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A multi-wavelength Brillouin-Raman random fiber laser (BRRFL) with wavelength spacing of double Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) has been proposed for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. This BRRFL has an extremely simple full-open cavity configuration made up of only one roll of fiber, where bidirectional stimulated Raman/Brillouin scattering (SRS/SBS) and Rayleigh scattering based random distributed feedback coexist. In order to further enhance the performance of the BRRFL, a combination of erbium-doped fiber amplifier and single-mode fiber is incorporated into one side for random lasing regeneration. Both the side-mode suppression ratio (SSR) and order number of generated Brillouin Stokes lines (BSLs) show some improvements. A total of 66 BSLs with double BFS spacing has been obtained. Furthermore, the demonstrated laser system offers a wide tunable range with excellent flatness of spectral envelope. The proposed laser featuring simple structure and double BFS spacing would enable promising potentials in optical communication and sensing systems.

Background The eosinophil (Eo) activation is a crucial factor evoking allergic rhinitis (AR) attacks; factors; the mechanism of triggering Eo activation remains to be further investigated. The interaction of antigen (Ag) and antibody plays a critical role in evoking allergy attacks. This study aims to elucidate the role of FcγRI, the high affinity receptor of IgG, in the Ag-mediated Eo activation. Methods Nasal lavage fluids (NLF) were collected from AR patients and healthy control (HC) subjects. Eos were isolated by flow cytometry cell sorting and analyzed by pertinent immunological approaches. Results Eos composed more than 60% of the cellular components in AR NLF. Exposure to specific Ags (sAgs) in the culture triggered Eos to release inflammatory mediators. High levels of FcγRI were detected on the surface of AR NLF Eos. Exposure to lipopolysaccharide markedly increased the FcγRI expression in naive Eos, which could be bound by Ag-specific IgG (sIgG) to form complexes on the surface of Eos; this made Eos at the sensitized status. Eos bore with the sIgG/FcγRI complexes could be activated upon exposure to sIgG in the culture; these Eos can be designated as Ag-specific Eos. Passive transfer of Ag-specific Eos resulted in profound AR response in mice upon sAg challenge. Depletion of FcγRI on Eos efficiently abolished AR response in mice. Conclusions AR Eos express high levels FcγRI, that can be bound by sIgG to make Eos sensitized. Re-exposure to specific Ags can activate the sensitized Eos.

Background Skewed T helper (Th)2 response plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. The therapeutic efficacy for allergic diseases is unsatisfactory currently. This study aims to regulate the skewed Th2 response with CARsomes. Methods The CARsome consisted of an epitope of Dermatophagoides farina-1 (Derf1), a segment of the anti-DEC205 antibody, the scFv, and an open reading frame of perforin. This fusion protein binds to DEC205 molecule on the surface of exosomes derived from dendritic cells (DC). The effects of CARsome on inducing antigen (Ag)-specific Th2 cell apoptosis were assessed both in vivo and in vitro. Results Exposure to CARsomes in the culture induced Ag-specific Th2 cell apoptosis. Injection of CARsomes through the vein puncture also induced Ag-specific Th2 cell apoptosis in the lungs of sensitized mice. CARsomes could induce Ag-specific regulatory T cells. Administration of CARsomes efficiently inhibited experimental allergic airway inflammation. Conclusions The CARsomes can inhibit allergic airway inflammation by inducing Ag-specific Th2 cell apoptosis and induce Ag-specific regulatory T cells. The data suggest that CARsomes have the translational potential to be used to treat allergic airway inflammation.

The etiology of inflammatory bowel disease is multifactorial and still obscure. The protective role of ubiquitin E3 ligase A20 (A20) in colitis needs to be further elucidated. This study aimed to investigate whether A20 exogenous administration restored impaired intestinal permeability and inhibited T helper (Th)2 response in mice with colitis. The effect of A20 overexpression in colonic mucosa on epithelial barrier function and T cell differentiation was evaluated in mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced chronic colitis. A20 rectal treatment alleviated DSS-induced chronic colitis and restored impaired intestinal permeability. Oral challenge with 2% DSS elicited a Th2-type response in mice with colitis, and A20 rectal treatment inhibited CD4+ interleukin (IL)-4+ T cell differentiation and proliferation. In addition, the RNA expressions of Th2-related costimulatory molecular T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM)-1 and IL-4 were suppressed, while thrombospondin (TSP)-1 and interferon (IFN)-γ expressions were upregulated, after A20 rectal administration. A20 rectal treatment restores impaired intestinal permeability and inhibits activated Th2 cell response in mice with colitis.

Dysfunction of immune regulatory cells has been recognized in a variety of immune diseases; the underlying mechanism remains to be further investigated. This study aims to investigate the critical role of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signal in the maintenance of function of regulatory T cells (Tregs). In this study, Tregs were isolated from patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and healthy control (HC) subjects. The role of TLR signal in the maintenance of Treg's function was tested with experiments of cell culture and an AR mouse model. We observed that the immune suppressive function of AR Treg (Tregs isolated from AR patients) was impaired, although the number of peripheral AR Treg was comparable with HC Treg. Expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was lower in AR Tregs than that in HC Tregs that was positively correlated with expression of Mal in Tregs; the latter was lower in AR Tregs as compared to HC Tregs. TGF-β mRNA in Tregs decayed spontaneously in the culture. Activation of Mal counteracted TGF-β decay and maintained the Treg's immune regulatory function. Mal bound Tristetraprolin (TTP) to prevent TTP from inducing TGF-β mRNA decay. Absence of TLR signals resulted in Treg dysfunctional and worsened experimental AR response in a murine model. In conclusion, TLR signal is required in the maintenance of Treg function. Absence of TLR signal may result in Treg dysfunction and immune intolerance.

A portable micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer with Laser Displacement Sensor (LDS) is reported in this paper. Due to irregular or curved surface of archaeological object, the distances between the irradiation spot of sample and exit of polycapillary X-ray optics can vary. In this paper, we employed a LDS in our portable micro-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer to control the distances between the irradiation spot on the sample and the exit of polycapillary X-ray optics in order to decrease the errors caused by the irregular or curved surfaces of samples. In order to test this spectrometer, elemental mapping analyses were carried on with and without LDS on an irregular colored glaze of a piece of curved ancient porcelain, the height difference of two parts of ancient porcelain being nearly 5 mm. From the results, it can be concluded that this spectrometer has potential application prospects in measuring irregular or curved surface of samples.

Photoacoustic imaging is a new non-destructive medical imaging technology based on photoacoustic effect. It can reflect the difference of light absorption energy by detecting photoacoustic signal. At present, the analysis methods of photoacoustic signals in biological tissues can be divided into two categories, namely, time-domain analysis of signals and frequency-domain analysis of signals. In time domain analysis, the envelope of the received photoacoustic signal is usually used to reconstruct the image. However, due to the influence of various external factors, the time domain signal cannot accurately reflect the characteristics of the absorber itself. Here, photoacoustic spectrum analysis was performed by using k-Wave to obtains the relationship between the structure, size, density of the absorber and the photoacoustic spectrum. Firstly, the relationship between the size of absorber and the photoacoustic spectrum is studied, and the slope and intercept are used to analyze the spectrum. Conversely, the relationship was used to predict the size of the absorber Finally, we used this relationship to predict the size of blood vessels.

Photoacoustic imaging is a new non-destructive medical imaging technology based on photoacoustic effect. It can reflect the difference of light absorption energy by detecting photoacoustic signal. At present, the analysis methods of photoacoustic signals in biological tissues can be divided into two categories, namely, time-domain analysis of signals and frequency-domain analysis of signals. In time domain analysis, the envelope of the received photoacoustic signal is usually used to reconstruct the image. However, due to the influence of various external factors, the time domain signal cannot accurately reflect the characteristics of the absorber itself. Here, photoacoustic spectrum analysis was performed by using k-Wave to obtains the relationship between the structure, size, density of the absorber and the photoacoustic spectrum. Firstly, the relationship between the size of absorber and the photoacoustic spectrum is studied, and the slope and intercept are used to analyze the spectrum. Conversely, the relationship was used to predict the size of the absorber Finally, we used this relationship to predict the size of blood vessels.

Heavy oil in-situ gasification technology (ISG) produces hydrogen by injecting air and water into the formation and chemically react with the heavy oil, which can efficiently exploit oil and gas resources in the form of clean energy. The pyrolysis reaction of crude oil is particularly important for this technology regarding hydrogen generation. In this research, the mechanisms of hydrogen generation from heavy oil pyrolysis were investigated based on the thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and mass spectrometer (MS). The experimental results show that the weight loss of heavy oil under 25–900 °C can be divided into two stages. The first stage is mainly the evaporation of light fractions, which corresponds to the physical stage. The second stage contains pyrolysis and coke dehydrogenation reactions, which is considered as the chemical stage. Also, the study indicates that the hydrogen generation occurs in both pyrolysis and coke dehydrogenation reactions, and 80% of hydrogen is generated from the coke dehydrogenation reaction with corresponding reaction temperature range of 528–820 °C. Furthermore, the kinetic parameters of heavy oil pyrolysis were obtained based on the distributed activation energy model (DAEM), where the apparent activation energy of the coke dehydrogenation reaction is greater than 350 kJ/mol, and the reaction frequency factor (k0) is greater than 2.83 × 1023 s−1. The reaction kinetic parameters obtained in this paper and the established law of hydrogen generation by heavy oil under thermal effect lay the foundation for further research on ISG technology.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Background: The eosinophilic inflammation plays a critical role in myocarditis (Mcd); its underlying mechanism remains to be further elucidated. This study aims to investigate the role of Bcl2-like protein 12 (Bcl2L12) in inducing the defects of apoptosis in eosinophils (Eos) of the heart tissues. Methods: Human explant heart samples were collected. Eosinophilia and myocarditis (Mcd)-like inflammation were induced in the mouse heart by immunizing with murine cardiac α-myosin heavy chain (MyHCα) peptides. Results: Markedly more Eos were observed in heart tissues from patients with Mcd than those from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. Eos isolated from Mcd hearts showed the signs of apoptosis defects. The Eo counts in the Mcd heart tissues were positively correlated with the Bcl2L12 expression in Eos isolated from the heart tissues. Exposure to interleukin 5 in the culture induced the expression of Bcl2L12 in Eos. Bcl2L12 bound c-Myc, the transcription factor of Fas ligand (FasL), to prevent c-Myc from binding to the FasL promoter, to restrict the FasL gene transcription in Eos. Inhibition of Bcl2L12 prevented the induction of eosinophilia and Mcd-like inflammation in the mouse heart. Conclusions: The Bcl2L12 expression contributes to apoptosis defects in Eos of the Mcd heart. Blocking Bcl2L12 prevents the eosinophilia induction and alleviates Mcd-like inflammation in mice.

Background Antigen (Ag)-specific T helper (Th)2 cells play a central role in food allergy (FA) pathogenesis. Methods can be used to eliminate Ag-specific Th2 cells that are currently lacking. This study aims to eliminate the Ag-specific Th2 cells with a novel nanoparticle, the mEV (modified extracellular vesicles, that carry a chimeric antigen peptide, MHC II and caspase 3) in a murine FA model. Methods mEVs were generated by exposing dendritic cells (DC) to ovalbumin (OVA, a specific Ag) and recombinant caspase 3 (Casp3) in the culture overnight. Exosomes were purified from culture supernatant by the magnetic antibody approach. A murine FA model was developed with OVA as the specific Ag. Results Purified mEVs had the molecular markers of extracellular vesicle, CD81, CD63, and CD9, cleaved Casp3 and MHC II/OVA complexes. mEVs specifically bound to the surface of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells, induced Ag-specific CD4+ T cell apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo as well as increased regulatory T cells in the intestinal tissues. Administration of mEV efficiently suppressed experimental FA. Conclusions mEVs carry Ag/MHC II complexes and Casp3, that can induce Ag-specific Th2 cell apoptosis. Administration of mEV can efficiently suppress experimental FA. The results suggest that the mEVs have the translational potential to be used in the treatment of FA and other allergic diseases.

Background and aims Radiotherapy is one of the major remedies for the treatment of cancer, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Radioresistance occurs very often in target cells that is a large drawback in cancer treated with radiotherapy. Livin involves the over-growth of cancer cells. This study aims to investigate the role of livin in the radioresistance formation in NPC cells. Methods NPC cell lines were exposed to small doses of irradiation to establish a cell model of radioresistance, in which the role of livin in the development of radioresistance was evaluated. Results The expression of livin was observed in NPC cells, which was significantly increased after exposing to small doses of irradiation. A negative correlation was detected between livin and Fas expression in NPC cells. Livin formed a complex with heat shock factor-1 (HSF1, the transcription factor of Fas) in NPC cells after irradiation, which sped up ubiquitination of HSF1. Livin was involved in suppressing Fas expression in NPC cells with radioresistance. Exposure to livin inhibitors prevented radioresistance development and overcame the established radioresistance in NPC cells. Conclusions Livin expression in NPC cells plays a critical role in the development of radioresistance. Depletion of livin increases the sensitiveness of NPC cells to irradiation. Target therapy against livin may have the translational potential for the treatment of NPC.

In order to more accurately evaluate the requirement-meeting situation and scalability of performance index of the information system based on the domestic software and hardware platform, this paper proposes a performance test method that integrates performance, margin, capacity and strength tests. The test result shows that the method is of guiding significance for evaluating the performance index of the system and exploring its boundary strength.

The Th2-biased inflammation and immune deregulation play a critical role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Recent studies indicate that the Bcl2-like protein 12 (Bcl2L12) is associated with immune deregulation of UC. This study aims to investigate the role of Bcl2L12 in the induction of aberrant Th2-biased inflammation. In this study, peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The Th2 cell activities were analyzed by flow cytometry, real-time quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blotting. Mice with Bcl2L12-knockout CD4+ T cells were used in the experiments. The results showed that the expression of Bcl2L12 was detected in peripheral CD4+ T cells, which was significantly higher in UC patients than in healthy subjects. A positive correlation between the expression of Bcl2L12 and Th2 cytokines was detected in CD4+ T cells from UC patients. Naive CD4+ T cells with Bcl2L12 overexpression were prone to differentiate into Th2 cells. Mice with Bcl2L12 deficiency failed to induce the Th2-biased inflammation in the intestine. Bcl2L12 bound GATA3 to form a complex to enhance the binding between GATA3 and the Il4 promoter to enhance the expression of IL-4 in CD4+ T cells. CD4+ T cells with Bcl2L12 overexpression were resistant to apoptosis. In conclusion, the Bcl2L12 is a critical factor in the induction of aberrant Th2 polarization by upregulating Th2 responses and downregulating Th2 cell apoptosis. Bcl2L12 may be a novel therapeutic target in the management of the disorders with Th2-biased inflammation.

This paper presents a novel hybrid time-to-digital converter (TDC) for high resolution and wide range time measurement, where a two-stage TDC cooperates with a two-step TDC. First the input time is roughly converted by a coarse-fine two-stage TDC to guarantee wide dynamic range and small quantization error. Then the residual time from the previous conversion is obtained by an extraction circuit and further quantified by a two-step TDC for ultra fine resolution, where the extracted residue is linearly enlarged by a time amplifier (TA), followed by adopting a tapped delay line with original gate delay resolution for measurement. The TA is regulated by delay-locked-loop (DLL) to keep its gain stable under process, voltage and temperature variations. Using full-custom approach, a test chip was designed and implemented in TSMC 0.35-m CMOS process. With an input reference clock of 100MHz, the proposed 13-bit hybrid TDC achieves a resolution of 320ps, a full range of 2.55s and a single-shot precision of 0.73 LSB. The DNL is less than 0.68 LSB and INL is within 1.23 LSB to 1.19 LSB.

Japanese consumers are still hesitant to purchase products from Fukushima, although 7 years have passed since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and these products are officially considered safe. In this study, we examined whether Japanese consumers have negative implicit attitudes toward agricultural and aquatic products from the Fukushima region and whether these attitudes are independent of their explicit attitudes. Japanese students completed an implicit association test and a questionnaire to assess their implicit and explicit attitudes toward products from Fukushima relative to another region. The results of two experiments reliably demonstrated that the public has negative implicit attitudes toward Fukushima products, whereas their explicit attitudes are consistently positive. These observations predominantly held for participants living close to Fukushima (Tokyo) as opposed to participants living far away (Hiroshima): Experiment 1 (n = 40). Furthermore, individual differences in aversion to germs contributed to the implicit attitudes; the implicit negative attitudes were attenuated among the participants with a relatively low aversion to germs: Experiment 2 (n = 60). These results suggest that the implicit attitudes associated with the behavioral immune system, which is conceptualized as a suite of psychological mechanisms designed to proactively resist pathogenic threats, may underlie the hesitation to purchase products from Fukushima., This study is supported by Japanese Psychological Association and Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences KAKENHI Grant Number JP17K17909 to AA.

In order to realize micron scale to millimeter scale phase structure analysis, as well as accurate phase structure analysis of surface uneven samples, X-ray diffractometer named Hawk-II, which can adaptively adjust the diameter of irradiated X-ray beam spot according to the diameter of internal tangential circle at the measured point, is developed by combining X-ray diffraction technology, CCD camera imaging technology and slightly-focusing ploycapillary X-ray control technology. The X-ray source system, six-dimensional linkage motion system, CCD camera, detection system and control system based on LabVIEW are the main components of the Hawk-II. Compared with the 3°–5° divergence of the conventional X-ray source, the divergence of the X-ray emitted by the slightly-focusing polycapillary X-ray optics is only about 0.15° and also the intensity within the beam spot range is dozens of times stronger. Therefore, the shift of peak position will not appear due to the pores, curvature or uneven surface of the sample, when Hawk-II is used to analyze the samples with irregular surface. The diffraction pattern of the uneven Ren Min Bi five-cent coin are collected in the Hawk-II and PANalytical X-Pert Pro MPD conventional X-ray diffractometer respectively. By comparing the analysis results, it is found that the diffraction peaks measured by the X-Pert Pro MPD are shifted seriously, with a maximum deviation angle of 0.52°. While the diffraction peaks detected by the Hawk-II are basically consistent with the data from the standard PDF card, which verifies the advantages of the analysis of irregular samples by the Hawk-II. In order to explore the difference between different beam spots used for analysis at the same point, red and green porcelain fired in Qing dynasty and GaAs-based Cu and Fe plated films are analyzed by the Hawk-II. It is found that when the samples are relatively uniform, the intensities of diffraction peaks of different beam spots are relatively close, while when the samples are not uniform, the diffraction peaks vary greatly. Especially, some microcrystalline phases can be detected only with large beam spots. In addition, to verify the adaptive functionality of the Hawk-II, a bronze from the Western Han Dynasty, with different rust spots on it, is tested. It is found that the Hawk-II can adjust the beam spot size according to the different corrosion points, making the irradiation area coincide with the area to be analysed and the phase structure detected more accurately. Therefore, the Hawk-II is a general purpose X-ray diffractometer, which has the analytical capability from micron scale to millimeter scale and the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis function. Moreover, it has the advantages of the accurate analysis of irregular samples, fast detection speed, simple operation, etc. Based on the above analysis, the Hawk-II will be widely used in different fields.

Despite the recent passing of legislation by the National People's Congress of China in 2009, many food businesses in China have yet to implement a third party certified food safety management system (FSMS). While the extent literature identifies a number of internal and external barriers and benefits, the extent to which these impact on the business is thought to be dependent upon how much progress the firm has made on its journey towards quality assurance and the environment within which the firm operates. To test this proposition, the barriers and the benefits accrued from the implementation of a third party certified FSMS were explored by segregating the participating firms into three distinct groups; (i) those that have yet to implement a third party certified FSMS; (ii) those that were in the process of adopting a third party certified FSMS; and (iii) those that were already operating under a third party certified FSMS. Contrary to expectations, in what is a highly competitive market, those firms which were operating under a third party certified FSMS were more likely to question the benefits they had derived than those firms that were either in the process of adoption or had chosen not to adopt a third party certified FSMS. Irrespective of the stage of adoption, the major constraint to the implementation of a third party certified FSMS was the need for the organisation to focus on more immediate issues and the lack of any strategic long-term planning.

The purpose of this study is to assess the value of early abdominal non-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) in developing strategies for treating acute gallstone pancreatitis (AGP). AGP patients underwent NECT within 48 h after symptom onset to determine the presence of peripancreatic fluid collection, gallstones, and common bile duct stones. Patients with mild AGP who had neither organ failure by clinical data nor peripancreatic fluid collection by NECT (classified as grade A, B, or C based on the Balthazar CT grading system) were randomized to undergo an early laparoscopic cholecystomy (ELC; LC performed within 7 days after a pancreatitis attack, without waiting for symptom resolution) or late laparoscopic cholecystomy (LLC; LC performed ≥ 7 days following an attack, with the patient being completely free of AGP symptoms). The study enrolled 102 patients with mild AGP defined by clinical data and NECT. NECT was 89.2 % and 87.8 % accurate in detecting gallbladder stones and CBD stones, respectively. Totals of 49 and 53 patients were assigned to an ELC and LLC group, respectively. All patients in both groups were cured, no LC-related complications occurred, and no case of AGP increased in severity following LC. The mean lengths of hospital stay and LC operation time were significantly shorter in the ELC group than the LLC group (P

Background The biased T helper 2 (Th2) responses play a critical role in the pathogenesis of allergy. The underlying mechanism is not fully understood yet. Survivin can regulate multiple cellular activities. This study aims to elucidate the role of survivin in the development and maintenance of Th2 polarization. Methods CD4+ T cells were isolated from blood samples collected from patients with allergic asthma (AS) and HS control (HS) subjects. Mice carrying CD4+ T cells with survivin knockout (KO mice) were employed to test the role of survivin in the development of the biased Th2 responses. Results KO mice failed to induce airway allergy. Peripheral CD4+ T cells expressed survivin, which was higher in the AS group than that in the HS group. Naive CD4+ T cells with higher expression of survivin were prone to differentiating into Th2 cells. Survivin bound to the Il4 promoter in CD4+ T cells to enhance Il4 gene transcription. The expression of Fas was lower in CD4+ T cells of the AS group than that in the HS group. Overexpression of survivin suppressed the expression of Fas and impaired the activation-induced cell death (AICD) of CD4+ T cells. Conclusion Survivin facilitates the development of biased Th2 polarization through promoting expression of interleukin 4 (IL-4) and impairing the AICD machinery of CD4+ T cells. To modulate the expression of survivin in CD4+ T cells has the translational potential in the treatment of allergic diseases.

The multiple magnetic resonance coils are effective at transmitting wireless power to a single receiver. However, the receiver's location is essential to the transmitter for power transmission efficiency. In this paper, we propose a position estimation scheme for magnetic multiple-input single-output (MISO) wireless power transfer (WPT) system. The MISO WPT system with the fixed frequency at 6.78MHz is applied in this work. We construct an offline training data set as the reference. Then, a KNN algorithm is employed to search the nearest instance with the current measurement. With such location information, the efficiency of wireless power transfer can be enhanced.

When shaped charge jet (SCJ) penetrating finite thickness target, penetration depth and armor debris cloud are major determinants of damage degree. Especially for the interior equipment and personal of armor vehicle, extent of damage mainly related to the armor debris cloud distribution characteristics. A great number of studies on armor debris cloud that generated by SCJ have been done by domestic and foreign scholars. Research methods on this issue have mainly concentrated on numerical calculation and experiment. Therefore, it is not satisfied due to the formation mechanism analysis on the armor debris cloud lacked. In this paper, the debris cloud that generated during the process of SCJ penetrating target was divided into three parts - front, middle and rear. Theory analysis on the armor debris cloud formation mechanism, space and velocity distribution had been preliminarily studied based on the propagation character of shockwave and penetration characteristic of jet penetration on target. The theoretical calculation results are in good agreement with experimental results of X-Ray imaging test.

Faultline configurations in top management teams are of vital importance in predicting firm outcomes. Grounded in faultline theory, we hypothesise the positive effects of faultlines through the dual routes of coordination and information processing under conditions of various subgroup configuration types. Second-hand data from publicly traded Chinese information technology firms are used to test our hypotheses. The results demonstrate that TMT faultline strength is positively related to a firm’s short-term performance only when both the number and the balance of subgroups are high and is positively related to a firm’s innovation activities only when the number of subgroups is high and the balance of subgroups is low. This study contributes to faultline theory by enriching the connotation of faultlines with the configurational perspective and advancing the debate on the effects of team faultlines as we reveal the benefits of TMT faultlines.

Aiming at the problem that the reading speed of pointer instruments is slow and the precision is low, this paper proposes a new automatic reading algorithm. The paper improves the algorithm in instrument center recognition, pointer recognition and 0 scale line recognition. First, round-degree is used to recognize the instrument center. Then the algorithm removes the interferential images outside the pointer area through the polar angle frequency distribution histogram and uses the improved least square method to fit the pointer line. It overcomes the problem that the fitted line is off the instrument center. Next, the proposed method removes the interferential images around the 0 scale line by the polar radius frequency distribution histogram and uses the improved least square method to recognize the 0 scale line. It solves the problem that Hough line transform recognizes the short line under the influence of interferential images difficultly. Finally, the method calculates the reading according to the relationship between instrument scales and pointer angles. Experimental results prove that the algorithm is fast and accurate.

Background and aims Mast cell activation interferes with the effects of allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT). Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is capable of regulating immune cells’ functions. This study tests the hypothesis that administration of Gal-1 promotes and prolongs the efficacy of SIT via suppressing mast cell activation. Methods An intestinal allergy mouse model was developed. The co-administration of SIT and Gal-1 on suppression of the allergic responses, prevention of mast cell activation, and generation of antigen-specific regulatory T cells (Treg) in the intestine were observed in sensitized mice. Results The coadministration of Gal-1 and SIT markedly suppressed the allergic responses in the mouse intestine vs. the use of either SIT alone or Gal-1 alone. The Gal-1 binds to the IgE/FcɛRI complexes on the surface of mast cells to prevent mast cell activation during SIT. Gal-1 promoted the SIT-generated allergen-specific Tregs in the intestine of sensitized mice. Coadministration of Gal-1 and SIT significantly enhanced the efficacy of immunotherapy in suppressing allergic responses in the intestine, which lasted for at least for 12 months. Conclusions Long term effects of specific immunotherapy on intestinal allergy can be achieved with Gal-1/SIT therapy by inhibiting mast cell activation and facilitating Treg development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Magnetic resonance coupling technique has a very high efficiency and long distance for wireless charging. With multiple transmitter coils, the power transmission efficiency can be further improved. In this paper, we propose a maximum power transfer scheme in magnetic resonance coupling wireless charging system. We construct the system model to analyze the system power transmission in different situations. The received power get maximum with a constrained transmitted power by applying the proposal scheme. The 6.78MHz charging experimental results demonstrate that the received power at multi-receive coils can be increased to 10 times at best by using our scheme compared with the equal power allocation.

In this thesis, in order to solve the student arrearage problems in colleges and universities, risk weight factor is introduced to improve ID3 algorithm through the research on data mining technology and the combination with financial management system of colleges and universities so that ID3 decision-making tree algorithm can classify based on the risk weights of all the factors of the financial data; the early warning system scheme on the student arrearage problems in colleges and universities is designed so as to predict the high-risk defaulting students dynamically and accurately and lay scientific foundations for avoiding financial risk in colleges and universities.

A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) accelerometer based on fiber vibrating wire is presented. Finite element analysis has been done and experiments are carried out to demonstrate the performance of this FBG accelerometer. The seismic simulation experimental results indicate that the system has a good response to the 50–400 Hz vibration signal. What more, the accelerometer has a high sensitivity which can reach 108.6 pm/G at 100Hz. The linear responsivity and repeatability are also tested. The responsivity error is less than 2.5% and repeatability error is less than 0.03%. There is an extremely linear relationship between amplitude of detected signal and acceleration.

A half-open-cavity random fiber laser with a simple structure and adjustable wavelength has been proposed and demonstrated, which uses stimulated Brillouin scattering and erbium-doped fiber to provide hybrid gain and Rayleigh scattering as random distribution feedback. With the pump power of the 980 nm lasers increasing, the highest 7th-order Stokes laser output can be obtained, when the Brillouin pump wavelength and power are fixed at 1560 nm and 7.4 dB m respectively. Furthermore, the output wavelength of the Brillouin random laser can be tunable in the range of from 1529 nm to 1588 nm with the Stokes order number remained 7, indicating that the random fiber laser has a wavelength adjustable range of 36 nm.

Micro-X-ray diffraction (μ-XRD) plays a significant role in measuring the phase structures of small samples or micro areas of larger samples. In this article, we propose a new type of desktop micro-X-ray diffractometer named μ-Hawk focused by polycapillary optics. It consists mainly of a microfocus X-ray tube, polycapillary optics, receiving slits, a silicon drift diode (SDD) X-ray detector integrated with single/multi-channel pulse analyzer, independently rotating θ-θ goniometer, high precision XYZ sample stage, computer programs developed by LabVIEW codes, etc. The main interface of the program has micro-X-ray diffraction analysis mode and micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis mode. In addition, the monochromatization of X-ray, the angular resolution and the accuracy of the results of μ-Hawk are discussed. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the instrument, the phase of micro area in the middle of the first stroke on the Chinese character “Jiao” from a 5-Jiao coin (Chinese currency) is measured by the μ-Hawk, and the phase of a copper wire 140 μm in diameter is also detected by it. After that, the phase of 1.0 mm × 0.6 mm area on the welding joint of the motherboard from an iPhone is two-dimensionally scanned by μ-Hawk. The θ-θ scanning is performed at each detected point inside the two-dimensional area. Four motors drive the X and Y axis of the sample stage as well as the θ1 and θ2 axis of the goniometer to accomplish the above functions. The results show that the micro energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis mode of μ-Hawk can provide elementary reference information for the analysis of phase structure. Compared with conventional X-ray diffractometer, the μ-Hawk can detect the same diffraction peaks on the coin with lower background. Furthermore, the accurate diffraction peaks can be measured with a lower power and shorter time. The measured results can better reflect the true phase structure of the micro area. Six diffraction peaks and their phases can be clearly identified from the diffraction pattern of the copper wire. For the welding joint, the phase mapping of SnO2 (3 1 2) is acquired through data processing. Therefore, the μ-Hawk can adapt to the micro-X-ray diffraction analysis of small samples or micro areas of samples as well as the two-dimensional scanning analysis of phase mapping. The μ-Hawk exhibits the unique advantages of accomplishing accurate micro-X-ray diffraction analysis, convenient software, low working power, time saving, and small in size. It indicates a wide application prospect in the fields of materials, geosciences and heritage protection.

As the residential area with the largest proportion in the urban functional division, the matrix distribution range is the largest in the rainwater flow path, and it is also an important part of urban sponge implementation. The article explores the sponge transformation of the existing space of Bauhinia Garden, analyzes the existing problems within the community, gives adaptive advice on relevant issues and summarizes relevant experiences. In order to provide experience for the subsequent renovation of the sponge community, it is necessary to restore the water circulation function of the community.

Numerical simulation is investigated to disclose how propeller boss cap fins (PBCF) operate utilizing Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) method. In addition, exploration of the influencing mechanism of PBCF on the open water efficiency of one controllable-pitch propeller is analyzed through the open water characteristic curves, blade surface pressure distribution and hub streamline distribution. On this basis, the influence of parameters including airfoil profile, diameter, axial position of installation and circumferential installation angle on the open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller is investigated. Numerical results show: for the controllable-pitch propeller, the thrust generated is at the optimum when the radius of boss cap fins is 1.5 times of propeller hub with an optimal installation position in the axial direction, and its optimal circumferential installation position is the midpoint of the extension line of the front and back ends of two adjacent propeller roots in the front of fin root. Under these optimal parameters, the gain of open water efficiency of the controllable-pitch propeller with different advance velocity coefficients is greater than 0.01, which accounts for approximately an increase of 1%–5% of open water efficiency.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the sensing characteristics of uniform fiber Bragg grating (FBG) and tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) by presenting a detailed research review. Temperature, axial strain, bending, vibration and refractive index measurands of FBG and TFBG sensor are presented and some significant differences are found.Design/methodology/approachTheoretical analysis and practical application in engineering are investigated and compared from other authors' research papers and self analysis. Spectra behavior of both FBG and TFBG are discussed.FindingsThere are found to be significant differences in temperature, axial strain, bending, vibration and refractive index sensing characteristics of FBG and TFBG.Originality/valueThe paper's analysis is comprehensive and clear and provides readers with the sensing characteristics of FBG and TFBG in detail.

With the development of Internet technology, the traditional static password based authentication solutions are no longer an adequate protection scheme to various enterprise applications. In this article, the principle of dynamic password technology is described, and the pros and cons of implementing dynamic password technology by software and hardware are analyzed as well. In addition, a dynamic password mutual authentication protocol base on MAC/IMEI of client is designed. The system architecture, authentication processes and safety measures are described and its security is also analyzed, which proves the high security features and wide application of such system. The new OTP scheme can be conveniently used and implemented with significant cost efficiency. It is mutual authentication and resistant to phishing attacks.

// Lei Huang 1, * , Dong-Jiang Qi 1, 2, * , Wei He 1, 2 and A-Man Xu 1, 2 1 Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China 2 Department of General Surgery, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China * Lei Huang and Dong-Jiang Qi contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: A-Man Xu, email: amanxu@163.com Lei Huang, email: huangleizhenting@126.com Keywords: proton pump inhibitor, MNNG, carcinogenesis, lysosomal enzyme, randomized study Received: August 02, 2016 Accepted: June 19, 2017 Published: July 31, 2017 ABSTRACT Objectives: To investigate if oral omeprazole application induces cancers of fore and glandular stomach in mice. Methods: A total of 66 eligible male mice were randomly divided into 6 groups, which were treated with control reagent, low (6 mg/kg) and high dose omeprazole (30 mg/kg), N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG, 100 mg/L water), and MNNG plus low and high dose omeprazole, respectively. After 24 weeks, concentrations of acid phosphatase (ACP) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase(NAG) in serum and spleen was examined, and p21 and mTOR levels in stomach were detected. Results: The mouse spleen weight index was smaller in the omeprazole group than the control group, and in the MNNG plus omeprazole groups than the MNNG group. In the fore-stomach, more carcinomas were observed in the MNNG plus omeprazole groups than in the MNNG group. In the glandular stomach, there existed more atypical hyperplasia cases in the MNNG plus omeprazole groups than the MNNG-treated group, and one carcinoma was induced in the MNNG plus high dose omeprazole group. Omeprazole alone caused minor gastric pathological changes. Omeprazole treatment lowered both serum and spleen ACP and NAG levels in both the non-MNNG-treated and MNNG-treated subgroups. In fore-stomach, there existed decreased p21 and mTOR levels in the omeprazole-treated groups than in the control group, and in the MNNG plus omeprazole groups than the MNNG-treated group. Conclusion: Omeprazole promotes carcinogenesis of the mouse fore-stomach but not the glandular stomach following treatment with MNNG. Lysosomal hydrolase activity was inhibited and some cancer-associated proteins was dysregulated, which requires further explorations.