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Great improvements for wireless techniques and electronic devices require effective electromagnetic (EM) absorbing materials to solve EM radiation and interference problems. Herein, cobalt sulfide/reduced graphene oxide (CoS/rGO) nanocomposites were prepared through a simple one-pot hydrothermal method. The microwave absorption performance of CoS/rGO nanocomposites with different rGO proportions was systematically investigated. The CoS/rGO 1:1 nanocomposite achieves the reflection loss (RL) value of −37.3 dB at 8.6 GHz. The effective RL values (<−10 dB) of the CoS/rGO 1:1 nanocomposite are obtained in the frequency of 3.4–18 GHz while the thickness varies from 2.0 mm to 5.0 mm. Additionally, the simulated radar cross section results indicate that the CoS/rGO nanocomposites can efficiently suppress the strong EM scattering of metal plate in different incident degrees. These achievements demonstrate that the CoS/rGO nanocomposites can be used as high-performance microwave absorbing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by atmospheric particles and subsequent inflammatory responses are considered as one of the most important pathological mechanisms with regard to the adverse effects of air pollution exposure. In this study, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) samples were collected at a rural site in Guanzhong Basin, Northwest China, in both summer (August 3–23, 2016) and winter (January 5–February 1, 2017). Then, human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells were exposed to the PM 2.5 , cultured for 24 h, and then assayed for particle-induced ROS and three inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)) in vitro. The oxidative potential (OP) induced by winter PM 2.5 samples was higher than that induced by summertime samples, whereas inflammatory values showed contrasting seasonal variations. Both OP and inflammatory factors were significantly correlated with most chemical compounds in winter, but not in summer, which was thought to be related mainly to the higher contribution from secondary aerosols formed during the warm season. Source apportionment results showed secondary aerosols formation have significant contribution to OP of PM 2.5 in both seasons, but the dominant oxidation processes is different. Secondary nitrates-related process was the major contributors regulating the OP in winter; however, secondary sulfates formation were mainly responsible for the ROS responses in summer. For primary emission, biomass burning, rather than coal emission or vehicle exhaust, was the significant source for OP of PM 2.5 in winter. In most cases, the source contribution of each inflammatory factor was similar to that of the ROS. Our results highlighted the significant health risk of atmospheric aerosols from biomass burning in the rural regions of Guanzhong Basin, Northwest China. • Fine particulate matter pollution was more serious during winter than summer in Northwest China. • Oxidative potential and inflammatory factors showed different seasonal variations. • Secondary aerosols correlated with oxidative-inflammatory responses in both seasons. • Biomass burning was the major primary source of oxidative-inflammatory responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A novel type of low gloss waterborne polyurethane matting resin (WPU) has been prepared without using any matting agent. [•] The microstructure of WPU film surface was rough with a lot of spherical granules, achieving the desired effect of low gloss. The spherical granules are produced by resin itself, the incompatibility between the matting agent and resin can also be eliminated, which would improve the rub resistance, folding fastness and rubbing fastness of paint film. [•] Low gloss WPU film with more microspheres and better emulsion stability can be obtained. In addition, the gloss and light transmittance reached minimum, the water resistance of the films was perfect. [•] It would be widely applied as a surface modification agent in polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU) synthetic leather surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently, people have begun to deal with location-based queries (LBQs) under broadcast environments. To the best of our knowledge, most of the existing broadcast-based LBQ methods are aimed at Euclidean spaces and cannot be readily extended to road networks. This paper takes the first step toward processing Continuous Nearest Neighbor queries in road Networks under wireless Broadcast environments (CN3B). Our method leverages the key properties of Network Voronoi Diagram (NVD). We first present an efficient method to partition the NVD structure of the underlying road networks into a set of grid cells and number the grid cells obtained, based on which we further propose an NVD-based Distributed air Index (NVD-DI) to support CN3B query processing. Finally, we propose an efficient algorithm on the client side to process CN3B queries. Extensive simulation experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of our approach. The results show that our proposed method is about 4 and 7.6 times more efficient than a less-sophisticated D-tree air index based method, in access latency and tuning time, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Guangxi has become one of the provinces with the most severe HIV-1 epidemic in China, where heterosexual contact is the dominant transmission route. However, data of acute HIV infections and HIV incidence among female sex workers (FSWs) from low-grade venues are scant. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was performed among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi. HIV antibody screening was performed by rapid testing (RT). HIV antibody–negative specimens were screened by pooled nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for acute HIV infections. HIV antibody-positive specimens were further analyzed by Western blot (WB), followed by an HIV-1 BED capture enzyme immunoassay (BED-CEIA) to identify the recent infections. HIV-1 incidence was estimated by the data of pooled NAAT and BED-CEIA, respectively. Results: A total of 7936 FSWs were recruited and answered the questionnaires. We successfully collected the blood samples from 6469 (81.5%) participants, of which 139 (2.1%) were HIV antibody–positive and 6330 (97.9%) were HIV antibody-negative by RT. With pooled NAAT, 7 cases were found to be HIV RNA positive, representing an additional 5.0% of HIV-infected persons and an estimated HIV incidence of 1.45 (95% CI: 1.17–1.76) per 100 person years. There were 137 positive and 2 indeterminate by WB, of which 124 (90.5%) positive specimens were subjected to BED-CEIA testing identifying 28 recent infections. The HIV incidence determined by BED-CEIA testing was 1.04 (95% CI: 0.65–1.43) per 100 person years. The overall prevalence of HIV among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi was 2.2% (95% CI: 1.9–2.6). Conclusions: We found that the addition of HIV RNA screening to routine HIV antibody testing significantly improved the detection of HIV infection among FSWs from low-grade venues in Guangxi. Our findings also provided the useful baseline data of HIV incidence among this population for targeting local HIV prevention, intervention, monitoring and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theoretical model has been developed for nanograin rotation that could be achieved through dislocation climb. The results obtained show that the occurrence of nanograin rotation and the coalescence of grains depend on the external stress level, structure of grain boundary and grain size. Moreover, a critical misorientation parameter that represents the crossover between nanograin rotation and shear-coupled migration of grain boundaries has also been found, based on which a coupling mechanism between nanograin rotation and shear-coupled migration was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A theoretical model has been developed to illustrate the effect of shear-coupled migration of grain boundaries on dislocation emission in nanocrystalline materials. The energy characteristics and critical shear stress that is required to initiate the emission process were determined. The results obtained show that the dislocation emission can be considerably enhanced as shear-coupled migration was the dominating process; a critical coupling factor that corresponded to the minimum , which led to an optimal dislocation emission, was also discovered. The proposed model has also been quantitatively validated by the existing molecular dynamics simulations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) intercalated graphene (PSS-GN) was prepared via in situ reduction of exfoliated graphite oxides in the presence of PSS, and then mixed with CTAB to form a stable PSS-GN-CTAB nanocomposite through electrostatic self-assembly. The prepared composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR), ultraviolet and visible spectrometry (UV–vis) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A novel 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) electrochemical sensor was fabricated based on a PSS-GN-CTAB modified glassy carbon electrode. It was found that the composite of PSS-GN-CTAB exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of 2,4-DCP. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was used for the quantitative determination of 2,4-DCP. Under the optimum conditions, the peak current of 2,4-DCP was proportional to its concentration at the range of 1.0×10−8 to 2.0×10−6 molL−1 with a detection limit 2.0×10−9 molL−1. The newly developed method was successfully applied for the determination of 2,4-DCP in the waste water with good recoveries. The proposed electrode system represents a new platform for designing excellent electrochemical sensors with water-dispersed graphene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wintertime TSP samples collected in the two megacities of Xi'an, China and New Delhi, India were analyzed for elements, inorganic ions, carbonaceous species and organic compounds to investigate the differences in chemical compositions and sources of organic aerosols. The current work is the first time comparing the composition of urban organic aerosols from China and India and discussing their sources in a single study. Our results showed that the concentrations of Ca, Fe, Ti, inorganic ions, EC, PAHs and hopanes in Xi'an are 1.3–2.9 times of those in New Delhi, which is ascribed to the higher emissions of dust and coal burning in Xi'an. In contrast, Cl−, levoglucosan, n-alkanes, fatty alcohols, fatty acids, phthalates and bisphenol A are 0.4–3.0 times higher in New Delhi than in Xi'an, which is attributed to strong emissions from biomass burning and solid waste incineration. PAHs are carcinogenic while phthalates and bisphenol A are endocrine disrupting. Thus, the significant difference in chemical compositions of the above TSP samples may suggest that residents in Xi'an and New Delhi are exposed to environmental hazards that pose different health risks. Lower mass ratios of octadecenoic acid/octadecanoic acid (C18:1/C18:0) and benzo(a)pyrene/benzo(e)pyrene (BaP/BeP) demonstrate that aerosol particles in New Delhi are photochemically more aged. Mass closure reconstructions of the wintertime TSP indicate that crustal material is the most abundant component of ambient particles in Xi'an and New Delhi, accounting for 52% and 48% of the particle masses, respectively, followed by organic matter (24% and 23% in Xi'an and New Delhi, respectively) and secondary inorganic ions (sulfate, nitrate plus ammonium, 16% and 12% in Xi'an and New Delhi, respectively). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The eggs of black widow spider (L. tredecimguttatus) have been demonstrated to be rich in biologically active components that exhibit great research value and application foreground. In the present study, a protein toxin, named Latroeggtoxin-II, was isolated from the eggs using the combination of gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Electrospray mass spectrometric analysis indicated that the molecular weight of the protein was 28.69kDa, and Edman degradation revealed that its N-terminal sequence was ESIQT STYVP NTPNQ KFDYE VGKDY—. After being abdominally injected into mice and P. americana, the protein could make the animals especially P. americana display a series of poisoning symptoms. Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that the protein could selectively inhibit tetrodotoxin-resistant Na+ channel currents in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons, without significant effect on the tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na+ channel currents. Using multiple proteomic strategies, the purified protein was shown to have only a few similarities to the existing proteins in the databases, suggesting that it was a novel protein isolated from the eggs of black widow spiders. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The relationship between Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility has been implicated in accumulating data. However, the data presented inconsistent results. This study was devised to investigate the association of Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism and cancer susceptibility in a large number of participants. Methods: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched and a total of 27 case-control studies including 13,355 cases and 16,078 controls were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the fixed-effects model. Statistical analyses were performed by using Stata software. Results: The results suggested that Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism was overall associated with cancer susceptibility (additive model: OR, 1.16, 95%CI = 1.06–1.27, Pheterogeneity  = 0.381; recessive model: OR, 1.19, 95%CI = 1.10–1.29, Pheterogeneity  = 0.137). In the subgroup analysis by cancer type, significantly increased risk was observed in breast cancer (additive model: OR, 1.24, 95%CI = 1.04–1.58, Pheterogeneity  = 0.614; recessive model: OR, 1.24, 95%CI = 1.02–1.51, Pheterogeneity  = 0.349) and lung cancer (recessive model: OR, 1.25, 95%CI = 1.04–1.49, Pheterogeneity  = 0.090). Similarly, elevated cancer risk associated with Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism was revealed in Asians. Conclusions: The combined results suggest that Fas -1377 G/A polymorphism might modulate cancer susceptibility in an Asian-specific manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Nanocomposite based ZnSe QDs and CTAB was prepared and characterized. [•] A novel electrochemical sensor for the determination of CPs was built. [ • ] The proposed sensor was more sensitive, simple and environment-friendly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We determined the LPS structures of non-typeable H. influenzae strain 1232. [•] The strain expresses d,d-Hep in the outer core of LPS in a novel manner. [•] The branching at d,d-Hep was indicated by MS4 experiments and confirmed by NMR. [•] d,d-Hep is substituted at both O-4 and O-7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An attempt has been made to illustrate a new physical mode of plastic deformation in nanocrystalline materials that synergizes two processes, i.e. grain boundary (GB) sliding and stress-driven shear-coupled GB migration. The latter process incorporates a rotational and a translational plastic flow, in which a normal migration is coupled with a shear. The energy change resulting from the above-mentioned mode was calculated, and showed that the new deformation mode was much more energetically favorable than both the pure GB sliding mode and the cooperative process of GB sliding and migration without a coupling shear. In addition, the new deformation mode considerably enhances the ductility of nanocrystalline materials compared with the other two above-mentioned processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Magnetostrictive TbFe was chosen as hard layer, and the spin dynamics in the coupled bilayers Py(10 nm)/TbFe(t nm) (Py-permalloy; t=4, 7, 10, 30) were investigated by taking advantage of the engineering magnetostrictive strain under the constraints of the measurement. The dependence of the engineering magnetostrictive strain on TbFe layer thickness reflects a competitive process between the interfacial exchange interaction and the TbFe anisotropy. For the dominant interfacial exchange interaction in the coupled bilayers with 4 and 7 nm TbFe layer, coherent magnetization rotation of Py and TbFe layers is very similar to the behavior described by the Stoner–Wolfarth model. Magnetic hysteresis in the coupled bilayers with 10 nm TbFe layer and the decrease in the maximum engineering magnetostrictive strain in the coupled bilayers with 30 nm TbFe layer were observed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A theoretical model has been proposed to illustrate the effect of shear-coupled migration of grain boundaries on crack growth in deformed nanocrystalline materials. The shear-coupled migration process is initiated by the stress concentration near the tip of a mode I crack. The results obtained show that the coupled shear plays a key role in enhancing the fracture toughness of nanocrystalline materials, and the shear-coupled migration process can serve as an effective toughening mechanism in nanocrystalline materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanograined materials possess ultrahigh strength, while their processing and technological applications are constrained by inherent thermal and mechanical instability. Existing experiments show that the stability of Cu nanograins can be enhanced by performing a rapid heating pretreatment that reduces the grain boundary (GB) energy by changing the GB structure. The variation in the GB structure inevitably affects the migration mechanism of GBs. However, the effect of the pretreatment-induced variation in migration mechanisms on stability remains unclear. Here, the shear deformation of a series of ⟨ 100 ⟩ symmetrical tilt GBs after rapid heating pretreatment is systematically investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The simulations of unheated GBs are also included for comparison. Our results show that the rapid heating pretreatment does not improve the mechanical stability of GBs with tilt angles larger than 36.87° but rather enhances the mechanical stability of those with tilt angles less than 36.87° by the transformation of migration behavior from the normal ⟨ 110 ⟩ mode to (i) a ⟨ 100 ⟩ mode; (ii) an inhomogeneous mixed one that reconciles the ⟨ 110 ⟩ and ⟨ 100 ⟩ modes; and (iii) an inhomogeneous ⟨ 110 ⟩ mode. The former leads to an increase in the critical shear stress that is required to initiate the migration, whereas the latter two result in a decrease in the migration distance. The variation in the GB migration mechanism is attributed to the change in the GB structure from an ordered kite structure to a disordered one. The research gives an atomic insight into the stabilizing mechanism of nanocrystalline materials with rapid heating pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A novel strategy for synthesizing core–shell structured carbonyl iron magnetic abrasive powders(CI-MAPs) by in-situ alloy-hardening was proposed and designed. • The optimum thermodynamic reaction of iron, Al and AlCl 3 (s) in a sealed experimental reaction system, transferring metastable gases AlCl(g) to active [Al] atoms was realized. • The designed CI-MAPs present good spherical morphology and were "coated" in equal diameter by nearly same zigzag-like hard Fe/Al intermetallic compounds tips of Fe 3 Al, FeAl, and Fe 2 Al 5. • The designed CI-MAPs achieved a refined roughness Ra to Zirconium tube from initial 0.361 μm to ending 0.085 μm by only three MAF passes. The finishing accuracy and efficiency of magnetic abrasive finishing (MAF) are mainly depending on magnetic abrasive powders (MAPs). A new kind of core–shell structured carbonyl iron powders (CI-MAPs) with a hard Fe/Al intermetallic shell for magnetic abrasive finishing is successfully synthesized by in-situ alloy-hardening the surface of spherical carbonyl iron powders in this study. The feasibility of such an in-situ alloy-hardening strategy is theoretically designed according to the Fe/Al intermetallic compound formation chemical reaction using the Gibbs free energy principle and the TG-DSC testing, and thus the experimental thermodynamics temperature and time ranges of such chemical reactions are proposed. Experimental results shown that a densely zigzag-like uniform alloy-hardening layer with a thickness of about 11 μm, which are composed of Fe 3 Al, FeAl, and Fe 2 Al 5 intermetallic compounds, was in-situ chemically synthesized on the surface of the spherical carbonyl Fe powders. The achieved core–shell structured powder is performed to finishing a Zirconium tube experimentally, and the roughness (Ra) of the Zirconium tube is greatly improved from 0.361 μm to 0.085 μm by 3 MAF passes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The TKX-50 with pre-decomposed hydroxylamine cation is more prone to decomposition. • The impact sensitivity of TKX-50 with pre-decomposed hydroxylamine cation decreased. • Pre-decomposition of hydroxylamine cation do not affect practical application of TKX-50. The presence of hydroxylamine anions enables typical high-energy ionic salt 5′-bistetrazole-1,1′-diolate (TKX-50) to form abundant hydrogen bonds, which can dissipate external energy stimuli through reversible hydrogen transfer between hydroxylamine cation and bistetrazole N-oxide anion. It has been theoretically demonstrated that the hydroxylamine cation in TKX-50 could be pre-decompose under thermal stimulation, however, the effect of a small amount of hydroxylamine cations decomposition on thermal stability of TKX-50 has not been reported yet. Herein, the influence of earlier decomposition of hydroxylamine cations on thermal stability of TKX-50 is systematically analyzed, which enhances the application prospects of TKX-50 and explains the promise of hydroxylamine cation as a common coordination ion of energetic ion salt. The results reveal that the decomposition of hydroxylamine cation in TKX-50 is extremely difficult under usual storage conditions. Despite the pre-decomposition of hydroxylamine cation, thermal stability and impact sensitivity of TKX-50 still meet the practical requirements. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Magnetic La-modified zeolite was synthesized by an energetic ball milling method. • The magnetic zeolite has a diameter of 200–800 nm with even La3+ distribution. • The P adsorption is up to 44.67 mg/g. • The magnetization is 25.6 emu/g, enforcing an efficient magnetic separation. • The P adsorption remains 79.30% of the original value after five cycles. Lanthanum-containing magnetic zeolite (LMZ) was fabricated from coal gangue by an energetic ball-milling method followed by hydrothermal process. Careful morphological, structural, and magnetic investigations show that the LMZ sample has a typical NaA zeolite structure with an diameter of 150–800 nm. La3+ ions and Fe 3 O 4 evenly distribute in the LMZ particles. LMZ has a S BET of 47.88 m2/g, more than 9 times larger than that of the precursor zeolite. The phosphorus adsorption of LMZ is 8 times higher than that of the precursor zeolite. The maximum phosphorus adsorption is tested as 44.64 mg/g, much higher than those of the reported lanthanum composite and zeolite. The specific magnetism of LMZ is measured as 25.6 emu/g and more than 99.6% LMZ particles can be magnetically separated from water efficiently. LMZ could be reused for tens of times after proper chemical treatment. The phosphorus adsorption mechanism is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: One mechanism leading to the q-power law distribution has been proposed in the self-gravitational system. The friction force in the stochastic process may be nonlinearly relevant to the momentum of particle, whose friction coefficient can be expressed as the function of the kinetic energy of the particle. The correlation strength of noises is inhomogeneous in the such system, maybe due to the strength of gravitational field. This implies that the gradient of correlation strength is the function of gravitational force. With the Taylorʼs low order approximation, the stationary solution of the two-vector variable Fokker–Planck equation is the power law form in self-gravitational system. This Letter also verifies that the neutrino flux deviation from the theory value in the solar core is due to the same mechanism. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A large hurdle in orthopedics today is the difficulty of dealing with the non-union of fractured bones. We therefore evaluated the effects of runt-related transcription factor II (Runx II), a factor used to create gene-modified tissue-engineered bone, combined with vascular bundle implantation for repairing segmental bone defects. Adenovirus Runx II gene (Ad-Runx II)-modified rabbit adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were seeded onto polylactic acid/polycaprolacton (PLA/PCL) scaffolds to construct gene-modified tissue-engineered bone. The following four methods were used for repair in rabbit radial-defect (1.5 cm long) models: gene-modified tissue-engineered bone with vascular bundle (Group A), gene-modified tissue-engineered bone (Group B), non-gene-modified tissue-engineered bone with vascular bundle (Group C), and PLA/PCL scaffolds only (Group D). X-ray, histological examination, biomechanics analysis, and micro-angiography were conducted 4, 8, and 12 weeks later to determine angiogenesis and osteogenesis. The volume and speed of production of newly formed bones in Group A were significantly superior to those in other groups, and de-novo vascular network circulation from the vessel bundle through newly formed bone tissue was observed, with the defect being completely repaired. Group B showed a slightly better effect in terms of speed and quality of bone formation than Group C, whereas the bone defect in Group D was replaced by fibrous tissue. The maximal anti-bending strength in Group A was significantly higher than that in the other groups. Runx II gene therapy combined with vascular bundle implantation thus displays excellent abilities for osteoinduction and vascularization and is a promising method for the treatment of bone non-union and defect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deriving deadlines and periods for update transactions so as to maintain timeliness and data freshness while minimizing imposed workload has long been recognized an important problem in real-time database research. Despite years of active research, the state-of-the-art still has much room for improvement, particularly for periodic transactions scheduled by the Earliest Deadline First (EDF) algorithm. In this paper, we propose a practical and efficient two-phase algorithm, GEneral EDF ((\cal G\cal EEDF)), for assigning periods and deadlines to EDF-scheduled update transactions. Phase 1 of (\cal G\cal EEDF) aims at finding solutions for most inputs in linear time, based on the observation that the execution times of update transactions are relatively small compared to the validity interval lengths of real-time data objects in many real-time applications. In the remaining cases for which Phase 1 fails to derive solutions, Phase 2 is invoked by employing an existing deadline-monotonic-based algorithm, which we show is also applicable to our problem. Meanwhile, we have devised several techniques which significantly reduce the cost of schedulability test, and hence greatly improve time efficiency. Our experimental results demonstrate that (\cal G\cal EEDF) outperforms existing approaches in terms of generated workloads. Although Phase 2 has a pseudopolynomial time complexity, our experimental study shows that it runs much faster than other solutions with comparable quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper proposes a multiple testing procedure that allows one to reject each individual hypothesis at a prespecified level α, while still controlling the familywise error rate at α in the strong sense. Typically, rejecting a hypothesis when its marginal p-value is ⩽ α in a multiple hypothesis testing setting will lead to an inflation of familywise error rate. However, this inflation can be avoided if a particular consistency criterion is prespecified and incorporated in the testing algorithm. The criterion is equivalent to requiring that all p-values be smaller than or equal to a particular threshold in the one-sided hypothesis testing setting. Extensions to the two-sided hypothesis testing setting and extensions to situations where the criterion can be chosen per user's preference are also presented. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microorganisms determine the overall biofilter performance under specific operating conditions. The toluene removal and process robustness of a laboratoryscale, ceramisite-based biotrickling filter inoculated with Burkholderia sp. strain T3 (BTFb) were compared with those of another biotrickling filter inoculated with activated sludge (BTFa) for 3 months under various operating conditions. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was applied to visualise the bacterial community of the BTFa and BTFb. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the genes coding for toluenedegrading enzymes. Burkholderia sp. strain T3, which possesses the major toluene-degrading genes in BTFb, was traced in the BTFb bacterial community. The strain was found to stabilize the relative quantity steadily at higher than 60% during toluene biofiltration. Thus, BTFb performed more efficiently than BTFa as evidenced by achieving 98.86% toluene removal efficiency ( RE) on 3 day, critical elimination capacity ( EC) of 234.23 ± 10.54 g/m3/h, and rapid restoration of the initial RE and EC levels within 3 day of reoperation, even after 1 month of shutdown. The efficiency of BTFb is also evident by the stabilised RE and EC levels within a wide temperature range and a gradually decreasing system pH. Maintaining the pressure drop levels below 150 Pa during prolonged operation also contributed to the efficiency of BTFb. Thus, based on the study results, we propose that Burkholderia sp. strain T3 is a highly efficient and applicable inoculum for toluene biofiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shear-coupled migration of grain boundary (GB) was theoretically modeled as a generic mode of plastic deformation in nanocrystalline materials. The energy change due to this process that carried both rotational and translational plastic flow through the normal migration and the shear coupled to the said migration, respectively, was calculated. The results obtained revealed that the shear-coupled migration was energetically more favorable than the pure migration of a grain boundary. The translational deformation can turn the initially energetically unfavorable process into a favorable one, and it can decrease the critical stress required to initiate the process of migration by around 30%-80% as compared with that for pure GB migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many studies have shown that the outstanding mechanical properties of surface nano-crystallized (SNC) materials were primarily attributed to the grain size gradient (GSG) region on their surface in which the grain size was ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers. In the present study, a dislocation density-based theoretical model was developed to investigate the mechanical behavior of the mentioned SNC materials. The constitutive behaviors of metallic materials with grain size ranging from tens of nanometers to tens of micrometers were established first. Note that an additional dislocation dynamic recovery term, which is grain size dependent, was included in the present model to account for the decrease of work hardening due to grain refinement. In addition, the stress-driven strain growth observed in experiments has also been incorporated into the proposed model. The proposed quantitative continuum plasticity model was capable of investigating the role of GSG in tuning the strength, ductility and work hardening rate of SNC materials. Our theoretical predictions were in good agreement with the existing experimental results. Furthermore, it has been found that the thickness fraction of the GSG layer and grain growth have significant influences on the strength and ductility of SNC materials. Therefore, the proposed model can be employed to optimize the mechanical behavior in SNC materials by controlling the thickness fraction and grain size in the GSG region and grain growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An elastic–viscoplastic model has been developed for nanotwinned (nt) metals based on coupled intra-twin and twin-boundary-mediated (TBM) deformation mechanisms. The grain-size dependence of intra-twin plasticity was incorporated in the proposed model to determine the transitional twin thickness corresponding to the maximum strength. In addition, the joint distribution of grain size and twin thickness was also taken into account to simulate the microstructure of nt metals. The results obtained show that the TBM deformation mechanism dominated at low strain rate and small twin thickness, and that the grain-size and twin-thickness distributions had significant influence on the macroscopic behavior of nt metals. A linear relation between the transitional twin thickness and grain size is predicted by the proposed model, which is in good agreement with the results obtained from three-dimensional molecular dynamics simulations and experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface nano-crystallized (SNC) materials with a graded grain size distribution on their surfaces have been attracting increasing scientific interest over the past few decades due to their good synergy of high strength and high ductility. However, to date most of the existing studies have focused on the individual contribution of three different aspects, i.e. grain size gradient (GSG), workhardened region and surface compressive residual stresses, which were induced by surface severe plastic deformation processes, to the improved strength of SNC materials as compared with that of their coarse grained (CG) counterparts. And the ductility of these materials has hardly been studied. In this study, a combination of theoretical analysis and finite element simulations was used to investigate the role of GSG in tuning the ductility of SNC materials. It was found that the ductility of an SNC material can be comparable to that of its CG counterpart, while it simultaneously possessed a much higher strength than its CG core if the optimal GSG thickness and grain size of the topmost phase were adopted. A design map that can be used as a guideline for fabrication of SNC materials was also plotted. Our predictions were also compared with the corresponding experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Hydrogen gas (H2) as a new medical gas exerts organ-protective effects through regulating oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis. In contrast to H2, hydrogen-rich saline (HS) may be more suitable for clinical application. The present study was designed to investigate whether HS can offer a neuroprotective effect in a rat model of permanent focal cerebral ischemia and what mechanism(s) underlies the effect. Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to permanent focal cerebral ischemia induced by permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO). Different doses of HS or normal saline were intraperitoneally administered at 5min after pMCAO or sham operation followed by injections at 6h, 12h and 24h. Here, we found that HS treatment significantly reduced infarct volume and improved neurobehavioral outcomes at 24h, 48h and 72h after pMCAO operation in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). Moreover, we found that HS treatment dose-dependently increased the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) as well as decreased the levels of oxidative products (8-iso-PGF2α and MDA) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and HMGB1) in injured ipsilateral brain tissues at 6h, 12h and 24h after pMCAO operation (P<0.05). Thus, hydrogen-rich saline dose-dependently exerts a neuroprotective effect against permanent focal cerebral ischemia, and its beneficial effect is at least partially mediated by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation. Molecular hydrogen may be an effective therapeutic strategy for stroke patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) as co-precursors, we explore the one-step synthesis of hydrophobic silica aerogel via in situ surface modification at ambient pressure. Compared with hydrophilic feature of the products prepared by TEOS single precursor (without TMCS surface modification procedure), hydrophobic behavior of the aerogel obtained from TEOS and TMCS co-precursors was observed. Fourier Transform Infrared spectra (FTIR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and 29Si NMR spectra were conducted to confirm the successful introduction of the hydrophobic group on the silica surface. In contrast to the multiple chemical modification approach, the procedure for one-step synthesis was simplified and the processing time was shortened from 2 weeks to 2 days. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Zn1−x Co x O (x=0−0.12) nanowires have been synthesized by the electrophoretic deposition method using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) as a template. Careful structural characterization indicates that the prepared nanowires are of poly-crystal wurtzite structure and composed with 10–20nm nano-crystals. Magnetic investigation indicates the obtained nanowires are of room-temperature ferromagnetic. The magnetism increases with the increasing of Co-doping within the solubility limit 7%, but decreases sharply when x>7% for the presence of second-phase Co3O4. Tubular structural Zn1−x Co x O can also be fabricated by properly tuning the electrophoretic deposition potential and time. The mechanism of electrophoretic deposition is discussed in detail. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two identical biotrickling filters named BTFa and BTFb were run in parallel to examine their performances in removing hydrogen sulfide. BTFa was filled with ceramic granules, and BTFb was filled with volcanic rocks. The results showed that BTFb was more robust than BTFa under acidic conditions. At empty bed residence times (EBRTs) of 20 and 15 s, the removal efficiency of BTFa was close to 100%. At EBRTs of 10 and 5 s, the removal efficiency of BTFa slightly decreased. The removal efficiencies of BTFa decreased by different degrees at the end of each stage, dropping to 94%, 81%, 60%, and 71%, respectively. However, the HS removal efficiency in BTFb consistently reached 99% throughout the experiment. Pyrosequencing analyses indicated that members of Thiomonas dominated in both BTFs, but the relative abundance of Acidithiobacillus was higher in BTFb than in BTFa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In the work described on this paper, a gold nanoparticles (GNP)/l-cysteine (l-cys)/Graphene (Gr)/Nafion composite film modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) was fabricated and characterized. The modified electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of theophylline (TP) in 0.1molL−1 H2SO4 medium. Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) was used for the determination of TP. Under the optimum conditions, the peak current of TP was proportional to its concentration at the range of 4.0×10−9 to 6.0×10−5 molL−1 with a detection limit 4.0×10−10 molL−1. The newly developed method was successfully applied for the determination of TP in tea samples and pharmaceutical tablets with good percentage of recoveries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A pilot-scale system integrated with biotrickling filtration (BTF) and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) for the treatment of organic waste gas in a paint plant was investigated in this study. The components of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their concentrations were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Results showed that the main components of organic waste gas in the paint plant were ethyl acetate, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, ethyltoluene and trimethylbenzene. The removal efficiencies of these VOCs ranged from 79.4% to 99.8% by BTF–PCO treatment even after 90days operation. After BTF–PCO treatment, hazard ratio index based on threshold limit value for time weighted average (TLV-TWA) and VOCs concentrations indicated that the non-cancer risk of VOCs was rapidly reduced. At steady state of the treatment system, total VOCs (TVOC) removal efficiencies maintained steadily within the range of 95.8–98.2% with the increase of inlet TVOC concentration from 6.69 to 129.00mg/m3, and increased from 95.8% to 99.5% with the flowrate decrease from 3000 to 1333m3/h. In addition, the maximum elimination capacities of different systems in this study followed the order: BTF (47.8gm−3 h−1)>BTF–PCO (25.2gm−3 h−1)>PCO (19.2gm−3 h−1), while VOCs average removal efficiencies followed the order of BTF–PCO (95.6%)>PCO (88.7%)>BTF (73.7%). Overall, by the combination of BTF and PCO systems, the high concentration and multicomponent VOCs from paint plant were removed effectively and environmental friendly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A heterogeneous population of glycoforms expressed by NTHi strains 1158 and 1159 has been elucidated using NMR spectroscopy and capillary electrophoresis coupled to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS) on O-deacylated LPS (LPS-OH) and core oligosaccharide (OS) materials, as well as HPLC-ESI-MS n on dephosphorylated and methylated OS samples. The most abundant glycoform contained a disaccharide chain: PCho→7)-d-α-d-Hepp-(1→6)-β-d-Glcp linked to HepI from the common structural element of H. influenzae LPS: l-α-d-HepIIIp-(1→2)-[PEtn→6]-l-α-d-HepIIp-(1→3)-l-α-d-HepIp-(1→5)-[PPEtn→4]-α-Kdop-(2→6)-lipid A. Phosphocholine (PCho) was found at two positions in the LPS glycoforms; PCho substituted the 6-position of β-d-Glcp attached to HepIII and was also located at a novel position linked to d-α-d-Hepp; this latter position was determined by structural analysis of LPS from a 1158lpsA mutant strain. Additionally, HPLC-ESI-MS n experiments indicated glycoforms that have chain elongation from HepII, this was found only in glycoforms, which lack the additional heptose in the outer core region. Structural details of these glycoforms were confirmed by analyses of LPS from a 1158losB2 mutant strain; the losB2 gene is required for addition of the d,d-Hep to the outer core region in strain 1158. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chronic active EBV infection (CAEBV) is a lymphoproliferative disorder of T- or NK-cell type in Asian countries. CAEBV involving the gastrointestinal tract (GI CAEBV) is a rare condition with poor prognosis that may rapidly progress with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and life-threatening complications such as GI bleeding and/or perforation. The approach to CAEBV with GI tract involvement (GI CAEBV) is still an unmet clinical need. In this case series study, we summarized the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of seven cases of GI CAEBV with HLH, particularly focusing on its prognosis and the possible salvage therapy combining surgery, novel therapeutic agents, and/or autologous(auto-) hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) based on successful cases from our center. GI CAEBV is often misdiagnosed as inflammatory bowel diseases and certain infections. The key to its early recognition is the integrative consideration of its systemic manifestation, serum virology, endoscopic, and imaging findings along with pathology. Surgical intervention should not be hesitated when life-threatening GI complications occur. Resection of the involved bowel segment is an effective way of controlling bleeding and reducing tumor burden. In addition to upfront allogeneic HSCT, new therapeutic modalities including PD-1 antibody and auto-HSCT may be effective in certain patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The resonance light scattering cross section of the three-layered gold–dielectric–gold nanoshell is calculated using the quasi-static theory. The results show that three-layered gold–dielectric–gold nanoshells have three types of resonance light scattering spectra under different geometrical parameters, which are explained using plasmon hybridization theory. In the common type containing two resonance light scattering peaks, the longer wavelength peak red-shifts while the shorter one blue-shifts as the refractive index of the physical environment increase. This physical environment dependent interdistance enhancing between the two peaks shows the potential of the three-layered gold–dielectric–gold nanoshells used as biosensor based on resonance light scattering. The followed calculations about the comparison of sensitivity to the local dielectric environment between the three- and two-layered gold nanoshells further verify that point. At last, the calculated results that the three-layered gold–dielectric–gold nanoshells with small inner core and thin outer gold shell have the highest sensitivity are also obtained. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To explore the imaging characterization of neurological complications associated with the enterovirus 71 (EV71) epidemics. Methods: Thirty-five cases of hand-foot-mouth disease with neurological complications during the recent EV71 outbreaks in Hainan Province, China, from May 2008 to September 2010 were collected. All patients were performed MRI scan. The clinical data and MRI appearance were analyzed. Results: Acute flaccid paralysis associated with EV71 infected hand-foot-mouth diseases was seen in seven cases. The typical MRI appearance was linear long T2 signal intensity in the posterior part of spinal cord. Symmetrical, well-defined hyperintensity lesions in the spinal cord were seen in T2-weighted transverse images. Obvious enhancements of the ventral horns and root were seen in the contrast-enhanced axial T1-weighted image. In 21 cases of pontine encephalitis, long T1 and long T2 signal intensity was seen in the posterior portions of the medulla oblongata, midbrain, and pons. It is nonspecific MRI appearance in seven cases of aseptic meningitis (AM), but subdural effusion, meningeal enhancement, and hydrocephalus can be indirect sign of AM. Conclusion: MRI is an effective modality to investigate neurological complications associated with the EV71 epidemics. Involvements of posterior portions of the medulla oblongata and pons, and bilateral anterior horns of spinal cord are characteristic findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Packing is the most important factor in biofilter design. A structured mixed packing (SMP) material, combined with various organic and inorganic materials (mineral matter is 80.18 ± 0.48%, w: w), was constructed by ureaformaldehyde resin in order to minimize the disadvantages of these materials when used as stand-alone components. The performance of the toluene biotrickling filter (BTF) packed with SMP was compared with the other BTFs packed with a ceramic raschig ring, ceramic pall ring, and lava rock, respectively, for 217 day under various operating conditions. Real-time PCR and DGGE techniques were applied to reveal the gene coding for the toluene-degrading enzymes and the bacterial community structure in the BTFs. The toluene-degradation gene copies exponentially increased, and bacterial diversity significantly decreased with the improving elimination capacities of the BTFs. The overload and shutdown operations resulted in insignificant fluctuations in the toluene-degradation gene copies at equal levels as well as a slight variation in the bacterial community structures in the BTFs. Various putative toluene-degrading bacteria were found using sequencing bands from the DGGE gels; some bacteria, such as Burkholderia spp., were further confirmed by real-time PCR; other bacteria, such as Alcaligenes spp., might not have been reported. The packing properties of SMP material supported more toluene-degradation gene copies in the biofilm, and higher toluene-degrading bacterial diversity of the BTF, than did inert packing. Thus, the BTF with SMP demonstrated excellent performance, suggesting the suitability of SMP for real applications, whereas the capabilities of inert packing materials are more suited to the treatment of steady low VOC loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Local current density is an important parameter in battery modeling, which affects the performance of lithium-ion batteries. In this study, we take LiFePO4 cathode material as an example. A simplified mathematical model has been developed to study the internal mechanism of the electrode. According to the results of the model, the local current density distribution has a regular change at different time in the discharge process. The parameter “critical thickness” as an optimized variable has been presented for battery design. By qualitative analysis to estimate the critical thickness under different condition, we can optimize the design parameter of a battery according to the practical demand. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With diphenylammonium triflate (DPAT) as a catalyst, the highly substituted pyridines and dihydropyridines were prepared under solvent-free conditions from aldehydes, ketones, and amines via a one-pot multi-component reaction. The advantages of this protocol include excellent yields, environmentally benign source of nitrogen, mild reaction conditions, and simple manipulation. Different source of nitrogen like urea, thiourea, inorganic ammonium salts, and organic amines were studied. In addition, a novel way was developed for the conversion of primary aliphatic amines into alcohols. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Articular cartilage is routinely subjected to mechanical forces and growth factors. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are multi-potent adult stem cells and capable of chondrogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the comparative and interactive effects of dynamic compression and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the chondrogenesis of rabbit ASCs in chitosan/gelatin scaffolds. Rabbit ASCs with or without a plasmid overexpressing of human IGF-1 were cultured in chitosan/gelatin scaffolds for 2 days, then subjected to cyclic compression with 5% strain and 1 Hz for 4 h per day for seven consecutive days. Dynamic compression induced chondrogenesis of rabbit ASCs by activating calcium signaling pathways and up-regulating the expression of Sox-9. Dynamic compression plus IGF-1 overexpression up-regulated expression of chondrocyte-specific extracellular matrix genes including type II collagen, Sox-9, and aggrecan with no effect on type X collagen expression. Furthermore, dynamic compression and IGF-1 expression promoted cellular proliferation and the deposition of proteoglycan and collagen. Intracellular calcium ion concentration and peak currents of Ca2+ ion channels were consistent with chondrocytes. The tissue-engineered cartilage from this process had excellent mechanical properties. When applied together, the effects achieved by the two stimuli (dynamic compression and IGF-1) were greater than those achieved by either stimulus alone. Our results suggest that dynamic compression combined with IGF-1 overexpression might benefit articular cartilage tissue engineering in cartilage regeneration. J. Cell. Physiol. 227: 2003-2012, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Choosing TbFe as the magnetostrictive layer and using soft ferromagnetic materials (FM=Fe, Py-permalloy, FeCo) as the inductive layer, we report the magnetization and magnetostriction of the S/FM(10nm)/TbFe(10nm) coupled bilayer (S-glass substrate). The magnetization of the coupled bilayer is attributed to the soft ferromagnetic layer and there is no contribution from the TbFe layer. Interfacial exchange interaction plays an important role in determining the magnetostriction of the coupled bilayer. The effect coming from the deposition Argon pressure on the magnetostriction of the coupled bilayer was also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Sugars, n-alkanes and PAHs in PM10 and size-segregated samples collected from the summit (2060m, altitude) of Mt. Hua in Guanzhong Plain, central China during the winter of 2009 were characterized using a GC/MS technique. Concentrations of sugars, n-alkanes and PAHs in PM10 are 107±52, 121±63, 7.3±3.4ngm−3, respectively. Levoglucosan and fossil fuel derived n-alkanes are more abundant in the air masses transported from southern China than in those from northern China with no spatial difference found for PAHs, suggesting that emissions from biomass burning and vehicle exhausts are more significant in southern part of the country. Dehydrated sugars, fossil fuel derived n-alkanes and PAHs presented a unimode size distribution, peaking at the size of 0.7–1.1μm, whereas non-dehydrated sugars and plant wax derived n-alkanes showed a bimodal pattern, peaking at 0.7–2.1 and 5.8–9.0μm, respectively. Principal component analysis showed that biofuel combustion plus plant emission is the most important source in Mt. Hua, being different from the cases in Chinese urban areas where fossil fuel combustion is the major source. By comparison with previous mountain and lowland observations and aircraft measurements we found that wintertime PAHs in China are still characterized by coal burning emissions especially in the inland regions, although in the country increasing rate of SO2 emission from coal combustion has decreased and emissions of vehicle exhaust has sharply increased. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper deals with positive solutions of degenerate and strongly coupled quasilinear parabolic systems , with null Dirichlet boundary condition and positive initial conditions describing a cooperating two-species Lotka–Volterra model with cross-diffusion, where the constants for and α, β are non-negative. The local existence of positive classical solutions is proved. Moreover, the authors proved that the solutions are global if intra-specific competition of the species are strong, whereas the solutions may blow up if the inter-specific cooperation are strong and . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Packing materials play a key role in waste gas treatment. Organic and inert packing materials have their disadvantages, which may be minimized by mixed packing. In this study, various operating conditions were applied to evaluate the performance of structured mixed packing and inert packing materials in toluene biotricklefiltration. Four biotrickle filters were packed with structured mixed packing materials, namely, ceramic pall rings, ceramic rashig rings, and lava rock. Their toluene removal capacity was studied for 217 day using a laboratory-scale reaction under various operating conditions. The key elimination capacity (removal efficiency > 95%) ranking of the biotrickle filters was as follows: Structured mixed packing (306.20 ± 7.90 g/m/h) > pall ring (156.71 ± 7.84 g/m/h) > rashig ring (153.31 ± 6.14 g/m/h) > lava rock (150.32 ± 9.19 g/m/h). The structured mixed packing and inert packing resulted in excellent toluene-degrading biofilter performance under long-term operation. The structured mixed packing provided a more rapid startup rate and better process robustness than the inert packing did. The biotrickle filter with mixed packing materials had a high elimination capacity which makes it suitable for various real-life applications, whereas the capability of the inert packing material was more suitable for treating a steady low toluene load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A series of PbZr0.58Ti0.42O3 (PZT) thin films with various Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) buffer layer thicknesses were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/p-Si(100) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. The X-ray diffraction measurements of PZT film and PZT/BLT multilayered films illustrate that the pure PZT film shows (111) preferential orientation, and the PZT/BLT films show (110) preferential orientation with increasing thickness of the BLT layer. There are no obvious diffraction peaks for the BLT buffer layer in the multilayered films, for interaction effect between the bottom BLT and top PZT films during annealing at the same time. From the surface images of field-emission scanning electron microscope, there are the maximum number of largest-size grains in PZT/BLT(30nm) film among all the samples. The growth direction and grain size have significant effects on ferroelectric properties of the multilayered films. The fatigue characteristics of PZT and PZT/BLT films suggest that 30-nm-thick BLT is just an effective buffer layer enough to alleviate the accumulation of oxygen vacancies near the PZT/BLT interface. The comparison of these results with that of PZT/Pt/TiO2/SiO2/p-Si(100) basic structured film suggests that the buffer layer with an appropriate thickness can improve the ferroelectric properties of multilayered films greatly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]