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GhDRP1 acts as a negatively regulator to participate in response to drought stress possibly by modulating ABA signaling pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway which affects stomata movement and thus water loss, ROS scavenging enzymes, and proline accumulation in cotton. Type-2C protein phosphatases (PP2C) may play important roles in plant stress signal transduction. Here, we show the evidence that a cotton PP2C protein GhDRP1 participates in plant response to drought stress. GhDRP1 gene encodes an active type-2C protein phosphatase (PP2C) and its expression is significantly induced in cotton by drought stress. Compared with wild type, the GhDRP1 overexpression (OE) transgenic cotton and Arabidopsis displayed reduced drought tolerance, whereas GhDRP1-silenced (RNAi) cotton showed enhanced drought tolerance. Under drought stress, malondialdehyde content was lower, whereas superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities, proline content, stomata closure and relative water content were higher in GhDRP1 RNAi plants compared with those in wild type. In contrast, GhDRP1 OE plants showed the opposite phenotype under the same conditions. Expression levels of some stress-related and flavonoid biosynthesis-related genes were altered in GhDRP1 transgenic plants under drought stress. Additionally, GhDRP1 protein could interact with other proteins such as PYLs, SNF1-related protein kinase and GLK1-like protein. Collectively, these data suggest that GhDRP1 participates in plant response to drought stress possibly by modulating ABA signaling pathway and flavonoid biosynthesis pathway which affects stomata movement and thus water loss, ROS scavenging enzymes, and proline accumulation in cotton.

The impaction process of droplet on fiber (used as packing) including capture and dispersion is widely encountered in the multiphase reactors. Numerous studies have been conducted to illustrate the captured phenomena, while the phenomena and mechanism of dispersion are still unclear. In this work, the high-speed photography and computational fluid dynamics simulation were employed to investigate the dispersion phenomena of liquid droplet impacting on the single fiber with different wettabilities. Three flow patterns, named one-drop, one-film, and two-film dripping were observed from experimental results. Four contact angle models were implemented in the simulation. The gas–liquid interfacial area and energy utilization efficiency respectively increased from 1.85 to 3.38 times of initial area and from 1.97 % to 48.29 % when the contact angle increased from 45° to 155°. The results are of great significance to understand the dispersion phenomena as well as the enhanced dispersion efficiency of liquid in chemical reactors.

To explore the effect of glutamine (Gln) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, absorption function and mRNA expression of intestinal transporters in heat-stressed chickens, 540 21-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly assigned to a control group (no stress, NS), Gln group (Chickens were administered 0.5% and 1.0% Gln, respectively), heat stress group (HT), and Gln + HT group (Chickens were administered 0.5% and 1.0% Gln, respectively). The chickens in the HT and Gln + HT groups were reared under HT (36 ± 1 °C for 10 h/d and 22 ± 1 °C for 14 h/d), for 21 days. In contrast to the NS group, heat stress caused a reduction in the body weight gain (BWG); feed intake (FI); activity of trypsin, lipase, alkaline phosphatases, Ca2+ and Mg2+ adenosine triphosphatases, and Na+-K+-ATPase; and content of glutathione and d-xylose (P In addition, compared to the F:G and expression levels in the NS group, the heat stress increased the feed intake:body weight gain (F:G) and mRNA expression levels of SGLT1, CaBP-D28k, and L-GSBP (P

Vibration of the automotive engine has the characteristics of wide frequency band, multi-vibration sources and multi-main frequencies. Limited capability of passive mounting systems can be provided for engine vibration isolation. A MR semiactive mounting system for automotive engines is investigated in this paper. The dynamic model of the vertical vibration isolation system for the engine and an efficient damping control model of the MR mount are established. The frequency characteristics of the engine vibration are analyzed. The fuzzy control algorithm for the MR mounting system is designed, and the isolation performance of the MR mounting system is analyzed based on the developed experimental setup in Hefei University of Technology.

Anthrahydroquinone oxidation and H2O2 extraction are essential steps for commercial production of H2O2 via the anthraquinone route. However, high demand of mass transfer in the oxidation and extraction for the complicated production procedure is still a challenge. In this work, a rotating packed bed (RPB) reactor with superior mass transfer efficiency was applied to the simultaneous oxidation reaction and extraction for the first time. Effects of various operating parameters on the efficiency of reactive extraction were investigated. The intensified gas-liquid-liquid mass transfer in the tandem RPB reactor + stirring tank reactor (STR) contributed to the anthrahydroquinone conversion and H2O2 extraction efficiency up to 92% and 89%, respectively, while only 9.1% and 69% in the STR. Compared with the bubble column, the RPB reactor + STR also showed higher H2O2 production efficiency and obvious advantage with a shorter reaction time, which paves a new way for gas-liquid-liquid reactive extraction.

In fish, spermatogenesis and somatic growth are mainly regulated by hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-somatic (HPS) axes, respectively. Xenoestrogens have been reported to impair spermatogenesis in some fishes, and arrest somatic growth in some others, whereas, whether xenoestrogens are capable of disrupting spermatogenesis and somatic growth simultaneously in fish that exhibits sexual dimorphic growth is little known, and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, male juveniles of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco), which exhibits a sexual dimorphic growth that favors males, were exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) for 28 days. After exposure, DES significantly disrupted the spermatogenesis (decreased gonadal-somatic index (GSI) and germ cell number) and arrested the somatic growth (declined body weight) of the catfish juveniles. Gene expression and plasma steroid analyses demonstrated the suppressed mRNA levels of genes in HPG axis (gnrh-II, fshβ, and lhβ in the brain and dmrt1, sf1, fshr, cyp17a1, cyp19a1a, and cyp11b2 in the testis) and decreased 17β-estrodial (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT) levels in plasma. Further analysis revealed the arrested germ cell proliferation (cyclin d1), meiosis (dmc1, sycp3), and enhanced apoptosis (decreased bcl-2 and elevated bax/bcl-2 ratio) in the testis. Besides, DES also suppressed the mRNA levels of genes in HPS axis (ghrh, gh, and prl in the brain and ghr, igf1, igf2a, and igf2b in the liver). The suppressed HPG and HPS axes were thus supposed to disturb spermatogenesis and arrest somatic growth in yellow catfish. The present study greatly extended our understanding on the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of DES on spermatogenesis and somatic growth of fish.

PYR/PYL/RCAR proteins are putative abscisic acid (ABA) receptors that play important roles in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, 27 predicted PYL proteins were identified in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Sequence analysis showed they are conserved in structures. Phylogenetic analysis showed that cotton PYL family could be categorized into three groups. Yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that the GhPYL proteins selectively interacted with some GhPP2C proteins. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the most of nine GhPYL genes were down-regulated, while the other three were up-regulated in cotton under drought stress. Overexpression of GhPYL10/12/26 in Arabidopsis conferred the transgenic plants increased ABA sensitivity during seed germination and early seedling growth. On the contrary, the transgenic seedlings displayed better growth status and longer primary roots under normal conditions and mannitol stress, compared with wild type. Furthermore, the transgenic plants showed the enhanced drought tolerance, relative to wild type, when they were suffered from drought stress. Expression of some stress-related genes in transgenic plants was significant higher than that in wild type under osmotic stress. Thus, our data suggested that these cotton PYL genes may be involved in plant response and defense to drought/osmotic stress.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of human chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma. Our recent studies showed that &alpha, 1,6-fucosyltransferase (FUT8), a key glycosyltransferase, was the most up-regulated glycosyltransferase after the HCV infection of human hepatocellular carcinoma Huh7.5.1 cells. Here, we further studied the effects and possible mechanism of FUT8 on the proliferation of HCV and chemotherapy-resistance of HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cells. The effects of FUT8 on the proliferation and drug resistance of HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry analysis (FCM), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blot analysis and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay. Results: We found that FUT8 not only promoted Huh7.5.1 proliferation by activating PI3K-AKT-NF-&kappa, B signaling, but also stimulated the expression of the drug-resistant proteins P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance related protein 1 (MRP1) and enhanced the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemo-resistance of Huh7.5.1 cells. Silencing of FUT8 reduced the cell proliferation and increased the 5-FU sensitivity of HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cells. Inhibition of P-gp and MRP1 increased the 5-FU drug sensitivity in HCV infected Huh7.5.1 cells. HCV-induced FUT8 promotes proliferation and 5-FU resistance of Huh7.5.1 cells. FUT8 may serve as a therapeutic target to reverse chemotherapy resistance in HCV-infected Huh7.5.1 cells.

Sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) have been frequently used for sterilization due to their high biocompatibility and environmental friendliness. Compared with traditional sublimed sulfur, SNPs have some superior properties, such as the smaller particle size, better dispersibility in water and even higher antibacterial performance. Therefore, the objective of this study is to prepare SNPs with a controllable particle size and uniform morphology using a microfluidic anti-solvent precipitation method, whose process is continuous and ideal for large-scale production. The SNPs with a range of 15–50 nm can be prepared in both a Y-type microchannel (YMC) and T-type microchannel (TMC). Interestingly, for the SNP preparation process, the YMC shows a better mixing effect than TMC, which has been verified by the CFD simulation. Compared with a traditional batch stirred tank (ST), these two microchannels can not only guarantee a relatively small and uniform particle size, but also reduce the solvent consumption by at least 50%. More importantly, the SNPs show a better continuous bactericidal ability for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), compared with traditional micro-sized sublimed sulfur. The SNPs together with surfactant CTAB have a synergistic effect, which can enhance their antibacterial activities. Especially, among all the control groups, the as-prepared 15 nm SNPs have a better bactericidal performance, which can reduce the S. aureus colony number from ∼ 8 log CFU/mL to below the detection limit in 15 h, and reduce the colony number of E. coli from ∼ 8 to 1.8 log CFU/mL.

Drug transporters and metabolic enzymes are two major factors in the regulation of disposition of drug in the body. Interestingly, resveratrol, as a new star of anticancer drug, has a close relationship with transporters and metabolic enzymes. It is known that resveratrol can activate or inhibit the function of several transporters directly. Furthermore, the expression of several transporters was changed. Meanwhile, resveratrol is able to inhibit the function of metabolic enzymes (cytochrome P450, CYP450) and regulate the expression of metabolic enzymes. For this reason, when resveratrol is administrated in combination with other drugs, drug-drug interaction (DDI) should be considered. In this review, we summarize the distribution of transporters and metabolic enzymes in the body, the effect of resveratrol on transporters and metabolic enzymes as well as the drug-resveratrol interaction mediated by transporters and metabolic enzymes.

β-Arrestins (β-arrs) are regulators and mediators of G protein-coupled receptor signaling, and accumulating evidence suggests that they are functionally involved in inflammation and autoimmune diseases. However, the effect of β-arrs is unclear in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the role of β-arr2 is unknown in ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of this study is to investigate whether β-arr2 encourages inflammation-induced epithelial apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress/p53-upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA) in colitis. In the present study, the results showed that β-arr2 was increased in specimens from patients with UC or CD. Furthermore, a β-arr2 deficiency significantly repressed intestinal inflammation, ameliorated colitis, and alleviated mucosal apoptosis in mice. In addition, the targeted deletion of β-arr2 depressed ER stress, inhibited PUMA, and downregulated PUMA-mediated mitochondrial apoptotic signaling in colitis. β-Arr2, an important modulator of G protein-coupled receptor function, binds eIF2α to activate ER stress signaling. Furthermore, the knockdown of PUMA dramatically prevented β-arr2-induced apoptosis via alleviating ER stress in vitro. The results suggest that β-arr2 encourages inflammation-induced epithelial apoptosis through ER stress/PUMA in colitis and that β-arr2 is a potential therapeutic target for colitis.

Dynamics model and Electro-hydraulic proportional control model were established using Simulink and AMESim, Co-simulation was did based on the model. Control Performance of erecting system is Improved based on fuzzy PID control algorithm. Simulation results show that, Overshoot at level exchanging is small, the response is fast and the stability is improved based on fuzzy PID control algorithm.

As an important topic in research, Inner-vehicle communication (IVC) network gets more and more attention. But a lot of research ignored the effect of the relative speed between the vehicles of the communication performance in bidirectional traffic streams when they set multichannel traffic flow scenes. In order to solve the problem we studied the changes of each performance on different relative speed of the traffic streams. The research can help to configuration related parameters and set scenes in right way, so that to improve the reliability and efficiency and security of IVC network.

Cystatin SN (cystatin 1, CST1) is a member of the cystatin superfamily that inhibits the proteolytic activity of cysteine proteases. CST1 is a tumor biomarker that provides useful information for the diagnosis of esophageal, gastric, and colorectal carcinomas. However, the significance of CST1 in pancreatic cancer is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess whether CST1 is a potential biomarker for early diagnosis of malignant pancreatic neoplasms. Microarray analysis of mRNA extracted from pancreatic cancer and pancreatic normal tissues was performed. Bioinformatics revealed that CST1 was one of the highest expressed genes on the array in pancreatic cancer, compared with normal tissue. In addition, the upregulation of CST1 in pancreatic cancer and several pancreatic cancer cell lines was confirmed using real-time PCR (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. Next, CST1 knockdown using siRNA reduced the expression of the proliferation-related proteins p-AKT and PCNA significantly, as well as colony formation and xenograft development in vitro. Consistent with this, CST1 mRNA overexpression was correlated closely with malignancy-associated proteins such as PCNA, cyclin D1, cyclin A2, and cyclin E in pancreatic cancer cell lines. In conclusion, our data suggest that CST1 might contribute to the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells and could be a potential biomarker for the early detection of pancreatic cancer.

Ultrasonic phased array imaging detection technology combinating the focused beam and array probe movement can get powerful test information. It has been widely used in the steel butt weld detection. For making up the limitations of 2D view, in this paper,we used one-dimensional linear array probe, got 2D slice view data obtained by phased array ultrasonic S-scan, through software programming algorithm to realize 3D reconstruction of steel butt weld typical defects. Experiment shows that it can display more intuitive performance of the defects in space. Revealing a better shape, size and orientation information. Providing a reference for the final evaluation of the defect.

Radiation-induced gastrointestinal (GI) syndrome currently has no effective prophylactic or therapeutic treatment. Previous studies and our data have demonstrated the important role of p53 in acute radiation-induced GI syndrome in mice. Many cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), have been found to protect against radiation-induced intestinal injury, although the underlying mechanisms remain to be identified. Here, we report blockage of p53 through a protein kinase B (Akt) pathway in intestinal progenitor/stem cells or crypt cells as a novel molecular mechanism of growth factor-mediated intestinal radioprotection. Treatment with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB) or bFGF activated Akt phosphorylation in the intestinal crypt, lessened intestinal crypt p53 expression, decreased radiation-induced apoptosis in mouse intestinal progenitor/stem cell marker leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5)-positive cells by an average of 50%, and increased the survival rate of mice with abdominal radiation by 3 days in average. Conversely, the Akt inhibitor perifosine obstructed growth factor-simulated Akt phosphorylation while promoting radiation-induced p53 expression in intestinal crypts. Importantly, reduced Akt phosphorylation and elevated p53 expression due to the Akt inhibitor perifosine impaired intestinal progenitor/stem cells radioprotection provided by PDGF-BB and bFGF. Consistently, PDGF-BB and bFGF both upregulated Akt activation, suppressed radiation-induced p53 expression, and abrogated radiation-induced apoptosis in IEC-6 cells, although p53 overexpression in IEC-6 cells partially counteracted the radioprotection of PDGF-BB and bFGF. Our data suggest that intestinal crypt radioprotection by PDGF-BB and bFGF is dependent on regulation of Akt/p53 signaling.

Series and parallel application schemes between high-speed on-off valve and hydraulic cylinder are proposed to control the speed of hydraulic cylinder based on the analysis of high-speed on-off valve flow characteristics. The duty cycle of pulse control signal was changed according to the displacement of hydraulic cylinder to control the speed of hydraulic cylinder and weak the impact. The speed and acceleration curve of hydraulic cylinder were achieved by the means of experiment with FESTO. Experimental results show that, two application schemes can both control the speed of hydraulic cylinder effectively. Series application scheme can be only applied to small flow hydraulic system; parallel application scheme has wider application.

This paper aims to research the position control of the hydraulic cylinder controlled by the high-speed on-off valve to realize the precise position control. A compound algorithm of proportional integral & speed feedforward- displacement feedback is put forward based on the research on the relationship between the duty ratio and the past flow for the high speed on-off valve. The speed feedforward-displacement feedback algorithm can solve the hysteresis resulting from the feedback control and be considered as the certain duty ratio is given ahead, and the proportional integral control algorithm is designed and utilized to deal with the position error by adjusting to the duty ratio of high speed on-off valve. The genetic algorithm is used to tune the control parameters, including speed forward coefficient, proportional and integral coefficient of displacement feedback, output coefficient to gain the optimization result, on terms of the performance of the position control system. The mathematics modeling is analyzed and simulated with MATLAB/Simulink using the bulk-cavity-node method, and the hydraulic loop is established to verify the simulation result with the optimized results on the FESTO platform. The research finds that the proposed position scheme is effective to increase the position precision, and the position control parameters optimized by genetic algorithm can decrease the position error more.

Application of high-speed on-off valve in the hydraulic speed control system was researched in this paper. The bypass-throttle circuit application of high speed on-off valve is proposed to control the speed of hydraulic cylinder. The duty cycle of pulse control signal was changed according to the displacement of hydraulic cylinder to control the speed and weak the impact. The speed and accelerated speed curves of hydraulic cylinder were achieved by the means of simulation with Simulink and experiment with FESTO is obtained, and research result shows that the applied scheme can effectively control the speed of hydraulic cylinder effectively.

In underground engineering, soft rock underground cavern problems are often found. Based on the basic principles of underground engineering support, by support strength from the technical specification and practical observation data, we can reach a conclusion on the basis of soft rock underground cavern stability with lower confining pressure controlling measures. The supporting force is 3MPa in average, the max value of the supporting force is 9MPa. The supporting forces belong to the range of lower confining pressure.

Through the uniaxial compression test, the mechanical properties of different placements of iron wire cement mortar, e.g. compressive strength and elastic modulus, were studied, and the mass ratios of cement, sands and water influencing the mechanical properties were put forward, which provided the experimental results for reference for the wide use of the iron wire cement mortar material. From the study it is gained that: (1) The best placement of the iron wires in cement mortar is horizontal. (2) The best mass ratio of the cement, sands and water is 1:4.70:0.81.

Aim: To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of adoptive cellular therapy for the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). Materials & methods: We performed a systemic review and meta-analysis of nine eligible trials with GC and evaluated the effect of adoptive cellular therapy on the overall survival (OS) rate, T-cell subsets and adverse events. Results: Overall, 829 patients were involved in the analysis. Adoptive cellular therapy significantly improved the OS rate compared with the control group. Meanwhile, we observed greatly increased percentages of CD3+, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ in cellular therapy groups. Conclusion: Adoptive cellular therapy combined with adjuvant therapy resulted in significantly better OS rates, progression-free survival and T-lymphocyte responses in patients with GC.

Digoxin has long been used for rate control in atrial fibrillation (AF); its safety remains controversial. We performed a literature search using MEDLINE (source PubMed, January 1, 1966, to July 31, 2015) and EMBASE (January 1, 1980, to July 31, 2015) with no restrictions. Studies that reported relative risk (RR) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations of interest were included. Pooled effect estimates were obtained by using random-effects meta-analysis. Twenty-two studies involving 586,594 patients were identified. Patients taking digoxin, as compared with those who took no digoxin, experienced an increased risk of death from any cause (RR: 1.29[95% CI 1.16–1.43]), even after reported adjustment for propensity scores (RR: 1.28[95% CI 1.18–1.39]). The risk of death was increased with patients with or without heart failure (RR: 1.12[95% CI 1.02–1.23] and RR: 1.26[95% CI 1.15–1.29], respectively), and patients taking or not taking beta blockers (RR: 1.17 [95% CI 1.06–1.30] and RR: 1.28 [95% CI 1.08–1.51], respectively). Digoxin use was also associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death (RR: 1.32 [95% CI 1.07–1.64]), arrhythmic death (RR: 1.38 [95% CI 1.07–1.79]), and stroke (RR: 1.20 [95% CI 1.004–1.44]). Digoxin treatment is associated with an absolute risk increase of 19 (95% CI 13–26) additional deaths from any cause per 1000 person-years. Digoxin use is associated with a significant increased risk for death from any cause in patients with AF. This finding suggests a need for reconsideration of present treatment recommendations on use of digoxin in AF.

A lot of large area lands were made in China coastal areas by dredging sludge from the sea. The dredged fill ground had a very low bearing capacity which should be increased as soon as possible to meet the requirements of constructions. However, conventional vacuum preloading could not be used for this purpose because the sand cushion could not be laid on the sludge ground due to the very low bearing capacity. To solve this problem, a modified vacuum preloading method without sand cushion was proposed. This method has been successfully tested and applied in the reclamation project in Wenzhou. Based on this project, the technological process and the key technology were introduced and the reinforcement effect was analyzed. Project results showed the modified vacuum preloading method could achieve a good reinforcement effect on large area dredged fill ground in a short period. It is worth to promote the application of this method in coastal reclamation projects.

To study mechanical characteristics of general reinforced concrete in engineering, specimens of reinforced concrete with different mass ratios and specimens of fiber reinforced concrete with different distributing modes of steel fibers or mixed modes of fiberglass are produced. Testing results from these specimens state that recommended mass ratio is 1:4.29:0.74 of cement, sand to water for reinforced concrete, and mass ratio of mixed AR fiberglass is 4‰ or distributing mode of steel fibers is vertical 5 roots evenly for fiber reinforced concretes will have excellent mechanical properties. Analyzing mechanical indexes influencing characteristics of reinforced concretes, uniaxial compressive strength and ultimate strain are primary indexes, elastic modulus is an assistant index, and Poisson ratio and residual strength are both only referenced indexes.

A yielding inverted arch of composite structures is designed to control serious floor heave of tunnel. Constitution of the inverted arch is studied to present mechanism of the composite structure to restrain floor heave. By field trial of the yielding inverted arch with composite structures, it is an effective method to control floor heave, and its important function is to absorb main elastic deformation coming from bottom strata.

Effects of prior austenite deformation and non-metallic inclusions on the ferrite nucleation and grain refinement of two kinds of low-carbon steels have been studied. The ferrite nucleation on MnS and V(C,N) is observed. The combination of thermomechanical processes with adequate amounts of non-metallic inclusions formed in low-carbon steels could effectively refine the grain size and the microstructure. Ferrite nucleated on the single MnS or V(C,N) inclusions and complex MnS+V(C,N) inclusion. The proper addition of elements S and V could effectively promote the formation of ferrite and further refinement of ferrite grains.

By researching the synchronization motion of double hydraulic cylinders controlled by high-speed on-off valve, the paper aims to solve the shortage of current hydraulic synchronization system with low synchronization precision. The flow characteristic of high-speed on-off valve with pulse width-frequency modulation is researched compared with pulse width modulation. The mathematical equations of the double hydraulic cylinders are formulated with bulk-cavity-node method in MATLAB/Simulink. The collaborative synchronization control is analyzed and the compound algorithm of collaborative synchronization control and pulse width-frequency modulation is simulated compared with collaborative synchronization control. The hydraulic loop is set up to verify the simulation result with the proposed control algorithm on the FESTO platform. The research finds that (1) the pulse width-frequency modulation control can be linear to the flow of high-speed on-off valve on the duty bound of 0~100%; (2) the collaborative synchronization control is effective to eliminate the displacement error between the double cylinders which results from the different load environment and other disturbance.

Recently, Liu et al. [Commun. Theor. Phys. 57, 583, 2012] proposed a quantum private comparison protocol based on entanglement swapping of Bell states, which aims to securely compare the equality of two participants' information with the help of a semi-honest third party (TP). However, this study points out there is a fatal loophole in this protocol, i.e., TP can obtain all of the two participants secret inputs without being detected through making a specific Bell-basis measurement. To fix the problem, a simple solution, which uses one-time eavesdropper checking with decoy photons instead of twice eavesdropper checking with Bell states, is demonstrated. Compared with the original protocol, it also reduces the Bell states consumption and simplifies the steps in the protocol., 9 pages, 1 figure

This paper aims to research the position control of the hydraulic cylinder controlled by the high-speed on-off valve to realize the precise position control. A compound algorithm of proportional integral & speed feedforward- displacement feedback is put forward based on the research on the relationship between the duty ratio and the past flow for the high speed on-off valve. The speed feedforward-displacement feedback algorithm can solve the hysteresis resulting from the feedback control and be considered as the certain duty ratio is given ahead, and the proportional integral control algorithm is designed and utilized to deal with the position error by adjusting to the duty ratio of high speed on-off valve. The genetic algorithm is used to tune the control parameters, including speed forward coefficient, proportional and integral coefficient of displacement feedback, output coefficient to gain the optimization result, on terms of the performance of the position control system. The mathematics modeling is analyzed and simulated with Simulink using the bulk-cavity-node method, and the hydraulic loop is established to verify the simulation result with the optimized results on the FESTO platform. the research finds that the proposed position scheme is effective to increase the position precision, and the position control parameters optimized by genetic algorithm can decrease the position error more. DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/telkomnika.v12i5.4218

This article presents the high-cycle fatigue behavior of an as-forged-T5 Mg-Zn-Y-Zr alloy with stress ratios of R=-1 and R=0.1 at ambient temperature. The relationship between the maximum stress and the number of cycles to failure is established. The fatigue strength of the alloy at 10(7) cycles is strongly affected by both the heat treatment and the mean applied stress. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Objective To assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods Adults (aged ≥18 years) with chronic low back pain (with or without radiculopathy) were randomized to undergo either routine treatment (ultrasonography, short wave diathermy and lumbar strengthening exercises; control group) or routine treatment with pelvic floor exercises (intervention group) for 24 weeks. Pain, disability (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] score) and trunk muscle function were assessed at baseline and after completion of treatment. Results The study included 47 patients (control group n = 24; intervention group n = 23). Pain severity and ODI scores were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group after 24 weeks. There were no significant between-group differences in trunk muscle function. Conclusion Pelvic floor exercise in combination with routine treatment provides significant benefits in terms of pain relief and disability over routine treatment alone.

PXR, CAR and PPAR, widely distributed in the body, are important members of the nuclear receptors (NRs) family. The activities and gene expressions of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) and transporters can be regulated by the activation of NRs, which effect the drug disposition. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the leading cause of failure in cancer therapy. NRs, including PXR, CAR and PPAR, were shown to regulate the expressions of DMEs and transporters involved in the drug metabolism and clearance, suggesting that the modulation of NRs can be considered as a new target to overcome MDR. This review described the research progress of NR family members PXR, CAR, PPAR and their transcriptional activation mechanism, the regulation of DMEs and transporters by NRs, which may provide a valuable reference for clinical medication and overcome of MDR.

GAST (GA-stimulated transcript)-like genes have been reported as targets of GA regulation in some plant species. In this study, we isolated seven GAST-like cDNAs from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) cDNA libraries (designated as GhGASL1-GhGASL7). Meanwhile, the genomic DNA clones corresponding to the seven GhGASL genes were isolated by using PCR amplification technique. Analysis of gene structure revealed that four genes (GhGASL1/3/5/6) contain two exons and one intron, while the rest have four exons and three introns. All of the deduced GhGASL proteins contain a putative signal peptide in the N-terminus and a conservative cysteine-rich C-terminal domain. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that the seven GhGASL genes are differentially expressed in cotton tissues. Among them, GhGASL1/4/7 were predominantly expressed in cotyledons, while the transcripts of GhGASL2/5 were preferentially accumulated at hypocotyls. GhGASL3 mRNA was largely accumulated in fibers, while GhGASL6 transcripts were mainly detected in ovules. Furthermore, GhGASL2/3/5 displayed a relatively high expression levels during early fiber elongation stages, and were regulated by GA. These data suggested that GhGASL genes may be involved in fiber elongation and in response to GA signaling during fiber development.

To investigate the acceptability of male circumcision among male miners in Baise, Guangxi, China.A questionnaire-based survey on the willingness to be circumcised (WTC) and its influential factors were conducted among Guangxi male miners recruited by random cluster sampling.Of 569 subjects who were surveyed, 143 (25.13%) expressed their willingness to be circumcised. Univariate analysis showed that marital status, education level, and the awareness of the hazards of phimosis and redundant prepuce and reasons for circumcision were significantly different between WTC group and the non-WTC group (all P0.05). Furthermore, the incidence of phimosis or redundant prepuce also significantly differed between these two groups (P=0.0001). Logistic regression analysis found marital status (OR=0.498ì95%CI=0.272-0.913), history of foreskin disease (OR=8.181, 95%CI=4.252-15.741), and awareness of the risk that a redundant prepuce may cause smegma (OR=1.713ì95%CI=1.090-2.693) were significantly correlated with the male miners WTC.Male miners in this area have low WTC. Education on the basic knowledge of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and circumcision may help promote the application of circumcision.

Copper is vitally required for plants at low concentrations but extremely toxic for plants at elevated concentrations. Plants have evolved a series of mechanisms to prevent the consequences of the excess or deficit of copper. These mechanisms require copper-interacting proteins involved in copper trafficking. Blue copper-binding proteins (BCPs) are a class of copper proteins containing one blue copper-binding domain binding a single type I copper. To investigate the role of BCPs in plant development and in response to stresses, we isolated nine cDNAs encoding the putative blue copper-binding proteins (GhBCPs) from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). Meanwhile, four corresponding genes (including GhBCP1-GhBCP4), which contain a single intron inserted in their conserved position, were isolated from cotton genome. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis indicated that the nine GhBCP genes are differentially expressed in cotton tissues. Among them, GhBCP1 and GhBCP4 were predominantly expressed in fibers, while the transcripts of GhBCP2 and GhBCP3 were accumulated at relatively high levels in fibers. These four genes were strongly expressed in early fiber elongation, but dramatically declined with further fiber development. In addition, these GhBCP genes were upregulated in fibers by Cu(2+) , Zn(2+) , high-salinity and drought stresses, but downregulated in fibers by Al(3+) treatment. Overexpression of GhBCP1 and GhBCP4 in yeast (Schizosaccharomyces pombe) significantly increased the cell growth rate under Cu(2+) , Zn(2+) and high-salinity stresses. These results suggested that these GhBCPs may participate in the regulation of fiber development and in response to high-salinity and heavy metal stresses in cotton.

This paper aims to research the position control of the hydraulic cylinder controlled by the high-speed on-off valve to realise the precise position control. The flow characteristic of the research on the relationship between the duty ratio and the average flow is researched. The mathematical model of the hydraulic cylinder is analysed and simulated with MATLAB/Simulink using the bulk-cavity-node method, and the compound algorithm of PD and speed feedforward-displacement feedback with the pulse width modulation (PWM) control is put forwarded. The position control of different control parameters is researched and the genetic algorithm is used to tune the control parameters. The hydraulic loop is set up to verify the simulation result with the optimised control parameters on the FESTO platform. The design methodology and control algorithm can be applied to other hydraulic system with position control requirement.

In a meta-analysis of 32 observational studies involving 3,966,184 participants and 35,151 events, Suhua Wu and colleagues found that current, ever, and former smoking was associated with risk of venous thromboembolism. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary, Background Smoking is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic disease, but its role as an independent risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains controversial. We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize all published prospective studies and case-control studies to update the risk for VTE in smokers and determine whether a dose–response relationship exists. Methods and Findings We performed a literature search using MEDLINE (source PubMed, January 1, 1966 to June 15, 2013) and EMBASE (January 1, 1980 to June 15, 2013) with no restrictions. Pooled effect estimates were obtained by using random-effects meta-analysis. Thirty-two observational studies involving 3,966,184 participants and 35,151 VTE events were identified. Compared with never smokers, the overall combined relative risks (RRs) for developing VTE were 1.17 (95% CI 1.09–1.25) for ever smokers, 1.23 (95% CI 1.14–1.33) for current smokers, and 1.10 (95% CI 1.03–1.17) for former smokers, respectively. The risk increased by 10.2% (95% CI 8.6%–11.8%) for every additional ten cigarettes per day smoked or by 6.1% (95% CI 3.8%–8.5%) for every additional ten pack-years. Analysis of 13 studies adjusted for body mass index (BMI) yielded a relatively higher RR (1.30; 95% CI 1.24–1.37) for current smokers. The population attributable fractions of VTE were 8.7% (95% CI 4.8%–12.3%) for ever smoking, 5.8% (95% CI 3.6%–8.2%) for current smoking, and 2.7% (95% CI 0.8%–4.5%) for former smoking. Smoking was associated with an absolute risk increase of 24.3 (95% CI 15.4–26.7) cases per 100,000 person-years. Conclusions Cigarette smoking is associated with a slightly increased risk for VTE. BMI appears to be a confounding factor in the risk estimates. The relationship between VTE and smoking has clinical relevance with respect to individual screening, risk factor modification, and the primary and secondary prevention of VTE. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary, Editors' Summary Background Blood normally flows throughout the human body, supplying its organs and tissues with oxygen and nutrients. But, when an injury occurs, proteins called clotting factors make the blood gel (coagulate) at the injury site. The resultant clot (thrombus) plugs the wound and prevents blood loss. Occasionally, a thrombus forms inside an uninjured blood vessel and partly or completely blocks the blood flow. Clot formation inside one of the veins deep within the body, usually in a leg, is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and can cause pain, swelling, and redness in the affected limb. DVT can be treated with drugs that stop the blood clot from getting larger (anticoagulants) but, if left untreated, part of the clot can break off and travel to the lungs, where it can cause a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. DVT and pulmonary embolism are collectively known as venous thromboembolism (VTE). Risk factors for VTE include having an inherited blood clotting disorder, oral contraceptive use, prolonged inactivity (for example, during a long-haul plane flight), and having surgery. VTEs are present in about a third of all people who die in hospital and, in non-bedridden populations, about 10% of people die within 28 days of a first VTE event. Why Was This Study Done? Some but not all studies have reported that smoking is also a risk factor for VTE. A clear demonstration of a significant association (a relationship unlikely to have occurred by chance) between smoking and VTE might help to reduce the burden of VTE because smoking can potentially be reduced by encouraging individuals to quit smoking and through taxation policies and other measures designed to reduce tobacco consumption. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the researchers examine the link between smoking and the risk of VTE in the general population and investigate whether heavy smokers have a higher risk of VTE than light smokers. A systematic review uses predefined criteria to identify all the research on a given topic; meta-analysis is a statistical method for combining the results of several studies. What Did the Researchers Do and Find? The researchers identified 32 observational studies (investigations that record a population's baseline characteristics and subsequent disease development) that provided data on smoking and VTE. Together, the studies involved nearly 4 million participants and recorded 35,151 VTE events. Compared with never smokers, ever smokers (current and former smokers combined) had a relative risk (RR) of developing VTE of 1.17. That is, ever smokers were 17% more likely to develop VTE than never smokers. For current smokers and former smokers, RRs were 1.23 and 1.10, respectively. Analysis of only studies that adjusted for body mass index (a measure of body fat and a known risk factor for conditions that affect the heart and circulation) yielded a slightly higher RR (1.30) for current smokers compared with never smokers. For ever smokers, the population attributable fraction (the proportional reduction in VTE that would accrue in the population if no one smoked) was 8.7%. Notably, the risk of VTE increased by 10.2% for every additional ten cigarettes smoked per day and by 6.1% for every additional ten pack-years. Thus, an individual who smoked one pack of cigarettes per day for 40 years had a 26.7% higher risk of developing VTE than someone who had never smoked. Finally, smoking was associated with an absolute risk increase of 24.3 cases of VTE per 100,000 person-years. What Do These Findings Mean? These findings indicate that cigarette smoking is associated with a statistically significant, slightly increased risk for VTE among the general population and reveal a dose-relationship between smoking and VTE risk. They cannot prove that smoking causes VTE—people who smoke may share other unknown characteristics (confounding factors) that are actually responsible for their increased risk of VTE. Indeed, these findings identify body mass index as a potential confounding factor that might affect the accuracy of estimates of the association between smoking and VTE risk. Although the risk of VTE associated with smoking is smaller than the risk associated with some well-established VTE risk factors, smoking is more common (globally, there are 1.1 billion smokers) and may act synergistically with some of these risk factors. Thus, smoking behavior should be considered when screening individuals for VTE and in the prevention of first and subsequent VTE events. Additional Information Please access these Web sites via the online version of this summary at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001515. The US National Heart Lung and Blood Institute provides information on deep vein thrombosis (including an animation about how DVT causes pulmonary embolism), and information on pulmonary embolism The UK National Health Service Choices website has information on deep vein thrombosis, including personal stories, and on pulmonary embolism; SmokeFree is a website provided by the UK National Health Service that offers advice on quitting smoking The non-profit organization US National Blood Clot Alliance provides detailed information about deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism for patients and professionals and includes a selection of personal stories about these conditions The World Health Organization provides information about the dangers of tobacco (in several languages) Smokefree.gov, from the US National Cancer Institute, offers online tools and resources to help people quit smoking MedlinePlus has links to further information about deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and the dangers of smoking (in English and Spanish)

We point out that the quantum secret sharing (QSS) protocol proposed by Gao et al. [Chin. Phys. Lett. 29 (2012) 110305] has some defects. Thus, some strategies are given to mend them.