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Occupant comfort mode in wind-induced vibration was proposed and studied based on fuzzy probability method (FPM). First, the predictions of the comfort mode were compared with the studies of other researchers to verify the reliability of the method proposed in this paper. Second, vibration comfort of 4 types of buildings was investigated and assessed respectively with the proposed mode. Third, parameters of influencing the occupant comfort, such as coefficient of variation and membership function (MF), were discussed, and optimal results were found. Finally, application of the comfort mode was investigated with a true super tall building. This study shows that the FPM is a feasible and reliable way of establishing the occupant comfort mode, and good predictions can be obtained, especially for FPM with MF1 and MF2. The quantitative story and total comfort ratios can be evaluated effectively for tall buildings in wind excitation. The proposed occupant comfort mode based on FPM provides a new and reliable way of investigating the comfort ratio of tall buildings quantifying vibration comfort and guiding structural comfort design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiologic evidence has shown inconsistent findings regarding the relationships between abdominal fatness, as measured by waist circumferences (WC) or waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and risks of pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer (BC). A dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies was conducted to address these issues. Potentially eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed and EMBASE databases, and by carefully reviewing the bibliographies of retrieved publications and related reviews. The summary relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a random-effects model. When the most fully adjusted RRs were combined, both WC (14 studies, RR per 10-cm increase = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04-1.09, I2 = 29.9%) and WHR (15 studies, RR per 0.1-unit increase = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01-1.14, I2 = 52.9%) were significantly positively associated with postmenopausal BC, but neither WC (eight studies, RR per 10-cm increase = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.99-1.10, I2 = 0%) nor WHR (11 studies, RR per 0.1-unit increase = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.95-1.21, I2 = 59.7%) were associated with premenopausal BC. The WHR-postmenopausal BC association lost statistical significance after correcting publication bias (RR per 0.1-unit increase = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99-1.13). When considering BMI-adjusted RRs, WC was associated with both pre- (five studies, RR per 10-cm increase = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.02-1.16, I2 = 0%) and postmenopausal BC (seven studies, RR per 10-cm increase = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.08, I2 = 6.3%), whereas WHR was not associated with either pre- (seven studies, RR per 0.1-unit increase = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.94-1.34, I2 = 70.9%) or postmenopausal BC (eight studies, RR per 0.1-unit increase = 1.05, 95% CI: 0.98-1.13, I2 = 57.3%). Among non-current (former or never) users of hormone replacement therapy, the summary RR per 10-cm increase of postmenopausal BC associated with WC was 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03-1.05, I2 = 69.2%, seven studies; BMI-adjusted RR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.09, I2 = 22.8%, four studies). This meta-analysis indicates that central obesity measured by WC, but not by WHR, is associated with modestly increased risks of both pre- and postmenopausal BC independent of general obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the flow distribution in a planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack with external manifolds is investigated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. Three dimensional external manifold models are constructed for a SOFC stack composed of 24 cells. CFD simulations with air as operating gas are implemented for two types of stacks with different inlet manifolds, including the manifold with three tube inlets (T-manifold) and the manifold with a gas chamber on top (C-manifold). The influences of different parameters such as channel resistance and gas feeding rate on flow distribution are studied. Modeling results indicate that the increase of channel resistance and a lower gas feeding rate can respectively improve the uniformity factor of Tmanifold and C-manifold from 0.963 to 0.995 and 0.989 to 0.998. For a given channel resistance, the pressure distribution in the inlet manifold plays a dominant role in the flow distribution. In addition, flow distribution in the stack with C-manifold is generally more uniform than the stack with Tmanifold. Furthermore, flow characteristics of the two type inlet manifolds are investigated by measuring velocity distribution of the gas at manifold outlets using a hot-wire anemometer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azoospermia factor ( AZF) microdeletions are the most frequent genetic cause of male infertility after Klinefelter's syndrome. Although some assisted reproductive techniques such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection ( ICSI) have been successfully introduced to clinical treatment for infertile males, the AZF microdeletions might be transmitted from infertile fathers to their male offspring during these procedures. Thus, it is important to carefully evaluate AZF microdeletions in infertile males before assisted reproductive techniques are performed. In this article, we aimed to investigate the frequencies of AZF microdeletions in 137 infertile males with azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia from Jilin province of China and analyse the relationship between the levels of reproductive hormones and AZF microdeletions. Result analysis showed that AZF microdeletions were present in 8 (8.70%) azoospermic males and 3 (6.67%) severely oligozoospermic males. The most frequent microdeletions were detected in the AZFc region, followed by AZFb + c, AZFb and AZFa. And there was no significant correlation between the AZF microdeletion and the levels of reproductive hormones. These findings reinforce the necessity of AZF microdeletion testing among infertile males prior to employment of assisted reproduction techniques in Jilin province of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because the sources of fine-grained sediment problems in river systems are diffuse, it is essential to assemble catchment scale information for informing management strategies. Sediment source-tracing procedures have increasingly been adopted in this respect. Accordingly, a recently refined composite tracing procedure was used to investigate contemporary sources of fine-grained channel bed sediment in 11 sub-catchments (364 km2) of the River Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment, in the eastern UK. The procedure incorporated a combination of statistical tests for discriminating source end members, plus numerical mass balance modelling incorporating weightings for within-source tracer variations and tracer-specific discriminatory power, as well as a combination of local and genetic algorithm optimisation coupled with Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis. Replicate Monte Carlo runs demonstrated the convergence of the modelling outputs within ±1% of the average medians. Relative frequency-weighted average median source type contributions were estimated to range between 27%-69% (agricultural topsoils; predicted deviate median inputs 0%-98% and 9%-100%), 0%-38% (damaged road verges; predicted deviate median inputs 0%-58% and 0%-100%) and 21%-48% (channel banks/subsurface sources; predicted deviate median inputs 0%-50% and 4%-50%). The study provides further evidence of the importance of channel banks and damaged road verges as sediment sources and the need to include such areas in catchment sediment management strategies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable information on catchment scale suspended sediment sources is required to inform the design of management strategies for helping abate the numerous environmental issues associated with enhanced sediment mobilization and off-site loadings. Since sediment fingerprinting techniques avoid many of the logistical constraints associated with using more traditional indirect measurement methods at catchment scale, such approaches have been increasingly reported in the international literature and typically use data sets collected specifically for sediment source apportionment purposes. There remains scope for investigating the potential for using geochemical data sets assembled by routine monitoring programmes to fingerprint sediment provenance. In the United States, routine water quality samples are collected as part of the US Geological Survey's revised National Stream Quality Accounting Network programme. Accordingly, the geochemistry data generated from these samples over a 10-year period (1996-2006) were used as the basis for a fingerprinting exercise to assess the key tributary sub-catchment spatial sources of contemporary suspended sediment transported by the Ohio River. Uncertainty associated with the spatial source estimates was quantified using a Monte Carlo approach in conjunction with mass balance modelling. Relative frequency weighted means were used as an alternative way of summarizing the spatial source contributions, thereby avoiding the need to use confidence limits. The results should be interpreted in the context of the routine, but infrequent nature, of the suspended sediment samples used to assemble geochemistry as a basis for the sourcing exercise. Nonetheless, the study demonstrates how routine monitoring samples can be used to provide some preliminary information on sediment provenance in large drainage basins. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 5 figures and 3 tables The inheritance of heading date (HD) in rice was investigated using a set of lines in which chromosome segments of the photoperiod‐ and temperature‐sensitive male sterile line Peiai 64S had been incorporated into a genetic background of the cv. 9311. The flowering time of each line was contrasted with that of cv. 9311 in four distinct environments: natural long days (13.2–14.2 h photoperiod) and artificially shortened days (9 h photoperiod) at Nanjing; and natural (low) temperature and enhanced temperature at Hainan. A set of 21 heading date quantitative trait loci (QTL) was identified, covering eight of the 12 rice chromosomes, and their dependence on photoperiod and/or temperature was characterized. Two of the QTL were photoperiod‐sensitive, and eight were insensitive; while two were temperature‐sensitive and four insensitive; the remaining five QTL were independent of both temperature and photoperiod. Based on its segregation in an F2 population bred from the cross CSSL C053 ×  cv. 9311, the temperature‐ and photoperiod‐insensitive QTL qHd‐8‐4 was mapped within a segment of chromosome 8 flanked by the SSR marker RM22469 (1.9 cM) and RM72 (2.4 cM). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of domestic horses in China, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequence diversity from nine horse breeds in China in conjunction with ancient DNA data and evidence from archaeological and historical records. A 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequence from 182 modern samples revealed a total of 70 haplotypes with a high level of genetic diversity. Seven major mtDNA haplogroups (A–G) and 16 clusters were identified for the 182 Chinese modern horses. In the present study, nine 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequences of ancient remains of Bronze Age horse from the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia in China ( c. 4000–2000abp) were used to explore the origin and diversity of Chinese modern horses and the phylogenetic relationship between ancient and modern horses. The nine ancient horses carried seven haplotypes with rich genetic diversity, which were clustered together with modern individuals among haplogroups A, E and F. Modern domestic horse and ancient horse data support the multiple origins of domestic horses in China. This study supports the argument that multiple successful events of horse domestication, including separate introductions of wild mares into the domestic herds, may have occurred in antiquity, and that China cannot be excluded from these events. Indeed, the association of Far Eastern mtDNA types to haplogroup F was highly significant using Fisher’s exact test of independence ( P = 0.00002), lending support for Chinese domestication of this haplogroup. High diversity and all seven mtDNA haplogroups (A–G) with 16 clusters also suggest that further work is necessary to shed more light on horse domestication in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitric oxide (NO) is an endogenous signalling molecule implicated in a growing number of plant processes and has been recognised as a plant hormone. The present research employed spinach plant ( Spinacia oleracea cv. Huangjia) and closed growth chambers to investigate the effects of gaseous NO application on vegetable production in greenhouses. Treatment of low concentration of NO gas (ambient atmosphere with 200 nL L−1 NO gas) significantly increased the shoot biomass of the soil-cultivated plants as compared with the control treatment (ambient atmosphere). In addition, the NO treatment also increased the photosynthetic rate of leaves, indicating that the enhancement of photosynthesis is an important reason leading to more biomass accumulation induced by NO gas. Furthermore, the NO treatment decreased nitrate concentration but increased the concentrations of soluble sugar, protein, antioxidants (vitamin C, glutathione and flavonoids), and ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) in shoots of the plants grown in soil, suggesting that the gaseous NO treatment can not only increase vegetable production but also improve vegetable quality. In addition, the effects of the combined application of NO and CO2 (NO 200 nL L−1 and CO2 800 μL L−1) on shoot biomass was even greater than the effects of elevated CO2 (CO2 800 μL L−1) or the NO treatment alone, implying that gaseous NO treatment can be used in CO2-elevated greenhouses as an effective strategy in improving vegetable production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The silkworm has become an ideal multicellular eukaryotic model system for basic research. The major advantages of expressing foreign genes in silkworm larvae are the low cost of feeding, the extremely high levels of expression achievable compared with expression in cell lines and increased safety because the baculovirus is noninfectious to vertebrates. In this study, we used a recently developed Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) bacmid to express the spider flagelliform silk gene in silkworm larvae. The recombinant bacmid baculoviruses (rBacmid/BmNPV/Flag) were introduced into the first-day larvae of the fifth instar by subcutaneous injection. The worms presented symptoms typical of NPV infection from 72 h after injection compared with control. The haemolymph was collected from the infected larvae 120 h post-infection and the recombinant 6× His-tagged Flag protein was purified by the Ni-NTA spin kit under denaturing conditions with 8 m urea. A 37.0-kDa protein was visualized both in rBacmid/BmNPV/Flag-infected haemolymph and eluting fraction. The results showed that the Bac-to-Bac/BmNPV baculovirus expression system is an efficient tool to express the target gene in silkworm larvae, which takes only 7–10 days for generating recombinant baculovirus, compared with the traditional homologous recombination method, which needs at least 40 days for multiple rounds of purification and amplification of viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Destetrapeptide insulin (DTI, human insulin with B27±30 removed) was obtained from a monomeric precursor (MIP) expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through tryptic transpeptidation in the presence of synthetic tetrapeptide Gly-Phe-Phe-Tyr. The in vivo biological activity of DTI, determined by mouse convulsion assay, is 22 IU/mg. Its binding activity with insulin receptor on human placental membrane is 80% and its in vitro biological activity, determined by free fat cell assay, is 77%. Compared with native insulin, DTI molecules do not associate in solution but exist in the monomeric form, thus leading to its rapid utilization in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on radiation hybrid mapping and gene sequence analysis on porcine chromosome. Porcine genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from ear samples of pigs representing four breeds. DNA pools were sequenced from each of the 21 genes that was put into sample. Furthermore, polymorphisms identified in the sequences were given ambiguity codes.