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To evaluate the teaching effect of making custom trays via CAD in dental postgraduates.Twenty-seven dental postgraduates from first to third grade at the School and Hospital of Stomatology, Tongji University, Shanghai were given an informed consent to explain and request participation in the study. First, a lecture about the theory and process of fabricating custom tray via traditional hand-made method and CAD technique was given, then the students fabricated custom trays via the two methods and completed an online survey. The working time, margin extension and students' preference were analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software package.The working time was shorter, the margin extension was superior, and students' preference was higher via CAD than traditional method, the difference was significant(P＜0.05).CAD is more conducive to enhance students' understanding of custom tray manufacturing process and relevant theoretical knowledge. It is recommended to integrate digital technology into dental curriculum.

The Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) genes, playing key roles in mediating the immune response, especially HLA class II alleles were suggested to play a role in the activation of autoreactive T-cells in aplastic anemia (AA). Previous studies in different ethnic groups have indicated that some of HLA-A,-B,-DRB1 alleles had a protective or susceptive association with the prevalence, pathogenesis and development of AA. HLA class II genes, especially HLA-DQB1 and -DPB1 alleles or haplotypes at high-resolution level associated with AA have not been fully identified in northern Chinese Han populations. The aim of this study was to identify association of the variations in HLA class II region with AA in northern Chinese Han population. A recent case-control study, including 96 AA patients and 824 healthy controls was performed. The high-resolution HLA genotyping was conducted by PCR-SBT, -SSO and NGS-ION S5TM platform. Based on genotypic data of the three loci, haplotype estimation was carried out. HLA-DRB1*15:01 (Pc = 2.87 × 10-3; OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.45–3.07) and HLA-DQB1*06:02 (Pc = 1.86 × 10-2; OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.32–3.06) were the risk and predisposition alleles to AA in northern Chinese Han after considering multiple testing. Moreover, the HLA-DRB1*15:01-DQB1*06:02 (Pc = 4.90 × 10-3; OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.37–3.19) and HLA-DRB1*14:05-DQB1*05:03 (Pc = 2.65 × 10-2; OR = 2.82, 95%CI = 1.45–5.50) haplotypes had direct strong relevance to AA and were the susceptible haplotypes. HLA-DPB1 alleles and 23 polymorphic amino acid residues spanning exon 2 ~ 4 of DPβ1 molecules have showed no statistically significant associations between AA and controls. The present findings establish a novel link between inherited HLA-DRB1,-DQB1,-DPB1 risk alleles and haplotypes in northern Chinese Han with AA, and open new avenues for development of targeted therapies to prevent or redirect immunopathology in AA.

A frameshift due to a single nucleotide deletion results in a novel null allele, HLA-C*03:560N. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Microbiome plays an important role in evaluating soil quality for sustainable agriculture. However, the suitability of biological indicators in reclaimed farmland is less understood. Using high-throughput sequencing, we evaluated the soil microbial community of the newly created farmland (NF) after reclamation with two local high-yield farmlands (slope farmland (SF), check-dam farmland (CF)) on the Loess Plateau. Soil enzyme activities and the amount of culturable microorganism were also quantified to assess the soil quality. Results showed that the microbial diversity, cultural microorganism abundance, and soil enzyme activities indicated poor soil quality in NF. The dominant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Acidobacteria, and Cyanobacteria. The abundance of Acidobacteria was significantly lower in NF (13.31%) than in SF (27.25%) and CF (27.91%). Soil enzyme activities had a significant correlation with the abundance of culturable microorganism, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, soil organic matter, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and pH, suggesting that soil microbes have driven the formation of nutrition and further mediated crop growth. Therefore, the application of bacterial fertilizers could be a potential way to improve the soil quality of reclaimed farmland for crop growth.

Nanostructures organized in unordinary spatial arrangements with multiple components such as core–shell configurations endow structures, material properties and functions that differ from the individual bulk components. In this study, we report the synthesis and characterization of bifunctional magnetic–luminescent Fe3O4–CdSe core–shell nanocrystals with core diameter and shell thickness of 10 and 2 nm, respectively, by controlled sequential reactions. The nanocrystals exhibit well-defined superparamagnetic behavior with high susceptibility at RT. Moreover, the fluorescent measurements demonstrate two major kinds of emission peaks, one at 572 nm originating from the bandgap excitons and the other at 680 nm being surface-associated. These core–shell nanocrystals, coupling the optical sensing element with the magnetic actuator in a peculiar nanostructure are thereby prospected for fundamental study and various applications where multifunctionality is required.

Statement of problem Reports on digital complete dentures (CDs) are increasing. However, systematic reviews on their accuracy and influencing factors are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the accuracy of digital CDs and to summarize influencing factors. Material and methods An electronic search of the English language literature from January 2009 to October 2019 was performed in the database PubMed/MEDLINE, with the results enriched by manual searches and citation mining. Factors investigated in the selected articles included the fabrication technique, type of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) system, shape of reference model, long-term service, analytical method, and statistical indicators. Results A total of 522 articles were identified, of which 14 in vitro articles met the inclusion criteria. Eight articles compared the adaptation of the denture base between digital and conventional methods, 4 studies evaluated the occlusal discrepancies, 4 compared the trueness or adaptation of the denture fabricated with CAD-CAM milling and 3D printing, 1 compared the denture adaptation with 4 different CAD-CAM systems, and 2 evaluated the adaptation of the denture base before and after incubation in artificial saliva. Conclusions Most of the studies reported clinically acceptable values for the occlusal trueness and adaptation of digital CDs. The digital CDs showed similar or better adaptation than conventionally fabricated CDs, and the greatest misfit of the intaglio surface was reported in the posterior palatal seal area and border seal area. The fabrication technique, CAD-CAM system, and long-term service were statistically significant in relation to denture accuracy. Clarification is needed concerning the accuracy of digital CDs according to the shape of the cast, the parameters related to the CAD-CAM process, the analytical method, and the statistical indicators. No clear conclusions can be drawn about the superiority of CAD-CAM milling and 3D printing regarding denture accuracy.

Recent studies have reported that miRNAs might play critical roles in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The objective of this study is to investigate the role of miR-499-5p in AMI and its potential molecular mechanisms. The expression level of MiR-499-5p was remarkably decreased in the infarcted myocardial tissues and in the cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes induced by hypoxia. Overexpression or knockdown of miR-499-5p decreased or increased the apoptotic rates of cultured cardiomyocytes in vitro. In addition, ectopic overexpression of miR-499-5p in the rat AMI models with agomir reduced the myocardial infarct size through decreasing the cardiomyocytes apoptosis in the infarcted area of the rat hearts. PDCD4 (programmed cell death 4) was verified as a direct target of miR-499-5p by luciferase report assay, and ectopic overexpression or inhibition of miR-499-5p could inhibit or increase the PDCD4 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, we found that ectopic overexpression of PDCD4 without miR-499-5p binding sites reversed miR-499-5p-mediated cardiomyocytes apoptosis. Together, these findings revealed the role of miR-499-5p in protecting the cardiomyocytes against apoptosis induced by AMI via its direct target PDCD4, which providing evidence for the miR-499-5p/PDCD4 pathway as a potential therapeutic target for patients with AMI.

To determine the water quality status of the primary tributaries in middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River Basin, water collected from the confluence of the ten tributaries and some physical, chemical and biological parameters were analyzed, and then water quality index and health risk were evaluated. Of the ten main tributaries in the middle and lower reaches, only the Qingshui River had water of medium quality in the upper reaches, while all the other tributaries contributed water of poor quality. The Jindi and Dawen rivers in the lower reaches had the poorest water quality, especially the Jindi River. TP, TN, BOD5, COD, TOC and coliform bacteria exceeded the national criteria by 155%, 1%, 97.5%, 35.5%, 114.2%, and 80%, respectively. Cluster analysis indicated that industrial, agricultural, and domestic sewage, along with industrial waste gas, were the main sources of pollution in these tributaries. An analysis of the bacterial community structure showed that the Jindi River was the most polluted and had the largest species diversity and richness of bacteria. Also, its number of pathogenic microorganisms was much higher than that of other areas, and the bacterial functional genes of related metabolic pathways were significantly enriched. This was in sharp contrast with that of the Qingshui River, which had the best water quality. We suggest more specifics policy should be taken for different tributaries, and poor water quality of Jindi and Dawen River should be further studied to explore the most suitable pollution control methods.

To investigate the potential relationship between the high-resolution HLA-A,-B,-DRB1 alleles and haplotype polymorphism with actute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) of Han people in North China.A total of 1241 healthy unrelated Han people's bone marrow donors in North China were used as a control group, 259 patients with myeloid leukemia were genotyped at high-resolution level by means of PCR-SBT, -SSO and -SSP typing methods for HLA-A,-B,-DRB1 loci. The frequencies of HLA allele and haplotype were calculated by software Arleguin 3.5.2. The different distribution of genes and haplotypes was analyzed by case control study, and the odd ratio (OR) of leukemia was also calculated. The structural difference of HLA alleles was analyzed 111by HLA three-dimensional structure modeling and software Swiss-PdbViewer v4.1.χThe relationship of HLA-A,-B,-DRB1 alleles and haplotype polymorphism with leukemia at high-resolution level were obtained and unique in north Chinese Han population. AML and CML patients in Northern Han people carry particular susceptible haplotypes. DRB1*11:28, which might not actively present bcr-abl peptide to CD4

Banana (Musa spp.) is an important tropical crops. Low temperature is one of the key environmental stresses, which greatly affects the global banana production. Different varieties of banana exhibit a high degree of genetic variability for cold tolerance. Compared with Cavendish banana, Dajiao has superior cold tolerance. Cloning of Dajiao cold-tolerant genes and characterization of their functions could reveal the molecular mechanism of cold tolerance in Dajiao. Our previous comparative transcriptome analysis of cold-sensitive Cavendish banana and cold-tolerant Dajiao identified several cold-tolerance candidate genes in Dajiao. In this study, a Dajiao candidate gene, MpMYBS3 (homolog of MYBS3 in rice), encoding a transcription factor, was cloned and characterized. Amino acid sequence alignments showed that MpMYBS3 belongs to the R1-type MYB transcription factors. Subcellular localization analysis indicated that MpMYBS3 is located in the nucleus. Heterologous overexpression of MpMYBS3 in banana showed that the transgenic lines had significantly higher cold tolerance than the wild-type, which might be associated with the increased accumulation of proline, and a reduction in malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage. Surprisingly, MYBS3 repressed the well-known ICE1–CBF-dependent cold signaling pathway in banana: the MaCBF1 and MaCBF2 genes were repressed at the transcriptional level after cold treatment. However, MaMKRY46 was significantly induced in transgenic bananas overexpressing MpMYBS3 under cold stress. These findings suggest that MYBS3-mediated cold signaling as a key player in cold adaptation of banana.

Though enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is widely used in laboratory medicine, it has limitations due to interactions between enzymes and secondary antibodies. Here, we propose a new cardiac assay scheme for detecting troponin I antigens based on La(1– x )Sr x MnO3 ( $x=0.10$ , 0.15, and 0.25) nanoparticles (NPs). These NPs are synthesized via a modified polyol process followed by heat treatment. An increase in $x$ induces changes in crystal structure and increases both Curie temperature and saturation magnetization. The NPs with $x=0.15$ exhibit a Curie temperature close to the human body temperature. The limit of detection is found to be 0.78 ng/mL. We also confirm that LaSrMnO NPs are reusable after heating the assay plate.

Tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a rare and aggressive type of cancer, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Identification of patients at high risk of TSCC tumorigenesis may provide information for the early detection of metastases, and for potential treatment strategies. MicroRNA (miRNA; miR) and mRNA expression profiling of TSCC tissue samples and normal control tissue samples were obtained from three Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data series. Bioinformatics analyses, including the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were used to identify genes and pathways specifically associated with miRNA-associated TSCC oncology. A total of 25 miRNAs and 769 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the two groups assessed, and all the differentially expressed miRNA and mRNA target interactions were analyzed. The miRNA target genes were predominantly associated with 38 GO terms and 13 pathways. Of the genes differentially expressed between the two groups, and confirmed in another GEO series, miRNA-494, miRNA-96, miRNA-183, runt-related transcription factor 1, programmed cell death protein 4 and membrane-associated guanylate kinase were the most significantly altered, and may be central in the regulation of TSCC. Bioinformatics may be used to analyze large quantities of data in microarrays through rigorous experimental planning, statistical analysis and the collection of complete data on TSCC. In the present study, a novel differential miRNA-mRNA expression network was constructed, and further investigation may provide novel targets for the diagnosis of TSCC.

In view of the holes appearing in different area of geo-membrane when the geo-membrane technology is applied to the unsaturated expansive soil slope, the VADOSE/W is used to analyze the wetting-drying cycles caused by rainfall and evaporation on slopes covered by geo-membrane. The influence on the pore-water pressure and volume water content were discussed just caused by the holes. The results show that the hole is nearer to the toe of slope, its impact on the whole seepage field is greater. In addition, the hole appears on the top of slope that the wetting-drying cycle effect is remarkable. It is ensured that the integrity of the geo-membrane which in the lower slope and take some drainage measures in the construction process.

In view of the holes appearing in different areas of geo-membrane when the geo-membrane technology is applied to the unsaturated expansive soil canal slope, the VADOSE/W is used to analyze the pore-water pressure of the internal canal slope by changing the falling water level. The results show that the hole is nearer to the toe of slope, its effect on the whole seepage field is greater. The greater the rate is, the soil water content is greater.

Multifunctional high-performance La1−xSrxMnO3@Au core–shell nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by a modified nanoemulsion method with the assistance of poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses confirm the structure and morphology of the nanoparticles. The measurements obtained using ultraviolet-visible light absorbance spectrometry (UV-vis), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM), and a physical property measurement system (PPMS) demonstrate that the nanoparticles exhibit a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) absorption band around 561 nm from nanostructured Au and a unique magnetic nature at room temperature. Particularly, a sharp, tight phase transition from ferromagnetic to superparamagnetic states is observed in a free-standing La1−xSrxMnO3 nanoparticle system for the first time with a Curie temperature around room temperature. The cytotoxicity of the nanoparticles was studied for safe biomedical applications using an MTT assay. The results show that the La1−xSrxMnO3@Au core–shell nanoparticles with lower cytotoxicity, well-defined magnetic and optical properties are promising for optical, magnetic, and biomedical application.

The polymer-laced Cu-ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by one-pot non-aqueous nanoemulsion method with the use of PEO-PPO-PEO as the surfactant, C14H29CH(OH)CH2OH as the reducing agent, octyl ether as the solvent, Zn (acac)2 and Cu (acac)2 as precursors. The Morphology and structure of nanoparticles were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV-visible absorption spectroscopy (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectrometry (PL) were employed to valuate the optical properties of the nanoparticles. The Cu-ZnO nanoparticles with well defined optical properties are promising for optical, catalytic and biomedical applications.

Swell-shrinking, crack development and over-consolidation are the characteristics of expansive soil, and it is an over-consolidation soil undergone dry-wet cycles. So there may be some faults to analyze expansive soil slope stability adopting the traditional strength criterion and calculation methods. In this paper, triaxial tests were carried out to obtain the relations between the parameters of shear strength and generalized plastic shear strain. The soil shear strength increases and then decreases along with the increasing of shear deformation due to soil over-consolidation. Moreover, the residual strength is achieved finally. The functions are applied in simulating the relations between the parameters and generalized plastic shear strain in order to analyze expansive soil slope stability.

FeAu/ZnO nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by nanoemulsion process with the use of poly (ethylene glycol)-block-poly (propylene glycol)-block-poly (ethylene glycol) as the surfactant. The characterization of the FeAu/ZnO nanoparticles was performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy, showing that the polymer-laced nanoparticles reveal high crystallinity, excellent dispersibility and well defined optical performance. The process of solvent dispersion-collection of FeAu/ZnO nanoparticles indicates that the nanoparticles possess good magnetic property for applications.

The polymer-coated AgZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via a one-pot process with the assistance of the triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO). The nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including the mode of high resolution (HRTEM) and by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet-visible light absorbance spectrometry (UV-vis) and photoluminescence spectrophotometry (PL). It is found that the nanoparticles reveal high crystallinity, good dispersibility, and excellent optical performance both in organic and aqueous solvents. The photocatalytic behavior of the AgZnO nanoparticles was scrutinized using rhodamine B (RhB) as probe molecule. The results show that the degradation efficiency of the AgZnO nanoparticles is higher than that of the ZnO nanoparticles under both UV and sunlight irradiation, 89.5% and 66.9% for the former and 52.7% and 37.5% for the latter after 90 minute exposure, respectively. Moreover, the AgZnO nanoparticles were found to have the photocatalytic efficiency unaltered after 5 cycles of use as tested. Our results demonstrate that the nanostructured AgZnO nanoparticles exhibit enhanced photocatalytic performance and high stability. Consequently, the AgZnO nanoparticles are favorable candidates for potential application as a promising photocatalyst.

Multi-functional CoNiAu nanoparticles were successfully synthesized via nanoemulsion method with the use of PEO-PPO-PEO as the surfactant, C14H29CH(OH)CH2OH as the reducing agent, Ni (acac)2, Co (acac)2 and Au (ac)3 as precursors. The characterization of the CoNiAu nanoparticles was performed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and UV-vis near IR spectrophotometer (UV-vis). The XRD and TEM analysis confirm the formation and structure of the nanoparticles. The UV-vis and VSM measurements display the optical and magnetic properties of the CoNiAu nanoparticles at the room temperature. The CoNiAu nanoparticles with the well defined optical and magnetic properties are promised for optical, magnetic, catalytic and biomedical applications.

This paper presents anexperimental study on reduction of NOx emission of a turbochargedengine fuelled with DME by means of EGR. Effects of EGR rate on engineefficiency and emission behavior was evaluated. The results show that the EGRcould be used as an effective way to reduce NOx emission. NOx isreduced almost linearly with increase of EGR rate. At low load condition, theNOx emission is reduced by 80% with 40% EGR rate without any economypenalty. At high load condition, the same substantial reduction of NOx couldbe achieved with only 20% EGR rate. While the HC and CO emissions are increasedwith increase of EGR rate. However, it is worth noting that EGR had a negativeeffect on fuel consumption at high load. Low EGR ratio should be taken at highengine load condition.

Swelling and shrinkage due to moisture-change is one of the expansive soils characteristics, which is similar to the behavior of most materials under thermal effect. The stress is defined as moisture-change stress and is adopted to analyze swell-shrinkage deformation based on the elasticity mechanics theory. A FEM program is established which is used to calculate the stress caused by moisture-change considering the defect of theoretical calculation. The stress via FEM program can be accordance with the actual characteristics and the moisture-change is more applied extensively.

The expressions of crack spacing and width were deduced from the aspect of force-balance. The concept of maximum spacing and width of crack were put forward accordingly and they were verified and consistent with the site test results. Their relationships with soil parameters were discussed in detail. The new cracks do not appear until the spacing of adjacent cracks is greater than the maximum spacing, and the width of cracks will not be greater than the maximum width. The maximum spacing and width are judgments for describing and represent the final characteristic of cracks due to evaporation.

Connexin 43 (Cx43) plays an essential role in osteocyte mechanotransduction. Although estrogen involves in the adaptive responses of bone cells to mechanical loadings, its effects on osteocytic Cx43-based gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) remain obscure. We found that 17β estradiol (E2) up-regulated Cx43, and enhanced GJIC in osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cells in fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) assay. Combination of E2 pre-treatment and oscillating fluid flow (OFF) further enhanced Cx43 expression and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, comparing to E2 or OFF treatment alone. Both blocking of classical estrogen receptors (ERα/β) by fulvestrant and ERα knockdown by small interfering RNA inhibited E2-mediated Cx43 increase, while a GPR30-specific agonist G-1 failed to promote Cx43 expression. Our results suggest that the presence of E2 enhanced Cx43-based GJIC mainly via ERα/β pathway, and sensitized osteocytes to mechanical loading.

We report the tunable synthesis and multifunctionalities of Fe 3 O 4 –ZnO hybrid core-shell nanocrystals as prepared through controlled sequential nanoemulsion processes. The characterization shows the orderly variations of the structural, magnetic, photoluminescent and absorption properties of the nanocrystals versus the nanoshell thickness. The nanocrystals reveal structural features unique to the core-shell design and exhibit well-defined superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature. In opposite to the decreasing magnetization, both bandgap and induced surface emissions depend strongly on the increasing nanoshell thickness. Moreover, the FTIR analysis provides the fingerprints of the polymer surfactant, ZnO and Fe 3 O 4 in the same nano-entity and the core-shell nanocrystals could be directly dispersed in both aqueous and organic media for application readiness. Aptly tunable in nanostructures and thus optimized properties, this kind of monosized, high quality, and multifunctional core-shell nanocrystals could be of interest for fundamental studies and potential applications.

Hysteresis effect of contact angle has an important impact on liquid bridges between sphere particles. This effect is not limited to increasing liquid volume of fixed particles. The hysteresis effect of contact angle is expressed by fixed liquid volume while the two sphere particles are in relative movement. The hysteresis effect of contact angle on the liquid bridge is also significant. In this paper, the hysteresis effect of contact angle on capillary forces of liquid bridges is analyzed when the two sphere particles are in relative movement. Results indicate that contact angle hysteresis effects on capillary force are significant.

The northeast of China with rich sources of corn straw resources as raw materials, we take use of multi-component solvent as the liquefaction. Ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol (200) and glycerol，the three kinds of solvent mixing for liquefacient. We got the optimum process conditions, which is reaction temperature is 160 °C, reaction time is 60 minutes, catalyst amount to total liquefied agent is 3%. On the product analysis shows that the solvent liquefied corn straw can be effectively degradation. The results indicated that the liquefaction products contains phenols, aldehydes, et al, such as carboxylic acid group material, which can be converted into the corresponding ether, ester etc polymer compound that can be used in plastic, building heat preservation etc partly replace at present, these resources products from petrochemical. Straw liquefaction can reduce dependence on fossil energy, and make up for a single energy products of the shortcomings of the economy, which have great significant strategic.

We report the synthesis method and dimension-dependent magnetic properties of CoFe/Au barcode nanowire arrays. Well-separated multisegment nanowire arrays are synthesized by a pulsed electrodeposition process in a single bath. Samples with four different aspect ratios defined as the CoFe thicknesses to the nanowire diameter are prepared to investigate dimensional effects on the magnetic properties. It is evident except for very low aspect ratio case that each hysteresis loop shows a soft magnetic characteristic with an easy axis parallel to the nanowire axis. Magnetic reversal in most samples is primarily dominated by a transverse domain wall mode.

We report the one-pot synthesis of bifunctional Au–Fe3O4 hybrid core–shell nanoparticles by controlled sequential reactions. The core–shell nanostructure of the resultant nanoparticles is identified by XRD and TEM, which is further substantiated by the changes in the corresponding physical and chemical properties. The nanoparticles exhibit a well-shaped absorption band in the visible region with a remarkable red-shifting to ∼592 nm and show clear superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature along with enhanced susceptibility, demonstrating the integration of the optical and magnetic functions of the respective components in one entity. This kind of bifunctional optical-magnetic core–shell nanoparticles could be of interest in interfacial proximity effects due to the unique spatial nanostructure configuration and have potential applications in various areas.

One bridge in the southeast coast was cited as an example and the risk analysis theory was introduced into the study of vessel-bridge collision problem of the bridge. From the survey of the current situation development in the bridge site area and 5000 tons collision-prevention requirements, the annual probability of collapse of the bridge in the year 2020 is over the criterion by the AASHTO model algorithm. In accordance with the AASHTO acceptance criteria for vessel-bridge collision risk, the mentioned vessel collision risk of the bridge was not acceptable. In this paper, based on “m” method and FLAC3D program, the research on horizontal bearing capacity of pile group of one bridge in the southeast coast under vessel impact is performed, and the effects of the anchor is considered, which is significant for the risk analysis and bridge anti-collision study.

In this study, the concept of functional groups was applied for the first time to the seasonal dynamics of the phytoplankton community of Mudanjiang River (northeast China). The environmental variables as well as the phytoplankton communities were determined in 2007. The river showed strong seasonal fluctuations in water physical and chemical condition. A total of 11 phytoplankton functional groups (C, D, E, J, MP, P, T, TB, W1, X2 and Y) were identified that included 30 species. Groups C (Asterionella formosa and Cyclotella meneghiniana), MP (Cocconeis placentula, Cymatopleara solea, Diatoma vulgare, Ochromonas fragilis, Pinnularia major and Ulothrix variabilis), P (Fragilaria capucina, Fragilaris sp., Aulacoseira granulate and Aulacoseira granulate var. angustissima), TB (Aulacoseira varians and Navicula exigua, Navicula radiosa), X2 (Chlamydomonas sp.) and Y (Chroomonas acuta, Cryptomonas ovata, and Cryptomonas sp.) were the dominant groups during the study period. Mudanjiang River phytoplankton functi...

Swelling and shrinkage due to moisture-change is one of the characteristics of the expansive soil, which is similar to the behavior of most materials under thermal effect. If the deformation is restricted, stress in expansive soil is caused by the swell-shrinking. The stress is defined as “moisture-change stress” and is adopted to analyze swell-shrinkage deformation based on the elasticity mechanics theory. The state when the total stress becomes equal to the soil tensile strength is considered as the cracking criterion as moisture-change increases. Then, the initial cracking mechanism due to evaporation is revealed as follows: Different rates of moisture loss at different depths result in greater shrinkage deformation on the surface while there is smaller shrinkage deformation at the underlayer in expansive soil; cracks will grow when the nonuniform shrinkage deformation increases to a certain degree. A theoretical model is established, which may be used to calculate the stress caused by moisture-change. The depth of initial cracks growing is predicted by the proposed model in expansive soil. A series of laboratory tests are carried out by exposing expansive soil samples with different moisture-changes. The process of crack propagation is investigated by resistivity method. The test results show good consistency with the predicted results by the proposed theoretical model.

Water-dispersible 2 nm FePt ultrasmall nanocrystals coated by a biocompatible triblock copolymer, poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEO-PPO-PEO) were directly synthesized in a single-step nanoemulsion process. The FTIR investigation proves the PEO-PPO-PEO molecules on the surface of the resulting nanocrystals, which render the nanocrystals hydrophilic for aqueous dispersion without using conventional ligand exchange and offer proper protection of the nanocrystals from oxidation. The structural and morphological analysis reveals both single-crystallinity and high crystallinity of the nanocrystals in the face-centered cubic phase, with an excellent monosize distribution of 1.95 ± 0.18 nm in diameter. Moreover, the polymer-capped nanocrystals possess well-defined magnetic behavior and the aqueous dispersion–collection process of the nanocrystals was demonstrated for application readiness of such ultrasmall nanocrystals in aqueous media.

We study the one-pot facile hydrothermal growth of ultralong silver-carbon (Ag-C) nanocables with Ag nanowires as the cores and carbon as the sheaths through the mediation of H2SO4 and without using an organic surfactant. In the investigation, Ag-C nanostructures were systematically and extensively examined as a function of both temperature and H2SO4 concentration to locate the optimal conditions for preparing ultralong, robust, and uniform Ag-C coaxial nanocables at T = 180 °C and 0.5 M H2SO4. The characterization clearly demonstrated a simple, efficient, and surfactant-free synthesis of Ag-C nanocables. In the hydrothermal process, glycerol acts as both reducing agent and carbon source, while H2SO4 mediates the directional growth of the silver nanowire core and assists the deposition of carbon. Moreover, the nanocables manifest unusual ferromagnetism at room temperature and a plausible mechanism of forming Ag-C nanocables was proposed as a result of the chain-like hydrogen sulfate compounds owing to the H2SO4 mediation.

We report the low-temperature synthesis and characterization of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-capped FeAu magneto-plasmonic multifunctional nanoparticles by a one-step nanoemulsion process. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy study proves the PVP coating on the surface of the resultant FeAu nanoparticles, whereas the structural, magnetic, and optical analysis illustrates the fusion of iron and gold into one single nanostructure showing the nanoparticle shape and a tight size distribution with an average size of 11.3 nm, followed by the growth habit compared to other relevant nanoparticles. Moreover, the PVP-capped FeAu nanoparticles manifest soft ferromagnetic behavior with a small coercivity of ∼40 Oe at room temperature. The corresponding magnetic hysteresis curves were elucidated by modified bi-phase Langevin equations, which were reasonably interpreted with the binary particle size distribution. The nanoparticles reveal a well-defined surface plasmon resonance band at ∼546 nm and a visual demonstration shows the magnetic separability of all nanoparticles for potential magnetic and/or optical manipulation.

Monodisperse, monocrystalline AuFe optical–magnetic multifunctional nanocrystals were prepared by the nanoemulsion method using a copolymer surfactant. The structure and properties of the monocrystalline nanocrystals were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM, including high-resolution TEM), selected-area electron diffraction, UV-vis spectroscopy, and vibration sampling magnetometry. The characterization shows the outstanding monodispersity and high monocrystallinity of the nanocrystals, which possess both well-defined optical and magnetic properties revealing broadband absorption with the surface plasmon resonance, peaking at ~600 nm, and clear soft ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Such long-term stable, monocrystalline AuFe nanocrystals have novel optical and magnetic properties, which may offer exciting opportunities in fundamental studies and tremendous applications.

Monosized core–shell Fe3O4/Au magnetic–optic multifunctional nanoparticles were synthesized by a modified nanoemulsion process. The formation of the core–shell nanostructure was accomplished in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as the surfactant in two consecutive steps. The comparison FTIR study proves the PVP coating on the surface of the resultant nanoparticles, whereas the morphological analysis illustrates the nanoparticle shape, nanostructuring, size and size distribution and shows the excellent monodispersity

This paper describes the synthesis and magnetic properties of multifunctional Fe3O4-AuPt core-shell nanoparticles. The Fe3O4-AuPt core-shell nanoparticles were synthesized by a one-pot polyol process in two consecutive steps from Fe, Au, and Pt precursors. The structural characterization and property analysis proves the formation of the core-shell nanostructure fusing the multifunctionality in a single entity. The TEM observation shows that the Fe3O4-AuPt core-shell nanoparticles are highly crystalline and uniform in size distribution, with an averaged particle size of ~12.5 nm in diameter, whereas the X-ray diffraction patterns provide further substantiation. The surface plasmon resonance arising from the AuPt nano-shell was revealed by UV-vis spectroscopy, while the magnetic measurements by VSM and PPMS demonstrate the well-defined superparamagnetic and/or soft-ferromagnetic behavior of the Fe3O4-AuPt core-shell nanoparticles.

Multifunctional Au0.5Fe0.5 alloy nanoparticles from a polyol process were investigated, showing the alloy nanostructures with the formation of a new phase and twin microstructures. Giant diamagnetism, on the order of -10- 2 emu g-1 Oe-1 , is observed in the zero-field cooled process of the nanoparticles, which is modeled in terms of the spin-orbital interactions tuned by the modified potential energy as a result of the shrinking dimension, peculiar disordered microstructure, and heterogeneous elemental composition.