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Seasonal to interannual variations in the concentrations of sulfur aerosols (< 2.5 µm in diameter; non sea-salt sulfate: NSS-SO42-; anthropogenic sulfate: Anth-SO42-; biogenic sulfate: Bio-SO42-; methanesulfonic acid: MSA) in the Arctic atmosphere were investigated using measurements of the chemical composition of aerosols collected at Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard (78.9∘ N, 11.9∘ E) from 2015 to 2019. In all measurement years the concentration of NSS-SO42- was highest during the pre-bloom period and rapidly decreased towards summer. During the pre-bloom period we found a strong correlation between NSS-SO42- (sum of Anth-SO42- and Bio-SO42-) and Anth-SO42-. This was because more than 50 % of the NSS-SO42- measured during this period was Anth-SO42-, which originated in northern Europe and was subsequently transported to the Arctic in Arctic haze. Unexpected increases in the concentration of Bio-SO42- aerosols (an oxidation product of dimethylsulfide: DMS) were occasionally found during the pre-bloom period. These probably originated in regions to the south (the North Atlantic Ocean and the Norwegian Sea) rather than in ocean areas in the proximity of Ny-Ålesund. Another oxidation product of DMS is MSA, and the ratio of MSA to Bio-SO42- is extensively used to estimate the total amount of DMS-derived aerosol particles in remote marine environments. The concentration of MSA during the pre-bloom period remained low, primarily because of the greater loss of MSA relative to Bio-SO42- and the suppression of condensation of gaseous MSA onto particles already present in air masses being transported northwards from distant ocean source regions (existing particles). In addition, the low light intensity during the pre-bloom period resulted in a low concentration of photochemically activated oxidant species including OH radicals and BrO; these conditions favored the oxidation pathway of DMS to Bio-SO42- rather than to MSA, which acted to lower the MSA concentration at Ny-Ålesund. The concentration of MSA peaked in May or June and was positively correlated with phytoplankton biomass in the Greenland and Barents seas around Svalbard. As a result, the mean ratio of MSA to the DMS-derived aerosols was low (0.09 ± 0.07) in the pre-bloom period but high (0.32 ± 0.15) in the bloom and post-bloom periods. There was large interannual variability in the ratio of MSA to Bio-SO42- (i.e., 0.24 ± 0.11 in 2017, 0.40 ± 0.14 in 2018, and 0.36 ± 0.14 in 2019) during the bloom and post-bloom periods. This was probably associated with changes in the chemical properties of existing particles, biological activities surrounding the observation site, and air mass transport patterns. Our results indicate that MSA is not a conservative tracer for predicting DMS-derived particles, and the contribution of MSA to the growth of newly formed particles may be much larger during the bloom and post-bloom periods than during the pre-bloom period.

This study is the first to assess the applicability of biodegradable poly(1,4-butylene carbonate) (PBC) as a printing ink for fused deposition modeling (FDM). Here, PBC was successfully prepared via the bulk polycondensation of 1,4-butanediol and dimethyl carbonate. PBC was melted above 150°C in the heating chamber of an FDM printer, after which it flowed from the printing nozzle upon applying pressure and solidified at room temperature to create a three-dimensional (3D) scaffold structure. A 3D scaffold exactly matching the program design was obtained by controlling the temperature and pressure of the FDM printer. The compressive moduli of the printed PBC scaffold decreased as a function of implantation time. The printed PBC scaffold exhibited good in vitro biocompatibility, as well as in vivo neotissue formation and little host tissue response, which was proportional to the gradual biodegradation. Collectively, our findings demonstrated the feasibility of PBC as a suitable printing ink candidate for the creation of scaffolds via FDM printing., Graphical abstract Image 1

Special issue Marine organic matter: from biological production in the ocean to organic aerosol particles and marine clouds (ACP/OS inter-journal SI).-- 18 pges, 10 figures, 1 table, supplement https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-5573-2020-supplement, There are few shipborne observations addressing the factors influencing the relationships of the formation and growth of aerosol particles with cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in remote marine environments. In this study, the physical properties of aerosol particles throughout the Arctic Ocean and Pacific Ocean were measured aboard the Korean icebreaker R/V Araon during the summer of 2017 for 25 d. A number of new particle formation (NPF) events and growth were frequently observed in both Arctic terrestrial and Arctic marine air masses. By striking contrast, NPF events were not detected in Pacific marine air masses. Three major aerosol categories are therefore discussed: (1) Arctic marine (aerosol number concentration CN2.5: 413±442 cm−3), (2) Arctic terrestrial (CN2.5: 1622±1450 cm−3) and (3) Pacific marine (CN2.5: 397±185 cm−3), following air mass back-trajectory analysis. A major conclusion of this study is not only that the Arctic Ocean is a major source of secondary aerosol formation relative to the Pacific Ocean but also that open-ocean sympagic and terrestrially influenced coastal ecosystems both contribute to shaping aerosol size distributions. We suggest that terrestrial ecosystems – including river outflows and tundra – strongly affect aerosol emissions in the Arctic coastal areas, possibly more than anthropogenic Arctic emissions. The increased river discharge, tundra emissions and melting sea ice should be considered in future Arctic atmospheric composition and climate simulations. The average CCN concentrations at a supersaturation ratios of 0.4 % were 35±40 cm−3, 71±47 cm−3 and 204±87 cm−3 for Arctic marine, Arctic terrestrial and Pacific marine aerosol categories, respectively. Our results aim to help evaluate how anthropogenic and natural atmospheric sources and processes affect the aerosol composition and cloud properties, This research has been supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (grant no. NRF-2016M1A5A1901769, NRF-2019R1A2C3007202 and NRF-20180R1A2B2006965), the KOPRI project (grant no. PE17390), and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (grant no. 20160245), With the funding support of the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000928-S), of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI)

The calcite plates, or coccoliths, of haptophyte algae including Emiliania huxleyi are formed in intracellular vesicles in association with water–soluble acidic polysaccharides. These coccolith–associated polysaccharides (CAPs) are involved in regulating coccolith formation and have been recovered from sediment samples dating back to ∼180 Ma. Paired measurements of the carbon isotopic compositions of CAPs and coccolith calcite have been proposed as a novel paleo–pCO2 barometer, but additional proxy validation and development are still required. Here we present culture results quantifying carbon isotopic offsets between CAPs and other cellular components: bulk organic biomass, alkenones, and calcite. E. huxleyi was grown in nitrate–limited chemostat experiments at growth rates (µ) of 0.20–0.62/d and carbon dioxide concentrations of 10.7–17.6 µmol/kg. We find that CAPs are isotopically enriched by 4.5–10.1‰ relative to bulk organic carbon, exhibiting smaller isotopic offsets at faster growth rates and lower CO2 concentrations. This variability suggests that CAPs record a complementary signature of past growth conditions with different sensitivity than alkenones or coccolith calcite. By measuring the isotopic compositions of all three molecules and minerals of self-consistent origin, the ratio µ/[CO2(aq)] may be reconstructed with fewer assumptions than current approaches.

To determine the direct and indirect effects of aerosols on climate, it is important to know the spatial and temporal variations in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations. Although many types of CCN measurements are available, extensive CCN measurements are challenging because of the complexity and high operating cost, especially in remote areas. As aerosol optical depth (AOD) can be readily observed by remote sensing, many attempts have been made to estimate CCN concentrations from AOD. In this study, the CCN–AOD relationship is parameterized based on CCN ground measurements from the Zeppelin Observatory (78.91° N, 11.89° E, 474 m asl) in the Arctic region. The AOD measurements were obtained from the Ny-Alesund site (78.923° N, 11.928° E) and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 reanalysis. Our results show a CCN–AOD correlation with a coefficient of determination R2 of 0.59. Three additional estimation models for CCN were presented based on the following data: (i) in situ aerosol chemical composition, (ii) in situ aerosol optical properties, and (iii) chemical composition of AOD obtained from reanalysis data. The results from the model using in situ aerosol optical properties reproduced the observed CCN concentration most efficiently, suggesting that the contribution of BC to CCN concentration should be considered along with that of sulfate.

Seasonal variability in the physical characteristics of aerosol particles sampled from the King Sejong Station in the Antarctic Peninsula was investigated over the period between March 2009 and February 2015. Clear seasonal cycles for the total particle concentration (CN) were observed. The mean monthly concentration of particles larger than 2.5 nm (CN2.5) was highest during the austral summer, with an average value of 1080.39 ± 595.05 cm−3, and lowest during the austral winter, with a mean value of 197.26 ± 71.71 cm−3. The seasonal patterns in the concentrations of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and CN coincide, with both concentrations being at a minimum in winter and maximum in summer. The measured CCN spectra were approximated by fitting a power-law function relating the number of CCN for a given supersaturation (SS) to each SS value, with fitting coefficients C and kT. The values for C varied from 6.35 to 837.24 cm−3, with a mean of 171.48 ± 62.00 cm−3. The values for kT ranged from 0.07 to 2.19, with a mean of 0.41 ± 0.10. In particular, the kT values during the austral summer were higher than those during the winter, indicating that aerosol particles are more sensitive to SS changes during summer. Furthermore, the annual mean hygroscopicity parameter, κ, was estimated as 0.15 ± 0.05, for a SS of 0.4 %. The effects of the origin and pathway travelled by the air mass on the physical characteristics of the aerosol particles were also determined. The modal diameter of aerosol particles originating in the South Pacific Ocean showed a seasonal variation varying from 0.023 µm in winter to 0.034 µm in summer for the Aitken mode, and from 0.086 µm in winter to 0.109 µm in summer for the accumulation mode.

The features that define machine tool technology are precision, intelligence, high speed, and customization; the technology should also be composite and systematic. Therefore, for cross-border competition, improving the quality and productivity of machine tools are important.

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous condition that can differ in its clinical manifestation, structural changes and response to treatment. Objective To identify subgroups of COPD with distinct phenotypes, evaluate the distribution of phenotypes in four related regions and calculate the 1-year change in lung function and quality of life according to subgroup. Methods Using clinical characteristics, we performed factor analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis in a cohort of 1676 COPD patients from 13 Asian cities. We compared the 1-year change in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), modified Medical Research Council dyspnoea scale score, St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score and exacerbations according to subgroup derived from cluster analysis. Results Factor analysis revealed that body mass index, Charlson comorbidity index, SGRQ total score and FEV1 were principal factors. Using these four factors, cluster analysis identified three distinct subgroups with differing disease severity and symptoms. Among the three subgroups, patients in subgroup 2 (severe disease and more symptoms) had the most frequent exacerbations, most rapid FEV1 decline and greatest decline in SGRQ total score. Conclusion Three subgroups with differing severities and symptoms were identified in Asian COPD subjects.

Variations in the pyrenoid morphology, Rubisco content, and kinetics among haptophyte algae provide insight into their carbon-concentrating mechanisms., The haptophyte algae are a cosmopolitan group of primary producers that contribute significantly to the marine carbon cycle and play a major role in paleo-climate studies. Despite their global importance, little is known about carbon assimilation in haptophytes, in particular the kinetics of their Form 1D CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco. Here we examine Rubisco properties of three haptophytes with a range of pyrenoid morphologies (Pleurochrysis carterae, Tisochrysis lutea, and Pavlova lutheri) and the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum that exhibit contrasting sensitivities to the trade-offs between substrate affinity (Km) and turnover rate (kcat) for both CO2 and O2. The pyrenoid-containing T. lutea and P. carterae showed lower Rubisco content and carboxylation properties (KC and kCcat) comparable with those of Form 1D-containing non-green algae. In contrast, the pyrenoid-lacking P. lutheri produced Rubisco in 3-fold higher amounts, and displayed a Form 1B Rubisco kCcat–KC relationship and increased CO2/O2 specificity that, when modeled in the context of a C3 leaf, supported equivalent rates of photosynthesis to higher plant Rubisco. Correlation between the differing Rubisco properties and the occurrence and localization of pyrenoids with differing intracellular CO2:O2 microenvironments has probably influenced the divergent evolution of Form 1B and 1D Rubisco kinetics.

Unicellular phytoplanktonic algae (coccolithophores) are among the most prolific producers of calcium carbonate on the planet, with a production of ∼1026 coccoliths per year. During their lith formation, coccolithophores mainly employ coccolith-associated polysaccharides (CAPs) for the regulation of crystal nucleation and growth. These macromolecules interact with the intracellular calcifying compartment (coccolith vesicle) through the charged carboxyl groups of their uronic acid residues. Here we report the isolation of CAPs from modern day coccolithophores and their prehistoric predecessors and we demonstrate that their uronic acid content (UAC) offers a species-specific signature. We also show that there is a correlation between the UAC of CAPs and the internal saturation state of the coccolith vesicle that, for most geologically abundant species, is inextricably linked to carbon availability. These findings suggest that the UAC of CAPs reports on the adaptation of coccolithogenesis to environmental changes and can be used for the estimation of past CO2 concentrations.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a ubiquitous metalloenzyme responsible for accelerating the interconversion of CO2 and bicarbonate. Although CAs are involved in a broad range of biochemical processes involving carboxylation or decarboxylation reactions, they are of special interest due to their role in photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in marine phytoplankton, especially under low-CO2 conditions. Several phylogenetically independent classes of CAs have been identified in a variety of marine phytoplankton. TWCA1, first discovered in Thalassiosira weissflogii (Grunow) G. Fryxell & Hasle, is the founding member of the δ-class of CAs; these appear to be extracellular enzymes, but are still relatively poorly characterized. To date, it has remained uncertain whether TWCA1 possesses true CA activity due to the difficulty in producing a functional protein in a heterologous expression system. Herein we describe the fusion of a full-length open reading frame of TWCA1 to the coding sequence of a self-splicing intein in a pTWIN2 expression vector that has allowed successful production of a functional enzyme in Escherichia coli. Assay of the recombinant protein shows that TWCA1 is a catalytically active δ-CA possessing both CO2 hydration and esterase activity.

The vacuolar and cytoplasmic inorganic phosphate (Pi) content of the mature regions of maize roots was measured by a 31P NMR technique which used an external standard to avoid the need for tissue extraction and which exploited the relatively rapid relaxation of cytoplasmic Pi in order to improve the detection of this pool in fully-vacuolated cells.In mature roots of maize growing with abundant external phosphate, the concentration of Pi in the cytoplasm was approximately 6.5 mol m-3. When these plants were deprived of external phosphate, the vacuolar Pi content of the roots decreased rapidly, but the cytoplasmic Pi concentration initially remained constant and did not begin to decline until P-stress became severe. Calculations show that withdrawal of Pi from the vacuoles into the cytoplasm under these conditions would be against an electrochemical gradient.During P-starvation, an increased capacity for Pi influx developed, preceding any detectable change in the cytoplasmic Pi content of the roots. This response is considered in terms of parallel effects on transport sites for phosphate at the plasmalemma and at the tonoplast. Comparisons of simultaneous rates of influx and net uptake implied that phosphate efflux accounted for < 10% of influx in plants of a steady or declining P-status. However, direct measurements of efflux suggested that this process may be temporarily accelerated when plants are recovering from P-stress. © 1990 Oxford University Press.

The global marine distributions of Cd and phosphate are closely correlated, which has led to Cd being considered as a marine micronutrient, despite its toxicity to life. The explanation for this nutrient-like behavior is unknown because there is only one identified biochemical function for Cd, an unusual Cd/Zn carbonic anhydrase. Recent developments in Cd isotope mass spectrometry have revealed that Cd uptake by phytoplankton causes isotopic fractionation in the open ocean and in culture. Here we investigate the physiochemical pathways that fractionate Cd isotopes by performing subcellular Cd isotope analysis on genetically modified microorganisms. We find that expression of the Cd/Zn carbonic anhydrase makes no difference to the Cd isotope composition of whole cells. Instead, a large proportion of the Cd is partitioned into cell membranes with a similar direction and magnitude of Cd isotopic fractionation to that seen in surface seawater. This observation is well explained if Cd is mistakenly imported with other divalent metals and subsequently managed by binding within the cell to avoid toxicity. This process may apply to other divalent metals, whereby nonspecific uptake and subsequent homeostasis may contribute to elemental and isotopic distributions in seawater, even for elements commonly considered as micronutrients.

Calcification in coccolithophores has high energy demand but brings multiple benefits enabling diversity of ecology and form., Calcifying marine phytoplankton—coccolithophores— are some of the most successful yet enigmatic organisms in the ocean and are at risk from global change. To better understand how they will be affected, we need to know “why” coccolithophores calcify. We review coccolithophorid evolutionary history and cell biology as well as insights from recent experiments to provide a critical assessment of the costs and benefits of calcification. We conclude that calcification has high energy demands and that coccolithophores might have calcified initially to reduce grazing pressure but that additional benefits such as protection from photodamage and viral/bacterial attack further explain their high diversity and broad spectrum ecology. The cost-benefit aspect of these traits is illustrated by novel ecosystem modeling, although conclusive observations remain limited. In the future ocean, the trade-off between changing ecological and physiological costs of calcification and their benefits will ultimately decide how this important group is affected by ocean acidification and global warming.

Coccolithophorid algae, particularly Emiliania huxleyi, are prolific biomineralisers that, under many conditions, dominate communities of marine eukaryotic plankton. Their ability to photosynthesise and form calcified scales (coccoliths) has placed them in a unique position in the global carbon cycle. Contrasting reports have been made with regards to the response of E. huxleyi to ocean acidification. Therefore, there is a pressing need to further determine the fate of this key organism in a rising CO2 world. In this paper, we investigate the phenotype of newly isolated, genetically diverse, strains of E. huxleyi from UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme (UKOA) cruises around the British Isles, the Arctic, and the Southern Ocean. We find a continuum of diversity amongst the physiological and photosynthetic parameters of different strains of E. huxleyi morphotype A under uniform, ambient conditions imposed in the laboratory. This physiology is best explained by adaptation to carbonate chemistry in the former habitat rather than being prescribed by genetic fingerprints such as the coccolithophore morphology motif (CMM). To a first order, the photosynthetic capacity of each strain is a function of both aqueous CO2 availability, and calcification rate, suggestive of a link between carbon concentrating ability and calcification. The calcification rate of each strain is related linearly to the natural environmental [CO32−] at the site of isolation, but a few exceptional strains display low calcification rates at the highest [CO32−] when calcification is limited by low CO2 availability and/or a lack of a carbon concentrating mechanism. We present O2-electrode measurements alongside coccolith oxygen isotopic composition and the uronic acid content (UAC) of the coccolith associated polysaccharide (CAP), that act as indirect tools to show the differing carbon concentrating ability of the strains. The environmental selection revealed amongst our recently isolated strain collection points to the future outcompetition of the slow growing morphotypes B/C and R (which also lack a carbon concentrating mechanism) by more rapidly photosynthesising, and lightly calcified strains of morphotype A but with their rate of calcification highly dependent on the surface ocean saturation state. The mechanism of E. huxleyi response to carbonate chemistry in the modern ocean appears to be selection from a continuum of phenotype.

A method constructed on the basis of the Rayleigh–Ritz method and the first Rayleigh integral is presented for the vibro-acoustic analysis of elastically restrained shear deformable stiffened rectangular orthotropic plates. In the proposed method, the displacement fields of the plate and stiffeners are formulated on the basis of the first-order shear deformation theory. The theoretical sound pressure level (SPL) curve of the plate is constructed using the responses at different excitation frequencies and the first Rayleigh integral. The experimental SPL curve of an elastically restrained stiffened orthotropic plate was measured to verify the accuracy of the theoretical SPL curve of the plate. The effects of Young’s modulus ratio E1/E2 on the sound radiation characteristics of elastically restrained stiffened orthotropic plate with different aspect ratios are studied using the proposed method. It has been shown that the effects of Young’s modulus ratio become more prominent as the plate aspect ratio gets larger.

Pollen and macrofossil analyses of a sediment core from Beaver Pond (60° 37′ 14″ N, 154° 19′ W, 579 m a.s.l.) reveal a record of regional and local postglacial vegetation change in south-western Alaska. The chronology is based on five AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) 14C ages obtained from terrestrial plant macrofossils. Pollen and macrofossil records suggest that open herb and shrub tundra with e.g. Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Artemisia, Vaccinium and Salix prevailed on the landscape before ca. 14 000 cal a BP. The shift from herb- to shrub-dominated tundra (Salix, subsequent Betula expansion) possibly reflects climatic warming at the beginning of the Bolling period at ca. 14 700–14 500 and around 13 500 cal a BP. Vegetation (Betula shrub tundra) remained relatively stable until the early Holocene. Macrofossil influx estimates provide evidence for greater biomass in Betula shrub tundra during the early postglacial period than today. Charcoal accumulation rates suggest tundra fire activity was probably greater from ca. 12 500 to 10 500 cal a BP, similar to results from elsewhere in Alaska. The pollen and macrofossil records of Beaver Pond suggest the prevalence of low shrub tundra (shrub Betula, Betula nana, Vaccinium, Ledum palustre, Ericaceae) and tall shrub tundra (Alnus viridis ssp. crispa, Salix) between 10 000 and 4000 cal a BP. This Holocene vegetation type is comparable with that of the modern treeless wet and moist tundra in south-western Alaska. The expansion of Picea glauca occurred ∼4000 cal a BP, much later than that of A. viridis (ssp. crispa), whereas in central and eastern Alaska Picea glauca expanded prior to or coincident with Alnus (viridis). At sites located only 200–400 km north-east of Beaver Pond (Farewell and Wien lakes), Picea glauca and Betula forests expanded 8000–6000 cal a BP. Unfavourable climatic conditions and soil properties may have inhibited the expansion and establishment of Picea across south-west Alaska during the mid and late Holocene. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Coccolith-associated polysaccharides (CAPs) are thought to be a key part of the biomineralization process in coccolithophores, however their role is not fully understood. We have used two different systems that promote different polymorphs of calcium carbonate to show the effect of CAPs on nucleation and polymorph selection in vitro. Using a combination of time-resolved cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryoTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we examined the mechanisms of calcite nucleation and growth in the presence of the intracrystalline fraction containing CAPs extracted from coccoliths from Gephyrocapsa oceanica and Emiliania huxleyi, two closely related coccolithophore species. The CAPs extracted from G. oceanica were shown to promote calcite nucleation in vitro, even under conditions favouring the kinetic products of calcium carbonate, vaterite and aragonite. This was not the case with CAPs extracted from E. huxleyi, suggesting that the functional role of CAPs in vivo may be different between the two species. Additionally, high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (SXPD) revealed that the polysaccharide is located between grain boundaries of both calcite produced in the presence of the CAPs in vitro and biogenic calcite, rather than within the crystal lattice.

This article presents a novel technique for isolation enhancement between two closely packed antennas. First, an inverted- U loop antenna (IULA) integrated into the top edge of a laptop panel is designed for 2.6-GHz LTE application. The mutual coupling between two designed IULA antennas has considerable efiects by the placing positions of them. The results indicate the ground of the two IULA antennas placing against each other obtain the best isolation. At last, a three-element MIMO antenna was designed and measured. Although the gap between two adjacent antennas is only 1mm, the experimental results show that the proposed two-element and three- element MIMO antennas achieve more than 20dB isolation within the operating band. The important performances of antenna e-ciency, envelope correlation, and channel capacity are also presented.

This paper presents a small printed monopole antenna of size 10 × 29 × 0.8 mm3. The proposed antenna consists of a rectangular radiating patch on one side and a rectangular ground metal with an inverted L-shaped ground strip on the other side. With this simple structure, the proposed antenna provides an impedance bandwidth ranging from 3.05 to 5.82 GHz, which covers the wireless USB (WUSB) operation band of 3.1–4.85 GHz. Good radiation performance and low gain variation are also obtained using the proposed antenna. Equipping with the advantages of dimension and performance, the proposed antenna appears as a promising candidate for USB dongle application. The detail of the proposed antenna design and experimental results obtained thereafter are presented and discussed in this article.

The objective of this paper is to design a compact multiband monopole antenna for a PDA phone. Using a simple inverted-U-shaped driven element, we observe that the proposed antenna resonates in the high-frequency band (1700–2568 MHz) for DCS, PCS, UMTS, and WLAN applications. The low-frequency bandwidth (881–1280 MHz), which covers the GSM band, is accomplished by a novel dual low-frequency mode method. The overall dimensions of this proposed antenna are 100mm (length) × 60mm (width) × 0.8mm (thickness); it can easily fit into PDA phones and WLAN products. Herein, the design procedures and the simulated and measured values of return losses, radiation patterns, gain, and efficiency are presented and discussed.

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was developed for the detection of viruses from Daphne odora plants in this study. Five sets of primers were designed for the specific detection of five different viruses, Daphne virus Y (DVY, Potyvirus), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV, Cucumovirus), Daphne virus S (DVS, Carlavirus), Cycas necrotic stunt virus (CNSV, Nepovirus), and Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV, Potyvirus) in collected Daphne plants. RT-PCR could successfully detect the viruses from the Daphne plants. Two potyviruses (DVY and WMV), CNSV, CMV and DVS were frequently detected in >85% samples examined in this study. CNSV was the most prevalent virus (78%), and the infection rate for the three viruses WMV, CMV and DVS was >60%. These results demonstrate that virus diseases on Daphne plants are extremely severe and widespread in Korea. It is especially notable that mixed virus infections with more than three different viruses were very common and 12% of Daphne plants were infected by the five viruses. The results suggest that five primer sets developed in this study can successfully detect the target viruses and can be useful for the monitoring of virus incidence and indexing of the virus-free Daphne plants.

The present study evaluated the radical scavenging-linked antioxidant activity of hexane/80% ethanol extracts from several types of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) derived from varieties arbequina, hojiblanca, picual, their blends, and pure olive oil (POO). The antioxidant potential of the olive oil extracts was assessed by radical scavenging assays using DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS (2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid), and hydroxyl radical, as well as hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion inhibitory activities. Electron donating ability (EDA) using DPPH assay of 80% ethanol extracts from EVOOs, except arbequina oil, was significantly higher than POO. EDA was markedly higher in blended and picual EVOOs than the extracts from arbequina and hojiblanca EVOOs (P0.05). Similarly, ABTS radical scavenging activity of the extracts from the EVOOs was in order of picual EVOOblended EVOOhojiblanca EVOOor= POOor= arbequina EVOO. Further, the superoxide anion scavenging activity of blended, picual, and arbequina EVOOs was significantly higher than that of hojiblanca EVOO and POO, which were barely detectable. Hydroxyl radical scavenging activity of arbequina and hojiblanca was higher than that of blended, picual EVOOs, and POO. In addition, hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity of the extracts from blended, arbequina, hojiblanca, picual EVOOs, and POO was 63.1 +/- 3.1%, 44.4 +/- 10.2%, 52.0 +/- 2.7%, 71.8 +/- 2.5%, and 35.7 +/- 10.0%, respectively. Our results indicate that ethanol extracts of several EVOOs contained higher radical scavenging and antioxidant activity than the POO. This antioxidant potential is partly due to the phenolic compounds present in different olive oil grade and is influenced by cultivar type.

Lipocalins are involved in the binding of small molecules like sex steroids. We show here that the previously reported tilapia male-specific protein (MSP) is a lipocalin encoded by a variety of paralogous and homologous genes in different tilapia species. Exon-intron boundaries of MSP genes were typical of the six-exon genomic structure of lipocalins, and the transcripts were capable of encoding 200 amino-acid polypeptides that consisted of a putative signal peptide and a lipocalin domain. Cysteine residues are conserved in positions analogous to those forming the three disulfide bonds characteristic of the ligand pocket. The calculated molecular mass of the secreted MSP (20.4 kDa) was less than half of that observed, suggesting that it is highly glycosylated like its homologue tributyltin-binding protein. Analysis of sequence variations revealed three types of paralogs MSPA, MSPB and MSPC. Expression of both MSPA and MSPB was detected in testis. In haploid Oreochromis niloticus embryos, each of these types consisted of two closely related paralogs, and asymmetry between MSP copy numbers on the maternal (six copies) and the paternal (three copies) chromosomes was observed. Using this polymorphism we mapped MSPA and MSPC to linkage group 12 of an F(2) mapping family derived from a cross between O. niloticus and Oreochromis aureus. Females with high MSP copy number were more frequent by more than twofold than males. Gender-MSPC combinations showed significant deviation from expected Mendelian segregation (P=0.009) suggesting elimination of males with MSPC copies. We discuss different hypotheses to explain this elimination, including possibility for allelic conflict resulted by the hybridization.

An efficient method utilizing the concept of inverse heat conduction is presented for the thermal analysis of pistons based on application to a liquid-petroleum-liquid injection (LPLI) engine piston. An inverse heat conduction problem is established in the form of an optimization problem. In the optimization problem, the convection heat transfer coefficient (HTC) on the combustion-side surface of the piston is defined as the design variable, while the error between the measured and analysed temperatures is defined as the objective function. For the optimization, two consecutive steps consisting of an axisymmetric and a three-dimensional problem are presented in order to reduce computation time and to obtain stable convergence. The optimum distribution of the HTC at the top surface of the piston is successfully determined through a numerical implementation. The temperature obtained via an analysis using the optimum HTC is compared with the measured temperature, and reasonable agreement is obtained. The present method can be effectively utilized to analyse the temperature distribution of engine pistons.

2-Naphthyl-methyl ethers as permanent protecting groups are readily removed under acidic conditions and are key to the synthesis of complex glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchors containing unsaturated lipids. The total synthesis of the GPI pseudo-disaccharide core found on the surface of the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite serves to illustrate the power of the strategy.

A new method linking experimental and theoretical approaches is proposed to precisely analyse the failure of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels under mechanical drop. Generally, the thickness of a glass plate for LCD panel is less than 0.7 mm, and thus requires sufficient strength to withstand mechanical shock. In the present work, the fracture toughness ( KIC) of panel glass obtained experimentally is compared with the stress-intensity factor ( KI) calculated using the maximum stress at weak points via a finite-element drop simulation in order to evaluate crack growth on the panel. It is demonstrated that this approach is simple but effective to determine the specification of components at the design level, including the roughness of glass panel edges. Furthermore, from a dynamic simulation, important information related to the shockproof design of an LCD panel is gathered.

The main goal of this development is the PC-based controller setup on the CM2 tool grinding machine. Concerned cutting parameters with know-hows can be transferred to a useful program and then embedded in the PC-based controller. By automatic positioning of probes the automatic procedure can be achieved. An automatic and intelligent PC-based grinding machine for regrinding has been developed in this investigation. With the new machine and automatic procedure, regrinding process will be distinctly simplified. Based on a manual grinding machine CM2, a PC-based controller is integrated in the machine. The know-hows of the regrinding technology have been integrated with a self-developed program. For automatic dimensional inspection a contact probe is utilized as inspection sensor. By the programming and automatic dimensional inspection, the functions of tool regrinding machine have been enhanced greatly.

The responses of a cabinet for a reactor protection system under seismic loadings are analysed by using the finite-element method, and its dynamic characteristics are evaluated. Analysed modes are compared with the measured data from a resonance search test. The structural safety of the cabinet is evaluated considering the required response spectrums of the operation-base and safe-shutdown earthquakes. The transient response of the cabinet is analysed by utilizing the measured acceleration of the vibration table representing the seismic motion of the ground. Time histories of accelerations at the locations of major internal parts are extracted. The transient responses are compared with those from the seismic test and the results were found to closely represent the system.

The bending strength of chip scale package (CSP) with various underfills was evaluated under thermal shock condition. The maximum bending strength and deflection of package decreased with increasing number of thermal shock cycles. The bending strength of package increased with increasing glass transition temperature T g and damping property of the underfill, while the bending deflection decreased with increasing T g and damping property of the underfill.

Research on the types of interventions needed for population-level prevention of childhood obesity in complex societal systems can benefit from greater use of systems-science concepts and tools.We report outcomes of a funding programme promoting incorporation of systems-science approaches into studies of imminent policy or environmental changes potentially impacting childhood obesity.Seven funding cycles over 3 years yielded 172 initial submissions from 29 US states and 25 other countries were analyzed.Submissions focused primarily on aspects of school or child-care settings, parks and recreational settings, or access to healthy food; about half reflected attention to systems perspectives.Analysis of initial submissions as well as the 15 funded projects showed some success in motivating use of systems concepts and tools but suggested the need for a more focused effort to educate and prepare the childhood obesity prevention research community for this potentially crucial type of research.

The identity of the mangrove sesarmid crab Clistocoeloma balansae A. Milne-Edwards, 1873, is clarified on the basis of the types from New Caledonia, and fresh material from Vanuatu and the Philippines. Sesarma (Sesarma) tectum Rathbun, 1914, is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of C. balansae A. Milne-Edwards, 1873. A new species, C. melanesicum, superficially similar to C. balansae, is described from Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and, Solomon Islands.

In this study, whole Hox gene clusters in the self-fertilizing mangrove killifish Kryptolebias marmoratus (Cyprinodontiformes; Rivulidae), a unique hermaphroditic vertebrate in which both sex organs are functional at the same time, were identified from whole genome and transcriptome sequences. The aim was to increase the understanding of the evolutionary status of conservation of this Hox gene cluster across fish species.

In circuit breakers, high temperature arcing may lead to material erosion at the contacts. In this paper, numerical investigations have been performed in order to study the arc behaviours under the influence of copper vapours contamination in a simple Laval nozzle. The arc is assumed to be in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The erosion rate is estimated by considering the energy balance processes at the contact surface. Computations have been performed by a commercial computational fluids dynamics package (PHOENICS). The effects of contact polarity have also been investigated. It has been found that the presence of copper vapours cools down the arc temperature at the region close to the contacts. However, at current zero, the copper vapours concentration is very low. Post arc simulation has been performed in order to determine the critical rate of rise of recovery voltage (RRRV). Good agreement has been achieved with the experimental measurement of RRRV. It has been predicted that the contact erosion has a negligible effect on the interruption capability of the breaker.

A new cactus-infecting tobamovirus, Cactus mild mottle virus (CMMoV), was isolated from diseased grafted cactus, Gymnocalycium mihanovichii and its molecular properties were characterized. CMMoV is distantly related to known species of the genus Tobamovirus on the basis of serological and sequence analyses. Western blot analysis showed that CMMoV is serologically unrelated to Sammon's Opuntia virus, which is the only known species of the genus Tobamovirus found in cactus plants. The 3'-terminal 2,910 nucleotides of CMMoV have been sequenced. The coat protein (CP) and movement protein (MP) genes encode 161 and 306 amino acids residues, respectively, and the 3' untranslated region (UTR) consists of 229 nucleotides long. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the CP of CMMoV were 39.6% to 49.2% and 25.8% to 40.3% identical to other seventeen tobamoviruses, respectively. The MP shared 34.9% to 40.6% and 16.3% to 27.0% and 44.6% to 63.4% identities, respectively, at the amino acid and nucleotide levels with other members of the genus. Percentage identities of nucleotides of the 3' UTR ranged from 42.5% to 63.4%. Phylogenetic tree analyses of the CP and MP suggest the existence of the fifth cactus-infecting subgroup in the genus Tobamovirus. Sequence analyses of these two viral proteins revealed that the highest amino acid sequence identity between the virus and seventeen other tobamoviruses was 40.6%, supporting the view that CMMoV is a new definite species of the genus Tobamovirus.

A systematic method as applied to an air circuit breaker (ACB) system is proposed to analyse the links of the spring-actuated linkage under repetitive impact loading. A fatigue life equation applicable to the links is presented on the basis of the fatigue test. The result obtained from the multi-body dynamic analysis is compared with that from the experiment. For the explicit finite element analysis of the links, the impact loading obtained from the dynamic analysis of the ACB system is used as the initial conditions. To enhance the fatigue life of a weak link, two modified designs are proposed and their maximum stresses are reduced very much compared with that of the original design. Considering a safety margin, one modified design satisfies the required specification of the fatigue life. The proposed approach in this work can be efficiently used in designing stable and reliable links of the ACB and in analysing a similar spring-actuated linkage system.

A method based on frequency domain approaches is presented for the non-linear parameter identification of a structure having non-linear joints. The frequency response function (FRF) of the linear substructure, which can be calculated from the finite element method or measured by an experimental method, is used to calculate its FRFs needed in the parameter identification process. This method is easily applicable to a complex real structure having non-linear joints since it uses the FRF of the substructure. Since this method is performed in the frequency domain, the number of equations can be easily increased to as many as required to identify unknown parameters, not only by just varying the excitation amplitude but also by selecting the excitation frequencies. The validity of this method was tested numerically and experimentally with a cantilever beam having a non-linear element. It was verified through examples that the proposed method is useful to identify the non-linear joint parameters of a structure having arbitrary boundaries.

Spherical nickel powders with the very smooth surface and the uniform size of 300 nm have been manufactured by the chemical reduction and post-treatment technique. The adsorption isotherms of various water-soluble polymers on nickel powders were measured, and their effects on the dispersion stability were investigated. The adsorption amounts of polymers such as PVP (polyvinyl pyrrolidone), PMAA (polymethacrylic acid), and PAAm (polyacrylamide) on nickel powders could be successfully determined by the UV-absorbance analysis technique. Simultaneously, the dispersion stability of nickel powders in the polymer solution was evaluated in terms of the sedimentation behavior and relative coagulation rate. These results showed that the polymers such as PAAm and PVP (Mwt. 1,300,000) were found to be very effective for stabilizing the aqueous nickel dispersion system, and consequently, the coagulation rate of nickel powders in the PAAm solution was almost 100 times slower than that in pure water.

Sex determination in the blue tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) is thought to be a WZ-ZZ (female heterogametic) system controlled by a major gene. We searched for DNA markers linked to this major gene using the technique of bulked segregant analysis. We identified 11 microsatellite markers on linkage group 3 which were linked to phenotypic sex. The putative W chromosome haplotype correctly predicts the sex of 97% of male and 85% of female individuals. Our results suggest the W locus lies within a few centimorgans of markers GM354, UNH168, GM271 and UNH131. Markers on LG1 also showed a strong association with sex, and indicate the segregation of a male-determining allele in this region. Analysis of epistatic interactions among the loci suggests the action of a dominant male repressor (the W haplotype on LG 3) and a dominant male determiner (the Y haplotype on LG1). These markers have immediate utility for studying the strength of different sex chromosome alleles, and for identifying broodstock carrying copies of the W haplotype.

This study determined the 3'-terminal nucleotide sequences of two Korean isolates of Daphne virus S (DVS), a tentative member of the genus Carlavirus, causing leaf distortion and chlorotic spot disease symptoms in daphne plants. The 3'-terminal 1,465 nucleotide sequences of the two isolates contained two open reading frames coding for proteins of 36 kDa viral coat protein (CP) and 12 kDa from the 5'-3' end, which is a typical genome structure of the 3'-terminal region of carlaviruses. Both DVS isolates were 98.1% and 93.6% amino acid identical in the CP and 12 kDa, respectively. The CP gene of DVS shares 25.2-55.2% and 42.9-56.1% similarities with that of 19 other carlaviruses at the amino acid and nucleotide levels, respectively. The 3'-proximal 12 kDa gene of DVS shares 20.2-57.8% amino acid identities with that of 18 other members of the genus. The 3' noncoding region of DVS consists of 73 nucleotides with long excluding poly A tract, and shares 69.1-77.1% identities to the known carlaviruses. In the phylogenetic analyses of the two proteins, DVS was closely related to Helenium virus S and Chrysanthemum virus B. This is the first sequence information for the DVS, and further confirms the classification of DVS as a distinct member of the genus Carlavirus.