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Let $$n$$ be a positive integer and $$\mathcal{R}$$ be a $$2$$ and $$n!$$ -torsion free commutative ring with unity. Let $$X$$ be a locally finite pre-ordered set. If any two directed edges in each connected component of the complete Hasse diagram $$(X,\mathfrak{D})$$ are contained in one cycle, then every $$n$$ -commuting map on the incidence algebra $$I(X,\mathcal{R})$$ is proper.

In this study, unlubricated sliding friction and wear properties of a recently-developed TiZr-based alloy (Ti–20Zr–6.5Al–4V, TZ20 hereafter) were tested at elevated temperatures ranging from room temperature to 673 K. After the tribological tests, worn surface and cross-section of TZ20 alloy were analyzed to illustrate its wear behavior. The results showed that the wear rate was increased firstly with the ambient temperature, which then decreased when the temperature exceeded critical transition temperature (473 K). Also, the dominant wear mechanisms changed from adhesive wear at room temperature to abrasive wear at 473 K, and then to mild abrasive wear at highest ambient temperature of 673 K. The variations of wear behaviors could be attributed to tribo-oxide layer formed during sliding process. At ambient temperature of 673 K, the tribo-oxide layer formed on the surface was thicker and more compact, and showed more obvious protective role on tribological properties of TZ20 alloy.

In this study, dry sliding tribological properties of a TiZr-based alloy with the chemical composition Ti-20Zr-6.5Al-4V (wt.%) were tested in air and vacuum under different normal loads (10, 20, and 30 N) at various sliding velocities. Results showed that the coefficient of friction in air was lower than that in vacuum, whereas the wear volume at sliding velocity presented an opposite trend. The surfaces and cross-sectional morphology of wear scar on the TiZrAlV alloy was analyzed through scanning electron microscopy to determine the wear mechanisms. The observations showed that abrasive wear and delamination wear were dominant in air. In vacuum, the main wear mechanism changed from slightly abrasive and adhesive wear to severe adhesive wear and delamination wear as the normal load increased. Wear mechanism maps were also constructed and compared. The comparison showed that severe wear (including delamination wear) was prevalent in air.

Cytidine deaminase (CDA) belongs to the subfamily of cytidine deaminase-like family of proteins, which is involved in the nucleotide metabolism. As CDAs participate in stress response and disease resistance processes, especially as RNA editing enzymes, they are deemed to play vital roles in variety of biological processes. Considering that the reports of the exact functions of CDAs are obscure and rare, it is necessary to study the CDAs on evolution and bio-information levels. In this research, a genome-wide identification of the CDA subfamily in rice (Oryza sativa L.; OsCDAs) was performed, and the phylogeny, gene structure, and biological functions of the identified genes were investigated. The expression profiles of OsCDAs were also retrieved from public microarray databases, and some of OsCDAs expression patterns were further verified by qRT-PCR. The results of this comprehensive analysis suggested that the OsCDAs were highly conserved within species, but their gene structures were relatively divers. OsCDAs may play vital roles during plant development and participate in responses to different biotic and abiotic stresses. The data obtained from this research may provide important information for the functional characterization of CDAs and help to unravel their function in stress tolerance and disease resistance during plant growth and development.

NiO has been introduced into ZnSn-mixed metal oxide composites (MMOCs) with various Ni contents via a simple co-precipitation/sintering route. The influences of introduction of NiO on light absorption and ethanol sensing properties of ZnSn-MMOCs have been investigated. The obtained ternary NiZnSn-MMOCs exhibit extended adsorption to visible light area and lower energy band gap values. Consequently, their sensitivities and responses to ethanol have been enhanced by the introduction of NiO at certain range compared to binary ZnSn-MMOCs, which is attributed to the visible light responsive component of NiO and the p-n heterostructures between NiO and ZnSn-MMOCs. The ternary NiZnSn-MMOCs with the optimal content of NiO reveal high sensitivity of 180–200 ppm of ethanol at 225 °C and quick response time to low concentration of ethanol.

Background Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are one of the major participants in the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, the mechanism of interaction between TILs and tumors is complex and remains unclear. Objective To evaluate the state of immunoreactions in PDAC tissues, and explore the prognostic value of these markers in a large sample, to provide a new theoretical basis for PDAC immunotherapy. Method Immunohistochemical staining of CD4+ and CD8+T cells was performed in a tissue microarray (TMA) of 143 cases of PDAC. Two major variables for the spatial distributions of CD4+T and CD8+T cells in PDAC tissues, intraepithelial attack and intratumoral infiltration, were used to evaluate the state of immunoreactions, and the interrelationships with the clinicopathological variables were analyzed. Results Our data showed that both the intraepithelial CD4+T and CD8+T attack were less frequent than the intratumoral infiltration. CD8+T intraepithelial attack and intratumoral infiltration were more intense than CD4+T. CD8+T intraepithelial attack was an independent favorable prognostic factor for overall survival, correlating negatively with vascular invasion and positively with CD4+T and CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration. CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration without CD8+T intraepithelial attack was a poor prognostic factor. CD8+T high intratumoral infiltration was accompanied by T stage progression. Conclusively, in PDAC progression, imbalances of T cells occurred in CD4+ and CD8+ immunoreactions. The CD8+T intraepithelial attack was an independent favorable prognostic indicator, however the intraepithelial attack of CD4+T and the both intratumoral infiltration of CD8+T and CD4+T played an ambiguous role. Conclusion Our data suggested that it is a potential approach to increasing the number of intraepithelial attacking CD8+T cells for tumor immunotherapy, and exploring a new mechanism for immunosuppression in a tumor microenvironment with high T cell infiltration without attack.

Drought and salinity are severe environmental stresses and limit soybean growth. In this study, a comparative analysis of physiological and molecular responses of two soybean (Glycine max L.) genotypes to these stresses was carried out. Plants of drought-tolerant genotype RD (cv. FD92) and sensitive genotype SD (cv. Z1303) were exposed to 15 % (m/v) PEG 6000, which simulated drought stress, or 150 mM NaCl. The RD plants maintained larger leaf area and higher net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, stomatal conductance, and relative water content compared with the SD plants. Leaf proline content increased under both stresses more in RD than in SD. The drought tolerance of RD plants was also correlated with greater antioxidant activity and lower content of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde under stress conditions. Amounts of abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid under stress increased to a greater extent in RD than in SD plants. At the molecular level, the effects of 20-d stress treatments were manifested by relatively higher expression of drought- or salt-related genes: GmP5CS, GmDREB1a, GmGOLS, GmBADH, and GmNCED1 in RD plants than in SD plants. These results form the basis for understanding the mechanisms of the drought- and salt-stress tolerance in soybean.

To investigate the expressions and effects of G250, B-cell lymphoma-2 associated X protein (Bax) and Bcl-2 in rats with renal clear cell carcinoma (RCCC).A total of 66 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were selected, among which 56 were selected to establish RCCC rat model and the remaining 10 were selected as control group. Three weeks after modeling, 4 rats failed in the modeling. Expressions of G250 in RCCC rat model group and healthy rat model control group were detected by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR); expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax in each group were detected by Western blot and their effects were analyzed.The positive expression rates of G250 in 52 RCCC rats in model group and 10 healthy rats in control group were 83.3% and 0%, respectively. The results showed that expression of G250 had a certain correlation with the pathological changes of RCCC (p0.01). Expressions of Bax and Bcl-2 were up-regulated in the RCCC group, while expressions were down-regulated in the healthy control group (p0.05).G250, as a new specific marker of renal cell carcinoma, is involved in the pathological changes of renal cell carcinoma. Joint detection of Bax and Bcl-2 can be used as an important index for the diagnosis of RCCC.

Three-tier high-strength prestressed combination concave dies are designed to manifacture highpower corn combine harvester engine piston heads. This design integrates the advantages of traditional casting or hot die forging and warm extrusion. The following key parameters, viz radial dimensions of each mating layer, axial bonding and radial contact interaction, are obtained by theoretical calculation. Nonlinear analysis of the contact interaction was carried out, and the die contact condition was studied at no-load and full-load. Based on the Archard wear theory, thermomechanical bonding was studied in operation of the die. Through numerical simulation of the die wear in each operation cycle, the univariate linear regression equation of the die service life was derived, and the reliability of this equation was verified. The results show that the die contact is both stable and reliable if the radial contact interaction of the inner and outer layers is δ₂= 1.9716 mm and δ₃= 1.3870 mm, respectively. With the nitriding layer thickness of 0.24 mm, the extrusion die service life in the production of piston heads corresponds to 6357 pieces. Разработаны трехъярусные высокопрочные предварительно-напряженные многоместные вогнутые головки для изготовления днищ поршня двигателя мощного кукурузоуборочного комбайна. Конструкция соединяет в себе преимущества литья или горячей ковки и горячей экструзии. Радиальные размеры каждого соединяемого слоя, осевое сцепление и радиальное контактное взаимодействие рассчитаны теоретически. Выполнен нелинейный анализ контактного взаимодействия, изучены условия контактирования в головке при нулевой и полной нагрузке. На основании теории износа Арчарда выполнена оценка термомеханического сцепления в процессе эксплуатации головки. Путем численного моделирования износа головки в каждом рабочем цикле получено однопараметрическое уравнение линейной регрессии для срока ее службы; проверена достоверность данного уравнения. Показано, что контакт в головке устойчив и надежен, при радиальном контактном взаимодействии внутреннего и наружного слоев δ₂= 1.9716 мм и δ₃= 1.3870 мм соответственно. При толщине нитридного слоя 0,24 мм срок службы экструзионной головки в производстве днищ поршня соответствует 6357 изделиям.

The relationship of viscosity, conductivity, contact angle, and surface tension with the leaching rate of vanadium in the process of petroleum coke leaching by adding sodium sulfate was studied. Results show that the increase in sodium sulfate amount first increases and then declines the leaching rate. The variation of viscosity is opposite this trend. Conductivity first increases, then decreases, and finally increases in the same condition. Surface tension first decreases, then remains unchanged, and finally presents an increasing trend. The change in contact angle has approximately the same trend as the leaching rate. Surface tension and contact angle increase, inhibiting the reaction of pentavalent vanadium ion and sodium hydroxide, and consequently reducing the leaching rate.

The infrared spectrogram of vanadium leachate from petroleum coke was studied under different conditions. The change in vanadium acid radical ions in leachate was analyzed, and the three kinds of vanadate ions can be transformed while leaching condition was changed. When the leaching time was prolonged, the ion of vanadium dimer acid radical ions was formed to V-O chemical bond by depolymerization; when the leaching temperature increased, the ion of vanadium dimer V-O-V was exploded to V-O and V-OH chemical bond; when the leaching environment was under medium and low NaOH concentration, the V-OH was partly turned to vanadium dimer acid radical ions and V-O; and when the leaching environment was under high NaOH concentration, the leaching rate did not change essentially, and the ions remained unchanged. At last, the ions changing rules were further verified through the Raman spectrum of leachate under different NaOH concentrations.

Here we report the case of a 69-year-old Chinese Han woman who presented with liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, skin hyperpigmentation, hyperferritinaemia and high transferrin saturation. Subsequent genetic analyses identified a novel heterozygous mutation (p.Cys326Phe) in the SLC40A1 gene. This is the first report regarding a SLC40A1 mutation in the Chinese Han population and provides novel clinical evidence for the importance of p.Cys326 in SLC40A1 gene function.

The mechanism of strengthening the leaching of vanadium from petroleum coke by surfactant was investigated. When the surfactant was used, the leaching efficiency was improved, the leaching amount of vanadium increased from 390 to 540 ppm at 303 K. The surface physical chemical properties of the leaching solution, such as the conductivity, the surface tension, contact angle, and zeta potential were studied before and after the surfactant is added. The zeta potential increased from –20 to 40 mV, when the surfactant was used from 0 to 700 mg/L, and the surface tension and contact angle decreased significantly first, then remained constant; the interface energy increased. All the change of physical chemical properties enhanced wetting capability and combination adhesion. And this improved the leaching efficiency.

The sequence-characterized amplified region (SCAR) is a valuable molecular technique for the genetic identification of any species. This method is mainly derived from the molecular cloning of the amplified DNA fragments achieved from the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD). In this study, we collected DNA from 10 species of Ganoderma mushroom and amplified the DNA using an improved RAPD technique. The amplified fragments were then cloned into a T-vector, and positive clones were screened, indentified, and sequenced for the development of SCAR markers. After designing PCR primers and optimizing PCR conditions, 4 SCAR markers, named LZ1-4, LZ2-2, LZ8-2, and LZ9-15, were developed, which were specific to Ganoderma gibbosum (LZ1-4 and LZ8-2), Ganoderma sinense (LZ2-2 and LZ8-2), Ganoderma tropicum (LZ8-2), and Ganoderma lucidum HG (LZ9-15). These 4 novel SCAR markers were deposited into GenBank with the accession Nos. KM391935, KM391936, KM391937, and KM391938, respectively. Thus, in this study we developed specific SCAR markers for the identification and authentication of different Ganoderma species.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the expression pattern and prognostic role of RABEX-5 mRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.RABEX-5 mRNA levels in 187 CRC were examined by Real-time polymerase chain reaction. Then, the association of RABEX-5 mRNA levels with clinicopathological features was analyzed. Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and differences in survival rates were analyzed using the log-rank test. The influence of each variable on survival was examined by the Cox multivariate regression analysis.RABEX-5 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared with the adjacent noncancerous tissues (p0.01). By statistical analyses, high RABEX-5 mRNA expression was observed to be closely correlated with histology/differentiation (p = 0.010), N classification (p = 0.004), and TNM stage (p = 0.004). Kaplan-Meier curves showed that patients with high RABEX-5 mRNA expression showed unfavorable overall survival (OS) than the low RABEX-5 mRNA expression group (p0.001). Finally, univariate and multivariate analyses showed that RABEX-5 mRNA expression was an independent predictor of overall survival (p0.05).RABEX-5 mRNA may be a promising biomarker for the detection and prognosis evaluation of CRC.

Dimocarpus longan Lour. is an edible and traditional herb in China, commonly referred to as longon. An improved randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) protocol was here developed in order to determine the geographical origins of D. longan samples collected from 5 provinces in the southern and southwestern areas of China, including Sichuan, Hainan, Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi. Generally, the improved RAPD method generated good fingerprinting of the 5 samples using the selected 17 primers. In particular, primers SBS-A5, SBS-A13, SBS-I9, SBS-I20, SBS-M1, and SBS-Q12 produced distinguishable bands that clearly separated all 5 cultivars, suggesting that there are variations in RAPD genetic sites among the samples. The similarity index ranged from 0.69 to 0.76. The Sichuan and Hainan clades clustered together with a 0.73 similarity index. The Guangxi and Fujian clades clustered together with a 0.76 similarity index, and they formed the sister clade to the Sichuan/Hainan clade with a 0.71 similarity index. The Guangdong clade was in a basal polytomy with a 0.70 similarity index. Based on the abundant DNA polymorphisms, these longan accessions are distinguishable using our improved RAPD technique. Therefore, RAPD analysis is an effective technique in distinguishing the geographical origins of D. longan. Moreover, the improved method could also be employed for a variety of applications including genetic diversity and fingerprinting analyses.

This study investigated the effects of low levels of water-soluble pentosans (WSP), alkaline-extractable pentosans (AEP), and xylanase on the growth and organ development of broiler chicks. Three hundred and fifty 1-d-old female broiler chicks were randomly allocated into seven experimental groups of five pen replicates, with ten chicks per replicate. The control group consumed a corn-soybean meal-based diet. Six dietary treatment groups consumed the basal diet supplemented with one of the following: WSP at 50 mg/kg (WSP50) or 100 mg/kg (WSP100); AEP at 50 mg/kg (AEP50) or 100 mg/kg (AEP100); or xylanase at 3 mg/kg (Xase3) or 6 mg/kg (Xase6). Data including the body weight, digestive organ weights, gut length, rectal digesta viscosity, and gut microflora and pH were collected on d 5, 10, and 15. When compared to the control group, WSP50 promoted body weight gain and organ growth throughout the study, calculated as 3-d averages (p

Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic agent that has been widely used in surgery and for relieving pain in chronic cancer patients. We applied ketamine to breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 to detect the effect of treatment and molecular mechanisms involved. We found that ketamine can upregulate the level of anti-apoptosis protein Bcl-2, which promotes breast cancer cell invasion and proliferation. Knockdown of Bcl-2 could inhibit the increase of Bcl-2 and reduce the invasion and proliferation caused by ketamine in human breast cancer cells. Our findings provide new insight into the effects of ketamine in cancer treatment; we suggest that ketamine, which has been widely used in cancer operations and for relieving pain in chronic cancer patients, may be not the best choice because it can worsen the cancer through promotion of anti-apoptosis.

Numerical simulation of forced flow in sudden-expansion followed by sudden-contraction rectangular channel was presented for the whole flow region. The nonlinear flow and heat transfer characteristics were investigated by various Reynolds number and geometrical dimension and the critical Reynolds numbers under different conditions have been calculated. The results show flow and heat transfer from symmetric state to asymmetric state with the increase of Re. When Re

A series of biodegradable multifunctional hyperbranched-linear-hyperbranched copolymers (HLHCs) were prepared by poly(ethylene glycol), D,L-lactic acid, and 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (BHP) under bulk condition. The degree of branching of the hyperbranched section was varied by controlling the molar ratio of BHP to hydroxyl-terminal groups of PEG ([BHP]/[OH] = 1, 3, 7, 15). Chemical structure of the copolymers was confirmed by both 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The molecular weights were determined by 1H-NMR end-group analysis and gel permeation chromatography, respectively. The resulting copolymers were subsequently characterized via atomic force microscopy, which was utilized in this research to investigate the Langmuir-Blodgett films morphology and the structure of barbell-like copolymers.

This study compared the effect of isoflurane or propofol anaesthesia on postoperative hepatocellular injury, liver function and pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations in 60 cirrhotic patients, after partial hepatectomy using Pringle's manoeuvre. In the isoflurane group postoperatively, both mean (SD) aspartate aminotransferase (day 1: 197 (123) U.l -1 vs 261 (143) U.l -1 ; p = 0.01; day 3: 465 (258) U.l -1 vs 578 (311) U.l -1 ; p = 0.02) and alanine aminotransferase (day 1: 575 (312) U.l -1 vs 714 (434) U.l -1 ; p = 0.04 and day 3: 776 (443) U.l -1 vs 898 (746) U.l -1 ; p = 0.03) were significantly lower compared with the propofol group. Mean (SD) postoperative white cell count was significantly lower with isoflurane than propofol (day 1: 12 (4) × 10 3 .mm -1 vs 16 (4) × 10 3 .mm -1 ; p = 0.01 and day 3: 10 (6) × 10 3 .mm -1 ; vs 14 (4); p = 0.01). Tumour necrosis factor-α (day 1) and interleukin-1 (days 1 and 3) concentrations were significantly lower with isoflurane. Compared with propofol, isoflurane is associated with an attenuated postoperative inflammatory response and less postoperative hepatocellular injury in patients having this procedure.

Radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) of the shell bar section of Qaidam Basin, NE Tibetan Plateau, shows that this section was formed between ~39.7 and ~17.5 14C kyr BP and represented the highest paleolake development period since the Late Pleistocene. It was difficult to obtain reliable dates due to the low organic carbon content, which was formed mainly by authochtonous algae-bacteria (Zhang et al. 2007a). In order to improve the dating, 14C ages of both the alkali residual and acid-soluble components of the organic carbon were measured to check the consistency of the dating results. Total organic carbon (TOC) content and stable carbon isotopes (δ13Corg) might also be used as critical references for checking the reliability of dates. For example, in our study of the shell bar section from Qaidam Basin, we found that when the TOC content was higher than 0.15% and/or δ13Corg was lower than −23, the AMS dates were reliable. AMS dating of fossil shells demonstrated that they could provide valuable age information. The ages given by fossil shells are comparable to those of bulk carbonate from a similar sampling site, and are about 15~18 kyr older than the ages given by organic matter. Due to the U/Th dating requirements and open nature of the system, we concluded that U/Th dating results are unreliable and that this technique is unsuitable for dating halite deposits from Qaidam Basin.

Cathode materials Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 for lithium secondary batteries have been prepared by a new route—precursor method of layered double hydroxides (LDHs). In situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG–MS) were used to monitor the structural transformation during the reaction of CoMn LDHs and LiOH·H 2 O: firstly the layered structure of LDHs transformed to an intermediate phase with spinel structure; then the distortion of the structure occurred with the intercalation of Li + into the lattice, resulting in the formation of layered Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 with α -NaFeO 2 structure. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data showed that the Co–O bonding length and the coordination number of Co were close to those of Mn in Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 , which indicates that the local environments of the transitional metals are rather similar. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to measure the oxidation state of Co and Mn. The influences of Co/Mn ratio on both the structure and electrochemical property of Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 have been investigated by XRD and electrochemical tests. It has been found that the products synthesized by the precursor method demonstrated a rather stable cycling behavior, with a reversible capacity of 122.5 mAh g −1 for the layered material Li[Co 0.80 Mn 0.20 ]O 2 .

Here we report the case of a 69-year-old Chinese Han woman who presented with liver cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, skin hyperpigmentation, hyperferritinaemia and high transferrin saturation. Subsequent genetic analyses identified a novel heterozygous mutation (p.Cys326Phe) in the SLC40A1 gene. This is the first report regarding a SLC40A1 mutation in the Chinese Han population and provides novel clinical evidence for the importance of p.Cys326 in SLC40A1 gene function.

Crystal structure of gadolinium borate Gd17.33(BO3)4(B2O5)2O16 has been refined by the Rietveld method from X-ray powder diffraction data. Gd17.33(BO3)4(B2O5)2O16 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cm with lattice constants a=1841.70(3), b=374.08(1), c=1419.30(3) pm and β=119.85(1)°. The structure contains two types of borate groups BO33– and B2O54– , and nine independent gadolinium atoms. IR, Raman and HREM studies supported the presence of these two different borate groups in the structure. The luminescent spectra of the Eu3+ doped material consist of several sharp lines originating from the optical transitions within the f6 configuration of the Eu3+ ions at different cation sites.

Yttrium borate Y 17.33 (BO 3 ) 4 (B 2 O 5 ) 2 O 16 , known as Y 3 BO 6 previously, was prepared from stoichiometric starting materials of H 3 BO 3 and Y 2 O 3 by a solid-state reaction at high temperatures. Y 17.33 (BO 3 ) 4 (B 2 O 5 ) 2 O 16 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group Cm with the lattice constants a =1816.62(3), b =365.16(1), c =1397.75(3) pm, and β =119.75(2)°. The structure of Y 17.33 (BO 3 ) 4 (B 2 O 5 ) 2 O 16 was determined using the direct methods applied to X-ray powder diffraction data and consists of BO 3− 3 and B 2 O 4− 5 borate groups and seven- and eight-coordinated yttrium atoms. The composition obtained from the structure determination corresponds to Y 3 BO 6 with a slight excess of B 2 O 3 . The luminescent properties of the Eu 3+ doped Y 17.33 (BO 3 ) 4 (B 2 O 5 ) 2 O 16 materials were studied and the Eu 3+ emission appears as superimposed bands with a high self-quenching concentration.

Starting from superfine precursors, Nd-Fe-B based magnetic materials, Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe12Co2B, have been prepared by reduction-diffusion reaction at relative low temperature. The boride precursors used in the reactions, ie., Co2.0B1.2 and Fe1.0B0.25, were obtained from the reduction of CoCl2 and FeSO4 with NaBH4 in aqueous solution at room temperature. The other precursors, Nd2O3 and Fe2O3 were obtained by a polymer network gel process. The obtained Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe12Co2B materials are fine crystalline powders which show quite strong magnetic anisotropy. The particle sizes of these materials can be controlled to about a few microns without using mechanical milling processes.

To investigate the effects of Mo and Bi on mechanical properties of a Zr-Fe-Cr alloy at room temperature, seven Zr-Fe-Cr-Mo-Bi alloys with different compositions were designed. They were subjected to a series of rolling processes and heat treatments, and then sampled to measure mechanical properties by hardness and tensile test and to characterize microstructures by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and electron channel contrast (ECC) technique. Results indicated that among them two types of Zr-Fe-Cr-Mo-Bi alloys achieve the designed goals on mechanical properties and have the following advantages: (i) the hardness of the alloys, up to 334HV after annealing, is 40% higher than traditional Zr-4. (ii) The yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the alloys are 526 MP a and 889 MP a after hot rolling and annealing, markedly higher than the traditional Zr alloy. (iii) Good plasticity of the new Zr-Fe-Cr-Mo-Bi alloy is obtained with about 40% elongation, which is greatly higher than the Zr-Fe-Cr-Mo alloy thanks to the addition of Bi offsetting the disadvantage of addition Mo. Furthermore, according to observations of the microstructure observation, the reasons of the effect of the Mo and Bi elements on the mechanical performance of Zr-Fe-Cr alloy were studied and discussed.Copyright © 2013 by ASME

Cirrhotic patients are prone to developing renal dysfunction after anaesthesia and surgery. However, no consensus has been reached whether sevoflurane could have adverse effects on renal function in cirrhotic patients. We hypothesised that the use of sevoflurane for general anaesthesia would lead to post-operative renal dysfunction in cirrhotic patients undergoing liver resection.A total of 200 patients undergoing liver resection were randomly assigned to a propofol or sevoflurane group. The influence of sevoflurane or propofol on renal function was evaluated by the maximal change, the difference between the pre-operative baseline and the highest values of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen measured at day 1, 3 and 6 post-operatively.The maximal change in serum creatinine after liver resection was -4.52 (5.78) μmol/l and -3.37 (7.34) μmol/l with P = 0.398, and that in blood urea nitrogen was 0.41 (1.49) mmol/l and 0.93 (1.54) mmol/l with P = 0.098 between the sevoflurane group (n = 52) and the propofol group (n = 50), respectively.Sevoflurane does not seem to impair post-operative renal function in cirrhotic patients undergoing liver resection.

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor has been widely investigated as an exceedingly powerful tool for biological and chemical detection in the past decay. As an essential component of both academic and commercial laboratories, several methods have been employed to monitor the excitation of SPR by measuring the light reflected from the sensor interface including modulation of angle, wavelength, intensity, phase and polarization. Among these methods, angle modulation (AM) and wavelength modulation (WM) are the most widely adopted in practice. However, the normal sensors system of the angle modulation was built by two ratable stages with a flow cell attaching a prism, and the angle of incidence rottingθ, the angle of reflect rotting 2θ. The mechanical structure can only be used in the angle modulation SPR sensor. In the present study, a new SPR is designed by a mechanical structure which can transform freely from wavelength to angle modulation. The different concentration Ethanol solution is tested by this system, and the linear range is very well from the volume ratio 0% to 60%. The primary application is done in real time detection of human IgG and antibody interaction, and the experimental results indicate that the new SPR system can detect human antibody at low concentration 1x10 -11 g/ml with highly sensitivity and flexibility. The new SPR system is of great importance for potentially practical application in biosensor and life science with the extended the functions of the conventional SPR sensor, and provides the real-time and in-situ detection of the biomolecules.

The laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) offers several advantages over conventional optical microscopy, but most LSCM work is qualitative analysis and it is very hard to achieve quantitative detection directly with the changing of the fluorescent intensity. A new real time sensor system for the antibody-antigen interaction detection was built integrating with a LSCM and a wavelength-dependent surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor. The system was applied to detect the bonding process of human IgG and fluorescent-labeled affinity purified antibody in real time. The fluorescence images changing is well with that of SPR wavelengths in real time, and the trend of the resonance wavelength shift with the concentrations of antibody is similar to that of the fluorescent intensity changing. The results show that SPR makes up the short of quantificational analysis with LSCM with the high spatial resolution. The sensor system shows the merits of the of the LSCM and SPR synergetic application, which are of great importance for practical application in biosensor and life science for interesting local interaction.

Starting from superfine precursors, Nd-Fe-B based magnetic materials, Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe12Co2B, have been prepared by reduction-diffusion reaction at relative low temperature. The boride precursors used in the reactions, ie., Co2.0B1.2 and Fe1.0B0.25, were obtained from the reduction of CoCl2 and FeSO4 with NaBH4 in aqueous solution at room temperature. The other precursors, Nd2O3 and Fe2O3 were obtained by a polymer network gel process. The obtained Nd2Fe14B and Nd2Fe12Co2B materials are fine crystalline powders which show quite strong magnetic anisotropy. The particle sizes of these materials can be controlled to about a few microns without using mechanical milling processes.

To compare isoflurane anesthesia in patients with or without hyperbilirubinemia undergoing hepatobiliary surgery.Forty-two patients with obstructive jaundice and 40 control patients with normal liver function scheduled for hepatobiliary surgery under isoflurane anesthesia were studied. Anesthesia was induced with propofol (1.5-2 mg/kg) and remifentanil (2 microg/kg). After tracheal intubation, anesthesia was titrated using isoflurane in oxygen-enriched air, adjusted to maintain a bispectral index (BIS) value of 46-54. Ephedrine, atropine and remifentanil were used to maintain hemodynamic parameters within 30% of the baseline. The mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), drug doses and the time taken to recover from anesthesia were recorded.Demographic data, duration and BIS values were similar in both groups. Anesthesia induction and maintenance were associated with more hemodynamic instability in the patients with jaundice and they received more ephedrine and atropine and less remifentanil and isoflurane (51.1+/-24.2 vs. 84.6+/-20.3 mg/min; P for all0.05) than control patients. Despite less anesthetic use, the time to recovery and extubation was significantly longer than that in control.Patients with obstructive jaundice have an increased sensitivity to isoflurane, more hypotension and bradycardia during anesthesia induction and maintenance and a prolonged recovery time compared with controls.

Cathode materials Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 for lithium secondary batteries have been prepared by a new route—precursor method of layered double hydroxides (LDHs). In situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (TG–MS) were used to monitor the structural transformation during the reaction of CoMn LDHs and LiOH·H 2 O: firstly the layered structure of LDHs transformed to an intermediate phase with spinel structure; then the distortion of the structure occurred with the intercalation of Li + into the lattice, resulting in the formation of layered Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 with α -NaFeO 2 structure. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data showed that the Co–O bonding length and the coordination number of Co were close to those of Mn in Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 , which indicates that the local environments of the transitional metals are rather similar. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to measure the oxidation state of Co and Mn. The influences of Co/Mn ratio on both the structure and electrochemical property of Li[Co x Mn 1− x ]O 2 have been investigated by XRD and electrochemical tests. It has been found that the products synthesized by the precursor method demonstrated a rather stable cycling behavior, with a reversible capacity of 122.5 mAh g −1 for the layered material Li[Co 0.80 Mn 0.20 ]O 2 .

To investigate the effect of soft tissue repairing at different times on the union of type III b tibial fracture.From January 1987 to January 1999, seventy-six type III b tibial fractures were divided into 3 groups: early group(0 to 7 days), subacute group(8 to 30 days), late group(more than 30 days) according to the time of soft tissue repairing. The morbidity rates of complications such as infection, nonunion as well as the time to union were compared respectively.Followed up for 10 to 36 months (averaged 24 months), the infection and nonunion rates of early group were lower than that of subacute and late groups(P0.01), the average time of fracture union of early group was less than that of subacute and late groups.Early soft tissue repairing can decrease the complications and the time to union of Type III b tibial fracture obviously. The time of "early" should be limited in one week and as soon as possible.

The treatment of coking residual ammonia water has been a big difficult problem at home and abroad, and there is no breakthrough research achievement in the past. The invention patent "The method of treating all coking wastewater or treating coking residual ammonia water by flue gas" has been successfully used in Huaian Steel Works for high concentration and organic industry wastewater treatment. Not only can it realize the wastewater zero discharge, but also the wastewater treatment has an effect of de-sulfur and de-nitrogen for flue gas. So that the flue gas exhaust can meet the requirement of emission standard. The mass transfer and heat transfer, fly ash absorption and coagulation, acid and alkali neutralization reaction, catalysis oxidation and reduction reaction in flue gas would be the major factors.

Magnetic atomic-doped topological insulator crystals with the formula FexBi2−xSe3 were fabricated using the self-flux method and their electrical and magnetic transport properties were studied. All samples showed weakly metallic resistivity and the resistivity increased monotonously as the Fe concentration increased. Conductivity was modified by Fe at high- and low-temperature regions via different mechanisms, which could be explained by the freezing of bulk carriers around 30 K. For highly doped samples, simultaneous crossovers in the curves of temperature dependent of resistivity (ρ-T) and temperature dependent of magnetoresistance (MR-T) at low temperature were observed, indicating that the contribution of the surface state was significantly improved. No obvious enhanced surface effect was observed in samples doped with low concentration of Fe, but the MR was enhanced significantly in low-doped samples and suppressed by high Fe content. Magnetic-field-induced metal-insulator transitions were observed in the samples with the largest MR values. The change in MR was related to three mechanisms: phonon scattering effect, magnetic ordering, and spin disorder scattering.