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1. Tile-grey plumage is a unique and rare feather type of local chicken breeds in China, but its genetic mechanism and corresponding genes remain unknown. 2. In order to identify the genetic basis and molecular characteristics of tile-grey plumage, this experiment investigated variations of melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene in Yunnan Piao chickens with typical tile-grey plumage characteristics in contrast with three Yunnan local breeds as well as two standard breeds with different plumage colour, and analysed the association between genic variation and tile-grey plumage. 3. Through sequencing and comparison of the entire coding region of the MC1R gene, a total of 10 SNP loci were detected, of which eight were non-synonymous mutations that cause amino acid changes. The gene frequency and genotype frequency of the MC1R mutation sites in different breeds and different plumage colour groups revealed that C69T, T212C and A274G were significantly associated with tile-grey plumage. Eighteen haplotypes of the MC1R gene were constructed based on 10 nucleotide variations and eight amino acid variations. Haplotype distribution and the median joining network in breeds and plumage colour groups revealed a main haplotype (hap2) for tile-grey plumage. Hap2 is unique to the tile-grey feather of Piao chicken, and the individuals carrying this haplotype account for 62.96% of the whole tile-grey chicken. 4. The results of this study are of significance for further analysis of the molecular basis of tile-grey plumage and the selective breeding of tile-grey plumage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of alleviating burst release of electrospun bead-on-string nanofiber scaffolds loaded with protein particles was evaluated, including an investigation of the influence of the beads number on the release profile. Bovine serum albumin–loaded dextran particles were used as the model drug and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) as the polymer to fabricate the bead-on-string nanofiber scaffolds by electrospinning. Both the bead structure and the distribution of the particles in the beads were examined by scanning electron, transmission electron, and fluorescence microscopy. The results of fluorescence microscopy suggested that the particles were well encapsulated by the beads of the fibers. In vitro release tests showed that a more sustainable release profile with less initial burst release could be obtained from the bead-on-string fibers than from smooth fibers with uniform diameter. In addition, when the number of the forming beads was not numerous enough to encapsulate all the particles in the suspensions, the release performance worsened because the surplus particles were not properly encapsulated. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, a two-dimensional damage model and its numerical solution are presented by means of fast Fourier transforms for anisotropic composite. First, the constitutive relation with damage variable is given from strain energy density based on the two-dimensional constitutive relation of anisotropic composites. Second, the crack growth principle is given according to maximum K criterion. Finally, a numerical solution can be obtained using the fast Fourier transforms method. Numerical examples of carbon-fibre unidirectional reinforced resin matrix composite are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A liquid material identification system based on electrical capacitance tomography technique is proposed. The structure of the sensor is discussed, and the parameters of designed capacitance tomography technique sensor are listed. The key parameters affecting the sensor performance and sensitivities are analysed. The performances of the sensor are simulated by COMSOL, and the practical performance of the capacitance tomography technique sensor is demonstrated in the experiments. The image reconstruction results are given which indicate the feasibility of the capacitance tomography technique system applied in liquid material identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We show evidence that a structural martensitic transition is related to significant changes in the electronic structure, as revealed in thermodynamic measurements made in high magnetic fields. The effect of the magnetic field is considered unusual as many influential investigations of martensitic transitions have emphasized that the structural transitions are primarily lattice dynamical and are driven by the entropy due to the phonons. We provide a theoretical framework, which can be used to describe the effect of the magnetic field on the lattice dynamics in which the field dependence originates from the dielectric constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A printed toothbrush-shaped antenna is proposed for millimeter wave communication. The designed antenna features with a compact size is 7 × 10 mm2, and satisfies the VSWR requirement less than 2.0 in the frequency band from 32 GHz to more than 38 GHz. Simulated and measured results for main parameters such as return loss, impedance bandwidth, and radiation patterns are also discussed herein. The study shows that modeling of such antennas, with simplicity in designing and feeding, can well meet millimeter-wave wireless communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new phenyl esters, named as euosmoside A ( 1 ) and euosmoside B ( 2 ), have been isolated from the leaves and twigs of Litsea euosma . Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]