Search

Objective: To investigate the risk factors of postpartum cardiovascular disease in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: From December 2020 to December 2021, pregnant women who underwent 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation and were diagnosed with GDM were selected as the research subjects. These women were followed-up after delivery. Results: The average fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels of these women were 6.25 ± 1.36 mmol/L before discharge and 5.01 ± 1.45 mmol/L at 42 days after delivery; the average 2-hour plasma glucose (2hPG) levels were 11.23 ± 2.01 mmol/L before discharge and 7.98 ± 1.23 mmol/L at 42 days after delivery; the average insulin levels were 8.36 ± 1.98 mmol/L before discharge and 2.98 ± 1.36 mmol/L at 42 days after delivery. There were 46 patients with postpartum cardiovascular disease, with an incidence rate of 22.89%. Conclusion: By improving the postpartum management of patients, the weight of GDM patients can be better controlled, their insulin sensitivity can be increased, and the occurrence of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders can be reduced.

In addition to offering a promising approach for niche applications in environmental sensing and portable power sources, microfluidic microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can also accelerate the development of mainstream energy applications through studies into fundamental mechanisms and optimization, without complications from nutrient cycling, membrane fouling, or uncontrollable concentration gradients. However, the main hurdle in leveraging microfluidic MFCs for discovery and optimization is their underperformance compared to macrosystems on certain key metrics, notably area-normalized power. To bridge this gap, we showcase a strategy that focuses on (i) technology improvements, (ii) establishment of new performance benchmarks, and (iii) presentation of a universally applicable normalization method for direct comparisons across all MFC scales and that complements areal power densities. Using a pure-culture Geobacter sulfurreducens electroactive biofilm (EAB) applied to a new system that adheres to the strategy above, we observed optimal anode colonization, resulting in the highest recorded power density for a microfluidic MFC of 3.88 W m-2 (24.37 kW m-3) and a normalized energy recovery (0.21 kWh m-3) that nearly matches the average value observed in macrosystems. With these results, the performance gap between micro- and macroscale MFCs is closed, and a road map to move forward is presented.

Bucking the trend toward membraneless microbial fuel cells (MFC), a new approach to grow biocompatible separation membranes between electrodes is demonstrated. The result is the best performing system for pure culture Geobacter sulfurreducens.

High energy photon source (HEPS) is the fourth-generation light source, which uses a large number of high-performance insertion devices to generate synchrotron radiation. The control system is an important part of the insertion device (ID). Cryogenic permanent magnet undulator (CPMU) is one kind of IDs that works in liquid nitrogen temperature and ultra-high vacuum environment, and its control system is more difficult and complex than in-air ID. The design of the control system for CPMU will be introduced in detail. The sub-systems include high-precision magnetic gap control, safety protection, measurement and compensation of magnetic gap at cryogenic temperature and cryogenic temperature monitoring. Mature, reliable, stable technical schemes are designed to meet the technical specifications of sub-systems. The experiment results show that the magnetic gap motion accuracy can be controlled within 0.2–0.3 μm under the step size of 1 μm. The safety protection system has been tested in turn, and the predetermined protection can be achieved. The average value of magnetic gap cold contraction is 1.512 mm measured by optical micrometer, and the compensation is realized by software. The average temperature of the main magnet structure measured by the temperature sensors is 81.0 K, and the temperature gradient is 0.7 K/m. The temperature monitoring is reliable and stable. The CPMU control system which is based on EPICS has been successfully applied to the CPMU prototype, and the test results have met the design specifications.

A novel type of pure permanent cryogenic Delta–Knot Undulator was developed at IHEP to supply a high flux of full adjustable polarization synchrotron radiation with low on-axis power density. This prototype was an active attempt and early exploration for future APPLE–Knot undulator, which will be used at high energy photon source (HEPS). There are several challenges to develop a cryogenic delta undulator, such as the complicated structure, the influence of large magnetic force, and the magnetic measurement difficulty due to the very small gap. In this paper, the mechanical design for overcoming these difficulties will be presented in detail. A special hall measuring system is developed, and the preliminary results agree with the theoretical results. This undulator prototype will provide valuable experience for angle magnetization technology, intricate magnetic attraction structure design, and magnetic field measurement under closed small space.

Soil-based microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are excellent candidates to meet the need for continuous energy sources in low-power and remote sensing applications and to perform useful functions such as soil remediation. Under constant thermal conditions, soil-based MFC performance is known to correlate positively with temperature due to increased bacterial metabolism. Rather than inhibit MFC operation, we show in this work that dynamic thermal conditions can actually strongly improve performance. By varying the temperature cycling times and temperature setpoints in experiments, the average power outputs were increased by 300 to 400%, and current densities were increased by 200%. The same methodology was applied to liquid MFCs but did not show the same intense response.

We report a case of a 7-year-old male patient with vaccine-induced erythrodermic psoriasis (EP) complicated by pulmonary infection, hypoproteinemia, and liver dysfunction successfully treated with secukinumab in combination with symptomatic and supportive therapy. The patient presented with diffuse flushing on the head, face, trunk, and limbs, which were covered with chaff-like white scales in the rash-affected area, with no blisters, pustules, and no apparent abnormalities in the palms, soles, nails, and joints. Histopathology analysis revealed hyperkeratosis, focal parakeratosis, thinning or effacement of the granular layer, psoriasiform hyperplasia of the epidermis, neutrophilic microabscess formation in the upper part of the epidermis, edema of the dermal papilla, dilation of blood vessels, and lymphocyte infiltration. The patient was eventually diagnosed with EP. At weeks 0, 1, and 2, the patient received a subcutaneous injection of 150 mg secukinumab (three injections). Fluticasone propionate ointment, taccathitol ointment, yellow vaseline, and other drugs were also given topically. Following 2 weeks of treatment, the child's skin lesions resolved significantly with only slight pigmentation remaining and the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score decreased from 37.5 to 7.5 (PASI 75). Thereafter, 150 mg secukinumab was injected every 4 weeks until the last dose at 18 weeks (four more injections). After 18 weeks, the child's lesion resolved entirely (PASI 100), and no adverse effects were reported.

The magnet sorting is a standard step in the undulator fabrication procedure. The shortest undulators period used in the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) is only 12 mm. To the short period undulator, the sorting may be more important than the long-period undulator. Normally, the Helmholtz measurement is used as the input for the work. It is the averaged orthogonal magnetization of each block. In order to investigate whether the Helmholtz coil measurement is enough for the sorting, a careful study has been made. Firstly, a magnetic camera was used to scan the 3D surface field of a magnet. Afterward, its field integral is measured by the stretched wire. In the measurement, the magnet was placed at different statuses. The results were checked to see whether they are consistent with expected features supposing a homogeneous magnetized block. Finally, the results measured by the Helmholtz coil and the stretched wire were compared. The surface field scan demonstrates that the field over a magnet block is inhomogeneous. Moreover, the field integral measurement by the stretched wire also shows big difference when the different magnet sides toward the wire. The comparison between the stretched wire and the Helmholtz coil measurement shows no correlation. The study presented in this paper reveals that the homogeneity of the magnetization is imperfect. Therefore, the Helmholtz coil data are insufficient to the short-period undulators sorting.

A new stretched-wire system is built for a cryogenic permanent magnet undulator in High Energy Photon Source Testing Facility. The system has two functions: integral field measurement and magnet gap measurement. Integral field measurement and gap measurement are important for evaluation and optimization of the magnetic performance of the undulator in cryogenic–vacuum environment. Two high-precision, high-load motion stages are used for accurate positioning. A special fix structure of stretched wire is adopted for vacuum environment. To reduce the deflection of the 3-meter-long wire, constant tension is maintained along the wire. The measurement repeatability of field integral and magnetic gap is the key performance which depends on the stability of wire and suppression of the electric noise. Strategy of improving the measurement accuracy and stability is presented.

The Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP, China) has been engaged in the development of shell-based dipole magnets with a common-coil configuration for the pre-study of the Super proton-proton Collider (SPPC) project. The first subscale magnet LPF1, with two Nb3Sn coils and four NbTi coils, reached a bore field of 10.2 T at 4.2 K. Subsequently a higher safety margin model has been proposed as LPF2, which has six Nb3Sn coils and two NbTi coils to reach a 12-T main field in both apertures with an operating current of 5300 A. The shell and yoke are reused from LPF1, as well as the two Nb3Sn coils and two inner NbTi coils of LPF1. The pre-loaded method of LPF2 is much alike that in LPF1: using the Bladder & Key technology to overcome the Lorentz forces in horizontal and vertical directions and pre-tightening six aluminum rods to pre-load the coil packs in the axial direction. In addition, the strain gauges are positioned at the surface of the aluminum shell to monitor the pre-loading effect. The main design parameters and stress analyses results will be presented.

Iron-based superconductor (IBS) is expected to be the next generation high temperature superconductor with their potential good properties for the high-field application. This study focus on exploration of the characteristics of IBS coils at high field and development of the IBS coil fabrication technology. A series of diameter 35 mm IBS coils including single pancake (SPC) and double pancakes (DPC) were designed and winded with the 7-filamentary Ba 1-x K x Fe 2 As 2 (Ba122) tape which was produced by the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IEE-CAS). The IBS coils were divided into 3 groups according to the different fabrication processes. The tests of the IBS coils were firstly carried out at 4.2 K and 10 T background field. The highest quench current of the coils at 10 T is 69.4 A, which is about 90% of the critical current of the short sample at 10 T. Then, two SPCs were selected and tested at 4.2 K at 24 T [1]. The highest quench current of the coils at 24 T is 25.6 A, which is about 39% of the quench current at self-field. The test results were presented and analyzed with respect to the different fabrication processes.

High field dipole magnets with common-coil configuration are under development at IHEP (the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) for key technology pre-study of high energy colliders. A model magnet named LPF1 has been fabricated and tested in 2018, which was made up of four flat racetrack NbTi coils and two flat racetrack Nb3Sn coils, and a main dipole field of 10.2 T has been reached in the two apertures at 4.2 K. A new model magnet LPF2 is being designed and fabricated in 2019, with four new Nb 3 Sn coils included comparing with LPF1, and the magnet is expected to reach a much higher field. To reduce the field enhancement at the coil ends, the newly fabricated Nb 3 Sn coils are designed with different straight lengths and bending radii. This hybrid dipole magnet is designed to provide a 12-T main field in the two apertures with an operating current of 5300 A, corresponding to a load line ratio of 78% at 4.2 K. A single-pancake racetrack IBS (Iron-based superconducting) coil wound with a 100-m IBS tape would be inserted into the middle of the magnet (between the inner-most two Nb 3 Sn coils). This magnet is also used to test the IBS coil performance under high field and high stress. The main design parameters, fabrication process of the magnet will be presented.

The High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) project, as an upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is to be started in the next decade. A set of canted cosine theta (CCT) twin aperture orbit corrector magnets will be developed in China, with a field quality requirement of 10−3 in the two apertures. Cooperating with CERN, twin aperture correctors are being fabricated as prototypes before the series production. During the fabrication of the CCT coils, certain manufacturing errors including winding error, rotating error and concentricity error appeared which will affect the field quality. This study analyzed the effects on field harmonic components by these manufacturing errors, and the manufacturing process and the first test result of the prototype were introduced briefly. Suggestions from the analysis results are provided for further series production of the 2.2-m orbit correctors.

Microfluidic microbial fuel cells (MFCs) hold great potential to reproduce core functions of bulk MFCs for study and optimization under precise conditions. Unlike most MFC types, those in a microfluidic format typically do not use a membrane to separate anode and cathode compartments, relying instead on the physics of laminar flow to maintain isolation of independent liquid streams. This lowers cost, device complexity, and should reduce internal resistance. However, to avoid solution crossover, which is likely to occur due to inevitable instabilities during long operational times, authors often separate electrodes by distances of several millimeters or more. This reverses benefits on internal resistance, undermining a prime advantage of microfluidic MFCs. This work demonstrates a facile method for the in-situ synthesis of a microscale membrane, supporting sub-milimeter electrode spacing. The membrane added only 68.5 Ω to the cell internal resistance and its synthesis resulted in no measurable changes to Rct at either electrode. However, the method to grow the membrane after device synthesis greatly reduced complexity in device fabrication. Overall, the reduced electrode spacing that was facilitated by the membrane lowered internal resistance from 25 k to 10 k and provide stable operation even under non-ideal flow conditions. Compared to a state-of-the-art membraneless MFC with 6 mm electrode spacing, the membrane MFC provided approximately 45% higher power density, 290% higher current density and 7 times higher acetate conversation efficiency. Membrane-enhanced flow stability also delivered continuous increases to power density with increased flow rate over baseline levels, rising to 30% higher for flow rate increases of 100 times.

Power overshoot can hinder determination of maximum power densities in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this work, a microfluidic approach was used to study overshoot in an MFC containing a pure culture of electroactive biofilms (EAB) containing Geobacter sulfurreducens. After 1-month operation under constant flow of an ideal nutrient medium, the MFC health began to degrade, marked by voltage loss and the appearance of anomalies in the power density curves. One such anomaly was a chronic power overshoot, accompanying a loss of both measured power and current density on the high-current side of the power density curve. The degree of power overshoot was quantified while certain flow-based interventions were applied, notably the shear erosion of the EAB outer layer. Next, two approaches to acclimation were demonstrated to treat the remaining overshoot. The standard approach, which acclimates the MFC to high currents before a standard polarization test, eliminated the remaining overshoot and returned maximum power densities to initial levels, but maximum current density remained lower than the initial level. A microfluidic-assisted “long-hold polarization test” enabled efficient in situ acclimation of each external resistor during the measurement. Despite the health-compromised MFC, this method provided long-term stability during the polarization test, resulting in power and current density measurements that exceeded those made on the healthy MFC using the standard polarization test. We conclude that slower electron transfer kinetics in unhealthy MFCs can provoke overshoot by prolonging the time to reach steady state during the polarization test, but a properly designed measurement overcomes this problem.

This paper describes a two-cycle bacteria energy recovery system (BERS) to power two embedded sensors: an ultra-low portable pH sensor and a sound sensor. The designed unit can handle up to seven microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to charge a super-capacitor. This allows the BERS to provide a constant 0.14 mW without further electrical components for signal conditioning. The two cycles were driven with a 100 kΩ load and a 10 Hz frequency. The BERS is also self-powered with an integrated start-up unit to be self-activated when the MFCs charge the energy-storing unit after three days. The BERS powered pH sensor has an error below 5% at 25 ∘C and is able to work continuously while being activated for 4 h. The performances of the pH and sound sensors were determined based on a compromise between accuracy and power consumption.

R&D of high-field accelerator magnets is ongoing at the Institute of High Energy Physics for the prestudy of high-energy accelerators in the future. As the first step, a 12-T subscale common-coil dipole magnet named Let the Proton Fly (LPF1) with two 7-mm apertures and graded coil configuration was designed, fabricated, and tested. With 4 NbTi double-pancake racetrack coils outside and 2 Nb3Sn double-pancake racetrack coils inside, this hybrid dipole magnet was designed to provide a 12-T main field in two apertures operating at 6100 A. The load line ratio is 83% @ 4.2 K for the designed current and field. To reduce the field enhancement at the ends of the coils, the coils were designed with different lengths. All of the six coils were wound with superconducting Rutherford cables and impregnated with epoxy CTD-101k. Bladders and keys technology was used to prestress coils during the assembly of LPF1. A 0.1 Ω dump resistor and a voltage-dependent varistor were used for the quench protection during the test of LPF1. LPF1 was tested at 4.2 K under the self-field and a field plateau was shown around 10.2 T after the 13th quench. The parameters of the design, process of the fabrication, and the test performance of LPF1 are presented in this paper.

MicroRNA-128 (miR-128) has been found to be dysregulated and might function as a tumour suppressor in various cancers, including ovarian cancer. However, the underlying mechanism of miR-128 in ovarian cancer has not been fully understood. The miR-128 and homeobox B8 (HOXB8) levels in clinical samples and cultured cell lines were measured using qRT-PCR and/or Western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Cell apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. The association between miR-128 and HOXB8 was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results showed that decreased miR-128 expression and increased HOXB8 expression were observed in ovarian cancer tissues and cell lines. Transfection with miR-128 mimics suppressed the cell proliferation and enhanced paclitaxel sensitivity in ovarian cancer cell lines. miR-128 directly targeted HOXB8 in ovarian cancer cell lines. Knockdown of HOXB8 abolished the effects of miR-128 inhibitor on ovarian cancer cell proliferation and paclitaxel sensitivity. Summarily, miR-128 displayed a tumour suppressor role in ovarian cancer via targeting HOXB8. It is supposed that miR-128 might be effective for targeting therapy for ovarian cancer.

Multiattribute decision-making approach is one of the key complex system evaluation technologies which has attracted high attention of academic research studies. This paper establishes a novel multiattribute decision evaluation approach. First, we propose a high-dimensional data attribute reduction model based on partial correlation analysis and factor analysis methods. Second, based on the attribute weights calculated by multiple weighting methods, the corresponding multiple evaluation score vectors of the objects evaluated can be obtained. The final scoring vector can be determined by combining the quadratic combination weighting and the Spearman consistency test. Third, we use fuzzy C-means algorithm to grade evaluated objects. Finally, the established evaluation approach in this paper is verified by using the 107 observations in China. This approach also provides a decision-making example for attribute reduction of high-dimensional data, scoring of complex system evaluation, and clustering analysis when conducting evaluation in other fields.

Wire-free power supplies provide portability, flexibility and cost efficiency as they reduces hardware complexity. Thus, in this paper we designed a portable pH sensor based on a microbial fuel cell (MFC) as a wire free energy source. Our MFCs supplied 0.127 mW to power our ultra-low power portable pH sensor. The error of the newly designed pH sensor is less than 5% when pH is between 4 and 10. Also it provides, an autonomy of 4 hours when the pH sensor is continuously used.

D-amino acid oxidases (DAAO) are stereospecific enzymes which are generally almost inactive towards L-enantiomer in neutral solution when L-, D-amino acids are supplied as substrates. In this paper, the D-amino acid oxidase can catalytic oxidize L-amino acids by modulating pH of aqueous solution. With L-Pro as substrate, the catalytic rate (kcat) and the affinity (Km) of DAAO were 6.71 s−1 and 33 mM at pH 8.0, respectively, suggesting that optimal pH condition enhanced the activity of DAAO towards L-Pro. Similar results were obtained when L-Ala (pH 9.8), L-Arg (pH 6.5), L-Phe (pH 9.0), L-Thr (pH 9.4), and L-Val (pH 8.5) were catalyzed by DAAO at various pH values. The racemization of the L-amino acids was not found by capillary electrophoresis analysis during oxidation, and quantification analysis of L-amino acids before and after catalytic reaction was performed, which confirmed that the modulation of enantioselectivity of DAAO resulted from the oxidation of L-amino acids rather than D-amino acids by changing pH. A mechanistic model was proposed to explain enhanced activity of DAAO towards L-amino acids under optimal pH condition.

Kena Ma,1,2,* Lingling Gong,1,* Xinjie Cai,1,2 Pin Huang,1 Jing Cai,1 Dan Huang,1 Tao Jiang1,2 1The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, 2Department of Prosthodontics, Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally tothis workAbstract: Implant-associated infections still pose a serious threat leading to several complications. This study reported an environmentally benign Ag-containing nanocomposite coating with efficient antibacterial property fabricated on the metal implant via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). In such coatings, Ag2O/AgCl mixed with chitosan/gelatin (CS/G) polymers work together to exert the antibacterial property which could act as an alternative to traditional Ag nanoparticles. Scanning electron microscopy images showed the shuttle fiber-like morphology distributed lamellarly and some nanoparticles carved uniformly into the cross section. Transmission electron microscopy results revealed a core–shell-like structure of the released nanoparticles in experimental groups. The Ag-containing coatings exhibited strong antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus strains and Escherichia coli strains. Meanwhile, the CCK-8 tests showed that after assembling with chitosan and gelatin polymers, the cytotoxicity of Ag was largely decreased. In addition, such coatings also exhibited strong bond strength with metal substrates and good degradable properties. Therefore, such Ag-containing CS/G coatings fabricated via EPD may be a promising candidate to be administrated in controlling the implant-associated infections.Keywords: infection, green chemistry, chitosan, gelatin, EPD

The Rapid Cycling Synchrotron (RCS) of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) employs large aperture quadrupole and corrector magnets with small aspect ratios and relatively short iron to iron separations; so the fringe field interference becomes serious which results in integral field strength reduction and extra field harmonics. We have performed 3D magnetic field simulations to investigate the magnetic field interference in the magnet assemblies and made some adjustments on the magnet arrangement. The Fourier analysis is used to quantify the integral gradient reduction and field harmonic changes of the quadrupole magnets. Some magnetic field measurements are undertaken to verify the simulation results. The simulation details and the major results are presented in this paper.

The authors describe a colorimetric assay for the determination of As(III) in aqueous solution using citrate capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) which, in the presence of As(III), undergo aggregation due to the interaction of citrate ion with As(III). This results in an easily detectable color change from wine-red to blue. The ratio of the absorbances at 661 and 519 nm is linearly related to the As(III) concentration in the 4 to 100 ppb range, with a detection limit as low as 1.8 ppb (at 3σ) which is below the guideline value of 10 ppb. The method is rather simple in that it does not require the surface of the AuNPs to be modified. It was successfully applied to the determination of As(III) in spiked drinking water where it gave adequate recoveries.

Background Both multimorbidity and activities of daily living (ADL) disability and instrument activities of daily living (IADL) disability are common among elderly individuals. ADL/IADL disability may reduce individuals’ capacities for independent living and quality of life. This study aimed to examine the association between multimorbidity and ADL/IADL disability. Methods A multi-stage cluster sample of 2058 residents aged 80 or older was investigated in Shanghai, China. Multimorbidity was defined as the simultaneous presence of two or more chronic diseases with ten common chronic conditions under consideration. Subjects who responded that they “need partial or full assistance” to any ADL/IADL items were defined as having ADL/IADL disability. We examined the association of multimorbidity with ADL/IADL disability, adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics by using logistic regression. Results Of respondents, 23.23 % had ADL disability, 37.90 % had IADL disability, and 49.17 % had multimorbidity. After adjusted socio-demographic characteristics, a graded association was showed between ADL disability and the quantity of chronic conditions: odds ratio (OR) for 1 condition, 1.53(95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.04-2.24); OR for 2 conditions, 2.06(95 % CI, 1.43-2.96); OR for 3 conditions, 3.23(95 % CI, 2.14-4.86); OR for 4 or more conditions, 5.61(95 % CI, 3.26-9.66). Similar associations were also observed between the quantity of chronic conditions and IADL disability. Conclusions The quantity of chronic conditions had relatively strong association with both ADL and IADL disability. Initiating prevention of additional chronic conditions and interventions on clusters of diseases may decrease the potential risk of ADL/IADL disability. Additionally, more attention should been given to the older low-income women living with relatives/non-relatives with multimorbidity.

Titanium and its alloys have been widely used in clinic and achieved great success. Due to the bio-inertness of titanium surface, challenges still exit in some compromised conditions. The present study aimed to functionalize titanium surface with magnesium (Mg)-doped chitosan/gelatin (CS/G) nanocompound coatings via electrophoretic deposition (EPD). CS/G coatings loaded with different amount of magnesium were successfully prepared on titanium substrate via EPD. Physicochemical characterization of the coatings confirmed that magnesium ions were loaded into the coatings in a dose-dependent manner. XRD results demonstrated that co-deposition of magnesium influenced the crystallinity of the coatings, and a new crystalline substance presented, namely hydrated basic magnesium carbonate. Mechanical tests showed improved tensile and shear bond strength of the magnesium-doped coatings, while the excessively high magnesium concentration could eventually decrease the bonding strength. Sustained release of magnesium ion was detected by ICP-OES within 28 days. TEM images also displayed that nanoparticles could be released from the coatings. In vitro cellular response assays demonstrated that the Mg-doped nanocompound coatings could enhance the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells compared to CS/G coatings. Therefore, it could be concluded that Mg-doped CS/G nanocompound coatings were successfully fabricated on titanium substrates via EPD. It would be a promising candidate to functionalize titanium surface with such organic-inorganic nanocompound coatings.

The prevalently used immunoassays for fast screening of aftatoxins (AFs) usually cannot meet the requirement for simultaneous determination of total AFs (aflatoxin B1 + aflatoxin B2 + aflatoxin G1 + aflatoxin G2) due to the deficiency of highly group-specific antibodies. This paper describes a two-step chromogenic reaction based method to quantitatively detect total AFs in rice using colorimetric measurement without antibody. In the method, colorless AFs transform into green-colored indophenol products through the reaction with sodium hydroxide and 2,6-dibromoquinone-4-chloroimide (DBQC) successively, allowing selectively determining total AFs up to 3.9 μg/kg over other competitive mycotoxins under optimal conditions by a UV-vis spectrophotometer. In addition, the colorimetric measurement results of the rice samples agree well with that of a standard HPLC method, demonstrating the good reliability and applicability of the method. Uniquely, the method has potential for on-site detection of total AFs in rice when using a nylon membrane-based device.

Post-MI heart failure is characterized by structural remodeling, in which intramyocardial fibrosis takes a important part. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1) is a extensive nuclear enzyme and plays a critical role in various diseases. It was shown that PARP-1 inhibition could alleviate heart failure and dowregulate autophagy, but whether PARP-1 regulates autophagy and thus impacts the activities of CFs remain unknown. We transfected cultured cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) with small interfere RNA-PARP-1 (siPARP-1) to downregulate PARP-1 and analyzed the ability of proliferation, migration, differentiation, and autophagy levels of CFs under different treatments using CCK8 assays, transwell migration assays, immunofluorescence assays detecting expression of α-SMA, western blot assays detecting autophagy-related proteins respectively. Furthermore, rat models of myocardial infarction (MI) were induced by ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery and PARP-1 inhibitor, 4-aminobenzamide (4-AB), was injected intraperitoneally after MI, followed by echocardiography detection, masson assays, immunohistochemistry assays detecting expression of α-SMA and western blot assays detecting autophagy-related proteins to investigate whether PARP-1 inhibition could regulate autophagy, alleviate cardiac fibrosis and improve cardiac function in vivo. In cultured CFs, siPARP-1 repressed TGF-β1-induced proliferation, migration, and differentiation through regulating autophagic levels. The in vitro results was verified by the in vivo study, indicating that PARP-1 inhibition partially decreased autophagy, abrogated cardiac fibrosis and significantly improved cardiac function post-MI. In conclusion, this work demonstrated the vital connection of PARP-1 and autophagy in the activation of CFs, and provided solid evidence supporting PARP-1 inhibition as a feasible strategy for the treatment of post-MI heart failure.

A cryogenic permanent magnet undulator prototype designed for Chinese High Energy Photon Source Test Facility (HEPS-TF) at Institute of High Energy Physics is constructed and now commissioning. Motion precision of girders is a significant parameter to guarantee gap error so as to avoid phase error and radiation intensity loss. In order to study and minimize girder parallelism errors, RADIA and SPECTRA are used to calculate qualified motion precision. Spring Modules and single motor closed-loop feedback are designed to compensate the errors. Magnetic field is finally tuned to reach specifications. Details of the study and analysis will be presented in this paper.

A highly selective method is described for the colorimetric determination of Au(III) ions in acidic solution using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with thiolated methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG). The presence of Au(III) induces the aggregation of the PEG-AuNPs, and this is accompanied by a color change from wine red to blue, and a decrease in absorbance at 525 nm. This can be monitored spectrophotometrically and visually. Absorbance at 525 nm linearly drops in the 0.50 to 1.75 mg·L−1 Au(III) concentration range, with a 0.25 mg·L−1 detection limit. The method is surprisingly selective over other metal ions. It was successfully applied to the analysis of ore samples.

Disability, which has been proved to be associated with suicide and suicidal ideation, has received little attention in relation to suicidal attempts among the elderly. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of disability on attempted suicide within this demographic.A multi-stage cluster sample of 8399 residents aged 60 or more was investigated from 15 communities in Shanghai, China. Disability was measured using the Lawton instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale.The prevalence of attempted suicide in the elderly was 0.75%. Specific IADL disabilities, including shopping (OR = 3.01, 95% CI = 1.56-5.81), preparing meals (OR = 4.12, 95% CI = 2.12-8.00), housekeeping (OR = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.01-6.06), doing laundry (OR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.09-7.35), using transport (OR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.36-6.99) and medical care (OR = 4.41, 95% CI = 2.10-9.17), were significantly and independently associated with attempted suicide in the elderly. The presence of at least one such disability was associated with an almost threefold increase in the attempted suicide rate, and the presence of five or more IADL disabilities was associated with an approximate fivefold increase in the attempted suicide rate.Specific IADL disabilities, such as preparing meals or dealing with medical care, may be significant predictive factors for risk of suicidal attempts among the elderly. Therefore, elderly people with certain disabilities should be considered for suicide prevention interventions and should be supported in IADL as much as possible.

Determination of indicators’ weights is the key problem that needs to be addressed in small enterprises credit evaluation. Whether the indicators are reasonably or accurately weighted would directly afiect the reliability of a credit evaluation model. Based on indicators’ diversiflcation maximized method, the paper obtains combination weighting model from three single weighting models including G1 model, CRITIC model and di‐culty weighting model, establishes small enterprises credit risk evaluation model and tests the evaluation results by using difierent weighting models. The features and innovations of this paper are: flrst, based on the idea of deviation of indicators’ value from indicators’ average value maximizing, it determines the coe‐cient of combination weight by integrating the subjective and objective weights. It avoids the problem lying in the existing study that overlooks the diversiflcation of indicator’s value between overall statuses of indicators. Second, the evaluation results derived from difierent weighting models pass Spearman rank correlation coe‐cient test. It means that the credit evaluation result based on combination weighting model is in accordance with results from three single weighting models. Third, result of empirical study demonstrates that evaluation result based on indicators’ diversiflcation maximized combination weighting model achieves the best consistency and lowest FRR and FAR.

A new in-vacuum three-dimensional Hall probe magnetic measurement system is under fabrication for characterizing the magnetic performance of the Cryogenic Permanent Magnet Undulator (CPMU). In order to fit the small gap (5 mm) of magnetic structure and vacuum environment, a small three-dimensional Hall probe has been manufactured. The angular and positional misalignment errors of the Hall sensors play an important role in the measurement accuracy of the CPMU. In order to minimize the misalignment errors, a method of calibrating angle error and relative assembly displacements of a three-dimensional Hall probe is carried out. The angle error of Hall sensors will be calibrated by a standard dipole magnet and a five-dimensional Hall bench. The standard dipole magnet will generate a single direction and uniform magnetic field. And the five-dimensional Hall bench is used to rotate the Hall probe which is put in the center of magnet. Based on the relationship between angle and magnetic field strength, the angle error of each Hall sensor will be obtained. The relative position between the sensitive areas of the Hall sensors will be calibrated by a two-dimensional magnetic field undulator section. Based on Maxwell’s equations, through the calculation of measurement magnetic field strength, the relative assembly displacements of the three Hall sensors can be derived. The details of the calibration methods and the data processing of angle error and relative assembly displacements of a three-dimensional Hall probe are presented. The three-dimensional magnetic fields of a cryogenic permanent magnet undulator can be received accurately by correcting these angle errors and position errors of Hall sensors. This paper illustrates the relative position and angle calibration procedures and the data processing of a three-dimensional Hall probe. Now the design of a smaller Hall probe is in process. The calibration of the angle errors and position errors will be carried out after the fabrication of the standard dipole magnet.

Evolution of pest resistance reduces the efficacy of insecticidal proteins from the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) used widely in sprays and transgenic crops. Recent efforts to delay pest adaptation to Bt crops focus primarily on combinations of two or more Bt toxins that kill the same pest, but this approach is often compromised because resistance to one Bt toxin causes cross-resistance to others. Thus, integration of Bt toxins with alternative controls that do not exhibit such cross-resistance is urgently needed. The ideal scenario of negative cross-resistance, where selection for resistance to a Bt toxin increases susceptibility to alternative controls, has been elusive. Here we discovered that selection of the global crop pest, Helicoverpa armigera, for >1000-fold resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac increased susceptibility to abamectin and spineotram, insecticides derived from the soil bacteria Streptomyces avermitilis and Saccharopolyspora spinosa, respectively. Resistance to Cry1Ac did not affect susceptibility to the cyclodiene, organophospate, or pyrethroid insecticides tested. Whereas previous work demonstrated that the resistance to Cry1Ac in the strain analyzed here is conferred by a mutation disrupting an ATP-binding cassette protein named ABCC2, the new results show that increased susceptibility to abamectin is genetically linked with the same mutation. Moreover, RNAi silencing of HaABCC2 not only decreased susceptibility to Cry1Ac, it also increased susceptibility to abamectin. The mutation disrupting ABCC2 reduced removal of abamectin in live larvae and in transfected Hi5 cells. The results imply that negative cross-resistance occurs because the wild type ABCC2 protein plays a key role in conferring susceptibility to Cry1Ac and in decreasing susceptibility to abamectin. The negative cross-resistance between a Bt toxin and other bacterial insecticides reported here may facilitate more sustainable pest control., Author Summary The soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) produces proteins that kill insect pests but do not harm most other organisms including people. Extensive use of Bt proteins in sprays and genetically engineered crops selects for rapid evolution of resistance in pests, reducing economic and environmental advantages of this alternative to conventional insecticides. We discovered that resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in the invasive crop pest Helicoverpa armigera increased susceptibility to abamectin and spineotram, insecticides derived from two other soil bacteria. Both resistance to Cry1Ac and increased susceptibility to abamectin are linked with the same mutation in a gene encoding a transporter protein ABCC2. The results imply that negative cross-resistance occurs because the wild type ABCC2 protein plays a key role in conferring susceptibility to Cry1Ac and in decreasing susceptibility to abamectin. The negative cross-resistance between a Bt toxin and other bacterial insecticides reported here may facilitate more sustainable pest control.

Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) is an attractive appliance for modern electrical power system. Institute of Electrical Engineering (IEE) at the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) has successfully demonstrated a three-phase HTS bridge-type fault current limiter (FLC) at a substation in Hunan, China. The FCL suppressed the fault current below 635 A successfully in a 3-phase-to-ground short-circuit field test. Since August 2005, it has been going on a demonstrated long-term reliable operation for one year in the live 110 kV/10.5 kV substation.

Metal orthopedic implants still face challenges in some compromised conditions, partly due to bio-inertness. The present study aimed to functionalize metallic implants with organic-inorganic nanocomposite (strontium-containing chitosan/gelatin) coatings through a simple single-step electrophoretic deposition under mild conditions. The surface characterization and in vitro cellular response were studied and compared with chitosan/gelatin (CS/G) coatings. SEM images suggested the inorganic nanoparticles may be encapsulated within or mixed with organic polymers. The XRD patterns showed that strontium carbonate was generated in the coatings. The TEM images revealed strontium-containing nanoparticles were released from the coatings in PBS. The continuous release after the initial burst release ensured the enduring effects of the functionalized surface. The tensile bond strength of the coatings to the substrates increased after the addition of strontium. In vitro cellular study confirmed that strontium-containing coatings supported the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells and exhibited excellent ability to enhance the differentiation of such pre-osteoblasts. Therefore, such organic-inorganic nanocomposite coatings are a promising candidate to functionalize orthopedic implant surfaces.

Small enterprises play the important role in pushing China’s economic progress, but keeping on facing the difficulty in financing the loans. Establishing a reasonable credit evaluation indicators system is one of the keys to implement accurate credit evaluate to small enterprises. Regardless of the evaluation method being used, with unsuitable indicators system, it is impossible to obtain reasonable credit evaluation results. By the application of logistic regression significant discrimination and R clustering analysis, a small enterprises credit evaluation indicators system is established. The credit evaluation system established in this paper is capable of significantly discriminating default samples from non-default ones and can effectively avoids duplicate information. The result of empirical study shows that the credit evaluation indicators system established in this paper is able to reflect 83.47% of original information with 22.22% of original indicators.