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Cheyletus, including Cheyletus malaccensis and Cheyletus eruditus and other species, is a predatory mite at genus level. Some studies have reported distribution rates of Cheyletus in dust samples, but their results are inconsistent. The aim of this meta analysis was to comprehensively evaluate the distribution rates of Cheyletus in dust samples. Articles concerning the distribution rates of Cheyletus species in dust samples were searched and screened in electronic databases. The pooled distribution rate with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Thirteen articles were included in this meta-analysis. A total of 15 studies reported the rates of Cheyletus in all mites from dust and the pooled rate was 2.62% (95% CI: 2.32%–2.92%). A total of three studies reported the rates of dust samples with Cheyletus in all dust samples and their pooled rate was 19.82% (95% CI: 5.10%–34.54%). Heterogeneities existed within included studies and source of heterogeneities could not be found though subgroup analyses by species, publication year, sample size of all mites were conducted. There is a low rate of Cheyletus in all mites from dust and a low rate of dust samples with Cheyletus in all dust samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deeper understanding of the cross-cultural applicability of cognitive tests across countries and cultures is needed to better equip neuropsychologists for the assessment of patients from diverse backgrounds. Our study compared cognitive test scores in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) at the Prince of Wales Hospital (n = 63; Hong Kong) and the Foothills Medical Center (n = 20; Calgary, Canada). The groups did not differ in age or sex (p >.05), but Western patients had significantly more years of education (M = 14.2, SD = 2.7) than Asian patients (M = 10.33, SD = 4.4). Cognitive tests administered to both groups included: digit span, verbal fluency (animals), the Boston Naming Test, and verbal memory (California Verbal Learning Test or Chinese Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Testing was completed before and 12 months after deep brain stimulation surgery. Results showed cognitive performance was similar across time, but significant group differences were found on digit span forward (longer among patients from Hong Kong; F(1, 75) = 44.155, p <.001) and the Boston Naming Test (higher percent spontaneous correct among patients from Canada; F(1, 62) = 7.218, p =.009, η2 = 0.104), after controlling for age, sex, and years of education. In conclusion, our findings provide preliminary support for the similarity of Chinese versions of tests originally developed for Western populations. Also, we caution that some aspects of testing may be susceptible to cultural bias and therefore warrant attention in clinical practice and refinement in future test development for Asian patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing the efficiency of gear systems is of significance to reduce fuel consumption and overall weight. Windage power losses become prevailing in high-speed gear systems, such as aero-engine applications. To avoid the shortages and limitations of commonly used methods (e.g. negative volume in dynamic mesh method and one moving object in sliding meshing method), this paper describes an unstructured overset computational fluid dynamics technology to simulate the airflow pattern in a gearbox and calculate the windage losses. A disk, a spur gear and a helical gear, spinning in the air at rotational speed up to 7200 r/min are studied respectively, the windage power losses obtained by the numerical method show good agreement with experimental data and analytical findings in the open literature. Meanwhile, the associated deceleration torques exerted by pressure and viscous forces on spinning gear surfaces are also determined. Furthermore, the overset method facilitates to estimate the windage losses of a non-meshing gear pair. The results of this paper indicate that the overset method can accurately predict the windage power losses and provide a new route to investigate the flow pattern surrounding the gears. This method can serve as an effective tool for engineering applications in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that epitaxial thin films are subject to compressive strain by the nearest layer with a smaller lattice constant or to tensile strain by the nearest layer with a larger lattice constant. Our experimental and theoretical results show that the above viewpoint is not always effective if the interface is anisotropic in the plane. We propose a novel strain mechanism that takes into account the pre-strain state as a key factor rather than considering only the lattice mismatch. Therefore, this anomalous strain model is potentially important for various multifunctional devices based on strain coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of graded levels of dietary corn resistant starch (RS) on glucose and lipid metabolism of broilers. 2. A total of 320 male broiler chicks (Arbor Acres, one-day-old) were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments, including a corn-soybean control diet, a corn-soybean based diet containing 20% corn starch, and three diets containing 4%, 8% and 12% RS by replacing corn starch with 6.67%, 13.33% and 20% Hi-Maize® 260 (identified as control, RS1, RS2, RS3 and RS4, respectively). Each treatment contained eight replicates with eight birds, and the experiment lasted 42 days. 3. Birds fed RS diets showed lower (P < 0.05) concentrations of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) at d 21 and 42 of age, compared to the control. Lower (P < 0.05) hepatic apolipoprotein B concentration and citrate synthase (CS) activity, as well as a higher (P < 0.05) glycogen synthase (GS) concentration were observed in birds fed RS diets than those in the control group at d 21 of age. Consuming RS diets linearly increased (P < 0.01) serum glucose concentration, and linearly decreased (P < 0.01) NEFA concentrations in broilers at d 21 and 42 of age. Liver GS concentration and activities of hexokinase, pyruvate and CS were linearly increased (P < 0.01) in broilers at d 21 of age, but were linearly decreased (P < 0.05) in birds at d 42 of age in response to the increase of dietary RS levels. Feeding RS diets linearly decreased (P < 0.05) mRNA expressions of PC, PPARα and CPT-1 at d 21 of age and the mRNA expressions of SREBP-1 c, ChREBP, ACC and FAS at d 42 of age, and linearly increased (P < 0.05) the mRNA expressions of PEPCK, PC, LKB1, AMPKα1, PPARα, CPT-1 and L-FABP at d 42 of age. 4. Feeding broilers with diets containing higher concentration of RS promoted hepatic lipolysis and gluconeogenesis through activated AMPK signalling pathway and accelerated whole-body energy expenditures in the grower phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study was conducted to assess the effects of graded levels of dietary corn resistant starch (RS) on growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient retention, digestive organ index, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, and mRNA expression of certain nutrient transporters in broiler chickens. 2. A total of 320, 1-d-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments, with eight replicates of eight birds in each. These treatments included one corn-soybean control diet, a corn-soybean based diet containing 20% corn starch, and three diets supplemented with 4%, 8% and 12% RS by replacing corn starch with 6.67%, 13.33% and 20% of Hi-Maize 260® (identified as control, RS1, RS2, RS3 and RS4, respectively). The feeding period lasted 42 days. 3. Performance parameters including feed consumption, feed conversion, body weight gain and percentage of abdominal fat at d 42 of age, nutrient retention (including dry matter, fat, total starch and nitrogen free extract), and apparent metabolisable energy was measured from d 18 to 20 and d 39 to 41 and showed negative linear responses to increasing dietary RS level (P < 0.05). Birds fed the RS3 and RS4 diets showed higher relative weight of duodenum, jejunum and ileum, as well as lower villus height and villus height/crypt depth compared to the control (P < 0.05). The activity of pancreatic trypsin of birds at d 21 and 42 of age decreased linearly in response to the increase of dietary RS level (P < 0.01). There were linear changes in up-regulated mRNA expression of SGLT-1 and down-regulated mRNA expression of GLUT-2 with increasing proportion of RS at d 21 and 42 of age (P < 0.05), respectively. 4. It was concluded that feeding broilers with diets containing higher concentrations of RS impaired the development of small intestine, which resulted in lower apparent total tract retention of nutrients and poorer body weight gain, feed efficiency and carcass traits of broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This survey followed the birth population-based study conducted in 2010 in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province, with the aim to estimate perinatal-neonatal mortality and preterm birth rate in emerging regions with similar maternal-fetal and neonatal care conditions in China.Materials and methods: Data of total births in 2015 were prospectively collected by regional perinatal network collaboration in Huai'an, a subprovincial region with a population of 5,644,500 and gross domestic production of 9082 USD per capita.Results: The 59,424 birth registries (including 59,023 live births and 167 stillbirths) corresponded to a birth rate of 10.5‰ and a Male-to-female ratio of 113.7:100. All births there were from 85, 16, and 6 level I, II, and III hospitals, with a delivery rate of 30.4, 40.2, and 29.4%, respectively. Of all births, 14.1% had pregnancy-associated comorbidities and complications, 54.4% (32,226/59,190) had cesarean delivery, and multiple pregnancies and birth defects occurred in 2.1% (1,250) and 5.5‰ (324), respectively. The mean birth weight was 3448 ± 507 g with 13.9% being macrosomia, and 2.86% (1695/59,190) low birth weight. Preterm birth rate was 4.06% (2404/59,190) with a mortality rate of 8.5%. There were 94.5% recorded as healthy newborns and 5.5% (3263) requiring hospitalization after birth. The perinatal and neonatal mortality rate was 5.2‰ (167 stillbirths, 139 early neonatal deaths) and 4.0‰, respectively. Compared with the 2010 survey, these data demonstrated generally improved status of perinatal-neonatal healthcare.Conclusions: The low rates of perinatal-neonatal mortality, preterm birth and preterm mortality suggest that the concept and study protocol of perinatal-neonatal healthcare in Huai'an may serve as the benchmark for estimating regional vital statistics and perinatal and neonatal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, a novel electroplating cell with both jet array and crossflow induced by the small holes on the side walls is proposed. The flow pattern and hydrodynamic performance are numerically investigated using computational fluid dynamic simulations. The mathematic model of the hydrodynamic properties is presented. The effect of the crossflow and anode/jet-wafer separation distance on the flow pattern and hydrodynamic performance are carefully examined. The results indicate that the electroplating cell with strong crossflow and very short anode/jet-wafer separation distance would have a better hydrodynamic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tectono-stratigraphic analysis of the Eocene PY4 Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin, reveals that the evolution of normal faulting exerted an important control on the basin infill patterns. Seismic, well log and core data jointly indicate the Eocene Wenchang Formation can be subdivided into four thirdorder sequences that are related to early rift (WSQ1), rift climax (WSQ2-3) and late rift (WSQ4) stages. During the early rift stage, the PY4 Sag was defined by three, small-sized depocentres; it was related to low tectonic subsidence and likely overfilled by footwall-derived fan-delta deposits. The isolated depocentres coalesced and formed a larger and more uniform depocentre during the rift climax stage. Significantly increased tectonic subsidence during the rift climax WSQ2 sub-stage gave rise to prominent deep lake deposition including nearshore subaqueous fans, turbidite fan deposits and good source rocks. Two sediment infill patterns adjacent to boundary fault are developed during the rift climax WSQ3 sub-stage: (i) a more likely sediment balance-filled pattern controlled by the low-angled fault and (ii) a sediment under-filled pattern adjacent to the relatively high-angle boundary fault. The late rift stage was characterised by a waned displacement on the NE-striking fault but an increase in displacement on E-striking rift-related faults; this non-synchronous faulting has led to the sediment overfilled pattern observed in the South Sub-sag but a more sediment balance-fill on the South-western Slope. The variability in the basin infill patterns is suggested to have resulted from the different fault displacement patterns, which are closely linked to the boundary fault angles and possible stress field transitions during the basin evolution. This study may provide potential implications for basin infill evaluations in the Eocene Pearl River Mouth Basin and other similar rift systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ZnO thin films on glass substrates were synthesised by sol-gel method with different pretreating temperature. The thermal behaviours of dried gel were firstly tested and found the relationship between organics evaporation and pretreating temperature. Then the structural, morphological and optical properties of thin films were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns showed the phase with hexagonal wurtzite structure, and the preferred orientation growth at (0 0 2) plane increased as rising pretreating temperature. Atomic force microscope was used to measure the surface morphology of films and found the wrinkle-like at low pretreating temperature. Transmittance spectra of ZnO thin films prepared at higher pretreating temperature revealed the steeper absorption edge and the larger transmittance values, and the deduced optical energy gap increased. Meanwhile, with increasing pretreating temperature, photoluminescence spectra showed the stronger ultraviolet peak and weaker visible peaks which, respectively, originated from intrinsic emission and various defect emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of fluid viscosity and material parameters of the damping layer on the natural frequency characteristics of a circular cylindrical shell covered with free damping layer immersed in a viscous acoustic medium is studied in the present paper. An equivalent method is applied to the damping layer coated on the surface of the cylindrical shell. Then, the wave equation for viscous flow field derived from the linear equations of continuity, Navier-Stokes and state, the Flügge's thin shell theory for the isotropic, elastic, thin cylindrical shell and the appropriate wave harmonic field expansions in association with the pertinent boundary conditions are employed to get the equations of motion and the characteristic equation in the coupled system. Subsequently, numerical analysis is applied to solve the characteristic equation for the coupled system at various material parameters and viscosity coefficients, the influence of which can be illustrated by the calculation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the southern Ordos Basin is a tight sandstone but productive hydrocarbon exploration target. A variety of analyses, including thin-sections, cathodoluminescence (CL), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), fluorescence, isotope and fluid inclusion, have been used to analyse the reservoir petrology and diagenesis to understand the evolution of reservoir porosity. The sandstones are mostly feldspathic litharenites and lithic arkoses with low porosities (7.6% on average) and extremely low permeabilities (0.49 mD on average). A complex diagenetic alteration history of the reservoir caused different kinds of reduction in reservoir porosity. The carbonate cements are sourced from adjacent organic-rich mudstone and precipitated with a higher content near the edges of sandstone units and a lower content at the centres of sandstone units, resulting in two different diagenetic evolution paths. The analysis of porosity evolution history and hydrocarbon emplacement produced the following conclusions: (1) during the eodiagenesis period, mechanical compaction reduced the primary porosity dramatically from 40 to 19%; and (2) during the mesodiagenesis period, the first-phase oil charged the reservoir (porosity ranging from 14 to 19%) as bitumen along detrital grains forming a preferential pathway for subsequent oil emplacements. In the second-phase of oil charge, the reservoir porosity ranged from 9 to 14% limiting water–rock reactions. During the third-phase of oil charge, porosity of the reservoir remained at 9%. In general, the densification period (with a porosity close to 10%) of the reservoir occurs at the same time as the major oil emplacement and may be an explanation for the low oil saturation of the Chang 8 tight sandstone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural evolution and stratigraphic architecture of the Southern Lufeng Depression in the Pearl River Mouth Basin, South China Sea show two second-order sequences (SSQ1 and SSQ2) and nine third-order sequences (WSQ1-5 and ESQ1-4) within the Eocene rift-related successions. Based on integrated interpretations of seismic reflections, well logs and core data, five distinct tectono-stratigraphic patterns are identified: (1) the initial synrift-I sequence (WSQ1) of low tectonic subsidence, overfilled by alluvial fan or fan-delta deposits and volcanic deposits, with no clear systems tracts; (2) the climax synrift-I sequences (WSQ2–4) developed in response to rapid tectonic subsidence, generally consisting of a low-stand systems tract (LST), transgressive systems tract (TST) and high-stand systems tract (HST); (3) the late synrift-I sequence (WSQ5) characterised by a decreased tectonic subsidence rate, dominated by braided delta, deep and shallow lacustrine sediments, mainly constructed by TST and HST; (4) the early synrift-II sequences (ESQ1–2) rapidly filled by braided deltaic sandstone and mainly composed of TST and HST with less common LST units; and (5) the late synrift-II sequences (ESQ3–4), which are totally filled by braided deltaic system in a shallow-water lake setting, presenting typical imbricate clinoforms or sub-parallel seismic configurations, consisting of only TST and HST components. During the climax stage of synrift-I development, the depositional setting changed from a prominent shallow lake (WSQ2) to a deep-lucustrine with turbiditic deposits (WSQ3) and finally dominated by mostly braided deltaic-shallow lacustrine deposits (WSQ4); the HST occupies an increasing proportion from early to late. Furthermore, the stratigraphic patterns, especially LST units of the climax synrift-I stage, are significantly influenced by topographic variations and slope-break belt types in the hanging dip-slope. This study reveals that the spatial and temporal evolution of lacustrine depositional and stratigraphic patterns were significantly controlled by the interplay of tectonic subsidence and sediment supply, and provides a fundamental basis for predicting the favourable reservoirs and geometry of source rocks related to the general variability of Eocene rift-related tectonic subsidence in the Southern Lufeng Depression of the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Furthermore, the topographic responses of differential active fault-stepped patterns associated with magma intrusions, highlight the variability of relevant sequence architectures in the hanging dip-slope in lacustrine rift basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fan-delta reservoir play has become an important exploration target within the Junggar Basin, especially in the Mabei area within the Mahu Sag, where a fan-delta oil and gas pool has been recently discovered. The sedimentary characteristics, distribution patterns and formation mechanisms of the fan-delta clastic bodies in Lower Triassic Baikouquan Formation (T1b) were studied using seismic, well log and core data accompanied by a flume tank experiment and a modern analogue depositional study. The T1b in the Mabei area is composed of a fan delta consisting of fan-delta plain (including debris flow deposits, sheetflood deposits, braided channel deposits, and floodplain deposits), fan-delta front (including subaqueous reworked sheetflood deposits and distal sheetflood deposits) and muddy lake deposits. The sheetflood deposits, characterised by moderately sorted conglomerates with brown matrix, form during the peak flooding. They are widespread and sheet-like, occupying the major portion of the fan-delta plain. The braided channel deposits are characterised by well-sorted and clast-supported conglomerates and pebbly sandstones, formed later during the falling flow stage. Owing to the decline in volume and velocity, and the formation of continuously braided fluid flow, the sediments of the flood period are reworked, generating the braided channels. Laterally, the braided channels occur as belts of clastic bodies surrounded by continuous sheetflood deposits. Vertically, the braided channels are interbedded between the sheetflood deposits. The subaqueous reworked sheetflood deposits are characterised by greyish-green, well-sorted and clast-supported conglomerates, whereas the distal sheetflood deposits are characterised by well-sorted sandstones, intercalated with mudstone. The subaqueous reworked sheetflood and distal sheetflood deposits are a distal partly subaqueous extension of the main sheetflood deposits, albeit reworked by basinal currents and waves. The distal sheetflood deposits form on distal fringes of the sheetfloods and are more thoroughly reworked by longshore and wave currents. The braided channel, subaqueous reworked sheetflood and distal sheetflood deposits can form high-porosity reservoirs. These findings challenge the common view and suggest that the channelised facies on the fans are not the main flood events; rather, the more extensive sheetfloods are the major flood events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbohydrates present on cell surfaces mediate cell behavior through interactions with other biomolecules. Due to their structural complexity, diversity, and heterogeneity, it is difficult to fully characterize a variety of carbohydrates and their binding partners. As a result, novel technologies for glycomics applications have been developed, including carbohydrate microarrays and label-free detection methods. In this paper, we report using the combination of oligosaccharide microarrays and the label-free oblique-incidence reflectivity difference microscopy for real-time characterization of oligosaccharide-binding proteins. Aminated human milk oligosaccharides were immobilized on epoxy-coated glass substrates as microarrays for reactions with Family 1 of solute-binding proteins fromBifidobacterium longumsubsp.infantis(B. infantis). Binding affinities of these protein–oligosaccharide interactions showed preferences of Family 1 of solute-binding proteins to host glycans, which helps in characterizing the complex process of human milk oligosaccharides foraging byB. infantis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Optical biosensors provide a platform for qualitatively and quantitatively analyzing various biomolecular interactions. In addition to advantages such as label-free and high-throughput detection, these devices are also capable of measuring real-time binding curves in response to changes in optical properties of biomolecules. These kinetic data may be fitted to models to extract binding affinities such as association rates, dissociation rates, and equilibrium dissociation constants. In these biosensors, one of the binding pair is usually immobilized on a solid substrate for capturing the other. Due to the nature of these surface-based methods, mass transport effects and immobilization heterogeneity may cause problems when fitting the kinetic curves with the simple one-to-one Langmuir model. Here, real-time binding curves of various antibody–antigen reactions were obtained using an ellipsometry-based biosensor, and the results were fitted to the simple one-to-one model as well as a more sophisticated approach. The results show that the one-to-two model fitted much better to the curves than the one-to-one model. The two-site model may be explained by assuming two immobilization configurations on the surface. In summary, in fitting real-time curves obtained from optical biosensors, more sophisticated models are usually required to take surface-related issues, such as immobilization heterogeneity, and mass transport effects within targets, into account. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Sandstones of the Dainan Formation in the Gaoyou Sag of the Subei Basin are important hydrocarbon reservoirs. This paper studies the sedimentary facies and sandstone dispersal patterns in the Gaoyou Sag, based on the analysis of sedimentology and seismic geomorphology. The data used in this study include lithological data, wire-line-log data and three-dimensional (3D) seismic data. The target strata are the Eocene Daiyi Member (E2d13, E2d12and E2d11) and the lower Dai'er Member (E2d25), which belong to three third-order sequences. Five types of depositional systems were identified in the Dainan Formation based on core observation and log-facies analysis. They are, respectively, delta, fan delta, sub-lacustrine fan, nearshore subaqueous fan and lacustrine system. Stratal slices from 3D seismic volumes have been used to map the sandstone dispersal patterns and to document the evolution of the depositional systems within these third-order sequences and associated systems tracts. In the low-stand systems tract and the high-stand systems tract, sandstones of delta, fan delta and nearshore subaqueous fan were well developed and can be delineated by stratal slices showing distinct progradation towards the deep lake centre. In the transgressive systems tract, sandstones are less common. Stratal slices indicate that the depositional environments of individual third-order sequences evolved from gravel-rich or sand-rich fans to lacustrine mudstones, and finally to mixed sandstone–mudstone fans. Sandstone dispersal patterns appear to be primarily controlled by syn-sedimentary faults, and generally sandstone thickness decreases with distance from the syn-sedimentary faults. Deltas and fan deltas have different characteristics in sand-body thickness because they have different sedimentary subfacies. The proposed geomorphology and sedimentary evolution of the lacustrine depositional system may aid in the prediction of potential reservoir distribution in the Gaoyou Sag. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Record data are commonly encountered in many fields such as sports, geography, finance, and reliability. In this article, we use thewell-known Box-Muller transformation to develop an efficient method of simulating record data from the normal distribution. Another method based on exponential records is also discussed. Then, the performance of these algorithms is compared with some standard simulation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the deposition of the Chang-7 (Ch-7) and Chang-6 (Ch-6) units in the Upper Triassic, gravity flows were developed widely in a deep lake in the southwestern Ordos Basin, China. Based on cores, outcrops, well-logs and well-testing data, this paper documents the sedimentary characteristics of the gravity-flow deposits and constructs a depositional model. Gravity-flow deposits in the study area comprise seven lithofacies types, which are categorised into four groups: slides and slumps, debris-flow-dominated lithofacies, turbidity-current-dominated lithofacies, and deep-water mudstone-dominated lithofacies. The seven lithofacies form two sedimentary entities: sub-lacustrine fan and the slump olistolith, made up of three and two lithofacies associations, respectively. Lithofacies association 1 is a channel–levee complex with fining-/thinning-upward sequences whose main part is characterised by sandy debris flow-dominated, thick-bedded massive sandstones. Lithofacies association 2 represents distributary channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, which can be further subdivided into distributary channel, channel lateral margin and inter-channel. Lithofacies association 3 is marked by non-channelised lobes of sub-lacustrine fans, including sheet-like turbidites and deep-lake mudstones. Lithofacies association 4 is represented by proximal lobes of slump olistolith, consisting of slides and slumps. Lithofacies association 5 is marked by distal lobes of slump olistolith, comprising tongue-shaped debris flow lobes and turbidite lobes. It is characterised by sandy debris flow, muddy debris flow-dominated sandstone and sandstone with classic Bouma sequences. Several factors caused the generation of gravity flows in the Ordos Basin, including sediment supply, terrain slope and external triggers, such as volcanisms, earthquakes and seasonal floods. The sediment supply of sub-lacustrine fan was most likely from seasonal floods with a high net-to-gross and incised channels. Triggered by volcanisms and earthquakes, the slump olistolith is deposited by the slumping and secondary transport of unconsolidated sediments in the delta front or prodelta with a low net-to-gross and no incised channels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effects of low- to high-angle (>30°) normal faults on sedimentary architectural units in the Eocene Wenchang Formation, Enping Sag, Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB), South China Sea were investigated utilising a high-quality 3D seismic data set and restored paleogeomorphology. It has been shown that sequence stratigraphic units and sedimentary architecture are significantly controlled by the low- to high-angle normal faults. The Wenchang Formation, a second-order sequence, can be subdivided into two para-second-sequences (the Lower and Upper Wenchang sequences, E2WLand E2WU) and seven third-order sequences (from base to top: SQ1∼SQ7). The low-angle fault confined sequence architecture of the Wenchang Formation is mainly characterised by lateral stacking with the ratio of the vertical subsidence (V) to horizontal slip (H) being reduced from 1/2 for E2WLto 1/6 for E2WU. In contrast, the high-angle fault confined sequence is characterised by vertical stacking with the ratio of V/H close to 1 for sequences SQ1 to SQ7. In the 3D seismic area, the features of sediment-dispersal pattern were interpreted based on an integrated analysis of paleogeomorphology, seismic reflection characteristics, stratal thickness distribution and multiple attribute clustering. The results show that the large-scale fan delta, belt-shape lacustrine deposit and bird-foot braided delta systems mainly developed in the low-angle fault confined sequences, whereas small-scale fan delta, rhombus-shaped lacustrine deposit and lobe-shaped braided delta systems inherited tectono-sedimentary architectures in the high-angle fault confined sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, recursive random forests were used to build classification models for mouse liver toxicity. The mouse liver toxicity endpoint (67 toxic and 166 non-toxic) was a composition of fourin vivochronic systemic and carcinogenic toxicity endpoints (non-proliferative, neoplastic, proliferative and gross pathology). A multiple under-sampling approach and a shifted classification threshold of 0.288 (non-toxic < 0.288 and toxic ≥ 0.288) were used to cope with the unbalanced data. Our study showed that recursive random forests are very efficient in variable selection and for the development of predictivein silicomodels. Generally, over 95% redundant descriptors could be reduced from modelling for all the chemical, biological and hybrid models in this study. The predictive performance of chemical models (CCR of 0.73) is comparable with hybrid model performance (CCR of 0.74). Descriptors related to the octanol–water partition coefficient are vital for model performance. Thein vitroendpoint of CYP2A2 played a key role in the development and interpretation of hybrid models. Identifying high-throughput screening assays relevant to liver toxicity would be key for improvingin silicomodels of liver toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study was to confirm the protective effect of tetrahydropalmatine (THP) against irradiation-induced rat pulmonary endothelial cell apoptosis and to explore the underlying mechanism, with a focus on the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR)/phospholipase C-γ1 (PLC-γ1) pathway. We established a model of irradiation-induced primary rat pulmonary endothelial cell injury. Cell apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were measured by flow cytometry. The expression of CaSR, cytochromec, PLC-γ1, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and [Ca2+]iwas also determined. Caspase-3 and caspase-9 activities were measured using commercial kits. Inositol triphosphate (IP3) and the production of inflammatory cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that THP significantly inhibited irradiation-induced cell apoptosis and intracellular accumulation of ROS. Pretreatment with THP significantly decreased the expression of CaSR, inhibited the CaSR/PLC-γ1 pathway and subsequent [Ca2+]ioverload stimulated by irradiation. THP, NPS2390 (inhibitor of CaSR), U73122 (inhibitor of PLC-γ1) and 2-APB (inhibitor of IP3) further decreased cell apoptosis, along with down-regulation of cytochromec, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, disruption of Δψm and the production of inflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that THP protects primary rat pulmonary endothelial cells against irradiation-induced apoptosis by inhibiting oxidative stress and the CaSR/PLC-γ1 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

popular worldwide, especially in East Asia. Colchicine was used to induce autotetraploidy in four advanced inbred lines of radish. A combination of 0.1% (w/v) colchicine in 0, 0.1%, 0.2%, or 0.4% (v/v) dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) was applied to the apical meristem of young seedlings. A preliminary screening for putative tetraploids was conducted based on morphological traits including flower size, the number of chloroplasts in guard cells, stomatal size, and stomatal density. Plants with significantly larger stomata, with more chloroplasts in their guard cells, were selected for further analysis by chromosome counting. Only one tetraploid genotype, 'Nau-dy13', was successfully induced using 0.1% (w/v) colchicine plus 0.2% (v/v) DMSO, with a tetraploid induction rate of 20%. Application of the above concentrations of colchicine and DMSO to the apical meristem of 'Nau-dy13' seedlings was found to be an efficient method to induce polyploidy in radish. The tetraploid plants had larger flowers, stomata, and pollen grains and a chromosome number of 4x = 36. In contrast, the rate of pollen germination (19.24%) in the tetraploid genotype was lower than in the diploid line (55.80%). Levels of expression of six genes controlling meiosis, MER3/RCK, ATK1, ATK5, DMC1, TTN8, and MPS1, were measured using real-time reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RTqPCR). Expression of MPS1 was downregulated 0.6-fold in autotetraploid plants compared to diploid plants. An efficient method for the induction of tetraploids in radish has been established. This will facilitate the manipulation of ploidy level when developing novel elite germplasm and allow further analysis of the mechanism of polyploidy in radish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opal films made of 205, 230, 270, 290 nm monodisperse polystyrene (PS) microsphere were prepared with vertical self-assembly method. The opal films show different colours in natural light and the light of halogen tungsten lamp. The PS microsphere in opal films arranged as well-ordered hexagonal close-packed structure on top view, and face-centred cubic structure on cross-section. The testing values of band gap positions of the opal films are consistent with calculating values, and can be described with Bragg's law. The band gap positions of the opal films can be modulated by changing the distance of the neighbouring (111) planes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Homogeneous RuCl2(PPh3)3and RhCl(PPh3)3complexes were heterogenized on amine functionalized MCM-41. The heterogeneous ruthenium and rhodium complexes were used for catalytic upgrading of bio-oil under mild conditions (50–90°C). Both showed good activity in the hydrogenation of aldehydes and phenols with C=C side chains in bio-oil. The stability and properties of the bio-oil improved significantly. By comparison, the heterogenized rhodium catalyst was more effective than the ruthenium catalyst. Moreover, the catalysts still showed good activity after three reaction cycles. The results demonstrated that the utilization of heterogenized homogenous metal complexes was a promising treatment for upgrading bio-oil. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of heating rate on pyrolysis of wet biomass. Pyrolysis experiments were performed on dried samples (1 wt% moisture), air-dried samples (8 wt% moisture), and wet samples (16 wt% moisture) of corn straw. Biomass pyrolysis consisted of three stages, namely, moisture evaporation, main devolatilization, and continuous slight devolatilization. As the heating rate increased, the thermogravimetric/derivative thermogravimetric curves moved toward the high-temperature section, and average devolatilization rates increased. The Coats–Redfern method was used for kinetics analysis. The activation energy, which ranged from 63.5 to 70.8 kJ/mol, increased as the heating rate increased. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The viscosity and filtrate volume of drilling fluid were tested by changing the polyanionic cellulose content in drilling fluid. The effect of polyanionic cellulose on the viscosity and filtrate volume of drilling fluid was analysed. The test results showed that the viscosity of drilling fluid increases with increasing polyanionic cellulose content. When the polyanionic cellulose content is below 1·5%, the viscosity increases slowly, whereas the viscosity increases rapidly when the polyanionic cellulose content is above 1·5%. Equation ( ) is a fitting equation that shows the relationship between viscosity and polyanionic cellulose content. The filtrate volume of drilling fluid decreases approximately linearly with increasing polyanionic cellulose content. Equation ( ) is a fitting equation that shows the relationship between filtrate volume and polyanionic cellulose content. Polyanionic cellulose can effectively improve the viscosity and reduce the filtrate volume of drilling fluid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of homogenisation annealing process on microstrucure of 7085 Al alloy has been investigated by optical microscopy(OM), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction(XRD), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show a large amount of skeletal Mg(Zn, Al, Cu)2 phase and AlZnMgCu phase distributed as eutectic microstructure on crystal boundaries, and some impurity phase of triangle or square Al18Mg3Cr2 in the interior of grain in as-cast 7085Al alloys. In combination with DSC and OM observation, the temperature of homogenisation annealing is determined lower than 473°C. With increasing temperature of homogenising annealing, the woven crystal microstructure on the grain boundary and part lager block second phase in interior of grain decreases, and grain boundary turns to be discontinuous. 7085Al alloys are treated by homogenising annealing of 470°C/24 h, grain boundary turns to be discontinuous, uniform and fine precipitation phase arises, and woven eutectic microstructure and lager block second phase disappear. The optimised homogenising annealing is 470°C/24 h in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study the effect of moisture content on pyrolysis of biomass, pyrolysis tests of dried samples, air-dried samples, and wet samples of corn straw were performed using a thermogravimetric analyzer. Moisture had no influence on the components and chemical structure of straw. However, grain size of dried samples tended to diminish and small cracks appeared on the surface. These changes contribute to heat and mass transfer for biomass pyrolysis and thereby increased devolatilization rates as well as the yield of volatile matter. The activation energy values for corn straw were in the range of 68.7–70.2 KJ/mol. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The coloured ceramic coating was prepared by using micro-arc oxidation technology on aluminium. CuSO4 was used as the colourant to produce the brown micro-arc oxidation coating. The effects of the applied current density on characteristics and properties of the micro-arc oxidation coating were studied. The results showed that there were significant changes on colour, surface morphology, thickness and corrosion resistance of the micro-arc oxidation coating when the current density increased: The colour deepened, and the pore size increased. In addition, the thickness of the micro-arc oxidation coating rose, and the roughness of the coating increased gradually. But the corrosion resistance of the micro-arc oxidation coating increased when the current density increased from 4 to 7 A dm−2, and then it dropped when the current density increased from 7 to 8 A dm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One key advantage of label-free biosensors involves the monitoring of binding between biomolecules. However, a number of experimental artifacts may lead to complicated real-time curves that do not fit well to a simple Langmuir model. As a result, the quality of the kinetic data must be improved to obtain accurate reaction rates. By carefully designing experiments, collecting the data, and processing the data, issues arising from signal drift, nonspecific binding, mass-transport effect in solution, mass-transport effect on surface, and curve fitting may be avoided or resolved. Using a label-free oblique-incidence reflectivity difference biosensor, key processes required to obtain reliable kinetic data and accurate reaction rates are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve rapid and efficient decomposition of organic pollutants, semiconductor materials with heterostructure are applied because of the effective electron hole pair separation via the interfacial junction. Among the semiconductor materials, TiO2 and boron doped diamond (BDD) with unique excellent properties are ideal building blocks to form heterojunction structure, which can be used in waste water treatment. In this work, the TiO2 nanorods (NRs) with different morphology have been deposited on BDD films with a ZnO buffer layer via hydrothermal method. It is demonstrated that the reaction temperature has a great effect on the morphology and crystallinity of the TiO2 NRs on BDD film. The crystallinity of TiO2 NRs can be improved by increasing the reaction temperature. Experimentally, it shows that the TiO2 NRs/ZnO/BDD heterojunction shows enhanced photocatalytic activity with respect to TiO2 NRs/ZnO and TiO2 NRs/BDD heterojunctions respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fluid inclusions characteristics and pore fluid salinity of 56 samples from clastic reservoir of the Lower Cretaceous were analyzed in the Tanzhuang Sag. The authors also discuss the hydrocarbon charge history and the genesis of secondary pores in the Lower Cretaceous. The multipeak distribution of homogenous temperature of the brine inclusions showed that the inclusions captured should be multiperiod fluids at various depths. Comparison of the homogeneous temperature of brine inclusions with the temperature on the burial history curve suggested that the source rocks had entered the stage of large-scale hydrocarbon generation. However, only individual brine inclusions containing methane were found, and no oil-bearing inclusions were seen. The absence of oil-bearing inclusions indicated that no large-scale oil charges and limited favorable mature source rocks were present in the study area. The paleosalinity varied with depth and was divided into three zones, namely two low-value zones in the shallow and deep burial and one high-value zone in the medium burial. The secondary pores were relatively developed in the high-salinity fluid zone. Secondary pores are chiefly related to the inorganic acid associated with dehydration and mutual transformation of clay materials, and to the organic acid released from limited mature organic matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviours of Z3CN20-09M stainless steel in high temperature water containing Cl- were studied. The results indicated that SCC sensitivity was inconsistent with test temperature. The minimum and maximum of SCC sensitivity occurred at 320 and 290°C respectively, and SCC sensitivity at 250°C fell between them. SCC crack initiated preferentially at bottom of corrosion pit or along phase boundary between austenite and ferrite, and its propagation depended on relative orientation to the phase boundary. SCC crack parallel to the phase boundary propagated along the phase boundary, while that perpendicular to the phase boundary was hindered to propagate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial superoxide flash (mitoflash) reflects quantal and bursting superoxide production and concurrent membrane depolarization triggered by transient mitochondrial permeability transition in many types of cells, at the level of single mitochondria. Here we investigate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated modulation of mitoflash activity in cardiac myocytes and report a surprising finding that hypochlorite ions potently and preferentially triggered mitoflashes in the subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM), whereas hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) elicited mitoflash activity uniformly among SSM and interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM). The striking SSM mitoflash response to hypochlorite stimulation remained intact in cardiac myocytes from NOX2-deficient mice, excluding local NOX2-mediated ROS as the major player. Furthermore, it occurred concomitantly with SSM Ca2+ accumulation and local Ca2+ and CaMKII signaling played an important modulatory role by altering frequency and unitary properties of SSM mitoflashes. These findings underscore the functional heterogeneity of SSM and IFM and the oxidant-specific responsiveness of mitochondria to ROS, and may bear important ramifications in devising therapeutic strategies for the treatment of oxidative stress-related heart diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The simulation of the contraction flow of concentrated acrylic copolymer/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (P(AN-co-IA)/[BMIM]Cl) solution through spinneret orifice was carried out for the design of suitable spinneret. Geometry and mathematical models were established according to rheological behaviours and material parameters. The effects of channel geometry on variation of viscosity were simulated and discussed in detail. The numerical results show that an increase in aspect ratio resulted in the decrease in viscosity and a decrease in entrance angle may reduce the size of 'dead' region near the corner. From numerical investigations, the geometry with aspect ratio of 3∶1 and entrance angle of 30° was found to be suitable optimum geometry for concentrated polymer solution during dry-jet wet spinning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of the phase boundary between austenite and ferrite phases on the nucleation and propagation behaviours of microcracks in nuclear grade Z3CN20-09M stainless steel, an in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tensile technique was used to study the deformation, nucleation and propagation of microcracks during tension. The fractography was subsequently observed by SEM. The results indicated that, during tension, the deformation first occurred in the austenitic grains followed by in the ferrite, and the microcracks were subsequently preferential formed at the phase boundary between austenite and ferrite phases. In the case of the phase boundary perpendicular to the loading direction, microcracks nucleated and subsequently propagated along the phase boundary. In the case of the phase boundary parallel to the loading direction, microcacks nucleated at the intersection of slip bands and the phase boundary and propagated perpendicularly to the phase boundary, resulting in deflection of the main crack. The phase boundary played a hindrance effect on crack propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrated cellulose/1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([bmim]Cl) solution which exhibits typical elasticity has been employed to prepare fibres by dry jet wet spinning technique. In order to design the spinneret, simulation on contraction flow of cellulose/[bmim]Cl solution through spinneret orifice was carried out. Geometry and mathematical models were established according to rheological behaviour and material parameters. The effects of geometry on variation of viscosity and flow pattern were simulated and discussed. The results show that an increase in aspect ratio decreased the apparent viscosity and a decrease in entrance angle reduced the size of 'dead' region. The aspect ratio and entrance angle of spinneret during dry jet wet spinning were optimised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article empirically tests the ‘too non-traditional to fail’ argument by exploring the determinants of systemic risk for the BRICs banks. The argument is found not applicable for the BRICs banks, since the systemic risk is merely determined by balance-sheet characteristics, rather than non-traditional activities such as interbank exposures and off-balance commitment. In contrast, systemic risk for banks from the developped countries is related with both aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

H.264 takes rate distortion optimisation (RDO) technique to perform intra and inter mode decision and achieves higher coding efficiency, but the objective distortion metric such as mean square error (MSE) is employed in traditional RDO framework, which cannot acquire optimal subjective quality. In this paper, structural similarity (SSIM)-based subjective distortion is applied to RDO-based intra mode decision in H.264 I frame video coding, and a linear SSIM distortion model is firstly proposed and SSIM-based rate distortion cost function for intra mode decision is defined. Furthermore, a content adaptive frame layer Lagrange multiplier adjustment scheme is proposed to balance the tradeoff between rate and SSIM distortion better. Experimental results show that, the proposed method encodes image structural information more effectively and thus acquires better perceptual quality and subjective RDO performance compared with objective distortion-based RDO method. Under the same perceptual quality, our scheme achieves about 8·03% I frame bit rate reduction on average for various sequences over MSE-based RDO employed in JM reference software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid peroxidation generates reactive aldehydes, most notably hydroxynonenal (HNE), which covalently binds amino acid residue side chains leading to protein inactivation and insolubility. Specific adducts of lipid peroxidation have been demonstrated to be intimately associated with pathological lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD), suggesting that oxidative stress is a major component in the disease. Here, we examined the HNE-cross-linking modifications by using an antibody specific for a lysine-lysine cross-link. Since in a prior study we noted no immunolabeling of neuritic plaques or neurofibrillary tangles but instead found strong labeling of axons, we focused this study on axons. Axonal labeling was examined in mouse sciatic nerve, and immunoblotting showed the cross-link was restricted to neurofilament heavy and medium subunits, which while altering migration, did not indicate larger NF aggregates, indicative of intermolecular cross-links. Examination of mice at various ages showed the extent of modification remaining relatively constant through the life span. These findings demonstrate lipid-cross-linking peroxidation primarily involves lysine-rich neurofilaments and is restricted to intramolecular cross-links. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) is an active molecule involved in many physiological functions in plants. To characterise the roles of NO in the tolerance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) to salt stress, the protective effects of exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of NO, applied at different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 mM), on plant biomass, photosynthesis, and anti-oxidant capacity were evaluated. The application of SNP alleviated the suppression of growth in eggplant under salt stress, as reflected by a higher accumulation of biomass. In parallel with growth, the application of SNP to salt-stressed plants resulted in enhanced photosynthetic parameters such as the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), stomatal conductance (gs), transpiration rate (Tr), and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci), as well as an increased quantum efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm), efficiency of excitation capture of open PSII centres (Fv'/Fm'), quantum yield of PSII (ΦPSII) and photochemical quenching coefficient (qP). Furthermore, exogenous SNP also reduced significantly the rate of production of O2â- radicals and the concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and H2O2. It also increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), guaiacol peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in eggplant leaves grown under salt stress. The results indicated that the protective effects of NO against salt stress in eggplant seedlings were most likely mediated through improvements in photosynthetic performance and the stimulation of anti-oxidant capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two phosphate-solubilizing bacterial strains were isolated and identified asAcinetobacter calcoaceticusYC-5a andEnterobacter agglomeransKMC-7 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.A. calcoaceticusYC-5a is less well known as a phosphate-solubilizing plant-associated bacterium. The plant growth-promoting properties of the phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) were characterizedin vitro, including their phosphate-solubilizing activities and their capabilities for producing indole-3-acetic acid and siderophores. A pot experiment was conducted to elucidate the effects of inoculating both strains on the growth and Pb uptake ofBrassica junceagrown in different concentrations of Pb-contaminated soils. Inoculation with both PSB not only stimulated the growth ofB. juncea, but it also influenced the accumulation of Pb in the shoots and roots of the host plant. The present study demonstrates that PSB are a valuable microbial resource that can be exploited to improve the efficiency of phytoextraction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A pressure and temperature preservation system (PTPS) was developed for a natural gas hydrates (NGH) sampler. First, some pressure-coring tools for gas hydrate and free gas investigation are reviewed. Then a PTPS with length of 11.2 m and diameter of 60 mm was developed, which can be divided into four parts with a length of less than 4 m for each part. Laboratory experiments showed that this new PTPS was suitable for maintaining the pressure and temperature of ice and water mixture. Further, this new PTPS was applied during the HY4-2006-03 voyage of No. 4 ocean ship on the northern part of the South China Sea, and two pressurized sediments of 85 and 100 cm length were obtained. All laboratory experiments and applications show that the maximum operating depth and sample length of this PTPS are 3,000 m and 10 m, respectively, the PTPS has a good ability of recovering sediment samples on the seafloor and maintaining their original in situ pressure and temperature, meeting the requirement of exploration of NGH in deep-sea shallow sediment layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel decentralised structural damage detection method based on the Wiener filter. The Wiener filter is customarily used for filtering out the noise that has corrupted a signal, and it is also used for system identification by matching the output of the filter with that of the unknown system. In this study, a damage index based on the mean square error of the Wiener filter is proposed to indicate the damage in structures. The current measurement is the input of the filter and the response of the undamaged structure is the design signal. Another index calculated from the cross correlation responses of neighbouring sensors is used to determine the damage location. An experimental study has been carried out on a reinforced concrete structure. The results show that this method is effective and reliable for structural damage detection and localisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interface between steel bar and concrete plays an important role in retaining the strength of reinforced concrete structures. When the interface is damaged by cracking, de-bonding between the two materials and/or other kinds of damage, significant degradation of the structural performances will occur owing to loss of composite actions. In this study, wave propagation on several steel bars embedded in two concrete plates with different de-bonding scenarios is tested. Piezoelectric actuators and sensors are attached to steel bars for recording input and response signals. This paper uses the wavelet transform combined with the wavelet packet decomposition, component energy and Shannon entropy to analyse the experimental results. The results demonstrate that both damage index and relative entropy are sensitive to the existence of de-bonding damage and change linearly with de-bonding length when there is only a single de-bonding damage, while energy and entropy distribution are largely influenced by the property of the excitation signal. When multiple de-bonding exists, however, both the damage index and relative entropy have no such clear tendency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of site quality assessment of Pinus radiata plantations is to determine the quality and productivity of the growing stock at different sites. It provides a useful indication of the site productivity to assist in the allocation of optimum thinning and fertiliser regimes and the scheduling of silvicultural operations. The predominant stand height (PDH) at a specific reference age, also known as site index (SI), is often used for site quality assessment of Pinus radiata plantations in Australia, as it is closely correlated with site productivity. However, measuring PDH in the field can be a time- and resource-consuming task. This paper proposes the use of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to estimate PDH for assessing the site quality of Pinus radiata. LiDAR provides highly accurate digital elevation and surface data that can be used to build a canopy height model (CHM). In this study, the state-of-the-art image segmentation technique, marker-controlled watershed segmentation, was employed for identifying locations of individual trees and estimating their heights from a CHM. Using an empirically derived SI equation, PDHs with reference age 11 years (SI11) were estimated from the tallest trees identified in each forest stand, and were then used to determine the site quality class for each stand. The comparison of LiDAR-derived tree heights with field measurements produced an RMSE value of 0.42 m. The maximum horizontal distance between the field-measured locations of individual trees and the LiDAR-detected locations of their treetops was 1.87 m. Site quality classification was conducted in terms of 0.05 ha gridded plots, which revealed more detailed spatial variations of site quality across the study area than classification based on management plots. The study demonstrated that LiDAR provides an effective and accurate method for site quality classification of Pinus radiata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]