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Few studies have analyzed the clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of lupus nephritis (LN) patients with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). The clinical and renal histopathologic data of 154 patients with biopsy-proven LN from 2011 to 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were followed up for a median period of 16.8 ± 9.4 months, and their outcomes were analyzed. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to evaluate the independent factors for poor outcomes. Among the 154 LN patients, 26 (16.88%) were seropositive for ANCA. The incidences of alopecia, oral ulcer, photosensitivity and skin lesion, and psychosomatic manifestations in the ANCA-positive group were significantly higher than in the ANCA-negative group (P = 0.007, 0.02, 0.02, and 0.03, respectively). Compared with the ANCA-negative group, the ANCA-positive group had significantly lower levels of complement C3 (P = 0.03). Additionally, the positive rate of antinucleosome antibodies, antihistone antibodies, antimitochondrial antibody M2, and anticardiolipin antibodies were higher significantly in the ANCA-positive patients than in the ANCA-negative patients (P = 0.001, 0.001, 0.03, 0.005, respectively). The ANCA-positive group had a notably higher chronic index than the ANCA-negative group (P = 0.01). During the follow-up, the complete remission rate in the ANCA-negative group was higher than that in the ANCA-positive group (P = 0.01). The cumulative renal survival rate in the ANCA-positive group was significantly lower than in the ANCA-negative group (log-rank = 6.59, P = 0.01). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 1.03; P = 0.005), NLR (HR, 1.20; 95% confidence interval, 1.02 to 1.40; P = 0.03), and ANCA (HR, 3.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 10.09; P = 0.03) were independent risk factors for patients' renal survival after adjusting for age, sex, crescent formation, and glomerulosclerosis. The study found ANCA in LN patients is not rare, and patients with ANCA present with more severe clinicopathologic injuries. Thus, ANCA is an independent risk factor for poor renal outcomes in LN patients.

In urban areas, people’s life may be threatened by disasters such as earthquakes. To reduce the life risks, efficient responses including evacuation are of critical importance. However, a drill evacuation appears impossible; simulation is thus used to examine the effectiveness of an evacuation plan. Considering the capacity of the routes, a GIS-SimQueue vehicle evacuation model is integrated with a geographic Information System. Simulation results indicate that the model can reproduce vehicle evacuation features, which are in agreement with empirical ones.

There is growing evidence that deficits in neuronal plasticity underlie the cognitive problems seen in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). However, the mechanisms behind these deficits are not clear. Here we test the effects of early alcohol exposure on ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in mice and the reversibility of these effects by phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors. Mouse pups were exposed to 5 g/kg of 25% ethanol i.p. on postnatal days (P) 5, 7 and 9. This type of alcohol exposure mimics binge drinking during the third trimester equivalent of human gestation. To assess ocular dominance plasticity animals were monocularly deprived at P21 for 10 days, and tested using optical imaging of intrinsic signals. During the period of monocular deprivation animals were treated with vinpocetine (20mg/kg; PDE1 inhibitor), rolipram (1.25 mg/Kg; PDE4 inhibitor), vardenafil (3 mg/Kg; PDE5 inhibitor) or vehicle solution. Monocular deprivation resulted in the expected shift in ocular dominance of the binocular zone in saline controls but not in the ethanol group. While vinpocetine successfully restored ODP in the ethanol group, rolipram and vardenafil did not. However, when rolipram and vardenafil were given simultaneously ODP was restored. PDE4 and PDE5 are specific to cAMP and cGMP respectively, while PDE1 acts on both of these nucleotides. Our findings suggest that the combined activation of the cAMP and cGMP cascades may be a good approach to improve neuronal plasticity in FASD models.

Spatial keyword queries, finding objects closest to a specified location that contains a set of keywords, are a kind of pervasive operations in spatial databases. In reality, there is some spatial data that is not stored in databases, instead in files. And generally this kind of spatial data is textual, noisy, large-scale and used now and then, which makes it be quite costly to conduct spatial keyword querying on such spatial data. To solve this problem, in this paper we propose an efficient method by using a distributed system based on MapReduce. The algorithm for spatial keyword query evaluation under the MapReduce model is developed and implemented. Experimental results demonstrate that this method can process spatial keyword queries effectively and efficiently.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exist as a rare population with two essential properties of self-renewal and differentiation. HSCs can give rise to all hematopoietic progenitor and mature cells. While critical for a full understanding of the hematopoietic process and HSC-related clinical applications, the mechanisms of self-renewal and differentiation of HSCs remain elusive. The PI3K-Akt signaling pathway plays essential roles in the regulation of hematopoiesis. 3-Phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) activates multiple AGC kinases including Akt and is a pivotal regulator in this pathway. PDK1 phosphorylates Akt at its T308 residue and regulates the functional development of B and T cells during hematopoiesis. However, the role of PDK1 in HSCs has not been fully defined. In this study, we generated PDK1 conditional knockout mice Vav-Cre;PDK1fl/fl (PDK1Δ/Δ) to explore the roles of PDK1 in HSCs. While PDK1Δ/Δ mice have reduced B and T cell counts as previously described, their LT-HSCs and ST-HSCs were significantly increased in comparison with WT mice while MPPs and CMPs were decreased after PDK1 deletion, indicating that the loss of PDK1 perturbed the steady-state hematopoiesis. Furthermore, although deletion of PDK1 increased the frequency of HSCs, PDK1-deficient HSCs fail to reconstitute the hematopoietic system when PDK1-deficient HSCs were used in bone marrow transplantation and competitive transplantation experiments in comparison to the WT HSCs, indicating that PDK1 is vital for hematopoiesis. To explore the mechanisms by which PDK1 regulates HSC function, we examined the cell cycle status and found the percentage of PDK1Δ/Δ HSCs was decreased significantly in G0 stage while increased in G1 and S/G2/M phases. This suggests an increase in HSC exit from a quiescent state. Since MPPs were significantly decreased in bone marrow, we examined the percentage of Annexin V+ DAPI- PDK1Δ/Δ and WT MPPs and found that they are comparable. This indicates that apoptosis did not cause the decrease in MPPs. In addition, a total of 300 LT-HSCs from PDK1Δ/Δ or WT mice and competitor cells were transplanted into lethally irradiated recipient mice to examine whether the decrease in MPPs is due to a defect in HSC differentiation. We found that less than 1% of MPPs arose from PDK1Δ/Δ HSCs 12 weeks after transplantation, indicating that PDK1 is required for the differentiation from LT-HSCs to MPPs. Because the full activation of Akt requires cooperative phosphorylation at its S473 and T308 residues by mTORC2 and PDK1, respectively, we also investigated the function of HSCs in RictorΔ/Δ PDK1Δ/Δ (DKO) mice in conjunction with RictorΔ/Δ or PDK1Δ/Δ mice to explore how mTORC2 and/or PDK1 influence Akt function in HSCs. The flow cytometric analyses of peripheral blood and bone marrow samples revealed very similar parameters of RictorΔ/Δ PDK1Δ/Δ and PDK1Δ/Δ mice. Interestingly, Rictor seemed to exert a minimal impact on HSCs and MPPs. More importantly, in contrast to RictorΔ/Δ, RictorΔ/Δ PDK1Δ/Δ HSCs failed to reconstitute the hematopoietic system after transplantation as PDK1Δ/Δ HSCs, suggesting that PDK1 plays a dominant role in the Akt-mediated regulation of HSC function. To explore the mechanism that leads to the defect in HSCs due to loss of PDK1, we assessed ROS levels in PDK1-deficient HSCs and found that PDK1-deficient LSKs and HSCs exhibit greatly reduced ROS levels when compared with the control HSCs. Treating PDK1-deficient BM cells with BSO in vitro increased cellular ROS levels and the colony counts of PDK1-deficient BM cells significantly. Notably, the recovery effect was only observed with BSO concentrations lower than 0.03 mM. This suggests that ROS levels are precisely controlled in HSCs. Higher or lower ROS levels beyond the normal range are both harmful to normal HSC functions. Since increased SDFα expression is associated with cellular ROS levels in various cells including hematopoietic cells, we also treated PDK1Δ/Δ mice with SDFα and found that it couldpartially rescue the defective differentiation ability of PDK1-deficient HSCs. In addition, we found that PDK1 deletion could significantly prolong the life span and inhibit the leukemia development in murine T-ALL model via altering leukemic cell differentiation and proliferation. Taken together, PDK1 controls HSC differentiation via regulating cellular ROS levels and regulates malignant hematopoiesis. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Firn-temperature profiles are calculated in a thermal model using continuous surface temperatures derived from automatic weather station data and passive-microwave data in the Greenland summit region during the period 1987–99. the results show that significant interannual variations of mean summer (June–August) and annual temperatures occur in the top 15 m, in addition to the normal seasonal cycle of firn temperature. At 5 m depth, the seasonal cycle is damped to 13% of the surface seasonal range, but even at 15m about 1% or 0.6˚C of the seasonal cycle persists. Both summer and mean annual temperatures decrease from 1987 to 1992, followed by a general increasing trend. Interannual variability is 5˚C at the surface, but is dampened to 3.2˚C at 5 m depth and 0.7˚C at 15 m depth. Dampening of the interannual variability with depth is slower than dampening of the seasonal cycle, because of the longer time constant of the interannual variation. the warmer spring and summer temperatures experienced in the top 5 m, due to both the seasonal cycle and interannual variations, affect the rate of firn densification, which is non-linearly dependent on temperature. During the 12 year period 1987–99, the annual mean surface temperature is –29.2˚C, and the annual mean 15 m temperature is –30.1˚C, which is >1˚C warmer than a 15 mborehole temperature representing the period around 1959 and warmer than the best-fit temperature history by Alley and Koci (1990) back to AD 1500.

A successful osseointegration relies on the interplay of implant surface and surrounding bone marrow cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the impact of age and gender on the bone marrow composition.Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from the discarded metaphysis region of the femoral head in 24 patients with total hip replacement. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression of Stro-1(+) cells and BMP receptors (BMPRs)-expressing cells. ELISA was used to measure bone marrow aspirate bone morphology protein7 (BMP7) concentration.Our data demonstrates that there are diverse bone marrow profiles (Stro-1(+) cell and BMPRs(+) cells). There are no differences of Stro-1(+) cells, BMPRs(+) cells, and BMP7 concentration between male and female patients. Though there are slight increases in the number of Stro-1(+) cells and BMPRs(+) cells in younger patients (70 years old) than those of old patients (≥ 70 years old), the difference is not statistically significant. However, we found a close association between the Stro-1(+) cells, BMPR1a cells and BMP7 concentration. In addition, a correlation exists between the number of Stro-1(+) cells and BMIs of these patients.Our data suggests that the age and gender of THR patients have little impact on their bone marrow osteogenic potential. The significance of the number of the Stro-1(+) with BMPRs expression on the implant fixation and osseointegration warrants further investigation.

Adaptive Block Tree is proposed to build the model for three dimensional spatial data of nature environment. Aiming at the disadvantage of ABT model, a mixed model of ABT model and TEN model is provided. The mixed model can not only integrate with TIN model but also describe the edge of the nature phenomena. In order to solve the data vacuity in the process of flyover, a vision dependence micro-terrain choice algorithm is given. This algorithm avoids the phenomena of vacuum and vision popping.

Estimating cross-range motion parameter is one of the most important steps while using antenna array to get targets' 3-D ISAR images. A method which can estimate cross-range motion parameter based on DCFT is proposed in this paper. It can not only lower the amount of computation, but also insure the imaging precision. The validity of the method would be proved by simulation.

Geography Markup Language (GML) has been widely used in various application systems as internal geo-spatial data expressing. GML, semi-structured XML-encoding data, behaves low query performance, for full traversal is needed to locate target elements. Indexing GML by pre-sorting search data can improve query performance. Spatial index of GML is necessary as well as non-spatial index for the feature of GML, especially in location-aware query. We design element coding extending interval coding, which separates spatial nodes from non-spatial nodes, and elements from GML model tree to generate sequence of element coding. The paper proposes GML index integrating B+-tree and R-tree as entrances of non-spatial and spatial query on element coding sequence stored as key-value structure, and is also a self-index storage approach that can completely replace original GML document. The storage, index and query optimization methods are also introduced in this paper. The proposed storage mechanism proved to be effective by the result analysis of storage and query experiments.

The purpose of this study is to test and verify Electronic-business (E-B) Capability Conceptual Model based on content analysis of the interviews with the top managers about their views and experiences of E-B implementation published on some important websites proposed in our former study [1]. A survey methodology was used to test the theoretical model. From descriptive statistical analysis, item analysis, and factor analysis on 72 data, we complement and improve the former theoretical model from 23 items to 20 items, and decompose E-B managerial skills and E-B technology resources from enterprise internal and external point of view to two sub-dimensions separately. Our research will help organizations to identify and obtain sustained competitive advantage through E-B application.

In order to research the anti-damage character of missile fuel cabin, the article in detail analyzed the geometry structure and damage characteristics and established the physical models and the finite element models of missile's fuel cabin, simulated and calculated the invasion and damage process of high-speed pill damaged missile's fuel cabin with ANSYS/LS-DYNA soft which was a large finite element model soft, the calculate had very small error. Simulation was well tallied with experiment on foundation of analyzing experiment data, it proved that the whole process of high-speed to intrude into missile's fuel cabin was reappeared when appropriate material model was selected, the research could instruct the design of missile's fuel cabin and the research of anti-missile.

Semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), phthalates and pesticides in water of Wujin river inflow into Taihu Lake, were detected for assessment of risk to human health. SVOCs were tested with Method 525.2 established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and health risk assessment (HRA) was conducted by the hazard quotient (HQ) approach from US HRA for screening stage. The results for the liquid–solid extraction of water sample measured by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) showed that three of the tested twenty-three semi-volatile organic contaminants posed potential health risk and the concentrations of 2,4-dinitrotoluene, di-n-butyl phthalate, chrysene and benzo(a)anthracene was 0.736, 15.201, 0.307, and 0.334 μg/l, respectively. SVOCs in the Wujin river water might induce risk to environmental health of Taihu Lake as a source of drinking water.

Between each node database there must be all different in the distributed heterogeneous database, so how to resolve these differences (It’s said that realize the mutual transformation between heterogeneous databases) was an basic problem in the heterogeneous database integration, synchronous and optimized. This paper analyzes the conversion mechanism for the distributed heterogeneous database between node databases and the realization of the conversion module theoretical includeing the conversion information extraction module, structural conversion module, structure formation module and put forward a concrete realization solutions.

Granular particles with diameters 3mm, 6mm and 0.6mm, of the same density 0.9g/cm3 and the same total weight 100g in vertically vibrating systems were studied. The transition processes of granular systems from Reversed Brazilian Nut (RBN) Effect to Brazilian Nut (BN) Effect at varied conditions, including different vibrating frequencies, amplitudes, and particles sizes, together with computer simulations were investigated. We have observed experimentally that BN Effect or RBN Effect was appeared at certain particle parameters and vibrating conditions, and discussed in five aspects: dynamic equilibrium, separation mode, convection modes, mass distribution and resonance frequency. The results indicate that the upsurge of granular convection and resonance behavior during the processes plays an important role in phase transitions.Copyright © 2011 by ASME

Geography Markup Language (GML) with the feature of XML-encoding and full-formed specification has been widely used in various application systems as internal representation of geo-spatial data for its efficient interoperability in heterogeneous systems. This arises the problem of how to effectively manipulate GML data which is different from pure XML data with both non-spatial information as properties of geographical features and spatial information as geometry. The GML researches focus on separate processing technology which cannot provide a whole geo-spatial data management service for users or developers. In this paper, we propose a GML data management framework and analyze how the related technology cooperate to fill the need of geo-spatial data expressing, processing and exchanging. Storage, query, index and user interface modules of the framework are presented based on GML/XML technology. These modules were implemented in the prototype of GML Data Management System (GDMS).

A compositive model, which is composed of "3D Voronoi diagram" and "serial profiles", is provided to describe the air pollution effects in 3D GIS. "3D Voronoi diagram" is used to realize the 3D visualization of pollution, and "serial profiles" are used to exhibit air pollution effects of some special areas. In the process of protracting the serial profiles, artificial neural network is used to predict the pollutant concentration of the unknown positions. The preliminary experiments show that the model is convenient and effective.

Gap junction provides intercellular communications that play a critical role in invasion of metastatic cancer cells. However, the effects of inhibiting this pathway in breast cancer cell migration have not been investigated. Here, we present data demonstrating that functional blockade of gap junctions during the formation of monolayer decreased the levels of aligned fibers of actin between neighboring breast cancer cells. Furthermore, gap junction inhibitors attenuated the invasion ability of highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells, but had no significant effects on less invasive MCF-7 cells, which caused by shRANKL. Our work is the first to demonstrate the inhibitory effect of gap junction channel inhibitors on the migration of highly invasive breast cancer cells.

Large speed gaps may increase risks between adjacent speed zones. Therefore, a speed transition zone is designed to provide a smooth change between two highway segments with different speed limits. The purpose of this study is to establish a procedure for transitional speed zone design on two-lane roads by using drivers’ behavioral statistics. In order to evaluate the effect of the speed limit zone on drivers’ deceleration behaviors when passing different speed zones, two factors were considered in this study: existence of work zones and horizon curves. The speed gaps in this experiment are 50 km/h in work zone areas and 20 km/h respectively. By using randomly selected drivers, the study measured drivers’ actions in a real vehicle under the simulated environment traveling between speed zones at a 0.03 second intervals. Several different measures of effectiveness were used to compare the characteristics of the speed distributions, including average speed, 85th percentile speed and pace speed. Results show that there is a significant difference in speed choice for deceleration between two scenarios due to speed reduction. The relationship between speed limit reduction and deceleration length is described by a linear model. The length of the deceleration section is estimated by the model. Results show that the deceleration section is positively correlated to speed reduction. The modeling process gives detailed guidance for the design of a transitional speed zone.

Hierarchical classification problems have been wide investigated in the past years. The available hierarchical classification methods, which use the top-down level-based scheme, often suffer from the burden of inter-level error transmission. In this paper, an instance-centric hierarchical classification framework based on decision-theoretic rough set model is proposed. The procedure of classification will be divided into two phases. Firstly, a hierarchical rough decision model is constructed to acquire all possible paths as well as reduce error transmission. A general loss function for supervised leaning is also defined by which the cost and benefit of assigning an instance to a specific subcategory can be evaluated. Subsequently, a novel classification routing method special for support vector machine is put forward in order to select an optimal classification path. Comparative experimental results with Chinese text classification benchmark TanCorp illustrate the effectiveness of proposed notions.

Background Human-like H3N2 influenza viruses have repeatedly been transmitted to domestic pigs in different regions of the world, but it is still uncertain whether any of these variants could become established in pig populations. The fact that different subtypes of influenza viruses have been detected in pigs makes them an ideal candidate for the genesis of a possible reassortant virus with both human and avian origins. However, the determination of whether pigs can act as a “mixing vessel” for a possible future pandemic virus is still pending an answer. This prompted us to gather the epidemiological information and investigate the genetic evolution of swine influenza viruses in Jilin, China. Methods Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from pigs with respiratory illness in Jilin province, China from July 2007 to October 2008. All samples were screened for influenza A viruses. Three H3N2 swine influenza virus isolates were analyzed genetically and phylogenetically. Results Influenza surveillance of pigs in Jilin province, China revealed that H3N2 influenza viruses were regularly detected from domestic pigs during 2007 to 2008. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that two distinguishable groups of H3N2 influenza viruses were present in pigs: the wholly contemporary human-like H3N2 viruses (represented by the Moscow/10/99-like sublineage) and double-reassortant viruses containing genes from contemporary human H3N2 viruses and avian H5 viruses, both co-circulating in pig populations. Conclusions The present study reports for the first time the coexistence of wholly human-like H3N2 viruses and double-reassortant viruses that have emerged in pigs in Jilin, China. It provides updated information on the role of pigs in interspecies transmission and genetic reassortment of influenza viruses.

Bispecific antibodies capable of redirecting the lytic potential of immune effector cells to kill tumor targets have long been recognized as a potentially potent biological therapeutic intervention. Unfortunately, efforts to produce such molecules have been limited owing to inefficient production and poor stability properties. Here, we describe a novel Fv-derived strategy based on a covalently linked bispecific diabody structure that we term dual-affinity re-targeting (DART). As a model system, we linked an Fv specific for human CD16 (FcgammaRIII) on effector cells to an Fv specific for mouse or human CD32B (FcgammaRIIB), a normal B-cell and tumor target antigen. DART proteins were produced at high levels in mammalian cells, retained the binding activity of the respective parental Fv domains as well as bispecific binding, and showed extended storage and serum stability. Functionally, the DART molecules demonstrated extremely potent, dose-dependent cytotoxicity in retargeting human PBMC against B-lymphoma cell lines as well as in mediating autologous B-cell depletion in culture. In vivo studies in mice demonstrated effective B-cell depletion that was dependent on the transgenic expression of both CD16A on the effector cells and CD32B on the B-cell targets. Furthermore, DART proteins showed potent in vivo protective activity in a human Burkitt's lymphoma cell xenograft model. Thus, DART represents a biologically potent format that provides a versatile platform for generating bispecific antibody fragments for redirected killing and, with the selection of appropriate binding partners, applications outside of tumor cell cytotoxicity.

Driving fatigue is one of the main causes of traffi c accidents. Many researchers believe that electroencephalography (EEG) is an acc urate and promising method to detect driving fatigue. Based on the theories of bi ocybernetics, this article developed an EEG-based driving fatigue prediction indicator, and the process of calculating it was detailed. After indoor-experimental verificatio n, it was found that the indicator has a good linear correlation with spirit response speed. The results have implications for predicting driving fatigue and are helpful for future development of driving fatigue countermeasures.

To test the effects of a sulfated polysaccharide, Haishen (HS) on the viability and proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs), we isolated the polysaccharide from the body wall of the sea cucumber Stichopus japonicus by enzymolysis extraction, anion-exchange and gel-permeation chromatography. HS is a highly sulfated fucoidan with a molecular weight of 4.23x10(5) Da. Due to its safety being of invertebrate origin they are less likely to contain infectious agents, the effects of HS on the viability and proliferation of NSPCs in vitro were examined by MTT assay, BrdU labeling and neurosphere formation assay, respectively. Our results showed that HS alone increased NSPC viability in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, HS acted synergistically with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) but not epidermal growth factor (EGF) to enhance the proliferation of NSPCs. Finally, HS did not induce apoptosis of NSPCs. Our findings suggest that HS can serve as an adjuvant for promoting the proliferation of NSPCs.

In China, maize is a main cereal crop. Actually maize has a huge number of varieties which are also updating day by day. However, the seed enterprises frequently don't seriously consider the suitability of the varieties but promoting blindly, leading to the loss of both enterprises and farmers. This study focuses on the design and development of a network platform which can put forward promotion proposal of maize varieties. This platform is based on Visual Studio 2005 + SuperMap IS. NET 2008 + SQL Server 2000, and considers seed enterprises as the main target. Furthermore, it integrates varieties' suitability evaluation model and combination model which are also very helpful to the promoting of maize variety.

Conventional Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMMs) restrict the possibilities for measuring micro mechanical products and noncontact optical measuring methods are not suitable for true three-dimensional measurements. The integrated combination of optical sensors and mechanical transducers employed in this research makes an ideal low cost and high precision touch trigger probe possible to measure miniature components. This touch probe is composed of a stylus with a fiber sphere (310µm in diameter) and a sensor integrated floating plate. The ball tip is fabricated using optical fiber with melting and solidification processes. The stylus is attached to a floating plate, which is connected to the probe housing via four micro wires. The shape and dimension of the floating plate, as well as the length and diameter of the micro wire, are determined according to the selected contact forces. When the probe tip is displaced the wires will perform elastic deformation and four mirrors mounted onto the four-legged plate will amplify the up/down displacement at each mirror position. These displacements can be detected by four corresponding laser focus probes. Experiments were carried out to test the unidirectional touch trigger repeatability. The standard deviation is less than 10nm. The probe structure and the experimental results were also analyzed and validated with finite element AnSYS software.

Aiming at the problem of selecting designers ignoring the consideration of collaborative efficiency during collaborative design process, a modeling method of product innovation designer's selection is proposed, based on considering the importance of collaborative efficiency. In this paper, firstly, the gene expression about product collaborative designer selection is given. Secondly, two matrixes, which are designer-designer collaborative efficiency matrix and designer-task adaptation matrix, are constructed to form designer selection model. Thirdly, the calculation process of selecting optimal product designers is introduced with an improved genetic algorithm. Finally, an engineering example is given to prove that the proposed model is able to realize optimal selection of designers. At the same time, a good calculative efficiency is obtained with this improved genetic algorithm.

Seed industry is an important basic industry in agricultural, an emerging industry as well. However, the new varieties are driving force and providing source for seed industry development. How extending the new varieties to the most appropriate place are important issues that seed industry needs to address. East of North China as an example, the county for the evaluation unit, on the basis of average daily meteorological data of all meteorological stations in the 50 years and the test data of new varieties of maize in the district, this paper discussed the suitability evaluation model of new maize varieties based on the characteristic values of new maize varieties (temperature, plant diseases and insect pests, lodging and yield) and the corresponding characteristic values of the environment; besides, quantifies the relationship between all characteristic values and their effect on yield; finally, recommends the region that new maize varieties suit and the varieties that fit for regions, providing the premise basis for maize varieties matching.

Conventional probes for dimensional measurement of parts in macro scale are no more capable for the meso- to micro-sized parts that require accuracy to the degree of 100 nm to 10 nm. This paper will discuss the needs of probe technologies for micro/nano measurements. Both of the non-contact and contact types of probes will be addressed. For the non-contact probe, the principles and applications of focus probe and confocal microscope are introduced. Developed systems show the focus probe can reach to the accuracy of 1 nm and the confocal microscope has 0.1mum accuracy. For the contact type, the fabrication of micro probe tip and a newly developed 3D touch probe are described. Experiment shows the minimum contact force can be as small as 50 muN.

This paper presents the design considerations of a micro precision CMM. The structure of this CMM consists of the bridge, the Z-spindle and the XY stage. A novel bridge designed in a pagoda shape will be proposed and analyzed to prove its superior stiffness with force balanced condition. A high precision spindle design with counterweight and thermal error suppression are considered. The design of novel a coplanar XY-stage that observes the law of Abbe Principle is particularly proposed. Constructing these three structural modules the developed small CMM could meet the Abbe principle and provide high geometrical accuracy of the structure. Designed CMM has measurement lengths in X: 25 mm, Y: 25 mm and Z: 10 mm. Driven by the ultrasonic nanomotor and fed back by the hologram scale, each axis can achieve 1 nm resolution.

HPV has been identified as the definitive agent in cancers of the cervix, penis, vulva, vagina, anus, skin, eye, and head and neck, and is responsible for 5% of the total cancer burden worldwide. HPV oncogenes disable a number of tumour suppressor pathways, including p53 and Rb, contributing to the transformed phenotype. We have performed an siRNA screen using the kinome (779 genes) library to identify genes that when depleted are synthetically lethal with HPV transformation. The primary and validations screens have confirmed Aurora A kinase (AURKA) as a potential synthetic lethal target selective for HPV transformed cells. In vitro research using the investigational selective small molecule AURKA inhibitor alisertib found alisertib to be significantly more potent towards the HPV transformed cells, and selectively promoted apoptosis in the HPV cancers. The drug was shown to target the HPVE7 oncogene, the level of expression of this oncogene possibly influencing sensitivity. Apoptosis was sensitive to Mcl-1 but not Bcl-2 over expression, indicating that the mechanism is associated with the proteolytic destruction of Mcl-1 in the extended mitosis in the alisertib treated HPV cancer lines. Xenograft experiments with cervical cancer cell lines showed alisertib inhibited growth of HPV and non-HPV xenografts during treatment. The non-HPV cancer growth was delayed, but in two separate HPV cancers models, regression and no resumption of growth was detected at even 50 days post-treatment. A second transgenic model of premalignant disease driven solely by HPVE7 similarly demonstrated sensitivity to drug treatment. These findings provide preclinical evidnce that alisertib warrants evaluation as a potential targeted compound with activity in HPV-transformed cervical cancer and premalignant disease that may have application to other HPV driven cancers. Citation Format: Brian G. Gabrielli, Fawzi Bokhari, Max Ranall, Zay Yar Oo, Alex Stevenson, Weili Wang, Sara McKee, Graham Leggatt, Paul Leo, Thomas J. Gonda, Nigel AJ McMillan. Synthetic lethal screen identifies Aurora A as a selective target in HPV driven cervical cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 945. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-945

The success of system test is measured by test quality and cost. System test quality and cost rely on several factors, such as component and board test quality, system test completeness, the support of system diagnostics, and a process that controls overall quality, resource and cost balances. Traditional structural test techniques used at the component level can achieve both high test quality and low test costs. This paper describes an approach to extend the functionalities of structural test techniques to the board and system level to improve the test accessibility, test time, and diagnostic capability. This approach has become practice in a large telecommunication company and the benefits received from this practice are tremendous. Examples will be given at the end of the paper.

Many side walls of microholes and grooves are not easily measured by current optical or non-contact measuring instruments. Microcontact probes are increasingly demanded in the market. A good ball tip is the basic element for the construction of a contact probe. This paper proposes a low-cost and in-process system to fabricate a microspherical tip on an optical fibre using a commercial fibre fusion splicer. Based on the principles of arc discharging energy absorption and the surface tension phenomenon, a microsphere is formed at the tip of the optical fibre. Experimental results showed that with the selection of proper process parameters, such as the arc power, cleaning arc power offset, and cleaning time, a spherical tip about 300 µm in diameter and with 6 µm roundness error could be produced using a 125 µm diameter single-mode optical fibre. The offset distance between the ball centre and the fibre stylus central line due to the gravity effect could be suppressed to less than 3 µm by rotating the fibre between the discharging cycles. By forming the sphere probe tip directly on an optical fibre, this approach demonstrates an easy and in-process dimensional controlled method to shorten the manufacturing lead-time for making a 3D microprobe. The microprobe can be used for microscale/nanoscale coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to enhance the measurement resolution and extend the capability for meso- to micro-objects.

An improved XY positioning stage having a coplanar structure design, which makes the guide planes in X- and Y-directions are of the same height. As a result, the Abbe's error and the cumulative error can be reduced. Symmetric structure, linear slide ways and low thermal expansion material are all considered to achieve low structure distortion and thermal shift with impacted force and temperature change. Finite element analysis modeling techniques were used to optimize the configuration and parameters of the stage. Integrated with ultrasonic actuator and the linear diffraction grating interferometer, the straightness of the guide way and the measuring repeatability of the stage have been proved. Experimental results have shown that the stage has a higher straightness less than 5" and the repeatability less than 30 nm in fine motion.

This paper presents a technique of re-using DFT logic for system functional and silicon debugging. By re-configuring the existing DFT logic implemented on an ASIC, we are able to 1) test each part of an ASIC in a system environment separately and thus locate manufacturing defects, 2) control and observe any state elements of an ASIC to facilitate system function and silicon debugging, and 3) use structural tests to cover device and their interconnect tests on a board. Therefore, we can achieve debugging and test at both device level and system board level.

The existence of common periodic points for a family of continuous commuting self-mappings on an interval is proved and two illustrative examples are given in support of our theorem and definition.

To define an index based on the van't Hoff equation that can be used as a screening tool for predicting poly(ethylene) glycol (PEG)-drug eutectic composition.Phase diagrams of PEG with ritonavir, ibuprofen, fenofibrate. naproxen, and griseofulvin were constructed using differential scanning calorimetry, hot stage microscopy and powder X-ray diftractometry. Previously reported phase diagrams were also used to test the predictive capability of the index.This work shows that a modified van't Hoff equation can be used to model the drug liquidus line of these phase diagrams. The slope of the liquidus line depends on the melting point (T(f)d) and heat of fusion (deltaH(f)d) of the drug and describes the initial rate at which the eutectic or monotectic point is approached. Based on this finding, a dimensionless index Ic was defined. The index can be calculated from the melting points of the pure components and heat of fusion of the drug. In addition to the compounds listed above, the index was found to predict the eutectic composition for flurbiprofen, temazepam and indomethacin. These compounds range over 150 degrees C in T(f)d, and from 25-65 kJ/mole in deltaH(f)d.Using Ic the approximate eutectic composition for eight different compounds was predicted. The index provides a useful screening tool for assessing the maximum drug loading in a drug-polymer eutectic/monotectic formulation.

As a by-product originating from Salen Co(III) catalysed hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of (±)-epichlorohydrin in the manufacturing procedure of L-Carnitine, ( R)-3-chloro-1,2-propanediol was utilised as a starting chiral material to prepare via key nitrile intermediates and by a final hydrolysis L-Carnitine. The new synthetic approach demonstrated an efficient utilisation of the by-product.

The effects of chemical and structural surface heterogeneity on the CH4 adsorption behaviour on microporous carbons have been investigated using a hybrid theoretical approach, including the use of density functional theory (DFT), molecular dynamics (MD), and grand canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulations. Bader charge analysis is first performed to analyze the surface atomic partial charges. The CH4 adsorption densities in defective and functionalized graphite slit pores are lower than that in the perfect pore according to the MD simulations. Finally, the CH4 adsorption isotherms for the perfect, defective and functionalized slit pores are analyzed using the GCMC simulations in combination with the DFT and MD results. For pores with a defective surface, the adsorption capacities decrease; the embedded functional groups decrease the adsorption capacity at low pressure and enhance it at high pressure. Our results demonstrate the significant effects of chemical and structural surface heterogeneity on the CH4 adsorption and provide a systematic approach to understand the gas adsorption behaviour.