

This research investigates the structure and characteristics of microwave-assisted graphene oxide (denoted as MGO) nanofillers and their effect as membrane electrolyte assembly for direct alkaline methanol fuel cell (DAMFC). Two types of GO nanosheets are fabricated: MGO and modified Hummer's method (denoted as NGO). The MGO contained less oxygen (i.e. higher C/O ratio) and higher D/G band ratio than NGO, indicating the microwave method yielded less hydrophilic GO with more sp3 C-C bonds than NGO sample. The shorter reaction time (20 min) of the microwave method also generated larger GO sizes than the conventional method. The MGO contained less ether groups and more resistant to thermal degradation than NGO. One percent GO nanofillers are incorporated into polybenzimidazole (PBI) to form composite membranes, which are subsequently doped with KOH. The PBI/NGO had the highest conductivity while the PBI/MGO had the lowest permeability among the three membranes. DAMFC equipped with PBI/NGO and PBI/MGO electrolytes resulted in peak power densities of 310 and 277 mW cm−2 at 80 °C, respectively. These demonstrated power densities are significantly higher than those reported in literature. Considering the short time and facile method for MGO synthetic process, this microwave-assisted GO has potential as fillers into composite membranes.

The objective of this study was to investigate the possible association between the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs35569394, of the vascular endothelial growth factor gene (VEGF) and the risk of esophageal cancer (EC) in the Han Chinese population. A total of 290 EC subjects and 322 ethnically matched unrelated healthy controls free from the esophageal disease were studied. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood by salting out. Genotyping of VEGF rs35569394 polymorphism was carried out via polymerase chain reaction followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results showed that the distribution of genotypes was significantly different across the gender groups (p=0.032) and clinical stages (p=0.034). VEGF rs35569394 was associated with EC risk (p= 0.012, OR=1.34). A gender analysis break-down showed that rs35569394-D allele frequency was significantly higher in females than in the controls (p=0.0004, OR=1.81). Moreover, significant associations were also found in females under the dominant model (II versus ID+DD: χ2=8.18, p=0.003, OR=2.12) and the recessive model (II+ID versus DD: χ2=8.25, p=0.004, OR=2.39). Additionally, we found that the genotype, rs35569394-DD, was associated with a complete response + partial response to chemotherapy when compared with rs35569394-II (χ2=4.67, p=0.030, OR=0.47). In conclusion, our case-control study showed that the VEGF rs35569394 was significantly associated with the clinical stages and the increased risk of EC in Han Chinese females. In addition, the genotype rs35569394-DD showed a better response to chemotherapy.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of dose reduction on image quality and lesion detectability of oncological 18F-FDG total-body PET/CT in paediatric oncological patients, and explore the minimum threshold of administered tracer activity.Methods: A total of 33 paediatric patients (weight, 8.5–58.5 kg; age 0.8–17.6 years) underwent total-body PET/CT using uEXPLORER scanner with an 18F-FDG administered dose of 3.7 MBq/kg and an acquisition time of 600 s were retrospectively enrolled. Low-dose images (0.12 – 1.85 MBq/kg) were simulated by truncating the list-mode PET data to reducing count density. Subjective image quality was rated on a 5-point scale. Semi-quantitative uptake metrics for low-dose images were assessed using region-of-interest (ROI) analysis of healthy liver and suspected lesions and were compared to full-dose images. The micro-lesion detectability was compared among the dose-dependent PET images.Results: Our analysis shows that sufficient subjective image quality and lesion conspicuity could be maintained down to 1/30th (0.12 MBq/kg) of the administered dose of 18F-FDG, where good image quality scores were given to 1/2- and 1/10- dose groups. The image noise was significantly more deranged than the overall quality and lesion conspicuity in 1/30- to 1/10-dose groups (all P < 0.05). With reduced doses, quantitative analysis of ROIs showed that SUVmax and SD in the liver increased gradually (P < 0.05), but SUVmax in the lesions and lesion-to-background ratio (LBR) showed no significant deviation down to 1/30-dose. 100% of the 18F-FDG-avid micro-lesions identified in full-dose images were localised down to 1/15-dose images; while 97% of the lesion were localized in 1/30-dose images.Conclusion: The total-body PET/CT might significantly decrease the administered dose upon maintaining the image quality and diagnostic performance of micro-lesions in paediatric patients. Data suggests that using total-body PET/CT, optimal image quality could be achieved with an administered dose-reduction down to 1/10-dose (0.37 MBq/kg).

Background Lignocellulolytic enzymes are essential for agricultural waste disposal and production of renewable bioenergy. Many commercialized cellulase mixtures have been developed, mostly from saprophytic or endophytic fungal species. The cost of complete cellulose digestion is considerable because a wide range of cellulolytic enzymes is needed. However, most fungi can only produce limited range of highly bioactive cellulolytic enzymes. We aimed to investigate a simple yet specific method for discovering unique enzymes so that fungal species producing a diverse group of cellulolytic enzymes can be identified. Results The culture medium of an endophytic fungus, Daldinia caldariorum D263, contained a complete set of cellulolytic enzymes capable of effectively digesting cellulose residues into glucose. By taking advantage of the unique product inhibition property of β-glucosidases, we have established an improved zymography method that can easily distinguish β-glucosidase and exoglucanase activity. Our zymography method revealed that D263 can secrete a wide range of highly bioactive cellulases. Analyzing the assembled genome of D263, we found over 100 potential genes for cellulolytic enzymes that are distinct from those of the commercially used fungal species Trichoderma reesei and Aspergillus niger. We further identified several of these cellulolytic enzymes by mass spectrometry. Conclusions The genome of Daldinia caldariorum D263 has been sequenced and annotated taking advantage of a simple yet specific zymography method followed by mass spectrometry analysis, and it appears to encode and secrete a wide range of bioactive cellulolytic enzymes. The genome and cellulolytic enzyme secretion of this unique endophytic fungus should be of value for identifying active cellulolytic enzymes that can facilitate conversion of agricultural wastes to fermentable sugars for the industrial production of biofuels.

To evaluate the application value of CT metal artifact correction technology (MACA total of 72 patients who underwent CT re-examination after total hip replacement from December 2018 to March 2020 were enrolled, and the original data were reconstructed by filter backup projection （FBP） and MAC. Select three identical levels in the two sets of reconstructed images and place the same ROI. The selected levels were the initial level, central level, and lower edge of acetabulum. Measure the CT and noise (SD) of metal high and low density artifacts of the three levels area, as well as metal hip joint space, metal para-bone tissue, muscle, bladder and subcutaneous fat, and calculate the average value. Subcutaneous fat value was used as a reference to calculate the SNR and CNR of metal implant para-bone tissue, muscle and bladder. Two radiologists scored the two groups of reconstructed images using blinded method, Kappa's test was used to compare the homogeneity.There were differences between the two groups of reconstructed images in high- and low-density artifact areas, joint gap CT values, and image noise. Compared with the FBP group, the CT value of the high-density area and the joint space of the MAC group decreased, the CT value of the low-density area increased, and the noise value of each area decreased. The SNR and CNR of metal adjacent bone tissue, muscle and bladder were higher in the MAC group than those in the FBP group, and the difference was statistically significant (MAC

A hierarchical microstructure strengthened high entropy superalloy (HESA) with superior cost specific yield strength from room temperature up to 1,023 K is presented. By phase transformation pathway through metastability, HESA possesses a hierarchical microstructure containing a dispersion of nano size disordered FCC particles inside ordered L12 precipitates that are within the FCC matrix. The average tensile yield strength of HESA from room temperature to 1,023 K could be 120 MPa higher than that of advanced single crystal superalloy, while HESA could still exhibit an elongation greater than 20%. Furthermore, the cost specific yield strength of HESA can be 8 times that of some superalloys. A template for lighter, stronger, cheaper, and more ductile high temperature alloy is proposed.

This article presents the effect of carbide inoculants additions on microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Inconel 718 superalloy fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) process. Flakes of titanium carbide (TiC) and niobium carbide (NbC) were mixed with the Inconel 718 powder and acted as nucleating agents to induce heterogenous nucleation in order to eliminate anisotropic grain structure. By increasing fraction of carbide inoculants, more isotropic grain texture was detected. Furthermore, significant improvements on creep properties have been observed with minor carbide additions. With 0.5 wt% TiC and NbC addition, creep rupture life could be increased from 198.5 h to 449.5 h and 371.8 h, respectively. Moreover, creep strain rate was dramatically decreased from 0.513 × 10−8 to 0.12 × 10−8 s−1 by 0.5 wt% TiC additions. This study has demonstrated that minor carbide addition can have profound impact on the microstructure and property of Inconel718 processed by SLM.

This article presents detailed microstructure characterization of cemented carbide fabricated by selective laser melting process. Nickel-coated tungsten carbide powders were used for this study; the selective laser melting process induced complex microstructure consisting of partially-melted carbide, carbide precipitates and dendritic microstructure. Four phases were identified, i.e. MC, M2C, FCC and η in the as-built specimen. CALPHAD phase diagram was utilized to describe possible phase formation sequence during selective laser melting process, which involved melting, solidification and repeated heating. Although the composition of initial powder was very simple (spherical W2C-WC and Ni-coating), selective laser melting allowed the decomposition of initial carbides, subsequent formation of dendritic structure and precipitation of additional carbides. To the best of authors' knowledge, for the first time, detailed microstructure characterization of cemented carbide fabricated by selective laser melting is presented.

Background Inula helenium L. is an herb whose anti-inflammatory properties are attributed to its active components, the sesquiterpene lactones (SLs). Our previous study demonstrated that the total sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Inula helenium L. (TSL-IHL), consisting mainly of alantolactone (AL) and isoalantolactone (IAL), may have potential in the prevention and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the effect of TSL-IHL on atopic dermatitis (AD) has not been studied yet. Aim of the study The present study evaluates the potential of TSL-IHL as a treatment for AD. Methods/Study designs The effects of TSL-IHL on the expression of inflammatory genes and the activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in HaCat cells were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting, respectively, and compared with those of AL and IAL. The protective effect of TSL-IHL against AD was tested in a mouse model induced by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), in which AD-like skin lesions were induced in ICR mice by sensitizing once with 100 µl of 7% DNCB painted on their shaved back skin and then challenging with 20 µl of 0.2% DNCB five times on their right ears at 3 day intervals starting on day 5 post-sensitization. Results TSL-IHL, as well as AL and IAL, could all inhibit TNF-α-induced activation of NF-κB and the expression of TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-4 in HaCat cells in a dose-dependent manner in the range of 0.6–2.4 µg/ml. The topical application of TSL-IHL (1% W/W in emollient cream) attenuated DNCB-induced dermatitis severity and right ear swelling. The serum levels of IgE, TNF-α and IFN-γ in TSL-IHL-treated mice were reduced by 81.39%, 89.69%, and 87.85%, respectively, while the mRNA levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13, in the back-skin lesions of TSL-IHL-treated mice were reduced by 39.21%, 40.62% and 48.12%, respectively, compared with the untreated controls. Histopathological examination showed that TSL-IHL treatment reduced epidermis/dermis thickening and dermal inflammatory infiltration in both ear and back skins. Conclusions We suggest that TSL-IHL inhibited the development of AD-like skin symptoms by regulating cytokine expression and may be an effective alternative therapy for AD.

Background To produce second-generation biofuels, enzymatic catalysis is required to convert cellulose from lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. β-Glucosidases finalize the process by hydrolyzing cellobiose into glucose, so the efficiency of cellulose hydrolysis largely depends on the quantity and quality of these enzymes used during saccharification. Accordingly, to reduce biofuel production costs, new microbial strains are needed that can produce highly efficient enzymes on a large scale. Results We heterologously expressed the fungal β-glucosidase D2-BGL from a Taiwanese indigenous fungus Chaetomella raphigera in Pichia pastoris for constitutive production by fermentation. Recombinant D2-BGL presented significantly higher substrate affinity than the commercial β-glucosidase Novozyme 188 (N188; Km = 0.2 vs 2.14 mM for p-nitrophenyl β-d-glucopyranoside and 0.96 vs 2.38 mM for cellobiose). When combined with RUT-C30 cellulases, it hydrolyzed acid-pretreated lignocellulosic biomasses more efficiently than the commercial cellulase mixture CTec3. The extent of conversion from cellulose to glucose was 83% for sugarcane bagasse and 63% for rice straws. Compared to N188, use of D2-BGL halved the time necessary to produce maximal levels of ethanol by a semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process. We upscaled production of recombinant D2-BGL to 33.6 U/mL within 15 days using a 1-ton bioreactor. Crystal structure analysis revealed that D2-BGL belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 3. Removing the N-glycosylation N68 or O-glycosylation T431 residues by site-directed mutagenesis negatively affected enzyme production in P. pastoris. The F256 substrate-binding residue in D2-BGL is located in a shorter loop surrounding the active site pocket relative to that of Aspergillus β-glucosidases, and this short loop is responsible for its high substrate affinity toward cellobiose. Conclusions D2-BGL is an efficient supplement for lignocellulosic biomass saccharification, and we upscaled production of this enzyme using a 1-ton bioreactor. Enzyme production could be further improved using optimized fermentation, which could reduce biofuel production costs. Our structure analysis of D2-BGL offers new insights into GH3 β-glucosidases, which will be useful for strain improvements via a structure-based mutagenesis approach.

Purpose: To determine whether covered or uncovered stent insertion achieved better clinical efficacy when used to treat malignant superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction (SVCO).Material and methods: A...

This 56Gb/s PAM-4 transceiver leverages the high logic density provided by the 7nm FinFET technology through rigorous application of digital design styles: An All-Digital PLL and SST transmitter are combined with a 28GS/s 8b ADC and DSP receiver, with the analog signal processing limited to a two stage front-end. The receiver achieves a raw 1e-7 BER with a-33dB insertion loss channel while consuming 500mW, including the 20-tap FFE and 1-tap DFE equipped DSP section.

The aim of this study was to validate the feasibility of a novel structural and computational fluid dynamics-based fractional flow reserve (FFR) algorithm for coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA), using alternative boundary conditions to detect lesion-specific ischemia.A new model of computed tomographic (CT) FFR relying on boundary conditions derived from structural deformation of the coronary lumen and aorta with transluminal attenuation gradient and assumptions regarding microvascular resistance has been developed, but its accuracy has not yet been validated.A total of 338 consecutive patients with 422 vessels from 9 Chinese medical centers undergoing CTA and invasive FFR were retrospectively analyzed. CT FFR values were obtained on a novel on-site computational fluid dynamics-based CT FFR (uCT-FFR [version 1.5, United-Imaging Healthcare, Shanghai, China]). Performance characteristics of uCT-FFR and CTA in detecting lesion-specific ischemia in all lesions, intermediate lesions (luminal stenosis 30% to 70%), and "gray zone" lesions (FFR 0.75 to 0.80) were calculated with invasive FFR as the reference standard. The effect of coronary calcification on uCT-FFR measurements was also assessed.Per vessel sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies of 0.89, 0.91, and 0.91 with uCT-FFR, 0.92, 0.34, and 0.55 with CTA, and 0.94, 0.37, and 0.58 with invasive coronary angiography, respectively, were found. There was higher specificity, accuracy, and AUC for uCT-FFR compared with CTA and qualitative invasive coronary angiography in all lesions, including intermediate lesions (p 0.001 for all). No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy was observed in the "gray zone" range versus the other 2 lesion groups (FFR ≤0.75 and0.80; p = 0.397) and in patients with "gray zone" versus FFR ≤0.75 (p = 0.633) and versus FFR0.80 (p = 0.364), respectively. No significant difference in the diagnostic performance of uCT-FFR was found between patients with calcium scores ≥400 and 400 (p = 0.393).This novel computational fluid dynamics-based CT FFR approach demonstrates good performance in detecting lesion-specific ischemia. Additionally, it outperforms CTA and qualitative invasive coronary angiography, most notably in intermediate lesions, and may potentially have diagnostic power in gray zone and highly calcified lesions.

This work investigated the effects of CoAl2O4 inoculants on the microstructure and mechanical properties of a superalloy – Inconel 718 (IN718), processed by selective laser melting (SLM). IN718 powder was blended with 0.2 wt. % of CoAl2O4 particles. After the SLM process, the CoAl2O4 particles reacted with IN718 and formed a dispersion of Al-rich nano-oxide particles in the matrix. These inoculants were observed to facilitate the formation of fine, equiaxed grains and reduce the degree of crystallographic texture in the as-built microstructure. The presence of the nano-oxide particles in the microstructure served to restrict the mobility of grain boundaries during heat-treatment and promoted the formation of a bimodal grain structure with comparatively finer average size. Due to the reduction of crystallographic texture, the elastic anisotropy present in as-built specimens was greatly minimized with the addition of CoAl2O4 inoculants. Specimens containing inoculants were also found to possess improved tensile properties following heat-treatment at both room temperature and 650 °C. Furthermore, creep testing at 650 °C/650 MPa revealed that the steady strain rate of IN718 was lowered from 8.8×10−9 s−1 to 4.9×10−9 s−1, and the creep rupture life was extended by 52 hours in samples that were fabricated with CoAl2O4. These results strongly suggest that the decomposition of CoAl2O4 into Al-rich oxides during SLM processing not only contributes to grain refinement and a reduction in the degree of crystallographic texture but also forms an oxide dispersion that restricts the mobility of dislocations and grain boundaries in IN718.

Small glycodendrimers with a-mannosyl ligands were synthesized by using copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne coupling chemistry and some of these molecules were used as multivalent li- gands to study the induction of conca- navalin A (Con A) precipitation. The results showed that the monovalent mannose ligand could induce the pre- cipitation of Con A. This unexpected finding initiated a series of studies to characterize the molecular basis of the ligand-lectin interaction. The atypical precipitation is found to be specific to the mannose, fluorescein moiety (FITC), and Con A. Apparently the mannose ligand binds to Con A through hydrogen-bonding interactions, whereas the binding of FITC is mediat- ed by hydrophobic forces.

Nowadays, knowledge management has become an important factor in national economic development in this information era. From the perspective of knowledge management, this essay will focus on the study of the principles and constituents in assessment system on regional innovation capacity. It aims to improve knowledge management serving for regional creativity system, so as to bring about greater benefits for the society.

SiO2aerogels, the lightest solid material have attracted much attention recently. However, it is difficult to be used in practical applications due to its fragility. A facile one step polymerincorporation sol-gel process, together with a surface modification and a normal temperature drying process, was developed to prepare silica-fiber composite aerogels. Four fibers (polyester fiber, polypropylene fiber, lignin fiber, polycrylonitrile fiber) were selected to enhance the intensity of silica aerogels, respectively. The obtained samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area. Results showed that samples have a plenty of hydrophobic methyl group attached to their surface. The continuous network structure composed of silica aerogels of high purity are non-crystallized, porous, surface areas from 800 to 980 m2/g and light weight nano-materials. Adsorption experiment of the above samples over organic solution (benzene, toluene) was tested. The composite aerogels absorbed the organic liquids by nearly 6-8 times its own mass, showing potential application in organic absorption.

A high yield of beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) of 159.1 U/g-solid activity on 4-nitrophenyl beta-d-glucopyranoside (pNPG) was achieved by rice bran-based solid-state fermentation (SSF) of the recently characterized fungus Penicillium citrinum YS40-5. The enzyme was both thermophilic and acidophilic at the optimized temperature and pH of 70 degrees C and 5.0, respectively. Over 95% of the original beta-glucosidase activity was maintained after a prolonged storage at ambient temperature for 4 weeks. The kinetic parameters V(max), K(m) and K(I) were 85.93 U/mg, 1.2 mM and 17.59 mM with pNPG, and 72.49 U/mg, 32.17 mM and 8.29 mM with cellobiose, respectively. The protein band with beta-glucosidase activity was characterized by native PAGE followed by MUG-zymogram analysis, and its identity confirmed by nanoLC-MS/MS. A 3.43-fold synergistic effect by combining this beta-glucosidase with Trichoderma reesei cellulases was observed, indicating this enzyme could potentially be used for improving the efficiency of cellulosic bioconversion.

Objective: To investigate whether muscle fatigue of ankle invertors and evertors reduces the ability to detect inversion and eversion angles in subjects with an ankle proprioceptive deficit. Design: A cross-sectional before-after study with repeated measures design. Setting: Research laboratory. Subjects: Thirty young adults with defective passive joint sense of ankle inversion were recruited into this study and compared with 30 similar controls without ankle proprioceptive deficits. Interventions: Muscle fatigue of ankle invertors and evertors was defined as occuring when the maximal isokinetic torque declined to below 50% of the peak torque. Main measures: The absolute differences between the angles detected and assigned, with target angles at inversion 10 ◦ , inversion 20 ◦ , and eversion 10 ◦ trialled in random orders. Results: Proprioceptive deficits and muscle fatigue of ankle inversion and eversion had a significant interaction with the ability to detect small amplitude target angles. Detecting 10 ◦ of ankle eversion and inversion showed significantly greater errors than for 20 ◦ of ankle inversion. Following muscle fatigue or in subjects with proprioceptive deficits there were greater errors in detecting small amplitudes of ankle positions (10 ◦ of ankle inversion and eversion). Conclusions: The potential deleterious effects of fatigue and proprioceptive deficits on the ability to detect the small range of lateral movements of ankle joint was addressed in this investigation.. Fatigue worsens chronic proprioceptive ankle deficits and hence may enhance the risk of injury.

Decomposition of toluene was experimentally investigated with various dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactors, such as wire-cylinder, wire-plate and plate-to-plate, combined with multi-metal oxides catalyst (Mn-Ni-Co-Cu-Ox/Al2O3) loaded on the cordierite honeycomb and nickel foam, respectively. The effects of some factors including the residence time, reactor configuration and catalyst, upon the toluene destruction were studied. Results revealed that the use of in-plasma catalysis was more helpful to enhancing the DRE (destruction and removal efficiency) and reducing the O3 formation than that of either post-plasma catalysis or plasma alone. It was demonstrated that the wire-plate reactor was favorable for the oxidation reaction of toluene and the nickel foam-supported catalysts exhibited good activity.

This paper proposes a generalized dynamic error component model that simultaneously accounts for the effects of functional form and spatial dependence. Maximum likelihood method is used for model estimation and inference. An empirical illustration using the demand for cigarettes data is given.

3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase/carbonyl reductase (3alpha-HSD/CR) from Comamonas testosteroni, a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase, catalyzes the oxidation of androsterone with NAD+ to form androstanedione and NADH. A catalytic triad of Ser-114, Tyr-155, and Lys-159 in 3alpha-HSD/CR has been proposed based on structural analysis and sequence alignment of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase family. The 3alpha-HSD/CR-catalyzed reaction has not been kinetically analyzed in detail, however. In this study, we combined steady-state kinetics, site-directed mutagenesis, and pH profile to explore the function of Ser-114, Tyr-155, and Lys-159 in 3alpha-HSD/CR-catalyzed reaction. The catalytic efficiency of wild-type and mutants S114A, Y155F, K159A, and Y155F/K159A is 4.3 x 10(7), 7.3 x 10(4), 1.7 x 10(4), 2.4 x 10(5), and 71 m(-1)s(-1), respectively. The values of pKa on kcat/Km for the wild-type, S114A, Y155F, K159A, and Y155F/K159A are 7.2, 7.4, 8.4, 9.1, and 10.2, respectively. Mutant S114A/Y155F exhibits a pH-independent profile with 10(-5) times of wild-type activity at pH 10.5. The activity decreases as the pH lowers, which indicates that a functional group with an apparent pKa of 7.2 is involved in the general base catalysis for wild-type 3alpha-HSD/CR. The pKa shift to 9.1 for mutant K159A suggests the role of Lys-159 is to lower the pKa of the residues involved in the general base catalysis. Because pH dependence is observed for both S114A and Y155F mutants and pH independence is observed in S114A/Y155F, Tyr-155 may be important as a general base catalysis in the wild-type, whereas Ser-114 may act as a general base on mutant Y155F to catalyze the reaction.

Cardiac hydatid cysts are uncommon but potentially fatal. We present a case of isolated unilocular and multivesicular hydatid cysts in the heart, and provide a literature review of this rare condition. A 35-year-old man presented to our cardiology unit with acute chest pain. Computed tomography showed two cystic lesions in the heart. One unilocular cyst was located close to the left atrium and compressed the pulmonary artery. The other multivesicular cyst adhered to the left ventricle and displaced the left coronary arteries. T2-weighted magnetic resonance images revealed lesions in the pericardial cavity with bright signal intensity. Dot immunogold filtration assay was performed, and positive results for anti-EgCF antibody, anti-EgP antibody and anti-EgB antibody for cystic hydatidosis were found. Cardiac hydatidosis was diagnosed because of typical imaging findings and positive serology. The patient underwent surgical excision of the cysts. Postoperatively, symptoms of the patient resolved.

In this paper, some counter-examples are given to analyze deeply several common easily confused basic concepts and theories in unary function calculus. Through the examples, it can seen that we must truly understand the basic concepts of advanced mathematics. In order to learn higher mathematics better; it needs us to have a deep understanding about the concept in unary function calculus. In this paper, a number of counter-examples are given to intensify these basic concepts and theories, and the authors gives some explanations for the concept of several common mistakes.

Genus Xyrias Jordan and Snyder, 1901 Xyrias Jordan and Snyder 1901: 868 (type species Xyrias revulsus Jordan and Snyder 1901, by original designation and by monotypy). Diagnosis. Ophichthid eels, subfamily Ophichthinae, tribe Ophichthini (sensu McCosker 1977), with the following combination of characteristics: jaws elongate; snout short, subconical; eye small to moderate; anterior nostril in upper lip in a short tube and laterally directed, ovate, with a minute flap; posterior nostril in upper lip and covered by a flap; dorsal-fin origin above or behind pectoral-fin tips; postorbital strut absent; two preopercular pores; teeth strong, conical, not extremely enlarged, those of vomer largest, uniserial and widely spaced; anterior intermaxillary teeth exposed before lower jaw tip, lower jaw teeth uniserial, those of upper jaw biserial or with an outer uniserial row, flanked by a large inner multiserial patch which broadens posteriorly; gill arches typically ophichthine, fifth ceratobranchial ossified, upper pharyngeal tooth plates united by a suture. A more detailed description of the gill arches, hyoid apparatus, pectoral girdle, and other osteological characters of X. revulsus is provided in McCosker (1977: 84). Remarks. Xyrias was, until recently, known only from very few specimens of the type species. The only record of Xyrias from the East China Sea was that of X. revulsus from Diaoyu Island (Tan (1983). McCosker (1998) reviewed the genus and included Ophichthus multiserialis Norman (1939) and Ophisurus guineensis Blache (1975) within it. He examined all of the type specimens as well as four additional specimens. To that list we add the following new records and information concerning Xyrias revulsus. Two uncatalogued specimens from the Northern Territory Museum of Australia were bottom trawled from the Arafura Sea, one (790 mm TL) from east of Evans Shoal (09o 46 'S, 130 o 14 'E, 270���300 m depth), the other (603 mm TL) from north of Bathhurst Island (09o 47 'S, 130 o 25 'E, 265���275 m depth). They have 19 / 78 / 157 and 20 / 78 / 158 vertebrae, respectively. Xyrias revulsus has also been observed and photographed by scuba divers, reducing their depth range to a few meters. The unmistakable snout of X. revulsus extending from a shell and gravel substrate was photographed by K. Iwai at 25 m depth off the Izu Peninsula, Japan (Anon. 1996: 1). Several individuals were seen and photographed by divers Akos and Donata Lumnitzer at depths under three meters off Kurnell, New South Wales, Australia. The Lumnitzers observed as many as three eels each dive, but only at night. The dentition of the new species, as described below, requires an expanded diagnosis of Xyrias. Its three described congeners have a posterior patch of maxillary teeth medial to the outer row of uniserial teeth; the new species has two linear uniserial rows of maxillary teeth separated by a trough. Other than that, it appears to be very similar in physiognomy and general morphology to its congeners., Published as part of E, John, Chen, Wei-Li & Chen, Hong-Ming, 2009, Comments on the snake-eel genus Xyrias (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with the description of a new species, pp. 61-67 in Zootaxa 2289 on page 62, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191328, {"references":["Jordan, D. S. & Snyder, J. O. (1901) A review of the apodal fishes or eels of Japan, with descriptions of nineteen new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 23, 837 - 890.","McCosker, J. E. (1977) The osteology, classification, and relationships of the eel family Ophichthidae. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences (Series 4), 41, 1 - 123.","Tan, H. J. (1983) New records of fishes from China Sea. Investitgatio et Studium Naturae 1983, 25 - 26. (In Chinese.)","McCosker, J. E. (1998) Snake-eels of the genus Xyrias (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae). Cybium, 22, 7 - 13.","Norman, J. R. (1939) Fishes in The John Murray Expedition 1933 - 34, Scientific Reports, vol. 7. British Museum (Natural History), London, 116 pp.","Blache, J. (1975) Contribution a la connaissance des Poissons anguilliformes de la cote occidentale d'Afrique. 15 e note: complements aux familles des Muraenidae, des Heterenchelyidae et des Ophichthidae. Bulletin de l'Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (Serie A) Sciences Naturelles, 37, 708 - 740."]}

E, John, Chen, Wei-Li, Chen, Hong-Ming (2009): Comments on the snake-eel genus Xyrias (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with the description of a new species. Zootaxa 2289: 61-67, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191328

Key to the species of Xyrias 1 a. Head and trunk longer than tail; snout length more than twice in upper jaw; pectoral fin 5.9–6.5 in head length (HL); center of eye above or before middle of upper jaw; total vertebrae 126–160............................................................. 2 1 b. Head and trunk shorter than tail; snout longer, about twice in upper jaw; pectoral fin longer, 3.6–6.1 in HL; center of eye behind middle of upper jaw; total vertebrae 194–199 ........................................................................ X. guineensis 2 a. Body, head and tail covered with numerous small to medium brown spots; inner row of maxillary teeth in a broad patch; total vertebrae 140–160...................................................................................................................................... 3 2 b. Body, head and tail without brown spotting; inner row of maxillary teeth uniserial; vertebral formula 19 / 61 / 126...... .................................................................................................................................................... X. chioui, new species 3 a. Head 7.2–7.8 in total length (TL); pectoral fin 3.6–4.3 in HL; middle of orbit above middle of upper jaw; mean vertebral formula (MVF) 16.7 / 67.3 / 140.3; total vertebrae 140–141 ........................................................... X. multiserialis 3 b. Head 9.1–9.6 in TL; pectoral fin 5.3–6.1 in HL; snout shorter, rear margin of orbit above middle of upper jaw; MVF 17.8 / 77.8 / 157.2; total vertebrae 155–160 ..................................................................................................... X. revulsus

Xyrias chioui, new species (Figs. 1���4) Holotype. TOU-AE 1561, 819 mm TL, male, Changbin (23 o 17 'N, 121 o 27 'E), Taitung County, Taiwan, caught on a benthic longline set upon a sand bottom at 60���70 m depth by Jiun-Shiun Chiou, Oct. 2004. Diagnosis. A moderately elongate species of Xyrias with tail 47 % and head 12 % of TL; dorsal-fin origin well behind pectoral tips; pectoral fin spatulate, elongate, 5.9 in HL; snout short, 2.7 in jaw; upper jaw elongate, 2.6 in HL; center of eye in anterior 40 % of upper jaw; labial cirri and barbels absent; eyes not elevated; head pores minute, supraorbital pores 1 + 3, infraorbital pores 4 + 3, preoperculomandibular pores 2 + 6; teeth numerous, conical, needle-like, biserial on maxilla and uniserial on mandible and vomer; coloration in preservative pale ventrally, becoming brown dorsally, pectoral fins brown, median fins with a thin dark margin. Vertebral formula 19 / 61 / 126. Loh). Counts and measurements (in mm) of the holotype. Total length 819; head 101; trunk 334; tail 384; predorsal distance 167; pectoral-fin length 17.1; pectoral-fin base 5.2; body depth at gill openings ~ 35; body width at gill openings ~ 23; body depth at anus ~ 32; body width at anus ~ 24; snout 14.3; tip of snout to rictus 39.0; tip of lower jaw to rictus 38.6; eye diameter 6.2; interorbital distance 6.6; gill opening height ~ 12; isthmus width 14.1. Vertebral formula 19 / 61 / 126. Weight before preservation 497.5 g. Description. Body moderately elongate (Fig. 1), depth at gill openings 23 in TL, nearly cylindrical for much of its length, becoming laterally compressed in posterior tail region. Head and trunk slightly longer than tail; tail 2.1 and head 8.1 in TL. Snout acute when viewed from above, its lateral profile evenly sloping to eye (Fig. 2), with a minor brow behind orbit. Jaws nearly subequal. Snout foreshortened, center of eye at anterior 40 % of jaw. Jaws elongate, about 2.6 in head. Lips without cirri or barbels. Anterior nostril in upper lip in a short tube and laterally directed, ovate, with a minute flap, closely followed by posterior nostril, which opens into mouth along outer edge of lip but is entirely covered by a flap, which ends beneath anterior margin of eye. Eye small. Interorbital space flat, narrow, slightly wider than eye; a small brow exists at the intersection of dorsal-most postorbital bone and frontal bone. Median fins low (difficult to observe in preservative), ending before tail tip. Dorsal-fin origin nearly 3 pectoral-fin lengths behind pectoral-fin tips. Pectoral fins moderately elongate, about equal to distance from snout tip to rear margin of orbit, spatulate in shape. Pectoral base at 20 o angle relative to body; upper edge of pectoral base attached at posterodorsal corner of gill opening, lower edge within upper 10 % of gill opening. Gill openings lateral, on lower half of body. Isthmus about equal to unstretched gill opening. Head pores (Fig. 3) minute, difficult to discern, those of mandible and preopercle inconspicuous. Single median interorbital and temporal pores. Supraorbital pores 1 + 3, infraorbital pores 4 + 3, postorbital pores 3, mandibular pores 6, preopercular pores 2. Lateral-line pores inconspicuous and difficult to count. Teeth (Fig. 4 a) conical, slender, slightly recurved and needle-like. An anterior rosette of 10 small teeth, followed by 5 larger teeth (the fourth missing, the fifth the largest in jaw) along ethmoidal midline, these followed by a short gap, 2 teeth, a short gap, a single tooth, a short gap, and 4 shorter nearly equally spaced vomerine teeth. Maxillary teeth in biserial linear rows separated by a trough; an inner row of 16���22 evenly spaced teeth, the outer row of 24���28 more closely spaced slightly smaller teeth begins slightly posteriorly and extends further. Mandibular teeth uniserial, very linear, largest anteriorly, 22���28 on each side. Coloration (when fresh) pale on ventral surface, becoming olive-brown above lateral midline. Throat, cheeks, lower jaw, snout and interorbital region pale brown. Five to six small white spots flank the anterior third of lower jaw. Palate and tongue dusky. Pectoral fins dark brown. Median fins pale olive basally with a thin dark-brown margin. Lateral-line pores unpigmented. Peritoneum pale. Size. Known only from the 819 mm holotype, a male. Distribution. Known only from the holotype, captured above a sand bottom at 60-70 m depth, off eastern Taiwan. Etymology. Named chioui in honor of Captain Jiun-Shiun Chiou, who captured and donated this and other important eel specimens to the laboratory of the National Taiwan Ocean University., Published as part of E, John, Chen, Wei-Li & Chen, Hong-Ming, 2009, Comments on the snake-eel genus Xyrias (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with the description of a new species, pp. 61-67 in Zootaxa 2289 on pages 63-65, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191328

Key to the species of Xyrias 1 a. Head and trunk longer than tail; snout length more than twice in upper jaw; pectoral fin 5.9���6.5 in head length (HL); center of eye above or before middle of upper jaw; total vertebrae 126���160............................................................. 2 1 b. Head and trunk shorter than tail; snout longer, about twice in upper jaw; pectoral fin longer, 3.6���6.1 in HL; center of eye behind middle of upper jaw; total vertebrae 194���199 ........................................................................ X. guineensis 2 a. Body, head and tail covered with numerous small to medium brown spots; inner row of maxillary teeth in a broad patch; total vertebrae 140���160...................................................................................................................................... 3 2 b. Body, head and tail without brown spotting; inner row of maxillary teeth uniserial; vertebral formula 19 / 61 / 126...... .................................................................................................................................................... X. chioui, new species 3 a. Head 7.2���7.8 in total length (TL); pectoral fin 3.6���4.3 in HL; middle of orbit above middle of upper jaw; mean vertebral formula (MVF) 16.7 / 67.3 / 140.3; total vertebrae 140���141 ........................................................... X. multiserialis 3 b. Head 9.1���9.6 in TL; pectoral fin 5.3���6.1 in HL; snout shorter, rear margin of orbit above middle of upper jaw; MVF 17.8 / 77.8 / 157.2; total vertebrae 155���160 ..................................................................................................... X. revulsus, Published as part of E, John, Chen, Wei-Li & Chen, Hong-Ming, 2009, Comments on the snake-eel genus Xyrias (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae) with the description of a new species, pp. 61-67 in Zootaxa 2289 on pages 62-63, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.191328

Genus Xyrias Jordan and Snyder, 1901 Xyrias Jordan and Snyder 1901: 868 (type species Xyrias revulsus Jordan and Snyder 1901, by original designation and by monotypy). Diagnosis. Ophichthid eels, subfamily Ophichthinae, tribe Ophichthini (sensu McCosker 1977), with the following combination of characteristics: jaws elongate; snout short, subconical; eye small to moderate; anterior nostril in upper lip in a short tube and laterally directed, ovate, with a minute flap; posterior nostril in upper lip and covered by a flap; dorsal-fin origin above or behind pectoral-fin tips; postorbital strut absent; two preopercular pores; teeth strong, conical, not extremely enlarged, those of vomer largest, uniserial and widely spaced; anterior intermaxillary teeth exposed before lower jaw tip, lower jaw teeth uniserial, those of upper jaw biserial or with an outer uniserial row, flanked by a large inner multiserial patch which broadens posteriorly; gill arches typically ophichthine, fifth ceratobranchial ossified, upper pharyngeal tooth plates united by a suture. A more detailed description of the gill arches, hyoid apparatus, pectoral girdle, and other osteological characters of X. revulsus is provided in McCosker (1977: 84). Remarks. Xyrias was, until recently, known only from very few specimens of the type species. The only record of Xyrias from the East China Sea was that of X. revulsus from Diaoyu Island (Tan (1983). McCosker (1998) reviewed the genus and included Ophichthus multiserialis Norman (1939) and Ophisurus guineensis Blache (1975) within it. He examined all of the type specimens as well as four additional specimens. To that list we add the following new records and information concerning Xyrias revulsus. Two uncatalogued specimens from the Northern Territory Museum of Australia were bottom trawled from the Arafura Sea, one (790 mm TL) from east of Evans Shoal (09o 46 'S, 130 o 14 'E, 270–300 m depth), the other (603 mm TL) from north of Bathhurst Island (09o 47 'S, 130 o 25 'E, 265–275 m depth). They have 19 / 78 / 157 and 20 / 78 / 158 vertebrae, respectively. Xyrias revulsus has also been observed and photographed by scuba divers, reducing their depth range to a few meters. The unmistakable snout of X. revulsus extending from a shell and gravel substrate was photographed by K. Iwai at 25 m depth off the Izu Peninsula, Japan (Anon. 1996: 1). Several individuals were seen and photographed by divers Akos and Donata Lumnitzer at depths under three meters off Kurnell, New South Wales, Australia. The Lumnitzers observed as many as three eels each dive, but only at night. The dentition of the new species, as described below, requires an expanded diagnosis of Xyrias. Its three described congeners have a posterior patch of maxillary teeth medial to the outer row of uniserial teeth; the new species has two linear uniserial rows of maxillary teeth separated by a trough. Other than that, it appears to be very similar in physiognomy and general morphology to its congeners.

PA-IL is a galactophilic lectin that is found on the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Pigeon ovalbumin (POA), a phosphoprotein, contains high levels of terminal Gal alpha(1--4)Gal units. Thus, magnetic nanoparticles with immobilized POA can be used as affinity probes for P. aeruginosa, functioning via the recognition of galactophilic PA-IL. We fabricated POA-bound nanoparticles (NPs) by immobilizing POA onto the surface of core/shell magnetic iron oxide/alumina NPs via metal-phosphate chelation. We then used the generated NPs to probe target bacteria from complex samples. The trapped bacterial cells were characterized based on their mass peak profiles obtained from MALDI MS analyses. In addition, we confirmed the determination of P. aeruginosa using a proteomic strategy: combining the resultant MALDI MS/MS spectra of its tryptic digest with protein database searching. The feasibility of using this approach to rapidly characterize P. aeruginosa from clinical samples without the need to perform culturing steps was also demonstrated.

This study develops an operationally easy, efficient, and general 1,2-trans beta-selective glycosylation reaction that proceeds in the absence of a C2 acyl function. This process employs chemically stable thioglycosyl donors and low substrate concentrations to achieve excellent beta-selectivities in glycosylation reactions. This method is widely applicable to a range of glycosyl substrates irrespective of their structures and hydroxyl-protecting functions. This low-concentration 1,2-trans beta-selective glycosylation in carbohydrate chemistry removes the restriction of using highly reactive thioglycosides to construct 1,2-trans beta-glycosidic bonds. This is beneficial to the design of new strategies for oligosaccharide synthesis, as illustrated in the preparation of the biologically relevant beta-(1--6)-glucan trisaccharide, beta-linked Gb(3) and isoGb(3) derivatives.

A thermophilic Geobacillus bacterium secreting high activity of endo-glucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) was isolated from rice straw compost supplemented with pig manure. A full-length gene of 1,104 bp, celA, encoding this glycosyl hydrolase family 5 endo-glucanase of 368 amino acids was isolated. No related gene from Geobacillus has been reported previously. The recombinant CelA expressed in Escherichia coli had an optimal activity at 65 degrees C and pH 5.0, and it exhibited tenfold greater specific activity than the commercially available Trichoderma reesei endo-glucanase. CelA displayed activity over a broad temperature range from 45 to 75 degrees C and was a thermostable enzyme with 90% activity retained after heating at 65 degrees C for 6 h. Interestingly, CelA activity could be enhanced by 100% in the presence of 2 mM MnSO(4). CelA had high specific activity over beta-D-glucan from barley and Lichenan, making it a potentially useful enzyme in biofuel and food industries.

Metal wire-grid whose period is far less than the illuminating wavelength exhibits strong polarization selectivity within a large field of view over a wide wave length range. Thus it could be used as the polarization-controller in the polarimetric imaging system. For infrared polarimetric imaging system, an aluminum wire-grid on the CaF substrate with period of 200nm and depth of 100nm was designed based on effective medium theory. The calculation results demonstrate that the designed wire-grid has the extinction ratio larger than 35 dB within a field of view ±20° over both middle wave infrared (MWIR) (3—5 μm) and long wave infrared (LWIR) (8—12 μm). The aluminum wire-grid was fabricated by electron beam lithography, reactive ion etching and plasma stripping. A clear-cut polarimetric image was obtained when wire-grid was placed in front of a MWIR thermal infrared imager.