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Background. Previous research studies have shown that the elevation of circular RNA (circRNA), hsa_circRNA_002178, was associated with the poor prognosis of breast cancer and colorectal cancer, while its molecular mechanisms underlying the effects on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still elusive. Methods. The microarray dataset GSE97332 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and calculated by using the GEO2R tool to identify differentially expressed circRNAs. Differentially expressed hsa_circRNA_002178, in 7 HCC tissue samples and paracancerous tissues, as well as in HCC cell lines and normal hepatocytes, was checked by RT-qPCR. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins were tested in hsa_circRNA_002178-overexpressed or hsa_circRNA_002178-knocked down HCC cells. Subsequently, we identified whether hsa_circRNA_002178 binds to serine- and arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SRSF1) and then analyzed their function in regulating HCC cell behavior. The effect on HCC cell xenograft tumor growth was observed by the knockdown of hsa_circRNA_002178 in vivo. Results. GEO2R-based analysis displayed that hsa_circRNA_002178 was upregulated in HCC tissues. Overexpression or knockdown of hsa_circRNA_002178 encouraged or impeded HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT program. Mechanically, hsa_circRNA_002178 bound to SRSF1 3′-untranslated region (UTR) and stabilized its expression. SRSF1 weakening eliminated the effects of pcDNA-hsa_circRNA_002178 on cell malignant behavior. Finally, the knockdown of hsa_circRNA_002178 was confirmed to prevent xenograft tumor growth. Conclusions. hsa_circRNA_002178 overexpression encouraged the stability of SRSF1 mRNA expression, and it may serve as an upstream factor of SRSF1 for the diagnosis of HCC.

As promising photonic material, phototheranostics can be activated in the laser irradiation range of tumor with sensitivity and spatiotemporal precision. However, it is difficult to completely eradicate solid tumors due to their irregularity and limited laser irradiation area. Herein, multi-stimulus responsive HA-Ce6@SWNHs were constructed with single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) and chlorine e6 (Ce6) modified hyaluronic acid (HA) via non-covalent binding. This SWNHs-based phototheranostics not only exhibited water dispersion but also could target tumor and be activated by near-infrared light for photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT). Additionally, HA-Ce6@SWNHs could be degraded by hyaluronidase in residual tumor cells, causing HA-Ce6 to fall off the SWNHs surfaces to restore autofluorescence, thus precisely guiding the programmed photodynamic treatments for residual tumor cells after the initial phototherapy. Thus, this work provides a rationally designed multiple-stimulus-response strategy to develop smart SWNHs-based phototheranostics for precise PDT/PTT and post-treatment imaging-guided PDT of residual tumor cells.

Aiming at the in-motion initial alignment problem of strapdown inertial navigation system (SINS), this paper proposed a precise direct in-motion alignment method based on attitude matrix representation and Cayley–Kalman filter on the special orthogonal group. There are two innovations in this paper. First, as an element of the special orthogonal group [Formula: see text], the error attitude matrix is used to construct an in-motion alignment model, and it is transformed into the vector space to represent the attitude error state. The error matrix was used as a state to decrease the influence of the state-dependent problem. Second, this method uses the Cayley transform to replace the Taylor expansion to derive the update equation, which is a no approximation mapping relation to assure accuracy when deriving the filtering algorithm. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate the proposed alignment method has advantages over the existing methods in alignment accuracy and alignment time and performs well in the in-motion alignment process of SINS.

The paper presents an efficient method for analyzing complex periodic unsteady flows within turbomachinery. The method transforms the original initial value problem of unsteady flows to a boundary ...

The current phase of the technological revolution and the accelerated rate of industrial change have encouraged the structural transformation of global infrastructure investment. This study aims to identify and evaluate the impact of new infrastructure investment on economic growth quality. This paper explains the theoretical mechanisms in terms of their effects on technological innovation, industrial structure, and productivity, using the three-dimensional analysis framework of economic growth conditions, process, and results. We then carry out an empirical examination based on provincial panel data for China from 2004 to 2019. The findings demonstrate that new infrastructure investment can significantly improve economic growth quality, and this conclusion still seems valid after conducting endogeneity treatments and robustness tests. Further mechanism evaluations indicate that new infrastructure investments contribute to boosting economic growth quality in terms of the condition, process, and results of economic growth by promoting technological innovation, improving industrial structure, and enhancing production efficiency. Moreover, the magnitude and mechanism of the positive effects differ depending on the heterogeneity of the region examined. In terms of the nonlinear change characteristics, the significant dual-threshold effect reveals that the marginal effects of new infrastructure investment on economic growth quality tend to be incremental under the threshold condition. This study provides a theoretical and factual basis for governments to enforce new infrastructure investments in the digital economy era, and it also has some value as a reference regarding the economic sustainability of developing countries.

Self-shielded flux-cored wires (AWS E71 T FCW) are widely applied in the fields of construction. In this study, the effect of the electrode polarity on the mode of droplet transfer and arc stability in self-shielded flux-cored arc welding was investigated by the high-speed video camera system and electric signal. The results showed that the change of electrode polarity determined different mode of droplet transfer. In direct current electrode positive (DCEP), droplet transfer mode presented the globular repelled transfer. And the area of the arc root decreased at the bottom of the droplet because of the metallurgical reaction effect of the flux core, it resulted in the relatively lager electromagnetic force acting on the droplet, which hindered the droplet transfer. Moreover, when the droplet was separated from the welding wire, the droplet was kept rotation state under the action of the resultant force couple. In the direct current electrode negative (DCEN), the electromagnetic force promoted the droplet transfer and droplet transfer mode shown spray transfer mode. Due to the particularity of the composition and distribution of the molten slag, the conductive path was generated easily at the connection between the droplet and the wire, it made the arc root climb up and wrap the droplet, the necking phenomenon appeared obviously. In DCEN or DCEP, arc voltage and arc current have little effect on the droplet transfer mode. At the same time, compared with the welding process in DCEP, the welding process in DCEN had the advantages of higher arc stability, fewer welding spatter.

Silica (SiO

Combining wave energy converters (WECs) with a floating breakwater provides a potential approach to help develop commercial-scale wave power operations. This paper aims to design and optimize a three-dimensional floating breakwater integrated with a WEC array by developing a numerical model of a multi-floating-body coupled system based on potential flow theory with viscous correction in the frequency domain. By analyzing the wave surface elevations around the breakwater, the size of the breakwater was optimized and the optimal installation locations of the WECs were determined. Under the condition of coupled constraints and six degrees-of-freedom motion, the interactions between the WEC array and the breakwater were analyzed. Subsequently, the number of WECs and the distance between the WECs and the breakwater were optimized to maximize the wave energy conversion performance of the hybrid system. Results show that the wave focusing areas appear more frequently near the breakwater. These focusing areas significantly improve WEC power, and thus better wave energy conversion performance can be achieved when the WECs are placed close to the breakwater. The vertical forces on the breakwater significantly increase due to the presence of the WECs, however the horizontal forces are decreased. The findings of this paper provide guidance to design and optimize a hybrid WEC-breakwater system in practical engineering applications.

The integration of wave energy converters (WECs) with floating breakwaters has become common recently due to the benefits of both cost-sharing and providing offshore power supply. In this study, based on viscous computational fluid dynamics (CFD) theory, we investigated the hydrodynamic performances of the floating box and Berkeley Wedge breakwaters, both of which can also serve as WECs. A numerical wave flume model is constructed using Star-CCM+ software and applied to investigate the interaction between waves and wave energy converters while completing the verification of the convergence study of time and space steps. The effects of wave length on motion response and transmission coefficient of the floating box breakwater model are studied. Comparisons of our numerical results and published experimental data indicate that Star-CCM+ is very capable of accurately modeling the nonlinear wave interaction of floating structures, while the analytical potential theory overrates the results especially around the resonant frequency. Optimal damping can be readily predicted using potential flow theory and can then be verified by CFD numerical results. Next, we investigated the relationship between wave frequencies and various coefficients using the CFD model under optimal damping, including the motion response, transmission coefficient, reflection coefficient, dissipation coefficient, and wave energy conversion efficiency. We then compared the power generation efficiencies and wave dissipation performances of the floating box and Berkeley Wedge breakwaters. The results show that the power generation efficiency of the Berkeley Wedge breakwater is always much higher than that of the floating box breakwater. Besides, the wave dissipation performance of the Berkeley Wedge breakwater is much better than that of the floating box breakwater at lower frequency.

The effects of gap wave resonance on the performance of a dual-floater hybrid system consisting of an oscillating-buoy type wave energy converter (WEC) and a floating breakwater are important for the design of such a hybrid system. This paper investigates the gap wave resonance by employing a two-dimensional numerical wave flume developed using the Star-CCM + software. The maximum wave elevation in the WEC-breakwater gap and the effects of the gap wave resonance on the performance of the dual-floater hybrid system were studied. The influence of the WEC motion and the geometrical parameters of the hybrid system on the maximum wave elevation were analyzed. The maximum gap wave elevation is essentially controlled by the vertical velocity of the free surface in the WEC-breakwater gap. The gap wave resonance was found to significantly improve the wave energy extraction performance of the hybrid system. This allowed the maximum conversion efficiency to exceed the well-known limit of 0.50 for a symmetric body in single degree-of-freedom motion. The wave resonance frequencies in the WEC-breakwater gap decreased with the increase of the gap width and the WEC draft. Due to the energy extraction of the WEC, the horizontal and vertical forces on the breakwater were reduced by up to 0.79 and 0.59, respectively.

Silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted much attention due to the potential for a wide range of applications and they have been confirmed to be hazardous to humans. Partitioning to phospholipid bilayers is an important way for their bioaccumulation. However, the detailed mechanism of SiO2 NPs uptake by membrane phospholipids remains uncertain. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were employed to study the uptake process of SiO2 NPs into DPPC bilayers. Results show that these SiO2 NPs uptake onto DPPC bilayer surface is favorable from the viewpoint of thermodynamics. During the uptake process, the SiO2 NP needed to adjust the angle of interaction with the DPPC surface until the most stable adsorption configuration was reached. After incorporating into DPPC bilayers, the interaction between PO 4 − group and SiO2 particle is stronger than -N+(CH3)3 group and SiO2. Small SiO2 NP was found to adsorb to the surface of DPPC bilayer without disturbing the morphology or membrane. In contract, bioaccumulation of large SiO2 NP to DPPC induced a strong local membrane deformation. In addition, the effect of SiO2 NP surface functionalization on its interaction with DPPC was also investigated. This molecular-level study reports a complete description of the interaction between SiO2 NPs and DPPC bilayer, aiming to provide some insights for the further work on the bioaccumulation and hemolytic activity of SiO2 NPs.

BACKGROUNDThe top priority for the control of COVID-19 pandemic currently is the development of a vaccine. A phase 2 trial conducted to further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac).METHODSWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the optimal dose, immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac. A total of 600 healthy adults aged 18-59 years were randomly assigned to receive 2 injections of the trial vaccine at a dose of 3 μg/0.5 mL or 6 μg /0.5mL, or placebo on Day 0,14 schedule or Day 0,28 schedule. For safety evaluation, solicited and unsolicited adverse events were collected after each vaccination within 7 days and 28 days, respectively. Blood samples were taken for antibody assay.RESULTSCoronaVac was well tolerated, and no dose-related safety concerns were observed. Most of the adverse reactions fell in the solicited category and were mild in severity. Pain at injection site was the most frequently reported symptoms. No Grade 3 adverse reaction or vaccine related SAEs were reported. CoronaVac showed good immunogenicity with the lower 3 μg dose eliciting 92.4% seroconversion under Day 0,14 schedule and 97.4% under Day 0,28 schedule. 28 days after two-dose vaccination, the Nab levels of individual schedules range from 23.8 to 65.4 among different dosage and vaccination schedules.CONCLUSIONSFavorable safety and immunogenicity of CoronaVac was demonstrated on both schedules and both dosages, which support the conduction of phase 3 trial with optimum schedule/dosage per different scenarios.

Vaccine candidate tested in monkeys Global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an urgent race to develop a vaccine. Gao et al. report preclinical results of an early vaccine candidate called PiCoVacc, which protected rhesus macaque monkeys against SARS-CoV-2 infection when analyzed in short-term studies. The researchers obtained multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains from 11 hospitalized patients across the world and then chemically inactivated the harmful properties of the virus. Animals were immunized with one of two vaccine doses and then inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Those that received the lowest dose showed signs of controlling the infection, and those receiving the highest dose appeared more protected and did not have detectable viral loads in the pharynx or lungs at 7 days after infection. The next steps will be testing for safety and efficacy in humans. Science , this issue p. 77

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has brought about an unprecedented crisis, taking a heavy toll on human health, lives as well as the global economy. There are no SARS-CoV-2-specific treatments or vaccines available due to the novelty of this virus. Hence, rapid development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 is urgently needed. Here we developed a pilot-scale production of a purified inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine candidate (PiCoVacc), which induced SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies in mice, rats and non-human primates. These antibodies potently neutralized 10 representative SARS-CoV-2 strains, indicative of a possible broader neutralizing ability against SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating worldwide. Immunization with two different doses (3μg or 6 μg per dose) provided partial or complete protection in macaques against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, respectively, without any antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. Systematic evaluation of PiCoVacc via monitoring clinical signs, hematological and biochemical index, and histophathological analysis in macaques suggests that it is safe. These data support the rapid clinical development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for humans.One Sentence SummaryA purified inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine candidate (PiCoVacc) confers complete protection in non-human primates against SARS-CoV-2 strains circulating worldwide by eliciting potent humoral responses devoid of immunopathology

The traditional collaborative filtering algorithm uses the user rating information as a recommendation basis, but the ratings matrices are usually sparse and cannot reflect users’ preference exactly, so the recommendation results are not very accurate. Therefore, this paper proposes an improved convolutional neural network for collaborative filtering (CNNCF), using the deep learning model to deeply mine the hidden feature information. then implicit the semantic model, Then the extracted explicit feature information was replaced by the implicit feature information in the LFM to further improve the prediction accuracy, and finally personalized recommendation through the user-item preference matrix. Experimental results on the MovieLens dataset show that the model can overcome data sparse, and recommendation accuracy is better than the traditional collaborative filtering model.

The stability of heavy crude oil is closely related to the netlike structure formed by the aggregation of asphaltene and resin molecules inside the oil droplets, and the aggregation is too complex to accurately obtain the microstructure of these molecules experimentally. In this paper, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was performed to investigate the structure of emulsified oil droplets on the molecular level. The simulation results showed: (i) The stacking structure of asphaltene and resin molecules form the netlike structure of the oil droplet, and it is also considered as the main reason of high stability and viscosity of heavy crude oil. (ii) When nonionic surfactants were introduced, some of them can adsorb to the surface of oil droplet and change its hydrophilicity; others can enter the interior of the oil droplets and destroy the stacking structure of asphaltene or resins inside the oil droplet. The decreased viscosity of emulsified heavy oil in the present of surfactants attributed to the increase of hydrophilicity on the oil drop surface and the damage of stacking structure inside the oil drops. (iii) the steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulation proved that the mechanical properties of emulsified heavy oil droplet become easier to be destroyed with the increase of surfactant concentration, and it indicates that nonionic surfactant is beneficial to promote demulsification and viscosity reduction of crude oil.

The high cost of power generation impedes commercial-scale wave power operations. The objective of this work is to provide a cost-sharing solution by combining wave energy extraction and coastal protection. A two-dimensional numerical wave tank was developed using Star-CCM+ Computational Fluid Dynamics software to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of a dual-floater hybrid system consisting of a floating breakwater and an oscillating-buoy type wave energy converter (WEC), and was compared with published experimental results. The differences between the hydrodynamic performance of the hybrid system, a single WEC and a single breakwater were compared. Wave resonance in the WEC-breakwater gap has a significant impact on system performance, with the hybrid system demonstrating both better wave attenuation and wave energy extraction capabilities at low wave frequencies, i.e., wider effective frequency. Forces on the breakwater were generally reduced due to the WEC. Wave resonance in the narrow gap has an adverse effect on the energy efficiency of the hybrid system with an asymmetric WEC, while a beneficial effect with a symmetric WEC. The wave energy conversion efficiency of hybrid system can be improved by increasing the draft and width of the WEC and decreasing the distance between the WEC and the breakwater. The findings of this paper make wave energy economically competitive and commercial-scale wave power operations possible.

The ice contact loads pose a threat to safe operation of propellers. The propeller-ice contact process and the dynamic loads have been investigated numerically. Numerical method based on peridynamics and contact detection method has been introduced. Considering the difference of the mechanical properties of ice and propeller, the propeller is assumed as rigid body and the ice is treated as elastic brittle. To deal with the complicated surface of propeller, a continuous contact detection algorithm has been developed to detect the contact area between propeller body and ice particles. The brittle failure behavior of the ice during propeller-ice contact is simulated. The transient extreme contact loads have been investigated. It is concluded that the method can well capture the ice failure features, such as dynamic cracks and generation of ice pieces, and the calculated contact loads are reliable.

The rotor-rotor interaction on a two-stage counter-rotating fan has been studied by unsteady numerical simulation based on non-linear harmonic method. The results show that the efficiency of the 2 nd blade row above 55% span is reduced. Additionally, the unsteady effects increase the efficiency of the 2nd row below 55% span. Further analysis reveals that the unsteady benefits result from the wake boundary layer interaction, which could enhance the exchange of energy between boundary-layer and mainstream, suppress the hub corner separation

The synergic effect between cationic Gemini imidazolium surfactant [C12(Bim)2-2Br] and anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the physicochemical properties of the W/O microemulsions was studied. The properties include the molar fraction of the alcohol at the interfacial layer (Xa i), the molar fraction of the alcohol in the oil phase (Xa o), and the Gibbs free energy change (−Δ Go → i o) of transferring alcohol from the continuous oil phase to the interfacial layer. The W/O microemulsion systems contain C12(Bim)2-2Br-SDS/butan-1-ol/octane/5 % NaCl solution. The values of Xa i and Xa o obtained from the W/O microemulsions containing the mixed surfactants are smaller than that of the microemulsion systems containing the single surfactant C12(Bim)2-2Br or SDS, while the values of −Δ Go → i o are larger. This showed the existence of synergism between [C12(Bim)2-2Br] and SDS. The effects of alcohols, alkanes and NaCl concentrations on the values of Xa i, Xa o and −Δ Go → i o, in the W/O microemulsions stabilized by C12(Bim)2-2Br and SDS were also investigated and discussed.

The composition and structural parameters of W/O microemulsions containing gemini surfactant 1,4-bis(3-dodecylimidazolium-1-yl)butane bromide [C12(Bim)2-2Br] and W/O microemulsions containing ionic liquid type surfactant 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (C12mimBr) were studied and compared at different molar ratios of water to surfactant (ωo). The mole fractions of the alcohol in the interfacial layer in C12(Bim)2-2Br-based systems are always larger than that in C12mimBr-based systems. However, the mole fractions of the alcohol in the oil phase are nearly the same for both the systems. The C12(Bim)2-2Br-based systems have greater absolute values of the Gibbs energy (−ΔG o o→i ) than that of C12mimBr-based systems. In the C12(Bim)2-2Br-based systems, a large number of cosurfactants at the interfacial layer is conducive for the formation of a smaller droplet. The effects of alcohols, alkanes, and salinity on the composition and structural parameters of the two systems were also investigated and discussed.

The phase behavior and solubilization of two microemulsion systems 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide (CnmimBr, n = 12,14,16)/butyric acid/hexane/brine (5% NaCl) and CnmimBr/1-butanol/hexane/brine (5% NaCl) were studied and compared. The physico-chemical parameters, such as the solubility (∊ B ) of the cosurfactant, the mass fraction of the cosurfactant in the interfacial layer (AS ), and the solubilization ability (SP*) of the two microemulsion systems were calculated and discussed. As the carbon chain length of CnmimBr molecules increases, SP* increases, and the difference of SP* values between the two microemulsion systems is reduced. The effects of aqueous and oleic phases and temperatures on the phase behavior and solubilization of C14mimBr/butyric acid/alkane/aqueous phase microemulsion systems were also discussed.

Synergistic effects of cationic gemini 1,4-bis(3-dodecylimidazolium-1-yl) butane bromide (C12–4–C12)Br2 and anionic sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) on the interfacial composition, solubility, and solubilization capacity of the microemulsions were investigated. When the mole fractions of (C12–4–C12)Br2 in a (C12–4–C12)Br2 and SLS mixture (X(C12–4–C12)Br2) is in the ranges of 0.7 to 1 and 0 to 0.1, the three-phase microemulsion region appears. The solubilization capacity (SP*) of the microemulsions containing both (C12−4−C12)Br2 and SLS surfactants become much greater in contrast to the microemulsions that are either (C12–4–C12)Br2-based or SLS-based. The solubilization capacity (SP*) reaches a peak value at X(C12–4–C12)Br2 = 0.7. The effects of oils, NaCl contents, and temperatures, on the oil +(C12–4–C12)Br2 + SLS + butan-1-ol + aqueous NaCl microemulsion system’s e–β phase diagrams were also discussed.

Quantitatively estimating soil erosion with an integration of geographic information system (GIS) and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) under four different exposed soil proportion scenarios caused by forest management practices was studied at Jianchang Forest Farm. The GIS provided means of input data generation required by RUSLE model and allowed a spatial assessment of the erosion hazard over the study area. Four exposed soil proportion scenarios of 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% were tested with the GIS-based RUSLE model to evaluate soil erosion hazard. The predicted soil erosion potentials were classified into five categories in order to provide valuable aids for management planning.

Breast cancer (BC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in females and is recognized as a molecularly heterogeneous disease. Previous studies have suggested that alternative messenger RNA (mRNA) processing, particularly alternative polyadenylation [poly(A)] (APA), can be a powerful molecular biomarker with prognostic potential. Therefore, in the present study, we profiled APA sites in the luminal B subtype of BC by sequencing APA sites (SAPAS) method, in order to assess the relation of these APA site-switching events to the recognized molecular subtypes of BC, and to discover novel candidate genes and pathways in BC. Through comprehensive analysis, the trend of APA site-switching events in the 3′ untranslated regions (3′UTRs) in the luminal B subtype of BC were found to be the same as that in MCF7 cell lines. Among the genes involved in the events, a significantly greater number of genes was found with shortened 3′UTRs in the samples, which were samples of primary cancer with relatively low proliferation. These findings may provide novel information for the clinical diagnosis and prognosis on a molecular level. Several potential biomarkers with significantly differential tandem 3′UTRs and expression were found and validated. The related biological progresses and pathways involved were partly confirmed by other studies. In conclusion, this study provides new insight into the diagnosis and prognosis of BC from the APA site profile aspect.

Our objectives in this study were to perform separate proteomic analyses of porcine soft and hard enamel matrices, using the ProteomeLab PF-2D System, to compare the contents of the hard and soft enamel and to identify matrix constituents that are absent from the early maturation stage. Developing first permanent molars were dissected from 6-month-old pigs. Both immature and mature enamel samples were obtained by scraping the secretory-stage (soft) and maturation-stage (hard) enamel, respectively. Enamel matrix samples were sequentially extracted and fractionated with 50 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) and then with 50 mM carbonate buffer (pH 10.8). The neutral enamel extract was separated into four fractions by successive ammonium sulfate precipitations. The alkaline enamel extract was separated into four fractions by ion-exchange chromatography. These eight extracts from both the soft and hard enamel were injected for chromatofocusing. Soft enamel fractions containing constituents absent from the hard enamel were further separated by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The major soft enamel constituents absent from the hard enamel were acidic glycoproteins, corresponding to the 32-kDa enamelin, and the 29-, 27-, 15-, 13-, 8- and 6-kDa C-terminal fragments of ameloblastin. Loss of these glycoproteins is associated with a post-transition increase in enamel mineralization.

Combined floating breakwater and wave energy converter systems have the potential to provide a cost-effective solution to offshore power supply and coastal protection. This will make wave energy economically competitive and commercial-scale wave power operations possible. This paper investigates the hydrodynamic features of wave energy converters that meet the dual objectives of wave energy extraction and attenuation for such a combined system. A two-dimensional numerical model was established using Star-CCM+ commercial software based on viscous Computational Fluid Dynamics theory to investigate the hydrodynamic performance of an oscillating buoy Wave Energy Converter (WEC) type floating breakwater under regular waves. The model proposed in this paper was verified with published experimental results. The hydrodynamics of symmetric and asymmetric floaters were investigated to demonstrate their wave attenuation and energy extraction performance, including square bottomed, triangular bottomed (with and without a baffle plate), and the Berkley Wedge. The asymmetric floaters were found to have higher power conversion efficiency and better wave attenuation performance, especially the Berkeley Wedge bottom device and the triangular-baffle bottom device. The triangular-baffle bottom device with a simpler geometry achieved similar wave attenuation and energy extraction performance characteristics to that of the Berkeley Wedge device. The maximum energy conversion efficiency of the triangular-baffle bottom floater reached up to 93%, an impressive WEC device among many designs for wave energy conversion. There may be a great potential for this newly proposed triangular-baffle bottom WEC type of floater to be an ideal coastal structure for both coastal protection and wave energy extraction.