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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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)/polypropylene (PP) blend films in various blending ratios containing 3000 mg kg−1 of tocopherol were manufactured by an extrusion process. Tocopherol release properties were characterised and correlated with antioxidant effectiveness in retarding the oxidation of linoleic acid contacting the films at 40°C. The conditions without tocopherol (control) and with instant tocopherol addition corresponding to the amount included in the films were also prepared and compared with the film-contacting solutions. The effect of tocopherol inclusion and the blending ratio on their physical properties was also examined. A wide range of tocopherol diffusivity in 6.6 × 10−16–4.6 × 10−14 m2 s−1 were obtained by blend films. As PP content increases, the diffusivity decreased sharply at the beginning and levelled off later. The slower release of tocopherol in LDPE/PP blend films corresponding to lower tocopherol diffusivity retained the higher tocopherol concentration in the linoleic acid system providing better antioxidant effectiveness of the extended induction period in oxidation. The tocopherol inclusion reduced tensile strength and transparency significantly in an affordable range with higher tensile strength given by a higher PP ratio. LDPE/PP blending can be a useful tool to modulate the release profile of tocopherol and thus the antioxidant effectiveness of the tocopherol-incorporated antioxidant packaging film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic deformation behavior of Au/Cu multilayers with individual layer thicknesses of 25-250 nm was investigated via microindentation experiments. It was found that plastic instability of the Au/Cu multilayer exhibits strong length scale (individual layer thickness and grain size) dependence. The smaller the length scale, the easier shear bands form. In other words, plastic deformation becomes unstable with decreasing length scale. Cross-sectional observation along with plan-view indicates that the occurrence of plastic deformation instability corresponds to transformation of the deformation mechanism associated with geometrical configuration and length scale of the material. At nanometer scale, buckling-assisted interface crossing of dislocations results in local shear band, while, at submicron scale or above, local dislocation pileup-induced interface offset leads to plastic instability. Theoretical analysis is conducted to understand the length scale-dependent plastic deformation behavior of the multilayer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A triangle arrayed tri-screw extruder (TATSE) is a new-style extruder that has a special structure different from a twin screw extruder. Three-dimensional and non-isothermal flow in TATSE was simulated by using the finite element method. The temperature distribution, power consumption and productivity ratio in TATSE at various rotational speeds, screw flight number, pressure difference and flow rate were studied especially. Comparison and analysis of power consumption and productivity ratio between twin screw extruder (TSE), parallel arranged tri-screw extruder (PATSE) and TATSE were carried out. The results show that the mixing and power characteristics of TATSE are better than those of TSE and PATSE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the results of the study on first Vilsmeier-Haack synthesis of Flavones with the use of bis-(Trichloromethyl) carbonate/dimethylformamide. It states that flavones are a class of naturally occurring compounds that has several biological activities. It mentions that the Vilmeier-Haack reaction was initially applied for the formulation of activated aromatic substances and carbonyl compounds. It notes that it is applied as a powerful synthetic tool for the structure of many heterocyclic compounds that includes indoles, pyridines, and quinazoline derivatives.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of an increase in the intensity of rehabilitation on the functional outcome of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design and methods: Sixty-eight patients (age 12-65 years) with moderate-to-severe TBI were included. They were randomized into high (4-hour/day) or control (2-hour/day) intensity rehabilitation programmes at an average of 20 days after the injury. The programmes ended when the patients achieved independence in daily activities or when 6 months had passed. Outcome and results: No significant differences were found in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) (primary outcome) and Neurobehavioural Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE) total scores between the two groups. There were significantly more patients in the high intensity group than in the control group who achieved a maximum FIM total score at the third month (47% vs. 19%, p = 0.015) and a maximum Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) score at the second (28% vs. 8%, p = 0.034) and third months (34% vs. 14%, p = 0.044). Conclusions: Early intensive rehabilitation may improve the functional outcome of patients with TBI in the early months post-injury and hence increase the chance of their returning to work early. Intensive rehabilitation in this study speeded up recovery rather than changed the final outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The flow of polyethylene melt in new tri-screw extruder was simulated using the finite element method (FEM). A special study of flow in central region was performed by analysis of the velocity, pressure, and resident time distribution (RTD). The extrusion characteristics of tri-screw extruder, namely the abilities of material conveying, mixing, and power consumption, were compared with those of twin screw extruder. The results showed that there was circumfluence in central region but no stagnation in it. Tri-screw extruder had better operative abilities and high productivity ratio than twin screw extruder in the aspect of material conveying and mixing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bile acids are natural compounds that play an important biological role in the body. They are candidates of choice as building blocks of biocompatible and degradable polymers. Bile acids have been incorporated into biodegradable polymeric structures as pendant moieties on natural polymers, such as dextran and chitosan, and as the core component of the backbone of synthetic polymers and dendrimers. In the two latter cases, linkage of the repeating units relies on anhydride, ester or amide bonds. Owing to the rigidity of the steroidal polycyclic backbone and the amphiphilic properties of bile acids, materials based on these compounds can display interesting tunable properties. Therefore, biodegradable polymers based on bile acids are of particular interest to the fields of drug delivery, where their amphiphilic properties can be used to encapsulate drugs, and tissue engineering, where their rigid steroidal backbone make them good candidates for controlling the mechanical properties of the materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new sesquiterpene isocyanide, 3-oxo-axisonitrile-3 (1), with a spiro [5,6] decane skeleton (spiroaxane) together with a known related sesquiterpene isonitrile (2), sesquiterpene isothiocyanates (3–8) and two diterpene isonitriles (9, 10) have been isolated from the Chinese marine sponge Acanthella sp. The structure of 1 has been determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical analysis for laminar flow in the microchannels of arbitrary shape in slip flow regime is presented in this article. The momentum equations with the first-order slip, the second-order slip, and the thermal creep flow boundary conditions are solved by applying a computation-oriented method of the orthonormal function analysis for the fully developed laminar flow of the incompressible fluid in the microchannels. The dimensionless velocity profile and the friction factor are theoretically predicted for a microchannel of arbitrary shape. To justify the methodology, the friction factor of gas flowing in the rectangular microchannel is calculated and compared with the experimental data. The good agreement between analytic solutions and experimental data shows that within a definite extension of Knudsen number, the traditional Navier–Stokes equations with the slip boundary conditions can govern the gaseous slip flow mechanisms in microchannels, and the orthonormal function method is applicable to solve the momentum equation with the slip flow boundary condition in the microchannel of arbitrary shape. It is found from the theoretical predictions that the slip velocity of fluid on the microchannel wall increases as the Kn number increases, and the friction coefficient is substantially smaller for slip flow compared with the no-slip flow. The aspect ratio of a microchannel has a remarkable effect on the dimensionless drag coefficient at a fixed Kn number in the rectangular microchannels. The friction coefficient for the second-order slip boundary condition is greater than that for the first-order slip boundary condition, and the thermal creep flow on the microchannel wall tends to increase the friction coefficient in the microchannel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of novel tetrahedral heterometal cluster enantiomers have been separated on cellulose tris-(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) stationary phase by high performance liquid chromatography, using hexane as the mobile phase with various alcohols as modifiers. The chromatographic parameters, retention factors (k), separation factors (α), and resolution factors (Rs) of all solutes were presented. The influence of the mobile phase composition on the enantioselectivity has been discussed, and the effect of structural variation of the solutes on their enantioseparation was also investigated and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to provide additional understanding of the long-term evolution of water quality in the Pearl River estuary and Hong Kong coastal areas by monitoring the ocean colour from remote sensing images. The extensively inter-connected river network of Pearl River estuary has a large catchment area and its environmental deterioration due to rapid economic growth is significant. The data received by Landsat satellites, over a time period of more than 20 years, were used to evaluate the evolution of water clarity. The study shows the historical varying of sea colour in these areas and image processing methods for extracting the ocean colour features of Landsat images are suggested. The algorithm of 'Gradient Transition' was used to calibrate the result images and the comparing method was used to process and analyse remote sensing images of Case 2 water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a theoretical analysis for laminar flow and heat transfer between two parallel plates with a microspace under unsymmetrical wall heat flux in the slip flow regime. The momentum and energy equations with the boundary conditions of slip velocity and temperature jump are solved for the hydraulic and thermal fully developed laminar flow of the incompressible fluid in this microchannel. The influences of the Kn number, the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient, and the thermal accommodation coefficient on the temperature profile and the heat transfer characteristics are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of intensive rehabilitation on the functional outcome in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), we carried out a randomized controlled assessor-blind trial, comparing two groups of patients receiving different intensities of rehabilitation treatment (2 versus 4 h per day). Patients with moderate and severe TBI, aged from 12 to 65 years, were included. Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and Functional Independent Measurement (FIM) were assessed monthly. The interim results of 36 cases showed that there was a trend of more patients in the study group achieving full FIM scores, and good GOS at 2 and 3 months, but the control group appeared to be catching up towards 6 months. Intensive rehabilitation may improve the early functional outcome of TBI patients. The interim results indicate that the study should be continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a systematic study of two series of carbosilane liquid crystalline (LC) dendrimers from first to fifth generations bearing 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 terminal chiral mesogenic groups, respectively. All the LC dendrimers synthesized are characterized by the same glass transition temperature around -5°C. It has been shown that the LC dendrimers of the lower generations (G-1-G-3) form a ferroelectric SmC* phase over a very broad temperature range up to about 180°C, while the LC dendrimers of the higher generations (G-4 and G-5) display a rectangular columnar mesophase (Col[sub r]). Schemes of packing in the SmC* and Col[sub r] mesophases formed by the LC dendrimers are suggested and discussed. Electrical measurements on the ferroelectric LC dendrimers have shown that an increase in generation number leads to a decrease in the value of the spontaneous polarization and an increase in switching time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of commercial sweet corn hybrids [sugary (su1), shrunken or 'supersweet' (sh2) and sugary enhancer (se1)] were silk channel inoculated in 1996 and 1997 with a macroconidial suspension of Fusarium graminearum to determine how early the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol accumulates in kernels. Disease symptoms rapidly developed on all hybrids and were apparent 4 days after inoculation. Symptoms stabilized by 28 days after inoculation. Toxin levels were greater than 1 mu g/g in kernels as early as 2 weeks after silk emergence and rapidly increased to extremely high levels. Susceptibility in all hybrids decreased as the silk dried out. Deoxynivalenol concentrations were correlated to disease severity. There was some indication that the sh2 genotype was more susceptible than the su1 or se1 genotypes. These results suggest that improvement needs to be made in sweet corn with respect to resistance to gibberella ear rot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat exchanger networks (HEN) play important roles in a chemical plant. In a plant lifetime, it may be required to retrofit a HEN several times in order to improve the energy efficiency or to accommodate the increase in throughput. The network pinch method developed by Asante and Zhu [1] can identify bottlenecks, which limit the increase in heat recovery for an existing HEN and also indicate promising structure changes to overcome the bottlenecks. As a result of HEN retrofit, additional surface area is required for some heat exchangers. There are a number of options to provide additional area, such as installing new shells or new units, adding new tubes to an existing bundle, etc. If heat transfer enhancement (HTE) is applied, additional area can be reduced significantly. This can result in a great reduction in capital cost and implementation time for modifications. However, in practice, heat transfer enhancement techniques have not been applied extensively, particularly in the petroleum refining industry. Several main aspects need to be addressed when HTE is taken into consideration for HEN retrofit. The first is how to determine which heat exchangers are suitable to apply HTE in the network and the second issue is to determine what level of augmentation of heat transfer performances is required. The last is about how to select a particular enhancement technique that can fulfil the enhancement requirement. A new strategy for applying HTE in HEN retrofit at the conceptual design stage has been developed. The above issues can be addressed properly by this new method. The new procedure is demonstrated using a case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which proposed an approximate formulation for calculating the scattered field from a three-dimensional narrow crack in a ground plane illuminated by a plane wave. Quasi-static approximation; Description of the dominant traveling wave mode and the second traveling-wave mode; Conclusion.

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

The electronics industry is a major business in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP). Particulate samples and 11 water-soluble ionic species in the particulate phase were measured by ionic chromatography (IC). Additionally, acid and base gases were sampled by denuder absorption and analyzed by IC. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were collected in stainless-steel canisters four times daily and analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Ozone formation potential (OFP) was measured using maximum increment reactivity. In addition, airborne pollutants during (1) construction and (2) mass production were measured. Particulate matter concentration did not increase significantly near the optoelectronic plant during construction, but it was higher than during mass production. SO2, HNO2 and NH3 were the dominant gases in the denuder absorption system. Nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium ions predominated both in PM2.5 and PM10-2.5; but calcium ion concentration was significantly higher in PM10-2.5 samples during construction. Toluene, propane, isopentane, and n-butane may have come from vehicle exhaust. Construction equipment emitted high concentrations of ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and toluene. During mass production, methyl ethyl ketone), acetone and ethyl acetate were significantly higher than during construction, although there was continuous rain. The aromatic group constituted > 50% of the VOC concentration totals and contributed >70% of OFP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal visbreaking of inner Mongolia oil sand bitumen was conducted at several temperatures for different lengths of time in the laboratory. The viscosity of the thermally-treated oil was reduced dramatically with thermal treatment under the condition of adding 0.3 wt% anti-coking agent, the oil sand bitumen reacting at 410°C and 45 min. The kinematic viscosity (100°C) of visbreaking oil is reduced to 138.25 mm2·s-1 and the qualities of it are conformed to 7# Chinese Standard for Fuel Oil, which can directly be regarded as product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the immune effect of turtle shell extract on normal and cyclophosphamide (CP)-treated mice was determined. Mice treated with the turtle shell extract and CP had significantly (p<0.05) elevated levels of serum IgG, ATL, ATS and CREA compared with CP-treated mice. The turtle shell extract-treated mice had significantly elevated serum IgG (p<0.001), reduced serum CREA level (p<0.05), but the serum ATL, ATS and BUN did not change significantly compared with normal mice. Treatment with the turtle shell extract significantly improved the CD3+, CD4+CD8-, CD4-CD8+ and CD4+CD8+ cells percentages (p<0.05) in normal mice, and also significantly improved CD3+ and CD4+CD8- cells percentages in CP-treated mice (p<0.05). There was significant difference (p<0.001) in the proliferation rate of PHA-stimulated spleen lymphocyte in vitro between the turtle shell extract + CP-treated mice and CP-treated mice, and also between the turtle shell extract-treated mice and normal mice (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that the turtle shell extract can up-regulate the immune states of normal and CP-treated mice, and shows some protective effect on liver and kidney damage in CP-induced mice. [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]