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The functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with amino groups were prepared after such steps as oxidation, the addition of carboxyalkyl radicals, acylation and amidation. Besides oxidated-MWNTs/epoxy nanocomposites, amino-functionalized MWNTs/epoxy nanocomposites, in which MWNTs with amino groups acted as a curing agent and covalently attached into the epoxy matrix, were fabricated. Subsequently, the effects of MWNT content on the mechanical and thermal properties for the two systems were investigated. It is found that both the tensile strength and impact strength enhance with the increase of MWNT addition, and the most significant improvement of the tensile strength (+51%) and especially impact strength (+93%) is obtained with amine-treated MWNTs at an 1.5 wt.% content. Moreover, the thermal stability of the nanocomposites also distinctly improves. The improvement of the properties of the amine-treated MWNTs system is more remarkable than those of o-MWNTs system. The reasons for these changes were discussed.

A novel strategy was developed in order to prepare monolayered polyaniline (PANI) submicrospheres on polymer substrates. The strategy involved two main steps, i.e., photografting of acrylate acid (AA) onto the surface of a polypropylene (PP) film, and subsequent oxidative polymerization of aniline on the grafted surface. It was found that the PANI monolayered hollow submicrospheres were immobilized on the surface of the PP film when the molar ratio of AA to aniline was about 1:1.6. A possible formation mechanism of the hollow PANI submicrosphere iss discussed.

Treating MWCNTs with an acidic solution (concentrated H 2 SO 4 /HNO 3 ; 3:1) and subsequently with succinic acid peroxide leads to MWCNTs functionalized with carboxyl groups on their sidewalls (or surfaces). These MWCNT-COOH were converted to MWCNT-COCl and further to MWCNi-NH 2 . The PU was covalently coated onto the sidewalls (or surfaces) of the MWCNT by in situ polymerization of TDI under ultrasound in the presence of MWCNT-NH 2 . The results show that PU is chemically tethered to the MWCNT sidewalls (or surfaces) via the ∼HN-CO-NH∼ linkage, with a thickness in the range of approximately 2 to 5 nm, and the amount of grafted PU is about 34 wt.-%.

A novel strategy was developed in order to prepare various micro/nanostructured polyanilines (PANI) on polymer substrates. The strategy involved two main steps, i.e., a grafting polymerization of acrylate acid (AA) onto the surface of a polypropylene (PP) film and subsequently an oxidative polymerization of aniline on the grafted surface. By tuning the conformation of the surface-grafted poly acrylate acid (PAA) brushes, as well as the ratio of AA to aniline, the shape of the PANIs fixated onto the surfaces of the polymer substrate could be controlled to go from spherical particles to nanowires and eventually to nanoribbons. In these structures, the PAA brushes not only acted as templates but also as dopants of PANI, and thereby, the nanostructured PANIs could be strongly bonded with the substrate. In addition, the surface of the PP films grafted with polyaniline nanowires and nanoribbons displayed superhydrophobicity with contact angles for water of approxiamtely 145 and 151 degrees , respectively.

Hybrid micro machine tools are increasingly in demand for manufacturing microproducts made of hard-to-machine materials, such as ceramic air bearing, bio-implants and power electronics substrates etc. These machines can realize hybrid machining processes which combine one or two non-conventional machining techniques such as EDM, ECM, laser machining, etc. and conventional machining techniques such as turning, grinding, milling on one machine bed. Hybrid machine tool developers tend to mix and match components from multiple vendors for the best value and performance. The system integrity is usually at the second priority at the initial design phase, which generally leads to very complex and inflexible system. This paper proposes a reconfigurable control software, architecture for a hybrid micro machine tool, which combines laser-assisted machining and 5-axis micro-milling as well as incorporating a material handling system and advanced on-machine sensors. The architecture uses finite state machine (FSM) for hardware control and data flow. FSM simplifies the system integration and allows a flexible architecture that can be easily ported to similar applications. Furthermore, component-based technology is employed to encapsulate changes for different modules to realize “plug-and-play”. The benefits of using the software architecture include reduced lead time and lower cost of development.

Polypyrrole (PPy) nanowire networks have been synthesized in high yield (higher than 90%) by chemical oxidative polymerization of pyrrole in the presence of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB) and organic diacids (oxalic acid, tartaric acid, or glutaric acid) and triacid (citric acid). The diameter of nanowire is 60−90 nm. The influence of reaction conditions, such as polymerization temperature, polymerization time, and the molar ratios of HTAB to organic acids and pyrrole, on the morphologies of the PPy nanowire networks has been systematically investigated. In addition, the interconnected PPy nanoparticles are prepared without using HTAB. The film of PPy nanowire networks and nanoparticles is superhydrophilic. A plausible formation mechanism of PPy nanowire networks is discussed.

Polyaniline (PANI) nanowires and sub-micro/ nanostructured dendrites are synthesized and immobilized on PP-g-PAA film surfaces via routine oxidative polymerization of aniline under different conditions, where grafting poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) served as a template and dopant, and SDS as a surfactant. The immobilized PANI enhances the surface hydrophilicity of the poly(propylene) (PP) films, and a superhydrophilic surface is obtained in this way. The mechanism of forming different morphologies of PANI and of correspondingly obtaining a superhydrophilic surface are briefly discussed.

A novel method for preparing electrically conductive polypropylene-graft-polyacrylic acid/polyaniline (PP-g-PAA/PANI) composite films was developed. 1,4-Phenylenediamine (PDA) was introduced on the surface of PP-g-PAA film, and then, chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline on PP-g-PAA/PDA film was carried out to prepare PP-g-PAA/PANI electrically conductive composite films. After each step of reaction, the PP film surface was characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Static water contact angles of the PP, PP-g-PAA, and PP-g-PAA/PANI films were measured, and the results revealed that graft reactions took place as expected. The morphology of the PP-g-PAA film and the PP-g-PAA/PANI composite film were observed by atomic force microscopy. The conductivity and the thickness of the PP-g-PAA/PANI composite films with 1.5 wt % PANI were around 0.21 S/cm and 0.4 μm, respectively. The PANI on the PP-g-PAA/PANI film was reactivated and chain growing occurred to further improve the molecular weight of PANI. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 2442–2450, 2007

Superhydrophilic modification of poly(propylene) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) films' surfaces was realized by the UV-initiated surface photografting of a N-vinyl pyrrolidone/N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide inverse microemulsion. AFM characterization of the treated films' surface revealed that it was the grafted quasi-bimodal (ca. 45 and 110 nm) particles of cross-linked poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone) that led to superhydrophilicity of the surface. The grafted nanometer-scale particles showed little influence on the transparency of the substrate's surface, but endowed long-term stability to the superhydrophilicity. The surface morphology of the PP film grafted with a NVP/ MBA inverse microemulsion via a one-step method. Quasi-bimodal particles (ca. 45 nm and 110 nm) were tethered on the film's surface, and the corresponding surface water CA fell below 5°.

A method for the preparation of electrically conductive poly(propylene) -graft-polyacrylic acid/polyaniline (PP-g-PAA/PANI) composite films was developed. The synthesis was mainly performed by two steps, i.e., the surface graft copolymerization of PP films with acrylic acid induced by ultraviolet (UV) and then chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. The influence of experimental conditions on graft percentage of PANI on PP-g-PAA films was systematically investigated. It was found that when the polymerization on the surface of PP-g-PAA films was performed in aqueous HCl medium, the optimum aniline concentration was 0.1 M at pH 1. Additionally, UV–visible spectroscopy and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize and analyze the interaction between PAA and aniline, the formation mechanism and the surface structure of the PP-g-PAA/PANI films. The morphologies of the PP-g-PAA/PANI composite films were also detected by scanning electron microscope. The conductivity and the thickness of the composite films with 2 wt.% PANI were about 10 −2 S/cm and 0.6 μm, respectively.

Three-dimensional polyaniline (PANI) nanowire networks were synthesized in high yield using a soft templateself-assembled with hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and oxalic acid. The PANI nanowire networks had diameters from 35-100 nm depending on synthesis conditions and/or procedures. The networks and the cross-linking points were clearly by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A possible mechanism for the formation of three-dimensional PANI nanowire networks is discussed.

Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is one of the deadliest hematological malignancies and there is at present no efficient strategy to defeat it. New detailed insight into AML leukemia stem cells (LSCs) survival will facilitate the identification of targets for the development of new therapeutic approaches. Recent work has provided evidence that LSCs are defective in their ability to employ glycolysis, but are highly reliant on oxidative phosphorylation, and the maintenance of mitochondrial function is essential for LSCs survival. It is increasingly clear that Ca2+ released constitutively from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is taken up by mitochondria to sustain optimal bioenergetics and cell survival. Here we report three striking findings: 1) oxysterol-binding protein (OSBP)-related protein 4 (ORP4L) is expressed in LSCs but not in normal hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). 2) ORP4L is essential for LSC bioenergetics; It forms a complex with PLCβ3 and IP3 receptor 1 (ITPR1) to control Ca2+ release from the ER and subsequent cytosolic and mitochondrial parallel Ca2+ spike oscillations that sustain pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activation and oxidative phosphorylation. 3) ORP4L inhibition eradicates LSCs in vitro and in vivo through impairment of Ca2+-dependent bioenergetics. These results suggest a novel role of ORP4L in governing Ca2+ release to sustain mitochondrial function and survival of LSCs and identify ORP4L as a putative new oncoprotein and therapeutic target for LSCs elimination. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Background Nuclear receptor Rev‐erbα plays important roles in circadian clock timing, lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, and vascular inflammation. However, the role of Rev‐erbα in atherosclerotic lesion development has not been assessed in vivo. Methods and Results The nuclear receptor Rev‐erbα was knocked down in mouse haematopoietic cells by means of sh RNA ‐lentiviral transduction, followed by bone marrow transplantation into LDL receptor knockout mice. The Rev‐erbα protein in peripheral macrophage was reduced by 70% as compared to control mice injected with nontargeting sh RNA lentivirus‐transduced bone marrow. A significant increase in atherosclerotic lesions was observed around the aorta valves as well as upon en face aorta analysis of Rev‐erbα knock‐down bone marrow recipients ( P Conclusions These observations identify hematopoietic cell Rev‐erbα as a new modulator of atherogenesis in mice.

Two types of nanostructures, nanowires and nanoribbons were prepared with polypyrrole (PPy) by controlling the concentration of acrylic acid (AA) in systems containing cationic surfactant, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) at about 12 degrees C. The effect of reaction conditions involving the concentration of AA, CTAB, pyrrole as well as the reaction temperature was systematically studied on the final structures of prepared PPy. The results revealed that the polymerization of AA, resulting in PAA, played a key role in the evolution of PPy nanostructures. A possible mechanism was briefly discussed on the formation of these two nanostructures, nanowires and nanoribbons.

Oxysterol-binding (OSBP)-related proteins (ORPs) constitute a family of sterol and phosphoinositide binding/transfer proteins in eukaryotes from yeast to man. While their functions have mainly been addressed in cellular lipid metabolism or sterol transport, increasing evidence points to more versatile regulatory roles in a spectrum of cellular regimes. In fact ORPs do not appear to be robust controllers of lipid homeostasis. Several ORPs localize at membrane contacts sites (MCS), where endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is apposed with other organelle limiting membranes. Apparently, ORPs have the capacity to control the formation of MCS or activity of enzymatic machineries at these sites. Thereby, ORPs most likely affect organelle membrane lipid compositions, with impacts on signaling and vesicle transport, but also cellular lipid metabolism. Moreover, an increasing number of protein interaction partners of ORPs have been identified, connecting these proteins with various aspects of cell regulation. Small molecular anti-proliferative compounds, ORPphilins, were recently found to target two members of the ORP family, OSBP and ORP4, revealing an essential function of ORPs in cancer cell proliferation and survival. Further functions assigned for ORPs include regulation of extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) activity (OSBP), control of ER-late endosome MCS and late endosome motility (ORP1L), regulation of β1-integrin activity (ORP3), modulation of hepatocyte insulin signaling and macrophage migration (ORP8), as well as post-Golgi vesicle transport, phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate and target of rapamycin complex 1 signaling and nitrogen sensing (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Osh4p). These and other recent observations shed light on the ORPs as integrators of lipid signals with an unforeseen variety of vital cellular processes.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneity disease initiating from a rare population of cells known as leukemia stem cells (LSCs), which have been a major hurdle for the success of acute myeloid leukemia chemotherapy. Therefore, new drugs targeting LSCs is urgently needed. Disulfiram (DS) has been used clinically as a safe anti-alcoholism drug for over 6 decades. Recent studies demonstrated that disulfiram combined with cooper (DS/Cu) have the antitumor activity in a wide range of cancer cell lines. CD34+ CD38- KG1a cells were previous found to have the characteristics of stem cells. Here, we explored whether DS/Cu could induce acute myeloid leukemic stem-like KG1a cells apoptosis and further investigated the molecular mechanism. CD34+ CD38- KG1a cells were sorted from KG1a cell lines by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). Flow cytometry (FCM) analysis confirmed the percentage of CD34+ CD38- KG1a cells was 95.37±1.84%. To determine the effect of DS/Cu induced apoptosis in LSC-like KG1a cells, CD34+ CD38- KG1a cells were exposed to DS (5nM) with or without Cu (0.5nM) for 24h. FCM analysis showed the apoptotic proportion of CD34+ CD38- KG1α cells exposed to DS was 11.87±1.30%, while 27.43±1.65% to DS/Cu (P=0.00). To explore the role of ROS in DS/Cu induced apoptosis, ROS levels were detected using DCFH-DA after KG1a cells being treated with DS and DS/Cu for 24h. DS and DS/Cu could induce ROS acumulation by 1.39±0.115 fold and 2.81±0.109 fold, respectively (P To explore the upstream pathway of ROS accumulation induced by DS and DS/Cu in CD34+CD38-KG1α cells, We examined the expression of apoptosis-related moleculars include TNF-a,CD40, TNFRSF11B, TNFRSF1B, Hrk in LSC-like KG1a cells exposed to DS, DS/ Cu and DS/Cu+NAC for 24h. DS and DS/Cu up-regulated TNF-a, CD40, TNFRSF11B, TNFRSF1B, Hrk expression at the mRNA level (P To further investigate the role of TNF-a in DS/Cu induced accumulation of ROS, CD34+ CD38- KG1α cells were pretreated with neutralizing antibody TNF-a mAb (2μg/mL) , control antibody IgG (2μg/mL) for 2h, then cells were exposed to DS/Cu for 24h. ROS accumulation induced by DS/Cu was inhibited by pretreatment with TNF-a mAb (2.78±0.25 vs. 1.28±0.17 folds, P=0.00), while pretreatment with IgG had no impact on ROS accumulation induced by DS/Cu (P=0.23). TNF-a mAb and IgG alone had no effect on ROS accumulation in KG1a cells ( P>0.05). These results confirmed that TNF-a is upstream molecular of ROS induced by DS/Cu in leukemia stem-like KG1a cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that DS/Cu could induce leukemia stem-like KG1a cells apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms may be related with TNF-a/ROS pathway. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Superhydrophobic hollow polyaniline (PANI) bars assembled from nanorod-arrays were prepared in the presence of metal-monomeric template. Toward preparing these PANI bars, self-assembling and “template” methods were simultaneously applied. The self-removing metal-monomeric “template” was probably formed when a high concentration of aniline (0.5 M) was added into the cadmium acetate solution, and then decomposed gradually during the oxidative polymerization of aniline. In addition, a superhydrophobic flower-like PANI hierarchical structure was also prepared without the “template” (cadmium acetate aqueous solution containing a low concentration of aniline (0.05 M)). The formation mechanism of the hollow PANI bars was discussed.

We characterize here ORP11, a member of the oxysterol-binding protein family. ORP11 is present at highest levels in human ovary, testis, kidney, liver, stomach, brain, and adipose tissue. Immunohistochemistry demonstrates abundant ORP11 in the epithelial cells of kidney tubules, testicular tubules, caecum, and skin. ORP11 in HEK293 cells resides on Golgi complex and LE, co-localizing with GFP-Rab9, TGN46, GFP-Rab7, and a fluorescent medial-trans-Golgi marker. Under electron microscopic observation, cells overexpressing ORP11 displayed lamellar lipid bodies associated with vacuolar structures or the Golgi complex, indicating a disturbance of lipid trafficking. N-terminal fragment of ORP11 (aa 1-292) localized partially to Golgi, but displayed enhanced localization on Rab7- and Rab9-positive LE, while the C-terminal ligand-binding domain (aa 273-747) was cytosolic, demonstrating that the membrane targeting determinants are N-terminal. Yeast two-hybrid screen revealed interaction of ORP11 with the related ORP9. The interacting region was delineated within aa 98-372 of ORP9 and aa 154-292 of ORP11. Overexpressed ORP9 was able to recruit EGFP-ORP11 to membranes, and ORP9 silencing inhibited ORP11 Golgi association. The results identify ORP11 as an OSBP homologue distributing at the Golgi-LE interface and define the ORP9-ORP11 dimer as a functional unit that may act as an intracellular lipid sensor or transporter.

Polyaniline (PANI) “sunflowers” made of arrays of oriented nanorods were synthesized by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and suitable concentration of HNO 3 at about 0 °C (ice bath). The reaction conditions, such as the concentration of reagents and reaction temperature were systematically investigated and controlled on the preparation of PANI “sunflowers”. The results also suggest that HNO 3 probably plays a key role in forming PANI “sunflowers”. A possible forming mechanism of the PANI nanostructures is offered.

Nitrogen-doped porous graphene/carbon (NPGC) framework electrode materials have been synthesized via chemical activation of graphene oxide/polypyrrole (GOP) composites with KOH. The effects of the mass ratio of KOH/GOP and activation temperature on the electrochemical performance of NPGC have been discussed. It is found that the NPGC prepared by activating GOP (GO : Py = 1 : 40) with 3.5 times mass of KOH at 650 °C (NPGC650) exhibits the highest specific capacitance of 405 F g−1 at a current density of 0.2 A g−1. Particularly, the specific capacitance still remains at 249 F g−1 even at a current density as high as 10 A g−1. Moreover, 96% of the capacitance can be retained after 1000 cycles even under a high operation current of 10 A g−1. The present work provides a novel strategy to synthesize NGPC electrode material for supercapacitors.

We earlier identified OSBP-related protein 8 (ORP8) as an endoplasmic reticulum oxysterol-binding protein implicated in cellular lipid homeostasis. We now investigated its action in hepatic cells in vivo and in vitro. Adenoviral overexpression of ORP8 in mouse liver induced a decrease of cholesterol, phospholipids, and triglycerides in serum (-34%, -26%, -37%, respectively) and liver tissue (-40%, -12%, -24%), coinciding with reduction of nuclear (n)SREBP-1 and -2 and mRNA levels of their target genes. Consistently, excess ORP8 reduced nSREBPs in HuH7 cells, and ORP8 overexpression or silencing by RNA interference moderately suppressed or induced the expression of SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 target genes, respectively. In accordance, cholesterol biosynthesis was reduced by ORP8 overexpression and enhanced by ORP8 silencing in [(3)H]acetate pulse-labeling experiments. ORP8, previously shown to bind 25-hydroxycholesterol, was now shown to bind also cholesterol in vitro. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), and co-immunoprecipitation analyses revealed the nuclear pore component Nup62 as an interaction partner of ORP8. Co-localization of ORP8 and Nup62 at the nuclear envelope was demonstrated by BiFC and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the impact of overexpressed ORP8 on nSREBPs and their target mRNAs was inhibited in cells depleted of Nup62. Our results reveal that ORP8 has the capacity to modulate lipid homeostasis and SREBP activity, probably through an indirect mechanism, and provide clues of an entirely new mode of ORP action.

In this paper, a closed-loop virtual simulation system has been developed to simulate the milling process considering the interactions between manufacturing processes and machine tool dynamics. The system consists of cutting force module, machining stability module, and surface generation module. The synchronous effects of the machining parameters, tool geometry parameters, and the dynamic performance of the machine tool system are considered in the model, and the instant machine dynamic motion error is compensated in the model as a feedback to correct the cutter trajectories. Instantaneous tool-workpiece contact status is used to calculate cutting force, and the peak-to-peak cutting force plot is used to predict the machining stability in time domain under different depths of cut and cutting speeds. The envelope curve of the cutting tool is used to reconstruct the machined surface texture. Moreover, to verify the feasibility of the proposed system, micro-milling experiments are conducted with results showing that the simulation system enables the effective prediction of micro-milling process such as the cutting forces and machined surface quality. It can be potentially applied in production on processing parameter optimization and surface topography prediction.

To improve fast-tool-servo (FTS) freeform machining accuracy, a closed-loop FTS system is developed with functional modules including toolpath generation, on-machine surface measurement, machining error mapping and compensation. A surface characterisation toolkit was identified and integrated into the processing chain to realise in-process inspection and fast quality control. Surface sampling and reconstruction strategies and robust surface filtration algorithms are adapted to regulate the data flow for both freeform surface characterisation and the optimisation of compensation toolpath from machined error maps. The performance of the developed system is demonstrated by successfully generating three typical freeform surfaces with improved form accuracy by 50%.

Linear and circular representations are widely used to define tool paths, however, the tangency discontinuity between the linear and circular segments leads to large fluctuations in velocity and acceleration, as a result, the machining accuracy and efficiency are degraded. It becomes the key problem in some micromachining situations where the quality of freeform surfaces is critical, such as moulds and knee implants, etc. This research aims to develop a local tool path smoothening scheme to achieve C2 continuity at the transition positions. This scheme applies to sections consisting of high density of short segments. These segments will be approximated by cubic B-splines. The approximation is carried out within the specific error tolerance. High frequency energy to be injected into the servo loop control system is greatly reduced by the C2 continuity. The proposed scheme is feasible to be implemented in real-time microcontrollers due to the computational efficiency and reliability of B-spline algorithms.

Background Aedes albopictus is distributed widely in China, as a primary vector of Dengue fever and Chikungunya fever in south of China. Chemical insecticide control is one of the integrated programmes to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Long-term applications of pyrethroids have resulted in the development of resistance in Ae. albopictus populations in China. However, the susceptibility of Ae. albopictus to pyrethroids in Hainan Island was unclear. Knockdown resistance (kdr), caused by point mutations in the VGSC gene, is one of the mechanisms that confer resistance to DDT and pyrethroids. This study was to investigate the resistance level of Ae. albopictus populations in Haikou City to three pyrethroid insecticides, and elucidate the relationship between the resistant phenotype and kdr mutations. Methods The Aedes albopictus samples were collected in Xinbu Island (XI), Longtang Town (LT), Shishan Town (ST), Baishamen Park (BP), and Flower Market (FM) from Haikou City, Hainan Island, China. The larval susceptibility to deltamethrin, permethrin and beta-cypermethrin was tested by larval bioassays, and adult susceptibility to deltamethrin and DDT was determined by adult bioassays. The degree of resistance was determined by resistance ratio value (RR50 > 3) for larvae and by mortality for adult. The kdr alleles at codon 1534 of the VGSC gene were genotyped. The relationship between kdr genotypes and resistant phenotypes was analyzed by Chi-square test. Results Out of five populations, assessed by larval bioassays, XI was susceptible to deltamethrin and permethrin; LT was susceptible to permethrin and beta-cypermethrin; and ST was susceptible to permithrin. FM and BP both were resistant to all of the three pyrethroids, and FM showed the highest degree of resistance, with RR50 values from 65.17 to 436.36. A total of 493 individuals from the larval bioassays were genotyped for kdr alleles. Five alleles were detected, including two wildtype alleles, TTC(F) (67.04 %) and TTT(F) (0.41 %), and three mutant alleles, TGC(C) (0.30 %), TCC(S) (31.54 %) and TTG(L) (0.71 %). There was a clear correlation between mutant alleles (or F1534S) and resistant phenotypes (P

High precision miniature and micro products which possess 3D complex structures or free-form surfaces are now widely used in industries. These micro products are usually fabricated by several machining processes in order to apply for various materials such as hard-to-machine steel and ceramic etc. The integration of these machining processes onto one machine becomes necessary since this will help reduce realignment errors and also increase the machining efficiency. In this research, an ultra-precision hybrid micro-machine which is capable of micro milling, micro grinding, micro turning, laser machining and laser assisted micro-machining has been designed and commissioned. Control software for on-machine metrology system (contact probe and dispersed reference interferometry (DRI)) and several plug-in modules including camera and handle system are integrated through a customised human-machine interface (HMI).

To improve the feasibility and efficiency of ultra-precision surface structuring, a closed-loop fast-tool-servo (FTS) surface patterning and measurement system is developed with functional modules of feature-based tool path generation, embedded surface measurement and integrated surface characterisation toolkit. A dedicate controller HUDCNC is developed for the process control of FTS surface patterning and on-machine surface measurement (OMSM). Algorithms are developed for data formatting and transformation of designed patterns into the FTS cutting points (maximum number of 5 million points). The feasibility and performance of the proposed closed-loop FTS machining system are demonstrated by successfully generating typical functional structured surfaces including periodic structures, patterns and tessellations, biological surfaces, profile and character combinations. The results indicate that the feature-based FTS patterning and surface characterisation system provides a promising solution to the design and manufacturing of high-precision functional structured surfaces. The integrated OMSM system and the surface characterisation toolkit allow the fast inspection and quality control of the machined functional surfaces.